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  • Downforce Package Could Lead to Chase Berth for Austin Dillon

    Downforce Package Could Lead to Chase Berth for Austin Dillon

    The introduction of the low downforce package in 2016 could lead to a Chase berth for Austin Dillon. It’s a premature assessment but one that’s not without merit.

    Dillon is clearly in the midst of his best season start in his Sprint Cup career. His rookie year of 2014 and his sophomore year of 2015 were both disappointing but with this new low downforce setup, he’s done well since finishing ninth at Daytona International Speedway (an event that didn’t use the low downforce package).

    Sure, he finished 11th at Atlanta. But with a fifth-place run at Vegas and another ninth-place run at Phoenix, and now a pole at Fontana, Dillon could finally be marking his spot as a Sprint Cup contender. It’s been said that this new downforce package reminds drivers of dirt racing, and keep in mind that Dillon cut his teeth on dirt. He’s been comfortable with the new package, unsurprisingly enough, and with it drivers are finally in control of their own destinies on the track.

    This could be an omen of what the rest of the season holds. NASCAR is facing a boon with this new low downforce package,  and considering it’s going to basically be a season staple, the No. 3 Richard Childress Racing team could finally have a chance to shine on the track. There could even be a win in the numbers, maybe two. It’s hard to argue against them. If in doubt, check out Sunday’s race at Fontana.

    Both Austin and his brother Ty catch a lot of flack for being the grandsons of Richard Childress. In their position, it’s all but guaranteed that they received a lifetime of assistance to become NASCAR stars. But that doesn’t change the fact that they’re both extremely talented drivers who happen to be very good at taking care of their cars and, at least, being consistent.

    In Austin’s case, that consistency has paid off with this season’s start, and if he keeps at it, it will continue to pay off. He’s got good tracks coming up including Kansas, Charlotte and Michigan, and a few not-so-good tracks that he will probably thrive at, like Texas. This is a different driver of the No. 3 that the sport is seeing in 2016.

    With Slugger Labbe on top of the pit box and Dillon behind the wheel, it’s looking like it would be tough to be against that RCR No. 3 in 2016, and it’s a promise that Dillon will prove that he belongs in the Sprint Cup Series and in the Chase come September.

  • Matt Kenseth fastest in final practice at Auto Club Speedway

    Matt Kenseth fastest in final practice at Auto Club Speedway

    Matt Kenseth topped the chart in final Sprint Cup Series practice at Auto Club Speedway.  The driver of the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota was the fastest in the final practice session with a time of 38.831 and a speed of 185.419 mph.

    Carl Edwards was second in his No. 19 JGR Toyota with a time of 38.846 and a speed of 185.347 mph. Ryan Blaney was third in his No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford with a time of 38.885 and a speed of 185.161 mph. Joey Logano was fourth in his No. 22 Team Penske Ford with a time of 38.898 and a speed of 185.099 mph. Aric Almirola rounded out the top-five in his No. 43 Richard Petty Motorsports Ford with a time of 38.904 and a speed of 185.071 mph.

    Austin Dillon was sixth in his No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet. Martin Truex Jr. was seventh in his No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Toyota. Jamie McMurray was eighth in his No. 1 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet. Kasey Kahne was ninth in his No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. Ryan Newman rounded out the top-10 in his No. 31 RCR Chevrolet.

    Late in the session, Kyle Larson got loose exiting turn 4. Trying to go to the outside of the No. 42 CGR Chevrolet, Greg Biffle slammed into the rear of Larson. Larson went to a backup car and will start tomorrow’s race from the rear of the field. Biffle’s team has yet to go to their backup as of the publishing of this piece.

    The next time the Sprint Cup Series cars are back on track will be tomorrow at 3:30 p.m. for the Auto Club 400.

