When Kurt Busch landed a ride for 2012, I felt he got pretty lucky with that one, considering there was no room at any "inn" in the Sprint Cup garage. But James Finch stepped up and gave Kurt a chance. That was pretty decent of the man and it made Kurt fans pretty happy. I also presume at a reasonable pay-cut, but still, it was a chance.
And yet, Kurt Busch can't seem to help himself.
As one marketing guru said, If Kurt has a publicity agent, he's not listening to them. And if he is really serious about staying in the sport, he may wish to consider hiring a "body man" or "body checker." (I can't recall the exact term used)
That's a person who shadows a celebrity EVERYWHERE, and the moment the celebrity starts to go south with word or deed, the hired "image guard" scruffs the celeb and hustles him out of earshot of range of the cameras or microphones.
Gads, Kurt definitely needs one of those, and to be honest, having used to be a bouncer, I CAN DO THAT for him! It would be kind of fun, but I'd probably be pretty busy.
James Finch as publicly said that if Kurt moves forward with the team, it will be a race-by-race basis. So we'll see what's going on and go from there.
Will Kurt stay in Cup? I bet he does. Finch has a big heart.
I'm not even questioning his staying in the Nationwide Series... I presume that's a no-brainer. For now.
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Monday, June 11, 2012
The 'Pocono 400' Winners, Losers and Speeding Loops That Weren't Broken
The Pocono 400 saw many changes this time around. The track was repaved, leading to track qualifying records; The race is shorter (Thank god!) and apparently there was an issue with speeding during the race. Oops.
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First up, congrats to Joey Logano for winning the Pocono 400! For a moment I thought Mark Martin had the race in hand, but the double-nickel car could not quite hold off Logano in the closing laps and that was all she wrote!
Logano won, Mark Martin came in 2nd, Tony Stewart: 3rd; Jimmie Johnson: 4th and Denny Hamlin rounded out the top-5 finishers.
The new points leader, Matt Kenseth finished 7th; Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished 8th; Greg Biffle: 24th; Kevin Harvick: 14th; Martin Truex Jr finished 20th.
Ryan Newman ended the day in 12th.
Top 35 Bubble
If my estimations are correct, or close to it, the No. 10 car (Tommy Baldwin), driven by Dave Blaney, finished 25th, and moved the team out of 34th and into 32nd in the Owner Points and the No. 36 car (Allan Heinke) that was driven by Tony Raines, is now sitting in the cat bird seat, in 35th.
As nerve wracking as that sounds, right now, it's not. They will be 55 points in front of the 36th place car, the No. 33 (Richard Childress) that was driven by Stephen Leicht, but who had brake problems Sunday.
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Pocono's New Track Surface
I think that the new track surface made the racing marginally more entertaining to watch. But overall, it felt and looked like the same place, where cars would dive in low and fast and slide up into their fellow competitors and what not.
The new track surface made speeds faster and with faster speeds, made the hits harder. Kasey Kahne, AJ Allmendinger, and others all met the wall doing faster speeds. AJ said it was the hardest hit he's ever taken when he graced the wall with the paint from his No. 22 car.
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Speeding Loops Were Not Broken!
The big news of the day was speeding down on pit road. Wow. Twenty-two different speeding penalties were handed out Sunday and twenty of them were for exiting pit road. The big attention getter was when Jimmie Johnson was serving his first penalty with a drive-through when he got nabbed again for exiting pit road too fast.
Of those "speeding tickets" given out, Travis Kvapil was nailed four times; David Reutimann: three times (one was for entering pit road too fast); & Johnson, Brad Keselowski, & AJ Allmendinger were each nabbed twice.
The fans and media were all on fire, lobbing blame on something being wrong with the system itself and were calling for NASCAR to red flag the race and fix the issue. (The Twitter lot are pretty quick to lob fault. They seem faster at lobbing fault than online Wall Street trader hobbyists!) I had chimed in, but if you follow me on Twitter, I was being glib, or humorous about it.
The TNT broadcast team (a refreshing change, who took over from Fox) went to work and found out that one of the timing loops at the end of pit road had been moved when the track was repaved and reconfigured. Last year, the last timing loop/segment on pit road was 56 feet long and yesterday, it was 83 feet long.
