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Tag: Carl Edwards

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Bristol

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Bristol

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Kevin Harvick: Harvick led 184 laps at Bristol, but his fortunes turned dramatically when he crashed into David Ragan’s spinning No. 18 car. Harvick finished 38th, 43 laps down, ending his streak of seven consecutive top-10 finishes this season.

    “Jimmie Johnson started that wreck,” Harvick said. “That wasn’t the only one. Let’s just say his Sprint Cup titles aren’t the only reason they call Jimmie ‘Six Time.’”

    2. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson survived numerous incidents at Bristol to pull out an unlikely runner-up result in the Food City 500.

    “I was involved in quite a few spins,” Johnson said, “and those spins affected several other drivers. Put it this way: there were a lot of drivers looking at me ‘sideways.’”

    3. Joey Logano: Logano’s day at Thunder Valley soured early when a wreck by teammate Brad Keselowski damaged the No. 22 Ford. Logano eventually finished 40th, 59 laps down.

    “That wreck knocked us both out of contention,” Logano said, “and knocked our relationship into contention.”

    4. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski started second at Bristol and ran into early trouble when he lost control on lap 18 and slammed the wall, collecting Penske Racing teammate Joey Logano. Both Penske cars suffered extensive damage; Keselowski finished 35th while Logano finished 40th.

    “I’m not sure what happened,” Keselowski said. “Usually, when I take a hard right like that, I expect Denny Hamlin to be in the way, not the wall.”

    “My good buddy Kyle Busch is out of his wheelchair. He’ll probably be racing this summer, and I expect Kyle to be back better than ever. I bet you he’ll be doing 195 miles per hour in the No. 18 at Daytona in July, or the same down some residential area in Moore County, North Carolina in a street car.”

    5. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex finished a disappointing 29th in the Food City 500, the first time he’s finished out of the top 10 this season.

    “Kurt Busch looked strong,” Truex said, “until he decided to pit late in the race. Then he rear-ended Carl Edwards. That just killed Kurt’s chances. That’s why he’s known as the ‘Stewart-Haas-assin.’”

    6. Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Earnhardt finished 16th at Bristol, as Hendrick teammates Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon took second and third, respectively. Earnhardt is sixth in the Sprint Cup points standings, 73 behind Kevin Harvick.

    “From start to finish,” Earnhardt said, “Sunday’s race lasted nine hours. Most NASCAR races only seem to last that long.”

    7. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth started on the pole in the Food City 500 and took the win, earning his first win of the season and a spot in the Chase For The Sprint Cup. Kenseth pulled away from Jimmie Johnson to capture his first win since the 2013 season.

    “It’s been a tough year for Joe Gibbs Racing,” Kenseth said. “Kyle Busch has a gimpy ankle, Denny Hamlin has a bum neck, and Carl Edwards has a knucklehead.

    “I must admit I was surprised when Kurt Busch pitted from the lead with 25 laps to go. Of course, it’s not like I’m the only person to question a decision made by Kurt.”

    8. Kasey Kahne: Kahne was a victim of a late pileup triggered when Carl Edwards got loose racing side by side with Jeff Gordon. Kahne finished 37th, the worst result among Hendrick Motorsports drivers.

    “Have you seen Kyle Busch lately?” Kahne said. “You know, Kyle used to drive the No. 5 car for Hendrick. His condition now should remind him of his final days at HMS, because he’s ‘got the boot.’”

    9. Jeff Gordon: Gordon battled back from a loose wheel that set him back two laps to finish a solid third at Bristol. Gordon started second on the green-white-checkered finish but was no match for Matt Kenseth, who restarted on the preferred outside line.

    “Unlike me,” Gordon said, “Kenseth has no intentions of retiring. Me? I’ve done enough in this business to call it a career. Four Sprint Cup titles and more money than I know what to do with. So I quit this rich.”

    10. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin was running fifth when neck spasms forced him from the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota on lap 22 during the race’s first rain delay. JGR developmental driver Erik Jones took over and finished 26th.

    “That’s some neck ‘restraint,’ something even a HANS device would be proud of,” Hamlin said.

  • The Final Word – With all the rain and challenges at Bristol, the only guy missing was Jeff Probst

    The Final Word – With all the rain and challenges at Bristol, the only guy missing was Jeff Probst

    Bristol. Just about the only thing missing was Jeff Probst and his Tribal Council as this turned into a game of survival. With the rains that delayed the start, the rains that stopped it again and again, the day race that ran into night became a reality show of its own.

    Take Kevin Harvick, for instance. He led 186 of the eventual 511 laps, but at Lap 310 he slid into a wrecked David Ragan and he found himself voted off the island in 38th place. If not Harv, then it was Kurt Busch in a dominant car. With eight to go, he took the brunt of it when Jeff Gordon got into Carl Edwards. Busch at least managed a 15th for his troubles.

    Then there was the case of Team Penske. You know you needed a hidden immunity idol when things go down the outdoor commode during the opening credits. Brad Keselowski wobbled and that allowed teammate Joey Logano to put out both their torches. Thirty-fifth and beyond was their fate.

    Do you want more examples? After the Penske wreck on the 19th lap, it rained some more. In that time, Denny Hamlin’s stiff neck got worse and when they restarted 18-year-old Erik Jones found himself racing a Cup car for the very first time, ending up 26th.

    How good was Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s car? We will never know, as a flat tire took him off the lead lap early, never to be seen again. At least he got 16th when it was all over. As for Austin Dillon, the extra laps before the final re-start ran him out of gas, but even with that he finished 10th.

