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NASCAR Cup Series

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Martinsville

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Martinsville

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson finished fifth in the Tums Fast Relief 500, a solid result, albeit one that was outdone by his closest Chase For The Cup competitors, Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick. Hamlin won, and Harvick finished third, as both cut into Johnson’s points lead. Johnson leads Hamlin by six, and Harvick by 62.

    “My inability to pull away from Hamlin and Harvick,” Johnson said, “left me wondering ‘What the ‘H?’

    But kudos to Hamlin for winning at Martinsville and making the Chase interesting again, just in time for the uncertainty of Talladega. Denny’s obtaining quite a collection of grandfather clocks from Martinsville. He won just in time, before I got too far ahead. So, not only was he racing for the clock, he was racing against it.”

    2. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin passed Kevin Harvick with 29 laps to go at Martinsville and cruised to the win in the Tums Fast Relief 500, completing the season sweep at the ½-mile Virginia track. Hamlin sliced 35 points from Johnson’s points lead, and now trails by only six points.

    “I did exactly what I needed to do,” Hamlin said. “Johnson was gradually pulling away from us in the points, but my win at Martinsville put a stop to that. Now, instead of being left behind, I’m right behind.”

    3. Kevin Harvick: Harvick posted his third top-5 finish of the Chase with a third at Martinsville, his 14th top 5 of the year. He is third in the point standings, 62 behind Jimmie Johnson, with Talladega up next, where Harvick won in April.

    “At this point,” Harvick said, “it’s every man for himself. At least, that seems to be Jeff Burton’s take on the matter. It amazes me that my teammate would race me that hard when he’s well out of contention for the Cup. So, if he puts his nose in my business, then I have no choice but to put my nose in his business.”

    4. Kyle Busch: Busch finished fourth at Martinsville, one spot ahead of Jimmie Johnson, battling the defending Cup champion over the race’s final 100 laps. Busch is fourth in the Sprint Cup point standings, 172 out of first.

    “After David Reutimann wrecked me at Kansas,” Busch said, “I declared my Cup hopes over. With Talladega looming, I’ve reconsidered. Just as hopes can be ruined by a double zero, they can be revived by a single ‘one,’ the ‘big one,’ in other words.

    I’m sure Johnson, Hamlin, and Harvick will be laying back on Talladega’s 2.66 mile tri-oval, hoping to avoid trouble. Hopefully, the ‘big one’ will emphasize the ‘cream’ of ‘cream of the crop.’”

    5. Carl Edwards: Edwards posted a solid eighth at Martinsville, scoring his 16th top-10 of the year. He trails Jimmie Johnson by 200 in the point standings, and will need a strong run, along with trouble for the frontrunners, at Talladega to find his way back in to the title hunt.

    “I mean no physical harm to anyone,” Edwards said, “but I hope trouble finds my competitors at Talladega. If nothing else, I should be able to offer directions, because trouble usually finds me first at Talladega.”

    6. Jeff Gordon: Gordon led 56 laps at Martinsville, but his hopes for a top-5 run were crushed on lap 380, when a heated battle with Kurt Busch left Gordon with heavy damage to the rear of the No. 24 National Guard Chevrolet. In the fateful sequence of events, Gordon dove inside Busch and bumped his way around the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge. Busch retaliated, bumping Gordon and sending his back side hard into the inside wall. Gordon eventually finished 20th, two laps down.

    “I’ve lived,” Gordon said, “and I’ve died by NASCAR’s ‘Boys, have at it’ directive. And Busch ‘killed’ me in this case. Luckily, in this sport, revenge is a lot easier to come by than a win. But revenge doesn’t always mean one driver comes out on the short end. On the contrary, my revenge on Busch will be a win-win situation. I’ll get mine, and he’ll get his.

    As you may have heard, my No. 24 car will be sponsored next year by the anti-hunger campaign ‘Drive For Hunger.’ It’s a deal that makes sense, because, as someone mired in a lengthy winless strength, I’m certainly ‘hungry.’”

    7. Tony Stewart: Stewart ran well at Martinsville, but a flat tire with ten laps to go derailed his run to a top-15 finish. Forced to pit under green to change tires, Stewart fell two laps down and finished 24th. He fell one spot in the point standings to seventh, and trails Jimmie Johnson by 236.

    “If it’s not an empty gas tank crippling us,” said Stewart, “it’s an empty tire. I may be out of the running for the Sprint Cup, but that doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy the final four races. So, my situation is a lot like a flat tire—there’s no pressure.”

    8. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth saw a top-10 finish at Martinsville fall to the wayside when he was tagged for speeding on the exit of pit road during a caution on lap 384. The penalty cost Kenseth 13 spots after he was forced to restart at the end of the longest line in 20th. He reclaimed five positions over the final 100 laps, finishing fifteenth, and gained one spot in the point standings to tenth, 293 out of first.

