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  • Matty’s Picks 2015 – Vol. 2 – Atlanta Motor Speedway

    Matty’s Picks 2015 – Vol. 2 – Atlanta Motor Speedway

    The 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series is off and running and taking shape with its own headlines. Whether it’s Jeff Gordon’s farewell tour, domestic violence in the sport, driver safety, stolen race cars, or the qualifying fiascoes, the 2015 is quickly creating its own identity just two weeks into the eleven-month racing season.

    This week, we’re at Atlanta Motor Speedway, a race that was moved from the end of August/early September to the number two slot in the series schedule. The never-ending winter this year may have it’s way with the scheduling of the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 on Sunday, however, with a 50 percent chance of rain and temperatures expected to be in the mid 40’s on Sunday. As the most recent winter weather system moves across the Midwest and into the Southeast, the teams have more to compete with than just the weather this weekend in Atlanta, like thieves, and passing inspection.

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  • Inaugural Century Poll Picks Jimmie Johnson as 2015 NASCAR Champion

    Inaugural Century Poll Picks Jimmie Johnson as 2015 NASCAR Champion

    There is a new poll making its way through the NASCAR garage and media center. The Century Poll, instituted by Mike Siberini, asks a question a month of the NASCAR community to get a pulse of what is really happening in the world of stock car racing.

    There are currently 100 voters in The Century Poll, 50 from the NASCAR media and 50 from the NASCAR garage, which includes drivers, crew chiefs, crew members, team owners, PR reps, sponsors and even track officials.

    For the first question of The Century Poll, all voters were asked to choose their pick for the driver that will win the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup championship.

    The results showed that the early championship pick was none other than six-time champ Jimmie Johnson. The driver of the No. 48 Lowes Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports garnered 23 of the 100 votes. He captured 10 of the 50 garage votes and 13 of the 50 media votes.

    The second highest vote getter was perhaps the most sentimental. Jeff Gordon received 22 total votes, 10 of which were from the garage and 12 of which were from the media.

    There were only two other drivers with double digit votes, Carl Edwards, who received 18 total votes, and Kevin Harvick, who garnered 14 votes to go back to back as champ.

    The fifth highest vote getter was Daytona 500 winner Joey Logano. The Team Penske driver scored 4 garage votes and 5 media votes for a total of 9 votes. His teammate Brad Keselowski scored only a total of 3 votes, all of which were from the media.

    Matt Kenseth received 3 garage votes and 1 media vote for a total of 4. Surprisingly perennial fan favorite Dale Earnhardt Jr. only received 3 total votes to be this year’s champion, all of which were from the garage.

    The final vote recipients were Denny Hamlin, with a total of 3, including 2 from the garage and 1 from the media, and Tony Stewart, who received 1 vote, the sole one being from the garage.

    As one of the voting members, I was one of the many who picked Jimmie Johnson. So apparently I am in good company!

    But we need to hear now from our loyal Speedway Media readers…..who would you pick right now with the second race looming as your 2015 champ?

    Weigh in and let’s see where YOU fit in The Century Poll!

     

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Daytona

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Daytona

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Joey Logano: Logano surged to the lead late at Daytona and held off Kevin Harvick, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Denny Hamlin to win his first 500.

    “Oh what a feeling,” Logano said. “I feel like this win validates my nickname. So, this is the greatest thing, hence ‘Sliced Bread.’ And enrollment in my fan club, ‘Flour Power,’ is growing exponentially.

    “I guess I have to thank my father, Tom Logano, for much of my success. I fondly remember fondly being strapped unwillingly to the seat of a midget car at a very young age. I guess that was my introduction to racing ‘restraint’ systems.”

    2. Kevin Harvick: Harvick finished second in a tightly-contested Daytona 500, taking the runner-up spot behind Joey Logano.

    “Logano is lucky I couldn’t get close to his bumper,” Harvick said. “After what he did to me in the Sprint Unlimited, I owed him. But I’m sure Joey doesn’t want to mess with me. To Logano, I’m like a weight scale to Tony Stewart—-he wants no part of it. If you’re gonna tell Tony to ‘step on it,’ you might want to be very specific.”

    3. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin started 42nd and methodically worked his way to the front and into position for a last-lap run at Joey Logano. Hamlin came up short for the win, but posted a solid fourth as Toyota’s top finisher.

    “I tangled with Danica Patrick in the second Gatorade Duel,” Hamlin said. “I found out that there’s only one thing worse than racing with Danica, and that’s talking to her.”

