Testing SpeedwayMedia.com

Tag: Bubba Wallace

  • Wallace scores best career finish since Daytona 500 in 2018

    Wallace scores best career finish since Daytona 500 in 2018

    Despite all the talk about who was in and who was out of the Playoffs, another driver received a lot of attention after the race was over. Bubba Wallace, driving the famed No. 43 of Richard Petty Motorsports, brought home the No. 43 World Wide Technology Chevrolet to a third-place finish.

    “I haven’t had a high like that since Daytona last year,” Wallace explained to PRN Radio. “Man, we unloaded with a ton of speed and we’ve been unloading with that last month and a half, two months. We just haven’t transitioned that over to the race but for some reason, it started off Saturday morning to right now. And it led to a third-place finish at Indy, a racetrack where I showed up last year for my first Cup debut and didn’t see the place until the drop of the green flag of the race.”

    “To come here, it just speaks volume to my guys at Richard Petty Motorsports are what they are able to do with such limited resources. I can’t thank World Wide Technology enough for making that big leap last year and making another leap with us this year. You know being here, jumping on our cars. We’re not where we want to be, but we can always be better. This is a hell of a day, just thankful and grateful to be here.”

    The third-place finish was Wallace’s first top-five of the season.

  • Bubba Wallace – Shining a light on depression

    Bubba Wallace – Shining a light on depression

    Fast cars, money, adoring fans. From the outside looking in, it’s a glamorous life. Even after the roar of the engines fade away you can hear the echoes of battles fought, some won and some lost.

    The news gives us our heroes and villains with sound bites targeted toward the fans who love nothing more than a good old fashioned rivalry. In a sport that is fueled by testosterone, adrenalin and bravado, it is never easy for a racer to admit to anything that could be construed as a weakness. NASCAR’s history is filled with tales of drivers competing with broken bones and concussions although these types of antics have become more a thing of the past as the racing culture has evolved.

    But sometimes, the most difficult challenges come from within in the form of anxiety or depression. Hidden by smiles and tucked into the recesses of the mind, their attacks can be sudden and debilitating.

    Based on a study done in 2017 by the National Institute of Mental Health, approximately 17.3 million adults in the United States had at least one major depressive episode or 7.1% of all adults. When you take into account all of the people who suffer in silence because of the stigma that surrounds it, the numbers are undoubtedly higher.

    Depression does not discriminate. It affects people from all walks of life regardless of gender, age, race or stature.

    Athletes are no exception.

    Michael Phelps, winner of 28 Olympic medals admitted to bouts of depression, self-medication and thoughts of suicide. “After every Olympics, I think I think I fell into a major state of depression,” Phelps said in an interview with CNN in 2018.

    Ricky Williams, a former NFL running back, told the Anxiety and Depression Association of America “I felt extremely isolated from my friends and family because I couldn’t explain to them what I was feeling. I had no idea what was wrong with me.” He was eventually diagnosed with depression and social anxiety disorder.

    But in the racing community, the silence about depression has been deafening, with one exception.

    Earlier this year at Kansas Speedway, Bubba Wallace was asked about the challenges facing his team as they prepared for the upcoming race. As he answered, he opened up about his struggles with depression, speaking publicly on the subject for the first time.

    “You try to be the best you can, and sometimes it ain’t damn good enough,” he said. He added later that he has experienced “depression and everything with it.” One of the ways he copes is through racing but even that is only a temporary solution.

    “I’ll be damned, It all goes away when you get behind the wheel. It’s 16 years of driving. It helps. But it’s tough.” As his emotions overflowed, he said, “I’m on the verge of breaking down. And I am what I am.”

    Wallace went into more detail with Marty Snider during a rain delay at Chicagoland Speedway in June.

    “Depression doesn’t care who you are,” he said. “It doesn’t care how much success or how much you’re down. It’ll just jump on top of you. You don’t expect it and it takes you down through a lot of deep and dark moments. And you sit there and contemplate a lot of dark things. And you talk to a lot of people and you try to do everything you can to get out of it.

    “It’s not a day to night turnaround. It takes a long time and I’m still going through it. There are some days where I wake up and I’m good, I’m great. There’s other days where I wake up and I just want to sleep all day and I don’t really feel like I have a purpose.”