     

  • Carl Edwards fastest in second practice at Auto Club Speedway

    Carl Edwards fastest in second practice at Auto Club Speedway

    Carl Edwards topped the chart in second Sprint Cup Series practice at Auto Club Speedway.  The driver of the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota was the fastest in the second practice session with a time of 38.317 and a speed of 187.906 mph.

    Martin Truex Jr. was second in his No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Toyota with a time of 38.373 and a speed of 187.632 mph. Ryan Newman was third in his No. 31 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet with a time of 38.577 and a speed of 186.640 mph. Kyle Busch was fourth in his No. 18 JGR Toyota with a time of 38.578 and a speed of 186.635 mph. Austin Dillon rounded out the top-five in his No. 3 RCR Chevrolet with a time of 38.588 and a speed of 186.587 mph.

    Paul Menard was sixth in his No. 27 RCR Chevrolet. Brian Scott was seventh in his No. 44 Richard Petty Motorsports Ford. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. was eighth in his No. 17 Roush Fenway Racing Ford. Casey Mears was ninth in his No. 13 Germain Racing Chevrolet. Batman (Dale Earnhardt Jr.) rounded out the top-10 in his No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet.

    After posting a qualifying run good enough for 26th, Kurt Busch made contact with the wall. The team opted to roll out the backup car. Because this change took place after qualifying, the driver of the No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet will start from the rear of the field.

  • Austin Dillon Takes the Pole at Auto Club Speedway

    Austin Dillon Takes the Pole at Auto Club Speedway

    Austin Dillon will lead the field to the green flag for Sunday’s race in the Golden State.

    The driver of the No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet scored the pole for the Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway with a time of 38.200 and a speed of 188.482 mph. This is the second career Sprint Cup Series pole for the third-year driver out of Lewisville, North Carolina. His first came in the 2014 Daytona 500.

    “A Daytona 500 pole sitter, now I got a pole somewhere else,” Dillon said. “To do it at a driver’s race track like this at Fontana, it means a lot to me. Just proud of this American Ethanol team. We’ve had fast cars all year long. I knew going into that third session if I didn’t make mistakes I would have a shot. I just stayed with it off of 4. I kept my locker locked as much as I could with the gas just keeping as much fuel to the car as I could. It worked out for us.”

    Kevin Harvick will start second in his No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet after posting a time of 38.231 and a speed of 188.329 mph.

    “Good effort by Rodney and the team getting the car ready,” Harvick said. “This track is a challenge with its bumps and rough surface and the lower downforce makes them harder to drive but we’ve got a good car and looking forward to Sunday. Our goal was to run the same lap time all three rounds. That is going to put you in a spot to have a chance. All in all, it’s been a good start to the weekend and really looking forward to the race on Sunday.”

    Denny Hamlin, who broke the track record in the second round of qualifying, will start third in his No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota after posting a time of 38.372 and a speed of 187.637 mph. Ryan Newman will start fourth in his No. 31 RCR Chevrolet after posting a time of 38.446 and a speed of 187.276 mph. Carl Edwards will round out the top-five in his No. 19 JGR Toyota after posting a time of 38.457 and a speed of 187.222 mph.

    Kyle Busch will start sixth in his No. 18 JGR Toyota followed by Trevor Bayne in seventh in his No. 6 Roush Fenway Racing Ford. Chase Elliott will start eighth in his No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, Joey Logano will start ninth in his No. 22 Team Penske Ford and Jamie McMurray will round out the top-10 in his No. 1 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet.

    AJ Allmendinger will start 11th in his No. 47 JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet while Kasey Kahne will round out the 12 drivers that made the final round of qualifying in his No. 5 HMS Chevrolet.

