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Tag: Carl Edwards

  • The Final Word – Change is inevitable whether we like it or not

    The Final Word – Change is inevitable whether we like it or not

    I hate change. I do not care for it. I like things just as they are or, probably more truthfully, as they were.

    I remember coaching two little boys who are not so little anymore. Those were the days when I was Superman, not just the Old Man. I miss my mother and all the grandparents I was blessed with when I was born. I miss cousins who left us far too soon. I miss my youth. Damn it, I miss my hair.

    I loved watching Cale Yarborough in the No. 11 and Richard Petty piloting the No. 43. How I miss seeing Dale Earnhardt in that black No. 3. I wish I could see Rusty Wallace again in that blue deuce though my reasoning is that him driving means there was no way in hell he would be announcing.

    No Jeff Gordon this year, other than up in the booth. Tony Stewart is gone no matter what after this season. One day, sooner than later, Dale Earnhardt Jr. will hang up those skeleton gloves.

    Sure, I guess there is room for some change. Did you notice the NHL All-Star game? It was its best presentation in 30 years, with a minor league enforcer named as its MVP to prove that Cinderella does indeed wear glass skates. Same day, the NFL had its Pro-Bowl, and it was about as riveting as watching soccer. Trust me, that is not a good thing. Change it or kill it would be my thought.

    Cars are safer now. The tracks are moving that way. Daytona, Talladega, and Bristol pretty much guarantee something worth watching. Too bad we cannot be so sure about a few of the other venues. It would be nice if that could somehow change. They say the racing will be better after their latest tinkering with the cars, but we have heard that before. If those changes prove to be the real deal, that would be a change we could all live with.

    This year, Bill’s son Chase Elliott goes full-time in Cup, joining other recent arrivals Kyle Larson and Austin Dillon. Still, they have fans to earn and accolades to accumulate. Once again, we will be cheering on our favorites. Kyle Busch returns as a champion to join brother Kurt as NASCAR royalty. Kevin Harvick looks to retake his trophy while Jimmie Johnson might be tired of loaning out what once was his and his alone. Carl Edwards, Denny Hamlin, and the insufferable Joey Logano remain among the top tier of stars in NASCAR’s constellation. You cannot go wrong rooting for the likes of a Matt Kenseth or a Greg Biffle, or admire the efforts put into the team led by Martin Truex Jr.

    Unless you are a big fan of Johnson, a change in champion is acceptable, even though I do love dynasties. I like the cars to look like something I might drive, so we give thanks for the demise of the splitter. I once liked Michael Waltrip, but sometimes things change, and I think Clint Bowyer should be the beneficiary of that.

    As much as I dislike change, it is inevitable. Drivers age, retire and are replaced by a new generation. Faces are now encased in helmets and races are won by a matter of seconds, not laps, these days. Since 2001, most weekends television delivers the races to homes in most places. Once we were asked, “How bad have you got it?” Wouldn’t it be nice if we were asked that once again?

    It all returns in less than a couple of weeks, with the Sprint Unlimited featured on February 13, Duel Qualifiers on February 18 and the Daytona 500 on Sunday, February 21. Boogity, boogity, boogity!

    Okay, some things do need to change.

  • Your Guide to the 2016 NASCAR Season – Driver, Crew Chief Changes & More

    Your Guide to the 2016 NASCAR Season – Driver, Crew Chief Changes & More

    As the beginning of a new year of racing approaches, it’s often difficult to keep up with the off-season changes. Drivers move to different teams, crew chiefs come and go, new sponsors are announced and more. To aid your transition into the 2016 NASCAR season, I’ve compiled a list of the major changes.

    Tony Stewart – No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet

    Stewart, who announced that 2016 will be his last season driving in the Sprint Cup Series, will end his career with a new crew chief. Mike Bugarewicz, the former race engineer for Kevin Harvick’s car, will be on top of the pit box in Stewart’s final season. He replaces Chad Johnston who is moving to the crew chief position for Kyle Larson.

    Kyle Larson – No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates Chevrolet

    Chad Johnston moves from Stewart-Haas Racing to become Larson’s new crew chief, replacing Chris Heroy. Johnston was most recently crew chief for Tony Stewart.

    Brian Scott – No. 9 – Richard Petty Motorsports Ford

    Scott will replace Sam Hornish Jr. as he heads to Richard Petty Motorsports to drive the No. 9 RPM Ford. He will be paired with crew chief Chris Heroy (Larson’s former crew chief). Scott has 17 previous Cup starts but this will be his first full-time Sprint Cup season. He will be competing for Rookie of the Year.

    Danica Patrick – No. 10 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet

    Patrick will have a different crew chief in 2016 as Billy Scott moves from Michael Waltrip Racing who closed their doors at the end of the 2015 season. He replaces Daniel Knost who was promoted to a senior leadership position within the company. This is Patrick’s third crew chief in as many seasons. Nature’s Bakery will join Patrick as a new primary sponsor.

