Tag: Kevin Harvick

Joey Logano Cashes Out the Jackpot, Wins at Vegas

Joey Logano wins the first west coast race in the Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.

“I said we’re going to do donuts on that giant infield logo after the race, and we were able to do it,” Logano shared after winning for the first time in his career at Las Vegas.

With over 3,300 green flag passes and 47 green flag passes for the lead, NASCAR’s new aero package saw much more competitive racing. The leaders could not get further than a couple seconds out front before being reeled back in, and a lot of draft was being manipulated. Logano shared that it really was more of a mental game.

“What a great race. Brad and I were so evenly matched, and you just can’t drive away (with the lead). In the last five or six laps, Brad was catching me so quick, and I got stuck behind a lapped car. Man, it was so close. Lots of fun – my heart’s still running hard.”

Teammate Brad Keselowski put on a couple late run charges, even coming to the checkered flag. Out of Turn 4, he came up one spot short of going back to back to win two of the first three races of the season. Team Penske finished 1-2.

“It was a good battle,” Keselowski said. “We were both running really hard on the top. It seemed to come down to what the lapped cars were going to do. The lapped cars screwed the leader, and the second-place guy got a really good run. It happened over and over again. First, Joey got hosed by a lapped car, and I got by him. Then I got hosed by a lapped car, and he got by me. But it was definitely a good event.”

Kyle Busch was able to recover from a pit road speeding penalty and a six second deficit to the leaders to pass Kevin Harvick for third. Time ran out and Busch was three spots short of the weekend sweep across all three NASCAR touring series.

“I certainly screwed up our day coming to pit road,” Busch said disappointed after a green flag pit road speeding penalty during Stage 2. “Trying to make up time and just ruined it for us.”

Stage 1 winner Harvick finished fourth with Kurt Busch utilizing some late race pit road strategy rounded out the top five. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Aric Almirola, Martin Truex Jr., Chase Elliott and Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin completed the top 10.

Harvick Begins His West Coast Swing in Stage One

Harvick and Hamlin started side by side on the front row at the initial start of the race. Landon Cassill and Ty Dillon moved to the rear of the field after both a gear change and an engine change. Hamlin, inside, pulled out to a brief lead on the back stretch, but Harvick marched his way through Turns 3 and 4 to lead the first lap as the crossed the start finish line. Harvick ended up leading virtually all the laps, aside from the green flag pit stops cycle. Daniel Hemric started in the fifth position, but quickly dropped through the field and lost a lap deeper into the stage.

Unique penalties were handed out during green flag pit stops. Austin Dillon, who was running inside the top five most of the first stage was caught with too many crew members over the wall. The call came from NASCAR after two crew members retrieving tires from the tire changers fell over the wall after reaching too far for a tire. Kyle Larson, who also was running in the top 10, had a penalty with too many crew members over the wall. For his pit stop, the crew member also responsible for retrieving a tire swept their hand over the pit stall and made contact with pit surface. After some social media controversy, FOX Sports Bob Pockrass posted on Twitter the rule that states the following.

This rule was added this year. Specifically says can’t contact the pit road … #nascar ⁦@NASCARONFOX⁩ pic.twitter.com/Ii2kzXa1nu
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) March 3, 2019

Ryan Blaney had an extra unscheduled pit stop for a tire that lost a valve stem on his original pit stop.

During the green flag pit stops, Joey Logano led for six laps before his pit stop. Daniel Suarez led his first career laps on a 1.5 mile oval before taking two tires to gain some track position. Harvick reclaimed the lead and led the final 19 laps to the green-checkered flag that signifies the end of the stage.

Team Penske Working Together During Stage Two

Keselowski led the field to the green on the restart, but because he elected to take two tires, he was quickly overtaken by Kyle Busch and Joey Logano, and the two battled for the lead for most of the stage.

Blaney visited pit road early, and quickly caught the leaders. At this time, he was three laps down and passed the leaders to get one of his laps back the old school way. Logano saw his speed, and the No. 22 team elected to pit for fresh tires. That brought all the lead lap cars to the pits.

As Busch came to pit road, he locked up the brakes and sped during the first segment. He immediately served his penalty per instructions from his crew chief before his car got up to full speed.

“There’s no f****** way…” Kyle dejectedly stated over the radio, knowing he had gone too fast during the first section.

William Byron played a similar strategy as Suarez in the first stage and led for 21 laps before his pit stop. Logano reclaimed the lead for the final 11 laps to win Stage 2.

Team Penske Puts on a Show in the Final Stage

A variety of strategies shuffled the running order as the green flag flew for the start of the final stage, including Kurt Busch staying out during the stage caution. Eventually, the two drivers that showed strength in the early parts of the final stage were Logano and Harvick. The two were at the front during the stage before the last set of pit stops.

The biggest trouble Harvick had was on pit road. Throughout the day, his team constantly gave him fast pit stops, but Harvick’s car had no traction as he left his pit stall. Comparing to the others, Harvick kept spinning his tires before being able to leave pit road.

