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Category: The Final Word

Thornton’s final word

  • The Final Word – It is weird & different, but I like the Daytona-Talladega two car two-step

    The Final Word – It is weird & different, but I like the Daytona-Talladega two car two-step

    [media-credit id=22 align=”alignright” width=”255″][/media-credit]Have you ever noticed that what goes on in NASCAR has a lot of similarities to regular life? When I was a boy, sometimes my daddy would come up behind me and gave me a sharp tap.  It made me go faster, something like bump drafting did out on the track at Daytona. Today, the bump has become more of a massage, including the use of lubricants, and it involves a lot of sliding around. No question, it sure is different, it raises things to a certain level of excitement, and I like it. At least, I do when it comes to discussing the racing applications.

    The reason is simple. There is no way in God’s creation that you or I could pull it off. Saturday night, we saw Brad Keselowski send Trevor Bayne to the promised land when he got too far inside and spun his partner. I could have done the same thing at 30 mph. Driving up to 190, with only the car you are pushing in your sights, with only him and a spotter keeping you from disaster, takes a lot of skill and guts. There is very little room for error. Do it right, and the pair of you can go from the back to the front in a hurry. Do it wrong, and one of you ends up sitting with Trevor Bayne…or Carl Edwards. As they thunder to the line, we have two partners who may or may not stick it out together to the end racing against two or three other teams who are wondering the same thing. It is different, it might be what Dale Earnhardt Jr calls “weird racing”, it might even make you feel a tad uncomfortable, but you can’t say it is not pretty exciting.

    Thanks to a push from Matt Kenseth, David Ragan and UPS finally got to stick it to Denny Hamlin and Federal Express, who finished 13th. It marked the first Cup win for the 25-year old, lifting him into the Top 20, and even placed Ragan in the final wild card spot for the Chase with nine to go. All-in-all, a rather successful day. Not so for Ryan Newman (23rd) and Mark Martin (33rd), a pair of boys who have been sliding as of late and have yet to find some solid ground to rebound with.

    Maybe that will come on Saturday as the boys make their first Cup visit to the 11-year old facility in Sparta, Kentucky. It is about 3-hours away from the hometown of the Waltrip brothers, with Michael making a return to the track in a car with his Hall of Fame brother’s mug on the hood. As you can tell, there are a lot things in life that can make you feel uncomfortable than just lubricated bumpers being massaged by the guy behind. Enjoy the week!

  • The Final Word – Kurt Busch and other boys who have spent time in the dog house

    The Final Word – Kurt Busch and other boys who have spent time in the dog house

    We fans are funny folks. We like who we like, we don’t who we don’t, and once we don’t, it could take years, if ever, for us to change our minds. In a sport where popularity and merchandise sales mean almost as much as the racing, it is a big deal.

    [media-credit name=”CIA Stock Photo” align=”alignright” width=”247″][/media-credit]Take Kurt Busch, for example. He dominated things at Sonoma this past Sunday from start to finish to claim his first road course victory. Busch has won 23 Cup races, at least one in each of the past ten seasons, and claimed the season crown in 2004. Still, he is on no one’s list as being among the top ten most popular or highest paid drivers. Why? Well, you would have to go back to August, 2003 for the answer to that.

    The then 25 year old was mouthy and cocky back in the day, but that doesn’t really hurt one in the popularity game. Tony Stewart, Kevin Harvick, and the late Dale Earnhardt all came out of the same mold, and have been embraced by those who shell out the dollars on trinkets. No, what Busch did was push Jimmy Spencer’s buttons, got punched in the head for his trouble, then became what some might refer to as a “whiney tit”, claiming his innocence while keeping a few of the facts under wraps. Spencer got suspended for the next race at Bristol, a race Busch won, and immediately he got the reaction he has been trying to live down ever since. The rule is, if you are a jerk, you also better be a man.

    Kurt has been doing his best to change his image ever since. Sadly, being a jerk was good, as being a nice guy has cost him tons of charisma. All he needed to do was quit being a weasel, which it appears he has also done. Now, if only his brother Kyle can learn that same lesson, and quick.

