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Author: Ron Thornton

  • Hot 20 – If you are seeking some racing excitement, Sonoma will be worth tuning in

    Hot 20 – If you are seeking some racing excitement, Sonoma will be worth tuning in

    Make the racing better. That seems to be what NASCAR is locked into and bless ‘em for trying. Outside of running all the races at Daytona, Talladega and Bristol, it is a challenge. The good old days had winners taking the flag by laps, not seconds, so no solution can be found there.

    A new rules package is being looked at, one that might allow a car to catch an opponent, get up beside him, or her, and actually make a pass. That should not be a problem this Sunday at Sonoma. Unlike their Formula One counterparts, these boys, and girl, will use a fender to gain an advantage and cause things to happen. If you want nice clean racing where speed is king, watch the ponies. If you want excitement, you might want to catch the action on the asphalt from California.

    Our Hot 20 heading to Sonoma include…

    1. Jimmie Johnson – 4 WINS (506 Points)
    What makes Jimmie so appealing? All those NASCAR penalties they keep fighting.

    2. Kevin Harvick – 2 WINS (576 Points)
    15 races, 1200 laps led. I think Harv likes being champion.

    3. Kurt Busch – 2 WINS (426 Points)
    Once upon a time missing three races killed a season. Times have changed.

    4. Martin Truex Jr. – 1 WIN (561 Points)
    Got the win, all he needs now is a new contract. A sponsor not named Visser would sure help.

    5. Joey Logano – 1 WIN (520 Points)
    Joey Sharkgano?

    6. Dale Earnhardt Jr. – 1 WIN (508 Points)
    First me, now Junior. Yes, all the good ones are now taken.

    7. Brad Keselowski – 1 WIN (480 Points)
    Does Penske lose both of its drivers in Sharknado 3?

    8. Matt Kenseth – 1 WIN (456 Points)
    Ross gives Pops a Top Ten on a Father’s Day outing in Chicago.

    9. Denny Hamlin – 1 WIN (412 Points)
    Denny is part of the council. Does that mean he knows Gandalf and Gimli?

    10. Carl Edwards- 1 WIN (401 Points)
    Last year he gave everybody the gears as he went left and right to victory at Sonoma.

    11. Jamie McMurray – 454 POINTS
    With the Truex victory, Mac is now the best without a win…something he has not done since 2010.

    12. Kasey Kahne – 447 POINTS
    Outside of Bristol and Talladega, worst finish is 17th, best is fourth. At least he is consistent.

    13. Jeff Gordon – 434 POINTS
    Top Ten at Sonoma…darn near a guaranteed result.

    14. Paul Menard – 421 POINTS
    The Chase is the goal, and as it appears Crew Chief Justin Alexander is a problem solver…

    15. Aric Almirola – 401 POINTS
    Feels Bowyer’s breath behind him as they take on a track where success has remained elusive.

    16. Ryan Newman – 400 POINTS
    His odds on Sunday are as bad as Junior, Kenseth, and Hamlin…but they already have their wins.

    17. Clint Bowyer – 388 POINTS
    If there is a track the gent can make up some ground, it is this one.

    18. Kyle Larson – 361 POINTS
    He may appear to be 13, but he turns 23 in a month.

    19. Danica Patrick – 357 POINTS
    Just when I start thinking of her as just a driver…I catch her Instagram photos.

    20. Greg Biffle – 351 POINTS
    Instagram or not, I view the Biff as just a driver. Trust me.

  • The Final Word – A Michigan Nickname is “Water Wonderland”…No Kidding

    The Final Word – A Michigan Nickname is “Water Wonderland”…No Kidding

    Rain. Just bloody lovely. Who, outside of California, really needed the wet stuff all that bad? When Alfred, Lord Tennyson said, “Bright and fierce and fickle is the South, And dark and true and tender is the North,” he obviously was not talking about the rains of Michigan. Those black clouds still managed to tease one driver into dreams of winning delights, just before breaking his heart.

    Three laps. That proved the difference between Kyle Larson having a great finish at Michigan and having the rain hold off, his car run low of fuel, and him having to hand it over to Kurt Busch. For Busch, he led for the final three under green, the final three under caution, and was the man of the hour when the red and checkered flags followed. Larson wound up 17th and left hoping to yet win his way into the Chase, Busch was left in a rain-soaked celebration for his second triumph of the season. Of course, if there was one who knew just how fickle life could be, that would be Mr. Busch.

