CarRacingBlog.com

So we’re getting ready to head out tomorrow morning - Texas Motor Speedway for our last NASCAR race of the year, well MY last NASCAR race possibly ever. The rest of the family already has plans on going to Daytona which I said I’d never miss, but after the 2009 racing season I’m not so sure. I may give Daytona one last look, but if things don’t change in this series EARLY on in the 2010 season I think I won’t be the only one planning my exit.

The drivers seem to be just as frustrated with the current series plan as the fans do - well, except for Jimmie Johnson who never seems to truly have a bad day, a bad race or any problems. A friend of mine has this theory about Johnson that if ever had to face adversity such as Dale Earnhardt Jr. has had to this season, or seen his winning streak dwindle as Kyle Busch has this season - or even had to face the challenges of starting up a new team and getting the negative press that Tony Stewart has this year - that he would crack under the pressure. When you think about it - what adversity has California-boy Johnson ever had to face? He never seems to have bad equipment, he’s only had a few “bad races” which really when compared to the crap his teammates have faced - including Jeff Gordon - weren’t really all that bad… how WOULD he cope?

Anyway - enough Jimmie bashing, my problems with NASCAR don’t really have anything to do with him. I miss the old NASCAR - that feeling of “anything can happen @ a race”. Now it feels a lot like the old World Wrestling Federation when you knew that the appearance of Hulk Hogan in the ring either meant a slam-dunk WIN or some major drama to be stirred up for a bigger match in the coming weeks. It feels SCRIPTED, PLANNED, PRE-DESTINED or however you want to categorize it. It just doesn’t feel like the sport I used to know, enjoy and get excited to see.

OK - so I’ll go to Daytona. I’m going to enjoy Texas this weekend because that track is always a blast - the PEOPLE there really just know how to watch a race. So no matter who wins or how frustrated I am with NASCAR I’m going to have a good time and bring some pics back for the CarRacing.com galleries. Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Clint Bowyer claimed his first NASCAR Nationwide Series victory of the season and the seventh of his career in Friday night’s Subway Jalapeno 250 at Daytona International Speedway.

Bowyer also delivered the first victory of the season for beleaguered Richard Childress Racing, which has suffered cutbacks from Chevrolet in the wake of General Motors’ reorganization under bankruptcy.

Bowyer had just taken the white flag during an attempt at a green-white-checkered finish that took the race two laps past its scheduled 100 laps when a six-car wreck froze the field under caution and made a winner of the 2008 series champion, who is running a partial schedule this year.

Kyle Busch was second when the yellow flew and extended his lead in the series standings to 172 points over third-place finisher Carl Edwards. Joey Logano, Busch’s teammate, came home fourth, with Kasey Kahne in fifth.

Brad Keselowski, Brian Vickers, rookie Justin Allgaier, David Ragan and Kevin Harvick completed the top 10.

Oddly enough, one of my biggest complaints about California’s Auto Club Speedway in Fontana is now the ONLY REASON I would even consider going to next week’s NASCAR race: Hollywood. Well, sort of. Hugh Laurie, star of Fox’s “House” will be the Grand Marshall of the Auto Club 500 next Sunday, according to a press release I just received from NASCAR. Seriously, this guy is one helluva an actor and definitely someone I would be happy to meet, but even Dr. Gregory House can’t get me and my family to want to go back to that track…

On our way to Daytona now for the weekend - just taking in the weekend races and missing out on the big hype up to the main event. Should be a great weekend - if the rain holds off. And with no sea lions, California freeway traffic or the CHP directing us home via the mean streets of Rialto, we should have a much better time even after dealing with a bad flight from SoCal into Dallas this morning.

Looking forward to Daytona - and looking forward to watching the California race on DirecTV from the comfort of our own living room where sodas don’t cost $5/each and I can get a whole six pack for what they charge for one beer at the track!

We posted the press release from NASCAR a few days ago on our sister site, CarRacing.com, and we find out today via a Sports Illustrated article/interview that the drivers are NOT very pleased with the changes planned for the 2009 Budweiser Shootout at Daytona.

According to the SI article, Dale Earnhardt Jr. doesn’t like it - but then again we know that he likes it “old school,” therefore any change probably isn’t seen as good change to Jr. Tony Stewart likes it because of the wild card situation that is allowing him to return to the race in a Chevy after his transition over from JGR and Toyota. Jimmie Johnson is just happy to be in it and Matt Kenseth seemed to be confused by the question, talking instead about how happy he is in the changes to testing. Hmmmmm….

Anyway, fans are not happy either - and in NASCAR they rarely are these days. Too many changes, frustrations and major growing pains abound in a sport that saw a huge rise in popularity among mainstreamers only to be “let down” and left behind when they moved on to the “next big thing.” It’s time to get back to racin’ folks and forget about all those trendy, bygone fans… the real fans are still here waiting to see what you do next - and will be here to cheer (or boo) you the whole way!