SPAD3 RACING UNVEILS EXPANSION PLANS


Less than a full year into their first NASCAR Cup season, Special Protective Advance Defense Department Detachment (SPAD3) Racing already has big plans for the future, which were revealed in a press conference earlier today.

“We are proud to announce that SPAD3 Racing will be taking great steps forward to dominate the world—of racing—in 2023”, said team owner Dave Graham, fresh off a series of meetings in the Middle East.  “There’s nothing that will stop Operation Saint Patriot—nor is there anybody who CAN stop it.  Isn’t that right, (crew chief) Mike Henshaw?”

“Oh yes, very much so—nothing can stop Operation Saint Patriot”, a nervous-looking Henshaw said.  “And for anybody who thinks they can stop the progress here at SPAD3 Racing, I urge you to PLEASE consider RESCUE-ing yourself by any MEans possible.”

Graham was cagey about the specifics of the expansion plan, but team principal Kent Simms was made available to answer questions about the details.

“We’re looking at a number of ideas”, Simms said, “but we’re not limiting our options.  We have a few leads on purchasing a second Charter for next season, but we might also consider putting those resources into the annihilation of our enemies—uh, figurative of course.”

Shortly after the press conference, Henshaw handed a reporter a scrap of paper, then was taken away by a half-dozen men in suits.


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3 in Their Third: A Monthly Spade Racing Series—October/November Report



Two years ago there were six rookie drivers.  Last year four of them returned for their sophomore seasons.  This year the three best are back once again for their third seasons in Cup—and just like over the past two years, we’ll be ranking them here at Spade Racing.

Just like in years past we’ll be utilizing the PRETTY grade—Performance Relative to Equating Team’s Typical Year—as a way to properly rank someone from a top-flight team like Joe Gibbs Racing against someone from a top-flight slumping team like Stewart-Haas Racing against someone from a mid-level operation like RCR.

Here’s where our three guys stack up heading into Martinsville:


1.) Christopher Bell (Joe Gibbs Racing).  2022 Best Race Finish: 1st (New Hampshire & Charlotte ROVAL).  PRETTY Grade: A.  C.Bell is back on top on the back of advancing to the Round of 8 with a win at the ROVAL.  Although he appears to have been (literally) knocked-out of contention for the Championship Round, it could be worse, like, oh, say intentionally hooking someone on the front stretch, fighting them, lying on tv, and then apologizing to everyone BUT the guy you hooked.


2.) Tyler Reddick (Richard Childress Racing).  2022 Best Race Finish: 1st (Road America, Indy & Texas). PRETTY Grade: A.  Reddick has continued his breakout season where, despite being eliminated from the Playoffs, he’s still been in contention for wins.  Here’s hoping he continues his hot streak over at 23XI, while Kyle Busch becomes the new driver to regularly outperform Austin Dillon.


3.) Cole Custer (Stewart-Haas Racing).  2022 Best Race Finish: 8th (Bristol).  PRETTY Grade: D.  If you exclude injured drivers, then Cole Custer is the worst performer this year amongst major teams (JGR, 23XI, Penske, SHR, Hendrick, Trackhouse) and is even behind mid-level teams like both RFK Racing drivers and Justin Haley.  No wonder Smoke wants to put Ryan Preece in the 41 car next year.

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UNCLE MAX vs. REPEAT WINNERS vs. THE ROULETTE WHEEL: Martinsville



Editor’s Note: Uncle Max is busy setting up for the holidays at his job.  He just texted me his picks:


TRUCK SERIES off


Saturday Afternoon XFINITY SERIES Dead On Tools 250 (11 wins): AJ Allmendinger—breaking the Gragson dominance.


Sunday CUP SERIES Xfinity 400: LAST RACE’S WINNER (1 win) picks Kyle Larson.  THE ROULETTE WHEEL picks 22nd in points Justin Haley.  FAVORITE (2 wins): Denny Hamlin—locked-in at his home track.  NEXT FAVORITE (2 wins): Chase Elliott—locked-in at his non-home track.  DARK HORSE (3 wins): Martin Truex Jr.—locked-in at one of his MANY home tracks.


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Spade Racing Opens a Box of 2022 Donruss Nascar Cards, Pack 16 of 24



Join us (well, me) as we/I go through a box of 2022 Donruss Nascar Cards.  New teams, new drivers, new subsets, and of course some corny commentary by me.


