The Mustang Comes to NASCAR

Ford announced this week that starting in 2010 the company would run a Mustang in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. The NNS starts using the COT cars in competition for the first time next season, albeit in a limited format. As of right now the best estimate is that the cars will run in a minimum of ten races next season. Rumors abound that Dodge will also change their Nationwide cars to the Challenger.

So far the Ford Mustang looks like a pretty cool little car, especially the mock car the company released during their announcement. The Mustang has a long history with racing and as a fan, this should be an exciting addition. Plus, who isn’t excited to picture Carl Edwards and others behind the wheel of a Mustang? All we have to worry about now is how much the street car and race car will differ…

If I Were A Nationwide Driver I Would Be Annoyed

When I first started following NASCAR back in the mid 1990's it was unheard of for a cup driver to do double duty in the Nationwide Series. The Nationwide (then the Busch series) Series was for those up and coming drivers who weren't ready to trade paint with the big boys. Granted I didn't pay much attention but I would have noticed if the big names in the sport were spending their Saturday's on the track too. Whatever happened to that?

I enjoy seeing the cup guys win just as much as the next gal but, seriously, this total domination by the Sprint Cup guys in the Nationwide Series has got to stop. It's bad for the sport. Don't get me wrong, I love Kyle Busch and I'm always going to cheer for him if he's in the race, but should he and the other cup drivers be allowed to drive in the Nationwide Series on a regular basis? How are the up and coming guys going to get noticed when all you see on the leader board week in and week out is Carl Edwards or Kyle Busch winning another race. I can't imagine being a driver on the circuit trying to break into fame and having to deal with the most recognized names in the sport getting all the publicity. It would suck.

During the 2009 season practically every race has been won by a cup series regular. Don't believe me?

• Tony Stewart won in Daytona
• Kyle Busch has won at Fontana, Texas, Richmond, Nashville, Loudon, and Gateway
• Greg Biffle won at Las Vegas and Phoenix
• Matt Kensth took home the checkers at Darlington
• Joey Logano has three wins to his credit coming in Nashville, Kentucky, and Chicago
• David Ragan finished on top in Talladega
  
• Carl Edwards has wins in Indianapolis and Milwukee
• Clint Bowyer won Daytona the second time around
• Brad Keselowski who has a cup win to his name (albeit by a fluke) won in Dover
• Mike Bliss won the race in Charlotte though Kyle would have won had it not been for the rain.
  

I understand that Carl and Kyle are fighting it out for the championship but I'd rather see them fighting it out for the Sprint Cup, wouldn't you?

Kenseth to Promote Responsible Drinking

Move over Jamie McMurray it's time for a new man to wear the Crown Royal colors for 2010. That's right, not only has Roush-Fenway given McMurray the go ahead to start shopping around for a new ride for 2010, they just announced that Crown Royal will be sponsoring Matt Kenseth for 18 races next season.

Matt Kenseth and Jamie McMurray sign autographs at the 2009 Roush-Fenway Fan Appreciation Day - photo credit: The Biff Files

Guess that ends the debate once and for all about which drivers will be staying at Roush-Fenway next year.

Now, here's the question. Do you look at Matt Kenseth and say, "yeah, he looks like a Crown Royal guy?" I just don't get it. I don't see Kenseth as the poster boy for any type of alcoholic beverage, but maybe I am wrong about that. Regardless, I'm glad the sponsorship issue has been cleared up for Kenseth after Dewalt jumped ship last week.

Leaving for the Brickyard

In just a few short hours I’ll be on the road and heading towards Indianapolis. The bags are packed, the coolers loaded and the camera ready to go. The Brickyard is one of those tracks where you just never know what to expect. Mark Martin and Juan Pablo Montoya posted the fastest speeds in practice, but does that really mean anything?

Right now I’d put my money on one of the Gibbs drivers or their former driver Tony Stewart. I’d sure like to see Kyle or Kurt Busch kissing the bricks this weekend, but I’m not sure that will happen. I’m guessing another Hendrick will win and Jenn will end up feeling fairly disappointed.

If you’re heading to Indy this weekend, be careful and keep an eye out for me. It looks like the rain will finish off tonight so we should end up with a good race!

Beyond the News with Katy Lindamood

Most NASCAR fans are tuned into The Final Lap with Kerry Murphey. Whether you are tuned into the radio show, subscribe to the podcasts or get your daily dose of NASCAR news via the website there's tons of information waiting for you to experience. I read The Final Lap religiously and they have the only podcast I listen to regularly.

I'm excited to announce that I have been invited to become a contributor to The Final Lap. The column will be entitled Beyond the News with Katy Lindamood.

How would I describe it? Beyond the News with Katy Lindamood is an opinion based NASCAR column devoted to the fan experience.

