Bench Racing with Steve and Charlie

Is Tony Stewart headed for Cup team ownership?

How much more interesting would the Sprint Cup Series be if Tony Stewart were to become a team owner?

According to Fox Sports’ Lee Spencer that possibility was the hot rumor around the Phoenix International Raceway garage on Friday.  It seems that Tony may be talking with Haas CNC Racing and Chevrolet about a partnership that would return Stewart to the Bow-tie fold as a driver-owner.  And where there is Smoke - there is news.

Lately a few of us had speculated that that Stewart might be a candidate for the #33 seat and General Mills sponsorship at Richard Childress Racing.  Others, like my buddy Steve, think that Stewart’s relationships with Joe Gibbs Racing and various pals will stop any potential defection.  I wonder if Chevrolet felt that way about their JGR connections before the Coach and the kid said sayonara?

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We've moved the home of Bench Racing with Steve and Charlie to the new OnPitRow.com site.  We'll continue to post over here for awhile, but please check out the new site and change your bookmarks. Thanks.

All in all it was a classy day in Thunder Valley

 

Dale Jarrett’s last Sprint Cup Series race didn’t go as well as he and his fans hoped.  His 37th place finish in the Food City 500 was disappointing.

But he did hand over his #44 UPS Camry with 34th place owner’s points - a critical accomplishment for his employer, Michael Waltrip Racing.  DJ was the epitome of class to the end. Scene Daily had this quote…

“Well, it wasn’t the finish I would have liked,” Jarrett said. “I’m able to go out with the best sponsor in the business in UPS, and I would have liked to have had a better day for them, but I really can’t be too upset when you take into consideration the kind of career I have been fortunate to have.”

The win went to another of the classiest members of the NASCAR circus, Jeff Burton.  Burton has been running around up front all year and the win at Bristol was no stunner.  Maybe the fact that Jeff Burton was the driver to capture Chevrolet’s first 2008 victory was a surprise.  Richard Childress Racing Impalas finished top three in a race led mostly by two Joe Gibbs’ Camrys.

to read the rest of this post go to the new home of the Bench Racing blog.

We've moved the home of Bench Racing with Steve and Charlie to the new OnPitRow.com site.  We'll continue to post over here for awhile, but please check out the new site and change your bookmarks. Thanks.

NASCAR is already full of surprises

We are barely started in the 2008 season and who can believe what has happened?

One year after “fuelgate” Michael Waltrip has put his NAPA Camry on the front row for next week’s Daytona 500.  Oh yeah and the not so surprising part; joining him on the front row–Jimmy Johnson. Johnson hasn’t missed a beat from 2007, by putting his Lowes Chevrolet on the pole.

Here are this week’s Fast lap questions:

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This Budweiser Shootout was pert’ near perfect

“I want a billion dollars and a monkey.”  I got what we all hope is just a bite-sized sample of the kind of race the 50th Daytona 500 will be a week from now.

That was one hell of a race, that there Bud Shootout.  And it was won by one hell of a driver too - the best restrictor plate racer there ever was, according to second place Tony Stewart.

Smoke said that Dale Jr is probably better at this plate racin’ stuff than his daddy, Dale Earnhardt the Legend.  All Senior did was win more times in Florida than the Marlins.

I don’t know about all of that. I do know that I had a big smile on my face at the end of that race. I mean even Tony Stewart seemed happy.

And NASCAR has a real race car in this Car of Today. To a man - announcers, ex-drivers, former crew chiefs - all praised the Car formerly known as the Ugly Little Freakin’ Toad.

Dale Earnhardt Jr, in mid-whoop as he ran his first victory lap in a couple years yelled “We got us a race car boys. Maybe a 500 winner!”.....

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Stewart and Busch get first call to the NASCAR trailer

That didn’t take long at all. The Home Depot Toyota of Tony Stewart and Kurt Busch’s Miller Lite Dodge got together while jousting for position in Budweiser Shootout practice. The dispute continued into pit lane as Kurt repeatedly banged doors with Smoke and Tony stopped his car blocking the garage entrance to Busch.

“Come on down boys we need to talk” said NASCAR.

Both drivers reportedly left the trailer without comment. NASCAR VP of Corporate Communications, Jim Hunter had this to say….

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Bench Racing’s top 18 Budweiser Shootout countdown

OK, Kurt Busch is on the pole for Saturday’s Budweiser Shootout but does that mean anything?  It might.  Check out our countdown of compelling Bud Shootout factoids and impress your friends at the 2008 NASCAR kickoff party.

