Clint Bowyer has been one of the fastest cars all week, and he showed that again during Saturday’s final Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Bowyer, who led the way in Friday’s practice and was quickest in two of three rounds of qualifying in the No. 14, was looking sporty on Saturday with an average lap speed of 179.104 mph.
Kyle Busch was second but was forced to go to the rear of the field after smacking the outside wall and spinning in Turn 2 (178.873 mph). Austin Dillon was third (178.712mph), Michael McDowell was fourth, and Corey LaJoie rounded out the top-five.
“Just got loose. We were trying to run a run, and the car was pretty good with fire off there,” Busch said. “We ran some really good times and then just kept getting a little bit looser, a little bit looser. I tried to go back to the bottom and run the bottom to see how slow I had to be to go around the bottom and just snapped.”
Completing the Top 10 were Kurt Busch, Joey Logano, Daniel Hemric, Ryan Newman, and Martin Truex Jr.
Busch was forced to go to a backup car, which means he will have to start Sunday’s Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 from the rear of the field.
Erik Jones went to the garage late in the session after his No. 20 Toyota started to spew smoke. It was reported that he was suffering power steering issues.
Brad Keselowski, who was sidelined by flu-like symptoms for most of the session, was 28th quickest.
Of the drivers who ran at least 10 consecutive laps, it was the Kyle and Kyle show. Kyle Busch was quickest (177.302 mph), followed by Kyle Larson.
Another season has come and gone, along with a few more drivers and fans, to be honest. However, there are some things I have noticed that are on the positive side, though not all would agree.
I like stage racing. I was not sure to start with, but I like it now. It helps chronicle who mattered early and it informs us as to who mattered throughout. It even tells us who won, and it rewards that winner is a meaningful way.
As a traditionalist, I was dead set against the playoffs. I have changed my mind. Logically, it makes no sense to have the pretenders still on the same competitive field as the contenders. Yet, it has not much affected the action, other than for one understandably upset Matt Kenseth. In this snowflake influenced world of ours, sometimes vengeance can still be had.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. was not missed on the track due to his excellence in the NBC broadcast booth alongside Jeff Burton, Steve Letarte, Rick Allen and a very stout track-side team. They were entertaining, informative, and sounded like they were excited being there. That is all it takes, but it took a long, long time for some to figure that out. I am not sure FOX has yet.
NASCAR boss man Brian France left the scene in August after being tagged with charges of aggravated driving while intoxicated and criminal possession of a controlled substance. Replaced by his uncle, I think most think that was a positive step. At least Jim France bothers to show up at the track every week.
The France family is looking to fold its 13 track International Speedway Corp., which includes Darlington, Daytona, Martinsville and Talladega, into a merger with NASCAR itself. One can speculate as to the reasons, be it to lay out “a more unified strategic approach”, as Jim France says, or to package it all up for sale. Time will tell.
Sometime over the past decade, the “How bad have you got it” mantra went out the window, along with the fans they were asking. Most of the races this season had a dip in ratings, with at least 26 being seen as having their worst of the past decade, if not of all time. Most of the celebrities are gone, we produce fewer gear heads these days, and the good ole boys and girls like Bo, Luke, and Daisy have been replaced in society by those who know more about tissues than issues.
It appears Jamie McMurray is leaving the driver’s seat, at least on a full-time basis. Kurt Busch could be his replacement with Chip Ganassi. Kenseth is set to step back from even doing that after spelling off Trevor Bayne. Ryan Newman will take their place at Roush-Fenway, with newcomer Daniel Hemric taking his former ride with Richard Childress. Furniture Row is now gone, as Martin Truex Jr. heads over to Joe Gibbs, bumping Daniel Suarez possibly over to replace the elder Busch at Stewart-Haas. A.J. Allmendinger will be without a ride, giving up his seat to rookie Ryan Preece. Kasey Kahne has called it a career, and the 17-year combination of Jimmie Johnson and Chad Knaus comes to an end.
Changes. Some we like, some we will not, at least to start with. Will fans come back in droves? Nope. Why should they? Give them a reason, give them entertainment, give them a reason to care.
All they have to do is figure out what that is. Over the course of the past decade, they have not.
1. JOEY LOGANO – 5040 POINTS (3 Wins)
This is not “fake news.” Logano is a deserving, even if not an overly popular, champion.
2. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 5035 POINTS (4 Wins)
If we could ignore the facts for our own biases…but we can not. Now he is off to join the Coach.
3. KEVIN HARVICK – 5034 POINTS (8 Wins)
If he could win all those he dominated for a period of time, he would have gone double figures.
4. KYLE BUSCH – 5033 POINTS (8 Wins)
Great seasons can be spoiled by the uncertainty of a playoff. Case in point…
5. ARIC ALMIROLA – 2354 POINTS (1 Win)
Not everyone is moving on. Then again, he was one of those movers not so long ago.
6. CHASE ELLIOTT – 2350 POINTS (3 Wins)
The future of Hendrick has already arrived.
7. KURT BUSCH – 2350 POINTS (1 Win)
If he wants to race Indy, his rumored new boss might have a few options open to him.
8. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 2343 POINTS (3 Wins)
“I’m going to say it again. I did not intentionally spin out that driver, Mr. Suarez.”
