Why Dale Earnhardt Jr Got My Vote??

Every driver in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series has a fan, or millions of fans for that matter. Dale Earnhardt Jr is at the top of that chart. It has shown for the past seven years as he has walked away with the NMPA Chex Most Popular Driver. This was a bit suprising as the 2009 racing season wasn't Junior's best year. However that didn't stop his dedicated fans like me to vote for him. Though the infamous last name might have quite a bit to do with it. It never once affected my vote. I was never really a Earnhardt Sr. fan, even though I knew he could drive like no other. I voted simply because I like Junior.

Dale Earnhardt Jr's season was far from good, showing a bit of improvement in the last four races. So the big question, Why would you vote for someone who didn't win a single race? Personality for me. The guy can run in 43rd position then 90 percent of the time, he is willing to talk and explain what happened or what what went wrong. Not many drivers can or are willing to do that.

Media scrutinized Junior almost every race. That didn't stop Junior Nation from cheering on their favorite driver. Why? Because a true fan never gives up on their driver. You stick with that driver through thick and thin. Since I was eleven years old I have cheered for Dale Earnhardt Jr and I have no plans on stopping.

Hopefully the new year will ring in some ones for the 2009 Most Popular Driver!

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5 Questions After ... NASCAR Banquet!

Unfortunately, the offseason is upon us. However, last night was the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series awards ceremony and there were some very memorable moments. (P.S. My apologies for not previewing the banquet! I had a bad case of the offseason blues!)


How many season highlight clips did they show? … From the beginning of the “pre-banquet” show to the end of the awards ceremony, clip after clip after clip was shown highlighting different storylines of the 2009 NASCAR season. Though the NASCAR Media Group does a fantastic job with each of these, how many of them did we actually need to see? Not to mention the fact that leading up to the banquet coverage, SPEED aired four 30-minute television shows highlighting different aspects of 2009. Many of the clips aired during the banquet seemed like duplicates showed during the shows. By the time the banquet was over, fans were burned out.


Is there a “Jimmie Johnson Retirement Fund”? … Tony Stewart, Ryan Newman, and Greg Biffle seem to think so! Then again, maybe that was just wishful thinking. Who knows? It started when Newman was giving his speech and nonchalantly congratulated Jimmie and his team on their 4th consecutive championship … and then went on to say, “I hope you enjoy your retirement.” Biffle and Stewart both rebutted that they would also like to see Johnson take a NASCAR break. Nice try, boys!


How apparent was the fan presence? … Every driver thanked the fans in their speech, and every time the fans offered up a “you’re welcome” with cheers and applause. At times, drivers were mentioned and introduced and cheers were heard from the seats up above where the fans were placed. Approximately 300 NASCAR fans were in attendance for the banquet, and it showed!


Were the political jokes a bit awkward? … Don’t get me wrong, they were hilarious! Most of them were in good taste and nothing was said that would get bleeped or edited out on regular programming (unless there was something we didn’t see). However, it seemed as though Frank Caliendo got a bit deeper into politics than NASCAR usually ever does. It was a bit amusing to see the faces on some of the audience members.


How fitting was the name of the hotel? … The NASCAR banquet at the “Wynn Las Vegas” hotel … was that on accident? I don’t know, but it works! All of our drivers are “Wynn-ers” (couldn’t resist!) and got to celebrate their season at the hotel that bears the name!


Bonus questions: Did Chad Knaus videotape the banquet? … Who knew Jeff Hammond was so knowledgeable in the world of fashion?! … Who all was more interested in the dates than the drivers themselves?

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Peers have advice for Johnson at 2009 Sprint Cup banquet

Jimmie Johnson’s peers have some advice for him – or at the very least, some wishful thinking.

“I hope you enjoy your retirement,” Ryan Newman said during NASCAR’s annual awards ceremony Friday night at the Wynn in Las Vegas. The crowd roared.

Nice try, Newman. But he wasn’t alone in his sentiments regarding Johnson, who made history with his fourth consecutive Sprint Cup title this year.

Greg Biffle and Tony Stewart readily jumped on the bandwagon.

“At least just take a vacation for five or 10 years,” said two-time champion Stewart, who offered his half of Stewart-Haas Racing to Johnson to entice him to retire.

