As if it wasn't bad enough that last weekend's race at the Brickyard was poor, we are now heading to Pocono. A real snoozer. I will likely get in a well-needed nap during the racing but will set the DVR to record the race so if by chance anything exciting happens, I can rewind.

Even though I'm not fond of the racing at Pocono, I still like to share the NASCAR Newscast. It does a pretty good job of getting you excited about the racing there.

So here it is, the NASCAR Newscast: Pocono Preview:

On another note, you may already have heard that Indycar Series announced it's 2009 schedule earlier this week and New Hampshire Motor Speedway wasn't on it. Here's the complete press release statement from New Hampshire Motor Speedway Executive Vice President and General Manager Jerry Gappens:

"I'm extremely disappointed for our fans, who have given us very positive feedback about the possible return of IndyCar racing to New Hampshire Motor Speedway. In fact, in a recent poll on our website, nhms.com, nearly 80-percent of our fans said they wanted to see this exciting form of motorsports return. That's a strong endorsement, and I don't understand the decision not to include our facility on next year's schedule.

I think it's a slap in the face to Burton Smith, our Chairman, and to our company who have both been very supportive of the Indy Racing League since its inception. From a historical perspective, Bob Bahre, the former owner of New Hampshire Motor Speedway, was one of the first to agree to go with the Indy Racing League (IRL) when they split from Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) in 1995.

I sat in a meeting and watched Bruton ask them for a race here, which they seemed extremely interested in doing, pending scheduling conflicts with Japan. In addition, in that same meeting, they asked him to host the series finale in Las Vegas, which Mr. Smith agreed to and even offered the speedway and financial support for it to happen this year. Having attended that meeting in early June, it's hard to believe that neither facility is on the new schedule.

The feedback that has been conveyed to me is that they don't want to add an additional race to the schedule because of the increased cost to the teams. However, I believe that the purse and the strength of adding the seventh largest media market in the country would offset those costs and concerns. I think this market and facility have a lot to offer the team and series sponsors.

I would like to thank Texas Motor Speedway President and General Manager, Eddie Gossage, who on behalf of Speedway Motorsports, made an excellent proposal to the league which included Las Vegas and New Hampshire.

I don't want to burn any bridges, but I am upset to be excluded. I am a big fan of open-wheel racing, and I strongly admire what the Hulman-George family has done for this sport. I hope that they know they would get an excellent effort from our team here at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in promoting a race in this market. History has proven that this venue provided exciting races. Now, we'll see what happens down the road."

All for now. I'll be back tomorrow with my pick for Pocono.

I would be furious if I had spent money making the trip to Indianapolis Motor Speedway to watch those 14 or so heat races yesterday. That's just what they were, too. What a joke. Typically, I love this race # LOVE IT # but yesterday's display was pitiful. I've never seen anything like it.

If you missed the race, you didn't miss much. NASCAR threw a competition caution every 10 laps throughout the entire 160-lap race because they couldn't keep the tires on the cars. Drivers literally could not go any more than 10 laps without someone blowing a tire.

Congratulations to Jimmie Johnson. I do think he had the dominant car, well that is for at least 10 laps at a time. It would have been nice to see more than that to truly determine who had a dominant car in the long runs.

Here are a few more thoughts from yesterday's festivities:

-- It's been seven years and I still tear up like a little baby when they have a pre-race show about Dale Earnhardt Sr. They had an interview with Richard Childress about what the Brickyard meant to him and then they talked a lot of the earlier days with him and Dale Earnhardt Sr. It just still makes me really sad.

-- Blown tires, blown tires, blown tires...

-- I think it's time for Michael Waltrip to hang up his helmet. Just saying.

-- What bad luck for Kevin Harvick who fell victim to a blown tire, only it wasn't his own. Kurt Busch blew a tire. Harvick was close to him on the track and Busch took him out.

-- But what good luck for Carl Edwards. Edwards had a tire going down and was slowing on the track when Matt Kenseth's right rear basically shredded and tore his car apart. The caution came out allowing Edwards to pit with the rest of the field.

-- I was glad to see my man Clint Bowyer make it back to the top 12 in the point standings. Even if it's only by the skin of his teeth.

What did you think of the race?

Heading to the brickyard...I love this place.

When I think of the Brickyard, I think of Tony Stewart automatically. So I'm going with my first instincts and am going to pick him to win this weekend. He has two victories here at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the Cup series. Plus, he's bound to get a victory this year and this just might be the place for him to do it. So there you have it.

Can he and I break our losing streak of 0-for19 this weekend? I really want to think so.

Here's the broadcast schedule for the weekend.

Who do you think will be kissing the bricks?

Here are a few things running through my brain at the moment:

The video below is of Danica Patrick going over to Milka Duno after a practice session.

Says Danica, "It's not my fault that you're slow." Funny stuff right there. She is so feisty.

