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Category: The Final Word

Thornton’s final word

  • The Final Word – NASCAR is back, but how many of the fans have also returned?

    The Final Word – NASCAR is back, but how many of the fans have also returned?

    The return of NASCAR for 2016 was a smashing success. I mean, if smashing cars was the intent, they could not have done better. By the time the Sprint Unlimited, which is actually limited to 25 drivers, came to a conclusion, someone had tallied up that an estimated $2.5-million in damages had been racked up.

    Was it worth watching? I think so. So does Denny Hamlin who, despite some early right side damage, came through to take the checkered flag. What I love about NASCAR are the close calls; the drivers who can demonstrate why they are in those cars and I am not. Any damn idiot can wreck a car, which is why the smart folks ensure the idiots are left typing up columns such as this and leave the professionals to do what they do best. Sure, there was some carnage out there, but I failed to see any idiots. I did see some folks taking chances, some who got bit when the rubber no longer wanted to meet the road, and one or two who made 200 mph mistakes.

    Was I burning with excitement, did I feel an itch scratched as the three-month layoff came to an end? Not really. Something is missing, something more than just the disappearance of the backstretch seats I sat in when Kevin Harvick won the Daytona 500 in 2007. Back then, we sat in the southwest corner in a grandstand that was quite full for both the big race and the Saturday Busch event. In recent years, those numbers dwindled to the point the seats and the butts that once filled them are no longer to be seen. Attendance overall has fallen so far NASCAR is too embarrassed to even announce attendance figures for any event.

    Do you remember those commercials from back in the day? While they started coming out in the late 1990s, most of us got to see them and the races on a regular basis from 2001 through to about 2011. They were funny, clever, and certainly aimed at NASCAR fans. Not so much these days. It seems even the sponsors no longer have it bad. I got me a nice black Goodwrench jacket hanging in my closet. I have not worn it in ages. My ole No. 3 ballcap and the National Guard edition have since been replaced by a L.A. Dodger chapeau. At one time my family would gather at each other’s homes for races, especially the big ones. Now, I am the only one who continues to follow the circuit. Why is that?

    NASCAR has done some good things; more SAFER barriers, but the job is not yet done. The cars are safer and back to looking more like stock cars. At least that damned unsightly flat decked splitter is gone. Still, for every good thing we can come up with, a lot of fans, or former fans, can pick out a handful of examples of where things have gone wrong. Handing out franchises, or charters, makes business sense, but when all they do is select the 36 entries that attempted each of the last 108 races in order to make the determination who gets what, it comes across as amateur hour. In fact, an hour is about all it would have taken any of us to come up that idea.

    The No. 98 of Premium Motorsports, and formerly owned by Phil Parsons Racing, failed to attempt five races the past three seasons and lost out. The team led by Kurt Busch did not exist in 2013 while Carl Edwards got into his new car last year. Despite their victories won in those rides, both needed more than a million dollars spent to buy a Charter from Michael Waltrip’s defunct operation. A team has to finish among the worst three Charters for three straight seasons to be in danger of losing it, and there is no provision to earn one through success. What in hell is up with that?

    I am sure there are some who totally disagree with me. I envy those people, who still can hardly wait for the next Sunday afternoon, or Saturday night, who go into a funk on those rare off weekends wondering how they might fill the void. I still get excited when Daytona, Talladega, or Bristol are the feature tracks. I have learned to love watching the action from Fontana and Watkins Glen. I still look forward to each race, but it is nowhere like it was a few years ago. Sadly, as FOX Sports does not broadcast to the north country, the truck series for us has gone the way of the dodo. As for the XFINITY Series, when 23 races are claimed by Cup guys, obviously the regulars of the circuit must not be worth watching, so I do not.

    In truth, it does not really matter if one schmuck from Canada is losing the spark. However, I get the feeling that I am not alone. I might not even be any longer in the minority. If that is true, then maybe it should start to really matter, at least to NASCAR.

