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Tag: Jimmie Johnson

  • The Final Word – Bristol was the best of times and the worst of times

    The Final Word – Bristol was the best of times and the worst of times

    If rainy days and Mondays really get you down, your Bristol Cup experience must have truly sucked. Sunday was a dandy day to load up the critters two by two, pushing the event to everyone’s favorite day of the week. Then it turned into a tale of many chapters.

    Chapter one was the story of the dominance of Kyle Larson. Being the friendly sort, he turned the pages over to be dedicated to the Martin Truex Jr. story. After that, the final half of the parchment was all about Joey Logano, at least until Jimmie Johnson decided to jump from support to main character. Now, you cannot have a good story without a few surprises. Larson left his number one pit box to jump straight ahead and surprise, he got tagged for speeding. That left him in 20th, hoping to fly through the field in order to reach the likes of Johnson, Truex, and Logano as the final 100 laps ticked down.

    Then with 33 to go, Truex received his own citation. He was now 15 away, with the other aforementioned boys all near the front, but not at the front. Kevin Harvick and Denny Hamlin took the point to really mess up the narrative as they went green.

    In the end, Johnson prevailed for his 82nd career victory, giving him a win every 6.72 attempts since October 7, 2001, when his adventure began. It also was his second win in as many races. The rest of our main cast finished in the Top Ten, but only Logano achieved a Top Five. That is because Clint Bowyer, Harvick, and Matt Kenseth took the positions right behind the race winner.

    Now, we did notice Bowyer fighting for position outside the Top Ten much of the day. There is no Rosie Ruiz reference applicable to him. In fact, he came back from an early speeding penalty to make his claim. Harvick made some noise in the second segment and was up there when it counted late. As for Kenseth, we did not even know he was out there until near the end, but he was there taking his bows after they dropped the final curtain. With that, he replaces Dale Earnhardt Jr. among our Top 20 in the standings.

    Junior had some issues develop during the second segment that caused him to pound the wall to end his day. One point for his troubles. Kyle Busch had a tire go down during the same segment, then blew it again to find the wall. Two points. Brad Keselowski struggled much of the day, had to go in to fix a host of mechanical issues that developed. Three points. Ryan Blaney lost his power steering early and needed to take the time to fix that issue. Four points.

    It comparison, it was a 54 point day for Johnson, while Truex, Logano, Larson, and Harvick crested 40 in the tally. Sometimes, rainy days and Mondays just work out for you. Heading to Richmond next Sunday, or whenever the weather decides it shall run, Hamlin is the last man to win there. The winner last spring was some guy named Carl Edwards. I hoped he enjoyed Monday’s contest from his couch. I know I did.

  • Johnson Takes Lead in Closing Laps to Win at Thunder Valley

    Johnson Takes Lead in Closing Laps to Win at Thunder Valley

    BRISTOL, Tenn. — Jimmie Johnson passed Kevin Harvick with 21 laps to go and drove on to win the day-late Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway.

    Harvick opted not to pit under the final caution of the race with 40 to go and assumed the race lead. Johnson lined up second after Martin Truex Jr., who beat him off pit road, was busted for speeding and sent to the tail-end of the field.

    On the final restart with 32 to go, Harvick got off to a flying start and held off Johnson for a time. But his old tires were no match for Johnson’s four fresh tires and he lost to Johnson with 21 to go.

    “Yeah, it was kind of interesting because when the No. 42 (Kyle Larson) was there, it just created an environment to run the top and I wasn’t as good on the top,” Johnson said. “The No. 42, not being up there and that first couple of cars; the bottom was really where it was at for the short run. This Lowe’s Chevrolet was flying!

    “This track has been difficult over the years and we really hit on something Saturday afternoon in that last practice session around the bottom and honestly, it’s what I’ve been looking for here for 16 years and we finally figured it out. So, I’m very, very happy.”

    It’s Johnson’s 82nd career victory in 551 career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts.

    Harvick’s teammate Clint Bowyer came home second and Harvick rounded out the podium in third.

    “We’ve come a long way with this team,” Bowyer said putting it into “perspective,” as he stated. “These guys have worked so hard; it’s a fun group, everybody at Haas. My teammates are awesome. It’s so much fun to work with this group each and every week. Hell yeah, you want to be up there and win it. But the day we had, I got caught speeding on pit road and had to bounce back. The guys kept working on the car. I appreciate the opportunity that Gene Haas and Tony Stewart gave me. Mobil 1, Haas Automation and everyone that’s a part of it.”

    Matt Kenseth and Joey Logano rounded out the top-five.

    Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott, Martin Truex Jr., Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Denny Hamlin rounded out the top-10.

    “I’m a little disappointed, but not bad. I’m more disappointed in myself from getting that speeding penalty with 80 (laps) or so to go,” Larson said. “I was just pushing it down pit road and pushed it a little too far. I had a shot there still at the end, but four tires were better than ours.”

