[WestCoastGal]

In his first public comments since being criticized by NASCAR for failing to attend the year-ending Awards Gala, four-time Cup champ Jeff Gordon fired back Friday, saying NASCAR gave its blessing for Gordon to skip the dinner at New York’s Waldorf-Astoria so he could compete in an all-star race in Paris the following day.

http://www.longislandpress.com/?cp=93&show=article&a_id=6791

[WestCoastGal]

One other little tidbit from the Busch banquet last night which by the way will be televised at midnight Tuesday night I think. I will ping when I find out for sure.

So, according to the pictures [which are all hogged by Getty and cannot be posted] Jr has his left arm in a cast!! :(

[SouthTexas]

And when the conflict came up, I talked to the higher-ups in NASCAR, and they told me, ‘Hey, we understand. You’ve got a commitment and you can’t be here this year.’”

NASCAR has said in the future it may consider sanctioning drivers such as Gordon, Earnhardt, Kasey Kahne and Elliott Sadler, who each failed to attend this year’s Gala. Penalties could include forfeiture of their season-ending bonus money.

This is bogus.

I DO have problems with this however: “I feel like they’re asking a bit much out of the drivers when they already have a 38-week schedule