Hello loyal readers and other folks. Well Darlington, The Lady In Black as some folks call it, is behind us now. That gal sure knows how to get those drivers in cantankerous moods now doesn’t she? Course some of that stuff has been brewin’ for awhile. Know what I mean, but, more on that later.
This week we were treated to more under the lights racin’. Maybe the racin’ powers that be think cooler night temperatures will equal cooler driver tempers, but it doesn’t work that way. With Mothers Day fallin’ on Sunday we had the Nationwide race Friday night.
That race wound up bein’ a mess for some drivers and a basket of happiness for others. 3 wide racin’ just doesn’t work there as a bunch of drivers figured out. But Saturday night would prove to show the old Kyle is still in there just ready to bust out but I’ll get to that in a bit.
Qualifyin’ was rained out so the startin’ spots were based on practice speeds which put Mister Rowdy Boy on the pole. Duck was fairly excited cause Flippin’ Carl started in the 3rd spot. He has been workin’ on his idol worshipin’ issues and I was fairly encouraged as we grabbed our snacks and headed for the divan. As the green flag flew we were on our feet and cheered and quacked with anticipation!
Course there was the usual jostlin’ back and forth but on lap 95 there was a nasty crash. Aric Almirola, Flippin’ Carl, Brian Scott, Ryan Truex and Kasey Kahne were all involved. Course you know Duck started havin’ fits! I wish I could understand him more when he’s fit throwin’ like that, but, maybe that’s a good thing, after all. I might have had to wash his mouth out with soap. I’m not accusin’ here. I’m just wonderin’. Anyway Rowdy Boy won and like I have said before that boy could drive a corn cob and win. Not always ya understand as the next night would prove, but sometimes. Good for him, I say! Course he was a nice wide smilin’ rascal in Victory Lane that night and truthfully who wouldn’t be? Know what I mean? That was amazin’ly his first win at Darlington! Anyway Denny Hamlin finished 2nd followed by cutie Elliott Sadler, Justin Allgaier and Rusty’s boy Steven, The rest you can look up. Duck was still fit throwin’ at race’s end so after a good scoldin’ by me for a half hour or so Duck went off to bed while still makin’ those nasty soundin’ noises and I was glad, truth be told. Sometime within the next 2 hours he fell asleep, thank our good and gracious LORD and I slumbered nicely after that.
Saturday we got up early and tended to the day’s necessities and that evenin’ we had a late dinner then settled in on the divan with our snacks on the crates and were ready for some more action. Bein’s that we were still full from dinner I just put out a bowl of M&Ms and some cold fresh milk. Boy howdy were we treated to action and then some! The announcers started off talkin’ about the bad blood between Flyin’ Ryan and Juan-toya. Course those boys had their chains yanked by the Daytona Dudes and for the most part behaved themselves. Well with each other that is but Juan-Toya must have still had a kink or 2 left in his chain cause that boy was runnin’ into pert near everyone, but I’m gettin’ ahead of myself here.
Kasey Kahne started on the pole followed by Flyin’ Ryan, Denny Hamlin, Flippin’ Carl and Jeff Gordon. For those feud lovers information Juan-Toya started 16th. It was reported that he said Ryan hits like a girl, but I say that’s a silly statement. Ryan is a thick, muscular rascal and besides some grannies, I mean girls, have been known to pack a pretty fair whallop when called for there mister Juan-Toya and besides all of that he out qualified you there Pablo so put that in your pot and cook it! I’m not pickin’ favorites here, I’m just sayin’, but that’s neither here not there.
Anyway for a fair spell there we witnessed a follow the leader race. Oh there was some passin’ goin’ on but I think the drivers were just feelin’ things out and not wantin’ to tear up their equipment. There was the usual Darlington stripes here and there, but, that is definitely to be expected. Course Duck was upset everytime Flippin’ Carl hit the wall but we both got pretty excited when Carl had the lead for a spell. Rowdy Boy lead a good portion too and even went a lap down at one point but true to Rowdy fashion he fought his way up front again. Somewhere in all that mess the old simmerin’ feud between Happy and Rowdy reemerged and lead to a spectacular happenin’ on pit road, but, more on that later. Anyway, on lap 359 because of a caution some upfronters pitted but Ragan Smith and a few others didn’t so Ragan took the lead. Good for him I say! He has never won a Cup race and a driver’s got to do what a driver’s got to do. Know what I mean? Anyway as the race wound down to a green-white-checkered Ragan still had the lead and Carl was in second. Ragan Smith won that race! Good for him I say! It was an emotional interview there in Victory Lane. His mama wasn’t present as she always is but what a wonderful Mothers Day present that was. Good for both of them I say!
Meanwhile on pitroad Harvick stopped his car in front of Rowdy’s. After a few seconds Kevin climbed out of his car and headed for Kyle’s but before he could get there, contrary to what some reports have said, Kyle hit the gas and started shovin’ Kevin’s car out of the way, so, Kevin threw a punch through the 18’s window and the #29 turned in to the pit wall. Thank our good and gracious LORD no one was hurt! Course the crews of both teams were huffin’ and puffin’ at each other with some shovin’ of their own goin’ on, but after all, this is the year of “have at it”. Or is it? Both drivers and owners were called to the NASCAR hauler for a good talkin’ to.
