Full Throttle

Oh… a Happy New Year. Well I guess it is, or will be.

But after three days of battle with my host over a planned server switch that created a nightmare, and just beating the deadline by about 4 hours before the New Year, I guess it is.

Now excuse me while I go and hide till tomorrow. New Years is nothing but an excuse for a day off work and well… when you’re retired everyday is a day off work.

But for the rest of you who plan on fighting with the once a year drunks, overpriced dinners and drinks Happy and prosperous New Year!

Or to be more precise the FEC vs Kirk Shelmerdine Racing. (H/T Lori)

Remember back in the day when it was election season? Remember the under funded, generally unproductive and unsponsored car of Kirk Shelmerdine as he fought to make a NEXTEL Cup starting line-up?

It’s understandable if you don’t, but that’s far from reality for Democratic activist Sydnor Thompson.

Whether because of political support or simply to add a splash of color to his all white unsponsored Chevy Shelmerdine placed a

For lack of a better title.

Here are a couple stories that have caught my discerning eye in the last few hours:

Is there nothing Tony Stewart doesn’t do? Stock car racer, Sprint Car racer, Midget Racer, IndyCar racer, two-time NASCAR Champion, race track owner, fence climber.

A true Renaissance Man. And now you can add ice hockey coach. Next Wednesday he will assume duties as assistant coach of the Indiana Ice of the United States Hockey League.

Why do I have visions of the Hanson Brothers dancing in my head? And a couple bench penalties handed out by the zebras.

And in late breaking news, Smoke’s weekend dance card is full. Friday sees Stewart and IndyCar star Sam Hornish Jr. participate in the 9^th annual Rumble midget indoor races at Fort Wayne’s Memorial Coliseum Expo Center.

Whatever you chose to call them, partisans, the deluded, or just plain fans of NASCAR’s most popular and marketable driver, this poll of the years most over rated athlete should raise more than a few hackles.

In a poll run by AOL Sports Dale Earnhardt Jr. is the sixth most overrated athlete in 2006. In a poll that offered Danica Patrick as one of the twelve options it makes one think someone did a little ballot stuffing. But you didn’t hear that at Full Throttle. No way!

While on the subject of stupid ignorant polls comes word via Daily F1 News of a British magazine that set out to discover which F1 driver was fastest of all time. Their methodology leaves something to be desired.

They found Fernando Alonzo is Numero Uno among current drivers. Ayrton Senna and the retired Michael Schumacher rate as 1-2 as fastest F1 chauffeurs of all-time. So how did they come to this somewhat less than shocking conclusion?

Aside from conferring with acknowledged experts such as “Max Mosley (ed - WHAT?!), Jean Todt, Keke Rosberg and Eddie Jordan, the magazine compared drivers’ statistics relating to their teammates in F1.”

Now, my Dad always taught me being stupid is a waste of time, unless you demonstrate your “talent” for all to see, so here goes:

Wouldn’t comparing a #1 driver and a #2 driver, driving for the same team, in almost all instances always tilt the results in favor of the #1? Does the magazine take into account of how many #1s had a much less talented driver as a teammate, like say a rookie? How about those cases where the #2 on a team had what amounts to a test mule under control of his right foot?

Or am I just just living up to dear old Dad’s edict by showing how stupid I am for all to see?

I’ve noted on several occasions how Red Bull will make its presence known in a large way in the NASCAR paddock. Here is the latest example, the Red Bull Energy Station that will be utilized at selected NEXTEL Cup events in 2007.

The Energy Station comes complete with “love sacs.” Wonder if Ray Evernham and his Side Dish have a season pass?

Speaking of delusional fans, NASCAR doesn’t hold the patent on them, F1 has its share as well.

A 21-year-old Brit paid $200 to officially change his name to Fernando Alonso. His birth name was David Fuller, he is now known as Fernando Alonso Rodney Trotter Ronaldinho.

Rodney Trotter was a British television character from the 80s and Ronaldinho the famous Brazilian football player.

And the world awaits for the guys next name change: Fernando Alonso Rodney Trotter Ronaldinho Benny Hill.

F1, Formula One, NASCAR, NEXTEL Cup, Sports, Auto Racing, Motorsports, Full Throttle

This is a little late but regardless of its tardiness some things need to be said.