    Larson led the field to the green flag at 1:11 p.m. He led the first stage from start to finish and got the playoff point for winning it.

    He dominated most of the second stage but lost the lead when Truex passed him in Turn 2 on lap 202 and Truex won the second stage.

    After losing the lead to Landon Cassill during the caution break, he took it back with ease on the ensuing restart. But on the lap 329 restart, Logano took the lead after Truex chose to restart on the bottom.

    Jimmie Johnson made contact with Logano as he took the lead with 106 to go.

    During the eighth caution, Hamlin opted not to pit and took the lead. Restarting with 73 to go, he held off Johnson for six laps before Johnson took it.

    A two-car wreck with 40 to go set up the run to the finish.

    Kurt Busch brought out the first caution on lap 54 when he bounced off Trevor Bayne exiting Turn 4, slid down the track and hit the inside wall. Chris Buescher slammed into the back of Reed Sorenson trying to slow down in an attempt to miss Busch.

    Kyle Busch brought out the third caution on lap 210 when he suffered a right-front tire blowout and slammed the wall in Turn 2.

    Dale Earnhardt Jr. brought out the third caution on the lap 217 restart when a right-front tire cut led to him slamming the wall in Turn 1 and rupturing an oil cooler line.

    On lap 323, David Ragan attempted to thread the needle between teammate Cassill and Danica Patrick exiting Turn 2. Patrick bumped into him, sending him into Cassill and sent him spinning into the outside wall in Turn 3.

    Kyle Busch suffered a second right-front tire blowout and slammed the Turn 3 wall with 116 to go, bringing out the sixth caution.

    Erik Jones made contact with Gray Gaulding, cut down his right-front tire and slammed the wall in Turn 3. AJ Allmendinger clipped the left-rear corner of Jones’s car.

    The final caution flew when Kasey Kahne hit the wall in Turn 3 and was rear-ended by Paul Menard with 40 to go.

    The race lasted three hours, four minutes and 29 seconds at an average speed of 86.674 mph. There were 14 lead changes among seven different drivers and nine cautions for 76 laps.

    Larson leaves Bristol with a 27-point lead over Elliott.

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  • Hot 20 – Bristol is an all-star venue though Charlotte remains host of the all-star race

    Hot 20 – Bristol is an all-star venue though Charlotte remains host of the all-star race

    Ever since 1987, Charlotte has hosted the all-star race. Some, including Kevin Harvick, figure it should be rotated to other venues like those other sports do. I would agree, only if I had a veto as to what tracks it went to. Even then, I am not sure I would ever agree to the change.

    Do not get me wrong. I do not believe Charlotte always produces the greatest events, but it has three things in its favor. First, it is the home for most of the teams. I like that ole home kind of vibe that comes from having the event just down the road a piece from where they all live. Second, Charlotte has been the home to the longest, most demanding race of the year since 1960. That gives it status and tradition. Third, the all-star race is run just the week before the greatest weekend in auto sports. After the all-stars hit the track, the next weekend we have the Monaco Grand Prix, the Indianapolis 500, and the World 600 keeping us recording and watching races all through the day. The all-star race at Charlotte is a nice appetizer before we enjoy the main course.

    Now, if the alternative to Charlotte was Daytona, Talladega, Sonoma, or Watkins Glen, then maybe. If it was Bristol, I would be tempted. Why? How about watching the action this weekend and you can tell me as to why that might make a good choice. If it keeps your butt glued to the seat, be it trackside or on your couch, that is always a good thing.

    The all-star race is a month away. Bristol features our Hot 20, and the not so hot 19, this Saturday afternoon.

    1. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 2 WINS – 274 PTS
    Even if they fail to win their appeal, he will still sit among the top two come Monday.

    2. KYLE LARSON – 1 WIN – 315 PTS
    Along with Brad and that other Kyle, favored to take the checkers this weekend.

    3. MARTIN TRUEX, JR. – 1 WIN – 275 PTS
    Fall 2011, second. Spring 2012, third. The other 20 at Bristol, outside the Top Ten.

    4. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 1 WIN – 190 PTS
    So ends his horrific six-race winless streak. Oh, the humanity. Good Lord.

    5. RYAN NEWMAN – 1 WIN – 163 PTS
    Since he won, where has he gone?

    6. KURT BUSCH – 1 WIN – 151 PTS
    A theory is that Kurt and Ryan have been hanging out playing Pinochle on race day ever since.

    7. CHASE ELLIOTT – 298 PTS
    Before Junior, the most popular driver was an Elliott. After Junior, it might be again.

    8. JOEY LOGANO – 243 PTS
    On his Verizon commercial, he says “We don’t need more Joeys.” I am biting my tongue.

    9. RYAN BLANEY – 224 PTS
    Along with Larson, Elliott, and Jones, the next generation has arrived and they are damned good.

