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  • Matty’s Picks 2015 – Phoenix Round 1

    Matty’s Picks 2015 – Phoenix Round 1

    After a bye week for me, I’m back with another round of Matty’s Picks. We’re still in the desert this week, and I’m hoping my results this week are better than my dismal performance last week at Las Vegas. It was dead last for me last week at Las Vegas on the CNY Race Fans’ Scorecard…

    I’ll make my weekly recap quick because there was nothing really to highlight last week. I had Jimmie Johnson who started 9th, led 45 laps, but had tire trouble and finished 41st. My next hope was Joey Logano, who started 2nd, led 47 laps and finished 10th for 35 points. Kasey Kahne started inside the second row, but got tangled up in a crash with my fourth pick, Carl Edwards who led a couple laps after starting 14th. Kahne was able to return to the race and squeak out a 17th place finish, Edwards however exited the race after the collision with Kahne and finished 42nd. Trevor Bayne, my filler guy, actually netted me my third-most points last week by starting 35th and finishing 28th. When it was all said and done, 92 points is all I could show for myself last week, probably a good idea I was on a bye week from writing.

    We’re onto the second of the three-race west coast swing this week, and the stop is in Phoenix, Arizona for the CampingWorld.com 500 this week. Now for my quirky fact of the week…The race distance is not 500 miles this week, but 500 kilometers, making the races at Phoenix the only oval races on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule where the race distance is measured by anything other than miles or laps. Starting position is much less important this week than a couple weeks back at Atlanta, as over half of the 37 races at Phoenix have been won from starting spots outside the top 10, including 6 of the last 10 races at the one mile tri-oval in the desert. Lets roll right into my picks this week…

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  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Las Vegas

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Las Vegas

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Kevin Harvick: Harvick led 142 of 267 laps in a dominating win at Las Vegas. He now leads the Sprint Cup points standings by 11 over Joey Logano.

    “That’s my first win ever at Las Vegas,” Harvick said. “That’s another check mark off my bucket list. Also on my bucket list: having a sponsor that actually sells buckets. Jimmy John’s does, so scratch that one off, too.

    “The No. 4 Chevy had a vibration late in the race. It had me a little worried, until I realized it was just my wife Delana’s incessant tweeting.”

    2. Joey Logano: Logano finished tenth in the Kobalt Tools 400, posting his third top 10 of the year. He is second in the points standings, 11 behind Kevin Harvick.

    “The No. 22 Pennzoil Platinum Fusion was crazy loose all afternoon,” Logano said. “I was fighting the steering wheel all day. My father said he hasn’t seen anything driven that hard since me.”

    3. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson finished 41st at Las Vegas, his day derailed by several tire issues, including a flat tire that sent him into the wall.

    “I wote a country song about those pesky tires,” Johnson said. “It’s called ‘Rascal Flats.’

    “Tires issues seem to be the No. 1 downfall of this team. And that’s left us deflated. When our tires are working properly, we’re unbeatable. Proper inflation gives us an ‘air’ of superiority.”

    4. Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: Earnhardt came home fourth in the Kobalt Tools 400, recording his third straight top-5 finish to start the season.

    “I used my adjustable track bar quite a bit on Sunday,” Earnhardt said. “I think that’s called ‘giving myself a wedgie.’

    “As you know, most track bar adjustments are made by turning a wedge in the rear of the car. That soon may be a thing of the past. But never fear, as long as there are Earnhardt fans, there will always be ‘junk in the trunk.’”

    5. Kasey Kahne: Kahne survived a tangle with Carl Edwards to post a 17th at Las Vegas. Edwards sent Kahne into the wall as the two were racing side-by-side after a restart. Later, Kahne got revenge by clipping Edwards, sending the No. 19 sliding down the track and into the wall.

    “Carl kindly offered an apology after the race,” Kahne said. “I said, ‘It’s about Time…Warner Cable. And then I gave him ‘Farmer’s Assurance’ that I accepted. Of my retaliation, he said, ‘That was a Great Clip.’ Boom! Sponsor obligations fulfilled.”

    6. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth finished ninth at Las Vegas, scoring his second top-10 result of the year.

    “I hear Eldora Speedway’s web site was hacked and a message from ISIS was posted,” Kenseth said. “It seems ‘Death To America’ has been replaced with ‘Boogity, boogity, boogity!’ Turns out it was a false call anyway. Apparently, a Stewart rival called him a ‘holy terror.’

