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Tag: Ford

  • Can Anyone Compete With Ford?

    Can Anyone Compete With Ford?

    Ford has done nothing short of dominating the 2018 NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series (MENCS) season. Eleven races into the 36 race season and Ford has managed to find their way into victory lane six total times. While it is true that four of the six wins came with Stewart-Hass Racing driver Kevin Harvick, the other Ford drivers in the field have been strong. There is no shortage of talent, or speed, in the Ford camp.

    So far in 2018, Ford has amassed 2,145 laps led, 48 top 10s, 17 stage wins, and six race wins. Things seem to be picking up for the “Blue Oval.”

    Stewart-Hass Racing has obviously been the dominant Ford team this season, accounting for five of the six wins that Ford has, of which Kevin Harvick owns four, and Clint Bowyer has one. Team Penske driver Joey Logano has the other Ford victory that came at Talladega Superspeedway in the 10th race of the Cup Series season.

    The fact that Harvick and Logano are the only two Ford drivers to win so far this season is not a reflection of the strong cars that the manufacturer has brought to each track this season. Brad Keselowski, Ryan Blaney, Kurt Busch, Aric Almirola, and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. have all had some really great runs this season. Blaney probably should have won Bristol, until he was caught up in a wreck coming to the end of the second stage.

    Keselowski has had a strong car at several races this season but has fallen into the clutches of bad luck. At Bristol, he blew a tire toward the end of the race and erased any shot he had at winning. At Talladega, he got caught up in the big one on lap 165 by running into the back of teammate Blaney, who were both a part of the 14 cars involved in the calamity.

    Roush Fenway Racing has shown some speed with Ricky Stenhouse Jr., who drives the No. 17 for the team. Those strong runs, combined with the recent announcement that 2003 MENCS Champion Matt Kenseth will be returning to the team to run a part-time schedule in the No. 6 car currently driven by Trevor Bayne, could be the shot in the arm that team needs to become a contender again.

    But, Ford’s domination isn’t limited to the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. They are also flexing some muscle in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Of the 10 races run in the series, Ford has snagged four wins with four different drivers. Harvick, Keselowski, Logano, and Blaney have all taken home a trophy this season driving a Ford.

    In the Xfinity Series, Ford has recorded 631 laps led, 22 top 10s, five stage wins, and four race wins. Team Penske accounts for three of the four wins, between three different drivers (Keselowski, Logano, and Blaney). Stewart-Hass Racing has the fourth win with Harvick.

    Ford has scored a win at four very different race tracks, including ISM Raceway, Atlanta, Auto Club, and Texas. These tracks range anywhere between one mile in length to two miles in length, showing that Ford is capable of winning regardless of the tracks that they run on. We will have to wait until later in the season to see if they will be able to keep the momentum going on the road courses and the bigger tracks like Michigan and Pocono.

    In short, if you are a Chevrolet or Toyota team, you need to be doing some serious digging to try to shut these Fords down this season. We do have to give credit where it is due; Toyota has won four races this season. Three with Kyle Busch and one with 2017 MENCS Champion, Martin Truex Jr. But if you are a Chevy team, you need to be worried. With only one win coming at this year’s Daytona 500, Chevy has not seen the early success that it is used to. Jimmie Johnson, a seven-time champion and one of the strongest, consistent Chevy drivers, has struggled this season and currently sits in the longest winless streak of his career, dating back to the spring Bristol race of 2017. Kyle Larson, though, has shown some strength this year. He battled with Kyle Busch for much of the third stage at Bristol but could not capitalize on the run after spinning out while leading the race.

    It may still be early in the season, but I don’t think it would be a surprise for us to see a Ford taking home the championship in the MENCS when they make their final stop of the year at Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 18. And don’t be surprised if it is the No. 4 Fusion for Stewart-Hass Racing claiming his second MENCS title.

  • The Final Word – Talladega, bringing you the thrill of victory…and the agony of defeat

    The Final Word – Talladega, bringing you the thrill of victory…and the agony of defeat

    Talladega was sweet. That was the kind of action that captured my attention as a kid, watching Wide World of Sports. As Jim McKay so iconically put it all those years ago, “Spanning the globe to bring you the constant variety of sport… the thrill of victory… and the agony of defeat… the human drama of athletic competition.” That was Sunday at Talladega.

