Nearly time to saddle up, but with who?

Long time no see folks, been a busy year. I am calling on the wisdom of this group to help with a very perplexing issue for me. Who Can I Pull For In 2013? As Ive stated before I am a Chevy fan, have been since 1972. With none of the Bowtie Jockeys appealing to me and my dislike of both Ford and Toyota, I dont have a driver to cheer for. This is making it very difficult to look forward to next year. So I need your help. Now please, Do NOT give me that Pull For Jr crap, Id rather continue pulling for Dodge next year "in absentia". Help me out here, state your case for who you think I should pull for. Thanks

Patty, I see and understand your point but I just can't bring myself to cheer openly for a Ford or Toyota. That is my issue, not that it has to be a Chevy, but it CAN'Tbe aFord or Toyota. I to have been impressed with the Busch brothers over the last several years but do not like their image or attitude. Looking at the list:

McMurray

Kahne

Danica Patrick

Stewart

Gordon

Menard

Harvick

Burton

Newman

Montoya

Johnson

Jr

Kurt Busch

I don't like any of these drivers. I pulled for Bowyer when he sported the Bowtir but I can't cheer for a Yota.

I guess I'm the last of a dieing breed. I know they are not "Stock" cars anymore, haven't been from the first day I became a fan. They have always been altered in someway since the Banana Car and Smokey's Chevelle. Over the years my favorite drivers have retired, but the Chevy brand remained and I could jump to another driver. Not so easy for me today.

No, she drives a DANG Lexus, a glorified Toyota! I hate it to.

I have been pulling for Big Bad Brad all year and will till Monday morning. After that I don't know.

Guess not. I have grown old with a hatred of Ford and the thought of pulling for anything claiming to be a Ford is hard. When I watch TV or go to a race, it"s not the driver I see, it's the hunk of metal with a brand stuck on it. I remember when I was the norm, when most stuck with the brand they loved. The sport has not onlyhomogenized the drivers, now they have homogenized the cars as well.

I haven't always been this way, I owned a Ford, One Time. Biggest mistake of my life. Leaked oil, had so many electrical issues I never knew what would go out next. First the Air died, then the fan, the horn quit, follwed by the turn signals. Soon the headlights started going on and off while driving. So here I am driving a F100 that didn't even have a vent fan to cool me or defrost the windshield. I had to rig a button straight wiredto the horn and toggle switches for my turn signals, and when I stoped somewhere I had to make sure it wasn't on a clean surface because of the oil I would leave behind. It was only 7 years old when I got rid of it. Never had that kind of luck if it had GM on the key.

Bumpertag, Maybe you are just snake bit with the Blue Oval. I have always been a Ford guy because it was so much more expensive and tougher to make them run like a Chevy. I believed anyone could make a Chevy run just by putting gas in it. lol...I bought a new F-150 pick up a few years ago and it just turned over 340,000 miles with no major problems. A fuel pump and The A/C clutch. I have a Chevy Conversion Van I pull my vintage race car and trailer with and it has 155,000 miles and Pkl says it rides like a new one. I find myself pulling for different drivers because they jump teams and brand names so why shouldnt we. Jmho....

I know better than to add to this post --BUT-- I think I see something here that is being missed. First off is Brad,he came out of that area they call motor city. There is a ton of knowledge in that area on cars in general,but racing them???,you better move on down to the southeast. Brad came south to further his knowledge in going round in circles And he done pretty good at learning--I also think his dad had a lot to do with that.

Next enter the Penske side of the circle, Roger isnt no Roger come lately by no long shot. Now you in the right book but one more chapter needs entering here.

Dodge or Chrysler,which ever you call it came back in racing after a pretty long vacation and starting over is one thing. Starting over and getting to the level that Roger Penske has his cars is no doubt awsome to say the least. Then he has Bad boy Kurt in the seat and that seemed a long shot on a good day.

After he vacated the seat Brad climbed in and the climb up the ladder to stardome seemed relatively easy .. Think of this too, Brad doesnt bust his equipt up. At the end of most his races he looks as though he ran out front all day--And lately he has been out there. And he doesnt beat the bumper off that Dodge on others. But he can get in your head on the track by the way he drives you, deep and hard into a corner and coming out he is there in the mirror big time.

