Key to Making the Chase? Breaking Your Ankle and Spraining Your Back.

     As the years have gone by since 2004, the chase has been a harder and harder dream to accomplish by some of the best drivers in NASCAR's new era. The chasers couldn't be decided by a specific science or math. You have a better chance of figuring out who's in by picking names from a hat.
     As we approach the 2011 chase field though, it looks like we will have a new face in the field, unlike past years. Brad Keselowski. Just under two weeks ago, Brad went through a terrible wreak at Road America while testing his #2 Miller Lite Dodge for Penske Racing. He chipped the bone in his ankle, put a gash in his upper leg, and sprained his back, putting him in severe pain. Brad's team didn't even know if Brad was going to show up to Pocono, none the less race.
     Brad was determined though, and raced through the pain to his first win with no strings attached. This wasn't fuel mileage, nor did Carl Edwards have to fly for this trophy to hold Brad's name on it. The fact that he won is what is amazing NASCAR nation, being down a foot and all. This Monday though, the series moved onto Wakins Glen, and Brad showed what he had once again.
    He came up second on the road course, which impressed the media, his team, and the fans. "I think he showed how tough he is, because even with the injury he suffered, he won at Pocono and finished 2nd @ the glen. Also, it shows that he will probably get into the chase with the wild card spot & possibly be a factor in the chase" @KaseyKfan4 had to say when asked what she thought about Brad these past two weeks. @phillip_smalley simply said "BK is Bad ass". (Personally, I prefer Bradass, but that's just me! :D ) @Short_Court24 also expressed " [He is] just amazing, I can't believe that he sat in the car and drove that car to Victory lane and then a top 2 finish. He is a true competitor and he never gives up. Also I don't think any other driver would have been able to do what he has done...he is a beast!" Fans obviously have taken to Brad's success well, and is enjoying the way he is running.
     Along with the success, Brad has just about secured a chase berth, which even though isn't perfectly secured yet, as the weeks tick by, he's getting closer and closer to fighting with 5-time Jimmie Johnson for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.
     As Brad continues to bask in the glory of his success on one foot and no back, others are scrambling to squeeze into that last spot in the top ten, and final wild card spot. Well, I have one piece of advice for them that could help them out. Break your Ankle and Sprain your back.

NASCAR Nickname Top 10

There are so many amazing names in NASCAR nation and to get it down to ten, was nearly impossible. But i tried my best!!! See what you think!

10. Ricky Steinhouse Jr. - "Ricky Ticky" ( @VickersGirlAsh )
9.) Tony Stewart - "Smoke"
8.) Brad Keselowski - "Polish Express" ( @Cruetten )
7.) Kurt Busch - "Double Douche" ( @VickersGirlAsh )
6.) Kasey Kahne - "Kandy Kahne" ( @KaseysGirlBritt )
5.) Kevin Harvick - "Happy Harvick"
4.) Joey Logano - "The Orange Blur" ( @LoganoLuvr20 )
3.) Brian Vickers - "Ice Cream" ( @VickersGirlAsh )
2.) Brad Keselowski - "Bradybear" ( @Bradasskrazy4kk ) ( I call him this...its obviously one of my favorites!)
1.) Brad Keselowski - "Bradass"

What do you think? Leave your comments below!!!!
Thanks to all my twitter friends again for their names!!!!
These are every ones real user names, so just search them and you can follow!
Thanks for reading!

The Nickname Game. Junior, Junebug, Little E, Dale Jr...all one in the same!

