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Tag: Cup

  • Hot 20 – To Xfinity and Beyond, or the day Justin Allgaier thought he was Buzz Lightyear

    Hot 20 – To Xfinity and Beyond, or the day Justin Allgaier thought he was Buzz Lightyear

    Okay, the biggest story from Indianapolis was not Kasey Kahne’s win. It was not the fact he has received no assurances that he will keep his spot with Rick Hendrick’s stable next season. The one thing we might be assured of is that whoever sits in the No. 5 next year, it sure in hell won’t be Justin Allgaier.

    Allgaier will be in the XFINITY version for the Chase this fall, but his reputation took a hit this past weekend. First, he comes into the pits riding the line between the lane and his pit stall. In doing so, Allgaier was out of position and wound up sending his jackman flying and a tire changer skipping out of danger. That was just the first act of this cartoon.

    Later, he came in and once again was riding that line between being in his stall and out. They started their work, but the crew had to stop and push Allgaier’s car back to be legal. Then, before they even removed his front right, the driver saw the field coming around to lap him, so he guns it and out he goes. No warning. No lug nuts. Thankfully crew members were not left with no fingers.

    No air hose, either. As Allgaier left with the air gun under the car, the hose snapped and came whipping back like a snake with a severe disorder. Then it took some time for the radio calls to him to stop went heeded. By then, the tire was pretty much off, though not completely so at least a penalty was avoided. Good news for the crew, who would have faced fines and suspension, Sadly, by this time the fender was shattered. After some repairs, he was back out but 14 laps down. Bravery was a pit crew still willing to put themselves in harm’s way.

    Allgaier, his tire changer, his tire carrier, and his crew chief will all be back on Saturday in Iowa. Our hopes and prayers are with them all. Meanwhile, the Cup folks are in Pocono. It is getting to the point where points matter little. Winning one that counts does. Anyone winless in the Top 30 still has a chance to break some hearts on Sunday, while warming their own.

    1. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 3 WINS (780 Pts)
    Rowdy was the guy to beat last week and beat him into the fence he did.

    2. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 3 WINS (564 Pts)
    Did you ever hear about The Little Engine That Could? Jimmie’s could not.

    3. KYLE LARSON – 2 WINS (732 Pts)
    Today, I have one son in Alta, Norway, one at Niagra Falls, while Kyle was in Ohsweken.

    4. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 2 WINS (601 Pts)
    He remains Roger’s boy for years to come.

    5. RICKY STENHOUSE JR. – 2 WINS (443 Pts)
    Still has the most well known girlfriend in NASCAR, but that is not the center of conversation.

    6. KEVIN HARVICK – 1 WIN (683 Pts)
    Drop a Jimmy John’s sandwich 153 feet off the spotter’s stand, and you get replaced.

    7. DENNY HAMLIN – 1 WIN (612 Pts)
    Once a week not enough to keep his competitive fires burning? Jamie should extend an invite.

    8. RYAN BLANEY – 1 WIN (516 Pts)
    Leaving Wood Brothers for Penske, with Paul Menard filling this seat next season.

    9. KURT BUSCH – 1 WIN (463 Pts)
    If Monster returns, so will Kurt. If not, it could come down to either him or Danica at SHR.

    10. RYAN NEWMAN – 1 WIN (462 Pts)
    Newman remembers something similar happening a few years ago with that outfit.

    11. KASEY KAHNE – 1 WIN (383 Pts)
    Got his win, got his place in the Chase, but does his ride go to William Byron in 2018?

    12. AUSTIN DILLON – 1 WIN (379 Pts)
    Blood-lines and a win gives him job security with a three-team outfit shrinking down to two.

    13. KYLE BUSCH – 673 POINTS
    Reasons he has failed to win this season…#20 That damn Truex wrecked me.

    14. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 599 POINTS
    An athlete fights for a place in the Chase; a car driver fights for one in a McDonald’s drive-thru.

    15. CHASE ELLIOTT – 588 POINTS
    Feeling pretty comfortable…unless Matt, Clint, Joey, Erik, Daniel, or Junior win this summer.

    16. MATT KENSETH – 566 POINTS
    Time to worry.

    17. CLINT BOWYER – 533 POINTS
    Time to win.

    18. JOEY LOGANO – 515 POINTS (1 Win)
    Joey has a win and sits 13th in points. Sometimes that means nothing.

    19. ERIK JONES – 440 POINTS
    In the game of musical seats, he is bound for Gibbs which opens up one quality ride with FRR.

    20. DANIEL SUAREZ – 434 POINTS
    Probably more at home in Dorne than in Winterfell, but could soon be found beyond the Wall.

  • The Final Word – Monaco, and Indy, and Charlotte, Oh My!

    The Final Word – Monaco, and Indy, and Charlotte, Oh My!

