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Tag: Greg Biffle

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Richmond

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Richmond

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth finished sixth at Richmond, his 13th top-10 result of the year, and will start the Chase For The Cup as the top seed.

    “Ten weeks from now,” Kenseth said, “I could be holding the Sprint Cup championship trophy. Hopefully, I won’t have to hand it to the champion.

    2. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson finished 40th in the Federated Auto Parts 400 and has now finished 28th or worse in the last four races. He will start the Chase seeded second, three points behind Matt Kenseth.

    “You’ll have to forgive me if I seem a little distracted,” Johnson said. “My wife and I just welcomed our second daughter. Finally, I have a good excuse for a crappy finish.

    “Now, that makes two girls who know who their daddy is. Now, I need to convince 11 drivers of the same thing.”

    3. Kyle Busch: Busch finished 19th at Richmond, and will start the Chase seeded second, three points behind Matt Kenseth. Kyle’s brother Kurt also qualified for the Chase, and will start 15 points out of the lead.

    “I’ve got a brother in the Chase,” Busch said. “Clint Bowyer’s got a ‘homey’ in the Chase.

    “NASCAR is investigating Bowyer’s ‘spin.’ Was it an accident, or was it ‘Clin-tentional?’

    4. Carl Edwards: Edwards nabbed his second win of the year, leading 46 laps on his way to the win in the Federated Auto Parts 400. His second win of the year gave him the fourth seed in the Chase, nine points behind Matt Kenseth.

    “I guess I have to thank Clint Bowyer for spinning,” Edwards said. “It probably cost Ryan Newman the race. Apparently, Tony Stewart isn’t the only driver who’s screwed Newman this year.

    “I ‘flipped off’ my car after the race. Newman and Jeff Gordon ‘flipped off’ Bowyer.”

    5. Joey Logano: Logano finished 22nd at Richmond, one lap down, as Penske Racing teammate Brad Keselowski failed to qualify for the Chase. Logano will start the Chase seeded sixth, 12 points out of the lead.

    “It’s too bad about Brad,” Logano said. “I relayed my sentiments on Twitter to @sucks. But Brad is a great teammate. I’m not sure he’d spin for my sake, but he did pick me to win the Sprint Cup. Hopefully, it won’t be the Kes’ of death.

    6. Kevin Harvick: Harvick came home 11th at Richmond as Richard Childress teammate Paul Menard finished fifth. Harvick will start the Chase seeded fourth, nine points out of first.

    “I’m the only RCR driver in the Chase,” Harvick said. “And no Clint Bowyer spin, intentional or otherwise, could have changed that.”

    7. Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: Earnhardt finished 13th at Richmond, failing in his last chance to win before the Chase For The Cup. Earnhardt will head to Chicagoland tied for the bottom seed in the Chase.

    “On the bright side,” Earnhardt said, “Time Warner Cable will sponsor my car for five races. Of course, a lot of satellite users may have a point when they say, ‘You can’t win with cable.’ My fans have been waiting a long time to say, ‘It’s about ‘Time.’’ Unfortunately, it’s got nothing to do with my first win in a long time.

    8. Clint Bowyer: With Ryan Newman leading with six laps to go, Bowyer mysteriously spun, and the ensuing chain of events enabled Bowyer’s Michael Waltrip Racing teammate Martin Truex, Jr. to make the Chase field.

    “Many want to know if my arm is hurting,” Bowyer said. “The answer is ‘yes.’ My arm is hurting, because Truex won’t stop shaking my hand.”

    9. Greg Biffle: Biffle finished 12th at Richmond as Roush Fenway teammate Carl Edwards took the win. Biffle will start the Chase sixth, 12 points behind top seed Matt Kenseth.

    “I may be the least-talked about Chaser,” Biffle said, “but I think I can it all. My gas man seems to agree, because even he calls me ‘silent but deadly.’”

    10. (tie) Kurt Busch: Busch led 73 laps and finished second at Richmond to sew up a spot in the Chase For The Cup. He will start eighth in the Chase, 12 points out of first.

    “NASCAR is investigating Clint Bowyer’s fishy spin,” Busch said. “Was it a case of team orders? I know all about team orders—that seems to be how I got my job with Stewart-Haas Racing because Stewart wasn’t too fond of it.”

    10. (tie) Kasey Kahne: Kahne finished 14th in the Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond. He will start eighth in the Chase, 12 points behind top seed Matt Kenseth.

    “I had a pretty good view of Bowyer’s spin,” Kahne said. “He just lost it—-his self-respect, that is.”

  • Matty’s Picks 2013 – Race 26 Federated Auto Parts 400 – Richmond International Raceway – September 7, 3013

    Matty’s Picks 2013 – Race 26 Federated Auto Parts 400 – Richmond International Raceway – September 7, 3013

    The cliché holds true this week as “it all comes down to this”. Six guys have already claimed their top-10 spots when The Chase begins next week at Chicago – Jimmie Johnson, Clint Bowyer, Kevin Harvick, Carl Edwards, Kyle Busch, and Matt Kenseth…that’s 2 Chevy’s, a Ford, and 3 Toyotas in case you’re keeping score.

    Seventh-place Dale Earnhardt Jr. faces the least pressure among non-qualifiers, needing only a finish of 32nd or better in the 400-lap race on Saturday night to enter the postseason. Joey Logano, Greg Biffle and Kurt Busch complete the provisional top 10 – 16, 14 and six points ahead of 11th-place Jeff Gordon who is still in the hunt for a top-10 spot going into the chase, as he stands no chance at making a Wild Card without a win on Saturday Night.

    Logano and Biffle each have a single victory giving them some Chase insurance as potential Wild Cards, but both have to turn around their historical finishes at Richmond to ensure they’re racing for a championship the next ten weeks.

    Former NASCAR Sprint Cup champions Kurt Busch and Jeff Gordon, however, both are without victories on the season and need to have solid finishes, along with poor finishes from other drivers to punch their tickets to the big dance starting next week at Chicagoland. Both have done what they need to do to lead a lap on Saturday by qualifying their Chevy’s on the front row, so it will be interesting to see if they can spoil a few Chase hopefuls by winning on Saturday Night. This Race is shaping up to be even more exciting than I expected with 3 Wild Card hopefuls staring in the top 3 spots on Saturday Night.

    Two-time 2013 race-winner Kasey Kahne (12th) and Sonoma winner, Martin Truex Jr. (13th) hold the provisional Wild Cards as the points run right now.

    Five drivers have clinched Chase berths on the final night of the regular season since the start of The Chase for the Sprint Cup began in 2004. Ryan Newman’s sixth-place finish in 2005 is the best among the “last in” drivers. Brian Vickers (2009), Kasey Kahne (2006) and Jeremy Mayfield (2004) also were final-race qualifiers. Most recently, Jeff Gordon waited until the final race of the season to solidify his spot in the chase by finishing second in this race last season, so this parody is nothing we’ve not seen before….but we’ve NEVER seen this many drivers on the fence for The Chase. The backstretch wall at Richmond has never seen as many car numbers in yellow (meaning the driver has NOT clinched a spot in the NASCAR Playoffs) as are painted in yellow this season, so for anyone whose never watched a NASCAR race before, Saturday Night is the one to watch.

    I will save my words this week and not recap my poor picks last week at Atlanta and roll right into my picks for Saturday Night’s Federated Auto Parts 400 (even though my Dark Horse Pick last week finished 3rd with a broken wrist).

    Winner Pick

    Richmond has been Clint Bowyer’s best track over his career, and to no surprise, he’s been the best driver statistically over the past 5 races at Richmond.

    Clint has finished outside the top 12 just twice in 15 races at Richmond – averaging a finish of 9th in the meantime. Bowyer is one of just 3 drivers averaging a top-10 finish at Richmond, behind Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin for third on the best average finish at the 3/4 mile short track. He’s got a couple wins, most recently and notably his win in THIS race last season. In the loop stats, Bowyer is 4th in Average Running position, Driver Rating and Quality Passes, and he’s 5th in 2 more of the 6 loop stats, Average Green Flag Speed and Laps in the Top 15.

