Author: SM Staff

For as long as the Chase had been in existence, I have railed about the system. It’s not news that I consider a race within a race more than silly, if not stupid.

It’s happened time after time—a Chase contender gets taken out by a non-Chaser. In MLB, NFL, and NBA, only the championship contender gets to compete for the championship, but this flawed system allows everyone to compete. And then the problems begin. As much as the folks at the headquarters at Daytona Beach want to compete with those stick and ball sports (which is futile), this sport is nothing like baseball, football, and basketball.

Our sport has always been a season-long struggle. The winner of individual races was just as important as the champion. For some odd reason, we’ve now concentrated on the championship from Daytona to Homestead. Ask a true MLB, NFL, or NBA fan, and they will tell you that the championship doesn’t enter their mind until it’s time. In baseball, that’s August. In football, it’s November, and in basketball…well, who knows.

Their playoff system is so intricate that I can’t figure it out. Regardless, we put 43 cars out there and we have 12 championship contenders. Things are bound to happen. On Sunday, it was Kyle Busch and David Reutimann. I’ve never known any trouble between those two, but backmarker Reutimann (and I mean no harm in that statement—only the fact that he is not in the championship run) and Kyle got together in the race. Reutimann retaliated and the result was that Busch lost valuable points and finished 21st. That’s racing. Always has been and always will be, but the age old argument that Busch was going for a championship just doesn’t sit well with me. Not that Busch did anything wrong. It appeared to me that it was just a racing incident.

The problem comes when the flawed system rears its ugly head. On any other day, it would have been just that—a racing incident, but with the Chase system, it becomes a problem. Should those not in the Chase just ride around and not cause any problems? The whole premise of the situation is that NASCAR has created an unnatural situation with the Chase format. Everyone runs and is at the mercy of the other 31 cars on the track. It’s happened several times in the somewhat short history of the Chase. The nature of a race is that everyone is trying to win the race. Even the guy starting 43rd in most cases wants to win and will do anything to accomplish that goal.

In the stick and ball sports, which NASCAR is trying to emulate, that is not the case. Only the champions compete for the win. I don’t know what the answer is. Well, yes I do. Scarp the Chase. Back in my youth, the championship was who won at the end—no one paid much attention to it because the individual race was what was important.

The famed Wood Brothers only ran a select number or races and went for the win in every one. Today, everyone must run a full season to get valued sponsor money. The goal is to make the final cut, and if you do not, you still run to win, but no one notices.

Greg Biffle won at Kansas, but ESPN immediately went to interview Jimmie Johnson, the multi-champion and ask him if he had a few more laps could he have caught Biffle. The winner’s interview was an afterthought, and even then the talk was that he was only 86 points behind Johnson and what he could do to catch up.

The win was secondary. It’s my problem, this hatred of the Chase, something that the media tells us everyone has embraced, but I thought Biffle’s win was significant. It was his second of the year—more than the darlings of the media—and it was only the second Ford win of the year.

Never mind that because Johnson finished second and is “on a roll.” Whatever happened to winning a race? I guess you’ll have to ask those who created the Chase. The single worst thing that has happened to the sport in my lifetime.

The appeal lodged by Richard Childress Racing to the NASCAR Commissioner has been heard and the decision rendered.  John Middlebrook, NASCAR’s Chief Appellate Officer, upheld NASCAR’s penalty of the RCR No. 33 team, with some slight modifications.

The fine for the crew chief of the No. 33 team, Shane Wilson, has been reduced from $150,000 to $100,000.  Middlebrook also reduced the race suspensions of Wilson and Chad Haney, the team’s car chief, from six to four weeks, with their suspensions ending on November 3^rd but probation continuing until December 31^st.

One of the most important penalties, the championship owner and driver points, however, remained unchanged.  Driver Clint Bowyer and team continue to have lost the 150 points, keeping them in the cellar of the Chase point standings and virtually out of championship contention.

“After reviewing all the data, presentation and factors involved, I am ruling NASCAR was correct in its decision to levy penalties,” Middlebrook said.  “I believe that the revisions that have been made to the penalties are consistent and fair to both parties involved.”

This was Middlebrook’s first appeal since becoming the Chief Appellate Officer for NASCAR at the start of this race season.  Middlebrook, a retired General Motors executive, replaced Charles Strang, who had been in the Commissioner role for many years.

This is the final step in the appeal process for Richard Childress and his team and the decision is binding.  Childress felt strongly, however, that he had to take that final step after being denied by the National Stock Car Racing Appeals Panel last week.

