Category: Hot 20

Thornton’s Hot 20 in NASCAR

Hot 20 – The season’s best driver does not always claim the Cup championship

There is something about having a single win and getting into the Chase. It gives everyone a chance, one that for some would have pretty much been gone in the wind. Kurt Busch is having about as much luck as Danica Patrick right now, but he has his win. If Danica could just get one, somehow, somewhere, she also could launch herself amongst our contenders. It is that simple. Heck, even Josh Wise could make some noise if he could win, and work his way into the Top 30. Everyone in the Top 36, in fact, still has hope, and that might be a good thing. If not, then the debate as to who will be our new champion would be down to talking about no more than nine or ten drivers.

Using today’s point system, but giving the winner 25 points instead of just 3, the Hendrick duo of Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson rise to the top. Yet, should Matt Kenseth take the prize at Pocono on Sunday he would take over the top rung no matter what the other two boys did. Winning has its privileges, and while it is not as generous or as forgiving as the official method, this does offer a truer reflection of who is hot and who is not.

If you are a sponsor of Carl Edwards, Joey Logano, Dale Earnhardt Jr, Kyle Busch, Brad Keselowski, or Kevin Harvick, you should be pleased. At the one-third mark of the season, those drivers and the aforementioned trio have been the most relevant each week, with a nod to Denny Hamlin. He remains close even after having to take an extra week off. Yes, that win does help.

Being the best over the course of the season has never ensured a driver of a championship, no matter what points system or method has been used in the past. Jimmie Johnson (2004), Ryan Newman (2003), Jeff Gordon (1996), Rusty Wallace (1994), Bill Elliott (1985), Darrell Waltrip (1984), and David Pearson (1973) are just the most recent examples. Come to think of it, I wonder how we would look at Newman today had his 8 wins trumped the single victory of Kenseth in determining the crown that season? How would our perceptions have changed in regards to the likes of Kenseth, Kurt Busch, Terry Labonte, and Benny Parsons?

While we will watch each week to see if a win can salvage somebody’s season, to witness which 16 will be eligible for the title, and who gets eliminated from contention over the final ten events, we should try and remember the drivers who gave us cause to watch each and every week. Here are the hot 20 who have done just that this season.

(Win bonus increased from 3 points to 25)

Driver – Points (Wins)
1 Jeff Gordon – 483 (1)
2 Jimmie Johnson – 480 (2)
3 Matt Kenseth – 463
4 Carl Edwards – 460 (1)
5 Joey Logano – 458 – (2)
6 Dale Earnhardt, Jr. – 451 (1)
7 Kyle Busch – 433 (1)
8 Brad Keselowski – 426 (1)
9 Kevin Harvick – 417 (2)
10 Denny Hamlin – 401 (1)
11 Kyle Larson – 377
12 Ryan Newman – 374
13 Brian Vickers – 366
14 Paul Menard – 362
15 Austin Dillon – 358
16 Greg Biffle – 357
17 Clint Bowyer – 350
18 Kasey Kahne – 349
19 Aric Almirola – 344
20 A.J. Allmendinger – 337

June 5, 2014
The Hot 20 – It ain’t over till Johnson wins again at Dover

Jimmie Johnson won last week. The odds are that Johnson will win again this week. Nothing is for sure, but a 33% winning rate anywhere is astronomical and Six Time has done it eight times in 24 attempts in Delaware. At least we will not have to hear his name dropped in the ongoing non-story as to “when, oh when might he win again?”

No, now it will be Matt Kenseth the focal point of these nonsensical hand wringers. We have 14 races to the Chase, 14 more bids for victory to make it. Me thinks it a bit too early to worry about such things, especially when it comes to the former champ. Never in the modern era has more than 16 drivers won prior to race number 27, and considering Kenseth has the second highest point total even without a win he is just fine, for now. Those outside the Top 16, well, they might have cause for worry.

Just what in the world is wrong at Stewart-Haas? Sure, Kevin Harvick has a couple of wins and does well, as long as the car stays together. Kurt Busch has a win, but without it he would be buried in the depths with Tony Stewart and Danica Patrick. We might view Patrick’s body of work and toss her under the bus as just not being good enough, but you cannot do that for Stewart or Busch. Now, if you want to start wailing as to Smoke’s woes and his need for a victory, go right ahead. He will need one. For that matter, what about Clint Bowyer, Jamie McMurray, and Martin Truex Jr? I think it is pretty clear now that none of them can make the Chase on points alone.

