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Hot 20 – Few are California Dreamin’

Excitement, thy name is sure not Fontana. Not usually. There is a reason the idea to bring the Cup folks out to the Auto Club Speedway was abandoned after just seven seasons. It is bad enough to be a yawner on television, but when that is the perception live and in person, you have got a problem.

NASCAR has some pretty exciting tracks, with Bristol, Daytona, and Talladega leading the way. The entertainment value alone makes those stand-alone events, whether you know the difference between Kyle Busch and Cole Whitt or not. Others are steeped in history, while this season will provide us with familiar tracks becoming quite unfamiliar.

Last week was Phoenix, where new grandstands going up will cause a move of the start-finish line in time for November. New grandstands going up, new fans parked in those seats, a finish line right in front of all those newly accommodated peepers. What is now Turn Two becomes the focal point. Just imagine a finish where the track opens up, where even a daredevil can take their shot cutting low below the line in a bid for victory. Even the drivers like the idea.

Then there is Charlotte. They run the 600 miler on the traditional oval in May, but in September they will add to that oval a detour to include the interior road course. Something different to watch for. Something exciting is what they hope for.

As for California, it is not always a bore. Usually, but not always. Here is hoping we fans discover the exception on Sunday.

As for our Hot 20…

1. KEVIN HARVICK – 2 WINS – 1 E.W. – 168 Pts
If the plan is to have his wins match his age, expect two more sooner than later.

2. AUSTIN DILLON – 1 WIN – 114 Pts
Winning the Daytona 500 was awesome, but did he retire after that?

3. KYLE BUSCH – 156 POINTS
If the plan was to watch Harvick’s backside every race, things are working out perfectly.

4. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 156 POINTS
18th at Daytona, Top Fives ever since.

5. JOEY LOGANO – 152 POINTS
Not always at the front at the end of the day, but he seems to there at some time during the day.

6. RYAN BLANEY – 152 POINTS
Proved that country singer Cole Swindell is a bit of a screamer.

7. DENNY HAMLIN – 137 POINTS
Believes he needs just a little bit of speed to catch Harvick. 30 other guys might say the same.

8. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 134 POINTS
Won the Xfinity race last weekend. I outran a three-year-old. We are both winners.

9. KYLE LARSON – 131 POINTS
Will Chip Ganassi allow his driver to do the Memorial Day double? Most doubt it.

10. CLINT BOWYER – 125 POINTS
Clint is second best in the SHR garage…

11. ARIC ALMIROLA – 123 POINTS
…but not by much.

12. KURT BUSCH – 117 POINTS
Tony’s boys were all in the Top Ten on Sunday.

13. RYAN NEWMAN – 101 POINTS
580 consecutive starts. That ties him for ninth with Jimmie Johnson. Jimmie who?

14. PAUL MENARD – 97 POINTS
Some days are not good. Some days can get worse. That was Menard’s Phoenix experience.

15. ERIK JONES – 93 POINTS
Cup and MLB are similar in that damn few performers of Jones’ age make it to the Show.

16. CHASE ELLIOTT – 91 POINTS
Daytona bad. Atlanta good. Las Vegas bad. Phoenix good. He might want to change the trend.

17. ALEX BOWMAN – 91 POINTS
The Arizona native son was 13th last week for his best finish of the season.

18. RICKY STENHOUSE, JR. – 88 POINTS
Still seeking out his first Top Ten of the year.

19. DARRELL WALLACE JR. – 77 POINTS
Claimed more points at Daytona than in his next three events combined.

20. CHRIS BUESCHER – 75 POINTS
Phoenix was his worst finish of the year. His time on this chart could soon come to an end.

March 13, 2018
Hot 20 – Harvick hit by penalties heading to Phoenix, but they do not much matter

The damndest thing happened right after I submitted this for publication. The penalties came down after Las Vegas. Kevin Harvick’s team got hit. Hard. Talk about having to go back to the drawing..er..keyboard.

So, what did they do? Well, according to NASCAR.com, “The team was found to have violated Sections 20.4.8.1 (dealing with rear window support) and 20.4.18 (rocker panel extensions), specifically. A brace that supports the rear window failed and did not meet specifications for keeping the rear window glass rigid in all directions, at all times. Additionally, the rocker panel extension was not aluminum.”