    Clint Bowyer – HScott Motorsports Chevrolet

    Bowyer will move to HScott Motorsports for one season before moving to Stewart-Haas Racing in 2017 to replace Tony Stewart after his final season. 5-Hour Energy will make the move with Bowyer as primary sponsor for 24 races in 2016.

    Justin Allgaier – No. 7 – JR Motorsports Chevrolet

    Allgaier will move to the XFINITY Series in 2016 with JR Motorsports. He competed for the last two years in the Cup Series with HScott Motorsports but lost his ride when the organization added Clint Bowyer to their lineup. He has three wins in the XFINITY Series.

    Greg Biffle – No. 16 – Roush Fenway Racing Ford

    Biffle will also be the recipient of a new crew chief, veteran Brian Pattie. Pattie replaces Matt Puccia who had been with Biffle since mid-2011.

    Sam Hornish Jr. – Unknown

    Hornish previously drove the No. 9 Ford for Richard Petty Motorsports but Brian Scott takes over driving duties in 2016. Hornish has not announced his future plans.

    AJ Allmendinger – No. 47 JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet

    Allmendinger will have a new competition director as Ernie Cope moves to JTG Daugherty Racing. Cope’s most recent position was as crew chief for Chase Elliott in the XFINITY Series in 2015. Allmendinger will also have a new crew chief, Randall Burnett. Burnett was an engineer on Kyle Larson’s car this past season.

    Chris Buescher – No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford

    After winning the 2015 XFINITY Series championship, Buescher is moving to the Sprint Cup Series in 2016. He had six Cup starts for FRM last year with a best finish of 20th place at Auto Club Speedway. Buescher will be in the running for Rookie of the Year.

    Darian Grubb – Vehicle Production Director – Hendrick Motorsports

    Hendrick Motorsports recently named Grubb to the newly created position of vehicle production director where he will oversee every facet of race car manufacturing for the organization. Grubb was formerly employed by HMS in 2003 in various capacities including race engineer and crew chief before leaving to join Tony Stewart at SHR in 2009. He moved to Joe Gibbs Racing and in 2012-2014 worked with Denny Hamlin. In 2015, he was the crew chief for Carl Edwards. He has 23 Sprint Cup victories as a crew chief.

    Ryan Blaney – No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford

    Blaney will run a full schedule in the No. 21 in 2016. It will be the first time since 2008 that Wood Brothers Racing has run a full-time schedule in the Sprint Cup Series. Blaney has 18 Cup starts with a best finish of fourth at Talladega in 2015. Because he has not run for Sprint Cup points in his career, Blaney will be eligible to compete for the Sunoco Rookie of the Year award.

    Denny Hamlin – No. 11 – Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

    Hamlin will have a new crew chief in 2016 as Mike Wheeler, who has been Hamlin’s race engineer for much of his career, takes over the position. Wheeler also served as crew chief in 2015 for the No. 20 car in the XFINITY Series. He replaces Dave Rogers who will move to the pit box for Carl Edwards.

    Carl Edwards – No. 19 – Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

    As noted above, Edwards will have a new crew chief in 2016 with Dave Rogers taking over the job, replacing Darian Grubb. Rogers is an experienced leader having worked previously with Kyle Busch as well as Hamlin with 15 Sprint Cup victories.

    Jeffrey Earnhardt – Go FAS Racing – No. 32 Ford

    Earnhardt recently signed a multi-year deal with Go FAS Racing to drive in the Sprint Cup Series beginning in 2016. He will run the majority of the races for the No. 32 team while Bobby Labonte will drive for several events. Earnhardt made his Cup debut at Richmond in 2015 and also competed at Loudon. He will be eligible for the Rookie of the Year award.

    Chase Elliott – No. 24 – Hendrick Motorsports

    Elliott moves into the No. 24 ride in 2016 after Jeff Gordon’s departure in 2015. He captured the XFINITY Series championship in 2014, the youngest driver, at age 18, to win a NASCAR national series title, and finished second last year. Elliott made five Cup starts last year in preparation for this season and will be competing for Rookie of the Year honors in 2016.

    Furniture Row Racing – Will change manufacturers from Chevrolet to Toyota in 2016

    After running only Chevrolets since their debut in 2005, Furniture Row Racing has entered into a partnership with Toyota and will field the No. 78 Toyota of Martin Truex Jr. in 2016. Toyota Racing Development will build the engines and Furniture Row Racing will also benefit from a technical alliance with Joe Gibbs Racing.

     

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Homestead

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Homestead

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Kyle Busch: Busch won the Ford EcoBoost 400, holding off Kevin Harvick to win his first Sprint Cup championship. Busch missed the first 11 races of the season after breaking his leg at a crash at Daytona in February.

    “A pasty white guy from Las Vegas is the Sprint Cup champion,” Busch said. “Ironically, all other driver ‘pale’ in comparison to me.

    “I’ve always dreamed of beating Jeff Gordon for the Sprint Cup championship. I guess dreams do come true. Apparently, when I was a kid, I had very vivid and colorful dreams. But those dreams were nothing like the ones I had on painkillers after surgery to repair my broken leg.”

