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Tag: Clint Bowyer

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Bristol

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Bristol

    [media-credit name=”Brad Keppel” align=”alignright” width=”229″][/media-credit]Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth doggedly chased Brad Keselowski to the finish at Bristol, but could never catch the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge. The runner-up result gave Kenseth his second top-5 finish of the year, and boosted him two places in the Sprint Cup point standings to third.

    “As his number of followers would suggest,” Kenseth said, “Keselowski is fast becoming America’s ‘Tweet-heart.’ And, no, that’s not my Ward Button impression. Keselowski even Tweeted a photo from victory lane. That’s impressive. He may be the only NASCAR driver who can ‘phone it in’ and still be successful.

    “Contrary to popular belief, I didn’t jump a restart midway through the race to get in front of Keselowski. Oh no. I was trying to get as far away from Brian Vickers as possible.”

    2. Greg Biffle: Biffle started on the pole at Bristol and led 41 early laps before handling issues stymied his efforts to stay out front. He finished 12th and remained atop the Sprint Cup point standings, with a nine-point lead over Kevin Harvick.

    “That breaks my string of third-place finishes,” Biffle said. “Still, my average finish is sixth. And let’s be honest, nothing says ‘average’ quite like ‘Greg Biffle.’”

    3. Kevin Harvick: Harvick was caught up in a lap 24 spin between Regan Smith and Kasey Kahne that collected seven cars, including Harvick’s No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet. Despite extensive damage, Harvick salvaged an 11th at Bristol, and remained second in the point standings, nine behind Greg Biffle.

    “Say what you will about Kahne,” Harvick said, “but he was the only Hendrick Motorsports driver who was a factor in the race. Just a few months ago, he was apologizing to breastfeeding mothers. Now, he’s apologizing to expectant fathers. No wonder he’s the ‘red-headed stepchild’ of HMS.”

    4. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson finished ninth at Bristol, scoring his third-straight top-10 finish. It was likely Johnson’s last race with crew chief Chad Knaus before Knaus serves his six race suspension

    “NASCAR seems to be unusually vigilant where Knaus is concerned,” Johnson said. “Call it an episode of ‘Queer Eye For The Not-So-Straight Guy,’ if you will. This being March, I’m surprised NASCAR didn’t accuse Chad of having an illegal ‘bracket’ of some sort.

    “But I’ll manage without Chad. He’ll return in six weeks rejuvenated. I hear he’s taking a vacation to a mysterious locale. If NASCAR officials ask us where he is,Chad’s instructed us to wink and simply say ‘parts unknown.’”

    5. Martin Truex, Jr.: Truex finished third at Bristol, leading a parade of Michael Waltrip Racing cars in the top 5. Teammates Clint Bowyer and Brian Vickers came home fourth and fifth, respectively, and Truex jumped four places in the point standings to fourth, 18 out of first.

    “Michael Waltrip has assembled quite an organization here,” Truex said. “And, he’s quite entertaining on Showtime’s ‘Inside NASCAR.’ So, that’s at least two things that Michael’s better at being behind than a steering wheel: a desk and a microphone.”

    6. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski dominated at Thunder Valley, leading 231 laps and holding off Matt Kenseth to win the Food City 500 at Bristol. The young Penske Racing driver proved that last fall’s Bristol win was no fluke, and gave Dodge its first win of the year.

    “The Sprint Cup championship is obviously a goal,” Keselowski said. “But that goal is secondary to reaching 1,000,000 followers on Twitter. As a social media hound, I want to get social medieval on the web’s behinds.

    “Of course, there are those that say my penchant for social media interaction can only spell my downfall where the Cup is concerned. Those people are on Facebook, and they believe the writing is on the ‘wall.’”

    7. Tony Stewart: Stewart had a top-10 Bristol finish in sight until he was punted into the wall on lap 479 when Brendan Gaughan’s brakes failed. Stewart limped home in 14th, and remained seventh in the point standings, 27 out of first.

    “If he continues to wreck superstars like me,” Stewart said, “Gaughan will be out of NASCAR before long. That’s why he’s earned the nickname ‘Going, Going’ Gaughan.”

    8. Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: Earnhardt survived a run-in with Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jeff Gordon to post a 15th-place finish in the Food City 500. Earnhardt was nabbed for speeding on pit road late in the race, an infraction that likely cost him a top-10 finish. He is now tied for fifth in the point standings, 20 out of first.

    “What’s Gordon’s biggest complaint about Diet Mountain Dew?” Earnhardt said. “It tastes ‘flat.’”

    9. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin started 20th at Bristol and finished in the same position, victimized by handling issues and long green runs that left little opportunities for adjustments. He dropped two spots in the point standings to fifth, and trails Greg Biffle by 20 points.

    “I’m tied in the point standings with Dale Earnhardt, Jr.,” Hamlin said. “I made a race out of going nowhere fast; Junior’s made a career of it.”

    10. Clint Bowyer: Bowyer, in the 5-Hour Energy No. 15Toyota, finished fourth at Bristol, joining Michael Waltrip Racing teammates Martin Truex, Jr. and Brian Vickers in the top 5. Bowyer improved five places in the point standings to eighth and is 31 out of first.

    “I’m confident this car will soon be in Victory Lane,” Bowyer said. “When that happens, I promise to douse everyone there with 5-Hour Energy drink, which may, in fact, take five hours.”

  • Surprising and Not Surprising: Bristol Food City 500

    Surprising and Not Surprising: Bristol Food City 500

    [media-credit name=”Credit: John Harrelson/Getty Images for NASCAR” align=”alignright” width=”252″][/media-credit]After the morning downpour stopped and the track quickly dried, the green flag flew at Bristol Motor Speedway. Here is what was surprising and not surprising in the 52nd running of the Food City 500.

