Browse > Home / Archive by category 'NASCAR'

Hotlanta Chowder and NASCAR Shark Fin Soup

User Avatar

by Charlie Turner

I'm Charlie Turner co-host of the syndicated, mostly NASCAR radio show On Pit Row. Thanks for stopping by OnPitRow.com and the Bench Racing with Steve and Charlie blog. Oh yeah, Steve is an idiot. Follow me on Twitter @onpitrow

March 10, 2010 10:29 pm CST No Comments

If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to our RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!


Tires.

“Pete. Do you ever get tired of the tires? Sometimes, I get tired of the tires. Very tired”

That was a little play on the words of one of my favorite lines ever, from the very best racing movie of all time, John Frankenheimer’s Grand Prix.

Deal with it.

Steve asked Fox’s Jeff Hammond who was to blame for Sunday’s tire issues at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Jeff blamed the crew chiefs. So did Steve.

But tires were just an excuse for me to use my movie line in this post. The real story. The only real story, really, was Carl Edwards’ wrecking of Brad Kezelowski, and NASCAR’s subsequent wrist slap of Edwards for the dirty deed.

From the buzz we got during the On Pit Row broadcast Tuesday, to what I’ve read and heard around the NASCAR Twittisphere, most of the subjects of the Kingdom of France seem pretty PO’d about Carl’s easy way out of this deal. Jerry Bonkowski, one of our guests On Pit Row, sure seems to feel that way. Read what Jerry has to say here.

I think that, somewhere in the back of a very dark, and very expensively appointed hauler, Prince Brian is cackling like a drunken hen.

This whole deal, including the spectacular double axel that Kezelowski’s Penske Dodge executed at AMS, has been just what the PR(ayer) people in Daytona were hoping for. (Well maybe it was second to a Dale and Danica weekend sweep somewhere).

This wreck and the attendant story lines, put NASCAR front-and-center on all the general sports news shows, beyond the normal race recaps. Mike and Mike. Jim Rome. Oprah.

There was excitement. Maybe not the kind that NASCAR purists wanted.

But this is about the Benjamins baby. Eyes on the decals. Butts in the seats. Cash.

And this wreck will help.

Photo credit: Round girl Jen by BethAnne Heisler for OnPitRow.com

Filed under: Atlanta Motor Speedway, Brad Kesolowski, Carl Edwards, NASCAR, On Pit Row The Fastest Two Hours on Radio 

Tagged with:

Digg This | Save to del.icio.us

NASCAR Shark Fin Soup from Las Vegas

User Avatar

by Charlie Turner

I'm Charlie Turner co-host of the syndicated, mostly NASCAR radio show On Pit Row. Thanks for stopping by OnPitRow.com and the Bench Racing with Steve and Charlie blog. Oh yeah, Steve is an idiot. Follow me on Twitter @onpitrow

March 4, 2010 11:54 pm CST 2 Comments

“I gotta go where there aint any snow

Where there aint any blow

Cause my fin sinks so low

I gotta go where it’s warm”

Sorry, but I needed that. February was long leaving and March 2010 has been a major strain. Buffett usually helps me.

Him, baseball and Margaritas.

And the line in that song about “fins sinking low” seems to fit right now. And not just for me.

The NASCAR Shark Fin has been trimmed to negligible height since the Great White sized rudders used at Daytona.

I thought I might have to find another post title idea. But it turns out, I’m too lazy. Shark Fin Soup stays.

If you haven’t stopped by the On Pit Row Facebook Fan Page on Tuesdays during the On Pit Row radio program, you are missing some pretty good stuff. This is a plug - sure - but we do have a blast. And live “Tweeting” during the live radio is dangerous.

Steve and I were debating whether “Jeff Gordon and Steve Latarte gambled too much on a two tire stop at the end of the race?”

We agreed that Latarte had blown the call. But when I wrote the update for the Fan Page and Twitter it came out…

“Steve and I agree that Steve Latarte blew..”

Not what I intended…. Actually it was alot funnier than what I intended.

We had Kevin Conway, driver of the ExtenZe Racing Ford Fusion for Front Row Motorsports on the show. Kevin is the current favorite for 2010 Raybestos Rookie of the Year, and a funny guy in his own right.

While answering one of our questions, Conway smoothly worked this into his answer…

“with the ExtenZe racing team, we try to do everything big…..”

Nice work Kevin. You’ll go far in this NASCAR gig with sponsor stumping like that.

Latarte and Gordon stumbled and Johnson and Knaus were there to shoot the cripple as they say in billiards. Don’t make mistakes if you want to win a Cup race in the J J era.

Filed under: Jeff Gordon, NASCAR, On Pit Row The Fastest Two Hours on Radio, Sprint Cup Series, jimmie johnson 

Tagged with: , , , , ,

Digg This | Save to del.icio.us

Does Jimmie Johnson’s Greatness Get You Down?

