Ryan Blaney #12 Peak/Menard’s Ford Fusion-The 2018 Menard’s template works well, and this scheme looks good. This shade of yellow is also good. No complaints here! A
Justin Marks #51 Harry’s Razors Chevy Camaro-While the color scheme is decent, and the design is decent, they don’t work with each other. They aren’t bad by themselves, but as a combo, it doesn’t look good. C+
Hailing from the sleepy little town of Ovalo, Texas, Colin Braun started racing karts at age 6, and has raced all over the world, including France, Japan, Monaco, and Spain. In 2006, at 17, Braun became the youngest driver to race in a Daytona prototype in the Grand Am Rolex Sports Car Series. He would win two races that year, the 2006 Brumos Porsche 250 and the 2006 Porsche 250 Presented by Bradley Arant. The next year, while still racing in the Rolex Sports Car Series, he made his NASCAR debut.
Braun made his Xfinity and Truck Series debut in 2007, During his NASCAR career, he raced 31 races, had 1 top 5, 6 top 10’s, and two poles. In his Truck Series career, he raced in 53 races, had 1 win, 12 top 5’s, 23 top 10’s, and 5 poles. From 2011-2013, he raced in the American Le Mans Series, having won 5 races in 22 start sand 19 podiums. In 2014, he started racing in the Weathertech SportsCar Championship, and in 41 races, had 8 wins, and 19 podiums. In 2009, at the 2009 Michigan 200, he won the race. One of his crew members wore this Conway Freight pit crew suit, and was awarded a victory lane hat.The suit shows a decent amount of use, with a number of stains.The collar is a standard collar, with CONWAY FREIGHT logos embroidered into them.The older style Simpson Warranty Tag is present, as well as a SIMPSON MTO 19 tag.The right chest features NASCAR CRAFTSMAN TRUCK SERIES, FORD RACING, VALVOLNE, ROUSH FENWAY RACING, CITI, KRAFT MACARONI AND CHEESE DINNER, COCA-COLA, and GOODYEAR logos embroidered into it.The left chest features a CONWAY FREIGHT logo, and a large amount of blank space.The front torso features a large CONWAY FREIGHT logo embroidered in blue, on the white background.The shoulder epaulets features blue CONWAY FREIGHT logos, as well as SIMPSON logos embroidered into them.The right sleeve features embroidered MAC TOOLS, SHERWIN WILLIAMS AUTOMOTIVE FINISHES, NORTHERN TOOL + EQUIPMENT, and SUNOCO logos on the upper portion, and a CONWAY FREIGHT logo in television position.The left sleeve features NASCAR, FORD RACING, ZAXBY’S, and CITI logos embroidered, and a CONWAY FREIGHT logo in television position.The back of the jacket shows some staining.The back of the jacket features the Truck Series number 6.The back torso features a ROUSH-FENWAY.COM logo, the name THOMAS, and a CONWAY FREIGHT logo embroidered into it.The pants show a lot of staining.The right leg has CONWAY FREIGHT logos embroidered into them, as well as some decorative flames. There is some staining on the white material.The left leg has CONWAY FREIGHT logos embroidered into them, as well as some decorative flames. There is some staining on the white material.The back of the pants show some stains.The back of the waist features a tag indicating the pants are for B THOMAS, and a Simpson Warranty Label.The back of the pants has the SFI certification, and the belt has a custom rubber CONWAY FREIGHT logo added to it.
On Saturday June 13, 2009, Colin Braun entered the Michicagn 200 at Michigan International Speedway. He led 26 of 100 laps, and won the race, beating Kyle Busch, who led 62 laps. B Thomas, the crew member who wore this suit, was awarded this cap for the victory.The white mesh cap is in great condition, and is a standard crew cap, though WINNER’S CIRCLE MICHIGAN INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY 2009 has been embroidered into it.This suit is another example of the fact that no matter how great a driver is, without a crew, they are nothing. The crew is essential in helping the driver to win races and championships. The crew are in just as much danger as the driver, but they don’t get all of the glory that they deserve. Crew members are the lifeblood of racing, and are just as important as the drivers.
Next week, the pit crew theme continues with another pit crew helmet.
While I like the overall look of the GT40 Mk.IV, this is not a great color. The hood stripe is interrupted, which is visually distracting. The side design has an odd curved stripe, which is also visually distracting, even though it follows the contour of the car. Gone is the great, simple Ford GT40 stripe, and in is a series of stripes that don’t look good. Add in the bad shade of red, and you have a C+ look.
I’m not going to talk about what happened in Parkland, Florida this week. What can I say that hasn’t already been said? I’m not going to talk news, or politics on The Driver Suit Blog. I don’t like writing about it, nobody wants to read it, so I’m going to do my normal article.
Yesterday, I watched the Daytona 500. The race was great, as Daytona races are. As a Dale Earnhardt Sr. fan, it was nice that 20 years after Dale piloted the #3 to his only Daytona 500 victory, Austin Dillon won in the #3. I also watched the Xfinity Series and the Truck series this weekend. NASCAR is back at Atlanta and the NHRA is at Arizona. I’m also waiting for Formula 1 and IndyCar to start, which they will do in March.
