Herd racing at Nashville April 3

In a one–race deal with Herd Racing, DuVita corporation will sponsor the #75 Chevy Impala driven by Brett Rowe in the NASCAR Nationwide Series April 3 at Nashville Superspeedway.

Nice job for Dana Tomes and the Herd team. DuVita is based in the Nashville area, and the car will boast it’s logo for the race. DuVita is a home-based business opportunity for direct marketing of dietary supplements.

Other partners for that race are Ponderosa Steakhouse in Lebanon, Tenn., will host a fan appreciation event for Herd Racing from 5 to 7 p.m. April 1 at the restaurant.
The Ponderosa will also cater for the team at the track that Friday and Saturday of race weekend.

While in Tennessee, the Holiday Inn Express in downtown Nashville is the official lodging partner for the team. Brett will be in the hotel lobby from 9 to 10 p.m. on April 2 for autographs and photos.

The car was unveiled Tuesday in Huntington by the team and its sponsor.

Brett goes into Nashville in 66th place in the NNS, but remember, he’s not made a start yet this season. He will have to race his way into the field.

Here are a few shots of the car, Brett, DuVita owners Amber McAdams and Nelson Crowe II, and a fun challenge for the fans, being the tire changer. Dana kept ducking the cameras. The silent man behind the scenes? Yep.

Winners and losers, on and off the track

Jimmie Johnson, front, crosses the finish line in front of Tony Stewart, center, and Kurt Busch, back, to win the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series' Food City 500 auto race at Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tenn., Sunday, March 21, 2010. (AP Photo/Wade Payne)
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A poll at MRN’s Web site asked if another Jimmie Johnson win diminished your interest in NASCAR. Of the respondents, 64 percent said yes.

Well, yes, yes it does. Although I thought (hoped and prayed) Smoke would keep the lead Sunday, he gave pretty-boy an opening. He took it and the win.

Tony was pretty gracious in post race interviews. But Kurt Busch, well, he probably said it best. There are drivers out there who probably feel the same way, but just haven’t spoken it out.

“There are 41 drivers out there I’d rather lose to than Jimmie Johnson.”

There you have it folks. Even drivers are tired of Jimmie’s winning ways.

And as an aside, what’s up with the beard? Has Rick Hendrick gone soft on good grooming? We expect a scruffy Dale Jr. What’s next, Jeff Gordon with a beard? Remember when he had a fuzzy lip? Looked a bit forced and didn’t last a long time. Like JJ’s beard, it just didn’t look right.

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Can we go back to the Cousin Carl fracas? Is he on ‘roids or something? Temper, temper Carl. Anger doesn’t become you. Now he whines the other drivers are like little schoolgirls, talking and whispering behind his back.

DUH! Everyone talks about the schoolyard bully behind his back. Yes, I said bully. That’s what he seems to have turned in to for the last couple years. He started out as a nice guy with his mommy at all his races. This is what he's become.


Remember this? Kevin Harvick (left) and Carl Edwards scuffle in the garage area at Charlotte Motor Speedway in 2008. Photo by Nascar Illustrated.

Man up. Take responsibilities for your actions. Certainly every time you’ve bumped a car it wasn’t someone else’s fault. Every time you’ve yelled at, pushed, shoved, pulled a punch or tried to strangle another competitor, can’t be someone else’s fault. Oh, it’s NEVER you, it’s always. . .insert a name here. Any name. Heck, MY name.

You know, even Tony Stewart took responsibility for his misdeeds and run-ins in the past, and went for anger management.

If Jack Roush hasn’t considered sending you for help with anger issues, maybe he should. Or, maybe you and the family should talk it over and consider it without a recommendation from the boss or your sponsors. Just like Home Depot, eventually they’ll tire of this sort of attention.

I know I’m tired of watching you bully everyone. Seriously, grow up.

Over the line?

I'm all for good, hard racing. And bumping is just a part of it.

HOWEVER...

You can take the intentional "love tap" too far, and Carl Edwards did just that Sunday in Atlanta. Yes, let the other guy know you didn't appreciate his bump but don't take him out when he's racing in the top 10 and you're running, oh, I don't know, 150 laps down!

Last May, in conversation with Robin Pemberton, NASCAR's vice president of competition, he said he could tell a driver's intentions during an incident. There are so many cameras in, on and around the cars, you can see it in their eyes, Robin said.

Well, not only did the veep see Cousin Carl's intent, but so did the entire FOX viewing audience.

In a similar battle last season, Carl and Kyle Busch had a tet-a-tet on-track. I don't recall the race but it was during the waning laps for the win as Mr. Fitness took out the Vegas Kid.

I'll admit to a chuckle or two when asked post race about that one as Carl said yes, yes I hit him. If the situation was turned around, he (Kyle) would have done the same thing. Edwards has also wrecked his own teammates. Just how stupid is that? And how costly to Roush-Fenway in terms of money and morale? Do you think his teammates trust him to have their backs or help them during races?

Carl obviously knows his anger is showing because he admits to his deeds.

And we talk about Tony Stewart's temper? Well, OK, Tony's temper is pretty famous, smacking tape recorders and cameras from reporters' hands. But how long before Carl Edwards takes that next step? Although he said it was all in jest and fun last season, he drew back a fist on teammate Matt Kenseth, if you recall. Matt didn't seem to think Carl was joking in the least.

I'm not suggesting for one minute to stop bumping and banging, but use the gray matter inside your skull. Realize the futility of some retaliations at that moment and just be patient.

Or, just wail on each other as soon as you get out of the car. What the heck, get the pit crews involved, too. Although, #99 versus anyone in a physical fight probably isn't exactly a fair fight. (Note to any opponent, don't take off your helmet.)

Now the question for NASCAR is, since you said let 'em have at it on the track, how far is too far and where are you going to draw that line? Was this the extreme? Or just the front end of the infraction? You have set a standard for punishment, so what about the next guy and what if Edwards does it again? A three-race probation for this incident? Is that severe enough, or is it merely a tap on the hand?

Just think everyone, Bristol is the next race on the schedule. Oughta be a good one.

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