Happy Hump Day to one and all.

Today In Nascar History

April 23, 1970

Jason Keller, driver in the Busch series was born on this date in 1970.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Number of the Day

5.8

Jeff Gordon’s average finish in the 6 California Speedway races that have been run.  He has 2 wins there.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Did You Know

Tony Stewart will make his 150th consecutive and career start on Sunday at California.  His first start was on February 14, 1999 at Daytona.

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Should WC Drivers in the top 10 in points be allowed to race in the Busch Series?
 
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Comments from the Peanut Gallery

from Bob
from Larry
Momma,  And yes, I'm sick of hearing 'boogity, boogity, boogity'!  After all, aren't the biggest percentage of viewers/fans "adults"?  Cannot wait until FOX run is over and NBC takes over.  Then I will no longer have to listen to that immature crap!

My peeve has nothing to do with the cutsie phrases, which have a way of working themselves out of the public's favor over time, but the horrible bad grammar, especially from Larry Mac. Hey, I'm all for accents, colloquialisms and quaint vernacular, but each time I hear "them drivers" or "all the cars was" I want to scream. He seems almost to cultivate this mistaken "good ol' boy" ignorant misuse of the language, and of course is not alone, but is probably the most prominent.

Darrell Waltrip, Ned Jarrett and others worked hard to clean up their presentation when they moved into the booth, but Larry has been resistant. These bad habits undermine the value of his excellent observations, and are a poor role model for all listening youth. It gives the impression that you can skip your studies if you aspire to be a NASCAR minion.

Gosh 'n gollee, Bob

Bob, from what I've read, Larry is working on his grammar.  But when you grow up speaking that way, it is hard to change.  I would certainly hope that Larry won't change all of the way he speaks, that is Larry, and I find him "cute"!

from O’Sure
And yes, I'm sick of hearing 'boogity, boogity, boogity'
 
 Thanks! I thought that I might be the only one who is so tired of D.W. cheering for "Mickey" and his constant babbling on with his "high pitch 'gee I'm excited' voice". It sounds like he needs to buy a larger size of jockey shorts. I am forced to turn the race on the radio and watch it on "mute" on the T.V. Fox's selection of sports casters leaves too much to desire. I'd like to see a poll on who likes D.W. and who don't.
O'SURE

from Tom
Sandi
Thought I would add my two cents worth to the Comments to the Peanut Gallery. If you will go back to Yahoo groups and look at the Terms of Service, you will find FLAMING is against their rules on any of Yahoo groups.  Flaming is the act of response to anyone’s emails in a manner to upset or belittle others. That was put in and used to eliminate entire groups from the internet. They don't hesitate to use it either. If one person reports such abuse to yahoo groups then everyone misses out when a entire list is deleted from Yahoo.  Enjoy your links etc to NASCAR..I am from the old NASCAR  family..."S"
Tom <owner WackyWits>

from Big Daddy
I basically agree with this too. As freedom of speech is always the way the United States should be, bashing other people instead of expressing your views on something else needs to be watched. You have a very special way of getting through to all of your NASCAR fans, pro or con, and I hope the others can learn from you and keep the fun fun, and the bashing of others to a minimum. I don't agree with everything you say or everything anybody else may say, but there are ways to come back to express views, and then there are wrong ways. This incident seemed to be getting out of hand and I am glad someone was able to nip it in the bud. I am still having problems getting your newsletters through aol, and therefore, having problems getting and reading them timely. I hope that there is someway that you can work with the AOL postmaster to resolve this problem, like a couple of my joke newsletters have recently. Take care and everyone keep the fun going, just be careful. Did anyone think that maybe it is the whole week off and that NASCAR shouldn't put us into withdrawals like that. I mean, there are very few weeks that is is absolutely no racing of any kind going on, but this is one of those weeks.  Impatiently waiting for this weekend to get things back to normal again... Later... happy Nascaring.. Tim

from BobS
Good comments and a wise choice on your part.

