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  • Hot 20 – Capital City 400 in Richmond should be as iconic as the Southern 500

    Hot 20 – Capital City 400 in Richmond should be as iconic as the Southern 500

    For a race that has been around since 1958, it is a damn shame that it does not carry the proper branding to link it over the decades to the time it was claimed by the likes of Speedy Thompson, Cotton Owens, and Joe Weatherly. Let us properly honor it and refer to this Saturday night’s contest in Richmond, Virginia as the Federated Auto Parts Capital City 400.

    It is a race that was won by Hall of Famer Richard Petty seven times. Five times it went to Hall of Famer Bobby Allison. Four-time winners included Hall of Famers Darrell Waltrip and Rusty Wallace. The winner of three Capital City events, looking to join the legends on Saturday, is Denny Hamlin. This race has history. It has pedigree. It should mean something.

    Unlike Hamlin’s win last weekend, which means about as much as Joey Logano’s spring win at Richmond. Failure to pass post-race inspection means that Darlington win has been encumbered. Unlike Logano, Hamlin already has a win in the bank, so it matters little. Nice trophy, though.

    For the final time, this race is the last chance for those not yet in the Chase to make their mark. That distinction goes to the Brickyard 400 in Indianapolis next season. The instructions to each and every driver is a simple one. Win it. It is the last shot for young guns Erik Jones and Daniel Suarez to make it this season. Veterans Clint Bowyer and Logano are in the same boat. At least Logano’s encumbered win came at Richmond in the spring, so maybe there lies some hope. It is the last opportunity in his career for Dale Earnhardt Jr. Winning Saturday night will be everything. With those loose lug nuts biting him at Darlington, Travis Mack sits in for the suspended Greg Ives as Junior’s crew chief this weekend.

    For some, it is also another chance to do something memorable, to interest sponsors to keep them in a decent seat for next season. Kurt Busch and Kasey Kahne both have wins, but they need to convince somebody to lay out the big bucks to see their hands on the wheel of a fast car in 2018. Matt Kenseth might make the Chase, but he needs a place to land when it is over. Danica Patrick is said to need some help. Maybe a lot of help. A win would be great for them all, but time is also winding down to turn heads.

    Geico signed on for more years with Ty Dillon, but I got to tell you, those sponsors can be pretty touchy. Just ask Suarez. He hands out some donuts on a tv segment and his Subway sponsorship disappears. Donuts compete with Subway as a breakfast menu item? Hell, I didn’t even know I could eat donuts for breakfast. I do now. Mom lied to me. Maybe I will have me a donut on my way to Quiznos.

    As long as no one currently winless upsets the apple cart, the top sixteen among our Hot 20 head to the Chase. However, just three points separate Chase Elliott, Kenseth, and Jamie McMurray. If a first-time winner comes along this weekend, one of those three would wind up losing their game of musical chairs.

    With NBC’s analyst Rutledge Wood driving the honorary pace car, expect the first crash of the night to take place prior to the opening lap.

    1. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 4 WINS (1000 Pts)
    When they reset the points after Richmond, he will remain firmly atop the leader board.

    2. KYLE LARSON – 3 WINS (884 Pts)
    Was running with an Outlaw gang last weekend…and so were his parents.

    3. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 3 WINS (653 Pts)
    When will Jimmie return from vacation?

    4. KYLE BUSCH – 2 WINS (893 Pts)
    Running a distant second in playoff points.

    5. DENNY HAMLIN – 2 WINS (785 Pts)
    It might be a NASCAR secret, but a win at Richmond and Hamlin drives with the legends.

    6. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 2 WINS (761 Pts)
    Tried to look like Rusty last weekend, wound up looking more like Harpo.

    7. RICKY STENHOUSE JR. – 2 WINS (536 Pts)
    When you get a bank for a sponsor and scream their slogan in victory, they come back for more.

    8. KEVIN HARVICK – 1 WIN (867 Pts)
    Had the pole and a Top Ten at Darlington, but things have been pretty relaxing since Sonoma.

    9. RYAN BLANEY – 1 WIN (629 Pts)
    Less pressure being the son of Dave, than it was for being the son of Richard, Bobby, and Dale.

    10. KURT BUSCH – 1 WIN (624 Pts)
    No trips to Victory Lane since the Daytona 500 and he has some hearts to win and cash to entice.

    11. RYAN NEWMAN – 1 WIN (604 Pts)
    Childress has two drivers in the Chase…but for how long?

    12. AUSTIN DILLON – 1 WIN (473 Pts)
    Sometimes a win means a lot…

    13. KASEY KAHNE – 1 WIN (464 Pts)
    Sometimes a win does not mean enough.

    14. CHASE ELLIOTT – 737 POINTS
    Seventh best in points, but seven who have done less have a victory or two or three to their names.