    “But Tony’s on top of things. He’s demanded his internet security team find the weakness in the web site and fix it, or else! In other words, Tony said to them, ‘You’re IT!”

    7. Martin Truex, Jr.: Truex remained hot in 2015, finishing second at Las Vegas for his third consecutive top 10 of the season.

    “This Furniture Row squad is a team to be reckoned with,” Truex said. “Of course, we’re a one-car team in a sport dominated by multi-car teams. Look at Hendrick Motorsports, for example. They have four cars, all capable of winning the championship. In Las Vegas, they call Rick Hendrick the “Four Car Stud.”

    8. AJ Allmendinger: Allmendinger posted a sixth in the Kobalt Tools 400 at Las Vegas. He is fifth in the points standings, 34 behind Kevin Harvick.

    “Some say a JTG Daugherty Racing car looks out of place amongst all the high-dollar, multi-car teams,” Allmendinger said. “That is so not the case, and team co-owner Brad Daugherty knows ‘out of place.’ He’s a corn-fed hillbilly in Las Vegas. That’s out of place.”

    9. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin finished fifth at Las Vegas, luckily avoiding major damage when he was caught up in the Kasey Kahne-Carl Edwards skirmish on lap 195. Hamlin is eighth in the points standings, 47 out of first.

    “It’s always fun racing in Vegas,” Hamlin said. “I put money on myself to win the race, just say I could say ‘May the bettor man win.’”

    10. Jeff Gordon: Gordon won the pole, but was caught up in Danica Patrick’s spin in Saturday practice. Forced into a backup car, Gordon delivered a respectable 18th in Sunday’s Kobalt Tools 400.

    “This evokes painful memories for me,” Gordon said. “For the second time in my life, I fell victim to “collection” by an overrated brunette.”

  • The Final Word – Be it Las Vegas or Phoenix, we be groovin’ on a Sunday afternoon

    The Final Word – Be it Las Vegas or Phoenix, we be groovin’ on a Sunday afternoon

    Another Sunday, another NASCAR Cup race. I think if you loved the race, you may have been a fan to some degree of one of the top four. The fact Kevin Harvick followed up a pair of runner-up finishes with his 29th career contest at Las Vegas must have made followers of the defending Cup champ smile. He certainly had the most dominant car on the day, leading the way for more than half the laps.

    A second place run from Martin Truex Jr. may have been welcome. Seeing Ryan Newman take third was fine for many. Dale Earnhardt Jr. coming home fourth had to make more than a few content with how things played out. Imagine how you might have felt had Joey Logano won.

    Sure, there are Logano fans out there, and I am not just referring to Brittany. I mean, NASCAR must love him, or at least that might explain them dropping a caution for a long sitting lost tire near pit road just as he, and only he, was left coming in for his stop. They might as well have changed his tires and offered the lad a snack while they were at it. If nothing else, they kept him on the lead lap, something only 14 cars could claim when it was all over, to take 10th on the day.

    Kasey Kahne finished 17th, Carl Edwards 42nd. Why that was had everything to do with Edwards accidently taking his rival up and into the wall, and Kahne not so accidently spinning his rival into tagging the inside fence. Carl took the blame when the microphone found him inside the car, inside the garage, seeking repairs that proved too much to salvage even one additional position.

    Brian Scott salvaged a 13th place outcome in his run for Richard Childress in the No, 33 to be the best amongst those we do not see regularly near the front. Whitney and Brielle had good reason to be pleased on the day.

    Two spots behind him was Brian Vickers. Three months ago they were working on his heart, Sunday he was working to get his career back on track. Already, in just one race, he sits ahead of Tony Stewart in the standings.

    Smoke’s season has already gone for shlitz. Some had bad days, while he had a bad car, bad enough to sit 33rd in the end. Cole Whitt had a bigger presence this day. Other guys for whom things did not go well included Atlanta winner Jimmie Johnson. He looked great early, but had to pit with a tire vibration. Johnson was battling for the lucky dog then a tire went down and he found the fence to finish just ahead of Edwards. Of course, with the win a week earlier, that leaves him sitting third in the rankings.

    So, was this a spectacular sporting event to sit through? Not really, though to be fair that could be said about any number of contests we witness every week. However, Cup has just 36 offerings for us to be excited about, compared to the hundreds and thousands of offerings per season in other major sports. If a game does not turn your crank, turn to another. That is not an option in NASCAR, so they are left with having to better market their product. Sadly, I feel they are woefully falling short.