    Joey Logano got the thrill. It was his third on the big track and the 19th Cup victory of his career. It was exciting, but not exactly a nail-biter, as Logano led the final 42 laps. Kurt Busch was right there in case he faltered, while Chase Elliott did manage to slip ahead of Kevin Harvick at the line for third.

    Thrills for the fans meant the agony of defeat for so many others, as it often does when the circuit visits Alabama. Jamie McMurray had one hell of a spill during practice, tumbling through the air to roll over a half dozen times to totally destroy his primary ride. His back-up fared a little better. Erik Jones caught the apron, went up to get turned by McMurray, then onward to pile into Trevor Bayne along the wall. It also ruined the day for Kyle Larson and Martin Truex Jr. Innovation, thy name is Talladega. To get Truex back out there, the crew busted out a concrete saw in order to make repairs. That was a first.

    No big one yet, but the clock was ticking. With 22 laps to run, William Byron took the air off the rear of Jimmie Johnson’s equally unstable auto, and the fun began. While Johnson survived to eventually finish 12th, Byron, Paul Menard, Clint Bowyer, Michael McDowell, Brad Keselowski, A.J. Allmendinger and Austin Dillon were toast on the spot.

    We learned a few things at Talladega. First, pit road infractions might set you back, but they did not end your hopes on the 2.66-mile loop. Elliott, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Alex Bowman, and Daniel Suarez were among those tagged who managed to finish in the Top Ten. However, if you get hit with speeding late in the race and then get hit for speeding again while taking the pass-through penalty, your hopes evaporate. They did for Denny Hamlin, though even he recovered enough over the next hour for a lead lap 14th place conclusion.

    We learned that pitting early helps. On the opening segment Ford and Toyota all came in early on, the Chevys did not. They also did not lead the parade at the end of the stage. Lesson learned, so when the Fords came back to the pits early in the second segment, the Toyota boys arrived on the next lap, with Chevrolet just one more behind them. Not that it worked for them all. Six of the Top Seven at Talladega were Fords. Chevy had the third, eighth, and ninth best, with Kyle Busch driving the best Toyota in 10th.

    With 58-points, Logano took the lion’s share of points, with only Harvick and Stenhouse among the others breaking 40. David Ragan is 25th on the season, but sixth on the day. Single point days were “enjoyed” by Top 20 drivers Larson and Jones.

    From Talladega, we technically stay in the south as the circuit moves to Dover, Delaware. It might not be Talladega, but it sports one of the best trophies in the sport at a track owned by legends. In the first 18 races run there from 1969 through 1978, the winners were limited to Richard Petty (5), David Pearson (5), Bobby Allison (3), Cale Yarborough (3), and Benny Parsons (2). That is some kind of blue-blood pedigree, Hall of Famers all.

    By the way, the first time we saw Dover on our television screens it was 1974. The man who got the thrill of victory that day was Yarborough. The agony of defeat was experienced by Petty, as the race leader lost an engine with three laps to go. The action was described by Bill Flemming and Chris Economaki. The program, ABC’s Wide World of Sports.

  • The View From My Recliner — Pre 500

    The View From My Recliner — Pre 500

    It’s been a while, but the recliner is set for another great season of NASCAR action.

    I hope there is more action in the Daytona 500 than the Advanced Auto Parts Duel at Daytona because riding around in single file and the big one happening on the final lap doesn’t mean action to me.

    It looks like the new ride height rule has crew chiefs and engineers scratching their heads about how to make the car handle at Daytona. Thankfully they have a couple of days to run simulations and get a plan together and hopefully bring us an action-packed Daytona 500.

    The idea behind this column is to share the perspective of a fan. If there is something you want to comment on, feel free to e-mail me jdhwood20@aol.com. I am here for you.

    Time for some Bold Predictions from the Recliner.

    • The five crew members over the pit wall will be a mess and before NASCAR gets to Charlotte for the All-Star Race, that rule will change.
    • Ryan Blaney will win the Daytona 500.
    • I will be the new owner of BK Racing. Well, not really, but Ron Devine won’t be soon.
    • When we hit the intermediate tracks, every Ford driver will be complaining that Chevy and Toyota will have an unfair advantage.
    • The Danica Double will end with wrecks at Daytona and Indy.
    • Chase Elliott will get his first win and they will keep coming after that.
    • Furniture Row Racing will have the Championship hangover and Martin Truex Jr. will not make the final four at Homestead.
    • The final four at Homestead will be: Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, Kyle Larson and Ryan Blaney.
    • The 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Champion will be Kyle Larson.

