Submitted by NASCAR Ranting and Raving Blog

OK, this has to be brief. After a long evening with the relatives and a yummy turkey dinner (it is Thanksgiving after all), as well as long drive home, I’m beat.

Congratulations to Jeff Gordon on his victory. He pulled the move of the race by jumping out of line right in front of Tony Stewart. I would have much rather have seen Tony win his first ‘Dega race, but I have no problem with Jeffy pulling into Victory Lane (with a tank full of gas) because he deserved that victory with the way he handled himself on the track today.

Was it just me, or did Tony seem a little ‘jumpy’ out there with his rookie-like moves on the track? I dunno, he just seemed to be either thinking too much, or trying too hard. Over the last 30 laps he

just didn’t seem to be ’settled’ on the track. What do you think?

Speaking of rookies, Jacques finished on the lead lap and didn’t bother anyone out there today. Chase contender Kevin Harvick finished just in front of him. Man, I think they changed everything but the kitchen sink in his car during the first pit stop.

I truly felt bad for Michael Waltrip today, what a tough break. I honestly thought he had a chance of winning it if his motor was still running at the end of it, but it wasn’t the motor that took him out, it was his tire. Man, it just sucks to be Mikey right now.

Hey, talking about bad motors, that disgruntled employee at RCR/DEI engines is still causing a lot of damage - they’ve got to
find that guy and fire him. Three out of the five RCR/DEI engines ‘done blowed up’ and if I heard the TV right I think Harvick was only running on seven cylinders at the end of it. That would make only one car, the #07 driven by Bowyer, not to have any problems. Looks like that engine shop merger is paying off large for them.

I’ve got a little more to say, but I’m falling asleep here so I’ll catch up with you all tomorrow with more of my wonderful analysis of today’s big event. Take Care.

Photo Credits: Villeneuve - (AP Photo/John Bazemore), Gordon - (REUTERS/Robert LeSieur (UNITED STATES)), Dale Jr - (Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR)

Submitted by NASCAR Eclectic

They’re stealth and come from behind to bite you in the ass.
That’s how it felt watching as Jeffy and Jimmy snuck in from behind the pack. Unpredictable… but that’s Dega.

Pattyjo was wondering why the crowd was cheering as Jimmy took the lead followed by Smoke’s attempt to cross over only to get shuffled back… I guessed it was due to the good ole plate racin going on.
It was a great finish.

The RO-7 Chevy apparently cannot hold up under 8900 rev’s. Surprising any of the engines could hold up under that for 3 plus hours. The attrition was biased though and DEI-RCR should literally put the RO-7 on the {auction} block.

So now that the COT has made it’s debut into the restrictor plate world, maybe the driver’s will stop their bitching about it. The car did well as far as I could tell and I’m sure Kyle Petty feels good about it this morning after the body slam he took.

Several Chase contenders are now eliminated from winning The Cup. It’s pretty much left up to the top 4 now, with Smoke in 4th. Although Harvick, Edwards and Kurt Busch have a glimmer of hope…. mathematically. And the Million Dollar spot, 13th, can be had by several, even though Jr. still holds the spot. Newman, Mears and The Biff are all easily within reach.

Back at the Cottage… In a word… hectic. I’m faced with a moral dilemma concerning a business decision. In a nutshell… I have almost priced myself out of an upcoming contractual project due to the high wage I’ve been asked to pay an employee. A big part of my success comes from the fair pricing I’ve maintained, but a carpenter under my employ has made that difficult. I had to back peddle and lower my price on this job, which means I’ll have to let the carpenter go. If I lower the price’s and keep him on he’ll make more than I would and in all honesty… he’s not all that!! His skills are lacking in several important areas, but he’s good with vinyl siding and drywall… ask him to trim out the windows and doors and he’s lost. It’s never easy letting someone go and it takes a lot of courage because chances are he’ll take offense. This because he does feel he’s worth every penny.