DARLINGTON, S.C. —Denny Hamlin took the lead on the final restart, passing Joey Logano with a last lap inside crossover move to win the Sport Clips Haircuts VFW 200 Saturday at Darlington Raceway. It was his fifth XFINITY win at Darlington.
“Just a really good restart, got through (Turns) 1 and 2 really good, just held it wide open through l and 2,” Hamlin said after the race, “great run by the 22 (Logano) getting back to me there on the last lap. I think that was a throwback to Dale Earnhardt there in Turns 3 and 4.”
Logano led a race-high 58 laps in his No. 22 Ford and was disappointed with his second-place finish.
“Obviously, second hurts, Logano said. We want to win every one of them and we just got out-motored. He went through the gear box and got position on me and off he went. He had me at his right-rear quarter, which allowed him to stay wide open and clear me. I thought I had a run down the backstretch. He knew what I was thinking and I knew what he was thinking. I was just hoping that I got up to the wall and was able to rotate when I got there, but I just got tight when I got there.”
Harvick was also a strong contender in the Stewart-Haas Racing No. 41 Ford, leading 54 laps during the race, but had to settle for third.
‘We had a great Hunt Brothers Ford,” he said, but “it just didn’t wind up working out there at the end. I wound up on the bottom and I kept my foot in it over there, got loose underneath the 20. We weren’t the strongest for five or 10 laps and that didn’t really work out with that short run there at the end and we got stuck on the bottom. We got loose and then we got freight-trained, but just a great car. It wound up being a great race and that’s all you can ask for.”
Erik Jones scored fourth place with William Byron rounding out the top five finishers. Elliott Sadler remains the points leader with a 91 point advantage over second-place Byron.
Follow @angiecampbell_ for the latest NASCAR news and feature stories.
DARLINGTON, S.C. — Kevin Harvick topped qualifying in all three rounds for the Bojangles’ Southern 500 in his No. 4 Busch Beer Throwback Ford winning his fourth Coors Light Pole Award this season with a speed of 177.730 mph. It’s his third pole at Darlington Raceway and his 21st career pole. The Stewart-Haas Racing driver also captured one win in 2014 after starting from the pole.
“It feels pretty good,” Harvick said after winning the pole, “It’s been a good start to the weekend for us and the car is driving good and we’re able to put three laps together. Everything is going well.”
When asked about the benefits of starting from the pole at Darlington, Harvick commented that “track position is never a disadvantage no matter if it’s high tire wear, low tire wear (track). The biggest advantage here is the first pit stall because the timing line is so close to the pit exit there with the first stall. So that’s really the biggest advantage. I think if your car is handling good, you can make your way through traffic, but having that first pit stall if your car is not handling good, it allows you to make up two or three spots if you have a decent pit stop and hopefully, keep that track position all night. That’s really the biggest advantage.”
Martin Truex Jr. will start on the outside pole in his No. 78 Toyota after qualifying with a speed of 177.077 mph
“That was definitely a good, successful qualifying session for us,” Truex said. “It – we thought we were off a little bit the first round then just kept working on the car and kind of adjusted the driving style a little throughout all three rounds and we ended up second. So seems like we’ve been second a lot this year and it’s been a good number for us and hopefully, it’ll be a good one tomorrow night.”
Kyle Busch will start third after a 176.682 mph lap.
Busch called his qualifying run, okay, saying, “You know, car felt really, really good first round, second round and then there just made the right adjustments – just the race track wasn’t quite what we expected it to be, so it was just a tick loose the last run and came home with a third, so we’ll take that and be happy with it and start up front.”
Kyle Larson will begin the race from fourth place in his Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet.
“I got through Turn Three and Turn Four better (than previous runs) but I was still too loose to commit to wide-open throttle, which hurt my overall speed,” Larson commented. “It’s a lot better than I’ve ever qualified here, so hopefully that will give us a better pit stall selection for tomorrow’s race. This is a fun place, but it’s definitely tough.”
Jamie McMurray rounds out the top five in the No. 1 McDonalds Chevy.
McMurray said, “Qualifying was pretty eventful. It’s fun here to qualify and it’s maybe one of the funnier qualifying sessions we get to run with the exception of maybe a road course just because the corners are so different and so fast there is not a lot of grip. But, yeah, we were I think like third, fourth and fifth, we were kind of the same in all three sessions. The car was good though. I’m looking forward to tomorrow. I thought we were good in race trim.”
Harvick will lead the field to green Sunday at 6 p.m. ET for the Bojangles’ Southern 500 on NBCSN. Radio coverage can be heard on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
Follow @angiecampbell_ for the latest NASCAR news and feature stories.
