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  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Richmond

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Richmond

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    [media-credit name=”CIA Stock Photo” align=”alignright” width=”234″][/media-credit]1. Kyle Busch: Busch finished sixth in the Wonderful Pistachios 400 at Richmond, overcoming two instances of falling a lap down to score his 16th top 10 of the year. Busch will start the Chase atop the standings, tied with nemesis Kevin Harvick, each with four wins.

    “It’s great to be back on top of the standings,” Busch said. “The question is, can I stay there? Now would be a great time for Pedigree to adorn the No. 18 Toyota, while I order it to ‘stay.’

    “I don’t expect Harvick and I to share the top spot for long. As everyone knows, we can’t be in the same place for long. I’m sure he’s reveling at another chance to ‘knock me out.’”

    2. Kevin Harvick: Harvick won the race off pit road on the final caution and held off a charging Carl Edwards to win at Richmond. It was Harvick’s fourth win of the year, and first since may, and placed him in a tie with Kyle Busch for the top seed in the reset point standings.

    “Thanks to my pit crew,” Harvick said, “we were able to win this race. This isn’t the first time I’ve had my crew to thank for keeping Edwards off of me.

    “It’s quite a relief to know that Richard Childress will be running my Nationwide team. That’s a burden I can do without, and it just goes to show that it’s easier to ‘unload’ on Richard Childress than Kyle Busch.”

    3. Jimmie Johnson: The Jimmie Johnson-Kurt Busch feud intensified at Richmond, just in time for the Chase. Johnson was clipped by Kurt Busch and spun on lap 185, and Johnson retaliated on lap 246 after diving into the corner sideways and sending Busch for a smoky spin. Johnson finished 31st, and will start the Chase eighth in the standings, nine points out of first.

    “I don’t know if Busch wrecked me intentionally,” Johnson said. “One could argue that’s why I wrecked Busch—-because I just had to stop and ask.

    “If Busch wants to continue this feud, that’s his prerogative. I don’t mind. I think I’ve been pretty patient with Kurt. After all, I haven’t slapped him, which is yet another characteristic that separates me from most other drivers. Whether surrounded by Cups or controversy, I’m comfortable in the middle of it.”

    4. Jeff Gordon: Gordon passed Kevin Harvick for the lead with 22 laps to go, but Paul Menard’s spin six laps later brought out the final caution, and Harvick beat Gordon out of the pits. Harvick went on to win, while Gordon finished third and will start the Chase For The Cup three points down to top seeds Harvick and Kyle Busch.

    “We gave that one away,” Gordon said. “Normally, exchanging ‘24’ for a ‘case’ of Budweiser would be considered fair. Not this time.

    “My car may say ‘Drive To End Hunger,’ but I’m saying I’m the ‘Driver To End Hunger For Five.’”

    5. Carl Edwards: Edwards gained some much-needed momentum for the Chase For The Cup with a runner-up finish at Richmond. Edwards chased Kevin Harvick over the final 12 laps after a restart, but couldn’t get close enough to make the pass. Edwards will start the Chase nine points down to co-leaders Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch.

    “I knew I probably couldn’t get close enough to pass Harvick,” Edwards said, “but I was hoping to at least pressure him into a mistake. As is well known, my way of getting at Harvick is to make him ‘choke.’”

    6. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski finished 12th in the Wonderful Pistachios 400, his first result outside the top 10 since a 35th at New Hampshire. As a wildcard Chase qualifier, he’ll start the Chase 12 points out of the lead.

    “Thanks to NASCAR’s screwy wildcard rules,” Keselowski said, “I get no credit for my three wins. Instead of starting three points off the pace, I’m 12 behind. I don’t know what’s harder—winning three times, or proving myself twice.”

    7. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth finished 23rd at Richmond, one lap down, after a night filled with handling challenges and several scrapes with other cars. By virtue of his two wins this year, Kenseth will start the Chase six points behind co-leaders Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick.

    “It’s certainly not the way we wanted to enter the Chase For The Cup,” Kenseth said. “The No. 17 Ollie’s Bargain Outlet Ford faced a number of issues on Saturday, but don’t ‘discount’ chances to win the Sprint Cup.”

    8. Kurt Busch: Busch finished fifth at Richmond, posting his seventh top-5 result of the season. He’ll start nine points off the lead when the Chase For The Cup begins Sunday at Chicagoland.

    “As my brother Kyle well knows,” Busch said, “it’s not where you start, it’s how you finish. And I’m 100% committed to finishing—Jimmie Johnson.”

    9. Ryan Newman: Newman finished eighth at Atlanta, his 13th top-10 result of the year, and will start the Chase alongside Stewart-Haas teammate Tony Stewart, who finished 12th in the standings.

    “It’s great to have a teammate in the Chase,” Newman said, “but Tony knows as well as I that once the Chase starts, it’s every man for himself. I’m as well prepared as anyone for that situation—that’s one, and likely the only, advantage to teaming with Rusty Wallace for several years.”

    10. Denny Hamlin: With his Chase-qualification hopes on the line, Hamlin overcame damage sustained in an early accident to finish 9th, locking up a wildcard berth in the Chase.

    “We certainly don’t enter this year’s Chase with the momentum we had last year,” Hamlin said. “Obviously, this team has regressed, but our off-season overhaul will take place in the same manner as a potential Cup-winning Chase—from the bottom up.”

  • The Key To Success

    The Key To Success

    There was rain. There were floods. There were even tornado’s in Atlanta. But for the second time in modern history, NASCAR ran on a Tuesday morning.

    [media-credit name=”CIA Stock Photo” align=”alignright” width=”227″][/media-credit]The story that came out of the race was not the Chase points. It wasn’t those that clinched and those that lost all chance of making it. It was the story of persistence. It was the persistence of the fans that stayed and weathered the storm literally. It was the persistence of a 4-time champion who refused to quit. It was the persistence of a 2-time champion who was down and out who lady luck seemed to have forgotten. It was the story of a young man who has seen the bottom over four years and suddenly has found the spark. Persistence was the story of the day.

    The race weekend in Atlanta began on Friday. It was hot and humid to the point of being miserable and 87,000 people were there. On Saturday the weather was the same and the fans were still there. On Sunday the skies opened up and delivered a tropical torrential down power and the fans were there until NASCAR finally lost the track about 9 PM. Because of the weather warnings local authorities requested the race be rescheduled for Tuesday morning. Tuesday Morning 16,000 people were in the stands in the cold and damp and endured the on and off heavy mist. The cost of their perseverance was probably very high with 2 missed days of work or more for most. But their dedication to the sport and their favorite drivers was strong and their loyalty unwavering. Their persistence was rewarded with being witness to history being made.

