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  • The Final Word – Rains delayed and shortened the race, but there were still fireworks at Daytona

    The Final Word – Rains delayed and shortened the race, but there were still fireworks at Daytona

    Holy crap, what was that? If nothing else, the Firecracker 400 in Daytona sure was not predictable. A few yards short of a competition caution, many of the favorites were removed or seriously hampered when all hell broke loose. Ricky Stenhouse Jr, Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart got involved in a non-romantic triangle that involved some of the circuit’s best. Just past the half-way mark, they took care of a bunch of others with an even bigger demo derby. Greg Biffle caught up to Kasey Kahne, who in turn kissed Joey Logano, which commenced a wrecking orgy. In the end, half of the field was gone and those running up front were folks we usually expect to see running near the back.

    Aric Almirola was not favored to return the iconic 43 that Richard Petty won his 200th win the Independence Day weekend thirty years ago, but he did. The rains that delayed the action for a day, and delayed it again early on Sunday, returned to finally put a wash to the proceedings prior to the three-quarter mark. The man in front was the 30-year old Tampa, Florida native, recording his first Cup victory in 125 starts. That goes with his single Nationwide win from 2007 and his two truck series triumphs back in 2010. Better yet, that car is all but entered into the Chase, with eight races to run before they settle on the 16 championship contenders.

    Brian Vickers is not in a Chase place, yet finished second. Ditto for Casey Mears, in fourth. Danica Patrick and Marcos Ambrose had Top Ten days. Michael McDowell , who is not even in the Top 30 in points, was seventh on Sunday with Alex Bowman finishing 13th. Even part-timer Terry Labonte, the former two-time champ, was 11th. For some, it was worth the wait to run this thing.

    For others, not so much, as barely half the field managed a hundred laps. Our list of likely Chasers who wound up in scrap metal included Jimmie Johnson (42nd), Kevin Harvick (39th), Carl Edwards (37th), Kyle Busch (28th), and Ryan Newman (24th). It is too early yet to get all tight ended about the chances of Kahne, Biffle, and Kyle Larson after they all finished outside the Top 25, but they could have done without this Daytona experience. On the other hand, Stewart and Jamie McMurray might be puckering up a little as both dropped points they could ill afford to lose. It has become even more likely than ever that without a win they will be running the final ten just for fun.

    Almirola is the 11th driver to win this season, so as long as no more than five more drivers win their first of the season over the course of the next eight, he and the others will be in the Chase. Matt Kenseth is 90 points to the good in the Top 16, so he is secure as they sit right now. Newman also is strong, but things start to get tight after that. Still, anyone in the Top 20 can still dream of making it in on points, but the next dozen will need a win to even hope of making it.

    Next Sunday it is New Hampshire. Sadly, that marks the final race broadcast on TNT before the ESPN gong show returns to test our love of the televised version of the sport. Adam, Wally, and Kyle, thanks for showing us how the job should be done.

    Loudon could be the place where some winless drivers can show us how it should be done. Newman and Stewart each have three wins there. Clint Bowyer has a couple, and Biffle, Kenseth, Vickers, and Kahne also know where to find Victory Lane. Now, as long as other former New Hampshire winners, such as Johnson, Gordon, Harvick,  Logano, Denny Hamlin, or one of the Busch brothers do not get greedy…

    SWEET SIXTEEN
    1 – Jimmie Johnson – 3 WINS – 596 POINTS
    2 – Dale Earnhardt, Jr. – 2 – 624
    3 – Brad Keselowski – 2 – 586
    4 – Joey Logano – 2 – 546
    5 – Carl Edwards – 2 – 543
    6 – Kevin Harvick – 2 – 514
    7 – Jeff Gordon – 1 – 651
    8 – Kyle Busch – 1 – 524
    9 – Denny Hamlin – 1 – 493
    10 – Aric Almirola – 1 – 452
    11 – Kurt Busch – 1 – 422
    12 – Matt Kenseth – 0 – 580
    13 – Ryan Newman – 0 – 534
    14 – Paul Menard – 0 – 516
    15 – Clint Bowyer – 0 – 509
    16 – Austin Dillon – 0 – 494

    CONTENDERS & PRETENDERS
    17 – Greg Biffle – 0 – 490
    18 – Brian Vickers – 0 – 484
    19 – Kyle Larson – 0 – 482
    20 – Kasey Kahne – 0 – 482
    21 – Marcos Ambrose – 0 – 472
    22 – Tony Stewart – 0 – 465
    23 – Jamie McMurray – 0 – 447
    24 – Casey Mears – 0 – 438
    25 – A.J. Allmendinger – 0 – 414
    26 – Martin Truex, Jr. – 0 – 414
    27 – Danica Patrick – 0 – 358
    28 – Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. – 0 – 342
    29 – Justin Allgaier – 0 – 319
    30 – Michael Annett – 0 – 299
    31 – David Gilliland – 0 – 256
    32 – Cole Whitt – 0 – 254

     

  • The Final Word – Brad dominated Keselowsky … Kentulowski … Kesetucky … He Owned the Thing

    The Final Word – Brad dominated Keselowsky … Kentulowski … Kesetucky … He Owned the Thing

    They might as well go ahead and rename that Kentucky track Kesetucky. That boy dominated Saturday night’s race from start to finish. Sure, he let team mate Joey Logano, a ninth place finisher, run shotgun for a lot of the race, got the lad some camera time to make the sponsors happy. Kyle Busch got the honors of finishing runner-up, but no one was betting he was going to do better than that. This was Brad Keselowski’s race, he led three-quarters of the laps, and if you were hoping for a challenge, it had to come from watching a channel that was all Brad, all the time. He simply owned it.