DARLINGTON, S.C. — The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series heads to Darlington Raceway this Labor Day weekend for the Bojangles’ Southern 500. This is the third straight year of Darlington’s throwback campaign and this edition will focus on the 1985-89 era. There are 40 drivers on the entry list and, as of today, 32 will run retro paint schemes to honor the rich history of the sport.
The tributes are as varied as the drivers. Did you know that three different Cup Series drivers will feature a salute to Dale Earnhardt? Earnhardt has nine Darlington victories, second only to David Pearson. Jeffrey Earnhardt’s No. 33 car will feature a green and white scheme that resembles the one his grandfather drove in the XFINITY Series in the 1980s. Austin Dillon’s No. 3 Chevy and Ryan Newman’s No. 31 will honor Earnhardt’s yellow and blue Wrangler scheme. This particular paint scheme is similar to the one Earnhardt drove in 1987 when he won his first Southern 500.
Jamie McMurray will pay tribute to David Pearson, who leads all drivers with 10 Darlington wins, Brad Keselowski will honor Rusty Wallace’s 1994 “Midnight” paint scheme and Trevor Bayne’s car will represent the scheme that Mark Martin drove when he claimed the first Cup victory for Roush Fenway Racing at North Carolina Motor Speedway in 1989.
Other drivers being honored includes Davey Allison (Corey LaJoie), Bobby Allison (Matt DiBenedetto) and Alan Kulwicki (Michael McDowell). Check out this preview of all the Darlington throwback paint schemes.
Darlington Raceway’s throwback weekend pays homage to a tradition that began on Sept. 4, 1950, when they hosted NASCAR’s first 500-mile race. There were 75 drivers entered into the event but did you know that the race was won by Johnny Mantz? It was his first and only win in the Cup Series. There have been 113 Cup races at the 1.366-mile track and 49 different drivers have won.
Martin Truex Jr. is the defending race winner and is one of only six active drivers who has visited Victory Lane at Darlington. Jimmie Johnson leads all drivers with three victories while Kevin Harvick (2014), Matt Kenseth (2013), Denny Hamlin (2010) and Kyle Busch (2008) have one win each. But did you know that the last 11 races have been won by 11 different drivers?
With only two races remaining in the regular season, the Southern 500 should deliver a night to remember. Capture the Coors Light Pole Award and you’re one step closer to victory. The pole is the most proficient starting position at Darlington. It has produced 20 winners while 17 drivers have won from the second place starting position. But did you know that the deepest in the field that a race winner has started is 43rd? That driver was Johnny Mantz in the Darlington inaugural Cup Series race in 1950. Qualifying for this year’s Southern 500 will be held Saturday at 1:45 p.m. ET.
Tune in this weekend for all the on-track action beginning with the first Cup Series practice Friday at 1 p.m. ET followed by the final practice at 3:30 p.m. The Southern 500 closes out the weekend Sunday at 6 p.m. on NBCSN.
Follow @angiecampbell_ for the latest NASCAR news and feature stories.
With the Southern 500 coming our way from Darlington this weekend, it seems like a good time to talk about tradition. The first one in the books was back in 1950, making it the oldest of the sport’s iconic events. Most of the time, it goes to someone who is in or will be in, the Hall of Fame. That number will only grow once Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson get in, along with a few other contenders I can think of.
Bill Elliott won it three times. Gordon has six. Next year, the current driver of the No. 24 moves over to take over the No. 9 once driven by his daddy. Chase Elliott has the name and soon will have the number. William Byron takes over the former Gordonmobile.
Ray Evernham never drove the race, but he was the man on the stand for four of Gordon’s victories. The soon to be Hall of Famer joins fellow inductees Ron Hornaday Jr., Ken Squier and Robert Yates as the event’s Grand Marshals.
We hear that the No. 5 is about to go into mothballs, considering the No. 24, No. 48, and the No. 88 will soon be joined by the No. 9 in the stable of cars owned by Rick Hendrick. While Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s daddy won the race three times, this is the son’s last shot at claiming his first. An Earnhardt has appeared in Cup action every season since 1975. We might even see a cameo by the legacy of the legend next season, wife permitting. However, even if that was not the case, we could still have nephew Jeffery Earnhardt in the running.
By the way, the Earnhardt NASCAR legacy at its highest division actually started on November 11, 1956 when Ralph Earnhardt finished second to Speedy Thompson in his Grand National debut at Hickory Speedway. Dale’s dad ran 51 races at the sport’s highest level. In fact, he finished ninth in the 1961 Southern 500.
Tradition. Thanks to NASCAR’s capitulation to selling out its naming rights to corporate sponsors, we have few iconic stand alone events left. Talladega and Bristol are iconic tracks, but neither has a traditional branded event. If you are selective as to what races you win, there is the winter race in Daytona, the May contest in Charlotte, the summer run at Indianapolis, and Labor Day at Darlington.