    Kyle is good, damn good. He wins, he struts, he pushes the envelop out on the track. However, when it came time to start paying the piper, like when Kevin Harvick laid down the gauntlet or when 65-year old Richard Childress decided to play the role of Kyle’s Jimmy Spencer, the younger Busch seemed at a loss as to why, oh why, people would treat him so unfairly. Maybe Childress did, and I don’t think his reaction to these incidents has hurt him much yet, but it could. The lads needs to begin reacting to these challenges with a lot more panache than he has to date.

    Danny Hamlin is one of NASCAR’s most popular drivers. For the life of me, I can’t figure out why. The boy is moody, a bit of a whiner, and makes the mistake of complaining about fellow drivers more popular than he is. Then again, maybe it is just me. Others seem to like him, and with 17 wins in less than 5-1/2 seasons, well, winning helps. Just ask Kyle.

    Then there is Brian Vickers. I liked Vickers as a Nationwide driver, but his fall from grace probably stems from the fall race at Talladega in 2006. He made a pass, clipped Jimmie Johnson who in turn took out Dale Earnhardt Jr. Then the boy celebrated in Victory Lane as though he truly had accomplished something. Not good. Then last Sunday, he gets taken out by Tony Stewart, who he in turn purposely punts into oblivion in the late stages of that race in revenge. They put a microphone in front of his face and…well, he gave a mature, reasoned response. No whining, no protests of innocence, but rather a reasoned explanation of what took place, from his point of view. He came across as, dare I say it, manly.

    So, after nearly five years, is Vickers back in my good books? I will have a better idea this weekend when the action resumes in Daytona to see how I feel. I probably won’t be buying any Red Bull merchandise at the moment, then again, from what I hear that stuff could be bound for the closet soon anyway. Enjoy the week.

  • While Junior’s finish at Charlotte was disappointing, it was no Indianapolis heartbreak

    While Junior’s finish at Charlotte was disappointing, it was no Indianapolis heartbreak

    [media-credit name=”Greg Author” align=”alignright” width=”229″][/media-credit]Dale Earnhardt Jr. came within one straightaway of rediscovering Victory Lane for the first time since he used pit strategy to win one at Michigan in June, 2008. Was it disappointing? Damn right. Was it a shock? Not exactly, as my wife’s chant of “have enough gas” on that final lap reminded me. Junior’s car sputtered then shut off as he fell from first to seventh within sight of the checkered flag in the World 600, allowing Kevin Harvick to claim his 17th career win, and third of the season.

    Even Harvick had to know he had a shot, despite the lead Junior had built up. He, Junior, my wife, you and I all knew it. It was a case of too bad, too sad, and off to Kansas we go. That was not the case in the Indianapolis 500 where 23-year old rookie J.R. Hildebrand was all by his lonesome, with a four second lead over Dan Wheldon, when he passed a lapped car on the final corner. As we had seen more than once that day, a pass there could send one up in the marbles and into the wall. He wasn’t the first to do so, just the last, within sight of the checkered flag. Wheldon wins his second jug of milk, beating the team that let him go after last season, beating the guy who had replaced him, leaving Panther Racing with its fourth straight bridesmaid finish.

    Junior’s fans might be disappointed, but while he was in a Top Five car this was a win he was trying to steal. At most, he lost a couple of points in making the gamble. Hildebrand made a million dollar mistake, or more, and while he still finished second, his car was also finished in the end. Still, we all make mistakes. Carl Edwards made one spinning through the grass after his all-star win the previous weekend in Charlotte. Mind you, his mistake in wrecking that car came immediately after winning his boss a million dollar pay day. A guy can be forgiven for that. Wrecking in the final turn all by yourself just prior to laying claim to the Indianapolis 500 is another thing, though being a young rookie who came so very close to victory should buy him some forgiveness, too.

    Two last lap leaders in two of motor sports biggest races on this continent who both fell short. One will be talked about for weeks, then forgotten. One will be talked about for years, and should ABC’s Wide World of Sports ever make a return to the airwaves, we got ourselves a new video to showcase the agony of defeat.

    Now, for NASCAR types, Kansas is calling. Earnhardt has never won there, but Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, and Greg Biffle all have…twice. The Biff, who had himself quite the irritating day at Charlotte before escaping with a 13th place finish, won in Kansas last fall as this event moves way up in the schedule to this spring.