    Clint Bowyer holds the record for the deepest in the field ANY Richmond race-winner has started, that was his win from the 31st starting position back in 2008, and throw in the fact that he’s starting 4th on Saturday Night, Bowyer is still my top guy this week. Keep in mind, he led 113 laps and finished 2nd in the April race at Richmond…

    Dark Horse Pick

    I was on the fence on Thursday as I previewed the race with Greg on The Prime Sports Network, but after practice and qualifying, I’m a bit more confident with my selection do go with Dale Earnhardt Jr. as my Dark Horse guy this week.

    He was 7th in first practice and 3rd in Happy Hour earlier today at Richmond International Raceway, and probably took a conservative approach to his qualifying lap today as a 32nd or better finish will punch Jr.’s ticket to the big dance next week.

    Richmond actually ranks as Jr.’s 4th best track over his career with the other two short tracks ranking first (Bristol) and third (Martinsville), much to my surprise as everybody knows the Earnhardt’s for their restrictor-plate racing.

    Jr. has 3 career wins at Richmond, granted none since 2006 but in the loop stats he ranks anywhere from 6th in Fastest Laps Run to 13th in

    Driver Rating.

    Dale Jr. would certainly like to have those 3 bonus points to start The Chase, so I think we’re looking at him staying out of trouble early, then a march to the front during the closing laps on Saturday Night.

    That’s all for this week, enjoy the race and the hunt for The Chase and be sure to tune in Monday to the Prime Sports Network (www.primesportsnetwork.com) as Greg and all the folks from SpeedwayMedia.com preview the 2013 Chase for the Sprint Cup! And as always….You Stay Classy NASCAR (and Dale Earnhardt Jr.) NATION!

  • Crunching The Numbers: Atlanta

    Crunching The Numbers: Atlanta

    After three nights of battling in the bullring that is Bristol Motor Speedway last weekend, the Sprint Cup Series and Nationwide Series head to Atlanta Motor Speedway for Labor Day weekend and more racing under the lights on the fast 1.5 mile speedway. With a track surface that is old and worn, having not been repaved since its reconfiguration in 1997, the track has gotten rave reviews from drivers who enjoy slipping and sliding around on the worn out asphalt. The Sprint Cup Series will have their shot at the track on Sunday night, while the Nationwide Series takes to the track the night before for their race.

    NASCAR Sprint Cup Series – Advocare 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway

    Only two races remain until the cut-off for the Chase for the Sprint Cup and the points standings heading into this weekend’s race are still as tight as they were prior to Bristol. After having a 77 point lead just two weeks ago, Jimmie Johnson’s points lead has shrunk to 18 points over second place Clint Bowyer after finishes of 40th and 36th in the past two races. Both Johnson and Bowyer are locked into the Chase and with his win last weekend at Bristol, Matt Kenseth locked himself into the Chase as well. Several drivers are fighting for the remaining Chase berths, with only 24 points separating Kasey Kahne in eighth with defending champion Brad Keselowski in 11th. Two other former Sprint Cup champions, Kurt Busch and Jeff Gordon, are lurking just behind Keselowski, only six and 11 points back, respectively. The fight to make the Chase is going to come right down to the wire and how these drivers perform at Atlanta will go a long way in helping their Chase fortunes.

    Driver Races Win Top 5 Top 10 Pole Laps Led Avg. Start Avg. Finish
    Jimmie Johnson 21 3 11 13 0 440 8.6 11.1
    Jeff Gordon 39 5 16 25 2 1280 12.3 11.9
    Dale Earnhardt Jr 25 1 8 11 2 632 16.2 12.5
    Matt Kenseth 24 0 8 14 0 253 21.6 12.7
    AJ Allmendinger 7 0 0 2 0 1 27.9 14.4
    Carl Edwards 15 3 8 10 0 345 10.3 15.1
    Greg Biffle 18 0 3 9 1 291 12.5 16.0
    Denny Hamlin 13 1 2 5 1 314 13.4 16.2
    Brian Vickers 15 0 1 7 0 8 16.2 16.4
    Jeff Burton 35 0 8 14 0 104 25.3 16.5

    Who To Watch: After two dismal finishes in the past two weeks, Jimmie Johnson has to be happy to be heading to Atlanta this weekend since his stats at the 1.5 mile track are tops in the series. In 21 starts, Johnson has three wins, 11 top fives, 13 top tens, 440 laps led, and an average finish of 11.1.

    Johnson’s Hendrick Motorsports teammates, Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr., fall in second and third with their stats at Atlanta. Gordon has 39 starts, with five wins, 16 top fives, 25 top tens, two poles, 1280 laps led and an average finish of 11.9. In 25 starts, Earnhardt Jr., has one win, eight top fives, 11 top tens, two poles, 632 laps led, and an average finish of 12.5.

    Besides the Hendrick Motorsports contingent, others who run well at Atlanta include: Five-time winner in 2013, Matt Kenseth, with eight top fives, 14 top tens, 253 laps led, and an average finish of 12.7 in 24 starts; A.J. Allmendinger, with two top tens, one lap led, and an average finish of 14.4 in seven starts; Carl Edwards, with three wins, eight top fives, 10 top tens, 345 laps led, and an average finish of 15.1 in 15 starts; and Greg Biffle, with three top fives, nine top tens, one pole, 291 laps led, and an average finish of 16.0 in 18 starts. 

    NASCAR Nationwide Series – Great Clips/Jeff Foxworthy’s Grit Chips 300 at Atlanta Motor Speedway

    With 10 races remaining in the Nationwide Series schedule, the points standings remain tight after Bristol with just 39 points separating the top five in points and the gap for Sam Hornish, Jr. over second place Austin Dillon sitting at just six points. None of the top five in points has been able to win at Atlanta heading into this weekend, so if any of the championship contenders find themselves in Victory Lane or find trouble on Saturday night, the points standings could be shaken up once again.

    Driver Races Win Top 5 Top 10 Pole Laps Led Avg. Start Avg. Finish
    Austin Dillon 1 0 0 1 0 0 9.0 6.0
    Joey Logano 2 0 0 2 0 0 10.5 6.0
    Cole Whitt 1 0 0 1 0 0 12.0 8.0
    Kevin Harvick 11 1 6 8 0 376 8.2 8.5
    Justin Allgaier 4 0 1 2 0 15 20.0 10.2
    Kasey Kahne 11 0 4 7 1 95 10.5 10.6
    Sam Hornish Jr 2 0 0 1 0 1 5.5 12.0
    Kyle Busch 9 0 5 6 3 490 3.4 13.9
    Michael Annett 4 0 0 1 0 0 23.5 16.2
    Brian Scott 3 0 0 0 0 0 21.3 17.0

    Who To Watch: With the points lead up for grabs, Austin Dillon has to be happy to be at Atlanta this weekend since he has the best stats of the series at the track. In his lone start at Atlanta last season, Dillon started ninth and finished sixth.

    Sprint Cup regular Joey Logano, driving the dominant No. 22 Ford this weekend, falls in just behind Dillon with two top tens in two starts, giving him an average finish of 6.0.

    Others to keep an eye on include: Cole Whitt, with an eighth place finish in one start at the track; Kevin Harvick, with one win, six top fives, eight top tens, 376 laps led, and an average finish of 8.5 in 11 starts; Justin Allgaier, with one top five, two top tens, 15 laps led, and an average finish of 10.2 in four starts; Kasey Kahne, with four top fives, seven top tens, one pole, 95 laps led, and an average finish of 10.6 in 11 starts; and points leader Sam Hornish, Jr., with one top ten, one lap led, and an average finish of 12.0 in two starts.

