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Keselowski Heads First Practice Session at Texas

Brad Keselowski topped the chart in the first practice session on Friday at Texas Motor Speedway.

The driver of the No. 2 Team Penske Ford was the fastest in the first practice session with a time of 27.403 and a speed of 197.059 mph. Kevin Harvick placed his No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet with a time of 27.492 and a speed of 196.421 mph. Carl Edwards showed his No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota with a time of 27.516 and a speed of 196.249 mph. Kyle Larson brought his No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet to fourth with a time of 27.533 and a speed of 196.128 mph. Joey Logano rounded out the top-five in his No. 22 Team Penske Ford with a time of 27.551 and a speed of 196.000 mph.

Jamie McMurray finished his No. 1 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet in sixth. Ryan Blaney finished his No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford in seventh. Erik Jones, driving in place of the suspended Matt Kenseth, finished his No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota in eighth. Greg Biffle finished his No. 16 Roush Fenway Racing Ford in ninth. Kurt Busch rounded out the top-10 in his No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet.

Kyle Busch finished 11th, Jeff Gordon finished 19th and Martin Truex Jr. was the lowest-finishing Chase driver in 20th.

The Sprint Cup cars are back on track this evening for qualifying at 6:45.

NSCS Practice 1
Texas Motor Speedway
11th Annual AAA Texas 500
Provided by NASCAR Statistics – Fri, November 06, 2015 @ 01:58 PM Eastern
===========================================
Pos Car Driver Team Time Speed Lap # # Laps -Fastest -Next
===========================================
1 2 Brad Keselowski Wurth Ford 27.403 197.059 7 7 —.— —.—
2 4 Kevin Harvick Budweiser/Jimmy John’s Chevrolet 27.492 196.421 8 8 -0.089 -0.089
3 19 Carl Edwards Sport Clips Toyota 27.516 196.249 18 18 -0.113 -0.024
4 42 Kyle Larson Target Plaid Chevrolet 27.533 196.128 24 24 -0.130 -0.017
5 22 Joey Logano AAA Insurance Ford 27.551 196.000 20 20 -0.148 -0.018
6 1 Jamie McMurray Cessna Chevrolet 27.566 195.893 17 17 -0.163 -0.015
7 21 Ryan Blaney(i) Snap-On Tools Ford 27.568 195.879 7 7 -0.165 -0.002
8 20 Erik Jones(i) DeWalt Toyota 27.593 195.702 21 21 -0.190 -0.025
9 16 Greg Biffle Ortho Ford 27.613 195.560 7 9 -0.210 -0.020
10 41 Kurt Busch Haas Automation Chevrolet 27.635 195.404 19 19 -0.232 -0.022
11 18 Kyle Busch M&M’s Crispy Toyota 27.639 195.376 18 18 -0.236 -0.004
12 5 Kasey Kahne Farmers Insurance Chevrolet 27.658 195.242 17 17 -0.255 -0.019
13 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Office Toyota 27.664 195.200 8 10 -0.261 -0.006
14 48 Jimmie Johnson Lowe’s Chevrolet 27.672 195.143 8 8 -0.269 -0.008
15 15 Clint Bowyer Maxwell House Toyota 27.680 195.087 16 16 -0.277 -0.008
16 6 Trevor Bayne AdvoCare Ford 27.707 194.897 11 11 -0.304 -0.027
17 3 Austin Dillon Dow Packaging/H-E-B Chevrolet 27.711 194.868 7 7 -0.308 -0.004
18 9 Sam Hornish Jr. Sonic Ford 27.728 194.749 9 9 -0.325 -0.017
19 24 Jeff Gordon Axalta Chevrolet 27.729 194.742 20 20 -0.326 -0.001
20 78 Martin Truex Jr. Furniture Row/Visser Precision Chevrolet 27.736 194.693 7 9 -0.333 -0.007
21 31 Ryan Newman Quicken Loans Chevrolet 27.742 194.651 14 14 -0.339 -0.006
22 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Kelley Blue Book Chevrolet 27.754 194.567 9 9 -0.351 -0.012
23 47 AJ Allmendinger Kroger/Scott Products Chevrolet 27.765 194.489 19 19 -0.362 -0.011
24 55 David Ragan Aaron’s Online Dream Machine Toyota 27.770 194.454 17 17 -0.367 -0.005
25 13 Casey Mears GEICO Chevrolet 27.780 194.384 10 10 -0.377 -0.010
26 27 Paul Menard Schrock/Menards Chevrolet 27.783 194.363 13 13 -0.380 -0.003
27 14 Tony Stewart Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 Chevrolet 27.815 194.140 20 22 -0.412 -0.032
28 17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Fastenal Ford 27.815 194.140 7 7 -0.412 -0.000
29 43 Aric Almirola Smithfield Ford 27.943 193.251 11 11 -0.540 -0.128
30 33 Brian Scott(i) Shore Lodge Chevrolet 27.943 193.251 5 7 -0.540 -0.000
31 7 Alex Bowman Nikko RC/Toy State Chevrolet 28.004 192.830 17 17 -0.601 -0.061
32 26 JJ Yeley(i) Overture Promotions Toyota 28.089 192.246 9 9 -0.686 -0.085
33 10 Danica Patrick GoDaddy Chevrolet 28.104 192.143 23 23 -0.701 -0.015
34 95 Michael McDowell Tommy Williams Drywall Ford 28.237 191.238 10 10 -0.834 -0.133
35 34 Brett Moffitt # Visit Dallas Ford 28.241 191.211 21 21 -0.838 -0.004
36 23 Jeb Burton # Dr Pepper/Estes Toyota 28.288 190.894 9 9 -0.885 -0.047
37 51 Justin Allgaier Texas Lottery Chevrolet 28.300 190.813 20 20 -0.897 -0.012
38 35 Cole Whitt Moen Ford 28.350 190.476 15 19 -0.947 -0.050
39 46 Michael Annett Pilot Flying J Chevrolet 28.404 190.114 12 12 -1.001 -0.054
40 38 David Gilliland Love’s Travel Stops Ford 28.415 190.040 14 16 -1.012 -0.011
41 40 Landon Cassill(i) CRC/O’Reilly Auto Parts Chevrolet 28.424 189.980 32 32 -1.021 -0.009
42 83 Matt DiBenedetto # Dustless Blasting Toyota 28.555 189.109 11 11 -1.152 -0.131
43 32 Joey Gase(i) Zak Products/Donate Life Texas Ford 28.767 187.715 14 14 -1.364 -0.212
44 62 Reed Sorenson Toyota 28.846 187.201 9 9 -1.443 -0.079
45 98 Ryan Preece Xyience Chevrolet 29.075 185.727 24 24 -1.672 -0.229