    It could have been different. When brother Kyle lost control of his car early in the race, he just missed his sibling as his auto hit the fence to end his day dead last. To make a playoff run, he now needs to run an average of 17 points per race better than Justin Allgaier over the next eleven, as well as win one of them. It still can be done, but finishing two of his four runs thus far this season outside the Top 35 just won’t cut it.

    All in all, it was a miserable day, with rain coming early, coming often, and ending it more than 120 miles early. Kevin Harvick had the best car, but when he pulled out minus about three lug nuts on a front tire, his return to the pits dashed all hopes for this day, leaving him 29th. That was ten spots behind Jimmie Johnson, as our season leader needed to pit for a fender needing repair and that took him out of the hunt for the day. As for Greg Biffle, somebody told him to drive it like he stole it. Why in hell would he steal that piece of crap? He finished 36th.

    Not all was gloom and doom. A pair of Juniors did well, with Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Martin Truex Jr. coming home second and third, just ahead of Matt Kenseth, Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski. At least the Penske Fords could run.  It was a good day for Trevor Bayne, as he more than helped his bid to stick in the Top Thirty by finishing ninth. His was a Ford that also got there in the end. A pair of XFINITY drivers had decent days, with Ty Dillon (14th) and Ryan Blaney (20th) doing better than most.

    Rain last Sunday, no race this weekend, no rain in California. The latest figures I read show 54-million people, most of whom are in California, are suffering drought conditions. Mind you, it is not so bad in the San Francisco area, where NASCAR visits Sonoma June 28th, with reservoirs sitting at over 90 percent capacity and they are still receiving three-quarters of their normal rainfall.

    So, if it rains through the next race yet misses much of the rest of the state, that would not just be fickle. It would be downright cruel.

  • Hot 20 – The Truex Triumph at Pocono Deserves an Encore at Michigan

    Hot 20 – The Truex Triumph at Pocono Deserves an Encore at Michigan

    You need a multi-car operation in order to be successful. At least, that seems to be the prevailing wisdom of the day, but just do not let Barney Visser and his Furniture Row team in on it. Other teams might not like what they would see.

    Marching to the beat of their own drummer is just what they do. For example, while most teams call the Charlotte area home, the auto driven by Martin Truex Jr. is prepared in Denver, Colorado. Starting part-time in 2005, Furniture Row has been a Top 30 entry ever since they ran the full schedule with Regan Smith in 2010. They even won a race the next season, but hitting the Top Twenty by year’s end was a struggle.

    Their dedication reached fruition in 2013 when Kurt Busch came over for a year, with 11 Top Fives launching them to a 10th best season. Still, no wins, and when Truex joined the outfit last year they dropped again to also-ran status in the standings. That proved to be just a blip on their radar as Cinderella got another shot to go to the ball and wear those glass galoshes.

    Last Sunday, Truex gave Furniture Row just its second victory ever when he was the class of the field at Pocono. This was no surprise outcome for a usual also-ran, as they are easily the best team in points amongst the single win teams. In fact, they are second only to Kevin Harvick in points for the season, period. Single car teams are not supposed to do that. In fact, no single car team is supposed to do what Alan Kulwicki did between 1987 and his championship of 1992 these days. It seems to me that those mountain men and women are putting up another solid argument that the prevailing wisdom of the day is not their way, at least not yet.

    While a teammate might not be to too far off in the future, Truex has had some success of his own at Michigan. He had three Top Tens racing for Michael Waltrip, and a pair of runner-up finishes for Dale Earnhardt Jr. in 2007. After last season’s annus horribilis, this appears to be a year of new beginnings and new successes, for both the team and its driver. Of course, he is among…

    …our Hot 20 heading into Michigan.

    1 – JIMMIE JOHNSON – 4 WINS (481 pts)
    If Chad and Jimmie were girls, they wouldn’t talk for months after a race.

    2 – KEVIN HARVICK – 2 WINS (559 pts)
    Fourteen races. Two wins. Ten times finishing in second place. Don’t worry, be Happy.

    3 – MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 1 WIN (520 pts)
    Finally.

    4 – JOEY LOGANO – 1 WIN (480 pts)
    Starts dead last after rear-end gear change, then gets a pit penalty, yet finishes fourth at Pocono.