    NASCAR Camping World Truck Series – Chevrolet Silverado 250 at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park

    With the Sprint Cup Series and Nationwide Series headlining at Atlanta, the Camping World Truck Series heads to Canada for their inaugural race at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park near Toronto, which also is the first race for the series outside of the United States and marks the return to a road course for the first time since 2000. This race is basically a toss-up since only one driver in the field, Ron Hornaday Jr., has previous Truck Series road course experience, so this will be an interesting race to see who will become the inaugural race winner. The Trucks will take to the track for their race on Sunday afternoon, prior to the Sprint Cup Series race from Atlanta later that night.

  • Surprising and Not Surprising: Pure Michigan 400

    Surprising and Not Surprising: Pure Michigan 400

    Sporting some of the fastest speeds at any track this season, here is what was surprising and not surprising from the 44th running of the Pure Michigan 400 in the Irish hills.

    Surprising:  While the driver of the No. 22 Shell Pennzoil Ford did his job in qualifying, scoring the pole position for the race start, it was all about team Penske when the 23 year old Joey Logano took the checkered flag and found his way to Victory Lane at Michigan International Speedway.

    “This was a hard-fought win throughout this whole Penske team,” Logano said. “This 22 team gave me a great Shell Pennzoil Ford that was capable of winning.”

    “This race team did a fabulous job,” Todd Gordon, crew chief, said. “Really proud of this whole team.”

    “As I go back probably 30 years here at the track, this is probably one of the biggest wins,” Roger Penske, team owner, said. “It’s clearly a team effort.”

    This was Logano’s first victory of the 2013 season, his first victory at Michigan International Speedway and his first victory with team Penske Ford.

    Not Surprising:  Because the race was at Michigan, it was not surprising that fuel mileage, tires and track position played critical roles in how the race unfolded.

    In fact, fuel mileage bit one of the sports veterans, who was racing all out for the ‘W’.

    “We were just hoping for one more yellow,” Mark Martin, driver of the No. 55 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota said, after running out of gas while leading to finish 27th.

    “Just stayed ahead of Joey there, but if he would have slowed down, I could have maybe saved enough,” Martin said. “I had to go that fast just trying to stay in the lead.”

    Tires also played a significant role in the Pure Michigan 400, to which Dale Earnhardt, Jr. could definitely attest.

    “It’s just the tire; we’ve had a lot of problems with,” the driver of the No. 88 National Guard Youth Foundation Chevrolet said after experiencing a right-front tire problem on lap 135. “I think this is the same tire we struggled with the last race.”

    Because of his tire troubles, Junior finished the race in the 36th position and fell one position to seventh in the point standings.

    Track position was also key as is so often the case at Michigan, a point driven home for young substitute driver Austin Dillon, behind the wheel of the No. 14 Mobil 1/Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet for the recuperating Tony Stewart.

    Dillon wrecked early in the race and had to work diligently with crew chief Steve Addington to garner the track position that led to their respectable 14th place finish.

    “Definitely scared myself at the beginning as it was too early to be wrecking out there,” Dillon said. “Luckily we had saved enough car where we could work on it and get some track position.”

    “Steve made some great calls on track position and them guys did a great job.”

    Surprising:  In addition to Austin Dillon’s comeback, Clint Bowyer made a surprisingly good comeback to finish 5th in his No. 15 5-hour Energy Toyota after a first lap spin. Bowyer was the highest finishing Toyota and the only Toyota in the top ten at the finish of the Pure Michigan 400. And while Bowyer struggled, he took great pride in his ability to bounce back from the adversity.

    “Man, what a long day,” Bowyer said. “Beats the hell out of me how I recovered to finish fifth.”

    “Spinning out on the first lap I’m like – I couldn’t figure it out,” Bowyer continued. “Hard fought battle.”

    “Those days are what wins championships.”

    Bowyer took over second in the point standing and is 41 points behind leader Jimmie Johnson.

    Not Surprising:  But for a tricky restart, the driver known as the ‘Closer’ almost closed the deal in the Irish hills of Michigan. Kevin Harvick, piloting the No. 29 Rheem Chevrolet, finished second, his 10th top-10 finish at MIS and his 12th top-10 finish in 2013.

    “I just mistimed the last restart there,” Harvick said. “I had to check up and that allowed the No. 22 to kind of make it three-wide and get under me and then we had to fight back from there.”

    “But all in all it was a good day.”

    Surprising:  The points leader and five-time champ had a surprisingly challenging day at Michigan, having to drive through the field in his back up car due to a practice lap wreck. Although he looked strong and even led two laps, Jimmie Johnson experienced engine failure and ended up his day finishing 40th in his No. 48 Lowes Chevrolet.

    “The engine broke there,” Johnson said. “When we came in for a green flag pit stop, something started then it definitely dropped a cylinder.”

    “This track is hard on engines,” Johnson continued. “Days like today am thankful for the big points lead and the bonus points in the Chase.”

    “We’ll dust ourselves off and go on to next week.”

    Not Surprising:   Kurt Busch, who after the race reportedly received an offer to driver for Stewart-Haas Racing in 2014, proved the caliber of his driving abilities and the value of his team with a third place finish. This was Busch’s ninth top-10 finish in 26 races at MIS and the good finish moved him up two spots to ninth in the point standings.

    “To be in position and run well, to post a top-three finish, just got to thank the guys,” the driver of the No. 78 Furniture Row Chevrolet said after the race. “Furniture Row is acting like a big-time player right now.”

    “We had a little bit of weaknesses here and there but overall, we keep positing good results and it’s very satisfying.”

    Surprising:  Paul Menard, driver of the No. 27 NIBCO/Menards Chevrolet, surprisingly scored his first top five of the season.

    “We really needed a good run,” Menard said. “We have been crashing a lot.”

    “We had a good car all weekend.”

    Not Surprising:  Jeff Burton, who has been running better and better as the season progresses, finished top-10 in his No. 31 Cheerios Chevrolet. And even with that, Burton ended up both happy and disappointed.

    “It’s good to be disappointed with eighth,” Burton said. “That is a good thing.”

    “That’s a step in the right direction, no drama, got what we deserved and we will go on.”

    Surprising:  Marcos Ambrose had a surprising bump up into the top-10 finishing order after a tough run at Watkins Glen, finishing sixth in his No. 9 Dewalt Ford.

    “We ran in the top-10 for a lot of the day and it was a better day for us,” Ambrose said. “I am proud of Drew (Blickensderfer, crew chief) for calling a great race.”

    “He got us up there with track position and we were able to hold on.”

    Not Surprising:  There was no surprise in seeing Greg Biffle, who is usually strong at Michigan, finish in the ninth position in his No. 16 3M Ford. And according to the Biff, he would have done even better had it not been for some problems in the pits.

    “We bumped the No. 2 coming out of the pits in that scramble at the end and hurt the left front fender,” Biffle said. “That was really tough for us.”

    The next race will be tough for all of the drivers as they head to the beating and banging at Bristol Motor Speedway under the Saturday night lights.

  • The Countdown Hits Three: Who Will Make the 2013 Chase?

    The Countdown Hits Three: Who Will Make the 2013 Chase?

    Three night races are all that remain before the 2013 chase field is set. The sand in the hour glass is running out and the time to make something happen is now. The tension in the garage is palpable and the intense feeling of trepidation among the teams in the danger zone is growing with every passing race. Procuring a chase berth means you have a shot to become the next NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) titlist. Glory, money and a place among NASCAR’s immortals; that is what they are all fighting for. They are fighting to ensure the longevity of their titles hopes…it’s an obvious fact that you can”t win the championship if you don’t secure a spot in the chase first

    Multi-million dollar sponsors pay to see you put their car in the elite twelve. Millions of loyal fans cheer you on until their voices become raspy because they want to see you make postseason headlines. The pressure to succeed is always there but it isn’t truly felt until this time of the year rolls around. The stakes are high and failure isn’t an option for chase hopefuls although failure will be the inevitable result of the futile efforts by some. A position suddenly means so much more now and you will see drivers throw a whole race away as they try desperately to gain just one more point; the point that could make their season or break it. The innocuous driving that we’ve watched all year will rescind as we get closer and closer to Richmond. This is a race within a race; one none of these men are willing to lose.

