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  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Phoenix

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Phoenix

    [media-credit name=”Simon Scoggins” align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin zoomed to the lead on a restart with 59 laps to go at Phoenix, and held off Kevin Harvick, who ran out of gas, to win the Subway Fresh Fit 500. It was Hamlin’s first win since last June at Michigan and first under new crew chief Darian Grubb. Hamlin now leads the Sprint Cup point standings with a six point lead over Greg Biffle.

    “We’ve got a ton of confidence,” Hamlin said. “And, surprisingly, so does Jimmie Johnson. The last time I left Phoenix with the points lead, Johnson won the Sprint Cup title.

    “I’d like to thank Toyota for giving me a strong engine. The car from ‘The Land Of The Rising Sun’ won in the ‘Valley Of The Sun.’”

    2. Kevin Harvick: Harvick’s charge to overtake Denny Hamlin came to a halt when he ran out of gas on the final lap at Phoenix International Raceway. Harvick still finished second, and is third in the point standings, eight behind Hamlin.

    “Hamlin knew I was coming,” Harvick said. “This father-to-be was getting ready to say ‘Who’s your daddy?’ That may have very well been Hamlin’s first ‘pregnancy scare.’ There’s a bun in the oven. Luckily for Hamlin, there was no gas in the tank.

    “But better to lose to Hamlin than Kyle Busch. I’ve had my differences with Busch in the past, but I now realize we’ll soon have one thing in common: we’ll both have ‘Baby On Board’ stickers on our cars.”

    3. Greg Biffle: Biffle backed up his third at Daytona with an equally-impressive third in the Subway Fresh Fit 500. He stands second in the Sprint Cup point standings, six behind Denny Hamlin.

    “I’ll take third-place any day,” Biffle said. “As a teammate of Matt Kenseth and Carl Edwards, I’m quite used to saying ‘There are two drivers better than me.’”

    4. Matt Kenseth: Daytona 500 winner Kenseth finished 13th at Phoenix after a crash in practice forced him to resort to a backup car. He now sits fourth in the point standings, 10 points out of first.

    “Despite a subpar finish at Phoenix,” Kenseth said, “I can’t complain. I’ve won the Daytona 500 and appeared on The Tonight Show. Surely, rumors of a relationship with Kim Kardashian are sure to follow. Even as a driver comfortable with speeds of 200 miles per hour, people will still be amazed at how quickly I deny those rumors. But not before I make the requisite ‘loose in the tail’ and ‘running out of talent’ jokes.”

    5. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski shook off a disappointing finish at Daytona to post a solid finish at Phoenix, charging from the 28th starting position to finish fifth.

    “Luckily,” Keselowski said, “I have a car owner who supports my use of Twitter. Roger Penske is all for short, concise tweets from my phone. Ironically, he encourages me to be ‘curt.’ In fact, Roger often refers to me by my Twitter handle ‘@Keselowski.’ Last year, he often referred to Kurt Busch by a name than sounded like a Twitter handle, ‘@SOB.’”

    6. Martin Truex, Jr.: Truex finished seventh in Phoenix, joining Michael Waltrip Racing teammate Mark Martin, who finished ninth after starting from the pole, in the top 10. Truex jumped six places in the point standings to sixth, and trails Denny Hamlin by 18.

    “This team is hot right now,” Truex said. “As our early-season results can attest, MWR is one of NASCAR’s top teams. And we’ve got Michael Waltrip to thank, mostly because he’s not driving. Michael Waltrip Racing is at its best, unless Michael Waltrip’s racing.”

    7. Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: Earnhardt came home 14th at Phoenix, as his winless streak reached 131 races. He is fifth in the point standings, 17 out of first.

    “I sincerely believe a win is forthcoming,” Earnhardt said. “At least according to the Mayan calendar. Luckily, my fans are always supportive and don’t pressure me to win. They don’t say ‘Just win, baby.’ They say ‘Just whenever, baby.’

    “Call Junior Nation whatever you want, like ‘The Nation Of Is Lame,’ or ‘Junior Station-ary,’ or ‘The Winless Circle,’ but they are the best fans in NASCAR.”

    8. Kyle Busch: Busch led 52 laps at Phoenix and finished sixth on the two-mile oval, scoring his first top-10 finish after a 17th at Daytona. He is now ninth in the Sprint Cup point standings, 23 behind Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin.

    “Inquiring minds want to know,” Busch said. “Will 2012 see the ‘old’ Kyle Busch or the ‘new’ Kyle Busch? I think you’ll see a little bit of both. That’s called the ‘same’ Kyle Busch.”

    9. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson rebounded from a disastrous week at Daytona to score a solid fourth in the Subway Fresh Fit 500. Johnson finished 42nd after a lap 2 wreck at Daytona, and was later docked 25 points and crew chief Chad Knaus was suspended for six races after failing inspection after the Gatorade Duels.

    “I was once a ‘five-time defender,’” Johnson said. “That’s in stark contrast to Knaus, who’s a ‘ten-time offender.’ Knaus was also fined $100,000 in addition to his six-race suspension. Those are pretty stiff penalties. Once again, as a result of what happened in Florida, there’s a ‘hanging Chad.’”

    10. Joey Logano: Logano posted his second top-10 finish of the year with a tenth at Phoenix, joining Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch in the top 10. Logano is eight in the point standings, 19 behind Hamlin.

    “Later this summer,” Logano said, “new father Kevin Harvick will ‘cut the cord.’ Hopefully, my dad can do the same.”

  • Surprising and Not Surprising: The Daytona 500

    Surprising and Not Surprising: The Daytona 500

    [media-credit name=”Credit: Todd Warshaw/Getty Images for NASCAR” align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]Often called the Great American Race, this year’s 2012 Daytona 500 was most certainly one of the most memorable ones, including buckets of rain, a major conflagration, and even texting direct from the track.

    Here is what was surprising and not surprising from the much-delayed, first ever prime time under the lights running of the 2012 Great American Race.

    Surprising:  While the Daytona 500 has always been unpredictable, it was surprising just how many bizarre occurrences there were during this race, causing many to wonder if this superspeedway now possessed some of its own demons, similar to sister superspeedway Talladega.

    The first in the string of strange happenings was the massive amounts of rain that descended on the track on Sunday. This led to the first ever postponement of the Great American Race, which was initially rescheduled until NOON on Monday.

    When the rain continued to fall on Monday morning, the next unpredictable moment occurred as NASCAR then rescheduled the race until 7:00 PM on Monday evening. This ensured the 2012 Daytona 500 a place in history as the first ever Great American Race run not only under the lights, but also in a coveted prime-time slot.

    The final bizarre event happened on Lap 160, when Juan Pablo Montoya lost control of his No. 42 Target Chevrolet and plowed into a safety jet drier, sending both up in flames. The burning of 200 gallons of jet fuel delayed the race for almost two hours as the track safety crews scrambled to not only to douse the flames but repair the track.

