Mike's NASCAR Page

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The sport of NA$CAR racing has changed so much that it no longer even resembles stock car racing. Brian France in his quest for money has ruined the sport and morphed it into something that big Bill France would most certainly not approve of. Sorry Brian, but your new form of cookie cutter cars racing on cookie cutter tracks is simply not worth it. No, I'm not stuck in the past Brian, I just do not like to see a good sport die in the way you have killed this one. = Tomorrow has arrived and the car has raced so it should be called the Car Of Now - THE CON. Part of the con is that NA$CAR claimed from the begining of this car amd I quote "it will save the owners money." So, with 20 million dollar budgets PER TEAM, and with good owners like Yates and Ganassi unable to find sponsors, where exactly is the savings? NA$CAR is not in touch with the sport.
R.I.P. NASCAR Born: Feburary 1948 Died: November 2006

Jeff Gordon's 81 NASCAR Winston Cup wins! (Plus 3 Winstons) 4 time Winston Cup Champion 1995, 1997, 1998, 2001!
1993 - Rookie of the year
1994 - Charlotte 600, Indianapolis 400
WC Champion
1995 - Rockingham, Atlanta, Bristol, Daytona 400, Loudon, Darlington, (The Winston), Dover
1996 - Richmond, Darlington, Bristol, Dover, Pocono, Talladega, Darlington, Dover, Matinsville, North Wilksboro
WC Champion
1997 - Daytona 500, Rockingham, Bristol, Martinsville, (The Winston), Charlotte 600, Pocono, Fontana, Watkins Glen, Darlington, Loudon
WC Champion
1998 - Rockingham, Bristol, Charlotte 600, Sears Point, Pocono, Indianapolis 400, Watkins Glenn, Michigan, New Hampshire, Darlington, Daytona 400, Rockingham, Atlanta
1999 - Daytona 500, Atlanta, Fontana, Sears Point, Watkins Glen, Martinsville, Charlotte
2000 - Talladega, Sears Point, Richmond
WC Champion
2001 - Las Vegas, (The Winston), Dover, Michigan, Indianapolis, Watkins Glen, Kansas
2002 - Bristol, Darlington, Kansas
2003 - Martinsville, Martinsville, Atlanta
2004 - Talladega, Fontana, Sonoma, Daytona 400, Indianapolis
2005 - Daytona 500, Martinsville, Talladega, Martinsville
2006 - Sonoma, Chicago
2007 - Pheonix, Talladega, Darlington, Pocono, Talladega, Charlotte

1999 - Richmond, Pheonix, Homestead
2000 - Dover, Michigan, Louden, Dover, Martinsville, Homestead
2001 - Richmond, Sears Point, Bristol
WC Champion
2002 - Atlanta, Richmond, Watkins Glen
2003 - Pocono, Charlotte
2004 - Chicago, Watkins Glen
NEXTEL Champion
2005 - Sears Point, Daytona 400, New Hampshire, Indy 400, Watkins Glen
2006 - Martinsville, Daytona 400, Kansas, Atlanta, Texas
2007 - Chicago, Indy 400, Watkins Glen
2008 - Talladega
NASCAR Sprint Cup Schedule 2008
NASCAR history (work in progress)

Some drivers who are missed.
Rob Moroso 1968-1990
Allen Kulwicki 1954-1993
Davy Allison 1961-1993
Neil Bonnet 1946-1994
Adam Petty 1980-2000
Dale Earnhardt 1951-2001
All special in their own ways, and all taken from us much too soon.

My personal opinion is that NA$CAR has ruined a good sport. They regulated the cars into IROC cars - none of them even resembling a stock car. And that was BEFORE they came up with the Car of Tomorrow abortion idea. The TV coverage is the worst of any sport I have ever seen. But NA$CAR is no longer a sanctioning entity for racing - it is a business being run by business people who don't understand or even care about the racing. The end of a good sport. The playoff idea is STUPID! And the proof is that Kurt Busch became the first nextel champion. He is not a champion, he simply won the NA$CAR lottery at the end of the season! NA$CAR should change it's name now because there are no stock cars involved. Big Bill France built NASCAR around the idea of "Strictly Stock" cars, the same cars as the fans drove to the track, but that has been totally discarded. Why not simply call it IROC? Or maybe just call it BORING.