    Photo Credit: LAT Photographic
    Photo Credit: LAT Photographic

    To earn your place in the 2013 chase, you must first conquer the treacherous Bristol Motor Speedway. When you go to Bristol, you leave your manners at the entrance gate. The racing will be rough, tempers will flare, sparks will fly under the lights and sheet metal will most certainly be twisted into 3,000lb piles of smoldering wreckage. To survive Bristol, a driver must take what they can and give nothing back. They must race every lap like it’s the last because if they don’t, the race leader will be knocking on their rear bumper shortly as he proceeds to lap the field. A driver can be their own worst enemy at this concrete Colosseum and out of control emotions have ruined the races of even the greatest racers in the past. This track will bring you to your knees and is notorious for destroying the dreams of many chase hopefuls in a heartbeat.

    Atlanta Motor Speedway is no Bristol but it’s no walk in the park either. At speeds that will break the 200mph barrier and restarts that will see the pack fanning out three and four wide; a steady hand on the wheel and nerves of steel are a necessity at this historic venue. This is the penultimate race before the chase commences so a bad run here will most likely doom the chase hopes for that individual. The last ten winners at Atlanta all went on to make the chase; 2006 was the last time that didn’t happen. This race is notorious for being hard on engines making patience a virtue and drivers must walk the thin line of aggression and over driving as they try to get all they can without making any imprudent decisions. That’s why drivers such as Jeff Gordon, Bobby Labonte, Jimmie Johnson and Carl Edwards have all excelled here.

    Lastly, we have Richmond. Richmond will be all or nothing for a lot of people while others will do their best to survive the inevitable short track carnage that will ensue and bring home a solid finish…easier said than done. Being a short track and the final race to make something happen; Richmond will definitely put on one hell of a show. Desperate drivers will do desperate things in order to get their team in the chase and then there are always the ones that are already locked in but want some more of those precious bonus points. Carl Edwards knows all to well how important those bonus points can be. It will be a wild night under the lights at Richmond; you can be sure of that. The race will feature some of the most aggressive driving of the year and with everything that’s on the line; there’s sure to be some incensed drivers when the dust settles.

    With all this being said, one looming question remains…who will make the 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup chase?

    The Solid Six – “The solid 6″ is what I’m calling the top six in points right now. They are Jimmie Johnson, Clint Bowyer, Carl Edwards. Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch and Matt Kenseth. Four of them have won multiple races, everyone in the top five is a full race ahead of 11th and all of them have shown a lot of muscle this year either by winning or with consistency. They will all surely make the chase unless something catastrophic or unforeseen happens like the unfortunate situation with Tony Stewart.

    Photo Credit: USA Today
    Photo Credit: USA Today

    The Danger Zone –This label is applied to the drivers just barely within or just outside the top 10 and are currently winless in 2013. Those drivers are Dale Earnhardt Jr., Brad Keselowski, Kurt Busch, and Jeff Gordon. We have quite an impressive group of drivers in this category but despite how good of a driver they all are; some will miss out on a chance at the 2013 championship. Dale Jr. has only recently had his name added to this anxious and nervous list after a few poor finishes have all but caused his cushion over 11th to vanish. Jr. is is not known to win many races so that might make his fans a little nervous with him so close to the cutoff. I have some good news though…the next three tracks are all ones Earnhardt has been fast at in the past so you shouldn’t be too concerned about him unless the bad luck that has hindered him lately continues.

    Here’s something no one saw coming…defending NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Brad Keselowski has yet to win this year and is right on the edge of falling out of the top 10. Last month, I would have told you that he’s done but my opinion has been altered after his last three performances. The No.2 team seems to have finally found their niche again and are back to clicking away great runs on a weekly basis. Bristol is one of Brad’s best tracks and I firmly believe that the reigning champ will have a presence in the chase this year.

    Speaking of champs…how about Jeff Gordon? He finds himself in the middle of the danger zone and he’s beginning to make that a habit lately to the displeasure of his many fans but 4-time seems to always get the job done in the end. I’m sorry but the feel good story of Richmond last year won’t do it again in 2013 and that’s not a knock on Jeff. His team hasn’t shown much strength this year and look no further than the Pure Michigan 400 for proof of that. I don’t see them pointing this sinking ship in the right direction in time to make the chase but they will hopefully turn it around in 2014.

    Kurt Busch is another former champion that’s trying to hold his ground in the top 10 with no wins. He has turned a lot of heads this year driving for Furniture Row Racing. He’s made that team a contender on a weekly basis and if fate was kinder (and his pit crew was faster/made less mistakes), he’d have multiple wins already. Based on the way they are performing at every kind of track this year, I see the flat black No.78 in the chase this year. He he will most certainly win a race in 2013 but maybe not before Richmond so I count on him holding his own inside the top 10.

    Wild Card Race – This category is fairly self-explanatory. It’s the guys that have wins but find themselves in the danger zone. They are Greg Biffle, Kasey Kahne, Martin Truex Jr, Joey Logano and Ryan Newman. Kasey Kahne is the only driver in this group that has multiple wins in 2013 and he will definitely make the chase in my opinion either via a wild card or by positioning himself inside the top 10. He’s shown a lot of muscle this year and I’m sticking to my prediction that I made back in March; he will be a threat for the championship regardless of his recent travails.

    I believe that Greg Biffle and Martin Truex Jr will both put up a valiant effort but in the end, it will be to no avail. I see “lame duck” Ryan Newman taking the wild card while these two endure a very poignant moment as they realize that a chase berth has slipped through their fingers. Newman is motivated and has something to fight for besides just a spot in the chase which makes him a much more volatile opponent. He’s also Stewart-Haas’ only hope to win the title now and it would be foolish to underestimate the tenacity and determination of the “Rocket Man.” I predict that he will make his way into the chase at the expense of Truex Jr. and Biffle.

    Photo Credit: Simon Scoggins
    Photo Credit: Simon Scoggins

    The proverbial wild card in this wild card race has to be Joey Logano. His win in the “Motor City” gained him credence as a threat for the wild card but my feelings regarding Joey’s chase chances are still ambivalent. A driver becomes unpredictable after tasting victory lane for the first time this far into a season. They may suddenly go on a tear and catapult themselves into chase contention or they may just quietly miss out on all the postseason fun.

    Just look at Ryan Newman for proof of what I’m talking about. He has spent a lot more time up front since his surprise win in the Brickyard 400. I’ve always said that motivation and confidence has an uncanny way of giving a driver a few extra horses under the hood. Joey had a great run at Bristol in March before Denny Hamlin found his rear bumper so don’t count this guy out but only time will tell if he is truly a contender or just a pretender.

    All Or Nothing – The “all or nothing” guys is a very dangerous contingent of drivers due to the obvious fact that they have nothing to lose and everything to gain. The only way to keep their chase hopes alive is if they win. They are the drivers in the teens that have no wins and haven’t shown that they have the ability to make a run for the top 10. Said drivers are Jamie McMurray, Paul Menard and Aric Almirola. All three of them are stretches to make the chase and would most likely need two wins to make it. I highly doubt that any of them will get even one win before the chase but the chance is still there so keep an eye on them if any of the three should end up winning Bristol or Atlanta.

    It will be very interesting as we watch the best NASCAR has to offer battle tooth and nail to procure a cede in the 2013 chase in these final three races. Now I’d like to hear your thoughts…feel free to post your theories on who makes the chase below and I’d love to debate it with you!