    15. MATT KENSETH – 735 POINTS
    What is the case for Chase, the same goes for Matt…and Jamie.

    16. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 734 POINTS
    Does not have to win, but he should be encouraged to at least beat Chase and Matt to the line.

    17. CLINT BOWYER – 643 POINTS
    If the minimum Chase eligibility was tagged at 500 points, life would have been so much easier.

    18. ERIK JONES – 611 POINTS
    Five straight Top Tens, but needs a Top One this weekend.

    19. JOEY LOGANO – 605 POINTS (1 Win)
    Won at Richmond in the spring. Maybe a win in the fall might actually mean something.

    20. DANIEL SUAREZ – 538 POINTS
    A win and he is in. Same goes for the ten drivers behind him.

     

  • Denny Hamlin Takes Lead on Final Restart to Win XFINITY Race at Darlington

    Denny Hamlin Takes Lead on Final Restart to Win XFINITY Race at Darlington

    DARLINGTON, S.C. —Denny Hamlin took the lead on the final restart, passing Joey Logano with a last lap inside crossover move to win the Sport Clips Haircuts VFW 200 Saturday at Darlington Raceway. It was his fifth XFINITY win at Darlington.

    “Just a really good restart, got through (Turns) 1 and 2 really good, just held it wide open through l and 2,” Hamlin said after the race, “great run by the 22 (Logano) getting back to me there on the last lap. I think that was a throwback to Dale Earnhardt there in Turns 3 and 4.”

    Logano led a race-high 58 laps in his No. 22 Ford and was disappointed with his second-place finish.

    “Obviously, second hurts, Logano said. We want to win every one of them and we just got out-motored. He went through the gear box and got position on me and off he went.  He had me at his right-rear quarter, which allowed him to stay wide open and clear me. I thought I had a run down the backstretch. He knew what I was thinking and I knew what he was thinking. I was just hoping that I got up to the wall and was able to rotate when I got there, but I just got tight when I got there.”

    Harvick was also a strong contender in the Stewart-Haas Racing No. 41 Ford, leading 54 laps during the race, but had to settle for third.

    ‘We had a great Hunt Brothers Ford,” he said, but “it just didn’t wind up working out there at the end. I wound up on the bottom and I kept my foot in it over there, got loose underneath the 20. We weren’t the strongest for five or 10 laps and that didn’t really work out with that short run there at the end and we got stuck on the bottom. We got loose and then we got freight-trained, but just a great car. It wound up being a great race and that’s all you can ask for.”

    Erik Jones scored fourth place with William Byron rounding out the top five finishers. Elliott Sadler remains the points leader with a 91 point advantage over second-place Byron.

    Follow @angiecampbell_ for the latest NASCAR news and feature stories.

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  • Hot 20 – A Southern night with the lady in black at Darlington

    Hot 20 – A Southern night with the lady in black at Darlington

    With the Southern 500 coming our way from Darlington this weekend, it seems like a good time to talk about tradition. The first one in the books was back in 1950, making it the oldest of the sport’s iconic events. Most of the time, it goes to someone who is in or will be in, the Hall of Fame. That number will only grow once Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson get in, along with a few other contenders I can think of.

    Bill Elliott won it three times. Gordon has six. Next year, the current driver of the No. 24 moves over to take over the No. 9 once driven by his daddy. Chase Elliott has the name and soon will have the number. William Byron takes over the former Gordonmobile.

    Ray Evernham never drove the race, but he was the man on the stand for four of Gordon’s victories. The soon to be Hall of Famer joins fellow inductees Ron Hornaday Jr., Ken Squier and Robert Yates as the event’s Grand Marshals.

    We hear that the No. 5 is about to go into mothballs, considering the No. 24, No. 48, and the No. 88 will soon be joined by the No. 9 in the stable of cars owned by Rick Hendrick. While Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s daddy won the race three times, this is the son’s last shot at claiming his first. An Earnhardt has appeared in Cup action every season since 1975. We might even see a cameo by the legacy of the legend next season, wife permitting. However, even if that was not the case, we could still have nephew Jeffery Earnhardt in the running.

    By the way, the Earnhardt NASCAR legacy at its highest division actually started on November 11, 1956 when Ralph Earnhardt finished second to Speedy Thompson in his Grand National debut at Hickory Speedway. Dale’s dad ran 51 races at the sport’s highest level. In fact, he finished ninth in the 1961 Southern 500.

