Tag: Kevin Harvick

Two Strong Partnerships Now Ending Under Unfortunate Circumstances

On February 18th, 2001, NASCAR was changed forever. Dale Earnhardt was gone but in the wake of his death, two relationships that we erroneously assumed would last forever were born. On that dark day, NAPA sponsored Michael Waltrip and together, they won the Daytona 500 and the loss that overshadowed their triumph seemed to create an unbreakable bond between the two. Young gun Kevin Harvick was plucked from RCR’s developmental program and given the task of driving the late, great Earnhardt’s car. In just his 3rd start, the 25 year old won his first race in a spectacular photo finish at Atlanta. The victory revived the withering and despondent team and like NAPA and Waltrip, created an unbreakable bond that many thought could withstand the test of time itself. Due to some imprudent decisions though, these two relationships have taken a turn for the worse.

NAPA was featured on the hood of Waltrip’s car for every race from the commencement of the 2001 season to the conclusion of 2009’s. They jumped from DEI with Michael when he formed Michael Waltrip Racing in 2007. They persevered through the infamous jet fuel controversy and helped the team grow into the powerhouse it is today. Michael went to victory lane four times in his career and every single time, there was a NAPA logo getting sprayed with champagne and adorned with confetti. They now sponsor MWR’s Martin Truex Jr. who has also enjoyed success with the company. We’ve laughed at the many commercials, shook our heads at the countless shameless NAPA plugs by Michael and you could never think of one without thinking of the other.

Now, we look at the two with a bitter taste in our mouths as our thoughts wander back to the scandal that was Spingate in Richmond just a couple months ago. Bowyer spun, Vickers pitted, Truex made the chase and unprecedented events quickly followed. Truex was knocked out of the chase, hefty penalties were handed down and NAPA began rethinking their involvement with Michael Waltrip Racing. On September 19th, the auto parts store announced that it would cut ties with the team at season’s end, terminating their 12 year partnership that had endured through so much up to this point. Truex Jr. is losing his ride because of the decision and the organization is being forced to downsize.

Kevin Harvick is a NASCAR superstar and some will even say that he saved Richard Childress Racing or at the very least, bolstered it. As a rookie in 2001, he quickly asserted himself as their new flagship driver winning races hand over fist. Together, they’ve won 22 Cup races, made seven chases and even collected a Harley J. Earl Trophy in the 2007 Daytona 500 as well as a couple Nationwide crowns. RCR got back on their feet after Earnhardt’s untimely death and expanded around Kevin’s success. Harvick and Childress seemed like a perfect match and everything was going smoothly until Kevin Harvick surprised a lot of people in 2012 by announcing that he would be leaving the team at the conclusion of 2013.

It didn’t faze the organization much at first as they continued their winning ways and made the chase once again this year. Kevin was making a mockery of the “lame-duck” status some decided to label him with. There were rumblings that the reason why he was leaving the team is because of the Dillon boys. Austin and Ty are the grandsons of Richard Childress and they have two Cup cars waiting for them in the RCR stable when they are ready. Kevin didn’t appear to be hostile towards the Dillons (at least from my point of view) but it just seemed like he could read the writing on the wall and decided it was time to move on. No one could have foreseen the chaos that would erupt in Martinsville this past weekend.

Ty and Kevin were engaged in an enthralling battle towards the end of the Truck race and as the laps clicked away, patience thinned and a game of bumper tag commenced. It ended with the two crashing in what seemed like just one of those racing deals. Immediately, Richard Childress came over the radio and told his grandson to go after the No.14 but Kevin beat them to it slamming into the No.3 under caution. The two went around for half a lap hitting one another multiple times before entering pit road where the incident escalated to a dangerous level. Harvick stopped in Dillon’s pit box and the crew went after him. There was pushing, shoving, yelling and some guy had the bright idea to throw a sledge hammer that narrowly missed his fellow crew guys, a NASCAR official and Harvick’s arm. Kevin Harvick delivered the final blow with an incensed interview directed towards the Dillon boys.

“The No.3 jut dumped me. Exactly the reason why I’m leaving RCR because you got those kids coming up and they got no respect for what they do in this sport. They’ve had everything fed to them with a spoon…I cut him slack all day and he just dive bombs in there and dumps me. It’s a shame you got to get taken out by some rich kid like that.” – Kevin Harvick

Ty was caught on video after the race talking to his grandfather and said “he has done nothing for RCR but f*** s*** up.” RC agreed and said that he’s “got plans for him.” Ty also referred to Kevin as someone he once revered but now called him a punk. Harvick apologized for his comments the following day but although I believe he does regret his actions, I think everything he said may be truly how he feels. It’s sad really that we watched a 13 year friendship deteriorate on national television like that.

There’s cruel irony in the fact that these partnerships started around the same time and are now ending at the same time under a cloud of controversy and animosity. MWR handled NAPA’s contract termination in a professional manner after their Richmond transgressions but I’m sure it hurts for Michael to watch them walk away after everything they’ve been through together. Despite the now infamous Martinsville run-in, Childress stated in an interview that he promised Kevin he would do everything humanly possible to help him win the title and that he still intended to keep that promise but also vehemently declared that he will never apologize to Kevin. Austin Dillon responded to the incident in a very classy manner saying that he’s already forgiven Kevin for what he said but admitted that it did hurt his feelings.