    “All three Roush Fenway cars are over 200 points out of the lead,” Matt Kenseth said. “So are chances of winning the Cup are gone. Of all the teams in the Chase, at least you can say we’re consistent. We put three cars in, and we’ve got three cars ‘out.’”

    9. Jeff Burton: Burton led 134 of 500 laps at Martinsville, but his race was defined more by a run-in with Richard Childress teammate Kevin Harvick. Burton and Harvick engaged in a heated battle, with Harvick bumping Burton under caution as the two bad-mouthed each other over the radio.

    “Harvick is certainly no ‘CAT’ lover,” said Burton. “Last time I checked, there were no team orders in NASCAR, although Kasey Kahne’s departure would seem to indicate otherwise.

    Harvick proved that he could defend a teammate when he pestered Denny Hamlin after Hamlin criticized Clint Bowyer. Now, Kevin’s proved that he can offend a teammate.”

    10. Kurt Busch: Busch finished 16th at Martinsville, battling his way to a hard-fought result that left Jeff Gordon spinning courtesy of Busch’s No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge. Busch sent Gordon into the wall after Gordon bumped his way past Busch on lap 380. Busch is now ninth in the point standings, 237 out of first.

    “Gordon may have slammed his rear end into the inside wall,” Busch said, “but he learned the hard way that I won’t ‘back down.’”

  • NASCAR: Just another Dysfunctional Family

    NASCAR: Just another Dysfunctional Family

    Recently I was listening to my father-in-law talk about his Daddy who grew up in a small rural town in the south.

    “Things were different back then,” he said.

    With five brothers and one sister, there was always some kind of drama. He’d put up with a lot and let the kids work things out between themselves.  However, if they crossed that line, he stepped in and you better believe everyone listened.

    “Daddy’s word was law.”

    The last thing anyone wanted to hear was, “Meet me out in the woodshed after supper.”

    As I was listening, I couldn’t help but smile and think about how many times we hear a similar phrase in racing. 

    Doesn’t this sound familiar?

    “Carl Edwards and Brad Keselowski have just been invited to the NASCAR hauler for a talk after the race.”

    And then there’s my Uncle Glenn who happens to be a big racing fan. He knows something about everything and loves the sound of his own voice.  Every once in a while when he’s going on and on about what’s wrong with Dale Earnhardt Jr, my eyes glaze over and I could swear I’m listening to Jimmy
    Spencer.

    Too bad people don’t come with a mute button.

    And is it just me or do you laugh every time you hear that Scott Speed will probably lose his ride with Richard Petty Motorsports because of performance problems?  It’s not that I want to see anyone lose their job but because I can’t help but think of my cousin Sarah who just divorced her husband for the same reason.

    I could go on to tell you about my nephew Mike who has a knack for putting his foot in his mouth and how he bears a striking resemblance to Denny Hamlin. But you get the idea.

    Admit it. Don’t you have an Uncle Glenn or a cousin Mike in your family?

    NASCAR may be just another dysfunctional family but it’s not so different from yours or mine.

    Just do like I do. Embrace the quirks and enjoy the ride. You won’t be disappointed.

    *Names changed to protect the dysfunctional.

  • JEFF GORDON WILL ‘DRIVE TO END HUNGER’ BEGINNING IN 2011

    THREE-YEAR EFFORT INCLUDES PRIMARY PLACEMENT ON NO. 24 CHEVYS FOR 22 RACES ANNUALLY

    CONCORD, N.C. (Oct. 27, 2010) – Hendrick Motorsports and four-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon have teamed with AARP and AARP Foundation on the Drive to End Hunger (www.DriveToEndHunger.org), an unprecedented three-year initiative to address the growing problem of hunger among older Americans, including 6 million over the age of 60.

    Drive to End Hunger will be the majority sponsor of Gordon’s No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports team in 2011, 2012 and 2013, with primary paint schemes in 22 Sprint Cup races annually. The No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet, which will be unveiled at a later date, will race in the next three Daytona 500 events.

    “This is a truly unique opportunity to help people, and it’s a completely new, cause-driven approach to sponsorship,” said Gordon, 39, winner of 82 career Sprint Cup races. “Every single day, millions of older Americans are forced to make a choice between food, medicine and utilities. It’s going to be a team effort, and it’s not going to be easy, but we can solve this problem.”

    With Gordon as its spokesperson, Drive to End Hunger will help the millions of older Americans who are facing hunger across the United States. The effort will engage the NASCAR fan base, corporations and charitable organizations via a text-to-donate program; activation at racetracks across the country; further research on the causes and consequences of hunger in older Americans; and an innovative national grant program that will provide resources to address the problem at a local level.

    Donations from Drive to End Hunger will benefit the hunger programs of AARP Foundation.

    “Hunger is a hidden problem that millions of older Americans are battling silently. In fact, between 2006 and 2008, the percentage of seniors struggling with hunger more than doubled,” said Jo Ann Jenkins, AARP Foundation president. “NASCAR fans are among the most charitable, community-minded sports fans in the country, and they have a track record of commitment. With the help of Jeff and the Hendrick team, we will make the most of this unprecedented opportunity to end the struggle that so many older Americans have with hunger.”

