This week Nascar's finest drivers tempted fate by venturing into South Crazyland -- you know, that's the state where half the people are laid off, the other half are getting their hours cut back, but most of them are still voting Republican!

Well, this week's race had one of the most exciting finishes Our Crowd had ever seen! 91/2 team member Kurt Busch was leading in his #97 Rubbermaid/Sharpie car -- love that new silver and red paint scheme, by the way -- when Ricky Craven passed him with about 2 to go. Then Kurt got around Ricky, just beating and banging all the way. Finally, Ricky was able to pull up even with Kurt again and won by about one inch, no joke. We all hollered so loud it scared the dogs! Those racecars were just about on top of each other at the stripe! Really an incredible race -- and next week, we're headed to that hillbilly bullring up at Bristol, Tenn.!

Here's what happened this week--

Betty Jack's Track Yack!

FRIDAY NIGHT LIVE

This week's "Trackside" on Speed was especially fun -- the guests were two of our favorites, Jamie McMurray and Jeff Gordon. Honey, I don't know what Jeff's wife was doing to make him so unhappy, but he is looking GOOD right about now, I'm saying! He looked way younger and happier than he did last year -- I hope he's having as much fun as he looks like he is! And Jamie was just too cute -- right when I tuned in, he was waving some boxers around that I think must be his lucky drawers or something! Sweet!

HAVE A DRINK ON ME!

When I'm watching TV, I'm always looking for a fun thing to drink on -- like on my old favorite, "Melrose Place," where you could be knee-walking after the first 30 minutes if you took a drink every time somebody began a sentence with "You know what? ..." Well we've been looking for Nascar drinking cues, and the latest is "Bootie," as in Bootie Barker, Dave Blaney's crew chief. It seems like the announcers just can't stop talking about Bootie! We took quite a few drinks on this Sunday on all those "Bootie"s. Fans, send me some more ideas for Nascar drinking games and I'll put them on the site.
Email Betty Jack at Bettyjack@bellsouth.net

LET'S RACE TOWARD PEACE!

Friends, try and do all you can this week to stand up for peace. It's not easy -- look how awfully they've treated poor Natalie Maines of the Dixie Chicks -- but do everything you can to work for peace. A lady who called in to Eagle 106.7 ("Your racing station") in Atlanta on Friday said she supported the Chicks because "this man Bush has run our country into the ground." I could not agree more -- let's bring the troops home and impeach Bush at once.

Thanks to www.Gaytona.com reader Joe Roman, who recently called in to a Nascar radio gab show in Baltimore and praised the coverage on our wacky little site! We are truly the Internet's #1 gay Nascar site! (Clap your hands when you say that, children!)

Have a great week, friends. See you forThe Bristol!

Welcome, race fans! Being an Atlanta gal like I am, this was a big weekend for me and my gang! Of course, we didn't actually go down to the track for the big race -- so crowded! -- but we hooted and hollered a lot at the TV Saturday and Sunday, and it helped create a festive mood for the whole weekend.

And actually, Cherrelle (of TV's "American Music Show") and I did mosey on down to the speedway for qualifying on Friday -- we had quite a big time, and enjoyed the weekend's nicest weather! I have asked Cherrelle to write a summary of our activities for www.Gaytona.com. If she comes through -- like the champ I know she is! -- you can enjoy it here soon!

Here's what happened this week--

Betty Jack's Track Yack!

BAD MOJO

We like to have fallen out Sunday when a Big Honcho Reverend from the Georgia Baptist Convention used the pre-race invocation as a tacky chance to whup up war fever. It's one thing to pray for the president (even we Episcopalians do that) but quite another to thunder out blessings on "our President George W. Bush" and then wait like a bad comic while some people in the stands whooped, in a orgy of tacky manners, during the prayer! We also noticed that the good reverend never once asked for peace -- but then, the Southern Baptists are the only church on the record supporting the war.

BARKIN THE BLUES

FOX had kind of a "Georgia music" theme to its filler spots on Sunday. After the appalling opener described above, FOX used an R.E.M. song to go into a commercial. (I know Mistress Stipe must have bristled at that association!) And later on, they did a up a cute video using footage of racers and the B-52s "Love Shack" but with the music from "Rock Lobster." The best music item featured cute #29 Kevin Harvick, who banged an old player piano while he barked out the blues a la Tom Waits.

DON'T START WITH ME MISSY!

On Sunday, we were delighted to see again the wackiest commercial of the race season so far -- Michael Waltrip is walking along bragging about how tight he is with all the guys on the DEI team, and he arrives at the garage to find Dale Jr. and Steve Park sashaying around, holding up his uniform and mocking him, in the biggest big sissy voice, by doing catch phrases from his commercials! "Oh no! I'm at the wrong track!"

ANOTHER REASON WE LOVE #8!

We just never run out of wonderful things to love about Dale Jr. This Sunday it was revealed that his foundation makes a donation each week to a charity assigned a number corresponding to his finishing position (1-43), and one of them is the Humane Society of Charlotte. That's where Dale Jr. got two of his three cats -- and one of his cats is named Buddy Love! That's fabulous! Dale Jr. is totally cool.

WAY TO GO JOE!

Thanks to www.Gaytona.com reader Joe Roman, who recently called in to a Nascar radio gab show in Baltimore and praised the coverage on our wacky little site! We are truly the Internet's #1 gay Nascar site! (Clap your hands when you say that, children!)

WELCOME TO JAMIE'S WORLD!

Race monkey #42 Jamie McMurray has confirmed that he is one of the drivers being considered as the subjects of a reality show about racers for FX! The new show is expected to run the second half of this season and feature up to three drivers and teams. We'll be watching for insights into Jamie's life at home and on the road.

GOOD NIGHT, SWEET BRUCE

I have to close this week with a fond farewell to a kind friend, Bruce, who passed suddenly just recently. You Atlanta queens will remember Bruce as the lighting director of the Metro, where he was often mistaken for Todd Rundgren. Bruce was the tranny chaser of the world, and he loved Betty Jack. He always gave me good light, and he always let in all my entrourage. Thank you Bruce -- see you in Heaven.

Have a great week, friends, and let's get together for Darlington!