Win this Sunday’s Southern 500, and you will be remembered. Win your first of the season, and you will be rewarded with a place in the Chase.
1. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 4 WINS (951 Pts)
Tamed the track to tough to tame a year ago, but will she be a lady this year?
2. KYLE LARSON – 3 WINS (845 Pts)
Coming off a win and another Top Ten in his last two, I think the lad is doing alright.
3. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 3 WINS (628 Pts)
This week saw Genevieve’s first day of Grade One. That is a big deal.
4. KYLE BUSCH – 2 WINS (850 Pts)
We need some love ‘em or hate ‘em guys out there. He sure in hell is not colorless.
5. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 2 WINS (728 Pts)
Then, there are some you just hate. I am hoping Momma Kay might disagree.
6. RICKY STENHOUSE JR. – 2 WINS (528 Pts)
Life is not always a day at the beach…but sometimes it is.
7. KEVIN HARVICK – 1 WIN (824 Pts)
His idea of a wild card race to determine the last Chase spot is a good one. We call it Richmond.
8. DENNY HAMLIN – 1 WIN (753 Pts)
Intentionally slow leaving pit road and you risk being sent to the back. Problem solved.
9. RYAN BLANEY – 1 WIN (623 Pts)
One of next season’s sponsors will be Menards. Take that, Paul!
10. KURT BUSCH – 1 WIN (586 Pts)
After a Daytona 500 and a Brickyard 400, another jewel would appear to be in order.
11. RYAN NEWMAN – 1 WIN (574 Pts)
Newman and Dillon will sport autos that will remind us of a certain Wrangler of the 1980s.
12. KASEY KAHNE – 1 WIN (451 Pts)
Sometimes when Hendrick makes an announcement, it is good news. Sometimes, it is not.
13. AUSTIN DILLON – 1 WIN (437 Pts)
When it comes to throwbacks, I still love the black Goodwrench…no offense Wrangler.
14. CHASE ELLIOTT – 711 POINTS
Nothing can be finer than driving the number niner.
15. MATT KENSETH – 703 POINTS
Two ex-champs, one quality ride left. Does either get the chair when the music stops?
16. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 700 POINTS
Seven wins at Charlotte, Daytona, Indianapolis, and Talladega. Why not one at Darlington?
17. CLINT BOWYER – 642 POINTS
Would he wreck a rival to make the Chase? Maybe, if he was running second.
18. JOEY LOGANO – 583 POINTS (1 Win)
Thought he had a plan to get into the Chase, but the President pardoned Sheriff Joe instead.
19. ERIK JONES – 574 POINTS
Pocono (eighth), Watkins Glen (10th), Michigan (third), Bristol (second). His stock is rising.
20. DANIEL SUAREZ – 537 POINTS
Whatever happens to the guy who fails to tighten a lug nut that costs his crew chief $10,000?
The rest of the contenders
21. TREVOR BAYNE – 470 POINTS
22. DALE EARNHARDT JR. – 416 POINTS
23. PAUL MENARD – 408 POINTS
24. TY DILLON – 395 POINTS
25. CHRIS BUESCHER – 387 POINTS
26. A.J. ALLMENDINGER – 381 POINTS
27. MICHAEL MCDOWELL – 378 POINTS
28. DANICA PATRICK – 352 POINTS
29. DAVID RAGAN – 303 POINTS
30. ARIC ALMIROLA – 268 POINTS
31. MATT DIBENEDETTO – 264 POINTS
32. COLE WHITT – 241 POINTS
33. LANDON CASSILL – 241 POINTS
The Johnsonville 180 at Road America will go down as the best XFINITY Series race of 2017, if not one of the best races of the NASCAR season, period. There was plenty of on-track action, drama, spinouts, a first-time winner, and nine of the top-15 drivers scoring their season-best finishes.
One thing that was noticeably absent on a day that saw Jeremy Clements drive a nine-year-old chassis to Victory Lane were Monster Energy Cup drivers, a group that has won more races in the XFINITY Series in 2017 than XFINITY Series regulars. For that matter, it was a rare setting Sunday in which the field actually consisted more of XFINITY teams than Cup teams.
NASCAR has taken steps to try to remedy this situation for the regulars by limiting the number of XFINITY Series and Camping World Truck Series races in which Cup drivers can compete. For the 2018 NASCAR season, that number looks to go even lower, a move which frustrated some of the Cup contingent who regularly compete in those divisions such as Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch.
Early in August Harvick spoke on the matter on his SiriusXM NASCAR show Happy Hours.
“Just let them race,” he said. “Who cares? Why not just let them race. I don’t understand it. That’s what we do. We race cars, we race trucks, we race late models. That’s what we did all our life, we raced. I don’t know why all of a sudden it’s become a problem.’’