   
     As a part of NASCAR nation, fans get involved with their favorite driver to the point where it becomes personal. We eat, drink and breath our drivers. We have everything from toothbrushes, suntan lotion, and embroidered toilet paper carrying their names. (Oh wait...or is that just me?) One thing that has always amazed me is the nicknames fans come up with for drivers. Now, I have my own names for my favorites Kasey Kahne and Brad Keselowski (Kaseyboo and Bradybear, I know...odd!) so I don't find it odd at all. I just love exploring the different names fans and the media come up with over time.
     Everyone knows the everyday "Smoke" for 2 time champion Tony Stewart, "Happy Harvick" for rebel Kevin Harvick, "Bradass" for Brad Keselowski and "Junebug", "Little E" and many more for the sports most popular driver, Dale Earnhardt Jr.
     My personal favorites though are the ones that come from fans. @Cruetten calls Juan Pablo Montoya "Cigar", while @VickersGirlAsh calls Ricky Steinhouse Jr. "Ricky Ticky". Some you will never understand like @KaseysGirlBritt, who calls Denny Hamlin "Hammy" and "DaHam" and @VickersGirlAsh who chooses to call Brian Vickers "Ice Cream". (The ones that make little to no sense are my personal favorites!). Some come from anger or hatred of or towards a driver. @VickersGirlAsh gave Kurt Busch the name of "Double Douche", regardless of the fact that she says she still likes him. :) @Ampdog88 showed off his dislike for both the Busch drivers, calling them the "Busch Sisters" and Kyle "Kyle Poutybusch" and "Pee Wee".  Finally, some just sound cool, like @Cruetten calling Brad Keselowski "Polish Express".
     We may not understand them, we may not approve of them, nor may we like them, but the nicknames for drivers pile up over the years. But what ever you choose to call your driver whether its "Pee Wee" or "BradyBear", we all know that gaining a nickname in this sport, most of the time, is an honor, that most of the drivers, media, and fans love!

Thanks to my Twitter friends, @Cruetten , @VickersGirlAsh , @KaseysGirlBritt , @Ampdog88 for there nicknames! Everyone follow them on twitter by searching the names listed! :)
Follow me on twitter also @BradassKrazy4KK !
Thanks for Reading!

Top 12 Countdown to Daytona: Kasey Kahne

     Kasey Kahne had a quiet season in 2010, he just was hanging around, going with the flow. He not a part of any drama, or a main story line. We all know, absolutely nothing happened with Kasey Kahne in the 2010 season. Oh wait...something little happened didn't it?
     Kasey Kahne made the biggest headline of the 2010 season, when he announced his departure from Richard Petty Motorsports, (formally Gillette Evernham Motorsports...) (formally Evernham Motorsports...hummm and they wonder why he left?). Kasey had no intentions in announcing the departure so early in the season, but on of NASCARs more popular media members found out about the situation, and leaked it to the rest of NASCAR nation. Kahne stepped up, and announced not only his departure, but what he will be doing in the 2012 season. Kahne will be stepping into the #5 Chevy for Hendrick Motorsports, displacing Mark Martin. But wait...what about 2011? At the time of the Hendrick announcement, no one knew. Rick Hendrick told Sirius radio that he was "working on it" at the time that Kasey signed on. Kasey put all of his marbles in Rick's basket, and Rick was going to have to decide which team to send him off to in 2011 season.
    Months went by, and Kasey would be up one week, and down the next with RPM. In the late summer, Rick and Kasey finally announced that Kasey would be heading to Red Bull Racing for the 2011 season, and would be teammates, with Brian Vickers, who at the time was on a medical leave of absence. Kasey was pleased with this placing for the 2011 season, and so was Red Bull Racing. But neither group expected what would happen next.
    The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stayed at home for week five of the Chase to the Championship, in Charlotte, North Carolina. Kasey went into this race with excitement, since Charlotte is one of his best tracks. This race wouldn't have any happy memories though. Kasey had a horrific car all day, and was given no brakes at all. He eventually wreaked, due to the lack of brakes. Kasey was disgusted with how bad the car was, not to mention, on top of that, he had the stomach flu. Kasey refused to get back in the car, not only because he was sick, but he wasn't going to drive that bad of a car. Then, an undisclosed crew member insulted Kasey, questioning his commitment to the team. That was the last straw for Kasey. Kasey left the track and went home.
     That Wednesday, RPM announced that Kasey was leaving the team. Kasey was ecstatic. Kasey moved on to Red Bull Racing five races earlier, pulling off better results better than he had done all season in the #9 Budweiser Ford.
     This season, I think with Kasey's boosted confidence, and the lack of pressure on his shoulders will allow him to do well. I think Kasey will pull off 7th in points, and win 4 or 5 races, just like his Red Bull Racing teammate Brian Vickers. Again, just like Brian, Kasey doesn't have the best luck, so I think that a few crashes will take away his chance at the Cup, but I think for being at the team for one season, Kasey will be very successful at Red Bull Racing.

