The NASCAR Atmospheric Interference Vortex remains in effect for the second week in a row as this week’s Cup qualifying has been scrubbed and the Nationwide Series race will run late in the afternoon tomorrow after the Sprint Cup battle has been decided – hopefully a 5:30 pm start.
Future developments provided the week’s big story more so than anticipated competition at one of the circuit’s most threatening venues. After the big story about Kasey Kahne mapping out his future with Hendricks Motor Sports, this week’s attention was on Penske racing that despite being the sole competitive Dodge team, revealed its future plans intending on being a major factor on the strength of former champ, Kurt Busch and Brad Keselowski, the young phenom with the golden gift to piss off just about everybody in the garage area for his reckless driving and disrespectful comments toward his fellow racers.
Next year, Keselowski, who doesn’t look old enough to buy a root beer, will drive the #2 Miller Light Blue Deuce. The #2 ride has a rich history with Rusty Wallace who took the #2 team to top ten year after year fighting Dale Earnhardt and Jeff Gordon for championship glory. Kurt Busch will now drive a car with a brand new #22 label sponsored by Shell Oil and Pennzoil currently Kevin Harvick’s sponsor. The terms of this deal extend beyond NASCAR as Shell/Pennzoil will also become an associate sponsor for Penske’s IRL entries. Shell will identify itself as the “official fuel and motor oil” of Penske racing never mind it will still be Sunoco go-go juice fueling the Penske vehicles in NASCAR.
Left out in the cold for now will be third Penske driver, former Indy Car sensation, Sam Hornish, who will lose his Mobil One sponsorship as two different oil companies will surely not want to compete within one race team.
As some questions are answered, we know Kurt Busch and Brad Keselowski are firmly established with sponsors for Penske for the near future, new questions arise. What will become of the #12 and or #77? How does Sam Hornish, Jr. fit into the picture? With Kevin Harvick a free agent and Richard Childress losing the lucrative Shell/Pennzoil deal, how will that influence the Childress lineup moving forward and where will Harvick run in the future?
*****
Meanwhile, back at the great Indian burial ground, the Sprint Cup field will lineup based on owner’s points with Jimmie Johnson and Matt Kenseth in the front row. With Greg Biffle starting second, the weather gives Jack Roush what efforts on the track qualifying cannot accomplish, great starting positions. Carl Edwards starts 15th a more typical starting position for a Roush ride. Rumor has it that Jack Roush replaced his hat with a fathered head dress and was dancing and hollering on a Roush trailer early this morning. Stranger things have happened at Talladega to be sure.
Terry Cook in the #46 ride, a team that is failing miserably, will not start nor will the #35 ride with driver, Aric Almirola whose main efforts will now be racing in the truck series which has the weekend off. Michael Waltrip joins the field as one of the few races in which he will contend. We’re not clear if this will be for the start and park operation of Prism Motor Sports or his own team. Given Aarons is the car’s sponsor and the title sponsor for the race, it’s hard to imagine this could be a parking lot job.
For a race that is so unpredictable to begin with, add to the drama NASCAR’s new expectations toward how rough drivers can push their rides, the new aerodynamics package reverting to a conventional spoiler with the large “shark fin” on the driver’s side will demand much attention from tomorrow’s drivers. Whether it will break up the huge Talladega trains with long lines of cars racing in formation to take advantage of the draft will be determined by tomorrow’s activity. Nothing takes away the chilling feeling that as so often happens at the great Indian burial ground, the “big” one will create a burning, steaming heap of scrap metal, drivers to the infield care center with tempers blazing, and hopes to advance in the standings vanquished. Could their truly be a curse from the land of the great Indian’s burial grounds? What strange combination of factors turns metal to dust in just a matter of a few brutal seconds? Could not the spirit of those braves be enjoying some sick sense of justice seeing what the descendents of those who took their land endure where they once roamed freely?
The great spirit of Talladega will come alive tomorrow afternoon. Who will survive the battle and stand proud when the ceremonial checked flag falls at competition’s finale?