    Through the delays there was a burning light. It was a light that had been burning since 1976 in Rio Linda California at a track called Cracker Jack Raceway. A fire that never dimmed and reach heights of greatness that the man it burned inside of only had dreamed of. The 4 time champion had struggled the last 2 years with a long winless streak broken in Texas last spring and punctuated by a crew chief change this winter. It was only two short years ago the media and the fans were talking about Jeff Gordon retiring but he didn’t. Instead he drove hard and on a rainy Tuesday in Atlanta Georgia, Jeff Gordon won his 85th race and secured third place on the all time win list. He continued to forge ahead, believing in himself and his Hendrick Motorsports team and keeping his eye on the prize, another championship.

    Two time champion Tony Stewart has been through the gamut of emotions in the last two years, from becoming the owner of his own team, to winning his first race in his own cars to struggling to get out of his own way this year. Smoke’s luck reached rock bottom with an uncharacteristic 30th place finish 2 laps down in Bristol last week. Smoke proclaimed in Michigan that they didn’t need to make the chase if they couldn’t perform any better than they were. “There is no use in being in the chase if you can’t challenge for the win.” He said. So when the white flag flew at Atlanta and Smoke made a classic sprint car dive to the inside of Kurt Busch in a Hail Mary move for 3rd his fans held their breath. Smoke’s talent had never been in question but his luck that was something else. But Smoke held on to the Office Depot Chevrolet and made the move work looking more like the two time daring, devil may care champion that his fans have grown to love. He never gave up. He was frustrated. He was down. But he was never out. He pushed himself and his team harder than he had ever pushed before and he made the decision to succeed and to continue on to the chase.

    In June, Dale Earnhardt Jr sat 3rd in the points and was a picture of consistency. But lady luck would not be on his side. A string of bad finishes and misfortunes hit at absolutely the worse time, the end of the race for the chase. The media began doubting he would make the Chase. The slide was terminal they hinted. Even with all the improvement in the driver and the team there was still something missing. Pit stops were slow. The car had no speed. The qualifying efforts were poor. The race results slipped to top 20 finishes instead of top 10 finishes. The nay sayers pointed their fingers and the negativity flowed like water from a tap. But this time something was different about Dale Jr. This time he didn’t give in to the negativity. Instead he said we are working on the problems. He was honest. He was upfront but he never lost his swagger or his confidence. In Atlanta even with a bad car and handling problems, Earnhardt Jr held on to 9th place in the points. Going into Richmond he would only have to pull a 20th or better finish to secure his Chase spot. “That is the job we got, so we will try. I feel confident and you don’t stop trying until it’s over.” Earnhardt said after the race. And that is the secret after all to his being there isn’t it? He never quit trying. He pushed on and in doing so he found that his goal was within his reach.

    All of these situations have a common thread. People took control of situations that were not in their control. The fans took control to outlast the weather and show their devotion to their sport. Jeff Gordon took control of his abilities and over came a slump by refusing to accept anything less than being a championship contender. Tony Stewart took a string of bad luck and in true Smoke fashion man handled it until it became something he could out drive. Dale Jr. dug deep inside and reached out for a new voice on the radio and found his confidence and belief in his talents.

    All could have walked away. All could have said it was a great ride but… Instead they persisted through the storms, the trials, the bad luck, and the negativity. They reached back and found the time tested and true adage of racing…It ain’t over until the checkered flag waves and the check clears the bank. When they did they found the truth in racing. Persistence equals success every single time.

    ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ * * * * ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

     Congratulations to Ron Hornaday on his Camping World Truck victory. It was awesome to see the champ in victory lane again.

    Congratulations to Carl Edwards on his Nationwide Series win.

    Congratulations to Jeff Gordon on his hard fought victory in the Sprint Cup Series and a historical 85th win to take sole position of 3rd on the all time win list. Not bad for a kid whose mustache use to be penciled in with eye brow pencil.

    Kudos to Tony Stewart for one of the most incredible Hail Mary passes the sport has seen in a long time.

    That said, to all the competitors in all the series thanks for giving us everything you have to give, you are our heroes. Most importantly, thanks to all the families who shared their loved ones with us so we could cheer our favorite driver and favorite teams. You are the true heroes of the sport and we are forever in your debt.

  • Surprising and Not Surprising: Pure Michigan 400

    Surprising and Not Surprising: Pure Michigan 400

    Irish eyes were smiling in the hills surrounding Michigan International Speedway, keeping the rain which had plagued the last two Cup races, at bay. Here is what was surprising and not surprising from the 42nd annual running of the Pure Michigan 400.

    [media-credit name=”Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images for NASCAR” align=”alignright” width=”255″][/media-credit]Surprising:  Carl Edwards, driver of the No. 99 Aflac Ford Fusion, could not have summed up the surprisingly bad day for his manufacturer and team any more succinctly.

    With a surprisingly uncharacteristic engine failure, Edwards was Ford’s worst finisher at Michigan, a track where not only has Ford excelled but where Roush Fenway Racing has traditionally had free reign to play at the front of the field.

    “I thought we would have a Ford in Victory Lane,” Edwards said. “I thought one way or another, we would win this thing.”

    “It was a very tough race,” Edwards said. “We weren’t expecting a failure like that.”

    Edwards lagged behind his Roush Fenway Racing teammates Matt Kenseth, who finished in 10th in the No. 17 Kroger Ford Fusion; David Ragan, driving the No. 6 UPS Ford Fusion, who brought home a 12th place finish; and pole sitter Greg Biffle, behind the wheel of the No. 16 3M Ford Fusion, who finished a disappointing 20th after leading the most laps in the race.

    Biffle was as surprised by his disappointing finish as his teammate Edwards was of his finish and engine failure.

    “I don’t know what happened,” Biffle said. “I have a feeling we kinda got a bum set of tires and then we got off on our adjustments. I really don’t know what happened.”

    Not Surprising:  After being ever so close to Victory Lane at both Pocono and Watkins Glen, it was no surprise that the driver of the No. 18 Interstate Batteries Toyota outran a five-time champ in a green-white-checkered finish to finally took the checkered flag and made his trademark celebratory bow.

    This victory was Kyle Busch’s first at Michigan International Speedway. It was his fifth top-10 finish in 14 races at Michigan.

    “Today the car was flawless,” Busch said. “We knew the restart would be treacherous but I got a good run on the top-side and I was able to take the lead off Turn Two and set our sights on the checkered flag from there.”

    With his fourth victory of the season, including this win at the Irish hills, Busch was also the first driver to officially clinch his berth in the championship Chase. And with Edwards’ poor finish, Busch now sits alone at the top of the leader board.

    “It feels awesome,” Busch said of his guaranteed Chase spot. “It gives us an added bonus to just go out there and race for wins. We certainly feel good about it.”

    Surprising:  Brad Keselowski, behind the wheel of the Blue Deuce for Penske Racing, continues to surprise all by starring in his own sequel, ‘Iron Man Part Three.’ Keselowski finished third in the Pure Michigan 400, his third straight top-three finish since breaking his ankle and wrenching his back in a testing crash.

