The "Biff" Files

Big Ups to Kevin Harvick

2010-02-06T23:07:00.002-05:00

Hi my name is Jenn and I'm an obsessive Kevin Harvick fan. I currently own 1,700 pieces of memorabilia (or should that be 2,900 lol) including a life-size standup I got by eating way too many Reese's products, a race used tire and about 20 autographed pieces. I almost broke down the first time I saw KHI in person and I dream about the day I actually get to the fan appreciation day.

This all leads up to a big old "hell yeah" from Jenn here at The Biff Files on tonight's race! Congrats Kevin on the win we've all been waiting for since the 2009 Budweiser Shootout. Good luck in the coming season and give us fans a few more wins this year!

What's Wrong With Being a Fan?

2010-02-06T06:57:00.002-05:00

I’m a NASCAR fan plain and simple and I make no qualms about it. I write for a few different websites and blogs, but I don’t claim to be a professional in any way, shape or form. For some reason that doesn’t bother me. What does bother me is when people ask me (sometimes relentlessly) why I don’t focus on writing for some more professional websites and maybe even become a sports writer. Here’s my answer: I don’t want to be a professional.

If you watched our videos from last years Charlotte races or saw some of our pictures, then you know that I’m by no means a professional. I’m still the dorky girls who gets excited about every facet of racing. Would I love to sit down and have a one on one conversation with David Ragan? You bet, but I somehow think my experience at the track would be different.

When you’re a professional racer, you have a very different perspective of racing. Katy is definitely the more professional one and if you’ve seen her newest endeavor Skirts and Scuffs, you’ll see what I mean. Katy was the one walking around the race shops last year, pointing out the ample parking and cars on display; I was the one jumping up and down because we saw AJ Allmendinger and Clint Bowyer called me “babe”.

Being just a fan isn’t such a bad thing. It means I don’t have to worry about making a fool of myself at the race track, of drinking too much, of offending fans sitting next to me when I don’t like their driver and it means that I get to be with the millions of other people who are “just fans”. I appreciate all 2 people who read this blog and I hope that you keep reading, even though I’m just a fan.

Wait, I Have to Watch Wrestling Now?

2009-10-21T09:58:00.002-04:00

The last few weeks when my boyfriend momentarily that I (i.e. "we") watch Dancing with the Stars on Monday nights, he's flipped the channel to WWE RAW. I always smiled, right before making him turn it back. Now suddenly this Monday, I'll be the one reaching for the remote.

Why you might ask? Simple, Kyle Busch is hosting WWE RAW. Yeah, okay so Joey Lagano will also be on hand, but who cares? KYLE is hosting wrestling! I think the sky might be falling...

It seems like a perfect fit. After all, this is Rowdy Busch. Tune in next Monday night and 9 to see how our boy does...and if he can act. Hmmm, maybe he has a career is this whole racing thing doesn't pan out...

Calling All Women Writers Covering NASCAR

2009-10-19T23:46:00.000-04:00

Have you ever noticed that there are more men writing about NASCAR than there are women? There are still quite a few women who get recognition as writers covering the sport but most of the time the fame and glory goes to a few guys. Don't get me wrong I love those guys. Without them at the track covering the race via twitter and their articles I wouldn't know half the stuff I know. You all know who I am talking about.

On Saturday night while watching the race in Charlotte and being bored out of my mind I came up with an idea. What if there was a site that gave women writers trying to make it big a voice? What is there was a community of ladies who supported each other and promoted each other's work. How cool would that be? On a whim I sent out a Tweet about the possibility of a women's only site for NASCAR writers. Within minutes my inbox was filling up and there was a lot of buzz about the project. Seemed like everyone else thought it was a good idea too.

I'm writing this post to let all women who cover NASCAR know they now have a place to post their opinions, recaps, columns, and random nonsense. We are going to have a wide variety of writers who come from all across the US. Some are casual bloggers looking for an audience while others are hoping to turn their writing dreams into a full time career. If it's happening in NASCAR it will be happening on this site.

Skirts and Scuffs is scheduled to launch just prior to Speedweeks 2010 though writers can start adding their work anytime. As we get closer to the 2010 season more and more content will begin appearing on the site.

For more information come on over to Skirts and Scuffs and check out the tabs across the top. If you are interested shoot me an email or hit me up on twitter and I will get you hooked up.

I think it's time we stirred up the waters just a bit ladies. What do you think?

Anyone Else Frustrated?

2009-10-19T01:54:00.003-04:00

I had plans to attend the race in Concord this weekend, but life threw me a curveball. My boyfriend and I found ourselves the proud "parents" of three 2-day old kittens, after their mother abandoned them. When we lost one of the kittens last weekend, it became clear that we weren't about to leave the other two alone, even if it was just for the hours we spent at the track.

Watching the race on Saturday night made me come to a realization: I'm getting extremely frustrated and not happy. When I started watching NASCAR, it was fun and exciting. Every week it seemed like someone else was sitting in Victory Lane and celebrating their win. Now? It seems like the same thing week in and week out.

It reminds me of why I write about NASCAR only sparingly. If I were to write about it constantly (like Katy does, and God do I envy her!), I'd get bored off my ass. As much as I love it, I don't want to start hating it by making it the focus of my life.

That brings us back to the season at hand. With Hendrick all but dominating the sport and Jimmie Johnson preparing himself for his fourth championship in a row, I find myself getting bored...really bored. And I get the feeling others feel the same way. Did you see the crowd, or lack of a crowd at the track this weekend?

NASCAR keeps saying that fans aren't coming/buying because of the economy, but is the racing itself part of it as well? I think it is and I think the sport needs to prepare itself for the future. Fans don't like seeing the same thing and between Hendrick, Johnson and the COT, that's all we're seeing...

Hall of Fame Announcement

2009-10-14T16:11:00.000-04:00

The results are in. 25 were given the opportunity but only 5 were chosen for the inaugural class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte. 51 ballots were cast including one from NASCAR fans.

And the first class will be:
1. Bill France Sr.
2. Richard Petty
3. Bill France Jr.
4. Dale Earnhardt Sr.
5. Junior Johnson

These 5 will be inducted to the Hall of Fame in May 2010.

This Weekend Marks the End of an Era in Charlotte

2009-10-12T17:32:00.001-04:00

A decade long era will be coming to an end this weekend in Charlotte, NC. This weekend the track where Jenn and I saw our first race and where we make our yearly trip will host it's last set of races before the name of the track is changed.

A few months back it was announced that Lowe's would be parting ways with the track as the sponsor and name holder. As of yet the new name has yet to be chose though the track may revert to Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Since I won't be heading to the track this weekend for the race I thought I'd take a minute to share a few tips for those making their first trip to the track.

Park as close to where you will be sitting as possible. Trust me you aren't going to want to walk from your car parked behind the Z-Max Dragway to your seats all the way over in turn 4 after the race. My advice is to check out the parking and driving direction map and figure out where you seats are. The map also lets you know where you should park if you are seated in a particular area. Don't assume you can take the most direct route to the track from your hotel. You are going to get rerouted regardless so be prepared.

Visit the souvenir haulers on your way out of the track rather than on your way in. There's not a lot of room in the stands to store your purchases and it's a pain to try and keep an eye on your stuff and still watch the race. The souvenir haulers set up at the junction of Bruton Smith Blvd and US-29 just behind the main entrance to the track.

Leave these items at home...you can't take them in.

Coolers and bags over 14 inches in any direction
Stadium chairs with arms and folding chairs
Glass containers
Pets (except service animals assisting disabled guests)
Umbrellas
Strollers
Skateboards, roller skates and scooters
Bicycles or mopeds
Beach balls, balloons, signs and banners
Horns, whistles or other loud Items
Weapons of any kind
Items restricted by federal law or which, in the judgment of Speedway officials, may create a safety risk or reduce the enjoyment of the event by other guests
Unattended items may be removed at the discretion of Speedway officials

And most importantly know where the alcohol free zones are. There are three sections in turn two where you can't take alcohol and where smoking is not allowed.

Have fun and take lots of pictures!

Your Ultimate Racing Guide for Charlotte has Returned

2009-10-11T21:10:00.000-04:00

Heading to Charlotte next weekend for the only Saturday night race in the Chase? Here are some reviews and a great map that I did before our trip back in May. Feel free to link to the reviews or the map if you like. There are also a bunch of pics that Jenn and I took at the track and the race shops. You can find the pics above under the Video/Pics tab. There are several hundred photos in the 2009 section.

Here's those links:

Also, Jenn wrote several reviews for Associated Content. Check them out!