My personal opinions of a few drivers.

#1 Martin Truex Jr.;
A good driver. NOT a great driver. Didn't show me any reason to change my mind for 2007. DEI has failed to produce anything for several years, so it isn't all about the driver.

#2 Kurt Busch;
A driver that does not EVER use his head. He still makes rookie mistakes (both on and off the track it seems) even though he is no longer a rookie. Kurt won the NA$CAR playoff lottery and got the championship. The little twerp thought it was all about him. I have absolutely no respect for him. NONE. NADA. ZIP. Too stupid even to realize you need snow before trying to make a snow "angel", it just doesn't work on a 104 degree track surface. Dumb as a rock.

#5 Casey Mears;
Great driver, with big shoes to fill. He comes from a family of racers and seems to have inherited all the right genes. Should be a contender for 2008 with multiple wins. Results so far are a disappointment. Not necessarily from the driver but the entire team.

#6 David Ragan;
David had good runs in 2007, but not very consistant. I like him and think he has talent. 2008 is proving to be more productive and people are beginning to notice.

#7 Robby Gordon;
An off-road racer. There are way too many things for him to hit on a race track - and he does hit them all, he should stick to racing in the desert where the sand is softer than other cars and walls. A wreck waiting to happen - every single race. I really hate to see the number 7 on his car. I associate that number with a real driver/owner (Allen Kulwicki) and hate to see it tarnished by a fool like Robby Gordon. He has a habit of taking several cars with him whenever he wrecks. Idiot on wheels.

#8 Mark Martin Aric Almirola;
What can be said about Mark Martin that hasn't already been said? He is a wonderful teacher for Aric that's for sure! Aric is an amazing talent and WILL certainly become a winner - maybe not with DEI though.

#9 Kasey Kahane;
Excellent driver. 2007 results do not reflect driver efforts. Hopefully 2008 will show some improvement in the cars GEM fields. Cars are just not there again.

#10 Patrick Carpentier;
Expect some struggles - much like Juan Pablo went through in 2007. Maybe a win if the equipment is better than it was last year.

#11 Denny Hamlin;
An amazing talent. As to what they can do with the Toyota remains to be seen though. I think they will produce wins, and Denny should be right there when they do.

#12 Ryan Newman;
Very impressive driver. Ryan is a better driver than the stats show. Car setup still seems to be a problem with his team. If the speculations are correct and Ryan ends up with Tony Stewart next year, expect some surprises from the two of them. Rocketman might come back to win some poles and races.

#15 Paul Menard;
Seems to be a popular driver with a lot of people. He can be fast at times, but does not seem to drive with his head most of the time. In fact it appears that he has more car than he can handle sometimes. Not a good choice for the #15 car. He brought sponsorship dollars with him to buy the ride! Field filler at best. For 2009 he is off to peddle his sponsorship dollars with a team needing dollars more than most. Shame.

#16 Greg Biffle;
Not a good driver, not even a mediocre driver. To quote just one of the drivers he has run into and wrecked - "he is a bug-eyed freak." Proof that if you put a monkey into a really good car it could end up winning a race or two. Has about as much brain power as Kurt (snow angel) Busch.

#17 Matt Kenseth;
Good solid driver who tries very hard to get things done, and usually succeeds at the task. He had an incredible run of good luck - along with good driving and great pit work in 2003, and it paid off with a championship - the last Winston Cup Champion. They used up the luck from the luck bank though, and things have been a bit harder since. Still, he made the playoffs and I expect to see him do the same in 2008. Possibly even taking the championship.

#18 Kyle Busch;
Kyle WAS a much better driver than his brother, he HAD more of a head on his shoulders, but now he has followed in the footsteps of his brother the idiot. He drives like his brother now, so just call him "little idiot". The Blah brothers should both go back to Vegas and stay there. The brothers are both dumb as rocks. Driving talent cannot make up for attitude. Wins may come, but not respect.

#19 Elliott Sadler;
Elliott is a good driver, but the cars were not up to the task for 2007 nor 2008.

