Friday, May 30, 2008

Idiot of the Month: Michelle Malkin (Special Lifetime Achievement Award)

When I started this blog I had a little feature called "Idiot of the Month." I discontinued it after just a couple of installments, but the time has come to bring the "IotM" back and give a special lifetime achievement award for idiocy to Michelle Malkin.

I first ran across Malkin when she was making the rounds promoting her book In Defense of Internment: The Case for "Racial Profiling" in WWII. As an Asian-American woman (she is of Filipino descent), it was more than a little odd to hear her arguing that it was a good thing that the United States interred Japanese-Americans during the war, but whatever floats your boat... A short time later I ran across her on TV defending poor, misunderstood Joseph McCarthy. That was when I marked her down as special...short bus special. She's gone on to write other books: Invasion: How America Still Welcomes Terrorists, Criminals and Other Foreign Menaces to Our Shores and Unhinged: Exposing Liberals Gone Wild. Of course, there's always a place for such special people on Faux News, but she left after Geraldo Rivera's outburst in a Boston Globe interview...
"Michelle Malkin is the most vile, hateful commentator I've ever met in my life," he says. "She actually believes that neighbors should start snitching out neighbors, and we should be deporting people. It’s good she’s in D.C. and I’m in NY. I’d spit on her if I saw her.”
Like Ann Coulter, controversy follows Malkin around. Where there is none, she invents it in the recesses of her special little mind. Everyone by now has heard the latest. Dunkin Donuts had an online ad featuring Rachael Ray. Ray is wearing a black and white scarf with fringe and a paisley pattern. Most people didn't think anything about it, but Malkin saw a keffiyeh, which means jihad or terrorism or Islamic extremism or something insidious to her warped, twisted, special little mind. Malkin got all the other mouth-breathers excited and Dunkin Donuts ended up pulling the ad. Hey, they were just trying to sell some iced coffee.

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John Scalzi had a great take on the "controversy" at Whatever, with a look at what Dunkin Donuts's press release would have said had they been able to be brutally honest...
Because Michelle Malkin is so appallingly stupid and/or ignorant that it appears that she can’t tell the difference between a paisley scarf and a kiffiyeh, we’re pulling our ad of Rachel Ray enjoying our iced coffee. We do hope that once Ms. Malkin extracts her head from between her own ass cheeks, she stops by one of our many establishments and samples one of our fine iced coffees, any one of which undoubtedly tastes much better than the crap that typically fills her mouth, via her brain, at any given time.

NASCAR Tracks: Dover

Monster MileImage by eric.schnell via Flickr
Dover International Speedway is exactly one-mile long, and is one of only two concrete tracks on the Sprint Cup schedule -- the other is Bristol.  And Dover is very similar to Bristol.  It is high-banked -- 24 degrees in the turns and nine degrees on the 1076-feet straightaways -- which translates into a lot of speed.  The turns are long and sweeping.  The close quarters lead to a lot of action; a single-car spin can turn into a multi-car accident in a heartbeat.  No wonder they call it "the Monster Mile."

The track was opened in 1969 as Dover Downs International Speedway, and was a part of Dover Downs, a dual-purpose facility designed for horse racing and motorsports events.  The racing surface was originally asphalt.  NASCAR has been racing at Dover since the very beginning.  From 1972 to 1997, Cup races at Dover were 500 miles, but in 1997, NASCAR changed the rules, limiting 500-mile races to tracks longer than a mile.  Cup races at Dover have been 400 miles since.  In 1995 the speedway became NASCAR's first concrete track.

The Delaware legislature voted to allow slot machines at pari-mutuel horse racing facilities in 1994. Dover Downs took advantage, opening Dover Downs Slots in 1995 and a hotel, the Dover Downs Hotel and Casino, in 2002. That same year the business split up with the hotel, slots operation and harness racing track retaining the Dover Downs name.  The motorsports track's name was changed to Dover International Speedway, and it became the corporate headquarters for Dover Motorsports, Inc., a publicly held ownership group that also includes Nashville Superspeedway, Gateway International Raceway, and Memphis Motorsports Park.

