Hey, Howdy, Good morning and Good day. Welcome Gabbers and others to my NASCAR update and other fast stuff. Guess what we're talking about today. I'll give you 3 guesses but the first 2 don't count. It's Danica Danica Danica. Danica all last year, Danica all this week, Danica all weekend and Danica all day today. Even if she wrecks out it will be Danica theorationalizationings abundant. Talking heads pontificating, prognosticating, projecting, ejecting, rejecting, folding spindling and mutilating every possible angle she will play a part in from now to beyonder and beyonder. Like tomorrow even. And I exit...Stage left even.

So if you haven't heard yet, Danica has won the pole position at the Daytona 500. That's the preferred starting spot. How many laps does she keep it? I'm guessing about 2 or 3 before she gets sucked down the middle to the back. I should be waxing poetic about a fellow female making such a huge contribution to my sport. I applaud her accomplishment. I condemn the spectacle she created of herself before her arrival. She besmirched the legacy of those before her. Shirley Muldowney brought it. They feared her when she showed up because she was a threat to win not a threat to take her clothes off.

Last driver to win from the pole at the Daytona 500 was Dale Jarrett in 2000. Show me something girl. Drive like hell, turn left and keep it on the track. Impress me.

So in other qualifying news. Jeff Gordon got 2nd. Through winning Budweiser Duel #1 Kevin Harvick got 3rd. Through winning Budweiser Duel #2 Kyle Busch got 4th. Biffle, Kahne, Montoya, Dillon, Johnson, Bowyer Kurt Busch and Kenseth round out your top 12. Any names familiar? Take note if your in the NASCAR fantasy league. 

Montoya is driving HMS engines. Looks like he likes them. Maybe he'll be racing the other drivers instead of into a jet dryer. Biffle, Kenseth, Kahne, Bowyer, Kyle B, Kurt B, Dale Jr, Gordon and Stewart are your usual suspects at this race. Jeff Burton, Joey Logano, Marcos Ambrose, Trevor Bayne (2011 D500 winner) and Paul Menard are some other surprises to look for. Choose accordingly. 

                 Did I mention Danica got the pole? 

DANICA'S WEIGHTY PROBLEM

Seems there are those that feel she's too light. She came to Daytona at 110 lbs. Her boss Stewart and other team mate Ryan weigh in around 180lbs. 

NASCAR's rule? Drivers who weigh less than 180lbs must add 10lbs in the car for every 10 lbs down to 140lbs. So she'll be assessed a 40lb penalty.

Does it matter? Depends who you ask. Some say the heavier guys compress the springs better pulling the car down out of the air. Others say lighter is faster. There are some wild stories of the past where drivers and crews used some crazy schemes to lighten the cars after the race got started ot after they got through inspection. 

So what would her advantage be? The 40lbs will be added to the frame and can be positioned at a lower center of gravity than the driver but must be added to the left side. We'll let the engineers figure that out. I'm sure they have.

In 2005 Robby Gordon complained to the IRL about Danicas weight. He said he wouldn't participate in the Indianapolis 500 again till they fixed the 100lb difference. He sighted that if he or Stewart got in an IndyCar they'd be 100lbs more. 

At that time IndyCars weighed 1525lbs before fuel and driver. In 2008 IRL ruled it to include the driver. 

NASCAR rules their car to be 3,300lbs including a 180lb driver.

Most drivers don't care. We have Mark Martin weighing in @ 125lbs and then there's Joey "I disappear when I turn sideways" Logano. So pretty much the point is moot. 

OOPSY, BRAD DID IT AGAIN

Brad Keselowski got an audience with Brian France this week due to comments made in an article that showed up in USA Today. No fines. Just a quick get together. Brian wanted Brad to be more careful about what he said and to be more informed before commenting. No word on the exact comment but this might be an idea.

Brad mentioned that Brian and his sister some where in the lines of the sponsors, teams and tracks don't always work together with NASCAR.

He said,"And until all three of those can unite, we're a house divided and we're making bad decisions that are effecting how to generate revenue foe the sport."

So Brad was a little too candid but Brian loves his candidness. Just try to be more informed.

He refused to comment but did get on his Twitter account....."Spent some time with Lisa and Brian from the NASCAR team after yesterdays article, the passion we all share for our sport is amazing."

HUGE NATIONWIDE WRECK ON LAST LAP

By now I'm positive you've all seen the video over and over and over again. I even got to see fan videos. Damn tire landed on a guy and then the seat in front of him. Incredible. The last update I read was around 9pm. There were 14 fans treated and released at the track. There were 14 fans transported to hospitals for treatment with 2 critical. One went to surgery immediately. I'm sure he was the one hit by the tire. 

