"Shine" the Mechanic

UPDATE: I ended up paying for premium (I know…😒) which gave me access to a “review” button on the original flag notification. I hit it and 5mins later got a notification saying my account doesn’t contain any violations and the label is lifted. I have read about others going through this, only to be re-flagged again shortly after, and being stuck in that endless loop. So we’ll see what happens…

Many fab guys found themselves on the outside when the Next Gen came in. It was the end of a true era of artistry. Mr H. has done a phenomenal job keeping his people employed - whether it be with the race teams or his other companies - and that should be applauded. Go get some, Rev! Bring you home another one!👊🫡

I don’t know how anyone could watch O’Reilly this year - especially after this Homestead race - and consider anything different. Even if we had to go to a modular chassis, it MUST be a truck arm/live rear car. It’s essential.

So happy for Justin, Andy O, Rick B, Dale and Kelley, and everyone at JRM. Champs x2! Hell of a job everyone!👊🫡

Well that was awfully performative… Filmed in a particularly photogenic room with real race cars in it, sitting in front of a tripod. And the quintessential content-creator-cliche “I have to show the bad with the good”… He doesn’t get it…

Been there, done that… From the famous Eddie Partridge 6, to the famous Roush 6. Very cool.👍🫡

Nobody could be more spot on than Rick is here (no surprise). Today shouldn’t be the embarrassing day - Sunday should’ve been. It further demonstrates how Hocevar just doesn’t get it, unfortunately - like, AT ALL.

Correction: O’Donnell informed Dickerson they were going to suspend Hocevar, and gave him the option to do it first. That way NASCAR doesn’t have to make the somewhat-controversial call, and Dickerson gets brownie points for disciplining Hocevar.

This is where @NASCAR needs to regain control of the situation. Stop worrying about the minutia of wording/phrasing, or whether the driver admitted it or not. This is as straightforward as common sense can get. The sanctioning body can either regain control, or open the flood gates with its complicity. Should be a no-brainer.🫡

It’s always “I don’t know” with that 💩-eating grin, and awkward shoulder/head sway. It’s beyond insufferable. Time to grow up - like yesterday…

It’s that kind of indefensible behavior that makes Hocevar no different than a petulant child.

I can’t believe how many folks are missing this, calling it a “nothing burger”. The entire purpose of this press conference was to force RFK’s hand. “I’m scheduling a press conference - it’s up to YOU(RFK) to determine the optics.” It was a masterclass of negotiating this particular situation. No surprise, as Brad is smarter than most know.

Travis’ argument is totally objective - I promise… Especially considering it involved Larson…🤭🫡

FYI: Yellow line controversy. There’s one key detail that is being missed in all of this. The sanctioning body does not make a determination based on a single still photo (such as the one everybody wants to use as the smoking gun). It’s a combination of video/photo from multiple different angles, that must show consistent CONCLUSIVE evidence, amongst several different factors. Furthermore, every incident is assessed independently of any other prior incident. Just because a prior determination (Haley?) may or may not have been botched, it doesn’t redefine the standards moving forward. No two incidents in racing are exactly the same.

This was way cooler than the 77 celebration in the spring! Got the kids hanging out the hatch and windows with the flag! Get on this @Lionel_Racing! Just no PeeWee Hocevar looking figures, please!🤙🫡

I know some of y’all love throwing around the “hater” tag, so here’s the deal: I don’t hate Cleetus. At all. He might as well be ‘Joe Blow from Idaho’. He simply has no business running in a top-3 NASCAR/stock car series - nevermind at a plate track. He’s running against fields that are 98% comprised of drivers who have been racing (stock cars, or other applicable forms) every weekend since they were single-digit ages (and no - Crown Vics are not applicable in the least). Nobody can show up 5 times a year with no experience, and make any meaningful progress. Which is why he’s way in over his head. Can he spike the ratings for a race when he runs? Sure. Will he have 30k people watching his in-car stream? Sure. But how much of that is actually moving the viewership needle in any meaningful/long-term and measurable way? Certainly nowhere near enough to justify undermining the safety and credibility of the sport, as well as devaluing the series and the other drivers in it. That’s not hate; that’s reality. This is a top-3 series of stock car racing in the world. It’s not a playground for “content creators”.

Seriously, though… That far back, not even in the draft? There’s a reason EVERYONE ELSE was checking up… Y’all who were all in on lynch mobbing Natalie, I’ll expect the same energy here…

Cleetus all the way in from left field:

If Cleetus takes anyone out, I hope it’s Tony Stewart… You know Smoke would give us something for the history books…🤙🫡

This is so legendary. Quintessential 90’s SS racing: 1900lbs with 2 rubbers on the RF 380lbs on the RR I’d code-name this setup ‘The Squatty Potty’😆🫡