9. KYLE LARSON – 2299 POINTS
If your business is named “Hi-Line”, I have a marketing opportunity for you.
10. RYAN BLANEY – 2298 POINTS (1 Win)
Like Chase, he is one of the positives NASCAR can showcase for the future.
11. DENNY HAMLIN – 2285 POINTS
As with Johnson, a years-long streak of wins in a season comes to an end.
12. CLINT BOWYER – 2272 POINTS (2 Wins)
Light-hearted and funny. Plus, if you ever find yourself in a ditch, he has connections.
13. AUSTIN DILLON – 2245 POINTS (1 Win)
That win was nice, but the iconic number was not so iconic after Daytona.
14. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 2242 POINTS
The marriage with Chad lasted longer than a vast majority of Hollywood relationships.
15. ERIK JONES – 2220 POINTS (1 Win)
At 22, That Jones Boy is making Joe Gibbs feel pretty good about the future.
16. ALEX BOWMAN – 2204 POINTS
Driving a car once driven by an Earnhardt is not an easy act to follow.
17. RYAN NEWMAN – 769 POINTS
Off to become one of the guys over at the House that Jack built. Maybe even his bodyguard.
18. RICKY STENHOUSE JR. – 701 POINTS
After five years, the storyline changed in 2018, along with a downturn in performance
19. PAUL MENARD – 692 POINTS
Will be around as long as a certain home improvement company markets its wares on a stock car.
20. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 683 POINTS
If this marks the end of the line, he finishes it up among those who mattered.
Legends are rare. Many get an honorary title, no doubt stars in their own right at one time long ago or a pioneer of some description. However, to be a true legend, an icon, it takes a lot to make the grade. In NASCAR, David Pearson was an undisputed legendary driver, one of the best all-time, a true giant of the sport.
The Silver Fox passed away this week at the age of 83. His 105 career Cup victories have him placed only behind the 200 accumulated by the King, Richard Petty. Sixty-three times the pair finished one-two on the track, an amazing statistic showcasing what is unarguably the greatest rivalry in the sport. It stretched from the 1963 Sandlapper 200 in Columbia, South Carolina through to the 1977 World 600.
Pearson’s career covered the years of 1960 through to his final start in 1986, yet he managed to race in more than half the schedule just a dozen times. Running 90 percent of the schedule? Just thrice. That does not even include his 1966 championship year, one of his three titles, when he won 15, competed in 42, skipped out on seven others. In 1973, he won 11 of the 18 he competed in. While Petty drove in everything, Pearson drove when he wanted. It appears that when he wanted, he wanted to win. Pearson’s first victory was the 1961 World 600. His last was Darlington’s Rebel 500 in 1980, one of the nine he competed in that season. In total, 574 starts, 105 wins.
David Pearson is truly among NASCAR’s racing gods residing atop its Mount Olympus. Truth be told, he has had a reservation up there for a very long time.
At Homestead, one of four hope to add to their own legacy, to maybe establish themselves as one of the sport’s future legends.
1. KYLE BUSCH – 5000 POINTS (8 Wins – 1388 Season Points)
Will the best on the season be the championship winner?
2. KEVIN HARVICK – 5000 POINTS (8 Wins – 1333 Season Points)
Back in the old days, this championship would have already been decided.
3. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 5000 POINTS (4 Wins – 1212 Season Points)
One final race for the boys and girls from Colorado.
4. JOEY LOGANO – 5000 POINTS (2 Wins – 1192 Season Points)
Believes he is the favorite going in. All he has to do now is prove it.
5. CHASE ELLIOTT – 2320 POINTS (3 Wins)
With one shot, Denny managed to burst the bubble of not one, but two rivals.
6. KURT BUSCH – 2318 POINTS (1 Win)
Too much gas cost him the lead, too much Hamlin kept him from taking it back.
7. ARIC ALMIROLA – 2316 POINTS (1 Win)
For a moment he must have believed, but the hamster under the hood was not big enough.
8. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 2309 POINTS (3 Wins)
Penske teams are out…but they won’t let themselves be forgotten.
9. RYAN BLANEY – 2278 POINTS (1 Win)
In fact, no one would be terribly surprised if either Brad or Ryan wins this weekend.
10. KYLE LARSON – 2256 POINTS
Too late for this year, but he keeps reminding us that there is more than one Kyle out there.
11. DENNY HAMLIN – 2252 POINTS
His final shot to keep his yearly win streak alive, and he can not be counted out.
12. CLINT BOWYER – 2242 POINTS (2 Wins)
Went from rating among the top eight to hanging on as a member of the dirty dozen.
13. AUSTIN DILLON – 2219 POINTS (1 Win)
Might not win this one, but he has done well in the next one.
14. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 2217 POINTS
The beginning of the end or just a blip on the radar?
15. ERIK JONES – 2207 POINTS (1 Win)
NASCAR has two guys with the same name, kind of. Is there room for an Eric one day?
16. ALEX BOWMAN – 2196 POINTS
Though he has done well, he still hasn’t made us forgot the name of the guy he replaced.
17. RYAN NEWMAN – 747 POINTS
No playoff run this year, but he still is the Hot Dog Eating Champion in four states.