    4. Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Earnhardt led 32 laps and fell back late before a strong, final charge gave him a third-place finish. On a restart with 19 laps to go, Earnhardt lost the draft and was shuffled back to 19th before charging back to the front.

    “I let down the fans of Junior Nation,” Earnhardt said. “When I fell back, you could hear the collective gasp emanate from the mouths of the Nation. What’s worse, you could smell it.”

    5. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson overcame an early drive-through penalty, charging from the back of the field to claim fifth, joining Hendrick teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr., who finished third, in the top five.

    “At first,” Johnson said, “NASCAR officials wouldn’t tell us why we were being penalized. Usually, they can’t wait to tell us what we did wrong.

    “We were penalized for having too many men over the wall,” Johnson said. “As we found out, it’s easier to get over the wall than get over the hump.”

    6. Jeff Gordon: Gordon won the pole and dominated early, leading 87 laps at Daytona, but found himself mired in traffic late and vulnerable to the inevitable accident. It happened on the final lap, when the No. 24 was clipped and spun by Austin Dillon. Gordon finished 33rd.

    “That’s certainly not what I meant when I said this would be my last ‘go-round,’” Gordon said.

    “But let’s be serious. Do you really think I’ll never race in a 500 again? I just got a retirement gift from Mark Martin. It’s a shirt that says, ‘Retirement is for quitters.’”

    7. Clint Bowyer: Bowyer gave Joey Logano a push to the front late at Daytona, a lead Logano maintained while Bowyer finished seventh.

    “Penske drivers are always getting a ‘push’ when they least expect it,” Bowyer said. “I don’t think Logano’s been pushed that hard by anyone except his father. Ton Logano is the Joe Jackson of NASCAR.”

    8. Casey Mears: Mears finished sixth at Daytona after starting 41st, giving Germain Racing a huge boost to start the season.

    “The No. 13 car is sponsored by Geico,” Mears said. “Usually, when you see a reptile in NASCAR, you’re looking at one of the repulsive track owners.

    “A good showing for me at Daytona always draws comparisons to my more famous uncle, Indy car great Rick Mears. I like to tell myself I’m just like him, and I am—he never won a Daytona 500, either.”

    9. Greg Biffle: Biffle quietly finished 10th at Daytona after qualifying eighth and avoiding trouble throughout the day. Biffle was the top finisher for Roush Fenway Racing, as Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Trevor Bayne finished 29th and 30th, respectively.

    “With Carl Edwards gone,” Biffle said, “I’m now the face of RFR. And that’s scary.”

    10. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex finished eighth at Daytona, giving Furniture Row Racing a strong start to the 2015 season.

    “We had a great run,” Truex said, “and it was great publicity for Furniture Row. By the way, Furniture Row has some of the best furnishings in the business, especially our tables, which are varnished to a brilliant sheen. You could say they all come with a ‘top 10 finish.’”

  • Hot 20 – Weights and measurements not a good Jeopardy category for Logano

    Hot 20 – Weights and measurements not a good Jeopardy category for Logano

    Three of last Sunday’s top drivers failed to make the cut simply due to not being registered to run for Cup points. Regan Smith, Matt Crafton, and Johnny Sauter all were within the Top Twenty, but their focus is on one of the other two national series. Smith will be kept busy, though, as he sits in for the suspended Kurt Busch. Considering the ride was especially created by Gene Haas for Busch to wear his company colors, one has to wonder about the long-term fate of the No. 41.

    What is 3100 pounds yet weighs in at under a ton? It appears Logano did not just have the winning ride at Daytona…he had a magic car.

