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Author: SM Staff

  • Bristol Chooses Fall Champions

    Bristol Chooses Fall Champions

    The week at Bristol was like Disneyland for a race fan. There were 4 races from 4 different classes of cars. There was smoke from tires. The aroma of high test fuel hung in the air. The scent of E15 lingered just long enough to tingle in your nose. The roar of lions and tigers and bears oh my echoed through out the valley of thunder. This was heaven. This was racing at its best.Bristol displayed her pageantry much like an old time joust. Contestants came from all over the country to bide for her hand. But only a few would be chosen as crown princes for 2011.

    [media-credit name=”Brad Keppel” align=”alignright” width=”245″][/media-credit]Bristol’s week was sectioned up differently than other weekends. The Whelen Modified and the Camping World Trucks run on Wednesday. The reason for this difference according to Lori Worley, Public Relations official for Bristol Motor speedway is, “The reason we don’t race on Thursday is that Food City, who sponsors our March Cup event and August Nationwide event, has a huge fan experience in downtown Bristol on Thursday night. More than 25,000 people attend the event, which features driver autograph sessions, live music, free food, etc. and it’s very important to them that the event is successful. So that’s the reason we race Wednesday instead of Thursday.” Little do they know that Bristol’s race fans win all the way around, not only do they get an extra day of vacation for the race weekend, the racing is top notch and the fan experience is icing on the cake.

    Wednesday saw a hard fought Whelen modified race that was for the most part dominated by Ryan Newman. Newman who had his win in New Hampshire revoked by NASCAR for an unfortunate mistake by engine builders Earnhardt Childress Racing Engines, when they mistakenly placed the wrong gaskets on the engine for the Kevin Manion entry, was out to prove that win was not because of the illegal engine.

    “This is a little bit of a redemption for us, to come out here and redeem ourselves a little bit in respect to people’s opinions after Loudon,” Newman said, “It was just a really fun race, the yellow flags at the start kind of slowed everybody’s thoughts, but getting back to green flag racing, I thought we saw some really good racing. It was a lot of fun.”

    Justin Bonsignore finished second followed by Todd Szegedy who came from a lap down to finish third after being in multiple on track incidents and losing a spark plug wire. James Civali and Patrick Emerling rounded out the top five. The highest placing series regular was Frank Fleming. Series icon Teddy Christopher did not compete in the race due to the lack of ride.

    The Camping World Trucks put on an equally exciting show, with Kevin Harvick winning his third truck race in a row.Bristol is Bristol however and the race was not without its controversy. Elliott Sadler driving the 24 truck for the Joe Denette Motorsports team this week had contact with Kyle Busch when Busch moved up the track too soon having not cleared Sadler’s truck. Sadler clipped the 18 in the Right rear corner and turned Busch into the wall. Busch then slowed on the track waiting for Sadler to come back around and hooked Sadler causing minimal damage to the 24. Busch retreated to the garage where efforts were made to repair the badly damaged KBM entry were unsuccessful. Post race comments were heated with Kyle Busch insinuating that Sadler took him out because of “where his paycheck comes from.”

    Friday, would bring the one day show of the Nationwide Series into the spotlight. The pole would be the familiar Joe Gibbs entry of Kyle Busch. The outside front row would be occupied by Gibbs team mate Joey Logano.  Logano would make the firm announcement of ‘No more Mr. Nice Guy’ before the race began.

    The field hosted its normal cup regulars with the exception of Brad Keselowski who was still nursing a fractured ankle and was replaced with Parker Kligerman in the Discount Tire/Ruby Tuesdays Dodge Charger.

    The race was a hard fought battle between Clint Bowyer and the Gibbs team mates. Bowyer who was on board the Rheem Chevrolet for KHI led a good portion of the race leading for 109 laps.

    But in the end it would be Kyle Busch beating team mate Joey Logano by the smallest margin in track history since the beginning of electronic scoring in 1993. Busch would win his fourth consecutive nationwide series race and 50th victory in the series, by just .019 seconds.

    “It’s awesome,” Busch said of the 50th win, his 23rd in his past 51 Nationwide starts. “We had Mark with us there in Loudon [when Busch tied the record July 16], and it was a phenomenal way to win 49 races and tie Mark Martin. And then to come here and to be able to beat his record here at Bristol, one of my favorite places and one of the team’s favorite places, it was certainly an awesome race.”

    The top five would be Logano, Bowyer, Edwards and Aric Almirola with Almirola being the highest finishing Nationwide regular.

    The Sprint Cup race was a must see event. With Ryan Newman leading the field to the green flag and taking the lead early Newman would consistently run in the top 10 all day. Not so for team mate Tony Stewart who had a very uncharacteristically bad day starting 42nd and finishing 28th 4 laps down to the field.

    The dominant horse in the field would prove to be the 24 car of Jeff Gordon who would lead 5 different times for a race high 206 laps. Gordon who would come out of the pits on the final stop in 4th would climb back to 3rd but was unable to get past Martin Truex Jr for 2nd.

    The race win would instead go to Brad Keselowski in the Miller Lite Blue Deuce of Penske Racing. Keselowski whose race average over the last 4 races is 1.52, took the lead on lap 421 and never looked back. The obvious elated Keselowski said of his victory, “An awesome race car. An awesome race team. Penske Racing. The night race at Bristol! This is the race that Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt win. It’s the race of champions. I can’t believe it. There are races that pay more. There are races that might have a little more prestige, but this is the coolest damn one of them all. We won it!”

