Adam Fenwick : The Star Online : The Newspaper of Cleveland County

A quick music review (12/28)

December 27th, 2008, 11:51 pm by adamfenwickstar

For those that don’t know me, I’m a bit of a music connoisseur. I don’t listen to much, if anything, mainstream and often find myself listening to music on Gardner-Webb’s 88.3 and Isothermal Community College’s 88.7. Sometimes I end up finding something I down right love, today I think I’ve found one of those.

In reality I am a little late to the ball game here, but I’ve been listening to Old Crow Medicine Show’s 2008 release “Tennessee Pusher” good and hard the last few days (this after having it on my computer for a few months). It’s easily slower then the rest of the OCMS records I have, but this may be my favorite record of the bunch.

The stand out track, at least in my opinion, is the next to last song on the record, “Lift Him Up.” I’ve always been partial to songs such as this one, songs that are sorta depressing but make you feel good inside at the same time (I don’t really know how else to put it). It’s songs like this that help me through rough days in my life when I’m angry, frustrated and otherwise out of the ordinary. I think it’s a great song that compliments a record that seems, at least in a way, centered around Meth and it’s evils. Maybe I’m wrong, maybe I’m just a little right, but either way, this is a good record. No doubt about that.

“Lift Him Up” by Old Crow Medicine Show
When a man has got the blues and feels discouraged
And has nothing else but trouble all his life
But he’s just an honest man like any other
Living in a world that’s tearing at his mind
If he’s sick and tired of life and takes to drinking
Do not pass him by, don’t greet him with a frown
Do not fail to lend your hand and try to help him
Always lift him up and never knock him down

If he stay’s out late at night because he’s troubled
Or because his home is not what it should be
Have a smile for him wherever you might meet him
It will help him find the right way, don’t you see
If he gambles when he’s in the town or city
Tell him what he ‘ought to do to win the round
Do not fail to lend your hand and show him pitty
Always lift him up and never knock him down

If he has no friends and everything’s against him
If he’s failed in everything that he has tried
Try to lift this load and help him bare his burden
Let him know that you are walking by his side
If he feel’s that all is lost and he has fallen
Help to place this poor man’s feet on solid ground
And when this world has turned it’s back against him
Always lift him up and never knock him down

Posted in: Music • bluegrass • OCMS • Old Crow Medicine Show | Post a Comment »

Sources: Allmendinger in, Sadler out at GEM (12/27)

December 27th, 2008, 8:40 pm by adamfenwickstar

ESPN is reporting that A.J. Allmendinger will be behind the wheel of the No. 19 Dodge for Gillett Evernham Motorsports at the Daytona 500 in February, not Elliott Sadler.

Elliott Sadler had driven for GEM since 2006 when he jumped ship at (then) Robert Yates Racing after Watkins Glen to replace Jeremy Mayfield in the No. 19 Dodge. Sadler earned two top-fives and 12 top-10’s with GEM.

Allmendinger, meanwhile, joined Red Bull Racing in 2007 as a rookie. After struggling through much of 2007 and early 2008, Allmendinger broke out. He won the Sprint Showdown at Lowe’s Motor Speedway to earn him a spot in the Sprint All-Star Race and he also earned his first career top 10 at Indianapolis. He was replaced in the No. 84 Toyota by Scott Speed after posting a career best 9th place finish at Kansas on Sept. 28. After a one race deal with Michael Waltrip Racing, Allmendinger finished out the 2008 season driving for Gillett Evernham, bringing consistency to it’s No. 10 Dodge, something that team hadn’t seen all season with previous driver Patrick Carpentier. It’s that consistency that may have gotten Allmendinger his new job.

I’m surprised another team hadn’t already swooped in and signed Allmendinger before now. With more practice and coaching I think Allmendinger is a sure-fire talent with a bright future ahead of him. Meanwhile, Elliott Sadler finds himself looking for a job at quite possibly the worst time to be doing so. Only one team is left that has full sponsorship available for the 2009 season, that being the No. 41 car out of the new Earnhardt Ganassi Racing stable, and they already seem to have their eye on former Sprint Cup champ Bobby Labonte. I feel like Sadler will find himself behind the wheel of a car at Daytona, but after that, I have no idea.

