Happy Monday all!  I don't have alot of time today, so all comments will be posted tomorrow.

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Quote of the Year

"To be a real, true NASCAR driver, you have to know where the sport came from and you have to respect that history and tradition. The guys that don't respect that history and tradition, I don't think they're going to be around all that long. And those guys who don't know the history and tradition, I think it's upon them to learn about it pretty quick if they want to be a success."
– Richard Petty

Quote of the Day

"I'm glad I got a win,''   "I was worried I was going to go winless this year. Now let's go get another one.''
-Dale Earnhardt Jr.
We agree Dale....Congrats!

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Bits and Pieces

Hmiel Wins Wypall Wipers Crew Chief of the Race Award: Dale Earnhardt Jr. may not have had the fastest car in the race, but the driver of the #8 Chevrolet, along with crew chief Steve Hmiel, outfoxed the competition and brought their team their first victory in twenty races. Hmiel made the gutsy call to take only two tires on the final round of pit stops, setting up Earnhardt Jr. to take over the lead on the ensuing green flag run. Hmiel's bold strategy brought the Budweiser team a win and earned him the Wypall Wipers Crew Chief of the Race award. Earnhardt Jr. was in fourth place when the caution flag waved on lap 243. After taking only two tires on his pit stop, Earnhardt Jr. was the first car to exit pit road, moving him into the second position. When the race returned to green, Earnhardt Jr. scooted past Scott Wimmer for the lead and held off the quickly ensuing #17 USG machine piloted by Matt Kenseth. Matt Kenseth held a commanding lead for the majority of the event, staying in the top spot for 176 out of 267 laps. Kenseth's run helped make Hmiel's decision on the final stop. The panel of voters; including Paul Skrbina of the Times of Northwest Indiana, a Wypall Wipers representative and Robbie Reiser; all gave the nod to Hmiel as the Crew Chief of the Race.
Doug Richert leads the Wypall Wipers Crew Chief of the Year standings with five wins. Alan Gustafson and Robbie Loomis are tied for second place with two wins. Tommy Baldwin, Scott Miller, Bob Osborne, Fatback McSwain, Greg Zipadelli, Steve Hmiel and Pete Rondeau are in a tie for third place, each with one win. At the end of the season, the crew chief with the most weekly wins will receive $20,000. Fans can also vote for their choice at wypall.com.(SMC 500)

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Fusion is it for Ford and NASCAR in 2006: Ford Motor Co. is putting a new face on its NASCAR Nextel Cup entry next year. The automaker is expected to announce as early as this week [Thurs July 14th in Charlotte] that the Ford Fusion will replace the venerable Taurus on North America's most popular racing circuit, said people familiar with the plan. After 20 years, Ford is pulling the plug on Taurus production early in 2006, and NASCAR rules require that race cars be based on showroom models. The Fusion arrives on dealer lots this fall. Fusion will enter the midsize car segment, where the competition dwarfs even the longtime rivalry between Ford and Chevy on the racetrack. In the midsize car market, it's Ford vs. Chevy vs. Toyota vs. Honda vs. Nissan. The entry-level midsize car, along with the larger Five Hundred sedan, represents Ford's latest effort to rebuild passenger car sales. Styling and price are more likely to lure buyers. Ford designed and engineered the Fusion to be more aggressive and nimble than the Taurus. It is priced starting at $17,995. Ford declined comment on specific plans to replace Taurus, promising to unveil details this week. NASCAR entries are subject to strict dimensional guidelines to ensure competitive racing, but to help sell the vehicles, manufacturers take great care to make certain that the cars on the track retain identifiable design cues.(Detroit News)

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Robby to run 2006 'double'?  #7-Robby Gordon said he will run the Indianapolis 500 next May [and the Coca-Cola 600 later that day], and since he's a Chevy man, that likely means that General Motors would provide the motors, reversing a GM decision last year to pull out of the Indy Racing League at the end of this season.(Winston Salem Journal)

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Banning testing at some non Cup tracks? NASCAR is considering banning Cup testing at Kentucky and Nashville and possibly other tracks, according to crew chiefs, who say NASCAR may also ban any testing anywhere during the season's final 10 events.(Winston Salem Journal)

