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Post by FlyHawkJoe S.O.B. on Feb 28, 2008 19:37:51 GMT -6
Picking up where we left off...This is pretty cool. Landon Cassill is a local Cedar Rapids kid who is a developmental driver for Hendrick now, and will be driving Dale Jr's #5 car in several Nationwide (was Busch) races this year. Landon even has his own webpage now in which he talks about all the things he's working on and learning. They keep him pretty busy! It's interesting (to me, at least) to see all the things these guys have to be involved with. His older brother is my youngest son's bass fishing buddy, so we've been Landon fans for a couple years now. Can you imagine being 18 years old and work with Dale Jr, Jeff Gordon, Jimmy Johnson, and Casey Mears on a daily basis?!? Kid's in racing heaven! LINK: www.landoncassill.net/cms/
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Post by Dr. Doofenshmirtz (Heywood) on Feb 28, 2008 20:26:58 GMT -6
Landon is very lucky. I would love that opportunity. Hopefully he learns from the talent around him and has a great career.
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Post by TBELL on Feb 28, 2008 21:25:28 GMT -6
Round and round they go, where they stop, nobody knows!! I'll root for anybody driving a Dodge.
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Post by The Bluzmn on Feb 29, 2008 7:06:06 GMT -6
Alright then, checking in as a Jr. fan. I have been into NASCAR since I was a kid (Pearson, not Petty). I was a long-time fan of his father, back to the blue and yellow Wrangler car days. When he died, I watched the next race at Rockingham and then did not watch a race for almost two years - just couldn't do it. I started getting back into it in 2003 and then finally back into it all the way in 2004. I didn't know who my driver would be, but I kind of gravitated toward Jr. because of his dad.
My wife is also a fan and we go to 3-4 races each year. Next weekend we will be in Atlanta - we have great seats that we renew for both weekends there. I will head over on Friday for qualifying and the truck race and then she joins me on Saturday for the Nationwide and Cup races. We are also going to be at Darlington again this year and then the October race at Lowe's Motor Speedway.
As for the season and Jr., I really hope that California doesn't mean that his horrendous luck from last year is going to follow him all season this year as well.
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Post by Dr. Doofenshmirtz (Heywood) on Feb 29, 2008 9:48:24 GMT -6
Alright then, checking in as a Jr. fan. I have been into NASCAR bince I was a kid (Pearson, not Petty). I was a long-time fan of his father, back to the blue and yellow Wrangler car days. When he died, I watched the next race at Rockingham and then did not watch a race for almost two years - just couldn't do it. I started getting back into it in 2003 and then finally back into it all the way in 2004. I didn't know who my driver would be, but I kind of gravitated toward Jr. because of his dad. My wife is also a fan and we go to 3-4 races each year. Next weekend we will be in Atlanta - we have great seats that we renew for both weekends there. I will head over on Friday for qualifying and the truck race and then she joins me on Saturday for the Nationwide and Cup races. We are also going to be at Darlington again this year and then the October race at Lowe's Motor Speedway. As for the season and Jr., I really hope that California doesn't mean that his horrendous luck from last year is going to follow him all season this year as well. I took a break a lot like you did after Sr died. I don't think I watched a single race from the 2001 Daytona 500 until the 2004 Daytona 500 (which I watched while working at Hy-Vee). I was a Jr fan before Sr died so it was only natural to follow him. I too hope that his bad luck doesn't continue this year, although he got in a wreck at Daytona last year so he go off to a better start this year.
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Post by GhostMod 5000 on Mar 1, 2008 9:27:01 GMT -6
I am just checking in to say I will never bother you!
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Post by FlyHawkJoe S.O.B. on Mar 2, 2008 16:26:36 GMT -6
"So far, so good" in Vegas. Jr is running well but the race is only about 1/4 done at this point. Everybody is having adjustment issues, so we'll see whose pit crews get it right the soonest.
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Post by Dr. Doofenshmirtz (Heywood) on Mar 2, 2008 20:17:59 GMT -6
This member of Jr Nation will take a 2nd place! A win would have been nice but 2nd is a good way to get some momentum.
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Post by Hawkeyes1982 on Mar 2, 2008 21:42:55 GMT -6
Tony Stewart hit the wall hard today, blew it out the ass!
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Post by The Bluzmn on Mar 3, 2008 7:13:39 GMT -6
Stewart and Gordon both. Gordon said that was the hardest he ever hit and this from the man who a couple of years ago hit the wall at Pocono in one of the hardest hits ever recorded in modern NASCAR. I can't believe at a track like Vegas that just underwent a huge renovation that the inside wall on the backstretch is configured like that and with no SAFER barrier.
