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Author: SM Staff

  • HOORAHS AND WAZZUPS: SPRING CLEANING IN THE BRISTOL VICTORY LANE

    HOORAHS AND WAZZUPS: SPRING CLEANING IN THE BRISTOL VICTORY LANE

    It was another interesting weekend at the Kyle Busch, oh excuse me, Bristol, Motor Speedway. At the conclusion of the Jeff Byrd 500, presented by Food City, we witnessed another spring cleaning, with a large broom, in the historic speedway’s victory lane in what now appears to be a yearly event. We continued to watch the performance level of the one car from Richard Childress Racing that had no real expectations to begin with and we witnessed a dramatic episode that brought the start and park concept to a whole new level. With those thoughts in mind, let’s begin this week with:

    [media-credit name=”Barry Albert” align=”alignright” width=”288″][/media-credit]HOORAH for Kyle Busch for another stunning performance that saw him sweep a NASCAR weekend at Bristol. Last August the “Rowdy One” swept all three of NASCAR’s national touring series events at Bristol. This year he won both the Nationwide and Sprint Cup events which gives him five consecutive wins in five starts there. Once again the race winner was presented with a large broom for the ceremonial sweeping of victory lane.

    Busch started the weekend by winning the Scott’s EZ Seed 300 NASCAR Nationwide Series race on Saturday with a very dominating performance. He led 268 of the 300 laps for his 45th career win. He also became the first Nationwide Series driver to lead over 10,000 laps.

    During Sunday’s Jeff Byrd 500, presented by Food City, Busch had to work a little harder and spent the final 60 laps of the race fending off the efforts of Carl Edwards and Jimmie Johnson. During that process he still managed to lead the race seven times for a total of 153 laps out of 500. He also collected his 20th NASCAR Sprint Cup win which ties with the legendary Speedy Thompson on the series’ all time win list. He now has at least one Sprint Cup win per season over the past seven consecutive years. His five Bristol wins now ties him with Jeff Gordon and his brother Kurt for the most wins among modern era drivers. It’s also interesting to note that ten of the last 19 Sprint Cup races at Bristol has been won by a Busch brother.

    In a period of approximately 24 hours, Kyle Busch ran two races totaling 800 laps. He led the two events a total of nine times for 421 laps and collected a combined $237,141 in prize money. Those numbers are just simply awesome.

    Busch deserves another HOORAH for a great one liner following the pre race driver introductions. After receiving a large bushel basket of boo berries from many of the fans, Busch smiled and asked “why can’t we all be friends?”

    The always fun Kyle Petty also gets a HOORAH for his one liner during the SPEED Channel’s “NASCAR Victory Lane” show. Petty was commenting on how Kyle Busch “is the guy” and further stated ” if they unloaded shopping carts from Food City, he would still be the guy.”

    One can’t help but notice new maturity levels in this driver. During his victory lane interview he bestowed well deserved praise for the performance of his pit crew especially following the final pit stop when they sent off of pit road in first place. Busch also made it a point to ask the fans to include the earthquake victims from Japan in their prayers. During the traditional post race interview on the SPEED Channel, Busch was asked about those new maturity levels. He credited the presence of his new wife Samantha in his life as well as the influence of his team owner “Coach” Joe Gibbs.

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

    HOORAH to driver Paul Menard for another rock solid Sprint Cup performance for Richard Childress Racing. Out of the four Chevrolets in the RCR stable, it’s Menard’s team that has surprisingly been the top performer throughout the first four races of the year. Menard led 35 laps at Bristol and finished fifth. That effort also moves him up to fifth in the championship points standings only 14 markers away from the top of the chart.

    This driver’s Sprint Cup career has always been financially supported by his family owned business: Menard’s Home Improvement stores with associate sponsorship packages coming from the hardware/appliance companies that has been connected with the Menards for many years now. Up until the start of this season, Paul Menard’s driving career hasn’t really been that stellar and there were plenty of snide comments from observers that basically said “he’s driving his daddy’s checkbook.”

    With the performance levels we’ve seen so far in 2011 those snide comments seem to be subsiding. During last Sunday’s “NASCAR Victory Lane” program SPEED Channel analyst Kenny Wallace likely put this situation in perspective when he said “I don’t care if this kid’s father has a lot of money, he’s the one driving the race car.”

    This week’s HOORAH for making chicken salad out of chicken do do goes to RCR driver Kevin Harvick and his Budweiser crew. Kasey Kahne’s very loose Toyota bottled up traffic and the result was a multi car crash that produced the eighth yellow flag of the race. Harvick, following a hit in the rear bumper from Mark Martin’s car, went spinning down the backstretch.

    Harvick, who led the race for 37 laps, got the extra effort from what he termed “a championship caliber team” and drove his way to a commendable sixth place finish. Harvick began the 2011 season 37th in points following a blown engine at Daytona. This team has worked and clawed their way up to 15th in the standings following the first four races and appear to be on the way to the top where observers said they would be.

    Harvick also gets a HOORAH for the best radio transmission, following his spin out, when he said “that’s two times in four races when the five, (Mark Martin), has taken us out. They need to check his old ass for vision.”

    WAZZUP with another roller coaster of a race for RCR driver Clint Bowyer? During the first, early race, multi car crash it appeared that Bowyer arrived at the scene just a little too fast and rammed the back of Jamie McMurray’s Chevrolet. By the way McMurray gets a HOORAH for a great radio transmission when said “doesn’t he have a spotter?”

    The situation got worse for Bowyer when his engine blew up a short time later and he had to settle for a disappointing 35th place finish. A pre season favorite to make the Chase For The Championship has now slipped to 24th in the standings within a new points configuration that makes digging out of a hole very difficult.

    The same level of WAZZUP goes to RCR driver Jeff Burton whose racing luck so far this season has left Sprint Cup observers baffled. During the Bristol race Burton felt a strong vibration in his Chevrolet that was later determined to be caused by a loose wheel. The result was an unscheduled pit stop that left him two laps down. It also led to a 20th place finish. He did manage to elevate himself to 29th in the points but here’s another pre season Chase favorite who has to dig himself out of a hole.

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

    WAZZUP with the Bristol efforts of the other two drivers from Joe Gibbs Racing? While Kyle Busch was carrying the JGR flag for the team his team mates, Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano, were in the midst of a struggle. Hamlin’s Toyota found himself caught up in the race’s first multi car crash. He had to settle for a 30th place finish 12 laps down. Worse yet, Hamlin fell from eighth to 17th in the points standings.

