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Tag: Clint Bowyer

  • Surprising and Not Surprising: Ford EcoBoost 400

    Surprising and Not Surprising: Ford EcoBoost 400

    With rain interfering one last time and delaying the race start for over an hour, here is what else was surprising and not surprising from the season finale, the 17th annual Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

    Surprising:  The last race of the year at Homestead was surprisingly filled with a series of firsts and lasts. Kyle Busch, of course, scored a host of firsts with his trip to Victory Lane, winning his own first championship as well as winning the first championship in the Cup Series for his manufacturer Toyota.

    There were, however, an even greater number of lasts in the race, including the last race for Jeff Gordon, the final run for Sam Hornish Jr. under the auspices of Richard Petty Motorsports, the final race for Michael Waltrip Racing as a company, the finale for Go Daddy as sponsor or Danica Patrick’s car, and the final race for Justin Allgaier with HScott Motorsports.

    And while Jeff Gordon basked in the accolades of his last trip around the track behind the wheel, others such as Clint Bowyer bemoaned his last run after crashing and finishing dead last.

    “I don’t know what the hell happened to our car,” Bowyer said. “My car got loose. I couldn’t catch it. I hate to have it end this way.”

    “Unfortunately, it’s over.”

    Not Surprising:  It may have been his first Sprint Cup championship, but Kyle Busch was already a champion coming into his final race, having secured the Truck championship as owner, with Erik Jones behind the wheel.

    “I don’t know how you top this, but I’d sure like to see,” Busch said. “I wouldn’t do it without everyone that surrounds me, my wife, my family, my friends, my employees at KBM, Joe (Gibbs), J.D. (Gibbs), the team at JGR, Adam (Stevens, crew chief).”

    “You surround yourself with good people in business and in sports and it sometimes will more than likely pay it back.”

    “You know, this is pretty special.”

    Surprising:  There were no baby steps involved this season for Martin Truex Jr., who finished 12th in the race but fourth in the championship standings, his highest finish to date.

    “Super proud of our season and really proud to come this far to come from 24th in points last year to fourth this year is a pretty big step,” Truex said. “I don’t think most people realize just how big of a deal it is and how hard it was for us to get that far.”

    “You never know what the future holds, but excited already about next year, and I think we’ll be back here in mid-December testing already for next year.  Not a whole lot of rest, and looking forward to spending a week or so down here relaxing and having a few beers, catching a few fish, and really just let it all soak in what we’ve been able to accomplish, and really proud of everybody on our team.”

    Not Surprising:  While he did not win the race, Kevin Harvick scored his own record of sorts, finishing in the second place for the 13th time for the season. Harvick became the 10th Cup driver to score double-digit runner-up finishes in a single season and his was the first since Bobby Allison in 1972.

    “The 18 car, he just had the speed all night, for the most part,” Harvick said. “You know, as the night went, I just couldn’t find anywhere that would make the car run better.  The higher I would run, the looser it would get. I’d get on the seams and then it would push the front and slide the back. Just never could find anything.”

    “I know we’re disappointed about finishing second tonight, but it’s kind of the theme of the year, finishing second. Unfortunately it’s just one short, but all in all, it’s been a great couple years, and couldn’t be prouder of our bunch of guys.”

    Surprising: While one Kyle was in Victory Lane, another Kyle, Larson that is, was bemoaning a bit the chance that he had to get his first Cup victory. The driver of the No. 42 Target Chevrolet was stung by the final caution after riding the wall to a fifth place finish.

    “I think I was 1 water bottle away from my first cup win,” Larson tweeted after the race. “Congratulations to Kyle Busch, such an amazing comeback story you had this year!”

    Not Surprising:  Team Penske finished the season strong, with a third and fourth place finish for Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano respectively.

    “I was really proud of my team tonight, really happy with what they were able to give me and we were able to take a run at it, we just didn’t quite have enough at the end on that final restart to hold those guys off.” Keselowski said after the race. “We were really strong and we just didn’t have enough to close it at the end.”

    “Unfortunately, we didn’t win and that’s what we wanted to do,” teammate Logano said. “We had a fast Shell/Pennzoil Ford that led a lot of laps, so I’m proud of the laps we led. We had a few good runs and made an adjustment that just took it out of the track and by the time we got it back we lost too much track position. We had a bad pit stop under green and lost more there, so it was too little, too late. We couldn’t redeem ourselves after a couple mistakes tonight.”

    Surprising:  While Brett Moffitt reveled in winning the 2015 Sunoco Rookie of the Year title, he also revealed that his 2016 future driving plans are a bit up in the air at present.

    “Throughout the season, Front Row has given me a great home, and it’s a great place to be, and thankful for this opportunity and being able to bring home the Rookie of the Year title,” Moffitt said. “Right now my slate is empty.”

    “I mean, we’re working hard, but it’s hard to secure the funding to be able to run in any of the top three series.  If anything would come forward, I’d be more than willing to work with any series, whether it was truck, XFINITY or another Cup ride.”

    Not Surprising:  One young up and coming driver no doubt summed it all up as he raced with one of his idols for the last time.

    “I was a big fan of Jeff Gordon growing up,” Ryan Blaney, driver of the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford, said. “You’re obviously honored to be in his last race with him. I got to race around him a little bit at the beginning of the race. I was having trouble passing him. I was trying to be as nice as I could and let him race his own deal.”

    “But that was fun racing hard with him there.”

    Surprisingly, that concludes the 2015 race season, which seems to have gone by in the blink of an eye. Enjoy the off-season, Happy Thanksgiving, Happy Holidays and here’s to a great 2016!

     

  • Hot 20 – Homestead is a place Happy Harvick should love, but so should Gordon and Truex

    Hot 20 – Homestead is a place Happy Harvick should love, but so should Gordon and Truex

    Homestead. That is where dreams are made or, more likely, where they die. That is if they have not already been snuffed for another year before even reaching the season finale. One thing about that track in Miami is that some of the best just do not seem to do their best there.

