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  • Is the Gordon and Johnson Domination Over at CMS?

    Is the Gordon and Johnson Domination Over at CMS?

    Charlotte Motor Speedway has in recent years been dominated by the Hendrick Motorsports NASCAR Sprint Cup teams. They might not have won every race, but they’ve dominated in many ways. Early on it was Jeff Gordon, but these days it has been Jimmie Johnson. What happened Saturday night and what does that mean for the 600 mile race next weekend?

    [media-credit name=”(c) CIA Stock Photo” align=”alignright” width=”246″][/media-credit]Once upon a time, Charlotte was Jeff’s place. Gordon was almost a sure win at Bruton Smith’s track in the heart of NASCAR country. Slowly, Gordon’s driver (remember, he is the official owner of the No. 48), Jimmie Johnson took over the crown. Johnson had a good run of wins at CMS, but this weekend these two were not at the front at the end. What’s going on?

    As we now know, a group of Fords out of Jack Roush’s stable dominated the Sprint Cup All Star race. Carl Edwards dominated the event. David Ragan, another Roush-Fenway Ford won the first segment, and Edwards won the rest. Johnson was up front during some of that, but what of what the commentators call “Big Daddy” — Jeff Gordon?

    Gordon has had a long stretch of pretty much a drought of wins the last few years. The once dominator of Charlotte’s 1.5-mile track, has fallen on hard times. Yes, Gordon has won this year (at Phoenix), but he seems to struggle to get to the front. What’s the difference? It’s the big question. The same could be said for Johnson. Maybe it’s NASCAR, but it’s more likely what has become parity. Roush-Fenway has finally caught up to the standard HMS set for the rest of the field. But that doesn’t explain the nosedive for the No. 24 and No. 48 teams. The constant crew chief changes by Rick Hendrick’s teams have maybe caused part of the problem.

    Last year we saw HMS change crews change during the Chase with Gordon’s crew going to Johnson’s, and the constant changes to make Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s more competitive have had a negative effect on everyone concerned, or some it seems. In the meantime, RFR’s teams have become constant and the result is a point leader in Carl Edwards and tremendous performances. So what do we learn from this?

    Maybe the struggles of especially Jeff Gordon have more to do with changes than the actual driving abilities of the four-time champion. Chemistry is a very important part of this sport and chemistry is hard to explain or define. The HMS boys might prove me wrong in the future, but I see better chemistry in the RFR Ford camp than what I’m seeing at HMS. Time will tell.

    As we head to the big Coca-Cola 600 weekend, it will be interesting to watch what these two organizations do in the sport’s longest race. Will one or the other dominate or will a surprise winner come and spoil the show? My money’s on some organization other than the Hendrick gang. It’s probably a bad bet, but so far the performance isn’t there. Of course, that may change before Sunday night.

     

  • Steve Letarte: Encouragement Key to Crew Chiefing Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

    Steve Letarte: Encouragement Key to Crew Chiefing Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

    When listening to the in-race audio channel for the Hendrick Motorsports No. 88 AMP Energy/National Guard Chevrolet, many credit crew chief Steve Letarte with being the consummate cheerleader and encourager for his driver Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

    [media-credit name=”Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images” align=”alignright” width=”220″][/media-credit]While Letarte admits that he is a positive kind of guy, he also credits NASCAR’s most popular driver as being equally encouraging.

    “Being positive is not something that I consciously do,” Letarte said. “I think it’s just my personality.”

    “Mr. Hendrick is big into personality tests and I’m a green,” Letarte continued. “I normally look at the brighter side of things.”

    “They all think it’s a plan or a theory on how we’re going to run the best,” Letarte said. “It’s just who I am and how I work.”

    “I’ve always worked this way,” Letarte continued. “I worked the same way with Jeff (Gordon) and Mr. Hendrick decided that I’d work very well with Dale (Earnhardt, Jr.) and so far it’s worked out.”

    “It’s different for each race car driver but for Dale, I think being upbeat on the radio helps him,” Letarte said. “But there’s a line too. You can’t be a cheerleader with no facts, because that gets old and you kind of see right through it.”

    “I think Dale understands that I’m realistic about what I’m talking about and I’m not going to sit there and try to motivate him to do things I don’t think we are capable of doing,” Letarte said. “I think we’ve found a very good line of what’s a realistic goal and then we try to motivate and encourage each other to get to those goals.”

    “And it’s worked,” Letarte continued. “Dale’s done a tremendous job in the race car and he’s encouraged us and given us a lot of confidence in ourselves setting up race cars.”

    “His driving style suits our cars very well,” Letarte said. “So, overall it’s been a success.  It’s still early but so far, so good.”

    While Letarte admits that his team owner no doubt purposely paired him with Earnhardt, Jr., he feels that a positive and encouraging crew chief is good for any driver, particularly at NASCAR’s highest level, the Sprint Cup Series.

    “It’s good for anybody,” Letarte said. “I always put myself in their shoes.”

    “The difference between a crew chief and a race car driver is that I can take a break,” Letarte continued. “I can get down off the pit box and go get a water and relax and take a 30 second break from the race, and they can’t.”

    Letarte has indeed learned his encouraging crew chief style from some of the best in the business, from Ray Evernham to Robbie Loomis, both former crew chiefs for four-time champion Jeff Gordon.

    “The biggest thing I’ve done is been able to work with so many good motivators and encouragers that I’ve been able to take a piece of all of them,” Letarte said. “Ray (Evernham) was the ultimate motivator.”

    “Ray motivated by the fear of not being good enough,” Letarte continued. “Robbie (Loomis) was the opposite.  He motivated with the excitement of being good enough.”

    “And I try to be somewhere in the middle,” Letarte said. “I want everybody to have enough desire to try and succeed but at the same time be balanced.”

    While Letarte works hard to be that consummate encourager and motivator, Letarte admits that he sometimes succumbs to the dark side.

    “I’m the guy that everyone has to be careful of because I’m a little Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,” Letarte admits. “I’m really, really easy going but when practice or the race starts, I’m really, really not.”

    “The guys that have been around me a long time have learned that and they almost go two separate ways because they know,” Letarte continued. “It gets some of the newer employees in trouble because they will come across light-hearted and I’m not light-hearted at that moment.”

    Letarte also admits that he has little tolerance for driver to crew chief chatter that in any way is not encouraging or worse yet, berates the team. He acknowledges that his driver may get animated or excited but he would in no way allow his driver to throw the team under the bus.

    “I don’t think I would have the tolerance that some of the other crew chiefs have,” Letarte said. “I’m fine with the driver being frustrated and I’m fine with him being animated or disappointed.”

    “But I’m not OK with any personal attacks on the race team or anyone on the team,” Letarte continued. “If you put me with a driver like that, we wouldn’t last very long.”

    “I handle all my issues behind closed doors,” Letarte said. “That’s how Dale and I handle all our stuff.”

    “We close the door and he can say anything he wants to me and I can say anything I want to him,” Letarte continued. “That’s the only way you can move forward.”

    With that open communication style, Letarte is most encouraged that his driver, and most important, his team will soon be in Victory Lane.

    “I am absolutely hungry for a win,” Letarte said. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been to Victory Lane.”

    “Of course, I would like to get to Victory Lane but more than anything else, my driver and these guys deserve to get to Victory Lane,” Letarte said. “I have a group of guys who have stuck with me through the ups and downs. They work tireless hours. They’re the guys that deserve to have that feeling.”

