The punishments for these “infractions” that were discovered at Lowe’s Motor Speedway last weekend, is the most severe that I have ever heard. Do they fit the crime? I don’t know. Are they going to hurt Haas-CNC more than if it was Gibbs, Hendrick, Ganassi, Rousch, or Childress? Hell Yes!!!!!

According to NASCAR.com the punishments are as follows:

• Riggs (66) and Sauter(70) docked 150 points
• Both Car owners docked 150 owner points
• The Crew Chief and the car chief of each team are suspended from the next 6 races and form NAsCAR until July 9 and on probation until Dec 31.
• Both crew chiefs were fined $100,000 each.
• Both of the cars in question have been confiscated by NASCAR.

Concerning this “infraction”, the 66 crew chief Bootie Barker, told ESPN that he had been running all season the same wing mount setup on the car that was confiscated.

In the same ESPN article John Darby stated that “All I know is the mounts were not in the same place as they were Thursday morning when they went through inspection”.

I don’t know what happened and I don’t really care. I do care about the image of NASCAR and I think this could bring a lot of motives in question. Why so hard on the little guys? It is all ready hard enough to compete with the larger, richer, and more powerful teams. Are you trying to manipulate the system and get a good old boy in the top 35 by taking an extreme position against this team? Maybe some disclosure would be good this time.

The Hoops were playing Real Salt Lake, who had beaten them a few weeks before. FC Dallas had just fired the coach and this was the new guys first game. The first half was not very exciting other than the yello and eventually red cards that were issued. The ref issued an early yellow to a RSL player and then later on in the half issued him another and it seemed as though initially he did not realize it was the same player. So out comes the red card and off he goes. I asked my buds if there is a tendency to have “make-up” calls like in the NBA. And before they could really decide if it would happen, it did. An FC Dallas player decided that his elbow needed to occupy the same space as the RSL players face during a interesting discussion and then off he went.

At the half it was 0-0. Not really big scoring chances for either team but I was enjoying the atmosphere. There ware a few groups of very loud fans in several sections of the stands. The section in the end zone behind the goal was very interesting. We got a laugh when we saw a guy in a kilt. One of my friends is from Scotland and he loved the fact that he had a cowboy hat on as well. it was very funny. the second half started similarly to the first until Real finally scored. They made our goalie look silly. FC Dallas played a bit more aggressive but it was obvious that the heat was getting to all of them. The Hoops tide it up with about 8 minutes left in regulation and we were hoping not to see a draw. At the same time they were announcing that 3 minutes would be added, a great break away goal for FC Dallas at the 90 minute mark gave us the lead and the win 2-1.

I came away from the game with a few insights:

1. The venue is really nice. Plenty of room to get around and you can get down close to the field if you want.
2. The crowd was passionate but pleasant. Not many cuss words but a lot of yelling.
3. The game was a little more exciting than I had hoped for. I had a completely open mind and came away very satisfied.
4. The presentation is not as intense as the NBA, MLB, of the NFL but it was good enough to keep you informed and involved.

I will probably pay more attention to them now and my interest in soccer/football has increase after last week’s games in UEFA and here in Dallas. I wouldn’t say I was getting to be a hard core fan but I am less of a casual fan than I before going to the game.

NASCAR is bringing the teams in line with a memo that was sent out. The best way I have heard it described is quoted in the article from Sprint Cup Series Director, John Darby:

“The best way to describe it is a hook and ladder fire truck,” series director John Darby said on Friday at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. “You’re going straight down the road and that guy in the back turns the wheel to the right and the back of the fire truck goes over to the right. That’s essentially what’s going on.”

Darby said teams have been adjusting the rear end in excess of two degrees. NASCAR limited the adjustment to one degree.

This isn’t a real change, it is an enforcement of the existing rules. But in the past NASCAR will start making interpretations and tweaks to keep one team or owners from capitalizing on something they found that increases performance beyond the others. I hope they don’t get any further involved in this but I am not holding my breath.