Posted in: NASCAR • Allmendinger • Earnhardt • Elliott Sadler • Ganassi • GEM • Gillett • Labonte | Post a Comment »

Bill Davis sells race team (12/22)

December 22nd, 2008, 3:54 pm by adamfenwickstar

Another NASCAR Sprint Cup team bites the dust.

Bill Davis Racing, the winner of the 2008 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship with Johnny Benson and owner of 5 victories in NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series (including the 2002 Daytona 500 with Ward Burton) has sold majority interest in the team to Triad Racing Technologies owners Marty Gaunt and Michael Held.

It is another in what is turning out to be a series of ownership changes this off season in NASCAR’s premier series. Of course we already have the Earnhardt/Ganassi merger, the constant talk of the possible Petty/GEM merger and now this.

So far no plans have been announced by new BDR owners Gaunt and Held, but they hope to have an announcement about the future of BDR’s Sprint Cup Series program in a few weeks. Personally, I really hope they can find sponsorship and put this team on the track in 2009, Bill Davis Racing has always been the little team that could and I’d love to see them stick around.

Posted in: NASCAR • Bill Davis • NASCAR • Sprint Cup | Post a Comment »

Robby Gordon to Toyota (12/16)

December 16th, 2008, 7:09 pm by adamfenwickstar

At first he drove Chevrolets. Then he moved to Fords. Then, Dodges. Now, Robby Gordon will be driving Toyotas. Robby Gordon Motorsports announced today that they would be teaming with Toyota for the upcoming 2009 Sprint Cup season.

Now, I can understand switching manufactuerers if there is an obvious upside to the situation. But, as far as Robby Gordon goes, he switches manufactuerers like some women switch shoes. I can’t understand for the life of me why he would continue to switch manufactuerers every year. Keep in mind folks, in the last three years he has driven Chevrolets, Fords and Dodges. Maybe he figured that since he has driven for every other manufactuerer in the last few years, why not complete the set?

Really, I don’t see any upside to this move in the grand scheme of things. It’s not like he has had any real success under the banner of any other manufactuerer, what makes you think he’ll have any more success driving a Toyota?

Posted in: NASCAR • Robby Gordon • Toyota | Post a Comment »

The what at the Glen? (12/13)

December 13th, 2008, 7:20 pm by adamfenwickstar

How many of you like NASCAR road course racing? I know there are those out there that greatly dislike the fact that NASCAR holds events on road courses. I, for one, love road courses. I believe they add an extra bit of flare to the NASCAR Sprint Cup schedule. Then again, I may be a bit biased, my first NASCAR race was at Watkins Glen when I was three years old.

With that said, Watkins Glen International is suddenly searching for a sponsor for their 2009 event. The previous sponsor, Centurion Boats, recently opted out of its contract with Watkins Glen due to the rough economy.

Considering Watkins Glen’s race isn’t exactly considered a premier race on the Sprint Cup schedule, I’m afraid it may be pretty hard for the track to secure a strong sponsor for the event. For reference, here are a few of the event names in the past 20 years or so:

The Budweiser at The Glen (1986-93)
The Bud at The Glen (1994-98)
Frontier at The Glen (1999)
Global Crossing at The Glen (2000-01)
Sirius Satellite Radio at The Glen (2002-03, 05)
Sirius at The Glen (2004)
AMD at The Glen (2006)
Centurion Boats at The Glen (2007-08)

I, for one miss the Bud at The Glen. That is by far my favorite race name. Now, just imagine what could happen if some other sponsors decided to come in and sponsor the Watkins Glen event. We could have…

The Big Mac at The Glen presented by McDonald’s (Mmmmm, tasty.)
Jack Daniel’s at The Glen (Remember, don’t drink and race.)
Little Debbie’s at The Glen (Would all the drivers get free Nutty Bars?)
Steak-umm at The Glen (These things are actually pretty good.)
Tow Truck in a Box at The Glen (What is Tow Truck in a Box anyway?)
LifeLock at The Glen (Your identity and race would be protected under this sponsorship.)
Bumper To Bumper at The Glen (Hey, this sounds kinda cool.)
Bad Boy Mowers at The Glen (You’ve been a BAD boy.)
GoDaddy.com at The Glen (GOOOOOOOOOOO DADDY!)
Hefty at The Glen (Ok, maybe not)
No Fear at The Glen (Most awesome race name ever.)