We’ll review how the 2010 season looks at the quarter mark once tomorrow’s Aaron’s 499 is in the books. We’ll try to have more to say than, “Jimmie, Jimmie, Jimmie.”
Future developments provided the week’s big story more so than anticipated competition at one of the circuit’s most threatening venues. After the big story about Kasey Kahne mapping out his future with Hendricks Motor Sports, this week’s attention was on Penske racing that despite being the sole competitive Dodge team, revealed its future plans intending on being a major factor on the strength of former champ, Kurt Busch and Brad Keselowski, the young phenom with the golden gift to piss off just about everybody in the garage area for his reckless driving and disrespectful comments toward his fellow racers.
Next year, Keselowski, who doesn’t look old enough to buy a root beer, will drive the #2 Miller Light Blue Deuce. The #2 ride has a rich history with Rusty Wallace who took the #2 team to top ten year after year fighting Dale Earnhardt and Jeff Gordon for championship glory. Kurt Busch will now drive a car with a brand new #22 label sponsored by Shell Oil and Pennzoil currently Kevin Harvick’s sponsor. The terms of this deal extend beyond NASCAR as Shell/Pennzoil will also become an associate sponsor for Penske’s IRL entries. Shell will identify itself as the “official fuel and motor oil” of Penske racing never mind it will still be Sunoco go-go juice fueling the Penske vehicles in NASCAR.
Left out in the cold for now will be third Penske driver, former Indy Car sensation, Sam Hornish, who will lose his Mobil One sponsorship as two different oil companies will surely not want to compete within one race team.
As some questions are answered, we know Kurt Busch and Brad Keselowski are firmly established with sponsors for Penske for the near future, new questions arise. What will become of the #12 and or #77? How does Sam Hornish, Jr. fit into the picture? With Kevin Harvick a free agent and Richard Childress losing the lucrative Shell/Pennzoil deal, how will that influence the Childress lineup moving forward and where will Harvick run in the future?
*****
Meanwhile, back at the great Indian burial ground, the Sprint Cup field will lineup based on owner’s points with Jimmie Johnson and Matt Kenseth in the front row. With Greg Biffle starting second, the weather gives Jack Roush what efforts on the track qualifying cannot accomplish, great starting positions. Carl Edwards starts 15th a more typical starting position for a Roush ride. Rumor has it that Jack Roush replaced his hat with a fathered head dress and was dancing and hollering on a Roush trailer early this morning. Stranger things have happened at Talladega to be sure.
Terry Cook in the #46 ride, a team that is failing miserably, will not start nor will the #35 ride with driver, Aric Almirola whose main efforts will now be racing in the truck series which has the weekend off. Michael Waltrip joins the field as one of the few races in which he will contend. We’re not clear if this will be for the start and park operation of Prism Motor Sports or his own team. Given Aarons is the car’s sponsor and the title sponsor for the race, it’s hard to imagine this could be a parking lot job.
For a race that is so unpredictable to begin with, add to the drama NASCAR’s new expectations toward how rough drivers can push their rides, the new aerodynamics package reverting to a conventional spoiler with the large “shark fin” on the driver’s side will demand much attention from tomorrow’s drivers. Whether it will break up the huge Talladega trains with long lines of cars racing in formation to take advantage of the draft will be determined by tomorrow’s activity. Nothing takes away the chilling feeling that as so often happens at the great Indian burial ground, the “big” one will create a burning, steaming heap of scrap metal, drivers to the infield care center with tempers blazing, and hopes to advance in the standings vanquished. Could their truly be a curse from the land of the great Indian’s burial grounds? What strange combination of factors turns metal to dust in just a matter of a few brutal seconds? Could not the spirit of those braves be enjoying some sick sense of justice seeing what the descendents of those who took their land endure where they once roamed freely?
The great spirit of Talladega will come alive tomorrow afternoon. Who will survive the battle and stand proud when the ceremonial checked flag falls at competition’s finale?
We’ll review how the 2010 season looks at the quarter mark once tomorrow’s Aaron’s 499 is in the books. We’ll try to have more to say than, “Jimmie, Jimmie, Jimmie.”
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