Best 10 Consecutive Lap Average
* No driver ran 10 consecutive laps during this practice.
*Required to qualify on time, (i) Ineligible for driver points in this series

November 6, 2015
Hot 20 – Kenseth to miss Texas and Phoenix after facing NASCAR justice (pending appeals)

Bad boy and bad girl. It would seem NASCAR is an equal opportunity disciplinarian, as both Matt Kenseth and Danica Patrick got slapped for aggressive driving at Martinsville. In short, they purposely ran into people with bad intentions.

Gone for two, including the races in Texas and Phoenix, is Kenseth for taking out Joey Logano in mobster style last week. Nine laps down he plucked the front running Logano out of the mix and bulldozed him into the wall. As I write this, Kenseth is appealing his penalty, though I would be surprised if any change in his sentence is forthcoming.

There are those hand ringers who figure this was an awful thing. I do not agree. In fact, I think I just became a Kenseth fan for life. The way I see it, all he did was tune in a mouthy little twerp who danced all over his accomplishment of knocking the former champ out of the way back in Kansas, robbing Kenseth of his best shot at continuing in the Chase. You do not celebrate causing another’s misfortune unless you want karma to come back and bite you in the ass.

Now, you might suspect that I am no fan of Logano. That would be correct, but my feelings toward the man are based only on perception. If I knew him and ran into him on a weekly basis and could not stand him, that is one thing. The truth is, we have never met, and if I had the chance to sit down with Logano for a couple of hours over some adult pops, I might end up a fan of his for life, too. Instead, my feelings toward him, along with those of most of you, are based only on a perception, and that perception just leaves me ice cold.

As for Patrick, her temper was anything but cold. It warranted her picking up a behavioral penalty for using her car to rearrange parts of that driven by David Gilliland at Martinsville. That cost her $50,000 and 25 points.

Both penalties, by the way, are justified, though I do not condemn their actions. They felt they needed to do something, they did what they did, and now have to pay the piper. End of story.

This column takes a break next week but returns to set the table as the boys and girl venture into Homestead to wrap things up for the season. Just in time to see the return of a certain bad boy to the track. My hero, at least for the moment.

Our Hot 20 during the Chase, and only the Chase, to date include…

1. JOEY LOGANO – 3 Wins, 265 Points
Joey might be the best in the Chase, but Kenseth seemed more than able to chase him down.