Besides, the racing newswires are deader than General

Brittany Smith, 16, quickly declared NASCAR boring.

“All they do is drive in circles for 12 hours,” said Smith, unaware that she was sporting the jacket of 2006 NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson while she shopped for another jacket.

“To be honest, I don’t know why these jackets are so popular,” Smith’s mom Carolyn O’Brien said. “It’s just a fad that’s in.”

Keara Adams tried on a red Budweiser jacket. She had some knowledge of Dale Jr after he appeared, along with Danica Patrick, in the latest Jay-Z video. (The YouYube Video is available here)

Keara’s final selection came down to color, her favorite hue is red. She settled on the red Office Depot jacket instead although she hadn’t heard of Carl Edwards before.

What’s driving these teens into the NASCAR marketplace?

NASCAR has been “urbanized” and what “Bubba” wears at the track Sunday has taken its place alongside Hip-Hop fashion icons like FUBU, Sean John and Phat Farm.

NASCAR spokesman Scott Warfield said the trend started about five years ago and has picked up momentum since. The movement has become so strong even the unwanted has found it’s way into this new section of the marketplace.

After Dale Jarrett threw Robert Yates and Ford under the bus sales of his UPS merchandise slowed to a crawl at the track but boomed in the “Urban Nation.”

“To the redneck race fans, that’s no good,” store owner Jennifer Sugg said. “Out here, everyone loves UPS. They love the UPS colors. They don’t know who Dale Jarrett is, but it doesn’t matter. I have parents out here buying jackets for 2-year-olds. They want their 2-year-olds to be in style.”

M&M’s and Kellogg’s are also hot products with the teen set.

Shearreatta Allen bought two jackets including the Wonder Bread jacket of fictional driver Ricky Bobby from the movie “Talladega Nights.” She said, “I like the Wonder Bread jacket because it best describes me: Fresh.”

What would the world be like without at least one reference to Talladega Nights?

DON’T answer that!

The question now is will HWSBO & Co leverage this new found market into something that would increase ticket sales, TV ratings, or both? The most direct venue, and one that is already part of the auto racing scene, would be to advertise during Formula D and D1-GP events.

A NASCAR, Drifting connection isn’t without precedence. The Mopar D1 All-Star Duel featuring the D1 stars competing against NASCAR stars Kasey Kahne, Bill Elliott, Robby Gordon, Matt Kenseth, Greg Biffle and Casey Mears was held last August at Irwindale Raceway.

Previously I’ve offered the opinion a new identity could be forged for the Series if joint Busch Series/Drifting events were held. Given the apparent attraction of the Hip-Hop nation to NASCAR merchandise maybe the time has come for more cross-series promotion.

If Bristol had a chimney, and Santa in it’s sight
He’d bring mega-zillion candlewatts, cars circling at night
If Phoenix had a hilltop, overlooking track and sand
You’d see him smile from way up there and wave his jolly hand

If Daytona had a beachfront, complete with cars and speed
I wonder if you’d have a race if ever was the need
If Charlotte had a Lowe point, and not to say it does
Would Santa know it by name if he still thought that it was?

Would Santa know what’s going on with all the change and hype?
Would he know where to land, to stop and rest on a cold December night?
Would he know the Chase, the points, extra race and with that being said
Don’t euthanize the Lucky Dog, just pat him on the head!

If Bristol had a chimney, and you know it could be true
Santa Claus in Nomex tights would surely say to you
“I bring you cheer, love and Good Year for now and ever more”
And he flew away but left behind a donut on your door…..

The above words and image are courtesy of Lori Munro proprietor of (Lori’s War Wagon)

Audi has admitted interest in putting 1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve behind the wheel of a DTM car in 2007.

With Heinz-Harald Frentzen no longer a part of Audi’s team in the German touring car series, a spokesman said Villeneuve and fellow F1 refugee Juan Pablo Montoya are top of Audi’s Christmas wish list.

“They would of course be great for the series,” Jurgen Pippig is quoted as saying by Sport-Informations-Dienst.

Juan “Don’t Call Me Pablo” Montoya obviously is a pipe dream as he’s contractually tied to Chip Ganassi and the intensive NASCAR schedule wouldn’t allow any side trips across the pond.