Feel free to edit, especially my stuff. You are providing a welcome and greatly appreciated forum, and we pray you don't get burned out.

Especially, don't let the little stuff and little people wear you down.

Cheers, Bob

from Melinda
OK, truce.

I just thought that your daily slap in the face of Darrell Waltrip shouldn't go unchallenged. Hence my first response--but it got out of hand.  My apologies to all--even you, EWOK.

Melinda

from Judy
I only get your newsletter about once a week.  I was surprised to see it on a Tuesday.  All I am getting is the information you send about the track of the week.  How can I get alo to stop doing this to yahoo groups?            Judy

Judy, I’m not sure what to tell you.  Try adding my address to your address book, knowyournascar@... and/or knowyournascar-owner@yahoogroups.com  That is about the only way I know of to fix it.  I’ve had several complaints about this, and I’ve been told this is the “only” way to fix it.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Bits and Pieces

EARNHARDT JR. TESTS AT MEMPHIS
Dale Earnhardt Jr. is testing Dale Earnhardt Inc's No. 8 Chevrolet in a closed two-day session at Memphis Motorsports Park to prepare for the May 3 Pontiac Excitement 400 at Richmond International Raceway, NASCAR.com reports. Both tracks are .75-mile ovals. Also expected to test at Memphis today were Rusty Wallace in Penske Racing South's No. 2 Dodge and Robert Yates Racing, which might have both Dale Jarrett and Elliott Sadler on hand to test their Fords, the story says.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ RUDD TESTING AT KENTUCKY
Kentucky Speedway says Ricky Rudd was scheduled to test Wood Brothers Racing's No. 21 Ford today. Testing is not open to the public, but the track says spectators may watch from the visitor center in turn three. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ TODD BODINE SCHEDULED FOR CALIFORNIA
Todd Bodine, who continues to lead the Busch Series standings even though the Herzog Jackson Motorsports team he drives for remains without sponsorship, will apparently race at least another week. The team's No. 92 Chevrolet with Bodine driving appears on the preliminary entry list for Saturday's Auto Club 300 at California Speedway. The preliminary list shows 45 cars scheduled to compete in qualifying for the 43 starting spots. Bodine, who has one win in the first eight races, leads Ron Hornaday by 78 points in the standings. Randy Herzog, co-owner of the St. Joseph, Mo., team, told the Kansas City Star that the team's talks with a potential sponsor continue to go well, but he would not identify the potential backer. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ TENNESEE STUDIES NASCAR PLATES
A Nashville state senator wants the legislature to create a NASCAR license plate to benefit the Tennessee State Museum and the Bristol Motor Speedway's Children's Charity, according to today's Tennessean newspaper in Nashville. Jeff Byrd, president and general manager at Bristol Motor Speedway, told the paper he is working with NASCAR to work out a licensing agreement.  If NASCAR drops its licensing fee, Byrd hopes to have plates featuring top NASCAR drivers, but if the sanctioning body requires a licensing fee, the plate probably would replace ''NASCAR'' with ''Race Fan'' and a checkered flag or something similar, the story says. No fee structure for the proposed plates was mentioned. North Carolina is also studying the possibility of NASCAR plates. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Bristol Motor Speedway could lose both NASCAR races if Sullivan enacts tax: Bristol Motor Speedway could lose both its NASCAR race weekends if Sullivan County enacts an entertainment tax that applies to race tickets, Speedway Motorsports head Bruton Smith said Tuesday. "If we can be taxed out of business, you know what will happen. It's not going to be a threat, it's going to be something that will happen," he said. "We will do anything to prevent it that we can, taking a drastic measure of even moving." Smith is chief executive officer and chairman of the board of Speedway Motorsports, which owns the Bristol track and five others. He was responding to discussion of a 10 percent countywide entertainment tax put forth by County Commissioner Mark Vance of Bristol. The discussion came during a county committee meeting in Blountville Monday. According to estimates from the Bristol Chamber of Commerce, the Bristol track has a $397 million direct impact per year on the region's economy and a more than $1.79 billion indirect annual impact. Race tickets already are subject to state and local sales tax of 9.25 percent, and that tax is included in a ticket's face value. At a minimum, Smith said, the track would lose at least one major race to another Speedway Motorsports-owned track if the county enacted an entertainment tax; however, he said the company otherwise had "no plans at this time to move" races from Bristol. - The Bristol Herald Courier ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ California Speedway Party Zone: Six Winston Cup drivers are scheduled to appear Saturday and Sunday at the Party Zone, a new hospitality option for fans attending the races. Presented by Gameworks, the Party Zone will feature music, food and beverages in addition to the