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  • One to Go…What’s the Difference?

    One to go and we have a horse race, ladies and gentlemen! Despite all the mind games being played by Tony Stewart, Carl Edwards was able to stay even with Stewart by virtue of finishing one place in front of the former champion, even if he did lead the most laps. The question many have these days is why did the Stewart-Haas team get so good so fast? Spending an entire season and being almost a non-factor, what happened?

    [media-credit id=40 align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]Fans have some interesting theories on this and some of it involves Jimmie Johnson, the five-time champ who isn’t in the running this year. Many have told me that since Hendrick Motorsports and Stewart-Haas are joined at the hip, all the technology and good stuff is going to Tony. The theory continues that since Jimmie and Chad are being watched very closely, the No. 48 is being very conservative, as witnessed by their lackluster performances lately, and all the good stuff is going to Tony and Ryan. Black helicopters everywhere.

    I don’t know about any of that, but Stewart’s performance has been a real turnaround. He’s gone from a guy who admitted he had little chance or even didn’t deserve to be in the Chase to a guy who can win the thing next week. IN the meantime, Carl Edwards has been doing what he always does—finishing in the top 5 and occasionally the top 10.

    So who is going to win? I am not physic, but if I had to bet the family home, I’d go with Stewart. Why? Mainly because the lineage that goes from the last five championships is not that far from his team. Add to that the fact that the driver is pretty talented. All it takes is a little slip from Cousin Carl and the thing is over. Add to that the theory above—that Hendrick has a team to work on those cars. Also in consideration is that Edwards is ripe for a mistake and that the No. 99 team is not quite ready to win a championship—and I see the handwriting on the wall. I just wonder if Mr. Rick will claim it’s six in a row or if he’ll be more diplomatic. I think you know the answer.

    *****

    I had to wonder, as I watched Brian Vickers deliberately wreck Matt Kenseth on Sunday, if NASCAR would say anything. The silence has been deafening. According to many, Vickers has been planning this since Martinsville. Vickers hit everything but the pace car at Martinsville. At one time, he had caused several cautions with reckless driving. Normally mild-mannered Kenseth had had enough and Vickers was sent into the wall. That’s not anything to be proud of and Kenseth agrees. The trouble is I don’t see anything in what Vickers did that makes it any different than what Kyle Busch did in the truck race at Texas. Vickers had little to lose. He’s not running for a championship, much like Busch at Texas, and payback was easy for him. In this case, Kenseth was still in the hunt, though a long shot, and it was obvious that Vickers intentionally wrecked him. So what’s the difference? History? A long rap sheet of problems? Regardless, it would appear that something should be said about this incident.

    I may be surprised if we get a communication from NASCAR this week, but it appears that this will be considered, “just racing.” It was not just like Carl Edwards hunting down Brad Keselowski so many races ago. And it was no different than what Kyle did to Ron Hornaday, Jr. last week. I think we need a little consistency in what is going on, but I’ve been saying that for about 30 years.

  • As Edwards and Stewart Fight to be the New Champion They Reflect on Johnson’s Run

    As Edwards and Stewart Fight to be the New Champion They Reflect on Johnson’s Run

    Realistically Jimmie Johnson’s run at a sixth straight championship ended before Phoenix but he was officially eliminated from contention on Sunday afternoon.

    [media-credit name=”Credit: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images for NASCAR” align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]A new Sprint Cup Series champion will be crown next week in Homestead-Miami, the first time since 2005 that Lowe’s Racing No. 48 won’t be on top. The remaining two drivers who can win the championship are ones who have tried to dethrone Johnson in the past.

    Edwards came close in 2008, winning eight races but came up shy by less 60 points in the season ending race, which he won. Stewart was the driver who won the championship in 2005, holding off Johnson who crashed midway through the race. Edwards is looking for his first title, Stewart his third.

    They will be the main storyline for the next week but a big story as well is that Johnson is no longer the champion. After their second and third place runs respectively, Edwards and Stewart both said what the 48 team has done has been remarkable, something that most likely will never occur again.

    “I haven’t won two straight so I have no clue what five straight feels like,” said Stewart. “I don’t see anybody doing it again. I think it’s been absolutely remarkable to begin with for Jimmie to put five in a row together. And I know this year hasn’t ended up like he’s wanted by any means but I think he goes to Vegas and hold his head up high knowing what they’ve accomplished.”

    Johnson will go down as one of the best drivers in the sport. What he and his team have accomplished the last five years has been both fun and frustrating to watch. It’s been impressive and deflating. Everyone knew there would come a day when the streak would be over but the more they kept winning, the more that day seemed to be pushed off.

    Now it’s here, someone else will take possession of the head table in Las Vegas. No more golden horseshoe jokes, or thinking they can do no wrong. Even when it looked like Johnson and company were going to lose, such as last year with Denny Hamlin, they always found a way to win. Or when it just didn’t seem possible to win three in a row, they not only did that but backed it up with four and then five.

    They have rewritten the history books as well as what is possible. Their competition changed but their ability to win didn’t. The tracks and the cars changed, but their focus didn’t. And the situations changed such as being the point leader to having to win it from behind and they still came out the champions.

    As for this year and what has brought that streak to an end, the competition caught up or maybe Johnson just lost, it’s for observers to decide. There’s no denying though that Johnson and his team didn’t go down easily.

    They were always there during the regular season. He still dominated races and keeping a steady pace in the points. The only difference between 2011 and years past is that Johnson was dominating but he wasn’t winning. He only had one victory entering the Chase, then earned his second at Kanas. Even then, it still seemed like it would be enough to get them to the top.

    Never a team to count out, everyone watched and waited to see when the 48 team would kick it up a notch and start whipping everyone’s tails. They never did, instead it was Edward and Stewart who pulled away from the field. Now they get to fight for the trophy that Johnson hasn’t let go of since 2006.

    It is unlikely that Johnson’s feat will ever be matched. Except maybe by Johnson himself, believes Edwards. Moving forward he’ll still be known as five-time but instead of wondering how many championships he could win in a row, now it’s about how many he could win total.