Need a Snack for the Track? Giveaway

2009-10-01T14:42:00.003-04:00

When Jenn and I are getting ready to head to the track we usually fill our bags up with snack food. Sometimes it's a few small bags of potato chips, other times its crackers, and there have even been times we have enjoyed some Honey Nut Cheerios with our Miller Lite. You might think that's nuts but given the high price of food at the track it's something a lot of people do. Most tracks are cool with you carting in a cooler and a small bag with snacks as long as your don't try to sneak in an umbrella too. Trust me...they will take that umbrella away in a heartbeat.

Anyway, I thought we would do something a bit different here on The Biff Files. Depending on the response we may do this again in the future. It that's up to you. But before we get into what you can win you have to read about my new favorite snack food.

I (Katy) recently got a chance to try out the New Nature Valley Nut Cluster's and let me tell you guys, these things are awesome. When they arrived at my house via mail I ripped into the box figuring I'd be getting a small sample container of the product. Boy was I wrong. I had the chance to try out all four of the wonderful different flavors. While my husband jumped on the Honey Roasted Peanut and the Roasted Almond Clusters I grabbed the Nut Lovers and the Roasted Cashews. Forget those other granola bars or that bag of chips that keeps getting stale. These are my new all time favorite snack food. Each package weighs in a 5 ounces and each pit is chocked full of flavor and nutty goodness. With the resealable package you can save some for later...though once you have one you'll have a hard time putting the bag down.

I'm excited to announce that readers of this blog will have the opportunity to receive the same package I received in the mail. That's right you will have the chance to win all the items in the picture below.

Here's what you get: 4 bags of Nature Valley Nut Clusters (one each of Roasted Peanut, Roasted Almond, Roasted Cashew, and Nut Lovers) a small pair of binoculars (maybe you can see the cars better at the track with these), a flashlight, stainless steel reusable watter bottle (or drink of your choice), and a sling bag to carry all your goods to the track with you. You like? I do!

all you have to do to get entered is leave a comment. No jumping through hoops...just say hi or let us know what you would like to see on the blog.

I will be drawing for the prize after Sunday's race at California.

CONGRATS TO kaligrl4 !

Jim Beam Following Jack Daniel's

2009-09-22T23:27:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I wrote about how Jack Daniel's would be leaving NASCAR as a sponsor in 2010. Looks like they aren't the only alcohol company making a run for it.

Photo Credit: Getty Images for NASCAR

It was announced on Tuesday that Jim Beam, the primary sponsor on Robby Gordon's #7 won't be back next year. Can't say I am surprised....can you?

Another One Bites the Dust: Jack Daniel's to Leave RCR and NASCAR

2009-09-21T16:55:00.001-04:00

Sponsorships seem to be dropping like flies this season. First DeWalt jumped ship and now another big name sponsor is severing it's ties with NASCAR.

Photo Credit: Getty Images for NASCAR

It was announced on Monday that Jack Daniel's won't be returning to the 07 car driven by Richard Childress Racing Driver Casey Mears.

In the official press release a Jack Daniel's spokesman said, "We want to thank the many friends and fans of the Jack Daniel's 07 Racing Team, and we can't say enough about your incredible support over the last five years."

This is just one more blow to the Richard Childress Racing organization. After rumors of discord between Childress and long time driver Kevin Harvick and none of the four drivers making the chase you have to wonder how secure the organization is. You also have to wonder what prompted Jack Daniel's to leave NASCAR. Was it the fact that a driver they were behind 100% and who fit their image is now behind the wheel of a Cheerios/Hamburger Helper sponsored car? Or was it the fact they haven't gotten much publicity this year with Casey Mears behind the wheel?

It also makes me wonder if Childress is regretting his decision to add a fourth team this year or his choice of drivers. I know Mears has a racing name and that he's got a victory (hey we were there for that) in the series, but he's a driver that has struggled all season long to get traction and work his way through the points. He's a driver that only gets publicity when he's involved in a wreck. That probably has a lot to do with the reason they are leaving RCR and NASCAR...but that's just my opinion.

What do you think of this decision?

Jenn Went Hi-Tech

2009-09-19T22:35:00.004-04:00

I finally set myself up with a Twitter account. You can find me at http://twitter.com/racingcupcake, but only if you want to see/read what I have to say. I can't guarantee that it will be in the slightest bit interesting or that I'll update much because, frankly I just don't have a lot of spare time.

You may have noticed that the blog is decidedly less Jenn and more Katy-centric right now and I can promise that will change as well. Between races, family stuff, work and other miscellaneous stuff, I haven't had the free time lately that Katy has. I'll try to make some time to post on here more frequently and give you my perspective on things.

Oh and on a personal note, if you're a Harvick fan, soon you'll find me as the official Examiner. Just because he didn't make the Chase doesn't mean I'm ready to give up on him!

Mark Martin Says.....I'll take another year Mr. Hendrick

2009-09-18T19:41:00.000-04:00

I've figured it out...Mark Martin must have been transformed into a robot during the off season. That's the only thing that would explain the transformation. (sorry, I'm not giving credit to Hendrick....just not happening)

Mark Martin fans are rejoicing today because the driver they love so much just signed a deal for 2 more years with Hendrick Motorsports. The deal will put Martin in the #5 through 2011.

Looks like we can expect to see him in victory lane many more times over the next 2 seasons.

My Opinion of Reed Sorenson Just Went Up Exponentially

2009-09-18T19:11:00.001-04:00

Before today I never gave Reed Sorenson much thought. Never really considered him a good driver or a bad driver. At the end of last season and the beginning of this season there was a lot of attention focused on him. People thought the move to Richard Petty Motorsports was going to be a good fit for the young driver from Georgia. They talked about how it was his dream to race for the King and there were pictures of him as a child posing with Petty everywhere you looked. It was destiny.

Now the news comes out that Sorenson has been racing for free for the last half of the season. Are you kidding me? Racing is the guys livelihood and you can't even find the money to pay him to driver your car? Wow that explains a lot considering the recent announcement of a merger between Petty and Yates. Apparently Reed was given the choice to continue racing for free or sit out the rest of the season. Sorenson choose to race for no money and try to earn a ride for 2010.

Bonus points to Reed for sticking it out and proving that he's got racing in his blood, even if he's not getting a paycheck.

Check Out Examiner.com's Coverage of the Chase

2009-09-18T17:15:00.001-04:00

Wouldn't it be nice if you could visit one website and find everything you need about the Sprint Cup Chase? Examiner.com is doing just that.

A team of 12 NASCAR writers has been assembled to cover the last 10 races of the season. Each week these writers will provide a brief analysis and offer insight into their particular drivers chances of winning the race and the title.

Check out the hub page for the Coverage or visit each of these Examiner pages separately.

Don't forget to come back after the races to read our recaps. Like what you see pass it on to your friends or leave us a a comment.

The Only Reason I've Found to Watch Jimmy Fallon

2009-09-17T14:56:00.001-04:00

Apparently Jimmy Fallon's over the top, fish flailing rendition of "Gentleman, start your engines" didn't scare NASCAR away. Last night Carl Edwards, Ryan Newman, and Kasey Kahne dropped in to have some fun on the show.

Can I just say...Ryan Newman should forgo the fire suit and wear that all the time?

This Just In: NASCAR Drivers Involved in World Record Pie Fight

2009-09-17T14:48:00.000-04:00

Oh the silly things driver's get themselves into all for the sake of publicity. Driver's are popping up in places this week that you don't normally see them all in an effort to promote the Chase.

Last night a couple of them were on Jimmy Fallon's late night show (still looking for the video) and this morning six of the Chase contenders stopped by Regis and Kelly to take part in a record breaking pie fight.

You need to go about 2 minutes into the video to see a clear shot of Brian Vickers, Kasey Kahne, Juan Pablo Montoya, Jimmie Johnson, Denny Hamlin and Kurt Busch.

First of all they look so silly wearing the rain gear. I think JPM is trying to make himself as small as he can so that people won't recognize him. He looks horrified to be part of this. Kasey looks like that little kid whose mom pulled the string on his hoodie a little too thight. Vickers doesn't seem to mind being there at all, though he'd probably rather be sky diving. Kurt, who looks like a science teacher in those safety glasses, looks pretty excited to be there. Denny Hamlin must have been told not to look at the camera and Jimmie's being his regular laid back self.

Which Driver Gets the Most Publicity?

2009-09-17T14:12:00.001-04:00

What do you think? Which driver gets the most attention? Is it Dale Earnhart Jr? Maybe it's Jimmie Johnson or Jeff Gordon. Lord knows Brian Vickers and Kyle Busch have been covered like crazy over the last couple of races and Tony Stewart has also been a favorite.

It's actually none of these guys who get the most publicity. Instead it's Nationwide Series driver Kevin Conway. Seriously, you can't flip through the channels late at night without seeing him in that blue fire suit. The man is everywhere. And yes, he's endorsing ExtenZe is an infomercial that makes me cringe every time I see it.