    Sunday also marks the end of NASCAR on FOX for the season. TNT’s coverage begins at Pocono, to be followed by ESPN/ABC starting with Indianapolis. I wish I could tell you about the exciting changes in their broadcast team lineup for this season. I really wish there were some to talk about. Well, at least we still have Kansas. Enjoy your week!

  • The Final Word from Texas, where Tony proved to be all fumes, no gas

    The Final Word from Texas, where Tony proved to be all fumes, no gas

    [media-credit name=”(c) CIA Stock Photo” align=”alignright” width=”231″][/media-credit]So, what did we learn at Texas?

    Well, we have learned that if you want to play there, you must have a fiddle in the band. Matt Kenseth apparently took no chances and brought along an entire string section. He led for over half of the contest to claim the 19th of his career, and was walking away from the boys like it was the days of old. You know, the winner about twenty laps ahead of the field and with a monkey running around inside the car. Okay, I’m kidding about the ape.

    We learned that while Matt was winning for the first time in a couple of years, the real excitement at the end came from Tony Stewart. He tried to win on fuel, but was too fast in the pits and the penalty would cost him. Well, not really. We watched as Smoke ran out of gas on the final lap and watched his name dance to the right on the crawl. A Top Five? Nope. Ten? Nope. 12th, the last guy on the lead lap and with the least amount of petrol. Once again, Tony wasn’t real fussy about sharing his feelings afterward.

    We learned that Dale Earnhardt Jr’s return continues. Okay, he is just one wreck, one bad engine away from having all the nay sayers return, but so far, so good. He was 24th at Daytona, but no worse than 12th in any race since. Junior was 9th Saturday night and sits sixth in the standings. I understand he kind of likes the track they are heading to this weekend.

    We learned that Carl Edwards would take over the top rung, nine ahead of Kyle Busch and 13 up on Jimmie Johnson and Kenseth. Of course, first means little right now; tenth and the number of wins does. Stewart is ahead of Paul Menard by four points, but the hardware guy would still get in while Jeff Gordon’s win at Phoenix would give him a pass to the ball.

    We learned that Kurt Busch, Ryan Newman, Juan Pablo Montoya, and Kevin Harvick are the others currently sitting pretty. Wins at Fontana and Martinsville leave Harvick solid at this juncture, but there is lots of time, races, and available wins up for grabs before the cut off to get too engrossed with who is where just yet. Unless you happen to be Denny Hamlin, Jamie McMurray, or Jeff Burton. Those lads can be excused for worrying a little bit.

    I learned when bad bugs somehow slip by your anti-virus, you get a weekend off. When they get fixed, you are back in the saddle again. I also learned when a bad bug bites a driver, he might spent a night at hospital. Obviously, some critter had it in for Trevor Bayne, but the elbow has recovered. At least it was an elbow. I can think of worse places to get bit.

    We will learn who is the king of Talladega on Sunday. Junior has won five times there, but the last time was in the fall of 2004. Jeff Gordon has six wins, the last in the fall of 2007. However, if you tally up all the points from the past six races there, the man would be David Ragan, of all people. I know!

    I’ve learned that there are worse places than Okotoks, Alberta, which is where my boys will be involved in a baseball camp this weekend. That means I’ll be watching all the action when we return home. As you don’t fast forward nothing when it comes to watching Talladega, it could prove be a long Sunday evening for one baseball dad. Enjoy your week.

  • The Final Word as Harvick beats Jimmie at Fontana, but Martinsville promises to be a very different story

    The Final Word as Harvick beats Jimmie at Fontana, but Martinsville promises to be a very different story

    [media-credit name=”Patrick McBride” align=”alignright” width=”277″][/media-credit]So, what did we learn from Fontana?

    Well, we learned that those we had watched up front most of the day were not destined to finish up there. Kyle Busch? Nope, he was third. Tony Stewart? Nah, an unlucky 13th. Denny Hamlin? Sure, he led 15 laps but then his engine started to let loose and 39th was his fate. I could mention J.J. Yeley, who led for two but wound up 41st…but I won’t.