After final pit stops, it became a four-way battle for the lead between Logano, Keselowski, Harvick and Kyle Busch. Keselowski was able to briefly get by Logano to lead a couple laps before Logano reclaimed the lead and won the second stage. Harvick closed the gap to start becoming involved, and Kyle Busch fought from over a six second deficit. However, time ran out for everyone as Logano crossed the line first after a close battle with teammate Keselowski.

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series continues their west coast swing next weekend in Phoenix, Arizona at ISM Raceway, Sunday, March 10 at 3:30 p.m. ET.

March 7, 2019
Kevin Harvick earns Las Vegas Pole for Pennzoil 400

LAS VEGAS – Kevin Harvick will start out front for the 26th time of his career in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with a time of 29.914 seconds at 180.517 mph.

Harvick’s time was briefly third on the speed charts during the final round of qualifying, as Alex Bowman and Chase Elliott were initially first and second respectively. However, they did not cross the start-finish line before time expired after their first lap, so their second laps around did not count, handing the pole to the third place driver.

“The fastest car in qualifying trim is fourth,” Harvick said. And he was correct. Austin Dillon was fastest in practice, but ended up fourth in the qualifying order.

“I told them before we qualified today that the fastest car would not get the pole today. In the final round it was going to come down to where you were at.”

Qualifying for this race was a big mind game, as drivers waited until the last second to go out for their timed run. In the final round, this cost Bowman and Elliott who will start 11th and 12th.

Hamlin will start second and was the only other driver in the 29 second bracket. Kyle Busch, Dillon, and Daniel Hemric rounded out the top five. Hemric was the only rookie in the final round of qualifying. David Ragan, Kyle Larson, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Jimmie Johnson and Joey Logano completed the top 10 of the starting spots.

The Pennzoil 400 will start on Sunday, March 3 at 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX, or listen live on PRN.

March 2, 2019
NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Atlanta

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski fought off the effects of a stomach bug to win the race at Atlanta.

“The race was called the ‘Folds Of Honor Quik Trip 500,” Keselowski said. “Trust me, with this stomach issue, I made a lot a ‘Quik Trips.’”

2. Kyle Busch: Busch finished sixth at Atlanta after starting at the back of the field.

“Give Brad Keselowski credit for toughing out the win despite his tummy troubles,” Busch said. “It must be contagious, because now I want the chance to prove that I can win with an illness. In other words, Brad Keselowski makes me sick.”

3. Kevin Harvick: Harvick led 45 laps in Atlanta and finished fourth.

“The surface at Atlanta Motor Speedway is quite abrasive,” Harvick said. “It really does a number on your tires. A fan suggested I discuss these particular issues on a web site devoted to extreme tire wear issues called ‘Grindr.’ Well, it turns out this site is not devoted to tires at all.”

4. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex caught race-leader Brad Keselowski with two laps to go at Atlanta but couldn’t make the pass as Keselowski took the checkered flag.

“Ricky Stenhouse Jr. really held me up,” Truex said. “And I’m beyond frustrated. He was a lap down. Of course, it’s not the first time Ricky has held someone back. Danica Patrick dumped him and upgraded to Aaron Rodgers!”

5. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin finished 11th at Atlanta one week after winning the Daytona 500.

“Despite finishing outside the top 10,” Hamlin said, “I’m still atop the Monster Energy Cup points standings. So basically, ‘My Win At Daytona Has Kept Relevant,’ which may very well be the title of Trevor Bayne’s autobiography.”

6. Kyle Larson: Larson led a race-high 142 laps, but a late pit lane speeding penalty spoiled his chances for the win. He finished 12th and is fourth in the Monster Energy Cup points standings.

“I got caught going too fast entering pit lane,” Larson said. “So, I was ‘too fast entering.’ I hear Brad Keselowski’s trouble was ‘too fast exiting.’”

7. Joey Logano: Logano struggled to a 23rd at Atlanta as Penske Racing teammate Brad Keselowski captured the win, his 60th for Penske.

“I’m really proud of Brad,” Logano said. “That was a gutsy effort. I bet Brad was exhausted afterwards. In fact, I’m sure his first words were, ‘I’m pooped.’”

8. Erik Jones: Jones took seventh at Atlanta and has two top-10 finishes to start the season. He is seventh in the Monster Energy Cup points standings.

“As a teammate to Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, and now Martin Truex Jr.,” Jones said, “I’m low man on the totem pole here at Joe Gibbs Racing. But Joe Gibbs does a great job pretending I’m an equal. So Joe wins the Oscar for ‘best supporting actor.’”

9. Kurt Busch: Busch finished third in the Folds Of Honor Quik Trip 500 at Atlanta.

“I think everyone is happy with NASCAR’s new rules package,” Busch said. “And if you’d like to quote me saying ‘Impressive package,’ please do so in context.”

