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



So I’ve noticed people mocking the upcoming Speedway Classic baseball game from Bristol, and I have one question to them:

Why?

Who cares if a game is happening somewhere where 90% of the crowd won’t be able to see the action up-close?  Don’t you think the fans know this?  It’s a happening—people want to be there to set the attendance record, not to observe a random mid-season baseball game with a trained eye.

I’m sorry, I’m just a little punchy lately, the air conditioning unit at my work isn’t working too well.


TRUCK SERIES (4 wins) off 


XFINITY SERIES (2 win) Hy-Vee Perks 250 (Saturday 4:30pm ET on CW) CONNOR ZILICH—Ridin’ with the Z-man.


CUP SERIES Iowa Corn 350 (Sunday 3:30pm ET on USA) Points Leader picks CHASE ELLIOTT.  Favorite (2 wins): DENNY HAMLIN—this IS a short track, after all.  Next Favorite (4 wins): WILLIAM BYRON—I finally get to pick him again.  Dark Horse (1 win): DANIEL SUAREZ—just because.



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Spade Racing Opens Six 2017 Donruss Racing Packs: 5 of 6


Here’s my latest haul—a “blaster box” containing six ten packs of 2017 Donruss Racing cards.  So join me as I take a look back about eight years ago with some cost-effective card packs


Pack 5 of 6: Rubber, dumber, and a bummer


First Look: And here it is, the one (on average) special card for this blaster box—a piece of Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s tire!


To the Back: Um, Clint, I can think of plenty of Nascar-centric movies better than Days of Thunder.  Hell, Stroker Ace was better!


Say What: “How long till my next win?  SIX YEARS?!?”


Final Rating: 9 overtimes out of 10




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Spade Racing’s Stars in Unusual Cars: Geoff(rey) Bodine



Geoffrey Bodine leaves his own team to run for Joe Bessey (1999-2000)

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).

Courtesy The Tennessean

Why? Sponsorship issues forced Geoff Bodine to sell controlling interest in his race team for 1998.  Following that season, Bodine sold the rest of his shares in order to run for Busch North owner/driver Joe Bessey, who was moving up to Cup with sponsorship from PECO Powerteam. 


How successful were they? A third-place finish at the second Martinsville race was the lone highlight of 1999.  2000 was over before it began, as Bodine nearly perished in his horrifying Daytona Truck Series crash, causing him to miss the next nine races.  Disappointing results when he returned would see Bodine released in the fall.


What was the aftermath? Bodine (now going by Geoffrey) would only run a handful of Cup races for the rest of his career, while Bessey’s team would leave Cup following the 2000 season.


Ranking on the Strange-O-Meter? 4 typo-filled books out of 10—this was just part of the long, drawn-out end of Bodine’s career.




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The Fourth Crown Jewel Race—What Is It?



Nascar has long had three “crown jewel” races—the Daytona 500 (richest), the World/Coke 600 (longest), and the Southern 500 (oldest).  When the Winston Million came along, the Winston 500 at Talladega was added as a fourth crown jewel race, mostly because, well, Winston sponsored it.  I doubt anyone would consider a random spring drafting track race a “crown jewel” today.

But if not, then what is?

Here’s a list of candidates for what the modern fourth “crown jewel” race would be:


BRICKYARD 400

Pros: Held at the world’s most-famous speedway, held at the world’s greatest-capacity enclosed sporting venue, is almost always a major celebration when someone wins it.

Cons: About as exciting as watching paint dry, about as much passing as an early-00’s F1 race, most of the fans come dressed as empty seats.


BRISTOL NIGHT RACE

Pros: One of the highest-attended races every year, endless highlights, “The Last Great Coliseum”

Cons: By “endless” highlights I mean they ended with the repave, track is kind of in the middle of freaking nowhere, no need to push Michael Buffer’s appearance fee even higher.


NASCAR CUP SERIES CHAMPIONSHIP RACE

Pros: The most-important race of the year by default, actually airs on network TV, winner-take-all most of the time.

Cons: Its literally called the “Nascar Cup Series Championship Race”, race is near-meaningless for the non-championship drivers, five minute post-race due to Sunday Night Football pre-show.




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



Indy and Indy.  One’s an exciting track for stock cars, and one’s…well, it’s a great place for IndyCars.  But it just goes to show you how the track, similar to a playing field in other sports, can affect the enjoyment of the event.

It reminds me of when I was in college and I went to Veterans Stadium in Philly for the first—and only—time.  The place was just a giant concrete bowl, and since it was a Phillies game, it was a sold-out crowd with 80% of the fans dressed as empty seats.

But what made it even worse was that dreaded Astroturf.  Look—I like stolen bases as much as the next guy, but seeing baseball played on it was just so…unnatural.  On the plus side I got to see a Phillies fan yelling at a Mets fan for three innings, so at least I was entertained.


TRUCK SERIES (4 wins) TSport 200 (Friday 8pm on FS1) DANIEL HEMRIC—Kinda wish Xfinity ran here too, not gonna lie.


