ZuDfunck

It's on to Talladega's 'The Big One' and Let's Wreck There

One of the most popular races of the year is Sunday.
Anticipation of the Big One is a huge part of the race.
You know its like chasing women
Anticipation is the thing.
Random Quotes:

Sadler says: "Each driver has a different mentality going into Talladega where we're going to ride in line and we're going to behave until we get to the last quarter of the race, or we need to get to the front as soon as we can and keep the wreck behind or we're just going to ride in the back and let the guys fight in the front and let them wreck and then we'll go to the front. Each driver has a different strategy, a different mentality, and it's tough racing like that."

Jeff Gordon says: . "It's going to tighten the cars up that much more. The tighter the packs, the easier it is to make mistakes. We all make mistakes. At Talladega you make a mistake and there is a 20-car pileup."

Harvick says: "There is always a chance for somebody to make a mistake, and when that happens at Talladega, it's always big.

"What some people don't know is the banking at Talladega is like six stories high. When we round the corner, I can look to my left and see the roofs on campers in the infield."

The corners at 'Dega are banked 33 degrees, allowing drivers to almost slingshot their way around the track. But you have to stay with the pack or risk going to the rear.

"I know I catch flak for saying this, but I honestly believe that 99 out of 100 times, the Big One is started by driver error," said. "Some teams come in with a strategy on how to avoid it, but it's really a game of chance."

I have been longing for this weekends race because it is Talladega and the feature of that race is the fact the cars run at 200 miles per hour in a very confined space
Now that 200 mph isn’t reached quickly cause it is a restrictor plate race
And as they get up to speed after a caution and start closing in one another the announcers start going on and on about the big one and that any minute Boom Bang Bash Boom here it is.

Now the real dilemma is going to be how we juggle the race coverage and preliminaries with the NFL Draft. Two mega events not to mention that Game 4s of the NBA will be going on as well.

Such dilemmas for sports addicts such as myself!

I Love You, Petty, and Favre

When a commenter caught my eye with this I was thinking Richard Petty, not Tom. But I dig Tom Petty and no doubt Favre so if you are in the Big Apple this summer check this out:

An Official Selection of the Midtown International Theater Festival and pending acceptance into the New York Fringe Festival, “I Love You, Petty, and Favre” is a heart warming and heart breaking love story about a Wisconsin couple that spans 25 years.  The main character, Brian, is an obsessed Packer fan, so much so that he marries a girl named Brett.  Brett in turn, has her own obsession with music, mainly that of Tom Petty.  Sports fans will certainly enjoy this play, particularly those that love Brett Favre.  In a hilarious and memorable scene, Brian takes his 3 year old son and 5 year old daughter to their first football game.  In another, Brett fulfills Brian’s fantasy by throwing on the pink jersey of his favorite player and putting on a “show”.  A touching and funny story about love, football, and music, it is a show that that anyone can enjoy.

“I Love You, Petty and Favre” runs July 14th – August 10th.  Tickets and official showtimes soon to be available.

2008 NBA Playoff Picture

            

Eastern Conference	Western Conference
vs. (1) BOSTON   vs. (8) Atlanta (Boston won 3-0)   vs. (2) DETROIT   vs. (7) Philadelphia (Series tied 2-2)   vs. (3) ORLANDO   vs. (6) Toronto (Orlando won 2-1)   vs. (4) CLEVELAND   vs. (5) Washington (Series tied 2-2)	vs. (1) LOS ANGELES   vs. (8) Denver (Los Angeles won 3-0)   vs. (2) NEW ORLEANS   vs. (7) Dallas (Series tied 2-2)   vs. (3) SAN ANTONIO   vs. (6) Phoenix (Phoenix won 3-1)   vs. (4) UTAH   vs. (5) Houston (Utah won 2-1)

NBA Playoff time when the NBA plays for real. ZuD is pulling for a Celtic/Laker NBA Final don't know what the odds of that are but it will certainly make ABC happy as the previous finals have been tiresome and predictable. Here's hoping for a great set of match ups which we get in the West every year. Too bad TNT is stuck with the East this year. Graphics from NBA.com

Blogging About Divorce Can Be Painful For The Ex

Focusing on Topics non NASCAR for a few days. Found this in NYTimes about a woman who Blogs the details of her failed marriage to the chagrin of the ex-husband:

For the blogger, the writing can be therapeutic.