10. Aric Almirola: Almirola started on the pole and finished eighth at Atlanta.

“I got busted for speeding on pit road,” Almirola said. “I had to question NASCAR officials’ judgment on this, so I did. And they answered, ‘Those are the breaks.’ Or they may have answered, ‘Those are the brakes.’ I guess both are good answers.”

February 25, 2019
Monster Energy Cup Series: Drivers to watch at Atlanta

The Monster Energy Cup Series started the 2019 season with the 61^st annual Daytona 500 and while the Great American race has come and gone, the series doesn’t sleep, and the true test begins in Atlanta this weekend.

Atlanta Motor Speedway is the home to all 3 major series for the weekend and there are tons of variables that could confuse teams. How will the new aero package affect teams? How will the new left side tire compounds work for the racing? Will we see pack racing like we saw last week in Daytona?

All of these questions are unknowns till we see cars on the track but who are some of the guys you should keep your eye on this week? Let’s dive into some of the drivers that could be up at the front on Sunday in Atlanta.

Jimmie Johnson: For the seven time champion, it was a prayer from the heavens that Johnson escaped Daytona with an 8^th place finish. He was involved in a wreck heading onto to pit road when the 31 of Tyler Reddick collided with the back of the Ally Chevy after Reddick’s car got hit by the two Rick Ware Racing cars. He kept digging and avoiding the two big wrecks at the end of the race to come out of Daytona, with a Top 10. This was also the first race with new crew chief Kevin Meendering.

What should we expect from Johnson in Atlanta? Well, the track record is fairly good for the El Cajon, California native. He leads all active drivers with 5 wins, 14 Top 5’s and 16 Top 10’s. Even though the Hendrick Motorsports elder hasn’t won in 60 races, don’t be surprised we see the bright purple Ally Chevy into Victory Lane, come Sunday afternoon. Should Johnson end up breaking the winless streak, dating back to Spring Dover race in 2017, it would mark Johnson’s 84th career win; tying him with the NASCAR Hall of Famer Darrell Waltrip and Bobby Allison for fourth on the all-time wins list.

Denny Hamlin: Unlike Johnson, Hamlin broke his winless streak at the Greatest Spectacle in racing, the Daytona 500, last week in Daytona. The true test begins this week, for the Chesterfield, Virginia alum. Hamlin has won before in Atlanta, but it was in 2012 when the race was in September. He battled Kevin Harvick last year in Atlanta, exchanging the lead with the Stewart Haas driver six time over the last 110 laps. Harvick went on to win the race while Hamlin fell to a fourth place run. Hamlin also has 7 Top 10’s and a pole at one of the oldest tracks in the Cup Series so don’t be shocked if you see the 11 in the Top 5 on Sunday.

Kevin Harvick: It was a rough day for the defending Atlanta race winner in Daytona as he finished 26th at Daytona after being collected in a crash on lap 194 of the 207-lap race. It is a new week and for Harvick, it should be no surprise he is the man to beat come this weekend. The Bakersfield, CA native won his first career race in 2001 at this race track in an emotional victory lane as he took over the wheel of the #3 (which switched numbers to #29) of Dale Earnhardt. Harvick has had 7 top 5’s, 13 top 10’s along with two poles at the rough and ragged track that is known to be called Atlanta Motor Speedway. With a win on Sunday, Harvick would tie Buck Backer for 16^th on the all time win’s list with 46 MENCS victories. Look for Harvick to be around the lead pack and in contention for the trophy at the end of the day of Sunday.

Kyle Busch: It was once again, frustration for the JGR driver, as Busch finished second (his career finish at the Daytona 500) and one spot short of receiving that Harley J Earl trophy for the Las Vegas native but Busch does come to Atlanta with a milestone. With starting the Cup race on Sunday, the 2015 Cup champion will achieve his 500^th career start in the series. Busch has two wins at Atlanta (2008 and 2013) and his car owner Joe Gibbs, has 11 Cup wins total at the track.

Busch will also be competing in the Gander Outdoor Truck Series on Saturday afternoon and with a win in that series, it would make him the truck series’ all time winningest driver in Truck Series history. It should not be a surprise to see Busch in Victory Lane…more than once this weekend in Atlanta.

Dark Horse: Matt DiBenedetto:

The Grass Valley, CA shocked many, many people on Sunday when he took the lead in the Daytona 500 and led the most laps (49) before getting caught up in the big one on Lap 190. DiBenedetto, driving for Levine Family Racing, has teamed up with Joe Gibbs racing to form an alliance to help the 95 throughout the season. DiBenedetto is in the best equipment he has had in the Cup Series and could be contending for wins later on in the season. Look for Dibenedetto to have a solid run this weekend.

Who is your pick to win the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta on Sunday? Tell us in your comments, below!

