Testing SpeedwayMedia.com

Author: Ron Thornton

  • The Final Word – A fine weekend at Kansas might be a prelude to a similar fine time in Charlotte

    The Final Word – A fine weekend at Kansas might be a prelude to a similar fine time in Charlotte

    It was a fine weekend. Sure, you may think I say that due to Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick, Dale Earnhard, Jr. and Jeff Gordon coming across the line in that order in Kansas. Okay, there might be some truth in that.

    Our family got together to celebrate a 3-year-old’s birthday, and that was fun. We visited with my mother in her big day on Sunday. I did not actually get to watch the race until about 1:30 in the dark on Sunday morning, thus the rain delay lasted only minutes for me. That was a very good thing. Oh, did I mention the finish?

    This is not to say a good time was had by all. Joey Logano had a hard-charging entry, but a couple of miscues on pit road left him continually having to come back through the field. He got as far as fifth before time ran out. Not bad, but he could have had more.

    For some, running in the Top 30 is a big deal, as it turned out to be for the likes of Michael Annett, Matt DiBenedetto, Ty Dillon, Josh Wise and Landon Cassill. Not Top 20’s, grant you, but good enough for a moral victory of sorts.

    Danica Patrick was a Top 30 car, but 27th is nothing to brag about, especially now that she has tumbled out of a Chase place. Yet, it was better than the days barely tolerated by some others. Trevor Bayne is with Roush-Fenway, a good place from which to race, one would think. Not if 31st is your fate. David Ragan went to MWR, but after a trip through the mud he wallowed in 33rd. Tony Stewart? Well, he looked good early, then he checked up to avoid a mishap ahead of him. Too bad Brett Moffitt did not. He ran into Tony, who then hit the wall, and any hope for a good day went up in…er…smoke. Thirty-ninth is not what he needed.

    Another great day for Hendrick, with a winner and two more in the Top Five, with Kasey Kahne back in 17th. Stewart-Haas had a couple up front, with Kurt Busch getting a Top Ten, while the other two were deep in the woods. Penske had a pair of Top Tens, Matt Kenseth was sixth for Gibbs but Carl Edwards had to be content with 20th. Erik Jones looked great in his debut, at least until he lost it late to kill the car against the fence, while Denny Hamlin’s car went for junk late as the latter pair finished 40th and 41st.

    Another very competitive day for Furniture Row’s Martin Truex Jr., though he had to settle for ninth in the end, yet only trails Harvick in points garnered. That elusive win does not seem too far off. As for Roush Fenway, Greg Biffle was 12th. The rest were outside the Top Twenty. In fact, not a one of them can be found amongst the Top Twenty in the season standings. They can only dream of being as good as Danica, and that is not saying much.

    This Saturday, it’s on to Charlotte and the All-Star race. Winners since the 2014 Daytona 500 right through to Kansas are eligible to run, along with all previous All-Star winners still running full-time, the top two from the preliminary showdown earlier Saturday, and a fan vote for a favorite. Last year, Josh Wise was the beneficiary of a social media campaign, which he no doubt thought was great, though I thought was rather stupid and undeserving. Then again, what do I know?

    Well, I do know I’ll be watching to see if Mr. Johnson can win again at Charlotte and take his fifth classic. Maybe Harvick will be up there. Maybe Junior. Hasn’t Gordon won this three times? Come to think of it, a repeat of last weekend this upcoming weekend might be rather fine.

  • Hot 20 – Kansas race is the SpongeBob SquarePants 400…You just can’t make stuff like that up

    Hot 20 – Kansas race is the SpongeBob SquarePants 400…You just can’t make stuff like that up

    There are a dozen races run on eight tracks that are truly iconic NASCAR events. Last Sunday was one of those races. The SpongeBob SquarePants 400 in Kansas is not. That is not to say we will not see one of the all-time great races this Saturday night…though the odds might be stacked against us. While they have been racing here since 2001, this marks just the fifth spring race since it picked up its second date in 2011.

