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I know, I know. Call me a slacker. I am what I am, and that’s all what I am, as Popeye the Sailor Man used to say. Better late than never, as my dad often said on those nights when he stopped for a cold one, or four. Never eat spinach with a stranger was another saying, that seems like it should fit here, but doesn’t.

The digital Fast Laps are back after a couple week hiatus. The respite wasn’t planned, exactly, but it was appreciated by the hack that writes this thing. ON PIT ROW hasn’t missed a beat - Fast Lap wise - and Steve-O and I have had some spirited debate these past two weeks. But it just isn’t the same without you. Damn, that sounds like a Barry Manilow song. Whatever, it’s open testing at OnPitRow.com. Try these three cookiecutter-ish quick ones.
1: Will the lack of testing by Cup teams cause fans to loose interest in NASCAR during the off season?

2: With just two, as of now, drivers slated to run for Rookie of the Year honors in the Cup Series, will that battle be better than the 2008 crop produced?

3: What was a bigger story in 2008; Junior finally winning a race after two years or Jeffy not winning for the first time in 14?

4: What is your wild-yet plausible-prediction for the 2009 season?

Take a shot. Let us know what you think about these four NASCAR related topics. Limit your answers to 100 words or less, but then come back to ridicule your fellow Fast Lappers and to defend your place on the track.

Greg Biffle finally got the win that I and plenty of others had called for at various venues this year.  With what he called a “text-book pass” the Biff relegated Jimmy Johnson to runner-up status at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.  

Johnson was good again.  Tony Stewart was good for a change.  Dale Earnhardt Jr was tough early, and petulant late.  None of them won.  Kyle Busch sucked (maybe because of his crew).  Earnhardt bitched (at his crew).  Stewart apologized (to his crew).  Johnson probably shrugged and told his crew, “we’ll see how good they are at Dover”.

Chase week one is done and gone.  Chase race number two is on deck.  Biffle was probably a long shot to be a factor for the championship before Sunday night.  If he can win at The Monster Mile in Dover - and he’s been among the best there for better than three years - he will stamp himself as the “real deal” in the early playoffs.

This is the Fast Lap blog and it is a comment blog.  We want to read what YOUR opinions are to the four Fast Lap topics which follow.  And then we plan to assault your opinions and cause huge, vociferous debate.  Take a shot.

1: Should NASCAR be more flexible with qualifying and not so quick to cancel-but move it?

2: The much anticipated debut of Joey Logano was not too impressive; was it driver or equipment?

3: Can Kyle Busch’s championship hopes be realized now?

4: Last week it was Stewart/Zippadelli-this week its Earnhardt/Eury. Are these spats showing cracks in their relationships or just idle chatter?

Got any opinions on those babies?  Are you ready to defend your position.  Better yet, are you prepared to have your thoughts thrown out to the ON PIT ROW studio audience?  It could happen.  We want it to happen, in fact.  Come on, I want to argue with you!

Photo credit: Icon Sports Media, Inc.

The last time the Sprint Cup circus visited the left coast the talk was mostly about what all was wrong with - take your pick - springtime weather in California, weeping race tracks, multiple races at Auto Club Speedway of Fontana via Anaheim and the sale of naming rights that create venue names too long and complicated to remember.

This time we can talk about road course specialists - welcome back Boris Said- and those drivers who just can’t seem to get a handle on turning right as well as left - Matt Kenseth comes to mind.

Matt had a nice third place finish at MIS.  He wasn’t happy with Dale Earnhardt Jr getting away with passing the pace car as Junior coaxed more from a tank of gas than anyone this side of Smokey Yunick.  Kasey Kahne and Brian Vickers continued their strong early summer runs.  Tony Stewart had a nice finish and gave away more cash to others in need - this time the flood victims in his Indiana hometown.

But enough of this drivel.  It’s time to argue, Fast Lap style.

1.  Should Junior have been penalized for repeatedly passing the pace car?

2.  Did NASCAR’s closed door meeting with drivers - chastising them for excessive negative comments - contradict its earlier “say what’s on your mind” directive.

3.  Is Joey Logano the real deal or just another over-hyped wannabe?

4.  Would you give up one road course race to see the Cup Series race on a one mile dirt track?

There ought to be something in those four corners that sticks in your craw.  Let us know what you think and then come back later in the week and tell everyone else how wrong they are.  I know I will.  The best and brightest may become part of a future feature ON PIT ROW.

Photo Credit: Icon Sports Media, Inc

Well Darlington didn’t disappoint did it? Between the edge-of-your-seat suspense of waiting for the next car to hit the Lady in Black’s turn four exit wall and the plain gorgeousness of the spectacle of Darlington at night - if Saturday didn’t have it all, it sure had most of it.

The popular favorite to win - Greg Biffle - made an early exit. Biffle edged out Elliott Sadler for pickle-boat status. Not at all what Greg’s fans pictured when he was topping 200 mph at the Darlington Speedway tire tests back in March.

