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Tag: Jimmie Johnson

  • Hot 20 – Homestead is a place Happy Harvick should love, but so should Gordon and Truex

    Hot 20 – Homestead is a place Happy Harvick should love, but so should Gordon and Truex

    Homestead. That is where dreams are made or, more likely, where they die. That is if they have not already been snuffed for another year before even reaching the season finale. One thing about that track in Miami is that some of the best just do not seem to do their best there.

    For example, try as you may, you will not find some familiar names listed among the Hot 20 at Homestead. If your average finish is 20th or worse, you will fail to make the cut. Among them are Joey Logano, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and Paul Menard. That trio of eliminated Chasers has, between them, raced at Homestead thirty times. None has won there and combined they boast just a couple of Top Fives and four Top Tens. Even if they had remained in contention, one would have to be hard pressed to consider any of them a favorite to win this Sunday.

    Yet, as bad as they are, there is one notable driver who is worse. Kyle Busch has failed to even make the Top Twenty in half of his 10 starts. He has won none at Homestead, with an average finish of 23rd place. His best result was fourth in 2012. Last year, he was 39th. If Kyle emerges with the championship after this weekend, he would have delivered the race of his life.

    As for the other three contenders, all have a shot, with defending champion Kevin Harvick leading the way. Last year, he did just that to take the race and the crown. Jeff Gordon won there in 2012 while Martin Truex, Jr. has seven Top Tens in 10 attempts to be right in the mix. All have an average finish of no worse than 11th.

    One may well come away with the race win on Sunday though I believe we can expect some heat from others among Homestead’s Hot 20…

    1. Kevin Harvick – 14 races – 1 Win – 12 Top Tens – 7.6 Average Finish
    A repeat as winner guarantees a repeat as Cup champion.

    2. Carl Edwards – 11 races – 2 Wins – 7 Top Tens – 9.1 AveFin.
    His track record at Homestead makes him a fav to win a title some day. It just won’t be Sunday.

    3. Martin Truex Jr. – 10 races – 7 Top Tens – 10.0 AveFin.
    It is time for a Rocky Mountain high to visit Florida.

    4. Jeff Gordon – 16 races – 1 Win – 12 Top Tens – 10.6 AveFin
    This would be a good time to become known as Five-Time.

    5. Denny Hamlin – 10 races – 2 Wins – 6 Top Tens – 10.8 AveFin
    If what Hamlin is selling is his “starter” home, what in hell does he live in now?

    6. Clint Bowyer – 9 races – 6 Top Tens – 10.9 AveFin
    Still a chance he could leave Michael Waltrip Racing with a final win before the sun sets.

    7. Tony Stewart – 15 races – 3 Wins – 7 Top Tens – 14.0 AveFin
    Oh, how the mighty have fallen…and so quickly.

    8. Kyle Larson – 2 races – 14.0 AveFin
    15th one year, 14th last year. You could say he is improving here each time out. Well, you can.

    9. Jimmie Johnson – 14 races – 9 Top Tens – 14.4 AveFin
    A six-time champion under the previous formats, but not so sure about a seventh under this one.

    10. Kasey Kahne – 11 races – 4 Top Tens – 14.9 AveFin
    Number 5 will be as mellow yellow as the number 24 on Sunday.

    11. Brad Keselowski – 7 races – 2 Top Tens – 15.0 AveFin
    Over the past two events at Homestead, his average finish has been 4.5.

    12. Justin Allgaier – 1 race – 15.0 AveFin
    A Top Fifteen finish would match…well…what he did last year.

    13. Matt Kenseth – 15 races – 1 Win – 7 Top Tens – 15.8 AveFin
    He is back. Will he and Joey meet at high noon, or will peace and harmony reign supreme?

    14. Ryan Newman – 13 races – 5 Top Tens – 15.8 AveFin
    Can drive a dozer from 150 miles away. Let him try that in a race car.

    15. Aric Almirola – 5 races – 2 Top Tens – 16.2 AveFin
    I am thinking that Richard Petty likes him best. At least he gets to return next season.

    16. Jamie McMurray – 13 races – 4 Top Tens – 16.6 AveFin
    Once had problems with Kenseth, but now are best buds. Is there hope for Matt and Joey? Right.

    17. Greg Biffle – 13 races – 3 wins – 5 Top Tens – 17.2 AveFin
    Best damn Roush driver this season, but when your teammates are Stenhouse and Bayne…

    18. Danica Patrick – 2 races – 19.0 AveFin
    It is sad when one thinks of this as one of her better tracks.

    19. Kurt Busch – 14 races – 1 Win – 5 Top Tens – 19.2 AveFin
    Hasn’t won in Miami since 2002, but it was the crashes in 2006 and 2008 that left him dead last.

    20. A.J. Allmendinger – 6 races – 2 Top Tens – 19.5 AveFin
    Great start to his career but 36th and 40th in his last two have marred his average just a tad.

    25. Kyle Busch – 10 races – 3 Top Tens – 23.1 AveFin
    His efforts to date get him included on this list. His past efforts at Homestead do not.

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Phoenix

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Phoenix

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Jeff Gordon: Gordon finished sixth at Phoenix in the rain-shortened Quicken Loans Race For Heroes 500.

    “Having already clinched my spot,” Gordon said, “I didn’t have to sweat the finish. I’m not the only driver who can say this, but ‘I handled my business at Martinsville.’”

    2. Kyle Busch: Busch finished fourth at Phoenix and claimed his spot in the Chase finale at Homestead. Busch will vie with Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick and Martin Truex Jr. for the Sprint Cup title.

    “I signed an extension to keep M&M’s and Mars products on my car for the next several seasons,” Busch said. “You’ll see their names on the front of my car, the top of my car, and yes, the back of my car, so I’ll continue to be called a ‘candy ass’ by fellow drivers and fans alike.”