So nothing was wrong, it was just different. And no one from any of the race teams took note of this, if that was something that was to be able to be taken note of.
I guess next time a track is newly reconfigured, teams will be keeping an eye on these things
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Thursday, June 7, 2012
Twitter Goes Live with #NASCAR Association
As you all may be aware, Twitter and NASCAR officially joined forces as NASCAR saw fit to actually take advantage of that hashtag that many use when posting thoughts to Twitter, #NASCAR.
Now, when you post to Twitter using that hash, there will be software out there that looks for relevant tweets containing the hash and will pull them into a streaming consciousness, much like The Matrix... but maybe better! I'm assuming not all tweets will be pulled into the fray and that's not a bad thing, considering how freely some fans think with their keyboards, but I'm hoping this actually does turn into something cool that we can all take a part in and feel like we are.
So keep your eye out for the new page that came out today, https://twitter.com/hashtag/nascar, it looks cool.
It's pretty awesome, now that NASCAR has bought back its own digital rights from TURNER and is developing these online entities. It kind of makes me wonder why Turner sat on its laurels all these years and did so little over all the time it had. (That's not a bad thing, I'm just asking/talking out loud.) Though I must admit, maybe it was Brad's picture tweet from Daytona that may have sparked this beast!
Here is the press release with more details, though I think the twitter page (see link above) speaks for itself!
NASCAR Press Release:
Twitter 'flipped the switch' late yesterday and went live for the first time with its NASCAR hashtag product in preparation for Sunday's Pocono 400 Presented by #NASCAR. The first of its kind with any sports league or organization, this new product will create an enhanced live event experience on Twitter at Twitter.com/#NASCAR.
Twitter.com/#NASCAR showcases the best Tweets and photos from NASCAR insiders in an effort to bring the behind-the-scenes story to life for fans during NASCAR race weekends. The page includes Tweets from drivers, pit crew members, families, media, NASCAR representatives and other industry constituencies like race tracks and sponsors. Fans also have an opportunity to see their Tweets featured.
Using a combination of sophisticated algorithmic signals and Twitter's editorial curation, Twitter.com/#NASCAR features the highest quality, most engaging content about the race and NASCAR. Behind-the-scenes photos, exclusive content and innovative and original Tweets will likely have the best chance of being featured on this new live event page.
"Twitter brings fans closer to the sports and moments they're most passionate about," said Jack Dorsey, co-founder and executive chairman at Twitter. "The innovation of the NASCAR organization, the spirit of the fans, and the personalities of the drivers all shine on Twitter, making NASCAR a natural partner for us. Twitter.com/#NASCAR will offer fans an all-access pass to the race weekend action as it unfolds on the track, in the pit, in the garage and in the stands."
While currently up-and-running, Twitter.com/#NASCAR will be most active on race day before, after and in conjunction with the Pocono 400 Presented by #NASCAR from Pocono Raceway (TNT, 1 p.m. ET).
In support of this new NASCAR event page, NASCAR's broadcast television partner will be engaging with audiences via Twitter as an integral part of TNT's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series coverage throughout the summer. As part of an evolving relationship between Twitter and Turner Sports, Twitter.com/#NASCAR will be thoroughly integrated into the race broadcast via innovative graphics and with TNT's on-air team displaying some of the most relevant and engaging Tweets on a touch-screen TV.
"Throughout Turner's 30-year partnership with NASCAR, we have consistently striven to be innovative," said Jeff Behnke, Turner Sports senior vice president and executive producer. "This new relationship with Twitter is going to allow Turner Sports to engage the viewers in several new and creative ways, therefore making social media a key component of our six-race series this summer."
Built to support the live race broadcast, this new experience gives fans a complementary insider's view of the action as it unfolds on the track and on Twitter. During a race, when fans click on #NASCAR, search for #NASCAR on Twitter.com or visit Twitter.com/#NASCAR, they'll reach a new Twitter experience where they will see the most relevant Tweets from their favorite NASCAR drivers, NASCAR families, teams, commentators, celebrities and other racing fans and personalities.
