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Tag: Carl Edwards

NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Watkins Glen

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Kyle Busch: Busch kept his hot streak alive with a third-place finish at Watkins Glen, and although he didn’t win, he moved into 30th place in the Sprint Cup points standings.

“We played the finish conservatively,” Busch said. “I took an unnecessary chance last week at Pocono, not to mention one in Iredell County, North Carolina back in 2011. I got busted in both instances.

“This time, we played it safe. Sometimes, you’ve gotta think ‘big picture.’ And I’m always thinking ‘big picture,’ because that’s the only one my ego will fit in.”

2. Kevin Harvick: Harvick ran out of fuel in the final corner at Watkins Glen, handing Joey Logano the win while settling for third.

“Logano overtook a car that was out of fuel,” Harvick said. “That’s called ‘passing gas.’ I tried to wreck Logano as he went by. And, much like my fuel tank, it came up empty.”

3. Joey Logano: Logano passed Kevin Harvick in the final corner after Harvick’s fuel ran out, giving Logano the win in the Cheez-It 355 At The Glen.

“I’m just happy to get the win,” Logano said. “Fuel mileage races don’t really tell us who’s best. They do, however, tell us who ‘sucks’ the least.

“I knew I had plenty of fuel to chase Harvick. And I knew if I pressed the issue, I could make him run out. In essence, I put him back in a Richard Childress Racing car, because he slowed to a crawl.”

4. Jimmie Johnson: Despite a late spin caused by Tony Stewart’s blown engine, Johnson salvaged a tenth at Watkins Glen, scoring his 14th top 10 of the year.

“You may have seen me in a commercial for ‘Burnt Rubber,’” Johnson said. “It’s a new fragrance from Sunoco, and it’s left its mark on the cologne industry. Unfortunately, it’s a skid mark. Let’s just be thankful that the latest NASCAR-themed cologne wasn’t called ‘Dick Trickle.’”

5. Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: Earnhardt finished 11th in the Cheez-It 355 At The Glen, just missing his 14th top-10 finish of the season.

“It was a tough day for a lot of drivers,” Earnhardt said. “Particularly Tony Stewart. He finished last. Plus, he experienced something that often happen to fans of Junior Nation when they break out their finest china for an important meal—he got ‘served with papers.’”

6. Martin Truex, Jr.: Truex qualified second and suffered a flat tire with 22 laps to go, ruining what would have been a solid day and settling for a 25th-place finish.

“Some drivers ran out of gas,” Truex said, “while some, like me, ran out of air. Others ran out of talent. Still others had no talent to begin with. The remainder drive for Michael Waltrip Racing.”

7. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski finished seventh as Penske Racing teammate Joey Logano took the win at Watkins Glen.

“Joey had luck on his side,” Keselowski said. “My No. 2 Ford did not. Maybe, instead of having ‘Miller Lite’ plastered on the side of my car, we should have had ‘Miller Fortune’ there.”

8. Kurt Busch: Busch claimed fifth in the Cheez-It 355 At The Glen, posting his seventh top-5 finish of the year.

“Kevin Harvick clearly had the fastest car on the track,” Busch said. “Then he ran out of fuel. He was more than ‘good,’ he was best….till the last drop.”

9. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth led two laps and finished fourth at Watkins Glen, one of three Joe Gibbs Racing cars in the top 10.

“That’s two consecutive fuel mileage races,” Kenseth said. “I won at Pocono, and was pretty close to winning at Watkins Glen. That really would have established me as a driver who knows how to make a drop of fuel last. I guess I would have been known as the ‘Wizard Of Oz.’”

10. Carl Edwards: Edwards finished eighth at Watkins Glen, posting his sixth top 10 of the season.

“Did you see Denny Hamlin speeding around the track with his hood up on the No. 11 FedEx Toyota?” Edwards said. “That performance earned Denny the nickname ‘Little Fed Riding Hood.’”

August 11, 2015
Hot 20 – Rain, rain that went away, the Glen invites you back Sunday

Rain. Usually, that would mean a long delay before we see some action if we wind up seeing any at all, but not before we interview every driver at the track. Then, there are those who like to record the race on television, but fail to allow for an eight-hour delay.

Still, rain at Watkins Glen means racing. Take off the slicks, replace them with rain tread, and off they go. There is a possibility of rain, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. is among those who would not mind using the wipers. Of course, you just got to know that come Sunday the sun shall be shining.

You also know that, barring a fuel mileage, heartbreaking finish, Kyle Busch will hit the Top 30, and the Top Two on this list on Sunday. Until then, here are our Hot 20 coming into Watkins Glen…

1. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 4 WINS (713 Points)
To all the Johnson haters out there…Jimmie invites you to kiss his…

2. KEVIN HARVICK – 2 WINS (780 Points)
Engine department thought the 400 mile Pocono event was a 20 lap feature. They bad.

3. DALE EARNHARDT JR. – 2 WINS (717 Points)
I wonder how much space the new NASCAR “at track” superstore has devoted to one guy?