    After a final caution, they needed a green-white-checker, but rain even delayed that, hence those extra caution laps before the fall of the final green. Matt Kenseth got a fine re-start to take a race he was not all that noticeable in, but the victory shows up just fine in the standings. After no wins last season, his 32nd career triumph had to be sweet no matter how he got it. Jimmie Johnson’s car did not look that pretty, but he came back to slip by Gordon for second while Jeff rebounded from a flat that had him down early to grab third. In short, these boys survived. Nobody thrived.

    Some folks play the game and slip in under the radar. Tony Stewart was sixth Sunday night, but that was a gift for to a guy who was 15th best at best. Danica Patrick was ninth. Another gift. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. was fourth, the best gift of all. Despite that good fortune, Roush-Fenway entries are still coming up short. Trevor Bayne was 28th, Greg Biffle 30th.

    Ryan Newman, fifth at Bristol, got 25 points back from his appeal over Tiregate. He still is missing his crew chief and two other team members due to suspension, and Richard Childress will continue his quest for their early return with a further appeal.

    It meant jack squat to see Logano win the Saturday XFINITY race at Bristol. Having Daniel Suarez (23 year old from Mexico), Chris Buescher (22), Erik Jones (18), Ty Dillon (23) and Chase Elliott (19) take the next five spots meant everything.

    Sunday we had the day long 2015 Food City 500 In Support of Steve Byrnes. For the NASCAR family, the broadcaster and his fight against cancer, is what truly is meaningful. We have tallied the vote, the tribe has spoken, we want you back just as soon as you are able, Steve.

  • Hot 20 heading to Bristol – Even being among the Lukewarm 30 would be beneficial for Tony

    Hot 20 heading to Bristol – Even being among the Lukewarm 30 would be beneficial for Tony

    Our Hot 20 is a look at those in contention to slip into one of the sixteen Chase spots. A win while in the Top 30 in points could prove to be just as good. Neither matters at the moment for Tony Stewart. Sadly, 2015 has been a year Smoke has been a participant, not a competitor.

    Even Kurt Busch, suspended for the first three events, should make this list in another week or two. Ryan Newman is outside, but we all know why that is. Roush-Fenway cars have been duds most of the season, which explains Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Trevor Bayne. Kyle Larson missed one race to mend, but even if he had run there is no certainty it would have been enough. As for Sam Hornish Jr., he was 12th at Daytona, outside the Top 20 ever since.

    To be taken seriously, a driver really should at least average a 25th place finish week in and week out. That is just 684 points over the course of a season, just 19 each week. Twenty-eight drivers managed the feat in 2014, ranging from Kevin Harvick on top, down to what’s her name. They competed, the rest participated.

    Twenty-six have done it thus far in 2014. Stenhouse, Hornish and Stewart are not amongst them. While a win is not crucial just yet, it would solve a lot of ills. Just ask Kurt how that worked out for him last year.

    Hot 20 heading to Bristol…

    1. Kevin Harvick – 2 Wins (306 Points)
    A slump is finishing eighth at Martinsville. His boss would love that kind of hard luck.

    2. Jimmie Johnson – 2 Wins (216 Points)
    Sure, points are nice, but wins are better.

    3. Joey Logano – 1 Win (280 Points)
    Gets those Duke boys to help him launch new sponsor (Autotrader).

    4. Brad Keselowski – 1 Win (246 Points)
    The Captain has to be happier than the Skipper…two sweet ships and not a Gilligan in sight.

    5. Denny Hamlin – 1 Win (205 Points)
    Denny’s loves Denny. What’s next, Chick-fil-A for Danica? Taco Bell for Michael?

    6. Martin Truex Jr – 266 Points
    Like Harvick and Logano, going for eight straight in the Top Ten this season.

    7. Kasey Kahne – 230 Points
    Loves his tires, just not as wheely, wheely loose as they were at Texas.

    8. Dale Earnhardt Jr – 213 Points
    Going round and round is not pointless for Junior.

    9. Aric Almirola – 195 Points
    Smithfield Pork is the sponsor in the Food City 500. I’m sensing a theme here.

    10. David Ragan – 194 Points
    Would he be just as finger lickin’ good back in the No. 34?

    11. Jamie McMurray – 193 Points
    After showing off the new digital dashboard, hopes to dash to victory lane on Sunday.

    12. Matt Kenseth – 189 Points
    If you want a sure thing to make the Chase, Matt is as good as it gets.

    13. Jeff Gordon – 186 Points
    If Jeff is old I might as well go ahead and make my appointment with the undertaker.

    14. Carl Edwards – 182 Points
    A definite Bristol contender, a season changer if he can pull it off.

    15. Casey Mears – 178 Points
    Is getting by with a little help from his alliance friends.

    16. Paul Menard – 177 Points
    Runs better with an engine than in a soap box derby entry.

    17. Danica Patrick – 176 Points
    Not good enough to draw rave reviews just yet, but it sure beats 28th.

    18. Clint Bowyer – 168 Points
    Still in the hunt despite a Rodney Dangerfield kind of season.

    19. Greg Biffle – 165 Points
    If the Biff is suffering, imagine how teammates Stenhouse and Bayne are feeling.

    20. A.J. Allmendinger – 161 Points
    In 2007, at this track, in this race, A.J. made his Cup debut.

  • The Final Word – Texas was all about Jimmie and Kevin with a Junior cameo

    The Final Word – Texas was all about Jimmie and Kevin with a Junior cameo

    Jimmie, and Kevin, and Dale, oh my. Jimmie, and Kevin, and Dale, oh my.

    Last Saturday night was a good one if you happened to be a fan of one of the above-mentioned drivers. Johnson was the class of the field, leading 128 laps, including the final one. It was his second win of the season and the 72nd of his career. Six-time rather likes the Texas track, having won the last three fall races, now four in his last six attempts, and his fifth win overall in Fort Worth. I am starting to think he likes the place.