    Tradition. Thanks to NASCAR’s capitulation to selling out its naming rights to corporate sponsors, we have few iconic stand alone events left. Talladega and Bristol are iconic tracks, but neither has a traditional branded event. If you are selective as to what races you win, there is the winter race in Daytona, the May contest in Charlotte, the summer run at Indianapolis, and Labor Day at Darlington.

    Win this Sunday’s Southern 500, and you will be remembered. Win your first of the season, and you will be rewarded with a place in the Chase.

    1. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 4 WINS (951 Pts)
    Tamed the track to tough to tame a year ago, but will she be a lady this year?

    2. KYLE LARSON – 3 WINS (845 Pts)
    Coming off a win and another Top Ten in his last two, I think the lad is doing alright.

    3. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 3 WINS (628 Pts)
    This week saw Genevieve’s first day of Grade One. That is a big deal.

    4. KYLE BUSCH – 2 WINS (850 Pts)
    We need some love ‘em or hate ‘em guys out there. He sure in hell is not colorless.

    5. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 2 WINS (728 Pts)
    Then, there are some you just hate. I am hoping Momma Kay might disagree.

    6. RICKY STENHOUSE JR. – 2 WINS (528 Pts)
    Life is not always a day at the beach…but sometimes it is.

    7. KEVIN HARVICK – 1 WIN (824 Pts)
    His idea of a wild card race to determine the last Chase spot is a good one. We call it Richmond.

    8. DENNY HAMLIN – 1 WIN (753 Pts)
    Intentionally slow leaving pit road and you risk being sent to the back. Problem solved.

    9. RYAN BLANEY – 1 WIN (623 Pts)
    One of next season’s sponsors will be Menards. Take that, Paul!

    10. KURT BUSCH – 1 WIN (586 Pts)
    After a Daytona 500 and a Brickyard 400, another jewel would appear to be in order.

    11. RYAN NEWMAN – 1 WIN (574 Pts)
    Newman and Dillon will sport autos that will remind us of a certain Wrangler of the 1980s.

    12. KASEY KAHNE – 1 WIN (451 Pts)
    Sometimes when Hendrick makes an announcement, it is good news. Sometimes, it is not.

    13. AUSTIN DILLON – 1 WIN (437 Pts)
    When it comes to throwbacks, I still love the black Goodwrench…no offense Wrangler.

    14. CHASE ELLIOTT – 711 POINTS
    Nothing can be finer than driving the number niner.

    15. MATT KENSETH – 703 POINTS
    Two ex-champs, one quality ride left. Does either get the chair when the music stops?

    16. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 700 POINTS
    Seven wins at Charlotte, Daytona, Indianapolis, and Talladega. Why not one at Darlington?

    17. CLINT BOWYER – 642 POINTS
    Would he wreck a rival to make the Chase? Maybe, if he was running second.

    18. JOEY LOGANO – 583 POINTS (1 Win)
    Thought he had a plan to get into the Chase, but the President pardoned Sheriff Joe instead.

    19. ERIK JONES – 574 POINTS
    Pocono (eighth), Watkins Glen (10th), Michigan (third), Bristol (second). His stock is rising.

    20. DANIEL SUAREZ – 537 POINTS
    Whatever happens to the guy who fails to tighten a lug nut that costs his crew chief $10,000?

    The rest of the contenders

    21. TREVOR BAYNE – 470 POINTS
    22. DALE EARNHARDT JR. – 416 POINTS
    23. PAUL MENARD – 408 POINTS
    24. TY DILLON – 395 POINTS
    25. CHRIS BUESCHER – 387 POINTS
    26. A.J. ALLMENDINGER – 381 POINTS
    27. MICHAEL MCDOWELL – 378 POINTS
    28. DANICA PATRICK – 352 POINTS
    29. DAVID RAGAN – 303 POINTS
    30. ARIC ALMIROLA – 268 POINTS
    31. MATT DIBENEDETTO – 264 POINTS
    32. COLE WHITT – 241 POINTS
    33. LANDON CASSILL – 241 POINTS

     

     

  • The Final Word – Kyle Busch sweeps Bristol to claim his 180th NASCAR victory

    The Final Word – Kyle Busch sweeps Bristol to claim his 180th NASCAR victory

    Bristol is where the legends win. Darrell Waltrip won a dozen times there. Cale Yarborough, Dale Earnhardt, and Rusty Wallace each had nine. Then there is Kyle Busch, who’s victory on Saturday night pushed him to six, one more than his brother Kurt and David Pearson. Each one in the Hall of Fame, or will be. No exceptions.