    There are a few things I will be watching for this year.

    I want to see how Aric Almirola performs in Stewart-Haas equipment. He was respectable at Richard Petty Motorsports, but he knew most weeks that a top-15 was what he could hope for. Now that he is in a top-notch ride, he needs to prove he is the driver who can handle the equipment.

    I hope Bubba Wallace gets enough funding and RPM has the patience to see him develop as a driver at the Cup level. I think he has the talent and I hope he gets the chance to prove it.

    I am looking forward to finding out how the Hawkeye inspection platform works and if we will have 20 cars late for qualifying.

    It truly is an honor to have this space to share my thoughts on a sport I love.

    Enjoy the Duels and the rest of Speedweek.

    We’ll talk soon when I share The View From My Recliner.

  • The Final Word – If they weren’t racing, they were wrecking at Talladega

    The Final Word – If they weren’t racing, they were wrecking at Talladega

    Dale Earnhardt Jr. started on the pole at Talladega. Most years, that is just par for the course. In this, his final season, it was a return down memory lane. Talladega is where anything can happen, where any lead lap car has a shot to win it, and a where one’s dreams can go up in flames, smoke, and mangled metal without notice.

    Just ask Jamie McMurray. He went in clinging to the final berth into the next round of the Chase. Sometimes you make a mistake. Sometimes you decide to turn toward pit road way too high on the track, a place where those with no intention of turning in are still running at high speed. That is what McMurray did just 25 laps in, and got punted to the outside by Erik Jones, then t-boned by Jeffery Earnhardt. By the time Mark Thompson tore off the rear section of his car, the damage had already been done. Done, thy name is McMurray. Somebody needs a win next week.

    Unfortunately for Junior, our leader was hitting the pits as that caution came out for the wreck behind him. Pit lane closed in front of his eyes. The penalty sent him, Kyle Larson, and Chase Elliott to the back. Totally unfair, totally unrealistic to expect a driver to react in time, I know, but them is the rules. Still, they had over 160 laps to make up the lost ground.

    Earlier in the race, just 14 laps in, the Fords ducked onto pit road and packed themselves together. That paid off in the end of the opening segment, as Brad Keselowski was followed by Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney, and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. All but Logano were current Chasers who came in outside the eight berths for the next round of the playoffs. Sometimes a plan works to perfection.

    After two stages, that Ford plan was still paying dividends. Blaney won the stage, with Keselowski right behind him. Jimmie Johnson had his rear folded by Ty Dillon at one point, but he was still running in the top 10. Same for Denny Hamlin, as an early pit for a loose wheel, came at the same time there was a debris caution. No harm, no foul. As for Junior, he was barely in our top 20 as a planned stop just before the end of the stage was waved off for some reason.

    Sixty laps remaining, and like magic, Junior was back among the top three. How? He was born to a wizard who did magical things at Talladega, just as his son has done throughout his career. Along with the Legacy were young guns, Blaney and Elliott. Of course, with that many laps to go on this track, it meant nothing as to what might happen by the time they reached the end. It was down to sticking on the lead lap and seeing what fate was willing to deliver.

    I said, “WHAT FATE WAS WILLING TO DELIVER.” Keselowski was not hearing much of anything due to a very intermittent radio that only worked on the front stretch. Under a caution caused by a bunch of also-rans at the back of the pack, they reached in to fix it. That left him starting just inside the top 30 with about 30 to go when they returned to green. Junior was sitting inside the top 15 in his final Talladega race.

    Fifteen. Interesting number. By the time this thing ended, that was all that was left running. With 17 to go, Martin Truex Jr. touched David Ragan, who collected Kurt Busch, and all hell broke loose. Johnson was toast, along with Kyle Busch and Stenhouse, while Kevin Harvick and Matt Kenseth both got roughed up. They were just getting started.

    With 11 laps remaining, Logano and Blaney touched, taking out Blaney, and roughing up Harvick even more, and more was yet to come. Down to six laps, our leaders were Daniel Suarez, Elliott, and Larson. Not for long. Suarez was leading up high when he came down in the corner but Elliott already had his nose there. Suarez got turned into Larson, then came back up to collect Elliott, and that ended the day for two of them while Larson was still able to continue, albeit with a ton of front-end damage.

