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  • Tyler Reddick Burns Down Monster Mile’s House with Truck Win

    Tyler Reddick Burns Down Monster Mile’s House with Truck Win

    Tyler Reddick, driving the No. 19 BBR Music Group Ford for Brad Keselowski Racing, burned down Monster Mile’s house and headed to Victory Lane for the second time this season. Reddick took the lead late in the race and never let go to take the checkered flag in the 16th annual Lucas Oil 200.

    This was also Reddick’s first win at the infamous Monster Mile.

    “We worked really hard for this,” Reddick said. “I knew we had a top-five truck at the start of the race. It’s great to get a win for everybody back home and a great way to get the season started for us.”

    Owner Brad Keselowski was also very proud of his young driver, especially since he is in contention for the championship just eleven points shy of leader Matt Crafton.

    “It certainly was a great day but for us and it was kind of a landmark day,” Keselowski said. “We’ve got a lot to be proud of and we’ve got our focus on the championship. Tyler ran a partial season last year and a full season this year but it’s still his first season. So, it’s nice to see that come together the way it has and it’s going to be an exciting finish from here.”

    “There is a lot of racing left to do but I think you saw today that there are so many great competitors out there. The championship battle will come down the end and these wins are going to make the difference.”

    Reddick’s win was not without controversy as he had a run in with Jennifer Jo Cobb, who was incredibly annoyed and expressed her anger by staying on the track and sharing a gesture or two before taking the obligatory ambulance ride to the care center.

    “We were in lap traffic early on in the race and Jennifer pulled up as I was trying to pass another vehicle,” Reddick said. “She looked like she was going to get me three-wide and then she closed the door.”

    “So, I rode up to try to avoid getting in the back of her but she just got loose when I was right behind her and ended up spinning. It’s a real shame and I understand when something like that happens”

    “I just feel really bad for her for that happening to them and their team.”

    Daniel Suarez, behind the wheel of the No. 51 ARRIS Toyota, finished second in the race. This was his first top-ten finish at Dover and his fifth top-10 finish in 2015.

    “Well for sure the whole of 2015 so far has been different from my 2014,” Suarez said. “I’m very lucky. To have fast race cars every weekend is just great.”

    “I feel like I’m learning a lot every single weekend. Kyle (Busch) has been helping us as well. We are getting closer and closer.”

    The most disappointed driver yet one who finished in the third spot was Erik Jones, whose two-tire strategy simply did not pan out the way he wanted.

    “I was in on the call and we just didn’t have the time left. It was a solid day for us but it’s just a shame that we couldn’t bring it home,” Jones said. “It’s definitely frustrating and even more frustrating at this moment.”

    “It just really hurts being that close to a win and it’s a bummer for this race team. But we made a call to take two and that was a lot of laps on lefts. And it showed at the end.”

    “We’ll take it and move on and just keep getting better.”

    Jones was the highest finishing rookie of the race.

    Daniel Hemric, Matt Crafton, Ben Kennedy, Ryan Blaney, Brandon Jones, Johnny Sauter and Tyler Young  rounded out the top-ten finishers.  The complete race results are as follows:

    2015 NCWTS Lucas Oil 200 Race Results

    .Fin Str Trk Driver Team Lap Pts BPts Status TLd LLd
    1 4 19 Tyler Reddick BBR Music Group Ford 200 47 4 Running 3 40
    2 5 51 Daniel Suarez(i) ARRIS Toyota 200 0 Running
    3 2 4 Erik Jones # Special Olympics World Games Toyota 200 42 1 Running 1 50
    4 19 14 Daniel Hemric # California Clean Power Chevrolet 200 40 Running
    5 3 88 Matt Crafton Rip It/Menards Toyota 200 40 1 Running 1 3
    6 18 11 Ben Kennedy Local Motors Toyota 200 38 Running
    7 1 29 Ryan Blaney(i) Cooper Standard Ford 200 0 Running 1 33
    8 12 33 Brandon Jones # AGRA Industries Chevrolet 200 36 Running
    9 16 98 Johnny Sauter Smokey Mountain/Curb Records Toyota 200 35 Running
    10 25 2 Tyler Young Randco Industries/Young’s Building Supplies 199 34 Running
    11 20 7 Ray Black Jr. # Scubalife.com Chevrolet 199 34 1 Running 1 1
    12 13 23 Spencer Gallagher # Allegiant Travel Chevrolet 199 32 Running
    13 10 0 Cole Custer Haas Automation Chevrolet 198 33 2 Running 5 67
    14 15 86 Brandon Brown Coastal Carolina University Chevrolet 196 30 Running
    15 22 94 Timmy Hill Testoril Chevrolet 195 29 Running
    16 21 82 Austin Hill Empire Racing Ford 192 28 Running
    17 27 8 Korbin Forrister # Tilted Kilt Chevrolet 190 27 Running
    18 17 5 John Wes Townley Zaxby’s Chevrolet 178 26 Running
    19 24 50 Travis Kvapil BurnieGrill.com Chevrolet 178 25 Running
    20 14 17 Timothy Peters Red Horse Racing Toyota 136 25 1 Accident 3 5
    21 7 13 Cameron Hayley # Carolina Nut Company Toyota 136 24 1 Running 1 1
    22 6 8 John H. Nemechek # MeetBall Chevrolet 136 22 Running
    23 31 74 Tim Viens RacedaySponsor.com Chevrolet 127 21 Rear End
    24 28 1 Ryan Ellis Chevrolet 90 20 Accident
    25 8 54 Justin Boston # ROKMobile.com Toyota 65 19 Accident
    26 32 6 Norm Benning Chevrolet 61 18 Suspension
    27 23 45 BJ McLeod Chevrolet 56 17 Ignition
    28 26 63 Justin Jennings Mittler Bros Machine & Tools/Ski Soda Chevrolet 33 16 Accident
    29 11 15 Mason Mingus 811 Call Before You Dig Chevrolet 32 15 Accident
    30 9 97 Jesse Little Carolina Nut Company Toyota 32 14 Accident
    31 29 36 Tyler Tanner Mittler Bros Machine & Tools/Ski Soda Chevrolet 15 13 Vibration
    32 30 10 Jennifer Jo Cobb POW-MIAFamilies.org Chevrolet 12 12 Accident