18. RICKY STENHOUSE JR. – 680 POINTS
If you thought he was fired up at Phoenix, you should have seen his car.
19. PAUL MENARD – 680 POINTS
Last week at Phoenix he reminded me of the Arizona Cardinals. 29th place.
20. DANIEL SUAREZ – 667 POINTS
McMurray is just three points back. Neither has a ride for next season.
LEADERSHIP…sucks. Usually, when you lead a race, when you are the guy kicking ass and taking names, it is a good thing. Not at Phoenix. It turned out to be steering the leading car was very similar to being the moral compass on the Walking Dead. You just wind up being some zombie’s souffle. Just when a boy became the golden child, the man out front, the driver all alone leading the parade, fate kicked him in the teeth.
Kevin Harvick was the man to start. He had the pole, he took the lead, he beat back all challenges from Chase Elliott. Then, with a couple of laps to go in the opening stage, a tire went down, his lead went out the window, and he was forced to pit. Elliott grabbed the points. Harvick wound up with a bucket of something less tasteful than honey.
Off to the second stage. Elliott lost the front to Kurt Busch. He dominated. He was the man. Joey Logano already had his pass to Homestead, so when his left rear let go and wrecked out, no big deal. However, with about 20 laps left, Clint Bowyer’s own left rear departed to end his day as well as his championship hopes.
It was time to pit, to get some fresh rubber. Harvick stayed out after the caution had put him back on the lead lap. A win by Busch would have made that fact meaningless, but he decided to gas it coming to the pits and that pushed him past the pace car. A lap penalty was his reward. Once again, Harvick was back in the top four in the battle to advance, along with Logano, Martin Truex Jr. as well as Kyle Busch, who went on to win the stage.
So, when it came down to the final push, Harvick was just three points ahead of Kurt in points banked, but sitting a lap and more than 20 positions ahead of him on the track. Of course, if Elliott could win it, it would not matter what either of those two boys did. As for Kyle and Truex, they just had to avoid disaster to run against Logano for the championship next week.
It was all Kyle Busch. For a while. Then he gave up the lead to Elliott. Just in time, as it turned out. When Elliott pitted under green, he was a little too speedy. So much for the lead, but on an interesting track, both the action and the intrigue just went up a notch. Who was going to be in and who was going to be left on the outside? All the contenders were back on the lead lap, all had a shot coming down to the final 50 laps.
Some of the mystery went away late in the run. Kurt Busch was not leading, but he was close. When Denny Hamlin got loose and went up the track, he got very close to Busch. Too close. They made contact, Busch caught the fence, then turned down to take out Elliott. Three on the outside were now done, with only one challenger remaining.
Aric Almirola needed to win. He needed to catch Kyle Busch. He looked good for a short time. Too short. There were just not enough ponies under his hood. When they hit the line, Kyle won his 51st career Cup race, with Brad Keselowski and Kyle Larson between him and Almirola. Harvick finished fifth, Truex was 14th.
Despite the storylines, the quartet for Homestead remained as expected. Logano and the Big Three go in, with the best of the four in Florida in that one race taking home the championship. Next week, leadership will mean everything.
Kyle Busch won at ISM Raceway in the Can-Am 500 as the Championship 4 is set for the NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series. It was his eighth victory of the season and the 51st of his Cup career.
“I’d like to think it gives us a lot (of momentum), but I don’t know – talk is cheap,” said Busch in the newly designed Gatorade Victory Lane, a part of the $178 million renovation project at the 1-mile raceway. “We’ve got to be able to go out there and perform and just do what we need to do. Being able to do what we did here today was certainly beneficial. I didn’t think we were the best car, but we survived and we did what we needed to do today. It’s just about getting to next week and once we were locked in, it was ‘all bets are off and it’s time to go.’”
Adam Stevens, crew chief for the No. 18 M&Ms Toyota, and team owner Joe Gibbs addressed the media as they head into the final race of the 2018 season.
“Well, I think it’s important to come into the last race firing on all cylinders,” Stevens said about today’s victory. “And it’s hard to do that when you’re just riding around trying to score points. It’s not like we were throwing caution to the wind by any means. The job that we set out to do is to win the championship, and to do that you’ve got to beat them all.”
Kevin Harvick, Martin Truex Jr. and Joey Logano will join Busch in the Championship 4 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Logano crashed early in the race and did not join the others in the press conference.
“We just got a little bit of luck, a little bit of ‘right place, right time’ kinda thing,” Truex shared when discussing the various wrecks that happened in front of him. “One last hurrah next week and we’re gonna go give ’em all we got.”
“I think we have a chance every time we show up,” Harvick shared assessing his chances to win his second career Cup championship. “Our guys are doing a great job. Obviously, to accomplish everything we did this weekend was quite the feat without your crew chief and car chief, but Tony Gibson and Nick did a great job filling in. Everybody kept their head about them and we were competitive all weekend.”
William Byron also locked up the Rookie of the Year standings with his ninth-place effort.
“I take away my growth as a person and our growth as a team,” Byron told the media. “I think of road course races were really good. I feel like I’m in a good position for next year.”
