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Tag: Clint Bowyer

Hot 20 – Pocono is another non-restrictor plate race, so which one of just four drivers will win it?

Another race, another win for one of the Big Three. Twenty races down and just seven individual drivers with a tick in the win column. That means, at most, 13 drivers could have a victory by the time they decide who makes the Chase. Something tells me we will not reach anywhere close to that number of winners.

Denny Hamlin and Kyle Larson might win, looking at the upcoming half dozen events. Then again, it is just as likely Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, or Martin Truex Jr. will add at least another to their personal collections. Pocono is next, and that is where Truex won last month. Busch won it last July. Still, 2016 was split between Kurt Busch and Chris Buescher, so there is hope. Hope is a good thing.

So are good dads. Now, this amused me. A new Xfinity team was formed, and in the announcement for Tullman-Walker Racing it mentioned that among the owners we have Steve Tullman, a successful entrepreneur (in the medicine making business). By some miracle, they were able to secure the services of a 20-year old ARCA driver named…Max Tullman.

What was so amusing was their determination to avoid stating the obvious, which is a dad with means has bought an opportunity for his talented and dedicated son to advance his dreams. Nothing wrong with that, but not a word about the relationship between the co-owner and the driver. The group is serious, though, even bringing former Dale Earnhardt crew chief Doug Richert along to continue to guide the young driver when they hit the track at Iowa (July 28), Las Vegas (September 15), and Kansas (October 20). Thus far in 2018, the young Tullman has three Top Tens in eight ARCA starts. We will be watching.

We will also be watching this Sunday to see if any numbers other than No. 4, No. 14, No. 18, or No. 78 will mean a damn thing. Other than for the three restrictor-plate races, every one of the other 17 events has been won by a driver with one of those car numbers. Good news for those pulling for a new face in front. Clint Bowyer has never won at Pocono. Neither has Harvick, but he was finished second in four of the last eight there, including both in 2017. It does not look good for the rest of the field, now does it?

Hold on. A car with either a “4” or an “8” might win? Maybe there is hope for Jimmie Johnson after all, if you go by the numbers.

1. KYLE BUSCH – 5 WINS (844 Pts)
The only thing encumbered about his Loudon experience was Harvick riding behind him.

2. KEVIN HARVICK – 5 WINS – 1 E.W. (791 Pts)
Yes, he has six wins, but one does not count when deciding this duel with Rowdy.

3. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 4 WINS (740 Pts)
Pocono in June. Why not Pocono in July?

4. CLINT BOWYER – 2 WINS (638 Pts)
On non-restrictor race tracks, the Big Three lead Bowyer 15-2. The rest have been shut-out.

5. JOEY LOGANO – 1 WIN (679 Pts)
I wonder if he now knows how fortunate he was to win at Talladega?

6. ERIK JONES – 1 WIN (501 Pts)
On the restrictor plate tracks, Jones, Logano, and Dillon lead the Big Three 3-0.

7. AUSTIN DILLON – 1 WIN (378 Pts)
Daytona is the only reason he is not sitting 19th today.

8. KURT BUSCH – 646 POINTS
No, you go forward, Mr. Blaney. No, no, I insist.

9. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 635 POINTS
In the words of Yosemite Sam, “Whoa camel, whoa, when I say whoa, I mean WHOA.”

10. KYLE LARSON – 606 POINTS
Did the broadcast at Eldora, but does not think Cup cars need to trade pavement for dirt.

11. RYAN BLANEY – 584 POINTS
No, after you, Mr. Busch. Please proceed. By the way, nice paint scheme.

12. DENNY HAMLIN – 583 POINTS
Loudon was his kind of track, but he did not have his kind of day.

13. ARIC ALMIROLA – 575 POINTS
Taking the former Danicamobile to places it has never gone before.

14. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 522 POINTS
If you can’t win, collect points, and that will work at least for a few more weeks.

15. CHASE ELLIOTT – 520 POINTS
No wins, yet during his career 27 percent of the time finds him finishing in the Top Five.

16. ALEX BOWMAN – 453 POINTS
Finishing 11th at New Hampshire helped him widen the gap.

17. RICKY STENHOUSE JR. – 425 POINTS
28 points is a big hill to climb unless Alex puts himself in a ditch.

18. PAUL MENARD – 424 POINTS
If he finishes seventh and Bowman is 37th or worse, then the math works out.

19. RYAN NEWMAN – 379 POINTS
A Top Six was good last week, but he needs a Top One.

20. DANIEL SUAREZ – 359 POINTS
Byron is a point behind, with McMurray just four away.

July 25, 2018
The Final Word – 37 drivers at New Hampshire, but only 11 mattered on Sunday

Watching Loudon on Sunday was a whole lot like watching Shawshank Redemption. I have seen bits and pieces of that movie, maybe, a couple of dozen times or more. The first half of the New Hampshire race had me watching nothing but our favorites of this year over and over and over.