Catch the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at 2:00 PM ET on FOX

Follow Bryan on Twitter @TheBryanNolen for all the latest on NASCAR news, rumors, and more.

February 22, 2019

Harvick and Logano win Duels at Daytona

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.— Kevin Harvick and Joey Logano won the Gander RV Duels at Daytona International Speedway on Thursday night to set the starting lineup for the 61st annual Daytona 500 on Sunday.

Duel 1:

William Byron led the field to the green flag and led the first 15 laps until green flag pit stops arrived.

Byron fell back to sixth after the green flag pit stops cycled though with Kevin Harvick taking the lead and never letting it go.

Harvick led the final 44 laps of the first Duel for the second Duel victory of his 18-year career.

There was only one caution which was for the 18 of Kyle Busch getting turned around by Jimmie Johnson. Busch was none too pleased with the contact between him and the seven time champ.

“I don’t want to (expletive) hear it,” Busch told to his team when he got told what Johnson radioed to his team during the race. “Use his damn eyeballs. It’s twice he’s done the same thing in two (expletive) races.”

After the race, unlike the Clash from Sunday, Johnson took full blame for the wreck.

“I firmly believe the Clash was a racing incident. This one was a mistake on my behalf. Everybody makes mistakes.”

Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Paul Menard, Matt DiBenedetto and Martin Truex Jr. rounded out the top five.

Parker Kilgerman beat Ryan Truex by one position to get one of the final two open team places in the 61st running of the Great American Race.

Duel 2

Joey Logano needed to lead just one lap and that was the last one. Logano did just that to win his first career Daytona qualifying race.

Logano led the final and most important of the 60 laps run in the second duel after he crafted a brilliant plan to go from fourth to first, on the final lap.

“You have the whole race to think about making a move, and we were all out there just waiting,” Logano said. “Everyone behind me really wanted to go, and I just knew that I had to wait. The later you can do it, the less the risk if it doesn’t work. I got a good run from the 12 (Ryan Blaney) behind me and went to the bottom and got a good run.”

Alex Bowman started out with the pole for the second consecutive year as he led the field in the first duel, just like a season ago. Like Byron, Bowman led the first 11 laps before his first green flag pitstop of the season, relinquishing the lead to Clint Bowyer. Bowyer then, took his turn to head to pit road for his only stop of the race and he took his No. 14 Rush Truck Centers to pitlane.

That gave the lead to Brendan Gaughan in the 62 who is one of the four teams without a charter. Gaughan, who runs Daytona and usually Talladega in the Cup Series, led six laps before giving the lead back to Bowyer but Gaughan did hold off Joey Gase to get the final spot in the 500.

Bowyer led two times for 41 laps but couldn’t get the job done and will start the 500 in sixth place.

Aric Almirola, Denny Hamlin and Kurt Busch rounded out the top five.

Brendan Gaughan raced his way in which means that Ryan Truex and Joey Gase will be leaving Daytona without racing in the Great American Race.

The 61st running of the Daytona 500 is on Sunday, Feb. 18th, at 2:30 p.m. ET on FOX.

Daytona 500 Starting Lineup:

Starting Position	Driver	Team
1.	William Byron	Hendrick Motorsports
2.	Alex Bowman	Hendrick Motorsports
3.	Kevin Harvick	Stewart-Haas Racing
4.	Joey Logano	Team Penske
5.	Ricky Stenhouse Jr.	Roush Fenway Racing
6.	Clint Bowyer	Stewart-Haas Racing
7.	Paul Menard	Wood Brothers Racing
8.	Aric Almirola	Stewart-Haas Racing
9.	Matt DiBenedetto	Leavine Family Racing
10.	Denny Hamlin	Joe Gibbs Racing
11.	Martin Truex Jr.	Joe Gibbs Racing
12.	Kurt Busch	Chip Ganassi Racing
13	Bubba Wallace	Richard Petty Motorsports
14.	Ryan Blaney	Team Penske
15.	Chris Buescher	JTG Daugherty Racing
16.	Jamie McMurray	Spire Motorsports
17.	Jimmie Johnson	Hendrick Motorsports
18.	Chase Elliott	Hendrick Motorsports
19.	Ryan Newman	Roush Fenway Racing
20.	Austin Dillon	Richard Childress Racing
21.	Ryan Preece	JTG Daugherty Racing
22.	Ty Dillon	Germain Racing
23.	Daniel Suarez	Stewart-Haas Racing
24.	David Ragan	Front Row Motorsports
25.	Parker Kligerman*	Gaunt Brothers Racing
26.	Kyle Larson	Chip Ganassi Racing
27.	Landon Cassill	Starcom Racing
28.	Erik Jones	Joe Gibbs Racing
29.	Daniel Hemric	Richard Childress Racing
30.	Brendan Gaughan*	Beard Motorsports
31.	Kyle Busch	Joe Gibbs Racing
32.	Corey LaJoie	GO FAS Racing
33.	Matt Tifft	Front Row Motorsports
34.	Michael McDowell	Front Row Motorsports
35.	Brad Keselowski	Team Penske
36.	Ross Chastain	Premium Motorsports
37.	Cody Ware	Rick Ware Racing
38.	BJ McLeod	Petty Ware Racing
39.	Tyler Reddick*	Richard Childress Racing
40.	Casey Mears*	Germain Racing

February 14, 2019

NASCAR’s Hot 20 of All-Time
The best of the best, a legacy that has given us 70 championships since 1949. 33 individuals have been able to lay claim to the crown. Three men have won it seven times.