The car Brad is driving kinda looks like a Ford or Chevy with a little Toyota thrown in. But its different too by that powerplant that is unique to the others. It I S a Dodge motor,you know like what King Richard won so many races with. Why even The Legend had a dang fast Plymouth under him back in the day. I know because I had a time getting around him in several occasions and some occasions I didnt succeed .

So there you have my take on the Miller special and its pilot. I pulled for Brad after maybe his second race and caught flack on several discussions on R/R over him. But I stood my grounds because he was taught at an early age on how to drive and protect his eq. Bet he could build a motor at an early age.. His dad was there then molding and educating him into what he is today. Cocky? you bet he is off the track but he knows his manners when need be.

Now if he doesnt win the championship Sun it will be because some OTHER driver takes him out in such a way as he cant continue. Brad is a Drivers driver and that Dodge is there to win --SURE HOPE DODGE WATCHES THIS and has second thoughts.. A phone call is all it takes.. See yall in turn 4

---------------------------------------------------------------------memories

You'll get the most bang for your buck by going with Danica. She has the biggest possibility for improvement and you can follow her arc as it goes up (or down). You can cheer her on as she makes her way from a consistent mid-pack runner to a steady top ten runner. She'll get lots of coverage and looks good in post-race interviews. I don't like her, but I feel her season will be the easiest story to become involved with for someone who needs to start fresh. It depends on how important winning is for you. Some of these guys had their chance and never achieved greatness. Some were great but are winding down their careers. They can still win but not be champions.

Kahne is a good 2nd choice. Some say he's a superstar. I don't see it but he's very good and will contend for a title. His personality seems a bit bland to me and that keeps me from feeling a bond.

Some are still strong on McMurray. He hasn't been able to make the big leagues and has something to prove. His team sucks though, and won't get better in 2013. I'd put him on top for 2014 if Danica doesn't work out for you.

I feel that it's hard to form an allegiance with a well-established driver that wins reasonably often. They make it seem easy, and I want to be able to root for the underdog.

There are four or five other guys that I pull for, but I'd say that my driver would be Kyle Busch. When cars were stock, I paid attention to brands. When Petty left Chrysler, I was forced to embrace whatever brand he was driving and I grew away from brand allegiance. I have no problems with Toyota, and they're the only NASCAR model that's still built in the US so they should be commended for that. Now that Earnhardt isn't around, I'm free to go for a Chevy driver. That 2013 Dodge was a good looking car; it's a shame that we won't see it race. I don't think that they will be back; I think the company will fold up permanently within the next five years.

Thanks for taking the time to enlighten me with a few picks. It is very hard to be excited for the sport I've followed for 40 years when I don't have a driver or team that I can cheer for.

Take my word for it, BT...you would make a helluva Tony fan.

He is in a Chevy but he has ties to Hendrick. That's what I'm trying to avoid, but it's looking more and more like an impossibility. Right now I'm leaning towards Kurt Busch but just don't know how long and can pull for him and not be nauseous. I sure wish Dodge was staying in the sport.

Yea, you're painting yourself into a pretty tight corner with all those guidelines, my friend. But if helps with yourdecisionKurt'sgonna need some fans. You could be a big fish in a small pond...lol.

Just kidding, BT.

I was always brand loyal to the Mopars. When The King went to Ford in 1969, he and I had some discussions on that point. I think he knew from the very beginning of that situation that he would be back with Mopar . In 1979 when he went with Chevy, I was,by that time, totally committed to The King no matter what he drove. I bought The Chevys and the Pontiacs. When he went back to Mopars, I had an Intrepid. Now, brand just doesn't matter as long as it is NOT a Toyota. My family had a Ford, ONCE, and that was enough for us. I'm like you BT, no real favorite, but I do like Brad without a doubt and it's not only because he is driving a Dodge this year. I also like Ryan Newman just because he's a good driver and a good guy. I'm no really sure who I'll pull for next year but I do know I will lean heavily on Brad doing well. But, seriously, and I really hate to say this, what happens this weekend in Homestead is going to have a great deal of bearing on whether or not I will even care next year. Odd, 61 years around the sport and I'm so disenchanted right now I feel totally lost. Let me know what you decide.

Gonna do a little re-evaluating over the off season. Need to look more at the team, car owner and driver and less at the sticker above the grill.