Thanks Paul

So I know this is a few days late, but just wanted to share this picture that I took of Paul Newman at the Champ Car race at the Milwaukee Mile back in the summer of 2004...in a round about way, he was the one that got me into NASCAR, so thanks Paul. You'll be missed. And, yes, Old Guys do Rule.

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MSN FAIL!

So I guess to everyone outside the racing world, anyone in a fire suit must be a NASCAR driver, including IRL darling Danica. Guess their little PR stunt totally backfired! Poor IRL!

Here is the actual web site: MSN FAIL!

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Cup Drivers in the Nationwide Series

So I've had mixed feelings on this topic for some time but wanted so share some thoughts after listening to Landon Cassill's interview during the news from the podcast on the 18th when he said in regards to a lot of the Cup guys taking the weekend off:

"It gives us a chance, the Nationwide drivers a chance to go out and, and perform their best and show 'em what they got, you know?"

Now I played a lot of sports in my youth a.k.a., highschool and college and looking back, I think I played some of my best games when we were up against teams we were never supposed to beat. In college (I played DIII field hockey) we played the defending DII National Champions my sophmore year and beat them 4-3 in overtime. We stepped it up hard core.

Now call me crazy but wouldn't the Nationwide drivers also step it up when racing against the Cup guys? I'm sure they race hard every weekend but I'd bet something about racing the Cup guys would make them race even harder.

Now to my question: Wouldn't racing the Cup guys make the Nationwide guys better drivers? If the Nationwide series is a feeder series for Cup, isn't it good that these guys get acclaimated to the level of racing they are going to experience if they make the jump up?

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Random Thoughts

1. Ann is right.

2. I don't think I heard a single word in the outto yesterday. I was too distracted by Dave.

3. And I agree. Too much Dave. I love Dave but seriously, too much Dave. Dave. Dave. Dave.

4. Pit Road Attire - fashion or safety?
a.) Safety: Delana. So she wants to wear a fire suit on pit road. That's understandable. There IS a chance, however slim, she could catch on fire.
b.) Fashion: Ashley Judd. Photographed looking oh so lovely in a flowered sundress, hat and heels on pit road. Now, according to the rules and regulations, the dress code in the pits is: No shorts, tank tops or open toe shoes. She broke every rule. No one cares. If she catches on fire, who will have the last laugh?

5. Dave.

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Beer Wars and the Great Wave of Consolidation

After reading my Daily Deal publication this morning, I feel Bass's Great Wave of Consolidation theory is not just for NASCAR anymore.

The front page has a big picture of ice cold Budweiser's on it. For a split second I thought "Did KK's win project Anheuser-Busch to some crazy one week earnings record like Tony Stewart did for Home Depot's brick sales after winning the brickyard?" but alas, it was a short lived thought after reading the headline: "Busch Family Has The Name, but InBev Holds The Cards." Hmmm, what is going on here?

VERY long story short, here's what I found out; Belgian brewer InBev is going to make a bid for Anheuser-Busch for $46 Billion, or about $65 a share. And yes, that's Billion with a B. Its not that A-B is in trouble by any means, I mean it has the #1 (Bud) and # 2 (Bud Light) selling beers in the world and over half the market in total sales with SABMiller coming in second.

Now in the past few years this is what has happened to the beer companies:

SABMiller = Miller Brands + Molson Coors Brands + Royal Grolsch Brands + 13 different independent breweries in China.

A-B = Bud + Busch + Natural + Beck's + Hoegaarden + Stella Artois + Michelob + Bass + Kirin + Rolling Rock + Bacardi and others.

The only way A-B could prevent a hostile bid from InBev would be to buy the remaining 50% of Mexico's top brewer Grupo Modelo (they make Corona and Pacifico amongst others) that they don't already own to make the market share that much larger so InBev could no longer afford them.

All I know is that for about a year, I've been drinking Stella in place of Bud or Miller cause I'm very torn that my boy KK is sponsored by A-B and my Green Bay Packers are sponsored by Miller and I didn't want to show favorites and now I find I've been cheating on my Packers all along. Shhh, don't tell Brett.

So, anyone else thirsty?

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WHOO HOO!!!

I would just like to freak out for a moment here...

WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
*breath* OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm so happy all that voting paid off. We SO needed this win! Ok, that is all. Thank you. YAY!!! GO KASEY!