4. MATT KENSETH – 2 WINS (662 Points)
It is amazing what one can accomplish when one has fuel…and others do not.

5. KURT BUSCH – 2 WINS (620 Points)
Another free agent at the end of the season, but don’t expect him to go anywhere.

6. JOEY LOGANO – 1 WIN (734 Points)
I am not a fan of Joey Logano. He is not a fan of Ron Thornton, whoever he is.

7. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 1 WIN (694 Points)
Could not save enough fuel to sweep Pocono, but should do well at the Glen.

8. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 1 WIN (681 Points)
So THAT is the reason the crew chief stays up on the box.

9. DENNY HAMLIN – 1 WIN (614 Points)
Erik Jones will arrive full-time in Cup in 2017. Who departs Gibbs’ operation to make room?

10. CARL EDWARDS – 1 WIN (553 Points)
A dirty low down bottle tossing varmint? Say is isn’t so.

11. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 631 POINTS
Winning is so over-rated, as he will prove again this Sunday.

12. JEFF GORDON – 617 POINTS
40+ points up on Bowyer, so why in hell are some saying this has been a disappointing season?

13. PAUL MENARD – 591 POINTS
His dad is the richest person in Wisconsin. I’m not even the richest person in my household.

14. RYAN NEWMAN – 584 POINTS
The last of his four Top Fives was back in April. That has to change.

15. CLINT BOWYER – 574 POINTS
Calls everyone Boss these days, as you never know who his Boss might be next season.

16. KASEY KAHNE – 559 POINTS
The only sponsor who should have a real problem with Donald Trump is Great Clips.

17. ARIC ALMIROLA – 534 POINTS
Almirola? Isn’t that a great ice cream flavor?

18. GREG BIFFLE – 502 POINTS
First four races at the Glen, he averaged a 35th place finish. Since then, 15th. He got better.

19. KYLE LARSON – 485 POINTS
Just turned 23, so not quite a grey beard yet. Come to think of it, not quite ready for a beard yet.

20. AUSTIN DILLON – 484 POINTS
He did not win, but having a Tennessee Titan cheerleader in your corner is not exactly a loss.

August 5, 2015
NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Pocono

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Kyle Busch: Busch inherited the lead when Joey Logano ran out of gas with three laps to go, but Logano’s misfortune was a harbinger of the same for Busch, whose tank ran dry with one lap to go. Busch finished 21st.

“My fuel tank said ‘E,’” Busch said, “then I said ‘F.’ Who would have thought that my luck and my fuel would have run out at the same time?”

2. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson finished sixth in the Windows 10 400 at Pocono, securing his 14th top 10 of the season.

“Hendrick Motorsports put three cars in the top six,” Johnson said. “Kasey Kahne put one in the pit lane wall. That’s what you call a pit stop.

“Pocono’s ‘Tricky Triangle’ indeed proved to be tricky. However, when you’re talking NASCAR, the triangle is not the geometric shape that first comes to mind. That would be the ‘cylinder.’ My fans know there are eight cylinders in the engine of the No. 48. On the other hand, Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s fans know there are 24 of ’em in a case.”

3. Kevin Harvick: Harvick’s engine blew on lap 20 of the Windows 10 400 at Pocono, relegating him to his worst result of the year, a 42nd.

“I’m not sure what happened,” Harvick said. “All I know is something went ‘Ke-boom! and the car went ‘Ke-put.’ And out we went in a plume of burning oil and fluids. I was upset, but Tony Stewart was elated. It’s the first time ‘Smoke’s’ had an impact on the Chase all season.”

4. Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Earnhardt finished third at Pocono, the top finisher among Hendrick Motorsports cars.

“It appears Kyle Busch isn’t invincible after all,” Earnhardt said. “For a while there, he was so dominant it looked like he could win without really trying. It took the end of the race on Sunday for validation that yes, he indeed was ‘coasting.’”

5. Joey Logano: Logano was leading with three laps to go when his fuel tank ran dry. Instead of his second win of the season, he was left with a 20th-place finish.

“In retrospect,” Logano said, “the ‘Windows 10 400’ should have been called the ‘Fuel Windows 10 400.’

“Luckily, no one was hurt when Brad Keselowski hit some of his pit crew when he went screaming into his pit stall. Now, you can add three crewmen to the list of people who believe Brad doesn’t know when to stop.”

6. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth grabbed his second win of the year after winning a fuel mileage war at Pocono.

“I can’t say we found a way to win,” Kenseth said. “I would say the way to win found us.

“Out pit strategy played out to perfection and resulted in a day I’ll never forget, and I owe it all to my gas can man. To him, I say ‘Tanks for the memories.’”

7. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex ran out of fuel with two laps to go, just moments after Joey Logano’s tank went dry while leading. Truex finished 19th and is fifth in the Sprint Cup points standings, 86 out of first.

“There were a lot of cars running out of gas at the end of the race,” Truex said. “So many that it bordered on being suspicious. Was it a mysterious conspiratorial ploy by NASCAR to add excitement to an otherwise boring race? If so, it would have to be called ‘Fume-igate.’”

8. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski finished second in the Windows 10 400 at Pocono, surviving as several cars running in the top five dropped out after running out of fuel.

“I ran into a few of my crew members on a pit stop,” Keselowski said. “Here’s the rundown on their health—they’re all okay. There’s video of the incident all over the internet, and it’s become very popular. Rumor has it Hollywood wants to base a movie on it. It will be called ‘Boyz On The Hood.’”

9. Kurt Busch: Busch finished 37th at Pocono after an accident on a lap 66 restart sent him to the garage for repairs.

“On the bright side,” Busch said, “I had plenty of gas in my tank at race’s end. If you don’t believe me, just ask my former girlfriend Patricia Driscoll. She’ll tell you I’m still full of it.”

10. Carl Edwards: Edwards pitted late for fuel and salvaged a 10th at Pocono, his fifth top-10 result of the year.

“What a great race,” Edwards said. “I guess NASCAR was right—-slowing the cars down does make for more exciting racing.

“Not many drivers had the nerve to come in for gas so late in the race,” Edwards said. “Luckily, we had the guts to do it. As they say, you have to take the plunge before you take the splash.”

August 5, 2015
Edwards, Not Busch, is Chase Field’s ‘Lucky Dog’

The 2015 Chase for the Sprint Cup field is solidifying fast, with only six spots remaining for those drivers who haven’t notched a win, and only six weeks left for them to do so.

As winless drivers struggle for a victory to secure a spot in the Chase, Kyle Busch’s comeback creep to the Top 30 continues. What seemed like a long shot at best nine races ago has now become a seemingly inevitable prospect.

Upon return to Cup competition, Busch’s underdog status could have almost been consigned to irrelevancy. Heading into Sonoma, Busch was winless and 173 points behind 30th place in the standings, the cutoff for Chase-eligible drivers with wins. To address that issue, he snagged a win at Sonoma (and then three more) all while slashing any “insurmountable” points gap to 30th.

In just five races, a gap of 173 points shrank to 23 points, and now Busch has six races to dissolve that number. Considering the gap isn’t between top-tier drivers in the standings, but rather 30th and 32nd, to miss the cut would require a meltdown on an even more epic scale than his quick rise to dominance.

While Kyle Busch may seem like a figurative “lucky dog” on the outside looking in, trying to claw his way back to the heart of the competition, it seems unfitting and even inappropriate to use the word “luck” in the same sentence as his name. He has won four of the last five races, including the last three in a row, a feat not seen since Jimmie Johnson won Martinsville, Atlanta and Texas in 2007.

Sitting at the bottom of the group of Chase clinchers is Carl Edwards, with just 519 points. He more fittingly wears the title of “lucky dog” rolling into the Chase with just one crucial win to fall back on.

The other drivers with wins, aside from Kyle Busch, have points enough to keep them in the Chase even if wins were not a factor. Take away the “win and you’re in” rule, and Carl Edwards sits at 16th place in the points standings instead of 10th, with Aric Almirola trailing him by just 11 points.

Edwards’ points troubles are, however, not indicative of his on-track performance. He has led 242 laps this year, the ninth-most of any driver. His two DNFs, along with only two top fives and four top 10s, help to better explain his standings in the points. Of the current Chase field, only Paul Menard has as few top 10s as Edwards, yet Menard still sits 39 points ahead of the driver of the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Toyota.

While the win incentive provides for more late summer drama and driver pressure, it is always interesting to look at points alone to determine which drivers have shown consistency throughout the season.

Come Richmond, Edwards may be thanking his lucky stars that one of the 25 laps he led in the Coca Cola 600 at Charlotte was the final one.

August 2, 2015
Hot 20 – Pocono, where Kyle’s winning streak comes to an end…maybe

Back we go to Pocono, where Martin Truex Jr. won in the spring, where all of the Hendrick drivers shared in winning the previous five. A Busch has won there, twice. His name is Kurt.

Kyle Busch has not…yet. He swept Indianapolis last weekend, meaning he ran and won the XFINITY race there on Saturday. It was his second junior circuit win in five tries this season. That now means series regulars have won just three of 18 events, with Chris Buescher taking two while Ryan Reed won at Daytona in February. Truck series wonder-kid Erik Jones has a pair while six Cup drivers have shared the other 13. Of course, most see what the problem is. I guess stupid is as stupid does, as Forrest Gump reminded us.

NASCAR spent tons of time and money figuring out a package to run at Indy. Then they got teams to spend their own time and money to ready their cars with that new package. In the end, they appear to have wasted a bunch of time and money. The racing was not much different than it has ever been, which is not all that good while making them a bit more sensitive to losing control after losing air on the spoiler, spoiling their day. Next month, they will use the same package in Michigan. You can never have too much of a bad thing, I guess.

Word is that Danica Patrick is expected to stay with Stewart-Haas after this season, a new contract and new sponsors. Why? It has everything to do with being a competent attractive female in a sport dominated by men. She might never contend for a title or even a Chase berth, but as long as she continues to enjoy the following she has, she does not have to.

