caratthemoviesWell, Michael Pratt is bold. Smart? Probably not.

While on a date at the movies, Pratt asked to borrow his date's car keys because he left something in the car. Innocent enough, right?

From the St. Petersburg Times:

She called him.

He laughed.

"I stole your car," said Michael Pratt, a 27-year-old from New Port Richey, according to the Pasco Sheriff's Office.

He hung up.

Believe it or not, Pratt got away with it for a while because the woman didn't call the sheriff's office until two days after the fateful date because Pratt wouldn't return her calls. Maybe he was a strict adherent of the 72 hour rule?

However, all dating rules probably go out the window after you've stolen your date's car. It would take a special bond for a stolen car not to come between people.

Ultimately, Pratt dumped the car in a Wal-Mart parking lot and was arrested on Wednesday. He was charged with grand theft auto, a crime he's already spent a year in jail for previously, among other things.

The  2011 season is over and done, and while there were several drivers who had outstanding seasons, there were quite a few who, well, didn't quite bust through. We're focusing on some of those still-fine gentlemen before we get to the big dogs. Away!

First up, Paul Menard, who was one of many drivers to achieve redemption this year by bringing home an improbable victory:

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Sometimes the puzzle pieces fit where they're supposed to. Greg Zipadelli, the crew chief who guided Tony Stewart to his first two Sprint Cup championships, has been given his release from Joe Gibbs Racing and will join Stewart-Haas Racing in an executive capacity.

Zipadelli's move into the currently vacant director of competition slot at SHR has been one of the garage's most pervasive rumors. Stewart had released Bobby Hutchens from that position earlier this summer and never filled the position.

Over on the JGR side, Zipadelli remained as crew chief for the Home Depot No. 20 after Stewart vacated that seat three years ago. While Zipadelli has had some success guiding Joey Logano, clearly Zipadelli has been seeking alternatives. He had been under contract to JGR through 2012, but managed to secure his release, in part because his replacement was already in-house.

Jason Ratcliff, who has considerable Nationwide-level experience for JGR, will move up to the 20's pit box. Ratcliff was

We continue our look back into the ways and days of 2011's non-Chasers with three former Chase competitors who hit rough patches this year. Any hope ahead for these fellows? Your call.

First, Mark Martin in his final season with Hendrick Motorsports:

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On Thursday, the Izod IndyCar Series released a report announcing the results of the investigation surrounding Indianapolis 500 winner and IndyCar champion Dan Wheldon's death at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Oct. 16.

In the crash, Wheldon's car was launched airborne and his head ultimately hit a vertical post on the catchfence -- a "non-survivable injury."

Thirty-four drivers participated in the race on that Sunday and were spread out four-wide on the track when the crash happened.

From the Associated Press:

"Racing grooves not only restrict drivers' naturally aggressive racing behavior, but make the location of another competitor's car on the racetrack more predictable," the report said.

But when the race began at Vegas, the packed 34-car field was all over the track—movement series officials did not expect despite drivers' warnings.

"The ability of the drivers to race from the bottom of the racetrack all the way up to the wall and run limitless is not a condition we've experienced

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The criteria to qualify for the 2012 Budweiser Shootout was released on Wednesday and once again it's different than it was the previous year.

The 2012 field for the Daytona exhibition race will include the top 25 drivers in driver points and past Daytona winners (any driver who has won a Daytona 500, Coke Zero 400 or Budweiser Shootout).

The result? Well, the odds are that your favorite driver is eligible, because a whopping 33 drivers can run the race. The field is listed below, though it'd take less time to tell you who's not eligible to run the race.

Tony Stewart
Carl Edwards
Kevin Harvick
Matt Kenseth
Brad Keselowski
Jimmie Johnson
Dale Earnhardt Jr
Jeff Gordon
Denny Hamlin
Ryan Newman
Kurt Busch
Kyle Busch
Clint Bowyer
Kasey Kahne
A.J. Allmendinger
Greg Biffle
Paul Menard
Martin Truex Jr.
Marcos Ambrose
Jeff Burton
Juan Pablo Montoya
Mark Martin
David Ragan
Joey Logano
Brian Vickers
Bill Elliott (previous Daytona 500, Coke Zero 400, Budweiser Shootout winner)
Geoff Bodine

Welcome to the latest Happy Hour mailbag! You know how these work: You write us with your best rant/ joke/one-liner at happyhournascar@yahoogroups.com (note new address) or on Twitter at @jaybusbee, we respond to your messages, everyone goes away with a smile on their face.

So on Tuesday, I got caught in a 90-minute dead-stop traffic jam caused by a 20-car pileup on a highway near Atlanta. (Here's a brief news account.) And as I drove past the Talladega-esque wreckage, cars twisted into unrecognizable shapes and people sitting on the ground, shaken by the experience (thankfully, no serious injuries), I only had one thought: this was probably Vickers' fault. Also, no word on who got the Lucky Dog.

Now, to your letters. Last week, your assignment was to devise some new victory celebrations in the vein of Carl Edwards' flip. And oh, did you respond. Away we go...

Matt Kenseth would just fold his arms and yawn after a victory.

— Oranje
Hancock, Mich.

___________________

After winning a race, Jimmie Johnson could eat some vanilla ice cream because he is Mr. Vanilla.

— Dave Blakely

Simple. Effective. This is the vanilla ice cream of jokes.

___________________

If Brian Vickers ever wins again, he can wreck the other 42 cars during his victory lap.

— Daniel Biggins

___________________

• Joey Logano - Wait in his car for his Dad to get there and tell him what to do.
• Juan Pablo Montoya - Overcook his drive into Victory Circle taking out all of the equipment onstage and tell everyone it wasn't his fault that the equipment pinched down on him and left him no room.
• Any MWR driver - Go straight to their garage, close all the doors/block all view of the car, pretending their is a fire to distract everyone. Make the car legal, then go to victory circle.
• Danica Patrick - Now, I'm sure their wouldn't be a lot of complaints if she decided to moon all of her competitors, but NASCAR is family-oriented. So she hands out pacifiers to all the whiners.

— Dan Boren
Bay City, Texas

Time again for another NASCAR live chat! Join us as we talk, well, whatever. Kurt Busch's new ride? What your favorite drivers want for Christmas? It's all a possibility. Hang, won't you?

[UPDATE at 1:30: CoverItLive has gone down. Shoot. Sorry, folks.]