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Category: The Final Word

Thornton’s final word

  • The Final Word – Bristol was one heck of a race…if you were able to see it

    The Final Word – Bristol was one heck of a race…if you were able to see it

    Rain. That was the theme of the cool, overcast, and often wet event at Bristol last Sunday. Rain delayed things, then stopped it all together for two hours as we sat on lap 125 of 500 for a spell.  Often in the past, we have seen the guys who are leading near the start of the race just happen to be the same dudes there at the end. This was not one of those races.

    Carl Edwards was nowhere to be seen early, but he emerged in the second half to lead 78 laps en route to his 22nd career Cup victory. It was like a Talladega night as some unexpected names finished near the front. Ricky Stenhouse Jr and Aric Almirola rounded up the podium finishers, while Tony Stewart had his best result since his return from surgery, followed by Marcos Ambrose.  It was not how we thought this might end.

    For example, Matt Kenseth led the most laps, but it was an up and down day for him. He led early, but when Timmy Hill ran him over he found himself back in 30th.  He eventually worked his way back to the front again, only to fade over the final hundred laps to wind up 13th.

    That was one better than Brad Keselowski, he appeared done with about fifty left after he thundered into Jamie McMurray. It is tough to stop in oil, and after Kevin Harvick’s engine let go, there was lots to be found. Harvick once again had a good car, a horrid result (39th), and a lot of flames.

    Jimmie Johnson’s hopes unraveled. Literally. When you take a baseball apart, you go through a ton of string before you get to the rubber center. For Jimmie Johnson’s front right tire, you had a ribbon of rubber before getting to the cords. That flat took Six Time off the lead lap before the red flag and he never quite got back into a position to matter, winding up 19th a couple of laps down.

    Them Busch boys usually do well at Bristol, and for the first part of the race they were up there. The next thing you know they are battling Junior and Danica for the lucky dog.  I would say that was a sign of the Apocalypse, then I remembered who the Grand Marshal is slated to be in California. No, THAT was the true sign. Junior had tire issues, not once but twice, and then he was…Gonzo. Kurt kept flirting with getting that lucky dog, but instead got the fence with his right rear with about a hundred to go.  That dropped him into Unhappyland (35th) with the likes of his brother (29th), Junior (24th), and the power steering challenged Joey Logano (20th).  Patrick finished 18th.

    So, TSN booted the race to FOX, who sent it to FOX 1, and for a lot of us, that was the end of the visual component of the race. Why does NASCAR allow race coverage to wind up in spots where a lot of folks get shut out?  My guess is it is due to NASCAR really not giving a damn about you. If they did, you would be looked after. Pretty simple, really.  I moved my Sirius out from the house to the car as it proved a real pain trying to secure a signal. I loaned my car to my sons to drive to college Sunday afternoon. Adios the audio component.  Thank God for the Internet and my ability to read.

    Weird race. We had a battery fall out of a car, tossing toilet paper everywhere, then a mystery caution at the end when the lights just started flashing after someone accidently leaned against the button.  It would seem your butt can do more than just make phone calls.

    So Kyle Busch wins Saturday’s Nationwide race, his 65th career win in the juniors, his 2nd of the season, and his 7th at this particular track. As he won, he is the only Cup guy who mattered. Regan Smith finished 10th as he leads the series by a point over eighth place finisher Trevor Bayne. Ty Dillon was the best finisher amongst series regulars, as his sixth place finish Saturday leaves him eight points out of top spot. Dear ESPN, these are the drivers you should have been interviewing, not fawning all over the Cup dudes like doe eyed gals at a high school dance.  Pretty damn pathetic, to be honest with you.

    In the end, Bristol lived up to its billing. Too bad about the rain, the long delay, and the lack of television coverage for many. Other than that, it was darn near perfect. This upcoming weekend, they are off to  Fontana, California.  Kyle Busch won there last year. Hell, he won the Nationwide race in 2013 as well, his sixth time kicking the stuffings out of the underfunded and under-experienced on the west coast.  While Harvick (2011), Edwards (2008), Kasey Kahne (fall 2006), and Greg Biffle (spring 2005) have won there in recent memory, it is just as likely the man on top next week will have a name like Tony, Jimmie, Matt…or Kyle.  Of the other 11 Cup events run there over the past nine years, all were claimed by one from that quartet.  

    All eight of the above named are currently sitting in a Sweet 16 spot to make the Chase, with the exception of Tony Stewart. He is 20 points out though, as Harvick demonstrates,  points do not matter as long as one has a victory to their credit.

     

    Driver

    Win

    Points

    Diff

    1

      Brad Keselowski

    1

    163

     

    2

      Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

    1

    153

    -10

    3

      Carl Edwards

    1

    152

    -11

    4

      Kevin Harvick

    1

    89

    -74

    5

      Jeff Gordon

    0

    152

    -11

    6

      Jimmie Johnson

    0

    143

    -20

    7

      Joey Logano

    0

    141

    -22

    8

      Denny Hamlin

    0

    140

    -23

    9

      Matt Kenseth

    0

    138

    -25

    10

      Ryan Newman

    0

    125

    -38

    11

      Ricky Stenhouse, Jr.

