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  • Denny Hamlin and the Ultimate What Could Have Been Situation

    Denny Hamlin and the Ultimate What Could Have Been Situation

    The 2010 season was supposed to be the season of Denny Hamlin and in a way it was. Just not how he had imagined or as others would have preferred to talk or write about after 10 months, 22 tracks and 36 Sprint Cup Series races. Supposed to be, until one moment in time got in the way.

    [media-credit name=”Dan Sanger” align=”alignright” width=”243″][/media-credit]Instead of winning his first career championship and ending the stranglehold that Jimmie Johnson had on the top spot, Hamlin walked away empty handed. He had won a series high eight races and was leading the points heading into the season finale in Homestead-Miami before Johnson and his 48 team did what they’ve done best the last few years.

    Now with the 2011 Chase underway Hamlin’s in a much different position. He’s far from being the favorite but while not mathematically eliminated, he might be realistically. After a rough weekend in Chicago he’s 12th in the standings and behind the leaders by nearly a whole race, 41 points. The No. 11 team has encountered every type of trouble possible this season and has only found victory lane once.

    Friday at New Hampshire, sight of the second Chase race, Hamlin was asked about losing the championship last year. The question, related to fuel mileage, which has decided a fair share of races this year, also had another twist to it. One of those, what would have been had fuel mileage not been a factor?

    “That’s what was the ultimate dagger for us for the championship” Hamlin said. “We dominated the entire race and we didn’t have good fuel mileage and we had to pit when everyone else didn’t and obviously we went from – I think at the time if I finish in the top five, I’m 80 to 100 points to the good going into the last race.”

    For Hamlin it’ll always leave a lasting question in his mind about the championship. Racing is no different than any other sport or even life; moments of what could have, should have or even would have been are never far.

    If a caution would have fallen at a different time or a different strategy decision was made, what if that chassis sitting back at the shop had been used instead? There are thoughts of what Tim Richmond, Adam Petty or even Dale Earnhardt could have or would have been. Just one moment in time changes the future’s path.

    Last November one decision from crew chief Mike Ford, one race, one pit stop forever altered Hamlin’s season.

    He finished 12th at Phoenix after leading a race high 190 laps and saw his point lead decrease to 15 over Johnson. Whereas Hamlin ran top three all afternoon, Johnson struggled all day, never led a lap but wound up fifth after the fuel mileage bug bit those in front of him. In the end, Hamlin wouldn’t get to have the race in Homestead that he was looking for.

    “I just start my engine and run around at Homestead like Jimmie did the last four years and we take home the championship,” said Hamlin. “It’s a completely different mindset. Obviously with momentum we see how that momentum went to the final race and worked against us. Fuel mileage has completely changed this sport over the last few years.”

    Hamlin’s luck has also changed. He went from being the driver to watch on any given weekend at any given track to hardly on the map. His tough luck shows how fickle this sport can be. Johnson is the lone exception of the ever-changing nature of the Cup Series.

    Drivers come and go; those on top are knocked down. The Virginia native has been knocked down already in this year’s championship fight and plenty throughout the season. Yet, he’s perfectly fine with that. Hamlin knows that’s the way the pendulum swings and his team will work hard to get back to where they feel they belong.

    “In sports, staying at the top is very, very difficult,” said Hamlin. “It’s extremely hard. You see professional teams in sports where you have 10 to 12 people out on the field. One person gets hurt and it completely changes the dynamic of the entire team and all of a sudden they look terrible, the same team that was going for a championship last year.”

    In NASCAR, no better example as shown week in and week out by the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 11 FedEx team. And according to Hamlin, this year NASCAR is showing how much of a team sport it really is.

    “That’s a good thing,” he said. “I like that, but you’re going to live and die by the sword. Those days where you have problems, you’ve got to just suck it up and figure out what you’ve got to do to get better at your job and not worry about the variables that you can’t handle, you can’t change and I feel like I need to do that at this point.”

  • Two in a row; Stewart wins and takes over points lead

    Two in a row; Stewart wins and takes over points lead

    For the second week in a row, Tony Stewart stretches his fuel and finds victory lane, this time at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway, becoming the second driver to win the first two races of the Chase (Greg Biffle – 2008). This was Stewart’s 41st career  and eighth victory with Stewart-Haas Racing.

    [media-credit name=”CIA Stock Photo” align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]Clint Bowyer ran out of gas with two laps remaining, giving the lead and win to Stewart. The ending was similar to last fall when Stewart ran out of fuel on the final lap and Bowyer passed him for the lead and win.

    “If that’s not a flip-flop from last year, I don’t know what is.” Stewart said. “I know exactly what that feels like. I know exactly how he feels right now. I saw him slowing down the back and I thought, ‘Oh, no, you’re kidding me’. That’s not the way you want to win it.”

    Along with last weeks Chase opening win at Chicagoland Speedway, Stewart now finds himself in the series points lead for the first time during the ‘Chase’ since he won the title in 2005. He leads by 7 points over Kevin Harvick.

    “It’s way too early to start counting chickens.” Stewart said.

    Brad Keselowski finished second, Biffle third, Jeff Gordon fourth and Brian Vickers finished fifth.

    Keselowski had his best career finish at the mile long flat track.

    “I hate these fuel mileage races. We like to run hard and go. We had a really fast car that could have been second or third no matter what, but I just wish it didn’t come down to that. I would have liked to see how hard we could have run and see if we could have caught them.” Biffle said.

    “I’m proud just to get through what looked to be a rough weekend with an awesome finish. I’m proud of my Miller Lite Dodge team. Getting the right adjustments in the car all race and doing all those things that it takes. It’s been a good roll.” Keselowski said of his second place finish.

    Chase drivers Matt Kenseth finished sixth, Carl Edwards eighth, Kyle Busch 11th, Harvick 12th, Dale Earnhardt Jr. 17th, Jimmie Johnson 18th, Kurt Busch 22nd and Ryan Newman finished 25th.

    “We had a fast car all day. I was real happy with the car. Real competitive. Got to race up front. We had a real good car.” Earnhard Jr. said. “We had a flat tire that cost us a lot more track position and I had another flat in the last couple laps there. Just didn’t hit nobody or nothing; just had too much camber or something in the front right.”

    Gordon he led a race high of 79 laps but had to conserve fuel to make it to the finish.

    “I’m just glad we finished fourth. It is tough conditions to race in (saving fuel). I don’t think that we wanted to see back-to-back fuel mileage races like this, but, it is kind of the name of the game these days.” Gordon said. “There at the end, conserved fuel. It is something that we need to be better at. We did it and we made it and we finished fourth so we’ll take that. We made some gains in points. But, not necessarily overall to the leader.”