#20 Tony Stewart;
Great driver, usually a thinking driver, sometimes drives into a corner like he was still in a sprint car, but a deserving champion. When Toyota wins, expect to see him taking the checkered flag. Tony has decided to take a big chance and run his own team(s). Well, winners take chances in order to be winners instead of also-rans. He can make this work. Opening the door for Joey Logano to run the #20 car next year.

#21 Bill Elliott Ken Schrader Jon Wood Marcos Ambrose;
Quite a mix of drivers - I hope Marcos can prove himself early with this car.

#22 Dave Blaney;
Dave drives hard and shows good judgement, but results have not been good for him in any ride.

#24 Jeff Gordon;
Great driver, impressive record from a very young age in lots of different types of cars. 2008 championship?

#26 Jamie McMurray;
Jammie is a great driver. I don't understand the lack of wins from him in a Jack Roush team.

#27 Jacques Villeneuve;
Great driver, but may have some struggles with these big heavy cars.

#28 Travis Kvapil;
While it will be great to see the 28 car back on the track, I have not been impressed with Travis in the races I have seen him in. He could surprise me though.

#29 Kevin Harvick;
Maybe unfairly put into a position and expected to perform when he was put into the Richard Childress car after Dale Earnhardt died, but he did just that - he performed. He won early in that ordeal and put to rest a lot of possible criticisms. He is a good driver, but his attitude does not make me a fan of his. He is a lot like a young Ricky Rudd. Uses his car as a weapon and should sit out several races to learn. His run for the Busch Championship 2006 was just unbelievable. Proving he is a great Busch league racer.

#31 Jeff Burton;
A driver capable of winning a championship. Perhaps now that he is with Richard Childress he can accomplish what he is capable of.

#38 David Gilliland;
David got a huge break by moving into this car. If you didn't see the Busch race he won, you might not understand why he was picked. He showed a great deal of maturity and patience in the drive to get that win. He certainly deserves this ride. That said, I don't expect him to set the world on fire right out of the box, but he has a great chance to learn and be a factor this season. Couldn't happen to a nicer guy either. I expect great things from this car in 2008.

#40 Dario Franchitti;
Dario is certainly a great driver, and I expect to see him take the rookie of the year title for 2008. Further, I predict he will win a race - maybe even more than one this season. Seems that Ganassi can't field a car for any of the teams and have shut this #40 team down. Sad.

#41 Reed Sorenson;
The most impressive driver I have seen since Jeff Gordon came to NASCAR. Reed uses his head both on and off the track, and he drives with the maturity of a much older much more experienced driver. I expect wins from him this year. (more than one!) I think he will benefit from Juan and Dario being a part of the Ganassi group. They do have problems with the cars but maybe they will have it sorted out for 2008. Not sorted out - in fact much worse than 2007.

#42 Juan Pablo Montoya;
Great driver, great guy. He could put that familiar painted car (from Davey Allison days) into some familiar victory lanes this year. Alas, Chip seems to have trouble fielding any truely competitive cars for any of his drivers.

#43 Bobby Labonte;
2006 was rebuilding year for this team, and in spite of not winning - they did produce results. I expect to see the #43 car with wins this year.

#44 Dale Jarrett David Reutimann;
Dale will only run a few races (6) then David takes over for the rest of the races. This team needs to produce this season.

#45 Kyle Petty;
Another driver who was expected to do well because of his heritage. He is a good driver, and has proven that he is a good driver, but I think he has lost the focus of what it takes to win. Maybe he needs Felix to inspire him again. The Petty organization needs a fresh new driver in one of the cars - Bobby is doing great things with the #43, but he needs a fresh kid to compete against within the organization.

#48 Jimmie Johnson;
Another impressive young gun. He already has the best equipment, best team, best owner, so he should be able to become a star in a very short time. I will be surprised if it doesn't happen. He seems to be on that course. Great finish to win the championship. Another Championship for 2008?

#49 John Andretti;
WHY? Why would anyone hire a guy like John Andretti? Just stupid owners for sure.