    5 – DALE EARNHARDT JR. – 1 WIN (465 pts)
    You would have thought he, not his buddy, won the race.

    6 – BRAD KESELOWSKI – 1 WIN (441 pts)
    Brought the beer to the Truex party. while Junior sent some post-celebration head pain relief.

    7 – MATT KENSETH – 1 WIN (415 pts)
    Family joined the Johnsons and Dillon boys for a Taylor Swift concert. Perks of the profession.

    8 – KURT BUSCH – 1 WIN (379 pts)
    Took the pole, finished fifth. Just another day at the office.

    9 – DENNY HAMLIN – 1 WIN (379 pts)
    The way he qualified at Pocono, one would have thought he was Bowyer.

    10 – CARL EDWARDS – 1 WIN (368 pts)
    Not as good as Newman this season…except for that little ole win he has.

    11 – JAMIE MCMURRAY – 427 POINTS
    Has completed 96.8 percent of his career laps at Michigan, but fourth in 2004 his best result.

    12 – KASEY KAHNE – 417 POINTS
    Impromptu body work from Junior helped neither car last weekend.

    13 – JEFF GORDON – 411 POINTS
    So, Alan and Jeff swore at each other. Am I the only one who notices they are both guys?

    14 – PAUL MENARD – 385 POINTS
    Caught speeding, got caught again on the drive through, then got a flat. Not a good day.

    15 – ARIC ALMIROLA – 379 POINTS
    Pocono was not a pointless exercise for Aric. He did pick up a single point for his efforts.

    16 – RYAN NEWMAN – 374 POINTS
    After just earning five himself, Newman not feeling the love after being Allmendingered.

    17 – CLINT BOWYER – 354 POINTS
    Billy Scott to replace Brian Pattie atop the box at Michigan. Let the magic begin.

    18 – GREG BIFFLE – 343 POINTS
    Twelfth was twelve better than teammate Trevor Bayne, which means they still have work to do.

    19 – KYLE LARSON – 333 POINTS
    Third at Dover, eighth at Pocono and eighth last spring at Michigan. The time is now.

    20 – DANICA PATRICK – 328 POINTS
    Deserved a better fate last Sunday.

  • The Final Word – The Top Four at Pocono Have Been the Season’s Best Four

    The Final Word – The Top Four at Pocono Have Been the Season’s Best Four

    Three drivers. When it came to the story of the Pocono race, only three mattered. You probably wanted to know who led the race for the opening few laps, and that would have been Carl Edwards. He finished 15th. For the rest of the way, it was down to two names, right down to the final lap; Martin Truex Jr. and Kevin Harvick. No one else much mattered on Sunday.

    When it comes down to points, these two lead the way this year. When it comes to wins, Harvick’s two trailed only Jimmie Johnson’s four in that department. Truex, on the other hand, still had to close the deal. That finally happened in a race where he was a factor from start to finish, leading four times for 97 of the 160 laps, to snap a 69 race winless string. Harvick led for 39 to claim his 10th Top Two in 14 starts. As for third place, that eventually went to Johnson, as Pocono became a showcase of the three best thus far in 2015. Okay, Top Four, with Joey Logano finishing fourth.

    With the Truex win, we still have no drivers outside the Top 16 in points with a victory this season. With a dozen events to go, that could change, which would put some pressure on those up there, yet still winless. However, Jamie McMurray, Kasey Kahne and even Jeff Gordon look safe for the moment though Paul Menard, Aric Almirola and Ryan Newman are vulnerable. All three finished outside the Top Thirty on Sunday.

    Top Thirty on the season is valuable for those who want to win to be in. Only Kyle Busch has a realistic expectation to possibly win amongst the outsiders, and he sits 151 points behind Trevor Bayne for that 30th spot. Busch gained 15 points on Bayne over the weekend and needs to average a 12.6 point advantage over each of the next 12 races, as well as claim a win along the way, for it to matter.

    Danica Patrick looked good for much of the race, solidly a Top 15, if not better. She lost a tire, found a fence, and finished 37th. However, the girl looked good, and for those on her bandwagon, that certainly counts for something.