I recently discovered something, and for the life of me, I can’t understand it. When did Funko Pop figures become a thing? Why are Funko Pop figures a thing? I don’t go to toy stores, I don’t pay attention to many things besides racing memorabilia, so I tend to miss these things. I don’t get why these things are popular. They look strange, they don’t appear to be pose-able, they are expensive, and they make scary characters, such as a Xenomorph, and Pennywise.
Toys for children make sense. Toys for adult collectors make no sense. Let’s make a toy that you can’t play with, and you can’t even take out of the box, and sell it for more than a parent would ever pay for a child’s toy. How is this profitable? Apparently it is profitable, but I still don’t get it.
Lastly, while I’m not a die hard basketball fan, I did watch and enjoy the NBA All-Star Game, with the exception of the National Anthem. Fergie sang an awful rendition, complete with odd hand gestures, questionable pitch changes, and odd dancing. To paraphrase someone on Twitter, it sounded like a drunk aunt singing at a backyard cookout. As soon as she finished, she then took the opportunity to awkwardly shout “Let’s play some basketball!” which just made things more uncomfortable for everyone.
While many say she sang the worst rendition in history, I wholeheartedly disagree. Christina Aguilera sang a bad version at the Super Bowl a few years ago. John Michael Montgomery and Scott Stapp both had bad renditions, however John Michael Montgomery can be forgiven, since at the time, he was suffering from acoustic neuroma, an inner ear nerve condition. Track star Carl Lewis, whose ego stretches from sea to shining sea sang a horrific version. One of the oddest versions was Madison Rising’s rendition at the 2014 DRIVE4COPD 300, which has to be heard to be believed. But the all-time worst was Roseanne Barr. While Roseanne was trolling the fans, Fergie was taking it seriously. So, to all singers…JUST SING THE ANTHEM, AND STOP GETTING CREATIVE. I’m David G. Firestone, and I approve this message.
Kyle Larson #42 DC Solar Chevy Camaro-This is an over designed car, with a decent color scheme. Seriously, how can the DC Solar designers take an already over designed car and over design it even more? The only thing keeping this grade above water is a good color scheme. D-
Trading cards have always been a fickle business. Mostly geared towards kids, card companies slowly have begun to realize that there are adult collectors out there. In addition, the trading card boom of the late 80’s and 1990’s is now over. In the late 1980’s, card companies began producing more and more cards. They did sell, but it soon became clear that many of these cards wouldn’t have any real value, much like the comic book boom and Beanie Baby boom happening around the same time.
In order to bring buyers back, card companies started trying some interesting giveaways. Some worked, like autographs and swatch cards. Others, like the infamous Ty Cobb jersey fiasco, weren’t as successful. Starting as early as 1991, companies started putting autographed cards randomly in packs. As this proved a popular draw, this continued and expanded for many years.
Early autograph cards came in the form of standard 3½ inch by 2½ inch cards, which the subject has signed. I’ve collected a number of 1994 Finish Line Gold signed cards, pulled out of packs. The cards are signed in gold pen. These include Ricky Craven,Ray Evernham signed on a #24 car card,David Green,Dale Jarrett,Robert Presley,and a couple of Hermie Sadler signed cards.As time went on, companies began stepping up their game, and started creating special cards specific to autographs. These have also included some memorabilia swatches. An example is this 2004 Donruss card is a standard 3½ inch by 2½ inch card, with a small piece of wood inside the card, which Kiner signed. Because of the wood, the card is much thicker than normal. The card depicts Kiner in a Pirates uniform. There is a COA of sorts on the back.Standard cards that don’t have memorabilia swatches are standard thickness, and frequently have the driver sign the card directly. I have a number of these cards, including this 2004 Wheels Kyle Petty,this 2006 Press Pass Mark Martin,and this 2007 Press pass Cale Gale,Other card companies use stickers, which the player signs, and can be added to the card at a later date. This has led to controversy in the past. This Christy Hemme TriStar card from 2012 is an example of this.With the success of autographed cards, companies began making cards with swatches of game-used memorabilia inside them. This has, to a certain extent, rejuvenated the market. I used to hate these cards, but I’ve softened my stance on them. These started in the early 2000’s, as exampled by this 2003 Eclipse John Andretti/Kyle Petty race-used tire card.The most popular item to put in a card is a uniform swatch. The uniform is usually the most visible part of the player. The uniform is cut into small pieces, usually 1 inch square, and placed in special thick cards. Since these cards are thicker, packs that don’t have these cards have special piece of cardboard. Other uniform pieces, and equipment is put in these cards. Some examples include this Kasey Kahne/Brian Vickers 2005 Press Pass driver suit card,this Ryan Newman 2006 Eclipse car cover card,this 2012 Panini Limited Derrick Rose uniform card,this 2013 Carl Edwards Press Pass tire card,this 2013 Press Pass Denny Hamlin driver suit card, this 2013 Press Pass Elliott Sadler driver suit card,this 2013 Press Pass Michael Waltrip driver suit card,this 2014 Press Pass Carl