I truly believe that with time, the angry words and insults thrown around at “The Paperclip” will fade into the past and become no more than a whisper. They will repair their now broken friendship but maybe that’s just the optimist in me coming out…I just see too much history there for both parties to hold a grudge and completely burn the bridge. With Waltrip and NAPA, that’s sadly a case where there’s no going back. It’s less about friendship and more about breaking the trust of a loyal business partner. When these two partnerships began, the No.3 vanished from the race track and with their demise, we will most likely be seeing the No.3 return next year….funny how fate would have it work out that way.

As the old adage goes, “all good things must come to an end.”

October 30, 2013
Martinsville Was The Fan’s Wakeup Call

The racing at Martinsville Speedway this weekend was a refreshing as a dip in a West Virginia lake in the month of February. The collective fan base woke up, dried itself off and became interested again. Funny how a short track does that.

There was little to warn folks this would happen. It was 26 degrees as I entered the track on Saturday morning. People were huddling together as if body heat would keep them warm. Sprint Cup practice started and even my camera failed to take pictures because of the cold and the trusty iPhone wouldn’t work because my frozen fingertips wouldn’t work the touch screen. The wisdom of scheduling this race weekend in late October is debatable at best, especially when a better weekend might be the first race of the Chase in September. That would move the rest of the schedule a week later, but that’s a subject for another column. Truth is, it all worked out. The temperature got into the mid 50’s by truck race time and was even in the mid 60’s on Sunday.

Denny Hamlin won the pole for the Camping World Truck Series race and was expected to lap the field, closely followed by Kevin Harvick. It didn’t exactly work out that way. Hamlin had his problems and Harvick, shall we say, had his. Darrell Wallace, Jr. won the race to become the first African-American to win a major NASCAR race since 1963. The African-American who won in 1963 was the late Wendell Scott and he lived only a few miles away in Danville, Virginia. Unfortunately for Wallace, everyone was more interested in the scuffle between RCR grandson Ty Dillon and RCR driver (temporarily) Kevin Harvick. It’s certain that most of you know, the two got together, both were upset, Dillon tried to spin Harvick several times on his way to the pits, Harvick drove into Dillon’s pit stall, Dillon’s crew came out throwing sledgehammers and trying to get to Harvick, Harvick came out and made references to “little rich kids who have been spoon fed,” and said it was the reason he was leaving RCR at the end of the season. The alarm went off after the sleep-inducing race in Talladega, but it was full wakeup time on Sunday.

Fans rolled into Martinsville Speedway on Sprint Cup race day. I hadn’t seen the walkways and roads so full since, well since things started going south in NASCAR. The stands were nearly full, and as a bonus, the campground was heavily populated. One wag told me, “they came to see a race and they know they’ll see one here.” His analysis rang true. They saw one.

Just as in the truck race, many had crowned Johnson or Hamlin as the winner on Sunday morning as I drove into the traffic jam getting into the track. Maybe Hamlin or Harvick would get close, but Jimmie was the man. As ESPN’s Lee Corso is famous for saying, “not so fast, my friend.” Several drivers took turns at leading, but it was mostly Matt Kenseth in the first half of the race, and Johnson in the second half. In the end, to simplify things, Johnson pitted for four tires and fell back into the field. It was entertaining to see him pushing and shoving himself to the front. That is, to everyone but Greg Biffle. Biffle took issue when Johnson wore his bumper out trying to get by him and driving like a man possessed to stay in front of the five-time champ. Finally, with the bumper cover connected to the car on only the right side, Biffle had to pit and have it taken care of, and the battle was over. Of course, watching a very fast Biffle work his way up to the top ten was almost as entertaining as watching Johnson earlier.

Up front, Gordon had moved to second and got by Kenseth, who had re-taken the lead for several laps. Kenseth called it a lack of experience. Gordon smiled and waved goodbye as he streaked to the win. Everyone seemed surprised at the turn of events, but watching out the big press box window, I saw the fans truly engaged. I’ve watched those fans from the same venue for 34 consecutive races, and never did I see so much rooting and hand slapping as on Sunday. The fans even got a good show on the big screen in the middle of the infield when Biffle confronted Johnson and stuck his finger within an inch of the Chevy driver’s nose. On the two stops as I traveled home, all anyone could talk about was Harvick, the Dillon boys, and Biffle. Never mind that Bubba Wallace and Jeff Gordon won their races.

The weekend was clearly a wakeup call to the fans of NASCAR racing. The Chase is filled with “mile-and-a-half’s.” It has only one short track—Martinsville. As I stopped at the new Cook Out restaurant in Rocky Mount, an older gentleman said that “they” needed to build a few more tracks like Martinsville. A gentleman in Roanoke said he turned the TV off during the Talladega race, but his interest was now totally on the last three races. Let’s hope the interest and attendance is as brisk as it was at Martinsville. The race was like a cup of strong coffee first thing in the morning.