Harvick’s argument centered around the idea that up-and-coming drivers could learn a lot from the Cup drivers moonlighting in the lower divisions. This is an age-old argument used since the early days of “Buschwhacking,” when the series was the Busch Grand National Series, but it’s also an idea that some of the lower division regulars have taken issue with.
“The way you make it to the bigs in every other sport is to consistently beat everyone else at lower levels,” explained Tommy Joe Martins, Owner/Driver of the No. 44 Martins Motorsports NASCAR Camping World Truck Series entry. “Cup drivers aren’t helping XFINITY/Truck Series drivers develop. At all. They’re hurting them. They’re taking the spotlight off of them in a sport where your ability to compete comes down to your ability to draw fans and sponsors to you.”
XFINITY Series regular Joey Gase, driver of the No. 52 Jimmy Means Racing entry, is a little more generous regarding learning from the Cup drivers in the lower divisions.
“We do learn from the Cup drivers when they come down and do the lower series,” Gase said, “although, the drivers that are in equal equipment will learn more from them than the drivers who are not. I think NASCAR limiting [Cup drivers] to seven races is good because that will still mean there is at least one cup driver in majority of the races.”
However, there are drivers like Truck Series competitor John Hunter Nemechek who do believe in the education value of racing against Cup drivers in the lower divisions.
Photo by: Simon Scoggins
“Any time you’re able to race against the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup guys, or even the XFINITY Series guys, they can help you as a driver learning how to race, some of their techniques, what they’re doing better than you, where they’re faster,” said Nemechek. “It definitely helps you overall to be able to race against them and beat them and kind of show your talent.”
“I definitely think that racing against them every time that you’re on the track, whether it’s practice, qualifying, or the race, you’re always learning and as a driver you want to learn as much as you can to be able to beat them one day.”
Cup drivers racing in the lower series isn’t a new dilemma that the sport is facing, and granted, it does have its merits for Cup drivers looking for an edge on the weekend. Dale Earnhardt Sr. made 136 starts in the XFINITY Series between 1982 and 1994, winning 21 times. In that same span of years, Harry Gant made 128 starts and also earned 21 wins. Mark Martin made 25 starts in the NCWTS starts between 1996 and 2011, scoring seven wins.
Although drivers like Busch, Harvick, and Brad Keselowski have all voiced displeasure at being limited in the lower divisions, XFINITY and Truck Series regulars do seem to be happy with the new rule.
“The way I look at it is, of course, the Cup regulars and drivers that are already in top rides are against it because it will limit them from driving or they are already in top equipment so it doesn’t matter to them,” Gase continued. “If you ask a full-time driver in the XFINITY or Truck Series I’m sure at least 80 percent are happy for the rule. Brad [Keselowski] tweeted he thinks if a Cup driver wants to drive in XFINITY or Truck Series they should be in equipment they own and I love that idea. Brad is all about giving back to the sport and helping up and coming drivers and I think that is awesome. I do think Cup drivers should be able to race in the XFINITY and Truck Series but on a limited basis like we are starting to see now.”
Martins took it one step further saying NASCAR’s theory that letting top tier talent play in the lower division is good for the sport, is, at it’s core, flawed.
“[You’re] never going to hear that in any other sport,” he said. “Then be audacious enough to defend it by saying they just love to play – and then that it’s good for the whole sport for them to be down there? It’s inconceivable to me.”
This isn’t to say that Cup drivers should be banned completely from racing in the lower tier divisions. But their dominance isn’t as beneficial to the XFINITY and NCWTS divisions as one would like to believe. In 2017 only four XFINITY regulars have gone to Victory Lane for a total of six wins in 23 events, while in the Truck Series there has been more parity; five regulars have gone to Victory Lane in 14 events and have won nine times.
What does that tell the other teams looking to grow and earn their place in the sport? What kind of growth does that encourage? NASCAR is a performance-driven sport, where the better a driver is the more guaranteed their growth and longevity is. Yet there are several XFINITY-only and NCWTS-only teams who may have a dream-driver – accessible, charming, a draw for the fans, and extremely talented, only to be hindered by a Cup team stealing the show in a lower-division race.
When NASCAR announced the further limitations to Cup drivers attempting to partake in racing in the lower divisions, Busch was open in his disdain for the new limitations during an interview on SiriusXM NASCAR.
“But if we keep continuing to put the limits on it, I’m going to tell you right now, if the limits to the Truck Series go to zero, I’m done,” Keselowski stated. “So you wouldn’t see Kyle Busch Motorsports teams out on the race track. That’s just the way I’m going to make it and we’ll see how that progresses as the years go along. You know, the XFINITY Series side, I’m sure Joe’s [Gibbs] frustrated. I know I’m frustrated. We’ll just continue to race the races we’re allowed to run with the sponsorship that we have. We got great partners.”
