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  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Phoenix

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Phoenix

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Kyle Busch: With wins in the Camping World and Nationwide series already logged, Busch fell just short of the triple, finishing second to Jeff Gordon in the Subway Fresh Fit 500. Busch took the lead at Phoenix on lap 291 and held on until lap 304, when Gordon muscled by him for the lead. Busch now leads the Sprint Cup point standings with a 3-point edge over older brother Kurt.

     “Natalie Portman dazzled with her Oscar-winning role in Black Swan,” Busch said. “Next up for Ms. Portman? Playing the lead role in the story of Teresa Earnhardt, in a film entitled White Loon.”

     “There may be room for only one black swan in ‘Swan Lake,’ but in the Busch family, everyone, relatives and competitors alike, will tell you there’sroom for two ‘black sheep.’”

     2. Jeff Gordon: Gordon snapped his 66-race winless streak, capping a dominating day in Phoenix by passing Kyle Busch with 8 laps to go and cruising to the victory. Gordon tied Cale Yarbrough for fifth on the all-time wins list, with 83, and ended a near two-year run of frustration.

     “In the spirit of Aron Ralston, subject of the Oscar-nominated movie 127 Hours,” Gordon said, “I’d like to have my left arm raised in victory as opposed to my right. Ralston showed great courage in the face of a harrowing predicament, just like me, except I did it for nearly two years, as opposed to a measly 127 hours.”

     “I’m just thankful my winless streak has been halted. It was long and grueling. Now, some other famous driver will be known for his winless streak, and I’m thrilled I’ll no longer be known for having the ‘longest skid’ mark.”

     3. Carl Edwards: Edwards set a track record in Saturday’s qualifying in taking the pole, but his opportunity to show off that speed fizzled when he was forced off the track when Kyle Busch’s No. 18 Combo’s Toyota got loose on lap 60. Edwards’ No. 99 Subway Fusion ran over the curb and into the grass, causing serious front-end damage. Repairs cost Edwards 60 laps, and he finished 28th.

    “What did they say after the last award was handed out at the Academy Awards?” Edwards asked. “’We just ran out of talent.’ That’s quite similar to what Kyle Busch said in his apology to me. But seriously, Kyle showed contrition and remorse, so there was no need for a confrontation. I think what we’re seeing this year are kinder, gentler versions of both Kyle and I. We both believe we can win the Sprint Cup, and we both realize rash behavior can quickly derail those hopes.”

    “By no means am I a lover, and I’m definitely not The Fighter, the movie in which Christian Bale earned an Oscar for best supporting actor. On that note, what do you call it when Trevor Bayne goes all the way from winning the Daytona 500 to a 40th in Phoenix? A ‘Christian Bail.’”

    4. Kurt Busch: Busch started second at Phoenix and posted his second top-10 result of the season, finishing 8th in the Subway Fresh Fit 500. Difficulty in the corners prevented the No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Dodge from challenging for the win, but Busch headed to Las Vegas content with a solid points-paying day and the knowledge that the Busch brothers occupy to top two spots in the point standings.

     “If our parents ever doubted our decisions to race professionally,” Busch said, “I’d just like to say to Mom and Dad, ‘The Kids Are All Right.’ And while we’re on the subject of the Academy Awards, I’d like to congratulate Kyle for winning the ‘best actor’ award at Phoenix, for making his apology to Carl Edwards seem genuine. Now that’s acting!”

    5. Tony Stewart: Stewart led 59 laps at Phoenix, second only to Jeff Gordon’s 138, and finished 7th, joining Stewart-Haas Racing teammate Ryan Newman, who finished 5th, in the top 10. Stewart is 4th in the point standings, 11 out of first.

     “Two races into the season,” Stewart said, “and we’ve had a car capable of winning both times. I’m pleased that we’ve been so competitive early in the season. Usually, I don’t get warmed up until Winter’s Bone gives way to ‘Summer’s Boon.’”

     “As you may know, Winter’s Bone tells the story of a meth-addled family in the Ozark’s. You may know it by its alternate title, Mayfield’s In The Mountains.” 

    6. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson qualified a disappointing 28th on Saturday, but the No. 48 Lowe’s team unlocked the speed in Johnson’s Impala, courtesy of numerous adjustments and quick work in the pits. Johnson moved up to third on lap 294 and held off Kevin Harvick to post his first top-5 of the year.

     “I’ve got to hand it to Chad Knaus for making the right calls,” Johnson said. “It’s been said that everything Chad touches turns to gold. Once upon a time, that meant everything ‘turned to gold’ for NASCAR, assuming they converted fines levied against Knaus into gold.”

     “There’s a lot of drivers claiming they can win the Sprint Cup championship. But, let’s face it, we all know whose name will be called come November. The Academy Awards has one thing NASCAR lacks when the words ‘And the winner is…’ are spoken: suspense.”

     7. Kevin Harvick: Harvick rebounded from engine failure at Daytona to finish a solid 4th at Phoenix, leading one lap and collecting a valuable 41 points. The No. 29 Jimmy John’s Chevrolet found trouble early, with a slow pit stop followed by a spin triggered by contact in front of him.

     “Daytona was hard to swallow,” said Harvick, “but our performance at Phoenix gives me confidence that this team is capable of a championship. Much like the themes in the Oscar-nominated film Inception, a ‘seed has been planted,’ instilling us with the confidence that we can do it. Those who doubt me may very well say ‘in your dreams,’ but just look on the hood of my car, where the words ‘Jimmy John’s’ appear. How can one say we’re not championship material when nearly the entire name of 5-time Cup champion Jimmie Johnson is on my hood?”  