  • Ford Michigan 2 Friday (Carl Edwards & Greg Biffle)

    Ford Michigan 2 Friday (Carl Edwards & Greg Biffle)

    Ford Racing NSCS Notes & Quotes:
    Pure Michigan 400 Friday Advance (Michigan International Speedway)
    Friday, August 16, 2013

    Greg Biffle, driver of the No. 16 3M Ford Fusion and Carl Edwards, driver of the No. 99 Best Buy Geek Squad Ford Fusion, were part of a joint media session Friday at Michigan International Speedway. The Roush Fenway Racing teammates talked about their respective seasons to date, the team’s success over the years at MIS and the countdown to the Chase.

    CARL EDWARDS, No. 99 Geek Squad Ford Fusion and GREG BIFFLE, No. 16 3M Ford Fusion – GUYS, CAN YOU EACH TALK ABOUT YOUR SUCCESS OVER THE YEARS HERE AT MICHIGAN?

    CARL EDWARDS: “Yeah, it is a great track for us. We love Michigan. It is a lot of fun. I actually beat Greg here which is the only thing I have beaten him at in a long time. I was in front of him and enjoying that at Michigan. I was finally in front of him for something. We appreciate you letting us do media together. We hope that we can get another win for Ford. That 1,000th win for Ford here in June was really neat. I actually got a watch the other day that said, “Congratulations Greg Biffle on your 1,000th win”, I don’t know, maybe Greg sent that over to my hauler. We are hoping to get another win here and we have won really well. I love this race track. This will be a lot of fun.”

    GREG BIFFLE: “Like Carl said, this is a great race track for Roush Fenway as a whole. Going back to Jeff Burton, Mark Martin and Matt Kenseth. All of us have had a lot of success here and Carl has won here a few times. This has been a good track for us. I was worried about when they repaved it what would transpire but we have been really good since the repave and the track is really coming back in and racing a lot like it used to race. I really love this place. It is one of my favorite places to come and you can run two and three wide through the corner in a down force situation where you normally can’t do that at most race tracks. That is always a strategy and fuel mileage plays a factor. It is hard on the engines here too. This is just a fun place for myself and our team to race.”

    WITH THIS NEW GENERATION 6 CAR, DO YOU START THE SETUP AND AERO PACKAGE FROM ZERO OR CAN YOU USE DATA FROM THE PREVIOUS CAR?
    GREG BIFFLE: “I think that we start with a modified setup from the old car but one thing we have learned over the last little bit about the car is that it is much more finicky than the old car was. At least that is my opinion. If we are off a tiny, tiny bit with this car it goes from being running the top-five or top-eight to running 25th. There is a really fine line. That is something we have learned in our camp. We have to be right on the mark with this thing or we don’t have any speed. I don’t know if it is just us or this car in general or whatever but we have learned that we have to be right on with the setup of this car. We thought a half pound or quarter pound or a wedge made a difference before but it has multiplied. Yes, we can use some of the old information but you have to be right on. Sometimes a couple hours of practice isn’t enough.”

    BRAD KESELOWSKI A FEW DAYS AGO WAS TALKING ABOUT HOW THEY WERE POLITICKING WITH NASCAR AND THE FORDS WITH REGARD TO PROCESS AND DEVELOPMENT TO CATCH UP WITH THE OTHER MANUFACTURERS. WHAT DO YOU GUYS KNOW ABOUT THAT? HE SAID EVERYTHING WILL COME INTO PLACE WHEN THE CHASE STARTS.

    CARL EDWARDS: “That is good news. I think as a group, Brad has been a big part and Joey (Logano) have been a big part. Greg and Ricky (Stenhouse) have worked probably closer than we have in the past to try to be one Ford and the best we can and do whatever it takes. If it turns out that we need to do some politicking for things to be different than we will do everything we can. Right now, I can only speak for Jimmy Fennig and my team and I am sure Greg and Matt (Puccia) are doing the same thing and that is to make our car the best it can be for the final 10 races. Greg is fast every week. We are fast every week. We just need to find that last little bit, that last little adjustment, so we can race with these guys. From where we are at, all we can do is build the best race cars and drive the hardest we can and we are hoping that gets us a championship. If Brad wants to or somebody at Ford wants to go work on bigger picture stuff we will help with that all we can.”

    GREG BIFFLE: “The only thing I really know about it, which is very little, is that the car is much different now in the race trim package that we have now with the spoiler and splitter and all of the way it ends up getting specked out – it is much different than the way this car began life and was submitted. All our CFD and wind tunnel work around that has changed slightly. When they changed the spoiler and splitter and those things, did our car get affected differently than the other cars? I think I have scratched the surface of understanding a little bit of what the talk might be between the cars. One thing we do know is our car has a tremendous amount of speed in it. But again, we have to be right on the setup. Last race here, I remember and Carl and I were just talking about it walking up here. We were running seventh or eighth and I was kicking and screaming and I couldn’t get it to go any better. We made tiny adjustments and gained track position then got out front through a pit cycle and I got the car driving perfect and off I went. Yeah, the 48 was still faster and catching us a little bit but we were able to level out that difference in speed it seemed like as we fine tuned and adjusted in on our car. That is something we are working hard on as a group and getting our cars fine tuned. That could be part of it too.”

    HOW DO YOU BALANCE WHAT YOU WILL TRY TO DO THE NEXT FOUR RACES? A WIN OR TWO WOULD PROBABLY GET YOU IN THE CHASE BUT YOU CAN’T HAVE A BAD FINISH EITHER. HOW DO YOU BALANCE THAT?

    GREG BIFFLE: “Unfortunately we aren’t in a great spot. Indy really killed us. That was the turning point for us. We felt like we were really on some momentum and qualified 27th and finished 24th and never ran better than that all day. That buried us in the points. We go back to Pocono with a lot better finish, 10th, and get caught 20 feet from getting onto pit road at the Glen with the caution coming out. We come out of the pit cycle sixth and get sent to the back of the field with 30 laps to go. You are right. We can’t have things like that happen. We need to finish where we are running and are struggling with that some. The next four weeks are going to be about who is on the plus side of that. If you get caught a lap down or this or that or pit road penalties or something – or are you getting good finishes. We have four races left to do that. We are in the middle of the bees nest and we understand that. All we can do is get the best finishes we can the next four weeks.”

    THIS TRACK HAS BEEN NAMED TRACK OF THE YEAR IN TERMS OF FAN EXPERIENCE. IN TERMS OF DRIVER EXPERIENCE HOW WOULD YOU SAY IT RANKS?

    CARL EDWARDS: “I think this is one of our favorite race tracks. For me, this is the site of my first start so it is real special for that reason. It is just a fun place. It seems the weather is always great and the race is great and the fans are into it. The infield here is like none other. It is pretty amazing out there. I think it is a good experience overall and we all enjoy coming.”

    WHAT WILL IT BE LIKE FOR YOU GUYS WHEN JACK ISN’T AROUND AT THE RACE TRACK AS MUCH?

    GREG BIFFLE: “I think it will be a long time before he is not at the race track every weekend. These things not having carburetors anymore and looking at the spark plugs and those things, technology changes. Carl and I used to go in and sit down with the crew chief to figure out what right front spring we are going to start with and what front sway bar. We don’t do that anymore. The technology is changing so Jack is still involved and he has less of a role but so do we almost because technology has taken over a little bit. I think you are going to see Jack around a lot and still involved.”

    CARL EDWARDS: “It is his team and he is the leader. It is nice to have that leadership and so I don’t want to see him step back. Hopefully he stays as involved as he can be because we really enjoy having him here.”

    CARL, YOU STARTED THE SEASON OFF WITH JIMMY FENNIG KIND OF LIKE A FRESH COUPLE JUST DATING. HAVE YOU MOVED BEYOND THAT PART OF THE RELATIONSHIP? “Yeah, we fought over who was going to do the laundry for a little while and stuff like that. I think we have a very good relationship right now. I was actually talking to some folks about that this week that listen to the races on the radios and I am starting to understand Jimmy. It is true, he is as dedicated as he seems to be. He cares more about winning – there is nobody that cares more about winning than him. I have been around Mike Mittler and Jack Roush and Jimmy Fennig and those guys are unmatched. I really respect him. We are starting to communicate better. I think for a little while he didn’t really understand what I was saying. He understood but not to the degree of me being loose or tight. I think we both have more faith in each other than we ever have. It is coming together really well in my eyes.”