Harvick-Chase Battle Creates Early Drama in Stage 1
The first two stages were split by 75 laps each. The remaining 162 laps would be scheduled for the final stage. As the green flag dropped, Harvick would show the way early, but throughout most of the run, Elliott was within a second of him. After the race last weekend at Texas Motor Speedway, most of the bottom four drivers were in a must-win situation. But since Wednesday’s announcement of Harvick’s penalty, there was hope for some drivers to possibly sneak in on points.
About 20 laps into the race, Elliott started inching his way closer to the rear bumper of Harvick, but as they started to approach lapped traffic, Harvick looked to claw his way through the field better and was able to put some distance between them. Elliott was completely silent on the radio, presumably happy with the handling of his Napa Chevrolet.
With three laps to go, tragedy struck for Harvick as he had a flat tire and had to come to pit road. Elliott inherited the lead and won Stage 1. Kurt Busch and Kyle Busch also finished in the top-10 and gained valuable bonus points. Elliott won the battle off pit road. Paul Menard stayed on pit road as the team lifted the hood and appeared to begin examining the engine. Harvick ended up going one lap down, and since he pit after pit road was closed (two laps to go in the stage), he was not eligible for the free pass under yellow, or the wave-around. At this point, Harvick and Truex would be knocked out of the Championship 4; Truex and Kurt Busch were tied in points, but Busch wins the tie-breaker with a better finish because he was second at this time, despite Truex finishing third at Martinsville.
Kurt Busch Shows Strength in Stage 2
On the restart, Kurt Busch fought hard on the outside to take over the lead from Chase Elliott. Elliott then had to fight off Ryan Blaney for a couple of laps but eventually settled into the second position.
With about 55 laps to go in the stage, Harvick made his way into the “Lucky Dog” position. One lap later, Joey Logano got a flat left-rear tire and crashed going into Turn 1. He is already locked in with his win at Martinsville, but this helped Harvick get himself back onto the lead lap. However, the carnage was just beginning.
Clint Bowyer crashes at the entrance to Turn 3, then drives away. Photo by Rachel Schuoler for Speedway Media.
With roughly 30 laps to go, Clint Bowyer crashed to bring out the yellow, ending his championship hopes. On pit road, lots of strategies took place, including a penalty. Roughly eight of the lead lap cars elected not to pit, but most of the other leaders came to pit road. Kurt Busch was caught passing the pace car and served a one-lap penalty.
It was addressed in the driver’s meeting, and we’ve seen similar penalties throughout the year. When entering pit road, the leader usually accelerates to create a gap between their car and the cars behind, a slight advantage that can be huge in certain circumstances. However, the leader is not allowed to pass the pace car before entering pit road. In this case, the nose of the No. 41 Haas Automation Ford was just ahead of the pace car before the first yellow line signaling the start of pit road. Even though he was in the lead at the time of the yellow, and won the battle off pit road, he would be served a penalty that would put their team one lap down.
Kyle Busch was one of the first cars out with fresh tires. He easily took over the top spot a couple of laps into the restart, winning Stage 2. Martin Truex Jr. finished third, and Kevin Harvick battled his way back up to the fourth position, making the “Big 3” the big discussion once again. Some of the leaders stayed out, preventing a “free pass” car and keeping Kurt Busch one lap down. Other drivers on older tires came to pit road for either two or four tires.
Championship Contenders Go Wild in the Final Stage
The field races through the new Turns 3 & 4 after one lap taking the green flag for a restart at ISM Raceway. Photo by Rachel Schuoler for Speedway Media.
With 160 laps to go, Kyle Busch would keep the lead ahead of Brad Keselowski and Ryan Blaney. At this time, most of the championship contenders were running in the top-11, except for Logano and Bowyer, who was out of the race. Kurt Busch was still stuck one lap down in the “Lucky Dog” position.
Green flag pit stops began as the race approached 85 laps to go. During some of the pit stops, including while Harvick was on pit road, Tanner Berryhill spun at the entrance of pit road. He did a great job of correcting the car to continue on, but not before NASCAR had to throw a yellow flag. The rest of the field came to pit road, but Elliott sped on pit road, forcing his No. 9 car to the rear of the field. Kurt Busch was the “Lucky Dog”, but most of the field elected for the wave-around.
On the restart, the Playoffs started to come into play for every point possible. We saw the field go three, even four wide in the dogleg. Blaney slowed suddenly and came to pit road. Harvick continued to claw his way up along with teammate Kurt Busch. As the two were getting around the lapped car of David Ragan, he appeared to slip entering Turn 3. Harvick misjudged his speed and got into the rear of Ragan and spun him out to bring out the sixth caution flag. A couple of drivers were toward the end of the field, but Kyle Busch visited pit road so his crew could examine some minor damage as he was outside of Harvick during that contact.
The field took the green again for a few laps, and just when the race seemed to mellow for a brief moment, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. took a hard hit to the outside wall in Turn 1. The rear end of the car was completely destroyed and even a brief fire ensued while he was still spinning. NASCAR displayed the red flag for 10 minutes with so much fluid coming from the No. 17. At this time, Kurt Busch was one point ahead of Harvick for the fourth and final Championship spot. However, that would quickly change.