It was a one lane track to start with. If you were on the outside, you moved. If not, you did not. The guys up front stayed up front. Martin Truex Jr. led the opening stage and was third after two. Chase Elliott was second in the first but claimed the second. Kurt Busch, the pole sitter, was fourth after one and second after two. You get the picture.

Everyone in the Top Ten for the first half of the contest was among our potential Chasers. Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, Clint Bowyer, and Joey Logano had reserved spots, it seemed. So did Ryan Blaney, Aric Almirola, and Jimmie Johnson. Ten drivers for 10 positions, all among the Top Fifteen in the standings.

Then the second half of the race began. It started with Kurt chasing down, well, Chase. Brad Keselowski moved up to take Johnson’s place among our decuplers. Well, for a time he did, before his brakes started to fail and he went from 9th to 20th within a couple of laps. The inside groove opened up, but not by much.

Then a new face went to the front, as Almirola took over the lead to give the NBC rat pack of Dale, Jeff, and Steve something additional to chat about. Again, usually watching the action from Loudon allows me to fast-forward through the broadcast. Unfortunately, those boys were once again damned amusing and entertaining, so I could not.

Everybody else seemed destined to be denied entry into the Top Ten. With about 75 laps to go, a window opened. Kurt Busch was heading to the pits but braked when he thought Blaney was about to leave his, leaving both just sitting there for a few seconds. That cost some time and track position. However, the guy who burned his membership card was Bowyer. He got tagged for a pit violation, and simply sunk beneath the waves.

Later, Bowyer hit the fence with Almirola back in front. After the visitation for service, Kyle Busch was the leader, followed by Harvick, Almirola, and Truex. Something had to give in the end, and with seven laps left it proved to be the back end of Busch, with some assistance from Harvick. Someone was Happy as he went on to claim his sixth win of the season, the 44th of his career. Someone was not happy to finish second. Almirola thought he was the best, but he lost the lead in the pits and then lost traction on the re-start to end his hopes.

You already know the names of most of those who would claim a Top Ten. Bowyer wound up 35th out of 37 entries, with Ryan Newman replacing him among our race stars to take sixth. Nothing much changed in the standings, with the Top 16 remaining our Top 16. Three drivers; Harvick, Truex, and Elliott; had 51 point days. Each Busch brother had 45, with Almirola putting 41 into the bank. Among those with single digit outings were Bowyer, Keselowski and Ricky Stenhouse Jr., allowing Alex Bowman to extend his margin for that final Chase berth to 28 points.

Next Sunday marks the return to Pocono. Last month, it was Truex taking the June version. Last year, it was Kyle Busch in July. Harvick has not won there in 35 attempts. In comparison, Chris Buescher was the summertime winner just a couple of years ago. Now, another such performance would do wonders for a guy currently sitting 23rd in the standings.

That is one movie sequel I bet he would just love to produce.

July 23, 2018
Hot 20 – Getting down and dirty, be it at New Hampshire or Eldora

On Wednesday, the pick-up trucks race on dirt at Eldora. Some figure we need some dirt track racing in NASCAR. The fact is that in these times such a race would be a novelty, just as Eldora is, but does it need to be a feature in Cup?

Why not? The fact that NBC has finally returned television coverage that actually keeps one glued to the action, entertained and informed with real insight, allows me to watch Loudon without any complaint or the use of the fast-forward feature on my PVR. Finally, I am content with what I watch on the pavement. Being different, though, is not a bad thing.

Bristol is different. Daytona and Talladega are different. Sonoma and Watkins Glen are different. So will be the road-course feature coming up at Charlotte. Why not a little dirt? Just no gimmicks. We do not need any more gophers. I have had it up to here with “boogity, boogity, boogity.” No more draft tracks. You can even toss out the wild sound laps, where we get to hear the roar of the engines as the announcers take a time-out. It comes nowhere close to being at the live event.

No more gimmicks. Just tracks that are different. Dirt is good. I have high hopes the New Hampshire experience on Sunday will be as well.

1. KYLE BUSCH – 5 WINS (799 Pts)
To be the man, you have to beat the man…more times than he has beaten you.

2. KEVIN HARVICK – 5 WINS (740 Pts)
This fall, the Magic Mile will magically look a lot like Las Vegas. Hey, it’s magic.

3. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 4 WINS (689 Pts)
Has never won at Loudon…yet.

4. CLINT BOWYER – 2 WINS (629 Pts)
Like Harvick, the pit road experience at Kentucky fell short of the standard set on the track.