    Now, I may be a bit unfair in regards to the cartoon derby this weekend. Last year, they had highlights galore. First, we started late due to lightning in the area. Clint Bowyer, Denny Hamlin, and Marcos Ambrose all went for wild rides at one time or another to bring out a caution, but it was Jamie McMurray who actually went up in smoke. We had a pair of four-car wrecks, one that just destroyed the auto of David Gilliland. Danica Patrick even ran near the front, and came home with a Top Ten. Hey, we even had the lights go out on the backstretch to cause yet another delay before Jeff Gordon won the thing. Maybe it won’t be a bad one to tune in after all.

    The Hot 20 heading to Kansas are…

    1. KEVIN HARVICK – 2 WINS (394 Points)
    Fast repairs by the crew helped save an eighth place finish at Talladega.

    2. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 2 WINS (342 Points)
    Last week it was Junior’s turn, with Jimmie taking second.

    3. JOEY LOGANO – 1 WIN (335 Points)
    Logano won Saturday, but the big boys were racing on Sunday.

    4. DALE EARNHARDT JR. – 1 WIN (319 Points)
    When will Payton Ives be named car chief?

    5. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 1 WIN (305 Points)
    New sponsor, thanks to a Silicon Valley implant.

    6. MATT KENSETH – 1 WIN (292 Points)
    Wanted a caution on the last lap last week…but Junior fans did not.

    7. DENNY HAMLIN – 1 WIN (281 Points)
    What he needed last Sunday was a Hendrick engine. Didn’t everybody?

    8. KURT BUSCH – 1 WIN (255 Points)
    Crew chief got rid of a major pain, and no it was not the driver.

    9. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 354 POINTS
    Second in points, ninth on the depth charts, best damn car out of Colorado.

    10. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 297 POINTS
    If he does not lose his steering, find the wall, and catch fire, he could top last year’s performance.

    11. KASEY KAHNE – 286 POINTS
    If you squint your eyes, a lot, Kasey kind of looks like Sponge Bob.

    12. PAUL MENARD – 280 POINTS
    Daddy’s money, Paul’s talent, and one hell of a crew chief in Dale Alexander.

    13. ARIC ALMIROLA – 279 POINTS
    Showed the kids what they ought not to do in Talladega’s XFINITY demolition.

    14. JEFF GORDON – 277 POINTS
    Won the pole in Alabama but things went to the pits after a late speeding penalty.

    15. RYAN NEWMAN – 271 POINTS
    Returning to the truck series this Friday night in Kansas.

    16. DANICA PATRICK – 253 POINTS
    Yes, she is not a good driver…but what does that say about the Boyfriend, the Biff, and the Boss?

    17. CLINT BOWYER – 249 POINTS
    Kansas boy claims this as his home track…but he is 0 for 13 there.

    18. CARL EDWARDS – 240 POINTS
    Missouri boy also claims this as his home track…and is 0 for 15…but has 11 Top Tens.

    19. A.J. ALLMENDINGER – 229 POINTS
    A bad vibration and no speed, but other than that Talladega was one hell of a great time.

    20. DAVID RAGAN – 224 POINTS
    Moves to MWR this week to make room for the Boy Wonder whose age matches his car number.

  • The Final Word – Talladega Produces the 100th Cup Victory by an Earnhardt

    The Final Word – Talladega Produces the 100th Cup Victory by an Earnhardt

    Family. Why do we watch these races, even the most boring among them when there are so many other things we could be doing? It is our sense of family that keeps us tuning in.

    It is similar as to why fans of the Chicago Cubs endure the disappointment, year after year. That would be due to sticking with their beleaguered “family” members over the seasons. You know, such kin as Hack Wilson, Ernie Banks, Billy Williams, Fergie Jenkins, Bruce Sutter, and Ron Santos, to name just a few from the past. Their highs and lows on the field were their fans’ highs and lows. They were all in it together. They still are.

    In NASCAR, it is also all about family. It was started by a family and has featured such families as the Pettys and Allisons. We were thrilled by their success and crushed by their tragedies. They were and remain a part of us.

    Thus, when Dale Earnhardt Jr. broke a decade-long drought at a track he once ruled to win his sixth race at Talladega on Sunday, one of our own had come through. This is a track on which his late father triumphed ten times and this is where his boy had a run of four in a row. When Dale Sr. died, a lot of fans adopted the lad as a son or brother. We mourned with him, we mourned for him, and we followed him. It just dawned on me that I am 18 years older than Junior, old enough to have been his dad. Not a good one, mind you, not at that age, but old enough. I would rather like to think I would have made one hell of an older brother.