    Given that he has not been to the winner’s circle yet this season, to whom does Steve Letarte turn to when he needs a little encouragement? For that, he moves from his driver and race team to his family for encouragement, particularly his children.

    “I think having kids has also helped me,” Letarte said. “I have a 5 and 7 year old so maybe I take things a little slower and enjoy it a little more.”

    “Family, I think, it puts it all in perspective,” Letarte said. “I remember in 2005 when I took over as crew chief, we went to Martinsville and we won.”

    “And I came home and I was so excited and my little boy at the time was not quite two and he could have cared less,” Letarte continued. “He didn’t even realize there was a race that day.”

    “I realized at that point that the whole world didn’t revolve around the garage and the whole world didn’t revolve around my performance at the race track,” Letarte said. “And while that’s hard to understand because you’re caught up in it so much, that’s true.”

    “Life is way more important than your job,” Letarte continued. “While our jobs here feel like life, and they are, at some point you have to pull away.”

    “I think that’s my ticket as I have an outlet outside this garage where I spend time with my kids and my family,” Letarte said. “I realize at that point that the world’s not coming to an end if we run bad.”

    “I enjoy my job and I love what I do,” Letarte continued. “I don’t take that for granted. I love to race but I race for a living.”

    “At the same time it’s important to be successful and to be successful in this sport, it’s all about having to run well on Sunday afternoon,” Letarte said. “And that’s what Dale Junior and I encourage each other to do.”

  • NASCAR Bad Boys: Top Ten Most Fined Sprint Cup Drivers

    NASCAR Bad Boys: Top Ten Most Fined Sprint Cup Drivers

    [media-credit name=”Joe Dunn” align=”aligncenter” width=”225″][/media-credit]

    This weekend’s race at Darlington provided a storyline to the viewer that will be talked about for weeks to come.  It was a simple phrase that we have heard several times throughout the year…..”Boys, have at it!” And that, they did!

    We saw a sucker punch thrown. Overheard a name-calling shouting match between Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick’s team. We listened to rumors of a possible punch during a NASCAR meeting between Juan Pablo Montoya and Ryan Newman.

    We also saw Montoya accidentally get into the back of Johnson while Montoya’s actions were being scrutinized.  We even got to see a runaway car endangering the lives of NASCAR officials and crew members.

    After such an epic event, “Boys have at it!” will have consequences for the first time in 2011.  Those consequences come with a price tag in the form of a penalties.

    Let’s take a look at the Top 10 Most Fined Sprint Cup Drivers…..

    [media-credit name=”Barry Albert” align=”alignleft” width=”233″][/media-credit]

    #10. Jeff Gordon, the four-time NASCAR Cup Series winner, finds himself ranked #10 on our most fined list with $126,000 in assessed penalties.

    In 2007, Gordon’s car was found to have a fender flare which created an unfair advantage.  This infraction led to the single highest penalty of $100,000 for the team.

    Good Boy Gordon did manage to lose his temper and decked Jeff Burton after being wrecked at Texas Motor Speedway in 2010.

    Since the two were able to work through their spat, NASCAR did not penalize either driver.

    [media-credit name=”Barry Albert” align=”alignleft” width=”255″][/media-credit]

    #9. Car owner/driver and published author, Michael Waltrip and his team have been fined a minimal $140,500 despite some of his crazy antics.

    After initial qualifying for the 2007 Daytona 500,  NASCAR inspectors found evidence in the engine manifold that Waltrip’s team had used an illegal fuel additive.  This became known as the “jet fuel” scandal, costing his team $100,000.

    An inappropriate gesture during a television broadcast in 2005 set him back $10,000.

    [media-credit name=”Motorsports Images and Archives” align=”alignleft” width=”250″][/media-credit] 

    #8.  Kurt Busch, winner of NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Championship using the “Chase for the Cup” point system, is a bit of a hothead.  Busch and his team have been levied $156,000 in penalties.

    Tempers flared after some on-track antics between Kurt Busch and Tony Stewart at Dover in 2007.  Busch ran into Stewart’s car on pit road, barely missing the jack man.

    The No. 2 Penske Dodge driver was fined $100,000 for endangering crew members on pit road.

    In another on-track scuffle, Busch bumped Robby Gordon’s car from behind, spinning him out and causing a caution to “allegedly” improve his position.  The bump cost Busch $10,000.

    [media-credit id=2 align=”alignleft” width=”300″][/media-credit] 

    #7. Some would say that Dale Earnhardt Jr. is a chip off the old block.  Naysayers would argue Jr. has a chip on his shoulder.  With $168,000 in penalties, we will let you decide.

    Dale Jr. took a hit when the COT debuted in 2007.  He and other Hendrick teammates were each fined $100,000 for unapproved modifications.

    2004 was the year of “Poop-gate.”  Earnhardt Jr. was fined $10,000 for using profanity during a live post-race interview.

    When asked about the significance of his fifth victory at Talladega, Jr. replied,  “It don’t mean s— right now. Daddy’s won here 10 times.”

    #6. The No. 56 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota Camry driver, Martin Truex Jr. lands on our Top Ten list at no fault of his own.  Crew Chief, Kevin Manion, has garnered a whopping $175,000 in penalties for the Truex Jr. team.

    Manion’s biggest folly came in 2008 when the No. 1 Chevrolet failed a template inspection before the Coke Zero 400. The penalties levied were $100,000 and a six-race suspension.

    [media-credit name=”Steven Iles” align=”alignleft” width=”225″][/media-credit] 

    #5. Love him or hate him, Kyle Busch is a force to be reckoned with.  Holding the record for most NASCAR wins in a season between the top three NASCAR series comes with a price…$190,000 in penalties to be exact!

    We have all seen the endless replays of the skirmish between “Rowdy” Busch and Kevin Harvick from this weekend’s race at Darlington.  The tiff cost each driver $25,000 and earned them a four-race probation.

    Kyle is known for his garish antics.  He was recently penalized $25,000 for giving an obscene gesture to a NASCAR official during a live televised race.

    #4. Carl Long holds the record for the single largest penalty handed out by NASCAR at the tune of $200,000.

    What could Carl do to cost his team so much money you ask?

    After making just 23 career Cup starts and not appearing in a points-paying Cup race since 2006, Long felt he could qualifying for the 2008 All-Star Race and the Daytona 500. Preliminary to the All-Star race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, Long overheated the engine.  His team made an engine switch.

    Under the NASCAR rules, the bad engine was examined.  It was later determined that the engine exceeded the maximum cubic-inch displacement specifications.

    In layman’s terms, Long was using an engine that was far bigger than NASCAR allows.

    [media-credit name=”Barry Albert” align=”alignleft” width=”227″][/media-credit] 

    #3. NASCAR elite driver and five-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series winner, Jimmie Johnson, has managed to rack up the fines on his way to supremacy.

    Crew Chief, Chad Knaus, aka “Cheating Chad” has earned $202,500 in penalties for the team with his Go Big or Go Home mentality.

    Johnson was fined $10,000 for his role in the “Bottlegate” fiasco when he placed a Lowe’s logo in front of some plastic Powerade bottles after he got out of his car in Pocono Raceway’s Victory Lane.

    [media-credit name=”Brad Keppel” align=”alignleft” width=”259″][/media-credit] 

    #2. When it comes to drama, Kevin Harvick is where it is at!  Don’t get me wrong….I am a proud firesuit- T-shirt wearing fan who loves the Harvicks!  However, I was surprised to find $236,000 in penalties for all that drama.

