Tag: Kevin Harvick

The Final Word – Wide open fan vote to make Josh an all-star was not all that Wise

Vote early, vote often, or so it seems when it comes to selecting the driver the fans want to see. I am talking about the driver more individual fans want to see than anyone else get a free pass to Saturday night’s feature race. If that is not good enough, how about selecting the one who can get more people to vote for him, hundreds or thousands of times each. Such great fans these voters, most of whom are all about voting but know zip about NASCAR. Many would not know the difference between Lee Petty, Leroy Van Dyke, or the Dutchman with the paint brush. Josh Wise got in the Sprint All-Star race, and at least managed to still be running at the end. His sponsor, Dogecoin, got all sorts of publicity, and Danica Patrick, Kyle Larson, and Austin Dillon got screwed.

Jamie McMurray is not the winningest driver who has ever come down the pike, but he wins those that matter. Not only has he won such name events as the Daytona 500, the Brickyard 400, and now the Sprint All-Star race, all of his wins have come on tracks that matter. All seven points race victories, as well as the million dollar exhibition win last Saturday night, came either at Daytona, Charlotte, Indianapolis, or Talladega. You know, tracks that attract spectators, be they in the stands or watching from home. His wins have value…probably worth at least a gazillion Dogecoins.

Sam Hornish Jr won the Nationwide race over the weekend. How sweet it was to see a junior circuit contest featuring not a single Cup guy. What I do not get is how Hornish, a three time IndyCar champion with 19 victories, has not done better driving these sedans. No wins in 131 Cup starts leaves him in Danica country, but she got the sponsor, the fans, and all he has is three Nationwide victories and a Sprint Showdown win in 2009. I’m guessing he needs longer hair.

Next weekend is truly the big one in motorsports. Kurt Busch will not be attempting the triple, thus he will not be running in Sunday’s Monaco Grand Prix. He will leave that to Lewis Hamilton, who will be seeking his fifth consecutive win of the season. As for Busch, he will be starting 12th in the 98th Indianapolis 500, then winging it to Charlotte for the 65th World 600.

As we return to racing for wins and points and a place in the Chase, Joey Logano and Kevin Harvick lead the parade with two wins each, but a spot is open to any of more than thirty drivers who can take the checkered flag in Charlotte. Even Josh Wise can do it…but I wouldn’t bet a whole lot of Dogecoins on it.

1 Joey Logano 2 wins, 346 pts
2 Kevin Harvick 2 wins, 302
3 Jeff Gordon 1 win, 394
4 Kyle Busch 1 win, 373
5 Dale Earnhardt, Jr. 1 win, 368
6 Carl Edwards 1 win, 367
7 Brad Keselowski 1 win, 326
8 Denny Hamlin 1 win, 318
9 Kurt Busch 1 win, 211
10 Matt Kenseth 379 pts
11 Jimmie Johnson 340
12 Ryan Newman 332
13 Greg Biffle 328
14 Brian Vickers 327
15 Kyle Larson 318
16 Austin Dillon 306
17 Kasey Kahne 294 pts
18 A.J. Allmendinger 293
19 Paul Menard 292
20 Marcos Ambrose 288
21 Clint Bowyer 282
22 Aric Almirola 278
23 Tony Stewart 268
24 Casey Mears 262
25 Jamie McMurray 246
26 Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. 240
27 Martin Truex, Jr. 232
28 Danica Patrick 213
29 Justin Allgaier 198
30 Michael Annett 163
31 David Gilliland 159 pts
32 Cole Whitt 147
33 Reed Sorenson 143
34 Alex Bowman 141
35 David Ragan 137
36 Josh Wise 130

May 19, 2014
The Final Word – A NASCAR Supernova stars in Kansas

There are three major stars in NASCAR’s constellation of drivers. They are simply called Jimmie, Junior, and Jeff, and few could argue that this trio has shone the brightest. Jimmie Johnson has six championships, including five in a row. Dale Earnhardt Jr. is the legacy of the legend, with 15 wins in his first five full seasons and four straight at Talladega. His track success might have cooled, but Junior Nation’s fervor has not. Jeff Gordon, the four time champion, won his third at Kansas, but his first since 2002, to all but lock his place in the Chase.

Gordon led in points, even without a win, but Saturday night he put a lock on a race he dominated. Well, for all but one other entry, he was the undisputed leader of the pack. Kevin Harvick had designs to add to his win total, only to fall just short. While both drivers have been stellar thus far in the season, only the wreck at Talladega mars Gordon’s record in 2014. Harvick has been a factor in every race, winning two, but he has been up front only until misfortune bit him hard at Las Vegas, Bristol, California, and Texas.

Winning is important, but it sure comes in handy to also be relevant week in and week out. Danica Patrick was just that the entire race, finishing seventh, while Tony Stewart was for a time before coming home 20th. One has a great track record, one does not, but both have driven SHR autos that have been providing sub-par results much of the year. Other than Harvick, one wonders how much are their woes car based. Just ask the fourth member of that stable, as Kurt Busch finished outside the Top Twenty for the ninth time in eleven attempts. If not for his win at Martinsville, which this season makes him relevant, being 28th in points would have otherwise left him an also ran a couple of points beyond the total of even Ms. Patrick.

However, a win is the golden ticket this season to challenge for the championship. Joey Logano and Harvick have a couple, with Gordon, Junior, and the Brothers Busch among the seven with one to their credit. Seven more are within the Top 16 in points, but a single win and a spot in the Top 30 vaults one up the ladder. Who will be next?

