Well...

Is anyone bold enough to put money on not-Jimmie? I don't know sports betting from a hole in the ground, but Bodog's got Jeff Gordon at 5 to 1.

In all the championship highlights they've been reviewing over the week, the one that always sticks with me is Kurt Busch's wheel falling off in '04.

I've got Gordon winning in my Facebook picks, but I think JJ will do enough to wrap up the title comfortably. It'll be one of those classic end of year statement races (recall Earnhardt and Rusty in '93, Kulwicki and Elliot in '92).

Anything can happen...400 miles start now!

Will JJ take a knee at Homestead?

Gordo said it:

"It's over. It's over," conceded Gordon. "Even if we win it, it's because they have problems. While we'll accept it, we don't want to do it that way.

"Those guys have flat-out killed everybody. And you've got to give credit where credit is due."

A must-have car magazine

The one-off print edition of "High Performance Driving" has definitely given me the racing itch. An incredibly comprehensive and advert-free '101' for the entry level weekend racer, topics range from basic race techniques to a review of North American racing schools, and the newest track designs coming onstream. There's even an excellent op-ed from Richard Diamond, publisher of "The Newspaper".

When the lease on my current urban runabout is up, I'll be looking for something cheap to take to the track. Mid-to-early 90's Miatas are definitely on the radar.

In the meantime, I'll be keeping my eye out for any consulting opportunities with Wilson Motorsport.

[cross-posted to Freeway to Serfdom]

Why the Chase ratings are down...

My theory:

1. Junior's season has been a disaster
2. The Chase is down to two drivers with three races to go
3. Those two drivers happen to be the most hated (I would argue, envied) drivers in all of NASCAR


Above: Ratings Rock Bottom. The Unstoppable Jimmie J wins again as a nation of haters flips over to the Pats and Colts.

Connect those dots!

TSN.ca: Hamilton Wants 'team player' at Mclaren

Lewis Hamilton says he doesn't care who his new teammate is at McLaren next season as long as they are a team player.

McLaren confirmed on Friday they have ended their relationship with two-time world champion Fernando Alonso after just one season. The Spaniard often clashed with team boss Ron Dennis and his practice of not favouring one driver over another.

TSN.ca: Hakkinen retires from DTM racing

Mika Hakkinen has decided to retire from racing in the German DTM series.

The Finn made the announcement on Saturday at the Mercedes-Benz 'Stars and Cars' event in Stuttgart.

[...]

Hakkinen has been racing in the touring car series for the past three years, winning three times with the Mercedes team.

Hakkinen says he will continue his relationship with Mercedes and that an announcement will be made soon about his future plans.

[emphasis mine]

Hamilton-Hakkinen it is!