    How bad have you got it? I do not know where it went, but I sure would love to feel that way again.

  • The Final Word – 2016’s NASCAR Contenders, Pretenders, and Participants

    The Final Word – 2016’s NASCAR Contenders, Pretenders, and Participants

    Starting in ten days, just about every week the engines will roar to life and 43 cars will take the green flag. However, we all know that not all race drivers and teams are created equal. A half dozen will come from the part-time ranks, and only a couple of dozen will have any kind of hope of even challenging for a win. To put it in culinary terms, you have your steak, your hamburger and, to fill out the field, your hamburger helper. Here is a look at who is who on the menu, with the Daytona 500 less than two weeks away.

    TIER I – THE CONTENDERS

    Few can question that the 2016 champion could well come out of the top tier of drivers. In fact, half of them already know what it is like to claim the crown.

    2 – Brad Keselowski
    4 – Kevin Harvick
    11 – Denny Hamlin
    18 – Kyle Busch
    19 – Carl Edwards
    20 – Matt Kenseth
    22 – Joey Logano
    31 – Ryan Newman
    41 – Kurt Busch
    48 – Jimmie Johnson
    78 – Martin Truex, Jr.
    88 – Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

    The odds might favor Kyle Busch repeating in what we hope, this time, will be a healthy full campaign though Harvick had the best season from start to finish. Well, almost to the finish. Johnson has already claimed the trophy six times, and seems to always be in contention even in those years he falls short. If one was going to pick a potential winner, race in and race out, chances are the favorites would come from this list.

    TIER II – THE PRETENDERS

    There are those you expect to have a good shot at being victorious every week, and then there are those who, if they did, probably would not come as all that much of a shock, either. In fact, I would expect at least four of these drivers to make it into the Chase, where a pretender could get hot and become a true contender themselves if things fall into place at the right time.

    1 – Jamie McMurray
    3 – Austin Dillon
    5 – Kasey Kahne
    6 – Trevor Bayne
    13 – Casey Mears
    15 – Clint Bowyer
    16 – Greg Biffle
    24 – Chase Elliott
    27 – Paul Menard
    42 – Kyle Larson
    43 – Aric Almirola
    47 – A.J. Allmendinger

    In this case, a pretender is one with tons of talent, one with a good chance of claiming a Top Ten, but just not a driver you expect taking the checkered flag on a regular basis. I have always liked McMurray, but he just doesn’t seem to be able to clear that final hurdle. Biffle should be rated higher and in previous years he no doubt would have been, but Roush Fenway has not been an outfit on the rise. Kahne has the ability, but not the results in recent seasons. Dillon and Larson are touted as future stars, and just maybe this is the year they meet expectations. Elliott has things to prove, and a lot of eyes with be watching Jeff Gordon’s former ride to see if the rookie can break out in his rookie campaign.

    TIER III – THE PARTICIPANTS

    43 cars hit the track each event, with some having pretty good odds of finishing high in the running order when things are said and done. Some others are not as fortunate.

    7 – Regan Smith
    10 – Danica Patrick
    14 – Tony Stewart
    17 – Ricky Stenhouse, Jr.
    21 – Ryan Blaney
    23 – David Ragan
    32 – Jeffery Earnhardt
    34 – Chris Buescher
    38 – Landon Cassill
    44 – Brian Scott
    46 – Michael Annett
    83 – Matt DiBenedetto
    95 – Michael McDowell

    Stewart is on the mend, again, and could be out for quite a spell at the beginning of his final season. Some tend to believe we won’t see him for months as he recovers from his recent back injury. If only Patrick could emerge as the next Jamie McMurray that would be something, but thus far cracking the Top Twenty has been a struggle every week. There is nothing I would like more than to see someone from this group emerge as a pleasant surprise, but they are going to have to prove it for me to believe it. Sure, Stewart could mend enough to rise by the end of the year and Patrick could finally cash in on all of those resources to take it to the next level, but my money would be on Blaney and the Wood Brothers as they return to running a full schedule.