Before the World 600, the boys and girl have the All-Star race on their schedule this Saturday night at Charlotte. Nineteen are in, having won since the 2013 Daytona 500, by winning this race in the past, or by having been a Cup series champion. Three more will be added, with two coming from the top finishers from among the 23 car field that will run in the Showdown on Friday night. The other will come via a fan vote. If that goes the way I think it will, I would expect the All-Star race to include every driver mentioned above. Yes, even her.

Who will win on Saturday night? That is easy. Every driver who has ever won the All-Star race since Darrell Waltrip claimed the Winston back in 1985 has or will be either a Cup champion, the winner of the Daytona 500, the World 600 or the night race at Bristol. No exceptions.

A star won last Saturday night, and another should claim the prize in Charlotte this Saturday evening.

Darrell Waltrip – All-Star 1985 – Daytona 500 1989 – World 600 1978-79, 1985, 1988-89 – Bristol 1979, 1981-83, 1986, 1989, 1992 – Champion 1981-82, 1985

Bill Elliott – All-Star 1986 – Daytona 500 1985, 1987 – Champion 1988

Dale Earnhardt – All-Star 1987, 1990, 1993 – Daytona 500 1998 – World 600 1986, 1992-93 – Champion 1980, 1986-87, 1990-91, 1993-94

Terry Labonte – All-Star 1988, 1999 – Bristol 1984, 1995 – Champion 1984, 1996

Rusty Wallace – All-Star 1989 – World 600 1990 – Bristol 1994, 1996, 2000 – Champion 1989

Davey Allison – All-Star 1991-92 – Daytona 500 1992 – World 600 1991

Geoffrey Bodine – All-Star 1994 – Daytona 500 1986

Jeff Gordon – All-Star 1995, 1997, 2001 – Daytona 500 1997, 1999, 2005 – World 600 1994, 1997-98 – Bristol 2002 – Champion 1995, 1997-98, 2001

Michael Waltrip – All-Star 1996 – Daytona 500 2001, 2003

Mark Martin – All-Star 1998, 2005 – World 600 2002 – Bristol 1993, 1998

Dale Earnhardt, Jr. – All-Star 2000 – Daytona 500 2004, 2014 – Bristol 2004

Ryan Newman – All-Star 2002- Daytona 500 2008

Jimmie Johnson – All-Star 2003, 2006, 2012-13 – Daytona 500 2006, 2013 – World 600 2003-05 – Champion 2006-10, 2013

Matt Kenseth – All-Star 2004 – Daytona 500 2009, 2012 – World 600 2000 – Bristol 2005-06, 2013 – Champion 2003

Kevin Harvick – All-Star 2007 – Daytona 500 2007 – World 600 2011, 2013

Kasey Kahne – All-Star 2008 – World 600 2006, 2008, 2012

Tony Stewart All-Star 2009 – Bristol 2001 – Champion 2002, 2005, 2011

Kurt Busch – All-Star 2010 – World 600 2010 – Bristol 2003 – Champion 2004

Carl Edwards – All-Star 2011 – Bristol 2007-08

Casey Mears – World 600 2007

David Reutimann – World 600 2009

Kyle Busch – Bristol 2009-10

Jamie McMurray – Daytona 500 2010

Trevor Bayne – Daytona 500 2011

Brad Keselowski – Bristol 2011 – Champion 2012

Denny Hamlin – Bristol 2012

May 13, 2014
Surprising and Not Surprising: 5-Hour Energy 400 at Kansas

Even with the surprising but thankfully slight delay of the race start for thunderstorms and lightning in the area, here is what else was surprising and not surprising from the first race at Kansas Speedway under the Saturday night lights.

Surprising: Weird and freaky things continue to happen at NASCAR races and the Kansas race was no exception. The lights went dark on the back stretch, the speedy dry truck lost a gear, and the car that was ‘Freaky Fast’, starting from the pole with a new track record, just could not pull off the victory, coming in second instead.

“What put us in second is I didn’t get down pit road very good there coming to the pit box,” Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 4 Jimmy Johns ‘Freaky Fast’ Chevrolet said. “I kind of ran out of gas, and I was paying attention to the fuel pressure gauge instead of the pit road speed light.”

“I lost some time there,” Harvick continued. “It was a weird night.”

In spite of all the freakiness, this was Harvick’s eighth top-10 finish in 17 races at Kansas Speedway and his fifth top-10 finish in 2014.

Not Surprising: The race winner shed some pounds, had a blast, and felt like a kid again after scoring his first ‘w’ of the season. Jeff Gordon, behind the wheel of the No. 24 Axalta Coatings Chevrolet, became the ninth different driver to win for the year and scored his 89^th career victory.

“It just feels so good to get that first win of the season, especially this year with the point’s structure and how close we’ve been so many weekends,” Gordon said. “I think that that’s a huge weight off our shoulders.”

“I just feel so competitive out there, and that makes me feel young again,” Gordon continued. “I’m going to be 43 this year, but, man, if 43 is like this, I can’t wait for 50. This is all right. I’m having a good time. That’s why I feel young, because I’m just having a great time.”

Surprising: At least one Busch brother has felt that Kansas Speedway has been somewhat of a curse for him, however, this time it was not Kyle Busch but brother Kurt who felt that way after the race.

Kyle Busch, in the No. 18 Snickers Toyota, actually finished the race in the 15^th position, while Kurt, behind the wheel of the No. 41 Haas Automation Chevrolet, spun not just once but twice and finished 29^th.

