Machine Gun Monday

I am not some racing expert, but I do appreciate what those guys do and I do often pop on a race to see the final 30-60 minutes on a typical Sunday afternoon to see the grand finale. Its not unlike how I try to watch various NBA playoff games, really. Swoop in for the end and the big finish.

Machine Gun Mondays leads with Nascar? You know it. Yesterday might have been the biggest finish of all. The video below tells a good portion of the story. Basically, at the time you join the video here, Brad Keselowski is trailing Carl Edwards with the final race to the finish line left. Keselowski and Edwards just worked together to draft past the former leaders, Ryan Newman and Dale Earnhardt, Jr, in an absolute stunning back stretch. So, around turns 3 and 4 they go, and Keselowski decides to go for the win in just his 5th ever start in the big leagues.



Edwards decides to try to keep him from passing, and that costs Carl Edwards the win, and even a top 20 finish. It also could have cost him far more, but thanks to some combination of technology in safety precautions and luck, it appears that there were only minor injuries in the crowd and Edwards was no worse for the wear.

The New York Times Report …

Carl Edwards was going approximately 190 miles per hour when his 3,400-pound racecar went airborne Sunday. He was flying toward grandstand fencing and spectators.

“That made me a little bit nervous,” Edwards said.

Seven people in the stands at Talladega Superspeedway were injured by flying debris, none seriously, when Edwards’s car bounced off the reinforced catch fence above a wall separating fans from the track. The most serious injury, according to track officials, was a woman who had a cut lip and a broken jaw.

Edwards was leading the Aaron’s 499 when he tried to block Brad Keselowski, who was in second place. Keselowski got the nose of his car inside the left rear panel of Edwards’s car and clipped Edwards, sending the car into the air. As Edwards wrecked, Keselowski kept racing to capture his first victory.

“The rule is you can’t go below the yellow line and he blocked and I wasn’t going below it,” Keselowski said, referring to the yellow line on the bottom of the track that drivers are penalized for crossing.

Keselowski, 25, racing in just his fifth Sprint Cup event, held off Dale Earnhardt Jr., in second, who owns the car Keselowski drives in the Nationwide Series.

If you are wondering, Edwards did not blame Keselowski at all, saying it was actually his fault for not knowing he was down there until it was too late.

Amazing video below.



And since I have you here, how about all sorts of youtube goodness in what will pass for a Machine Gun
Monday – Youtube Style:

Who is Jason Williams of Western Illinois? Besides the first pick of the Cowboys in the draft on Sunday, I have no idea. But here is the best I could find:



Hopefully, you are enjoying some playoff hockey. I am enjoying a few different series, including the Penguins (the further adventures of Bill Guerin), the Blackhawks (my childhood heroes return to the playoffs), and the Capitals.

I only watch Capitals hockey for 1 reason. The same reason anyone who loves hockey watches them. I love Alex Ovechkin. I have never loved a Russian, but OV is worth it. Amazing. When Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby joined the NHL at the same time, you could tell that the league and Madison Avenue thought we were all going to love Crosby.

We like Crosby. But hockey fans love Ovechkin.

Here is another wonder goal from the grinning Russian.



And even better, here is a profile on him in 2 parts from last week’s E60:

Part 1



Part 2



And finally, Tom Gribble vs Greg Popovich. Attaboy, Tommy!