    For example, try as you may, you will not find some familiar names listed among the Hot 20 at Homestead. If your average finish is 20th or worse, you will fail to make the cut. Among them are Joey Logano, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and Paul Menard. That trio of eliminated Chasers has, between them, raced at Homestead thirty times. None has won there and combined they boast just a couple of Top Fives and four Top Tens. Even if they had remained in contention, one would have to be hard pressed to consider any of them a favorite to win this Sunday.

    Yet, as bad as they are, there is one notable driver who is worse. Kyle Busch has failed to even make the Top Twenty in half of his 10 starts. He has won none at Homestead, with an average finish of 23rd place. His best result was fourth in 2012. Last year, he was 39th. If Kyle emerges with the championship after this weekend, he would have delivered the race of his life.

    As for the other three contenders, all have a shot, with defending champion Kevin Harvick leading the way. Last year, he did just that to take the race and the crown. Jeff Gordon won there in 2012 while Martin Truex, Jr. has seven Top Tens in 10 attempts to be right in the mix. All have an average finish of no worse than 11th.

    One may well come away with the race win on Sunday though I believe we can expect some heat from others among Homestead’s Hot 20…

    1. Kevin Harvick – 14 races – 1 Win – 12 Top Tens – 7.6 Average Finish
    A repeat as winner guarantees a repeat as Cup champion.

    2. Carl Edwards – 11 races – 2 Wins – 7 Top Tens – 9.1 AveFin.
    His track record at Homestead makes him a fav to win a title some day. It just won’t be Sunday.

    3. Martin Truex Jr. – 10 races – 7 Top Tens – 10.0 AveFin.
    It is time for a Rocky Mountain high to visit Florida.

    4. Jeff Gordon – 16 races – 1 Win – 12 Top Tens – 10.6 AveFin
    This would be a good time to become known as Five-Time.

    5. Denny Hamlin – 10 races – 2 Wins – 6 Top Tens – 10.8 AveFin
    If what Hamlin is selling is his “starter” home, what in hell does he live in now?

    6. Clint Bowyer – 9 races – 6 Top Tens – 10.9 AveFin
    Still a chance he could leave Michael Waltrip Racing with a final win before the sun sets.

    7. Tony Stewart – 15 races – 3 Wins – 7 Top Tens – 14.0 AveFin
    Oh, how the mighty have fallen…and so quickly.

    8. Kyle Larson – 2 races – 14.0 AveFin
    15th one year, 14th last year. You could say he is improving here each time out. Well, you can.

    9. Jimmie Johnson – 14 races – 9 Top Tens – 14.4 AveFin
    A six-time champion under the previous formats, but not so sure about a seventh under this one.

    10. Kasey Kahne – 11 races – 4 Top Tens – 14.9 AveFin
    Number 5 will be as mellow yellow as the number 24 on Sunday.

    11. Brad Keselowski – 7 races – 2 Top Tens – 15.0 AveFin
    Over the past two events at Homestead, his average finish has been 4.5.

    12. Justin Allgaier – 1 race – 15.0 AveFin
    A Top Fifteen finish would match…well…what he did last year.

    13. Matt Kenseth – 15 races – 1 Win – 7 Top Tens – 15.8 AveFin
    He is back. Will he and Joey meet at high noon, or will peace and harmony reign supreme?

    14. Ryan Newman – 13 races – 5 Top Tens – 15.8 AveFin
    Can drive a dozer from 150 miles away. Let him try that in a race car.

    15. Aric Almirola – 5 races – 2 Top Tens – 16.2 AveFin
    I am thinking that Richard Petty likes him best. At least he gets to return next season.

    16. Jamie McMurray – 13 races – 4 Top Tens – 16.6 AveFin
    Once had problems with Kenseth, but now are best buds. Is there hope for Matt and Joey? Right.

    17. Greg Biffle – 13 races – 3 wins – 5 Top Tens – 17.2 AveFin
    Best damn Roush driver this season, but when your teammates are Stenhouse and Bayne…

    18. Danica Patrick – 2 races – 19.0 AveFin
    It is sad when one thinks of this as one of her better tracks.

    19. Kurt Busch – 14 races – 1 Win – 5 Top Tens – 19.2 AveFin
    Hasn’t won in Miami since 2002, but it was the crashes in 2006 and 2008 that left him dead last.

    20. A.J. Allmendinger – 6 races – 2 Top Tens – 19.5 AveFin
    Great start to his career but 36th and 40th in his last two have marred his average just a tad.

    25. Kyle Busch – 10 races – 3 Top Tens – 23.1 AveFin
    His efforts to date get him included on this list. His past efforts at Homestead do not.

  • The Final Word – Gordon wins but it is Kenseth with the knockout at Martinsville

    The Final Word – Gordon wins but it is Kenseth with the knockout at Martinsville

    There are things that matter. A retiring champion seeking to go out in a blaze of glory. A 25-year old looking to complete his career redemption as well as claim a fourth straight checkered flag. An elder statesman who believes that young man deserves something a bit different.

    Some things just do not matter. For example, in the XFINITY series, where Cup drivers have a second home, none of them matter except for a race winner and those actually running for a title. Same goes in Cup, as just eight drivers are eligible to try and chase down a championship. The winner always matters, no matter where they sit in the standings. As for the remainder, if you are not among the eight and did nothing to cause us to gasp, you do not matter.

    It did matter when Chaser Kyle Busch went for a spin at Martinsville after claiming to have found water on the track just before the midpoint. He tagged Austin Dillon and fell into the middle of the field. Same for Carl Edwards, who got into the back of A.J. Allmendinger in the same incident as the accordion effect took over. Both had points to gain, and definitely something to lose. It mattered, and it also gave us a break from the monotony that was Martinsville for much of the day. Much of it, but surely not all of it, as we were to discover.