    Finally, we were down to just four laps, 15 cars, with about eight having any shot of winning. On the start, it was Ryan Newman among the survivors up front, but with a pair remaining Keselowski took over and there he was to stay. Trevor Bayne was third, Logano fourth, with Aric Almirola in fifth. Hamlin and Earnhardt were next, followed by Kasey Kahne, Gray Gaulding, and Ragan to round out our top 10. It might not have thrilled so-called “race” fans, but if extreme sports lights your fire, the Alabama 500 got you all warm and toasty Sunday afternoon.

    Keselowski had a great day, and advances to the next round of the Chase, to join with Truex. Larson, Harvick, Hamlin, and Elliott are all fine, as long as they stay out of trouble in Kansas. Blaney and Johnson need to have good days, Kyle Busch and Kenseth will have to be even better, while Stenhouse and McMurray need to win to be in.

    On Sunday, the television ratings went against the grain and actually went up. Do not expect that to occur again next week. After the thrills and spills of what we just witnessed, it would be an understatement to say that Kansas will not exactly present anything like what was seen at Talladega. Then again, history tells us that might suit the likes of someone like Jimmie Johnson just fine.

  • SHR Sues Nature’s Bakery

    SHR Sues Nature’s Bakery

    Stewart-Haas Racing filed a $31 million breach of contract lawsuit against Nature’s Bakery on Friday. The lawsuit accuses the company of refusing to pay millions of dollars it owes the team to sponsor driver Danica Patrick through 2018.

    The lawsuit states that Nature’s Bakery sent a letter to the team on Jan. 19 terminating the sponsorship agreement.  It also says that the company has missed several re-scheduled deadlines to pay and is seeking $31.7 million.

    Nature’s Bakery seemed to be the perfect fit for Patrick because she promotes healthy living and Nature’s Bakery does the same with its nutritious line of products. The sponsor came to Patrick after Go-Daddy left in 2015.

    In a statement issued by the team on Friday, Stewart-Hass Racing emphasized that “the litigation will not impact the organization’s on-track efforts.”

    Dave Pericak, the global director of Ford Performance, said on Monday during a media teleconference, that they remain committed to Stewart-Haas Racing.

    “What I would say is we’re gonna let that, unfortunately, play out through the court system and see how it works out.  I’m hopeful that we’re gonna come to a resolution on that, but at the end of the day what I can say is that you have my commitment and the commitment of Stewart-Haas Racing and everyone that’s involved that it is not gonna affect our ability to hit the track and run that car and run it the way that it needs to be run.  I don’t really want to make any additional comments given where we are in the whole situation, and it’s very unfortunate that we’re going through it right now, but one way or another I can just tell you that you will have that 10 car on the track and it will be ready to perform.”

     

  • Hot 20 – Michigan is a track for legends, but no Junior to be seen as Buescher gets Ford support

    Hot 20 – Michigan is a track for legends, but no Junior to be seen as Buescher gets Ford support

    Michigan. A big track, a fast track. Sadly, not exactly a legacy event, like winning at Daytona or Bristol or Talladega or Indianapolis or Darlington or either road course.

    What it is, is a track where legends have celebrated since 1969. In fact, David Pearson, Cale Yarborough, Bill Elliott, Rusty Wallace, Mark Martin, Richard Petty, Dale Jarrett, and Bobby Allison have combined for 46 victories there. That is a lot of suds for a lot of Hall of Famers.

    Greg Biffle is the only four-time winner not in yet. In fact, he needs to make it five just to make the Chase this year. Same goes for teammates Trevor Bayne and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. The only driver at the big boy table sitting in a Chase place at present is Chris Buescher. He and crew chief Bob Osborne now attend the Jack Roush organizational meetings as Ford desires to have one of their boys succeed. Instead of leasing older engines and used bodies, the manufacturer wants to see Bob Jenkins compete in the best Roush has to offer. He might be a step-son, but right now he is Ford’s favorite son.

    Being a France has meant running the show, not being the show. At least, until last week at Bristol when Ben Kennedy won the Wednesday night truck event. The 24-year old is the son of Lesa France Kennedy, the daughter of Bill France Jr.