I have some sad news to bring to your attention. Soon we will say goodbye to the FOX guys after Dover, as TNT takes over for a six race run before surrendering the coverage to ESPN in late July. Enjoy Chris, Michael, Darrell, Mike, Larry, Jeff and all those infield boys and girls while you can. Savor Adam, Wally, and Kyle when they come our way from June to mid-July. Soon enough it will be back to Allen, Brad, and Rusty, but at least it will be for only one more excruciating season.

By leaving the points alone, other than giving 22 bonus points per win, we see that Jeff Gordon remains our top driver over the season, with Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards in the mix. However, if all goes according to the script at Dover, I would expect the guy in seventh to move up the ladder significantly by the time the weekend comes to a close.

Driver – Points – Wins
1 Jeff Gordon – 454 – 1
2 Kyle Busch – 430 – 1
3 Carl Edwards – 430 – 1
4 Joey Logano – 422 – 2
5 Matt Kenseth – 421
6 Dale Earnhardt, Jr. – 416 – 1
7 Jimmie Johnson – 410 – 1
8 Kevin Harvick – 389 – 2
9 Brad Keselowski – 383 – 1
10 Brian Vickers – 365
11 Denny Hamlin – 362 – 1
12 Ryan Newman – 361
13 Greg Biffle – 351
14 Kyle Larson – 344
15 Austin Dillon – 334
16 Paul Menard – 328
17 Kasey Kahne – 324
18 A.J. Allmendinger – 314
19 Aric Almirola – 312
20 Clint Bowyer – 309

May 29, 2014
Hot 20 – Upon reflection, I believe Wendell Scott is finally getting what he deserved

When we think of a Hall of Fame inductee, we usually think of outstanding performances and career achievements. There are champions, there are race winners, and there are legends. Few should be able to argue against the merits of one so honored, but we do.

For example, there is one inductee that did not have the career boasted by most of his peers. He did not perform as many seasons and did not achieve the successes realized by most of the others. Some believe his inclusion amongst the immortals had more to do with his ability to compete against adversity as much as those he faced on the field of battle. He not only represented those who loved him, but those who shared a common station in life, the same racial traits, and suffered the same prejudice. The fact he was able to compete when others were denied the opportunity, to achieve what others like him could only dream of doing, and to hopefully pave the way for others to succeed gave him entry into the hallowed hall as much as anything one might find in the record of his career.

Of course, I am referring to Jackie Robinson. When he entered Cooperstown in 1962, he could boast of just serving ten seasons in Major League Baseball. He had just 1518 hits, 137 home runs, and stole just 197 bases. When compared to the likes of Ruth, Cobb, Wagner, Gehrig and Williams, or the marks of Aaron, Mays, and Henderson after him, the stat sheet of Jackie Robinson is a rather modest one. However, what he represented when he arrived with the Dodgers at the age of 28 back in 1947, and what he was able to prove, and the pathway he created for those who followed go far beyond hits and runs and stolen bases.

Military service and then baseball’s color barrier contributed to his late start in the Show. Still, Robinson did not waste any time showcasing his talents when he got there. In those ten seasons, he was part of the 1955 World Series champions, played in six fall classics, was a six-time all-star, a Rookie of the Year, and a MVP.

Similar to Robinson’s situation, you did not see men of Wendell Scott’s racial background racing stock cars in the south in the 1950s. That changed on May 23, 1952 when those who ran the Danville, Virginia race of the Dixie circuit thought having a black man compete against the white boys would be a novelty. Scott did not win, he even heard a few boos, but he got hooked. Yet, when he then tried to enter a NASCAR event in one of the lower levels, he discovered that they were not looking for a novelty that day and Scott was denied entry.

Back to the rival circuit he went, winning his first race a dozen days after his career began. When he ran a NASCAR-sanctioned event in Raleigh, North Carolina, in 1954 they paid $15 gas money to all the competitors, except for the one with the darkest skin pigmentation. When he asked NASCAR founder Bill France about that, he was told that he was a NASCAR member and from that point forward he would be treated as such. France reached into his own wallet and took out $30 to make amends.

