The NASCAR season is into the late half and so far, by design or luck, it is shaping up for big races. The “Chase” is winding with a few aces being held to the chest. The ingredients have been mixed and all that is left is to toss it in the oven and watch it rise.

There has been drama and controversy to keep the fans talking. Kurt Busch, for example, with media trouble and a race suspension from NASCAR trying to break him back inside the corral.  A.J. Allmendinger is another with a mark on substance abuse, suspension and a sanctioned rehab program. The continuing saga of Matt Kenseth making a jump for 2013 keeps some speculation in the conversation. (more…)

The current seat of NASCAR is Charlotte, NC.  However, from this big city and central hub of racing teams the scene rolls back in time to many places and personalities of much more variety. The NASCAR Hall of Fame nominees for 2013 induction showcase this variety all too well.

The field of those on the list for consideration highlight the earliest days of the sport. Fireball Roberts, Wendell Scott, Tim Flock and others advanced the racing, the style and the stories that shaped NASCAR to what it is. Other nominees such as Rick Hendrick and Richard Childress, well known to even the youngest fans, have taken the ropes from the veterans and moved the sport forward to what we see now. (more…)

Earlier this year Missed Gear attended a promotional event at the Martinsville Speedway to introduce a Heroic young man injured while serving our Country and a talented film star with a musical side stepping in to help him.

United States Marine Corporal J. B. Kerns was injured by a terrorist IED on his third tour of duty in Afghanistan. The goal is to raise funds for a specialized home he can call his own in SW Virginia.

The film star is Gary Sinise. (CSI: NY, Apollo 13, Forrest Gump)  Gary adopted the name of his character from the film “Forrest Gump” and put his love of music together with a mission to help the men, women and families of our Armed Forces. (more…)

Have you taken the time to see where they are racing or do you simply check the TV to see when the race is on…? All we do is plant ourselves on the couch and click the remote but those folks at NASCAR have to arrange all that stuff. At first glance it looks as if they arrange it with a dart board and blindfolds…

Race 1 – Daytona. Fine… Tradition and all that. The Daytona 500 starts the season and always will.

Race 2 – Phoenix. Let’s roll right by Texas to get there…

Race 3 – Las Vegas. Hey! Just up the road! Cool!

Race 4 – Bristol. What…? OK… Road trip!

Race 5 – Fontana…? Where is that? Next to Los Angeles…? California…? We were practically there in Vegas!

Race 6 – Martinsville. Back to Virginia…? What day is it?

Race 7 – Texas. What…? Why didn’t we stop there first and then go to Martinsville? It was on the way!

and so on…

Yes. Scheduling is a nightmare. There is the balance of tradition with newer facilities. There is the consideration of weather and temperature. There is the case for keeping the racing interesting with a variety of track length and technical skill. There is that dart board that doesn’t get used nearly enough… (more…)

Jeff Gordon locks in a win at Texas. He’d been pushing the checkered flag for quite some time but couldn’t quite grasp it until he won the guns after 47 races without the taste of Victory Lane. He remains first in points and the Texas win only pads the margin.
Gordon’s teammate, Jimmie Johnson, picked up the Martinsville win the week before. Ironic as it seemed for many laps it was Gordon’s race to lose. Missed Gear was at Martinsville for the race and we’ve got lots of pictures! Check them out HERE!

Rain soaked garage and pits at Martinsville Speedway
Rain soaked garage and pits at Martinsville Speedway

So far it has been a great weekend for a comprehensive test of which race team has the best umbrellas. Sprint Cup qualifying was a wash on Friday. The Camping World Series were able to post qualifying earlier in the day but Cup practice has been held in the garage. The truck race is up in the air and currently holding but at the mercy of the heavy clouds over the area.

Truck qualifying has put Rick Crawford in the Circle Bar – International Trucks Ford on the pole for the Kroger 250. Points leading up to Martinsville places Jeff Gordon and the Dupont Chevy on the pole with Kurt Busch on the outside.

Friday and up to noon on Saturday has been a wet run of it but the weather is looking good for Sunday. A forecast high of 64 with sunny skies. The main event looks to be set to go off without a hitch. The trucks, however, are on a head on course for a full afternoon of steady rain. If thishappens, Clay Campbell of Martinsville Speedway has said they will run them on Monday. For those who can pull it off if the rain scenerio plays out, a day at the track can certainly beat a day at work.

A word of advice… Call your boss before the green flag drops. The sound of V8 headers is not very convincing when you are calling in sick.

Goody's Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway
Goody's Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway

Again…? You’re kidding me, right? Rain? Did we pick up a curse from Left Turn Demons? Can we get a race at Martinsville with a “clear skies and 74 degrees” forecast? I’d settle for partly sunny and 63.

Yes, yes I know. Rain is not ALWAYS an issue at Martinsville. However, last October was dreary and threatening and qualifying was a wash. Last Spring there was some rain during practice… You have to wonder. Just what is the race weekend weather history at Martinsville? Over the past several years I believe I can recall rain being an issue on a number of occasions. It even pushed the race to a Monday one of the years I’ve been going.

Of course there is not much to do about it. Buy your ticket and hope for sunshine. It is the nature of racing – for NASCAR anyway. Those Grand-Am upstarts have lights and wipers and will go play in the rain, God bless’em! Not that there is anything wrong with that…

But NASCAR has issues with rain. Their cars have a tendancy to go wild and unpredictable on  wet pavement. So… We pack up and head to Martinsville. We throw in some umbrellas and stop at Wal-Mart on the way for some ponchos (can’t find the ones we bought last year). We resolve ourselves to the possibility of rain but hope for the best. It’s race weekend at Martinsville!