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Operation Wax Smoke

Remember last year when Tony said on his SIRIUS satellite radio show, Tony Stewart Live, that if someone would raise $100,000 for charity, he would wax his chest AND back and so Kevin Harvick started Operation Wax Smoke to raise the $100,000 for the Victory Junction Gang Camp? Well times up. Kevin did it. Tony's getting waxed! Hold on Tony. You may be a tough guy but you've never experienced anything like this. Glad my $25 went to a good cause. :)

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Our Flip-Flopping Buck Fever

From Goode Times:
Goode: "I've got a man-crush on Tom Brady. He's kinda my hero right now."
Fever: "He's pretty hot. You know he's like the Tiger Woods...."
Goode: "I'm going to go out there and say if I could change places with anybody, to go out and throw for you know for 90% and 4 touchdowns but..."

Talking to Tyler Epp:
Fever about Goode: "He talked about his man-crush on Tom Brady."
Epp: "Yeah he loves him."
Fever: "You know, I hate Tom Brady."
Epp: "I do too."
Fever: "He makes it look so freaking easy. He's like Tiger Woods."
Epp: "Look, you can't be a great quarterback, get the girl, be nice, be a good teammate, be rich, famous; there's now way you can have it all."
Fever: "I know"
Epp: "Its not possible so, he's living a lie in some area, I just don't know what area."
Fever: "Ha ha ha ha."
Epp: "That's what I decided."
Fever: "That's funny."
Epp: "Its very petty, and very jealous, all those things are true but, it doesn't change the fact that I don't like him."

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• Buck Fever, Tyler Epp, Chip Goode, Tom Brady, Tiger Woods

Jail Time

So my boy Kasey is due in court Jan. 8 to answer charges of misdemeanor battery stemming from the Nov. 16 incident at Miami Homestead Speedway. The maximum sentence for misdemeanor battery is one year in jail and a $1,000 fine.

If the possibility of being sent to jail for one year was in my immediate future, what would I want to do over the next few days? I mean other than work on my defense. :) Go out with friends? Time with my family? Make arrangements for all my stuff to be moved out of my apartment? Give my plants to my roommate to water? Go sit on the beach somewhere?

I mean I've never been to jail, nor have any idea what jail would be like other than what I've seen in the movies. I would hope that my jail would be like the one Martha Stewart or Paris Hilton were in. Or maybe like Shawshank - I'd make friends like Red and Haywood; I'd get a crow for a pet like Brooks. But I could do without Bogs and the 'sisters' trying to jump me in the projection room.

I wouldn't mind the jumpsuit so much. They actually look kind of comfy. I'd pretend I was a NASCAR driver with no sponsors.

My cell number would something like 48288400209 and I'd memorize my ID by reciting Jimmie Johnson, Kurt Busch, Junior, Brett Favre, Mark Martin some of the time, Tony Stewart, Kasey Kahne.

I'd hope to get letters and visits from friends and family. And the occasional nail file in a baked good. I would just hope they warned me first so I wouldn't loose a tooth. Although, that might help me fit in better. Not sure.

I'd probably make good use of the gym since I don't belong to one now - they are so expensive in NYC - as well as the library. I hear some jail librarys are better than public ones. I wonder if they offer Italian lessons?

Well, at the end of the day, I hope Kasey doesn't go to jail but if he does, I'll send him a package of Puppy Chow.

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Time To Give Thanks

Other than eating way too much dinner and suffering from major food coma tomorrow, its nice to also think about all the stuff we're thankful for. So here's my "Rowdy Top Ten Things I'm Thankful For" list for the 2007 season:

1. For Rowdy.com and the Rowdy Boys - without which, none of us would have met!

2. For my friends whom I've met here; some of the best people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting - either face to face or online. You guys all rock.

3. For the Kasey Kahne Assistant contest for bringing me to Susie and in turn, to Rowdy. Susie you are just the best.

4. For my job which has allowed me to buy race tickets.

5. For the Rowdy Banner which has travelled all over the country rocking Race Day (and sometimes getting banned by Race Day!)

6. For my video camera which has allowed me to document so many good times which I have then been able to share with you.

7. For my iPod so I can listen to Rowdy during my commute, without which I would go crazy.

8. For Wrigley's, Optima Batteries, Waste Management, Remington Code, and the banners on the site that support Rowdy.

9. For Kasey even though his season was craptacular - but its okay cause next year he'll be back to 2006 form. Can't wait to see him back in Victory Lane!

10. For my non-NASCAR watching friends who have been so supportive of my NASCAR habit.

And I know this isn't Rowdy related but thank you to the service men and women who are fighting for our freedom. I support you.

Hope you all have a glorious holiday spent with loved ones. Safe travels to everyone and remember, you can eat more at dinner if you have breakfast. Don't hold out all day getting your stomach growling in anticipation for that famous stuffing and all that fantabulous turkey. Do yourself a favor and make some eggs and toast around 10am...oh and GO PACKERS. :)

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