Scott finally drove at NASCAR’s highest level at the age of 39. In his third season, on December 1, 1963, he made history by winning a Grand National event in Jacksonville, Florida. Probably due to the times, it was Buck Baker who got the trophy that day, even though it was shown that Scott won the race by two laps! His family eventually got the trophy, though it was not until 2010, twenty years after Scott’s passing. Still, it is his name, not Baker’s, in the record books as the winner that day.

Running on a shoestring budget, Wendell Scott ran “just” 495 Grand National events, a total that has him ranked 35th all-time. Over 13 seasons, Scott earned 147 Top Tens, just one less than Junior Johnson. Four times (1966-69) he ranked among the season’s Top Ten, the last time when he was 48 years of age. 182 men have won a Cup race since 1948, and Wendell Scott is among them. Not bad for someone who did not begin his Cup career until he reached the same age Dale Earnhardt Jr is today. Wendell Scott closed his Cup career at the age of 52 when he ran in the National 500 at Charlotte in the fall of 1973. He finished 12th.

Scott, along with Bill Elliott, Fred Lorenzen, Rex White and Joe Weatherly, will take their place among the legends in January. Meanwhile, as the World 600 takes center stage in Charlotte this weekend, we see that the nod for top driver this season goes to future Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon by virtue of his win in Kansas. By awarding 22 additional points per win, we reward those who take the checkered flags while not resorting to gimmicks or Chases to determine who is “the” driver of 2014.

Pos-Driver-Points-Wins
1    Jeff Gordon – 416 pts – 1 win
2   Kyle Busch – 395 – 1 win
3   Joey Logano – 390 – 2 wins
4   Dale Earnhardt, Jr. – 390 – 1 win
5   Carl Edwards – 389 – 1 win
6   Matt Kenseth – 379
7   Brad Keselowski – 348 – 1 win
8   Kevin Harvick – 346 – 2 wins
9   Denny Hamlin – 340 – 1 win
10 Jimmie Johnson – 340
11 Ryan Newman – 332
12 Greg Biffle – 328
13 Brian Vickers – 327
14 Kyle Larson – 318
15 Austin Dillon – 306
16 Kasey Kahne – 294
17 A.J. Allmendinger – 293
18 Paul Menard – 292
19 Marcos Ambrose – 288
20 Clint Bowyer – 282

May 22, 2014
The All-Star Hot 20 is led by its hottest driver; Mr. Johnson, I presume
When it comes to driving for a championship, nobody has done it better this past decade than Jimmie Johnson. Collecting six of the past eight season titles gives a fellow a certain reputation. Add to that four All-Star race victories, and eight Top Fives in just a dozen events, and I think we have discovered our favorite for Saturday night.

Before they just hand over the million bucks, there will be challengers. The 42-year old Jeff Gordon has been in this thing for half of his life. He will be in his 21st event, a competition he has won three times to tie him with Dale Earnhardt for the second most decisions. Eight others taking the auto out for a spin know what it is like to win this Charlotte exhibition once. Carl Edwards has a win in eight attempts, while Matt Kenseth has a single win but has been in the Top Ten in ten of his 13 attempts. Dale Earnhardt Jr won it his first time out in 2000, with his dad by his side in Victory Lane. Since then, he has rang up an additional ten Top Tens himself, to go with the 2012 Showdown to get into the Saturday night feature.

As for the Friday night Showdown this year, Clint Bowyer could well get in to Saturday’s fun by finishing amongst the top two. The fan vote selection could go to Danica Patrick, though rookies Austin Dillon and Kyle Larson should get some well deserved consideration. I would expect one of them to make it by finishing alongside Bowyer at the finish line, if both do not actually find themselves ahead of the veteran at the end.