    Sure, they’re down this year, still hoping to finish in the top five in points to keep their another one of their streaks alive. But just as unlikely as it is to see another driver come along and win five titles in a row, it’s unlikely to think that Johnson will never win another one. A sixth is still possible, as is a seventh, which would match Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt. Johnson would love nothing more than to do so.

    He noted Sunday that he’ll reflect on his five titles in the off-season as he and crew chief Chad Knaus try figure out how to be better going into 2012.

    “I just think it’s amazing,” said Stewart. “You understand why people didn’t want him to win a sixth one but at the same time, I’ve said it from day one, how do you knock down a guy that’s going out and doing what he’s supposed to do and doing what we all if we could trade places with him would do it in a heartbeat go out and win five in a row. I think you have to tip your hat to him.”

    Stewart says that it’s remarkable that at the top level of NASCAR Johnson and his team were able to do what they did. They should have pride in that accomplishment, Edwards agreed. He also noted though, that Johnson will never quit and will keep trying to do what no other driver has ever done and add to his legacy.

    As drivers, fans, media and others alike look back on the past five years and prepare to celebrate a new champion in a week, there were be many more thoughts on Johnson’s run. It’s one that while it might have grown tiring to watch, was respected and amazing to see happen.

    Or as Johnson tweeted Sunday night, “It’s been one hell of a run.”

  • Kasey Kahne takes checkered flag in Kobalt Tool 500 at Phonix Int’l Raceway

    Kasey Kahne takes checkered flag in Kobalt Tool 500 at Phonix Int’l Raceway

    NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship hangs in the balance with one race left in 2011 season

    (PHOENIX, Ariz.) – Kasey Kahne claimed his first victory of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season while Carl Edwards and Tony Stewart spent the afternoon in such close proximity at Phoenix International Raceway that they maintained the same three-point margin of their thrilling battle in the tightest Chase in history.

    [media-credit name=”Mike Finnegan” align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]Edwards finished second to Kahne and leads by a trio of points over Stewart, who passed Jeff Burton for third place on the next to last lap. Stewart saved a point for himself by leading the most laps this afternoon.

    During post-race interviews, the two drivers sat side-by-side, in similar proximity to their racing fashion during the day. They joked about settling the championship at a dirt track if they finish tied at Homestead-Miami next week in the season’s finale.

    “He’s keeping me honest, and I’m keeping him honest,” said Stewart. “A lot can happen in 400 miles next week,” he added.

    Proud of his team’s performance, Edwards also agreed the two teams have been terrific competitors: “It’s great to be racing Tony and their team at their best.”

    Edwards also complimented PIR’s new racing surface and configuration, saying, “I think once the track sits for awhile, and we come back for the Subway Fresh Fit 500™ (in March) and also a year from now, it will be awesome.  I’m a convert.”

    Things started quickly in the Kobalt Tools 500 as the “Ragan and Regan Wreck” came on lap 2: David Ragan got badly loose off turn 3 and collected Regan Smith for the race’s first caution. But that was only a prelude to the two top drivers in the Chase posting their car numbers at the top of the scoring pylon.  Stewart, who started eighth, passed pole sitter Matt Kenseth for the lead on lap 37, and Edwards took second from Kenseth on lap 50.  But A.J. Allmendinger and Kenseth would have more to say about second place as each owned it during the first half of the race behind a dominating Stewart.  Meanwhile, Edwards bided his time in the top five.

    Running in fifth place, Kenseth slowed badly on laps 173-174 and was tagged from behind by Brian Vickers, the same driver who damaged the chances of the no. 17 Crown Royal Ford recently at Martinsville. Kenseth had to retire his car to the garage for repairs and limped to 34th to end his hopes for the Sprint Cup title.  In fact all contenders were eliminated except for Edwards and Stewart. That included Jimmie Johnson, who came home in 14th place; it spelled the end to his team’s remarkable five straight championships since 2006.

    Stewart and Edwards were left to duke it out in the top two positions with few threats except from Allmendinger and Kurt Busch. Kyle Busch’s opportunity to win went awry when his engine went sour while he ran in third place on lap 188. Kurt Busch showed the way after a lap 224 restart but lost his engine on the last pit stop almost 60 laps later.

    All teams pitted for the last time under green between laps 273 and 298. And it was Kahne who came away with the lead, one he would keep. Stewart had faded slightly, loose on entry to the turns over the closing laps.  But, he got around Burton in the late going to save the narrow margin in the Chase.

    So, while Kahne celebrated in Gatorade Victory Lane, others were anxious to go to south Florida to settle the championship next week.

    About Phoenix International Raceway Since 1964, Phoenix International Raceway has served race fans as the premier motorsports venue in the Southwest. Be there for the Kobalt Tools 500 on November 13 to watch the brightest stars in NASCAR take on PIR’s brand new one-mile oval in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Tickets for the entire Kobalt Tools 500 weekend at Phoenix International Raceway can be purchased online at PhoenixRaceway.com/Tickets or by calling 1-866-408-RACE (7223). For more, visit PhoenixRaceway.com, Facebook.com/PhoenixRaceway and Twitter.com/PhoenixRaceway.

  • Sam Hornish Said He Wouldn’t Regret Running Stock Cars, Saturday Makes It Worth Wild

    Sam Hornish Said He Wouldn’t Regret Running Stock Cars, Saturday Makes It Worth Wild

    For Sam Hornish Jr. there’s just something about Phoenix. The former open wheel driver scored his first career IndyCar win at the jewel in the desert in March of 2001 and on Saturday afternoon he did the same in the NASCAR Nationwide Series.

    [media-credit id=13 align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]It comes after he scored his first career Sprint Cup Series top 10 at Phoenix and after he started his first Cup and Nationwide races at the track. But it was also the place that the first time he saw it in a stock car he hit everything but the pace car. Saturday though, he was repeatedly praised and congratulated on his accomplishment.

    “I can’t hardly believe it,” said Hornish. “It’s been a great day.”

    Hornish’s win didn’t come by surprise or late race strategy. The No. 12 Alliance Dodge was in contention all day, leading 62 of 200 laps on their way to victory lane. Running a partial schedule with Penske Racing, team owner Roger Penske says that Hornish been humbled the last 12-18 months. Coming from the IndyCar Series where he’s won races and championships, it hasn’t been the same in NASCAR.