    Four teams can now breathe a sigh of relief having clinched their chase spots. Kyle Busch, Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth and Carl Edwards all sealed up their chase spots after the race in Bristol.

    Dale Earnhardt Jr, who now has 36 points on 10th place Tony Stewart, could clinch his spot after Atlanta with a strong finish. Crew Chief Steve Letarte said Monday morning that the 88 team would be taking their Kansas/Charlotte car to Atlanta. “That car that always ends up in the front of the race. We want to put on a great show for the fans.” Letarte stated that they feel it is important to keep their chase fate in their hands by racing conservatively and once that chase berth was solidified fans would see a more aggressive and very different 88 team.

    The joust ended, sadly for those in the stands and in front of television sets around the world; with relief for those participants who escaped with their competitive spirits intact.  Bristol choose her champions. They fought their battles with great spirit and with great respect to the lady. Her champions will stand until the spring when again the joust will begin anew.

    ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ * * * * ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

    Congratulations to Ryan Newman on his Whelen modified series victory. For the record, anyone who has followed the series knew the gasket mistake did not win the race in New Hampshire.

    Congratulations to Kevin Harvick on his Camping World Truck Series victory. Three in a row is a statement that KHI takes the owners championship very very seriously.

    Congratulations to Kyle Busch on his Nationwide Series Win. 50 wins in any series is nothing to sneeze at. But 50 in the ultra competitive Nationwide series is a true showing of talent.

    Congratulations to Brad Keselowski on his phenomenal performance not just in his win at Bristol, but over the last few weeks. Some never doubted it would happen. Those that did, don’t anymore.

    That said, to all the competitors in all the series thanks for giving us everything you have to give, you are our heroes. Most importantly, thanks to all the families who shared their loved ones with us so we could cheer our favorite driver and favorite teams. You are the true heroes of the sport and we are forever in your debt.

  • Teammates Brad Keselowski and Kurt Busch Share A Similar Meteoric Rise To The Top

    Teammates Brad Keselowski and Kurt Busch Share A Similar Meteoric Rise To The Top

    Streaks are an integral part of the sporting world. A common theme with streaks, though, is that they often are not very surprising. One expects Peyton Manning to throw numerous consecutive 400 yard games or for the Pittsburgh Pirates to finish a season with a losing record year after year.

    [media-credit name=”Ed Coombs” align=”alignright” width=”265″][/media-credit]It is this which makes Brad Keselowski’s streak so stunning.  How a driver, who prior to this stretch was most often found mid-pack on race day, can rattle of such an impressive streak of finishes defies expectations. It is as astounding and surprising as it is unprecedented… or is it?

    To find a driver with a similar meteoric rise in the Sprint Cup Series, Keselowski merely has to look across the Penske Racing shop at teammate Kurt Busch. Many forget that Busch’s arrival to the top of the Cup series was just as quick and just as surprising.

    Heading into the 2002 Cup season, Busch was most known for a sole spectacular season in the Craftsman Truck Series and for being the last person Dale Earnhardt flipped off. While there were flashes of brilliance during his rookie campaign and his sophomore season, culminating in a surprise first victory at the spring Bristol race, he found himself hovering just outside of the top ten in points with seven races remaining.

    At the time, many made note of his vastly improved performance in his second year of Cup racing, and many thought more thought it likely that Busch would sneak into the top ten in points by the end of the year. What occurred over the last six races shocked virtually every one covering the sport and cemented Busch as one of the future starts of the sport.

    In those last seven races, Busch accumulated 3 wins, 6 top 10s, lead nearly 25% of the laps, and had an average finish of fourth. By season’s end, Busch sat in victory lane of Homestead-Miami Speedway watching Tony Stewart celebrate his first championship while contemplating his own third place points finish.

    Just two years later Busch would earn his first, and so far only, Cup championship, thus solidifying him as one of the elite drivers in the sport.

    Where Keselowski has an advantage is that he is reaching his potential prior to the start of the Chase for the Championship. There is some irony in that fact that Kurt Busch’s 2002 season was used as one of the justifications for a change to a new championship format.

    And while there are still many miles to race, Keselowski now appears to be one of the front runners for the 2011 Sprint Cup championship, a fact that is as unbelievable to write as it is to contemplate.  Despite the controversy which has followed him since the start of his Cup career, Keselowski has handled the obstacles with an increasing level of maturity.

    The only question that remains is precisely how good will Keselowski be once he is completely healthy? That question alone should be enough to cause the juggernauts of Hendrick, Roush and Gibbs to sleep a little less soundly at night.

    And for Brad Keselowski? Well he’ll be sleeping like a baby…

  • Matty’s Picks: Irwin Tools Night Race Vol. 15 – Bristol – August 27, 2011

    Matty’s Picks: Irwin Tools Night Race Vol. 15 – Bristol – August 27, 2011

    Thunder Valley is the site of the mayhem that will unfold Saturday Night in the NASCAR Sprint Cup series. It’s another Wild Card race this weekend with huge Chase implications on the line for drivers that are on the cusp of being IN or being OUT.

