Kyle Busch Sued for False Advertising in "Everything is Great" T-Shirts


Adding to Kyle Busch's mounting drama over the 2017 season, a group of fans has filed a class-action lawsuit against the driver for making false statements, most notably that "Everything is Great". 
"My clients number in the thousands--they all bought the aforementioned 'Everything is Great' t-shirts sold by Mr. Busch", attorney Logan Joseph said at a press conference. "They bought the shirts based on the premise that, in reference to Mr. Busch, everything WAS great. Well, after his actions on Sunday nigh—er, Monday morning, that claim has been proven patently false."
Busch gave a terse, sarcastic reply to a reporter's question in the post-race press conference, despite his previous claims to the media that everything was, in fact, great. 
"Mr. Busch has been a party to lies before", Joseph said. "From article after article calling him 'matured' to claiming that winning 200 races across the three touring series is somehow impressive, these lies must stop."

Joseph said he would be seeking financial restitution, punitive damages, and an admission that a world champion race case driver with a beautiful family has no right to be so pissy all the time. 

The 2017 Spade Racing Updated Paint Scheme--Coming Soon to a Fever Dream Near YOU!

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Martin Truex Jr. Leading Most-Important Race in Nascar History


A day full of racing should conclude with Nascar’s longest race of the year, the Coke 600.  And for the first-time ever, the race will be run with four stages—not three like usual so far this season.  As a result, more points are given out (relative to the contemporary point system) for this race than any in Nascar history, making the eventual victorious driver’s win the most-important in the history of the sport.
“This is the biggest moment of my life”, said Martin Truex Jr. upon exiting his car for the current rain delay.  “We all know that Nascar isn’t about beating the best of the best, or winning on Sunday with what you brought—its about earning season-long points and stage-based bonus points in order to have better positioning in the final ten playoff races.  That’s why we do what we do, and that’s why this would be such an important win—THE most-important win in history, bar-none.”
While the Coke 600 has often been considered one of the sport’s “crown-jewel” events given its prestige and unique length, the addition of a fourth stage, and the attendant bonus points, immediately elevated the race above such historic races as the 1979 Daytona 500, the inaugural Brickyard 400, and numerous championship duels held at Atlanta, Homestead, and Riverside.
“Wrecking so early in this race is the greatest disappointment in my career, and probably in my life”, driver Chase Elliott said after exiting his destroyed race car early in the incredibly-important proceedings.  “I know that those other 37 drivers out there will be giving it their all, and why wouldn’t they?  There’s even more bonus points than usual at stake today.  These are the kinds of things that can make or break whether or not a driver has enough bonus points at Homestead to be really nervous, or just moderately nervous.”
Track owner Bruton Smith was his usual modest self when talking about the mighty importance of the signature race at his signature track, saying, “I suggested stages years ago!  I invented stage racing!  And stock car racing!  And idiot employees standing around giving fans the wrong directions!”

Nascar chairman Brian France was said to be so impressed with the reaction to the mega-importance of the race that he will be instituting five stages per Cup race beginning next weekend at Dover.

Uncle Max: Charlotte Weekend Picks



Weekly picks from Spade Racing’s writer/webmaster/janitor Mike Mackler’s uncle.

Ahhh—its great to be back!  Vacation is nice, but its always refreshing to get back into the groove of things at work AND at home.  Things are chugging along nicely at the old job, getting ready for the big summer rush we always seem to have.  I’m being called-in to work most of the Memorial Day Weekend, but hopefully I can get off early on Sunday to catch most of the 600.  And at home, well, let’s just say its times like this that I’m glad I don’t have a lawn to mow!
This weekend is a high-holiday in the racing world, with Formula 1 and IndyCar having big races of their own on Sunday.  Speaking of which, what exactly IS the difference between F1 and IndyCar?  The cars look pretty much identical to me.  Only difference seems to be that F1 doesn’t run on oval tracks and they have lots more fans in the stands at THEIR races.
Anyways, here’s my picks for the upcoming race weekend at Charlotte (total wins in parenthesis):

Xfinity Series HiSense 4K TV 300 (4 wins)—Brad Keselowski—racing 300 miles in a little over 24 hours seems tough, until you realize that the first 300 are virtually meaningless.