    Surprising:  With Brian Vickers ride-less as of last season, it was most surprising to see the ‘Sheriff’ back in town, leading 125 laps and finishing fifth in his first race back in the 2012 season.

    Vickers was back, this year behind the wheel of the No. 55 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota for Michael Waltrip Racing. Vickers will share the No. 55 ride for a select number of races with veteran Mark Martin for the remainder of the season.

    “It felt really good when we were out there leading,” Vickers said. “It would have been awesome to hold onto that, but it’s the first time back so I can’t complain.”

    “When it’s your only one, you have to make it count,” Vickers continued. “What an exciting day.”

    Not Surprising:  It was not surprising to see the Blue Deuce, with 28 year old Brad Keselowski behind the wheel, again “close the deal” at Bristol Motor Speedway. This was team owner Roger Penske’s tenth win with the Blue Deuce at BMS.

    This was also Keselowski’s first win of the 2012 season and his fifth victory in 93 Cup Series races. He led a race and career high 232 laps.

    “I’m thrilled to death to be in Victory Lane,” Keselowski said. “I knew this Blue Deuce was fast enough to win.”

    “This car here, a brand new car that Penske built, everybody back in the shop did a phenomenal job,” Keselowski continued. “I knew we had a shot at winning and we closed the deal.”

    Surprising:  It was surprising to see so many good cars collected in a wreck so early in the race, in fact on lap 24. That early melee involved Kasey Kahne, Kevin Harvick, Marcos Ambrose, Carl Edwards and Kyle Busch on the front stretch going into Turn One.

    The driver of the No. 5 Farmer’s Insurance Chevrolet, Kasey Kahne, was the most upset by the incident.

    “My Famer’s Insurance Chevrolet was the fastest car here,” Kahne said. “It’s disappointing to have that good of a car and be out that early. I had an awesome and I have nothing to show for it.”

    While Kyle Busch, the driver of the No. 18 Doublemint Toyota, shared Kahne’s frustration, pounding his fist on the car in the garage, his crew chief Dave Rogers was a bit more philosophical.

    “It’s short track racing,” Rogers said simply. “I think the No. 5 (Kasey Kahne) got messing with the No. 78 (Regan Smith). Or maybe the No. 78 got messing with the No. 5.”

    “However you want to look at it, we got caught up in it,” Rogers continued. “It was just racing.”

    Carl Edwards, driver of the No. 99 Kellogg’s Ford Fusion, was also surprisingly philosophical about the early wreck, taking full advantage of the situation to also put in a plug for his sponsor.

    “I was feeling good this morning and had my Frosted Flakes,” Edwards said. “We all saw it and were on the brakes but Kasey’s (Kahne) car came up across the race track and ruined our day.”

    “I can’t tell you how disappointed I am.”

    Not Surprising:  No one is ever surprised when the calm, mild-mannered Matt Kenseth, driver of the No. 17 Ford, has a good run at Bristol. So, not surprisingly, Kenseth, with his methodical approach, scored a runner up finish in the Food City 500.

    This was Kenseth’s 17th top-10 finish in 25 races at Bristol Motor Speedway. It was his second top-10 finish in 2012, putting him third in the point standings.

    “Overall, I was pretty happy with my car,” Kenseth said. “The last 15 laps of the run, we were better than Brad (Keselowski) was.”

    “Then we started that last run and got out in the lead and got air in the nose, plus we picked up something, and I just got too loose,” Kenseth continued. “I knew that I wasn’t going to have enough traction to hold him off.”

    Surprising:  In addition to Brian Vickers having a triumphant return, it was surprising how well the rest of the Michael Waltrip Racing team fared at Bristol. In fact, all three MWR drivers, Martin Truex, Jr., Clint Bowyer and Brian Vickers, scored top-five finishes, the first time the team has ever placed so well overall.

    “I’m so proud of the team,” Martin Truex, Jr., driver of the No. 56 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota, said. “We were all up front all day long and this just says a lot about everything that everybody at MWR has done over the off season.”

    “Heck of a day for MWR.”

    Not Surprising:   While it seemed that A.J. Allmendinger was just about to find his groove, starting on the outside pole in his No. 22 Pennzoil Dodge, and leading laps early in the race, it was not surprising that his luck ran out yet again.

    The ‘Dinger and his team struggled to keep up with the ever-changing Bristol track, finally finishing the race in the 17th position.

    “The car was very good early,” Allmendinger said. “But then it got real loose.”

    “We lost track position,” Allmendinger continued. “We never got it tightened up for the rest of the race. Not the finish we wanted to have after starting out so strong.”

    Surprising:  While the young season has borne witness to teammates tangling on the track, it was surprising to see Hendrick Motrosports teammates Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. get into it in Bristol.

    After a fierce back and forth battle for position, the driver of the No. 88 National Guard/Diet Mountain Dew Chevrolet nicked the left rear tire of the No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet with his tail pipe.

    Gordon tire went down and he went for a spin, ending up in the wall. After spending time in the garage for repairs, Gordon finished a miserable 35th, relegating him to 23rd in the point standings.

    “Just hard racing here at Bristol,” Gordon said. “Junior got underneath me and when he got into me, it looked like the tail pipe just caught the left rear tire and cut it down.”

    “I knew it immediately and I tried to keep it off the wall but there was no chance,” Gordon continued. “Hate it for this team.”

    Earnhardt, Jr., on the other hand, salvaged a 15th place finish, even with a pit road speeding penalty toward the race end. Junior dropped two spots in the point standings, currently sitting in sixth.

    “I’m sorry about that,” Junior said after the incident. “Well, at least they won’t have to talk about me and Mark Martin anymore.”

    Not Surprising:  After the craziness of the start of the 2012 season, including the infamous Daytona jet dryer experience for one of the Earnhardt Ganassi Racing pilots Juan Pablo Montoya, it was not surprising to see both EGR teammates finally pull off good finishes.