1. The owners opting out of the CBA gives the league 2 very notable options. The aspect of a salary cap free season and the complete stoppage of play either by strike or lockout. i am not saying this will happen, but it gives the sides the chance to start working on the new deal a lot sooner. The fact that a season may not be limited by a salary cap makes me think that the owners are ready to spend a lot of money. I think they are growing tired of the teams who have mastered the ins and outs of the current cap.
2. They have a serious image problem. The thugs are starting to annoy me. A group of self-centered, money-grubbing, cry babies who want a new deal every year need to be put in check. If they need to go to only 1 year deals and performance based pay so be it but get it under control.
3. The game is not always the focus anymore. The game itself is fantastic. The celebrity and rumors and spygate and police blotter need not be the issue that gets talked about all the time. Maybe the coverage needs to be scaled back a little.

The NFL is a very popular and profitable product that is in good shape. They are dangerously close to the point of implosion though. Get the CBA done, start contolling you players and your image, and remeber the game is the draw and the ship will stay on course. The iceburg is out there so be vigilant.

1. The All-Star Game Fiasco, in his home park none the less. Baseball games DO NOT END IN A TIE!!!!! YOU F’ING DORK!!!!! I don’t care that it is an exhibition. If you paid the huge price to watch that thing live, and then it ends in a tie because we can’t stress the player and risk injury. SHUT UP!!!! PLAY THE DAMN GAME TIL THERE IS A WINNER. Than his brilliant solution to this is:
2. This time, it means something. Are you kidding me. His brainstorm of making the All Star game determine home field in the World Series. What a crappy idea. Why not have regular season, on the field wins and losses determine that.
3. The special memorabilia driven whoring of the league. Special colored and serialized baseballs so you can authenticated the item, talk about pandering to the money.
4. The worst is this. He canceled the World Series. Prior to that it had only been because of a small thing called World War 2.

Interleague Play - this is an issue that I think needs to be discussed on its own. I do not like it anymore. Boob Selig trying to force “natural rivals” has no clue about rivalries at all. rivalries cannot be forced, they just happen. And the ones you are trying to force don’t make much sense. Seattle and San Diego? Marlins and Rays? Come on. Yankees v Dodgers is more of a rivalry than Yanks v Mets. I know they are inter city and all but how about some history and thought around this. The blatent attempt to get more people in the seats and make more money is so much of a beating I can’t look past it anymore. The joy of only playing the other league in the World Series gave it some flair and the element of surprise. I don’t want to see American league pitchers bat. That is why they are in the American League, they don’t hit.

Finally, the sweetest words that can be uttered concerning baseball:

THE NEW YORK YANKEES ARE IN LAST PLACE!!!!!!!!!

The glitz and glamour were there. The appreciation for all the team members was there. The raising of money for charity was the. The one thing missing, and for an All-Star race I am glad it was, was contreversy. there will be plenty to go around for the rest of the season so for 1 weekend it looked like a good old fasioned company picnic with about 100,000 freinds and family. Every driver seemed to be enjoying himself and that was refreshing.

Coming up this weekend is the greatest racing day of the year. If you can afford to sit down and take it all in the Indy 500 is early in the day and the Coca-Cola 600 is later in the evening. From the Hauler to the track is scheduled to go on at its normal time regardless of the status of the race so come and join us as we try and give you are take and not suck.

Hearing that Eric Gagne has deemed himself capable of closing games for the Brewers, I could only think of one thing, do I want a closer who has any doubt if he can close a game on my roster? No, I do not! I watch his rehab stint here in Texas and at times he looked OK to good. At other times he look like a server at a meatball restaurant. He was delivering gravy covered meat for hitters in the Ballpark in Arlington that had teams drooling for them in the 7th and 8th innings. He got his chance to with the Red Sox late in the season with a deadline deal that brought the Rangers Kason Gabard and an Almond Joy. As I recall, he didn’t do any better there. As a matter of fact I think he tried to blow a significant lead and then never saw the mound again.

This season I heard he was stepping in as the closer by default after Turnbow lost it in Milwaukee, or Millie - Walk- ay, and I flinched a little and hoped for their sakes things had changed. Well, no they haven’t. I think the Brewers have 2 options for Gagne.

1. Package him with some office furniture or some beer and brats and get something for him now before he blows up even worse.
2. Send him to the Minors. Any level where he can find success and slowly increase the challenge to see if he has the stomach for the fight. the last thing I want is a mind-job on the mound trying to close out games for me.