Cameron Hayley is a 19-year-old Canadian sitting sixth in the truck series standings. He is a Calgary boy, making him as likely to be a cowboy as a hockey player. Instead, he turned to racing. Too bad the truck series is not broadcast in Canada this season. However, if you want to watch soccer instead, I got great news for you.

Heading to Pocono, our Hot 20 does not include our hottest driver. Heading out of Pocono probably will be a different story. If you are wondering if it is all about Kyle…it seems it is.

1. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 4 WINS (675 Points)
Will remain first overall, unless Kyle wins Pocono.

2. KEVIN HARVICK – 2 WINS (777 Points)
All the talk is about Kyle, but Harv’s finishes over the past five have been fourth, fourth, eighth, third, and third.

3. DALE EARNHARDT JR. – 2 WINS (677 Points)
The last driver not named Kyle Busch to win a Cup race.

4. KURT BUSCH – 2 WINS (612 Points)
Kyle’s first bridesmaid was his own brother.

5. JOEY LOGANO – 1 WIN (708 Points)
Bridesmaid No. 2…and No. 4.

6. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 1 WIN (668 Points)
Could have helped Kyle and Kevin in late restarts…but I guess they were on their own.

7. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 1 WIN (638 Points)
Kyle’s other bridesmaid, as Penske finished second in each of the past three.

8. MATT KENSETH – 1 WIN (615 Points)
As a teammate, he personally knows Kyle.

9. DENNY HAMLIN – 1 WIN (591 Points)
So does Denny.

10. CARL EDWARDS – 1 WIN (519 Points)
So does Carl.

11. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 602 POINTS
Has enough points that Kyle’s expected jump up the ladder affects him the least.

12. JEFF GORDON – 575 POINTS
Forget Kyle. Until further notice, the goal is to finish ahead of Bowyer every week.

13. RYAN NEWMAN – 563 POINTS
After Pocono and Kyle’s expected rise in the standings, things get a little more tense.

14. KASEY KAHNE – 558 POINTS
Same as above.

15. PAUL MENARD – 558 POINTS
Ditto.

16. CLINT BOWYER – 538 POINTS
If Kyle moves up, 16th becomes the new 17th.

17. ARIC ALMIROLA – 508 POINTS
Forget Kyle and forget making the Chase on points. A win is the only way in.

18. GREG BIFFLE – 462 POINTS
Kyle is the least of his worries.

19. AUSTIN DILLON – 453 POINTS
Like Kyle, Austin was a speed racer at Indy. Unlike Kyle, he did his speeding on pit road…twice.

20. KYLE LARSON – 452 POINTS
The other Kyle.

July 29, 2015
NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Indianapolis

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Kyle Busch: Busch held off Joey Logano on the final restart to win his first Brickyard 400 and third consecutive race. Busch also won Saturday’s XFINITY Series race at Indy.

“The No. 18 Skittles car was top notch,” Busch said. “And now I can tell you this: Bricks taste better than the rainbow.

“Some people have suggested that crashing into the wall at Daytona in February and breaking my left leg and right foot gave me the inspiration for my recent dominant run. I believe that’s entirely true. In fact, there are no bones about it. My injuries gave me a leg up on the competition. And I don’t think I can be stopped. But everyone knows I’m susceptible to mind games. I can’t tell you how many of my rivals have sent me copies of Pink Floyd’s album ‘The Wall.’”

2. Kevin Harvick: Harvick finished third in the Brickyard 400, posting his series-best 14th top-10 finish of the season.

“I just couldn’t get a proper push on the restarts,” Harvick said. “Had the situation been reversed and I was the one doing the pushing, you can best believe it would have been a different story. Just ask Brad Keselowski.

“There were three late cautions that extended the duration of the race. I didn’t think the race would ever end, and judging by the NBC Sports Network’s pre-race coverage, I didn’t think it would ever start.”

3. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson finished 15th at Indianapolis on a disappointing day for Hendrick Motorsports. Johnson was the highest HMS finisher, and Jeff Gordon finished 42nd in his last Brickyard 400 after a spin on lap 50 ended his chances at the win.

“Clint Bowyer caused the wreck that took out Gordon,” Johnson said. “Afterwards, Bowyer was seen chasing Jeff through the garage to confront him…with an apology.

“But let’s go easy on the ‘Kyle Busch is championship material’ talk. A Brickyard 400 win is great, but it’s not the end-all. Sure, Crown Royal sponsored the race, so maybe Kyle’s been ‘Royally Crowned,’ but last time I checked, he’s never been officially crowned.”

4. Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Earnhardt finished 22nd at Indianapolis and is now third in the Sprint Cup points standings, 100 behind Kevin Harvick.

“It was just an unlucky day for Hendrick Motorsports,” Earnhardt said. “But congratulations to Kyle Busch. What a drive he had. Now, he’s got four wins in just nine races this season. That’s a handful, which is exactly what Kyle was when Rick Hendrick jettisoned him back in 2007.”

5. Joey Logano: Logano led the first lap at Indianapolis and was battling for the win at the end, but couldn’t catch Kyle Busch in the two-lap sprint to the finish.