I counted last night while flipping through the channels and that commercial was on four channels out of 75 at the same time. That boy's getting some hard core TV time. Jeez!

Discount Tires to Sponsor Keselowski

2009-09-16T20:58:00.004-04:00

If you haven't heard by now Brad Keselowski plans to run full time in both the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series in 2010. This announcement came on the heals of Keselowski's move into the Penske organization.

I'm not sure running in both Series is a good idea for Keselowski, especially since it's going to be his rookie year in Cup and his first year with a new team. Maybe he will have a good season in both, but something tells me it might take him a while to adjust....but what do I know? I'm just a blogger right?

Anyway, I'm not all that enthused with Keselowski's move to Penske. I think they should have given Stremme another season to get acclimated but Keselowski has the name and the hype behind him. Some even suggest he's the next big star. I'm going to reserve my jugdment on that one...although, I'm not going to be joining his fan club anytime soon.

It looks like sponsorship for the Penske's second Nationwide effort has been found. It was announced yesterday that Discount Tires would join Keselowski as the primary sponsor for 26 races in 2010. I guess that means Discount Tires won't be sponsoring the #6 Roush-Fenway car anymore. That kind of makes me sad.

I'll admit that I have never bought a tire from Discount Tire and that there isn't one anywhere near where I live. In fact, I have no idea at all where the nearest one is. I've only been to Discount Tires 3 or 4 times in my life and everytime it was because Jenn and I were stalking David Ragan.

Maybe Ragan wasn't a sponsor's dream in terms of popularity, but he's the kind of driver you should want representing your brand. You want someone who is always excited to see a fan show up for an appearance. You want someone who at least pretends to remember you from the 3 times you saw him the previous season in 2 states. You want a driver who will stop and pose for pictures with fans and you want a driver who stays for the entirety of their scheduled appearance regardless of how long or short the line is.

I guess Discount Tires won't have to worry about their logo not getting on TV or people not showing up for store appearances anymore. Not with Keselowski representing them.

Is Your Driver In the Chase?

2009-09-15T21:15:00.001-04:00

While watching this past weekend's race at Richmond I was sitting on the edge of the couch. I didn't care about who was leading the race. (Congrats Denny!) My only concern was whether or not my boys were going to make it in.

If this is your first time here than you might think Jenn and I are huge Biffle fans. While the Biff does hold a special place in our hearts he's not our ultimate driver.

Jenn would probably say her favorite driver is Harvick followed closely by Kurt and Kyle Busch and I of course am also a Kurt and Kyle girl. Sure we like other drivers but these are our favorite...unless Jenn has changed her mind.

Anyway, like I was saying. I spent the evening on the edge of my seat just hoping the drivers I cheer for every week would be in contention for Chase. I wasn't really concerned about Kurt. His spot in the Chase was pretty much secure but Kyle on the other hand had me a nervous wreck.

We all know how it ended. A resigned Kyle Busch standing on pit road wishing luck to his teammate who made it into the Chase, a visibly excited Brian Vickers who just barely made it in, and a sad Matt Kenseth who missed his first ever Chase. Kurt did make it in though so it wasn't a complete loss for me.

Honestly, I don't know how I feel about the Chase. Part of me thinks its a nice idea. Every other sport in the world has a playoff system so why not NASCAR? Then another part of me hates it for the sheer fact that drivers who haven't won are in while a driver that won 4 times isn't. No, I don't know how to fix the problems. I wouldn't even know where to start.

Okay, so I've got one driver in an one driver out. That's not bad. Right?

But what if the only driver you ever cheer for is outside the top 12? What do you do then? I'll tell you what you do.... you go read this.

The Top Reasons to See the Prelude to the Dream Event at Eldora

2009-09-11T23:49:00.000-04:00

After going to the Prelude to the Dream event at Eldora Speedway for the fourth year (out of five years running), I decided that I needed to make a list of the top reasons why you should see it for yourself. Sure you can watch it at home on HBO, but being there is the best part.

#1: Tony has finally taken care of the bathroom situation. In previous years the track bathrooms were terrible and by the halfway point of the night, you wanted to avoid it at all costs possible. This year Tony fixed things and the bathrooms were cleaned fairly frequently.

#2: Dirt is everywhere. During the last three races, I ended up with a chunk of dirt the size of a quarter hitting me in the throat. This year it was my boyfriend’s turn, as he got the dirt in the throat. We looked at each other and just started laughing. We had to keep laughing when we got home from Eldora and discovered dirt in our clothes, my purse and anywhere else we had an uncovered part.

#3: Randomness everywhere. This year I stopped by a small table of Kevin Harvick autographed merchandise to pick up a car I’ve coveted, only to discover that the people running the table were actually his neighbors! He offered them a free trip up on his plane and then asked them to run the table. They were incredibly nice and I’d love to talk to them again in the future.

#4: The unexpected. Who would have guessed that AJ Allmendinger of all people would wreck into the wall and break his car? Or that Joey Lagano would not only ruin one car, but get in a backup car and wreck that one?

#5: The home track advantage. Yes seeing Tony win for the third straight year was a little disappointing, but at some point, someone has to get past him and walk out with that trophy. This is the place where Kenny Wallace won, without any experience on a dirt track so you never know what to expect.

#6: The cars. There’s nothing like seeing these late model cars up close and in person. You can’t fully appreciate the awesome gold and black car driven by Clint Bowyer unless you saw it in person. It’s the only place in the world where you can see all the drivers turn up in late model cars decorated just like their real ones.

#7: The drivers. When we took out seats at the track, we had no idea that we were sitting right across from Kyle Busch’s car and hauler, nor did we know that he’d spend the next two hours working on his car and joking around right in front of us. The drivers are incredibly laid back at Eldora and it’s something you don’t usually get to see. Hearing Kyle joke about forgetting what number he was driving was something I’ll never forget.

#8: Closer than ever. Eldora is unique in that you have the chance to sit closer than anywhere else. We sat right on the corner of turn 1, right beside the fence line. I was close enough to grab a visor tear off and stick it in my purse! Try doing that at a NASCAR race…

You can watch the Prelude to the Dream event at Eldora, but why would you? If you’re a NASCAR fan, you have to see this track and event up close and in person. It’s an experience that you’ll never forget.

2010: Who's Out and Who's In?

2009-09-11T01:37:00.011-04:00

LAST UPDATED SEPT 23, 2009 BY KATY

NASCAR is kinda like Project Runway. One day you're in...and the next day you're out. (I know it's a stretch but I was watching PR while writing this and somehow my wires got crossed.)

I don't know about you but I have a heck of a time keeping all this straight. Seems like every time I turn around someone is switching teams or a two teams are merging. I feel like I need a flow chart to keep up on all the action. This post is going to be devoted to who's going where and doing what for the 2010 season. Look for frequent updates and let me know if I overlook something or get it all wrong. Remember it's a work in progress. Okay let's get started.

Red Indicates Out
Green Indicates In

@@@@@@@@@@@

Hendrick Motorsports
Chevy

2009 vs 2010 - Looks like it's all going to be the same over at Hendrick at least for 2010.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. (AMP/National Guard)
Jeff Gordon (DuPont)
Jimmie Johnson (Lowe's)
Mark Martin (Kelloggs / Carquest) GoDaddy.com (20 races)

@@@@@@@@@@@

Stewart - Haas
Chevy

2009 vs 2010 - Stewart and Hendrick will continue partnership for 2010 and drivers will remain the same.

Ryan Newman (US Army)
Tony Stewart (Office Depot / Old Spice)

@@@@@@@@@@@

Penske Racing
Dodge

2009 vs 2010 - Stremme out Keselowski in #12

Kurt Busch #2 (Miller Lite) - Crew Chief ~~Pat Tryson~~
Sam Hornish Jr. (Mobil 1)
~~David Stremme~~ Brad Keselowski

@@@@@@@@@@@

Richard Petty Motorsports

~~Dodge~~ Ford

2009 vs 2010 - Merging with Yates Racing, switching to Ford, Sorensen out Menard in - fate of #43 unknown - Engines to be made by Roush Engines

Kasey Kahne #9 (Budweiser)
Elliott Sadler #19
AJ Allmendinger
~~Reed Sorensen~~ Paul Menard (Menards)

@@@@@@@@@@@

Roush Fenway Racing
Ford

2009 vs 2010 - Jamie McMurray out due to restrictions on number of teams. Crown Royal moves to Kenseth and DeWalt is out. Fate of McMurray unknown

Matt Kenseth (~~DeWalt~~ Crown Royal)
David Ragan (UPS)
Carl Edwards (Aflac)
Greg Biffle (3M)
~~Jamie McMurray~~

@@@@@@@@@@@

Red Bull
Toyota

2009 vs 2010: No changes here.