As the field took the green, Erik Jones started to the inside of Kurt Busch but Jones got loose in the middle of Turns 1 & 2, forcing Busch up the track slightly. No harm was done, but Denny Hamlin made an aggressive move to get by both drivers. He couldn’t clear Busch in time and pinched him in the wall. However, with the championship on the line, Busch didn’t back out and stayed in the throttle. As he bounced off the wall, he continued to collide with Hamlin, eventually spinning him out and collecting Alex Bowman and Chase Elliott along the backstretch. That eventually ended the day for Busch as the damage clock expired, and his brother Kyle Busch officially locked himself into the Championship 4 on points. Elliott rejoined the track and was able to maintain minimum speed, but ran three laps down in the 24th position.
The sun sets behind the grandstands as Kyle Busch pulls away to his 51st career NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series win. Photo by Rachel Schuoler for Speedway Media.
The Cup drivers went racing again with about 30 laps to go. However, with all the nose damage on Bowman’s No. 88 Chevrolet, he went up in a ball of fire and smoke at the end of the frontstretch, causing him to crash in Turn 2 alongside pit entrance. NASCAR had to throw another red flag to clean up the incident. At this point, Harvick was back in the good on points. Aric Almirola was the only other driver left that could steal a spot in the Championship 4 if he won at ISM Raceway. Almirola was running fourth at the time when the field went back under yellow. Some of the leaders elected for a pit stop, including Kyle Larson, who took four tires and would restart in the eighth position.
This restart would be the first time for the Cup Series facing speedy dry in Turns 1 and 2. On Friday night, the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race had a restart with speedy dry in the first set of turns that prevented Grant Enfinger from getting a strong restart against Noah Gragson and Brett Moffitt. However, this wouldn’t faze Kyle Busch as he pulled away from a hard-charging Almirola but he got a second chance as Berryhill crashed to bring out another caution flag on the track.
With about 15 laps to go, the field took the green flag but Almirola appeared to just not have the right setup to run with Kyle Busch on the outside. Brad Keselowski tried to push him through to the front, but that caused Almirola to go wide through Turns 1 and 2. Keselowski was able to get by both him and Harvick to put a late race charge toward the lead, but there just wasn’t enough time to catch Busch.
“It certainly feels really good,” Busch said in the media center after celebrating his win with the fans. “It feels good to go off into next week with a win under our belt and hopefully do it again.”
Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Race Unofficial Race Results for the 31St Annual Can-Am 500 – Sunday, November 11, 2018 ISM Raceway – Avondale, AZ – 1 Mile Paved
If NASCAR was a certain 1977 hit movie, you could say that Sheriff Buford T. Justice finally got his hands on the Bandit. It might not have derailed the adventure, but there is a danger the Snowman might not be able to deliver that truckload of suds to their destination on time.
That quest could be spoiled by spoilers. Specifically, NASCAR tagged the team of Kevin Harvick with a top drawer penalty violating the rules that explicitly points out that spoilers must be used exactly as supplied from the manufacturer and not altered. Instead of getting that free pass to contend at Homestead, the boys are just three points in.
Gone are all the benefits of the win at Texas. No free pass, though Harvick does keep the guns and the hat. Gone are 40 of the sixty points he picked up in that race. Gone is crew chief Rodney Childers for the rest of the season. Gone is $75,000 from Childers’ pocket. Gone is car chief Robert Smith until the campaign is over. Stewart-Haas Racing will not appeal the penalties, as production manager Tony Gibson returns to the box he last sat atop a year ago, when he directed Kurt Busch to the 2017 Daytona 500 victory. With the decision, Busch now finds himself just three points out of the Homestead final four.
Post-race tear downs at the NASCAR Research and Development Center can be a real bitch. Ryan Blaney lost 20 points from Texas, along with crew chief Jeremy Bullins, who was fined $50,000, and car chief Kirk Almquist for the rest of the season. Same goes for Erik Jones, as crew chief Chris Gayle coughs up the same amount of cash and he joins car chief Jason Overstreet on the sidelines until the smoke clears in Florida.
Of course, neither of those rulings have anywhere close to the same impact as the hit taken by the No. 4 crew. It could all still end the same way most expect, with Logano joined by the Big Three at the big dance. Now, however, it will take a little more action before this movie runs the final credits.
In the words of Sheriff Justice, “What we’re dealing with here is a complete lack of respect for the law.” Well, message delivered.
Now it is time for the Bandit to keep his foot hard on the peddle, son, never mind them brakes. Let it all hang out ’cause you’ve got a run to make. Phoenix just got a lot more interesting.
1. JOEY LOGANO – ROUND VICTORY – 4119 Pts (7 Wins)
Shell Pennzoil is his Phoenix sponsor. At Homestead, maybe it should be Target.
2. KYLE BUSCH – 4128 POINTS (7 Wins)
Nothing has changed for him, other than there are now three opens spots instead of just two.
3. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 4125 POINTS (4 Wins)
Do not expect him to go down this week without having vengeance in his heart for the next.
4. KEVIN HARVICK – 4103 Pts (8 Wins)
A nine-time Phoenix winner suddenly could sure use a 10th about now.