     8. A.J. Allmendinger: Allmendinger validated his 11th in the Daytona 500 with a 9th at Phoenix, sporting Ford’s only top-10 finisher. He’s third in the Sprint Cup point standings, 11 behind Kyle Busch.

     “As the driver of the No. 43 car for Richard Petty Motorsports,” Allmendinger said, “a lot is expected of me. And I wouldn’t have it any other way. Before every race, I get a pep talk from Petty, and I can tell you first-hand that nothing inspires more than The King’s Speech.”

    9. Mark Martin: Martin overcame slight damage after contact with Kevin Harvick’s No. 29 car to pilot the No. 5 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet to a 13th-place finish at Phoenix. It was a banner day for Hendrick Motorsports, as Jeff Gordon won for the first time in 66 races and all four HMS cars placed in the top 13. Martin is now 6th in the point standing, 65 behind Kyle Busch.

     “As I very well know,” Martin said, “there’s no shame in coming in second, or coming in 13th, especially here at Hendrick. As the low man on the totem pole on a team consisting of a 5-time champion, a 4-time champion, and NASCAR’s most popular driver, The Social Network here affords me the chance to rub shoulders with greatness. I’m a popular driver in my own right. Heck, everybody ‘likes’ me. I expect one day, when I update my status to ‘retired’ for good, I’ll be honored with a lifetime achievement award.”

     10. Ryan Newman: Newman led 7 laps and finished fifth in the Subway Fresh Fit 500, joining Stewart-Haas teammate Tony Stewart, who finished 7th, in the top 10. Newman improved 13 places in the point standings to 9th, and trails Kyle Busch by 16.

     “This is a team to be reckoned with,” Newman said. “Tony and I have a great working relationship, unlike the one I had with former teammate Rusty Wallace. That association was abrasive, so abrasive that one could call it True Grit. Rusty and I never saw eye to eye, even when we both were wearing eyepatches.”

  • Jeff Gordon Is Back. Look Out! Other Races Sleepers

    Jeff Gordon Is Back. Look Out! Other Races Sleepers

    This past weekend we saw Jeff Gordon finally break the 66-race winless streak to score his second Phoenix win at the Subway Fresh Fit 500. We haven’t seen a Jeff Gordon performance like this in a while. He had a very strong car early, but many believed his day was done when he hit the wall going into Turn 3 pretty hard after Carl Edwards cut a tire. The tire was cut primarily after he was body slammed by Kyle Busch and after hitting the curbing with his left side, he was off for the ride and Gordon was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Despite the right side of his car looking scratched apart, he picked apart the field and led the most laps and won the race. Under this new 43-1 points system it is more important than ever now to win races.

    [media-credit name=”CIA Stock Photo” align=”alignright” width=”300″][/media-credit]Gordon is motivated and as passionate as ever in his pursuit for another championship and for those of you who believe he is a six-time champion this will make you even more ecstatic for this season. A seventh championship under the old way will put him amongst the greatest drivers of all-time. Dale Earnhardt, and Richard Petty. Who can forget the days when Gordon used his bumper on Rusty Wallace at Bristol or the daring move he made on Wallace at the Daytona 500 back in 1999. Ladies and gentleman, Jeff Gordon is back. When was the last time we saw Gordon win a race before his Hendrick teammate Jimmie Johnson? How about

    Next week we have Las Vegas and as we all know, Gordon dominated that race last year and if not for Steve Letarte’s call to go for two tires, Gordon would have easily won that race. I expect a breakout year for Gordon after seeing his performance at Phoenix in person. The cheers that were heard were incredible and if he starts winning on a consistent basis like he did back in the 90’s, I expect some of those cheers to turn to jeers, but the fans that have followed and supported Gordon since his rookie season back in 1993 will always stick with Gordon.

    I thought the race was really exciting from start to finish, unlike the previous two nights where fans were left bored out of their mind after they saw Kyle Busch win both. Now, I like Kyle. He is a great driver, but really? 200 of 200 laps led and Danica Patrick 4th in points? Yeah…the Nationwide Series is not that exciting anymore. I hate to say and the Camping World Truck Series is only exciting either at Daytona, or when someone else not named Kyle wins. What did you guys think of the race? Leave any comments or questions below and I’ll answer them.

    You can email me with your comments as well at therhino.ryan@gmail.com, Facebook, or Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/RyanOHaraNASCAR

    Before I leave you today on this beautiful night, I have to say thanks to my good friend Shelby Kellerman for being an absolutely amazing friend and it’s an honor. Thank you guys and hope you enjoyed the races. Congratulations to Jeff Gordon and that leaves him just one victory shy of Darrell Waltrip’s modern era record of 84 wins.

  • The Final Word on Phoenix where Gordon wound up with the final say

    The Final Word on Phoenix where Gordon wound up with the final say

    So, what did we learn at Phoenix?

    Well, we learned that Chad Knaus sucks as a predictor of events. Expect few cautions, he said prior to the race, and within 70 laps more than half the field were dinged. That did not include Joey Logano, who had an engine going south early and blowing up late. A lot of the early victims did manage to return eventually to run laps while down by ten, twenty, or more, but they did come back.

    [media-credit name=”CIA Stock Photo” align=”alignright” width=”294″][/media-credit]We also learned that one can come back from a 66 race drought and win again. Jeff Gordon got by Kyle Busch with a slight love tap and hurried along to keep out of range to snap the winless streak. It also brought to an end Busch’s Phoenix streak of winning, after he claimed races Friday and Saturday before having to settle for a lousy runner-up finish on Sunday. As for Gordon, a bit of justice for a little mishap that could have ended his day more than 250 laps earlier.