    This weekend, Harvick landed a punch on Kyle Busch through an open window net. This netted Harvick with a $25,000 fine and a four-race probation.

    Kevin has on-track altercations involving Joey Logano, Matt Kenseth, Kasey Kahne, Gregg Biffle, Carl Edwards, Denny Hamlin, Juan Pablo Montoya and Jeff Burton.

    In Kevin’s defense…not all of the $236,000 were fines from altercations.  Harvick’s team had issues with aerodynamics, oil and fuel filters, rear suspension and a few other miscellaneous penalties to the tune of $156,000.

    [media-credit name=”FMCM” align=”alignleft” width=”120″][/media-credit] 

    #1. Yes, you read that correctly!  Robby Gordon takes the cake with an whopping $325,000 in NASCAR penalties.

    This driver/owner has been fined for just about everything thanks to his never-ending supply of crew chiefs.  Most notably, $150,000 for an unapproved front bumper while under the direction of Frank Kerr.

    Robby Gordon remains on probation after an altercation in Las Vegas with Kevin Conway regarding money and pending litigation.

    FAQ:

    What data was used for this article? We used the Jayski penalties posted from 2001-May 10,2011.  All data is assumed under the umbrella of each driver. Article assumes readers will know a driver name, but not a crew member name.

    Example…..If the stated driver’s crew chief was fined $50,000 for unapproved modifications..then that driver’s penalties will reflect that amount.

    Where did we get the data?  http://jayski.com/pages/penalties.htm

    What happens to the money from the penalties? Starting in 2008, all money collected from fines issued to drivers go to the NASCAR Foundation for its charitable initiatives; before, the money collected from driver/crew member penalties are generally placed into the Drivers Points Fund awarded at the end of the season.

  • Jeff Gordon Ready to Tame The Lady in Black

    Jeff Gordon Ready to Tame The Lady in Black

    As the Lady in Black begins to carefully prepare herself for the upcoming weekend, the drivers already know that she will be more then ready to take on all comers whether young or old.

    [media-credit name=”Barry Albert” align=”alignright” width=”256″][/media-credit]The history this track has instilled in the minds of some of NASCAR’s most notorious drivers is nowhere close, to the pain, and the affliction which this almost untamable black beauty can inflict in one single blow.

    The mind games which she can play at any given moment do not come cheap, because when this lady comes to play, she always plays for keeps even though she only measures a mere 1.366 mile in length. Don’t ever let her length deceive you, because before you know it her deceiving looks quickly turn into one of the most explosive, and exciting races that only she can generate lap after lap.

    Along with her infamous stripe that she hands out free of charge, will also be the mystique that has made her a fan favorite for over 60 years. Now coming into Saturday nights main event, she may have looked dormant while sitting around all year long waiting her turn to dance with 43 of NASCAR’s finest, but that was not to be, instead she spent her free time planning and plotting on who will be her next victim.

    One of those victims will be Hendrick Motorsports driver Jeff Gordon, who will be seeking to show this temptress who runs the show, and he will not be intimidated by her spoiled ways.

    Gordon is not coming alone, instead he is bringing his arsenal of seven victories, 18 top-fives and 21 top-10’s to the dance. Gordon has also lead the most laps with 1,720 – more than double the amount of laps led by the nearest active full-time driver (Jeff Burton – 817), which makes him the biggest threat even though he is sitting 16th in points after nine races.

    Gordon’s seven victories came before the facility received its new surface after the 2007 season, and with the newer more smoother surface Gordon has yet to finish outside the top-five since then., “It’s just one of those tracks where you can be riding around by yourself but make the slightest little bobble and end up in the wall. Because the track can just reach out and bite you so easy, you must race the track.

    “This track used to be so tough because the surface was so abrasive. It’s still an awesome race track that is much faster now, and it can still bite you.” said Gordon, who will drive the No. 24 Drive To End Hunger Chevrolet in Saturday night’s Showtime Southern 500.

    Gordon also added that before, “You had to use a lot of finesse as a driver while dealing with the two very different ends of the track. Now it’s smoother and it has more grip, but it’s still pretty treacherous because you run right up next to the wall.”

    Not only will Gordon have his hands full as he gently caresses his away around her beastly curves, but in the back of his mind will be the memories of just how dangerous she can be when provoked.

    “There’s just a small margin for error because you’re running so fast so close to the wall. If you focus too much on trying to out run the competition, then you’ll make a mistake,“ Gordon said while talking about how challenging the track is to navigate.

    “Gordon also added that, “You’re never going to have a perfect car or perfect setup. Both ends of the race track are totally different. That means you have to compromise as a driver and as a team with the setup.”

    So as the Lady in Black is just about ready to make her grand entrance, its time to get the music started, and see what kind of dance moves Gordon has left over from his last victory back in 2002.

    The track that is nicknamed, “Too tough to tame,” is not a place for the faint of heart, and to say anything less would be an insult to her integrity.

    So far the track has been the victor, and with the victory has come many years of anguish, and disgust for the 43 drivers who will do their best to bring this lady under complete control. She will not go down without a fight, but it’s up to these brave asphalt warriors to pull her out of the mosh pit, and gently slow her down to a very graceful waltz.

    “It’s just one of those tracks where you can be riding around by yourself but make the slightest little bobble and end up in the wall. Because the track can just reach out and bite you so easy, you must race the track.”

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Talladega

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Talladega

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Carl Edwards: Edwards paired up with Roush Fenway teammate Greg Biffle late at Talladega, and led with two laps to go before finishing sixth following a chaotic shuffling on the final lap. Edwards maintained the lead in the Sprint Cup point standings, and leads Jimmie Johnson by five. 

     “With five laps to go,” Edwards said, “there were eight drivers with a chance to win the race. Eight, if you count Dave Blaney. I found it interesting that I started the race beside Brad Keselowski and finished it beside the concrete wall. That’s called running a race between a hard head and a hard place.”

    2. Jimmie Johnson: Benefitting from a race-winning push from Hendrick Motorsports teammate Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Johnson won the Aaron’s, nipping Clint Bowyer by .002 in a stirring finish at Talladega. Johnson’s first win of the year moved him up to second in the Sprint Cup point standings, where he trails Carl Edwards by only five.

     “Obviously,” Johnson said, “I couldn’t have done it without Earnhardt’s help. They say Earnhardt is NASCAR’s most popular driver. He just became Jimmie Johnson’s most popular driver as well. I guess this is what happens when ‘push comes to love.’

    “I’m just glad I was able to lead the Hendrick charge. There may only be room for one driver on my bumper, but there’s room for three on my coattails.”

    3. Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: Earnhardt finished fourth in the Aaron’s 499, sacrificing a chance for the win to push teammate Jimmie Johnson to a dramatic victory. In the tandem racing prevalent at Talladega, Johnson was faster in front with Earnhardt pushing. After the race, a grateful Johnson presented Earnhardt with the checkered flag.

    “I can’t thank Jimmie enough for the flag,” Earnhardt said. “Actually, I think once is enough. I’m honored, but not winning at the track at which I’m most capable of winning is something I’d like to put behind me. Thus, the flag becomes my ‘checkered past.’

    “You’ve got to hand it to Jimmie, though. He’s a very shrewd racer. It was quite clever of him to say he was slower in the back. Of course he’s slower; he’s behind me. But I bought it, and now I have to live with it. I guess I’ll now be categorized as the ‘consummate’ teammate. ‘Consummate’ would be the operative word, because I believe I got screwed.”

