CONCORD, N.H. - Another edition of The Backstretch's semi-regular concoction, brewed of the meatiest newsworthy items, opinions and meaningless meanderings down some paths that might not have anything to do with racing. Strap in for the ride.
Bienvenue, we're here dude, ...?
Ah yes, back in beautiful Concord, N.H. for another spectacular jamboree of racing excitement at New Hampshire Motor Speedway with NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Sylvania 300 weekend upon us.
Wait, did we say New Hampshire?
Sorry about that, it's actually South Canada, well, at least that's what Speedway Motorsports Inc. chairman Bruton Smith has told us.
With glowing hearts, we see thee rise; The true north, strong and free ...
And yes, it was an interesting an eventful trip across the border on this glorious evening.
First it was the pit stop for fuel in Sturbridge, Mass. We wondered why there were police standing next to the car at the pump next to us. Then we saw the flowing creek making its way down the pavement away from the SUV.
Seems that old gas cap jammed into the pump trigger trick worked a little too good for the SUV driver while he was in the store. Word we heard was Mr. SUV driver was about 12 gallons too late on returning to his ride after the shut off didn't engage.
And there we were, happily pumping away a few feet away from the explosion waiting to happen. Oops.
Then we got a vocabulary lesson at the I-93 toll booth coming into Concord. That's what happens when you hand the guy in the booth a $20 bill for a $1 toll, you're?pay for a story. ?
"Another case of ATM-itis," toll booth guy said. "Everybody realizes they don't have money for the toll, so they stop at the ATM and get a twenty."
For the record, I had the $20 bill well before I even embarked on the trip. And no, I didn't tell him that I had four quarters sitting in the console, I just wanted some change for the $20 bill.
Let Sylvania 300 weekend begin !
-- Have to imagine Keith Rocco is going to get cold sweats next time he rolls up alongside any competitors named "Todd" on the track.
With the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series national championship on the line last week, one night it's Todd Owen sending him into a spin cycle at Stafford Motor Speedway, next night it's Todd Ceravolo helping him to get to know the turn one wall very well at the Waterford Speedbowl.
Give Rocco credit, he definitely went down swinging in trying to win a second consecutive NASCAR Whelen All-American Series national championship. Second, first and second in the nation over three consecutive years, and five consecutive years in the top-four nationally, not too shabby for the Wallingford driver. ?
-- Pet peeve time. Ok, here's the deal folks, not sure how many times we have to go over this, but, the people getting off the elevator have the right of way. If you're entering the elevator, you kindly yield until the folks exiting fully disembark from the ride.
Walked off the elevator tonight at the hotel to crash into Johnny Rush A Bunch in a hurry to get back to his room. And get this, after giving me the open ice, head down, blind shoulder check, he then offered me the totally sarcastic "Excuse me."
Seriously folks, it's simple manners, it's not complicated.
-- You can talk about conspiracies, politics and inconsistent officiating and all that mumbo jumbo all day long, but the fact is, Steve Masse jumped the restart of the Whelen Southern Modified Tour event at Thompson International Speedway on Sept. 11. ?
Enough said.
-- We nearly drove off the road from laughing too hard Saturday on the way to Lime Rock Park in Salisbury when we heard Sirius NASCAR Radio host Pat Patterson taking about the controversy that swirled concerning Sprint Cup Series driver Paul Menard following the race at Richmond International Raceway on Sept. 10.
After the event, thanks to some suspect team radio communications, there was much speculation that Menard spun on purpose to bring out a caution to help Richard Childress Racing teammate and eventual race winner Kevin Harvick.
But it was Patterson who got up on his soapbox on the Sirius airwaves and basically insisted that Menard would have never been involved with team orders to manipulate an event because the black mark it would leave on his career would be too much to bear.
Are you serious? Let's get this straight, you're saying someone in racing wouldn't cheat because of the black mark it would leave on their career? All due respect Mr. Patterson, but you have heard of a guy named Chad Knaus right? Boy, those suspensions for cheating have truly ruined his career now haven't they?
-- And while on the topic, big credit to Kyle Petty for going on the SPEED pre-race show Sunday and basically saying that team orders do happen and that it's hardly anything new.
We have to say this, more and more we're falling in love with Petty's brand of brazenly honest analysis.
In a sport where too many of the talking heads week after week come across as sugar coating lemmings living in fear of getting on the bad side of NASCAR chairman Brian France, Petty has become a breath of fresh air, seemingly never afraid to speak the truth no matter who it might annoy in the big offices in Daytona.
Maybe it's where Petty has come from and what he has lived that makes him fearless of repercussion for being too honest. Remember, it's a sport that took away his son Adam way too early, can't imagine there's anything more they can take away from the man that could hurt more than that.
-- Thanks to the 80's on 8 on Sirius we started the week with Oran Juice Jones singing "The Rain" stuck in our head for two days.
Now it's Jason Aldean's "Dirt Road Anthem" haunting us in the head.
"Yeah I'm chilling on a dirt road, laid back swerving like I'm George Jones .... "
-- Hey, so maybe Tony Stewart will be in a good mood this weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway after opening the Sprint Cup Series Chase for the Championship with a victory Monday at Chicagoland Speedway.
Wait, what are we thinking? Tony Stewart in a good mood? Probably not gonna happen.
-- We're going to go out on a limb here and say, of Todd Szegedy, Ron Silk and Rowan Pennink, the one that finishes highest Saturday in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour New England 100 will win this year's championship.
Hey Pennink, get the electricity turned back on and get back in this power play for the title. Pennink, you have the volts to do it, turn the lights on, gets the wattage flowing and electrify this championship chase.
A little inside message there, yeah, he'll get it.
-- Wal-Mart in Concord, N.H. needs a bigger sign. Just sayin'.
-- Remember that great battle between Ed Puleo and Al Stone III for the Street Stock championship at the Waterford Speedbowl that lasted most of this season.
Wait, what happened?
Oh, Shawn Monahan happened.
Thompson International Speedway's Limited Sportsman division loss has turned into Stone's worst nightmare over the last two weeks.
Mr. Stone, meet Mr. Monahan. Oh wait, we see you've already met, on the track.
-- Chasing the rumors of change swirling concerning the 2012 driver changes or team closings on the Whelen Modified Tour is like chasing gnats in the moonlight. They just keep coming and it seems impossible to corner any of them.
-- Jimmy Spencer returns to the TV booth for SPEED's coverage Saturday of the Whelen Modified Tour at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Just saying, it should be fun.
Here's a drinking game for those out there that will be watching the broadcast. Have a shot every time Spencer butchers the last name of a driver on the broadcast during the event, and then, don't make any plans for Saturday evening other than being face down on the floor.
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Source: http://blogs.courant.com/autoracing/2011/09/short-pitting-rocking-the-late.html
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