    It was the biggest day in motorsports, starting with the streets of Monaco, where they have been racing since 1929. Then, to Indianapolis, where they have been logging 500 miles this time of year since 1911. Finally, the long way home, the World 600 at Charlotte for the boys and girl with fenders.

    Overseas, Nico Rosberg claimed the prize for the third straight year. It helps when it is handed to you. During a late caution, the dominant car of Lewis Hamilton was called in for fresh tires. He had thought Rosberg and those immediately behind him had done the same. They had not. Nice call, team. Thanks a bunch. Surprise, surprise, surprise, as Gomer Pyle used to say.

    Gomer’s creator, actor Jim Nabors, performed “Back Home Again in Indiana” for the final time last year, but Juan Pablo Montoya was back in Indianapolis. An early mishap cost the former NASCAR performer what passes for a rear fender on his open wheeled car, forcing him back to 30th. That set the stage for his charge through the pack. With just three laps to go, he made his pass for the lead and claimed the crown he first won back in 2000.

    They have been racing 600 miles at Charlotte on Memorial Day weekend since 1960, the longest NASCAR event of the season. Martin Truex Jr. would have been the story, had he won after leading 131 laps. He did not. Kurt Busch led the way for 118, but no suds for him, either. In fact, five other drivers led more than Carl Edwards, but it was the man from Missouri doing the back flip in the end as he led the final 21 to take his first of the season, 24th of his Cup career. It might still be a bit premature, but what the heck. Welcome to the Chase, Mr. Edwards.

    Welcome to the Hall of Fame, Bruton Smith. The 88-year old owner of the Charlotte track, along with seven others on the circuit, will be inducted as part of the class of 2016. Joining him will be two-time champ Terry Labonte, the legendary Curtis Turner, six-time Modified king Jerry Cook, and 1970 Cup champion Bobby Isaac.

    Landon Cassill was still running at the end of the race in Charlotte. For another hour, 41 minutes, and 49 seconds, he continued to run the 14 miles between the track and the Hall of Fame. This time, the only rubber on the road was on his sneakers. This sounds like something my sons might do. I, on the other hand, am much too smart…and fat…and old…for that.

    If you want to win the Indianapolis 500, spend some time in NASCAR. Montoya won his second after 278 races in Cup and the XFINITY series over parts of the previous nine seasons. His Indy lead engineer, Brian Campe, was on the box as a crew chief for 22 Nationwide races in 2009, including seven for Dale Earnhardt Jr. Not a bad apprenticeship.

    Jeff Gordon was at Indianapolis, drove the pace car before returning to North Carolina. After getting out of the car, he will head to the broadcast booth to join Mike Joy and Darrell Waltrip at FOX next season. I think they might be replacing the wrong guy, but maybe that is just me.

    So, what is next? The Monster Mile in Dover is slated for this Sunday, where everybody who has won there the past nine events also has claimed a Cup title along the way. In fact, over the past six years, the only non-champion to take the checkered flag there was Kyle Busch. Not a bad pick, come to think of it.

  • The Final Word – After Chasing, Eliminating, and Winning, Kevin Harvick is the 2014 Cup Champion

    The Final Word – After Chasing, Eliminating, and Winning, Kevin Harvick is the 2014 Cup Champion

    Watching the Cup finale was like watching most Nationwide races. Few of the participants actually matter. You have your winner, you have those who actually are competing for the prize, and then you have the odd spectacular, special moment. Sunday’s race marked the end of ESPN’s run, which meant no more Allen, no more Dale, no more Andy, no more Rusty, no more Brad, and no more Nicole. A special moment, indeed.

    It could have been a special season for Jeff Gordon. He was best overall this year, just as he was the dominate wheel man for more than half the laps at Homestead. But it is no longer 2001, and at the end of the day he was 10th on the track and sixth in the official standings. In the old days only Joey Logano would have had a chance to catch Gordon in the final race. As pure a way of determining a champion it might have been, those days are gone forever.

    Logano’s day wound up being the pits. With 74 to go, he was riding fifth when they took time under caution to do a few repairs that dropped him to tenth. With 47 to go, he had worked his way back to fourth when he returned to the pits under caution, but a hung lug nut left him 11th on departure. No problem, if not for the pits. Another caution, another stop, another miscue as a dropped jack dropped Logano from sixth to 20th with 20 to go. Game, set, and match, as he finished 16th.

    Things seemed to be about to go Denny Hamlin’s way. They had the pit strategy, if only they could go green. They did not. The cautions allowed those with fresher tires to move past, and his title hopes went up in smoke over the final laps. Hamlin wound up seventh.

    That left two at the front. Ryan Newman had been the weak sister amongst the contenders for much of the race, but pit strategy gained them track position. The car was the best it was all night but only one problem remained.