So, though they no longer use the term, the win is encumbered. If you find the term too confusing, buy a dictionary. Crew chief Rodney Childers has been fined $50,000. Car chief Robert Smith has been suspended for the next two races, and the team and driver both lost 20 points. That means, they get to keep the other 40 they picked up on the day. In short, it matters little to Harvick, with that Atlanta win already in the bag.

What does matter is that some good people stepped up when they heard that Matt DiBenedetto’s No. 32 entry was unsponsored going into this one. Harvick donated $5000 to the cause. So did Denny Hamlin. Darrell Waltrip matched them. Talk about good people helping look after their own.

As for our Hot 20 heading to Phoenix…

1. KEVIN HARVICK – 1 WIN – 1 E.W. – 115 Pts
If the penalties in any way mean that Kevin is a bit of a brat, welcome to Harvickville.

2. AUSTIN DILLON – 1 WIN – 94 Pts
After Daytona, when will we next notice him on race day?

3. JOEY LOGANO – 132 POINTS
Three races. Three Top Tens.

4. RYAN BLANEY – 131 POINTS
Took the pole last week, which was about the only thing Harvick did not leave town with.

5. MARTIN TRUEX, JR. – 115 POINTS
Colorado also boasts Boulder, Crabtree, Dillon Dam, and the Great Divide Brewing Companies.

6. KYLE BUSCH – 104 POINTS
If he does not matter it is because he is in the garage.

7. KYLE LARSON – 104 POINTS
Chevrolet was not completely shut out of the Top Ten last week. Damn near, but not completely.

8. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 99 POINTS
Along with Logano and Blaney, Team Penske has done rather well thus far.

9. DENNY HAMLIN – 97 POINTS
The guy is a jerk…then he goes and gives DiBenedetto a helping hand. Still a jerk, but a nice jerk.

10. PAUL MENARD – 96 POINTS
While everyone is watching Harvick up front, Menard is quietly succeeding further back.

11. CLINT BOWYER – 93 POINTS
Some like Nickelback. Others are named Clint Bowyer.

12. ARIC ALMIROLA – 93 POINTS
Failed to stay on the lead lap, but 10th is 10th.

13. KURT BUSCH – 77 POINTS
Kurt + Chase = A bad day

14. RYAN NEWMAN – 75 POINTS
Ooh, and it’s alright and it’s coming on, Ryan’s gotta get right back to where he last won.

15. DARRELL WALLACE, JR. – 68 POINTS
In a seven-race Cup career, Bubba has not done too badly.

16. CHRIS BUESCHER – 67 POINTS
Average a 15th place finish (5th, 25th, 15th) and that gives you a Chase place…for the moment.

17. ALEX BOWMAN – 67 POINTS
How bad has Hendrick got it? Alex is the best of their stable at present.

18. RICKY STENHOUSE JR. – 66 POINTS
This week…he is going after the hot dog guy.

19. ERIK JONES – 64 POINTS
In 40 career Cup starts, 24 times he has finished in the Top 15. You can build on that.

20. MICHAEL MCDOWELL – 53 POINTS
Mechanical issue killed his day early, yet he keeps on hanging on.

March 7, 2018
The Final Word – They came, they saw, and they lost to Harvick…this time at Las Vegas

If you missed the action from Las Vegas, allow me to bring you up to date. If you read my column from last week regarding Atlanta, consider yourself fully informed. Enjoy your day.

If you have a few more moments to spare with me, last Sunday was a lot like the previous Sunday. Only worse, if you do not happen to love watching Kevin Harvick go to the front and ruling the contest. Atlanta saw him have to overcome some slight adversity, more of an inconvenience than anything else. Las Vegas saw him manage to escape with barely a scratch even when his air guns were malfunctioning. He led, he won both stages, he claimed his second straight win, the 39th of his career, and put the maximum 60 points in the bank. Not that he really needs it.

Worse than Atlanta? Well, when you consider that half the field was lapped after the first segment and only nine were on the same circuit as Harvick at the end, yes. It was worse. Not only did Harvick lead 80 percent of the time, almost all those who were in the Top Ten during any segment finished in the Top Ten at the end. The only exceptions were Kurt Busch, who had his car break loose and then proceeded to break the car of Chase Elliott. That concluded their day far too early in the final frame.

