A Busch On a Back Stretch

Well the chase is on and here comes a Busch on the backstretch. Harvick going to the inside of Casey Mears, not holdin’ back. Boyer leads ‘em all.
 
 This is truly the best time of year!! I finally sat down on my beer-stained recliner and did not move for 4 hours.  I sent the kids outside for making too much noise, because I could and it was beautiful outside. I flipped between the beloved black and gold, COT racing, baseball, golf and hunting. This time of year has it all and soon there will be candy and turkey!!! GOD HAS BLESSED US ALL!!   And I almost forgot, did you all see the end to the Alabama – Arkansas game?...WOW!! . Ok I’m supposed to talk about racing but my brain is on sports overload.

Congrats to Clint for his first ever win in the COT racing series. What a great talent. He reminded me of Kasey Kahne. It wasn’t a matter of if he would win, but when!! And to the TV networks, you see we will still watch racing because we love racing and thank you for not showing JR all day. This is proof that it is possible!!!!

With the monster climbing over the shadows this leads to be a very interesting beginning to the chase. Will Hendick prevail or will he falter with the #5 fifth in the points, maybe he can become COT racing’s Trent Dilfer. Will Jimmie “V” Johnson repeat or the FATHER like figure, the home building Dewalt.  Well I guess we will see. I must say I’m not yet sold on the chase but this one might change that for me.

Well that’s the Biffle as I see it this week. Till later go get some rubber in your beer!!!

Just a Number?

Sometimes in sport and in our own lives we’re reminded that we are not in charge.  Our thoughts and prayers go to the family and friends of Bill Kimmel, PA driver who passed away at Williams Grove Speedway last week. I once told my dad, man I hope I don’t live to be 100 years old. He laughed and said you’re not 99 and half yet either. If we all knew where we were going we might not always want to be first in line.

Well, will it be #8, #81, #38, #888, #68, #3, #2, or #1? I do know it’s not 12, at least not this year. Maybe NASCAR will make it 14 next year so the most popular driver has a chance of making the chase. By the way, did you know that Bill Elliott was NASCAR’s most popular driver for 100 years or better? But did the TV networks have 2 screens of his car, forget there was a race going on, and follow his car for 10 laps? Did they show only his pit stops and show only Coors Light commercials? Could we please get a break from Dale Earnhardt Jr. for at least 10 minutes? How will it be even remotely possible to cover the last 10 races? Dale won’t be in the chase and we all know it’s a crime to show anything but the red #8 car. At this point who cares what place #8 is in. I know that it will not win a championship or should I say Dale Earnhardt Jr. wont win a championship this year.

Over the last few weeks we have all been saturated with the 8, not 8, dilemma and I have heard that it’s just a number it doesn’t matter. Well I beg to differ. It’s everything; it’s a symbol of all that is good and right in this world. Go ask Jake Plummer why he wears #16. In Steeler’s camp you don’t just put on the #58 unless you can back it up. They are more than numbers, they are memories. They are the everlasting triumphs and defeats. They are to be respected like the 28, 3, 45, and 47. Maybe they’re right, it’s just a number on paper but in life they’re attached to greatness.

Hey soccer dads, remember back in peewee soccer where some idiot came up with scoreless soccer to spare feelings. Maybe it was just me but WHAT WAS THE POINT of that? Let me tell you something, the kids kept track of the score. I truly thought my head was going to explode watching those games. I was so glad when my son lost interest in soccer and tried football where the score mattered and there was a point.  But you know those old soccer games remind me of Jimmy Johnson winning. My buddy called him vanilla and how true is that?  He wins ….Yep, tasteless, who cares, Jimmy vanilla Johnson. You know since numbers don’t matter he is on track to win another championship but who’s counting?

Well that’s the Biffle as I see it this week. Till later go get some rubber in your beer!!!

I Am The Reason

First and foremost a huge thank you to our friends at the Hooters Pro Cup Series for their great racing, generosity and hospitality. If you have never seen a Hooter’s race, and not the kind at last call in the local watering hole, it is a great stockcar racing series that is saturated with talented drivers. From drivers with years of experience to drivers that haven’t taken a legal green light on the road yet, they all know how to take the green flag and that will surely satisfy your racing fix. So if you haven’t taken the time, take it. Congrats to fellow PA boy, Benny Gordon, on his win at Bristol Motor Speedway.

What does Juan Pablo Montoya, Fords, and myself have in common?