5. JOEY LOGANO – 1 WIN (648 Pts)
A single win locks one into the Chase this season.

6. ERIK JONES – 1 WIN (480 Pts)
Earned his golden ticket, so when does he get to visit the Chocolate Factory?

7. AUSTIN DILLON – 1 WIN (362 Pts)
After Daytona, he went into Witness Protection and has not been seen since.

8. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 630 POINTS
“We’ve been good, not great this year, and this is a sport of great.”

9. KURT BUSCH – 601 POINTS
Three career wins at Loudon ties him with his brother, Jimmie, Ryan, Denny, and Matt.

10. KYLE LARSON – 581 POINTS
On Tuesday was at the Lernerville Speedway winning a World of Outlaws event.

11. DENNY HAMLIN – 559 POINTS
The defending race champion returns, but will the checkered flag?

12. RYAN BLANEY – 546 POINTS
Might find Loudon too easy after testing this week at Charlotte.

13. ARIC ALMIROLA – 534 POINTS
Did the former driver of this car ever threaten to make the Chase? Ever?

14. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 484 POINTS
Only a true disaster will keep even a winless Johnson out of the Chase.

15. CHASE ELLIOTT – 469 POINTS
William Clyde’s nickname features his season goal. Next year, he wants to be known as Champ.

16. ALEX BOWMAN – 427 POINTS
Spent his Tuesday spinning in Turns 3 and 4 of the Charlotte infield road course. It is sketchy.

17. RICKY STENHOUSE JR. – 418 POINTS
He has a standing offer to Kyle Busch to help him stop running his mouth. Jimmy Spencer, Jr.?

18. PAUL MENARD – 404 POINTS
23 points between him and a playoff spot, but he averages a 23rd place finish at Loudon.

19. RYAN NEWMAN – 348 POINTS
Pick-up racing is cute. Now, European Truck Racing is for the big boys with the big toys.

20. DANIEL SUAREZ – 344 POINTS
Two Loudon starts, two Top Tens. Unfortunately, only a win gets him to where he wants to be.

July 18, 2018
The Final Word – Truex pretty much gave the field a blue moon at Kentucky

Kentucky. The land of Daniel Boone. Horses. Bluegrass (be it those you can grow, pick, or sing along to). Bourbon. Maybe they should consider marketing something called Dr. Truex’s Tonic and Magical Elixir. I mean, whatever he is drinking delivers some pretty positive results.

Martin Truex Jr. won both stages and won at Kentucky. Both last Saturday night and the year before. Sure, there were some who were up to the challenge of at least dueling the pole sitter from time to time. For a while, Kurt Busch used a two-tire strategy and it worked for a short time. Brad Keselowski tried the same later, with the same results. In the final portion of the event, the elder Busch did it again. I mean, he had to try and it got him noticed, but he still finished sixth. Keselowski was third. Truex won his fourth of the season, the 19th of his career.

The Big Three were again dominant. Often, they were the leading three. Five-time season winners Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick finished fourth and fifth, while Ryan Blaney was again strong in a runner-up result. No change among the Chasers, though things have tightened up regarding that final playoff spot. Alex Bowman had a horrid day, and is now just nine points ahead of Ricky Stenhouse Jr., while Paul Menard finished 11th to move to within 23 points.

Another thing we discovered is that wins are not everything. The Big Three have claimed 14 races, Clint Bowyer has a couple, and Austin Dillon, Erik Jones, and Joey Logano all have wins in the bank. That means only seven drivers have won and with only seven races to go, at least two drivers will advance to the Chase based solely on points.

Stewart-Haas has great equipment, great divers in Harvick, Bowyer, and Chase contenders Kurt Busch and Aric Almirola, who put in another Top Ten effort. What they also have are pit crews that cost them. Harvick and Bowyer got bit again by friendly fire when the money stop leaked change all over the place.

A perfect day for Truex, very good days recorded by Kyle Busch, Harvick, and Blaney. Bowman had the worse luck among those who expect better when a right front let go and he pasted the fence to end the day dead last in 39th.

Kyle Larson had an adventurous evening. Too much time with some friends left not enough time to show up for driver introductions, and that got him sent back in the pack to start. He worked his way forward, only to discover a track bar automatically heading down in the late going. That was not the plan. Three inches is a big drop, so five made the car damn hard to handle. 14 rounds of wedge later, and it drove good enough to finish ninth.

I recorded the race and went out for the evening. Kentucky usually means me and the fast-forward button get real chummy. I mean, there is not much to see but round and round and broadcasters telling me what I already can see right before my eyes. Not this time. I had to stay up late. After years of complaining about how awful the broadcasts have been, I finally got what I have been asking for. It was a late night thanks to NBC. If fans discover that they do not want to miss a single word you say, you are doing it right.