“We definitely didn’t get the finish we wanted in our Haas Automation Chevrolet,” Busch said. “It was a disappointing day all around. We had the best qualifying session of the season this weekend, and we had high hopes for the race.”

“It just didn’t work out the way we planned,” Busch continued. “The car was loose, and we couldn’t tighten it up no matter what we tried. It’s just frustrating. We need to do better, and hopefully we will do better moving forward.”

Not Surprising: Danica Patrick was certainly thrilled with her career best finish of 7^th in her No. 10 GoDaddy Chevrolet at Kansas. But what really got her going was what she managed to do while racing six-time champ Jimmie Johnson.

“Honestly, the most rewarding part of my night was probably when I drove around the outside of the No. 48 (Jimmie Johnson) on a restart,” Patrick said. “That was probably my most rewarding thing of the night.”

“I say that with all the respect in the world,” Patrick continued. “It’s a big deal because he is Jimmie Johnson.”

“Aside from that I was really just overall proud that we stayed up front all day. That was the biggest thing.”

Surprising: Sometimes Goodyear gets thrown under the bus for any type of tire troubles, but this time the third place driver Kasey Kahne gave them all the credit in the world.

In fact, Kahne scored his first top 5 of the season in his No. 5 FarmersInsurance/Thankamillionteachers.com Chevrolet thanks to the tire manufacturer and their recent Kansas tire test.

“I think the Goodyear test here, for whatever reason, we were able to try some things and just look at stuff a little differently than what we had been, and it helped the 5 team, my guys, myself and Kenny (Francis, crew chief) and our communication together,” Kahne said. “It’s helped us a lot since then.”

“I feel like that’s been the key, and ever since we tested here, we’ve ran much better and been a lot more competitive.”

Not Surprising: Given the high speeds at Kansas and the freakiness of the night, it was not surprising to see some really violent crashes, including Jamie McMurray up in flames and David Gilliland in a horrific wreck with Justin Allgaier and AJ Allmendinger.

“I just lost all the steering and got into the fence and had a little fire,” the driver of the No. 1 McDonald’s Chevrolet said. “I don’t know if I ran over something but I ended up crashing.”

“I don’t know what happened,” Gilliland, driver of the No. 38 Long John Silver’s Ford, said. “It looked like the 47 and 51 got together and the 51 came back up the track and I hit him and from there a lot of stuff happened.”

“We are alright though,” Gilliland continued. “Just a little sore obviously.”

“That is one of the hardest hits I have had in a while. Hopefully it will be the hardest one for a while to come too,” Gilliland said. “It was a hard lick. It was the hardest hit I’ve had in a long time.”

McMurray finished 39^th and Gilliland finished 37^th.

Surprising: Interestingly, there was only one Toyota in the top 10 when the checkered flag flew. Matt Kenseth, who had struggled for most of the race, managed to rebound and finish tenth in his No. 20 Dollar General Toyota.

“We were just pretty slow all weekend — as a group, really,” Kenseth said. “Lost that lap on that first run — I was in the ‘lucky dog’ spot a lot of times, just couldn’t catch a caution at the right times.”

“We were just off a little bit all week,” Kenseth continued. “Trying to figure out mile-and-a-half tracks — it was our strong suit last year. We’re really struggling this year as a group. We’re trying to figure it out.”

“We got lucky to finish 10th really.”

With his top-10 finish, Kenseth remains second in the point standings, now 15 points behind leader Jeff Gordon.

Not Surprising: Kyle Larson, to no one’s surprise, just keeps reeling off impressive finishes in spite of his rookie status. The driver of the No. 42 Target Chevrolet overcame obstacles to finish 12^th and score the Sunoco Rookie of the Race honors.

Surprising: Dale Earnhardt, Jr. surprisingly admitted it himself when he shared his frustration at finishing top five and leading nine laps, the same number as race winner and teammate Jeff Gordon.

“What stands out in the back of my mind was how fast the car was during the first half of the race,” Junior said. “We were just flying.”

“But I knew when the temps came down, the bottom was going to be faster and we were going to be in trouble because we were tight all weekend,” the driver of the No. 88 National Guard Chevrolet continued. “We got real tight at the end of the race.”

“Just kind of frustrating there because we never really improved the front grip and struggled with it all weekend,” Junior said. “So, frustrated about that but a good result for us.”

Not Surprising: While it was not Darlington, a track where Mother’s Day has been traditionally celebrated by the sport, there was still a great outpouring of love and support for all mothers in the NASCAR garage.

In fact, driver after driver paid tribute to their mothers, as well as their wives, many of whom were mothers to their children.

So, as Mother’s Day comes to a close, the Cup Series will move next into its home track double header, with the All Star Race and then the Coca Cola 600, NASCAR’s longest endurance race, both at Charlotte Motor Speedway for the next two weekends.

May 11, 2014
Gordon Takes Inaugural Night Race At Kansas

On the final set of pit stops, Jeff Gordon took the lead from Kevin Harvick during Saturday night’s 5-Hour Energy 400 at Kansas Speedway and was able to hold off Harvick by two car lengths at the finish line and capture his 89th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series career victory.

This was Gordon’s first win of the 2014 season and he is now virtually locked into the 2014 Chase. Gordon also extended his series points lead to 15 over Matt Kenseth.

“I knew we had a fast race car. We have been bringing fast race cars every single weekend. It’s just given me so much confidence in the race cars and the race team. I have got to thank Axalta Coating Systems they are an awesome sponsor. When the lights went out we could still see this thing out there. Of course AARP Drive To End Hunger, Pepsi Max, Valvoline and Chevrolet. You know Kevin (Harvick) was tough. He was so strong I did not know if I could hold him off. I almost didn’t there at the end. I caught traffic. The car just got extremely loose on me and he was just coming. Luckily that was the checkered flag.” Gordon said.