Kyle Busch finished second, but Kyle Larson picked up more points by taking third. Martin Truex Jr. and Ryan Blaney also did better to end the day in the Top Five. Also among the best of the rest, we had Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano, and Paul Menard, while the aforementioned wreck opened the door for Top Tens available to Erik Jones and Aric Almirola.

Jimmie Johnson at one time was a couple of laps down, but considering he entered the race sitting 35th overall, a 12th place result was damn near as good as a win. That rockets him up to 29th in the season rankings. Still not good, but better.

Joining the seven-time champ outside the Top 20 we have a pretty fine representation of talent. Elliott drops down to join Trevor Bayne, A.J. Allmendinger, William Byron, Jamie McMurray, Daniel Suarez, and Kasey Kahne among the have-nots. Every race provides a chance for redemption, a chance to recover and move back up the ladder. The funny thing is, as in odd not humorous, while at this time of year we think time is on their side, the actuality is that the longer it takes for redemption, the longer are the odds of climbing out of the hole. The door closes quickly.

Phoenix might provide some measure of salvation. The bad news is that of the past 11 contests held there since the fall of 2012, Harvick has won six of them. The good news is that he has not won it since the spring race two years ago. More bad news is that while Kahne has won there, he has not done so since the autumn of 2011. Johnson has four, including three straight. Unfortunately, none since November of 2009.

Maybe next week’s column will sound a whole lot like this one, and the one before that. I sure hope you love Kevin Harvick.

March 5, 2018
The Final Word – Atlanta was like a Happy little children’s song for Harvick

If you’re Happy and you know it,
Drive your car.
If you’re Happy and you know it,
Drive it far.
If you’re Happy and you know it,
End the day doing donuts,
If you’re Happy and you know it,
Be as you are.

That pretty much sums up the 500 mile race Sunday at Atlanta. Kevin “Happy” Harvick dominated the opening stage, and though an air gun mishap dropped him back, he was near the front after the second stage. The third, it was all Harvick, with a few cameos as some anticipated rain, others tried different strategies, but all to no avail. It marked his first win at the track on which he claimed his first back in 2001. This victory was his 38th and locked him into the playoff hunt.

While Harvick led more than half the time, Brad Keselowski was second after holding point for 38 laps. Denny Hamlin was fourth with 26 up front, while Kurt Busch settled for eighth, taking the second stage and leading 52 circuits.

Only 13 drivers managed to run the full 325 laps, including Top Five finishers Clint Bowyer and Martin Truex Jr. Pole sitter Kyle Busch was seventh but did well enough throughout in accumulating extra notches to wind up third best in points on the day. Rounding out the Top Ten was Joey Logano, Kyle Larson, and Chase Elliott.

Good days for some, bad days for others who one would think would have done better. A blown tire that did some serious renovations to the front fender did in Jimmie Johnson. After the Daytona disaster, it would be an understatement to say that he is off to a slow start. He already sits way down in 35th in the standings. Others with 10 points or less on Sunday included A.J. Allmendinger, Matt DiBenedetto, Bubba Wallace, and a blown engine parked Trevor Bayne in 35th.

Next stop is Las Vegas, as the teams answer the call to go west with their young men. Just 36 entries last week marked a 22 year low, but Premium Motorsports will add the uncharted entry of Joey Gase for the trip to the Strip to push the entry tally to 37. It will be the 23rd career Cup start for the 25-year-old from Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Truex is the defending race champion, though a second visit to the venue comes up in September, a date that once belonged to New Hampshire. Keselowski has won two of the past four in Las Vegas, sandwiching the 2015 victory of Harvick. It could be a case of the rich getting even richer next weekend. It might be early, but Johnson is not the only one who could use a little luck to come their way on their visit to The Entertainment Capital of the World. Alex Bowman, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Jamie McMurray, Erik Jones, William Byron, and Daniel Suarez are just some of those who have seen craps come up enough times already. Something better than snake eyes is what they will be looking for the next time they roll ‘dem bones on Sunday.

As for Harvick and Daytona winner Austin Dillon, they might prefer the wheels on the bus to continue going round and round. However, if the damn things fall off, there is always next week. The pressure is off.