  • The Final Word – Change is inevitable whether we like it or not

    The Final Word – Change is inevitable whether we like it or not

    I hate change. I do not care for it. I like things just as they are or, probably more truthfully, as they were.

    I remember coaching two little boys who are not so little anymore. Those were the days when I was Superman, not just the Old Man. I miss my mother and all the grandparents I was blessed with when I was born. I miss cousins who left us far too soon. I miss my youth. Damn it, I miss my hair.

    I loved watching Cale Yarborough in the No. 11 and Richard Petty piloting the No. 43. How I miss seeing Dale Earnhardt in that black No. 3. I wish I could see Rusty Wallace again in that blue deuce though my reasoning is that him driving means there was no way in hell he would be announcing.

    No Jeff Gordon this year, other than up in the booth. Tony Stewart is gone no matter what after this season. One day, sooner than later, Dale Earnhardt Jr. will hang up those skeleton gloves.

    Sure, I guess there is room for some change. Did you notice the NHL All-Star game? It was its best presentation in 30 years, with a minor league enforcer named as its MVP to prove that Cinderella does indeed wear glass skates. Same day, the NFL had its Pro-Bowl, and it was about as riveting as watching soccer. Trust me, that is not a good thing. Change it or kill it would be my thought.

    Cars are safer now. The tracks are moving that way. Daytona, Talladega, and Bristol pretty much guarantee something worth watching. Too bad we cannot be so sure about a few of the other venues. It would be nice if that could somehow change. They say the racing will be better after their latest tinkering with the cars, but we have heard that before. If those changes prove to be the real deal, that would be a change we could all live with.

    This year, Bill’s son Chase Elliott goes full-time in Cup, joining other recent arrivals Kyle Larson and Austin Dillon. Still, they have fans to earn and accolades to accumulate. Once again, we will be cheering on our favorites. Kyle Busch returns as a champion to join brother Kurt as NASCAR royalty. Kevin Harvick looks to retake his trophy while Jimmie Johnson might be tired of loaning out what once was his and his alone. Carl Edwards, Denny Hamlin, and the insufferable Joey Logano remain among the top tier of stars in NASCAR’s constellation. You cannot go wrong rooting for the likes of a Matt Kenseth or a Greg Biffle, or admire the efforts put into the team led by Martin Truex Jr.

    Unless you are a big fan of Johnson, a change in champion is acceptable, even though I do love dynasties. I like the cars to look like something I might drive, so we give thanks for the demise of the splitter. I once liked Michael Waltrip, but sometimes things change, and I think Clint Bowyer should be the beneficiary of that.

    As much as I dislike change, it is inevitable. Drivers age, retire and are replaced by a new generation. Faces are now encased in helmets and races are won by a matter of seconds, not laps, these days. Since 2001, most weekends television delivers the races to homes in most places. Once we were asked, “How bad have you got it?” Wouldn’t it be nice if we were asked that once again?

    It all returns in less than a couple of weeks, with the Sprint Unlimited featured on February 13, Duel Qualifiers on February 18 and the Daytona 500 on Sunday, February 21. Boogity, boogity, boogity!

    Okay, some things do need to change.

  • The Final Word on 2015

    The Final Word on 2015

    The gifts are open, the tree is on borrowed time, and a New Year is almost upon us. Seems like a good time to reflect on the year that was, as we embark on the one that will be.

    Once again, 2015 brought us a satisfying champion. He might not have been the one you were cheering for, Junior fans, but you cannot quibble about the great story that was Kyle Busch. Hurt in the opening junior series race, he missed the opening 11 of the Cup schedule. In the old days, he would have been an also-ran, but that was before a win and a Top 30 position in the standings forgave such things.