October 30, 2013
NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Martinsville

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth led 202 laps at Martinsville and finished second, unable to keep eventual winner Jeff Gordon at bay over the closing laps. Kenseth’s runner-up finish forged a tie in the points standings with Jimmie Johnson.

“While I’m thrilled to be knotted atop the points standings with Johnson,” Kenseth said, “Johnson isn’t. In other words, Jimmie’s fit to be tied.”

2. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson finished fifth at Martinsville, three spots behind Matt Kenseth, as Hendrick teammate Jeff Gordon took the win. Kenseth and Johnson sit tied atop the points standings, 27 ahead of Gordon.

“While Greg Biffle confronted me,” Johnson said, “Kenseth in-fronted me. If only Kenseth were as easy to handle as Greg Biffle, you could hand me the Cup right now.”

3. Jeff Gordon: Gordon won for the first time this season, capturing the Goody’s Headache Relief Shot 500 at Martinsville and vaulting from fifth to third in the Sprint Cup points standings. He trails Jimmie Johnson and Matt Kenseth by 27.

“I put myself back in the Cup picture,” Gordon said. “Unfortunately, when I try to imagine myself as 2013 Sprint Cup champion, I just can’t ‘picture’ it.”

4. Kevin Harvick: Harvick finished sixth in the Goody’s Headache Relief Shot 500 at Martisville. He is fourth in the points standings. 28 out of first.

“If you saw the Trucks race,” Harvick said, “you know I have a problem with drivers who have been ‘grandfathered in.’ Now you know why I’m leaving Richard Childress Racing. Those kids don’t know what they’re ‘Dillon’ with.”

5. Clint Bowyer: Bowyer took third at Martinsville, posting his ninth top-5 result of the year. He is sixth in the Sprint Cup points standings, 55 out of the lead.

“The 5-Hour Energy car finished third in the Goody’s Headache Relief Shot 500,” Bowyer said. “It seems that Goody’s has taken 5-Hour Energy’s concept and used it to their advantage. You could say they’ve put a ‘new spin’ on shots.”

6. Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: Earnhardt came home eighth at Martinsville as Hendrick Motorsports placed three drivers in the top 10, led by Jeff Gordon’s first win of the year. Earnhardt is seventh in the points standings, 56 out of first.

“Army National Guard renewed their sponsorship of the No. 88 car,” Earnhardt said. “As you know, the fans of Junior Nation love the ‘armed services,’ especially if that arm is handing them a beverage.”

7. Kyle Busch: After two fifth-place finishes in his last two races, Busch finished a disappointing 15th at Martinsville. He is fifth in the points standings, 36 out of first.

“How about Darrell Wallace becoming only the second black driver to win a NASCAR-sanctioned race?” said Busch. “Now, NASCAR’s Drive For Diversity has a new slogan celebrating black heritage in NASCAR. It’s called ‘What A Race!’”

8. Greg Biffle: Biffle started 33rd and finished ninth at Martinsville. He is eighth in the points standings, 58 out of first.

“I made like my rear bumper,” Biffle said, “and got all up in Jimmie Johnson’s grill.

9. Brad Keselowski: After struggling at Talladega, Keselowski finished fourth at Martinsville, one of only two Fords in the top 10.

“All this controversy at Martinsville,” Keselowski said, “and none of it involves me. Once again, I’ve been ‘left out.’”

10. Carl Edwards: Edwards finished 12th at Martinsville and is now tenth in the Sprint Cup points standings, 76 out of first.

“Greg Biffle obviously needs a course in confrontation etiquette,” Edwards said. “And I’m the man to do it. Of all people, I’m the one that knows how to teach a teammate a lesson.”

October 29, 2013
Surprising and Not Surprising: Goody’s Headache Relief Shot 500

With NASCAR legend and Hall of Famer Junior Johnson giving the command to get the action started and a grandfather clock trophy on the line, here is what was surprising and not surprising in the 65th annual Goody’s Headache Relief Shot 500 Powered by Kroger at Martinsville Speedway.

Surprising: Jeff Gordon had some pretty surprising thoughts in the waning laps of the race as he battled with Matt Kenseth for the race lead at Martinsville and then motored on to Victory Lane.

“I was thinking, what would Jimmie Johnson do?” the driver of the No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet said. “Or better yet, maybe what would Richard Petty do?”

“I was just hoping that no cautions were going to come out and they didn’t,” Gordon continued. “That clock, there’s nothing better than getting a clock at Martinsville.”

This was Gordon’s first win of the season and his 88^th victory in his career, tying him with Jimmie Johnson and trailing only Richard Petty and Darrell Waltrip on the all-time wins list at Martinsville.

And with the win, Gordon climbed two spots in the all-important point standings to third, now 27 points behind the leaders.

Not Surprising: While the inside lane was definitely the preferred one at Martinsville, the outside lane seemed especially cursed during this seventh race of the Chase at the short track.