XFINITY SERIES (1 win) Pennzoil 250 (Saturday 4:30pm ET on CW) CONNOR ZILICH—Hopefully no rain this time.


CUP SERIES Brickyard 400 (Sunday 2pm ET on TNT) Points Leader picks WILLIAM BYRON.  Favorite (2 wins): DENNY HAMLIN—heating up in the heat…hey, that makes sense.  Next Favorite (4 wins): RYAN BLANEY—home race for The Captain.  Dark Horse (1 win): TY GIBBS—he has to get a win eventually, right?  RIGHT?!?



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Spade Racing Opens Six 2017 Donruss Racing Packs: 4 of 6



Here’s my latest haul—a “blaster box” containing six ten packs of 2017 Donruss Racing cards.  So join me as I take a look back about eight years ago with some cost-effective card packs


Pack 4 of 6: Bayne, inane, and a-gain


First Look: Sure, his Daytona 500 win wound up being a bit of a fluke, but by all accounts Trevor’s a great guy.  So let’s appreciate what he’s done, wish him well, and completely ignore his sponsor here.


To the Back: Qualifying twelfth is the best accomplishment you could think of, Panini?


Say What: “Time to say ‘Nationwide is on your side’ for the 875th time this year.”


Final Rating: 7 stage breaks out of 10



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Spade Racing’s Stars in Unusual Cars: Greg Biffle



Greg Biffle’s stints in Andy Petree’s #33 Chevy and the Petty Enterprises #44 (2002)

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).


Why? Due to debut full-time in Cup in 2003, Roush Racing sought to get developmental driver Greg Biffle some Cup experience without losing his future Rookie of the Year eligibility.  Originally planned to race in a Roush R&D car, Biffle would up being loaned out to both Andy Petree Racing (four races) and Petty Enterprises (2 races).


How successful were they?  Biffle’s lack of experience showed, as he was unable to finish better than 25th for either team.


What was the aftermath? While both the Petree and Petty teams were on the downslide, Biffle was on the ascension, going onto a lengthy, successful career with Roush Racing.


Ranking on the Strange-O-Meter? 8 Post-it Notes out of 10—while its not too strange to see a rookie gain some experience as a substitute, it IS to see a Ford loyalist like Jack Roush allow his prized prospect to run a Chevy and a Dodge.



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Our Motorsports Acquired by Pirates, now “ARRR Motorsports”



This is a parody

In a last-minute deal that will keep the team running for the foreseeable future, Xfinity Series team Our Motorsports has officially been acquired by a group of old-timey pirates, effective next weekend’s races.

“As of tomorree this team be no longer known as Our Motorsports, laddie”, said new team majority owner Glass Eye the Pirate.  “We be known as ARRR Motorsports, ye most fearsome operation in the NascARRR seas!”

Minority Investor and Chief
Marketing Officer Pegleg Marley

The team appeared to be ready to fold after an apparent falling out between driver Kris Wright and team management, with yesterday’s race originally scheduled to be their last.  But the new deal has the team’s future looking bright.

“Ye competitors take warnin--we not be here to make friends!”, said fellow pirate and team minority investor Longsword.  “We will be cuttin through the field with ARRR variety of drivers, and ye better be ready, for we have ye skull n crossbones just like Scott Speed did!”

Sponsorship and driver lineups are set to be announced in the coming days, according to team president and non-pirate Joel Nelson.

“Our new investment group here at Our—excuse me, ARRR—is bringing a fresh perspective to the Xfinity Series”, Nelson said while adjusting a makeshift eyepatch.  “They’re already working out an agreement to impress some of the better teams’ pit crew members to improve our stop times.




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



The heat is on…and I don’t just mean the run up to the Nascar playoffs.  I mean the heat is on outside—it’s hot out there!

I’ve never been someone who does great in the heat (or the cold for that matter), and of course the air conditioner in my townhouse doesn’t exactly match up to the heat wave here.  And of course my job location doesn’t let the A/C get below 75 degrees.  So thankfully my car has air conditioning!  Sometimes a long drive with the cold air blasting in my face is the best antidote to Triple-H weather: Hazy, Hot, and Humid.


TRUCK SERIES (4 wins) off 


XFINITY SERIES (1 win) Bet Rivers 200 (Saturday 4:30pm ET on CW) ARIC ALMIROLA—He gets us.  And “He” is the set-up guys at JGR, and “us” is Dover.


CUP SERIES AutoTrader 400 (Sunday 2pm ET on TNT) Points Leader picks WILLIAM BYRON.  Favorite (2 wins): KYLE LARSON—doesn’t count as a home win, unless Kyle’s secretly bought a house in Milford.  Next Favorite (3 wins): DENNY HAMLIN—11 vs. Delaware?  I think the 11 could win.  Dark Horse (1 win): BRAD KESELOWSKI—the return of BradK.



www.spaderacing.com updated four times weekly


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


Buy the book 100 Stock Car Racing What Ifs Unauthorized


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