Assorted NASCAR Thoughts

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Mayfield Busted for Meth?

Take this with a grain of salt, because it comes from ESPN. ESPN has said that that suspended NASCAR driver Jeremy Mayfield allegedly tested positive for methamphetamine. I'd really like for this to be confirmed by someone since ESPN is so unreliable, but at least a possibly true report has come out to fans stating what we've wanted to know since Mayfield's suspension was announced at Richmond.

Now that I've got past that, I've got to say that if this is true, Mayfield is nothing short of an idiot for fighting NASCAR's ruling, especially since NASCAR attorney Paul Hendrick said the Claritin-D and OTC medication (Adderall) were accounted for in the drug test but that a third dangerous and illegal drug was found in the test. You know how attorneys are though. It's a bit tough for me to pass judgment on this without knowing what is true and what isn't.

Kyle Busch

Just saying his name can stir up a debate or controversy. I'll start off with his Nashville guitar smash. First off, this story has been beaten into the ground, but I'm going to comment on it anyway. Most of you know that I'm a fan of Kyle Busch, and I'll confirm what you're probably thinking. I didn't think what Busch did after winning the Nationwide race was idiotic, immature, or disrespectful. Sorry I'm not a Dale Earnhardt Jr. fan. It was his guitar (trophy, if you will) after he won the race. Therefore, it was up to him to decide what to do with it. It just so happened that he did say if he ever won the guitar that he would smash it, and he lived up to his word. While Sam Bass (the guitar's artist) may not have liked what Busch did initially, he understood it after Busch told him that he meant no disrespect to Bass. He also gave each crew member a piece of the guitar to his crew in addition to buying two replicas, one for him and one for his crew chief Jason Ratcliff. That's just my opinion, but I really can't believe how many people are blowing this out of proportion. I've read comments (on SceneDaily) that want Busch fined, suspended, and even banned from racing at Nashville. To that, I say get a grip, people.

Now, onto a broader subject pertaining to Busch. It is in a NASCAR fans heart to complain, and we complain about two things the best. Boring races and boring drivers. That said, Kyle Busch plays the perfect role for NASCAR. He's not afraid to be the villain, and he doesn't care if you don't like him. He's the most colorful driver in NASCAR and he's not afraid to stir up controversy. In other words, whether you like him or despise him, Busch is perfect for the sport. I say that especially because the rivalry he has with Dale Earnhardt Jr. What other driver do you hear criticizing NASCAR's most popular driver? None, except for Busch. He brings old-school to racing if you ask me. He doesn't care about anything but winning, and I like that mindset in a driver. Call him a crybaby and other names all you want, there is no denying that he is one of NASCAR's best drivers.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s Struggles Continue

What are we going to blame it on now, Jr. Nation? Jr. has a new crew chief in Lance McGrew, and one week after a respectable (but not spectacular) finish at Dover, Jr. is back to running with Paul Menard and Reed Sorenson. Don't give me the excuse that Jr. needs time to "gel" with his McGrew, because I'm not buying it. To be honest, I don't think he's been very focused this year, and it all started out with him wrecking Brian Vickers (intentionally, in my opinion) at Daytona. Something needs to happen in the #88 camp, and fast. Being popular and bringing in the numbers on the merchandise side of things aren't all that matters, Jr.

Johnny Benson Out at Red Horse Racing

After Bill Davis Racing was sold, Johnny Benson moved to Red Horse Racing's #1 truck. Throughout the season the team has struggled to find sponsorship, and thus, the decision was made to shut down the #1 team. What I find even worse is that Benson is the defending champion in the series, there is absolutely no reason he should be without a ride. I have to figure T.J. Bell is helping with his sponsorship situation on Red Horse's #11 truck, because Benson has been performing better than Bell thus far, and I believe he would still be doing so if Bell hadn't run into a lot of bad luck. Now, where does Benson go? I have no idea, but I do know he needs a ride. I don't think ThorSport is an option since Johnny Sauter has ran well the last two weeks and Matt Crafton isn't going anywhere. I want to see Benson land with a competitive team, and my best guess is that it will be a Toyota team. I'd like to see Randy Moss pick him up, but I don't see it happening during the season. Mike Skinner has been in contention for the points lead all season, and has lead at one point. I also don't see Moss abandoning talented rookie Tayler Malsam. My best bet would be Billy Ballew, the team Kyle Busch races for. They do have another talented rookie in Brian Ickler, but with Busch not running the full schedule, Ickler will be in the #51 truck for 10 races. I like Ickler, and I don't want to see him lose his ride because he has talent, but it is certainly a possibility unless Ballew (or any other team with a full roster of drivers) want to start another team.

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