    The Hot 20 after Daytona

    1. Joey Logano – 1 Win – 47 Points
    Daytona 500 winner provided a “ton” of laughs on Letterman.

    2. Kevin Harvick – 42 Points
    If only it were the Daytona 505, all green, all of the time.

    3. Dale Earnhardt Jr – 42 Points
    A late change to the slow lane proved costly.

    4. Denny Hamlin – 41 Points
    Got yelled at so much, he thought he was Stenhouse for a moment.

    5. Jimmie Johnson – 40 Points
    Car was fast at Daytona, his pit crew even faster.

    6. Casey Mears – 39 Points
    Car just got better and better thanks to a Bootie call…or two.

    7. Clint Bowyer – 37 Points
    If you cannot be the man to beat the man, be the man who makes the man unbeatable.

    8. Martin Truex Jr – 37 Points
    Last year he was no Kurt Busch, this year that is a good thing.

    9. Greg Biffle – 35 Points
    This season you can discover “What’s Buggin’ Biffle.”

    10. Kasey Kahne – 35 Points
    Won just once in 2014, but Atlanta was the place.

    11. David Gi_ _i _ and – 33 Points
    I’ll take an “L”, Pat Sajack.

    12. Michael Annett – 32 Points
    14th on Thursday, 13th on Sunday, a Top Ten in Atlanta?

    13. Sam Hornish Jr – 32 Points
    Welcome back to Cup, Sam.

    14. Austin Dillon – 30 Points
    The No. 3 now driven by the man in the black hat.

    15. Aric Almirola – 29 Points
    Somewhere there has to be someone named Eric Elmirola.

    16. David Ragan – 27 Points
    Loaned out by Front Row to sit in for Kyle at Gibbs.

    17. A.J. Allmendinger – 25 Points
    No sponsor, no Sprint Unlimited.

    18. Danica Patrick – 23 Points
    Kurt sits, Tony wrecks, and Danica gets a written warning. Thank God for Harv.

    19. Carl Edwards – 22 Points
    Is there a doctor in the house? Why yes, yes there is.

    20. Cole Whitt – 22 Points
    Good funding stems from good finishes. I hope this helps.

  • The Final Word – Daytona saw no Kyle, no Kurt, but for Joey, oh my

    The Final Word – Daytona saw no Kyle, no Kurt, but for Joey, oh my

    Speeds over 200 mph. Three wide racing to the end. Dale Earnhardt Jr. had time at the front. So did Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson. Excellent announcing on FOX. Nice weather. What was there not to love about the Daytona 500?

    Okay, if you were not a fan of Joey Logano and saw that caution come out as they were wrecking behind them on that final lap, maybe you were upset. Especially so as Kevin Harvick and Junior were trying to challenge at the end. Yet, they kept wrecking back there so NASCAR decided to err on the side of safety.

    Gordon was involved in the melee, and was ranked 33rd, the final car on the lead lap of a race that went to green-white-checkers. If you were a fan of Tony Stewart or Matt Kenseth, early damage left them non-factors the rest of the day, with Smoke finishing 42nd. With 40 laps to go, Brad Keselowski went up in smoke to sit 41st. Danica Patrick was 21st, but rarely to be seen on the day.

    If you are a Busch fan, any Busch, you were left cheering for Matt Crafton, who was 18th in his Cup debut, while Regan Smith was 16th. Neither picked up drivers’ points with each being registered in one of the other two national series. Both Casey Mears and Martin Truex Jr. each earned a Top Ten, with David Gilliland, Sam Hornish Jr., and Michael Annett all in the Top Fifteen. Now if they can only follow that up with solid results next week in Atlanta.

    Still, not a Busch to be found in Georgia, either. I have always thought that by running an average of 25 races in the junior circuit, Kyle Busch was taking a seat away from an up and comer. That has been solved for the time being, but not in a fashion any of us wanted. That was a damn scary hit last Saturday, on a regular concrete wall, causing Busch a broken right leg and left foot. If there is a need for a wall, it is due to the possibility a car might hit it, and if the possibility exists, so does the need for a safer barrier to exist. I dislike Kyle driving so much in the Xfinity Series, but I dislike even more him having to be in hospital.

    A Daytona 500 with neither Busch brother. At least Kyle’s situation is straight forward, which is more than one can say about that of Kurt. From my understanding, a despondent Busch texted his former girlfriend who then sent these along to his coach driver who encouraged her to visit. This she did, out of either compassion or to get Kurt to tell her son the relationship was over, I am no longer sure as to which. Kurt was naked the entire time of the visit, an image I am trying to keep out of my head. He tried to get her to leave by either cupping her face aggressively or choked her and slammed her head into a wall. No charges have yet been laid and a judge says he believed more of her story than that of the driver yet stated she lied during her testimony. In the end, he gave her a protection order to keep Busch away, causing NASCAR to react with the suspension. I find this whole situation a train wreck with more drama than most of us can be bothered to dwell upon. I wish them both well.

    For most others, the season opened well, especially for the fans. While Junior had a strong car, Logano had the one that could challenge him. Sometimes luck decides how things work out, but Sunday at Daytona the car that was the stoutest when it counted, won. Sure, he was helped when Junior made a lane change that cost him too much for too long too late into the event, but Joey was the one guy who could, and did, take full advantage. Now it is off to Atlanta for 500 miles, the scene of Kasey Kahne’s lone victory of 2014. If you loved Daytona, you might as well stick around to see how Atlanta might measure up.