    10. KYLE BUSCH – 211 PTS
    Prior to 2012, was 5-for-14 at Bristol. Since they shaved the upper banking, he has been 0-for-9.

    11. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 209 PTS
    Arguably having his best season, including the Daytona, Indianapolis, Charlotte trifecta of 2010.

    12. CLINT BOWYER – 204 PTS
    Some drivers wear heart monitors, and some others are named Clint.

    13. KEVIN HARVICK – 198 PTS
    Obviously, does not like staying at home in mid-May.

    14. TREVOR BAYNE – 164 PTS
    Tennessee Trevor is intending to make Bristol Bayne country.

    15. ERIK JONES – 159 PTS
    The last first-year driver to win the title was…Red Byron…in 1949…in the division’s first year.

    16. DENNY HAMLIN – 151 PTS
    Springtime at Bristol over the past seven years has meant 19th or worse…except for 2014.

    17. KASEY KAHNE – 147 PTS
    With Bush Beans the pole sponsor, might one take it without even having to sit in a car?

    18. ARIC ALMIROLA – 146 PTS
    He loves Bristol…but will the feeling be mutual?

    19. RICKY STENHOUSE JR. – 139 PTS
    A pair of Xfinity titles and he is a former American Ninja Warrior. Okay, he also knows Danica.

    20. DALE EARNHARDT JR. – 133 PTS
    What? You were expecting Jeffrey?

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Texas

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Texas

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Kyle Larson: Larson finished second at Texas, his fourth runner-up of the season, and remains the Monster Energy Cup points leader.

    “Given a few more laps,” Larson said, “I think I could have caught Jimmie Johnson for the win. Given a few more lifetimes, I think I could have caught him in the number of Cup championships won.”

    2. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex finished eighth at Texas, posting his fourth top 10 of the year.

    “We definitely had the car to better that eighth-place finish,” Truex said, “so I’m disappointed. If I had it to do over, I think we could have pulled out the win. So, talk about ‘resurfacing’ all you like; it’s the thought of ‘re-finishing‘ that intrigues me.”

    3. Chase Elliott: Elliott posted his fifth top-10 finish of the year with a ninth at Texas, and remained second in the points standings, 17 behind Kyle Larson,

    “Winds were gusting up to 25 miles per hour,” Elliott said, “which means they were faster than Jeffrey Earnhardt.”

    4. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski finished sixth in the O’Reilly Auto Parts 400 at Texas, recording his sixth top-10 result of the year.

    “Only at Texas does the winner get to put on a cowboy hat and fire a set of replica six-shooters,” Keselowski said. “Jimmie Johnson had that honor on Sunday. It’s certainly not the first time for JJ; he’s won seven times at Texas. And, judging by Jimmie’s dehydration issue after the race, I’m guessing he went to the bathroom and shot even more blanks.”

    5. Joey Logano: Logano led late at Texas but couldn’t hold off a charging Jimmie Johnson, who took the lead with 16 laps to go. Logano finished second and is fifth in the points standings, 72 out of first.

    “Much like a Kyle Busch punch,” Logano said, “Jimmie went by me like I wasn’t even there.”

    6. Ryan Blaney: Blaney won the first and second stage in the O[Reilly Auto Parts 400, but faded to a 12th place finish.

    “My last pit stop cost me,” Blaney said. “I overshot my pit stall and that blew my chance of winning. Obviously, my crew assumes I’ll hit my marks perfectly when I pit. I didn’t, and that’s been the story of my year because I’ve been ‘exceeding expectations’ all season.”

    7. Kevin Harvick: Harvick started on the pole at Texas and finished fourth, posting his first top five of the season.

    “I’ve never won at Texas,” Harvick said. “I seem to be cursed at that track. Heck, as one of NASCAR’s least-liked drivers, I believed I’m ‘cursed’ at every track.”

    8. Kyle Busch: Busch came home with a disappointing 15th at Texas, ending a streak of three consecutive top-10 finishes.

    “Ozzy Osbourne visited my pit box during the race,” Busch said. “If Ozzy is the ‘Prince Of Darkness,’ my complexion says I’m the ‘Prince Of Lightness.’”

    9. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson started from the very rear at Texas and passed Joey Logano with 17 laps to go, then cruised to his first win of the season.

    “After a slow start to our season,” Johnson said, “it’s great to finally get a win. But I’m not satisfied. I’m hungry for more, but not as thirsty as I was for fluids after the race. My car’s fluid delivery system malfunctioned, so I needed three bags of intravenous fluids. It’s certainly not the first case of a ‘three-bagger’ making an appearance in a NASCAR infield.”

    10. Jamie McMurray: McMurray finished seventh at Texas, joining Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Kyle Larson in the top 10.

