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  • Hot 20 of the NASCAR season that was

    Hot 20 of the NASCAR season that was

    Another season has come and gone, along with a few more drivers and fans, to be honest. However, there are some things I have noticed that are on the positive side, though not all would agree.

    I like stage racing. I was not sure to start with, but I like it now. It helps chronicle who mattered early and it informs us as to who mattered throughout. It even tells us who won, and it rewards that winner is a meaningful way.

    As a traditionalist, I was dead set against the playoffs. I have changed my mind. Logically, it makes no sense to have the pretenders still on the same competitive field as the contenders. Yet, it has not much affected the action, other than for one understandably upset Matt Kenseth. In this snowflake influenced world of ours, sometimes vengeance can still be had.

    Dale Earnhardt Jr. was not missed on the track due to his excellence in the NBC broadcast booth alongside Jeff Burton, Steve Letarte, Rick Allen and a very stout track-side team. They were entertaining, informative, and sounded like they were excited being there. That is all it takes, but it took a long, long time for some to figure that out. I am not sure FOX has yet.

    NASCAR boss man Brian France left the scene in August after being tagged with charges of aggravated driving while intoxicated and criminal possession of a controlled substance. Replaced by his uncle, I think most think that was a positive step. At least Jim France bothers to show up at the track every week.

    The France family is looking to fold its 13 track International Speedway Corp., which includes Darlington, Daytona, Martinsville and Talladega, into a merger with NASCAR itself. One can speculate as to the reasons, be it to lay out “a more unified strategic approach”, as Jim France says, or to package it all up for sale. Time will tell.

    Sometime over the past decade, the “How bad have you got it” mantra went out the window, along with the fans they were asking. Most of the races this season had a dip in ratings, with at least 26 being seen as having their worst of the past decade, if not of all time. Most of the celebrities are gone, we produce fewer gear heads these days, and the good ole boys and girls like Bo, Luke, and Daisy have been replaced in society by those who know more about tissues than issues.

    It appears Jamie McMurray is leaving the driver’s seat, at least on a full-time basis. Kurt Busch could be his replacement with Chip Ganassi. Kenseth is set to step back from even doing that after spelling off Trevor Bayne. Ryan Newman will take their place at Roush-Fenway, with newcomer Daniel Hemric taking his former ride with Richard Childress. Furniture Row is now gone, as Martin Truex Jr. heads over to Joe Gibbs, bumping Daniel Suarez possibly over to replace the elder Busch at Stewart-Haas. A.J. Allmendinger will be without a ride, giving up his seat to rookie Ryan Preece. Kasey Kahne has called it a career, and the 17-year combination of Jimmie Johnson and Chad Knaus comes to an end.

    Changes. Some we like, some we will not, at least to start with. Will fans come back in droves? Nope. Why should they? Give them a reason, give them entertainment, give them a reason to care.

    All they have to do is figure out what that is. Over the course of the past decade, they have not.

    1. JOEY LOGANO – 5040 POINTS (3 Wins)
    This is not “fake news.” Logano is a deserving, even if not an overly popular, champion.

    2. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 5035 POINTS (4 Wins)
    If we could ignore the facts for our own biases…but we can not. Now he is off to join the Coach.

    3. KEVIN HARVICK – 5034 POINTS (8 Wins)
    If he could win all those he dominated for a period of time, he would have gone double figures.

    4. KYLE BUSCH – 5033 POINTS (8 Wins)
    Great seasons can be spoiled by the uncertainty of a playoff. Case in point…

    5. ARIC ALMIROLA – 2354 POINTS (1 Win)
    Not everyone is moving on. Then again, he was one of those movers not so long ago.

    6. CHASE ELLIOTT – 2350 POINTS (3 Wins)
    The future of Hendrick has already arrived.

    7. KURT BUSCH – 2350 POINTS (1 Win)
    If he wants to race Indy, his rumored new boss might have a few options open to him.

    8. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 2343 POINTS (3 Wins)
    “I’m going to say it again. I did not intentionally spin out that driver, Mr. Suarez.”

    9. KYLE LARSON – 2299 POINTS
    If your business is named “Hi-Line”, I have a marketing opportunity for you.

    10. RYAN BLANEY – 2298 POINTS (1 Win)
    Like Chase, he is one of the positives NASCAR can showcase for the future.

    11. DENNY HAMLIN – 2285 POINTS
    As with Johnson, a years-long streak of wins in a season comes to an end.

    12. CLINT BOWYER – 2272 POINTS (2 Wins)
    Light-hearted and funny. Plus, if you ever find yourself in a ditch, he has connections.

    13. AUSTIN DILLON – 2245 POINTS (1 Win)
    That win was nice, but the iconic number was not so iconic after Daytona.

    14. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 2242 POINTS
    The marriage with Chad lasted longer than a vast majority of Hollywood relationships.

    15. ERIK JONES – 2220 POINTS (1 Win)
    At 22, That Jones Boy is making Joe Gibbs feel pretty good about the future.

    16. ALEX BOWMAN – 2204 POINTS
    Driving a car once driven by an Earnhardt is not an easy act to follow.

    17. RYAN NEWMAN – 769 POINTS
    Off to become one of the guys over at the House that Jack built. Maybe even his bodyguard.

    18. RICKY STENHOUSE JR. – 701 POINTS
    After five years, the storyline changed in 2018, along with a downturn in performance

    19. PAUL MENARD – 692 POINTS
    Will be around as long as a certain home improvement company markets its wares on a stock car.

    20. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 683 POINTS
    If this marks the end of the line, he finishes it up among those who mattered.

  • Ross Chastain to Drive Full-Time in 2019 with Chip Ganassi Racing

    Ross Chastain to Drive Full-Time in 2019 with Chip Ganassi Racing

    On Friday at ISM Raceway, it was announced that Ross Chastain would be the next full-time driver for the No. 42 DC Solar Chevrolet with Chip Ganassi Racing for 2019.

    “I’m trying not to throw up right now. It’s surreal,” Chastain said as he shared the announcement in the media center with team owner Chip Ganassi and CEO of DC Solar, Jeff Carpoff.