    With just 15 races to accomplish what needed to be done, Busch won some. No surprise there. The fact he got into position to make those wins count was in doubt, at least, we thought so. We of little faith. It would appear that those who really have what it takes to challenge for the title need not bother to appear until May, which helps explain why NASCAR insists drivers run all the races rather than pick and choose.

    Not only did Busch win the title, as he and Kurt join the Labonte brothers as champion siblings, but he also came up with a rule change that makes sense. If you lead the pack entering the Chase, you should get a free pass into the second round. Other sports give a bye or, at least, home field advantage to those with the best record entering the playoffs, why not NASCAR? Some might argue the front trio should have such an advantage, but I would settle for one. Like Kyle’s championship, that driver would have earned it.

    Four-time king Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart have earned their eventual invitations to enter NASCAR’s Hall of Fame. Gordon left his famed No. 24 only after his 93rd career victory at Martinsville and finishing third in the battle for the championship. Stewart has one more round left in him, as he embarks on his farewell tour at Daytona. The three-time champion lost the magic suddenly in 2013 after a pair of sprint cup race mishaps, one that broke his leg, the other that took the life of another driver in 2014. May 2016 bring him some deserved satisfaction.

    It was also a tough season, at least at the start, for Kurt Busch. A domestic violence accusation got him a three-race suspension to start the year. Matt Kenseth ended on a sour note, as he was gone for two after delivering some on-track justice that left Joey Logano’s title hopes about as shot as Kenseth’s own. Michael Waltrip Racing went the way of the dodo, as the outfit never recovered from Clint Bowyer’s 2013 spin that almost got Martin Truex Jr. a Chase place. Instead, after the controversy they lost the NAPA sponsorship and the Truex entry, and during this season, Waltrip’s financial backer backed out.

    That means Bowyer moves to the seat of Harry Scott’s No. 51 for a season before taking over Stewart’s No. 14 in 2017. Brian Scott replaces Sam Hornish Jr. in the Petty No. 9 while Chase Elliott replaces Gordon in Hendrick’s No, 24. Jeffrey Earnhardt will drive most of the season in the GoFAS Racing No. 32, with the Front Row No. 34 taken over by Chris Buescher. Ryan Blaney returns with the Wood Brothers No. 21, which returns to running a full schedule in 2016.

    2015 was when we had to say goodbye to broadcaster Steve Byrnes. We lost Buddy Baker over the past year. Red Farmer mourns his wife Joan, and Bobby Allison lost his wife Judy. My own mother, Mae, passed away this past August.

    As for 2016, it will bring us a new rules package, supposedly making the cars slower, less comfortable to drive, and closer in some regards to the XFINITY model. It is hoped this will make the racing more exciting, which we have heard before, but could also see more Cup guys in the XFINITY series to tune up. If so, that would, in the parlance of my youth, blow chunks.

    I am sure you would agree that would be something to avoid come New Year’s Eve as we have just seven weeks to go before they go again in Daytona.

  • The Final Word – NASCAR truly is a family tradition, as another Busch celebrates

    The Final Word – NASCAR truly is a family tradition, as another Busch celebrates

    Family. We often hear how NASCAR is a family sport, where drivers, their wives, and their kids all share in the experience behind the scenes. The family theme has dominated since the sport’s earliest years. I mean, it starts with the France family, as Bill, Bill, Jr., and now grandson Brian have held the reins of the family operation since the very beginning.

    Family. If you do not know the names of Allison, Baker, Bodine, Earnhardt, Flock, Wallace, Waltrip, and Wood, welcome to NASCAR. You must be a newbie, my friend. Might I suggest that you have some catching up to do.

    In 1954, Lee Petty won his first of three titles, while 10 years later his son Richard claimed his first of seven. Ned Jarrett was champion for the first time in 1961, with his son Dale taking the title in 1999. It was good enough for father-son tandems, so the siblings got into the act. Terry Labonte first claimed the crown in 1984, with brother Bobby taking his in 2000. Then, Kurt Busch, the 2004 king, was joined last Sunday by brother Kyle as the Sprint Cup series champion. That should take the edge off the family Christmas dinner next month.