I think you get the idea.

Posted in: NASCAR • NASCAR • sponsorship • watkins glen | Post a Comment »

2009 Sprint Cup team roundup (12/12)

December 11th, 2008, 11:28 pm by adamfenwickstar

Here is a summary of the 2009 Sprint Cup Series teams as they stand right now. Keep in mind this is likely to change over the course of the next few months.

00 David Reutimann Aaron’s Toyota (Michael Waltrip Racing)
Reutimann has Aaron’s on board for 18 races in 2009. Team still needs sponsorship for the rest of the season.

1 Martin Truex Jr. Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet (Earnhardt Ganassi Racing)
Part of the new Earnhardt/Ganassi team. I expect no changes to this team despite the merger.

2 Kurt Busch Miller Lite Dodge (Penske Racing South)
No changes expected for this former Sprint Cup Series champion.

5 Mark Martin Kellogg’s/Carquest Chevrolet (Hendrick Motorsports)
Martin returns for one more crack at a Sprint Cup title, replacing the departing Casey Mears.

6 David Ragan UPS Ford (Roush-Fenway Racing)
Ragan gets solid sponsorship from UPS, which departed Michael Waltrip Racing at the end of 2008.

07 Casey Mears Jack Daniel’s Chevrolet (Richard Childress Racing)
Mears takes over the No. 07 car previously driven by Clint Bowyer. Bowyer moves to the No. 33 car in the Childress stable.

7 Robby Gordon Jim Beam/Menards/Mapei Dodge (Robby Gordon Motorsports)
I don’t expect many changes for Robby Gordon and company, though rumors are floating around that they may switch to Toyota next year. Three manufacturer’s in three years? Eh, could happen…

8 Aric Almirola UNKNOWN SPONSOR Chevrolet (Earnhardt Ganassi Racing)
Another team that is part of the Earnhardt/Ganassi merger. This team needs to nail down sponsorship for the 2009 season and fast.

9 Kasey Kahne Budweiser Dodge (Gillett Evernham Motorsports)
No changes known or expected for the defending Coca-Cola 600 champ.

10 Reed Sorenson UNKNOWN SPONSOR Dodge (Gillett Evernham Motorsports)
This team worked with several different sponsors in 2008, needs to lock down solid sponsorship for 2009.

11 Denny Hamlin Federal Express Toyota (Joe Gibbs Racing)
No changes expected for Hamlin and company in 2009.

12 David Stremme Alltel Dodge (Penske Racing South)
Stremme replaces Ryan Newman at Penske Racing South in 2009.

14 Tony Stewart Old Spice/Office Depot Chevrolet (Stewart-Haas Racing)
Tony Stewart leaves Joe Gibbs Racing and buys into the former Haas/CNC Racing team to create Stewart-Haas Racing. Stewart gets sponsorship from Old Spice and Office Depot in 2009.

16 Greg Biffle 3M Ford (Roush-Fenway Racing)
No changes expected for Greg Biffle in 2009.

17 Matt Kenseth DeWalt Ford (Roush-Fenway Racing)
Kenseth sign a multi-year contract extension with Roush-Fenway recently, so he isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

18 Kyle Busch M&M’s Toyota (Joe Gibbs Racing)
No changes expected for Busch, who was the talk of the 2008 season (at least, until the Chase started).

19 Elliott Sadler Best Buy/Stanley Tools Dodge (Gillett Evernham Motorsports)
I don’t know if this team has full time sponsorship locked down, Best Buy and Stanley Tools are expected back though.

20 Joey Logano Home Depot Toyota (Joe Gibbs Racing)
The young Joey Logano will drive full time in Sprint Cup in 2008, replacing Tony Stewart, and go after the Rookie of the Year honors.