2. JEFF GORDON – 1 Win, 260
Do you believe in fairy tales with happy endings?

3. CARL EDWARDS – 257
It has been seven years since he won his third at Texas.

4. DENNY HAMLIN – 1 Win, 248
Could have still been in the hunt himself except for Harvick’s actions at Talladega.

5. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 247
If NASCAR is going all “wild west,” shouldn’t that well suit a team from Denver?

6. RYAN NEWMAN – 231
Being outside the Chase, he shouldn’t feel the need to repeat last year’s move at Phoenix.

7. KYLE BUSCH – 224
Four Top Fives, including a win, in last five attempts at Texas, bodes well for Sunday.

8. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 221
How things change. Just a year ago the Feud of the Week involved Brad and Jeff.

9. KURT BUSCH – 217
Can pick either Kenseth or Keselowski to blame for his tribulations last week.

10. DALE EARNHARDT JR. – 215
Jeff cheered for winning, Matt cheered for creaming Logano, Junior cheered for being Junior.

11. KEVIN HARVICK – 1 Win, 214
After Matt’s little adventure, we did not hear much from Harvick. Trevor Bayne wonders why?

12. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 201
Not a contender but he has become relevant.

13. RICKY STENHOUSE, JR. – 196
Not among the Top Twenty heading into the Chase, but some groundwork is being laid for 2016.

14. KASEY KAHNE – 195
Four Top Tens during the Chase, but 19th at Talladega, 24th in Chicago, dead last at Charlotte.

15. MATT KENSETH – 1 Win, 185
I once thought Matt was as boring as white bread…but not anymore!

16. GREG BIFFLE – 185
The worst season of his career still the best Roush-Fenway has this year.

17. ARIC ALMIROLA – 184
Ranked 17th on the season, 17th during the Chase events. Not great, but he is consistent.

18. KYLE LARSON – 184
Newman’s berth to Homestead last year went through Larson…literally.

19. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 181
Are we there yet?

20. PAUL MENARD – 177
He always wanted to have the same success as Jimmie, but this is not quite what he envisioned.

November 4, 2015
NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Martinsville

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Jeff Gordon: Gordon seized his opportunity at Martinsville, taking the lead late and holding on for his ninth win at the Virginia half-mile track. With the win, Gordon will be one of four drivers vying for the Sprint Cup at Homestead.

“I can certainly identify with Joey Logano,” Gordon said. “Because we both ‘owe’ Matt Kenseth.”

2. Joey Logano: Logano was dominating at Martinsville and seemed headed for his fourth straight victory, till Matt Kenseth intentionally wrecked Logano with 47 laps left. Logano finished 37th, 42 laps down.

“It was a total coward move by Kenseth,” Logano said. “And I should know—I’m all yellow.

“I’m furious, and so is my father Tom. He was redder than a Martinsville hot dog. He was so irate, he had to be restrained. And speaking of ‘restraint,’ that reminds me of my first memory of my father, when he duct-taped to the seat of a go-cart and said ‘Drive.’”

3. Kevin Harvick: Harvick led 38 laps and finished eighth in the Goody’s Headache Relief Shot 500.

“Once again,” Harvick said, “I made a move that kept my championship hopes alive. This time, however, instead of driving into the fray, I steered clear of controversy.”

4. Kyle Busch: Busch finished fifth at Martinsville, and is second in the points standings with two races to go before the finale at Homestead.

“I can’t wait to hear NASCAR’s response to the Matt Kenseth-Joey Logano incident,” Busch said. “In the ‘Boys, have at it’ age, and just weeks after Brian France used the term ‘quintessential NASCAR,’ it seems that NASCAR, just like Logano, was ‘asking for it.’”

5. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin finished third at Martinsville, posting his 14th top-5 finish of the year.

“I think we may need to look into updating the definition of the word ‘accident’ in this sport,” Hamlin said.

6. Carl Edwards: Despite front-end damage suffered in an early accident, Edwards finished a solid 14th at Martinsville.

“The crew did a good job of repairing the No. 19 Toyota,” Edwards said. “So good, in fact, that NASCAR wants some pointers on ‘damage control.’”

7. Martin Truex, Jr.: Truex led 27 laps at Martinsville and finished sixth at Martinsville.

“NASCAR won’t stand for this type of vigilante justice,” Truex said. “NASCAR fans, on the other hand, well, they’ll not only stand, they’ll give it an ovation, as well.”

8. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski was collected in an accident that sent him crashing into Matt Kenseth’s No. 20 Toyota. Keselowski’s No. 22 suffered major damage to the suspension, and he limped home with a 32nd-place finish.

“I did not wreck Kenseth on purpose,” Keselowski said. “No, that’s not me quoting Joey Logano from Kansas. That’s me being honest, and, let’s face it, apparently NASCAR drivers can only be honest when they haven’t wrecked someone on purpose.”