    [media-credit name=”Brad Keppel” align=”alignright” width=”208″][/media-credit]Since this is the first Matty’s Picks column for a race at Bristol Motor Speedway (BMS), I’d like to share some insight about my experiences in Thunder Valley.

    I first attended a race at BMS in August of 2000 at the age of 13, and the only other track I had been to at that point in time was my home track, Watkins Glen International. The trip started with my mother interviewing each and every guy I was making the 13-hour trek with, and ended with a night of racing that I will never forget.

    “Mom, I’m in good hands” is what I told her as she analyzed the less than reputable characters that my Uncle Ed called his ‘Racing Friends’. These were the guys that showed me the ropes and gave me the grand tour of Bristol. It all started when I was in charge of gathering 15 or so cases of beer that I was told “should last us until Saturday Morning”, WOW!

    After the adventurous 13-hour hike to the great state of Tennessee, we arrived at Bristol just in time to see the morning fog lift and reveal the monstrous ‘Coliseum’ that is Bristol Motor Speedway. We were camped on top of the hill above the Drag Strip, so looking down on the track for the first time really put things into perspective for me. This was the largest sporting event I had ever been to…

    In utter disappointment, I found out I wouldn’t be able to step foot into the grandstands until Friday morning, due to the fact there is no on-track activities on Thursday’s at BMS. I was like a kid (literally was one at the ripe old age of 13) on Christmas Eve for the entire day on Thursday, anxiously waiting to set my eyes on the high-banks of BMS.

    I managed to sleep just a couple hours Thursday night, and was in line to enter the track at the crack of dawn on Friday. I made it a point to drag my Uncle Scotty (who woke up with a massive headache Friday Morning – I wonder why?) to the track first thing on Friday. I think he was just as excited for me to see the track for the first time as I was. “Get ready Matty” he said, as we walked underneath the grandstands and finally got a glimpse of the morning sun peaking through the cracks of the aluminum seating.

    I was in awe; it truly was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. It looked like God himself had carved the track with his bare hands. My jaw dropped and I was halted in my tracks by the enormousness of the 160,000 seat arena.

    If you haven’t had the pleasure of setting your eyes on Bristol Motor Speedway, as a race fan, I would put it on your bucket list. BMS has been keeping me going back for years now (couldn’t make this race weekend unfortunately), and I will keep returning until the day I die.

    Michigan Recap

    It was another great weekend for my picks last weekend at MIS, with me taking home a Top-5 and a Top-10 for my two picks. I’ve had a bit of a ‘Summer Showdown’ myself the past 3 weeks, with a combined average finish for all my picks of 4.8. Averaging a Top-5 each week is good enough to make The Chase, so if I can keep the momentum going, I think I have a real shot at the ‘Nostradamus of NASCAR’ title at the end of the year.

    My Winner Pick last week was Roush-Fenway Racing driver, Matt Kenseth. Kenseth was one of three drivers to average a Top-10 finish going into Sunday’s race at Michigan International Speedway (9.5), and kept his strong finishing reputation going with his 10th place finish in the Pure Michigan 400. Despite leading 4 times for a total of 15 laps, Kenseth fell off throughout the day, failing to capitalize on his fantastic track position he had all day.

    Kenseth spoke of his finish after the race, “We ran okay. Most of the day we had really good track position but we didn’t have the balance or the grip that we had here in June and we weren’t a threat to win which is disappointing. Overall we stayed up front most of the day, except the last lap.”

    My Dark Horse pick last week fared a bit better than my Winner Pick in regards to finishing order, netting me another Top-5 for a Dark Horse pick. Brad Keselowski is the hottest driver in NASCAR at this point in time, and I used him to my advantage last weekend at MIS.

    I’m not really sure it was fair to pick him as a Dark Horse, but his average finish going into last weekend’s race spoke for itself. Brad hadn’t had a finish inside the Top-20 at MIS, the grounds for me to coin him as a Dark Horse for last Sunday’s race.

    Keselowski never made it to the point on Sunday, but did run in the Top-10 for the majority of the 200 laps at MIS. His 3rd place finish marked the Blue Deuce’s 5th Top-5 of 2011, also his 3rd straight Top-5 finish, and marked my 3rd straight Top-10 Dark Horse pick.

    Bad Brad spoke in the Media Center following his 3rd place finish, “We were decent today. Probably not as good as we needed to be to run with the 48, the 24, 18, those guys. But probably a 5th to 10th place car. Just executed really well. Had some good restarts. Had some good moves in traffic. Good pit stops, good strategy. Found our way up into the top 5 there with 75 to go. Just really solid effort. We need just a little bit more speed.”

    Bristol Picks

    It’s extremely tough to make picks this week because Bristol is such a juggernaut. With just 2 races remaining before The Chase for the Sprint Cup, drivers aren’t as willing to take risks and drive above themselves in August as they might have in the March race at BMS. There are a few drivers like Denny Hamlin, Tony Stewart, and Dale Jr. who are pushing for a win to solidify their chances at taking one of the Top-10 spots going into Richmond, and other guys like Jeff Gordon, Ryan Newman, and Kurt Busch who might be out there just trying to stay out of trouble and salvage a decent finish in an effort to gain maximum points for their efforts Saturday Night.

    Winner Pick

    There is one guy that I can guarantee will not be on-track trying to salvage a finish on Saturday Night. When you talk about Bristol Motor Speedway, you can’t help but talk about Sprint Cup Points Leader, Kyle Busch’s recent dominance (besides the Camping World Truck Series race Wednesday Night) in Thunder Valley.