    3. Kevin Harvick: Harvick finished second at Phoenix to lock up his spot in the finale at Homestead.

    “Thanks to the rain,” Harvick said, “my reign continues.

    “I will do anything to win my second Sprint Cup championship. And I mean that in the most literal sense. Whatever it takes, I will do it. That includes wrecking myself and wrecking others. I’m such a talented driver, I can do those things separately.”

    4. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex punched his ticket to Homestead with a 14th-place finish at Phoenix.

    “I made it,” Truex said, “and I didn’t even have to win or wreck Trevor Bayne intentionally to do so.”

    5. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin finished eighth at Phoenix, posting his 19th top 10 of the year.

    “Matt Kenseth met with Brian France after returning from a two-race suspension,” Hamlin said. “I’m sure what France told Matt was ‘quintessential B.F.,’ which is essentially the same as ‘quintessential B.S.’”

    6. Dale Earnhardt Jr: Earnhardt won the rain-shortened Quicken Loans Race For Heroes 500.

    “The skies opened,” Earnhardt said, “and for some drivers, the door closed. That’s the nature of Mother Nature when it comes to stock car racing.”

    7. Joey Logano: Logano finished third in the rain-shortened Quicken Loans Race For Heroes 500 at Phoenix. Needing a win to advance, Logano will have to wait until next year to seek his first Sprint Cup championship.

    “This was supposed to be my year,” Logano said, “but things got turned around when I ‘turned around’ Matt Kenseth.”

    8. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski finished ninth at Phoenix and finished eighth in the point standings.

    “We didn’t put a single Penske Racing driver in the finale at Homestead,” Keselowski said. “But we might put a single Joe Gibbs Racing driver into the wall at Homestead.”

    9. Kurt Busch: Busch finished seventh despite suffering a drive-through penalty for jumping the start of the Quicken Loans Race For Heroes 500.

    “You can’t beat the pole sitter to the starting line,” Busch said. “Much like I did when I accused Patricia Driscoll of being an assassin, I ‘jumped the gun.’”

    10. Carl Edwards: Edwards came home 12th at Phoenix and finished fifth in the points standings, just missing out on eligibility for the championship at Homestead.

    “Who’s wrecked more Chase hopes?” Edwards said. “The rain, or Matt Kenseth?”

  • Johnson Captures Coors Light Pole at Phoenix

    Johnson Captures Coors Light Pole at Phoenix

    Jimmie Johnson will lead the field to the green flag Sunday for the Quicken Loans Race for Heroes 500 at Phoenix International Raceway.

    The driver of the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet scored his first pole in 58 races with a new track record time of 25.147 and a speed of 143.158 mph.

    Johnson spoke about the gains his team has made in recent weeks, stating that his team “didn’t have the summer that we wanted, but these guys have been working so hard on the No. 48 team and at Hendrick Motorsports. So, I’m very happy to see the progress and the direction things are going. It’s been a little bit, everywhere. If we keep doing that, we’re going to close this season out just like we want to and be ready for 2016.”

    Kurt Busch and his No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet will join Johnson on the front row with a time of 25.196 and a speed of 142.880 mph.

    Busch was somewhat disappointed with the runner-up starting position saying he felt that he “let the team down a little on that lap because our car is better than that. But starting up front here is a big advantage and we’ll work on the car a little tomorrow to fine tune and be ready to go out and race on Sunday and hope for a win.”

    Dale Earnhardt Jr. will start his No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet in third after a time of 25.249 and a speed of 142.580 mph. Carl Edwards’ 142.501 mph lap in his No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota earned him a fourth place start and Martin Truex Jr. rounded out the top-five in his No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet with a time of 25.300 and a speed of 142.292 mph.

    Kyle Larson will start his No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet in sixth while Erik Jones, filling in for the suspended Matt Kenseth, in the No. 20 JGR Toyota, will begin the race in seventh place. Kevin Harvick, who has won the last four consecutive races at Phoenix,  qualified in the eighth position with his SHR No. 4 Chevrolet. Kasey Kahne will start his No. 5 HMS Chevrolet in ninth and Kyle Busch rounds out the top-10 in his No. 18 JGR Toyota.

    Of the remaining Chase-eligible drivers, Jeff Gordon will start in 11th, Joey Logano in 14th and Brad Keselowski, who qualified in 18th, will be the lowest starting Chase driver.

    Forty-three cars were entered, so nobody was sent home.

    Complete Starting Lineup:

    Position Car No. Driver Make Speed
    1 48 Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet 143.158
    2 41 Kurt Busch Chevrolet 142.88
    3 88 Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Chevrolet 142.58
    4 19 Carl Edwards Toyota 142.501
    5 78 Martin Truex, Jr. Chevrolet 142.292
    6 42 Kyle Larson Chevrolet 142.287
    7 20 Erik Jones Toyota 142.219
    8 4 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet 142.068
    9 5 Kasey Kahne Chevrolet 142.062
    10 18 Kyle Busch Toyota 141.833
    11 24 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet 141.409
    12 1 Jamie McMurray Chevrolet 141.409
    13 11 Denny Hamlin Toyota 141.665
    14 22 Joey Logano Ford 141.649
    15 27 Paul Menard Chevrolet 141.393
    16 3 Austin Dillon Chevrolet 141.343
    17 43 Aric Almirola Ford 141.282
    18 2 Brad Keselowski Ford 141.271
    19 17 Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. Ford 140.944
    20 16 Greg Biffle Ford 140.691
    21 10 Danica Patrick Chevrolet 140.378
    22 31 Ryan Newman Chevrolet 140.28
    23 47 A.J. Allmendinger Chevrolet 140.252
    24 13 Casey Mears Chevrolet 139.735
    25 51 Justin Allgaier Chevrolet 139.492
    26 6 Trevor Bayne Ford 139.459
    27 15 Clint Bowyer Toyota 139.265
    28 9 Sam Hornish, Jr. Ford 139.114
    29 55 David Ragan Toyota 138.91
    30 83 Matt DiBenedetto Toyota 138.9
    31 14 Tony Stewart Chevrolet 138.739
    32 40 Landon Cassill Chevrolet 138.212
    33 26 J.J. Yeley Toyota 138.164
    34 38 David Gilliland Ford 137.878
    35 7 Alex Bowman Chevrolet 137.868
    36 46 Michael Annett Chevrolet 137.799
    37 23 Jeb Burton Toyota 136.997
    38 35 Cole Whitt Ford 136.82
    39 32 Joey Gase Ford 136.747
    40 34 Brett Moffitt Ford 136.462
    41 98 Ryan Preece Ford 135.486
    42 33 Ryan Ellis Chevrolet 134.71
    43 62 Timmy Hill Chevrolet 131.507