9. Kurt Busch: Busch was collected in a wreck after Brad Keselowski made contact with Matt Kenseth, sending Kenseth’s No. 20 into Busch’s No. 41. Busch finished 34th, 14 laps off the pace.

“This means I’ll probably have to win one of the next two races,” Busch said. “That puts me in the same boat with three or four other drivers. And speaking of boats, if Matt Kenseth would have done what he did in a boat, he would be ‘docked.’”

10. Dale Earnhardt, Jr: Earnhardt finished fourth at Martinsville as all four Hendrick Motorsports drivers finished in the top 12, with Jeff Gordon taking the win.

“Am I surprised that Matt Kenseth took out Joey Logano?” Earnhardt said. “Of course not. This is NASCAR, in which most of the races take place on oval tracks. Just take a look at the cars turning laps on those tracks, and you’ll realize it’s easy to see ‘what goes around comes around.’”

November 3, 2015
The Final Word – Gordon wins but it is Kenseth with the knockout at Martinsville

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Chase

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

November 2, 2015
Surprising and Not Surprising: Goody’s Headache Relief Shot 500

In race number 33 of the 2015 NASCAR season, here is what was surprising and not surprising after the completion of the 67th Annual Goody’s Headache Relief Shot 500 at Martinsville Speedway.

Surprising: It was a surprisingly rough day for the Ford Racing teams, with Aric Almirola as their highest finisher in the 16^th position. And it was also a surprisingly difficult race for Ford’s Team Penske, with Brad Keselowski finishing 32^nd and Logano finishing 37^th after a controversial move into the wall by Matt Kenseth.

“I got wrecked. I don’t know. What am I supposed to say about it?” Logano said after he was wrecked while leading the race by rival Matt Kenseth. “His race was over and he tried so hard to catch us the first time and he took out half the field, and he was successful the second time so I give that to him. It’s kind of a coward move. Actually, a really coward move for a race car driver to do that, essentially someone as mature and an experienced race car driver that knows what this is all about.”

Logano’s Ford and Team Penske teammate also had his own encounter with Matt Kenseth, which resulted in a less than satisfactory finish for the driver of the No. 2 Alliance Truck Parts Ford.

“I got hit from behind and pushed me into the 20 and my right-front wheel hit Kenseth’s left-rear and it just broke the right-front suspension off the car,” Keselowski said. “The car wouldn’t turn and just kept going straight until I couldn’t do anything and I started wrecking everybody. I just didn’t have any steering wheel left.”

Logano fell to the eight spot in the Eliminator Eight round and Keselowski fell to the sixth spot.

Not Surprising: At a track that has seen many highs and a major low with the loss of so many loved ones in that tragic plane crash, Hendrick Motorsports and their driver Jeff Gordon celebrated one of the highest of highs with a trip to Victory Lane.

This was Gordon’s 93^rd career victory and his ninth win at Martinsville Speedway. And the driver, running his last few races of the season, guaranteed that he will be one of the participants in the Chase for NASCAR’s Sprint Cup championship.

“This is the sweetest, most amazing feeling,” the driver of the No. 24 AARP Member Advantages Chevrolet said. “I am so proud of this team. You want to talk about holding back emotions; right now man, wow, we’re going to Homestead! I can’t believe it. What an incredible battle that was.”

Surprising: There were quite a few drivers craving illumination as the race at the track shaped like a paperclip came to a close.

“It was dark!” Martin Truex Jr. said after finishing sixth in his No. 78 Furniture Row/Visser Precision Chevrolet. “It was getting borderline where we had to quit, but I’m glad the fans got to see a good ending.”

“I love Martinsville,” Dale Earnhardt Jr. said after he took the checkered flag in the fourth spot. “But if we are going to run at night we need to put some damn lights up here.”

Not Surprising: The highest finishing Toyota drivers, Denny Hamlin in third and Kyle Busch in fifth, both had to overcome obstacles before taking the checkered flag in the top-5. Hamlin had not just one, but two speeding penalties and Busch hit a wet spot that had him spinning.

“My race was eventful to say the least – two pit road penalties, my car wasn’t very good at all up until the very, very end and we just took a long time to get going,” Hamlin said. “It’s just part of it. This racing now is different now than what it used to be when I first came in the sport and its just survival of the fittest.”

“I screwed us up early in the race and touched that water down there in turn one and spun out with the 3 (Austin Dillon) car so that was my bad,” Kyle Busch said. “I bent up the front end of the car and it was just never right from there on out, but we persevered and we just made the changes that we needed to make for this car for our conditions that we had. The M&M’s Crispy Camry there at the end was good enough for a top-five so I’m glad we finished there.”

