Trying to find my Rowdy groove...

This place continues to amaze me! It's been a while since I've had time to log in and take a good look around. I figure at this point I'm probably about 2 months behind on the Rowdy podcasts. I catch one every now and then, but I have really missed listening to the show as part of my daily routine.

It seems that so much has changed since I last posted. Tony hasn't won yet this year and I'm a little concerned about it. Also, I cannot believe he is becoming an owner at Haas. In my wildest dreams I would have never seen that coming. I fully expected Tony to finish at JGR with Zippy by his side. Now I know that will never happen.

How about Kyle Busch? That boy can sure drive a race car. As a fan of the sport, he has really earned my respect this season. I think that his move to Joe Gibbs has been the best thing that could happen for his career. It seems like there is good chemistry between Steve Addington and Kyle. I love it how he's sticking it to his former employer by showing his skills on the race track. This last weekend I couldn't believe I was screaming and yelling and rooting for Kyle to win against Jimmie Johnson. I never thought I would see myself doing that!

Life and my career have been keeping me busy. Last month I adopted a new kitten who has been keeping me busy. My Siamese kitty is happy to have someone to play with. So if she's happy I am happy!

I hope all my Rowdy friends are doing well. I don't expect this craziness to end until school starts back in session!

Go Smoke!
John

• 3 Comments
• Rowdy, life, go smoke, kyle rules, kurt drools

Will Tony be fined for comments on Goodyear?

One of the things I really like about Tony Stewart is that he's willing to speak his mind and does not worry about the consequences. His brutal truth on issues is refreshing. Today's latest issue (or victim?) is Goodyear. Should Tony be punished for speaking out against the official tire of NASCAR?

"That was the most pathetic racing tire I've ever been on in my professional career. Goodyear can't build a tire that is worth a crap."

Gotta love Tony for this latest controversy!

• 14 Comments
• goodyear bad, hoosier good, go tony

Wished I would have went to Las Vegas...

After 3 consecutive years of going to Las Vegas and watching Jimmie Johnson win all 3 times, I decided to give up my awesome seats at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. After watching today's race, I feel like I made a big mistake. This year's race had to be among the most exciting races I've seen at the Vegas track.

I think what really disappoints me more than anything is that one of my favorite drivers won this year. If I was there, I would have been watching Carl Edwards do his backflip off his car right in front of me!

I now miss my 2nd row tickets at the start finish line! :'(

• 0 Comments
• Vegas, Edwards, go roush

Is it February Yet?

This is the question I keep on asking myself. This off-season has felt like one of the longest yet. There's just so many exciting questions this upcoming season that I look forward to finding out the answers to:

1) Will Jr. win any races in Hendrick built equipment?

2) Will Toyota be a factor this year?

3) Will Joe Gibbs Racing Toyotas be among the go or go homers after the first 5 races? If so, will Tony express his frustration with Toyota?

4) Does Hendrick fade from the limelight this year after a dominating year last year?

5) Which race will Jeremy Mayfield lose his new ride?

6) Does Juan Pablo make the chase this year?

7) Will Yates racing ever get sponsorship for the #28 and #38?

8) Will Rusty the Engineer ever get any air time this coming season on the Rowdy podcasts?

I am counting down the days until Daytona speed week!s Are there any fantasy racing games this year that the Rowdy crowd is going to participate in?

It's good to be back after my hiatus. Now I have a ton of podcasts to catch up on!

• 2 Comments

Water in the Fuel Cell?

According to ESPN's show NASCAR Now, Denny Hamlin's problems were due to water being in the fuel cell. Apparently the problems that Dave Blaney had earlier in the race were caused by water in the fuel cell as well.

According to Denny Hamlin's crew chief, Mike Ford, they had calculated that they had 6 laps of fuel left.

NASCAR and Sunoco are looking into the matter.

• 8 Comments
• water, fuel, accident

Be True To Your Sponsor?

Every week we see our favorite drivers race their hearts out for win. When they are interviewed, most of the drivers make a point to thank their sponsors for supporting them. My question to my Rowdy friends is the following: Do you go out of your way to support your favorite drivers sponsors?

When I started following NASCAR regularly, I quickly became a Rusty Wallace fan. I started noticing changes in my buying habits. Instead of buying a heartier local microbrew, I found myself buying - you guessed it - Miller Lite. For a solid 6 years I found myself buying Miller Lite by the 24 bottle cases when they were on sale.