    This was Keselowski’s first top-10 finish in five races at Michigan. With his finish, Keselowski also moved ever so close to Chase contention, moving up two positions in the point standings to 12th.

    “It was a good effort,” Keselowski said. “It was a great day, with great execution and I’m proud of my team.”

    “I think we’re in pretty good shape,” Keselowski said of his Chase chances. “I feel better every week.”

    Not Surprising:  With the Chase race heating up, it is no surprise that the driver of the No. 48 Lowes Chevrolet has found his groove, as well as his lucky horseshoe. Jimmie Johnson, who like Busch has also never won at Michigan, scored a career-best second place finish.

    This was Johnson’s eighth top-10 finish in 20 races in the Irish hills. It is also his 15th top-10 finish in the 2011 season to date.

    “It was a great finish for the Lowe’s team,” Johnson said. “We had a tough start to the race on pit road and on the race track but we got that ironed out.”

    “Good runs put so much confidence in the driver and the team,” Johnson continued. “It felt good to be racing with the leader and have a shot at it.”

    Surprising:  Although Stewart-Haas Racing had a surprisingly good day at Michigan, with Ryan Newman finishing fifth in his No. 39 Wix Filters Chevrolet, and team owner Tony Stewart also finishing top ten in his No. 14 Mobil 1/Office Depot Chevrolet, the latter seemed surprisingly depressed after the race.

    “I don’t know what we got to do to get one balanced for a day but we haven’t figured it out yet,” Stewart said. “We were on both sides of the coin today between tight and loose.”

    “I’ll be perfectly honest at this stage in the deal if we’re going to run this bad, it really doesn’t matter if we make the Chase or not,” Smoke continued. “Our stuff’s so bad right now we’re wasting one of those top 12 spots.”

    Not Surprising:  On the flip side, it was no surprise to see the Hendrick Motorsports gang have a good day on the sweeping turns of Michigan International Speedway. Following closely behind runner up Jimmie Johnson, HMS teammate Mark Martin finished fourth in the No. 5 Carquest/GoDaddy.com Chevrolet.

    “It’s an incredible privilege to drive stuff like that,” Martin said. “We were right there and could see the lead and anytime you can see the lead, you feel like you have a crack at it. I feel very fortunate.”

    HMS four-time champ Jeff Gordon also had a decent day at the office, finishing sixth in the No. 24 Dupont Chevrolet, moving up another spot in the point standings to sixth as well. Gordon also made history, marking over 22,000 laps led in his career.

    “All in all, a solid day for the Dupont Chevrolet,” Gordon said. “I loved the effort and the cars and team that we are bringing to the race track. It was a lot of fun out there.”

    The final driver, piloting the No. 88 National Guard/Amp Energy Chevrolet for Mr. Hendrick, had a fairly good race as well. In spite of pit problems, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. finished fourteenth, keeping himself solidly in the ninth spot in the Chase standings.

    “I had some awesome runs and the car was really fast,” Junior said. “And then I put on some tires and I couldn’t drive the car. We had some bad stuff happen on pit road, but we drove it back up there.”

    Surprising:  With a starting spot of fourth, the driver of the No. 11 FedEx Freight Toyota had high hopes for redemption in Michigan, as well as the hope of keeping his Chase chances alive. Surprisingly, in spite of Denny Hamlin’s new engine, he struggled throughout the race, hitting the wall and heading to the garage to repair significant right front suspension damage.

    Hamlin finished the race in 35th and lost two positions in the point standings, falling to a disappointing 14th, barely hanging on to any chances of a Chase berth.

    Not Surprising:  Coming off his top-10 finish at the Glen, it was not surprising that A J Allmendinger almost pulled off another one at MIS. The driver of the No. 43 Best Buy Ford for Richard Petty Motorsports powered through the field from his 29th place start to finish 11th.

    Surprising:  On the flip side, the Dinger’s teammate Marcos Ambrose, winner of the Cup race at Watkins Glen last weekend and the Nationwide race in Montreal this weekend, had a surprisingly frustrating day.

    The driver of the No. 9 Stanley Ford Fusion started out strong but then was tagged from behind by Kevin Harvick while trying to pit, shoving his car head first into the pit wall, relegating him to a 27th place finish.

    “That was frustrating,” Ambrose said. “We had a good car and we were top-10 a lot of the day.”

    “We just kept getting tighter and tighter,” Ambrose continued. “We had a hole in the grill. That really hurt us and we ended up turned around in the pit there at the end, so that hurt us too.”

    Not Surprising: Although the driver of the No. 33 Cheerios/Hamburger Helper Chevrolet qualified poorly and started 35th, it was no surprise to see him drive as hard as he could to a top-ten finish. With Clint Bowyer’s 8th place finish at Michigan, he has managed to hang on to the 11th spot in the Chase standings.

    “It was a good, hard fought battle all day long,” Bowyer said of his race. “From where we started, starting 35th, getting up there in the top ten, we had a good car all day long.”

    “We gained but not near enough. We’re running out of time but if we keep digging, who knows what’s going to happen.”

  • Tim Richmond; 22 Years Later and Still Not Forgotten

    Tim Richmond; 22 Years Later and Still Not Forgotten

    Every 10-30 years, a young driver comes along who shakes up the NASCAR world, and more time than naught, it’s usually these types of drivers that come into the sport with some kind of a racing background.

    [media-credit name=”Photo Credit: unknown” align=”alignright” width=”190″][/media-credit]Tim Richmond was a lot different since he did not grow up with racing in his blood, and did not come from the hard working middle class lifestyle that most of NASCAR’s big names came from. Instead Richmond was born into wealth, and because of this, it would later turn out to be one of his biggest drawbacks because of his fast paced, Hollywood playboy lifestyle he lived throughout his racing career.

    Since NASCAR was born on the back country roads of some of America’s most famous moon shining families, Richmond’s flamboyant lifestyle on and off the track clashed with the southern roots most fans were used seeing from their drivers.

    Richmond’s standard of living along with his daily routine mirrored that of someone you would have thought was born and raised in California, unlike his hometown of Ashland, Ohio where he was born on June 7, 1955. The “lets party all night attitude” he chose to live by would be frowned upon by NASCAR, as Richmond would find out later during his short lived racing career.

    Richmond was a hit with the fans as well as the ladies, and at times he would pull down his racing suit to sign autographs, which really got the women excited, but at the same time got the heads of NASCAR even angrier. NASCAR wasn’t ready for this type of driver to enter into their hallowed premier racing series, and it was only because Richmond’s driving style matched the lifestyle that he was living.

    During his eight years as a Winston Cup driver which didn’t start until the age of 21, Richmond visited victory lane 13 times, along with 78 top-10 finishes in the 185 starts hr made in the series. Richmond collected a career-high seven wins in 1986 while driving the No. 25 Folgers-sponsored Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Monte Carlo, to go along with his 14 careers poles, and his very first victory coming on a road course in Riverside, California.