    Chastain ran three races in 2018 with the No. 42 team, and did not disappoint. He dominated at Darlington Raceway, snagged his first career pole and was on pace for a victory until a late-race crash with Kevin Harvick delayed his first career win. That took place later in the season at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, where he started his tradition of smashing a watermelon at the start-finish line in celebration. His runner-up finish at Richmond would be the third and final time driving the Chip Ganassi Racing car in 2018. But it was enough proof for both Ganassi and DC Solar.

    “DC Solar is a great example of partnership,” said Ganassi. “Since coming to our organization, both of our teams have worked together to build a platform that is beneficial to their business. When we first talked about putting Ross in the car this year, this was something that Jeff and Paulette felt strongly about and Ross made the most of the opportunity running well in all three races and bringing home a win and a runner-up finish. We are looking forward to him continuing that success in 2019 and competing for his first NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship.”

    Most of the exposure and convincing caught the eye of Carpoff, and Ganassi saw the success Chastain produced in a short amount of races behind the wheel. In the media center, as the announcement was made, Carpoff gave a fist pump in celebration. He was asked if he had any say with hiring Chastain full-time.

    “DC Solar is excited to continue its partnership with CGR, and we’re extremely proud to sponsor Ross during the 2019 NASCAR Xfinity season,” Carpoff declared. “From the moment I met Ross, I knew there was something special about him, so the decision to support him came easy. Witnessing his raw talent, as well as his humility and gratitude for the opportunity, only confirmed that he would be a great representative for the DC Solar brand.”

    Chastain was definitely nervous, yet excited about the new opportunities.

    “I’m an eighth-generation farmer from Florida who was fortunate enough to get a shot in top-flight equipment. I’m incredibly grateful to everyone, especially my family, who helped me get to this point.

    “I’ve had a great run with Johnny Davis Motorsports and it’s obvious I wouldn’t be in the position I am today without Johnny’s support. I have been racing everything that I can since breaking into NASCAR seven years ago. Until DC Solar and Chip (Ganassi) gave me a shot in Darlington, nobody knew who I was. I want to remain humble. I enjoy being the underdog.

    “Excited or thrilled doesn’t begin to capture how I feel about joining CGR full time. I’m eager to take full advantage of the opportunity in front of me. The obvious goal is to win races, compete for an Xfinity Series Championship and represent DC Solar to the best of my ability.”

    Chastain shared that he planned to still race with the Monster Energy Cup Series, as long as schedules did not conflict.

  • Hot 20 – Watkins Glen is another chance to win, but most are just as desperate to find money

    Hot 20 – Watkins Glen is another chance to win, but most are just as desperate to find money

    Money, it makes the world go round. So I’m told, anyway. While you and I might remain in perpetual financial darkness, the stock markets would seem to indicate that those on top of the heap are reeling it in. That would include, you would think, those who disperse those big sponsorship dollars that are the life blood of NASCAR. Not so, it appears. Either that, or what they are planning to spend their windfall on has nothing to do with motor car racing.

    Target is leaving Chip Ganassi after a 16-year relationship, despite the success of Kyle Larson. That leaves only Lowe’s (Jimmie Johnson) and FedEx (Denny Hamlin) as full-time sponsors on the Cup circuit. Roger Penske, Rick Hendrick, Richard Petty, Richard Childress, and the duo of Stewart-Haas are all said to be hunting down those elusive dollars for next season. To make it worse, Target is redirecting its resources from racing to soccer. Soccer!

    Among the less established outfits, some hire a driver who comes with a team that promises to also bring in the dollars. Paul Menard is the best known example, as his family’s business made it easy for the Wood Brothers to welcome him in as their replacement for Ryan Blaney. The move leaves Childress looking for cash to field a car for his grandson, Ty Dillon, with that family operation.

    Some drivers do not come with a fortune. Gray Gaulding had a deal with B.K. Racing where his family’s marketing firm dug up the sponsorship bucks, allowing him to drive and everyone to make money. The story has it that when those dollars dried up, the 19-year old driver was out. If names like Danica Patrick, Kurt Busch, and Larson can not lock in the funding easily, just imagine how tough it must be for under-performing teams with unestablished wheel-men.

    How anyone makes money in the other two national series is beyond me. The “crowd” for the Xfinity event at Indianapolis, for example, was tragic. Hell, there are reports that claim only 35,000 turned out for the Cup event, in a facility that seats ten times that number. The lack of crowds just about everywhere remains a concern. Not every race can be a spectacle, we know, but you need more than a bunch of cars spread out going round and round in the same position lap after lap. Most fans that came with the fad that NASCAR was were not racing fans, just folks looking for an adrenaline rush. For a time, they got it. Today, they do not, or so it would seem. At least the stage concept has provided us with some different pit strategies and re-starts to try and shake up the field a bit.

    Let us be honest. Some tracks are duds, for the most part. We could argue that last week’s venue, Pocono, could be among them if excitement is what you are in it for. In fact, nearly half of the Cup schedule is placed in spots that yield less than “edge of your seat” outcomes. I do not think Watkins Glen is among them. I think you might enjoy what is coming up this Sunday.

    If you can find any, you might even put some money down on that. If nothing else, you will get better odds than say you would get on seeing Kurt Busch, Matt Kenseth, and Kasey Kahne all having full-time rides next season. Follow the money…if you can find it.

     

    1. MARTIN TRUEX, JR. – 3 WINS (823 Pts)
    The Furniture Row driver is simply the best thus far this season. Period.

    2. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 3 WINS (566 Pts)
    When Jimmie and Chad retire, Lowe’s should have a place on their Hall of Fame plaques.

    3. KYLE LARSON – 2 WINS (738 Pts)
    If there is any sponsor out there looking to target a premium driver, this would be one of them.

    4. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 2 WINS (649 Pts)
    The Cup series is sick, the other two series are dying. Does everybody realize this?