In 2004, the track added a new wrinkle, the Monster Bridge, "The Most Exciting Seat in Sports." It's a 56-seat, glass-enclosed bridge that extends over the track in Turn 3.  DIS recently completed a multiyear, multimillion dollar "Monster Makeover."  Phase One saw the construction of a new skybox complex, a new and improved media center and other capital improvements.  In Phase Two, Victory Plaza was added, complete with a 46-foot fiberglass sculpture of Miles the Monster, the track's iconic mascot, and over 200 granite plaques dedicated to legendary Dover Drivers.  A FanZone was also added.  Phase Three was mostly track improvements.  The steel inside retaining wall was replaced by a longer concrete wall with a SAFER barrier.  Pit road was widened and a 43rd pit stall was added.  Previously, there were only 42 stalls and the last two qualifiers had to share until a competitor dropped out of the race.

Jeremy Mayfield holds the Sprint Cup qualifying record at Dover, 161.522 mph, set in June 2004.  Richard Petty and Bobby Allison are tied with the most Cup wins at Dover, 7.  Jimmie Johnson leads all active drivers with five wins at DIS.

Dover International Speedway hosts a Sprint Cup race, the Best Buy 400 Benefiting Student Clubs for Autism Speaks, a Nationwide Series race and a Camping World Truck Series race in late May or early June.  In September, the track hosts a Sprint Cup race, the AAA 400, the second race in the Chase for the Sprint Cup, and a Nationwide Series race.



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NASCAR Basics: The Tracks: Master List

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Monday, May 26, 2008

Monday Monkee Music

Earlier this week, at Ellipsis, my good friend Carly was complaining about how her favorite Monkee, Micky Dolenz, hasn't appeared at the nearby (to her) summer concert series in several years and asked who our favorite Monkee was. I've decided to use my Monday music thingy to answer her question, but, to answer another question she posed, I'd rather have a monkey instead of a Monkee.

The Monkees were a band that was "manufactured" primarily to appear in a TV series, but they had a little talent and put together a decent repertoire of pop-rock hits, including "I'm a Believer," "Last Train to Clarksville," "Pleasant Valley Sunday" and "(I'm Not Your) Stepping Stone," my favorite Monkees' song. The band members had varying degrees of musical talent, but Mike Nesmith was the most accomplished musician of the four. He was also a talented songwriter, penning Linda Ronstadt's first hit "Different Drum." This song, though, makes him my all-time favorite Monkee. I love it! It's called "Cruisin'."



Lyrics:
Lucy and Ramona, cruisin' through the jungles of L.A.
Hoping to promote a dream somewhere along the way.
Rolling through the streets, looking for a disco,
Passing up the treats from a kid named Cisco
Trying to make connections with their blemish-free complexions.
And just as fate would have it, ended up with Sunset Sam.

Sam was selling watches from a suitcase on a TV tray,
And Lucy and Ramona were trying to figure out if he was gay.
The three of them were standing, staring at each other,
When the light behind their eyes blew each other's cover.
The ancient code was branded and each of them was handed
A ticket to their kingdom 'cause they saw their brother Sunset Sam.

Lucy and Ramona and Sunset Sam
People on the streets, trying to find a plan
People on the streets, looking for the land
Lucy and Ramona and their brother Sunset Sam

Lucy was from Compton and she met Ramona at the zoo.
Ramona was from Brooklyn, but she left when she was twenty-two.
Sam was a native of the Arizona desert
But he split when he was slated for some governmental make-work.
Their differences subsided when the common bond was sighted:
They were all from the same place that made the famous Sunset Sam.

Lucy and Ramona and Sunset Sam
People on the streets trying to find a plan
People on the streets looking for the land
Lucy and Ramona and their brother Sunset Sam

(Yes it is) Lucy and Ramona and Sunset Sam
People on the streets trying to find a plan
People on the streets just looking for the land
Lucy and Ramona and their brother Sunset Sam

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

A Pot o' Gold

Make that two pots...