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All-Star Race to move? Look for the Nextel All-Star Challenge to move in 2007. Although the event will remain at Lowe's Motor Speedway next year, NASCAR is looking to move the All-Star race to Richmond International Raceway, a track that is closer to Nextel's headquarters in Reston, Va.(Sporting News)

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Driver killed: Sprint car racing veteran Don Townsend died Saturday night during a USAC National event at Mansfield Motorsports Speedway. He was 70. Townsend was on the track in the No. 77R sprint car when he hit the wall in turn 3 during one of the final hot lap sessions before qualifying. He was taken off the track by ambulance and then flown to The Ohio State University in Columbus. According to the Rebman Motorsports Web site, Townsend was in his 52nd year of racing. He has driven several types of open-wheeled racers during his career—from coupes to offset roadsters to winged and non-winged sprint cars. He raced on both dirt and asphalt. Townsend's first sprint car ride came in 1968. His resume included more than 100 feature wins.(Mansfield News Journal)

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Wood to the #2? hearing that Busch driver, Jon Wood, recently tested the #2 Penske Racing Dodge.

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RCR makes changes in the engine dept: Richard Childress Racing (RCR) continues to make personnel moves to improve its championship-winning engine department. Engine shop manager Spenny Clendenen, an RCR employee since 1985 and head engine builder from 1995 to 1997, has been named to the position of general manager in charge of the department’s business and administrative responsibilities. He will also be the focal point for RCR’s customer engine program, which furnishes engines for Kevin Harvick, Inc. (Busch and Truck), PPI Motorsports (NEXTEL Cup) and Morgan-Dollar Motorsports (Truck). Rick Mann has been named chief engine builder and will oversee all competition-related responsibilities. He brings 17 years of NASCAR engine building experience and nearly 30 years of overall engine building experience to his new position. Assistant engine shop manager Danny Lawrence, an RCR employee since 1985 and head engine builder from 1998 to 2001, has been named assistant chief engine builder. He will responsible for all at-track activities involving RCR’s NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series team engine tuners and will assist Mann at the shop. "I think the reorganization we’ve made is a positive new start to our entire engine department,” said Richard Childress, president and CEO of RCR. ”We’ve had tremendous growth at RCR over the past couple of years and the workload we’ve asked our management group to be responsible for was keeping us from achieving the success I know we’re capable of. These moves, in addition to bringing on Nick Hayes to head up our engine research and development department, have put RCR in a much better position to reach the goals we’ve set for ourselves.” A new engine shop manager will be named at a later date.(RCR Site)(7-8-2005)
AND Nick Hayes has been named by Richard Childress Racing (RCR) as its engine research and development director and will lead all RCR engine research and development activities from a newly-created R&D facility at the RCR complex. Hayes comes to RCR after a well-documented yet unique career at Cosworth, which is based in England, including spells in Formula One engine design, development and track support before rising through the ranks to lead its F1 program through the late 1990s. Recent years saw him leading all technical activities at Cosworth as Technical Director. The move to RCR marks the start of a new chapter in Hayes' illustrious and successful race engine career that has covered a wide variety of series but, until now, has not touched NASCAR significantly.(RCR PR)

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Inside Dish: Roush approaches Martin about 'encore tour'
By Lee Spencer - SportingNews

So, you know Mark Martin is retiring as the driver of the No. 6 at the end of this season. And, you know Jamie McMurray has signed with Roush Racing to drive the car in 2007. Left uncovered, obviously, is 2006. How about this: Jack Roush asked Martin if he would consider taking one for the team — "an encore tour" — if McMurray were unavailable in 2006.

Roush was beaming ear to ear when he said, "He didn't tell me no."

Whatever happens next year, the signing of McMurray gives Roush a top caliber driver in its flagship car and strengthens Roush for the future. No team can match Roush's depth. Can Roush stick five racers in the 2007 Chase for the NASCAR Nextel Cup? Absolutely. ...
 
When Tony Stewart returned to practice in the No. 20 car Saturday after crashing Friday, he described the pain: "I feel like I got invited to a baseball bat war and didn't get my own bat."