    Drive to End Hunger will build on the hunger initiative launched earlier this year by AARP Foundation, including volunteer-led food drives, individual and corporate fundraising campaigns, and online hunger resources at www.aarp.org/hunger.

    “It’s exciting to see a new organization engage with our sport and our fans through such an innovative approach,” said Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports. “Having seen firsthand what the NASCAR community is capable of accomplishing, I know the program will help a lot of people in our country who desperately need it. Success ultimately will be measured by how many lives we can impact, and that’s a truly unique and special opportunity for everyone involved.”

    For more information, please visit www.DriveToEndHunger.org.

    ABOUT AARP FOUNDATION:

    AARP Foundation is AARP’s affiliated charity. The Foundation is dedicated to serving vulnerable people 50+ by creating solutions that help them secure the essentials and achieve their best life. AARP Foundation focuses on: hunger, housing, income and isolation as our key mission areas. The Foundation envisions: “a country free of poverty where no older person feels vulnerable.” Foundation programs are funded by grants, tax-deductible contributions and AARP. For more information about AARP Foundation, please log on to www.aarp.org/foundation.

    ABOUT HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS:

    Since 1984, Hendrick Motorsports has earned 13 championships in NASCAR’s top three divisions and 194 victories in the sanctioning body’s premier series, the Sprint Cup. The organization fields four full-time Chevrolet teams on the Sprint Cup Series circuit with drivers Mark Martin, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr. Headquartered in Concord, N.C., Hendrick Motorsports employs more than 500 people. For more information about Hendrick Motorsports, please visit www.HendrickMotorsports.com, www.twitter.com/TeamHendrick and www.facebook.com/HendrickMotorsports.

  • Toyota NASCAR Notes & Quotes II Talladega

    TOYOTA TALK: Hamlin Happy Chasing Chase Leader Busch Talks Talladega Reutimann Recalls Talladega Intensity Bodine Believes in Racing for Wins

    NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) NEWS, NOTES & NUMBERS: This year, Toyota drivers have combined for 11 wins, 36 top-five results, 73 top-10 finishes and six poles after 32 of 36 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) races … Toyota drivers Denny Hamlin (second in points) and Kyle Busch (fourth) are currently competing in the 2010 NSCS Chase … Hamlin is six points behind leader Jimmie Johnson after six of 10 races — the closest margin between first and second-place in the Chase battle after six races since the inception of the Chase in 2004 … Hamlin’s win at Martinsville Speedway on Sunday marked the 11th NSCS win for Toyota this year matching the most wins (2009) for the manufacturer since entering the series in 2007 … Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Busch, Hamlin and Joey Logano have all finished together in the top-10 five times this season, including four of the last seven NSCS races.

    DENNY HAMLIN, No. 11 FedEx Freight Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing How has your strategy for the Chase played out to this point? “Obviously, we ’d love to have a huge lead right now. I think given how I raced and things like that over the course of this Chase so far, this is about the best-case scenario for us. I like being behind and chasing a guy. I do not like playing defense at all. So, to play offense all day at Martinsville, going through adversity to get the win — it’s a huge boost going forward. Right now, I feel like we ’re in a great position going to Talladega. We’ve been extremely strong at Talladega for the last two to three years. So, I ’m pretty confident.” Can you get into Jimmie Johnson’s head at Talladega by staying behind him in the race? “I don’t think so. I have actually worked a lot with Jimmie (Johnson) on superspeedway races. I totally agree with him that you’re strictly playing odds. You look back at the races that I don’t wreck — I finish in the top-two or three every time, but the ones that I don’t, I’m usually 20th or something. Jimmie’s had his fair share of crashes and we’ve had our fair share of crashes at Talladega. Honestly, I feel like we have a be tter Talladega package than what those guys have had. We’ve been very, very strong on superspeedways, especially Talladega. We’ve been able to lead a ton of laps there — we’ve got a good finish there last year. I would like to just worry about winning the race and if I do get shuffled though, I would like to just put myself in a safe spot.”

    KYLE BUSCH, No. 18 M&M’s Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing What is the best case scenario at Talladega with five laps remaining? “You just want to be leading and protect what you’ve got and try to keep the rest of the guys behind you. You know it’s going to be tough, you know it’s going to be crazy and guys are going to be trying to go three-wide, four-wide and everywhere trying to get a push draft going and everything. If you were leading and you had a teammate behind you or something like that, obviously that would make it pretty good.” Who is your favorite drafting partner at Talladega? “I drafted well with a lot of people over the past, but I would say (Juan Pablo) Montoya helped me win the race that I won at Talladega a couple years ago. Jimmie (Johnson) is always pretty good to draft with. My brother (Kurt Busch) as well.”