    Part of it, says Penske, was his fault for putting in Cup Series before he was ready. Hornish was never given time to learn the craft, instead thrown right in with the big boys. He’s found a comfortable home though running in the NNS with crew chief Chad Walter and Penske’s working on putting together a deal for the team to run the full season in 2012. But on Saturday it wasn’t about the future, Hornish was living in the present and experiencing the feeling of being a winner again for the first time in many years.

    “I don’t know if I was always as optimistic as Roger is,” said Hornish about his NASCAR potential. “I look back at 2008, I feel I had a great opportunity in 2008 and what happened that year was I had been so accustomed to being first all the time that when I came over I didn’t know how to take a 15th.”

    There have been many learning curves for Hornish. He short and unaccomplished Cup career left many with doubt about his venture into the stock car world. Criticized on a weekly basis and insulted by five-time champion Jimmie Johnson could have scared Hornish away. But Penske told Hornish not to beat himself up and Hornish for his part kept after it, even though he too questioned his career move.

    Not racing every weekend in 2011 also got to Hornish. Realization of just how much he wanted to run every lap he possibly could hit home as he longed to learn everything he could. A large part of his time has been devoted to testing for Penske and helping the full-time teams of Kurt Busch and Brad Keselowski, who he beat on Saturday.

    “This what I wanted,” said Hornish, who said he was glad that he’s stuck it out. “I came over here not because there’s more money or anything like that, it was because I was interested, I got a opportunity to run some Nationwide races throughout 2007 and after doing that I got to see there was something different out there and something that challenged me again.”

    It’s been a big challenge that Hornish acknowledges and knew he would face. For the Defiance, Ohio native he would be just that, defiant to failure and instead used every situation he could to build his character. It all led him to Saturday in Phoenix when he beat some of the best in the business. Afterwards Hornish seemed at a loss for words when talking about his journey and those who helped him get there.

    “I got a lot of people to thank and my dad’s probably one of the biggest ones,” said Hornish. “He kept telling me even through a tough season like this season, ‘Do you love doing it?’ and I said ‘Yeah, I love being in the racecar.’ He said ‘Well, keep doing it then.’”

    Blessed is how Hornish describes himself. Emotional as well was Hornish and Penske, who said there would be a lot more of Hornish celebrations in the future. Keselowski, who again finished second to a Penske driver scoring this first win, said the same about his teammate’s bright future.

    “Huge, huge day for Sam,” said Keselowski. “Sam has paid a lot of dues in this sport and it’s good to see him have some success. Obviously he’s gone two or three years at the Cup level had a couple times when he was close to getting that win and today he was able to get it done. Might be at the Nationwide Series but you have to start somewhere. This looks like a good fit for him.”

  • M&M’s Mars NASCAR’s Teaching Sponsor In More Ways Than One

    M&M’s Mars NASCAR’s Teaching Sponsor In More Ways Than One

    M&M’s Mars has been one of NASCAR’s few full-time sponsors, adorning the car of the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, usually driven by Kyle Busch. The sponsor, however, has not only succeeded on the track, but has become one of the sport’s newest teaching sponsors, in more ways than one.

    One of the most important ways that M&M’s Mars has been educating through racing is by participating in the NASCAR Kinetics program. Recently, NASCAR expanded this successful program, providing college students with real-world marketing challenges in the sport, from 12 to 20 schools this semester.

    The NASCAR Kinetics program began in 2009 with just four schools participating. But over the past few years, the program has expanded to become NASCAR’s biggest college experience.

    “NASCAR Kinetics is a dynamic initiative that merges educational and experiential tasks,” Steve Phelps, NASCAR Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, said. “We anticipate students will leverage the marketing techniques and lessons in teamwork they learn through the program to successfully position themselves in an increasingly competitive motorsports industry.”

    This year, the program is concentrating on three case studies, including evaluating social media strategies for Michael Waltrip Racing and coming up with sponsorship activation ideas for Dodge. The third case scenario is working with M&M’s Mars to celebrate the colorfulness of the M&M’s characters as the sport’s official chocolate.

    The students have to host one of three viewing parties highlighting the M&M’s brand. Their challenge is to “Make Race Day More Fun” through the use of the candy, as well as attracting casual and avid NASCAR fans.

    You can get TEFL certified and Teach English Abroad and get a life-changing opportunity to travel the world and immerse yourself in new cultures.

    “M&M’s has been involved with the NASCAR Kinetics program since spring 2009 and has been the sponsor of the viewing party case study since spring 2010,” Lauren Nodzak, PR Manager of Mars Chocolate North America, said. “We originally got involved after the Winston-Salem State University team reached out to us on the M&M’s Racing Facebook page and invited us to cover their party.”

    “After being exposed to the program at that level, we decided to become a partner and make the viewing party case study sponsored by M&M’s.”

    Nodzak affirms that M&M’s candy is the “perfect fit” as a snack for NASCAR fans coming together to enjoy the race. “The idea of getting your friends together to watch a NASCAR race while enjoying plenty of M&M’s is a key component,” Nodzak said.” Racing fit perfectly within the brand as we launched an overall brand campaign, ‘M&M’s Makes Race Day More Fun.’

    Nodzak said that the students have been most creative in marketing the M&M’s brand through the viewing parties, from sharing recipes including the brightly-colored candy to having M&M’s race car driver Kyle Busch look-a-like contests.

    “The students have taken some very creative approaches to incorporating M&M’s into their parties,” Nodzak said. “Just as exciting is how the students have taken fun to the next level, from NASCAR simulators to marching bands at these events.”

    “Working with college students through the NASCAR Kinetics program has given us an additional channel to leverage our NASCAR sponsorship,” Nodzak continued. “NASCAR Kinetics brings a new level of engagement and brand advocates into the M&M’s Racing family.”

    Unfortunately, M&M’s Mars has had to involve themselves in another educational endeavor in addition to the NASCAR Kinetics program. The sponsor has had to teach its star driver Kyle Busch a lesson after an on-track incident with Ron Hornaday in the Truck race at Texas Motor Speedway.