Taken by my son at the Chickamauga Battlefield, May 2008
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Monday, May 19, 2008

"Evil" Monday Music

I've not heard much by Interpol, but I love this one...



Lyrics:
Rosemary,
Heaven restores you in life
You're coming with me
Through the aging, the fearing, the strife
It's the smiling on the package
It's the faces in the sand
It's the thought that holds you upwards
Embracing me with two hands
Right will take you places
Yeah, maybe to the beach
When your friends they do come crying
Tell them how your pleasure's set upon slow-release

Hey, wait
Great smile
Sensitive to faith, not
Denial
But hey, who's on trial?

It took a life span with no cell mate
The long way back
Saying, why can't we look the other way?

We speaks about travel
Yeah, we think about the land
We smile like all peoples
Feeling real tan
I could take you places
Do you need a new man?
Wipe the pollen from the faces
Make revision to a dream while you wait in the van

Hey, wait
Great smile
Sensitive to faith, not
Denial
But hey, who's on trial?

It took a life spent with no cell mate
To find the long way back
Saying, why can't we look the other way?
You're weightless, you are exotic
You need something for which to care
Saying "why can't we look the other way?"

Leave some shards under the belly
Lay some grease inside my hand
It's a sentimental jury
And the makings of a good plan
You've come to love me nightly
Yeah you've come to hold me tight
Is this motion everlasting
Or do shutters pass in the night?

Rosemary
Oh, heaven restores you in life
I spent a lifespan with no cell mate
The long way back
Saying "why can't we look the other way?"
You're weightless, semi-erotic
You need someone to take you there
Saying "why can't we look the other way?"
Why can't we just play the other game?
Why can't we just look the other way?

Friday, May 16, 2008

NASCAR Basics: The Tracks: Charlotte

Lowe's Motor SpeedwayImage by FLC via Flickr
Charlotte Motor Speedway is not actually in Charlotte, but in the neighboring suburb of Concord, North Carolina. It's the home field track for most of NASCAR; about 90% of NASCAR teams are headquartered within 50 miles of the Charlotte/Concord area.

Bruton Smith and Curtis Turner partnered to open Charlotte Motor Speedway in 1960. The track had some financial difficulties and both men left or were forced out, but Smith bought up shares in the track, and by 1975 had become the majority stockholder. He hired H. A. "Humpy" Wheeler as general manager and the two worked tirelessly to turn CMS into one of the crown jewels of the NASCAR circuit. Smith Tower, the Speedway Club, luxury skyboxes, and other up-to-date amenities were added to the track. In 1984, the track became the first sports facility in America to offer year-round living accommodations; 40 condominiums were built overlooking Turn One. Twelve additional units were added in 1991. In 1992, a $1.7 million, 1200 fixture lighting system was added. It somehow uses mirrors so that lighting can be provided without glare, shadows, or obtrusive light poles.

In 1999 Charlotte Motor Speedway fell victim to the corporate naming rights frenzy that was just taking hold in the world of sports. Lowe's bought the rights and the track became Lowe's Motor Speedway.  The original agreement was for 10 years and expired at the end of 2008.  Lowe's extended the agreement for one year -- for the 2009 season, but declined to extend the agreement any further.  In January 2010, the track's name officially became Charlotte Motor Speedway again.

CMS is now a huge complex that includes the 1.5-mile quad-oval, a 2.25-mile road course that meanders around the infield, a 0.6 mile kart track, a quarter-mile asphalt oval, a one-fifth mile oval, and a 0.4 mile clay oval. In 2007 there was a big to-do over a proposed drag racing facility at LMS. After residents of a nearby subdivision protested about the noise and blocked Smith's plans, he threatened to close Lowe's down and build a new speedway elsewhere. City and county officials, fearing a huge loss of revenue, offered Smith the moon to get him to stay. Smith got his drag strip and it hosted its first NHRA event in September of 2008.