Since the win was heading into Mother’s Day, it will be a day of celebration with family.

“I’ve got to say Happy Mother’s Day. What an amazing Mother’s Day present this is going to be. I can’t wait to see my wife Ingrid and my mom tomorrow. It’s going to be an amazing celebration. What a huge weight lifted off this team’s shoulders. We have been leading the points but we needed to get to victory lane and they proved they were capable of it. Great job by them.” Gordon added.

Harvick led 119 laps but had to settle for a second place finish after he ran out of gas getting onto pit road and Gordon was able to take advantage.

“Well, the car was really fast. We just had to overcome a lot tonight, getting caught on pit road both times under green flag pit stops,” Harvick explained. “Then there at the end, we ran out of gas coming to pit road there, and I was looking at the fuel pressure gauge instead of the tach and lost a bunch of time down pit road and off of pit road, wound up getting stuck behind the 24. The car was really tight, and then I found a groove that worked for me way up the racetrack, and I caught him, and then I slipped and lost everything I had gained and then gained it all back and just ran out of laps at the end.”

Although he was unable to capture another victory, Harvick was satisfied with their overall result.

“I think we had a good night, he said.”You can’t win them all. For me, I made a mistake at the end and felt like that’s probably what cost us the chance to stay in front of the 24. But the 24 was good all night, and the 48 was good when he was out front, and we got in the back of the pack and couldn’t go anywhere. It came down to track position, and those guys executed a little bit better than I did.”

Kasey Kahne finished in third place followed by Joey Logano and Dale Earnhardt Jr. to round out the top five.

May 10, 2014

Kevin Harvick Sets New Track Record In Sprint Cup Qualifying

Kevin Harvick took the Coors Light Pole Award for the 5-hour ENERGY 400 Benefiting Special Operations Warrior Foundation with a new track record of 27.799 seconds or 194.658 mph. This is Harvick’s eighth pole in 477 Sprint Cup Series races and his second in 17 races at Kansas Speedway. This is his second pole and sixth consecutive top 10 finish in 2014.

“Just have to thank everybody on my Jimmy John’s Chevrolet for all that they do,” Harvick said. “It was ‘Freaky Fast’ today so just have to put it all together tomorrow night when it counts. The pole is great, these guys have done a great job for qualifying. It makes life a lot easier when you can have pit stall one. Hopefully we can have a good night tomorrow night, but the weekend has gone good we had a great test here a few weeks ago and everything has carried right over.”

Qualifying was uneventful with the exception of Aric Almirola’s brush with the wall in the final seconds of the final round of qualifying. The Richard Petty Motorsports Team will make repairs to the Farmland Industry’s No. 43 for tomorrow evenings race.

Standouts that did not advance to the final round of qualifying include Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Clint Bowyer, Kasey Kahne and Austin Dillion.

The only driver that did not qualify was Dave Blaney who missed the final position by .317 seconds.

5-Hour Energy 400 at Kansas Speedway Starting Lineup

Pos	Car	Driver	Team	Lap Time	Speed
1	4	Kevin Harvick	Jimmy John’s Chevrolet	27.799	194.252
2	22	Joey Logano	AAA Insurance Ford	27.848	193.910
3	2	Brad Keselowski	Wurth Ford	27.906	193.507
4	99	Carl Edwards	Aflac Ford	27.952	193.188
5	42	Kyle Larson #	Target Chevrolet	27.972	193.050
6	41	Kurt Busch	Haas Automation Chevrolet	27.973	193.043
7	31	Ryan Newman	Kwikset Chevrolet	28.006	192.816
8	14	Tony Stewart	Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 Chevrolet	28.045	192.548
9	10	Danica Patrick	GoDaddy Chevrolet	28.059	192.452
10	16	Greg Biffle	3M Novec Ford	28.128	191.980
11	1	Jamie McMurray	McDonald’s Chevrolet	28.157	191.782
12	43	Aric Almirola	Farmland Ford	28.372	190.328
13	24	Jeff Gordon	Axalta Coatings Chevrolet	27.950	193.202
14	48	Jimmie Johnson	Lowe’s Chevrolet	27.973	193.043
15	55	Brian Vickers	Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota	27.976	193.023
16	27	Paul Menard	Shrock/Menards Chevrolet	27.995	192.892
17	5	Kasey Kahne	Farmers Insurance/Thankamillionteachers.com Chevrolet	28.005	192.823
18	51	Justin Allgaier #	Brandt Professional Agriculture Chevrolet	28.007	192.809
19	3	Austin Dillon #	Dow Chevrolet	28.024	192.692
20	17	Ricky Stenhouse Jr.	Zest Ford	28.032	192.637
21	12	Ryan Blaney(i)	SKF Ford	28.033	192.630
22	88	Dale Earnhardt Jr.	National Guard Chevrolet	28.089	192.246
23	15	Clint Bowyer	Cherry 5-hour Energy for Special Ops Warrior Foundation Toyota	28.153	191.809
24	18	Kyle Busch	Snickers Toyota	28.463	189.720
25	9	Marcos Ambrose	DeWalt Ford	28.128	191.980
26	78	Martin Truex Jr.	Furniture Row Chevrolet	28.160	191.761
27	13	Casey Mears	GEICO Chevrolet	28.172	191.680
28	20	Matt Kenseth	Dollar General Toyota	28.197	191.510
29	47	AJ Allmendinger	Kingsford Charcoal Chevrolet	28.258	191.096
30	11	Denny Hamlin	FedEx Freight Toyota	28.265	191.049
31	83	Ryan Truex #	Burger King Toyota	28.322	190.665
32	98	Josh Wise	Phil Parsons Racing Ford	28.399	190.148
33	23	Alex Bowman #	Dr.Pepper Toyota	28.440	189.873
34	7	Michael Annett #	Accell Construction Chevrolet	28.520	189.341
35	44	JJ Yeley(i)	Phoenix Warehouse Chevrolet	28.542	189.195
36	26	Cole Whitt #	Iowa Chop House Toyota	28.550	189.142
37	36	Reed Sorenson	Chevrolet	28.567	189.029
38	34	David Ragan	Taco Bell Ford	28.580	188.943
39	38	David Gilliland	Long John Silver’s Ford	28.649	188.488
40	40	Landon Cassill(i)	Carsforsale.com Chevrolet	28.744	187.865
41	32	Travis Kvapil	Mechanical Protection Plan Ford	28.784	187.604
42	33	Timmy Hill	Little Joe’s Autos Chevrolet	28.848	187.188
43	66	Joe Nemechek(i)	Kansas Farm Bureau Toyota	28.973	186.380