Driver Michael Annett was sent to the hospital and given a CT scan for chest bruising after he drove head on into the wall. Safer barrier no less but still bad news at those speeds. He will be kept over night.

Regan Smith #7 was leading with Brad Keselowski #22 behind. He knew Brad would make a move to win and he blocked that move which turned him around and started the wreck. It gave the win to my man Stewart but that's a crappy way to win. There was no celebration in victory lane. Stewart was upset for the fans. He said we as drivers sign up for this and know and except the dangers but it's bad when fans get hurt. He sent well wishes out to the fans.

This is the sport I love. I dread but look forward to Daytona every year. It's freakin' awesome. I love it. Every lap. It's beautiful. Scares the hell out of me too. I hope every one that was hurt makes speedy recovery through to good health. 

DAYTONA 500 STUFF

RAY RAY just won't go away. He gets to be the honorary starter. Yup. He's a waving that green flag to start my Super Bowl. Seems he's from Florida. Perfect fit? Not in my book. 

Last years winner was Matt Kenseth. Can he do it again? Now wait, let me get my Magic 8 Ball......Mmmmmm......Hazy. Stupid ball.

Will this guy finally win one? Came in 2nd last year. Had some motor issues during practice and qualified 19th but that really doesn't matter at this race. He might just drop to the back where it's safe and make a run to the front with 20 laps to go. That seems to be a trend in recent years. Go Dale Jr. Make daddy proud.

Carl Edwards continues his down streak. He's wrecked at least 3 cars already. Him and Newman wrecked in practice Wednesday. Neither one could explain what happened. Edwards wrecked in the Sprint Unlimited and the Budweiser Duel #1. Stay away from him on your fantasy league. He starts 36th. Hearing the Twilight Zone theme? I do. 

So any way, for those of you who haven't joined the NASCAR Fantasy league yet, here's the info. ESPN.com....make up your account and entry.....join a group....Checkered Past....Password : Gabbers. It's easy. I swear. 

So I hope you're all doing well. Enjoy your Sunday doing what you love. Me? It's off to breakfast and then to my parents to watch the Daytona 500. They have cable.

The past is history. The future is a mystery. GO TONY STEWART!!!!

So just like one of my cartoon favorites from the past. It's time to exit, stage left AND....

I'm outta here..Even.....

Hey, howdy, good morning and good day. Welcome Gabbers and others to my latest NASCAR update and other fast stuff. I would love to drive this Bugatti, Veyron around Daytona. Problem is at full song I'd get 15 minutes on a tank of fuel. No economical savings as far as this baby goes. Could you imagine a 500 mile race with this car and just how many pit stops it would take to do it? Oh yuck. Math. Not going there. I'll leave the math to the engineers of NASCAR.

POSSIBLE PANTHERS PURCHASE

Bruton Smith, owner of several NASCAR tracks and a very wealthy business man was being interviewed and the subject of the Carolina Panthers came up. Bruton expressed interest in buying this team if the price is right AND he wouldn't ask the state or city tax payers to pitch in for the $300 million in repairs the Bank of America Stadium needs.

The interviewer asked him twice and he said yes, I'm interested and no I wouldn't ask for money. Now on the other hand current owner Jerry Richardson wants tax payer money to help with the improvement project. The city wants a commitment from the team that they'll stay at least 15 years before they'll put any money in the project.

Bruton said nobody has approached him yet but he is interested. Hhhhhmmmmm. Was that a hey Jerry call me maybe?

COOL CAMERA NEW ANGLES

ESPN has added 2 new camera angles to the mix. The Cat-cam which is on the front stretch at the Daytona Speedway suspended by multiple cables. It rides back and forth as well as swivels from side to side while it's gliding along. Kind of like the ones at NFL games.

The Gyro-cam is suspended from the inside roof of the car. It always stays horizontal and level. VERY VERY cool camera angle. They had one inside Dale Jrs car as he drove around Daytona during practice. The car was always leaning because the whole track is banked. Even the straight aways are banked some what. Not as hard as the corners though but what a perspective. I really want to see that angle during racing and in traffic. 

NASCAR FANTASY LEAGUE INVITE

I went to ESPN.com and formed a fantasy league. You pick 5 drivers and try to stay within the salary cap. Of course the drivers salaries will go up during the season. I've never played this type before but I'm assuming you want to pick 5 drivers you want to stay with. The scoring is the same as the drivers get at each race. If your driver scores 48 points which is the most you can get in one race than you get those 48 points too. You can change your drivers every week or keep the ones you have. You have up to race time to make changes for that week. 