  • Surprising and Not Surprising: Daytona 500

    Surprising and Not Surprising: Daytona 500

    After an incredibly eventful Speedweeks, here is what was surprising and not surprising from NASCAR’s first and one of the biggest races of the season, the 57th annual Daytona 500.

    Surprising: The various Daytona 500 race watching venues were definitely most surprising, from Kurt Busch watching from who knows where after his indefinite suspension due to domestic violence allegations to his brother Kyle watching from a hospital bed after breaking his leg and foot in an Xfinity race crash.

    The other two unusual seats for the Daytona 500 were for Regan Smith and Matt Crafton, who substituted for the Busch brothers, in the No. 41 and No. 18 race cars respectively. Smith finished 16th for Stewart Haas Racing and Crafton finished 19th for Joe Gibbs Racing.

    “Started off really tight with the race car and never got it turning,” Smith said from his race seat. “I don’t know, kind of frustrating. I actually anticipated a much better day and nothing much more to show for it. Those guys did a nice job all weekend but we just plowed through the corners.”

    “It was a learning curve,” Crafton said from his unexpected race seat. “The first half we just rode around and tried to learn, learn, learn.”

    “It was very, very tough, but that’s what we get paid to do – drive race cars and figure it out quick. I felt fine, just my back from being in that seat hurt. Under yellows I would loosen up the belts as much as I could and just try to bow myself up in the seat just because my back was just cramped so unbelievable bad.”

    “I should have had a little better finish there at the end, but it is what it is.”

    Not Surprising: There was a visual dichotomy, from Jeff Gordon greeting the fans with his two children at the start of the race to the 24 year old Joe Logano embracing his father in Victory Lane, truly signifying the passing of the torch in the sport.

    This was Jeff Gordon’s last Daytona 500 and Joey Logano’s first ever win in the Great American race.

    “Congratulations to Joey Logano,” Jeff Gordon said after finishing 33rd in a late race crash. “That moment you saw there with his dad that is what it’s all about. These types of moments, such a big race it means so much to all of us. You want to share that with the people that you are closest to that have been there along the way.”

    “Congratulations to him and I don’t know what else to say other than I enjoyed it.”

    Surprising: Even great plate racers can make a mistake and yet still manage finish in the third spot and that is just what the driver of the No. 88 Nationwide Chevrolet did. Even with the miscue, Dale Earnhardt Jr. managed his 18th top-10 finish in 31 races at Daytona International Speedway.

    “I made a really bad decision on that restart with 19 to go,” Junior said. “I made a poor choice and you can’t afford to do that. I got shuffled back and lost a ton of spots.”

    “I had one of the best cars out there and that gave me a ton of confidence to keep digging. We were able to get back up to third place. It’s really disappointing because the Nationwide team gave me the best car and we should have won the race.”

    “It was a fun day out there. Just came up short and a little disappointed about that.”

    Not Surprising: With the exception of Kevin Harvick, who finished in the runner up position, Stewart Haas Racing continued its struggles of the previous year, with Kurt Busch suspended, Tony Stewart hitting the wall and finishing 42nd and Danica Patrick being a non-factor, finishing 21st.

    Stewart wrecked his No. 14 Chevrolet on Lap 41 when his car turned right, slammed into the wall, and completely wrecked his steering. This extended Stewart’s losing streak to seventeen races.

    “I take the blame for that one,” Smoke said. “One-hundred percent my fault.”

    Surprising: After winning one of the Duel races and starting at the front of the pack alongside teammate Jeff Gordon, six-time champion Jimmie Johnson saw the race win slip through his fingers in the final restarts. Johnson finished fifth in his No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet instead.

    “With about 10 to go, I thought we were in position to win the Daytona 500,” Johnson said. “I wish we were in Victory Lane right now but with plate racing you honestly have no clue what’s going to happen.”

    “Really the last two restarts just didn’t work for us. I was ahead of one lane and the guys behind us just weren’t bumper to bumper. Then on the last restart the same thing on the bottom. So it is just the way things happened.”

    “A fun day here in Daytona, of course I wish I was in Victory Lane right now, but we had a very strong day nothing to be embarrassed about.”

    Not Surprising: At restrictor plate tracks, where anything can happen and anyone can win, it was not surprising that two single-car race teams had great runs and emerged from Daytona with great optimism for the season ahead.

    “It was a good run and has been a good 10 days down here,” Martin Truex, driver of the No. 78 Furniture Row/Visser Precision Chevrolet said after finishing eighth. “I had a lot of fun today. We had to go to the back a few times but our car was strong enough to drive up through there.I thought we had a shot there until that last caution. I got in the wrong lane on the last restart and got held up a little bit. All in all, we came out of here last year with a 43rd and to come out of here today with an eighth-place and top-10 is a good start to the year for us.”

