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  • Will the Brickyard 400 Separate the Contenders from the Pretenders?

    Will the Brickyard 400 Separate the Contenders from the Pretenders?

    I don’t normally put a lot of stock into the notion that statistics can accurately foretell who will win a race. There are far too many variables in a sport where luck, the actions of another driver and even Mother Nature can conjure up the unlikeliest of winners. But some statistics are difficult to ignore.

    There have been 20 NASCAR Sprint Cup races at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway and 15 of those events were won by drivers who were past, future or reigning Cup champions.

    Jeff Gordon won the inaugural Brickyard 400 in 1994 and captured his first Sprint Cup championship the next year. He followed that victory up with three more in 1998, 2001 and 2004 to go along with three more championships in 1997, 1998 and 2001.

    Gordon likes his chances of putting another win in the books this Sunday.

    “This weekend there’s no doubt I feel like this is the best chance that we’ve had at winning this race legitimately with the speed of the car as we’ve had in a very, very long time,” he said when he spoke with the media Friday.

    “It’s obvious that there’s some competitors out there that are going to be tough, including our teammates,” he continued. “But I think the preparation that we’ve put into it and what we’ve been working on since, you know, the break, and I mean leading into that really are things that we’re really, really excited about seeing what we have here today and during practice and this weekend. But yeah, this is definitely, from an overall strength of the team and speed of the car, this is by far the best chance we’ve had at winning in a long time.”

    Dale Earnhardt won the 1995 Brickyard 400 in 1995 famously saying that he was the first man to win it, an obvious reference to “Wonder Boy” Gordon’s win in the first race. The Intimidator was already a seven-time champ but this would prove to be his only win at Indianapolis.

    In addition to Gordon, today’s active full-time Cup drivers with multiple wins includes Tony Stewart with two (2005, 2007) and Jimmie Johnson with four victories in 2006, 2008, 2009 and 2012. All three of these drivers have won multiple championships. If you take those impressive statistics I mentioned into account, this could be Stewart’s best chance to snag the win that has eluded him all season.

    In a teleconference last week, Stewart was asked his thoughts on the upcoming race.

    “If you can’t win the Daytona 500, this is the perfect second to get your first win for the year,” he responded. “So we were one of the teams that did the Goodyear test a couple weeks ago, and we felt like our car was pretty quick. So I was pretty excited about that. It’s just a matter of going back and trying to keep that speed in the car.”

    You also have to consider those champions who have yet to win the Brickyard 400 like Matt Kenseth who sits in fourth position in the standings but has no wins this season. Then there’s Brad Keselowski who has been on a tear lately with three number one finishes. Kurt Busch, 2004 champ, has one win this year but is 25th in the points standings. Another victory could give him some breathing room.

    Just to make things more interesting, here’s another statistic to bear in mind. The last 11 consecutive Sprint Cup races at Indianapolis have been won by Chevrolet, eight of those going to Hendrick Motorsports drivers.

    Whether you put your trust in statistics or Lady Luck, one thing is certain. The Brickyard 400 is one of the toughest races on the schedule and requires the same tenacity and skill that exemplifies a Sprint Cup Champion.

  • The Hot 20 – Get hot in NASCAR and it costs you $25,000, in the NHL it is 2 minutes

    The Hot 20 – Get hot in NASCAR and it costs you $25,000, in the NHL it is 2 minutes

    A guy grabs you and pushes you around. The universally accepted response is a punch to the other guy’s head. My dad taught me that, and so I taught my sons. It is a simple case of cause and effect, you push to start a confrontation and a punch usually will end it. Personally, I might remember once where I was so involved.

    Casey Mears and Marcos Ambrose are not known for it. Neither are Jeff Gordon and Jeff Burton, but it happens. Mears got $15,000 for shoving, Ambrose $25,000 for punching, and both got a month’s probation. In hockey, what they did was worthy of a two minute roughing penalty, but “have at it boys” seems to be much more genteel than we once thought. Genteel, as in free from rudeness or vulgarity. My favorite definition, though, is “marked by false delicacy, prudery, or affectation.” This is NASCAR. If what took place after the Richmond race is worthy of $40,000 in fines, Lord knows what a real donnybrook might be worth.

    Genteel is something no one has ever accused Juan Pablo Montoya as being. I remember his on-track discussion with Kevin Harvick at Watkins Glen back in 2007. Montoya has a Top Five to show for his first three starts back in IndyCar this season, and NASCAR fans get to see him back in a stock car soon enough. In June, he will drive for Penske at Michigan, and again in July in the Brickyard 400. I sure hope he acts like a gentleman. We would not want any of our sensitivities upset by any form of rudeness.

