Leftovers And My Bad!!

Well, folks, I got the comments fixed, and thanks for writing in!  But man, did I drop the ball on one of my predictions, that I made just yesterday.  Randy Pemberton of Sirius Radio, reported that Mark Martin would be driving for Red Bull in 2011.  Martin's business manager, Benny Ertel, shot back with this comment today:

Ertel called the reports "aggravating," saying his driver has grown tired of answering the same questions, week after week. "It's the same thing, over and over again," Ertel said. "We walk into the media center and someone immediately raises their hand and asks about where Mark will be racing next season. Mark has answered the question a thousand times and it's always the same answer. 'I will be driving the #5 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports next season.' That's as simple as it is, but some reporters just don’t listen."  "Randy Pemberton went on Sirius NASCAR Radio the other day and said Mark will be driving for Red Bull next season," said Ertel. "There's not a shred of truth to that statement, and he never bothered to ask Mark, Rick Hendrick or anyone else about it. If he had asked, he would have been told -- in no uncertain terms -- that it was a load of hooey.  "I don't know what's so difficult to understand," said Ertel. "Mark Martin will drive the #5 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports next season. Period."

I guess that settles that.

So where does that leave Kasey Khane for next season?  Who will Wal Mart Sponsor?  As they said on the old Soap Operas, tune in tomorrow.  I'm sure it will all change by then, again.

One noteworthy item I missed, is that Jeff Gordon will make his 600th career start at Chicago Saturday Night.  While Gordon sits second in championship points, he's only been to Victory Lane once, in his last 47 races.  There was a time in his illustrious career when Gordon couldn’t avoid victory lane, winning 16.1 percent of the time through the first 15 years of his career. But since 2008, that number has been reduced to 13.7.

It’s been 47 races since Gordon’s last win, and though he’s racked up eight runner-up finishes since then, he’s faced questions about his ability to close the deal. Even worse, after Gordon feuded briefly with Jimmie Johnson earlier this season, analyst and team owner Brad Daugherty said that Johnson’s success the last four years has made Gordon “almost irrelevant.”

I've long stated that Brad Daugherty has absolutely no place in this sport.  And I'm about to prove it.

• Gordon’s tied for third with Jimmie Johnson and stands behind only Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt in championships.

• He’s just three wins away from moving into third on the all-time victories list, with his 82 wins ranking behind only Petty (200), David Pearson (105), Bobby Allison (84), Darrell Waltrip (84) and Cale Yarborough (83).

• He has 68 poles, 12 victories in restrictor-plate races and nine on road courses. He has 12 combined wins at Bristol and Martinsville, seven at Darlington, and has won at every track on the circuit but one (Homestead-Miami).

In other words, he’s pretty damn good.

IRRELEVANT?  Brad, go get a job and leave us alone.

I love tossing out facts to a clueless jerk.  But, I digress.  Enjoy the Nationwide race from Chicago tonight, and we'll have the complete wrap-up for you here.  The Cup Race is Saturday Night, and I will stick with my pick of Jeff Burton to win it.  Have a safe and great weekend, and we'll see you here for more Beatin' and Bangin'!

Credit Shout Out:  Jenna Fryer of the Associated Press contributed to this blog.  Photos courtesy of Yahoo! Sports.