    “It was a really solid day,” Casey Mears said after finishing sixth, his fourth top-10 in the past five restrictor-plate races. “We have run up front at a lot of these things now or towards the front. We are getting a little bit greedier. We definitely want to win one of these races. I think our standards are getting a lot higher. From going from possibly not being in the show to finishing sixth that is definitely a good spread and a good way to start the season for sure.”

    Surprising: In spite of being dubbed a good pusher by race winner Logano, Clint Bowyer was surprisingly ticked after his seventh place finish in the Great American race.

    “I don’t know what I could have done different,” the driver of the No. 15 5-Hour Energy Toyota said. “I have to go back and look at it. Just you’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t there. I had them stacked up – some pretty good cars there behind me and I knew they were going to shuffle me out. I was kind of the lone wolf in the whole group other than the 22 (Joey Logano) and he happened to be leading.”

    “Once they got me in the middle, three-wide, I just didn’t really have – I was stuck and screwed.”

    Not Surprising: Denny Hamlin in his No. 11 FedEx Express Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing was the highest finishing Toyota, scoring the 4th spot.

    “You know, you’ve got a 50-50 shot of winning it when you’re on the green-white-checkered on the front row,” Hamlin said. “Our line didn’t form up and it’s typically whatever line gets organized the most usually goes forward on these green-white checkers and we just – inside line didn’t get going.”

    “We came up a little short again.”

    Surprising: In spite of feeling helpless, Greg Biffle still managed a top-10 finish for Roush Fenway Racing, a great accomplishment after a disappointing 2014 season.

    “It’s a little disappointing because we want to win the Daytona 500,” the driver of the No. 16 Ortho Ford said. “It just seemed like our car didn’t quite have the speed it needed. I really struggled to try and stay in line and handling was a huge issue. My car was so tight. There was nothing I could do at the end because I was totally boxed in.”

    Not Surprising: Forget girls that just want to have fun, boys wanted to have fun as well and Carl Edwards did just that, in spite of finishing 24th with his new Joe Gibbs Racing No. 19 ARRIS Toyota team.

    “Actually I had a very strong car and I had a lot of fun,” Edwards said. “I just didn’t pick the right lines there at the end – it just didn’t work. We got far enough back that it made it kind of hard to get back to the front. I had fun – I really did.”

    “Had a great car and we didn’t tear anything up – just had a good time.”

  • Matty’s Picks 2015 – Volume 1 – Daytona

    Matty’s Picks 2015 – Volume 1 – Daytona

    After a one-year sabbatical, Matty’s Picks is back for the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. I had a great year last year, enjoying a few races from the stands as a fan, but I’m back in action this year on the keyboard and behind the camera lens bringing you my less than expert picks for the races each Sunday.

    This year, I’ve decided to expand my picks and because the world of fantasy sports has exploded since the first Matty’s Picks column hit SpeedwayMedia.com back in 2010, I’ll be sharing my Fox Sports Fantasy Auto roster each week. In case anyone is unfamiliar with the Fox Sports Fantasy Auto rules, here’s the skinny; Each week, participants pick a roster of up to five drivers who are given a value each week based on past performances, stats and trends. Players are given a pool of $50,000 to play with each week and drivers earned points based on laps led, positions gained and finishing position. I’ll provide a brief recap of my weekly picks, provide an update of how my team is stacking up and even mix in some Vegas odds for those who might be interested in some financial advice throughout the season.

    Hoping to have a bit more success in picking winners this year than in 2013, the year before my sabbatical from sports writing, I’ll be soliciting advice throughout the season, so feel free to drop me a note with your picks throughout the season at mattl@speedwaymedia.com.

    Wasting no time getting into my picks for The Great American Race, I’ll disclaimer my column this week by letting everyone know my picks were made prior to the finish of both of the Budweiser Duel at Daytona races on Thursday night – my once-a-year excuse for making poor picks due to the qualifying procedures for the Daytona 500. Without further ado, here are my picks to start the 2015 season off this Sunday at the 2.5-mile superspeedway in Daytona Beach, Florida:

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  • Logging Laps: Where has all the respect in racing gone?

    Logging Laps: Where has all the respect in racing gone?

    Lap One: Respect in Racing

    If you were like me growing up, you had a few cardinal rules you never broke.

    One: You always finished your plate.
    Two: You always did your homework.
    Three: You always said thanks to the big man at night before bed.
    Four: You always respected your elders.

