Kevin Grubb

Kevin Grubb, a former regular in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, was found dead on Wednesday at a hotel just outside of Richmond, Va., according to a report on ESPN.com. Grubb, of Mechanicsville, Va., was 31 years old. At the time of his death Grubb was suspended from competing in NASCAR sanctioned events because of his refusal to submit to a drug test in September 2006 following an event at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway. Grubb made his Nationwide Series debut at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in 1997.

Grubb was previously suspended in March 2004 for failing a drug test. But he agreed to random testing as part of his reinstatement. Grubb's career began with NASCAR's lower-tier series in 1997. He made 174 Nationwide Series starts from 1997-2006. After two part-time seasons for his family owned team in '97 and '98, Grubb was hired by Brewco Motorsports to compete in the Nationwide Series in 1999. His 13th place finish in the standings for Brewco in 2000 was a career best.

He went to Team Bristol Motorsports for the 2002 season but issues plagued the team and he finished 19th in the standings. In March 2004 Grubbs failed a NASCAR mandated drug test and was suspended indefinitely by the sanctioning body. He was reinstated by NASCAR in 2006 and returned to compete in the Nationwide Series and Camping World Truck Series. He made five Nationwide Series starts and four Truck Series starts before he was again suspended by NASCAR. On September 11, 2006 Grubb crashed on the second lap of a Nationwide Series event at Richmond and refused to take a NASCAR mandated drug test after the accident.

Clayton Homes

Clayton Homes has a pretty intriguing modular home right now. It purports to be a great green option, with energy-saving features in the basic model and add-ons for the "deep green" set. It's begging the green living crew to put its money where its mouth is. The house comes in two packages: the $74,900, 723-square-foot i-house I, and the $93,300, 1,023-square-foot i-house II. Both homes can be configured in at least seven different ways and come with a number of standard features, including galvanized metal roofing, corrugated steel siding, a butterfly roof with rainwater collection, and non-VOC paints.

Following the lead about just about every other company in the world, where introducing a product is of paramount importance, Clayton Homes this week introduced its ihouse (or ihome), which it says is at least 30% more energy- efficient than a traditional home. Clayton Homes is the largest manufacturer of modular homes in the U.S., and officially introduced its ihome at Berkshire Hathaway's recent annual shareholder meeting. The new offering features all the amenities required to reduce your carbon footprint (some optional).

There are two versions of the ihome: the 723-square-foot i-house I, ($74,900) and the 1,023-square-foot i-house II $93,300). As they are modular (meaning mobile, right?) both can be configured in many different ways. While the words "mobile home" have been used in a somewhat derogatory manner in the past, these Clayton Homes ihomes are certainly as far removed from what you might remember from an old movie as an iPod is from a reel-to-reel tape recorder. They come with a number of standard features, including galvanized metal roofing, corrugated steel siding, a butterfly roof with rainwater collection, and non-VOC paints.

IHouse

IHouse goes for $100 to $130 a square foot, depending on extras in what’s billed as “a moderately-priced plug and play dwelling” for the eco-conscious. The ribbon was cut on the iHouse in the US a few days ago at the annual shareholders’ meeting of investor Warren Buffett’s Berkshire-Hathaway Inc. in Omaha, Neb.

There are two versions of the ihome: the 723-square-foot i-house I, ($74,900) and the 1,023-square-foot i-house II $93,300). As they are modular (meaning mobile, right?) both can be configured in many different ways. While the words "mobile home" have been used in a somewhat derogatory manner in the past, these Clayton Homes ihomes are certainly as far removed from what you might remember from an old movie as an iPod is from a reel-to-reel tape recorder. They come with a number of standard features, including galvanized metal roofing, corrugated steel siding, a butterfly roof with rainwater collection, and non-VOC paints.

The greenness, I hate to say, of the Clayton homes ihome appears to come from the many options, such as solar panels, tankless water heaters, and low-flow faucets. Speaking of the iPod, I'm surprised the name of the Clayton Homes' offering is ihouse (or ihome) rather than ehouse, say. Apple is fiercely defensive of its iPod and will sue over what it considers anything that will possibly harm the image or cause confusion. At any rate, these new Clayton Homes iHouse offer a federal rebate for first time buyers, so pricing and the rebate make it something to be looked at.