    Only under this format could Kyle Busch win it all. He missed the first 11 races of the season as he mended a broken leg. In the not so old days, that would have been the end of his hopes. A win gets you in, almost, and he then stormed back to win four to get over one hurdle. Now, all he had to do was be within the Top 30 in points to cash those wins into a post-season berth. Busch then eliminated that barrier with a few races to go before the Chase. In the year he and Samantha extended their family with the birth of son Brexton, Busch won at Homestead to beat out runner-up and defending champ, Kevin Harvick to win it all. Did I mention that along with his wife and son, he was joined in Victory Lane by his parents and even got a post-event hug from brother Kurt?

    Family. That is what means more to Jeff Gordon that a fifth championship. Sure, he would have loved to have finished better than sixth in his last race and third in his last season, but what and who was more important were there for all to see. Ingrid, Ella, and Leo joined such motorsports royalty as Mario Andretti and Lewis Hamilton at center stage to wish farewell to an icon after a career of 797 consecutive starts and 93 victories. Few are able to quit while still at the top of their game. We saw a legend do just that at Miami.

    Family. Gordon is the bridge between Richard Petty, who ended his Cup career the same race Gordon began his, and 19-year old Chase Elliott. The youngster, who began his Cup experience this season and who takes over from Gordon in the No. 24, is himself the son of former champion Bill Elliott. By the way, Elliott won that race, 23 years ago, that saw both Petty and Gordon on the track together.

    Like in all families, we have had to say goodbye to loved ones over the years, like Lee and Adam Petty, Dale Earnhardt, Davey Allison, Buck Baker and, earlier this year, his son Buddy. Like in all families, roles change over time. This off-season team owner Richard Petty will be searching for a new driver for one of his teams, Jeff Gordon prepares to enter the FOX broadcast booth in February, joining Darrell Waltrip. Waltrip’s brother Michael closes his race team, Chase Elliott prepares to build on his family’s Hall of Fame legacy, while Kyle Busch, like his brother before him, becomes the face of the sport as its latest champion.

  • The Final Word – Earnhardt takes Phoenix unchallenged…in the end

    The Final Word – Earnhardt takes Phoenix unchallenged…in the end

    Once Dale Earnhardt Jr. took the lead at Phoenix, no one was going to catch him. Not a single driver even challenged him. Yet, there was still one vehicle that even the race winner could not pass. The pace car.

    While Junior was in the pits for a green flag stop, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Joey Gase collided on the track. Earnhardt rolled out first among those who had pitted, and when the rest of the field came in for servicing, Junior eventually circulated around to the front. More than twenty laps went by under caution, and before they could return to racing, the rains that had plagued the day returned. They went to a red flag, and soon the event was in the books, shortened by 90 laps. It marked Earnhardt’s third win of the season, albeit one segment too late to keep him in contention for the title.

    That title will go to one of four drivers. Kevin Harvick dominated the event, leading 143 laps, but lost it that final pit stop to finish second, yet he advances. Jeff Gordon, who was sixth on the day, already had a free pass after his Martinsville win. Kyle Busch was fourth, sending him through to Homestead a contender. Martin Truex Jr. was back in 14th but had enough in the bank to cash in for a title run.

    Joey Logano needed to win, and he was behind Harvick much of the way. However, third place would not cut it on Sunday. Kurt Busch jumped the start, got penalized, and though he was seventh in the end, it proved to be too little. Ninth was not good enough to advance Brad Keselowski while Carl Edwards was close, but he needed to finish seven spots up on Truex and wound up just a couple ahead.

    So, we know who the main characters in next weekend’s play shall be. In the end, we will be blessed with either a five-time champion as he ends his career, a two-time defending champion, a very talented driver ending a very trying campaign with his first, or a single-car team concluding a Cinderella season. I will be satisfied no matter the outcome.