    The 1986 season would be his best year driving in the Winston Cup series, finishing third in points behind eventual cup winner Dale Earnhardt Sr. Most of his fellow racers said that he was one of a few drivers who had guts enough to challenge Earnhardt and drive side by side with him. Richmond had a “take no prisoners” type of driving style which showed in the way he handled the road courses, and he was known as one of the few drivers who had the guts to challenge and race side by side with Earnhardt.

    Richmond’s life was loosely portrayed in the movie Days of Thunder by the character of Cole Trickle, and aside from stock cars he also competed in open wheel racing finishing ninth in the 1980 Indianapolis 500. In 1986 at the height of a very promising career, his whole world came crashing down on him when he was diagnosed with A.I.D.S.

    By the time 1987 rolled around, life would become even more challenging to his already troubled life, and it wasn’t until the middle of the season that he would return, and pick up back to back wins at Pocono and Riverside, and the win at Riverside would ultimately be his last. By the following year, NASCAR would step in and deal Richmond a very sour hand, when the organization would begin to treat him like he was some sort of drug addict.

    NASCAR defamed his integrity by making him take a drug test because of his deteriorating health, and afterwards suspending him indefinitely because they said he had tested positive for a controlled substance.

    Richmond demanded another test, and when those results came back…they were negative. NASCAR would later admit the first test that Richmond took was also negative; the only substance that showed up was Sudafed and Advil. Little by little NASCAR tried to not only defame Richmond, but they also wanted him out of the Cup series for good, and eventually they got their wish.

    NASCAR would not let him race until he came up with all of his medical records, it was then Richmond filed a defamation of character lawsuit, but he would eventually withdraw it and leave the sport. Richmond would move back to Florida where he eventually died in 1989.

    NASCAR to this day has not apologized for the brash and disrespectful way that Richmond was treated. In 1990, The New York Times reported that Dr. Forest Tennant, who was at that time the National Football League’s drug adviser, “falsified drug tests” that ultimately helped shorten Richmond’s NASCAR career.

    Washington television station WJLA-TV, in early 1990, reported the sealed court documents and interviews showed Tennant and NASCAR, “allegedly used false drug-test results in 1988 to bar Richmond from racing.”

    Reporter Roberta Baskin stated that NASCAR had targeted Richmond, requesting that Tennant establish a substance-abuse policy with Richmond in mind. NASCAR chose not to mention any of these findings, and basically swept it under the rug with the, “We don’t see anything or what did we do wrong scenario?”

    Richmond was one of their own, even though he didn’t fit the mold that NASCAR wants all of their drivers to follow, even though he was still a human being, breathing the same air as them, and also bringing money into their prestigious racing empire. Richmond would be inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2002, an award that not even the France family could ever take from him.

    NASCAR would put the final nail in his coffin by only writing one line about him, and not including a single picture of him anywhere in the annals of NASCAR history. For those who chose to support and follow his career…Tim Richmond has been dearly missed, maybe not so much by NASCAR, but by the fans and drivers who stood next to him through thick and thin.

    22 years ago we lost one of our own, but even today he is still in the hearts and minds of those who remember the impact he made to the sport, both on and off the track.

  • Kasey Kahne Takes His Juggling Act on the Pocono Road

    Kasey Kahne Takes His Juggling Act on the Pocono Road

    [media-credit id=18 align=”alignright” width=”189″][/media-credit]Kasey Kahne, driver of the No. 4 Red Bull Toyota, has been juggling to keep many balls in the air as he motors into Pocono race weekend.

    One of the balls that he has been most worried about juggling is qualifying well at the ‘Tricky Triangle’. But Kahne need not have worried as he scored the outside pole, his 10th top-10 start in 16 races at Pocono.

    “It’s always good to start up front at this place,” Kahne said. “You can definitely pass here but it’s good to start up front too.”

    Kahne will turn his attention next to another critical ball to juggle, staying good throughout the 200 lap, 500 mile Good Sam RV Insurance race.

    “I’ll just try to get through the corners,” Kahne said. “It’s such a rough track.”

    “We looked at notes from earlier in the year and what we struggled with or were good at and what we’ve learned since then,” Kahne said. “We will take all that knowledge and hopefully make ourselves better.

    “This has been a great track for myself and for our team and I think we can do good.”

    Some of the other balls that Kahne is juggling are his intense attempts to make the Chase, finishing out with Red Bull and transitioning to Hendrick Motor Sports, managing his own sprint car team, as well as trying to raise money for the Kasey Kahne Foundation.

    As far as the Chase, Kahne firmly believes that he and his team are still in the hunt. But he also acknowledges that he will not make it in on points.

    “For us, we just need to win a race,” Kahne said. “If you can win two, you’d be a lock at this point.”

    “But things can change so we just have to figure out how to win to get in the Chase,” Kahne continued. “We just got a little too far behind in the points to race our way in points wise.”

    If he does not qualify for the Chase with his Red Bull team, Kahne will be disappointed, but not bereft.

    “If we don’t make the Chase, it won’t be a horrible season,” Kahne said. “But it definitely won’t be what we shot for.”

    “And we’ll just still have to finish the season as strong as we can and try to win.”

    Another ball that Kahne is juggling is his transition from Red Bull Racing, his place holder team this season, to his more permanent gig at Hendrick Motor Sports in 2012.

    “We’re always preparing for next year,” Kahne said. “Kenny Francis (crew chief) is going with me next year and we’re going to work together.”

    “It can all benefit us for next year.”

    Kahne admits that he will really miss Red Bull Racing, from the excitement of their brand to the special friends that he has met.

    “Red Bull is a really cool partner and a lot of fun to work with,” Kahne said. “They’re exciting and they enjoy life and racing and all that.”

    “I think I’ll miss some of that and some of the new people that I’ve met and been able to work with,” Kahne continued. “There are some really good people that are there. I’ll miss that kind of stuff.”

    “As far as Hendrick, I’m looking forward to the best opportunity I’ve ever been given in Cup racing,” Kahne continued. “When you get an opportunity like that, it’s up to you to take advantage of it.”

    Another ball that Kahne has been juggling is ownership of his own sprint car team. This has been especially difficult as his driver, Joey Saldana, recently wrecked and is out for the season and Kahne took his own wild ride in his car, flipping out of the Williams Grove track.

    “It’s been a tough couple of weeks,” Kahne said. “Joey’s out of the hospital but he’s really banged up.”

    “He got crushed pretty much by another car,” Kahne continued. “So, he’s out for the season.

    As for his own condition after his wreck at the Grove, Kahne admitted that he had “about a three day soreness.” Kahne also realized that he created a firestorm of discussion as to whether or not Cup drivers should be taking those chances racing in lower divisions.

    “Yeah, I got a call from Rick Hendrick,” Kahne admitted. “And I got calls from just about everybody.

    While Kahne continues to juggle those calls, his final ball that he is keeping in the air is one that he is intensely passionate about, the Kasey Kahne Foundation.