autograph sessions by the drivers. Greg Biffle and Jeremy Mayfield are schedule Saturday while Jerry Nadeau, Dave Blaney, Robby Gordon and Ricky Craven will sign before Sunday's race. Located near Gate 7, the hospitality area will open at 8 a.m. and close an hour after Saturday's Busch Series race and Sunday's Winston Cup feature. The cost for both days is $150, of $100 for Sunday. Those wishing tickets must also have a race ticket. A silent auction will also be held to raise funds for the Victory Junction Gang Camp started by Kyle and Pattie Petty. - The Inland Valley Daily Bulletin ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Irwindale Speedway To Hold New NASCAR All-Star Event: A NASCAR all-star race, similar to Winston Cup's gala "The Winston' all- star invitational event at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C., is set to take place at Irwindale Speedway this year. The race will feature the top 30 cars from NASCAR's Grand National division, comprised of the Winston West and Busch North series. ...The announcement will be made today in a press conference at California Speedway in Fontana, site of this week's NASCAR races. The Winston West Pontiac Grand Prix Wide Track 200 and Busch Series Californiaspeedway.com 300 will be held Saturday, and the Winston Cup Automobile Club of Southern California 500 will be held Sunday. ...Toyota will sponsor the race. ...It will be the first time drivers from the West and Busch North series have raced together, and the first time NASCAR has put together an all-star event for the divisions, which had different specifications until this year. Now, both cars have the same chassis and engine specifications. - The Pasadena Star-News ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ NASCAR tests device to eliminate carbon monoxide: NASCAR is testing a device designed to reduce or eliminate dangerous carbon monoxide fumes being inhaled by drivers. Gary Nelson, NASCAR's managing director of competition, called it a "catalyst system," and said Tuesday that it was used two weeks ago in Martinsville, Va., by Winston Cup champion Tony Stewart during practice and the race. Stewart was sickened by carbon monoxide fumes on the half-mile oval during a race last fall at Martinsville Speedway, and the Joe Gibbs Racing team volunteered to be the first to test the new system. "We have a system we have been developing in our laboratory and thought it was time to try it at the track," Nelson said. Stewart was supposed to try the device only in practice, but chose to use it in the race as well.
- AP/The Daytona Beach News-Journal ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Steve Park gets "marked" in California: Vampire bites. Bullet wounds. Tattoos. Brad Pitt. Ben Affleck. Vin Diesel. Steve Park? Steve Park, driver of the No. 1 Pennzoil Chevrolet, is about to join a long list of Hollywood stars who have been "marked" by Christien Tinsley, owner of Tinsley Transfers, Inc, a company specializing in special effects make-up for film and television. "I watched the movie "XXX" with Vin Diesel recently and thought that the artwork of his tattoos was amazing," Park said. "I had no clue that the tattoos were actually temporary, because they look so real. Tinsley Transfers obviously does a great job, and I can't wait to see what they come up with for me." Park has spent the past week working with Tinsley to create a custom designed tattoo that will adorn the NASCAR Winston Cup star's bicep during the Auto Club 500. Park described a general idea of what he was looking for, and Tinsley took it from there. The artist is currently working on several renditions of the specialized design for Park's approval. When Park arrives at Tinsley Transfers Inc. on Thursday, he will undergo a quick and painless application process. The tattoo will then last for approximately three days. "The design is top-secret," Park said. "Actually, I don't even know what it looks like yet. I'm sure it will be amazing. But all of the fans will have to wait until the process is completely finished to see the final product. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Track News - Four-Time Michigan International Speedway Winner Dale Jarrett To Be Honored 'Champion' At Benefit For Two Lenawee County Charities: Dale Jarrett knows what it feels like to be a champion. He won the 1999 Winston Cup championship and has visited victory lane 31 times in his Winston Cup career. But on June 12, he will be a champion to hundreds of Lenawee county children and hospice patients. The second MIS Night of Champions Benefit dinner and auction will take place Thursday, June 12, 2003, at Michigan International Speedway and honor Jarrett as its ‘champion’. The event will benefit the Boy & Girls Club of Lenawee and Hospice of Lenawee. In 2001, nearly 400 people – including 1988 NASCAR Winston Cup champion Bill Elliott and legendary college football coach Bo Schembechler – helped make the inaugural “ Night of Champions” fundraiser at Michigan International Speedway a huge success. The first fundraiser grossed more than $100,000 for the Boys & Girls Club of Lenawee and Hospice of Lenawee through table sponsorships and an auction. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Truex Jr. to run for Chance 2 at Richmond
ThatsRacin.com Report

