#fuck you rick hendrick

[loverofracecars]

if i was alex bowman id be fucking livid rn because no way the mf who got the playoff spot after hms basically told him to go fuck himself and sacrificed him just won the championship. like i’d be pissed.

[madstoner704]

Tales of the Angry Stoner: “When You Get Dolled Up, Shit Gets Done Right”

As of 8 November 2019, I now have the option of taking the bus, or driving out in MY CAR! Getting to this point was a feat all in itself. I did not think in a month of Sundays that I could even get an affordable car with a low down-payment... So, I woke up on Friday morning, went to the Rick Hendrick’s dealership on the Southside of town JUST FOR A TEST DRIVE and to see what was on the lot to choose from within my price range. As soon as I walked into Hendrick’s, they were right and ready to tell me to throw my $88 Local Monthly bus pass in the trash. I was first pre-approved for a 2016 Honda Civic, but the down payment was 3x what I needed it to be, because you know niggas be broke. Second car they pre-approved me for was a 2010 Kia Rio with a stick. I told him that I’ll end up frying the clutch before I even get to Plaza-Midwood. So, the next pick for pre-approval was a 2007 Acura RDX. I said to myself when he pulled the jeep into the park “That’s a cute little jeep”. So... when I got to the dealership, it was 0930. I left out of the dealership at 1430, in that 2007 Acura RDX. So, after leaving the dealership, I was amazed how the jeep, to which me and Bae named it Christianne Antoinette, has about the same amount of pick-me-up as a Range Rover. Low key, I am scared that I’m gonna get a ticket; how fucking fun this jeep is to drive. 

To the people who think that your credit is gobshite and the only place you’ll be able to get a motorcar is a buy-here-pay-here, sheeeeit! The salesperson, Mr Fisher laid all the laundry on the bed and I laid in it, because I already knew that my credit was bullish and I would’ve thought I would’ve been preapproved for a scooter. Since I have no credit history outwith medical bills being assessed to my credit, Mr Fisher said that buying your first car and being dedicated to paying the lienholder in time is gonna help build a reputable credit history... Plus, had I went to a buy-here-pay-here, I would’ve spent $3,000-$5,000 more on average at the end of my financing term. Plus, they don’t do vehicle inspections, history reports, nor do they make sure that the car has been in a fire, hurricane or a flood. 

Just so you know, this is not a promotional for Hendrick Automotive Group, because if you’re a native Charlottean, half of the populace in Charlotte has bought a car from Hendrick’s. My mother bought her jeep from Hendrick. My aunt (Mother’s sister and grandmother’s sister)  bought her jeep from Hendrick, with the latter buying her jeep from Hendrick Honda in Concord. My aunt bought her last car (which would’ve been my car) from Hendrick Honda in Hickory. It’s always good to go to a reputable dealership, so I said “Why not go to Hendrick’s”?

[desertdaddypsp]

This is exactly how I feel right now...I AM A ROCK!

“I won’t disturb the slumber of feelings that have died, if I never loved then I never would have cried! I am a rock!  I am an island!  And a rock feels no pain...and an island never cries!”  Simon and Garfunkel

I hate people.  

Let me tell you what the last month has been like.

I have never really been suicidal.  You know...making plans to truly off myself for good?  I’m too afraid to do that final “thing” that would stop the pain.  But, I tell ya!  If there was a way I could choose to go to sleep and never wake up again?  I’d take that route.  I just can’t take it anymore.

There is a phone number 211.  You know?  Like 411 for directory assistance or 611 for help with your cellular.  211 is for community resources and they tout themselves as a number you can call if you need mental help.  

I woke up one morning with the words, “I wanna kill myself” swirling around in my head.  I couldn’t stop it.  No “voices”.  I wasn’t psychotic.  But, the words kept pulsing through my brain...”I WANNA KILL MYSELF...I WANNA KILL MYSELF...I WANNA KILL MYSELF!!!”  It wouldn’t stop. So I called 211.

“So you aren’t planning on killing yourself, but you are just wanting the pain to stop?  Is that right, Rick?” the operator asked.  “Yes,” I confirmed.  “Well, there is an urgent care clinic up off of Racquet Club Road that will take you in for free and will give you someone to talk to.  There is also another one on Perez Road in Cathedral City.”  I got up the balls to drive to I R International on Racquet Club Road.

