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Author: Ron Thornton

  • The Final Word – The day Clint broke some hearts and Rusty made us laugh

    The Final Word – The day Clint broke some hearts and Rusty made us laugh

    So, what did we learn at Atlanta?

    Well, we learned that Clint Bowyer doesn’t fight fair. You got all those boys waiting for him to crash so they might catch him for the final Chase place, and what does he do? He rides around just outside the top ten and finishes seventh. That lad has no sense of drama.

    We learned that if Richmond is going to provide any excitement in the standings, Bowyer will need to beat Joe Nemechek back to the garage to open up the door. What are the odds of that happening? As it is, if Bowyer finishes 39th Saturday night, Mark Martin is done. 31st puts Jamie McMurray to bed, while 28th is all it will take to eliminate Ryan Newman. It is at least a hope, which is more than what Greg Biffle gave them. All he needs to do is start at Richmond and he is in.

    We learned that Kasey Kahne is a brave man. Am I the only one who notices that Newman does not have a neck? You don’t kick sand in his face, or he might remove your own. The good news was that he was smiling when he had his post-race chat with Kahne. Then again, I remember that Carl Edwards was smiling, albeit in demented fashion, when he was doing his Muhammad Ali impersonation around Matt Kenseth a few years back. Maybe a smile isn’t a good sign, after all.

    We learned that Newman’s boss, Tony Stewart, had the best car last Sunday. Smoke picked up his 38th career win and now has at least one victory in each of his dozen Cup seasons. In Chase parlance, he is currently just 40 points behind the leaders that matter, Jimmie Johnson and Denny Hamlin.

    We learned that Hamlin had the second best car at Atlanta. Then it blew up and finished dead last. Yes, even behind Nemechek. So, if it can happen to Denny, it could happen to Clint. Maybe there is cause to retain some hope.

    We learned that there is something special about those Busch boys. Sure, there are times you want to beat them with clubs, but they can sure drive. Kyle speeds through the pits, gets penalized, then drops by twenty laps later with a loose wheel to find himself down a circuit in 36th. He would finish fifth. Kurt had a car that was junk most of the day, saved both himself and Kahne in the late going, and still wound up sixth.  

    We learned that Rusty Wallace can make us laugh. No, really. Johnson goes by Juan Pablo Montoya, a single digit waving in the breeze toward the Columbian. Rusty, with tongue firmly planted in cheek, commented that when Johnson went sideways the wind must have “sucked his hand out of the window.” That, my friends, is comedy. Now we want more.

    It was quite a week. Stewart wins at Atlanta, Manny joins the White Sox, and the Eskimos beat the Stampeders in their Labor day football tilt in the CFL. Okay, Calgary actually crushed Edmonton 52-5, but one needs to keep the faith even when there really is no justification for doing so. Just ask Mark, Jamie, and Ryan as they head to Richmond for this Saturday night. Enjoy your week.

  • Hot 20 over the past 10 – Some appear set to Chase for a title, others for a possible run in 2011

    Kyle Busch may have swept Bristol last weekend, but the firm of Harvick, Stewart, and Gordon remain the trio with the hot hand as the Chase begins in less than a month. You might consider Carl Edwards as a junior partner, having a pretty good run going for himself over the past seven events.

    It is interesting to note that we have a quartet of drivers doing well as of late who probably won’t even make the Chase. Kasey Kahne, Jamie McMurray, David Reutimann and Juan Pablo Montoya might not be winning any titles this year, yet they could have an impact over the final third of this season. That could bode well for them all heading into 2011.

    Clint Bowyer holds the final Chase position by a hundred points over McMurray, though both have been running comparably well these past ten races. Bowyer would have to stumble badly at both Atlanta and Richmond to change the lineup of contenders for the 2010 championship. As for Mark Martin, 101 points in arrears, he has been averaging more than ten points less per race than those he is chasing. If there is to be a resurgence, now would be the time.        