Jokes aside, Stewart acknowledged the 48 team shows no signs of slowing down.

“It’s up to us to find a way to beat these guys,” Stewart said, adding that he was the last driver who wasn’t Johnson to claim the championship.

It was a record-breaking year for Johnson and Hendrick Motorsports. Johnson’s fourth straight title gave the organization its 12th NASCAR championship. Hendrick teams also finished first, second and third in the points, a first for a racing organization in NASCAR.

Friday night’s banquet had a few firsts of its own as well. It marked the first time the event had been held in Las Vegas. For the last 28 years, New York had hosted the ceremony. Also for the first time, NASCAR fans were able to take part, with 300 in attendance.

The industry welcomed the change of scenery. Denny Hamlin said he had never seen so many fans gathered for the Victory Lap as he did on Thursday, when the 12 drivers in the Chase paraded their racecars on Vegas’s famous Strip.

Serving as banquet host was comedian/impressionist Frank Caliendo. Entertainment was provided by Escala, an electronic string quartet from England who reached the final of “Britain’s Got Talent” last year, the soon-to-be-broken-up country duo of Brooks & Dunn, and singer-songwriter David Gray. Comedian John Pinette, who performed in last year’s banquet, returned to deliver more of his wry humor.

Caliendo is probably best known for his impressions of John Madden and George W. Bush. In one bit, he demonstrated what it would be like if Madden provided commentary for a NASCAR race. Other bits included Caliendo as a NASCAR fan interviewing former Dallas Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson, mistaking him for the Cup champ with almost the same name, and Caliendo in the persona of Dr. Phil giving “advice” to some of the drivers. To Martin: ''You fake retired so many times Brett Favre thinks you're indecisive.'' To Johnson: “Congratulations, Jimmie, but learn to share. That’s all I’m saying!”

In addition to Johnson, the remaining nine drivers who finished 2009 in the top 10 in points were also recognized, in ascending order of points finish: Kasey Kahne, Newman, Juan Pablo Montoya, Biffle, Stewart, Hamlin, Jeff Gordon and Mark Martin.

Hamlin, considered by many to be Johnson’s top challenger for the title in 2010, joked that since Johnson has won the championship every year Hamlin has been in Cup, “I may be your good luck charm.”

Mark Martin, who finished second to Johnson in points, kidded his teammate, “You sure know how to steal a guy’s thunder, don’t you?” After congratulating the 48 team, Martin told boss Rick Hendrick that he was “a true champion as a person” and wanted to be more like him.

Martin also said the 5 car is “the nicest thing he’s ever been in.” He complimented crew chief Alan Gustafson, saying Gustafson was smarter than he is. He thanked everyone at Hendrick Motorsports and the fans for a remarkable season.

Hendrick himself became emotional after receiving NASCAR’s highest award, the Bill France Award of Excellence. The honor was presented by Betty Jane France, widow of former NASCAR chairman Bill France Jr. Speaking about how much his relationship with the chairman meant to him, Hendrick had to stop to compose himself.

When he did, Hendrick told Johnson he was “constantly raising the bar, and when someone isn’t there to challenge you, you find a way to challenge yourself,” which he proclaimed was “the mark of a true champion.”

Johnson said he was amazed at the comments he had received from those he respected in the sport, referring to himself as an “underdog” in his early career. He complimented his teammate Martin, saying the 50-year-old “pushed me to be the best driver I can be.”

And despite his competitors’ best efforts to convince him into retirement, Johnson doesn’t plan to give up the title anytime soon.

“We’ve won four, so maybe we can win five. And that’s what I’m going to try to do.”

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Speedway Children's Charities donate $854K at Lowe's Motor Speedway tree lighting

The 50-foot Christmas tree outside Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C.,
was lit earlier this week. (Photo taken by Brian Hedden / Carolina Lifestyles)

Christmas came early for several Charlotte, N.C.-based organizations when Speedway Children’s Charities awarded more than $854,000 in grants at Lowe’s Motor Speedway’s annual tree-lighting ceremony, held earlier this week.

Marcus Smith, Lowe's Motor Speedway president and general manager, and retired Air Force Maj. Gen. Tom Sadler, Speedway Children's Charities executive director, presented the grants to 93 nonprofit agencies that directly impact children in the Charlotte region.