From the land of Daniel Boone, bluegrass, and bourbon, we return to Sunday afternoon and the race in Loudon, New Hampshire. You have to love a place with no state income tax. If you love winds up to 230 mph and temperatures as low as -50, you will love Mount Washington. The state was also the home of the moon’s first golfer in Alan Shepard.

Loudon is a place where Truex has never won. Both Busch boys, Jimmie Johnson, and Denny Hamlin have, three times each. So has Ryan Newman. The last came in 2011. He sure could use another one this weekend.

July 16, 2018
Hot 20 – Kentucky, where the thoroughbreds will run unless Stenhouse is moving at ramming speed

Kentucky. Lord, please not Kentucky. It is a track I have no affinity for, but I will be watching on Saturday night. It is all due to NBC. If you watch the broadcast, and still can not stand NASCAR, it is just not for you. If you do watch it and have any love of the sport, you will stick around. The boys and girls make it damn hard to skip forward, no matter how much you try. You just do not want to miss what they will be saying, and that is everything in sports coverage.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. did not miss anything or anyone, it seemed, last week at Daytona. Now, I am no race car driver. When I drove the computer version, it was in indestructible mode. I missed nothing. If I was a lap or two down, it was because I was driving the wrong way looking to clear the track. I made Dale Earnhardt look like a powder puff competitor in comparison. Stenhouse was not that bad, but do not ask Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, Brad Keselowski, or Kurt Busch, to name just a few. They might think, compared to him, I was the powder puff queen.

Let us see how hot his pals get with him when they re-enter the fray in Kentucky.

1. KYLE BUSCH – 5 WINS (749 Pts)
Was running in the Top Two at Daytona, but failed to get by Stenhouse.

2. KEVIN HARVICK – 5 WINS (692 Pts)
Got taken out at Daytona, but it was not the fault of Stenhouse.

3. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 3 WINS (629 Pts)
Managed to stay the hell out of the way of Stenhouse.

4. CLINT BOWYER – 2 WINS (594 Pts)
Hooked by Bubba, and then ran into Harvick. Hey, Stenhouse could not do it all himself.

5. JOEY LOGANO – 1 WIN (618 Pts)
If you can’t beat Joey at Daytona, beat him and beat him again until the car is toast. That works.

6. ERIK JONES – 1 WIN (448 Pts)
Won his first race, won it at Daytona, in a duel with the defending Cup champ. That works, too.

7. AUSTIN DILLON – 1 WIN (347 Pts)
Dillon returned to Daytona. No one noticed this time.

8. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 596 POINTS
Also known as Stenhouse victim #1.

9. KURT BUSCH – 566 POINTS
Also known as Stenhouse victim #2.

10. KYLE LARSON – 544 POINTS
Lost a tire, and almost got Stenhouse out. Almost. Imagine the cheers from the garage if he had.

11. DENNY HAMLIN – 538 POINTS
Last week, he actually took natural disaster training before racing against Stenhouse.

12. ARIC ALMIROLA – 503 POINTS
A late crash left him 27th last week. His bouncing tire finished well ahead of him.

13. RYAN BLANEY – 496 POINTS
Tired of young drivers taking the blame for NASCAR’s diminishing popularity. They shouldn’t.

14. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 461 POINTS
Will be wearing the Blue Bunny Helmet of Hope. It has nothing to do with Stenhouse.

15. CHASE ELLIOTT – 444 POINTS
Maybe he could use Stenhouse to clear the way, just like the Bandit did for the Snowman.

16. ALEX BOWMAN – 426 POINTS
Lost points to Daytona’s 17th place finisher who was #1 on the hits parade, and in points earned.

17. RICKY STENHOUSE JR. – 407 POINTS
As Frank might have sung, “Friends, he’s had a few, but then again, too few to mention.”

18. PAUL MENARD – 371 POINTS
Has joined the “have to win to be in” club.

19. RYAN NEWMAN – 332 POINTS
Will be racing on the dirt at Eldora later this month and the PVR is set and ready to record.

20. DANIEL SUAREZ – 318 POINTS
The only Mexican in favor of building a wall, just as long as Stenhouse is on the other side.

21. WILLIAM BYRON – 318 POINTS
When Kyle Busch failed to get by Stenhouse, that meant it was time for Byron to go, too.

July 11, 2018
The Final Word – Daytona and NBC delivered the goods, and the bads, on Saturday night

Daytona delivered. The action and the broadcast were both superb. If you missed it, you really missed something.