    It was win number 12 for the 30-year old former champ, his second of the season and his second in three years on this particular circuit. The win moves Keselowski among the elite on the year, one of six drivers with at least two victories, and the best in points among those not working for Rick Hendrick. Jeff Gordon, who was sixth Saturday, continues to lead the way, with three-race winner Jimmie Johnson (10th) and Dale Earnhardt Jr (fifth) just behind, as Keselowski is ahead of Matt Kenseth (fourth).

    The worst day was had by Denny Hamlin, who spent 90 percent of this one as a spectator after a tire issue introduced him to the outside fence. Kyle Larson lasted a bit longer, finishing 40th, after the same fate awaited him. As they counted down the laps, a failing tire was about the only thing the rest could hope for if they had any aspirations of beating Brad out. In fact, the only thing that got him that day was a breaking champagne bottle that left him in stitches, but it seems not enough to affect him at Daytona this weekend. He probably should have stuck with beer…in a can.

    While Kevin Havick, Kasey Kahne, Tony Stewart, and Kurt Busch were good enough to be among the top dozen, the best of our “have nots” was Reed Sorenson. Thirty third in the standings, he was 27th on the tower at Kentucky. Unfortunately, even if he wins this weekend he still would not be in a Chase place as he currently sits 69 points beyond 30th.

    Beyond us is the summer return to Daytona and the Firecracker 400 (amongst us traditionalists) on Saturday night. A dozen current drivers, not including Michael Waltrip and Jeff Burton, have won there before. Gordon has six, Stewart four, and Johnson and Earnhardt have three wins apiece. Keselowski is still without after 10 starts, but has a pair of Top Fives in the past two Daytona 500’s. Still, it might be a bit early to refer to it as Daytonalowski just yet.

    SWEET SIXTEEN
    1 – Jimmie Johnson – 594 points – 3 wins
    2 – Dale Earnhardt, Jr. – 594 – 2
    3 – Brad Keselowski – 560 – 2
    4 – Carl Edwards – 536 – 2
    5 – Joey Logano – 519 – 2
    6 – Kevin Harvick – 509 – 2
    7 – Jeff Gordon – 618 – 1
    8 – Kyle Busch – 508 – 1
    9 – Denny Hamlin – 455 – 1
    10 – Kurt Busch – 379 – 1
    11 – Matt Kenseth – 555
    12 – Ryan Newman – 514
    13 – Paul Menard – 488
    14 – Kyle Larson – 474
    15 – Greg Biffle – 474
    16 – Clint Bowyer – 473

    CONTENDERS & PRETENDERS
    17 – Kasey Kahne – 465
    18 – Tony Stewart – 460
    19 – Austin Dillon – 455
    20 – Brian Vickers – 442
    21 – Marcos Ambrose – 438
    22 – Jamie McMurray – 432
    23 – A.J. Allmendinger – 413
    24 – Aric Almirola – 405
    25 – Casey Mears – 397
    26 – Martin Truex, Jr. – 385
    27 – Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. – 339
    28 – Danica Patrick – 322
    29 – Justin Allgaier – 300
    30 – Michael Annett – 275
    31 – David Gilliland – 246
    32 – Cole Whitt – 244

     

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Kentucky

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Kentucky

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson finished tenth in the Quaker State 400, posting his 12th top 10 of the year. He is second in the points standings, 24 behind Jeff Gordon.

    “Brad Keselowski cut his hand on a champagne bottle in Victory Lane,” Johnson said. “If Joey Logano is ‘Sliced Bread,’ then Keselowski has to be ‘Sliced Brad.’”

    2. Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: Earnhardt finished fifth at Kentucky, as Hendrick Motorsports placed three drivers in the top 10. He is second in the Sprint Cup points standings, 24 behind Jeff Gordon.

    “I’m impressed with Brad Keselowski’s performance,” Earnhardt said. “But there’s no way he could be a member of Junior Nation. If Brad can’t hold his champagne, he certainly can’t hold his liquor.”

    3. Jeff Gordon: Gordon posted his series-best 13th top-10 finish of the year with a sixth at Kentucky. He remained atop the points standings, and leads Hendrick teammates Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. by 24.

    “Jimmie Johnson visited the White House last Wednesday,” Gordon said, “where he was honored by President Obama as 2013 Sprint Cup champion. Jimmie asked Obama about the ‘secret service.’ Obama replied: ‘Has Chad Knaus been illegally working on your car again?’”

    4. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski dominated at Kentucky, starting on the pole and leading 199 of 267 laps on the way to his second win of the season.

    “Kentucky is the home of horse racing,” Keselowski said. “On Saturday, though, it became the home of a ‘thorough-Brad.’ The No. 2 Miller Lite Chevrolet had plenty of speed for Kentucky Speedway. My car had the horsepower; I have the horse teeth.”

    5. Carl Edwards: One week after winning at Sonoma, Edwards finished a disappointing 17th in the Quaker State 400. He is sixth in the Sprint Cup points standings, 82 out of first.

    “Greg Biffle is still working on a contract extension,” Edwards said. “Greg has to ask himself: ‘should I stay or should I go’? On that note, as far as teammates go, I always seem to ‘Clash’ with them.”

    6. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth overcame a slow start to finish fourth in the Quaker State 400. It was his sixth top-five result of the year and he is now fifth in the points standings, 63 out of first.

    “I just signed a contract extension with Joe Gibbs Racing,” Kenseth said. “It was on Saturday, to be exact, but I’m not at liberty to reveal the financial details. So, as is the case with my season, it’s a matter of ‘Just when, baby.’”

    7. Joey Logano: Logano finished ninth despite rising water temperatures that nearly compromised his engine. He is seventh in the Sprint Cup points standings, 99 out of first.

    “Usually,” Logano said, “when I’m in hot water, it’s because of my father.