    IT HAS BEEN A FEW WEEKS SINCE THE CITY OF DETROIT FILED FOR BANKRUPTCY. SINCE YOUR MANUFACTURER IS SO CLOSELY TIED TO THE STATE OF MICHIGAN AND ITS ECONOMY, HAS ANY OF THAT TOUCHED YOU GUYS?

    CARL EDWARDS: “All I can say is that in 2008 when Jim Farley brought us all in and explained to us how Ford was in big trouble and that they were going to have to make some tough decisions to make it through it, that was really sobering to hear him speak that way about the company, our company, Ford. To see how they came through that, making tough decisions was inspiring. I can only imagine the decisions being made in Detroit and how tough they are. At the end of the day, if the tough decisions now come out better in the end and make things viable for more people then it is the right thing. I only have read about it and understand it from a distance.”

    GREG BIFFLE: “Like Carl said, a lot of people had to make tough decisions back in 2008 and it is tough to correct that ship but Ford was able to do that well. It takes a lot to be able to do that and it is unfortunate that the city has gone through what they have. I know Ford has been a huge supporter of the area and provided a lot of jobs and I think the ship will get righted and it will get better once it gets going back to the right direction. I think it will be a good place.”

    IT WAS ANNOUNCED TODAY THAT NASCAR AFTER THE LAP WILL RETURN TO CHAMPIONS WEEK IN VEGAS. CAN YOU TALK ABOUT WHY IT IS SUCH A FUN EVENT FOR YOU DRIVERS?

    GREG BIFFLE: “Well, I hope I am there. That is about all I can say about it. I am really looking forward to being there and making the After the Lap award show but I think it is really neat that Ford has stepped up and done things there that they are doing with that program and sending some fans out there. Somebody is going to get to win a new truck and a lot of cool things.”

    CARL EDWARDS:  “The thing that makes me nervous about that is it usually gets pretty loose and things are said and done like Jeff Gordon break dancing. Once it is done I kinda think, man, as that okay? The fans seem to enjoy it. The website is NASCARAfterTheLap.com and someone is going to win a 2014 F-150 Tremor truck.”

    GREG BIFFLE: “Have you seen that truck? That thing is really cool”

    CARL EDWARDS: “There is a sweepstakes and you go to NASCARAfterTheLap.com and you can win a 2014 Tremor, which is a pretty awesome truck. Each year, that is one of the neatest parts, they give someone the truck right there in front of the crowd and it is spectacular.”

    GREG BIFFLE: “I wonder if we are eligible”

    CARL EDWARDS: You already have one don’t you?

    GREG BIFFLE: It has the EcoBoost motor in it and is a really neat truck. I wish I had one.

    CARL EDWARDS: “You will have one. You have every car.”

  • Crunching The Numbers: Michigan

    Crunching The Numbers: Michigan

    After a wild weekend of turning left and right at the fast road course at Watkins Glen, the three national NASCAR series head their separate ways this weekend with the Sprint Cup Series and Camping World Truck Series heading to Michigan to take on the 2 mile Michigan International Speedway and the Nationwide Series heading to their second road course race in a row for their inaugural race at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

    NASCAR Sprint Cup Series – Pure Michigan 400 at Michigan International Speedway

    With only four races left until the cutoff for the Chase for the Sprint Cup begins at Chicago, the battle between those fighting for a spot in the 12 driver playoff keeps ratcheting up with only 31 points separating the drivers between 10th and 17th in the standings. From this point on every race, every position, and every point matters that much more. Drivers at Michigan will have a balancing act between playing it safe for points or gambling for a win and putting themselves in position for a Wild Card Chase berth.

    Driver Races Win Top 5 Top 10 Pole Laps Led Avg. Start Avg. Finish
    Carl Edwards 18 2 9 14 1 291 19.9 8.2
    Matt Kenseth 28 2 12 18 0 284 17.9 9.4
    Greg Biffle 21 4 10 13 1 565 13.5 11.3
    Jeff Gordon 41 2 18 25 5 954 11.5 12.4
    Danica Patrick 1 0 0 0 0 0 37.0 13.0
    Mark Martin 55 5 18 31 1 965 11.9 14.2
    Kevin Harvick 25 1 4 9 0 149 18.2 14.3
    Denny Hamlin 15 2 5 7 0 149 14.3 14.7
    Dale Earnhardt, Jr. 28 2 6 10 2 327 14.9 15.6
    Kyle Busch 17 1 4 6 0 169 14.6 15.6

    Who To Watch: Coming off of an eighth place finish in the first race at Michigan in June, Carl Edwards boasts the best statistics in the Sprint Cup Series at the track with two wins, nine top fives, 14 top tens, one pole, 291 laps led, and an average finish of 8.2 in 18 races.

    Matt Kenseth comes up next with two wins, 12 top fives, 18 top tens, 284 laps led, and an average finish of 9.4 in 28 starts. Kenseth finished in sixth in June in his first race at Michigan for new car owner Joe Gibbs.

    Others who run well at the track include: Greg Biffle, who won in June and has a total of four wins at the track, along with 10 top fives, 13 top tens, one pole, 565 laps led, and an average finish of 11.3 in 21 starts; Jeff Gordon, with two wins, 18 top fives, 25 top tens, five poles, 954 laps led, and an average finish of 12.4 in 41 starts; and Danica Patrick, who finished in 13th in her first start at the track in June.

    The remainder of the top ten statistically (Mark Martin, Kevin Harvick, Denny Hamlin, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., and Kyle Busch) also run well at Michigan and have a total of 11 wins between them.

    NASCAR Nationwide Series – Inaugural Nationwide Children’s Hospital 200 at Mid-Ohio

    Since there have been no Nationwide Series races at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, there are obviously no statistics to pull from to see who will run well at the track. So, the best bet for Saturday’s race will be to go with drivers who run well on road courses. Drivers such as Ron Fellows in the JR Motorsports No. 5, Marcos Ambrose in the No. 9 for Richard Petty Motorsports, A.J. Allmendinger in the No. 22 for Penske Racing, and Max Papis in the No. 33 for Richard Childress Racing should find themselves up front along with Nationwide regulars Sam Hornish Jr. and Justin Allgaier.

    NASCAR Camping World Truck Series – Michigan National Guard 200 at Michigan

    After a few weeks off since last racing at Pocono, the Camping World Truck Series makes their return at Michigan with points leader Matt Crafton holding onto a commanding 52 point lead over rookie Jeb Burton in the standings. The race also marks the return of the Truck Series for consecutive weekends and the debut of Fox Sports 1 for the broadcast of the Truck Series race on Saturday.

    Driver Races Win Top 5 Top 10 Pole Laps Led Avg. Start Avg. Finish
    Ty Dillon 1 0 0 1 0 3 5.0 6.0
    Miguel Paludo 2 0 1 2 0 3 6.0 6.5
    Kyle Busch 6 0 4 5 1 149 5.8 6.8
    Brendan Gaughan 7 1 3 4 0 48 18.4 8.9
    Joey Coulter 2 0 0 1 1 7 10.5 12.5
    Ron Hornaday, Jr. 9 0 1 6 0 15 10.3 12.7
    Dakoda Armstrong 2 0 1 1 0 0 20.5 13.5
    Johnny Sauter 4 0 0 0 0 1 8.0 13.5
    James Buescher 4 0 2 2 0 5 7.8 14.5
    Timothy Peters 6 0 1 3 0 0 16.7 14.8

    Who To Watch: Championship contender Ty Dillon leads all active drivers at Michigan with three laps led and a sixth place finish in his lone start at the track last season.