If you like what you see each and every week, you are in luck. Those very same faces will be under the helmets this weekend, but points matter not and winning means a million reasons to celebrate. History tells us the winner will be a name we might already know, and destined to be one we shall always remember. Let the fun begin.
1. Jimmie Johnson 12 races, 4 wins, 8 top fives, 8 top tens
2. Jeff Gordon 20 races, 3 wins, 6 top fives, 9 top tens
3. Tony Stewart 15 races, 1 win, 8 top fives, 9 top tens
4. Kurt Busch 12 races, 1 win, 5 top fives, 7 top tens
5. Matt Kenseth 13 races, 1 win, 5 top fives, 10 top tens
6. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. 14 races, 1 win, 4 top fives, 11 top tens
7. Carl Edwards 8 races, 1 win, 3 top fives, 5 top tens
8. Ryan Newman 12 races, 1 win, 3 top fives, 7 top tens
9. Kasey Kahne 10 races, 1 win, 2 top fives, 4 top tens
10. Kevin Harvick 13 races, 1 win, 2 top fives, 7 top tens
11. Kyle Busch 8 races, 3 top fives, 4 top tens
12. Joey Logano 3 races, 2 top fives, 3 top tens
13. Denny Hamlin 7 races, 2 top fives, 4 top tens
14. Greg Biffle 10 races, 2 top fives, 3 top tens
15. Brian Vickers 3 races, 1 top five, 1 top ten
16. Martin Truex, Jr. 4 races, 1 top five, 2 top tens
17. Brad Keselowski 5 races, 1 top five, 2 top tens
18. David Ragan 3 races 1 top ten
19. Jamie McMurray 7 races, 2 top tens
20. Danica Patrick 1 race
May 16, 2014
Hot 20 – The [place sponsor name here] 400 in Kansas is where the stars will shine Saturday night
Kansas is not as sexy as Talladega, I admit. It is not a Daytona, a Darlington, and it is no Indianapolis. I think having the race named after a series of sponsors instead of seeking a real identity might have something to do with that. Still, some big names have been among the 16 winners there since they first started up the engines back in 2001.

Jeff Gordon won the first two there, Tony Stewart, Jimmie Johnson, and Matt Kenseth all have a pair. Three years ago, Brad Keselowski made it nine victories for past or future kings of the clutch at the venue. Tony Kanaan won there in 2005, a year after claiming the IndyCar crown. Sam Hornish Jr, who was IndyCar royalty before trying his luck in NASCAR, won there in an open wheel contest. Both Dan Wheldon and Scott Dixon have done it twice. Of ten IndyCar races run at Kansas between 2001 and 2010, the last six were claimed by one who was a champion.

In short, this track is a haven for racing’s blue bloods. Despite its lack of an identity, Saturday night’s NASCAR contest will be claimed by a driver who matters. In fact, of the last 21 Cup and IndyCar races run there, the only non-champions went by such names as Kevin Harvick, Denny Hamlin, and Greg Biffle. That is a trio of pretty damned impressive names, if you ask me. Simply put, the winner this weekend is not going to be Danica Patrick. If she does, then I suggest we start watching her more closely and with an entirely different perspective.

A win at Kansas would do wonders for Stewart, who is sitting winless at 21st in the official standings. Clint Bowyer, Kasey Kahne, and Martin Truex Jr could use the boost, as they are all mired well beyond the 16th and final Chase place.

As for determining simply the best this season, we leave the points untouched other than to reward a race winner 22 additional points. Wins and consistency both have value as we eliminate the need for gimmicks, such as the Chase. Kyle Busch remains out hottest on the year, though Carl Edwards, Dale Earnhardt Jr, Joey Logano, and even the winless duo of Gordon and Kenseth are within 21 points of our leader after ten events. With the gap between first and second each week between 25 and 28 points, either of those latter two would vault to the front by just returning to Victory Lane this Saturday night.
1. Kyle Busch (1 win) 365 points
2. Carl Edwards (1 win) 350
3. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. (1 win) 350
4. Joey Logano (2 wins) 349
5. Jeff Gordon 347
6. Matt Kenseth 344
7. Brad Keselowski (1 win) 316
8. Denny Hamlin (1 win) 314
9. Jimmie Johnson 304
10. Kevin Harvick (2 wins) 300
11. Greg Biffle 300
12. Ryan Newman 299
13. Brian Vickers 297
14. Kyle Larson 286
15. Austin Dillon 281
16. A.J. Allmendinger 279
17. Marcos Ambrose 268
18. Paul Menard 265
19. Clint Bowyer 261
20. Kasey Kahne 252
May 8, 2014
The Hot 20 – Get hot in NASCAR and it costs you $25,000, in the NHL it is 2 minutes
A guy grabs you and pushes you around. The universally accepted response is a punch to the other guy’s head. My dad taught me that, and so I taught my sons. It is a simple case of cause and effect, you push to start a confrontation and a punch usually will end it. Personally, I might remember once where I was so involved.