     

  • Surprising and Not Surprising: Coke 600

    Surprising and Not Surprising: Coke 600

    With every driver well-versed on the name of the soldier memorialized on each car, here is what was surprising and not surprising from the 56th annual Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

    Surprising: While there was a plethora of doubling down at the Coke 600, most of the results were not so positive. Jeff Gordon, for one, did his own version of the double, piloting the pace car for the Indy 500 before the NASCAR race.

    “To come down that front straightaway the first time and hear that crowd cheering for the cars, the drivers, and this amazing event …to be able to hear that from inside the pace car with the windows down is just amazing,” Gordon said. “Not to mention that the pace car has to get after it pretty good out here because that last lap is 100 mph and through the corners, maintaining that is something.

    “So that was definitely cool. A huge thrill and a huge honor.”

    Unfortunately, Gordon did not have a positive result after his double down as he finished a disappointing 15th place in NASCAR’s longest race of the season with an ill-handling race car.

    Gordon’s teammate Jimmie Johnson also did his own version of the double, which was not positive twice over. The driver of the No. 48 Lowe’s Patriotic Chevrolet spun twice to finish 40th at a track where he has traditionally performed so well.

    “We just had a really loose racecar,” Johnson said. “We came in with an aggressive mindset to bring an aggressive set-up in the car, drive aggressively and take chances. We said we were going to come in and swing for the fences. We did and I hit the fence.”

    The only successful double down was achieved by none other than Landon Cassill, who finished the Coke 600 in the 39th spot but then ran from Charlotte Motor Speedway to the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

    Here is what Cassill tweeted in the wee hours of the morning after finishing his 14 mile run. “Made it! What a long day. 13.92mi 1:41:49 7:19/mi

    “Made it! What a long day. 13.92mi 1:41:49 7:19/mi avg bpm 155. Thanks @snapfitness and @NASCARHall for tagging along!”

    Not Surprising: The best quote of the long race day into night was, “Is the race over yet?” It was no wonder that Carl Edwards asked that question of his team in what seemed to be a never-ending fuel mileage race to the checkered flag.

    “This one feels different,” Edwards said after getting confirmation that the race was indeed over and he had won. “I don’t know how to explain it other than to just say that it’s a big relief, and more than that, it’s just a big opportunity.

    “Now we can go and just become better, and that’s what we need.”

    Surprising: While Kyle Busch returned to the track for the first points paying race after his injuries from a Daytona crash, teammate Denny Hamlin suffered his own medical issues in the car. Hamlin, who had played 36 holes of golf and a game of tennis prior to the race, suffered a bad headache and dehydration after the race.

    “Probably overdid it a little bit this weekend,” Hamlin said. “I think the dehydration led to a migraine and just felt nauseous the last 100 laps or so.”

    “I feel pretty good. All in all, I felt like that was a great race for us,” Busch said. “I admit I’ve probably got a little left foot soreness, but other than that, everything is pretty hunky‑dory.”

    Hamlin finished eighth while Busch finished 11th.

    Not Surprising: Given that it was the longest race of the season, it was no wonder that at least two engines expired, one of young Ryan Blaney in the Wood Brothers No. 21 and the other of David Ragan with Michael Waltrip Racing.

    “We were fighting hard to get back on the lead lap and looks like something happened engine related – we got really, really hot and something happened internally,” Ragan said. “Disappointed that we had a lot better race car, but saw some encouraging signs that we had some speed in qualifying and the race as well, but we just need to put a race all together.”

    “We, unfortunately, had an engine problem,” Blaney said. ”It was really unfortunate. It sputtered and started to go maybe half a lap before and then it really went up. I didn’t expect it to really explode like that.”

    Surprising: Greg Biffle celebrated his 450th start with a stellar finish, taking his No. 16 Ortho Ford to the finish line in the runner-up position.

    “I’m really excited for the team and the organization,” Biffle said. “We’ve been working really, really hard on our cars. It’s been well documented how bad we’ve been running, so it feels good.”

    Not Surprising: While Martin Truex Jr. has been knocking on the door of his first win of the season, having the fastest car in the last two races, fuel mileage bit him yet again, resulting in a fifth place finish.

    “We had a very fast car all night,” Truex said. “It really hurts knowing that you had the fastest car and didn’t win. I don’t know what to do about fuel mileage races. I’ve never ever in my entire career come out on the right end of them.”

    Surprising: Even with a third place finish, NASCAR’s most popular driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. was disappointed by not winning a race near and dear to his heart.

    “We’ve got a win so it doesn’t really matter,” the driver of the No. 88 Nationwide Chevrolet said. “We would like to win more races. I want to win this one. I don’t know how many more chances I will get at it.”

    Not Surprising: The fragmentation of the Stewart-Haas Race team continued, with Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch finishing ninth and 10th, while teammates Tony Stewart and Danica Patrick finished 21st and 22nd respectively.

    “It was a really frustrating night,” Patrick said. “The car just felt like it was dragging down the straightaways. It’s the most frustrating thing in the world when you see everyone drive past you, but we dug deep and did our best to get everything we could out of the car.”