    After taking the last five at Pocono, shared by their four drivers, Team Hendrick had to settle for all four in the Top 15. Considering the trials Truex has faced both professionally and personally over the past couple of years, I think their genuine happiness over his success more than makes up for any disappointment that they might feel. Way more.

    While Truex celebrated, Almirola (43rd), Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (42nd), and Sam Hornish Jr. (41st) were top thirty drivers who did not have top thirty days. Meanwhile, Kyle Busch (9th), Ty Dillon (18th), and Landon Cassill (25th) were among those outsiders who gladly took their place.

    Michigan International Speedway is the next stop, where the last six contests run over the past three years have been split between Hendrick Chevrolets and Roush or Penske Fords. At least it is a venue Hendrick has not won the last five…just the last two.

  • Hot 20 – Preparing For Pocono, May They Remember to Just Stay in The Damn Car

    Hot 20 – Preparing For Pocono, May They Remember to Just Stay in The Damn Car

    Stay in your damn car. Jennifer Jo Cobb did not during Friday’s truck race, leaving the confines of the cab to direct a little displeasure after being wrecked. On Sunday, Trevor Bayne got wrecked and headed onto to the apron to voice his displeasure. According to NASCAR rules brought in last August, unless there is smoke or fire in the cockpit, stay in the damn car until the emergency crew arrives.

    I love watching drivers venting steam, challenging those who they believe have done them wrong. Sometimes it is downright amusing, especially if the driver is much smaller than the focus of their displeasure. However, life is not a cartoon. Sometimes what might be funny can become terribly tragic in the blink of an eye.

    August 9, 2014. After that date, on a dirt track in New York, with the death of 20-year old Kevin Ward Jr., we learned a very valuable yet costly lesson. Please just stay in the damn car.

    Here are our Hot 20 as they take to the track at Pocono on Sunday…

    1. Jimmie Johnson – 4 WINS (440 Pts)
    Whenever Johnson fails to win at Dover, Miles the Monster gets a Jimmie Johnson trophy.

    2. Kevin Harvick – 2 WINS (516 Pts)
    Tony just called. He wants his damn car back…and pit crew…and crew chief..and lucky penny.

    3. Joey Logano – 1 WIN (440 Pts)
    A big believer in Loudon. Unless it is a songwriter named Wainwright, I’m not with him.

    4. Dale Earnhardt Jr. – 1 WIN (432 Pts)
    Never won at Pocono until last year. Now looking for his third straight.

    5. Brad Keselowski – 1 WIN (414 Pts)
    Giving a rival crewman a ride is fine after the race, just not during the race.

    6. Matt Kenseth – 1 WIN (377 Pts)
    As he prepares for Pocono, his boy Ross makes his XFINITY debut later this month.

    7. Denny Hamlin – 1 WIN (345 Pts)
    Bowyer’s Toyota was going places, causing Hamlin’s Toyota to go to a bad place.

    8. Kurt Busch – 1 WIN (340 Pts)
    On the track, he makes Gene’s gambit look pretty good.

    9. Carl Edwards – 1 WIN (338 Pts)
    A drag race is not what one does to a crew member in leaving the pits.

    10. Martin Truex, Jr. – 472 POINTS
    A 140-point bulge means winning is not everything…but it sure would be nice.

    11. Jamie McMurray – 390 POINTS
    Miles needs a desperate facelift. After what happened to him last year, Jamie would agree.

    12. Kasey Kahne – 385 POINTS
    The second best Hendrick driver at Dover? It sure in hell was not Earnhardt or Gordon.

    13. Jeff Gordon – 380 POINTS
    Then again, a Top Ten is not bad for an old guy…with four titles…and 92 career wins.

    14. Aric Almirola – 378 POINTS
    Solidly in the hunt, solidly a Top Five guy last weekend at Dover.

    15. Paul Menard – 372 POINTS
    If no one outside the Top 16 in points wins, he is fine. If not, he will need one of his own.

    16. Ryan Newman – 369 POINTS
    What goes for Menard also goes for Newman.

    17. Clint Bowyer – 332 POINTS
    Chasing is fine, but a win is his best bet to make the playoffs.

    18. Danica Patrick – 321 POINTS
    The Danica-Line used to be 25th. While not yet Chase worthy, it marks a definite improvement.

