I'm shocked I got my question answered! I thought everyone might like to see what Blount had to say about our boy since it's very positive.


Buzzmaster: Terry should be here shortly, so send in your questions!

Terry Blount: I think people will be impressed with the Daytona preview package we will have. Just about everything you wanted to know about Nextel Cup will be in there in some fashion. Let's get started.




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Kevin (Minnesota) : Do you expect any of the Toyotas to compete for a top-10, and do you foresee any rookies making any noise in the Nextel circuit this year? Thank you.

Terry Blount: Hi Kevin, great question. I think it will be hard for any of the Toyota drivers to get a chase spot. It is not impossible but it an awful lot to ask when there are so many good team ahead of them. If anyone has a chance among the Toyota drivers it's Dale Jarrett, but it all depends on how fast Toyota can get its program up to speed. As for rookies, clearly the one everyone will watch is Montoya, in some ways it is silly to call him a rookie, considering all he has done. He's a gifted race car driver, but it will take him a while to adapt to a big stock car racing on an oval track.


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Clyde (FL): Is NASCAR, much like the NHL, risking isolating its base, by trying to appeal to a wider market, which could create a serious problem? Are all the new moves necessary?

Terry Blount: Certainly NASCAR this season is making more changes than ever in its history. And there is no doubt that a few traditional fans won't like it, and will feel like NASCAR has gone overboard. But NASCAR wants to become mainstream, and to do so they must bring in new fans across the nation. That's the reason they are adopting changes such as the Chase format, Toyota, the arrival of international drivers...all these things help bring in new fans. The question is will they bring in more than they lose. I think the answer is clearly yes. NASCAR continues to evolve and grow, and their fan base will grow with it.


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Chad (Austin, TX): Terry, Will all the outside drama affect the way Jr. drives this season? And if you think it will be a factor, how will it affect him? Thanks, Chad

Terry Blount: I think it depends on how long his contract status lingers without a decision. If DEI announces next month that Jr. has resigned with them for a multi year deal than I don't think it will be a factor. But if it lingers till mid summer and no decision has been made, or it becomes clear that Jr. wants to leave then it will have a majot effect on how he races. My gut feeling is that they will do everything possible to get this done within a month or so to avoid that situation.


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John (Columbia, SC): Why is now one talking about JG? Last year he had 7 DNF's, and 3 in the chase at least. Had it not been for that he probably would have won or would have been close. Plus he got married last year. You know what happened last time he got married. 4 titles in 7 years. You guys are forgetting about this man. He's dangerous. He'll also probably handle the Car of Tommorrow better than most drivers.

Terry Blount: John, those are some great points. I can tell you that from talking to him in recent weeks, jeff is happier than I have ever seen him. If that has any effect on the track then he will be a contender this season. I think some people now wonder, if Gordon's better days are behind him and some wonder if he is only the second best driver now at Hendrick motor sports, behind Johnson. But there is no doubt in my mind that he is as good a driver today as he was when he was winning championships. The difference is the depth of drivers is much more now than it was in those years, so winning a title is much harder.


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Jerry (GA): Hey terry, this car of the future, will it make the grade, and be accepted by the fans?

Terry Blount: Jerry, i don't think anyone in NASCAR knows the answer to that yet. The car is dramatically different from the current model. And many people consider it flat out ugly. But none of that will matter if the car races well. If they get on the track and the COT enables the drivers to race side by side more, and to make passes up front more often, than fans will love the car regardless of how it looks. That's the goal, but no one knows if it will happen until we see it in action. One thing is certain, the car is much safer than the current model. And that is a good thing for every driver.


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Kellan (DC): Do many people start following NASCAR just by watching it on TV? I always thought it was extremely boring until I saw a race in person and really got the perspective of how fast those guys are going, am I the only one?

Terry Blount: Absolutely not. I compare it to hockey in that way. It is very difficult to follow hockey on TV, but it is much easier and interesting in person. I believe the same thing is true for NASCAR, and autoracing in general. Being there gives you a perspective of grandeur that you cant get from the TV. First of all there's the noise level. Second, is the size of the facilities, and the enormous crowds. And third is the sense of speed, that's hard to transfer to TV. However, NASCAR is really about its stars. Most people are fans because they are fans of Jr. or Stewart or Gordon, etc. They follow it because they love their favorite driver and root for him to win. That's why it works so well on TV.


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Tanner (Allentown, NJ): Terry, what do you expect from Bobby Labonte this year. He really seemed to find his groove the last few races and finished with some quality finishes. Can he keep that momentum and finish, possibly, in the top 12 (that sounds weird)?

Terry Blount: Tanner I believe it's probably a little too much to ask, to expect Bobby to make the Chase, this season. He still has the ability as a driver, but I don't believe Teddy Enterprises is that far along at this point. The team is moving in the right direction. They have quality people in key positions and can race competitively at times. But the organization was so far behind that it will take several years for them to be a Chase contender.