I will try to help by giving a quick back ground for most of the drivers. It's not like in the hockey league where you'll lose a player like Karlsson to being slashed by a skate blade by Cooke supposedly by accident and then have to trade him like I did. Attrition is not a big deal in NASCAR. Allmendinger was a fluke last year. Most power house teams never have to deal with that.

Any way, You can go to ESPN.com, create your account & entry and then choose...join a group. Then you choose..."Checkered Past" with the password..."Gabbers". I don't even have to send you an invite. Unless you'd like one....

POWER HOUSE TEAMS

So here is your help in picking your guys if you choose to play. On the fantasy league page where you'll choose your drivers they're all listed by how they finished last year. Wins, top 5's top 10's etc are all there.There's only about 26 guys you really want to know about. 

HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS (HMS)

#48 Jimmie Johnson - He's da man. He has 5 championships...IN A ROW. Last year he had 5 wins but 6 DNF's (Did not finish). That small thing ruined his chance for the trophy. Not to worry though because his evil genius crew chief Chad Knaus is still on the pit box. If any one can find that extra some thing nobody else can find it's him. He's a #1 must have in my book. Pick him with confidence.

#24 Jeff Gordon - Ever since Ray Evernham left his pit box Jeffy hasn't been the same. Last year was the worst year yet. He had 5 DNF's and many many issues with crew chief Alan Gustafson. Whether it was communication or flukie happenings on the track, Jeff just couldn't get on track. He only made it into the Chase at the last race of the season in Richmond because the rain delay and cautions fell just right for him and not for Kyle Busch. With crew chief/driver pairings being key to winning, this doesn't bode well for the 4 time champ. He's still a good pick but I have a wait & see on him. I want to see if he and Clint Bowyer are still going to have issues as well.

#88 Dale Earnhardt Jr - Dale has been a lost puppy since daddy passed away 11 years ago this year at the Daytona 500 on the last lap crash. He finally showed flashes of talent with 1 win last year. He's awesome at super speedway races. Dega and Daytona are his cup of tea. He may have found a match with Steve Latarte as his crew chief. With the concussion issues at the end of last season, I'd put a wait and see on him too. Albatross comes to mind when I think of Dale Jr.

#5 Kasey Kahne - A 4th place in the standings last year with 2 wins in his first season with HMS. He brought his crew chief Kenny Fransis with him and they do well together. They were at RedBull Racing the last year of that team and produced some good numbers in a lame duck situation. He's a #1 pick.

ROUSH FENWAY RACING (RFR)

#99 Carl Edwards - Didn't make the Chase last year and no wins. This coming from a 2nd place in the Chase the year before in his epic battle with Tony Stewart. Him and Bob Osborne were the duo of duo's but Bob stepped down part way through last season sighting health issues. I'm looking for Carl to be back in the mix this year. He got poll position for the Sprint Unlimited which I am not watching right now because I'm writing. Carl Is a #1 pick.

#16 Greg Biffle - Dude was on fire at the beginning last year. Held the #1 spot for the first third of the season. Him and Matt Pucia kick butt. He was 5th in the points and 2 wins. He's a #1 pick.

#17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr - New to RFR this year. He's the Nationwide champion 2 years running moving up to Cup for his rookie season. I picked him in both my fantasy leagues. He's cheap and I expect him to get it done. Besides that he's Danica's boyfriend. Should be interesting.

RICHARD CHILDRESS RACING

#29 Kevin Harvick - This would be considered a lame duck season because it's already announced he's leaving for Stewart Haas Racing next year. Richard ain't happy. Things could go 2 ways. RCR gives him the best as a parting gift or he becomes the guinea pig for testing. He's a talented driver and he was in the Chase last year. Worth a consideration but not my #1 choice.

#27 Paul Menard - Paul's daddy bought him this ride. Daddies name is on the hood. He's made some great strides in becoming a better race car driver. Since he comes complete with a sponsor RCR will keep him and he'll get good equipment. He's good at some tracks more than others. I'll give my assessments each week on that.

#31 Jeff Burton - Jeff is getting old by NASCAR standards but he's still younger than Mark Martin. Last year was not a good year for Jeff. He's still at RCR and he still has talent but things aren't what they once were. He's also a track to track assessment.

#78 Kurt Busch - Yes. he's technically driving for Furniture Row Racing but he's considered a 4th team for RCR racing. They will share set up notes & meetings, tech support will be offered and Kurt will be driving with RCR motors under the hood even though they're based out west. Kurt is a HUGE talent but he has emotional issues. Anger management is not his strong suit. He tries to get way too much from a car that can't give it to him. FRR has not been a power house team in the past but showed great promise when Regan Smith drove it. Kurt is a wait and see.