“It’s just the nature of the beast here,” Clint Bowyer, driver of the No. 15 5-Hour Energy Toyota said. “That’s how important it is to get to the inside on these restarts.”

“You’d better get your business done quick,” Bowyer continued. “If you don’t, within two corners you’re in trouble because they’re stacked up on the bottom.”

Bowyer survived the curse of the outside lane to finish third, his tenth top-10 finish in 16 races at Martinsville Speedway.

Surprising: While Matt Kenseth was surprisingly confident at a track where he has no wins, only three top fives and a 15^th best driver rating of 80.5, his confidence did indeed bear fruit, with a runner up finish in his No. 20 Dollar General Toyota and a bump back up in the Chase standings.

“I felt like today was an opportunity to get the points lead back,” Kenseth said. “I know Jimmie (Johnson) is always the man here, and he’s still the man here along with Jeff (Gordon) and Denny (Hamlin) for sure.”

“I haven’t had that many good runs here, but we ran good in the spring, we were terrific at Loudon which has always been my worst track and this has probably been my second-worst track, and Jason (Ratcliff, crew chief) and the whole group at JGR gave us such good cars to drive.”

“I couldn’t be much happier, but I am disappointed I got beat there at the end,” Kenseth continued. “I feel like we can go do some racing here in the next three weeks.”

With his good finish, Kenseth actually tied Jimmie Johnson for the point’s lead, however, has the advantage due to his number of overall wins.

Not Surprising: Tempers abound at any short track so it was not surprising that some apologies were due, some were made, and some will remain to be made potentially in the upcoming week as a result of the Martinsville race.

Kevin Harvick, behind the wheel of the No. 29 Rheem Chevrolet, made several apologies, first to Ty Dillon for his harsh words after the Truck race and then to Ryan Newman for hitting him during the Cup race.

“Yeah, first thing I want to do is apologize to Ryan Newman,” Harvick said after finishing sixth. “I tried to shoot in a gap there and just barely clipped the right rear of his car.”

Carl Edwards also acknowledged that he owed a few apologies after a ‘terrible’ day at the race track.

“I caused the first two cautions when the car was real hard to drive on entry,” the driver of the No. 99 Geek Squad Ford said. “I felt bad about that.”

“The car was real, real loose in and that was the reason I hit Kvapil there like that,” Edwards continued. “I’m going to apologize to him right now.”

There were two drivers, however, who were in no way, shape or form in the apologizing mode, at least after the race ended.

“We made contact, but I couldn’t quite understand why he was down here pulling on my collar like he just did,” Jimmie Johnson, driver of the No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet, said after his pit road interview was interrupted by a visibly upset Greg Biffle.

“You knocked my (expletive) back bumper off mother (expletive)”, the driver of the No. 16 3M Ford said to the five time champ after finishing ninth. “You (expletive) ran into the back of me.”

“Dude, if you want to talk about it, let’s talk about it” Johnson said during the exchange.

“We just did,” Biffle countered as he walked away after being separated from Johnson by a NASCAR official.

Surprising: Brad Keselowski finally had a surprisingly good day, with his career best finish, fourth place, at Martinsville Speedway. And with that, the driver of the No. 2 Miller Lite Ford said that he took the checkered flag exactly where he thought he had a car to do so.

“It was a decent day,” Keselowski said. “We weren’t where we wanted to be at the start, but we worked on our car and got it better at the end.”

“The last run was by far the most competitive we were and had probably about a fourth or fifth-place car and that’s where we finished at the end,” Keselowski continued. “It was a solid effort.”

Not Surprising: Chevrolet yet again secured the 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup manufacturer’s championship and did so even with three more races left in the season.

This was the 37^th manufacturer’s title for Chevrolet and the eleventh year in a row taking the honors. This was also the 16^th win of the season for Team Chevy.

“To wrap it up with a win, with a great, exciting finish battling it out with a Toyota (the No. 20 driven by second-place finisher Matt Kenseth) is awesome,” Jeff Gordon said. “I know how much that means to Chevrolet.”

Surprising: In spite of his record setting qualifying effort, putting his No. 34 Taco Bell Ford in P8 in time trials, engine woes bit David Ragan and he finished dead last with a broken valve spring.

The driver, however, found the bright spot in his surprisingly bad finish with the positive evolution of his team over this past season, from testing to better work coming from the shop.

“We’ve built some new cars in-house and that’s doing the chassis work, the body work and building the components, so we’ve really evolved a lot,” Ragan said. “We’ve done it from within and I think long-term that’s a big positive for the whole Front Row Motorsports team.”

Not Surprising: Denny Hamlin, traditionally strong at Martinsville and pole sitter for the race, not surprisingly scored another top-ten run in his No. 11 FedEx One Rate Toyota, even with some damage incurred from one of the race’s early wrecks.

And with that finish, Hamlin pronounced the team as finally going in the right direction after a very difficult season.

“We ran decent,” Hamlin said. “Even though the car drove as bad as it did, we still were able to be at least somewhat competitive.”