    With 65 laps to go, a lot started to matter. Matt Kenseth got tangled up with Brad Keselowski and then got popped over to really pop Kurt Busch. It mattered that both Chasers had to go to the garage for repairs, and it mattered for Edwards, as the caution brought him back onto the lead lap. It mattered that Kenseth thought his last name was Hatfield, and Penske drivers were the McCoys.

    Revenge is best-served cold as Kenseth gave us our best gasp moment. Keselowski’s teammate, Joey Logano, the guy who had dominated the race, passed the battered Kenseth, who was nine laps down. Kenseth said on the radio he thought his right front must have gone down, but it appeared for all the world that he purposely hooked the leader and bulldozed him straight into the wall. Anything with a Penske stamp on it appeared to be a target, and one had to wonder if even the Captain himself was safe.

    Brian France thought Logano made a smart decision when he bumped Kenseth out of the way in Kansas. I wonder how smart he thought this hit was? Anyway, Matt got parked, as if his car or Logano’s was going anywhere fast after that. As to what the crowd thought of it, you would have thought Kenseth was an adopted Earnhardt with the ovation he received.

    It was almost anti-climatic that Jeff Gordon finally won in his swan song season. Almost. He was near the front most of the day, and was the best after Logano’s departure, leading the final 22 laps to claim his 93rd career victory. The crowd at Martinsville roared their approval as the four-time champ claimed a final four berth for the Homestead showdown on November 22. Gordon shall retire with wins in all but three of his 23 full-time campaigns; in 1993, 2008, and 2010. He wants just one more win in one specific race before heading off to become one of the sport’s most articulate ambassadors

    Amongst those who mattered, Rowdy overcame his earlier issue to claim fifth on Sunday, a position ahead of Martin Truex Jr., with Kevin Harvick in eighth. Edwards turned his return to the lead lap to a 14th place finish, but not that terribly far out of the running. As for Keselowski, Kurt, and Logano, they have some work to do.

    As for Kenseth, they do promote the Chase as having a knockout format. Well, at Martinsville, Kenseth knocked Logano out. After Kansas, did anyone expect anything less? It is now up to Logano, along with Keselowski and Kurt, to pull themselves off of the canvas to answer the bell at Texas and Phoenix beyond that.

    This column will not appear next week, but returns after Phoenix when we will know who will be joining Gordon in the battle for the championship. Who knows, maybe my return will come sooner than Matt’s.

    The Chase

    1. JEFF GORDON – Win
    2. KYLE BUSCH + 9
    3. MARTIN TRUEX, JR. +9
    4. KEVIN HARVICK +7
    5. CARL EDWARDS -7
    6. BRAD KESELOWSKI -24
    7. KURT BUSCH -26
    8. JOEY LOGANO -28

  • Hot 20 – Gordon is a favorite to win at Martinsville, Truex and Kurt not so much

    Hot 20 – Gordon is a favorite to win at Martinsville, Truex and Kurt not so much

    The truth, sometimes it is a tough thing to nail down. Sometimes not. Truth is, Jeff Gordon should do well at Martinsville. In the past five events there, the retiring four-time NASCAR champ has a win and four Top Tens. Over the past dozen years, a span of 25 races, Gordon has failed to claim a Top Ten only three times. He finished 20th in the fall of 2010, 14th in the spring of 2012, and finished 12th in the fall of 2014. That leaves 22 Top Tens, 18 Top Fives, and five victories. You just cannot do better than that. The stats do not lie, and after taking ninth this spring, Gordon still has it. That is the truth.

    Sometimes, the truth is a little tougher to ascertain. A couple of years ago, a mysterious spin combined with a baffling call to the pits that briefly allowed a teammate to make the Chase caused controversy. Did Clint Bowyer intentionally spin his car? Bowyer denied it and Sprint Cup Series director John Darby is quoted as saying after the race that “I don’t think anybody realistically believes that was the case with the 15 car.” That tune changed quickly, as the truth appeared to be much more conspiratorial than NASCAR first thought. It cost Martin Truex Jr. a Chase position and his job, and he did nothing wrong. It cost Bowyer some credibility, it cost the team a major sponsor, $300,000 in fines and it possibly caused the eventual demise of Michael Waltrip Racing.

    Last weekend, did Kevin Harvick, with a car that was barely running, that was barely in the Chase, deliberately spin out Trevor Bayne to save his season at the cost of Denny Hamlin and Dale Earnhardt Jr.? No, says NASCAR. So, we have to accept that Harvick was telling the truth. I mean, not everyone lies to us in order to get out of a sticky situation.

    “I got out of the way, and I never even saw (Bayne) until he was by me.”
    Kevin Harvick 2015

    “I did not use performance enhancing substances as alleged in the notice of discipline…”
    Alex Rodriguez 2014

    “I had so much wheel, by the time I got to the gas, he was underneath me. I spun out.”
    Clint Bowyer 2013

    “I take these charges very seriously, and look forward to clearing my good name,”
    Michael Vick 2007

    “I’m not going to be the Alabama coach.”
    Nick Saban 2006

    “I have never had a single positive doping test, and I do not take performance-enhancing drugs.”
    Lance Armstrong 2004 (among others)

    “I did not have sexual relations with that woman”
    Bill Clinton 1998

    Sure, some may have misled us in the past, but would Kevin Harvick? Nah.

    Here are our Hot 20 over the past five events at Martinsville.

    1. JEFF GORDON – 5.4 AvFin – (1 WIN, 3 T5, 4 T10)
    Has averaged a Top Seven finish going back 45 races and 23 seasons. Expect good things.

