You know that feeling you get when your kid makes his first tentative, but ultimately futile, attempt to walk? Junior lets go of the coffee table, moves first one foot and then another … and immediately falls onto his ass – aw, isn’t he cute?

 

Well, that’s pretty much how I feel about this nugget about Kyle Petty included in an otherwise earth-shattering story from the Associated Press (apparently, the economy is bad and NASCAR will be affected in 2009):

 

 

Um, yeah. Kyle Petty’s inability to land a Cup ride in 2009 is due largely to the faltering economy. If not for that, for sure Petty has a ride in '09. His unemployment has nothing whatsoever to do with the fact that he qualified for all of 15 races in 2008 and has one top-10 finish in the last 10 years. One. One lone, forlorn, sad, desperate finish within shouting distance of a victory. One! In a freaking decade! And yet, if not for the economy, he is so preparing for the Daytona 500 right now.

 

Kyle Petty – aw, isn’t he cute?