Speedway Children's Charities raised the funds through a variety of fundraising activities, as well as donations from individuals and corporations throughout the year. This year’s total exceeded last year’s contribution by more than $100,000.

In addition to the grant distribution, Lowe’s Motor Speedway’s 50-foot Christmas tree was lit outside the track’s main entrance. The event also featured appearances by Santa Claus and Lug Nut, the speedway’s mascot.

For a list of the Charlotte-area organizations that benefitted from Speedway Children’s Charities’ donation, visit Carolina Lifestyles, who is graciously allowing Skirts and Scuffs to use their photo from the tree lighting.

For more information, visit:
Speedway Children’s Charities: http://charlotte.speedwaycharities.org/
Lowe’s Motor Speedway: http://www.lowesmotorspeedway.com/

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Your Top 5 Best & Worst Moments of 2009

Since the season ender at Homestead-Miami Speedway, I have been going over the season in my head. For example, what happened to Carl Edwards, what happened to RCR, who is at fault for Kyle Busch and Steve Addington mix up? Then I realized that this year wasn't all that bad, at least for me and my drivers. All of them had their ups and downs but mostly all of them won a race either on the Cup side or Nationwide side. Other than my drivers, many drivers had amazing seasons, Jimmie Johnson, Mark Martin, Tony Stewart, Kasey Kahne, and the list goes on. The 2009 season was full of controversy whether that be between drivers or crews or just a single driver that brought drama to the track every weekend. Of course everybody can remember "The Plot" against Jr at Hendrick Motorsports. We even saw some first time winners on the Cup side: Joey Logano, David Reutimann, & Brad Keselowski.

For the first time in my many years of loving NASCAR Racing, I wasn't impressed with NASCAR. It was a repeat every week, a driver would get out in front and would most likely end up in Victory Lane. Except for the Nationwide Series and Camping World Truck Series. These 2 series had some of the most exciting races of the whole season! Drivers duked it out each week and we had the repeat offenders that be wrecking or even tangling up on the track. I loved watching these 2 series each weekend because I knew that I would most likely be satisfied with the racing.

After all that thinking, I came up with my Top 5 Best and Worst Moments of the 2009 Season. Out of all the 3 Series or even something that happened off track, my list was complete! There were so many moments to choose from but these important 10 facts made my list! So here it is:

Best:
1. Meeting Kyle Busch July 22, 2009 [One of the best days of my life]
2. Kyle Busch becomes The 2009 NASCAR Nationwide Series Champion and Wins the race in the same day.
3. Kyle Busch smashes the Gibson Guitar after winning at Nashville Superspeedway June 6, 2009.
4. The Drivers Call Out NASCAR [My personal favorite hands down is Ryan Newman after his horrific Talladega wreck]
5. Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series Racing.

Worst:
1. The Flips of 2009
2. NASCAR Makes Rule Changes
3. Kyle Busch's Wreck at Daytona
4. NASCAR's Lack Of Rough Driving Penalties
5. Favoritism Of Drivers.

So mine had to do with Kyle Busch a lot but what can I say, I adore him! :)

I told you my Top 5 Best & Worst Moments of 2009, so what's yours?

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Women in Racing

If you are a frequent reader of Skirts and Scuffs you have probably seen our series of posts on Women in Racing/NASCAR. Regardless of whether they are seated behind the wheel, atop the pit box, or are standing in front of the camera, there are a lot of women out there involved in the sport we love so much.

It’s our intention to profile some of these women and show you how they got where they are today as well as where they hope the future will take them. We want to give you a glimpse into both the professional and personal lives of these ladies in the hopes they won’t be seen as just another pretty face in the crowd.

Skirts and Scuffs contributor Lindi Bess has put a lot of time and effort into crafting these interview posts and would love to work with any woman in the sport of racing who wants to share her story. You can contact Lindi via Twitter or through email to set up an interview or if you want to learn more about this series.