    Kevin Harvick, also with a pair of victories this season along with four runner-up finishes, led 96 laps and came home second. Life must be good when finishing eighth at Martinsville represents a slump. As for Junior, well, Mr. Earnhardt led zero laps but he was close, closer still near the end, to claim third. If he could only get a mulligan for both Phoenix and Martinsville, for he has finished between third and sixth everywhere else.

    Another good day as well for the likes of Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski, as the Penske duo finished in the Top Five. Proof positive you can get away with being a two car operation if those teams actually matter. Same goes for single car outfits, as Martin Truex Jr. now has a Top Ten in each race of this season, a huge turnaround from a year ago. As for the likes of Tony Stewart and Sam Hornish Jr, nothing much to write home about regarding this race or this season. Maybe this weekend things will be different. Probably not.

    Maybe they could join the rest of us, experiencing success at home driving a video game version. Next month the new NASCAR ‘15 game comes out. Of course, for me, realism is being able to switch to indestructible mode in order to take out the entire field en route to victory. Hey, it could happen in real life. Having cars flying a hundred feet into the air, now that was unrealistic.

    Unrealistic, like me growing taller, or having my hair back, or holding out hope that one day I might actually become a Cup driver. If I could just shed 60 pounds and 40 years, I could be Erik Jones. You might as well become familiar with the 18-year-old, who is registered in the trucks. All he has done there is win four of his career 20 events, with 16 Top Tens. When he was 16 and 17, he ran ARCA, winning one of 14 with eight Top Tens. Oh, Jones also runs Xfinity, winning his first in nine attempts last weekend to go with six Top Tens. Joe Gibbs did not want to rush him into Cup, going with David Ragan instead of Jones to fill in for Kyle Busch. Even though Ragan sits 10th in the standings, maybe they might want to re-think that. The man child might be ready.

    We are always ready for a day at Bristol, where Jimmie and Kevin and Dale have all won. Once. Jimmie won it five years ago while 10 have gone by for the other two. Kurt Busch and Jeff Gordon each have five, but a few years have ticked by even for them.

    No, your best bet would be Carl Edwards. Winner of three, including the event one year ago, he did pick up his first Top Ten last Saturday. Maybe it is his time to shine this season though if he falters I am sure teammates Matt Kenseth and Denny Hamlin would be more than willing to pick up the slack. Both are also past Bristol winners.

    As for some Bristol trivia, there were 56 races run at that track between 1973 and 2000. Thirty of those, more than half, were won by Cale Yarborough (9), Darrell Waltrip (12), Dale Earnhardt (9), and Rusty Wallace (9). Hall of Famers all. Oh my, indeed.

  • Surprising and Not Surprising: Duck Commander 500

    Surprising and Not Surprising: Duck Commander 500

    For the first night race under the vast Texas lights, here is what was surprising and not surprising from the 19th annual Duck Commander 500.

    Surprising: This race featured a surprising number of penalties for driving through more than three pit boxes, surpassing the previous most popular penalty in the season to date for uncontrolled tires. There were a total of four such driving through pit box penalties, including ones for Denny Hamlin, Trevor Bayne, Kyle Larson and Casey Mears.

    Hamlin was able to rebound to finish eleventh, Bayne took the checkered flag in the 18th position, Kyle Larson finished a disappointing 25th and Casey Mears ended the race in the 27th spot.

    “To be realistic, we need stuff to go our way,” Hamlin said after the race. “We need cautions and track position. We just can’t drive through the field like that – what those guys are capable of – and we’re a work in progress.”

    Not Surprising: After waking up with a cold and practically no voice, it was not surprising that Jimmie Johnson needed a little assist from Willie Robinson from Duck Dynasty, title sponsor of the race, to lift high the massive Texas trophy.

    “Just a great, great race car,” Johnson said. “We just kept plugging at it and I think the off-week was good for us to sit down and relax, reboot and come back to the track. They brought me a fast race car that was good all weekend.”

    The win signified Johnson’s fifth victory at Texas but his first ever win in the spring race and was also his 72nd victory in 478 Cup Series races.

    Surprising: Hendrick Motorsports teammates Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kasey Kahne had something in common that they both most likely wished they did not share. Both had a whole lot of shaking going on, with vibrations and loose wheels abounding.

    Yet in spite of all that shaking and vibrating going on, both drivers managed good finishes, with Earnhardt in third and Kahne finishing eighth.

    “It’s good to get a good finish in the bank because these last few weeks have been pretty rough, but we know what we are capable of,” Junior said. “Greg (Ives, crew chief) and I are just getting started here and we are right there on their heels man. If we ever get this thing figured out – it’s going to be tough.”

    “There were times when I felt really competitive with the leaders and other times more like a fifth-place car,” Kahne said. “We just left too many wheels loose throughout the race. I think three; you can’t run well when you do that.”

    Not Surprising: While Brad Keselowski had a close encounter of the cone kind, he was able to rally back to score a top-five finish for Team Penske.

    “I was trying to make my mind up and chose poorly,” Keselowski said when asked about the commitment cone violation. “But it was still a great day for the Miller Lite Ford and we have a lot to be proud of.”

    Keselowski’s Penske teammate Joey Logano also had a strong run, finishing fourth in his No. 22 Shell Pennzoil Ford.

    Surprising: Oops, he did it again. Yes, Kevin Harvick again finished in the second spot in the No. 4 Budweiser/Jimmy John’s Chevrolet. In fact, this was the eleventh time that Jimmie Johnson and Kevin Harvick have finished one/two in a race and it was also Harvick’s seventh top-10 finish in 2015.

    “I just got behind there and Jimmie was fast for those last couple laps and got around us,” Harvick said. “I got loose coming off four and I got in the wall and just was trying to hang on to where I needed to be. We just raced as hard as we could and it was a lot of fun.”