February 26, 2018
Atlanta Could Drive Home Possibility That New NASCAR Generation Is Here

The nature of the Daytona 500 is for everyone to shine at some point during the race. This year, that was especially true of the new class of Monster Energy NASCAR Cup drivers, a group of twenty-somethings who have become the status quo in the sport.

Just about every one of those drivers played a pivotal part in this year’s 500, from consistent midpack drivers like Matt DiBenedetto (who was running in the top-five before the Lap 198 Big One accident relegated him to a 27th-place finish) to 2017 Cup Series Rookie of the Year Erik Jones, who led 11 laps before crashing on Lap 59 and finishing 36th.

It didn’t stop there. Twenty-four-old Alex Bowman won the pole in the No. 88 Chevrolet vacated by Dale Earnhardt Jr. while 24-year-old Ryan Blaney and 22-year-old Chase Elliott won their Can-Am Duels. Twenty-seven-year-old Austin Dillon took the win in the 500, with 24-year-old Darrell “Bubba” Wallace Jr. finishing second. The fact that a handful of NASCAR’s freshest faces stole the show at Daytona speaks well for the sport’s future. However, Atlanta could be a deciding factor in whether or not this will be a true changing of the guard.

For one, keep in mind that although there has been an uptick in new faces in the NASCAR garage, the current crop of drivers, featuring guys such as Kyle Busch, 2017 Cup champion Martin Truex Jr., and Brad Keselowski still very much have that competitive fire, while guys like Kevin Harvick and Jimmie Johnson are still out winning races. Denny Hamlin is a perennial contender who is always either on the cusp of a win or lingering near the top of a championship fight.

While the new crop of drivers is still getting their legs underneath them, these guys continue to dominate and win. Sure, there are a few drivers that have slowly come to prove themselves as adaptable; 27-year-old Joey Logano has 18 Cup wins under his belt including the 2015 Daytona 500 as well as the 2016 All-Star race at Charlotte and the 2017 preseason Clash at Daytona. Meanwhile, 25-year-old Kyle Larson has only come around in the last two seasons, having scored five Cup wins since August 2016 and was considered Truex’s closest threat for the championship before a rash of DNFs left him eliminated after the second round of the Playoffs.

The road to success in the Cup Series isn’t a guarantee, however. Twenty-seven-year-old Trevor Bayne, despite gradually showing more consistency in his No. 6 Ford, hasn’t done anything of note since winning the 2011 Daytona 500. Twenty-five-year-old Chris Buescher is in the same boat; since his rain-shortened win at Pocono in August 2016, he’s only put together six more top-10s, including just his third-career top-five with a fifth in Sunday’s Daytona 500.

But if Sunday was any indicator, the younger generation of drivers could be taking over quickly. They’re fast and fearless, with a propensity of taking better care of their equipment than their predecessors 10, 15, maybe even 20 years ago. It also shows that they’re just as quick to learn as they ever were. They’re measuring their aggression, they’re bouncing back quickly from their lumps, and NASCAR may very well be going through a paradigm shift.

In NASCAR’s case, it needs the younger generation to succeed. Fans are tuning in for the older staples, but they’re also tuning in to see the young guys who are slowly edging their way toward the front of the field race after race. There’s hardly any negative press on those guys which is always a boon for business. So come Sunday, when NASCAR hits the fast banks of Atlanta, an older track that never fails to put on a great racing product as well as a lot of speed, there’s bound to be a few of the new kids that loiter near the top of the pylon through the weekend. For NASCAR’s sake, let’s hope that’s the case.

February 21, 2018
The Final Word – The Daytona 500 finish reminded us of when giants ruled the asphalt

Unstable. Set to go off with the least provocation. No, I’m not talking about CNN or late night talk show hosts, most celebrities, or more than a few politicians. What I am referring to is the Daytona 500.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. weebled, wobbled, and stacked ‘em up. He drove off, for the moment at least, but it was goodbye Erik Jones, Daniel Suarez, and Jimmie Johnson before they got 60 laps in. Segment two found Chase Elliott the meat in a Ryan Blaney – Brad Keselowski sandwich and the aerodynamics took care of the rest. Adios Elliott, Keselowski, Kevin Harvick, and Danica Patrick. Then, down to the final couple of scheduled laps on the day, Kurt Busch was near the front but traded paint with Blaney and found himself facing the wrong way. Sayonara Kurt, Alex Bowman, and Matt DiBenedetto, who had looked so good before things went so bad.

