Friday, May 09, 2008

Jimmie Johnson has had an eventful day. The two-time defending champion crashed in both practice sessions Friday.

The first practice session of the day has begun at Darlington and it’s already claimed two cars.

Thursday, May 08, 2008

After months of preparation, all Sprint Cup and Nationwide drivers will test out the new surface at Darlington Raceway.

Wednesday, April 09, 2008

It’s a question that is out there every time Tiger Woods tees off in a golf tournament Take Tiger of take the field.
It’s a tough one that’s for sure.

Monday, March 10, 2008

Many drivers were worried when they heard Darlington Raceway was going to get resurfaced.
Perhaps they looked at how things got messed up when the same thing happened at Lowe’s Motor Speedway and Las Vegas Motor Speedway in recent years.

Friday, February 29, 2008

I admit it I’m a fantasy sports freak.
Whether it’s the NFL, NBA, Major League Baseball or the PGA Tour, I try to get my hand in as much as possible.
This year is the first year I have gotten involved in a competitive NASCAR league and I’m off to a decent start. I’m fifth out of a 16 teams.

Tuesday, February 05, 2008

If you had to question Dishone Gregory’s value to the South Florence basketball team, all you had to do was watch Tuesday’s game against Conway.
Gregory, one of the top scorers in the Pee Dee, had to miss the first half because of disciplinary reasons.

Sunday, February 03, 2008

After covering my first Francis Marion women’s basketball game of the year, I was impressed by the impact Heather Macy has had on the program.
The first-year coach has the Patriots off to a 15-2 start, ranked in the top 25 and leading the Peach Belt conference standings. Macy, who turned a Pfeiffer program in three years, is on her way restoring a once-proud Patriot program, which hasn’t won a conference tournament crown since 1998.

Saturday, February 02, 2008

There are many great rivalries in the Pee Dee.
There is West and South Florence and Lamar and Timmonsville.

Thursday, January 24, 2008

There is never a dull moment when Jack Roush speaks.
In the final session of the Sprint Cup media tour, the longtime car owner took some of the blame for not having his team up to par with the Car of Tomorrow. His teams won just two, both by Carl Edwards, of the 16 COT races.

I got to admit walking into Hendrick Motorsports and seeing Dale Earnhardt Jr. on the stage with Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon was a little strange.
When Earnhardt announced he was leaving DEI for Hendrick, I didn’t know how he would fit in with his more polished teammates. But after seeing him in action, I don’t think he is going to have any problem fitting in. He has done the right things so far all the way down from wearing and tucking in his button-down shirt.

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Just a few observations from Day 2 of the Sprint Cup media tour:

- The more I talk to Juan Montoya and Dario Franchitti, the more you can’t help not like them. Their accents are pretty cool, they always provide good insight and are good at what they do. It will be interesting to see if Montoya can duplicate last year’s success and if Franchitti and the other new open wheel guys can make a splash this year.

Monday, January 21, 2008

Day 1 of the media tour is in the books and it was pretty uneventful. NASCAR CEO Brian France said there would be no major changes for the upcoming season, a move I agree with. There has been just too much for fans to keep up with over the last few years and I think France realizes that turns people away. Just look at the ratings.

Sitting here in my hotel room ready for the annual NASCAR media tour in Charlotte, N.C., to begin. Hard to believe it’s my sixth one of these. The idea for the media tour was started 26 years ago by Lowe’s Motor Speedway president H.A. “Humpy” Wheeler in order to get more publicity for the sport. Now, more than 200 media members from across the country attend this. It’s a good way to meet with all the drivers and teams to get a feel for the upcoming season, which begins in Daytona next month.

Saturday, November 10, 2007

As a reporter, my job is to stay objective. But it’s hard not to root for a guy like Ren McKinnon.
The Coastal Carolina senior quarterback had his season cut short after he fractured his hip in the opener against Delaware State. McKinnon, who already missed a season because of an injury, would have likely played a big role for the Chanticleers.