    Not Surprising: Carl Edwards finally got he wanted and expected after leaving Roush Fenway Racing for Joe Gibbs Racing this season. He got his first top-10 finish with his new No. 19 Stanley Racing For A Miracle Toyota.

    “I wanted to make a statement,” Edwards said. “It’s not a win, but for us it is our first top-10 and we dug hard all day, and we had a lot of fun. It’s a good race track.”

    Surprising: Aric Almirola, who did double duty at Texas racing XFINITY and Cup, may have finished 19th but he has managed to stay firm in his top ten ranking in the point standings.

    In fact, the driver of the Richard Petty Motorsports famed No. 43 held steady in the ninth spot of the point positions and would be considered a Chase contender if that competition started after this most recent race.

    Not Surprising: A two tire gamble was the key for many of the drivers who rounded out the top-ten in the finishing order.

    Jamie McMurray, who finished sixth; Jeff Gordon, who finished seventh; and Martin Truex, Jr., who kept his top-10 streak alive with a ninth place run, all took just two tires at the final stop of the race.

    “We did two (tires) two other times in the race and it worked out really well for us,” McMurray said. “When I cleared the No. 24 (Jeff Gordon) I thought we had a legitimate shot at winning. But once the guys with four tires got clear their cars were a little better than ours and they had better tires. You just can’t hold them up here.”

    “Yeah that was a great gamble, great call by Alan (Gustafson, crew chief) and we saw early some guys take two tires and made it work for a short period of time,” Gordon said. “Alan made a great call there at the end to take two tires and that is what got us to seventh.”

    “At the end we had to start doing some strategy stuff to get our track position back and probably gave up a few spots doing it,” Truex Jr. said. “I think it was the right call. We’re taking some gambles and they’ve been paying off.”

    “It was still a top 10, so all in all, it was a good night for us.”

    Surprising: Both Paul Menard and Ryan Blaney checked into the engine heartbreak hotel, finishing respectively after having engine issues.

    “We broke a water hose, I guess,” Menard said after being sidelined with mechanical issues as lap 222. ”The main line that goes in the motor just broke. It pushed a bunch of water out. No warning. The temperature gauge never moved. I was coming down the backstretch to pit and was slowing down and it broke. We popped the hood but couldn’t see anything. So, we went back out but then had no power.”

    “The bright side is I feel like we had a really good car,” Jeremy Bullins, crew chief of the No. 21 Wood Brothers Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Fusion driven by Ryan Blaney, said. “Obviously, something happened with the engine. I’m not sure exactly what because it’s hard to tell what happened first, so we just got to the point where we couldn’t keep going.”

    “It’s unfortunate. We’ve got a lot of power, so we won’t complain and we’ll go on and get ready for the next one.”

    Not Surprising: David Ragan continued his run as the happiest replacement driver on the race track, bringing his usually driven by Kyle Busch No. 18 Interstate Batteries Toyota to a 13th place finish after qualifying 30th.

    “Our overall race was really good considering where we started at,” Ragan said. “We didn’t have the best pit stall selection, we were having to drive around cars all night. Adam Stevens (crew chief) and our Interstate Batteries team did a really nice job adjusting on our Camry and I felt like we had a chance at a certainly a top-10 or maybe even a top-five if the cautions would have fell right.”

    “We just weren’t at our best the last 50 laps,” Ragan continued. “I think we learned a few things and certainly overcame a poor qualifying effort.”

    “Not too excited about our finish, very pleased with our race.”

     

  • Hot 20 – Texas awaits as our thoughts are with a broadcaster back in the hospital

    Hot 20 – Texas awaits as our thoughts are with a broadcaster back in the hospital

    A week of rest, a week of contemplation, a week for those of faith. I so desperately pray that miracles do happen. Pit reporter Steve Byrnes is back in the hospital in his fight against neck and head cancer. He is in the ICU with pneumonia and a blood clot in his lung. At least he was able to tweet that information himself. This, more than anything I have written here, is the most meaningful and important. I could use some faith restoration about now. How about you?

    Kyle Larson missed Martinsville as doctors sought out a cause for his fainting at an event prior to the race. Today, they have the luxury to err on the side of caution as an injury no longer automatically means a championship run is done. This reduced pressure to race also means an injured driver no longer needs to feel compelled to climb back into the seat much too soon to keep his hopes alive. Even a suspension does not spell the end, as Kurt Busch sits a win away from proving. While it might be a trial for Kyle Busch to make the Chase with a win and Top 20 spot when he returns, Larson should be fine as Denny Hamlin was last season. He missed Fontana, yet finished 2014 in third.

    The National Network to End Domestic Violence is not happy Kurt Busch is back racing. To be honest, I believe there are more serious matters for them to hang their shingle. In this case, we had a questionable incident based on the opinion of a single Delaware judge from the questionable comments of two people over an incident in which little, if any, physical harm was caused. I applaud their vigilance, but I do question their bid to use this case as their cause celebre. For me, the issue has turned out to be more pathetic than violent.

    It has been announced that Cup regulars Aric Almirola and Sam Hornish Jr. will run even more XFINITY series events than they originally planned. It makes it easier to explain why some of us could not be bothered covering major leaguers kicking minor league butt week after week, season after season. Twenty-one-year-old Ryan Reed won at Daytona. Cup guys have won the other five, with Kevin Harvick taking two. Enough said.