    4. Kevin Harvick: Harvick nearly pushed Richard Childress teammate Clint Bowyer to the win at Talladega, as Bowyer lost to Jimmie Johnson by .002 in a photo finish at the line. Harvick finished fourth, collecting his fourth top-5 result of the year, and leaped five places in the point standings to fourth.

    “One day I’m stocking grocery stores with Budweiser,” Harvick said. “The next, I’m thriving in the role of dedicated teammate, and using the No. 29 Budweiser Chevy to push Clint Bowyer to a near-win at Talladega. In both cases, you could say I ‘shelved’ Budweiser for the sake of others.”

    5. Kyle Busch: Busch saw his Talladega hopes dashed when Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Joey Logano nudged Busch’s No. 18 M&M’s Pretzel Toyota on lap 140, sending Busch into Matt Kenseth’s No. 17. Busch finished 35th, and tumbled four spots in the Sprint Cup point standings to sixth, 38 out of first.

    “In a restrictor plate race,” Busch said, “sometimes you have to learn to accept your ‘restrictor fate.’ C’est la re(strictor). Joe Gibbs Racing cars have had their engine issues this year, but at Talladega, it was Logano who was the culprit. Either way, you could say it was still Toyota’s fault.”

    6. Clint Bowyer: Bowyer led the most laps at Talladega, 38, but came up just short at the end, losing to Jimmie Johnson’s No. 48 Hendrick Chevy by .002, which tied Ricky Craven’s 2003 win at Darlington for the narrowest margin of victory since the age of electronic timing. Bowyer improved two places in the point standings to tenth, 50 out of first.

    “It was an exciting end to an otherwise boring race,” Bowyer said. “I think we gave the fans what they wanted. Although I didn’t win, I was the pleased the No. 33 BB&T Chevy could add a little ‘interest’ to the race.”

    7. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth’s run of four-straight top-10 finishes ended at Talladega, when he was collected in a lap 139 wreck that sent him to the garage. Kenseth’s No. 17 Crown Royal Black Ford was nailed by Kyle Busch’s No. 18 Toyota after Busch was clipped by Joey Logano. Kenseth finished 36th, and fell four places in the point standings to eighth.

    “Wrecks at Talladega are a lot like what Kyle Busch must experience with his teammates at Joe Gibbs Racing,” Kenseth said. “There’s no way to avoid them. And speaking of ‘unavoidable  wrecks,’ my brother Kurt had quite the day at Talladega. The ‘Duke Of Hazard’ invented a new style of racing called ‘constrictor plate,’ because afterwards, everyone wanted to choke him.

     “Now, lost in all of the Talladega hoopla was the story that NASCAR chairman Brian France filed a lawsuit against his ex-wife, claiming she recorded phone conversations without his consent in order to extort money from him. That’s amazing! Amazing that she thought someone would actually want to hear what Brian France has to say.”

    8. Kurt Busch: Busch led 19 laps in the Aaron’s 499, but faded at the finish after losing Dave Blaney’s No. 36 car in the draft. Busch finished 18th, and remained fifth in the Sprint Cup point standings, and now trails Carl Edwards by 28.

    “I started the day fifth in the point standings,” Busch said, “and ended the day in the same place. I guess the point standings are the only thing I could say I didn’t put a dent in. 

    “Unfortunately, I was in the middle of three major wrecks. But don’t blame me—I couldn’t see what was ahead of me. Apparently, my fans are much better at one thing that I, and that’s ‘blindly following.’”

    9. Ryan Newman: Newman finished 25th in the Aaron’s 499, a result that could have been much worse had Newman not made two miraculous saves to stay in the race. On lap 171, Newman momentarily lost the draft with Denny Hamlin, but when their bumpers reconnected, Newman spun, collecting Juan Montoya’s No. 42. Newman miraculously straightened his car and kept going. Two laps later, he spun again, and kept the car out of danger. After pitting for four tires and fender repairs, he resumed in 27th. He eventually finished 25th, and remained seventh in the point standings.

    “I even amazed myself,” Newman said. “Only one other thing has made me grip a steering wheel so tightly. That would be Rusty Wallace.”      

    10. Jeff Gordon: Gordon started on the pole at Talladega, and after riding safely at the back of the pack for most of the race, charged at the end with a continual push from his drafting partner Mark Martin. In the thrilling dash to the line, Gordon finished third behind Hendrick teammate Jimmie Johnson and Clint Bowyer.

    “You could say Jimmie Johnson ‘came out of nowhere’ for the win,” Gordon said. “But it seems implausible that a five-time Sprint Cup champion could ‘come out of nowhere.’ Let’s just say he ‘came out of somewhere’ and ‘pulled it out of someplace.”

  • Talladega’s Spring Homecoming

    Talladega’s Spring Homecoming

    Even a Tornado didn’t phase Talladega. She stood through the wind and the rain with her ever foreboding presence. She set the example for those that would compete on her legendary high banks over the next two days; the howling wind seemed to echo the secret of success here, as it blew down her straight a ways. Never give up. No Hesitation. No Fear.

    [media-credit name=”(c) CIA Stock Photo” align=”alignright” width=”229″][/media-credit]Although Friday night saw the drivers coach area evacuated to storm shelters at the track, Saturday morning brought Alabama Blue Skies and a day full of racing. The ARCA race would find a long time favorite coming oh so close to victory and losing it by a nose to ARCA rookie Ty Dillion, but Frank Kimmel showed the dominance on the day until the final 1000 yards.

    The Cup qualifying would show historical milestone achieved with 1 through 4 starting positions for Hendrick Motorsports. It was only the third time in history that a single team would lock up the top spots to start a race. Owner Pete DePaolo’s cars started 1-5 at Concord, N.C., in 1956; cars owned by Jack Roush claimed the top four spots on the grid at Fontana in 2005, and now  Talladega in 2011 with HMS.

    Pole sitter Jeff Gordon stated that qualifying was a “snoozer” and that he could have walked faster than he qualified. The field would not break 180 mph in qualifying at NASCAR’s fastest track.

    The Nationwide Series race would go off as scheduled on Saturday afternoon. It would be nothing more than a long drawn out wreck fest that would see an unlikely winner in Kyle Busch. Busch’s car which had been severely damaged in a lap 88 on track altercation had very little right rear quarter panel left on it and it was battered at both ends. The car in victory lane looked more like it had survived a short track race than won a super speedway race.

    Second place Joey Logano, stated after the race, “I don’t know why we even go to the wind tunnel when we end up with cars that look like this.” Third place Joe Nemecheck laughed and said, “I haven’t been to the wind tunnel in 3 years.”

    The race saw some very surprising finishers with Nemecheck and Mike Wallace leading for a short while at the end of the race. Wallace would end up on his roof and landing on all four wheels at the last “green -white -checkered” finish. Wallace said he wasn’t going to quit so he re-fired the car and drove around to an 18th place lead lap finish.

    Wallace’s roll over would bring out the final caution on the white flag lap allowing Kyle Busch to win the race at the timing line just past the accident. Busch was leading at the time of the caution and the field by NASCAR rules is frozen by the yellow.

    The race was a display of the two car draft and what can happen within it. The race was stopped twice for red flags and major accidents. Including the big one which saw 21 cars involved on lap 88.