"This is an exciting weekend for the NASCAR industry," said Marc Jenkins, NASCAR vice president of digital media. "We are pleased to be able to partner with Twitter and bring a great cutting-edge digital experience to our fans. This is a great extension of our strategy of innovation in the digital space to enhance the fan experience with our sport. Reflective of the strength of NASCAR's fan base and the sport's cutting-edge use of social media and Twitter in particular, the sanctioning body is pleased that Twitter partnered with NASCAR to launch this product and we look forward to a long and healthy relationship coming out of this weekend's launch in Pocono."
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Wednesday, June 6, 2012
2012 Prelude to the Dream - Images
The old-school dirt upon which professional stock car racing was built played host to today’s racing stars in the Prelude To The Dream last night at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio.
The eighth annual dirt Late Model race featured more than 25 world renowned drivers as they battled for dirt supremacy.
The event was presented live to the entire nation on HBO Pay-Per-View with net proceeds from the telecast supporting Feed The Children, a U.S.-based charity that domestically has helped more than 365,000 families since 2009 through its Americans Feeding Americans Caravan.
Kyle Busch won the event and if you head on over to my Facebook photo album, you can catch several images from the event! (It's a public album and you don't need to have a FB account to view it.)
-Bruce
Did You Know that All Professional Athletes Have Media Obligations?
First, I want to say something before moving forward: When Kurt Busch got behind the wheel of the No. 51 Cup car, I was rooting for that team. A small team with talent behind the wheel, can go quite far these days. So I was pulling for good finishes for that team.
But...
In the wake of Kurt Busch's repeat offense with his verbal tirade with Bob Pockrass, I see that there's all kinds of fallout coming from Kurt's rant.
For one, as it stands now, Cup team owner James Finch is saying to the media that he has not taken any calls from Kurt, will talk with him next week, and sends a message, saying to quit wrecking cars and play nice.
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And today I'm hearing that there's some kind of backlash about Bob Pockrass asking Kurt the question.
Seriously?
Now if you follow me on Twitter or have seen some of my commentary in other locations, you know I can have some fun with the questions asked by the media.
But in the long run, I do jest. That's because sports personalities are REQUIRED to make themselves available to the media. It's a necessary evil in some regards, but in others, it feeds the fuel that is the passion for the sport by fans.
Most athletes in most athletic endeavors are required. All sports have their sponsors, they have the event hosts and they have a performance requirement. These kinds of interviews help all involved.
When I was a card-carrying professional bowler, I had been sent to media training and the rules were pretty specific about the athlete's requirements. Top finishers from the week after a tournament ended, were to report to the media room and/or be available when asked questions. In NASCAR, it is the same. It's a bit of price to pay for those 7-digit incomes, Learjet or helicopter transits and what not. And there's no getting around it.
There's a majority of fans out there that want to hear from the athletes right after an event, or an event within the event. Long-time fans understand what just happened in most cases, but the core of fandom, they have inquiring minds.
And the athletes have a certain responsibility and it's not a surprise.
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So yes, top performing athletes have media obligations. They know it, and 99% of then adhere to them.
The few times they don't are times like when the new Tony Stewart* might wave off a reporter when he just gets out of a car and he's steaming.
And you'd think, that after all this time, that Jimmy Spencer had knocked some sense into Kurt way back in 2003 when he broke Kurt's nose. Oh well... I wonder if Kurt can still fit in a Legends car???
*Stewart defended Busch's perspective on his SIRIUS XM talk show, saying that reporters focus too much on controversial issues and he also said he liked Kurt's answer. But to play devil's advocate, again, it's what the majority of fans want. It's when the fire is lit under a few drivers that the sport gets its notoriety... it's this kind of "news" that makes gossip rags sell millions in copy every week. So, it's necessary because, sadly, it sells.
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Finch has also been noted to saying that if they do move forward together, it will be on a race-by-race basis.
A Few Notes: GREG BIFFLE TV Appearance & Pocono Testing
A few notes for a Wednesday, including a Greg Biffle TV appearance, and a two-day test at Pocono!
Greg Biffle is going to show up in a non-NASCAR TV spot today (June 6th, 2012) on a series called American Restoration, that airs on the History Channel.
In the episode, Greg has a 1970s Montesa motorcycle that is in need of some restoration!
