Original photo: Greg Gagne
RACING HIGHLIGHTS
CUP: Jeff Gordon, Engaged and In the Chase (for now)
NCTS: Johnny Benson, Two in a Row
BUSCH: Paul Menard, 1st Series Win
NASCAR West: Brian Vickers, new poster child for #83 Red Bull Energy Drink Toyota
Nextel Cup regular Brian Vickers, who drives for Hendrick
Motorsports, won Saturday's Blue Lizard Australian Suncream 200 at
Infineon Raceway, a NASCAR Grand National Division, West series race.
It
was a special win for Vickers, whose car carried a paint scheme that
once was used by Ricky Hendrick, who was killed along with nine others
in a 2004 plane crash.
Ricky Hendrick, the son of team owner
Rick Hendrick, helped bring Vickers into the team fold after Ricky
retired as a driver himself in 2002.
Vickers got the idea for
the paint scheme after his West series car was issued No. 17, the same
number Ricky Hendrick won with during a Craftsman Trucks Series race in
2001 at Kansas Speedway.
"We applied for a number, it happened
to be 17, and a light went on," Vickers said. "This is a chance to do
it for the kid, do it for Ricky."
Vickers, who struggled during
his qualifying lap and will start 42nd in today's Dodge/Save Mart 350,
led for 61 of Saturday's 64-lap race. But he said he didn't think
driving a West series car will provide much advantage for today's Cup
race.
"I came out with the mind-set it was going to be just like
a Cup car," he said. "It turned out to be a lot of fun, but it was not
great practice for a Cup car." [ContraCostaTimes.com]
THE BIG SONOMA FAQ
Q. Are Jeff and Ingrid engaged?
A. Yes.
This weekend in California's wine country, NASCAR Nextel Cup Series driver Jeff Gordon announced his engagement to Ingrid Vandebosch, his girlfriend of two and a half years.
WIN WIN WEEKEND
Sonoma, Calif. - It was early Sunday morning, some five hours before the start of the Dodge/Save Mart 350, when Jeff Gordon called his crew chief, Steve Letarte, on the telephone.
Gordon had two messages. Actually a prediction and an announcement.
"One, I'm going to win the race today," Gordon told Letarte. "And two, I'm engaged."
Gordon turned out to be a NASCAR Nostradamus. He celebrated his engagement to Ingrid Vandebosch - the official wedding announcement came Saturday night - with his record fifth victory at Infineon Raceway and first Nextel Cup series win of 2006.
Shortly after holding off Ryan Newman and Terry Labonte for the victory, Gordon grabbed the checkered flag, then burned rubber for at least 15 seconds, sending a cloud of blue-and-white smoke over the racetrack as he began his victory lap."
It's not as if Gordon didn't expect to win. After all, he predicted his own victory. And it's not as if this was a new experience for him. After all, he owns this race.
Yet as he drove toward victory lane, Gordon became "choked up" with emotion.
"I don't know what it was, but it was there," Gordon said of the emotion. "It was felt. It felt great. I think I did one of the best burnouts I've ever done."
Don't know what it was?
Maybe it was the emotion of having his picture added to the Infineon Raceway Wall of Fame on Friday. Or the emotion of going public with his engagement on Saturday, revealing a month-old secret. Or the emotion of jump-starting his season Sunday with victory No. 1 just miles away from his boyhood home in Vallejo.
Pick a source.
Gordon said he had never predicted victory before, not even when he was sure he had the best car in a race and was confident he'd win.
This time, he couldn't help himself.
"I just was feeling good," Gordon said. "I guess I was holding onto a secret for a month. It's nice to get that off my chest and let the world know."
The world learned all too much about Gordon's marriage to Brooke Sealy and their bitter, very public divorce. She received a reported $15.3 million settlement when the divorce became final in June 2003.
One inquiring mind from the media asked Gordon if he and his fiancee would sign a prenuptial agreement.
"She's here," Gordon said, smiling. "Maybe she can come over and talk to you for a while and answer the question. I think she knows I'm a lot smarter the second time around."
Also, he pointed out, "a much better guy this time around."
For the record, Vandebosch politely declined.
Gordon and Vandebosch announced their engagement in front of friends and family during "a croquet event" at Meadowood resort in St. Helena. [Knight Ridder]
This week's new Q?s
Q. Does David Gilliland have a girlfriend?
A.
No, bandwagon jumper-oners, he has a wife, Michelle (Tenberge) and two children, Todd and Taylor. When I posted
pics of them from California in February everyone asked, "Who is David
Gilliland?" Now you know.
Q. Does Kertus Davis have a girlfriend?
A. No idea.
To Have or To Not Have Moved On
"Amanda Beard has not met Kelly Clarkson, she loves to shop at Nordstrom, if she had to choose she would be a Colts fan and, sorry boys, she does have a boyfriend." [IDSnews.com]
Q. Is it Carl or someone new?
A. ???
Previously: Popular NASCAR Couple Calls It Quits
BIRTHS AND BIRTHDAYS
Congratulations to Tommy and Beth Baldwin on the birth of their son Lucas Graham on Friday, June 23.