Cup Series World 600:  FAVORITE (1 win)—Matt Kenseth—when JGR gets on a roll, they stay that way.  NEXT FAVORITE (1 win)—Jimmie Johnson—still hard to pick against the master of the 600 miler.  DARK HORSE—Kasey Kahne—its approaching the “is he ever going to win again?” stage of his career, so let’s hope he’s got some Bill Elliott/Terry Labonte magic in him.

My Charlotte All-Star Trip: Stray Thoughts and Lots of Pictures


--All in all it was a great trip, but hot. So very very VERY very hot. 

--They should just rename Charlotte Motor Speedway "Bruton: A Testament to His Ego"

--Driver intros were very cool, and the Monster Girls look even hotter up close. 

--Kasey Kahne read my "Spade Racing" shirt and backed-off...maybe he knows of me. 

--The further you go into the track, the more knowledgeable the employees were. I think the people on the outside didn't know there was a race going on. 


--The race itself was exciting...from fourth on back. Aero-push rules all. 

Mike’s All-Star Weekend Adventure

I'll be there to fight my toughest foe--irrelevancy
Special thanks to my Uncle Max, back
from his vacation to watch my apartment
and feed my fish.
I’ll be in Charlotte for the upcoming All-Star race, trying to get myself on camera and getting some updated reviews for my OTHER website, Race Shop Reviews.  Amuse yourself in the interim by taking a look at my most-popular (by far) article ever written, my study of the controversy behind the 1987 Winston All-Star Race Poster.

Spade Racingopoly

I love Monopoly.  I love Nascar.  You’d think I’d own one of the many Nascar-themed Monopoly sets that have been made over the years.  But you’d be wrong.  Why?  Because these “Nascaropoly” game boards always allow you to buy DRIVERS or cars instead of actual race tracks—you know, properties, like in the ACTUAL MONOPOLY.
That’s why I’ve come up with the first-ever track-based Monopoly game, Spade Racingopoly!  Play just like you would in a regular Monopoly game, but with the race tracks of Nascar replacing the streets of Atlantic City.
Click to enlarge

Oh, and here’s the racing-based “Chance” and “Community Chest” cards:

CHANCE
--Race to Go (Collect $200)
--It's almost playoff time--race to Richmond. - If you pass Go, collect $200
--Take a winding road to "Sonoma Glen" – If you pass Go, collect $200
--Advance token forward to nearest unowned track of any kind--you may buy it if you'd like.  If no properties are unowned, stay put.  If you pass Go, collect $200.
--Advance token forward to the nearest owned track and pay owner the rental to which he/she is entitled. If no properties are owned, stay put. If you pass Go, collect $200. 
--TV contract pays you dividend of $50. 
--Get Out of Impound Free - This card may be kept until needed, or traded/sold.
--Lose your spot in inspection line--go back three spaces.
--Go Directly to Jail. Do not pass Go, do not collect $200.
--Make general repairs on your single most-expensive property – For each house pay $35 – For each hotel $190 (if undeveloped, pay nothing)
--Pay licensing fee of $15. 
--Get a little dirty by taking a trip to Eldora--If you pass Go, collect $200.
--Enjoy Speedweeks at Daytona– Advance token to Daytona.
--You have been elected Chairman of the Drivers' Council – Pay each player $50
--Sign a new affiliate team – Collect $150
--You have won a pit crew competition - Collect $100