Good was remembering 20 years ago when the No. 3 crossed the finish line first, and car owner Richard Childress looking so happy for his driver, Dale Earnhardt. Sunday we saw Childress looking happy once more as the No. 3 of grandson Austin Dillon took the Great American Race. For a brief moment, we remembered a time when things were not so unstable, when the news was really the news, and you could believe what you had heard and seen. Believe me, what we saw at the end of the Daytona 500 felt so real and good, if only because it reminded us of a time past.

Of course, Dillon won it because Aric Almirola threw a block in front of Dillon’s freight train, and wound up as one would expect in such a situation. While Dillon went on to win, Bubba Wallace, driving for Richard Petty, was the guy pushing him to victory, edging out Denny Hamlin at the line. Joey Logano was fourth, which was not as surprising as finding Chris Buescher taking fifth. Blaney, who was seventh in the end, was third in the opening stage and took the second to lead the points standings. He sits six ahead of Dillon and Paul Menard, who was sixth.

It was an entertaining race, assisted by the volatility of the cars that made things a tad unpredictable for us, and for the drivers. The race kept us engaged while the television crew did not drive us off. In fact, the FOX coverage was pretty darn good. I do like the left side of the screen ticker better than the scroll they used to run atop it. Informative and entertaining. What a concept.

Some were not as enthralled with the action. It was not worth a crap if you were named Kyle. Kyle Larson got some damage in that opening wreck and finished 19th. Kyle Busch had tires going down and fenders smacking the fence and wound up 25th. Stenhouse was blowing more steam than Old Faithful late in the second stage, and the Busch wreck really left him steaming in 29th when the day was over.

Heading to Atlanta, Suarez, Jones, and Johnson sit with a single point each for their Daytona efforts. Johnson has won two of the last three raced down in Georgia, with Keselowski the defending race champ. With just five points, ole Brad also could use some stability himself come next week. Last Sunday, as oft times happens at Daytona, we were provided with a good show.

The Daytona 500 finished with some of NASCAR’s most iconic numbers, the No. 3, the No.43, the No. 11 and the No. 22, coming home one-two-three-four. Just for the briefest of moments, the hands on the wheel could have been those of Earnhardt. Petty. Cale Yarborough (or was it Ned Jarrett or Darrell Waltrip?). Fireball Roberts. Those were the days when giants ruled the asphalt. May such memories of the past merge with the reality that was last Sunday. May they just be the harbinger of more good things for Sundays come.

February 19, 2018
Daytona 500 Report – More of the Same

The 60th edition of the Great American Race was run Sunday under sunny skies in Daytona Beach, Florida. From the start, shortly after 3:00 p.m., it was nearly four hours of chaos. At the end, there were only a few competitive cars left to race.

At Lap 61, nine cars were eliminated or damages. This included stars like Erik Jones, Jimmie Johnson, and Kyle Larson. At Lap 103, Chase Elliott, Danica Patrick, Kevin Harvick, Brad Keselowski, and Kasey Kahne were eliminated. It wasn’t over. At Lap 200, Kurt Busch, Martin Truex, Jr., Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., William Byron, Ryan Newman, and Kyle Larson were eliminated or damaged. Then came the “overtime,” and that cost Aric Almirola, who was leading at the time, elimination. That’s a total of nearly half the field.

Why, you may ask. The answer is restrictor plate (or tapered spacer) racing. It involves cars racing at fast speeds, so close together that there is no room for error. Then include the fashionable practice of blocking. It’s Daytona Roulette. The result is only a few cars lucky enough to have avoided all the earlier carnage can be around at the end. Unfortunately, on this day even the lessening of contenders did not stop the blocking, and a crash ended the race. You may have read my earlier comment on the so-called plate racing from about five years ago. This guy doesn’t like it. Many people do. Some like the fact that almost anyone can win and others like the crashes. With 80 percent of the field either having damage or eliminated from competition, it becomes little more than a demolition derby or as I called it, a train wreck, not racing.