    Martin was fifth last fall at Atlanta, but in recent years has been outside the Top Twenty more often than in. McMurray hasn’t been any better, while Bowyer has finished sixth in four of the past seven races held there. It could be all over by Sunday night.

    Here is a look at our hot 20 over the past ten races…
        
    1 (1) Kevin Harvick – 1458 pts – 2 Wins, 6 Top Fives, 6 Top Tens
    He’s been good in 2010, but may have been even better in 2006.

    2 (2) Tony Stewart – 1422 pts – 4 Top Fives, 8 Top Tens
    If only for brake lights, Bristol could have been so different.

    3 (4) Jeff Gordon – 1415 pts – 5 Top Fives, 7 Top Tens
    Remember the other guy driving for five?

    4 (3) Carl Edwards – 1384 pts – 4 Top Fives, 6 Top Tens
    When 12th is worst finish in your past seven, things are going good.

    5 (8) Kasey Kahne – 1338 pts – 4 Top Fives, 5 Top Tens
    It seems it is never too early to start getting ready for 2011

    6 (8) Greg Biffle – 1328 pts – 1 Win, 3 Top Fives, 6 Top Tens
    The Biff is battling back

    7 (5) Jeff Burton – 1298 pts – 2 Top Fives, 5 Top Tens
    Brother Ward is from South Boston. Jeff sounds like he’s from the northside.

    8 (17) Jamie McMurray – 1244 pts – 1 Win, 3 Top Fives, 4 Top Tens
    After four seasons in the wilderness, he’s back.

    9 (10) Clint Bowyer – 1234 pts – 3 Top Fives, 4 Top Tens
    0-for-4 in Chase hunt last year, Childress appears to be 3-for-3 in 2010

    10 (6) Jimmie Johnson – 1228 pts – 2 Wins, 2 Top Fives, 4 Top Tens
    Dear Juan, there’s something I got to tell you

    11 (15) David Reutimann – 1225 pts – 1 Win, 2 Top Fives, 2 Top Tens
    Martin Truex who?

    12 (11) Juan Pablo Montoya – 1215 pts – 1 Win, 1 Top Five, 4 Top Tens
    No championship, but he did get a champion at Bristol.

    13 (13) Matt Kenseth – 1202 pts – 1 Top Five, 2 Top Tens
    First eight in Top 20, last eight in Top 20

    14 (12) Kurt Busch – 1192 pts – 3 Top Fives, 5 Top Tens
    Should tell Kyle again about the story of Big Bad Jimmy Spencer.

    15 (7) Denny Hamlin – 1181 pts – 1 Win, 3 Top Fives, 4 Top Tens
    The time he can finish outside the Top 30 is about to run out

    16 (16) Dale Earnhardt Jr – 1151 pts – 1 Top Five, 3 Top Tens
    Last Top Ten was at Daytona. Too little for too long.

    17 (19) Ryan Newman – 1134 pts – 2 Top Tens
    I dare Rowdy to beat and bang on Newman. I double dare him.

    18 (18) Kyle Busch – 1126 pts – 1 Win, 1 Top Five, 2 Top Tens
    Crossing the wrong guy can change one’s attitude. Just ask his brother.

    19 (19) A.J. Allmendinger – 1112 pts – 1 Top Five, 2 Top Tens
    Anthony James’ name would be big money on Wheel of Fortune.

    20 (20) Mark Martin – 1108 pts – 1 Top Ten
    It appears Mark is back in next year country yet again.

  • The Final Word – Bristol king Busch may be Rowdy to us, but(t) he’s something different to Keselowski

    So, what did we learn at Bristol?

    Well, we learned that sometimes it is a place where, using the term coined by Brad Keselowski, a-holes always win. At least that was the case last weekend. Kyle Busch won the Camping World truck event, the Nationwide event (after purposely turning ole Brad around), and then ran off with the Sprint Cup contest Saturday night. Whether you love him or hate him, you can’t beat his driving. Same was once said about his brother Kurt, at least until Jimmy Spencer beat on him.