“Seventh isn’t what we like here at Martinsville, but still it’s a step in the right direction,” Hamlin continued. “We’re just trying to get our feet under us.”

“Then that’s going to set us up pretty good for next year.”

Surprising: Sticking with the theme of blown engines, another one bit one of NASCAR’s most promising young drivers Kyle Larson who blew up for the second race in a row. The driver of the No. 51 Target Chevrolet suffered the mechanical issue on lap 165, spinning in his own fluid and bringing out the caution.

“We just can’t seem to catch a break in these two Cup starts that I’ve had,” Larson said. “We blew up in Charlotte and not sure we had a rear end blow up here or what.”

Larson’s day went from bad to worse as he tweeted after the race.

“What a bad last couple of hours. Engine blew up, got a speeding ticket, now my cat just puked and pooped in the car.”

Not Surprising: Kurt Busch admitted right up front that he does not have Martinsville Speedway circled on his calendar. And the track again was a struggle yet again for him as he finished 18^th with a banged up race car.

“We didn’t qualify well (19th), didn’t practice well and obviously didn’t race well,” the driver of the No. 78 Furniture Row/Denver Mattress Chevrolet said. “I don’t know what it is but there’s something about this track that doesn’t suit me.”

“It was a very disappointing performance today,” Busch continued. “Our Furniture Row Chevrolet got banged up early when it took a big hit to the right side.”

“But no excuses, we just didn’t have it.”

The Cup Series next heads to Texas Motor Speedway for the AAA Texas 500, the eighth race in the Chase.

October 28, 2013
The Final Word – Jimmie and Matt continue their battle, Harvick starts a family feud at Martinsville

We were wrong. We were wrong about the big wild card that is Talladega, though to our credit neither Jimmie Johnson nor Matt Kenseth finished in the top ten that day. Still, even with a runner up finish there, Dale Earnhardt Jr remained miles away from the leaders. Kyle Busch made up all of seven points on Johnson and a whopping 15 on Kenseth, but still nowhere near enough.

We were wrong about Martinsville, which should be renamed Johnsonville the way Jimmie lays it down there. While Jeff Gordon tied Five Time in wins at the paper clip, claiming his 8th at the track and the 88th of his Cup career, and while Johnson made it 17 top fives in 24 attempts, Kenseth finished second. It was only his 4th top five there in 28 attempts. So, it would appear that whatever the 2003 champ did while employed by Jack Roush no longer applies in any negative sense since he joined Joe Gibbs. For Matt, his history is history as he forges a new path.

What we have is a new Matt, a renewed Jimmie, and as we change our focus to Texas we have these boys tied in points, 27 points ahead of Gordon and 28 up on Kevin Harvick. It remains a two way fight, unless fate intervenes and messes up the plans of one or both of them. Could that intervention come in Texas? Based on the past two weeks, how in hell should I know?

Still, both leaders have done well at Fort Worth in the past. Both have a couple of wins there, both have an average finish of better than tenth, both are tied with 15 Top Tens on this track. So, both should do well on Sunday. Should.

There should be peace and harmony the world over, but Kevin Harvick is preparing to leave RCR after a thirteen year association by crapping all over the bosses grandsons. It is one thing to criticize a young driver with whom he had issues in the truck race on Saturday. It is another to state that a reason for the job change next year was due to these punk-ass, rich kids, who have had everything spoon fed to them, coming up to eventual Cup rides with grand pappy while having no respect for the sport. Who urged the boy to run into Harvick to get things nice and hot? Well, that would be Grandpa Childress himself, never mind the less than loving comments the two had in regards to Harvick in the garage area afterwards. Kevin said on Sunday’s telecast that he was sorry. I am sure that will make everything all better between all concerned. Hallmark, no doubt, has a new card to write.

Rating Martinsville – 5.5/10 – The oldest venue on the NASCAR circuit deserved better on Sunday’s telecast. We all did.

Fort Worth just means more of the same. A two-man race with a few waiting in the wings for something bad to happen to the front duo. Maybe we should dub this the Tango in Texas, because it takes two to…ah, forget it. Enjoy the week.

October 28, 2013
Harvick tries to calm the storm with Richard Childress… or does he?

In the closing laps of the Kroger 200 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Martinsville Speedway, Ty Dillon, grandson of Richard Childress, and Kevin Harvick, driver of Richard Childress’s No. 29 Sprint Cup Series car, made contact crashing both trucks.

Following the crash, the two took several shots at each other under caution. Harvick taking a hard left on the backstretch making hard contact with the right front of the No. 3 truck driven by Dillon. As Harvick proceeded into turn three, Dillon took several shots at Harvick’s truck, appearing to be making attempts to spin him out. Though his attempts were unsuccessful, it escalated the situation even further. As the two truck made their way down pit road, Harvick stopped in the pit box of Dillon, blocking him from getting into his pits.

Harvick’s move infuriated the crew of the No. 3 truck. Several crew members approached the driver side door of Harvick’s truck yelling and reaching in towards Harvick. One crew member even threw a large sledgehammer at the truck, a move that definitely made all of the highlight reels.

