Check Out SpeedwaySouvenir.com !

Thank you to Jim Wittke from Speedway Souvenir for giving us this great promotional photo to use this season!

Please check out his booth at the Hawkeye Downs Speedway every Friday night or online at http://www.speedwaysouvenir.com/

Michael Waltrip On "My Name Is Earl" !

If anyone in Sprint Cup garage has a love affair with the camera, it's owner/driver Michael Waltrip.

For years, NASCAR's most accomplished pitchman has livened up TV commercials for his sponsors--NAPA Auto Parts, Aaron's and Best Western, to name a few. On Thursday at 8 p.m. ET, NASCAR fans will have a chance to see Waltrip in a new setting--in a substantial role on NBC's "My Name Is Earl."

The episode, "Inside Probe," also features Geraldo Rivera, who arrives to investigate the disappearance of the owner of the Crab Shack, a recurring location for the show's action. The sitcom stars Jason Lee as Earl Hickey, who's doing his best to make amends for a misspent life.

"When I do those commercials, I like to think I'm acting," Waltrip said in an interview on the set during filming. "This is the next step. I'm on a TV show. Geraldo Rivera's sitting right there asking me questions, Jason Lee and everybody on the show. It's a real honor for me to be on the show and step out of my world somewhat.

"I think this is the first real TV show I've ever done. I've done a few spots, cameos on different things, Comedy Channel stuff, but this is real. 'Earl' is an instant classic, and I promise you that the demographics for an 'Earl' fan and a NASCAR fan--and racecar drivers, too, as far as that goes--lay over top of each other perfectly.

"I know that there's a lot of people in Hollywood, that when they see me standing there in my NAPA suit, they're going to think, 'What's that got to do with anything?' But whoever turns on Earl and sees my big butt standing there, they're going to get it. They're going to understand exactly what I'm doing there--I'm over checking out Earl."

Waltrip got the opportunity to appear as a guest star on the show when Gillian Zucker, president of Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif., introduced him to Greg Garcia, the show's creator and executive producer.

Coincidentally, Garcia had a script that would work with Waltrip's appearance (he provides an alibi for Earl and his brother Randy), and Waltrip had a rare week off in the Cup schedule when the episode was filmed March 13.

Despite his affinity for the camera, Waltrip confessed to a few butterflies during his work on the show.

"They do this every day, and here I stumble in as a racecar driver, acting like I know what I'm doing," he said. "I get nervous, because if I have to do it over or don't say my words correctly, and when they say, 'No, we need to do this, or we need to do that,' it makes me think that I'm holding the show up, that I wasn't as prepared as I needed to be.

"It's still intimidating, even if you study the lines like I did and know the lines, it's just hard to say when they say, 'Ok, roll!' "

Lee was impressed with Waltrip's uninhibited approach.

"It turns out he's a big fan of the show, and he wanted to come out and play," Lee said. "I had just met him, before we took turns lighting our farts on fire for a picture that's going to be used in the episode.

"If that's not leaving it all at the door and being willing to play, I don't know what is."

TALLADEGA, Ala. — At a place where you know anything can happen, there was no way anybody could anticipate what happened at the finish of Sunday's Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway.

Brad Keselowski, in just his fifth Sprint Cup start, got an improbable victory in a last-lap duel with Carl Edwards that ended with Edwards' car slashing into the catch-fence as it crashed violently after contact from the winner.

Edwards' Ford gashed the fencing in a manner similar to the horrifying 1987 wreck here by Bobby Allison that led to the birth of the restrictor-plate era at this 2.66-mile track.

Debris scattered in all directions and seven fans were injured but track medical director Bobby Lewis said none of the injuries was life-threatening.

Edwards, who climbed from his crumpled car and jogged across the finish line, railed against the racing style at Talladega and Daytona, the tracks where the horsepower-sapping restrictor plates are used.

"We'll race like this until we kill somebody," said Edwards, "then (NASCAR) will change it."

The final drama began on a restart with four laps left in the Aaron's 499. Ryan Newman led Dale Earnhardt Jr. to the green flag. Those two broke away, but Edwards and Keselowski jumped to the outside and their two-car train picked up an immediate head of steam. They passed Newman and Earnhardt on the outside and at the white flag Edwards led.

On the final lap Keselowski, who drives for Earnhardt in the Nationwide series but was racing a James Finch-owned Chevrolet in this race, dipped inside of Edwards' car into the trioval. Edwards tried to block an instant too late. Keselowski's nose touched Edwards' rear bumper, and the contact sent Edwards toward the wall.

The No. 99 Ford's wheels came off the ground and Newman's car hit it, sending Edwards catapulting toward the catch fence. Keselowski went on to the victory, while Earnhardt swept to second and Newman, after bouncing off the wall, finished third.

"He blocked and I wasn't going to go below the yellow line," Keselowski said. "I felt bad. I was watching Carl wreck in my mirror, but he put himself in that spot. I hope he's okay."

Edwards was. He got out of his car under his own power and ran to the start-finish line. He didn't blame Keselowski.

"It was what Brad was supposed to do. … He did a great job," Edwards said. "I was doing everything I could do to keep him from winning."