    2. MATT KENSETH – 6.4 – (0-2-4)
    No pot of gold at the end of this rainbow, but should he come across Logano along the way…

    3. CLINT BOWYER – 6.8 – (0-2-4)
    Author of “The Secrets of My Success.” Harvick has a copy.

    4. DENNY HAMLIN – 8.8 – (1-1-3)
    You can take that damn roof hatch and…

    5. JOEY LOGANO – 9.8 – (0-3-3)
    Mr. Three-in-a-Row has never won at Martinsville, but his last three have been Top Fives.

    6. KYLE BUSCH – 11.2 – (0-1-1)
    Does not believe Gordon can win it all. Next we will hear how he does not like kittens.

    7. KEVIN HARVICK – 13.4 – (0-0-3)
    If Karma is on duty this weekend…

    8. GREG BIFFLE – 13.6 – (0-0-2)
    MWR refugee Brian Pattie to be his crew chief next season.

    9. DALE EARNHARDT JR. – 14.4 – (1-2-3)
    Best 21 finishes at Martinsville boasts a 6.3 average; his worst 10 finishes…27.7

    10. TONY STEWART – 14.5 – (0-1-1)
    What is probably no longer equates into what was.

    11. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 15.0 – (1-3-3)
    Used to own this place, but outside the Top 30 his last two attempts.

    12. CARL EDWARDS – 15.4
    Expected Harvick to get penalized after Talladega. He probably even expects a Top Ten Sunday.

    13. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 16.2 – (0-2-3)
    While his 2014 visits were a write-off, he was the runner-up last spring.

    14. ARIC ALMIROLA – 16.2 – (0-0-1)
    Raised in Daytona. I wonder where he got the racing bug?

    15. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 17.0 – (0-0-3)
    Looked decent last week, at least until he turned all smoky.

    16. PAUL MENARD – 17.6 – (0-0-1)
    Best non-Chaser last week, but Martinsville is really not his kind of place.

    17. DANICA PATRICK – 20.4 – (0-0-1)
    Never thought you would see her name on this list again this season, did you?

    18. KASEY KAHNE – 20.8 – (0-1-1)
    Best thing about Martinsville will be the trip home.

    19. KURT BUSCH – 21.2 – (1-1-1)
    Won in the spring last year, but has been outside the top dozen 16 of his past 17 starts here.

    20. CASEY MEARS – 22.6
    Had a pair of Top Tens at Martinsville in 2008. None since.

    22. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 24.2 – (0-0-1)
    Was sixth in the spring. That ought to count for something.

  • The Final Word – Talladega was awesome, even if the finish was bloody awful

    The Final Word – Talladega was awesome, even if the finish was bloody awful

    There is a single word that I dearly would like to begin this article with. One word. However, due to my raising and the fact there are some rules that prohibit me from using that one word, I shall have to come up with a compromise.

    Fudge!

    Close enough. Sadly, for Dale Earnhardt Jr. fans, close does not cut it, even an inch or two. Joey Logano was just out in front at Talladega by a hair when a caution came out on the green-white-checkered restart to claim the sweep of this round of the Chase. He is in. Junior needed to win to continue his hunt but did not.

    Fudge!

    Junior had the dominant car and was the story throughout. He led, he smoked the tires coming in. Instead of two, he needed four. Later, he comes in, smokes the tires, and again needed four. When he managed to do it right, a crewman went over the wall too early. Instead of first, he was 27th. Back to the front he comes, comes in for a little gas and go, smokes the damn tires one more time, to sit fourth. He got to second, got close, closer than those tiny hairs atop my shiny bald pate, in fact, but close would not cut it at Talladega.

    Fudge!

    Now there is speculation that Kevin Harvick is the new Clint Bowyer. With his car doubtful if it could survive another two laps as its engine went south, Harvick checked his mirror as they re-started that final time. He no doubt saw Trevor Bayne go to the outside, then turned right. It was not a full turn, one that would have seen him actually change lanes, but rather just enough to catch the rear corner of that passing car, turning him into the fence, causing the wreck that ended the race. With the caution out, all Harvick had to do was slowly make the laps and secure his continuation in the Chase.

    Fudge!

    If NASCAR had held off throwing the caution on the 2.66-mile track for another mile, even half a mile, the result could have been different. They did not, waving it as they got into the first turn. Two miles to go before they returned to the scene of the carnage. Time and space to let them race, at least a little longer, but they did not allow that.

    Fudge!

    So, Martin Truex Jr. advances for Furniture Row. Jeff Gordon is the lone standard bearer for Rick Hendrick with Junior’s elimination. Carl Edwards and Kyle Busch has Joe Gibbs still with a pair, with Matt Kenseth and Denny Hamlin now both out. Logano and Brad Keselowski advance for Team Penske. I cannot begin to tell you how thrilled I am. I really can’t. As for Stewart-Haas, Kurt Busch and Right-Turn Harvick go forth to Martinsville with dreams of a championship still dancing in their heads.

    Fudge!

    But let us leave the final word to Denny Hamlin. You know, the guy who came to Talladega with the biggest cushion over his Chase rivals. The guy with the roof hatch latch that broke, that tried to give him some Red Bull wings, so that his crew brought him in more than once to tape it down. If only they had added a few extra pieces that first time to the repair that failed and that sent him right back to the pits for another round and another lap. Hamlin’s day was so far up in flames it was apropos the car burned briefly after that G-W-C wreck. I was not in the car, I did not hear his radio, but I am betting his summation of the race went something like this…

    “Fudge! Fudge! Fudge!”

  • Surprising and Not Surprising: Kansas Hollywood Casino 400

    Surprising and Not Surprising: Kansas Hollywood Casino 400

    Fresh off the announcement of the rules package for next year, here is what was surprising and not surprising from this year’s second race of the Contender round from the 15th annual Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway.

    Surprising:  While there were some familiar on-track challenges, from complaints about restarts to concerns about oil in the upper groove, problems on pit road played a pivotal role, particularly for several Chase drivers.