    0

    122

    -41

    12

      Kasey Kahne

    0

    120

    -43

    13

      Greg Biffle

    0

    118

    -45

    14

      Austin Dillon

    0

    117

    -46

    15

      Kyle Busch

    0

    111

    -52

    16

      Marcos Ambrose

    0

    108

    -55
  • The Final Word – Earnhardt and Keselowski rule Cup, Cup guys rule Nationwide and SHR is run out of Vegas

    The Final Word – Earnhardt and Keselowski rule Cup, Cup guys rule Nationwide and SHR is run out of Vegas

    Three races in, and the story of the 2014 Cup season is the success of Dale Earnhardt Jr. He wins at Daytona, finishes second in Phoenix, and a hiccup in his fuel pick up was all that kept him from victory at Las Vegas. That and Brad Keselowski. Still, take a gamble, have it turn sour, and still come home second is not all that bad.

    As for Brad, he joins Junior and Kevin Harvick atop the standings with a win apiece. He was in the front row when it started, again, and saw his season output now read as an almost as sizzling third, to third, to first. It would almost seem that this season’s early winners are also the most charmed, or simply the best out there. Almost.

    That brings up to Kevin Harvick. His Phoenix victory came off a 13th place result at Daytona, which led into a 41st place conclusion in Las Vegas. Talk about rolling craps, and I’m not even referring to the dice game. Among the Stewart-Haas quartet, Harvick was the lone bright spot, even led for 23 laps. Then he broke his left front wheel hub and that made driving just a bit difficult. It is much easier when all the wheels on the car go round and round, and one did not really want to.

    You know your operation had a bad day when Danica Patrick, at 21st, was your best finisher. SHR saw Kurt Busch come home 26th three laps down. As for Tony Stewart, he was four off and 33rd. Even Patrick had a better car than these two right out of the gate. Hell, you probably have a better contender sitting in your driveway right now.

    Life has been good for both Hendrick and Penske. While Keselowski was winning, team mate Joey Logano was fourth, just as he was last week, to go with an 11th at Daytona. Junior’s trophied mates also have been hot to start. Jimmie Johnson matched his Phoenix finish by finishing sixth, to go with Daytona’s fifth place result. Jeff Gordon went from fourth, to fifth, to “slumping” to ninth at Las Vegas. Still, it is early and there are others in the neighborhood who hope to raise some arguments of their own as they head to Bristol.

    Regan Smith continues to lead the Nationwide ladder. After winning at Daytona, he has come up with Top Tens the past two events. That is good. That makes him relevant. That should give him TV time. So, does anyone give a damn that the past two events have been won by Cup drivers Kyle Busch and Keselowski? I mean, I give his crew credit for getting his car back in contention on Sunday, but it is hard to be impressed when a former Cup champion kicks ass against an under-funded, less experienced field. Cup drivers took five of the six top spots. Only Keselowski deserved any face time, and I am not even sure about that.

    If they wanted to talk to the relevant guys who took part on Saturday, you can give Keselowski a moment to celebrate his win, then move on to the fifth place Chase Elliott, Brian Scott in seventh, Trevor Bayne in eighth, and the over-all leader in Smith. You know, those who are actually running for a championship, those who are trying to work their way up, not just slumming to make the track owners and some sponsors happy.

    Those who matter would include…

     

    Driver

    Races

    Win

    T5

    T10

    Points

    Diff

    1

      Regan Smith

    3

    1

    1

    3

    117

     —

    2

      Trevor Bayne

    3

    0

    1

    3

    114

    -3

    3

      Elliott Sadler

    3

    0

    1

    2

    108

    -9

    4

      Ty Dillon

    3

    0

    0

    2

    105

    -12

    5

      Chase Elliott

    3

    0

    1

    2

    103

    -14

    In short, let the Cup guys run but if they do not win, they do not matter. Put the focus on those in Nationwide who do. Just a thought.

    Bristol is next up on the calendar for this weekend. Two springs ago Elliott Sadler won the Nationwide race there. Joey Logano won it that fall. Kyle Busch has won five of the past seven, including season sweeps in 2011 and last season. Whoop-de-bloody-do.

    Kyle has won four of the past ten Cup races there, as well, though none of the past five. Matt Kenseth hopes to repeat from the fall, Kasey Kahne from last spring, Denny Hamlin from before that, and Keselowski had back-to-backs before being shut out these past three. Usually the winner at Bristol is someone who matters, someone with title thoughts on his mind. More than likely, he will come from our sweet 16…

     

    Driver

    Races

    Win

    T5

    T10

    Points

    Diff

    1

      Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

    3

    1

    3

    3

    133

    — 

    2

      Brad Keselowski

    3

    1

    3

    3

    132

    -1

    3

      Kevin Harvick

    3

    1

    1

    1

    83

    -50

    4

      Jimmie Johnson

    3

    0

    1

    3

    117

    -16

    5

      Joey Logano

    3

    0

    2

    2

    116

    -17

    6

      Jeff Gordon

    3

    0

    2

    3

    115

    -18

    7

      Matt Kenseth

    3

    0

    0

    2

    105

    -28

    8

      Carl Edwards

    3

    0

    1

    2

    105

    -28

    9

      Denny Hamlin

    3

    0

    1

    1

    101

    -32

    10

      Ryan Newman

    3

    0

    0

    2

    97

    -36

    11

      Kyle Busch

    3

    0

    0

    1

    95

    -38

    12

      Jamie McMurray

    3

    0

    0

    1

    93

    -40

    13

      Greg Biffle

    3

    0

    0

    1

    86

    -47

    13

      Austin Dillon

    3

    0

    0

    1

    84

    -49

    15

      Kasey Kahne

    3

    0

    0

    1

    83

    -50

    16

      Casey Mears

    3

    0

    0

    1

    80

    -53
  • The Final Word – Harvick wins at Phoenix, Junior remains hot, but as for Danica…

    The Final Word – Harvick wins at Phoenix, Junior remains hot, but as for Danica…

    Daytona was great. Phoenix was not bad, once you got used to the differences. One week we had a 2.5-mile superspeedway, the next we got was a single mile circuit. It rained in Florida, yet despite the forecast the only rain came to prematurely end the Nationwide race on Saturday. They ran in big packs in the southeast, not so much in the southwest. Rather than the huge grandstands, the feature of the PIR was Lonely Mountain and its band of hobbits just beyond the track. There was one similarity of note, however.