It was good to see Jr. get a good run and a second - moved him up to 10th in the points. I think what I liked most, though, was his attitude after the race. Last year he would have been happy with a second place finish, but not yesterday. Even my wife commented on it.
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Post by The Bluzmn on Mar 3, 2008 9:03:26 GMT -6
I am stoked for this weekend. I will be heading to Atlanta on Friday and will be spending the weekend at the track - truck race Friday night, Nationwide on Saturday and Cup on Sunday, plus all the practice sessions and qualifying. My wife will drive over on Saturday and meet me at the hotel in the morning. We sit in row 50, seats 1 and 2. They are just a little past the start/finish in the dogleg pointed directly at turn 3 - awesome view of the race. We renew them each year for both the Spring and Fall race weekends.
Jr. runs real well at AMS so I am predicting his first points win for Hendrick this Sunday.
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Post by FlyHawkJoe S.O.B. on Mar 3, 2008 17:42:30 GMT -6
I'm jealous, brother Bluz! I've yet to attend a NASCAR race of any type, but I'd sure like to some day. Maybe soon, if the new track at Grinnell gets a lower-level race in the near future, or if young Landon gets into a Nationwide race somewhere near the midwest. I may have to check the schedule for Milwaukee.
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Post by NOTTHOR on Mar 3, 2008 18:10:36 GMT -6
Flyhawk - last I checked they still had tickets in Joliet. The races are a Friday and Saturday night in July. I bought 2, I gave the Friday nights to my mom and stepdad and then I am taking my stepdad to the big show on Saturday night (I never bought him a retirment present when he got out of the service last year). Two tickets were $500 for the most expensive seats that were available when I bought, If you sit lower, the prices seemed to be about $50 cheaper per seat.
I'm not really a fan, but I've heard that the tailgating is great and the people you'll see in the crowd add significantly to the atmosphere.
Hotels are pretty cheap out there if you book now. My mom got a room for Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights for like $75 a night.
If you live in Marion, you should really consider that option because it's close and pretty reasonable and back to back night races should be pretty fun. Unfortunately, they bundle the tickets so you'll have to buy ARCA and IRL tickets, but the secondary market prices for the Winston Cup race last year were ridiculous. I think even the Busch tickets were almost $200 a piece in the aftermarket.
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Post by The Bluzmn on Mar 3, 2008 18:40:55 GMT -6
Joe, being the fan you are, you HAVE to make plans to get to a race! There is absolutely no way to describe what it is actually like - the difference between TV and live is indescribable. When those 43 cars go by at pace lap speed your seat shakes. When they crank it up? Wow.
Milwaukee is a fun track - they run a truck race and a Nationwide race there. When I lived in Chicago, I used to go to the truck race every year. And, of course, I had tickets to Chicagoland, too.
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Post by FlyHawkJoe S.O.B. on Mar 3, 2008 18:50:54 GMT -6
If I find out Landon Cassill is driving in Milwaukee, I'll try to get there, for sure. I have friends up there that I could impose upon. I have to try to coordinate the NASCAR racing schedule with my own flyball racing schedule, which I have no control of, but I have to attend as I'm the chief mucky-wuck-flyball-boss for our 4-state region. BTR, thanks for the Joliet tips. I'll look at that, too!
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Post by FlyHawkJoe S.O.B. on Mar 7, 2008 6:41:44 GMT -6
I am stoked for this weekend. I will be heading to Atlanta on Friday and will be spending the weekend at the track - truck race Friday night, Nationwide on Saturday and Cup on Sunday, plus all the practice sessions and qualifying. My wife will drive over on Saturday and meet me at the hotel in the morning. We sit in row 50, seats 1 and 2. They are just a little past the start/finish in the dogleg pointed directly at turn 3 - awesome view of the race. We renew them each year for both the Spring and Fall race weekends. Jr. runs real well at AMS so I am predicting his first points win for Hendrick this Sunday. Have fun at Atlanta this weekend, Bluz! If you see Kyle Bush, flip him the bird for me.
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Post by Dr. Doofenshmirtz (Heywood) on Mar 7, 2008 6:52:30 GMT -6
I am stoked for this weekend. I will be heading to Atlanta on Friday and will be spending the weekend at the track - truck race Friday night, Nationwide on Saturday and Cup on Sunday, plus all the practice sessions and qualifying. My wife will drive over on Saturday and meet me at the hotel in the morning. We sit in row 50, seats 1 and 2. They are just a little past the start/finish in the dogleg pointed directly at turn 3 - awesome view of the race. We renew them each year for both the Spring and Fall race weekends. Jr. runs real well at AMS so I am predicting his first points win for Hendrick this Sunday. Have fun at Atlanta this weekend, Bluz! If you see Kyle Bush, flip him the bird for me. I wish I was right there with you Bluz! I'm still trying to get to my first race. I'm hoping for the Brickyard.....
