NASCAR OFF SEASON WITHDRAWAL THERAPY THREAD (post news updates here)

ME

[WestCoastGal]

Hoping to add news and DAILY rule changes by Nascar to this thread as they come along.

Awards banquet information and any other silly off season rumors etc.

[GRRRRR]

Lemme tell ya' a little story 'bout a man named Dale... Seriesly, this is a good one..

I lived in North Carolina for 14 years and while I lived there, I NEVER went to a Nascar Race. My buddy, I'll call him Harold...because that is his name, is/was a huge #3 fan. He had the model cars, hats, coat etc. the whole shebang. He and I would watch the races together for many years. He would go to the Rock and Darlington EVERY RACE! He asked me to go several times, but I just poo poo'd him and said "It's better on TeeVee". So, I just never went to any races...

I moved to Illinois in '92. Started working with "Matty" guy who lived in Charlotte. He went to the Charlotte races ALL the time too. In Oct. '97 I was in Chrlotte on bizness and he said, "Stay the weekend with us (he was still single and hung out with a big bunch of sports fanatics) and go to the races this weekend, I got FREE tix".

So, I did.

By that time, I had been following the 24 car instead of the 3, so I bought my FIRST racing gear item---a RED 24 shirt.

We had great seats just by the start finish line for the Busch race. I went down low, on the concrete steps for the first lap...the roar of the engines tore out my stomach as they passed for the first lap...by the time they came around at full speed for the second lap...I thought I was gonna die, trying to dig into the concrete and hot tars were bouncing off the side of my face. Needless to say, I cursed my stupid judgement for the past 15 years or so for NOT ever taking my friend Harold's invitations to go to the Rock or Darlington.

After the weekend was over, I told the group that we were going to Daytona for the February race. 1998 was the 50th Anniversary of Nascar so what better way to kick off a new season than in Daytona???

Some days went by, emails flew North and South and in the end, we had a core of 6 guys going to the Dayton 500 in Feb of 1998. Mike, GRRRRR, Joe, Matty, Davie and Rico (El Suave)...the four boys from NC would drive down and Joe and I would fly down from CHI to ORLando and drive to Daytona. I had business in Ft. Lauderdale that following week so I lucked out on some business travel too!

Logistics Planning took place and we secured plane tix and a two bedroom suite on the beach right in Daytona. On Feb 12th, Joe and I got to our place on the Beach and the next day the rest of the NC Troops showed up.

As an observant reader, you might have noticed one important thing...no mention of getting race tickets has been made. Yup, our NC Troops "assured" me that there would be NO PROBLEM getting race tickets at the track...well, for the ARCA Race, IROC and Bushch--no problem indeed!

The 500 Race, however, was turning out to be quite another issue. For two days, we had kept our eyes peeled for "people with tickets"...long coats, sneaky eyes and furtive glances, hushed "Pssst, got any good 500 tix?" were the mode of the day for us. It seemed we were going to be sunk...

As luck would have it, I just happened to be walking along the parking lot fence by the Museum entrance when I saw a fellow in the lot. He had a very large stack of tix in his hand. I sort of caught his eye and sidled up to the fence and he asked if I was interested in tickets. Since I was ahead of the other five guys in our group, he thought I was alone and said he had some great single seats for sale.

I asked him where and how much but I wanted 6 together, his eyes lit up and he reached into the deck of tickets and pulled them out. Here's how it went...

"How much?" "$200 each" (Face was $125) "Lemme check with my buds..." "Hey guys...we got tix.." "Yeah?, they ask. How much?" I tell them and they all agree fair price for such good seats, up high and at the exit of pit road etc. They start reaching in their wallets...and looks of terror spread across several faces!

As it turns out, seems like several of the boys had too good a time at the "Gentlemens' Club" the night before and have NO CASH LEFT!!! other than just a few bucks... As luck would have it, yours truly, being of sound mind and body, did NOT blow his wad at the, ahem...."Clubs" the night before and has PLENTY o' Green to pay for tickets.."Not to worry boys", says I...and I take care of the bill.

With six fine seat passes in our hands we attended the historic 1998 Daytona 500, winner of course was Dale Earnhardt!

As you can see by the ticket stub above, it was HIS PICTURE on the ticket that year...maybe they KNEW it was his turn to finally win one.

That trip was the beginning of our annual tradition. We are now up to a group of ten fellows who band together and make a voyage out of going to the races. We've been to Bristol three times, Charlotte three times and as you've heard me say...we're going to Richmond in 2005.