WHEN: Wednesday, June 6 at 10 p.m. ET; WHERE: HISTORY Channel
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With this upcoming Pocono 400, keep in mind that the track has been resurfaced. And to prepare for that, there will be a two-day test session starting today (Wed, 6-6-12) and running into Thursday.
"Wednesday and Thursday, June 6-7. On Wednesday, teams will be on track from noon to 4 p.m. ET, and Thursday from 9 a.m. to noon, and again from 1 to 3:30 p.m."
After the tests fans will probably be hearing through various media outlets from Jeff Gordon, Jeff Burton, AJ Allmendinger, Denny Hamlin, Carl Edwards, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Director John Darby & NASCAR Vice President of Competition Robin Pemberton, as they're scheduled for press conferences throughout the two-day test.
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Greg Biffle is going to show up in a non-NASCAR TV spot today (June 6th, 2012) on a series called American Restoration, that airs on the History Channel.
In the episode, Greg has a 1970s Montesa motorcycle that is in need of some restoration!
WHEN: Wednesday, June 6 at 10 p.m. ET; WHERE: HISTORY Channel
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With this upcoming Pocono 400, keep in mind that the track has been resurfaced. And to prepare for that, there will be a two-day test session starting today (Wed, 6-6-12) and running into Thursday.
"Wednesday and Thursday, June 6-7. On Wednesday, teams will be on track from noon to 4 p.m. ET, and Thursday from 9 a.m. to noon, and again from 1 to 3:30 p.m."
After the tests fans will probably be hearing through various media outlets from Jeff Gordon, Jeff Burton, AJ Allmendinger, Denny Hamlin, Carl Edwards, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Director John Darby & NASCAR Vice President of Competition Robin Pemberton, as they're scheduled for press conferences throughout the two-day test.
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Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Kurt Busch's Suspension is David Reutimann's Good Fortune
David Reutimann has been hired by the No. 51 team to take the place of Kurt Busch this weekend during the Sprint Cup Race at Pocono while Kurt sits out the weekend to think about his verbal attack skills.
But wait, doesn't David Reutimann keep Danica's seat warm when she's not driving the No. 10 car???
Yes, usually, he does. But for this weekend at Pocono, Tommy Baldwin said he wanted to help out another small team, so he let Reutimann drive the No. 51 car and he'll be letting Dave Blaney keep Danica's seat warm. Though, as pointed out, Blaney's car is not sponsored and they're not sure if it will run the distance.
On Kurt's Shaky Ground
As far as team owner (No. 51) James Finch and Kurt Busch are now concerned, it's been said that any future associations they will have is now going to be on a race-by-race basis.
Good job Kurt.
Kurt's getting good at getting fired these days, and I have to admit, though we've seen Kurt at his worse a few times, I was starting to think that it's just a moment here and there.
But these few moments of anger and lashing out that the public has become aware of, apparently are not his only fits of "rage."
On SIRIUS XM this morning, I was listening to the morning drive and they were addressing how Kurt has had his repeated "fits" with media over the last year and that these two instances are not his only altercations.
I was rather shocked to hear this laundry list of issues or altercations or what ever you might call them, as they were presented. As one reader a while back once said, both Busch brothers seem to have this particular "frustration" gene and they had to get/learn it from somewhere.
Whatever the case, if Kurt's not careful, he might be looking at the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series from the outside.
Now as far as his sponsor in the Nationwide Series, Monster Energy likes edgey. One or two moments in the spotlight might go over to some degree. But edgy or not, a business/corporation is that Monster Energy is. At some point, if this continues, I would not be surprised if they step in and change things up. They stepped up to back Kyle, but Kyle has toned it down. Kurt, has not.
We'll see!
[FrontStretch]
But wait, doesn't David Reutimann keep Danica's seat warm when she's not driving the No. 10 car???
Yes, usually, he does. But for this weekend at Pocono, Tommy Baldwin said he wanted to help out another small team, so he let Reutimann drive the No. 51 car and he'll be letting Dave Blaney keep Danica's seat warm. Though, as pointed out, Blaney's car is not sponsored and they're not sure if it will run the distance.