    The series heads to Dover International Speedway next weekend for the third of ten ‘Chase’ races.

     

    Unofficial Race Results
    Sylvania 300, New Hampshire Motor Speedway
    http://www.speedwaymedia.com/Cup/race.php?race=28
    =========================================
    Pos. St. No. Driver Make Points
    =========================================
    1 20 14 Tony Stewart Chevrolet 47
    2 16 2 Brad Keselowski Dodge 43
    3 4 16 Greg Biffle Ford 41
    4 7 24 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet 42
    5 3 83 Brian Vickers Toyota 40
    6 27 17 Matt Kenseth Ford 38
    7 26 6 David Ragan Ford 38
    8 23 99 Carl Edwards Ford 36
    9 31 42 Juan Montoya Chevrolet 36
    10 17 78 Regan Smith Chevrolet 35
    11 8 18 Kyle Busch Toyota 33
    12 6 29 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet 33
    13 18 31 Jeff Burton Chevrolet 31
    14 24 20 Joey Logano Toyota 30
    15 2 4 Kasey Kahne Toyota 30
    16 9 56 Martin Truex Jr. Toyota 29
    17 12 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet 27
    18 10 48 Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet 27
    19 15 47 Bobby Labonte Toyota 25
    20 14 27 Paul Menard Chevrolet 24
    21 13 43 A.J. Allmendinger Ford 23
    22 5 22 Kurt Busch Dodge 23
    23 25 1 Jamie McMurray Chevrolet 21
    24 21 5 Mark Martin Chevrolet 21
    25 1 39 Ryan Newman Chevrolet 20
    26 11 33 Clint Bowyer Chevrolet 19
    27 32 38 J.J. Yeley Ford 17
    28 19 0 David Reutimann Toyota 16
    29 28 11 Denny Hamlin Toyota 15
    30 29 9 Marcos Ambrose Ford 14
    31 40 32 Mike Bliss Ford 0
    32 33 34 David Gilliland Ford 12
    33 30 51 Landon Cassill Chevrolet 0
    34 42 71 Andy Lally * Ford 10
    35 22 36 Dave Blaney Chevrolet 9
    36 39 87 Joe Nemechek Toyota 0
    37 35 66 Michael McDowell Toyota 7
    38 34 30 David Stremme Chevrolet 6
    39 41 37 Josh Wise Ford 0
    40 36 7 Robby Gordon Dodge 4
    41 43 46 Scott Speed Ford 0
    42 37 13 Casey Mears Toyota 2
    43 38 55 Travis Kvapil Ford 0

  • Cole Whitt Wide Open

    What makes Cole Whitt, driver of the No. 60 for Turn One/Red Bull Racing in the Camping World Truck Series, tick? Whitt explains it simply as running his life on and off the track “wide open.”

    [media-credit id=62 align=”alignright” width=”227″][/media-credit]Whitt’s exposure to his now wide open racing style started at a very young age. And, as with many drivers in the various levels of NASCAR, he credits his family with initiating him in the sport.

    “I’d say who got me hooked is my cousin Brandon,” Whitt said. “He used to race and got me started in go kart racing and then moved up into the stock car world with late models.”

    “I watched him race the trucks a lot while I was just racing go karts,” Whitt continued. “I’d say my cousin Brandon got me my real start, but my dad and my grandpa all raced so, it’s really been in my family.”

    While Whitt’s cousin may have gotten him going in the wide open world of racing, his dad is the one that he credits for his competitiveness in the sport.

    “My dad helped me be competitive,” Whitt acknowledged. “A lot of my good characteristics come from my dad.”

    “He’s a hard worker,” Whitt continued. “He just raised me that way, to be competitive and be at the top.”

    In learning to race wide open, Whitt not only credits his father with being his mentor along the way but also mentions several other racing mentors. Tops among them are Cory Kruseman and Jon Stanbrough, both from the sprint car racing world.

    “There have been a lot of people that have helped me along the way,” Whitt said. “I’d say my dad definitely got me my main start. My cousin helped me out.”

    “But even along the way in sprint car ranks there are people like Cory Kruseman, who helped me find my way to Indiana and got me my start with Skeeter Ellis,” Whitt continued. “As I was racing out there, I became friends with Jon Stanbrough, who is the ‘King of Indiana’, in sprint racing.”

    “I became friends with Jon and we really hit it off,” Whitt continued. “We became good friends and had a lot of good battles throughout our career. Jon helped me out a lot.”

    With his support wide open, when did the light bulb go off for Whitt so that he knew that racing would be his career of choice? The young rookie Truck Series driver has an interesting response.

    “I don’t think the light bulb has gone off yet if racing is it for me,” Whitt said. “Trust me, if I can do it, I want to do it.”

    “The problem is actually being able to do it,” Whitt continued. “It’s hard.”

    “So, I’m not saying necessarily this is it for me,” Whitt said. “But at the same time, this is what I want to do for sure.”

    “As a kid racing go karts and I was doing good, winning races and championships, it was so much fun just enjoying all that with my family,” Whitt continued. “That was the time where I really wanted to race. That’s when it all happened for me.”

    Progressing from his early sprint car racing roots to being wide open in the Truck Series, Whitt has seen his share of ups and downs, especially in this his rookie year. Yet Whitt remains steadfast as well as confident in his abilities.

    “You can never quit,” Whitt said. “If it was easy, everybody would do it.”

    “Racing is a hard sport,” Whitt continued. “There are ups and downs.”

    “Obviously, the days that are great are the days you live for,” Whitt said. “But then the days that are bad, you just want to come back and redeem yourself and be that much better.”

    “You love to hate it,” Whitt continued. “It’s tough but it’s almost like an obsession to me.”

    Throughout his racing obsession, Whitt has had moments to remember, as well as moments that have broken his heart.

    “I’d say probably the pole at Darlington was my best moment,” Whitt said. “Also, running second to Kyle (Busch) at Dover was good.”

    “But another good moment would be Charlotte, when we ran third,” Whitt continued. “It was the last run of the day and we were running eighth to tenth.”

    “We jumped up to the high groove and worked our way up to third at the end,” Whitt said. “I was pretty proud of that moment too.”

    As wide open exciting as his career has been, Whitt also has had his moments of heart break.

    “There’s been a few,” Whitt said. “Missing the show at Daytona was crazy and one of the worst feelings I’ve ever had.”

    “And also another heart break was blowing the motor at Texas running fourth,” Whitt continued. “And we were running fourth at Atlanta and blew a motor.”