    “It was a great day for Penske Racing. Brad Keselowski won the pole and the race, then sliced his hand open on a champagne bottle celebrating the win. So, both he and Roger Penske were ‘gushing’ after the race.”

    8. Kevin Harvick: Harvick won the Nationwide race in Sparta on Friday, then finished seventh in the Quaker State 400 on Saturday night. He is ninth in the points standings, 109 out of first.

    “How about TNT’s coverage of the race,” Harvick said. “Much like TNT, it ‘blows.’ And Kyle Petty’s analysis is lacking. Just like the sport of NASCAR itself, it needs more ‘color.’ In Petty’s book, ‘insight’ is saying ‘he’s just got to keep plugging along’ over and over.”

    9. Kyle Busch: Busch led 31 laps at Kentucky and lost the lead to Brad Keselowski with 20 laps to go. Busch finished second, and is now 10th in the points standings.

    “Keselowski was so much better than everyone else,” Busch said. “That was also the case in 2012 when he won here. At least at Kentucky Speedway, that Penske technology, much like a broken champagne bottle, was ‘cutting edge.’”

    10. Ryan Newman: Newman scored his best finish of the year, speeding to a third in the Quaker State 400. He is now eighth in the points standings, 104 behind Jeff Gordon.

    “Richard Childress Racing is still looking for our first win,” Newman said. “I’m sure Richard would love for Austin Dillon to be the first RCR victor this year. Then Richard can proudly say, ‘That’s grand, son.’”

  • Surprising and Not Surprising: Kentucky Quaker State 400

    Surprising and Not Surprising: Kentucky Quaker State 400

    From the jaw-jarring bumps of the old pavement in which Kentucky Speedway takes such pride, here is what was surprising and not surprising from the 4th Annual Quaker State 400 presented by Advance Auto Parts.

    Surprising: Dominance and redemption surprisingly co-existed in the Bluegrass state. Penske dominated, from qualifying to Victory Lane for Brad Keselowski, yet there was also redemption for several drivers, including Tony Stewart, who rebounded from an engine change to finish 11th, as well as Jeff Gordon and Kevin Harvick, who both had struggles in the pits and went on to finish sixth and seventh respectively.

    “Yeah, what a really fast car,” Keselowski said after his second win of the season and his second win at Kentucky in the No. 2 car. “It feels really good, obviously, to get that second win.”

    “We have got a really good stretch run going here over the summer, so it’s very exciting for me personally, very rewarding, and I feel like we’re in such a strong spot,” Keselowski continued. “A lot of momentum, and this was really a big night for us in so many ways.”

    Stewart, Gordon and Harvick may not have been in Victory Lane, but all three felt redeemed nonetheless.

    “I would’ve liked to have been a little better than what we were there at the end, but I think we definitely had to fight our way up there through the day,” Stewart said. “We never did anything tricky to get track position. We pitted every time the pits were open. We didn’t do any less than anybody else did on any stop.”

    “All in all, I thought we had a pretty honest day there and I can’t complain about that.”

    Not Surprising: Kyle Busch, driver of the No. 18 M&Ms Toyota, played it fast and loose, right into the runner up position. This was Busch’s fourth top-10 finish in four races at Kentucky Speedway and his seventh top-10 finish of the season.

    “I got to traffic, man, I just got too loose,” Busch said. “I was kind of loose the whole run, but I kept getting looser and looser throughout the run, where normally the rest of the runs prior to that throughout the race I was getting tighter throughout the run.”

    “I was loose the whole race,” Busch continued. “I was loose, but it was a drivable loose, it wasn’t just a wrecking loose, until the end, and then I was wrecking.”

    “For as loose as I was I had good grip and I was moving forward,” Busch said. “It looked like a lot of guys were struggling with the same issues I was but worse, so I was able to go by them, so I felt pretty good about it.”

    Surprising: As a past champion, Brad Keselowski most certainly knows how to celebrate, but this time it resulted in some surprising bodily harm. Thanks to a broken bottle of champagne in Victory Lane, the victor ended up with four stitches to boot.

    “We were playing around with some champagne bottles and as I told my good friend, ‘We should have stuck with beer,’” Keselowski said. “We were having too much fun with champagne and one of the bottles broke and I cut my hand open. It’s no big deal.”

    “It’s all fixed now, so we’re good,” Keselowski continued. “Yeah, welcome to the party. It’s all good. I’m just glad we won. It’s a lot better story when you win and get hurt.”

    Not Surprising: Usually race car drivers emerge after the race being mad at other drivers, but there was one driver who was just mad at himself after the Quaker State 400.

    “The first wreck one of those lapped cars spun in front of us and when he spun he lit up his rear tires and made a huge smoke cloud,” Aric Almirola, driver of the No. 43 Eckrich Ford, said. “My spotter, Tyler, was telling me to go high and I was kind of in the middle of the race track to see what he was gonna do and at the last minute he was like, ‘Go high, go high,’ so I veered high and McMurray was out there.”

    “I honestly had no idea he was out there and I ran into him, so I feel horrible,” Almirola continued. “I’m just mad at myself. I realize circumstances weren’t in our favor, but I should have done a better job of getting slowed down and not running into the 1 car.”

    Surprising: Kentucky race weekend was certainly a good one for Ryan Newman, with Caterpillar Inc. renewing their sponsorship on his car, and with a third place finish, just his second top-10 at Kentucky Speedway.

    “Just a good, solid night for the Caterpillar Chevrolet,” Newman said. “All the guys did a really good job strategy wise. Kept our track position all night.”

    “Good job for everybody at RCR and ECR, and we’ll keep digging.”

    Not Surprising: Clint Bowyer took to Twitter and told it like it was for his No. 15 5-Hour Energy race team after finishing 23rd.

    “Got our natural asses kicked tonight,” Bowyer tweeted after the race. “Testing this week to get to the bottom of a few things. We WILL get it fixed!!!”