    2. Kevin Harvick: Harvick started 13th on the grid and finished second to Kyle Busch.

    “’Second’ has been the story of my year,” Harvick said. “I can’t tell you how many times I finished second this year, but I can tell that I will be counting the seconds until the start of the 2016 season.”

    3. Jeff Gordon: Gordon started fifth at Homestead and finished sixth, as Kyle Busch won the race to capture the Sprint Cup championship.

    “I couldn’t believe the support I received,” Gordon said, “even in a losing effort. It reminded me of the applause that erupted when Matt Kenseth wrecked Joey Logano at Martinsville. Without that, I wouldn’t even be here.

    4. Joey Logano: Logano started second at Homestead and finished fourth, posting his 22nd top-five result of the year.

    “I dominated the circuit this season,” Logano said, “so you tell me who the rightful Sprint Cup champion should be. I had six wins and 22 top-10 finishes. You do the math. And speaking of math, if you subtracted Matt Kenseth from the equation, I would be Cup champion.”

    5. Kurt Busch: Busch finished eighth at Homestead, posting his 21st top 10 of the year.

    “Now there are two Sprint Cup championships in the family,” Busch said. “I guess I’ll have to call my brother ‘champ.’ He’s, of course, been called worse.”

    6. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin started on the pole at Homestead, his fourth Coors Light pole of the season.

    “I tore my knee up playing basketball earlier this year,” Hamlin said. “So, I’m going to have it surgically repaired. Hopefully, the doctors will use pins and screws because there’s a gas pedal that says my leg definitely needs to be heavier.”

    7. Carl Edwards: Edwards led eight laps and finished 11th at Homestead.

    “Congratulations to Kyle Busch,” Edwards said. “He’ll be a great champion. However, I’m not sure if his reign will do any favors for NASCAR’s Drive For Diversity program because Kyle will be the whitest champion ever.”

    8. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex qualified 11th at Homestead and finished 12th, the lowest among championship-eligible drivers.

    “This Chase For The Cup had it all,” Truex said. “Intentional wrecks, intentional wrecks made to look unintentional, intentional wrecks gone unpunished by NASCAR, and intentional wrecks punished by NASCAR. It was ‘quint-intentional.’”

    9. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski took third in the Ford EcoBoost 400, recording his ninth top five of the year.

    “Jeff Gordon was the sentimental favorite,” Keselowski said. “There were a lot of people pulling for him to win, almost as many as were pulling for Kevin Harvick not to win.”

    10.Jimmie Johnson: Johnson finished 10th at Homestead, posting his 22nd top 10 of the year.

    “I received an odd drive-through penalty,” Johnson said. “Apparently, a crew member put his hip into a big dent in the side of the No. 48 Chevy. That’s a no-no. NASCAR’s rule book states that it’s illegal for cars to be powered by ‘pelvic thrust.’”

  • Edwards Tops the Chart in First Practice at Homestead

    Edwards Tops the Chart in First Practice at Homestead

    Carl Edwards posted the fastest time in the rain-shortened first practice in his No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota with a time of 30.832 and a speed of 175.143 mph.

    Brad Keselowski was second in his No. 2 Team Penske Ford with a time of 30.954 and a speed of 174.452 mph while Martin Truex Jr. was third in his No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet with a speed of 174.374 mph. Dale Earnhardt Jr. was fourth in his No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet posting a 173.689 mph lap followed by teammate Jimmie Johnson with a speed of 173.678 mph to round out the top-five.

    Kasey Kahne was sixth in his No. 5 HMS Chevrolet, Kevin Harvick was seventh in his No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet and Aric Almirola was eighth in his No. 43 Richard Petty Motorsports Ford. Clint Bowyer and Kyle Larson rounded out the top-10.

    Kyle Busch finished 16th and Jeff Gordon was the lowest-finishing Chase driver in 30th.

    Keselowski had the fastest 10 lap average at 169.664 mph. He was among seven drivers that ran 10 or more consecutive laps.

    The Sprint Cup Series is on track again this evening at 6:15 for qualifying. With 45 drivers entered, two will, unfortunately, miss the race. If qualifying should get rained out, Ryan Blaney and Michael McDowell would miss the race. If rain isn’t a factor this evening, McDowell and Reed Sorenson would need to qualify 36th or better to make the race.

    NSCS Practice 1
    Homestead-Miami Speedway
    17th Annual Ford EcoBoost 400
    Provided by NASCAR Statistics – Fri, November 20, 2015 @ 11:32 AM US