    Because of the incident, Busch was not only penalized by NASCAR by being forced to sit out the Nationwide and Cup races last weekend, but was also forced to forgo his M&M’s sponsor being on his No. 18 car for the last two races of the season. Mars, Inc. did, however, affirm their sponsorship of Busch for the 2012 season, hopefully after their driver has had time to reflect on lessons learned.

    “As a proud member of the racing community, Mars and M&M’s brand strong support the partnership we have with Joe Gibbs Racing and are committed to NASCAR,” Debra Sandler, Chief Consumer Officer of Mars Chocolate North America, said. “Yet Kyle’s recent actions are unacceptable and do not reflect the values of Mars.”

    “While we do not condone Kyle’s recent actions, we do believe that he has shown remorse and has expressed a desire to change,” Sandler continued. “We believe our decision will have a positive impact on Kyle and will help him return next season ready to win.”

    “There’s remorse from my side and to be apologetic to the M&M’s brand and all the folks that put their heart and soul into this NASCAR program for years,” Busch said. “There is an opportunity for me to become a better person, to grow, to learn from this and I’m looking forward to those days.”

    “Kyle and all of us are committed to learn from this so that we never have to go through this again,” Joe Gibbs, team owner, said simply.

    From the college students participating in the NASCAR Kinetics program to the NASCAR driver sporting the M&M’s brand colors, there is no doubt that Mars, Inc. has become one of the sport’s most important educators as well as sponsors.

    And hopefully, all involved under the tutelage of the colorful candy company, will learn their lessons well.

  • Sam Hornish Jr. plays strategy to perfection and wins his first Nationwide Series race

    Sam Hornish Jr. plays strategy to perfection and wins his first Nationwide Series race

    We knew Sam Hornish Jr. had a good car all day long, but for the three years he was racing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, it seemed like he couldn’t find any luck. Hornish finally found the lucky charm as he played the two tire strategy and held off teammate Brad Keselowski for his first NASCAR Nationwide Series win on the new configuration at the Phoenix International Raceway.

    [media-credit name=”Mike Finnegan” align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]The first lap proved to be very treacherous for drivers as an eight-car crash ensued on the first lap in Turn 3 when Brian Scott was turned head-on by Reed Sorenson into the outside wall. Jeff Green, Danica Patrick, Johnny Chapman, Ron Hornaday, Matt Frahm, and Tim Andrews all couldn’t avoid the melee.

    Reed Sorenson didn’t receive any damage from the incident despite spinning, but later met karma as he lost a right-front tire and pounded the wall. A fire burst from the hood and NASCAR safety crews were sent to extinguish the fire. This crash doesn’t help Reed’s cause to keep position #5 in the point standings.

    Canadian native D.J. Kennington saw his day come to an end with a cut tire, along with Mike Bliss and Derrike Cope who were both involved in separate incidents.

    The incident between James Buescher and Steve Wallace was avoidable. Going into Turn 3, Wallace gave Buescher a shot. Wallace gave Buescher another shot and wrecked him and while trying to avoid the wreck, Wallace was turned and wrecked himself on the front straightaway. Both drivers were ok.

    Elliott Sadler saw his championship hopes crumble after being wrecked by Jason Leffler going into Turn 3. Sadler had passed Leffler moments before and gave him extra room just to be safe, but Leffler drove into Turn 3 too deep and tapped Sadler. Morgan Shepherd drove into the carnage as this was the second incident he was involved in during the day. This accident caused a red flag as officials were sent in to clean up the mess.

    Sam Hornish Jr. had led 62 laps into the race, but the man of the day was Ricky Stenhouse Jr. who had led 62 laps. When it came to the final pit stops, Hornish took a gamble for two. Many sports analysts on Twitter doubted Hornish and didn’t believe two tires would work on the new configuration. Hornish proved everyone wrong to win the race!

    Will this set Hornish up potentially for a Sprint Cup ride next year? Or is this just considered ‘Beginners Luck’?

    Unofficial Race Results
    Wypall 200, Phoenix International Raceway
    http://www.speedwaymedia.com/n2s/race.php?race=33
    =========================================
    Pos. No. Driver Make Points
    =========================================
    1 – 12 Sam Hornish Jr. Dodge 47
    2 – 22 Brad Keselowski Dodge 0
    3 – 60 Carl Edwards Ford 0
    4 – 18 Joey Logano Toyota 0
    5 – 6 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Ford 41
    6 – 16 Trevor Bayne Ford 38
    7 – 33 Clint Bowyer Chevrolet 0
    8 – 20 Ryan Truex * Toyota 36
    9 – 31 Justin Allgaier Chevrolet 35
    10 – 62 Michael Annett Toyota 34
    11 – 70 David Stremme Chevrolet 0
    12 – 87 Joe Nemechek Toyota 32
    13 – 32 Ron Hornaday Chevrolet 0
    14 – 81 Blake Koch * Dodge 30
    15 – 134 Ricky Carmichael Chevrolet 0
    16 – 1 Mike Wallace Chevrolet 28
    17 – 9 Kenny Wallace Toyota 27
    18 – 15 Timmy Hill * Ford 26
    19 – 14 Eric McClure Chevrolet 25
    20 – 52 Kevin Lepage Chevrolet 24
    21 – 7 Danica Patrick Chevrolet 23
    22 – 23 Robert Richardson Jr. Chevrolet 22
    23 – 40 T.J. Duke Chevrolet 0
    24 – 51 Jeremy Clements Chevrolet 20
    25 – 88 Aric Almirola Chevrolet 20
    26 – 38 Jason Leffler Chevrolet 18
    27 – 2 Elliott Sadler Chevrolet 17
    28 – 89 Morgan Shepherd Chevrolet 16
    29 – 66 Steve Wallace Toyota 15
    30 – 30 James Buescher Chevrolet 0
    31 – 19 Mike Bliss Chevrolet 13
    32 – 28 Derrike Cope Chevrolet 12
    33 – 180 D.J. Kennington Dodge 11
    34 – 44 Jeff Green Chevrolet 10
    35 – 182 Reed Sorenson Dodge 9
    36 – 49 Mark Green Chevrolet 8
    37 – 147 Scott Speed Chevrolet 7
    38 – 146 Chase Miller Chevrolet 6
    39 – 171 Matthew Carter Chevrolet 5
    40 – 141 Johnny Chapman Chevrolet 4
    41 – 11 Brian Scott Toyota 3
    42 – 39 Matt Frahm Ford 2
    43 – 104 Tim Andrews Ford 0
  • Matt Kenseth Wins Pole For Kobalt Tools 500

    Matt Kenseth Wins Pole For Kobalt Tools 500

    Qualifying for the Kobalt Tools 500 in Phoenix was everything but smooth for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers as the new configuration frustrated many drivers including Jeff Gordon and Jamie McMurray.

