Throwing the brick

By Mike Harper

While the winning driver and team celebrated Indianapolis by kissing the bricks, I found myself looking back and searching for answers to some of this past weekend’s toughest questions.

I’ve got to ask - what on earth were they smoking last Friday night on Larry King Live?

I almost threw a brick at my TV because CNN’s Larry King Live must have been one of the worst television programs ever aired in the history of television. Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly were on the program promoting the Talladega Nights movie and I’ve got to tell you, it ripped.

King interviewed Ferrell and Reilly as they played their characters from the movie. Honestly, I thought it was an absolute train wreck. Sure at times I laughed, but my word, it was simply stupid. I haven’t seen the movie yet, but when I do, I hope it goes better than this horrible display of marketing.

Will someone cut Clint Bowyer a break?

Finishing 4^th at the Brickyard helps, but the guy has had a nightmarish few weeks! At Martinsville he gets team orders from the boss and doesn’t win the race. At Pocono, Tony Stewart wrecks him and during the Busch event in Indianapolis on Saturday night he gets wrecked by Ron Hornaday, who drives his teammate’s car.

I think at some point Bowyer is going to need to bite back because he’s getting pushed around.

Is Tony Stewart stirring the pot?

During a pre-race interview with NBC, Stewart said about Carl Edwards, "Carl I think is starting to show everybody he’s the Eddie Haskell of NASCAR." For those of you young guns out there who have no clue who Eddie Haskell is, he was a character from one of the most popular television shows from the 1950-60’s - "Leave it to Beaver."

According to TV Land, Haskell is described as, "nothing short of an operator. He's all talk and attitude—in other words, a real creep. Eddie's the kind of guy that everyone sees through, except Eddie. He's as oily in his politeness to adults as he is weaselly in his dealings with his peers."

Ouch Tony! After Edwards heard Stewart’s comments he replied, "Tony is just a moron. Great driver, but he’s got a lot to learn."

Tony, Tony, Tony. You’re hanging on to make the Chase and Bristol is only three weeks away. I’d stay away from the other Depot car that night!

Was there really debris?

On lap 85, Kevin Harvick was leading the race and getting ready to lap some cars. Jeff Gordon was the first car a lap down, when a debris caution comes out and the free pass allows Gordon back on the lead lap. NBC never showed the debris and witnesses in the stands didn’t see the debris either. So what gives?

I think showing the debris or the cause of a caution should be mandatory. And not just when Gordon is receiving a free pass, but when all cautions come out. It leaves too many people feeling like someone is playing favorites.

Who’s lucky?

Dale Earnhardt Jr. is! Without the lap 141 caution, Junior would’ve finished outside the top 25 - hurting his chances to make the Chase. Instead, he didn’t pit and ended up finishing 6^th – now he’s back in the top 10.

Questions that make you go hmmm:

Will Michael Waltrip race again in Cup this season?

Did Robby Gordon take Greg Biffle out of the championship chase again? Seems like we saw this dance before.

Will Kasey Kahne make the Chase or now that he’s out of the top 10, is his Chase run over?

Should NBC be allowed to run graphic commercials during it’s NASCAR broadcast? The NBC promo of their show "Heroes" (about the episode "Nikki") was a bit too bloody for the kids don’t-cha-think?

All of this from one weekend of racing - amazing!