The front of the race belonged to Kyle - boo me, throw beer at me, because I don’t care what you think - Busch. Again. NASCAR is better with someone successful to hate, don’t you think?

We’ll find out what you think. This is the Fast Lap after-all and that’s what the Fast Lap is all about. What do you think of the following four fast, made for the internet questions about what’s hot on the Cup Racing scene?

1. Should the Darlington race stay on Mothers Day weekend or move back to Labor Day?

2. Should NASCAR be concerned with Jeff Gordon’s complaint about Carl Edward’s car looking as if it is going down the track sideways?

3. Is Greg Biffle’s frustration with getting 2nd rate equipment a reason for not signing a contract extension yet?

4. Which retro paint scheme looked best at Darlington; Junior’s, Elliott’s or Kvapil’s?

Tell us what you think. Limit each answer to 100 words or less. Then come back often to defend your positions from the slings and arrows of your fellow Fast Lapper’s. This is the Fast Lap ON PIT ROW. We have plans for the best - and silliest - of the comments we get here. You might just get an invitation to defend yourself on the radio - live.

Darlington just might be my favorite race track in the world. Or maybe it’s Richmond. Both are traditional and unique in their own ways. But the Track Too Tough to Tame is quirkier, which gives Darlington the edge in my mind.

There was a lot to like about Saturday’s Dan Lowry 400 from Richmond International Raceway though.  I liked the way it looked - Richmond under the lights just looks good.  The Speed Racer #43 with the newly re-upped Bobby Labonte at the wheel was spiffy.

Richmond was heartbreaking too.  What else could you call Nationwide race winner, Denny Hamlin’s flat tire after leading the Sprint Cup race all night and getting almost within sight of sweeping his home town weekend.

And the disappointment of Green Nation and Dale Earnhardt Jr himself was palpable.  So close they both were to ending the winless streak at two years, only.  Now it goes on, with Kyle Busch a target to transfer the frustration to.  Racing deal or not, the Shrub took out NASCAR’s most popular driver.

Next up Darlington.  Newly paved and soft-walled the old Lady will be different than before.  While waiting to see, try testing your NASCAR chops on these four newly paved Fast Lap questions.

1.  Was NASCAR’s two lap penalty to Denny Hamlin adequate for stopping on the track to bring out his own caution?

2.  Is Kyle Busch’s style similar to Earnhardt Sr’s?

3.   Will Joey Logano’s domination of the ARCA Carolina 500K vault him into a full time Cup ride before the end of 2009?

4.  Kyle vs Junior or Kyle vs Steven?

All loyal Kyle Busch apologists are saying Rubbin’ is Racin’ this week.  It is.  And the Fast Lap is about rubbin’ too.  Rubbin’ other NASCAR  commentors the wrong way.  Rubbin’ your superior NASCAR knowledge in the faces of your friends.  Bring it on.  We’re planning a new Fast Lap podcast for the new OnPitRadio Page at OnPitRow.com.  We need you more than ever.

Photo credit: Icon Sports Media, Inc.

The pump has been primed.  Kyle Busch won the Kobalt Tools 500 and grabbed the first win for Toyota in Sprint Cup Series competition.  That should have been the biggest story ON PIT ROW in Atlanta, but it wasn’t.

Like an old Paul Simon song, those New Cars were slip-slidin’ away, all day long and a cadre of drivers led by Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon and  Dale Earnhardt Jr let loose on Goodyear for bringing an inadequate tire to the party.

Smoke didn’t complain - he attacked Goodyear and in the end did everything but blame the California weather on the Akron tire maker.  Tony was pretty hot for someone who actually finished second to his rowdy teammate, Kyle Busch.

On Monday, several drivers, current and former, stepped up to defend Goodyear.  Michael and Darrell Waltrip along with Ryan Newman praised Goodyear for erring on the side of safety with the Atlanta tire compound.  It seems kind of funny that Stewart and Gordon, the drivers most recently involved in hard crashes, would be the ones on the flip-side of that argument.

The first Bristol race of 2008 is on tap and it’s a near certainty that heads will be hot in the post-race pits on Sunday.  Goodyear could use the diversion of some hotly contested Fast Laps.  Let these four high-banked testers divert you for a few hundred words.

1.  Is Tony Stewart’s criticism of Goodyear justified?

2.  Now that Toyota has it’s first win, are Jack Roush’s worst fears set to come true?

3.  Was Kyle Busch the right guy to get Toyota’s first win?

4.  Was the #99 team of Carl Edwards, guilty of premeditated down-force addition?

Four Fast turns and you get 100 words or less to respond.  Of course, you can use as many words as you want to put your fellow commenters into the wall.  The Fast Lap blog is about NASCAR debate.  Bring your best and we may use it on our next show.

Photo credit: Icon Sports Media, Inc.

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On Pit Row is glad to be a part of such a great NASCAR fantasy racing game like Champs, Chumps & Sleepers. Grand prize is a Dale Jarrett Racing Adventure. How cool is that?

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