    [media-credit name=”Credit: Christian Petersen/Getty Images” align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]Along with the new configuration came the wild prediction that we would see an unfamiliar face winning the pole position which is what we saw as Matt Kenseth scored his 7th career pole in his 435th career start. Kenseth wins a pole 1.61% of the time! Now that is a shocker!

    A.J. Allmendinger qualified 2nd as this is his 3rd front row start in his last four tries in Phoenix. Points leader Carl Edwards had the pole for a short time this morning and would later end up in 9th. His closest rival in the standings Tony Stewart took his beard and his #14 car to 8th position.

    Track position during this race will be extremely crucial due to the major unknowns of the new configuration and I’m predicting a first-time winner this weekend.

    For those of you who follow the old system standings, Edwards will have to have a very bad race and Jimmie Johnson will have to have a really good race in order for it to be close again.

    Edwards leads the 48 by 45 points with just two races to go.

    Kyle Busch, who had the points lead for most of the year, was involved in wrecks at Talladega, Martinsville, and the now infamous incident at Texas. Busch has pretty much given up the championship. After sitting out at Texas, he now sits a distant 97 points out of the race and is officially out of contention.

    Starting Lineup
    Kobalt Tools 500, Phoenix International Raceway
    http://www.speedwaymedia.com/Cup/qual.php?race=35
    ===========================================
    Pos. No. Driver Make Speed Time
    ===========================================
    1 17 Matt Kenseth Ford 137.101 26.258
    2 43 A.J. Allmendinger Ford 136.446 26.384
    3 9 Marcos Ambrose Ford 136.307 26.411
    4 5 Mark Martin Chevrolet 136.08 26.455
    5 56 Martin Truex Jr. Toyota 136.08 26.455
    6 1 Jamie McMurray Chevrolet 136.008 26.469
    7 0 David Reutimann Toyota 135.988 26.473
    8 14 Tony Stewart Chevrolet 135.911 26.488
    9 99 Carl Edwards Ford 135.701 26.529
    10 4 Kasey Kahne Toyota 135.675 26.534
    11 27 Paul Menard Chevrolet 135.609 26.547
    12 2 Brad Keselowski Dodge 135.415 26.585
    13 6 David Ragan Ford 135.399 26.588
    14 31 Jeff Burton Chevrolet 135.298 26.608
    15 78 Regan Smith Chevrolet 135.272 26.613
    16 48 Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet 135.247 26.618
    17 22 Kurt Busch Dodge 135.227 26.622
    18 83 Brian Vickers Toyota 135.216 26.624
    19 84 Cole Whitt Toyota 135.211 26.625
    20 7 Robby Gordon Dodge 135.186 26.63
    21 51 Landon Cassill Chevrolet 135.181 26.631
    22 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet 135.166 26.634
    23 24 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet 134.887 26.689
    24 46 Scott Speed Ford 134.862 26.694
    25 20 Joey Logano Toyota 134.852 26.696
    26 42 Juan Montoya Chevrolet 134.811 26.704
    27 29 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet 134.756 26.715
    28 33 Clint Bowyer Chevrolet 134.574 26.751
    29 16 Greg Biffle Ford 134.549 26.756
    30 39 Ryan Newman Chevrolet 134.509 26.764
    31 47 Bobby Labonte Toyota 134.363 26.793
    32 87 Joe Nemechek Toyota 134.143 26.837
    33 11 Denny Hamlin Toyota 134.078 26.85
    34 18 Kyle Busch Toyota 133.65 26.936
    35 66 Michael McDowell Toyota 133.437 26.979
    36 37 Mike Skinner Ford 133.22 27.023
    37 55 Travis Kvapil Ford 133.136 27.04
    38 13 Casey Mears Toyota 133.028 27.062
    39 32 Mike Bliss Ford 132.431 27.184
    40 36 Geoffrey Bodine+ Chevrolet 131.305 27.417
    41 38 J.J. Yeley+ Ford 128.981 27.911
    42 34 David Gilliland+ Ford 123.068 29.252
    43 135 Dave Blaney Chevrolet 132.562 27.157
  • Aric Almirola Scores Pole For Wypall 200

    Aric Almirola Scores Pole For Wypall 200

    [media-credit name=”Credit: Christian Petersen/Getty Images” align=”alignright” width=”244″][/media-credit]Aric Almirola scored the pole for the Wypall 200 NASCAR Nationwide Series race at the newly configured Phoenix International Raceway.

    The new configuration proved to be a struggle for drivers like Daryl Harr who was one of the go or go home cars. Harr lost the car off Turn 4 and pounded it into the inside safer barrier wall.

    Ricky Stenhouse Jr. qualified his #6 in the 11th position despite flirting dangerously with the wall during his lap. His closest championship competitor Elliott Sadler qualified in 6th.

    It was Almirola’s fifth career pole as he narrowly edged Carl Edwards by 0.001 seconds for the top spot.

    Other NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers entered into the race include: Bayne (3rd), Bowyer (5th), Logano (9th), Keselowski (10th), Nemechek (14th), and Scott Speed (16th).

    And for Danica Patrick fans, she qualified 25th.