    “I have hit a lot of things,” JPM said. “But a jet dryer? I mean, no.”

    When all was said and done, this 2012 Daytona 500 will most likely go down in history for its surprising length, taking a day and half to run. This Great American race started on Monday evening and ran into the wee hours of Tuesday morning, capping off a 36 hour delay from its original start time.

    Jeff Gordon, driver of the No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet, summed it up best. “That had to be the craziest Daytona 500 I’ve ever seen.”

    Not Surprising:  Since the Ford camp had been strong all Speedweeks long, it was no surprise to see one end up in Victory Lane. Matt Kenseth, in his No. 17 Best Buy Ford, took the checkered flag, giving Ford back to back Daytona 500 victories.

    This was the 13th overall Daytona 500 win for the manufacturer, Kenseth’s second Daytona 500 victory in a Ford, and the second Daytona 500 win for team owner Jack Roush. Kenseth joined Bill Elliott and Dale Jarrett as the only three Ford drivers to win the Daytona 500 more than once.

    “It’s nice to go the whole distance and survive a green, white, checkered because you just don’t know what’s going to happen in these race,” Kenseth said. “I wasn’t expecting to win when I woke up this morning, so it feels good to be sitting here.”

    “It’s really hard to win these races,” Kenseth continued. “The older you get and the more you race, you realize how hard it is and you really try to enjoy all those moments.”

    Surprising:  It was surprising to see just how hard hit the Hendrick Motorsports teams were during this running of the Daytona 500.  With the exception of Dale Earnhardt, Jr., who finished second in his No. 88 Diet Mountain Dew/National Guard Chevrolet, the rest of the HMS drivers all finished 29th or worse.

    Five time champion Jimmie Johnson’s troubles started early when he crashed out on Lap 2. The driver of the No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet sustained a wicked hit to the driver’s door in the early race melee.

    “That side hit was hard,” Johnson said. “I could feel help from behind that just turned me around.”

    “When I was sitting in the middle of the race track, I knew at some point someone was going to come along,” Johnson continued. “David Ragan had nowhere to go and I unfortunately got drilled by him pretty hard.”

    Four time champion Jeff Gordon also had difficulties, but of a different sort. His No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet blew an engine on lap 81 of the race.

    “Boy, it’s a shame,” Gordon said. “This just came out of nowhere.”

    “First it popped and then it sent up in a big ball of flames,” Gordon continued. “That is never good. So, I knew our night was done.”

    This DNF marked the first time that Jeff Gordon failed to compete at least half of a NASCAR race since April 2008 at Texas Motor Speedway.

    Not Surprising:  With Fords ruling and Matt Kenseth in the winner’s circle, it was no surprise that history was also made for Roush Fenway Racing, scoring the team’s 300th win. Rough Fenway Racing is the first team ever in NASCAR history to achieve such a milestone.

    “This is a special night,” team owner Jack Roush said. “Matt is a real champion and he is really good at these restrictor tracks.”

    “Our Fords, the guys did a nice job and Ford Motor Company gave us a lot of support over the winter,” Roush continued. “We certainly had several ways to win it tonight and there are always ample ways to lose as well.”

    “Matt did a great job tonight,” Roush said. “It’s great to celebrate our 300th win here with the 54th Daytona 500.”

    Surprising:  While many considered it ‘gimmicky’, it was surprising that the racers seemed to take the halfway bonus pretty seriously. Reminiscent of his lead at the halfway point last year in the Great American Race, Martin Truex, Jr. scored the $200,000 halfway leader bonus, with a little help from ‘friend’ Denny Hamlin.

    “We led laps and led at halfway for the bonus,” the driver of the No. 56 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota said. “It was a good day all in all. We just didn’t lead at the end.”

    Truex Jr. finished 12th, right behind Michael Waltrip Racing teammates Mark Martin, who finished tenth in his No. 55 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota, and Clint Bowyer, who scored the 11th spot in his No. 15 5-Hour Energy Toyota.

    Not Surprising:   Given all the machinations NASCAR made in response to the fans’ and drivers’ concerns about tandem racing, it was no surprise that pack racing was back. And the drivers seemed to be please that it was.

    “I like the rule changes,” Dale Earnhardt, Jr. said. “It definitely suits my style better and I can do things on my own.”

    “In the old package you needed someone else the entire race and that’s not fun.”

    Surprising:  While most of the NASCAR drivers, teams, and yes even the orange cone have gotten into the use of social media, it was surprising to see it taken to yet another level at this year’s Daytona 500.

    Brad Keselowski, driver of the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge apparently had his phone with him during the race and took the opportunity to not only tweet a few pictures when the race was red flagged, but also to check the weather at the request of some of his fellow competitors.

    Demonstrating the power of social media, particularly Twitter, Keselowski actually gained more than 130,000 new followers as a result of his connectedness out on the race track and the media attention that garnered.

    While Keselowski acknowledged the power of the social media, he would have traded it for one thing.

    “I gained a lot of followers but I’ll take the win first,” Keselowski said.

    Not Surprising:  With all the strange happenings on the race track, it was not surprising that the debut of the third female driver to compete in the Great American Race was somewhat eclipsed. Danica Patrick made her Cup debut in the No. 10 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet for Tommy Baldwin Racing in cooperation with Stewart Haas Racing.

    Patrick ended up finishing 38th after getting collected in the multi-car crash involving Jimmie Johnson and others on lap 2 of the race. She will not race again in the Cup Series until May 12th at Darlington.

    “I kind of feel like I almost need to put the whole week in perspective,” Patrick said. “It’s just been up and down, from running good in the Duels to crashing on the last lap, to qualifying on the pole, to running well in the Nationwide race to crashing.”

    “A lot of this stuff is obviously out of your control at times,” Patrick continued. “But I learned a lot and I got a lot of great experience.”

    Surprising:  With the Toyota of Kyle Busch looking strong after a win in the Bud Shootout, it was a bit surprising that teammate Denny Hamlin ended up being the highest Toyota finisher in the Daytona 500.

    “We were right where we wanted to be,” Hamlin said of the end of his race, finishing fourth. “But we didn’t have any teammates up there and those two Roush cars up front had a good plan and executed it really well.”

    “We had an awesome effort this weekend,” the driver of the No. 11 FedEx Toyota said. “We didn’t qualify well and we didn’t finish that well in the Duel, but we showed that we had one of the best cars today.”

    As pleased as Hamlin was, Kyle Busch, who took his No. 88 M&M’s Brown Toyota Camry to a 17th place finish, was most disappointed.

    “I thought we were in a good spot late in the race, but a couple of cars got together behind me and I got clipped,” Busch said. “We were in the back of the line and we couldn’t make anything happen.”