Pack 16—Pfizer, a Riser, and a Miser


FIRST LOOK:
As I remember it Mark ran a Pfizer scheme once a year for merchandise where they couldn’t use the Viagra logo.  And you just KNOW that Michael Waltrip pronounced it “puh-FIZZER”.


TO THE BACK:
Bobby really elevated his game through the 90s, going from also-ran to race-winner to championship contender.  And then he started the 2000’s with a championship.  The less said about the next fifteen years, the better.


SAY WHAT:
“Ah jeez, we’ll have to pay that guy who snuck his face into the background.”


RATING: 3 flags out of 10


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Musically Declined: Stock Car Racing’s Entertainers of the Year, It’s What’s Up Front That Counts


Stock Car Racing and Country Music—two pillars of culture in the Southern United States.  And the two have mingled throughout the years.  So put on your racing shoes, make sure they match your cowboy hat, and settle in for a look back at some of Nascar’s biggest stars turned Nashville wannabes!


The Song: It’s What’s Up Front That Counts by Don Wayne


The Star: Rusty Wallace


The Clip: 



The Review: This song’s not too bad, but it REALLY doesn’t sound that much like Rusty’s voice.  Maybe its the pitch.  Maybe its the surprising ability to carry a tune.  Maybe its the lack of a single “hot rod” or “ah tell ya”.


The Verdict: If its actually Rusty, then good on him.


The Hero Card Project: Part 6




Click here for Part 5


The Hero Card project reaches its (likely) conclusion for 2022!  Here's what's come in the mail from July 10th through October 21st:


Four cards from MBM (Motorsports Business Management)

A bunch of cards (and a letter of thanks)
from Reaume Bros. and their allied Cup team
Team Hezeberg

After getting an apology postcard from Joe Gibbs Racing
earlier this year, hero cards have arrived!


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UNCLE MAX vs. REPEAT WINNERS vs. THE ROULETTE WHEEL: Homestead



As the season winds down, here’s a quick look back at my results (so far):

Trucks—sucks.

Xfinity—dominating!

Cup—pretty good, not great, better than last year.

While I would hate to make it through a season without a win in the Truck Series, I think I’ve done pretty well overall.  And if my nephew asks me to, I’d be glad to come back again next year.

Why am I acting like its the end of the season already?  Because two of my fellow assistant managers quit at work last week, and I’ll be stuck working overtime till at least Thanksgiving.  So please cut me some slack if my last few entries are a bit “sparse”.


Saturday Early Afternoon TRUCK SERIES Baptist Health 200: Ryan Preece—sounds like he might have a shot at the 41 Cup ride.


Saturday Late Afternoon XFINITY SERIES Contender Boats 300 (11 wins): Josh Berry—coming on strong at the right time.


Sunday CUP SERIES Dixie Vodka 400: LAST RACE’S WINNER (1 win) picks Joey Logano.  THE ROULETTE WHEEL picks 8th in points Christopher Bell.  FAVORITE (2 wins): Ross Chastain—#1 in the #2 race.  NEXT FAVORITE (2 wins): Denny Hamlin—locking himself in at the right time.  DARK HORSE (2 wins): Kyle Larson—revenge!

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Spade Racing Opens a Box of 2022 Chronicle Nascar Cards, Pack 6 of 6



Join us (well, me) as we/I go through a box of 2022 Chronicle Nascar Cards.  This set is Panini’s “upscale/exclusive” line—lets see if they live up to those expectations.


Pack 6—Taylor Gray, Larson’s day, and going away


FIRST LOOK: An autograph by Taylor Gray!  Not to be confused with Tanner Gray, Gray Gaulding, or F. Gary Gray.


TO THE BACK: Winning the pole for Daytona gets you and your sponsors some nice attention but its kind of pointless when it comes to the race.  Its like Indy, but people actually care.


SAY WHAT: “I’m closing out this set?  But I never got to find out if STP actually works or not!”


RATING: 7 Homestead palm trees out of 10


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NASCAR INVESTIGATION INTO SPAD3 RACING CALLED OFF IMMEDIATELY


Said official entering the
SPAD3 Racing race shop
As NASCAR Cup’s newest team, Special Protective Advance Defense Department Detachment (SPAD3) Racing hasn’t been doing things the normal way—basing itself out of Northern Virginia, using space-age materials, hiring a robot driver.  But a short-lived investigation by NASCAR into the team’s operations has concluded in record time.

