In loving memory of Charlie Dean's Daddy...RIP Jason

Driven on Sundays, but Never in the Heat of Competition

Found an amazing article about Denny Hamlin and his new car on the New York Times website. Check out the full story here. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/09/automobiles/collectibles/driven-on-sundays-but-never-in-competition.html?_r=0

You're Kidding Right?

I recently read a tweet by Penny who said that she did an interview with Denny Hamlin this week.  Funny, it was the exact same words I wrote from the chat I had with Denny.  Only my name, my laughter and the closing remark were edited out.  After confronting her on Twitter, she claims that Becca gave her permission to post it.  That's funny, your tweet claimed that you did the interview, now your answer has changed.  Well, I am that Becca and I will never ever give anyone permission to steal my work and pass it off as theirs. 

After threatening a lawsuit, she tells me that I am not the Becca she talks to on Facebook and she has proof. There is only ONE Becca and that is me. I don't have conversations about Denny on Facebook or about this blog or any of its posts! 

It is fun to share interviews and inside information with fans.  It is not fun to be plagerized and lied on.  I was warned about this person, but foolishly I didn't believe it.  I gave her the benefit of the doubt and I got burned. 

Make no mistake...all my work is original. If it isn't I give credit where credit is due!  Every interview I publish I went straight to the source and got the words straight from him.  This person who claims to have done MY interview has been blocked repeatedly by Denny himself and is pretending to be several people online to get to someone she is obsessed with.  Funny how someone who is off their medication can ruin the fun for everyone else....

I got your number Penny, Alex, Amy!  This is war.

Don't mess with me!

I recently did a personal interview with Denny Hamlin in which he answered questions for me for my blog.  Now it is being plagerized by a psycho claiming she did the interview.  Not cool at all!  I do not appreciate my work being taken and used as someone else's work!  If it isn't corrected immediately there will be legal action taken against this person.  Do not read my blog and steal what I write.  I'm sorry you aren't who you claim to be and you need to STEAL from others to keep your lie going but don't come to me with your problem.  You will have a bigger one when all is said and done!

Interview with Denny Hamlin

I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Denny Hamlin this week.  Here is what he had to say.

Becca:  Hi Denny.  First I want to say how good it is to see you back in the #11 car! You sure were missed while you were out for your injury.

Denny:Thank you, it's good to be back.

Becca: How is your back doing?

Denny:  After we cut down a tire at Dover this past weekend my back is pretty sore. I try to take it easy while I'm at home, to get it back in shape for the next race.

Becca: What did you learn during your time on the pit box? How have you used what you learned to make improvements in the car?

Denny:  I've learned how intense it is just watching the driver struggle. While Vickers drove for me I would try to work with him on how the car was and tell him the best things to do for it.

Becca:  How are you feeling about your chances to make the chase?

Denny:  I feel that if we win a few races before the chase starts we will make the wild card. We have been consistent for the most part just haven't quite got where we need to be.

Becca:  What track(s) are you looking forward to that you know you have a good chance to win at? What track(s) are you dreading?

Denny:  Pocono is where I'm pretty good at. It is also one of my favorite tracks. I'm not looking forward to the road course races because we are never good there

Becca:What sports are you watching and keeping an eye on right now?

Denny:  I watch basketball and football mostly. I'm a big Virginia Tech fan.

Becca:  Are you watching any of the NBA or Hockey finals?

Denny:  I'm not a fan of hockey, but I will be watching the NBA finals.

Becca: Care to say who you're rooting for in the NBA finals?

Denny:  Well the Lakers sucked this year, so not them.

Becca: *laughs*

Denny:  Heat vs Spurs is gonna be a good game.  I will be watching, they are both good teams and it will be an exciting game to watch.

Thank you for taking time out to answer a few questions with me, it means a lot to us.  Keep resting and taking care of your back.  We're keeping you in our prayers and cheering you on every race day.

Denny: No problem, Becca. Thank you for your support.