Martin Truex, Jr. will pilot Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s No. 8 Busch Series Chevrolet for Chance 2 Motorsports, a team owned by the NASCAR Winston Cup Series star and his stepmother, Teresa. Truex Jr.'s first race with the team will be the Hardee's 250 on Friday, May 2 at Richmond International Raceway.

"You know, we didn't really have a handful of guys to pick from, so we just kind of sat down and talked about it," Earnhardt Jr. said. "Richie Gilmore, our engine builder at DEI, mentioned Martin as a guy we should look at."

"I feel really comfortable in the car," Truex Jr. said. "The biggest thing I have to learn is the tires. I have a little bit of experience running on these tires, so I'm probably one step ahead if I hadn't run any Busch races with my own stuff. But I can't wait. I'm really looking forward to coming back for the race."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ N.C. House resolution salutes stock car racing
By SHARIF DURHAMS
The Charlotte Observer

N.C. lawmakers often honor recently deceased state leaders with resolutions.  Tuesday, they honored stock car racing.

The House passed a resolution honoring the sport, partially in an effort to persuade NASCAR to keep The Winston all-star race at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord. NASCAR has considered moving some races to promote the sport in other states.

"Stock car racing is intertwined with the cultural heritage of this state," said Rep. Wayne Goodwin, D-Richmond. "I hope it will not diminish its presence in its birthplace."

Actually, stock car racing was commended two years ago when the General Assembly officially named North Carolina the stock car racing capital of the world.

Goodwin has also introduced a bill this year that would allow the state to issue official license plates with the names of stock car drivers and their logos.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Sadler Brothers to host Annual Fan Appreciation Day

EMPORIA, Va. - This year marks the third annual Elliott and Hermie Sadler Fan Appreciation Day in Emporia, Virginia. The fun, food and festivities will take place on April 30tth from 1:00-6:00pm at the Sadler Automotive Dealership located at 517 N. Main Street in Emporia. Both Elliott and Hermie will be on hand during the day's events hosting a question and answer session beginning at 4pm, which will be followed by an autograph signing. Refreshments will be served and prizes will be given away throughout the day including a pair of tickets to the Pontiac Excitement 400 at Richmond International Raceway on May 3rd. M&M's and Toys'R'Us Racing souvenirs will be available for purchase at the event.

Race fans are very important to the Sadler brothers. So once a year, the Sadler family hosts fans from all over the country to show their appreciation.