May 9, 2014

Hot 20 – The [place sponsor name here] 400 in Kansas is where the stars will shine Saturday night
Kansas is not as sexy as Talladega, I admit. It is not a Daytona, a Darlington, and it is no Indianapolis. I think having the race named after a series of sponsors instead of seeking a real identity might have something to do with that. Still, some big names have been among the 16 winners there since they first started up the engines back in 2001.

Jeff Gordon won the first two there, Tony Stewart, Jimmie Johnson, and Matt Kenseth all have a pair. Three years ago, Brad Keselowski made it nine victories for past or future kings of the clutch at the venue. Tony Kanaan won there in 2005, a year after claiming the IndyCar crown. Sam Hornish Jr, who was IndyCar royalty before trying his luck in NASCAR, won there in an open wheel contest. Both Dan Wheldon and Scott Dixon have done it twice. Of ten IndyCar races run at Kansas between 2001 and 2010, the last six were claimed by one who was a champion.

In short, this track is a haven for racing’s blue bloods. Despite its lack of an identity, Saturday night’s NASCAR contest will be claimed by a driver who matters. In fact, of the last 21 Cup and IndyCar races run there, the only non-champions went by such names as Kevin Harvick, Denny Hamlin, and Greg Biffle. That is a trio of pretty damned impressive names, if you ask me. Simply put, the winner this weekend is not going to be Danica Patrick. If she does, then I suggest we start watching her more closely and with an entirely different perspective.

A win at Kansas would do wonders for Stewart, who is sitting winless at 21st in the official standings. Clint Bowyer, Kasey Kahne, and Martin Truex Jr could use the boost, as they are all mired well beyond the 16th and final Chase place.

As for determining simply the best this season, we leave the points untouched other than to reward a race winner 22 additional points. Wins and consistency both have value as we eliminate the need for gimmicks, such as the Chase. Kyle Busch remains out hottest on the year, though Carl Edwards, Dale Earnhardt Jr, Joey Logano, and even the winless duo of Gordon and Kenseth are within 21 points of our leader after ten events. With the gap between first and second each week between 25 and 28 points, either of those latter two would vault to the front by just returning to Victory Lane this Saturday night.
1. Kyle Busch (1 win) 365 points
2. Carl Edwards (1 win) 350
3. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. (1 win) 350
4. Joey Logano (2 wins) 349
5. Jeff Gordon 347
6. Matt Kenseth 344
7. Brad Keselowski (1 win) 316
8. Denny Hamlin (1 win) 314
9. Jimmie Johnson 304
10. Kevin Harvick (2 wins) 300
11. Greg Biffle 300
12. Ryan Newman 299
13. Brian Vickers 297
14. Kyle Larson 286
15. Austin Dillon 281
16. A.J. Allmendinger 279
17. Marcos Ambrose 268
18. Paul Menard 265
19. Clint Bowyer 261
20. Kasey Kahne 252
May 8, 2014
NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Talladega

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Jeff Gordon: Gordon ran up front much of the day at Talladega before he was collected in the “Big One” on lap 137. He finished 39th, his worst finish of the year, 32 laps down, but held on to the lead in the Sprint Cup points standings.

“Brad Keselowski really made a mess,” Gordon said. “Sure, it was the ‘Big One,’ but a lot of drivers think Brad is the ‘Biggest One.’

“Hey, the new season of ‘24’ starts soon. I haven’t won a Sprint Cup title since 2001, so I’m longing for the old season of ’24.’”

2. Joey Logano: Logano was collected in a lap 175 wreck when Jimmie Johnson got loose and triggered a pileup that knocked Logano from the race. Logano finished 32nd, and is now sixth in the points standings.

“Johnson and Brad Keselowski wiped out half the field, it seemed,” Logano said. “Their reputations may precede them, but accidents seem to follow them.

“Sure, NASCAR fined Marcos and Ambrose for fighting. But I think NASCAR wants this type of conflict. The ‘Boys have at it’ has become the ‘Fine, And Dandy’ mentality.”

3. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth finished a disappointing 37th after sustaining damage in a lap 137 crash triggered when Brad Keselowski spun, affecting 14 cars. Kenseth is second in the points standings, three behind Jeff Gordon.