Unlike Ricky Stenhouse Jr. He missed nothing. On the good, he claimed the opening two stages. He also managed to punt a third-place car, driven by Kurt Busch, into oblivion when he sent Brad Keselowski up toward him, taking out a pretty fair chunk of the field. He was not done. Later, he got the two lead cars when he hooked Kyle Busch, who proceeded to remove William Byron from the point position. When you’ve taken out the top three cars in any race, including both Busch brothers, you have accomplished something.

Later, when Kyle Larson cut a tire, he hit Stenhouse. Did that finally remove the favorite driver from among his peers? Nope. He managed to finish 17th and collect a total of 40 points for his efforts. Only the race winner matched him in that category. However, Ricky probably lost a hell of a lot of potential Christmas card senders. He should not expect any from a certain family hailing from Las Vegas.

The herd had been severely culled as they neared the end, but when Kasey Kahne looked out his back window with a dozen laps left to run, there were Kevin Harvick and Martin Truex Jr. trying to chase him down. However, that did not last long, as Bubba Wallace hooked Clint Bowyer, who in turn took out Harvick.

Of course, they could not finish this thing in a single overtime. By the time the second hit the green, it was Truex and Erik Jones coming to the line, with Kahne and Chris Buescher right behind them. Jones got the push, fought off the defending champion, and put himself in the list of Cup drivers with a career victory. A first win, and at Daytona no less.

With so many sent to the garage, the rest of the Top Ten were not names we usually associate for such a position. For example…

3. A.J. Allmendinger
4. Kasey Kahne
5. Chris Buescher
6. Ty Dillon
7. Matt DiBenedetto
8. Ryan Newman

Austin Dillon and Alex Bowman were next. Those two names almost sound like Petty and Earnhardt compared to those just ahead of them. Then there was the quartet that finished in the next five positions…

11. Jeffrey Earnhardt
12. Brendan Gaughan
13. D.J. Kennington
14. Bubba Wallace
15. David Ragan

At least one was an Earnhardt and one drove for Petty. For some brighter lights on the marquee, Daytona was a dark, dark Saturday night. Some managed to earn 10 points or less…

10 – Aric Almirola
9 – Paul Menard
9 – Chase Elliott
7 – Jamie McMurray
6 – Kurt Busch
4 – Brad Keselowski
2 – Daniel Suarez
1 – Ryan Blaney
1 – Denny Hamlin
1 – Joey Logano

If you want to know what a pinata feels like, ask Logano. In the first big wreck of the night, that boy had his car hit on every corner and places in between. He described it as the crash that went on and on.

So, with all the mishaps spoiling the betting line, did it shake up our Chase contenders any? Nope. The sixteen in remain the 16 in. Jones is much more secure in his place, while Bowman still holds on to the last rung, 19 points ahead of Stenhouse. I guess you could say Stenhouse hit the wrong guys.

As for NBC, the second broadcast of the season was just as awesome as the Chicago effort. Next week is another Saturday night in Kentucky. If they can pull off another excellent, interesting, entertaining presentation from that venue, then there would be no doubt that they truly are for real.

Daytona delivered. So did NBC. In the words of Warden Norton from Shawshank, “Lord! It’s a miracle!” Let us keep those miracles coming.

July 10, 2018
NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Daytona

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Kyle Busch: Busch finished 33rd in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 after crashing out in an early wreck caused by Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

“The No. 18 Interstate Battery Toyota was capable of winning,” Busch said. “That is, until Stenhouse took me out. Revenge is forthcoming. But not from me. I don’t have time to mess with him, so I’m gonna have my hauler driver take his out on the way from Daytona to Kentucky. That’s ‘interstate battery.’”

2. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex finished second at Daytona, losing the win after Erik Jones passed him on the last lap.

“Erik got a kiss from his girlfriend in Victory Lane for winning the Coke Zero Sugar 400,” Truex said. “I, on the other hand, didn’t get a kiss from anyone. In other words, I got ‘zero sugar.’”

3. Kevin Harvick: Harvick’s day ended with two laps remaining in regulation when he was collected in a crash involving several cars.

“One second you’re racing for the win,” Harvick said. “The next, you’re climbing out of your wrecked car. Next, you’re walking down the track toward the ambulance with Clint Bowyer discussing the scratches and scrapes you just suffered. As it is in nearly all instances, Clint’s remedy is to ‘put a little alcohol on it.’”

4. Clint Bowyer: Bowyer was contending up front with two laps remaining in regulation when he was turned by Bubba Wallace and sent into the wall. Bowyer finished 22nd.

“Even when he’s not in the car,” Bowyer said, “Dale Earnhardt Jr. is a factor. He was the only ‘Junior’ who didn’t cause an accident at Daytona.”