    My husband was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in his mid-twenties and has faced similar obstacles. He has described bouts of depression to a switch that is suddenly flipped and can blindside him when he least expects it. The worst moments for him are in the stillness of the night when his thoughts fill with doubts and insecurities, robbing him of joy.

    It can affect all aspects of one’s life yet those not familiar with it can often be critical and dismissive, chalking it up to low self-esteem, self-pity, or immaturity. All of these factors emphasize the need for clarity.

    Wallace’s honesty has illuminated an issue that has been in the shadows for far too long. As a popular public figure, he can have a huge impact on the perception of mental illness by encouraging others to follow his lead and share their stories to light the way for others who feel they are in this alone.

    *Inspired by Bubba Wallace. Dedicated to my husband and everyone who struggles with depression every day. You are not alone.

    Follow @angiecampbell_ for the latest NASCAR news and feature stories.

  • NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series Preview: Texas-Spring

    NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series Preview: Texas-Spring

    The NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series heads to the Lone Star State this weekend, home to Texas Motor Speedway.

    Texas Motor Speedway has played host to the Truck Series since 1997 and has had two races there since 1998.

    Since the first race there in 1997, the list of drivers who know what it takes when it comes to winning at Texas, is impressive. It includes names like Kenny Irwin Jr, Tony Raines, Jay Sauter, Jack Sprague, Jeb Burton, Ty Dillon, Brendan Gaughan (who won four in a row), Todd Bodine, Clint Bowyer, Ron Hornaday, Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, Johnny Sauter, Matt Crafton, Erik Jones, William Byron, Christopher Bell, and Justin Haley just to name a few.

    So who wins this time around? Here are five potential contenders that just might take home the trophy on Friday night.

    1. Johnny Sauter – Sauter has had quite a bit of success at Texas Motor Speedway. A bit might be an understatement. In 21 starts dating back to his first start in 2005, his first start for Thorsport since 2015, Sauter has five wins here at Texas. Two of those came with ThorSport Racing in 2012, where Sauter swept both races that season. He would have to wait again until 2016 he would revisit victory lane. Since then, he has won back to back from fall of 2017 and spring of 2018. Sauter has four poles, 10 top fives and 16 top 10 finishes with 361 laps led and an average finish of 6.3. He has currently been on a small winless streak dating back to Martinsville last fall, the last time Sauter won, but he is currently adjusting after rejoining his old team. It will only be a matter of time before Sauter visits victory lane again.
    2. Kyle Busch – Surprise, surprise! Busch has been on a roll lately in the Truck Series, winning three consecutive races and he does not look to slow down anytime soon. Texas Motor Speedway has been a so-so track for Busch. The last time he competed there was in 2014, where Busch won after leading 80 laps. Overall, he has three wins and four DNFs. He even won the fall 2009 race and the fall 2010 race to sweep the fall races. In total, Busch has led 356 laps and has eight top fives and eight top-10 finishes with an average finish of 10.9. It’s hard to stop someone who is on a roll, and it wouldn’t be surprising if Busch ends up in victory lane again on Friday night.
    3. Grant Enfinger – After a quiet day at Martinsville last week and losing the points lead, Enfinger will be hungry and looks to heat things up again this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway. He only has four starts here, his first in 2017 where Enfinger finished third, his best finish since then. Despite finishing 12th last fall, he has had great finishes at the 1.5-mile track. In those four starts, Enfinger has two top fives and three top-10s to wind up with an average finish of 6.5. Look for him to be a contender this weekend.
    4. Todd Gilliland – It’s easy to say Gilliland should have won here last November where he led 60 laps only to finish a disappointing fourth. In fact, he should have swept both races after finishing sixth last spring after starting second and leading 60 laps. With the pressure to perform well this year, Gilliland could use a much-needed win and he just might break through Friday night.
    5. Stewart Friesen – Speaking of first-time race winners, Texas Motor Speedway could be the site of Friesen’s first career win if everything goes as planned. He has momentum after taking the points lead following Martinsville and even sitting on the pole there as well. So far this year, Friesen has two top fives and three top-10 finishes. Last year, he has five top fives and two top-10 finishes at mile and a half tracks with a best finish of second twice. In the summer race, Friesen finished second and eighth in the fall race with 25 laps led combined to raise his average finish to 11.6. Should be breakthrough, this weekend at Texas just might be the place.