     

    Starting Lineup
    Wypall 200, Phoenix International Raceway
    http://www.speedwaymedia.com/n2s/qual.php?race=33
    ===========================================
    Pos. No. Driver Make Speed Time
    ===========================================
    1 88 Aric Almirola Chevrolet 132.91 27.086
    2 60 Carl Edwards Ford 132.905 27.087
    3 16 Trevor Bayne Ford 132.758 27.117
    4 33 Clint Bowyer Chevrolet 132.734 27.122
    5 12 Sam Hornish Jr. Dodge 132.358 27.199
    6 2 Elliott Sadler Chevrolet 132.27 27.217
    7 31 Justin Allgaier Chevrolet 132.265 27.218
    8 20 Ryan Truex* Toyota 132.008 27.271
    9 18 Joey Logano Toyota 131.975 27.278
    10 22 Brad Keselowski Dodge 131.965 27.28
    11 6 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Ford 131.661 27.343
    12 9 Kenny Wallace Toyota 131.449 27.387
    13 81 Blake Koch* Dodge 131.43 27.391
    14 87 Joe Nemechek Toyota 131.133 27.453
    15 30 James Buescher Chevrolet 131.047 27.471
    16 147 Scott Speed Chevrolet 131.009 27.479
    17 19 Mike Bliss Chevrolet 130.947 27.492
    18 38 Jason Leffler Chevrolet 130.766 27.53
    19 62 Michael Annett Toyota 130.416 27.604
    20 70 David Stremme Chevrolet 130.392 27.609
    21 89 Morgan Shepherd Chevrolet 130.317 27.625
    22 66 Steve Wallace Toyota 130.241 27.641
    23 182 Reed Sorenson Dodge 130.142 27.662
    24 11 Brian Scott Toyota 130.067 27.678
    25 7 Danica Patrick Chevrolet 129.954 27.702
    26 49 Mark Green Chevrolet 129.58 27.782
    27 134 Ricky Carmichael Chevrolet 129.566 27.785
    28 44 Jeff Green Chevrolet 129.538 27.791
    29 171 Matthew Carter Chevrolet 129.408 27.819
    30 23 Robert Richardson Jr. Chevrolet 129.255 27.852
    31 104 Tim Andrews Ford 129.055 27.895
    32 39 Matt Frahm Ford 129.037 27.899
    33 141 Johnny Chapman Chevrolet 128.963 27.915
    34 180 D.J. Kennington Dodge 128.788 27.953
    35 15 Timmy Hill* Ford 128.631 27.987
    36 1 Mike Wallace Chevrolet 128.438 28.029
    37 52 Kevin Lepage Chevrolet 128.393 28.039
    38 14 Eric McClure Chevrolet 128.329 28.053
    39 51 Jeremy Clements Chevrolet 127.918 28.143
    40 40 T.J. Duke Chevrolet 127.244 28.292
    41 28 Derrike Cope+ Chevrolet 125.274 28.737
    42 32 Ron Hornaday+ Chevrolet 124.057 29.019
    43 146 Chase Miller Chevrolet 128.659 27.981
  • Matty’s Picks: Vol. 27 – Phoenix – November 13, 2011

    Matty’s Picks: Vol. 27 – Phoenix – November 13, 2011

    Two races to go in the 2011 Chase for the Sprint Cup, and this week we head to a track that may be the biggest juggernaut of them all, Phoenix International Raceway. After an extensive facelift this summer, PIR will prove to be a handful for the 43 drivers that take the green flag on Sunday.

    [media-credit name=”phoenixinternationalspeedway.com” align=”alignright” width=”300″][/media-credit]A year ago, International Speedway Corporation and the Avondale City Council announced the plans for a $100 long-term improvement for PIR. The plans included a $15 million dollar repaving project (the track’s first since 1990) and the construction of a new media center. Along with the new pavement came a reconfiguration of the famed “dogleg”, a widening of the front stretch to 62 feet, addition of concrete to the pit stalls, as well as progressive banking in the turns.

    The dogleg renovations included; pushing the corner out by 95 feet, changing the radius of the backstretch bump to 500 feet, and adding progressive banking to the dogleg from 10-11 degrees. The corners of PIR are now progressively banked from 10-11 degrees in turns one and two, and from 8-9 degrees in turns three and four. The new track has been described almost as a “rollercoaster-like drive” due to the elevation changes as the drivers dip down into the dogleg, rises on exit, and dives back down into turn number three.

    Passing has been a bit of controversy in PIR’s new surface’s short history, as many drivers are finding it difficult to find grip outside the one loosely held together groove. PIR has made numerous attempts to foster passing on the new surface including “tons of laps” by driving schools on soft tires.

    After a testing session just yesterday at PIR, Elliot Sadler expressed his concerns about the new surface and the racing this weekend, “I actually got to the 82 (Reed Sorenson) that was about a half a second of a lap slower than I was. I really couldn’t do anything with him. I didn’t want to make a move, definitely on the outside, to make a pass.”

    Defending NASCAR Nationwide Series Champion, Brad Keselowski also weighed in on the underdeveloped second groove following Thursdays test session: “It found me and I found it. We weren’t looking for each other. It’s just very, very slick. There’s just a lack of stability.”

    This weekend’s Kobalt Tools 500 may or may not prove to be exciting to watch, especially if Kyle Busch ends up in Victory Lane. (Joke’s on you M&M’s)

    Texas Recap

    It was the Texas Shootout that everyone was looking for last weekend in the Lone Star State, and the guys in the noontime dual couldn’t have been any more storybook.

    Carl Edwards entered the AAA Texas 500 with the championship points lead, and also left with the lead, only a bit slimmer margin over race-winner Tony Stewart. We’ll cut to lap 265 when Edwards and Stewart restarted side by side on the front row following the final caution of the race. Stewart felt confident in holding off a late race surge from Edwards, should he overtake the No. 99 on the restart.

    Stewart’s scenario played out on the final restart, resulting in my Winner Pick being the first to suck in the fumes left behind by the No. 14 Chevrolet on his way to his fourth victory of the 2011 Chase for the Sprint Cup.

    Edwards spoke after his runner-up finish last Sunday: “Tony (Stewart) and those guys stepped it up and I’m proud of my guys for hanging on and for still having the point lead,” Edwards said. “At the end of the day, we’re going to the final two races. Although we would have loved to have won today in our Aflac Fusion, to be three points ahead and then to have the third and fourth-place guys farther behind, it looks like it’s truly going to come down to Tony and I, and that’s going to be a lot of fun. It’s going to get pretty exciting and I’m just glad Tony and I are out there and we can race for this thing.”