    Pos Car Driver Team Time Speed Lap # # Laps -Fastest -Next
    1 19 Carl Edwards ARRIS Toyota 30.832 175.143 1 20 —.— —.—
    2 2 Brad Keselowski Miller Lite Ford 30.954 174.452 19 19 -0.122 -0.122
    3 78 Martin Truex Jr. Furniture Row/Denver Mattress Chevrolet 30.968 174.374 1 4 -0.136 -0.014
    4 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Nationwide Chevrolet 31.090 173.689 1 5 -0.258 -0.122
    5 48 Jimmie Johnson Lowe’s Chevrolet 31.092 173.678 1 3 -0.260 -0.002
    6 5 Kasey Kahne Great Clips Chevrolet 31.094 173.667 1 21 -0.262 -0.002
    7 4 Kevin Harvick Budweiser/Jimmy John’s Chevrolet 31.115 173.550 1 5 -0.283 -0.021
    8 43 Aric Almirola Smithfield Foods Ford 31.133 173.449 2 17 -0.301 -0.018
    9 15 Clint Bowyer 5-hour Energy Toyota 31.190 173.132 1 13 -0.358 -0.057
    10 42 Kyle Larson Target Plaid Chevrolet 31.196 173.099 1 21 -0.364 -0.006
    11 41 Kurt Busch Haas Automation Chevrolet 31.204 173.055 13 13 -0.372 -0.008
    12 22 Joey Logano Shell Pennzoil Ford 31.231 172.905 2 27 -0.399 -0.027
    13 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Ground Toyota 31.239 172.861 3 26 -0.407 -0.008
    14 21 Ryan Blaney(i) Motorcraft/Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center Ford 31.252 172.789 14 14 -0.420 -0.013
    15 31 Ryan Newman Caterpillar Chevrolet 31.280 172.634 1 12 -0.448 -0.028
    16 18 Kyle Busch M&M’s Crispy Toyota 31.363 172.177 1 18 -0.531 -0.083
    17 47 AJ Allmendinger Kroger/Scott Products Chevrolet 31.386 172.051 1 10 -0.554 -0.023
    18 3 Austin Dillon DOW Chevrolet 31.387 172.046 1 19 -0.555 -0.001
    19 1 Jamie McMurray McDonald’s Chevrolet 31.403 171.958 28 28 -0.571 -0.016
    20 17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Fastenal Chevrolet 31.406 171.942 2 23 -0.574 -0.003
    21 27 Paul Menard Richmond/Menards Chevrolet 31.407 171.936 21 21 -0.575 -0.001
    22 16 Greg Biffle Bleacher Report Ford 31.455 171.674 2 12 -0.623 -0.048
    23 51 Justin Allgaier Brandt Chevrolet 31.455 171.674 17 17 -0.623 -0.000
    24 55 David Ragan Aaron’s Online Dream Machine Toyota 31.485 171.510 2 15 -0.653 -0.030
    25 13 Casey Mears GEICO Chevrolet 31.589 170.946 2 12 -0.757 -0.104
    26 9 Sam Hornish Jr. Cheney Brothers Ford 31.595 170.913 1 17 -0.763 -0.006
    27 20 Matt Kenseth Dollar General Toyota 31.673 170.492 3 12 -0.841 -0.078
    28 33 Ty Dillon(i) Nexium 24 Hr Chevrolet 31.713 170.277 2 11 -0.881 -0.040
    29 6 Trevor Bayne AdvoCare Ford 31.717 170.256 10 10 -0.885 -0.004
    30 24 Jeff Gordon AXALTA Chevrolet 31.741 170.127 1 10 -0.909 -0.024
    31 95 Michael McDowell Thrivent Financial Ford 31.859 169.497 1 5 -1.027 -0.118
    32 26 JJ Yeley(i) Maxim Toyota 31.914 169.205 1 6 -1.082 -0.055
    33 34 Brett Moffitt # FR8 Auctions Ford 31.938 169.078 1 17 -1.106 -0.024
    34 40 Landon Cassill(i) Snap Fitness Chevrolet 31.952 169.004 9 11 -1.120 -0.014
    35 10 Danica Patrick GoDaddy Chevrolet 31.965 168.935 3 12 -1.133 -0.013
    36 83 Matt DiBenedetto # Cosmo Toyota 31.985 168.829 8 8 -1.153 -0.020
    37 38 David Gilliland Florida Lottery Ford 32.187 167.770 1 8 -1.355 -0.202
    38 7 Alex Bowman Nikko RC/Toy State Chevrolet 32.206 167.671 1 12 -1.374 -0.019
    39 32 Josh Wise Zak Products Ford 32.270 167.338 9 9 -1.438 -0.064
    40 23 Jeb Burton # Overture/Estes Toyota 32.335 167.002 3 6 -1.503 -0.065
    41 14 Tony Stewart Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 Chevrolet 32.405 166.641 5 11 -1.573 -0.070
    42 35 Cole Whitt Speed Stick Ford 32.539 165.955 2 8 -1.707 -0.134
    43 46 Michael Annett Pilot Flying J Chevrolet 32.745 164.911 3 16 -1.913 -0.206
    44 98 Ryan Preece East West Marine/Logan’s/FireAde Chevrolet 33.021 163.532 3 8 -2.189 -0.276
    45 62 Reed Sorenson Royal Teak Collection Toyota 33.109 163.098 1 3 -2.277 -0.088

    *Required to qualify on time, (i) Ineligible for driver points in this series

    Best 10 Consecutive Lap Average
    Pos Car Driver From Lap To Lap Avg Speed
    1 2 Brad Keselowski 1 10 169.664
    2 42 Kyle Larson 4 13 168.923
    3 27 Paul Menard 1 10 168.646
    4 1 Jamie McMurray 1 10 167.868
    5 3 Austin Dillon 1 10 167.782
    6 9 Sam Hornish Jr. 1 10 166.913
    7 17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 10 19 165.014

    * Car must run 10 consecutive laps on the track to be included in the above chart.
    *Required to qualify on time, (i) Ineligible for driver points in this series

     

  • Hot 20 – Homestead is a place Happy Harvick should love, but so should Gordon and Truex

    Hot 20 – Homestead is a place Happy Harvick should love, but so should Gordon and Truex

    Homestead. That is where dreams are made or, more likely, where they die. That is if they have not already been snuffed for another year before even reaching the season finale. One thing about that track in Miami is that some of the best just do not seem to do their best there.