I still stay in touch with my NC buds, Matt is married now with a child, Davy--married and kids, so is Mike and wonder of all wonders, so is Rico El Sauve!! We still meet up when we go to Charlotte and it seems as if time has stood still, we all still relish those four days in Daytona...we'll NEVER forget the feeling when the 3 car finished. The ENTIRE place was roaring for "The Man".

[GRRRRR]

And now off to watch the 1995 Goody's 500 from Martinsville Speedway

[GRRRRR]

Here we go!! Rained out qualifying, so they start in order of points...oh man, Marcus didn't Q~!!
24-on the POLE!, then 3, 4...

GREEEN GREEEN GREEEEN...3 jumped the start and leads the first lap!! 18 and 6 fightin' for fifth...go VALVOLINE!!

Wow, COOL roof cam shots, that's new!! Rusty looks good in the black Miller 2~

[tubebender]

GRRReat story. It must be cool to be young and foot loose...

[tubebender]

I saw Duane Flatmo last night on Leno and the rest of the bunch up there in Eureka. Ya got some interesting neighbors there Mr. B.

Glad you got to see them. The Eureka area is just the right size. You get to know a lot of different people...

[Fierce Allegiance]

For those interested, I have posted a thread regarding this years DAKAR Rally, the third biggest sporting event in the world.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1293493/posts?page=9

[WestCoastGal]

ESPN.COM REACHES AGREEMENT WITH JAYSKI.COM - Popular Auto Racing Site Will Be Hosted by ESPN
ESPN.com today announced an agreement with the popular auto-racing site Jayski.com, by which ESPN.com will host the Jayski.com site beginning January 1, 2005.

[NormsRevenge]

The Chris Bermanization of Nascar is about to commence .. (shudder)

[WestCoastGal]

GRRRRRRRR8 story!!

Sounds like a lasting tradition you guys have there. How do you decide which race to attend for the next season?

I wonder if Jeff will be at the banquet tonight since he wasn't there yesterday because he was sick? Do you plan on watching?

We are torn between taping the #3 race on ESPN or the banquet tonight for Chef. He has to work. If you can tape the banquet would you like to trade for a copy of the Sonoma race which I taped the other night since you mentioned you only got 1 hour of it? The last few laps of that race were the best! Either way I would be happy to get a copy made and send it to you!!

[WestCoastGal]

I really liked those Picasso like heads he designs.

He's unusual but very talented too.

[WestCoastGal]

EEEEEK

Let's see DW compete with this..or BP..LOL

A long-time aficionado of rock and roll, Berman has appeared on stage singing with Huey Lewis and the News over a half-dozen times. In addition, he sang twice with Eddie Money, appeared in a video with Hootie and the Blowfish, and was joined by Glenn Frey of the Eagles for a special "Hotel California" Super Bowl edition of "The Swami."

[steveegg]

I'll reserve judgement until The Mouse screws over Jayski.

Speaking of Jayski, he's reporting that Flash will miss the Race of Champions Nations Cup because of the flu, and the Slow Casey will replace him.

[steveegg]

Jayski wrapup -

It's official - Jack Daniel's is headed to RCR, and the old #30 team will be the Old No. (0)7 with the teatotaler Dave Blaney behind the wheel.

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Jr won the 2004 Pillsbury Grands! Biscuits National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) NASCAR Most Popular Driver Award. Flash, Happy, Mikey, Smoke, the Fast Kasey, The Big Brown Truck, The Old Man, JJ and the younger Labonte round out the top 10.

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Crank up that HDTV and Dolby 5.1. Fox will be going high-def (the 720p version) starting with the Bud Shootout. Also, NASCAR on FOX blew away the NBA on ABC (both regular season-133% and playoffs-22%).

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Mike Bliss will stay in the NetZero NoSpeed ride (unofficial at this point).

[steveegg]

More TV news via Jayski -

Over on NBC/TNT, Bill Weber is headed upstairs to do the play-by-play, and Alan Bestwick is headed down to the War Wagon to host the pre-race. It is unknown whether Bestwick will also troll up and down pit road, NBC will hire another pit reporter, or go with 3 while Weber was upstairs filling in for Bestwick last year.

[steveegg]

The Chris Bermanization of Nascar is about to commence .. (shudder)

Is it too late to copyright our nicknames?

[tubebender]

Here is something else to watch on Speed... HARDEES SUMMER SHOOTOUT

[NormsRevenge]

Good idea, but ...

These days it's more profitable to be infamous than famous, it would seem. ;-)

[NormsRevenge]

COOOLLLL!!!!

Do they have any street legal models? lol

Good Luck, Ryan!!!

[NYTexan]

NASCAR Awards special on TNT NOW!

[NormsRevenge]

Thanks! We had a separate thread for the Awards last year, looks like this thread will do for this year's show.