“That was a mind-boggling move by Keselowski,” Kenseth said. “That’s said with just a hint of sarcasm. And, as we all know, ‘mind-boggling’ leads to ‘head-shaking,’ which, in turn, can lead to ‘neck-throttling.’ Brad’s taken knockout qualifying one step further to knockout racing.”

4. Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: Earnhardt hung back in an effort to avoid the inevitable late carnage at Talladega. He succeeded, but in doing so was too far back to make a run to the front. He finished 26th, and is now fourth in the points standings, 19 behind Jeff Gordon.

“I played it safe,” Earnhardt said. “Sure, maybe I wasn’t giving my all to win, which is a violation of NASCAR’s ‘100 percent’ rule. But I was following the ’80 percent’ rule. ‘100 percent’ minus ’80 percent’ equals ‘20 percent,’ also known as ’40 proof’ to the fans of Junior Nation.”

5. Kyle Busch: Busch finished 12th at Talladega as Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin scored the victory. Busch is now third in the points standings, four behind Jeff Gordon.

“That was a great run by Denny,” Busch said. “He really made a statement today, and you can see it in his attitude. Now, that sparkle in his eye isn’t a piece of metal.”

6. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski ran into trouble on lap 14 when he made contact with Danica Patrick, which sent the No. 2 Miller Lite Ford sliding down the track and into the infield grass. Later, on lap 137, he lost control and caused the ‘Big One,’ collecting 14 cars. Keselowski eventually finished 38th, 28 laps down.

“It was a tough day for the No. 2 Miller Lite Ford,” Keselowski said. “I can’t get out of here fast enough. I packed everything. I’m even taking blame and responsibility.

“But I plan to bounce back at Kansas. Hopefully, that ‘bounce’ won’t be off several cars, as was the case at Talladega.”

7. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson struggled in the Aaron’s 499, finishing 23rd after a lap 175 spin that knocked out Joey Logano, among others. Still winless on the year, Johnson is seventh in the points standings, 43 out of first.

“I just lost it,” Johnson said. “I can’t apologize enough to those affected. But how many apologies are enough? Most say six is more than enough. Not me. I’m aiming for a legendary number of apologies.”

8. Carl Edwards: Edwards had a strong run in the Aaron’s 499 cut short when he cut a tire with six laps to go and started a wreck that took out several cars. Edwards eventually finished 30th, six laps down.

“You may have seen me warn the cars behind that I had a flat,” Edwards said. “I did that by waving my hand out of my window. I’m surprised anyone understood, because that’s four more fingers than most drivers are used to seeing out of the window of a NASCAR driver.”

9. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin outdueled Kevin Harvick on a restart with two laps to go to take his first win of the season, the crash-filled Aaron’s 499 at Talladega.

“Joey Logano notwithstanding,” Hamlin said, “I can honestly say I was happy to see ‘yellow’ coming at me.”

10. Kevin Harvick: Harvick led with two laps to go at Talladega, but was passed by Denny Hamlin. With no draft help, Harvick faded to seventh, his fourth top-10 result of the year.

“I couldn’t get a push from anyone,” Harvick said. “Certainly not from Casey Mears. After what went down in Richmond, he’s afraid to ‘push’ anyone.”

May 7, 2014
NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Richmond

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Jeff Gordon: Gordon led 173 of 400 laps at Richmond, but his quest for his first win of the season fell short. He finished second behind Joey Logano after a spirited four-car battle for the win during the final laps. Gordons leads the Sprint Cup points standings, five ahead of Matt Kenseth.

“This race had everything,” Gordon said. “Excitement, controversy, confrontation, and a punch. Marcos Ambrose really let Casey Mears have it. I guess you could say the Australian gave him a ‘vegemite knuckle sandwich.’ It was ‘Aus-some!’

“NASCAR doesn’t have the guts to admit it, but I think Ambrose’s punch was good for the sport. There’s plenty of ‘talking smack’ is NASCAR; finally, someone actually did more than just talk it.”

2. Joey Logano: Logano started fourth on the race’s final restart and zoomed to the lead as Matt Kenseth, Jeff Gordon, and Brad Keselowski jockeyed for position. Logano took the lead with three laps to go and held on for his second win of the year.

“I passed three NASCAR Sprint Cup champions,” Logano said. “While Kenseth and Gordon were sandwiching Keselowski, ‘Sliced Bread’ stole the win. Thanks to my teammate for helping me with the win. Brad then jumped on my hood to congratulate me. I’m not surprised. Just ask Kenseth. Brad was feeling a little ‘froggy.’

“Marcos Ambrose punched Casey Mears. That aggressiveness inspired me, so I punched my ticket. Here’s hoping it doesn’t punch back.”

3. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth lead on the final restart and valiantly held off Jeff Gordon and Brad Keselowski, but in doing so allowed Joey Logano to slip by for the win. Kenseth finished fifth and was confronted after the race by Keselowski, who accused Kenseth of blocking.

“Brad had some words from me,” Kenseth said. “He can get mouthy when he’s angry just as easily as he can get ‘gummy’ when he smiles.

“But there’s no place for violence in this sport, at least not from me. If I ‘raise my hand,’ you can rest assured it’s because I want to ask a question.”

4. Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: Earnhardt finished seventh in the Toyota Owners 400, posting his sixth top 10 of the year. He is fifth in the points standings, 32 behind Jeff Gordon.

