Shawn Courchesne | Auto Racing

Some Competition For ESPN's "NASCAR Now" Analysts

So have you had just about enough of ESPN's Eric Kuselias and NASCAR Now? Well, I've found the the perfect addition for the show's lineup.

Well, at least he couldn't dumb the show down any lower.

Bring on “legendary NASCAR coach Dan Amon.”

Honestly, I was sitting at my desk in my office laughing out loud while watching the video below from the Onion News Network.

Tony Stewart Penalized By NASCAR For Language During Indy Post-Race Interview

NASCAR announced Tuesday that driver Tony Stewart has been penalized for his infractions following his victory Sunday in the Allstate 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Stewart was fined $25,000 and docked 25 points in the driver standings for using inappropriate language during a post-race televised interview.

During a live interview on ESPN immediately following the race under the Indianapolis Motor Speedway flagstand Stewart said: “This one is for everyone in the stands who pull for me and have to take the bull-(expletive) from everyone else.”

A Colorful Tony Stewart Is A Valuable Tony Stewart In NASCAR

He can go from amiable to argumentative faster than a lap around Bristol Motor Speedway.

The fact is, it’s not always going to be pretty, but when Tony Stewart speaks it will likely be something people are taking about the next day.

And that’s what makes him a most valuable and perfectly undeniable symbol for NASCAR.

The man born and raised in the heartland of open wheel country ironically represents best what Southern bred Nextel Cup racing was before corporate manipulation painted what was a most colorful of sporting endeavors into vanilla drab.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Hendrick Motorsports Merge Busch Series Operations

Hendrick Motorsports and JR Motorsports, the organization owned by Dale Earnhardt Jr., announced Monday they will combine their Busch Series operations beginning in 2008.

Under the partnership two teams will run full-time under JR Motorsports name using Hendrick engines, chassis’ and engineering support.

Hendrick Motorsports owner Rick Hendrick will be the listed owner of the No. 5 entry and Earnhardt will be the owner of the No. 88 entry.

Random Thoughts With Indianapolis In The Rearview

Just spouting off some quick thoughts here.

--- One of the hot topics on the heels of the news that Robert Yates Racing and Champ Car outfit Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing would be joining forces is the idea that Sebastien Bourdais may be looking for a Nextel Cup ride. For some reason I’m having issues processing in my head the idea of Bourdais in a Cup car.  I’m not exactly sure why. Maybe it’s the glasses. Maybe it’s the fact that when he starts to talk all I can picture is Jean Girard, Sacha Baron Cohen’s character from Talladega Nights. And how about Yates/Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing? There’s a copy editor’s dream.

Matt Kobyluck Smarting After Missing Out On Busch East Victory

Montville’s Matt Kobyluck had the dominant car much of the evening Saturday in the Busch East Series The Edge Hotel 150 at Adirondack International Speedway in Beaver Falls, N.Y., but in the end he was pulling into the paddock with an 11th place finish and watching 17-year old Joey Logano celebrate in victory lane

Kobyluck was leading the race when he black flagged on lap 142 by NASCAR officials for jumping a lap 141 restart. Kobyluck went to the pits for the penalty under green on lap 144, giving up any chance at winning. 

“At that point, it was just pass as many cars as I could in the two or three laps that were remaining and try to salvage what you can,” Kobyluck said. “I was dealt a bad hand and I had to work with it.”

Tony Stewart Gets Bullish Against ESPN And Detractors After Indy Win

As he is oft known to do, Tony Stewart used his victor’s pulpit on Sunday to preach on a couple issues on his mind.

And Stewart’s mouth likely has gotten him in a bit of trouble again. In his post-race interview with ESPN Stewart used some blue language that will probably lead to a some sort of punishment from NASCAR.

During the live interview under the Indianapolis Motor Speedway flagstand Stewart said: “This one is for everyone in the stands who pull for me and have to take the bull-(expletive) from everyone else.”

In 2004 NASCAR fined Dale Earnhardt Jr. and docked him 25 points in the standings after he swore during a national broadcast.

Tony Stewart Takes Sunday Drive To Victory Lane At Indy

Proving he is at peace with the demons of pressure that have haunted him in the past at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Tony Stewart seemed to take a relaxing cruise to victory lane Sunday in the Nextel Cup Series Allstate 400 at Indy.

Although his drive was not lacking for drama, Stewart showed in the car he was far from worried and after the race explained that the track where he group up less than an hour from is a much easier place for him to go to since winning there in 2005.

“The first one was just like taking the weight of the world off your shoulders,” Stewart said after winning Sunday. “We talked about it two years ago. When you grow up 45 miles from here, a period of my life when I was driving a wrecker for a living, I was driving down 16th Street and Georgetown Road, thinking, Man, what would it be like to be 150 yards inside that fence, running 200 miles an hour?

The Saturday Scene At The Speedbowl

It was back to normalcy at the Waterford Speedbowl Saturday night (and not just because Bruce Thomas Jr. was again in victory lane).

After a week of wonder and concern some of the questions concerning the future of the Speedbowl were answered Friday when the scheduled foreclosure auction of the track property was canceled.

But it doesn't mean everybody thinks all is now perfect at the Bowl.

Here's Hoping Thompson Doesn't Open The Door To A Menace

I’ll be brief with this one.

I heard a rumor tonight that Chris Jones of New Milford will be going to Thompson International Speedway Thursday to run in the Whelen All-American Series SK Modified division.

I couldn’t confirm the rumor, but if it’s even close being true I hope Thompson officials are proactive to a situation that, based on past history - long and recent – almost assuredly will end badly.