5. Joey Logano: Logano finished 39th in the Coke Zero Sugar 400.

“A couple of early wrecks wiped out many of the biggest names in NASCAR,” Logano said. “Most of those accidents were the result of the actions of Ricky Stenhouse Jr. I can totally see why Danica Patrick dumped Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Although he was the ‘Big One,’ he was not ‘the One.’”

6. Kyle Larson: Larson finished 29 at Daytona after spinning on Lap 123 and collecting Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

“I won Friday’s Xfinity Series race,” Larson said. “That was thanks to NASCAR saying Justin Haley’s pass for the lead was illegal because two of his tires were below the yellow line. Is that line really yellow, because I could have sworn I saw a ‘silver lining?’

7. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski fell victim to one of several wrecks at Daytona and finished 36th.

“I wrecked because William Byron blocked me,” Keselowski said. “I lifted and got hit from behind. I guess the lesson is this: ‘Don’t check up, otherwise you’ll be headed for the infield care center for a ‘check-up.’ Another lesson: keep your foot on the pedal. That way it’s less likely to want to end up in someone’s behind.”

8. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin finished a disappointing 38th at Daytona

“What a great drive by Erik Jones,” Hamlin said. “He picked up his first Monster Energy Cup win by outdueling the defending champion. Wow! Who would have thought Erik would get his first win at Daytona? And who would have thought his first win would come before his first tan?”

9. Kurt Busch: Busch finished 37th at Daytona after crashing out in a Lap 53 accident that also wiped out Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski, and Ryan Blaney.

“That’s a veritable who’s who of drivers who have never won a Cup championship,” Busch said.

“I’m going to go out on a limb and say Ricky Stenhouse Jr. played a part in that accident. Stenhouse won the first two stages. Obviously, his car was awesome. Then he just started causing accidents. In both cases, you could say he was a one-man wrecking crew.”

10. Erik Jones: Jones made a last-lap pass of Martin Truex Jr. and held on to win the Coke Zero Sugar 400, earning his first Monster Energy Cup win.

“I’m proud to drive the No. 20 car that Tony Stewart made famous,” Jones said. “I’ve always admired Tony. He’s a giant in this sport, literally and figuratively. In fact, I was thinking about Tony when I crossed the finish line, knowing I had clinched a spot in the Chase and proved my value to Joe Gibbs. It was a case of ‘girth,’ ‘berth,’ and ‘worth.’”

July 9, 2018
Hot 20 – It is a summer time Saturday night in Daytona

Daytona. Usually, I look forward to any race from that track. After Chicago’s race coverage on NBC, I am really looking forward to it. That was the best NASCAR television broadcast in years.

I like to be informed and entertained, with an odd opportunity to laugh mixed in. Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Steve Letarte showed their personal chemistry extends beyond the track and into the broadcast booth. They talked, they joked, they provided insight, and they were fun to listen to.

Jeff Burton did what we expected the Mayor to do. He was obviously excited to share with us what he saw and what it meant, and that just ratcheted up our own excitement and understanding of what we were witnessing. Rick Allen kept it all nicely wrapped together with his call of the action.

Add to that the descriptions from pit road, the camera work, and the direction that masterly mixed the audio and the video into a seamless professional package, and NASCAR fans finally got what they deserved. Great television, and from a track few expected to find it.

It has been a very long time since I’ve been able to answer Sheryl Crow’s question from all those years ago in a positive fashion. I can now.

Not a boogity, boogity, boogity to be found.

1. KYLE BUSCH – 5 WINS (736 Pts)
Some did not like the way he won at Chicago, but he is just fine with it…and he got the trophy.

2. KEVIN HARVICK – 5 WINS (674 Pts)
I am guessing he is not Happy to be referred to as the second-best driver in NASCAR.

3. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 3 WINS (594 Pts)
Plate racing is not Martin’s thing. Never has been. Might that change on Saturday night?

4. CLINT BOWYER – 2 WINS (579 Pts)
Some think Larson could be part of the Big Three. He needs to get by Bowyer and Logano first.

5. JOEY LOGANO – 1 WIN (617 Pts)
Driving the right make and for the right owner to make waves near Daytona Beach.

6. AUSTIN DILLON – 1 WIN (314 Pts)
Well, they are returning to Daytona. Some think ole Austin never left.

7. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 592 POINTS
Driving a Penske Ford has meant good results the past few years on the big tracks.

8. KURT BUSCH – 560 POINTS
Hates teammates who refuse to just hand over Stage Points. Tough.

9. DENNY HAMLIN – 537 POINTS
Tops list of active drivers with 407 Daytona laps led in 25 starts.

10. KYLE LARSON – 524 POINTS
Larson is a true racer, not a snowflake. Learn from him. Don’t be a snowflake.

11. RYAN BLANEY – 495 POINTS
Along with Larson, the best of the newest generation.

12. ARIC ALMIROLA – 493 POINTS
Damn loose wheels.

13. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 442 POINTS
75 points to the good makes things all good for the seven-time champion.