    We learned that one can wiggle and pretty much eliminate Carl Edwards from contention. Shrub sends Edwards to the curb, who in turns ride Jeff Gordon into the fence. Gordon recovered, Edwards did not. Just an accident, just a little loss of control, or something more conspiratorial?

    We learned that while Team Hendrick had its problems at Daytona, the boys would finish first, third (Jimmie Johnson), tenth (Dale Earnhardt Jr), and thirteenth (Mark Martin) in Arizona. I’m sure we are all so glad their misfortunes have finally come to an end.

    We learned that Trevor Bayne went from last week’s thrill of victory to the weekend’s agony of defeat. Fifty laps in, he tried to duck into a hole that wasn’t quite big enough and thus ended his day. The good news is that he picked up the same amount of points for finishing 40th as he did for winning.

    We learned that Daytona and Talladega are not the only tracks that can feature a Big One. Lap 67, and 13 autos got tangled up when Brian Vickers went sideways and those behind shunted like railcars in a freight yard. Burton, Bowyer, Smith, and Reutimann were among those who started looking ahead to Las Vegas.

    We learned that we were seeing entries being banged up, on average, one every third lap. If that had continued, we would have been watching a whole lot of nothing by Lap 130.

    We learned that Kyle Busch, like it or not, is the Intimidator’s successor. Who else can drive like he figures each race is his to win, and be damned to all who gets in his way? Who else can make you smile when he wins, and maybe smile even bigger when he gets wrecked? He leads nearly half of all the laps run in three races, wins two and finishes second in the other, and makes us believe that it is not out of the ordinary. Next Sunday, he returns to his hometown track.

    Sunday, it is the bright lights of Las Vegas that beckon us. It is a track the aforementioned Mr. Busch won at in 2009, a year after the aforementioned Mr. Edwards did the same thing. Of course, it is the same track one certain Mr. Johnson has won four of the past six, including one year ago, for combined winnings of more than $20-million. No doubt, Five Time is one of the few who goes to Vegas and comes away with more than he spent. Enjoy the week.

  • Gordon’s Return To Victory Lane More Than Just Another Win

    Gordon’s Return To Victory Lane More Than Just Another Win

    April Fifth, 2009: the economic downturn is in full swing. Roughly 663,000 people have lost their jobs in the weeks prior, raising the unemployment rate to 8.5%. The automobile industry is amidst a crisis and United States President Barack Obama has just announced his plan for worldwide nuclear disarmament.

    [media-credit name=”CIA Stock Photo” align=”alignright” width=”229″][/media-credit]Meanwhile, a cowboy-hat adorned Jeff Gordon fires two pistols into the air, celebrating his win in victory lane at Texas Motor Speedway.

    If you were to tell a fellow fan that it would be almost two years and 66 races before Gordon would return to victory lane, you would have been laughed at- but such was the case for one of NASCAR’s biggest stars.

    Much has changed since that spring afternoon in Fort Worth, where Gordon still had more championships than his teammate Jimmie Johnson.

    The 2011 campaign was one of heartbreak, where Gordon finished second eight times and found himself playing second-fiddle to teammate Jimmie Johnson a majority of the time. To return his company to it’s once overall dominance, team owner Rick Hendrick reacted by naming Alan Gustafson the new crew chief for Jeff as part of an organization-wide personnel shuffle- a change that clicked immediately.

    Gordon was extremely fast during Daytona Speedweeks, but an accident early in the Daytona 500 forced him to watch the race from the infield with many other drivers who were involved in the accident.

    Gordon’s return to victory lane this afternoon in Phoenix was more than just capturing his 83rd career win or having a fast car, but proof that the California native isn’t done yet.

    “When we dropped the green flag, I knew I had something special,” said Gordon, who led a total of 138 laps after sustaining left-side damage in an early wreck that took out nearly half the field.

    “Every driver knows that they may not get back to victory lane, and I was hoping that wasn’t the case for me,” said the emotional winner, who admitted this afternoon in the media center that he has often questioned whether he still has what it takes to compete at the sport’s highest level.

    After a disappointing start for the season last week in Daytona where he finished 28th, Gordon has moved to 5th in the points standings, just 15 markers behind after his win.

    After being asked about his outlook on the remainder of the season, Gordon replied saying “I’m so excited about this season, and think we can do it (win) again.”

    For the latest NASCAR news and information, follow Kyle on Twitter: @KyleBrandtSM.

  • Cinderella beginnings

    Cinderella beginnings

    Amid the reports and concerns of struggling television ratings, NASCAR has delivered some unique racing and interesting storylines to kickoff the year. For example, a change in the point’s systems awards winners and those drivers that elected to run for points specifically in one series. The new nose on the Sprint Cup car provided unique drafting, and the elimination of the catch can man changes the crew dynamic. And while all these changes are being sorted out, the boys are racing again.

    [media-credit name=”CIA Stock Photo” align=”alignright” width=”295″][/media-credit]The 2011 stock car racing season is underway and is being scripted like a fairy tale despite the rulebook. On track action and results have been incredible. The Cinderella season started on the Daytona high banks and found the rookie Trevor Bayne at the center of it all. Driving the famed No. 21 for the legendary Wood Brothers, Bayne claimed the checkers in the season’s most prestigious race, at the age of 20

    “It’s definitely been way more than I expected, “Bayne commented after a media tour that spanned across the country for the Daytona 500 champion. “I was just telling them over here that I knew myself and everybody in our community thought the 500 was a really big deal, “ he said. “We all look forward to it every year, but I just didn’t realize the support we were gonna get from outside our community. The rest of the United States is just really fired up about everything for the Wood Brothers and the history and then the youth part of it. It’s just been a really, really cool week and a humbling experience.”

