Hands off, Jane. We saw her first.

In case you missed it on Saturday, because you were outside socializing with people or trying to make this world a better place or something, we re-launched the With Leather Interview with our new best buddy and 2011 Nationwide Series Champion Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. And even better than just me yapping it up with NASCAR’s superstar-to-be is the fact that if Stenhouse has a great run in the No. 6 car at the Daytona 500, we may be sending one of our readers to the Sprint All-Star Race in May. But there’s just one teeny weeny little problem…

The Daytona 500 has to happen first.

For the first time in the race’s history, the race was postponed because of weather yesterday. Florida ruins everything, dammit. The race, which will feature our beloved Kate Upton as the co-Grand Marshal with Glee‘s Jane Lynch, was re-scheduled to take place today at noon, but it obviously isn’t happening yet, because I’m not at a bar screaming, “Turn left!” Instead, the race will now run tonight at 7 PM ET on Fox, but you might want to keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn’t get postponed again.

But once the race finally happens, I’ll be Tweeting up a storm about Stenhouse’s status and I’m counting on you With Leatherites to follow and cheer him along with the hashtag #WithLeatherWithRicky. I’ve got some brand new With Leather t-shirts to give away, but our main goal will be to pick one of you scoundrels to head to Charlotte, NC in May if Stenhouse finishes better than the drivers that have been assigned to other sites that are undoubtedly full of doodieheads.

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I don’t write about NASCAR nearly as much as I’d like to, so I was pretty stoked when I was told that 2011 Nationwide Series Champion Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. admitted that With Leather was his favorite sports blog on the Internet and he’d love to talk to us. Granted, that’s not verbatim and it may have gone more like, “You do what with leather now?” but after speaking with NASCAR’s top up-and-comer, I’m convinced that he may one day have a giant Lobster Dog on the hood of his car.

Which car? The legendary No. 6, originally driven by Mark Martin and the debut whip of the Roush/Fenway Racing team. Those are some undoubtedly big shoes to fill, but Ricky’s resume strongly suggests that he’s up to the challenge. Tomorrow marks his first Sprint Cup run at the Daytona 500 (1 PM ET on Fox) – the Super Bowl of motor sports, as a man with a Dale Earnhardt tattoo once told me – and that’s where you, our loyal-yet-rambunctious commenters come in.

Ricky is our official driver, so that means if he finishes better than the other drivers that have been assigned to other, less spectacular sites, one of you lucky animals is going to win an all-expenses paid trip to attend the Sprint All Star race in Charlotte, N.C. on May 19. So bring your commenting A-game and let’s cheer on the No. 6 car and our boy Ricky.

In the meantime, Ricky and I spent a few minutes discussing his ambitions, celebrity status, Twitter etiquette, when he’ll start dating Kim Kardashian, and, of course, the Daytona 500’s Grand(est) Marshal… Kate Upton.

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As a casual fan of NASCAR, I’ll be the first to admit that watching cars turn left can be incredibly intense at times, so that’s why I was a little upset when I read a story about Sports Illustrated recently firing NASCAR writer Tom Bowles for cheering in the press box after 20-year old rookie Trevor Bayne took the checkered flag at the Daytona 500 on Feb. 20. Bowles’ reaction to the overwhelming underdog victory drew criticism and anger from his peers, which I like to picture as them spittin’ chaw on his ma’s new carpet.

Of course Bowles defended himself, saying that he’s a fan at heart and the heat of the moment got the best of him. He also pointed out that Bayne was greeted with an ovation in the media center for his post-race interview. But that don’t darn well matter on the big boy circuit, so they handled this showdown like real men… on Twitter.

On Twitter, Bowles went at it with several of the top NASCAR reporters in the sport about the issue of applauding in the media center. Twitter is read by tons of NASCAR folks, including the high-ranking management. Bowles did not back down and things got pretty personal between himself and several reporters. (Via The Daly Planet)

If this story really tugs at your heartland strings, then you can read Bowles’ reaction to the negative response and his firing on his site, Front Stretch, which I believe is a double entendre for a racing term and a beer gut. But I was shocked to learn that Twitter was such a haven for NASCAR fans, yet it makes perfect sense – they can’t spell or count higher than 140. Settle down *removes front teeth, holds up three fingers* I’m a NASCAR fan, too. In fact, I just found out that Twitter will sponsor a car next season…

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Just when you thought NASCAR was about to die, they do something pretty interesting. Trevor Bayne, who turned 20 just one day before the Daytona 500, won that race in a green-white-checker overtime finish. Bayne’s win gives the sport an unlikely hero and another top-flight star heading into the Sprint Cup Series schedule.

Bayne, making only his second Sprint Cup start, drove a near mistake-free race in a fast car but also benefited from attrition on a day in which Daytona 500 records were set for lead changes (74), different leaders (22) and caution flags (16) and matched for most caution laps (60).

By the time Bayne led the leaders to the line on a second attempt at a green-white-checkered finish, most of the favorites were either in the garage or had damaged race cars – the blame going, in part, to the risky two-car draft hookups that were made possible on Daytona’s $20 million new pavement.

–Tampa Trib.

So that “racing three-wide” stuff was either a really good or really bad idea, depending on how much you like guys winning races in only their second Sprint Cup start ever. Bayne was just ten years old when Dale Earnhardt was involved in a fatal crash in Daytona a decade ago, and he’s the sports newest star…at least until IBM creates a computer that can race with the best. It can’t do any worse than Danica Patrick.

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Matt Kenseth won the Daytona 500 after they called the race after it started to rain. You know, I drive in the rain all the time, and I might be the second-worst male driver on the planet. One of the more notable performances of the day was that of Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Just don’t bring it up in public or five rednecks will come up and try to fight you. From Dan Wetzel of Yahoo! Sports:

Twice Dale Earnhardt Jr. blew his pit stop, both mind-numbing mistakes. The second cost him a one-lap penalty. Soon after, “fighting over nothing,” as Kyle Busch called it, Junior sparked a nine-car wreck that took out many of the serious contenders for the Daytona 500. Later, he got blamed for an incident with another driver.

It left Matt Kenseth to win a frustrating, rain-shorted race and left many wondering if Junior is going to insist on ruining his own race, he might be kind enough to spare everyone else. No one was hurt more than Busch, who had the best car all day, leading 88 of the first 125 laps.

The great thing about NASCAR is that they have their most important race as their first event of the season. It’s the trailer park equivalent of getting sex on a first date. Not that there’d be any reason to act prudish if you lived in a trailer park. Or frequently visit one. Fortunately the whores in this area make house calls. They’re just not so great at following directions. Or driving in the rain, for that matter.