    DAVID REUTIMANN, No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota Camry, Michael Waltrip Racing Is it difficult to race at Talladega? “There’s not anything really difficult about driving Talladega. You have to have a good car and then you can hopefully get out there and get in the right line and get with the right guys and work with the right people to try to make your day go as good as you can. A lot of times you’re trying to get yourself in a position where you’re trying to let things shuffle out and see what happens. At Talladega, you would like to be able to qualify up front, but you’re really not all that worried about it because you know that in a matter of a couple laps you could be up there leading the thing.”

    DAVID REUTIMANN, No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota Camry, Michael Waltrip Racing (continued) Are you surprised at how intense the closing laps are at Talladega? “It seems like it only takes one guy to start running up through there and then everybody thinks they have to do it. The closer it gets to the end of the race, the more you have to get yourself in good position. It’s not hard to pass early on in the race, but the later in the race it goes, unless you have somebody behind you that will really help you, it’s hard to pass. You’re trying to get yourself in position to be in the right place at the right time when things cycle out. It’s crazy — you see everybody behaving so well early in the race and everybody is giving plenty of room and nobody is even close to each other. Then with 15 or 20 laps to go, it just gets really, really crazy and it gets pretty intense. In the end you’re out there racing and trying to win. Sometimes you need to take chances and make crazy moves and that’s what you see at the end of that race.”

    NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) NEWS, NOTES & NUMBERS: This year, Toyota drivers have combined for 16 wins, 67 top-five results, 133 top-10 finishes and 16 poles after 32 of 35 NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) races … Kyle Busch remains third in the NNS point standings, despite starting just 26 of 32 races . . . Jason Leffler (eighth), Joey Logano (ninth) and Steve Wallace (10th) are also in the top-10 in points with three races remaining … The NNS will take the weekend off before returning to action at Texas Motor Speedway, Nov . 6.

    NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) NEWS, NOTES & NUMBERS: This year, Tundra drivers have combined for 12 wins, 50 top-five results, 103 top-10 finishes and 10 poles after 21 of 25 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) races … Todd Bodine (first), Aric Almirola (second), Timothy Peters (seventh), Mike Skinner (eighth) and David Starr (ninth) are in the top-10 in the NCWTS point standings with four races remaining … Bodine leads second-place Almirola in the point standings by 282 points … Toyota is currently 10 points ahead of Chevrolet in the NCWTS manufacturer’s point standings.

    TODD BODINE, No. 30 Germain.com Toyota Tundra, Germain Racing Is your team focused more on ‘points racing’ or winning races? “We prepare every week to go win the race. If we can’t win, we get the best points race that we can. That’s the way you have to look at it. I’ve had a lot of people asking me, ‘Are you going to go on the defensive — are you going into points racing mode?’ My answer is, ‘No, we’re in points racing mode every week.’ We still go to win the race, but if we can’t win then we just worry about getting the best points day we can and that’s what’s got us to this point, and that’s what we’re going to keep doing. If I was in points racing mode, I wouldn’t have tried to pass Kyle (Busch) at Kentucky for the lead. I would have ridden behind him and finished second.”

    TOYOTA DRIVER ROSTER – Talladega Superspeedway

    NASCAR Sprint Cup Series David Reutimann, No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine Camry Kevin Conway, No. 7 Extenze Camry Denny Hamlin, No. 11 FedEx Freight Camry Casey Mears, No. 13 GEICO Camry Kyle Busch, No. 18 M&M’s Camry Joey Logano, No. 20 Home Depot Camry Marcos Ambrose, No. 47 Kleenex-Clorox Camry Michael Waltrip, No. 55 Aaron’s Dream Machine Camry Martin Truex Jr., No. 56 NAPA AUTO PARTS Camry Landon Cassill, No. 64 Gunselman Motorsports Camry Johnny Sauter, No. 66 Prism Motorsports Camry Scott Speed, No. 82 Red Bull Camry Kasey Kahne, No. 83 Red Bull Camry Joe Nemechek, No. 87 NEMCO Motorsports Camry Jeff Fuller, No. 97 NEMCO Motorsports Camry

    NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Mike Skinner, No. 5 Exide Tundra Justin Lofton, No. 7 VisitPit.com Tundra Max Papis, No. 9 GEICO Tundra Timothy Peters, No. 17 Red Horse Racing Tundra Kyle Busch, No. 18 Traxxas Toyota Tundra Todd Bodine, No. 30 Germain.com Tundra Craig Goess, No. 46 Greenville Toyota Tundra Aric Almirola, No. 51 Billy Ballew Motorsports Tundra David Starr, No. 81 Zachry Tundra

  • Newman Banking That Superspeedway Odds Will Be In His Favor

    TALLADEGA, Ala. (Oct. 27, 2010) — If a NASCAR Sprint Cup driver is looking to snap a streak of bad luck, Talladega Superspeedway would most likely not be the venue of choice.

    But according to U.S. Army driver Ryan Newman, the Talladega odds are overdue to play in his favor during Sunday’s Amp Energy 500 Cup race.