NASCAR Lugnut Laughs : Tony Stewart #3

LOL :)

NASCAR Lugnut Laughs : Scott Speed #2

NASCAR Lugnut Laughs: Tony Stewart #2

:p

NASCAR Lugnut Laughs: Tony Stewart

NASCAR Lugnut Laughs : Scott Speed

What do you think scott did? Leave your comments!

or tweet me @GoPackGo_4Kahne

NASCAR Lugnut Laughs : Kasey Kahne

Remember, It's all in good fun :) And he is my favorite driver, so I made it fair! LOL

Top 12 Countdown to Daytona: Jeff Burton

Jeff Burton? He made the chase? Yes, he did race fans. We have another Matt Kenseth on our hands. Jeff Burton is one of the few drivers in the garage that are respected by every other driver they race against. Jeff has always thrived off consistency, and even though he may not pull off 5 or 6 wins in the race to the chase, he not only captures the hearts of fans in those first 26 races, but he also takes his fair share of the points offered, and makes it into the Chase for the championship. Jeff picked up four top fives, and fourteen top tens in the 2010 season, and made the chase regardless of not winning. You can see Jeff's impeccable consistency through his almost 20 seasons of stats, that average him out to almost an 11th place finish throughout his whole career. After a hard 2009 season, where he finished a disappointing 17th in the standings, he moved up 10 positions in 2010, when he claimed 7th place in Las Vegas. I think Jeff will still be running on a high this season, looking to keep up RCR's momentum from the 2010 season going. Jeff will claim 8th in the season ending standings, and, unlike last season, I believe a few wins will also come along with that strong points performance.

Top 12 Countdown to Daytona: Brian Vickers

Brian Vickers has had a lot to be thankful for over the past year. Brian faced adversity, and got the love of life taken away from him for three quarters of the 2010 season. Racing. Brian wasn't feeling good one night earlier in the 2010 season, and was rushed to the emergency room. The doctors found blood clots all over his body, which was slowing him down. Brian was not only worried about his life, but about his racing career. The doctors also found a whole in his heart, that was going to have to be repaired, which worried him more, knowing he would have to go through heart surgery. But Brian has pulled through. Due to Brian being on blood thinners, his doctors found it safer for him to stay out of the car, which broke the young drivers heart. He was doing well at the beginning of the season, and was looking forward to fighting for his spot in the chase again. Brian took time to step away from racing during his medical leave, and spent more time with his family, and realized he needed to do that more often. Brian put his priorities in order, and not only did he make more time for family and enjoying life, but he realized what he really wanted to be when it came to racing. Regardless of being pulled out of his car at Red Bull Racing for most of the 2010 season, Brian has kept a smile on his face. Brian has a new view on life unlike other drivers, where he is just grateful that he has the ability to race. Brian Said, "The new perspective of love and appreciation and renewed energy that I have of and for what I do for a living, the love I have for racing, and the love I have for NASCAR, is now something in my life I need, and want to maintain." (NASCAR Media Day, NASCAR Now, February 2011) I believe Brian will come back strong this year. He has a motivation unlike any other driver in NASCAR, which will take him a long way. I believe luck might bite him as it has in past years, and cause him to get involved in a few bad wreaks that will mess with his points position. Regardless, I think he will easily slide into one of the wild card slots, with a good 4 or 5 wins this season. And, I'm sure I can speak for most of NASCAR nation in saying, we WANT Brian to get those 4 or 5 wins.