Another popular claim used frequently in this argument is that top-tier drivers like Busch, Harvick, Keselowski, and Larson racing in the lower divisions is that their participation brings funds, sponsorship, and attention to the divisions. However, according to regulars partaking in those divisions, that’s not entirely the case.
“They do bring funds to the top teams that they are racing for but that is not the case for the smaller teams,” said Gase. “A few of the top drivers say if they couldn’t race in the lower series it would risk the [Cup affiliated teams] and they would have to shut down, but I think that would be okay. That would help equal out the rest of the field and would let smaller teams come into the sport and fill in the gaps.”
Nemechek echoed Gase’s sentiments, saying, “I think when the Cup stars come down to run Trucks or XFINITY, it does bring funds and sponsorships, but to their own teams. It doesn’t necessarily help out other teams that they don’t own or drive for. I really don’t see those funds or sponsorships from where I’m in the Truck Series, maybe if I was driving for one of them or their teams you would see those funds trickling down to help out the program, help out the team, just to be able to use more resources and funding to make your equipment better.”
Martins offered a similar, more pointed, take.
“Funds to where?” he asked. “To their teams? That’s not helping Martins Motorsports. That’s not helping me. Their teams making more money isn’t helping the NASCAR economy. If anything it’s hurting it. They use the money to further develop the trucks and drive the price up for other teams in the series.”
Considering that the involvement of Cup drivers in lower divisions piloting Cup-funded equipment affects the respective regulars more than NASCAR realizes, they should take them into account more than anything. If a Cup driver threatens to fold their lower division efforts, the sanctioning body should take into consideration that it won’t mean a loss to the sport.
Instead, all they have to do is just check social media following a race at Iowa, Gateway, Road America, or even Mosport. When a XFINITY or Truck Series event has more regulars than outsiders and has regulars running at the front and winning, it’s a plus for that division. On top of that, it encourages growth in the sport. Any fan or competitor could tell you that that is a good thing.
So the next time a rule change affects lower divisions, instead of leaning on what a Cup regular has to say, what the division regulars have to say may have more gravity in regards to competition.
1. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex finished 21st at Bristol, his first finish outside the top six since a 33rd at Indianapolis.
“What a run by my Furniture Row Racing teammate Erik Jones,” Truex said. “He almost won the race. Now, there were a lot of drivers pulling for Erik not to win the race. We call them ‘losers,’ or, in the case of Joey Logano, ‘encumbered losers.’”
2. Kyle Busch: Busch won the Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race on Saturday night to complete the Bristol sweep after winning the Camping World Truck race on Wednesday and the XFINITY Series race on Friday.
“I celebrated with a broom atop my car,” Busch said. “That cleaning implement comes in handy when you win all three races at a track, but the broom is especially handy when you need to sweep my bratty behavior under the rug.”
3. Kyle Larson: Larson led 70 laps and finished ninth at Bristol.
“Kyle Busch was pretty much unstoppable,” Larson said. “You could say he was on a mission. On the contrary, when Kyle acts up and his sponsor threatens to pull their support, Kyle handles that by going on a ‘mission to Mars.’”
4. Kevin Harvick: Harvick finished eighth in the Food City 500
“Kyle Busch swept all three NASCAR series races at Bristol,” Harvick said. “That means you heard his name mentioned continuously throughout our time here in Bristol. It probably sounded like this: ‘Buschhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.’ Consider that my least favorite sponsor promo.”
5. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin finished third at Bristol, posting his ninth top-five of the season.
“Kyle Busch just dominated the week at Bristol,” Hamlin said. “But the fans at Bristol weren’t too receptive of his success. Some of the fans were even booing him. That’s shocking, because I know Kyle, and all of those fans should be booing.”
6. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth battled for the win at Bristol before eventually finishing fourth.
“Luckily for me,” Kenseth said, “Erik Jones didn’t win the race. You know, Erik is taking over the No. 20 car next year. Frankly, I’m stunned. But it could be worse. When someone tells you you’re being replaced by a 21-year-old, I’d much rather it be a car owner than a wife.”
7. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson finished 11th at Bristol and is now 11th in the Monster Energy Cup points standings.
“Luckily,” Johnson said, “my three wins guarantee me a spot in the Chase For The Cup. That makes me a lock for the Chase. My seven championships make me a virtual lock for the Cup title. And all my opponents know that me winning is a virtual reality.”
8. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski finished 29th at Bristol.
“I’m shutting down my Camping World trucks team after this season,” Keselowski said. “Kyle Busch can have his broom; I have an axe.”