    We learned that the snake keeps on coming back and biting Jimmie Johnson again, and again, and again. This time the ole serpent looked like Juan Pablo Montoya, who turned just a bit left to turn Johnson just a bit into the wall. While the champ wound up wounded in 35th, he is a sure thing to make the Chase and currently leads those standings with Denny Hamlin. Not quite time for the alligator tears just yet.

    We learned that it is a good thing the championship is determined the way it is for both those boys. The Pied Piper got beat up his own self, finishing just a place ahead of Johnson. Then again, the next two races it is all about chasing wins and fine tuning for those boys, with eleven positions pretty much determined and two more pre-Chase events remaining. .

    We learned that the 12th place in the Chase should go to Clint Bowyer, barring some form of disaster. After Bristol, he is 100 points up on Jamie McMurray and 101 ahead of Mark Martin. Mind you, Bowyer can still be caught. He also can still be abducted by aliens and even changed into a girl, but I would say the odds are a bit long.

    We learned that the two cars entered by Phil Parson’s PRISM Motorsports finished 42nd and 43rd. Michael McDowell lasted 16 of the 500 laps before engine problems sat him out. Scott Riggs went 32 until his transmission gave up the ghost. Ole Phil has been listed as the owner of 68 entries since the start of last season. His best finish? That would be the 24th place finish by Terry Labonte in their first attempt, the 2009 Daytona 500. How many times have they finished 40th or worse? That would be 59 times, but who’s counting?

    We learned that ABC/ESPN can actually put on an entertaining show. Sending that mad man Kenny Wallace down to talk to the drivers in the garage prior to the race was good television. Having Dale Jarrett give his thoughts on how to deal with Kyle Busch, like knocking on his motorhome door and punching him in the nose, was very insightful…and funny. Having Rusty, Brad, and Nicole allow us the time to hit the kitchen or the bathroom without missing anything worth listening allows us to keep refreshed. It is all good.

    This weekend we have off. The Nationwide folks are in Montreal on Sunday, while Chicago greets the Camping World truckers Saturday night. After nearly 40 games and countless practices, the baseball season has finally come to a close for our two young lads. With nowhere to go, it is going to be a nice, relaxing stay at home weekend for us. I hope you enjoy yours.

  • The Hot 20 over the past 10 – While Harvick and Stewart are on the rise, the sun is setting on Martin

    Kevin Harvick won at Michigan, locked his place in the Chase, and has moved to within 20 bonus points of Jimmie Johnson and Denny Hamlin when they reset things next month. All in all, the boy has got some pretty good reason to be…er…well, Happy.

    Harvick is also our hottest driver over the past ten events, with a pair of wins, but Tony Stewart has almost matched him in points. In fact, over the span Smoke has managed a top ten in all but one, with the lone exception of that 25th place finish at Daytona in July.

    When it comes to hot drivers, Carl Edwards does not come to mind, but there he is. Six straight top tens can do that for you. Appearing out of nowhere, or so it seemed, to finish third at Michigan is just one example of why he is a bonafide contender.

    While some are going up, others are taking a plunge the other direction. Mark Martin has dived behind Clint Bowyer for that last playoff spot and there doesn’t seem to be any water left in his pool. If you are hoping the likes of David Reutimann, Dale Earnhardt Jr, Jamie McMurray or Ryan Newman might make the Chase, I wouldn’t be holding my breath. A Top Ten in Bristol might help save the day or at least delay things. Better yet, maybe a top five. Kyle Busch should make the Chase, but right now he has all the momentum of a ball and chain.

    Here is a look at our hottest 20 drivers over the past 10 races…

    1 (2) Kevin Harvick – 1502 pts – 2 wins, 7 Top Fives, 7 Top Tens
    Whose a Happy boy? Whose a Happy boy?

    2 (1) Tony Stewart – 1500 pts – 5 Top Fives, 9 Top Tens
    A top ten in nine of the past ten.

    3 (5) Carl Edwards – 1384 pts – 4 Top Fives, 6 Top Tens
    Showed up like Rosie Ruiz to claim third at Michigan.