Brian Vickers (Red Bull)
Scott Speed (Red Bull)

@@@@@@@@@@@

Joe Gibbs Racing
(Toyota)

2009 vs 2010 - No changes here either....looks like a few teams are happy

Denny Hamlin (FedEx) #11
Kyle Busch (M&M's) #18
Joey Logano (Home Depot) #20

@@@@@@@@@@@

Earnhardt- Ganassi
(Chevy)

2009 vs 2010 - Truex going to Michael Waltrip...fate of #1 unknown

Juan Pablo Motoya (Target)
~~Martin Truex Jr.~~

@@@@@@@@@@@

~~Yates/Hall of Fame Racing~~
~~Ford~~

2009 vs 2010 - Yates will be absorbed by Richard Petty Motorsports. Fate of Bobby Labonte and #96 unknown

@@@@@@@@@@@

Robby Gordon Motorsports

2009 vs 2010 - Jim Beam out as primary sponsor on #7

Robby Gordon (Jim Beam)

@@@@@@@@@@@

Michael Waltrip Racing
Toyota

2009 vs 2010 - Waltrip to run partial season in #55. New team added for 2010 to be driven by Truex #56

Michael Waltrip (NAPA) - Only running partial season
David Reutimann (Aarons)
Martin Truex Jr. (NAPA) #56 - Crew Chief: Pat Tryson

@@@@@@@@@@@

Richard Childress Racing
Chevy

2009 vs 2010 - some changes in pit crew but drivers staying same

Kevin Harvick (Shell/Penzoil)
Jeff Burton (CAT)
Casey Mears (Jack Daniels)
Clint Bowyer (Cheerios Hamburger Helper)

@@@@@@@@@@@

JTG Daugherty
Toyota

2009 vs 2010 - same

Marcos Ambrose

@@@@@@@@

Fate Unknown
These drivers don't have a ride as of yet for 2010

Jamie McMurray
Reed Sorenson
Bobby Labonte
David Stremme

This Just In: RPM Going Ford

2009-09-10T15:19:00.004-04:00

Just when I think I've got it all figured out someone has to go and mess it all up. Okay so here's the news of the day, maybe of the month.

Richard Petty Motorsports plans to join forces with Yates Racing for the 2010 season...and they will be racing Fords!!!!!! Team to be comprised of AJ Allmendinger, Elliott Sadler, Kasey Kahne, and Paul Menard.

What this means?

Jamie McMurray is going to be hurting to find a ride now considering that everyone thought he would be in a Yates car next season.
Reed Sorenson is out of Petty. Wasn't it a huge deal at the beginning of the season that he was going to the team? Guess the love doesn't last if you have a lackluster season.
Only one major team will run Dodge in 2010. That's going to put a hell of a lot of pressure on those boys over at Penske.

Here are my questions

What's going to happen to Reed and Jamie Mac?
Why Paul Menard? Is it his sponsorship? We all know it is.
Good choice to go ford or bad?

Discuss!

The Week In News....so far

2009-09-10T13:12:00.003-04:00

Only one race left until the Chase? Will Kyle Busch make it? It's not looking good considering the amazing job Vickers and his crew did last week at Atlanta. Seriously, that was awesome with the axle change and not loosing a lap...Jimmie should take notes!

What's everyone talking about this week?

Jeremy Mayfield - frankly I'm tired of hearing about ol' Jeremy. It's becoming a soap opera. This week he decided to file a wrongful death suit against his former step-mother in the death of his father 2 years ago. Here's my question. Did he suddenly just realize that she was to blame or is he just trying to drag her name through the mud? What do you think?
Kyle Busch knows he's had a rough year and comments on his chances for making the chase, his Nationwide team, Ron Horniday, and fans love/hate relationship with him.
Tony Stewart wins the 5th Annual Prelude to the Dream. Come on Jenn give us a recap!....on a side note I want the giant razor he had in victory lane. It's not practical, but neither is that giant Sharpie they give you at Bristol, and I really want that.
Elliott Sadler - Is going to be a daddy. This week he and his wife Amanda announced they are expecting their first child. Congrats Elliott!

On a side note I have decided to change my twitter name. I'm leaving the blog name as it is but you can now find me on twitter @NASCARKaty instead of @thebifffiles.

NASCAR White House PSA: So That's What the NASCAR Invite to the White House Was About

2009-09-04T15:43:00.006-04:00

On August 9th I published my thoughts about NASCAR's trip to the White House. Unless you subscribe to the blog you probably never saw it. It miraculously disappeared from the blog. I know it got published because it showed up in my RSS feeds but now it's nowhere to be found. If you've already read the post you can skip the next part.

This is what I originally wrote on the topic

I might be a talk radio junkie these days but I don't like to blog about politics. There are a couple of reasons for this. First of all I know a lot of people won't agree with my views and secondly this isn't a blog about politics. With that being said I think it's time we focus for just a minute on the recent news coming out of the White House. No I'm not taking about health care reform, or the cap in trade bill, or even the fact that GM is now owned by the government.

Nope, I am talking about the announcement that was made yesterday concerning President Obama's invitation to NASCAR Champion Jimmie Johnson and other past champions to come hang out at the White House. I'm sorry but I have a problem with this. What the heck does Obama hope to accomplish with this? Is the trying to win the NASCAR vote? I think you are a little late for that buddy. Where were you last year when you were running for President? I don't remember seeing your face at any of the races though I clearly remember John McCain being at New Hampshire and wasn't Cindy McCain at Pocono and a few other tracks too? Were you too good for us NASCAR fans back then?

Remember when those guys over at BAM Racing tried to offer Obama a chance to be on a car last fall? What did he say? Oh yeah, Thanks but no thanks. Back then there was speculation that the reason Obama refused was because the car with him on the hood would be a Toyota make and that was just unamerican. What's he gonna do now that the government owns GM? Is he going to refuse to let anyone who drives a car other than the Impala SS into the White House? Are those Toyota guys who made The Chase last year going to be excluded from the guest list?

Okay, that's my political rant.

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Katy Lindamood is a freelance writer, blogger, and self-diagnosed NASCAR addict. She is not Greg Biffle, doesn't know Greg Biffle, and is no way affiliated with Roush Fenway Racing or any NASCAR sponsor. Follow Katy on Twitter or email her .

When the race was postponed because of rain the event had to be rescheduled for later in the month.

Now the truth comes out. Why in the world were the top drivers in NASCAR invited to the White House? Let me tell you why! So they could make this completely inappropriate video urging kids to stay in school.

I've got nothing against NASCAR drivers urging kids to stay in school, heck I think it's a great idea. What I don't agree with is Obama using this to promote his "let's talk to all the kids in the US without their parent's approval" speech that's to be given on September 8th. Regardless of my personal feelings toward Obama I think this is just wrong. I'd be saying the same thing if McCain where in the White House...seriously do you think any of these guys thought about the NASCAR nation before they agreed to do this video?

UPDATE: 9/5 - I've gotten several direct messages from my twitter followers who don't agree with my views. That's okay. We are all entitled to our opinion. Let me clarify my point. I'm not against drivers doing a PSA encouraging kids to stay in school. If NASCAR had decided to make a PSA like this independently I would have applauded them for the effort. There are probably thousands of kids out there who watch NASCAR on the weekend but hate school. Who better to tell them to say in school than the top drivers in the sport?

What I have a problem with is the political agenda behind this PSA. It wasn't done by NASCAR but by the White House. It wasn't something these drivers decided to do on their own independent of NASCAR. The President decided that using sports figures would be a great way to grab the attention of kids. I personally belive that it's fine for sports figures or celebrities to support a political figure but I don't agree with them using their faces and voices to promote a political agenda which is exactly what this is. If you watch the video all the way through you see that it's promoting President Obama's much talked about address to all school aged children that's to happen next Tuesday. In my opinion it's inappropriate and I'm surprised more fans aren't throwing a fit about it.

I want to know what you think. Take the poll below and/or leave a comment.

Carl Edwards Gives Romance Advice: Book Review

2009-09-04T04:57:00.005-04:00

Several months ago I heard about a series of NASCAR themed books published by the guys over at Harlequin. The romance novel lover in me fought the urge to rush out and buy them all. In the past I might have given in and made the purchase, but since I've been trying to read things that have more substance I resisted...until I found out that Harlequin was offering 16 free downloads on their site. I figured I'd check it out to see what they were offering. Low and behold hiding between books with a half dressed man on the cover was one of those NASCAR themed books.

I could resist no longer, besides it was “research”, or at least that's what I told my husband.

Review: Speed Dating by Nancy Warren.

If I needed advice on love would I turn to Carl Edwards? That's what the characters in the book Speed Dating did. Let me explain further.