    As far as races go, Bristol provided a decent amount of excitement. It was not one for the ages, but few are. Rowdy claimed his 40th career Cup win, to go with his wins in the junior and truck series on the weekend at the same locale. I guess I should be all a quiver that he pushed his career totals to 91 XFINITY and 49 Camping World victories. That is 180 when all three are combined, just 20 short of Richard Petty’s record in Grand National and Cup. Do the records compare? Let the debate begin.

    Erik Jones is 21-years-old, with 15 wins in the two secondary series but still looking for his first Cup victory. His second place finish Saturday night was fine, but he still needs that victory if he is to make the Chase. With the exception of one other car, he earned it. Busch just earned it more.

    At this time of the year, when all but three playoff positions are written in stone, it has come down to winning. No one is going to catch those hanging on to those three spots except by a win. The best Jones could do was move past Joey Logano into 18th on the ladder and that is just not good enough. Unless Logano, Jones, or someone still winless comes through at Darlington or Richmond, our list of contenders for the championship has been set.

    However, Saturday night was a good night for racing, a good points day for some racers. Very good for the younger Busch and Jones, pretty good for Kyle Larson, Denny Hamlin, and Matt Kenseth. For the latter, he moves three points ahead of Jamie McMurray into 15th, but with Clint Bowyer still 58 points behind him, McMurray has nothing to worry about. Well, unless the wrong guy wins one of these next two races. The gap between McMurray and Chase Elliott sitting in 14th is just 11 points. Should one of those not yet in come up with a win, then things could get pretty darn exciting, but only then.

    Brad Keselowski had a tire go down six laps in, and that was the last we saw of him last Saturday. Austin Dillon broke loose and got into a wreck during the second stage to end his day. Still, each is locked in the Chase, so the impact was minimal.

    Winning the next race, however, can help make a career. Win the Daytona 500, and you become somebody. Just ask Michael Waltrip and Sterling Marlin. Win the World 600, and you have passed the test in the longest race on the schedule. Win the Brickyard 400, and you get to kiss the masonry at the finish line.

    Coming up is the fourth jewel among NASCAR’s iconic events. One you will be remembered for even if it is the only checkered flag you ever get. Darlington and the Southern 500. Kenseth won it in 2013. Regan Smith has just one Cup win, but it was there in 2011. No one else currently not locked into the Chase has claimed the prize. Now would be the time to make a little history in South Carolina.  Action resumes on Sunday, September 3.

  • Jones Finishes Runner-Up in Career Night

    Jones Finishes Runner-Up in Career Night

    BRISTOL, Tenn. — Erik Jones put on a career-best performance, leading over half the race, but it wasn’t enough to beat Kyle Busch in the waning laps of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway.

    Having won the pole the day prior, he led the field to the green flag. It wasn’t long, 60 seconds in fact, before his first stint in front was cut short, when Chase Elliott passed him exiting Turn 4 to take the lead. He took it back from Elliott two laps later.

    His next stint lasted a little longer, going 45 laps before he left the bottom lane open in Turn 2, which allowed Kyle Larson to get alongside and pass him going into Turn 3.

    While Jones didn’t get back to the front during the remainder of the first stage, he passed Larson on the final lap of the stage to finish second.

    He exited pit road with the race lead and held the lead until Busch swung by him on the high-side in Turn 3 to take the lead on Lap 166. He used Brad Keselowski as a pick to pass Busch and retake the lead on Lap 180, only to get held up by Paul Menard and getting passed right back by Busch on Lap 198.

    After a two-car wreck in Turn 3 on Lap 227, Jones opted to short-pit the end of the second stage to set up for the run to the checkered flag. He finished fifth in the second stage.

    With leader Matt Kenseth pitting under the stage break, Jones inherited the race lead and was unchallenged during the long 93-lap green flag stint from Lap 257 to Lap 354. On the ensuing restart on Lap 360, Busch went on the attack via the high-side in Turn 4 to take the lead on Lap 361.

    After a single-car incident on the backstretch on Lap 396 and the lead cars pitted, Jones exited with the race lead.

    The run to the finish with 79 laps to go had him line up first on the bottom, Kenseth to the outside in second and Busch in third behind Jones. Busch made it by Kenseth with 72 to go and set his sights on Jones. With 56 to go, Jones got loose in Turn 3, allowing Busch to dive underneath and take the lead exiting Turn 4.

    Busch started to pull away, but ran into heavy lapped traffic with 22 to go, allowing Jones to close in. But just as lapped traffic slowed Busch down, it slowed him down in his quest to catch Busch. He finally ran out of time and came home second.