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Hilary (Napoleon, OH): Why have I been reading that Kasey Kahne, who is starting his fourth season, is the new Jimmie Johnson because he hasn't won a title yet? Why doesn't Dale Earnhardt Jr. get that kind of pressure from the media? He's been around for a lot longer than Kahne, or Johnson for that matter. And I'd love an answer besides "Because he's Dale Jr." That's nothing but a cop-out.

Terry Blount: Hilary, I think most people in NASCAR feel Kahne has more potential than Jr., at this point in his career. That's not to take anything away from Dale, he's a top 10 driver and if things go his way he could win a championship. But Kahne is incredibly gifted. He managed to win last year with Dodge equipment that wasn't up to the standards of the other manufacturers. If the new Dodge nose improves the car this season Kahne should be as good as anyone in the sport. He needs to improve on short tracks, and the road races. If he does I'd be surprised if he is not near the top at the end.


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Stan (Oklahoma City): Terry, for years we heard about how NASCAR was the biggest growing sport in America. But recently, I've heard that its growth is slowing down. Can you shed any light on this? Is NASCAR's popularity reversing/slowing?

Terry Blount: Stan, NASCAR seemed to hit a plateau last season after a decade of enormous growth. No sport grew faster than NASCAR over the last six to eight years. But it is unrealistic to expect such a sharp upward trend to continue forever. I don't think NASCAR's growth has stopped, I just think it has leveled off a bit. I think that the changes this season will peak the interest for a lot of casual fans who maybe did not watch as much last season.


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James: Do you think Jack Roush is justified in his criticism of the arrival of Toyota?

Terry Blount: James, I understand Jack's trepidation, but I believe he went too far. Saying things like "I'm going to war with them" I find disrespectful with what is going on with our soldiers today. I also feel that Roush is a litlle hypocritical, he's one of the owners who made NSCAR a multi team sport, and made it more difficult for smaller teams, like the Pettys and the Wood brothers, to compete. But now he is critical of Toyota coming in and changing the bussines model again. There are concerns about Toyota outspending everyone else, but it is NASCAR's job to keep an even playing field. They have done so in the past and I think they will continue to do so.


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Christine (fresno, ca): Does Harvick have a legit shot at the Cup Championship this year?

Terry Blount: Without a doubt. Harvick and Childress racing took a major step forward in 2006. Along with Jeff Burton, RCR, proved it was a championship caliber organization. And Harvick showed more maturity as a driver and more patience in key situations. I think running the full Bush series schedule helped him in some of the Cup events. He's confident now that he has the equipment to compete for the title. If he avoids careless mistakes I expect him to be somewhere in the top 5 at the end of the year.


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Maurice (Kansas City, KS): Do you think Terry, that Jimmie Johnson is going to win his 2nd Nextel Cup, give me your thoughts!

Terry Blount: Maurice it is always tougher to repeat. Especially these day with so many quality teams. Everyone is gunning for you. I do believe that Johnson has the best team, the best crew chief, and the best pit crew in Nextel Cup. There is no weakness among that group, there there is no reason he shouldn't repeat. But for any champ, everything has to go your way. And to have that happen two years in a row is a lot to ask.


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Steve (Pittsburgh PA): Terry, can you see Ricky Rudd winning a race this year other than at a road course? I am predicting a Bristol win.

Terry Blount: It all depends on how much improvement we see in Yeats racing. To be honest that organization was in bad shape last year. But the test sessions at Daytona a few weeks ago were every encouraging. Both Rudd and Gilliland were near the top of the speed charts in most practice sessions. Rudd has not forgotten how to drive despite his one year layoff. But I don't know if RYR will give him the equipment to compete on the intermediate ovals this season.

Terry Blount: I think this season has more unknowns than any we've seen in the last twenty years. And I think that is going to make it fun for all the fans to see what happens. Thanks for all the questions, see you next time!

That was a great question and I really like the answer he gave, thanks for sharing!

I love how everyone is jumping on the Kahne train this year

Terry Blount has been on the Kahne Train for a while now. He's one of my favorite Nascar writers because he's one of the least-biased and most-objective writers out there. :)

That's cool that he responded to your question! I emailed him once last year and got a great response back. :claps

That's awesome!

Awesome question!

Very cool!!! Good question. :) Yah Kasey :clap

that was a great question and answer! thanks for sharing it!

I want to hug that man.

thanks guys. glad you thought it was a good question. i'm glad he answered and i was thrilled with his answer.

The awnser to that question makes me giggle in excitement. haha

Just want to say that I LOVE your siggy

And awesome question!

Thanks! My friend made it for me. She's so great at graphics.