    Meanwhile, Matt Kenseth returns after his two race exile. I wonder if Logano will again think it a smart move to bump him out of the way? I guess that all depends on how smart that driver is.

    The 2015 season concludes on Sunday at the track near Miami.

  • The Final Word – Gordon wins but it is Kenseth with the knockout at Martinsville

    The Final Word – Gordon wins but it is Kenseth with the knockout at Martinsville

    There are things that matter. A retiring champion seeking to go out in a blaze of glory. A 25-year old looking to complete his career redemption as well as claim a fourth straight checkered flag. An elder statesman who believes that young man deserves something a bit different.

    Some things just do not matter. For example, in the XFINITY series, where Cup drivers have a second home, none of them matter except for a race winner and those actually running for a title. Same goes in Cup, as just eight drivers are eligible to try and chase down a championship. The winner always matters, no matter where they sit in the standings. As for the remainder, if you are not among the eight and did nothing to cause us to gasp, you do not matter.

    It did matter when Chaser Kyle Busch went for a spin at Martinsville after claiming to have found water on the track just before the midpoint. He tagged Austin Dillon and fell into the middle of the field. Same for Carl Edwards, who got into the back of A.J. Allmendinger in the same incident as the accordion effect took over. Both had points to gain, and definitely something to lose. It mattered, and it also gave us a break from the monotony that was Martinsville for much of the day. Much of it, but surely not all of it, as we were to discover.

    With 65 laps to go, a lot started to matter. Matt Kenseth got tangled up with Brad Keselowski and then got popped over to really pop Kurt Busch. It mattered that both Chasers had to go to the garage for repairs, and it mattered for Edwards, as the caution brought him back onto the lead lap. It mattered that Kenseth thought his last name was Hatfield, and Penske drivers were the McCoys.

    Revenge is best-served cold as Kenseth gave us our best gasp moment. Keselowski’s teammate, Joey Logano, the guy who had dominated the race, passed the battered Kenseth, who was nine laps down. Kenseth said on the radio he thought his right front must have gone down, but it appeared for all the world that he purposely hooked the leader and bulldozed him straight into the wall. Anything with a Penske stamp on it appeared to be a target, and one had to wonder if even the Captain himself was safe.

    Brian France thought Logano made a smart decision when he bumped Kenseth out of the way in Kansas. I wonder how smart he thought this hit was? Anyway, Matt got parked, as if his car or Logano’s was going anywhere fast after that. As to what the crowd thought of it, you would have thought Kenseth was an adopted Earnhardt with the ovation he received.

    It was almost anti-climatic that Jeff Gordon finally won in his swan song season. Almost. He was near the front most of the day, and was the best after Logano’s departure, leading the final 22 laps to claim his 93rd career victory. The crowd at Martinsville roared their approval as the four-time champ claimed a final four berth for the Homestead showdown on November 22. Gordon shall retire with wins in all but three of his 23 full-time campaigns; in 1993, 2008, and 2010. He wants just one more win in one specific race before heading off to become one of the sport’s most articulate ambassadors

    Amongst those who mattered, Rowdy overcame his earlier issue to claim fifth on Sunday, a position ahead of Martin Truex Jr., with Kevin Harvick in eighth. Edwards turned his return to the lead lap to a 14th place finish, but not that terribly far out of the running. As for Keselowski, Kurt, and Logano, they have some work to do.

    As for Kenseth, they do promote the Chase as having a knockout format. Well, at Martinsville, Kenseth knocked Logano out. After Kansas, did anyone expect anything less? It is now up to Logano, along with Keselowski and Kurt, to pull themselves off of the canvas to answer the bell at Texas and Phoenix beyond that.

    This column will not appear next week, but returns after Phoenix when we will know who will be joining Gordon in the battle for the championship. Who knows, maybe my return will come sooner than Matt’s.