    For example, try as you may, you will not find some familiar names listed among the Hot 20 at Homestead. If your average finish is 20th or worse, you will fail to make the cut. Among them are Joey Logano, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and Paul Menard. That trio of eliminated Chasers has, between them, raced at Homestead thirty times. None has won there and combined they boast just a couple of Top Fives and four Top Tens. Even if they had remained in contention, one would have to be hard pressed to consider any of them a favorite to win this Sunday.

    Yet, as bad as they are, there is one notable driver who is worse. Kyle Busch has failed to even make the Top Twenty in half of his 10 starts. He has won none at Homestead, with an average finish of 23rd place. His best result was fourth in 2012. Last year, he was 39th. If Kyle emerges with the championship after this weekend, he would have delivered the race of his life.

    As for the other three contenders, all have a shot, with defending champion Kevin Harvick leading the way. Last year, he did just that to take the race and the crown. Jeff Gordon won there in 2012 while Martin Truex, Jr. has seven Top Tens in 10 attempts to be right in the mix. All have an average finish of no worse than 11th.

    One may well come away with the race win on Sunday though I believe we can expect some heat from others among Homestead’s Hot 20…

    1. Kevin Harvick – 14 races – 1 Win – 12 Top Tens – 7.6 Average Finish
    A repeat as winner guarantees a repeat as Cup champion.

    2. Carl Edwards – 11 races – 2 Wins – 7 Top Tens – 9.1 AveFin.
    His track record at Homestead makes him a fav to win a title some day. It just won’t be Sunday.

    3. Martin Truex Jr. – 10 races – 7 Top Tens – 10.0 AveFin.
    It is time for a Rocky Mountain high to visit Florida.

    4. Jeff Gordon – 16 races – 1 Win – 12 Top Tens – 10.6 AveFin
    This would be a good time to become known as Five-Time.

    5. Denny Hamlin – 10 races – 2 Wins – 6 Top Tens – 10.8 AveFin
    If what Hamlin is selling is his “starter” home, what in hell does he live in now?

    6. Clint Bowyer – 9 races – 6 Top Tens – 10.9 AveFin
    Still a chance he could leave Michael Waltrip Racing with a final win before the sun sets.

    7. Tony Stewart – 15 races – 3 Wins – 7 Top Tens – 14.0 AveFin
    Oh, how the mighty have fallen…and so quickly.

    8. Kyle Larson – 2 races – 14.0 AveFin
    15th one year, 14th last year. You could say he is improving here each time out. Well, you can.

    9. Jimmie Johnson – 14 races – 9 Top Tens – 14.4 AveFin
    A six-time champion under the previous formats, but not so sure about a seventh under this one.

    10. Kasey Kahne – 11 races – 4 Top Tens – 14.9 AveFin
    Number 5 will be as mellow yellow as the number 24 on Sunday.

    11. Brad Keselowski – 7 races – 2 Top Tens – 15.0 AveFin
    Over the past two events at Homestead, his average finish has been 4.5.

    12. Justin Allgaier – 1 race – 15.0 AveFin
    A Top Fifteen finish would match…well…what he did last year.

    13. Matt Kenseth – 15 races – 1 Win – 7 Top Tens – 15.8 AveFin
    He is back. Will he and Joey meet at high noon, or will peace and harmony reign supreme?

    14. Ryan Newman – 13 races – 5 Top Tens – 15.8 AveFin
    Can drive a dozer from 150 miles away. Let him try that in a race car.

    15. Aric Almirola – 5 races – 2 Top Tens – 16.2 AveFin
    I am thinking that Richard Petty likes him best. At least he gets to return next season.

    16. Jamie McMurray – 13 races – 4 Top Tens – 16.6 AveFin
    Once had problems with Kenseth, but now are best buds. Is there hope for Matt and Joey? Right.

    17. Greg Biffle – 13 races – 3 wins – 5 Top Tens – 17.2 AveFin
    Best damn Roush driver this season, but when your teammates are Stenhouse and Bayne…

    18. Danica Patrick – 2 races – 19.0 AveFin
    It is sad when one thinks of this as one of her better tracks.

    19. Kurt Busch – 14 races – 1 Win – 5 Top Tens – 19.2 AveFin
    Hasn’t won in Miami since 2002, but it was the crashes in 2006 and 2008 that left him dead last.