    Do you remember Dale Earnhardt’s last race and his one finger salute to rookie Kurt Busch? I guess the Intimidator was just being welcoming and couldn’t get those other four fingers through the window net.

    This is the year where wins mean damn near everything. It seems no one told Jeff Gordon, who remains the steadiest driver thus far in 2014 and he was not picked up a single victory as of yet. Heck, Matt Kenseth does not seem to be hurting as we head to Talladega, even though he also has not shaken the bubbly post-race. Even taking into account our extra 22 point bonus for winning (up to a max of 70 points for a win) both Gordon and Kenseth are doing just fine to remain among our top drivers of the season.

    Position – Points -Driver

    1. 341 Jeff Gordon
    2. 336 Joey Logano – 2 WINS
    3. 336 Matt Kenseth
    4. 335 Carl Edwards – 1 WIN
    5. 332 Kyle Busch – 1 WIN
    6. 331 Dale Earnhardt, Jr. – 1 WIN
    7. 309 Brad Keselowski – 1 WIN
    8. 282 Jimmie Johnson
    9. 272 Ryan Newman
    10. 264 Kevin Harvick – 2 WINS
    11. 256 Greg Biffle
    12. 256 Brian Vickers
    13. 252 Austin Dillon
    14. 251 Kyle Larson
    15. 245 Denny Hamlin
    16. 243 Tony Stewart
    17. 242 Marcos Ambrose
    18. 240 A.J. Allmendinger
    19. 226 Jamie McMurray
    20. 226 Paul Menard
  • He’s Back….Juan Pablo Montoya is Back in NASCAR

    He’s Back….Juan Pablo Montoya is Back in NASCAR

    Juan Pablo Montoya, whose contract was not renewed by Earnhardt Ganassi Racing last year in favor of rookie Kyle Larson, will make his return back to NASCAR with Team Penske for two races this year.

    Montoya will add the NASCAR Cup starts at Michigan and the Brickyard at Indy to his Verizon IndyCar Series full-time schedule. The 38 year old Columbian will pilot the No. 12 SKF Ford at Michigan International Speedway on June 15th and the sponsor-to-be-named No. 12 car for the Brickyard 400 on July 27th.

    Greg Erwin, a veteran NASCAR crew chief, will be atop the pit box of Montoya for both races.

    “Juan is a proven winner in multiple racing disciplines and he is one of the most versatile racecar drivers competing today,” Roger Penske, team owner, said. “Michigan and Indianapolis are two important races for Team Penske. We know Juan has the ability to race for wins in both of those events while still focusing on his full-time program in the Verizon IndyCar Series.”

    Juan Pablo Montoya is also back on the NASCAR circuit with one of the most successful teams to date. Team Penske, whose two drivers Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano have both visited Victory Lane this year, will no doubt welcome their newest teammate to the fold.

    “This opportunity is pretty unique,” Montoya said. “This year, it will be nice to be in a Penske car because they are so competitive week in and week out. Both Keselowski and Logano are running up front.”

    One place that Montoya really wants to go back to is the Brickyard, where he has come so close to winning in a stock car. JPM has mastered the Indianapolis Motor Speedway having won the Indy 500 in 2000.

    “It’s one of those places where I feel like I got robbed a few times,” Montoya said. “To be able to come here and be able to close that deal will be really, really nice.”

    Montoya is also back as he is on a mission to get take team owner Roger Penske to Victory Lane for the first time ever at the Brickyard.

    “It’s hard to believe, but Roger Penske has never won the Brickyard 400,” JPM said. “I think that Brad, Joey and I will give Roger and Team Penske a great opportunity to check that off the list and we should be strong at Michigan as well.”

    Montoya is also back with a vengeance to attempt something that no one else has done, winning three feature races at Indy in the same season. He is scheduled for the Grand Prix of Indianapolis on May 10th, the Indy 500 a week later, and then the Brickyard 40 in July. So, if JPM qualifies for each one, he would be the first to do so.

    “Three chances gives me a better chance of winning one of them now,” Montoya said.

    So, just how will Montoya get back in shape to get back on the NASCAR Cup tracks?

    “I had a chance to test a car last week at Nashville and I felt like it was a good test,” Montoya said. “I was very happy that I got up to speed very easy. Within five laps I was comfortable in the car.”