    The Chase

    1. JEFF GORDON – Win
    2. KYLE BUSCH + 9
    3. MARTIN TRUEX, JR. +9
    4. KEVIN HARVICK +7
    5. CARL EDWARDS -7
    6. BRAD KESELOWSKI -24
    7. KURT BUSCH -26
    8. JOEY LOGANO -28

  • The Final Word – Talladega was awesome, even if the finish was bloody awful

    The Final Word – Talladega was awesome, even if the finish was bloody awful

    There is a single word that I dearly would like to begin this article with. One word. However, due to my raising and the fact there are some rules that prohibit me from using that one word, I shall have to come up with a compromise.

    Fudge!

    Close enough. Sadly, for Dale Earnhardt Jr. fans, close does not cut it, even an inch or two. Joey Logano was just out in front at Talladega by a hair when a caution came out on the green-white-checkered restart to claim the sweep of this round of the Chase. He is in. Junior needed to win to continue his hunt but did not.

    Fudge!

    Junior had the dominant car and was the story throughout. He led, he smoked the tires coming in. Instead of two, he needed four. Later, he comes in, smokes the tires, and again needed four. When he managed to do it right, a crewman went over the wall too early. Instead of first, he was 27th. Back to the front he comes, comes in for a little gas and go, smokes the damn tires one more time, to sit fourth. He got to second, got close, closer than those tiny hairs atop my shiny bald pate, in fact, but close would not cut it at Talladega.

    Fudge!

    Now there is speculation that Kevin Harvick is the new Clint Bowyer. With his car doubtful if it could survive another two laps as its engine went south, Harvick checked his mirror as they re-started that final time. He no doubt saw Trevor Bayne go to the outside, then turned right. It was not a full turn, one that would have seen him actually change lanes, but rather just enough to catch the rear corner of that passing car, turning him into the fence, causing the wreck that ended the race. With the caution out, all Harvick had to do was slowly make the laps and secure his continuation in the Chase.

    Fudge!

    If NASCAR had held off throwing the caution on the 2.66-mile track for another mile, even half a mile, the result could have been different. They did not, waving it as they got into the first turn. Two miles to go before they returned to the scene of the carnage. Time and space to let them race, at least a little longer, but they did not allow that.

    Fudge!

    So, Martin Truex Jr. advances for Furniture Row. Jeff Gordon is the lone standard bearer for Rick Hendrick with Junior’s elimination. Carl Edwards and Kyle Busch has Joe Gibbs still with a pair, with Matt Kenseth and Denny Hamlin now both out. Logano and Brad Keselowski advance for Team Penske. I cannot begin to tell you how thrilled I am. I really can’t. As for Stewart-Haas, Kurt Busch and Right-Turn Harvick go forth to Martinsville with dreams of a championship still dancing in their heads.

    Fudge!

    But let us leave the final word to Denny Hamlin. You know, the guy who came to Talladega with the biggest cushion over his Chase rivals. The guy with the roof hatch latch that broke, that tried to give him some Red Bull wings, so that his crew brought him in more than once to tape it down. If only they had added a few extra pieces that first time to the repair that failed and that sent him right back to the pits for another round and another lap. Hamlin’s day was so far up in flames it was apropos the car burned briefly after that G-W-C wreck. I was not in the car, I did not hear his radio, but I am betting his summation of the race went something like this…

    “Fudge! Fudge! Fudge!”

  • The Final Word – Logano loses yet another fan at Kansas, but picks up a second win

    The Final Word – Logano loses yet another fan at Kansas, but picks up a second win

    At this stage of the game, only a dozen drivers really matter in Cup racing. Twelve still have a shot at the championship, 18 more either have the results or the resources to at least theoretically be of interest, while 13 others are just there and rarely, if ever, matter.