     

  • NASCAR BTS: The Jimmie Johnson Foundation Champions Grant Program

    NASCAR BTS: The Jimmie Johnson Foundation Champions Grant Program

    While Jimmie Johnson is a champion, six-times in fact, as well as the race winner from this past weekend at Texas Motor Speedway, he and his wife Chandra are also champions off the track with their foundation’s funding of local school initiatives.

    This week’s NASCAR BTS goes behind the scenes of the Jimmie Johnson Foundation and the Champion’s Grant Program in particular.

    “The Jimmie Johnson Foundation was started in 2006 with quite a broad mission of helping families, children and communities in need across the United States,” Amanda Prothero, Executive Director of the Foundation, said. “As the years passed, the Johnsons kept hearing about the importance of education so the focus of the Foundation then became supporting K – 12 public education and schools.”

    “That’s how, in partnership with Lowes, the Champion’s Grant Program developed so that we could directly support schools in three areas, which are El Cajon, California (Jimmie Johnson’s hometown); Muskogee, Oklahoma (Chandra Johnson’s hometown); and Charlotte, North Carolina where the Johnsons currently live.”

    Just recently, the Foundation announced their latest round of Champions Grants totally $550,000.  Six schools in North Carolina, two in Oklahoma and two in California received the funding, with grants ranging from $25,000 to $100,000 based on the grant request and need.

    “This year’s applications were very impressive,” Johnson, driver of the No. 48 Lowes Chevrolet said. “We are honored to be able to fund so many innovative and exciting projects in our hometowns and here in the Charlotte area. We can’t wait to see them through to completion.”

    “The Champions Grant program impacts thousands of students each year,” Chandra Johnson said.  “Hearing from some of them about what a difference the grants will make in their education was really special. It is a pleasure to continue to do our part to support public education.”

    One of the ways that the Champions Grant Program is unique is that it makes grants based on critical needs, not on the ‘nice to have’ programs.

    “We’re looking for the ‘have to have’ programs in schools,” Jenny Mayer, the Jimmie Johnson Foundation Manager said. “As you can imagine, we receive a lot of technology requests, playgrounds and outdoor learning requests.”

    “One of my favorite grant stories was about a school in Oklahoma.  They had all of the technology that they needed but were unable to use it because there were no blinds on the windows. And the kids just couldn’t see the whiteboards because there was always that glare.”

    “So, the application they submitted was for window blinds. That’s not one of those ‘cool’ grant projects, but it was a critical need. The Foundation funded the project and it was amazing to hear the stories of the difference in classroom learning and student achievement all because of window blinds.”

    “I tell the schools this story to show that we’re not looking for this elaborate proposal. We want the schools to tell us what they need to educate their students and we will consider it.”

    Another unique aspect to the Champions Grant Program is just how rigorous the process is and how thoroughly each submission is reviewed.

    “We actually have a committee of folks involved in the review process,” Prothero said. “We have a representative from Lowes on that committee. We have some community members that have a heavy interest and have worked in education. We have a couple of people from Jimmie Johnson Racing.”

    “It goes through an initial review where the committee members score each application. That happens twice. Then we have a face to face committee meeting where we hash out who we’ll fight for and who we feel passionate about. The final piece of the puzzle is that we do site visits and we have people on the ground in the three areas that do the visits.”

    “And after all that, we present the final slate to the Foundation Board of Directors, which includes Mr. and Mrs. Johnson. They will ask questions and dive deep into the recommendations. That’s the final piece of the puzzle when we present the final slate of the grantees.”

    Prothero can personally attest to how thorough the grant review process is having been through it herself prior to beginning her work with the Foundation.

    “Before I joined the Foundation, I worked for a public charter school,” Prothero said. “We actually applied to the Jimmie Johnson Foundation for a grant so I got to see it from the other side before joining the Foundation.”

    “I always loved the Foundation process because it was so thorough and so involved and informative. Whenever you needed help, it was always available. And even though it is quite a long process, it actually was one of my favorites because I knew the Foundation took it very seriously as to where they wanted to invest their money.”

    The final way that the Foundation stands out is how involved Jimmie and Chandra Johnson are, both with grantmaking, as well as fundraising for the Foundation.

    “Jimmie and Channie are super involved,” Prothero said. “We communicate with them on a regular basis. They are the decision makers and have final say on everything we do as a Foundation.”

    “They feel very passionately about public education and what they can do to help.  They feel strongly about having the money go directly to the schools so that they can see the projects and the results.”

    “And they love nothing more than to see and speak to the students themselves to see how the funding will impact them and their education.”

    While the grants have been made for this funding cycle, the next opportunity for schools to apply to the Jimmie Johnson Champions Grant Program will be after the first of the New Year.

    “We definitely have to remind the schools about the program because it is mainly teachers and administrators within the schools that are applying,” Mayer said. “And that is just one other thing they do in addition to their classroom duties.”