I got there and they did my intake interview.  I told them that I wasn’t suicidal but they took my shoelaces and my belt anyway.  Like I was gonna hang myself right there in the middle of a big meeting room.  They sat me down and left me there for two and a half hours!  No one said a word to me.  I raised some concern and was told that there were only two counselors on staff and that I’d just have to be patient.  I waited another 30 minutes and finally had had enough.  “Give me my things!” I demanded.  With my belt and shoelaces dangling from my hands, I lumbered to the car, sobbing.  I had gone there pleading for help and all I got was 3 hours of nothing.  I had summoned the nerve to ask for help and was treated like it didn’t matter.  Their fucking schedule was more important than the fact that I wanted to go to sleep and never wake up again!  

I went to work.  I’m finding that work is my salvation.  I’m good at it and I know it.  It also forces me to be social which is easy because I like the people I deal with during my work day.  But, I decided that after work, I was going to go to the other mental health facility on Perez Road.

I drive up and it looks awfully empty.  As I get out of the car, a security guard meets me at the door and asks what I’m looking for.  “Riverside Community Mental Health,” I told him.  

“Oh.  They’re close.”  

“Closed?”  

“They moved their office.”

“Where?”

“I don’t know!” he kind of snarled.

Shit!

Once more, I get the balls to ask for help and my intentions are thwarted.  So, I decide to call 211 again while driving.

“211 operator.  How can I help you?”

I explained what had happened during the day with being ignored for three hours and how the Perez Road office was closed. 

“Oh, that office has moved to Indio...but they are closed now for the day.  Let me get someone on the line that can help you.  Hold on, please.”

The woman was gone for 5 minutes, forcing me to listen to “The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow” on Muzak.  Was the music mocking me?  

“Gee, Rick.  I’m sorry.  All of the counselors have gone home.  Can you call back tomorrow?”  I hung up on her.

Shit!  I’m gonna go get drunk!

I hadn’t had a drink since I started getting sober from crystal, but I wanted one.  So I proceeded to drive to my favorite bar, Streetbar.  I promised myself only one drink - a Hendrick’s tonic with double lime.  I took my potion out to the patio, sat there sipping, and watched the world go by.  I found solace in an alcoholic drink when I should have been able to find it through people who were supposed to help me. 

The solace I found didn’t come so much from the booze but from the fact that I was alone and that is just what I wanted.  I just wanted to be alone but not in my living room.  It was then that I realize it:

I HATE PEOPLE!

So much hurt and pain at the hands of human beings.  So much nastiness from men on the apps who either ignored me or told me I wasn’t worth their time.  How’s this one: “Your so ugly it would take me a month to wash the ugly off!” or then there was this guy: “I wouldn’t touch you with a 10 foot pole!”  I’m not ugly.  I know that.  But why do people have to be so mean.  Of course, my codependent mind believed what they told me.  To MY mind, there was something wrong with ME when clearly, there was something wrong with THEN.

I send a desperate note to my therapist telling her that I couldn’t keep the thought of I WANT TO KILL MYSELF from running through my brain.  I never hear back from her.  Oh, I got some message saying, “Oh, you didn’t get the message that I sent this morning?”  No, I didn’t.  If you sent one, why didn’t I get it.  She apologized and gave me a phone number to call and promised to call me the next day to check up on me.

She didn’t.

Fuck her...fuck the whole world.  

Nobody gives a shit.  Even people who are paid to give a shit, don’t give a shit.

I tried for three days to get someone...ANYONE...to listen to me.  If I didn’t have insurance, I couldn’t afford to talk to someone and if they were free, it was going to take a month until they could get me scheduled for my intake interview.   I’m screaming out to someone to help me not kill myself and money and time are more important.  People just don’t give a shit!

So, that is when the resolution came and God damn it, it’s working.

ISOLATION!

For the last three weeks I basically see no one with very few exceptions. I go to work and I see Art (my best friend who checks in on me because HE cares about me!) and Gordon, because he cares, too.

I get up, sad and depressed.  I go through the motions of my morning.  I take Biscuit for her walk and we go for a car ride to Townie to get a bagel and then drive through Starbucks.  Then, I go home. Alone. Until it’s time for work.  Then, I go to Streetbar and have one drink on the patio.  Everyone leaves me alone which is just what I want.  Then, I go home.  Alone.  

For a couple of weeks, I went back on the gay apps (Grindr, Growlr, Adam4Adam) and tried to get laid, but I could even get anyone interested.  Another blow to my ego.  My decision?  

Don’t let anyone in!