"Everything on my right side feels real good; everything on the left side is sore," Stewart said.

Stewart put forth a valiant effort in the race Sunday, coming from 43rd to finish fifth. Stewart, who is third in points, is making things look easy — his past four finishes are second, first, first and fifth. Points leader Jimmie Johnson and second-place Greg Biffle should keep an eye on the rearview mirror. ...

Johnson says the No. 48 team "has struggled on intermediate tracks" lately, but he came from a lap down at Chicago to finish third. Now Johnson and the Nextel Cup Series travel to New Hampshire, where Johnson swept the races in 2003.

"We tested there last week, and it's a tough little track to race on," Johnson said. "It going to be a track position race, and hopefully, we learned a lot in our test session." ...

With Silly Season in full swing, it figures that ever-steady Matt Kenseth, the 2003 Cup champ, has no plans to move. Expect him to get his next contract with Roush Racing locked down early.

Kenseth, who finished second Sunday (his best finish of the season), reportedly is signed through the 2006 season and has no plans to change teams.

"We've never had any problems," Kenseth said. "Roush has always been fair to me, and I feel like I've done the same thing. They've done great things for my career, and I can't imagine racing anywhere else." ...

More than 20 drivers are expected to test this week at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in preparation for the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard on August 7.

With the rash of tire problems this season — including Rubbergate at Chicagoland — both teams and NASCAR will be watching tire wear during the test. The tire compound will be unique to Indy. Ricky Rudd says he had no problems with the tires when he tested there last week. ...

Goodyear will recommend higher air pressures for the left-side tires at Pocono when the circuit returns there in July and will provide a harder compound at Michigan in August. After all the tire issues at Pocono last month, the track repaved the tunnel turn, taking out many of the dips. The asphalt rumble strips that many thought contributed to the tire problems were removed in favor of concrete strips. ...

Look for the Nextel All-Star Challenge to move in 2007. Although the event will remain at Lowe's Motor Speedway next year, NASCAR is looking to move the All-Star race to Richmond International Raceway, a track that is closer to Nextel's headquarters in Reston, Va. ...

On the weekend of the Michigan race, NASCAR measured the strength of engines and came away satisfied with the parity of the teams. All three manufacturers were within one horsepower of each other.

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Junior rallies for victory with late two-tire stop
The Associated Press


JOLIET, Ill. -- A jubilant Dale Earnhardt Jr. broke through for his first Nextel Cup victory of the season Sunday, using a two-tire strategy and holding off Matt Kenseth to win at Chicagoland Speedway.

"I was worried I was going to go winless this year," the relieved Earnhardt said after smoking the tires on his No. 8 Chevrolet and celebrating with his crew in the infield grass. "Now, let's go out and do it again, win some more."
 
Kenseth led 176 of the 267 laps but wound up second after choosing to change four tires and falling behind on his final pit stop in the USG Sheetrock 400.

Earnhardt, NASCAR's most popular driver, has had a mostly miserable season and had little to smile about until he turned in a third-place finish last week at Daytona. He started 25th on Sunday and spent most of the day hovering near the end of the top 10.

The last of 10 caution flags waved on Lap 249, when Mike Bliss and Jeff Gordon crashed, giving all the leaders a last chance to pit on a day when right-side tires were blistering and causing numerous blowouts and crashes.

Scott Wimmer stayed on the track and took the lead, while Earnhardt and several other drivers took only two tires and moved ahead of both Kenseth and Tony Stewart, who took four tires after coming into the pits first and second.

The green flag came out on Lap 255, and it took Earnhardt three laps to get past Wimmer, who then faded quickly. Meanwhile, Kenseth charged toward the front, grabbing second place from Brian Vickers on Lap 261.

But Kenseth couldn't catch Earnhardt, finishing about five car-lengths back.

Jimmie Johnson, the series points leader, came back from a lap down to finish third, followed by Vickers and Stewart.

"It's been a long time coming, man," Earnhardt said. "It's a lot of emotion, more than I can handle right now. For these guys, all the darts they've had thrown at them this year. It's just awesome.