    It really did not matter if Joey Logano won again in this segment of the Chase, after winning Charlotte, but he could sure spoil the plans of somebody else. That is exactly what Mr. Popular did this time, as he and Matt Kenseth played a bit of football near the end. Kenseth blocked, and Logano punted him to take his second straight. Matt said post-race that he had respect for Logano coming in, maybe one of the few who had yet to have a run in with the lad, but not anymore. That comes as no surprise, for the loss of the free pass that would have come with victory, and by finishing 14th instead, means he must win next week at Talladega or his dream is over for another season.

    Same goes for Dale Earnhardt Jr. His car had nothing on the day, other than some questionable work by his crew, to wind up 21st and back in Kenseth country. Well, if anyone can win at Talladega, it might be the six-time winner at that facility. That is about all he has got.

    Late miscues on pit road left both Kevin Harvick and Martin Truex Jr. out of the Top Ten. Kyle Busch thought he was blowing up, yet finished with a Top Ten. That still leaves him six points out of contention. Ryan Newman is eight away. However, as it is Talladega coming up, a place where a dozen or more competitors can be removed from action all at once, only Logano is safe as they venture to Alabama. Denny Hamlin finished second on Sunday, but being 18 points to the good does not mean a whole lot considering what looms on the horizon.

    I do not know if next year’s rules package will bring better racing, but I sure am looking forward to seeing if that might be the case. I mean, if you were looking for great television from Kansas, you did not find it. Round and round in a single line they went. Watching it live would have been a test. Again, I thank God for the PVR, which ranks just behind fire and the wheel for outstanding discoveries.

    Talladega will be different. I guarantee it.

    1. JOEY LOGANO – 2 WINS
    2. DENNY HAMLIN +18
    3. KURT BUSCH +13
    4. CARL EDWARDS +12
    5. BRAD KESELOWSKI +7
    6. KEVIN HARVICK +7
    7. JEFF GORDON +7
    8. MARTIN TRUEX JR. +6

    9. KYLE BUSCH – 6
    10. RYAN NEWMAN -8
    11. DALE EARNHARDT JR. -31
    12. MATT KENSETH -35

  • The Final Word – Rain on Saturday at Charlotte, Rain on the Parade of Some Others on Sunday

    The Final Word – Rain on Saturday at Charlotte, Rain on the Parade of Some Others on Sunday

    Rain. It came on Saturday and it continued to rain on the parade of a few on Sunday. Not on Kevin Harvick, as once again he finished amongst the top two. He won the previous week to stay alive in the Chase and was second at Charlotte. Fourteen times he has been there, to go with 24 Top Tens in thirty races this season.

    Joey Logano matched Harvick in the latter statistic, as he dominated the action Sunday to record his fourth victory of the season, ninth over the past two campaigns. Both would be good bets to be in the final four at Homestead. Their odds are certainly better than a few others.

    Carl Edwards provided the rain for Dale Earnhardt Jr. Sunday when contact sent Junior toward the wall. He met it again later on, as he opened the Challenger round 19 points out in the weeds. Too early to panic, especially with Talladega still coming our way.

    Ryan Newman poured on Matt Kenseth, as both got wet when they had a meeting up high that turned Matt into the fence. Kenseth and the wall were to meet more than once before the car was finally killed. He wound up 42nd on the day and 32 points out of the hunt. Meanwhile, Newman was never a factor as 15th has him six points behind Brad Keselowski, who sits eighth in the standings.

    Kyle Busch looked good. Then he looked right as he attempted to avoid pit road while at the same time Kyle Larson looked left in a split second move to enter. It was a meeting of the Kyles. At the end of the day, Mr. Busch discovered himself in 20th place on the track and with a 10 point deficit to make up, starting at Kansas this Sunday.

    The long range forecast for the race calls for partly cloudy skies and warm temps. Of course, that is now. God knows what the actual weather might wind up being. More than half of the present field of Chasers have a win there, including Kenseth with a pair. Edwards has not, neither has either Busch or either Junior while Newman’s claim to fame came in 2003.

    It might be dry on Sunday, but the forecast is calling for a fair number of parades remaining rather damp, at least for another week.