I resolved to keep everyone except for Art and Gordon and my mom out of my life.  I wasn’t going to let anyone in because when I do, they hurt me.  They say they are my friends, and yet the don’t act like it.  They break dates.  They break promises.  They lie.  They have talked smack behind my back.  And, the worst I think is that this.

I stopped going to my meetings.  It has been over a month and not one person (well, my sponsor, excepted) has even noticed that I’m gone.  People who said that they liked me and chatted with me on Facebook and invited me to their pool parties didn’t even miss me or if they did, they didn’t give enough of a fuck to find out if I was ok or even sober to drop me a text message.  

Fuck ‘em!

They won’t hurt me again because I am not going to let anyone close enough to hurt me.  At least for now.  Maybe when the new meds kick in I’ll feel differently.  I did get a new Primary Care Physician to prescribe refills of some psych meds that I used to take, but it’s going to take 4-6 weeks for them to kick in.

So, for now, I am a rock...I am an island...cuz a rock feels no pain and an island never cries.

[nascar-fanfics]

the mason sisters: two

summary: mercy has her meeting with each current hendrick driver, katelyn's crush is revealed, mercy also has a slight anxiety attack and puts herself down

word count: 1451

warnings: swearing, anxiety attack

next chapter | masterlist

(a/n: i created a character descriptions carrd! it’s on the masterlist, which you can find here!)

song after song, nerves between the sisters grew. they quietly sang to songs, which they never do. it’s always off-key singing screaming bouncing off the leather seats of their car. eventually, the sisters pulled into the parking lot of hendrick motorsports at 2:48, less than fifteen minutes until the meeting with rick hendrick. mercy was anxious about literally everything going on. she felt as if she should be excited, but she can’t even think straight. she’s won multiple races in the xfinity series, broken records in xfinity and trucks, and is excellent at everything she does. “hey, merc, stop overthinking… you’re the one with the psychology degree, you’re gonna be fine.” katelyn said with a smile, patting her older sister on her shoulders. mercy took a deep breath and shut her eyes, a tear falling down her cheek. “i’m gonna fuck up my career. rick is gonna hate me the second i step in there. i’m gonna make a fool of myself in front of my future coworkers. you look like me, can you do it for me? i can’t fucking do this.” mercy rarely ever showed this side of her. growing up, katelyn would always speak up for mercy. you’d think the older sibling would be more outspoken and such? not for the mason sisters. katelyn was always mouthy and always the peacemaker, while mercy stood in the corner contemplating leaving the room or building and going home due to her major social anxiety. katelyn grabbed her sister’s shoulders and turned her upper torso. “mercy-kay mason, you are going to kill this. you’re going to be amazing. ignore those stupid anxious thoughts, you’re not gonna fuck this up, you’re gonna kill it!” katelyn convinced her older sister to get into the building earlier than she wanted to be. mercy wanted to walk in at 2:55, but she jumped out of the car at 2:50 and made her way to the doors, trying to ignore her thoughts. she opened the doors and looked around, realizing this is going to be her new headquarters. her eyes met with her new coworker, chase elliott, who was headed to the bathroom. “ah, miss mason,” the dawsonville native smiled, walking towards her. katelyn bolted through the door, realizing her sister went inside. she saw chase and mercy shaking hands and decided to walk calmly toward them. “welcome to hendrick motorsports, we’re pretty much ready for you. follow me in.” “thank you, sir. is there anywhere i can put my younger rascal of a sister?” mercy chuckled, katelyn sticking her tongue out. “yeah, she can come in. i think mr. h will be okay with that!” he smiled, leading the way to the office. ‘this isn’t so bad.’ mercy thought to herself as she tapped her cheek once again. the world felt as if it was in slow motion. mercy stepped into the room and saw her hero, jimmie johnson, talking with her future teammate, alex bowman. william byron, the youngest member of hendrick motorsports, turned towards chase, who announced “guys, mercy-kay mason is here. i assume mr. h is just getting the papers together?” jimmie turned to chase, nodding. “yeah, he’s taking a bit of time. he probably wants us to talk with the newbie.” mercy couldn’t believe her hero was right in front of her. it took her a few seconds to even open her mouth, which moved up and down like she was a fish. william chuckled, waving. “hi, mercy! i’m william, but i think you knew that.” he stood up, giving mercy a handshake. “hi, william. i’m mercy, but i also think you knew that.” mercy chuckled, looking behind her to see katelyn amazed at the talent in the room. “holy shit, merc, i’m gonna shit myself.” everyone laughed at katelyn’s statement, especially mercy, who felt the same way. “kate, please don’t. i cleaned you enough times when we were kids.” mercy turned towards the men in the room, “sorry, she’s a little rascal. has been since day one.” “hey!” katelyn pouted, folding her arms and turning her back towards mercy. after a few more seconds of laughter, alex introduced himself next. “hey, mercy. long time no see.” alex and mercy shook hands, smiles on their faces. “good to see you again. you’re pretty badass, i have to admit it.” mercy’s cheeks grew red by the millisecond. “hi, alex! yeah, it’s been a while… 2018? 2019?” the pair unlocked hands, “i appreciate the compliment! no one has ever called me badass besides the little rascal. you’re pretty badass, too.” mercy chuckled, fixing her shirt. “yeah, somethin’ like that. i think the last time we saw each other was my last xfinity start. michigan, right? you did really well that year, can’t wait to see you on the track in the cup series.” alex beamed, a small chuckle escaping. “yep, michigan! i can’t wait to finally race for hendrick. it’s been my dream since childhood.” mercy blushed a bit,  noticing jimmie coming up to her, making her nerves go crazy. “holy shit, you’re real.” mercy mumbled, not realizing she actually spoke. katelyn laughed as she shook william’s hand, having a small conversation with him, chase, and alex. jimmie chuckled, “i get that a lot, i can’t believe you’re real!” mercy smiled, negative thoughts gone. “sir, you’ve been my idol since day one, i literally saw you win your seventh championship from the stands, i-i cheered so much with my mom, my voice was gone the next day.” jimmie smiled, “so that was the loud scream i heard! call me jimmie, we’re practically teammates now.” the newest hendrick driver nodded and chuckled, hearing a knock on the doorframe, seeing rick hendrick, her new boss, come in. “ah, so i’m the late one this time.” he chuckled. “hi miss, how are you?” “i’m fantastic, sir. i’m just so proud of my big sister.” katelyn smiled at mercy, who practically had tears in her eyes. “hi miss mason, thanks for coming in so quickly.” mercy held her hand out to shake mr. hendrick’s, a small shake between the two. “he-hello, sir, this is a huge dream of mine. i won’t disappoint you, sir.” mercy slightly shook with nerves. “i’ve seen what you’ve done, you haven’t disappointed me at all. you’ve got talent, kid.” rick smiled, holding his hand out to a chair. “come, sit down, we’ve got stuff to talk about.”