    His name was Kevin Harvick. On the final restart, Harvick once again separated himself from the field, leaving Newman staring at a back bumper. The best finisher amongst the four would win the title, and you cannot do much better than winning the race to erase all doubt.

    Once we had a points system that rewarded consistency at the expense of wins over the course of a season. Then we got a 10 race playoff where only the top 10, or 12, or 13 were eligible for the crown after the initial 26 events. Now, we have a system where a win gets you into the Top 16 vying for the title in those final 10 races, where every three events they eliminate four contenders until you wind up with the best among the final four on the final day winning the title while racing 39 non-contenders.

    The records show that Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt won seven titles each using the original system, Jimmie Johnson won six through the Chase, and Kevin Harvick is the 2014 Cup champion through the elimination series. Each champion just as valid as the man who preceded him.

  • Hot 20 – Long Term Product Branding Works on the Range, but Holds Little Appeal for NASCAR

    Hot 20 – Long Term Product Branding Works on the Range, but Holds Little Appeal for NASCAR

    I had hoped to announce the NASCAR Ron Thornton series, but I came up about $200 million short. Instead, the former Busch series and soon to be former Nationwide series shall be the NASCAR Xfinity Series for the next 10 years. Oh, so close.

    Just as NASCAR holds no respect for branding its events long term, the same goes for its touring series. Thankfully, the top circuit remains the Cup tour, as in Winston, Nextel, and Sprint. Mind you, it was referred to as Strictly Stock in 1949 before becoming the Grand National tour a year later. That got tossed in favor of the Winston Cup in 1972, becoming in 1986 part of the new name for the former Sportsman series, then called the Busch Grand National Series until 2003. Thankfully, the truck series is the truck series, no matter who sponsors it. At least something remains consistent. You would think with all them smart folks working for them, someone would have gotten a grasp on the concept of branding. Maybe they need fewer smart guys and more cowboys.

    Now looking forward to Richmond. Looking back at last year, Clint Bowyer did what he was told, and it cost his then teammate a place in the Chase. Spin-gate was a year ago at Richmond, and while Martin Truex Jr. did not make the playoff in 2014, it appears Bowyer is in tough to repeat this year. He needs to make up a 23 point deficit on Greg Biffle and then hope nobody takes their first win of the season at Richmond. Truex lost his ride and had to find another, while I doubt Biffle will go for a spin to help his cause.

    It is interesting to note NASCAR granted Tony Stewart a waiver that would allow him a Chase spot if he wins on Saturday night. Part one of the Chase notes declared a driver needed to be in the top 30 in points – that was accomplished. The second part was a driver must qualify for each of the races leading up to the Chase – unless waived due to circumstances, say medical reasons. NASCAR deemed Stewart to fall under the “extraordinary” circumstances and granted the waiver. Still, he has to win to get in – but that’s another story.

    The whole reason for the Chase and new playoff format this year is to create some drama and higher ratings. Win and you are in has been exciting, though Biffle, Bowyer, or both could be denied a place they would have taken a year ago. The elimination format should be interesting as those eligible for the title get pared down by four every three events, leaving four to battle it out for the crown at Homestead. Of course, there will be 39 other guys and gal out there as well to provide some hamburger helper to bulk up the few steaks out there.

    I still like the idea of a real playoff, with the top 20 and only the top 20 competing over the final five races to see who is the best. There is no way you could send cars home ten races short, but we once had 31 race seasons and some might want those days to return. Failing to qualify for the Chase would then be one way to realize a shortened season and a longer rest, though not a desirable option. Who knows, maybe it is an idea that will find traction in the future. In the meantime, let the Chasing and the eliminations begin after we take care of business at Richmond.

    As for our search for the best over the course of an entire season, these standings reflect if winners were given a 25 (rather than a 3) point bonus.

     

    1 – Jeff Gordon – 3 Wins – 937 Points
    2 – Dale Earnhardt, Jr. – 3 – 917
    3 – Joey Logano – 3 – 857
    4 – Brad Keselowski – 3 – 848
    5 – Jimmie Johnson – 3 – 832
    6 – Carl Edwards – 2 – 799
    7 – Matt Kenseth – 0 – 794
    8 – Kevin Harvick – 2 – 792
    9 – Ryan Newman – 0 – 747
    10 – Kasey Kahne – 1 – 730
    11 – Greg Biffle – 0 – 728
    12 – Clint Bowyer – 0 – 705
    13 – Kyle Larson – 0 – 704
    14 – Kyle Busch – 1 – 679
    15 – Paul Menard – 0 – 675
    16 – Austin Dillon – 0 – 674
    17 – Jamie McMurray – 0 – 666
    18 – Denny Hamlin – 1 – 658
    19 – Brian Vickers – 0 – 650
    20 – Kurt Busch – 1 – 636