    I’d say those are pretty good rules to live by. So that brings me to the topic of this week’s discussion, rule number four, respect. Specifically, respect in racing.

    I assume you’re a racing fan, so I won’t bore you with the obligatory explaining of every minute detail when it comes to beating and banging and the competition and heartbeat of what makes motorsports so thrilling. Racing can be summed up in one word, competition.

    Racing is a sport, no matter what the talking bobble heads on ESPN, (That’s for you, Olbermann), seem to think. A sport is any competitive activity where you actively compete with your peers to see who is best. Be that baseball, football, swimming, cheerleading or racing. They are all sports and when we talk about respect in racing, respect and competition rarely go hand in hand. Sportsmanship is generally a show of respect. It’s a sign of personal pride in yourself, your accomplishment, and the pride of your sport. However, sometimes competition has a downside. It can create a difference of opinions.

    We had one of those differences in the Sprint Unlimited race at Daytona on Feb. 14. Joey Logano and Kevin Harvick traded barbed words after a heated and dramatic late race finish that saw Logano shoving the No. 4 car of Harvick into turn three at over 190 mph causing Harvick to get into the wall. Exciting, isn’t it? But we’re not here to debate that. It’s what happened after the fact that brings the controversy and the tongue wagging around the water coolers. (Yes, they still exist.)

    Logano, age 24, told Harvick, age 39, to: “Shut the —- up!” Respect, my friends, just went out the window. As a former racer and athlete myself, I understand that competitive athletes can get involved in the moment. Tempers boil, people get emotional, and reason and rational thought get replaced with red-eyed anger and disrespect. We saw that for a brief moment on pit road. Two competitors trading their opinions on what they thought was right and wrong. That’s acceptable. This is the United States of America, after all. We’re allowed, encouraged even, to share our opinions and our voice. Who wouldn’t want to stand up and have their thoughts heard? It’s wonderful to see the fiery disposition and desire to win. That’s what drives all competitors to be the best. That’s why we have sports!

    That’s not an excuse to disrespect another person, especially not an elder and champion of your sport. I’ve seen athletes from all across the sporting world using competition as an excuse to be a jerk to others lately. “It’s because I want to win, I don’t care what anyone thinks,” is the particularly over-used mantra you’ve seen spouted off on Twitter, Facebook and in media centers. There is nothing wrong with wanting to win. The issue here is what you do when you don’t win. What you do when you have a difference of opinion. How you handle the disappointment and frustration of loss. Do you shake hands and pretend it’s all fun and games? We used to do that in High School sports, didn’t we? Was it great for sportsmanship and helping instill a sense of pride in our accomplishment, win, lose or draw? Sure. Is that feasible in professional sports? Sometimes. Take the Superbowl and the coaches shaking hands for example. That’s a small token of respect that’s often overlooked.

    Then there is Motorsports. On pit road on a cool Saturday night, two men didn’t agree, one disappointed in the actions of another and the other barking insults at the person he had just shoved into a wall at over 190 mph. It’s just competition, right? It’s just the heat of the moment, tempers flaring, boys have at it, let’s see those ratings jump and give the journalists something to write about for a week, right? Wrong. It’s disrespectful and disgraceful. Whatever happened to the Mark Martins of the racing world? Whatever happened to the Ned Jarretts? The Benny Parsons? Why is it that in the 21st century, the modern, high-dollar, big production, fancy lights and fireworks show of the most popular form of motorsports in America, we are seeing more and more of these types of scenarios playing out? What happened to basic human decency and simple things like saying you’re sorry when you make a mistake or admitting your actions have consequences?

    I don’t have a good answer. All I know to ask is: Where has all the respect in racing gone?

  • The Final Word – A Lack of Love at Daytona

    The Final Word – A Lack of Love at Daytona

    We have just gotten the season underway, and already we got guys torqued. I mean, some got downright ornery.

    Take the Sprint Unlimited race last Saturday. Joey Logano seemed just a flying fist of fate away from being all gums, no teeth. In fact, the best save of the day came when one of his crew grabbed his driver by the scruff of the neck and dragged his butt out of harm’s way. Down to the final couple of laps, Logano was driving up Kevin Harvick’s exhaust when that battered car tagged the wall. That was enough for a post-race discussion, but when Joey decided to stick his mug into Harv’s face to drop the f-bomb, he was suddenly hauled away. In doing so, he avoided a possible sock-it-to-me moment.

    Oh, by the way, Matt Kenseth won the race, ahead of Martin Truex Jr. and Carl Edwards.

