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  • RCR Brings Force to Reckon With in Nationwide Series

    RCR Brings Force to Reckon With in Nationwide Series

    [media-credit name=”Simon Scoggins” align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]The headlines were going crazy last season when Kevin Harvick Incorporated (KHI) announced that it was closing its doors at the conclusion of 2011. The result of that closure saw KHI’s Nationwide Series program be put under Richard Childress Racing.

    The merger was met with some questions, however, they have been quickly answered this far into the season. After the second race of the season, Elliott Sadler leads the point standings, 10 points over rookie teammate Austin Dillon. Sadler won the last race at Phoenix International Speedway while Dillon and Kevin Harvick finished fourth and fifth, respectively.

    The win marked a special win for Sadler as he hadn’t been to victory lane in one of NASCAR’s top three divisions since 2010 in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. The win also marked a bit of revenge for last year as despite finishing second in points, the season was considered disappointing due to no victories.

    One of the first moves that was made when Sadler made the shift from KHI to RCR was a change in his crew chief. Richard Childress partnered Sadler with Luke Lambert, who was the crew chief for Clint Bowyer last year in the Sprint Cup Series. Childress felt the partnership was perfect based on what he saw Sadler needed in a crew chief and how Lambert could benefit from a couple seasons spent in Nationwide.

    Sadler now hopes to carry the momentum from the win into Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

    “Momentum is huge in this sport,” he said. “Our team is so strong and so focused that I know the win last week at Phoenix will just add to our drive. We have one goal, and that is to win the championship, and I think this week we will continue to go along with our game plan. It was such a great feeling to be in Victory Lane, and I am so proud of our team and excited to home a win for OneMain Financial and Richard Childress Richard Childress.”

    The win marked some reassurance for Sadler as he was at first concerned when Harvick told him of the switch.

    “When Kevin first came to me and said, ‘Look, I’m going to sell my team to Richard. We’re going to run the team out of his shop’. I said, ‘Where is that going to leave me?’,” Sadler explained. “He said, ‘Elliott, the last time I ran for RCR, we won 13 races. You’re going to be okay.’

    “When you’re affiliated with the Cup teams and the simulation programs that they have and when you’re on the same campus, you feed off of it. We race against the Cup affiliated teams all the time – Roush and Gibbs – so it just puts us on an even playing field.”

    In the past couple of years, the Nationwide Series has been dominated by Roush Racing, Penske Racing and Joe Gibbs Racing – all three teams having a cup affiliation.

    “I think Kevin and Delana did a great job with the Nationwide,” Childress commented after Phoenix. “But running against what Jack, Gibbs, Penske have, they weren’t quite there and that was the difference. I think Kevin once he saw that, wanted to come back. I think the difference is having a cup affiliation. I had the Cup crew chiefs scanning the three radios telling me what was going on. Now that we’re back in Nationwide, I think it helps back to the Cup due to the cars being so similar except for the motor.”

    The success now puts pressure on the team to keep it going, as stated by Brendan Gaughan, who will run his first Nationwide race of the season.

    “I’m really excited to race for such a great organization,” he said in the team preview. “The only downside, if there is one, is that now it’s my turn to keep the hot streak going that RCR has started off the season with.”

    As the season continues, there’s no question there will be a continued battle between Joe Gibbs Racing, Jack Roush, Roger Penske and Richard Childress for the championships. It’ll all be about who can put the best package together, and right now, Childress looks to have the upper hand. It’s also known that this isn’t his first rodeo as he has won five championships in the Nationwide Series.

  • NOTES FROM THE NASCAR NATION: WHO’S GOING TO CASH IN AT LAS VEGAS?

    NOTES FROM THE NASCAR NATION: WHO’S GOING TO CASH IN AT LAS VEGAS?

    [media-credit name=”Simon Scoggins” align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]All eyes with be on the bright lights of Las Vegas when the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series makes its annual visit, to the city that never sleeps, for Sunday’s running of the Kobalt Tools 400. NASCAR racing at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway offers features a blend of hard racing to the checkers combined with the element of fuel mileage and who saved enough of the finish.

    It’s also about a massive amount of fun for the fans. From the special events waiting for them at the speedway to the shows and the casinos, let’s face it: Las Vegas and NASCAR simply belongs in the same sentence. Don’t be too surprised if you look over and see one of your favorite Sprint Cup drivers sitting at a slot machine next to you.

    THE STORY BREAKDOWN

    One of the major stories you will hear about this weekend is “penalty watch.” We’re all still waiting to see how the appeal process will turn out for Jimmie Johnson’s #48 team. It’s been well documented that Daytona was a disaster for this five time championship team. Between the lap two crash and the harsh penalties from failing a tech inspection, this team began the 2012 season standing in a very large hole.

    But these distractions clearly has not impacted Jimmie Johnson’s ability to focus on the task at hand. He proved that with a strong run at Phoenix last week that elevated the team from 44th to 37th in the points standings. Had it not been for a pit road situation, involving a loose wheel, he likely would have won the Phoenix event.  He’s heavily favored to win the Las Vegas race and still favored to win the championship despite the Daytona disaster.

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    If a strong sense of human emotion still means anything in NASCAR racing, then Jeff Gordon has 20 great reasons to win at Las Vegas this Sunday. It’s the 20th anniversary of the marketing team of Gordon and Dupont Automotive Finishes. Gordon’s #24 Chevrolet will be adorned by a special paint scheme this weekend, created by NASCAR artist Sam Bass, to commemorate the occasion.

    It was believed by many that Dupont took a Las Vegas sized gamble when they signed with Gordon back in 1992. That was 85 Sprint Cup wins and four NASCAR championships ago. Apparently the gamble paid off in a very big way.

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    2012 also marks the 25th anniversary of team owner Jack Roush in NASCAR racing and, after winning at Daytona with Matt Kenseth, this special occasion is off to a special start. It could get better because Roush Fenway Racing has some phenomenal numbers at Las Vegas. In 14 Sprint Cup events, held there, RFR drivers have won seven of them.

    Roush driver Carl Edwards is the defending race champion. It’s also the last time this driver has found victory lane. Edwards is heavily favored to end that year long win less streak this Sunday.