    “It’s commendable that they do it and we’re proud to provide the opportunities. We actually offer information calls and we encourage any school interested in participating to jump on the monthly calls while the process is open. We give them details and helpful hints, as well as being able to answer one-on-one questions.”

    For anyone interested in applying for the Jimmie Johnson Foundation Champion Grants Program next year or to participate in the many fundraising and donation opportunities, visit https://jimmiejohnsonfoundation.org/ or follow them on Twitter @TeamJJF.

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Texas

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Texas

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Jeff Gordon: Gordon finished ninth in the AAA Texas 500, earning his 19th top-10 result of the year.

    “I was given two ponies by Texas Motor Speedway as a retirement gift,” Gordon said. “I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do with them. As a soon to be retiree, I reckon I will just put them out to pasture.”

    2. Joey Logano: Logano blew a left-rear tire on lap 4, and the resulting damage sent the No.22 to the garage for major repairs. He finished 40th, 60 laps down, and will need a win at Phoenix to be among the final four eligible to win the Cup at Homestead.

    “Matt Kenseth was not on the track,” Logano said. “I never thought this statement would ever be uttered, but ‘You take away Matt Kenseth, you take away all the excitement.’”

    3. Kevin Harvick: Harvick recovered from two blown tires to finish third in the AAA Texas 500. He is third in the Sprint Cup points standings.

    “I also had to keep my hand on the shifter,” Harvick said. “That was to keep the car from popping out of gear. That goes to show that when Kevin Harvick faces adversity, he overcomes it. That was the case at Dover—I was backed into a corner, so I backed into a wall.”

    4. Kyle Busch: Busch finished fourth at Texas and holds the second spot in the points standings.

    “Sammy Hagar gave a pre-race concert in the Texas Motor Speedway infield,” Busch said. “I believe he was staring straight at me when he sang ‘I Can’t Drive 55.’”

    5. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski started on the pole and dominated, leading 312 of 334 laps, but lost the victory when Jimmie Johnson passed him for the lead late. Keselowski is sixth in the points standings.

    “I’ll likely need a win to advance,” Keselowski said. “My Penske teammate Joey Logano faces the same situation. We could finish 1-2. If that happens, one of us could be taking it home, while the other would be going home.”

    6. Carl Edwards: Edwards finished fifth in the AAA Texas 500, posting his seventh top 5 of the year.

    “NASCAR suspended Matt Kenseth for two races,” Edwards said. “Matt seemed to be enjoying himself, sitting at home, watching the race, and sending sarcastic tweets. I don’t think NASCAR can suspend him for wrecking Twitter.”

    7. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex lost his power steering while battling for the lead late in the race, and managed to hold on for an eighth-place finish.

    “I’m fourth in the points standings,” Truex said. “If I hold that position, I’ll likely have a spot in the finale at Homestead. That would mean a lot for our team because the Furniture Row Racing team certainly deserves a seat at the table.”

    8. Kurt Busch: Busch finished seventh in the AAA Texas 500, and is seventh in the points standings.

    “I’m on the brink of elimination,” Busch said. “That’s what Joey Logano said when he saw Matt Kenseth behind him at Martinsville. It’s also what a soon-to-be-assassinated mark says when my ex-girlfriend Patricia Driscoll puts the crosshairs on the target.”

    9. Dale Earnhardt Jr: Earnhardt finished sixth at Texas, posting his 21st top 10 of the year.

    “I’ve got top-10 finishes in the last three races,” Earnhardt said. “And that reminds me, you should try Diet Mountain Dew’s new flavor, ‘2 Little, 2 Late.’ It’s bittersweet.”

    10. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson passed Brad Keselowski on lap 331 and won his third straight race at Texas.

    “I may not be eligible for the Cup,” Johnson said, “but a win is a win is a win.”

  • Surprising and Not Surprising: AAA Texas 500

    Surprising and Not Surprising: AAA Texas 500

    From deep in the heart of the Lone Star State, here is what was surprising and not surprising from the 11th annual AAA Texas 500.

    Surprising: There apparently is a new super power in NASCAR called ‘Mega Turn’. At least that was the power bestowed on race winner Jimmie Johnson by runner-up Brad Keselowski.

    “The 48 car had mega turn that last run and I couldn’t keep the turn and it kept pushing real bad,” the driver of the No. 2 Wurth Ford Fusion said. “I did everything I could to hold him off, but he was way faster that last run.”

    “Their team did a hell of a job and found speed and my team did a hell of a job too. We led 300-some laps and these debris yellows always favor someone and it wasn’t our day for them to favor us.”

    “It was a hell of a race.”

    This was Keselowski’s sixth top-10 finish at Texas and his 23rd top-10 finish of the season.

    Not Surprising: Given the fact that rain washed out both Cup practices, the saying ‘When it rains, it pours’ was definitely applicable at Texas, especially for Chase driver Joey Logano. Not only did his tire blow early in the race but one of his crew members had hot oil pour out of the car onto his face, causing him to take a quick trip to the infield care center.

    While the crew member was treated and released, Logano finished 40th and is now solidly in the basement of the Chase race, 69 points behind leader Jeff Gordon.

    “Sometimes you just have to roll with the punches,” the driver of the No. 22 AAA Insurance Ford said. “This team is strong. We didn’t take any wind out of our sails today and we showed how fast this thing was even after we crashed. I am very proud of our team.”

    “It is unfortunate that we finished how we did.”

    Surprising: After a weekend that was not so classy, this week’s race was filled with at least a few moments of class, from Jimmie Johnson racing Brad Keselowski fair and square without incident for the race win to Martin Truex Jr. acknowledging some hard racing with Keselowski with a handshake after the race.

    “I just like to race guys clean anyway, the driver of the No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet said of Keselowski. “I kept working on him and working on him. He got real loose off (Turn) 2 and I had a big run off the top and I went for a big slide job down in (Turns) 3 and 4 and got the win.”