    “I think running Michigan and Indy are two tracks where running open wheel helps you, especially Michigan, which is a lot like an open-wheel car because you don’t slow down much but use momentum and a lot of high speed.”

    “To just run the Brickyard would be a pretty big ask of our team and of Juan, without having spent much time in our cars or with having been out of a Cup car for a while,” Tim Cindric, Team Penske President said. “So, we felt like we needed to give him another shot at Michigan prior to the Brickyard so he could get ready for Indy.”

    While Montoya has been enjoying being back in the IndyCar Series, where he is 11th in the point standings currently, he is equally thrilled about this new opportunity back in his old stomping ground of NASCAR where he spent six year.

    “It will be fun to get back behind the wheel of that Cup car,” Montoya said simply.

     

  • Ryan Newman Makes a Statement With Brickyard 400 Victory

    Ryan Newman Makes a Statement With Brickyard 400 Victory

    After a rare pit mistake by the No.48 team that cost them a shot at history, Indiana race fans rejoiced as they watched native Hoosier, Ryan Newman triumph over all at the Brickyard. Newman and Johnson were the class of the field all day with Jimmie showing the most strength but this is a team sport and a 17 second pit stop with just a handful of laps remaining is nearly impossible to overcome when your rival takes two tires. To me, the prudent decision for the usually cunning Chad Knaus would have been to call an audible and take two tires after the issues on the right side; that would have saved their race. It was a huge win for Newman and considering his situation, one that may ensure the longevity of his NASCAR career.

    Ryan Newman is a very underrated driver in my opinion. A large contingent of fans look at him as that driver who is decent and occasional snags a win here and there but in 424 Cup starts, he’s amassed 50 poles, 90 top five’s, 175 top ten’s and 17 wins which include the Daytona 500 and now the Brickyard 400. He’s won multiple Nationwide races, is serious threat every time he gets behind the wheel of a Modified and in five Camping World Truck Series starts, his worst finish is 5th. Those numbers are Hall of Fame worthy but people still fail to appreciate the natural talent this USAC champion possesses.

    His impressive stats alone were not enough for him to keep his seat at Stewart-Haas Racing. NASCAR is money driven and we have seen too many situations where cash talks and talent walks; Newman being the just the latest driver to get the boot due to that unfortunate policy. The team owners in NASCAR are not ignorant to the fact that Ryan can wheel a racecar and there have been rumors that RCR and Furniture Row were looking at adding him to their roster in 2014. What he did at Indy was substantial in salvaging his career and maintaining a presence at the pinnacle of NASCAR. A ride for next year seemed feasible going into Indy but this win may have launched him to the top of the list for a few owners that were already contemplating him. I’m sure team owner Tony Stewart felt ambivalent about the victory knowing that Ryan will no longer be his driver next year but going out a winner would be the best way for the “Rocket Man” to go.

    He is making it known that the “lame-duck” status that departing drivers are often labeled with does not apply to him. At Loudon, he was informed that his services at Stewart-Haas would no longer be needed after 2013 and just one race later, he’s breaking track records and celebrating in victory lane at Indianapolis. SHR has experienced something similar to this back in 2011 when crew chief Darian Grubb was told he would be released at the end of the season…he and Tony Stewart went on to win the championship. Matt Borland and Ryan Newman have enjoyed great success with one-another in the past and they seem to have one of those rare driver/crew chief combinations that just works much like Johnson/Knaus, Keselowski/Wolfe or Kahne/Francis.

    The No.39 team does not seem beleaguered by the recent announcement regarding their driver’s imminent release; their dedication and hunger to succeed seems unshakable as they set out to make some noise in the final 16 races of the year. An uncertain future has only seemed to motivate Ryan and make him more determined to take 2013 by the horns and leave SHR in a blaze of glory rather than quietly into the night.

  • Matty’s Picks Vol. 17 – Crown Royal Presents the Samuel Deeds 400 at The Brickyard Powered by BigMachineRecords.com – Indianapolis Motor Speedway – July 28, 2013

    Matty’s Picks Vol. 17 – Crown Royal Presents the Samuel Deeds 400 at The Brickyard Powered by BigMachineRecords.com – Indianapolis Motor Speedway – July 28, 2013

    The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series visits the famed 2.5-mile rectangle in the Midwest at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the 20th time on Sunday for a 400-mile race which will certainly have some foreshadowing into the future this week and here is why. The race at IMS has some serious championship implications this week as 15 of the 19 races at the Brickyard have been won by series champions. The Indy race winner has gone on to capture the NASCAR Sprint Cup title in eight different seasons and Jimmie Johnson was the most recent in 2009, duplicating his Indy-Sprint Cup championship sweeps of 2006 and 2008.