    19. Greg Biffle – 311 POINTS
    What’s Buggin’ Biffle? Nothing that a win would not cure.

    20. Kyle Larson – 297 POINTS
    At 22, elected to sit at the big boy table as a driver rep in chat with NASCAR.

  • The Final Word – Dover and the FedEx 400 Benefiting Jimmie Johnson

    The Final Word – Dover and the FedEx 400 Benefiting Jimmie Johnson

    Jimmie Johnson. Four wins in 2015. Ten wins at Dover. Seventy-four wins over the course of his career, just two shy of Dale Earnhardt’s total. Six championships. Gee, I wonder if he might ever make the Hall of Fame?

    He becomes only the fifth driver in NASCAR history to claim such dominance at a single track. Mind you, we’ve long been placing his name alongside such drivers as…

    -Richard Petty (Daytona – 10, Martinsville – 15, North Wilkesboro – 15, Richmond – 13, Rockingham – 11)

    -David Pearson (Darlington – 10)

    -Darrell Waltrip (Bristol – 12, Martinsville – 11, North Wilkesboro – 10)

    -Dale Earnhardt (Talladega – 10)…not counting the nine each he won at Atlanta, Bristol, and Darlington.

    Kevin Harvick was the runner-up and with two wins he holds the same position amongst the season leaders. Kyle Larson was third, but like the fourth place Aric Almirola, a win is what they need to be in the Chase. Martin Truex Jr. was sixth, but with a 140-point advantage over Clint Bowyer in the standings, he is still very good to go. Bowyer is 17th on the season and ninth on Sunday. The rest of the day’s Top Ten, Jamie McMurray, Paul Menard and Jeff Gordon, remain solidly in the Top Sixteen, at least for now.

    For some, this day was in the pits, or at least that is where great days went to die. Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Danica Patrick were in the Top-Fifteen, but were left wondering if not for pit penalties just what kind of day they might have had. Same for the 19th place Carl Edwards.

    Truex was amongst two that dominated early while Denny Hamlin led 118 laps including the opening 41 circuits. After a wreck caused by Bowyer that also caught Kurt Busch, Hamlin finished 21st, Busch 31st.

    As for brother Kyle, he looked strong the entire race, or at least the 90 percent he ran. With 25 to go, he and Brian Scott wrecked, leaving the younger Busch 36th. After missing so much of the season due to his Daytona injuries, he will need to win at least once and make up the 168 gap between himself and the 30th ranked Justin Allgaier over the next 13 events to make the playoff hunt. That is a gain of 13 per race. On Sunday, he gained just seven points on the 42nd placed Allgaier. It still can be done.

    Landon Cassill was 23rd on the day. The 26-year-old has been making the news, though off the track. After the World 600, he ran the 14-miles from the track to the Hall of Fame…on foot. Last Wednesday, he became Beckham Bear Alan Cassill’s dad. Pretty sweet.

    What is better, Cup action or IndyCar? Whatever you believe, it is not worth choking your fiancé over. It was a lovely domestic scene in Indiana as both were hitting the suds all day, then with he making dinner and her listening to the action from Indianapolis, the topic reared its ugly head. It appears that both are fine, but he does need a lawyer. No word as to whether the engagement is off or not.

    Dover had its moments and a few surprises. Actually, not a bad way to spend your Sunday afternoon. As for Pocono next weekend, Earnhardt comes in after sweeping 2014 while each of his Hendrick teammates has claimed the previous three. Gordon has six in total, Johnson three, but Hamlin could spoil the party having four of his own. Now, if only Bowyer will let him get to the finish.

  • Hot 20 – A Dozen Drivers Seeking Another Miles the Monster Trophy this Sunday at Dover

    Hot 20 – A Dozen Drivers Seeking Another Miles the Monster Trophy this Sunday at Dover

    The trophy features Miles the Monster, a sharp-toothed, red-eyed stone creature hoisting the winner’s car in the air in an apparent prelude to dashing it into dust. Imagine what happens to the guy who finishes dead last.

    Jimmie Johnson has a lot of these trophies, courtesy of nine victories at Dover. It does not seem to matter the time of year or even the time of his career. He swept 2002 in his rookie season, as he did in 2009. Johnson has won half of the last six ran there, including last spring. I am going out on a limb here, but I got a feeling Jimmie might be considered the favorite on Sunday.