14. CHASE ELLIOTT – 435 POINTS
His dad took 116 races to win his first one. Chase is heading into #95.

15. ERIK JONES – 408 POINTS
The 22-year-old is good, good enough for this season, but not as good as he will be.

16. ALEX BOWMAN – 390 POINTS
Good enough as long as someone else behind him in points does not get a win.

17. RICKY STENHOUSE JR. – 367 POINTS
23 points can be made up, but his last top five was at Talladega.

18. PAUL MENARD – 362 POINTS
Four Top Tens, but five times outside the Top 25. Which Menard will show up at Daytona?

19. DANIEL SUAREZ – 316 POINTS
When it comes to the Chase, no win and he won’t be in. Just ask Dillon as to how that works.

20. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 309 POINTS
Jamie is back in as William Byron drops out.

July 4, 2018
NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Chicagoland

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Kyle Busch: Busch outdueled Kyle Larson for the win at Chicagoland, posting his fifth win this season and 48th of his career.

“That was a wild final lap,” Busch said. “And the fans had the audacity to boo me, so I ‘shhhh’ed’ them. ‘Boo’ plus ‘shhh’ equals ‘Busch’ basically.”

2. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex took fourth in the Overton’s 400 at Chicagoland, recording his 11th top-five of the season.

“Contrary to last week at Sonoma,” Truex said, “the race at Chicagoland is decided on the track, and not in the pits. Kyle Busch won by spinning Kyle Larson; I won at Sonoma by tricking Kevin Harvick. I think it’s clear that NASCAR fans prefer the ‘take out’ to the ‘fake out.’”

3. Kevin Harvick: Harvick led 39 laps and finished third at Chicagoland.

“I could have snuck in for the win if Kyle Busch and Kyle Larson had wrecked each other,” Harvick said. “Had they done so, I would have been there to pick up the pieces, and inevitably, NASCAR would have called a debris caution.”

4. Joey Logano: Logano finished eighth at Chicagoland for his 13th top-10 result of the season.

“Some people are calling Sunday’s race the best one of the year,” Logano said. “And some are calling the final lap the ‘Lap Of The Century.’ That means Kyle Busch was part of the ‘Lap Of The Century’ with Kyle Larson, and Kurt Busch was a part of the ‘Slap Of The Century’ with Jimmy Spencer.”

5. Clint Bowyer: Bowyer finished fifth at Chicagoland, scoring his sixth top-five finish of the year.

“We had some pit road penalties that really cost us,” Bowyer said. “I got caught speeding on pit road, then got caught speeding while serving the penalty, and next, I ran right through a stop-and-go penalty. And finally, I drove our chances of winning straight into the ground.”

6. Kyle Larson: Larson charged to the front late and battled Kyle Busch in a memorable last lap at Chicagoland. After much contact, Busch gave Larson a final bump, spinning Larson and propelling Busch to the win.

“The No. 18 car got the best of me today,” Larson said. “Busch put the nose of the Skittles car on my back bumper and said ‘Taste the rainbow.’ In the business, I think that’s called getting ‘candy-assed.’”

7. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski finished ninth in the Overton’s 400.

“That was a heck of a battle between Kyle Busch and Kyle Larson for the win,” Keselowski said. “First Larson put Busch into the wall, then Busch returned the favor. When one Kyle does that to another Kyle, it’s called an ‘I for an I.’”

8. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin finished seventh at Chicagoland and is now eighth in the Monster Energy Cup points standings.

“That was Kyle’s 48th career Cup win,” Hamlin said. “That puts him one behind Tony Stewart. Kyle really wants to get ahead of Tony. Mostly so he can say, ‘Look! Tony Stewart’s behind!’”

9. Ryan Blaney: Blaney came home 18th at Chicagoland and is now 10th in the points standings, 241 out of first.

“What a treat for fans of NASCAR,” Blaney said. “Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the booth, and a thrilling finish on the track. Now, the term ‘slide job’ is a new part of NASCAR vernacular. Note to the people of Junior Nation: ‘vernacular’ is not an STD, and for a ‘slide job’ to take place, no money needs to change hands.”

10. Kurt Busch: Busch finished 17th at Chicagoland as younger brother Kyle took the win in dramatic fashion.

“I expressed frustration with Kevin Harvick racing me so hard on the final lap of Stage 2,” Busch said. “When I confronted Harvick about it, he referenced my brother Kyle’s mocking of booing fans with a ‘crying’ gesture and replied, ‘What he said.’ So, in the end, I guess Harvick ‘had a point,’ for winning the stage.”