after the meeting with rick, mercy and katelyn headed to their car. mercy, who was relieved the meeting went well, spotted alex coming over to her side of the car. “hey, i, uh, wanted to ask if you and katelyn would like to come out to dinner tonight? we can finally have a conversation outside of the track and social media.” alex scratched the back of his neck, a nervous chuckle escaping him. “yeah! i know i’d like to, how about you, kate?” mercy turned to katelyn, who was texting a friend. “yeah, sure, that sounds great.” “she’s distracted by someone, maybe her boyfriend?” mercy dragged out ‘boyfriend’, making alex laugh. “shut up, you’re practically-” “alright, that’s enough, katelyn.” mercy turned back to alex, “absolutely. we’re coming to dinner! can i bring our parents? they’ve been such an important part of my life.” “i think jimmie’ll be alright with that! he said he’s buying.” alex grabbed his phone from his pocket. “can i get your info? i’ll text you where we’re going.” “yeah, here’s my number.” mercy recites her phone number, then gives alex her sister’s number as a backup. “text me so i know who you are, please!” two dings came from mercy’s phone, one being from alex and the other katelyn. 

unknown number: ‘Hey, it’s Alex! You now have my number :)’

rascal: ‘just get married already, holy shit.’

“katelyn marie!” mercy yelled, making alex laugh. “alright, i’ll see you tonight! we’re not going anywhere super fancy, but you can dress up if you’d like.” “okay, thanks alex. see you tonight!” the pair waved and mercy climbed into her car. katelyn smirked at her older sister, whose face was as red as loudon the lobster. “shut up.” mercy mumbled, starting her car and heading back home. when she pulled out of the parking lot, she got a text from jimmie.

‘Alex said that you wanted to invite your parents? They can come along! I wanna meet the people who raised the next best thing.😁’

“holy shit, jimmie said i’m the next best thing!” mercy yelled, a huge smile on her face. “well, you are!” katelyn praised, in awe at how amazing her sister is. dinner with the new family is next, and the sisters couldn’t wait to tell their parents.