    Jamie McMurray, driving the No. 1 EGR McDonald’s Chevrolet, scored a seventh place finish, while teammate Juan Pablo Montoya, behind the wheel of the No. 42 Target Chevrolet, came in eighth.

    Both Earnhardt Ganassi Racing drivers had their best runs of the 2012 season to date.

     

  • Subway Fresh Fit 500 Review: A Sign of Things to Come

    Subway Fresh Fit 500 Review: A Sign of Things to Come

    [media-credit name=”Simon Scoggins” align=”alignright” width=”238″][/media-credit]Denny Hamlin started the race in 13th position and by Lap 20 he was in the Top-5. He worked his way up to third position by Lap 33, after caution was thrown for Clint Bowyer blowing a tire. He hovered in the Top-5 until Lap 247 when caution was thrown for David Reutimann blowing an engine. When leader Martin Truex Jr. pitted for tires and fuel, this allowed Hamlin to get the lead on the restart.

    It looked as if the race would come down to Brad Keselowski and Hamlin battling for the lead, until Keselowski locked up his brakes going into turn four, shortly after the restart on Lap 253. This forced Keselowski to drop back to sixth position and give Hamlin the lead of the race. Hamlin faced heat from a hard-charging Kevin Harvick in the last 50 laps of the race, until he ran out of fuel on the final lap, allowing Hamlin to drive to victory lane for the first time in 39 Sprint Cup Series races.

    We haven’t seen Hamlin in this competitive form since 2010 when he won eight races and finished second in points standings behind five-time champion Jimmie Johnson. Hamlin admitted last season that Johnson defeating him for the championship title is something that has never left his mind. He sought assistance from a sports psychologist in 2011 to help him be mentally prepared and competitive for this season, and it evidently worked. Hamlin is now leading the championship standings by six points over Greg Biffle heading to Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Although we are still early in the season, I expect to see Hamlin continue to be at the top of the standings this year.

    Harvick Keeps Up Momentum

    Kevin Harvick started in the eighth position and was leading the race by Lap 20. After a caution on Lap 56 for debris, he lost the lead to Johnson on pit road and dropped back to 4th position. Harvick hovered in the Top-5 until Lap 151, when he moved up to second position and put himself in contention for the lead once again. On Lap 165 a three-wide battle for the lead played out between Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr., and Harvick – with Harvick coming out on top.

    Harvick lost the lead once again when Truex did not pit under caution and received the lead of the race, placing Harvick in second position on the restart. Eventually Truex was forced to pit, allowing Hamlin to take over the race lead using pit strategy. Despite running out of fuel on the last lap, Harvick was able to coast around the track to finish the race in second position. With his second place finish at Phoenix and seventh place finish at Daytona, Harvick is now third in the championship standings.

    Edwards’ Disappointing Day in Phoenix

    Carl Edwards started the race in 24th position and didn’t gain much ground in the race. As Edwards was attempting to make a late race charge, gaining sixth positions among leaders, when he made contact with Ryan Newman with 65 laps to go. The contact caused right front fender damage to the No. 99 car and ended Edwards’ chance of a decent finish. Edwards finished the race in 17th position and dropped from the top 10 in points standings.

    This is not the Edwards we are used to seeing, after finishing in second place in the championship battle last season, with a tie breaker used to determine the winner. On the up-side, Edwards has time to make up ground before he has to worry about the championship battle for this season.

    [media-credit name=”Simon Scoggins” align=”alignright” width=”262″][/media-credit]Stewart Struggles with EFI System

    Reigning champion Tony Stewart got a rude lesson in this year’s new electronic fuel injection Sunday at PIR. With about 60 laps left in the Subway Fresh Fit 500, Stewart was running 13th and shut off his engine during a caution period to save fuel. Normally when drivers do this, the engine will fire back up easily on command. But this time the engine in Stewart’s No. 14 Chevrolet wouldn’t re-fire despite repeated attempts. Stewart fell two laps down until his crew finally got the car started, and Stewart finished in 22nd position. Stewart’s season hasn’t started off to his liking, after finishing 16th in the Daytona 500 and currently sitting 15th in points standings.

    NASCAR Safety Improvement
    NASCAR has announced that pace cars with flashing lights will now trail jet-drying trucks during caution periods.  The safety workers operating the jet dryers will wear firesuits and helmets for added protection. During the Daytona 500, Juan Pablo Montoya’s Chevrolet suffered a broken part that caused the car to careen into one of the drying trucks, setting off an explosion that delayed the race for more than two hours for track clean up.
  • Surprising and Not Surprising: Subway Fresh Fit 500

    Surprising and Not Surprising: Subway Fresh Fit 500

    [media-credit name=”Simon Scoggins” align=”alignright” width=”259″][/media-credit]With the 36 hours of Daytona in the rear view mirror, the Cup Series headed to the Valley of the Sun. Here is what was surprising and not surprising from the Subway Fresh Fit 500.

    Surprising:  With the short interval between the Great American Race and the trek to Phoenix International Raceway, the amount of news made before the haulers even arrived in the Valley of the Sun was indeed surprising.

    The first ‘surprise’ was for Chad Knaus, who was fined $100,000 and suspended for six races due to illegally modified C-posts found on the No. 48 Chevrolet of Jimmie Johnson prior to the Daytona 500. Knaus and his team at Hendrick Motorsports have already agreed to appeal.

    The second pre-race surprise occurred with Penske Racing announcing its move from Dodge to Ford in 2013. Roger Penske, the ‘Captain’ of the team, affirmed that he needed to make the manufacturer move for one reason only, to finally secure the Cup championship.

