I read the other day about the parking of the number 8 car, and I am
taken with what Tony Stewart said two years ago, "that place will be a
ghost town" in reference to Dale Jr's leaving the organization his
father had established with Teresa. Now, I read one in particular that
said, "it's just a number...." Yeah Barb, I am referencing you, but I'm
not callin ya out on this one. See, someone asked me onetime, "So, since
chevy's in trouble, what'll you do when Dale's driving a Toyota in the
next few years?" To which I replied, "I don't care if he's in a 1956
Studebaker with the number X-1 on it, I'd be rooting for him just the
same."

The number 8, driven by a host of drivers, made most famous by Dale Jr,
is pretty much what Barb said. It's just a number. It holds no magic, it
holds no special force that makes it superior to say, the 43 or the 3
cars. However, I do wish to say this, when Jr was driving that car, and
he was winning, and that sucker was Budweiser red with that number 8
that everyone knew you could cut in half and it would look like his
daddy's number 3 on there, it did hold a certain stigmata. It did become
the biggest selling die cast in Nascar, it outsold the other top
driver's die casts, combined. Let me say that again, combined. When the
88 die cast was issued, it became the biggest selling Nascar die cast in
history, just based on the orders ALONE. Now, in the spirit of, "it's
just a number", well, you're right, it's just a number, because no die
cast is going to see that many units because the car has an 88 on it, or
because 'it's cute'.

What's funny, Hut Stricklin, Dale Jarrett, and Jeff Burton, to name a
few have also driven the number 8 car through out Nascar history. Hell,
it was a Ford product those times, just to flavor the stigmata of a
driver and his fan base. You see, Dale Jr once said, "I won't drive a
Ford, I won't ride in a Ford, my best friend is Matt Kenseth, and the
only problem I got with him is he drives a Ford". So, to take the point
further, brand of car is as innocuous as the number. It is all about the
driver.

In the end, I personally agree 100% with Barb, it's just a number.
However, there is a multitude out there, Earnhardt fan or no, that all
agree on one thing, Teresa screwed up on this one. I have see this typed
by fans of various drivers, and even some people that couldn't care
about Nascar at all. In the business perspective, this was a blunder.
Once you remove the driver from the company, the company went all
lemming like and made that proverbial jump off the cliff. Teaming up
with Gnassi has only proved to be a desperation move, that "any port in
the storm' mentality. One that I fear, will have Truex and Bass Pro
Shops either driving a Toyota next year, or Stewart's going to have a
third car in the stable.

Oh, one last thing, if no one pays attention, you better look out, I
believe that Jeff Burton is going to win the cup this year... I have
seen some things happening, and just like Matty in 2002 was it?, when
the luck of the racing gods just happen to favor your every mistake. You
don't have that kind of luck and not win that cup.. just my own
observations. I'll elaborate on this one later.

sorry no pics, computer crashed..

moi

PS, Hey Jerm! On that barley wine and it's 'test' that you mentioned.
Dude, there is a testing ban, didn't you know that? You need to um.. let
me sample that here first for you so that you don't get fined 100
drinkers points and 100 makers points. Just trying to save you some
grief there....LMAO