Two time Cup champion Dylan Hargreave has had some bad luck on the track recently. His team has been finishing poorly and he just can't seem to pull it all together. What Dylan needs is a good luck charm...and a date for his ex-wife's wedding.

Kendall Clarke is an insurance actuary who thinks in terms of statistics. She's used to playing by the rules and knows nothing about NASCAR, yet her chance encounter with driver Dylan Hargreave changes her life forever.

I've read my share of romance novels in the past. Regardless of the story line there are three things you can always expect. 1) Boy meets girl 2)Boy or girl, usually boy, does something stupid causing the couple to break up. 3)Idiot realizes the error of his/her ways and attempts to win back the love of the jilted lover. It's classic romance novel stuff so I wasn't surprised to see the book unfold in this manner. I was prepared for the broad generalizations and fleeting mention of race day activities.

What I wasn't prepared for was the role Carl Edwards plays in the book. Carl's not a huge character in the short book, but when he shows up on the scene he's the love guru. Kendall approaches him for advice on what drivers are looking for in a woman and Dylan turns to him when he finds that Kendall has left. Carl's even the guy who points out the tear stains on the note Kendall leaves Dylan.

All in all this book was pretty much what I expected. It focuses a lot on the relationships of the main characters rather than the sport. There are a few key chapters that show the hero of the story dealing with the media and sponsors. We also get a glimpse into what it's like for this driver when he's behind the wheel. Your not going to learn anything earth shattering about NASCAR by reading this book, but you will find yourself entertained from time to time. I'm not saying it's the best book I have ever read, but it's definitely not the worst either. It's a fun book that fuels our fantasy (you know there are some of you out there right now fantasizing about being the one true love of a driver) that a chance meeting with a driver might change our lives forever.

Kyle Busch makes up for his Nashville spectacle with a donation

2009-09-02T01:04:00.003-04:00

Thought I would share this with you. Be sure to check out the Kyle Busch Examiner!

Kyle Busch makes up for his Nashville spectacle with a donation

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Stremme Out Keselowski In at Penske

2009-09-01T08:49:00.002-04:00

It's official. Brad Keselowski will be replacing David Stremme in the #12 for Penske in 2010. Looks like Brad will be driving full time in both the Nationwide Series and the Cup Series according to this press release.

All I can say is: Sorry David Stremme...this really sucks!

Carl Edwards Wrecks the Field and Wins the Race

2009-09-01T06:50:00.003-04:00

Yes, yes, yes we all know how sad it was for Marcos Ambrose when he made that one mistake coming through the last turn in Montreal. We all saw Carl Edwards take advantage of the bobble and race past Ambrose for the victory. I was just as heartbroken as those Marcos fans out there because he dominated the race and deserved to win...still Carl did his job and took advantage of the situation. He didn't do anything wrong.

What I want to know is why isn't anyone talking about that last lap crash that took out 3/4 of the field? Didn't anyone else notice that Mr. Edwards caused that crash? A lot of cars were already banged up from the craziness that was that race but Carl sure as heck didn't make it any better. Why is it when he does something like that no one really notices? If any other driver had caused a pileup like that we'd be screaming for their head or at least placing the blame on him.

I'm just saying.

Bristol Music Notes

2009-08-28T16:16:00.003-04:00

There have been tons of posts this week about the different songs chosen by drivers for their intros at Bristol. Some were creative while others lacked imagination. There were even some that had me scratching my head wondering what the heck was going on, but to each his own I suppose. Personally I think this is something all tracks should do. I know at Lowe's Motor Speedway they play a special song for each driver while they qualify, but those songs are picked by the speedway, or at least I assume they are. Some of those songs are just too obvious. Carl Edwards qualifying to the Flipper theme song. Yikes.

Since only a few of the intros were featured on the radio and TV broadcast I had to wait until someone posted a list of the songs before I could comment on them.

The Best Choices:

Kyle Busch - Amazing - Okay, so I am not a Kanye West fan...not even in the slightest. It's not surprise that I actually had to look up the words to the song, but it was the perfect choice for him.
Kevin Harvick - Party Up - DMX might not be your choice but again this song fits Harvick for some reason though we do miss those days when he "lost his head" more often.
Matt Kenseth - The Enemy - I would and often have jammed to Godsmack but they aren't a group I can picture Matt Kenseth listening to. It doesn't fit the image of him I have in my mind. Still excellent song choice.

The Worst

Dale Jr, Jimmie Johnson, and David Ragan - Thunderstruck - Okay I get this song for Dale Jr and maybe even Ragan but Jimmie? Plus there needs to be a rule about not using a song more than once for something like this. Granted other drivers doubled up on songs but this one was just waayyyy overdone.
Joey Logano - East Bound and Down - I don't even have the words...what an odd choice.
Clint Bowyer - CC Rider - I don't even know what this song is but I don't like it because it's Elvis...enough said.
Reed Sorenson - Billy Jean - Yes, please let's encourage the Michael Jackson is the greatest man in the world attitude. Sorry, great song but that's got to be the only reason this song was chosen.

What are your thoughts?

Hi Roger, I'm Brad.

2009-08-24T13:01:00.001-04:00

Nothing has been confirmed as of yet but it looks like David Stremme won't be behind the wheel of the #12 next year. Seem like that guy just can't catch a break. First he looses his ride at Ganassi when Dario Franchitti decided to try his hand at NASCAR. (That worked out great...where is Dario these days?) Now it looks like Roger Penske is considering letting Stremme walk for Brad Keselowski. Poor David.

Earlier in the week it was reported that Penske had requested a meeting with Keselowski regarding his options for the 2010 season. Keselowski's dreams of driving for Rick Hendrick in 2010 were put to an end when Mark Martin decided to race full time in the #5 again next year. I'd rather see Mark than Brad anyway. There was speculation that JR Motorsports would go cup racing next year or that Keselowski might have home in a third team owned by Tony Stewart. I guess that's not gonna happen.

Personally I am of the opinion that Keselowski won't really fit in at Penske with Kurt Busch and Sam Hornish Jr. Sure Brad has some Nationwide wins and a Cup Series win to his name but I wonder what he will be like without a Hendrick engine under the hood. Is he destined to become a great driver as many have promoted him to be? Or will not having the support of Rick Hendrick and Dale Jr behind him show that he is just a regular guy?

What do you think?

What's Your Opinion on Keselowski Going to Penske for 2010?(opinion)

The Final Lap with Kerry Murphey – NASCAR News Radio Show and Podcasts » Is It Wrong to Cheer for a Wreck?

2009-08-22T15:23:00.001-04:00

The Final Lap with Kerry Murphey – NASCAR News Radio Show and Podcasts » Is It Wrong to Cheer for a Wreck?

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What Does the Future Hold for LMS?

2009-08-06T17:38:00.003-04:00

Here at The Biff Files we are huge fans of the Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, NC. It's the track I always dreamed of going to as a teenager. It's the place where Jenn and I saw Casey Mears and David Reutimann get their first wins. It's also the place where we attended our first race back in the summer of 2007.

Next year when we head for our favorite place on earth we won't be heading to the Lowe's Motor Speedway. By then it will have been renamed something else. It was announced this week that following the current season Lowe's Companies Incorporated will not renew their sponsorship of the 1.5 mile track in the heart of NASCAR country. After an eleven year relationship with the speedway Lowe's will continue to sponsor Jimmie Johnson but not the track where he has won a number of races. This announcement comes just days after Allstate decided to pull it's naming rights from the 400 at the Brickyard and DeWalt decided to cease it's sponsorship of Matt Kenseth and his Roush-Fenway team.

If companies keep pulling out what will we have left?

Regardless of what LMS is renamed to it's still going to hold a special place in our hearts. Personally I'm hoping they go back to the original name of Charlotte Motor Speedway, but that's just me.

Brother Knows Best

2009-08-01T11:26:00.004-04:00

You might already know that both Jenn and I are hard core when it comes to the Busch brothers. Sure we follow other drivers but when we are at the track you will usually find us wearing one or both of them on our clothing. Last year we didn't have a lot to cheer about when it came to Kurt. It seemed like every time we turned around Kurt was careening into a wall. It wasn't a pretty sight. On the other hand Kyle was kicking butt in everything he drove.

Kurt Busch signs autographs for waiting fans at his souvenir hauler prior to the Coca-Cola 600 - May 2009 - Credit: The Biff Files

This year it's the other way around. Kurt is doing great in the cup series while Kyle seems to be finding the wall more frequently than any other driver. He's still got three wins to his credit which is nothing to be ashamed of. But, where is the Kyle from last year? I'm pretty sure he's in the Nationwide garage. Kurt even agrees with me.

When asked about Kyle this week Kurt pointed out ..."I think if he could focus more on the 18 Cup car, rather than on the Truck and the Nationwide deal, that would help him in the long run."

