ThreeStrikesandOut

I hate having to put the serious hat on, especially when it’s for something this serious.

During today’s Lucas Oil NHRA SuperNational, a terrible accident left Funny Car driver Scott Kalitta dead, after his car combusted. The video of the accident is available on YouTube, but folks, I’ll be honest with you, I have a pretty strong stomach for stuff, but after seeing this crash when ESPN showed it, I really do not have the desire to ever see it again. It may have been the worst crash that I have ever witnessed in years of watching motor sports, and I don’t mean that as just hyperbole; it was that bad. According to reports the car was traveling at close to 300 mph when it finally crashed, and by then it was already engulfed in flames.

I can’t imagine how horrible it must have been to witness this crash in person, and my heart goes out to everyone who was in attendance. But our thoughts and prayers especially go out to Scott’s family.

The NHRA site has been down quite a bit due to increased traffic volume, so if you need more information about the crash click here, and for more information about Scott’s life click here.

I’m a poet, didn’t you know it?

My colleague (if bloggers can truly have colleagues, we’re a strange bunch who don’t shower often enough to have colleagues) here at FastMachines, Ray Champagne recently asked the question of whether or not motor racing is a sport. Ray came to the conclusion that he had changed his mind after a discussion with some friends and that he didn’t see how it could be judged as a sport.

Ray is a very good writer, and in the interests of good debate, and with no malice intended, I’d like to offer a counter-point to Ray’s view. And hopefully in the process, I’ll get Ray back over to the right side of the force (put that dark helmet down Ray, you can still be saved, the force is strong is you)…

Read the rest of this article (by me) at FastMachines.com.

Photo is of Cale Yarborough and Donnie Allison fighting after the 1979 Daytona 500.  The two ornery son-of-a-guns fought all over the track.

Now that’s a sensationalist headline if I ever saw one.  That was very bad of me.

But, in a way it’s true, as Pac Adam Jones has told some folks that he no longer wants to go by the name PacMan and is instead going to try out another name.  His real name, Adam.  According to Adam Schefter, PacAdam will make the announcement later this week.

How very surreal.  A grown man choosing to go by his real name rather than by the name of an eighties video game character.  How refreshing.  But don’t give me that he’s doing this in an attempt to change his image.  He’s just doing this to be cool, he found out that Diddy is going back to being Puff Daddy, so he figured he’d be as street as Puffy and go with the Adam tag.  Well, at least it fits.

Because he’s been Adam mess, he is Adam mess, and he will continue to be Adam mess.

Image from NGPF

It’s not been the greatest year in the world for Tony Stewart.  It would be one thing if Smoke was struggling behind the wheel; but his driving isn’t the issue.  Stewart has had a string of bad luck that makes you wonder if Kyle Busch has a Stewart voodoo doll that he’s using to make his teammate’s life miserable.  I have no trouble picturing Kyle with a fake evil mustache, plotting Tony’s destruction:

Kyle: “I’ll show him who Gibbs’ best driver is!  Hahaha!  And I’ll pay him back for what he did to my brother!  Hehehe.”

I’m playing folks.  I’m pretty sure that Busch isn’t the reason for Stewart’s problems, but since Busch seems to get blamed for everything else this season, I figured that it wasn’t much of a stretch.

Read the rest of this post at Fastmachines.com. Thanks!

Well, when you have 36 races there’s going to be a snoozer or two in there somewhere, and this year’s Best Buy 400 certainly qualifies. This race was the equivalent of watching a 12-3 baseball game where every run is scored on singles and each pitcher walks a half-dozen batters apiece. There has been rumblings of Dover possibly losing a race, and after this race, I really wouldn’t have a problem with that happening, especially if it meant getting a race that didn’t put me to sleep halfway through…

Read the rest of this post at FastMachines.com.

And no, I don’t feel bad about shameless self-promotion. Just so you know.

Until later, tell the folks good-night Henry:

Peace.