Catchfence

Hello loyal readers and other folks. I am sorry about no article last week. My baby sister, Freezie May (more on that later) decided to move back to these parts and needed help. Duck and I obliged and headed to her new homestead. When we got there Freezie asked me what a duck could do to help? Oh my good and gracious LORD what a silly woman she is sometimes (well most times but family is family). Why Duck folded dish and bath towels and put them away. Took care of her unmentionables drawers, her bathroom counter items includin’ but not limited to her face paint and so much other stuff. He was a crackerjack worker, let me tell ya that one somethin’ right now! I was right proud of that boy but must admit that I was a bit disturbed that he experimented with her eye and lip paint, but help is help, painted or otherwise, if ya know what I mean. When we got home I scrubbed him up real good and warned him not to do that the next day when we returned. He behaved more or less which is neither here nor there, I’m just sayin’.

Now to racin’ stuff. This weekend was another one of those changed up kind of schedules. Friday had the Truck race in Vegas and the Nationwide race in Charlotte and then Saturday was the Cup race in Charlotte. There was no NASCAR race on Sunday but the INDY cars raced at Vegas with oh so tragic and sad results, but more on that later, as well.

First up was the Campin’ World Trucks with Handsome Hornaday on the pole. I was so proud of the man. WOG started 2nd followed by Kligerman, Rock’em Sock’em and Crafty Matt. For those who want to know Hot Rod Todd started 13th, Peters started 11th and the rest you can look up. So when the green flag waved Duck and I were on our feet quackin’ and cheerin’ for you know who. This was the Handsome Man’s show for sure. He won the race so GOOD for him I say! What a way to show he still has what it takes while lookin’ for a ride next year. Yessirree he was amazin’! There were 10 cautions durin’ this race but drivin’ the #2 truck again he lead 107 of the 146 laps! Now that is the biggest piece of the pie any way you cut it! That was 2 victories in a row for him, his 4th win this season, his first Vegas win ever and his 51st career victory. Yessirree that man is amazin’! Course for Duck and I he always has been but that’s neither here nor there. Crafty Matt finished 2nd followed by Peters, Rock’em Sock’em and Hot Rod Todd. For those who want to know WOG finished 17th and that girl Jennifer Jo Cobb finished 18th and the rest you can look up. WOG is the points leader by 5 points over Rock’em Sock’em followed by Buescher who is 7 points down and Handsome who is 21 points down. The rest you can look up and there are 4 races remain’.

Later that day we changed states and tracks and headed to the excitin’ Charlotte Motor Speedway. Duck was real excited to have his idol in this race again and so was I. I like that boy. He’s a good racer, cuter that a kitten and not only can that boy drive but he is an amazin’ flipper. Yessirree Duck and I were excited, worn to a frazzle from helpin’ Freezie May but excited. Menard started on the pole followed by Stenhouse, Jr, Good Bad Brad, Wide Smilin’ and Flippin’ Carl. Rowdy Boy started 6th, Sam, Jr started 7th (good for him I say!), Curly Sadler started 12th and the the rest you can look up. Just for a note of possible, but not necessarily to all, interest, 6 trucks failed to qualify and 7 Cup drivers were entered in this race.

Anyway, with the green flag a wavin’ Duck and I were once again on our tired achy feet cheerin’ and quackin’ for our favorites. Menard was out in front for quite a spell and the 1st caution was called when Front Row’s engine blew up on lap 25, which after pit stop cycled around put Stenhouse, Jr in the lead and Flippin’ Carl fell to 8th. Course Duck was frustrated but it was early and he held it together. Just 2 laps later Good Bad got the lead then the 2nd caution came out for debris but he still was the leader at the green and by half way Rowdy Boy was in 2nd. Somewhere in there another caution came out for Sorensen’s mechanical problems and the wall seemed to be a menace to some drivers. Did they move that or what? Anyway, after pitstops followin’ caution #4 Rowdy Boy was the leader but Carl seemed to be improvin’ slowly which had Duck in a much better frame of mind, let me tell ya that one somethin’ right now. But on that same restart lap Good Bad took the lead back so good for him I say! So several more drivers hit the wall and produced another lead change or a few. There were a total of 7 cautions the last bein’ with 8 to go. Rowdy Boy was the leader on that restart followed by Flippin’ Carl. Duck was crazy quackin’ as y’all can imagine. Course so was I for those who want to know cause Rowdy and Flippin’ have that stuff betwixt them. So Flippin’ Carl got by Rowdy Boy and held on to the lead for the win. Good for Flippin’ Carl I say! And good for Duck and me too! Made the rest of our day much more enjoyable if ya know what I mean. Anyway Rowdy finished 2nd followed by Baby Face, Curly and Brain Scott. Stenhouse, Jr is the points leader with Curly trailin’ by 15 points. 3 races remain on the schedule and the rest you can look up. For those who want to know Duck and I had a wonderful night’s sleep, mine interrupted occasionally and enjoyably by Duckly chuckles.