    Surprising: After a tire issue sent rookie Kyle Larson hard into the wall and out of the race, Austin Dillon became the highest finishing rookie. The driver of the No. 3 Cheerios Protein Chevrolet took the checkered flag in the 16th position.

    Larson does, however, still lead in the Sunoco Rookie of the Year battle and has scored Rookie of the Race honors eleven times to Dillon’s five.

    “Blew a right front (tire),” Larson said dejectedly. “This is the first time that’s ever happened to me in stock car racing.”

    “So, big hits,” Larson continued. “But it sucks. We were hoping for a good points day to pad our points were we are before we go to Daytona where it’s a real crapshoot. It’s disappointing to have two weekends that didn’t end up very well the last couple of races.”

    “Oh, well. That’s how it goes,” Larson said. “We’ll try and go to Daytona and rebound and gain some more points.”

    Not Surprising:   Joey Logano proved that not only was his teammate powerful, but he had Penske power to boot, finishing ninth place in spite of being down a cylinder.

    “I think Team Penske dominated Kentucky this weekend, it’s just unfortunate we dropped a cylinder there, but it’s still a top-10 out of being down one cylinder,” Logano, driver of the No. 22 Shell Pennzoil Ford, said. “We’ll take that.”

    Surprising: Matt Kenseth, in his No. 20 Dollar General Toyota, proved his worth to his sponsor, who announced prior to the race that they would increase their primary sponsorship from 27 to 30 races. Kenseth finished fourth and felt that “Overall, it was a positive weekend.”

    “I feel like we’re gaining on it,” Kenseth continued. “I thought we had a pretty good car. They had a great stop and got me good track position and I was able to get up two or three spots for the restart and hang onto fourth.”

    Not Surprising: Dale Jr. was fired up and ready to go after struggling mightily in practice, qualifying 29th, yet racing back to finish fifth, scoring his ninth top-five in 2014. And with that, Junior became the only driver so far with that many top-fives for the season to date.

    “So Steve (Letarte, crew chief) and the guys did a good job in having to deal with me and trying to put a good car under me this weekend,” Junior said. “It was a lot of fun in the race.”

    “It just fired me up … (and) they put a good setup under the car,” Earnhardt continued. “It wasn’t the best car out there, but we finished where we should have tonight with the speed the car the showed.”

    The Cup Series next heads to Daytona International Speedway for the Coke Zero 400 Powered by Coca Cola on Saturday, July 5th. Happy Independence Day!

     

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Sonoma

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Sonoma

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson, winner of three of the last four races, posted a seventh at Sonoma, his 11th top 10 of the year. He is second in the points standings, 20 behind Jeff Gordon.

    “I didn’t win,” Johnson said, “but my rivals are nervous nonetheless. Anytime you say ‘Jimmie Johnson’ and ‘seventh’ in the same sentence, people are intimidated, or should I say ‘inJimmiedated.”

    2. Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: Two weeks after winning at Michigan, Earnhardt posted a third-place finish in the Toyota/SaveMart 350, as Hendrick Motorsports placed all four drivers in the top seven.

    “I have to apologize for wrecking Matt Kenseth,” Earnhardt said. “I’m pretty sure Matt will accept an apology. Why? Because he’s used to ‘taking’ it.”

    3. Jeff Gordon: Gordon finished second to Carl Edwards at Sonoma, as Hendrick Motorsports five-race winning streak ended. Gordon leads the Sprint Cup points standings with a 20-point cushion on Jimmie Johnson.

    “’I let Edwards get away,’” Gordon said. “That’s my Jack Roush impression, not my take on the final lap at Sonoma.

    “You may have noticed our new sponsor, Panasonic, on the No. 24 car. For once, a driver can say he’s got an ‘electronic issue’ and it’s not a bad thing. Joe Gibbs may put Japanese in the car; Hendrick puts it on it.”

    4. Carl Edwards: Edwards took the lead with 25 laps to go at Sonoma and held off Jeff Gordon to claim his first road course victory.

    “Roush Fenway was shut out at Michigan,” Edwards said. “Who would have thought we’d turn things around on a road course? But you can always count on Jack Roush to have something up his sleeve, except new contracts.”

    5. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski struggled in the Toyota SavMart 350, fighting handling issues all day on his way to a 22nd. He is fifth in the points standings, 68 out of first.

    “It was a tough day for the No. 2 Alliance Truck Parts Ford,” Keselowski said. “Sadly, though, we needed car parts, not truck parts.

    “The car’s handling was a nightmare. Nothing we tried worked. One of my pit crewmen made so many wedge adjustments, he developed a wrist injury. Aerodynamically, he’s fine, but he will need some carpal tunnel testing.”

    6. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth was wrecked on lap 74 when Dale Earnhardt, Jr. jumped a curb and rammed the back of Kenseth’s No. 20 Home Depot Toyota. Kenseth is currently fourth in the Sprint Cup points standings, 65 out of first.

    “When you’re surrounded by a pile of useless tires,” Kenseth said, “you know you’re in trouble, or Hoosier is your tire manufacturer.

    “We’re losing Home Depot as a sponsor at season’s end. I guess that makes them the ‘Away Depot.’”

    7. Joey Logano: Logano finished 16th at Sonoma on a tough day for Penske Motorsports, as teammate Brad Keselowski managed only a 22nd. Logano is now seventh in the points standings, 97 behind Jeff Gordon.

    “Our boss won’t be happy,” Logano said. “Ask him his opinion of our performance, and he certainly won’t ‘Roger’ that.

    “They say Sonoma is wine country, but they also drink beer in this road course haven. I think they make it from ‘wheel hops.’”

    8. Kevin Harvick: Harvick finished 20th at Sonoma after the No. 4 Stewart-Haas Chevy was collected when Clint Bowyer suffered a flat tire and stopped in the middle of the track.