    5. RICKY STENHOUSE, JR. – 2 WINS (468 Pts)
    Has just four more points than Daniel, but two more wins than Mr. Suarez.

    6. KEVIN HARVICK – 1 WIN (726 Pts)
    Limiting veterans in Xfinity limits Harvick’s sponsorship opportunities. He is not happy.

    7. KYLE BUSCH – 1 WIN (723 Pts)
    Could Kyle tell me how any games he thinks Mike Trout should play in Salt Lake and Mobile?

    8. DENNY HAMLIN – 1 WIN (649 Pts)
    Will be ready to race on Sunday, unless Jordan is ready to deliver their second child that day.

    9. RYAN BLANEY – 1 WIN (529 Pts)
    It should not be long before the Blaney-Bubba Show arrives full-time in Cup.

    10. KURT BUSCH – 1 WIN (494 Pts)
    On the verge of becoming a free agent? Wow!

    11. RYAN NEWMAN – 1 WIN (491 Pts)
    Could we see a return of Newman to Stewart-Haas? Hahahaha. I just made myself laugh.

    12. KASEY KAHNE – 1 WIN (414 Pts)
    Wins a race, like Kurt, and has no assurance he will keep his job. What does that tell you?

    13. AUSTIN DILLON – 1 WIN (395 Pts)
    Brother Ty is ready to take his place in the family business…if they can find the money.

    14. CHASE ELLIOTT – 616 POINTS
    Rule of thumb over the next five races would be to finish on the lead lap. Easier said than done.

    15. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 615 POINTS
    Only wins on the marquee tracks. He might want to re-think that.

    16. MATT KENSETH – 594 POINTS
    Could he make the Chase and still be looking for a job next season? Just ask Kasey and Kurt.

    17. CLINT BOWYER – 577 POINTS
    Could move closer to Kenseth on Sunday, but if A.J. Allmendinger wins then it is all for naught.

    18. JOEY LOGANO – 525 POINTS (1 Win)
    The Glen, Michigan, Bristol, Darlington, or Richmond. Joey has to win one of them.

    19. DANIEL SUAREZ – 464 PONTS
    Unless there is an appeal, Jones’ 25 point penalty at Pocono moves Suarez to right here.

    19. ERIK JONES – 444 POINTS
    With Jones joining Gibbs next season, could that leave open a return of Kurt to Colorado?

  • The View from my Recliner — NASCAR is in Trouble

    The View from my Recliner — NASCAR is in Trouble

    The headline says what I am thinking. NASCAR is in trouble and here are five reasons why.

    Title Sponsor issues: Brant James’ story in USA Today paints a bleak picture about the new title sponsor of NASCAR’s top series. When Sprint announced that they were leaving the sport, NASCAR was hoping to get a 10 year, $1 billion deal from a new title sponsor. According to James’ story, it looks like NASCAR will get less than what Sprint is paying in 2016 which is $60 million. When you think about it, if they get $40 million to be the title sponsor and Hendrick Motorsports is getting $30 million to be the sponsor of Dale Earnhardt Jr. what does that say about the future of the series?

    Age of Ownership: The big name owners in the Sprint Cup series are getting up in age. Roger Penske, Richard Petty, Joe Gibbs and Jack Roush are in their 70s, Richard Childress, Gene Haas and Rick Hendrick are in their 60s and Chip Ganassi is 58. They are racers who have become successful owners. Sooner or later, these owners are going to want to get out of the business and who is there to replace them? There have been investors who have come in to “save the day” for struggling teams. George Gillette came in to save Evernham Motorsports and Rob Kauffman bailed out Michael Waltrip Racing. Neither team exists today because Gillette ran out of money and Kauffman got tired of throwing good money into bad. NASCAR isn’t growing its bench in the XFINITY series because the owners of the top teams are Cup owners. Who will be the next group of car owners?

    Empty seats: When I was at the New Hampshire race, it was a beautiful sunny day in the 60s. The Patriots and Red Sox were out of town. Perfect conditions for a sellout. The grandstands were half empty. It has been the same throughout most of the season. Richmond, Charlotte, Daytona and Dover have all taken out seats and they still are empty. Unless the fans start filling the seats again, there is trouble on the horizon.

    TV Contract: The money that came from the latest TV deal with Fox and NBC brings $1 billion into the NASCAR bank account, but where they are placing the races is hurting. Fox Sports 1 and NBC Sports Network are fledgling networks and are using NASCAR to attempt to build a fan base. NASCAR fans are a creature of habit. When you have to hunt for where the races are being televised it’s not a good thing. The TV ratings continue to fall off and it is hurting the growth of the sport.

    Who will speak the truth: These are my observations. The question is when or will you ever hear anyone in NASCAR talk about these observations? When you hear anyone from NASCAR talk, all is good, nothing to see here. When you hear the talk show hosts on SiriusXM radio speak, all is fine and I wonder if they really think that way. Or, is it because they receive paychecks from Motor Racing Network, owned by International Speedway Corporation that they hold back their opinion? Who in the garage will speak the truth now that Tony Stewart is retiring? The owners created the Race Team Alliance and worked with NASCAR for the Charter system, but is it just putting a band-aid on a wound that is gushing blood?

    NASCAR is in trouble. I hope that someone in the offices in Daytona Beach and Charlotte is working to fix these problems for the future of the sport we love.

    As we head to Talladega, Kevin Harvick and Jimmie Johnson are safely in the Round of 8 and the other 10 Chase drivers will hope to survive. I hate having Talladega in the Chase. There will be a driver or two eliminated Sunday afternoon because of someone else making a mistake. Ten drivers are losing sleep all week knowing that their chance at a championship could end because a non-chaser makes a mistake in the pack. It cheapens the Chase.

    That is the View From My Recliner. I would like to hear what you think.

     

  • The Final Word – The drama at Dover was over by my half-time beer break

    The Final Word – The drama at Dover was over by my half-time beer break

    Perspective. It means everything.

    Take Trevor Bayne, for instance. Last Sunday at Dover, he picked up a speeding penalty while on pit road during an early caution. No big deal. Sure, he finished 20th on the day, but with not a single Roush driver making the Chase, expectations were not exactly soaring.