Casey Mears and Marcos Ambrose are not known for it. Neither are Jeff Gordon and Jeff Burton, but it happens. Mears got $15,000 for shoving, Ambrose $25,000 for punching, and both got a month’s probation. In hockey, what they did was worthy of a two minute roughing penalty, but “have at it boys” seems to be much more genteel than we once thought. Genteel, as in free from rudeness or vulgarity. My favorite definition, though, is “marked by false delicacy, prudery, or affectation.” This is NASCAR. If what took place after the Richmond race is worthy of $40,000 in fines, Lord knows what a real donnybrook might be worth.

Genteel is something no one has ever accused Juan Pablo Montoya as being. I remember his on-track discussion with Kevin Harvick at Watkins Glen back in 2007. Montoya has a Top Five to show for his first three starts back in IndyCar this season, and NASCAR fans get to see him back in a stock car soon enough. In June, he will drive for Penske at Michigan, and again in July in the Brickyard 400. I sure hope he acts like a gentleman. We would not want any of our sensitivities upset by any form of rudeness.

Do you remember Dale Earnhardt’s last race and his one finger salute to rookie Kurt Busch? I guess the Intimidator was just being welcoming and couldn’t get those other four fingers through the window net.

This is the year where wins mean damn near everything. It seems no one told Jeff Gordon, who remains the steadiest driver thus far in 2014 and he was not picked up a single victory as of yet. Heck, Matt Kenseth does not seem to be hurting as we head to Talladega, even though he also has not shaken the bubbly post-race. Even taking into account our extra 22 point bonus for winning (up to a max of 70 points for a win) both Gordon and Kenseth are doing just fine to remain among our top drivers of the season.

Position – Points -Driver
1. 341 Jeff Gordon
2. 336 Joey Logano – 2 WINS
3. 336 Matt Kenseth
4. 335 Carl Edwards – 1 WIN
5. 332 Kyle Busch – 1 WIN
6. 331 Dale Earnhardt, Jr. – 1 WIN
7. 309 Brad Keselowski – 1 WIN
8. 282 Jimmie Johnson
9. 272 Ryan Newman
10. 264 Kevin Harvick – 2 WINS
11. 256 Greg Biffle
12. 256 Brian Vickers
13. 252 Austin Dillon
14. 251 Kyle Larson
15. 245 Denny Hamlin
16. 243 Tony Stewart
17. 242 Marcos Ambrose
18. 240 A.J. Allmendinger
19. 226 Jamie McMurray
20. 226 Paul Menard
May 1, 2014
Hot 20 – The battle of the rookies was always going to be a two man battle

A week off, and some time to think. You have to know nothing good can come of that. Still, there are a few things worth observing.

For example, there are only two drivers in the battle for the year’s top rookie. That has always been the case in 2014. The top gun was going to be either Austin Dillon or Kyle Larson. They had the equipment, the others did not. It is sad that financial woes have messed with the cars of Cole Whitt and especially for the now parked Parker Kligerman, for I enjoyed the battle between the young drivers with the underfunded teams. Anyone notice that while Justin Allgaier is 27th in points, Harry Scott’s driver is ahead of both Martin Truex Jr and Danica Patrick?

So, what happened to Furniture Row Racing? I know Kurt Busch is gone, but Martin Truex Jr is not exactly hamburger helper. No Top Tens, a couple of Top 20’s, and the rest are way back in Danicaland. Thus far he has experienced a blown engine, suffered from a lack of grip, got bit by pit strategy, had to repair a cracked splitter, paid the price for speeding on pit row, lacked forward bite, and then got bit by the fence at Darlington. In short, most of their problems have been of their own making. Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch have not had stellar results either, but their victories come with a lot of forgiveness. There are some who might make the Chase even without a win. Truex is not one of them.