    “We’re still really after it and doing as much as we can for underprivileged, chronically ill children through the Kasey Kahne Foundation,” Kahne said. “One thing that’s really neat is what Sprint’s doing, giving us the opportunity to win a lot of money, a million dollars, for our Foundation here in the next five races.”

    “We got a chance to do that since these are really good tracks for us,” Kahne continued. “Sprint’s really put up a neat program for everybody to shoot for. It’s pretty awesome.”

    “So, that definitely motivates me,” Kahne said. “To win a million for yourself is great, to win it for a fan is awesome but to win it for chronically ill, underprivileged children would be the best.”

  • Matty’s Picks Vol. 12 – Pocono – August 7, 2011

    Matty’s Picks Vol. 12 – Pocono – August 7, 2011

    Back to Long Pond, PA we go for the second time this year in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

    [media-credit name=”poconoraceway.com” align=”alignright” width=”271″][/media-credit]I’m going to learn from my mistakes this week, and pick two drivers that I have not picked in my column before. Back in just my 6th edition of Matty’s Picks, I chose two drivers, both with storied histories at the Tricky Triangle. Denny Hamlin, my winner pick had finished in the Top 10 in 8 out of his 10 races at Pocono (after the race in June it was 9 out of 11 races – 19th place finish).

    My Dark Horse pick faired a bit better in the 5-Hour Energy 500 this season, netting me one of my 4 Top 10 finishes. Juan Montoya has been my Dark Horse pick twice this year, once coming last week at the Brickyard, and the other at Pocono in June. In the race in June, Montoya gambled on two-tire stops a total of three times throughout the afternoon, a strategy that would net him a 7th place finish and me a Top 10 Dark Horse pick.

    Brickyard Recap

    As stated earlier Juan Montoya was my Dark Horse last week for the Brickyard 400. He was never really in contention to win the race last week, but lingered around the Top 5 for a good portion of the 200 laps last Sunday. It was tough for anyone to predict how the fuel-mileage frenzy would unfold last Sunday, and when the checkered flag flew over the #27 of Paul Menard, Montoya was nowhere to be found.

    Montoya said after the race “It was good. We had the fastest car but when we could see the front it seemed like I could get a little more out of the car and I was pushing really hard.” The #42 team would lose out on the almost road-course-like pit strategy and would come home 28th.

    As for my winner pick last week, after starting 3rd on the grid Jimmie Johnson also hovered around the Top 5 for the majority of the laps around Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

    About his qualifying lap last Friday at IMS, “It was a good lap for us and I certainly hope that it hopes up and keeps us in the top five. If we can have a good spot on pit road, it makes for such a different race. And there are some very generous areas to work on pit road here, so I’m hoping to get one of those spots.”

    And it was one of those “generous” spots he would end up with for the race, but just like everyone else, Johnson was not able to stay out of trouble. The 48’s contact with Brian Vickers squashed all my hopes for a win out of the Lowe’s Chevrolet last weekend bringing home a 19th place finish.

    Yes, last week at the Brickyard was the first time I did not have a driver finish in the Top 10 or better since Michigan back in Mid-June.

    Pocono Picks

    Winner Pick

    I’ve decided to spread the wealth this week and pick a driver that has not been mentioned this year in Matty’s Picks. He is very deserving of a Winner Pick this week for his efforts at PIR in June. He started on the pole for the 5-Hour Energy 500, and currently sits second on the speed charts after the first practice session of the day.

    Kurt Busch is no stranger to Victory Lane at the Tricky Triangle, earning his first win at the track in July 2005 and then winning again in August 2007. Kurt Busch also has and astounding 5 – second place finishes at Pocono as well, his most recent coming in June. Kurt Busch has been running well this season, with one win, 4 Top 5’s, and 11 Top 10’s. He will look to rebound after dropping 3 spots in the points following the Brickyard 400 with a strong finish on Sunday in the Good Sam RV Insurance 500.

    Dark Horse Pick

    My Dark Horse this week currently sits in 13 place in points. He is extremely hungry to make a statement with a win and solidify his spot in the 2011 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. He also, is no stranger to Victory Lane at Pocono, a track where he has less than impressive finishing statistics.

    Greg Biffle averages a finish of 16.4 at Pocono International Raceway, but will use the momentum he has from his 7th place finish last week at Indy to lay down a qualifying lap good enough to start towards the front and remain there throughout the race. He has managed to finish in the Top 5 at Pocono only 6 times in 17 starts, and will look to gain upon his 27th place finish in June.

    Stay tuned next week as I preview my 19th trip to Watkins Glen International. I am extremely excited to head to my home track next week, tremendously eager to get camp set up with friends and family and enjoy another fantastic weekend of road racing at WGI!

    Until Next Week…You Stay Classy NASCAR NATION!

  • Matty’s Picks Vol. 11 – Indianapolis – July 31, 2011

    Matty’s Picks Vol. 11 – Indianapolis – July 31, 2011

    Its time for the Brickyard! The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series makes its annual stop at the one and only racing facility to be designated a National Historic Landmark. IMS was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975, so as everyone knows IMS boasts a plethora of racing history.

    [media-credit name=”Indianapolismotorspeedway.com” align=”alignright” width=”300″][/media-credit]Following the drivers and teams this week via Twitter has really opened my eyes as to how much the drivers really enjoy the once-a-year trip to Indianapolis.

    After spending his off week in France, Jimmie Johnson tweeted Wednesday “It’s one of a few tracks where you truly feel the history of motorsports.” This was one of the infinite number of comments about traveling to IMS this weekend, all eager to strap in and get on the track today.

    10-Pick Recap

    During my week off from Matty’s Picks, I was able to compile the results of the 10 previous race weekends that I have submitted picks for. I have actually made 15 ‘Winner Picks’ so far this season (including the Sprint Showdown, All-Star Race, All Star Race – Fan Favorite, Indy 500 and occasional Camping World Truck Series, and Nationwide Series Winner Picks). By the numbers:

    Winner Picks
    4 – Wins
    5 – Top 5’s
    1 – Top 10’s
    4 – Outside Top 10 picks worth zero points
    6.8 – Average finish

    It’s been since June 19th that I have gone without a Winner Pick in the Top 10, stringing together 6-straight, with just one finish outside the Top 5. My current hot streak of Winner Picks includes two wins – both at Kentucky Speedway and both courtesy of Kyle Busch.

    Dark Horse Picks
    0 – Wins
    2 – Top 5’s
    2 – Top 10’s
    6 – Outside Top 10 worth zip
    16.1 – Average finish

    When I compiled the numbers, I thought initially that my Dark Horse average was less than impressive – with an average finish of 16.1. I went back and examined some similar numbers such as Jimmie Johnson’s Career average finish of 11.7, Dale Jr’s average finish this season at 14.0, and even Fireball Roberts’ career average finish of 13.2 and determined that if I want to become the ‘Nostradamus of NASCAR’, I’ve still got some work to do.