    It is not as if he does not share. Jeff Gordon has five of those trophies. There is a trio of them at both Ryan Newman and Tony Stewart’s homes. In fact, there are 11 other drivers who will be competing this weekend with a combined total of 22 to go along with the nine Jimmie has in his man-cave. Even Martin Truex, Jr. has one. He sure would love another.

    Hot 20 heading over to Dover…with past winners in CAPS…

    1. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 3 WINS – 393 Points
    Dover has been kind to him nine times…so how about 10?

    2. Kevin Harvick – 2 WINS – 473 Points
    Points are important, but wins more so. Just ask Truex.

    3. Joey Logano – 1 WIN – 407 Points
    Winning just a single race isn’t that big a deal, is it? When it is THAT race, it sure is.

    4. DALE EARNHARDT JR. – 1 WIN – 401 Points
    Loves Speedy Dry on oil, not so much on the top grove, on the fans, on your cereal…

    5. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 1 WIN – 381 Points
    Who’s her daddy? Brad is…of a baby girl. Congratulations!

    6. MATT KENSETH – 1 WIN – 372 Points
    You can join his pit crew in Kansas…sort of. Now, if you could just be Newman’s crew chief.

    7. KURT BUSCH – 1 WIN – 327 Points
    Still waiting for that final caution at Charlotte…that never came.

    8. Denny Hamlin – 1 WIN – 321 Points
    36 holes of golf and a game of tennis…not how to prepare for 600 miles.

    9. CARL EDWARDS – 1 WIN – 312 Points
    They call him Flipper, Flipper, faster than lightning…at least over the final 21 laps last week.

    10. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 432 POINTS
    Best car in Charlotte, yet still winless.

    11. Jamie McMurray – 353 POINTS
    Interested only in winning the big ones, and July has both the Firecracker and Brickyard 400’s.

    12. JEFF GORDON – 346 POINTS
    Led the way at Indianapolis, so it was just too bad he was not also in the pace car at Charlotte.

    13. Kasey Kahne – 345 POINTS
    Last Sunday found Kasey having to do a lot of passing on a day when passing wasn’t easy.

    14. RYAN NEWMAN – 343 POINTS
    Last win was the 2013 Brickyard. Last race with his crew chief…Talladega.

    15. Aric Almirola – 339 POINTS
    Smithfield Foods sponsors Almirola and the IndyCar that caught fire prior to Sunday’s start.

    16. Paul Menard – 336 POINTS
    I hear his dad sponsors this team. Well, a big howdy to Mr. Pittsburgh Paints. Wrong one?

    17. Clint Bowyer – 296 POINTS
    Lt. Dale Bowyer…we and your grandson salute you.

    18. Danica Patrick – 292 POINTS
    Whose yoga photos would you prefer…Danica’s or Tony’s?

    19. GREG BIFFLE – 284 POINTS
    The only one even close to being the bearer of positive news for Roush-Fenway.

    20. A.J. Allmendinger – 274 POINTS
    Not saying he is bad at Dover, but anything in the Top 20 would represent a good day.

  • The Final Word – Monaco, and Indy, and Charlotte, Oh My!

    The Final Word – Monaco, and Indy, and Charlotte, Oh My!

    It was the biggest day in motorsports, starting with the streets of Monaco, where they have been racing since 1929. Then, to Indianapolis, where they have been logging 500 miles this time of year since 1911. Finally, the long way home, the World 600 at Charlotte for the boys and girl with fenders.

    Overseas, Nico Rosberg claimed the prize for the third straight year. It helps when it is handed to you. During a late caution, the dominant car of Lewis Hamilton was called in for fresh tires. He had thought Rosberg and those immediately behind him had done the same. They had not. Nice call, team. Thanks a bunch. Surprise, surprise, surprise, as Gomer Pyle used to say.

    Gomer’s creator, actor Jim Nabors, performed “Back Home Again in Indiana” for the final time last year, but Juan Pablo Montoya was back in Indianapolis. An early mishap cost the former NASCAR performer what passes for a rear fender on his open wheeled car, forcing him back to 30th. That set the stage for his charge through the pack. With just three laps to go, he made his pass for the lead and claimed the crown he first won back in 2000.