Top 12 Countdown to Daytona: Clint Bowyer

Last season was a year of major highs, and significant lows for racer Clint Bowyer. Clint was on his game all season long, with most analysts pointing out his outstanding consistency, and almost always coming to the finish line. Clint spend post of the season in the top 12 in points, except for a few rare occasions. Once chase time rolled around, he was in and ready to fight for the Tiffany Trophy given away at Homestead. He started off the chase the right way, with a fantastic win at New Hampshire, after Tony Stewart ran out of gas at the end of the race. Clint was almost on top of the standings, and was planning on knocking Jimmie Johnson off the stage in Las Vegas, when it all came to a sudden halt. The #33 Chevy didn't pass post race inspection. NASCAR brought the car back to the R&D center, where it was assured that yes, the car did fail inspection. The past week in Richmond, the #33 car almost didn't pass inspection, and NASCAR gave the team a stern warning. Clint lost 150 points in the chase, and he lost his crew chief. This ended his championship run completely. Clint wasn't done winning yet though. Clint came back to win at Talledega, just edging out teammate Kevin Harvick for the win. Clint has major potential, but I think he will finish 10th this year. He will finish better than he did in 2010, but he will have to let this penalty go. Clint has been holding this chip on his shoulder, and won't forget about what happened. What happened, happened. You can't do anything now, and its time to move on. Personally, I don't think he will be able to let it go, so I believe he will finish 10th in the points, making it in on points, not on the wild card. I also believe he will win multiple races, just hopefully not in Tony Stewart's detriment this time, or lose more points than he gains out of these wins.

Top 12 Countdown to Daytona: Matt Kenseth

What does 12th place have in common with 11th this year? No, its not that they are both wild cards. (Even though that is true!) They are both having babies this season!!! Matt Kenseth and his wife Katie announced that they are expecting another little one along with Kaylin, who was born in 2009. Katie is due in February, right around speedweeks, where Kenny Wallace will be standing by to get in Matt's car if the little one decides to come in the middle of one of the race weekends. Again, Matt becoming a father doesn't change my opinion about what I think his season will be like. Matt has always been one of the few drivers who can almost always sneak into the chase. Even if you don't remember ever hearing about the #17 crew, they are in the mix once Richmond rolls around. I don't believe that this year will be any different. He will make the chase, based off points, not one of the wild card spots, but he will fall to 11th. Matt has made the chase the majority of the time, but he also dwindles in the chase. This new format doesn't fit Matt's style. Matt is more based on consistency, not wins. He's always consistent, and that is what won him championships in Wisconsin, and on the NASCAR circuit. Due to the fact that he won't win many races but will be consistent, I can solidly say that I believe Matt will finish 11th, even though he has the true package to a championship in my opinion, consistency.

Top 12 Countdown to Daytona: Carl Edwards

     Carl Edwards. At the end of the 2010 season, he was a man you didn't want to mess with. Carl, who is coming off winning the final two races of the 2010 season, is ready to get going in 2011.
     Not only is he excited on the racing side of life, but on his family side too. Carl and his wife Kate are expecting another baby, after welcoming their little girl Annie, early in the 2010 season. Even though he has been adjusting to life as a father, he hasn't lost site of his racing goals. Carl wants to show his little girl and new little bundle of joy, that hes got lots a racing left in him, and wants that Cup the most this year.        
     Sure, Carl gets my #1 spot in WANTING the cup, do I personally think he will get it this season? No. Now, I'm not one of those people who says if these guys have babies that they will start to stink at racing. That only had positive influence on my opinion. I think babies make these guys want to do well even more so than before they were fathers. I just think that Roush-Fenway is still a little bit to far behind for Carl to reach his full potential.
     Who knows, maybe in 2012, Carl might not even be at Roush-Fenway anymore...
What do you guys think? Email me @ kaseykahnefan9889@yahoo.com or leave a comment, or tweet me at @GoPackGo_4Kahne on twitter! :)

OPINION:My top 12 of 2011 (Will Dale Jr make my list?)

The 2011 season is upon us. Now its time for predictions. Starting Tuesday, I will be doing my Top Twelve Countdown to Daytona, putting the spotlight on each guy i think will make the chase, down to my 2011 Champion. Check it out and comment!
1.) Kevin Harvick
2.) Denny Hamlin
3.) Tony Stewart
4.) Mark Martin
5.) Jeff Gordon
6.) Jimmie Johnson
7.) Kasey Kahne
8.) Jeff Burton
9.) Brian Vickers
10.) Clint Bowyer
11.) Matt Kenseth
12.) Carl Edwards

Sorry Jr. Nation, he doesn't make my list. Personally, I don't think this year will be much different than years past. He still seems to have no motivation what so ever. Bob Dillner said it best himself. "At one point, Dale Jr. needs to look in the mirror and see that everything on that team has been changed except for him. He needs to make the change in himself, it can no longer be done by flipping in and out crew chiefs every year."