5. KURT BUSCH – 4100 POINTS (1 Win)
Would hate to break his brother’s heart but as for those other two…
6. CHASE ELLIOTT – 4086 POINTS (3 Wins)
Phoenix has been kind to him in the past. She needs to be downright romantic on Sunday.
7. ARIC ALMIROLA – 4068 POINTS (1 Win)
His schedule reads, “Win this week or destroy Logano next week.” Not sure about the word “or.”
8. CLINT BOWYER – 4052 POINTS (2 Wins)
If anyone needed a tinkered spoiler last week, it was him.
9. RYAN BLANEY – 2263 POINTS (1 Win)
I am not sure if being in danger of dropping to 10th in the standings is that big a deal.
10. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 2259 POINTS (3 Wins)
The Miller Lite Ford will look a lot like a giant pysanka this weekend.
We have our Big Four. Finally. Joey Logano will join Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, and Martin Truex Jr. racing for the championship at Homestead. That is, unless someone takes one of those spots away either this weekend or next. To be frank (and who wouldn’t want to be Frank?), unless one of the latter trio decides to give it away, one of those four boys below them in the standings is in adios country without a victory.
Texas will be the first of just two opportunities to do just that. Based on past history, Chase Elliott might have a shot. No wins, but four Top Tens in five attempts must mean something. Busch has won three, Harvick one, while Truex might be winless but like Elliott, he shows up to be one of the best on race day. The sibling, Kurt Busch, can be a threat and even has a win on the track. Maybe it is his time to rise and shine in Texas. Maybe. Clint Bowyer is decent there, but he will need to be more than just a pretty face on Sunday coming in with just three Top Fives in 25 outings. As for Aric Almirola, forget about it. That is not happening.
Maybe none of the principles will win on Sunday. Jimmie Johnson has seven wins on that track. Does the team of Jimmie and Chad have one more magic moment left between them? Denny Hamlin is another driver hoping to keep a yearly win string going, and the two-time Texas troubadour has been strong lately.
Not that any among our Big Four would mind too terribly if Texas was taken by one of those boys. Just as long as they are close and the pretenders are far behind coming to the checkered flag. That would give them all a Yosemite Sam-like moment for celebration.
Now, who wants a set of six-guns?
1. JOEY LOGANO – 1 ROUND WIN (4074 Pts, 2 Wins)
Will he find a championship at Homestead or a Truex inspired heartbreak?
2. KYLE BUSCH – 4104 POINTS (7 Wins)
Just needs a really good day at Texas, not even a great one, to get his ticket punched.
3. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 4083 POINTS (4 Wins)
Do not allow the guy you are racing to do the hitting…do the hitting yourself.
4. KEVIN HARVICK – 4083 POINTS (7 Wins)
When Newman started driving his car as wide as his neck, Harvick could not find room past him.
5. KURT BUSCH – 4058 POINTS (1 Win)
Needs to drive Sunday like it is 2009.
6. CHASE ELLIOTT – 4052 POINTS (3 Wins)
Prior to Watkins Glen, he had not won anywhere. Why not add Texas to his newly growing list?
7. CLINT BOWYER – 4041 POINTS (2 Wins)
Might not have dressed like Rowdy for Halloween, but driving like him at Texas isn’t a bad idea.
8. ARIC ALMIROLA – 4033 POINTS (1 Win)
A win. Anything less is just losing at this point.
9. RYAN BLANEY – 2232 POINTS (1 Win)
Popular driver with a popular NASCAR sanctioned podcast.
10. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 2227 POINTS (3 Wins)
One unsecured lug nut and Paul Wolfe is $10,000 lighter. As for the tire changer…
11. DENNY HAMLIN – 2213 POINTS
Was wishing Logano and Truex would have hit a lot harder last week.
12. KYLE LARSON – 2179 POINTS
Has Larson replaced Danica and Jeff Gordon as NASCAR’s prettiest Cup driver?
13. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 2173 POINTS
Lowe’s is about to leave, but Ally’s Financial is preparing to arrive in a big way.
14. ALEX BOWMAN – 2164 POINTS
Might be soon able to drive the Jimmy himself all the way to Cow Town.
15. ERIK JONES – 2159 POINTS (1 Win)
At Atlanta, while brother was testing, sister Lindsey was taping for a school project.
16. AUSTIN DILLON – 2157 POINTS (1 Win)
The highlight of the season was eight months ago.
17. RYAN NEWMAN – 702 POINTS
A wide neck? I guess he has one. Here I thought he had to wear his ties dangling from his chin.
18. DANIEL SUAREZ – 655 POINTS
Hoy es un gran día para agradecer a los fans !!
19. RICKY STENHOUSE JR. – 650 POINTS
Like the rest of us, he discovered that a World Series game could turn out to be an all-nighter.
20. PAUL MENARD – 645 POINTS
Had as many Top Fives in 2014 as he has enjoyed since. He does have a reliable sponsor, though.
We are down to a game of musical chairs. Four spots, with eight drivers who very much want one of them. Let me just say that musical chairs sucks. When you are a reserved fat kid, the more athletic aggressive lads are going to go after those seats hard. Also, you will never be a hero dropping a young lady on her ass. Fortunately for the gents at Martinsville on Sunday, not a young lady to be found. No fat kids, either, come to think of it.