    “It’s disappointing to be down here for two weeks and have nothing to show for it.”

    Not Surprising:  Sadly, but not surprisingly, there was no Cinderella winner at this year’s Daytona 500.  Defending champ Trevor Bayne’s repeat fairy-tale performance was thwarted by the wreck that swept up Jimmie Johnson in the early laps of the race.

    “I have no idea what happened,” the driver of the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Fusion said. “I got low and slowed down and at the last second I think it was the 34 car that hit us in the right side door and put us into the grass.”

    “Man, this is tough,” Bayne continued. “I hate this for my Ford Racing team but we’ll be back.”

  • The Only Thing Missing from the Daytona 500 was the Locusts

    The Only Thing Missing from the Daytona 500 was the Locusts

    [media-credit name=”Credit: Chris Graythen/Getty Images for NASCAR” align=”alignright” width=”286″][/media-credit]There was something in the air on Sunday that you just kind of knew that NASCAR had once again been beaten by its arch nemesis Mother Nature. The monsoons like rains were unrelenting and the track was being to resemble the Everglades more than NASCAR’s crown jewel Daytona International Speedway. But what was to come no one could have possibly predicted.

    History was made during this years Daytona 500. It was a foregone conclusion that history was going to be made regardless of who won when NASCAR vice president Mike Helton announced that the Daytona 500 would be run during prime time on Monday evening. Fox broadcasting was in. All of its affiliates and stations would broadcast the rain delayed season opener during its most expensive broadcast time frame. Starting at 7PM EST and running to its conclusion. It would be the wee hours of Tuesday morning before the sport would crown its Daytona champion for 2012. But it was all that happened in between the start and finish that would make it memorable.

    The anticipation on the starting grid was thick you could almost cut it with a knife. 43 of the best stock car drivers in the world had waited 36 hours to get the Daytona 500 underway. They were ready to race. They were under the lights. They were in prime time. The pressure of the 500 is normally pretty high but this made it more so.

    The classic under the lights phenomenon took place early on. The cool night temperatures and the lights take us back to our roots of Saturday night racing and always bring a more aggressive driver to the track. That aggression showed it’s head on the second lap of the race in the form of a multi-car pile up that took out 5 time Jimmie Johnson and involved the sports new star Danica Patrick.

    Patrick who was a victim of other people’s crashes in every race that she ran at Daytona sat patiently and dejectedly in her mangled car while crew chief Greg Zipadelli and team made the extensive repairs to get her back on the track. Many of her detractors pointed fingers and said see she can’t drive. However, the truth was light years from that. The truth was that she showed the guts and tenacity of her muse the honey badger. She refused to quit. Even when she had made up as many spots as possible and was given the option of parking the severely injured Go Daddy Chevrolet she persevered. At the end of the 6 hour race she exited her car pale and obviously exhausted with a smile and the patience to answer the mass of media’s questions. Her skill set is lacking yes. But so is the skill set of every other rookie who has ever driven a cup car at Daytona including names like Tony Stewart, Dale Earnhardt Jr, Rusty Wallace, Ken Schrader and yes even Richard Petty. She showed however, that she has the tenacity to acquire the skill set with help from her team and teammates.

    The racing calmed down for many laps with the Roush boys showing the way for most of the race. There were some blown engines due to anomalies that couldn’t be explained completely but were attributed to the rain delay and the moisture’s effect on the gauges, including 4 time champion Jeff Gordon whose Hendrick Motorsports AARP Chevy expired very early on.

    The next real excitement would come for the $200,000 half way bonus. The pack surged, positions were traded wholesale and from the middle of the pack a long shot emerged and with help from Greg Biffle’s Ford, Martin Truex Jr would claim the big half way pay day.

    But the biggest and strangest event of the night was triggered when the yellow flew with 40 laps to go. Juan Pablo Montoya knew he had a problem. The car was vibrating violently in every gear. But he had no warning when the car suddenly snapped to the right and into a truck drawn jet blower and then slide to the bottom of the track. The driver of the jet blower and Juan Pablo Montoya were not injured. But the grand jewel of NASCAR was not so lucky. 200 gallons of jet fuel and diesel ignited out of the third turn setting the track all the way to the grass and including the safer barrier on fire. The spectacular fire could be seen for miles in the night sky.

    The red flag found drivers racing for the porta johns and Brad Keselowski tweeting the activity to world on his phone. The 2 hour delay pushed the Daytona 500 into the wee hours of the morning Tuesday.

    The damage to the track was minimal and patched and the cars again fired to take the green. The race would see more cautions including the final which would collect current champion Tony Stewart. Stewart would restart the race on a Green White Checker deep in the pack with a car whose tow was out 2 to 3 inches according to radio communications with crew chief Steve Addington. Stewart would finish a disappointing 16th on the lead lap and moving through towards the front.

    The race win would go to Matt Kenseth in the Best Buy Ford. Kenseth would hold off the tandem of Greg Biffle and Dale Earnhardt Jr for the win. Earnhardt Jr would make a last turn pass and run to take second.

    One would think that all the strangeness that could possibly effect a race would be done, especially since the checkered flag had flown and the winner had been crowned. But not so in this case, within an hour of the finish of the race the track was enveloped in a thick dense fog that shut down the airport and prevented drivers and teams from leaving the track until Tuesday morning.

    Today, many are talking about the jet dryer crash and TV ratings are the highest for any race in Fox Broadcast history. They are talking about Brad Keselowski’s tweeting during the red flag. NASCAR says that he broke no rules and there will be no fines. They are talking about the fact that Greg Biffle could not advance on Matt Kenseth in the final two laps of the races even with a pusher. Some say he was protecting Kenseth’s win. Some say he found the new catch in the aero package two cars are no longer faster than one or the pack. Some are talking about Danica’s Daytona Fizzle. Frankly, those folks are just wrong. Danica’s misfortunes were not of her own making and she showed a great deal of skill and tenacity. The one thing that no one is talking about this year is a boring race, because this may very well have been the most memorable Daytona 500 in history.

    Congratulations to Matt Kenseth on his Daytona 500 victory. It was well deserved.

    Kudos to Dale Earnhardt Jr and his 88 team on an incredible run it is an incredible start to what promises to be an even better year.

    Kudos to Tony Stewart and his Office Depot team for pushing the envelope to the max with a car that would have been near impossible to drive for some.

    Kudos to Denny Hamlin for showing the strongest and most dedicated performance all night only to come up a little bit short at the very end.

    Congratulations to James Beuscher on his NNS win. And to John King on his NCWTS win.

    That said, to all the competitors in all the series thanks for giving us everything you have to give, you are our heroes. Most importantly, thanks to all the families who shared their loved ones with us so we could cheer our favorite driver and favorite teams. You are the true heroes of the sport and we are forever in your debt.