-- I wish I could have seen Delana Harvick at Oxford Plains Speedway. I had heard that she got her hair cut short and I really wanted to see it. They have a picture of her on the OPS website with her and Kevin after his victory of the 250. And just as I suspected, she looks adorable.

-- I want to see Clint Bowyer race the 250 next year. Period.

-- I'm contemplating picking Kyle Busch each and every week from here on out. That way, I will be sure to break my losing streak, 0-for-19. The guy is unstoppable this year...as much as I hate to say that. Okay, I'm not serious. That's not really how I roll.

-- Camping World East - I haven't really talked about this division in a while but the three drivers that I have been following are doing quite well. Austin Dillon is first in the point standings while Ricky Carmichael and Steve Park are seventh and eight, respectively. The next race is Saturday at Adirondack International Speedway in New York.

Here's the NASCAR Newscast: Indianapolis Preview:

All for now. I'll be back tomorrow with my pick for the Brickyard.

I forget just how much fun it is to attend a race at Oxford Plains Speedway. I enjoy watching crews work on their race cars. I think I could spend most of the day just people watching actually.

I was glad to see Kevin Harvick win the race. He was a class act all weekend. He was most accepting of everyone wanting an autograph. He seemed really relaxed and at ease all weekend. People were dragging him here and there having him sign things -- someone even had him sign her foot, and posing for numerous pictures. He never gave any indication that it was bothering him. I think he sincerely enjoyed the weekend, despite the rain.

Delana Harvick was around for the weekend also but I never saw her. I heard she spent some time in Boston shopping. Apparently during the race she was in the grandstands in the pit area watching the race. I didn't see her though. Did you?

The racing was fantastic. Harvick put on a good show. For the first half of the race, he was stuck behind Carey Martin for quite a while. Harvick had the faster car and was nudging him. Martin didn't like it. During a caution, Harvick went to go on the outside of Martin, and Martin blocked him. Harvick went to the inside and Martin dove down low and blocked him again. Harvick finally pulled up beside and him told him he was "number one." Great stuff.

He had a dominating car and deserved the win. What did you think of the racing at OPS?

Here's a slideshow of all the pictures that I took Sunday and Monday.

Dejavu...

...or a bad dream that I haven't woke up from yet, I'm not sure which. Congrats to Kyle Busch for his victory sweep this weekend, winning both the Nationwide and the Sprint Cup races.

I fell asleep and didn't know who won the Cup race. When I woke up Sunday morning, I headed to the store for a cup of coffee and my cell phone buzzed, indicating that I had a text message. It read: "M&Ms with ur coffee this morning?" I think I said out loud, "Oh no." Yeah, um thanks for being the bearer of bad news first thing in the morning, even before my first sip of coffee. I was bummed.

Joe Gibbs has to be the happiest owner in Sprint Cup right now while Rick Hendrick must be kicking himself.

Despite knowing that Busch won, I went back home and watched the end of the race.

Here are some of my thoughts of the race:

-- I felt bad for Jimmie Johnson when the caution came out. It was his race to win until that point.

-- How can one Childress car be so good (Kevin Harvick) while another so bad? My man Clint Bowyer ran terrible all night. He ended with a 22nd place finish which bumped him outside the top-12 in points. Uugh.

-- What was Larry McReynolds doing putting on a magic show during the broadcast. It was so out of the blue. I shook my head trying to figure out if I was having one of my funky dreams or something. Nope.

-- My pick, Matt Kenseth, had a great car. At one point he had a tire go down, went in the pits to change the tires and went a lap down. He was lucky and got the lucky dog and restarted in something like 38th position and finished 7th.

What did you think of the race?

I don't think I have ever thrown my pick to win the race out there after qualifying and I was looking forward to doing it this week. But as luck would have it, qualifying got rained out and the field will be set by point standings. Oh, well.

I am 0-for-18 this year in trying to pick the winner of a race. I'm not going to give up trying though.

My pick this week to win at Chicagoland will be Matt Kenseth. In two of the past three races here he has led most laps. He has also finished second twice in the same span of three years.

Here's the NASCAR Newscast: Chicagoland Preview

Here's the broadcast schedule for the weekend.

Who do you think will be the victor?

As most of you know, I am a Clint Bowyer fan. It doesn't take much to send me into orbit. I didn't like the reports I was reading about Bowyer's main sponsor, Jack Daniels, leaving. I just bought a hat when I was down at New Hampshire Motor Speedway two weeks ago. Jeez.

Then today, Richard Childress sends out a public statement regarding the rumor, "Jack Daniels and Richard Childress Racing have a contract through the 2009 season. Any reports in the media to the contrary are simply not accurate." Phew.... thanks for the clarification Richard.

We are however getting to that point in the season where announcements of sponsors hopping here and there are surfacing. I never know what to believe. I think we all have our drivers that we watch and we all are quite accustomed to seeing our cars a certain way, or at least I am. I'm a creature of habit and am not particularly fond of change. I'm glad this rumor was put to rest....for now.