Chase Elliott finished 15th at Daytona in the Nationwide opener, just behind Matt Kenseth. He finished 5th at Las Vegas, just behind Dale Earnhardt Jr. Elliott was 6th at Fontana, just ahead of Kenseth. He won at Texas, ahead of Kyle Busch, Larson, Harvick, Earnhardt, and Kenseth. When he won at Darlington, it was Elliott Sadler behind him, with the Cup regulars beyond that in the rear view. Some think Chase Elliott might be the next big deal. I think he already is.

Some are ringing their hands over the fact Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, and Kenseth have not won a race yet this season. Here is a news flash: of the 16 drivers who won during the 2013 campaign, only five have claimed the prize this season. Four of the 16 did not even win a single race until the start of the Chase. That might mean the point standings of Gordon, Kenseth, and Johnson might actually hold up on their own to provide a berth. Just eight races in, this isn’t a storyline worth following.

When will NASCAR adopt this system of awarding up to 70 points per win and dumping the Chase? Never. However, as we are seeking “the” driver of the year rather than a champion, it does not matter. So far, Carl Edwards, Gordon, Kenseth, Junior, and Kyle Busch have been our most dominant in 2014. As for Harvick, two wins gets him back in the conversation, but four finishes beyond 35th leaves him among the also rans to this point.

1-Carl Edwards – 300 pts (1 win)
2-Jeff Gordon – 297 pts
3-Matt Kenseth – 296 pts
4-Dale Earnhardt Jr – 293 pts (1 win)
5-Kyle Busch – 291 pts (1 win)
6-Jimmie Johnson – 270 pts
7-Brad Keselowski – 268 pts
8-Joey Logano – 267 pts
9-Ryan Newman – 236 pts
10-Austin Dillon – 235 pts
11-Kevin Harvick – 230 pts (2 wins)
12-Greg Biffle – 227 pts
13-Brian Vickers – 224 pts
13-Tony Stewart – 224 pts
15-Denny Hamlin – 223 pts
15-Kyle Larson – 223 pts
17- Clint Bowyer – 219 pts
18-Marcos Ambrose – 216 pts
19–Paul Menard – 206 pts
20–A.J. Allmendinger – 202 pts

April 24, 2014

Hot 20 – If baseball has the Mendoza Line, surely NASCAR can have the Danica Line

Mario Mendoza is a member of the Mexican Baseball League’s Hall of Fame, yet his legacy in the Major Leagues is not as illustrious. In fact, when one measures how competent a batsmen has been throughout a season and, indeed, his MLB career, the Mendoza Line is one players strive not to fall below. It began as a club house joke; hit below .200 and one has fallen below the Mendoza Line. Though he hit .215 over parts of nine Big League campaigns, in five of them Mendoza hit under .200.

NASCAR has something similar, though unlike baseball’s this is a floating standard. It all comes down to where Danica Patrick falls in the points. Record fewer points than she has, well, you have fallen below the Danica Line. Why Danica, some might ask? She arrived on the scene with tons of hoop-la, buckets of sponsorship cash, and drives top flight equipment, yet her on-track results have been anything but stellar. Heading into Darlington, her average finish in 53 Cup races is worse than 26^th. Even in 61 Nationwide races, it took a good day to even crack the Top 20. Sunday at Texas, she was 27^th.

Granted, that means Dale Earnhardt Jr, Kevin Harvick, and Kurt Busch all finished below the Danica Line on that day, finishing 43^rd,42^nd, and 39^th respectively. However, of the other 13 cars that finished behind her, I would wager that each and every one of those drivers would have given their eye teeth to have been able to be in her car instead of their own.

For Kevin Harvick, the new points system, where wins trump points, has been a real blessing. If NASCAR had gone with my idea of giving 22 additional points for victories and tossing out the Chase, he would have become somewhat irrelevant already, a Phoenix win or not.

Here is a look at our most dominant hot 20 drivers this season, and where the Danica Line is set coming in to the Southern 500 in Darlington on Saturday night.