    The Daytona 500 win came on the heels of two other well-run events. Michael Waltrip’s emotional victory in the Camping World Truck Series brought tears to the eyes of many, as he remembered Dale Earnhardt Sr. ten years to the date of his death. Driving the No. 15 tribute to Earnhardt, Waltrip returned to victory lane at Daytona after a last lap pass to secure the win. He was absolutely speechless.

    Then, it was Tony Stewart taking the checkers in his fourth consecutive Nationwide Series win on the restrictor plate facility. All three Daytona winners earned no points for their respective wins. And as the teams leave the Cinderella stories behind them, an ugly step-sister was waiting in Phoenix for some of the Daytona top finishers.

    Bayne felt the eyes of the world upon him after hitting the wall in practice. His goal of a top 15 finish quickly turned into disaster during the race as well. While working his way toward the front of the field in a backup car, Bayne’s Ford met an untimely fate as he spun out and hit the wall. He would finish 40th.

    Kyle Busch claimed two checkered flags in the desert and came up just one spot shy of the three-peat. “It was a rough beginning there for a while for a lot of guys and we were able to persevere and work through it and work on our car and get most out of the day, “ Busch said. “We came back strong and we had a really good car there on the long runs, and on the really long runs we were kind of running those guys down.

    But it seemed after the restarts, Jeff was just really, really good. We thought we could beat him after 20 or so laps but he had just so much forward bite today we just could not hang with him,” he continued.

    Busch, a previous HMS wheeler himself was gracious to his on track successor. “I think he was on a mission today, that’s for sure and when Jeff Gordon has a good car and he has the opportunity to beat you, he’s going to beat you, “ Busch said. “There’s no doubt about that. He’s my hero and I’ve always watched him and what he’s been able to accomplish over the years. It’s no surprise that he beat us. Congratulations to them, they are my old five bunch, so cool to see them get the win,” he added.

    Hendrick Motorsports veteran wheeler Jeff Gordon defeated a sixty-six race winless streak dating back to Texas in 2009, to place his No. 24 machine in victory lane. Running in his nineteenth Sprint Cup season, Gordon has 83 career victories in 619 starts, and a new sponsor. He is driving for AARP and the Drive to End Hunger.

    This win tied Gordon for fifth on the all time win list with Cale Yarborough. “How cool is that to tie Yarborough? That is the ultimate. First guy I ever drove a Cup car for was Cale Yarborough,” Gordon said. “A lot of people don’t realize that. Of course, I spun that car that day, too.”

    A four-time series champion, Gordon continued, “I have not been in a position to put pressure on the leader to force him to make mistakes and be in control of the situation in a very long time. And that’s what I love so much about today is to be in that position was such a cool feeling,” he said. “And at that moment, you don’t care if it’s Kyle Busch or who it is; you feel like you’re in control of your destiny.”

    Alan Gustafson, Gordon’s Crew Chief, is the fifth crew chief to visit victory lane with the wheeler. Making this trip special is a twist of fate. Gustafson and Gordon began working together in the off-season thanks to a structural change inside Hendrick Motorsports.

    “I thank Mr. Hendrick for putting me in position to work with drivers of that caliber. There are a lot of people there are going to work their whole lives and never have opportunities like that. “Gustafson said. “I think it’s awesome that I’ve got those chances and to work with Kyle and Mark and now Jeff, they are three Hall of Fame drivers, arguably three of the best ever to drive these cars, and I’m just ecstatic that I’ve got those opportunities.”

    More opportunities abound next week as the NASCAR Superstars gamble their way into Sin City. If the first two races are any indication of what is to come, set the DVR recorders now. In true fairy tale fashion, the underdog or winless would win each week, keeping the point hounds at bay. But, before saying they all lived happily ever after, there are 34 more races to finish the season. And while it may be interesting now, it may get even more dramatic before the final checkered flag falls. After all, this is just the beginning.

  • NASCAR in Phoenix, Crash Fest!

    NASCAR in Phoenix, Crash Fest!

    Just off a whirlwind week of racing at Daytona, NASCAR’s top three series headed for Phoenix for some non superspeedway racing. The Big One at Daytona was left in the mirror, or so everyone thought.

    [media-credit name=”CIA Stock Photo” align=”alignright” width=”300″][/media-credit]For the Daytona 500 winner, the charm at Daytona quickly faded with a wrecked car on his first lap of practice. Out came the back up car and young Trevor Bayne began what appeared to be a cautious weekend. Unlike his two previous Cup starts, a poor qualifying run put the youngster back in the field, starting 33rd.

    On Saturday Bayne looked forward to the NASCAR Nationwide Series race as he is in the championship hunt in that series. A decent qualifying run put the #16 unsponsored Roush Fenway Racing Ford Mustang in the 4th row, starting 7th. He showed a strong and steady course although never seen as a challenger to leader Kyle Busch or the pack of Cup regulars up front all day. That steady run came to an abrupt end for Bayne on lap 164 when a flat tire sent the car into the wall. The damage was so extensive it ended Bayne’s night finishing in 31st place. The finish resulted in a drop of six positions in the point standings to 11th.