    Before Wednesday Night, Kyle Busch had won the past 5 NASCAR events at Bristol Motor Speedway. He hasn’t finished outside the Top-10 since March of 2008, and has won the past 4 out of 5 races in the Sprint Cup Series at BMS. You could say that Kyle Busch is a bit of a ringer at Bristol, but as everyone knows, nothing is for certain at ‘The World’s Fastest Half-Mile’.

    Traditionally, Kyle Busch hasn’t started in very good position when the green flag flies at Bristol, which might be why it’s so fun to watch the 26-year-old wheel his car to the front. Busch has started in the Top-10 just one time in his 13 Sprint Cup starts at Bristol, but has wasted no time in establishing his dominance throughout the duration of the 500 lappers.

    Triple-Duty assignments have helped Busch master the high-banks of BMS, and another trio of races this weekend will give Busch the experience he needs to visit Victory Lane Saturday Night.

    Dark Horse Pick

    Kasey Kahne made his name in short track racing by catching the eye of Steve Lewis at Williams Grove Speedway in early 2000. Kahne won the season-opener at Williams Grove in Pennsylvania that year on this way to being named USAC National Midget Series Champion later that season. He joined the likes of other great Short-Track drivers like Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart who had also been named USAC Champions in prior years.

    Many parallels can be established from USAC racing and Short-Track racing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, and historically those with USAC Racing experience fare pretty well when it comes to the Short-Tracks in the Sprint Cup Series.

    Kahne has a decent history at BMS with three Top-5’s and six Top-10’s, but it’s his efforts in the March race earlier this year that has me turned on as my Dark Horse this week. He averaged a running position of 6.59 on his way to a 9th-place finish in the Jeff Byrd 500, and his pit crew had a hand in his excellent finish.

    The No. 4 Red Bull Racing machine ran just one lap outside the Top-15 in March, so look for Kasey Kane to qualify and run towards the front all night on Saturday.

    That’s it for this long-winded edition of Matty’s Picks, but I couldn’t help to share my experience with Bristol Motor Speedway.

    Stay tuned next week for my insight on the final race before the 2011 Chase for the Sprint Cup begins.

    Until Next Time…You Stay Classy NASCAR NATION!

  • Danica Patrick Announces Full-Time Commitment: Was Popularity Compromised For Talent?

    Danica Patrick Announces Full-Time Commitment: Was Popularity Compromised For Talent?

    [media-credit name=”NASCAR.com” align=”alignright” width=”220″][/media-credit]When it was first announced that IZOD IndyCar Series driver Danica Patrick would be officially making her debut in the NASCAR Nationwide Series for the 2010 season, the internet exploded with the fans blogging about what type of impact she would have on the sport.

    With many unanswered questions because of her lack of experience behind the wheel of the much heavier stock car, and the fact that her Indy car career was less than stellar at best.

    The fans began to take sides after they realized she was serious about her attempt to try and compete in a series, which is nowhere near the types of cars she grew up racing in. Skepticism ran rampant as the season progressed, and Patrick herself made it hard for the fans to gauge if indeed she had what it took to compete at this level, since her results reflected her lack of experience.

    Patrick ran a total of 13 races in 2010 without a top-five, or top-10 finish, and only finished one race on the lead lap. With each passing race, we heard the watered down versions of why she might become an overnight success, with most of them based on her one victory that came in the IZOD IndyCar Series. Even though her results were nowhere near what she felt she was capable of, she continued to pursue her dream of one day becoming a star in a series where most felt her popularity and GoDaddy’s marketing skills took over.

    After all it is was founder and CEO of GoDaddy.com Bob Parson’s, who thrust Patrick into the limelight with his unique marketing strategy, while capitalizing on the sex sells society that we live in today. The only lingering question that had yet to be answered was, did popularity take over where talent used to be the main focus when a driver came into the series?

    Parson’s himself said that, “This is not only big news for NASCAR fans; it has all the ingredients for some major GoDaddy-esque marketing magic.” “If she decided to move into ice skating, I’d go with her. The only issue I have is if I’m stroking the check, because she certainly is one of a kind. I expect to be able to (sponsor her), but business is business. You have to make hay while in the prime of your life, and she’s definitely (there),” said Parsons.

    Kyle Petty, who lately has become one of Patrick’s biggest detractors once, said that, “She’s not Dario Franchitti and she’s not Tony Stewart. She’s not really shown over there [in the Indy Racing League] and won races and done stuff over their numbers-wise.” Petty also added, “She’s just a marketing machine, and let’s look at the facts and be blunt about it. If she gets in that car and doesn’t win races, it’s not the car, it’s not the engines and it’s not the team.”

    These comments along with a few others during the months leading up to her big announcement that she would indeed pursue a full-time career in NASCAR, has set the tone for her transition from open wheel to the NNS. The hype along with the expectations from her fans followed her into the 2011 season, where so far in seven starts she has lead four of the 1134 laps she has competed in, while picking-up one top-five, and three top-10 finishes.