    “We haven’t finished a restrictor-plate race this season, so odds are that we are going to finish one,” said Newman about his three performances in 2010 at NASCAR’s two superspeedway tracks –Daytona and Talladega.

    Actually, Newman has not been running at the finish in the last four superspeedway races, dating back to last fall’s event at Talladega. In each of the four races — two at Daytona and two at Talladega — he was involved in multicar accidents.

    Not only is Newman looking to reverse his superspeedway misfortunes, he is also looking to overturn a current two-race streak of bad luck that has resulted in finishes of 36th and 30th in Charlotte, N.C. and Martinsville, Va. respectively.

    In the seven races prior to the Oct. 16th race at Charlotte, Newman had an average finish of 7.8 and scored six top 10s. His only finish outside the top-10 during the seven-race span was 11th in Richmond, Va.

    “We definitely need to get back on the cycle before Charlotte,” said Newman. “It’s a shame that we didn’t capitalize on the great cars we had at the last two races. But I spun out and hit the wall early in the Charlotte race and then we had a gear problem after running really strong in Martinsville. This is a time when we look to our Army Strong Soldiers, who give us that never-quit inspiration when things temporarily fall off pace.”

    Newman knows that his No. 39 U.S. Army Chevrolet, with a Hendrick Motorsports engine, has the potential of winning Sunday’s race at the 2.66-mile oval. But before he can put himself in position to win, he needs to avoid the wrecks.

    “Talladega has always been a hit and miss race,” said Newman, the 2008 Daytona 500 winner. “I think it’s time that we miss those big wrecks. We have a superspeedway car that can win, but history will tell you that to be successful at Talladega you have to avoid being in the wrong place at the wrong time. You can easily be an innocent victim there. And no one knows better about that than our No. 39 U.S. Army team.”

    Newman has had spectacular crashes at Talladega, but none more than last fall when his Army Chevrolet went airborne after being hit during a multicar melee. Once his car hit the ground it barrel rolled a number of times before landing upside down on the infield grass. He managed to escape serious injuries in the harrowing incident.

    Sunday’s race will mark Newman’s 18th career Cup start at Talladega, where he has claimed four top fives and seven top 10s.

    Newman’s Talladega Career Cup Record:

    Year St Fn

    2002 8 43

    7 7

    2003 8 39

    12 4

    2004 17 11

    19 16

    2005 5 39

    3 4

    2006 18 33

    11 13

    2007 28 9

    16 5

    2008 21 8

    24 43

    2009 25 3

    7 36

    2010 16 35

    No. 39 U.S. Army Over-the-Wall Crew (city is hometown)

    Front-tire changer: Scott Brzozowski, Sterling Heights, Mich.

    Front-tire carrier: Josh Mick, Houston, Texas

    Rear-tire changer: Brandon Hopkins, Danielson, Conn.

    Rear-tire carrier: James Houk, Fair Play, Mo.

    Gasman: Michael Moore, Springfield, Mass.

    Jackman: Jeff Kerr, China Grove, N.C.

    Catch Can: Andy Rueger, Seymour, Ind.

    8th Man/Windshield: Jay Guarneri, Naples, Fla.

    ___________________________________________________

    Crew Chief: Tony Gibson, Daytona Beach, Fla.

    Car Chief: Kevin Pennell, Kannapolis, N.C.

    Spotter: Jimmy Kitchens, Hueytown, Fla.

    Engine Specialist: Jay Nolan, Jacksonville, Fla.

    Engineers: Johnny Klausmeier, Perry Hall, Md.

    Wes Gantt, Taylorsville, N.C.

    Engine: Hendrick Motorsports

    Shock Specialist : Brian Holshouser, Charlotte

    Tire Specialist: Jeff Zarrella, Southington, Conn.

  • Drama Grips Martinsville and It Was Good

    Drama Grips Martinsville and It Was Good

    Martinsville, Virginia, the sleepy little town nestled on U.S. Route 220 about 50 miles south of Roanoke, Virginia always invigorates the NASCAR Sprint Cup schedule. The spring race usually comes after the excitement of the high banks of Bristol, but the fall race—the only short track in the playoff system known as The Chase—comes after a series of boring race tracks. Kansas Speedway, Auto Club Speedway, and sadly, Charlotte Motor Speedway have been staging sleep inducing races lately. Not so with Martinsville. Sunday’s race had enough controversy and banging to make us forget those early snoozers and look forward to the next race, the direct opposite of the paperclip shaped track, the meat grinder at Talladega.

    The excitement started early in the week when Kasey Kahne was let go from Richard Petty Motorsports. Kahne had refused to get back into his No. 9 Budweiser Ford after repairs were made at Charlotte the week before. He was headed for Red Bull Racing next year anyway, and what was to happen next was more than surprising. Adding to the drama of a Chase race on a half-mile track was the possible demise of Richard Petty Motorsports. Petty is a minority investor at the operation, but fans were outraged that one of its heroes name was being given a bad name because major investor George Gillett couldn’t pay his bills, causing Roush Fenway, the supplier of his cars, to repossess them.

