Kyle Larson Gets Revenge After Bubba Fight, NASCAR Wife Goes Stripping In Vegas, Blaney Thrown Out, Hooters Gianna Goes Cowgirl & Divorce Looming
Another NASCAR weekend in the books from Sin City and we had drivers getting thrown out, wives hitting the strip, F-bombs being thrown around like playing cards and one couple sounding like they're on the verge of divorce.
So, you know, like I said -- just another weekend in Las Vegas.
It's a mid-October edition of Monday Morning Pit-Stop and I'm shot out of a damn cannon today, boys and girls, so buckle up. It's cold -- that's right, cold -- in Florida this morning, I'm finally back on the East Coast after four days in California (yuck) and the NASCAR playoffs are about to hit a boiling point.
Let's roll.
Ryan Blaney's season is on life support after he got thrown out of Sunday's race race at Vegas. Not technically, but pretty much. You'll see.
Kyle Larson won one year after Bubba Wallace threw him around like a ragdoll in one of the most amazing NASCAR moments I've ever witnessed. We'll revisit it today because we're nothing if not petty around here.
Samantha Busch hit the strip in Vegas, so we'll obviously dive in. Martin Truex Jr. hates and I mean HATES his crew chief, while another driver pretty much throws his entire team under the bus and called them a bunch of losers.
Like I said, it's #boilingpoint SZN.
Four tires, enough fuel to get us up and down the strip and maybe some counseling for a couple drivers when they get home ... Monday Morning Pit-Stop -- the 'Man, These Guys Hate Each Other' edition -- is LIVE!
Kyle Larson punches championship ticket one year after getting punched
Let's start with the low-hanging fruit and go from there ...
Kyle Larson is your first NASCAR driver to punch his ticket to the 2023 championship race in Phoenix thanks to some slick driving at the end of yesterday's race. Frankly, it's also thanks to whoever decides on how many laps these races are, because Christopher Bell probably wins if it's one or two laps longer.
But alas, the 2021 champ won and is about to compete for yet another title here in a few weeks. Had to feel good for Larson, who literally got little-boyed in this exact same race one year ago by psychopath Bubba Wallace.
Still one of my favorite NASCAR moments of all-time. It's still jarring to see to this day:
NASCAR wife Samantha Busch hit the strip in Vegas
Incredible, especially that video from the stands. Bubba Wallace really just got out of his car in the middle of the track and started shoving poor Kyle Larson, who's probably the least combative driver in the garage. Talk about punching down a class.
Anyway, the two are obviously still friends today because they're both adults and moved on, but we couldn't let an anniversary like that come and go without a little trip down memory lane.
Speaking of going places, let's hit the strip with MMPS OG Samantha Busch, who also chose to hold a gigantic snake AND hit the ocean along the way.
Ryan Blaney in must-win mode after pretty much wasting an entire Sunday
Yes, I know that last one is from Miami, but that's pretty much the Vegas of Florida so it still counts. Figured you guys would be OK with it.
Now, what didn't count yesterday was Ryan Blaney's race. Literally, the entire thing was tossed into the fire and burned away. It never existed. Never happened.
Blaney, a playoff driver, had his sixth-place finish disqualified after his car failed post-race inspection. Apparently, his left-front shock was too short.
Sorry, Hooters Gianna!
Angry Rhino now finds himself a measly 56 points below the cutline with two races to go, which means he pretty has to win at either Homestead or Martinsville if he wants a chance at his first NASCAR championship. Not great!
Here's how the rest of the playoff picture looks, followed by the obvious check-in with Gianna -- as if we needed an excuse.
Happy Horse Lovers Day!
Another great NASCAR day for Martin Truex Jr.!
Giddy-up, Rhino!
Now, let's do our weekly check-in with Martin Truex Jr. -- the regular season NASCAR champ who has STUNK during these playoffs but is still alive because he built up so many points during the regular season he can pretty much sleepwalk for a few months.
MTJ actually had a decent finish Sunday. Hell, compared to the past two months, finishing ninth pretty much deserves its own trophy.
But while Truex managed a top-10 -- his first since Watkins Glen in AUGUST -- it wasn't an easy afternoon:
I mean, does anyone hate their crew chief more than Martin Truex Jr.? I feel like we do this every week lately with MTJ, who for some reason decided to come back for another year next season. Sounds like someone who just wants to get the hell out of the car as quickly as possible.
Poor James Small, too. Guy just took a beating yesterday from angry MTJ. Whoof. Zero chance those two like each other off the track.
At least it wasn't as bad Xfinity Series driver Sammy Smith taking his entire pit crew to the woodshed Saturday and chopping them up piece by piece:
Nick Cannon talks about all the sex he's had on our way out
For what it's worth, Smith is off to a new organization and new team next year, which explains why he pretty much just threw his entire pit crew under the bus on the way out.
Bold move, though, because crew guys are freaking massive and could easily stuff this kid in a locker:
Yeah, head on a swivel, Sam.
Finally, on the way to Miami, let's check in with Nick Cannon and his inability to pull out.
See you at Homestead.