Where did Kyle Busch head to after last weekend's busy NASCAR weekend in Richmond? To Madison, Wisconsin of course.
Busch went up to Madison International Speedway last Sunday afternoon to race in the ASA Midwest Tour event in his asphalt late model stock car. He's been up to MIS before and plans to race in about 15-50 late model races around the country this season.
It's great for fans who don't get a chance to see these NASCAR superstars up close at a Cup weekend when they show up at a local track. And rather than just making laps in an uncompetetive local car, guys like Busch, Tony Stewart and Matt Kenseth have their own potent late models that they take on the road with them. Make no mistake, they/re there to win, not just make an appearance.
If you get a chance to support your short track - and please before it's too late - look for the extra treat of seeing some of these NASCAR stars take on the locals.
Most of the time they're relaxed and friendly, a much different scene than we get to see in the high-pressured world of the Cup garage.
And a lot of the time, these guys are running upfront and showing off their skills.
It's a great way to spend a summer evening.
This week's anouncement that Lowe's Motor Speedway has added a burnout and celebration competition to this year's Sprint All-Star Race has just about sealed my opinion of the whole event.
It's a waste of time.
I've never been a fan of the race, although was slightly intrigued back in the day when the idea first came up.
But since its inception, the event has evolved into a gigantic carnival that usually ends way past midnight after all the starts and stops and pageantry.
I can't imagine the amount of money teams spend preparing for this event, which is usually doubled in repair bills and body work by the time it's over.
It's also tough to explain what the heck this race really is. Other sport's "all-star" events are actual games. They don't give each side 5 outs and 14 players on the field in baseball's mid-summer classic or count a halfcourt shot for 10 points in the NBA mid-season affair. Why NASCAR and Lowe's Motor Speedway feel the need to jack up this event is beyond me.
If NASCAR really wants to showcase its sport as an all-star event, which really every week on the regular season schedule is, why not just add a 37th race to the slate and rotate the date around the country every year?
Make it a real race though, not the convuluted made-for-TV affair we have now (how SPEED can dedicate over 70 hours to this event is beyond me, although anytime we have less PINKS is fine), and bring the sport to places on a rotating random basis.
Who wouldn't like to see a Cup race once every four or five years at Rockingham, Gateway, the Milwaukee Mile, Nashville Superspeedway or the best of them all, Iowa Speedway?
To me that would be a great way to shine the spotlight on the series in a much better way than the "wreckers or checkers" event (over/under on Mike Joy using that phrase in the FOX telecast is about 44) in Charlotte we must endure every year.
And watching a driver do a real victory celebration or burnout at such an event would be much more satisfying than what we'll witness during the LMS contest this year.
There's some theories out there that Penske Racing signing David Stremme as its test driver is the start of a domino effect that will find Sam Hornish, Jr. make his way back to Indy Car racing.
The possibility was denied by the Penske organization but what else did we expect?
While Hornish is in the Top 35 - a measure of mediocre performance that in today's NASCAR gets rewarded with a spot in the next race's field - he's fallen dramatically from where he started the year when Kurt Busch's No. 2 ride points were swapped with the No. 77.
Now Hornish is a talented driver and claims he's committed to his new career in stock cars, but deep down, we all know Hornish loves open wheel racing.
Sure he accomplished titles and Indy 500 trophies while he was in the IRL, but the watered down open wheel world no doubt played a part in his decision to move to the greener pastures of NASCAR.
It's only been two races, but the new era of Indy Car racing is off to a pretty good start and I believe a successful Amercian open wheel world would lure Hornish back - along with Dario Franchitti.
So don't read too much into the Stremme signing - for now.
Personally I'm sick of hearing Sprint Cup drivers complain about the new car not being easy to drive. I've said it before, but if it was suppoed to be easy, I'd be behind the wheel and not a keyboard or a microphone.
The crying after Sunday's race in Texas was unbearable. The new car isn't perfect and yes, the racing hasn't been riveting every lap of 2008. But I like seeing drivers manhandle cars. I like watching them slide through turns, dirt track-style. I like seeing every manufacturer have a win already this year.