    Not Surprising:  With a championship level crew chief in Darian Grubb atop his pit box, it was not surprising that his new driver Denny Hamlin raced his way right to the checkered flag. After a spectacular burnout, the driver of the No. 11 FedEx Office Toyota paid homage to his crew chief and team from Victory Lane.

    “If you would have asked me, I would have told you I would have taken a 15th place finish,” Hamlin said. “We just kept working at it.”

    This was Hamlin’s 18th career win in his 225th start. It was the driver’s first win at PIR, having finished third four times before this victory.

    With the win at Phoenix, Hamlin jumped to first place in the point standings. Although obviously very early in the season, Hamlin has not been at the top of the leader board since his losing championship battle two years ago.

    “We’ve never been in this position at this point in the season,” Hamlin said. “We’re back this year.”

    Surprising:  While NASCAR nation has been waiting with bated breath, it was a bit surprising that the Electronic Fuel Injection (EFI) reared its ugly head for none other than reigning champ Tony Stewart. The driver of the No. 14 Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevrolet fell prey to EFI difficulties, unable to re-fire his engine after attempting to save fuel.

    “I just shut the car off to save fuel and it never re-fired,” Smoke, who finished 22nd, said. “I don’t know why that was, but it definitely cost us a good day.”

    Not Surprising:  Although he did not quite live up to his moniker as ‘The Closer’, the driver of the No. 29 Rheem Chevrolet was pretty happy nonetheless. Kevin Harvick coasted on fumes to secure a second place berth in the Subway Fresh Fit 500.

    “Finishing second and racing for a win in a place where we ran back in the twenties, was pretty good,” Harvick said. “You cut the fuel mileage that close, you’re figuring it right. Hopefully this is what sets the tone for the year.”

    Surprising:  Those drivers hooked up with new teams for the 2012 season did not fare well in the Valley of the Sun. Hendrick newcomer Kasey Kahne hit the wall in his No. 5 Farmers Insurance Chevrolet on Lap 22. Kahne ended up in the garage for many laps, finally finishing 34th.

    AJ Allmendinger, new pilot of the No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Dodge, also had some calamity befall his Phoenix run. The ‘Dinger was caught up in the Paul Menard crash on Lap 132, relegating him to an 18th place finish.

    Not Surprising:   After finishing almost dead last at Daytona and under the gun with his penalty, Jimmie Johnson was already 23 points in the hole before coming to Phoenix. Yet, to no one’s surprise, Johnson was in redemption mode yet again, scoring a fourth place finish in his No. 48 Lowe’s Kobalt Tools Chevrolet, moving him up to 38th in points.

    “We were concerned about fuel,” Johnson admitted. “We just tried to make sure we got some points.”

    “We had a little hiccup on pit road but we really fought back.”

    Surprising:  It was surprising how well Michael Waltrip Racing performed at Phoenix, at least for the majority of the team members.

    Martin Truex, Jr. scored his first top-10 of the year for his No. 56 NAPA Filters Toyota, coming in seventh. Teammate and pole sitter Mark Martin brought his No. 55 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota to a second-straight top-10, officially finishing ninth.

    “We need to get finishes like this each week,” Truex Jr. said. “And hopefully there are even better ones to come.”

    “Proud of the effort,” teammate Mark Martin said. “Any time you get a top-10 finish, you have to say it’s a reasonable run.”

    The No. 56 and the No. 55 are now tied, at 71 points, for sixth position in the point standings.

    Not Surprising:  With the slipperiness of the race track, it was no surprise that several drivers, including the third MWR driver, suffered tire troubles. Most notably on the tire issue list was MWR driver Clint Bowyer, behind the wheel of the No. 15 5-Hour Energy Toyota.

    Bowyer suffered tire failure not one, but twice, relegating him to a 30th place finish. The MWR driver now sits 17th in points, falling six spots back due to his tire woes.

    Surprising:  In addition to EFI and tire troubles, the Valley of the Sun seemed to cause some engine failures as well. Most notably were the blown engines of Jamie McMurray, Marcos Ambrose and Jeff Burton, all of whom had good runs going until the tell-tale smoke billowed out from their tail pipes.

    “We blew up,” Ambrose, driver of the No. 9 Stanley Ford Fusion, said simply. “We are here trying to run for wins and run for championships and to trip over ourselves like that, it just isn’t going to get it done.”

    Not Surprising:  Although not technically a short track, there were some short track tempers flaring at Phoenix International Raceway. Most notably was a flare up between Carl Edwards, driver of the No. 99 Subway Ford for whom the race was named, and Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 39 Wix Filters Chevrolet.

    On lap 256, Newman brought out the seventh caution of the race, crashing after contact with Edwards.

    “I’m 99 percent sure Carl Edwards didn’t do that on purpose,” Newman said. “But I trusted him.”

    “Now he can’t trust me because there is a lot to be had and lost, and we lost today,” Newman continued. “We know plenty of times in this sport, what comes around goes around.”

  • Countdown to Daytona: 85

    Countdown to Daytona: 85

    With just 85 more days to Daytona, the focus can be on none other than Jeff Gordon’s 85th historic win this season. With his 85th victory, Gordon moved from being tied with Bobby Allison and Darrell Waltrip to sole position in third on the all-time career win list.

    [media-credit name=”Photo Credit: Chris Graythen/Getty Images” align=”alignright” width=”224″][/media-credit]Gordon also joined even more elite company, now behind Richard Petty, with 200 career victories, and David Pearson, with 105 career wins. The Hendrick Motorsports driver earned his 85th win at the track where he made his Cup debut in 1992.

    The historic 85th win also came with some drama as weather wreaked havoc with the AdvocCare 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway that weekend this season. Gordon scored the historic 85th after a two-day rain delay and by surviving a race delayed by several showers, as well as several late-race wrecks.

    In fact, Gordon’s historic win came in an historic race, as the AdvoCare 500 was only the second Cup race since 1978 to run on a Tuesday. The race was originally scheduled for Sunday evening, but Tropical Storm Lee forced the two-day rain delay.