    A driver who has been running strong as of late is Miguel Paludo and he falls in second statistically at Michigan. Paludo has two starts at the track and in the two starts has one top five, two top tens, 3 laps led and an average finish of 6.5.

    Others who could find their way to Victory Lane include: Kyle Busch, who has six starts at the track, and in those six starts has four top fives, five top tens, one pole, 149 laps led and an average finish of 6.8; Brendan Gaughan, who has one win, three top fives, four top tens, 48 laps led and an average finish of 8.9 in seven starts; and Joey Coulter, who has one top ten, one pole, seven laps led and an average finish of 12.5 in two starts.

    Last, but certainly not least would be the promising crop of rookies in the series this year (Jeb Burton, Ryan Blaney, Darrell Wallace, Jr.), who are giving the veterans a run for their money. It certainly would not be a surprise to see one of those drivers win either.

  • Jimmie Johnson Runs from Tech to Track Record Pole at Pocono

    Jimmie Johnson, who after having issues in tech and sprinting to the qualifying grid, flew his Disney Planes car to the head of the field to qualify P1 for the GoBowling.com 400 at Pocono Raceway.

    Johnson put his No. 48 Lowe’s Planes Chevrolet into pole position with a speed of 180.654 miles per hour and a time of 49.819 seconds, scoring a new track record.

    This was Johnson’s second pole of the 2013 season, his 31st pole in his 420 Cup Series races and his third pole at Pocono Raceway. This was also the eleventh track qualifying record broken so far this year by the new Gen-6 race car.

    “I knew it was fast but I didn’t know how fast,” Johnson said. “I was challenging the car and it stuck.”

    “Track records are cool,” Johnson continued. “It makes all drivers and teams smile.”

    Johnson had an interesting time making it to the qualifying grid, once again having difficulty getting through tech and having to run with his car and team to make it in time.

    “We had the left rear tow off by one thousandth of an inch,” Johnson said. “We got on the clock, which is always a scary thing, but we beat the clock.”

    “I’m glad we got it sorted out.”

    Johnson said that he would not wish that stress on any other driver and took exception to the notion that his team might have delayed a bit to go out a bit later in the qualifying order.

    “I wish there was some master plan behind it,” Johnson said. “My heart was pounding out of my chest and I don’t wish that stress on anyone.”

    “That’s not what I want to go through.”

    Johnson admitted that in spite of the stress, both he and his crew chief Chad Knaus really do enjoy the ‘Tricky Triangle’ and all of its challenges.

    “Shifting here makes this track so much fun,” Johnson said. “The gear change makes in interesting.”

    “We have excelled on quirky race tracks,” Johnson continued. “Chad really enjoys setting up the car and the engineering side of it.”

    “We’ve had that knack for odd-shaped race tracks.”

    Kyle Busch, in the No. 18 M&Ms Peanut Butter Toyota, came in runner up in the qualifying effort, with a speed of 180.639 miles per hour and a time of 49.823 seconds. This will be Busch’s 17th top-10 start of 2013 and his tenth top-10 start in 18 races at Pocono.

    “Our Peanut Butter Camry was really fast in practice today,” Busch said. “One run we got a little bit off base but then we backed it right up and the third run we were pretty good.”

    “So, we were excited going into qualifying,” Busch continued. “Fortunately, it was a really fast lap for going that early in qualifying.”

    Busch admitted that going later in the qualifying order would have been beneficial, especially at a track where pit selection and track position are key.

    “I wish we would have gone later because we would have had a better race track, but it was about all I could get,” Busch said. “I wish it was the pole.”

    “That’s what you’d like to have,” Busch continued. “You get so close and it would be nice to have that award, being able to start first and get the number one pit selection.”

    “We’ll take it,” Busch said. “It was a good effort.”

    “And hopefully our car will be better and beat the other guy who beat us today.”

    Busch did, however, take a bit of a jab at pole sitter Johnson during his media availability after his qualifying run.

    “Probably not the clock that he was on made the difference but the draw he had being twenty cars later was beneficial,” Busch said. “It’s just that a lot of these other teams figure out how to play by the rules, you know.”

    “It seems like there is one that is quite often late, more often than the rest.”

    Carl Edwards was the fastest Ford in qualifying, with a time of 49.950 seconds and a speed of 180.180. The driver of the No. 99 Fastenal Ford came in third in the Pocono time trials.

    Edwards posted his seventh top-10 start at Pocono and his eleventh top-10 start in 21 races this season.

    “We got very fortunate with our draw because the track kept getting faster and faster,” Edwards said. “That and my superior skills and my humility helped.”

    “We didn’t expect to pick up that much and have that much grip,” Edwards continued. “Starting position is really important here.”

    “I’m ready to go racing,” Edwards said. “I’m pretty excited about hopefully our turnaround from last week because that was miserable.”

    Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 39 Haas Automation 30th Anniversary Chevrolet, and Kurt Busch in the NO. 78 Furniture Row/Denver Mattress Chevrolet, rounded out the top five.

    “It was a good lap,” Newman said. “We picked up a second from what we practiced.”

    “Man that is fast here.”

    “To go for the pole, we were just a little bit too tight,” Busch said. “The pace was so fast that you are on the edge.”

    Three Fords took the sixth, seventh and eighth spots in qualifying, with Joey Logano, Greg Biffle and Marcos Ambrose in those spots respectively.

    “Yeah, that was not bad,” Logano, behind the wheel of the No. 22 Shell Pennzoil Ford, said. “I feel like my lap was pretty good.”

    “I think I got what I needed,” Biffle, driver of the No. 16 3M Ford, said. “I’m really happy with that lap and our pick up.”

    “I wish I would have gotten a little more out of it but that’s all the car had.”

    Denny Hamlin, driver of the No. 11 FedEx Office Toyota, and Aric Almirola, in the Petty No. 43 GoBowling.com Ford, qualified in the ninth and tenth spots.

    “That was definitely good pick up,” Almirola said. “We had to make so many adjustments and I was trying to be a little conservative.”

    “I will take that.”

     

  • Crunching The Numbers: Indianapolis

    Crunching The Numbers: Indianapolis

    After taking their final break of the season last weekend, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads to Indianapolis Motor Speedway this weekend for the Brickyard 400 to begin the 17 race stretch run to finish off the season. The Nationwide Series will also be joining their Sprint Cup brethren at Indianapolis, while the Camping World Truck Series heads to Eldora on Wednesday night for the first NASCAR sanctioned dirt track race in several years.

    NASCAR Sprint Cup Series – Crown Royal Presents the Samuel Deeds 400 at the Brickyard Powered by BigMachineRecords.com

    Twenty years ago, the Sprint Cup Series had their first race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and in the 19 races since the inaugural race in 1994, the Brickyard 400 has become one of the crown jewels of the sport. The list of drivers that have won this race is a who’s who of Sprint Cup champions and current and future Hall of Famers. Only four times has a driver won the race and not gone on to win the title. Look for whoever comes out on top on Sunday to be a strong championship contender.

    Driver Races Win Top 5 Top 10 Pole Laps Led Avg. Start Avg. Finish
    Tony Stewart 14 2 6 10 1 227 16.7 8.2
    Jeff Gordon 19 4 11 15 3 477 12.4 8.8
    Kevin Harvick 12 1 4 7 1 92 15.6 10.2
    Kyle Busch 8 0 2 6 0 42 21.1 11.8
    Greg Biffle 10 0 3 6 0 53 15.3 12.1
    Clint Bowyer 7 0 2 2 0 2 20.4 12.3
    Brad Keselowski 3 0 0 2 0 39 12.7 12.3
    Mark Martin 19 0 6 11 1 67 12.2 12.8
    Carl Edwards 8 0 1 3 0 5 22.0 13.2
    Jamie McMurray 10 1 3 5 0 43 15.4 14.0

    Who To Watch: With the race at Indianapolis, it’s no surprise that an Indiana native tops the list with the best statistics. Tony Stewart, who hails from Columbus, IN, has amassed some impressive numbers at the track with two wins, six top fives, 10 top tens, one pole, 227 laps led, and an average finish of 8.2 in 14 races.