    The race on Sunday was more of the same with less wrecks. It’s finish was exciting and dynamic with Jimmie Johnson taking the lead half way through the tri -oval with a push from team mate Dale Earnhardt Jr. The finish which was the closest in NASCAR history saw the 48 beat Clint Bowyer by .002 seconds. The 4 pairs of cars wide finish was one of the most exciting in the history of the sport without exception.

    Johnson who said he didn’t lift after the start finish line because he didn’t know whether it was the checkered flag lap or not found out he won when team mate Dale Jr came over the radio and said, “Damn I think the 48 won it.”  Johnson who gave the checkered flag of the race to team mate Dale Jr whom he worked with all day as a tandem, said Dale didn’t want to take the flag but did so reluctantly on pit road. “We definitely wouldn’t have won the race without Dale.”

    Clint Bowyer finished second in the BB&T Chevrolet said, “We did everything we could do. The BB&T Chevrolet, she did everything she could do.” When asked if it was good to be second in the closest finish in NASCAR history Bowyer replied, “Hell, no, that sucks (laughing). It’s never very good to know you made NASCAR history by losing. Sooner or later I need to start making history by winning. (JJ’s) won enough (more laughing).”

    Jeff Gordon who finished third stated, “The race is really only about 25 laps long. You spend the rest of the day setting up the finish.” Gordon who ran in the back with team mate Mark Martin for most of the day made his charge to the front with 22 laps to go and was leading on the back stretch of the final lap. He was passed by the tandem of Bowyer and Harvick out of three with Carl Edwards/Greg Biffle coming quickly on the outside setting up the dramatic finish at the line.

    The race was not without it’s controversy. This one started and encouraged and in fact fueled by a member of the press. It would seem that it was felt by some that Jimmie Johnson passed Mark Martin below the yellow line in the process of taking the lead. Photo’s from AP photographer, Butch Dill, show the 48 and the 88 with left side tires on the yellow line. Neither car is below the double yellow line but both are on the double yellow line.

    In post race media conference Johnson was asked about the situation, He said he was not even aware that they were that close to the yellow line and that he had been told before entering the media center about it. He stated that he had asked NASCAR and been told, “we were clear.”  NASCAR Vice President Steve Odonnell stated on Twitter, “Great finish, we don’t see any evidence of 48 gaining a position below yellow, Car needs to be below and tires are not even below, this is not close.”

    Interestingly enough the controversy was spurred not by a fellow competitor but by a member of the media. It is interesting that in the unbiased can not applaud or shake hands with a winner world of “professional” journalism that one individual would go to such great lengths to try to discredit the win of a 5 time champion. This rule has been debated ad nauseum since it’s inception. We have seen it’s bad side. We have seen it’s good side. Not once has NASCAR ever hesitated to call the yellow line rule. Not for anyone. So it seems strange that they would be questioned to the extent of searching out photo’s to prove the reporter right.

    The real story of Talladega had nothing to do with the finish but in truth the other 350 laps of Surrey racing with cars. Drivers from Jeff Gordon to Dale Jr and Kevin Harvick all expressed their dislike for the new two car draft. Dale Earnhardt Jr went so far as to call it, “crap” . In post race Jimmie Johnson said, “It was fun. But if I had been in a wreck I would probably be bitching and moaning about it.”

    The truth is honestly how safe is it to drive 180 mph with 42 other cars while driving blind folded? That is essentially what these guys were doing. You can not legally text and drive due to the dangers of accidents while you do it. But these drivers are trying to change radio channels and talk to different drivers and spotters and drive blind half the time.

    When you add in to the mix the instability of the race cars themselves when being pushed down the straightaways and tri ovals you have a disaster waiting to happen.

    Constantly we will hear about the 88 lead changes and the closest finish in history, but in truth those statements and results are skewed. There were 88 lead changes between two car tandems so realistically you must actually divide that number by two.

    The closest finish in history was very exciting yes. But the finish doesn’t make for a good race in it’s entirety. Frankly, it was a snoozer to borrow Jeff Gordon’s word for the first 320 laps. Cars were strung out in 2 car pairs. And most passing was as the cars switched positions and went backwards because of the lift factor to allow the pass. The pass has to be made to avoid blowing an engine up due to over heating because of the NASCAR grill mandates.

    Then lets add the smaller restrictor plate. Frankly, Big Bill built Talladega to be the fastest track in the world. This weekend he would have been looking for a fix because the laps turned at Texas, where the pole speed was 189.820 mph, were in a lot of cases faster than the laps turned at Talladega, The world center of speed, where Jeff Gordon’s pole speed was 178.248 mph.

    When we add all these things together, the common denominator is NASCAR. Again it appears that there are attempts to manipulate the competition and then tell us this is better. “You must not be a race fan if that finish didn’t excite you.” The finish did excite me. It was the rest of the race that was the problem.

    “How can you not like 43 cars changing positions at 180 mph?” I do like to see cars making passes for position at 180 mph. But these passes are meaningless passes of survival.

    Fox TV called it one of the most exciting races in NASCAR history. Really? For the last 22 laps it was pretty good. But it wasn’t as good as Richmond in 1991 when DW and Rusty Wallace raced side by side for the last 32 laps without ever touching one another. That was exciting. It wasn’t the 1998 Daytona 500 when the Intimidator finally won the big one. It wasn’t even as exciting as Bristol in 1991 when Rusty Wallace came from 4 laps down to win from the pole. Yes 4 laps down and there was no lucky dog. That was racing. That was exciting. This is surrey racing with cars. This is a winner who by himself would finish last.

    Dale Jarrett said it best, “You can’t really race you have to have a dancing partner.” But this is not prom. These are not young men on shaky knees asking a pretty young girl to dance. These are 43 of the greatest stock car drivers in the world. And they need to be able to see where they are going. NASCAR would never let a blind man race. But they blind good men and ask them to dance in pairs at high speed. This is not racing. This is manipulation and a poor solution to ratings, empty seats and a kit car that the more changes they make to it the worse it becomes. NASCAR can measure a chassis that is off as close to half the thickness of a quarter, but they can’t seem to see where the real problem is. I guess there is truth to the cliché of the blind leading the blind. The problem is the teams, drivers, engineers and fans are not all blind.

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

    Congratulations to Ty Dillion on his first career ARCA win. Congratulations to the pairing of  Kyle Busch/Joey Logano of JGR on their NNS win. Congratulations to Jimmie Johnson/Dale Earnhardt Jr on their Sprint Cup Victory for Hendrick Motorsports. Also congratulations to HMS team on making history with their 1 – 4 starting positions for the race. Especially congratulations to the Spotters on the roof who guided two car teams to the best of their ability without being able to remotely control the cars. You may not be driving them, but you did an awesome job of guiding them.

    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.

  • Chase Elliott, Johanna Long and Dakoda Armstrong Prove Racing is a Family Affair

    Chase Elliott, Johanna Long and Dakoda Armstrong Prove Racing is a Family Affair

    [media-credit name=”Barry Albert” align=”alignright” width=”250″][/media-credit]Up and coming NASCAR racers like Chase Elliott, Johanna Long and Dakoda Armstrong may have loads of talent but they also have one other thing in common, the love and support of their family. And each one of them has proven that racing is truly a family affair.

    Thanks to the coaching of his NASCAR champion father Awesome Bill Elliott and the unfailing support of mom Cindy, Chase Elliott is already proving that racing for him is filled with family. The young racer also recently signed with one of NASCAR’s most famous team families, Hendrick Motorsports.