    While Gordon led 146 of the 325 laps during the Tuesday race and was out front for the final 38 laps, the finish was more than challenging. And it was none other than his teammate, nemesis and five-time champ Jimmie Johnson battling him for the race win at the end.

    Gordon was so intent on holding off Johnson to win the race, that he totally lost track of his historic 85th.

    “I totally forgot about that,” Gordon said in Victory Lane on receiving a special plaque from NASCAR saluting his 85th win. “Eighty-five, wow. That is unbelievable.”

    “We really used the car up at the end,” Gordon continued. “I was slipping and sliding. It was a lot of fun racing with Jimmie (Johnson).”

    While securing his 85th, Gordon was also at that time primarily focused on making the Chase for the Championship and a run at his own fifth title. With his 85th victory and third win of the 2011 season, he also scored sole possession for the fifth spot in the point standings.

    “I’m just blown away by the kind of day we had; the kind of year we’re having,” Gordon said. “I just feel rejuvenated in such a big way.”

    Gordon’s crew chief Alan Gustafson shared his driver’s sentiments, but also admitted that he had been worried going into the 1.5 mile Atlanta race track.

    “This was one of the race tracks that we felt like, to be an elite team and contend for the championship, we’ll have to do well on these styles of tracks,” Gustafson said. “There were times when I felt like we were going to win the race and times that we were 10th and it look like it was going to rain out.”

    “That’s all Jeff Gordon right there,” Gustafson said of his driver and his historic 85th win.

    There was other drama on the race track that might have impacted Gordon’s historic 85th win, however, the driver of the No. 24 Drive to End Hunger managed to stay out of the fray. Involved in ‘Boys have at it, Atlanta style’ were Juan Pablo Montoya and Clint Bowyer, the former sending the latter into the wall, damaging his Chase hopes.

    After that encounter, Bowyer had a few choice names for JPM, as well as saying it was impossible to race around him.

    “We’re out here racing for a spot in the Chase,” Bowyer said. “He’s racing for nothing.”

    In addition to dodging the wrecks at race end, Gordon also had to survive a very close finish to score his 85th career victory. He won by just about half a second, 0.598 seconds to be exact, over his teammate Jimmie Johnson, who at the end of this race took over the top spot in the Chase standings.

    Johnson was running so fast at the end trying to catch Gordon that he literally was sideways coming to the checkered flag.

    “I’m so glad I grew up racing on dirt,” Johnson said. “I could have spun out four or five times at the end. To race that hard, that sideways at 180 mph, lap after lap, is a good time.”

    “That was fun,” Gordon said of his Atlanta win and his 85th career victory. “We’ve been able to send a message of how strong this team is and just how good our race cars are.”

  • Matty’s Picks: Vol. 26 – Texas – November 6, 2011

    Matty’s Picks: Vol. 26 – Texas – November 6, 2011

    I am a fan of old western movies, (some of my favorites include High Plains Drifter, The Outlaw Josy Wales, and North To Alaska) and this week couldn’t be any more of a cliché storyline showdown if you asked for it.

    [media-credit name=”texasmotorspeedway.com” align=”alignright” width=”300″][/media-credit]First, the race takes place in the Lone Star State, the most cliché western setting on the face of the Earth. Second, The Chase for the Sprint Cup is boiling down to a two-man showdown between points-leader, Carl Edwards and two-time Sprint Cup Champion Tony Stewart. The lead has been shaved to eight with just three weekends remaining in the 2011 campaign.

    Third, the video and graphics posted on Texas Motor Speedway’s homepage tells it all. President of Texas Motor Speedway, Eddie Gossage might be dubbed the Don King of NASCAR after this weekend’s hype of the Stewart/Edwards saga.

    Not to add insult to injury but fourth, Tony Stewart’s comments in Victory Lane last weekend at Martinsville Speedway was the quote heard ‘round the world: “Carl Edwards had better be real worried. That’s all I’ve got to say. He’s not going to sleep for the next three weeks.”

    This race has certainly gained the attention of race fans across the globe, and may be more hyped than the “Thrilla in Manila” before all is said and done.

    Martinsville Recap

    With qualifying rained out last Saturday, Denny Hamlin would start the No. 11 FedEx Freight Toyota 11th, and quickly made it known that I had made a solid Winner Pick. An early incident would force Hamlin to Pit Road for fresh slicks, restarting him at the rear of the field. The fresh Goodyear’s were all he needed to hit the point by lap 63.

    As all race fans know, 500 laps at Martinsville is an eternity…Hamlin, the favorite at the historic short track knows that the key to winning at the paper clip is staying out of trouble. Caution by caution, the race drew on until Hamlin regained the lead at lap 320.

    With 81 laps remaining, Hamlin was shown fourth on the leaderboard, but could not find the speed to run with eventual race-winner, but enough to fend off the lower-half of the Top-10, finishing in 5th. My Winner Pick mentioned the chaos last week after the checkered flew: “For Martinsville for sure. People just have no regard. I would get into guys and then I know it’s coming — I’m going to get slammed in the next corner. It’s just one of those things where it’s frustrating to watch because you see some of these cars getting torn up on accidents. Accidents happen and some these drivers need to realize that.”

    As for my Dark Horse Pick, I was at a severe disadvantage when I submitted my column last week before ANY on-track activity at the paper clip. After starting 20th, Juan Montoya drove his way into the Top-15, overcame two costly penalties on Pit Road, but still finished outside the Top-20 in 22nd.

    I said last week that I was going out on a limb by picking the Colombia native, and that’s exactly the result I received when the hoodless No. 42 Target Chevrolet crossed the finish line in 22nd last week.

    Texas Picks

    Dark Horse Pick

    Marcos Ambrose is my guy this week.

