Full Throttle

To the best of my knowledge the employment line outside NASCAR’s world headquarters has been fairly short given the lack of job openings available. (Excluding crew chiefs & drivers whose jobs are always subject to being eliminated at the drop of a hat.)

However, given NASCAR’s latest pronouncement from… On High, I’m beginning to wonder if Cosmo G. Spacely may have a shot at a starting position.

It seems as though someone awoke from a deep sleep and decided to impose the current carb spacer reductions on NNS entries and apply them to all Craftsman Truck entries effective today. Henceforth all NCTS engines with a cylinder bore spacing of 4.470 inches or more must compete using the smaller tapered spacer used in NNS.

I know what you’re thinkin’, Mr. Spacely turned out sprockets at his most industrious orbital plant, but really, how much of a retooling would it take to go from sprockets to spacers? They both start out as a blank piece of flat metal of various compositions.

And hey, Cosmo G. could sub-contract some of the work out. Rumor has it Stewart-Haas Racing has on premises a butt-load of CNC machines that could turn out tapered spacers faster than NASCAR can issue mid-season rule changes.

But that is just a rumor.

And, let’s be honest. Look at the picture, Mr. Spacely epitomizes both in actions and appearance how NASCAR operates.

“We need one: A worker who’s total loyalty is to Spacely Sprockets NASCAR. And, of course, to me: President, CEO, and all-around sweetiepie. Two: someone expendable” - Cosmo G. Spacely.

He’ll fit right in.

UPDATE: Despite the “slime job” I gave NASCAR above they do, on occasion, get it right. The Commission just issued their ruling on the Gibbs NNS penalties and have rescinded the drivers probation given to Logano and Stewart. Look out the window, is there a Blue Moon?

Anyone care to guess what the above acronym stands for? Here’s a clue, it used to be NCTS.

I’ll wait…

Times up. Or maybe I should say times UP[S] if the latest rumor is true.

According to a source within UPS (here we go, un-named sources again), the package delivery company UPS is in serious negotiations with NASCAR to sponsor the truck series.

Sources also said, UPS had talks with Stewart-Haas Racing about sponsoring the #4 car, which will be driven next year by Ryan Newman, but Stewart-HAAS already had a deal inked with Burger King and UPS did not want to be part of a split sponsorship. UPS currently sponsors Michael Waltrip Racings #44 car driven by David Reutimann, but they have been looking to leave Waltrip since early spring. (allegedly)

NASCAR had been looking for a five-year commitment at an annual rate of at least $15 million dollars per year, and sources have confirmed that UPS has agreed to those terms. Some minor details are still being worked out, such as the possible repainting and re-branding of the UPS delivery trucks to reflect the new sponsorship, but an announcement could come soon as NASCAR and UPS would like to begin promoting their new relationship as soon as possible.

Current Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson has never driven in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.

That will remain true fact until the Aug. 20 Truck Series race at Bristol when he will jump into new team owner Randy Moss’s #81 Chevrolet.

“As for the trucks, I am really looking forward to that. I have never run a truck race so it should be fun. Heck, my brother Jarit has run more than me, but it’s going to be a good time.”

The happy coincidence?

The Moss entry is sponsored by Kobalt Tools. The company, by various accounts, is the leading candidate to assume NCTS sponsorship for the 2009 season.

Mike Skinner captured the pole for tonight’s Built Ford Tough 225 at the Kentucky Speedway. The #5 Bill Davis Racing Toyota driver rounded the 1.5-mile speedway in 31.487 seconds (171.499 m.p.h.).

The pole victory was Skinner’s third of the season and 46th of his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series career.

“Our truck just really wasn’t good enough to get the pole today,” Skinner said. “I don’t know how many of these things we’ve gotten because I was just dumb enough to hold it wide open and the thing didn’t hit the fence…The truck is very, very fast. We just got to get our racing program a little bit better and get this thing back to victory lane.”

Skinner won a series-high five races in 2007, but has yet to score a victory so far this season. His most recent win came last October in Martinsville, VA.

Starting on the front row with Skinner will be Kyle Busch who posted a time of 31.539 seconds.

Busch, NASCAR’s hottest driver, returns to the Truck Series for the first time since June at Michigan. Busch will attempt to win his third different national series race in consecutive starts after posting victories in the Sprint Cup and Nationwide events this past weekend at Chicagoland. He has two truck victories this year.

Colin Braun (31.565) and Johnny Benson (31.582) will make up row two.

With the series now approaching the half-way mark of the season, the top-five drivers are all within 74 points of each other. Defending series champion Ron Hornaday, Jr. currently holds a 27-point lead over second-place Matt Crafton and a 54-point advantage of third-place Todd Bodine. Benson is just two markers behind Bodine. Rick Crawford occupies the fifth spot.

Sixth-place Skinner (-113) is the defending race winner at Kentucky. He won last year’s race in dominating fashion, leading 135 of 150 laps. He crossed the finish line more than five seconds ahead of Travis Kvapil.

Willie Allen will start 20th (Rascal Flatts Chevrolet) in NFL All-Pro receiver Randy Moss’ debut as a NASCAR team owner. Allen, the rookie of the year in the series last year, is driving the No.81 Chevrolet for Randy Moss Motorsports at Kentucky.

Moss, who set the NFL single-season touchdown reception record during his first year with the New England Patriots in 2007, has been a NASCAR fan for several years. He is attending his first, and likely only, race of the year before departing for the Patriots’ training camp.

Chrissy Wallace, driving the GEICO/Germain Toyota Tundra rolls off from the 11th starting position and Jennifer Cobb in the Annexus Group Dodge starts 35th.

Technorati Tags: Mike Skinner, NCTS, Randy Moss, Bill Davis Racing

David Exum of the Boston Herald is reporting that NFL wide receiver Randy Moss‘ team, Randy Moss Motorsports, will make its debut on July 19 at Kentucky Speedway.

The entry will carry his jersey number he wears for the Patriots, 81. Exum also reports Moss has purchased a major portion of Morgan Dollar Motorsports.

After checking the Kentucky Speedway page and NASCAR’s there is no official entry list posted as yet for the July 19th Ford Tough 225. However, NASCAR Media has confirmed Moss has called a Thursday news conference at Daytona.

Speculation is a “prominent Sprint Cup driver” will be at the wheel come July 19th. That leaves a wide variety of choices as the Cup series is off that weekend, although the NNS guys are at Gateway on the 19th.

I think I’ll jump on the obvious choice, Kyle Busch. What better way to get a media splash for a new team than slot the hottest driver into its debut?

Technorati Tags: Kentucky Speedway, NASCAR, Motorsport, Sprint Cup Series, Randy Moss, David Exum, NFL, Boston Herald