    To note, Joe Nemechek is back in the No. 8, Bubba Wallace remains in the No. 22 for AM Racing once again, Angela Ruch begins her stint with the No. 44 Niece Motorsports truck, and Anthony Alfredo is back in the No. 54.

    On-track action begins on Thursday afternoon for the truckers with two practice sessions. The first one is scheduled for 3:05 p.m. CT and final practice at 5:05 p.m CT, both sessions lasting an hour each with no live coverage.

    Qualifying is slated for Friday afternoon at 4:10 p.m CT live on FOX Sports 1.

    Race coverage begins at 7:30 p.m CT with the Vankor 350 falling shortly after 8:00 p.m. CT for 147 laps live on FOX Sports 1 and MRN Radio.

  • The Final Word – Indianapolis proved to be more a brick than a crown jewel for much of Monday

    The Final Word – Indianapolis proved to be more a brick than a crown jewel for much of Monday

    Storylines, we had a few going into the Indianapolis Brickyard 400. We wondered if the crown jewel race on the historical track would be worth watching. Sometimes it has not been. However, now that NBC has brought back meaningful commentary to the experience, we had high hopes. Hell, despite it being obvious no one was going to be racing for a while, I was glued to the television just to hear what everyone had to say. The network that once brought us Rusty Wallace now presents Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Burton, and Steve Letarte. Now, that is the true meaning of being progressive, as Lord knows progress has finally been made.

    Yet, the big story was the start of the race. When would that be? The wet cold rainy weather punted both practice and qualifying, thus nobody would have any laps in their car when the green waved. None. Zip. That had never happened before in NASCAR’s modern era. I mean, with defending race champ Kasey Kahne out of the car due to the after-effects from heat exhaustion in the Southern 500, Regan Smith was in a Cup car for the first time in 17 months. No practice, no laps, nothing before he takes the green flag on a green track known for grinding tires down to the nub.

    Obviously, we also wondered if someone below NASCAR’s dividing line between contenders and pretenders might shock us all with a win. Someone who might actually put Jimmie Johnson and Alex Bowman in jeopardy of losing their spot in the season-ending party. Winning this particular race is a big deal. Winning it to steal a spot in the Chase would have been huge.

    Sunday came and went, but when they waved the green on Monday we discovered tire wear and lack of practice was no big deal. The cars stuck and when Denny Hamlin ignored the competition caution after 10 laps, he went to the front and stayed there. So much for those storylines.

    So much for the Sunday fans as many, if not most, were nowhere to be seen in the stands come Monday. Maybe they knew that being there was not as good as watching it all from home. As for the racing, the boys were stretched all around the track. If you love pack racing, you would have hated Indianapolis. Meanwhile, the NBC boys and girls kept it more than watchable due to the insight of their commentary. See, it all was not bad.

    It was not a good week for Martin Truex Jr. First, we heard that his team is heading for the exits after this season. Then we saw in the middle of the opening stage that same car heading for the exits after shattering a left front brake rotor. When it rains it pours, at least it did at Indianapolis.

    Lost brakes ended all hopes for Bubba Wallace when a failure caused his wreck. Johnson got some relief in the middle frame when A.J. Allmendinger crippled Bowman’s ride. That guaranteed Johnson was in the Chase, but it still meant someone on the outside had to win to beat Bowman out. The odds were not great, especially considering the fact the best of the rest with 60 laps to go was Stage Two winner Matt Kenseth, and he was not even eligible for a playoff run.

    As the laps clicked off, it was down to a pair of drivers. Hamlin was up front, with Clint Bowyer trying to track him down. With seven to go, Jeffrey Earnhardt and Landon Cassill came together to bring out the caution. That set the stage for those two boys left hoping to hold off Brad Keselowski, with his fresher tires, sitting a row behind them. He was sitting beside Jamie McMurray, who is in final campaign in his current ride, needed a win to be in. Same for Ryan Newman, who started right behind him. Finally, this thing was going to get interesting.

    On the restart, Bowyer spun his tires and sank from view. Keselowski came up to challenge Hamlin, and the pair did some beating and banging before Mad Brad took off to collect a second straight crown jewel, coming off of his win last week in the Southern 500. Erik Jones finished third, ahead of Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, and Bowyer. Three outsiders finished in the top 10, but McMurray, Newman, and Paul Menard came up short of the prize they were after.

    Now it is off to the playoffs. Three drivers go in with a big cushion in playoff points. For the rest, a win would automatically launch them into the next round. The excitement begins next Sunday at Las Vegas, where there is always a story to tell.