    Ambrose is starting to get the hang of these fast 1.5-mile intermediate tracks. His performances this season Texas and her two twin sisters, Charlotte and Atlanta, has proved that Ambrose is a threat when the haulers pull into Fort Worth. Ambrose finished 6th in our first trip to Texas Motor Speedway this spring, he matched that finish at Charlotte in the Coke Zero 600, and one-up’ed himself just three weeks ago in the Bank of America 500, finishing 5th.

    His only finish outside the Top-10 out of the three sister tracks was Labor Day weekend at Atlanta where he finished 21st. Prior to this season, Ambrose hadn’t scored a Top-10 at Texas Motor Speedway. Ambrose will bring the same chassis that has finished so well this season (No. 735) at Texas, Charlotte, and Atlanta,

    He is coming off a fairly dismal, 29th-place finish last week at Martinsville and looks forward to Sunday’s AAA Texas 500: “I enjoy going to Texas Motor Speedway. I have run well there in the past and it’s always seemed to be a good track for me. We’ve been good on 1.5-mile tracks this year and I think we’ve got the intermediate track setup figured out. We are taking the same car we finished sixth with earlier this year back to Texas this weekend, so I’m optimistic about our chances and I expect to see the DEWALT Ford finish in the Top 10 Sunday.”

    Winner Pick

    Its only right that I pick one of the two drivers taking part in the Showdown In The Lone State State this week. That being said, I’m going with the driver of the duo that has yet to score a win in this 2011 Chase for the Sprint Cup.

    After this spring’s trip to Texas, Carl Edwards was shown 3rd on the leaderboard behind race-winner Matt Kenseth, and non-chaser Clint Bowyer.  This was the first trip to Texas since 2008 that Edwards scored a Top-5, following a drought that lasted the 2009 and 2010 seasons.

    Edwards swept the races at Texas in 2008, and scored his first victory at Texas in the fall of 2005. Edwards has finished outside the Top-10 just one time during this 2011 Chase for the Sprint Cup, his 11th place finish coming at the roulette wheel, Talladega Superspeedway.

    It’s almost a lock for a Top-5 this week for me, and with Edwards’ attitude working for me, my confidence level couldn’t be any higher: “We couldn’t be coming to a better race track. This track has been great for us. Practice went really well. We’ve got two Fords one and two and we’ve got as good a car and engine as we’ve ever brought here, so that’s good and I’m just ready for qualifying tonight. We’d like to qualify well and get a good starting position. It would be really nice if we could qualify on the pole and get that first pit box. That would be spectacular, but this race is one of the most fun races we go to.” 

    That’s it for this week, stay tuned next week as The 2011 Chase for the Sprint Cup heads to the desert…

    Until next week…You Stay Classy NASCAR NATION!

  • Mark Martin to Join Michael Waltrip Racing in 2012

    Mark Martin to Join Michael Waltrip Racing in 2012

    Michael Waltrip Racing announced Thursday that driver of the No. 00 car David Reutimann has been released from the team for the 2012 season. Reutimann will stay with the team for the three remaining races of 2011.  In David’s career with MWR he scored two wins, 12 top-five, 25 top-10 finishes, and achieved four pole awards. He is currently 28th in Sprint Cup Series points.

    [media-credit name=”mwr.com” align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]”David has been a significant part of Michael Waltrip Racing since the very beginning and will forever be a part of our heritage,” Waltrip said in a statement. “We want to thank David for his contribution to our growth and success over the past five years and wish him well in the future.”

    In a press conference Friday morning at Texas Motor Speedway, it was announced that Mark Martin will replace Reutimann in the No. 00.  Martin will split the ride with owner Michael Waltrip for a part-time schedule in the 2012 and 2013 seasons.  Martin will run 25 races each season, including 24 points races and the All-star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.  He will drive in the Daytona 500 and Waltrip will drive the three remaining restrictor-plate races for the 2012 season.

    “The performance level is not where they’d it like to be right now, but they’re making a serious move toward stepping that up,” Martin said during the press conference. “I’m really excited to have a chance to be a part of that. Everybody knows I like to help people. Getting a chance to work with some of the young drivers that come along and come through the program is something that really means a lot to me.”

    With Aaron’s sponsoring 30 races, MWR plans to run a combination of drivers and sponsors for the No. 00 car for the remaining six races.  MWR will keep crew chief Rodney Childers on the No. 00 team.  Mark will join MWR teammates Martin Truex Jr and Clint Bowyer.  Bowyer will be leaving Richard Childress Racing next season to make the move to MWR.

  • Jeff Gordon and Trevor Bayne Provide the Fireworks at Talladega

    Jeff Gordon and Trevor Bayne Provide the Fireworks at Talladega

    Clint Bowyer claimed the victory at Talladega and Richard Childress Racing captured its 100th Sprint Cup win. The real drama of the race, however, was provided by Trevor Bayne and Jeff Gordon.

    [media-credit name=”CIA Stock Photo” align=”alignright” width=”247″][/media-credit]Gordon had been instrumental in Bayne’s surprise win at the Daytona 500 early in the season so the two of them had some history working together.

    But Gordon probably knew what everyone had been hearing all week. The order had come down from Ford Racing that Fords would only work with Fords.

    Still, Gordon had lost his drafting partner and he probably figured it was worth a shot.

    So before the last restart of the race Jeff Gordon radioed Bayne and proposed that they work together on the final run.

    Gordon didn’t expect him to agree but when Bayne said, ‘Yeah man, I’m pushing you. We’re good,’ Gordon said, “I believed him. But I think they had a different plan.”

    Unfortunately, the partnership never really happened. Bayne, who insinuated that he was acting on team orders, left Gordon high and dry. Gordon finished a disappointing 27th and Bayne finished in the 15th position.