  • NASCAR 2012 Season Predictions

    NASCAR 2012 Season Predictions

    [media-credit id=18 align=”alignright” width=”300″][/media-credit]*Kevin Harvick’s wife DeLana gives birth to a healthy baby boy on July 14th. The couple refuses an anonymous $1,000,000 offer to name the baby “Jimmy John,” as well as an anonymous $2,000,000 offer to name the baby “Kyle Hates.” Instead, the Harvick’s name the child “Richard Childress Harvick.”

    Then in July during an incident in the New Hampshire Motor Speedway garage area, Kyle Busch is punched by a “Richard Childress” for the second time in less than a year when young Harvick nabs Busch trying to steal candy from a baby.

    Kevin Harvick finishes the season with four wins and finishes fourth in the final Sprint Cup standings.

    *Brad Keselowski leads at the halfway point of the Daytona 500, earning the $200,000 bonus, and tweets about it as he speeds around the 2.5 mile oval at over 200 miles per hour. NASCAR is not too pleased, and true to their commitment to abolishing secret fines, announces a $25,000 fine for Keselowski on Twitter.

    *Kurt Busch, in his new ride for Phoenix Racing, is the laughingstock of the NASCAR garage, and this time, it has nothing to do with his ears. Busch remains bewildered as to the reasons of the laughter, that is, until Roger Penske, a Greek mythology aficionado, explains to Busch the legend of the Phoenix, a mythical firebird that builds a nest, then burns the nest and itself to a pile of ashes, after which a new Phoenix emerges.

    Busch is oblivious to the connection, and says he’s never burned a nest, but does cop to burning several bridges.

    *Four-time Sprint Cup champion Jeff Gordon begins the “Drive For Five,” the 11th installment of his annual quest for his fifth Sprint Cup title.

    Hendrick Motosports teammate Kasey Kahne simultaneously begins his own “Drive For 5,” as he takes over the No. 5 car driven by Mark Martin. Kahne’s first order of business in his new car is to adjust the seat. His second order of business is to squelch the retirement rumors inherent in driving the No. 5.

    *In honor of the deal with Stewart Haas Racing that ensures Danica Patrick a starting spot in the season’s first five races, the Bradford Exchange offers the “Danica Patrick Silver Platter” collectible edition place settings. Each plate is hand-crafted, and comes with a matching spoon, as well as a GoDaddy.com napkin holder.

    Patrick starts 29th in the Daytona 500, and finishes 39th after a wreck with Robby Gordon sends her to the garage, where a miffed Gordon demands an apology, and a refund for some worthless merchandise he hastily purchased.

    *Boris Said wins the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway on June 24th, slipping by Marcos Ambrose on the final lap. In the post-race press conference, Said Shockingly announces his retirement from racing in order to pursue his true love, rock and roll. Said introduces his band, the “Said Heads,” featuring Said on vocals, Boris Heard on guitar, Boris Smelled on bass, Boris Tasted on drums, and Boris Felt on keyboards.

    The “Said Heads” first single, “Greg Biffle Needs A Friggin’ Whoopin,’ And I’m Going To Give It To Him,” debuts at Number 198 on Billboards Top 200 modern rock tracks, and the band later embarks on a Japanese tour opening for Slipknot and GWAR.

    *The pairing of Denny Hamlin and new crew chief Darian Grubb is an instant success, as Hamlin wins three of the season’s first eight races, including back-to-back wins at Martinsville and Texas. An optimistic Hamlin starts thinking about winning a championship, while a pessimistic Grubb starts thinking about losing his job.

    *Bill Elliott’s pilots his Wal-Mart-sponsored car to a solid 9th-place finish at the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona on July 7th, a result that proves two things: 1) Elliott’s still got it, and 2) you can still get a 27 cent can of kidney beans at Wal-Mart.

    *Carl Edwards wins the Quaker State 400 at Kentucky Speedway, dominating a race marked by few lead changes and ever fewer cautions. Luckily, massive 2011 road construction projects alleviate traffic issues at the track, allowing fans speedy egress from the Sparta facility, resulting in some of the weekend’s best racing.

    Edwards posts five wins in the season’s first 26 races, and starts the Chase For The Cup in first, and finishes second to Jimmie Johnson for the Sprint Cup title.

    *Dale Earnhardt, Jr. snaps his winless streak by winning the Aaron’s 499 at Talladega on May 6th, starting from the pole and leading 198 laps. After a victory lap, Earnhardt drives his No. 88 Chevrolet into the infield, where legions of Junior Nation fans, ironically “amped” up on Diet Mountain Dew, lift the 3,400 machine over their heads, as it becomes the first vehicle in history to “crowd surf.”

    Earnhardt doesn’t win again until December, when he captures NASCAR’s most popular driver award.

    *Kyle Busch sweeps the weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway in late August, winning the Camping World Truck, Nationwide, and Sprint Cup races.

    Busch celebrates with the slowest victory procession in history, a drive which takes him from Bristol to Mooresville, NC at four miles per hour. There, Busch cruises at a snail’s pace through the winding back roads of rural Iredell County for hours, until a county officer stops him and advises him that “You’ll have to go faster.” A satisfied Busch complies.

    *Prior to the Nationwide STP 300 at Chicagoland Speedway, the Reverend Jesse Jackson voices his protest over the lack of minorities in NASCAR by uttering the phrase “bigotry, bigotry, bigotry” in his invocation, leading to a firestorm of controversy, as well as an Auto-tuned Youtube hit song.

    The situation leads to a dialogue between Jackson and Brian France, and the

    Simpleminded NASCAR chairman agrees to make changes, starting the following week in Indianapolis, where France taps the Black Keys to perform before the race.

    *Columbia Pictures announces it will film a sequel to Talladega Night: The Ballad Of Ricky Bobby titled Talladega Nights 2: The Ballad Of An Entirely Fictional Character Loosely-Based On Tony Stewart. A clean-shaven Zack Galifianakis is tapped to play the title role, and immediately begins a strict dietary regimen to gain 15 pounds for the role.

    *Dale Earnhardt, Jr. adopts the phrase “One In ‘12” as the official rallying cry in his quest to capture his first Sprint Cup championship. However, after a late-season slump leaves him in 15th place in the points standings, “One In 12” quickly becomes Earnhardt’s rallying cry for simply making the Chase.

    *It takes three months for Matt Kenseth to earn his first win of the season, a victory at Charlotte in the Coca-Cola 600, and another two months for people to start caring.

    *Jimmie Johnson, feeling that he needs a change, shaves his signature beard and grows a Fu Manchu mustache, which affords him a more serious and sinister look. Johnson becomes the most-feared driver at autograph signings, as well as on the track, where his newfound persona rankles many drivers, including Joey Logano, who is envious of any type of facial hair.