    20. A.J. Allmendinger – 6 races – 2 Top Tens – 19.5 AveFin
    Great start to his career but 36th and 40th in his last two have marred his average just a tad.

    25. Kyle Busch – 10 races – 3 Top Tens – 23.1 AveFin
    His efforts to date get him included on this list. His past efforts at Homestead do not.

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Phoenix

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Phoenix

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Jeff Gordon: Gordon finished sixth at Phoenix in the rain-shortened Quicken Loans Race For Heroes 500.

    “Having already clinched my spot,” Gordon said, “I didn’t have to sweat the finish. I’m not the only driver who can say this, but ‘I handled my business at Martinsville.’”

    2. Kyle Busch: Busch finished fourth at Phoenix and claimed his spot in the Chase finale at Homestead. Busch will vie with Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick and Martin Truex Jr. for the Sprint Cup title.

    “I signed an extension to keep M&M’s and Mars products on my car for the next several seasons,” Busch said. “You’ll see their names on the front of my car, the top of my car, and yes, the back of my car, so I’ll continue to be called a ‘candy ass’ by fellow drivers and fans alike.”

    3. Kevin Harvick: Harvick finished second at Phoenix to lock up his spot in the finale at Homestead.

    “Thanks to the rain,” Harvick said, “my reign continues.

    “I will do anything to win my second Sprint Cup championship. And I mean that in the most literal sense. Whatever it takes, I will do it. That includes wrecking myself and wrecking others. I’m such a talented driver, I can do those things separately.”

    4. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex punched his ticket to Homestead with a 14th-place finish at Phoenix.

    “I made it,” Truex said, “and I didn’t even have to win or wreck Trevor Bayne intentionally to do so.”

    5. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin finished eighth at Phoenix, posting his 19th top 10 of the year.

    “Matt Kenseth met with Brian France after returning from a two-race suspension,” Hamlin said. “I’m sure what France told Matt was ‘quintessential B.F.,’ which is essentially the same as ‘quintessential B.S.’”

    6. Dale Earnhardt Jr: Earnhardt won the rain-shortened Quicken Loans Race For Heroes 500.

    “The skies opened,” Earnhardt said, “and for some drivers, the door closed. That’s the nature of Mother Nature when it comes to stock car racing.”

    7. Joey Logano: Logano finished third in the rain-shortened Quicken Loans Race For Heroes 500 at Phoenix. Needing a win to advance, Logano will have to wait until next year to seek his first Sprint Cup championship.

    “This was supposed to be my year,” Logano said, “but things got turned around when I ‘turned around’ Matt Kenseth.”

    8. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski finished ninth at Phoenix and finished eighth in the point standings.

    “We didn’t put a single Penske Racing driver in the finale at Homestead,” Keselowski said. “But we might put a single Joe Gibbs Racing driver into the wall at Homestead.”

    9. Kurt Busch: Busch finished seventh despite suffering a drive-through penalty for jumping the start of the Quicken Loans Race For Heroes 500.

    “You can’t beat the pole sitter to the starting line,” Busch said. “Much like I did when I accused Patricia Driscoll of being an assassin, I ‘jumped the gun.’”

    10. Carl Edwards: Edwards came home 12th at Phoenix and finished fifth in the points standings, just missing out on eligibility for the championship at Homestead.

    “Who’s wrecked more Chase hopes?” Edwards said. “The rain, or Matt Kenseth?”

  • The Final Word – Earnhardt takes Phoenix unchallenged…in the end

    The Final Word – Earnhardt takes Phoenix unchallenged…in the end

    Once Dale Earnhardt Jr. took the lead at Phoenix, no one was going to catch him. Not a single driver even challenged him. Yet, there was still one vehicle that even the race winner could not pass. The pace car.

    While Junior was in the pits for a green flag stop, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Joey Gase collided on the track. Earnhardt rolled out first among those who had pitted, and when the rest of the field came in for servicing, Junior eventually circulated around to the front. More than twenty laps went by under caution, and before they could return to racing, the rains that had plagued the day returned. They went to a red flag, and soon the event was in the books, shortened by 90 laps. It marked Earnhardt’s third win of the season, albeit one segment too late to keep him in contention for the title.

    That title will go to one of four drivers. Kevin Harvick dominated the event, leading 143 laps, but lost it that final pit stop to finish second, yet he advances. Jeff Gordon, who was sixth on the day, already had a free pass after his Martinsville win. Kyle Busch was fourth, sending him through to Homestead a contender. Martin Truex Jr. was back in 14th but had enough in the bank to cash in for a title run.

    Joey Logano needed to win, and he was behind Harvick much of the way. However, third place would not cut it on Sunday. Kurt Busch jumped the start, got penalized, and though he was seventh in the end, it proved to be too little. Ninth was not good enough to advance Brad Keselowski while Carl Edwards was close, but he needed to finish seven spots up on Truex and wound up just a couple ahead.

    So, we know who the main characters in next weekend’s play shall be. In the end, we will be blessed with either a five-time champion as he ends his career, a two-time defending champion, a very talented driver ending a very trying campaign with his first, or a single-car team concluding a Cinderella season. I will be satisfied no matter the outcome.

