At least Bobby Santos III rescued me from what was shaping up to be a long, frustrating day at New Hampshire International Speedway.Traffic on the way to the track first thing in the morning, drivers doing the duck and run, cynical media types at every turn.
But the New England native Santos, making his 3rd Busch Series start of the season, qualified 4th for this afternoon's Camping World 200.
I covered Santos when he was a 16-year-old kid at Franklin (Mass.) High School, racing SK Modifieds at Thompson Internationa Speedway. He was quiet and reserved, every bit the boy chasing frogs in the pond behind the house. Not much has changed, really. Still quiet and reserved -- though he's chasing races across the country and not frogs.
He hasn't changed his attitude at all. He's unfazed.
"You really have to be that way," Santos said after qualifying behind Cup driversKevin Harvick, Carl Edwards and Clint Bowyer. "You can't change your attitude no matter what you're doing."
Oh, and he doesn't care who he's racing against, either.
"It makes it more fun (against Cup guys)," said Santos, who will make 7 more Busch starts in the Riley-D'Hondt Toyota this year. "It's what it's all about -- beating the best. If the best isn't here, then what good is it?"
Someone should tell Stephen Leicht that.
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Harvick, Edwards and Bowyer are among 18 Cup drivers in today's race. I can't confirm it anywhere, but it's got to be at least approaching a record for a Busch Series race. Seems like Jeff Green and Tony Raines are the only 2 Cup guys who couldn't find rides.
There just aren't enough to go around.
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Another busy day in New Hampshire, made busier by the fact that I'm aiming to hit the PASS All-Star 200 at All-Star Speedway over in Epping tonight. Mods and Busch cars on the racing docket here.
What can I say? I'm a just a blogging-racing-media-junkie these days.
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