CONCORD, N.C. -- Steady rain kept cars off the track for most of the day at Lowe's Motor Speedway but there was plenty going on in the garage area prior to a scheduled rain-delayed, late-night qualifying session Thursday.
FanHouse is trackside this weekend for the Banking 500, race 5 of the 10-week Chase for the Championship, and caught up with the Chase drivers as they waited out the weather.
Jeff Gordon talked about his back, Carl Edwards announced he's going to be a father and Greg Biffle updated us on his Logano family feud and what he thinks of Michael Vick's return to the NFL.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- NASCAR executives and racing royalty filled a ballroom at the Charlotte Convention Center Wednesday afternoon. David Pearson, Cotton Owens, Ned Jarrett, Bruton Smith, Glen and Eddie Wood and Ricky Rudd were among stock car's dignitaries on hand, eager to hear the inaugural five-person NASCAR Hall of Fame class.
The room went totally silent when NASCAR vice president Jim Hunter took the stage to introduce chairman Brian France. And in an eight-minute ceremony carried on live television, France opened sealed envelopes announcing one-by-one that his grandfather, NASCAR founder Bill France Sr.; the sport's all-time winningest driver, Richard Petty; Brian France's father, Bill France Jr.; the late seven-time champion Dale Earnhardt; and champion driver and owner Junior Johnson will go down as the first to be in enshrined when the Hall opens next May.
The inclusion of France Sr., Petty and Earnhardt was a given, it was the final two selections that created an air of suspense.
NASCAR statisticians have some newly-released numbers that are guaranteed to get die-hard race fans talking.
Those numbers concern the sport's top drivers and how many all-time combined wins they have across the three major racing series (Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Camping World Trucks).
At first glance, the list looks rather typical. The usual names – Petty, Allison, Yarborough, Pearson, Waltrip, etc., are on it. That's not surprising, given their prowess in the Cup Series, where they all earned most of their career triumphs.
But as you work your way down the list, one name and statistic hits you straight in the eyeballs like running head-on into the first turn at Darlington Raceway. We all know Richard Petty won 200 races (all Sprint Cup events) in his career. But look at who is No. 9 on the all-time combined wins list: Kyle Busch.
We're still a few months away from learning who the first five inductees into the NASCAR Hall of Fame will be, giving us a little time to banter back and forth about who should be in that critical first class.
I'm curious to see how everything plays out with the criteria for induction. With three premier but separate series – the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Sprint Cup Series – how do you arrive at the finalists given the dominant success several drivers have enjoyed across the three different divisions?
Recently, Wrangler Jeans was kind enough to invite FanHouse down to Charlotte to interview Dale Earnhardt, Jr., and -- I kid you not -- ride a couple laps in the 88 car. (Watch the full video of Will Brinson's ride with Dale Jr.) What follows is the conversation between Junior and myself about Hendrick Motorsports, Jimmie Johnson's dominance and how Amp is secretly a better post race drink than Budweiser. Will Brinson: Thanks for having us down here to hang out, ride around in cars, and get our NASCAR feet wet.
Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: Yeah, man, good to have you.
WB:I want to talk about the Sprint Cup for just a second. Jimmie [Johnson] is locked up, right? He's got his third straight title? What are your thoughts on that?
DE: Yeah, I think Jimmie's on record to set a new record, even to write history. I said to him the other day, "Man you're writing history". And I'm happy for him, he's a great guy ... I say to him all the time: "If people only knew who you are ...". But I think people do know Jimmie is and know he's a good guy. But man, he really deserves it; he works the hardest of any driver I know to stay in shape, to understand what's going on out there and to be ready do his job every Sunday. They're hard to beat man, and they earned it.
Until recently, I don't imagine Martin ever thought he'd ever be driving for Dale Earnhardt Inc. I sure didn't. And I certainly never thought he'd be driving for DEI in the Craftsman Truck Series, but that's what they reported tonight on "NASCAR Now" tonight.
After confirming the uncertainty of Regan Smith's future, it was mentioned that DEI will run two Busch teams and possibly a truck team with Martin behind the wheel. No idea if that means that DEI is acquiring the Ginn truck that Smith is racing this weekend at Indianapolis Raceway Park.
I do believe that this is Martin's dream situation--to be able to run a full-time season in the truck series--for the "fun" of it--as well as a part-time Cup season--for the cash.
Whatever else he was thinking about the "merger," Martin had to have been thrilled with this development. Speaking of Martin's thoughts... I've been dying to hear them. He has been outspoken about his confidence in Ginn, but I have to wonder if the firing of three drivers, two veterans like himself and a rookie he personally mentored, wrenched his gut a little.
When the late Dale Earnhardt raced with Andy Pilgrim in the 2001 Rolex 24 at Daytona, he was impressed by the veteran road-racer.