    All in all, I am not having a bad rookie season of Matty’s Picks but there is surely some room for improvement – particularly with my Dark Horse picks. I am excited to begin re-visiting tracks for the second time in the 2011 Sprint Cup Schedule, with the goal of learning from my mistakes earlier in the season.

    Brickyard 400 Picks

    Closely examining historical statistics this week for both my Dark Horse and Winner Picks, I have decided to follow the Chevrolet trend at IMS. With the last 8 races being won by a driver in a Chevrolet in Indianapolis, the stats speak for themselves. Furthermore, 12 of the 17 NASCAR Sprint Cup Races at the Brickyard have been won by Chevys. How can I bet against them?

    Dark Horse Pick

    My Dark Horse Pick this week has drank the milk in Victory Lane at IMS, but has never felt the warm rubber and salty taste of the Yard of Bricks against his lips.

    He led 86 laps last year and a record-setting 116 laps in 2009, the most ever by any non-winner at Indianapolis. In the 2009 Allstate 400 at the Brickyard, Juan Pablo Montoya was running away with victory, leading 90 of 91 laps when a pit-road speeding penalty crushed all chances of victory. Last Year, Montoya lead a race-high 85 laps before a collision with Dale Jr on lap 146 ended his chances for victory in a stock-car at IMS.

    With his storied history at IMS, Montoya seems more like a Winner Pick to me this week, but never having won on an oval, JPM qualifies for my Dark Horse pick for purposes of this column. The 2000 Indy 500 winner has victory within his grasp this year and will break through for his first oval win of his stock car racing career on Sunday.

    Winner Pick

    After compiling the data, I must admit that I am astounded that in 15 Winner Picks, I have not picked him as the winner yet. (Already making strides at becoming ‘The Nostradamus of NASCAR’) This is probably why my Winner Pick average is not inside the Top 5…

    My goal this week is to earn some brownie points with my girlfriend by picking her favorite driver; and not by coincidence is he more deserving of a Winner Pick this week.

    Jimmie Johnson has compiled 3 wins at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, winning all 3 in the past 5 races. He started second last year, and judging by his practice speeds, Ol’ 5-Time will have a decent starting spot again this year at a track where the race-winner averages a starting spot of 9.4. Only 3 times has the winner of the Brickyard 400 come from the 20th starting spot or worse, meaning IMS does not foster a fair amount of passing.

    Following the moderate blow up at New Hampshire, Chad Knaus has the #48 crew whipped into shape and ready to go mistake-free on Sunday afternoon. Watch for the #48 team to redeem themselves from their mishaps at Loudon and help to put Jimmie Johnson in Victory Lane at the Brickyard.

    I do enjoy following @JimmieJohnson on #Twitter. I’ve learned by following him about a 3-drink Twitter rule imposed on him, which I’ve found he tends to violate from time to time. If you don’t follow Jimmie or don’t have a Twitter account, I suggest you look into it as it adds a bit of a joy to my life.

    It’s a little tough picking against a guy that has won 4 times and holds records for most wins (4), most poles (3), most Top 5’s (9), most Top 10’s (13), and most laps led (440) in Jeff Gordon (thanks for the advice Uncle Ed, but you can only lead a horse to water). But, I have gained my brownie points for the week and will be interested to see the comments from the few “regular” Matty’s Picks readers I do have.

    I am excited to start the stretch towards the Chase and improve upon my less than impressive stats as ‘The Nostradamus of NASCAR’.

    Until next time…You stay classy NASCAR NATION!

  • Dale Earnhardt Jr. Finds Himself Needing A Touch Of Lady Luck These Next Three Races

    Dale Earnhardt Jr. Finds Himself Needing A Touch Of Lady Luck These Next Three Races

    With seven races remaining until the start of the 2011 chase for the Sprint Cup Championship, it’s beginning to look like déjà vu once again for NASCAR’s most popular driver, and time has been slowly creeping on him. No longer is Hendrick Motorsports driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. comfortably sitting within the top-10 in points, instead he finds himself fighting to hold on to the final position until the green flag waves in Chicago to start the chase.

    [media-credit name=”Greg Author” align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]A mere seven points is the lifeline between another disappointing season, or in his case a possible major fail when you look back to five races ago when he was on top of the world sitting third in the point standings. The 51 point lead was enough to keep his fans planning ahead for a possible return to the post season party, which he hasn’t been a part of since 2008.

    The roller coaster ride that Earnhardt has endured while driving for one of NASCAR’s most successful organizations, is enough to give his legion of fans an ulcer the size of the heart this 36 year-old Kannapolis, North Carolina native drives with. Fan loyalty, along with anyone else who has taken an interest trying to dissect what is happening with Earnhardt, have come up with some pretty good explanations as to why he is having so much trouble trying to get win No. 19 along with a possible championship.

    There will always be those who will either show some compassion for what he is going through, and just like a double edged sword where the sharpest edge is the one that does the most damage, which comes in the form of the harsh comments from the nay-sayers. It’s not hard to look around and see that Earnhardt is NASCAR’s most popular driver, but the only advantage with that accolade was the fact he got a free entry into this season’s all-star race.

    Other than that it hasn’t helped him to add to his win column, or more importantly get the consistency back he had while driving in the early years for Dale Earnhardt Inc.  A lot has changed since Earnhardt came over to HMS, along with the excuses why this third generation driver can’t put together a solid season and prove that he is legitimate championship contender.

    In reality there is no magic wand that can be waved over his team, and sugar coating is no longer an option, as well as the hypothetical scenarios that are talked about each time Earnhardt finishes outside the top-10. Hendrick Motorsports has given Earnhardt the ingredients he needs to succeed in the sports top tier series, and how many drivers in the sport today have gone through three crew chiefs in the past four seasons to try and help improve their driver?

    Possibly the only ingredient missing that Hendrick cannot give him is luck, and now is the time Earnhardt needs to borrow the lucky horseshoe from his teammate Jimmie Johnson that Kevin Harvick so reluctantly said he has hiding where the sun doesn’t shine. Heading into Indianapolis Motor Speedway this weekend, Earnhardt will need as much help as he can get whether it be in the form of a horseshoe, or asking lady luck to shower him with a special blessing.

    Either way something good needs to come within reach of the team in order to keep him from falling outside the top-10, and a possible chase berth, which could go a long way in putting into perspective the success he had earlier in the season. “We’ve got good cars. We’ve got a really really good team. We should be running better than we have been the last couple of week and we know it. We are just going to try and work really hard to get back where we were earlier in the season. It shouldn’t be that difficult,” Earnhardt said at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

    With only two top-10 finishes, and a best finish of sixth in 2006 in 11 starts, crew chief Steve Letarte has his work cut-out if he expects to keep his driver focused enough to get past these next three races. “Dale (Earnhardt Jr.) runs well there, but the big thing we need to do is qualify better. The track is very, very hard to pass at.,” Letarte said during this week’s pre-race media release.