On Kurt's Shaky Ground
As far as team owner (No. 51) James Finch and Kurt Busch are now concerned, it's been said that any future associations they will have is now going to be on a race-by-race basis.
Good job Kurt.
Kurt's getting good at getting fired these days, and I have to admit, though we've seen Kurt at his worse a few times, I was starting to think that it's just a moment here and there.
But these few moments of anger and lashing out that the public has become aware of, apparently are not his only fits of "rage."
On SIRIUS XM this morning, I was listening to the morning drive and they were addressing how Kurt has had his repeated "fits" with media over the last year and that these two instances are not his only altercations.
I was rather shocked to hear this laundry list of issues or altercations or what ever you might call them, as they were presented. As one reader a while back once said, both Busch brothers seem to have this particular "frustration" gene and they had to get/learn it from somewhere.
Whatever the case, if Kurt's not careful, he might be looking at the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series from the outside.
Now as far as his sponsor in the Nationwide Series, Monster Energy likes edgey. One or two moments in the spotlight might go over to some degree. But edgy or not, a business/corporation is that Monster Energy is. At some point, if this continues, I would not be surprised if they step in and change things up. They stepped up to back Kyle, but Kyle has toned it down. Kurt, has not.
We'll see!
[FrontStretch]
Monday, June 4, 2012
KURT BUSCH Suspended For A Bit, Probation Extended
So when you're on probation for verbally accosting a reporter and you verbally accost a reporter again, you get your probation extended and a 1-week suspension.
That's what has happened to Kurt Busch (KuBu) today, after his unprovoked verbal assault on a reporter last Saturday.
Kurt Busch has been suspended until June 13th, and his probation has been extended so he can enjoy more opportunities like this one, until December 31. (I presume, that's 2012... for now.) Which means he'll miss the excitement that is Pocono.
To be honest, I always thought that screwing up while on probation had more of an impact, but I guess in this case, it didn't.
Well, that's it for now. Until two weeks from now when KuBu verbally assaults another reporter.
You know, I think the man has an issue. Sure, we all get upset. But seriously, is he that comfortable with the cameras around? Or does he have some bipolar or ADHD issue that forces his hand? I don't mean that in a glib fashion, it's an honest inquiry.
The one thing that is good for a team is exposure, and when the media may very well never want to approach you because you have a sharp tongue, it very well could hurt KuBu's team to not get any exposure.
I know if someone told me I would have to go ask him a question after blowing up on the track, I'd gear up with boxing pads all around! (Actually, I plan on being at Sonoma... I might just take pics of Kurt with a telephoto and stay out of word's reach!)
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"Kurt Busch violated Section 12-1 (Actions detrimental to stock car racing; violation of probation; verbal abuse to a media member) of the 2012 NASCAR Rule Book. Kurt Busch had previously been placed on NASCAR probation May 15 for his actions during the May 12 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event at Darlington Raceway. That probation was originally scheduled to end July 25 but has now been extended through the end of this year."
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Follow
NASCAR-Bits-and-Pieces on Twitter & Facebook .
I need the friends on Facebook... I'm all alone there!
LOL
- -
Follow
NASCAR-Bits-and-Pieces on Twitter & Facebook .
I need the friends on Facebook... I'm all alone there!
LOL
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Sunday, June 3, 2012
Is There Any Doubt That Kurt Busch Has An Anger Management Issue?
While driving Kyle Busch's No. 54 Monster Energy Toyota during the Nationwide 5-Hour Energy 200 race on Saturday at Dover, Kurt Busch (KuBu) and Justin Allgaier had traded some paint chips.
In the video below, they look like the drivers had had their words, figured out where they stand, and probably moved on...
NASCAR Hosted Video
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But after the above linked bit took place, Busch was quizzed by lingering reporters from other venues, like Sporting News, radio reporters and such.
Bob Pockrass then found himself on the receiving end of Kurt Busch's "Punch mode" and with so many unkind words, could not seem to address a pretty good question, which was how Busch is affected in his driving on-track while being on probation.
And as you can see in the above link, he addresses being on probation because he can't even pick his nose right. (Well, that's his opinion.)
Instead of addressing the obvious and GOOD question, this is what Pockrass got instead:
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Learned Thy Lesson?