STEWART HAAS RACING 

#14 Tony Stewart - My most handsome Knight of the Mobile 1. He's the boss & owner. He's got 3 championships and he's extremely talented in throwing helmets and driving on dirt or asphalt or concrete in multiple types of race cars. He's a #1 pick. Nuff said.

#39 Ryan Newman - Aggressive. Aggressive. Aggressive. Pisses people off. Had one win last year at Martinsville and missed the Chase. Not a great pick but he is good for some races.

#10 Danica Patrick - This ones a wait and see. I'm not seeing any or too many top 10's out of this girl. Not expecting a heck of a lot from her. Sorry.

*SHR is a satellite team of HMS. They get their engines, chassis and tech support (as well as attend meetings) from HMS. Translation? Good equipment.

JOE GIBBS RACING (JGR)

#20 Matt Kenseth - He's left RFR driving the #17 to the #20. Matt is the stealth bomber. He has a habit of quietly hanging out and being there at the end to vie for the win. Not sure how things are going to be in his move here but I'm expecting results. He's a #1 pick.

#18 Kyle Busch - Last year he was having the same "WTF HAPPENED NOW" year Gordon was having. Flukie engine issues and parts breaking. Can't win races or a championship that way. If JGR got their reliability issues fixed and I'm sure they did then Kyle's a #1 pick.

#11 Denny Hamlin - Having 5 wins didn't get him that championship last year. Reliability issues gave him 4 DNF's. Can't do that and get the trophy. He's still a #1 pick though.

MICHAEL WALTRIP RACING (MWR)

#56 Martin Truex Jr - Look for him to be in the top 10 most every race like last year. Great pick. Not #1 but he's solid.

#15 Clint Bowyer - Despite the issues with Gordon last year I expect more of the same top performances from Clint as last year. He had 3 W's and lots of top 5's & 10's. I don't believe he'll suffer the 2nd place curse like Carl Edwards did. He's a #1 pick.

#55 Mark Martin - He's a part timer this year again. Just 24 races. He's still got it though. Brian Vickers will get some of the races Mark doesn't drive. This is something to think about before you choose either of these guys. You'll have to see the schedule.

PENSKE RACING

#2 Brad Keselowski - Our Sprint Cup champ from last year will be driving a Ford instead of a Dodge this year. Not sure how the transition will work out. Paul Wolfe is a good crew chief and they are a great combo. I have a wait and see on him but he is a worth while pick.

#22 Joey Logano - Left JGR last year to jump in the Pennzoil Shell car Allmendinger screwed himself out of. Not expecting a whole lot out of Joey. He shows flashes of talent but not at all tracks.

RICHARD PETTY MOTORSPORTS (RPM)

#9 Marcos Ambrose - He's an Aussie. Came to the USA from Super 8 cars. It's the Australian version of NASCAR. He's showed some great talent. The road course win in his epic battle with Keselowski will be on high light reels for years to come. Wish he had a better ride. He's better than what RPM can give him. 

#43 Aric Almirola - Also better than the equipment RPM can give. He's good for select races.

Earnhardt Gnassi Racing

#1 Jamie McMurray - #42 Juan Pablo Montoya - Both these guys were pretty much MIA last year. Except for JPM taking out the jet dryer at the Daytona 500, they were non factors. This year promises to be different. They'll be running HMS motors under the hood. Wait and see on both of these guys.

So there you have it. If you decide to get in the fantasy league, you can pick with confidence or frustration with that salary cap. As the season goes on I'll give my top picks and other fast stuff every week. Mean while the cold has moved back into my neighborhood. I'm still going to breakfast any how. I'm celebrating Buy Up All The Leftover Marked Down Valentine's Candy Day. Got my eye on some chocolate. You all have a great Sunday doing whatever it is you love and....

I'm outta here..........

Whoa, Hey, Howdy and Good Day!!!!!! Welcome Gabbers and others to my NASCAR updates and other fast stuff. It is now 14 days till the Daytona 500. This weekend is NASCAR's version of media days. They call it NASCAR Acceleration Days. There will be over 50 drivers at the Charlotte Convention Center talking to fans and of course autographing stuff. There will also be 5 new members to the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Rusty Wallace, Leonard Wood, Cotton Owens, Herb Thomas and Buck Baker. Congrats to the new inductees.

NEW RULES AND STUFF FOR NASCAR IN 2013

1. In order to curb Start & Park entries it was decided that $4000 would be taken off the prize money of the last 5 finishing spots and redistributed throughout the other finishing spots. So if running 1 to 10 laps and then parking for the day so you can save your equipment and collect a nice pay day is your deal, well, you'll be getting $4000 less. 

2. It was just decided that on the windshield on either side of the drivers last name will be the manufacturers logo. This is to increase awareness of who each driver is affiliated with. I'm thinking it's to even things out. The sponsors will be aloud to occupy the roof for the first time ever so I guess we have to give the manufacturers something. I guess the logo on the front grill isn't enough. 