    Letarte also added that, “Hopefully the tire will hold on. Pit strategy will be important. Indy is kind of like Daytona (Fla.) and Talladega (Ala.).” If you aren’t fast when you come off the truck, it’s very frustrating. It’s hard to find speed there. So we are trying to find some speed and make sure we are fast. We need to qualify well and start towards the front of the pack.”

    Without being the breaker of bad news, stats or past performances don’t lie, and the next three races are crucial if Earnhardt expects to regain the momentum he had before his last five finishes of 21st, 41st, 19th, 30th, and 15th almost knocked him out of the top-10 in points. In 23 starts at Pocono, Earnhardt only has five top-five, and seven top-10 finishes, and Watkins Glen is no better with two top-five, and three top-10 finishes in 11 starts.

    One race at a time and a touch from Lady luck could bring the Nation to their feet, and give them the hope they have been waiting for since his last chase appearance three seasons ago.

  • Matty’s Picks Vol. 9 – Kentucky – Quaker State 400 – July 9, 2011

    Matty’s Picks Vol. 9 – Kentucky – Quaker State 400 – July 9, 2011

    [media-credit name=”KentuckySpeedway.com” align=”alignright” width=”300″][/media-credit]This week, the NASCAR Sprint Cup series heads to the state known not for stock car racing, but for its horse racing. Yes, each year the Thunder Over Louisville is the opening ceremony for the most prestigious horse race in the world, the Kentucky Derby. Not only does the Kentucky Derby Festival hold the world’s largest fireworks display in the world, but Kentucky holds more gold in storage inside the vaults of Fort Knox, than any other place in the world. Over $6 billion dollars worth of gold calls Kentucky home in the underground storage vaults.

    Enough with the quirky facts about the state and onto the RACING!

    Just 11 years ago, Jerry Carroll’s dream came became a reality when he opened the front gates to Kentucky Speedway on June 16, 2000. It was two years and $153 million dollars that finally got the track opened for its first event, a Slim Jim All Pro Series race. The day following, Greg Biffle won the first NASCAR sanctioned race at Kentucky in the Camping World Truck Series. Since then, Kentucky Speedway has been a stop for the Camping World Truck Series, Nationwide Series, IZOD IndyCar Series, and the Firestone Indy Light Series.

    In 2008, the track was purchased from owner Jerry Carroll by Speedway Motorsports Inc with the intent to host a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event during the 2009 racing season. Bruton Smith put an additional $50 million into the track, expanding the seating of the track from 66,000 to 107,000, reconfiguring pit road, and adding an additional 200 acres of camping around the complex. This proved to be enough to land an event at the speedway for the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. The race Saturday night has officially sold out and should prove to be one of the most memorable nights in the track’s brief history.

    Kentucky Speedway’s layout mocks the layouts of Kansas Speedway and Chicagoland Speedway. With 14 degrees of banking in the corners, 8-10 degrees in the Tri-Oval and 4 degrees on the backstretch, Kentucky will prove to be a bit of a challenge to newcomers.

    Daytona Recap

    Because my Kentucky intro being as long-winded as it is, although tough with the excitement of the last 20 laps at Daytona, I will keep my recap of last week fairly brief.

    My winner pick, Jeff Gordon, played the Hendrick game last Saturday night in an effort to steer clear of trouble. Gordon immediately hooked up with drafting partner, Mark Martin in the first few laps of the race, pushing Martin to the point. The tandem of Gordon and Martin would slip out of the top 20 just before lap number 20, and would ride in the middle of the pack until the 300-mile mark. Following their final green flag stops with 25 laps remaining, the duo would make their charge towards the front, moving to 7th and 8th with just 5 laps remaining. Gordon would make one of the best saves of his career, keeping the Pepsi Max Chevy clear of any barriers but would bring out the caution with just 4 to go. The first attempt at a GWC restart would go foul in Turn 2, putting Gordon in 17th on what would become the final restart. Gordon then hooked up with Toyota driver, Kyle Busch, and the tandem sliced through traffic and Busch pulled Gordon to a 6th place finish, netting me a top 10 for my winner pick.

    A.J. Allmendinger would also net me a top 10 for my Dark Horse pick this past weekend in his No. 43 U.S. Air Force Ford Fusion. Also taking the mid-pack route on Saturday night, Allmendinger hooked up with teammate Marcos Ambrose early, but the tandem would eventually split late in the race after the No. 43 ran out of gas on lap 134. Allmendinger coasted onto pit road and would eventually go one lap down to the leaders. It wasn’t until the caution brought out by my winner pick that Allmendinger would gain the Lucky-Dog and jump back onto the lead lap. Starting at the rear of the field following the final two cautions would prove to be beneficial in the end for the Richard Petty Motorsports Driver. Allmendinger would avoid both cautions in overtime to drive to a 10th place finish, netting me another top ten for my Dark Horse pick.

    Kentucky Picks

    Onto my picks for this week.

    I’m not going to bore you all to death with statistics this week only because THERE AREN’T ANY! I’m also not going to base my predictions on past finishes at Kansas or Chicagoland because the two tracks are rather similar to Kentucky Speedway, but that fact means nothing when it comes to an inaugural race. Each of the 43 drivers starting the race Saturday Night will be foaming at the drop of the green flag in an effort to become the first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series winner at Kentucky Speedway.

    I’m not sure how legal this is in the eyes of the Matty’s Pick’s rules committee, but I’m picking a guy this week that fans may not always have as a contender to win week in and week out. He has won the past three NASCAR Nationwide Series races at Kentucky, and will use his experiences in the Nationwide cars to give him a bit of an edge on Saturday night. Joey Logano scored his first NASCAR win at Kentucky in 2008, but has not seen victory lane in the Sprint Cup series since his win at Loudon in June 2009. This is my basis for qualifying him as a Dark Horse this weekend, and my guess is he will prove me wrong as a Dark Horse by running in the top 10 on Saturday.

    For my winner pick, I am also picking a driver with some experience at Kentucky Speedway. He won a race in the Nationwide Series at Kentucky in June of 2004. Rowdy Busch is my Winner pick for this week and I am basing this prediction off of desire. I think Kyle Busch has a spot on his mantle open for a trophy with the words “Inaugural Race Winner” inscribed on it, and Joe Gibbs Racing will give him the car he needs to go get it. Look for the No. 18 in Gatorade Victory Lane not only Saturday Night, but Friday in the Nationwide Series, and Thursday in the Camping World Truck Series as well.

    This ends a very long-winded Matty’s picks this week, (including the two hidden Bonus Picks!) I am extremely excited to be joining the other 125,000 folks at Kentucky Speedway this weekend to watch history be made. I will make the journey from Buffalo, NY to be on hand for this epic event, and look forward to sharing some good food, good times, and great RACIN’ in the Bluegrass State!!!

    Until next time…..you stay classy NASCAR NATION!!