    “I’m not surprised,” Harvick said. “From what I hear, ’parking’ is an issue at all NASCAR races.”

    9. Paul Menard: Menard finished fifth at Sonoma, posting his third top-five result of the year.

    “In the absence of Kevin Harvick,” Menard said, “I’ve taken over as a leader for Richard Childress Racing. And we haven’t missed a beat. That’s because we get ‘beat’ every week.”

    10. Ryan Newman: Newman finished 11th at Sonoma as Richard Childress Racing teammate Paul Menard took fifth. Newman is eighth in the points standings, 107 out of first.

    “Our highest finish this year is a seventh,” Newman said, “which we’ve accomplished three times. I’m not sure if we can win with this car. We lack the speed of the Hendrick engines. It says ‘Caterpillar’ on my car; it also says ‘Caterpillar’ on the speedometer.”

  • The Final Word – Why Can’t NASCAR on TV Always be Like Sonoma?

    The Final Word – Why Can’t NASCAR on TV Always be Like Sonoma?

    It was a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon. Interesting race, a few surprises, great topography and scenery, and top notch announcing. What was not to like?

    If you were Carl Edwards, not much. He came on strong over the final quarter of the race at Sonoma to march off with his 23rd career victory, and his second of the season. It marked his first win on a road course, and it ended a string of five straight wins by Team Hendrick. Well, barely, considering that Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr were contenders all day to conclude things in the Top Three. Jamie McMurray and Paul Menard put some spark into their seasons with Top Fives. Jimmie Johnson had a Top Ten, for those who do not things to change too much from week to week.

    Matt Kenseth got the biggest surprise, when Junior bounced off a curb to clip him into the tire barrier. That tore the front end, radiator included, off his beast to leave him steaming. The driver, Kenseth, not the car. Didn’t I mention the radiator was no longer attached? 42nd was his fate.

    Junior also managed to lay a late touch on A.J. Allmendinger, who then spun to get hit by Kasey Kahne and Brian Vickers to tear up his front end. A.J. went from a contender to finish 37th, and probably burned his Junior Nation t-shirt afterwards.

    Kevin Harvick had a car to beat, and beat it he did when he got squeezed into Clint Bowyer’s spun car. Happy wasn’t, as his hopes faded to leave him 20th on the day. Notice that Earnhardt had nothing to do with that one.

    Danica Patrick finished 18th, just ahead of Tony Stewart, ahead of Brad Keselowski, Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, and Kyle Larson. That should give you some indication as to how lousy the day was for those boys.

    Now, I would truly love to be a big Danica supporter, but despite her experience, her quality equipment, her lucrative sponsorship, and a loyal fan base, she just does not matter most weeks. To find her on the charts, you usually start at about 25th and look a few spots either way. Sunday was a good day, for her. Even great open wheelers have had trouble making the transition, and while she was popular, she was not great. Still, at 32, I guess there is still time.

    Time to turn our attention to this Saturday night, where Kentucky hosts just its fourth Cup event. Kyle, Keselowski, and Kenseth have won the first trio and I would expect them somewhere near the front again this year. Also, do not be surprised to see a Mr. Gordon or a Mr. Johnson up there close, as they have been the past three years. They have not yet won there, but Saturday has not yet arrived, so that could change.

    Change, like Home Depot leaving Joe Gibbs Racing and that same owner possibly about to welcome Edwards to the fold. Yet, not all things change. Check out the top of our leader board.

    SWEET SIXTEEN
    1 – Jimmie Johnson – 3 WINS (560 Pts)
    2 – Dale Earnhardt, Jr. – 2 (555)
    3 – Carl Edwards – 2 (509)
    4 – Joey Logano – 2 (483)
    5 – Kevin Harvick – 2 (472)
    6 – Jeff Gordon – 1 (580)
    7 – Brad Keselowski – 1 (512)
    8 – Kyle Busch – 1 (465)
    9 – Denny Hamlin – 1 (453)
    10 – Kurt Busch – 1 (347)
    11 – Matt Kenseth – 515 POINTS
    12 – Ryan Newman – 473
    13 – Kyle Larson – 470
    14 – Paul Menard – 459
    15 – Clint Bowyer – 452
    16 – Greg Biffle – 444

    CONTENDERS & PRETENDERS
    17 – Kasey Kahne – 429
    18 – Tony Stewart – 427
    19 – Austin Dillon – 427
    20 – Jamie McMurray – 425
    21 – Brian Vickers – 424
    22 – Marcos Ambrose – 407
    23 – Aric Almirola – 400
    24 – A.J. Allmendinger – 391
    25 – Casey Mears – 373
    26 – Martin Truex, Jr. – 360
    27 – Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. – 320
    28 – Danica Patrick – 299
    29 – Justin Allgaier – 280
    30 – Michael Annett – 249
    31 – David Gilliland – 232
    32 – Cole Whitt – 228

     

  • Surprising and Not Surprising: Sonoma Toyota/Save Mart 350

    Surprising and Not Surprising: Sonoma Toyota/Save Mart 350

    With plenty of wine and whining on and off the track, here is what was surprising and not surprising in the 26th Annual Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway.

    Surprising: The winner of the race, his first ever at Sonoma and his second of the season, effectively locking him into the Chase, seemed surprisingly star-struck in Victory Lane.

    “It means a lot to me,” Carl Edwards, driver of the No. 99 Aflac Ford for Roush Fenway Racing, said. “And then the real special part to me was to stand in Victory Lane at Sonoma and have Jeff Gordon come and give me a handshake as the second place finisher means a lot.”

    “I grew up watching Jeff Gordon and specifically watching how he drove this racetrack and all the successes he had here, so I mean, that’s really super,” Edwards continued. “It definitely meant a lot to have Jeff Gordon in my mirror.”