3. Gasman will no longer be able to make adjustments on the car till fueling is completed. This will stop the issue of the gas can leaving the pit stall as the car pulls away still attached and dragging the can and gasman with. In the past the catch can man did the adjustments but his job was eliminated last year. The adjustment being to put a long wrench in a hole on either side of the back windshield to adjust the height of the car. 

4. Owners points can be used starting in points race #4 of the season.

5. In the past a champions provisional could be used to get into just about every race if a driver who was a past champion didn't qualify. This year, not so. The driver can only use a provisional once every 6 races. So if he uses 1 at the first race after Daytona he can't use one for 6 more races. Use them wisely.

6. There will be 36 spots that qualify on speed, 6 for using owners points and the last spot for the champions provisional. If no champion provisional needed than it goes to owners points.

7. Nationwide Series to cut field from 43 cars to 40. The Top 30 will be looked in on owners points. They have impound races so they don't want the crews wasting time working on getting the qualifying set ups transferred to race set ups during racing pit stops.

8. Trucks will be the top 25 in owners points locked in.

9. The Daytona 500 qualifying is a mix of regular qualifying and the results from the Budweiser Duels. Same as usual but still too confusing to figure out. Would love to hear a driver or crew chief explain it some time.

RAY EVERNHAM TURNS DOWN BIG OFFER 

At NASCAR's media event Ray confirmed that he was offered a chance to crew chief again for a powerhouse team but it wasn't for his old boss Hendrick. Ray was Jeff Gordon's crew chief during his first years in Cup racing. They got 3 championships together. 1995, 1997 & 1998. It was the '98 championship that they goe 13 wins which set a record for the modern era of Cup racing. Ray was also voted greatest crew chief of all time in 2006.

"I probably could still do it but I don't think I could have the results I had. I look back at our stuff with Jeff Gordon. If I couldn't hold up to that 1998 standard, I'd be constantly unhappy and frustrated, so I don't want to do that again. I got the call and I was flattered to get it but I had to pass."

Ray will be working on at least 15 events for ESPN as well as other projects this year including one with his former boss Rick Hendrick.

KURT BUSCH ON FORBES TOP 10 LIST OF MOST DISLIKED ATHLETES

The man who will be driving this #78 Furniture Row Racing Chevy is #8 on the list. 

1. Lance Armstrong                                     I get all these guys except for Romo.

2. Manti Te'o                                              What did he do? No SB trophy? Is that

3. Tiger Woods                                            really a worth while reason to put him 

4. Jay Cutler                                               on this list? Or was it because he dated

5. Metta World Peace                                  Jessica Simpson?

6. Alex Rodriquez

7. Michael Vick 

8. Kurt Busch

9. Kobe Bryant

10. Tony Romo

OTHER FAST STUFF

AJ Allmendinger will be test driving a Penske IndyCar. If all goes well he will be racing for Penske on April 7th @ Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama. Then if sponsorship can be had he will be at Long Beach to prepare for the Indianapolis 500. Penske says there's still a seat open for Tony Stewart if he wants one.

Speaking of Stewart....SHR has bought enough owners points off of Robinson-Blakeney Racing which fielded the #49 car driven by JJ Yeley last year to give Danica a start on owners points in 3 races if she fails to qualify. But not at the Daytona 500. That's a totally different animal when qualifying. 

Tony could swap out his owners points and let her have them while he uses a champions past provisional but then the team would loose valuable bonus money. Sorry Danica. Get up on it and go girl.

Tony has also decided to start a test team. Veteran crew chief David Hyder will be over seeing this team. 

Richard Childress has been wanting to bring the #3 back to Cup. He says 85% of the fans are in favor of it. He wants another Earnhardt or a family member in it. His grandson Austin Dillon has been driving the #3 truck and when he comes to Cup full time he plans on using the #3. In the mean time he will drive the #33 in the Daytona 500 for his grand father and the #51 at Las Vegas for James Finch of Phoenix Racing. He feels that driving the #3 in Cup before he's full time will cause undue stress. The fans want you to prove yourself every time you drive it. He understands the need to be his best in that number.

Mark Martin will be part time again this year in the #55 Aaron's Dream Machine for 25 races. Brian Vickers gets 9 races in it and owner Michael Waltrip gets the July Daytona race and the 2 Talladega races. Waltrip will be in the #30 Swan Racing Toyota for the Daytona 500.

Thank you to Jayski.com for the car pictures.