    Then there was Kevin Harvick. It was he who blew a tire and brought out the caution in the first place. He had to head to the garage for repairs. Did it ruin his day? Forty laps down in 37th does not cause much celebration, but nobody’s dog was going to be in danger of being booted by a disgruntled driver. That win in New Hampshire had given Harvick a new perspective, and a pass into the Round of Twelve in the Chase.

    That brings us to Kyle Larson. He needed to make up five positions to continue the hunt. On the Harvick-manufactured yellow, he came to the pits complaining of a lack of power. During the diagnosis, an extra man went over the wall and that got Larson slapped with a penalty. No problem, you can get a lap back. Maybe. Not if you lose your right front and slap the wall to go six laps down. In the loaf of life, that turns your hopes into toast.

    Still, there was yet another Chip Ganassi auto still in the hunt. Jamie McMurray had eight cylinders to power him there. Make that seven cylinders. How about six? We had not even made the half-way point in the race when the gerbil finally died and McMurray’s engine up and died with it.

    That left only Tony Stewart to challenge Austin Dillon for the final transfer spot. Only Tony remained to offer up some drama, but he had a hill to climb and a car more adept at running in the valley. Stewart, with a Top Fifteen car that needed to win, finished 13th and out of the running.

    Martin Truex Jr., on the other hand, continues to prove that Furniture Row can no longer be considered anyone’s weak sister. Winning three of the past five, and his fourth of the campaign, the single car outfit from Colorado is making one heck of an argument that just maybe they might be considered a favorite to win it all.

    Six was all that finished on the lead lap in this one. Joining Truex were Kyle Busch, Chase Elliott, Brad Keselowski, Matt Kenseth, and Joey Logano. Chasers one and all. Jimmie Johnson would have, but a man over the wall way too early dropped him from first to 16th, and down a lap he never would get back.

    Those seven drivers are now deadlocked in points as the next round of the Chase begins. Along with Harvick, Dillon, Kurt Busch, Denny Hamlin, and Carl Edwards, the dozen contenders all head to Charlotte with 3000 points in the bank, with no advantage held by anybody. Maybe Johnson had an edge, with seven career wins at everybody’s local track. Okay, local for everyone but Truex. Truex only has one there. The way he is running, nobody is betting against him making it two this Saturday night.

  • The Final Word – The Countdown to the New Season is Down to Single Digits

    The Final Word – The Countdown to the New Season is Down to Single Digits

    The countdown has begun to the start of a new season, with less than ten days to go before the Sprint Unlimited exhibition race at Daytona. A new campaign, some new teams and some new expectations.

    Stewart-Haas had a year of mixed results in 2014. Kevin Harvick has his crown, but I think if you claim one championship you might like to claim another. Hey, it works for Jimmie Johnson. His boss, Tony Stewart, has three, but just having a year without the drama would be a Godsend. Kurt Busch won a race, which placed him in the Chase, but he actually was not even as good as Austin Dillon, Paul Menard, or Brian Vickers over the course of the season. He needs to show this year as to why Gene Haas spent the big money to bring him into the stable.

    Danica Patrick must do well. I hear that, I believe that should be so, but I am not so convinced the bloom is off the rose just yet. With the big money funding, a solid organization behind her, and the media attention she gets, I do not believe she needs to be anything more than the novelty she already is. Being the best female driver in NASCAR history might still be enough, but results better than those of, say, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. should be expected as the soon-to-be 33-year-old embarks on her third full season.

    Kasey Kahne turns 35 this spring and probably is considered the little guy at the big boys table at Hendrick by some. Seventeen wins over his career, including six in the past four years, argues otherwise. The only reason Kahne is not more front and center is due to having teammates who have either won the title multiple times or who happens to be the sports most popular performer. Even Harvick and Stewart would be considered fourth on the depth chart on this outfit.

    Dale Earnhardt Jr. has a new crew chief. After matching his win totals of the previous nine seasons in 2014, Junior has Greg Ives on the box after Steve Letarte left for the broadcast booth. The 40-year-old needs to repeat what he did in 2014, as 23 Cup wins, 23 more on the junior circuit, two Daytona 500 wins, five Talladega celebrations, and a dozen straight Most Popular Driver of the Year nods might not be enough to make the Hall…in 2030.

    2015 marks the final full-time season for Jeff Gordon. You better enjoy it, as he will not be eligible for the Hall of Fame until at least 2023. That would mark 30 years since he began his career, which is one qualification. If he has to wait until he is 55, that would be in 2027. Gone is the former three years in retirement qualification, as of this year. This alone causes me to expect more tinkering to the qualification rules between now and then.

    Trevor Bayne has a Daytona 500 to his credit, and not much else over the past four seasons. He leaves his part-time job driving for the Wood Brothers to a full-time gig with Roush Fenway. Bayne turns 24 the day they run the Duels at Daytona, with hopes of taking Mark Martin’s old No. 6 ride back to the front. The question is, does he and teammates Greg Biffle and Stenhouse represent an organization on the rise?

    Bayne takes the place of Carl Edwards, who hopes to realize that first championship with his move. Twice he has been the season’s runner-up, as the 35-year-old seeks some greener grass on Joe Gibbs’ side of the fence. Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch and Matt Kenseth are a pretty good trio of teammates to roll with. Without question, one of NASCAR’s Big Three organizations, along with Hendrick and Stewart-Haas.

    Or should that be Big Four? Penske is just a two car outfit, but with Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano on the reins their wagons can make something happen. Both finished amongst the season’s Top Five, combining for 11 victories last year. Yes, Big Four is more like it.

    Is there anyone to make it a Big Five? Childress has youth in Austin Dillon, with brother Ty waiting in the wings. They have experience in Ryan Newman, who was just one point behind Harvick when the smoke cleared at Homestead last November. Then there is Paul Menard, who has yet to crack the season’s Top Fifteen in his career, the past four with Childress. On the positive side, he does come complete with a sponsor. Is that enough?