    “It’s something I’ll never forget.”

    With his victory, Edwards kept the consecutive new winner streak alive at Sonoma, being the eighth consecutive first time winner on that road course.

    Not Surprising: As Edwards paid tribute to him, Jeff Gordon seemed to get a kick out of it, which he could afford to do after posting a runner up finish to Edwards, as well as maintaining the point standing lead.

    “I’m starting to hear that a lot more,” Gordon, driver of the No. 24 Panasonic Chevrolet, said of Edwards comments about watching him race in his growing up years. “I hear things like he was born when I won my first championship or watching me as a kid.”

    “You know what, I love racing here,” Gordon continued. “I love being competitive, leading the points and having a shot winning races 22 years into my Cup career.”

    “We’re having fun.”

    Gordon scored his 14th career top-5 finish at Sonoma and his 12th top-10 finish for the season. He is now 20 spots ahead of six-time champ and teammate Jimmie Johnson in the point standings.

    Surprising: While Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s aggressiveness certainly played a role in this third place finish, he also credited his own road course education for helping to achieve his first ever top-10 finish at Sonoma.

    “This is a real technical track where the corners are lined up one after the other, and if you make a mistake in Turn 2, you really don’t clean it up until Turn 4,” the driver of the No. 88 Kelley Blue Book Chevrolet said. “So everything sort of has to line up and that takes a certain mentality and a certain understanding of road course racing that guys like myself don’t have coming from late models and oval tracks and stuff like that.”

    “You have to go to school,” Junior continued. “You have to study. You have to listen to people. You have to run as many laps as you can at practices and tests and stuff like that to adapt and understand. We were fast all weekend and just kind of put it together.”

    “Aside from holding a trophy, this is like a win for us.”

    Not Surprising: Kevin Harvick took to the California stage and starred yet again in his own version of ‘Groundhog Day’. On Lap 72, the driver of the No. 4 Outback / Budweiser Folds of Honor Chevrolet entered his pit stall in the fourth position and promptly lost spots after another miscommunication with his over-the-wall team.

    “We basically sat on the jack for about three seconds waiting on fuel and we didn’t need to,’’ Rodney Childers, Harvick’s crew chief said. “Bad, bad miscommunication or decision on some of the pit crew member’s part.’’

    After that bad pit stop, Harvick restarted further back in the field and then was collected in an accident to finish 20th.

    “All in all, we got to get it together,’’ Childers said. “The pit crew has worked really hard to get their pit stops better. We got that better and now we’re doing stuff like we did to take us out of the win.”

    “Everybody keeps saying that the pit crew is messing up,” Childers continued. “The pit crew is not actually messing up. We had a great pit stop, and we just sit there on the jack, waiting for the gas man to say it was full.”

    “If we wouldn’t have sat there and waited, we would have beat (Jeff Gordon) off pit road and he almost won the race,’’ Childers said. “We had a way, way, way better car than (Gordon) did.’’

    Surprising:  Austin Dillon, not Kyle Larson, was the highest finishing rookie of the race. Dillon, in his iconic No. 3 Dow Chevrolet, finished 17th while Larson, in his No. 42 Target Chevrolet, finished well behind in the 28th spot.

    With that finish, Larson slipped from eighth to tenth in the point standings and Dillon also slipped one notch from 17th to 18th in points.

    Not Surprising: Although Marcos Ambrose, known for his road course prowess, did not have the best of days, he echoed what many in the Ford camp were definitely thinking.

    “I’ll take eighth,” Ambrose said after crossing the finish line in his No. 9 DeWalt Ford. “We came here with a strategy because we had the fastest car for a couple of laps, but it would fade away really bad. We came with a really soft package and I was hanging onto it all day, too.”

    “We’re gonna keep working at this place to try and make ourselves better, but congratulations to Carl,” Ambrose continued. “He did a great job in the race and it’s great to see Ford back in Victory Lane.”

    Surprising: Clint Bowyer was the highest finishing Toyota and he had to make an incredible comeback after a flat tire and on-track incident with Jamie McMurray to finish in the tenth position in his No. 15 5-Hour Energy Toyota.

    We had a fast 5-hour ENERGY Camry this weekend,” Bowyer said. “We got ourselves in position and had a flat. It was going down and I was all over the place.”

    “Jamie (McMurray) just kind of finished me up and got me out of the way, I guess,” Bowyer continued. “Bad luck, man.”

    “The way our season has been, we’ve been the lap closer here lately and if they keep bringing cars like that to the race track, we’ll be just fine.”

    Not Surprising:   With her IndyCar experience, especially on the road courses, it was no surprise that Danica Patrick not only had a decent day at Sonoma but also scored her personal best with an 18th place finish.

    “I think we kind of salvaged something there,” the driver of the No. 10 GoDaddy Chevrolet said. “It would be good for a couple laps and then would just go away. We got lucky getting the Lucky Dog and then just pitted a couple of times for fresh tires and fuel and wound up 18th.”

    “It’s not the best day, but I think we keep improving.”

    It was Patrick’s best road course finish in the Sprint Cup as she bettered a 29th-place finish last year at Sonoma and a 20th-place result at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International.

    Surprising: Even Kasey Kahne, the only Hendrick driver who has struggled this season, got into the act at Sonoma, finishing sixth and ensuring that all Hendrick Motorsports drivers were in the top-10 when the checkered flag flew. And he did so in spite of some contact mid-race with Casey Mears.

    The driver of the No. 5 Great Clips Chevrolet even finished higher than Jimmie Johnson, who came in seventh after starting 22nd in his Lowe’s Chevrolet.

    Not Surprising: With NASCAR’s close association with those in uniform, it was not surprising that the sport paused to honor its five year association with the Armed Forces Foundation, particularly the Troops to the Track program, a year-round recreational group therapy program that honors service men and women, veterans and military families at races throughout the country.