    Being Dale Earnhardt Jr. has delivered some terrific highs and tragic lows. His 2016 Chase hopes are down to winning at Richmond, but maybe his best health hopes are to take it easy until he is truly good to go. Alex Bowman returns to the seat of the “88″ this weekend, with Jeff Gordon expected to be back for Darlington.

    Kurt Busch ran the opening 6273 laps of the 2016 season, a streak that came to an end 372 laps into Sunday’s Bristol affair. While vying for the lead he came into contact with Brad Keselowski, to ruin the day for them both. If one has to go out, might as well do it with all guns blazing. It beats fading away with a whimper.

    Anyone remember the XFINITY or the Camping World Truck Series? If you do, and if you are 12 and younger, you get to go to all those races for free next season. What a wonderful way to introduce young fans to the sport. What a wonderful way of trying to get somebody to attend those races. Nobody else is. They do not really have much to lose. An empty seat buys nothing and appreciates nothing. This move is better than nothing.

    This is the final year of the Sprint Cup. Soon, it will be parked in the garage alongside the Nextel Cup, the Winston Cup, and the Grand National and Strictly Stock monikers. I joked that the GoBowling.com 400 race in Kansas could have had a worse name, then one wag commented “Don’t diss SpongeBob. That might be next year’s Cup sponsor.” Good Lord, he might be right!

    Heading into Michigan, here is a look at our QuikTrip, Auto Club, Food City, Bass Pro Shops, Coca-Cola, Bank of America, MyAFibStory.com, AAA, Ford EcoBoost, GoBowling.com, Hollywood Casino, Quaker State, Kobalt, STP, Goody’s, FireKeepers Casino, Pure Michigan, Camping World, Good Sam, Xalta, Toyota Owners, Federated Auto Parts, Save Mart, GEICO, Duck Commander, Cheez-It Hot 20.

    Sadly, despite these name mentions, I get not a dime. I obviously need a foundation.
    1. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 4 WINS (735 Pts)
    So ends Kurt’s streak. Mission accomplished.

    2. KYLE BUSCH – 4 WINS (674 Pts)
    Last week Kyle’s car was dying. All Allgaier did was put it out of its misery.

    3. KEVIN HARVICK – 2 WINS (762 Pts)
    Not the most wins, but probably the best damn car week in and week out.

    4. CARL EDWARDS – 2 WINS (689 Pts)
    Having fun and thinking a third beer bath at Michigan is in order.

    5. DENNY HAMLIN – 2 WINS (659 Pts)
    Good finish last week and with the boss talking an extension, things are good for the Pied Piper.

    6. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 2 WINS (612 Pts)
    If the sticky stuff worked at Bristol, why not pine tar the rest of the tracks?

    7. MATT KENSETH – 2 WINS (604 Pts)
    Drive well, make the Chase, but be considered an old fart and one’s job could be in jeopardy.

    8. KURT BUSCH – 1 WIN (692 Pts)
    So, that is what a garage looks like.

    9. JOEY LOGANO – 1 WIN (684 Pts)
    Since with Penske, has never finished here outside the Top Ten…and won in the spring.

    10. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 1 WIN (630 Pts)
    His crew chief is Canadian, eh?

    11. TONY STEWART – 1 WIN (400 Pts)
    Tony is a big fan of virtual reality. Nothing gets broken.

    12. CHRIS BUESCHER – 1 WIN (328 Pts)
    All of a sudden, he is feeling the love from Ford.

    13. AUSTIN DILLON – 596 POINTS
    A Top Five last Sunday was more than welcome.

    14. CHASE ELLIOTT – 588 POINTS
    If you are surprised he is where he is, say his name slowly. That was our first hint.

    15. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 583 POINTS
    At Darlington, he is wearing the former colors of an older Elliott.

    16. RYAN NEWMAN – 576 POINTS
    He does not need to make the Chase to keep his job. Who am I kidding? Damn right he does.

    17. TREVOR BAYNE – 541 POINTS
    Crew chief Matt Puccia has won twice before in Ford country…with Greg Biffle.

    18. KYLE LARSON – 537 POINTS
    Sunday sure sucked. Maybe it is time for that first career win.

    19. KASEY KAHNE – 537 POINTS
    With Danica buried deep, it appears NASCAR’s two prettiest will both miss the Chase.

    20. A.J. ALLMENDINGER – 518 POINTS
    Top Ten last Sunday, but needs a Top One this time out.

  • The View from my Recliner

    The View from my Recliner

    It’s Pocono week and I can tell you from experience, the infield at Pocono rivals Talladega for the things you can see and learn.