    Meanwhile Joey Logano was struggling with horsepower issues and finish 23d at Bristol and left 30th in the points. He actually came over his radio and yelled “this motor still f***ing sucks.” That was a stunning comment coming from the usually mild mannered Logano. It’s certain that the comment even baffled the usually stoic “Coach” Joe Gibbs.

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

    HOORAH to Goodyear and NASCAR officials for springing into action when it appeared there was going to be issues with the right side tires. During the pre race practice sessions there were some genuine concern regarding right side tire wear. There was additional concern over rubber from the tires not being worked into the Bristol Motor Speedway’s concrete surface that would have provided the extra grip the race cars required.

    After conferring with NASCAR over the situation, Goodyear trucked in approximately 1,300 tires from their Charlotte-North Carolina center on Saturday which featured a harder compound. By the end of the racing weekend late Sunday afternoon the general consensus was the back up plan worked out very well.

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

    A giant WAZZUP goes out to driver Jennifer Jo Cobb and team owner Rick Russell over their start and park argument just minutes prior to Saturday’s NASCAR Nationwide Series race.

    Russell claims that there was a team meeting last Friday where he explained that they would have to start and park at Bristol due to the high cost of repairing the crash damage on team’s only race car after it was caught up in a wreck the week before at Las Vegas. He also claimed that’s why he didn’t purchase race tires and hire a pit crew for the Bristol event because he knew in advance that start and park status was going to become a reality and it made more sense to save the one car for next week’s race at the Auto Club Speedway in California which he had already entered. He further claimed that Cobb and her crew chief, Steve Kuykendall, purchased tires and hired a pit crew for Bristol without is knowledge.

    On the other side of the argument, Cobb admits that she had heard some “rumblings” about start and park status at Bristol but wasn’t actually informed of the decision until literally minutes before the start of the race. She later said “I have a commitment to my sponsors, the fans and to NASCAR that I am not a start and park driver. I’m really serious about this.” She further claims that Russell allegedly said that if she didn’t comply with the start and park order he would have NASCAR black flag her. It was further alleged that an angry Cobb, along with her crew chief and the crew members they hired, left. In the extreme last minute Russell had Chris Lawson suit up and get into his car. Lawson started 41st, ran four laps and Russell collected $16,725 in prize money which basically covered the cost of repairs from the Las Vegas wreck the week before.

    At the beginning of the 2011 season Russell’s 2nd Chance Motorsports and Jennifer Jo Cobb Racing formed an alliance. The plan was to run at least the first five races in the NASCAR Nationwide Series in hopes of landing sponsorship for the full season. It now appears that this racing marriage is heading for divorce. Russell has already announced that Tim Andrews will be in his car next week in California and also announced plans to file a breach of contract suit against Cobb. Meanwhile, on Monday afternoon, Cobb announced that she will be in California next Saturday driving the #41 car for Rick Ware Racing.

    What we have here are two racing organizations that are financially strapped due to sponsorship issues. At this point neither party can really afford to pay attorney’s fees to resolve their differences in court. Perhaps Cobb put it best with her suggestion that said “let’s just part ways, everybody moves on and let’s go racing.”

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

    The final WAZZUP from the weekend goes to Roush Fenway Racing’s Ricky Stenhouse Jr who received a penalty from NASCAR, during Saturday’s Nationwide Series race, for being in the wrong position prior to a double file restart. Between the presence of the spotter, crew chief and any other team member watching from pit road, it begs the question: exactly how did something like that go unnoticed?

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

    The final HOORAH of the week goes to the special music for Jimmie Johnson and Brian Vickers played during driver introductions last Sunday. The Bristol Motor Speedway again asked the drivers to pick their own special music to accompany them as they walked out on the stage.

    Johnson and Vickers thought it would be fun to pick each other’s music and keep it a secret. Johnson was introduced to the fans to the sound of “The Thong Song” by Cisco. However that paled in comparison to Vickers being surprised with Shania Twain’s “Man, I Feel Like A Woman” when he was introduced.

  • Team Lowe’s Racing – Team 48 Auto Club Speedway Preview

    Team Lowe’s Racing – Team 48 Auto Club Speedway Preview

    JIMMIE JOHNSON

    2011 STARTS: 4 WINS: 0 TOP 5: 2 TOP 10: 2

    CURRENT DRIVER POINT STANDINGS: 7th POINTS BEHIND 1st: 20

    FINISH IN BRISTOL: 3rd SPRING 2010 FINISH AT CALIFORNIA: 1st

    TEAM ROSTERS WILL BE POSTED ON MEDIA.LOWESRACING.COM WHEN AVAILABLE

    RACE NOTES

    Bristol Motor Speedway

    • Johnson has made 16 Sprint Cup Series starts at Auto Club Speedway, where he has earned five wins, 11 top-five and 12 top-10 finishes.

    • Johnson, who is the defending race winner, has completed 100% (3955 of 3955) of competition laps at the two-mile track and has led 846.

    • He has an average start and finish of 8.6 and 5.3.

    Chassis • Johnson will pilot brand new chassis No. 650 in Sunday’s Sprint Cup Series event.

    • Backup chassis No. 623 crossed the finish line 16th at Las Vegas Motor Speedway this year.

    JIMMIE JOHNSON QUOTES

    WHAT IS SPECIAL ABOUT AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY TO YOU AND WHAT CAN WE LOOK FORWARD TO THIS WEEKEND?:

    “To go back to the track that I won my first event at – we’re coming up on our 10th season or in the middle of our 10th season and it’s just a special time to go back. If I really think about 10 years ago – where I started and my mindset going into that race, it’s just a crazy trip down memory lane just to see where we’re at and what’s all taken place in these 10 seasons. I’m very happy to be going back to southern California with one race there now. I love winning at that track – it’s been very good to me and I only have one chance to strike and get a victory. Hopefully, we can take advantage of that this weekend.”