    Whether or not this was a big enough improvement to keep her detractors at bay, was clearly seen by the numerous comments after each race with the consensus usually being a lop-sided victory for the nay-sayers. Yet none of this kept has kept her or her loyal fans from believing the dream of becoming NASCAR’s next biggest star based on talent, and not on popularity alone as we shall see with today’s official announcement that Patrick will be behind the wheel of the JR Motorsports No. 7 Chevrolet, full-time in 2012.

    “I’m excited to start the next chapter. … I’m ready to go. We can finally put the rumors to rest — I am going full-time NASCAR with Go Daddy next year,” said Patrick officially during today’s new conference at GoDaddy’s headquarters in Arizona. “I’m very excited to finally say it,” Patrick said. “From the first time I got out of the car in the ARCA race at Daytona [in 2010], it was the most fun I ever had in a race car. It probably had to do with the bumping, but it was the most fun I ever had in a car and I think that really started it.”

    Patrick now has the ball in her court, and her destiny lies within her own grasp whether or not she is the real deal, or just another pretty face trying to capitalize on her good looks. The season will be one her toughest not only in the stands, but also on the track since the NNS runs 34 races and 8,063 laps, as compared to 18 races and about half the laps in a much heavier car.

    The scrutiny would have continued no matter which series she would have ultimately chosen, and only Patrick herself knows where her limitations lie, as well as what she is capable of achieving. Her final decision to race full-time in NASCAR is no longer an experiment, but after today has become a reality and she is ready to jump in with both feet. Popularity and talent can go hand in hand, but that will be up to her to decide since she is the one who made the choice to try and defeat the odds and seek after what many woman before her have dreamed about.

    “I’ve truly enjoyed my experience in NASCAR to the point I want to do it full time. I feel like in the last year, I’ve really come around much more on the track and top-10s are happening much more frequently and I feel like I’m getting it more all the time.”

  • NEWSFLASH – Danica says goodbye IndyCar, hello NASCAR

    NEWSFLASH – Danica says goodbye IndyCar, hello NASCAR

    *(RacingWire)* – Danica Patrick is leaving her roots of open wheel racing to go full-time stock car racing in 2012. Patrick will drive the full NASCAR Nationwide Series Schedule with Dale Earnhardt Jr’s JR Motorsports and select Sprint Cup Series races with Stewart-Haas Racing.

  • The Numbers — IRWIN Tools Night Race at Bristol

    The Numbers — IRWIN Tools Night Race at Bristol

    THE NUMBERS for the IRWIN Tools Night Race Bristol Motor Speedway

    0 – fewest cautions for a race at Bristol Motor Speedway (7/11/71) 0 – fewest lead changes for a race (3/25/73)

    1 – fewest laps led by race winner (7/26/64 – Fred Lorenzen)

    4 – number of jet dryers available for track drying during race weekend

    7 – number of consecutive wins by Darrell Waltrip at BMS (1981 – 1984)

    16 – most wins by a car owner (Junior Johnson) 20 – most cautions for a race at BMS (three times, most recent 8/23/03)

    34 – races won from the front row (22 from the pole)

    38 – different winners at BMS in 101 Sprint Cup races 40 – most lead changes (4/14/91)

    42 – number of cars that started first race at Bristol in 1961 60 – minutes, the minimum amount of time it takes to dry the .533-mile track after a significant rainfall

    157,574 – number of fans that established the Guinness World Record for the world’s largest audience wave at BMS (August 23, 2008)

     

    2011 Caution Update

    4 – fewest cautions this season (Fontana and Pocono1)

    6 – number of races extended beyond scheduled distance in 2011 10 – number of cautions in spring race (March 20) at BMS

    16 – most cautions this season (Daytona)

    167 – number of cautions in the first 23 races of 2011; includes 77 for accidents, 40 for debris and 24 for spins

    774 of 6,251 – number of laps under caution in 2011

    1,143.611 of 9,166,258 – miles under caution in the first 23 races

  • NASCAR Sprint Cup Point Standings Analytics – After Race 23

    NASCAR Sprint Cup Point Standings Analytics – After Race 23

    The announcement of a change to the distribution of points across NASCAR national series sparked debate among even the most conservative NASCAR fans.  One of the explanations behind the change was to develop a more dramatic points battle to increase fan interest.

    [media-credit name=”CIA Stock Photo” align=”alignright” width=”213″][/media-credit]A debate arose over the fact that a quick calculation would show that very little, if anything, would change in the final championship standings. In fact, even among the more common point distributions across all major racing series, by the end of the season there did not appear to be much of a difference in the order of the final standings.

    Here, I shall contend that debate with weekly comparisons across the three most commonly mentioned distributions, plus my own personal points schedule designed to reward both race winners and consistent high finishes.

    Classic Points System – Standings After Race 23

    In each of the various points distributions Kyle Busch enjoys a commanding lead over the rest of the Sprint Cup field. As has been shown throughout the season, the majority of the standings remains virtually unchanged between the old and new system.

    Notable changes in position compared to current system: None

    Changes to Chase Field: NONE

    F1 System – Standings After Race 23

    It is in the F1 points distribution in which Busch’s four victories this season truly pays off. He would possess an over two race advantage over second place runner Carl Edwards, and nearly a five race advantage over fifth place Jeff Gordon. Brad Keselowski enjoys a nice jump up into the top ten, while Dale Earnhardt, Jr and Tony Stewart slide back to 13th and 14th respectively.

    With Keselowski and Hamlin residing in the top ten, big changes occur in the Chase field.