So there you have it folks. Another racing update and 14 days away from the Daytona 500. It would be Sunday. I'm sorry for those of you who will be digging out your homestead for the next week. It missed us. We got ice but that will melt soon enough. I don't need a V8 powered snow blower for that. But any way, those of you up north, take care and take a break from shoveling for rest and fluids. Everybody else, get your Sunday tradition, sports, family gathering, power nap or hobby on the front burner. Enjoy your Sunday and....

I'm outta here......

Howdy, Good Morning and Good Day. Welcome Gabbers and others to my NASCAR update and other fast stuff. Besides all the Super Bowl stuff like Jell-O serving chocolate pudding to the loosing teams fans and Ray Ray possibly sprouting antlers by game time there are some other things going on. I am crossing my fingers for Ray Ray and those antlers. 

GROUNDHOG DAY

It was the day for PA's prognosticating rodents to go toe to toe on their predictions. Punxsutawney Phil and Octorara Orphie did their duty early Saturday morning and in the frozen 12 degree air. Gus the Pennsylvania Lottery scratch off groundhog was no where to be found. Most likely he was still sleeping hugging his scratch off winning tickets and under a nice warm and cozy blanket.

Phil decided it was going to be an early spring. Orphie said 6 more weeks of winter. They were opposites last year too. But it's not the prediction that counts. It's the festivities surrounding the prediction. Each lodge has groundhog jigs, cannon firings, parades, breakfast and just a big get together for everyone filled with all sorts of shenanigans. Phil had 30,000 show up the first Groundhog day after the movie Groundhog Day with Bill Murray came out. 

Phil is a live animal where Orphie has been taxidermied. Both have been around prognosticating for over 100 years. Phil started in 1887 and Orphie in 1908. Phil's lodge members wear top hats and tux's. Orphie's wear top hats and lab coats. Supposedly Phil has lived so long because they give him a shot of magic elixir that gives him long life. Apparently they didn't share it with Orphie.

The legend goes that if the groundhog pops up out of his den and sees his shadow it's 6 more weeks of winter. If he sees no shadow then spring is right around the corner. I believe everything I read on the internet.....Bon jour...

FASTNACHT DAY OR FAT TUESDAY    

Fastnacht is German and means fast night. Fastnachts are yeast donuts that are usually made with potatoes. The idea behind Fastnacht Day is to rid your pantry of all the things you will be abstaining from for Lent which begins on Ash Wednesday. So we use up all the sugar, lard, butter, yeast and fats so that we can start fresh and new after Lent is over.

When making these donuts they've heavy. You don't even have to turn them over in the deep fryer because the doughy side is heavier than the side that's done. They flip themselves.

Traditionally they're served plain, powered or regular sugared. You dip them in molasses. But in this day and age people take traditions and twist them up. They're now made with creme fillings, jelly fillings, icing on top and glazed. 

I'm a traditionalist. Gimme the plain with some molasses for dipping. AND of course a cup of coffee. New Orleans has Mardi Gras, beads and Kings Cake. Central PA has Fat Tuesday, fastnachts and Groundhog Day. So on Feb 5th I'll dunk one for all of you.

DAYTONA IS COMING!!!!!!!!

Yup. On February 16th will be the Sprint Unlimited. A Saturday race where the fans can go to NASCAR.com and vote. They'll be voting on number of laps per segment, pit stop requirements, number of cars to be eliminated after the 2nd segment and what fire suit Miss Sprint Cup will wear in Victory Lane. So if you care what she wears or.....doesn't wear, you best go vote.

On Thursday afternoon when I'M AT WORK, the Budweiser duels will take place. These 2 races are short but help to seal up the starting positions for the Daytona 500. I'm still confused on the new qualifying rules. It's qualify or go home this year. No top 35 in points gets a guaranteed spot any more. But Daytona is always different in qualifying and I'm just not sure what is going on with that this year.

On February 22nd @ 8:30 pm it's the truck race. I plan on watching that on race buddy if NASCAR.com still has that going on. If not I can always keep my parents awake by going over there to scream at the TV. WOO HOOOOOOO!!!!!

On Sunday February 24th @ 1 pm is the DAYTONA 500. The Zac Brown Band will be the pre race entertainment. Well, one of the many pre race spectacles. Hope they don't have to delay the race this year like they did for Kevin Harvick when the parachute dude landed way too close to his car and the weight on the line with the American flag hit the car. Big aerodynamic sapping dent in the side of the car had to be fixed. What they won't do to entertain the fans.

Daytona has been working on replacing some of the seats that have been there since the place opened. They want to add more seats on the front stretch, add more guest suites, modernize the concessions and redesign the exterior and interior. Couldn't find any pictures or detailed explanations on what's been done so far. You'd think their official web site would be bragging about it.