    Surprising: Team Penske did not quite have the race that they wanted, with Brad Keselowski finishing seventh and Joey Logano finishing 13th. Both not only struggled with their cars, but Keselowski even struggled with the heat.

    “It was a long race. I hate to see it come down to fuel mileage, but that’s part of the game too,” Keselowski said. “It was hot. I burned my foot and didn’t feel good, but it’s a tough race. I gave it all I had and felt good about the effort we gave.”

    “The sun started going down and our car was not good. Nothing got better,” Logano said. “We went one way with something and went back the other way and nothing.

    “There was never one good thing about the car. Usually you at least get a good exit or a good center and I was just fighting way too much stuff.”

    Not Surprising: Brett Moffitt in his No. 34 CSX “Play It Safe” Ford was the highest finishing rookie, taking the final lap in the 31st spot.

    “It was a long race, that’s for sure,” Moffitt said. “In the middle of the race, we got the CSX Ford running pretty good. We just got stuck a couple laps down and could never get them back. Cautions weren’t falling in our favor, so we didn’t get any extra help there. But we learned a lot and we’re thankful to CSX for the support.”

    The Cup Series moves up the east coast to the Monster Mile for the next race, the 46th Annual FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks at Dover International Speedway.

     

  • Hot 20 – A Dozen Drivers Seeking Another Miles the Monster Trophy this Sunday at Dover

    Hot 20 – A Dozen Drivers Seeking Another Miles the Monster Trophy this Sunday at Dover

    The trophy features Miles the Monster, a sharp-toothed, red-eyed stone creature hoisting the winner’s car in the air in an apparent prelude to dashing it into dust. Imagine what happens to the guy who finishes dead last.

    Jimmie Johnson has a lot of these trophies, courtesy of nine victories at Dover. It does not seem to matter the time of year or even the time of his career. He swept 2002 in his rookie season, as he did in 2009. Johnson has won half of the last six ran there, including last spring. I am going out on a limb here, but I got a feeling Jimmie might be considered the favorite on Sunday.

    It is not as if he does not share. Jeff Gordon has five of those trophies. There is a trio of them at both Ryan Newman and Tony Stewart’s homes. In fact, there are 11 other drivers who will be competing this weekend with a combined total of 22 to go along with the nine Jimmie has in his man-cave. Even Martin Truex, Jr. has one. He sure would love another.

    Hot 20 heading over to Dover…with past winners in CAPS…

    1. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 3 WINS – 393 Points
    Dover has been kind to him nine times…so how about 10?

    2. Kevin Harvick – 2 WINS – 473 Points
    Points are important, but wins more so. Just ask Truex.

    3. Joey Logano – 1 WIN – 407 Points
    Winning just a single race isn’t that big a deal, is it? When it is THAT race, it sure is.

    4. DALE EARNHARDT JR. – 1 WIN – 401 Points
    Loves Speedy Dry on oil, not so much on the top grove, on the fans, on your cereal…

    5. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 1 WIN – 381 Points
    Who’s her daddy? Brad is…of a baby girl. Congratulations!

    6. MATT KENSETH – 1 WIN – 372 Points
    You can join his pit crew in Kansas…sort of. Now, if you could just be Newman’s crew chief.

    7. KURT BUSCH – 1 WIN – 327 Points
    Still waiting for that final caution at Charlotte…that never came.

    8. Denny Hamlin – 1 WIN – 321 Points
    36 holes of golf and a game of tennis…not how to prepare for 600 miles.

    9. CARL EDWARDS – 1 WIN – 312 Points
    They call him Flipper, Flipper, faster than lightning…at least over the final 21 laps last week.

    10. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 432 POINTS
    Best car in Charlotte, yet still winless.

    11. Jamie McMurray – 353 POINTS
    Interested only in winning the big ones, and July has both the Firecracker and Brickyard 400’s.

    12. JEFF GORDON – 346 POINTS
    Led the way at Indianapolis, so it was just too bad he was not also in the pace car at Charlotte.

    13. Kasey Kahne – 345 POINTS
    Last Sunday found Kasey having to do a lot of passing on a day when passing wasn’t easy.

    14. RYAN NEWMAN – 343 POINTS
    Last win was the 2013 Brickyard. Last race with his crew chief…Talladega.

    15. Aric Almirola – 339 POINTS
    Smithfield Foods sponsors Almirola and the IndyCar that caught fire prior to Sunday’s start.

    16. Paul Menard – 336 POINTS
    I hear his dad sponsors this team. Well, a big howdy to Mr. Pittsburgh Paints. Wrong one?

    17. Clint Bowyer – 296 POINTS
    Lt. Dale Bowyer…we and your grandson salute you.

    18. Danica Patrick – 292 POINTS
    Whose yoga photos would you prefer…Danica’s or Tony’s?

    19. GREG BIFFLE – 284 POINTS
    The only one even close to being the bearer of positive news for Roush-Fenway.

    20. A.J. Allmendinger – 274 POINTS
    Not saying he is bad at Dover, but anything in the Top 20 would represent a good day.

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Charlotte

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Charlotte

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Kevin Harvick: Harvick finished ninth at Charlotte, recording his 11th top-10 finish of the year. He leads the points standings, ahead of Martin Truex Jr. by 41.

    “The Coke 600 marked the return of Kyle Busch,” Harvick said, “and he finished a solid 11th. He was in the No. 18 Skittles car. As you may know, the Skittles motto is ‘Taste the Rainbow.’ A typical rainbow is usually comprised of seven colors, which is six more than a typical crowd at a NASCAR race.”