24 Jeff Gordon DuPont Chevrolet (Hendrick Motorsports)
Other than National Guard apparently coming on board for a few races in 2009, no changes are expected here.

26 Jamie McMurray Crown Royal Ford (Roush Fenway Racing)
No major changes expected for the No. 26 Ford driven by Jamie McMurray.

28 Travis Kvapil UNKNOWN SPONSOR Ford (Yates Racing)
Another team in need of a full time sponsor in 2008. This team used several different sponsors in 2008 and could really use some help in 2009.

29 Kevin Harvick Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet (Richard Childress Racing)
No changes expected for Kevin Harvick and company.

31 Jeff Burton Caterpillar Chevrolet (Richard Childress Racing)
Caterpillar leaves the No. 22 Bill Davis Racing team to join up with Burton and RCR, who lost AT&T as its sponsor due to an agreement with series sponsor Sprint.

33 Clint Bowyer General Mills Chevrolet (Richard Childress Racing)
Clint Bowyer leaves the No. 07 to drive the new fourth team for Richard Childress in 2009, the No. 33 General Mills Chevrolet. BB&T will also sponsor this car in about 11 races.

38 David Gilliland UNKNOWN SPONSOR Ford (Yates Racing)
Gilliland and Yates Racing needs a sponsor or I don’t think this team will last too long into the 2009 season.

39 Ryan Newman U.S. Army Chevrolet (Stewart-Haas Racing)
The second car in the Stewart-Haas armada, Newman still needs sponsorship for 14 races in 2009 (U.S. Army is only covering 22 races).

41 UNKNOWN DRIVER Target Chevrolet (Earnhardt Ganassi Racing)
This is the wild car in the Earnhardt/Ganassi merger. Rumors have the recently released Bobby Labonte taking over this seat.

42 Juan Pablo Montoya Wrigley Gum Company Chevrolet (Earnhardt Ganassi Racing)
The Wrigley Gum Company is only sponsoring this car for half of the schedule. The remainder of the schedule remains unsponsored for Montoya and the new Earnhardt Ganassi Racing team.

43 UNKNOWN DRIVER UNKNOWN SPONSOR Dodge (Petty Enterprises)
Right now this team is the talk of the garage. Without a sponsor and now without a driver, Petty Enterprises is on the verge of merging with Gillett Evernham Motorsports. We should know more on this in the next week or two.

47 Marcos Ambrose Clorox/Little Debbie’s/Kingsford Toyota (JTG Daugherty Racing)
Marcos Ambrose moves up full time to the Sprint Cup Series in 2009. Should be an interesting year for the road course expert.

48 Jimmie Johnson Lowe’s Chevrolet (Hendrick Motorsports)
No changes known for the defending three-time Sprint Cup champ.

55 Michael Waltrip NAPA Toyota (Michael Waltrip Racing)
No changes expected for Michael Waltrip and company.

77 Sam Hornish Jr. Mobil 1 Dodge (Penske Racing South)
No changes known for the No. 77 team.

82 Scott Speed Red Bull Toyota (Red Bull Racing)
Speed replaces A.J. Allmendinger at Red Bull Racing. Team switches from No. 84 to No. 82.

83 Brian Vickers Red Bull Toyota (Red Bull Racing)
No changes expected for Brian Vickers and the No. 83 team.

88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Amp Energy/National Guard Chevrolet (Hendrick Motorsports)
No changes expected for the most popular driver in NASCAR.

98 Paul Menard Menard’s Ford (Yates Racing)
The new third team at Yates Racing, Paul Menard jumped ship from Dale Earnhardt Inc. before the merger with Ganassi and brought his father’s sponsorship with him.

99 Carl Edwards Aflac Ford (Roush Fenway Racing)
Aflac replaces Office Depot as the new full time sponsor on the No. 99 Ford driven by Carl Edwards.

Other 2009 team information:

No. 13 Germain Racing Toyota
Team announced late in 2008 that they would attempt 18 races in 2009 with driver Max Papis and sponsorship from Geico. Could run full schedule if sponsorship is found.