9. Jamie McMurray: McMurray finished 12th at Bristol.
“I’m currently holding on to the 16th and final playoff spot,” McMurray said. “Ideally, I’d want my standing to be a little more secure. But I guess I can’t complain. McDonald’s may be loving it; I’m just liking it.”
10. Clint Bowyer: Bowyer finished 19th at Bristol and sits 10th in the Monster Energy Cup points standings.
“I thought it was cool that the Bristol fans spelled out ‘Thank You Dale Jr’ with cards before the race,” Bowyer said. “It’s clear evidence that NASCAR fans can spell.”
There are races you mark down, make plans for, but there are few venues that seem to provide the kind of action that transforms those events into stand alone spectacles. Daytona is one. Talladega is another. You might want to add Darlington, for tradition sake, and Sonoma to the mix. Charlotte hosts the longest and next year they break out the road course for its second date. Then there are the two in Bristol, Tennessee.
While we continue to yearn for announcers who captivate us with their voices, delivery, dialogue, banter, information, or entertainment value, it does not matter this Saturday night. This time, the track will take care of all that itself. No one is going to run away from the pack. Lapped cars will matter if only for being in the way. Fenders are going to be dented, drivers are going to get hot, and fans are going to find their time well spent. That is not always the case in NASCAR. It is damn near becoming the exception to the rule, but Saturday night they are in Bristol.
I am not sure if we will have another offering from a shrill voiced fellow with a distinctive accent, but if your head announcer does not sound something like Ken Squier, Chris Economaki, or at the very least Mike Joy, do not hire them. If your booth announcers do not have the bantering chemistry of Kyle Petty and Wally Dallenbach, you have failed. If the race sucks, at least your announcers can not. The name of the game is to keep us watching. Thankfully, this is Bristol, so that does not matter as much this week.
It will be interesting to see how many of its 162,000 seats will be filled in Thunder Valley’s stadium like layout. If they fail to turn out to watch the action on the 0.533 mile track, if they are not crowded on the couch to take it all in at home, do not expect things to get any better when they get to Chicago, Dover, or Kansas. In future, a general rule of thumb would be if a race track is not designed to be the next Daytona, Talladega, Bristol, Sonoma, or even a Martinsville, do not build it.
If I did not follow the sport, if I did not know what each race means to each driver, if I had no idea what the Chase was or what the points meant, if I did not know the difference between an Earnhardt and an Erlich Bachman, I probably would watch only a dozen events each season for their stand alone entertainment value.
The race Saturday night at Bristol would be one of them.
1. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 4 WINS (933 Pts)
If you want to win, you got to beat him…team mate or not…
2. KYLE LARSON – 3 WINS (804 Pts)
…just like Larson did last Sunday.
3. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 3 WINS (592 Pts)
Won at Bristol in the spring. Why not on a summer night?
4. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 2 WINS (720 Pts)
If Johnson does not win, another two-time Bristol winner would not mind wearing the suds.
5. RICKY STENHOUSE, JR. – 2 WINS (505 Pts)
Better half could be without a ride at SHR next year. I didn’t even know he and Kurt were dating.
6. KYLE BUSCH – 1 WIN (797 Pts)
They may be from Las Vegas, but Bristol is Busch country.
7. KEVIN HARVICK – 1 WIN (787 Pts)
Harvick is a champion, yet less popular than Junior or Danica. Maybe more so after last week.
8. DENNY HAMLIN – 1 WIN (710 Pts)
It is a girl!
9. RYAN BLANEY – 1 WIN (592 Pts)
Maybe Blaney can be the next Junior. You know, someone Harvick can harp on.
10. KURT BUSCH – 1 WIN (554 Pts)
Going into his 600th career race, the brothers have each claimed five at Thunder Valley.
11. RYAN NEWMAN – 1 WIN (536 Pts)
The invisible man was fourth last week while averaging 15.9 over the season.
12. KASEY KAHNE – 1 WIN (438 Pts)
After wrecking with Suarez on Sunday, I bet he wished he was still with the good hands people.
13. AUSTIN DILLON – 1 WIN (436 Pts)
Top Ten last week was his first since he won at Charlotte in late May.
14. CHASE ELLIOTT – 685 POINTS
Probably a near lock for the Chase, but that first career win sure would be nice.
15. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 675 POINTS
Could be 40 points higher if not for wrecking at Martinsville and Pocono.
16. MATT KENSETH – 654 POINTS
Odds of 4x Bristol winner making the Chase are better than driving a competitive car next year.
17. CLINT BOWYER – 623 POINTS
Pit penalties and a flat tire ruined his plans last week, and did him no favors hunting down Matt.
18. JOEY LOGANO – 556 POINTS (1 Win)
Might feel the worst, but if he came first it would turn his frown upside down.
19. ERIK JONES – 524 POINTS
Has a string of three Top Tens. Now he needs a Top One.
