| "Cheater, cheater, doesn't have a peter." | | | | Mile one-mile concrete track with the extremely |
| So it goes around the garage this weekend, as the | | | | difficult turn exits, one imagines this whole RCR thing |
| biggest story of the Nextel Cup week had very little | | | | will go one of two ways. Either the #29 and #31 will |
| to do with the Chase's first race in Loudon last | | | | be completely pissed-off, and post incredibly good |
| weekend, and much more to do with accusations | | | | results at a track where Harvick finished third and |
| that Richard Childress Racing, and specifically Kevin | | | | Burton finished fourth just a couple months ago. Or |
| Harvick and Jeff Burton, are performing so well | | | | else there'll be distractions, because people remember |
| because they're cheating. | | | | Harvick's crew chief Todd Berrier being suspended |
| Supposedly, there's a possibility that both the #29 | | | | for multiple races in 2005 because of illegal alterations |
| team of Harvick and the #31 team of Burton | | | | he made to the #29. If that's the case, I suppose it's |
| manipulated their tire pressures in New Hampshire, | | | | possible that all these rumors were the work of a |
| inflating their wheels with less air than NASCAR | | | | rival, say, a certain team two of whose members |
| allows. To be even more specific: the report from | | | | had extremely difficult times at New Hampshire, and |
| the SPEED Channel claimed that RCR's teams | | | | currently find themselves at ninth and 10th in the |
| equipped their wheels with "bleeder valves," which | | | | Chase? Et tu, Jimmie Johnson? |
| has nothing to do with what happens when Kyle | | | | Last Week: Harvick may be a cheater, but the |
| Busch shaves, but rather a change to Goodyear rims | | | | money he's making us is real enough. Suh-weet. For |
| that would allow teams to give themselves "optimal | | | | two consecutive weeks, we've won with Harvick |
| pressure performance." Cars run faster with less air in | | | | both in straight-up wagers, and with head-to-head |
| their tires, but are also more prone to bursting tires, | | | | bets (in which, I grant you, he was the favorite) |
| so for safety reasons, NASCAR mandates minimum | | | | against Tony Stewart. At Loudon, Happy's odds |
| tire pressures. | | | | were actually a bit more favorable to our cause, and |
| For their part, NASCAR officials claim the charges | | | | so we netted a positive 1.51 units (on bets totaling 1.5 |
| against RCR are impossible. First off, wheels are | | | | units). Not a bad little doubling of our money, if I do |
| distributed at random before the race, and are | | | | say so myself. That's our sixth consecutive winning |
| actually put on by Goodyear. Second, Nextel Cup | | | | week, and puts us at a net positive 19.27 units for |
| officials do intensive inspections on wheels that go on | | | | the season. We've made money in 19 out of 26 |
| and come off of the cars during the race. And third, | | | | weeks, which isn't all that bad. |
| DeLana Harvick is smoking-hot, and they have a hard | | | | Note: I will make a head-to-head selection late |
| enough time just concentrating on standing upright | | | | Saturday night or on Sunday morning, depending on |
| when they're around her, so sleuthing is right out. | | | | whether the online books post their slate of |
| As the Smokeless Set heads into Dover, the Monster | | | | matchups. Please check back. |