Upon exiting the truck, Harvick made several comments aimed at Dillon and at the Richard Childress team. Harvick, with his temper raging, commented, “I don’t care what they throw at me, that’s exactly why I am leaving RCR is because you’ve got those kids coming up and they gor no respect for what they do in this sport and they’ve had everything fed to them with a spoon, so I cut him slack all day and you know he just drives – dive bombs me in there and dumps me, so it’s a shame you got to get taken out by some rich kid like that.” After making his comments, Harvick quickly headed to the tunnel and exited the track.

Richard Childress responded to Harvick’s comments saying, “I’m very disappointed – that’s all I can say. I’ve got to much class to say what I want to right now.” Childress was seen in the garage immediately after the incident and was visibly angry with what had just occurred. Childress also stated in the garage area after the incident, “I got plans for him.” Though he may not have known he was on camera at the time.

Evidently, Harvick received the message or had time to think about his comments. On Sunday morning Harvick issues an apology saying, ”I think there was just a lot of emotion involved, I hate it for everybody at RCR and you know you go back and look at the things that happened and sometimes you just regret the things that you say for sure and yesterday was definitely one of them, so I just hate for my guys and everybody working on the cars and obviously when those emotional situations come about you say things that you really don’t want to say, so just want to apologize to all those guys and work hard to day and try to do everything we can to win this race.”

One thing very noticeable about the apology is that he specified his RCR crew and the guys that work on his car. Although he did say “everybody at RCR” he did not specifically mention Dillon or Richard Childress himself. So was this apology aimed only at the No. 29 team in an effort to maintain a good relationship with them since he is so dependent on them for the next four races? It sure sounds like it. But, who can blame him. After all, Childress himself did say this on Dillon’s team radio before the incident, “***-**** if he messes with you, turn his ass upside down.”

One thing to keep in mind is that even though Harvick drives for RCR in the Cup series, he was driving for NTS Motorsports on Saturday on the Camping World Truck Series race. So, you have a driver that will only be employed for the team for another four races, and driving a truck that does not belong to the team. Therefore, there were no repercussions for Childress giving Dillon the instruction to turn Harvick if he “messed with him”, other than the friction it would create with Harvick.

We all know that, many times, emotional outbursts contain mostly truth. Harvick’s statements, though he says now he shouldn’t have said it, were most likely what he truly feels inside. Additionally, the statements that were caught on camera during Dillon’s emotional outburst were again, most likely filled with what he truly believes when he said, “He hadn’t done nothing for RCR but ****** up, he screws up stuff for us every year he’s been here.” Richard Childress’s response during Dillon’s tirade was simply, “I know.”

There is an obvious division among the RCR team. The question is can the team hold it together for the balance of the season to try and secure a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship? Also, how will Harvick race against the RCR team cars next season when he is driving for Stewart-Hass Racing? Only time will tell. But, it sure did make for an exciting afternoon at Martinsville Speedway.

October 27, 2013
Martinsville Tidbits
The Goody’s 500 is the seventh race of the 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Chase. A flat, tight half-mile oval nestled in Southern Virginia that most drivers either love or hate. One thing they almost all agree on, however, is that it is the toughest of all NASCAR tracks. One thing is for sure – the race will be exciting and the action non-stop. Here are a few tidbits and storylines to follow for this weekend’s event:
- Points leader, Jimmie Johnson, has an unprecedented record at Martinsville. In 23 starts, he has compiled an amazing eight wins and 16 top-5 finishes. Johnson is definitely the favorite for this weekend
- Jeff Gordon, Johnson’s Hendrick Motorsports teammate, has an exceptional record at Martinsville as well. Gordon has seven wins and 26 top-5 finishes in 41 starts at the paperclip. Don’t forget the Gordon-Johnson battle we had a few years ago. We could see another one Sunday!
- Dale Earnhardt Jr’s Chase hopes got off to a rocky start at Chicago with a blown engine. He has been clawing his way back and Martinsville has been a good track for Earnhardt. He has ten top-5’s in 27 starts. Look for him to have a good day on Sunday.
- Kyle Busch made his way back to third in the standings at Talladega. To gain any ground here at Martinsville, he has to on top of his game and maintain his composure at a track known to flare tempers.
- Tied with Busch in the standings, Kevin Harvick said yesterday his team has to win some races to have a chance to beat Johnson. Harvick’s record at Martinsville is mediocre. To make any ground up in the standings at Martinsville, his Richard Childress Racing team will have to find some strategy to get him out front late in the race and let Harvick hold off the challengers. Harvick runs well here in the truck series, so he knows how to get around this track.
- Danica Patrick has struggled a several track this season, ran extremely well here last spring. Patrick worked her way through the field to a solid 12^th place finish in what many consider her best performance of the year. Can she repeat that success?
- Richard Petty Motorsports driver Aric Almirola will finish out the season with interim crew chief, Greg Ebert, after the team released veteran crew chief Todd Parrott for violating NASCAR’s substance abuse policy. Almirola has had a respectable season and looks as if his team is ready to take the next step, but will the shake-up atop the pitbox hinder their progress?
- Kyle Larson will make his second Sprint Cup Series start this weekend in the No. 51 Target Chevrolet. Larson was impressive in his debut at Talladega until he lost an engine. Now we will see what he can do on a short track.
- Elliott Sadler will begin his stint in the No. 55 entry for Michael Waltrip Racing this weekend. Sadler will be filling in for Brian Vickers, who is out for the season with blood clots in his leg, a similar condition that sidelined him in 2010.
Martinsville always provides an excellent race and will create its own story lines as the weekend progresses. Guaranteed we will not see a single file freight train in the last ten laps!
October 25, 2013
NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Talladega