Seems like that new, improved and mature Rowdy Boy isn’t or at least isn’t all the time. I think I recall the Cup race winner Smith at some point in the race tryin’ to pass Rowdy and Rowdy banged in to him. Looked purposeful to me, but maybe this time this granny is wrong. And then again, maybe not. Again I’m not accusin’ or bad mouthin’, I’m just sayin’ I think we will have Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups next race candy snack time. I like those better anyway! Know what I mean? But again, that’s neither here nor there.
Anyway, I think the coverage of all that mean spirited stuff took away from a wonderful celebration for Ragan Smith’s fans. I am as happy as I can be for him and that team, so, another GOOD FOR THEM ALL, I say! CONGRATULATIONS, Ragan, honey, and I hope you have many more celebrations to come.
Tuesday will be the news day for the Newman/Juan-Toya and Happy/Rowdy happenin’s. I just think it’s all a lot to do about not too much of anythin’ so far. This sport was formed on competition, ya know, and with competition comes passion in all forms, includin’ bickerin’ and big mouths. That filled the grandstands. Cutie Darrell Waltrip, the Allison brothers, Cale Yarborough and the like made the NASCAR owner and operators big money. I’m just rememberin’ amazin’ times back in the day. Know what I mean?
Hope all the mamas and grannies had a wonderful day yesterday! Anyway Duck and I will be away on a trip next week. I’m not doin’ what I did last time we hit the road together. No more wash tubs full of water in the bed of the truck. Nosirree! That was a mess! I am just takin’ a squirt bottle with me and I’ll let him have it when he needs a good wettin’ down. Cousin Grouch will handle the writin’s next week, and speakin’ of her let’s she what she has to say. Bring it on Granny Grouch.
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Howdy Young’uns and other folks too ! I hope all the Ladies out there had themselves a wonderful Mother’s Day weekend and all your children and grandchildren were good to ya, yesterday, each and every one of you deserve it too, what with how hard we all have to work these days, I’d say! WHEW ! Speakin’ of mothers, I see mother nature had to make her presence known at Darlington on Friday. I’m thinkin’ she doesn’t like NASCAR all that much, what do you think? Well, anywho, despite her efforts, we got the race completed Friday night purt near on schedule too! Like I heard somebody say, this race’s theme shoulda been entitled “Hello Walls”! My goodness, they were just slappin’ them walls every which way, weren’t they? Then, of course, we had the BIG one on caution number five with a crash on the backstretch involvin’ seven drivers, Brian Scott takin’ the biggest hit, head-on into the safer barrier on the inside wall. When the #99 car scraped the wall, I was a wonderin’ if the Duck knocked over the crates cause he was so mad that his feathers got mangled, hmmmm? Of course, “Rowdy” Busch won the race, with Denny Hamlin, Elliott Sadler, Justin Allgaier and Steven Wallace rounding out your Top 5. To my way of thinkin’, that “Rowdy” Busch is amazin’! I didn’t think he stood a chance of winnin’ the race, what with the terrible way his car was performin’ in the beginnin’ but it just shows ya the raw talent this young’un has, he knows what he wants out of his car and he knows how to get it out of it! Good for him and his crew chief, I’d say!
Movin’ right on to the Southern 500, oh my good and gracious Lord, if this wasn’t the longest race in NASCAR history! Now don’t go gittin’ yer pantyhose in a bunch cause I didn’t say borin’, I said L-O-N-G. Land sakes, I coulda got next weeks chores done in the time it took to run this here race, no wonder the fuses got so short with the drivers and crew chiefs ! We certainly had us a lot of action in this one, what with eleven caution flags. I was mentionin’ to “Bubba” that this race reminded me of one of them Soap Opraies them young’uns watch on television – – what’s gonna happen next? I was so happy to see Regan Smith win his first Sprint Cup race that I jumped up and did my Granny Grouch dance all over the Livin’ Room. Yes sirree, I surely did cause I was so happy for him, after gittin’ robbed of his first “unofficial” race win here a while back, and he was so proud to win for Mother’s Day weekend too ! Good job, Regan, I say!
Now I’ve got to tell you about the bee I’ve had in my bonnet since last week’s race at Richmond. That would be concernin’ the Sports Media – – Sports Writers as well as Broadcasters. Have we had enough with the Newman vs Montoya Feud? They all need to get a life and realize that there are 42 other drivers out there that would like to receive an honorable (or even not so honorable) mention, once in a while, after all they are all working just as hard! This week’s winner is a good example of what I’m sayin’!
Lastly, I must say congratulations to Carl and Kate Edwards on the birth of their second child on Wednesday of last week. Little Annie now has a baby brother, whose name is Michael, to play with her! This granny loves the name Michael, since her all-time favorite driver is Michael Waltrip- – -no comment from the peanut gallery, neither! That’s all I have time for this week. See you all next week after the racin’ in Dover – – “The Monster Mile”. Have a great week everybody ! ! ! Granny Grouch, out!
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Thank ya again, Grouch, darlin’ for your good writin’s. I can always count on you to write up somethin’ I forgot to! Don’t worry about feedin’ all the critters over here for me while Duck and I are gone. I got that covered and I know you are a very busy woman, too. Tell Bubba I said hello and I’ll fill ya in on all that family drama stuff when we get back, but, I’m warnin’ ya if that Bernice starts her stuff with me I’m gonna have to, well nevermind, no sense in gettin’ all riled up on incaseties. Know what I mean?
So there you have it. Email, comment or don’t. We don’t care cause we’re very busy women. Know what I mean? Granny Grump and Granny Grouch, over and out!