“We proved beyond a reasonable doubt how the car was found to be out of tolerance after the race,” Childress said in a statement after the Appeals Panel had ruled, continuing his contention that the tow truck that pushed the No. 33 race car to Victory Lane was the culprit.  “I am disappointed but not surprised by the decision knowing how the appeal system is structured.”

Childress’ driver Clint Bowyer also did not hold out much hope for the appeal to overturn the ruling.

“I’ve told Richard it’s not worth fighting,” Bowyer said.  “In my opinion, their minds are made up.”

“The championship hopes are done for myself,” Bowyer continued.  “The thing that I have to do now is be the best teammate I can be.  We have to bring a championship home.  We still have two shots at that.”

There is no doubt that the focus will now turn to Bowyer’s teammates, Kevin Harvick and Jeff Burton.  Harvick, who led the point standings at the end of the regular season, is currently in the 3^rd position in the Chase standings, while Jeff Burton remains less in the hunt in the 9^th spot.

With the mile-sized race tracks in the rear view mirror, there was bound to be drama headed to the first mile and a half track, not only amongst the twelve Chase contenders but also the rest of the field who had nothing to lose and everything to gain. The pressure was definitely on for those Chase contenders in the bottom half of the field, who needed a great run in order to stay in the championship hunt. Here is what was surprising and not surprising from the third race in the Chase competition, with just seven races remaining in the 2010 season.

Surprising: One of those bottom half Chase contenders, Greg Biffle, definitely helped his own cause, qualifying his No. 16 Sherwin Williams/3M Ford in the fifth position and driving strong all race long to claim his second checkered flag of the season. The Biff’s win was the 118th Cup Series win for Roush Fenway Racing and thankfully this time, team owner Jack Roush was in Victory Lane with his driver instead of recuperating in the hospital from a plane crash as was the case when his driver won Pocono. Biffle gained one position in the Chase standings, moving from ninth to eighth, but he is now just 85 points back from the point’s leader.

Not Surprising: In spite of starting at the back of the field and getting trapped in the pits early in the race, Jimmie Johnson, in his No. 48 Lowes/Johns Manville Chevrolet, made his ever-lucky way to the front of the field, finishing in the runner up position. With that finish and as he does so often when the pressure is on, Johnson moved into the points lead, making his presence known for that fifth historic consecutive championship run.

Surprising: In this third Chase race, one of the non-Chasers had a major impact on the Chase standings. Normally good- natured David Reutimann apparently had had enough. After Chase competitor Kyle Busch got into the back of him early in the race and spun his No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota, Reutimann took revenge, coming back onto the track and slamming Busch into the wall. Busch’s car sustained serious damage, in Busch’s words “the car was killed.” This unfortunate turn of events led to a 21st place finish for Busch and a free fall of four positions in the Chase standings, from third to seventh, 80 points behind leader Jimmie Johnson.

Not Surprising: While Busch was furious, saying that Reutimann could have wrecked him in any of the races next season and had no right to wreck him in the midst of a Chase run, Reutimann was non-repentant. Reutimann said “It just gets old” and between the urging of his crew chief and his own frustration, Rooty proved that he was just not going to take it anymore.

Surprising: Big Daddy and original four-time champion Jeff Gordon was NASCAR’s biggest winner in the point standings, moving up three spots from eighth to fifth. Gordon, in his signature-colored No. 24 Dupont Chevrolet, qualified in the third spot, led laps during the race, had some stellar pit stops, and finished in the fifth position on the track.

Not Surprising: After a rough run at the Monster Mile, point’s winner of the regular season, Kevin Harvick, redeemed himself with a great run at Kansas. Not only did Harvick bring his No. 29 Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet to the checkered flag in third place, he also moved up to the third position in the point standings, just 30 points behind Johnson.

Surprising: While not a terrible run, with a 12th place race finish, Denny Hamlin, who has been so strong coming into the Chase and so determined so far throughout the Chase competition, lost the points lead to Jimmie Johnson. Hamlin sits just eight points now behind his nemesis as he desperately attempts to fight his way back to win that coveted Sprint Cup.

Not Surprising: A panoply of Fords graced the top ten at the Kansas Price Chopper 400 presented by Kraft Foods. Carl Edwards, in his No. 99 Aflac Ford, finished sixth. Matt Kenseth, in his No. 17 Crown Royal Black Ford, finished seventh. And Paul Menard, who started on the outside pole, finished eighth in his No. 98 Zecol/Menards Ford. It was no surprise that the Fords were competing so well since the manufacturer put $100,000 on the line as an incentive for the win. Jamie Allison, Director of Ford North American Motorsports, duly pronounced it a “One Ford effort.”