    And of the other classy act of the race, here is what eighth place finisher Martin Truex Jr. had to say of his close racing with Brad Keselowski.

    “We just rubbed a little bit there in the tri-oval,” the driver of the No. 78 Furniture Row/Visser Precision Chevrolet said. “No big deal at all. We were both racing hard. Good hard racing-rubbing a little. Rubbing is racing.”

    “It was fun.”

    Not Surprising: Although he is one of the younger drivers on the track, Erik Jones was spent and ready for some respite after running the third race of the weekend in substitution for Matt Kenseth in the No. 20 DeWalt Toyota.

    “I’m ready to take a day off, I don’t think I’ve ever run more than two races – the Truck and XFINITY race – in more than one weekend,” Jones said. “At this point, I’m feeling fine, but I can definitely feel it coming on. I’ll be worn out tonight.”

    “It was a fun weekend and I’ll do it again for sure next weekend. I’m looking forward to it, but it’s definitely busy and definitely hard on you. I’ll take a nice day off tomorrow.”

    Surprising: One would think that having two tires go down, as well as another shifter problem, would definitely have resulted in a near the bottom of the pack finish. Not so for one Kevin Harvick, who rallied back from all that to finish third in his No. 4 Budweiser/Jimmy John’s Chevrolet.

    “I’ve never had to drive with one arm that long,” Harvick said. “I had to pay a lot more attention. The hardest part was my arm started to go to sleep and I had to let off on it to get the blood flowing again.”

    This was Harvick’s 14th top-10 finish in 26 races at Texas Motor Speedway.

    Not Surprising: Even veteran drivers, including one in his last season, can continue to be a student of the sport. Of course, that continuing education is greatly enhanced when that driver is also already guaranteed a spot in the final four of the Championship Chase.

    “I thought we learned a lot this weekend,” Jeff Gordon, driver of the No. 24 Axalta Chevrolet said. “I think we certainly know that our cars are fast because our teammate won. At the same time, I think that we were here to execute and push hard, try to win, but also to just learn what we could. I thought we learned some stuff.”

    “Something good to build on and work on.”

    Surprising: While teammate Jeff Gordon was going to hug his teammate after the win, the two top finishing Toyotas were also actually cheering on competitor Jimmie Johnson for the race win.

    “For our situation, we wanted to see a guy that was not in the Chase win or a guy that we were racing right around us like the 78 (Martin Truex Jr.) and win the race,” Kyle Busch said after finishing fourth. “This M&M’s Crispy Camry was really, really fast today – just not fast enough. We fought hard, we did what we needed to do, we finished in the top-five and we got ourselves in a pretty good spot hopefully.

    “My guys never cheered so hard for Jimmie (Johnson), we needed that for the points going to Homestead,” Carl Edwards said after finishing fifth. “Our Sport Clips Camry – it was fast. It was really fast in the middle of the race. We were up to second and I thought we had something then it fell off at the end.”

    “This was a fun race to drive.”

    Not Surprising: Two drivers had some close encounters with the wall, with both manning up that it was due to driver error.

    “We had a good car and we were driving forward early and I got into the wall off four trying to pass somebody and cut a right front tire down,” Ryan Blaney, driver of the No. 21 SNAP-ON Tools Ford said. “Hit the wall pretty hard in one and two and ruined our day. It is all my fault. I hit the wall all by myself and ruined a very fast race car.”

    “I was having too much fun out there and got loose, three-wide after a restart and tagged the wall real good and bent the car up pretty bad and knocked the rear deck lid off of it,” Dale Earnhardt Jr. said after the race. “We got the chance to fix it and we just had a real fast car. I think we had the best car here. Just can’t hit the wall, but man we were just having fun, running hard. Got to do that every once in a while.”

    Surprising: Brian Scott continues to strut his stuff in the Cup Series. He had another top-15 finish, his second in his limited run in the series, finishing 14th in his No. 33 Shore Lodge Chevrolet. This was the first time in his Cup career that he has scored back to back top-15’s.

    Not Surprising: Demonstrating his dry wit and his own brand of humor yet again, Matt Kenseth won his own race, at least for one of the most re-tweeted Twitter postings after the race.

    “Good work @JimmieJohnson! Textbook pass for the win at the end of the race when someone is trying to take your lane. #quintessential”

  • Johnson Fires the Six Shooters Deep in the Heart of Texas

    Johnson Fires the Six Shooters Deep in the Heart of Texas

    Jimmie Johnson denied Brad Keselowski a date with immortality by stealing the victory in Texas on Sunday.

    The driver of the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet led only six laps on his way to scoring his 75th career victory, fifth win of the season and sixth at Texas Motor Speedway.

    Johnson said that he “just kept pressure on him (Keselowski). I could see that he was really tight and that was the first I had seen him that vulnerable all day. I just kept the pressure on him, kept searching for line. He saw me coming on the top and protected it. I just kept trying to put pressure on him hoping for a mistake. He got real loose off of Turn 2 and I had a big run down the backstretch and drove it in really far into Turn 3 hoping to hear clear. Once I did I knew I was home free.”

    The driver of the No. 2 Team Penske Ford led 312 of the 334 laps on his way to getting passed for the win and finishing runner-up.

    “The 48 car had mega turn that last run and I couldn’t keep the turn and it kept pushing real bad. I did everything I could to hold him off, but he was way faster that last run. Their team did a hell of a job and found speed and my team did a hell of a job too. We led 300-some laps and these debris yellows always favor someone and it wasn’t our day for them to favor us. I am still very proud of our effort today. We will have a great shot at winning next week. We really needed to win this one and I know I gave it my all,” said Keselowski.

    Kevin Harvick led 11 circuits on his way to rounding out the podium in his No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet. Kyle Busch led one lap and finished his No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota in fourth. Carl Edwards rounded out the top-five in his No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota.

    Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished sixth followed by Kurt Busch in seventh. Martin Truex Jr. finished eighth, Jeff Gordon finished ninth and Jamie McMurray rounded out the top-10.

    Joey Logano was the only Chase driver outside the top-10. A flat tire 11 laps into the race relegated him to a 40th-place finish.

    Jeff Gordon leaves Texas with a two-point lead over Kyle Busch. Harvick leaves in third place, three points behind the leader. Martin Truex Jr. leaves Texas in fourth, six points back. Carl Edwards is fifth in the standings, 13-points back. Keselowski leaves in sixth place, 25 points behind Gordon. Kurt Busch is seventh (-34) and Logano leaves at the bottom of the title contender  rankings, 69 points back.

    Now mathematically unable to race his way in next week, the driver of the No. 22 Team Penske Ford must win at Phoenix in order to race for the championship at Homestead.

    “Sometimes you just have to roll with the punches. We will be ready for Phoenix. This team is strong, Logano said.

     

    NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Race – AAA Texas 500
    Texas Motor Speedway
    Fort Worth, Texas
    Sunday, November 08, 2015

        1. (8) Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 334, $462976.

        2. (1) Brad Keselowski, Ford, 334, $394391.

        3. (2) Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, 334, $280475.

        4. (3) Kyle Busch, Toyota, 334, $242766.

        5. (13) Carl Edwards, Toyota, 334, $170575.

        6. (10) Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet, 334, $171240.

        7. (7) Kurt Busch, Chevrolet, 334, $157615.

        8. (23) Martin Truex Jr., Chevrolet, 334, $160910.

        9. (18) Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 334, $172351.

        10. (27) Jamie McMurray, Chevrolet, 334, $158556.

        11. (26) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, 334, $156576.

        12. (6) Erik Jones(i), Toyota, 334, $153326.

        13. (20) Paul Menard, Chevrolet, 334, $120440.

        14. (21) Brian Scott(i), Chevrolet, 334, $127748.

        15. (14) Clint Bowyer, Toyota, 334, $142973.

        16. (11) Danica Patrick, Chevrolet, 334, $116140.

        17. (30) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet, 334, $137398.

        18. (24) Aric Almirola, Ford, 334, $143526.

        19. (12) Greg Biffle, Ford, 333, $137148.

        20. (16) Kasey Kahne, Chevrolet, 333, $120765.

        21. (28) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Ford, 333, $113540.

        22. (19) Ryan Newman, Chevrolet, 333, $137240.

        23. (15) David Ragan, Toyota, 333, $132079.

        24. (32) Sam Hornish Jr., Ford, 332, $130910.

        25. (36) Landon Cassill(i), Chevrolet, 331, $104265.

        26. (17) Casey Mears, Chevrolet, 330, $126123.

        27. (39) Cole Whitt, Ford, 330, $115398.

        28. (43) Justin Allgaier, Chevrolet, 330, $120587.

        29. (41) David Gilliland, Ford, 329, $108340.

        30. (35) Brett Moffitt #, Ford, 329, $103130.

        31. (37) Michael Annett, Chevrolet, 329, $99915.

        32. (40) Jeb Burton #, Toyota, 329, $99690.

        33. (34) JJ Yeley(i), Toyota, 329, $99473.

        34. (33) Michael McDowell, Ford, 328, $99240.

        35. (38) Matt DiBenedetto #, Toyota, 328, $99040.

        36. (42) Ryan Preece, Chevrolet, 326, $98810.

        37. (5) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, Accident, 304, $126510.

        38. (9) Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 304, $111852.

        39. (29) Trevor Bayne, Ford, 296, $134355.

        40. (4) Joey Logano, Ford, 268, $132988.

        41. (31) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet, Engine, 236, $81780.

        42. (22) Tony Stewart, Chevrolet, Accident, 52, $104994.

        43. (25) Ryan Blaney(i), Ford, Accident, 26, $74280.

  • Hot 20 – Kenseth to miss Texas and Phoenix after facing NASCAR justice (pending appeals)

    Hot 20 – Kenseth to miss Texas and Phoenix after facing NASCAR justice (pending appeals)

    Bad boy and bad girl. It would seem NASCAR is an equal opportunity disciplinarian, as both Matt Kenseth and Danica Patrick got slapped for aggressive driving at Martinsville. In short, they purposely ran into people with bad intentions.

    Gone for two, including the races in Texas and Phoenix, is Kenseth for taking out Joey Logano in mobster style last week. Nine laps down he plucked the front running Logano out of the mix and bulldozed him into the wall. As I write this, Kenseth is appealing his penalty, though I would be surprised if any change in his sentence is forthcoming.

    There are those hand ringers who figure this was an awful thing. I do not agree. In fact, I think I just became a Kenseth fan for life. The way I see it, all he did was tune in a mouthy little twerp who danced all over his accomplishment of knocking the former champ out of the way back in Kansas, robbing Kenseth of his best shot at continuing in the Chase. You do not celebrate causing another’s misfortune unless you want karma to come back and bite you in the ass.

    Now, you might suspect that I am no fan of Logano. That would be correct, but my feelings toward the man are based only on perception. If I knew him and ran into him on a weekly basis and could not stand him, that is one thing. The truth is, we have never met, and if I had the chance to sit down with Logano for a couple of hours over some adult pops, I might end up a fan of his for life, too. Instead, my feelings toward him, along with those of most of you, are based only on a perception, and that perception just leaves me ice cold.

    As for Patrick, her temper was anything but cold. It warranted her picking up a behavioral penalty for using her car to rearrange parts of that driven by David Gilliland at Martinsville. That cost her $50,000 and 25 points.

    Both penalties, by the way, are justified, though I do not condemn their actions. They felt they needed to do something, they did what they did, and now have to pay the piper. End of story.