But all the NASCAR action takes place on the 1.5 mile quad-oval. A driver spends about two-thirds of every lap turning so downforce is important. The frontstretch is 1980 ft. long, the backstretch 1500. The turns have 24 degrees of banking, the straightaways five. Most passing is done around Turns Three and Four where there are two racing grooves, but the track narrows coming out of Four and you usually see a lot of incidents as the cars head back down the frontstretch toward the start/finish line. The track seats 167,000 and another 50,000 or so can be crammed into the infield.

Elliott Sadler holds the Sprint Cup qualifying record, 193.216 mph, set in October 2005.  Jimmie Johnson, Bobby Allison and Darrell Waltrip are tied with six wins each at the track.

There's something going on at Charlotte Motor Speedway about 300 days out of the year with 380 some-odd events scheduled, including the twice-yearly Food Lion Auto Fair, several driving schools, Dirt Late Models, Modifieds, Sprint Cars, Monster Trucks, Bandoleros, Legends Cars, Thunder Roadsters, and World Karting Association races.

CMS hosts four Sprint Cup races per year.  In May, on the weekend before Memorial Day,  CMS hosts the Sprint All-Star Race, a preliminary race -- the Sprint Showdown, and a Camping World Truck Series race.  Both Cup races are non-points exhibitions.  The All-Star Race is open to drivers who have won races in the current and previous season, past champions, and past winners of the event.  Drivers who aren't otherwise eligible to compete in the Sprint All-Star Race compete in the Sprint Showdown.  The winner, the second-place finisher, and a driver who wins a fan vote advance to race in the All-Star Race.

On Memorial Day weekend, CMS hosts the longest race on the NASCAR schedule, the Coca-Cola 600, and a Nationwide race.  In October, Charlotte Motor Speedway hosts the Bank of America 500, the fifth race in the Chase for the Sprint Cup, and a second Nationwide race.


Posted by Picasa(diagram from NASCAR.com)

NASCAR Tracks index page
Charlotte race winners
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Monday, May 12, 2008

Apropos Monday Music: "Land of Confusion"

Disturbed did a version of this, but Genesis's original version is better...and has a better video...



Lyrics:
I must've dreamed a thousand dreams
Been haunted by a million screams
But I can hear the marching feet
They're moving into the street.

Now did you read the news today?
They say the danger's gone away
But I can see the fires still alight
They're burning into the night.

There's too many men
Too many people
Making too many problems
And not much love to go round
Cant you see this is a land of confusion?

Well, this is the world we live in
And these are the hands we're given
Use them and let's start trying
To make it a place worth living in.

Ooh, Superman, where are you now?
When everything's gone wrong somehow
The men of steel, the men of power
Are losing control by the hour.

This is the time
This is the place
So we look for the future
But there's not much love to go round
Tell me why this is a land of confusion.

This is the world we live in
And these are the hands we're given
Use them and let's start trying
To make it a place worth living in.

I remember long ago -
Ooh, when the sun was shining
Yes, and the stars were bright
All through the night
And the sound of your laughter
As I held you tight
So long ago -

I won't be coming home tonight
My generation will put it right
We're not just making promises
That we know we'll never keep.

Too many men
There's too many people
Making too many problems
And not much love to go round
Cant you see this is a land of confusion?

Now this is the world we live in
And these are the hands we're given
Use them and let's start trying
To make it a place worth fighting for.

This is the world we live in
And these are the names we're given
Stand up and let's start showing
Just where our lives are going to.

Weekend Assignment: Everyone's a Critic

Karen dispenses the weekend assignments at Outpost Mavarin...

Weekend Assignment #215: Review a film. Any film. Got something interesting to say about Edwin S. Porter's The Great Train Robbery (1903)? I'd love to read it. Metropolis (1927)? Why not? A Night in Casablanca (1946)? Fine. The Seventh Seal (1957)? Er, okay! Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)? You'll get away with it. Speed Racer (2008)? Go for it. From Hollywood to Ballywood to Hong Kong, from Kubrick to Kurasawa, it's all on the W.A. marquee. But there's one catch: the film should not be on your personal list of favorites; nor should it be a film you despise.

