Points leader Kyle Busch scores his third NASCAR Cup Series win of the season at Darlington Raceway, May 10, 2008. The "Rowdy" driver also has three wins in the Nationwide Series and two in the Craftsman Truck Series. (Photo: Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR)
ROWDY RILES!
Quoting this...
Jeff Gordon: "I think if he had his choice, he wouldn't be the villain. I don't think he wants to be that. I know Kyle's a good guy, you know And he's an incredibly talented race car driver. There's no doubt about that.
He just gets himself into situations, you know, that it just follows him. He just needs to accept it, go with it, but, you know, be himself. And I think there's an opportunity here for him. Not that he wants to go crashing Dale Jr. very often. I don't think that's going to do him too many favors. But having a love hate relationship out there with the fans is not a bad thing. I heard more noise for him tonight than I've ever heard for him. And all I can remember when I came into this sport is riding around Dale Earnhardt, and him getting a lot of boos and cheers, and all he cared about was about how much noise they made."
Jeffy's days of being the most loved and hated are a distant memory. Kyle has been crowned King.
PHOTO ALBUM: HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY @ DARLINGTON RACEWAY
But we want to know what you mean by this...
Kyle Busch: To me, Rick Pigeon (88 crew member) coming on down here, was a friend of mine and has always been a great friend to Dale (Earnhardt) Jr., that was a little uncalled for and it's not all about him all the time and he'll know what I mean by that."
In case you missed this...
CreativeLoafing.com "Live Review: Dierks Bentley" > Whisky River proved themselves as a live music venue with their sound stage quality, and they had that place so well staffed I didn't have to wait longer than a minute to get served at either of the three bars ...
I have never had to apply so much to get into a bar as I did last night. Ticket holders had to fill out a membership application for Whisky River, and then stand in a long line to get into a not yet crowded bar. Why not let people in so they can spend money at the bar? Just saying…
Once we got in and made our way through the pit lizards trying to crawl on the NASCAR drivers on hand for the show, we secured a perimeter close to the stage. I have made the executive decision to never go to a crowded concert with a flat standing area again. I am a mere 5'2," so unless there are all little people standing in front of me, there's no way I am going to be able to see the stage. Even the tall boys were straining their necks to get a view of the Bentley ...
It was like a NASCAR race in the VIP section with NASCAR drivers David Stremme, Denny Hamlin, Kasey Kahne and, of course, Dale Earnhardt Jr.
NASCAR WAG ASKS FANS TO GIVE BACK
Martin Truex Jr.'s Girlfriend, Sherry Pollex, Calls on Fans to Donate to Domestic Violence Shelter
Hey Guys -
I know this is unusual and you'd probably rather hear from Martin than me, but I wanted to write you a letter asking for your help with something that is an important cause for all women all across the country. Since Martin and I started the foundation, a fire has been ignited within me to find causes right in our backyard here in North Carolina that we can help. I came across a domestic violence shelter in our area called, My Sister's House. After talking to Kelly about my desire to help the shelter, we decided it would be cool to challenge Martin's fans to be a part of this wonderful cause.
For those of you that will be in town for the Charlotte race weekend, Martin's office will be open to the public and Kelly and staff will be taking donations for the shelter (directions to his office are on his website). For those of you who are coming to the fan club event in May, you can bring your donation with you to the Bass Pro Shops, where we will be collecting items from the list below. Or if you're just a fan of Martin's that wants to help, please feel free to mail your donation to the address on his website! Below is a list of what the shelter is in need of, so please chose one or several unused, new items from the list below so we can help these women and children lead a somewhat normal life through the trying times they are going through in their lives.