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    If fuel mileage becomes an issue at Las Vegas, and it wouldn’t be the first time if it did, then expect to see a variation from the traditional approach to saving fuel due to the presence of the new electronic fuel injection, (EFI), engines. After what Tony Stewart went through last weekend at Phoenix, it’s a safe bet that no one is going to try the traditional turn the engine off and on maneuver. It seems that the EFI electronic system just can’t handle that.

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    THE LAS VEGAS BREAKDOWN

    So, who’s going to cash in at Las Vegas and who’s going to tap out? For the answer to that question we turn to the professional Las Vegas number crunchers from the World Sports Exchange, (WSE).

    Topping the WSE list is the aforementioned Jimmie Johnson at 6 to 1 odds. Let’s face it, this driver has Las Vegas numbers to beat. That includes a series high four wins along with four top five finishes and five top tens along with a very healthy average finish ratio, (AFR) of 10.6. By the way, Johnson also tops the WSE list as their favorite to win his sixth Sprint Cup championship.

    He needs to improve his points situation, 37th, following the season opener at Daytona. The other motivation here for Johnson is the fact that his long time primary sponsor, Kobalt Tools, is also the race sponsor. That tends to make a driver dig a little harder for the win. He also wants to be the one to give team owner Rick Hendrick his 200th Sprint Cup win.

    Joining Johnson at 6 to 1 odds is the Las Vegas hometown hero Kyle Busch. The youngest Busch brother, ranked ninth in the points standings, also brings some impressive Las Vegas numbers to the table that includes two wins, two top fives and three top tens in eight starts. He also has a decent AFR of 15.0 at his home track.

    At 7 to 1 is Carl Edwards who is absolutely a pre race favorite as well as the defending race winner. Ranked seventh in the current points, Edwards has some great numbers at Las Vegas including two wins, two top fives, three top tens and a healthy AFR of 11.0. Also remember that Edwards drives a Roush Fenway Ford and that team seems to excel at Las Vegas.

    The WSE has Tony Stewart listed at 8 to 1 who’s 15th in the points due to the aforementioned fuel mileage move at Phoenix last weekend. “Smoke” is still seeking his first win at Las Vegas but does have five top fives and eight top tens. He also has a 13.8 AFR. His Steve Addington led team is expected to be strong again this weekend and, at 8 to 1, Stewart is another rock solid wager consideration.

    Next on the WSE’s list is the dynamic duo of Jeff Gordon and Kevin Harvick at 10 to 1 odds. Again, Gordon would love to get his second win at Las Vegas in honor of Dupont’s 20th anniversary with his team. Like his team mate, Johnson, he also wants to be the one to give the boss that important 200th win. It’s no secret that Rick Hendrick has been transporting a large bag of racing caps, commemorating win number 200, for quite some time and Gordon would love to pass those hats out while his car is parked in victory lane. Gordon is currently ranked 22nd in the standings, due to a blown engine at Daytona, and he’ll want to improve that situation. He has six top fives at Las Vegas and a 14.9 AFR. He also has a series leading driver rating of 112.1 there.

    Kevin Harvick is off to a solid start in the still young 2012 season and is ranked third in the points. He’s still seeking his first win at Las Vegas, but he does have three top fives, four top tens and a 13.2 AFR. Here’s yet another driver and team that’s wager worthy.

    At 12 to 1 odds you will find the highly interesting duo of Kasey Kahne and Matt Kenseth. As the newest member of Hendrick Motorsports, Kasey Kahne’s bad luck, in the first two events of the season, has him at a disappointing 32nd in the points. However, when you combine this driver with long time crew chief Kenny Francis along with the resources from Rick Hendrick, there’s no reason why they shouldn’t turn into a super team. Kahne is also looking for his first visit to the Las Vegas victory lane. He has two previous top five finishes and a 14.9 AFR.  If you’re into long shot wagers, then Kasey Kahne is worthy of your consideration. The law of averages says the bad luck mini streak has to turn around somewhere and it might be at Las Vegas.

    The fact that Matt Kenseth is rated at 12 to 1 seems rather surprising because of the past numbers he’s compiled at Las Vegas. He’s a two time winner there with five top fives, six top tens and a very healthy 11.7 AFR. He’s currently fourth in the points and is still carrying the momentum from winning his second Daytona 500 last month. He’s also driving one of those powerful Roush Fenway Racing Fords who has won seven of the 14 Cup races at Las Vegas. This is an outstanding long shot wager consideration because, at 12 to 1 odds, Kenseth is highly capable of becoming a Las Vegas bookie’s worst nightmare.

    Looking now at the WSE’s middle tier, Greg Biffle leads a trio of drivers at 20 to 1. Biffle is off to a great start this year and is currently ranked second in the points. He also another member of that powerful Roush Fenway Racing organization.

    Also in the 20 to 1 group is fan favorite Dale Earnhardt Jr who is also seeking his first win at Las Vegas. Then again, Earnhardt simply wants to rid himself of that troublesome win less streak that dates back to 2008. He also would like to be the driver that gives Rick Hendrick that 200th win.

    Also in this 20 to 1 group is Brad Keselowski. He’s only had three starts at Las Vegas and is still seeking his first top ten finish there. He’s ranked this high because he’s “Bad Brad” and, on any given weekend, he’s more than capable of surprising us all.

    Turning now to the WSE’s lower tier, the trio of Martin Truex Jr, Ryan Newman and A J Allmendinger are rated at 30 to 1. At 35 to 1 you will find another trio led by Clint Bowyer along with Las Vegas home town hero Kurt Busch and previous Las Vegas winner Mark Martin.

    The WSE Las Vegas rankings closes with a 40 to 1 trio led by two time Las Vegas winner Jeff Burton along with Juan Pablo Montoya and Joey Logano.

    If you do not see your favorite driver’s name on this week’s WSE rankings then they are automatically ranked at 8 to 1 odds. Surprisingly, this includes the name of Denny Hamlin who won last weekend’s race at Phoenix, currently leads the Sprint Cup points standings and has a healthy 11.7 AFR at Las Vegas. Also, let’s consider that the team of Hamlin and new crew chief Darian Grubb is off to a very strong start this year. That alone makes Hamlin a strong wager consideration.