20. DANIEL SUAREZ – 515 POINTS
Actually 17th in points, but race winners Stenhouse, Kahne, and Dillon now sit ahead of him.
1. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex won Stage 2, his 15th stage win of the season, and finished second at Michigan, passed on the final restart by a bold move from Kyle Larson. Truex leads the Monster Energy Cup points standings, and also leads with 35 playoff points.
“My Furniture Row Racing teammate Erik Jones restarted right beside me in second,” Truex said, “but Larson forced his way between us anyway. All this time I thought Carl Edwards was the best at driving a wedge between teammates.”
2. Kyle Larson: Larson went from fourth to first on the final restart to take the win in the Pure Michigan 400, his third consecutive win at Michigan.
“I went right between Martin Truex Jr. and Erik Jones,” Larson said. “I’m no expert in math or Roman numerals, but if you take 78 and 77, divide them by 42, you get ‘V.’ That’s ‘V’ for victory.”
3. Kyle Busch: A costly penalty ruined Busch’s chances of a win at Michigan. He was sent to the rear of the field at the start of the second stage after he pitted while pit road was closed. He still finished a solid 10th and is third in the points standings.
“My spotter told me pit road was open,” Busch said. “He was wrong. Now I’m going to play the role of spotter. You see my spotter there? He’s a moron.”
4. Kevin Harvick: Harvick finished 13th at Michigan.
“I said Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s popularity had ‘stunted’ the growth of NASCAR,” Harvick said. “And, in saying so, I may have stumbled upon the reason Junior is so popular—-he’s not an a-hole.”
5. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin finished 16th in the Pure Michigan 400.
“Kyle Busch called Brad Keselowski a ‘moron,’” Hamlin said, “and everyone is making a big deal about it. It’s not. I’ve been a teammate of Kyle’s for 10 years now; being called a ‘moron?’ That’s a compliment.”
6. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson finished 19th at Michigan and has not posted a top-10 result in his last four races.
“24, 21, 19,” Johnson said. “No, those aren’t my last three finishes. Those are the ages of my Hendrick Motorsports teammates in 2018.”
7. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski started from the pole at Michigan and led 105 laps only to finish 17th at Michigan.
“Our pit strategy left a lot to be desired,” Keselowski said. “In fact, a lot of people were questioning our decisions. Many called it ‘stupid.’ Others called it ‘idiotic.’ One even called it ‘moronic.’”
8. Jamie McMurray: McMurray finished ninth at Michigan, recording his 12th top 10 of the season.
“The Chevy Camaro is coming to NASCAR next year,” McMurray said. “That was big news in Michigan, where Chevrolet is headquartered. As announcements go that sent chills down the spines of Michiganites, it was a distant second to the news that Kid Rock is running for US Senate.”
9. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth was in third place with two laps to go before a tire issue dropped him to a 24th-place finish at Michigan.
“I still have a 31-point cushion over Clint Bowyer,” Kenseth said. “That’s should be enough to get me in the Chase. So, I know where I’ll be in three weeks; I just don’t know where I’ll be next year.”
10. Clint Bowyer: Bowyer finished a disappointing 23rd at Michigan and failed to make up any ground in his quest to make the Chase For The Cup.
“Like Kevin Harvick,” Bowyer said, “I chose to open my mouth and be critical of Dale Earnhardt Jr. Maybe I should spend more time trying to make the Chase than voicing my unwanted opinion. My foot is obviously better served on the gas pedal than in my mouth.”
Michigan, where winning was everything. Okay, points might have mattered for the likes of Chase Elliott, Jamie McMurray, Matt Kenseth, and Clint Bowyer, but for everyone else winning was the goal.
Michigan, where once again an Aussie did the play-by-play, but to be frank, Leigh Duffy’s accent is not a problem for me. I regularly watch the action from the Australian Football League, and it is totally a non-issue. An announcer has to inform, entertain, and it is helpful if they have one of those voices, one of those deliveries that allows you to just wrap yourself in like a warm blanket. That is how you keep fans watching and tuning in. NBC has not yet learned that, I am sad to say, but maybe the action on the track might overcome the deficiencies.
Not in the opening segment. They went fast, but they were strung out around the oval. A third of the field was lapped, and the dominating car, driven by Brad Keselowski, already has its wins. It was warm up where I live, but I decided to forgo the frosty beer for the moment. At least that gave me something to possibly look forward to.
Martin Truex Jr. is looking forward to the Chase, and he added to his playoff point total with yet another segment win in Stage two. Keselowski and Kevin Harvick were right behind him, but a couple of the others in the top 10 at this point made things interesting. Erik Jones had done well cruising in the top five, while Daniel Suarez was strong throughout the segment. Neither could make the Chase on points, but could they, would they win their way in? I guess that is why we watched the final run. Still, no beer for me. I am a patient, patient man with an iron will.