I may be a little bit harsh and I do not follow the Brewers regularly, but when I read this story I could help but think that he needs to get his mind right and, unfortunatly, a contending major league team does not have the luxury of waiting it out. The Rangers did because they were not in contention, the Red Sox were and as soon as he blew up they sat him and then let him leave at the end of the season. I just can’t stand closers with no guts. Shut up and pitch or get the heck out of town.

From a racing perspective, I liked it with some very notable exceptions. I never really like races that a clear cut leader just runs away with it. Kyle Busch took over and ran away with the lead with about 100 laps to go and never gave it up. The most entertaining thing for me was watching Tony try to get his laps back after being taken out early by Elliot Sadler. This is where i begin to have problems with the track. Darlington is a very unique track. It is egg shaped for one. Meaning that turns 1 and 2 are different form 3 and 4, keeping the drivers on there toes. The main thing that I was bothered by was the extreme difficulty in passing. At one spot on the track it is 26 feet wide. You are trying to put a car that is going nearly 200 mph, trying to stay out of the wall, get around another car going about 200 while not getting passed by the guy behind you on a peice of pavement 26 feet wide. Just a tad bit difficult.

The huge apron that they have there needs to be fixed. There is plenty of real estate to race on down there. They need to put in the progressive banking like at ther tracks to keep cars from being shot up the track if they get to for down on the apron. That is what happened to Elliot Sadler and he had no chance to save it. Tony did a great job of racing in order to be the 1st car a lap down after getting tore up on lap 3.

I am hopeful that the track or the ires will start to lose a little grip. Darlington stripes were plentiful. I think that has more to do with the fact that the speeds were much faster and the new car rather than chasing the car around the corners. The long green flag run can be attributed to that as well. after running 58-62 laps you would think it would be relatively hard to hang onto the cars but not on Saturday. The track had huge amounts of grip and the tires gave up very little so you get few cautions and a spread out field.

Getting through traffic also seemed very difficult. If it wasn’t for spotters telling their drivers when the leader was trying ot get around I think you would have had a huge traffic jam. The only passing that was uneventful was when the car getting passed let up to let the passer by. The racing was lacking in that respect.

All in all, I enjoyed the race. The winner was one of my boys, Kyle Busch, and he didn’t throw anybody under the bus after the race. For more on this check out our show on Ustream - From the Hauler to the Track or now thanks to Cris Roberts and Nosebleedradio you can subscribe and download the show to you IPod or MP3 player of choice - From the Hauler to The Track.

My brother, Andy, had a very large rant on our last show (From the Hauler to the Track) about Kyle and how he is tearing up race cars all over the place. He is an aggressive driver and that, to his detriment, is his driving style. His actions outside of the car are deplorable. He needs to have a “come to Jesus meeting” with the coach and learn how to not be a snot nose little brat whenever something good or bad happens around him. He has caused a lot of damage and he has been bumped and spun and everything else, but that is what racing with the big boys is all about.

On the show I tried to make the point that Kyle drives live Dale Sr. I was summarily dismissed by my co-hosts and I retreated, but, than I Run across this headline:

Right or wrong, it’s good to havebad boy Busch here

Busch’s aggressiveness reminiscent of Junior’s father

Now, I am not looking for some kind of atta-boy, or anything like that. I am trying to point out is that the void in NASCAR that the article points out was filled very nicely by the Intimidator. Something that the Jr. nation has either forgot, or is ignoring. Dale Sr. was probably the most aggressive NASCAR driver in recent history. I don’t have the knowledge base of comparing him to the King or any of those guys from way back, but his style of driver to win every race is what brought me to love the sport. I didn’t like him very much, but he was an Icon at the time and I recognize that. Even my boy, Tony Stewart, has calmed down to a point were I wish somebody would get under his skin and get him to drive with the fire he used to have. I am not saying the desire is gone but the emphasis on sponsors and points is driving it away.

The passion is what NASCAR fans and drivers thrive on. It is an adrenaline filled sport and if you don’t have desire for the fight and passion for winning you are going to get run over. It is good to have someone to root against just as hard as you root for your guy. Just remember, the good guy today may have been the bad guy not too long ago.