Edwards driver suit card,this 2014 Press Pass Casey Mears sheet metal card,this 2014 Press Pass Brian Scott driver suit card,and this 2017 Panini Matt Kenseth driver suit card.Not all swatch cards are of athletes. Historical figures are also featured, as exampled by this large swatch 2016 Leaf Jack Ruby Wardrobe card.Sometimes the memorabilia comes from a specific event, This example is a piece of a tire from Kurt Busch’s 2014 Martinsville victory, from Press Pass.Some of the more valuable and desirable swatch cards have multiple pieces from a player. I have a few examples, including this 2013 Press Pass Greg Biffle Driver Suit/Sheet Metal card.And this 2016 Casey Mears Panini Driver Suit/Sheet Metal/Tire card.Sometimes two members of a team, and their memorabilia are featured on cards, such as this 2017 Panini Jamie McMurray/Kyle Larson driver suit card.Early on, when special inserts were still in their infancy, holograms, which were becoming more common, were placed in cards at random. Upper Deck used team logo holograms in their early baseball card series. In 1994, Finish Line Gold added a limited edition Ernie Irvan hologram card, which was limited to 5000 pieces. This example is #2201.Also in 1994, Finish Line Gold randomly inserted phone cards, numbered to 3000. Included were Jeff Gordon, #2083,Ernie Irvan, #803,and Kyle Petty #1155.One seemingly unintended side effect of these various kinds of cards being placed in boxes is the box break. What people on YouTube will do is get boxes, and open all of the packs in the box, and see what kinds of goodies are inside of the box. I’ve done a number of them. I’ve made a compilation of my box beaks:
I hope this trend continues for some time, as it is helping card sell, and the videos are fun to watch.
Tailgating Time:
I promised that I would bring back Tailgating Time, and I’m following through. This is a recipe for Chicken Parm, which is popular now, and would work well for a gathering to watch the Daytona 500!
Chicken Parmesan
8 Servings
Ingredients:
2 pounds chicken cutlets
Garlic salt
8 ounces mushrooms(or more)
1 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
1 teaspoon salad oil
1 tomato sauce
8 teaspoons grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions:
1-Brown chicken in heavy skillet, remove to flat baking dish
2-Sprinkle with garlic salt
3-Cover with mushrooms, mozzarella cheese, tomato sauce, top with Parmesan cheese
4-Cover and bake in 350 degree oven for 40 minutes or until tender, serve with pasta.
Next week, a race-worn pit crew suit that saw victory lane!
Metallic gold is a great color for race cars, and this car is no exception. Putting metallic gold on the GT40 Mk.II, which is already an amazing car to look at results in one amazing look. The white stripes provide a nice contrast on the sides, and I also like the designs around the headlights. Another A look for the GT40!
The NASCAR and NHRA seasons started up again. The NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series started their new season with the Winternationals at Ponoma, and The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series had the Advance Auto Parts Clash. The Clash was a pleasure to watch, and I had a great time watching it, and the qualifying for the Daytona 500.
But the NHRA was marred with a decent amount of engine explosions and crashes. On Friday, John Force suffered an engine explosion, and was taken to the hospital for observation. The worst one of the bunch was Brittany Force. On Sunday, during her first elimination round against Terry Haddock, Force suffered a scary crash. While she escaped serious injury, she was taken to a local hospital for observation.
While both are fine, it should be noted that the NHRA made the correct decision to err on the side of caution, and send both to the hospital for observation. The safety culture of racing is always improving, and this is another example. Concussion protocol needs to be in all sports, not just contact ones. Brain damage is a dangerous thing, and the will to compete can and will override the fear of further damage.
The ability of race car drivers to compartmentalize has been well documented. When the driver climbs into the car, every other worry goes out the window. The driver is solely focused on the race. In a situation where a driver has a concussion, whether they realize it or not, that mindset can be dangerous, and maybe even fatal. In some situations, the driver has to be forced out of the car, for their own good.
Let’s go back to 1996, specifically the Save Mart Supermarkets 300 at Sonoma, then Sears Point. Ricky Craven had suffered a wreck at Talladega the previous week. While Craven suffered a concussion, he decided that racing for the championship was more important than being healthy. The original plan for Sears Point was for Craven to race the first lap, and was supposed to be replaced by Ron Horniday Jr. after the first lap. He raced a second lap, and was promptly black flagged, and was replaced. Similarly, in 2014, Angelle Sampey suffered an off-track injury in Las Vegas, and the pain and damage forced her to withdraw from the event, and she missed the rest of the 2014 season.
Auto Racing is one of, if not the most dangerous sports for competitors, and safety should be the main focus. Don’t listen to the fans, do what is best for the drivers. No real race fan wants to see a driver die. IndyCar and F1 have learned this lesson the hard way in the last few years, and I hope that most sanctioning bodies do what they have to to keep from learning the hard way.
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