So Sunday mornin’ Duck and I got our chores done early so we could rest up for the evenin’ race. We had an early enough supper so we only had, but really didn’t need, buttered up popcorn and that tasty and curious Coke Zero for snacks which were divided (Coke and popcorn) in 2 bowls for Duck on the crates. Smoke had the pole followed by Robo, Flippin’ Carl, Allmendinger , Biffle, Flyin’ Ryan, Menard, Kutie Kahne, Same Champ and Ragan. For those who want to know Markie started 13th, JR 15th, Big Brother Busch 20th, Rowdy Boy started 25th but didn’t and Jeffie 23rd. Also Baby Face was runnin’ the #21 in this race. It’s always great to see that car and team runnin’ Cup. The rest you can look up but as a possible point of interest to some it was great to see Hermie Sadler on the startin’ line up. I love to hear that boy talk and he is just so precious to this granny. Course that’s neither here nor there so we rose to our feet and cheered and quacked as the field took the green for 334 laps and the 5th Race For The Chase!

Tony got a good jump and a good lead from the get go and for a spell the top 3 were runnin’ just as they started. There was the usual jostlin’. Same Champ moved up a bit early on. That Baby Face was doin’ a great job and had moved up in the top 10 by lap 34. Good for him and that team I say! After the first tound of pit stops Tony got the lead back but 5 laps later Bif passed him for the lead but the first caution flag on lap 77 changed up the runnin’ order with Flyin’ Ryan out front but eventually Bif took the lead back. After another round of pit stops Robo was the leader with Smoke and Same Champ Jimmie in tow. Course Duck was havin’ a fit but after a couple more cautions Tony was back out front. Some where in all that racin’ stuff Flippin’ Carl took the points lead and when Duck heard that he decided to be one happy Duck. Yessirree he got pretty doggone perky! After another round of pitstops and after startin’ dead last because of an engine change, Rowdy Boy was the leader at the half way mark. Good Bad was not runnin’ his usual good and actually never did get over that bad bump. Sad for him I say. Then on lap 238 somehow someway Baby Face ran out of gas. Oh so SAD for him I say. He was doin’ such a great job but wound up back in the race 3 laps down. The JR took an unscheduled pit stop and wound up 2 laps down.

After caution number 5 when Blaney’s car blew up Rowdy maintained the lead. Then a few laps later the 6th caution came out when Jeffie, Ragan and Kutie Kahne tangled up. Then pretty quick like caution #7 came out when Bif blew a tire and hit the wall but that didn’t change the lead neither. Then on lap 310 Robo Matt did it when others couldn’t and snatched the lead from Rowdy. Good for him I say. A few laps later Same Champ hit the wall hard and tore up his car. Robo held on to the lead to win with that same ‘ol stuff betwixt Rowdy and Flippin’ who finished 2nd and 3rd respectively. Guess they agreed to disagree again but good for Robo I say. Kutie finished 4th followed by Aussie Ambrose so good for them all as well I say. The rest you can look up. So Flippin’ Carl is the points leader by 5 points over Happy Man and Same Champ fell 5 spots to 8th and the rest of that you can look up too. 5 races remain for the season.

Now for the other stuff. I hope to ward off some unnecessary email about my baby sister’s name. Yes her real name is Freezie May. She was a mid life child for my folks and was born on a freezin’ winter’s night. My mama, bless her amusin’ heart thought it would be a funny and appropriate name for that little bundle of stuff. Freezie hates the name, however, but she has no right to complain cause while her daughter was restin’ after a difficult delivery she named that grandbaby Ethanol. That’s right she did! Can you believe that? She said she wanted to make an environmental statement. Whatever this granny says. Course she did give the baby a common and regular family middle name of May, thank our good and gracious LORD but enough of this mess!

And finally there was a horrible tragedy at Las Vegas Motor Speedway yesterday. On the 12th lap of the INDY car race a star on the rise died from his injuries suffered in a horrible 15 car wreck. Dan Wheldon, a handsome and well loved 33 year old racer, a husband and father of 2 small boys lost his life. The race was officially called some 2 hours later and a 5 lap tribute was given him by fellow drivers. Race car drivers do put their lives on the line each and every time they climb in the cockpit but in this day of such safety measures and soft walls we tend to forget that this can and still does happen. Thoughts and prayers for his family and friends.

So there you have it. Email, comment or don’t. Granny Grump over and out!