As the start of the season rolls up on us faster and faster, I am ready to see some racing…..BUT NOT WHAT I SAW at Irwindale last weekend in the Toyota All Stars Race. I have waited a week to post this so I wouldn’t be so mad!
The ordeal with Peyton Sellers(http://www.peytonsellers.com/index.htm) and “newbie” Joey Lagano, was ….. well it is hard to explain, I had started to allow myself to be a wee bit impressed by the new kid’s talents and driving abilities. I was thinking “well the kid can wheel a car!”. Even though I was not happy about Gibb’s bringing in a up team and car top run this race, I know they just wanted to give Joey some seat time, but this was not right to the drivers who this show was set up for, lower level drivers. But anyway
Coming down to the end of the race Payton Sellers who had worked his way up from the back thru clean driving and hard work was leading, he had held off the top 4 on a good restart, the 25 year old from Danville Va. who has been racing for 18 years ,the guy has over 30 wins and 50 poles at NASCAR sanctioned tracks, he was holding off Lagano the last couple laps when on the last lap turns3 and 4 Lagano decides to put his car in the bottom and try to get under Sellers, well it may of worked on paper but he knew it wouldn’t work, and he slid up and into the side of Sellers taking him out of the race, biggest “bonehead move of the year” then he goes on to cross the line first, but NASCAR actually got it right and nailed Lagano for rough driving and sent him to the back, giving the win to Matt kobyluck.
But the thing that got me really was the after race interview with both drivers, Sellers started his with “thank the Lord for letting me be here,” and he went on to give the nicest version I have ever heard from a driver who just got took slap out of a race! While Lagano on the other hand, spent his interview saying that Sellers clipped him in the right rear!!!!! duh!! when Lagano slid up across the track because he drove in way too hard and way too low yeah sure he made contact with Lagano’s right rear, he didn’t have much choice!!!but for Lagano to sit there and bash the guy he just took out of the race was #1 very unprofessional, #2 a cheap shot #3 a black eye for Gibbs Racing, some one should of stuck a cork in this kids mouth to keep him from running his yap!!!!!
And to think we got a whole season to watch this kid because you know the media is going to be all over him ans the new whiz kid of racing. But I think he will learn soon as he starts running with the big boys, so what will we see? Will he be the new Whiz kid or will he go the way of Casey Atwood and drive off into nowhere land???I guess that will be the next story for NASCAR this year……
Oh joy…….
the dr.
Top of the Box 
Sounds like the kid is full of himself and already has a big head.He has a big time ride so it must have been the little guys fault.He must be above makin a mistake. Let him try that song and dance when he is riding around with the big dogs..They will put him in his place quick. Good read as usual Dr.
It’s amazing how things change. Last year this kid could walk on water due to the fact that Mark Martin raved about him. Everyone was jumping on the bandwagon, now they jump off. The message I see in this sort of thing is that we shouldn’t agree with everything a seasoned driver says. They can be and are wrong in their judgement of talent and poise on the track sometimes.