    This weekend, there is another Sunday, another race, but this time they are in Phoenix. A 500 mile race that in five spring dates has yet to find a distinctive identity. To date, it has been named after a sponsor each time, Subway for three, CNBC last year, and Camping World this time out. Just another race on the schedule.

    Bad news for those not fans of Kevin Harvick. He won last week, and he has won the last three run at Phoenix. Maybe it should be the Happy Havick 500? At least some folks might love that.

  • Hot 20 – Joey and Jimmie Lead the Way West to Las Vegas for Some Action…and Some Warmth

    Hot 20 – Joey and Jimmie Lead the Way West to Las Vegas for Some Action…and Some Warmth

    While Daytona was good, Atlanta was tolerable. I wonder, if I was a transient type flipping channels, how long would I have lingered on the action beaming in from Georgia? A decade ago, the sport and its sponsors marketed the heck out of their product, but not so much anymore. Now NASCAR is seeking a new title sponsor for the Cup series to, in a couple of years, cough up $1 billion over a 10 year span? It is certainly nice to dream.

    A Daytona 500 win is nice. A Southern 500 victory is okay. A World 600 triumph is cool. A Brickyard 400 is lovely. However, just imagine the life long memories one will have just racing in the SpongeBob SquarePants 400 in Kansas. Just imagine. Good grief.

    News flash…except for the Daytona 500, most fans could not care less about qualifying. Check out the television ratings or, better yet, all those empty seats in the grandstands. Nobody cares. Put all those guaranteed a spot on the grid based on points, then have all those not locked in go through tech inspection first before they hit the track to qualify. As for the rest, take your time checking them all out. Take the whole day if you need it. That would eliminate another embarrassment like they had in Atlanta. Would that not be a good thing?

    Being good and lucky can go a long way in keeping one among our top drivers in the rankings. Ryan Newman, Brad Keselowski, Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart are good drivers. They just have not been very lucky thus far in 2015.

    Among those for whom things have gone better….

    Hot 20 after Atlanta

    1. Joey Logano – 1 Win – 88 Points
    A new bride, a winning ride, Joey’s horizons have opened wide.

    2. Jimmie Johnson – 1 Win – 87 Points
    The early favorite to win a seventh championship is…

    3. Kevin Harvick – 86 Points
    Still wearing that bridesmaid fire suit.

    4. Dale Earnhardt Jr – 84 Points
    I am reminded by my wife, Amy, that Las Vegas has chapels. What’s with that?

    5. Martin Truex Jr – 75 Points
    So far he has all his ducks and furniture in a row.

    6. Casey Mears – 68 Points
    It appears there are a lot more numbers unluckier than 13.

    7. Kasey Kahne – 65 Points
    Discovered that Atlanta in March is not Atlanta in late August.

    8. A.J. Allmendinger – 62 Points
    Better Than Bouillon, better than most.

    9. Aric Almirola – 62 Points
    Yet another Cup regular taking an Xfinity seat in Las Vegas.

    10. Clint Bowyer – 58 Points
    May have lost a cylinder, but he gained a Stenhouse…then a Biffle.

    11. David Gilliland – 56 Points
    At 38, I was watching my sons being born while this guy is watching his son race.

    12. Sam Hornish Jr – 55 Points
    2014 ‘Vegas Xfinity winner not in Saturday’s race…four other Cup guys will be.

    13. Carl Edwards – 54 Points
    If he aged 20 years, shrunk 6 inches, gained 50 pounds, and melted, I could be his body double.

    14. Greg Biffle – 54 Points
    And THAT is how a bad day can get worse.

    15. David Ragan – 53 Points
    Take your time, Kyle. Take your time.

    16. Danica Patrick – 51 Points
    No. 1 woman, No. 2 SHR driver

    17. Paul Menard – 50 Points
    If Menard’s sold heated hunting blinds, they could have made a mint last week.

    18. Matt Kenseth – 49 Points
    Qualifying means more to him than it does to us. Let him roll out in 18th, with Joey on the pole.

    19. Denny Hamlin – 48 Points
    Twice this week his vehicle gets broadsided…once when he was awake.

    20. Michael Annett – 47 Points
    Don’t expect to see him here next week.

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Atlanta

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Atlanta

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Joey Logano: Logano won the pole at Atlanta and led 84 laps on his way to a fourth-place finish in the Folds Of Honor 500. He is first in the Sprint Cup points standings, one ahead of Jimmie Johnson.