    Johnson wins his sixth Cup title with a masterful performance in the Chase, winning four races and wrapping up the title at Phoenix on November 11th.

  • Common Sense Rules for NASCAR

    Common Sense Rules for NASCAR

    CIA Stock Photo

    I was reading a NASCAR news story the other day and thinking to myself, ‘What ever happened to common sense?’ And then it occurred to me that the term common sense is an oxymoron.

    Having the sense to do or say the right thing has become a characteristic that is rare in today’s society. NASCAR is a perfect example of this.

    Common sense and truisms are closely linked so I thought I would share some of these truths as guidelines for the common sense impaired.

    A closed mouth gathers no foot. This one is simple. Think before you speak (or tweet) and avoid those embarrassing headlines (Kasey Kahne-Breastgate).

    Be careful who you step on while climbing the ladder of success; you’re liable to meet them on the way down. Kurt Busch

    Don’t bite the hand that feeds you. Just ask Denny Hamlin, Ryan Newman or Brad Keselowski-Secret fine recipients.

    Expect the unexpected. Trevor Bayne wins the 2011 Daytona 500.

    Good things come in small packages. Mark Martin

    Hope springs eternal. Dale Earnhardt Jr. fans

    Money talks. “It doesn’t matter if you have the most wins, pole positions, a championship or talent. If you have the money, you get a job.”  Mike Skinner

    Keep your hands to yourself. “Hold my watch.” Richard Childress

    Nobody loves a winner who wins all the time. – Jimmie Johnson

    Close, but no cigar. Carl Edwards

    Where there’s smoke, there’s fire. – Tony Stewart

    If in doubt, remember this. There is nothing so small it can’t be blown out of proportion.

    Mike Skinner quote courtesy of Angie Skinner-SiriusXM NASCAR Radio via Facebook

  • Favorite memories of the 2011 Sprint Cup season

    Favorite memories of the 2011 Sprint Cup season

    The 2011 season of NASCAR started out with a bang when rookie Trevor Bayne won the Daytona 500. It ended with an electrifying duel between Tony Stewart and Carl Edwards for the championship. Sandwiched in between was one of the most competitive seasons in recent history.

    In no particular order, these are a few of my favorite memories of the 2011 Sprint Cup season.

    Generated by IJG JPEG Library
    Generated by IJG JPEG Library

    1) “Are you kidding me?” Only one day after turning 20 and in only his second Cup start, Trevor Bayne won the coveted Daytona 500 race.  He became the youngest driver to ever win NASCAR’s most prestigious race and he did it driving the No. 21 Ford for the legendary Wood Brothers Racing team.

    2) Sports fans love an underdog and this year we had several drivers who defied the odds. Including Trevor Bayne, there were five first time winners this season.

    a. Regan Smith scored his first victory at the Showtime Southern 500 at Darlington. The win was especially satisfying after suffering a heartbreaking defeat at Talladega in 2008. Although he crossed the finish line first, the win was overturned after it was determined that he had violated the rules by dropping below the yellow line.

    But this time was different. As he captured the checkered flag at the famed track, he told his crew, “This is the Southern 500; we’re not supposed to win this thing!”

    b. David Ragan was up next as he drove into victory lane at the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona in July. “No better place to do it than Daytona.” Ragan said. “I knew we could do it all along. I feel like I should have done this 100 years ago.”

    c. Paul Menard also had his first win this season at a track that has special meaning for him. After the race, his father, John Menard, said, “Paul’s been coming here since we carried him in at three years old. I remember sneaking him into the garage in an engine box because he was too young to be in here. All his life he wanted to race.”

    As he drove across the finish line an emotional Menard said, “Dad, this one is for you.”

    d. Marcos Ambrose is the fifth of the first time winners in 2011, claiming his first victory at Watkins Glen. Ambrose had come close to a win last season at Infineon Raceway but saw it slip away when he lost the lead after failing to maintain speed.

    I’ve sacrificed so much to get here,” he said, “and to finally win here is a dream come true.”

    3) Brad Keselowski proved the adage that when the going gets tough, the tough get going. A few days after breaking his ankle during a test session at Road Atlanta, he scored his second win of the season at Pocono.

    But the story of what inspired him to persevere is what really makes this a special victory.

    Keselowski’s cousin had recently lost a friend who was one of 30 Americans who died when their helicopter was shot down in Afghanistan. After hearing of the tragedy, Keselowski vowed that he would not use a relief driver and would drive the entire race himself.

    After winning the race he dedicated the victory to the troops in Afghanistan.

    “I might not be feeling great, but those are the guys that are really making sacrifices,” Keselowski said. “Whenever I got in the car and felt like, man, this really hurts, it was good inspiration as to what it takes to ‘man up’ and make it happen.”

    4) Jeff Gordon achieved another milestone in his career with his 85th Sprint Cup Series win at Atlanta. It broke a tie and he now stands alone in third place on the all-time wins list. He trails only Richard Petty (200 career wins) and David Pearson (105).

    It’s difficult to compare drivers of different eras but there can be no doubt that Gordon is one of the best drivers that this sport has ever seen. And he’s not done yet.

    5) The finale at Homestead achieved the impossible. It actually lived up to all the hype preceding the event. Everything fell into place for a fight to the finish. Stewart emerged victorious passing 118 cars along the way and captured his third Sprint Cup championship title.

    “If this wasn’t one of the most exciting races to watch from a fan standpoint, you’ve got to go to a doctor immediately,” said Stewart. “I feel like I passed half the state of Florida. This is definitely one of the greatest races of my life.”

  • Surprising and Not Surprising: Homestead Ford 400

    Surprising and Not Surprising: Homestead Ford 400

    In a championship battle between two drivers separated by a mere three points going into the race, it was no surprise that Carl Edwards, driver of the No. 99 Aflac Ford and Tony Stewart, driver of the No. 14 Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevrolet, participated in a battle of epic proportions that did not end until the checkered flag flew.

    [media-credit name=”CIA Stock Photo” align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]Here is what was surprising and not surprising from the final race of the 2011 season, the 13th annual running of the Ford 400 from Homestead-Miami Speedway.

    Surprising:  While NASCAR Chairman Brian France wanted a ‘Game 7’ moment, it was most surprising that this race was not only that, but also an amazing story of comeback, guts and determination.

    From a hole in the grille to a fuel mileage gamble, several rain delays, and pit problems causing him to have to pass over 116 cars, Tony Stewart seemingly battled every element known to man to win the race, his 44th in 464 Cup races, as well as the championship.

    Stewart actually tied in championship points with Edwards, 2403 to be exact, but won the tie-breaker due to his five wins. Doing just what he needed to do, Stewart, principal of Stewart-Haas Racing, became just the second owner/driver since Alan Kulwicki in 1992 to score the coveted championship.