    Michael Waltrip’s crew once was considered a top flight team, until the wings came off. Martin Truex Jr. found himself with Furniture Row, where their gains with Kurt Busch disappeared with his replacement. Brian Vickers is on the mend with a heart issue, so he will require a temporary replacement. As for Clint Bowyer, Captain Skid dropped to 19th in the season rankings after being the runner-up in 2012 and seventh the season after. Bowyer is locked in for another three years, but will they be the best of times, or the worst of times?

    Ganassi has 22-year old Kyle Larson, who just missed the Chase in his rookie season, along with veteran Jamie McMurray. Am I the only one who thinks this team should have been, and should be, more successful? McMurray has only seven wins over 13 seasons, but where he won is impressive. Two came at Daytona, including the 500 in 2010, two at Talladega, two at Charlotte, as well as the Brickyard 400. Not enough to make one a contender, but certainly one who gets remembered.

    You cannot forget Petty, if only for the guy the outfit is named after. Aric Almirola is back, after a single win got him into the Chase…for three races. That victory was just one of five the team has had over six seasons. Coming in is Sam Hornish Jr. who, in 239 NASCAR races in all three top series, has just three wins on the junior circuit. Two of them came over his last 39 races run there over the past two campaigns. Let us not forget his 19 IndyCar wins between 2001 and 2007, including the 2006 Indianapolis 500. Does that get one excited? Sadly, not much.

    Maybe the biggest move comes off the track. Gone is ESPN. Thank God Almighty. FOX returns, with NBC taking over the second half of the season. Mike Joy is a good lap-by-lap announcer, while Rick Allen is even better. While he may have a few detractors, I enjoy Darrell Waltrip, along with Larry McReynolds, providing color analysis. I think Steve Letarte will be even better though, surprisingly, Jeff Burton may be the weak link until he smooths out his delivery. Still, he has a few months to work on it. All are infinitely better than the ESPN crew, and that works for me.

    It all begins on Saturday, February 14th with the Sprint Unlimited from Daytona on FOX. Dare I say it, “Boogity, Boogity, Boogity.” Sorry, I just could not resist.

  • Rookie Kyle Larson Proves He Belongs in the Sprint Cup Series

    Rookie Kyle Larson Proves He Belongs in the Sprint Cup Series

    When it was announced last year that Kyle Larson would replace Juan Pablo Montoya in the No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet in the Sprint Cup Series in 2014, my first reaction was shock. It had nothing to do with Larson’s skill.

    I saw him race at Rockingham Speedway in November 2012 when he won the K&N Pro Series East championship in his rookie year. He also won the Rookie of the Year title that same year. Only two other drivers in the series, Joey Logano and Ryan Truex, have won the championship in their rookie season. It was enough to make me sit up and take notice, and I wasn’t the only one.

    Jeff Gordon spoke about Larson’s K&N championship, saying, “It’s extremely impressive to me. I think he came into it pretty late. To be able to win the K&N East Series against the talent that’s out there with the limited amount of experience that he has in a full-bodied stock car is extremely impressive and says a lot about his talent and skills.”

    A few months later in April of the following year, again at Rockingham, Larson won his first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race, in only five starts. As Gordon noted, what is most noteworthy about these accomplishments is that Larson comes from an open-wheel racing background.

    And that is where the doubt crept in. Was Larson ready to tackle the Sprint Cup Series after only one full season in the Nationwide Series? We’ve seen other drivers who were arguably thrust into the Cup Series before they were ready with lackluster results.

    Chip Ganassi had no such trepidation when he announced Larson as the new driver of the No. 42.

    “We believe Kyle is the future of the sport,” Ganassi said. “He is a unique talent.”

    He went on to say, “I’m sure there will be growing pains, but I think he’s ready. Some of those growing pains will come whenever his first year in the series is. But I think this is a good opportunity. My expectations and advice to him are keep the car on the track and run laps.”

    As the season has progressed, I’m thrilled to say that at least in this particular situation, I was wrong.There have indeed been “growing pains” and it hasn’t always been pretty. Larson’s passion and determination to win sometimes causes him to push too hard and he has developed a love/hate relationship with the wall. Even with the miscues, he has managed to achieve six top-fives, 12 top-10s and one pole so far this season.

    Luckily for Larson, Jeff Gordon has remained one of his most ardent supporters and seems willing to offer support and advice. Following today’s race, Gordon took a few moments to talk to Larson.

    When asked what he said to the rookie, Gordon replied, “I’m a big fan. I like seeing young guys out there driving like that. That’s so much fun. That’s what this sport is all about. I just want to let him know what a great job I thought he did.”

    Larson added that Gordon had also given him some advice on restarts but Gordon laughed and interrupted him to say, “Don’t tell them that part.”

    After watching Larson race at Chicagoland Speedway, leading laps and battling for the win with the best drivers in the sport, one thing is clear. Chip Ganassi made the correct decision. And, thanks to his foresight, the fans get to go along for the ride as one of NASCAR’s future stars takes his first steps on that exhilarating journey.

  • NASCAR BTS: Kevin Hamlin is Calling All the Shots

    NASCAR BTS: Kevin Hamlin is Calling All the Shots

    While many in the garage area are busy juggling a multitude of responsibilities, this week’s NASCAR Behind the Scenes (BTS) focuses on Kevin Hamlin, who is calling all the shots from the spotter’s stand to watching over young drivers starting out in their careers.

    Hamlin currently spots for NASCAR Sprint Cup driver Kasey Kahne, as well as up and coming drivers Jeb Burton and Brad Sweet. He has also taken over responsibilities for guiding the career of Cole Whitt, who has recently progressed through the ranks to the Cup level.

    Hamlin, however, did not start out in these roles until after having his own career as a driver himself, honing his craft in the Pacific Northwest. And for Hamlin, racing indeed has been in his blood.

    “It is a family thing,” Hamlin said. “Both my parents drove, so I was born into it.”

    “My mom and dad met at a speedway way back when, so I spent my weekends there growing up as a kid,” Hamlin continued. “I raced quarter midgets and then late models and had some success doing that.”

    “I won two championships in the NASCAR Northwest Series and then married my high school sweetheart, conned her into moving to North Carolina six months later, and we chased the dream.”