    “I’m finally realizing my potential,” Logano said. “I believe I can win the Sprint Cup championship. I haven’t been this fast since my departure from Joe Gibbs Racing. I really have to thank Roger Penske for hiring me. Roger’s like a father to me, because he buys me cars and gives me no option but to go fast.”

    2. Kevin Harvick: Harvick started from the rear at Atlanta after an engine change and was strong throughout the day. Unable to chase down Jimmie Johnson, Harvick finished second, his second runner-up finish of the season.

    “It appears that Jimmie Johnson delivers as well,” Harvick said.

    “My No. 4 Jimmy Johns Chevy was great, but we had nothing for the No. 48 car. The No. 4 was ‘freaky fast;’ any car supervised by Chad Knaus is ‘sneaky’ fast. Any car driven by a member of the Mayfield clan is ‘tweaky’ fast. Obviously, that wouldn’t be for delivery; it would be for pickup.”

    3. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson took the lead on lap 305 at Atlanta and pulled away on a restart with 13 laps to go to win the Folds Of Honor 500.

    “My car was super-fast,” Johnson said. “Somebody call the police, because there’s 42 other drivers who will testify that the No. 48 ‘went missing’ in Georgia.

    “I had to start in the back because I never made it to qualifying because of inspection issues. I’ve had a number of rivals in my storied career, but ‘inspection’ has certainly been the toughest, because it’s always been hardest to pass.”

    4. Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Earnhardt finished third in the Folds Of Honor 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, as Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jimmie Johnson took the win.

    “It was a cold day of racing,” Earnhardt said. “Hey, I’m all for a ‘cold one,’ and so are the fans of Junior Nation. On that note, it was an historic day for my fans—it’s the first time they’ve ever called a cooler ‘useless.’

    “I’ve got to hand it to my crew chief Greg Ives for some great calls. Some people thought pairing up with a rookie Cup crew chief would be a bad idea early in the season, and they warned me about the ‘Ives Of March.’”

    5. Kasey Kahne: Kahne started 10th and finished 14th at Atlanta. He is seventh in the points standings, 23 out of first.

    “The temperature was 43 degrees when the green flag dropped,” Kahne said. “NASCAR historians noted that it was the first time ‘Mercury’ has made an impact in the sport in a long time. Jeff Gordon said he hadn’t felt such a chill in the air since his first marriage.”

    6. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth finished fifth at Atlanta, leading the charge for Joe Gibbs Racing.

    “It’s good to hear that Kurt Busch has agreed to NASCAR’s terms for reinstatement,” Kenseth said. “Now, I’m not sure Kurt will have his job back at Stewart Hass Racing upon completion, but I don’t think he’ll have any trouble finding work, especially as a ‘hired gun.’”

    7. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex followed his eighth-place finish at Daytona with a sixth at Atlanta. He is fifth in the Sprint Cup points standings, 13 behind Joey Logano.

    “Furniture Row Racing is making a name for itself,” Truex said, “as is Denver Mattress. What do you call it when a mattress company pays you to advertise on your car? ‘Lying down on the job.’”

    8. Casey Mears: After a sixth at Daytona, Mears posted a solid 15th at Atlanta and is now sixth in the Sprint Cup points standings, 20 points out of first.

    “I think it’s too early for me to start thinking ‘championship,’” Mears said. “I don’t want to get ‘too far ahead of myself.’ Evryone knows I can’t hold a lead, even over myself.”

    9. AJ Allmendinger: Allmendinger finished seventh at Atlanta, driving the No. 47 JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet in the top 10.

    “My major sponsor is Clorox, the No. 1 cleaning product in the world,” Allmendinger said.”Thusly, my diehard fans are known as the ‘Bleacher Bums.’ They’re a little hard to recognize amongst the rest of NASCAR’s fans, because just like everyone else,the Bums are all white.

    “Did you hear? May 9th’s Sprint Cup race in Kansas will be called the ‘SpongeBob SquarePants 400.’ Kevin Harvick and the voice of Fox’s NASCAR coverage are doubly ecstatic. They’re saying ‘Happy Happy! Joy Joy!’”

    10. Carl Edwards: Edwards posted a solid 12th in the Folds Of Honor 500, joining Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Matt Kenseth, who finished fifth, in the top 12.