    4 (3) Jeff Gordon – 1347 pts – 5 Top Fives, 7 Top Tens
    Race was all cute and cuddly until he checked the diaper.

    5 (6) Jeff Burton – 1329 pts – 2 Top Fives, 6 Top Tens
    Pit crew might be walking funny this week.

    6 (9) Jimmie Johnson – 1320 pts – 3 Top Fives, 5 Top Tens
    Slump will end when the Chase begins.

    7 (8) Denny Hamlin – 1315 pts – 2 Wins, 4 Top Fives, 5 Top Tens
    Eight races without a win. Oh, the humanity!

    8 (7) Kasey Kahne – 1265 pts – 3 Top Fives, 4 Top Tens
    Captain Hook isn’t the only one hearing the clock ticking.

    8 (17) Greg Biffle – 1265 pts – 1 Win, 3 Top Fives, 5 Top Tens
    Like Batman, Biff, bam, boom and he’s back.

    10 (10) Clint Bowyer – 1212 pts – 2 Top Fives, 4 Top Tens
    A Chase place is his, for now.

    11 (21) Juan Pablo Montoya – 1211 pts – 1 Wins, 1 Top Five, 4 Top Tens
    This team has come to love the Juan their with.

    12 (4) Kurt Busch – 1209 pts – 3 Top Fives, 5 Top Tens
    Having a wall banger before the race is bad, doing one during it is worse.

    13 (16) Matt Kenseth – 1180 pts – 1 Top Five, 1 Top Ten
    Jack returns and so does his boys.

    14 (13) A.J. Allmendinger – 1176 pts – 1 Top Five, 3 Top Tens
    Two single digit finishes doesn’t get the job done.

    15 (11) David Reutimann – 1168 pts – 1 Win, 1 Top Five, 1 Top Ten
    Chicago was a dream, the last four were reality.

    16 (19) Dale Earnhardt Jr – 1133 pts – 1 Top Five, 3 Top Tens
    While he might not be good, you can always find someone worse

    17 (12) Jamie McMurray – 1129 pts – 1 Win, 2 Top Fives, 3 Top Tens
    Won the 500 and the Brickyard, what more do you want?

    18 (14) Kyle Busch – 1106 pts – 1 Top Five, 2 Top Tens
    Bristol might be the medicine the doctor ordered.

    19 (18) Ryan Newman – 1105 pts – 1 Top Ten
    When  push comes to shove, Logano is there for you.

    20 (15) Mark Martin – 1085 pts – 1 Top Ten
    On your Mark, get set, Gone!

  • Harvick happy to have been at Michigan, the Hendrick boys just glad to have left

    So, what did we learn at Michigan?

    Well, we learned why Kevin Harvick is so darned happy. He is first in the standings, the hottest driver in recent weeks, and the first to lock his way into the Chase. So, why not add his third win of the season to the mix? Those ten Chase bonus points for the victory has him only 20 behind Jimmie Johnson and Denny Hamlin when they re-set the points next month.

    We learned it was not a good day to be a Hendrick driver. Johnson looked good early, but found himself slipping back in the second half of the event to finish a fortunate 12th. He was the best of the lot. Mark Martin creased the wall early, and his 28th place result was one behind Jeff Gordon, who had a tire go down at the three-quarter pole. As for Dale Earnhardt Jr, he was 19th on a day we noticed David Ragan a heck of a lot more.

    We learned that those who led the first half of the event were not necessarily the guys we saw up there at the end. Harvick, Greg Biffle (4th) and Tony Stewart (6th) proved to be the exceptions. Denny Hamlin came from the outback at the start to be the runner-up, while emerging from somewhere in the twilight zone was Carl Edwards to earn third.

    We learned that Ryan Newman was not happy with Joey Logano. We don’t know if their post-race argument, including a shove from the veteran, was about the racing deal that saw Newman go for a spin or if it resulted from Logano trying to criticize the Rocketman’s driving style. If he thought Newman drove aggressively, he now knows the man also argues the same way.