    Team 24 of Jeff Gordon had a loose lug nut and had to pit, one of Carl Edwards’ pit crew members fell down costing him spots, and Dale Earnhardt Jr., as well as others, had loose wheels.

    But the biggest pit road issues were faced by Chase contenders Kevin Harvick, who was penalized for taking equipment out of the box, and Martin Truex, Jr. who was penalized for an uncontrolled tire.

    “We’re lucky to come out of it as good as we did,” Harvick, driver of the No. 4 Budweiser/Jimmy John’s Chevrolet, said. “We didn’t have a great weekend. A lot of things falling on and off.  All and all, it could have been a lot worse.”

    “It was tough day,” Truex said, echoing Harvick. “We were in good shape before the penalty (pass-through penalty for a tire going outside the line following green flag pit stop on Lap 213). We fought hard on the car all day got much better right when we got the penalty. We were fast at the end, but not enough time to get back up there.”

    Harvick finished 16th in the race, which put him in the fifth position in the point standings. Truex finished 15th in the race and is now eighth in the points.

    Not Surprising:  From the land of the yellow brick road, the golden rule was being practiced mightily in Victory Lane.

    “It was good, hard racing,” Joey Logano after tangling with Matt Kenseth to win the race. “We were racing each other really hard and I got in the fence twice on the straightaways.  He raced me hard and I raced him hard back.  That’s hard racing.  That’s the way I race.”

    “If I get raced like that, I’ll race the same way.  That’s how I’ve always been and it will always be that way.”

    Surprising:  There was a surprising runner-up and no, it was not Kevin Harvick. It was actually Denny Hamlin, behind the wheel of the No. 11 FedEx Express Toyota, who captured the second spot in Kansas, putting himself in the runner-up spot in the point standings as well.

    “It was an interesting day for sure,” Hamlin said. “We definitely fought our car early in the day. We made it better, we had some good restarts and the pit crew got us some spots. The next thing we knew we were trying to battle for a race win.”

    “One short.”

    Not Surprising:  In a season of strange happenings at the track, from squirrels to foxes to ducks on track, Kansas featured a weird occurrence as well.  Smoke was reported wafting over the racing surface, causing some concern. But it all turned out to be a bus on fire just outside the track.

    Surprising:  Ryan Blaney had a surprisingly good run, finishing seventh in his No. 21 Woods Brothers Motorcraft/Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center Ford.  Yet the young driver admitted to being still in the learning mode as he faces the final few races of the season.

    “I feel pretty good about the rest of the year,” Blaney said. “We’ve learned some things. We still have to get a lot better, but we’re getting there. Being on the race track more is part of it. Things come with time for both me and Jeremy (Bullins, crew chief) and we’re finally getting some time under our belt.”

    Not Surprising:  There were at least three drivers who no doubt want to put Kansas City in their rear view mirrors. Tony Stewart was one, spinning early to bring out the second caution of the day.

    And the other two were Austin Dillon and Clint Bowyer, both of whom hit the wall, and hit it hard.

    “I was catching everyone in front of us and then blew a right front,” Dillon said. “We were carrying a lot of speed and just blew a tire.”

    “I thought I could save it, but guess what, I didn’t save it,” Bowyer said. “It was a hard hit. “Very, I hit a wall. Pretty damn hard.”

    “I couldn’t believe how fast it snapped. You usually can ride it along, but that thing came out from underneath of me so fast. As soon as that headlight got some air in it, boy that baby bit and turned me around pretty quick.”

    “I hate that happened especially at home.”

    Surprising:  Jimmie Johnson may not be in the championship hunt, but he may have played a role in how the race at Kansas played out. He stayed out late in the race, preventing many drivers who had had trouble from taking the wave around.

    The driver of the No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet finished third, posting his 16th top-10 finish in nineteen races at Kansas Speedway.

    “The silver lining of not being in the Chase is having fast cars,” Johnson said.  “It was fun racing. We did have speed in our cars and we are running really well.  We did it again this weekend.”

    Not Surprising:  There was some ‘dad’ flavor at the race, with new dad Kasey Kahne having a good run in fourth and dad Kyle Busch finishing fifth.

    “We just kept fighting and persevering through everything that was thrown at us,” Busch said after the race. “And in case everyone wasn’t sure, Halloween is coming up so grab all those M&Ms for all the kiddies. I know I’m looking forward to my first Halloween with my son Brexton.”

    Surprising:  Kurt Busch went from celebrating his sixth place win, as well as his third place in the point standings, to being decidedly bummed about how close the Chase continued to be.

    “We’re going to Talladega third in Chase Only plus 13?” Busch asked a reporter after the race. “I would have hoped we would have been 25. Plus 13 is not very exciting.”

    “Wow, you kind of deflated my bubble there. I thought a fifth or a sixth was pretty good in this battle but it’s not.”

    Not Surprising:  No one is looking more forward to racing next weekend than Dale Earnhardt Jr., particularly since the upcoming battle will be on his favorite restrictor plate track.

    The driver of the No. 88 Halo 5: Master Chief Chevrolet, who finished the last of the Chasers in 21st at Kansas tweeted this after the race, “Tough day at the track. Gonna have those. Bring on @TalladegaSuperS! Taking that same hot rod that won there earlier this season. #ShesFast.”

     

  • Hot 20 – Kansas, where there is no oil on the track…not that there is ever oil on any track

    Hot 20 – Kansas, where there is no oil on the track…not that there is ever oil on any track

    Lower downforce in next season’s rule package is supposed to reduce grip and make the cars more maneuverable. In short, passing should be more commonplace in 2016. If that is how it works out, we shall be happy. However, forgive me for waiting until at least February before I start celebrating.

