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| CupTalk.net Racing Blog By: Mike Laheta What's on my mind in the world of racing? Check it out below. Some posts are long, others may be very brief. And as always, your comments are definitely welcome |
Throwback
There's 100 Laps to go and Burton and Labonte are running 1st and 2nd, I feel like its
1999, not 2009.
Trouble For The Points Leader
This has been a rather uncharacteristic season so far for the 17 team. Matt Kenseth is
usually the guy that will start slow, run near the top 10 every week, win a race or two, and
make the chase. After all, Kenseth only won one race in 2003, where he went on to win
the championship. However, this season, Kenseth started with back to back wins,
something he has never done in his career. Then, something uncharacteristic happened
again. Today, at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Kenseth recorded a DNF and a 43rd place
finish. Mr. Consistency has been very inconsistent this season. However, Kenseth fans
need not to worry. Today's problems effected the entire Roush organization, not just the
17. I expect Matt to return to his usual form and do what he has always done, run
consistent enough to make the chase.
NASCAR Needs More Papis(es)
In our world of drivers with the personalities of corporate puppets, it is nice to see a
driver show a little emotion. Papis' passion for racing and excitement was on display for
all to see during SPEED's coverage of qualifying this weekend. The rest of us should
learn something from his excitement : just how special it is to race in the NASCAR Sprint
Cup Series. Although I'm sure that Scott Riggs and Jeremy Mayfield were just as
disappointed as Papis was happy, his excitement made me think of just how difficult it is
to race in the series. Racing is the livelihood of a true racer. I can remember Ward
Burton pounding on the hood of his car after missing the Daytona 500 several years ago
and Bobby Labonte kicking the door of his #18 Chevy after finishing 2nd to Jimmie
Johnson at Lowe's. My point is that you can really tell which guys care about racing and
truly love the sport for what it is and the ones that do it because of money and fame. Go
get em' Max.