I couldn't have said it better myself! It never hurts to listen to your older brother!

The Mustang Comes to NASCAR

2009-07-31T01:11:00.000-04:00

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

2009-07-30T23:14:00.007-04:00

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

2009-07-28T16:51:00.004-04:00

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

2009-07-25T16:14:00.003-04:00

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

2009-07-23T17:02:00.005-04:00

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

2009-07-22T20:17:00.005-04:00

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

2009-07-21T16:24:00.004-04:00

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...

2009-07-20T20:08:00.001-04:00

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

2009-07-18T11:28:00.009-04:00

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

2009-07-18T00:26:00.004-04:00

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

2009-07-16T08:23:00.005-04:00

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

2009-07-16T00:53:00.003-04:00

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

2009-07-10T15:28:00.004-04:00

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

2009-07-09T02:33:00.002-04:00

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

2009-07-07T12:58:00.005-04:00

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

2009-07-02T14:02:00.001-04:00

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

How About That Race?

2009-06-01T05:05:00.002-04:00

That race today made me remember why I follow NASCAR. It had everything you need from a race, including an exciting finish. I have to admit that there towards the end I was shouting quite a bit, to the point where I thought my neighbors were wondering if I was possibly being murdered.

The ending though...well, I didn't want to see that. I was really hoping Tony would hold onto the win, if only because I really dislike Jimmie Johnson. Sometimes I wonder what he and Chad have going on that no one else has. On the positive side, Kurt got a top 5 finish and Scott Dixon won the Indy Car race.

As for my "baby" Kevin Harvick, I just hold out hope that he makes it back into the top 15 in points by the end of the season. The way he's running now, I'm not sure that will even happen. Hopefully Richard gets on the ball soon and does a major shake up with the 29 team.

I also wanted to let everyone know that I'll be attending the NASCAR Prelude to the Dream at Eldora Speedway on Wednesday night. If anyone else is going, please send us and email and maybe we can meet up. Katy won't be attending this time, but I'll take lots of pictures. Hope to see you there!

Last Blog

2009-05-28T17:47:00.002-04:00

This was the last video blog we did while at Lowe's Motor Speedway during the rain delayed, eventually called Coca-Cola 600...

Make sure to check out all of our pictures from the trip! We had an excellent trip and I'm sure that we're both eagerly looking forward to our next excursion. I (Jenn) will be at the Prelude to a Dream event at Eldora Speedway here in Ohio so look for information on that as well. Thanks for watching and we'll see you at the track!

A Few Random Video Blogs

2009-05-28T17:45:00.003-04:00

A video blog about how not to act at a race track...

The things we like in the Concord area...

What Not to Wear at the Race Track...

Drivers we strongly dislike...

A short interview with Katy during the rain delayed Coke 600...

Dale Earnhardt Junior's Whiskey River Bar

2009-05-28T17:44:00.002-04:00

A shorter blog where I discuss our thoughts on returning for the second year to Whisky River...

Z-Max Dragway Video Blog

2009-05-28T17:43:00.001-04:00

A quick video blog done while we were sitting in traffic...

Kevin Harvick Inc. Video Blog

2009-05-28T17:42:00.002-04:00

A video blog from Kevin Harvick Inc., one of my favorite places in the world!

Roush Fenway Fan Appreciation Day Video Blog

2009-05-28T17:41:00.001-04:00

Trust me when I say it's easier to video blog than to write it all out!

Even More Videos

2009-05-28T17:39:00.002-04:00

Video blogging at the track on Sunday night after they finally postponed the race...

Katy blogging about the Carquest 300 Nationwide race, which was called early because of rain...

Some Bloopers Perhaps?

2009-05-27T20:29:00.001-04:00

Just in case you were wondering about the rest of our trip, here's a few bloopers for you. Make sure you watch to the end because there is some funny stuff on there, including the two of us fighting with ponchos. We'll be posting the rest of our videos as soon as You Tube decides to cooperate with us!

Who Won That Race?

2009-05-24T03:14:00.002-04:00

We were at the nationwide race tonight and I still have no idea how Mike Bliss ended up being the only car on the lead lap! I need commentators telling me what's going on. You can't hear what they are saying at the track because it's so loud! All I know is that Kyle was kicking butt and taking names after having to go to the back for an engine change. Within 30 laps he was in the front pulling away. Next thing I know Mike Bliss is leading and we are all heading for the covered portions of the track as rain came in.

Really? Mike Bliss? How disappointing!

Let's Go Uptown

2009-05-23T11:02:00.004-04:00

In Charlotte there is an area of the downtown known as uptown. That's where Food Lion hosts Speed Street each year. Speed Street is a chance for race fans to get free stuff from NASCAR sponsors, meet drivers, and hear some great musical acts.

Speed Street takes up at least 7 city blocks which can make getting in and out impossible at times. There is lots of parking with most starting at $5 for the whole day. The only problem we encountered was with the parking garage we had to park in when we tried to head to Whisky River. Someone really needs to explain how to direct traffic to those people!

While at Speed Street we got lots of pictures including those posted below. Be sure to check out the full gallery of pics.

Clint Bowyer signs autographs at Speed Street Festival

Kurt Busch hangs out on the Miller Lite Stage @ Speed Street

Kevin Harvick poses for pics

Kyle Busch signing autographs at Speed Street. This year he posed for pictures. Go Rowdy!

Jenn finally gets her pic with Harvick at the Speed Street Festival in Uptown Charlotte

If you plan on heading to Speed Street on Saturday have fun. Just remember to get a wrist band if you want to meet a driver. We got lucky and got Kevin Harvick and Clint Bowyer. Kurt Busch was the only driver who did not require wrist bands. They were all very nice and the question as to where Kurt's Nextel Cup trophy is has been solved. Check out the video to see where it is... Jenn asked him.

We had some fun with the Hamburger Helper Hand that we got. There's a bunch of pics and this video. Sometimes the things we do when we are tired scare us!

Today we will be heading back to Lowe's Motor Speedway for the Nationwide Race. Lot's of Sprint Cup drivers will be in the race. Check back late tonight for more pics and videos from our day at the track! If you are going to be there look out for us! We would love to have anyone who reads the blog in a video! Don't forget to wear sunscreen!

The Roush Boys

2009-05-21T23:06:00.006-04:00

Hey Everyone!

Today was another eventful day for us.

We were up and out the door by 7:30. Our first visit today was to Roush - Fenway in Concord. We had been there before but had never had a chance to meet the drivers during their fan day. We didn't get there in time to get a ticket for Edwards, Ragan, and Biffle but we were still able to get some great pics. Here are a few to tide you over until we post the videos of our experiences

Jamie McMurray was very nice and we felt bad because people kept walking by him.

Matt and Jamie signing autographs

Hey! It's THE BIFF! This was the only one we could get of him that had his whole face in it. Everyone kept stepping in the way.

We Love You David...I swear we aren't stalking you...not really.

Ragan, Biffle, and Edwards

Okay, even I admit he is cute in person... we should have asked him to do the Wounded Unicorn

Be sure to check out all the pics in the photos / video section above. There are at least a dozen each of Kenseth and McMurry. We did get to meet them and it was great. Both were really nice and were joking with fans.

We are heading into uptown Charlotte tomorrow for Speed Street. Videos to be uploaded tomorrow evening.

Wednesday's Highlights Pics

2009-05-20T23:59:00.012-04:00

Here are a few highlights from Wednesday. Be sure to check out the videos and all of our pics above!

Marcos Ambrose @ Waltrip Fan Appreciation Day - Super nice guy!

Someone said Scott Speed was eating cereal at the beginning of fan appreciation day at Michael Waltrip /Race World USA...This was his reaction when we told him that Katy had watched the milk and cereal youtube video at least 2 dozen times.

You really never know what you will see in Mooresville. Imagine our surprise when we saw JR himself hanging out with Dee Snider from Twisted Sister...This is the closest we will probably ever get. Jenn was disappointed that he did not look as good in person. Still this one goes out to all the Dale Jr fans. Katy plastered herself against the glass and took this trough a window for you!

We love David Ragan...you might even call us his stalkers...it's pretty funny when he said he thought we looked familiar. Can I take him home with me?

Michael Waltrip looks so tame in person. Still he was nice and his fan appreciation day rocked! Thanks for all the free stuff Mikey!

Hey! It's the franchise! David Reutimann signed Jenn's 1:24 scale car and checked his voice mail...if only we could get him to twitter!

We may have to change our opinion on Jamie McMurray. He was nice. Plus he told Jenn what this random piece of car she bought @ RCR yesterday was before he signed it. Hey everyone it was a cowl.