    [media-credit id=22 align=”alignright” width=”283″][/media-credit]

  • Fireworks on the track and in the sky

    Fireworks on the track and in the sky

    Daytona’s Coke Zero 400 showed promise. Time and experience had improved the Nationwide race immensely so the Cup series should be just as good. Realistic expectation perhaps, but it didn’t come to pass.

    [media-credit id=22 align=”alignright” width=”219″][/media-credit]All week drivers had been asked about the two car tango. There were many opinions and explanations on how it worked. Some liked it. Some didn’t. One of the biggest detractors of the tandem drafting was Dale Earnhardt Jr. “I’d rather have control of my own destiny and be able to go out there and race and just do my own work and worry about my own self. It’s really weird and kinda wrong on some levels to race that way and to think like you think. You take care of somebody and you feel this obligation to take care of them and then worry about having them take care of you and how that makes them feel. Been growing up all these years racin’ for number one-lookin’ out for number one. Doing my job. This is what I need to do. I need to do this to get up through the pack. This is how my car drives and now you are doing it so different. Your thought process and everything you think about during the race is nothing near that. It is just different and weird. It won’t be like that forever I assume and hopefully I am alive and still racin’ when it goes back to the way it was because I just really enjoy lookin’ out for number one, man. If you had a car that drive up through there and you were smart about drafting and knew what you were doing, you could make some cool things happen and that was pretty fun.”

    Elliott Sadler says he likes the two car draft and offered this explanation, “I like the 2 car drafting that we do now and I’ll you the reason behind it. Drafting – restrictor plates – are a tough part of our sport. We hear drivers talk about it all the time. Old drafting where you have 40 cars in one bunch in one pile a lot of the finishes you got are out of your control. A lot of the wrecks you get in, everything really is determined by everyone else around you. We have a lot of those same factors in the 2 car draft. Where things can happen around you and catch in a wreck not of your doing. But with the 2 car tandem if you know what you’re doing as a drafting partner and you make the right decisions as a 2 car tandem you can work your way to the front and actually the pack will split up a little more so actually the big wreck has a little bit less chance of happening and as a driver that’s a good thing. But I do think it’s harder to draft this way.”

    Both drivers were involved in huge last lap crashes of their respective races. The Sprint Cup race ended with two crashes on the white flag lap. The crashes took out 15 cars in the first and 18 cars in the final wreck just yards before the start finish line. This is significant when you remember that the starting field is 43 cars. Many of the cars that did finish were damaged from earlier wrecks in the event.

    At some point words from the drivers and NASCAR start coming back to you. Words like cost containment measures, no down force, racing for track position, driver safety is a priority. At that point you begin making observations.

    Let’s start with cost containment. NASCAR implemented the COT and eliminated testing as cost containment measure for teams. They did so in 2008. Let’s take a good look at this race and ask about the cost containment. 30 cars were involved in the last lap melee. Several more were damaged in the wrecks that happened before the white flag. Let’s break it down to teams. HMS lost 3 cars and damaged the fourth significantly. Joe Gibbs had damage to 2 out of the 3. RCR lost 2 out of 4 with damage to a 3rd. Roush Fenway, had significant damage to 2 out of the 4 but did win the race with a pristine car. Richard Petty Motorsports lost 1 and damaged a second. Red Bull lost 1 and damaged the other. Penske Racing seriously damaged both cars. Those are just the major teams. How cost effective is the decision to not make changes to the car? But even drivers do not believe there will be changes made. “I don’t think they’re going to address that to be honest with you. I think its goes against what they’re trying to do and we’re not turning each other around, the interface works really well and so well we can push.” Stated five time series champion Jimmie Johnson. But at what cost? How long will it be before a driver is seriously hurt?

    NASCAR has stated since 2001, that driver safety is paramount and utmost on their list of priorities. Yet we still have not learned that three lap runs for the checkered flag on super speedways is always disastrous. In was disastrous in 1992 when Rusty Wallace took a wild ride through the tri-oval grass at Talladega. It was disastrous in 2001 when Dale Earnhardt lost his life in a turn 4 crash at Daytona. And it was disastrous in 2011 when 30 cars wrecked on the last lap of the Coke Zero 400. We lost a hero. We hurt another. We destroyed millions of dollars worth of equipment. What does it take for NASCAR to see that Green White Checker finishes don’t belong on restrictor plate tracks?

    The COT’s safety systems have been tested and proven for sure. But they are not fail safe. The cage that surrounds the driver in the new car is stiffer and unyielding. This transfers more impact to the driver. “The driver compartment is stiffer and stronger than it has ever been before it’s going to absorb the impact far less even though we have some impact material and foam around the driver side,” stated Jeff Gordon. He did go on to add that he would not trade the safety measures for what they had before.

    Injuries are not always obvious. In the case of Carl Edwards he lost a crush panel in front of the right rear wheel on his Subway Ford Fusion in an early race crash. After only a few laps on the track Edwards returned to the pits after becoming ill in the car from Carbon Monoxide poisoning. Edwards, who does not run a Koolbox system which would have provided him with a Carbon monoxide filter, did finish the race but was treated with Oxygen post race.

    This race showed the instability in the cars. Numerous times we saw cars in tandem pairs be passed by another tandem and the pair be pulled apart as the side force of the cars was disrupted. The aero dynamic wave, if you will, caused the two cars to become unstable on the track with several cases of spins and wall contact resulting.

    There is no doubt that this race was costly to teams. Thankfully there were no injuries. At least not physically but the financial injuries will take some of the smaller teams a great deal of time to recoup.

    The cup race did not live up to its sister series race. It was a long fairly uninterrupted affair that saw teams dropping back and waiting to the very end to make a run for the front. Those were runs that simply didn’t happen. Some because the tandem was broken up by needed pit stops after the late caution that took pole sitter Mark Martin out of the race. Some because they had simply fallen too far back to make the run and then were caught in the final melees typical of Restrictor Plate racing. Sadly, there seems to be no hope of returning to the old school racing at Daytona or Talladega. But hopefully we will carry with us as a sport the lessons learned from this years Coke Zero Demolition Derby.

    ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ * * * * ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

    Congratulations to TNT on a great broadcast with readable graphics and limited interruptions for commercials. This was definitely the best broadcast of the year.

    Kudos to Wally Dallenbach and Kyle Petty for having the courage to get in to cars and demonstrate and describe what we were about to see even though they themselves had never done it before.

    Congratulations to Joey Logano on his win in the Subway Jalapeno 250, and also to Kyle Busch for pushing him to that victory.

    Congratulations to Danica Patrick for finally displaying the skills that all of her fans believed her to have in a stock car.

    Congratulations to David Ragan on his victory in the Coke Zero 400 and also to Matt Kenseth for pushing him to that victory.

    That said, to all the competitors in all the series thanks for giving us everything you have to give, you are our heroes. Most importantly, thanks to all the families who shared their loved ones with us so we could cheer our favorite driver and favorite teams. You are the true heroes of the sport and we are forever in your debt.