    Considering the follow the leader kind of racing we saw at Charlotte, at least we have hope. Not sure how much we have for this season, but we can always…well….hope. By opening up the zone for the lead car to control the re-start. it seems to work just dandy up front, but it can cause accordion type mishaps further back. If that happens, oil and other fluids can spill out onto the track, and if it is not totally cleared up like some claim was not done last week, it causes even more problems. Of course, that was not true and we know this because…NASCAR denies that it was true.

    Did I mention that we had single lane racing? That can be a real problem, not only for fans trying to keep awake and drivers hoping to pass but enough oil and fluid that is left in that lane kind of messes things up a bit more. That is if such a thing happened. Which, of course, was not the case, because NASCAR said so.

    This Sunday, we are off to Kansas, where Matt Kenseth, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kyle Busch, and Ryan Newman have some clean up of their own to do after their respective Charlotte adventures. Considering he has a couple of wins there over the past three years, it could be redemption time for Kenseth.

    1. JOEY LOGANO – ROUND WIN
    Now Talladega is just another race.

    2. KEVIN HARVICK – 3042 POINTS
    Ill handling car was healthy enough to place second last week.

    3. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 3041
    Truex…the other Junior.

    4. DENNY HAMLIN – 3040
    Now that Kyle was recovered, Denny’s the best one-legged driver in the sport.

    5. CARL EDWARDS – 3039
    Super sorry about your car, Matt.

    6. KURT BUSCH – 3039
    Sounds like the Panic Switch clothing people are…well…panicking.

    7. JEFF GORDON – 3037
    2015’s best damn winless driver in NASCAR.

    8. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 3035
    If Brad and Kyle got along as well as Scarlett and Brexton, what a wonderful world it would be.

    9. RYAN NEWMAN – 3029
    Rained on Kenseth’s parade, but got a bit damp himself.

    10. KYLE BUSCH – 3025
    If only Kyle and Brad got along as well as Samantha and Paige…

    11. DALE EARNHARDT JR. – 3016
    It is just a flesh wound…and Talladega is coming.

    12. MATT KENSETH – 3003
    Did not see Newman, but he sure saw the wall…a lot.

    13. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 2130
    Out of the Chase, but trying to stay in the weekly on-track conversation.

    14. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 2092
    It just does not matter anymore.

    15. PAUL MENARD – 2083
    Fixes got him back on the track but wrecked any hope of a decent finish at Charlotte.

    16. CLINT BOWYER – 2082
    One race closer to greener pastures.

    17. ARIC ALMIROLA – 801
    A Top Ten in Charlotte aids in dreams of greater things for 2016.

    18. KASEY KAHNE – 771
    Early crash left him dead last at Charlotte, but Tanner Lee’s arrival trumps everything.

    19. KYLE LARSON – 742
    One Kyle is good, two Kyles is a crash.

    20. GREG BIFFLE – 726
    Best Roush-Fenway driver of this season, but third best at Charlotte.

  • Hot 20 – Charlotte has a tough act to follow this week, while Las Vegas is not as safe as I thought

    Hot 20 – Charlotte has a tough act to follow this week, while Las Vegas is not as safe as I thought

    I get it. Racing cars can be dangerous. We have lost people in NASCAR, and one sad day, despite all the advances that have been made regarding safety, we just may lose somebody else. I hope not, but that is the reality we must face. All we can do is greatly reduce the odds.

    Great leaps have been made in regards to producing a safer vehicle. Asphalt has replaced grass in many infields, though not all. Berms and gate openings are no longer an infield feature. SAFER barriers in front of concrete walls have made even the worst crashes survivable. However, if there is any chance a vehicle can be deflected in a direction that could put it on a path to hit concrete, it will.

    The crash that left Austin Theriault with a compression fracture in his lower back last weekend in the Las Vegas truck race likely could have been less than it was if there had been a SAFER barrier where he hit. Teammate Josh Reddick had crashed in front of him, and when he spilled back onto the track he clipped Theriault, sending him sharply to his right and straight into the concrete wall. Should there have been a SAFER barrier in that location? Damn right. Will there be in the future? Only if driver safety is a real concern and if someone in charge has the brains to see the danger, in Las Vegas and elsewhere, and deals with it.

    To be honest, I thought most tracks now had the barriers in such locations. I was wrong. Hopefully, NASCAR will finally make it right. All they need to do is remember that if it can happen to a billiard ball, it can happen to a race car.

    Unless one has locked a place, either through a win or an insurmountable points lead, you can get caught by surprise. Jimmie Johnson was reminded of that in Dover when a $50 rear axle seal failed and sent him to the garage for more than 35 laps. That plunged him to beyond 40th on the track on a day when 28th or better would have saved him.

    Kevin Harvick saved himself in winning last Sunday, and he heads to a track he won on last October. Johnson has seven career wins at Charlotte. That just does not matter as much as it did last week.

    The Hot 20 heading into Charlotte include…

    1. MATT KENSETH – 5 WINS
    If one win was all it took to win a title, he did it. If it takes five or more, no problem.

    2. KYLE BUSCH – 4 WINS
    Challenged at Dover, finished third, but made it to the next round by a single point.

    3. JOEY LOGANO – 3 WINS
    If you like this year’s racing, Logano figures we will love 2016’s lower downforce package.

    3. KEVIN HARVICK – 3 WINS
    Won last October and is seeking to make it two in a row.

    5. DENNY HAMLIN – 2 WINS
    History shows that Hamlin won’t win Saturday night, but it will not be a disaster, either.

    5. CARL EDWARDS – 2 WINS
    Can spring success equate into a fall classic?

    5. KURT BUSCH – 2 WINS
    Difference between Kurt and Jamie…two points…and he was tied for sixth in the standings!

    5. DALE EARNHARDT JR. – 2 WINS
    Exciting enough for you?

    9. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 1 WIN
    Tech issues caused him to start last, 11th place kept him in the Chase by six positions.

    10. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 1 WIN
    Re-starting with the same number of points as everyone else in the Chase…and no black flag.