    2. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson lost control on lap 273 at Charlotte and slammed the inside wall, ruining his night in the Coca-Cola 600. He eventually finished 40th, 30 laps behind.

    “Thank goodness that SAFER barrier was there,” Johnson said. “The crash may have looked violent, but it was not. In fact, it was a ‘Lowe’s impact’ collision.

    “One year ago, that SAFER barrier wasn’t even in place. Back then, with the letters rearranged, it was called the FEARS barrier.”

    3. Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Earnhardt finished third in the Coca-Cola 600, posting his seventh top-five of the season. He is fourth in the Sprint Cup points standings.

    “You know who else finished third?” Earnhardt said. “Lewis Hamilton at the Formula 1 Grand Prix Of Monaco. Somebody asked Lewis after the race what it felt like to give away the win like that. He said, ‘It’s the pits.’”

    4. Joey Logano: Logano led 17 laps and finished 13th at Charlotte while Penske Racing teammate Brad Keselowski took seventh. Logano is third in the points standings, 66 behind Kevin Harvick.

    “What a race by Juan Pablo Montoya at Indianapolis,” Logano said. “He celebrated with the traditional bottle of milk. Now, if you would have told me before the race about a Colombian and a ‘white substance,’ milk certainly wouldn’t have entered my mind.”

    5. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex led a race-high 131 laps in the Coca-Cola 600 and finished fifth, earning his 11th top 10 of the year.

    “I hate to be a whiner,” Truex said, “but I lost a fuel mileage race, outdone by drivers who saved gas. And I’m not happy. They’re celebrating in the ‘conservatory,’ which is the same place I play the world’s smallest violin.”

    6. Kurt Busch: Busch finished tenth at Charlotte, posting his fifth top 10 of the year.

    “I was proud of my brother Kyle,” Busch said. “He had a great finish at Charlotte. He wanted to return sooner, but I talked him out of it. I quoted an Iredell County sheriff when I said, ‘What’s your rush?’”

    7. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski finished seventh in the Coca-Cola 600 and is now sixth in the Sprint Cup points standings.

    “I welcomed a baby girl into the world on Saturday,” Keselowski said. “I don’t think she looks a bit like me, but people tell me she’s got my gums. I even had to look over my shoulder for Kevin Harvick when the doctor told my girlfriend Paige White to ‘push.’”

    8. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth started on pole at Charlotte and finished fourth after leading 26 laps. He is seventh in the points standings, 101 out of first.

    “Carl Edwards was finally able to perform his signature back flip,” Kenseth said. “That’s the first time since joining JGR that he’s landed on his feet.”

    9. Carl Edwards: Edwards took the lead on lap 382 at Charlotte and ran away from the field, taking the Coca-Cola 600 win, his first in 31 races and first as a Joe Gibbs Racing driver.

    “It was great to take the No. 19 car with Subway sponsorship to victory lane,” Edwards said. “Up until Charlotte, I don’t think I’ve done my sponsors justice. You could say my performance was ‘Sub par.’”

    10. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin finished eighth at Charlotte on a strong day for Joe Gibbs Racing, as all four JGR drivers finished in the top 11, with Carl Edwards taking the win.

    “Sunday was a great day for motor racing,” Hamlin said, “and a great day for Toyota at Charlotte. Nico won at Monaco, Juan Pablo won at Indianapolis, and Tokyo won at Charlotte.”

  • Hot 20 – Charlotte, where this weekend they go the extra miles

    Hot 20 – Charlotte, where this weekend they go the extra miles

    We begin with Monaco, tune into Indianapolis for the matinee, then spend the evening in Charlotte in our 600-mile feature. While we go in concerned about cars running into a house or into a harbor overseas, or find the wall and flipping down the track in Indiana, our biggest concern for the folks with fenders is that they might not be able to pass the leader in North Carolina.

    As we discovered last week in the All-Star contest, if you run up front your only concern is that your car turns sour or adjustments just made the competition better. If neither happens, the leader leads until somebody has to hit pit road. Not terribly exciting in a visual sort of way, yet we shall watch to see if Clint Bowyer can hold on to that final Chase berth, if a past winner can win again, or if someone buried in points might be able to make the leap with a checkered flag performance.

    Of course, Kyle Busch returns from his Daytona injury with zero points, 179 behind the 30th placed Tony Stewart. Well, that is nothing five or six straight wins wouldn’t cure. Hey, I did not say it would be easy.

    Our hot 20 heading to Charlotte…

    1. Jimmie Johnson – 3 WINS (389 Points)
    Modifying the side skirt…okay on Fashion TV, not so good in NASCAR. Yet, forgivable.

    2. Kevin Harvick – 2 WINS (437 Points)
    Back in a crushing slump after a runner-up finish in the All-Star event. Yes, that is sarcasm.

    3. Joey Logano – 1 WIN (375 Points)
    Some dream of the double while Joey is content to focus on winning at night.

    4. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. – 1 WIN (360 Points)
    How to avoid post-race altercations? Have a NFL linebacker riding shotgun every race.

    5. Brad Keselowski – 1 WIN (343 Points)
    Noticed Hamlin’s sad eyes, so donated the All-Star race to him. What a nice guy!

    6. Matt Kenseth – 1 WIN (331 Points)
    A very funny man, but just in a dry sort of way.

    7. Kurt Busch – 1 WIN (292 Points)
    A personal life for Kurt equal to his success behind the wheel would bring me a measure of joy.