[thesportssoundoff]

“Figures a Cowboy’s last stand might happen in Texas” The UFC Fight Night From Austin Preview

Joey

February 12th

The downside of the UFC's hectic, frenetic fight a week schedule is that sometimes really good free cards blend in with the schedule. Even with name value, the volume tends to smoosh everything into a fine paste and this card in Austin, Texas carries that sort of feeling to it. The UFC always tries to make these Texas cards special and this one is no exception as a very  intriguing main card with plenty of stories to digest is headlined by two important fights. The headliner is Donald Cerrone in the midst of his first career losing streak vs Hawaii's Yancy Medeiros in the midst of a career changing three fight winning streak all by finish. The crazy durable Hawaiian has been a different guy since his move up to 170 lbs, showcasing his trademark toughness with increased cardio and fight stopping power. This is the perfect sort of fight where a fighter on a skid gets a step back in competition while we also get to test how "real" another fighter is. The main event pits two HWs who had their winning streaks snapped in the face of a step up in competition; Marcin Tybura (who lost to Werdum) and Derrick Lewis (who lost to Mark Hunt) duking it out. Throw in a really compelling 155 lb fight between James Vick and Francisco Trinaldo plus the return of favorites like Super Sage (!) and Thiago Alves and there's something for everybody here. IF this card still had Livia Souza vs Jessica Aguilar on it, I'd say I couldn't imagine a free fight night topping it for depth and action fight potential. The prelims are headlined by a 155 lb fight pitting Carlos Diego Fierrera vs Jared Gordon in a genuine test of what Gordon may truly have to offer but the preliminary slate is mostly here to have action fights with Stephen Peterson vs Brandon Davis figuring to be an early candidate for FOTN plus an intriguing battle between the law office of (Joby) Sanchez and (Roberto) Sanchez at flyweight.

Fights: 13 (12?)

Debuts: 5 (Curtis Millender, Stephen Peterson, Geoffrey NEal, Joby Sanchez, Tim Williams)

Fight Changes/Injury Cancellations: 4 (Humberto Bandenay OUT, Brandon Davis IN vs Stephen Peterson/Ray Borg vs Brandon Moreno CANCELLED due to injury to Moreno/Marion Reneau vs Tanya Evinger CANCELLED due to injury to Evinger/Livia Souza OUT vs Jessica Aguilar)

Headliners (fighters who have either main evented or co-main evented shows in the UFC): 5 (Marcin Tybura, Derrick Lewis, Donald Cerrone, Thiago Alves, Sage Northcutt)

Fighters On Losing Streaks in the UFC:  4 (Donald Cerrone, Jessica Aguilar, Brian Cammozzi and Josh Burkman)

Fighters On Winning Streaks in the UFC: 3 (Yancy Medeiros, James Vick, Jared Gordon)

Main Card Record Since Jan 1st 2016 (in the UFC): 28-16 Donald Cerrone- 4-3 Yancy Medeiros- 3-1 Derrick Lewis- 6-1 Marcin Tybura- 3-2 James Vick- 4-1 Francisco Trinaldo- 4-1 Thiago Alves- 1-1 Curtis Millender- 0-0 Jessica Aguilar- 0-1 Sage Northcutt- 2-2 Thibault Gouti- 1-3

Too High Up- Brian Camozzi vs Geoffrey Neal

Everything that should be on the main card is on the main card so this isn't about that. Camozzi vs Neal is not a bad fight by any stretch of the imagination but it's essentially a showcase fight. Chris Camozzi's lil bro is 0-2 in the UFC and he's been finished both times. Geoffrey Neal is a Dana White Tuesday Night Contender Series dude (who I admittedly forgot about which shows the imprint he left on me I guess) who got his contract because he had fought twice in two weeks and showed up on three days notice to KO Chase Waldon. He has the ability to fight between 170 and 185 lbs and he's a Texas native. I'm fine with this being on the FS1 prelims but in a perfect world, this is on Fight Pass.

Too Low- Sarah Moras vs Lucie Pudilova

In a division where Rocky Pennington can earn a title shot, everybody who has NOT already fought Amanda Nunes is fair game. That means that Lucie Pudilova and Sarah Moras deserve a little more attention. They're opening up the preliminary slate on FS1 which is fine but if they don't find somebody for Jessica Aguilar then this fight more than any other fight deserves to get the step up to the main card. Moras is a pretty popular fighter while Pudilova IMO should be 2-0 in the UFC.  