    Elliott raced this past weekend at Greenville Pickens Speedway in one of NASCAR’s developmental series under the banner of HMS. With that start, Chase officially became the youngest driver ever to start a K&N Pro Series East race at the tender age of 15 years.

    Elliott followed in his most popular father’s footsteps from the moment he pulled into the historic race track in South Carolina. Fans lined up well into Turn Four to get the youngster’s autograph and the line remained until the session finally had to be ended so the race could start.

    Elliott, in his No. 9 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet, qualified for the Kevin Whitaker Chevrolet 150 in the 26th position. His qualifying lap, at a speed of 85.531 miles per hour, was a definite improvement over his practice time but he still started the race deep within the field.

    Elliott had to not only pick his way through the field gradually but also had to overcome a spin on lap 97 to soldier forward. With 23 laps to go, the young driver, with his father in his ear as spotter, manhandled his way to eighth, eventually finishing the race in the fourth spot.

    Ever the competitor, just like his father, Chase Elliott had this to say after his debut.

    “The weekend wasn’t quite what we wanted it to be,” Elliott said. “But it ended up being a pretty good night for the HendrickCars.com Chevrolet.”

    “Having the support of your family and friends for any first time event in your life is always special,” Elliott continued. “I have been fortunate to have the support of a lot of family and friends that have been with me each step of the way.”   

    Just as family has been critical to Chase Elliott’s rise in the sport, so has the family of Johanna Long been instrumental in her move up as a rookie in the Camping World Truck Series this year. She too is following in the steps of her racing father, Donald, who raced in the NASCAR All-Pro Division back in the day.

    Long, at age 18, admits that she is struggling a bit to get that handle on her No. 20 Panhandle Grading and Paving Toyota Tundra truck. In the first three Truck races, she has finished 32nd, 20th and 31st respectively.

    “It’s going,” Long said of her Truck run to date. “We’ve had a lot of bad luck but every time we go to the race track we’ve been learning a lot.”

    “I’m learning and learning and learning.”

    Long was very excited to race this past weekend at Martinsville in the Kroger 250 this past weekend. She was able to harness her excitement to get her best finish to date, bringing her truck to the finish line in one piece and in the 18th position.

    But she still goes back to crediting her family for putting her in the position to pursue her racing dreams.

    “My mom and my dad and my grandparents and my uncle, they all own my team,” Long said. “They are a big part of my career.”

    “They have given me a great opportunity and I can’t thank them enough,” Long continued. “My mom and dad come to every single race and they would not miss it for the world. It’s really neat for them to come and experience this with me.”

    At age 19, Dakoda Armstrong may be the eldest of this group of up and coming racers, but he too got to where he is today thanks to the nurturing of his family, in his case from down on the farm. Thanks to his family’s support, Armstrong recently signed with ThorSport Racing to run a third team to current powerhouse Truck racers Johnny Sauter and Matt Crafton.

    Armstrong will run the No. 98 Chevy Silverado for a select number of races this year. Armstrong will also continue his ARCA racing, where last year he won the Rookie of the Year honors.

    Armstrong credits his family with jump starting his racing career. He grew up on a farm in the Midwest, born in New Castle, Indiana.

    “When I was younger, we had cattle and we actually had to sell them so we could go racing,” Armstrong said.

    The investment paid off and this racer’s family farming avocation has even led him to several sponsorship deals, specifically with ethanol coming into the sport and the greening of NASCAR.

    “It’s kind of funny how it worked out,” Armstrong said. “My dad’s farming career and my racing career are starting to mesh right now.”

    “It’s been really neat and it’s a great experience for my family,” Armstrong said of his racing. “They really love it.”

    Regardless of their ages or current racing series, there is no doubt that all three of these up and coming NASCAR future stars have succeeded in moving forward in their young careers thanks to the love, support and nurturing of their families.

    And there is also no doubt that the parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles of Chase Elliott, Johanna Long and Dakoda Armstrong could not be more proud.

  • Big Things Come In Small Packages

    Big Things Come In Small Packages

    [media-credit name=”Barry Albert” align=”alignright” width=”247″][/media-credit]The oldest track on the circuit is also the smallest. They say big things come in small packages; and this weekend Martinsville delivered in a very big way.

    The weekend was marred by more tire issues. Goodyear brought new right and left side tires. The right,  a softer compound than the fall race of last year and the left a harder compound. They were trying to improve forward bite and add grip to the tire, something every team and driver had asked for. However, with no testing to prove the compound Goodyear was at a decided disadvantage. The new compound proved to be a border line situation with the track not taking rubber and the tire giving up after approximately 12 – 15 laps. Once the tire gave up it began to shred and throw rubber marbles to the second and upper groove of the track making them virtually unusable. Multiple drivers complained about the tires and the lack of grip and forward bite the cars obtained from them. But NASCAR and Goodyear didn’t view it as a concern. They continued to hold out hope that the track would rubber in after qualifying for the trucks and Cup cars and the Truck race.

    It didn’t happen. And although, Kevin Harvick, who finished 4th in the truck race stated, “The tires are just such pieces of crap,’’ and Kyle Busch stated, “There’s no rubber on the race track,’’ after finishing 2nd in the Truck Race, tires were not a major factor.

    The Camping World Truck race was an entertaining display that saw a Camping World Truck series regular in Johnny Sauter take the checkered flag ahead of series dominating, Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick.

    Sauter who passed Kyle Busch on the next to the last lap held on to record his first victory of the season. Busch who has never won at Martinsville held on to finish second by .453 seconds and was followed by Ron Hornaday and Kevin Harvick who over came a 2 lap deficit early in the race to garner a 4th place finish.

    [media-credit name=”Barry Albert” align=”alignright” width=”215″][/media-credit]Anticipation was high heading in to Sunday or should I say trepidation. The concern over the inadequate tires continued to mount. Everyone from Mark Martin and Jeff Gordon to Dale Earnhardt Jr and Brad Keselowski voiced concerns over the tires. The concerns seemed to loom even larger for fans that had looked forward to the old school bump and run type racing that Martinsville had always delivered. “The poor tire situation is a direct result of not testing.” tweeted Keselowski. “Testing was eliminated in an effort to control costs but the owners just spent even more money on computer simulation programs and equipment that simulates testing.”

    When start time rolled around, Mark Martin was set to make his 800th start in the series and Greg Biffle his 300th series start. Tires or not the cup drivers were ready to run the best race that they could.

    They did not disappoint. The race was a return to the history of the sport. With the bump and run the most prevalent move of the day. The scariest occurrence was not tire related at all and came on lap 222 when the throttle stuck on Martin Truex’s Napa Auto Parts Camry causing him to take out both he and Kasey Kahne. The 56 of Truex momentarily caught fire and Kahne was slow to exit his car. But both drivers were checked and released from the infield care center with a clean bill of health.

    The accident however resulted in a 22 minute red flag period to repair the safer barrier which was damaged when Truex hit it head on at speed.

    Clint Bowyer, Jeff Gordon, and Kyle Busch all lead at different points in the race. But perhaps the feel good story of the race came from the Hendrick Motorsports 88 team. Dale Earnhardt Jr took the lead on lap 480 with a bump and run on Kyle Busch. He would hold that lead until lap 496 when Kevin Harvick would take the lead when the 88 got loose going into turn one. Dale Jr would finish a bumper in front of Kyle Busch who came across the line in 3rd.