    They have been racing 600 miles at Charlotte on Memorial Day weekend since 1960, the longest NASCAR event of the season. Martin Truex Jr. would have been the story, had he won after leading 131 laps. He did not. Kurt Busch led the way for 118, but no suds for him, either. In fact, five other drivers led more than Carl Edwards, but it was the man from Missouri doing the back flip in the end as he led the final 21 to take his first of the season, 24th of his Cup career. It might still be a bit premature, but what the heck. Welcome to the Chase, Mr. Edwards.

    Welcome to the Hall of Fame, Bruton Smith. The 88-year old owner of the Charlotte track, along with seven others on the circuit, will be inducted as part of the class of 2016. Joining him will be two-time champ Terry Labonte, the legendary Curtis Turner, six-time Modified king Jerry Cook, and 1970 Cup champion Bobby Isaac.

    Landon Cassill was still running at the end of the race in Charlotte. For another hour, 41 minutes, and 49 seconds, he continued to run the 14 miles between the track and the Hall of Fame. This time, the only rubber on the road was on his sneakers. This sounds like something my sons might do. I, on the other hand, am much too smart…and fat…and old…for that.

    If you want to win the Indianapolis 500, spend some time in NASCAR. Montoya won his second after 278 races in Cup and the XFINITY series over parts of the previous nine seasons. His Indy lead engineer, Brian Campe, was on the box as a crew chief for 22 Nationwide races in 2009, including seven for Dale Earnhardt Jr. Not a bad apprenticeship.

    Jeff Gordon was at Indianapolis, drove the pace car before returning to North Carolina. After getting out of the car, he will head to the broadcast booth to join Mike Joy and Darrell Waltrip at FOX next season. I think they might be replacing the wrong guy, but maybe that is just me.

    So, what is next? The Monster Mile in Dover is slated for this Sunday, where everybody who has won there the past nine events also has claimed a Cup title along the way. In fact, over the past six years, the only non-champion to take the checkered flag there was Kyle Busch. Not a bad pick, come to think of it.

  • Hot 20 – Charlotte, where this weekend they go the extra miles

    Hot 20 – Charlotte, where this weekend they go the extra miles

    We begin with Monaco, tune into Indianapolis for the matinee, then spend the evening in Charlotte in our 600-mile feature. While we go in concerned about cars running into a house or into a harbor overseas, or find the wall and flipping down the track in Indiana, our biggest concern for the folks with fenders is that they might not be able to pass the leader in North Carolina.

    As we discovered last week in the All-Star contest, if you run up front your only concern is that your car turns sour or adjustments just made the competition better. If neither happens, the leader leads until somebody has to hit pit road. Not terribly exciting in a visual sort of way, yet we shall watch to see if Clint Bowyer can hold on to that final Chase berth, if a past winner can win again, or if someone buried in points might be able to make the leap with a checkered flag performance.

    Of course, Kyle Busch returns from his Daytona injury with zero points, 179 behind the 30th placed Tony Stewart. Well, that is nothing five or six straight wins wouldn’t cure. Hey, I did not say it would be easy.

    Our hot 20 heading to Charlotte…

    1. Jimmie Johnson – 3 WINS (389 Points)
    Modifying the side skirt…okay on Fashion TV, not so good in NASCAR. Yet, forgivable.

    2. Kevin Harvick – 2 WINS (437 Points)
    Back in a crushing slump after a runner-up finish in the All-Star event. Yes, that is sarcasm.

    3. Joey Logano – 1 WIN (375 Points)
    Some dream of the double while Joey is content to focus on winning at night.

    4. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. – 1 WIN (360 Points)
    How to avoid post-race altercations? Have a NFL linebacker riding shotgun every race.

    5. Brad Keselowski – 1 WIN (343 Points)
    Noticed Hamlin’s sad eyes, so donated the All-Star race to him. What a nice guy!

    6. Matt Kenseth – 1 WIN (331 Points)
    A very funny man, but just in a dry sort of way.

    7. Kurt Busch – 1 WIN (292 Points)
    A personal life for Kurt equal to his success behind the wheel would bring me a measure of joy.