    Dale Earnhardt Jr did run out front all day, just like at Daytona. He was almost the most dominant car on the day. Almost. The only difference was that Kevin Harvick remained ahead of him. All day. In the end, he had the horses to record his first victory as part of the Stewart-Haas team and an all but certain berth in the Chase, barring injury or alien abduction. Happy’s fender stated that it was Freaky Fast, and that was no lie.

    If this was a wedding party, we had the happy couple at the alter, and the best men just behind them. Team mates Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano started on the front row and never seemed to fade beyond the top four. You need ushers, and Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon were visible for the first half of the race, disappearing for much of the second half before returning at the end to round out the top half dozen. No one else really mattered from start to finish on Sunday in what was a great day for Hendrick, Penske, and Stewart-Haas.

    The Hendrick weak sister was not all that delicate, with Kasey Kahne 11th.  Not everyone at SHR was as stout. Tony Stewart was 16th, Danica Patrick 36th, and Kurt Busch 39th. Busch ran out the string with an ailing auto until it finally blew up with 20 laps left.

    As for Patrick, she has still yet to show she can race, as the new qualifying rules left her starting closer to the rear. While a Top 20 might be a victory for her, she never got a chance to even get that far. Already a lap down, in 25th, she tangled with Justin Allgaier, which left her rear left quarter-panel buckled in. While the broadcast crew saw the tire rub, her crew did not, so they were probably the only folks surprised when the tire finally blew.

    With wins pretty much equaling a Chase challenge, the only folks of note in trouble early are Patrick and Martin Truex Jr, both outside the top thirty in the standings. Truex was 22nd last Sunday after finishing dead last at Daytona, with Patrick still unable to crack the top 35 on race day. Still, it is early and you would think any fully funded driver surely would have to be able to crack the Top 30. Right?

    So, off we go via FOX to Las Vegas this Sunday for a 400 miler on a 1.5-mile layout.  Johnson has four wins there, while Gordon was best once back during his last championship season.  Matt Kenseth has three, including the one last year. Carl Edwards has a pair, with Tony Stewart and Kyle Busch each with one.

    Talking about Busch, does anyone give a damn that he won his all-time series best 64th Nationwide race in Phoenix on Saturday?  NASCAR sees what we see, they are concerned that the big leaguers stomp all over the up and comers, but are not sure exactly what to do about it just yet. The tracks want the stars to bring out the fans, the team owners want them as they bring in sponsorship dollars, but they are for sure killing this series.

    Regan Smith won at Daytona, but series regulars have just three of ten Top Five finishes, and 11 of a possible twenty Top Tens.  What I wonder about is why bother wasting my time gushing over Kyle kicking minor league ass, when the most relevant finishers at Phoenix were Elliott Sadler (6th), Trevor Bayne (7th), and Smith (8th)?  You know, the top three in the Nationwide standings, the boys who are truly relevant.  I think the problem is not that the Cup drivers are allowed to race, but that the media focuses in on those who do not matter at the expense of those who do.

    Winning is good, but at least one needs to strive to be relevant. Win a Cup race, stay in the Top 30, and one becomes relevant. Go winless, and one better be in the Top 16 in points to stay relevant. With a career average finish of 27.0, I think I can already identify one who is not. I believe Richard Petty might even agree with me.

    Here are the sweet 16 as we head to Las Vegas.

     

    Pos. Drivers Wins Points
    1   Dale Earnhardt, Jr. 1 90
    2   Kevin Harvick 1 79
    3   Brad Keselowski 0 84
    4   Jeff Gordon 0 80
    5   Jimmie Johnson 0 78
    6   Joey Logano 0 75
    7   Matt Kenseth 0 70
    8   Denny Hamlin 0 68
    9   Carl Edwards 0 65
    10   Jamie McMurray 0 64
    11   Greg Biffle 0 64
    12   Casey Mears 0 64
    13   Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. 0 63
    14   Kyle Busch 0 61
    15   Ryan Newman 0 60
    16   Austin Dillon 0 56

     

  • The Final Word – Earnhardt wins at Daytona and all is right with the world

    The Final Word – Earnhardt wins at Daytona and all is right with the world

    Jeff Gordon is correct. Now that Dale Earnhardt Jr has claimed his second Daytona 500, all is right with the world. Now, what on earth has made a 20 race winner, one who has won exactly three races in the past 279 events, all that popular?

    A movie script career has as much to do with it as any. The son of a legend who won his first two races in 2000 with the team owner, his dad, joining him in celebration. Then came 2001, his father’s death on the sport’s biggest stage, Junior’s victory in Daytona that summer, his six wins in 2004 including the Daytona 500 to match the Intimidator in just his fifth attempt. Then came the drama and the disappointment of the next decade.  His fans, and the driver himself, needing one more flash of sunshine, and ironically it came on a day when the race would go through a six hour rain delay. It came in a race that began with a slant No. 3 leading the way on the pole, its first appearance since that tragic day in 2001. It came as a black sheet of tape left Ryan Newman’s car to find a place on the front grill of Earnhardt’s auto, making it possibly even faster over the final few laps.  It came, finally. We long needed a happy ending to the script, and on Sunday we got it.