    The story has been discussed over and over, so I’ll save you that boredom, but when the drivers and crews arrived at Martinsville on Friday, all the talk was about RPM, even though the racing at Martinsville is highly entertaining. Once no one was saying anything, the focus went back to racing as it was meant to be. No cookie cutter tracks, no gas mileage thrillers, and no aero push, making passing impossible. Just beating and banging. And did they ever.

    We saw teammates forget they were teammates. I wonder if Kevin Harvick and Jeff Burton are still speaking. We saw Jimmie Johnson prove he is human after all. Johnson never led a lap. We saw Kenny Schrader take the lead. We saw Dale Earnhardt, Jr. lead (gasp!) 90 laps and finish seventh. We saw Jeff Gordon and Kurt Busch battle and Busch put Gordon out of contention. The race was far more exciting and interesting than the first five Chase races combined. It was a glorious, sunny day and the crowd was good. One wag in the press box said that the officials at Fontana would kill for a crowd like they had at Martinsville. Even with high unemployment in the region, Martinsville, as usual, nearly filled the stands. This begs a question. Why not more short tracks?

    NASCAR only has three certified short tracks—Bristol, Richmond, and Martinsville. The rest of the schedule is made up of the 1.5 -2 mile tracks, the one milers at Dover and New Hampshire, and Darlington. Daytona and Talladega are in a separate class. That said, lots of things need to change. A short track would be nice, but the Chase schedule needs to be changed. Darlington and Bristol need to be added.

    Still, the racing we saw at Martinsville on Sunday was really racing—the way it was meant to be. Somewhere and at some time, someone decided that bigger was better. I submit for your consideration Sunday, October 24, 2010. It doesn’t get any better than what we saw there.

  • Denny Hamlin’s Offense May Not Be Enough In NASCAR’s Final Four

    Denny Hamlin’s Offense May Not Be Enough In NASCAR’s Final Four

    Denny Hamlin backed up his statement that he would win in Martinsville, but his offense may not be strong enough against Jimmie Johnson and Kevin Harvick going into the final four of the Chase.

    Heading to Talladega, Hamlin has reason to worry with Harvick having shown good performance there.

    Harvick’s Superspeedway stats show four wins, 13 top-five finishes and 23 top-10’s with a 14.7 average. One of those wins and eight top-10’s were at Talladega.

    Denny Hamlin has never won on a Superspeedway and has six top-10 finishes for an average of 20.4. At Talladega, his average finish is slightly better at 19.3.

    Jimmie Johnson has five Superspeedway wins, 14 top-five finishes and 22 top-10 finishes with an average of 17.9. He has one win at Talladega and an average finish there of 17.8.

    Johnson has shown he is a strong finisher on Superspeedways just as he is at most tracks.

    Harvick certainly benefited at Martinsville with the addition of Clint Bowyers team to back him up. Richard Childress Racing will throw everything they can into the battle against Hamlin and Johnson in the NASCAR Chase.

    After Martinsville, Johnson said, “So much can happen at Talladega.” He added, “After Talladega we will race like hell.”

    There lies the problem for Hamlin and Harvick. It will be game on with Johnson after survival at Talladega.

    Hamlin’s average finishes at intermediate tracks is 13.5 with nine wins and 62 top-10 finishes.

    Harvick has seven wins, 88 top-10 finishes and an average of 15.7 on intermediate tracks.

    Johnson is superb on intermediate tracks with 37 wins, 137 top-10 finishes and an average of 9.7.

    Talladega is the last wild card in the Chase deck. Certainly some bizarre activities at the Superspeedway race on Halloween could topple Johnson, Hamlin or Harvick’s standing in the points.

    Harvick will more than likely finish well at the Alabama track if he stays out of trouble, but anyone can win at the track that can be such a game changer.

    So as the NASCAR Sprint Cup series heads to the high banks of Talladega, the top three drivers in Chase have reason for concern. Once “Dega” is done, it looks to be Johnson’s championship title to lose if he is still first or second in the point standings.

    The remaining three tracks play right into the Jimmie Johnson/Chad Knaus game plan. For Denny Hamlin, his offensive stance probably won’t get him a title this year, but it won’t be for lack of giving it his all.

  • HOORAHS AND WAZZUPS: Martinsville Mayhem

    HOORAHS AND WAZZUPS: Martinsville Mayhem

    During the previous weekend at the Martinsville Speedway we witnessed a Chase contender back up his game plan, another Chase contender wanted to kiss one team mate and smack another team mate, we witnessed a rowdy moment between two Chase contenders and former champions and we were overjoyed to see the return of two of NASCAR’s most popular drivers. By the time the Tums Fast Relief 500 was over a lot of drivers and team members needed some Tums to settle their stomachs. With those thoughts in mind let’s begin with:

    HOORAH to Denny Hamlin for backing up an earlier announcement that claimed he “has a game plan.” The Virginia native won the Tums Fast Relief 500 last Sunday and scored a series high seventh win as well as his 15th career Cup win. Hamlin led this race two times for a total of 40 laps.