NOTE*** This isn't bashing Dale Jr. I bet most Dale Jr. fans feel the same way. I just think he needs to make a change within himself, and stop expecting everyone else to make a change, if hes not even willing to make one. But if he steps it up, starts to have some intrinsic motivation, and believe in himself and his team, it will shoot him up a few spots in points purely on moral.

NASCAR plans to change chase/points system

      Just this evening, it has been revealed by a reliable source that NASCAR will implement a new points system with the chase system in the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Season.

      First, NASCAR has allegedly said they are planning on scrapping the points system they have now, and doing a simpler, less complicated system. First place would receive 43 points for the win, 2nd place would receive 42, and so on and so forth. This makes the math for everyone simpler, and makes the fight for the championship closer.
     Second, NASCAR has allegidly decided according to some inside sources that they will have a 12 man chase again, but with some changes. Ten drivers will make the chase format based off points, and then the final 2 spots will go to the next two guys who don't originally qualify for the chase with the most wins to qualify. THERE WILL NOT BE AN ELIMINATION SYSTEM IN PLACE.
      Third, they aren't sure yet how to award lap leaders, and most lap leaders. Nor are they sure if they will give a bonus to a race winner anymore, or the point leader after the 26th race. There has also been talks about giving pole winners points, but that doesn't look like it will be happening.

NOTE: THIS HAS BEEN REPORTED BY JENNA FRYER OF THE ASSOCIATED PRESS. NO CONFIRMATION IS EXPECTED TILL LATER THIS WEEK, ALONG WITH THE NATIONWIDE LIMIATION ANNOUNCEMENT. INFO IS UP FOR EDITING UNTIL CONFIRMATION.

Was or Wasn't Tony Stewart Detained in Australia?

     Over the past few weeks, NASCAR driver and owner Tony Stewart took a trip to Australia to enjoy his other passion, sprint cars. Well, what was suppose to be a relaxing time away before the 2011 season started, has turned into a police investigation.

     Don't worry though Stewart fans, Tony is on his way back to the United States as we speak. On Saturday night, Tony participated in his final race down in Australia. Tony was allegedly upset with track conditions, and he voiced those opinions to track owner Brett Morris. Brett was apparently hit in the face with a racing helmet, which is when the police were called. The police would not name who the alleged attacker was, they just said he was a 39 year old man, which has been inferred to be Stewart.
     The incident is still under investigation by the police down in Australia, but no charges have been filed. Tony was simply questioned about the incident after being arrested, and then was let go freely with no fine or bond needed to be paid.

OPINION: Does Dale Jr have what it takes anymore?

     Lets take a walk down memory lane, and step back all the way into 2003. Who was the man everyone thought would be running for the championship? Dale Jr. And he did. He finished a career high of 3rd in points, making fans across the nation happily bleed Budweiser red. In 2004, he kicked it off with a Daytona 500 win, and 5 other wins along with it. He made the inaugural chase, and finished 5th in points. Then, 2005 hit...

     I don't think I need to recap what happened in 2005...2007...2009...or 2010. There were a few glimpses of hope in 2006, where he made the chase, but wasn't a real championship contender, and in 2009 when he first put his hands in a Hendrick Motorsports auto mobile. Why did the excitement stop in 2005? The media, fans, and even outsiders have tried to find out what happened to "Little E". He had no significant changes personally, nor did he severely change psychologically. There has only been one thing that really changed besides the Hendrick Motorsports move. ( The downfall started prior to the move to Rick Hendricks team) His crew chief.
     For most of Dale Jr's career, he has had one crew chief. Tony Eury Sr. He has had many others, including his cousin Tony Eury Jr, the one that just got taken off the #88 pit box, Lance McGrew, and his new one, Steve Letarte. Dale Jr has not had a season with multiple wins since his last season with Tony Eury Sr. Nor has he been the same over the radio. You can clearly hear (and Dale Jr fans, realize I'm not saying this in a rude way, you know its true) he is much crankier, frustrated, and has a hard time trying to communicate with anyone other than his Uncle.