    Earnhardt’s total joy at victory swept along his fans, and maybe a few not part of Junior Nation. Hoots, hugs, and fist pumps for all. Of course, it is just one race, but if you are going to win just one, this is the one to win. For a week, at least, all is right with the world.

    Steve Letarte will begin his new career with NBC next season as a Daytona 500 winning crew chief. That has a nice ring to it.  The 34-year old leaves an employer he has been with since he was 15 to take a job that will have fewer demands and allows him more time with his wife and two children. In short, he gets to have a life. Now, being known as a season championship crew chief has an even nicer ring to it. To borrow from Robert Frost…

    To the broadcast booth he’ll soon leap
    But he still has promises yet to keep,
    And miles to go before he’ll sleep,
    And miles to go before he’ll sleep.

    Rick Hendrick had a very good day, as both Six-time and Four-time also managed Top Five finishes. Denny Hamlin won the Sprint Unlimited, won his duel race, but was first loser when it counted, finishing just behind Junior. Brad Keselowski rounded out the Top Five.

    Even the pole sitter had a Top Ten, but the No. 3 had a rather interesting day. It is better to give than receive, and Austin Dillon did his best to do unto others. After leading the first lap, he drifted back. With 55 laps to go, the 23-year old got caught up in the same mess that took out Danica Patrick (40th) and Michael Waltrip (41st). With 38 to go, Dillon spun fellow rookie Kyle Larson into a ten car wreck to end the Target car’s day. With seven left, Dillon got team mate Ryan Newman out of shape and seven more cars needed work. Friends? Who needs ‘em? The last guy who drove that number did not seem to have many of his own in the early going.

    If Hamlin was first loser, outside pole sitter Martin Truex Jr was last loser, as his engine blew up 30 laps in. He was gone before the 6 hour rain delay. He could have been home before they got restarted. Clint Bowyer stayed at the track, only to blow up 90 laps after they returned, to wind up 42nd. Sometimes good things do not happen to those who wait.

    Larson was already in the midst of an adventure before Dillon mercifully ended his race. He had a right front go down as his car bounced off the wall twice within the opening three laps. Not the start the rookie wanted. Then his right rear went soft. Later, Dillon arrived and Larson finished 38th.

    Fuel pump issues left Tony Stewart 35th and hoping his 17th Daytona 500 might be the charm. While such contenders as Matt Kenseth and Greg Biffle had Top Tens, Joey Logano (11th), Kevin Harvick (13th), Carl Edwards (17th), Kurt Busch (21st), and Ryan Newman (22nd) are hoping for better things in Phoenix. Kyle Busch won the Friday truck race, was fourth in Saturday’s Nationwide event, but 19th was his fate on Sunday. Then again, a win in Arizona this weekend and all will be forgotten.

    Seven years ago my sister and I, and other family members, were in the stands to see Harvick win. On Sunday, she watched the race from the couch with her daughters at her side. They were bored. I mean, even at three and one, the girls know a repeat when they see one. After about ten minutes, so did their mother. Others were not as quick, as FOX covered up their six hour broadcast hole with a replay of the 2013 event.  It would appear thousands did not notice the difference, or the fact some drivers were in cars they were not supposed to be in.  For the record, the outcome did not change. Jimmie Johnson still won.

    A new season has dawned, a familiar face has returned to a familiar place, and all is right with the world. While the fair weather, fickle, big event fans may have wandered off until Talladega, the rest of us have a Sunday date coming up courtesy of Phoenix International Raceway.  Qualifying goes Friday night, and that should be something different.

  • The Final Word – They are baaack

    The Final Word – They are baaack

    The long season, well it might have been just three months, of our winter discontent has come to a close. The engines are running, our hopes and dreams have been renewed, and NASCAR keeps trying its damndest to drive us to watching something else. Still, they have yet to turn it into basketball or soccer, so I continue to tune in.

    Good to see the slant 3 back on the pole at Daytona. Some are not fond of Austin Dillon taking the sedan out for a ride, but even though I know where such folks are coming from, they are dead wrong. Dale Earnhardt did not want the number retired and his son did not want to carry the number. Earnhardt made it iconic, his best friend paid for its upkeep every year since his loss, and finally after 13 years Richard Childress turns it over to his grandson and keeps it in the family. As for Dillon himself, at 23 he already has a truck and junior circuit championship under his belt. NASCAR does not retire numbers, and I believe the time is right, with the right guy behind the wheel.

    Dillon will start next Sunday on point, with new Furniture Row driver Martin Truex Jr right beside him.  Under the hood was another Earnhardt-Childress engine. Funny, just seven minutes down I-95 from the Speedway is Furniture Row’s Daytona store.  You would almost think they put the place there on purpose.

    On Thursday, the rest of the boys and girl make their run for the other 41 spots in the Daytona 500. Last year’s pole sitter, Danica Patrick, was 25th in Sunday’s qualifying. She does not have a secure spot as of yet, though a dozen do.

    The two front row cars are locked in, along with the next four best qualifiers. That would include Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards, Ryan Newman, and Brad Keselowski. The best six from 2013 also get a free pass. So, Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth, Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, Dale Earnhardt Jr, and Jeff Gordon are in. Finally, the latest former champion not in yet is included, and that would be Tony Stewart.