Although Hamlin was eliminated from the Chase after Talladega, Busch goes into the next Chase race in Texas in the second spot in the standings, just eight points behind leader Jeff Gordon.

Surprising: There was a great deal of apparent comradery at the back of the field, which resulted in at least two drivers working their way back up for top-ten finishes. Both Kasey Kahne and Tony Stewart had to start from the rear in backup cars and both finished well, in fact in ninth and tenth respectively.

“Kasey (Kahne) and I both finished top-ten in backup cars,” Smoke said. “That was what was really cool; seeing two Team Chevy drivers come from the back like that. He and I both worked pretty good going through the pack there.”

“I’m happy with it.”

Not Surprising: There was definitely ‘more to the story’ of Kurt Busch, who finished 34^th after being involved in a wreck that was not of his doing. The driver of the No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet debuted his new sponsor Monster Energy for the first time at Martinsville.

“For us there is so much more to our story,” Busch said. “It’s been a fantastic season. I’m really proud to debut a new sponsor in the Sprint Cup series with Monster Energy. They were here today. We led laps today we were up front. Restarting third with a set of fresh tires and 70 laps to go I mean we were in perfect position. We did our job we just didn’t have luck on our side.”

Surprising: Carl Edwards found himself in a foreign land at the end of the race, finishing 14th in his No. 19 XFINITY Toyota.

“I thought it was going to be a top-10 there at the end,” Edwards said. “We struggled for a lot of the day, but really proud of all these guys. Our XFINITY Camry was fast at the end, maybe if we got tires – we were just in no man’s land, we didn’t know whether to get tires or not at the end.”

“That was a crazy day.”

Not Surprising: While it might not have been the outcome he desired, the runner-up at Martinsville admitted that he would be leaving with the best of memories of the competition on the track.

“For me, Jeff Gordon is the only die cast or T-shirt that I ever bought growing up before I made it to NASCAR,” Jamie McMurray, driver of the No. 1 McDonald’s Chevrolet, said. “So it was really a cool moment for me to get to battle with him on a green-white-checkered at Martinsville.”

“I certainly wish it would have turned out a little bit differently. But that’s a really good memory for me and a very good moment that I will not forget.”

Surprising: While many drivers were relieved after surviving Talladega, Kevin Harvick was thankful to end his time in Martinsville with an eighth place finish, especially after getting run into and suffering significant damage to his race vehicle.

“Well, we didn’t score many points here last year,” Harvick said. “We were in a big hole leaving Martinsville. It’s very easy to get in a hole leaving here. I feel like Texas has been a very good race track for us as we’ve gone through the past couple of years at Stewart-Haas, and we all know how Phoenix has gone.”

“So, we just need to have two more solid weeks and hopefully position ourselves well to have a chance to get to Homestead.”

Not Surprising: Who says NASCAR cannot be compared to stick and ball sports, especially given that the World Series is currently underway? Well, driver Matt Kenseth did just that in his post-race comments after finishing 38^th.

“It’s a tough sport, some days you’re the bat and some days you’re the ball,” the driver of the very wrecked No. 20 Dollar General Toyota. “I was the ball a few weeks ago and I was the ball again today so that part is never fun.”

The Sprint Cup Series will head deep into the heart of Texas for next weekend’s race, the AAA TEXAS 500, the second in the Eliminator Round.

November 1, 2015
Hot 20 – Gordon is a favorite to win at Martinsville, Truex and Kurt not so much

The truth, sometimes it is a tough thing to nail down. Sometimes not. Truth is, Jeff Gordon should do well at Martinsville. In the past five events there, the retiring four-time NASCAR champ has a win and four Top Tens. Over the past dozen years, a span of 25 races, Gordon has failed to claim a Top Ten only three times. He finished 20th in the fall of 2010, 14th in the spring of 2012, and finished 12th in the fall of 2014. That leaves 22 Top Tens, 18 Top Fives, and five victories. You just cannot do better than that. The stats do not lie, and after taking ninth this spring, Gordon still has it. That is the truth.

Sometimes, the truth is a little tougher to ascertain. A couple of years ago, a mysterious spin combined with a baffling call to the pits that briefly allowed a teammate to make the Chase caused controversy. Did Clint Bowyer intentionally spin his car? Bowyer denied it and Sprint Cup Series director John Darby is quoted as saying after the race that “I don’t think anybody realistically believes that was the case with the 15 car.” That tune changed quickly, as the truth appeared to be much more conspiratorial than NASCAR first thought. It cost Martin Truex Jr. a Chase position and his job, and he did nothing wrong. It cost Bowyer some credibility, it cost the team a major sponsor, $300,000 in fines and it possibly caused the eventual demise of Michael Waltrip Racing.

