Yet another 1st time NASCAR Sprint Cup Winner: Marcos Ambrose

Yes, there is nothing like Monday morning NASCAR racing. After a rainout on Sunday, the big boys of Sprint Cup racing took to Watkins Glen on an overcast, but dry morning.

And yes, as is wont to happen at a road course, there was plenty of car carnage.

Denny Hamlin plowed smack into the wall on lap 65 in what looked like a violent collision after his brakes locked up, he got up and walked away.

Also walking away were David Reutimann and David Ragan. Reutimann's car hit the wall and flipped multiple times before coming to a stop. He...and Ragan walked away.

The story of the day though was Ambrose, who is now the 5th first time winner on the circuit. We might add that he won 3 Nationwide races as well, all at the Glen.

Needless to say, you can consider him a pretty good road course driver.

Your final laps from NASCAR.com:



But it gets better... Boris Said wants a piece of Greg Biffle...
And the language is awesome...
((HT: NASCAR/ESPN/EdwinTV42))


When was the last time a driver told another that he'd show up with a black eye on a Wednesday in the future...??? The HQ doesn't care and wants to see it in person...

Race recap: Menard motors to Indy win

Paul Menard kisses the bricks

Nothing like getting your first win at a major track. That's something that few people can say. Paul Menard can now say it.

Menard won for the first time in 167 races and his fifth start at the Brickyard 400. His crew helped him tremendously, balancing his gas milage and enabling Menard to hold off the hard-charging Jeff Gordon. He was in the top part of the race for the most part and didn't take the lead until late in the race. He took the lead for good with 3 laps left.

The win moves Menard to 14th in the Sprint Cup standings and within reach of the finals.

And yeah, he's got a back story too. His family name is one very familiar in the racing business and Menard was a garage rat as a kid. He spent most of his childhood hanging around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway with his dad, who raced there and said he's been to every Brickyard 400 since the race began in 1994.

Here's to you Paul Menard, we hesitate to call you a racing jobber, since you race for Richard Childress racing but never the less, its a great win for the unsung guys.

Your race highlights from NASCAR.com:



And the 1st time winner victory lane thing: (Thanks NASCAR.com)

Let the NASCAR Track Dance OFFICIALLY Begin....

Bruton Smith and Darrell Waltrip in KY/Patrick Reedy/The Enquirer

The announcement confirming most of what OSG Sports reported roughly six days ago, took place today. For those doubting our omniscience...READ THIS.

We told you that Atlanta had lost their NASCAR race as did California, Fontana to be specific. We also said that Kentucky was getting a race and Kansas City was getting the other. (Because sources aren't always perfect, we mentioned New Hampshire too, but nothing changed there)

Today, NASCAR made it official. Today they announced that Kentucky Speedway will be hosting a race on July 9, 2011. Kentucky Speedway announced that starting probably tomorrow, they are adding 50,000 seats for said race.

NASCAR also said that Phoenix will now have the second race of the year, right after the Daytona 500. Kentucky will follow the other Daytona race...the Firecracker. Chicago's race, which was that week, will be moving to September 18th, kicking off the Chase for the Cup.

More on the Kentucky announcement from NKY.com RIGHT HERE

The big part of this announcement is the move to Northern Kentucky. We will be very curious to see how the turnout is for this race. The track is about two hours from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and not really near anything else. The population base with Cincinnati, Louisville and Lexington all being less than an hour away is pretty big.

Kudos to the NASCAR folks for realizing they need to change some things up. Interest has been waning  as has attendance. This may not be the ultimate difference maker, but as a piece in the puzzle, it certainly can't hurt.

Here is a pre-announcement story from our friends at WCPO-TV in Cincinnati:

Vickers out with Hockey Type injury...

Much like a hockey player with an "Upper Body" injury, NASCAR Racer Brian Vickers is out and in the hospital with an "Undisclosed Medical Condition".

The "Condition" will keep Vickers in the hospital and keep him from racing this week at Dover Speedway, Casey Mears will drive the #83 car.

More from FOX News/Sports RIGHT HERE

((Brian Vickers tries to determine his condition//Courtesy: Getty Images for NASCAR))

Vickers, who is a solid, if unspectacular racer with 2 wins to his credit will remain hospitalized until his condition can be determined. Red Bull Racing didn't say much more than that.