    Bayne posted on Twitter shortly after the race to explain his actions.

    @tbayne21: I’m not happy about what this has become… It’s too premeditated. We should be able to go with whoever is around (us).

    @tbayne21: I would have rather pulled over and finished last than tell @JeffGordonWeb I would work with him and then be strong armed into bailing.

    Gordon was understandably upset after the race.

    “I was going to go with (Casey Mears),” he said, “but Trevor lined up behind me and when he agreed to it, I said, ‘Hey, we can’t go with a better person than that. He’s got a fast race car; we already have history of working well together’ and I thought it was a no-brainer. But I probably should have known better.”

    When Gordon was asked if he thought Bayne was following team orders, he answered, “It would seem to me like that’s it.”

    But the story doesn’t end there.

    Kevin Woods, Senior Director of Corporate Communications at Roush Fenway Racing, was also on twitter following the race attempting a little spin control.

    When I questioned him about what happened he indicated that the choice was in Bayne’s hand, quite the opposite of what Bayne had said earlier.

    @PRKevinRFR @angiecampbell_ He could do what he needed, but NOBODY is going to hang out a teammate…not Gordon, not anyone…

    @PRKevinRFR @angiecampbell_ He made the deal before he knew Matt was going to have an issue. He did exactly what Gordon would have done for the 48,88,5

    I’m sure this is not the last we will hear about the matter but it does appear that Roush Fenway Racing is now the one leaving Trevor Bayne high and dry.

    Bob Pockrass with SceneDaily.com reported on twitter that Roush Fenway President Steve Newmark had this to say.

    “No one at Roush gave a specific instruction to Trevor about what he had to do in that situation.”

    The aftermath leaves several questions unanswered and the truth slightly unclear.

    Did Ford or Roush Fenway Racing give orders that Fords could only work with Fords or that teammates could only work with teammates?

    Was Trevor Bayne specifically told not to work with Jeff Gordon and help a teammate instead?

    Do fans really want to see manufacturers racing manufacturers or do they want to see individual drivers racing to win?

    Or should the entire situation be blamed on the two car tandem racing that is becoming the norm at restrictor plate race tracks? When a partner is a necessity at these types of races, is it any wonder that the team mentality comes into play?

    One thing is certain; NASCAR has some work to do at these types of tracks.

    Steve O’Donnell, Senior Vice-President of NASCAR, acknowledged this on twitter saying, “(I) know we have work to do on Superspeedway(s) and we’ll certainly stay after it.”

  • Team Orders determine Outcome at Talladega

    Team Orders determine Outcome at Talladega

    Sadly, we are now looking at the politics of the sport. Now the politics have always been there it’s just that they were under currents that the fans couldn’t hear and were not exposed to. Now with the scanners and things on the internet where we can eavesdrop on the teams and conversations we are faced with the politics of racing.

    [media-credit name=”CIA Stock Photo” align=”alignright” width=”248″][/media-credit]Racing is a team sport. It always has been. There was a time when most teams had one car until we got down to the end of the season and then other cars were fielded to manipulate the points finishes. Those cars would drop out to push finishes further to the top of the pylon. That was how it was done. There were “team orders” even then. The team order was OK take it to the house you are done. Thanks.

    There were team orders with the manufacturers as well. I remember the fights between the Bow Tie Brigade and the Church of the Blue Oval. Pontiac and Buick. Buick and Oldsmobile. The manufacturers are in this to sell cars. To draw attention to their make and the speed that it produces. They are about winners.

    There have always been defections. One of the biggest back in the day was Jeff Gordon. He left Bill Davis and Ford to go to Rick Hendrick and Chevrolet after Ford had poured millions into his development as a driver. It was a blow. It was a shock. It was a rarity.

    Today team orders became very clear and obvious. They were apparent with Trevor Bayne and Jeff Gordon. They were apparent with Jimmie Johnson and Dale Jr. They were apparent with Clint Bowyer and Jeff Burton. They were apparent with Carl Edwards and Greg Biffle.

    Remember this is a business. Someone has to pay the bills. Someone has to provide the resources and the technology. It’s sad to say but the man with the check book calls the shots. You don’t have to like it but it’s in everything you do and everywhere you go. Money talks and money makes the decisions that effect our lives. The drivers are no different.

    It was obvious that Ford, actually Jack Roush made the call for Trevor to dump Gordon. Trevor as much as said so. “I would have rather pulled over and finished last than tell @JeffGordonWeb I would work with him and then be strong armed into bailing.” Bayne tweeted. Gordon’s view point was a little different. “When we lost Mark (Martin), when you lose your drafting partner, you do all that you can and we did all that we could. The unfortunate part is that we made a deal with somebody and they reneged on it after we took the green.’’ Roush made the call. It is a call he will have to live with. But lets try to remember that Roush had team orders too. Ford team orders.

    Even the golden boys of NASCAR, the Hendricks Motorsports team had team orders. Dale Jr and Jimmie Johnson obviously had cars that were capable of running up front. They both were bitten in Daytona by the run around in the back and wait tactic. But again today when Earnhardt was wanting to go up and race team orders came down and the pair went to the back and again the call to go came too late and then was made worse by the late race caution as was reported by ESPN’s Marty Smith. Team orders in this case probably cost 5 time champion Jimmie Johnson the 6th consecutive championship. Jimmie will take the heat from the ever vocal Junior Nation. But the truth is the orders came from above Jimmie’s head. The orders came from above the crew chief’s head. Whatever it was that they were waiting for never materialized and again it relegated them to deep in the field finishing spots.

    Team orders played a role in the victory of Clint Bowyer as well. The Childress teams stood together. They didn’t race with others. Because of that Bowyer and Burton were in a position to settle the race between them. The pusher always has the advantage because of the tandem racing communications that are necessary. One spotter. One crew chief. Bowyer pulled out and made it a drag race. He beat Burton by the front fenders of the car. But he did so because of team orders. Richard Childress stated, “Not running in the back might have cost Harvick the championship but he came to do what they’re supposed to do: race.”