    8. Denny Hamlin – 1 WIN (284 Points)
    Feeling like a million bucks.

    9. Martin Truex, Jr. – 391 POINTS
    All-Star race? We don’t need no stinkin’ All-Star race!

    10. Jamie McMurray – 328 POINTS
    Boasts the prettiest mechanic in NASCAR…12 year veteran Ashley Parlett.

    11. Jeff Gordon – 317 POINTS
    Driving the Indianapolis 500….pace car.

    12. Kasey Kahne – 313 POINTS
    Beat young Erik Jones in an illegal truck last week…but not a terribly illegal truck.

    13. Aric Almirola – 312 POINTS
    Only driver in a Chase position with not a single Top Ten to his credit.

    14. Paul Menard – 306 POINTS
    Comparing Clinton Foundation cash to his dad’s support of Scott Walker? Not even close.

    15. Ryan Newman – 305 POINTS
    I heard Ryan Newman was very pretty. That is how I discovered the actress of the same name.

    16. Clint Bowyer – 272 POINTS
    Inside the top 16…but not very comfortably.

    17. Danica Patrick – 270 POINTS
    Bowyer takes over the final Chase place. Obviously, the man is no gentleman.

    18. Carl Edwards – 265 POINTS
    Amongst JGR drivers, he at least has more points than Kyle. Really.

    19. A.J. Allmendinger – 259 POINTS
    Would love a double, but it won’t happen this year.

    20. Casey Mears – 242 POINTS
    Is this enough to keep Germain Racing interested for 2016?

    20. Greg Biffle – 242 POINTS
    Can a front row start last week transfer into good tidings when it counts this week?

  • The Final Word – It was an all-star Saturday night in Charlotte, but the all-star weekend is still to come

    The Final Word – It was an all-star Saturday night in Charlotte, but the all-star weekend is still to come

    Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, and sometimes you give it away. Denny Hamlin won the All-Star event Saturday night, but Brad Keselowski and his team handed it over.

    With the 10 lap final shootout to go, Keselowski got out of his pit box just behind Hamlin. He gunned it to clear pit road ahead of his rival, but in doing so he was caught speeding. Keselowski, the best in two of the four 25-lap segments and the leader going into the pits, went to the back of the line and his hopes of winning went out of the window.

    With the lead and the clean air that came with it, Hamlin kept ahead of Kevin Harvick to the end to claim the million dollar prize. Sadly, the days of being able to slingshot past the leader to victory, it seems, ended when David put the moves on Goliath. There were just three lead changes on the track; when Kasey Kahne went by Keselowski 15 laps in, when Hamlin loaned it to Kurt Busch for a lap in the second segment, and when Busch went by Hamlin two laps into the fourth segment.

    Clint Bowyer and Greg Biffle made the race through their efforts in Friday night’s showdown. Danica Patrick got in through the fan vote. Martin Truex Jr., who is second in points but lacking in wins, was left in the cold when he failed to make the grade through the preliminary event. Maybe an all-star should also be defined as someone in the top three in points, as that person appears very likely to make the Chase one way or another. You know, like one would expect from an all-star.

    Kasey Kahne was seventh Saturday but won Friday’s truck race in a photo finish over Erik Jones. There was just one problem. It seems the winning truck was too low on both sides and high in the right rear. For any penalties for this cameo violation to be meaningful, they would either have to come by way of taking cash from team boss Dale Earnhardt Jr. or take the win away.  It just depends on how serious a violation it was and if, in itself, it made the difference between winning or losing.

    Ryan Newman lost and I am not just talking about the weekend. He got some points back in his first appeal regarding his California tire violation in March but got nothing out of his second appeal to further reduce the penalties to him and his crew. Brian France claims all teams know what the problem was that day. The problem now seems to be that at least some of the teams claim they still do not know what Newman’s group did to get penalized, thus remain in the dark as to how to avoid such an issue themselves. It would seem to me that we have here, as was stated in that other Newman’s movie years ago, is a failure to communicate.

    As Jeff Gordon ran his final All-Star contest, we see a bright horizon for the sport. We have the 18-year old Jones lighting it up in both XFINITY and the trucks, and on Sunday Ben Rhodes skipped his high school graduation to make his XFINITY debut for JR Motorsports. Jones finished third, Rhodes seventh. Not a single Cup guy was to be seen in Iowa, which is the way it should be for the most part.

    Meanwhile, while American Pharoah won the Preakness last weekend to set up a run for horse racing’s Triple Crown in June, next Sunday is truly an all-star extravaganza in motorsports. We begin with the Monaco Grand Prix, followed by the Indianapolis 500, with the World 600 bringing the day to a close. Get the PVR ready and the couch all comfy, as it is going to be a busy day.

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Kansas

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Kansas

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson’s gamble in the pits paid off and he captured his second win of the year, winning the SpongeBob SquarePants 400 at Kansas.

    “We stayed out to win it,” Johnson said. “It’s too bad no one stayed up to see it.

    “I called my wife Chandra after the race, but accidentally Face-timed her. She wasn’t too happy about that, and I’m not sure she’ll ever forgive me. But I’m hoping. Let’s just say we both seriously need some ‘make up.’”

    2. Kevin Harvick: Harvick chased Jimmie Johnson to the finish line at Kansas but was unable to catch him, instead settling for the runner-up finish, his sixth second-place finish of the year.

    “Johnson edged me by less than a second,” Harvick said. “For a race that lasted well past sundown, it was a true ‘Nick At Night.’”

    3. Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Earnhardt came home third in the SpongeBob SquarePants 400, as the Hendrick Motorsports drivers took three of the top 4 spots, with Jimmie Johnson capturing the win.

    “Hendrick has flexed its muscles in the last two weeks,” Earnhardt said. “Our engines are a direct reflection of Rick Hendrick because the engines, much like Rick, are ‘loaded.’”