“There’s absolutely nothing wrong with what’s going on at SPAD3 Racing”, said a NASCAR official upon leaving the race shop.  “And please ignore any changes to my physical appearance from earlier this morning—I, uh, got a new haircut at lunch.”

The investigator, who was suddenly left-handed and with a deeper voice, said he found nothing untoward going on at the team’s race shop.

The official leaving
the race shop

“We’re here to investigate, and my investigation turned up nothing against the rules, illegal, or violating the Geneva Conventions”, said the investigator.  “And I can certainly say that I’ll be glad to get back to my office in Daytona Beach…and have someone tell me where that is, because, uh, I’m forgetful I guess?”

Apparently what was found at the SPAD3 Racing race shop was so convincing, all further investigations have been halted as well.

“I see no reason to continue any investigations into this team—everything is above-board here”, the investigator said while walking to his car.  “Oh dang, uh, the key battery seems to have died.  Can anybody give me a lift back to Quantico?”


Check out SPAD3.com


Kurt Busch: The Next…



Kurt Busch has announced that he will be stepping away from full-time competition, effective immediately.  That opens up the 45 car for the recently bought-out Tyler Reddick in 2023, but where does that leave Kurt Busch?  Well, he could be…


The Next Terry Labonte: Texas Terry (and his brother, for that matter) left full-time racing to become Past Champions For Hire, going to low-level and start-up teams for a handful of races, guaranteed a starting spot.  Kurt COULD do this, but after you’ve already done it for a Florida construction magnate and a Denver waterbed salesman, what’s left to do?


The Next Mark Martin: Nascar ALWAYS needs a veteran super-sub on hand in case a driver gets suspended or injured.  And like Greg Sacks before him and Regan Smith after him, Mark Martin served that role quite well.  The question is if Kurt is willing to go full-on Mark Martin—getting in amazing shape, listening to hip-hop, and looking twenty years older than he actually is.


The Next David Reutimann: IF Joe Gibbs doesn’t want to rush Ty Gibbs to Cup full-time, and IF Kurt wouldn’t mind being a place-holder, Ty and Kurt could split a schedule in the 18 car next year.  Besides Monster Energy sponsoring the both of them, it would take the pressure off Ty having to contend for the Playoffs in his rookie season, not to mention giving Kurt a nice send-off in first-rate equipment.  Plus there’s the irony of Kurt partially-replacing Kyle.  It'll be just like when Reuty split the schedule with Danica, only much-less pathetic.


The Next Jeff Burton (kinda): When Jeff Burton departed full-time competition, he was supposed to run a partial schedule for Michael Waltrip Racing as part of his transition to the broadcast booth.  While that partial schedule wound up numbering in the single-digits, Kurt’s rumored move to Fox Sports could see him step out of the booth for a few races next year to be an in-car reporter.  And yes, this worked out SO well with Kyle “WHAT THE F*** WAS THAT?” Petty.

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UNCLE MAX vs. REPEAT WINNERS vs. THE ROULETTE WHEEL: Las Vegas



I lucked out on Sunday in that I actually got a full day off from setting up Christmas at work.  Thankfully it was a great sports day—football in the morning and afternoon, racing in the early-evening, and baseball and MORE football at night.  Its times like this I’m glad that I’m still single.

On the negative side I’ve had little time to take care of stuff around my townhouse and car.  I had to sneak in an oil change on my ersatz lunch break on Friday, and my kitchen garbage, well, let’s just say it isn’t exactly sweet-smelling.  Hopefully I don’t get called-in on this upcoming Monday, but I’m not too optimistic.


TRUCK SERIES off


Saturday Afternoon XFINITY SERIES Alsco 300 (11 wins): Noah Gragson—home-track win.


Sunday CUP SERIES South Point 400: LAST RACE’S WINNER (1 win) picks Christopher Bell.  THE ROULETTE WHEEL picks 7th in points Denny Hamlin.  FAVORITE (2 wins): Chase Elliott—back in the saddle (and not angry about cameramen bugging him after the race).  NEXT FAVORITE (2 wins): Ross Chastain—#1 clinching his spot in the finale in the #1 race to do so.  DARK HORSE (2 wins): Daniel Suarez—a week too late, but a win nonetheless.