A fat aggressive butt might be useful, but not as much as a fast aggressive Busch with a good cushion in points coming in. Kyle Busch came in with a 40 point advantage over the outsiders and was third in the opening stage to bump his margin up by one. Hey, every point counts, as seven of eight contenders added to their totals in that initial run, with Chase Elliott being the lone exception. As for Bill’s boy, he fell from fourth to seventh in points locked and secured in the bank at that point, but they had a lot more racing left on the day.
As long as the car stays together, that is. During the fueling intermission, Clint Bowyer had moved to within a couple of points of Elliott’s replacement in fourth, Joey Logano, when he made hard contact with William Byron in the pits. Surprisingly, his car showed little damage. Instead of a Ford, he must have been driving something made from Tonka. Martin Truex Jr. tested it further during the run, as the pair made some contact in the tight corners.
Bowyer and five others among our contenders managed stage points in the middle frame. Logano dominated to gain the max amount of points, with Kyle Busch again third. Denny Hamlin, who won that first round, was second this time out. Some guys do not need to be part of no stinkin’ playoffs to make themselves relevant. Neither Kevin Harvick or Aric Almirola collected any bonuses, but the former was still more than 30 to the good. Almirola, on the other hand, seemed about to make like the Titanic and sink out of view. You could almost hear the band playing.
Truex had some issues going through spec and started this one at the back of the field. He had never won at a short track. He took the lead from Logano with 140 of the scheduled 500 laps to go as weather threatened to move in. That was exciting. It was for about 15 laps when Logano charged back in front.
We had not seen much of Brad Keselowski. Neither had Logano until his teammate passed him with just over 40 miles to go. Only eight drivers mattered coming in, but nobody told the 2012 Cup champion.
Bowyer was one who mattered coming in. However, a spin with about 20 miles to go when track position mattered a lot did him no favors. The caution, on the other hand, was welcomed by a few others. Logano and Kyle Busch hit the green up front, while Keselowski and Hamlin were right behind them. It was the contenders against the pretenders for a big ole grandfather clock awaiting the winner in Victory Lane.
Keselowski could not care less about playing nice with the playoff posse. He roughed up Busch to take over second. He roughed up his teammate but Logano held him off. That is when Truex, who was in the third row for the re-start, re-emerged to tango with Logano, to make a bid for that elusive short-track victory as the pair went fender to fender over the final three miles.
They were rubbing. They were banging. They were sliding. It was Logano coming across the line to punch his ticket to Homestead. It marked his second of the season and the 20th victory of his Cup career.
With Truex out of shape, he had to settle for third as Hamlin got by him on the inside. The result means Logano has one of the four seats reserved for Homestead. Kyle Busch is 46 points to the good, with Harvick and Truex sitting 25 on the sunny side. Kurt Busch finds himself 25 away, while Elliott, Bowyer, and Almirola needing to win at Texas or Phoenix to steal a chair or two from the Big Three.
Musical chairs suck…unless you are watching the pratfalls from the sidelines. One thing to watch for in Homestead is Logano finding the wall instead of the championship. Truex is already installing the sights in his car as we speak.
1. Joey Logano: Logano used a controversial bump-and-run maneuver on Martin Truex, Jr. on the final lap to win the First Data 500 at Martinsville.
“I know this makes me an unpopular driver,” Logano said. “Correction: I know this makes me a more unpopular driver.”
2. Kyle Busch: Busch started on the pole at Martinsville and led 100 laps on his way to a fourth-place finish.
“Despite his methods,” Busch said, “Joey Logano has one of the four spots at Homestead. So I wouldn’t mind being Logano. Now, I wouldn’t want to be his rear bumper, because it’s gonna take a massive hit from Martin Truex Jr. In other words, the ‘ram-ifications’ of what happened at Martinsville will be huge.”
3. Kevin Harvick: Harvick finished 10th at Martinsville.
“I can’t say I wouldn’t have done the same thing Logano did,” Harvick said. “Now, if I were Truex, I would have done something differently. It wouldn’t have been ‘two thumbs down;” it would have been ‘two middle fingers up.’”
4. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex was poised for the win at Martinsville after passing Joey Logano with a lap remaining. That was until Logano bumped him out of the way on the final lap, spinning Truex, who finished third.
“Payback is a larger-sized version of Logano,” Truex said, “because he’s a ‘little bitch.’”
5. Chase Elliott: Elliott finished seventh at Martinsville.
“Everybody wants to win that grandfather clock trophy,” Elliott said. “Joey Logano got it this time. But it will be Martin Truex Jr. who will soon tell him ‘what time it is.’”
6. Kurt Busch: Busch finished sixth in the First Data 500.
“After that boring debacle at Kansas,” Busch said, “this is exactly what NASCAR needed to pique interest. Joey Logano clearly wrecked Martin Truex Jr. It’s too bad that lush Brian France wasn’t here to see some reckless driving that is actually good for the sport.”
7. Aric Almirola: Almirola finished 11th at Martinsville.
“They call Martinsville Speedway the ‘paper clip,’” Almirola said. “It’s a ‘staple’ of the NASCAR circuit. And Martin Truex Jr. says Joey Logano could be a ‘paper’ champion.”
8. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski finished fifth at Martinsville as Penske Racing teammate Joey Logano captured the win.
“That was a bold move by Joey,” Keselowski said. “I hear Martin Truex Jr. has named Matt Kenseth his ‘Special Joey Logano Revenge Consultant.’ Joey has a history with Kenseth and so do I. Matt attacked me between the haulers at Charlotte in 2014. Joey got the ‘jump’ on Truex at Martinsville; Truex is likely to get the ‘jump’ at Texas.”
9. Clint Bowyer: Bowyer finished 21st, one lap down, at Martinsville and will likely need a win in the next two races to advance to Homestead.
“I can’t worry about what transpired at Martinsville,” Bowyer said. “I’m going to Texas with full intentions of winning the race. So, I’m keeping an eye on the prize, and another on Logano and Truex.”
10. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin posted the runner-up finish at Martinsville, getting a front-row look at the Joey Logano-Martin Truex Jr. battle for the lead.
“In regards to Logano,” Hamlin said, “Truex told me, ‘He’ll pay.’ Those were the words that came through Martin’s ‘nice guy filter.’ What he really said was, ‘There’ll be hell to pay.’”
Then there were eight, as the surviving championship contenders take to the track this weekend at Martinsville. It is damn near over, but that overweight soprano has yet to warble, so we have a few notes to wait for between now and Homestead.
First, Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick are bound to be among the final four. Probably. Maybe. If they manage to record Top Ten finishes this Sunday, as well as at Texas and Phoenix, add a few stage points, then all will be fine. If. A blown engine. A failed part. A wreck. Now, that could change everything. Not much wiggle room, but those two boys have more than anyone.
Martin Truex Jr. is our defending champion on a team about to become a ghost after this season. He is 23 points to the good. That is almost enough for a free pass…for one race…almost.
We have been waiting to see which of the new generation would firmly put his foot down and emerge as a true star of the future. Chase Elliott has provided us with the answer. In claiming two of the past three, he is the gent in that final transfer spot. It is not by much. Three points. Three points can come and go in a lap.
Three hounds are chasing the fox. Clint Bowyer, Joey Logano, and Kurt Busch are tied for fifth. For them, everything will be a big thing. Qualifying. Stage points. Finishes. Everything.
Finally, there is Aric Almirola. There are no more Talladega experiences coming up. No teammates to take him down the yellow brick road. This week, especially, he is on his own. As he comes in nine points out, he has to prove he belongs in this company. This week. Next week. The following week. If he can do that, he will truly deserve to be in the hunt in mid-November at Homestead.
The third round of the playoffs begins this Sunday at Martinsville with eight men out to lay a claim on a championship.
1. KYLE BUSCH – 4055 POINTS (7 Wins)
The Big Three…
2. KEVIN HARVICK – 4054 POINTS (7 Wins)
…remain the Top Three…
3. MARTIN TRUEX, JR. – 4038 POINTS (4 Wins)
…but will there be room for all three when they arrive at Homestead?
4. CHASE ELLIOTT – 4018 POINTS (3 Wins)
Three wins in his last 11 starts mean the lad has finally arrived and is a contender.
5. CLINT BOWYER – 4015 POINTS (2 Wins)
Just four spots remain to be in that final run for the championship…
6. JOEY LOGANO – 4015 POINTS (1 Win)
…but should a couple of the boys down here claim a win…
7. KURT BUSCH – 4015 POINTS (1 Win)
…then all bets are off.
8. ARIC ALMIROLA – 4006 POINTS (1 Win)
Almirola will not be among them. I love Talladega, but it is not a true indicator of what is to come.
9. RYAN BLANEY – 2212 POINTS (1 Win)
Had a good day last week, but as things turned out he needed to sweep the stages or win.
10. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 2194 POINTS (3 Wins)
To be a Top Ten ranked driver these days one has to win, though sometimes three is not enough.
11. KYLE LARSON – 2178 POINTS
Even a Top Three finish proved too little too late for some.
12. DENNY HAMLIN – 2159 POINTS
A Fistful of Dollars and a Handful of Martinsville wins. It is never too late to be a winner.
13. AUSTIN DILLON – 2150 POINTS (1 Win)
Do you remember Daytona in February? Me neither.
14. ERIK JONES – 2148 POINTS (1 Win)
Jones is in a Toyota, one of the few who are. How does that bode for 2019?
15. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 2148 POINTS
Here is hoping for a 10th and final Jimmie-Chad Martinsville celebration.
16. ALEX BOWMAN – 2144 POINTS
Bowman drives a bowtie. Am I the only one seeing the advertising potential of this?
17. RYAN NEWMAN – 663 POINTS
Newman drives a bowtie. Next season, it will be a blue oval. At least it is not a Toyota.
18. RICKY STENHOUSE JR. – 632 POINTS
No sweat working with Stenhouse, but driving is an entirely different matter for Kasey Kahne.
19. PAUL MENARD – 630 POINTS
There was a Menard sighting at Kansas, but that ended in the middle of the second stage.
20. DANIEL SUAREZ – 627 POINTS
Former crew chief Scott Graves will join Newman with Roush next season.