Quite the Return

The look of relief and sheer exhaustion on Denny Hamlin's face at the end of 501 miles at The Track Too Tough to Tame said it all!  It was a grueling battle that left the #11 wounded warrior totally spent.  My favorite track on the circuit proved to be quite the arena to show the NASCAR world that rusty or not, Denny Hamlin was back and ready to rumble.  He fought all night against a gritty track and competitors that were looking to see if there were any cracks in the foundation of the FedEx team and its driver. They found none.  A solid second place finish helped move Hamlin up four spots in the point standings, which is definitely an improvement.  But the battle isn't over yet.

Next weekend, the All Star event gives Hamlin a chance to have some fun, race with his friends and not worry about points.  Always an exciting event, it will be wonderful to be at home for two weeks and relax a little.  The most exciting part of the entire race season, All Star weekend is always a lot of fun for the drivers and the fans.  And it is a much needed reprieve before the Coca Cola 600. 

All in all, last night's Southern 500 at Darlington was a great race with amazing results.  Watching Denny stretch before he climbed behind the wheel made me a little nervous, but I'm thankful he made it out of the race in one piece and gave Joe Gibbs Racing a 1-2 finish.  If there was ever any doubt that Hamlin is fighting hard for wins and to secure a spot in the chase, that is all but erased from even the biggest skeptics mind.  Hamlin is ready and his fans are elated.  Welcome back, Denny.  You have made us proud!

Future Still Unclear

When Denny Hamlin crashed in Fontana, California, my heart literally shattered into pieces.  I yelled "NO" repeatedly and cried as if I'd just lost a member of my family.  I was deeply effected by his injury and have struggled to write a fitting blog post to express how I feel. 

I've experienced a wide range of emotions that have been beyond difficult to convey.  I was angry with Joey Logano for his ignorant and callous comments following the on-track incident that left Denny Hamlin in a helicopter flying to the hospital.  I was angry that even after he realized Hamlin was injured so severely, he took no blame and showed no remorse.  And I must admit I take great joy in seeing him standing in the inspection line while the pre race activities were going on and being sent to the back of the field after having parts taken from his car.  Karma truly is a wonderful thing. 

But anger isn't the only emotion that has gripped me since that fateful day.  I've been worried sick for the welfare of my favorite driver.  It has been my worst nightmare to see him in a back brace with a broken back.  Knowing that such a successful driver is dropping in points is devastating.  Were he still in the car, he would no doubt be top 5 in the standings and possibly have a victory or two to his name.  His house should have one more Grandfather clock and a Richmond trophy in the trophy case.  And his charity race should have been won by Hamlin himself.

Seeing Denny on the pit box, giving advice to Brian Vickers and watching his car being driven by someone else is gutwrenching.  I never thought I'd see the day.  Denny looks better than I've ever seen him, he looks healthy and happy, and the sight of him in street clothes is certainly a refreshing vision on race day.  There are some up sides to his down time and his sweet baby girl is on the receiving end of lots of time with Daddy.  Certainly makes being hurt much less painful.  But Hamlin belongs in that race car, period.

Now the true consequences of taking a head on collision with a concrete wall, minus a SAFER barrier, are starting to become clearer. 

What did the doctors see that is keeping you out of this race?"They were -- during our call yesterday they were speaking as much Chinese as I could understand. I saw the scan and saw the healing that they were talking about. However, some kind of in-plate is not healing the way that they wanted it and that's what they wanted in order to clear me. Really, that was their determining factor and, obviously, my injury is very, very hard because there is no exact science to the risk. They don't -- no one knows what the risk will be if I race this week or if I race two weeks from now. Bone healing is completely subjective. It takes bone healing a year most times to be 100 percent, so how do you quantify how much more risk is there this week versus two weeks down the road or three weeks down the road or two months down the road, so that's the tough part of it -- everyone is erring on the cautious side because no one ultimately wants to be responsible and have their name on the line of clearing a driver and then he goes out and gets hurt."

