Matt - 1(ONE)

Kyle Busch, who was replaced by Earnhardt at Hendrick Motorsports, said the Eury-Earnhardt combination hasn't been clicking since last summer.

Busch's career has skyrocketed since he went to Joe Gibbs Racing, and he didn't seem to have much empathy for Earnhardt's struggles. Busch said it's time for Earnhardt to produce and no excuses are left if he keeps struggling.

"If Junior doesn't run well, he's going to be the problem," he said. "It's never Junior. It's always the crew chief."

Most people see a punk *** kid. I see a man secretly in love.

This shall be fun.

And who's performance(Or lack of) has surprised you most?

I'dhave to choose David Reutimann. I thought he'd run decently this season, but I wasn't expecting for him to run as good as he's been going. He's going to be in The Chase if he can keep it up, and I don't see why he won't be able to.

Why can the sponsor that "fastest pit crew" thing or whatever it was called?

Sadler to claim GEM breached their contract: An attorney representing Elliott Sadler has filed notice in Iredell County (N.C.) court saying the NASCAR driver intends to claim that Gillett Evernham Motorsports has breached Sadler's contract to drive the Sprint Cup team's #19 Dodges. John Buric, Sadler's lawyer, filed an "application and order extending time to file complaint" Wednesday in Iredell County Superior Court. Sadler has until Jan. 20 to file an actual complaint if the parties cannot reach an agreement on their dispute. According to the form, Sadler plans to seek "injunctive relief, declaratory relief/specific performance, consequential and punitive damages as a result of Defendants anticipatory and actual breach of Plaintiffs' Driving Services Agreement. ... Plaintiffs also seek general, consequential, treble and punitive damages, and attorney fees, as a result of Defendants' tortuous interference ..." George Gillett, Gillette Evernham Motorsports, Anthony James Allmendinger and Ray Evernham Enterprises are named as defendants. Buric said Sadler learned on Tuesday that GEM had engaged in negotiations with Allmendinger about driving the #19 Dodges in 2009. Buric said there had been "communication" with Sadler earlier, telling him that a change was being considered. But he said Sadler did not know there had been actual negotiations until he received phone calls about media reports that Allmendinger was being lined up to replace him. "Elliott is ready, willing and able to fulfill his contractual obligations," Buric said. Sadler earlier this year signed an extension of his contract with GEM that runs through 2010. "Gillett Evernham Motorsports policy does not allow us to comment on potential or pending legal matters involving the race team," said Ryan Barry, a spokesman for the organization.(Charlotte Observer/David Poole)(1-2-2009) Comment here

What say you?

Affect Jr. in any way next season?

For me, Jamie McMurray and Casey Mears, obviously.

To be a bit less obvious, Elliott Sadler, A.J. Allmendinger(Assuming he has a ride), Regan Smith(Assuming he has a ride), Travis Kvapil, and Sam Hornish.

Apparently David Reutimann will have Elliott Sadler's crew chief next season(UPDATE 2: hearing former #19 GEM crew chief, Rodney Childers, will be Reutimann's crew chief in 2009.(11-26-2008)).

Who should Sadler be trying to get, and what do you think about Reutimann and Childers?

Just wondering what you think, if all 12 should go or just the top 10.

I figure they should let all 12 go. Theres 12 people in the chase, why exclude two of them? I guess it's a "Why do one if you're not gonna do the other" thing for me.

That's a completely trashy way to win a race?

Coasting around at 140mph the last 3 laps isn't racing. Guess I'm just venting cause of the way the announcers think its amazing how he can barely press down the throttle yelling "I THINK HE'S GONNA DO IT!" annoys me to no end. Not to mention that's the second time Mr. Ed has done it now.

Anybody know what song just played at that commercial break that played during the second red flag? I believe it was the second commercial break, I cant remember.

As to add relevance, do you think anybody has a chance to catch Jimmie Johnson?

"I am all for the crew chief change because I've worked with the crew chief in the past," McMurray said of bringing in veteran Donnie Wingo. "He's like my best friend, and ever since I left Ganassi, I have remained very good friends with Donnie. "The whole time I was at Ganassi, I can remember seeing crew chiefs that had an engineering background and thinking in my head, 'Damn, I really wish I had a crew chief with that background, because I think that would take me to that next level. Instead of running sixth to 12th, we'll maybe contend for wins. But I didn't realize how great I had it. I've missed Donnie ever since. Larry's done a great job, but you kind of get used to working with someone, and I feel like everyone I've had since [Wingo], I've compared to my times with Donnie. And those were probably some of the best races for me. Next year, I think, should be my best year ever."

Someones gonna say "Thats not saying much", so think about this: In 2004, the last year Jamie had Donnie Wingo, Jamie had 9 top fives and TWENTY-THREE top tens. Twenty-three. In Ganassi equipment. Bad drivers don't get numbers like that, especially in cars like that. For a bit of a comparison, that's more top tens than Kyle Busch will have this season(he has 20 with two races left.)

What do you think? That's a pretty big statement to make.

Where it would apply, something like Kyle Busch wouldn't of spun Jr. at Richmond, Regan Smith would of be declared winner of the second Talladega race, the yellow wouldn't have been called at the end of the second Daytona race so Mr. Ed and Busch could race to the stripe, Kasey Kahne wouldn't of gotten in that wreck at the second Bristol race, something like that.

For me, Robby Gordon wouldn't have gotten into Jamie at Dover.

"during SPEED's coverage of the first Saturday practice, Larry McReynolds said he had a nugget....Mark Martin will run the final four races of the 2008 Sprint Cup season, including the final race at Homestead, but not in the #8 DEI Chevy, but in a Hendrick Chevy, so he could be in the #5 Chevy, meaning we may see Casey Mears in a 4th RCR car [#33?] at Homestead."

Hendrick can't run Martin in a 5th car, you can only do that for prepping a rookie for Cup racing, meaning that's either a lie or Casey's gonna get dumped. If he does, then this is a bunch of crap.

What do you think?

I honestly think Casey Mears. He's heading to another solid, top-tier team in RCR, and Richard isn't stupid, he'll find a team that works great with Casey and keep him at that team.

I always said all Casey needs is a competitive team behind him and some stability and he could be a shot to make the Chase. We'll find out if I was right or wrong soon.

And you can't pick your favorite driver.

For me, Mark Martin. He's pretty much the last of the true veterans, or at least the last of them that can still run competitively with the young guns.

He's got alot of tracks he likes coming up for him. Do you think he has a chance to go on a hot streak and be right up there come Homestead or is to already too late for him?

This should be another interesting one.

I really can't think of one, myself. Someone wanna do it for me?

Because every single time I see a "Which NASCAR driver has disappointed you this season?" question I have to answer Alan Gustafson even though he's a crew chief.

By the way it's Alan Gustafson for me.

"That pit crew has undergone some changes in recent weeks. Team owner Jack Roush tweaked the crews of both Biffle and teammate Edwards just before the Chase, moving some of the best people from the team of Jamie McMurray -- who didn't qualify for the year-end playoff -- to the No. 16 and 99 programs. He also hired a new jack man for Biffle's team. The changes went into effect before the Aug. 31 race at California, and the results were immediate. After finishing second in the Labor Day weekend event, Biffle raved about what it was like to have a crew that allowed him to beat other drivers off pit road."

Welp, Jamie's screwed the rest of the season. What do you think?