    Complete Starting Lineup:

    1. Austin Dillon
    2. Kevin Harvick
    3. Denny Hamlin
    4. Ryan Newman
    5. Carl Edwards
    6. Kyle Busch
    7. Trevor Bayne
    8. Chase Elliott
    9. Joey Logano
    10. Jamie McMurray
    11. AJ Allmendinger
    12. Kasey Kahne
    13. Paul Menard
    14. Ryan Blaney
    15. Brad Keselowski
    16. Chris Buescher
    17. Martin Truex Jr.
    18. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
    19. Jimmie Johnson
    20. Matt Kenseth
    21. Brian Scott
    22. Greg Biffle
    23. Casey Mears
    24. Brian Vickers
    25. Aric Almirola
    26. Kurt Busch
    27. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
    28. Regan Smith
    29. Clint Bowyer
    30. Michael McDowell
    31. Danica Patrick
    32. Kyle Larson
    33. Matt DiBenedetto
    34. Landon Cassill
    35. David Ragan
    36. Cole Whitt
    37. Josh Wise
    38. Michael Annett
    39. Jeffrey Earnhardt

     

     

  • NASCAR Racing Schedule for Auto Club Speedway

    NASCAR Racing Schedule for Auto Club Speedway

    The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and XFINITY Series travel to Auto Club Speedway this weekend while the Camping World Truck Series is off. Please check below for the complete schedule of events.

    All times are Eastern.

    Friday, March 18:

    On Track:
    1:30-2:55 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Practice – FS1
    3-4:25 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series Practice – FS1
    5:30-6:25 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series Final Practice – FS1
    7:45 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying – FS1

    Press Conferences: (Watch live)
    Noon: Brian Vickers
    12:30 p.m.: Kevin Harvick
    1:05 p.m.: Brandon Jones
    1:15 p.m.: Daniel Suarez
    3:30 p.m.: Carl Edwards
    4:30 p.m.: Kyle Larson
    4:45 p.m.: Austin Dillon
    9 p.m. (approx.): Post-NASCAR Sprint Cup Series qualifying and Brad Keselowski

    Garage Cam: (Watch live)
    1 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series
    2:30 p.m.: XFINITY Series

    Saturday, March 19:

    On Track:
    11-11:55 a.m.: Sprint Cup Series Practice – FS2
    12:15 p.m.: XFINITY Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying – FS1
    2:30-3:25 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series Final Practice – FS1
    4 p.m.: TreatMyClot.com 300 by Janssen (150 laps, 300 miles) – FS1

    Press Conferences: (Watch live)
    6:30 p.m. (approx.): Post-XFINITY Series Race

    Sunday, March 20:

    On Track:
    3:30 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series Auto Club 400 (200 laps, 400 miles) – FOX

    Press Conferences: (Watch live)
    7 p.m. (approx.): Post-Sprint Cup Series Race

    Additional Info:

    Complete NASCAR TV Schedule

     

  • Finley Factor: Hot Dogs on The Track! Debris Caution!

    Finley Factor: Hot Dogs on The Track! Debris Caution!

    There really isn’t much else to write about the whole debris caution debacle at Auto Club Speedway, but I’ll try anyway.

    As has been pointed out by plenty, NASCAR wasn’t trying to screw Kurt Busch out of a victory. If they were, why didn’t they throw the caution as soon as Brad Keselowski passed him on the racetrack, not giving him a chance to take back the lead in the last two turns?

    I don’t doubt for a second that some of the debris calls are a little exaggerated. The caution that made me angry was the caution that set up the initial green-white-checkered, where apparently 43 of the world’s greatest drivers couldn’t avoid something that looked to be a soda can or something similar to it for two laps. Then, they called the caution after somebody hit it. It made no sense, and whoever reported the debris to David Hoots, NASCAR’s managing event director, should at least be reprimanded.

    Here’s something I don’t think people understand. Hoots doesn’t just sit there in the control tower calling debris cautions. Every single debris caution thrown on Sunday had some manner of debris. The process of getting most debris cautions called is very simple-

    1. Teams must report to NASCAR that there is debris on X part of the racetrack.
    2. One of the many officials around the track will look closer and report if there is any substantial debris at that part of the racetrack.
    3. David Hoots will make the call as to whether or not to “put it out.”

