On Wednesday I woke up at 5 in the morning, jumped in the Mini and headed north on I-77. I got off the highway and headed west on NC Rte 421, the Junior Johnson Highway. I blasted through the shadow of the old North Wilkesboro Speedway, and miles later found myself entering the Benny Parsons Highway. As romantic as this sounds, I wasn't looking for a passport to a bygone racing era or Junior Johnson's moonshine still. My destination was the Johnson County Tennessee Court house in Mountain City, TN. You see, the weekend I was fired from RGM, I decided to go take a leisurly romp through the Tennessee mountain roads to blow off some steam. Unfortunately, the Tennessee state troopers had anticipated our passage, and deemed that the drive was not so leisurely. So, I was forced into the courthouse to defend my honor. I headed home $507 less rich than when I arrived, but my name intact.

So, yeah....NASCAR. Martinsville is a sweet little track. A hark back to the good ole days of racing. The train tracks run parallel to the backstretch, the hotdogs are neon red and delicious, and how cool is getting a grandfather clock for winning the race? All of this and a setup of the car that is totally unique from anywhere else. The turns are so tight that teams will do anything to get the car to rotate in the corner. Alot of attention is paid to the rear end to get the rear axle to steer the car. Think monster truck rear steer, but not as pronounced. You will also see the front of the car rise on the straights and fall when the cars brake for the corners. On high speed tracks the teams will run stiff shocks to keep the car at an aerodynamically favorable positon. At M-Ville aero is a little less important and the softer shocks hold the road better and yeild more grip. Even if they let the nose fly a little. And don't forget that brake cooling and brake wear management is a priority for all the cars.

Predictions....I predict that RG will finish 33.8, because that is what his average is at M-Ville. Unfortunately, he does not qualify or finish well at this track. In the same way that I am bad at mountain biking, RG is bad at M-Ville. Sometimes it is just bad luck, but alot of times it was mechanical failures that were the achilles heel. Last fall, we had a bitchin' MAC tools paint scheme and had a fast car in happy hour. However, we qualified in the 30's, and we couldn't pass anyone in the race. A tire blew in the first 100 laps and that was game over. The 21 was pitted next to us, and Gene almost hit me in the head with a water bottle, when we pinned them in the pits. As far as the chase is concerned, I have no idea. The Hendrick pieces always run well, so expect the 24 and 48 to be up there all race. I also think the 20 will be in a podium spot when the 'ahem' smoke clears.