Stat Monitor for 2018: Debuting Fighters (Current number: 1-4):  Curtis Millender, Stephen Peterson, Geoffrey NEal, Joby Sanchez, Tim Williams

Short Notice Fighters (Current number: 2-2): Brandon Davis, ?

Second Fight (Current number: 3-9): Brandon Davis, Roberto Sanchez, Oskar Piechota

Cage Corrosion (Current number: 4-5):  Carlos Diego Ferreira

Undefeated Fighters (Current number: 4-8): Oskar Piechota

Twelve Precarious Ponderings

1- A lot of people laughed with the total of lack of American flag on Yancy Medeiros but let's.....well let's gingerly try to walk through this. For starters, the UFC has had a tendency to try and market Hawaiians almost as if they're not Americans. It's not anywhere near as bad as the "Samoans have thick skulls and eat raw meat" levels you saw in old school territory wrestling but one really only has to look at how BJ Penn has been marketed to understand that Hawaii is unique to any other United States fight market. Outside of the way they talk about New York fighters, Hawaiians really are their own denomination. You never hear them market dudes as "a proud Missourian" or a dude embodying the fighting spirit of Oregon or whatever. Hawaiian fighters like BJ Penn and Max Holloway are always depicted with Hawaiian flags in UFC promotional materials. Hawaii might as well be its own continent in UFC parlance. It MAY as well be American Brasilia at this point. LASTLY there is NO doubt that if the average UFC fan was presented with Yancy Medeiros and Donald Cerrone, they'd say Cerrone is an American and Medeiros is Hawaiian as if it's not a state. I guess what I'm getting at is that be it cause and effort or a self fulfilling prophecy, the poster just reinforces the UFC (and fight fans) belief that Hawaii is the 8th unofficial continent.

2- There are a lot of things Yancy Medeiros does really well that will parlay him toward success in this fight with Cerrone. His kicks when he commits to them tend to be powerful, he mixes up his techniques well, he's unorthodox and willing to try different things and obviously he hits hard and has heavy ground and pound. Like Cerrone, he tends to not let guys off the hook when he has them hurting either (I believe only Francisco Trinaldo has really ever made it through the rough patches with Medeiros). The problem is Yancy's biggest strength also plays into Cerrone's biggest strengths. Medeiros is fantastic at taking the best someone has to offer, recovering from it, regrouping and  getting them back. Against Oliveira and Erick Silva especially, Yancy Medeiros was able to take serious punishment and buckle down en route to the rally stoppage. Against Francisco Trinaldo, he was basically dead in the first round before springing to life and beating the fuck out of Trinaldo in a wild second round to give himself a chance. The problem with being a blood, guts and balls type comeback artist is that it's dependent almost entirely on who is trying to finish you. Donald Cerrone NEVER lets guys off the hook. When he hurts them, he finishes them. When Medeiros has tried that blood and guts style vs more talented guys like Dustin Poirier, he's eaten the short end of the stick. If he gets hurt and tries to play desperation mode, Cerrone probably snatches up his neck.

3- Given his history and given the amount of fights he's had, it is worth wondering whether or not Donald Cerrone is simply cooked as a top level fighter. Even if you believe he beat Robbie Lawler, Cerrone has been hurt in four of his last five fights. He's still an offensive marvel (it wasn't too long ago he uncorked one of the greatest combinations of all time vs Rick Story) but his propensity to freeze up vs body shots and his struggles with straight shots haven't gotten any better. He'll be 35 this year, he's fought top level competition for the better part of the last eight years and he's fighting guys who hit way harder than he's used to when he was active at 155 lbs.

4- I wonder if Medeiros has the style to go five rounds? It's worth pointing out again that Cerrone has been doing five round fights for the better part of eight years.

5- Derrick Lewis vs Marcin Tybura feels like a fight that should be getting more attention than it is. Both are young by HW standards (Lewis just turned 33, Tybura is 30) and both have similar set ups into how they operate. Both are patient, at times overly so, strikers who do their best work with heavy top control and tend to use their size in an attempt to wear down and wear out their opponents. Both are surprisingly athletic guys who are really good kickers especially Marcin Tybura. Both are prisoners of pacing as neither man handles an uptick in tempo well and in the case of Derrick Lewis, it almost feels like a lack of confidence at times. Both are coming off fights where they essentially got checked by the elites of the division and fights where both left questions unanswered about their ceilings in the division.

6- Francis Ngannou vs Derrick Lewis has to happen, doesn't it?