    Sometimes, like when Kyle Larson’s bumper was laying on the racetrack during the first GWC, the debris is too obvious not to report.  However, having listened to the official’s audio through Race View during most races this year, I’ve noticed that this typically is not the case.

    Rather, it seems the vast majority of the debris cautions called are the result of teams reporting debris. There definitely is stuff on the racetrack. FOX doesn’t care to show it because it’s FOX and they are too busy trying to make a story out of nothing. And don’t say that “They can’t find it,” because how many cameras does FOX have at these racetracks now? How many bodies and how much money do they dump into the sport?  That excuse is only a little better than the tracks saying, “We don’t have the money for an all-SAFER Barrier track,” after FOX/NBC dump a mountain of gold on their doorstep, while spending millions to get rid of their iconic symbols for no real good reason (Cough, Daytona, cough).

    Anyway, the point I’m trying to make is that teams report the majority of these cautions and for some strange reason they seem to report it when it benefits them. With around 20 laps to go, I turned to the official’s radio out of curiosity. What I found was multiple teams reporting debris… constantly, especially those who were short on fuel. A few laps later, the track official in that area finally found something and Hoots called a caution.

    Now, it seems to me that the teams seem to be giving NASCAR ample room to call for debris cautions. I’m not going to name names, but certain teams seem to do it, a lot, especially those that happen to have 1s or 2s on the side of their car. If we want to get rid of phantom debris cautions, it starts with the teams. Don’t lie or exaggerate and claim something’s there. It’s that simple.

    NASCAR definitely deserves a lot of blame, and I usually am on the side of the teams, but I don’t feel many give the teams any criticism when it comes to this.

     

    Martinsville Preview (Now with 31 percent less tasty hot dogs)

    Favorite (Once again, outside of Kevin Harvick)

    Jeff Gordon leads almost every category among active drivers in stats at Martinsville. Hopefully he isn’t like last week’s favorite Kurt Busch, who lost the race on the last lap.

    One to Watch

    Chase Elliott will probably be making his Cup debut at this race. Hopefully he isn’t like last week’s one to watch Kyle Larson, where the only thing to watch was where his rear end was going to land…. literally.

    Dark Horse

    This is one of A.J. Allmendinger’s better racetracks, where he has finished in the top 15 in all but three of his last 11 starts here. Hopefully he isn’t like last week’s dark horse Paul Menard, who actually had a really good race. Never mind.

     

    Because I’ve been super busy with college stuff, I didn’t find the time to write the second half of the Factor this week. Instead, here are a few random thoughts of mine.

    -The top (and only) five differences between Roush Fenway Racing and BK Racing in Cup, because both have no idea what they are doing and are killing driver’s careers:

    1. Roush runs Fords.
    2. Roush has more money.
    3. Roush has a third car.
    4. Roush used to be a great team.
    5. Roush actually pays people.

    -With Brett Moffitt being declared eligible for Rookie of the Year honors, there goes the only thing BK Racing and Jeb Burton had going for it this year,  which is a shame because Ward, Jeb’s father, is the man.

    -David Ragan needs to learn not to block people on lap 20.

    -Chris Buescher spent most of the day ahead of all three Roush drivers and finished 20th in Front Row Motorsports equipment. He had never even climbed into a Sprint Cup car until Friday.

    -No doubt, if you ask me, Brian Vickers’ full time Cup career in decent equipment will probably be over as soon as he leaves Michael Waltrip Racing. I just don’t see any team really taking a risk on a driver who didn’t light the world last season and constantly has medical problems. I can definitely see him in a good XFINITY Series car, though. He’s a lot like Regan Smith, in that both are decent to good drivers who have helped build Cup teams from the bottom to decent teams (Furniture Row and Red Bull), but there’s just no room for them in Cup any longer.