I guess I'll take on the most recent movie I've seen...

Stephen King's The Mist

Director Frank Darabont has never heard the old adage "Quit while you're ahead." After almost flawless turns of adapting a Stephen King novella (Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption) and novel (The Green Mile) to the big screen, Darabont returns to King's material again, this time with mixed results.

The Mist (the novella) is vintage King with ordinary people caught in extraordinary circumstances, full of heart-stopping action and suspense. It's a far cry from the more peaceful, more thought-provoking material Darabont has worked with before, but Darabont handles it beautifully, keeping us on the edge of our seats throughout most of the movie.

A recurring theme in some of King's work is that we (the human race) aren't too far removed from the beasts and that once the lights go out and the phones don't work, we'll swiftly devolve back to our primitive state, especially when a heightened state of fear is involved. Stephen King's The Mist begins with the lights and the phones already off.

After a big storm, people start noticing a strange mist where it shouldn't be. Artist David Drayton (Thomas Jane) goes to town with his son and his neighbor to pick up some supplies and gets caught at the local supermarket when the titular mist suddenly rolls in and engulfs the town. A townie comes running into the store, screaming about "something in the mist." Suddenly, almost everyone is content to remain in the store. Strange creatures appear from out of the mist and pick off the occasional hapless minor character. Mrs. Carmody (Marcia Gay Harden), the town crackpot who gets her worldview from the Bible and Weekly World News, begins preaching about the end of the world and very shortly has attracted a devoted following, the majority of the 30 or 40 people trapped in the store.

One of the major flaws of the movie is how quickly sane, sensible people begin gravitating to such an obvious fruitcake. Eventually Drayton and a small band of his followers must decide whether to stay or go, whether to face the monsters in the mist or stay there with the monsters their neighbors have become.

King, in his novella, comes to an inconclusive conclusion. You don't know how the story turns out, but the protagonists are out of the market and on the road trying to find where the mist ends. It's not conclusive, but it's a good ending for the havoc and mayhem that has come before. Darabont, not knowing when to quit, keeps going with the story. He shows us some amazing scenes and monsters, but doesn't stop until he ends up with one of the worst endings in horror movie history, possibly rivaling the 2001 remake of the Planet of the Apes for stupidest, most unsatisfying movie ending of all time.

Extra Credit: Is there a film due out this summer that you plan to go see? If so, what is it?

I really haven't followed movies much lately. I'm not sure what is due to come out. I guess I'm most eager to see if they screwed up the Iron Man trailer by adapting it into a full-length motion picture.

Thursday, May 8, 2008

NASCAR Basics: The Tracks: Darlington

This picture was taken at the Dodge Charger 50...Image via Wikipedia
"You never forget your first love, whether it's a high school sweetheart, a faithful old hunting dog, or a fickle race track in South Carolina with a contrary disposition. And, if you happen to be a race car driver there's no victory so sweet, so memorable, as whipping Darlington Raceway."
-- Dale Earnhardt

People call Darlington "the Lady in Black" and the track "Too Tough to Tame," but, while Harold Brasington was building it, they called it "Harold's Folly." Brasington's dream, a wild one indeed, was for tiny Darlington, South Carolina, located about 70 miles from anywhere, to have its very own world-class speedway, a track to compare to Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He wanted to build a 1 1/4-mile oval, but had to alter his plans to work around a minnow pond on the property. He ended up with a track that was 1.366 miles and a little egg-shaped.

Darlington Raceway opened in 1950, back when NASCAR was still mostly run on dirt. The first race, co-sanctioned by NASCAR and the Central States Racing Association, had more than 80 entrants. Brasington set up a two-week qualifying process (similar to that of the Indy 500) to cut it down to 75 cars. Many of the drivers had never driven on an asphalt track. Californian Johnny Mantz started in the rear of the field, but won that initial Labor Day race with an unusual tire strategy: he used truck tires, which held together much longer than car tires of the day. Many drivers ran out of tires during the race and bought tires from spectators in the infield.