    4. Joey Logano: Logano started on the pole at Kansas and finished fifth in the SpongeBob SquarePants 400. He is fourth in the Sprint Cup points standings, 62 out of first.

    “Even though I didn’t win,” Logano said, “I had a great time racing in the SpongeBob SquarePants 400. It was the closest thing to childhood I’ve ever experienced.”

    5. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex pitted for fuel only during the race’s final caution, a decision that made him vulnerable to cars behind him with fresh tires. Truex still finished ninth, earning his 10th top-10 of the year.

    “We had a car capable of winning,” Truex said. “We led a race-high 95 laps, but lost the lead after a mistake in the pits. One would think that in a car sponsored by Furniture Row, we’d be able to ‘sit’ on a lead. But it was not to be, and I can’t ‘couch’ my disappointment. Now my detractors will continue to say I can’t win a race, a criticism that a victory would surely put to bed.”

    6. Kurt Busch: Busch took eighth at Kansas, posting his third top-10 of the year.

    “I’ve got a lot in common with SpongeBob SquarePants,” Busch said. “We both have a teammate named ‘Patrick,’ and neither ‘Patrick’ has won a Sprint Cup race.”

    7. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski finished seventh in the SpongeBob SquarePants 400, scoring his seventh top-10 of the year.

    “First the ‘SpongeBob SquarePants 400,” Keselowski said. “What’s next? The ‘Adventure Time 500?’ If that’s the case, the race will air on the ‘Car Tune Network.’”

    8. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth finished sixth at Kansas, posting his sixth top-10 result of the year. He is seventh in the points standings, 106 out of first.

    “It was an otherwise disappointing day for Joe Gibbs Racing,” Kenseth said. “Carl Edwards had the next best finish with a 20th. Carl has only one top-10 finish this year. I think Joe Gibbs has second thoughts about hiring him. With Carl in mind, if there’s one thing Joe would like to see ‘flipped,’ it’s the script.”

    9. Jamie McMurray: McMurray finished 13 at Kansas in the rain-delayed SpongeBob SquarePants 400.

    “Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s spin brought out the last caution,” McMurray said. “In SpongeBob speak, that’s called going ‘Skidward.’”

    10. Aric Almirola: Almirola finished 11th at Kansas and is now 11th in the points standings, 125 out of first.

    “What do you know?” Almirola said. “The SpongeBob SquarePants 400, a sea-themed NASCAR race. I’ve heard of ‘mussel’ cars, but this is ridiculous!”

  • Hot 20 – Kansas race is the SpongeBob SquarePants 400…You just can’t make stuff like that up

    Hot 20 – Kansas race is the SpongeBob SquarePants 400…You just can’t make stuff like that up

    There are a dozen races run on eight tracks that are truly iconic NASCAR events. Last Sunday was one of those races. The SpongeBob SquarePants 400 in Kansas is not. That is not to say we will not see one of the all-time great races this Saturday night…though the odds might be stacked against us. While they have been racing here since 2001, this marks just the fifth spring race since it picked up its second date in 2011.

    Now, I may be a bit unfair in regards to the cartoon derby this weekend. Last year, they had highlights galore. First, we started late due to lightning in the area. Clint Bowyer, Denny Hamlin, and Marcos Ambrose all went for wild rides at one time or another to bring out a caution, but it was Jamie McMurray who actually went up in smoke. We had a pair of four-car wrecks, one that just destroyed the auto of David Gilliland. Danica Patrick even ran near the front, and came home with a Top Ten. Hey, we even had the lights go out on the backstretch to cause yet another delay before Jeff Gordon won the thing. Maybe it won’t be a bad one to tune in after all.

    The Hot 20 heading to Kansas are…

    1. KEVIN HARVICK – 2 WINS (394 Points)
    Fast repairs by the crew helped save an eighth place finish at Talladega.

    2. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 2 WINS (342 Points)
    Last week it was Junior’s turn, with Jimmie taking second.

    3. JOEY LOGANO – 1 WIN (335 Points)
    Logano won Saturday, but the big boys were racing on Sunday.

    4. DALE EARNHARDT JR. – 1 WIN (319 Points)
    When will Payton Ives be named car chief?

    5. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 1 WIN (305 Points)
    New sponsor, thanks to a Silicon Valley implant.

    6. MATT KENSETH – 1 WIN (292 Points)
    Wanted a caution on the last lap last week…but Junior fans did not.

    7. DENNY HAMLIN – 1 WIN (281 Points)
    What he needed last Sunday was a Hendrick engine. Didn’t everybody?

    8. KURT BUSCH – 1 WIN (255 Points)
    Crew chief got rid of a major pain, and no it was not the driver.

    9. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 354 POINTS
    Second in points, ninth on the depth charts, best damn car out of Colorado.

    10. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 297 POINTS
    If he does not lose his steering, find the wall, and catch fire, he could top last year’s performance.

    11. KASEY KAHNE – 286 POINTS
    If you squint your eyes, a lot, Kasey kind of looks like Sponge Bob.

    12. PAUL MENARD – 280 POINTS
    Daddy’s money, Paul’s talent, and one hell of a crew chief in Dale Alexander.

    13. ARIC ALMIROLA – 279 POINTS
    Showed the kids what they ought not to do in Talladega’s XFINITY demolition.

    14. JEFF GORDON – 277 POINTS
    Won the pole in Alabama but things went to the pits after a late speeding penalty.

    15. RYAN NEWMAN – 271 POINTS
    Returning to the truck series this Friday night in Kansas.

    16. DANICA PATRICK – 253 POINTS
    Yes, she is not a good driver…but what does that say about the Boyfriend, the Biff, and the Boss?