    WHAT DO YOU THINK HAS BEEN MISSING FROM YOUR INTERMEDIATE PACKAGE AT AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY?:

    “It’s hard to say that it’s just one thing. We realized in the middle of the Chase last year that our mile-and-a-half stuff is competitive and will run top-five or top-10, but it wasn’t what we were used to in the past and mile-and-a-halves have really been our bread and butter. We couldn’t really change course then because we had a championship to focus on. Over the off season we’ve worked hard on a lot of areas and Vegas was the first mile-and-a-half track for us and we were experimenting and trying to learn stuff. Mid-race we got the car comfortable and a lot of track position. Raced my way up into the top-10 and then we had some mistakes late and it cost us a good finish. I know we finished 16th, but I feel like we really were fifth to seventh in Vegas if we could have avoided those late-race mistakes. With all of that in mind, going to California, I feel much better than I did going into Vegas. I knew in Vegas it was kind of a test session of sorts. We’re getting smarter. Hopefully, this weekend we have everything just right, but it might take two or three more attempts on the mile-and-a-half tracks just to get everything where we need it.”

    SPRINT CUP SERIES CAREER NOTES

    Career Wins • Johnson has 53 wins in his Sprint Cup Series career, his most recent coming at Dover International Speedway on Sept. 26, 2010.

    • The El Cajon, Calif.-native is currently 10th on NASCAR’s all-time wins list, one victory behind Lee Petty.

    • He is second in total wins among active drivers, behind Jeff Gordon (82).

    • Johnson needed only 296 starts to hit the 50 mark. Only three drivers have reached 50 victories quicker – Gordon (232), Darrell Waltrip (278) and David Pearson (293).

    • Johnson has won at least three Cup races a season since he posted his first victory in 2002. He is the only driver in the modern era to win at least three races in each of his first eight full-time seasons.

    • Johnson has won Sprint Cup Series races at all but four (Michigan, Chicago, Watkins Glen, Homestead) of the 22 tracks on which the series competes.

    • Johnson’s 10 wins in 2007 was the highest number recorded in a single season since Jeff Gordon posted 13 victories in 1998.

    • The four-consecutive wins scored by the No. 48 team in the 2007 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup ties a modern-era NASCAR record.

    Career Poles • Johnson has collected 25 poles in his Sprint Cup career.

    • The championship driver has earned at least one pole a year since his first full-time season in 2002.

    • He had a career-high six poles in 2008.

    • Johnson’s most recent pole position was at Dover International Speedway on Sept. 24, 2010.

    Career Starts • Johnson has finished in the top five in the Sprint Cup Series point standings each year since his first full season in 2002.

    • Johnson is the only driver to qualify for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup every year since the format was adopted in 2004.

    • In 331 Sprint Cup Series starts, Johnson has posted 136 top-five and 205 top-10 finishes.

    • He has a top-five finish at every track on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series circuit.

    • Johnson has led a total of 11,179 laps (of 95,496) in his Sprint Cup career, covering over 127,708 miles.

    • He has finished on the lead lap 256 times.

  • Kanaan will drive in 2011

    Former series champion Tony Kanaan has signed on with KV Racing Technology, and will run a full schedule in the #82 Lotus. Kanaan will team with E.J. Viso and Takuma Sato as KV Racing debuts their three car lineup at the season opening Honda Grand Prix of Saint Petersburg.

    Kanaan has been searching for a competitive ride after ending his tenure with Andretti Autosport late last season.

  • Surprising and Not Surprising: Jeff Byrd 500 at Bristol

    Surprising and Not Surprising: Jeff Byrd 500 at Bristol

    From remembering one of race fans’ best friends to the beating and banging on the track, racing at Bristol Motor Speedway is always one of the favorite destinations on the NASCAR circuit.  Here is what is surprising and not surprising for this weekend’s Jeff Byrd 500.Barry Albert

    Surprising:  One of the biggest surprises happened before Billy Ray Cyrus sang the National Anthem and Jeff Byrd’s family gave the command to start the engines in his memory. NASCAR and Goodyear had to make a command decision, replacing the tires for the race.

    Unfortunately, the original tires did not rubber up the track and in fact disintegrated instead. So, new tires were quickly ordered up from North Carolina and delivered just in time for practice and the race, necessitating a competition caution at Lap 50.

    Not Surprising:  In spite of the booing from the crowd when his signature song “Rowdy Busch” was played during driver introductions, it was not surprising at all to see the broom in the hand of winner Kyle Busch at race end. This was Busch’s fifth win in a row at Bristol and he swept both the Nationwide and Cup races for the weekend.

    Busch dedicated his 20th victory in NASCAR Sprint Cup competition to Toyota and all affected by the recent earthquake in Japan. The driver of the No. 18 M&Ms Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota also made history, tying driver Speedy Thompson for 33rd on the career victories list.

    “This M&Ms Camry was awesome today,” Busch said. “Also, our thoughts and prayers go to the Toyota folks and all those in Japan.”

    “You’ve got to be patient and sometimes you’ve got to go for it,” Busch continued. “Our guys won this race in the pits coming out first on that last stop.”

    Surprising: Paul Menard continues to lead the charge for Richard Childress Racing, in spite of being the ‘new kid on the block.’ The driver of the bright yellow No. 27 CertainTeed/Menards Chevrolet even took the lead at Bristol at lap 20, positioning himself at the front for the first time in his career at Bristol.

    Menard finished fifth in the race, also advancing his position in the point standings to fifth.

    “I had a fast race car all weekend,” Menard said. “What’s cool is we’ve been to four different race tracks and we’ve had strong runs at all four. We’re just having a lot of fun right now.”

    Not Surprising:  It was not surprising that if Carl Edwards was not celebrating a win with a back flip, he was sitting right there yet again in the runner up position. Behind the wheel of his No. 99 Scotts EZSeed Ford, Edwards admitted that he simply could not catch his Phoenix rival Kyle Busch.

    “It was exciting,” Edwards said. “I thought I could get to him at the end and rough him up a little bit and maybe get by him, but his car took off.”

    “It was a good race at Bristol,” Edwards continued. “Kyle did a good job. Our team did a good job. We’ve got to thank all the fans and we appreciate them coming out and supporting us.”

    Surprising:  Matt Kenseth actually had a great run at Bristol and was even somewhat effusive, particularly for the usually dry driver of the No. 17 Crown Royal Black Ford. Kenseth finished fourth in the race and jumped to 13th in the point standings.

    “We had a lot of fun out there racing today and got lucky and got the right lane on the restarts a few times,” Kenseth said. “It took all day but we finally were able to make some adjustments that had the Crown Royal Black Fusion pretty decent.”