7- The middleweight division takes a lot of knocks for being old and rightfully so but let's shine some light on a nice reverse trend for the 185ers in 2017:

In October; 29 year old Brad Tavares picked up his third straight win in dominating Thales Leites, 27 year old Antonio Carlos Jr picked up his 2nd straight sub win and Thiago Santos while not young at 33, took another step up the ranks by pretty much ruining the life of Jack Marshmann.

In November; 26 year old Paulo Costa ended Johny Hendricks' UFC career with a 1st round TKO, 27 year old kickboxer Karl Roberson made his debut and choked out Darren Stewart, the eternally frustrating but under 30 years old Elias Theodorou decisioned Judo Dad Dan Kelly and 26 year old Kelvin Gastelum presumably ended the career of Michael Bisping to end a December to December stretch with a 3-1 record at middleweight.

In December; 29 year old Gerald Meerschaert continued his Jake Ellenberger-esque career renaissance with a TKO win over Eric Spicely to run his UFC career mark to 3-1, under 30 year old Markus Perez made his UFC debut while 30 year old Eryk Anders took another step forward with his undefeated record in tact, two under 30 Italians (Alessio Dichirico and Marvin Vettori) picked up big wins.

The pattern hasn't quite kept up into 2018. Thus far we've only been greeted to a select few MW fights but the one pattern that's come up is age is conquering all. Jacare, Romero, Thiago Marreta and Machida were older middleweights who picked up wins while guys like Eryk Anders and Anthony Smith (29) suffered set backs. The reason we went through that entire walk on the mild side is that MW Oskar Piechota is back  and he draws Tim Williams in a fight that has me both intrigued and concerned. Piechota showcased some really impressive grappling skills and power in his hands in his UFC debut. He's a former Cage Warriors champion and at a time where "the local draw" is a big deal, a young Polish fighter under 30 could be worth his weight in gold as the UFC aims for expansion. At the same time, it's his first fight outside of Europe and while Tim Williams is not a guy who I would believe to be UFC quality (this is like his third attempt at trying to break through to the other side), this has all the makings of a spoiler fight for an undefeated fighter. LEST we forgot undefeated dudes are really struggling as we head to 2018.

8- If James Vick was a middleweight, would he have fought for the title by now?

9- I wonder if Joby Sanchez has a chance to still compete for the title. Sanchez was probably bought into the UFC a smidge too early and struggled across three fights before ultimately getting released. He lost to Wilson Reis in his debut on short notice, barely got by Tateki Matsuda in a controversial decision win and was beating Geane Herrera before he got dropped and stopped. Since then the Jackson-Wink product has done nothing but win including back to back wins on Dana White's Tuesday Night Contenders. He's back in the house and draws local guy Roberto Sanchez in what should be at the very least an exciting fight. Sanchez is an LFA product who lost his debut.

10- Is this Sage Northcutt vs Thibault Gouti fight an unfair one? I've seen some "soft matchup!" calls on social media but let's be fair and realistic; Sage Northcutt really is on THIS kind of a level. That's not to say Gouti can't win (he's a good striker who can throw some shit together at you) but Sage is bigger, stronger, more athletic and there's no doubt that Gouti is here to be "the opponent" in the fight. Having said all of that, why is this a bad thing? Sage Northcutt isn't ready for the elites of the MMA or even guys above the bottom rung. View Super Sage as a long play and realize that these fights are more about checking off boxes than they are about getting him ready to fight for the title. This fight will test how he reacts to an aggressive guy who throws a lot of kicks in combination. We've seen Sage habitually freeze up in the face of pressure so let's see how he handles it this time.

11- So it IS worth pointing out that Dana White's Tuesday Night Contender Series has hit a bit of a skid in 2018. 2017 saw them get off to a very hot start when the fighters started to filet in (Allen Crowder was the only original night winner who didn't win his debut fight) but since then it's been a pretty rough patch. Matt Frevola and Brandon Davis both ate losses in their UFC debuts while Dan Ige got plasted (by fellow DWTCS candidate Julio Arce). That doesn't even count Austin Arnett who lost on the Contender Series and then lost again in the UFC. As such I've got my eyes on Geoffrey Neal and Brandon Davis, two guys who won their original night Contender Series fights and got contracts that night. Davis is a big of a weirder situation since he's facing a guy who got signed on short notice in Stephen Petersen out of DWTCS. That said the winners are the guys they wanted and so Davis takes precedent in this instance.

12- Should Josh Burkman still be fighting at this point?