    We learned that when you take the lead for the first time in a race as you are coming to the finish, you end up with more points than any of those other guys. Kevin Harvick gave Jimmie Johnson a wee love tap, then charged to the outside of his rival to claim the bubbly. Anyone else notice those mega-cans of suds in Happy’s hand in Victory Lane? Life is good with Budweiser as your sponsor.

    We learned that skipping the pits on a caution can do good things. Stewart stayed out, caught a later caution as he was getting down to fumes in the tank, and managed to stay up there almost until the end. Too bad about his coach turning into a pumpkin as the race reached midnight, but at least he had his happy face on for a while. Stewart wasn’t wearing it after the race, however, as he skipped the post-race interviews.

    We learned that sometimes even tracks better known for putting one in a coma can provide some pretty good entertainment. Eight stayed out under caution with ten to go, and six of them finished in the top eight. Matt Kenseth slipped on a fresh set of skins, and moved up five spots to wrap up the day in fourth. While Harvick moves to ninth with the win, Kenseth is now in that all-important tenth spot in the standings.

    We learned that by finishing sixth, Carl Edwards takes first place. He is nine spots up on Sunday’s fifth place guy, Ryan Newman, ten ahead of Kurt Busch, 11 ahead of Kyle, and 14 up on Johnson. That will change, as Martinsville is not exactly one of his favorite tracks, with no wins, but he finished 8th in both races held there in 2010.

    We will learn that if Edwards is going to be challenged next week, it won’t be by Newman. He is winless at the Virginia track, while Kurt Busch did win there, once, in 2002. He hasn’t a Top Ten there since 2005. Kyle Busch, a winner almost everywhere, has never won in anything at Martinsville. Four times he has been fourth, five times outside the Top Twenty, three times somewhere in between.

    You will learn that the points leader after next week likely will be a certain Mr. Johnson. Six Martinsville wins, 17 straight Top Ten finishes there, with an average finish of between third and fourth since he finished 35th in his first race there way back in 2002. Yes, Virginia, there is a Jimmie Johnson, and he’ll remind you of that fact when the action heats up again this Sunday.

    Enjoy your week. I’m sure Five Time will be enjoying his.

  • The Last Word on Bristol, as Kyle W(inner) Busch again sweeps Tennessee

    The Last Word on Bristol, as Kyle W(inner) Busch again sweeps Tennessee

    [media-credit name=”Barry Albert” align=”alignright” width=”300″][/media-credit]So, what did we learn at Bristol?

    Well, we learned that Kyle Busch is one hell of a driver. Okay, if we had been in a coma the past couple of years, that might have been a revelation. He wins on Saturday, wins on Sunday, and his Bristol tally includes four Cup wins in his last five attempts there, two straight Nationwide wins, and don’t forget the three in a row he has rung up in the trucks. I’m guessing ole Rowdy kind of likes Bristol.

    We learned that if Carl Edwards knew his final shot at getting by Busch was with about thirty laps to go, he would not have been so clean in making the attempt. It is not that Edwards doesn’t mind using some muscle to make a pass, just ask Brad Keselowski. However, if you move a guy you got to leave the guy to avoid payback, but Busch was the one who rode off into the sunset. Edwards had to settle for second, which gives him three runner-up tallies to go with a couple of wins in his last six starts.

    We learned that Jimmie Johnson has not won a race in a dozen tries. However, before we start resizing the crown worn by Bristol’s third place finisher, Five Time hasn’t exactly been slumming it out there. Of those 12, he has been a Top Three guy six times, with eight Top Fives and 10 Top Tens. If that is a slump, there are a bunch of drivers who would love to be so mired.

    We learned that Jeff Burton’s problems continue. 20th at Bristol was the best he has done since he was 19th at Phoenix last fall. The Virginian sits 30th in the standings, almost fifty positions out of Chase contention. If all the gold is in California, he better find himself the mother lode next weekend.

    We learned that bad things happen to good people at Bristol. Burton’s problems made him a pylon out there with a loose wheel, which resulted in Trevor Bayne, David Reutimann, and Denny Hamlin beat up and scrambling for crumbs for the rest of the day.