    Stewart is the seventh champ to win the season finale in his championship run. This was Smoke’s third championship, the others coming in 2002 and 2005.

    Stewart also becomes the ninth driver to win three or more championships, joining drivers Darrell Waltrip, Lee Petty and Cale Yarborough, all of whom are Hall of Famers or nominees for the Hall.

    “I felt like when we took the white flag, that I could do what I needed to do,” Stewart said. “To be able to fight our way up there, what a dream come true.”

    “As far as the owner’s side, it was more important to me to get Gene (Haas) that championship,” Stewart continued. “That’s a big deal in this sport. I’m so proud that we were able to get him up on that stage.”

    “I’m in awe,” team owner Gene Haas said of his driver. “I think Tony proved he’s the greatest driver in the world today.”

    Not Surprising:  Although exuding total class, as well as being the first person to congratulate the race winner and champion, it was not surprising that there was no one at Homestead more disappointed than Carl Edwards in coming up short for the Cup.

    Yet even in defeat, Edwards was able to at least be a bit philosophical through his disappointment.

    “It’s difficult but to put it in perspective, I plan to be here next year and the next year,” Edwards said. “I just appreciate having this opportunity. I feel like I became a better racer through this.”

    “This was a very mentally tough thing, from Tony’s win at Martinsville until now,” Edwards continued. “I’ll be tougher next time too.  I learned a lot.”

    This second place finish was Edwards’ seventh top-10 in eight races at Homestead-Miami Speedway. It was also his 26th top-10 finish in 2011, proving that he earned the title of ‘Mr. Consistency’ throughout the season.

    Surprising:  At a track far from his hometown of Mayetta, New Jersey, it was surprising to see just how well Martin Truex, Jr. ran at Homestead, Florida.

    The driver of the No. 56 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota not only scored the outside pole to begin the race, but finished a strong third in the Ford 400. This was Truex’s fifth top-10 finish in seven races at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

    “It’s a lot of fun when you can run like that,” Truex, Jr. said. “Just proud of everybody for sticking together.”

    “I’m looking forward to next year,” Truex Jr. continued. “It’s going to be fun.”

    “Everyone here has put such effort into making our cars better,” Truex, Jr. said. “We’ve had a pretty good season and have had fast race cars.”

    “If we can take care of a lot of little things this winter, hopefully we will have three cars capable of winning races week in and week out.”

    Not Surprising:  Matt Kenseth, who has been ultra-steady all season long, did not disappoint and not surprisingly scored a fourth place finish in his No. 17 Crown Royal Ford Fusion in this year’s race finale.

    “It was a good run for us in spite of hitting the wall early,” Kenseth said. “We did all that stuff, we just didn’t have the grip and speed they had.”

    “I thought it was Carl’s, to be honest with you,” Kenseth said of his teammate’s championship battle. “He had tires and Tony didn’t, but he just couldn’t quite catch him.”

    Surprising:  Jeff Burton, admittedly running some experimental set ups in his No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing, scored a surprising top-10 finish. Even more surprising, Burton achieved his goal of claiming 20th in the point standings.

    “Everyone is working on next year and everybody’s experimenting a little bit,” Burton said. “We’ve done a lot of testing the second half of the year with the 31 car. Really feel like we’ve moved the ball forward.”

    “We had a tight battle for 20th in points,” Burton continued. “I know that doesn’t sound like much but it means something to us. We had a tight battle for bragging rights.”

    Not Surprising:  While Brad Keselowski’s Cinderella story did not result in a championship, to no one’s surprise, last year’s Nationwide champ finished fifth in points, in spite of his 20th place finish at Homestead.

    “I don’t think anyone really expected that out of us, but I never stopped believing that we could be, you know, a contender and have a lot of fun and do well as a team,” the driver of the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger said. “I think we’ve got a lot to build off of.”

    “We’ll work on it, build off it too,” Keselowski continued. “I’m real proud of the effort for the whole team.”

    Surprising:  Since Jeff Gordon, behind the wheel of the No. 24 Drive to End Hunger, seemed to be on a down-hill slide at Chase-end, it was surprising that he was able to bounce back for a top-five run. His finish also propelled him three positions up in the point standings to the eighth spot.

    “It was a great day, a top-five, a great year,” Gordon said. “We had three wins, got number 85, and came up short in the Chase, but we look forward to next year and battling it out for the Sprint Cup.”

    As a champion himself, Gordon also had nothing but praise for NASCAR’s newest king.

    “Congratulations to Tony Stewart, my gosh, what an amazing run he had in these final ten races,” Gordon said. “He has done some incredible things in his career but I’m guessing that this one is going to top them all.”

    “He did it in a fashion that everybody dreams of doing.”

    Not Surprising:  Kasey Kahne, winner of last weekend’s race at Phoenix, continued his good run, finishing seventh for the last time in the No. 4 Red Bull Toyota Camry. Kahne will now take all his marbles and head to Hendrick Motorsports for the 2012 season, replacing Mark Martin.

    “I think we had the best car there those couple runs before the final run,” Kahne said. “We were flying. It felt really good and then we just got tight in that final run.”

    “It was crazy,” Kahne said of the race and the championship battle. “That’s as close as a championship can be, will ever be. Those two guys both deserve to be champions if you ask me.”

    Surprising:  While both Busch brothers, Kurt and Kyle, have experienced some troubles both on and off the track this season, it was surprising to see just how far they fell, finishing eleventh and twelfth in the points standings respectively.

    Kyle Busch, behind the wheel of the No. 18 Interstate Batteries Toyota, not the M&Ms Toyota due to his bad behavior with Ron Hornaday in the Truck race two weeks ago, showed moments of brilliance in the race finale. Busch, however, then faded to finish well back in the back in pack in the 23rd spot.

    Big brother Kurt Busch, driving the No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Dodge Charger, had troubles early in the Homestead race when on Lap 4, something broke in the engine. He officially finished 34th.

    “I’ve never been so disappointed in my life,” Kurt Busch said. “I think I missed a race once my rookie year and this almost tops that.”

    Not Surprising:  As exciting as the 2011 season has been, including the race finale and championship, it is not surprising that all good things must come to an end. In addition to the close of Jimmie Johnson’s reign as champion, other goodbyes, including David Reutimann leaving Michael Waltrip Racing, as well as Red Bull Racing pulling out of the sport, need to be said.

    “It’s been a good five years,” Brian Vickers, driver of the No. 83 Red Bull Toyota, said of his run with the team. “We had some ups and downs. The only goal we didn’t accomplish was the championship.”

    “I want to thank everyone at Red Bull, Toyota and all the guys for their hard work through the years,” Vickers continued. “This is it.”