    Hamlin continued to pursue his racing career in North Carolina, from an ARCA deal arranged by Brendan Gaughan to a driver development deal with Chip Ganassi Racing. It was then his career took an interesting turn.

    “By the time I knew my contract was up and I was doing a lot of start and parks and test driving (I’ve got more laps in a Cup car than I do a Nationwide car or Truck), I decided I wanted to be more involved in a team aspect than race,” Hamlin said. “While I was racing I was also spotting for John Andretti and Travis Kvapil and getting my feet wet at this higher level.”

    “That turned into a deal with Clint Bowyer and then Ty Dillon,” Hamlin continued. “And then I went over to Kasey (Kahne) when he was looking for a guy and it has been a good year and a half so far.”

    Spotting for Kasey Kahne has led to a whole additional level of calling the shots in his career as Hamlin has developed his relationship with the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports driver. In fact, he said that the chemistry between them came about almost immediately based on the type of spotting he had done previously for Clint Bowyer.

    “I think Clint Bowyer, when I spotted for him, made me into the way I spot now,” Hamlin said. “Clint wanted a lot of information, where other guys are running, where he is getting beat, etc.”

    “So, when I did those first few races for Kasey, I just spotted the way I did for Clint and I told him if he needed anything different that we would figure it out as we go,” Hamlin continued. “But he liked what I gave him and it clicked right away.”

    “We’ve developed a lingo to where even if I feel like I’m not on my ‘A’ game for whatever reason, he still knows enough the way I do it to know where other cars are around him at all times,” Hamlin said. “Honestly with Kasey it’s been really easy and for whatever reason we hit the ground running.”

    Hamlin, like all spotters, has had to learn a different way to call the shots for his driver as a result of what happened at Richmond prior to the Chase. And for Hamlin, life became more complicated but also a bit quieter as well.

    “The spotter’s role has changed,” Hamlin said. “The spotter’s role isn’t clear high, clear low and wreck in turn two anymore.”

    “Maybe that’s the way it used to be but the role has really developed into letting the driver know where other guys are at, when they are pitting, and trying to work out strategy,” Hamlin continued. “There was a lot of talking back and forth on the digital radio about what you wanted to do with that.”

    “It’s a lot quieter for me now that I don’t have the digital because of what happened in Richmond. “

    Thankfully, Hamlin’s worst experience calling the shots was not with current driver Kasey Kahne. But it was so bad, however, that it actually became a You Tube video of how not to react on the spotter’s stand.

    “My worst spotting experience was at Bristol with Clint,” Hamlin said. “There was a big wreck getting into (turn) three and I got him through the wreck but stupid me said we’re clear, clear, whew and they were wrecking again right in front of him and Clint ran right into that.”

    “So, he chewed me quite heavily for that and guys on the No. 33 team were a rough group back then and they were jabbing me about that too,” Hamlin continued. “I learned until your driver gets with that pace car, your head is still on a swivel trying to watch what is happening.”

    “So, that is one of my most memorable not so fun experiences.”

    Although spotting for Kahne and others keeps Hamlin very busy, he also is calling the shots in a whole new area of the sport, helping to look after the social and digital properties of several drivers, as well as the careers of several upstarts.

    “While I work for Hendrick spotting, my day job is working for Fuel Sports Management group, which is Kasey’s agent and they represent a bunch of different drivers,” Hamlin said. “And I also look after young drivers since I’ve had experience looking out for drivers like the next Kyle Larson.”

    “I’m the competition end guy where there are others who are better at the contracts and business aspect,” Hamlin continued. “So, it’s a good little mixture of what we’ve got going.”

    “My role there has also progressed into working with Cole Whitt’s day to day stuff.”

    “I helped put together the deal with TriStar Motorsports for him and with Swan Racing,” Hamlin said. “So, I’m trying to grow as a day-to-day manager for a Cup driver and trying to learn the business side of the sport as well.”

    “As much as I love spotting, am I going to be doing it in fifteen years? I don’t know,” Hamlin continued. “So, you have to have something to do during the week to help support the family.”

    “That’s where that new role came in.”

    Hamlin is most excited about calling the shots in one other area, that of his family and being with his wife, daughter and son.

    “There is a lot going on but it’s nice because if I’m done at three o’clock on Tuesday, I’ll pack up my computer and head home and I can work at home,” Hamlin said. “I have that option so I can see my kids and hang out with my wife and still do that family time thing that is so important.”

    “We travel so much that it can really wear on you being away from the family.”

    And where would race fans be most surprised to see Hamlin ultimately calling the shots?

    “I’m really good at coloring,” Hamlin said with a sly grin. “My daughter Grace, who is five, and my son who is three, like to color.”

    “My wife is a stay-at-home mom and works her tail off,” Hamlin continued. “So, for me to just come home and hang out and color is fun.”

    “You get me a ‘My Little Pony’ picture and Grace and I can hammer that bad boy out.”

    For more information about how Kevin Hamlin is calling the shots behind the scenes or for any expert coloring advice, follow him on Twitter @KevinHamlin.

  • Surprising and Not Surprising: Charlotte Bank of America 500

    Surprising and Not Surprising: Charlotte Bank of America 500

    In the ‘home game’ for NASCAR in the heart of race country, here is what was surprising and not surprising in the 54th annual Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

    Surprising:  Who knew that dragging a jack for a lap would result in a victory lap?  That was the case for the driver of the Blue Deuce Brad Keselowski, who finally got his first win under his belt for the season. Keselowski also scored his first ever win in a Ford, as well as his first victory at Charlotte.

    “I thought when we saw the jack under the car I said, ‘Here we go again, not a good night,’ but at the end of the day when it was time to go and we raced the best because it was Brad behind the wheel that made it,” Roger Penske, team owner of the No. 2 Miller Lite Ford, said. “It wasn’t a fuel economy run, it was him digging deep and bringing us to victory lane, so it was a great night for us.”