    We learned it was a good day for Jack Roush to make his return after his latest plane crash. Biffle and Matt Kenseth finished right behind Edwards, while Ragan was 11th. With Roush now surviving two such accidents in just over eight years, I suggest he might wish to avoid future such landings and take up parachuting. Going up is fine, but he needs a new plan coming down.

    We learned that Kurt Busch could have used a different engine. Maybe one that might last more than 60 miles before blowing up. Two DNF’s in his last three is not good, but even though he fell to tenth in the standings, he is in a Chase place by a good 200 points.

    We learned that Clint Bowyer would regain the final invitation to the fall ball, though by just 35 points over Martin with three races to go before the deadline. Newman, Jamie McMurray, Kasey Kahne, and Junior are also close enough to grab it if all goes very well for them at Bristol. I suggest, however, that no one hold their breath on that happening.

    One of the circuits marquee tracks is next on the schedule, a place Johnson claimed the prize in the spring and where Kyle Busch swept the pair in 2009. It is where legends visit Victory Lane, including three Hall of Famers and seventeen Cup champions since 1961. Bristol is indeed hallowed ground.

  • Hot 20 over the past 10 – Kahne, Reutimann, and McMurray have the heat, but do they have the time?

    Four races to go before we lock in our Chase contenders, and ten look good to stay there after Michigan. It is not as clear for both Greg Biffle and Mark Martin who remain on shaky ground. Biffle’s record over the past ten events is only 17th best, not good for one seeking some distance. Martin is only ten to the good over Clint Bowyer coming into this Sunday, with the elder statesman not exactly burning up the track either as of late.

    In fact, some boys still seeking a place at the post-season table have been picking them up and laying them down in recent weeks. Kasey Kahne has more than 130 points to make up, but he has been averaging 127 points per race over the past ten. There is still time to get back up there, but barely. David Reutimann, and Jamie McMurray also appear to be not going down without a fight. How they fare on the weekend could go a long way in determining how their stories will end.

    Kevin Harvick leads the season standings, but Tony Stewart remains the one who has done the most lately. New daddy Jeff Gordon rounds out the triumvirate of drivers who seem to be peaking at about the right time. For them, wins are the thing, bonus points for which both Jimmie Johnson and Denny Hamlin already have as they limp toward the final round.

    Here is a look at our Top 20 drivers over the past ten events.

    1 (1) Tony Stewart – 1468 pts
    Has big mo, now needs a few big wins

    2 (2) Kevin Harvick – 1442 pts
    It appears this Bud will be for you, Mr. Harvick

    3 (3) Jeff Gordon – 1420 pts
    Putting off young Leo’s driving lessons until September

    4 (7) Kurt Busch – 1361 pts
    When Rusty drove the Blue Deux I didn’t need the mute button

    5 (6) Carl Edwards – 1334 pts
    One of just six who actually contended at the Glen

    6 (4) Jeff Burton – 1326 pts
    Got beating and banging with Kyle, but Jimmie paid the price

    7 (11) Kasey Kahne – 1271 pts
    Does he have enough time to climb all the way back?

    8 (5) Denny Hamlin – 1254 pts
    Went eyeball to eyeball with Jimmie and stopped fast.

    9 (8) Jimmie Johnson – 1245 pts
    Was looking for a break through, but that wall wasn’t it

    10 (9) Clint Bowyer – 1239 pts
    Had an achy breaky part

    11 (10) David Reutimann – 1213 pts
    Wins just two more and he’d be tied with his boss

    12 (20) Jamie McMurray – 1201 pts
    The Glen was good, but still too many bad and ugly this season

    13 (16) A.J. Allmendinger – 1185 pts
    The iconic #43 could be on its way back…next year.

    14 (13) Kyle Busch – 1167 pts
    Good to make the Chase, but not much good at the moment.

    15 (15) Mark Martin – 1166 pts
    Ten points isn’t much, but he’ll take it.