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Spade Racing Opens a Box of 2022 Chronicle Nascar Cards, Pack 5 of 6



Join us (well, me) as we/I go through a box of 2022 Chronicle Nascar Cards.  This set is Panini’s “upscale/exclusive” line—lets see if they live up to those expectations.


Pack 5—An anchor, a canker, and a Hank-er


FIRST LOOK: Tyler has his “trusted local news anchor” pose here.  “Tonight—why the heck is a union sponsoring a Truck Series driver?  The shocking answer at 6 on Channel 4 News, On Your Side.”


TO THE BACK: No clue why Matt appears to be using his tongue to inspect a canker sore on the inside of his mouth here.


SAY WHAT: “I killed fitty men, Hank, but I had to give up my shins!”


RATING: 5 Neon Garages out of 10


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Musically Declined: Stock Car Racing’s Entertainers of the Year, Thanks for the Ride Harry Hyde/That Race Car Makes a Demon Out of Me


Stock Car Racing and Country Music—two pillars of culture in the Southern United States.  And the two have mingled throughout the years.  So put on your racing shoes, make sure they match your cowboy hat, and settle in for a look back at some of Nascar’s biggest stars turned Nashville wannabes!


The Songs: Thanks for the Ride, Harry Hyde by Wayne/Marshall & That Race Car Makes a Demon Out of Me by Jay Marshall


The Stars: Bobby Hillin Jr. & Bobby Allison


The Clip: 



The Review: Its a Stavola Bros. double!  Bobby Hillin Jr. makes the questionable move of mentioning his family connections (“Granddaddy”) that allowed him to get to Cup.  Seriously—how many people can empathize with “My family’s rich, that’s how I got here”?  On the other hand, Bobby Allison is back to blame his temper on the race car.  Funny how he talk-sings being a nice guy outside of the race car.  Guess that doesn’t go for Darrell Waltrip, Richard Petty, or virtually ever team owner he ever worked with.


The Verdict: The young one is meh.  The old one is meh-er.


The Race Team Alliance’s Demands



The Race Team Alliance (RTA)—a coalition of Nascar Cup team owners—went public this week with its list of complaints about the way Nascar is being run.  While Nascar came out with a tepid response (basically “continue the Charter system and we’ll talk”), the RTA is still fightin’ mad about what it sees as a non-sustainable business model.  Here’s a list of some of the demands the RTA wants in the future:


—A guarantee in writing, both notarized and witnessed by several clergymen, that Brian France will not be allowed anywhere near the decision-making process.


—A redistribution of TV revenue to “That’s a heck of a lot of money going to Nascar” instead of the current model of “How the heck did anyone ever agree to this in the first place?”


—A public repository of driver salaries, so fans will stop bugging everyone with “hOw MuCh Do DrIvErS gEt PaId?”


—Consideration given to holding races in such exotic locales as Newton Iowa and Birmingham Alabama.


—An exploratory committee to look at the possibility of the feasibility of maybe—in the distant future—shortening Cup races.


—Giving of the charade of “discussions with a fourth manufacturer” when we all know its just a secretary calling the VW general information hotline and hanging up.


—Charging teams for damage if they have a driver who constantly wrecks other cars, like a certain team that employs a driver whose name rhymes with Dicky Renmouse.

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UNCLE MAX vs. REPEAT WINNERS vs. THE ROULETTE WHEEL: Charlotte Roval



Its the busy time of year for me at work.

Why?

Because its time to set up for Christmas!

Now if you see a store with a bunch of holiday stuff for sale, don’t take it out on the employees or even the managers.  We’re just doing what we have to as decreed by corporate.  Of course MY store has to put everything up a few weeks early since we’re the “model store” for everyone else’s holiday displays.  So that’s why I’ve spent the past few Octobers getting electric Santa Clauses in the right positions.


TRUCK SERIES off


Saturday Afternoon XFINITY SERIES Drive for the Cure 250 (10 wins): AJ Allmendinger—prepping for his full-time Cup ride in 2023.