    Not Surprising:  If a crack in the armor exists for five-time champ Jimmie Johnson it would be restarts and the driver of the No. 48 Lowes Dover White Chevrolet had yet another challenge in that regard at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

    As a result of a late race caution, Johnson yet again struggled on the final restart, resulting in a fourth place finish.

    “Down in (turns) one and two, just in the dirty air I pushed the No. 5 off into (turn) one,” Johnson said. “He didn’t get the best restart and something to do with that combo got me off the bottom and a couple of cars got into the side of me.”

    “If we could have come out of the pits second and start on the front row, it would have been a much different result for us,” Johnson continued. “But it didn’t happen.”

    “Just lost track position which was unfortunate.”

    As a result of this finish, Johnson sits just four points behind point’s leader Matt Kenseth.

    Surprising:  Speaking of the point’s leader, the third time surprisingly was a charm for championship contender Matt Kenseth.

    “There is a feel that I always look for and when I don’t have it, I can’t go very fast,” the driver of the No. 20 Dollar General Toyota said. “Until the third adjustment, we just couldn’t get it.”

    “Jason (Ratcliff, crew chief) found something that really woke it up and made the car happy and made me happy and we were able to start making some ground.”

    Kenseth finished third, maintained his points lead, and posted his 15th top-10 finish in 29 races at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

    Not Surprising:  Past gremlins rearing their ugly heads again cost both Kyle Busch and Dale Earnhardt Jr. their best finishes.

    Busch, driving the No. 18 M&Ms Toyota, suffered loose lug nuts due to a pit road miscommunication and also a fuel pick up issue to finish fifth.

    “We had the same thing in the third Chase race back in 2008,” Busch said of his engine issue. “So it doesn’t surprise me something’s back.”

    “Pretty frustrating,’’ Busch continued. “We should be happy about (fifth), but when it’s time for championship time, that’s not what you need.”

    “We need wins, and we can’t win.’’

    Dale Junior, making his 500th career start, had some sort of vibration in the car that resulted in a 15th place finish in spite of his leading laps during the race.

    “The car just got really tight,” Dale Jr., driver of the No. 88 Time Warner Cable Chevrolet, said. “Something in the set-up moved, but the car was real quick at the start of the race.”

    “It just would not turn at all the last half of the race pretty much,” Junior continued. “We are just kind of trying to figure out what is going on.”

    “We will get it back and figure it out when we get to the shop on Monday.”

    Busch sits fifth in points at 37 points behind leader Kenseth and Junior fell one position to ninth and is now 66 points behind the point’s leader.

    Surprising:  Both Hendrick teammates made surprisingly good decisions in just taking two tires instead of four for the final restart. Kasey Kahne, HMS driver of the No. 5 Quaker State Chevrolet, finished in the runner up position with his two tires and teammate Jeff Gordon, behind the wheel of the No. 24 Axalta Chevrolet, finished seventh.

    “Yeah, we had a great race,” Kahne said. “I was on two (tires) and I was trying to move around, but I was just a little bit on the tight side with the front end, then I would get loose if I got the front working.”

    “I was doing all I could and felt pretty good, but Brad (Keselowski, winner) made some nice moves and just really had some speed there late in the race and was able to get by me.”

    “It was a solid night,” Gordon said. “It was a great call there to try to make two (tires) work.”

    “Our car was just way too tight to be able to do it and we lost a few more positions than I was hoping,” Gordon continued. “But it was still solid.”

    While Gordon remains in the fourth place in the Chase, 36 points behind the leader, Kahne on the other hand, is in the 13th position, 81 points back and essentially out of contention.

    Not Surprising:   Mark Martin had the most interesting comeback after blowing an engine after just 80 completed laps and spewing fluid all over the track.

    The driver, substituting for Tony Stewart in the No. 14 Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 Chevrolet ended up finishing a disappointing 42nd as a result.

    But when a fan tweeted Martin “@markmartin Should’ve mention this earlier but you should retire,” things got very interesting. In fact, the usually affable driver surprising replied with just four words, tweeting “You should screw yourself,” thus scoring the best comeback of the Charlotte race.

    Surprising:  Speaking of the Stewart-Haas bunch, Ryan Newman salvaged a surprisingly good finish after struggling most of the night. Thanks to a four tire call on the last pit stop, Newman was able to get an eighth place finish for the No. 39 Quicken Loans Chevrolet.

    “We came out of here with a decent finish, but we struggled a little bit tonight,” Newman said. “I just didn’t have the overall speed.”

    “Matt (Borland, crew chief) made the call to take four tires at the end, but we weren’t able to gain spots like I thought we would knowing that a lot of the guys ahead of us took two,” Newman continued. “All in all, it’s good to complain about a top-10 finish, but we expected a little more than that tonight.”

    Not Surprising:  Until his engine blew, young up and coming driver Kyle Larson, making his Cup debut in the No. 51 Target Chevrolet, had a great run going. In fact, he was running in the top ten for a bit, far surpassing many of his more seasoned competitors, including future teammate Jamie McMurray.

    “Obviously, the guy is ready,” Chip Ganassi, team owner said of his 2014 driver. “Some of the smarter people in the sport have said that maybe a Cup car is more like his style than a Nationwide car.”

    “It wouldn’t be the first time that’s happened,” Ganassi continued. “Time will tell, but the guy is ready.”

    Surprising:  For one Chase contender, the contest at Charlotte Motor Speedway was all about a battle until the death, well almost.

    “We survived,” Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 29 Jimmy John’s Chevrolet, said after finishing sixth. “Yeah we got a decent finish, but our car was terrible all night.”

    “The restart went our way there at the end and we were able to get a decent finish out of it.”

    Harvick maintained his third place in the Chase standings, just 29 points, similar to his car number, behind point’s leader Kenseth.

    Not Surprising:  There is at least one driver who is looking forward to the next race at Talladega after finishing 14th in his No. 78Furniture Row/Denver Mattress Chevrolet.

    “We had an upbeat feeling about tonight after two strong practices on Friday but nothing really materialized for us to make a charge,” Busch said. “It’s disappointing to finish where we did (14th) after having a number of solid runs on the mile-and-a-half’s, including last week’s runner-up finish in Kansas.”