  • The Final Word – B is for Bristol where the Busch Boys run wild

    The Final Word – B is for Bristol where the Busch Boys run wild

    Officially, Saturday night’s race was not billed as the Bristol Busch Brothers 500. Those two boys are almost always front and center at the venue. Even when they do not want to be.

    It took three laps for Kyle Busch to be front and center. He spun, sat in the middle of the track, and watched his car become a pinata. We knew it was the end of the line for the likes of Bubba Wallace and A.J. Allmendinger. It sure did not look good for Rowdy, either. The car looked bad, the rear panel was torn off, but at least he was still running, but two laps down.

    Paul Menard was another of those needing a win to be in the Playoffs. That did not happen on Saturday. After his right front went down he went out. That took just 30 laps. Shortly after, a mechanic issue doused all hope for Jamie McMurray.

    While there might have been a weather system out there on the horizon bringing darker skies, they did not affect Ryan Blaney, Kevin Harvick, or Clint Bowyer in the opening stage, as they came across the line in that order. Not so for Ricky Stenhouse Jr. He came in on the outside and stayed there after tagging the wall. Oh, we were not going to see Keelan take another ride with dad. A storm cloud opened up over Harvick due to a tire issue. That put him a lap down, never to be seen again.

    They came and they went, and by the time the second stage wrapped up, it was Joey Logano and Chase Elliott finishing 1-2. It also marked the return of Kyle Busch to the lead lap.

    Aric Almirola had a good day going for himself until he was black-flagged for dumping fluid all over the track. Ole Kyle, meanwhile, kept on coming. That is what Martin Truex Jr. discovered when a familiar face touched his left rear quarter-panel to spin him into the inside wall. When Brad Keselowski spun late in the going, we had 24 laps to go and 10 drivers who looked to be in contention.

    When they bunched up to take the green flag, Bowyer, Kurt Busch, Jimmie Johnson, and Chris Buescher were up front on old tires. Austin Dillon and Denny Hamlin had two fresh ones. Elliott, Kyle, Logano, and Kyle Larson had new treads. This was going to get wild.

    It took about four laps. Rowdy had a tire going down and spun into oblivion. I bet Truex was sure sad to see that from the garage. Buescher also lost a tire. Chad Knaus saw enough and brought Johnson in for four.

    Not so for Billy Scott. He left Kurt Busch out there. He left him there on old tires to outrun Larson, Elliott, Logano, Erik Jones, Bowyer, and Blaney to take his first of the season, the sixth on this track (though the first in a dozen years), and the 30th of his career. It marked the first win for Scott up on the box and a crew that last year worked with Danica Patrick. It also marked the first time in NASCAR history to see a pair of brothers each boasting 30 career wins.

    Yes, just another Busch Brother day at Bristol.

  • The Final Word – Pocono at least teased us with the hope of a different story ending

    The Final Word – Pocono at least teased us with the hope of a different story ending

    We all tune in for the potential excitement, but the storylines set up the race. At Pocono, we witnessed Jimmie Johnson make his 600th career start. We wondered if the Big Three would dominate yet again. We also wondered how the bad boys, and maybe a few bad girls back at the shop, would fare after 13 cars failed post-qualifying tech.

    Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch were the best qualifying, but the penalty sent them both beyond 25th when they dropped the green. Same for Clint Bowyer and Joey Logano. Would that cripple the chances of four of the top handful of contenders on Sunday? Nope.

    Daniel Suarez needed a win to make the Chase, and he inherited the pole. He looked good and he was part of the conversation most of the day. However, it was Harvick who opened the discussion as he charged from 29th to claim the second spot after the opening stage. Up front was Chase Elliott, who once again went charging to glory like Slim Pickens riding an atomic bomb to detonation to claim it. Suarez had to settle for fifth best, right behind Rowdy and just ahead of Bowyer.

    Next stage, it was Harvick getting the nod, swapping spots with Jones, with Bowyer just behind them. However, some decided to forgo the stage points to hit the pits and grab position just before they closed the service lane. The question remained, would Harvick, Elliott, and Bowyer do better with their strategy than the likes of Kyle Busch, Jones, Denny Hamlin, Martin Truex Jr. or Suarez?