    “The Texas Motor Speedway track was recently repaved,” McMurray said. “So, race-winner Jimmie Johnson picked the perfect time to ‘resurface.’”

  • The Final Word – Texas proves Johnson not done yet…as if any sane person believed he was

    The Final Word – Texas proves Johnson not done yet…as if any sane person believed he was

    Enough with the contrived fake news. No, I am not talking about folks who think their candidate was robbed for being of a certain gender, or obviously the victim of the actions of a foreign power, or that they lost to someone who just has to be Darth Vader incarnate. Hell, I’m not even referring to those who deliver you all the news and nothing but the news, unless the facts are contradictory to the narrative they want to present. Nope. None of that.

    Fake news is presented by those wasting our time wringing their hands over whether someone in the Top Sixteen in points is actually going through some sort of career meltdown. A story about nothing. A story about someone who has not won a championship since way back in November. Someone without a single win since November 20th when he locked up that seventh title. Someone barren of triumphs for six entire races. Good bloody grief.

    So, if for no other reason than to shut up the twits, those scribes with the attention span of gnats, those with nothing better to do than spout about nothing, Jimmie Johnson won a race. It was the 81st of his career, one that extended his win streak to at least one a season since 2002. Maybe we should be worried. He has only won once. In the past, the lowest he ever claimed in a single year was two, and that happened once, in 2011. I should be quiet. I do not want to give some moron a fake news idea to run with.

    Johnson was not terribly visible in the opening stage in Texas. Due to changing some flat spotted tires after practice, he started from the rear. They worked on a way to claim second in the second stage and succeeded. Then his beast came alive and was relevant for much of the final run, beating out a hard charging Kyle Larson for the victory. Who else would be the runner-up? Over the past six events, Larson won at Fontana and claimed second in four others. Maybe we need a story to discuss his rapidly expanding two-race slump.

    Ryan Blaney won the opening two stages but was 12th in the end. No win, but like Johnson and Larson, was among six drivers who collected 40 or more points on the day. Jamie McMurray was in a Top Five ride through the opening two segments, and a Top Ten at the end. Kevin Harvick and Brad Keselowski both were near the front for most of Sunday, as well. They had good days.

    Austin Dillon did not. A part of the rear suspension not known to let go did before they even waved the green flag. While the others went down the track, he went directly to the garage. A 33rd place finish was his fate. You could say that, through no fault of his own, at Texas, the cowboy was all hat, no cattle.

    If 40 points mean one did well, a dozen or less equates into 25th place and beyond, probably indicating a day somewhat less than stellar. Hello, Denny Hamlin and Ryan Newman. What they had just was not enough. Nowhere close.

    Before the Pulitzer-winning wannabe’s shift their focus from Johnson to Dale Earnhardt Jr., his fifth place finish moves him finally into the Top Twenty in the standings. Dillon drops out. Danica Patrick, she who I believe is among our most relevant 27, is sitting 29th in the standings. Chris Buescher and Michael McDowell seem to be presenting the argument that there are actually 29 relevant rides, based on a combination of talent, equipment, and marketing. Some might argue that the number should actually be reduced to 26.

    Maybe those who have been left in a panic with the loss of the bogus “Jimmie Johnson has gone to hell” storyline might want to focus their attention on discussing that one, instead. Just a thought as the rest of us shifts our attention to the week off before action resumes in Bristol. Bristol, where excitement is all but guaranteed. No false news regarding that statement. Anyone disagree?

  • Johnson Wins at Texas; Dominant Blaney Finishes 12th

    Johnson Wins at Texas; Dominant Blaney Finishes 12th

    Jimmie Johnson took his seventh Texas Motor Speedway victory and his first victory of 2017 on Sunday, holding off Kyle Larson by 0.340 seconds to win the O’Reilly Auto Parts 500. Johnson, who has struggled mightily in the 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season, also earned his second top-10 of the season.

    “I guess I remembered how to drive, and I guess this team remembered how to do it! I’m just real proud of this team. What a tough track and tough conditions. We were really in our wheelhouse and we were just able to execute all day. Thanks to everybody at Lowe’s and Chevy and the fans and a ton of sponsors,” Johnson said.

    Although the Chad Knaus-led No. 48 crew wound up in Victory Lane, it was the No. 21 Ford of Ryan Blaney who was the dominant car of the day, leading 148 laps and winning the first two stages of the day. However, Blaney was only able to manage a 12th-place at the end of the race after being penalized for sliding through his pit box during his final pit stop.

    “Our car today was really strong,” said Blaney. “We made really good adjustments to get our car to where we needed it to be. If you would have asked me yesterday if our car would have been so great during the first couple of stages, I wouldn’t have thought so.”

    On sliding through his pit box, he said, “It was kind of an unfortunate deal. We were pinned between the 4 and the 88 at a weird angle, and I hurt us on that one for sure and we weren’t able to pass anyone after that.