According to Hermie Sadler, "We always promised our fans we'd remember where we came from. Elliott and I both still live in Emporia but he's spending a lot of time in Charlotte now. Sadler Fan Appreciation Day is our chance to show the folks in and around Virginia that we still support our community and our state. Last year we had fans that drove from as far away as Michigan to attend Sadler Fan Day and that's really cool to know we are getting that type of support."

For more information please contact the Sadler Fan Club at (434) 348-0267 or visit SadlerFanClub.com.

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RACING PERSPECTIVES

Thank God It's Wednesday!
by Chris Campbell-Staff Writer

Thank God it's Wednesday?

Oh my I can't believe I have ever uttered those words...but I know I will utter them a few more times this year. Thank God it's Wednesday!!!

I watched a few of the NASCAR shows Monday night since I was extremely bored. I guess I am not the only person to be shouting Thank God it's Wednesday! Alan Bestwick, Mikey, Kenny Schrader and Johnny Benson were trying to find subjects to talk about and I know they will be shouting Thank God it's Wednesday!

Although, I have to admit that it was quite interesting to find out that Richie Gilmore, Head Engineer at DEI, is originally from Rochester, NH. This is the next town over from my hometown of Dover, NH! It was great to see another person from the great New England area. However, Alan Bestwick said that Richie has an accent. Sorry, but he doesn't talk like Frankie -- he parked his car, whereas, Frankie and myself pahk our cahs.

Thank God it's Wednesday! Racing action is just about to start up. We don't have to see the main headlines being all rumors. The drivers will stop being asked all those stupid questions to fill time; albeit to the joy of us fans who want a piece of news on our drivers, and love to know a little of their personal lives.

Thank God it's Wednesday. I have cleaned my house, talked to long lost friends and family that haven't spoke to me since before Speedweeks. But enough is enough...........I am having withdrawals.

I watched all the old races that I could find. I watched stupid reality shows (though a few of them are slightly redeeming). I have watched shows that said only 4 more episodes till the season finale, and really didn't care. I have checked all the racing sites looking for something to satisfy my need for racing news. I have not been satisfied. As the Rolling Stones said "I Can't Get No Satisfaction", so give me California!

Thank God it's Wednesday! Qualifying of Busch is coming up within 24 hours, teams are heading west and starting to talk about the upcoming race. Soon we will see the drivers in their uniforms huddling with the crews to come up with the winning combination for Sunday. Finally, very soon the news won't be stale anymore. Thank God it's Wednesday.

Also, congrats to Kenny Schrader for not taking the holiday totally off and for winning this weekend. Also, just got a look at the video of Tony Stewart and Dale Jr battling it out on the streets of Concord, NC in the song "Road I'm On" by 3 Doors Down...one word for the song and the video -- AWESOME.

You can reach Chris Campbell at: ccampbell@...

AMEN Brother!

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After nine races, Ricky Craven stands ninth in Winston Cup points. Credit: Autostock

Conversation: Ricky Craven
By Lee Montgomery, Turner Sports Interactive

Ricky Craven has always been New England's favorite son. But after last month's stirring duel with Kurt Busch at Darlington Raceway, Craven has picked up some more fans and more attention.

Not that he minds the attention. Craven and his PPI Motorsports team sit ninth in the NASCAR Winston Cup points standings, and is the only single-car entry in the top 20.  There were a lot of questions coming into 2003 for Craven, as he had a new manufacturer (Pontiac), a new crew chief (Scott Miller) and a new engine builder (PPI).

But one can tell by the smile on Craven's face that things are going well. NASCAR.com dispatched Lee Montgomery to sit down with him recently, and Craven opened up about a variety of subjects. Craven even talked about coming back from a head injury a few years ago, a topic he usually prefers to leave alone.

People are still talking about Darlington, the race there and how exciting it was -- and they probably will for a long time to come. Do you think about it a lot, and if so, what do you think about?

Craven: "I've got a picture in my bus that I'll keep in there. It's motivating. Wins are hard to come by, and when you win in that fashion, it's even more valuable, and I appreciate it more. At first, it was about winning Darlington. After we crossed the finish line and the team was celebrating and I looked up at the scoreboard, and they had us first and the 97 second -- I actually confirmed that we had won. The day following that, you sort of realized that it was more than just a win. I've enjoyed that since.