    “It seems like we can’t get any luck,” Whitt said. “The days that we run tenth to twelfth all day, nothing can go wrong.”

    “You’re sitting there thinking ‘Why couldn’t the motor blow up on a day like that instead of when we’re running up front?’

    “I guess that’s part of rookie luck and a first season,” Whitt continued. “You’ve got to pay your dues, just hopefully long enough to cash them in.”

    Whitt admitted that he also has some interesting ways to cope with these vagaries of the sport. He not only throws himself into fishing and hunting, but channels all of his energy right back into his racing career.

    “My life is pretty much all racing,” Whitt said. “When I’m at home, I go to the shop every day and work on the truck.”

    “I grew up that way,” Whitt continued. “My dad wanted me to be ‘hands on.’ It makes me appreciate my equipment more and my team appreciates me working with them.”

    What does Whitt want to accomplish for the remainder of this 2011 season? The rookie has only one thing on his mind.

    “Hopefully we can get a win,” Whitt said. “We’ve been chasing that win since the beginning of the year.”

    “I want to be a front-runner,” Whitt continued. “When I walk through the gate, I want people to know that I’m the guy to beat and that I have a fast truck.”

    “More than anything, I want to get a win and win this rookie championship.”

    While Whitt focuses on running wide open for the win and the rookie championship, he also acknowledged the need to think, at least briefly, about his future. And that is unfortunately wide open as well.

    “I don’t know,” Whitt said simply. “It’s going to be a weird and pretty crazy off season.”

    “The rumors started flying this year earlier than they ever have,” Whitt continued. “It’s kind of tough. I really don’t know what’s going to happen.”

    “Hopefully we can finish off the season strong and move on to something different,” Whitt said.  “Racing is all I’ve ever done.”

    “It’s the only way of life that I understand.”

     

     

  • Kyle Busch Spanks Truck Field at New Hampshire

    Kyle Busch, driving the No. 18 Toyota/Traxxas Toyota, spanked the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series with a dominant win in the 16th annual running of the F. W. Webb 175 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

    [media-credit id=62 align=”alignright” width=”230″][/media-credit]This was Busch’s 30th career win in 99 Truck races and he now ranks second on the all-time series wins list. Busch also achieved another record, leading 165 laps, the most ever in a 175 lap Truck race at New Hampshire.

    This was Busch’s 104th national series win. And with that domination, Busch also scored a perfect driving rating of 150.

    “We just had a great truck,” Busch said in the understatement of the race. “We worked hard and I want to say ‘hi’ to my wife who is working at home in Charlotte.”

    “It was fun for us but probably not for others.”

    Busch not only dominated the field but he also started from the pole, his 12th in 99 the Truck Series competition. Rowdy Busch was so dominant that only six trucks finished on the lead lap.

    “These guys on this Kyle Busch Motorsports team did a great job,” Busch said. “We unloaded a little bit off but we just had to get the feel where I liked it.”

    “I felt really good with it,” Busch continued. “To be able to qualify first and set sail on our own agenda really meant a lot.”

    Eric Phillips, Busch’s crew chief, agreed wholeheartedly with his driver.

    “Like Kyle said, we were off a little bit so we tried something different,” Phillips said. “We made steady progress through both practices and then the truck was pretty good the rest of the weekend.”

    Busch acknowledged that he has had other dominating performances, such as leading every lap at Phoenix in the Nationwide race earlier in the year.

    “I never thought of that actually,” Busch said. “I think I led 190 or 192 laps of a Nationwide race here too one time.”

    “So, that’s cool,” Busch said. “Certainly Phoenix and Loudon, when I can hit it right, I can hit it right. I’m really, really good.”

    Young Austin Dillon, in the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing, ran second for most of the race to Busch. And that is exactly where he finished.

    This was Dillon’s second top-10 finish in three races at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. He also now leads the point standings by just two over James Buescher.

    “We were in there every lap,” Dillon said. “We even got to lead a lap which was good for our points deal.”

    “Championship has been on our mind all year,” Dillon said. “I feel like we’ve had a great truck to beat each and every week.”

    “We’re finally stringing some finishes together.”

    Kevin Harvick, behind the wheel of the No.2 JEGS Chevrolet, came in third. Although his fifth top-10 finish in six races at New Hampshire, Harvick was frustrated with the racing.

    “It was like a parade,” Harvick said. “It was a terrible race with everybody following each other around.”

    “I got stuck behind the 88 there and lost half a track,” Harvick lamented. “It was just really hard to pass.” Track position was king.”

    Ron Hornaday, Jr., driving the No. 33 Cooked Perfect Meatballs Chevrolet, finished fourth and Johnny Sauter, in the No. 13 SafeAuto/Carrier Chevrolet, rounded out the top five.

    Miguel Paludo, behind the wheel of the No. 7 Stemco Duroline Toyota, was the top-finishing Sunoco rookie. Paludo started from the 15th position and ended the race in the 10th spot.

    “It was a good day for us,” Paludo said. “The two tires in the end was a better call for us. I’m proud of our guys and I’m proud to be in the top ten in a race like this.”

    Joey Coulter, driving the No. 22 RCR Graphics Center Chevrolet , was probably the most frustrated driver on the ‘Magic Mile.’ Coulter qualified third, was moving his way up through the pack, and even led a lap in the race.

    Unfortunately, Coulter was penalized twice for being too fast on pit road and finished his race in the 11th position.

    Matt Crafton, James Buescher, Todd Bodine, Timothy Peters and rookie Miguel Paludo rounded out the top ten finishers, sixth through tenth respectively, in the F. W. Webb 175.