Last weekend, did Kevin Harvick, with a car that was barely running, that was barely in the Chase, deliberately spin out Trevor Bayne to save his season at the cost of Denny Hamlin and Dale Earnhardt Jr.? No, says NASCAR. So, we have to accept that Harvick was telling the truth. I mean, not everyone lies to us in order to get out of a sticky situation.

“I got out of the way, and I never even saw (Bayne) until he was by me.”
Kevin Harvick 2015

“I did not use performance enhancing substances as alleged in the notice of discipline…”
Alex Rodriguez 2014

“I had so much wheel, by the time I got to the gas, he was underneath me. I spun out.”
Clint Bowyer 2013

“I take these charges very seriously, and look forward to clearing my good name,”
Michael Vick 2007

“I’m not going to be the Alabama coach.”
Nick Saban 2006

“I have never had a single positive doping test, and I do not take performance-enhancing drugs.”
Lance Armstrong 2004 (among others)

“I did not have sexual relations with that woman”
Bill Clinton 1998

Sure, some may have misled us in the past, but would Kevin Harvick? Nah.

Here are our Hot 20 over the past five events at Martinsville.

1. JEFF GORDON – 5.4 AvFin – (1 WIN, 3 T5, 4 T10)
Has averaged a Top Seven finish going back 45 races and 23 seasons. Expect good things.

2. MATT KENSETH – 6.4 – (0-2-4)
No pot of gold at the end of this rainbow, but should he come across Logano along the way…

3. CLINT BOWYER – 6.8 – (0-2-4)
Author of “The Secrets of My Success.” Harvick has a copy.

4. DENNY HAMLIN – 8.8 – (1-1-3)
You can take that damn roof hatch and…

5. JOEY LOGANO – 9.8 – (0-3-3)
Mr. Three-in-a-Row has never won at Martinsville, but his last three have been Top Fives.

6. KYLE BUSCH – 11.2 – (0-1-1)
Does not believe Gordon can win it all. Next we will hear how he does not like kittens.

7. KEVIN HARVICK – 13.4 – (0-0-3)
If Karma is on duty this weekend…

8. GREG BIFFLE – 13.6 – (0-0-2)
MWR refugee Brian Pattie to be his crew chief next season.

9. DALE EARNHARDT JR. – 14.4 – (1-2-3)
Best 21 finishes at Martinsville boasts a 6.3 average; his worst 10 finishes…27.7

10. TONY STEWART – 14.5 – (0-1-1)
What is probably no longer equates into what was.

11. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 15.0 – (1-3-3)
Used to own this place, but outside the Top 30 his last two attempts.

12. CARL EDWARDS – 15.4
Expected Harvick to get penalized after Talladega. He probably even expects a Top Ten Sunday.

13. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 16.2 – (0-2-3)
While his 2014 visits were a write-off, he was the runner-up last spring.

14. ARIC ALMIROLA – 16.2 – (0-0-1)
Raised in Daytona. I wonder where he got the racing bug?

15. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 17.0 – (0-0-3)
Looked decent last week, at least until he turned all smoky.

16. PAUL MENARD – 17.6 – (0-0-1)
Best non-Chaser last week, but Martinsville is really not his kind of place.

17. DANICA PATRICK – 20.4 – (0-0-1)
Never thought you would see her name on this list again this season, did you?

18. KASEY KAHNE – 20.8 – (0-1-1)
Best thing about Martinsville will be the trip home.

19. KURT BUSCH – 21.2 – (1-1-1)
Won in the spring last year, but has been outside the top dozen 16 of his past 17 starts here.

20. CASEY MEARS – 22.6
Had a pair of Top Tens at Martinsville in 2008. None since.

22. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 24.2 – (0-0-1)
Was sixth in the spring. That ought to count for something.

October 28, 2015
NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Talladega

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Joey Logano: Logano won the CampingWorld.com 500 at Talladega, taking the checkered flag under caution for his third straight win.

“Having already clinched my spot in the next round,” Logano said, “I knew it didn’t really matter what happened behind me. Of course, no one was saying ‘What happened?’ because everybody knew what happened.”

2. Kevin Harvick: Running with an engine on the verge of blowing, Harvick’s slow No. 4 initiated a crash that forced the race to end under caution, and secured his advance to the next round.

“I think it would be appropriate to quote Steve Urkel,” Harvick said, “and say, ‘Did I do that?