The Real Racing Princess
In celebration of Ricki Hendrick's first birthday on June 29th, an online donation in her name has been made to Victory Junction Gang Camp on behalf the tallglassofmilk and Answer this... readers. If you would also like make a birthday wish for this..., you can do so at the Network for Good.
WALTRIP SPECIAL DELIVERY
Photo: Michelle Alaimo
Ken Wood, a 44-year-old small business owner, recently took delivery
of a special package at his Winston, Ore., home – courtesy of two-time
Daytona 500 winner Michael Waltrip.
Wood was the winning
bidder for the "Get the Door…It's Michael Waltrip!" Package that
appeared on the Best Western eBay Auction* last fall, benefiting
American Red Cross Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. The NASCAR fan
received a Domino's Pizza delivery by Waltrip in the Best Western #99
Busch Series Street Car, as well as a party for 25 of his closest
friends and family, with food and beverages provided by Domino's. As
part of the festivities, Wood and his guests were also treated to a
photo and autograph session with one of stock car racing’s most beloved
drivers.
To
round out the package, Wood will receive Domino's Pizza for a year (one
free pizza per month for a year) to complement his Team Domino's
long-sleeved t-shirt and Best Western Pit Crew shirt,
both autographed by Waltrip; and his autographed Best Western #99
die-cast car.
Wood's
winning bid of $4,605.55 not only earned him the delivery of a
lifetime, but it was also the highest-selling item of the more than 300
packages and products featured in the auction. In total, more than
$64,000.00 was raised through the program in just three months.
"I
really didn't think I would win," said Wood. "I have always liked
watching Michael race, so this was really cool. Plus, it was great to
be able to help support the American Red Cross hurricane relief
efforts."
Added Waltrip, "The Best Western eBay Auction was such
a creative way to support the Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. I'm
proud to have joined my sponsors, Best Western and Domino's, in
offering this package. I've been looking forward to making this
special delivery to our winning
NASCAR fan since last fall."
The Best Western eBay Auction was
one of several initiatives undertaken in 2005 as part of "Best Western
for a Better World," the hotel chain’s multi-faceted community service
program dedicated to providing assistance to Best Western neighbors in
cities and countries across the globe. Through financial
contributions, product donations and volunteer activities, Best
Western, its members, employees and guests work together throughout the
year, making a difference by helping those in need.
CAUGHT ON VIDEO
Tony Stewart's run in with the CHP
WHERE'S THE SCOOP?
Several NASCAR drivers and their significant others are serious about animal advocacy and adoption. Perhaps they could also educate adoptive dog owners on this...
Survey: Half of N.C. dog owners don't scoop, despite laws
A new survey shows North Carolina dog owners are in the doghouse when it comes to cleaning up after their pets. It finds that nearly half of them don't scoop the poop, even if the law requires it in their area.
Chrystal Bartlett works for the state Department of Environment and Natural Resources. She says the doggy debris is more than just unsightly, it's a water quality problem.
Bartlett estimates that the 1.8 million dogs that live in North
Carolina deposit 681 tons of waste each day. A survey by the state and
East Carolina University found that 47 percent of urban dog walkers
rarely or never clean up after their pets. It gets worse as the
population thins: 49 percent of surburbanites and 59 percent of people
in rural areas rarely or never clean up their dogs' waste.
ROUSH TO BLAME?
How does Kurt Busch feel about being #3 on the list of GQ's Top #10 Most Hated Athletes?
#3 Kurt Busch
Unsportsmanlike
Conduct: Flouting authority
Bonus points for: Berating crew
"I was pretty surprised by it. I had a great conversation with some guys this week in downtown San Francisco where we chatted about how I don't even compare to Barry Bonds or Terrell Owens. But my old team did a good job of putting me pretty far up in the rankings, and that's how I viewed it." [Charlotte Observer, June 25, 2006]
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
"The only things foreign about NASCAR are its official lawn service (it's Swedish) and Jeff Gordon's girlfriend." ~ Bob Lipper, "IRL: Nice, but it's not NASCAR"
MORE
- See all Sonoma Edition Photos + New GORGEOUS pics
- See all racy editions of this...
REMINDERS
06/26 - Kevin LePage's Birthday
06/26 - Stan Barrett's Birthday
06/27 - Johnny Benson Jr.'s Birthday
06/27 - Robbie Reiser's Birthday
06/28 - Junior Johnson's Birthday
06/28 - Mike Skinner's Birthday
06/29 - Jeff Burton's Birthday
06/29 - Martin Truex Jr.'s Birthday
06/29 - Ricki Hendrick's Birthday 
06/30 - Blake Parrott's Birthday
06/30 - Sterling Marlin's Birthday
06/30 - 
Daytona International Speedway (7:30PM ET)
07/01 - Julie Elliott Hamby's Birthday
07/01 - O'Reilly Auto Parts 250 @ Kansas Speedway (3:00PM ET)
07/01 - Pepsi 400 at Daytona International Speedway (7:30PM ET)
07/02 - Clark Houston's Birthday
07/02 - Richard Petty's Birthday