	Driver	Races	Win	Points	LW
1	Carl Edwards	7	1	269	2
2	Jeff Gordon	7	0	259	4
3	Joey Logano	7	1	257	8
4	Matt Kenseth	7	0	255	3
5	Kyle Busch	7	1	253	5
6	Dale Earnhardt, Jr.	7	1	250	1
7	Brad Keselowski	7	1	240	6
8	Jimmie Johnson	7	0	228	7
9	Brian Vickers	7	0	205	14
10	Paul Menard	7	0	203	12
11	Ryan Newman	7	0	202	10
12	Austin Dillon	7	0	202	9
13	Denny Hamlin	6	0	197	13
14	Tony Stewart	7	0	189	17
15	Kyle Larson	7	0	187	NR
16	Greg Biffle	7	0	187	20
17	Clint Bowyer	7	0	187	19
18	Marcos Ambrose	7	0	186	15
19	Kasey Kahne	7	0	178	NR
20	Kurt Busch	7	1	173	11
21	A.J. Allmendinger	7	0	173	18

22	Jamie McMurray	7	0	167
23	Aric Almirola	7	0	164
24	Casey Mears	7	0	162
25	Ricky Stenhouse, Jr.	7	0	154
26	Kevin Harvick	7	1	150
27	Martin Truex, Jr.	7	0	131
28	Justin Allgaier	7	0	129
29	*Danica Patrick*	7	0	*121*
30	Reed Sorenson	7	0	113
31	David Gilliland	7	0	107
32	Michael Annett	7	0	103
33	Cole Whitt	7	0	99
34	David Ragan	7	0	94
35	Alex Bowman	7	0	85
36	Josh Wise	6	0	67
37	Travis Kvapil	6	0	52
38	Ryan Truex	5	0	47
39	Michael McDowell	5	0	40
40	Parker Kligerman	7	0	40

April 10, 2014

Hot 20 – Ducks and guns and controversy, it must mean we’re going to Texas

Last year, it was the NRA. This year the Texas race is brought to you courtesy of Duck Commander, representing the first family of Duck Dynasty. While some might be a touch torqued to have another gun-endorsing group as a sponsor, I find it less offensive than, say, Chick-Fil-A. The sponsor pays for name placement, but should not take over the identity of the event in total. I think any affair named exclusively after its sponsor of the moment does injustice to the event in the long-term. The Peach Bowl had tradition, the Chick-Fil-A Bowl was a joke. Its return to becoming the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl is an acceptable nod to both tradition and commercialism.

There is the case of Thai boxer Somboon Phantasi, also known as Samson Dutch Boy Gym, Samson 3-K Battery, Samson Toyota-Thailand and Samson Elite Gym, or whoever his sponsor happened to be at that moment. It could have been worse, but thankfully there was no Samson Chick-Fil-A. It is, or was, an honor to win such milestone events as the Daytona 500, the Southern 500, the Brickyard 400, the Firecracker 400, the World 600, the Dixie 500, the Volunteer 500, the Delaware 500, the Old Dominion 500, the Pocono 500, the Richmond 400, and the Talladega 500. These were races that had their own, distinct identity. Races a winning driver could refer to proudly in future years, events fans might actually know something about and appreciate. You could even have pride in taking the Viagra Daytona 500, though the sponsor name might not appear on the resume. Something like the Duck Commander Texas 500 has a nice ring to it. If you do not like the sponsor, just refer to it by its real name and all will be happy.

Our thoughts are with Jimmie Johnson and his wife Chandra, following the loss of her brother in a sky diving accident last Sunday. Jordan Janway was just 27 years old.

It is official. The troubles experienced by teams at Martinsville were not the fault of Goodyear but were, in fact, self inflicted. NASCAR will not be regulating tire pressures at Texas. Six different drivers have won this season, though a repeat of last spring would give Kyle Busch his second of 2014.

Tradition once gave the best on the season the championship in NASCAR. Even so, some might suggest that Matt Kenseth’s 2003 title was something of an upset considering the eight wins that season of Ryan Newman. With the new knockout format this year, the odds of an upset champion are even greater. It would not exactly be unique in sports should that happen. The Giants beat the up to then undefeated Patriots in the 2008 Super Bowl, the Mets beat the Orioles in the 1969 World Series, and the USA eliminated the Soviet Union in Olympic hockey in 1980. Heading to Homestead, we will only know that one of four drivers will take the prize by the end of the day, and the season’s most dominant driver might not even be among them.

However, if we sought out “the” driver of 2014, gave race winners 22 additional points, up to 69 or 70, and eliminated the Chase, this is what our hot 20 would look like heading into Texas.