"We turned the page when we hit Bristol Friday morning. That's how we approached it, and that's how you approach it every week. But I have to confess that wherever we go, it gets brought up. I don't know how long that will last, but I'm enjoying it."

That's not a bad thing when people ask about it.

"That's not a bad thing. When you get that type of response from the fans, from your family and friends -- regardless of who it is, it seems to be brought up wherever we go -- that's proof that this sport is firing on all eight cylinders. This is a great time right now."

Both of your victories were real barn-burners, real battles: Jarrett at Martinsville and then the one with Busch. Does that show how much of a fighter you are? Not just in racing, but in general?

"It shows that I've got a really good racing team that I enjoy being around. Cal and I hooked up in 2001, and since we have, they've been the most productive years for me in Winston Cup racing. I believe he would tell you the same. We've had a lot of fun, but we've also performed.

"I love to compete. The flip side of that is I hate to lose, like every other competitor. I found that the older I get, the less I like losing and the more I like winning. It doesn't matter what we're doing. I have a hard time controlling my competitive nature. I think that's a good thing to a certain degree. There's an ugly side of being a competitor."

That's called a bad loser.

"None of us accept defeat very well. But I know I'm not going to be doing this forever. The one thing I want to be sure of is that when I've decided I've had enough that I can look back and say, 'I gave it every thing I had.' That's exactly how I raise my children, that's the way I evaluate people around me. It's just about giving it all you have."

You talked about when Cal hired you in 2001. Did he call you to offer you the job, or did he offer it in person? How long did it take you to say, 'Yeah.'

"Well, he called and asked if I would be interested in having dinner. At the time, I was racing part-time with the MidWest team. I was very frustrated with that because, for all the reasons I just described about being a competitor, I was not interested in running a part-time schedule again. For whatever reason, we got together. He called, we got together, had dinner. Ironically enough, I had built a friendship with Don Hawk, and I believe Don had put in a good word for me. We hadn't spent any time together up until that point. Cal and I flew to Cincinnati, and I was interviewed like any other job interview. Apparently, they felt I was qualified.

"The hurdle that I had to clear to be back in a competitive situation was the perception of being knocked around and injured. We ran awfully strong in that No. 50 car. We ran better than we should've under the circumstances. We did an awful lot with very little. We led 70 laps at New Hampshire, we ran second at Richmond for a long time and ran top-five -- just had some very good runs. We even led at Daytona at the beginning of 2000 in the Bud Shootout race.

"Before I could clear that hurdle, the perception of being injured, I had to have the opportunity. And Cal provided me the opportunity. The Tide team was going into their second season. The first season was not what they had expected, but they learned from it. It was just a perfect combination. Not only did we get hooked up with Cal, but with this group of people. There is a lot of talent on the team that you didn't necessarily recognize because the finishes weren't what they should've been in 2000.

"Two-thousand-one was a good year. We won at Martinsville, finished second at Michigan, won the pole at Michigan. Two-thousand-two, top 15 in points, top 10 in laps led. Statistically, we had a great year -- did everything but win. This year, we've won already. If you can't tell, I'm having a pretty good time."

Looks that way. And yet you're with a single-car team, and everybody seems to make a big deal about it. Is that kind of overblown? Do you wish you had a teammate?

"I think it's overblown to some degree.  There are aspects of it that put us in a difficult position. Financially, it certainly would be nice to have twice the income. On the flip side of that is we're very focused. Each of those team members go to work knowing they're going to work on the Tide Pontiac and Ricky Craven's their driver. There's not as much distraction. There are aspects of it that actually work to our advantage."

You talked about your family. You seem like a devoted and loving father. Tell me about your kids.