    Now for the disclaimer: NASCAR wants us to remind you that these odds rankings should be viewed for informational and entertainment purposes only. They neither encourage, nor condone, the placing of wagers on their races.

    Not meaning to be overly sarcastic here, but that’s a very tough point to sell when the race is being held at Las Vegas.

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    THE RACE BREAKDOWN

    The Kobalt Tools 400 will be 267 laps/400.5 miles around the Las Vegas Motor Speedway’s 1.5 mile oval.

    The race has 45 entries vying for the 43 starting berths. Ten of those entries are on the go or go home list. These teams are not guaranteed a starting berth because they are currently outside of NASCAR’s top 35 in owner’s points. These ten teams will have to depend solely on qualifying speeds to make Sunday’s race.

    The Las Vegas Motor Speedway was officially opened in 1996. The first NASCAR sanctioned race, a K&N Pro Series West event, was held in November of that year and was won by Ken Schrader. The first Las Vegas Sprint Cup event was held in 1998 and was won by Mark Martin. Since that time there has been 14 Sprint Cup races held at Las Vegas that has sent eight different winners to victory lane. Jimmie Johnson tops the win list with four. Jeff Burton, Carl Edwards and Matt Kenseth each have two wins at the speedway. Roush Fenway Racing tops the team win chart and has won seven of the 14 Cup races at Las Vegas including the first three races in a row.

    Track position is always going to be a valuable commodity in any NASCAR Sprint Cup race and that also applies to racing at Las Vegas. Matt Kenseth holds the track qualifying record, 188.884 MPH, set in March of last year. Kyle Busch was the first driver to score a Las Vegas win from the pole position back in 2009. Six of the 14 Las Vegas Cup races have been won from starting positions within the top ten while four have been won from starting berths outside of the top twenty.

    The speedway was reconfigured, to include progressive banking, in 2006. The four corners are now banked at 20 degrees. The front stretch, measuring 2,275 feet long, and the backstretch, 1,572 feet, each have nine degrees of banking. The speedway presently has grandstand seating to accommodate 142,000 plus fans.

    Weather is not expected to be any concern regarding Sunday’s race. The Las Vegas weekend forecast calls for sunny skies with daytime highs between 72 and 75 degrees.

    A NASCAR weekend in Las Vegas is famous for a high number of driver meet and greet with the fans. Dial up www.lvms.com for all of the details.

    The Kobalt Tools 400 will be broadcast live by Fox Sports beginning with the pre race show at 230 pm eastern time. The race re-broadcast will be on Wednesday, March 14th, on SPEED beginning at 1230 pm et. PRN, Performance Racing Network and Sirius XM Satellite NASCAR Radio Channel 90 will carry the live radio broadcast of the race.

    Make sure you reset your clocks, one hour forward, this weekend. Whether you’re going to be attending the race at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, or watching on television, you will not want to miss a single lap of the Kobalt Tools 400.

  • Mark Martin and Martin Truex Jr. lead a resurgent MWR into Las Vegas

    Mark Martin and Martin Truex Jr. lead a resurgent MWR into Las Vegas

    [media-credit name=”Simon Scoggins” align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]For Mark Martin the 2012 season is about mixing success in with having fun during his limited schedule. For Martin Truex Jr. the 2012 season is about revisiting the winner’s circle in hopes of contending for a championship.

    Sunday in Phoenix the Michael Waltrip Racing drivers took a big step in the right direction. The 53-year-old Martin started on the pole for the 52nd time in his career and in his second race with MWR. The No. 40 Aaron’s Dream Machine had failed to qualify in Daytona with team owner Michael Waltrip behind the wheel but all was forgotten thanks to Martin.

    Truex on the other hand started 25th in his No. 56 NAPA Filters Toyota. But he and Martin made their presence known at the front of field. Martin led lap one from the pole before finding a comfortable spot inside to the top 10.

    He never ventured far from the top spot and during the second half of the race found himself back in the top three but it was Truex who held the lead. As Martin ran the fastest laps on the track and climbed toward the front, Truex was using pit strategy to lead laps.

    In the end though, track position and electronic fuel injection (EFI) problems took away their shot of winning. Truex brought home a solid seventh and Martin followed close behind in ninth.

    “It was a good day for our NAPA Filters Toyota,” said Truex. “We fought track position all day long. Finally at the end we had a little bit better tires than some of the guys and knew we could make it on fuel and were able to go the distance there, so that helped a little bit.

    “We were just really fast at the end on new tires. We were able to get the lead and with no tires and 20 lap tires were able to check out and leave them. It’s just a shame we had to pit. I’m not sure how those guys made it – there’s no way we have made it from there. We’ll work on that. I’m really pleased with the team and the car. We fought hard all day and got us a good finish.”

    Truex found it hard to pass on Sunday but when his No. 56 was in clean air he was as fast as the best cars on the track. Truex said it was fun to be able to drive away from Kevin Harvick, who had led a race high 88 laps.

    And more importantly for Truex, he was proud of his team. A downfall of theirs last year was a strong start only to sputter to the finish. On Sunday they were able to come from behind and make their differing strategy work and earn them the finish they deserved.

    Martin on the other hand, in his first race with MWR in what’s expected to be a 25-race season, started off right with a pole and ended it right with a top 10 finish. Not yet ready to retire he comes to MWR from Hendrick Motorsports where he won races and finished second in the 2009 championship.

    But now he’s back to running a limited schedule, much like he did when he was at Ginn Racing and Dale Earnhardt Inc. in 2007 and 2008. Still with the fire to compete, Martin just wants to win and have fun as he continues his transition through the sport.

    “Proud of the effort and any time you get a top 10 with this group of guys, you have to say it’s a reasonable run,” Martin said. “We had a little more than that, maybe not quite enough to win, but definitely a shot at a top five.”

    Only the start of a long season, Sunday in Phoenix left two of the three MWR drivers excited about what’s ahead. Clint Bowyer’s day ended early when he a blew a tire and had to come down pit road. Just laps later the same happened and this time it sent Bowyer into the turn four wall. He finished 30th and sits 17th in points.