	Driver	Races	Wins	Points
1	Dale Earnhardt, Jr.	6	1	249
2	Carl Edwards	6	1	239
3	Matt Kenseth	6	0	218
4	Jeff Gordon	6	0	216
5	Kyle Busch	6	1	211
6	Brad Keselowski	6	1	210
7	Jimmie Johnson	6	0	209
8	Joey Logano	6	0	187
9	Austin Dillon	6	0	179
10	Ryan Newman	6	0	174
11	Kurt Busch	6	1	168
12	Paul Menard	6	0	168
13	Denny Hamlin	5	0	165
14	Brian Vickers	6	0	165
15	Marcos Ambrose	6	0	162
16	Kevin Harvick	6	1	157
17	Tony Stewart	6	0	154
18	A.J. Allmendinger	6	0	152
19	Clint Bowyer	6	0	150
20	Greg Biffle	6	0	149

April 3, 2014

Hot 20 – As Jeff Gordon experiences an interesting week, we remember Lynda Petty

I guess Jeff Gordon had reason to be somewhat hot this past week. Last Sunday, he came within a Clint Bowyer spin of taking the prize in California. Then, a satirical website came out with a story of Gordon coming out, admitting to dating an openly gay fellow, and “reporting” on the outrage of some fans at the “news.” I guess this comes with being the second prettiest driver in NASCAR, though the fact he has two kids with one of the prettiest spouses in NASCAR should be a hint that happy he may be, gay he is not.

One thing Gordon is, and that is the best driver in Cup who thus far has yet to register a win this season. Matt Kenseth and Jimmie Johnson are in the ball park. Even though Kevin Harvick may have won at Phoenix he finds his stock plunging. Three races he has looked good, at least the first few chapters, then someone rips out the final few pages to leave him with finishes of 41^st, 39^th, and 36^th. While the official standings might have him sitting fifth, last among those with a victory to their credit, he is nowhere to be found in anybody’s Top 20 finishers when it comes to accumulated points.

Every method of determining a champion has its critics. While we await reaction to this year’s elimination rounds, most remember that Matt Kenseth won the title in 2003 but fewer remember that Ryan Newman won eight races that year. The points system in place did not really reward him for the effort. Still, that in no way diminishes Kenseth’s crown or the six Johnson has claimed since the Chase was instituted. It may alter who we think of as being the best over any one campaign, but in the long run the cream always rises to the top.

Richard Petty may have become the King due to his seven championships and 200 victories, but this week we mourn the loss of his queen. Lynda and Richard were married in 1959, and it probably is not a coincidence that it was the next year her husband began to win his first races. While Richard ruled the tracks, it was Lynda who ruled the roost. She was even the family disciplinarian. On that subject, a few years ago she said that you could ask her son “‘Did your daddy ever whip you?’ and he’d say, ‘No, but my mother wailed the daylights out of me.’ ” She had her causes that she was passionate about, but none were as important to her than her family. We join with the entire NASCAR family in remembering Lynda Petty.

If we returned to former days when there was no Chase, if we used today’s points system but winners were rewarded with 69 to 70 points, and we determined our champion over 36 races, this is how our Hot 20 standings would look like as the action heads to Martinsville for this Sunday.

	Driver	Races	Win	Points
1	Carl Edwards	5	1	208
2	Dale Earnhardt, Jr.	5	1	207
3	Brad Keselowski	5	1	204
4	Jeff Gordon	5	0	184
5	Kyle Busch	5	1	180
6	Matt Kenseth	5	0	179
7	Jimmie Johnson	5	0	165
8	Ryan Newman	5	0	150
9	Austin Dillon	5	0	150
10	Joey Logano	5	0	146
11	Denny Hamlin	4	0	140
12	Jamie McMurray	5	0	138
13	Brian Vickers	5	0	137
14	Paul Menard	5	0	134
15	Ricky Stenhouse, Jr.	5	0	132
16	Kyle Larson	5	0	131
17	Tony Stewart	5	0	127
18	Casey Mears	5	0	126
19	Kasey Kahne	5	0	123
20	Greg Biffle	5	0	122
21	Marcos Ambrose	5	0	122

March 27, 2014