Sunday CUP SERIES Bank of America Roval 400: LAST RACE’S WINNER (1 win) picks Chase Elliott.  THE ROULETTE WHEEL picks 5th in points Joey Logano.  FAVORITE (2 wins): Ryan Blaney—I mean if you’re going to get your first win of the season, might as well be in a Playoff cut-off race.  NEXT FAVORITE (2 wins): Tyler Reddick—gotta get those wins in before he winds up with the RCR leftovers-mobile.  DARK HORSE (2 wins): AJ Allmendinger—two-fer.


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Spade Racing Opens a Box of 2022 Chronicle Nascar Cards, Pack 4 of 6



Join us (well, me) as we/I go through a box of 2022 Chronicle Nascar Cards.  This set is Panini’s “upscale/exclusive” line—lets see if they live up to those expectations.


Pack 4—Berry, Tony, and Pepsi


FIRST LOOK: Another autograph, this time from Xfinity Series standout Josh Berry!  My only complaint is that it looks like he’s bored out of his mind in the picture here.


TO THE BACK: Tony’s all about keeping a busy schedule, whether its on the track or off.  He doesn’t strike me as the kind of guy who sits around on a random Thursday evening watching old episodes of Dr. Katz on YouTube.


SAY WHAT: “Pepsi-Cola hits the spot.  12 full ounces—that’s a lot.  Twice as much for a nickel too *tock* Pepsi-Cols is the drink forrr you.  Er, I mean, rrrrrr.”


RATING: 7 Rovals out of 10


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R&D PROJECT TAKING UP SPAD3 RACING RESOURCES


Leadership at Special Protective Advance Defense Department Detachment (SPAD3) Racing has admitted that the team’s on-track performance as of late leaves much to be desired.  However, they have placed the blame squarely on a recent Research & Development project which has taken up much of the team’s resources.

“Look, none of us are happy with how the car has run the past few weeks”, said team business manager Lewis Hampton.  “But we’re focused just as much on the future as the present.  And I’d argue that every single team member KNOWS how important the future is to all of us.”

The project, known only as “Operation Blue Lion”, is taking up not only much of the team’s time and budget, but much of the team’s race shop space as well.

“Its tough to work on next week’s car with only half the space you had around the start of the year”, said shop fabricator Erik Strahan, “but we all know the importance of the project.  From what I hear if Blue Lion isn’t deployable by the time the enemy—I mean, competition—gets Codename Texan off the ground, all will be lost.”

Veteran crew chief Mike Henshaw echoed the rest of the team’s thoughts, if not in so many words.

“Things are really strange here—even stranger than usual”, Henshaw said.  “But I don’t think I have much of a choice.  Oh how I long for the days when the worst thing I had to worry about was a driver not liking our set-up.  Now I have the fate of mankind being worked on right over my shoulder.”


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3 in Their Third: A Monthly Spade Racing Series—October Report



Two years ago there were six rookie drivers.  Last year four of them returned for their sophomore seasons.  This year the three best are back once again for their third seasons in Cup—and just like over the past two years, we’ll be ranking them here at Spade Racing.

Just like in years past we’ll be utilizing the PRETTY grade—Performance Relative to Equating Team’s Typical Year—as a way to properly rank someone from a top-flight team like Joe Gibbs Racing against someone from a top-flight slumping team like Stewart-Haas Racing against someone from a mid-level operation like RCR.

Here’s where our three guys stack up heading into Talladega:


1.) Tyler Reddick (Richard Childress Racing).  2022 Best Race Finish: 1st (Road America, Indy & Texas). PRETTY Grade: A.  Reddick didn’t advance in the Playoffs, but holds onto the top spot after his third win of the year.  More-concerning, however, is the fact that he will likely require a hefty buyout of his contract from 23XI Racing for next year.  If not, be prepared for the #30 car to come back (hopefully without AOL sponsorship this time).


2.) Christopher Bell (Joe Gibbs Racing).  2022 Best Race Finish: 1st (New Hampshire).  PRETTY Grade: A.  C.Bell would’ve taken the #1 slot this week on the back of three straight top-five finishes to start the Playoffs, had he not DNF’d at Texas.  With all the nuttiness surrounding Kyle Busch’s departure, its helpful to remember that Bell just might be the next Kyle Busch, just much much MUCH more likable.


3.) Cole Custer (Stewart-Haas Racing).  2022 Best Race Finish: 8th (Bristol).  PRETTY Grade: D+.  No top-five finishes.  No Playoff berth.  No contending for wins.  Yeah…

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