“Busch is on a roll,” Logano said, “and his attitude has improved dramatically. I guess marriage and fatherhood have mellowed him. Now, the only time Kyle ‘shows his ass’ is at the finish line.”

6. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex finished fourth in the Brickyard 400, posting his sixth top-five finish of the year and first in the last five races.

“Passing was at a minimum,” Truex said, “thanks to the higher rear spoiler. The aerodynamics of that made it nearly impossible to pass. That’s called ‘drag,’ and trust me, as a former driver for Michael Waltrip Racing, no one looks good in ‘drag.’”

7. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski finished 10th at Indianapolis, joining Penske Racing teammate Joey Logano, who finished second, in the top 10.

“I’m not the biggest Kyle Busch fan,” Keselowski said, “but even I have to commend him for his recent tear. Kyle Busch is an ass…….kicker.”

8. Kurt Busch: Busch took eighth at Indianapolis as younger brother Kyle won his first Brickyard 400. Kurt is eighth in the Sprint Cup points standings, 165 out of first.

“My brother Kyle has won three consecutive NASCAR races,” Busch said, “and four of the last five. I’ve won twice. So, between us, Kyle and I have six wins and one stable relationship with a woman.”

9. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth finished seventh in the Brickyard 400 on a dominant day for Joe Gibbs Racing. Teammate Kyle Busch won, Denny Hamlin finished fifth, and Carl Edwards started from the pole.

“There were nine cautions in the race,” Kenseth said. “There was even a caution for balloons on the track. They were yellow and inflated, so I’m going to call them ‘Miss Sprint Cups.’”

10. (tie) Denny Hamlin: Hamlin finished fifth in the Crown Royal 400, and is now 10th in the points standings.

“Kyle Busch is in one of the most dominant stretches NASCAR has seen in years,” Hamlin said. “He’s won at a 1.5-mile track at Kentucky, a one-mile track at New Hampshire, and a 2.5-mile oval at Indianapolis. He’s like Jeremy Mayfield—-he can find speed anywhere.”

10. (tie) Carl Edwards: Edwards started on the pole at Indianapolis and finished 13th.

“That was my second consecutive start from the pole,” Edwards said. “Of course, I didn’t win either race, so you didn’t get to see my celebratory backflip. Who cares, right? Everybody knows Kyle Busch has the best finishing move in NASCAR.”

July 29, 2015
Hot 20 – Indianapolis, It is no Wetaskiwin, but it will do

I am just another foreigner. Sure, I’ve been to Daytona. I spent Christmas a couple of years ago on a beach near Malibu. I have been in the Empire State Building, walked the boardwalk in Atlantic City, toured Gettysburg, been to Independence Hall in Philadelphia, and drove the strip in Las Vegas. I have walked the Little Bighorn Battlefield more than once, seen Devil’s Tower and visited Mount Rushmore. I have watched the Red Sox play in Seattle, and I believe the scenery in Wyoming is second to none. I’ve been there, but I do not live there.

I am reminded of that fact as I write this. You see, the big dirt race at Eldora Speedway was slated for this week. Sadly, as a Canadian, that American-based program was not be broadcast on this side of the border, or any truck race for that matter. All was not lost. TSN, our version of ESPN, was slated to run a NASCAR event the same night. It was the Canadian Tire series, from Wetaskiwin, Alberta. A race run nearly two weeks ago and won by 43-year old Scott Steckly from Milverton, Ontario. It was his second win in the six races run to date and he leads the season standings. You might not care. You might not even be Canadian. You might have been stuck having to watch that dirt race broadcast on live television from Iowa. Oh, well, such are the trials and tribulations of being American, I guess.

This Sunday, NASCAR is back on my television, but not from Wetaskiwin, a place where I understand cars cost less than in, say, Edmonton. No, this Sunday the event is something called the Brickyard 400, from a place called Indianapolis. You might have heard of it.

In the meantime, as a Canadian, please allow me to politely submit this week’s Hot 20…

1. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 4 WINS (646 Points)
He and Chad are free agents at the end of the season. Could anyone tempt them?

2. KEVIN HARVICK – 2 WINS (734 Points)
Disaster struck in the pits…so the best he could do was third. Third. Oh, the humanity!

3. DALE EARNHARDT JR. – 2 WINS (655 Points)
Junior was hot last week. Okay, more like p.o.’d, to use the vernacular.

4. KURT BUSCH – 2 WINS (576 Points)
The forgotten Busch? Little brothers can be so attention getting.

5. JOEY LOGANO – 1 WIN (665 Points)
It is so good to be a Penske guy right now.

6. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 1 WIN (628 Points)
Some guys got the breaks in New Hampshire, other guys were named Truex.

7. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 1 WIN (603 Points)
Best damn driver in recent weeks not named Kyle Busch.

8. MATT KENSETH – 1 WIN (578 Points)
It is a good thing they do not hand out demerits for speeding…on pit road.

9. DENNY HAMLIN – 1 WIN (552 Points)
Hamlin wins Saturday, upsets Austin, but why in hell were either racing in the minor league?