To be a champion immortalizes you, but so does excellent performance. A driver can win, but fail to grab a title. He can also rack up Top Fives and Top Tens, even if he fell a tad short in claiming the checkered flags earned by his competitors.

A few names might surprise you, at first. Yet, when ranked for most championships, wins, Top Fives, and Top Tens, these are the 20 best NASCAR has had to offer in the driver’s seat over 70 seasons of motor mayhem.

I bet there is no argument that the King leads the parade.
1. RICHARD PETTY – Born July 2, 1937
  7 Championships, 200 Wins, 555 Top Fives, 712 Top Tens
2. JEFF GORDON – Born August 4, 1971
  4 Championships, 93 Wins, 325 Top Tens, 477 Top Tens
3. DALE EARNHARDT – (April 29, 1951 – February 18, 2001)
  7 Championships, 76 Wins, 281 Top Fives, 428 Top Tens
4. DAVID PEARSON – (December 22, 1934 – November 12, 2018)
  3 Championships, 105 Wins, 301 Top Fives, 366 Top Tens
5. DARRELL WALTRIP – Born February 5, 1947
  3 Championships, 84 Wins, 276 Top Fives, 390 Top Tens
6. JIMMIE JOHNSON – Born September 17, 1975
  7 Championships, 83 Wins, 224 Top Fives, 352 Top Tens
7. BOBBY ALLISON – Born December 3, 1937
  1 Championship, 84 Wins, 336 Top Fives, 446 Top Tens
8. CALE YARBOROUGH – Born March 27, 1939
  3 Championships, 83 Wins, 255 Top Fives, 319 Top Tens
9. LEE PETTY – (March 14, 1914 – April 5, 2000)
  3 Championships, 54 Wins, 231 Top Fives, 332 Top Tens
10. BUCK BAKER – (March 4, 1919 – April 14, 2002)
  2 Championships, 46 Wins, 246 Top Fives, 372 Tens
11. MARK MARTIN (Born January 9, 1959)
  40 Wins, 271 Top Fives, 453 Top Tens
12. RUSTY WALLACE – (Born August 14, 1956)
  1 Championship, 55 Wins, 202 Top Fives, 349 Top Tens
13. TONY STEWART – (Born May 20, 1971)
  3 Championships, 49 Wins, 187 Top Fives, 308 Top Tens
14. TERRY LABONTE – (Born November 16, 1956)
  2 Championships, 22 Wins, 182 Top Fives, 361 Top Tens
15. NED JARRETT – (Born October 12, 1932)
  2 Championships, 50 Wins, 185 Top Fives, 239 Top Tens
16. RICKY RUDD – (Born September 12, 1956)
  23 Wins, 194 Top Fives, 374 Top Tens
17. KEVIN HARVICK – (Born December 8, 1975)
  1 Championship, 45 Wins, 191 Top Fives, 336 Top Tens
18. HERB THOMAS – (April 6, 1923 – August 9, 2000)
  2 Championships, 48 Wins, 122 Top Fives, 156 Top Tens
19. KYLE BUSCH – (Born May 2, 1985)
  1 Championship, 51 Wins, 183 Top Fives, 269 Top Tens
20. BUDDY BAKER – (January 25, 1941 – August 10, 2015)
  19 Wins, 202 Top Fives, 311 Top Tens
Three of those boys will be out to add to their accomplishments this weekend. The Daytona 500 is coming up this Sunday, a time for new beginnings and a time for bringing things to an end. After 15 years and over a thousand columns of various incarnations, this edition represents my final regular contribution to this site.

I want to thank Barry Albert for providing a writing home for me back in 2004. My thanks to Angie Campbell for her editing prowess and her encouragement. I would like to give a shout out to Racing Reference, a website that helps a fellow make sense of it all, a great aid to such scribes as myself. Finally, thanks to you for joining me on this journey.
February 13, 2019
Hot 20 of the NASCAR season that was

Another season has come and gone, along with a few more drivers and fans, to be honest. However, there are some things I have noticed that are on the positive side, though not all would agree.

I like stage racing. I was not sure to start with, but I like it now. It helps chronicle who mattered early and it informs us as to who mattered throughout. It even tells us who won, and it rewards that winner is a meaningful way.