I've also noticed that when a driver I don't like peddles a company's wares, I tend to refrain from buying the product. When Rusty retired at the end of the 2005 season, I was very unhappy that Kurt Busch was going to take over the storied #2 Miller Lite Dodge. Shortly after Kurt took over Rusty's old ride, I noticed a change in my habits. When out with friends, I started ordering local microbrews again. When I wanted a 6-pack of beer at the store, I wasn't buying Miller Lite. I had about 4 bottles of Miller Lite sit in my fridge for months that I ended up tossing. I just couldn't even think about drinking a beer that Kurt Busch peddled.

Today I still find myself associating my shopping habits with drivers. I am now a HUGE Tony Stewart fan. I absolutely love going into a Home Depot and spending my hard earned dollars on Home Improvement projects. When I go to my local Home Depot (60 miles away), I am always sporting my Tony Stewart cap and a Tony Stewart T-Shirt. I believe the Home Depot Associates get a big kick out of it. On the flip side, I absolutely LOATHE when I have to go to Lowe's for something.

Being a part of the Rowdy Nation for the past year, I tend to find myself trying to support the companies that support Rowdy. When I want some gum, I'll buy some Wrigley's. If there was an Optima Batteries dealer in my area, I'd consider buying an Optima battery for my vehicle.

So am I nuts or what? I'm curious to see if other Rowdy members are similar with their buying habits. As NASCAR fans we are bombarded with advertising all the time!

• 8 Comments
• advertising, Sponsors, Official --- of NASCAR, drivers, Tony Stewart, kurt busch, Smoke

I'm finally back!

Hey wonderful Rowdy folks! I'm finally back from a long absence from this site. Dealing with work, one dead notebook computer, and going on vacation in September caused a long absence from this site.

However, I still caught the daily Rowdy podcasts and have watched every race in the chase so far. I hope that all is well with everyone and I'm looking forward to getting back into the action and interacting with the Rowdy Nation!

• 2 Comments
• bad computer, away, back, rowdy 2.0 interface

Rowdy 2.0 - too flashy!

I like the overall idea of Rowdy 2.0, but it really seems kind of flashy and hard to navigate. Hopefully in time I'll figure out this new portal.

At least moving forward is progress! :)

• 0 Comments

2007 isn't a good year for Mikey

If Michael Waltrip's season couldn't get any worse, apparently he was in an auto accident over the weekend. According to an Associated Press report, Michael will be charged with reckless driving and hit-and-run after hitting a telephone booth. Allegedly, Waltrip fell asleep behind the wheel when driving home Saturday night about 2 AM.

Personally, I like Michael Waltrip - I find him an entertaining person. But with all this bad press Mikey continues to get, it makes your wonder how long his sponsors will be sticking with him. How long do you think it will take before NAPA gets fed up and discontinues sponsoring his car?

Waltrip AP story: http://sports.excite.com/news/04102007/v7199.html

• 0 Comments

Getting Sick of Dale Jr. on DirecTV Hot Pass

Before the Dale Jr. fans get all over me - please let me explain myself. The overexposure of Dale Jr. on DirecTV Hot Pass leaves me questioning whether or not DirecTV is committed to bringing me a variety of different drivers. Since its conception, DirecTV Hot Pass has featured Dale Jr. 4 out of the first 5 races.

Don't get me wrong, I like Dale Jr. He may not be my favorite driver, but I respect his talent as a driver and I think he is a great ambassador to the sport. Today I received my weekly e-mail from DirecTV and guess who will be featured on Channel 799? Yup, you guessed it - Dale Jr. If DirecTV keeps up their current trend, they need to rename Channel 799 to the Dale Jr. channel

Even though he has not won a championship, Dale Jr. has been featured more than past Nextel Cup champions. Tony Stewart has been featured twice - same with Matt Kenseth, Jeff Gordon, Kurt Busch, and Jimmie Johnson.

The season is still young, DirecTV There is still a chance to provide the Hot Pass subscribers more variety in drivers. At least this week two of the five drivers are new to Hot Pass - Jeff Burton and Dave Blaney.

As of right now, I give DirecTV Hot Pass a score of 3.5 out of 5. If they would allow me to listen to driver communications during the Fox commercials, the score would go up to a solid 4. It is a really unique experience watching the race from a driver/team perspective. I hope in time Hot Pass matures into something bigger and better - and maybe feature more than five drivers every week.

• 0 Comments