Robert Yates no longer a "Dead Man Walking"

Coming up on the last race of the season, I found myself to be depressed and ‘out of sorts.’ Not because it was my last free weekend before entering into six weeks of retail hell. Not because we were coming up on the last race weekend of the season. And certainly, not because it seemed the whole world of NASCAR wants to hand Jimmie Johnson the trophy right there, on the spot, before the race. (It didn't matter whether Jimmie deserved it, I was cranky over the presumption of the win!)

No, I was morose over the apparent (at that time) demise of Robert Yates Racing. Depending on the web site, or the writer, we were prepared to witness the advent of DEI buying into, part of, or all of the Yates operation . The stories were full of speculation that, since Yates had struggled most of the season to find a sponsor, the DEI deal was his last hope. Everyone in the media agreed it was sad, as Yates was a staple in the garage. Over and over, we heard the timeline of this year’s defection of the Yates drivers and sponsors. In fact, we had been hearing the rumors for months of different drivers coming to Yates, such as Mark Martin, Johnny Sauter, Robby Gordon, Jacques Villanueve, and a cast of thousands.

Not only was I sad, I was very peeved at the former Yates drivers. When Dale Jarrett left, he left to go to a new gig where there was huge money being offered. Yates could not match that, but I felt that Jarrett was the beginning of turning Robert into “Dead Man Walking.” When Sadler then broke his contract and bolted to a ‘better ride,’ I felt shocked and stunned! For all of the time Sadler was declaring his loyatly to Yates, he was already in contract negotiations for a move to Evernham. In my mind, if Jarret sent Yates to 'Death Row" then Sadler was "The Executioner!"

The hiring of David Gilliland was one ray of hope. He was showing progress as a driver, but with all of the rumors swirling around, I was afraid he was going to be the driver of the only car in the organization. In today's NASCAR, that would have made David's struggle to succeed to be almost insurmountable.

Suddenly, before my eyes, I saw Robert go from Dead Man Walking, to Man on the Move. The announcement that RYR had a new sponsor perked him up, and made me feel like there was a huge light at the end of a very long tunnel.

Now, last weekend saw an announcement by Sporting News writer, Lee Spencer. In this link, we will see that it appears certain that Ricky Rudd will be a full-time driver for Yates. While this article as of yet has been unconfirmed, it appears that Mars is sponsoring a second car for Yates, and that Rudd may be driving the 28.

The internet is rife with discussion of the potential value of Rudd to the Yates organization. I personally have nothing against Rudd, and found him to be fan friendly and pleasant. Hopefully, when the official announcements are made, we will have a better picture of the future.

But, since the historic team of Robert Yates Racing will be around a few more years, I am happy. Thank you to Mars, thank you to Ricky and to David Gilliland, and Thank YOU, Robert, for escaping from the Dead Man's Walk.

ATTENTION, BMW!

Dear BMW Marketing,

I am hollering "uncle!" here! You win!

Now, please get that damned commercial off of the television, and out of my brain. The shrieks of those kids on that home-made video are burned into my psyche. I will never again be able to watch a child open a Christmas gift without flinching and cowering. I simply am not fast enough with the mute button on my remote.

I will forever associate your company with a horrible, cheaply made commercial. You win!

Sincerely,

One completely crazed watcher!

NASCAR Post-Banquet Rant

The NASCAR Cup year-end banquet, held last week in New York City, should have been old news by now. To my amazement, a week later I keep seeing references to it on various message boards and news sites across the internet.

The vast majority of opinion is that the Banquet was boring, dumb, idiotic, a waste of time and a sign that the demise of NASCAR is rapidly approaching. I do see some comments, mainly from media members that have attended many, many of these events, that this particular banquet was much better than the past. Further reviews do show that SOME fans enjoyed it, but it was in proportion to the amount that THEIR favorite driver was shown. However, the masses are declaring the Banquet show to be a total waste of time.

I am amazed at the amount of angst over the banquet. Since when has ANY awards show been exciting to ANYONE who is not getting an award? If you are a fan of those being honored, it is great. If you don't have an affiliation with any of the winners, it is dull, dead and boring.

Just check out the recent American Billboard Awards ...since I am not much of a music fan, and when I do listen it is to Classic Rock or a bit of Country........there was nothing at the Billboards show that interested me. However, I don't see a boring show as a symptom of all things bad in the world of music. Many NASCAR fans felt that the awards show was the harbinger of the Death of NASCAR, because it was a sign of NASCAR's apathy to anything the fan wants.

Those fans who have watched that show for years will say that it was indeed shorter, and more entertaining. Did some of the jokes fall flat? Yes, but then that happens at any awards show! Was Melissa Rivers showing off her lack of knowledge on the 'yellow carpet?' Yes, just the same as she does for the Acadamy awards. There was nothing different here!

For heavens sake, it was just a television show! It was a chance for the leaders of NASCAR to gather, get out of their element, have fun, and be honored for success in their sport.

And then again, some would say the looks of boredom on the faces of the participants were because of the desire to 'get r done!' to head to the party afterwards! From what I understand, THAT is where the fun starts!

NASCAR: The Chase is ON, and almost over!

Two races remain in the season. Fans who have drivers still in the Chase are going into overdrive to find out all information and opinion available. I have just a few quick thoughts, to perhaps lead us into the Phoenix race.

Jimmie Johnson appears to have his ride on rails. This team seems to have a better attitude this year, and have been so consistent it is amazing. They have taken bad cars and made them better. They have had amazingly great cars, also.

Matt Kenseth and his team just don't seem to know how to panic. They too continue to keep focused and have their eye firmly on the target.

Dale Earnhardt, Jr WOW! What a comeback last week. This team is showing some true grit. Perhaps the car does not unload off of the truck in perfect condition, but they sure seem to make things better!

Denny Hamlin A few months ago, while watching Inside Nextel Cup, Kenny Schrader compared Denny to Davey Allison. Wow! and Whoa! and Yikes! And by the way, Kenny.....I agree totally. This rookie will be around a long time. He too has had cars that don't run well, (as in with 7 cylinders) and they still pull off top ten finishes!

Kevin Harvick, in my opinion, is the last one who still has a chance at the title. This team has really come around. Comparing this year to last year is like comparing the Taj Mahal to a grass hut!

Jeff Gordon is probably out of the Chase. But, good days are in his future. When he announced his engagement, he went right out and won. Now that he is married, who knows! A win here, too?

Jeff Burton A great comeback from the last several years. I don't think there is a fan out there who would not be thrilled to see him win again!

Kyle Busch A driver that so many seem to dislike, few can deny his talent! A great year ....to be so young and made the Chase...WOW! By the way, one of the local Las Vegas newspapers had a great article discussing how Kyle is helping a young short track driver. See it here.

Mark Martin I hate that he appears to be out of the running. I hate even more that he will be driving something other than a Ford. But then again, a bunch of my favorite drivers are making changes.

Kasey Kahne What can I say? The car, and the kid can win. But, I see a trend with Evernham cars making the Chase and then self-imploding. In fact, if I were Ray Evernham, I would be very concerned about the engine program.

And while not in the Chase, Tony Stewart is sure showing us how to run without the pressure of points racing. He is racing for wins, nothing more, and nothing less! Way to go, Tony!

More later!