10. CARL EDWARDS – 1 WIN (487 Points)
The big difference between Clint and Carl is a single checkered flag.

11. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 574 POINTS
Jamie had a lousy day. Still, Bowyer’s was even worse.

12. JEFF GORDON – 573 POINTS
Five Indianapolis wins, including just one year ago. Why not six?

13. KASEY KAHNE – 538 POINTS
Presently a Chase contender, but best title comes in October…a new dad.

14. RYAN NEWMAN – 530 POINTS
Eleventh at New Hampshire means some breathing room heading to Indianapolis.

15. PAUL MENARD – 528 POINTS
Fail inspection once, you get a letter. If it happens again this week, they get penalized.

16. ARIC ALMIROLA – 502 POINTS
Thanks, Clint!

17. CLINT BOWYER – 500 POINTS
Failed inspection, runs into Gordon outside the garage, then car fades to irrelevance in the race.

18. GREG BIFFLE – 437 POINTS
If NASCAR had the same rules as MLB, Biffle should demand to be traded by the deadline.

19. AUSTIN DILLON – 434 POINTS
Has an idea as to where he would love to shove the XFINITY checkered flag after last Saturday.

20. CASEY MEARS – 427 POINTS
#13 proves to be a good number as Casey signs up for another season with Germain Racing.

July 22, 2015
The Final Word – After New Hampshire, the Busch Chronicles Continue

Welcome to the Busch Chronicles. Brother Kurt missed the opening three races of the season, won a couple and quickly qualified for a Chase place by being well within the Top 30 in points on the season. Brother Kyle missed the opening 11 events of the season after suffering a broken leg in the XFINITY race at Daytona. He seems to be doing well after his first eight back. Three wins in his last four, including his run last Sunday at New Hampshire, has him close. I thought he might pick up twenty points on the 30th place Cole Whitt, but I was wrong.

On lap 245, Busch sensed a tire going down and came to the pits under green. He slipped a lap down but had car enough to try to get it back on his own. On lap 252 he made a wild pass with no room to spare to slip by both Brad Keselowski and Kevin Harvick just before the caution came out due to fluid on the track. Not only was he back on the lead lap, all the other drivers pitted when he did not need to, making Busch the leader. He remained on point through to the 301st and final circuit to claim the victory, and accumulated 47 points.

That was better than Cole Whitt, who had been 30th in the standings coming in. He was 28th on the day, allowing David Gilliland to move past him on the charts as he claimed 21st. Even with the swap of targets, Busch reduced his deficit from 87 to 58 points, a gain of 29 on the position he is aiming for.

It is more than realistic to see Kyle moving into at least 30th in points, thus making his wins count toward the standings, to move him from 33rd today to at least second by the time they leave Watkins Glen. If he continues making 29-point gains, he could be there before they arrive at the road course. It is not always all about Kyle, but right now it sure is.

Goodyear supplies the rubber, but one would have sworn Alex Bowman had one of Barney Rubble’s firestones onboard. He provided a whole new definition to burning rubber as he went up in flames on his way out of the pits, as it appears the residual old hot rubber set the new rubber ablaze. The 22-year-old finished the race though about 70 laps down. Sure, Kyle is hot right now, but for a few moments it could be argued that Alex was even hotter.

Clint Bowyer is not though he could be upset by tumbling out of the Sweet Sixteen. Finishing 34th did him no favors, 19 spots behind Aric Almirola. Almirola is now in 16th, two points up while Ryan Newman launched from seven to now 30 points ahead of Clint as he moves to 14th on the charts.

So, we await a first-time winner to secure a spot, especially someone from outside the top 16. Carl Edwards is thirteen points behind Bowyer, but his win at Charlotte was huge. This weekend the storyline could be about one of the rich getting richer, or maybe someone jumping the line to steal a place with a surprise victory, the latest tango involving Bowyer and Almirola, and the continuing adventures of Kurt’s little brother.

Next up is the Brickyard this Sunday. Jeff Gordon won his fifth at Indianapolis last year while Jimmie Johnson could add to his four win total of this year by taking his fifth ever at the Brickyard. Kyle has never won at this venue, but this is another week and that is just another challenge to be overcome.

July 20, 2015
Hot 20 – Sunday is the time to make a little magic on the mile in New Hampshire

You’ve got your Monster Mile in Dover and you’ve got your Hot Mile in Phoenix, but they are seeking to work a little magic on the mile in Loudon, New Hampshire. Kyle the Magnificent hopes he can continue pulling out of his hat the kind of results that have seen him win two of the last three events. Busch remains the hot story, but he will need to make up the 87 points between him and the 30th ranked Cole Whitt for his victories to launch him from 35th upwards into a spot on this list.

Eleven drivers have wins, 10 of whom sit in Chase places, and none of them needs more bubbly just yet though none would turn down the chance for a post-race soaking. No matter what, those 10, along with both Jamie McMurray and Jeff Gordon, will keep their Chase positions in hand when they leave Loudon. A win would be nice, but not critical for any of them.