    It did not seem so, as the younger Busch sat on point and allowed the rest to try to track him down. Harvick was out of the mix after a collision on pit road with teammate Aric Almirola. That forced him to return more than once to ensure the damage was truly corrected.

    The scariest moment came when Bubba Wallace saw a brake rotor go to pieces, sending him on a wild run through the grass in a bid to scrape off some speed before making hard impact with the outside wall, on the passenger side, when he ran out of lawn. He got out under his own power, but he needed a moment to get all his marbles settled. Wallace will be fine, but he will be a hurting unit for a couple of days.

    Back to the racing, nobody had anything for Busch as even a couple of re-starts, including a green-white-checkers finale, was not going to change how this one was scripted. His 49th career win ties him with Tony Stewart as he successfully defends his Pocono summer title. Suarez was second, behind his teammate, followed by Bowyer and his teammate, one Mr. Harvick. Jones finished fifth, while Elliott had to settle for eighth. As for Truex, 15th was his fate while early front-end damage caused Logano to limp home in 26th.

    Kyle claimed his sixth season win in taking 47 points on the day. Harvick did him five better in that department, with Elliott adding 48 to his tally, 43 for Alex Bowman, and Suarez got 41. Unfortunately, points do not matter for him at this point in the season. A win would be everything.

    Despite it all, the only meaningful change in the standings has Elliott moving 21 points ahead of Johnson for 14th in the standings, while Bowman has increased his margin over Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Paul Menard for 16th. That is fine, depending on how Watkins Glen turns out next Sunday.

    That is your storyline for next week, even more so than anything the Big Three might or might not do. Truex won there last year, but four years ago the man was A.J. Allmendinger. A win for him next week, and he takes Bowman’s spot and drops Johnson down to being the man on the bubble.

    If a Top 16 driver wins next Sunday then, well, I hope the action proves to be riveting and you enjoy the broadcast on NBC. As for the story, the ending will probably be very familiar.

  • Kyle Busch Drives to Sixth Win of 2018 at Pocono

    Kyle Busch Drives to Sixth Win of 2018 at Pocono

    Despite starting 28th due to failing post-qualifying inspection, Kyle Busch was a man on a mission in today’s Gander Outdoors 400 at Pocono.

    Finishing fourth in Stage 1, Busch and his crew parlayed some pit strategy at the end of Stage 2 for track position in Stage 3.

    All told, Busch’s path to the front was not without some hardy challenges from his Joe Gibbs Racing stablemates.

    “(Daniel) Suarez, man, I can’t say enough about my teammates,” Busch excitedly said.  “What an awesome race! He was probably the third best car. He gave us a run for our money on the restarts. Last one, I spun my tires a bit too much and he got a good run. That gave (Erik) Jones a good opportunity.”

    Certainly, as Busch took the field to green on lap 163, Suarez equaled the 2015 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion’s restart effort.

    Running side-by-side heading into turn one, Jones saw a possible chance at victory as he ran inside of Suarez to make it three wide between the JGR clan.

    However, Busch’s experience and powerful No. 18 Caramel M&M’s Toyota Camry was just too much on this race day.  Drawing daylight between himself and Suarez, the 33-year-old Las Vegas, Nevada native drove his way to his sixth win of the 2018 MENCS season.

    “Can’t say enough about Adam Stevens and all my guys,” Busch acknowledged.  “Man, we fought it all weekend.”

    Remarkably, Busch continued the winning ways of the MENCS triple threat.  By all means, this season has turned into a regular season heavyweight match among NASCAR’s most aggressive veterans.

    “What’s crazy is how this year keeps going,” Busch observed.  “Harvick gets one, we get one, Truex gets one. We’re back and forth. We answered the fight this weekend without the fastest car.”

    Meanwhile, Suarez made earnest challenges to prevent Busch from repeating his Pocono victory from last year.  In the end, the Monterrey, Mexico native recognized how close he was to his first MENCS win.

    “We lost the balance a little bit (in the beginning) and made some adjustments,” Suarez said. “We made the car better. I thought we were a solid top-five car. In a short run, I felt like we were the best car. It hurts to be close.”

    Perhaps the biggest scare of the race was Bubba Wallace’s lap 155 crash. The rookie racer reportedly lost his brakes heading into Turn 1, resulting in a savage hit that destroyed both ends of his No. 43 Mile 22 Chevy Camaro.

    Fortunately, the mild-mannered Wallace expressed gratitude and his trademark sense of humor following his horrifying accident.