One proponent of this “racing” told me today that we run nearly 200 mph at several tracks, why is this a problem at Daytona, he asked. High banks and aggressive drivers is the answer. Those tracks don’t have the banking or the aggressive behavior that is required at Daytona because in order to keep up, you have to block, and when you get a push from behind, you are helpless to slow down.

What’s the answer? I won’t pretend to even think I know. I do take one tidbit from the past. Back in the dark ages before Bobby Allison tore out the catchfence at Talladega when everyone was running seven-liter engines, NASCAR decided to inch away from the big blocks for a more reasonable cost. The late Bud Moore was the first to try it and his No. 15 Fords had a hard time keeping up until everyone changed. Speeds at Daytona were about 176 mph and the racing was great. Now they use these smaller blocks and go even faster with a restrictor plate. Much like the gun debate in society, no one has an answer and no one is even trying to do anything to change it. So, we’re stuck with crash fests. Sad.

The lesson from all of this is never take anything from plate races that would mean there is a pattern to competitiveness that would ring true for the rest of the season (except for the three remaining plate races). Chevrolet won the 500, but only led 19 laps on the day. Ford drivers led 150 laps and Toyota drivers led 38. Chevrolet, which brought the new Camaro ZL1 to Daytona, led only 19 laps all day. When we get to Atlanta, we’ll have a better idea of the season ahead. No, we won’t anoint Bubba Wallace the most popular driver yet (though he’s got a head start on that), or declare the young kids as not as advertised. It’s back to reality next week and real racing.

February 19, 2018
Hot 20 – Best from last Sunday dream of being the best this Sunday at Daytona

Forty drivers, 40 spots. Still, despite the lack of interest and resources for additional teams to attempt to enter the iconic competition, we have some high-quality contenders to watch out for. Alex Bowman and Denny Hamlin are locked into the front row, as long as their cars last. The rest of the top 20 qualifiers went into Thursday trying to protect their positions from all challengers in the two 20 car heats.

Some of those trying to turn up the heat were quality drivers who were trying to improve on what took place last Sunday. Heading into this Sunday, does anyone want to count out the likes of Ryan Newman, Kyle Larson, Jamie McMurray, Bubba Wallace, or defending Cup champion Martin Truex, Jr.?

I didn’t think so.

The Hot 20 prior to the Duels…

1. ALEX BOWMAN
Junior who?

2. DENNY HAMLIN
Denny who? Okay, I’m just messing with you.

3. JIMMIE JOHNSON
His date with 8 could begin on Sunday.

4. KYLE BUSCH
Some days he wins, some days he crashes, but damn near every day we know that he raced.

5. WILLIAM BYRON
Jeff who?

6. ERIK JONES
I often wear a 2005 Little League coach’s shirt, and Jones would have been too young to play for us.

7. DANIEL SUAREZ
Open the border if that means more like him.

8. KEVIN HARVICK
Open the border, but what would Harvick do in Canada?

9. RICKY STENHOUSE JR.
If bad things happen, he won’t hear about it when he gets home…if you know what I mean.

10. CHASE ELLIOTT
Has Dad’s old number now needs some of Dad’s old results.

11. JOEY LOGANO
To win without penalty is his goal.

12. PAUL MENARD
New standard bearer for the Wood Brothers and the sponsor is not who you might think.

13. ARIC ALMIROLA
Aric does not look like Danica, but will his results by any different?

14. AUSTIN DILLON
If he can grow a mustache better than he wears a Stetson, I might have a suggestion for him.

15. RYAN BLANEY
This just in. Ryan is full of it. More at 11 on KB News.

16. CLINT BOWYER
Look at that. Sitting in a playoff position at the moment. How long will that last?

17. KURT BUSCH
Not the KB is was referring to earlier.

18. KASEY KAHNE
In 416 races, the No. 95 has not once won a race but Kahne was hired to change that.

19. BRAD KESELOWSKI
A bit slow early last Sunday, a bit fast later in the day seems to be pointing in the right direction.

20. TREVOR BAYNE
If he has a career like Mark Martin, the No. 6 is in good hands.

February 14, 2018
The Final Word – Sometimes the dawn of a new season is an exciting time, sometimes it is 2018

A new season has dawned, the engines roared back to life, and the Clash delivered a…well…a modicum of excitement. If you are a Brad Keselowski fan, it was one hell of a race. If you like Jamie McMurray, it kind of sucked. If you were looking for diving and dashing for the opening, Chase Elliott gave us one or two moments. If you wanted to sit on the edge of your seat, share the chair. This was not one for the ages, I am afraid.