    “It’s disappointing,” David Reutimann, driver for the final time of the No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota, said. “I love my guys. A lot of these guys have been with me since the Truck Series and have come up with me.”

    “I’m going to miss them,” Rooty continued. “It’s certainly a lot more bitter than it is sweet for sure.”

    “We think we had a motor problem,” Jimmie Johnson, driver of the No. 48 Lowes Chevrolet, said. “I started getting some warning signs in the way to the pits.”

    “We had a fast car but I worked my way up and was having some fun,” Johnson, who finished 32nd, continued. “Sad way to end the season but it’s racing and we’ll come back next year.”

    Speaking of next year, it is most surprising just how quickly this 2011 season has flown. Yet it is not surprising that testing at Daytona and Speedweeks is literally just around the corner.

    So, until 2012 brings us all back together at the track, happy holidays and God bless!

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Phoenix

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Phoenix

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Carl Edwards: Edwards chased Kasey Kahne to the finish at Phoenix, but had to settle for the runner-up spot in the Kobalt Tools 500. Edwards remained on top in the Sprint Cup point standings and will take a three-point lead over Tony Stewart to Homestead.

    “I would say the Sprint Cup championship is mine too lose,” Edwards said. “That would be inaccurate. It’s not mine to lose; it’s Jimmie Johnson’s. Jimmie had a great run; unfortunately, it’s slowed to a ‘walk.’

    “I could win the Cup without a single victory in the Chase. If that happens, I expect NASCAR to react quickly, and hire meth-head Jeremy Mayfield as a consultant, his job being to ‘tweak’ the Chase points system.”

    2. Tony Stewart: Stewart led 160 of 312 laps at Phoenix, but had to pit for fuel with 18 laps to go. He worked his way back to the front and finished third, right behind points leader Carl Edwards in second, to stay three points behind. The Sprint Cup championship will be decided next Sunday at Homestead.

    “You’ve got me,” Stewart said, “with four wins in the Chase, against Edwards, with not a single win in the Chase. How am I not in the lead, and how am I three points down? How has Edwards pulled that off. I’m mystified. In any case, the Chase For The Cup comes down to ‘Smoke’ versus ‘Smoke And Mirrors.’

    3. Kevin Harvick: Harvick finished an uninspired 19th at Phoenix, and remained third in the point standings, 51 behind Carl Edwards.

    “I’m out of the running for the Cup,” Harvick said. “That’s no surprise, because I’ve been driving like it for nine races.

    “But with nothing to race for, I can finally take care of some unfinished business. That would be wrecking Kyle Busch and finally gaining vengeance for the incident in Darlington. Alas, no one cares anymore, especially Busch.”

    4. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson came home 14th at Phoenix and improved one spot to fifth in the point standings. He now trails Carl Edwards by 68.

    “I’m finally giving up the crown,” Johnson said. “So, expect a ‘reign-out’ at Homestead. To Tony Stewart and Carl Edwards, I say ‘May the best man win.’ But since I’ve been eliminated from Cup contention, that won’t happen. So, ‘May the next best man win.’”

    5. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski finished 18th in the Kobalt Tools 500, his third straight finish outside the top 17. He improved one spot to fourth in the point standings and is now 68 out of first.

    “Expect me to be a fixture in the Chase for years to come,” Keselowski said. “I like what we’re doing at Penske Racing. Despite my young age of 27, I feel like my presence alone has raised the maturity level immensely at Penske. Between Busch and I, it seems he’s the ‘baby’ of the duo.”

    6. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth started on the pole at Phoenix and was dominant early before Brian Vickers wrecked him on lap 177. Kenseth finished 34th and is now sixth in the point standings, 70 out of first.

    “Somebody give Vickers at mirror,” Kenseth said, “because he better ‘watch himself’ at Homestead.”

    7. Kurt Busch: Busch led 57 laps at Phoenix but ran into trouble on lap 279 when came down pit road for a splash of fuel but was tagged for speeding. Forced to serve a pass-through penalty, Busch’s chances at the win were done, and he eventually finished 22nd, one lap down.

    “I was ‘officially’ eliminated from Cup contention twice in one race,” Busch said. “Of course, there’s no one to blame but myself, so I’ll blame everyone but myself.”

    8. Kasey Kahne: Kahne captured his first win since 2009, snapping an 81-race winless streak by outrunning Carl Edwards to the line at Phoenix.

    “I’ll hate to see Red Bull out of NASCAR,” Kahne said. “That’s a sentiment shared by everyone in the garage, except for Matt Kenseth. Brian Vickers will soon drive off into the sunset. And when I say ‘into’ the sunset, I mean it literally, because Vickers will probably hit it.”

    9. Jeff Gordon: Snake bitten first by handling problems, then brake issues, Gordon finished 32nd at Phoenix and was officially eliminated from Sprint Cup title contention. He is now 11th in the point standings, 112 out of first.

    “It’s been a season I’d like to forget,” Gordon said. “Unfortunately, at my age, and even as a four-time champion, now the ‘seasons to forget’ far outnumber the ‘season’s to remember.’”

    10. Kyle Busch: Busch started from the back at Phoenix after an engine change, but his slide continued when his engine blew on lap 188. Busch finished 36th and is 12th in the point standings, 135 out of first.

    “We suspected we may have engine troubles,” Busch said. “And we were right. Like my sponsor, my engine gave up on me.

    “I may be last in the standings, but I can also be ‘first,’ to admit that my anger issues need addressing. I think it wise that I should ‘seek counseling’ for my issues, before my issues force me to ‘seek counsel.’”

  • Dale Earnhardt Jr and Brad Keselowski at the NASCAR Hall of Fame

    Dale Earnhardt Jr and Brad Keselowski at the NASCAR Hall of Fame

    To promote the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, all of the eligible drivers have been making appearances at the NASCAR Hall of Fame to spend some time with their fans. 

    [media-credit name=”Ed Coombs” align=”alignright” width=”238″][/media-credit]Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Brad Keselowski were the featured drivers this Tuesday for a fan question and answer session.

    Miss Sprint Cup Monica Palumbo started things off with a round of trivia questions and prizes for the fans. After the crowd was warmed up, Keselowski took the stage with the Executive Director of the Hall, Winston Kelley.

    He delighted the crowd with both his honesty and humor.

    The biggest laugh came when Keselowski was asked, “What is the strangest thing you’ve ever been asked to autograph?”

    His answer was “the baby in a bucket of beer.”

    Yes, you read that right.

    A woman once asked Keselowski to sign her baby that she had placed in a bucket of beer. He drew the line at autographing the baby, signed the child’s shirt instead and sent the satisfied fan on her way.

    Keselowski answered the tough questions too.

    He was asked what he thought about the actions that NASCAR had taken after Kyle Busch intentionally wrecked Ron Hornaday at Texas Motor Speedway.