“I don’t appreciate getting caught up in Brad Keselowski’s desire for vengeance,” Earnhardt said. “He’ll ‘pay’ for this, most likely with a ‘brake check.’”

5. Kyle Busch: After rough going for the better part of Saturday’s race, Busch stormed to the front on the final restart and claimed third in the Toyota Owners 400. He is now fourth in the points standings, 31 behind Jeff Gordon.

“What a great run by Joey Logano,” Busch said. “But he’s not the happiest driver of the day. That would be my brother Kurt. He’s thrilled that someone got punched and it wasn’t him.

“But let’s be serious for a minute. Ambrose and Mears finished 18th and 19th, respectively. Is that worth a punch in the eye? By that rationale, Danica Patrick and Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., who finished 34th and 38th, could have very well scrapped. In that case, someone would have taken one right in the kisser.”

6. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski battled for the lead late at Richmond, but was held at bay by Matt Kenseth’s tactics, which were dirty, according to Keselowski. Keselowski finished fourth as Penske Racing teammate Joey Logano took the win.

“Kenseth tried to run me into the wall,” Keselowski said. “I called it a ‘mind-boggling’ move. What’s really mind-boggling is that I found it mind-boggling.

“We had a car honoring Detroit Genuine Parts. Detroit is known for its car parts. The city is littered with them.”

7. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson lost a front tire with 34 laps to go at Richmond and limped home to a 32nd-place finish. He is now eighth in the points standings and still winless on the year.

“It’s been a tough year for us so far,” Johnson said. “But, despite being a six-time Sprint Cup champion, I’m human just like every other driver. The worse that can happen to me is the same as the worse that can happen to them—-not winning the championship.”

8. Carl Edwards: Edwards took ninth at Richmond, recording his fifth top-10 result of the year. He remained third in the Sprint Cup points standings and trails Jeff Gordon by 28.

“Robert Griffin III drove the pace car at Richmond,” Edwards said. “He was recruited by Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Those two have a lot in common; they’ve never won a championship, and they both like white women.”

9. Ryan Newman: Newman finished eighth in the Toyota Owners 400, posting his fourth top 10 of the year. He stands ninth in the points standings, 69 out of first.

“Casey Mears got KO’d,” Newman said, “while Brad Keselowski got PO’d. I’m shocked….shocked that Ambrose’s punch wasn’t an uppercut. If it had been, we could say that the punch, much like Ambrose himself, came from ‘Down Under.’”

10. Kevin Harvick: Harvick finished 11th at Richmond, posting the top finish among Stewart-Haas Racing drivers. Race winner Joey Logano joined Harvick as the only two-time winners this season.

“What a race!” Harvick said. “And what a punch by Marcos Ambrose. I’m sure that left Casey Mears with a black eye, which, in NASCAR’s eyes, is proof enough that the ‘Drive For Diversity’ program is working.”

April 29, 2014
NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Darlington

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Jeff Gordon: Gordon finished seventh in the Bojangle’s Southern 500 and held on to the lead in the Sprint Cup points standings. He leads Matt Kenseth by one point.

“I’m surprised Kenseth didn’t win a race sponsored by Bojangles,” Gordon said, “because he knows chicken better than anyone.

“But the ‘Drive For Five’ is still alive. And if I win the Sprint Cup title, you can best believe I’ll ride off into the sunset. If not, I might call it a day, anyway.”

2. Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: Earnhardt took second at Darlington, posting his fifth top-3 finish of the season. Earnhardt is fourth in the points standings, 26 behind Jeff Gordon.

“I’m sponsored by the National Guard,” Earnhardt said. “Is Kevin Harvick sponsored by the Navy? Because his wife curses like a sailor.

“As Harvick proved, tires were the most important factor in winning. Maybe we should have put on those extra two tires. I guess you could say we failed. Of course, it’s surely not the first case of ‘blown’ tires this year.”

3. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson took the lead with a two-tire pit stop on a caution with ten laps to go at Darlington. Harvick eventually chased down Johnson and passed Dale Earnhardt, Jr. for the lead on the final lap. Johnson finished third and is now fourth in the points standings, 27 behind Jeff Gordon.

“I’m still winless on the year,” Johnson said. “But winning isn’t everything. Otherwise, I’d have everything. Harvick can have his four tires; I’ll take my six Cups. Unlike those tires, those Cups will last forever.”

4. Kevin Harvick: Harvick’s four tire pit stop on the final caution at Darlington proved the difference. Harvick, restarting fifth, chased down Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt, Jr, to secure the win in the Bojangle’s Southern 500.

“We were ‘great’ in ‘Darlington,’” Harvick said. “Taking four tires was a ‘good decision.’ Those weren’t the only ‘G.D.’s’ heard at Darlington.

“Gene Haas of Stewart-Haas Racing is planning to field a Formula 1 team in 2015. Gene’s got the money to make it work. He’s loaded. He has to be. Reportedly, he couldn’t pay Tony Stewart enough to have Kurt Busch as a teammate.”

5. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth claimed fourth at Darlington, posting his sixth top-10 result of the year. He is second in the points standings, trailing Jeff Gordon by a single point.

“The call Darlington Raceway the ‘Lady In Black,’” Kenseth said. “They call Delana Harvick the ‘Lady In Blue’ because of her language. Harvick may be the best driver never to win a Cup championship. Maybe he’s cursed.”

6. Carl Edwards: Edwards finished 13th at Darlington, as Roush Fenway teammate Greg Biffle was the only Ford in the top 10. Edwards is third in the points standings, 19 behind Jeff Gordon.