So the question remains....Should Daytona or should I say the owners of the Daytona track get a tax break? The Dolphin owners are already included on the legislative proposal. What say you Gabbers? Don't even ask me cause I'll go into my gimme a discounted ticket because my tax dollars bought your stadium rant. And we don't want that.

EX NASCAR DRIVER ARRESTED IN 3 STATE HIGH SPEED CAR CHASE

Tyler Walker and his girlfriend were arrested in Utah on Wednesday Jon 30th after a high speed chase across 3 states. He started out in Nevada when an officer tried to pull him over for speeding. He drove on into Arizona and was finally stopped in 6 miles into Utah when they threw out nail strips to blow out his tires. 

After they arrested Tyler and his girlfriend they of course searched the car finding alcohol, methamphetamine, marijuana and drug paraphernalia. Apparently we aren't so good at road course racing? Just an observation. Another thing. If your in a high speed chase (and you know the cops will get you)....why aren't you throwing the illegals out the window? Just a thought.

Any way, these 2 will be charged in all 3 states for the hot pursuit, drugs, drug paraphernalia, DUI and a whole laundry list of other charges....TIMES 3!!!!! I hope it was worth the ride.

Tyler had a promising career in NASCAR. PROMISING and HAD being the key words. He drove 19 Nationwide races and 9 truck races for Bill Davis Racing. Things were going great till he failed his drug test. He now or should I say was driving winged sprint cars. I'm not sure about recently.

Last year there was an ugly incident at Maple Grove when in a qualifying heat he fouled out and went into a verbal tirade in the pits. You can see that one on You Tube along with another one where he flips out leaving a night club. I tried to post his NASCAR photo and his now photo but they just wouldn't. Dude looks like a dead man walking. Sad to see another young life going down the tubes. 

How do you not appreciate and try to grow an opportunity like that? How do you throw it away? We have this guy snorting his opportunity up his nose. We have Titus Young acting like a child and being disruptive. He's daring them to dump him. What is up with our kids?

So any way, I've rambled enough. It's Sunday. SUPER BOWL SUNDAY. Can't say whether I'll be watching or not. I know I won't be rooting for any one. I have 2 guys left in my fantasy league. Gore and Crabtree. I'm still working on my NHL fantasy league. So much to ponder. 

You all have a great game. Hope your snacks are all lined up and ready to go. Those of you in the north east, just don't go out. I don't need one of those V8 snow blowers you guys up north of me have but it's fffffffffffffff- ricking cold right now and just enough snow to make a mess. I'm off to breakfast. Enjoy your day and......

I'm ​outta here.....

Well howdy, good morning and good day Gabbers and others. Welcome to my NASCAR Update and other fast stuff. Lots of last minute preparations going on in NASCAR. Teams are adding drivers, deleting driver and extending contracts. Teams are also bringing on more sponsorship too. That's a never ending battle these days. Sponsorship money is the life blood of teams. It makes or breaks a team. Determines how many races they run, in what quality of equipment they run and if it's full time or a Start & Park ride. Mr Bruton Smith owner of several NASCR tracks and general PIA in my opinion wants to do away with Start & Park teams. In this economy you're going to have teams that don't finish races just so they save their equipment to race another day. Getting $40,000 isn't bad for finishing dead last. Some races pay more and others pay less. Some do it to finance their Nationwide team or they do it just to be able to show up and drive in the biggest show. Bruton wants this practice to stop. I say who cares. You still have to buy the car which costs more than my house or most of yours. Then you buy parts when they break, pay your pit crew and fill the tanks of your big rig to drive your car there and back. That $40,000 goes quick. So Bruton needs to back off and concentrate on putting on a good race at his tracks. 

SIMPSON TO MAKE NFL HELMETS

That's right, 72 years young, Bill Simpson, former California race car driver is trying his hand at making NFL helmets. Some of you who ride a motorcycle may have a Simpson helmet.

The story goes that he was at a bar when someone introduced him to Tom Moore who was the offensive coordinator for the Colts. They talked and after many drinks and much conversation, Moore handed Simpson tickets to the Lucas Oil Stadium to see his first NFL game.

During this game Receiver Austin Collie caught a ball from Peyton Manning and a hit to the head from someone else. He didn't get up right away and was finally carried off the field on a stretcher.

When Simpson inquired about Collie's well being later he was told this stuff happens all the time. He was shocked and asked for a helmet to test at his motorcycle facility in Brownsburg, Ind. Moore gave him 3 different types.

Simpson tested these helmets in drop tests and felt he could much improve on them. He tried to apply racing strategy on the helmets but it didn't translate to football very well. He talked to players, coaches and doctors. He had as many as 40 NFL players trying his head gear.