    11. JEFF GORDON – 3000 POINTS
    Handing over to Junior a sponsor. Maybe he could also loan him a championship.

    11. RYAN NEWMAN – 3000 POINTS
    A winless championship season is still possible.

    13. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 2098 POINTS
    Rowdy by a point, Junior by a position, as Jamie is left waiting at the altar.

    14. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 2086 POINTS
    All for the want of a damn $50 car part.

    15. PAUL MENARD – 2075 POINTS
    If Johnson had finished 25th like Menard at Dover, Jimmie would still be in the Chase.

    16. CLINT BOWYER – 2048 POINTS
    So concludes the title hopes of Toyota supported Michael Waltrip Racing (2007-2015).

    17. KASEY KAHNE – 770 POINTS
    All that is left is to win the battle against Almirola. That is all.

    18. ARIC ALMIROLA – 767 POINTS
    Driving a Ford…will keep on driving a Ford next season.

    19. KYLE LARSON – 718 POINTS
    For a time, it appeared he might prove to be Harvick’s spoiler last week.

    20. GREG BIFFLE – 706 POINTS
    At least Roush-Fenway should finish the season with a single Top 20 entry. Exciting stuff.

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Dover

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Dover

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth started on the pole after qualifying was canceled and finished seventh at Dover, easily advancing to the Contender Round.

    “And then there were 12,” Kenseth said. “Now, we’re headed to Charlotte, where speeds can reach upwards of 190 miles per hour. And, if history is any indication, the cars won’t be the only thing flying—-fists will be, as well.”

    2. Kevin Harvick: Harvick dominated at Dover leading 355 of 400 laps and winning when he had to.

    “I advanced,” Harvick said. “Jimmie Johnson retreated. And that’s certainly not the first time.”

    3. Kyle Busch: Busch finished second in the AAA 400 and advanced to the next round of The Chase for the Sprint Cup.

    “It’s all about surviving and advancing,” Busch said. “And I did them both at the same time. Add those to the list of things I can do all at once, which includes ‘Whip And Nae Nae.’”

    4. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin, already into the next round with his win at New Hampshire, finished 18th at Dover.

    “I took a nice, leisurely Sunday drive,” Hamlin said. “That wasn’t the case for everyone. I’m not saying Kevin Harvick drives like a man possessed, but he emerges from his hauler like a man possessed.”

    5. Carl Edwards: Edwards finished 15th at Dover and is one of four Joe Gibbs Racing drivers to qualify for the round of 12.

    “Kevin Harvick didn’t waste any time taking over the lead,” Edwards said. “He took off like a bat out of hell, or just like the way he left Richard Childress Racing.”

    6. Joey Logano: Logano finished 10th at Dover, posting his 23rd top-10 of the year. He advances to the Contender Round of the Chase.

    “Kevin Harvick showed why he’s the reigning champion,” Logano said. “Jimmie Johnson showed why the Chase format is his biggest obstacle to winning his seventh Cup. Sadly, it was a simple seal that ruined Jimmie’s hopes. On this day, it appeared a mechanical issue was Jimmie’s ‘Achilles Seal.’”

    7. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski finished 16th in the AAA 400, making his way to the next round of the Chase.

    “It wasn’t pretty,” Keselowski said, “but the No. 2 Wurth Ford Fusion, after a rough start, came through when it counted. You could say it was ‘Wurth’ the wait.”

    8. Kurt Busch: Busch finished 17th at Dover and claimed his spot in the next round of the Chase.

    “I think NASCAR was a bit disappointed,” Busch said. “This was a high-pressure elimination race, and the only thing that got punched was a ticket.”

    9. Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Earnhardt, needing a strong finish to make the Chase, took third at Dover to advance to the next round, but just barely. Earnhardt took the 12th and final spot, tied with Jamie McMurray in points but advancing by virtue of a tiebreaker.

    “I heard a strange sound,” Earnhardt said. “It turned out I was almost done in by a loose wheel. Ironically, I ‘squeaked’ by.”

    10. (tie): Jimmie Johnson: Johnson suffered a rear axle seal failure at Dover, forcing him to the garage and ending his hopes of advancing to the round of 12. Johnson finished 41st, and won’t be winning his seventh Sprint Cup title.

    “That was a $5 part,” Johnson said. “The sad part is, I had to pay for it.”

    10. (tie): Jeff Gordon: Gordon finished 12th at Dover and made his way to the round of 12.

    “The ‘Drive For Five’ is still alive,” Gordon said. “If I could win my fifth Sprint Cup title in my final season, it would be the most emotional experience of my life. That’s why I’m calling my quest ‘Once More With Feeling.’”

  • Surprising and Not Surprising: Monster Mile AAA 400

    Surprising and Not Surprising: Monster Mile AAA 400

    The first elimination race, otherwise known as ‘It’s Over in Dover’, produced some very surprising and not surprising moments in the 46th running of the AAA 400 at the Monster Mile.

    Surprising:  Typically there are a few monstrous wrecks at Dover that collect several drivers at a time. But with the surprising lack of any major crashes and thanks to an unusual parts failure, six-time champion Jimmie Johnson was eliminated from further Chase contention.

    The driver of the No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet finished 41st, with just Jeb Burton, who solo crashed twice, and Brett Moffitt, who solo crashed once, finished behind him.

    “I don’t know exactly what happened,” Johnson said. “That’s racing. I’ve lost championships this way and I’ve won championships this way. It’s not the way we wanted to end the season, but it’s racing and there’s not much we can do.”

    “It wasn’t meant to be.”

    Not Surprising:  Promises were made and promises were kept on this race day. Kevin Harvick promised that he would stay the course, keep confident, and believe in his team. And that promise not only led him to Victory Lane but also to fulfill his other promise, to allow son Keelan to keep the Miles the Monster trophy in his room for the night after the race.