User Avatar

by Charlie Turner

I'm Charlie Turner co-host of the syndicated, mostly NASCAR radio show On Pit Row. Thanks for stopping by OnPitRow.com and the Bench Racing with Steve and Charlie blog. Oh yeah, Steve is an idiot. Follow me on Twitter @onpitrow

March 2, 2010 10:10 am CST 7 Comments

While hangin’ out in NASCAR’s social media land Monday, I saw this query posed by America’s Greatest Racing Promoter, Eddie Gossage on Facebook…

Eddie Gossage wonders…since Jimmie has won four consecutive championships and has won two of three this season, are you enjoying seeing greatness or does his success turn you off?

It’s a terrific question. Most of the opinions that I hear on it, indicate an epidemic of Johnson hate out there.

I can relate. I’m a Detroit Tiger fan.

My earliest memories of my Tigers are from the early sixties. And yes Steve and Marc, it was the NINETEEN sixties.

1961 for the purpose of this story. In ‘61, my Tigers won 101 games.

They lost the American League pennant by eight games. To the #$%*@!& Yankees.

This was the Tigers of Al Kaline, Rocky Colovito, Stormin’ Norman Cash, Jim Bunning and Yankee Killer Frank Lary.

Unfortunately, the Yankees had guys named Bobby Richardson, Roger Maris, Whitey Ford, Yogi, Mickey….I think I’m going to be sick.

“61 wasn’t the only year that my Tigers were good back then. But they were never better than they were that year. And the New York Yankees kept winning. I hated them.

They were great.

Jimmie Johnson is showing that he too, is great. And you can hate him.

You have my permission.

Photo credit: Round girl Jen by BethAnne Heisler for OnPitRow.com

Filed under: NASCAR, jimmie johnson 

Tagged with: , , ,

Digg This | Save to del.icio.us

Double J and The Luck of A Golden Horseshoe

User Avatar

by Clance' McClannahan, Special To NASCAR commentary,NASCAR video,NASCAR pictures, Bench Racing With Steve and Charlie

Clance' McClannahan, famous author behind The Church of The Great Oval and also one of the much appreciated Contributing Authors at Thunder Lounge.

February 27, 2010 12:04 am CST 1 Comment

How much does luck really have to play in NASCAR? Auto Club Speedway was a perfect example of both good luck, bad luck, skill and strategy.

Race Day at ACS started out cloudy, with the threat of rain looming overhead in in the future. Lovely Katharine McPhee, Season 5 American Idol runner-up, performed the National Anthem, after stating “I’ve never watched a NASCAR game before.” Personally, I am really glad she said that prior to the first inning, or it might have been embarrassing for her later.

Andy Garcia was able to give the command. “ Gentlemen, start your engines!” and still be politically correct.

Pole sitter Jamie Mac led the race for about 5 seconds, and then Juan Pablo Montoya politely said “Excuse me?”, and took the lead. If you would reach far back into your memory…(I mean, it’s a stretch for me),  you will remember that JPM led 60 laps at ACS in October, and in one truly horrendous moment, lost that race. Juan Pablo Montoya meant serious business and opened up a lead of more than 3 seconds by Lap 12. By Lap 29, Jimmie Johnson’s good luck began to show, and the 42 car’s not so good 30th lap, gave him a brush with the wall.  Soon after…it was Good vs. Bad for JPM, Kasey Kahne and a few others. Namely Dale (**NOTE to Jr. Nation: Dale doesn’t want to be called Jr. or June Bug, anymore).

In the meantime, a war was beginning to rage. Kevin Harvick and Jimmie Johnson had begun the battle that would continue throughout the race, which culminated in one of the finest moments in NASCAR History.

Lap 97 began to get a little more interesting. Now we will get into the good luck, bad luck, strategy (?) syndrome that happenedthat day.

Martin Truex Jr. loses power. Later, Martin Truex Jr’s engine blows.
JPM begins to battle with Jeff Gordon for 5th position. Harvick and Johnson continue to dance the Flamenco (to impress Juan Pablo Montoya) for 1st and 2nd, not being able to decide who would lead and who would follow.

In one of the most endearing and heart breaking moments of the race, Kasey Kahne, being conscientious of the bleak economy, decided he would help out some poor souls, who needed to make some money to feed their kids, by making sure they had jobs replacing the sod he tore up.
Ryan Newman’s engine blew up. DNF. Again.  JPM, looking very competitive, was out of contention once again, after a great 140 laps. It also, was due to another kaboom of a large quantity of moving parts, critical to the car continuing to run..