    This column takes a break next week but returns to set the table as the boys and girl venture into Homestead to wrap things up for the season. Just in time to see the return of a certain bad boy to the track. My hero, at least for the moment.

    Our Hot 20 during the Chase, and only the Chase, to date include…

    1. JOEY LOGANO – 3 Wins, 265 Points
    Joey might be the best in the Chase, but Kenseth seemed more than able to chase him down.

    2. JEFF GORDON – 1 Win, 260
    Do you believe in fairy tales with happy endings?

    3. CARL EDWARDS – 257
    It has been seven years since he won his third at Texas.

    4. DENNY HAMLIN – 1 Win, 248
    Could have still been in the hunt himself except for Harvick’s actions at Talladega.

    5. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 247
    If NASCAR is going all “wild west,” shouldn’t that well suit a team from Denver?

    6. RYAN NEWMAN – 231
    Being outside the Chase, he shouldn’t feel the need to repeat last year’s move at Phoenix.

    7. KYLE BUSCH – 224
    Four Top Fives, including a win, in last five attempts at Texas, bodes well for Sunday.

    8. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 221
    How things change. Just a year ago the Feud of the Week involved Brad and Jeff.

    9. KURT BUSCH – 217
    Can pick either Kenseth or Keselowski to blame for his tribulations last week.

    10. DALE EARNHARDT JR. – 215
    Jeff cheered for winning, Matt cheered for creaming Logano, Junior cheered for being Junior.

    11. KEVIN HARVICK – 1 Win, 214
    After Matt’s little adventure, we did not hear much from Harvick. Trevor Bayne wonders why?

    12. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 201
    Not a contender but he has become relevant.

    13. RICKY STENHOUSE, JR. – 196
    Not among the Top Twenty heading into the Chase, but some groundwork is being laid for 2016.

    14. KASEY KAHNE – 195
    Four Top Tens during the Chase, but 19th at Talladega, 24th in Chicago, dead last at Charlotte.

    15. MATT KENSETH – 1 Win, 185
    I once thought Matt was as boring as white bread…but not anymore!

    16. GREG BIFFLE – 185
    The worst season of his career still the best Roush-Fenway has this year.

    17. ARIC ALMIROLA – 184
    Ranked 17th on the season, 17th during the Chase events. Not great, but he is consistent.

    18. KYLE LARSON – 184
    Newman’s berth to Homestead last year went through Larson…literally.

    19. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 181
    Are we there yet?

    20. PAUL MENARD – 177
    He always wanted to have the same success as Jimmie, but this is not quite what he envisioned.

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Martinsville

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Martinsville

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Jeff Gordon: Gordon seized his opportunity at Martinsville, taking the lead late and holding on for his ninth win at the Virginia half-mile track. With the win, Gordon will be one of four drivers vying for the Sprint Cup at Homestead.

    “I can certainly identify with Joey Logano,” Gordon said. “Because we both ‘owe’ Matt Kenseth.”

    2. Joey Logano: Logano was dominating at Martinsville and seemed headed for his fourth straight victory, till Matt Kenseth intentionally wrecked Logano with 47 laps left. Logano finished 37th, 42 laps down.

    “It was a total coward move by Kenseth,” Logano said. “And I should know—I’m all yellow.

    “I’m furious, and so is my father Tom. He was redder than a Martinsville hot dog. He was so irate, he had to be restrained. And speaking of ‘restraint,’ that reminds me of my first memory of my father, when he duct-taped to the seat of a go-cart and said ‘Drive.’”

    3. Kevin Harvick: Harvick led 38 laps and finished eighth in the Goody’s Headache Relief Shot 500.

    “Once again,” Harvick said, “I made a move that kept my championship hopes alive. This time, however, instead of driving into the fray, I steered clear of controversy.”

    4. Kyle Busch: Busch finished fifth at Martinsville, and is second in the points standings with two races to go before the finale at Homestead.

    “I can’t wait to hear NASCAR’s response to the Matt Kenseth-Joey Logano incident,” Busch said. “In the ‘Boys, have at it’ age, and just weeks after Brian France used the term ‘quintessential NASCAR,’ it seems that NASCAR, just like Logano, was ‘asking for it.’”

    5. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin finished third at Martinsville, posting his 14th top-5 finish of the year.

    “I think we may need to look into updating the definition of the word ‘accident’ in this sport,” Hamlin said.

    6. Carl Edwards: Despite front-end damage suffered in an early accident, Edwards finished a solid 14th at Martinsville.

    “The crew did a good job of repairing the No. 19 Toyota,” Edwards said. “So good, in fact, that NASCAR wants some pointers on ‘damage control.’”

    7. Martin Truex, Jr.: Truex led 27 laps at Martinsville and finished sixth at Martinsville.

    “NASCAR won’t stand for this type of vigilante justice,” Truex said. “NASCAR fans, on the other hand, well, they’ll not only stand, they’ll give it an ovation, as well.”

    8. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski was collected in an accident that sent him crashing into Matt Kenseth’s No. 20 Toyota. Keselowski’s No. 22 suffered major damage to the suspension, and he limped home with a 32nd-place finish.

    “I did not wreck Kenseth on purpose,” Keselowski said. “No, that’s not me quoting Joey Logano from Kansas. That’s me being honest, and, let’s face it, apparently NASCAR drivers can only be honest when they haven’t wrecked someone on purpose.”

    9. Kurt Busch: Busch was collected in a wreck after Brad Keselowski made contact with Matt Kenseth, sending Kenseth’s No. 20 into Busch’s No. 41. Busch finished 34th, 14 laps off the pace.

    “This means I’ll probably have to win one of the next two races,” Busch said. “That puts me in the same boat with three or four other drivers. And speaking of boats, if Matt Kenseth would have done what he did in a boat, he would be ‘docked.’”