The mayhem at the end provided a fitting bookend for a race that saw a big wreck near the start, too. On Lap 7, Matt Kenseth and Jeff Gordon made contact. Gordon's car went up the track and tapped David Gilliland's against the outside wall. With those two out of control, the cars around them were in big trouble. At least 14 cars wound up being involved.

Earnhardt Jr., a five-time Talladega winner, echoed concerns about the racing style.

"For years, we've had wrecks like this every time we've come to Talladega. Ever since the plate got here," he said. "…The media celebrated it, the networks celebrated it, calling it 'The Big One' just trying to attract attention and bring people's attention to the race."

Lewis, the track medical director, said two women were airlifted to Birmingham hospitals – one likely with a broken jaw from debris off of Edwards' wreck. The other had an undisclosed medical condition. Lewis said they were airlifted because of traffic, not the severity of the injuries. The other people struck by debris were treated and released.

Amid the chaos, the 25-year-old Keselowski hopped out of his car and needed to know his win — the first for Finch in 20 years of part-time racing in the Cup series — was for real.

"Pinch me! Am I awake?" he yelled. He was.

KCRG.com Buy It For Half!

Check Out KCRG.com For This Great Deal!

Available to purchase at 10:00 am on 04/23/09.
You will receive 5 certificates of $10 Purchase price... $25.00 Certificates good only for admission to regular Friday racing series only – NO SPECIALS (ie, ASA, Dirt at the Downs, Race Em/Wreck Em, Truck or Tractor pulls, AMA) Not valid for food or beverage. Tax and gratuity not included. HAWKEYE DOWNS SPEEDWAY has been a fixture in Cedar Rapids since 1925, now featuring a regular Friday stock car racing series sanctioned by IMCA. 2009 will bring brand new action and features, including enduro series, USST Super Trucks, Family Fun night with candy grab and coin toss, bikini and cowboy boot night, bike giveaways for the kids, Dr. Danger, even shopping cart races. It’s a Family Tradition – Hawkeye Downs! Total Card(s) Value: $50.00 Number Of Cards You Will Receive: 5 @ $10.00 Ea How Many Deals Can I Purchase: 1 Can Be Used For Alcohol: No Cash or Credit Back For Unused Portion: No Use More Than One Card Per Visit: No Certificates good only for admission to regular Friday racing series only – NO SPECIALS (ie, ASA, Dirt at the Downs, Race Em/Wreck Em, Truck or Tractor pulls, AMA) Not valid for food or beverage. Tax and gratuity not included. 4400 6th St. SW Cedar Rapids, IA 52404 Phone: 319-365-8656 www.HawkeyeDownsSpeedway.com

Redbox Free Movie Monday Code!

Check out with coupon code: M6FR97

Expires midnight 4-20-09

Patrick Carpentier, who won the pole for the inaugural race at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in 2007 and has posted second-place finishes in both series races there, answers questions following a press conference announcing him as the driver of the No. 99 NAPA Toyota for Michael Waltrip Racing at the NASCAR Nationwide Series NAPA Auto Parts 200 on Aug. 30.

Hawkeye Downs Speedway Full Practice on Wednesday April 22!

Drivers, teams and officials,

On Wednesday, April 22 there will be a full practice with rescue/ambulance. The back gate will open at 3 PM and the track will go green 4 PM to 7PM. Cost is $15 per person.

Practice rotation order:

Late Models

Sportsmen

1/2 Mile Mods

Stock Cars

Hobby Stocks

Sport Mods

Hornets (only 8 cars at a time)

Track will close at 7PM sharp due to officials firefighting training.

Some reminders.....

No personal cars in the pits for race nights or practice! Don't even ask.

No demo-derbying on the race track and no racing on the track that your car doesn't belong on.

All safety equipment must be used. No racing in shorts or blue jeans.

Any pit stalls not reserved near the tech barn/bingo hall areas will left open (during race nights). No squatters. You will be charged a parking fee (taken from your purse check, $25) if you are found to be pitting in an unreserved area. An extra $25 per night if you are also hooked up to power per night.

Thanks,

Chris Stocks
Director of Race Operations
Hawkeye Downs Speedway

Office (319)365-8656
Fax (319)365-1735

www.HawkeyeDownsSpeedway.com

Back To Work!

Well here I go..... Back to work after a week in Las Vegas!

Had a great time, weather was GREAT, beer was cold.

Now its time to get back to reality.

I need to start my diet after all of the buffets!

Check out my photos from our trip to the Neon Boneyard at Photobucket here:

http://s253.photobucket.com/albums/hh56/racinginiowa/Vegas%20Neon%20Bone%20Yard/

Interview With A Racing Legend!

Yesterday I was backing up files from my old computer hard drive to my new external hard drive and I came across some old audio clips from my college days doing my internship with WMT sports radio.

I was allowed air time once a week for a segment I called "One Minute With" where I was able to do phone interviews with any sports personalities I could get to take my phone calls!

In February 1998 I was lucky enough to be able to talk on the phone to Dale Earnhardt Sr. just days after he finally won the Daytona 500! A race that had eluded him for over 20 years!

Click play below to hear the file!