70 - Total laps in the race, up from the 20 run the first year of the event in 1979

44 - No, not DJ’s UPS truck car number. It's the most laps led in a single Bud Shootout, by Greg Biffle in 2005

22 - Largest field in event history in 2002 also the number of career starts by Awesome Bill from Dawsonville

19 - Dale Earnhardt Jr’s starting position in ‘03, the farthest back anybody has started and won also the number of consecutive starts by Mark Martin, most by any driver also..... Go to the new home of the Bench Racing blog for the rest of this post.

Junior Johnson’s trying to haul his moon to Daytona

Moonshine and NASCAR - now that’s getting back to your roots.

NASCAR legend Junior Johnson is going to drive the pace car at the 2008 Daytona 500. That’s fantastic. I wonder if Tony Stewart will bump draft him during the yellows?

On top of Junior in the Pace Car, Johnson’s Midnight Moon will be sponsoring Jeremy Mayfield’s Chevy for Haas CNC Racing. Piedmont Distillers, the makers of Junior’s legal shine is hoping that the exposure  .....Go to the new home of the Bench Racing Blog for the rest of this post!

Big night for Tony Stewart at Barrett-Jackson

We've moved the home of Bench Racing with Steve and Charlie to the new OnPitRow.com site.  We'll continue to post over here for awhile, but please check out the new site and change your bookmarks. Thanks.

The Barrett Jackson Auto Auction raised almost half a million bucks last night for the Darrell Gwynn Foundation with a big assist from NASCAR's Tony Stewart.

Stewart brought one of his Joe Gibbs Racing - Home Depot Monte Carlos to be auctioned off for the benefit of the official charity of Barrett Jackson and the NHRA.

The Darrell Gwynn Foundation exists to prevent and ultimately cure spinal cord injuries and other debilitating illnesses.

They help improve the quality of life for those already afflicted with injury or illness by providing necessary equipment or special services.

Terrific cause and terrific TV as well.  Smoke started it off doing a burn-out onto the auction stage and then as the price of the bidding climbed, stoked the fires by adding a helmet, driver's suit and finally the ring that he was wearing.  The car brought a cool $300,000 and additional contributions brought the total proceeds for the foundation to a reported $495,000. 

Nicely done Mr.Stewart.

Live Blog - NASCAR Awards Show

Watching NASCAR's year end awards banquet and show from the Waldorf in New York City is, to me, a painful experience.  But doing what I do, I feel compelled to watch it. That's kind of funny actually because I don't always feel compelled to watch the races.  Anyway, since I have to do this, I was hoping that some of you would join me in my pain. 

Steve and our producer/photographer Beth Anne have promised - under threat of me making their email addresses public on MySpace - to show up at some point and I have dropped pleading hints around the NASCAR blogosphere as well. 

So with the help of this great Cover it Live software we'll try our best to resurrect Joel, Tom Servo, Betsy and Crow of Mystery Science Theatre 3000 fame and totally de-construct NASCAR's most ludicrous night.

Johnson takes fourth in a row and seals champ bid

Jimmy Johnson makes another late race push to the front and moves to a commanding points lead.

Greg Biffle, Matt Kenseth, Ryan Newman and Tony Stewart all made late race runs at JJ but none seriously threatened to take the lead.  Johnson and Chad Knaus seem to have it figured out and nothing short of a disaster at Homestead next week can derail this train.

The best finishing Toyota was Brian Vickers in 21st.  The desert wasn't a kind place for the Toyota group as none of Michael Waltrip Racing's entries made the field.

With Dale Jarrett not making the race and Mark Martin and Ken Shrader not entered - there has now not been a driver who has participated in all the Phoenix Cup events.

The Buzz ON PIT ROW is:

Is America's love of the underdog strong enough to make Gordon haters root for him to win the Championship?

The Fast Lap this week asks:

1)  Will the 48 team continue their "race to win strategy" at Homestead or will they race for 18th?

2) Is Homestead the best place to finish the season?

3) Should Petty Enterprises merge/partner with Gillett-Evernham?

4) Will any of the three 2008 open wheel rookies not make it to the end of the season?

Let us know how you feel about these questions, or anything else that happened at in the desert.  If we like your comments, whether we agree or not, we may use them on the air during Tuesday's ON PIT ROW.  Leave us a comment on the blog or call the show--toll free at 1-877-502-8255 between 5-7pm edt on Tuesdays.

photo: Jason Smith/Getty images/NASCAR