    Blaney’s Team Penske Brother-In-Arms Joey Logano managed a gutsy pit play and finished third, while polesitter Kevin Harvick finished fourth and Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished fifth for his first top-10 of the season.

    Brad Keselowski finished in sixth, while Jamie McMurray earned a seventh-place run. Martin Truex Jr. had a strong car early on as well, leading 49 laps, but faded back to eighth at the end. Chase Elliott and Kurt Busch rounded out the top-10.

    Eight cautions slowed down the race for the day, with the most serious being on lap 11, a three-car accident involving Reed Sorenson, Gray Gaulding, and Jeffrey Earnhardt in Turn 2, with Earnhardt receiving the brunt of the accident by backing into the wall hard and ending his day.

    Larson’s runner-up finish maintained his point lead over Chase Elliott by 17 points.

    Ty Dillon was the highest-finishing rookie of the race, finishing in 17th, while Daniel Suarez took his No. 19 Toyota in the 19th-position as the second-highest rookie.

    The next race will be on April 23, at Bristol Motor Speedway.

     

    Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Race – O’Reilly Auto Parts 500
    Texas Motor Speedway
    Fort Worth, Texas
    Sunday, April 9, 2017
    1. (24) Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 334.
    2. (32) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, 334.
    3. (4) Joey Logano, Ford, 334.
    4. (1) Kevin Harvick, Ford, 334.
    5. (37) Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet, 334.
    6. (5) Brad Keselowski, Ford, 334.
    7. (6) Jamie McMurray, Chevrolet, 334.
    8. (7) Martin Truex Jr., Toyota, 334.
    9. (33) Chase Elliott, Chevrolet, 334.
    10. (10) Kurt Busch, Ford, 334.
    11. (3) Clint Bowyer, Ford, 334.
    12. (2) Ryan Blaney, Ford, 334.
    13. (12) Trevor Bayne, Ford, 334.
    14. (11) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Ford, 334.
    15. (34) Kyle Busch, Toyota, 334.
    16. (8) Matt Kenseth, Toyota, 334.
    17. (14) Ty Dillon #, Chevrolet, 334.
    18. (18) Aric Almirola, Ford, 334.
    19. (20) Daniel Suarez #, Toyota, 334.
    20. (16) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet, 334.
    21. (38) Chris Buescher, Chevrolet, 333.
    22. (36) Erik Jones #, Toyota, 333.
    23. (13) Michael McDowell, Chevrolet, 333.
    24. (19) Danica Patrick, Ford, 333.
    25. (17) Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 333.
    26. (9) Ryan Newman, Chevrolet, 332.
    27. (27) * JJ Yeley(i), Chevrolet, 330.
    28. (21) David Ragan, Ford, 329.
    29. (15) Landon Cassill, Ford, 329.
    30. (28) Cole Whitt, Chevrolet, 327.
    31. (26) Matt DiBenedetto, Ford, 327.
    32. (23) * Corey LaJoie #, Toyota, 326.
    33. (25) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, 322.
    34. (29) Gray Gaulding #, Toyota, 322.
    35. (30) Reed Sorenson, Chevrolet, 319.
    36. (22) Paul Menard, Chevrolet, 314.
    37. (40) * Derrike Cope, Toyota, 313.
    38. (35) Kasey Kahne, Chevrolet, 303.
    39. (39) * Timmy Hill(i), Chevrolet, Engine, 104.
    40. (31) Jeffrey Earnhardt, Chevrolet, Accident, 9.

    Average Speed of Race Winner: 147.137 mph.
    Time of Race: 3 Hrs, 24 Mins, 18 Secs. Margin of Victory: 0.340 Seconds.
    Caution Flags: 8 for 35 laps.
    Lead Changes: 16 among 6 drivers.
    Lap Leaders: K. Harvick 1-15; R. Blaney 16-32; K. Harvick 33-36; R. Blaney 37-88; M. Truex Jr. 89-92; R. Blaney 93-125; M. Truex Jr. 126; R. Blaney 127-172; K. Harvick 173-219; B. Keselowski 220-223; J. Logano 224-228; M. Truex Jr. 229-272; J. Johnson 273; J. Logano 274-290; K. Harvick 291-301; J. Logano 302-317; J. Johnson 318-334.
    Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led): R. Blaney 4 times for 148 laps; K. Harvick 4 times for 77 laps; M. Truex Jr. 3 times for 49 laps; J. Logano 3 times for 38 laps; J. Johnson 2 times for 18 laps; B. Keselowski 1 time for 4 laps.
    Stage #1 Top Ten: 21,78,1,4,2,42,14,17,22,18
    Stage #2 Top Ten: 21,48,1,42,24,41,4,2,88,78

  • Texas Motor Speedway – Did You Know?

    Texas Motor Speedway – Did You Know?