    Meanwhile, Matt Kenseth returns after his two race exile. I wonder if Logano will again think it a smart move to bump him out of the way? I guess that all depends on how smart that driver is.

    The 2015 season concludes on Sunday at the track near Miami.

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Texas

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Texas

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Jeff Gordon: Gordon finished ninth in the AAA Texas 500, earning his 19th top-10 result of the year.

    “I was given two ponies by Texas Motor Speedway as a retirement gift,” Gordon said. “I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do with them. As a soon to be retiree, I reckon I will just put them out to pasture.”

    2. Joey Logano: Logano blew a left-rear tire on lap 4, and the resulting damage sent the No.22 to the garage for major repairs. He finished 40th, 60 laps down, and will need a win at Phoenix to be among the final four eligible to win the Cup at Homestead.

    “Matt Kenseth was not on the track,” Logano said. “I never thought this statement would ever be uttered, but ‘You take away Matt Kenseth, you take away all the excitement.’”

    3. Kevin Harvick: Harvick recovered from two blown tires to finish third in the AAA Texas 500. He is third in the Sprint Cup points standings.

    “I also had to keep my hand on the shifter,” Harvick said. “That was to keep the car from popping out of gear. That goes to show that when Kevin Harvick faces adversity, he overcomes it. That was the case at Dover—I was backed into a corner, so I backed into a wall.”

    4. Kyle Busch: Busch finished fourth at Texas and holds the second spot in the points standings.

    “Sammy Hagar gave a pre-race concert in the Texas Motor Speedway infield,” Busch said. “I believe he was staring straight at me when he sang ‘I Can’t Drive 55.’”

    5. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski started on the pole and dominated, leading 312 of 334 laps, but lost the victory when Jimmie Johnson passed him for the lead late. Keselowski is sixth in the points standings.

    “I’ll likely need a win to advance,” Keselowski said. “My Penske teammate Joey Logano faces the same situation. We could finish 1-2. If that happens, one of us could be taking it home, while the other would be going home.”

    6. Carl Edwards: Edwards finished fifth in the AAA Texas 500, posting his seventh top 5 of the year.

    “NASCAR suspended Matt Kenseth for two races,” Edwards said. “Matt seemed to be enjoying himself, sitting at home, watching the race, and sending sarcastic tweets. I don’t think NASCAR can suspend him for wrecking Twitter.”

    7. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex lost his power steering while battling for the lead late in the race, and managed to hold on for an eighth-place finish.

    “I’m fourth in the points standings,” Truex said. “If I hold that position, I’ll likely have a spot in the finale at Homestead. That would mean a lot for our team because the Furniture Row Racing team certainly deserves a seat at the table.”

    8. Kurt Busch: Busch finished seventh in the AAA Texas 500, and is seventh in the points standings.

    “I’m on the brink of elimination,” Busch said. “That’s what Joey Logano said when he saw Matt Kenseth behind him at Martinsville. It’s also what a soon-to-be-assassinated mark says when my ex-girlfriend Patricia Driscoll puts the crosshairs on the target.”

    9. Dale Earnhardt Jr: Earnhardt finished sixth at Texas, posting his 21st top 10 of the year.

    “I’ve got top-10 finishes in the last three races,” Earnhardt said. “And that reminds me, you should try Diet Mountain Dew’s new flavor, ‘2 Little, 2 Late.’ It’s bittersweet.”

    10. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson passed Brad Keselowski on lap 331 and won his third straight race at Texas.

    “I may not be eligible for the Cup,” Johnson said, “but a win is a win is a win.”

  • Surprising and Not Surprising: AAA Texas 500

    Surprising and Not Surprising: AAA Texas 500

    From deep in the heart of the Lone Star State, here is what was surprising and not surprising from the 11th annual AAA Texas 500.

    Surprising: There apparently is a new super power in NASCAR called ‘Mega Turn’. At least that was the power bestowed on race winner Jimmie Johnson by runner-up Brad Keselowski.

    “The 48 car had mega turn that last run and I couldn’t keep the turn and it kept pushing real bad,” the driver of the No. 2 Wurth Ford Fusion said. “I did everything I could to hold him off, but he was way faster that last run.”

    “Their team did a hell of a job and found speed and my team did a hell of a job too. We led 300-some laps and these debris yellows always favor someone and it wasn’t our day for them to favor us.”

    “It was a hell of a race.”

    This was Keselowski’s sixth top-10 finish at Texas and his 23rd top-10 finish of the season.

    Not Surprising: Given the fact that rain washed out both Cup practices, the saying ‘When it rains, it pours’ was definitely applicable at Texas, especially for Chase driver Joey Logano. Not only did his tire blow early in the race but one of his crew members had hot oil pour out of the car onto his face, causing him to take a quick trip to the infield care center.

    While the crew member was treated and released, Logano finished 40th and is now solidly in the basement of the Chase race, 69 points behind leader Jeff Gordon.

    “Sometimes you just have to roll with the punches,” the driver of the No. 22 AAA Insurance Ford said. “This team is strong. We didn’t take any wind out of our sails today and we showed how fast this thing was even after we crashed. I am very proud of our team.”