    Four-time Sprint Cup champion Jeff Gordon falls in just behind Stewart with four wins, 11 top fives, 15 top tens, three poles, 477 laps led, and an average finish of 8.8 in 19 starts.

    Others to keep an eye on include: Kevin Harvick, 2003 Brickyard 400 winner, who also has four top fives, seven top tens, one pole, 92 laps led, and an average finish of 10.2 in 12 starts; Kyle Busch, with two top fives, six top tens, 42 laps led, and an average finish of 11.8 in eight starts; and Greg Biffle, with three top fives, six top tens, 53 laps led, and an average finish of 12.1 in 10 starts.

    Defending race winner, Jimmie Johnson, didn’t make the top ten statistically at Indianapolis, but has four wins at the track, along with four top fives, five top tens, one pole and has led 229 laps in 11 starts.

    One last thing to keep in mind for Sunday’s 20th running of the Brickyard 400 is the dominance that Chevrolet has had at the track. Chevrolet has won the last 10 and 14 of the 19 races at Indianapolis. Can Chevrolet win yet another Brickyard 400 or will one of the other two manufacturers finally find their way to Victory Lane?

    NASCAR Nationwide Series – Indiana 250

    After running at the short track across town in Indianapolis at Lucas Oil Raceway Park for years, the Nationwide Series made the move to Indianapolis Motor Speedway for a companion weekend with the Sprint Cup Series starting last year and will have their second running at the 2.5 mile speedway this weekend.

    Last year, Penske Racing swept the top two spots with Brad Keselowski taking the win and teammate Sam Hornish, Jr. finishing in second. Hornish regained the points lead after a second place finish in last weekend’s race at Chicago and the Indy 500 champion brings his momentum into a track that he is very familiar with.

    Indianapolis also marks the last leg of the Nationwide Insurance “Dash 4 Cash” with Austin Dillon, Hornish, Elliott Sadler, and Brian Vickers eligible for the $100,000 bonus. Dillon will be going for his third “Dash 4 Cash” bonus after winning the bonus last weekend at Chicago and at New Hampshire.

    NASCAR Camping World Truck Series – 1-800-CARCASH Mudsummer Classic Presented By CNBC Prime’s “The Profit” at Eldora

    For the first time since 1970 at Raleigh, NC, NASCAR returns to dirt racing with the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series making their inaugural trip to Eldora Speedway in Ohio for a Wednesday night feature on the half-mile dirt track. The race, which is a sellout, will not only feature points eligible Truck Series drivers, but will also have several dirt racing specialists going for the win. Those specialists include: Dave Blaney, Tracy Hines, Scott Bloomquist, Ken Schrader, Ryan Newman, Kenny Wallace, and former Truck Series champion, Austin Dillon, who will be facing off with his brother and championship contender, Ty Dillon.

    Matt Crafton leads the Truck Series standings by 39 points heading into Eldora, but the points could face a big shakeup after what is sure to be a wild race on Wednesday night in Ohio.

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Daytona

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Daytona

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson was dominant at Daytona and held on after several late restarts to win the Coke Zero 400. Johnson became the first driver to sweep both Daytona races since Bobby Allison in 1982.

    “I did something Allison did at Daytona,” Johnson said, “but instead of Cale Yarborough, I punched the accelerator. Just call it a 2.5 milestone.

    “I’ve apparently overcome my problems with restarts. Now I know that if you can’t restart, you can’t finish.”

    2. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth’s race ended on lap 149 when he swerved to avoid Denny Hamlin’s spinning No. 11 only to be hammered by Jeff Gordon’s No. 24. Kenseth finished 33rd and fell one spot to sixth in the point standings, 118 out of first.

    “I’m not sure what caused Hamlin to spin,” Kenseth said, “but he’s seen more walls than China. What’s Hamlin’s favorite concept album? Pink Floyd’s The Wall. His favorite Clint Eastwood movie? Sudden Impact. His favorite mixed drink? A Harvey Wallbanger.”

    3. Kevin Harvick: Harvick seemed to be primed for a late flourish at Daytona, lined up with Tony Stewart with race leader Jimmie Johnson in his sights. However, late cautions prevented Harvick from challenging, and he settled for third in the Coke Zero 400.

    “One would think more restarts would be to Johnson’s disadvantage,” Harvick said. “However, much like he did to my No. 29 car, he put his problems with restarts behind him.

    “Johnson’s car was just too strong. The No. 48 Lowe’s Chevy seemed to have an extra gear. And judging by his lead in the points, I can understand why Johnson calls it ‘sixth.’”

    4. Clint Bowyer: Bowyer charged late at Daytona to take fourth in the Coke Zero 400, earning his seventh top-5 result of the year. He assumed second in the point standings, only 49 behind Jimmie Johnson.

    “Several cars, all three Michael Waltrip Racing cars included, “Bowyer said, “failed inspection last Thursday for having illegal roof flaps. You could say NASCAR ‘razed’ the roof.”

    5. Kyle Busch: Busch survived two crashes, one on lap 98 and one on the final lap, to salvage a 12th at Daytona. He is seventh in the Sprint Cup point standings, 125 out of first.

    “After that first wreck,” Busch said, “my car was held together with duct tapes and prayers, much like A.J. Allmendinger’s career.

    “Shaquille O’Neal, Adam Sandler, and Kevin James gave the command to ‘start your engines. I ‘acted’ excited, which probably makes me more of an actor than either one of them.”

    6. Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: Earnhardt finished eighth at Daytona but was never a factor to win at one of his favorite tracks. He improved one spot in the point standings to fifth, and now trails Jimmie Johnson by 110.

    “How about that post-race fireworks show?” Earnhardt said. “It was awesome! And speaking of things that were ‘lit’ in the infield on Saturday, the fans of Junior Nation were in rare form. They are the most patriotic fans in NASCAR; not only do they show ‘spirit,’ they drink it.”

    7. Carl Edwards: Edwards was snagged in a final-lap pileup at Daytona and finished a disappointing 29th, the lowest finish among Roush Fenway Racing drivers. Edwards is now third in the Sprint Cup point standings, 71 out of first.

    “The No. 99 Subway Ford just got tore up at the end,” Edwards said. “And speaking of Subway, they missed a heck of an opportunity to promote the World War Z movie. Zombies and Subway? That’s ready-made for a ‘Subway-Eat Flesh’ advertising campaign.”

    8. Tony Stewart: Stewart’s late run to the front resulted in the runner-up finish at Daytona, a result that shot him up six places in the point standings and into the top 10. He is tenth in the standings, nine ahead of Kasey Kahne in 12th.

    “Kurt Busch and I made huge strides to enter the top 10 of the point standings,” Stewart said. “And that’s reason to celebrate. Kurt and I high-fived; I missed, and hit Kurt in the face.”

    9. Greg Biffle: Biffle finished 17th at Daytona after getting caught in a late-race accident on the 2.5 mile circuit. He is now eighth in the point standings, 142 out of first.

    “I’m disappointed,” Biffle said, “but encouraged that our second trip to Pocono is less than one month away. That race will be called the ‘GoBowling.com 400.’ I’m guessing there will be a lot of spare tires there. Who talked the sport of bowling into sponsoring a stock car race? I’d pin it on the NASCAR marketing department. Groan if you must, but it takes big balls to find the nerve to offer such bad jokes.”

    10. Kurt Busch: Busch was strong all night at Daytona, racing to a sixth in the No. 78 Furniture Row Chevrolet. Busch moved up five places to ninth in the point standings, 157 out of first.

    “Five places is a big leap in the standings,” Busch said. “I guess I was feeling froggy, and for once, it seems, I jumped.”