    “I’m OK,” Wallace said.  “That was a huge hit. Everyone, back at home, I’m okay. Hardest one of my career.  I was just telling them here, ‘There’s no feeling like being helpless in that situation going off into Turn 1.’  It scared the hell out of me.

    We’re good.  Bit my cheek, banged my foot off the pedal.  I’m okay though.  I’ll wake up tomorrow and I’ll be a little sore. The safety has come a long ways. It’s good to be able to climb out of the car. They gave me an ultrasound. No twins or anything.”

    Ultimately, Busch prevailed with Suarez, Alex Bowman, Kevin Harvick, Jones, William Byron, Chase Elliott, Ryan Newman, Kurt Busch, and Denny Hamlin taking top-10 finishes from the “Tricky Triangle.”

    From scenic Long Pond, Pennsylvania to the Finger Lakes region of New York State, the MENCS tour prepares for next Sunday’s Go Bowling at the Glen at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC and MRN Radio.

  • The Final Word – Daytona and NBC delivered the goods, and the bads, on Saturday night

    The Final Word – Daytona and NBC delivered the goods, and the bads, on Saturday night

    Daytona delivered. The action and the broadcast were both superb. If you missed it, you really missed something.

    Unlike Ricky Stenhouse Jr. He missed nothing. On the good, he claimed the opening two stages. He also managed to punt a third-place car, driven by Kurt Busch, into oblivion when he sent Brad Keselowski up toward him, taking out a pretty fair chunk of the field. He was not done. Later, he got the two lead cars when he hooked Kyle Busch, who proceeded to remove William Byron from the point position. When you’ve taken out the top three cars in any race, including both Busch brothers, you have accomplished something.

    Later, when Kyle Larson cut a tire, he hit Stenhouse. Did that finally remove the favorite driver from among his peers? Nope. He managed to finish 17th and collect a total of 40 points for his efforts. Only the race winner matched him in that category. However, Ricky probably lost a hell of a lot of potential Christmas card senders. He should not expect any from a certain family hailing from Las Vegas.

    The herd had been severely culled as they neared the end, but when Kasey Kahne looked out his back window with a dozen laps left to run, there were Kevin Harvick and Martin Truex Jr. trying to chase him down. However, that did not last long, as Bubba Wallace hooked Clint Bowyer, who in turn took out Harvick.

    Of course, they could not finish this thing in a single overtime. By the time the second hit the green, it was Truex and Erik Jones coming to the line, with Kahne and Chris Buescher right behind them. Jones got the push, fought off the defending champion, and put himself in the list of Cup drivers with a career victory. A first win, and at Daytona no less.

    With so many sent to the garage, the rest of the Top Ten were not names we usually associate for such a position. For example…

    3. A.J. Allmendinger
    4. Kasey Kahne
    5. Chris Buescher
    6. Ty Dillon
    7. Matt DiBenedetto
    8. Ryan Newman

    Austin Dillon and Alex Bowman were next. Those two names almost sound like Petty and Earnhardt compared to those just ahead of them. Then there was the quartet that finished in the next five positions…

    11. Jeffrey Earnhardt
    12. Brendan Gaughan
    13. D.J. Kennington
    14. Bubba Wallace
    15. David Ragan

    At least one was an Earnhardt and one drove for Petty. For some brighter lights on the marquee, Daytona was a dark, dark Saturday night. Some managed to earn 10 points or less…

    10 – Aric Almirola
    9 – Paul Menard
    9 – Chase Elliott
    7 – Jamie McMurray
    6 – Kurt Busch
    4 – Brad Keselowski
    2 – Daniel Suarez
    1 – Ryan Blaney
    1 – Denny Hamlin
    1 – Joey Logano

    If you want to know what a pinata feels like, ask Logano. In the first big wreck of the night, that boy had his car hit on every corner and places in between. He described it as the crash that went on and on.

    So, with all the mishaps spoiling the betting line, did it shake up our Chase contenders any? Nope. The sixteen in remain the 16 in. Jones is much more secure in his place, while Bowman still holds on to the last rung, 19 points ahead of Stenhouse. I guess you could say Stenhouse hit the wrong guys.

    As for NBC, the second broadcast of the season was just as awesome as the Chicago effort. Next week is another Saturday night in Kentucky. If they can pull off another excellent, interesting, entertaining presentation from that venue, then there would be no doubt that they truly are for real.