Pilgrim tutored both Earnhardt and his son, Dale Earnhardt Jr., on how to maneuver the lighter car and the team, which also included Kelly Collins, finished fourth. At the time, Earnhardt promised to one day give Pilgrim a chance to drive one of his cars in NASCAR Competition.
Earnhardt wasn't able to keep that promise, but Junior intends to make good on it:
"My dad told Andy that he'd give him a shot at driving one of his cars after racing in the Corvette at Daytona. He wasn't able to make good on that promise, so I'm doing it for him."
JR Motorsports officials announced Thursday that road-racing veteran Andy Pilgrim will drive the team's #88 Chevrolet in the upcoming NASCAR Busch Series races at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve and Watkins Glen International.
I'm sure there were other motivating factors--like wanting to put the best available driver in the car--but still, this is yet another classy move by the late legend's son. I didn't know about this promise prior to JRM's announcement, but now that I do it sure has left me wondering why, in the six years since Dale Sr. made the promise to Pilgrim, Teresa Earnhardt never fulfilled it.
Update: Official Announcement --- According to listeners of both Sirius and XM satellite radio's NASCAR shows, Tony Eury Sr. will announce his departure from Dale Earnhardt Inc. Wednesday.
Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s uncle will join JR Motorsports as the Team Director.
The elder Eury has been with DEI since it was founded in 1988 and prior to that he worked for Dale Earnhardt's Busch team. Even as tykes Earnhardt and Eury Sr. hung out at the track while their own dads raced each other.
No one should be surprised that the man whose hands Dale Sr. originally put his son's career in is following Junior out the door. I couldn't be more pleased that he will continue to be an influence on Junior and bring his experience to JRM. As a Busch Series crew chief, he claims 1997 Rookie of the Year honors for Steve Park and back-to-back Busch titles for Dale Jr. in 1998 and 1999. JRM could use a little of that.
Earnhardts and Eurys stick together. Way it always has been, way it always will be.
Now, how long before we see Tony Jr.'s announcement?
FanHouse's friends at AOL Sports are compiling a list of the worst uniforms ever. Because they're our friends and the subject matter lends itself to hilarity, we thought we'd join in the fun. We don't get too see too much of the drivers' uniforms in NASCAR, so we set our designs on their cars. Here's our look at the worst paint schemes in recent history.
Dale Earnhardt #3 GM Goodwrench Service Chevrolet Peter Max paint scheme The Winston @ Lowe's Motor Speedway on May 20, 2000
I don't consider myself to be a connoisseur of fine art, but I'm down with the work of cosmic art innovator Peter Max--even have a signed print of my own that hangs behind me as I write this. But Max's rainbow hippie designs proved to be a little too psychedelic for a stock car
2007 again drove home the point that rainbow pastels should not come in contact with a race car:
Fans are relentless about Dale Earnhardt Jr. bringing the #3 black chevrolet out of retirement. Some are even having visions of what it will look like already:
a black Chevy with a red Bud bottle cap trimmed in gold & a big red #3 on the hood.
Despite the fact that Junior has stated a number of times he's not interested until near retirement himself, the question continues to present itself. The announcement of his departure from DEI this week sparked car number talk again.
Perhaps if enough fans see Junebug's candid interview with Darrell Waltrip and hear his reason they'll finally get off his back:
"In a perfect world, I would like to do that at the end of my career. I don't want to drive the No. 3 car for the next 15 to 20 years, however long I drive. I don't want to be in that car every year. That was my dad's legacy. That was his number. He made that what it is. It was his. And I don't want to get in it and do anything to change that ... I can't wrap my mind around that. I can't get comfortable with that."
CONCORD, N.C. -- Steady rain kept cars off the track for most of the day at Lowe's Motor Speedway but there was plenty going on in the garage area prior to a scheduled rain-delayed, late-night qualifying session Thursday.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- NASCAR executives and racing royalty filled a ballroom at the Charlotte Convention Center Wednesday afternoon. David Pearson, Cotton Owens, Ned Jarrett, Bruton Smith, Glen and Eddie Wood and Ricky Rudd were among stock car's dignitaries on hand, eager to hear the inaugural five-person NASCAR Hall of Fame class. 
NASCAR statisticians have some newly-released numbers that are guaranteed to get die-hard race fans talking.
Until recently, I don't imagine Martin ever thought he'd ever be driving for Dale Earnhardt Inc. I sure didn't. And I certainly never thought he'd be driving for DEI in the Craftsman Truck Series, but that's what they reported tonight on "NASCAR Now" tonight.
When the late Dale Earnhardt raced with Andy Pilgrim in the 2001 Rolex 24 at Daytona, he was impressed by the veteran road-racer.
Update: 
FanHouse's friends at 
Fans are relentless about Dale Earnhardt Jr. bringing the #3 black chevrolet out of retirement. Some are even 