    More importantly, Hamlin’s win was a case of mission accomplished because he picked up 35 points on Chase leader Jimmie Johnson who finished fifth in the race. Johnson’s lead has now been trimmed down to six points and NASCAR now has one of the closest Sprint Cup Chase For The Championships since the playoff format was created.

    Hamlin gets an additional HOORAH for this week’s notable quotable. During a post race press conference he made it clear that the game plan was on and he wasn’t even close to be finished with his championship run. With a big smile on his face, Hamlin waved a finger at the media and said “which one of you said that it was over?”

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    HOORAH to Kevin Harvick for his third place finish at a race track that has been the source of disappointment for him in past races. Harvick led the race six times for a total of 97 laps. He remains third in the Chase standings but picked up 15 points on Jimmie Johnson. He’s now a very doable 62 points out of first.

    But WAZZUP with the friction, not to mention on track contact, between Harvick and Richard Childress Racing team mate Jeff Burton? Burton came over the radio and screamed “I’ve done nothing wrong and I won’t stand for it. I don’t know what his problem is.” An equally angry Harvick came over his radio claiming it was not the first time he took a cheap shot from Burton and alleged that the same thing also happened at the Indianapolis and New Hampshire races.

    Harvick also gets a WAZZUP for putting his race car in jeopardy. While all three teams from Childress Racing made the Chase, only Harvick has a visible chance of winning the championship. An on track collision, following a moment of anger, could have really hurt the Chase cause. You can bet that Richard Childress made quick work of resolving this issue.

    HOORAH to the third Childress driver Clint Bowyer for agreeing to swap pit crews with Harvick. It was generally felt the Harvick over the wall crew was not getting the job done so the switch was arranged.

    HOORAH to the two pit crews for having lunch with each other to insure that there were no misunderstandings or hard feelings regarding the temporary switch.

    Harvick was thrilled with the pit road performance of the Bowyer team and gets a HOORAH for his NASCAR notable quotable when he said “I’d like to kiss Clint Bowyer on the lips.”

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    WAZZUP with he altercation between Chase contenders, and former champions, Kurt Busch and Jeff Gordon? Okay, Gordon gave Busch the old bump and run and sent him to the high side of the track. Gordon later admitted that it wasn’t intentional, he came into the turn too hot and momentarily lost control of his car.

    All of a sudden Busch remembered the time Gordon gave him a dust up when he was driving a Roush Racing Ford. He also remembered that Gordon hassled Rusty Wallace the former driver of his Penske Racing Miller Lite deuce car. So he turned Gordon and sent him backwards into the wall. The crash effectively ruined any chances of Gordon remaining a Chase contender.

    The punishment administered by Busch did not match the crime committed by Gordon. Do you think there were any winners in this round of Martinsville mayhem? Ask Gordon’s team owner who will be paying to repair the damage. Ask the Hendrick Motorsports crew members who will have to take on the added duty of making those repairs. Thankfully there were no innocent bystanders involved in this incident.

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    Speaking of wrecks at Martinsville, HOORAH to Mark Martin for reaping the benefits of hitting the wall. The crash dislodged the bumper cover and raised both the trunk lid and the spoiler. Amazingly the result was a better handling race car which allowed Martin to charge through the field for a second place finish. It was really good to see Martin smiling again. His team has endured a very frustrating season.

    A HOORAH also goes out to Martin’s team mate Dale Earnhardt Jr whose 2010 season has also been a major source of frustration. Earnhardt led the race three times for a total of 90 laps. That alone is amazing because this beleaguered team has only led a total of 71 laps all season long. The Junior Nation wept for joy. No one is saying that rumors of a crew chief departure had anything to do with the elevation of the #88 team’s performance, but one just can’t help but wonder.

    That leads to a HOORAH to Chad Knaus, Jimmie Johnson’s crew chief, for another NASCAR notable quotable. Knaus came over his team radio and told his driver “when you hear a loud roar inside of your car that means Dale just took the lead.”

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    Sadly we end this with a GOD Bless by offering condolences to NASCAR’s racing Bodine brothers: Geoff, Brent and Todd for the recent loss of their mother: Carol June Bodine.

  • The Final Word – The Fat Lady has returned to her dressing room to watch Talladega

    The Final Word – The Fat Lady has returned to her dressing room to watch Talladega

    So, what did we learn from Martinsville?

    I learned I like what I saw from that short track. Even though we had some long runs for leaders, there seemed to be a lot of ebb and flow for position all over the track. We had some beating and banging, some who bumped and others who bashed, and tires that went down and cars that went around. It was like watching Talladega in miniature.