    One Pocono race, you saw porn on a big screen and a Chevy Vega and Ford Pinto chained axle to axle with a fire pit in the middle in the ultimate game of tug of war. I have witnessed a deer cross the track and a streaker on the track. Boy, there are some memories at Pocono.

    Since they dropped the racing from 500 miles to 400 miles at Pocono, it has drastically improved. I can’t explain why, but eliminating those extra 100 miles changed the way the drivers attack the track.

    It has been a little while since I wrote my column due to technical issues, but everything is ironed out and we’re all ready to set the world on fire with some predictions for the second half of the regular season.

    Prediction 1: This is from my heart probably not my head, but Tony Stewart will win a race and make the Chase. The best chance for Smoke to earn his win is at Daytona or the two road courses.

    Prediction 2: Keith Rodden will not finish the season as Kasey Kahne’s crew chief. Kasey Kahne has not run consistently well for the past three years. Rookie Chase Elliott is regularly running around the top-10 and Kahne is ranging from 15th to 20th. Hendrick Motorsports has a Cup-winning crew chief in the organization in Darian Grubb who could get right on the box and change the culture of the team.

    Prediction 3: NASCAR will make the right call with the rules package for Michigan and Kentucky and will change the rules and use that package for the rest of the season. The racing was fantastic for the All-Star race and NASCAR will try to re-create that racing.

    Prediction 4: Ty Dillon will be announced as the new driver of the No. 31 car. Kevin Harvick said before leaving RCR that those kids will get everything. It is a shame because Ryan Newman is a talented racer but you can see that he isn’t getting the best RCR equipment.

    Prediction 5: Joe Gibbs Racing will announce that Aarons will sponsor Matt Kenseth in 2017. Kenseth’s dry humor will be great for the Aarons commercials and hopefully, get Michael Waltrip off of my television.

    Kudos to Mike Joy who made sure during the Fox broadcast to seamlessly work in the names of the fallen on the windshields and the stories behind them throughout the race. It wasn’t forced and the way he told their stories was heartfelt.

    Enjoy the racing at Pocono and I’ll be back next week with the View from my Recliner.

  • The Final Word – A Michigan Nickname is “Water Wonderland”…No Kidding

    The Final Word – A Michigan Nickname is “Water Wonderland”…No Kidding

    Rain. Just bloody lovely. Who, outside of California, really needed the wet stuff all that bad? When Alfred, Lord Tennyson said, “Bright and fierce and fickle is the South, And dark and true and tender is the North,” he obviously was not talking about the rains of Michigan. Those black clouds still managed to tease one driver into dreams of winning delights, just before breaking his heart.

    Three laps. That proved the difference between Kyle Larson having a great finish at Michigan and having the rain hold off, his car run low of fuel, and him having to hand it over to Kurt Busch. For Busch, he led for the final three under green, the final three under caution, and was the man of the hour when the red and checkered flags followed. Larson wound up 17th and left hoping to yet win his way into the Chase, Busch was left in a rain-soaked celebration for his second triumph of the season. Of course, if there was one who knew just how fickle life could be, that would be Mr. Busch.

    It could have been different. When brother Kyle lost control of his car early in the race, he just missed his sibling as his auto hit the fence to end his day dead last. To make a playoff run, he now needs to run an average of 17 points per race better than Justin Allgaier over the next eleven, as well as win one of them. It still can be done, but finishing two of his four runs thus far this season outside the Top 35 just won’t cut it.

    All in all, it was a miserable day, with rain coming early, coming often, and ending it more than 120 miles early. Kevin Harvick had the best car, but when he pulled out minus about three lug nuts on a front tire, his return to the pits dashed all hopes for this day, leaving him 29th. That was ten spots behind Jimmie Johnson, as our season leader needed to pit for a fender needing repair and that took him out of the hunt for the day. As for Greg Biffle, somebody told him to drive it like he stole it. Why in hell would he steal that piece of crap? He finished 36th.