    Kyle Busch led the Basha’s Supermarket 200 from flag to flag with Carl Edwards finishing second. This was without a doubt the most boring NASCAR race so far for 2011 in the top tiers. Most of the race saw the top six positions in running order occupied by Cup series regulars. That situation hardly changed as Reed Sorenson was the top finishing Nationwide driver, finishing 5th, with 5 Cup drivers in the top 6 finishing spots. With the new points program in place, Reed Sorenson is the new leader, five points ahead of Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

    Overnight rains presented a green track on Sunday morning, prompting NASCAR to call for a competition caution on lap 40. The race was under way for 20 laps when debris on the track led to the first caution. On lap 35 Robbie Gordon got a push from behind that sent the #7 dodge spinning across the track. NASCAR took that opportunity to move the competition caution to lap 35.

    Lap 50 saw Trevor Bayne turned into the wall ending his day in the Subway Fresh Fit 500. The damage to the #21 Wood Brothers Ford was severe enough that the decision was made to load it up. Ten laps later Kyle Busch would get loose up high, but he saved his car as he bounced off the #99 of Carl Edwards. As Edwards spun, Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick and Jeff Burton all suffered minimal damage. But the Ford Fusion of Edwards would head to the garage for extensive repairs.

    The race was only green for 1 lap when the big one came, as Brian Vickers has a left rear tire cut down and spins in front of the pack. Fourteen cars were involved with most of them headed for the garage. Big wrecks at Superspeedways like Daytona are the norm, but at a short track like Phoenix it is rare. With the car count reduced due to attrition, it seemed that things calmed down for a long time as the race stayed green until lap 127 when David Ragan cut a tire crashed and eventually the car went up in flames.

    The final 22 laps came down to an intense battle between four time champion Jeff Gordon and Kyle Busch who was looking to claim another trifecta after winning both the Truck and Nationwide races. Busch took the lead from Tony Stewart on lap 291 with Gordon in tow. It appeared that Busch was going to run away with the race, but Gordon showed determination and on lap 304 he pushed past the #18 of Busch and never looked back. The win for Gordon brought to an end his 66 race losing streak.

    Despite his second place finish, Kyle Busch moved into the point lead in the NASCAR Sprint Cup series, with older brother Kurt second.

  • NASCAR’s New System Pointing To Problems

    NASCAR’s New System Pointing To Problems

    NASCAR’s new simplified points system was designed to make it easier for fans to know right away where their favorite driver is located in the points standings.

    Right about the time NASCAR was putting the final touches on this new system, another change concerning points had already been finalized.

    NASCAR informed drivers they could only earn points in one series this year and must declare pre-season which series it was.

    After two weeks of points earning races, the combination of changes are not quite as simple as thought and could be pointing to a need for further review.

    As the races are unfolding, historians may have already begun re-writing the season ending record books.

    2011 will go down in history as the first time all of NASCAR’s available points will not be awarded, and quite possibly the first time in Nationwide history the crowned champion did not win a race or post a top three, four, or five finish through out the season.

    It took NASCAR six tries before finally issuing points to the race winner. For the first time, the Daytona 500 winner was not the point’s leader entering the second race of the season.

    No series regular in the Camping World Truck Series, Nationwide Series or Sprint Cup Series, visited Victory Lane at Daytona, leaving all first place points un-awarded.

    At Phoenix Kyle Busch won the Nationwide race and led all the laps. Therefore, first place points and all bonus points were left on the table.

    No championship points were issued for first, second, third, fourth or sixth place in the Nationwide race at Phoenix. This situation, while unusual, is likely to happen again before the season is over.

    Rusty Wallace, owner of Rusty Wallace Racing, bought enough owner points in the pre-season from Roger Penske to put himself among the top 35 in owner’s points in the Sprint Cup Series.

    When I asked Roger Penske about this transaction, he said Wallace was a longtime part of his organization and doing this was a no-brainer.

    I also asked Penske if he felt this was setting a precedent for future races. Penske assured me this type of thing has been going on for years and happens often behind the scenes among other teams.

    Wallace’s newly purchased position in owner’s points guaranteed his driver, Steven Wallace, who also happens to be his son, a spot in the Daytona 500.

    It has never been disclosed just how much Wallace paid for the points, or what the going rate for owner’s points is.

    Criteria for price and value are almost certainly determined by how lucrative the event would be to a driver, or potential sponsor, and the guaranteed prize money.

    Last place prize money for the season opening Daytona 500, arguably the biggest race of the season, was $268,550.00.

    Rusty Wallace Racing didn’t submit an entry for the Subway Fit 500 at Phoenix, so his purchased points lay dormant.

    Front Row Motorsports, benefiting from RWR’s non-entry, moved into the top 35 in owner’s points and were instantly assured a starting position at Phoenix.

    Business practices like this allow the boardroom to be used as the qualifying vehicle instead of a race car.

    Unregulated, this type of purchased qualifying will become more business as usual among owners. Points will be used as bargaining tools and may begin to change owners quicker than Charlie Sheen’s latest date.

    On the other side of this coin, how do you take away points from a driver when no points are given?

    Michael Waltrip won the Camping World Truck Series event at Daytona, but earned no points for the win because that’s not the box he checked.

    His winning truck subsequently failed post-race inspection.

    When a penalty is issued, and the offending driver collected no points, how do you penalize them, unless it’s monetary only?

    Point’s penalties came about as a way to punish drivers and teams more severely when infractions occurred.

    Taking away points dramatically changes the championship landscape.

    In a nutshell, a non-points participating driver doesn’t have as much to lose.

    If the owner is docked points for an infraction, they can, as in Rusty Wallace’s situation, purchase points from another owner to meet their needs.

    There is no longer a big picture for non-points drivers. Each race can be seen as a battle that has to be entered, and, or won, at just about any cost.