    “I’ve got a new team,” Edwards said, “and new teammates. I’m the new guy, so I have a lot of questions for my new teammates, and they’ve all been great. Matt Kenseth said I don’t even have to raise my hand when I have a question.”

  • The Final Word – Four were hot at Atlanta while most others were in a deep freeze

    The Final Word – Four were hot at Atlanta while most others were in a deep freeze

    Any more global warming and a guy could freeze to death. Last week, we had temperatures higher than Sunday at Atlanta. It is actually snowing where I am, a ten hour drive north of the Montana border, so seeing somewhere warm at this time of year is a good thing. Atlanta did not provide that good thing, unless you happened to be a fan of one of four drivers.

    Joey Logano took the pole, led early, and finished fourth. Kevin Harvick then led a bunch, the most of anyone, and wound up second. Dale Earnhardt Jr. led for a moment, a brief moment, but was near the point the entire day, finishing third. Then there was Jimmie Johnson, who closed the door on the Closer, after he got caught up in traffic, to claim his 71st Cup victory.

    Johnson started beyond 30th, as did 13 others who failed to even make it through tech inspection, never mind even attempting to qualify. Jeff Gordon failed four times. We are left to wonder if all these teams became that dumb that quick, or have the lasers used for measuring become that precise that quick, or is there another explanation? Only 15 of 49 cars made it through on their first attempt, with Tony Stewart and Matt Kenseth among those who failed to get in a qualifying run.

    Okay, Travis Kvapil did not either, but he had better reason. Among the many reasons the cars get taken to the track in a majestically painted hauler apparently is to warn thieves that this is something too hot for them to handle. Put the car in a plain white trailer towed behind a pick-up truck, park it outside a hotel, and a thief could wind up with the surprise of his life. They found the car left parked in a rural area after the thieves unloaded it, but the tools, and spare engine are as gone as the trailer they were in at the moment. You can see the No. 44 car at Las Vegas this weekend.

    Winning or being in the Top 16 is the goal in order to make the Chase. Logano and Johnson are pretty much locked in. A.J. Allmendinger (seventh on Sunday), Carl Edwards (12th), and Danica Patrick (16th) are now in, while Denny Hamlin (38th), Michael Annett (29th), and Austin Dillon (39th) have slipped to the outside. Others heading to Las Vegas seeking to move up are such veterans as Kenseth (18th in the standings), Ryan Newman (21st), Brad Keselowski (23rd), Jamie McMurray (32nd), Gordon (35th) and Stewart (36th).

    Brian Vickers returns to the No. 55 Toyota this weekend after mending from a heart issue. His stand-in at Atlanta was 22-year old Brett Moffitt, who finished eighth in just his eighth Cup event. Interestingly enough, that one result has him just 14 points out, 24th in the rankings, and just two behind Keselowski. I hope somebody has the kid’s phone number.

    There is no excuse to have a bad announcer who was a former driver. Keselowski did a good job during his Xfinity broadcast stint. Harvick was great during his. I still love Kyle Petty and Wally Dallenbach. There is a lot of talent out there. While announcing is a very important component to keeping fans watching and listening, I have noticed some other components.

    There is the visual excitement, like a tight battle for the lead, a formation of drivers only inches apart, or charging at break neck speed down city streets, as they do at Monte Carlo. Atlanta was not like that, at least it wasn’t until Hamlin or Greg Biffle went sideways. Then it became exciting, in a video game kind of way.

    There is the leader of the race. You like that driver, it is entertaining. If you do not, it is not as enjoyable. I found my own enjoyment factor went up when Kevin and Jimmie replaced Joey on point. I am sure the new Mrs. Logano saw this differently, as she should.

    There was a time when we were made to feel like we were part of a fraternity, with promos and commercials geared to fans just like you. When was the last time we were asked “how bad have you got it?” Do you look at a big brown truck any differently? NAPA was not just car parts, it was about teammates and being at the wrong track. Is anyone still sorry about what happened to Tony’s little car? In the words of Hank Williams, why doesn’t NASCAR and its sponsors love us like they used to do?

    I loved being in Las Vegas 14 months ago. It got so cool there I damn near had to put a jacket over my T-shirt, shorts, and sandals. What a wonderful way to experience winter. Yet, the Deep South was almost a deep freeze Sunday at Atlanta, and when I was at Daytona one February a few years ago. If that is how things are now in the south, there is no way I am visiting Boston until the Red Sox are playing in front of a short-sleeve crowd at Fenway. I will risk a sun burn over frost bite any day.