Kasey Kahne was not, as shortly after they resumed he popped in front of Suarez a fraction too early and got tossed to the scrap heap. Kahne is in the Chase, but out of that ride for next season. It did the Mexican driver no favors either, as his hopes for victory Sunday came to an end. At least we still had Jones.
A win would have worked for Bowyer. However, twice being caught speeding in the pits would not. Neither would a tire rub with 50 laps to go that turned into a flat. No win, and a squandered opportunity to make up some points was to be the fate for the man from Emporia, Kansas.
Joey Logano has a win, but it means nothing toward the Chase. His hopes for another went flat when his tire did the same with 15 laps to go. That brought out a caution, and that increased our interest. With nine to go at the re-start, four time winner Truex was running point, with Jones, Kenseth, and Elliott right behind him. Ken Squier and Chris Economaki could not have set things up any better for what we hoped would be an exciting finish with a lot on the line.
Truex took off with Jones, his Furniture Row teammate, behind him. They were all that mattered, though you could not tell from the NBC coverage as they focused on battles that in the long run were rather meaningless. It was sliding into ho-hum territory, I began to yearn for that long put off beer, but then a wreck with five to go allowed them to re-set.
Going into over-time, once again it was Truex, Jones, Kenseth, with Kyle Larson now fourth ahead of Elliott. Was it going to be exciting? Damn right, but that was thanks to Larson bursting between those Furniture Row boys as things turned green and away he went. It was his third win of the season and his third straight at Michigan.
So, did the standings change much? Nope. Kenseth finished 24th, but Bowyer dropped a further three points behind him for 16th place on the ladder. The gap is now 31 points, with McMurray 52 points over the horizon and Elliott now 62 on the other side of the crest. It was a good day for Larson, Truex, Jones and, thanks to bonus points, Harvick. It was a bit of a bummer for Kahne and Suarez.
Next up is a Saturday night at Bristol, an event good enough it attracts fans just because it is what it is. Kenseth, Logano, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. are previous winners who desperately need to re-live some of those good old times. Get your friends together for the race next weekend. Tell ‘em that Bristol represents the kind of action NASCAR presents every week. Hey, sometimes friends lie to friends over a cold beer. Which reminds me…
Heading into Michigan, Kevin Harvick made some headlines on his radio show when he laid blame for the sport’s lack of progress in recent years in the lap of Dale Earnhardt Jr. That never is a good thing to do.
“For me, I believe that Dale Jr. has had a big part in kind of stunting the growth of NASCAR because he’s got these legions of fans and this huge outreach of being able to reach different places that none of us have the possibility to reach, but he’s won nine races in 10 years at Hendrick Motorsports and hasn’t been able to reach outside of that,” Harvick said. So, is Junior a “big part in kind of stunting the growth of NASCAR?”
Junior is an interesting, unique story. In fact, his life story from the date of his father’s death to his winning the 2004 Daytona 500 is pure Hollywood gold. His win when they returned to Daytona in 2001, his four straight Talladega victories, to 2004 when the 500 was his first of six victories that season. Pure gold, damn near fictional if we had not lived to see it happen with our own eyes. The Legend’s fans became those of the Legacy, and those 15 wins in his first five seasons put the focus squarely on him.
After 2004, he went from extraordinary to ordinary, yet his legion of fans remained. Is it his fault Jimmie Johnson has not been marketed properly? I mean, you shouldn’t see a poster of Jimmie without seeing him flanked by Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt. He is NASCAR royalty. Still, he was not the son of a legend.
Junior is popular because he is the son of that Legend, a young man who had tremendous early success to allow the Earnhardt fans to keep on cheering. He also had enough of a good ole boy personality to keep them loyal through all the tribulations to come.
Did his lack of success over recent years stunt NASCAR’s growth? Maybe, it was his continued presence that kept it from sliding further down the tubes. In fact, the champion has only taken the Most Popular Driver award six times in the season they won the championship. The last was Bill Elliott nearly 30 years ago. So much for Harvick’s theory.
The Most Popular Driver award has been handed out 66 times. On 50 occasions, the most popular driver had the last name of Petty, Allison, Elliott, or Earnhardt. In fact, since 1970 only David Pearson and Darrell Waltrip (twice) has interrupted that dynasty.
Mr. Harvick is wrong. It is a combination of success and personality and royal jelly that makes one the Most Popular. Neither Jeff Gordon or Tony Stewart laid claim to the award. Neither has Brad Keselowski, Matt Kenseth, or either Busch brother. Neither has Kevin Harvick.
I guess next year we will have to find another Most Popular Driver. My guess? How about another Elliott. These families have carried NASCAR on their back for decades. Why stop now?