Simpson's take on the physics of helmet weight and movement was that the weight of the helmet is at the core of his research because the head moves when the body is struck. The heavier the head the more it travels. The brain being the passenger. 

"It stands to reason that there's a whole lot less of that going on in a 2 lb helmet rather then a 5 lb helmet."

He added that when Collie used his head gear in 2011 he went concussion free but in 2012 without his head gear he had a concussion in preseason. So the research data says Simpson got it right.

He's got helmets being made by hand in progress right now. The insides of the helmets are bleached white so nobody can identify what materials he's using. Custome padding especially at the temples finishes it off. All patents are pending so he's very hush hush about the particulars. 

Next up? Lacrosse helmets. The NCAA says that 11% of injuries are concussions. So Simpson is off to try his hand at lacrosse helmets. Says he knows nothing about the sport but he knew nothing about football either.

ROBBY GORDON AND HIS DAKAR HUMMER

Well, the Dakar race is over and Robby couldn't get the win once again. In stage one he was too careful and when he should've gunned it over a sand dune, he played it safe and got stuck. Took out the transmission and got way behind. This is a timed event just like the Tour Du France so keeping up is everything. He had no other mechanical issues or flat tires but that one thing held him back even though he finished in the top 5 the rest of the way it wasn't enough. The winner had no issues at all and a fast truck.

Not to worry, Robby did his signature burn outs for the crowd even though he came in 14th over all. He said the competition has become fierce. He will be back next year if sponsor money is there.

You can see videos at Planetrobby.com 

THE KING AND DALE JR TEAM UP FOR GOODY'S

Goody's head ache powder was very pleased to announce that Richard Petty and Dale Jr will be doing sponsorship work for Goody's at the track. October 27th is the Goody's Fast Relief 500 @ Martinsville. Dale Jr says he's happy to work with the King and Goody's is a great product. Petty says Dale Jr is a smart businessman and a great driver so he's proud to be working with him.

Ok, enough of the group hugs.

LIFE AFTER THE NFL

Larence Mathis (Receiver for The Jets, Atlanta and finally Pitts) has signed on to be the Vice President of Marketing for LFR (Leavine Family Racing). So if your at a track during a Sprint Cup race you may see him shmoozing with sponsors.

THE DANICA GETS A DATE

Any of you who had your sights set on The Danica after hearing she was getting a divorce are too late now. Danica was married to Paul Hospenthal for 7 years and in November Danica announced their split on Facebook. Jan 3rd she sighted the marriage was irretrievably broken in her divorce papers.

She's now seeing Ricky Stenhouse Jr of Nationwide 2 time champion fame. He'll be driving Matt Kenseth's old ride the #17 at Roush Fenway Racing this year in Sprint Cup. 

To me this is a BAD MOVE. Never fish off the company dock. Seriously Danica, WHAT ARE YOU THINKING?!?!?!?!?!?! I can't remember a time boyfriend and girlfriend raced together in NASCAR. So I guess this is another thing Danica will be known for. All these records but not the ones that mean something. LIKE W's. And lots of them.

In other Danica news, Stewart says he's not letting Danica use his owners points if she doesn't qualify. He worked hard for them and he's not sharing. This year there's no guaranteed spot for the top 35. You will qualify or go home. The only thing that will save you is those owners points used as provisionals for 37th thru 42nd and possibly 43rd. I'm interested how much money GoDaddy ponies up to Stewart for his owners points the first time Danica doesn't qualify. 

ODDS & ENDS

Dale Jr needs sponsorship for 13 races so if any body is looking to get on a race car , there's your chance.

Kyle Busch fans can rejoice. His contract has been extended and Interstate Batteries  will sponsor 6 races.

Brother Kurt Busch says he thinks he'll stay at Furniture Row Racing instead of moving to RCR in 2014 because he feels it's a forth RCR team. RCR supports FRR with cars and motors. I say, lets see about what type of melt down he has before he counts his tires. My bet is melt down in June. Maybe May. It's a sure bet any more and I don't think Richard can reign him in like he thinks.

Penske Racing & Shell Pennzoil have extended their partnership til 2015. There will be 33 races for them on the #22 with Joey Logano driving. Not expected much from Joey. Maybe I'm wrong but....I don't think so.

Smithfield foods is adding races with Richard Petty Motorsports for a total of 25 on the #43 car with Aric Almirola driving.

There's so much more switcheroos and add ons but I think you get the gist. It's silly season time and the Daytona 500 is around the corner. Fastenacht day and Ground Hog Day come first though. Love my doughnuts with molasses. Mmmm Mmmm Mmmm.

That's another story though. I got to go before this program causes me to punch my laptop. The font and my words keep changing. It's Sunday. You all have a great day doing what you love. I'm going to breakfast and....

I'm outta here......