    The first to qualify are the pole sitters, followed by those who finish among the Top 15 in each race on Thursday, then the top four best qualifiers not yet in, followed by the six best from 2013 still on the outside, seven if there is not still a former champion needing a freebie. Six will go home early. Danica Patrick is not a sure thing, but the odds are in her favor.

    Looking at qualifying and owner’s points from last season, I would expect Dave Blaney, Alex Bowman, Joe Nemechek, Michael McDowell, Josh Wise, and Morgan Shepherd to be those slated to get the bad news.  Something tells me I might be wrong about somebody from that group.

    As we go in, I still wonder if NASCAR is about to strip its champion of any relevance in its quest to keep folks watching right to the bitter end. I wonder if those fans upset by the return of the No. 3 will be even more upset after Homestead. I wonder how long SPEED will continue running its race positions by blocking out the right side of the screen instead of its usual crawl, out of the way, across the top.  Lord help us if FOX decides to follow their lead or we will wind up just watching 2/3 of the action that remains visible on the left hand of the screen. I wonder if one of the rookies not named Austin or Kyle will be able to make an impact while driving for teams not considered top tier, at least for the moment.

    Saturday night introduced us to what NASCAR’s championship game..er..race might eventually look like. Reduce the field to just the contenders, then let ‘er rip. They did manage to rip half of the field out of the event before they were done, with Denny Hamlin emerging as the night’s survivor.  It was a nice selection of hors d’oeuvres to go with Thursday’s appetizers, to be followed by Sunday’s main course.

    You always hurt the one you love, or so Ricky Stenhouse Jr demonstrated. Nice way to treat your valentine, buddy.

    I hear that Richard Petty has received some backlash regarding his recent comments where he stated that Danica would win a race provided everyone else stayed home. Why? Does anyone actually disagree with his comments?

    There are those who continue to criticize the Waltrips’ work in the broadcast booth. It is as if they have never even heard of Rusty Wallace or Brad Daugherty.

    That was a nice looking pace car leading the way at the Sprint Unlimited last Saturday. Does fire come as part of the basic package or is it optional?

    On Sunday, it does not matter how a champion will be declared in the fall. It does not matter if they have 10, 12, 13, 16 or 43 drivers making the Chase. All that matters is that we celebrate the 56th running of the Daytona 500.  Enjoy your week, as I certainly will.

  • The Final Word – Did Matt Kenseth’s 2003 title run ruin NASCAR?

    The Final Word – Did Matt Kenseth’s 2003 title run ruin NASCAR?

    Matt Kenseth ruined NASCAR. He did not mean to do it, and we did not know at the time that he did, but it would seem his single win 2003 championship changed everything. Maybe if his personality was more like a Busch, a Harvick, or a Stewart, who would answer such criticism with a simple “kiss my ass” it might have been different. It was also the season Ryan Newman won eight races, but was a distant sixth in the standings.

    Of course, the Chase was supposed to be the remedy. That was before we discovered that NASCAR had no interest in determining who was the best over the course of the season, but rather sought a gimmick to keep people watching to the end. A final four with winner take all, with wins being the determining factor, is now supposed to be the answer. This ignores the fact that a driver can still go winless, make the final four, and finish third at Homestead and win it all. So, the season crown could wind up being meaningless, no matter what legend might come out and parrot the company line.

    Maybe a three race playoff, featuring the three track configurations (short, long, and road) and only those 16 drivers (or whatever cut off line they determine) taking part might be a more legitimate solution. Then again, one driver could win the first two and then we are back to a meaningless season finale.

    Still, 2003’s result started the changes. What if we had a system at that time which rewarded wins, Top Fives, and Top Tens more? Might that have changed things? The new points system was a good start, so rather than reinvent the wheel let us start with that. I thought giving up 70 or 75 points for a win, extra for Top Fives and Top Tens might do the trick. I mean, close to 40 points between first and 11th should have altered the landscape somewhat, at least enough to close the gap back in 2003.

    Actually, it would not. Kenseth, who lost an engine and was dead last at Homestead that year, would have finished well ahead of Jimmie Johnson and Newman. Kenseth was just too consistent, consistently high that is, to be caught as this system would have rewarded the eventual champion for his 25 Top Tens that year. So, what if we only gave the steroid treatment for wins, and leave everything else the same?

    Just how many points should a win be worth? 65…70…75…more? In doing so, might we also be able to see at least one contender within 30 or so points from the leader going into the final race of the season? Hey, if it ticks all the boxes, including the “game seven” moment desired by Mr. France, so much the better, but with no gimmicks and no Chase.

    Here are what the standings would have looked like going into Homestead for the season finale based on those numbers for 2003, 2011, 2012, and 2013. Do any of them tickle your own fancy? Do any of them identify a champion you would recognize as the very best on that particular season?

    2003 Wins 65 pts 70 pts 75 pts
    Newman 8 1263 1303 1343
    Kenseth 1 1252 1257 1262
    Johnson 3 1214 1229 1244

    Awarding the winner a maximum 65 points, 2003 would have seen Ryan Newman entering Homestead with an 11 point lead over Matt Kenseth. Increase the winner’s total to 70, and Newman’s eight win season would have jumped him 46 points ahead. At 75, he would have had it already won, going in 81 points on top.