    At least Chase Elliott won the spring XFINITY race in Texas a year ago. He is not a Cup regular just yet. As for the big boys…and girl…here are the…

    Hot 20 going down to Texas…

    1. Kevin Harvick – 2 Wins (263 Points)
    It wasn’t his tires up there on the Grassy Knoll.

    2. Joey Logano – 1 Win (239 Points)
    Won two weeks ago Saturday, third on that Sunday.

    3. Brad Keselowski – 1 Win (206 Points)
    Bloody Keselipski, according to the billboards in Texas.

    4. Denny Hamlin – 1 Win (172 Points)
    Only tire issues he had at Martinsville were during his burnout.

    5. Jimmie Johnson – 1 Win (168 Points)
    Won last three fall races in Fort Worth, but was 25th last spring.

    6. Martin Truex Jr – 231 Points
    It is nice when all one’s ducks and furniture is all in a row.

    7. Kasey Kahne – 193 Points
    Best Hendrick driver, by points, is ole what’s his name.

    8. Paul Menard – 173 Points
    Once one of two Childress drivers in the Hot 20…then Newman got tired, so to speak.

    9. Dale Earnhardt Jr – 172 Points
    According to Gordon, Junior doesn’t know squat…jumps.

    10. Aric Almirola – 170 Points
    More XFINITY for him, less seat time for others.

    11. Matt Kenseth – 168 Points
    Fort Worth is Matt’s kind of town.

    12. David Ragan – 163 Points
    Kyle Busch? I don’t know. The names does sound rather familiar, though.

    13. Casey Mears – 161 Points
    500-1 to win at Texas? Really? Is he driving it or running it?

    14. Jamie McMurray – 154 Points
    Claims he and Larson are ego free. I am hair free, but you don’t hear me bragging.

    15T Jeff Gordon – 148 Points
    Soft start followed by a trio of Top Tens.

    15T Danica Patrick – 148 Points
    From what we saw in the last race, Virginia really is for lovers…of Danica.

    15T Carl Edwards – 148 Points
    Has a million very good reasons to race for the win Saturday night.

    18. Clint Bowyer – 146 Points
    Truex left, Bowyer stayed. I wonder who got the best of that deal?

    19T A.J. Allmendinger – 138 Points
    Bush’s Beans is the sponsor. You wouldn’t want to be running behind him.

    19T Greg Biffle – 138 Points
    Has led at least a lap in 12 of the 20 Texas races he has run.

  • The Final Word – Martinsville brings us NASCAR’s Sad Lexicon

    The Final Word – Martinsville brings us NASCAR’s Sad Lexicon

    These are the saddest of possible words:
    “Denny or Joey or Brad.”
    A trio of dudes who are just for the birds,
    Denny or Joey or Brad.
    First, third, and second, my hopes turned to rubble
    After watching that finish, I need a double
    Words, for this fan, that are nothing but trouble:
    “Denny or Joey or Brad.”

    Kevin Harvick was going to win at Martinsville, or so I thought. Having led 154 laps, it was a logical expectation, but he wound up eighth. Jeff Gordon was going to win, then a late caution and a speeding penalty in the pits ended those dreams and left him ninth.

    After the final re-start, the leader board was topped by the trio of Denny Hamlin, Brad Keselowski, and Joey Logano. It never changed. Sure, Hamlin did probably the coolest burnouts I have seen in a long time but…but…it was Denny Hamlin. For the 34-year old, he greatly enhances his Chase aspirations with his 25th career victory on a day the Gibbs organization probably needed. More on that in a moment.

    For Gibbs Racing, Hamlin won, Matt Kenseth was fourth, David Ragan was fifth, while Carl Edwards was 17th. It was a good day for Penske, as well, with Keselowski and Logano. Stewart-Haas had a decent day as all four were within the Top 20, with Danica Patrick claiming seventh.

    Jimmie Johnson has eight Martinsville clocks, but a car that started bad and just got worse left him having to rely on his watch to tell the time, finishing 32 laps down in 35th. Dale Earnhardt Jr. won the timepiece last year, but this time his car vibrated bad enough to snap off his shifter more than once. Then he got in a bottleneck, ran into the back of Paul Menard, and really vibrated. Junior finished minus a new clock, a hood and fenders, to sit a spot behind Johnson.

    I tried poking my tires to cause teeny tiny holes, but all that was good for was to make the things go flat. There must be an art to it, but NASCAR says maintaining consistent air pressure in this fashion, thus maintaining balance in the car, is not the way to go about it. They have suspicions somebody might be doing it, and if they ever catch that somebody it will have very bad consequences for them.

    A bit of tinkering out in California to aid the aerodynamic properties of the part-time No. 33 ride has given crew chief Slugger Labbe a NASCAR enforced three week vacation. They caught something they did not like in opening day inspection and asked for a $50,000 financial contribution as well.

    NASCAR loves its rules. A tire rolling around in a pit box without a guiding hand is enough to get them all hot and bothered. However, have a jackass stomping on his brakes at the exit to pit row, stacking up his opponents, in order to avoid having to re-start in the outside lane, and we hear not a word. To be fair, I would expect the powers that be to address Mr. Hamlin’s new trick in short order to avoid what could soon become a very unpleasant situation.

    Being sick sucks. 22 year old Kyle Larson missed Martinsville after fainting Saturday during an autograph session. He feels fine, but doctors wanted to conduct a few more tests to make sure they know exactly what happened. Regan Smith filled in, finishing 16th. J.D. Gibbs is away from his dad’s race team with what seems to be post-concussion like symptoms, but the exact cause remains a mystery. Meanwhile, recent tests did not deliver the news we wanted for pit reporter Steve Byrnes in his fight with cancer. Our prayers are with him.

    There are many folks involved in NASCAR who have come to mean something to us, including talented announcers, executives, and drivers. Some we enjoy, others not so much. More than a hundred years ago, Joe Tinker, Johnny Evers, and Frank Chance were a double play combination for the Chicago Cubs and “Baseball’s Sad Lexicon” is said to have gone a long way in getting each elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame. So, if history repeats itself, to Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano, and Brad Keselowski, you are welcome.