  • HOORAHS AND WAZZUPS: Jeff breaks Kyle’s broom at Phoenix

    HOORAHS AND WAZZUPS: Jeff breaks Kyle’s broom at Phoenix

    During the NASCAR weekend at the Phoenix International Raceway we were prepared for a single driver to sweep all three races in the valley of the sun. Then we watched a wily veteran break the man’s broom during the third and final race of the weekend. We wondered about the merits of a “big one” getting launched on a one mile track and last week’s hero discovered that sometimes NASCAR racing can become a cruel mistress. With those thoughts in mind, let’s begin this week with:

    [media-credit name=”CIA Stock Photo” align=”alignright” width=”282″][/media-credit]HOORAH to four time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Jeff Gordon for returning to victory lane in Phoenix last Sunday and ending a 66 race winless streak. It was also his first win with new crew chief Alan Gustafason and the first win with Gordon’s new primary sponsor: AARP drive to end hunger.

    Talk about ending hunger. Gordon has been hungry for a Sprint Cup win and was understandably charged with emotion after ridding himself of that 66 race streak that he was constantly reminded of. The return to victory lane marked his 83d career win which now ties him for fifth, with Cale Yarborough on the all time series’ win list.

    Gordon’s Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet was strong. He ran down race leader Kyle Busch with eight laps left in the race and then ran off to the checkers. He also picked up bonus points for leading a race high 138 laps. By the way, after the victory lane ceremony Gordon hopped a quick flight to Los Angeles where he celebrated his win at a post Academy Awards party.

    **************

    Kyle Busch also deserves a major HOORAH for his outstanding performance during the Phoenix weekend. He was entered in all three of NASCAR’s national touring series events and appeared well on his way to sweeping the entire weekend. He began the process Friday night by winning the Lucas Oil 150 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race. Driving his Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota Tundra, he led 107 of the 150 laps. The event marked his 25th win in the truck series as well as his second win, along with six top ten finishes, in seven starts at Phoenix.

    But that was a warm up exercise compared to his performance the following night during the Bashas Supermarkets 200 NASCAR Nationwide Series race. After winning the Coors Light Pole during qualifying, Busch climbed in his familiar Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota and led the field under the initial green flag. That was pretty much the story of the race. When the checkers fell he set a track record after leading all 200 laps of the race to claim his 44th series win. The last time anyone managed to lead every lap in a Nationwide Series race was Dale Earnhardt Sr at Daytona back in 2003. But this is not to imply that the process was easy. Busch and Carl Edwards put on a terrific duel in the final laps of this race.

    When the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series took the green flag to start the Subway Fresh Fit 500 on Sunday it was apparent from the beginning that Busch was not going to have an easy time to completing the weekend sweep. He started fourth on the grid but the car just wasn’t handling to his satisfaction and there was an early race brush with the wall. At one point the frustrated driver came over his radio and said : “I’m tired of being a ping pong ball out here, this is pathetic.”

    But the ping pong ball aspect came on lap 59 when Busch made contact with early race leader, and pre race favorite, Carl Edwards. The Roush Fenway Ford of Edwards, which led the early portion of the race two times for 21 laps, was badly damaged and spent a lengthy amount of time in the garage before returning to the race. A pre race favorite to win turned into a 28th place finish.

    However, despite the massive amount of frustration, Edwards deserves a HOORAH for his calm and diplomatic demeanor displayed during a post wreck television interview. Busch deserves another HOORAH for his post race interview when he accepted full responsibility for this accident and apologized to Edwards for the incident.

    While Busch spent more than half of the race dealing with the ping pong effect, crew chief Dave Rogers was slowly but surely master minding the adjustments the car needed to get his driver in position for a Phoenix sweep. The extra effort paid off of lap 291 when Busch became the new race leader. It appeared that he was going to literally sweep the dust right off of the Phoenix Raceway. But a hard charging Jeff Gordon was on his way to Busch’s rear bumper. Gordon officially broke Busch’s broom when he made his winning move on lap 304.

    Enroute to his attempted Phonix sweep, Busch ran three races and a total of 672 laps. He won two of the races and led 330 laps in that process. I’ve said it many times before and I will raise the point again now: whether you’re a proud member of this driver’s fan club or one who literally cringes at the mention of his name there is no denying this man’s driving talent and the amazing statistics it has created in such a short amount of time.

    **************

    WAZZUP with the level of aggressive driving the early stages of the Phoenix Cup race? At times it resembled racing for the win during a final lap green-white-checker finish. It was too much too early and the collateral damage sent a lot of high profile drivers and teams to the garage area for repairs.

    This was especially true of of a lap 67 incident that turned into a 13 car wreck and a red flag period that lasted 14 minutes for track clean up. This is the type of “big one” normally associated with restrictor plate racing at Daytona or Talladega. It’s not what we expect to see on a one mile oval like Phoenix.

    Contact between the cars of Brian Vickers and Matt Kenseth launched this melee. The Vickers Toyota spun in front of traffic on the backstretch and the carnage began from there. In the aftermath came driver frustration and harsh words. This was especially true in the case of Vickers who claimed that Kenseth door slammed him into the wall. Vickers also made it clear that he was very upset with Kenseth and said “I felt like that move was unnecessary and it will sure come back to him.” That will be something to keep an eye on during a future race.

    One of the many victims in this melee, Clint Bowyer, probably put it best when he stated that “we’re supposed to be professionals-this is embarrassing.”