"They're great kids. They've got a great mom and great grandparents. I obviously see a little bit of me in them and a little bit of my wife in them. If you have kids, you realize kids are what you live for. If you don't have kids, then you don't have a clue."

I don't have kids.

“Then you just don't know. Some people have no interest in that, but I think that's because they don't know, they haven't experienced it. It's just priceless. Kids are priceless. You ask Everett who his buddy is, and he'll say, 'My dad.'

"That's a really good balance for me. I feel like I have as good an opportunity in the next four years as anyone, and having a solid family allows me to focus on my profession."

How did you and your wife meet? It wasn't at a race track, was it?

"It actually kinda was. I met her in '86, and I was racing for her uncle. She came to a race with her parents. I asked her for a piece of gum, and now I get my gum from Cal, but thank goodness I met her first.

"I actually resigned from the team just to be closer to her. We had a lot of fun when we were growing up, or attempting to grow up. We had a lot of fun. I moved to New Hampshire, for two reasons: that's where she lived, so I wanted to be closer to her, and the new track that was being built by the Bahres. She lived 10 miles from there, and I started my own Busch North team that year. It was one of the better decisions that I ever made. I went deep in debt to do it, but I paid all our bills."

You really have a connection with the fans in New England. It seems to be more than just because you're from Maine and lived in New Hampshire. Why have they attached themselves to you?

"I think it's a New England thing. The people have a strong allegiance to their communities and families and one another. I'm a New England boy. That qualifies me as one of them, whether I'm from Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut. I just think it's a New England thing. There's a bond. It's Fenway Park, the Boston Garden, the Fleet Center, Moosehead Lake, Mt. Washington, the coast of Maine.

"There are things about New England and New England people that I really appreciate. My wife and I made a decision to build a log home in Maine in 1997 so that we could establish some type of residence there and still call it home. That was the primary objective, to still be able to call Maine home and to take our kids there every summer and every Christmas. It's another one of the decisions that paid off for us. The fact that we have a home there still gives us a home base."

Are you a big fan of lobster?

"Let me put it to you this way. We flew to Maine (recently) to sign autographs at my store in Belfast. We flew five us in a 206, which is pretty much loaded. You can fit six people in, but they don't need to be very big people. And we're all big people. I asked the pilot, 'Do you mind if we get some lobster?' He said, 'If you get a little bit, it'll be fine.'

"We ended up getting 115 pounds of lobster and clams and scallops and haddock. He was a little disappointed when we showed up with two boxes that big. We couldn't get it in the plane. We had to take one of the seats out to fit it in the plane."

You could've left somebody behind.

"Yeah, well, that was an option. If it came down to leaving something behind, believe me, we would've drawn straws. The lobster and scallops and the clams were going to North Carolina."

New car, new crew chief, new engines.  And yet things have seemed to come together really well. Is that a testament to the whole team?

"It's Cal Wells. He keeps this s--- up, and we're going to get a second team. The second team is critical to all of us in terms of growth. It's not that important to me right now because it would be a bit distracting during the season to try and start up a team. But he deserves a second team. He's certainly paid his dues, and PPI should stand with the other multi-car teams. He's got two wins and three poles in the last three years. It's all about performance, and I think we're performing. The key is, and he'll always remind you of this, is that we need to continue. That's going to be the key for us. Although things have gone well the first 28 months, they need to get better the next 28. Then I can sit on the porch at our log home in Maine and say, 'We gave it all we had.'"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Though he hasn't had a victory yet, Tony stewart has quietly placed himself in the top
10 this year. Credit: Autostock

Stewart taking role as champion in stride
By Lee Montgomery, Turner Sports Interactive

CONCORD, N.C. -- Tony Stewart is really a simple guy. Strap him into a race car and turn him loose, and he is in his element. Nothing else really matters to him.

But in the big business of NASCAR Winston Cup racing, there is a lot more to it than going fast and turning left. Some of those things are what has gotten Stewart in trouble in the past.

And when Stewart clinched the Winston Cup championship last year, some wondered whether he would be able to handle all the added pressure, the extra appearances, the increased attention.