    Daytona delivered. So did NBC. In the words of Warden Norton from Shawshank, “Lord! It’s a miracle!” Let us keep those miracles coming.

  • The Final Word – Sonoma, where even the winner wound up tied for third best in points

    The Final Word – Sonoma, where even the winner wound up tied for third best in points

    Stage points? We don’t need no stinkin’ stage points. Pit late, then say hello to my little friends. Fresh tires. Now, they proved to be the key to victory at Sonoma.

    Sonoma is the most visually appealing track on the circuit. You would not want to walk it. Too damn many hills. When it comes to a little left, a lot of uphill, and a right…just to start with…you had something special going on in California wine country.

    It was a special start for Kyle Larson after winning the pole. That dream went up in dust about four laps later when Martin Truex Jr. took the lead. Larson tumbled down the ladder to finish outside of the Top Ten.

    Truex, now he was something special. So was Kevin Harvick. So was Clint Bowyer. So were Kyle and Kurt Busch. They were the boys up front for most of the opening stage. Then they gave it all up to pit, giving up the bonus ducats to ensure track position in the middle stanza. A.J. Allmendinger claimed the stage, followed by Brad Keselowski, Jimmie Johnson, and Chase Elliott. However, when they waved the green again, they were all sitting between 14th and 18th.

    By this time, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Bubba Wallace, and Kasey Kahne were not even among our best 30. They were soon joined by Allmendinger, as the road course ace blew the call and his transmission with a missed shift. About that time, Harvick took over the top spot from Truex, while Jamie McMurray hit the garage with oil pump issues. As we witnessed earlier, in the final laps of the segment, the best came in and the rest managed at least a few points for their efforts.

    When the green waved again, Keselowski, Johnson, and Elliott all had 16 bonus points in the bank. None of our previous race winners this season, all six of them, had any. However, up front, there was Harvick, Truex, Bowyer, and them Busch boys. At least they all had power steering. That was more than Ryan Blaney had, as his hopes for even a Top Thirty got dashed.

    With under 40 to go, it was time for a final pit stop. Atop the Truex pit box, Cole Pearn called for his boy to come in. Harvick’s team heard the call and beat him to the pits. By a lot. It would seem Pearn lied. He had changed his mind and kept Truex out. In fact, Harvick was in eight laps before the defending champion, who even had six lap fresher rubber than Bowyer. That proved to be the key move of the event.

    Eight laps after pitting, Truex used the extra grip he had beneath him and moved past Bowyer into second. Just two circuits later, and Harvick was the next to fall. Those two ducked into the pits for even fresher tires, but now they needed a caution to bunch them all up. It was a caution that never came.

    Truex won his third of the season, the 18th of his career, and his second on the track just outside of San Francisco. As for the runners-up, no harm, no foul. Harvick and Bowyer got back to where they started from before they made their bids for redemption.

    Bonus points did play a role in making it a good day for a few. Elliott managed to cling to fourth and with bonus points, he had a race-best collection of 49 when it was over. Johnson picked up 42, Keselowski had 40, the same tally Truex got for his win. So, stage points really did matter, if you wanted them. The only impact on the charts after Sonoma saw Alex Bowman extend his hold on that final Chase place to 17 points up on Stenhouse. That was pretty much it.

    Coming up is Chicago, a place with its own colorful history. There was Dean O’Banion and his lovely flower shop, and that was nice. At least it was until some had it renovated and its owner ventilated. Say it with flowers, they say. Another chap said it with his little friends and ruined a perfectly good St. Valentine’s Day. I think they would have preferred flowers before the fact rather than after.

    As for Chicago this Sunday, they will want those stinkin’ stage points. Even those who are out to win.

  • Hot 20 – 50 years of NASCAR at Michigan

    Hot 20 – 50 years of NASCAR at Michigan

    Another weekend. Another race. Another track that does not excite me. Welcome to NASCAR.

    Michigan International Speedway, located in the lush, rolling Irish Hills, is about 40 miles southwest of Ann Arbor. The fact it is considered a sister track of Texas, and the basis of the facility in Fontana does not exactly thrill anyone, but they do go fast there. Speeds of over 215 mph can be expected. Will it cause a newbie to tune in for all of the excitement? Nope. However, there are questions those of us who follow the sport will watch in order to uncover some answers.