"I thought we had a top-10, maybe a top-five car," he added. "My guys on pit road won the race for me. Got me out front with two tires."

Kenseth, who has not won since March 2004 at Las Vegas, was bitterly disappointed.

"Our car was awesome," he said. "I'm trying to be a gracious loser, but it's a tough one."

The call to take on four tires was made by his crew chief, Robbie Reiser, but Kenseth wouldn't criticize him.
 
"I can't really blame Robby. We were kind of a sitting duck. A lot of guys were going to either stay out or take two tires," Kenseth said. "Overall, it was a great day, just a tough one to lose."

Stewart, still aching from a crash on Friday that forced him to go to a backup car and start from the rear of the 43-car field, was also disappointed that he couldn't pull off a third consecutive victory and defend his win here last year.

"If we'd have stayed out like I wanted to, we'd have won the race," said Stewart, who has now finished third, second, first and fifth in his last four starts at Chicagoland.

Greg Biffle, second in the season standings, finished 11th Sunday and fell from 73 to 108 points behind Johnson. With his 16th career victory and first since November in Phoenix, Earnhardt moved up to 13th place, 115 points behind 10th-place Kurt Busch and 491 points behind Johnson.

The top 10 drivers and any others within 400 points of the leader following the 26th race of the season will be eligible to race for the series championship during the final 10 events.

For four-time series champion Gordon, who finished 33rd, it was his sixth finish of 30th or lower in the last eight races. He fell to 15th place in the standings, 502 points behind Johnson, his Hendrick Motorsports teammate.

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Oh, happy Dale: Junior claims elusive victory
BY HERB GOULD Staff Reporter 


Until this year, Dale Earnhardt Jr. held a special place in the NASCAR family.

The son of a wildly popular champion who died while a nation watched the 2001 Daytona 500, Earnhardt's low-key style and obvious talent, combined with his tragic loss, seemed to shelter him from the criticism and down-home intrigue that often permeates life in the nation's most important racing series.

Until this year.

After a curious move in which he traded crews with his Dale Earnhardt Inc. teammate, Michael Waltrip, Earnhardt went into a tailspin that left his legion of fans devastated and him and his crew feeling some pretty intense heat.

Until Sunday.

After sneaking up on Matt Kenseth, who had led virtually all day, with a late pit-strategy gamble to win the USG Sheetrock 400 at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Earnhardt felt a great weight lifted from his shoulders.

"This is a long time coming, man,'' said Earnhardt, genuinely savoring the victory for his embattled crew. "It's real emotional. It's more than I can handle right now.

"I told them there was going to be some pressure when they put on the red uniform. But I didn't think it would be as cruel as it has been. For these guys, with all the darts they've got thrown at them this year, it's just awesome. I can't even explain it.''

Kenseth, who finished second by a margin of .291 seconds, led for 176 laps in the 267-lap race. But Earnhardt -- who led only the final 11 laps -- snatched the lead by taking only two tires while Kenseth, continuing what he had done all day, took four.

"It's disappointing to give it away,'' said Kenseth, a Roush Racing driver who seemed poised to continue the trend that has seen the Roush and Hendrick teams combine for 13 victories in 18 races this season. "You always try to be be a gracious loser, but it's tough to lead almost every lap and get beat on pit strategy.''

Taking four tires ended up being costly, but Kenseth would not second-guess the decision, one that had worked all day.

"There was really no debate for us,'' Kenseth said. "When you're the leader, you're a sitting duck because you know a bunch of guys are going to try staying out or taking two tires.

"We didn't win the race and we had the best car, so it seems like it was the wrong call, but it's hard to say. If we'd have run green for those 19 or 20 laps at the end, I still think we would have won the race, and it would have been the right call.''

That didn't happen, though. Jeff Gordon crashed, bringing out another yellow flag and cutting into Kenseth's time to catch Earnhardt. A duel with Tony Stewart for a couple of laps also ended up distracting Kenseth.

"It was a no-brainer,'' said veteran crew chief Steve Hmiel, who was hired as Earnhardt's interim crew chief before the Coca-Cola 600 in late May to try and right the struggling team. "They were the best car all day. When you have the best car, you come get four tires every chance you get.

