It’s Monday. Ahhh… now that feels better! Nascar is back and held the first preseason race on Sunday night. It was run at Bowman Gray Stadium in North Carolina which is a very short track. Usually that means that the track is a half mile in length. However, in this case the track at Bowman Gray is even shorter, at only one-quarter of a mile. Put 23 cars on a track that small and you get a lot of damaged cars, many bruised egos, and just one driver with a huge grin on his face. In this case it was Chase Elliott who came out grinning with the win.

Next up are the Duel races on Thursday night in Daytona, Florida. These races will determine the lineup for the Daytona 500. Looking forward to those!

Oh, apparently Punxsutawney Phil did see his shadow, so we got six more weeks of winter. Lovely.

-keep

It’s Friday! One minute it’s brutally cold and the next it’s 50 degrees. Snow one day and rain the next. I suppose the one consistency with winter in Illinois is its inconsistency.

It was a long three months but Nascar preseason racing kicks off on Sunday with the Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium! I’m so ready to get back into the racing groove—start those engines!

Double babes, double jokes, and a new reader submitted amateur photo… enjoy!

-keep

Keep, I had this one of the wife that I can contribute for your amateurs. I’d like to point out that she keeps a well trimmed bush. You don’t see that very much these days. Long-time fan and frequent donator. Thanks. -Anonymous

It’s Thursday. James Bruton has built several bikes that utilize omni-directional wheels, but his latest kicks things up a notch with the addition of large plastic balls. Strange, yes. But you gotta see this thing in action!

-keep

The “wheels” are giant, hollow plastic balls called “walking globes” or “rolling globes,” designed to be filled with sand and used by circus performers. The bike is powered by five small, brushless motors: two on each ball at a 120º angle and one on the rear ball for moving forward or backward.

Steering is controlled by the handlebars, but not in the way a standard bike does. The left-hand grip turns the bike left or right, while the right-hand grip controls forward and backward movement. A mounted panel has engine start and emergency stop buttons and yaw and gain controls. It’s unclear how practical this design is, as the wheels pop off at high velocity. Of course, practicality isn’t the point anyway, but the bike has a headlamp, a horn, and side-view mirrors for safety.