Posted on 03/25/2014 7:15:39 PM PDT by ican'tbelieveit
took a LOT of searching but, yes it's a Blackhawk III, the last cat Elvis ever drove...
Fur lined trunk included.
The prize:...
Sir Chode gets to be the FR Flag Master at...
MARTINSVILLE FOR BOTH TRUCKS AND CUP THIS WEEKEND!
I'll send Ya the HTML Fast Pack Posting info, including the New FR NASCAR “Flat ‘Tar Yeller Flag” debuted at the end of the Kookafornia race with the Technical Assistance of Our own SgtBob.
He-He that one backfired on Ya;)!
Thank you so much! I have a bad habit of falling asleep about 5 minutes after the green flag and waking up if a I hear “trouble” or the excitement as the race nears the end...
Lt. Gen. Mc. Inerney
lol congrats!!!
sorry, but, i simply confirmed GBA's observation... so the honor is his!!!
Hamlin cleared to return at Martinsville:
Joe Gibbs Racing driver #11-Denny Hamlin will race this weekend at Martinsville Speedway after NASCAR received official confirmation from his doctors that he has been medically cleared to return to regular racing activities. Hamlin first visited the infield care center at Auto Club Speedway Saturday night bothered with an irritation in his eye. He returned to the infield care center again on Sunday morning because his condition had worsened. It was at this time that it was determined by the medical team onsite that he would not be allowed to race due to a sinus infection that was impacting his vision. The doctors at the infield care center referred him to the local hospital for further evaluation. During the evaluation at the hospital a small piece of metal was also found to be in Hamlin’s eye. Doctors were able to remove the sliver of metal and Hamlin felt immediate improvement to his condition. A CT Scan did not find any other complications and thus it is believed that the metal was actually the source of Hamlin’s vision issues. He was released from the hospital Sunday afternoon and was given the doctor’s approval to fly home. Hamlin was then evaluated by a doctor in the Charlotte area on Monday and was sent home to rest. He was instructed to return Wednesday for a follow-up examination. Following today’s examination, his doctors provided the necessary approval for Hamlin to resume all racing activity without restriction. NASCAR has received official confirmation from his doctors clearing him to resume racing this weekend at Martinsville Speedway.(Joe Gibbs Racing)(3-26-2014)
Congrats to the Kenseths:
Joe Gibbs Racing’s driver of the #20 Toyota, Matt Kenseth, and his wife Katie welcomed a new bundle of joy Tuesday evening with the birth of the couple’s third daughter. Clara Mae Kenseth was born March 25 at 7:39pm/et weighing in at eight pounds and five ounces. Both mother and daughter are doing well as the family enjoys the latest addition who joins the couple’s other daughters Kaylin and Grace, along with their son Ross. Kenseth will be able to spend a few days at home with his brand new baby girl before traveling to nearby Martinsville, Virginia for this weekend’s STP 500 Sprint Cup Series event at the Martinsville Speedway.(JGR)(3-26-2014)
Y’All can split duty based on the common sense of “gotta refill the Adult Beverage/drain the bladder plan”
????
CRAP!!! This week is not good for the NASCAR world.
For those that don’t know- I lost My 2nd Wife to this “C”rap!
I HATE IT!
Why can’t the scumbag politicians get this and go away?
I’ve lost 4 Family/Friends in the last 10 years to this.
/rant
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Shawna Robinson diagnosed with breast cancer:
Former NASCAR driver Shawna Robinson, the first woman to win a pole in what is now the Nationwide Series, has been diagnosed with breast cancer. Robinson, who now works in interior design and is creator and owner of Happy Chair which restores old chairs, announced on her Facebook page this week that she would begin five to six months of chemotherapy and then require surgery. Here is her entire post:
“I’m getting ready to start a new journey that was unexpected but I am prepared to take it on as I would any challenge ..with direction and strength. I have breast cancer...when they tell you you have cancer you don’t hear the rest you just see talking and you seem to be there but your not hearing the words. But it is real, start Chemo next week for 5-6 months then surgery....there is such progress in cancer treatment.....still scared but prepared for battle. Thankful for the family and friends....I’m blessed to have....ready to go wide open and get this thing!!!”(Charlotte Observer)(3-27-2014)
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Shawna,
Good Luck and Prayers to You and Family, Medical Team.
prayers up...
Another wet NASCAR weekend?
The National Weather Service calls for the possibility of wet weather at Martinsville Speedway Friday and Saturday, although Sunday’s forecast looks good. The current forecast:
Friday: Showers, mainly after 11:00am. High near 61. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch.
Friday Night: Showers. Low around 51. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.
Saturday: Showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 2:00pm. High near 62. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 60.