    The next day, NASCAR’s wacky method to determine the front row for the Daytona 500 came into play. Instead of just finding out who is the fastest, we now include cars actually racing during qualifying, blocking to maintain position and to interfere with another’s time, along with jockeying on pit road as to who goes when to take advantage of what. The result is a nonsensical farce just to provide some kind of show for the fans. If you do not believe me, ask Clint Bowyer. He ignored his crew chief’s pleas to leave his smoking wreck to yell at Reed Sorenson, who had tried to block, which caused one hell of a mess. By being taken out early, the best Bowyer could do was record the 41st best qualifying time.

    Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson survived it all to take the front row spots in the Daytona 500. On Thursday, the duels will decided the other 41 positions.

    So, Bowyer is not happy. After getting out of his car to jaw with Sorenson, a rule violation, he could wind up even unhappier. The fact he called the new qualifying format idiotic, saying “It’s NASCAR’s fault for putting us out here in the middle of this crap for nothing,” it is doubtful he has endeared himself to the powers that be. However, among the drivers, he is not alone in that observation.

    If Kurt Busch’s ex is some kind of trained assassin, she must truly suck at her job if Busch can assault her, and live. The judge must think so, too, according to his ruling, ordering that Kurt stay away from her. If she is fearful of mean ole Kurt, she must be scared crapless of Jimmy Spencer.

    Having to go home is a fear for a few on Thursday, but with Carl Edwards securing a spot last weekend in his new entry, all the familiar faces are locked in. Almost. 13 are in, with Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson on the front row. Aric Almirola, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Edwards and Jamie McMurray are in through their qualifying times. Kevin Harvick, Ryan Newman, Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano get a pass from their 2014 owner’s points, with Tony Stewart in as the most current past champion.

    On Thursday, a Top 15 finish in one of the duel races locks a driver into the Daytona 500. If that driver already has a secure spot, the pass goes to the driver with the most 2014 owner’s points not already in the field. The six with the fewest owner’s points need to race their way in Thursday, with Ryan Blaney, Reed Sorenson, Michael Annett, Cole Whitt, Justin Marks and Ron Hornaday currently on the outside looking in. Those they are hoping to leap over include, in order, Michael McDowell, currently on the bubble, Johnny Sauter, Ty Dillon, Mike Wallace, Bobby Labonte, with Josh Wise the most secure of the bunch. Of course, if any of those bubble boys finish 15th or better in their Thursday race, they lock themselves into Sunday’s field. Simply put, for those high in 2014 owner’s points, it is less crucial to do well on Thursday. For those who are not, Thursday could mean everything.

    Fans of Dale Earnhardt Jr have to love the fact that the next available spot would go to their guy, who has the best total in 2014 owner’s points among those not yet locked in. There is a chance, a very small chance, that Junior could fail to make the field. For that to happen, he would need to miss the Top 15 in his duel, as well as see every one of the 13 drivers currently locked in to finish their race 16th or worse. If just one of them finishes 15th or better, Earnhardt is in, and his fans have to love that.

    Thursday they run the duels, Friday the trucks (except in Canada), Saturday the junior league, and Sunday it is the Daytona 500. What is not to love?

  • 2015 NASCAR Predictions

    2015 NASCAR Predictions

    *Kurt Busch debuts the No. 007 car at Daytona and executes a last-lap pass of Denny Hamlin to win the 500. In post-race interviews, Busch goes on a 10 minute rant and bad-mouths the entire NASCAR community, earning him the nickname “American Sniper.”

    Busch then fires his agent on the spot and when asked, refuses to divulge the name of his new representative, instead saying he/she is a “secret agent.” Busch also decrees that his spotter should be called a “spy” for the rest of the season.

    *Clint Bowyer, in the No. 15 5-Hour Energy Chevrolet, leads with two laps to go at Richmond on April 25, but falls asleep and crashes out, finishing 39th. The following week at Talladega, Bowyer’s car sports a brand new, one-race sponsor, ‘8 Hours Sleep.’

    Bowyer makes the Chase For The Cup and wins the Chase opener at Chicagoland, but fades afterwards, with no finishes in the top 10 in the remaining nine races.

    *Tony Stewart throws a punch at Brad Keselowski after the two tangle at Sonoma, leading NBC to introduce the “Fist Cam” the following week at Daytona on July 5. The “Fist Cam” is a small camera deployed in one of two places: either on the fist of the driver deemed most likely to take a swing at someone, or on Keselowski’s face.