What I don't like is hearing these supposed "world's best drivers" whining every week. The last time NASCAR introduced a new Cup car - back in 1981 - the same thing happened. Drivers complained. But guess what? They still drove them and they eventually figured it out.
This car will also evolve over time. Crew chiefs will figure out what adjustments work and which don't. And I believe NASCAR will make a few "tweaks" to the nose to get the aerodynamics straightened out some.
When the car races on short tracks and road courses, it's fine. Only when the graduation to the mid-sized tracks this year did these problems arise. Give it time. Don't make a knee-jerk reaction NASCAR. Contrary to what some media, fans and drivers believe, there's no need to panic.
Most of all, drivers should strap in and race and stop crying.
Carl Edwards should not be listed as the winner of the UAW-Dodge 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway last week.
His car was illegal.
He drove to the checkered flag in a vehicle that was outside the NASCAR rulebook.
NASCAR basically said he wasn't the winner of the race by taking away not only 100 championship points but the 10 point bonus for victories which is used to see the "Chase."
But rather than strip him of the win completely, as should have been done with the victory awarded to Dale Earnhardt, Jr. - the second place driver but the first to cross the finish line in a legal car - the win stands.
That's been NASCAR's policy for years. There have been numerous times when the "winning" car was found to be cheating. Yet despite fines and penalties the win stood.
That does nothing but hurt the sport's credibility.
If a player hits a game-winning homerun with a corked bat, he doesn't keep the homer on his record nor does his team get the runs scored from the blast added to its game total.
Only in NASCAR can an athlete drive what amounts to a corked bat to victory lane.
It's time to change that policy or be faced with the prospect of even less of a credibility factor than Tony Stewart claimed last year.
All the hype and talk is over and Speedweeks 2008, highlighted by the 50th running of the Daytona 500, is now history.
And overall, things are off to a good start.
We saw competitive racing all throughout our week in Daytona with the Budweiser Shootout, the Twin 150s, the truck race and the Nationwide season opener all putting on good shows.
That was an excellent lead-in to the 500, which had a few stretches of boredom thrown in (show me a 500 mile race anywhere that doesn't), but built up to yet another exciting conclusion.
I didn't think we could get two years in a row with the 500 coming down to the wire but we sure did and I'm sure NASCAR as well as FOX were thrilled. Every race can't come down to a photo finish, just like the Super Bowl can't be won on an overtime field goal every season or the World Series decided by a walk-off homer. But the 500 has produced back-to-back nailbiters.
The pre-race show was a bit lame (Chubby Checker, Michael McDonald and Kool & The Gang just don't define one of the biggest sporting events in the world in my book) but Trisha Yearwood's National Anthem and the Thunderbirds' flyover brought chills.
As did the last lap finish and the storyline of Tony Stewart messing up to pave the way for the open wheel protege Ryan Newman to win "The Great American Race." And to se "The Captain" standing there in Daytona's "victory circle" was equally a thrill.
Kudos to Daytona to getting the season off on a strong note. One down, 35 weeks to go boys and girls.
Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and his sister Kelly weren't all too pleased at Texas Motor Speedway's attempt at humor with their billboard campaign that depicted Junior with Reason No. 88 to have NASCAR fever as "Step Mom."
Ya think?
This whole deal between Junior and DEI is tiresome and ridiculous. The media continues to try and make a story about this rift and truth be told, I've written about it and discussed it on several radio segments so consider me part of the guilty party.
There was such a furor made over the fact that there wasn't any Dale, Jr. stuff on display at DEI during last week's media tour stop it was laughable. It was explained that in order to accomodate the media for a luncheon, some of the historic No. 8 cars were moved out of the showroom.
It was also explained DEI does not have the license or rights to sell anything Dale Jr. or Budweiser-related in its gift shop.
Now while I believe DEI management could have stopped a lot of this he said, he said stuff by pointing out those logical facts from the start, I don't have any problem with the team trying to downplay its past somewhat as it tries to move forward.
I have a friend who went through a divorce and has gotten remarried. I don't remember seeing any photos or memories of the ex at their new house last time I visited.
DEI is trying to move on as is Dale, Jr. himself. They should be allowed to do so.