     

    Unofficial Race Results
    F.W. Webb 175, New Hampshire Motor Speedway
    http://www.speedwaymedia.com/truckseries/race.php?race=19
    ==============================================
    Pos. St. No. Driver Make Points
    ==============================================
    1 1 18 Kyle Busch Toyota 0
    2 4 3 Austin Dillon Chevrolet 43
    3 2 2 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet 0
    4 5 33 Ron Hornaday Chevrolet 40
    5 14 13 Johnny Sauter Chevrolet 39
    6 10 88 Matt Crafton Chevrolet 38
    7 8 31 James Buescher Chevrolet 38
    8 11 5 Todd Bodine Toyota 37
    9 9 17 Timothy Peters Toyota 35
    10 15 7 Miguel Paludo * Toyota 34
    11 3 22 Joey Coulter * Chevrolet 34
    12 12 62 Brendan Gaughan Toyota 32
    13 7 6 Justin Lofton Chevrolet 31
    14 16 81 David Starr Toyota 30
    15 18 60 Cole Whitt * Chevrolet 29
    16 17 151 German Quiroga Toyota 28
    17 34 23 Jason White Chevrolet 27
    18 19 29 Parker Kligerman * Dodge 26
    19 22 4 Ricky Carmichael Chevrolet 25
    20 13 9 Max Papis Toyota 24
    21 23 32 Blake Feese Chevrolet 23
    22 21 39 Ryan Sieg Chevrolet 22
    23 26 261 Wes Burton Ford 21
    24 6 8 Nelson Piquet Jr. * Chevrolet 20
    25 32 57 Norm Benning Chevrolet 19
    26 31 173 Austin Russell Dodge 18
    27 20 170 Jeff Agnew Chevrolet 17
    28 25 66 J.J. Yeley Chevrolet 0
    29 24 93 Josh Wise Chevrolet 0
    30 30 7 Butch Miller Chevrolet 14
    31 28 296 Todd Peck Chevrolet 13
    32 27 87 Chris Jones Chevrolet 0
    33 29 174 Mike Harmon Ford 0
    34 33 175 Bobby Santos Chevrolet 0
    35 36 10 Jennifer Jo Cobb Ford 0

  • Ron Silk Makes Whelen Modified Magic with Third Win

    Ron Silk, driver of the No. 6 TS Haulers/Calverton Tree Farm Chevrolet, made three times a charm with a win in the New Hampshire 100 on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour. Silk, from Norwalk, Connecticut, started the race from the pole.

    [media-credit id=62 align=”alignright” width=”239″][/media-credit]This was Silk’s second career victory at the ‘Magic Mile’, his third win of the season and his seventh career win.

    “The car was really great right from the beginning,” Silk said. “After we didn’t make any adjustments at the pit stop, I was happy with the car. It got a little bit better throughout the race and I was able to get up there to the lead.”

    Silk said that pit strategy was important throughout the race, especially with the green flag runs, as well as the red flag rain delay.

    “It was definitely the right time to pit,” Silk said. “It went green for awhile. It would have been pretty tough to wait longer to take tires and get back through the field.”

    “I was confident,” Silk continued. “We’ve had a good car here all year.”

    Todd Szegedy, behind the wheel of the No. 2 Wisk Detergent/A&J Romano Construction Ford, finished second. This was Szegedy’s second win at New Hampshire and his 14th top-10 in 19 starts at New Hampshire.

    “Second is a phenomenal finish for us,” Szegedy said. “But we certainly didn’t have a second place car.”

    “We’ve got our homework to do,” Szegedy continued. “It’s fortunate we got second place but why were we so far off and basically struggled. It was a struggle for me to stay in the top five.”

    “That green-white-checkered, we started fourth,” Szegedy continued. “I had momentum and I knew I could push Ronnie. But I had absolutely zero for him.”

    The third place finisher was Justin Bonsignore, from Holtsville, New York. The driver of the No. 51 M3 Technology Chevrolet scored his best finish ever at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

    Bonsignore was the 2010 Sunoco Rookie of the Year on the Whelen Modified Tour. He finished fourth in August, so this third place finish was also his career best.

    “It was pretty eventful,” Bonsignore said. “The air cleaner came off about 20 laps in and we rode around until the yellow came out for the rain.”

    “We replace that and took tires then and that put us a little bit behind,” Bonsignore continued. “We stayed out and the car was good.”

    “Luckily that last restart, we mixed it up on that last lap and came home third.”

    “We’re only a second year team,” Bonsignore said. “I’m really proud of what we’ve built.”

    “To be contending for wins is really cool to do.”

    As is tradition at New Hampshire, the race had its share of drama. One source of drama was the weather, with sprinkles breaking out on the track, delaying the race.

    The other source of drama was for the only Cup driver in the competition. After his win disqualification at the last Modified race, Ryan Newman, who qualified fourth, blew the engine of his No. 77 Aggressive Hydraulics/Menards Chevrolet.

    Newman finished a disappointing 28th out of 29 spots, after the tell-tale smoke flowed from his race car on lap 60 of the race.

    The final drama of the race had to do with the points battle for the Whelen Modified Series championship. Szegedy came into the race leading the points by 12 points over Silk.

    “It’s a lot of fun, especially battling with a guy like Todd Szegedy,” Silk said. “He’s a good friend of mine.”

    “I kind of kept tabs on him throughout the race today and when I saw he was second, I said ‘Damn, I’m not going to gain too many points today.’

    “It’s going to go right down to the wire it looks like,” Silk continued. “It will go right down to the world series there at Thompson (International Speedway).”

    “This is how you win a championship,” Szegedy, the other points challenger, said. “You’ve got to use your head, stay out of trouble, and I’m being a nice guy because I want to win that championship.”

    After Silk, Szegedy and Bonsignore, rounding out the top five were Ted Christopher, driver of the No. 36 Al-Lee Installations, and Eric Beers, behind the wheel of the No. 45 Horwith Freightliner/John Blewett, Inc.

    Erick Rudolph, Zane Zeiner, Mike Stefanik, Matt Hirschman and Eric Goodale rounded out the top ten. Stefanik, who finished eighth, was the ‘comeback kid’ after spinning and going a lap down early in the race.

  • Marcos Ambrose Reflects on Life, Loudon and Spewing

    Marcos Ambrose, driver of the No. 9 DEWALT Ford Fusion for Richard Petty Motorsports, may not be in the Chase for the Cup championship but he still has an agenda for Loudon, the rest of the season and for next year. And he even has time to explain his Australian word of the week, spewing.

    [media-credit id=62 align=”alignright” width=”228″][/media-credit]As far as the ‘Magic Mile’, Ambrose has made five career Cup Series starts at the ‘Magic Mile’. His best finish, ninth, came in last year’s spring race.

    “No doubt it’s going to be challenging,” Ambrose said of this weekend’s race. “Qualifying becomes very important. It sets the grid.”

    “You have to practice fast but you also have to go out in qualifying trim,” Ambrose continued. “So you really have to juggle and take your chances on your set ups.”

    Ambrose also acknowledged that track position reigns, especially for the Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Passing is another challenge at the track, as, according to Ambrose, each spot requires the perfect set up prior to the pass.

    “If you’ve got a fast car, you can pass,” Ambrose said. “But it just takes a little longer here.”

    “If you’ve got a fast car, you have to set up each pass individually and pick them up one by one, which takes time.”

    Along with every other driver in the race, Ambrose is also consumed with the fuel mileage question. But for the Aussie, fuel mileage racing is just the price of doing business.