For many years, Darlington hosted two Cup races a year and the Labor Day race, the Southern 500, was one of the biggest events on the NASCAR calender. But time caught up to it. Attendance started slipping as textile mills in the area closed. Race fans began seeking "destination" sites where there was much more to do besides just watch a race. NASCAR wanted sleek, new facilities with luxury skyboxes and modern amenities. NASCAR moved the Labor Day weekend race to California Speedway, and moved the Southern 500 to November to be part of the Chase for the Cup. In 2005, NASCAR finally eliminated the Southern 500 all together and many feared that they would soon close Darlington like they had North Wilkesburg and Rockingham. Darlington now hosts one Cup race per season, a night race held on the evening before Mothers' Day.  The Southern 500 name returned to the race in 2009.

As a result of the Milwaukee Mile being unable to secure a promoter for the 2010 season and canceling the scheduled Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series races, NASCAR, in January 2010, announced that the Truck Series would be returning to Darlington on August 14.  It is scheduled to be a one-day affair with teams arriving, practicing, and qualifying before racing under the lights that night. 

Over the years, the track has been modified. The original frontstretch is now the backstretch and vice versa. The pits, which used to be split up along both straightaways are now all located along the frontstretch. Capitol projects in recent years have added lights and more seats, repaved the track, and added a larger access tunnel to allow modern car haulers and motorcoaches to get to the infield.

Most drivers will tell you that, at Darlington, you don't race against the other drivers, you race against the track. The high banked turns (25 degrees in Turns 1 and 2, 23 degrees in Turns 3 and 4) allow for high speed racing. Both straightaways are 1229 feet long. The closest finish in NASCAR history occurred at Darlington. On March 16, 2003, Ricky Craven edged Kurt Busch by 0.002 seconds for the win.

Jamie McMurray holds the track Cup qualifying record.  He turned a lap of 27.264 seconds (180.370 mph) in May 2010.  David Pearson leads all drivers with ten wins at Darlington Raceway.  Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers with seven wins.

See also: "The Track That Defied the Writing on the Wall" (NY Times) and "Beauty of old Darlington lies within its simplicity" (NASCAR.com)



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(The master list of NASCAR tracks)
Darlington Cup winners
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Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Random Thoughts About Commercials

Granted we've seen Meat Loaf (the singer/actor, not the entree) in some strange roles, but isn't it disconcerting to see him playing the suburban dad in those Go Phone commercials? To add to the disconcertability factor, they're using a song about premarital sex to hawk said Go Phones. I wonder if that's his real wife and kids.

But surely Lauren Wallace is not really related to Kenny Wallace, the NASCAR Nationwide Series driver. The kid in the Geico commercials is just too good. He has to be an actor. Yeah, just as I thought, but those commercials are hilarious -- much better than the cavemen or the "celebrities" that no one under the age of 40 knows (except Joan Rivers, who refuses to go away).

If you don't watch NASCAR, you're missing some of the funniest commercials on TV. The NAPA commercials with Michael Waltrip are the best, making light of some hard times the driver has had. There's the guy who customizes his die-cast cars (which makes light of this fire and this scary wreck), the guy with the parrot, and the fan letters. And some of the Denny Hamlin FedEx commercials are pretty funny too.

At the other extreme are those really obnoxious commercials, like the ones for HeadOn, but Sunday's Doonesbury took those on. Gary Trudeau is on vacation, so it's an old strip, but still hits the nail on the head.

Monday, May 5, 2008

Mellow Monday Music: E-Bow the Letter

Some stream of consciousness stuff from R.E.M.