    We learned that Juan Pablo Montoya’s loose wheel at the mid-point of the race was the beginning of the end for him. Later, when Kasey Kahne got loose and log-jammed the field, the resulting mess made sure Montoya, Bayne, and Jamie McMurray finished outside the Top 20. When Clint Bowyer’s engine blew up, he went from crippled to dead to 35th.

    We learned that when the smoke had cleared, it was that other Busch who was our points leader as Kurt heads west up by one over Edwards. They have a sizable gap over Ryan Newman, Tony Stewart, and Paul Menard, who has a pair of Top Tens in four starts. Kyle, Jimmie, and Juan are right behind, with Dale Earnhardt Jr and Mark Martin rounding out the top ten. Jeff Gordon’s win at Phoenix would give him a invite to the party, while Kasey Kahne would get his only because Bayne isn’t turning his Daytona gold into a glass slipper.

    We have learned that the track at Fontana might be sunny but, Lord help me, it more often provides a cure for insomnia than it does excitement. However, there is one guy who just loves the Auto Club Speedway in California. Tony Stewart may have won there last October. Bristol’s fourth place finisher, Matt Kenseth, may have three out there. Even Edwards was the man at Fontana three years ago. However, the guy to watch is Jimmie Johnson, who has claimed four of the last seven they have run there. Maybe that poor, luckless fellow can finally end the heartbreak and break out of his slump. His worst finish in his last ten Fontana starts? Eleventh. Oh, the humanity. Enjoy your week.

  • The Last Word from Las Vegas, where Edwards wins after Tony gets hosed.

    So, what did we learn in Las Vegas?

    Well, we learned that sometimes the best car on the day does not win, leaving the bubbly to second best. We learned that Saturday when Mark Martin found himself in front on the last lap of the Nationwide race after Brad Keselowski found the fence. We learned that Sunday, when Carl Edwards put Tony Stewart behind him for good to win his third over the last five events. It was enough to make Carl flip out.

    [media-credit id=41 align=”alignright” width=”283″][/media-credit]We learned that hoses can get hooked on a car, flipping air wrenches out of the pit box. The resulting penalty moved Stewart from first to outside the top twenty with a hundred laps to go. He got back in front after going for two tires on one stop, but when he needed four the next time out, Edwards went for the pair that left him the victor, with Stewart the runner-up.

    We learned that Edwards better be careful in Bristol. It seems that you win one day, and wind up in the garage early the next. The same fate that awaited Trevor Bayne after Daytona bit Jeff Gordon on Sunday when he cut a tire and discovered the wall. First one week, 36th the next, as those of us old enough remember how the thrill of victory can turn into the agony of defeat. We miss you Jim McKay.

    We learned that Danica Patrick is not just a pretty face. Okay, I did see the Sports Illustrated layout, but I’m talking about her finishing fourth on Saturday. Best finish ever by a woman in one of NASCAR’s top three racing series. The previous best was by Sara Christian, who ran fifth at Pittsburgh in 1949. She ran in seven races over two seasons and never was featured as a pin-up girl to my knowledge.

    We learned that Greg Biffle can get downright sarcastic when things slide into the toilet. No matter how they tried, they just could not dump enough fuel into the car. Biffle even ran out of petrol at one point and sat in the pit box as he tried to refire the beast. He wound up 28th, three laps down. 3-M Post It was his sponsor, “Shove It!” was what probably was on the driver’s mind. Yes, the Biff was miffed on Sunday.

    We learned a few things about Matt Kenseth. After a caution, the 2003 champion took the green flag on Lap 13 only to discover he had a flat. In he came, down he went on the scoring tower, but he came back to claim11th at the end of the day. Good, yes, but what about him nudging young Mr. Bayne into the fence with 50 to go? Just a racing deal my sweet patoot.

    We learned just how much fun it is to watch Kyle Busch drive a race car. He makes like a kamikaze in diving in where angels fear to tread. Sometimes he catches the grass when making a pass and goes for a skid into a wall. Sometimes he cuts a tire and finds the fence. Sometimes he blows up real good. 30th Saturday, 38th Sunday, but damned entertaining.