    Indy has eluded the majority of the top 10 guys in points over the years as Jimmie Johnson and Kevin Harvick are the only two members of the current top 10 in the standings have won at The Brickyard.

    As far as the makes go, Chevy has been nearly invincible over the years at the brickyard as the last non-Chevrolet to win at IMS was Ray Evernham’s Dodge driven by a guy named Bill Elliot all the way back in 2001, in fact a General Motors product has won 15 of the 19 races held at the Brickyard which includes Bobby Labonte’s win for Pontiac in 2000.
    Nothing to recap this week as we had our first week off since Easter last week, so we’ll move on to the picks.

    Winner Pick
    On Thursday while previewing today’s race from the Brickyard with Greg Depalma on the Prime Sports Network, it was Kevin Harvick who I liked to win because of his flat-track history and the generous 20 to 1 odds that came along with him. Despite a couple solid practice sessions on Friday and Saturday, Karvick’s qualifying position has me a bit gun-shy to pull the trigger on him for this afternoon. Just 3 of the 19 races at the Brickyard have been won from starting spots 20th or worse, and Harvick qualified his Chevrolet 24th so though I still think he poses a solid threat for his 3rd victory of the season, I don’t think he’s got the car to beat this weekend.

    Instead, I’m going to swap my pick this week and go with the other guy I picked Thursday to win at The Brickyard in Kasey Kahne. Kasey has a lot going for him this weekend as first, he’s in a Chevy, second he finished runner up in the 2005 race in just his 2nd ever start at IMS, and 3rd he’s been fast all weekend. Kahne was 5th in the first practice, 2nd behind Kurt Busch in Happy Hour, and will roll off 7th when the green flag flies later this afternoon. I’ve got a hunch today, and I think we see Kasey Kahne kiss the bricks for the first time.

    Dark Horse Pick
    My Dark Horse driver has not changed from Thursday but the odds associated with my Dark Horse sure have. Juan Montoya started the week as a 30 to 1 longshot. He’s now just behind guys like four-time Brickyard winner Jeff Gordon and two-time winner Tony Stewart at 12 to 1 right now! This means I’m not the only person in the world to believe in this guy because of his history at IMS. This car has shown speed again this year at The Brickyard and after winning the first practice session, following up in 3rd on the charts during Happy Hour, and qualifying 8th, my pick from Thursday is looking better and better.

    If it wasn’t for a pit road speeding penalty back in 2009, Montoya’s name would have been etched in Brickyard history in the stock car category, and I think Juan is due for a win at The Brickyard.

    That’s all for this week, enjoy the race and until we are done with the flat tracks for a few weeks…..You Stay Classy NASCAR NATION!

  • Johnson dominates the Brickyard, sights locked on 6th Sprint Cup title

    Johnson dominates the Brickyard, sights locked on 6th Sprint Cup title

    Jimmie Johnson had an extremely confident look on his face during pre-race before Sunday afternoon’s running of the Brickyard 400. He went even as far to tweet on Saturday ” I can’t wait for tomorrow, Our car is awesome”. Jimmie Johnson proved beyond all doubt on Sunday afternoon how awesome that car was.

    On a sun splashed afternoon in Indianapolis, Johnson and the No.48 team showed why without doubt they are the favorite to win their 6th NSCS championship. Denny Hamlin set the pace early on leading the first 27 laps in which time Johnson went from 6th to 2nd and then took the lead after a pit stop. He only relinquished it during pit stops. Johnson led 99 of the 160 laps and beat 2nd place Kyle Busch by 4.7 seconds to secure his record tying 4th Brickyard win in a dominating fashion .

    Johnson and the No.48 team are quietly putting together one of their best seasons in NASCAR since his rookie season in the series in 2002, posting 3 wins,10 top 5’s, and 15 top 10’s all which are series best. He also leads the series in laps led, with 912.

    A look deeper inside the numbers tells why Johnson is the favorite heading into the chase. On non restrictor plate tracks in 2012, Jimmie’s numbers have been absolutely mind boggling. In 17 starts on the non plate tracks, he has 3 wins,10 top 5’s, and 15 top 10’s to go along with an average finish of 5.2 in those races which is the best in NSCS.