    2011 Wins 65 pts 70 pts 75 pts
    Edwards 1 1251 1256 1261
    Harvick 4 1231 1251 1271
    Stewart 4 1212 1232 1252

    In 2011, Tony Stewart beat Carl Edwards in the Chase by win totals (5-to-1). Had they awarded up to 65 points for a win, Edwards would have entered Homestead 20 points up on Kevin Harvick, with Stewart 39 behind. At 70, the gap narrows to just 5 points, with Smoke 24 in arrears, while at 75, Harvick is up by ten and Stewart within 19 of the leader. Stewart’s Homestead win could have given him the title over Edwards by 1, 6, or 11 points.

    2012 Wins 65 pts 70 pts 75 pts
    Keselowski 5 1315 1340 1365
    Johnson 5 1307 1332 1357

    2012 was claimed by Brad Keselowski via the Chase, but as both he and Johnson were tied in wins, Keselowski would have entered Homestead up by eight points regardless.

    2013 Wins 65 pts 70 pts 75 pts
    Johnson 6 1315 1345 1375
    Kenseth 7 1267 1302 1337

    That brings us to last season when Johnson went into Homestead with the advantage but with Kenseth having one more win to his credit. Award up to 65 points per win, and Johnson leads by 48 points. By 70, and the lead is cut to 43. Award the victor up to 75 points, and we have a 38 point gap.

    If wins mean almost everything, then as long as the challenger has a hope for the title with a win at Homestead, we should be satisfied. By awarding the winner 69 or 70 points for victory, the gap between first and second would be between 25 and 28 points, depending on race bonuses. In 2003, Kenseth would still have claimed the crown with a victory as long as Newman finished no better than 22nd. In 2011, Stewart would have won the title with a win, no matter what Edwards did that day. The same goes for Johnson in 2012 against Keselowski. Last season, a Kenseth win and a Johnson finish of no better than 18th would have given Matt his second championship.

    No gimmicks. No Chase. Sometimes game seven moments are not to be. Win 27 races, like Richard Petty did in 1967, and you just hand the sceptre to the King. No other result would have been acceptable.

    What do you think?

  • The Final Word – Be the changes bad or a fad, NASCAR’s return is sure to make you glad, sad, or just plain mad

    The Final Word – Be the changes bad or a fad, NASCAR’s return is sure to make you glad, sad, or just plain mad

    Imagine the Super Bowl as Percy Harvin takes the second half kickoff. However, before he gets very far, he is blindsided by someone from … the 2 and 14 Houston Texans? The ball squirts loose, the Broncos pick it up and go in for a touchdown. Momentum shifts, Peyton Manning can find receivers, and Denver comes back to beat the Seahawks. If you think that is bizarre, welcome to NASCAR, 2014 style.

    Now imagine Dale Earnhardt Jr finally challenging for the title. He is charging to the front at Homestead, when Dave Blaney, who never had a hope to winning it all, loses control and punts Junior into oblivion. Could happen. Forget consistency, wins will take the crown in the new Chase, they say. Then they say that under these rules, Junior could have won it all last season…a season in which he was winless. NASCAR logic.

    Will it cause excitement at the end of the season? Well, you might be able to call it that. It would at least give us some reason to watch that abysmal crew from ESPN one final campaign. Will the new champion be the best of the best over the course of the season? Probably not. The only question we need answered is if the fans will accept who NASCAR deems as its champion under this rather contrived system or if an obviously superior candidate emerges.

    Will Jimmie Johnson win his seventh title? Will fans give him credit for it if he does? Will a Hendrick driver win it all, again? Tony Stewart will be back, but its his leg we will wonder about. That, and how Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch play as team mates. Maybe Danica Patrick will be a factor this year, and then again, maybe my butt might sprout wings.

    Richard Childress brings back the slant No. 3 for his grandson Austin Dillon while welcoming Ryan Newman to the fold. Martin Truex Jr. is the new man for Furniture Row, and Brian Vickers joins Michael Waltrip’s team. Along with Dillon, we have highly regarded rookie Kyle Larson with Ganassi Racing. There is some young talent coming up with less than seasoned teams, but it is too early to tell if they are for real, or if they will simply be joining the ranks of starts and parks.

    Win a race, wind up in the Chase, or at least if you manage to finish among the Top 30. Win a Chase race, and you avoid elimination when they strip four from contention after each set of three events as they move through the Challenger, Contender, and Elimination rounds. Finish best among the final four contenders at Homestead, and you win a championship. Nope, it is not you daddy’s NASCAR, anymore.

    While we will have to wait until Phoenix to see the change in Cup qualifying, the junior and truck circuits will start demonstrating this at Daytona. No more single car one or two lap turns, as now everybody hits the circuit at the same time. For the bigger circuits, the fastest 24 after 25 minutes continue for another 10 minutes. The top dozen then go for another five to determine the first six rows for when they take the green flag. For tracks under a mile-and-a-quarter, they all run for 30 minutes, with the top dozen advancing to a second and final round to determine the top spots. Rather than determine who has the fastest car, it should decide who is the fastest racer. That is an innovation that actually makes some sense.

    At least something does. The changes coming up in deciding a champion, according to pundits citing nameless experts, has everyone very excited. Yes, about as excited as grandma got when you hurled on her nice shag rug. Let us just say we are interested in how it all turns out. We begin with the Sprint Unlimited for pole winners and former Bud Shootout winners on February 15th. Unless you are a hockey or basketball fan, enjoy the quiet, or at least until the Winter Olympics get under way at the end of the week.