    “It’s a bummer, I mean you can’t lie. I thought we had a really good day and we fought hard all day. We had our ups and downs and led a lot of laps and didn’t have quite enough at the end,” Jones said. “Kyle (Busch) is really good here. But we had a good 5-hour Energy Camry. Just needed a little more at the end. It’s just unfortunate we didn’t have it. I did what I could, but it just wasn’t quite enough.”

    Jones leaves Bristol 16th in points, 129 behind Kenseth for the final playoff spot. Barring a major penalty by Kenseth’s team at Darlington Raceway and/or Richmond International Raceway, Jones can’t mathematically point his way into a playoff spot. He must win at Darlington and/or Richmond to clinch a spot.

  • Jones Takes Pole Position at Thunder Valley

    Jones Takes Pole Position at Thunder Valley

    BRISTOL, Tenn. — Erik Jones will lead the field to the green flag tomorrow night after winning the pole for the Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway.

    The driver of the No. 77 Furniture Row Racing Toyota posted a final round time of 14.891 and a speed of 128.082 mph.

    “It’s cool anytime you get your first pole, but to the Bristol (night race), that’s pretty cool. I’m just excited,” Jones said. “We’ve got a really good 5-hour Energy Camry. We had a really good week last week, and we’ve done a good job keeping the momentum going so far. Hoping for a good day tomorrow night. Obviously, really excited to get this race going now and see what we can do.”

    Kyle Larson will start second with a time of 14.984 and a speed of 128.057 mph. Kasey Kahne will start third with a time of 15.005 and a speed of 127.877 mph. Chase Elliott will start fourth with a time of 15.031 and a speed of 127.656 mph. Matt Kenseth will round out the top-five with a time of 15.042 and a speed of 127.563 mph.

    Martin Truex Jr., Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano, Clint Bowyer and Ryan Blaney will round out the top-10.

    Jamie McMurray and Daniel Suarez will round out the 12 drivers that made the final round of qualifying.

    Kyle Busch, who won the pole for both the Truck and XFINITY race this weekend, got loose entering Turn 3 on his first run of the second round and failed to advance. He’ll start 18th.

    Timmy Hill failed to make the race.

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  • Hot 20 – Saturday night it is Bristol, baby!

    Hot 20 – Saturday night it is Bristol, baby!

    There are races you mark down, make plans for, but there are few venues that seem to provide the kind of action that transforms those events into stand alone spectacles. Daytona is one. Talladega is another. You might want to add Darlington, for tradition sake, and Sonoma to the mix. Charlotte hosts the longest and next year they break out the road course for its second date. Then there are the two in Bristol, Tennessee.

    While we continue to yearn for announcers who captivate us with their voices, delivery, dialogue, banter, information, or entertainment value, it does not matter this Saturday night. This time, the track will take care of all that itself. No one is going to run away from the pack. Lapped cars will matter if only for being in the way. Fenders are going to be dented, drivers are going to get hot, and fans are going to find their time well spent. That is not always the case in NASCAR. It is damn near becoming the exception to the rule, but Saturday night they are in Bristol.

    I am not sure if we will have another offering from a shrill voiced fellow with a distinctive accent, but if your head announcer does not sound something like Ken Squier, Chris Economaki, or at the very least Mike Joy, do not hire them. If your booth announcers do not have the bantering chemistry of Kyle Petty and Wally Dallenbach, you have failed. If the race sucks, at least your announcers can not. The name of the game is to keep us watching. Thankfully, this is Bristol, so that does not matter as much this week.

    It will be interesting to see how many of its 162,000 seats will be filled in Thunder Valley’s stadium like layout. If they fail to turn out to watch the action on the 0.533 mile track, if they are not crowded on the couch to take it all in at home, do not expect things to get any better when they get to Chicago, Dover, or Kansas. In future, a general rule of thumb would be if a race track is not designed to be the next Daytona, Talladega, Bristol, Sonoma, or even a Martinsville, do not build it.

    If I did not follow the sport, if I did not know what each race means to each driver, if I had no idea what the Chase was or what the points meant, if I did not know the difference between an Earnhardt and an Erlich Bachman, I probably would watch only a dozen events each season for their stand alone entertainment value.

    The race Saturday night at Bristol would be one of them.

    1. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 4 WINS (933 Pts)
    If you want to win, you got to beat him…team mate or not…

    2. KYLE LARSON – 3 WINS (804 Pts)
    …just like Larson did last Sunday.

    3. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 3 WINS (592 Pts)
    Won at Bristol in the spring. Why not on a summer night?