    Not all was gloom and doom. A pair of Juniors did well, with Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Martin Truex Jr. coming home second and third, just ahead of Matt Kenseth, Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski. At least the Penske Fords could run.  It was a good day for Trevor Bayne, as he more than helped his bid to stick in the Top Thirty by finishing ninth. His was a Ford that also got there in the end. A pair of XFINITY drivers had decent days, with Ty Dillon (14th) and Ryan Blaney (20th) doing better than most.

    Rain last Sunday, no race this weekend, no rain in California. The latest figures I read show 54-million people, most of whom are in California, are suffering drought conditions. Mind you, it is not so bad in the San Francisco area, where NASCAR visits Sonoma June 28th, with reservoirs sitting at over 90 percent capacity and they are still receiving three-quarters of their normal rainfall.

    So, if it rains through the next race yet misses much of the rest of the state, that would not just be fickle. It would be downright cruel.

  • The Least Successful Sprint Cup Driver of 2014 is…

    The Least Successful Sprint Cup Driver of 2014 is…

    For some, 2014 was a damn good year. Kevin Harvick won five and the title. Brad Keselowski led the way with six victories, with Joey Logano also a five-time victor. The Hendrick power trio of Dale Earnhardt Jr, Jeff Gordon, and Jimmie Johnson all had four apiece, as all six listed here with 20 or more Top Tens while winning 28 of the 36 events. Unfortunately, this is not about those who did well.

    There were those who put on the fire suits, got to be among the big boys, but when it came time to go they might have been best suited to go down the road instead of the track. Instead of being competitors, they were lucky to be participants, saddled in entries that had no hope of being anywhere near the front. However, this is all about misery, no bright spots allowed. To be eligible as our least successful driver one would have had to have attempted to qualify in at least 15 races and average a finish of 30th or worst.

    That means no Danica Patrick to be found here. Even failing to qualify twice and finishing outside the Top 40 four times could not get Landon Cassill included, thanks to a fourth place finish at Talladega in the fall. In fact, even a single Top Ten excludes one from inclusion, and so we take Travis Kvapil and Michael McDowell out of the mix.

    Ryan Truex was a contender to be the top pretender. It went sour fast in B.K. Racing’s No. 83 Toyota when he failed to qualify at Daytona. In fact, in attempting to make 26 of the first 27 races of the season, they missed three, finished 20th at the second Pocono race, with 30th in a Martinsville race the next best. After seven times outside the Top 40, they parted company after Chicago. Still, not bad enough for us.

    The car was not parked, as J.J. Yeley was blessed to take it over. He already had some adventures driving the No. 44 Chevy of Johnathan Cohen. They withdrew four times, failed to qualify for four more, and were in the bottom 10 the other six. Three with Frank Stoddard left him outside the Top 30 every time, and in nine outings driving the illustrious No. 83 Yeley did manage to finish 29th once. Still, bad but not bad enough.

    Joe Nemechek attempted the first dozen Cup races of 2014. Driving mostly for Jay Robinson in the No. 66 Toyota, but also for himself, he missed four of them, was 40th or worse in three, with a 31st in Kansas the best of the bunch. Later in the year, he came up empty at both Daytona and Talladega, with a 30th at Watkins Glen by far his best outcome in his final nine attempts. Still, not futile enough.

    I am not sure what motivates a professional driver to take a ride that most likely will not be successful, despite his best efforts. A love for the sport, a willingness to help an outfit get started, an opportunity to pick up a few bucks with minimal effort, or all of the above. Randy Humphrey, a former partner of Phil Parsons and then Mark Smith, formed his own operation a year ago, hiring veteran crew chief Peter Sospenzo on the box and Dave Blaney behind the wheel.

    They went to the track in hopes of getting their No. 77 Ford into Daytona, Phoenix, Las Vegas, and Bristol to open the season. Each time the car was back in the trailer when the green flag waved. In fact, they withdrew before qualifying at Daytona, did the same at Fontana and Martinsville, though they made the race at Texas, finishing 41st, before winding up dead last at Darlington.

    That proved to be better than the results at Richmond, Talladega, Kansas, and Charlotte, when they were left heading down the road a day or two early. Thirty-third at Dover was the high water mark for the car, as they followed up that effort coming in dead last at Pocono. I am not sure what they paid to sponsor the entry at Daytona but Plinker Arms, a firearm production company, might have better advertised their product by using it to put this entry out of its misery. Such are the trails and tribulations of starting up a new team.