    “Troops to the Track presented by Bank of America showcases NASCAR’s commitment to our nation’s military and we are proud of our joint effort the past five years to serve the military,” Patricia Driscoll, President of the Armed Forces Foundation, said. “Here at the Armed Forces Foundation, we constantly strive to ‘serve those who serve,’ and with the support from NASCAR and Bank of America, we will be able to provide more opportunities for service members and their families around the country to get away from the stresses of injuries and deployments while enjoying the patriotism of the NASCAR community.”

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Hot 20 – NASCAR Still Needs to Award More Points to Race Winners

    Hot 20 – NASCAR Still Needs to Award More Points to Race Winners

    There is no doubt about it; winning is big in the Cup series this year. Race enough to be deemed a regular, sit among the top 30 in points, and a win pretty much gives one a pass to the promised land. It is exciting and has that all-important unpredictability factor we love. Just as we celebrate the possibility of a Buster Douglas knocking out a Mike Tyson for the heavyweight boxing title, we relish in the hope that just maybe a Danica Patrick, Justin Allgaier, or Michael Annett might steal one at Talladega and wind up with a berth to challenge for a championship.

    Kurt Busch has no problem with that. As long as the list of winners remains no higher than sixteen as they leave Richmond, Busch would be in. This is despite the fact he currently sits 26th in points, 15 behind Martin Truex Jr. Still, to be honest, I rather like this “win and you’re in” concept, but are race winners given their just due for taking the checkered flag and being consistently up front, where it matters?

    I cannot see how anyone could fail to see that Jimmie Johnson is currently having the best season in Cup to date. He has run consistent and has won three times. Yet, he ranks second in points, 15 behind Jeff Gordon. Do not get me wrong, Gordon is having a great season. I just argue that Johnson has been better.

    Throughout this season, we have seen what the standings would have been like had we left the points system as it is, with one change. Instead of just awarding a race winner with a bonus three points, we give him 25. No automatic free pass, but a significant points recognition for the accomplishment. The only change among the Sweet Sixteen for the Chase at this time would see Kurt out and his boss Tony Stewart in, via points.

    The whole idea behind the Chase, and the institution this year of having wins trump points, an expanded Chase, and elimination rounds are all geared to keeping the possible championship outcome unpredictable until the final laps at Homestead. This could still happen with just one more tinker to the tabulations. I guess it all comes down to who do you think is the most deserving of a Chase place, Kurt Busch or Tony Stewart (or those closely behind him), and who you think has been the best thus far this season, Jeff Gordon or Jimmie Johnson.

    (Points reflect race winners receiving 25 bonus points, rather than 3)

    Pos –      Driver    –   Points – Wins
    1 – Jimmie Johnson – 588 – 3
    2 – Jeff Gordon – 559 – 1
    3 – Dale Earnhardt, Jr. – 558 – 2
    4 – Matt Kenseth – 513 – 0
    5 – Brad Keselowski – 512 – 1
    6 – Joey Logano – 498 – 2
    7 – Kevin Harvick – 491 – 2
    8 – Carl Edwards – 484 – 1
    9 – Kyle Busch – 468 – 1
    10 – Denny Hamlin – 457 – 1
    11 – Kyle Larson – 454
    12 – Ryan Newman – 440
    13 – Paul Menard – 420
    14 – Clint Bowyer – 417
    15 – Greg Biffle – 409
    16 – Tony Stewart – 402
    17 – Austin Dillon – 400
    18 – Brian Vickers – 394
    19 – Kasey Kahne – 391
    20 – Jamie McMurray – 384

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Michigan

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Michigan

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson took the win at Michigan, snatching his third win in the last four races. It was his first win at Michigan, and he is now second in the points standings.

    “That’s right,” Johnson said. “My first win at Michigan. And that just goes to show that you can’t underestimate my greatness—in one race, I scored two ‘firsts.’

    “It was a Happy Father’s Day, at least for me. And what a great way to celebrate, with a win. The congratulations have been overwhelming. It’s been ‘mad props’ for the ‘glad pops.’”

    2. Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Earnhardt finished seventh in the Quicken Loans 400, posting his tenth top-10 result of the year. He is third in the Sprint Cup points standings, 23 behind Jeff Gordon.

    “You probably heard I left Ryan Newman at the airport,” Earnhardt said. “I call that ‘left behind,’ and so did Newman, when he told me to kiss a certain butt cheek.

    “By the way, Ryan’s phone has a new ring tone—Simple Minds’ ‘Don’t You Forget About Me.’”

    3. Jeff Gordon: Gordon started second at Michigan and led 36 laps on his way to a sixth at Michigan.

    “That’s five wins in a row for Hendrick Motorsports,” Gordon said, “and sixth on the year. NASCAR hasn’t seen a run of dominance like this since Tim Richmond’s S&M phase. Here are some interesting ratios: Three of four Hendrick drivers have won six of 15 races. And one of four Hendrick drivers is Kasey Kahne.”

    4. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski finished third at Michigan following two straight runner-up finishes, at Dover and Pocono. He is fifth in the points standings, 47 out of first.

    “I won in Las Vegas,” Keselowski said, “and haven’t won since. I guess it’s true what they say: ‘What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.’”

    5. Matt Kenseth: Still seeking his first win of the season, Kenseth finished 14th in the Quicken Loans 400.

    “I had seven wins last year,” Kenseth said, “and didn’t win the championship. By that rationale, I’m well on pace to win the Cup this year. At least that’s what I keep telling myself. As for now, my ‘Victory Circle’ is a zero.”

    6. Joey Logano: Logano started ninth and finished ninth at Michigan, recording his eighth top-10 finish of the year. He moved up two spots in the points standings to seventh, 83 out of first.