    There are 6 races to go before the 12 driver cutoff for the Chase for the Sprint Cup and by all appearances the No.48 team is really starting to hit their stride. It wouldn’t surprise this guy if they put a couple of more wins on the board before the chase starts . It seems like they unload fast off the truck every weekend and they have the ultimate X factor in crew chief Chad Knaus calling the shots from the pit box. Today’s win should put the garage on notice that this is indeed the team to beat come chase time starting in Chicago in September.

    The only thing standing in Jimmie’s way of a 6th cup series title is an October visit to Talladega. Where the plate tracks have been unkind to the No.48 team this season, but if they can navigate the treacherous close quarter racing at Talladega and come out of there with a top 10 and judging by the numbers this season on the rest of the chase tracks. NASCAR could have a very familiar face holding the trophy at the end of 400 miles at Homestead in November and that face is Jimmie Johnson. Right now I wouldn’t bet against him.

  • NASCAR and The Brickyard; A Perfect Match

    NASCAR and The Brickyard; A Perfect Match

    When stock cars first graced the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1992 for a Goodyear tire test, the hallowed grounds of the speedway were rocked with a sound never heard before. Drivers were excited as were crews, fans and dignitaries from the speedway and NASCAR alike. Every driver wanted to be able to say, “I was the first driver to turn cross the yard of bricks, in a stock car!”

    [media-credit id=22 align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]The drivers were sent out onto the speedway in numerical order, and since there was no number one car, Rusty Wallace in his number two Penske Pontiac was the first car to hit the speedway. Thinking that the warm up lap was going to be an easy cruise, Wallace never expected to see a car catching him. “I looked up in my mirror and saw this black car getting closer” Wallace said. That car was none other than the late Dale Earnhardt Sr.

    Earnhardt passed Wallace down the front stretch and right then and there, is where the stock car competitiveness began at Indianapolis.

    In 1994, NASCAR graced the grounds once again, but only this time, there was a race taking place. On Saturday August 6, 1994, the tradition began with the Inaugural Brickyard 400. The race was filled with a record number of lead changes for the speedway at the time, and some of the most side by side battles at the speedway. The race was won by none other than a driver that called Indiana his home, Jeff Gordon.

    While the win was special for Gordon, drivers like Dale Earnhardt Sr. and Tony Stewart, had some extra incentive placed on winning at the Brickyard.

    Earnhardt, a seven time cup series champion, wanted nothing more than to be the first driver to roll into victory lane at Indianapolis in NASCAR. After a lap two pounding of the turn four wall, Earnhardt wanted to become the first “man” to win the Brickyard 400. When the second annual Brickyard 400 finally got underway, Earnhardt began to show what kind of driver he really ways. After a late race pit stop, then leader of the race, Rusty Wallace, had troubles on pit road due to cars in front of him and multiple scares with loose tires. Wallace tried desperately to get out first, but when he got to the backstretch, that black car that passed him back in 1992, was right there again, and just like that time, he blew right passed him.
    Dale went on to claim the victory indeed becoming the first “man” to win the Brickyard 400.

    Growing up in Indiana, Tony Stewart had always dreamed of winning the Indianapolis 500 in an Indy Car. Never in his wildest dreams did he think he would be racing at the Brickyard in a stock car. Stewart, who was one of the member of the Indy Car world who did not like stock cars coming to Indy, was in the middle of a successful Indy Car career when he was signed by Joe Gibbs Racing for 1999. Always being one of the favorites to win, Stewart placed even more pressure on himself. In 2005, that dream was finally a reality after holding off Kasey Kahne in a late race shootout to win his first Brickyard 400. Taking in the moment buy hanging on the fence, and grabbing a Coke from his family, Stewart had finally lived his lifelong dream of winning at the Brickyard.

    Many other drivers have graced the checkered floor of victory lane in the Brickyard 400. Names such as; Elliott, Harvick, Jarrett, Johnson, Labonte and McMurray. Indianapolis is a place where the cream rise to the top more than any other racetrack on the NASCAR circuit. You cannot fluke your way into a good run here.

    You must put the whole package together to be among the greats, as an Indianapolis winner.

    With the vast amount of history the speedway brings, and how far the sport of NASCAR has come in just over sixty years, the two are a perfect match for each other. They both show the fruits and labors of the racing world over the years better than maybe any other combination out there.

    While the racing may not be stellar by any standards, the element of winning at Indy is probably the most difficult. History takes center stage when you come to the Brickyard.