Am I the only person who feels this way about sponsorship? Do you get in a tizzy when you hear reports of a sponsor change on the driver you watch?

I'll be back tomorrow with my pick for Chicagoland. All for now...

It is just my luck that after I post an entry about published reports indicating that Tony Stewart was leaving Joe Gibbs Racing after the completion of this year, I get the official press release.

Says J.D. Gibbs, president of JGR: "We've had a lot of success with Tony in our 12 years here at Joe Gibbs Racing. While this moment is bittersweet, we're parting on good terms and we know that each of us has benefited greatly from the other."

"I cannot thank Joe and J.D. Gibbs enough for the opportunity they gave me and for the support they've given me throughout my entire NASCAR career," Stewart said.

Stewart's departure from JGR will end the longest active driver/crew chief relationship in the Sprint cup garage.

"The 20 car has been one of the all-time great partnerships in NASCAR for the last decade with the combination of Tony, Zippy, The Home Depot and Joe Gibbs Racing," said Joe Gibbs, owner of Joe Gibbs Racing.

When I thought of Stewart leaving JGR, I'll be honest, I didn't give much thought at all about Greg Zipadelli. It's going to be a major change for him as well after all these years working with Stewart.

Says Stewart: "We've (Stewart and Zipadelli) accomplished so much in our 10 years together on the track, and off the track, he's been like a big brother to me. It's a friendship I cherish and expect to continue, even while he stays at Joe Gibbs Racing and I move on."

I was kind of sad when I read that. They have really had quite a successful partnership, including two Sprint Cup Series championships.

Says Zippy: "No matter what, Tony and I will remain close friends. I know when it comes to the No. 20 team, things will obviously be a lot different next year, but I remain as committed as ever this year to winning races with Tony and securing our spot in the Chase to contend for a third championship."

All for now...

From what I have been reading on ESPN and the The Charlotte Observer, Tony Stewart is going to be released from Joe Gibbs Racing after the completion of this year. The formal announcement should come at some point tomorrow.

It looks as though he will own 50 percent stake of Haas CNC Racing in 2009, which will then be renamed to Stewart Haas Racing. The current car numbers, 66 and 70 may change for next year as well. Ryan Newman is a lead candidate to drive one of the cars but that hasn't been confirmed yet. It looks as though Home Depot will not be following and he will have Office Depot for a main sponsor.

I honestly just don't know what to think of this move. I don't know why he just doesn't stay put. He's already crabby to the media and now he's going to drive and be part owner? Should be loads of fun.

What do you think of this change?

This is getting old...

Congrats to Kyle Busch for yet another victory.

I was away camping last weekend and had to settle for listening to the race on MRN. They make it sounds so exciting when you listen to it. I fell asleep before the end of the race though.

After we got settled back at home yesterday, I watched the race. (I set the DVR to tape it) Here are some other random thoughts that ran through my head during the race.

-- That was one of the best sung National Anthems yet. It was a group that I had never heard of, Lady Antebellum, that sang it. Have you heard of them before Saturday night's race?

-- I liked how the majority of the commercials during the race on TNT were aired in the lower right corner of the television. While the commercial was a bit distracting from the race, it was nice to be able to watch the race in the background.

-- Dale Earnhardt Jr., my pick for the race, finished eighth. He had a strong car all night long.

-- How could you not feel bad for Tony Stewart? He must have felt really lousy to get out of his car and not finish the race. I will say that J.J. Yeley didn't do all that bad in his car either.

-- Greg Biffle and Tony Stewart were the biggest losers in the point standings while Matt Kenseth was the biggest winner and gained four spots.

-- Not once but twice poor Jeff Burton was involved in a wreck.

-- I didn't like the paint scheme on Martin Truex's car but I loved the paint scheme on Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s.

-- According to a press release, Paul Menard's pole position was a first by a DEI driver in the Sprint Cup Series at Daytona. I did not know that. Way to go Menard!

What did you think of the race?

** Folks, I know there are major issues with posting comments on the blog. I'm sorry. This has been an issue for a long time on this blog, I know. I think we will make some traction on it though because all hands are on deck dealing with a host of problems, this one included. Please let me know if you have a problem so that I can continue to share it with the powers that be.

I appreciate your patience.

I'm sorry, folks. There have been major issues with the Web site, as I am sure you know.

Off to Daytona. I'm going with none other than Dale Earnhardt Jr. for the win at Daytona International Speedway Saturday night. I contemplated Tony Stewart because he's not too shabby here and works well with Junior in the draft. And as you know, anything anything can happen those last few laps ...

Here's the NASCAR Newscast: Daytona Preview and broadcast schedule.

Who are you picking to win?

I'll be camping this weekend so I'll have to settle for listening to the race Saturday night, which I actually think is sometimes better than watching. I will (hopefully) be back Monday with my thoughts of the race.

Have a safe Fourth of July weekend everyone.