    Family. When the car was not so good at Richmond, Greg Ives had some explaining to do. Not to Junior, not to owner Rick Hendrick, but to his eight-year-old daughter. She does not take such disappointments lightly. Last week, she suffered a bad break near her elbow, and the driver offered his crew chief a chance to fly home to be with her. However, a certain eight-year-old told her daddy to stay right where he was. Ives had a job to do, and on Sunday he and Junior completed the task by winning at Talladega. It was Ives’ first on the box, the 24th victory for the racer over his Cup career and, yes, the 100th Cup victory by an Earnhardt.

    It would seem that one of the toughest people associated with this team spent the weekend back in Charlotte mending and cheering on her favorite crew chief and driver. She no doubt will be doing the same this Saturday night when her daddy and his friend are in Kansas. That day also marks the 23rd anniversary of when I first met my wife, Amy, and on that day we will be celebrating my niece Katie’s third birthday. Yes, we will be spending Saturday following that good ole NASCAR tradition. We will be with our family here as we watch members of our other family race in Kansas.

  • Hot 20 – 500 miles at Talladega, as it always has been and always should be

    Hot 20 – 500 miles at Talladega, as it always has been and always should be

    “It’s no secret that attention spans, especially with the millennial fans, are changing,” or so says NASCAR boss Brian France. Hard to argue with that, but it basically states that today’s fans are idiots who need the keys jangled before their faces much like one does with a bored infant. Be it as it may, if NASCAR desires to shorten a few events to keep the droolers engaged, go right ahead. However, there are some events it would be ill-advised to mess with.

    You do not touch the legacy races. The Daytona 500, the Southern 500, the World 600, the Firecracker 400 and the Brickyard 400 are etched in stone. All races at Bristol’s half-mile run 500 laps. If you race at Talladega, you race for 500 miles. These are the events even non-fans take in, the races new fans discover before they even know NASCAR has something called a series championship. The road courses seem about right to me, along with the 500 mile night race at Charlotte. Do what you will with all the rest, as truth be known some of the remaining 24 events are boring as hell to watch unless you know the storylines going in, and even then it might be something of a chore. It is not a case of keeping our attention, but rather ending the monotony sooner than later.

    So, change away in your bid to snare those who have the attention span of a gnat, but beware screwing over your true fans. Those folks have memories that last forever, and forgiveness is not something you can expect to get readily.

    What you can expect is one hell of a race to watch this Sunday, with its Saturday appetizer.

    Hot 20 heading to Talladega…

    1. KEVIN HARVICK – 2 WINS (357 Points)
    Eighth at Martinsville, 38th at Bristol, first or second everywhere else.

    2. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 2 WINS (299 Points)
    That woman always telling people what to do on television has turned him into Jimmie Goldberg.

    3. JOEY LOGANO – 1 WIN ( 324 Points)
    Bristol was a hiccup.

    4. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 1 WIN (283 Points)
    Was firing on all cylinders…but one.

    5. MATT KENSETH – 1 WIN (273 Points)
    Richmond was disappointing for Joe Gibbs Racing, though Matt had few complaints.

    6. DENNY HAMLIN – 1 WIN (245 Points)
    There was no Petty Man, there is no Junior Man, but there is a Hamlin Man…cape and all.

    7. KURT BUSCH – 1 WIN (222 Points)
    Got that monkey off his back.

    8. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 315 POINTS
    The most pleasant surprise of 2015.

    9. KASEY KAHNE – 275 POINTS
    All-State. Nextel. Sunoco. Gillette. Remember when NASCAR sponsors tried?

    10. DALE EARNHARDT JR. – 271 POINTS
    How we wish Dale Sr., John, and George could have felt the love when they turned 64.

    11. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 264 POINTS
    Ranked 11th best in 2004, 12th best in 2005, ranked here as of today.

    12. JEFF GORDON – 263 POINTS
    Just as he once raced against Petty, teenagers Elliott and Jones will remember racing this guy.