  • Matty’s Picks 2015 – Vol. 2 – Atlanta Motor Speedway

    Matty’s Picks 2015 – Vol. 2 – Atlanta Motor Speedway

    The 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series is off and running and taking shape with its own headlines. Whether it’s Jeff Gordon’s farewell tour, domestic violence in the sport, driver safety, stolen race cars, or the qualifying fiascoes, the 2015 is quickly creating its own identity just two weeks into the eleven-month racing season.

    This week, we’re at Atlanta Motor Speedway, a race that was moved from the end of August/early September to the number two slot in the series schedule. The never-ending winter this year may have it’s way with the scheduling of the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 on Sunday, however, with a 50 percent chance of rain and temperatures expected to be in the mid 40’s on Sunday. As the most recent winter weather system moves across the Midwest and into the Southeast, the teams have more to compete with than just the weather this weekend in Atlanta, like thieves, and passing inspection.

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  • Inaugural Century Poll Picks Jimmie Johnson as 2015 NASCAR Champion

    Inaugural Century Poll Picks Jimmie Johnson as 2015 NASCAR Champion

    There is a new poll making its way through the NASCAR garage and media center. The Century Poll, instituted by Mike Siberini, asks a question a month of the NASCAR community to get a pulse of what is really happening in the world of stock car racing.

    There are currently 100 voters in The Century Poll, 50 from the NASCAR media and 50 from the NASCAR garage, which includes drivers, crew chiefs, crew members, team owners, PR reps, sponsors and even track officials.

    For the first question of The Century Poll, all voters were asked to choose their pick for the driver that will win the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup championship.

    The results showed that the early championship pick was none other than six-time champ Jimmie Johnson. The driver of the No. 48 Lowes Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports garnered 23 of the 100 votes. He captured 10 of the 50 garage votes and 13 of the 50 media votes.

    The second highest vote getter was perhaps the most sentimental. Jeff Gordon received 22 total votes, 10 of which were from the garage and 12 of which were from the media.

    There were only two other drivers with double digit votes, Carl Edwards, who received 18 total votes, and Kevin Harvick, who garnered 14 votes to go back to back as champ.

    The fifth highest vote getter was Daytona 500 winner Joey Logano. The Team Penske driver scored 4 garage votes and 5 media votes for a total of 9 votes. His teammate Brad Keselowski scored only a total of 3 votes, all of which were from the media.

    Matt Kenseth received 3 garage votes and 1 media vote for a total of 4. Surprisingly perennial fan favorite Dale Earnhardt Jr. only received 3 total votes to be this year’s champion, all of which were from the garage.

    The final vote recipients were Denny Hamlin, with a total of 3, including 2 from the garage and 1 from the media, and Tony Stewart, who received 1 vote, the sole one being from the garage.

    As one of the voting members, I was one of the many who picked Jimmie Johnson. So apparently I am in good company!

    But we need to hear now from our loyal Speedway Media readers…..who would you pick right now with the second race looming as your 2015 champ?

    Weigh in and let’s see where YOU fit in The Century Poll!

     

  • Hot 20 – Weights and measurements not a good Jeopardy category for Logano

    Hot 20 – Weights and measurements not a good Jeopardy category for Logano

    Three of last Sunday’s top drivers failed to make the cut simply due to not being registered to run for Cup points. Regan Smith, Matt Crafton, and Johnny Sauter all were within the Top Twenty, but their focus is on one of the other two national series. Smith will be kept busy, though, as he sits in for the suspended Kurt Busch. Considering the ride was especially created by Gene Haas for Busch to wear his company colors, one has to wonder about the long-term fate of the No. 41.

    What is 3100 pounds yet weighs in at under a ton? It appears Logano did not just have the winning ride at Daytona…he had a magic car.