30th anniversary of Hendrick’s first win:
30TH ANNIVERSARY: In 2014, Hendrick Motorsports is celebrating its 30th anniversary in NASCAR. The organization began in 1984 with five employees and 5,000 square feet of work space. It has grown to more than 500 employees with a 430,000-square-foot facility that sits on 140 acres. Driver Geoff Bodine won the Martinsville Speedway spring race on April 29, 1984, marking Hendrick Motorsports’ first victory in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.
Track Specifications:
Track Size: 0.526 Mile
Race: 500 laps, 263 miles
Degree of Banking: Turns: 12 degrees
Straightaways: Banking: 0 degrees(flat)
Straights: 800 feet
Backstretch: 800 feet
Grandstand Seating: 61,000
Pit Stalls: 43 pits, 14-feet wide by 28-feet long
Speed Limits: Pit Road, 30 mph; Pace Car, 35 mph
Opened: 1947
Race Festivities/Officials:
Grand Marshal: Dale Inman
Command to start engines: TBA
Honorary Starter/Wave Green Flag: Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe
Invocation: TBA
National Anthem: Virginia Army National Guard’s 29th Army Band
Flyover: TBA
EVENT SCHEDULE
(Sprint Cup Series)
Times are local to the Track
Thursday, March 20
6:00 pm NSCS haulers enter infield
Friday, March 21
6:30 am NSCS garage opens
12:00 - 1:30 pm NSCS practice
4:40 pm NSCS qualifying
6:30 pm Garage closes
Saturday, March 29
8:30 am NSCS garage opens
10:00 - 10:55 am NSCS practice
1:00 - 1:50 pm NSCS practice
5:00 pm NSCS garage closes
Sunday, March 30
7:00 am NSCS garage opens
9:15 am Martinsville Speedway track walk
11:00 am Driver, crew chief meeting
12:30 pm Driver introductions
1:00 pm STP 500 NSCS race
NSCS = Sprint Cup Series
SUBJECT TO CHANGE
All times above are listed in LOCAL Time
PRACTICE & QUALIFYING
Dates / Times / TV coverage
(times in eastern time)
Practices:
Friday, March 28, 12:00 - 1:30 pm/et, TV-FS1
Saturday, March 29, 10:00 am - 10:55 pm/et, TV-FS1
Happy Hour ‘Final’ practice: Saturday, March 29, 1:00 - 1:50pm/et, TV-FS2
Qualifying: groups for positions 1-36, Friday, March 28 at 4:40 pm/et, TV-FS1, no re-air scheduled.
Goodyear Tires Notes / Fast Facts
Tire: Goodyear Eagle Short Track Radials
Set limits:
Sprint Cup: 5 sets for practice/qualifying, and 11 sets for the race;
Camping World Truck: 5 sets for the event, with an additional 2 sets for “extra” practice time on schedule
Tire Codes:
Left-side — D-4588; Right-side — D-4590
Tire Circumference:
Left-side — 87.5 in. (2,222 mm);
Right-side — 88.6 in. (2,250 mm)
Technical Inspection Inflation:
Left Front — 25 psi; Left Rear — 25 psi
Right Front — 25 psi; Right Rear — 25 psi
Minimum Recommended Inflation:
Left Front — 10 psi; Left Rear — 10 psi;
Right Front — 23 psi; Right Rear — 22 psi
Notes: Teams in both the NASCAR Sprint Cup and Camping World Truck Series will run the same Goodyear tire codes at Martinsville this weekend . . . this is the same combination of left- and right-side tires that these teams ran twice each at this track last season . . . Martinsville is the only track at which NASCAR teams run this left-side tire code (D-4588) . . . this right-side tire code (D-4590) was run on all four tire positions by NASCAR teams on all road courses in 2013 . . . as on most NASCAR ovals one mile or less in length, teams will not run inner liners in their tires at Martinsville.
NASCAR Unveils Air Titan 2.0:
NASCAR introduced an evolution in innovation - the results of which will continue to elevate a fan’s race-viewing experience to an even greater level. The Toyota-hauled next generation of Air Titan, the cutting-edge track-drying technology, made its race weekend debut at Martinsville Speedway today.
Air Titan 2.0 is a more compact, more nimble and more environmentally friendly version of its innovative predecessor - one that since its introduction in February 2013 has rescued multiple races, including this year’s Daytona 500. Air Titan 2.0 signals a major step forward in NASCAR’s innovation cycle.
It replaces the bulky support vehicles required by Air Titan 1.0 with a single, self-contained unit that’s perched on the bed of a Toyota Tundra. By addressing the size of the power source, NASCAR now has the ability to deploy up to 21 units in Toyota Tundras at larger venues and operate more efficiently on smaller tracks.
The Air Titan 2.0 more than triples the blade capacity of the original version and deliver 2.6 times more air volume at a speed of 568 mph, while raising the air temperature by 70 degrees over ambient.