    This weekend the Monster Energy NASCAR Truck Series heads to Texas Motor Speedway for the O’Reilly Auto Parts 500. With his victory at Martinsville, Team Penske’s Brad Keselowski became the first driver to grab multiple wins this season. But did you know that Hendrick Motorsports and Joe Gibbs Racing, the two most successful active teams in NASCAR, are winless after six races?

    Texas may be the perfect track for these teams to rebound. HMS driver Jimmie Johnson has the best overall driver rating (107.1) at the 1.5-mile track but so far this year his best finish was ninth place at Phoenix. However, with a track-record six wins, history may be on his side.

    Or maybe Chase Elliott will break through and capture his first win at Texas. He had two top-fives in his 2016 rookie season and is currently in second place in the standings, only four points behind leader, Kyle Larson.

    JGR’s Kyle Busch is also hungry for a win especially after last week’s race at Martinsville where he led a race-high 274 laps only to see victory elude him. He has scored two checkered flags at Texas and is the defending race winner with 11 top fives, 12 top 10s and one pole at Texas.

    But the bigger story may be the newly repaved track surface that was completed during the offseason. Did you know that the entire track was repaved and an extensive drainage system was added on the frontstretch and backstretch? Turns 1 and 2 were also reconfigured with the banking reduced from 24 to 20 degrees and the racing surface widened from 60 to 80 feet through Turns 1 and 2.

    Some of the drivers have expressed concerns about the unpredictability of heading to Texas to compete on the new surface, especially since there will be no opportunity for pre-race testing.

    “To head into Texas with no formal tire test, no official track mapping, let ’er rip, this is new territory for our sport,” Stewart-Hass Racing’s Kurt Busch said. “I think it shows how much we’re having to adapt on the fly. Is it a good thing? A bad thing? It doesn’t matter. It’s what it is, and it’s unique the way we’re headed in there to go 215 mph with no track time.”

    JGR driver Matt Kenseth, who has the second-best driver rating of 104.7 at Texas, calls it “unprecedented,” adding, “I don’t think that we’ve ever gone to a newly paved race track without some sort of a test day, a tire test, or something along those lines.”

    There’s no doubt that this weekend will likely test the skills of even the best driver but let’s look at some statistics to set the stage.

    Did you know that four active drivers have multiple wins at Texas Motor Speedway? Johnson leads the way with six followed by JGR’s Denny Hamlin, Kenseth and Kyle Busch with two each. Roush Fenway Racing leads the Cup Series in victories with nine while Hendrick Motorsports has eight and Joe Gibbs Racing has six.

    There have been 32 MENCS races at Texas, one each year from 1997-2004 and two per season since 2005, resulting in wins by 18 different drivers. But did you know that 78.1 percent (25 of 32) have been won from a top-10 starting position? And, to narrow it down more, starting in third place has produced more wins (six) than any other starting position.

    Don’t miss the O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 Sunday, April 8 at 1:30 p.m. on FOX as the 2017 season continues at Texas Motor Speedway. While you’re waiting, check out the gallery below for a preview of the paint schemes we’ll see this weekend.

    Follow @angiecampbell_ for the latest NASCAR news and feature stories.

    Texas paint schemes

     

  • Hot 20 – If you like Texas Bobbleheads, just nod yes…over…and…over…again.

    Hot 20 – If you like Texas Bobbleheads, just nod yes…over…and…over…again.

    Texas is next on the dance card this weekend, an apropos venue to hear about Bellator and Monster Energy getting together to present some pre-race smackdowns, some good ole fashioned ass whippin’s, some unscripted mayhem. In their desire to make NASCAR cool and hip again, or whatever is considered trendy in today’s vernacular, Monster Energy plans on presenting some MMA matches prior to some selected events. Sounds like they are just going to try and recreate a Berkley peace march.

    Maybe you could have Kyle Busch get together with Ricky Stenhouse Jr. for a little pre-race activity. After Stenhouse bumped Kyle to get back on the lead lap at the end of Stage 2 at Martinsville, accomplishing the task while allowing Chase Elliott to slip ahead for the Stage win, once again we seem to have a burning Busch on our hands.

    Ricky’s pal, Danica Patrick, along with Tony Stewart have had their likenesses enshrined in Milwaukee’s Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum. Just nod your head repeatedly in agreement.

    In 2014, Hall of Famer (baseball version) Tony La Russa saw bobbleheads produced showing him in both the colors of the Athletics and the White Sox. At Phoenix, he was decked out in those of Shell/Pennzoil when the 72-year old dropped by the Team Penske garage to visit with Joey Logano. Come to think of it, didn’t Kyle Busch want to turn Logano into a bobblehead a couple of weeks ago?

    Sunday is Texas…with not 38 or 39 on the entry list, but a full 40! Well, they do like things bigger there, including the race field it seems.  As for these boys listed below, they will indeed be our Hot 20. Temps for Dallas are forecast for the mid-80s F come race day.