    Not Surprising:  To no one’s amazement, it does indeed seem that five time champ Jimmie Johnson has figured out Bristol Motor Speedway. And it was certainly not surprising to see the driver of the No. 48 Lowe’s/Kobalt Tools Chevrolet lead laps and get a great finish out of ‘Thunder Valley’.

    While Johnson first had to overcome the driver introduction song picked out for him by Brian Vickers, the “Thong Song” of all things, the reigning champion recovered his dignity with a third place finish. Johnson also jumped five spots in the points, currently sitting in the seventh spot.

    “Oddly enough, clean air is important here and that was kind of it,” Johnson said. “It came down to that last pit stop and we didn’t get out of the pits first. So, it was the rest of us racing for second, third and fourth.”

    Surprising:  It was a bit surprising to see two drivers, Trevor Bayne and Jeff Gordon, both winners in the young 2011 season, struggle so mightily at Bristol Motor Speedway. After starting in the seventh spot, Gordon just could not get comfortable in his No. 24 Pepsi Max Chevrolet, finally bringing it home in the 14th spot.

    Trevor Bayne, one of Gordon’s biggest fans and the Daytona 500 winner, had a miserable day at his home track. Bayne was involved in the wreck that brought out the first caution flag of the day and never recovered, finishing 34th in his Wood Brothers Chevrolet.

    Not Surprising: NASCAR’s favorite driver, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. just keeps rolling along. In spite of a speeding penalty and with the encouragement of his ever optimistic crew chief Steve Letarte, Junior bounced back to finish 11th, just missing out on his third top-10 finish in a row.

    The NASCAR circuit will now trek back across the country to Fontana, California. Drivers will compete in the Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway on Sunday, March 27th, with the broadcasts set for  3:00 PM ET on FOX and MRN.

  • Let’s Count the Reasons Bristol’s Attendance Was So Poor

    Let’s Count the Reasons Bristol’s Attendance Was So Poor

    [media-credit name=”Barry Albert” align=”alignright” width=”294″][/media-credit]Many were shocked as the Nationwide Series race approached at Bristol Motor Speedway. Why? No one I talked to could ever remember there being that many empty seats as the race began. It got worse on Sunday as the Sprint Cup drivers were entering their cars to go racing. Empty seats were everywhere and huge chunks of the stands sat empty. The “official” estimate was 120,000, but common sense told most people that it was closer to 90,000 fans in the stands. That had to be disappointing for the track and the drivers, but what was the reason? Is it the economy, the reconfiguration of the track, or the price of gasoline? It’s probably all of the above plus something else.

    Yes, the economy, though improving, is doing so slowly. Yes, people miss the old Bristol track where excitement happened on every lap. That doesn’t happen anymore unless you’re a racing purist, and let’s face it. Most fans, especially in the numbers that NASCAR attracted in the last three decades, are not racing purists. They want to see action, as in beating and banging. It just didn’t happen much, especially in the Sprint Cup race. And yes, the price of gasoline on the trip down ranged anywhere from $3.75 – $3.45 per gallon. But that’s less than the prices of a few years ago.

    I think in addition to the reasons mentioned earlier, it’s also the hype and what the economy has done to corporate sponsorship. Someone who might know told me this weekend that corporate sponsors usually took over 20% of the tickets (about 32,000) to give away to employees, customers, salespeople, and friends. That’s not happening these days. Another reason is the constant advertising on what a knock-down, drag-out race the Jeff Byrd 500 was going to be. Ever since the track was resurfaced, it hasn’t been that kind of race. It reminds most fans of a smaller Charlotte Motor Speedway. Giving the drivers another lane to race in was a popular idea…with the drivers, NASCAR and the media. It’s not so great with a lot of the fans who loyally came to Bristol in huge numbers for years to see beating and banging, but there’s another angle that is confusing.

    It doesn’t cost anything (except maybe your cable bill) to watch the race on television. Folks stayed away on Sunday. Several theories have been brought forth, and they go anywhere from the sunny day, the beginning of spring (both of which could lead to outside activities), and even the fact that Kyle Busch dominates races at Bristol these days. Whatever the reason, viewership was down 7% in early reporting. That’s a bunch for what many call “The Bristol Race.” Maybe by August, the economy will improve, gas prices will drop, and drivers will start using the “chrome horn” again because they can. Maybe corporate sponsorship will return, but I doubt they’ll be changing the track back to what it was before progressive banking was installed in the high-banked turns. The new Bristol is different, and we might as well get used to it. Besides, this Bristol is much better than no Bristol at all!

    BITS AND PIECES

    Strange as this may sound, there was lots of action at Bristol this weekend, but most of it was not during the race (which is an unfair assessment—there was some good racing in both the Nationwide and Cup Series races).

    Goodyear decided the tire they brought to Bristol was simply not going to work, so they did something that was both heralded as brilliant and stupid in one stroke. After all the teams had practiced and qualified on the new tire, Goodyear decided to use the right sides from last year, essentially negating all the practice times teams had logged in. Since the tire company had to mount a lot of tires, teams were only given one set to use in practice on Saturday. The result threw several teams for a loop. Pole-sitter Carl Edwards didn’t find the right setup until the last 50 laps of Sunday’s race, and he finished second. Kudos should go to Goodyear, however, for correcting what might have been a bad situation if tire failures continued.

    Jennifer Jo Cobb didn’t start Saturday’s Nationwide Series race after a disagreement with her car owner. Both sides disagree on what happened, so we’ll leave it at that. Car owner Rick Russell said that starting and parking was in the plans all along. Cobb said that she first heard about it 10 minutes before the race. The result was Cobb refused to drive the car, saying that she had a commitment to her sponsors, NASCAR, and her fans to not start and park. Watching the drama as the race started with Cobb’s shiny red Mustang parked in the infield at the start of the front stretch pits was drama at its best. Apparently Cobb no longer drives for Russell’s team. Stay tuned.

    Finally, in on-track news, Brad Keselowski got the ire of Jeff Gordon on Sunday. Keselowski had problems early in the race that took him out of contention. He got back on the track and was trying to have a good finish. Jeff Gordon had fallen back from his top-10 starting position, but was at the edge of the top 10 when trying to pass Keselowski, who was three laps down. Then, while Gordon was attempting his pass, Keselowski “door-slammed” Gordon, making his march to front short-lived. “I’ll just tell Brad that the next time I’m three laps down, and he’s on the lead lap, just expect the same out of me, you know?,” Gordon said. Keselowski finished 18th, and Gordon finished 14th.