With the combination of water removal and accelerated evaporation, the ultimate goal is to reduce track-drying time by 80 percent. Air Titan 2.0 will consume nearly 80 percent less fuel and emit 80 percent less carbon dioxides. Air Titan 2.0 works in conjunction with the Eco-Infused Elgin Track Vacuum/Sweeper and existing jet dryers. In coordination with the roll out of the Air Titan 2.0, Elgin has now become the Official Sweeper of NASCAR Green.(NASCAR)(3-29-2014)
Teams honor Lynda Petty at Martinsville:
As the Petty family remembers the life of Lynda Petty on Friday, the NASCAR community is paying respect to the long-time wife of Richard Petty, who lost her life on Tuesday. For this weekend’s race at Martinsville Speedway, Richard Petty Motorsports handed out commemorative stickers honoring Lynda to all the teams in the garage to place on their cars if they choose. Along with the commemorative stickers, the team has developed the hashtag #WinForMissLynda and hope to get it trending on Twitter. RPM also has Petty blue ribbons available in the garage for those that would like to remember the ‘First Lady of NASCAR.’ While Richard Petty will not be at the track this weekend, Martinsville Speedway is will honor the Petty family with NASCAR Hall of Fame member Dale Inman serving as grand marshal for Sunday’s race. ‘The King’ was scheduled to fill that role before Lynda’s passing earlier this week. Aric Almirola’s crew chief Trent Owens, nephew of Richard and Lynda Petty, will not be at the track on Friday, but is scheduled to return for Sunday’s race. In an almost fitting course of events, Sunday’s race at Martinsville is the STP 500, and the #43 team is running a throwback paint scheme similar to the one run by Richard Petty in his final years in the sport.(FoxSports)(3-28-2014)
Hamlin discusses issue with eye at Fontana:
Friday at Martinsville Speedway, #11-Denny Hamlin talked about the series of events that caused him to set out the race at Auto Club Speedway:
“I literally thought on Friday that I was starting to get a sty. It happened sometime during practice whether it came in through the car or through the air conditioning unit through the helmet — something, it came in through somewhere, but I don’t remember the exact time when it happened. Friday evening I definitely felt an agitation right in the corner to my upper eyelid so I thought I was getting a sty because it just felt like one. Then Saturday, I woke up and it was a little worse. I ran through practice and vision was fine, but just a lot of watering and I didn’t see any swelling of the eyelid so I knew it wasn’t a sty at that point. I didn’t go to the infield care center until late on Saturday. Me and my girlfriend went to the mall — we were shopping around and it was bothering me so much that I contacted one of the NASCAR liaisons and asked if anyone was still at the infield care center. They said they would wait on me so they waited on me. They looked at it, they dyed it, they put it under a black light — didn’t see any scratches, didn’t see anything in the eye.
Immediately we started trying to figure out what would be causing it if there’s nothing in it. The only thing I could think of is I was starting to actually get a little stuffy on my left hand side of my face and my nose was running a little bit. I mentioned to them in trying to cover all the possibilities that I showed them a CT scan from January where I had a really, really bad sinus infection — it was the worst the doctor has ever seen and Dr. Petty has been around a really, really long time.
So the only other option, I went to bed Saturday night, woke up Sunday and felt twice as worse — pain was twice as worse and vision was slightly impaired over where it was Saturday. So I stayed in the infield care center for a couple hours and we tried to go over all the possibilities of what it could be and really since they didn’t see anything in it, the only thing we could do was get an optometrist to come to the race track, which it was too late into the day for that, it was too late for me to go to one and come back in time so everyone came to an agreement that the best thing for me was to go to the hospital and get scanned in case.
There’s tons of different possibilities, whether it be a blood clot — anything that affects because there’s more to it, but any time wind would hit my eye it would shoot a pain right to my temple so they thought that there was something really bad going on behind the eye that they didn’t have the equipment in the infield care center — you need some pretty — you need to get a CT scan. By the time I got to the hospital and the optometrist came in with her microscope, saw the metal, got it out — a portion of it, she couldn’t get the rust out she said — it would need a couple more days for that to harden to get out. Once the metal came out, I felt a lot better. We went home, the CT scan showed that I was perfectly clear on the sinus part of it.
Long story short, it won’t keep me from going to the infield care center at any point. I wanted to race of course, no matter what. I felt like if I was going to be a liability I would have pulled myself during the race, but there’s protocols that we have to go through and it’s not just my safety that has got to be taken into account. We’re racing around other guys and that’s one of the fastest tracks we go to. What if I caused a wreck early on? I don’t need to be a liability out there and obviously with this new format we hardly lost anything in points.”(Toyota Racing PR)(3-29-2014)
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