#55 Michael Waltrip;
Michael has already accomplished things that he was told "not possible". Maybe the pressure will be off by a tiny bit for the second year for him and Toyota. I hope so, I like him and think he is a good driver.

#66 Jeremy Mayfield;
Let's see, booted out of the #12 car, then booted out of the #19 car, then out of the #36 car. Why? Because his wife runs the show, telling him what to do and when to do it. I hope this team owner has a contract with her for 2008 and not just with him...... one word describes him - forgettable.

#70 Scott Riggs;
I like Scott and think he has had quite a struggle with the cars and owners. He is a good driver, but without results to show it.

#77 Sam Hornish;
I have to admit that I don't really like him. I don't think he is as good a driver as some seem to think, and I don't think he will stay more than one season in NASCAR.

#78 Joe Nemechek;
Not a great driver, but a nice guy most of the time.

#83 Brian Vickers;
First, I hate to see the #83 on a car again. Lake Speed drove the #83 for several years and he was not someone to remember. Brian is a great driver, a nice guy, someone I would want on my team if I had one. Still, he struggled with really good, proven equipment at Hendrick so it can't be as effective with a brand new manufacturer, new team, etc. If the Toyotas do produce a good car capable of winning, then Brian should win races. If Toyota struggles to produce the car though, I don't see Brian as being a big factor in working out the problems. I hope I'm wrong and he goes out and really shines because I like Brian, but I don't expect that to happen.

#84 A.J. Allmendinger;
A good driver who just might shine this season if the cars are up to the task. AJ did shine, but the team owners dumped him anyway. Short sighted owners for sure.

#88 Dale Earnhardt Jr.;
Decent driver, was expected early by some to be a duplicate of his dad. I think his attitude came from those expectations, and he is not quite driver enough to live up to them. That said, I still think he is capable of more than he has shown so far. The move to Hendrick is a perfect fit for Dale. He WILL win races in 2008. He wants a championship worse than most drivers and I expect him to get one - maybe not this season, but soon.

#96 J.J. Yeley;
A great guy, with a great attitude, but after driving the #18 for multiple years without a win, not much chance to improve in this #96 car.

#99 Carl Edwards;
I like the backflip celebration routine. His driving is impressive, and he has the right equipment, but above it all, he has a winning attitude. He is enjoying what he does. He is a lot like Mark Martin in trying to be respectful of other drivers and still be a hard charger when the win is at hand. After the slump of 2006, I expect him to come out fired up to do whatever it takes in 2007. He should make the playoffs and maybe even take the Championship for 2007 - possibly racing Tony Stewart for the win at Homestead to win the race and the Championship.

#00 David Reutimann;
A really good driver who should win a race if the team(s) are up to the task. He will only drive the #00 for the first 5 races, then take over the #44 when Dale Jarrett steps out. Don't know who will drive the #00 after that.

#01 Regan Smith;
A good driver who had a great teacher - Mark Martin. He seems to have paid attention to his teacher and learned his lessons. Maybe a win in this season for him?

#07 Clint Bowyer;
A hard charger who just missed being the 2005 Busch champion - and just missed being the 2007 NEXTEL champ as well. I like him, and I like his driving.

Busch series drivers of interest.
#7 Mike Wallace;
Cocky stupid little twerp. Intentionally wrecks other drivers because he knows damned well he can't beat them any other way. True calling is serving food at McDonalds. Would you like fries with that? I think he starts every race a lap down so he can run up front on every restart and foul up the real racing. He intentionally wrecked Shawna Robinson when she had the pole at Atlanta, and he said she had no place in NASCAR racing. Now, he wants everyone to give his daughter a break. Yeah, right.

#20 Joey Logano;
Incredible talent, and a very nice guy. The media hype makes it sound like he will win every race, and they will of course be disappoined with that expectation. Still, he takes over the 20 car which already has several wins this year with different drivers, he has been working with the crew chief and sitting on the pit box for races, so he might surprise me and pull off a win. He will be fun to watch anyway. Third race produces a win. VERY good choice to drive the cup #20 next year.

Last Updated by Mike Wicks on Tuesday, 7 October, 2008 at 12:01 PM. © 1995-2008 Mike Wicks