The odds favor Busch making up his point deficit, maybe even as much as 20 of that coming this weekend alone. If he can accomplish that over the next eight events, that would leave only five Chase spots available for non-winners. You have to figure at least one or two others will claim their first checkered flag of the campaign between now and Richmond. Kyle Larson has yet to win a Cup race, but in two career Loudon starts he has claimed a second and a third place result. That first victory could come Sunday. If he or another of the winless amongst them can do the trick, the number of Chase spots available based on points alone could be reduced to four.

Sunday will be an important one for Kyle and all those sitting beyond 12th in the standings. It would be a very good time for one of them to make a little magic.

The Hot 20 heading to New Hampshire include…

1. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 4 WINS (624 Points)
New rules package should give Chad something to play with.

2. KEVIN HARVICK – 2 WINS (692 Points)
His son gets a go-cart. His wife gets jewelry. Sounds like a win-win-lose situation to me.

3. DALE EARNHARDT JR. – 2 WINS (616 Points)
Four car operations can be fun…as long as they are owned by Rick Hendrick.

4. KURT BUSCH – 2 WINS (542 Points)
If Stewart-Haas was just a two-car outfit like Penske, this would be a hell of a great season.

5. JOEY LOGANO – 1 WIN (624 Points)
Sees nothing wrong in having just one team-mate.

6. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 1 WIN (596 Points)
What is a team-mate?

7. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 1 WIN (559 Points)
A great Kentucky weekend with an XFINITY victory and sixth place finish in Cup.

8. MATT KENSETH – 1 WIN (540 Points)
Only the fourth best Gibbs driver last week…and he finished fifth!

9. DENNY HAMLIN – 1 WIN (522 Points)
Eighteen starts at Loudon, 11 Top Tens, two wins. It might be another good day for Joe Gibbs.

10. CARL EDWARDS – 1 WIN (449 Points)
Fourth at Kentucky sure beats 40th and 41st the previous two weeks.

11. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 556 POINTS
He won’t win in New Hampshire, but history tells us he could finish anywhere else.

12. JEFF GORDON – 537 POINTS
Sure, Jeff is leaving after the season, but why is no one lamenting the loss of Josh Wise?

13. KASEY KAHNE – 513 POINTS
If Jeff and Kasey are having disappointing seasons, at least 30 others would love to suck this badly.

14. PAUL MENARD – 509 POINTS
Best ever Loudon finish is 12th. A Top 20 would even represent a moral victory.

15. RYAN NEWMAN – 497 POINTS
That tire penalty back in March still looms…but how large depends on who wins the next eight.

16. CLINT BOWYER – 490 POINTS
I recently read that Bowyer is “stuck in the middle of a miserable season.” Ask Tony if he agrees.

17. ARIC ALMIROLA – 473 POINTS
Might be easier for Kyle to make up 87 points on Cole Whitt than for Aric to peg 17 on Bowyer.

18. GREG BIFFLE – 420 POINTS
Hopes a scripted NASCAR tv series might mean he gets to re-write his season.

19. KYLE LARSON – 404 POINTS
He is fast but, with an average finish of 20th, he sure is not making it last.

20. CASEY MEARS – 399 POINTS
As Johnny Cash prophetically sang, “Danica’s gone, one more round, Danica’s gone.”

July 15, 2015
Surprising and Not Surprising: Kentucky Quaker State 400

After dealing with inclement weather, qualifying cancellation due to rain, weepers on the track and a new aero package, here is what else was surprising and not surprising from the Quaker State 400 Presented by Advance Auto Parts at Kentucky Speedway.

Surprising: The Chase season has not even officially started, yet one driver has already secured his spot, at least mathematically.

Last year’s champ Kevin Harvick has clinched his place in the Chase to pursue a back to backer after his eighth-place finish at Kentucky.

“I’m really proud of everyone on our Budweiser/Jimmy John’s team for the work they did this weekend getting ready for this new package,” Harvick said after scoring his third top-10 in five career Sprint Cup starts at Kentucky and his 16th top-10 this season.

“We were definitely sliding around more often on restarts, but as you got going the cars just kind of got spread out and I thought the gaps were a little bit bigger. Definitely a lot of information to take away from this and looking forward to Indy in a couple of weeks to see what we take away from there.”

And with his multiple wins, all the driver of the No. 4 Budweiser/Jimmy John’s Chevrolet has to do is start the remainder of the races to ensure that he will compete once again for the Cup.

Not Surprising: Although many drivers are still focusing on getting that elusive win to qualify for the Chase for NASCAR’s championship, at least one driver is points racing to the max, pedaling as hard as he possibly can to earn his chance at the prize.

“That right there is what we have to do,” Kyle Busch said about points racing from Victory Lane, winning his second race of the season after being out due to significant injuries to his leg and foot sustained early in the race year. “Just to score as many points as we possibly can and score those wins, that’s what’s going to get us where we need to be.

“We led the most laps and we won the race so that’s all you can score. We’ll just continue to push on and drive and try to strive through our deficit and get ourselves in position to be in the top-30.”

With the two wins, Busch just has to continue to inch his way forward in the point standings, as he did after this race, moving two spots to where he currently sits in the 35th position.