    -Brad Keselowski wrote a blog a week ago about how big of an “ass” Kyle Busch is, or at least was, off the track. Kyle hasn’t driven like an “ass” since Texas in 2011. Brad has wrecked half the field in the last five years. What is worse, being an “ass” off the track or on the track? Judging by how many friends Brad has in the garage area, I think he does well in both categories anyway.

    -Auto Club was an awful, boring race for the first 180 laps, or what felt like 10 hours. I can’t wait for Martinsville. And, I’ll go buy five lottery tickets if what’s in the title of this article actually happens.

  • Finley Factor: Be Quick or Be Dead

    Finley Factor: Be Quick or Be Dead

    So if you haven’t heard, Kevin Harvick is on a pretty decent run.

    The defending Champion has finished first or second the last seven straight races. The only drivers able to keep up with him this season have been Jimmie Johnson and Joey Logano, and even then both have had problems, with Johnson having a miserable Las Vegas and Logano seemingly hitting a metaphoric wall and fading back in the last quarter of most races.

    At 39 Harvick still has around five more years before his decline as a driver (And who knows about that; Mark Martin and Harry Gant were still championship contending drivers in their fifties), and I doubt that Stewart-Haas Racing, with multiple solid sponsors and the best chassis/engine provider in the game with Hendrick Motorsports, will decline like Roush Fenway Racing has the last three seasons.

    Rodney Childers has also proven to be one of the best crew chiefs in the game, maybe even better right now than Chad Knaus, who is probably entering the twilight of his career (Modern crew chiefs generally have a shorter career than drivers, with a notable exception in Jimmy Fennig). Childers has proven to be an excellent team builder; Michael Waltrip Racing flat out sucked before Childers came over in 2009 and helped to develop the team into an elite team over the next four seasons before leaving after 2013. It speaks volumes that MWR once again became completely rudderless as an organization when Childers left, not even being able to lure Greg Biffle from Roush last season, which really speaks volumes. I promise that if MWR actually is able to develop Brett Mofitt into a great driver, he isn’t going to win a championship with MWR.

    Childers also, as noted by Darrell Waltrip last Sunday, basically built the No. 4 team from the ground up in the 2013-2014 off-season, then won a championship the first year in. Think about that for a second. Football isn’t like racing, but that is kind of like starting a new expansion team with Pete Carroll as the coach, like Childers, a relative new face who turned the Seahawks into a powerhouse, and installing Matt Ryan, like Harvick, a mid-career player who has played well but has never truly had the team to win it all, as the QB.

    And then, come February, you turn the television on and you see Ryan hoisting the Lombardi after winning the Super Bowl, after one year.

    History says that no, Harvick and the 4 team won’t continue this amazing run. Someday he’s going to lose an engine or get stuck on pit road or get caught up in a wreck. Then we get to see just how good this team really is. The best players, regardless of sport, will perform when it’s pouring, not just raining. Can he join the ranks of drivers and teams such as his boss Tony Stewart in 2011, where he went from saying “We shouldn’t be in the Chase” to hoisting the Cup in just three months’ time? We shall see.

    Fontana Preview

    Favorite (Outside of Kevin Harvick)

    I’ve gotta go with K. Busch……. Wait, you’re telling me Kyle is still out with his injuries? I already know that, I’m talking about the other K. Busch. Kurt showed he hasn’t lost a step last Sunday, and with Kyle on the shelf he is the best here in the Gen 6, with an average finish of fourth in the last two races here.

    One To Watch

    Kyle Larson opened a lot of eyes in this race last year. The 2014 Rookie Of The Year almost won, if it wasn’t for the other Kyle blocking we’d be talking about defending race winner Kyle Larson. Larson is hungry for a victory, and with a second in Cup last season and his first Xfinity series win the same weekend, expect him to be a factor on Sunday.

    The Dark Horse

    Paul Menard has finished eighth and ninth here the last two seasons. Don’t expect a win, but do expect another under the radar top-10.