    17. CLINT BOWYER – 249 POINTS
    Kansas boy claims this as his home track…but he is 0 for 13 there.

    18. CARL EDWARDS – 240 POINTS
    Missouri boy also claims this as his home track…and is 0 for 15…but has 11 Top Tens.

    19. A.J. ALLMENDINGER – 229 POINTS
    A bad vibration and no speed, but other than that Talladega was one hell of a great time.

    20. DAVID RAGAN – 224 POINTS
    Moves to MWR this week to make room for the Boy Wonder whose age matches his car number.

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Talladega

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Talladega

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Kevin Harvick: Harvick qualified 24th at Talladega and struggled to find speed for much of the day. Then, the No. 4 Stewart-Haas Chevy received front-end damage after being caught up in a lap 47 accident. Despite his troubles, Harvick scored a solid eighth-place finish and remained atop the Sprint Cup points standings.

    “I’m not thrilled,” Harvick said, “but I’m ‘Happy.’ Even when I don’t win, it’s easy to put on a ‘Happy’ face.

    “When the going gets tough, the tough get going. And, when the damage gets severe, I persevere. I’m not sure what happened on lap 47. It looks like David Ragan ran out of talent, as they say.

    2. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson started third at Talladega as Hendrick Motorsports cars took four of the top five spots in qualifying. Johnson took the runner-up spot behind HMS teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr.

    “What do you know?” Johnson said. “On a weekend when many high-schoolers were off to proms, it was ‘Junior Prom’ at Talladega, and I escorted Dale right to the finish line.”

    3. Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Earnhardt led a race-high 67 laps and won at Talladega for the first time since 2004.

    “I took the win at Talladega,” Earnhardt said, “and the crowd roared. When my fans get loud, they scream at the top of their lungs. And trust me, they mean it from the bottom of their hearts, and their livers.”

    4. Joey Logano: Logano suffered significant damage when he was collected in a lap 47 accident triggered when David Ragan’s No. 6 car got loose. Logano eventually finished 33rd, two laps down, and now has two results of 33rd or worse in his last three races.

    “I did win on Saturday in the Xfinity Series race,” Logano said. “I had to make a last-lap block to preserve the win. That was an intense race. And let’s face it, an intense race is what Talladega is all about, because the circuit’s huge infield is utopia for the real ‘in tents race,’ which is white people camping out.

    “All the talk at Talladega was about ‘the draft. And speaking of ‘The Draft,’ if you put Jameis Winston in a car at Talladega, he’d no doubt ‘steal’ a win.”

    5. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex finished fifth in the Geico 500, posting his ninth top-10 result of the season. He is now second in the points standings, 40 behind Kevin Harvick.

    “Talladega is NASCAR’s longest super speedway,” Truex said. “’Super Speed Way’ also happens to be the street in Owensboro, Kentucky that the Mayfield’s call home. On that street, there is no speed limit.”

    6. Kurt Busch: One week after winning at Richmond, Busch posted a respectable 12th at Talladega.

    “GoDaddy is dropping their sponsorship of my teammate Danica Patrick’s No. 10 car,” Busch said. “I guess they didn’t want to spend the money. How much money is that, anyway? I’m not sure, but it has to be a ‘father figure.’ Now, people can sarcastically ask Danica the same question they ask Joey Logano—-where’s your Daddy?’”

    7. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski finished 22nd on a tough day for Penske Racing, as teammate Joey Logano finished 33rd. Keselowski is sixth in the Sprint Cup points standings, 89 out of first.

    “This race had about as much excitement as the Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao fight,” Keselowski said. “Mayweather and Pacquiao made a combined $200 million for the fight. And, much like in racing, there was a ‘check-ered’ flag waved at the end.”

    8. Kasey Kahne: Kahne started on the front row alongside pole sitter and Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jeff Gordon at Talladega. Unfortunately, his day soured when his No. 5 Chevrolet was damaged in a lap 47 pileup that involved 16 cars. Kahne eventually finished 34th, 30 laps down.

    “Gordon and I started 1-2,” Kahne said. “Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jimmie Johnson finished 1-2. All this talk about the ole 1-2, and oddly enough, none of it had to do with anyone punching Brad Keselowski.

    “But congratulations to Junior. He did what he had to do to win. And Jimmie did what he had to do to for Junior to win. I hear JJ’s headed to Key West, Florida to open his new bar. It’s called ‘Jimmie Buffer’s.’”

    9. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin led five laps and finished ninth at Talladega, posting his fourth top 10 of the year.

    “I hear Jeff Gordon is driving the pace car at the Indianapolis 500 on May 24th. I’m not sure what the pit road speed limit for a pace car at Indy is, but I am sure Jeff will exceed it.”

    10. Jamie McMurray: McMurray just missed a top-10 finish in the Geico 500 with an 11th at Talladega. He is seventh in the Sprint Cup points standings.

    “There was a lot of single file racing on Sunday,” McMurray said. “Now at Talladega, when you ask about the ‘lineup,’ you have to specify whether you mean qualifying or the actual race. Talladega is the world’s fastest game of Follow The Leader.”

  • Talladega Preview – Records, Winning Quotes & Bill Elliott

    Talladega Preview – Records, Winning Quotes & Bill Elliott

    Talladega Superspeedway is known as a track where anyone can win. It is often more about survival than finesse and it’s had it share of underdogs in the winner’s circle.  Drivers such as Richard Brickhouse, Dick Brooks, Lennie Pond and Ron Bouchard visited victory lane at Talladega for their first and only career win in NASCAR’s top series. In 2013, David Ragan gave Front Row Motorsports its first ever Sprint Cup win at Talladega. The only thing predictable about Talladega is its unpredictability.