  • Martin Truex Jr. Again Shows Strength Early in Bristol Before Struggling Late

    Martin Truex Jr. Again Shows Strength Early in Bristol Before Struggling Late

    If Sprint Cup Series races were shorter, Martin Truex Jr. might have a few more race wins on his resume.

    [media-credit name=”Barry Albert” align=”alignright” width=”300″][/media-credit]Instead the driver of the No. 56 Napa Auto Parts Toyota Camry is pressing onward, waiting for his time to come. It’s not as if his Michael Waltrip Racing team is that far off, entering the Jeff Byrd 500 at Bristol he sat seventh in points and felt momentum was on his side.

    Momentum isn’t enough anymore, Truex is hungry for a win. Something he hasn’t experienced since his first career win at Dover in June of 2007. There have been many races with close but no cigar moments. They have been dominating performances but frustrating results. He’s switched teams and manufacturers but it still hasn’t led to victory lane.

    It has led Truex to openly admit his expectations of racing and winning at the Cup level were off.

    “No, I didn’t think it would be as difficult,” he said Friday.

    “I’ve been in position to win a lot more races than one and we just haven’t closed the deal.  Obviously, the last few years have been pretty difficult.  The first couple went pretty well and we fought for wins a lot. Then we went through two really crazy transition years.  Then last year was a new deal for me.”

    Truex won the 2004-2005 Nationwide Series championship. Moving to Cup in 2006 paid off early as he was just as competitive as the rest. His more impressive runs included winning the then Nextel Open in 2007 to advance to the All-Star race. A month later he scored his first official Cup win.

    That year also brought a spot in the Chase and a finish of 11th in points. In 2009 he won the pole for the Daytona 500 before then announcing he was leaving for MWR.

    Truex left a then merged Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing in 2009 after feeling second fiddle to Juan Pablo Montoya. It’s been a hard adjustment going from the NNS with Dale Earnhardt Jr. and being a weekly contender to trying to find his place. Even if there have been bright spots.

    “We had the speed last year,” Truex said.

    “We had a chance at winning a few races, especially at the end of the season when we got our program going the right direction.  It’s just been kind of difficult.”

    The 2010 season finale in Homestead was another great race for Truex. He led 62 laps and had Carl Edwards believing the No. 56 could be the driver to beat for the win. A flat tire ruined those chances and Truex finished 11th as Edwards won.

    “It’s been hard for me because I’ve won championships and I’ve won races in everything I’ve ever run,” said Truex.

    “To go three seasons or so without seeing victory lane again has been difficult.  You have to keep working hard, focus on the things you know you can do better and try to be a team player — all those things.  It’s been hard, but I know the next win isn’t far — it’s just around the corner.”

    If that’s true that corner could have been any of the past few races. Such as the Daytona 500 where Truex felt he could have been the man in the winner’s circle. It was a race where he again led early, 17 laps, but finished 19th at day’s end.

    Truex does feel as though his team is heading in the right direction but knows they need to get all the bad out of the way before they can be first to the finish line.

    Bristol was not one of those days.

    Upon asserting himself near the front of the field early in the going, Truex flexed his muscle. On lap 92 he caught and drove past eventual winner Kyle Busch for the lead and was then able to drive away from the competition and then hold them off in what appeared to be an easy first half of the Jeff Byrd 500.

    By days end though, just as it has happened many times before, the laps he racked up didn’t come with the finish it deserved. At Bristol he led 63 total laps and left with a disappointing 17th place finish.

    “We got extremely loose at the midpoint of the race and finally got it pretty good at the end,” said Truex.

    “But, we smoked the right rear tire off racing Marcos Ambrose. We’ll have to work on our car a little bit to figure out what we need to do to stay up front. We were pretty darn good in the beginning and it was nice to lead all those laps. We just have some work to do.”

    According to Truex when the track finally started to get some rubber built into it, that’s when the handling on his machine went away. With it so did another great chance at a victory.

    The finish dropped Truex to 10th in points after only four races. Positives taken away come in knowing they’re capable of running up front with the likes of Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Busch.

    Next the Napa team will know how to win the race in the last 100-200 miles instead of the first.

  • Dakoda Armstrong To Drive No. 98 for ThorSport Racing

    Dakoda Armstrong To Drive No. 98 for ThorSport Racing

    ThorSport Racing announced this weekend that  2010 ARCA Series Rookie of the Year Dakoda Armstrong would be driving a third truck for their team.

    [media-credit name=”DakodaArmstrong.com” align=”alignright” width=”135″][/media-credit]The 19-year old will drive the team’s No. 98 Entry in a select number of races while competiting for the Sonoco Rookie of the Year award. ThorSport has won the award twice before, in 2007 with Willie Allen and in 2009 with Johnny Sauter.

    “Driving for such a strong team with a long history in this series is an unbelievable opportunity for me,” Armstrong said. “I grew up building my own midget cars on our farm, and it was always my dream to make it to NASCAR to drive for an organization like ThorSport Racing.  Team owners Duke and Rhonda Thorson have proven that they can put the trucks on the track to  race consistently for the win with both veteran drivers and rookie drivers through two prior Rookie of the Year awards. I had the opportunity to be a guest of the teams at Phoenix, and I was so impressed to see how well both the 13 and 88 teams work together to get the best performance out of the weekend.  I have so much respect for team manager David Pepper and crew chiefs Bud Haefele (No. 88 team) and Joe Shear, Jr. (No. 13 team); who work tirelessly to put the best quality & equipment out there.” 

    The New Castle, Indiana native joins Matt Crafton and Johnny Sauter, who both are seen as legitimate title contenders this year.

    “We’re excited to add Dakoda Armstrong, such a fresh talent and unique ‘voice’ in the agricultural, entrepreneurial and alternative energy world; to our growing NASCAR Camping World Truck Series program in 2011,” Matt LaNeve, vice president of Motorsports Partnerships at ThorSport Racing said. “Dakoda is a very inspirational young driver who has had a lot of success in every series he’s competed in, and he’s part of the next generation of NASCAR drivers.

    “Add to the fact that he’s one of many corn growers who are helping to feed and fuel America, it’s a winning combination with the effort of our series to use Sunoco Green E15 fuel. What better than a potential Sunoco Rookie of the Year who helps produce ethanol fuel from home? We think he’s such a compelling NASCAR story.”