    4. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 2 WINS (720 Pts)
    If Johnson does not win, another two-time Bristol winner would not mind wearing the suds.

    5. RICKY STENHOUSE, JR. – 2 WINS (505 Pts)
    Better half could be without a ride at SHR next year. I didn’t even know he and Kurt were dating.

    6. KYLE BUSCH – 1 WIN (797 Pts)
    They may be from Las Vegas, but Bristol is Busch country.

    7. KEVIN HARVICK – 1 WIN (787 Pts)
    Harvick is a champion, yet less popular than Junior or Danica. Maybe more so after last week.

    8. DENNY HAMLIN – 1 WIN (710 Pts)
    It is a girl!

    9. RYAN BLANEY – 1 WIN (592 Pts)
    Maybe Blaney can be the next Junior. You know, someone Harvick can harp on.

    10. KURT BUSCH – 1 WIN (554 Pts)
    Going into his 600th career race, the brothers have each claimed five at Thunder Valley.

    11. RYAN NEWMAN – 1 WIN (536 Pts)
    The invisible man was fourth last week while averaging 15.9 over the season.

    12. KASEY KAHNE – 1 WIN (438 Pts)
    After wrecking with Suarez on Sunday, I bet he wished he was still with the good hands people.

    13. AUSTIN DILLON – 1 WIN (436 Pts)
    Top Ten last week was his first since he won at Charlotte in late May.

    14. CHASE ELLIOTT – 685 POINTS
    Probably a near lock for the Chase, but that first career win sure would be nice.

    15. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 675 POINTS
    Could be 40 points higher if not for wrecking at Martinsville and Pocono.

    16. MATT KENSETH – 654 POINTS
    Odds of 4x Bristol winner making the Chase are better than driving a competitive car next year.

    17. CLINT BOWYER – 623 POINTS
    Pit penalties and a flat tire ruined his plans last week, and did him no favors hunting down Matt.

    18. JOEY LOGANO – 556 POINTS (1 Win)
    Might feel the worst, but if he came first it would turn his frown upside down.

    19. ERIK JONES – 524 POINTS
    Has a string of three Top Tens. Now he needs a Top One.

    20. DANIEL SUAREZ – 515 POINTS
    Actually 17th in points, but race winners Stenhouse, Kahne, and Dillon now sit ahead of him.

  • The Final Word – Michigan’s highlights consisted of one big wreck and one spectacular re-start

    The Final Word – Michigan’s highlights consisted of one big wreck and one spectacular re-start

    Michigan, where winning was everything. Okay, points might have mattered for the likes of Chase Elliott, Jamie McMurray, Matt Kenseth, and Clint Bowyer, but for everyone else winning was the goal.

    Michigan, where once again an Aussie did the play-by-play, but to be frank, Leigh Duffy’s accent is not a problem for me. I regularly watch the action from the Australian Football League, and it is totally a non-issue. An announcer has to inform, entertain, and it is helpful if they have one of those voices, one of those deliveries that allows you to just wrap yourself in like a warm blanket. That is how you keep fans watching and tuning in. NBC has not yet learned that, I am sad to say, but maybe the action on the track might overcome the deficiencies.

    Not in the opening segment. They went fast, but they were strung out around the oval. A third of the field was lapped, and the dominating car, driven by Brad Keselowski, already has its wins. It was warm up where I live, but I decided to forgo the frosty beer for the moment. At least that gave me something to possibly look forward to.

    Martin Truex Jr. is looking forward to the Chase, and he added to his playoff point total with yet another segment win in Stage two. Keselowski and Kevin Harvick were right behind him, but a couple of the others in the top 10 at this point made things interesting. Erik Jones had done well cruising in the top five, while Daniel Suarez was strong throughout the segment. Neither could make the Chase on points, but could they, would they win their way in? I guess that is why we watched the final run. Still, no beer for me. I am a patient, patient man with an iron will.

    Kasey Kahne was not, as shortly after they resumed he popped in front of Suarez a fraction too early and got tossed to the scrap heap. Kahne is in the Chase, but out of that ride for next season. It did the Mexican driver no favors either, as his hopes for victory Sunday came to an end. At least we still had Jones.

    A win would have worked for Bowyer. However, twice being caught speeding in the pits would not. Neither would a tire rub with 50 laps to go that turned into a flat. No win, and a squandered opportunity to make up some points was to be the fate for the man from Emporia, Kansas.