    A brief correction from last week. For the rankings I posted, comparing all Cup drivers from 2013 and 2014’s first two full time seasons in the sport, I forgot to post, of all people, Kevin Harvick’s statline. Harvick, with three victories, 11 top-fives, and 24 top-10s, would be 10th in the ranking, with everybody below Kyle Busch being a rank below what they are in the article.

    Harvick’s first two seasons are well known for being a roller coaster of emotions, from the grief in replacing the late Dale Earnhardt Sr., to triumph in winning three races including an emotional and iconic Atlanta win three weeks following Earnhardt’s death, to anger when he was suspended for the spring Martinsville race in 2002 after running into Coy Gibbs the day before in the Truck race after Gibbs wrecked him. Harvick, already on probation following an incident earlier in the year with Greg Biffle at Bristol, was suspended and relived by Kenny Wallace in the Cup Race.

    Maybe, once he comes back from injury, there is hope for a Kyle Busch championship after all.

    Speaking of Martinsville, they’ve changed hotdog brands once again. I’d be amazed if Jesse Jones hotdogs aren’t back at Martinsville by the start of the Cup race there on March 29. They’ve tried to change the hotdogs before and it has never worked out.

    If they don’t, it really is a shame that a track like Martinsville, with two dates a year (And thus plenty of money from the new television deal), will screw with its long time partners (Jesse Jones had been at the Speedway before there even was a NASCAR, starting with a handshake deal in 1947) and race fans just to make more money. Money that I doubt any of the race teams will see, or if they do see it, it will most definitely be pennies on the dollar.

    It seems like the France family, who majority own Martinsville Speedway owner ISC, either delight in moving races around or off the schedule for no real good reason (Somehow Darlington on Labor Day went from being too hot after years of it not being hot in 2004 to suddenly not being hot again in 2015) or messing around with what has been around for years. Instead of buying and then fixing Rockingham and making sure it had the resources to stay on the Cup schedule, it was decided that ISC needed a track in Kansas and Chicagoland, even though the Rockingham makeover would have been cheaper and would have led to better races, continuing the track’s history.

    It isn’t just ISC, either. Atlanta looked horrible a couple of weeks ago, and Bruton Smith has been wanting that second Las Vegas date for years now. As far as I know, Bruton has three options to get that second Las Vegas date- replace the second Charlotte race, replace the second Loudon race, or replace Atlanta and move dates around to get Vegas later in the year. And because I know he won’t get rid of Loudon because, you know, that makes too much sense, it’s either the heart of NASCAR in Charlotte or the birthplace of stock car racing in Atlanta that will be hurt in this deal.

    Then again, Smith could always just buy a track and pull it off the calendar, like he did to North Wilkesboro, which narrows it down to Dover and Pocono (We’ll find Martians before Smith buys Indianapolis). I’d love for it to be Pocono. Can we get rid of Pocono? That would be nice.

  • Gordon – looking for someone to blame?

    Gordon – looking for someone to blame?

                Four-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion, Jeff Gordon, is not happy with Goodyear, the tire supplier for the NASCAR national touring series. Gordon’s frustration stems from the tire issues that race teams experienced last week at Auto Club Speedway.

                During the Auto Club 400 several top teams suffered blown tires. At one point, Gordon was leading the race when Clint Bowyer lost a tire. After the round of pit stops that followed the yellow, Gordon dropped to 13th position. Gordon then expressed his dis-pleasure with Goodyear, saying Goodyear was not prepared.

    Gordon was asked if he had spoken with Goodyear while he was at a test in Sonoma, he responded, “I did not. No, I’m too mad at them to have a discussion with them about that right now. I went and did everything I could to put the best test together that I could there to learn what we could to go to Sonoma and win.”

    One idea that has been presented by many is that maybe teams were too aggressive with set-ups and that is what led to the tire problems. According to an article posted by USA Today, Gordon addressed that opinion as well mentioning that the new rules packages are forcing team to take more chances because “that’s what’s going to win races.”