    8. Denny Hamlin – 1 WIN (284 Points)
    Feeling like a million bucks.

    9. Martin Truex, Jr. – 391 POINTS
    All-Star race? We don’t need no stinkin’ All-Star race!

    10. Jamie McMurray – 328 POINTS
    Boasts the prettiest mechanic in NASCAR…12 year veteran Ashley Parlett.

    11. Jeff Gordon – 317 POINTS
    Driving the Indianapolis 500….pace car.

    12. Kasey Kahne – 313 POINTS
    Beat young Erik Jones in an illegal truck last week…but not a terribly illegal truck.

    13. Aric Almirola – 312 POINTS
    Only driver in a Chase position with not a single Top Ten to his credit.

    14. Paul Menard – 306 POINTS
    Comparing Clinton Foundation cash to his dad’s support of Scott Walker? Not even close.

    15. Ryan Newman – 305 POINTS
    I heard Ryan Newman was very pretty. That is how I discovered the actress of the same name.

    16. Clint Bowyer – 272 POINTS
    Inside the top 16…but not very comfortably.

    17. Danica Patrick – 270 POINTS
    Bowyer takes over the final Chase place. Obviously, the man is no gentleman.

    18. Carl Edwards – 265 POINTS
    Amongst JGR drivers, he at least has more points than Kyle. Really.

    19. A.J. Allmendinger – 259 POINTS
    Would love a double, but it won’t happen this year.

    20. Casey Mears – 242 POINTS
    Is this enough to keep Germain Racing interested for 2016?

    20. Greg Biffle – 242 POINTS
    Can a front row start last week transfer into good tidings when it counts this week?

  • The Final Word – It was an all-star Saturday night in Charlotte, but the all-star weekend is still to come

    The Final Word – It was an all-star Saturday night in Charlotte, but the all-star weekend is still to come

    Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, and sometimes you give it away. Denny Hamlin won the All-Star event Saturday night, but Brad Keselowski and his team handed it over.

    With the 10 lap final shootout to go, Keselowski got out of his pit box just behind Hamlin. He gunned it to clear pit road ahead of his rival, but in doing so he was caught speeding. Keselowski, the best in two of the four 25-lap segments and the leader going into the pits, went to the back of the line and his hopes of winning went out of the window.

    With the lead and the clean air that came with it, Hamlin kept ahead of Kevin Harvick to the end to claim the million dollar prize. Sadly, the days of being able to slingshot past the leader to victory, it seems, ended when David put the moves on Goliath. There were just three lead changes on the track; when Kasey Kahne went by Keselowski 15 laps in, when Hamlin loaned it to Kurt Busch for a lap in the second segment, and when Busch went by Hamlin two laps into the fourth segment.

    Clint Bowyer and Greg Biffle made the race through their efforts in Friday night’s showdown. Danica Patrick got in through the fan vote. Martin Truex Jr., who is second in points but lacking in wins, was left in the cold when he failed to make the grade through the preliminary event. Maybe an all-star should also be defined as someone in the top three in points, as that person appears very likely to make the Chase one way or another. You know, like one would expect from an all-star.

    Kasey Kahne was seventh Saturday but won Friday’s truck race in a photo finish over Erik Jones. There was just one problem. It seems the winning truck was too low on both sides and high in the right rear. For any penalties for this cameo violation to be meaningful, they would either have to come by way of taking cash from team boss Dale Earnhardt Jr. or take the win away.  It just depends on how serious a violation it was and if, in itself, it made the difference between winning or losing.

    Ryan Newman lost and I am not just talking about the weekend. He got some points back in his first appeal regarding his California tire violation in March but got nothing out of his second appeal to further reduce the penalties to him and his crew. Brian France claims all teams know what the problem was that day. The problem now seems to be that at least some of the teams claim they still do not know what Newman’s group did to get penalized, thus remain in the dark as to how to avoid such an issue themselves. It would seem to me that we have here, as was stated in that other Newman’s movie years ago, is a failure to communicate.

    As Jeff Gordon ran his final All-Star contest, we see a bright horizon for the sport. We have the 18-year old Jones lighting it up in both XFINITY and the trucks, and on Sunday Ben Rhodes skipped his high school graduation to make his XFINITY debut for JR Motorsports. Jones finished third, Rhodes seventh. Not a single Cup guy was to be seen in Iowa, which is the way it should be for the most part.

    Meanwhile, while American Pharoah won the Preakness last weekend to set up a run for horse racing’s Triple Crown in June, next Sunday is truly an all-star extravaganza in motorsports. We begin with the Monaco Grand Prix, followed by the Indianapolis 500, with the World 600 bringing the day to a close. Get the PVR ready and the couch all comfy, as it is going to be a busy day.