    “I wouldn’t say it’s frustrating,” Ambrose said. “It’s just part of the business.”

    “It’s another facet to racing that is unusual,” Ambrose continued. “It’s hard to save fuel because you don’t know. There’s no fuel gauge in the car.”

    “So, it’s a challenging thing,” Ambrose continued. “Some guys are good at it and some aren’t. I like it when races come down to different strategies.”

    Does Ambrose’s vast experience in other racing series help with saving fuel? Not necessarily as far as Ambrose is concerned.

    “No, generally speaking if the motor’s shut off or the gas pedal is off, you’re going to save fuel,” Ambrose said. “You’ve got to work out the best way to do it.”

    “It’s definitely an art,” Ambrose continued. “It’s a skill you acquire over time.”

    “The penalty for making a mistake is huge,” Ambrose said. “If you come up short, you can lose ten, twenty spots very quickly.”

    In addition to having a good run at Loudon this weekend, Ambrose has an agenda for the remainder of the 2011 race season, especially since he is not a Chase participant.

    “It’s pretty simple,” Ambrose said. “We’re just going to go and try and win races.”

    “We’re building momentum for next year,” Ambrose continued. “We want to be the best.”

    “We’ve run well this year but we want to be better,” Ambrose said. “It’s going to take some serious effort to win a race.”

    “If you can do that in one of those big ten races, you know you’re ready for next year.”

    While Ambrose may be planning for the next season, he still has some fond, as well as not so fond, memories for the 2011 season. One of his best memories is his win, as well as how he started off this year.

    “It was just such a sense of relief,” Ambrose said. “There are not many moments in your life when you can pick a moment in time where you say, ‘You know what, it all worked out.’

    “The sacrifices to come here and the quest to win at the Cup level was a massive challenge,” Ambrose continued. “On that day, at that time, we were the champion for the day and won the race. It means a lot.”

    “Winning the race was awesome,” Ambrose said. “We came out of the gate really showing on the one and a half mile race tracks.”

    “Charlotte and Texas stood out,” Ambrose continued. “At that point, there was a lot of concern about what kind of team we were going to be together.”

    “The first good race for us was Las Vegas where we finished fourth,” Ambrose said. “And that was a good moment for us.”

    In spite of the win and his good early start, Ambrose pronounced that he would still give his overall season to date a ‘B’ grade.

    “Learning new people and a new team is tough,” Ambrose said. “I’d give it a B. We want to be A+ so we’ve got a ways to go.”

    Ambrose is absolutely convinced, however, that the familiarity and lessons learned throughout this race season will serve him and his team well going forward.

    “If I knew what I know now and I knew the people the way I do now and the systems and the stuff we got, we would have had a different year,” Ambrose said. “I think it’s continuity, experience and just familiarity.”

    “You start to know your people,” Ambrose continued. “We’ve got a much deeper notebook than we did at the start of the year. We’ve got better set ups at all these tracks we’re starting to hit a second time. It makes a difference.”

    According to Ambrose, the people with whom he surrounds himself are the most important factor in his racing career.

    “Racing is all about the people,” Ambrose said. “At this level, we’ve all got good equipment. It’s about how you work with each other.”

    “It’s the team,” Ambrose continued. “It makes all the difference in the world.”

    “If you have a team that you can rely on that pays you back and you’ve got their back and if you’ve got the trust and respect of each other, it’s important.”

    In addition to his racing family, the other most important people in Ambrose’s life are his family, including his wife and two children. And balancing his professional gig with his family time is one of Ambrose’s most important priorities.

    “It’s a constant struggle,” Ambrose said. “I’ve got a great wife and two beautiful kids.”

    “Racing is going to end one day but family should last forever,” Ambrose continued. “You’ve got to keep your priorities in life. And definitely my family is my number one priority.”

    “But racing’s been good too,” Ambrose said. “The racing community and the racing family have been good to me too.”

    With all that good will, from his own family as well as his racing family, hopefully Ambrose will not be using his Australian word of the week, spewing.

    “You really don’t spew at somebody, you’re really spewing at some thing,” Ambrose explained. “If you’re annoyed by something and you want to throw up at it, it’s spewing.”

    “I’m not spewing today, but I may be after qualifying.”

  • Matty’s Picks Vol. 19 – New Hampshire – Sylvania 300 – September 25, 2011

    Matty’s Picks Vol. 19 – New Hampshire – Sylvania 300 – September 25, 2011

    Race No. 2 of the 2011 Chase for the Sprint Cup brings us back to Loudon, New Hampshire. On April 12, 1934 the highest wind speed recorded at ground level was recorded at Mount Washington, NH. The wind speeds were three times as fast as those in most hurricanes.

    [media-credit name=”nhms.com” align=”alignright” width=”254″][/media-credit]The 750 horsepower engines of the NASCAR Sprint Cup racecars will not reach speeds nearly as fast as those at Mount Washington in 1934, but they will be going as fast as the wind speeds of most hurricanes, Sunday Afternoon.

    I didn’t fare extremely well with my Dark Horse pick after the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series’ first stop this season in New Hampshire, but I did manage to pick the Runner-up in the July race. I thought I had nailed my Dark Horse pick in the July race (even after submitting my picks before any on-track activities) after finding out Regan Smith would start in 11th for the Lenox Industrial Tools 301, but knew a Top-10 finish would be too good to be true.

    My Winner Pick for the July race, Tony Stewart started outside pole and would finish exactly there. I had a 2nd and a 33rd place finish earlier this year, with Regan Smith giving me my first pick to finish outside the Top-30 cars.

    Chicago Recap

    Well, if you’re my winner pick, plan on finishing 22nd…

    Two weeks ago, I picked Clint Bowyer to win the Wonderful Pistachios 400 at Richmond International Raceway; his result, a 22nd place finish.

    Last week, I picked Kyle Busch to win the Geico 400 at Chicagoland Speedway; his result, a 22nd place finish.

    I used up my mandatory once-a-month Kyle Busch pick last week only because it was the second-to-last race of the month, and I probably should have held out and picked the Las Vegas native this week. It was my mistake in thinking that the race at Chicagoland would not turn out to be another once of these fuel-mileage fiascos we see each race at these 1.5-mile cookie-cutter style racetracks.

    As we all know, its checkers or wreckers for Kyle Busch each time he straps up his helmet to go racing. And that mentality really puts you at a huge disadvantage when you are trying to conserve fuel at the end of the race. Sometimes I feel like Rowdy’s right foot is made of lead, and he really cannot resist the temptation to jam his foot through the floorboards of his No. 18 M&M’s Toyota Camry. He reached the point position early in the race on Monday, but when the race shook out (as it has historically); it was the guy with the most mustard left in the bottle that took the checkered.