Kevin Harvick discovered that one of Jamie Mac’s pit crew has a part time job with Cirque du Soleil. Scary.

Then there was Dale Earnhardt Jr. It seems like the last few years, if it’s going to happen to someone it will be Dale Jr. Personally, I don’t think he has any better or worse luck than many driver’s. I think his worst luck is the scrutiny he is constantly under. Much more than other driver’s. Broken Axle. Axle Broken. Race over for the 88.

Jimmie Johnson seemed to be going backwards for a small moment in time. Then… From out of the blue…comes JJ again. Jamie Mac, startled, said “”How can he be leading? “He was on pit road, wasn’t he?!!”
Why yes, he was. Double J won. 48/48.
Luck? Strategy? All of the above?

Kevin Harvick , at the end of the race, summed it all up, in one sentence. Possibly one of the finest quotes in NASCAR History. I am honored to have been able to do small tribute to that little quip at The Church.
“They have a golden horseshoe stuck up their ass.”
…And that, Dear Fans, was the finest finish to a race I have seen since the Daytona 500.

*What wondrous events shall LVMS bring us this weekend? Aw…the suspense is killing me!

Filed under: Auto Club Speedway, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Danica Patrick, Diversity and NASCAR, Jamie McMurray, Jeff Gordon, Juan Pablo Montoya, Kasey Kahne, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Martin Truex Jr., NASCAR, NASCAR Conspiracies, Ryan Newman, jimmie johnson 

Tagged with: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Digg This | Save to del.icio.us

Like a broken record…

User Avatar

by Clance' McClannahan, Special To NASCAR commentary,NASCAR video,NASCAR pictures, Bench Racing With Steve and Charlie

Clance' McClannahan, famous author behind The Church of The Great Oval and also one of the much appreciated Contributing Authors at Thunder Lounge.

February 26, 2010 8:40 pm CST 1 Comment

Dear Bruton Smith,

You have more money than God. Please fix the traffic coming in and out of the track. In fact, could you just fix it in all of Las Vegas? The wait at the airport sucks too. Wayne Newton would do it for his fans, I bet.

Love,

All of us that make you have more money than God.

P.S. Good job with the track. It’s really fast! The traffic may be worth it, if the race is as good as qualifying was. Too bad we missed 10 driver’s attempts, including Kurt Busch beating Jeff Gordon who beat out Dale Earnhardt Jr. for the pole.

But that wasn’t your fault.

Filed under: Bruton Smith, Dale Earnhardt Jr., How to fix NASCAR, Jeff Gordon, Kurt Busch, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, NASCAR, NASCAR & the Media 

Tagged with: , , , , , ,

Digg This | Save to del.icio.us

NASCAR at Auto Club Speedway: Dudes, Dames and Delayed Dominance

User Avatar

by Charlie Turner

I'm Charlie Turner co-host of the syndicated, mostly NASCAR radio show On Pit Row. Thanks for stopping by OnPitRow.com and the Bench Racing with Steve and Charlie blog. Oh yeah, Steve is an idiot. Follow me on Twitter @onpitrow

February 22, 2010 11:23 pm CST No Comments

The Auto Club 500 was vintage Jimmie Johnson. To the chagrin of those fans who had hoped that J J’s Daytona 500 performance might be a sign. Sorry haters. Lowes no. 48 crew chief Chad Knaus still makes the perfect pit call more often than anybody else and, like Albert Pujols,  Jimmie Johnson knows what to do with a fat pitch. He doesn’t miss it.

The Sprint Cup Series race almost seemed like the undercard of this second round of 2010 NASCAR schedule. Most of the buzz early in the weekend was about Danica Patrick’s second run in her limited 2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series schedule.  Patrick wasn’t a factor in the actual Nationwide Series race. She may not worry the leaders at all this year. But she did OK. She’s learning. It adds interest.

On Pit Row was ably represented by Jerry Wilson - the Diecast Dude to many - during the Auto Club Speedway weekend. Read Jerry’s posts and go to the OnPitRow Twitter page if you missed any of Jerry’s observations during the weekend. Thank you my friend. It was a blast following you the past few days and an honor hosting your stories.

Time for Vegas. Who’s betting against the Lowes car?

Photo credit: Round girl Jen by BethAnne Heisler for OnPitRow.com

Filed under: Auto Club Speedway, Danica Patrick, NASCAR, Nationwide Series, On Pit Row on the road, Sprint Cup Series 

Tagged with: , , ,

Digg This | Save to del.icio.us

« Previous Articles

March Madness

Play the Rattles from the Catch Can contest

Blogroll

Fantasy Sports Partners

Racing Websites

ON PIT ROW at RaceTalkRadio
Backstretch Boys: 30% Off New CD!
Jayski's: See what the buzz is about.

We've got your game.

Advertisement