To see what his condition is, let's see what condition his condition is in. (For those unaware, check out the classic movie The Big Lebowski). Thanks You Tube:

Potholes and Pitstops - McMurray wins the 2010 Daytona 500

((the Mac daddy in victory lane - courtesy Getty Images/sportsnet.ca))

Wow...official race time was 6 hours and 14 minutes, but this was one of the most exciting Daytona 500's I've ever seen. I thought for sure after the two hour pothole repair delay, either Greg Biffle or Clint Bowyer would take the checkered flag. However, going into overtime, and having two consecutive Green, White, and Checkered restarts - it was anyone's race.

25+ cars on the lead lap - all with a chance to win. Kevin Harvick was doing everything his car could do to win. However, Jamie "I love restrictor plate racing" McMurray and the #1 Bass Pro Shops Ford held off Dale "Junebug" Earnhardt, Jr to win the 52nd Great American Race. Little E and the #88 AMP Energy/National Guard Chevrolet came from 10th place to 2nd in the last two laps - apparently he still has a little Earnhardt left in him.

Here are the last two laps, courtesy of SlicedSmoke14 and the YouTube:
((HT: NASCAR Images/NASCAR on Fox))

Riggs Misses Murtaugh

Start and Park. One of the unspoken rules/games of the lower tiered NASCAR racing teams and something not talked about much. Until now. Today (Monday) at the Coca-Cola 600, driver Scott Riggs of Number 36 car balked when his team owner Tommy Baldwin asked him to do precisely that to begin the race.

((Scott Riggs/Courtesy: Wikepedia))

Check out the story from David Newton of the 4-Letter Word here

Riggs has said that he will "Step Down" as driver of the car after the race. Stating "I'm not willing to just start and park", that he was too competitive to do that. Unfortunately, the team...or should we say Riggs, was 42nd in the current point standings.

This also speaks highly to the exorbitant cost of running a car in the Sprint Cup series and the current economic times. The surprising thing about this is that it is being discussed publicly now. NASCAR like most other sports has certain things that they just don't discuss and the fact that there are cars that are just basically functioning as "Field Fillers" is just one of them.

PETA Feathers Ruffled For Talladega Race

It seems PETA (a.k.a. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) are not happy that fans attending the NASCAR races this weekend at Talladega Super Speedway might be doing the chicken dance.

It's an attempt to enter the Guinness Book of World Records with the largest group chicken dance. KFC is the sponsor and that's has PETA's feathers ruffled. The organization says the company is cruel to chickens and has asked Guinness World Records, Inc not to recognize the record.

"If this record is allowed, it could encourage other animal abusers to attempt silly feats that make a mockery of animal protection," said Tracy Reiman, executive vice president of PETA.

Here's the press release and letter that was sent to Guinness World Record, Inc. by PETA President Ingrid E. Newkirk.

It's the chicken dance at a NASCAR race. When was the last time a PETA member went to a wedding? The chicken dance is a wedding reception tradition (see below).

I know, PETA doesn't have a problem with the chicken dance, it's KFC. Yeah... right.

By the way, KFC defends its animal rights record.




Those of us at the OSG HQ are going to have lunch at KFC today.

Kyle Busch - Turning The Thing Around

Kyle Busch loves how the 2009 NASCAR season has started. Busch drove his Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota across the finish line first in the second Gatorade Duel at Daytona International Speedway Thursday, a much needed win.

"It felt really good," Busch said. "This whole team has really worked hard. This whole offseason everybody has. From where we ended last year, it felt like it was pretty cool to start off the season this way."

Where Busch ended last year was in free fall. After winning 7 Sprint Cup races before the Chase began, Busch was in great position to capture his first Spring Cup championship leading the points race heading into the Chase. Instead the number 18 Toyota broke down and Busch ended up finishing 34th in a 43 car field. After that Busch and his JGR team couldn't recover.

"We left the championship out there, that's for sure." Busch said. "(The) car fell apart in the last 10 races, and you can't have that. We made the Chase but we wanted to run well in the Chase, contend and be there for the championship, which we weren't able to do at the end of the year."