Do you still feel like you can compete in a portion of the Talladega race?
"They all came to the conclusion they were happy with me starting Talladega and getting out when it's a safe time to get out. Ultimately, we even talked about doing that here at Richmond, but it's unfair to the team for me to get out and then go three or four laps down on pit road and really know that the team's not going to finish any better than 35th -- why would they even show up for that? So, I think it's better for them to at least have a chance to win with one full-time driver and we decided not to do that this weekend and we'll start our process at Talladega and then rescan again and try to go to Darlington."

Is there a possibility of surgery?
"We talked briefly about the injury that I deal with every day and that was not the main focus of our conversation, but I think that it is going to be a possibility in the off-season. If I get back to it in a timely fashion in the Cup Series this year then am still able to salvage some kind of season, then obviously it's not going to be an option until the off-season. So, either way, I'd like to get it fixed and get it over with."

At what point will you consider not returning this season?
"I think if this goes past Darlington then I don't know what the chances of us making the Chase are even if we were to race this weekend, race next weekend or the one after -- I don't know the chances. There's a lot of good teams that you have to beat to guarantee you're going to win the races. Obviously, if it goes past Darlington our chances are crushed even harder. Eventually you have to have a shut down point of not going out there and racing for nothing at a point. I think a recovery on the kind of surgery that I would like to have is about a month-and-a-half or so -- I could potentially come back maybe for the tail end of the year. It wouldn't be a season-ending -- I don't think anything would be season-ending I guess you could say. Eventually you have to know the point at which you're looking at improbabilities of making the Chase and just being smart about it. If everyone keeps getting these penalties, I'm going to be the points leader soon."

This is the point where racing next week isn't as important as racing ever again. And that is the most frightening thought of all.  I care deeply for the man in that #11 car, and the idea of a season without him is shattering.  But there is something more disconcerting.  The idea of someone else in that #11 car, permanently.  My prayer is that Denny will continue to heal and improve like he has in such a short time.  That if surgery is required, it will be the greatest success story ever and he will be relieved of all back pain forever.  And that I will see him win Championships and many more races.  That he will be better than ever and keep me glued to my TV and cheering for him week after week.

My two year old son is a huge fan of Denny Hamlin.  He is still two young to realize there are other drivers besides his favorite.  He yells "De" when he sees him and lately I've had to tell him "Denny isn't racing this week, remember he got hurt?" to which he asks "OK?".  It breaks my heart to have to tell him, no he isn't ok but he will be.  He hangs his little head, covers his face with his hands and starts to cry.  That tiny pouty lip and real tears break this Mom's heart.  I ask him, "Who's the greatest race car driver in the world?"   And without hesitation he screams "DE"! I agree son, I agree.

I hope that Aaron is graduating college when he watches Denny retire, after one of the greatest racing careers since Dale Earnhardt.  And I'm praying for the very best.  This entire ordeal has taught me that life is fragile, we are delicate, and nothing is worth our future.  Not a disagreement over how you were raced, not anger over 'being a bad teammate' or any other flimsy excuse Joey Logano used to convince himself his massive stupidity was justified.  Every inch of every racing surface at every race track should have a SAFER barrier.  The penalties should be more severe for intentionally wrecking another driver than they are for parts that don't conform to the rules in engines that team owners have no way of tampering with.  I think NASCAR has gotten it deadly wrong and I'm not willing to sacrifice my driver to prove this point. 

I'm beyond elated to see Denny Hamlin back in the FedEx Toyota at Talladega this weekend.  For a few laps or the entire race, I want to see him in his fire suit where he belongs.  Despite the fact that Dega is my least favorite track and one that terrifies me beyond words.  Because I miss him racing and know that not doing what he loves is killing him even more than it is me.  I pray that he continues to heal and takes the track by storm when he returns full time.  My wish is that this injury motiviates him to race his heart out and win every race he drives in.  Nothing silences the rivals like trips to Victory Lane.  What a celebration it will be when he drives into the winner's circle and shuts Joey Logano up for good. 