"On the other hand, we said, 'We'll gamble and see if we can hold them off.' And to be quite honest, our car was not as good as Junior made it look. Junior drove the wheels off of it.''

The victory was Earnhardt's first in 20 races since he won last year in Phoenix. And it could not have come at a better or more surprising time.

Just a few weeks ago, Earnhardt and Hmiel were wondering out loud when they were going to be competitive again, let alone win. It was a theme bought and sold by some longtime media observers.

"I'm glad I got a win,'' Earnhardt said. "I was worried I was going to go winless this year. Now let's go get another one.''

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By Rupen Fofaria
Special to ESPN.com


JOLIET, Ill. -- Matt Kenseth was not the picture of excitement you might expect from a guy whose second-place finish just elevated him to 16th in the points standings, up eight spots from four weeks ago.

Kenseth has three top 10s in his past four races to thank for his recovery in the standings, but a byproduct of the recent success is rising expectations. And on Sunday, with a race car that was undoubtedly the fastest at race's end, Kenseth was too preoccupied with disappointment to celebrate.

"It's pretty frustrating," he said afterward. "We had a car that's three-tenths faster than people and we lost."

Kenseth led much of the race, but as cars pitted with about 20 laps to go the No. 17 Ford team decided to take four fresh tires rather than two, or none, and lost its lead as a result. Despite posting some of the fastest laps as the race came to a conclusion, there just was not enough distance left in the event for Kenseth to catch winner Dale Earnhardt Jr.

"We just weren't in front [at the end]," Kenseth said. "It was a big advantage to be out front today. Hindsight is 20/20. You know, we were kind of a sitting duck. We knew we wanted to put four tires on the car because we ran so good all day, but you knew a bunch of them were going to get two."

It might have been refreshing for Kenseth to have lost on a pit decision for a change. This week, it wasn't a mechanical failure, driver error or a car that simply wasn't fast enough to compete. This week, Kenseth and Co. believe they gave away a checkered flag that was all but theirs.

Although crew chief Robbie Reiser celebrated that subtle fact -- that the team is competitive once more -- Kenseth showed his competitive spirit and that thirst for victory that made him so successful early in his Cup career.

"Just disappointed to give it away," Kenseth said. "You hate to not be a gracious loser but it's tough to lead almost every lap and get beat at the end on pit strategy. So, it was a tough loss for us to take, but we've been gaining some momentum and we've been running a little bit better."

Kenseth is now officially one of the bubble drivers who has eight races to make up the distance to 10th place, which will likely be the cutoff for drivers to make the playoffs after Richmond International Raceway.

"They asked me two weeks ago if we thought we'd make the Chase and I really honestly think we can," Kenseth said. "Robbie's done a great job figuring out some things on these cars to make them run faster."

And faster they are, but much faster they'll need to be. In order to make the playoffs they'll need to contend with some talented and experienced teams -- such as Kevin Harvick's, Jeff Gordon's, Junior's and Dale Jarrett's.

But Kenseth isn't going to worry about that. Right now, his mind is split between two things: Trying to get over the sting of losing on Sunday, and trying to continue the run of fortune that has propelled him back into contention.

"We are gaining on the top 10, and it seems like we figured something out that helps us perform better about three or four weeks ago," Kenseth said. "And if we can keep our performance how it is and not have problems, I think we can still get back in it."

Rupen Fofaria is a freelance writer living in Chicago and a regular contributor to ESPN.com.

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Case of auto erotica at Chicagoland
Kirk Wessler
SPORTS COLUMNIST


I am no longer a NASCAR virgin.

After two days of foreplay, I popped my clutch Sunday at the Chicagoland Speedway, where Dale Earnhardt Jr. stirred the Red Sea with his sprint to victory in the USG Sheetrock 400.

The experience was hot, but then so was the weather. I am flushed, but that might be sunburn. I did not know what to expect, so I am neither enthralled nor disappointed. I feel strangely mellow.

If I sound confused, give me a break. I just did my first big race.