    **************

    WAZZUP with the NASCAR reality check delivered to Daytona 500 winner Trevor Bayne? A little over a week ago this young driver was standing in victory lane at Daytona basking in the glow of a stunning victory. He spent the majority of last week on a nationwide public relations blitz where he was courted by every form of the media that you could name.

    But when the Phoenix racing weekend began Bayne found out that sometimes NASCAR racing can become a very cruel and fickle mistress. In all fairness what happened to him was just plain bad racing luck but it came during a three day tidal wave that had to seem overwhelming.

    The problem started on Friday when Bayne crashed his primary Wood Brother Cup car during practice. The damage was substantial and forced the team to roll out a back up car which meant they would have to go to the back of the field for Sunday’s race.

    On Saturday Bayne climbed inside of his full time NASCAR Nationwide Series ride, fielded by Roush Fenway Racing, for the running of the series’ Bashas Supermarkets 200. A little past the halfway point of the race, Bayne crashed that Ford as well and wound up with a 31st place finish.

    By the way, WAZZUP with Bayne’s Roush Fenway Racing Nationwide car running completely unsponsored? I was hoping that his stunning performance at Daytona would help alleviate that situation.

    During Sunday’s Cup race Bayne found himself destroying his third Ford of the Phoenix weekend on lap 49. The damage from that crash forced him behind the wall for good and netted the snake bit driver a very disappointing 40th place finish.

    **************

    The HOORAH award for making chicken salad out of chicken do do belongs to Dale Earnhardt Jr. NASCAR’s most popular driver found himself starting the Subway Fresh Fit 500 from a disappointing 35th position. He frequently spent much of the early stages of the race languishing somewhere between 20th and 30th, he lost track position due to a pit road speeding penalty and sliding out of his pit box, he came perilously close to getting creamed in the big 13 car wreck and then fell a lap down late in the race due to a loose wheel.

    Despite all of this Earnhardt, aided by the calm demeanor of new crew chief Steve Letarte, kept his nose to the grindstone, worked his way back to the lead lap and then scored a tenth place finish. All of this has been perceived by many observers as a true sign of bigger and better things to come.

    *************

    A double HOORAH goes to the administrative team at the Phoenix International Raceway. They wanted their Sprint Cup race to be a sell out but realized that their fans, still struggling with the state of the economy, were going to need some help. The speedway came through big time with a ticket value package that featured $25 tickets for the Cup race, $15 for the Nationwide Series race and $7 for the Camping World Truck Series. That’s a total of $47 for three nights of NASCAR racing. Granted these seats were in the lower levels of the grandstand but, with the way the speedway is configured, there really isn’t a bad seat there. By the way, the promotion worked very well and Sunday’s grandstands were packed.

    An additional 12,000 brought their lawn chairs and sat in a general admission area known as Rattlesnake Hill which overlooks turns three and four of the speedway. That leads to another HOORAH to volunteers who spent the week prior to the race rounding up and removing a reported 800 plus rattlesnakes from the area.

    I was really impressed with this effort. That’s because I’m extremely sensitive to all snake issues, including rubber ones purchased at a toy store.

    The snake round up also leads to a HOORAH to SPEED Channel analyst Kenny Wallace for a great line when he said “I heard a rumor that one of those snakes was Jimmy Spencer.”

    *************

    I suppose whether or not this final item is a HOORAH or a WAZZUP depends on how you feel about watching reality television. NASCAR fans are well aware that driver Kyle Busch married the lovely Samantha Sarcinella in Chicago this past New Year’s Eve. Now it seems that the entire wedding process was filmed and edited for a reality show to be presented by the Style Network.

    “Fast And Fabulous: A NASCAR Wedding” will air on Style beginning March 5th at 8 pm eastern time. The series includes an inside look at all of the planning procedures involved in a lavish wedding including footage of the bachelor and bachelorette parties.

  • NASCAR Sprint Cup Point Standings Analytics – After Phoenix

    NASCAR Sprint Cup Point Standings Analytics – After Phoenix

    [media-credit name=”CIA Stock Photo” align=”alignright” width=”300″][/media-credit]The announcement of a change to the distribution of points across NASCAR national series sparked debate among even the most conservative NASCAR fans.  One of the explanations behind the change was to develop a more dramatic points battle to increase fan interest.

    A debate arose over the fact that a quick calculation would show that very little, if anything, would change in the final championship standings. Here, I shall contend that debate with weekly comparisons across the three most commonly mentioned distributions, plus my own personal points schedule designed to reward both race winners and consistant high finishes.

    Classic Points System – Standings After Race 2

    Much like the current system, the Busch brothers sit atop the standings with the younger Busch leading the elder by a mere 15 points. Jeff Gordon moves up to third with A.J. Allmendinger and Ryan Newman rounding out the top five.

    Notable changes in position compared to current system: Mark Martin (-5), Kevin Harvick (+2), David Gilliand (+2)

    F1 System – >Standings After Race 2

    After his Phoenix win, Jeff Gordon now sits tied at the top of the F1 standings with Daytona 500 winner Trevor Bayne. Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards both lurk three and seven points back respectively, while five-time champion Jimmie Johnson rounds out the top five.

    Drivers without points: Denny Hamlin, Matt Kenseth, Jeff Burton, Clint Bowyer, Greg Biffle

    Notable changes in position compared to current system: Kevin Harvick (+14), Carl Edwards (+8), Jimmie Johnson (+8), Denny Hamlin (-4), A.J. Allmendinger (-9)

    IRL System – >Standings After Race 2

    Again, Kyle Busch holds the point lead but this time by just two points over Phoenix winner Jeff Gordon. Trevor Bayne’s Daytona victory keeps in the top five in third, while Kurt Busch and Carl Edwards round out the top five.