    Will the race change who is in a Chase place and who is not? Erik Jones and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. are less than 20 points to the good, leaving them vulnerable to be caught by Alex Bowman. That could happen. A win by Paul Menard, Daniel Suarez, Jamie McMurray, William Byron, Ryan Newman, or Bubba Wallace would tumble at least one of them out. Are the odds good that this will happen? Nope.

    As they are working on their 14th name sponsor since 1969, this track does not have a brand name that much resonates. That is unless you happen to have been a big fan of the FireKeepers Casino Hotel over the past couple of years. Newman has won there twice, in 2003 and 2004, so that should still your beating heart. Kurt Busch, Kyle Larson, and Matt Kenseth each have three to their credit over the years.

    If you want tradition, there was nine-time track winner David Pearson. Cale Yarborough had eight. Bill Elliott shook the suds seven times. Mark Martin and Rusty Wallace both won at Michigan five times. Four-time victors there include Dale Jarrett, Bobby Allison, Richard Petty, and Greg Biffle.

    This is not to say there have not been exciting finishes. Jarrett won his first in Cup with a razor-thin margin over Davey Allison in 1991. Ernie Irvan took one in 1997, three years after nearly losing his life at the same track. Jeff Gordon claimed a tight contest with Ricky Rudd in 2001. 2009 was the year Martin won when both Jimmie Johnson and then Biffle ran out of fuel on the final lap. Of course, there was 2012 when Dale Earnhardt Jr. finally snapped a 143-race winless streak. Great finishes. Great races? Don’t ask and I won’t tell.

    The last four who won this particular event include Johnson, the elder Busch, Logano, and Larson. If it is not Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, or Martin Truex Jr., the smart money is on either Logano or Larson. Anything else would be something of a shock.

    Here is a look at our Hot 20 going in.

    1. KYLE BUSCH – 4 WINS – 624 Pts
    Has won here, but that was August 21, 2011.

    2. KEVIN HARVICK – 4 WINS (1 E.W.) – 537 Pts
    One pit stop at Pocono made all the difference.

    3. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 2 WINS – 487 Pts
    After last weekend, he is back among the Big Three where he belongs.

    4. JOEY LOGANO – 1 WIN – 524 Pts
    One more win, and we will be talking about a Big Four, and all would belong on that pedestal.

    5. CLINT BOWYER – 1 WIN – 453 Pts
    I just saw a photo of Carly Bowyer. She looks nothing like Clint. Hey, just sayin’.

    6. AUSTIN DILLON – 1 WIN – 269 Pts
    It is a very good thing a win is a golden ticket, as he has done nothing since Daytona.

    7. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 474 POINTS
    Just a 90 mile drive from his Michigan hometown to the track.

    8. KURT BUSCH – 447 POINTS
    Has won there with Roush Fenway, Penske, and Stewart-Haas. Maybe it was the driver.

    9. DENNY HAMLIN – 437 POINTS
    With less than 15 laps to go last week, turned a shot at a Top Ten into 35th.

    10. KYLE LARSON- 425 POINTS
    Has won three of the last four Michigan races, including a spring-summer sweep last year.

    11. RYAN BLANEY – 413 POINTS
    Took the pole last week, but only dogs truly appreciate a pole.

    12. ARIC ALMIROLA – 406 POINTS
    He is about as safe as one can be without a win.

    13. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 360 POINTS
    Five Top Tens in his last seven events. I do believe Mr. Johnson has returned.

    14. CHASE ELLIOTT – 334 POINTS
    Finished in the top dozen the last half dozen races. The boy is movin’ on up.

    15. ERIK JONES – 322 POINTS
    The pride and joy of Byron, Michigan has finishes of 13th and third in his two starts near home.

    16. RICKY STENHOUSE JR. – 319 POINTS
    Have You Driven a Ford Lately? This would be a good time to drive the hell out of this one.

    17. ALEX BOWMAN – 310 POINTS
    Last week’s meeting with Hamlin tumbled Alex out of his Chase place.

    18. PAUL MENARD – 289 POINTS
    Unless he has a win up his sleeve, he can not afford to let the points gap grow any wider.

    19. DANIEL SUAREZ – 258 POINTS
    The best Monterrey, Mexico born driver in NASCAR.

    20. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 253 POINTS
    The best Joplin, Missouri born driver in NASCAR. Carl Edwards was born in Columbia.