nasc ar

[badhab1]

wkmac, if memory serves, about two plus months ago you picked T.S. to win the points championship when he was still around sixth place overall. Looks like a smart call. Maybe Dale should have developed more of a bad boy personna. Just kidding on Dale but it doesn't seem to have bothered Tony's charge.

 

[wkmac]

Actually I picked Tony back in January after watching him blister the field at the ChiliBowl in Tulsa OK. Last year Tony came from no where in the last half of the season to finish 2nd in the points and I just felt he and Zippy had the chemistry to get it done in 2002'. After Daytona and several other well known incidents I'll admit I 2nd guessed myself but stuck to my pick anyway because Tony is a pure racer who loves to race. Until recently with the focus of a possible Cup championship, Tony raced 2, 3 sometimes 4 times a week. After Chicago for example, Tony raced a dirt car that night in Kokomo. Now that is a racer.

DJ IMO has had 2 things against him this year. Last year's wreck at Charlotte stayed with Dale the rest of the year and took the whole team out of stride. Now you start 2002' with new crew chief who in reality was never given total control to make the calls and this effects the teams chemistry also. When Todd stepped back in as crew chief (where he really wanted to be anyway) the team found their legs and have started to hit their stride again.

I wouldn't count DJ out of a good Top 10 finish in the Cup standings at all at this point. He's in a pretty good spot at this time (#11) with Matt Kenseth in #7 only 100 points ahead and DJ is 100 points ahead of Jr. in 13th who is getting hot himself. Sterling Marlin is 12th but his season is over I'm sad to say. Martinsville IMO is the pivotal track where you'll see some seperation as far as who wins the Cup. DJ has had success at both Martinsville and Atlanta so if he makes a charge for the top 10 he has 2 good tracks coming up to do just that. It's gonna be fun!

 

[wkmac]

Some DJ news:

Although Dale Jarrett could finish outside of the top 10 in points for the first time since 1994, he says he's not expecting any changes next season despite rumors of a crew chief swap.

Todd Parrott decided to move from crew chief into the front office at the end of last season, but he returned as crew chief in April because the team was struggling and outside the top 20 in points. Jarrett, with two victories since, is making a late push for the top 10.

 

[proups]

DJ is just having an off season. My favorite Dale, now deceased, had those as well. He would win the points championship two years in a row, then fall back to 8th or 9th in points the next few years.

That's racin'!!

Maybe DJ needs to drive the

 

[wkmac]

DJ finished 8th in Martinsville and moved to 10th in Cup points. Fun race yesterday with a lot of short track action (fender bangin'). All the worry about the corners being ground were for nothing because it appeared to have an excellent 2nd groove. DJ runs good at Atlanta so he may gain some more ground this coming week.