    13. ARIC ALMIROLA – 250 POINTS
    I would like to buy a vowel. Could I have an “A”, Pat?

    14. PAUL MENARD – 239 POINTS
    Hanging out with Gordon testing at Indianapolis. How cool is that?

    15. CLINT BOWYER – 235 POINTS
    No, this is not a single car operation. Why do you ask?

    16. RYAN NEWMAN – 234 POINTS
    Next week comes his final appeal…then he loses his crew chief?

    17. DANICA PATRICK – 230 POINTS
    Go Daddy soon to be Gone Daddy.

    18. CARL EDWARDS – 228 POINTS
    It is not all bad. He could still be driving for Roush-Fenway.

    19. DAVID RAGAN – 218 POINTS
    Driving for Mikey after this, filling in for Vickers after sitting in for Kyle.

    20. KYLE LARSON – 205 POINTS
    Always competitive at Talladega…both times.

  • The Final Word – Kurt rises to the top at Richmond as Roush-Fenway continues to free fall

    The Final Word – Kurt rises to the top at Richmond as Roush-Fenway continues to free fall

    Rain changed the Saturday night race at Richmond into a Sunday afternoon affair. Was it worth the wait? For Kurt Busch, the answer was “yes.”

    After Joey Logano set the pace over the initial 94 laps, Busch came through to dominate all but 15 of the final 306 circuits to take his first of the season. After his forced three event delay to start this campaign, his 26th career decision lofts him into a Chase place. All he has to do is keep within the Top Thirty, and he looks free and clear in that department.

    Not so for Tony Stewart. After finishing well at Bristol, he clipped Dale Earnhardt Jr. and in the aftermath his jalopy failed to fire. Stewart was out, in 41st, and now just four points ahead of Sam Hornish Jr. in the fight for 30th in the standings. As for Danica Patrick, who also did well the previous week, she was back down in 25th on Sunday. At least Kevin Harvick continues to roll along, coming home right behind his victorious teammate.

    Last year, the Penske pair swept Richmond. Logano’s ride faded after his fast start though he managed to claim fifth. Brad Keselowski lost a cylinder and faded to 17th. Three of the Hendrick drivers had Top Ten days though Junior finished 14th. As for Roush Fenway, who have been tanking like an unarmed Sherman attempting to cross a lake, all sank. None were among the Top Twenty.

    Denny Hamlin was 22nd on Sunday, yet won the XFINITY race on Friday night. Of greater note was the fact the two teenagers, Erik Jones and Chase Elliott, were fourth and fifth. Jones is registered to drive the trucks, where he is three for three in Top Tens, has won on the junior loop in taking another five Top Tens in eight attempts, and could be Kyle Busch’s stand-in after this weekend in Cup. Not bad for a kid who won’t turn 19 years old for another month.

    So, was Sunday’s race worth the wait the rain imposed upon us? Well, if you were a channel surfer, having no idea what the race meant to the Stewart-Haas crew, or to Penske, or Roush-Fenway, or even Hendrick, you might have stuck with it for five or ten minutes. A visual spectacular it was not, even though the cars looked pretty.

    That changes this week, as next up we have the Sunday race at Talladega, a must watch for even the most transient NASCAR observer. You watch that race like you would the Formula One race from Monaco, not believing any sane person would be behind the wheel in any of these entries. Some wags might suggest there is good reason for their disbelief.

  • Hot 20 – As we remember Steve Byrnes, it is on to Richmond

    Hot 20 – As we remember Steve Byrnes, it is on to Richmond

    I am a blessed man. I have a multitude of wants, but I already have all those things I truly need. I just wish that when we pray for a miracle, the odds of realizing it were not as astronomically against its success. When we lose someone as young, vibrant and talented as Steve Byrnes, despite all of our prayers, it does test one’s faith.

    Byrnes loved his family and he loved NASCAR. In his memory, we once again take stock of those who are in Chase contention. As we move forward, we find the likes of Austin Dillon, Kurt Busch, and Kyle Larson just outside looking in, while even wins by Trevor Bayne and Tony Stewart would rocket them up among our leaders.

    Our Hot 20 heading to Richmond include…

    1. KEVIN HARVICK – 2 WINS (314 points)
    First a NASCAR champion and now he is in the White House. Well, for a brief visit.