    1. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 2 WINS – 234 PTS
    The King of his Kesel (owski)?

    2. KYLE LARSON – 1 WIN – 268 PTS
    Visited the rocket center in Huntsville, but even Smoky could not have put a Saturn V in his car.

    3. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 1 WIN – 236 PTS
    Best damn driver at Martinsville…for the opening stage.

    4. RYAN NEWMAN – 1 WIN – 152 PTS
    This just in. Newman plans to play in Texas, yet has not a single fiddler in the band.

    5. KURT BUSCH – 1 WIN – 119 PTS
    That Daytona win is looming larger and larger with each subpar performance since.

    6. CHASE ELLIOTT – 264 PTS
    Over his past ten, an average finish of 8.3 with six Top Tens. That will do for now.

    7. JOEY LOGANO – 207 PTS
    With MMA fights coming to some NASCAR events, are you ready to rumble, Joey?

    8. KYLE BUSCH – 188 PTS
    Pre-race? Hell, shouldn’t they be having the fights after the race?

    9. RYAN BLANEY – 179 PTS
    His dad was a North Carolina Cup driver. The boy is the same…just better..as dad had hoped.

    10. CLINT BOWYER – 174 PTS
    Top Tens in three of his past four…nothing worse than 13th in last five.

    11. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 163 PTS
    Must have thought he had Flintstone tires at Martinsville…but it eroded away just the same.

    12. KEVIN HARVICK – 154 PTS
    This Sunday, they will feature Danica. In November, Texas will hand out Harvick bobbleheads.

    13. KASEY KAHNE – 146 PTS
    Junior was fine, but his Chevy McChevy face got all steamed up with Kahne.

    14. ERIK JONES – 144 PTS
    While everyone is talking about Larson, another young gun is quietly working his way up.

    15. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 141 PTS
    Oh, my God, what’s wrong with Jimmie? Well, if this is running bad, imagine him running good.

    16. TREVOR BAYNE – 140 PTS
    His 14th Texas start? Damn, time does fly by.

    17. DENNY HAMLIN – 139 PTS
    Made contact with Danica at Martinsville, and wound up in a wall of hurt…and a garage of tears.

    18. ARIC ALMIROLA – 127 PTS
    Best showing since Daytona? 14th.

    19. AUSTIN DILLON – 126 PTS
    Coming off his best win of the season, he is taking the big hat to Texas. Seems about right.

    20. RICKY STENHOUSE JR. – 113 PTS
    The most relevant 27 remain in the Top 27…or at least that is what he keeps trying to tell her.

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Martinsville

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Martinsville

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski passed Kyle Busch with 43 laps and cruised to the win at Martinsville, earning his first win at the Virginia short track.

    “This was my first win at Martinsville,” Keselowski said. “I’m pleased to get my first grandfather clock trophy because it’s about ‘time.’

    “And speaking of ‘time,’ Paul Wolfe is not yet serving time for his suspension for a failed inspection incurred at Phoenix. And we all know what appealing a suspension for which you are clearly guilty is: ‘buying time.’”

    2. Kyle Larson: Larson finished 17th at Martinsville, snapping his streak of four consecutive races in the top 2. He remains the leader in the Monster Energy Cup points standings, four points ahead of Chase Elliott in second.

    “Two of the youngest drivers lead the points standings,” Larson said. “Some of the veterans like to joke that Chase and I are still in diapers. That’s funny and all, but everyone in NASCAR knows that the thing most akin to diapers in this sport is the points format, because, apparently, it ‘needs changing’ all the time.”

    3. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex won Stage 1 at Martinsville and eventually finished 16th at Martinsville.

    “I like the added intensity that stage racing brings to NASCAR,” Truex said. “It’s answered some questions that have long been asked in racing circles, like ‘Can the 80th lap of a race be just as exciting as the final lap?’ Or, ‘Could Kyle Busch’s fuse be shorter?’”

    4. Chase Elliott: Elliott finished third in the STP 500 at Martinsville, posting his third top five of the season.

    “Martinsville is the shortest track on the NASCAR circuit,” Elliott said. “It’s only ½-mile around. Some NASCAR fans call it a ‘paperclip;’ others call it a ‘waistline.’”

    5. Joey Logano: Logano took fourth at Martinsville, posting his third top-five result of the year. He is fifth in the Monster Energy Cup points standings, 61 points out of first.

    “Matt Kenseth finished ninth,” Logano said. “So, as was the case back in November of 2015, my day ended with Kenseth behind me.”

    6. Kyle Busch: Busch finished second at Martinsville after leading a race-high 274 laps. He is sixth in the points standings, 80 out of first.

    “I lost a lengthy battle for the lead with Brad Keselowski,” Busch said. “I blame a faulty set of tires for my failure. I’m very irritated. Not just at those tires, but also at Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., Joey Logano, M&M’s that melt in my hand, and life in general. In other words, ‘Everything is grating.’”