  • The Final Word – The only 25 drivers’ names you need to concern yourself with this Cup season

    The Final Word – The only 25 drivers’ names you need to concern yourself with this Cup season

    When the 2014 Cup season begins, we will have new faces, old faces in new places, along with a cast of characters still where we last saw them. However, when they are done determining who is in and who is out each week, only 25 drivers on ten teams will actually matter. The rest will simply be hamburger helper sprinkled amongst the real meat.

    The steak that will sizzle is once again expected to be provided by Team Hendrick, led by 6-time champion Jimmie Johnson. Four-time king Jeff Gordon, fan favorite Dale Earnhardt Jr, and 16-race winner Kasey Kahne will all be behind the wheel of Chevrolet SS models, but this quartet is all Corvette. 189 career wins and 10 championships between them. Enough said.

    After a 13 year absence, Dale Earnhardt’s old slant No.3 returns with his old boss, with the team owner’s grandson in the driver’s seat. All 23-year old Austin Dillon has done to deserve the opportunity was to show Grandpa that he can win championships, as he did last year in the junior series and the year before in the trucks. Okay, he looks rather goofy in a cowboy hat, I admit, but when he pops on a racing helmet the lad is solid gold. Add to the mix Ryan Newman and Paul Menard and this should prove an interesting season for this outfit.

    Joe Gibbs has his own trio of note, as Matt Kenseth, Kyle Busch, and Denny Hamlin all have shown star quality on the track. Kenseth was the chief contender to Johnson last year, Kyle is always in the mix, and Hamlin was the last guy we saw in Victory Lane last year, despite what was for him a season of misfortune.

    Jack Roush drivers claimed three wins in 2013, even though 9th was the best season showing from a lineup that boasts Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards, and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. None have won a Cup crown, all are hungry to change that, and the pressure will be on to be succeed this season.

    2014 brings us Kyle Larson, as the 21-year old joins Jamie McMurray with Chip Ganassi. He won one of two truck races he ran last year, but still is best known for being sent up into the fence and spreading car parts into the stands during Daytona’s junior series opener last year.

    Roger Penske has a two car operation, with former champ Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano driving again for him. Richard Petty is back with Marcos Ambrose and Aric Almirola. Michael Waltrip had himself an annus horribilis, as Queen Elizabeth might say, in 2013. Still, while NAPA may be gone, Clint Bowyer and Brian Vickers remain. No sponsor, no Martin Truex Jr, but he wound up with Furniture Row, and along with the rest mentioned here should be more than relevant when they roll off the line.

    No, I have not forgotten about Tony Stewart, nor Gene Haas who made himself relevant by hiring his own boy, namely Kurt Busch, for the team. Along with the mending co-owner and the arrival of Kevin Harvick, this should be quite a team to watch, both on and off the track. Call this the good, the bad, and the ugly, but I will leave it to you to determine who is who.

    Did I miss anyone? Well, actually, no. I am with Kyle Petty when it comes to 31-year old Danica Patrick. She is a marketing machine but she has yet to prove she can race when there are others out there to compete against. Despite the quality equipment she has, and I am talking about that provided by Stewart-Haas not God Almighty, her results have been pedestrian, at best. A single Top Ten in 46 Cup races, 7 for 60 in the junior league, one win and 7 podiums in 115 IndyCar events does not a legend make. However, until another woman arrives on the scene, and I see none even close just yet, she will remain. At least she will until the novelty runs its course and she faces the same expectations as, say, 24-year old Landon Cassill, 22-year old Cole Whitt, 22- year old Trevor Bayne or 21-year old Ty Dillon.

    Ten teams, I say, but what about Tommy Baldwin? If you expect Michael Annett or J.J. Yeley to do something, then maybe. I just do not see it. Swan Racing is running two teams, but will Whitt or Parker Kligerman outlast even start and parker Joe Nemechek? There will be Front Row (with David Ragan and David Gilliland), BK and Daugherty teams attempting to qualify and even making it, but will they add to your race experience? I doubt it, but wouldn’t it be nice if someone made a liar out of me? Anyone?

    There will be a lot of story lines this season, such as Johnson’s quest to reach NASCAR immortality, Junior seeking a win, the rookie seasons of Dillon and Larson, Roush veterans seeking a title, the Stewart-Haas potential drama, if Furniture Row can maintain, and so much more. However, just as important will be the answer as to whether Patrick is the real deal or a 3 dressed up as a 9 and if Baldwin, Swan, or Front Row can make the jump to actually matter. We are down to just weeks before the results start trickling in.

    In the meantime, enjoy the Super Bowl.

  • The Final Word – Mr. France, I’m afraid this is a terribly stupid idea

    The Final Word – Mr. France, I’m afraid this is a terribly stupid idea

    Playoffs. As exciting as they might be from time to time, they are simply a gimmick to keep interested those who are not all that interested in the first place. Still, as long as they do not go beyond the pale, to be too stupid in presenting their post-season tournament, they can create a measure of excitement.

    The latest NASCAR proposal that has come to light would have 16 cars enter the Chase. Rather a large number, but actually in line with what some other sports welcome among the season’s championship contenders. Then let us whittle that group down over the ten race “playoff” until we just have four left in contention in the final race. That might work, except for the 39 other guys who have no business even being on the field of battle.

    Imagine the upcoming Super Bowl between the Seattle Seahawks and the Denver Broncos. Let us play the game in San Francisco before only 49er fans, as we know just how much they love them Seahawks. Then, let us have the New England Patriots supply all the officials, on the field and beyond. While we are at it, let us have a few folks from the remaining 28 teams call a few plays, heck, let them even run a few themselves. Obviously, this would be a stupid idea, but thankfully no one in the NFL is stupid enough to institute it. NASCAR, however, might actually be thinking of implementing something just as stupid.