    Next comes the Kobalt Tools 400 at Las Vegas where Truex has never won but Martin has visited victory lane in both the Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series. They sit sixth and seventh in points respectively.

    “I’m proud to drive these things and looking forward to the rest of the year with cars that have speed like this,” said Truex.

    Martin shared in his teammates excitement about what MWR has and what was to come. Optimism is the word Martin used, saying things look good.

    “Kudos to Michael Waltrip Racing,” Martin said. “This is going to be a lot of fun.”

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Phoenix

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Phoenix

    [media-credit name=”Simon Scoggins” align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin zoomed to the lead on a restart with 59 laps to go at Phoenix, and held off Kevin Harvick, who ran out of gas, to win the Subway Fresh Fit 500. It was Hamlin’s first win since last June at Michigan and first under new crew chief Darian Grubb. Hamlin now leads the Sprint Cup point standings with a six point lead over Greg Biffle.

    “We’ve got a ton of confidence,” Hamlin said. “And, surprisingly, so does Jimmie Johnson. The last time I left Phoenix with the points lead, Johnson won the Sprint Cup title.

    “I’d like to thank Toyota for giving me a strong engine. The car from ‘The Land Of The Rising Sun’ won in the ‘Valley Of The Sun.’”

    2. Kevin Harvick: Harvick’s charge to overtake Denny Hamlin came to a halt when he ran out of gas on the final lap at Phoenix International Raceway. Harvick still finished second, and is third in the point standings, eight behind Hamlin.

    “Hamlin knew I was coming,” Harvick said. “This father-to-be was getting ready to say ‘Who’s your daddy?’ That may have very well been Hamlin’s first ‘pregnancy scare.’ There’s a bun in the oven. Luckily for Hamlin, there was no gas in the tank.

    “But better to lose to Hamlin than Kyle Busch. I’ve had my differences with Busch in the past, but I now realize we’ll soon have one thing in common: we’ll both have ‘Baby On Board’ stickers on our cars.”

    3. Greg Biffle: Biffle backed up his third at Daytona with an equally-impressive third in the Subway Fresh Fit 500. He stands second in the Sprint Cup point standings, six behind Denny Hamlin.

    “I’ll take third-place any day,” Biffle said. “As a teammate of Matt Kenseth and Carl Edwards, I’m quite used to saying ‘There are two drivers better than me.’”

    4. Matt Kenseth: Daytona 500 winner Kenseth finished 13th at Phoenix after a crash in practice forced him to resort to a backup car. He now sits fourth in the point standings, 10 points out of first.

    “Despite a subpar finish at Phoenix,” Kenseth said, “I can’t complain. I’ve won the Daytona 500 and appeared on The Tonight Show. Surely, rumors of a relationship with Kim Kardashian are sure to follow. Even as a driver comfortable with speeds of 200 miles per hour, people will still be amazed at how quickly I deny those rumors. But not before I make the requisite ‘loose in the tail’ and ‘running out of talent’ jokes.”

    5. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski shook off a disappointing finish at Daytona to post a solid finish at Phoenix, charging from the 28th starting position to finish fifth.

    “Luckily,” Keselowski said, “I have a car owner who supports my use of Twitter. Roger Penske is all for short, concise tweets from my phone. Ironically, he encourages me to be ‘curt.’ In fact, Roger often refers to me by my Twitter handle ‘@Keselowski.’ Last year, he often referred to Kurt Busch by a name than sounded like a Twitter handle, ‘@SOB.’”

    6. Martin Truex, Jr.: Truex finished seventh in Phoenix, joining Michael Waltrip Racing teammate Mark Martin, who finished ninth after starting from the pole, in the top 10. Truex jumped six places in the point standings to sixth, and trails Denny Hamlin by 18.

    “This team is hot right now,” Truex said. “As our early-season results can attest, MWR is one of NASCAR’s top teams. And we’ve got Michael Waltrip to thank, mostly because he’s not driving. Michael Waltrip Racing is at its best, unless Michael Waltrip’s racing.”

    7. Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: Earnhardt came home 14th at Phoenix, as his winless streak reached 131 races. He is fifth in the point standings, 17 out of first.

    “I sincerely believe a win is forthcoming,” Earnhardt said. “At least according to the Mayan calendar. Luckily, my fans are always supportive and don’t pressure me to win. They don’t say ‘Just win, baby.’ They say ‘Just whenever, baby.’

    “Call Junior Nation whatever you want, like ‘The Nation Of Is Lame,’ or ‘Junior Station-ary,’ or ‘The Winless Circle,’ but they are the best fans in NASCAR.”

    8. Kyle Busch: Busch led 52 laps at Phoenix and finished sixth on the two-mile oval, scoring his first top-10 finish after a 17th at Daytona. He is now ninth in the Sprint Cup point standings, 23 behind Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin.

    “Inquiring minds want to know,” Busch said. “Will 2012 see the ‘old’ Kyle Busch or the ‘new’ Kyle Busch? I think you’ll see a little bit of both. That’s called the ‘same’ Kyle Busch.”

    9. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson rebounded from a disastrous week at Daytona to score a solid fourth in the Subway Fresh Fit 500. Johnson finished 42nd after a lap 2 wreck at Daytona, and was later docked 25 points and crew chief Chad Knaus was suspended for six races after failing inspection after the Gatorade Duels.

    “I was once a ‘five-time defender,’” Johnson said. “That’s in stark contrast to Knaus, who’s a ‘ten-time offender.’ Knaus was also fined $100,000 in addition to his six-race suspension. Those are pretty stiff penalties. Once again, as a result of what happened in Florida, there’s a ‘hanging Chad.’”

    10. Joey Logano: Logano posted his second top-10 finish of the year with a tenth at Phoenix, joining Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch in the top 10. Logano is eight in the point standings, 19 behind Hamlin.

    “Later this summer,” Logano said, “new father Kevin Harvick will ‘cut the cord.’ Hopefully, my dad can do the same.”

  • After Two Races, What Have We Learned?

    After Two Races, What Have We Learned?