Items needed: Any household products (paper towels, cleaning supplies, toilet paper, tissues, etc.) Toiletries (shampoo, conditioner, soap, shaving cream, razors, toothpaste, toothbrushes, etc.) Canned non-perishable vegetables or fruit New pillow or bed linens (for twin sized mattresses) Size 4-5 diapers Black sharpie markers You can bring as much or as little as you want! Throughout this whole process of getting the foundation up and running, I've come to the realization that doing a little bit of good, can mean so much to so many people. Martin and I just took part in the Oprah's "BIG GIVE" with our local ABC affiliate here in Charlotte. It has been so neat to see the process of giving spread like wildfire throughout the NASCAR community. We are having so much fun bringing smiles to all of the people's faces that we are able to help! We hope you can be a part of that too, in some small way!
I look forward to seeing you all at the Fan Club event and Martin promises to write in his journal soon! He's been busy testing, racing, appearances, and well, yes, a little bit of vacation and fishing too! HAHA…have a wonderful week and we'll see you guys soon!
Sherry
www.martintruexjr.com
WEDDING BELLS FOR THE LABONTES
Congratulations to the daughter of two-time Winston Cup Champion Terry Labonte and wife Kim, Kristen, who was married to Matt Garrett of Greensboro, North Carolina, on April 26. Matt, a graduate of North Carolina State University, is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Garrett of Pleasant Garden. The newlyweds will reside Ft. Worth, Texas, where he is employed as a land manager and she an event planner.
Best of luck to the couple.
Next up at the altar: Kristy's good friend and fellow NASCAR brat, Montgomery Petty, and beau, Randy Montana.
MARKET UPDATES
In the Market
Q. Does Dale Earnhardt Jr. have a new girlfriend?
A. Hmmm. Here comes the G-word again. It is my understanding that NASCAR's most eligible bachelor has a new semi-steady companion. See above.
Q. I've read online that Junior and Elizabeth are back together! Is it really true?
A. It's true that a member of Liz's family has resurfaced to start spreading the word. Coincidentally, the "Junior and Liz Redux" postings popped up right before the release of the ESPN Magazine article in which Junior described the challenge of finding a "girl to bring home to mama." We know he's already taken Liz home ... she's met mama ... but he's still looking. Who's having trouble reading between the lines?
Interestingly, the online flurry surrounding the news of Junior and Elizabeth dating last February coincided with the release of a Sports Illustrated article in which Dale Jr. described the difficulties maintaining a relationship with a woman and implied his singledom despite having said only a month prior that he "had this girl he was seeing." FLASHBACK
Off the Market
Q. Is Kasey Kahne dating someone new?
A. Nope. Sources say things are still going very well with Jenny Severance.
Q. Are Elliott Sadler and Amanda Prince still together?
A. Still.
Q. Are Brian and Amy still together?
A. Yep.
Q. Does David Stremme have a new girlfriend?
A. It seems he does, although I don't have much more info on this...
In Escrow
One of NASCAR's newest WAGs is said to be movin' on up in with her driver and a returning WAG is said to have already been relocated and made herself at home in NASCARolina, ready to start a family.
Can't get enough racing drama? Check out Harlequin's new NASCAR romance novels.
Slingshot Moves
NASCAR spotter Steve Grosso and veterinarian Heidi Kramer are…well, perfect together. But Heidi wants something she can't have with Steve—stability. Joining Steve on the NASCAR circuit will mean abandoning her career and the chance to open her own clinic. So Heidi faces a decision with no easy answers.
But Steve makes his living by seeing spaces and maneuvering room where others see none. If he works with his family—who have been part of the NASCAR lifestyle for generations—maybe he can convince Heidi that home isn't one static place on the map. Because sometimes the only way to get ahead is to gamble—and risk everything for that one perfect opportunity.
Peak Performance
Rachel Murphy always puts family first. Well, sometimes family and work—as a female NASCAR engine specialist, she has a lot to prove! She's got no time for romantic entanglements. Besides, having been orphaned at a young age, she's had enough abandonment to last a lifetime.
For mountain-climber-turned-sportscaster Payton Reese, risk is what makes everything worthwhile. That is, until an encounter with Rachel makes Payton compromise his "play hard, don't get tied down" rule. Suddenly he finds himself strangely captivated by a beauty in coveralls…and wanting to teach her a thing or two about living life for herself!
But how can he be what she really needs…without changing his course?
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