    2. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 2 WINS (258 points)
    After last week, we might know why Jimmie was not picked as Harv’s running mate.

    3. JOEY LOGANO – 1 WIN (284 points)
    If he was ahead of Brad at Bristol, how things might have been different.

    4. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 1 WIN (255 points)
    If he was behind Joey at Bristol…

    5. MATT KENSETH – 1 WIN (236 points)
    43 years old, but in Gordon years he is just 36.

    6. DENNY HAMLIN – 1 WIN (223 points)
    Bristol was a pain in the neck, but he is coming home Saturday night.

    7. MARTIN TRUEX, JR. – 281 POINTS
    Bristol wasn’t great, but only Harvick and Logano have more points this season.

    8. DALE EARNHARDT, JR. – 241 POINTS
    If he can keep the wheels tight and the tires round he should be all right.

    9. KASEY KAHNE – 237 POINTS
    Those All-State girls never got him, but he was available this week at Ollie’s Bargain Outlet.

    10. JEFF GORDON – 227 POINTS
    Five straight in the Top 10 has Pops back in the hunt.

    11. ARIC ALMIROLA – 226 POINTS
    One of five Cup guys driving the XFINITY race. Go Erik Jones!

    12. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 223 POINTS
    Hopes to add Chase place to his Daytona 500, Brickyard 400, and All-Star race career resume.

    13. DANICA PATRICK – 211 POINTS
    Bristol was a gift, but enough gifts can add up to something very good.

    14. PAUL MENARD – 210 POINTS
    Odds are his decent finish at Bristol will not transfer to this short track.

    15. CARL EDWARDS – 203 POINTS
    Despite a very ordinary start, still a contender.

    16. RYAN NEWMAN – 201 POINTS
    After his big penalty, has pegged his way back into contention.

    17. CLINT BOWYER – 200 POINTS
    Richmond is a track he loves and that loves him in return.

    18. DAVID RAGAN – 197 POINTS
    Still living the dream as Kyle dreams of his return.

    19. CASEY MEARS – 186 POINTS
    With odds at 500-1, anything in the Top 20 would be welcome.

    20. GREG BIFFLE – 180 POINTS
    Roush-Fenway presence could soon disappear with Austin, Kurt, and Larson just behind.

  • The Final Word – With all the rain and challenges at Bristol, the only guy missing was Jeff Probst

    The Final Word – With all the rain and challenges at Bristol, the only guy missing was Jeff Probst

    Bristol. Just about the only thing missing was Jeff Probst and his Tribal Council as this turned into a game of survival. With the rains that delayed the start, the rains that stopped it again and again, the day race that ran into night became a reality show of its own.

    Take Kevin Harvick, for instance. He led 186 of the eventual 511 laps, but at Lap 310 he slid into a wrecked David Ragan and he found himself voted off the island in 38th place. If not Harv, then it was Kurt Busch in a dominant car. With eight to go, he took the brunt of it when Jeff Gordon got into Carl Edwards. Busch at least managed a 15th for his troubles.

    Then there was the case of Team Penske. You know you needed a hidden immunity idol when things go down the outdoor commode during the opening credits. Brad Keselowski wobbled and that allowed teammate Joey Logano to put out both their torches. Thirty-fifth and beyond was their fate.

    Do you want more examples? After the Penske wreck on the 19th lap, it rained some more. In that time, Denny Hamlin’s stiff neck got worse and when they restarted 18-year-old Erik Jones found himself racing a Cup car for the very first time, ending up 26th.

    How good was Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s car? We will never know, as a flat tire took him off the lead lap early, never to be seen again. At least he got 16th when it was all over. As for Austin Dillon, the extra laps before the final re-start ran him out of gas, but even with that he finished 10th.

    After a final caution, they needed a green-white-checker, but rain even delayed that, hence those extra caution laps before the fall of the final green. Matt Kenseth got a fine re-start to take a race he was not all that noticeable in, but the victory shows up just fine in the standings. After no wins last season, his 32nd career triumph had to be sweet no matter how he got it. Jimmie Johnson’s car did not look that pretty, but he came back to slip by Gordon for second while Jeff rebounded from a flat that had him down early to grab third. In short, these boys survived. Nobody thrived.