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth survived to finish 20th at Talladega, seven spots behind Jimmie Johnson. Kenseth’s four point lead became a four point deficit to Jimmie Johnson in the standings.

“I drove like I was expecting the ‘big one,’” Kenseth said, “and it never came. So the fans weren’t the only ones upset that there wasn’t a big crash. I guess I should have been more aggressive. If I’ve been faulted for being anything, it’s too ‘laid back.’”

2. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson finished 13th in the Camping World RV Sales 500 at Talladega, leading a race-high 47 laps to earn two crucial bonus points. He took over the lead in the points, and holds a four-point edge over Matt Kenseth.

“I was playing ‘catch’ with points-leader Kenseth,” Johnson said, “and I ‘overthrew’ him.”

3. Kevin Harvick: Harvick, in the No. 29 Jimmy Johns Chevrolet, took 12th at Talladega and is fourth in the Sprint Cup points standings, tied with Kyle Busch 26 points out of first.

“This is the only way I can possibly share space with Kyle Busch,” Harvick said.

“That was one of the least exciting Talladega races, despite the fact that cars were topping out at near 200 miles per hour. I guess that’s why they call it ‘full bore.’”

4. Kyle Busch: Busch posted his second consecutive top-5 finish, taking fifth at Talladega. He is tied for third in the points standings, 26 out of first.

“I’m back in the championship hunt,” Busch said. “But if I don’t have a good finish at Martinsville, I’ll likely be done. The last time I was ‘officially eliminated,’ I was taken off the road by a state trooper in North Carolina.”

5. Jeff Gordon: Gordon led 19 laps at Talladega and finished 14th at Talladega, rendering unable to make up ground in the Sprint Cup points standings. He is now fifth in the Sprint Cup points standings, 34 behind Jimmie Johnson.

“Jimmie’s got the lead,” Gordon said. “Let’s see if he can hold it. With Martinsville up next, history says he can. He’s won eight races there, rewarded with a grandfather clock for each victory. It’s just further proof that the 5-time Cup champ’s greatness is measure in ‘times.’”

6. Kurt Busch: Busch came home 18th at Talladega and is now ninth in the Sprint Cup points standings, 61 out of first.

“We had Wonder Bread on the No. 78 Chevrolet,” Busch said. “As if you needed more proof that I’m as white bread as they come.”

7. Clint Bowyer: Bowyer finished tenth at Talladega, his first top-10 finish since a tenth at Dover. He is eighth in the points standings, 57 out of first.

“Kudos to 5-Hour Energy for their contribution to NASCAR,” Bowyer said. “Like its name states, 5-Hour Energy will stay with you for awhile, which is more than I can say about some of Michael Waltrip’s other sponsors.”

8. Greg Biffle: Biffle finished 11th in the Roush Fenway Racing No. 16 Ford, while teammate Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. took third. Biffle is seventh in the points standings, 53 behind Jimmie Johnson.

“That was a great run by Stenhouse,” Biffle said. “He finished 30 places better than his girlfriend Danica Patrick. Contrary to popular belief, Danica is the one who is ‘whipped.’”

9. Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: Running second on the final lap, Earnhardt’s bid for victory at Talladega ended when the caution flew on the final lap, allowing Jamie McMurray to coast to victory. Earnhardt’s second was the best result among Chase drivers, and moved him up to sixth in the points standings.

“I’ve made second a habit at Talladega,” Earnhardt said. “And speaking of ‘habits,’ I’ve got as many wins this year as that lady wearing the habit—none.”

10. Ryan Newman: Newman started 17th and finished ninth at Talladega, earning his 16th top 10 of the year.

“That was the most incident-free race at Talladega I’ve ever seen,” Newman said. “Take it from me, that race was turned upside down.”

October 22, 2013

Hot 20 over the Chase six – Past 10 matters little to Johnson, as it is all about the 6 since Richmond and the 4 to come

Usually, one gets a general perspective on how a driver has been performing recently by taking a look at his past ten efforts. Ten, a nice round number that just so happens to also be the exact number of races in the Chase. You would think, barring adjustments for pre-Chase bonuses, it might give you an idea how things are going for those chasing a championship. You would think.