     Dale Jr just became too accompanied to the way him an his Uncle communicated. This is NOT a bad thing though. For some reason, myself and other NASCAR fans are the only ones that have thought that. If thats what works best, then you don't break up good communication between people. Throwing more crew chiefs at Dale is not the answer. They need to bring back the old to bring in new hardware from victory lane.
     Steve Letarte is a very talented crew chief, but hes not aggressive enough to fit with Dales racing style. Tony Eury Sr. is one of the few people in the world who won't take any ones crap, even Dale Jr's. Hes strong, and even if Jr doesn't agree with a decision Tony Eury Sr. is making, he trusts it. Trust is essential in ANY driver/crew chief relationship. You have clearly seen that Dale Jr didn't fully trust Tony Jr, nor did he trust Lance McGrew.
     Overall, I just had to let this out. If you know me as a fan, you know that I have a strong dislike for Dale Jr, but I can't stand seeing someone fail year after year. I know its no fun, and I don't like seeing another fan hurt by it when there is a simple solution that many fans agree with.

NASCAR gets handed a 6.2 million dollar lawsuit

     As many NASCAR fans know, NASCAR has the "NASCAR Performance" line of products, ranging from cleaning supplies for you car, to the internal workings of it. Many companies pay NASCAR millions upon millions of dollars for the "NASCAR Performance" logo to be placed on their products. This week though, one partnership that practically ended before it started has been dealt another hand to the sticky situation.

     In October of 2009, NASCAR and Advanced Fluids Solutions, which wanted to market its new EXP4 fuel and oil performance additive in NASCAR's performance line, signed on to pay over 6.2 million dollars over the next seven years to sport NASCAR's logo. This arrangement was suppose to start in 2010, but was terminated in December of 2009. NASCAR says that the company failed to pay the first $500,000.00 dollar payment of the deal by the due date they agreed upon. Due to the breach of contract, NASCAR terminated the contract.
     Advanced Fluids claims that NASCAR did not give them adequate notice of the payment being past due, and had no right to terminate the contract. The company said that they were securing funding when NASCAR decided to terminate the contract, and that they planned to pay NASCAR. The company is fighting to get the sponsorship reinstated with NASCAR.
     NASCAR has publicly said that they were in full terms of the contract to terminate it. The NASCAR organization issued a motion to have the courts dismiss the case before going to trial.
     Advanced Fluids claims that NASCAR waived its rights to have payment constraints, which NASCAR clearly defines as a lie, due to the fact that they have it in their policy not to ever wave any payment options in contracts.
     No dates have been set to determine the status of the case, but NASCAR and Advanced Fluids want to settle the case out of court and as quickly as possible.

OPINION: Is there even a point to the chase anymore?

     Today, there has been much speculation out about the expansion of the chase in NASCAR's Sprint Cup Series. I have to ask though...why expand it? I thought that the chase was made to narrow the Field for the cup series, not to give everyone a prize. I can't help but compare it to today's society. We feel a need to reward everyone, per say at kids sporting events. Not that boo kids who all get trophy's, but if they didn't earn it, why should they get it?

     If NASCAR implements a 15 man chase to the championship in the 2011 season, I believe it will hurt the sport even more. NASCAR is pretty much saying that if you can just about average a little better than a top 20 finish for the first 26 races, you will have a chance at the championship. Tell me, why does 15th place get the same chance as 1st place in points at the championship? Obviously 1st place preformed much better, had more wins, and was more consistent. Why does a winner have to compete with a mediocre driver for the award that goes to the most successful driver after an overall season?
     
     Lastly, is there even a point to have the chase anymore then? If most of the field gets to compete for the championship anyway, why have this big lead up to the chase, when virtually no driver that is a substantial fan holder will be unable to compete for the championship? I'm sorry if I'm blunt, but i just have to ask. I personally think that NASCAR simply wants to do this too make sure there drivers that draw the biggest crowd always make the chase. Personally, if a fan really likes their driver that much, they will be backing him week in and out regardless if he is in the chase or not. I personally don't think him being in the chase will draw more fans to the television. The ones that are watching now, will more than likely be watching later regardless of his status in the chase.
     I personally say this because I have been in this position. Since 2002, I have been a very dedicated Kasey Kahne fan, and regardless if he makes the chase or not, I stand behind him and watch every race no matter what. Its not a determination in my own or many other fans, fan ship as NASCAR is seeming to put it. Fans are fans. If NASCAR really knew their fan base, they would realize that we don't jump around with our drivers. We are in it to win it, regardless of how long it takes, and we don't like NASCAR adjusting the system just to get us in because our drivers "draw ratings" as they claim.              
     Overall, I think NASCAR expanding the chase to 15 drivers is a drawback to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, not only because its childish, but it may also offend some people in the long run, due to the reasoning simply being to gain ratings only, and not trying to have a classy, well ran sport.