    10. Dale Earnhardt, Jr: Earnhardt finished fourth at Martinsville as all four Hendrick Motorsports drivers finished in the top 12, with Jeff Gordon taking the win.

    “Am I surprised that Matt Kenseth took out Joey Logano?” Earnhardt said. “Of course not. This is NASCAR, in which most of the races take place on oval tracks. Just take a look at the cars turning laps on those tracks, and you’ll realize it’s easy to see ‘what goes around comes around.’”

  • Hot 20 – Gordon is a favorite to win at Martinsville, Truex and Kurt not so much

    Hot 20 – Gordon is a favorite to win at Martinsville, Truex and Kurt not so much

    The truth, sometimes it is a tough thing to nail down. Sometimes not. Truth is, Jeff Gordon should do well at Martinsville. In the past five events there, the retiring four-time NASCAR champ has a win and four Top Tens. Over the past dozen years, a span of 25 races, Gordon has failed to claim a Top Ten only three times. He finished 20th in the fall of 2010, 14th in the spring of 2012, and finished 12th in the fall of 2014. That leaves 22 Top Tens, 18 Top Fives, and five victories. You just cannot do better than that. The stats do not lie, and after taking ninth this spring, Gordon still has it. That is the truth.

    Sometimes, the truth is a little tougher to ascertain. A couple of years ago, a mysterious spin combined with a baffling call to the pits that briefly allowed a teammate to make the Chase caused controversy. Did Clint Bowyer intentionally spin his car? Bowyer denied it and Sprint Cup Series director John Darby is quoted as saying after the race that “I don’t think anybody realistically believes that was the case with the 15 car.” That tune changed quickly, as the truth appeared to be much more conspiratorial than NASCAR first thought. It cost Martin Truex Jr. a Chase position and his job, and he did nothing wrong. It cost Bowyer some credibility, it cost the team a major sponsor, $300,000 in fines and it possibly caused the eventual demise of Michael Waltrip Racing.

    Last weekend, did Kevin Harvick, with a car that was barely running, that was barely in the Chase, deliberately spin out Trevor Bayne to save his season at the cost of Denny Hamlin and Dale Earnhardt Jr.? No, says NASCAR. So, we have to accept that Harvick was telling the truth. I mean, not everyone lies to us in order to get out of a sticky situation.

    “I got out of the way, and I never even saw (Bayne) until he was by me.”
    Kevin Harvick 2015

    “I did not use performance enhancing substances as alleged in the notice of discipline…”
    Alex Rodriguez 2014

    “I had so much wheel, by the time I got to the gas, he was underneath me. I spun out.”
    Clint Bowyer 2013

    “I take these charges very seriously, and look forward to clearing my good name,”
    Michael Vick 2007

    “I’m not going to be the Alabama coach.”
    Nick Saban 2006

    “I have never had a single positive doping test, and I do not take performance-enhancing drugs.”
    Lance Armstrong 2004 (among others)

    “I did not have sexual relations with that woman”
    Bill Clinton 1998

    Sure, some may have misled us in the past, but would Kevin Harvick? Nah.

    Here are our Hot 20 over the past five events at Martinsville.

    1. JEFF GORDON – 5.4 AvFin – (1 WIN, 3 T5, 4 T10)
    Has averaged a Top Seven finish going back 45 races and 23 seasons. Expect good things.

    2. MATT KENSETH – 6.4 – (0-2-4)
    No pot of gold at the end of this rainbow, but should he come across Logano along the way…

    3. CLINT BOWYER – 6.8 – (0-2-4)
    Author of “The Secrets of My Success.” Harvick has a copy.

    4. DENNY HAMLIN – 8.8 – (1-1-3)
    You can take that damn roof hatch and…

    5. JOEY LOGANO – 9.8 – (0-3-3)
    Mr. Three-in-a-Row has never won at Martinsville, but his last three have been Top Fives.

    6. KYLE BUSCH – 11.2 – (0-1-1)
    Does not believe Gordon can win it all. Next we will hear how he does not like kittens.

    7. KEVIN HARVICK – 13.4 – (0-0-3)
    If Karma is on duty this weekend…

    8. GREG BIFFLE – 13.6 – (0-0-2)
    MWR refugee Brian Pattie to be his crew chief next season.

    9. DALE EARNHARDT JR. – 14.4 – (1-2-3)
    Best 21 finishes at Martinsville boasts a 6.3 average; his worst 10 finishes…27.7

    10. TONY STEWART – 14.5 – (0-1-1)
    What is probably no longer equates into what was.

    11. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 15.0 – (1-3-3)
    Used to own this place, but outside the Top 30 his last two attempts.

    12. CARL EDWARDS – 15.4
    Expected Harvick to get penalized after Talladega. He probably even expects a Top Ten Sunday.

    13. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 16.2 – (0-2-3)
    While his 2014 visits were a write-off, he was the runner-up last spring.

    14. ARIC ALMIROLA – 16.2 – (0-0-1)
    Raised in Daytona. I wonder where he got the racing bug?

    15. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 17.0 – (0-0-3)
    Looked decent last week, at least until he turned all smoky.

    16. PAUL MENARD – 17.6 – (0-0-1)
    Best non-Chaser last week, but Martinsville is really not his kind of place.

    17. DANICA PATRICK – 20.4 – (0-0-1)
    Never thought you would see her name on this list again this season, did you?

    18. KASEY KAHNE – 20.8 – (0-1-1)
    Best thing about Martinsville will be the trip home.

    19. KURT BUSCH – 21.2 – (1-1-1)
    Won in the spring last year, but has been outside the top dozen 16 of his past 17 starts here.

    20. CASEY MEARS – 22.6
    Had a pair of Top Tens at Martinsville in 2008. None since.

    22. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 24.2 – (0-0-1)
    Was sixth in the spring. That ought to count for something.