    “It is unfortunate that we finished how we did.”

    Surprising: After a weekend that was not so classy, this week’s race was filled with at least a few moments of class, from Jimmie Johnson racing Brad Keselowski fair and square without incident for the race win to Martin Truex Jr. acknowledging some hard racing with Keselowski with a handshake after the race.

    “I just like to race guys clean anyway, the driver of the No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet said of Keselowski. “I kept working on him and working on him. He got real loose off (Turn) 2 and I had a big run off the top and I went for a big slide job down in (Turns) 3 and 4 and got the win.”

    And of the other classy act of the race, here is what eighth place finisher Martin Truex Jr. had to say of his close racing with Brad Keselowski.

    “We just rubbed a little bit there in the tri-oval,” the driver of the No. 78 Furniture Row/Visser Precision Chevrolet said. “No big deal at all. We were both racing hard. Good hard racing-rubbing a little. Rubbing is racing.”

    “It was fun.”

    Not Surprising: Although he is one of the younger drivers on the track, Erik Jones was spent and ready for some respite after running the third race of the weekend in substitution for Matt Kenseth in the No. 20 DeWalt Toyota.

    “I’m ready to take a day off, I don’t think I’ve ever run more than two races – the Truck and XFINITY race – in more than one weekend,” Jones said. “At this point, I’m feeling fine, but I can definitely feel it coming on. I’ll be worn out tonight.”

    “It was a fun weekend and I’ll do it again for sure next weekend. I’m looking forward to it, but it’s definitely busy and definitely hard on you. I’ll take a nice day off tomorrow.”

    Surprising: One would think that having two tires go down, as well as another shifter problem, would definitely have resulted in a near the bottom of the pack finish. Not so for one Kevin Harvick, who rallied back from all that to finish third in his No. 4 Budweiser/Jimmy John’s Chevrolet.

    “I’ve never had to drive with one arm that long,” Harvick said. “I had to pay a lot more attention. The hardest part was my arm started to go to sleep and I had to let off on it to get the blood flowing again.”

    This was Harvick’s 14th top-10 finish in 26 races at Texas Motor Speedway.

    Not Surprising: Even veteran drivers, including one in his last season, can continue to be a student of the sport. Of course, that continuing education is greatly enhanced when that driver is also already guaranteed a spot in the final four of the Championship Chase.

    “I thought we learned a lot this weekend,” Jeff Gordon, driver of the No. 24 Axalta Chevrolet said. “I think we certainly know that our cars are fast because our teammate won. At the same time, I think that we were here to execute and push hard, try to win, but also to just learn what we could. I thought we learned some stuff.”

    “Something good to build on and work on.”

    Surprising: While teammate Jeff Gordon was going to hug his teammate after the win, the two top finishing Toyotas were also actually cheering on competitor Jimmie Johnson for the race win.

    “For our situation, we wanted to see a guy that was not in the Chase win or a guy that we were racing right around us like the 78 (Martin Truex Jr.) and win the race,” Kyle Busch said after finishing fourth. “This M&M’s Crispy Camry was really, really fast today – just not fast enough. We fought hard, we did what we needed to do, we finished in the top-five and we got ourselves in a pretty good spot hopefully.

    “My guys never cheered so hard for Jimmie (Johnson), we needed that for the points going to Homestead,” Carl Edwards said after finishing fifth. “Our Sport Clips Camry – it was fast. It was really fast in the middle of the race. We were up to second and I thought we had something then it fell off at the end.”

    “This was a fun race to drive.”

    Not Surprising: Two drivers had some close encounters with the wall, with both manning up that it was due to driver error.

    “We had a good car and we were driving forward early and I got into the wall off four trying to pass somebody and cut a right front tire down,” Ryan Blaney, driver of the No. 21 SNAP-ON Tools Ford said. “Hit the wall pretty hard in one and two and ruined our day. It is all my fault. I hit the wall all by myself and ruined a very fast race car.”

    “I was having too much fun out there and got loose, three-wide after a restart and tagged the wall real good and bent the car up pretty bad and knocked the rear deck lid off of it,” Dale Earnhardt Jr. said after the race. “We got the chance to fix it and we just had a real fast car. I think we had the best car here. Just can’t hit the wall, but man we were just having fun, running hard. Got to do that every once in a while.”

    Surprising: Brian Scott continues to strut his stuff in the Cup Series. He had another top-15 finish, his second in his limited run in the series, finishing 14th in his No. 33 Shore Lodge Chevrolet. This was the first time in his Cup career that he has scored back to back top-15’s.

    Not Surprising: Demonstrating his dry wit and his own brand of humor yet again, Matt Kenseth won his own race, at least for one of the most re-tweeted Twitter postings after the race.

    “Good work @JimmieJohnson! Textbook pass for the win at the end of the race when someone is trying to take your lane. #quintessential”

  • Hot 20 – Kenseth to miss Texas and Phoenix after facing NASCAR justice (pending appeals)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    19. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 181
    Are we there yet?

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