Nothing up until this weekend, when I used these 3 words in a sentence. I was informed from another stovepipe tippin’ race fan that I (and people like me) were the reason for what is wrong with the economy in this country. I guess if you start to look at it like this it might make some sense. No, wait a minute. WHAT THE HELL DOES THAT MEAN? If anyone knows please feel free to let me in.

Here is another thing I need help with understanding. Why did NASCAR have to switch to COT racing? What was wrong with the way it was? I know it’s supposed to help the small teams and that’s great. The more completive this sport is the better it is. But now the bigger teams have just gotten bigger with big time mergers and they have some of the best talent in slow racecars and henceforth no cautions because these guys are talented. The last time I checked RACE CAR DRIVERS WHAT TO GO FAST!!! The most talented rise to the top when they find that balance on the edge.

Bristol was awesome. The best truck race I had ever seen. They actually passed. The Busch race ranks up with the best race I have ever seen. It’s hard to beat a young Steve Smith Jr. trying to pass Steve Smith Sr. at Lincoln Speedway (more on that later). So you see, there are no problems with the racetrack or no cautions. Who doesn’t love 3 wide green flag racing? I saw a lot of it and then I saw 3 wide passing with cars that can’t race.

Well that’s the Biffle the way I see it until next time remember to get some rubber in your beer.

Let’s Play Catch-Up

Well if anyone noticed I have been on a little break and if any one cares I do apologize!! Its hell when life gets in the way of what you really want to do. I guess its kind of like trying to race your way into the All-Star Challenge or just race for twenty laps and some one goes three wide into the first turn and cant hold on to his car!!!!

Well it was business that took me to Louisiana but its my love of automobile racing that sent me on a 50 plus mile journey through nothing but sugar cane and crawl daddy farms in search of dirt slinging, Cajun style. After a few stops and a chat with a state police trooper for some directions to the racetrack, we drove and we drove. You know how it is when you’re looking for something. You never seem to get there but I’m telling ya we drove at least 30 miles without seeing another car. Suddenly there was a big sign:

“Thunder Valley Speedway: NASCAR sponsored racing every Saturday night. Fun for the whole family”

After riding as long as we had you can imagine our excitement as we made the right turn into the driveway. But what we found was not at all what the sign had promised. There wasn’t the sound of the roaring thunder of a well-tuned V8 pounding through the valley. Instead there were frogs croaking and the sound of weeds growing and another sign that read:

“FOR SALE!!”

So we did what anyone would do in the situation. We crawled through the fence and looked at a 1/2-mile high-banked red clay racetrack and tried to imagine what it was like when it breathed life. We all agreed that the racing had to be good there. There was plenty of room to go three wide. To me, to see a race track empty is a strange feeling. A place that breed’s excitement and breaths life laying there dormant is truly not normal AND SHOULD NOT BE!! I do hope that stock cars biggest forum does not forget its humble beginnings. This sport needs life along with the billion dollar sponsors.

Congrats to Donny (Schatz) for a sweep in PA even though the PA Posse was right there!!! Jr., please make a decision so the media can report racing news again. Juan Pablo I want to like ya but you’re better than that!!! Dave (Gilliland) I wish you could keep the fenders on the car, I don’t like smashed M&Ms. And Bill (Elliott) back in a Ford!!! The stars have once again aligned.

Ok some other quick notes to catch up. I will no longer refer to NASCAR, its COT racing. And on that same note get rid of one of the Richmond races and give one to The Rock (you know-how I feel about empty race tracks). Darlington, I love it even if its COT racing. I feel like I’m watching racing 10 yrs ago when everyone hated Gordon and Earnhardt can’t win!!! As the 600 draws closer can anyone find a way to beat the Hendrick teams!!! 

That’s DA BIFFLE this week as I see it so remember to go get some RUBBER in your beer!!!!!!

Incoherant ramblings from the one and only, Da Biffle

Before the dust has a chance to settle in the dessert a rainbow appears but not even it can outshine the black cloud or should I say black flag that hangs above it. Can you imagine what might have been going through Jeff Gordon’s mind as he took his final lap? One he has taken 76 times. I bet it was pretty close to what was going through the late Dale Earnhardt’s mind as he held up the Winston cup trophy for the 7th time. At that moment, for each of them, their names were no longer in the same company as legends. They were legends!!

I have heard that the thing with the wing handles similar to the cars of ten years ago. If this is true I think DW will drop a notch on the win list. In 1997 Jeff Gordon won 10 races and a championship. Then again the level of competition is much better than 10 years ago.

On a personal note I love Talladega so I got to know what’s going on with RYR. So until next week go pop a top and get some RUBBER in your beer.