    Notable changes in position compared to current system: Regan Smith (+5), Brad Keselowski (+4), Denny Hamlin (+4), Dale Earnhardt, Jr. (-4), Tony Stewart (-4),  Greg Biffle (-9), A.J. Allmendinger (-10)

    Changes to Chase Field: Marcos Ambrose (IN), David Ragan (IN),  Tony Stewart (OUT), Dale Earnhardt, Jr. (OUT)

    IndyCar System – Standings After Race 23

    Similar to the F1 distribution, Kyle Busch sits atop the standings by a difference of nearly two full races.  Again, the Chase standings are shaken up, but this time the difference is much smaller with David Ragan and Marcos Ambrose tied in points, while Paul Menard is a mere two points behind them.

    Notable changes in position compared to current system: Denny Hamlin (+4), Brad Keselowski (+3), Kevin Harvick (-3), Jeff Burton (-5), A.J. Allmendinger (-7)

    Changes to Chase Field: Marcos Ambrose (IN), David Ragan (IN),  Tony Stewart (OUT), Dale Earnhardt, Jr. (OUT)

    Phat’s System – Standings After Race 23

    For an explanation of the points distribution, please see consult table below standings. This distribution is designed to reward race winners, while also rewarding those who run well every week.

    In the last distribution, Busch maintains another two plus race advantage over Carl Edwards. In another change to the Chase field, Paul Menard finds himself as the second wild card, only 18 points ahead of David Ragan and 26 ahead of Marcos Ambrose.

    Notable changes in position compared to current system: Marcos Ambrose (+5), David Ragan (+4), Kasey Kahne (+3), Kevin Harvick (-3), A.J. Allmendinger (-5)

    Changes to Chase Field: Paul Menard (IN),  Dale Earnhardt, Jr. (OUT)

  • NOTES FROM THE NASCAR NATION: A TAIL GATE PARTY IN THUNDER VALLEY – NCWTS EDITION

    NOTES FROM THE NASCAR NATION: A TAIL GATE PARTY IN THUNDER VALLEY – NCWTS EDITION

    The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will be taking its high energy tail gate party to Tennessee’s Thunder Valley for a special Wednesday night event at the always exciting, but treacherous, Bristol Motor Speedway. NASCAR’s national truck series was simply born to excite fans on a short track. Wednesday night’s race is expected to present just about any racing scenario you can name before the checkers falls on the O’Reilly 200. After all, it’s Bristol baby !

    THE STORY BREAKDOWN

    [media-credit name=”CIA Stock Photo” align=”alignright” width=”243″][/media-credit]The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will be bringing a skin tight points battle to Bristol Wednesday night. At this point in time there is only a 12 point separation between the top four drivers. Thorsport Racing’s Johnny Sauter sits on top of the standings at 519 points but it’s only a five point cushion over Turner Motorsports’ driver James Buescher. Third in the standings, and only eight points back, is Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Dillon while Red Horse Racing driver Timothy Peters is 12 points from the top in fourth. Any combination of Bristol motorized mayhem could easily alter the course of this championship profile.

    But the tightest points battle of all, in NASCAR’s truck series, is the owner’s points battle. Kyle Busch Motorsports and Kevin Harvick Inc are tied at 583 points each. It appears that this may be their latest run off between two Sprint Cup drivers,and truck series owners, who have a long history of running against each other. The tie in the owner’s standings is largely based on the red hot Kevin Harvick who has won the last two Camping World Truck Series races in a row. Harvick will be returning to his #2 Hunt Brothers Pizza/KHI Chevrolet for Wednesday’s race at Bristol. He will be part of a three truck team that also includes KHI team mates Ron Hornaday Jr and Nelson Piquet Jr.

    Kyle Busch Motorsports will be strongly represented as well with Busch himself returning to his #18 Dollar General/Combos/KBM Toyota. Busch is defending race champion from 2010. He will be joined by KBM development driver Josh Richards who will be behind the wheel of the #51 Joy Mining Machinery Toyota.

    ************

    On a very sad note you will be hearing about NASCAR Camping World Series driver Shane Sieg who, last Monday, was placed on indefinite suspension by NASCAR officials for violating the sanctioning body’s substance abuse policy. Known for having the most rigid substance abuse policy in all of professional sports, NASCAR has made it clear they have a zero tolerance policy for violators. It’s bad enough when a mechanic from a race team fails a random drug test, But when a driver fails a test it’s really serious not to mention extremely dangerous. NASCAR should be applauded for taking this strong stand. But there is a benevolent clause in the policy, known as “The Road To Recovery.” If this young driver can successfully complete an approved rehabilitation program he will be eligible for consideration for reinstatement. Here’s hoping Sieg does the right thing and takes advantage of that opportunity.

    *****************

    On a much happier note congratulations and God bless goes to series regular Miguel Paludo and his wife Patricia who, on Monday, welcomed the arrival of their son. Oliver Paludo arrived weighing in at eight pounds three ounces. Mom and the baby are reported to be doing just fine.

    *************

    Fans of driver Jason White will notice a striking difference in the appearance of his #23 Gunbrokers.Com/Joe Denette Motorsports Chevrolet Truck. It will be sporting a striking new paint job created by Sam Bass, the official artist of NASCAR.