If you have an idea for a post let me know. I'm open to suggestions. Send me an email at thebifffiles@gmail.com or contact me via twitter.

Don't forget to head over and read my first post: Do You Really Support Your Driver?

All the Indy Fun Isn't At The Brickyard

While Jenn plans to spend the weekend hanging out at The Brickyard, I will be enjoying the race from the comfort of my couch. Part of me is sad that I'm not heading to Indy but not for the reason you might think. I'm sad cause I won't get a chance to head over to O'Reilly Raceway Park for the Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series Races.

For those of you who don't know the Sprint Cup race will be held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday afternoon, but the drivers from the other two series will be spending their weekend a few miles away at the .686 mile track known as O'Reilly Raceway Park.

Kyle Busch follows closely behind the pace car during the Nationwide Series Race at ORP - July 2008 (credit: TheBiffFiles)

Last year Jenn and I had no plans to attend the Nationwide Race while in Indy but at the last minute we hopped in the car and headed over to the track hoping that there were still tickets available. We made it just in time to hear the command to start engines and from the first lap I was on the edge of my seat.

Why? The track is perfect! It's nearly flat the whole way around with only a few degrees of banking in the turns, you can see everything that happens on the track regardless of where you are sitting, and there's enough room to move around in your seat without feeling like you are sitting on your neighbor's lap. Sure there are a few things about the track that aren't perfect like the fact that most of the parking is in a large field that's full of holes, the seats are regular bleachers and not those comfy fold down chairs you find at some tracks, and that you have to pay for your tickets at the gate with cash. I can overlook all of that, especially if the racing is good.

Something else about ORP is that it's not like most tracks where the car haulers are stationed in the infield. At ORP fans have to walk right past the haulers in order to get to the entrance gate. Before the race you might get lucky and see a driver or a team owner and after the race you can get close enough to the cars to actually touch them. You might even see a driver then.

Jenn and I weren't expecting this and were pleasantly surprised to be able to get that close to the haulers. While heading to the gate to get our tickets we saw a large group of people huddled around the Steven Wallace hauler talking to someone. Turns out my childhood racing idol Rusty Wallace was talking to fans and signing autographs behind the hauler....now this is where the story gets funny...

Jenn prepares to touch Rusty Wallace - July 2008 - O'Reilly Raceway Park Indianapolis, IN (credit: TheBiffFiles)

I have this affliction...I see a NASCAR driver in person and I forget how to speak sometimes. I'm getting better but when I saw Rusty I not only forgot how to speak but I forgot how to walk. Jenn on the other hand goes running up to him and then realizes she has nothing for him to sign so what does she do? She touches him on the back and sort of makes a petting gesture. To this day she remind me that she "petted Rusty Wallace."

If you are going to be in Indy this weekend why not head over to ORP for the truck series race or the Nationwide race. Both are fairly short races and they are definitely worth checking out.

O'Reilly Raceway Park is located at 10267 East US Highway 136 Indianapolis. The Camping World Truck Series will be in action on Friday July 24th at 7:30 PM and the Nationwide Series will hit the track at 7:30 PM on Saturday.

The Rockstar Takes A Wife

Jenn: Who does he think he is? He's a NASCAR driver, not a rockstar!
Katy: I think he must have missed the memo.
Jenn: Did you see him making out with his girlfriend?
Katy: Nope, I was too busy thinking about whether or not I could steal and burn his hat.
Jenn: Well it was totally inappropriate for an autograph signing! There are kids here and I don't wanna see that either.
Katy: Did I tell you I love the Milk and Cereal video?
Jenn: Only about 10,000 times.

NASCAR Driver Scott Speed attempts to woo Jenn...it' not working... 2009 Michael Waltrip Racing Fan Appreciaiton Day (credit: Thebifffiles)

Jenn thinks Scott Speed thinks he is a rockstar. I have to agree that he does have that vibe about him. He's over the top sometimes when it comes to his personality. He's the only driver I can think of who would dare to make out with his girlfriend while hundreds of excited fans wait in line to meet him (okay so they were in line to meet Michael Waltrip, David Reutimann, and Marcos Ambrose too). His hero card looks like a rockstar publicity shot. (fyi Vicker's card is very similar) And that hat has got to go.

Like him (I have a weird facination with him) or hate him (Jenn think he is the devil) we need to extend congratulations to the Rock Star of NASCAR who got married this past weekend to his girlfriend Amanda Mathis. The couple have been engaged since late last year.

Congrats to Scott and Amanda Speed. Wonder which driver will be next? Anyone care to venture a guess?

Heading to the Brickyard...

It’s not surprising that I consider the Indianapolis Motor Speedway my “home” track. Hey, if NASCAR drivers can have a home track, then so can the fans. The track is less than two hours from where I live and since I lived in Indiana for several years, it holds a special place in my heart. I’d probably skip the Coca-Cola 600 one year if I had to choose between the two races.

