Welcome to “Fuel It Up”! The racing world is chopped full of intriguing stories, but sifting through them to get a good general sense of the landscape can be challenging. In Fuel It Up, I take the biggest, more interesting storylines and present them to you in a quick, compact 300-words-or-less format.
Denny Hamlin is expected to miss 6 weeks with his injuries suffered in last Sunday’s race. According to his team, Hamlin was examined by Dr. Petty of Carolina Neurosurgery and Spine Associates who determined no surgery would be required but a six week rest period was prescribed. Something tells me Hamlin will be back behind the wheel quicker than that ……………. Joey Logano claimed he wasn’t trying to wreck Hamlin explaining he was just racing him hard. No Joey, you tried to wreck him all right, but you had no intention of hurting him. That’s what happens when you beat and bang at 200 MPH. The two drivers have texted each other earlier this week. Hamlin described the outcome of the outreach as “not going well.”……………. Logano did offer an explanation Monday about his seemingly heartless post-race comment of, “He (Hamlin) deserved what he got”. He said, “I wish there was a safety barrier there and I wish I knew before I made my comments on TV.”…………… Taking a lesson from the School of NHL player discipline, neither Logano or Tony Stewart were punished by NASCAR after their fight on Sunday…………….. Last week’s winner, Kyle Busch will be appearing on an upcoming episode of FX’s Comedy, “Anger Management” staring Charlie Sheen. Busch will play himself seeking assistance from Sheen. It won’t be much of a reach for Busch who has been known to lose his cool on occasion……………. Another poor start by Jeff Gordon has prompted the, “Is he finished?” talk around NASCAR nation. Gordon currently sits 18th in points. The good news for Gordon fans is at this point last season he was 25th in points. Certainly plenty of time for Gordon to turn his season around but he’s shown no reason for anyone to be optimistic this will happen anytime soon……………. Speaking of early season struggles, Danica Patrick after finishing 26th one lap down at Sunday’s race, sits in 29th place in the Chase standings. Not the kind of start she and her team would have liked. There is a big learning curve for Patrick. Many fans feel she’s been pushed into the big time based on her looks. Those people very well may be proven right. It’s time for Danica to prove herself. Finishing 26th with her equipment (the car, not her) won’t cut it. I thought and still think her time would have been better off spent driving another season in the Nationwide series.……………. NASCAR has seen a large decrease in TV ratings and attendance in recent years. The type of racing we saw at California on Sunday can do nothing but inspire more interest in the sport. For years NASCAR recognized the need for, as they describe it, “Have at it boys”. It appears some drivers are now willing to oblige. The nice guy racers of Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Carl Edwards, and Matt Kenseth are great racers but don’t exactly create a lot of water cooler conversation. The sport needs more of what we saw Sunday excluding the injury. The sport needs drivers with “edge”. NASCAR fans deserve it and by the declining attendance figures indicate, are demanding it……………. From my family to yours, may you have a wonderful Holiday with lots of food and joy surrounded by loved ones. Cheers.
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