COMMUNITY CHEST
--Race to Go (Collect $200) 
--Inspection error in your favor – Collect $200
--Engine leasing fee – Pay $50
--From sale of wrecked sheet metal you get $50
--Get out of Impound Free – This card may be kept until needed or sold
--Go directly to Impound– Do not pass Go – Do not collect $200
--Hall of Fame Induction Night - Collect $50 from every player for banquet night seats
--Sponsor Fund matures - Receive $100
--Fuel fee refund – Collect $20 
--It is your shop's open house - Collect $10 from each player
--Licensing agreement matures – Collect $100
--Pay pit pass fees of $100
--Pay driver development fee of $150
--Receive $25 consultancy fee
--You are assessed for track repairs at your single least-expensive track – $30 per house – $175 per hotel (if undeveloped, pay nothing)
--You have won second prize in a fan vote – Collect $10
--You receive $100 from a minority team owner

Nascar Commissions Study to Figure Out Why Commercials Lead to Cautions


Stating that tonight’s Go Bowling 400 at Kansas Speedway was “…the last straw”, Nascar Chairman Brian France announced that he will finance an intensive study to figure out why every time tv goes to a commercial, a caution comes out.
Me in a few minutes, and why I'm posting this now
“There has to be some sort of correlation”, France said from his Daytona Beach offices.  “I mean, every single time it seems like it happens, doesn’t it?”
France said that he will be working with numerous racing and television experts, as well as veterans in the fields of causality and quantum raceology.
“This obviously isn’t what our fans want—our fans want hard-hitting, side-by-side action when they watch racing, not finding out that someone smacked the wall while there was a commercial”, said France.
Several theories have been posited as to the reason why such “commercial-cautions” seem to happen, such as the frequent presence of Corey LaJoie, or possibly the fact that approximately 65% of an average broadcast is taken up by commercials.  France, however, pledged to dig deeper.

“There has to be a way to please our fans, our broadcast partners, our sponsors, and our shareholders”, France explained.  “If not, then we only have forty, fifty years left before we reach an IndyCar-level of irrelevance.”

Uncle Max: Kansas Weekend Picks



Weekly picks from Spade Racing’s writer/webmaster/janitor Mike Mackler’s uncle.

First off, it was great to see a wild weekend of racing at Talladega—you work as many weekends in a row as I do, and you start to forget the simple joys of having both Saturday AND Sunday off of work.  Unfortunately that means a heavy workload this week, weekend, and next weekend, but there’s some light at the end of the tunnel for ol’ Uncle Max—vacation time!
That’s right, for the first time this year I’ll be getting away to the tropics with the deal of a lifetime on airfare.  I’ll be gone next weekend, so my pick for the next Truck Series race is below.  Don’t worry, fellow gamblers—I’ll be back in time for the Memorial Day Weekend races, unless I get robbed at gunpoint by a European backpacker…again.
Anyways, here’s my picks for the upcoming race weekend at Kansas and Charlotte (total wins in parenthesis):

Truck Series Toyota Tundra 250 (1 win): Kyle Busch—hey, remember when this was a problem track for Rowdy?

BONUS: Truck Series North Carolina Education Lottery 200 (1 win): Matt Crafton—just cut me some slack on the safe pick, OK?


Cup Series Go Bowling 400:  FAVORITE (1 win)—Kyle Larson—the Larson train keeps chugging along through America’s Heartland.  NEXT FAVORITE (1 win)—Denny Hamlin—right about that time for JGR to snap their streak.  DARK HORSE—Jamie McMurray—quasi-home track for both him AND his sponsor Cessna, so why not, eh?

How to Improve Nascar’s Early Season TV Ratings

First, we need to examine the problem
In this case, its that ratings for the first half or so of the Cup season are slipping
Really, this has been an issue for years now
Even Nascar HQ has admitted that its a problem

Doing something about it isn’t very simple, however
After all, Nascar seems to love to make changes just for the sake of making changes
Right now, we need targeted, specific action
Results are what Nascar will be judged upon in the years to come
Even if the short-term results aren’t there
Look—here’s some simple ideas
Lord knows they could use some right now

Well, they could shorten races for one, but that would mean less time for commercials
After all, TV has become the tail that wags the dog
Less commercials could help, but that would devalue the rights packages
Time changes have been tried without much help so far
Recent format adjustments haven’t done much either
Is there anything that really CAN be done to reverse this slide?