Past interviews conducted by Lindi include the following:


Drivers: The ladies behind the wheel

• Caitlin Shaw – Up-and-coming driver in developmental series
• Alli Owens – ARCA Series driver for Venturini Motorsports
• Tiffany Daniels – Up-and-coming driver in developmental series
• Leilani Munter – Open-wheel and stockcar driver, stunt woman and environmental activist
• Jennifer Jo Cobb - NCWTS driver/owner
• Johanna Long - Up-and-coming driver gaining notice in NCWTS

TV Personalities / Public Relations: The ladies in front of the camera

• Wendy Venturini – SPEED TV Personality – 3 Part Series (Part 1 – Part 2 – Part 3)
• Monica Palumbo - Miss Sprint Cup
• Shannon Spake - ESPN Reporter
• Jamie Little - ESPN Reporter
• Nicole Briscoe - ESPN Reporter
• Krista Voda -  FOX/SPEED TV Reporter

Racing Wives: The ladies on the pit box

• Krissie Newman – Wife of Ryan Newman
• Samantha Sarcinella – Fiancée of Kyle Busch
• Amanda Speed - Wife of Scott Speed

Racing Moms: Ladies who give it all for their sons to reach their dreams

• Mary Lou Hamlin - Mother of Denny Hamlin

We would love to hear from you regarding who you would like to see us interview in upcoming columns. We have several more interviews in the works, but are always open to suggestions. We can be contacted through email or via our Twitter account.

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What to Read? Sunday Money

Ready for another book review about NASCAR? Today Katy looks into Jeff MacGregor's book Sunday Money and gives her honest opinion.

Jeff and his wife Beep, yes that's what he calls her throughout the book, have an idea. They decide to purchase a motorhome and spend 40 or so weeks on the road following the NASCAR Cup circuit. The year is 2002 and the motorhome is a 26.5 foot long beast that the couple plan to live out of as cheaply and as basic as possible. They will stay in campgrounds across the country or spend the week in the local Wal-Mart parking lot waiting for the races to come to town.  On race weekend they will move their mobile home to the track where they will camp amongst the thousands of NASCAR fans that descend when the Cup boys are in town.

Sounds like the perfect job right? Who among us hasn't thought it would be awesome to follow the entire season? Oh, did I mention that Jeff is a writer who has written pieces for Sports Illustrated and The New York Times and that his wife Beep (I think her name might be Olya) is a photographer? Jeff and Beep plan to spend the 10 months covering the circuit writing a book and letting the world know about their "Hot Lap Around America With NASCAR."

The result of this venture is the book Sunday Money written by Jeff MacGregor. The 367 page book covers the 2002 NASCAR season. A year when the country was still recovering from September 11th and a year when the NASCAR Nation was looking for a new hero after the death of Dale Earnhardt.

Sunday Money isn't your typical NASCAR book. It doesn't dive headfirst into the history of the sport and it doesn't look at things through the eyes of a fan either. MacGregor isn't your typical fan who comes to the track decked out in the gear of his favorite driver but he's not a member of the bona-fide media either. He spends a lot of time talking to fans in the parking lot or in the camping areas. He spend the first half of the book trying to find the perfect location to watch the race and still be able to understand what's going on. It's pretty obvious the guy has never covered a race before and that he's probably never even watched every lap on television either.

Some parts of the book are extremely funny while at other times it seems as if he is mocking NASCAR and it's fans. The language in the book isn't going to make everyone happy, but if you've ever been to a race and sat beside a fan who's had a few too many beers then the language isn't that bad by comparison. The book isn't about the love affair most of us have with NASCAR but more about the grueling season that never seems to end.

In the beginning of the book MacGregor covers each race but by the end you can tell his heart isn't in it and he's worn out. He sympathizes with the drivers, motorcoach drivers, and those who haul the cars across the country for most of the year. While the first half of the book is full of fun stories, interactions the ending of the book becomes the same story over and over again. It may as well read "43 drivers went out and drove around in circles for three hours. Some dudes wrecked, some dudes blew up, and a few purposefully wrecked each other. In the end some guy won and when they interviewed him he sounded like he had a mouth full of marbles...oh yeah and Tony Stewart won the Championship." Okay, so maybe it's not that bad but you can definately see that the long schedule took a toll on the writer and that he was glad to return to his New York home at the end of the season and sell his motorhome.

This book will appeal to some but others will walk away wondering why they wasted their time. It's not a book I would ever read again but it was nice to see an outsiders perspective of the sport, at least for the first 150 pages or so.

Have you read this book? What did you think?

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