July 2, 2018
The Final Word – NBC and race fans were the big winners in Chicago

I was wrong. That is something you do not hear me say very often. How about this, then? The broadcast from Chicago was the best I have seen in years. That is something I do not ever remember saying, writing, or thinking. I did not think Chicago would be much worth watching. Boy, was I wrong.

Racing is exciting. The NBC crew of Rick Allen, Jeff Burton, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Steve Letarte sounded like they were excited by what they were watching. Pit reporters Marty Snider, Dave Burns, Kelli Stavast and Parker Kligerman sounded like they were involved in one hell of an event, one they believed we should want to follow closely. Because of them, I did. Even the camera shots, be it the focus on those in the pits, the in-car footage and how it was used, and even the lap by lap coverage of the action seemed to be a step above. Hard as I may, I could not skip ahead. I had to watch and listen. NBC did its job. It is about time someone in the sport finally did. Amen. Amen.

Clint Bowyer looked heaven sent. Then things went to hell. After charging to the lead, his green flag stop resulted in a penalty for exiting the pits too quickly. When he came in to do his drive-through penance, be damned if the lad did not speed through that, too. Now, he needed to do a stop and go penalty, but he did not stop. Guess what? Yes, back he had to come in yet again. That is one way to turn one’s day into nothing but a pile of frozen horse pucks. In no time, he had gone from first to 35th and three laps down. Well, the car looked nice. So will the one he drives next week.

It might be cooler in Florida. It was close to 90 degrees Fahrenheit in Chicago on Sunday. It was over 155 degrees in the cars, as we discovered through yet another in-car shot. I am sure Bowyer was hot enough due to how his day was going. Chances are, he was more like a dog on the grill, and we were still in the opening stage.

No one got stage points due to someone else’s pit strategy. They earned them, with Aric Almirola taking the maximum 10. Among those in our top 10 in the standings, Kyle Busch, Bowyer, Austin Dillon, and Denny Hamlin came up empty, replaced by Almirola, Ryan Blaney, Chase Elliott, and Erik Jones. Only 16 were on the lead lap come break time.

Almirola remained the story, and with 10 left in the stanza, he recorded his best lap only to pull into the pits. He was sure he had a loose wheel. The team was not sure he did. It was. A smart call by the driver, though he dropped just off the lead lap to 26th. That left it to his teammates, Kurt Busch and Kevin Harvick to decide the stage. It literally came down to the final yards heading to the line, with Harvick taking it by .28 of a second. Pretty exciting stuff, and we still had over a hundred laps to go.

Once again, no one not already in a Chase place picked up any bonus points. Almirola and Jones dropped out this time around, with Hamlin and Bowyer joining the party. A combination of driving like a bat out of hell, strategy, and good fortune delivered through a debris caution that allowed Clint to get back on the lead lap, and he took advantage of it to sit eighth at this point. Blaney took only two fresh tires under the same caution, and that move gained him five spots, to fifth, as they set their sights on the checkered flag run.

They also had their sights set on the radar. Wet weather was coming in front the west. Hamlin went for a skid, that brought out a caution. That allowed Kyle Busch to finally put his previously ailing beast in the lead coming out of the pits. As he had been with Bowyer, Almirola, and Rowdy’s brother, Harvick was again the hunter.

Then he became the hunted. Kyle Larson was strong all day, finishing among the top three in the opening two stages. He was stout late and got around Harvick for second. Once again, it was the two Kyles. NBC brought it home with commentary that matched the excitement on the screen as they described the duel to the finish. There was contact as Larson went to the front. Behind him, Busch put on the blade and started up the bulldozer. That contact sent Larson for a skid, yet he finished second. Busch, with his right front flat and about to depart the auto, went to the line for his 48th career victory, his fifth of the season.

There were boos from the stands. They better have been disappointed Larson fans, as Busch did what the greats have done for decades. Larson, by his own admission, began the car-to-car contact. All Busch did was finish it.

One Kyle may have won the race, but the other topped the day’s points with 52. Harvick’s 50 came next, followed by the 48 claimed by Martin Truex Jr., who always was among the top five it seemed, as those two finished third and fourth respectively. As for Bowyer, he showed that with a fast car and a p***** off attitude, a man can do amazing things, like finishing fifth.

I thought Chicago was going to be a dud. I was wrong. The best race of the season, bar none. The chemistry of this broadcast team; the excitement, the information they provided, and the humor is the best we have been blessed with for many, many years. If this is what NBC can deliver from Chicago, just imagine how freaking awesome Daytona is going to be next week.

Thanks to NBC, NASCAR is back. It is about time.

July 2, 2018