    Kyle explained his day after the 400 mile stanza: “We had a good car today and kept fighting back all day long. But, once we hit that debris it made the car really loose and I was doing the best I can. I still hoped we could finish in the top-10. I saved as much fuel as I could but I guess it just wasn’t enough and we ran out with two to go. Just really disappointing day.”

    As for my Dark Horse pick last week, he was one of the 7-Chevrolets that finished in the Top-10 on Monday.

    Mark Martin’s 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup season has been one filled with questions, disappointments, and very few triumphs. Martin’s starting spot in Monday’s race wasn’t anything to write home about either.

    I had made my decision on Martin early in the week last week and was put to ease after the first practice session on Friday, after he posted the 3rd best speed of the practice session. I knew all along that winning one of the final 10 races this season would be quite an achievement for the 52-year old whose career seems to be coming to its final chapter.

    Many frustrations have plagued Mark Martin’s final season at Hendrick Motorsports, which in the early stages of the race I thought would be the case yet-again for my Dark Horse pick. After starting 25th in the Geico 400, Martin battled through potential damage on the front spoiler on his No. 5 Chevrolet to eventually lay down lap times that were as fast as the race leaders.

    With all the fast cars running out of gas at the end, Martin had enough fuel left in the tanks to pass the wounded on the apron and bring home a Top-10 Dark Horse pick for me. Martin finished one-spot better than teammate Jimmie Johnson in 9th place, certainly a respectable finish after qualifying so poorly.

    New Hampshire Picks

    As I watch the practice speeds roll across my phone today, I can’t help but to notice the fire power the Chevrolets seem to be packing this weekend at New Hampshire. Eight of the Top-10 drivers in practice today have been piloting Chevrolets; I’m going with Chevy for Sunday…

    Winner Pick

    I’m really going out on a whim here this week and picking July’s race winner to take the checkered flag in Loudon, Sunday Afternoon (or Monday as it looks right now). He’s atop the leaderboard following Sprint Cup practice earlier today, and with that will do all he can to secure a favorable starting position for Sunday’s 3-hour nap window.

    Ryan Newman won July’s Lenox Industrial Tools 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway after starting from the pole. Since there is little-to-no passing opportunity at New Hampshire, starting up-front is key in a successful finish. No other driver has more poles than Newman at the 1-mile flat track in New England and he hasn’t finished outside the Top-8 in his past three trips to Loudon.

    Newman loves racing at New Hampshire, and I would too if I had an average finish of 12.4 in 19 races. “New Hampshire has always been a good place for me. I’m not a hundred percent sure why. It’s the place of my first win, when I hadn’t won in a long while, 70 some races. I won again there. This past July we were able to qualify and finish 1-2 at Stewart-Haas. It’s a fun race; it’s a very finesse racetrack. You can’t overdrive the car there very much because it’s so flat”, said Newman just yesterday before he arrived at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

    Ryan Newman seems to have a rocket ship of a car this weekend, watch for him to lead the pack for the majority of the 300 laps on Sunday (or Monday).

    Dark Horse Pick

    As I said last week, I will finish the season by picking a driver that sits outside The Chase for the Sprint Cup as my Dark Horse each week.

    Unlike my Winner Pick, whom I have yet to pick this year, I’ve spoke about my Dark Horse pick 4 times this season, second only to Kyle Busch in number of picks this season. His results for me have been like his results at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, really good or really bad, nothing in the middle.

    Clint Bowyer has given me two Top-5 picks this year, but the other two times I’ve picked him in my column, he has given me a 36th and a 22nd-place finish. Bowyer is coming off the disappointment of missing The Chase for the Sprint Cup just two weeks ago, and has rebounded nicely from such disappointment by netting a 7th place finish last week at Chicago.

    Bowyer’s stats at New Hampshire Motor Speedway are just as I described, really good or really bad. He won this race just a year ago, but finished 17th at Loudon in July. He has visited Victory Lane in New England twice in his Sprint Cup career, finishing in the Top-10 a total of four times in eleven tries.

    Bowyer also described enjoying his trips to New Hampshire earlier this week: “Flat tracks like New Hampshire Motor Speedway and Richmond International Raceway always fit my driving style. I love racing up there. It is a lot of fun. Nothing in particular, it just fits my driving style.”

    I picked Clint Bowyer to win the race just two weeks ago at Richmond, and he let me down. He will rebound for me this weekend and stick his nose in the mix for the win.

    That’s all for this week as I set my sights on the two most important football games this season, my West Virginia Mountaineers hosting the Tigers from Louisiana State University tomorrow night in primetime, and my hometown Buffalo Bills take on Tom Brady and the New England Patriots here in Buffalo on Sunday Afternoon.

    Until next time…You Stay Classy NASCAR NATION!

  • Ryan Newman’s Loudon Love Affair Continues with Pole Run

    Ryan Newman’s Loudon Love Affair Continues with Pole Run

    In spite of the rain drops that yet again delayed action on the track, Ryan Newman continued his love affair with the ‘Magic Mile’, scoring a record-setting sixth pole.

    [media-credit name=”Gary Buchanan” align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]Newman, behind the wheel of the No. 39 Haas Automation Chevrolet, turned a lap of 28.213 seconds and a speed of 135.002 mph.

    This was Newman’s third pole in 2011 and his 59th career pole, tying him for ninth all-time with Bobby Isaac, Hall of Fame Nominee. In spite of it being a personal career pole best, it was the drama of it all that most impressed Newman.

    “In general, I don’t think I’ve seen that kind of drama going into the last five cars qualifying in my ten or eleven years of experience,” Newman said. “It’s kind of a tough situation, one hand you’re thinking other guys had to qualify in the sprinkles.”

    “My track was dry,” Newman continued. “I don’t know if it was any faster. I think we picked up the same speed as the other guys did earlier in qualifying.”

    The drama particularly played out with five-time champion Jimmie Johnson, driver of the No. 48 Lowes Chevrolet, who started his qualifying run but then pulled off the track, only to be resoundly booed and heckled by the crowd, who were desperate for the completion of qualifying.

    “Some of them did and some of them didn’t go out, but in the end we’re supposed to have dry track conditions or at least not be raining when we go out on the race track,” Newman said. “So, I understand where Jimmie (Johnson) came from when he pulled in.”