Joe Gibbs wondered that, too. He went to New York last December to celebrate Stewart's championship season, and Gibbs kept a close eye on his driver. The week leading up to the NASCAR awards ceremony is chock full of stuff Stewart dreads, especially the sometimes monotonous line of questions.

If Stewart can handle this, Gibbs thought, he'll be fine.

"We were all concerned going to New York," Gibbs said. "That's a full six days, and there's a lot going on. It's kind of endless; you're going from one thing to another. It's pretty hard to stay up. You know that that's going to be a grind.

"Had you picked something that you would probably say Tony wouldn't be good at, that might be it."

But guess what. Stewart didn't shove any photographers, didn't snap at any questions, didn't fly off the handle a single time.

"Since he's won the championship, he's much more relaxed," Gibbs said. "He did understand that he was representing the sport and all the people that had gone before him. I've got to tell you something.  I think he enjoyed the week (in New York) and he did his role for that week. We all saw a maturing process. He went through it great, he showed great patience, he wasn't frustrated by it.

"Tony normally just wants to race a car, and everything else, 'Get out of my way.'  But I thought he handled it extremely well. Since then, he's taken to heart that he is the champion and wanted to represent the sport the right way. I think he's done a terrific job. It's all part of a maturing process."

But to Stewart, handling the pressure of being Winston Cup champion is no big deal.

"I haven't really thought about it to be honest," Stewart said. "I look at myself as one of the 43 guys that starts the race every Sunday."

That's Stewart. Wonderfully simple. And that's the way he likes it.

"To me, a lot was built up too much over it last year," Stewart said. "I'm not going to say it's disappointing, because actually it's really pleasant for life to just go on as usual, contrary to the popular belief of some of the media members.

"I've enjoyed it. There's not been anything unpleasant about it by any means. There's not been any added demands like everybody speculated. It's just been business as usual for us."

If a Winston Cup champion can fly under the radar, Stewart has done it. Oh, sure, there was the controversy about Stewart's confiscated car at Talladega, but otherwise, Stewart hasn't received much attention.

The pressure is still there, of course, to repeat. But Stewart said he is feeling less pressure in 2003 than he was last year.

"The biggest reason is we're not sitting here answering the question, 'Can we win a championship?'" Stewart said. "That's a pretty big question in our series. ... It seems like once we won the championship last year, it was like I dumped a 3,000-pound weight off my back."

A loosened-up Stewart is a happy Stewart.

"As a race team this year, we've had more fun," Stewart said. "Between the guys on our crew and myself, we've really enjoyed our racing this year. It's something we had started to lose in the past. As much as we all love this sport, we were losing the passion behind why we love it so much. We needed to get that back, and luckily, winning the championship did that for us."

Through nine races, Stewart has done, well, OK. He's seventh in the points standings, 238 out of the lead. That's one spot better than 2002.

He hasn't won yet, and his best finishes have been a pair of fifth-place efforts at Las Vegas and Atlanta.

"We've had some parts of the season that we've been happy with," Stewart said.  "Every year, we're not really tickled to death with our performance until we get that first win under our belts. We're starting to close in on the time period that we normally really get going well.

"I'm not going to say we're disappointed, but at the same time, we feel like it can be better than what it is right now."

So maybe Stewart really is maturing. If he finishes 10th and that's the best he could do, that's OK.

If he crashes, like at Bristol, or blows an engine, like at Texas, that's fine, too.

A kinder, gentler Tony Stewart?

"He doesn't seem to get nearly as uptight and rattled by it," Gibbs said. "He's much more relaxed about what's happening around him."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Well, that's all for today.  Until the next time, I remain,
Your  Momma

"Don't come here and grumble about going too fast.  Get the hell out of the race car if you've got feathers on your legs or butt.  Put a kerosene rag around your ankles so the ants won't climb up there and eat that candy ass." - Dale Earnhardt – 1998

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