    The problem here is not that the orders were given. The problem is that they exist to begin with. Multiple car teams make team orders inevitable. Despite what some owners say about all things being equal for all drivers. We know that is not the case. We have seen that is not the case. We have seen it across the board in all series. The problem is team orders manipulate the competition. They always have. Just like in the early days when cars would drop out at pre determined times to guarantee points positions. It hasn’t changed. Team orders are still determining the final result on the track not only in who wins the race but in who wins the championship. It is a sad thing. But it has always been a part of our sport. It most likely always will be.

    The most important thing about this race most likely will be lost in the politics and controversy of the race. The most important thing was that despite scarey looking wrecks and incredibly hard impacts every one is going home safe. They races with heavy hearts but they reached down where their courage lives and they climbed in and they raced. They raced in tribute to a fallen champion. I am pretty sure that Dan Wheldon was more than proud to ride with every single one of them.

     

    ~~~~~ **** ~~~~~

    Congratulations to Mike Wallace on his truck series win in Talladega. It was awesome to see Mike have the opportunity to show how much talent he has and what he can do with it in good equipment.Congratulations to Clint Bowyer. Clint gave his word when he signed a contract a few years back. He was true to his word. He raced to win despite the fact that he is leaving at the end of the year to go to MWR.

    To all the competitors in all the series thanks for giving us everything you have to give, you are our heroes. Most importantly, thanks to all the families who shared their loved ones with us so we could cheer our favorite driver and favorite teams. You are the true heroes of the sport and we are forever in your debt.

  • NASCAR Mixes Chase, Charity and Gout Awareness at Charlotte

    NASCAR Mixes Chase, Charity and Gout Awareness at Charlotte

    This weekend marks the midway point of NASCAR’s closest yet Chase for the championship, with just eight drivers within 20 points of the top of the leader board. Yet in the midst of the Chase, charity has also been a major theme at Charlotte Motor Speedway for the race weekend.

    [media-credit name=”goutpitstop.com” align=”alignright” width=”223″][/media-credit]The major charitable focus, as expected in the month of October, has been for breast cancer awareness.  Almost all of the race cars have been adorned with some sort of pink accents, from the recognizable pink ribbon logos, to pink lanyards and gloves worn by the NASCAR officials.

    “Breast cancer awareness month is one of those unique opportunities in which the NASCAR industry and NASCAR fans rally together for such a special and important cause,” Sandy Marshall, executive director of The NASCAR Foundation, said. “Each year the program gets bigger.”

    Other charities featured in the Chase race weekend at Charlotte include the USO on Clint Bowyer’s No. 33 Richard Childress Racing Chevy, as well as the No. 16 machine of Greg Biffle sporting a paint scheme for the 3M/Give Kids a Smile effort.

    The most unique charitable initiative, however, is one led by Kevin ‘Bono’ Manion, crew chief for the No. 1 Bass Pro Shop/Arctic Cat Chevrolet driven by Jamie McMurray. Manion has been leading the charge for a new gout awareness campaign in conjunction with the Men’s Health Network and Takeda.

    Manion suffers from gout, a form of arthritis that affects over 8.3 million people in the United States. It is often misunderstood as a disease afflicting those who are rich who indulge in too much food and alcohol.

    “It’s an educational campaign to bring awareness to anyone suffering from gout,” Manion said. “I’ve had it for about ten years and for awhile I didn’t know what it was.”

    “I suffered a lot until the pain got so unbearable that you couldn’t sleep because the sheets couldn’t touch your foot,” Manion continued. “I’ve heard of gout before but always thought of somebody that drank a lot or that it was a rich man’s disease.”

    “I’m basically trying to get the word out there and to let others know that they are not alone.”

    Manion has partnered in the awareness campaign with Men’s Health Network and Takeda. His participation as a spokesperson has not only helped to educate himself about the disease but also to reach others who may be suffering.

    One of the biggest issues related to gout is the shock of receiving the diagnosis, particularly due to the stigma and stereotyping of the illness.

    “When I got my diagnosis, I was surprised for sure,” Manion said. “I’m not a heavy drinker and don’t do those things that they say trigger a flare up.”

    “When I went to the doctor finally, I thought I had a broken foot or a broken toe,” Manion continued. “I went to get X-rayed and they told me that I had gout instead.”

    “It was surprising but you wouldn’t believe the people that I’ve met who are suffering too.”

    Manion has learned many lessons after being diagnosed with gout. Other than having some occasional pain climbing up the ladder to the top of the pit box or running around on race weekend, he has been able to manage his symptoms.

    “What I’ve learned is that you have to take care of yourself,” Manion said. “Like your race car, you’ve got to take care of your body”.

    “As we get older, things change and for me I hopefully have not done any damage by not taking care of myself,” Manion continued. “Everyone’s different.”

    “There’s surely ways to manage through medication, exercise and watching your diet,” Manion said. “But it’s basically being cautious of what’s going on.”

    This weekend, Manion has spent time in the Fan Zone sharing his experience and educating race fans on this illness.

    “A lot of people I’ve met haven’t been to the doctor so encouraging people to see their health care provider to get checked out,” Manion said. “We have information at the ‘Gout Pit Stop’ booth and people can also visit the website www.goutpitstop.com for more information as well.”

    While Manion and many of the other drivers and teams in the sport focus on charitable endeavors throughout the race weekend, they have just one other goal in common. All want to chase the win in the Bank of America 500.

    “Our goal is to win the race,” Manion said simply. “We have a great record and Jamie loves this place. We have a win here so with a 500 mile race, we hope to have a good car for the long haul.”