Good for them: Michigan/Kentucky edition
Some attaboys from the weekend. Good for ...
... Kasey Kahne. "Four-time winner Kasey Kahne" doesn't quite roll off the tongue. At this rate, you won't have to say it for more than a few weeks before you'll have to get used to saying "five-time winner Kasey Kahne."
.. Junior and Gordon. Both usually stink up Michigan. On Sunday, neither one did. Scene Daily has more on Junior. So does Steve Byrnes, who gives props to Cousin Tony.
... David Freakin' Gilliland. Admit it: You wouldn't have picked this underfunded, unsponsored nobody to win a Busch race this season or any other season. But he did in what the AP story calls the "biggest upset in Busch Series history." Here's the best victory lane photo ever.
Comments (3)
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Given you don't have an Email addy onsite I'll post this off topic request here.
About 9 hours ago I posted a story by the Toronto Sun (Monday edition) that quotes Jack Roush saying he was happy NASCAR has decided to hold a Busch Series event in Canada in 2007. The Roush statement and the announcement was allegedly made at MIS Sunday.
At that point 9 hours ago and just a few minutes ago the NASCAR site has no mention of any confirmation of the story.
Just before posting this I checked my Canadian source and they have posted another Sun story dated on Sunday that says the decision isn't final but will be announced "within 60 days."
The Sunday story claims it's from an "exclusive interview" which raises the question how Roush was involved to the point of being quoted.
The bottomline is what the hell is going on.
Any clue? What have you heard or read?
Posted on June 19, 2006 8:53 PM
Marc - I don't know anything more than what you've posted. Neither does Dustin.
The probable scenario: the reporter probably heard something from the track owners/operators or someone who knows what's going on at the track, sought out Roush at the Michigan race and said, "So, what do you think about the Busch race in Canada next season?"
The nascar.com site wouldn't necessarily have anything, Marc. NASCAR doesn't actually own the site. (It was a stunning lack of foresight on the France family's part - Time Warner actually owns the URL.) Which means Mart-dawg & Crew has to go to the same press events everyone else goes to.
NASCAR's top-secret not-for-prying-eyes media site doesn't have anything either. But NASCAR traditionally doesn't say bupkus about its next year's schedule until the whole thing is locked and loaded. (Lots of contracts to be signed, things may change, etc.) The stories you'll see over the next two months or so about the 2007 schedule are coming from the track owners who want their customers to know when to make plans to be at the race.
Posted on June 20, 2006 10:33 AM
Here's Dustin's take - he sent this via e-mail.
"I sat next to the Toronto Sun reporter at Michigan. I know he has been all over this for weeks and working it hard with his Canada connections. All the talk is that this was going to happen. I'd be shocked if it didn't. That would tell me something fell through but NASCAR wants to be in Canada and this is one of the better venues for them now. The key is doing it on a Cup off weekend so they can get Cup guys up there next year."
So there you go. I don't know if the off-week thing will make a difference - the Cup guys (except for the ones doubling in Busch) aren't exactly breaking a leg running to Mexico.
P.S. Marc - My e-mail address is on the right-hand rail, squeezed between the Go Triad house ad and the other N&R blogs.
Posted on June 20, 2006 10:56 AM