    Marcos Ambrose, last week’s Dark Horse pick, was on the right track to score a Top-10 going into the final restart, but struggled throughout the last 70’ish laps to find grip. A two-tire call late in the race was the call from Crew Chief Todd Parrott, a call that would not sit well with the Tasmanian’s race car.

    As the lights came on at Texas Motor Speedway last Sunday, a group of cars moved up in the running order, and a group of cars began to fall in the running order, struggling to find grip on the 1.5-mile quad oval. Unfortunately for me, Marcos Ambrose was in the group of cars struggling to keep pace with the front-runners.

    It wasn’t for lack of effort that Ambrose finished in 11th as he raced his way all the way up from 26th on Lap 302, but for the third straight week I end the weekend without any Dark Horse points.

    Phoenix Picks

    Dark Horse Pick

    I’ll start with my Dark Horse pick this week, as I feel fairly certain that most of my readers may not think of this guy to actually in this weekend at PIR, until you see the practice speeds posted from earlier today. He came close to a win last week, but lost his gamble on fuel strategy late in the race at Texas Motor Speedway.

    Oddly enough, Jeff Burton was the fastest car on the track last month in the Goodyear and EFI testing session at PIR. 36 teams took to the track on October 4th, and Jeff Burton was on-track for 125 laps. He was fastest on the speed charts during that testing session, and coincidentally was fastest earlier today during NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice.

    It’s not really fair to use previous finishes for my defense of this pick because of the recent transformation of Phoenix International Raceway, so the data I have collected and referenced has come post-new-dogleg era of PIR. On the second day of testing back in October, Burton ran another 120 laps in his RCR Chevrolet, peaking out at 136.747 MPH on the speed charts. For his efforts, Burton was awarded 6th place on the leaderboard out of 35 teams.

    This is the first time I’ve picked Burton for any pick this season, and I’m hoping a new face to Matty’s picks will bring me some late-season luck.

    Winner Pick

    This marks my 6th time picking Jimmie Johnson as a Winner Pick this season, right on par with his winning percentage across the past 5 seasons at Hendrick Motorsports. I’m beginning to wonder if I am slowly becoming a closet Jimmie Johnson bandwagon’eer at this point, but all I have to do is point to past finishes at PIR to justify my pick this week. An average career finish of 4.8 at PIR has me exited this week, even though I said earlier I would NOT use prior finishes as justification for a pick…

    If there’s one guy that can adapt to change, its Jimmie Johnson, as he showed in his two days of testing at PIR back in October. At the end of Day 1 testing, the No. 48 Lowe’s team was shown 10th on the speed charts after running 85 laps. Chad Knaus went back to the drawing board with the top of the charts on his mind. Though Johnson did not reach the top of the speed charts on the second day of testing, he did manage to find another 8-tenths of a second around PIR on Day 2 of testing. Those 8-tenths were good enough for Johnson to be shown second on the board.

    The only thing that has me nervous about this pick is Johnson’s less than impressive speeds earlier today in Sprint Cup Practice. The No. 48 Car was shown 33rd best after the first practice today, and qualifying that far back in the field could prove to be no-man’s land come Sunday afternoon.

    That’s all for this week, stay tuned next week for the 2011 season finale in South Florida.

    Until Next Time…You Stay Classy NASCAR NATION!

  • NOTES FROM THE NASCAR NATION: A CHASE RUN IN THE VALLEY OF THE SUN

    NOTES FROM THE NASCAR NATION: A CHASE RUN IN THE VALLEY OF THE SUN

    The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series brings the drama of its 2011 Chase For The Sprint Cup Championship to the Phoenix International Raceway this Sunday for the running of the Kobalt Tools 500 (k), presented by Lowes. At issue here is the two man shootout for the title between Carl Edwards and Tony Stewart who are separated by three points. All of the good natured, off track, trash talking won’t mean anything once the green flag falls on Sunday. It’s go time for these two drivers and the name of the game will be score more points than your rival.

    [media-credit id=26 align=”alignright” width=”203″][/media-credit]There are two other drivers who will be looking for an early Christmas present from the Phoenix weekend. Kevin Harvick is currently third in the standings, 33 points away from first, and Matt Kenseth holds down fourth, 38 points away. Neither one of these drivers are not noted for wishing any one of their colleagues bad luck during a race, but they’re both well aware that they’re going to need some help from one of those racing deals to eradicate their respective points deficits.

    Let’s not overlook the presence of Chase spoilers who will lurking in the midst of the 43 car field. These are the drivers who will be trying to charge to the front to collect their next series win or, in some cases, even their first win of the season.

    There’s also the “X” factor in play here. That will be the new Phoenix International Raceway which will be debuting its new surface and track configuration under official racing conditions this weekend. There was, of course, a massive open test session earlier in the year that allowed the Sprint Cup teams to run on the new track and take massive notes. But this will be the first run under real racing conditions and crew chiefs will be paying additional strict attention to the elements of handling and tire wear.

    THE LAS VEGAS BREAKDOWN

    To further examine the prospects of who’s going to celebrate in the Phoenix victory lane, we again turn to the professional number crunchers from the Las Vegas based World Sports Exchange, (WSE). To no real surprise Tony Stewart tops the WSE rankings this week at 5 to 1 odds. He has very good numbers at Phoenix including a win, seven top five finishes, ten top ten finishes and a healthy average finish ratio, (AFR), of 11.7. Of greater importance, Stewart is red hot these days. His four Cup wins this year have occurred within the last eight races. This is a rock solid wager.

    Carl Edwards, at 6 to 1 odds, is also a rock solid wager. The series points leader also has some good numbers posted at Phoenix including a win, five top fives, nine top tens and a 13.0 AFR. Edwards is also defending race winner from last November and owns the track qualifying record, 137.279 MPH, which was set last February.