    We learned that the feud between Robby Gordon and Kevin Conway has been extenzed into this season, as the pair had a dust up over the weekend at the track. Not sure about the actual spark of this one, but Conway says Gordon owes him some cash, while Gordon claims Conway owes him about 30 times as much. It all stems from a sponsorship deal involving that product endorsed by Jimmy Johnson, the former football coach and Survivor…and not the driver. Conway went to the cops over the altercation and Gordon was put on special emergency probation That, as they say, is the long and the short of it. All this tension. Where is Happy Bob when you need him?

    I’ve learned that it is best to quit while you are ahead. For instance, I could ask what one gets when you combine Viagra with Extenze, but this is a racing site and has nothing to do with pole vaulting. Okay, I guess I haven’t learned a damned thing.

    Bristol is next on the dance card, a track where the winner has been a guy named Busch half the time over the past nine years. Kurt has five of them, Kyle four, including three of the past four run there. The defending champ of the spring race is some fellow by the name of Johnson. As the Sprint boys take next Sunday off, the trucks return to Darlington this Saturday night. Enjoy the week.

  • 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.

  • The Final Word on the Daytona 500

    The Final Word on the Daytona 500

    So, what did we learn at the Daytona 500?

    [media-credit name=”CIA Stock Photo” align=”alignright” width=”270″][/media-credit]Well, we learned that if the rest of the races this season are comparable to the first, 2011 will be one hell of a year in NASCAR. To start with, you have a 20 year (and one day) old driver winning his first race in his second Cup start in an event it took Dale Earnhardt 20 years to finally claim. Trevor Bayne demonstrated throughout all the practices and his duel qualifier that he has that certain something. Jeff Gordon recognized it, and now most race fans should as well. The only question remaining is, what is the kid going to do now for an encore?

    We learned that Dale Earnhardt, even ten years after his death, is still held in reverence. In sports, only hockey’s Maurice Richard comes to mind as being even close. Only Elvis can still spark such emotions. Few people in this world can still bring tears to the eyes of strangers after a decade as the memory of the Intimidator did over the past week.

    We learned that his son can still run strong at the big track and remains as popular as ever. Too bad he found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time as Junior went from a Top Ten to sit 24th. David Ragan messed up the re-start of a green-white-checkers, which started a chain reaction of misfortune behind him that concluded Junior’s day. Earnhardt’s three team mates all got caught up in the 15-car Big One of Lap 29, with Jimmie Johnson and Gordon limping around to finish in 27th and 28th place. At least Mark Martin recovered to wrap up 10th.

    We learned that Hendrick engines can, and did, fail. Kevin Harvick was gone from the scene within 20 laps, while Jeff Burton didn’t even make half way. J.J. Yeley got in ten before he was done, deemed the day’s Biggest Loser and collecting his single point for coming out.

    We learned that eight cylinders beats seven, which is why last year’s Daytona 500 winner Jamie McMurray had to settle for 18th. We learned that Furniture Row’s Regan Smith is another fellow to watch for this season as he did himself proud to wind up seventh. Of course, we learned that two cars in tandem not only move fast at Daytona, but if the manoeuver isn’t done just right one can help ruin the day of the guy you were trying to help.

    We learned that FOX came in with some new toys. They had cameras that showed heated tires and images that showed how much the drivers were turning the wheel. Nothing as stupid as ESPN’s bogus draft track, but unfortunately someone there insists on keeping Digger alive. Digger is dead, so let’s move on.

    We learned on Friday night that Michael Waltrip still has some racing left in him, as he won the truck event 10 years to the day after he won the Daytona 500. Tony Stewart was 13th Sunday, but won his sixth season opening Nationwide race in his last seven attempts at Daytona on Saturday.

    Next Sunday, a most welcome schedule change moves up our first visit to Phoenix by more than a month. Last April, Ryan Newman was the man, with Gordon and Johnson finishing right behind him. After their Daytona experience, I’m thinking those two could use a little history repeating itself in Arizona. By the way, as Bayne isn’t in the running for a Cup title this year, Carl Edwards leads the standings by a single point over David Gilliland and Bobby Labonte. Huh? Oh, it could be a very interesting season.

    Enjoy your week.