The fun thing about Indy is something that Katy completely missed out on: camping at the track. The track has a huge setup for campers, taking up an entire mile of space across from the track. The people you meet there are the most awesome people in the world. I had the chance to camp there two years ago and I still talk to the friends I made back then.

On Saturday I will be heading back to Indy for the race. Coming along for the ride is my cousin Heather and my boyfriend Brian. If it’s at all feasible I plan on letting each one do a video blog and posting them when we get back. It will be the first time to the race for each of them and the first race my boyfriend Brian has ever been to. Of course it won’t be the last since he and I are also going to the race in Charlotte this October.

The race might be the longest track, but it’s also one of the more exciting races. Unfortunately Katy missed out on all that last year due to the tire problems. For me, this is a race that you just can’t miss and watching it on home is nothing compared to being there. Nothing beats sitting in the stands and watching the Brickyard 400 for yourself…

As Long As No One Steals Your Tent Indy is Okay

The Allstate 400 at the Brickyard is a race worth attending…once. Jenn will disagree with me on this one, but in my opinion tracks that are this big just aren’t worth it. You need binoculars to see the other end of the track and those handy Sprint Vision screens aren’t big enough to see from the stands.

Kyle Busch leads the 2008 running of the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard.

Maybe it was the 100 degree weather or the fact that Jimmie Johnson won the race last year that spoiled it for me…I take that back…it was the ridiculous tire issues… Still, it was worth the trip, though I doubt I will be heading back to Indy anytime in the near future…unless we luck into some free tickets again.

Katy and Jenn at Practice for the 2008 Brickyard. Don't forget to take your Miller Lite!

Indy isn’t all bad. In past years they have hosted Chevy Day at the Brickyard where the Team Chevy drivers show up and sign autographs and participate in Q and A sessions. This year’s events are a bit different, but do include a few autograph signings, Guitar Hero Challenge, and free concerts. All the information you need can be found here.

In case this is your first trip here are a few tips:

• Get there early. Whether you are going to practice and qualifying or the actual race get to the track as early as possible. The earlier you get there the better your chances of being able to park in the infield. Trust me…you want to park in the infield if you can. It’s a lot closer to your seats than parking outside the track…plus it’s free

Map of Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The giant red lot is where our tent was stolen from! You want to park in that big yellow section in the infield if you can. They offer shuttles to the Pagoda Plaza from the infield parking area but it's usually quicker to just walk it...unless you are lazy like me.

• Don’t leave your tent or anything in your tent unattended. Obviously this is only important if you are camping. 2 years ago Jenn had her camera and one of her favorite Harvick shirts stolen and last year we got back to our tent after the race only to find that someone had stolen it. Beware, things like this might happen so don’t take and expensive tent or anything else you can’t live without.

• Wear comfortable shoes. Leave the stilettos and the flip flops at home and wear some tennis shoes.

Proper attire for the race track.

• Wear a hat and some sunscreen… even if it’s not sunny. This seems obvious I know but it took me 2 weeks to get over the sunburn I got last year.

Have you been to Indy? Is it a place you want to go back to? Share your story! Check back later in the week for information on the Nationwide Race which is held at a different track.

Mayfield Shares His Thoughts

I keep waiting for a video of Jeremy Mayfield actually taking a urine test to show up on YouTube or a similar site. How many of us would tune in and wait for the results live? A play by play video from giving the sample, following it's route to the testing center, the actually testing, and revealing of the results. You know that would get some play. There has to be someone out there willing to watch hours of that right? Until that happens though let's enjoy this video of Mayfield talking about the case in a interview on the Charlotte News.

The Story of Kevin, Danica, and Brad

The blogosphere went nuts after Danica Patrick showed up at Stewart-Haas's facility in Kennapolis this week. Speculation as to whether or not the driver I associate with those annoying GoDaddy.com commercials will be coming to NASCAR is running rampant. Some people seem to think that Danica (who I honestly know nothing at all about...that's how much I hate those commercials) coming to NASCAR and Stewart-Haas would be a great idea. I can't say that I really have an opinion on whether or not she would be a good fit in NASCAR but I can say I don't think she belongs at Stewart-Haas.



Then you have those rumors floating around that Kevin Harvick wants out of his Richard Childress Racing ride. It's about time Kevin stood up for himself and started making some noise after the crappy season he's had. Maybe we can get some of that old Harvick spirit back that everyone loved. Personally I think Kevin would be better suited at Stewart-Haas than Danica Patrick would be. I mean seriously Harvick and Stewart seem like a match made in heaven.

