Race Picks (the last season?), Uncle Max vs. The Points Leader: TALLADEGA

Wow, it’s been busy lately! Work is already starting to change over the displays to Christmas (remember, we’re a model store for the region), I managed to pull off a five player trade in fantasy football, and I’m still waiting to hear if I got the promotion at work.

Obviously the last thing there is the most-important one (it’s not like I play REALITY football), and I’m thinking it’ll come down to the big corporate tour in a few weeks. They always come by with other store managers to inspect the holiday displays we do a month early, just to make sure everything is done “beyond perfect”. So here’s hoping I don’t leave a single inflatable snowman out of place!

TRUCK SERIES (6 wins) Love’s RV Stop 225 (Friday 4pm ET on FS1) PARKER KLIGERMAN—I’m still disappointed that “Food Country USA” isn’t a theme park.

XFINITY SERIES (2 wins) United Rentals 250 (Saturday 4pm ET on CW) SHELDON CREED—FINALLY.

CUP SERIES Yellawood 500 (Sunday 2pm ET on NBC) Points Leader (1 win) picks DENNY HAMLIN.  Favorite (3 wins): RYAN BLANEY—easy way to end the stress on if he’ll advance or not.  Next Favorite (5 wins): ALEX BOWMAN—easy way to end the talk of if he deserves a Hendrick ride.  Dark Horse (2 wins): RICKY STENHOUSE JR.—easy way to remind the sport that Hyak exists.

www.spaderacing.com updated four times weekly

www.facebook.com/spaderacing

www.twitter.com/spaderacing

Visit the store https://www.cafepress.com/spaderacing

Buy the book 100 Stock Car Racing What Ifs Unauthorized

Does this track have lights?

A MOXOC Media production

www.moxoc.com

Spade Racing Opens a 2025 Donruss Hobby Box: Pack 9 of 16

It’s back to new cards, with a “hobby box” of 2025 Donruss racing cards.  There’s sixteen packs, so join me as I go through each of them!

Pack 9 of 16: A Tough Cookie, a Charter Hooky, and a Forgotten Rookie

First Look: I give Chase Briscoe all the credit in the world for reinvigorating his career after the disintegration of Stewart Haas Racing. Now if he could just do something about that hair…

To the Back: From the sound of things, it’s Tyler Reddick’s contract that is the fulcrum on which the 23XI Charter controversy balances.  Not since Francis Ferko, huh?

Say What: “Yeah, I’m a rookie this year too.  Don’t worry, even I forget sometimes.”

Final Rating: 7 stage breaks out of 10

www.spaderacing.com updated four times weekly

www.facebook.com/spaderacing

www.twitter.com/spaderacing

Visit the store https://www.cafepress.com/spaderacing

Buy the book 100 Stock Car Racing What Ifs Unauthorized

Does this track have lights?

A MOXOC Media production

www.moxoc.com

Spade Racing’s Stars in Unusual Cars: Darrell Waltrip (part 2)

DW races for three different teams in 1998

Join me throughout this year as I take a look at when some of the sport’s biggest stars drove some unusual cars! (Presented in no particular order).

Darrell Waltrip talking to
Ken Schrader

Why? The departure of longtime sponsor Western Auto Parts America left Darrell Waltrip Motorsports in the lurch going into the 1998 season.  After replacement Speedblock didn’t pay its sponsorship bills, Waltrip sold the team to Tim Beverly.  Beverly then shut down operations to regroup, allowing Waltrip to race as a substitute for rival Dale Earnhardt in The Intimidator’s #1 car.  Once regular driver Steve Park recovered from his injuries, Waltrip returned to the newly-rechristened Tyler Jet Motorsports, now sponsored by Tabasco.

How successful were they? After a slow start to the season Waltrip came into his own racing for Dale Earnhardt Inc., posting a fifth-place finish at California and contending for a win at Pocono.  Upon returning to his former race team, however, he returned to struggling, leaving the operation at the end of the year.

What was the aftermath? Tabasco’s anger at Beverly running Chevys instead of Pontiacs led to what became known as the “Tabasco fiasco”, an embarrassing sponsor conflict still remembered by NASCAR insiders.  While Tyler Jet Motorsports would struggle before a brief resurgence with driver Johnny Benson, Waltrip would struggle in his final two seasons with Haas-Carter Motorsports.

Ranking on the Strange-O-Meter? 8 bad racing puns out of 10—yes, he probably hung on too long in the driver’s seat, but seeing a legend like Darrell freaking Waltrip knocking around the sport like a journeyman was jarring.

www.spaderacing.com updated four times weekly

www.facebook.com/spaderacing

www.twitter.com/spaderacing

Visit the store https://www.cafepress.com/spaderacing

Buy the book 100 Stock Car Racing What Ifs Unauthorized

Does this track have lights?

A MOXOC Media production

www.moxoc.com