Busch doesn't feel 2008 was a failure and believes his #18 JGR Toyota can contend for the championship this season. I would say with the Duel win, he's off to a great start.

There is a tendency to beat yourself up when things didn't go your way. 2008 is history for Kyle Busch, time to focus on 2009. Part of the maturing of Busch is that he is realizing this and he and the team are keeping their expectations more realistic.

"I'm not as optimistic as I was... The season didn't end on a note that we really wanted it to." Busch said. "Losing isn't fun but you have to learn to deal wit it better. You've got to learn that every day isn't your day but you can make the most of losing sometimes and try to turn it around and win the next week."

Thursday the sweet taste of victory returned to Kyle Busch. After getting his butt kicked in the 2008 Chase it looks as if Kyle Busch is ready to kick butt this NASCAR season.

Photo Courtesy: Geoff Burke/Getty Images

Here's the finish of the 2nd Gatorade Dual at Daytona (Thanks Speed)

Breakin' the Law! Breakin' the Law!

Trouble in the Pits...

It looks like another NASCAR Driver and Crew Chief are in trouble for...shall we say...bending the rules. Brian Vickers, driver of the #83 car, team owner Dietrich Mateschitz and crew chief Craig Smokstad all are in various forms of trouble with the Car Police. Take a look at the release:

For Immediate Release

No. 83 Team Penalized For Post-Race Inspection Infractions

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Oct. 22, 2008) – NASCAR has issued penalties, suspensions and fines to the No. 83 team in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, as a result of rules infractions found on Tuesday during a Martinsville post-race inspection at the NASCAR Research and Development Center in Concord, N.C.
The car was found to be in violation of Sections 12-4-A (actions detrimental to stock car racing); 12-4-Q (car, car parts, components and/or equipment used do not conform to NASCAR rules); and 20-2.1-D (exterior sheet metal body parts did not meet the specified minimum thickness) of the 2008 NASCAR rule book.
As a result, both the crew chief, Kevin Hamlin, and the car chief, Craig Smokstad, have been suspended indefinitely from NASCAR. Additionally, Hamlin has been fined $100,000.
Driver Brian Vickers and owner Dietrich Mateschitz have been penalized with the loss of 150 driver and 150 owner points, respectively.

Oh well, it sucks to be them, but then again, since they aren't in the "Race for the Chase" or whatever it is that NASCAR calls there season ending countdown; it really doesn't matter, no racers seem to exsist unless they are in the top 12 and in the so-called chase. (Yes, that is a snarky editorial comment)

Thanks NASCAR for the copy of the logo (hopefully a proper credit)

Obama Switches From Hoops to Hubcaps

Did you hear this? Democratic Presidential candidate Barack Obama, known for his jumpshot along the campaign trail this year, is broadened his sports focus.

According to Tom Bowles at SI, Obama has cut a deal with BAM Racing owner Beth Ann Morgenthau to sponsor their #49 Sprint Cup car at Pocono on August 3. The first Presidential candidate in history to sponsor a race car. Well, he IS promising change, so I guess this is at least a start.

The drawback for this Baracecar (I came up with that one...) - Ken Schrader is behind the wheel. The #49 car has to qualify for Pocono on speed alone, because BAM is outside the Top 35 in owner points.

The deal itself has not been made public yet, but BAM is holding a presser on July 23 to "unveil" the sponsorship. Wait a minute, aren't we the ones doing the unveiling?

Win or lose, this will be good for NASCAR. People from all around the nation will have their eyes fixed on Pocono. It is yet to be determined whether this will be good for Obama or not. I mean, Kenny Schrader? You could have done like George W. Bush did in 2004, and let a REAL driver have you on his car...Kirk Shelmerdine. Only difference here is - Shelmerdine put Bush's face on for free. Obama's the first to use money out of his own pocket.

Let's hope Obama's "Get Out The Vote" campaign helps the BAM #49 "get out of pit road."

I'm not usually this deep, just deep in it. Trust me.

--John V. Wood

((Nelson Note- Yeah, J-Dub, but I heard Schrader donated to Republican causes in the state of North Carolina. And how exactly does Schrader feel about driving to the left all the time, anyway? You can't have BAM Racing without O-BAM-A...))