    [media-credit name=”Simon Scoggins” align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]Two races down and what have we seen? It’s confusing, but we’ve have had one race dominated by Fords and Chevrolets, and another dominated by Toyotas and Chevrolets. What do we make of this? One has to understand that Daytona is an entirely different animal from the rest of the circuit, save Talladega. It appears that the Roush-Yates engines are the way to go at the restrictor plate tracks, and after only one of the real races, the verdict is out.

    I don’t get the euphoria the media gives the current winner of any race. Denny Hamlin might have wintered in Arizona and got his head straight. He had a good car in Avondale, Arizona on Sunday, but he was bailed out by a stronger car running out of fuel. Matt Kenseth might have won Daytona, but it might have been more luck than skill, not to take away from either victory. That’s the way racing goes. A lot of it always has to do with luck and even skill. It’s just the way it goes. So where are we?

    Much of it has to do with what happens next. Las Vegas is key and Bristol is a crap shoot. We won’t know much until we get to California in three weeks. And then we probably will have to look to Charlotte to get the full picture. So far, it’s an open field. A lot will depend on what happens in the soon appeal of the NASCAR penalties given to the No. 48 team after Daytona, regardless of what you think about Johnson, Knaus, and Hendrick Motorsports. That team is a force in this series. The 25-point penalty is big, So far, no date has been established for the appeal. Regardless of what anyone thinks, a lot depends on this decision. The Johnson-Knaus team is formidable.

    I have a real problem in talking about points this early. The media loves it because it gives them something to talk about, but when did we get to the point that points and the Chase was more important than who won the race on any given Sunday? If last year’s championship proved anything else, it was that winning was important. It was the tie-breaker in the closest championship in history. Maybe, the lesson here is that nothing matters until the final ten races, and that bothers me. In stick and ball sports, it works well, but in racing, it’s almost that the individual races don’t matter. Denny Hamlin won Phoenix. Big deal. All that matters is how many points he got. That is NASCAR in the 21st Century. Win a bunch and have a few poor finishes, and you are dust. In the old days, the winners were given all the spoils. Winners were important. Nowadays, it only matters until the final ten races.

    We’re a long way from that, and hopefully exemplary performance will determine the season champion, but I’d wish we could worry about that in August instead of March. I’m a fool and I know I’m daft, but I wish that. Unfortunately, I’m in the minority. Bad deal for me,

  • The Final Word – Saturday at Phoenix was nothing like Sunday at Phoenix

    The Final Word – Saturday at Phoenix was nothing like Sunday at Phoenix

    [media-credit name=”Simon Scoggins” align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]They looked similar, with the same track and cars that appeared comparable. However, where the Nationwide race at Phoenix on Saturday was brutally boring, the televised action Sunday kept one interested from start to finish. So, what was the difference?

    Fans tuned in Saturday primarily to see how Danica Patrick might perform as she competed in the second race of the circuit’s season. Daytona was not kind, and while she managed to finish this one, no small feat, the fact she was three laps down to finish 21st kind of dulled any sense of anticipation. However, even with the 29-year old raven haired beauty a non-factor, you would have hoped the action would be enough to carry the day.

    Sunday, same track, and we had Kevin Harvick leading the way when Kyle Busch was not. As they thundered to a conclusion, Harvick was chasing down Denny Hamlin with a couple of laps to go when the gas gauge hit empty. Hamlin won, Happy coasted to second, as Greg Biffle, Jimmie Johnson, and Brad Keselowski hit the line ahead of the aforementioned Mr. Busch. If nothing else, Johnson is now out of minus figures in the standings, and even a 14th place result for Dale Earnhardt Jr was not bad considering he was outside the Top Twenty most of the day.

    Both races featured cars finding the short cut through the old dog-leg, flying down to the apron and popping back up before the corner. It looked exciting Sunday, not so much Saturday. Why? Well, it could be something as simple as the difference between watching a Major League baseball game and one from the minors. One has the A-team, the other does not. Saturday’s camera shots failed to match the broadcast on Sunday. One was visually exciting, the other was not. One featured announcers that were entertaining, informative, and knowledgeable while the other did not. I like Allan Bestwick, and he shined on that old Inside Winston Cup show, but as a race announcer he comes across like an over eager kid, while Mike Joy has the voice and a real chemistry with his two cohorts. Dale Jarrett and Andy Petree are not bad, but they pale against the likes of Darrell Waltrip and Larry McReynolds. Chris Myers and the Waltrip brothers are worth listening to, while Rusty Wallace and Brad Daugherty bring nothing to the table. Nothing.

    Same track, similar racing, totally different results for the television viewer. Sunday kept me watching, Saturday saw the PVR get a work out. Even if I weren’t a fan, Sunday’s action gave me a good reason to watch the action coming up in Las Vegas. Saturday gives me reason to fire up the Sirius radio or tape the race and watch in high speed instead of high def.

    Now, it would be no big deal, except later this season the FOX crew gets replaced doing the Cup side by the not ready for prime time folks at ESPN/ABC. After watching Saturday, I thought the action last Sunday would be terribly dull. I was pleasantly surprised that it was not. At least I know going into this weekend that while the NASCAR action on Sunday might take up a good four hours of my time, Saturday…maybe one. Enjoy the week.

  • Subway Fresh Fit 500 Review: A Sign of Things to Come

    Subway Fresh Fit 500 Review: A Sign of Things to Come

    [media-credit name=”Simon Scoggins” align=”alignright” width=”238″][/media-credit]Denny Hamlin started the race in 13th position and by Lap 20 he was in the Top-5. He worked his way up to third position by Lap 33, after caution was thrown for Clint Bowyer blowing a tire. He hovered in the Top-5 until Lap 247 when caution was thrown for David Reutimann blowing an engine. When leader Martin Truex Jr. pitted for tires and fuel, this allowed Hamlin to get the lead on the restart.

    It looked as if the race would come down to Brad Keselowski and Hamlin battling for the lead, until Keselowski locked up his brakes going into turn four, shortly after the restart on Lap 253. This forced Keselowski to drop back to sixth position and give Hamlin the lead of the race. Hamlin faced heat from a hard-charging Kevin Harvick in the last 50 laps of the race, until he ran out of fuel on the final lap, allowing Hamlin to drive to victory lane for the first time in 39 Sprint Cup Series races.