As a traditionalist, I was dead set against the playoffs. I have changed my mind. Logically, it makes no sense to have the pretenders still on the same competitive field as the contenders. Yet, it has not much affected the action, other than for one understandably upset Matt Kenseth. In this snowflake influenced world of ours, sometimes vengeance can still be had.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. was not missed on the track due to his excellence in the NBC broadcast booth alongside Jeff Burton, Steve Letarte, Rick Allen and a very stout track-side team. They were entertaining, informative, and sounded like they were excited being there. That is all it takes, but it took a long, long time for some to figure that out. I am not sure FOX has yet.

NASCAR boss man Brian France left the scene in August after being tagged with charges of aggravated driving while intoxicated and criminal possession of a controlled substance. Replaced by his uncle, I think most think that was a positive step. At least Jim France bothers to show up at the track every week.

The France family is looking to fold its 13 track International Speedway Corp., which includes Darlington, Daytona, Martinsville and Talladega, into a merger with NASCAR itself. One can speculate as to the reasons, be it to lay out “a more unified strategic approach”, as Jim France says, or to package it all up for sale. Time will tell.

Sometime over the past decade, the “How bad have you got it” mantra went out the window, along with the fans they were asking. Most of the races this season had a dip in ratings, with at least 26 being seen as having their worst of the past decade, if not of all time. Most of the celebrities are gone, we produce fewer gear heads these days, and the good ole boys and girls like Bo, Luke, and Daisy have been replaced in society by those who know more about tissues than issues.

It appears Jamie McMurray is leaving the driver’s seat, at least on a full-time basis. Kurt Busch could be his replacement with Chip Ganassi. Kenseth is set to step back from even doing that after spelling off Trevor Bayne. Ryan Newman will take their place at Roush-Fenway, with newcomer Daniel Hemric taking his former ride with Richard Childress. Furniture Row is now gone, as Martin Truex Jr. heads over to Joe Gibbs, bumping Daniel Suarez possibly over to replace the elder Busch at Stewart-Haas. A.J. Allmendinger will be without a ride, giving up his seat to rookie Ryan Preece. Kasey Kahne has called it a career, and the 17-year combination of Jimmie Johnson and Chad Knaus comes to an end.

Changes. Some we like, some we will not, at least to start with. Will fans come back in droves? Nope. Why should they? Give them a reason, give them entertainment, give them a reason to care.

All they have to do is figure out what that is. Over the course of the past decade, they have not.

1. JOEY LOGANO – 5040 POINTS (3 Wins)
This is not “fake news.” Logano is a deserving, even if not an overly popular, champion.

2. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 5035 POINTS (4 Wins)
If we could ignore the facts for our own biases…but we can not. Now he is off to join the Coach.

3. KEVIN HARVICK – 5034 POINTS (8 Wins)
If he could win all those he dominated for a period of time, he would have gone double figures.

4. KYLE BUSCH – 5033 POINTS (8 Wins)
Great seasons can be spoiled by the uncertainty of a playoff. Case in point…

5. ARIC ALMIROLA – 2354 POINTS (1 Win)
Not everyone is moving on. Then again, he was one of those movers not so long ago.

6. CHASE ELLIOTT – 2350 POINTS (3 Wins)
The future of Hendrick has already arrived.

7. KURT BUSCH – 2350 POINTS (1 Win)
If he wants to race Indy, his rumored new boss might have a few options open to him.

8. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 2343 POINTS (3 Wins)
“I’m going to say it again. I did not intentionally spin out that driver, Mr. Suarez.”

9. KYLE LARSON – 2299 POINTS
If your business is named “Hi-Line”, I have a marketing opportunity for you.

10. RYAN BLANEY – 2298 POINTS (1 Win)
Like Chase, he is one of the positives NASCAR can showcase for the future.

11. DENNY HAMLIN – 2285 POINTS
As with Johnson, a years-long streak of wins in a season comes to an end.

12. CLINT BOWYER – 2272 POINTS (2 Wins)
Light-hearted and funny. Plus, if you ever find yourself in a ditch, he has connections.

13. AUSTIN DILLON – 2245 POINTS (1 Win)
That win was nice, but the iconic number was not so iconic after Daytona.

14. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 2242 POINTS
The marriage with Chad lasted longer than a vast majority of Hollywood relationships.

15. ERIK JONES – 2220 POINTS (1 Win)
At 22, That Jones Boy is making Joe Gibbs feel pretty good about the future.

16. ALEX BOWMAN – 2204 POINTS
Driving a car once driven by an Earnhardt is not an easy act to follow.

17. RYAN NEWMAN – 769 POINTS
Off to become one of the guys over at the House that Jack built. Maybe even his bodyguard.

18. RICKY STENHOUSE JR. – 701 POINTS
After five years, the storyline changed in 2018, along with a downturn in performance

19. PAUL MENARD – 692 POINTS
Will be around as long as a certain home improvement company markets its wares on a stock car.

20. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 683 POINTS
If this marks the end of the line, he finishes it up among those who mattered.

November 21, 2018
The Final Word – Logano wins at Homestead as my television suddenly went black

As a journalist, I can say this. Joey Logano is a very talented driver, an aggressive driver who knows what he has to do and has the desire and the ability to pull it off. He is a very deserving Cup champion. I say that as a journalist.

However, in these days of “fake news”, I should mention that I write this as a columnist. A true journalist, of whom there are very few these days, observe and chronicle events impartially and objectively, without bias or partisanship, giving you information based on only what they see and not on how they feel.

I am a fan who writes a column, complete with my observations, my opinions and even my emotions on the subject. So, as a journalist, I applaud and recognize the talents of our new champion. As a fan, I must say I am just a bit disappointed. I mean, Joey Logano? You got to be freaking’ kidding me. Him?

I did not see the post-race interviews or celebration. They did not interest me. I did not feel satisfied with the outcome of the race. Martin Truex Jr.? I only wish. Kevin Harvick? He is my man. Kyle Busch? The man is a top-drawer talent, a sure Hall of Famer one day. Logano? One day I may come to embrace him, to love him as a fan, to celebrate his deeds. Sadly, that day has not yet arrived.

Every one of our four championship contenders was right there in the mix until the last half dozen laps or so. Busch started on the front row, but it was Harvick the top dog after the opening stage. In the second, Harvick was again the man, even though Kyle Larson managed to beat him at the line to claim the stage. When they came back on the track after pit stops, Logano was up front, followed by Harvick, Busch, and Truex in that order. The best was going up against the best. They survived, they thrived, as the four contenders led the way ahead of the 35 pretenders.

With 48 laps to declare a champion, Truex had gotten by Logano. Green flag stops saw Harvick the best of those who stopped, but Busch had not and led his closest rival by 22 seconds, with Logano right behind Harvick running fifth. Daniel Suarez got sent for a skid and after more pit action it was Busch still ahead. With 17 laps to run, Busch had the lead exiting the pits but Truex took off as the action returned to green. He looked gone, but looks can be deceiving. Just four laps later, with the Jaws-theme playing in our heads, Logano tracked the defending champion down. He made the pass, and it was he who disappeared into the sunset to claim the 2018 Cup championship. He had the talent and the horses to seal the deal.

Truex was second. Harvick finished third. Busch concluded his season in fourth. However, it was the 28-year-old from Middletown, Connecticut making up for his 2016 runner-up season. It was his third win of the year and the 21st of his Cup career. It was freaking Joey Logano.

Like it or not, it was a well-deserved victory. It matters not that I did not like it. An objective observer would wish to celebrate. However, few fans are that objective. Me included.

November 19, 2018
NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Homestead

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Joey Logano: Logano won the Ford EcoBoost 400 to claim his first Monster Energy Cup championship.

“I won the battle,” Logano said, “and I won the war. But I’d still probably lose a fight to Martin Truex, Jr.”

2. Kevin Harvick: Harvick finished third at Homestead as Joey Logano took the win and the Cup championship.

“I wanted to win so badly after having a win taken from me,” Harvick said. “But Logano ruined my dreams. He runs 6 feet, 1 inch tall; that makes the ‘spoiler’ height 73 inches.”

3. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex came up just short in his bid to repeat as Cup champion, finishing second to Joey Logano.

“I claimed to have a free pass to rough up Joey Logano,” Truex said. “But I never was in position to do so. That made Logano the ‘Lucky Dog.’”

4. Kyle Busch: Busch started second at Homestead and finished fourth.

“It was a frustrating day,” Busch said. “I felt like I wasn’t even part of the championship battle. The handling of the No. 18 Toyota was miserable. The only fight I was involved in was with my steering wheel.”

5. Chase Elliott: Elliott finished seventh in the Ford EcoBoost 400.

“I’m still young,” Elliott said, “so I see a lot of titles in my future. Like ‘husband,’ ‘father,’ ‘grandfather,’ and Monster Energy Cup champion. Hopefully not in that order.”

6. Kurt Busch: Busch finished 10th at Homestead, posting his 22nd top 10 of the year.

“Congratulations to Joey Logano,” Busch said. “With his championship, ‘Sliced Bread’ has put himself in the upper crust of NASCAR drivers. I’m sure he celebrated by doing ‘dough’ nuts.”

7. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski finished fifth at Homestead as Penske Racing teammate Joey Logano won and captured the Monster Energy Cup championship.

“Joey fulfilled a lifelong dream,” Keselowski said. “He’s been building toward this moment since he was a child. Heck, he’s only 28. He’s not that far removed from being a child. Martin Truex Jr. would say he’s ‘child-ish.’”

8. Aric Almirola: Almirola finished ninth at Homestead, recording his 17th top-10 finish of the year.

“Did you see?” Almirola said. “Jimmie Johnson shaved off his beard. He looks like a new man, but he’s still an old man.”