Until the morning her husband, David Sals, told her he “was done” with their marriage, Jennifer Neal had portrayed him so lovingly on her blog that he was called DearSweetDave. By the afternoon of that October day last year, Ms. Neal had shared what she portrayed as his perfidy with the 55,000 regular readers she says visit NakedJencom.

Soon after, readers came to know him by a far less flattering name, and as the guy whose insensitivity made Jen so sick that she was throwing up every day and so poor that she lost her house in Santa Cruz, Calif.

And when a despairing Jen discovered in February that her ex-husband had put his information up on Match.com, an Internet dating service, she linked to it from her blog, giving her readers a chance to share their thoughts.

Mr. Sals protested, but Ms. Neal held firm: “If he wants to tell his side of the story, he should get his own blog.”

Are You A Twitterholic?

   

Signs and symptoms of twitter ABUSE

Health
     * Continuing to twit even though you have health problems that are affected or caused by your twittering 
Financial issues
    * Paying bills late; collection agencies calling
    * Inability to keep track of your money
Legal issues
    * Driving while under the influence of Twitter (DUIT)
Risky behavior
     * Putting yourself or others in danger
Employment or school
     * Continuing to twit even though you realize your job or education is in jeopardy
     * Missing work or school, or going in late due to twitter use
Family and friends
    * Feeling annoyed when other people comment on, or criticize your twitter habits
    * Feeling remorse or guilt after twittering
    * Associating with questionable acquaintances or frequenting out of the ordinary locations when twitting
Social life
    * Scheduling your day around twittering
    * Focusing recreational activities around obtaining twits, twitting or recovering from twitter use   
    * Twittering alone or in secret

Have noticed in my 3 week adventure with twitter a strong dependence by some folks to be engaging in online, all the time, twitter activity. Ultimately the test is can you go a day without it? If not, you are probably a twitterholic.

OvalScream Has The Answer to NASCAR Withdrawal

A faithful ZuDDie Ovalscream has the answer to my previous post about dealing with my withdrawal symptoms:

Three times a day til April 27, take the loudest appliance you have and lock yourself into the bathroom with it. (Me, I'm taking the vacuum into the shower stall.) Crank that sucker up as far as it will go, scream "Talladega" til you're hoarse and whack the appliance against the wall till it sounds like car parts sprinkling all over the pavement. Dunk your head under the spigot and pretend it's hillbilly champagne showering all you as you do burnouts in Victory Lane. File your teeth in the mirror and pray to the spirit of the Intimidator that every Sprint Cup driver gets so riled up that they howl at the moon every night until the next race.

Withdrawal Symptoms Setting In For This NASCAR Junkie

Starting to get a runny nose
Legs and arms starting to ache
Feels like the flu, but I know what it really is.

Withdrawal Symptoms
No, not for Dope, but for NASCAR!
Classic withdrawal symptoms realizing there will be no NASCAR worth watching.
Sure the Nationwide series goes to Mexico City Saturday, but road racing doesn't really count.

The only comfort I have is that when the Sprint Cup schedule does resume, we will be in Talladega and that being one of my favorites, I take great comfort, because 'The Big One' always looms. And that race, quite frankly, is about as good as NASCAR gets.

Not that I am a freak for crashes
But damn, thats what I call a wreck
The Big One
start drooling, just thinking 'bout Talladega.

But what do I do for this withdrawal pain? Here it is Wednesday and the next race isn't for 10 days. What will you folks do, fellow NASCAR Fans.
I am open to ideas. Any port in the storm.
Help me with my withdrawal.
I need a NASCAR fix fast!

BurnOut TV Sampler

Guest NASCAR Blogger David Rubin with excellent taste in NASCAR Blogs...

Phoenix Aftermath, NASCAR Bloggers FT Digest Debut and FOX Sports Disappoints

I'm writing this post as the BoSox beat the Yanks for the hundredth, oh wait, the third time this weekend!

And I celebrate the victory of Hollywood Jimmy over WWE's Cena, I mean Carl Edwards Saturday night. Even though we missed the green flag drop and DW's Boogity routine because of Fox's inability to get their priorities straight.