    Last year in the ARCA Series, he collected two wins, including Talladega Superspeedway. Beyond the ARCA Series, Armstrong has had a lot of success, including the 1998 WKA National Championship; 2000 & 2001 Nascart Championships; 2004 Kenyon Midget Championship in his Rookie Year; 2008 PRI Mopar Midget Classic National; Three USAC Midget races in 2008 & “Hard Charger” in Hooters Pro Cup final year.

    Beyond the race track, Armstrong hopes to educate fans about the green energy American farming initiatives.

    Armstrong Farms, Dakoda’s family operated farm for four generations, is one of the largest producers in the Midwest of corn used for the production of ethanol.  Armstrong Farms provide 700,000 bushels of corn to Cardinal Ethanol and Anderson Ethanol annually.  With a single bushel of corn producing 2.8 gallons of ethanol, Armstrong Farms is responsible for approximately 1.9 million gallons of ethanol each year.

    “I’m also excited to be able to shed more light on what farmers like my family are doing to help Americans become more energy independent,” Armstrong said. “Our corn is used to produce ethanol, which provides us a renewable fuel that reduces emissions and creates jobs right here at home.  That’s a tremendous source of pride for me.”

    “As NASCAR uses an ethanol-blended fuel made with corn grown in the U.S., we are thrilled to see a fourth-generation family farmer competing at the top level of our sport,” Dr. Mike Lynch, Managing Director of Green Innovation for NASCAR, said. “We support Dakoda Armstrong’s efforts to tell the story of Sunoco Green E15 — the ultimate high-test fuel contributing to conservation, U.S. jobs, and energy independence.”

    Armstrong’s debut race is tentatively scheduled at Iowa Speedway in July. Further details about the program will be made at a later date.

  • Russell Shows the way at Auburndale

    Russell Shows the way at Auburndale

    A near capacity crowd filled the grandstands at Auburndale Speedway to see race number two in the twelve race series of the newly formed Florida United Promoters Late Model Series. This series is the result of six hard working, dedicated race promoters with a common goal of revitalizing late model racing in the Sunshine State.

    [media-credit name=”Chuck Green” align=”alignright” width=”272″][/media-credit]Twenty-four teams would make the pull to Auburndale for this race including race one winner Anthony Campi. Odds on favorite, a regular at Auburndale, Jeff Scofield would also expect to contend for the victory. Other notables including the teams of Tim Russell, Joe Winchell, Wayne Anderson, and Joe Boyd would surely be a factor in the outcome of this race.

    Auburndale would live up to its reputation as Florida’s’ fastest quarter mile Track with qualifying times below fifteen seconds. Wayne Anderson would post the quickest time, with Tim Russell, Jeff Scofield, Jesse Dutilly, and Joe Winchell rounding out the top five. Per series rules a blind draw among the fastest qualifiers would determine the starting grid for the 100 lap feature event.

    The crowd was excited as the cars lined up for the start of the race as local favorite Jeff Scofield was on the pole, and would bring the field to the green. Flanking Scofield on the outside of row one was the car of Tim Russell, the winner of race one, Anthony Campi would start third, fast qualifier Anderson would start on the outside of row four in the eighth position. As the cars came to the green, a four car tangle on the front stretch would cause race officials to rerack and start again. The second attempt would fare better, Scofield would jump out front with Russell on his rear bumper, and again the pace was slowed by a single car spin in turn two. The restart would see Scofield on the point with Russell, Campi, and the ride of Jesse Dutilly all in pursuit. The running order would remain the same through several more yellows, all for single car spins, a restart on lap 40 would see Scofield on the inside, Russell on the outside in a side by side battle for the lead, the two drivers would stay like this for another five laps when Russell was able to clear Scofield with a pass on the outside. Tim would build a three second lead over Scofield and seemed to be on cruise control. At the halfway point the order would be Russell out front, Scofield second, Campi running third, Dutilly fourth, and Daniel Webster rounding out the top five. The running order would remain the same until lap 67 when the red flag came out for a grinding crash in turn one. Steve Doer who was running in the top fifteen drove deep into turn one, slower traffic forced Steve up, and out of the groove, and he slammed the outside wall nearly head on. Everyone held their breath waiting for a sign that Doer was okay, after several minutes Steve exited the car and assisted the wrecker crew to get what was left of the car on a flatbed. Talking with Steve Monday following the incident he told us they were able to salvage the engine, transmission, and seat, the rest of the car would go to scrap. Most importantly, other than being very sore from the impact Steve suffered no injuries from his wreck.

    After a thirty minute delay to clean the track, the cars would restart with Russell on the point and Scofield close behind. Again Russell would pull away from his pursuers and would never be challenged again. A late caution would set up a green white checker finish and Russell would not be denied taking the victory. In victory lane Russell thanked his sponsors, family and friends, and gave credit to the promoters that have made this series possible. Jeff Scofield finished second with Daniel Webster Third, Joe Winchell Fourth, and Wayne Anderson completing the top five.

    The next stop for the United late model is April 2nd at Lake City Speedway in Lake City Florida.

  • Get Out The Broom, Get Out The Oscars – It’s Bristol Baby!

    Get Out The Broom, Get Out The Oscars – It’s Bristol Baby!

    Bristol Baby! That was the cry that echoed through thunder valley in east Tennessee this weekend. It brought with it the visions of past champions and bumping and banging and smoking and choking race cars all trying to claim the prize of being the crown jewel’s favorite prince.

    There would be issues with tires. There would be issues with drivers. And that was before the green flag ever dropped on a race. Racing would just bring more drama and temper flares. Why? Because it’s Bristol Baby one of the most coveted trophies on the Sprint Cup circuit and she did not disappoint.

    The weekend began with what started out to be near disaster with the Goodyear tires. The track would not rubber in. The tire compound instead of rubbe[media-credit id=18 align=”alignright” width=”300″][/media-credit]ring in the track and adding grip, turned to powder and gathered in the corners of the ½ mile high banked speedway. The tires were down to the cords in less than 30 laps according to some competitors. “One of the things we see here at Bristol is we see early wear,”  Rick Heinrich, of Goodyear said. “Generally, the track will darken, the track will rubber in, the wear improves. And we didn’t see that normal improvement.”

    NASCAR competition director Robin Pemberton, looked a lot like the championship crew chief he is when he became proactive and drew the line in the sand and said Not again. Goodyear swapped Right side tires out on Saturday for the teams of both series. The new tires were the same tires used in August of last year at Bristol.