  • Hot 20 – If it was something we could not see, was Fontana truly debris free?

    Hot 20 – If it was something we could not see, was Fontana truly debris free?

    Nothing gets NASCAR fans hotter than the possibility their conspiracy theories might actually be true.

    Is NASCAR using phantom debris to manipulate the outcome of races through the use of late cautions?

    “That’s a preposterous allegation,” says NASCAR Executive Vice President Steve O’Donnell. Actually, it is those cautions that many fans are finding preposterous. With debris shown in only one of three late instances, fans are left to wonder. With bad boy Kurt Busch apparently heading to victory, how fortuitous that a caution was called to open up an opportunity to alter the outcome of the race at Fontana. That should be easily enough addressed, one would think. Show us the debris, and it better be something more substantial than a hot dog wrapper. Either that, or give Michael Waltrip his money back.

    Of course, it is preposterous that some fans fail to understand just how transparent NASCAR now is. Anyone know what the attendance was at Fontana? Oops, sorry, I forgot. Some information is as tough to get made public as a Hillary Clinton e-mail or a Richard Nixon taped conversation.

    As for our Hot 20 heading to Martinsville…

    1. Kevin Harvick – 2 Wins (225 Points)
    33rd at Martinsville last fall, first or second after each race since.

    2. Joey Logano – 1 Win (197 Points)
    If the damn tire stays in the box, maybe NASCAR should stay out of it.

    3. Brad Keselowski – 1 Win (163 Points)
    NASCAR loves me. They really love me.

    4. Jimmie Johnson – 1 Win (159 Points)
    After all the restarts left him finishing ninth, I need to ask Jimmie, “What does NFG stand for?”

    5. Martin Truex Jr – 192 Points
    Five events, five Top Tens. That works.

    6. Dale Earnhardt Jr – 164 Points
    Zero for 23 at Fontana, but 1 (last October) for 30 at Martinsville.

    7. Ryan Newman – 162 Points
    If he had sat out the Daytona 500, would only slip to 8th in points.

    8. Kasey Kahne – 159 Points
    If 17th is the worst he can do (Phoenix, Fontana), you will find him here each week.

    9. Paul Menard – 152 Points
    Crew chief Justin Alexander’s magic helped massage a Top Ten on Sunday.

    10. Aric Almirola – 138 Points
    His boss won 15 times at Martinsville. Guess who wants a clock of his own.

    11. A.J. Allmendinger – 137 Points
    Thinking of Martinsville, dreaming of an Indianapolis-Charlotte double.

    12. Casey Mears – 132 Points
    His uncle won the Indianapolis 500 four times.

    13. Matt Kenseth – 127 Points
    Great pit stops, just one too many at Fontana.

    14. Denny Hamlin – 125 Points
    Gibbs cars lead 100 laps, none finish among the Top Dozen.

    15. David Ragan – 124 Points
    Upset Gordon at Fontana, but still sits a dozen points ahead of him in the standings.

    16. Carl Edwards – 120 Points
    Turned his foot long into a six-inch sub in practice and still searching for first Top Ten

    17. Jamie McMurray – 120 Points
    Yet to finish in NASCAR’s Top Ten. Is this the year?

    18. Austin Dillon – 116 Points
    With four Xfinity starts, tied with Larson for most visits to the kiddies table this year.

    19. Kyle Larson – 116 Points
    Now, NASCAR, THAT is what I would call debris.

    20. Clint Bowyer – 115 Points
    Martinsville changed its hog dogs, but this hot dog has endorsed ‘em as being just as good.

  • Surprising and Not Surprising: Auto Club 400

    Surprising and Not Surprising: Auto Club 400

    For the finale of NASCAR’s west coast swing, here is what was surprising and not surprising from Fontana’s 19th annual Auto Club 400.

    Surprising: Never have debris cautions and uncontrolled tires combined to play such important roles in a Cup race, with a total of five and six respectively. The late debris caution was especially important to the race finish, allowing Brad Keselowski to power past Kurt Busch, who had led 65 laps of the race, until that last one.

    “It looked like we were probably going to finish sixth or seventh,” the driver of the No. 2 Wurth Ford said. “That yellow came out. We came in and pitted and drove up a little bit, then caught another yellow.”

    “So Paul (Wolfe, crew chief) made the call to come down pit road and put four tires on. We were able to find our way through the lanes and get to the front there, somehow end up in Victory Lane leading the last lap.”

    “Kind of a racecar driver’s dream,” Keselowski said. “This is one we’re going to sit back and go ‘wow’ for a while.”

    And while the race winner was wowed by his finish after the yellow flag for debris, Denny Hamlin, who had been running well in his No. 11 Sports Clip Toyota, was understandably devastated by his uncontrolled tire penalty, causing him a disappointing 28th place finish.

    Hamlin was just one of five other drivers who were hit with the uncontrolled tire penalty.

    “I got shuffled back beyond the top-10 and worked our way back to the top-five and then the top-three and then had a penalty,” Hamlin said. “You just can’t come back from that. There ain’t nobody in the field with a fast enough car to come back from any penalties.”

    “We had one at the inopportune time and it just led to a bad finish.”

    Not Surprising:  Chevrolet drivers Kevin Harvick and Martin Truex Jr. have a new bond, with both achieving five straight top 10 finishes in the 2015 season.

    “Just really proud of everybody on my team,” Harvick said after finishing runner up in his No. 4 Jimmy John’s/Budweiser Chevrolet “A great race and fun to be part of it.”

    “To come away with an eighth-place finish really says something about this team,” Truex Jr., driver of the No. 78 Furniture Row/Visser Precision Chevrolet said. “We never give up and believe in each other. It’s been a great start for our Furniture Row team with five straight top 10s. We just need to keep it going and try to improve each week.”