Pretty sure you can see the answer right here.

AJ Allmendinger Explains It All


AJ Allmendinger was asked about a number of other issues throughout history after his wreck at Talladega—here were his responses:
"Harv tore us apart!"

The start of World War I: “I saw Archduke Ferdinand coming down the street, and then the 4 car was really crowding him over to the side of the assassin”

The end of World War II: “The Enola Gay was loaded with the bomb, and the guy who nudged it out, HE was nudged earlier by the 4 car”

The assassination of JFK: “The grassy knoll was actually the 4 car in a special paint scheme, it bumped into Lee Harvey Oswald.  Oh, and Harvick pulled the trigger for Jack Ruby, I think.”

The Iran-Contra Affair: “Mistakes were made—mostly by Kevin Harvick.”

Y2K: “The only reason the computers didn’t crash was because I was there to stop the 4 car from crashing into them.”


Getting popped for pill abuse: “I don’t want to snitch on anyone, but the guy who gave me those pills?  His hand was nudged by a guy whose name rhymes with Devin Varhick.”

Uncle Max: Talladega Weekend Picks



Weekly picks from Spade Racing’s writer/webmaster/janitor Mike Mackler’s uncle.

Hey, Mike here.  So I usually get my picks from my Uncle Max on Thursday morning.  When I didn’t I reached out and couldn’t get in touch.  Frustrated, I went down to his job to get an answer.

Me: “Uncle Max, why didn’t you send me your picks this week?”

Me: “Why aren’t your Cup picks coming through so far this year?  Why aren’t your picks coming true like you said they would when I hired you for this?”

Uncle Max: “Balls and strikes.”

Me: “What the hell does THAT mean?!?  No wonder your wife left you.”

That last line must’ve lit a fire under him, because he texted me his picks later that night.

Anyways, here’s the picks for the upcoming race weekend at Talladega (total wins in parenthesis):

Xfinity Series Sparks Energy 300 (4 wins): Bubba Wallace Jr.—a good guy who needs sponsorship, what’s not to like?


Cup Series Geico 500:  FAVORITE (1 win)—Kyle Busch—a great role model for the youth.  NEXT FAVORITE (1 win)—Dale Earnhardt Jr.—and prepare to hear people say how a race that is won almost completely by luck is “fixed”.  DARK HORSE—Landon Cassill—maybe the lead car at the head of the draft train will have “CSX” on the hood.

Spade Racing Movie Previews: Springtime Edition


The sun is shining, the grass is growing, the flowers are blooming—you know what that means!  That’s right, crippling allergies.  For those of you who prefer to lurk in the shadows of the multiplex, here’s some upcoming movies with a Nascar focus.

The Circle: A wealthy Nascar fan rebuilds Langhorne Speedway, only to find out why they called it “Puke Alley”.

How to Be a Latin Lover: Yes, it stars Daniel Suarez, and yes, its about as stereotypical as you can get—just the usual story of a Mexican Nascar driver who loves studying dead languages.

Sleight: Boxing authorities have to come up with something below “Minimumweight” in order to sanction the big Kyle Busch vs. Joey Logano brawl.

The Lovers: Virginia’s impact on the Nascar world is studied, specifically why Hermie and Elliott Sadler talk like that.

3 Generations: Dale Earnhardt Sr. fans reunite to realize that the controversy over restarting the “3” car was pretty pointless, in retrospect.

Snatched: A heist goes horribly wrong when a thief wrongly assumes that anyone other than a Nascar fan would want Dover’s “Miles the Monster” trophy in their house.


The Wall: Jeff Gordon reminisces about going to the mall to buy CD’s.