Glad to see Hendrick back in Victory Lane for this so far paltry NASCAR Season. It was good to have a Night Race wasn't it? Love the way those cars shine and glow in the desert light of Phoenix Raceway.

I struggled to stay up, but I did thanx to the fact I am featured over at NASCAR Bloggers FT Digest. A site that has put together a fascinating collection of NASCAR Bloggers under one banner. Since joining that blog I have experienced dazzling traffic from all over the blogosphere and surges of super human strength and prowess. Hell even Charlie Turner from On Pit Row has visited ol' ZuD. Now that is cool!

If you too blog, you should go on over and look into signing up or if you just like to read NASCAR blogs you should bookmark or burn a feed and get in on the latest of NASCAR blogs. A list of contributors so far appear to the right of this post.

Ovalscream from NASCAR This Week reports this occurred:

In Central Florida, rioters in supercharged Monte Carlos tore up baseball fields on Saturday night, chasing Little Leaguers howling into the arms of their mamas. The Fox commentators, splattered with mud and pieces of turf, were not amused.

Kevin Harvick Wants to Pee in the Cup

Kevin Harvick wants NASCAR to institute drug testing. According to this article from ESPN.com Terry Blount these Quotes stand out:

"In the 10 years that I've raced, I've never been drug-tested," Harvick said. "To me, that's not a proper drug policy for a professional sport. We haven't made any headway whatsoever on the drug-testing policy."

Harvick and Stewart were reacting to an ESPN The Magazine story this week in which former driver Aaron Fike said he competed in Craftsman Truck Series races while he was on heroin.

"I have been in a race with him and I know for a fact that he's not the only one," Harvick said. "There's another driver that was suspended that I can almost guarantee you was in the race car while he was under the influence, and that pisses me off.

"I'm sure I'll be blasted for saying what I feel, but I don't want to be on a race track with people like that. It's irresponsible more than anything."

"I'm sure I'll have to do it for speaking my mind," Harvick said. "But if I have to pee in a cup 15 times a year, I'm happy to do it.

Regardless how you may feel about Happy Harvick, the dude speaks his mind and from a distance seems to be concerned about the integrity of NASCAR and his participation in it.

How Did Michael McDowell Survive This Wreck?

The Car of Today now establishes itself as a Safe and Reliable Race-car, when a driver can withstand this kind of destruction.

Complete Coverage of Tony Stewart Wax Job

Ripped from Tony Stewart's Sirius Satellite Radio Webpage:

           

"OPERATION WAX SMOKE" RAISES OVER $125,000 FOR CHARITY

Tony Stewart has proven that not only would he give you the shirt off his back, he'll give you the hair off of it too. Operation Wax Smoke was a huge success, raising over $125,000 for the Victory Junction Gang Camp. DeLana & Kevin Harvick, and national motorsports correspondent Ford Martin joined Tony and Matt Yocum at an "undisclosed location" for a rip-roaring good time. There was no shortage of donations to hear Tony suffer throught the pain and indignity of having his famously-furry back waxed live on the air. It remains to be seen if the procedure will improve race times for the sleeker and more-aero Smoke. Next Show: Tuesday, April 1 at 8 pm ET Tony "Chia Pet" Stewart follows waxing with a haircut Where did they wax for donations from JD Gibbs & Jimmie Johnson? Listen to pull-by-pull analysis of Operation Wax Smoke Tony’s back wax Montage: Listen at your own risk!   Hear more audio from Tony's show on sirius.com/tonystewartlive. Email Tony & Matt Yocum at tonystewartlive@sirius-radio.com or call the guys at 866-PIT-LANE.

Comparing Retirements of NASCAR's Dale Jarrett with WWE's Ric Flair

WWE did it up right when Ric Flair retired
NASCAR came up short in comparison
Two legends at the top of their game leaving the sport they love

I missed the prerace ceremonies for Jarrett but it couldn't have matched what RAW did for Ric Monday Nite.
Nor do I think Dale cried like a baby when other drivers were hugging him like Ric was doing.
It was all quite touching. Maybe because Jarrett will continue calling races, his retirement was less of an event. But with Flairs' good bye you couldn't help but feel sad and realize you were witnessing history. Even if the WWE is an overblown soap opera on steroids, the characters and story lines do suck ya' in and when they hit the mark they are quite memorable.