    16 (14) Matt Kenseth – 1164 pts
    Darn roadrunner put rocks in his parachute again

    17 (12) Greg Biffle – 1162 pts
    His date in the Chase could still wind up with someone else

    18 (16) Ryan Newman – 1154 pts
    Just needs one good race, but four more would be better

    19 (19) Dale Earnhardt Jr – 1129 pts
    Hope springs eternal, at least until time runs out

    20 (21) Paul Menard – 1124 pts
    After the adoption, I’ll be known as Ron Menard and own this site

  • The Final Word – Juan Pablo, like Robin Hood, went riding through the Glen

    So, what did we learn at Watkins Glen?

    Well, we learned that this was a movie with two starring roles and four co-stars. Juan Pablo Montoya was Robin Hood, Marcos Ambrose the Sheriff of Nottingham, while Kurt Busch, A.J. Allmendinger, Carl Edwards, and Jamie McMurray were the Merry Men. All contenders while the rest were mere pretenders. These six were the lead six for almost the entire event, but the others did play a role.

    We learned that drama comes in all forms. Jimmie Johnson was looking for a breakthrough but he didn’t hit the wall hard enough to actually break through it. When Jeff Burton and Kyle Busch were done beating and banging, Johnson was banged out, along with Denny Hamlin for good measure. I guess the only way to avoid someone else’s mess is to stay in the garage. Still, all four are safe within the Chase for at least the next two weeks, maybe more.

    We learned that being 12th in the standings one week doesn’t mean squat the next. Clint Bowyer had the final rung of the ladder in his grip, but when something went bad on his car, Mark Martin proved to be the beneficiary. Sure, it might be only good for ten points, but 12th is 12th. At least it is until they finish at Michigan. Greg Biffle, one spot ahead, also remains vulnerable to the fortunes of racing this Sunday.

    We learned that even though Tony Stewart had won five of the last eight held at the venue in New York state, his contribution this time out came in the form of removing road ace Boris Said. Said said he was a fan of Stewart, it was just a racing deal, and that he couldn’t have been wrecked by a nicer guy. Okay, I might have made up that last part.

    We learned that Montoya had not won since his maiden victory in June, 2007 at Sonoma. Just the other day the Columbian and crew chief Brian Pattie were having a war of words. Again, it demonstrates the difference between men and women. For guys, we argue one week, win the next. For gals, they have words one week and don’t speak again for months. Tell me I’m wrong.

    We learned over the past week that Paul Menard and his daddy, the one with those big sponsorship dollars, could well be moving over to Childress as a fourth team entry. How good a driver is Menard? Does it matter? Meanwhile, this Bud could be for Kevin Harvick next season. If so, it would be the best fit for them since Junior wore and won in their silks.

    We learned after the race that Jeff Gordon is a papa again, and this time it is a boy. Leo Benjamin Gordon arrived in this world a healthy seven pounder. The driving lessons begin next month.

    I learned that my new niece, Camryn Elysse, did in fact join our family right on schedule, though delayed by a few hours, one week ago today. No one asks me my weight, but Camryn hit the toledos at 8-pounds, 12 ounces. She is currently babysitting the Gordon newborn. This young lady won’t begin her driving lessons at least until the fall. You really shouldn’t rush these things.

    I learned how to watch a ESPN broadcast without being irritated. I record it and watch from the beginning a couple of hours later. Each time Rusty and Brad appear, I fast forward the PVR. When Kyle and Wally were on I was always afraid I would be missing something doing this. I don’t have anything to fear anymore.

    Well, that was the week that was. Michigan is on the dance card for this weekend, and the top ten in the standings are sitting pretty with only four to go before the Chase field is locked in. Biffle and Martin have their work cut out for them, as Bowyer, Ryan Newman, Jamie McMurray, Junior, and Kasey Kahne will again try to break their hearts. Kahne and Junior had top tens there last year, as did Biffle. It should be a real interesting day for one Mr. Martin.