Surprising: In spite of men down in the pits, with both Brad Keselowski and Jeff Gordon having contact with pit crew members during difficult stops, the teams and drivers impacted manned up to score top-10 finishes for Team Penske and Hendrick Motorsports respectively.

“Yeah, he was about to be road kill for a second,” Keselowski, who rebounded to finish sixth in his No. 2 Miller Lite Ford after nearly running over his tire carrier, said after the race. “I’m glad he wasn’t.”

“As usual in Kentucky it is never easy,” Gordon said after finishing seventh in his No. 24 AARP Member Advantages Chevrolet. “The team did a really good job. We had to fight through a few handling issues and some restarts and pit road and a bunch of things, but there at the end everything kind of came together.

“We got the car working really well, got a couple of good restarts and a good pit stop. It was a solid evening. It wasn’t a winning evening, but I’m still real proud of the effort.”

Not Surprising: At race end, it almost seemed like Avis should have been sponsoring the No. 22 Shell Pennzoil Ford of Joey Logano, who scored a number two finishing spot.

“We tried,” Logano said. “We cleared the 11 on the restart, which got us clean air and I thought we were in good shape. And then as tires started wearing the 18 was really good on the long run and he figured out the top before me.”

“That’s the advantage you have as the second-place guy is you can go up there and play around more. I was just trying to keep the gap, so I didn’t want to take the penalty of losing three or four laps trying to figure out the top and he would have been closer, but he figured it out before me and got around me.”

“We raced the heck out of each other, I tried hard, but I figured it out too late. Second always hurts.”

Surprising: Trevor Bayne seems to be on a roll after a dismal start to the season, finishing 13th in his No. 7 AdvoCare Ford at Kentucky, after a top-ten finish the week before at Daytona.

“We had a better car than 13th, believe it or not, and we just got beat with some pit strategy there a couple of times,” Bayne said. “A couple got by us with tires and the 41 had four tires, the 48, 24 – we ran that whole last bit on two tires for a long time, so I was glad we could hang on to what we did.”

“It’s just fun to be able to race and make changes on our car and go for it. We ran in the top 10 most of the night. We’re making gains and we’ve got to keep rolling with it.”

“Yeah, it’s going the right way. It wasn’t just a fluke to finish in the top 10 just once. We’re proving that we can be there every week and that’s what we have to do.”

Bayne also is on a roll off the track, announcing to the world via Twitter that he and his wife are expecting a girl, #elliekatebayne.

Not Surprising: Carl Edwards had the most entertaining words to share on his in-car radio, saying that his Minions, who were on his car to promote the new Minion movie debut, were ‘no match’ for those M&Ms, referring to race winner Kyle Busch’s car sponsor.

Edwards finished fourth in his Joe Gibbs Racing No. 19 Minion Toyota.

“Just an awesome race – I can’t thank Comcast XFINITY enough for having the Minions on board along with ARRIS, Stanley, Toyota, TRD (Toyota Racing Development), Subway,” Edwards said. “It was an awesome show. Just an awesome, fun day and I’m glad Kyle (Busch) got the win.”

Surprising: In spite of the dust-up with Danica Patrick due to brake issues and the bumps and colorful words that followed, Dale Earnhardt Jr. put it all in surprising perspective, paying tribute to his No. 88 Nationwide team via Twitter after the race.

“Thanks for all the @nationwide88 guys working hard to try and fix our brake issues. Working on 1000 degree parts takes a lot of courage.”

Earnhardt Jr. finished 21st, while Patrick finished an even more disappointing 34th. Both drivers dropped two spots in the point standings, with Jr. falling to fourth and Danica falling to 22nd.

Not Surprising: Denny Hamlin might just be the poster boy for the new rules package, rebounding to finish third in his Joe Gibbs Racing No. 11 FedEx Office Toyota.

“What a fun race,” Hamlin said enthusiastically after the race. “For us to be able to come back from two laps down and really pass a ton of cars, that’s just encouraging to me that we’ve finally got something that we can really work on and pass guys when your balance is better.”

Surprising: For Martin Truex Jr., the glass was half full and then half empty, running in the top five to top-ten for the first half of his race, but then falling off after damage to the car for a 17th place finish.

“We had too many issues to overcome in the second half of the race,” Truex said. “We had problems with handling — the car kept on plowing through the corners, especially after taking a few hits to the right front. I gave it all I had, but when the car is aerodynamically handicapped it’s difficult to make anything happen.”

“The good news is that we ran up front for plenty of laps and the bad news is that we didn’t stay up front. If we ran the entire race where we finished I would be much more disappointed. But for at least half the race we were up front.”

Not Surprising: At a track that is grueling, bumpy and with drivers having limited practice time, it was no surprise that the rookies did not fare well. Brett Moffitt was the highest finishing rookie in the 32nd spot, with Alex Kennedy, Jeb Burton and Matt DiBenedetto finishing 40th, 41st and 42nd respectively.

NASCAR next heads to the northeast for the New Hampshire 301 on Sunday, July 19 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon.

July 13, 2015