    Some folks play the game and slip in under the radar. Tony Stewart was sixth Sunday night, but that was a gift for to a guy who was 15th best at best. Danica Patrick was ninth. Another gift. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. was fourth, the best gift of all. Despite that good fortune, Roush-Fenway entries are still coming up short. Trevor Bayne was 28th, Greg Biffle 30th.

    Ryan Newman, fifth at Bristol, got 25 points back from his appeal over Tiregate. He still is missing his crew chief and two other team members due to suspension, and Richard Childress will continue his quest for their early return with a further appeal.

    It meant jack squat to see Logano win the Saturday XFINITY race at Bristol. Having Daniel Suarez (23 year old from Mexico), Chris Buescher (22), Erik Jones (18), Ty Dillon (23) and Chase Elliott (19) take the next five spots meant everything.

    Sunday we had the day long 2015 Food City 500 In Support of Steve Byrnes. For the NASCAR family, the broadcaster and his fight against cancer, is what truly is meaningful. We have tallied the vote, the tribe has spoken, we want you back just as soon as you are able, Steve.

  • Hot 20 heading to Bristol – Even being among the Lukewarm 30 would be beneficial for Tony

    Hot 20 heading to Bristol – Even being among the Lukewarm 30 would be beneficial for Tony

    Our Hot 20 is a look at those in contention to slip into one of the sixteen Chase spots. A win while in the Top 30 in points could prove to be just as good. Neither matters at the moment for Tony Stewart. Sadly, 2015 has been a year Smoke has been a participant, not a competitor.

    Even Kurt Busch, suspended for the first three events, should make this list in another week or two. Ryan Newman is outside, but we all know why that is. Roush-Fenway cars have been duds most of the season, which explains Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Trevor Bayne. Kyle Larson missed one race to mend, but even if he had run there is no certainty it would have been enough. As for Sam Hornish Jr., he was 12th at Daytona, outside the Top 20 ever since.

    To be taken seriously, a driver really should at least average a 25th place finish week in and week out. That is just 684 points over the course of a season, just 19 each week. Twenty-eight drivers managed the feat in 2014, ranging from Kevin Harvick on top, down to what’s her name. They competed, the rest participated.

    Twenty-six have done it thus far in 2014. Stenhouse, Hornish and Stewart are not amongst them. While a win is not crucial just yet, it would solve a lot of ills. Just ask Kurt how that worked out for him last year.

    Hot 20 heading to Bristol…

    1. Kevin Harvick – 2 Wins (306 Points)
    A slump is finishing eighth at Martinsville. His boss would love that kind of hard luck.

    2. Jimmie Johnson – 2 Wins (216 Points)
    Sure, points are nice, but wins are better.

    3. Joey Logano – 1 Win (280 Points)
    Gets those Duke boys to help him launch new sponsor (Autotrader).

    4. Brad Keselowski – 1 Win (246 Points)
    The Captain has to be happier than the Skipper…two sweet ships and not a Gilligan in sight.

    5. Denny Hamlin – 1 Win (205 Points)
    Denny’s loves Denny. What’s next, Chick-fil-A for Danica? Taco Bell for Michael?

    6. Martin Truex Jr – 266 Points
    Like Harvick and Logano, going for eight straight in the Top Ten this season.

    7. Kasey Kahne – 230 Points
    Loves his tires, just not as wheely, wheely loose as they were at Texas.

    8. Dale Earnhardt Jr – 213 Points
    Going round and round is not pointless for Junior.

    9. Aric Almirola – 195 Points
    Smithfield Pork is the sponsor in the Food City 500. I’m sensing a theme here.

    10. David Ragan – 194 Points
    Would he be just as finger lickin’ good back in the No. 34?

    11. Jamie McMurray – 193 Points
    After showing off the new digital dashboard, hopes to dash to victory lane on Sunday.