No more double up champs in NASCAR's top 3 series

     NASCAR offically announced tonight that each driver will only be able to compete points wise for one championship a season. This new policy puts a halt to Brad Keselowski, Carl Edwards, Kyle Busch, and Kevin Harvicks strong drives in the Nationwide series. The 2011 NASCAR Nationwide Series will offically only have a Nationwide ONLY driver as its champion.
 
     Kenny Wallace got his driver application earlier in the week, and released that his application contained at the top of the page a slot for him to check which championship to fight for, and you can only select one. No one saw this change as a suprise, since most fans, and NASCAR itself had mentioned many times that this was in the near future. On January 21st, NASCAR will have a competition conference, where they will announce any changes in the upcoming season of competition.
      More people are for the change, but a few are against it. Brad Keselowski was one of those against it. Brad took to his twitter earlier in the week and said sarcastically,"Needed a good laugh tonight after being ruled ineligible for both Shootout and NW championship in one loooong week. Thanks for the support!" Brad then retracted his comment, claiming he was suffering from the flu and needed some rest. Also, he said he had not been notifyed of the changes to the NASCAR rules as of Saturday. Keep in mind, NASCAR has made no offical announcement of this. It is to be announced on the 21st of January, but as of right now, this is a rumor that has been confirmed by many people close to NASCAR, except for the head of NASCAR itself, Brian France.

Testing is back to Kick off the 2011 Season

     As a new NASCAR season is coming up quickly, NASCAR has gone back to its normal season kickoff events. No, I'm not talking about Preseason Thunder at Daytona, nor am I talking about the Bud Shootout. I'm talking about testing.      NASCAR did away with testing a few years back to cut costs for owners of not only larger teams, but smaller teams too. They also believed that this would help level the playing field for smaller teams. Well, after a few seasons off, NASCAR has started to dip its toes back into testing. NASCAR has now opened up testing at Daytona International Speedway for NASCAR drivers in order for them to have a chance to adjust their driving skills to the newly layed surface at the track. These tests will be coming up in the next few weeks, but some drivers are out testing on other tracks to get ready for the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Season.
     The first drivers to be dropping some comments on the first testing sessions of the season are the Red Bull Boys. Brian Vickers, who unexpectedly left the circut on medical leave in the spring of the 2010 season got in a stock car for the first time in months. Brian took to his twitter to tell his fans how good it felt to be back in his car, and how happy he was to know he was healthy again. Brian was also offered a job in racing a few preseason races, but denyed them so he wouldn't risk his health going into the 2011 season. His teamate, driver of the #4 Red Bull Toyota, Kasey Kahne also took to his twitter, and spoke to nascar.com about his testing experience at the Walt Disney World Speedway down in Orlando Florida.  "Working with my crew and teammate at the test is important and a good start to a great season. I look forward for more car time to get myself better and working closer with Brian in 2011." Kasey and Brian both found great things in their testing experiences in Orlando, and both are ready for the 2011 season to start. The boys had planned on testing late into the day, but rain cut it short. Regardless, the Red Bull boys started the 2011 season off the right way, with a successful test session near the history speedway that kicks off  the 2011 Season.
    

What better time to start a blog than now?

Hey guys! Thanks for coming to my blog :) What a better time to start a racing blog than right at the beginning of the season? I dream of being a NASCAR Journalist one day, so I've decided to work on my skills online now, outside of the classroom! On here I will post NASCAR updates as they come out! And just like I said before...What better time to start a blog right now? Well now the real question is, What better time than to post my first NASCAR artical than now? :)