    “I feel pretty good about the way NASCAR handled the situation. I don’t think there’s any way that you can handle it that makes everyone happy because you can’t go back in time and fix it.”

    He went on to describe the nature of racing as an evolution in progress. He used the ‘Boys have at it’ decree from NASCAR as an example of something that is constantly evolving to the next level until someone finally has to say, “Stop!”

    Keselowski was also quite outspoken about NASCAR’s decision to switch to a fuel injection system next season.

    Is he happy about the change?

    “I’m not a big fan of it at all,” he said.

    He went on to say that he thought the main impetus for the change was simply public relations.

    Keselowski went into more detail when he talked with members of the media after the fan question and answer session ended.

    “We’re not doing this because it’s better for the sport or better for the teams. I don’t even think we’re really going to save any gas.”

    “It gives them something to promote,” he continued. “And we’re always looking for something to promote. But the honest answer is it does nothing for the sport except cost the team owners money.”

    Keselowski knows that speaking his mind may get him in hot water with NASCAR.

    “But that’s the honest part of it. I think it’s a disaster.”

    After a short break, Dale Earnhardt Jr. took the stage to answer questions.

    Winston Kelley started things off by asking Earnhardt Jr. to name someone, in addition to his father, who he had looked up to while he was growing up or admired.

    He answered with three names; Jimmie Means, Cale Yarborough and David Pearson.

    “I always liked Jimmy Means a lot,” he said. “I just admired how hard he worked and how dedicated he was to what he was doing.”

    “Cale Yarborough was a guy that I thought a lot of. I admired how he carried himself around the race track and how he handled his business.”

    “I thought David Pearson was pretty cool but I didn’t get to know him that well as a driver. But watching old films and old footage and reading about him, he seemed like an interesting character.”

    The questions from the fans ran the gamut from “What sports do you like?” to “What is the best way to pursue a career in racing?”

    Quite a few of the fans simply stood up to proclaim that they were his biggest fan or to ask for an autograph.

    We learned that he’s not particularly superstitious and doesn’t have any pre-race rituals.

    “I just get up in the morning, put my clothes on and go to work,” he said laughing.

    Then one young fan stood up and quietly asked, “Whenever you are racing do you feel your father watching over you or feel your father’s spirit when you are driving the car?”

    Without hesitation, Dale Jr answered, “I think so. I think that you kind of carry that with you all the time and with everything you do.”

    “I do feel like his spirit rides with me in the racecar and keeps me safe.”

    A small ripple of applause spread throughout the crowd.

    Dale Earnhardt Jr. may not be the most eloquent of speakers but at moments like these it’s easy to understand why his fans feel such a special connection to him.

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Texas

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Texas

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Tony Stewart: Stewart out dueled Carl Edwards at Texas, holding off his championship rival to win the AAA Texas 500. Stewart led 173 laps on the day, and now trails Edwards by only three points in the Sprint Cup standings.

    [media-credit name=”Mike Holloway” align=”alignright” width=”261″][/media-credit]“Last week I said Edwards should be worried,” Stewart said. “This week, tell him ‘I’m coming.’ He knows where I’m going, and I do, as well, because I’ve ‘been there before.’

    “As I’ve said before, I don’t care about second. Second place is for losers. Or is it? I’ve won four races in the Chase, yet I’m only second in the points. Apparently, second place isn’t for losers.”

    2. Carl Edwards: Edwards finished second at Texas to Tony Stewart, as the two battled over the last third of the AAA Texas 500. Edwards’ eight-point lead in the point standings was trimmed by five, and now he leads Stewart by only three.

    “Who says you need to win races to win a championship?” Edwards said. “Certainly not the NASCAR rule book. So far, Stewart has been ‘great’ in four races. I’ve been ‘good’ in eight. So far, so ‘good.’ If I win the Cup without a victory, I’ll endorse the headline ‘My Goodness! Edwards Wins Cup.’”

    3. Kevin Harvick: Harvick finished 13th at Texas, and remained third in the point standings. He now trails Carl Edwards by 33 with two races left in the Chase.

    “Kyle Busch took stupidity to a new level,” Harvick said, “for the third or fourth time this year. Despite having over 100 wins in NASCAR competition, he’s still ‘lost it’ more than he’s won. In Texas, NASCAR decided his fate for him. Call it a ‘parking lot.’ As they say, ‘M&M’s melt in your hands, Kyle Busch sits on his.”

    4. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth finished fourth in the Texas AAA 500, posting his fourth top-5 result of the Chase. He moved up to fourth in the point standings and now trails Carl Edwards by 38.

    “Kyle Busch is in a class by himself,” Kenseth said. “That is, anger management class.”

    5. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski struggled at Texas, finishing a lap down on his way to a 24th. He fell one spot to fifth in the point standings where he is 49 out of first.

    “I’m not counting myself out yet,” Keselowski said. “Anything’s possible. That is, anything’s possible….with Kyle Busch and Brian Vickers both in the field.”

    6. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson finished 14th at Texas and remained sixth in the point standings. He is 55 out of first, and will be Sprint Cup champion for only two more weeks.

    “So, will it be Carl Edwards or Tony Stewart as next Sprint Cup champion?” Johnson said. “If Creedence Clearwater Revival made that query, they would surely say, ‘And I wonder, still I wonder, who’ll stop the reign? CCR rules. RCR doesn’t.

    “I’m going to say something that I haven’t had to say in half a decade. And that’s ‘It just wasn’t my year.’”

    7. Jeff Gordon: Gordon posted his second straight top-10 finish, coming home sixth at Texas after a third at Martinsville. He improved two spots to eighth in the point standings, 81 out of first.

    “Much like a Kyle Busch apology,” Gordon said, “it’s ‘too little, too late.’ If he continues to go rogue, so will his sponsors.”

    8. Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: Earnhardt finished seventh at Texas and climbed to seventh in the point standings. He trails Carl Edwards by 79 points.

    “I didn’t make the Chase last year,” Earnhardt said, “so this year would have to be considered an improvement. I went from the ‘outside looking in’ to the ‘inside looking in.’”

    9. Kurt Busch: Busch finished 30th at Texas, two laps down, and fell one spot to ninth in the point standings. He trails Carl Edwards by 87.

    “What’s that continuous high-pitched sound heard on the No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil radio frequency?” Busch said. “I don’t know, but it sounds like a ‘whine.’”

    10. Kyle Busch: Busch was banned from Sunday’s Cup race after blatantly wrecking Ron Hornaday under caution in Friday’s trucks race. Busch retaliated after the two trucks made contact when they went three-wide to navigate around a slower truck. Busch is now 100 points out of first in the Sprint Cup standings and has been officially eliminated from championship contention.

    “If I had it to do over,” Busch said, “I’d do it differently. By that, I’m referring to my career, and not Friday’s truck race.”