Spade Racing Opens a Box of 2024 Select ’24 Cards, Pack 11 of 12

PACK 11: An older star, a younger star, and another older star

FIRST LOOK: I’m wondering if at some point newer fans won’t even know what Dupont was/is, considering their much-lower profile these days.  For me I can’t forget, and I have the forever chemicals in my body to prove it.

TO THE BACK: Rajah Caruth posts online are a great way to spot the blithering idiots who bash him, as if a.) he’d ever see them, and b.) people can’t read the names of the posters.

SAY WHAT?: “Yeah that Designated Driver commercial I did was kinda repetitive, but hey, it kept me in small sunglasses.”

RATING: 7 overtime periods out of 10

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Spade Racing Opens a Box of 2024 Donruss Cards, Pack 24 of 24

PACK 24: Matty D, not meant to be, and young Terry

FIRST LOOK: Here we see a rare photo of Matt NOT whining about his lack of a job.

TO THE BACK: Yeah, and he loved the ride so much that he left to go to JGR.

SAY WHAT?: “No comment”.

RATING: 4 post race interviews out of 10

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Spade Racing’s Stars in Unusual Cars: Richard Petty (part 1)

Richard Petty driving for Mike Curb (1984-85)

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).

Petty & Curb (courtesy Curb Records)

Why? Richard Petty left his family-owned team following the fallout of the 1983 fall Charlotte race—a race he won with illegal tires and an oversized engine.  Furthermore, Kyle Petty had started running for Petty Enterprises, and it seemed that the team could only properly run a single car full-time.  Strangely, Richard Petty brought both his sponsor (STP, of course) and his car number (43, of course) along with him to music impresario Mike Curb’s team.

How successful were they? Somewhat.  The previous year, Richard had finished 4th in the final points standings.  In his two years with Mike Curb, he finished 10th and 14th.  However, he DID score his final two race wins in 1984, so there’s that.

What was the aftermath? Richard headed back to Petty Enterprises in 1986, but both he and the team were unable to recapture any former glory.  Meanwhile, the Curb team lasted three more years with no success whatsoever.

Ranking on the Strange-O-Meter? 6 cowboy hats with feathers in them out of 10—Richard Petty not racing for Petty Enterprises was strange, but he DID keep his trademark car number, sponsor, and shade of Petty blue.

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Spade Racing Opens a Box of 2024 Select ’24 Cards, Pack 10 of 12

PACK 10: Three memories of my younger days

FIRST LOOK: Kind of hard to see here, but this car was co-sponsored by the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation.  Cal Jr. was my hero growing up—like Jeff Gordon was to other 90’s kids.  And Billy Ripken was an endless source of hilarity—like Robby Gordon was to other 90’s kids.

TO THE BACK: I’ve never moved out of the country, but moving remains a recurring stress dream of mine from my earlier days.  Strangely, they never involve me trying to figure out what to do with all my racing cards.

SAY WHAT?: “Much like this author, I too struggle with piloting a race car.”

RATING: 6 associate sponsors out of 10

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Spade Racing Opens a Box of 2024 Donruss Cards, Pack 23 of 24

PACK 23: Doubletime, dropping a dime, and a quick mime

FIRST LOOK: Two slightly different versions of the same card in the same pack?  Booo.

TO THE BACK: Oh wait—so the point of racing is to get the front?  Thanks Kev!

SAY WHAT?: “Get me, I’m a skyscraper!”

RATING: 1 post-race argument out of 10

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Spade Racing’s Stars in Unusual Cars: Matt Kenseth

Matt Kenseth comes out of retirement for Chip Ganassi (2020)

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? Kyle Larson’s career with Chip Ganassi Racing came to a sudden end when he said a racial slur online.  Needing a replacement, CGR turned to Matt Kenseth, who had run a partial schedule in a reunion with Jack Roush in 2018 before taking the entire 2019 season off.

How successful were they? Considering they’d signed Matt “off the couch”—and the sport was in uncharted waters thanks to the COVID-19 Pandemic—the combo did pretty well, typically running in the top-twenty and posting a runner-up finish at Indianapolis.  All together, the 42 car finished 22nd in points.

What was the aftermath? Matt Kenseth returned to retirement, while Ganassi put Ross Chastain in the 42 car, which has since become the #1 Trackhouse entry.

Ranking on the Strange-O-Meter? 9 robots out of 10—the whole Larson incident was stunning, and it was made even-stranger by replacing him with someone with zero attachment to the team, sponsor, or manufacturer…who wound up doing ok for himself.

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Spade Racing Opens a Box of 2024 Select ’24 Cards, Pack 9 of 12

PACK 9: A blurry car, Carson Hocevar, and a 90’s star.

FIRST LOOK: Here we see the problem with making slick, glossy cards with metallic elements—they wind up looking like mirages in a bad desert movie.

TO THE BACK: “You want to race on Sundays”.  Yup, whether you’re a Nascar fan, an NHRA fan, an F1 fan, or an F1 fan who’s willing to accept running IndyCar instead.

SAY WHAT?: “I was huge!  Sure I don’t have a Cup championship, but neither did Mark Martin!”

RATING: 6 pit stalls out of 10

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Spade Racing’s Stars in Unusual Cars: Dale Earnhardt

Dale Earnhardt driving Bud Moore’s Ford (1982-83)

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? After winning the 1980 Winston Cup, Dale Earnhardt’s 1981 was one of drama.  His team was sold to the controversial JD Stacy, which caused Earnhardt to leave mid-season for Richard Childress.  The two hit it off, but Childress felt his team wasn’t up to Earnhardt’s driving abilities.  RC suggested Earnhardt ply his trade with a more-experienced team, singling out Bud Moore as a prime destination.

How successful were they? While the Moore-Earnhardt pairing was successful by most drivers’ standards—three wins and finishing 12th and 8th in the standings—it was seen as a major disappointment for Earnhardt.

What was the aftermath? Earnhardt was lured back to Richard Childress Racing and a dynasty was born, winning six Cup championships from 1986-1994.  Moore’s team remained a consistent race-winner until the mid-90’s.

Ranking on the Strange-O-Meter? 9 special paint scheme 1:24 diecasts out of 10—while it was still Dale Sr. running his blue-and-yellow car for an experienced team owner…IT WAS DALE SR. IN A FORD!!!

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Spade Racing Opens a Box of 2024 Select ’24 Cards, Pack 8 of 12

PACK 8: On fire, to aspire, and looking higher

FIRST LOOK: I wonder if Dan Patrick knows about this.

TO THE BACK: I really hope that Lawless Alan makes it to the Cup Series and becomes a major star, just so it can confuse the hell out of the mainstream sports media that there’s a guy named “Lawless Alan”.

SAY WHAT?: “That cloud up there looks like Matt Crafton’s head.

RATING: 7 wavearounds out of 10

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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A MOXOC Media production

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