That was before Jimmie Johnson sandbagged the final four pre-Chase events. In those races, Johnson picked up a whopping 33 points. That is the same as he got last week finishing 13^th at Talladega. Matt Kenseth, in those same four races, earned 148 points. Then they leveled the playing field. However, before anyone moans how unfair the Chase is to the season’s best, it actually has penalized Johnson and benefited Kenseth. Remember, before the re-jig, Kenseth was in fifth place, 35 points behind Carl Edwards and 34 in arrears of Johnson, who was still second despite his pre-Chase problems. If not for the Chase, the standings would have Johnson leading Harvick by 33, with Kenseth third 41 back. So, the right guy is leading the way, albeit by 4 Chase points.

As for being hot or not with four races to go in the season, it comes down to room for growth. As we replace the results from Michigan, Bristol, Atlanta, and Richmond with those coming from Martinsville, Fort Worth, Phoenix, and Homestead, Kenseth can better his total by no more than 44 points. Johnson can better his by 159.

What that does, however, is make the hot 20 over the past ten races rather meaningless, with Kenseth presently 108 points better than the 15^th ranked Johnson. Compress it down to the six Chase races to date and it becomes clear who indeed leads the way. The ten race average will again become meaningful, but not before Homestead. Thanks a bunch, Jimmie.

Here is a look at our hottest 20 drivers over the course of the Chase…

	Driver	Wins	T-5	T-10		Points	Rank
1	Jimmie Johnson	1	4	5	242		1
2	Matt Kenseth	2	3	4	235		2
3	Kevin Harvick	1	2	4	222		3
4	Jeff Gordon	0	2	4	220		5
5	Kyle Busch	0	5	5	216		4
6	Dale Earnhardt, Jr.	0	2	4	202		6
7	Jamie McMurray	1	2	2	198		14
8	Greg Biffle	0	1	2	198		7
9	Clint Bowyer	0	0	3	197		8
10	Kurt Busch	0	2	2	193		9
11	Ryan Newman	0	0	4	182		11
12	Carl Edwards	0	1	3	180		10
13	Jeff Burton	0	0	1	176		20
14	Joey Logano	0	2	2	176		12
15	Martin Truex, Jr.	0	0	2	173		17
16	Ricky Stenhouse, Jr.	0	1	2	170		19
17	Brad Keselowski	1	1	2	169		15
18	Paul Menard	0	1	2	167		16
19	Aric Almirola	0	0	1	155		18
20	Kasey Kahne	0	1	1	153		13

October 22, 2013

The Final Word – Talladega may have been smokin’, but expect Johnson to smoke the field at Martinsville

We waited with anticipation for the action, and Talladega once again delivered. Once again, we watched the cars (and trucks for those watching on Saturday) go flying around inches apart in aircraft formation, in wonder that they could pull this off lap after lap without it all going up in smoke and torn sheet metal. In the end, they could not avoid the unavoidable.

Dale Earnhardt Jr was pondering his final lap move to get by leader Jamie McMurray when the third running Austin Dillon got spun, then rear ended into the sky in what he described as “a cool roller coaster ride.” That allowed Ole Dimples to keep Junior behind him when the caution came out to claim his first win in more than three years.

If that was not wild enough for you, Saturday saw Matt Crafton solidify his strangle hold in the Camping World series while pushing team mate Johnny Sauter to victory. Sauter crossed the line all by his lonesome as our top eight became a top five which became Mr. Sauter doing a solo by the time they all quit wrecking coming to the line. What was left of Crafton’s truck backed across the line in ninth, leaving him an entire race and a bit ahead of Ty Dillon in their standings.

As for the Cup boys, neither Jimmie Johnson or Matt Kenseth finished in the Top Ten. Yet, by finishing seven spots ahead of his rival (13th vs 20th) and by leading the most laps, Johnson earned enough to vault ahead to take over by four points going into Martinsville. Their company got slightly closer, but by finishing fifth the best Kyle Busch could do is tie Kevin Harvick for third in the standings, both still 26 points away. They remain close should disaster hit the leaders, but until such time disaster strikes both will remain simply interested observers.

Rating Talladega – 9/10 – The action kept you on the edge of your seats, drivers could move from the back to the front, and you even had your dose of carnage. What else could you ask for?

So, the track on steroids is now behind us as we return to “normal” racing. With his seven career wins at Martinsville, Jeff Gordon might look good but for two small facts. One, he trails Johnson by 34 points. Second, Jimmie has won eight times himself at this venue.

Five Time won there in the spring, and he won there last fall. His worst finish was on his first attempt in 2002, when he came home 35th. Since then, his worst finish is 12th, to go with an 11th, to go with 16 Top Fives, 20 Top Tens, in 23 Martinsville starts. As for Kenseth, he goes in 0 for 27, with just eight Top Tens in his career.

Game four of the World Series goes Sunday night as St. Louis hosts Boston. That could wind up a closer contest than what we might see out of Virginia. It is not over, but I think somebody just knocked on the Fat Lady’s dressing room door. Enjoy the week, for it appears the odds favor Johnson enjoying his Sunday afternoon.

October 21, 2013