If you were seeking to calm those who are heading for the exits or entice those who never were with you in the first place, I do not see how either mission was accomplished. Drop me a line and tell me where I am going wrong. Tell me how Sunday’s action kept you riveted. I am at a loss, to be honest.

As for Thursday’s duels, they are now two 20-car races with nothing on the line. 40 entries for 40 spots for the most iconic race of them all. That does not bode well for Las Vegas, Phoenix, or California when they swing west after the visit to Atlanta. How many have grown up yearning to be the next Pennzoil 400 presented by Jiffy Lube champion, or the master of the TicketGuardian 500, and let us not forget about the Auto Club 400? No one, that is who.

Usually, my pessimism is in check at least through to May. Usually. On the bright side, when the points start counting next Sunday, I will be glued to the tube once again. I wonder how Martin Truex Jr., Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, and even Clint Bowyer will do. I am looking forward to seeing how Elliott, Ryan Blaney, Kyle Larson, Bubba Wallace, and William Byron will perform. Let us not forget about Erik Jones. Veterans and young pups on the biggest opening act stage in all of sports. The Daytona 500 means something, and I am looking forward to watching the action unfold.

Atlanta’s Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 might be fine. Since Kentucky ran off with its original spring date, this is a one and done deal for the good folks in Georgia. I guess there is something traditional about this event, and the corporate splash does have some patriotism mixed in.

Then they head west. Maybe by then, the storylines will be interesting. Somebody might shine brightly to start the season, some might be hurting early, a kid might do things a kid is not expected to do. Something, anything, to entice us to watch the multi-colored autos with the big numbers on their roofs roar around and around and around.

That is in the future. The Clash is behind us, the Duels provide something for Thursday afternoon, while Sunday is the one we have been waiting for. Even me. A new season has dawned, and a new Daytona 500 champion awaits his crowning…unless you believe Danica Patrick has a Cinderella story of her own in the offing. Now I’m just being silly.

February 12, 2018
Hot 20 – Sunday’s Clash to feature 17 drivers representing 12 championships and 332 Cup wins

The new pre-season opens this Sunday, as those who made last season’s Playoffs or claimed a pole, who has ever claimed a Daytona 500 pole, or who has ever won this event in the past dust off the cobwebs and rev the engines. Now, you may be asking yourself how could this be a “Hot 20″ column with only 17 drivers competing? Well, you have to improvise.

Martin Truex Jr.
Won three poles in 2017. He also picked up a ring at a dinner after the season.

Kyle Busch
Won eight poles in 2017, which seems rather greedy to me.

Kevin Harvick
Keelan is now 5-and-a-half. His NASCAR debut is still at least 15 years away.

Brad Keselowski
Brad has a ring. Kevin has a ring. Kyle has a ring. Martin has a newer ring. Notice a theme?

Chase Elliott
Won nothing last year, except one pole and the hearts of fans looking for a new Pied Piper.

Denny Hamlin
You would have thought that with his last name, Denny would have been the new Pied Piper.

Kyle Larson
You can never have too many Kyles.

Ryan Blaney
…or Ryans.

Jimmie Johnson
Give me a moment and I might come up with a reason he is here. Maybe seven of them.

Austin Dillon
All hat and maybe a few cattle.

Jamie McMurray
Dimples are considered the cutest deformity ever. Jamie has them. So does Duchess Kate.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Available. Need I say more?

Kurt Busch
Another season where all the excitement comes on the track.

Kasey Kahne
New team, a new look.

Ryan Newman
Fortunate that races can be won by a nose, but never by a neck.

Joey Logano
Was encumbered by a win that did not count and a playoff that was not to be.

Erik Jones
Turns 22 in May. Old bastard. He is the last on this list who will be in Sunday’s event.

Matt Kenseth
Had the talent to continue, just not the charisma apparently, so he won’t be driving.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Has the charisma, but to avoid a possible clash at home, he is avoiding the Clash at Daytona.

Mae Thornton
Tied for 20th with the rest of us, my late mother also failed to qualify for the Clash.

As I said…you improvise.

February 7, 2018