    After all that excitement, Blaney moved over to Tommy Baldwin’s No. 37 Chevy, where he was 26th at the second run at Pocono, 33rd at Michigan, then concluded his Cup campaign last at Bristol. When the season was over, he had four withdrawals prior to qualifying and seven failed qualifying attempts, to go with three finishes of dead last in seven attempts. Combined with results of 26th, 33rd (twice), and 41st in the other four, Dave Blaney is our least successful Cup driver of 2014.

    While the 52-year-old Blaney has no plans to run Cup in 2015, he will be keeping busy racing dirt this season and working with his 21-year-old son Ryan. The kid will race some Cup this year with the Wood Brothers and hopes to add to his two victory total in the Xfinity Series with Team Penske. Maybe the least successful Cup driver of 2014, but arguably its most successful father. I think Dave Blaney might be more than content with that distinction.

  • Two Drivers Looking for Victory at Watkins Glen to Make Chase

    Two Drivers Looking for Victory at Watkins Glen to Make Chase

    Marcos Ambrose and A.J. Allmendinger both know that the road course at Watkins Glen offers them one of their best chances at securing a spot in the 16 member Chase for the Sprint Cup. When asked questions about making the field both have differing thought processes. One will speak about their team in the field, the other says he doesn’t necessarily think about it because he’s not in it yet.

    On the same day that it was announced that Kimberly- Clarke was going to stay on board with Allmendinger and the No. 47 JTG-Daugherty for three more years,  Allmendinger let us know that the his car owners are still looking for sponsorships. “Tad (Geschickter),” Allmendinger said, “is out there continually trying to work on finding sponsorship and really help build the race team. It doesn’t hurt. The more money you find the more it’s going to help with resources at the race team. He is working hard on that. I know this whole week he has been out there trying to help sell and find more money for the race team. I think we just have to continually grow. Being a one car race team you are always going to be behind. I think it’s just as we add more resources and Tad continually goes out there and tries to find more money for us and Brad (Daugherty) does the same thing. That is going to help, but I think just trying to keep updating our cars.”

    Allmendinger was pretty honest with the gathered media saying that he doesn’t think that his team is necessarily up to the task of being a championship team. “When it comes to the Chase side of it,” he said, “It would be great to be in the Chase because it meant we won. That is the only way we are going to get in. When it comes to making the Chase to win a championship with our race team right now I am not sure that we are quite in that realm of saying if we make the Chase we can go win the championship. Anything can happen, but I think to come here and if we were to win to get into the Chase would just be great for all of our sponsors and this race team and to help keep building the race team and promoting it. That is the way I look at it. I don’t look to make the Chase to make the championship, but when it comes to this weekend I feel like after our test here a couple of weeks ago we had a really good test. I feel like if we do the right things we can be in contention to win the race. I don’t want to make it all or nothing. If we don’t win and we have a great top-five, top-three run, but we don’t win I don’t want that to be a disappointing weekend. But like I said, I think if we do the right things, kind of like at Sonoma we had a good shot to win that race, we will have good speed in the race car I believe. We will see what happens.”

    For Ambrose, it’s a bit different situation. He has won here at both the Nationwide and Cup level. He said, “I get talked about more and people want to know what I am doing (here). That is a good thing. I don’t have  a problem with that. When someone asked him that and started with, “If you made the Chase…” Ambrose was quick to respond, “I hate to be rude but I am not in the chase yet. I just haven’t thought about it. It is pretty straight forward. RPM would love to have both cars in the Chase and that is what we will try to do this weekend.”

    Ambrose admitted that the last couple years have been a struggle for him. His 2015 plans are announced and there’s rumors of him exiting NASCAR and heading back home to Australia. “It has been a struggle,” he said. Our first two years before this new body we had really good speed every week and it was a lot of fun. The last couple years have been a challenge. It’s been a grind, no doubt. We are looking for that next step for our team. It is a big step for us to make the Chase with Aric (Almirola). I am driving for the King and driving for Ford and it is great to be part of the series. Just because it is hard doesn’t mean it isn’t great.”

    Look for Watkins Glen’s race on both days to be some of the most entertaining to date. There are more than a handful of drivers who can win the race when they have nothing to lose (previous winners) and must win to make the chase. The weather is predicted to be beautiful all weekend, something that is relatively rare in upstate New York. Expect both Allmendinger and Ambrose to be a factor.