    Joey Logano has a win, but it means nothing toward the Chase. His hopes for another went flat when his tire did the same with 15 laps to go. That brought out a caution, and that increased our interest. With nine to go at the re-start, four time winner Truex was running point, with Jones, Kenseth, and Elliott right behind him. Ken Squier and Chris Economaki could not have set things up any better for what we hoped would be an exciting finish with a lot on the line.

    Truex took off with Jones, his Furniture Row teammate, behind him. They were all that mattered, though you could not tell from the NBC coverage as they focused on battles that in the long run were rather meaningless. It was sliding into ho-hum territory, I began to yearn for that long put off beer, but then a wreck with five to go allowed them to re-set.

    Going into over-time, once again it was Truex, Jones, Kenseth, with Kyle Larson now fourth ahead of Elliott. Was it going to be exciting? Damn right, but that was thanks to Larson bursting between those Furniture Row boys as things turned green and away he went. It was his third win of the season and his third straight at Michigan.

    So, did the standings change much? Nope. Kenseth finished 24th, but Bowyer dropped a further three points behind him for 16th place on the ladder. The gap is now 31 points, with McMurray 52 points over the horizon and Elliott now 62 on the other side of the crest. It was a good day for Larson, Truex, Jones and, thanks to bonus points, Harvick. It was a bit of a bummer for Kahne and Suarez.

    Next up is a Saturday night at Bristol, an event good enough it attracts fans just because it is what it is. Kenseth, Logano, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. are previous winners who desperately need to re-live some of those good old times. Get your friends together for the race next weekend. Tell ‘em that Bristol represents the kind of action NASCAR presents every week. Hey, sometimes friends lie to friends over a cold beer. Which reminds me…

     

  • Hot 20 – Barring the unexpected, the Pure Michigan 400 could be just another race

    Hot 20 – Barring the unexpected, the Pure Michigan 400 could be just another race

    Now we know why they call it Silly Season. 16 drivers will make the Chase, and we already know that three who have done well enough thus far this season may not have done well enough to save their rides for next.

    Kurt Busch won the Daytona 500, but Stewart-Haas has not yet picked up his option for next season. Even he does not know if they will or won’t. Kasey Kahne claimed Indianapolis, but Rick Hendrick will be replacing him with young William Byron next year. Matt Kenseth holds down the final place for the moment, but Joe Gibbs is bringing Erik Jones back to the mother ship to take that ride.

    Usually we are interested in the winners. This week, other than for Joey Logano, past winners mean nothing. A new winner, or Logano, could really have an impact on who makes it and who might not. Wins have all but locked up 13 positions. Chase Elliott, Jamie McMurray, and Kenseth hold down the next three, separated by just 11 points. Three positions, three drivers. Good for them, unless someone behind them in the standings wins and turns this into a game of musical chairs, with one of those chairs removed.

    Anyone within the top 33 in the rankings still has a mathematical shot. Even Aric Almirola, who missed seven races due to injury but remains within the Top 30 and thus eligible for the free pass a non-encumbered win would give him. Matt DiBenedetto, Cole Whitt, and Landon Cassill are close enough that an unlikely win could spring them into eligibility.

    Michigan might not be the most exciting venue to watch a race, but the result could be very interesting.

    1. MARTIN TRUEX, JR – 4 WINS (881 Pts)
    Truex and girlfriend Sherry Pollex have given us the season’s most compelling story.

    2. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 3 WINS (574 Pts)
    The King, the Intimidator, and Jimmie…all seven time champions.

    3. KYLE LARSON – 2 WINS (759 Pts)
    After back-to-back runner up finishes, has been outside the Top 20 in his last three attempts.

    4. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 2 WINS (681 Pts)
    Left a nice note to Truex for the win. Not sure if he left a nice note to Rowdy after the bus stop.

    5. RICKY STENHOUSE, JR. – 2 WINS (486 Pts)
    Nobody is talking about his sponsorship disappearing and, this season, that is saying something.

    6. KYLE BUSCH – 1 WIN (765 Pts)
    M&M’s are good. Any sponsor sticking around is very, very good.

    7. KEVIN HARVICK – 1 WIN (746 Pts)
    Figures some of NASCAR’s problems stem from its most popular not being its most successful.

    8. DENNY HAMLIN – 1 WIN (687 Pts)
    As of mid-Wednesday afternoon, we were still waiting.

    9. RYAN BLANEY – 1 WIN (565 Pts)
    Moving from Wood Brothers to Penske, and the world is his oyster.

    10. KURT BUSCH – 1 WIN (528 Pts)
    Not everyone has such a smooth transition going from this year to next.

    11. RYAN NEWMAN – 1 WIN (503 Pts)
    Ryan should know what that is like.

    12. KASEY KAHNE – 1 WIN (437 Pts)
    Despite Indianapolis, his future in the Cup series could depend on what he does to November.