Just please dear god don't tell me that Keselowski is going to be the third Stewart-Haas team. I don't think I could handle that though with the whole Hendrick and Stewart-Haas partnership this is more likely than the others. Ugh!

Positive Results for Mayfield

Have you heard the news yet? The Jeremy Mayfield saga continues...yippee!

As you know NASCAR tested accused meth user Jeremy Mayfield for drugs back on July 6th and the results of that test were just released. Yes, that's right, positive yet again. Mayfield is is once again denying the used of recreational drugs saying that NASCAR is further smearing his name through the mud in their attempt to make him the bad guy. (or something like that...I'm paraphrasing)

You can check out the full story and read Mayfield's denial here.

I Finally Saw the Video

Okay, I admit it. I didn't watch last weekend's Coke Zero 400. We were in the middle of moving and I couldn't get to a TV. I tried listening on the radio but it's just not the same. I heard about the big wreck at the end of the race and of course me being a Kyle fan I started yelling at the radio as if Tony Stewart could somehow hear me. I got nothing against Tony but when you wreck my driver I tend to get a little annoyed. Most fans are that way.

It wasn't until Wednesday night that I got the chance to actually see the YouTube video of the wreck between Busch and Stewart on the final lap. Even as a Kyle fan I have to admit that Stewart did nothing wrong. They were both doing their job. That's what they get paid to do. Granted wrecking in such a spectacular fashion would have made me mad too. Still you have to admit that regardless of which side of the fence you are on with this wreck it made the race worth watching...or so I am told. It made for a great video that's for sure. If you haven't seen it check it out!

Not A Good Sign for Earnhardt - Ganassi

I have a feeling Dale Earnhardt Sr. would not be amused with where his race team is at these days. I was never a Sr. fan but I know there are a lot of you out there. Still you had to admire the guy. He could drive a car better than most and he built a huge empire with his team and his merchandising. Today the team he created a decade ago is barely treading water. Even the combination of Earnhardt and Chip Ganassi Racing isn't helping the team this year.

I'm have to admit I'm not at all surprised that Martin Truex Jr. will be leaving the Earnhardt - Ganassi Racing at the end of the current season to become a member of Michael Waltrip Racing. Seriously, you had to see that, or something like it, coming from a mile away. I think it's a good move for MWR adding Truex to their team and hopefully Truex will have better luck there. Waltrip understands that it's time to hand the reigns over and become more of an owner than an owner/driver.

My only question now...will Earnhardt Ganassi continue to exist? Will they add a second team for 2010? Or will Montoya be the only one carrying the team to the future? Only time will tell.

Even My Dog Understands

I need to preface this blog post by saying that a few years ago my (Katy) husband was an insurance agent who sold supplemental insurance products for AFLAC along with several other companies. Because of his association with the company we managed to amass quite a few AFLAC related items; including 2 talking plush ducks.

I guess all my screaming at the television has paid off, at least a little. Sure my husband knows I dislike certain drivers but since he isn’t a fan of NASCAR he tunes me out when the race is on television. I’m one of those fans that scream at the television when a driver I don’t like is leading the race. Come on! You do it too…don’t you? In my house when drivers such as Johnson, Earnhardt Jr., Keselowski, Montoya, Mike Bliss, or Edwards take the lead I usually scream things I’d rather not repeat at the television. On Saturdays during Nationwide Races I might swear to never shop at Save A Lot again, outlaw the use of Scotts Turf Builder on my lawn or remark on how I would never purchase Vitamin Water. (Edwards sponsors) During the Sprint Cup races I usually remark on how much I hate the AFLAC duck and how it’s the bane of my existence. I never thought anyone was listening….boy was I wrong.


While going through some boxes I came across some stuff from my husband’s AFLAC rep days. Among them were two small plush ducks that talk when you press them. I have no idea why I still have them but I do. These ducks are cute but one of my dogs hates them. Pressing them and making them talk makes him go nuts. He totally freaks out. All it takes is the duck saying AFLAC, AFLAC, AFFFFLAAAACCCCC for him to start growling at it and trying to snatch it out of my hand. Even as I write this the duck is sitting on the edge of the dresser where it’s been for hours and he still won’t take his eyes off of it.

I’m convinced that all my ranting and raving at the television and about Carl Edwards has rubbed off on him. That’s right Carl, even my dog dislikes you. Looks like mommy trained him right, though I might get concerned if he starts guzzling the NOS.

We Haven't Forgotten You

Hi Readers! Are you still out there? Jenn and I haven't forgotten about you we've just been busy working on other writing projects and the blogging has unfortunately been put on the back burner. Don't fear new posts relevant to the topic are coming soon....I just don't know how soon. I am in the process of moving so it might be a while before I get anything new up on the blog. Sorry for that. Please check back often to see if we have updated.

~Katy