    “I’d like to wish my dad a Happy Fathers’ Day,” Logano said. “I’m sure most people at the track feel the same about him as they do about Fathers’ Day—-they’re glad it only shows up only once a year.”

    7. Kevin Harvick: Harvick started on the pole at Michigan and finished second to Jimmie Johnson. It was Harvick’s fourth runner-up this season, and left him quite irritable.

    “Some people say my frustration from four runner-up finishes this year is boiling over,” Harvick said. “Well, I would ‘second’ their opinion.”

    8. Carl Edwards: Edwards struggled at Michigan, finishing 23rd, one lap down, as Roush Fenway cars failed to crack the top 15. Edwards is now sixth in the points standings, 75 out of first.

    “We Roush Fenway drivers consider Michigan our home track,” Edwards said. “Ironically, our performance there leaves us home sick.”

    9. Kyle Larson: Larson finished eight at Michigan, posting his seventh top 10 of the year. He is eighth in the Sprint Cup points standings, 83 out of first.

    “My girlfriend and I are expecting a child in December,” Larson said. “I’ll likely be NASCAR’s Rookie Of The Year and a father soon. So, as you’d expect for a young, up-and-coming superstar driver, things are happening ‘fast.’”

    10. Ryan Newman: Newman finished 15th in the Quicken Loans 400 at Michigan, as Richard Childress Racing teammate Paul Menard took fourth.

    “I missed a flight to Michigan because Dale Earnhardt Jr. just forgot about me,” Newman said. “I called Junior and told him I was standing on the runway, waiting for my ride. That joker replied, ‘What are you doing? ‘Taxi-ing?’”

  • The Final Word – Great Father’s Day for Genevieve and Lydia’s Daddy at Michigan

    The Final Word – Great Father’s Day for Genevieve and Lydia’s Daddy at Michigan

    Sunday was a time for remembering our fathers. For those of us still fortunate enough to do so, it was a day to call the ole boy up or drop by for a visit. It was a time for fathers to spend some time with their children or, if one happens to be Jimmie Johnson, a time to kick butt at Michigan and then spend some quality time with the daughters.

    Correct me if I am wrong, but was it not just a few weeks ago some media clowns made up the story that we should all be wringing our hands in anguish as we wondered when, oh when, might Jimmie win a race? That was three wins ago. Soon, we should again be hearing how Johnson dominates all those other little darlin’s by winning all those titles, and what a nasty thing that is. Bite me. The only down side to Six Time’s day was that younger brothers Jarit and Jessie got to spend time with their dad while the older sibling was working his day job. It marked his first victory at Michigan in 25 tries.

    Good race, great race commentary on TNT, as we watched the boys and girl slip sliding away in the early going. Early was all Travis Kvapil got as Brian Vickers lost traction, went for a slide, and wound up fileting the right side of T.K.’s ride on the opening lap.

    Kasey Kahne and Reed Larson, who will be a dad when the big day rolls around next year, got tied up on the eighth lap. The odd man out was Martin Truex Jr, who needed three laps worth of repairs. At least all it will take to make the Chase is just a single ole win, probably. He sure is not going to do it on points. Kyle Busch, who has a win, was a solid 41st after his car developed some issues in the late going and needed a time out in the garage.

    It was a good day for some, with Paul Menard and Kahne both in the Top Five. The usual suspects did well enough, but that did not include the likes of Greg Biffle (20th), Carl Edwards (23rd), Denny Hamlin (29th) or Austin Dillon (30th). In fact, Dillon tumbles out of the Sweet Sixteen. Clint Bowyer moves up and, believe it or not, Tony Stewart is just seven behind Biffle for that final spot. Three SHR boys could make the Chase yet.

    Now, if the boy could only road race. Actually, Tony won at Sears Point twice, and a few years back so did Jimmie Johnson. Oh, did I mention Jeff Gordon has won there five times? As for those road course ringers some teams import, not a damn one has claimed this race in 25 attempts. I guess we know who’s their daddy.

     

    Driver                Wins – Points

    SWEET SIXTEEN
    1 – Jimmie Johnson – 3 – 522
    2 – Dale Earnhardt, Jr – 2 – 514
    3 – Joey Logano – 2 – 454
    4 – Kevin Harvick – 2 – 447
    5 – Jeff Gordon – 1 – 537
    6 – Brad Keselowski – 1 – 490
    7 – Carl Edwards – 1 – 462
    8 – Kyle Busch – 1 – 446
    9 – Denny Hamlin – 1 – 435
    10 – Kurt Busch – 1 – 315
    11 – Matt Kenseth – 0 – 513
    12 – Kyle Larson – 0 – 454
    13 – Ryan Newman – 0 – 440
    14 – Paul Menard – 0 – 420
    15 – Clint Bowyer – 0 – 417
    16 – Greg Biffle – 0 – 409

    CONTENTERS & PRETENDERS
    17 – Tony Stewart – 0 – 402
    18 – Austin Dillon – 0 – 400
    19 – Brian Vickers – 0 – 394
    20 – Kasey Kahne – 0 – 391
    21 – Jamie McMurray – 0 – 384
    22 – A.J. Allmendinger – 0 – 382
    23 – Aric Almirola – 0 – 379
    24 – Marcos Ambrose – 0 – 370
    25 – Casey Mears – 0 – 342
    26 – Martin Truex, Jr. – 0 – 331
    27 – Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. – 0 – 307
    28 – Danica Patrick – 0 – 273
    29 – Justin Allgaier – 0 – 269
    30 – Michael Annett – 0 – 235

    WISHING AND A HOPING
    31 – Cole Whitt – 0 – 211
    32 – David Gilliland – 0 – 209
    33 – David Ragan – 0 – 190
    34 – Reed Sorenson – 0 – 187