    7. Ryan Newman: Newman finished eighth at Martinsville and is 11th in the points standings.

    “Just for the record,” Newman said, “Danica Patrick and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. did not get engaged. Ricky must be the one holding up things because anyone who’s pissed off Danica knows she’s not afraid to ‘engage’ with anyone.”

    8. Kevin Harvick: Harvick struggled to a 20th-place finish at Martinsville and has yet to post a top-five finish this season.

    “We struggled all day,” Harvick said. “The No. 4 Jimmy Johns Chevrolet was just slow. How slow, you may ask? Well, we were so slow, in honor of our performance, you can walk into any Jimmy Johns, order a sub, and pick it up for free the following day.”

    9. Clint Bowyer: Bowyer scored his second straight top-10 finish with a seventh in the STP 500. He is eighth in the points standings, 94 out of first.

    “I think Tony Stewart is proud of my efforts as of late,” Bowyer said. “And I’m proud to be the guy that was given the opportunity to take over the No. 14 car. But let’s face it, I’ll never be able to truly fill Tony’s seat without 30-40 more pounds in my rear end. In the words of Tony’s long-time lead mechanic, also known as ‘Sir Fixalot,’ ‘Tony’s got back.’”

    10. Ryan Blaney: Blaney finished 25th at Martinsville, posting his worst finish of the season. However, he is seventh in the Monster Energy Cup points standings, 89 behind Kyle Larson.

    “I’m still pleased with my performance so far,” Blaney said. “If you would have told anyone before the season that Ryan Blaney would be seventh in the standings after Martinsville, they would have said ‘Who’s Ryan Blaney?’ And I would have told them, ‘I’m Dave Blaney’s son.’ And they would have said, ‘Who’s Dave Blaney?’ And that makes the Blaney’s a veritable ‘Who’s who?’ of stock car racing.”

  • Why some drivers take longer to discover Martinsville rhythm

    Why some drivers take longer to discover Martinsville rhythm

    MARTINSVILLE, Va. — Martinsville Speedway best suits drivers who figure out the rhythm to racing around the .526 mile paperclip short track. Unsurprisingly, this heavily favors experienced drivers over rookies at Martinsville.

    The textbook example is Jeff Gordon. He once said that of all the tracks he raced at in his 23-year career, Martinsville was the one that changed the least. And the stats back that up. While he didn’t have the most all-time wins at Martinsville when he retired, he finished outside the top-10 only nine times in 47 career starts.

    Teammate Jimmie Johnson has also found similar success at Martinsville with nine wins, a better top-five finishing average and only a slightly smaller top-10 finishing average than Gordon.

    But Johnson admits it wasn’t smooth from the start.

    “For me it took being lapped by Tony Stewart to figure it out and then I followed him and got myself back on the lead lap and had a decent finish,” he said.

    Martinsville is no stranger to periods of dominance by one or more drivers. Richard Petty won 15 races at the tiny paperclip in his career, Darrell Waltrip won 11, Gordon won nine — including his final career victory in 2015 — and Johnson with nine. But the last six trips to Martinsville have produced six different winners: Kurt Busch, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Denny Hamlin, Gordon, Kyle Busch and Johnson.

    So at a track that rewards drivers who best understand its rhythm and is known for dominance by select drivers, what’s produced such parity? Hamlin says it’s data sharing.

    “Data sharing has changed the game in which drivers learn how to be fast and how to be good at certain racetracks,” Hamlin said. “That really was kind of a turning point, I think, for myself, and really circumstances ‑‑ every time the field ‑‑ if the field gets closer to you, you have room for error to get a race win….So when the field gets close like that, that just makes you have to be on your game every single time, where before I feel like I could have kind of overcome anything that kind of threw our way at any point in the race. There’s just ‑‑ you can’t do that now.”

    However, some drivers, even top level drivers, in NASCAR go their entire careers without deciphering it. NASCAR Hall of Fame member Bobby Allison, who won 31 of his 84 career races in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series on short tracks, went his entire career without winning a single race at Martinsville.

    Even when a driver knows the method of racing around Martinsville, it’s not simply something that can be duplicated and passed down to another driver. As Johnson explains, it’s something a driver must figure out on his/her own.

    “I came here and tested with the No. 24 and had Jeff working diligently with me to figure it out and it didn’t click, looking at the data he would hop in my car and go faster and it was just frustrating and then it finally clicked,” Johnson said. “It’s one thing to create short run speed, but there are some little things here in the rhythm that could just chew up tires and wear the tires out and make you drop back way too fast. It’s been great because I feel like once you understand how to get around here it’s something that you can keep for a long time, regardless of tire, generation of car, the test of time it really stands up here on this small track more than anywhere.”