“How is Delana Harvick like the Aflac duck?” Edwards said. “They’re both ‘fowl-mouthed.’”

7. Kyle Busch: Busch finished sixth at Darlington, joining Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Matt Kenseth, who finished fourth, in the top 10. Busch is sixth in the Sprint Cup points standings, 28 out of first.

“My brother Kurt was wrecked by Clint Bowyer,” Busch said. “Rest assured, Kurt won’t take that lying down. Or at least not before an open-handed slap takes him off his feet.”

8. Joey Logano: Logano blew an engine with ten laps to go at Darlington and finished 35th, 15 laps down. He fell four spots in the points standings to eighth, 52 out of first.

“Hey,” Logano said, “I wasn’t the only one cursing my blown engine.”

9. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski finished 17th at Darlington on a disappointing day for Penske Racing. Teammate Joey Logano suffered an engine failure, while Keselowski dealt with handling issues late in the race.

“With no top 10 finishes in the last five races,” Keselowski said, “I haven’t looked like a Cup contender. We’re heading to Easter for a much needed break, and hopefully I’ll be a lot better upon returning. Just call it a ‘Kes-urrection.’”

10. Kyle Larson: Rookie Of The Year candidate Larson finished seventh in the Bojangle’s Southern 500, scoring his second straight top 10 and fourth of the year.

“I earned my Darlington stripe,” Larson said. “The ‘Lady In Black’ always leaves an impression. But I think I did the same. Hopefully, this driver of the No. 42 Target car will leave a mark, and not just leave.”

April 15, 2014

The Final Word – The Southern 500 featured SHR’s good, their bad, their ugly…and their boss

There is a reason we read the entire book, rather than rely totally on the CliffsNotes version. For example, the shortened description of Saturday night’s Southern 500 action at Darlington would read that Kevin Harvick dominated and went on to win his second of the season. That would be correct, yet it misses the fact Jeff Gordon had a shot, then Dale Earnhardt Jr had an opportunity, before Harvick charged ahead on fresh tires in the green-white-checker to run away with it in the end.

It has been feast or famine for Harvick in the opening eight. He won at Phoenix and Darlington, was 13^th at Daytona and 7^th at Martinsville. Then there are the four races where he wound up beyond 35^th. At least in a season where Stewart-Haas drivers have had their share of adversity on-track, he has given some hope, even if it proceeded a feeling of hopelessness. He has been damned good in all, a force to be reckoned with in each, but too often some part fails and the day goes for naught. Saturday was not one of those days.

If not for Harvick, we would be telling tales of woe regarding his team mate Kurt Busch. He did have one of those days on Saturday night, when he crashed out in 31^st, a week after crashing out in 35^th in Texas. A bad engine left him 39^th at Phoenix, and when he clipped his brother at Bristol, once again 35^th was his fate. Still, he has that win and that is going to mean a lot over the next few months.

The CliffsNotes might have missed that little factoid, along with just how ornery that Lady in Black proved to be, especially to the rookie class. Both stand-out rookies Kyle Larson and Austin Dillon clobbered the fence coming off turn two, yet did finish 8^th and 11^th respectively…and respectfully.

When measuring the Danica Line, 25^th or better usually finds one sitting ahead of her on the track. Not so on Saturday, when the third member of SHR finished 22^nd. Of the other newcomers at Darlington, only the 23^rd place of Justin Allgaier came close. Still, you have to show some respect to the other boys and their teams who are out there to race, to learn, to grow, to compete, and not just there to start and park and collect some undeserved cash. Of the 43 who ran, maybe one might have exited early due to having a bad hair day.

As for the driver in the owner’s seat, just where did Tony Stewart come from last weekend? Most of the night, he was trailing Danica, for goodness sake, but at the line Stewart recorded a Top Ten. How in blazes did that happen? Fortuitous and smart pit strategy brought him back from the dead.

Among those who do not get to hang with Gene Haas, Earnhardt and Gordon finished 2^nd and 3^rd, while Kyle Busch, Matt Kenseth, and Jimmie Johnson all had Top Ten days to remain high on the charts. Carl Edwards is still the best among single race winners, and he came home 13^th.

It burns me that the Nationwide series is still a showcase for five or six Cup guys, but I am pleased to see they are now joined by Chase Elliott. Bill’s boy won his second straight when the series regular won at Darlington to lead the over-all standings. Elliott Sadler (2^nd), Regan Smith (8^th), Trevor Bayne (9^th), and Ty Dillon (10^th) also finished strong among the relevant performers.

If wins are the thing, then Harvick takes over the top spot in the Cup standings, while Gordon and Kenseth remain the best among those who have yet to shake up the bubbly post-race as we take the week off for Easter. A fellow might even have time to read a full sized book this weekend. Any suggestions?

	Driver	Races	Wins	Points
1	Kevin Harvick	8	2	186
2	Carl Edwards	8	1	278
3	Dale Earnhardt, Jr.	8	1	271
4	Kyle Busch	8	1	269
5	Brad Keselowski	8	1	246
6	Joey Logano	8	1	245
7	Kurt Busch	8	1	164
8	Jeff Gordon	8	0	297
9	Matt Kenseth	8	0	296
10	Jimmie Johnson	8	0	270
11	Ryan Newman	8	0	236
12	Austin Dillon	8	0	235
13	Greg Biffle	8	0	227
14	Brian Vickers	8	0	224
15	Tony Stewart	8	0	224
16	Denny Hamlin	7	0	223
17	Kyle Larson	8	0	223

31	Reed Sorenson	8	0	118

April 14, 2014