  • The Final Word – With one to go, our three contenders look to lay claim to Homestead

    The Final Word – With one to go, our three contenders look to lay claim to Homestead

    So, what did we learn in Phoenix?

    Well, we learned that we got ourselves a real Chase for the 2010 Sprint Cup championship that should last until the final lap of next Sunday’s finale in Florida. Instead of calling the engraver to start putting Denny Hamlin’s name on the trophy, he heads back east with a slim 15 point margin over Jimmie Johnson, with Kevin Harvick just 46 away. That fat lady who does all the singing when it is time to turn out the lights at the end of the party has to wait just a bit longer before she can begin to warble.

    We learned again that sometimes you can be the star of the show but it means squat if you have to surrender the lead you had held most of the day in order to take on fuel when others do not. Hamlin went with a gas and go with 14 to go that allowed his competitors to dodge a bullet, unlike one of Dick Cheney’s buddies, and stay in the hunt. Instead, the lead (rhymes with led) went directly into Hamlin’s foot, and he wasn’t happy about it.

    We learned that Harvick would finish sixth, but he had to dig like hell to do that. We hear he won’t be stealing the pit crew from team mates Clint Bowyer or Jeff Burton even though a hung lug nut dropped him from sixth to 19th with 81 laps to go. Happy probably wasn’t as he had to make up a lot of ground just to get back to where he had started from. If nothing else, it should serve notice as to what Hamlin and Johnson can expect if they should stumble at Homestead.

    We learned that putting Jeff Gordon’s over the wall guys with Johnson was good for the defending champ, and not so good for the other four time king. Jimmie gained spots in the pits and finished fifth, Gordon lost a few and wound up 11th. That is the difference between being in the Chase, and being in the running for the title.

    We learned that Carl Edwards still knows how to do his flip as he won for the first time since they raced at Homestead in 2008. Not only that, but he rushed through the gate into the stands to find himself in the middle of the most traffic he has seen since Talladega. He might have got mobbed by the fans, but it sure looked easier to do than trying to climb the fence, ala Tony Stewart. I wonder why Smoke never thought of going through, instead of up?

    We learned that when you add a gas can to the 18.7 gallons already in the tank, a car might get really good fuel milage. However, the tank left hanging on Kasey Kahne’s spoiler was empty and apparently violated the rule about leaving the pits with equipment. I am happy to report that when he came back in to have it removed, he didn’t flip off anyone and was allowed to leave.

    We learned that Krissie Newman did not give birth during the race, that Ron Hornaday did not have to replace Ryan behind the wheel, allowing the Rocketman to finish second. NASCAR’s own baby boy, the 20-year old Joey Logano, was third.

    We learned that some of the boys thought the track was wider than it was. Jamie McMurray’s spoiler was left hanging after he bounced off the fence, but he still managed a top ten. You begin to wonder if the templates only slow down a car, while beating the crap out of it on the track makes improvements Smoky Yunick could have only dreamed about.

    We learned that if you wait long enough, good things can happen. You might have read my thoughts as to just how awful the team of Rusty, Brad, and Ray have been on the ESPN broadcasts. Well, last Sunday was their finest hour as they provided commentary that was both informative and entertaining. Yes, I was shocked, too. While none of them are in the same league as Kyle Petty, the trio actually gave me info on Sunday that my mother-in-law (who thinks an Allmendinger is what you use to get the nut out of the shell) could not.

    We learned that while Chad Knaus exiled his #48 boys to Team Gordon, he once found himself on the bench on the big day. Jeff Gordon won the Daytona 500 in the late 1990’s, but tire changer Knaus had been replaced before the race and wasn’t even at the track. Better things lay ahead, as this will mark the ninth straight year his driver will have finished in the top five in the season standings. That is almost as impressive as four straight titles. Almost.

    Of course, five straight championships has even a better ring to it. Will it happen, as Johnson heads to a track he has never won at, where fifth in 2009 was his best finish there in five years? Hamlin won that race last year, has three top threes in the last four held there, and looks like the smart choice to dethrone the king. Then again, a problem in the pits, with a tire, with an engine, or with someone around you, and history won’t mean a thing except for the 2010 champion.