Surprising: Kasey Kahne, in his No. 9 Budweiser Richard Petty Motorsports Ford, led the race to green from the pole position. The driver that is soon to running for Red Bull Racing and ultimately Hendrick Motorsports unfortunately hit the wall about midway through the race and then watched his car fall to pieces as the tire blew the fenders and other car parts all over the race track. After that most promising start, Kahne finished miserably in the 37th position.

Not Surprising: Kahne’s Richard Petty Motorsports teammate A.J. Allmendinger continued his string of great races, particularly after leading so many laps and being dominant early at the Monster Mile last weekend. The Dinger managed to lead a lap at Kansas and again scored a top ten finish in his No. 43 Insignia HDTV/Best Buy Ford.

The Chasers and the rest of the Cup field will now head even further west for the fourth Chase race of the season. The Pepsi Max 400 will run at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California on Sunday, October 10th, with the broadcast on ESPN set to start at 3:00 PM ET.

With ‘silly season’ in full swing as the NASCAR season approaches its finale, this year it seems instead like a game of ‘duck, duck, goose’, with some lucky drivers being tapped for new rides while others are left in lame duck situations, biding their time until their new ride opens up for the 2011 season.

One of the lamest of ducks is Kasey Kahne, currently at Richard Petty Motorsports.  Kahne’s lame duck status was created earlier this year when it was announced that the driver was signed by Hendrick Motorsports for the 2012 season. 

Team owner Rick Hendrick wanted to snare Kahne to ultimately replace Mark Martin, driver of the No. 5 HMS car, whose contract is up at the end of 2011.  Hendrick said that he took this unusual signing route as he was encouraged by his other drivers, Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt, Jr., to snag Kahne as quickly as possible.

“In Kasey, we saw an opportunity to cement a big piece of our future,” Hendrick said.  “He possesses incredible talent and a tremendous dedication to his craft, and we know he will be a great fit within our company.”

But in one of the strangest ‘silly season’ twists, Kahne was not only left as a lame duck at Richard Petty Motorsports but was also left out in the cold without a ride for the 2011 season.  Hendrick, making good on a promise to Kahne that he would figure something out, brokered a deal that will put Kahne behind the wheel of a Red Bull Racing Toyota, creating yet another lame duck situation for the driver for the next season.

“RPM is working on their future and I am not part of that,” Kahne.  “It’s kind of a tough situation to be in to tell you the truth.  I didn’t think I would struggle with it but I do at times.”

Richard Petty Motorsports has yet another driver that also fits the lame duck status.  Elliott Sadler announced in July that he was a free agent, saying that he “had no future plans with the race team” for 2011.

“I don’t fit into their future plans,” Sadler said of RPM.  “So we are definitely going our different ways, but we need to end up this season as strong as we can.”

If Sadler cannot find another ride in the Cup Series, he has alluded to the fact that he would entertain a ride in the Truck or Nationwide Series.  Sadler has been “having a blast” driving for Kevin Harvick, Inc. periodically in both a truck and Nationwide car.

Ironically, there is yet a third lame duck driver at Richard Petty Motorsports, Paul Menard.  Bringing his own family money and sponsorship to the table, Menard announced that he too was leaving RPM and will drive for Richard Childress Racing in 2011.

Menard has had quite a journey, starting his career with Dale Earnhardt, Inc., then moving to Yates Racing, which eventually became Richard Petty Motorsports as part of the merger.  Menard, behind the wheel of either the No. 30 or No. 32, will join the three current RCR Chase contenders Kevin Harvick, Jeff Burton and the recently penalized Clint Bowyer for the 2011 season.

In spite of their lame duck status, two of the three RPM drivers are sitting in the cat bird’s seat for the upcoming Cup race at Kansas Speedway.  Kasey Kahne scored the pole position and Paul Menard will start right next to his current teammate on the outside pole for Sunday’s Price Chopper 400.

While there are lame ducks this ‘silly season’, there are also some very lucky ducks, especially this race weekend.  One of those lucky ducks, Trevor Bayne, did not start out so lucky earlier in the week when he was abruptly released from Diamond Waltrip Racing.

Yet the young, talented driver luckily landed with both feet on the ground and an immediate ride in the Nationwide Series for Roush Fenway Racing.  The 19 year old will be piloting the No. 17 in the Kansas Lottery 300.

In a twist of fate, Bayne also may have potential ties back to Richard Petty Motorsports.  SceneDaily.com reported that the young driver may also be a candidate to replace lame duck Sadler in the No. 19 RPM Cup car, which is affiliated with Roush Fenway, pending sponsorship.

“We are pleased to be able to sign a driver of Trevor’s caliber and character,” Jack Roush said.  “Trevor has exhibited a distinctive ability to run fast, up front and compete side by side with veteran drivers in a relatively short amount of time.”