    “Next week we’ll give it another go in the Wonder bread car at Talladega.”

  • Scott Dixon and Team Ganassi Make Indy History at Pocono with Win; Podium Finish

    Scott Dixon and Team Ganassi Make Indy History at Pocono with Win; Podium Finish

    Scott Dixon, driver of the No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, made history at Pocono Raceway in the IZOD IndyCar Series as the eighth different winner in eleven races, scoring his 30th career win, as well as the 200th win for Honda and the 100th team finish for team Target.

    “Going into this morning, I was not thinking we could win,” Dixon said. “The team definitely hasn’t given up and you’ve got to hand it to Honda as well.”

    “The fuel mileage was the key today and we still had speed up front without having to save all the time.”

    “I don’t know what to say,” Dixon continued. “It’s the 100th win for Target as well which is just so fantastic.”

    “It’s been a long drought, almost a year, so it’s fantastic to be back in winner’s circle.”

    With the return of IndyCar Racing to Pocono Raceway for the first time since 1989, Team Ganassi also made history, finishing one, two, three for the first time ever in any form of competition, including IZOD IndyCar Series, CART, NASCAR or GRAND-AM.

    With teammate Scott Dixon in Victory Lane, Charlie Kimball, behind the wheel of the No. 83 NovoLog FlexPen Honda for Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing, finished second, and teammate Dario Franchitti, behind the wheel of the No. 10 Energizer Honda for Target Chip Ganassi Racing, finished third.

    “The whole Chip Ganassi Racing crew, as evidenced by the 1-2-3 finish, was focusing on race day knowing that’s when it mattered,” Kimball, who matched his career best finish of second, said. “Throughout today, the guys made it better on each pit stop and the car just got quicker and quicker.”

    “A lot of credit to Honda, they gave us the fuel mileage and speed today.”

    “The Honda today, it’s so good on fuel mileage and that really, really helped us,” Franchitti, the third place finisher, said. “We went for a very aggressive downforce so every lap was an adventure.”

    “It was a good day.”

    “I had no idea we’d finish one, two, three after coming back late from Daytona,” Chip Ganassi, team owner, said. “When I got out of bed this morning, I wouldn’t have guessed this.”

    “I actually forgot that the next win would have been our 100th; it’s been so long since we’ve had a win,” Ganassi continued. “It’s a really great place to do it – in Pennsylvania, my home state.”

    “It’s great for the Series to have a 1-2-3 finish,” Ganassi said. “Honda needed a boost.”

    “The drivers did a great job and the team did a great job,” Ganassi continued. “Hopefully we’ve turned the corner.”

    Will Power finished fourth in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet. This was Power’s third top-five finish of the season.

    “I didn’t realize Charlie (Kimball) was for position,” Power said. “It was quite tough to pass.”

    “It was physical but a lovely track,” Power continued. “There was a good crowd and it was a good race.”

    “But it was an awesome day for Verizon.”

    Josef Newgarden, driving the No. 67 SFH Racing/Rotondo Weirich for Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing, rounded out the top-five, matching his best IndyCar Series finish of fifth in Sao Paulo.

    “We had a great day,” Newgarden said. “To get representable results, I’m super pleased for all our guys.”

    “Pocono is incredible,” Newgarden continued. “I wasn’t even born that time they had the last race here.”

    “We’ve got to come back here because it’s an IndyCar track,” Newgarden said. “I’m super pleased for our group.”

    The race was not without drama as James Hinchcliffe, driver of the No. 27 GoDaddy Chevrolet, wrecked on the very first lap.

    “I’m not entirely sure what happened,” Hinchcliffe said. “We’ll have to take a look at it.”

    “The car just snapped loose on me,” Hinchcliffe continued. “We went a bit aggressive on setup because we had an understeering car all week, and we didn’t want that in the race.”

    “Maybe we overstepped it a bit; I’m not quite sure,” Hinchcliffe said. “It’s a 400-mile race so to go out on Lap 1 is just devastating.”

    “It’s really unfortunate.”

    Another pair of unhappy campers was Ryan Hunter-Reay, driver of the No. 1 DHL Chevrolet, and Takuma Sato, behind the wheel of the No. 14 ABC Supply Co/A.J. Foyt Racing Honda, who collided on pit road.

    “I think I misjudged it,” Sato said. “Extremely sorry.”

    “It was my fault.”

    “I couldn’t believe it,” Hunter-Reay said. “I thought a plane crashed in there.”

    “I didn’t expect it would have been Sato,” Hunter-Reay continued. “We had a great car to challenge for the win and then get creamed from behind.”

    “He unplugged his brain entirely,” Hunter-Reay said. “It’s just so frustrating when someone comes from nowhere completely unglued.”

    Hunter-Reay admitted that the hard hit on pit road exacerbated an injury with which he has been struggling.

    “I have to go get my thumb x-rayed now,” Hunter-Reay said. “That made it worse than it was before.”

    “It is what it is and we’ll deal with it.”

    The most upset driver, however, was hometown hero and third generation driver Marco Andretti. The driver of the No. 25 RC Cola Chevrolet for Andretti Autosport finished tenth after leading a race high 88 laps and sitting on the pole.

    This was the fifth race this season in which Andretti led and the fourth oval race he has led. Yet he still remains winless for the 2013 season.

    “I’m so frustrated right now,” Andretti said after the race. “We were so dominant.”

    “I’m just absolutely gutted,” Andretti continued. “I just sat there and watched the lead go away from me and it ripped my guts out.”

    Helio Castroneves, driver of the No. 3 Hitachi Team Penske Chevrolet, finished eighth and extended his points lead to 23 over Ryan Hunter-Reay after the Pocono IndyCar 400 Fueled by Sunoco.

    “For us getting a lot of points in the championship is fantastic,” Castroneves said. “It was a tough race.”

    “It was a lot of thinking and I’m terrible at thinking!” Castroneves continued. “It’s one of those races that nobody knows what to do.”

    “It was crazy and quite exciting,” Castroneves said. “At the end of the day, it was a great day for championship and that’s what we’ve got to think.”