    Jason White was rather busy on Tuesday where he spent the day in Bristol, Virginia participating in a special photo shoot with famed hair stylist Sherri Jesse. The photos will be featured in an upcoming addition of “Style Source” Magazine.

    White will also have a special guest team mate to work with during Wednesday night’s Bristol race. NASCAR Nationwide Series regular Elliot Sadler will be behind the wheel of the #24 Joe Denette Motorsports Chevrolet with sponsorship provided by AM FM Energy along with Pellet and Wood Stoves.

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    THE RACE BREAKDOWN

    Wednesday night’s O’Reilly 200 is 200 laps/106.6 miles around the Bristol Motor Speedway’s tightly wound .533 mile concrete covered oval.

    The race has 39 entries vying for the 36 starting berths. Yes, you read that right: 36 full sized racing trucks on a half mile oval. 14 of those entries are on the go or go home list meaning they will have to earn a starting berth based on qualifying speed because they are currently outside of the series’ top 25 in owner’s points.

    Don’t be misled by the fact this race is 200 laps long. The laps fly by very quickly and, for the drivers and crew chiefs, it will be “GO” time the moment the initial green flag is dropped.

    All aspects of the O’Reilly 200 will be carried live by the SPEED Channel beginning with qualifying scheduled for 5 pm eastern time. The pre-race set up show will begin at 730 pm eastern.

  • Some comments deserve to be repeated – Michigan and Montreal

    Some comments deserve to be repeated – Michigan and Montreal

    During the NASCAR weekend, at both Michigan and Montreal,we observed a bizarre bad hair moment as well as the driver frustrations of trying to make the Sprint Cup Chase For The Championship line up.From that came several comments that deserved to be repeated. Here are just a few of them.

    [media-credit name=”CIA Stock Photo” align=”alignright” width=”224″][/media-credit]In the moments that followed the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Montreal, Jerry Baxter was a very angry man. Baxter is the crew chief for Pastrana-Waltrip Racing’s Nationwide Series team. He was manning the pit box at Montreal for driver Patrick Carpentier. Baxter really wanted to help deliver a win, or at least a rock solid finish, for his driver because it was Carpentier’s final race before he officially retired from driving after spending 27 years in the sport.Sadly that didn’t happen. Carpentier found himself in an altercation with Nationwide Series regular Steve Wallace. The fact that Carpentier had to settle for a disappointing 32nd finish while Wallace survived the incident and moved on to finish fourth did not escape the notice of Baxter.

    After the race Wallace was sitting in his car on pit road with the window net down and his helmet off. The ESPN Television cameras made quick work of presenting an angry Baxter charging towards the Wallace car. We all expected to see a right hook punch being thrown at the driver. Instead Baxter decided to pull Wallace’s hair. Once we all got over the surprise of this move it was actually pretty funny.

    In the aftermath of this incident, Steve Wallace reminded us that “only girls pull hair.” Later, from his “Twitter” account, Wallace wrote: “my hair feels okay, a lil’ sore, ha ha.”

    On the Tuesday following the race, Baxter issued a formal apology, issued by Pastrana-Waltrip Racing, that said: “I’m sorry for what happened after the race on Saturday, and I take full responsibility for my own actions. I called Steve and apologized. I was frustrated and let my emotions get to me.” Wallace responded with another “Tweet” that read: “just talked to Jerry Baxter, he’s going to give me my hair back, ha ha.”

    Also weighing in on this issue was NASCAR Nationwide Series driver Kenny Wallace, the uncle of Steve Wallace, via his “Twitter” account. In his first message Kenny Wallace praised Baxter for his apology. Apparently someone sent Wallace a “Tweet” asking him what his brother Rusty Wallace, Steve’s dad and team owner, thought about this incident. Kenny Wallace responded with: “Rusty and Steve have THICK skin. Steve finished fourth. That’s what Rusty thinks”

    This is not the first time Steve Wallace has found himself in the eye of a racing storm. He seems to thrive on it somehow and proved the point via another “Tweet” where he wrote: “cars run on fuel, I run on controversy and 5 Hour Energy, (his team sponsor), baby !”

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    There are only three races left on the NASCAR Sprint Cup schedule before the official line up for the 2011 Sprint Cup Chase For The Championship. There are a handful of Cup drivers who are seriously feeling the stress of making that all important Chase line up with time running out. One of them is Tony Stewart, the owner-driver of Stewart-Haas Racing. Amazingly, Stewart is still seeking his first win of the 2011 season. Several weeks ago he was in the top five in the points standings and looking good to earn a Chase berth. Now he’s currently tenth in the points standings and worried about staying there so he can participate in the championship run. He has repeatedly blamed this nail biting situation on inconsistent team performances.

    Despite a solid ninth place finish at the Michigan race, Stewart simply wasn’t happy and, in an eyebrow raising comment, said: “I will be perfectly honest, at this point of the deal, if we’re going to run this bad, it really doesn’t matter if we make the Chase or not. Our stuff is so bad right now, we’re wasting one of those 12 (Chase) spots right now.”

    Some observers referred to this comment as a “meltdown.” Actually it’s not, Stewart was remarkably calm when he made that statement. Those of us who recall his early days in NASCAR, when he was driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, remember times when he was often referred to as “Tony The Terrible.” Now some of those moments were meltdowns.