Here is what I saw, what I heard, what I learned and what I think.

At 9 a.m. Sunday, nearly six hours before grand marshal Ryne Sandberg ordered 43 drivers to start their engines, traffic to the speedway was backed up, stop and roll, bumper to bumper. For nine miles!

Ryno was brought to the media center about lunchtime. The woman who moderated his brief news conference actually asked the former Cubs baseball star this question: "Being inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame; is that something special?"

Most of the time, drivers are identified by their car numbers, rather than by name. Earnhardt is the 8. He took the lead with 10 laps to go, when he surged past the 22 (Caterpillar car driver Scott Wimmer) and then held off the 17 (Matt Kenseth) for the victory.

Now here's some real fun. Jamie McMurray is the 42 but in 2007 he will be the 6. Because of the change, next year he might be deep-sixed.

If you have trouble with numbers you are screwed.

One of these days, NASCAR is going to get dragged in front of the Supreme Court. Did you know that before the singing of the National Anthem at every Nextel Cup race, the crowd is asked to bow its collective head in prayer? At the Daytona 500, I am told, the prayer ends "Shalom and Amen."

God bless America.

Pop diva Toni Braxton sang the national anthem and then lost her NASCAR virginity, too. Before Sunday, she confessed, her only contact with racing was experienced while channel surfing her TV: "Great outfit, love the helmet, really cute, I like that."

Whoa. Next.

A Discovery Channel moment: I stood inside the first turn for the start of the race. First, I heard the roar of 75,000 voices in the grandstand as they saw the field of cars approach the front straightaway. Then I felt a rumble, and I wondered how we could be threatened with a thunderstorm on a clear-blue day. Then a lightning strike of colors, followed just shy of instantly by a blast of sound that almost knocked me on my tush.

A colleague loaned me her scanner and headphones for a while during the race. If you know what to do, you can use this device to tune into the communications between the drivers and their pit crews. Early in the race, I listened to Earnhardt. His channel should come with a warning label.

I had been listening for less than 60 seconds when June blurted, "(Expletive) Gordon ran over me on (Turn) 4."

No, not that (Expletive) Gordon. And no, Robby Gordon in the 7 didn't run over the 8. Earnhardt simply likes to chatter and cuss and keep things fun. Then there's the 24 ...

"(Expletive) you, Gordon!" a young fan yelled through the infield fence at Jeff Gordon, when the 24 skidded to a halt on the backstretch after a minor accident knocked him out of the hunt late in the race. Guys hate the 24. Probably because their women love him. Anyway, no way the 24 heard the expletive. No way.

This sport is really, really, really, really, loud. Just wanted to emphasize that in case you can't hear me.

When you hear drivers talk about "getting sideways," they are telling the truth. At 180 mph, they get sideways in every turn. You can't see this at home on your TV. At the track, you can see it's (expletive) scary.

Dang, these cars are fast. Did I tell you they were loud? They're faster than they are loud.

I walked around the infield, which is an RV city of about 2,500 fans. The stars and stripes were the flag of choice, followed closely by 8 flags and 20 flags (that would be Tony Stewart) and sponsor flags. I saw four Confederate flags: two crossed on the breast of a teenager's T-shirt, one on the bandana of a barebacked fellow cooking ribs, one big one hanging third on a pole, topped by the American flag and an 8 flag. I'm not sure this proves anything except there are bound to be a couple of idiots in every crowd.

I took a 20-minute nap in the middle of the race. I didn't miss anything except about 30 laps, including some run under the caution flag.

NASCAR racing, I found out, is as much about strategy as it is about fast cars. Kenseth had the fastest car all day. Wimmer ran a half-lap or more behind him, 20-something places back, until the final 20 laps. Then a bunch of drivers, including Kenseth, pitted during a caution. Wimmer didn't and took the lead, with Earnhardt right behind him.

For nine laps, Wimmer led. Then Earnhardt passed him. Kenseth was back in the race and charging hard. But he ran out of track, and Earnhardt won.

His nation of red-shirted fans went nuts.

Usually, my resting pulse rate is about 60 pops per minute. I don't know why, but as Earnhardt soared to the checkered flag, I checked. My pulse was 88.