“We feel that he possesses all of the tools necessary to grow into a top-level driver,” Roush continued.  “We look forward to working with him t o hone his skills as we move forward down the road.”

Bayne also made another driver a very lucky duck as he vacated his DWR ride.  Ryan Truex, younger brother of Martin Truex, Jr. and two-time champion in the K&N Pro Series East, will join his big brother in the Nationwide Series this weekend, piloting the No. 99 OUT! Pet Care Toyota Camry.

“This will be fun,” Truex said.  “My mom and dad will be a nervous wreck but we’ll see what happens.  I hope the OUT! Pet Care people will be pleased and I hope we put on a good show.”

The final lucky duck, at least this week in NASCAR is the driver nicknamed the GOAT.  Ricky Carmichael, who has been slugging out in the Camping World Truck Series, will be making his Nationwide debut at Kansas, driving the No. 10 Braun Racing Toyota.

“It has been really quick,” Carmichael said.  “I got a call from our team owner last week and he said, ‘Hey there’s a possibility we might be able to run you in the Nationwide race next weekend in Kansas.  Would you be up for it?’

After not even a second had passed, Carmichael said ‘yes’ to the offer.  “I couldn’t believe the things that I was hearing,” Carmichael said.

Whether lame duck or lucky duck, NASCAR’s elite will take to the mid-west track in Kansas for the Nationwide race on Saturday and the Cup race on Sunday.  And as lucky ducky Carmichael said, “We’ll just go there and do the best we can.”

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series returns to the heartland of America to conduct round three of its 2010 Chase for the Championship. This Sunday’s Price Chopper 400, at the Kansas Speedway, has the makings of elevating a team as a championship contender, reviving a championship effort or sending a team back to the shop with the realization that they are no longer contenders. By the time Sunday’s race is over, we may be seeing a more accurate picture of which drivers has staying power in the Chase and which ones are out of it.

THE STORY BREAKDOWN

It’s back for the second big week in a row. The number one story line is once again the penalty handed down to Richard Childress Racing’s #33 team. The latest chapter to this saga that will have everyone talking this weekend occurred last Wednesday when the National Stock Racing Commission voted unanimously to uphold that massive penalty.  Childress quickly issued a statement expressing his disappointment in the decision as well as his intent to appeal the decision to the final available level: NASCAR’s Chief Appellate Officer. No date for this hearing has been set yet.

At issue here was the height of the Bowyer Chevrolet following the first Chase race held at New Hampshire nearly two weeks ago. The car passed the post race inspection, despite being very close to NASCAR’s tolerance levels. But the car was selected by NASCAR officials to be transported to their Research and Development Center for additional inspection. It was there, under more stringent inspection criteria, that the height problem was discovered.

It was believed by Childress that the left rear of the body was raised by a wrecker that pushed Bowyer’s car to victory lane after it had ran out of gas following post race victory burn outs. Childress felt he had brought along sufficient proof to last Wednesday’s hearing. He retained the services of Dr. Charles Manning, of the Raleigh-North Carolina based Accident Reconstruction Analysis, who has been providing expert testimony in court cases since 1979.

Manning’s group duplicated the post race scenario by using a wrecker and race car of the same specification as the vehicles used in the New Hampshire race. By the time the experiment was concluded, Manning felt there was no question that the wrecker was responsible for the elevation in the car’s height and informed the commissioners of his findings during last Wednesday’s appeal hearing.

Manning was equally disappointed with the decision and afterwards said “the Commission paid no attention, which says something about what’s going on in there. What we brought was positive proof that the damage was caused by the tow truck pushing the car.”

However, it’s believed that a great deal of attention was paid to the fact by the Commissioners because their deliberations took a reported five hours. During the course of this time an exasperated Childress held a large note against a window that read “order pizza and Budweiser.”

The penalty levied by NASCAR on the #33 team was huge with the biggest damage being the 150 championship points lost by Bowyer. He entered the 2010 Chase in 12th, rose to second after the New Hampshire win and then plummeted back to 12th following the penalty announcement. Adding insult to injury was a dismal day during the second Chase race at Dover last Sunday that has left Bowyer with a championship ending deficit of 235 points.

If the next level of the appeals process overturns the original decision then Bowyer and company will again become Chase contenders. If the decision is upheld then their efforts are over.

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On the subject of something being over we can all stop looking for the presence of the “F” word, (feud) between Childress Racing and Joe Gibbs Racing. It appears that drivers Kevin Harvick and Denny Hamlin shook hands over the telephone last Tuesday to conclude their Dover dust up last Saturday that involved a heated confrontation both on and off the track.