    The Hot 20 after Daytona

    1. Joey Logano – 1 Win – 47 Points
    Daytona 500 winner provided a “ton” of laughs on Letterman.

    2. Kevin Harvick – 42 Points
    If only it were the Daytona 505, all green, all of the time.

    3. Dale Earnhardt Jr – 42 Points
    A late change to the slow lane proved costly.

    4. Denny Hamlin – 41 Points
    Got yelled at so much, he thought he was Stenhouse for a moment.

    5. Jimmie Johnson – 40 Points
    Car was fast at Daytona, his pit crew even faster.

    6. Casey Mears – 39 Points
    Car just got better and better thanks to a Bootie call…or two.

    7. Clint Bowyer – 37 Points
    If you cannot be the man to beat the man, be the man who makes the man unbeatable.

    8. Martin Truex Jr – 37 Points
    Last year he was no Kurt Busch, this year that is a good thing.

    9. Greg Biffle – 35 Points
    This season you can discover “What’s Buggin’ Biffle.”

    10. Kasey Kahne – 35 Points
    Won just once in 2014, but Atlanta was the place.

    11. David Gi_ _i _ and – 33 Points
    I’ll take an “L”, Pat Sajack.

    12. Michael Annett – 32 Points
    14th on Thursday, 13th on Sunday, a Top Ten in Atlanta?

    13. Sam Hornish Jr – 32 Points
    Welcome back to Cup, Sam.

    14. Austin Dillon – 30 Points
    The No. 3 now driven by the man in the black hat.

    15. Aric Almirola – 29 Points
    Somewhere there has to be someone named Eric Elmirola.

    16. David Ragan – 27 Points
    Loaned out by Front Row to sit in for Kyle at Gibbs.

    17. A.J. Allmendinger – 25 Points
    No sponsor, no Sprint Unlimited.

    18. Danica Patrick – 23 Points
    Kurt sits, Tony wrecks, and Danica gets a written warning. Thank God for Harv.

    19. Carl Edwards – 22 Points
    Is there a doctor in the house? Why yes, yes there is.

    20. Cole Whitt – 22 Points
    Good funding stems from good finishes. I hope this helps.

  • Surprising and Not Surprising: Daytona 500

    Surprising and Not Surprising: Daytona 500

    After an incredibly eventful Speedweeks, here is what was surprising and not surprising from NASCAR’s first and one of the biggest races of the season, the 57th annual Daytona 500.

    Surprising: The various Daytona 500 race watching venues were definitely most surprising, from Kurt Busch watching from who knows where after his indefinite suspension due to domestic violence allegations to his brother Kyle watching from a hospital bed after breaking his leg and foot in an Xfinity race crash.

    The other two unusual seats for the Daytona 500 were for Regan Smith and Matt Crafton, who substituted for the Busch brothers, in the No. 41 and No. 18 race cars respectively. Smith finished 16th for Stewart Haas Racing and Crafton finished 19th for Joe Gibbs Racing.

    “Started off really tight with the race car and never got it turning,” Smith said from his race seat. “I don’t know, kind of frustrating. I actually anticipated a much better day and nothing much more to show for it. Those guys did a nice job all weekend but we just plowed through the corners.”

    “It was a learning curve,” Crafton said from his unexpected race seat. “The first half we just rode around and tried to learn, learn, learn.”

    “It was very, very tough, but that’s what we get paid to do – drive race cars and figure it out quick. I felt fine, just my back from being in that seat hurt. Under yellows I would loosen up the belts as much as I could and just try to bow myself up in the seat just because my back was just cramped so unbelievable bad.”

    “I should have had a little better finish there at the end, but it is what it is.”

    Not Surprising: There was a visual dichotomy, from Jeff Gordon greeting the fans with his two children at the start of the race to the 24 year old Joe Logano embracing his father in Victory Lane, truly signifying the passing of the torch in the sport.

    This was Jeff Gordon’s last Daytona 500 and Joey Logano’s first ever win in the Great American race.

    “Congratulations to Joey Logano,” Jeff Gordon said after finishing 33rd in a late race crash. “That moment you saw there with his dad that is what it’s all about. These types of moments, such a big race it means so much to all of us. You want to share that with the people that you are closest to that have been there along the way.”

    “Congratulations to him and I don’t know what else to say other than I enjoyed it.”

    Surprising: Even great plate racers can make a mistake and yet still manage finish in the third spot and that is just what the driver of the No. 88 Nationwide Chevrolet did. Even with the miscue, Dale Earnhardt Jr. managed his 18th top-10 finish in 31 races at Daytona International Speedway.

    “I made a really bad decision on that restart with 19 to go,” Junior said. “I made a poor choice and you can’t afford to do that. I got shuffled back and lost a ton of spots.”

    “I had one of the best cars out there and that gave me a ton of confidence to keep digging. We were able to get back up to third place. It’s really disappointing because the Nationwide team gave me the best car and we should have won the race.”