Joey, I believe you forget who took you under his wing, guided you and advised you.  Treated you like a little brother and celebrated all your successes.  I believe you forget that Denny Hamlin is a better race car driver than you will ever be, no matter what team you drive for and you couldn't hold his helmet, or outrace him for one lap let alone beat him for a win.  You sir, and I use that term as loosely as possible, let NNS success go to your head and your arrogant attitude will be your downfall.  I have reserved my front row seat to your demise and look forward to watching you crumble back into the dust you were before Joe Gibbs took a chance on you.  Be careful who you step on as you try to climb the ladder of success. They are the same faces you have to look into as you fall back down. 

Toyota Owners 400 ~ Richmond

Denny Hamlin delivers for Red Cross

Denny Hamlin disturbed by lack of SAFER barriers

by Jeff Gluck USA Today

Hamlin believes SAFER barriers should be everywhere at every track, talks about tweeting Joey Logano and says he's still waiting to be cleared to return to racing

Denny Hamlin won't be racing this weekend at Richmond and he remains frustrated about how he ended up sidelined in the first place.
Hamlin said he finds it hard to believe that tracks like Texas Motor Speedway and Auto Club Speedway — where he was injured last month — don't have protective SAFER barriers covering every inch of their concrete walls.
"I have a picture of Texas Motor Speedway with highlighted areas of the racetrack where there are no SAFER barriers — and it's an overwhelming amount of spots," Hamlin said. "We just ran 196 (mph) there in qualifying. So that disturbs me. There are a lot of people making money in NASCAR, so let's help it be SAFER barriers where they should be – especially at these very very fast racetracks."
HAMLIN: Anxious to return but appreciates the view
Though Hamlin said he was just "unlucky" in Fontana — he hit one of the few spots that didn't have a soft wall, he said — Texas was more glaring. He called it "a little disturbing" that the racetracks would not be more proactive with safety measures.
"Somebody needs to cut their profit margin and contribute to making our sport safer," he said.
Texas Motor Speedway president Eddie Gossage was not available for comment.
NASCAR: Levies harsh penalties against Matt Kenseth
COLUMN: NASCAR had no choice with Kenseth
Following Hamlin's crash at Fontana, Sprint Cup director John Darby said the area at Auto Club Speedway would be reviewed by NASCAR and its coalition of independent safety experts who are employed to make suggestions on track improvements. Darby said that there could be consequences for a track if recommendations for safety improvement aren't implemented. Sanctioning agreements hold that tracks risk losing races if they aren't in compliance with NASCAR directives.
Auto Club Speedway spokesman David Talley told USA TODAY Sports the day after the March 24 race that the track would follow any recommendations made by the review.
Hamlin touched on several other topics after delivering Red Cross supplies to The Grooming Lounge, a barbershop which is a FedEx customer in downtown Washington:
-- Joey Logano. Hamlin has been poking at his rival on Twitter, even as recently as Sunday (when Logano was collected in a crash with Kyle Busch).
Hamlin acknowledged he was "probably just overly bitter" because contact with Logano put him out of the car, but said was tweeting as much out of boredom as anything.
"I was very, very close to tweeting him right before Texas (when Logano's car had trouble in inspection) saying, 'Hey, man, I've got a spot right beside me if you want to sit down and watch this race,' " Hamlin said. "I hit the delete button right before I sent that. I'm just poking fun and trying to entertain myself during my time off."
-- His future. If Hamlin isn't cleared anytime soon (he plans to start Talladega and get out of the car at the first caution if doctors allow), he'll "strongly consider" having surgery that could put him out for the entire season.
Hamlin has been battling bulging discs in his back for several years, and the Fontana crash made the problem much worse, he said.
The decision comes down to whether he wants to undergo a surgery that could have two outcomes: "Get better for the rest of my life or put myself in a small risk where I can never drive again.
"For me, as much pain as I'm in every day, I'm willing to take the risk," he said. "... I'm at the point now that if they don't let me back in the car in a timely fashion – where I'm just going to be racing for nothing the rest of the year – I'd just as soon do it now and get it over with and be strong and ready to go."
If the surgery isn't done now, Hamlin said he'll wait until the end of the season