Must Wins

1- Donald Cerrone

I LOVE what Donald Cerrone has brought to the UFC. He's been the model of consistency, the sort of guy who would fight AND win 3-4 times a year. Cerrone has been a UFC road warrior but at this point, you wonder what's left. Pushing 35 off three straight losses at a bigger weight class would lead you to believe that Cerrone's time could potentially be up. Yancy Medeiros is a guy who he is equal to stylistically.

2- Derrick Lewis

This isn't about Lewis having to fight for his job. He signed a new deal, he's very popular, he's normally good for a big finish and he will always keep himself involved. Consider that Nannou is probably the #2 most popular HW currently and the two have been going back and forth. Lewis needs to win to set that fight up in my eyes even if you can still do L vs L. I dont think the UFC wants Ngannou vs Lewis with both guys coming off losses and so Lewis HAS to win.

3- Joby Sanchez

If you've never fought Mighty Mouse, you've got to really REALLY go out there and impress because you could be only two wins away from snatching up a big title fight. What's more, Joby Sanchez has a bit of a ready made story. He got to the UFC too early, got cut and had to work his way back the hard way. He needs to win and win impressively.

Five Can't Miss Fights

1- Donald Cerrone vs Yancy Medeiros

2- Derrick Lewis vs Marcin Tybura

3- Roberto Sanchez vs Joby Sanchez

4- Carlos Diego Ferreira vs Jared Gordon

5- Thiago Alves vs Curtis Millender

[nascar-fanfics]

the mason sisters: one

summary: a small introduction to the sisters, mercy gets the call that determines the rest of her career, and nerves start growing.

word count: 504

warnings: swearing

next chapter | masterlist

(a/n: i created a character descriptions carrd! it’s on the masterlist, which you can find here!)

“what are you listening to?” katelyn asked mercy-kay. “demons by hayley kioko. i’m working on my playlist to share with fans.” “ah. i should do that sometime. maybe we could collaborate a playlist on spotify?” “that’d be fun.” mercy-kay smiled, receiving a phone call from none other than rick hendrick. “holy shit. mr. h is calling me.” “WHAT??? ANSWER THAT!!” katelyn jumped out of her seat as mercy-kay took a deep breath and answered her phone. 

“hi, uh,” mercy clears her throat. “hi mr. h. is everything okay?” “yes, miss mason. in fact, i hope you accept this.” mercy’s face went white. “uh, accept what?” “the opportunity to drive for me, in the number five next season.” mercy-kay couldn’t believe what mr. h was saying. “mercy?” “absolutely sir, i would absolutely love to.” mercy took a deep breath, “when do i come down to sign the papers?” “anytime. just call me to let me know.” this is huge for the 20 year old. it felt like yesterday she was knocking on doors to raise money to get her own racecar. now she’s going to be driving for her dream team? she seriously couldn’t believe it. “is today good? three o’clock?” 

mercy-kay looked at the time, then at katelyn. she shook her fist and shut her eyes, her smile as big as alaska. “see you at three. bring katelyn, too.” mercy could hear mr. h’s smile through the phone. “absolutely sir. thank you so, so much for this opportunity. oh my god,” mercy chuckled, “you don’t know how much this means to me. thank you.” “not a problem, miss. i’ll see you at three.” “see you at three!” mercy ended the call and turned to katelyn. “so? what happened?” katelyn looked super excited. “I’M DRIVING THE FIVE FOR HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS!!!” “FUCKING WHAT??? OH MY GOD!!” katelyn hugged her sister as tight as she could. “i’m so so happy for you, merc! oh my god, this is amazing, holy shit.” “I CAN’T FUCKING BELIEVE IT!!” mercy hugged katelyn back, jumping up and down. “i have to tell mom and dad.” mercy grabbed katelyn’s hand, running to the living room from upstairs. “MOM! DAD!”

katelyn checked her phone for any notifications and noticed the time: 2:17. “hey, mercy, it’s 2:17. you should probably leave in about fifteen minutes. “hey, you’re coming with me, sis.” “what? this is about you, sis. i’m not interrupting this moment for you.” mercy shook her head, taking a sip of her mountain dew. “mr. h told me to bring you. guess it might be a free tour for you! hey, you might get to meet the other drivers~!” “mercy, we both know you’re going to be losing your mind afterwards, especially seeing alex.” mercy started blushing, tapping her pointer finger on her cheek; a nervous tick she’s had for years. three o’clock was coming fast and her nerves were growing as quickly as possible. something she had dreamed about ever since she was a little girl was finally coming true.