    “I’m just really proud of my team,” Newman said. “We backed up what we did here at least on Friday from the spring race and give the Haas Automation a good starting spot.”

    The Red Bull teammates of Kasey Kahne, behind the wheel of the No. 4 Red Bull Toyota, and Brian Vickers, driving the No. 83 Red Bull Toyota, were also part of the drama that played out in Loudon qualifying.

    Vickers went out prior to the rain drops falling, where Kahne had to cool his heels with the five remaining cars awaiting the drying of the track. In the end, Kahne still scored the outside pole, while Vickers lost the provisional pole, falling to the third spot.

    “Obviously the conditions were tough,” Vickers said. “I would have liked to have seen it play out just running straight through.”

    “It is what it is,” Vickers continued. “Either way we started out better than we would have.”

    “We ended up with a top-three start,” Vickers said. “So, that’s great and both Red Bull cars are up front.”

    “But again, I would have liked to have seen our laps hold if we were heads up in the same position.”

    Outside pole sitter Kasey Kahne was second quickest when he finally got to qualify, with a lap of 28.263 seconds and a speed of 134.763 mph.

    “It was a good effort,” Kahne said. “We ended up right where we would have been if it would have ended up if it hadn’t rained.”

    “The track was definitely slicker,” Kahne continued. “The way my car handled, we were definitely quicker in practice. But I’m glad we got qualifying in.”

    Greg Biffle, driving the No. 16 Ford40MPG.com Ford, and Kurt Busch, behind the wheel of the No. 22 Shell Pennzoil Dodge, rounded out the top five for the 15th annual Sylvania 300.  The remainder of the top ten qualifiers were Kevin Harvick, Jeff Gordon, Kyle Busch, Martin Truex, Jr. and Jimmie Johnson.

    Starting Lineup
    Sylvania 300, New Hampshire Motor Speedway
    http://www.speedwaymedia.com/Cup/qual.php?race=28
    ===========================================
    Pos. No. Driver Make Speed Time
    ===========================================
    1 39 Ryan Newman Chevrolet 135.002 28.213
    2 4 Kasey Kahne Toyota 134.763 28.263
    3 83 Brian Vickers Toyota 134.648 28.287
    4 16 Greg Biffle Ford 134.587 28.3
    5 22 Kurt Busch Dodge 134.382 28.343
    6 29 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet 134.354 28.349
    7 24 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet 134.16 28.39
    8 18 Kyle Busch Toyota 134.146 28.393
    9 56 Martin Truex Jr. Toyota 134.146 28.393
    10 48 Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet 134.075 28.408
    11 33 Clint Bowyer Chevrolet 134.056 28.412
    12 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet 133.981 28.428
    13 43 A.J. Allmendinger Ford 133.82 28.462
    14 27 Paul Menard Chevrolet 133.816 28.463
    15 47 Bobby Labonte Toyota 133.792 28.468
    16 2 Brad Keselowski Dodge 133.769 28.473
    17 78 Regan Smith Chevrolet 133.755 28.476
    18 31 Jeff Burton Chevrolet 133.595 28.51
    19 0 David Reutimann Toyota 133.572 28.515
    20 14 Tony Stewart Chevrolet 133.445 28.542
    21 5 Mark Martin Chevrolet 133.357 28.561
    22 36 Dave Blaney Chevrolet 133.245 28.585
    23 99 Carl Edwards Ford 133.203 28.594
    24 20 Joey Logano Toyota 133.114 28.613
    25 1 Jamie McMurray Chevrolet 132.905 28.658
    26 6 David Ragan Ford 132.896 28.66
    27 17 Matt Kenseth Ford 132.665 28.71
    28 11 Denny Hamlin Toyota 132.591 28.726
    29 9 Marcos Ambrose Ford 132.572 28.73
    30 51 Landon Cassill Chevrolet 132.429 28.761
    31 42 Juan Montoya Chevrolet 132.232 28.804
    32 38 J.J. Yeley Ford 132.213 28.808
    33 34 David Gilliland Ford 132.048 28.844
    34 30 David Stremme Chevrolet 131.856 28.886
    35 66 Michael McDowell Toyota 131.797 28.899
    36 7 Robby Gordon Dodge 131.352 28.997
    37 13 Casey Mears Toyota 131.293 29.01
    38 55 Travis Kvapil Ford 131.058 29.062
    39 87 Joe Nemechek Toyota 130.833 29.112
    40 32 Mike Bliss Ford 130.613 29.161
    41 37 Josh Wise Ford 130.55 29.175
    42 71 Andy Lally+* Ford 128.784 29.575
    43 46 Scott Speed Ford 130.305 29.23
  • Kevin Harvick Proves Pithy Points Leader

    Kevin Harvick Proves Pithy Points Leader

    Kevin Harvick, this weekend driving the No. 29 Designate a Driver Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing, waxed poetic, throwing out several pithy phrases during his media availability at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

    [media-credit name=”Gary Buchanan” align=”alignright” width=”241″][/media-credit]The pithy phrases flowed from the beginning of the interview session when the point’s leader addressed his position in the Chase pack, which is at the top of the heap by seven points over last week’s race winner Tony Stewart.

    “Now, it’s like us against ourselves,” the point’s leader said simply.

    “Anything that you can do that’s better than everyone else is a good thing,” Harvick said. “You don’t want to beat yourself the first week. And you don’t want to do anything to take yourself out of the hunt.”

    “It was a good start,” Harvick said. “We feel good about the way it all shook out.”

    Harvick then discussed his special paint scheme, calling attention to the Global Be(er) Responsibility Day observed by all 1500 Anheuser-Busch employees across the country to encourage the use of designated drivers. For this promotion, Harvick’s pithy phrase was simple, “Designate a Driver.”

    “All the Anheuser Busch employees will be going to restaurants and bars to spread the importance of everybody being responsible when they’re having a good time,” Harvick said. “Designate a driver to take care of the people on our roads and ourselves.”

    “It’s a great initiative and I’m glad to be a part of it.”

    Harvick then turned his attention to his team owner’s comments about dethroning five-time champion Jimmie Johnson.

    On that subject, Harvick said simply, “Sometimes he gets excited.”

    “I don’t know that that was the absolute right thing to say in public,” Harvick continued. “All in all, Richard is very confident in us as drivers and feels like he spends the money to be competitive in a championship.”

    “He just wants to win,” Harvick continued. “With Richard, it’s all about winning. He wants to be up on that stage again and we want to be right there with him.”

    As with the many drivers that followed in the media center, Harvick was asked about his fuel mileage saving techniques, especially at last weekend’s race.  Would he mind sharing his tips for saving fuel?

