Submitted by NASCAR Ranting and Raving Blog

The Joe Gibbs #20 NASCAR Nationwide Series car has been in victory lane three times so far this year, 3 times in a row as a matter of fact, and it gets better, they have done it with 3 different drivers (Kyle Busch in Mexico, Tony Stewart at Talladega, and now Denny Hamlin at his home track of Richmond).

You know, that is a pretty amazing feat, especially in this day and age.

Congratulations to the Joe Gibbs organization for the awesome job they have done with that Nationwide team. Three wins in a row with three different drivers is not easy to do, not even in the early years when the those Hudson Hornets dominated the NASCAR circuit. This is such a difficult feat that no one has ever done it before, period.

Some bits and pieces I picked up today:

1) I think Kyle had every right to be upset with Steven Wallace, but I don’t think he should have pulled in front of him and slowed down while still on the cool down lap. What he did also collected an innocent third car (don’t know who, only saw the replay once). Not fair to that driver.

2) Steven Wallace should not have reached out and grabbed Busch’s helmet. He should have got out of the car and ’spoke’ to him like a man.

3) Steven Wallace had a good interview until he quoted Dale Earnhardt when he responded “I just wanted to rattle his cage a bit” to the question asking him why he grabbed Busch’s helmet. Give me a break!

4) Denny Hamlin got some good practice in for the burn out competition at the All-Star event later in the month.

5) O.K. I hate the reference to the Cup drivers poaching in the Nationwide Series as “Claim Jumpers”. I know it is meant to be in reference to insurance claims because Nationwide is the sponsor, but all I can think of when I hear “Claim Jumpers” is the old comic book based 1950’s TV show ‘Sergeant Preston of the Yukon’ (see picture). Please, oh please, can someone come up with something better like “Occasional Drivers” or “Broker Breakers” or “Benefit Bandits” or “Cancelled Policy Holders” or “Policy Thieves” or something!

Submitted by NASCAR Eclectic

Slumber overtook my desire to see the finish to the Lipton Tea 250 at Richmond. I even snoozed during the afternoon yesterday with hopes of seeing the Nationwide race in it’s entirety, but when one rises long before the birds do on a daily basis, by 9:00 pm the Sandman is dumping bags of the stuff on my eyes.

I am happy for Denny Hamlin, JGR and the Virginian folks who wanted to see their hometown hero in Victory Lane. A feel good finish that I missed… I am staying awake tonight if I need to super glue my eyes open.

Kudos to Steve Wallace for finally finishing a race.

Back at the Cottage… Every so often I include this segment in a post. It gives my readers a look into my life and allows them to get to know the person. George of “Vroom” used to do this too….. Where Oh Where are you George!!… I’ll have to Email him… anyway, life here at home has been anything but peachy for the past six months. My posting here has been lax and this is in part due to my photography and what life has handed us here.

New York State, like all states, has Workmen’s Comp. regulations, but when someone actually gets hurt on the job a battle ensues. The Comp. insurance companies will not pay without a long drawn out battle in court. My wife Patty was hurt on the job before Christmas and has been out of work since. With a Law Office fighting for her, things are moving in a positive direction, but we are not wealthy people by any means. Just average Joe’s with several mouths to feed. My small contracting business has barely kept us afloat, but I have done all I can and worked my arse off with literally bleeding fingers to prove it. This unfortunate situation has placed hardship and serious stress on our lives, but we are standing our ground. I have fallen behind in household bills. I’ve had to ask the Power Company [heat and lights] to defer a $1,600.00 overdue account, which they graciously did, we’ve had to have help from family and friends at times just to put food on the table, we had to borrow money to keep insurance on our vehicles and the list goes on and the matter continues and will continue for several more months.

That’s all difficult stuff for anyone and our Country is full of stories like this. Many people are losing their homes with record foreclosures. A tank of gas and a weekly grocery bill is taking many folks entire pay check. The state of our economy is the worst it’s been in years and it looks as if it’s only going to get even worse.

Here’s where it gets worse for us… I have two dependent kids from a previous marriage. My ex-wife and her husband are not hurting one iota. She is a tenured school teacher with a rather large salary and he is retired from the Navy with a now cushy State job. They just returned from a Cruise to Mexico and the Cayman’s. They own several rental properties and their home is worth several hundred thousand. They not only have 5 vehicles, they also have a 30 foot camper. Life is good for them and I’m happy my kids have it good there.

Due to our rotten circumstances I have fallen behind in Child Support. This heartless woman is taking me to collection court in Warren County with her bitch of an Attorney seeking full payment of the arrears, which exceeds $4,000. I am facing six months in the County Lock Up for contempt of court. My dear wife has offered her full payment when she receives her Comp. settlement, but that is not good enough. She won’t communicate with us and has directed all correspondence to her Lawyer. Patty feels responsible for this, but I have ensured her it’s not her fault for getting hurt at work.

If indeed I do go to jail we will lose everything…our home…our vehicles and our lives will be a total wreck. I have done my very best to keep us going one day at a time. I have fought off the insurgence of stress, fear, anxiety and desperation. We have maintained our sanity clinging to a cliff, yet one persons heartlessness and greed is smashing what little pieces we have left to smithereens. This without thought to how it’ll effect the kids, the devastation it’ll cause here and all the other lives, Patty and my two step kids.

I ask for you who read this to pray for us.