    However, there are some drivers who have conquered the restrictor-plate track, most notably, Dale Earnhardt, who accumulated 10 victories at Talladega and remains atop the all-time winners list.

    By The Numbers:

    1) Brad Keselowski enters the race as the defending champion. Last season he advanced to the Eliminator Round of the Chase with a win at Talladega in October after taking the lead on a green-white-checkered restart and holding off all challengers. He has made two other trips to victory lane at the track, in 2012 and in 2009, where he led only the last lap to grab his first Cup career win. Keselowski has proven that he knows how to make things happen at Talladega and with one win already under his belt this season, he has nothing to lose.

    2) Jeff Gordon is second on the all-times win list at Talladega with six, the most of any active driver. In addition, he is the all-time restrictor-plate wins leader with 12 and leads all active drivers in top-five finishes, top-10s and laps led at Talladega Superspeedway. (Dale Earnhardt Sr. ranks second with 11).

    Gordon seems to be hitting his stride after a rocky beginning to the season and is currently the only driver to have finished in the top-10 in each of the last six races. The streak has moved him from as low as 36th in the points to his current position of 10th. With a little luck, this could be his chance to secure his spot in the Chase for the Sprint Cup, although his last win was in 2007.

    3) Kurt Busch is coming off a win at Richmond and sits in seventh place on the Chase Grid. This is even more impressive when you consider that he missed three races this season. Also of note, he ranks fourth in fastest laps run (217) and second in laps led (536)

    Busch is fourth in the driver ratings at Talladega and his confidence is growing each week. Look for him to be a contender as he carries that momentum to Talladega.

    4) Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s five victories at Talladega put him third on the all-time list and are the most for him at any track. He also set a record for most consecutive wins with four from October 2001 to April 2003. Of additional significance, he has led in all but three of the 30 Cup races he has entered at the superspeedway for a total of 832 laps. The only other track where he has led more laps is Martinsville (972 laps).

    Even though his last win was in 2004, Earnhardt’s statistics are still imposing claiming the series-best average running position (14.5), the second-best driver rating (90.7) and the third- most quality passes (4,478).  Plus, he has led laps in 27 of his 30 Talladega starts. Earnhardt is still searching for his first win and there’s no place better than at one of his favorite tracks on the circuit.

    Top 10 Driver Ratings at Talladega Superspeedway:

    95.6 – Kyle Larson
    90.7 – Dale Earnhardt Jr.
    89.9 – Matt Kenseth
    88.3 – Kurt Busch
    87.5 – Jimmie Johnson
    85.0 – Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
    84.0 – Brian Vickers
    82.9 – Brad Keselowski
    82.2 – Joey Logano
    82.0 – Denny Hamlin

    Winning Quotes:

    Martin Truex Jr. “I’ve been all over the place at Talladega. However, the one place I haven’t been to in the Sprint Cup Series is Talladega’s Victory Lane, and it’s about time that we get there. I am confident that we will have a contending car on Sunday.”

    Jeff Gordon: “Restrictor-plate racing is a white-knuckle experience where we race in big packs while trying to avoid the ‘big one’ – the big wreck that collects a lot of race cars.”

    Dale Earnhardt Jr.: “The guy that’s leading the race really is the guy controlling everything. He can block and he can do whatever he needs to do as far as getting in front of the line that’s coming to be able to get the push to maintain his speed. He can do so much more than everyone else in the field. And that’s just the best place to be.”

    Greg Biffle: “I finished second in this race last year and I’m excited to go back.  Talladega is a good opportunity for us to win a race, its pure speed and we have fast Speedway cars, so I’m looking forward to this weekend.”

    Ricky Stenhouse Jr.: “I’m looking forward to Talladega after seeing the speed our cars had at Daytona earlier this season. We need a win to make the Chase and I think that Talladega is great opportunity for us to be able to get that win. If we can stay out of trouble and avoid the notorious ‘big one’, I think we can leave Talladega with a solid finish.”

    Denny Hamlin: Last year at Talladega, we finally got our first plate win, and it was big for our team. It obviously gave us a Chase berth and a lot of momentum. This year, hopefully, we can get another win there to get more bonus points. It’s all about winning for us.”

    A Slice of Talladega History:

    Thirty years ago Bill Elliott experienced one of the greatest comebacks in NASCAR history at Talladega. The year was 1985 and although his car had led 25 laps of the 1985 Winston 500, an unscheduled pit stop to fix a broken oil fitting line left Elliott almost two laps down, a five-mile deficit.

    Elliott did what he did best. He put the pedal to the floor and passed the field twice in less than 100 laps. Back on the lead lap, Elliott raced into victory lane. But the story doesn’t end there.

    R.J. Reynolds had offered the “Winston Million” to any driver that could win three of the sport’s four biggest races; the Daytona 500, Winston 500, Coca-Cola 600 and Southern 500. Elliott had already won the Daytona 500 and after the victory at Talladega went on to win the Southern 500 at Darlington, earning that “Winston Million.” It catapulted him into the national headlines with a spot on the cover of Sports Illustrated.

    Elliott celebrated the anniversary by re-creating that Talladega win. He strapped into the Ford Thunderbird, put on a helmet, ran five laps and drove to victory lane where he was given a replica trophy. The car hadn’t been cranked since it was put on display at the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1986.

    He said being back in the car felt “like a million bucks. I really miss the competitive side of racing week-in and week-out. I ran so many laps around this race track and tested here so many times in my career. It feels like it was yesterday I was racing here.”

    Racing at Talladega Superspeedway is challenging, both physically and mentally. Tune into the Geico 500 Sunday on FOX at 1 p.m. ET to discover who emerges victorious.