Villeneuve has a “conditional” deal with Roush Racing. Unless he finds someone to foot the bill Roush will bid the French Canadian a swift bon-par.

The news agency ’sid’ speculated that a DTM Audi deal could earn Villeneuve nearly $8 million a year.

Audi chief Wolfgang Ullrich said: “No question about it, big names are good for the DTM.”

If true Jacques better take the Audi offer and stick with something close to what he knows best, road racing.

Jacques Villeneuve, NASCAR, DTM, NEXTEL Cup, Sports, Auto Racing, Motorsports, Full Throttle

Just how popular is Dale Earnhardt Jr?

Ask Tim Whitener chief cook, bottle washer and owner of Pie-In-The-Sky pizza restaurant in Mooresville North Carolina. Four years ago Junior placed a mention of the place in the second chapter of Driver #8, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. co-written by Junior and Jade Gurss.

As the faithful know Junior’s home base is Mooresville so it’s not surprising he would find favor with Pie-In-The-Sky as it’s located in the center of town and by all accounts serves a mighty fine pie.

Since that second chapter mention of four years ago people from “California to Massachusetts send money to the Main Street restaurant with instructions to buy Earnhardt a pizza or sub.”

“Every time I go in there somebody has sent in $10 to buy me a pizza,” said Earnhardt, who grew up in Mooresville. “It’s like a different fan every time. I try to pay, but they won’t let me, so I just slide the money under my plate.”

And thus, The Great Pizza Scam is born. In some cases Whitener gets paid by both Junior and some adoring fan out in the hinterlands somewhere. One pie for the price of two.

To each his own I guess. For my money, and it would be my money, Jr. wouldn’t be getting any free ride from me. I wouldn’t buy Bill Gates a summer cottage in up-state NY or The Donald a new yacht either. They, and Junior, do just fine without the additional and un-needed financial assistance.

It simply amazes me some fans take their “fandom” to this extent. One would hope they get something in return. Like the empty pizza box autographed by Junior or a menu or possibly a signed photo of him munching the pie (a pepperoni pizza with a ham, his favorite) they purchased out of blind faith.

On reflection the fans blind faith and the restaurants name, Pie in the Sky, seem to fit like a glove don’t they?

NASCAR, NEXTEL Cup, Dale Earnhardt Jr, Sports, Auto Racing, Motorsports, Full Throttle

I’ll get the the titles reference in a second, but first the background.

It was just two weeks ago Larry Carter was named to crew chief David Reutimann’s #00 Toyota Camry during Toyota’s and Michael Waltrip’s debut season in NEXTEL Cup.

That was then. This is now, Larry Carter has left Michael Waltrip Racing to join Roush Racing, MWR general manager Ty Norris said Wednesday. Carter will assume duties as crew chief for Jamie McMurray and the #26 Ford Fusion.

The irony of course is Jack has been one of the most outspoken about Toyota using its fat wallet to raid current (read non-Toyota) teams of talent.

When Norris was reminded of Jack’s fear of Toyota’s deep pockets Norris said, “I was told a long time ago if you walk by a snake coiled up and hiding in the bushes, don’t prod it. So I won’t say anything.”

Funny stuff. And a pretty good shot while remaining “diplomatic.” I bet Norris was really thinking about taking a page out of another NASCAR Toyota team’s book on how to treat those that leave the organization.

NEXTEL Cup, Sports, Michael Waltrip Racing, Roush Racing, Toyota, Auto Racing, Motorsports, Full Throttle

Those of us that spend too much time trolling the auto racing blogosphere and forums have all seen the outrage over “intruders” into “their” sport of NASCAR. Whether it be the imminent entry of Toyota to NASCAR’s top level, “foreign” drivers (a/k/a Juan Montoya), and the overriding (overblown?) issue of NASCAR disregarding “its roots,” the outrage is out there at varying levels.

On the issue of “foreign” drivers my question is shouldn’t the same people be just as outraged by “their drivers” leaving the cloistered world of NASCAR to compete in other racing series?

Specifically I’m referring to the annual Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car event that kicks off Daytona Speed Weeks each February. Current NEXTEL Cup champion Jimmie Johnson is entered in the #91 Lowe