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Post by scotthawk on Mar 7, 2008 21:49:45 GMT -6
I went to Talladega in 1999 and had great seats. I did walk down to the walkway as close to the track as possible just to see how fast the cars really went. It was unbelievable when the pack screamed by. I also go to the Bristol night race every year and have seats on the start/finish line at the perfect height. That place is so loud and 170,000 fans packed in there around a track that is just over a half mile long is unbelievable. I have not been to a race at Atlanta but did take the track tour and they took us for 3 laps around in a 12 seat passenger van at abour 110 miles an hour. It was a good tour while we killed time before catching our flight out of Hartsfield the day after the Talladega race.
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Post by FlyHawkJoe S.O.B. on Mar 8, 2008 9:01:52 GMT -6
Poor Bluz, it's 35 degrees and snowy in Atlanta this morning! Hopefully it passes and they get the racing in, but after Bluz teased us about the winter we've had up here, all I can say is "karma's a bitch, big guy"!!!
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Post by The Bluzmn on Mar 10, 2008 12:16:00 GMT -6
Hey, you never heard half of the stuff I said about those foolish enough to remain up north!
Friday was great - it is always one of my favorite days - practice sessions for all series, truck and Cup qualifying and then the truck race. Basically, I sit in the stands for like 8-9 hours with a scanner on and watch cars go fast.
Saturday sucked and I did not go to the race. I got up at 8:00 or so and it was snowing sideways with winds of 25-35 mph. I tuned on the weather and they said it would clear out but the high would be 37 and the winds would increase to 40-45 mph. Since that did not sound like my idea of a good time, I went home, hung out with my wife and listened to Iowa wrestling on the internet.
We drove back over on Sunday for the Cup race. Although it was chilly, our seats are in the sun and out of the wind so it is nice and warm up there. It is like Wrigley Field: if the wind is blowing in and it is in the 50's, it is freezing cold in the stands, but the people in the bleachers are out there in t-shirts.
I loved the start of the race when Jr. was running away with it, before the looseness issue struck that bothered almost everybody. There was little side-by-side racing due to the tires that Goodyear brought (see nascar.com to hear all the bitching about the tires). Anyway, we had a great time, Jr. had another top-5. We are now looking forward to our next race tickets at Darlington in May.
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Post by FlyHawkJoe S.O.B. on Mar 12, 2008 19:33:03 GMT -6
from Landon Cassill's website:
COUNT DOWN TO NASHVILLE!
11 DAYS UNTIL THE PEPSI 300
LANDON & #5 NATIONAL GUARD TEAM ARE PREPARING FOR THEIR 2008 NASCAR NATIONWIDE DEBUT
22 March Nashville Speedway Nationwide Series ESPN 2:30PM EST
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Post by The Bluzmn on Mar 13, 2008 5:37:09 GMT -6
BTW, if you are interested, Martin Truex, Jr. is driving the 5 car this weekend at Bristol.
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Post by Dr. Doofenshmirtz (Heywood) on Mar 13, 2008 10:31:50 GMT -6
That might be another W for the #5 on Saturday.
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Post by FlyHawkJoe S.O.B. on Mar 13, 2008 16:49:05 GMT -6
I like Truex, he's one of my drivers in my top 10 list. Sounds like he's still hooked up with Earnhart on the Nationwide side, so that's cool. I think Cassill will get a lot of races in that car this year.
After seeing Kyle Busch damn near sweep all 3 races last weekend, I got to thinking that I'm not sure they should continue to allow the full time Cup drivers to dominate in the other 2 races. Seems like they're taking spots from up & coming drivers. What do some of you other Nascar fans think? I was thinking along the lines of limiting the # of times they could drive the other races if they're usually full time in Cup, not disallowing it. Would that run against fan's wishes to see the stars as much as possible?
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Post by The Bluzmn on Mar 14, 2008 7:48:35 GMT -6
I like Truex, too. And I like his sponsor as well.
I wish they would limit the Cup drivers' involvement in both the Nationwide and Truck series. Sometimes, you look at the Nationwide Series and half of the entries are Cup drivers. I don't think the problem is solely the driver talent (and experience), but also the money behind the teams. I know why NASCAR and the track owners are hesitant to change anything - butts in the seats. I think true racing fans, though, would watch the other two series regardless of who is driving. I like watching the up and coming guys in the Nationwide Series and the combination of veterans and young guys in the truck series.
Just my $.02.
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