    Surprising: For a team that was killing it in the pits most of the race, so much so that they got their driver to the lead, it was surprising that one mistake on pit road cost them a good finish. Matt Kenseth, behind the wheel of the No. Dewalt Toyota Camry, went from leading the race to a broken axle and a 31st place finish.

    “We didn’t have the fastest car on the long run, but we were fast enough to go up there and battle with them and we had been making it better all day, which is all you can ask for,” Jason Ratcliff, Kenseth’s crew chief said. “I think we were one of the few that was good on fuel, so I would have liked to have seen it go green at that point to see if we could make it and maybe get us a victory here today, but even when the caution came out and we came in on pit road first I was very confident that our pit crew would get us out.”

    “It’s just unfortunate that the axle broke like that. We rarely have any problems like that, but occasionally it happens. Unfortunately, it happens when you’re leading.”

    Not Surprising: Although Dale Jr. did not win, he had a fun day nonetheless, getting his picture made with Dwight Yoakum and apparently even getting to sing together and shake hands according to his Twitter feed.

    And yet even with all that excitement, the driver of the No. 88 Nationwide Chevrolet managed to top it all off with a sixth place finish to boot.

    “We had a great day, lot of fun, fun racetrack, awesome crowd we had here,” Earnhardt said. “We’re just glad to be able to rebound. Last week was very dismal, disappointing and frustrating. So, again, glad to be able to come here, run good, run strong.”

    “Everything else was good.”

    Surprising: Chris Buescher made the most of his first Cup start opportunity in the No. 34 Dockside Logistics Ford Fusion for Front Row Motorsports with a surprising 20th place finish.

    “It was a lot of fun,” Buescher said. “I can’t thank Front Row Motorsports enough to give me this opportunity and for Roush Fenway Racing to allow me to go do it.”

    “It’s the kind of race track I wanted to make my Cup debut at – some place that the pace falls off, the tires wear down and you’re able to really hustle it and race late into a run and this was just that.”

    “We completed the race, finished on the lead lap and got a top 20 out of it. I’m ecstatic about that.”

    Not Surprising: Although both members of Team Penske are now officially in the Chase, Joey Logano wants to see even more aggression from both himself and his teammate and victor Brad Keselowski.

    “It’s nice that we’re both in the Chase,” Logano said. “We can both race aggressive now and obviously he raced aggressively anyway.”

    “It’s nice for both of us to have a win already and it’s great to see Team Penske still having speed and we’re just racing hard and doing everything we can to keep up with these guys. The other cars are a little bit faster than us right now. We’ve got to find some more speed, but we’re racing really hard and that’s what we’ve got to do.”

    Surprising: At least one driver, who was the highest finishing Toyota driver, just wanted to get home to watch the replay of all those crazy restarts.

    “Restarts were insane, this is one I’ll go home and watch the replay,” Carl Edwards said after finishing 23th in his No. 19 Subway Toyota Camry. “It was just crazy.”

    “If they could take this pavement and map this and put this at every race track, it would be spectacular.”

    Not Surprising: Greg Biffle’s words about his Roush Fenway team “dying a slow death” proved prophetic as he finished 32d. Biffle took the wave around later in the race to get back on the lead lap but contact with another car on the final lap sent him spinning to another poor finish in his No. 16 Clean Harbors Ford.

    Surprising: Tony Stewart finished in the same position number as his car number, 14 that is. And surprisingly, that was the best finish to date for the driver of the No. 14 Rush Truck Centers/Mobil 1 Chevrolet.

    “Yeah I mean I’m happy, we are gaining on it,” Smoke said. “We were getting to where we were sniffing the edge of the top 10 anyway all day.”

    “We are gaining on it a little chunk at a time. We didn’t need to get it all today, but this is a big gain for us.”

    Not Surprising: With the exception of the Ford at the front, the rest of the top 5 finishers at Fontana were Chevrolets, including Paul Menard, who scored his best finish of the season, and Ryan Newman, who continued his string of good runs, finishing fifth.

    “Oh, it was fun,” Menard said. “I really like this track. It’s all worn out and has a lot of grip and then it falls off in a hurry.” Really proud of my guys, they busted their tails this weekend and got a good finish to show for it.”

    “Luke (Lambert, crew chief) did an awesome job and everybody, the guys especially in the pits,” Newman said. “A hard fought day today but good strategy there at the end, got a couple of breaks with a couple of restarts there.”

    “Good day for us overall.”

    The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series will finally leave the West and return to the East coast to race at Martinsville Speedway for the STP 500 next weekend.

  • Surprising and Not Surprising: Phoenix CampingWorld.com 500

    Surprising and Not Surprising: Phoenix CampingWorld.com 500

    With the exit of the ‘Outlaw’ and the return of Kurt Busch, here else is what was surprising and not surprising from the 11th annual CampingWorld.com 500 at Phoenix International Raceway.

    Surprising: Driver Kevin Harvick admitted to an interesting feeling after continuing his reign of Victory Lane celebrations at Phoenix and after picking up right where he left off from last year’s championship.

    The driver of the No. 4 Jimmy Johns/Budweiser Chevrolet confessed that he was surprisingly just a little scared.

    “It’s almost scary how well things are going,” Harvick said. “You don’t want to talk about it too much because you want it to keep going.”

    Harvick backed up his talk with his 30th victory in 506 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races, his second victory and fourth top-10 finish in 2015, and his seventh victory in 25 races at Phoenix International Raceway.

    Not Surprising: Even Brad Keselowski noticed that there were five Chevrolets in front of him as the highest finishing Ford. Keselowski, behind the wheel of the No. 2 Alliance Truck Parts Ford Fusion, finished sixth.