No. 21 Wood Brothers Ford
This team will go to a part time schedule in 2009 with Bill Elliott driving the car in 12 races.

No. 22 Bill Davis Racing Toyota
The future of this team doesn’t look too good unless they can lock down sponsorship for 2009. Dave Blaney has announced he is a free agent.

No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet
Team announced a few weeks back they would run a part time schedule in 2009. They also cut ties with driver Joe Nemechek in November.

No. 96 Hall of Fame Racing Toyota
No clue at all what the future of this team is. They have no driver and apparently are in need of at least a little sponsorship for 2009. Have heard NOTHING in regard to what this team’s plans are in 2009.

Posted in: NASCAR | Post a Comment »

Labonte, Petty part ways (12/11)

December 11th, 2008, 12:57 pm by adamfenwickstar

Petty Enterprises announced today that the team and driver Bobby Labonte are parting ways effective immediatly. It’s a disapointing end to what started out as a very promising relationship between NASCAR’s most historical team and a former NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion. Labonte’s release also allows Petty Enterprises to move forward on the expected merger between them and Gillett Evernham Motorsports. Word has it that the No. 43 will join GEM’s Nos. 9, 10 and 19. I also expect that, once this deal is done, GEM will announce the signing of free agent driver A.J. Allemdinger to pilot either the No. 10 or No. 43. GEM already has drivers Kasey Kahne, Elliott Sadler and Reed Sorenson under contract for 2009.

Rumors have Bobby Labonte joining the new Earnhardt Ganassi Racing team as its expected fourth driver (for the vacant No. 41 car). Then again, the way this off season has gone, anything could happen.

Posted in: NASCAR • Allmendinger • Earnhardt • Evernham • Ganassi • GEM • Gillett • kahne • Labonte • Petty • sadler • Sorenson | Post a Comment »

Near death expereince with a deer

December 9th, 2008, 4:23 pm by adamfenwickstar

So I’ve had a series of encounters with deer over the last two years or so, but last night’s trip home from Gastonia pretty much takes the cake. Let me set the scene…

Everyone is familiar with the area of 74 right around Kings Mountain where the speed limit goes from 65 to 55 as you return to Shelby. I had a car in front of me and a tractor trailer behind me. I was, of course, doing the speed limit (I swear I was).

Well, I went down into that little dip after the speed limit changes and a family of deer just appeared out of no where. Apparently that area is a great place for them to cross the street.

The car in front of me had no time to react at all. He hit the breaks but it was too late. He hit one deer with the right front of his car, sending the deer flying off to the right side of the road. Debris from his car flew everywhere. I was hard on the brakes, hoping against hope that I wouldn’t hit the car in front of me, much less any of the other deer. I heard behind me the tractor trailer slamming on the breaks, I assume to avoid hitting me. Then, suddenly, I was passed it.

I remember as I think back now seeing at least two deer on my left as I slipped through where the car and deer in front of me had collided. I could have reached out and slapped one of them, i’m sure of it. The interesting part about all this is the car in front of me that hit the deer didn’t stop, it just kept on going. I figured if I had hit a deer I would have pulled over quite quickly to check the damage. Apparently not these folks.

Anyway, if you want to stay awake and don’t wanna drink caffeine, why not try nearly getting in a three vehicle crash. I didn’t go to bed until sometime after 3 a.m.

Oh yeah, look out for those deer…

Posted in: Everyday life • collision • crash • deer • wreck | 1 Comment »

NASCAR news and notes

December 6th, 2008, 4:07 pm by adamfenwickstar

Lots of news and notes floating around lately about the 2009 NASCAR season. Here is what’s new recently:

Petty Enterprises, Gillett Evernham in merger talks: One of the greatest NASCAR teams of all time may be nothing but history by the start of the 2009 season. Boston Ventures (the primary owner of Petty Enterprises) is in talks with Gillett Evernham Motorsports to merge the two teams in to one four car operation by the start of the 2009 season. That would mean the elimination of the Petty’s second car that was expected to be driven by Chad McCumbee in 2009. This also puts into question the future of Bobby Labonte with Petty Enterprises even though he just signed a contract extension. The big rumor in that regard has Bobby Labonte joining the new Earnhardt Ganassi team to drive the No. 41, Reed Sorenson driving the No. 43 and A.J. Allmendinger driving the No. 10. Of course, this is all speculation at this point.