    12. Matt Kenseth – 189 Points
    If you want a sure thing to make the Chase, Matt is as good as it gets.

    13. Jeff Gordon – 186 Points
    If Jeff is old I might as well go ahead and make my appointment with the undertaker.

    14. Carl Edwards – 182 Points
    A definite Bristol contender, a season changer if he can pull it off.

    15. Casey Mears – 178 Points
    Is getting by with a little help from his alliance friends.

    16. Paul Menard – 177 Points
    Runs better with an engine than in a soap box derby entry.

    17. Danica Patrick – 176 Points
    Not good enough to draw rave reviews just yet, but it sure beats 28th.

    18. Clint Bowyer – 168 Points
    Still in the hunt despite a Rodney Dangerfield kind of season.

    19. Greg Biffle – 165 Points
    If the Biff is suffering, imagine how teammates Stenhouse and Bayne are feeling.

    20. A.J. Allmendinger – 161 Points
    In 2007, at this track, in this race, A.J. made his Cup debut.

  • The Final Word – Texas was all about Jimmie and Kevin with a Junior cameo

    The Final Word – Texas was all about Jimmie and Kevin with a Junior cameo

    Jimmie, and Kevin, and Dale, oh my. Jimmie, and Kevin, and Dale, oh my.

    Last Saturday night was a good one if you happened to be a fan of one of the above-mentioned drivers. Johnson was the class of the field, leading 128 laps, including the final one. It was his second win of the season and the 72nd of his career. Six-time rather likes the Texas track, having won the last three fall races, now four in his last six attempts, and his fifth win overall in Fort Worth. I am starting to think he likes the place.

    Kevin Harvick, also with a pair of victories this season along with four runner-up finishes, led 96 laps and came home second. Life must be good when finishing eighth at Martinsville represents a slump. As for Junior, well, Mr. Earnhardt led zero laps but he was close, closer still near the end, to claim third. If he could only get a mulligan for both Phoenix and Martinsville, for he has finished between third and sixth everywhere else.

    Another good day as well for the likes of Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski, as the Penske duo finished in the Top Five. Proof positive you can get away with being a two car operation if those teams actually matter. Same goes for single car outfits, as Martin Truex Jr. now has a Top Ten in each race of this season, a huge turnaround from a year ago. As for the likes of Tony Stewart and Sam Hornish Jr, nothing much to write home about regarding this race or this season. Maybe this weekend things will be different. Probably not.

    Maybe they could join the rest of us, experiencing success at home driving a video game version. Next month the new NASCAR ‘15 game comes out. Of course, for me, realism is being able to switch to indestructible mode in order to take out the entire field en route to victory. Hey, it could happen in real life. Having cars flying a hundred feet into the air, now that was unrealistic.

    Unrealistic, like me growing taller, or having my hair back, or holding out hope that one day I might actually become a Cup driver. If I could just shed 60 pounds and 40 years, I could be Erik Jones. You might as well become familiar with the 18-year-old, who is registered in the trucks. All he has done there is win four of his career 20 events, with 16 Top Tens. When he was 16 and 17, he ran ARCA, winning one of 14 with eight Top Tens. Oh, Jones also runs Xfinity, winning his first in nine attempts last weekend to go with six Top Tens. Joe Gibbs did not want to rush him into Cup, going with David Ragan instead of Jones to fill in for Kyle Busch. Even though Ragan sits 10th in the standings, maybe they might want to re-think that. The man child might be ready.

    We are always ready for a day at Bristol, where Jimmie and Kevin and Dale have all won. Once. Jimmie won it five years ago while 10 have gone by for the other two. Kurt Busch and Jeff Gordon each have five, but a few years have ticked by even for them.

    No, your best bet would be Carl Edwards. Winner of three, including the event one year ago, he did pick up his first Top Ten last Saturday. Maybe it is his time to shine this season though if he falters I am sure teammates Matt Kenseth and Denny Hamlin would be more than willing to pick up the slack. Both are also past Bristol winners.

    As for some Bristol trivia, there were 56 races run at that track between 1973 and 2000. Thirty of those, more than half, were won by Cale Yarborough (9), Darrell Waltrip (12), Dale Earnhardt (9), and Rusty Wallace (9). Hall of Famers all. Oh my, indeed.