9. Kyle Larson: Larson hit the wall late chasing Joey Logano but managed to salvage a 13th-place finish at Homestead.

“Logano was in the ‘zone,’” Larson said. “Even knowing Martin Truex Jr. had it out for him, Joey was able to keep his cool and win. Joey knew Truex would ‘come after him,’ and he was right because Truex finished second.”

10. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin started on the pole and finished 12th, his first season without a win since 2005.

“There’s ‘Victory Lane,’” Hamlin said, “and then there’s ‘Victory Lame.’”

November 19, 2018
Hot 20 – At win at Homestead could move one of the boys closer to legendary status

Legends are rare. Many get an honorary title, no doubt stars in their own right at one time long ago or a pioneer of some description. However, to be a true legend, an icon, it takes a lot to make the grade. In NASCAR, David Pearson was an undisputed legendary driver, one of the best all-time, a true giant of the sport.

The Silver Fox passed away this week at the age of 83. His 105 career Cup victories have him placed only behind the 200 accumulated by the King, Richard Petty. Sixty-three times the pair finished one-two on the track, an amazing statistic showcasing what is unarguably the greatest rivalry in the sport. It stretched from the 1963 Sandlapper 200 in Columbia, South Carolina through to the 1977 World 600.

Pearson’s career covered the years of 1960 through to his final start in 1986, yet he managed to race in more than half the schedule just a dozen times. Running 90 percent of the schedule? Just thrice. That does not even include his 1966 championship year, one of his three titles, when he won 15, competed in 42, skipped out on seven others. In 1973, he won 11 of the 18 he competed in. While Petty drove in everything, Pearson drove when he wanted. It appears that when he wanted, he wanted to win. Pearson’s first victory was the 1961 World 600. His last was Darlington’s Rebel 500 in 1980, one of the nine he competed in that season. In total, 574 starts, 105 wins.

David Pearson is truly among NASCAR’s racing gods residing atop its Mount Olympus. Truth be told, he has had a reservation up there for a very long time.

At Homestead, one of four hope to add to their own legacy, to maybe establish themselves as one of the sport’s future legends.

1. KYLE BUSCH – 5000 POINTS (8 Wins – 1388 Season Points)
Will the best on the season be the championship winner?

2. KEVIN HARVICK – 5000 POINTS (8 Wins – 1333 Season Points)
Back in the old days, this championship would have already been decided.

3. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 5000 POINTS (4 Wins – 1212 Season Points)
One final race for the boys and girls from Colorado.

4. JOEY LOGANO – 5000 POINTS (2 Wins – 1192 Season Points)
Believes he is the favorite going in. All he has to do now is prove it.

5. CHASE ELLIOTT – 2320 POINTS (3 Wins)
With one shot, Denny managed to burst the bubble of not one, but two rivals.

6. KURT BUSCH – 2318 POINTS (1 Win)
Too much gas cost him the lead, too much Hamlin kept him from taking it back.

7. ARIC ALMIROLA – 2316 POINTS (1 Win)
For a moment he must have believed, but the hamster under the hood was not big enough.

8. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 2309 POINTS (3 Wins)
Penske teams are out…but they won’t let themselves be forgotten.

9. RYAN BLANEY – 2278 POINTS (1 Win)
In fact, no one would be terribly surprised if either Brad or Ryan wins this weekend.

10. KYLE LARSON – 2256 POINTS
Too late for this year, but he keeps reminding us that there is more than one Kyle out there.

11. DENNY HAMLIN – 2252 POINTS
His final shot to keep his yearly win streak alive, and he can not be counted out.

12. CLINT BOWYER – 2242 POINTS (2 Wins)
Went from rating among the top eight to hanging on as a member of the dirty dozen.

13. AUSTIN DILLON – 2219 POINTS (1 Win)
Might not win this one, but he has done well in the next one.

14. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 2217 POINTS
The beginning of the end or just a blip on the radar?

15. ERIK JONES – 2207 POINTS (1 Win)
NASCAR has two guys with the same name, kind of. Is there room for an Eric one day?

16. ALEX BOWMAN – 2196 POINTS
Though he has done well, he still hasn’t made us forgot the name of the guy he replaced.

17. RYAN NEWMAN – 747 POINTS
No playoff run this year, but he still is the Hot Dog Eating Champion in four states.

18. RICKY STENHOUSE JR. – 680 POINTS
If you thought he was fired up at Phoenix, you should have seen his car.

19. PAUL MENARD – 680 POINTS
Last week at Phoenix he reminded me of the Arizona Cardinals. 29th place.

20. DANIEL SUAREZ – 667 POINTS
McMurray is just three points back. Neither has a ride for next season.

November 14, 2018

Tag: Kevin Harvick

Harvick Begins His West Coast Swing in Stage One

Team Penske Working Together During Stage Two

Team Penske Puts on a Show in the Final Stage