Full Throttle

You are browsing the archives of 2007 February.

I’m not sure the reasoning offered by Adele Ferguson for opposition to NASCAR’s and its twisted sister ISC’s plans for a track in Kitsap County is valid, but it has a certain odor of authenticity.
In an editorial in the Port Orchard Independent Ferguson asks when the issue had “become a political hassle between the Democrats [...]

How could you forget, but for those that spent last year on an Outer Mongolia sabbatical here’s a refresher.
During contract talks with her then current IndyCar Series team the press ran 6 weeks worth of rumors (pumped up by hot air provided by her father) she was considering a jump to NASCAR. The rumor cycle [...]

Investors are making the rounds of towns and cities in Arkansas with the possibility that a NASCAR track could be built in the area.
Investors said they have approached officials in Bentonville, asking about the number of hotels and restaurants in northwest Arkansas.
“I think they felt like this area was growing to a point where they [...]

One of my favorite TV shows of years past (I ain’t sayin’ how past) was Connections.
It was a serial documentary produced by the BBC, aired by PBS and was based on a book of the same name authored by James Burke.
Connections was focused primarily on series of “serendipitous” events that led scientific discoverers or inventors [...]

Would it be safe to say the “honeymoon” between Jack Roush and new partner and investor John W. Henry will be of short duration?
As background, Henry is THE major domo behind the Boston Red Sox and his new partnership with Roush has not only infused some major cash into the racing operation but a new [...]

I didn’t see Matt Kenseth’s crew chief or Jack Roush brandishing any NHL-like brooms after he crossed under the checkered flag at Fontana, but it would have been a fitting symbol of Kenseth’s clean sweep of the weekends events.
In a weekend that features the Academy Awards Hendrick Motorsports screened a Hollywood type sequel of their [...]

Scott Speed will again race for Scuderia Toro Rosso in Formula One this year, the team have confirmed.
The future of the 24 year-old American had been under threat with team co-owner Gerhard Berger insisting he needs to find some more speed from somewhere.
But, following the final day of this week’s testing at Sakhir in Bahrain, [...]

Geesh… what does it take for Mark Martin to cross the finishline under a checkered flag waving exclusively for him? Obviously not a trip to Fontana.
At least not Friday, maybe Sunday will turn the trick.
Five days after being passed on the last lap and losing to Kevin Harvick by than a hood length, Martin was [...]

I’d like to say this would be my last post that associates NASCAR with the word cheating.
As long time fans know it’s more likely to find Rochfort and Gorgonzola on the dark side of the moon than see all cheating stop. The term itself is confusing. As Eddie Wood, co-owner of Wood Brothers Racing tells [...]

Graeme Fletcher is a self admitted neophyte on the subject of NASCAR and in particular Daytona.
He arrived at Daytona last week “expecting to find 200,000 yokels,” but upon reflection he had a “rather myopic view” and far from reality. It’s an interesting read that includes a prime Richard Petty quote and a funny anecdote that [...]

A few notes as NASCAR Nation (or is it Hip-Hop Nation?) heads west to the land of Fruits & Nuts.
First, a story that dots both the Daytona and California “I’s.”
Michael Yaki is an American of “blended Asian ancestry,” including Japanese and has written a piece for the International Herald Tribune.
In The Jingoism 500 he takes [...]

Some things in life are just irresistible.
Like double chocolate brownies with walnuts and chocolate chips.
Twenty-something Hollywood starlets (with hair) make some peoples list.
But for gearheads with an extreme fixation on NASCAR nothing, I repeat nothing, is as irresistible as this weeks NASCAR stat of the week:

Pos Driver [...]

Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire has warmed to the idea of a $500 million plan for a new Seattle SuperSonics arena in Renton, but said NASCAR’s proposal for a racetrack in Kitsap County appears dead.
On Monday, Gregoire suggested moving the NASCAR project to Lewis County near Interstate 5, about 90 minutes south of Seattle. Organizers rejected [...]

Filed under “things you don’t see everyday:” (literally)
Minutes before the cars rolled off Daytona’s pitroad Teresa Earnhardt strolled down pit road toward her Superstar and unsigned driver Dale Jr.
Reports say she was “laughing and smiling, enjoying the pageantry the way she always did before the last lap of this race in 2001. Her glow didn’t [...]

Bill Church is the Executive Editor (and blogger) of the Statesman Journal out of Salem Oregon.
He sends his praise to FoxSports for “continuing to provide top-level coverage of NASCAR Nextel Cup,” although he has a problem. He believes Fox should have stuck a sock in Darrell Waltrip’s yap during Sunday’s broadcast.
Let it be said he’s [...]

He wants to dream like a young man
With the wisdom of an old man.
He wants his home and security,
He wants to live like a sailor at sea.
Beautiful loser, where you goona fall?
You realize you just cant have it all - Bob Seger
“If they would have thrown the yellow, [the win] was in our fingers,” second [...]

Jacques Villeneuve has eaten a Crow Croissant over his fierce attack in 2003 on Briton Jenson Button, admitting he now regrets some of the ‘harsh’ comments he made.
Having once described Button as a ‘would-have-been’ and a ‘could-have-been’ who will ‘end up never achieving anything’, Villeneuve now rates the Briton as the equal of Kimi Raikkonen, [...]

In days gone past Busch Series events held in conjunction with a Cup event weren’t very useful for predicting the outcome of Sunday’s event. That hasn’t been the case the last few years as the amount of BuschWhackers has increased.
The 2007 season should see less Cup regulars dropping down in class this year however, Daytona [...]

In a mild surprise, it is a Gibbs Chevy after all, a product of NASCAR’s diversity program Aric Almirola won the pole for Saturday’s Busch Series season-opening Orbitz 300.
“This is a thrill, I probably won’t sleep much tonight but I’m excited about tomorrow and feel like we have a great shot at getting our first [...]

There seems to be a spot of trouble in Danica-Ville.
The husband of race car driver Danica Patrick, Paul Hospenthal, is in trouble for a past relationship - before he was married. A woman claims she and Hospenthal had a sexual relationship years ago while she was his patient and just 16 years old.

It started with [...]