    13. AUSTIN DILLON – 1 WIN (406 Pts)
    Meanwhile, some others have job security.

    14. CHASE ELLIOTT – 648 POINTS
    With the exception of a seven-time champion, Hendrick turns it all over to the kids in 2018.

    15. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 643 POINTS
    Has finished in the Top Twenty is all but three. In this race, Jamie has become the turtle.

    16. MATT KENSETH – 637 POINTS
    If he gets the results, others do not get the wins, all he would need is a damn ride for next season.

    17. CLINT BOWYER – 609 POINTS
    Clint is not wishing Chase, Jamie, or Matt any ill fortune…but if it happens…

    18. JOEY LOGANO – 542 POINTS (1 Win)
    You could say that encumbered win is something of an encumberment.

    19. DANIEL SUAREZ – 508 POINTS
    Third last week means nothing, but could it be a harbinger of what is to come?

    20. ERIK JONES – 477 POINTS
    Crew Chief Chris Gale gets two race vacation, but $50,000 fine might keep him close to home.

    Then we have the Not So Hot, all who can be in with a win…

    21. TREVOR BAYNE – 408 POINTS
    22. PAUL MENARD – 383 POINTS
    23. DALE EARNHARDT, JR. – 379 POINTS
    24. TY DILLON – 378 POINTS
    25. MICHAEL MCDOWELL – 351 POINTS
    26. A.J. ALLMENDINGER – 349 POINTS
    27. CHRIS BUESCHER – 346 POINTS
    28. DANICA PATRICK – 325 POINTS
    29. DAVID RAGAN – 276 POINTS
    30. ARIC ALMIROLA – 242 POINTS
    31. MATT DIBENEDETTO – 242 POINTS
    32. COLE WHITT – 229 POINTS
    33. LANDON CASSILL – 227 POINTS

     

  • The Final Word – Truex wins at the Glen, but the spotlight now falls on the winless

    The Final Word – Truex wins at the Glen, but the spotlight now falls on the winless

    I am sorry. Last week, coming out of Pocono, I said you could bet that Watkins Glen would provide you with a much more entertaining race. I lied. I apologize. As for the NBC announcing crew, they did not make the experience any better. Just saying.

    The early part of the race could be summed up in this fashion. Kyle Busch won the opening stage but came in during the break to tighten a loose wheel and dropped out of the first 30 to begin the second. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. had an engine that gave up the ghost, and he was done. Jamie McMurray was doing fine until a 45 second pit stop due to ornery wheels that would not come off…or go on.

    At least the end of the second stage gave us some story lines of note. While Rowdy got back into the Top Ten, Daniel Suarez won that portion of the race. Erik Jones and A.J. Allmendinger were in the Top Ten as well. If any of the latter three won this race, it would have a meaningful impact on those hoping to get to the Chase via points alone. So, with 50 laps remaining there might be some excitement to be had after all. At least, that was what I was hoping for.

    I guess Watkins Glen is where hope goes to die. It appeared maybe Brad Keselowski might win, despite going for a skid with his buddy, the aforementioned Kyle, and being short on fuel. Too bad when he pitted he decided to run through more than three pit stalls to do it. That gave him a penalty and all of his hopes were dashed.

    Matt Kenseth had a run over the last couple of laps. Hey, better late than never. Unfortunately for him, Martin Truex, Jr. was using fuel mileage to make it, after finishing second in both of the opening stages, to claim his fourth victory of the season. A great day for Truex, a good day for the likes of Kenseth and Suarez, who finished third. Even the younger Busch had a 42 point day after wrapping things up in seventh. Duds on the day included the 29th place finisher Jimmie Johnson, with Ryan Newman, Austin Dillon, and Joey Logano also missing the Top Twenty.

    Logano has to win to be in, so no big news there. Clint Bowyer is now 28 points out of a Chase place despite coming home in fifth. Ahead of him are the 16th place Kenseth (637 points), McMurray in 15th (638), and the 14th place sitting Chase Elliott (648). A bad day for any one amongst that trio, and a good one for Bowyer, would make things interesting. So would a victory over the next four events by someone previously winless, which would put the final two spots in play.

    Heading to Michigan next weekend, the 16 winless drivers in the Top 30 in points are the ones to watch for. Them and only them. Kenseth, Logano, and Junior have all won at Michigan before. They might want to do it again. Will it be an exciting race to watch? I plead the Fifth.