What does that tell you?

KIRK WESSLER is executive sports editor/columnist with the Journal Star.

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Hmiel tries to regain trust
Suspended again, Shane Hmiel fights through tough times as he hopes for one more chance.
By Dustin Long
The Roanoke Times


JOLIET, Ill. -- The rev of engines. Tinkering with setups. Conversations with his team.

Crew chief Steve Hmiel attempts to revive Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s championship hopes one weekend at a time. It's a welcome distraction and helps ease Hmiel's pain from the "terrific hole in my heart.''

Hmiel anguishes for his son, Shane, who has been banished from the sport until 2007. NASCAR suspended Shane Hmiel last month after the 25-year-old violated the sport's substance abuse policy for the second time within two years.

"There are times I want to kill him and there are times I want to hug him,'' Steve Hmiel said of his son. "That's true of every parent and every situation. Our family is here to support him.''

So, as Steve Hmiel heads to the track each weekend, Shane remains at the family's Pleasant Garden, N.C., home. He's been there since shortly after series officials escorted him out of the garage at Dover five weeks ago.

"What Shane is doing is he's sitting at home on the couch and he has good days and bad,'' Steve Hmiel said. "A good day is not sitting there with your heart broken. A bad day is thinking the world is coming to an end. There are no real good days.''

There have been few for Shane Hmiel since Sept. 18, 2003, when NASCAR suspended him the first time. NASCAR does not reveal the nature of the violation. Hmiel followed the program a NASCAR-backed doctor prescribed and officials reinstated the driver in February 2004.

Hmiel returned to the Craftsman Truck series, moved to the Busch series and made some Cup starts. He was subject to random drug tests after his return. In April, a NASCAR official said the sport had ordered about 45 drug tests the previous two years with about 15 of those tests for Hmiel.

Now, Shane Hmiel has nothing to do with NASCAR. He awaits word from officials on what course of treatment he'll have to take to return. That could come within a few weeks.

Shane Hmiel's suspension has raised questions about how many chances a driver should have if they violate the substance abuse policy.

"Shane has ruined two teams and about 40 lives. ... Whoever he drives for again, will he ruin a third team?" Kenny Wallace told NASCAR Scene recently.

NBC analyst Wally Dallenbach said Hmiel shouldn't have received a second chance.

"I always felt that if you were caught, and you had it in your system, you were out,'' Dallenbach said on a conference call last week. "I'm not in favor of giving somebody second, third, or fourth chances on something like this. It's a privilege to be here and if you can't play by the rules, you shouldn't be able to play.''

The criticism is difficult to endure, Steve Hmiel says. He credits many in the garage for offering support. Among those was Dale Jarrett, who had a run-in with Hmiel in the Bristol Busch race this year that ended with Jarrett's car wrecked. Jarrett walked to Hmiel's car while the race was stopped and lectured Hmiel, who responded with an obscene gesture.

"The deal at Bristol got blown way, way, way out of proportion and it was unfortunate for everybody involved,'' Jarrett said. "That's past, and I wanted to let Steve know that there are people that do care about him and his family and do hope that everything works out best for him.''

Because the past can't be changed, the Hmiels look ahead. Steve Hmiel said his son wants to race again. Steve Hmiel hopes that a team and a sponsor give Shane Hmiel another chance. Should that happen, though, Steve Hmiel admits he'll have mixed emotions.

"I still want to make darn sure if he got a chance to drive a race car he would be committed to the lifestyle that you have to live to be a race car driver, committed to the family you're a part of and have respect for what you're doing and the people around you,'' Steve Hmiel said. "He's a grown man. I would still be very nervous. I don't ever want to go through what I've gone through twice before.''

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that's racin' (phrase): Expresses frustration or emotion. 1. When a small part costing just a few dollars fails and stops a $150,000 race car, that's racin'. 2. When you race a competitor for 500 miles and lose to him by just a few feet, that's racin'. 3. When a hot dog wrapper blows out of the stands, gets caught across the air vent on the front of your car and causes your engine to overheat, that's racin'.

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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