    The tire situation is, according to former series champion, Kurt Busch a result of the new car. “We’re either fine and sliding around or we’re blowing out right side [tires],” Busch said. “To me, I still think the cars are just too heavy, too high a center of gravity. And we’ve put Goodyear in a box with this [new car chassis]. It’s been like this since 2007.”

    The Nationwide series qualified on the new tires and the Cup series had final practice with one set of the new right sides. There were minimum failures noted the remainder of the weekend.

    The weekend’s drama was not at an end however, on the starting grid of Saturday’s Scott’s EZ Seed 300, Jennifer Jo Cobb refused to take her Ford Mustang on the track. Cobb stated that she had been told 10 minutes before the command to start engines that she would be a start and park to save the car for California. “”I have a commitment to my sponsors, my fans, NASCAR that I won’t start and park,” Cobb said. “I’m very serious about my career and my performance, and I’ve worked hard to prove it to everyone. I had already bought tires for the race, so you can imagine that this was a blow to my principles and my finances to get this news.”

    Car owner of 2ndChance Motorsports, Rick Russell, told a different version of the story. Russell said “I already had my entry in for Bristol and California, and we killed our car in Vegas in a wreck,” Russell said after the race. “So only having one car, I got the thing rebuilt and we brought it up here with the intentions of staying out of trouble and running a few laps and going home with the car in one piece, so we could race next week in California.” Russell said on Saturday, that he made it plain to those at the track Friday they would not be doing anything other than starting and parking the car.

    Russell said Cobb and crew chief Steve Kuykendall went behind his back to hire a crew for this race after Russell left his crew at home with the understanding the car would run only a handful of laps.

    When Cobb balked at the plan to start and park the car, Russell threatened to have the car black flagged, within his rights as a team owner.

    NASCAR advised Russell to remove the car from the starting grid and find a driver. He did just that and put Chris Lawson in the car. Lawson made 4 laps and returned to the car to the garage area as he was instructed.

    “At that time, some of the crew tried to take parts off the car while it was sitting behind the hauler,” Russell said. “So I had the officials stop them and then they called track security and I told them I wanted a sheriff down here with warrants.”

    Cobb claims that she was offered a ride for California by a NNS team owner that competes regularly before she was even out of her fire suit. Although, no announcements were made as to which team that was.

    The relationship was ended publicly by both parties via social media. With ownership and driver/crew chief tweeting that the partnership was over. Accusations were hurled by both parties and the he say/she say war began and ended not only on national television but on the internet.

    The whole debacle was distasteful and distracting. To air one’s differences on TV and the internet smacks of Charlie Sheen like tactics. In fact the results were the same, it made both parties and NASCAR look not only stupid but petty and immature.

    First off to buy parts, pieces and tires for a car that does not belong to you is very much like renting a house installing central heating and central air and then moving and thinking you are going to take it with you. It’s not going to happen.

    Second, to sign a contract with a relatively inexperienced female driver for 5 races less than a week after Danica’s schedule of the first 5 races is announced is an attempt to compete for the attention and press that female drivers seem to warrant these days. To then allow others to know you intend to fire her before her final race without telling her first is low and unprofessional.

    Third, to get out of a car on the starting grid because it goes against your principles is admirable, however, you should never have gotten in it to start with. You should never have taken driver’s introductions and you should never have walked out to the grid. When you did and then refused to fire the engine and take the car to the track, start and park or not, you abandoned your position, the fans, the sport and the team that you assembled yourself.

    This drama showed the entire series in a bad light and the sport as well. As if that drama wasn’t enough, another one was right around the corner with yet the other female driver in the series, Danica Patrick.

    Patrick and Ryan Truex had raced one another hard for position for several laps. Both cars were laps down to the leaders and running well back in the pack.

    On Lap 248, Danica Patrick’s Chevrolet tangled with the Toyota of Ryan Truex, spun and slammed nose-first into the Turn 1 wall. Patrick, who was running two laps down in 17th at the time, thought Truex moved off the front stretch wall into her racing line.

    Danica’s on track response was to climb from her car after safety officials lowered her window net for her and to walk up the track and gesture to Truex as though to say what the heck.

    “It felt like to me that I came out of the corner, and I was running down the straight, and I felt like he came off the wall. … I know I was running him early, and he just runs hard. He’s run hard every time I’ve been around him, and it just seems like overkill.”

    Truex, admitted fault and apologized both over in car radio and post racing saying it was his fault that his car had gotten loose but it was in no way intentional.

    Patrick who was running her first short track race embarrassed herself and many other women drivers with her actions. Once again, the accident was someone taking her out. Even though her crew chief, Tony Eury Jr. told her on the radio “that is just the way it is. It’s Bristol.” Before she even got out of the destroyed Go Daddy Chevrolet. It was a play for attention and a tantrum much like those she is famous for in Indy Car racing.

    This is not Patrick’s first tirade against another young driver since coming to NASCAR. Last year after an incident with James Beuscher, Patrick again put on a Diva like display threatening the young Beuscher with retaliation for 3 weeks.

    These displays and tantrums didn’t work for Kyle Busch. They didn’t work for Kevin Harvick or Juan Pablo Montoya. And they certainly are not working for her either. Patrick has some strong skills. She has an incredible feel for the tires on the car. She has learned to control the car on super speedways and intermediate tracks. But her performances are average at best and certainly not the stuff legends are made of. Yet her attitude and demeanor all say that she views herself as better than anyone else in the series. A point of view that her finishes can not support.

    One might find it easier to forgive the forays into drama and attention seeking if she would make a commitment to the sport and series. But that commitment seems the furthest thing from her mind and her skill set makes that obvious.

    Finally, Ms. Patrick needs to consider that everyone is racing for position in a NASCAR race. Although I don’t follow Indy racing I would think that it would be the same there. No one is going to pull over and let her go. She is going to have to race hard to earn her spot and her respect from other drivers. These continued bouts of outrage over being raced hard are not the way to acquire that.

    Kyle Busch, dominated the NNS race. He stated that the tire switch made their car very loose but that crew chief Jason Ratcliff was able to correct it quickly and give him what he needed to finish the race.

    Carl Edwards made the end of the race interesting but was unable to get by the Z Line Toyota. He was followed by Dale Earnhardt Jr who over came a 2 lap deficit to finish 3rd on the lead lap in the Tax Slayer Chevrolet.

