Checking In

I'm updating the blog since I haven't been on the road since August--the end of year trips to Homestead (twice) fairly devour travel budgets, and we're in business to make a profit.

We note with pleasure that Felipe Massa is getting back into the swing after his consult with Dr. Steve Olvey in Miami. The Ferrari F1 pilot, who was injured in Hungary, is getting back into karts to knock off the racing rust--his short term goal is to return to the Grand Prix seat by November...but 2010 is a better possibility.

Greg Anderson is one of the stand-up guys in NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing. He made a big move to third in Pro Stock points with his Dallas win, behind Mike Edwards.

Some major props to the Patron Highcroft American LeMans Series LMP1 team, for building one of those LeMans Prototypes from the tub up at the track, after a nasty crash by Scott Sharp destroyed the primary mount in pre-race practice. Sharp was uninjured; he and teammate David Brabham now lead DeFerran Racing by 21 points, and have all but clinched the LMP1 title after the rain shortened Petit LeMans at Road Atlanta.

Rookie Joey Logano's wreck at the "Monster Mile" (a/k/a Dover International Speedway) is a wake up call to remind all of the NASCAR apologists that drivers can still get hurt--or even killed--in the new design Sprint Cup race car. It is less likely, thanks to safety improvements, but it is still possible.

Finally, why is the melody from "Won't Get Fooled Again" (The Who) running through my mind when I see the three time and defending Sprint Cup Champion Jimmie Johnson run toward title number 4 ("Meet the new boss...same as the old boss...")?

"Bad Boy" Busch, Cuppers testing the "Tricky Tri-Oval" at Pocono

While the Monster Mile, a/k/a Dover International Speedway, awaits this weekend, a scheduled NASCAR open test is going on at Pocono Raceway. Cars (like this rig of series point leader Kyle Busch) got four hours of testing before the skies opened with a classic "frog-strangler" shower. Dario Franchitti is back behind the wheel for testing. He's unsure about running in the Sprint Cup race at Dover; it's more likely he'll get back into action with a Nationwide tuneup this Saturday. Franchitti told me he was following Dr. Terry Trammel's (noted racing orthopedist) protocol very closely--he said in the past he was not as diligent in his following of doctor's orders. He described Pocono as having the scale of a Daytona or Indianapolis (both tracks where he won races), and because of the lack of buildings around the track, the resemblance to an airport. Cleveland's Indy style layout has a hairy first corner on the Burke Lakefront Airport tarmac. So, too Pocono.

Another day of testing awaits before the Monster beckons.