    ***************

    Also feeling the strain of making the Chase line up is driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. During the first quarter of the season NASCAR’s most popular driver was as high as third in the points standings and his massive fan club, known as “the Junior Nation”, was elated. Then a free fall began and Earnhardt now finds himself ninth in the standings and only six points ahead of Stewart. He was working on a needed top ten finish during the Michigan race. A late race caution set up the race’s green-white-checker finish. Prior to the restart Earnhardt was summoned to pit road by crew chief Steve Letarte for two tires and a splash of gas. It was a gamble that sadly didn’t work. The potential top ten turned into a 14th place finish.

    After the race, Earnhardt diplomatically said “we probably shouldn’t have made that last pit stop.” Earnhardt said he was pretty much mired down in the field for the final restart adding “we took two tires like a lot of guys and just didn’t have the good fortune at the end of that green-white-checker. We were on the bottom behind the #00, (David Reutimann), and some other people that were slow as hell and just couldn’t go nowhere.”

    ***************

    If Stewart and Earnhardt are feeling some major stress, then one has to think that Denny Hamlin may be getting a little frantic regarding his Chase aspirations. Hamlin was a heavy pre race favorite to win the Michigan race. He already has one win this year and a second win would have propelled him from 11th in the standings into the top ten. At the very least a win would have virtually locked down a wild card berth in the final Chase line up. Unfortunately disaster stuck for Hamlin when he smacked the wall during the Michigan race and he wound up with a devastating 35th place finish that dropped him from 11th to 14th in the points.

    In the late 1960’s the Beatles came up with a great song that said:”I’ll get by with a little help from my friends.” After the Michigan race Hamlin received some very encouraging words from a very good friend: NBA basketball legend Michael Jordon. It seems that Hamlin and Jordon are not only very close friends they are also involved in some business investments with each other. Jordon sent his friend a text message that Hamlin shared with his fans on his “Twitter” page. That message read;”Tough day my friend. Still in this thing. Stay positive.”

    That’s good advice for us all and it’s a comment that deserves to be repeated.

  • Jason Leffler No. 30 AccuDoc Solutions Chevrolet News and Notes

    Jason Leffler No. 30 AccuDoc Solutions Chevrolet News and Notes

    JASON LEFFLER QUICK FACTS

    No. 30 AccuDoc Solutions Chevrolet Impala

    Bristol Motor Speedway

    Food City 250

    August 26, 2011

     

    Jason Leffler 2011 Season

    Starts

    Poles

    Wins

    Top-fives

    Top-10s

    DNFs

    24

    0

    0

    2

    10

    1

     

    No. 30 AccuDoc Solutions Chevrolet News and Notes

     

    • Jason Leffler looks to one-up his best finish at ‘the World’s Fastest Half-Mile’… Going into this weekend’s Food City 250, Leffler is looking to better his last night-race finish at Bristol Motor Speedway (BMS), second-place in August 2010. This was the second time the veteran driver has finished in the runner-up position at BMS. He finished second in the August 2007 event after starting from the pole and leading 81 laps.
    • On a roll at BMS… Leffler is holding onto an impressive run in ‘Thunder Valley,’ with just one finish outside the top-10 in his last eight starts at the half-mile track. In 16 starts, Leffler has three top-five and eighth top-10 finishes with 87 laps led. 
    • Number Swap… As in 2010, Leffler will share seat time in the No. 38 Great Clips Impala with Sprint Cup Series star, Kasey Kahne. In eight events throughout 2011, Leffler and his team, including crew chief Eddie Pardue, will make the jump to the No. 30 Chevrolet. The number swap proved valuable for Leffler and his team in 2010, in eight starts behind the wheel of the No. 10 machine he scored seven top-10 and three top-five finishes! In four starts in the No. 30 Chevrolet this season Leffler has three top-10 finishes.
    • Loop Data at BMS… Leffler is in the top-10 in several categories in NASCAR’s pre-race loop data statistics at BMS including: average running position (10th), closers (8th), fastest lap run (7th), green flag passes (5th), number of laps led (9th) and laps inside the top-15 (5th).
    • This week’s Impala… The No. 30 AccuDoc Solutions will hit the track with chassis TMS-116 this weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway. This is the same chassis Leffler piloted at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis and the Nationwide Series first stop at Iowa Speedway.
    • Turner Motorsports: In the hunt… In 24 Nationwide Series events in 2011, Turner Motorsports-prepared entries have notched three wins, 19 top-five and 47 top-10 finishes. All three of Turner Motorsports’ championship-contending drivers are inside the top-six in the driver point standings with Reed Sorenson in second, Justin Allgaier in fourth and Leffler in sixth.

     

    Jason Leffler on racing at Bristol Motor Speedway

     

    “The night race at Bristol is one of my favorite races of the year. We have had some awesome runs here and I know we are going to be in contention at the end of the night on Friday. It really suits my style of racing and brings me back to the old days of racing. Qualifying is always important because it is easy to go a lap down there and staying out of trouble is key. If we qualify well and stay out of trouble, there’s no reason we won’t be there at the end and hopefully taking this AccuDoc Solutions Chevy to victory lane.”

     

    Follow the No. 30 team on Twitter!Twitter.com/No30TurnerNNS

    Follow Jason Leffler on Twitter!Twitter.com/JasonLeffler

    Follow Turner Motorsports on Facebook!Facebook.com/TurnerMotorsports