Wood Brothers going to part time schedule in 2009: It was recently announced that the legendary No. 21 Wood Brothers Ford will be going to a part time schedule in 2009, running only 12 races. The team plans to focus on the Daytona 500 and mile and a half tracks. The main reason behind this is a lack of sponsorship dollars. The Air Force is leaving this team to join Gillett Evernham in 2009 and Little Debbie is joining Marcos Ambrose at JTG Daughtery Racing. Bill Elliott will return to the team to drive the car under this limited schedule.

Bill Davis Racing looking for sponsorship: Another team looking for help is Bill Davis Racing. Dave Blaney has stated that the future of the No. 22 Toyota is “up in the air” as they have no sponsorship at all for the 2009 season. Of course their usual sponsor, Caterpillar, jumped ship and moved to the No. 31 driven by Jeff Burton for Richard Childress Racing.

Stewart Haas Racing still lack sponsorship for Newman: Ryan Newman’s No. 39 Chevrolet has sponsorship for a good chunk (22 races) of the 2009 season from the U.S. Army, but they still need to lock down sponsorship for the remaining 14 races in 2009. Rumor has Burger King as the front runner.

Kenseth extends with Roush-Fenway: Matt Kenseth won’t be the next big free agent on the market. He signed a multi-year contract extension with Roush-Fenway Racing a few weeks ago.

Speed will drive for Red Bull in ‘09, switch to No. 82: In a move that was expected for quite some time now, Scott Speed will drive for Red Bull Racing full time in 2009 behind the wheel of the No. 82, the former No. 84 that A.J. Allmendinger drove for the better part of the last two seasons.

Posted in: NASCAR • Allmendinger • Ambrose • Bill Davis • Bill Elliott • Blaney • Boston Ventures • Burton • Daytona 500 • Earnhardt • Evernham • Ganassi • Gillett • JTG Daughtery • Kenseth • Labonte • McCumbee • Newman • Petty • Red Bull • Scott Speed • Sorenson • Stewart Haas • Wood Brothers | Post a Comment »

Pork Roll……

November 20th, 2008, 7:09 pm by adamfenwickstar

I’m a little surprised that more people don’t know about Pork Roll in this area of the country. It seems to me (and my father as well) that it would be the perfect southern food. You can cook it just about any way you want and each way it tastes great.

For those that aren’t in the know, Pork Roll is a northern food, mainly restricted it seems to New Jersey and parts of Pennsylvania. According to the all powerful Wikipedia (sarcasm abounds) Pork Roll, otherwise known as Taylor Ham, was created by one John Taylor of Trenton, New Jersey. It is referred to as Pork Roll because of the “roll” or tube-like sack it comes traditionally packaged in.

My family, being from New Jersey originally, all love this stuff. When we get to have it we almost fight each other for it. I’ll admit, it’s not exactly the healthiest of foods, but sometimes the best foods aren’t that healthy at all.

The typical way of preparing Pork Roll, at least in my family, is frying in a frying pan. If you bought the actual “roll” like my family usually does, you want to slice it pretty thick, at least 1/4 of an inch. Once done, just throw it in the frying pan and let it sizzle away. Flip it a few times and after a few minutes once it is throughly cooked throw it on a hamburger bun and serve. Tasty tasty tasty.

A hint: If you have more than one frying pan try to reserve one pan for your pork roll and DON’T CLEAN IT. If you can let the grease build up on the frying pan the meat will have a better flavor. But, if your health consciouses, I wouldn’t even eat the stuff.

Anyway, I’m going to go eat my supper, which just happens to be some boxed Pork Roll I found today at Harris Teeter in Shelby. It ain’t great, but it is DEFIANTLY Pork Roll.

Posted in: Everyday life • Harris Teeter • Pork roll • shelby • Taylor Ham | 6 Comments »