“Don’t ask me if I meant to do it. For all intents and purposes, I’m still alive to win the Cup.”

3. Kurt Busch: Busch finished 10th in the Campingworld.com 500, posting his 18th top-10 of the year. He advances to the Eliminator Round of the Chase.

“That had to be the most unsatisfactory ending to a Talladega race ever,” Busch said. “And take it from me and any of my girlfriends—we know unsatisfactory endings.

“I think, eventually, Kevin Harvick will admit he was wrong and do what’s right. As it is now, the only thing ‘right’ was his turn into Trevor Bayne.”

4. Jeff Gordon: Gordon started on the pole at Talladega and finished third, easily advancing to the next round of the Chase.

“Kevin Harvick’s actions were fishy,” Gordon said. “So fishy, in fact, they’re complaining about the smell in Denmark.”

5. Carl Edwards: Edwards finished fifth at Talladega and joins Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch in the Eliminator Round of the Chase.

“Things could get very interesting at Martinsville,” Edwards said. “The race is called the ‘Goody’s Headache Relief Shot 500.’ There are some drivers that want revenge, which will bring them relief, and will cause headaches for their victims. Will there be punches thrown? As they say in the South, ‘I reckon.’ And Sunday will be a day of reckoning, and wreck-oning.”

6. Martin Truex, Jr.: Truex finished seventh at Talladega and secured his place in the Eliminator Round of the Chase.

“For all the talk of speed at Talladega,” Truex said, “it took forever to run the final two laps.”

7. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski finished fourth to safely advance to the next round of the Chase.

“Kevin Harvick will have a blinking eye on the front of his car next week at Martinsville,” Keselowski said. “He should have had it last week because he ‘hoodwinked’ everybody.”

8. Kyle Busch: Busch finished 11th and slipped into the Chase, taking the eighth and final spot in the Eliminator Round.

“I did what I had to do,” Busch said. “That’s a statement, not an excuse.”

9. Denny Hamlin: A malfunction with the roof flap on the No. 11 Fed Ex Toyota forced Hamlin to pit four times. He was caught up in the final restart crash, the result of which set his car ablaze. He finished 37th, four laps down, and tumbled out of the top eight in points.

“That roof flap is there for me to exit the car quickly in case of emergency,” Hamlin said. “Ironically, I couldn’t get out of the car fast enough after the race.

“Harvick wrecked his own car at Dover to stay in the Chase,” Hamlin said. “He wrecked the field at Talladega to stay in the Chase. He’ll have to answer to all the accusations saying he did it intentionally. I guess that’s why he’s ‘defending’ champion.”

10. Dale Earnhardt Jr: Earnhardt finished second at Talladega after the final restart carnage caused when Kevin Harvick clipped Trevor Bayne. The caution came out just seconds before Earnhardt overtook Joey Logano for the lead. Earnhardt needed a win to advance to the next round of the Chase For The Cup.

“Joey Logano took the checkered flag from race command and did some victory burnouts,” Earnhardt said. “I’m surprised Kevin Harvick didn’t do the same, with the yellow flag.”

October 27, 2015
The Final Word – Talladega was awesome, even if the finish was bloody awful

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

Fudge!

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

Fudge!

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

Fudge!

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

Fudge!

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

Fudge!

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

Fudge!

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

“Fudge! Fudge! Fudge!”

October 26, 2015
Talladega Lived Up To Its Strange Past

The championship playoff known as the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup has had more turns that a West Virginia mountain, but Sunday’s CampingWorld.com 500 at Talladega Superspeedway took the cake. It all happened at the end of the race and it changed who would vie for the crown over the last three races before heading to Homestead and the final four. Dale Earnhardt Jr. had the best car all day when he wasn’t botching pit stops.

Earnhardt is probably the best driver at Talladega. He apparently inherited his father’s ability to see the air because he led the most laps and seemed to have no other driver he couldn’t pass. It was in the later stage of the race that Joey Logano got the lead and it was only just a matter of time before Earnhardt was going to pass him, except it didn’t happen due to some really strange circumstances. With only four laps to go, Jamie McMurray lost an engine bringing out only the second caution all day. That ensured there would be a green-white-checker finish, and with the new rule for this race, it was one and done. No matter what happened, during the final laps, the race would end. Then it got really weird.

Earlier, at Lap 172, when most pitted, Greg Biffle stayed out and gambled that he would have enough fuel to finish the race and steal a win. Biffle was so far ahead, it looked like his plan might work until the caution flag flew. That bunched up the field and Biffle now found himself back in a pack of superior cars. Biffle had to pit for fuel and his dream was over. He finished 20th.