    “He’s been asking for the Monster trophy for a couple years,” Harvick said. “Before the race started, we got him a little figurine just in case things didn’t work out today so he wasn’t disappointed.”

    “I’m just so proud of everyone from Stewart-Haas Racing to do what we’ve done the last three weeks,” the driver of the No. 4 Budweiser Jimmy Johns Chevrolet continued. “We weren’t in a great position coming into today. But that’s what this team is made of and that’s what teamwork is all about.”

    “This is what it’s all about, those big-time moments.”

    This was Harvick’s first-ever win at Dover International Speedway, which made his promise keeping all the sweeter.

    Surprising:  Although advancing to the next round of the Chase for his final time ever, Jeff Gordon admitted to a major freak-out moment.

    “I wouldn’t call it ‘drama-free’, the driver of the No. 24 AARP Member Advantages Chevrolet said. “I was freaking out there at the end.”

    “We’ve gone through a lot and it hasn’t been pretty,” Gordon continued. “That’s kind of the way today was. We knew we needed to be in the top 10 or top 11, or maybe 12th, if we were lucky. We did that.”

    “Until the end, when that caution came out and people swapped-up their strategy; we just got ate up on that restart and were falling back and I didn’t know what was going to happen. So, it wasn’t easy.”

    “We’ll reset and go see what we can do in the next three (races).”

    Not Surprising:  It was the best of times and the worst of times for the driver of the No. 15 5-hour Energy Toyota. Clint Bowyer started the race in Dover in the worst of positions due to a significant penalty and then finished 14th, which was not good enough to advance to the next round of the Chase.

    “Our 5-hour ENERGY Toyota was good today – I’d say a top-five car,” Bowyer said after the race. “We just had some bad luck with that loose wheel early on. We got two laps down but were able to make those up.”

    “Real proud of everyone at Michael Waltrip Racing for all their hard work to get us in the Chase. Just sorry we aren’t able to go to the next round.”

    The MWR driver did experience the best of times prior to the race, however, as he secured his future racing prospects. Bowyer announced that he will race for HScott Motorsports in 2016 and then will fill the seat of the retiring Tony Stewart in 2017.

    Surprising:  Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates had a great Dover race, with Jamie McMurray finishing fourth and Kyle Larson finishing ninth.  And even though he missed the Chase due to a tiebreaker with Dale Earnhardt, Jr., McMurray was surprisingly able to celebrate that good finish.

    “We were driving so hard those last few laps,” McMurray said. “We haven’t run this well so I’m thrilled with our performance today. We weren’t able to make it to the next round, but it was a good day for this team. We just needed one more point.”

    Not Surprising:  It was the good, the bad, and the ugly for the driver of the No. 2 Wurth Ford Fusion.

    “We survived kind of ugly today, but I’d rather survive ugly than not survive pretty,” Keselowski said after finishing 16th while still moving on to the next round of the Chase. “We’ll take it and move on and realize that everything we’ve done from this point in the season doesn’t really mean anything.”

    “Everything is back to scratch and that’s probably a good thing for us this year.”

    Surprising:  Aric Almirola, behind the wheel of the No. 43 Nathan’s Famous Ford, was the highest finishing Ford, snatching a fifth place finish from the Monster.

    “That was a good run for us,” Almirola said. “I’m really proud of the guys.  That’s two top-5s in a row here at Dover.  It was a really good job.  We just struggled with getting the car in the racetrack most of the day and right there at the end four tires paid off for us.  That was some really good adjustments by Trent and the guys and the pit crew did a good job getting me off pit road and just a really solid day for us.”

    Not Surprising:  There was another weird animal sighting during this race, following squirrels, foxes and other various critters at some of the other tracks. This time, it was a duck that caused a bit of chaos, landing on the track and then flying off to rest on pit road.

    Surprising:  While every other driver was worrying about the points and where they were running, there was one driver who was taking a devil may care attitude towards it all. Kyle Busch, behind the wheel of the No. 18 Interstate Batteries Toyota, finished in the runner-up position, which was good enough to move forward with his championship hopes.

    “I wasn’t doing any thinking about the points,” Kyle Busch said. “I think when you’re in the position that we were in when we were running second there the whole race, you don’t have to watch it.”

    “You just do the best you can and that was the best that we were going to do today. Fortunately, we came out with that finish and second-place was what we needed to do.”

    “The points reset so we’re back even with those guys and hopefully we can have a good, solid next three races.”

    Not Surprising:  In spite of not having a single driver in the Chase, Roush Fenway Racing continues to improve as they look to the 2016 season. Their best finishing driver at Dover was Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., who finished top ten, in fact in the eighth position.

    “I’m really proud of my team,” Stenhouse said. “We didn’t get much practice this weekend due to the weather but felt like we had a strong Fastenal Ford during the limited practice we had on Saturday. We’ve been focusing on being consistent and we have finished inside the top-20 the past four races. We will keep building and take the momentum into the off-season as we prepare for the 2016 season.”

    Surprising: There was one driver that was still upset in spite of working his way from the rear of the field to finish ninth. Martin Truex Jr. was sent to the back from pit road due to the right rear being bowed out and had to work his way forward in order to move to the next round in the Chase.

    “We don’t do anything that any of the other teams don’t do,” Truex Jr. said. “They tried to make an example out of us for some reason today. We just stayed focused. We didn’t have a great car, but we fought it and fought it.”

    “We did what we needed to do.”

    Not Surprising:  Forget the Monster, at least one driver moving forward in the Chase had his eye on the next biggest challenge, Talladega. Joey Logano pulled off a tenth place finish at Dover but was definitely looking ahead to the next round.

    “It’s nice to race that way, but we’re back to zero now,” the driver of the No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Ford said. “I think this next round is the most important. It’s really hard to get through it when you look at Charlotte, Kansas and Talladega in particular.”