    The “Fist Cam” delivers its best footage at Martinsville on November 1 when Danica Patrick throws a haymaker at A.J. Allmendinger, leading to the ESPN.com headline, “The Swinger And The ‘Dinger.”

    *At Kid Rock’s pre-race concert at Daytona, the “American Bad Ass” performs his new single “First Kiss,” then urges fans in attendance to kiss the person to their right. An all-out brawl ensues, and NASCAR waves a giant red flag, resulting in a three-hour delay to the start of the race.

    *Kevin Harvick’s quest to repeat as Sprint Cup champion gains the unofficial tag line “This Bud’s For 2” in a contest on Twitter sponsored by Harvick’s wife Delana. “This Bud’s For 2” beats out a host of other slogans, such as “Two-Timing S.O.B.” submitted by a Brooke Gordon, “Make It Reign,” the Al Unser, Jr.-inspired “I’ll Have A Double,” and “Two Knock-Knock-Knocks On Kevin’s Door.”

    Harvick qualifies for the Chase For The Cup, but slumps after a shove from Brad Keselowski sends him over the edge, of the stage at a Jason Aldean concert at Spartanburg, South Carolina in September.

    *Carl Edwards gives Joe Gibbs Racing its first win of the season by winning at Texas on April 6. Edwards performs his signature back flip, but flubs the landing and sprains his left ankle. Edwards misses two races recovering, and to add insult to injury, Aflac denies his claim for worker’s compensation, saying the accident did not take place on the job.

    *TMZ posts some candid photos of NASCAR CEO Brian France frolicking in the raw on the beaches of Saint-Tropez. The photos, titled “The ‘South’ Of France In The South Of France,” create a stir in NASCAR circles and embarrassment to the France family.

    France files a suit, claiming mistaken identity, and TMZ is forced to submit an apology, which they do on their website, where they say “they sincerely regret mistaking France for some other pudgy white man.”

    The Charlotte Observer comically joins the paparazzi act when they post a scandalous headline reading “France Caught Topless!” along with a photograph of France cruising in his vintage 1955 Thunderbird convertible.

    *Dale Earnhardt Jr. faces a misdemeanor drug charge at a traffic stop after offering a lift to a few stranded, good-for-nothing Earnhardt fans in Daytona Beach. At his court date in April, an understanding judge throws out the charge, famously quipping that ‘there’s no way ‘Little E’ is going to jail for a ‘little E.’”

    Earnhardt wins three races, including May’s race in Charlotte, and later stars in NASCAR’s most entertaining commercial, in which Jeff Bridges pilfers a Mountain Dew from Junior’s cooler, to which Junior replies, “Dude, The Dew?”

    *At Loudon on July 19, Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots serves as the race’s Grand Marshal, blandly ordering the drivers to start their engines. After the race, Belichick is impounded, later becoming the first Grand Marshal in NASCAR history to fail inspection.

    *In May, Kyle Busch’s wife Samantha signs a modeling contract with Venus Swimwear. Coupled with Kyle’s No. 18 sponsorship, the couple becomes the living embodiment of the “Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus” adage.

    Busch starts the Chase For The Cup in fourth place, but his title hopes are dashed when he wrecks in “The Big One” at Talladega in October.

    *Jeff Gordon dominates at Indianapolis, leading 127 laps en route to his sixth Brickyard 400 victory. In Victory Lane, an ecstatic Gordon douses his crew with a new Brickyard staple, carbonated milk, from the good people at Gordon’s longtime sponsor of Pepsi.

    The win propels Gordon to two more wins prior to the Chase, and he starts atop the points standings at Chicagoland. Gordon wraps up the title at Homestead, out-dueling Jimmie Johnson, Denny Hamlin, and Brad Keselowski.

    *Kyle Larson wins his first Sprint Cup race, taking the No. 42 Target Chevrolet to victory at Pocono on June 7. Larson is later named cover boy for the 2016 release of NASCAR’s video game, which ultimately is pulled from the shelf after a six-year-old gamer finds hidden footage which features former NASCAR driver Jeremy Mayfield racing around the fictional town of Tweaksville trying to procure meth.

    The game finds new life when Rockstar Games, the makers of Grand Theft Auto, expresses an interest in the Mayfield-Tweakville plot line and decides to make it the premise of their “Grand Theft Auto VII: Cranked” game.

    *On August 8, Brad Keselowski’s girlfriend Paige White gives birth to the couple’s first child, a son named “Roger” after Roger Penske, with the middle name “Edward” after a character in a series of vampire novels. The birth certificate is notarized before either parent recognizes the child’s initials to be “R.E.K.”

    **This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.**