Race Journal Online by Carol Einarsson

"I believe anybody who tells you he is unbiased is a liar. Being human gives you bias, and you can't avoid that. The best you can ever hope to be is fair."
-David Poole

Click to read David Poole tribute

RJO's Favorite Charities

Good friends of RJO

Joe Gibbs is Happy to be Second. Do you know why?

Official Beasts of RJO

07/30/1993 - 01/11/2010

What I Like About You

What I Like About You: Juan Pablo Montoya - From F1 to NASCAR, He Hasn't Changed By Carol Einarsson \| 12/11/2009

*An Excerpt:* I like that you love radio-controlled airplanes and building them in your shop. I like that you are sarcastic and that your humor is so evident in the Juicy Fruit commercial you did. "Hey, don't look at me, I'm not your puppet!" I like that you sometimes tweet in Spanish. Read more...
Comments: 12	Last Activity: 12/18/09

What I Like About You: David Reutimann By Carol Einarsson \| 04/02/2009

I like that two and a half years ago when he was named as the second driver at MWR, a lot of people wondered about the choice and might not have even known who he was, but now everyone knows the name (and how to spell it!) I like that David likes Dairy Queen. You have to appreciate a guy who knows good soft-serve ice cream. I like that he drives the 00 because that was his dad's number, and I like that when it was his dad's number, it was actually B-00 for "Buzzie's 00", and everyone called it the "boo car". I like that he has dogs. Miniature Dachshunds, but still, they're dogs. I like that he is a third-generation racer because the best racing stories are those that run down family lines. I like that he has a new nickname at MWR: "The Franchise." They've even put it on the side of his car. Read more...
Comments: 9	Last Activity: 04/03/09

What I Like About You: Greg Biffle By Carol Einarsson \| 12/04/2008

I like that you have an affection for animals and have a foundation that benefits them. And I like that the foundation organizes the transport of 40 puppies a month from kill shelters in the South to a no-kill shelter in New York to save their lives and give them homes. When I think of puppies with new homes, I think of children with big smiles. Read more...
Comments: 0	Last Activity: None

What I Like About You: Chad Knaus By Carol Einarsson \| 10/19/2008

I like that you won the first ever Crew Chief of the Year award, and you did it in your rookie season, too! Almost like you did such a good job they knew they had to start an award for that. I like that when you were still just a kid, you were crew chief for your own dad at local tracks. That also means you've got a really cool dad, and we like him, too. I like that you have "moved up through the ranks" in a way that gives hope to a lot of guys just starting out on race teams -- or crew chiefing for their dads somewhere in the Midwest. I like what you learned in 2004 -- winning the most races you'd ever won in a season doesn't necessarily get you a championship. I like it not from a race-fan point of view, but I appreciate that you learned what the rules are and you adapted to play NASCAR's new game. And I like what you learned in 2006, that it's not how many races you win, but when you win them. That's what's likely to get you a third straight championship this year. Read more...
Comments: 0	Last Activity: None

What I Like About You: Mike Helton By Carol Einarsson \| 08/28/2008

I like that you have a calming effect on Tony Stewart. I like that when Dale, Jr. hid his concussion, you were disappointed not as the president of NASCAR, but as a father-figure that has known him since he was a boy. I like that your souped-up golf cart even has a CD player. I like that your first job in racing was cooking and selling hot dogs and hamburgers at Bristol when you were a teenager and the track was brand new. I like that there doesn't seem to be anything bad that people say about you. Despite the tears that puddle in my eyes each time I see a replay of your announcement, I like that it was you and not anyone else that told us "We've lost Dale Earnhardt." You shouldered it and announced to the world that we had lost Dale even though it was such a personal blow to you. Read more...
Comments: 0	Last Activity: None

What I Like About You: Mike Helton By Carol Einarsson \| 08/14/2008

I like that you have a calming effect on Tony Stewart. I like that when Dale, Jr. hid his concussion, you were disappointed not as the president of NASCAR, but as a father-figure that has known him since he was a boy. I like that your souped-up golf cart even has a CD player. I like that your first job in racing was cooking and selling hot dogs and hamburgers at Bristol when you were a teenager and the track was brand new. I like that there doesn't seem to be anything bad that people say about you. Despite the tears that puddle in my eyes each time I see a replay of your announcement, I like that it was you and not anyone else that told us "We've lost Dale Earnhardt." You shouldered it and announced to the world that we had lost Dale even though it was such a personal blow to you. Read more...
Comments: 0	Last Activity: None

What I Like About You: Denny Hamlin By Carol Einarsson \| 06/27/2008

I like that you race for Joe Gibbs Racing, my favorite owner in the series. I like that your foundation supports cystic fibrosis, because I don't hear a lot of other drivers or athletes supporting that group. I like that in 2006, your first full season, you finished in third place in the Cup Series. I like that in that same year, you ran a full Busch schedule and you finished fourth! I like that in just 95 races, you've led more than 2,000 laps. Read more...
Comments: 0	Last Activity: None

What I Like About You: Andy Hillenburg By Carol Einarsson \| 04/30/2008

I like that your racing career includes everything from quarter midgets to the Indy 500, and from ARCA to Cup, with everything else in between! I like that you seem to be a genuinely happy guy, with one of those smiles that comes easy and often. I like that you were an IROC test driver. I like that you have a big family, with four kids whose initials are A, B, C, and D. I like that you were responsible for providing all the cars for the ESPN movie "3", and that you and your team found and/or built more than sixty race cars for the film. I like that your nickname is Indiana Andy. I like that when you first moved to Charlotte, you found a place to stay - sleeping in Ken Schrader's shop. I like that your first Cup start happened in the first full year of Cup racing that I watched as a new race fan. I like that you've driven the #28 car, even if only while testing for RYR. I like that you're an A-Feature winner at Eldora. Read more...
Comments: 0	Last Activity: None

What I Like About You: Jeff Burton By Carol Einarsson \| 01/17/2008

I like that you are even-tempered. Even when you're frustrated, you can be trusted not to go after a guy after the race or in the pits. You have an admirable sense of self-control. I like that when you won at Texas and put the hat on, you looked natural and not goofy. I like that you understate the importance of your leadership. When Kevin Harvick was nearly in a fight and you walked up to make sure there was no trouble, you later told the media that Kevin had himself under control and you minimized the effect of your intervention so as to promote your teammate. Read more...
Comments: 0	Last Activity: None

What I Like About You: Kyle Petty By Carol Einarsson \| 07/19/2007

Originally published February 7, 2004, but timeless in its truth about all that I like about Kyle Petty! I like that there's so much to like about Kyle Petty that as I start to write, I find that I don't know where to start. I like that smile, of course. I like that he prays with his kids every night. I like that he has a heart for charity, and does things not just for the Victory Junction Gang Camp, but also for Make-A-Wish, Boy Scouts, and the Racing Wives Auxiliary. Read more...
Comments: 0	Last Activity: None