Wind Tunnel Recap

Free Helio!

The website IsItMayYet.com is providing pretty good coverage of Helio Castroneves’ trial. That is where this log comes from. I hope that Helio is not guilty and if he is not, I hope he can return to racing soon. He is one of the best and nicest drivers on the circuit.

Robin Miller Talks Trial

A sick (with the flu) Robin Miller appeared on Wind Tunnel Sunday night via phone to talk about Helio Castroneves’ trial.

Miller reported that Castroneves’ attorney believe the government is going aster his client because he is a celebrity.

Dave Despain then noted that it was interesting that several high profile politicians recently got into tax trouble but they have not been hauled into federal court.

The point was also made about the timing of the trial.

Eye Candy = Fun

The interview was followed by Eye Candy which did not disappoint.

This explains why we don’t have sign girls in the IRL.

The crew members aren’t looking at their bikes.

The folks at Wind Tunnel joined web surfers at SpeedTV.com for a post WT chat.

Steve Letarte is the featured guest next week.

Images appearing in this blog courtesy of IsItMayYet.com and SPEED

Atlanta Wrap

NASCAR Raceday Celebrates 100 Races at the ATL

The 100th race anniversary of Atlanta Motor Speedway was not lost on the NASCAR Raceday crew who opened the show with a special montage from the archives.

The show then shifted to the differences between Las Vegas and Atlanta. A well produced piece by Hermie Saddler.

Wendy Venturini then interviewed the race favorite, Kyle Busch. Sadler then jetted off to talk to Kasey Kahne about his performance so far this season.

About 30 minutes into the show, a great package of the AMS airs complete with historical footage of the greatest Motorsports reporter ever, Chris Economaki reporting for ABC’s Wide World of Sports.

Digger Makes Fun of F1

Ok, now over to the FOX coverage. Oh look, there is the weekly Digger cartoon. This week Digger’s relative who is French and races in F1 (where have I heard this before Ricky Bobby)? Digger and the F1 driver trade barbs like this one.

“But you NASCAR isn’t faster its so slow it makes me sick, Like ring around the rosy, it’s a joke for little kids.”

Nice work. Digger comes back but just says it’s better because it is better. Stereotypical NASCAR fan. Frenchy hits a tree and looses the race. Typical F1, hey wait, how did a tree become part of the racetrack of a cookie cutter oval?

Never mind. Before we green flag the marathon of unbridled speed, here is my pick for commercial of the race. Looks it’s a talking fish asking for some of him back.

“What if it were you hanging on this wall? If it were you in that fish sandwich you wouldn’t be laughing at all!”

That makes about as much sense as an NASCAR gopher racing and F1Gopher.

Big Brother Wins in the ATL

Carl Edwards says he will be looking for a cushion today with a hot slick race track. Look for the Open Wheelers to do well. Ok, lets light this candle. Mark Martin leads them to the green. A few laps into the race and Reed Sorenson sides into the wall with our first caution.

Ten laps Later Bobby Labonte spins. To lap 104 now and it looks like Labonte’s car is not handling any better as he hits the wall.

Lap 205 now and Sam Hornish hits the wall and then hits Bill Elliott. (Please come back to the IRL Sam!) Lap 217 and the pole setter Mark Martin wrecks after something went south on his car.

62 laps to go and coming off of a restart for debris, Scott Speed gets up into David Ragan.

David Stremme then hits Greg Biffle and Biffle hits the wall hard. The accident knocked Scott Speed out of the top 35 in points.

One late caution for debris thanks to a Robby Gordon tire. Time for final pits stops. Carl Edwards wins the race off of pit road with a two tire stop. Kurt Busch came off of pit road 2nd. On the restart with two laps to go, Busch takes the high line and Edwards the low. Kurt Busch rockets to the lead and Gordon follows getting by Edwards who would finish 3rd as Kurt Busch wins one for Roger Penske.

Busch then celebrates by driving around the track with the checkered flag backwards.

Atlanta Cup Open Wheelers Finish
1. Kurt Busch
2. Jeff Gordon
3. Carl Edwards
7. Kasey Kahne
8. Tony Stewart
16. Casey Mears
17. A J Allmendinger
22. Ryan Newman
26. Robbie Gordon
27. Juan Pablo Montoya
29. John Andretti
35. Scott Speed
37. Sam Hornish Jr.
41. Dave Blaney
43. Mike Bliss

Images appearing in this blog courtesy of SPEED, ABC, FOX and NASCAR Images.

OMG, He Said the P Word

OMG, He Said the P Word

(File)
I was watching the Sunday March 1 delayed edition of Wind Tunnel. While waiting to hear from Graham Rahall and Stanton Barrett I heard something that I would not have said in front of my mother… the P word. What?? Did he just say what I though he said? The P word? Yep he did, not only once but twice.

(File)
After several not so intelligent callers, Dave Despain quoted an email saying, “NASCAR fixes the races, Jimmie Johnson is a P word and Kyle Busch is a jerk and NASCAR wants them to lead every lap.” Despain continued asking the question, “how is it in NASCAR’s interest to have a P word and a jerk lead all of the laps? I don’t get that.”

(File)
In his defense:
1. Dave had gone through a long line of not so intelligent callers.
2. The first time he said the P word he was quoting from an email.
3. The program is TVNR which means not rated, watch at your own caution.
4. While you are not to use the P word on broadcast TV (unless you are referring to a cat), you can say it on cable.

(File)
Hey it is cable so they can say what ever they want. I am not about to act all holier that thou saying that he is a bad guy and I have never said that word. I am not proud of it but I have used that word before. My point is I try to keep my language at a certain standard when in the presence of children or my mother and would expect the same of my favorite television shows whether they are over the air or not. I would like to be able to watch Wind Tunnel with my niece and not have to explain to her what a P word is.

Did Dave lose me as a viewer? Do I think that they should restrict what DD says? Nope. But to quote Jim Carr (from Slap Shot), “I think we should keep the comments within the boundaries of good taste.”

Images appearing in this blog courtesy of SPEED.