    There is a reason they have a World Series. In 1903, they wondered who might be best, the champion of the National League or the American League. So, they played a series of games to answer the question. In 1969, Joe Namath and the New York Jets won the American Football League title, and then played the NFL champion Baltimore Colts to decide which champion was the best. Back in the spring of 1976, Guy Lafleur’s Montreal Canadiens were the best in hockey. Or were they? If they had played Bobby Hull’s Winnipeg Jets in a NHL/WHA showdown, we might have received a different answer. In each of the above cases, there was no cross-over, no common opponents. The only way to decide who was best was to have the two champions showdown for all the marbles.

    There was no showdown prior to late October last year between the Red Sox and Cardinals, so the best team from each league needed a final series to determine the best. It’s the same this season in the NFL, where they can play no more than 16 of their 31 rivals during the course of the regular season. As Seattle and Denver have yet to play each other this campaign, we still need that final game to sort things out.

    In NASCAR, we had the same 30 cars go head-to-head in each and every one of the 36 Cup races over the course of the season. From that number, Jimmie Johnson was the best over the season, beating Kevin Harvick by almost an entire race worth of points. Oh, but they had a 10 race Chase playoff, yet Johnson proved to be the best again, by 19 points over Matt Kenseth. Jimmie Johnson was the best over the season, the best in the playoffs, and any cockamamie system that would have deprived him of a championship would have made a mockery out of the sport.

    Back in 2003, Kenseth won the title with but a single win (in the third race of the season) and that horrid occurrence spawned the Chase. Instead of giving out more points for a win, NASCAR decided it needed a playoff like all the other guys. In short, an attempt to artificially create some sort of excitement instead of being content with simply honoring the best over the course of the season. Maybe what they needed to do was rejig the points system at that time while adding more bonus points for victories, then possibly we would not even need the Chase. I mean, they had gone without it for 55 years just fine.

    To be honest, we do not yet know the details of this plan, how 16 contenders would be whittled down to four over the course of ten races before determining a final champion. We do not even know for sure if this is the real deal. However, I think most of us have learned that when you hear someone proposing something stupid and you say nothing, don’t be surprised when you end up with stupid. If they want to trade legitimacy for drama in declaring a NASCAR champion, might I suggest a coin toss? It would save us all a lot of time and money.

  • The Final Word goes to Jimmie Johnson…again

    The Final Word goes to Jimmie Johnson…again

    He is one of the greatest drivers of all time. Jimmie Johnson’s name has long been among such icons as Tony Stewart, Darrell Waltrip, Cale Yarborough, David Pearson, and Lee Petty. By the time he was done his run of five, he had even surpassed Jeff Gordon and now only Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty have claimed more titles. He is the best driver of his era, he has the best crew chief in Chad Knaus, drives for the best team owned by Rick Hendrick and, with the departure of NAPA, you could argue that Lowe’s is even the best sponsor in NASCAR. Is it any wonder Johnson has six Cup championships to his credit?

    There are those who do not like to see one guy win so much. If I am watching greatness, if I am watching what has become an historic championship dynasty, I believe I am fortunate to be a witness to it. No one had before won five straight crowns and only two legends have won more titles over their career. Some may forget that Matt Kenseth, the race and season runner up, Kurt Busch, Bobby Labonte, Dale Jarrett, or even 2012 winner Brad Keselowski are former champs. No one with even a passing interest in the sport could ever say the same about Jimmie Johnson even years from today. Love him or not, Johnson is the Celtics, Yankees, Canadiens, and Eskimos (remember, I am Canadian) of his sport. Chad Knaus is their Red Auerbach, Joe McCarthy, Toe Blake, and Hugh Campbell. By the way, is Six Time a real athlete? If Donovan McNabb, who is ten months younger than Johnson, would like to challenge the driver to wind sprints, be my guest.

    Johnson finished ninth on Sunday, while ten of the 13 Chasers finished among the Top 13 on the day. The race marked the likely final run in the Cup career of Juan Pablo Montoya (18th at Homestead) while Mark Martin (882 races) and Ken Schrader (763) seem to be done at this level. Still, something tells me that you can be sure to see them racing something somewhere yet.

    Ricky Stenhouse Jr was 22nd on Sunday and named the circuit’s top rookie. His competition, and girlfriend, Danica Patrick was two spots better at Homestead.  That did not happen often enough. The boy had 25 Top 20’s in 2013, the girl had 9.

    Rating Homestead – 7/10 – Only late in the game was one fully secure in the probability Johnson would lay claim to the crown. Kenseth threatened to win the race to maximize his points day, and it was up to the newly named Six Time to avoid disaster. Denny Hamlin ended a horrid season with a victory, Junior mattered in this race and season, and we learned not to get too close to a burning tire. Now, if I could mute the announcers while maintaining the ambient sound, my television experience could be truly enhanced.

    No change in the announce booth for 2014. Same goes for the schedule, though some off season tinkering with the car hopefully might equate into more successful passing. Change is coming on the track, as ten full-time rides will have different hands on the wheel. One ride is gone (#56) to be replaced by two new full-time entries (#41 and #95), with two changing numbers (#29 becomes either #3 or #33, and #39 becomes #4). All this, and we still have about a hundred days before they fire up at Daytona.

    Enjoy the winter!