    We learned that the fat lady has quit warming up and returned to her dressing room. She won’t be warbling anytime soon after Denny Hamlin got back to the front in the late going to snap up his seventh win of the season, and 15th of his career. Now, only six points seperates him from Jimmie Johnson in the standings. Not even 30 years old, there is no denying how good Hamlin has been during his five full seasons. One day, he might not even irritate me.

    We learned that even though Kurt Busch has tried to be a model citizen, he can still be an irritating SOB. Just ask Jeff Gordon. He comes in a little hot and gives Busch a shot, who returned the favor by wrecking that other four-time champ. Over the radio Kurt said he was trying to stay off of him. Kurt was lying.

    We learned that, unlike F-1, no team mate is just going to pull over for another. Kevin Harvick was third on Sunday, just 62 points out, but Jeff Burton didn’t exactly pull over to give his mate a free pass. They did more rubbing than a pair of freezing boy scouts trying to light a fire. I’m guessing Mr. Childress had a few things to say on Monday to his lads.

    We learned that Mark Martin doesn’t need a car out of a showroom to do well. In a car beat to junk, one that had hit the fence, ripped off its rear bumper, and had its tail shoved up into the air, Martin came alive late to charge to second. Most seem to think the radical redesigning of the auto is what actually did the trick. Today, it looks like something Greg Biffle might take to his little track in the bush for some racing with the boys.

    We learned that despite a few dud announcers out there (Rusty, Brad) we can still find a few excellent pre-race features on the tube. The feature on Biffle and his little dirt track for junk yard cars and the one on crew chiefs and their drivers were real highlights. It is interesting what one can come up with when you have competent people running the show. Folks who just might actually be race fans.

    We learned that sometimes being a focal point in a race doesn’t mean you’ll be there at the end. Marcos Ambrose (cut tire), David Reutimann (turned into the wall), and Ryan Newman (rear end gear) had their moments in the sun before they got their parade rained on.

    We learned that Dale Earnhardt Jr could lead a race. For 90 laps Junior Nation saw their man in front, finishing seventh. Heck, even Kenny Schrader led for a few caution laps before being turned into a pinata. Mind you, in his first Cup race in nearly two years, the 55 year old managed an 18th place result. Man, I sure miss that Inside Winston Cup program.

    I am not available to answer anything but a call from nature this Sunday afternoon. It is Talladega, baby! Harvick would love to take the sweep, but this is a track where 1st can be 25th from one lap to the next and back again. It is the one to watch even if you don’t know a Petty from an Earnhardt. It is a race where even Rusty and Brad can’t take away from the action. It is Talladega. Enjoy the week.

  • Jamie McMurray and Kevin Harvick Take Serve Heading into Talladega

    Jamie McMurray and Kevin Harvick Take Serve Heading into Talladega

    If you could pick just one person to win this weekend’s Amp Energy Juice 500 at Talladega Superspeedway, it may be best to pick either Jamie McMurray or Kevin Harvick. In the past year on the restrictor plates, it seems that the races come down to a battle between them with one of them winning.

    In the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway in July, Harvick took the win after working with McMurray for most of the race.

    In the Aaron’s 499 at Talladega in April, Harvick took the win there also as he made a textbook last lap move on McMurray coming through the tri-oval on the final lap.

    In the Daytona 500 at Daytona in February, McMurray took the win in the biggest race of the year after getting a jump on Harvick on the final restart.

    In this race last year, McMurray won the race after holding on the late charges at the end from the field.

    The last restrictor plate race not won by either was at Daytona last July where Tony Stewart turned Kyle Busch on the last lap.

    The success of neither driver is a surprise as both drivers have been frontrunners at the restrictor plate tracks throughout their career.

    For Harvick, in his past 19 starts at Talladega, he has one win, four top-fives, eight top 10s and an average finish of 15.5. His restrictor plate success also includes two Daytona 500 victories.

    For McMurray, in his past 16 starts at Talladega, he has one win, five top fives, six top 10s and an average finish of 18.1. His restrictor plate success also includes a win in the Coke Zero 400 in 2006.

    So who could break the streak?

    Well, it could be Tony Stewart as he was the last one before them to win a race and has always been strong on the restrictor plate tracks. In 23 starts at Talladega, he has one win, nine top-fives, 12 top-10s and an average finish of 14.8.

    Then there is Stewart’s past wingman – Dale Earnhardt Jr. Before Harvick and McMurray at the beginning of the decade, Earnhardt was known as the king of restrictor plates as he was always in the thick of it for the win, including his four wins in a row at Talladega. In 21 starts, he has five wins, eight top-fives, 11 top-10s and an average finish of 13.3.

    However, it could also be someone that’d surprise everyone – Kurt Busch or David Ragan. Busch holds the best average finish at Talladega with a 12.8, while Regan has the second highest at 13.3. Could they finally break through in the win column?

    No matter what way this swings, it’ll definitely be an interesting race as Talladega always provides exciting side-by-side three-wide racing with a dramatic finish, as of late. Will this trend continue or will things change as Talladega gets haunted by Halloween, becoming Hallo-Dega?