Jr FINALLY WINS!!! Thoughts on the Bud Shootout.
1. Jr. Nation is ecstatic. Their hero starts his career at Hendrick with a win.
2. Toyota gets it’s best finish ever as Tony shows that there isn’t really much difference in the new cars. Good drivers race good.
3 & 4 Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon, along with Jr in first, prove that the Hendrick Chevy’s will be the team to beat again this year. Driving back up cars, and starting at the rear, they still went to the front and contended for the win.
5. Reed Sorenson gets a top 5 for Dodge.
6. Casey Mears, the forgotten Hendrick driver.
7. Dave Blaney, ran up front most of the night. Maybe he’ll get that elusive first win this year.
8. Mark Marin, probably wishes JR. had left a little of the Earnhardt magic in the #8.
9. Denny Hamlin, seemed to hit everything but the pace car and still gave JGR a second top 10.
10. Kasey Kahne, never a factor but at least he finished in the top 10.
The only Ford, out of five, that finished was Carl Edwards in 12th.
A good, not great, race overall. For all the talk about how the cars didn’t handle, it looked to me like a typical Bud Shootout. Now it’s Daytona 500 front row qualifying on Sunday then the wait for Thursday’s Gatorade Duels.
A sidenote: The Charlotte Observer reported today that according to FOUR sources, while Tony and Kurt the jerk were in the Oval Office Friday night, Tony struck Kurt, in the presence of NASCAR officials. No-one from NASCAR would confirm or deny the allegation, stating that what happens in the trailer, stays in the trailer. Personally, I have my doubts. Not that Tony would hit him, just that (a) he would be stupid enough to do it in the trailer in front of the officials, and (b) NASCAR would just let it slide. I’m sure that if it had happened, he wouldn’t have been racing tonight.
Here’s a link to the story that FOX did on it before the race, along with interviews of Tony and Kurt.
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