    The Sprint Cup race was steady. It wasn’t as exciting as the racing we have come to expect from Bristol, but it wasn’t a snooze fest either.

    Once again, Kyle Busch would take the Bristol sweep. Having won the last 5 races in a row at Bristol, he has obviously become the crown jewels new crowned prince.

    Again it would be Carl Edwards in the bridesmaid role with 5 time series champion Jimmie Johnson, who led the most laps of the race, bringing home 3rd.

    Strong finishes for Ryan Newman, Kasey Kahne, Paul Menard and Kevin Harvick made for a very strong top 10. Dale Earnhardt Jr would fall just short of a 3rd straight top 10 finish. But would have another strong run finishing in 11th. The strong finish would put him inside the top ten in points for the first time since 2008.

    The excitement of Bristol gives way to California dreaming with the teams making the cross country trek once again to Fontana next week. But the echoes of thunder valley, the drama it produced, the scores that it created will not soon be forgotten. One has to know that somewhere in heaven our friend Jeff Byrd is smiling knowing that his beautiful lady is alive and well and living up to the reputation that she earned as the Crown Jewel of NASCAR.

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

    Congratulations to Kyle Busch and his Joe Gibbs Racing team on their sweep of Bristol once again.

    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.

  • Tempers, Tempers: Bristol Leaves Many Steamed Following First Short Track Race

    Tempers, Tempers: Bristol Leaves Many Steamed Following First Short Track Race

    When racing at the Bristol Motor Speedway it would be a benefit to forget about having feelings, because they’re going to get hurt.

    Saturday and Sunday afternoon there was a lot of frustration to go around. Before the green flag even flew for the Scotts EZ Seed 300  Nationwide Series race there was drama. Jennifer Jo Cobb walked away from her No. 79 car after what she said was being told by her team owner to start and park.

    He was trying to break a contract he had with her Cobb said.

    “I have a commitment to my sponsors, my fans, and NASCAR that I won’t start and park,” Cobb said. “I’m very serious about my career and my performance, and I’ve worked hard to prove it to everyone. I had already bought tires for the race, so you can imagine that this was a blow to my principles and my finances to get this news.”

    Team owner Rick Russell had a different version.

    “I already had my entry in for Bristol and California, and we killed our car in Vegas in a wreck,” said Russell. “So only having one car, I got the thing rebuilt and we brought it up here with the intentions of staying out of trouble and running a few laps and going home with the car in one piece, so we could race next week in California.”

    Russell said Cobb and crew chief Steve Kuykendall went behind his back to put together a pit crew for the race. He also said that after the car was parked some members were trying to take parts off. He then said he wanted a sheriff deputy to come and for NASCAR to stop them.

    The incident has become a she-said/he-said incident. It spilled over to the social networking sites as comments from 2nd Chance Racing on their Twitter and Facebook page weren’t well-received with fans. In turn, fans shot back with their support for Cobb and for their dislike of starting and parking.

    A few hours later it was another female that was none to happy, Danica Patrick.

    Making her first career start at the Tennessee bullring, Patrick was 53 laps away from leaving with a top 20 finish. Bristol was her final NASCAR race for a few months as she returns to INDYCAR next weekend.

    While racing another rookie, Ryan Truex, on the front stretch, the two made contact. Patrick went spinning and ended up head on into the wall, ending her day. As Truex drove by Patrick stood with her arms extended, as if asking what that was all about.

    She said he was just racing too hard. On the Truex radio he took the blame but was told by his team that apparently Patrick has never done anything wrong in her life.

    On Sunday afternoon it was a whole new ballgame.

    Jamie McMurray was wondering if Clint Bowyer was missing an important team member.  Kevin Harvick had unpleasant comments about Mark Martin. Jeff Gordon wanted Brad Keselowski to know how he felt about him running into the side of the No. 24.

    It’s Bristol baby!

    When the No. 4 of Kasey Kahne got loose coming off turn two he caused Harvick to get into the back of him as well as check up. Harvick was then hit by Martin. Harvick tried to save it but spun and was forced to pit for repairs to his rear bumper.

    “That’s two times in four races,” said Harvick over the radio. “They need to check his old ass for vision.”

    A few laps later Martin caused another caution by spinning Travis Kvapil.

    During the caution for Harvick’s spin turn three has Juan Pablo Montoya, Trevor Bayne and others experience their own problems in. Bowyer never slowed down enough to avoid running into the back of a slowing Jamie McMurray.

    “Who did that?” McMurray asked and then told of Bowyer. “Does he have a spotter?”

    Manners go out the window racing at Bristol. It’s flat out, bumper to bumper, hard nosed racing at over 100 mph. Sometimes, things aren’t going to go a drivers way. It’s rare to leave the track with the race car in one piece or with only a few dents and dings. Unless that driver is lucky enough to be the winner.

    None of the following drivers felt like winners after Sunday.

    Robby Gordon told his team “this is stupid” after wrecking his No. 7 and having to head to the garage. And Kurt Busch made sure to use every expletive in the book when talking about his No. 22. Never satisfied with how is car was handling, Busch let loose on his radio nearly the whole race.

    It was also reported that after the race was over and everyone had returned to the garage, Busch was still upset.

    Joey Logano also had a few words for his team and the engine under the hood of his No. 20 Home Depot Toyota.

    “This motor still f***ing sucks,” he said early in the race. Logano was able to battle back for a 23rd place finish but leaving Bristol, Joe Gibbs Racing still must be concerned with their engine department. They’ve experienced problems in every race thus far in the 2011 season.

    Even normally mild-mannered Jimmie Johnson had a few exciting moments. While leading he tapped Daytona 500 winner Trevor Bayne whom he was trying to lap. During another run he was attempting to lap the 38 of Kvapil and again found himself having trouble.

    “Must be taking lessons from Ryan Newman,” his spotter Earl Barban told him.

    Johnson led the most laps and finished third. Next weekend the NSCS heads to his home track, Auto Club Speedway. The track out West is far from a short track like Bristol and drivers most likely won’t lose their cool. It won’t last long though as another short track, Martinsville looms in two weeks.

    Bristol though, was the first short track of the year.

    The Jeff Byrd 500 was one that some will say lived up to its expectations and provided plenty to talk about heading into a Monday morning. Something the late Byrd himself would have been proud of.