    We haven’t seen Hamlin in this competitive form since 2010 when he won eight races and finished second in points standings behind five-time champion Jimmie Johnson. Hamlin admitted last season that Johnson defeating him for the championship title is something that has never left his mind. He sought assistance from a sports psychologist in 2011 to help him be mentally prepared and competitive for this season, and it evidently worked. Hamlin is now leading the championship standings by six points over Greg Biffle heading to Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Although we are still early in the season, I expect to see Hamlin continue to be at the top of the standings this year.

    Harvick Keeps Up Momentum

    Kevin Harvick started in the eighth position and was leading the race by Lap 20. After a caution on Lap 56 for debris, he lost the lead to Johnson on pit road and dropped back to 4th position. Harvick hovered in the Top-5 until Lap 151, when he moved up to second position and put himself in contention for the lead once again. On Lap 165 a three-wide battle for the lead played out between Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr., and Harvick – with Harvick coming out on top.

    Harvick lost the lead once again when Truex did not pit under caution and received the lead of the race, placing Harvick in second position on the restart. Eventually Truex was forced to pit, allowing Hamlin to take over the race lead using pit strategy. Despite running out of fuel on the last lap, Harvick was able to coast around the track to finish the race in second position. With his second place finish at Phoenix and seventh place finish at Daytona, Harvick is now third in the championship standings.

    Edwards’ Disappointing Day in Phoenix

    Carl Edwards started the race in 24th position and didn’t gain much ground in the race. As Edwards was attempting to make a late race charge, gaining sixth positions among leaders, when he made contact with Ryan Newman with 65 laps to go. The contact caused right front fender damage to the No. 99 car and ended Edwards’ chance of a decent finish. Edwards finished the race in 17th position and dropped from the top 10 in points standings.

    This is not the Edwards we are used to seeing, after finishing in second place in the championship battle last season, with a tie breaker used to determine the winner. On the up-side, Edwards has time to make up ground before he has to worry about the championship battle for this season.

    [media-credit name=”Simon Scoggins” align=”alignright” width=”262″][/media-credit]Stewart Struggles with EFI System

    Reigning champion Tony Stewart got a rude lesson in this year’s new electronic fuel injection Sunday at PIR. With about 60 laps left in the Subway Fresh Fit 500, Stewart was running 13th and shut off his engine during a caution period to save fuel. Normally when drivers do this, the engine will fire back up easily on command. But this time the engine in Stewart’s No. 14 Chevrolet wouldn’t re-fire despite repeated attempts. Stewart fell two laps down until his crew finally got the car started, and Stewart finished in 22nd position. Stewart’s season hasn’t started off to his liking, after finishing 16th in the Daytona 500 and currently sitting 15th in points standings.

    NASCAR Safety Improvement
    NASCAR has announced that pace cars with flashing lights will now trail jet-drying trucks during caution periods.  The safety workers operating the jet dryers will wear firesuits and helmets for added protection. During the Daytona 500, Juan Pablo Montoya’s Chevrolet suffered a broken part that caused the car to careen into one of the drying trucks, setting off an explosion that delayed the race for more than two hours for track clean up.
  • NASCAR Brings New Experience To Fans With Twitter

    NASCAR Brings New Experience To Fans With Twitter

    [media-credit name=”twitter.com” align=”alignright” width=”150″][/media-credit]Last week during the red flag at Daytona International Speedway, Brad Keselowski (@keselowski) tweeted a picture from inside his racecar. He then continued to send out more twitter messages, better known as tweets, and pictures to keep the fans informed. The result was Keselowski’s following increasing by 100,000 followers in the span of two hours. They were enjoying that he was keeping them informed and amused during a long red flag.

    NASCAR wasn’t pleased with Keselowski having the phone, originally, as they said that they do not allow recording devices or other devices for communication. However, they did not penalize him for the usage. They said in a statement that they would not penalize Keselowski as nothing “violates any current rules pertaining to the use of social media during races……We encourage our drivers to use social media to express themselves as long as they do so without risking their safety or that of others.”

    Twitter and NASCAR combined as worked wonders beyond just what happened in Daytona as the NASCAR fan base on twitter continues to grow.

    Mathew Vance (@48Hollywood) says he enjoys twitter because of “the insight. And feel of accessibility. Plus the contests are absolutely amazing for fans, especially those who may not be able to travel to races as much as others. Also, the ability to build rapport with people is crucial.”

    Many NASCAR fans are joining twitter so they can follow their favorite teams, drivers and the drivers’ significant others. Some fans are joining to take part in the giveaways, which could see them win tickets to a race, a t-shirt, a hat or something else someone is giving away.

    Denny Hamlin (@dennyhamlin) has created a tradition of doing a big giveaway on Christmas. The giveaway sees the winner to win a vacation for a family of four to any place they want to go in the US. Hamlin does more giveaways beyond that as each week, he gives away “Denny Seats” which is four tickets to each race.

    Another big part of fan usage on twitter is the fans are interested in what’s going on with their favorite drivers. Many drivers tweet about what they are doing away from the race track, to therefore keep the fans informed and make them feel a part of their personal life.

    Amy Stabler (@HarpAmyStabler) says she’s on twitter as she likes to be able to connect to the different NASCAR personalities and get them to answer her questions. Drivers will spend time answering questions about a variety of subjects, allowing fans to learn something new. Mark Martin (@markmartin55), who just joined twitter, spends a couple hours each day answering questions.

    Vance had a great experience with Jimmie Johnson (@JimmieJohnson) as he says his favorite twitter is moment is, “Jimmie telling me to find him at the track for a pic, then remembering me when I did, and gratefully doing a pic and auto.”

    The NASCAR fan interaction goes beyond just the drivers as many fans enjoy following their favorite driver’s spotter. Mike Calinoff (@MikeCalinoff), spotter for Matt Kenseth, and Bob Jeffery (@EyeInTheSky14), spotter for Tony Stewart, are two of the many spotters who have joined twitter. Both spend their time answering the questions for the fans.