  • Hot 20 – Texas awaits as our thoughts are with a broadcaster back in the hospital

    Hot 20 – Texas awaits as our thoughts are with a broadcaster back in the hospital

    A week of rest, a week of contemplation, a week for those of faith. I so desperately pray that miracles do happen. Pit reporter Steve Byrnes is back in the hospital in his fight against neck and head cancer. He is in the ICU with pneumonia and a blood clot in his lung. At least he was able to tweet that information himself. This, more than anything I have written here, is the most meaningful and important. I could use some faith restoration about now. How about you?

    Kyle Larson missed Martinsville as doctors sought out a cause for his fainting at an event prior to the race. Today, they have the luxury to err on the side of caution as an injury no longer automatically means a championship run is done. This reduced pressure to race also means an injured driver no longer needs to feel compelled to climb back into the seat much too soon to keep his hopes alive. Even a suspension does not spell the end, as Kurt Busch sits a win away from proving. While it might be a trial for Kyle Busch to make the Chase with a win and Top 20 spot when he returns, Larson should be fine as Denny Hamlin was last season. He missed Fontana, yet finished 2014 in third.

    The National Network to End Domestic Violence is not happy Kurt Busch is back racing. To be honest, I believe there are more serious matters for them to hang their shingle. In this case, we had a questionable incident based on the opinion of a single Delaware judge from the questionable comments of two people over an incident in which little, if any, physical harm was caused. I applaud their vigilance, but I do question their bid to use this case as their cause celebre. For me, the issue has turned out to be more pathetic than violent.

    It has been announced that Cup regulars Aric Almirola and Sam Hornish Jr. will run even more XFINITY series events than they originally planned. It makes it easier to explain why some of us could not be bothered covering major leaguers kicking minor league butt week after week, season after season. Twenty-one-year-old Ryan Reed won at Daytona. Cup guys have won the other five, with Kevin Harvick taking two. Enough said.

    At least Chase Elliott won the spring XFINITY race in Texas a year ago. He is not a Cup regular just yet. As for the big boys…and girl…here are the…

    Hot 20 going down to Texas…

    1. Kevin Harvick – 2 Wins (263 Points)
    It wasn’t his tires up there on the Grassy Knoll.

    2. Joey Logano – 1 Win (239 Points)
    Won two weeks ago Saturday, third on that Sunday.

    3. Brad Keselowski – 1 Win (206 Points)
    Bloody Keselipski, according to the billboards in Texas.

    4. Denny Hamlin – 1 Win (172 Points)
    Only tire issues he had at Martinsville were during his burnout.

    5. Jimmie Johnson – 1 Win (168 Points)
    Won last three fall races in Fort Worth, but was 25th last spring.

    6. Martin Truex Jr – 231 Points
    It is nice when all one’s ducks and furniture is all in a row.

    7. Kasey Kahne – 193 Points
    Best Hendrick driver, by points, is ole what’s his name.

    8. Paul Menard – 173 Points
    Once one of two Childress drivers in the Hot 20…then Newman got tired, so to speak.

    9. Dale Earnhardt Jr – 172 Points
    According to Gordon, Junior doesn’t know squat…jumps.

    10. Aric Almirola – 170 Points
    More XFINITY for him, less seat time for others.

    11. Matt Kenseth – 168 Points
    Fort Worth is Matt’s kind of town.

    12. David Ragan – 163 Points
    Kyle Busch? I don’t know. The names does sound rather familiar, though.

    13. Casey Mears – 161 Points
    500-1 to win at Texas? Really? Is he driving it or running it?

    14. Jamie McMurray – 154 Points
    Claims he and Larson are ego free. I am hair free, but you don’t hear me bragging.

    15T Jeff Gordon – 148 Points
    Soft start followed by a trio of Top Tens.

    15T Danica Patrick – 148 Points
    From what we saw in the last race, Virginia really is for lovers…of Danica.

    15T Carl Edwards – 148 Points
    Has a million very good reasons to race for the win Saturday night.

    18. Clint Bowyer – 146 Points
    Truex left, Bowyer stayed. I wonder who got the best of that deal?

    19T A.J. Allmendinger – 138 Points
    Bush’s Beans is the sponsor. You wouldn’t want to be running behind him.

    19T Greg Biffle – 138 Points
    Has led at least a lap in 12 of the 20 Texas races he has run.