    “It was a fun day out there. Just came up short and a little disappointed about that.”

    Not Surprising: With the exception of Kevin Harvick, who finished in the runner up position, Stewart Haas Racing continued its struggles of the previous year, with Kurt Busch suspended, Tony Stewart hitting the wall and finishing 42nd and Danica Patrick being a non-factor, finishing 21st.

    Stewart wrecked his No. 14 Chevrolet on Lap 41 when his car turned right, slammed into the wall, and completely wrecked his steering. This extended Stewart’s losing streak to seventeen races.

    “I take the blame for that one,” Smoke said. “One-hundred percent my fault.”

    Surprising: After winning one of the Duel races and starting at the front of the pack alongside teammate Jeff Gordon, six-time champion Jimmie Johnson saw the race win slip through his fingers in the final restarts. Johnson finished fifth in his No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet instead.

    “With about 10 to go, I thought we were in position to win the Daytona 500,” Johnson said. “I wish we were in Victory Lane right now but with plate racing you honestly have no clue what’s going to happen.”

    “Really the last two restarts just didn’t work for us. I was ahead of one lane and the guys behind us just weren’t bumper to bumper. Then on the last restart the same thing on the bottom. So it is just the way things happened.”

    “A fun day here in Daytona, of course I wish I was in Victory Lane right now, but we had a very strong day nothing to be embarrassed about.”

    Not Surprising: At restrictor plate tracks, where anything can happen and anyone can win, it was not surprising that two single-car race teams had great runs and emerged from Daytona with great optimism for the season ahead.

    “It was a good run and has been a good 10 days down here,” Martin Truex, driver of the No. 78 Furniture Row/Visser Precision Chevrolet said after finishing eighth. “I had a lot of fun today. We had to go to the back a few times but our car was strong enough to drive up through there.I thought we had a shot there until that last caution. I got in the wrong lane on the last restart and got held up a little bit. All in all, we came out of here last year with a 43rd and to come out of here today with an eighth-place and top-10 is a good start to the year for us.”

    “It was a really solid day,” Casey Mears said after finishing sixth, his fourth top-10 in the past five restrictor-plate races. “We have run up front at a lot of these things now or towards the front. We are getting a little bit greedier. We definitely want to win one of these races. I think our standards are getting a lot higher. From going from possibly not being in the show to finishing sixth that is definitely a good spread and a good way to start the season for sure.”

    Surprising: In spite of being dubbed a good pusher by race winner Logano, Clint Bowyer was surprisingly ticked after his seventh place finish in the Great American race.

    “I don’t know what I could have done different,” the driver of the No. 15 5-Hour Energy Toyota said. “I have to go back and look at it. Just you’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t there. I had them stacked up – some pretty good cars there behind me and I knew they were going to shuffle me out. I was kind of the lone wolf in the whole group other than the 22 (Joey Logano) and he happened to be leading.”

    “Once they got me in the middle, three-wide, I just didn’t really have – I was stuck and screwed.”

    Not Surprising: Denny Hamlin in his No. 11 FedEx Express Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing was the highest finishing Toyota, scoring the 4th spot.

    “You know, you’ve got a 50-50 shot of winning it when you’re on the green-white-checkered on the front row,” Hamlin said. “Our line didn’t form up and it’s typically whatever line gets organized the most usually goes forward on these green-white checkers and we just – inside line didn’t get going.”

    “We came up a little short again.”

    Surprising: In spite of feeling helpless, Greg Biffle still managed a top-10 finish for Roush Fenway Racing, a great accomplishment after a disappointing 2014 season.

    “It’s a little disappointing because we want to win the Daytona 500,” the driver of the No. 16 Ortho Ford said. “It just seemed like our car didn’t quite have the speed it needed. I really struggled to try and stay in line and handling was a huge issue. My car was so tight. There was nothing I could do at the end because I was totally boxed in.”

    Not Surprising: Forget girls that just want to have fun, boys wanted to have fun as well and Carl Edwards did just that, in spite of finishing 24th with his new Joe Gibbs Racing No. 19 ARRIS Toyota team.

    “Actually I had a very strong car and I had a lot of fun,” Edwards said. “I just didn’t pick the right lines there at the end – it just didn’t work. We got far enough back that it made it kind of hard to get back to the front. I had fun – I really did.”

    “Had a great car and we didn’t tear anything up – just had a good time.”