    All of this allows the fans to have a connection, as Ford Malone (@FordMalone) says. “We have a connection – access – to the movers and shakers that did not exist in the past. Few fans had this level of connection.” Malone says that he enjoys following Eddie Gossage (@eddiegossage), the President of Texas Motor Speedway, Ted Bullard (@TurnerCMO), the Chief Marketing Officer of Turner Motorsports, Jeff Gordon (@JeffGordonWeb) and more.

    For that sake of connection, Stabler tries to follow as many different drivers and girlfriends as she can, while also following a bunch of media. She also feels that some of the people that she follows and those who follow back feel like friends.

    Malone adds to that by saying he enjoys twitter due the “inner action between fans has never been as wide spread. I can connect with fans from all across the country.” Malone says that twitter has allowed him to find more people to talk about racing with. “Before twitter, I lived in a NASCAR monocosm – a small number of friends that held similar beliefs. Now I live in a NASCAR galaxy and have had a temper my rhetoric because I have NASCAR friends that hold widely different views.”

    For that reason, “tweet-ups” have been brought forth at each track. These “tweet-ups” see an array of fans and media members that are on twitter meet up at an arranged spot to meet each other face-to-face. Sometimes when these tweet-ups are arranged, they include special guests as some drivers and spotters show up.

    In tough economic times, twitter is also a way for drivers to connect with fans and promote their sponsors. Sometimes, it can also work in other fashion for sponsor. Both Todd Bodine (@Team_Onion) and Kenny Wallce (@Kenny_Wallace) are looking for sponsors to continue racing this year. To help the search, fans have tagged tweets with “#sponsorkenny” or #sponsortheonion” to try to spread word for their favorite driver. They have also tweeted big companies, recommending the driver of their choice.

    Beyond these reasons, twitter has also brought an even crazier trend – inanimate objects tweet. Supposedly the cone that sits at the end of pit road and the lug nut on a tire have discovered a way to use twitter. They use twitter to talk candidly with people about their “experience” and more. Here’s a list of some of the objects

    1. @TheOrangeCone
    2. @TheMiniChad
    3. @JacquesDebris
    4. @TheSAFERBarrier
    5. @TheNASCARHauler
    6. @InfieldGrass
    7. @DaCautionFlag / @FlagCaution
    8. @The_GreenFlag
    9. @TheYellowLugnut
    10. @Sir_NASCARNAGE
    11. @GoodYear_Tire_
    12. @The_Sprint_Cup
    13. @NascarPaceCar
    14. @DaCheckeredFlag
    15. @Da_Black_Flag
    16. @StartFinishLine
    17. @TheCatchFence
    18. @NASCARRainDelay
    19. @NASCARJetDryer
    20. @48Horseshoe

    With everything that has happened on twitter, there is only one question that fans are asking – when is Dale Earnhardt Jr. going to join twitter?

     

    You can follow me on twitter via @SS_Informative (professional, nascar news) and @ladybug388 (personal).

  • Surprising and Not Surprising: Subway Fresh Fit 500

    Surprising and Not Surprising: Subway Fresh Fit 500

    [media-credit name=”Simon Scoggins” align=”alignright” width=”259″][/media-credit]With the 36 hours of Daytona in the rear view mirror, the Cup Series headed to the Valley of the Sun. Here is what was surprising and not surprising from the Subway Fresh Fit 500.

    Surprising:  With the short interval between the Great American Race and the trek to Phoenix International Raceway, the amount of news made before the haulers even arrived in the Valley of the Sun was indeed surprising.

    The first ‘surprise’ was for Chad Knaus, who was fined $100,000 and suspended for six races due to illegally modified C-posts found on the No. 48 Chevrolet of Jimmie Johnson prior to the Daytona 500. Knaus and his team at Hendrick Motorsports have already agreed to appeal.

    The second pre-race surprise occurred with Penske Racing announcing its move from Dodge to Ford in 2013. Roger Penske, the ‘Captain’ of the team, affirmed that he needed to make the manufacturer move for one reason only, to finally secure the Cup championship.

    Not Surprising:  With a championship level crew chief in Darian Grubb atop his pit box, it was not surprising that his new driver Denny Hamlin raced his way right to the checkered flag. After a spectacular burnout, the driver of the No. 11 FedEx Office Toyota paid homage to his crew chief and team from Victory Lane.

    “If you would have asked me, I would have told you I would have taken a 15th place finish,” Hamlin said. “We just kept working at it.”

    This was Hamlin’s 18th career win in his 225th start. It was the driver’s first win at PIR, having finished third four times before this victory.

    With the win at Phoenix, Hamlin jumped to first place in the point standings. Although obviously very early in the season, Hamlin has not been at the top of the leader board since his losing championship battle two years ago.

    “We’ve never been in this position at this point in the season,” Hamlin said. “We’re back this year.”

    Surprising:  While NASCAR nation has been waiting with bated breath, it was a bit surprising that the Electronic Fuel Injection (EFI) reared its ugly head for none other than reigning champ Tony Stewart. The driver of the No. 14 Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevrolet fell prey to EFI difficulties, unable to re-fire his engine after attempting to save fuel.

    “I just shut the car off to save fuel and it never re-fired,” Smoke, who finished 22nd, said. “I don’t know why that was, but it definitely cost us a good day.”

    Not Surprising:  Although he did not quite live up to his moniker as ‘The Closer’, the driver of the No. 29 Rheem Chevrolet was pretty happy nonetheless. Kevin Harvick coasted on fumes to secure a second place berth in the Subway Fresh Fit 500.

    “Finishing second and racing for a win in a place where we ran back in the twenties, was pretty good,” Harvick said. “You cut the fuel mileage that close, you’re figuring it right. Hopefully this is what sets the tone for the year.”

    Surprising:  Those drivers hooked up with new teams for the 2012 season did not fare well in the Valley of the Sun. Hendrick newcomer Kasey Kahne hit the wall in his No. 5 Farmers Insurance Chevrolet on Lap 22. Kahne ended up in the garage for many laps, finally finishing 34th.

    AJ Allmendinger, new pilot of the No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Dodge, also had some calamity befall his Phoenix run. The ‘Dinger was caught up in the Paul Menard crash on Lap 132, relegating him to an 18th place finish.