The two tries to finish the race were even stranger. When the first attempt at a finish started, cars getting together in the back of the field caused NASCAR to wave it off and said it wasn’t really an attempt. Stranger, the green light can be seen on the flag stand, but one more try was ordered. After a long caution period, another attempt was made—technically the first attempt. Before the cars could get to Turn 1, the big one finally happened. With Kevin Harvick not having enough power in his failing engine, he couldn’t get up to speed. Trevor Bayne tried to pass him on the outside, but once Bayne was almost by him, Harvick seemed to turn right, clip Bayne and create the only “big one” of the day. It involved the cars of Denny Hamlin, Michael McDowell, Tony Stewart, Matt Kenseth, Danica Patrick, Austin Dillon, Sam Hornish, Bayne, and Alex Bowman. Hamlin was eliminated from the Chase.

Hamlin, Bayne, and Kenseth pointed fingers are Harvick since the only way he was going to get to the next round was to have an additional caution. NASCAR Vice Chair Mike Helton, after meeting with representatives from Joe Gibbs Racing and Stewart-Haas Racing said they could find no evidence that Harvick had done anything wrong unless something came up this week. Harvick denied any wrongdoing.

So, after last week’s controversial win, Logano had another controversial win. It’s clear that Kenseth hasn’t gotten over that tap from Logano last week, as he threatened to beat him up when an early pit stop got dicey. Kenseth seemed to cool at the end after his day was over and no beating occurred. The final result showed Hamlin, Ryan Newman, Earnhardt, and Kenseth eliminated, with Logano, Edwards, Gordon, Kurt Busch, Brad Keselowski, Martin Truex Jr., and Kyle Busch left to compete for the title.

Much will be said about the last two races, but a few things are clear. Team Penske drivers Logano and Keselowski are always near the front and Logano has shown the skill to be at the front at the end of races. Jeff Gordon has speed, but will it continue? With his expertise on mile and a half tracks, he could be a factor. The rest are only dependent on what happens to those favorites, but after the last two weeks, you can’t count anything out.

October 26, 2015
Talladega Clinch Scenarios by the Numbers

Let’s be honest. Trying to predict which eight drivers will make it through the characteristic chaos of Talladega Superspeedway to advance to the Eliminator Round of the Chase is next to impossible. With only 25 points separating the top eight contenders and the looming likelihood of the almost inevitable “big one,” the only thing certain is that no one is safe – except Joey Logano.

After winning the first two races of the Contender Round, Logano is the only driver guaranteed to advance to the next round. Second place driver, Denny Hamlin, is only 13 points behind Logano. While that would seemingly make him a safe bet to move forward in the Chase for the Sprint Cup, Talladega has a way of shaking things up.

Just ask Kyle Busch who arrived at Talladega last year with a 26-point cushion and only had to finish in the 24th position to advance. Busch, however, was caught up in a wreck and finished 40th, missing the cutoff by seven points.

With that said, as the numbers stand, this is what each driver in the Contender Round must do to capture a top-eight spot and lock into the Eliminator Round. Please keep in mind that these numbers are only a starting point, subject to the twists and turns of Talladega restrictor plate racing.

Denny Hamlin: 14th and no laps led; 15th and at least one lap led; 16th and most laps led

Kurt Busch: Eighth and no laps led; ninth and at least one lap led; 10th and most laps led

Carl Edwards: Seventh and no laps led; eighth and at least one lap led; ninth and most laps led

Kevin Harvick: Third and no laps led; fourth with a lap led

Jeff Gordon and Brad Keselowski: Second or better; third and at least one lap led; fourth and most laps led

Martin Truex Jr.: Second and no laps led; third and most laps led

Kyle Busch, Ryan Newman, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Matt Kenseth: Only a win guarantees advancement to the Eliminator Round.

Notes:

1) Dale Earnhardt Jr. has the top driver rating (92.8) at Talladega and is tied with Jeff Gordon for most wins of active drivers with six victories. He has two restrictor plate victories this season, Talladega in May and the July race at Daytona. If he wins Sunday, he will be the first driver to have three plate wins in a single season since his father did so in 1990.

2) NASCAR announced this week that they will reduce the number of attempts at a green-white-checkered finish, from three to one.

Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR Executive Vice President and Chief Racing Development Officer, explained the reason for the change, stating, “In the event the race goes beyond the advertised distance due to a caution, we will use a single attempt at a green-white-checker finish. We take very seriously the responsibility of balancing exciting finishes and safety. We’re confident that this is a positive direction for both.”

The CampingWorld.com 500 at Talladega Superspeedway will be televised this Sunday at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN. Tune in as 12 become 8 in the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship.

October 23, 2015