This all started when Hamlin needlessly blasted Childress Racing in a press conference and said they deserved the harsh penalty and alleged that the height issues on the Childress cars have been an issue for quite a long time.

This angered Harvick who decided to defend the honor of Childress Racing with some on track bumping, during a Cup practice session last Saturday, followed by some chest bumping in the garage area. It created video that was seen all week long and don’t be too surprised if you see it again this weekend.

But with last Tuesday’s meeting of the minds between the two drivers, the only “F” word you’re going to hear from these two is “focus”. They’re both major players in the Chase and that’s what they will be paying attention to as it should be.

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THE VEGAS BREAKDOWN

The Las Vegas based World Sports Exchange, WSE, has expressed full confidence in Jimmie Johnson’s current championship focus and has placed them on the top of their list to win the Kansas race at 7 to 2 odds. This is a very solid choice. Johnson is a former Kansas winner, has won the pole position for this race a series high three times and has an average finish ratio of 10.3 in eight starts.

The WSE has also expressed confidence that Sunday could be the day Kyle Busch gets his first win at Kansas and has ranked him at 7 to 1 odds. Always a threat to find a NASCAR victory lane, Busch has a Kansas average finish ratio of 24.3 in six starts.

Jeff Gordon, at 8 to 1 odds, is a rock solid wager. His personal stats at Kansas are just simply awesome. He’s a two time winner there in addition to holding the track record for top five finishes, with six, and top tens at seven. He also has a very healthy average finish ratio at Kansas of 8.9 in nine starts. In the past there has been a noticeable problem with closing the win deal when the car was running strong. The law of averages says this trend has to reverse itself sooner or later and Kansas could be the location for it.

At 10 to 1 odds you will find drivers Tony Stewart and Carl Edwards. Stewart is another two time Kansas winner with an average finish of 13.2. He’s also the defending race winner. Stewart is a pre race favorite to get his Chase efforts back on track this Sunday. He’s currently tenth in the standings and 162 points out of first. Considered to be the visible strength of Roush Fenway Racing, Carl Edwards is sixth in the standings and a viable 73 points out.

At 12 to 1 is a quartet of drivers led by previous Kansas winner Greg Biffle who has a healthy average finish ratio of 9.0. Also in this group are Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch and current series points leader Denny Hamlin.

In the 18 to 1 group you will find Childress Racing drivers Jeff Burton and Clint Bowyer. At 25 to 1 odds are drivers Matt Kenseth, Kasey Kahne, Juan Pablo Montoya and David Reutimann. Also at the bottom end of the WSE rankings this week is the presence of Jamie McMurray. This possible non Chase spoiler is ranked at 30 to 1 for the Kansas race. At 35 to 1 is the tandem of Joey Logano and Martin Truex Jr.

However, it’s the 40 to 1 WSE category that could tweak some interest for those of you into long shot wagers. That where you will find former Kansas race winners Mark Martin and Ryan Newman.

Now for this week’s disclaimer. NASCAR wants us to remind you that these posted odds are for informational and entertainment purposes. They neither encourage nor condone the placing of wagers on their events. One possible alternative to gambling might be the purchase of Childress Racing souvenirs from the official NASCAR store. That presentation from the expert, at last Wednesday’s appeal hearing, had to cost Childress a fortune.

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THE RACE BREAKDOWN

The Price Chopper 400 is 267 laps/400.5 miles around the Kansas Speedway’s 1.5 mile quad oval.

The race has 46 entries vying for the 43 starting berths. 11 of those entries are on the go or go home list meaning they don’t have a guaranteed starting berth because they are currently outside of NASCAR’s top 35 in owner’s points. These 11 teams will have to rely on their qualifying speed to earn a berth in the race.

The Kansas Speedway first opened its gates to the public in June of 2001. The first NASCAR Cup race was held in September of that year and was won by Jeff Gordon.

Chevrolet leads the manufacturer’s standings with six wins at Kansas.

Qualifying is always important in any Sprint Cup event these days. The qualifying record for the Kansas Speedway, 180.856 MPH, was set by Matt Kenseth in October of 2005.

Two drivers, Joe Nemechek and Jimmie Johnson, has recorded wins there after starting from the pole position. Six of the nine winners came from starting positions within the top ten.

Weather should not be that big of a factor for Sunday’s race. The Kansas forecast calls for sunny skies and 69 degrees on race day.

The Price Chopper 400 will be aired live by the ESPN2 Network beginning at 12 pm eastern time. Re airs will be Monday morning, 2am et, on ESPN2 and Wednesday afternoon, 12 pm et, on SPEED.