Well folks it's time for The Biff Files to hit the sack for the night. It was a great day in terms of meeting drivers and other fans standing behind us in line. Thursday we are going to Roush - Fenway where I'll try not to dis The Biff again...and we might just stalk David and Jamie while there (please don't have us arrested!). After that we are going to Earnhardt Ganassi and Hendrick Mortorsports before heading to the track for Nationwide practice and Sprint Cup Qualifying. Have a great night everyone!

Wednesday's Videos

2009-05-20T22:56:00.003-04:00

This is only about a fraction of what we intended to blog about tonight but our battery ran out before we could get everything done. Check out or videos and the pics. Everything is listed in the video/pics section above. (Right under the banner)

Stewart - Haas Racing

Kurt Buch Inc

Rusty Wallace Inc

Michael Waltrip Racing /Race World USA

JR Motorsports

Michael Waltrip Fan Appreciation Day

Jenn's Favorite Place

Red Bull Racing

Check This Out!

2009-05-20T20:20:00.002-04:00

Earlier this month we were contacted to work with the Cabarrus County Convention and Visitors Bureau. Cabarrus County, NC is where Lowe's Motor Speedway, the Concord Mills Mall , and several of the race shops are located! If you haven't been go check out there site! It's got some great information about the attractions, hotels, resturants, and shops in the area! Here's the press release that they issued today. Be back later with more photos and some vids for today!

Concord, NC - May 19, 2009 - The Cabarrus County Convention & Visitors Bureau has announced a partnership with The Biff Files Blog in an effort to promote Cabarrus County’s motorsports-themed attractions.

From May 19 – 25, 2009, the Biff Files bloggers Katy Lindamood and Jenn Eblin will be completing a jam-packed multi-day itinerary throughout the area that includes visiting NASCAR race shops and Concord Mills, culminating with the 50^th running of the Coco-Cola 600 at Lowes Motor Speedway. After visiting each attraction, they will be documenting their experiences by posting new blog updates and uploading videos to http://thebifffiles.blogspot.com.

"We are excited to have hardcore fans come to Concord and document their experiences online during race week,” said Justin Crist, Director of Interactive Marketing at the Cabarrus CVB. “Social media can really spread the word and extend an experience to a fan that wouldn’t have otherwise been aware of what our area has to offer. Katy and Jenn are doing a fantastic job and having a great time with it. We are glad to help promote their love of the full racing experience.”

About The Biff Files

The Biff Files is a NASCAR-themed blog founded in early 2009 that documents the fandom of founders Katy Lindamood and Jenn Eblin, freelance writers and NASCAR fanatics. In addition to NASCAR commentary, Katy and Jenn are venturing into the realm of social media to document their excursion to Concord and Charlotte, NC during the most exciting week of the year that leads into the 50^th running of the Coco-Cola 600. For more information, visit http://thebifffiles.blogspot.com and follow their Tweets at http://twitter.com/thebifffiles.

Video Blogging From Richard Petty Motorsports

2009-05-19T22:08:00.003-04:00

Jenn was super excited after her encounter with AJ Allmendinger. Here she is letting us know about Richard Petty Motorsports. Check out the pics above in the pics/video section.

Video Blogging From Joe Gibbs Racing!

2009-05-19T21:55:00.003-04:00

This is our first official video blog from our trip. The video covers our visit to Joe Gibbs Racing in Huntersville, NC (exit 23 off of 77). Check out the photos above in the photo/video section for pics from inside the race ship. We saw Steve Addington, Kyle Busch's Crew Chief on the floor of the race shop. Jenn is featured in this blog...tomorrow Katy will be video blogging. Leave us a comment and let us know what you think!

The Highlight of The Day

2009-05-19T21:12:00.003-04:00

Hey everyone! It's Tuesday night and we are here in the Charlotte area hanging out. Today had a great day. We are going to video a post and upload it shortly with the highlights of today's trip to Kevin Harvick Inc, Richard Childress Racing, Richard Petty Motorsports, and Joe Gibbs Racing. Check out the pics and videos tab above in a few hours. The pics from today and our videos will be uploaded shortly! How you like this pic? That's Jenn with AJ Allmendinger in front of Richard Petty Motorsports!!!!! He was just walking by and we saw him and he agreed to pose for a pic! He was super nice!

Tuesday's Itinerary

2009-05-19T08:00:00.001-04:00

We survived the trip to the Charlotte area…now what? You must be kidding right? Have you seen our itinerary? I doubt we will be doing much sleeping this week. That’s how busy we will be.

Today we will be traveling to (you can view these locations on the map here):

Kevin Harvick Incorporated in Kernersville, NC – Location #1 on map
Richard Childress Racing in Welcome, NC - Location #5 on map
Childress Vineyards in Lexington, NC – Location #4 on map

This will be our third visit to each of these facilities and like to visit them all in the same day because they are located approximately one hour from downtown Charlotte. You can get directions or see where they are in relation to the other race shops by viewing our hot spots map in the sidebar.

If you are in town for races this weekend you might want to consider heading over to the parking lot of Concord Mills around 4 pm. That’s when Junior Johnson will be on hand to sign autographs. Just look for the bright green Windstream Truck. In addition you can enter to win a pair of tickets located on the frontstretch to the Coke 600 and a family 4 pack of tickets to the Windstream Pole Night on Thursday. You must be present to win.

Also don’t forget that today you can stop by Michael Waltrip Racing / Race World USA (location #14 on map) to pick up tickets for Wednesday’s fan appreciation day. There are only 300 wristbands being given out so stop in early and get them at the retail store.

Check back later in the day for video blogs from our stops. Hopefully we can get some great shots of the race shops as well as other popular locations in the area

Let's Get Moving!

2009-05-18T08:00:00.000-04:00

Coming with us on our trip? Let’s get moving.

Here’s what’s scheduled for the day: Lots and lots of driving.

Jenn’s trip will begin at 8 am in Dayton, Ohio. After driving about 4 hours on her own, Jenn will arrive in Huntington, WV where she will pick up Katy. From there Katy and Jenn will head toward Charlotte in hopes of getting to their motel by 7pm.

We’ll be back later this evening with a video post.

2009 Speed Street Driver Appearances Announced

2009-05-14T23:09:00.003-04:00

The annual Food Lion Speed Street driver appearances for 2009 were *finally* announced this week. It looks like this year is shaping up to be just as great as last year and it should be pretty exciting. Just check out this lineup!

Thursday May 21st
12:00 - 2:00pm: Erin Crocker, Autographs, Victory Lane Karting Booth
3:00 - 5:00pm: Coleman Pressley, Corey Lajoie, Joey Coulter, Clay Rogers Autographs, Victory Lane Karting Booth
5:00 - 7:00pm: Jamie McMurray Autographs, Kraft Display (wristbands given out at noon)
5:00 - 7:00pm: All-female, Victory Lane Indoor Karting 24-hour team; Laurie Osmond, Tiffany Daniels, Chrissy Wallace, Chelsie Lehmann, Johanna Godinez and Jody Folice Autographs, Victory Lane Karting Booth

Friday, May 22nd
2:00 - 3:00pm: Kyle Busch autographs, Kyle Busch Foundation Go Kart Race Track
2:00 - 4:00pm: Brad Keselowski Autographs, Unilever Display
2:00 - 4:00pm: Johnny Sutton Autographs, Victory Lane Karting Booth
3:00pm: Mark Martin Autographs, Kelloggs Display
3:30pm: Clint Bowyer & Kevin Harvick Autographs, Chevrolet Display (300 wristbands given out at 12:30 pm)
3:30 -5:00pm: #33 Hamburger Helper Helping Hands Pit Crew Autographs, General Mills/Cheerios Stage
5:00pm: Clint Bowyer Autographs, General Mills/Cheerios Stage (200 wristbands given out starting at 5 pm)
4:00 - 6:00pm: Kevin Conway Autographs, Victory Lane Karting Booth
6:30 - 7:30pm: Kurt Busch Appearance, Miller Lite Stage
8:00 - 9:00pm: Coca-Cola Racing Family Appearance, Coca-Cola Stage
TBA - Reed Sorenson

Saturday, May 23rd
5:00 - 6:00pm: Richard Petty Autographs, Reynolds Wrap Display
5:00 - 8:00pm: WBTV3 News Anchors' Autographs, WBTV Booth
6:00 - 7:00pm: Richard Petty Autographs, Paralyzed Veterans Display (150 wristbands given out at 12:30 pm)
TBA: Kyle Busch Autographs, M&Ms Display

If this is your first time heading there, check out Tips for Attending the Speed Street Festival. Have fun and be safe!

Have You Seen the Size of This Grill?