    Earnhardt Jr who moved up to 8th in the points with the second place finish, his best points position since last spring at Texas doesn’t believe he is quite where he needs to be yet, “I ain’t really proved it to myself yet,” he said. “I’ll let you know when I feel like I’m back, personally. Anyone that watched that race today knows that we weren’t a second‑place race car or even a third‑place race car all day. We never were up there to prove that point. So there’s no argument: We got some work to do still.”

    “We are faster, we are more competitive than last year. But we still got a little ways to go.”

    But the promise shown by the 88 team has JRNation excited. It has NASCAR excited. Is he back? Maybe not, but his performances are showing all the promise of a young man who came on the scene and won in his rookie season against what was and arguably remains one of the toughest fields in NASCAR history.

    This race was without a doubt the best of the season. It was a race of steps some big and some small. But steps none the less. This race showed us without a doubt that life and racing draw many parallels and if we are to succeed regardless of the quality of our equipment or our history we have to dig down and find the courage to take that step forward, even though the results could be disasterous. Whether you won last week or 98 races ago the champions of NASCAR took that huge step of faith on tires they doubted in cars that they were unsure of. They gritted their teeth put their trust in men on the roof and on the pit box and somewhere in the back of their minds they said, “Boogity Boogity Lets go racin boys.”

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

    Congratulations to Johnny Sauter and Thorsport racing on their first Camping World Truck Series win of the season. Congratulations to Kevin Harvick and Richard Childress racing on their 2nd win in a row.

    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.

  • California Dreaming or was it a nightmare?

    California Dreaming or was it a nightmare?

    The shortest race of the year 2 hours and 39 minutes was perhaps the longest for fans viewing on TV. California showed once again why it has been reduced to only one race.

    The weekend at California was marred by rain, weepers and long drawn out green flag runs. Though many at the track said the racing was better than normal and excellent in most cases, the TV audience saw little of it. Between long commercial breaks that missed cautions and on track action, along with very poor camera work the day proved to be a dull grey day until the last 10 laps of the race.

    The final stop and the end of the race was as good as it gets. Kyle Busch took the green flag with 9 laps to go on old tires with Jimmie Johnson and Tony Stewart following close behind. Johnson took the lead on lap 198 with a low side pass on the Interstate Batteries Camry. The racing between them allowed Harvick to catch the pair and overtake Busch whose Camry had developed a progressively tight condition.

    Kevin Harvick flexed his muscle and let the 5 time series champion know he was there and he would not go quietly. Harvick who ran up to the back bumper of the 48 Lowes Chevrolet on the back stretch managed to loosen the champ up just enough to make his pass on the high side coming out of 4 and then out ran the 5 time champ back to the checkers.

    The champion showed his composure and showed his class with gracious congratulations to the winner and acknowledged that Harvick was undoubtedly the class of the field on the final run. Harvick when told they lead one lap stated, “Yeah but it was the one that counted.”

    The class of the field for most of the race was Kyle Busch. Busch lead for 151 laps and finished third. But Kyle’s weekend did not start out typical for Kyle Busch. He wrecked his primary car on his first lap on the track when he hit a wet spot coming out of turn 4. Relegated to a back up he and his team fought to regain their momentum in a [media-credit name=”Credit: Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR” align=”alignright” width=”272″][/media-credit]shortened practice session leading up to qualifying. Busch pulled off an 8th place qualifying run and never looked back.

    He dominated the race until the last restart when Jimmie Johnson would take the lead on the low side coming out of 3. Busch would say later that the car just continued to tighten up on the exit of the corner and at the end he had used up everything he had.

    Joe Gibbs Racing experienced another weekend of engine failures with Joey Logano losing one after happy hour and Denny Hamlin losing one during the race. When Coach Gibbs was asked if the recent fire and explosion at their engine shop was playing a role in the failures he stated that it was not and they simply needed to work on their durability.

    Another standout this week was Brian Vickers. In his first strong performance after his health issues forced him to vacate his seat last year, Vickers pulled off a strong top ten finish with 8th.

    Tony Stewart had a strong run until the last restart of the race when he faded to 13th. Smoke was obviously upset and declined comment following the race. Smoke showed dominance and skills that are found in few driver seats in the series however. When informed the change he wanted was maxed out he said simply, I will figure it out from here. And he did with smooth skill and confidence. The late race fade was certainly not indicative of his performance.

    Dale Earnhardt Jr, showed a consistency that we have never seen from him throughout his career with a 12th place finish. Earnhardt credited his crew and his equipment with the success and stated that if he had qualified better he would have had a better finish. “If we just qualify better, we’ll be all right,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “It’s not allowed us to show as good as we really are. … We’re a top-10 team. We’re doing pretty good.” He stated that he had a top 5 car for about 60 percent of the race. Even with the strong finish, Earnhardt dropped to 12th in the points going into Martinsville.

    TV broadcasters raved about the finish of this race. The finish was incredible. It was exciting. It was action filled and it took place in 10 laps. The first 390 were not exciting. The last 10 laps don’t make a good race. The race was boring. Whether it’s the track or whether it’s the new car on the track, doesn’t change it. The people in California deserve their date but something has to be done to improve the competition on the track. Shortening the race by 100 laps didn’t improve the competition only the length of the boredom.

    Thoughts and best wishes go to Joe Slingerland, the rear tire changer for the Hendrick Motorsports Amp Energy Chevrolet, who was injured on the first pit stop of the day.  The tire changer apparently suffered a hamstring injury during the first pit stop and was taken to the infield care center by stretcher. Steve Letarte reported on Sirus Radio that he would be checked out by an orthopedic specialist on Monday in Charlotte.

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

     

    Congratulations to Kevin Harvick and his Richard Childress team on their exciting victory in Sunday’s race. Also congratulations to Kyle Busch on his Saturday victory in the Nationwide series race.

    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.

  • Get Out The Broom, Get Out The Oscars – It’s Bristol Baby!

    Get Out The Broom, Get Out The Oscars – It’s Bristol Baby!

    Bristol Baby! That was the cry that echoed through thunder valley in east Tennessee this weekend. It brought with it the visions of past champions and bumping and banging and smoking and choking race cars all trying to claim the prize of being the crown jewel’s favorite prince.

    There would be issues with tires. There would be issues with drivers. And that was before the green flag ever dropped on a race. Racing would just bring more drama and temper flares. Why? Because it’s Bristol Baby one of the most coveted trophies on the Sprint Cup circuit and she did not disappoint.

    The weekend began with what started out to be near disaster with the Goodyear tires. The track would not rubber in. The tire compound instead of rubbe[media-credit id=18 align=”alignright” width=”300″][/media-credit]ring in the track and adding grip, turned to powder and gathered in the corners of the ½ mile high banked speedway. The tires were down to the cords in less than 30 laps according to some competitors. “One of the things we see here at Bristol is we see early wear,”  Rick Heinrich, of Goodyear said. “Generally, the track will darken, the track will rubber in, the wear improves. And we didn’t see that normal improvement.”

    NASCAR competition director Robin Pemberton, looked a lot like the championship crew chief he is when he became proactive and drew the line in the sand and said Not again. Goodyear swapped Right side tires out on Saturday for the teams of both series. The new tires were the same tires used in August of last year at Bristol.

    The tire situation is, according to former series champion, Kurt Busch a result of the new car. “We’re either fine and sliding around or we’re blowing out right side [tires],” Busch said. “To me, I still think the cars are just too heavy, too high a center of gravity. And we’ve put Goodyear in a box with this [new car chassis]. It’s been like this since 2007.”