Lyrics:
Look up, what do you see?
All of you and all of me
Fluorescent and starry
Some of them they surprise
The bus ride, I went to write this,
4:00 a.m., this letter
Fields of poppies, little pearls
All the boys and all the girls sweet-toothed
Each and every one a little scary
I said your name

I wore it like a badge of teenage film stars
Hash bars, cherry mash and tinfoil tiaras
Dreaming of Maria Callas
Whoever she is
This fame thing, I don't get it
I wrap my hand in plastic to try to look through it
Maybelline eyes and girl-as-boy moves
I can take you far
This star thing
I don't get it

(I'll take you over...there)
(I'll take you over)
Aluminum, tastes like fear (...there)
Adrenaline, it pulls us near
(I'll take you over)
It tastes like fear (...there)
(I'll take you over)

Will you live to 83?
Will you ever welcome me?
Will you show me something that nobody else has seen?
Smoke it, drink
Here comes the flood
Anything to thin the blood
These corrosives do their magic slowly and sweet
Phone, eat it, drink
Just another chink
Cuts and dents, they catch the light
Aluminum, the weakest link
I don't want to disappoint you
And I'm not here to anoint you
I would lick your feet
But is that the sickest move?
I wear my own crown and sadness and sorrow
And who'd have thought tomorrow could be so strange?
My loss, and here we go again

(I'll take you over...there)
(I'll take you over)
Aluminum, tastes like fear (I'll take you there)
Adrenaline, it pulls us near
(I'll take you over)
It tastes like fear (...there)
It pulls us near
(I'll take you over)

Look up, what do you see?
All of you and all of me
Fluorescent and starry
Some of them they surprise
I can't look it in the eyes
Seconal, Spanish fly, absinthe, kerosene
Cherry-flavored neck and collar
I can smell the sorrow on your breath
The sweat, the victory and sorrow
The smell of fear, I got it

(I'll take you over...there)
Aluminum, tastes like fear
Adrenaline, it pulls us near
(I'll take you over)
Aluminum. It tastes like fear (I'll take you there)
Adrenaline. Pulls us near
(I'll take you over)
Tastes like fear
(I'll take you there)
Pulls us near
(I'll take you over)
It tastes like fear
(I'll take you there)
It pulls us near

(Pulls us near)
Tastes like fear.
(Tastes like fear)
(Pulls us near...over, over, over, over)...&c.

Friday, May 2, 2008

NASCAR Basics: The Tracks: Richmond

Richmond International Raceway is a D-shaped, 0.75-mile oval, a short track masterpiece that always sees exciting races with high speeds, side-by-side racing and close finishes. Downforce and camber are key here, but teams need to leave enough openings in the front end to allow air to get in to keep the brakes cooled down. Look for a lot of racing going into Turn One and out of Turn Two, one-groove corners. There are two and sometimes three lines side-by-side through Turns Three and Four.

There's a lot of racing history at the site of the RIR, going back to pre-NASCAR days. The track opened in 1946 as the Atlantic Rural Exposition Fairgrounds and held its first NASCAR race, a Grand National Division affair won by Lee Petty, in 1953. Back then, the track was a half-mile dirt track. Petty led the 100-mile race wire to wire, averaging 45.535 mph. Since then the track has undergone three name changes, four configuration changes and the switch from dirt to asphalt. Lights were added in 1991 and now RIR is the only track to hold all its major events at night.

Richard Petty competed in his first NASCAR race at Richmond in 1960 and won there a record 13 times. Brian Vickers holds the qualifying speed record, 129.983 mph, set in May 2004. Kyle Busch has the best average finish among active drivers, 6.17, with five Top 5s in six starts. Denny Hamlin is second with an average finish of 6.5. Jeff Gordon is the track's all-time money winner with 16 Top 10s, 12 Top 5s, and two wins in thirty starts.

Richmond International Raceway hosts two Sprint Cup races per season, the Crown Royal Presents "Your Name Here" 400 in May and the Chevy Rock & Roll 400 in September. The "naming rights" of the spring race are determined by a contest of Crown Royal's choosing. The fall race is the last race before the Chase for the Sprint Cup Championship begins.

Posted by Picasa(diagram from NASCAR.com)

NASCAR Basics: The Tracks Master List