2009-05-14T13:29:00.002-04:00

Have you heard about the grill that will be appearing at the Coca-Cola Quarter-Mile Cookout at Lowe's Motor Speedway next week? This thing is a beast! It's not your average grill like the one sitting on my front porch or in your back yard. Let's talk about the size:

Requires more than 7000 lbs of Charcoal
Weighs more than 24,000 lbs
If stretched end to end the grill would span more than 4 football fields.

Are you excited now? Not yet? How about if I told you they would be giving away free food and that some of your favorite drivers will be in attendance during the Quarter-Mile cookout? How about now? Want more information?

When: Friday May 22nd from 11am to 2pm
Where: Lowe's Motor Speedway - Near the start/finish line
Price: Free. Yes you heard me, it's free....as long as you have tickets to the Coke 600.
Stars of NASCAR: Clint Bowyer, Bobby Labonte, and Kyle Petty as well as Bobby Alison wil lbe in attendance for the event. Food Network Chef Tyler Florence will be manning the huge 1320 foot grill and will also be participating in a Q & A Session with the drivers.
Food: Hamburgers, hotdogs, pasta salad and brownies will be served. All free of charge!

For more information head over to Coke's Website and read the official press release.

See you at the track!

What's All This All-Star Mumbo Jumbo?

2009-05-12T08:41:00.006-04:00

I have a feeling I'm not the only fan out there confused by all this All-Star Race mumbo jumbo. How the heck do you get into the race? How long is the race? There are how many sessions? What's up with the fan vote? Who can race their way in? Then there is the pit crew challenge on Thursday and a few other events going on.

My head is spinning and I don't know when and if it will stop. Luckily Ben from Restrictor Plated posted this truly awesome guide to Detangling Charlotte's Web: Your Guide to the Sprint Cup All-Star Race. I think all my questions have been answered!

The Biff Files will be heading to Cabarrus County (that's "The Racing Side of Charlotte") on Monday May 18th for a full week of driver appearances, race shop tours, and racing leading up to the Coca-Cola 600. We will be video blogging the highlights of our trip and want to hear from you. What would you like to see? Leave us a comment and we will do our best to fit it into the schedule. I will be posting our full itinerary over the weekend. In addition to the scheduled events we will be video blogging about some of the Cabarrus County hot spots that catch our eye.

All of our videos will be uploaded to YouTube and our pictures will be posted as well. The videos will appear as posts or you can subscribe to our YouTube channel. Links are listed right below the banner at the top of the page under the "video/pics" section. Each day while on our trip we will post our daily itinerary at the top of the sidebar so you know what to expect from our videos. If you are going to be in the area during the week let us know. We'd like to connect with our readers if possible.

What's Up With That Jeremy Mayfield?

2009-05-10T22:05:00.005-04:00

Anytime NASCAR has an unscheduled press conference I get a little freaked out. Unscheduled press conferences can only mean one thing...bad news. As I sat in front of the television on Saturday watching the Trackside gang talk about Mother's Day, the history of Darlington, and last week's race at Richmond I wondered what new rule they would be instating this week. That seems to be what most press conferences are about these days.

By the time 6:10 rolled around I was biting my finger nails. What the heck is going on in that meeting? Stop showing the same All-Star race rewind videos you have been showing all weekend long and tell me what's up NASCAR. Ahh. finally the news was out and it wasn't at all what I expected to hear.

photo by SarahbearMcD

It seems that following last weekend's race at Richmond Jeremy Mayfield drew the lucky straw and had to submit to NASCAR's random drug testing policy. Surely Jeremy Mayfield would pass, right? He doesn't seem like the drugging type to me. Guess I was wrong. According to the information released by NASCAR Mayfield along with two crew members (sorry, don't know who or what team they were with) have been suspended from NASCAR indefinitely after positive results came back on their drug test. Mayfield has not only be suspended as a driver but as an owner.

Eventually we will find out what drug Mayfiled was suspected of taking but for now we can only assume it was something illegal. I for one am glad to know that NASCAR is taking the zero tolerance policy seriously. I never would have though Mayfield would be the one to have a positive result. I was so happy to see Mayfield back in a car this year with his own team. The Cinderella story of the Daytona 500 won't have a happy ending...at least not for now.

If you haven't heard yet we will be video blogging from LMS and the race shops next week. Let us know what you would like to see so that we can make sure it's on the itinerary. It's going to be an eventful week and we can't wait! Send us an email to thebifffiles@gmail.com

What Would You Like to See?

2009-05-08T17:19:00.003-04:00

As we're nearing our trip to Charlotte, Katy and I are in the midst of planning our itinerary. Last year we had everything worked out relatively quickly and though Katy is usually the queen of organization, last year I took over her mantle. I listed out all of the race shops along with driver appearances and we worked off that list the whole week.

This year though we'd like to know if there's anything in particular you want to see. We'll not only be taking our hundreds of photographs, but also doing video blogging from different locations.

This weekend we'll work out our itinerary based on the sites and appearances we already know. We'll also have to squeeze in our trips to Bojangles and Jack-n-the Box since those are my two favorite fast food chains and neither exists in Ohio!

If there's anything you'd like to see, leave us a comment or send it the email address. We'll make sure to add anything you suggest to the list!

Charlotte Speed Street Musical Guests

2009-05-07T04:08:00.004-04:00

Musical guests for the 2009 Speed Street Festival have been announced.

Miller Lite Stage:

Jason Aldean - Thursday May 21 @ 9:30 pm
Lifehouse - Friday May 22 @ 9:15 pm
Gavin DeGraw - Saturday May 23 @ 9:30 pm

Coca-Cola Stage

Bell Biv DeVoe - Thursday May 21 @ 9 pm
Rodney Atkins - Friday May 22 @ 9:15 pm
Clint Black - Saturday May 23 @ 9:15 pm

Read the full press release.

I'm Not Greg Biffle...But I Did Meet Him Once

2009-05-06T22:10:00.003-04:00

Okay, that's a lie because I actually met him twice. Once was back in the early days before he made his first Chase and when he was the low man on the totem pole over at Roush Racing. He was very nice, especially since I almost killed him.

Walking up to the table where he was sitting, I accidentally tripped and hit the table. It went flying and landed right in his stomach. You'll probably notice that many of my NASCAR driver experiences end (or begin) with me doing something stupid and this was no exception. He was very nice about it.

The second time I met him, he was actually a little cold. We got there towards the end of the event, which might explain it. Katy actually thought he was a little rude, but who knows.

The point of this (very) short post is that WE ARE NOT GREG BIFFLE. Though the side bar clearly shows a picture of two girls and you'll find a notice saying the same thing, people still think we're somehow connected to him, if not him.

Just to let you know, The Biff Files has no connection to Greg Biffle. We're not his cousins, wives, in-laws, sisters or love children. We're just two women who titled this blog based on a private in-joke. Yes we do like The Biff, but sadly we have no affiliation with him.

Where Are We Hiding?

2009-05-06T13:25:00.002-04:00

Sorry everyone for the lack of posts. Jenn and I have been hold up in front of our computers typing our fingers to the bone. We leave for Charlotte in less than two weeks! Yikes! Where did the time go. We haven't forgotten about you and we will be posting new stuff shortly.

We are still trying to figure out the best way to video blog our trip. If you have any suggestion or how we can get this done please let us know. We really, really, really want to share our trip with you!

Video Blogging

2009-05-01T18:31:00.005-04:00

Are you excited for the Coca-Cola 600 in 3 weeks? We are! We leave Monday May 18th and will be in the Charlotte area for a whole week!

Are you going to be there?

Maybe you can't take off work for the whole week, or afford to buy tickets to the races but you can still check out the action with us.

We are planning on writing blog posts while we are gone but wouldn't you like to see the places we discuss rather than just read about them? Want to see what it's like sitting in the stands with fans surrounding you? Interested in how we stay sane during the long road trip? Want to see how ridiculous the parking is at LMS on race day? Wish you could visit Hendrick Motorsports, Roush-Fenway, Jr Motorsports, Penske Racing, Joe Gibbs Racing, and DEI but can't make the trip? You can go with us!

That's right! We are going to be video blogging from the road...as long as we can find a way to do it. Right now the plan is to use the webcams on our computers but I'm not sure how well that's going to work out. Hopefully we can figure something out because we really want to give our readers a chance to go with us on our journey. Any suggestions?

Thanks Michael Waltrip

2009-04-27T23:12:00.002-04:00

I know I should have been working on an article I was writing rather than watching This Week In NASCAR on Speed but I was trying to both. Not really paying attention I heard Michael Waltrip mention a video of Scott Speed singing Milk and Cereal. I had no clue what he was talking about so I decided to check it out.

Thank you Mikey for giving me something to laugh at. I swear I've watched this video at least a dozen times now. Procrastination at it's finest.

Am I the only one finding this amusing? Just thought I'd share...loving me some Scott Speed right now. CooCoo for CoCo Puffs!