    Notable changes in position compared to current system: Kevin Harvick (+11), Carl Edwards (+7), Tony Stewart (-7), A.J. Allmendinger (-8)

    Phat’s System – >Standings After Race 2

    For an explanation of the points distribution, please see image on standings page.

    Jeff Gordon’s victory would leap frog him to the points lead by nine points over Kyle Busch. Despite his 40th place finish, Bayne would again hold on to the third spot with Kurt Busch and Carl Edwards rounding out the top five. 

    Notable changes in position compared to current system: Paul Menard (-6), Juan Pablo Montoya (-5), Denny Hamlin (-5), Kevin Harvick (+11)

  • Surprising and Not Surprising: PIR Subway Fresh Fit 500

    Surprising and Not Surprising: PIR Subway Fresh Fit 500

    After one of the most exciting Daytona 500 finishes, the Cup Series promptly headed west to Phoenix International Raceway. Although it actually rained a bit in the Valley of the Sun, the second race of the NASCAR season, the Subway Fresh Fit 500, was filled with its own share of surprises.

    [media-credit name=”CIA Stock Photo” align=”alignright” width=”292″][/media-credit]Surprising:  In contrast to the youngest winner, 20 year old Trevor Bayne, celebrating in Victory Lane after his Daytona 500 win last week, a 39 year old veteran driver was finally able to celebrate a victory, ending a 66 race winless streak.  After receiving a big bear hug from team owner Rick Hendrick, the driver of the No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet, Jeff Gordon, stood relieved and overwhelmed with emotion in Victory Lane.

    What seemed to mean the most to Gordon, in addition to beating Kyle Busch of course, was how the fans embraced his win.

    “Man, we just beat Kyle Busch!” Gordon said after getting out of his race car. “Are you kidding me? Pinch me, pinch me.”

    “I don’t really care how we do it because we just wanted to get to Victory Lane,” Gordon said. “But to do it that way, leading the most laps, and to see the fans’ reaction. What an awesome feeling it is.”

    “God, it feels so amazing,” Gordon said. “I’ve got to say thanks to the fans.”

    With the win at PIR, his 83rd, Gordon officially tied Cale Yarborough for fifth in NASCAR’s all-time win list. Gordon also catapulted up 21 spots in the points, now in the fifth position.

    Not Surprising:  It was not surprising that Kyle Busch, who had won both the Truck and Nationwide Series races at PIR, was right there nipping at Gordon’s heels in the final laps. Busch battled back from an early incident to give Gordon a run for his money, just coming short of the sweep by finishing as the runner up.

    After paying homage to Gordon, Busch then apologized for getting into Carl Edwards, whose pole sitting race car was totally wrecked as a result of the contact.

    “It was unintentional,” Busch said. “All that aside, we came through a lot of adversity and kept battling through everything that was thrown at us. There at the end, Jeff just had a better car than us and flat out passed me.”

    Surprising: In a flashback moment to Daytona, there was actually a ‘big one’ at Phoenix International Raceway.  Thirteen cars were involved, including the likes of Brian Vickers, Jamie McMurray, Clint Bowyer, Jeff Burton, David Ragan, Regan Smith and David Reutimann to name a few.  The race actually had to be red-flagged in order to allow for the extensive clean up needed.

    Clint Bowyer summed up his take on the ‘big one’ up best. “I’m pretty disgusted with the whole thing,” Bowyer said. “Our day is done.”

    Not Surprising:  Whether as a result of the big one or smaller skirmishes on the track, there were several drivers who were unhappy with one another, sparking the first rivalries of the season. One of the biggest differences of opinion occurred between Carl Edwards and Kyle Busch, who clashed in an early incident.

    “In my opinion, this was the car to win,” Edwards said after his tussle with Busch. “That’s too bold a move to make early in the race.  We had been in the running for the race win.”

    Other cross words were exchanged between Brian Vickers and Matt Kenseth after getting into one another.

    “Matt wrecked us,” Vickers said simply. “It’s coming back to him.”

    Surprising: One of the most surprising finishes was for NASCAR’s most popular driver, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. After receiving a penalty for entering too fast into his pit, sliding through his pit stall, and breaking a wheel off the jack, Junior rallied back for a top ten finish.

    Not Surprising: Rick Hendrick’s wisdom in making his giant crew chief swap amongst the Hendrick drivers, sans Jimmie Johnson, certainly became evident at this race. Thanks to his pairing of Steve Letarte and Dale Earnhardt, Jr., the new duo was able to rally back from adversity, with Letarte serving as head cheerleader. And of course, the driver in Victory Lane, Jeff Gordon, credited his new crew chief pairing with Alan Gustafson, with getting him back to winning ways.

    Surprising and Not Surprising: It was surprising, yet not surprising, that last week’s winner Trevor Bayne had such a difficult time at Phoenix. He wrecked his primary car in practice and had the same experience in his back up car in the race. Bayne hit the wall hard, bringing out the third caution in the race and totally destroying the rear end of his No. 21 Wood Brothers race car.

    “I don’t know what happened,” Bayne said after the wreck. “That’s tough coming off of our high at Daytona to come to this, but we’ve got a great race team behind us.”

    “We’ll be back at Vegas,” Bayne continued. “I hate it ended this way this weekend, but we’ll be back.”

    Indeed all of the Sprint Cup drivers will be back and this time they will try their luck on the track in Sin City. The Kobalt Tools 400 will run at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday, March 6th at 3:00 PM and will be broadcast on FOX and PRN.