And note to Texas Motor Speedway, I think the rest of the billboard campaign is as lame as the one the Earnhardt's objected to.
But homor is subjective, or lack of it, is subjective right?
You'll hear much about the history of the Daytona 500 in the coming days as we count down to the 50th anniversary running of "The Great American Race."
If you're a long-time NASCAR fan, you know how the inaugural running of the race in 1959 ended in a photo finish with Lee Petty finally being declared the race winner over Johnny Beauchamp three days later when NASCAR studied the photo of the incredible run to the finish line.
But there are some names from that first race you may not be so familiar with, drivers who were part of that historic 59-car field that christened the mammoth 2.5-mile superspeedway.
They weren't superstars of the sport but pioneers just the same.
Fritz Wilson, Larry Odo, Shorty Rollins, Ken Rush, Larry Frank - journeyman drivers who didn't get rich or famous but strapped into a racecar for the pure love and challenge of the sport.
One of the names in the 1959 rundown may sound familiar - "Tiger" Tom Pistone, who led much of the race and finished eighth. The uncle of this reporter went on to win a couple of Cup races in his career and was probably known more for his antics than his driving skills. Who could forget a guy who bolted an oxygen tank into his car for the 500, afraid he would wind up in Lake Lloyd in a crash. Did I mention Tiger can't swim?
It's amazing to me that more than 50 years later people remember guys like Tiger as well as some of these other pioneers of the sport. And so they should.
As we get ready for the golden aniversary of the Daytona 500, these guys should forever be remembered for the golden memories they gave us all.
(**Shameless plus - "Tiger" Tom Pistone will be Dave Moody's guest on "Sirius Speedway" Friday afternoon, January 11th at 6 p.m. ET)
I will all but guarantee the television ratings for Sunday's NEXTEL Cup race at Texas Motor Speedway will be down, continuing a trend that has gone on pretty much all year.
The Colts and Patriots put on one of the best games in NFL history Sunday afternoon in a contest that will no doubt lead the sports TV numbers this week and crush the NASCAR Dickies 500.
And NASCAR will have no one to blame but ABC.
Sunday's race was about as riveting as it could be down the stretch with a late race side-by-side battle between Jimmie Johnson and Matt Kenseth, complete with championship implications.
But by starting the race at 3:30 p.m. ET, only diehard racefans were watching the finish with most every other sports enthusiasts' sets tuned into the NFL battle of the unbeatens.
Start that race at noon and it's over well before the fourth quarter of the NFL nightcap kicks off.
Networks say they want later start times to ensure the west coast audience can tune in at a reasonable hour. We've had these 3:30 green flags for nearly two years now and guess what - it's not helping.
I have no doubt we'll see more Saturday night races in the future during the Chase as the networks finally realize going head-to-head against the might NFL is ratings suicide. Until then, a step in the right direction would be to start the Sunday afternoon races earlier in the day.
If you live on the west coast, is a 10 a.m. start time really that bad anyways?
One of the best kept secrets in NASCAR is the annual Toyota All-Star Showdown held this past weekend at California's Irwindale Speedway.
It's a short track racing fan's dream and although the event has changed since its inception, it's still a great showcase for grassroots racing and the future stars of stock car racing.
The main event is now a showdown between what's known as the NASCAR Busch East Series and the NASCAR West Series, both featuring full-bodied stock cars that compete on the two regional tours of NASCAR.
More and more NEXTEL Cup operations are using these circuits as development training grounds, which have replaced the role the Busch Series used to fill.
This year's Showdown champ was young phenom Joey Lagano, who has been on a tear all year and has a bright future as part of the Joe Gibbs Racing operation.
The current trend of using established open wheel stars as Cup pilots has blocked the road for some of these young stars to work their way up to NASCAR's premier division. But this event, and the regional tours, still offer the opportunity to gain valuable experience and exposure.
Although NASCAR has helped take a bite out of the grassroots and local racing scene with more Saturday night races, this event and the Grand National series concept are assets.
Let's hope it grows and that the young and talented drivers who made their mark this year have a chance to work their way to the top very soon.