    “Yeah…..right,” Harvick said, followed by a moment of silence and then some chuckles, as the media moved quickly on to a follow up question.

    “I can’t speak for everybody else because I don’t know what they do,” Harvick finally shared about the fuel mileage question. “A lot of what we do is preparation. A lot of it is the crew chief telling you soon enough to make a difference.”

    “It all matters.”

    When the fuel mileage talk continued, Harvick shared this pithy recommendation for the benefit of all of his fellow competitors.

    “Save gas,” Harvick said simply. “That’s the strategy.”

    “That’s the hard part about our sport,” Harvick explained. “It’s not like you have a fuel gauge.”

    “You have to do what you think is right as far as the amount of gas you save and the techniques you use,” Harvick continued. “I felt like I had done an OK job of saving gas but you’re never really confident. It’s just one of those things that you have to go by feel and hope it works out.”

    When asked why Harvick seemed so calm this year during the Chase championship, Harvick again said simply, “It’s easier.”

    “That’s really the bottom line,” Harvick continued. “Gil (Martin, crew chief) and the team have a lot to do with that.”

    “He handles it,” Harvick said. “When we’re screwed up, he has an answer as to what we’re doing.”

    “He lets me be myself,” Harvick continued. “When I get mad and get frustrated in the car, he lets me yell on the radio. Then it’s over with and we move on.”

    “When you have people around you doing their job, I can be a lot calmer.”

    While Harvick and company are all doing a great job, at least in this early stage in the Chase race, the Bakersfield, CA native acknowledges that every track in the remainder of the Chase is a potential land mine.

    “As you go to every race track, you never know if you’re going to run good or bad,” Harvick said. “They can all be land mines.”

    “There’s not a specific race track that sticks out and says this is going to be a disaster,” Harvick continued. “So, I don’t have any specific concerns.”

    “You have to see what the weekend brings,” Harvick said. “So, we can run really well and along with everybody in the garage we can run really bad too.  You just have to make the best out of whatever the weekend brings you.”

    So, what is Harvick’s approach to this weekend’s race at Loudon, where he has earned one pole, five top-fives and 11 top-10 finishes in 21 starts?

    “I’m not trying to be an ass, but to us it’s just another race,” Harvick said. “They all pay the same points.”

    “This is just another track on the schedule,” Harvick continued. “It’s just another race.”

    “Our first goal is to win,” Harvick said. “Our second goal is to get everything we can. When we come here, we expect to win.”

    Harvick acknowledges, however, that the ‘Magic Mile’ is a track that can be just plain tricky in its approach.

    “It’s just one of those deals where there are so many things that can bite you,” Harvick said. “This place if you get behind late, you’re not going to make it up.”

    “There’s definitely a track position game here that comes into play,” Harvick continued. “But all in all, we come with a car that’s won on two flat tracks this year.”

    “We don’t expect any less than that every week.”

  • Hot 20 over the past 10 – Chasers lead the pack, unless you happen to be Danny Hamlin

    Hot 20 over the past 10 – Chasers lead the pack, unless you happen to be Danny Hamlin

    A funny thing happened en route to Homestead, at least is might be somewhat amusing if you are not Denny Hamlin. The car didn’t have a ton of speed starting out in Chicago, but Hamlin seemed sure it would run well on Sunday. Too bad the race was pushed back to Monday. It started to vibrate, they got new tires, but when he made contact with Greg Biffle to cut one down that pretty much sealed the deal. At least he has been hotter as of late than, say, Biffle and Jeff Burton, but I doubt that would make Hamlin feel any better.

    Brad Keselowski is just a hair behind Jeff Gordon over the past ten events, greatly assisted by a couple of wins. Gordon, Ryan Newman, and now Tony Stewart each have victories of their own, and while Jimmie Johnson has not, six Top Fives and a couple Top Tens should keep him from complaining too much.

    Meanwhile, Clint Bowyer is out there looking for a new job as it appears he will be leaving RCR. Too bad he has also left our Top Twenty, as he has slid two points behind David Ragan and Kasey Kahne. If it is any consolation, he is running better than both Juan Pablo Montoya and Jamie McMurray, but it probably is not.

    With nine to go on the season, here is a look at our hot twenty drivers over the past ten races.

    1. Jeff Gordon – 373 pts
    No gas, yet still caught for speeding?

    2. Brad Keselowski – 372 pts
    Rusty may have won 37 races in 15 years driving this car, but that still doesn’t forgive ESPN.

    3. Ryan Newman – 361 pts
    Looking for a broom so he can sweep Loudon this weekend.

    4. Jimmie Johnson – 358 pts
    If he wins it again, maybe he could sell all that “5-Time” merchandise to Jeff.

    5. Tony Stewart – 341 pts
    Doesn’t deserve a place in the Chase my ass.

    6. Carl Edwards – 338 pts
    It might be Carl’s year, but has anyone told these other guys yet?

    7. Kyle Busch – 337 pts
    I hear he is the most talked about driver in NASCAR, but does that include profane references?

    8. Kevin Harvick – 323 pts
    UPS let Jarrett drive the big brown truck, but Bud won’t let Happy anywhere near the beer wagon.

    9. Matt Kenseth – 316 pts
    He didn’t push me, he was slow drafting.

    10. Kurt Busch – 298 pts
    Claims to be in Jimmie’s head, but Johnson is definitely a pain in Kurt’s..well, you know.

    11. Martin Truex Jr – 295 pts
    Wondering when he finally gets to do a NAPA commercial with Junior.

    12. Dale Earnhardt Jr – 288 pts
    Won 14 races with Michael Waltrip as a team-mate, two since. I’m just saying…

    13. A.J. Allmendinger – 281 pts
    Won five Champ car races in 2006, but then…

    14. Mark Martin – 274 pts
    Go Granddaddy.com. Like Mark, the line is an oldie but a goodie.

    15. Marcos Ambrose – 263 pts
    He just smiled and gave me a vegemite sandwich.

    16. Denny Hamlin – 262 pts
    Went from underdog to road kill in just one race.

    17. Joey Logano – 260 pts
    Instead of Home Depot, shouldn’t he be sponsored by Toys-R-Us?

    18. Greg Biffle – 258 pts
    Does his air filter come from 3-M by any chance?

    19. Jeff Burton – 255 pts
    Things could be worse, but that would mean he was back in 1995.

    20. David Ragan – 253 pts
    Instead of the big brown truck, Ragan is stuck driving a big brown something else.

    21. Kasey Kahne – 253 pts
    It’s just another manic Monday, I wish it was Sunday.