    The Nationwide series qualified on the new tires and the Cup series had final practice with one set of the new right sides. There were minimum failures noted the remainder of the weekend.

    The weekend’s drama was not at an end however, on the starting grid of Saturday’s Scott’s EZ Seed 300, Jennifer Jo Cobb refused to take her Ford Mustang on the track. Cobb stated that she had been told 10 minutes before the command to start engines that she would be a start and park to save the car for California. “”I have a commitment to my sponsors, my fans, NASCAR that I won’t start and park,” Cobb said. “I’m very serious about my career and my performance, and I’ve worked hard to prove it to everyone. I had already bought tires for the race, so you can imagine that this was a blow to my principles and my finances to get this news.”

    Car owner of 2ndChance Motorsports, Rick Russell, told a different version of the story. Russell said “I already had my entry in for Bristol and California, and we killed our car in Vegas in a wreck,” Russell said after the race. “So only having one car, I got the thing rebuilt and we brought it up here with the intentions of staying out of trouble and running a few laps and going home with the car in one piece, so we could race next week in California.” Russell said on Saturday, that he made it plain to those at the track Friday they would not be doing anything other than starting and parking the car.

    Russell said Cobb and crew chief Steve Kuykendall went behind his back to hire a crew for this race after Russell left his crew at home with the understanding the car would run only a handful of laps.

    When Cobb balked at the plan to start and park the car, Russell threatened to have the car black flagged, within his rights as a team owner.

    NASCAR advised Russell to remove the car from the starting grid and find a driver. He did just that and put Chris Lawson in the car. Lawson made 4 laps and returned to the car to the garage area as he was instructed.

    “At that time, some of the crew tried to take parts off the car while it was sitting behind the hauler,” Russell said. “So I had the officials stop them and then they called track security and I told them I wanted a sheriff down here with warrants.”

    Cobb claims that she was offered a ride for California by a NNS team owner that competes regularly before she was even out of her fire suit. Although, no announcements were made as to which team that was.

    The relationship was ended publicly by both parties via social media. With ownership and driver/crew chief tweeting that the partnership was over. Accusations were hurled by both parties and the he say/she say war began and ended not only on national television but on the internet.

    The whole debacle was distasteful and distracting. To air one’s differences on TV and the internet smacks of Charlie Sheen like tactics. In fact the results were the same, it made both parties and NASCAR look not only stupid but petty and immature.

    First off to buy parts, pieces and tires for a car that does not belong to you is very much like renting a house installing central heating and central air and then moving and thinking you are going to take it with you. It’s not going to happen.

    Second, to sign a contract with a relatively inexperienced female driver for 5 races less than a week after Danica’s schedule of the first 5 races is announced is an attempt to compete for the attention and press that female drivers seem to warrant these days. To then allow others to know you intend to fire her before her final race without telling her first is low and unprofessional.

    Third, to get out of a car on the starting grid because it goes against your principles is admirable, however, you should never have gotten in it to start with. You should never have taken driver’s introductions and you should never have walked out to the grid. When you did and then refused to fire the engine and take the car to the track, start and park or not, you abandoned your position, the fans, the sport and the team that you assembled yourself.

    This drama showed the entire series in a bad light and the sport as well. As if that drama wasn’t enough, another one was right around the corner with yet the other female driver in the series, Danica Patrick.

    Patrick and Ryan Truex had raced one another hard for position for several laps. Both cars were laps down to the leaders and running well back in the pack.

    On Lap 248, Danica Patrick’s Chevrolet tangled with the Toyota of Ryan Truex, spun and slammed nose-first into the Turn 1 wall. Patrick, who was running two laps down in 17th at the time, thought Truex moved off the front stretch wall into her racing line.

    Danica’s on track response was to climb from her car after safety officials lowered her window net for her and to walk up the track and gesture to Truex as though to say what the heck.

    “It felt like to me that I came out of the corner, and I was running down the straight, and I felt like he came off the wall. … I know I was running him early, and he just runs hard. He’s run hard every time I’ve been around him, and it just seems like overkill.”

    Truex, admitted fault and apologized both over in car radio and post racing saying it was his fault that his car had gotten loose but it was in no way intentional.

    Patrick who was running her first short track race embarrassed herself and many other women drivers with her actions. Once again, the accident was someone taking her out. Even though her crew chief, Tony Eury Jr. told her on the radio “that is just the way it is. It’s Bristol.” Before she even got out of the destroyed Go Daddy Chevrolet. It was a play for attention and a tantrum much like those she is famous for in Indy Car racing.

    This is not Patrick’s first tirade against another young driver since coming to NASCAR. Last year after an incident with James Beuscher, Patrick again put on a Diva like display threatening the young Beuscher with retaliation for 3 weeks.

    These displays and tantrums didn’t work for Kyle Busch. They didn’t work for Kevin Harvick or Juan Pablo Montoya. And they certainly are not working for her either. Patrick has some strong skills. She has an incredible feel for the tires on the car. She has learned to control the car on super speedways and intermediate tracks. But her performances are average at best and certainly not the stuff legends are made of. Yet her attitude and demeanor all say that she views herself as better than anyone else in the series. A point of view that her finishes can not support.

    One might find it easier to forgive the forays into drama and attention seeking if she would make a commitment to the sport and series. But that commitment seems the furthest thing from her mind and her skill set makes that obvious.

    Finally, Ms. Patrick needs to consider that everyone is racing for position in a NASCAR race. Although I don’t follow Indy racing I would think that it would be the same there. No one is going to pull over and let her go. She is going to have to race hard to earn her spot and her respect from other drivers. These continued bouts of outrage over being raced hard are not the way to acquire that.

    Kyle Busch, dominated the NNS race. He stated that the tire switch made their car very loose but that crew chief Jason Ratcliff was able to correct it quickly and give him what he needed to finish the race.

    Carl Edwards made the end of the race interesting but was unable to get by the Z Line Toyota. He was followed by Dale Earnhardt Jr who over came a 2 lap deficit to finish 3rd on the lead lap in the Tax Slayer Chevrolet.

    The Sprint Cup race was steady. It wasn’t as exciting as the racing we have come to expect from Bristol, but it wasn’t a snooze fest either.

    Once again, Kyle Busch would take the Bristol sweep. Having won the last 5 races in a row at Bristol, he has obviously become the crown jewels new crowned prince.

    Again it would be Carl Edwards in the bridesmaid role with 5 time series champion Jimmie Johnson, who led the most laps of the race, bringing home 3rd.

    Strong finishes for Ryan Newman, Kasey Kahne, Paul Menard and Kevin Harvick made for a very strong top 10. Dale Earnhardt Jr would fall just short of a 3rd straight top 10 finish. But would have another strong run finishing in 11th. The strong finish would put him inside the top ten in points for the first time since 2008.

    The excitement of Bristol gives way to California dreaming with the teams making the cross country trek once again to Fontana next week. But the echoes of thunder valley, the drama it produced, the scores that it created will not soon be forgotten. One has to know that somewhere in heaven our friend Jeff Byrd is smiling knowing that his beautiful lady is alive and well and living up to the reputation that she earned as the Crown Jewel of NASCAR.

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

    Congratulations to Kyle Busch and his Joe Gibbs Racing team on their sweep of Bristol once again.

    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.