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Tag: Doug Richert

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • Landon Cassill All About Improvement

    [media-credit id=62 align=”alignright” width=”125″][/media-credit]Landon Cassill, driver of the No. 83 BK Racing Burger King/Dr. Pepper Toyota, is all about improvement having come off his best finish of the season last week in Charlotte. The team started 18th and finished 18th, starting and finishing inside the top-20 for the first time ever.

    “It’s really big for us,” Cassill said. “To run in the top-25 is great for us, but to run in the top-20 is even better.”

    “We like that, we keep trying to learn from it, and just keep doing it and being consistent.”

    Cassill credits his team as the cause for the improvement as they begin to gel and understand one another. He especially credits the upswing in performance to crew chief Doug Richert.

    “We’re a new team, so everybody is learning their place,” Cassill said. “The pit crew has been getting better and the cars have been getting better.”

    “Doug (Richert) is knowing what to do with the car now that he is familiar with it and I’m learning my guys better,” Cassill continued. “That’s all a part of how it works.”

    “We are working really well together,” Cassill said of his crew chief. “He’s got a positive attitude like I do and we seem to communicate really well on things.”

    “So, I’m enjoying it,” Cassill continued. “I think that has a lot to do with our improvement and our success so far.”

    Cassill also credits some of the improvement to his versatility and ability to adjust to new teams. But a big factor for improvement, according to the young driver, is his years of experience at Hendrick Motorsports.

    “I’m kind of used to it lately because I haven’t had as solid of a ride,” Cassill said of his team changes. “So, it’s something I’ve been a little bit used to, but it’s my first time learning how to build at team.”

    “ I’m really proud to be a part of that and really focused on hoping that people can see that I’m capable of being a progressive driver who can build things and be a positive addition to a race team.”

    “I’ve also got five years of experience testing with Hendrick Motorsports and working with the 48 team,” Cassill said. “So, that’s where I’ve learned a lot about this sport.”

    “I’m not anything special but I’ve absorbed what I’ve learned,” Cassill continued. “I try to apply a lot of those fundamentals to the team that I’m on and there’s a lot of experience over here that applies to that.”

    “We’re all coming together.”

    Cassill credits one other factor, his physical conditioning, for his improvements so far in the season and his hopeful improvements at Dover. He also credits his mental focus with the upswing in his performance.

    “When I’m home, I work out and prepare for the next week and get focused for my job,” Cassill said. “We are professional athletes, so there’s an absolute requirement for strength and conditioning.”

    “I don’t think for a second that you could be out of shape and do this,” Cassill continued. “I do a cross fit type training and I work out for about an hour and a half every day.”

    “I’ve got a trainer from Iowa and he sends me work outs,” Cassill said. “Him and I communicate daily on the workouts.”

    “I have a gym where I live and a full gym at home and I spend a lot of time there.”

    “The mental training is something that I’ve dabbled in but mental strength comes naturally,” Cassill said. “It’s something that I feel really confident in, probably more than even my physical strength.”

    “I’m pretty competitive so when it comes down to it, you do whatever it takes.”

    Another important component of Cassill’s on track performance improvement is his relationship with his teammate Travis Kvapil.

    “Travis is a great teammate,” Cassill said. “He’s a good driver and a really good guy.”

    “He’s good to work with, gives good feedback and knows what he is talking about because he is familiar with these cars,” Cassill continued. “I’ve learned a lot working with him.”

    “I think all four of us, both crew chiefs and both drivers, are very compatible,” Cassill said. “We all communicate very well.”

    Cassill is definitely looking for improvement at Dover in the FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks. But he acknowledged that the mile track really can be a monster, demanding constant focus and attention.

    Cassill has three Cup starts at the Monster Mile, with his best finish of 30th.

    “Dover is one of the most fun race tracks,” Cassill said. “It’s a good one and I have a lot of laps here.”

    “You’ve just got to be there all day and outlast the competitors,” Cassill continued. “You’ve got to race the race track for a long time.”

    “I’d really like to see us running 25th or better,” Cassill said. “I think that’s a realistic expectation. Another top-20 finish would be phenomenal.”