    Also at 6 to 1 odds is Jeff Gordon who’s another rock solid wager for a Phoenix win. He’s eighth in the standings, 81 points away, and his title run is over. He’s one of those aforementioned Chase spoilers who will be in Sunday’s starting field. He’s a two time winner at Phoenix, including last February’s race, along with ten top fives, 18 top tens and a healthy 10.0 AFR.

    The WSE has “Five Time” Jimmie Johnson rated at 7 to 1. Here’s yet another rock solid wager with some excellent Phoenix numbers including a series leading four wins, 11 top fives, 14 top tens and a very strong 4.8 AFR. He will be playing the role of potential Chase spoiler on Sunday. He’s sixth in the standings, 55 points away, and that means the drive for the sixth consecutive championship is now ended. I suppose someone needs to explain that to “Mini Chad,” the cardboard cut out crew chief. Also bear in mind that when your race team’s primary sponsors are also the race’s title sponsors, a driver has a tendency to try harder.

    At 8 to 1 odds is “bad boy” Kyle Busch who’s 11th in the standings and 100 points away. His Phoenix mission is simple: win the race and get himself back into the top ten in points. Only the top ten drivers in the final Chase rundown gets stage and live television time at the awards banquet in Las Vegas. That’s a very important opportunity to thank and promote your sponsors. Busch is a previous Phoenix winner with two top fives and a 12.9 AFR.

    Looking at the middle tier of the WSE’s Phoenix rankings the trio of Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick and Matt Kenseth are rated at 12 to 1. Hamlin is tenth in the Chase standings, 99 points away. Like team mate Kyle Busch, Hamlin will be looking for a win to keep himself in that all important top ten. He’s still seeking his first win at Phoenix but he does have five top fives and a healthy 11.6 AFR.

    The aforementioned Harvick and Kenseth are worthy long shot wagers. They have nothing to lose and everything to gain at Phoenix. Their only option is to race hard for the win and hope they get a little help from Edwards and Stewart. Harvick is a two time Phoenix winner with four top fives and a 13.8 AFR. Kenseth has a previous win with five top fives and a 17.2 AFR.

    Clint Bowyer is ranked at 15 to 1. He’s seeking his first Phoenix win and has a 16.4 AFR. At 16 to 1 is the duo of Greg Biffle and Kasey Kahne who are also seeking their first win at Phoenix. At 18 to 1 is the trio of Brad Keselowski, Ryan Newman and Kurt Busch. Keselowski is seeking his first top ten at Phoenix and has an extremely high 27.5 AFR. Newman is a previous race winner with six top fives and a 19.3 AFR. Newman qualifies well at Phoenix and has a series high four Coors Light Poles there. Busch has the Phoenix numbers and the makings of being a long shot Chase spoiler. He’s a previous winner there with four top fives and a healthy 12.9 AFR.

    Dale Earnhardt Jr is ranked at 25 to 1 odds for Sunday. He’s a two time winner at Phoenix but the 18.0 AFR is a little on the high side.

    At 35 to 1 are double Phoenix winners Mark Martin and Jeff Burton. Both of these drivers are worthy of being considered as an extreme long shot. In addition to his two wins, Martin has a series high 12 top fives, 19 top tens and a very healthy 8.8 AFR. Another element to be considered here is the fact that the distraction of Martin’s 2012 racing plans have been resolved.

    After enduring a miserable year, Burton’s team seems to be rejuvenated and their last two outings has been very strong. In addition to his two wins at Phoenix, he has six top fives, 12 top tens and a 12.3 AFR. This team has been busy laying the ground work for 2012 and the effort appears to be working.

    Closing out the WSE’s Phoenix rankings are Martin Truex Jr at 45 to 1 and Jamie McMurray at 50 to 1. Any driver not appearing on this week’s list is automatically listed at 12 to 1 by the WSE.

    Now for the disclaimer: NASCAR wants us to remind you that these posted numbers should be viewed for informational and entertainment purposes. They neither encourage or condone the placing of wagers on their events.

    THE RACE BREAKDOWN

    The Kobalt Tools 500 (k), presented by Lowes, is 312 laps/312 miles/500 km around the Phoenix International Raceway’s one mile oval.

    The race has 46 entries vying for the 43 starting positions. 11 of those entries are on the go or go home list meaning they are not guaranteed a starting booth in the race because they are currently outside of NASCAR’s top 35 in owner’s points. These teams will have to rely on qualifying speeds to make the race.

    The Phoenix International Raceway opened in 1964 with a one mile oval along with an interlocking 2.5 mile road course. The first NASCAR Sprint Cup race was held there in November of 1988 and was won by Alan Kulwicki. Since that time Phoenix has hosted 30 Sprint Cup races that has sent 21 different winners to victory lane.

    Track position is always important at a Phoenix race. Four of the Cup races there have been won from the pole position. 15 races have been won from starting positions from the top ten.

    The newly repaved and reconfigured Phoenix International Raceway was completed back in March and has 11 degrees of banking in turns one and two and nine degrees of banking in turns three and four. The front stretch measures 1,179 feet and is banked at three degrees. The back stretch measures 1,551 feet and banked at nine degrees. The raceway’s famed dog leg, between turns two and three, now measures 95 feet.

    The new pit road measures 1,140 feet. The pit stalls are now covered with a layer of concrete. The pit road speed is 45 MPH.

    The Phoenix International Raceway has full capacity seating for 76,812 fans. The grandstand sections are sold out for Sunday’s race but there is lawn chair space on the hill known as Rattlesnake Mountain overlooking turns three and four.

    The weather forecast calls for sunny skies and 76 degrees on Friday but the forecast for the remaining weekend could pose a problem. There’s a slight chance of showers, 20 percent, on Saturday with daytime highs in the low 70’s. Rain is in the forecast for Sunday with a daytime high of 67 degrees. In the event of rain, the raceway has a fleet of five jet dryers that takes approximately two hours to dry the track.

    The Kobalt Tools 500 (k), presented by Lowes, will be broadcast live by ESPN with the “Countdown” show beginning at 3 pm eastern time. The rebroadcasts will be Monday morning, 1 am et, on ESPN2 and again on Wednesday, 12 pm et, on SPEED.