    Not Surprising:   After finishing almost dead last at Daytona and under the gun with his penalty, Jimmie Johnson was already 23 points in the hole before coming to Phoenix. Yet, to no one’s surprise, Johnson was in redemption mode yet again, scoring a fourth place finish in his No. 48 Lowe’s Kobalt Tools Chevrolet, moving him up to 38th in points.

    “We were concerned about fuel,” Johnson admitted. “We just tried to make sure we got some points.”

    “We had a little hiccup on pit road but we really fought back.”

    Surprising:  It was surprising how well Michael Waltrip Racing performed at Phoenix, at least for the majority of the team members.

    Martin Truex, Jr. scored his first top-10 of the year for his No. 56 NAPA Filters Toyota, coming in seventh. Teammate and pole sitter Mark Martin brought his No. 55 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota to a second-straight top-10, officially finishing ninth.

    “We need to get finishes like this each week,” Truex Jr. said. “And hopefully there are even better ones to come.”

    “Proud of the effort,” teammate Mark Martin said. “Any time you get a top-10 finish, you have to say it’s a reasonable run.”

    The No. 56 and the No. 55 are now tied, at 71 points, for sixth position in the point standings.

    Not Surprising:  With the slipperiness of the race track, it was no surprise that several drivers, including the third MWR driver, suffered tire troubles. Most notably on the tire issue list was MWR driver Clint Bowyer, behind the wheel of the No. 15 5-Hour Energy Toyota.

    Bowyer suffered tire failure not one, but twice, relegating him to a 30th place finish. The MWR driver now sits 17th in points, falling six spots back due to his tire woes.

    Surprising:  In addition to EFI and tire troubles, the Valley of the Sun seemed to cause some engine failures as well. Most notably were the blown engines of Jamie McMurray, Marcos Ambrose and Jeff Burton, all of whom had good runs going until the tell-tale smoke billowed out from their tail pipes.

    “We blew up,” Ambrose, driver of the No. 9 Stanley Ford Fusion, said simply. “We are here trying to run for wins and run for championships and to trip over ourselves like that, it just isn’t going to get it done.”

    Not Surprising:  Although not technically a short track, there were some short track tempers flaring at Phoenix International Raceway. Most notably was a flare up between Carl Edwards, driver of the No. 99 Subway Ford for whom the race was named, and Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 39 Wix Filters Chevrolet.

    On lap 256, Newman brought out the seventh caution of the race, crashing after contact with Edwards.

    “I’m 99 percent sure Carl Edwards didn’t do that on purpose,” Newman said. “But I trusted him.”

    “Now he can’t trust me because there is a lot to be had and lost, and we lost today,” Newman continued. “We know plenty of times in this sport, what comes around goes around.”

  • Greg Biffle off to a hot start following back-to-back top five finishes

    Greg Biffle off to a hot start following back-to-back top five finishes

    [media-credit name=”David Yeazell” align=”alignright” width=”257″][/media-credit]Starting the season off with two third place finishes has Greg Biffle feeling pretty content.

    Sunday in Phoenix Biffle followed up his impressive Daytona 500 run with another solid performance in his No. 16 3M Ford Fusion. He never led a lap but with his team continuing to improve on the car during the course of the race was able to mount a late race charge to fall in behind winner Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick.

    “I certainly would have thought we would have run better today than we did,” said Biffle.

    “We fought the car really bad beginning of this race. I guess the track is just a lot different than it was on Friday. I don’t care so much for this format of doing all of our practice on Friday when we get here. I like to practice and qualify and then Saturday we have happy hour. We have two practices to get ready for the race.”

    This weekend’s schedule put Biffle behind he felt and he missed on what he needed. Luckily crew chief Matt Puccia kept working on it every time the car stopped on pit road. For all his hard work Biffle just didn’t think the car was that good and was ready to write the day off with a 15th or 20th place finish.

    “But boy, it started coming around, coming around and really took off,” he said. “Certainly excited about how they got the car going. But I got off a little bit for today’s race. I probably was being a little aggressive. Great third-place finish.”

    Heading into the season’s third race at Las Vegas next weekend, Biffle sits second in points behind Hamlin. After a 2011 season where he went winless and finished 16th in points, Biffle’s plenty pleased with how his new team is working together.

    The team’s back to being competitive and Puccia seems to work well with Biffle. They were fast during Speedweeks in Daytona, sitting outside pole for the 500 and nearly winning their Duel race. Another top 10 starting position at Phoenix continued the team’s momentum and it was enough to keep them focused when the day could have gone south.

    “I’m feeling really good,” said Biffle.

    “I’ve got all new guys, I’ve got guys working really hard on the car, crew chief and team, and a guy that’s really, really smart paying attention to all the fine details and that’s Matt Puccia. And that’s the reason why we got two third-place finishes, because of his leadership and decision making on pit road on what to do to the car. It’s executed, he’s thinking about it. He makes the decisions he wants and that’s why we’re sitting here now.”

    Yet there was still a bit of disappointment for Biffle. Even though he was ready to take whatever finish he could get during the race, beforehand he was sure that he could have won the thing. It didn’t work out that way and in being disappointed with a top five finish shows how the team is back to being where they should be.

    Biffle acknowledges the team is clicking on all cylinders right now and even with cars that aren’t to his liking they’re bringing home solid finishes. Confidence is at a high going forward he says and their success during the year will come down to him learning from mistakes that he makes behind the wheel.

    “Well, certainly don’t want to be greedy, but I thought myself or the 5 [Kasey Kahne] would have won the race today, honestly,” Biffle said.

    “My was just so good and qualifying – I got high in 3 and 4 and was in that fuzz and came back and I wasn’t very fast crossing the white and the second lap I come back and qualified seventh. I knew my car was just super fast.

    “But I went a little more aggressive on the front end. I was a little nervous about it with the heat today and how warm it was, if what I was going to do was going ot work out. I was trying to keep the front end right on the track real good, and it slid the nose and shattered the front tire. I fought that all day.

    “It would be loose in and then shatter the tire when I’d try to go to the gas, so I made a little big of a mistake probably, but I guess we could have only been two spots better. But Vegas I won’t make that same mistake.”