Kurt Busch was released from his premium ride at Penske Racing for his out-lash at Jerry Punch last season at Homestead. And got himself a few rides for this season, and with every chance he had, made it clear that now he can return to the fun of racing.
Yet here Kurt was, evidencing the same "verbal skills" that lost him the ride many coveted.
NASCAR had words with Kurt on Sunday morning, and it's being said that they're considering if they should take any actions for his verbal lashing Saturday.
I'd be... well, surprised if they don't. But I've been surprised before like when they allowed Carl Edwards to send Brad Keselowski flying at 180mph with no serious repercussions, so anything is possible.
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Regardless of opinions and such, what happens with Kurt and KBM? I would be hard-pressed to see his brother letting him go. I mean, the apple does not fall far from the tree, so I would presume he understands, considering his own, parallel past in the sport.
But I wonder what Monster Energy will do? They have a cool minded rep and probably enjoy this, to some extent. They were the ones that jumped on board backing his ride after his Punch incident. So I would again, be surprised if they did anything... this time.
But we have a long season to go and there's plenty of opportunity for Kurt Busch to test his sponsor's patience.
Here's hoping Kurt Busch doesn't come after me for talking about this!
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BTW: Congrats to Joey Logano for the win on Saturday and Todd Bodine, for his win on Friday in the rain shortened Truck series race. Bodine broke a 37-race win drought with that one.
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sportingnews.com
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In the video below, they look like the drivers had had their words, figured out where they stand, and probably moved on...
NASCAR Hosted Video
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But after the above linked bit took place, Busch was quizzed by lingering reporters from other venues, like Sporting News, radio reporters and such.
Bob Pockrass then found himself on the receiving end of Kurt Busch's "Punch mode" and with so many unkind words, could not seem to address a pretty good question, which was how Busch is affected in his driving on-track while being on probation.
And as you can see in the above link, he addresses being on probation because he can't even pick his nose right. (Well, that's his opinion.)
Instead of addressing the obvious and GOOD question, this is what Pockrass got instead:
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Learned Thy Lesson?
Kurt Busch was released from his premium ride at Penske Racing for his out-lash at Jerry Punch last season at Homestead. And got himself a few rides for this season, and with every chance he had, made it clear that now he can return to the fun of racing.
Yet here Kurt was, evidencing the same "verbal skills" that lost him the ride many coveted.
NASCAR had words with Kurt on Sunday morning, and it's being said that they're considering if they should take any actions for his verbal lashing Saturday.
I'd be... well, surprised if they don't. But I've been surprised before like when they allowed Carl Edwards to send Brad Keselowski flying at 180mph with no serious repercussions, so anything is possible.
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Regardless of opinions and such, what happens with Kurt and KBM? I would be hard-pressed to see his brother letting him go. I mean, the apple does not fall far from the tree, so I would presume he understands, considering his own, parallel past in the sport.
But I wonder what Monster Energy will do? They have a cool minded rep and probably enjoy this, to some extent. They were the ones that jumped on board backing his ride after his Punch incident. So I would again, be surprised if they did anything... this time.
But we have a long season to go and there's plenty of opportunity for Kurt Busch to test his sponsor's patience.
Here's hoping Kurt Busch doesn't come after me for talking about this!
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BTW: Congrats to Joey Logano for the win on Saturday and Todd Bodine, for his win on Friday in the rain shortened Truck series race. Bodine broke a 37-race win drought with that one.
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sportingnews.com
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Saturday, June 2, 2012
Taylor Earnhardt, Dale Earnhardt's Youngest, Got Married Recently
The youngest daughter to Dale Earnhardt Sr., Taylor Earnhardt, got married Saturday, May 26th, 2012, according to Middle Georgia's The Telegraph.
For those who don't know, Taylor is the only child that Dale Sr. and Teresa Earnhardt had together. What surprised me was the bio that accompanied the press release.
She's a professional rodeo competitor, the director of Equestrian Development for DEI. I did not realize that DEI had investments in other forms of horse power! I guess if I cared and looked...
Taylor's husband, Brandon Putnam, is also a rodeo professional and owns a grading and trucking company. Very cool.
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