    “There were a lot of Chevy’s up there and we need to get our Fords running a tiny bit better,” Keselowski said. “I feel like it was kind of a decent, nonchalant day. We didn’t really have the speed we needed to run with the 4 and 41.”

    “Everybody was on a different strategy it seemed and it didn’t quite pan out for us to get the third or fourth we deserved but we ran really well. We just have to find some more speed. That is the common theme to keep up with the 4 and even the 41 this week.”

    Surprising: Two past champions were beating and banging their way through the field in the Valley of the Sun. Six-time champ Jimmie Johnson tangled with Brian Vickers early in the race, as well as Carl Edwards later in the pits, and three-time champ Tony Stewart had some shoving matches with young racers Austin Dillon and Kyle Larson before hitting the wall twice.

    While Johnson was able to rally back to an eleventh place finish, Stewart exited his race car and the infield care center after his second wreck to finish 39th.

    “Just terrible luck today,” Johnson said. “Lap 1 we had damage and had to go to the back and then at the three-quarter mark of the race I don’t know what happened on pit road. We were like three wide and then somebody came out of the pits and we got damage again.”

    “Decent car we should have been top five, but just frustrating to have to go to the back twice like that.”

    Not Surprising: Even in the midst of the race, teammates apparently take a few moments behind the wheel to become race fans. And Kyle Larson, from his spot in the tenth position did just that, rooting for teammate Jamie McMurray to try to get around Kevin Harvick for the win.

    “Jamie (McMurray) did a great job to finish second there,” Larson, driver of the No. 42 Target Chevrolet for Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates, said. “I was pulling for him there at the end, but I was happy to get a top 10. 10th to 12th is about where we should of ended up.”

    “Lost two spots there that last lap, but it was a hard fought day. Our car wasn’t the greatest, but we kept working on it and got it better and salvaged a pretty good finish.”

    “It was a good day for everybody at Chip Ganassi Racing.”

    Surprising: There were some milestones and a few records set amongst the top-ten, with Kasey Kahne finishing fourth in his 400th start, Kurt Busch finishing fifth in his return after his suspension, and Martin Truex Jr. scoring a record four straight top-10 finishes for Furniture Row Racing.

    Four straight top-10 finishes by Martin Truex Jr. is a Furniture Row Racing team record. The previous record of three straight 10s for a Furniture Row Racing driver was set by Kurt Busch in 2012 and 2013.

    “It’s neat to have 400 starts in NASCAR, straight starts, I hope I get 400 more,” Kahne, behind the wheel of the No. 5 Farmers Insurance Chevrolet, said. “It felt really good.”

    “I’m really happy with our Farmers Insurance team. It’s pretty neat.”

    “It great to get back and produce a result like this on our first day back,” Kurt Busch said from behind the wheel of his No. 41 Haas Automation Chevrolet. “The way that we raced today, it was with heart. “

    Thanks again to all my sponsors and Chevrolet and everybody that’s part of our team and the whole group at Stewart-Haas. Thank you.”

    “We had a strong car,” Truex Jr., driver of the No. 78 Furniture Row Chevrolet, said. “We got tore up on pit road and had to go back to 24th. It was a hell of a rebound.”

    “A really good pit call by Cole (Pearn, crew chief) to stay out on the last pit stop. We were able to pass a couple of cars there at the end and get a top 10.”

    “To get a top 10 feel good.”

    Not Surprising: Team Toyota continued its struggles with Carl Edwards as the highest Toyota finisher in the 13th position.

    “We fought a lot of things,” the driver of the No. 19 Stanley Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing said. “We were a little tight in the middle of the corner and when we would get in dirty air our car seemed to be more affected than other people.”

    “We made the most of what we had today and I think we ended up 13th or something like that. I feel like we had about a 15th-place car and we didn’t do worse than that.”

    Fellow Toyota drivers Matt Kenseth finished 16th, David Ragan 21st, Denny Hamlin 23rd, and Clint Bowyer took the checkered flag in 24th.

    Surprising: After a strong start to the season, Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished dead last after Goodyear diagnosed a melted bead on his right rear tire caused by the high brake heats. The driver of the No. 88 Nationwide Chevrolet blew his right rear tire in Turn 2 on Lap 181, suffering severe rear end damage to his race car, and ended the race in the 43rd position.

    “The car was really, really loose today and just wore the right rear tire out, and blew the tire,” Junior said. “

    “You can’t wear the tire out. You have to get your car handling better.”

    “We just have to get the balance better where we don’t burn the tire off of it.”

    Not Surprising: Whoever said that there were just wins and no points racing involved in the new format has not met Ryan Newman. The driver of the No. 31 Quicken Loans Chevrolet finished third and definitely had his eye on the points, moving up to eighth from the twelfth position.

    “It was a good points day,” Newman said. “We’re knocking on the door. That’s two Top 3’s in a row.” “

    “We’re four races in and we’ve got two Top 5’s. It took us until June last year to get our first one. So, we’ll keep digging.”

    Surprising: After starting from the rear of the field due to an engine change, AJ Allmendinger quietly finished the race in the 17th spot. And with that finish, the driver of the No. 47 Kingsford Charcoal Chevrolet sustained his fifth position in the point standings.

    Not Surprising: Jeff Gordon finally rebounded to finish top-10 after his rough finishes in the first three races of the season. The driver of the No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet also inched up in the point standings from 30th to 25th.

    “It was a really great team effort,” Gordon said. “A nice job in the pits. We had a decent race car and we showed that as we got track position.”

    “It certainly wasn’t easy, but I’m real proud of everybody,” Gordon continued. “There at the end it was just kind of a judgment call whether to come in and take tires or not.”

    “As it turned out that might not have worked in our favor, but hey some of those are going to go your way and some of those aren’t.”

    The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series finishes up the final of the three races in the West Coast swing next weekend at Auto Club Speedway.