    That statement seemed to place the blame on NASCAR as well as Goodyear. NASCAR for implementing the new rules that reward winning, and Goodyear for not being prepared for the more aggressive attitudes that teams would have. Gordon, however, commented, “Don’t get me wrong we all play a role in it. You can easily sit here and say oh well the teams were not conservative enough, there were teams that were not having issues.”

    Yet, he also pointed out that the cause of the tire problem was unknown by saying, “Yeah, tire wear I have no problem with tire wear. I know how to manage tire wear. But when it’s the sidewall and you don’t know is it the bumps on the back straightaway, is it the apron in turn three and four, is it speed, is it air pressure, camber? I mean we heard where people were low on air pressure, came up on pressure and that didn’t seem to fix it. When those things are happening it definitely makes you nervous because you don’t want to be that close to the edge. I think we all were very close to the edge.”

    The irony in that opinion is that Gordon’s team did not have a tire issue. Gordon acknowledged that his team, “… saw issues on Saturday and we detuned our car from a tire abusive standpoint.” If they had no idea what caused it, and Goodyear was at fault by bringing a tire that was not good enough, how did his team “de-tune” the car to eliminate the issue?

    It seems to this writer that Gordon’s anger is due to the fact that he lost the lead when a car lost a tire and he is looking for someone to blame. How about the fact that his team allowed him to drop from the lead to 13th during a pitstop? Whether it be due to a slow stop or strategy, it does not matter. Regardless of the reason, he came down pitroad with the lead and left pitroad 13th.

    As far as having to push the envelope to be the fastest you can be, is that not what racing is supposed to be? These are some of the best racers in the world. This is the premier level of stock car racing. It is supposed to be tough. Drivers are supposed to be on the edge, as Gordon pointed out that they all were. This is the big leagues. It is supposed to be challenging.

    The fact that NASCAR has devised a set of rules that causes teams to push the envelope is a good thing. The racing this season has been better than it has been in several years. Obviously, something is right about it. It is the team’s responsibility to find the balance between too aggressive and the most speed. The fact that this sport employs some of the most intelligent minds in the world, is a fact that should keep things interesting. When one team chooses one strategy and the next team chooses another, the level of competition is raised and racing becomes exciting.

    Teams and drivers complaining that the challenges of the sport are too hard is baffling. It ranks right up there with drivers saying “he raced me too hard”, a phenomena that does not exist in the real world. Every team’s goal is to win. Developing strategies and racing hard to accomplish that goal is every team’s job. If it’s too difficult, then those teams should find another line of work.

    Several teams did have tire problems at Auto Club Speedway. Several teams, however, including Gordon’s team, did not, and he admitted that his team de-tuned to lessen the chance of a tire issue. Hard to find how Goodyear and NASCAR are at fault here.

  • Preview and Predictions: Auto Club 400

    Preview and Predictions: Auto Club 400

    After bumping and grinding at Bristol Motor Speedway last week, the Sprint Cup Series heads to the 2-mile, low-banked oval of Auto Club Speedway. Despite being very similar in shape to its sister track Michigan International Speedway, the two tracks drive very differently. Since the repave at Michigan, the low and middle groove are the only fast ways of getting around the track. Auto Club Speedway has never been repaved since 1997, so it is one of the oldest surfaces on the Sprint Cup schedule.

    In qualifying, I saw drivers using the high line to try and find some grip, even though it isn’t the shortest way around the track. Winning at Auto Club not only requires great horsepower to pull you down the straightaways, but also a great suspension package to help you get a good drive off the corners. We know that someone will get it exactly right on Sunday, and here’s three drivers that probably will.

    Jimmie Johnson

    There are some instances where it is actually difficult to pick a definitive favorite to win the race. This is not the case with the Auto Club 400. Jimmie Johnson has won four of the last 10 races at his home track, and five overall including his first victory back in 2002. He’s also finished in the top five 12 times and has an astounding average finish of 5.7. Some may argue that he’s lost his touch over the past couple of years, and that his prime at Auto Club came in the Car of Tomorrow era, but I believe they’ve found the magic yet again. Johnson was fastest in the first practice and ended up third in qualifying. There’s no question he’ll be a factor in Sunday’s race.

