As I must have been really Desperate if I’m still Scribbling
‘bout RASSCAR’ how many weeks later, Righto?
Following a full Day’s outing following that
Day-Toner’ 500 race, the following weekend I decided to continue Thy Madness and
Tune into my first Busch, Err Xfinity cup Lite race in a long, long time.
Since the last one I can recall was when thou
Kuhnucks’ TAG’, aka Alex Tagliani and Pat “Thee Carpenter” Carpentier were
Bangin’ Wheels Hammers ‘N Tongs Up North Eh! At Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on Il
Notre Dam…
!
Those Minor League Boyz’
So I really wasn’t planning on watching, Err
listening to as I said before, my first Cup Lite race in who knows how long,
but I guess it’s partly being due to Starvin’ for some Racing action Me Thinks!
Since it’s only been 289 Gory days since our last IndyCar race at St Pete!
And I knew that ‘Ol Walldinger’, aka A.J.
Allmendinger was in the race and he’s always a threat on a Road Course! After
all having come from Open Wheel Racing and winning five Chump Carz’, Uhm I
meant Champ Car races Wayback in ’06 as ‘Ol Sugar Ray Tracy’s team-mate at Forsythe
Racing. And that’s indeed “Mr. Chrome Horn” Paul Tracy in case you’re wondering…
And it’s been a super long time since I’ve
heard ‘Ol “Double A’s,” aka Adam Alexander’s chops when calling a race. As he
was joined by Joey “Sliced Bread” Logano and this year’s Daytona 500 winning Front
Row Motorsports No. 34 Crew Chief Drew
Blickensderfer in the Booth.
As it was nice hearing them give a Shout Out to
Andy “the Enforcer” Lally of Sports Car fame, who I didn’t even know was in the
race. And at age 46 was making a cameo appearance for B.J. McCloud’s race team aboard
it’s #99 Chevrolet Camaro entry, in what apparently was a last minute Dealio’.
Since Lally was originally supposed to be driving somebody else’s car. Perhaps
the #03?
As Lally hauled the #99 up to an Uber
impressive fifth place, which Adam Alexander took great pains to point out was
due to his prodigious Road Racing background, along with Guffhawing over
getting Lally’s place ‘O residence and region he grew up in incorrectly, Hya!
Although Don’t know what ultimately happened to
Lally, since they never talked ‘bout him again, and RACER.com’s (Box Score) results
says he finished P31, 55-laps, as the first Driver listed One-lap down. And
Nah, No where are Yuhs Jeffie’ of One Lap Down (OLD) Fame Jokes here.
Nor any Airplane “Shirley” Jokes here, as
surely Y’all know that Allmendinger and Austin Cindric collided coming to the
stripe for Stage-1, looking like the fastest two cars Ontrack with A.J. getting
the worse of it! Whilst Blicensderfer wryly noted “What Aerodynamics?” Later in
the broadcast when Cindric eventually made his way up to the lead with a
missing right front fender.
As I began wonderin’ when Thee Talking Heads
noted it was El Capitano’, nee Roger Penske’s 84th Birthday that
Cindric would be victorious? Although I found myself rootin’ against him after
he tangled with Allmendinger.
But it was Ty Gibbs, Granson of “Coach” Joe
Gibbs who won the race, winning on Debut in a NASCAR series race, becoming only
the sixth Me Thinks? Driver to do so. The last having been Kurth Busch Wayback
in 2006.
In For a Pound, In for a penny, or However that
Goes…
If it had been another of RASSCAR’s countless
Ovals, I’d never have tuned in, but since it was another Drab, Dreary Rainy
weekend on thou Oregon Coast, why not watch Dem’ Taxicab Bombers on Day-Toners’
slightly revamped 3.61 mile 14 turn road course, Eh?
Having
added Rumble Strips at Ye Bus Stop Chicane in order to keep Dirt ‘N Grass off
the track when shortening those corners.
And I knew that A.J. Allmendinger was making a “One-off”
for the Kaulig Racing team in their #16 Chevrolet Camaro, a team I’d never
heard of before this year’s Daytona action. Whilst thought I heard Mike Joy say
they have an alliance with RCR. (Richard Childress Racing)
And A.J. actually led the race briefly, towards
the end of Stage-2 Me Thinks, when they elected to stay out for “Track
Position,” i.e.; media attention for leading when the leaders elected to pit
for tyres ‘N fuel.
Allmendinger then got penalized for entering
Pit-lane too fast and had to go to the back of the line, but soldiered his way
back towards the pointy end and finished seventh, one place ahead of this year’s
Daytona 500 Winner Michael McDowell. As the team had said they were simply
hoping for a Top-10 finish, so Mission Accomplished!
As Can Y’all tell I’m
a fan of Allnendinger’s? As I’ve liked him ever since he and the late Justin
B-I-G UNIT’ Wilson won the 2012 Rolex 24, where Wilson wryly called him A.J. “Hash-tag
Big Shot!” Allmendinger, Hya! But A.J. seems like he’s really blossomed as an Announcer
the past few years when not busy driving Sports Cars…
Also heard Aussie James Davison’s named called
for running second briefly in another of the many caution periods when also
electing to stay out when the leading pack pitted. Arse-sumedly’ Davison was
running for IndyCar’s newest team owner Rick Ware who’s joined forces with Dale
Coyne Racing, in Coyne’s never ending stretching of the Alphabet for team monikers.
As Davison drove the #15 Rick Ware Racing Camaro
to a 23rd place finish, 1-lap down. And reportedly has leaked the News that he’ll
return for his seventh Indianapolis 500 this May also driving for Rick Ware &
Company, a la Dale Coyne Racing with Rick Ware Racing, albeit the team claims
it won’t be aboard their No. 51 entry, Huh?
As we know that the primary #51 Driver, IndyCar
rookie Romain Grosjean won’t be driving any of the Super Speedway Ovals, i.e.;
Texas or Indianapolis, but there will reportedly be two DCRWRCR Oomph! Entries
at Mother Speedway, Nos. 51-52…
Meanwhile, since El Capitano had just
celebrated his birthday, I began thinking it would be poetic if Joey Logano won
aboard his Team Penske mount somewhere’s during the end of Stage-1.
And Logano almost pulled off the feat, albeit
runnin’ outta Rubber’ just over one lap shy of the Chequered Flag. Which saw
Christopher Bell score his Debut Cup victory aboard another Joe Gibbs Racing
(JGR) entry, which gave Toyota a Clean Sweep of the weekend’s three NASCAR races.
And Bell’s victory coupled with McDowell’s became only the third time in history for two Debutante Winners in the series opening two races, not having occurred since the 1949-50 season!