    Matt Kenseth

    Although Kenseth hasn’t won a race at Auto Club since 2009, his record at the track has been pretty solid over the past few years. His average finish over the past 10 races of 9.5 is third only to Carl Edwards and Jimmie Johnson. Joe Gibbs Racing has found some speed at the past few visits to the track, mainly with Kyle Busch, who won the race last year. However, looking at the first practice speeds, it appears that Kyle Busch may not have the speed he did last year. Kenseth, who qualified on the pole, will pick up the slack for his teammate.

    Jeff Gordon

    The inaugural winner at Auto Club Speedway is back at it again with a fast Hendrick Chevrolet. In practice, Gordon was second behind his teammate Jimmie Johnson, and he actually ran faster than the track record. In qualifying, he was consistently at the top of the charts until the final round, where he ended up sixth. The four-time Sprint Cup champion hasn’t even had a top-five at Auto Club since 2009, but I believe they have found the magic yet again. Although it looks like his teammate will be leading the way on Sunday, Jeff Gordon won’t be far behind.

    Whoever shines brightest at Auto Club will be the driver that effectively communicates where the car is losing speed. That’s why Jimmie Johnson is so good here, because it isn’t just about pure speed. It’s about adjusting the chassis, the tire pressures and the wedge throughout the race so that you can develop a perfect drive off the corner. Then it’s all about what you’ve got under the hood to pull you down those long straightaways. There’s always one driver that hits the set up exactly right, and whoever that driver is, rest assured that they will be unstoppable on race day.

    Statistics retrieved from racing-reference.info.

  • Denny Hamlin Seeking Auto Club Revenge; Starts 13th On Sunday

    Denny Hamlin Seeking Auto Club Revenge; Starts 13th On Sunday

    Denny Hamlin had an eventful final corner at Auto Club Speedway last season, to say the least. Hamlin and Joey Logano – who had a dispute the week before at Bristol – battled the entire white flag lap for the win, but eventually touched, putting Hamlin into the inside wall, Logano into the outside wall, and sending Kyle Busch to victory lane.

    However, not snatching his first career Auto Club victory wasn’t the major setback for Hamlin. It was the fact the wreck caused him to suffer a back injury, forcing him to sit out of the car for around a month.

    Now, a year later, Hamlin is looking for revenge in Fontana, California. And after qualifying 13th it seems he has the capability to convert.

    “There’s more drive, there’s extra motivation (to win this weekend)” Hamlin explained about getting redemption at Auto Club.

    Despite Hamlin wanting to score the victory this weekend, he doesn’t intend on holding a grudge with Logano, even though his season was destroyed by him last year.

    “Really worrying about retaliating and holding grudges and things like that takes away from the time you need to be preparing for the upcoming event,” Hamlin explained in the media center on Friday. “When you’re on the track, it’s hard enough to pass in these cars, so you have to concentrate in these cars at all times and not (on), Hey I need to get to this guy or that guy to retaliate.”

    With retaliation off his mind, Hamlin has his complete focus on winning this weekend, and he’s confident he can.

    “We (Joe Gibbs Racing) look forward to coming here and running extremely well. We had a pretty good first practice, so we’re starting off on the right foot,” Hamlin expressed. “I’ve taken this race and circled it as one where you really would like to get a win and obviously be competitive when it comes Sunday. It’s nice to, instead of retaliating, to end in victory lane.”

    Setting all redemption and retaliation aside, Hamlin is still trying to secure a spot in the Chase with a victory. He finished second in the Daytona 500, 19th at Phoenix International Raceway, 12th at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and sixth last weekend in Bristol, Tennessee. Therefore, after an average start to 2014, he’s hoping to solidify himself as a championship contender this weekend.