Tag: Kurt Busch

NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Talladega

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Kyle Busch: Busch finished 26th at Talladega and is now third in the playoff points standings.

“Stewart-Haas Racing totally dominated the race,” Harvick said. “It was like they were leading the world’s fastest funeral procession, because they ‘buried’ the field.”

2. Kevin Harvick: Harvick faded to 28th after being forced to pit for fuel with three laps remaining at Talladega.

“That cost people a free Bloomin’ Onion at Outback Steakhouse,” Harvick said. “But no apology from me is in ‘order,’ because a chance at the win at Talladega is way more ‘appetizing.’”

3. Chase Elliott: Elliott finished 31st in the 1000Bulbs.com 500 at Talladega.

“Since I won at Dover,” Elliott said, “I was the only driver able to remain calm at Talladega. So, while I was thinking ‘relax,’ many others were thing ‘Exlax.’”

4. Aric Almirola: Almirola passed Stewart-Haas Racing teammate Kurt Busch, who ran out of gas, and took a huge win at Talladega. Almirola advances to the third round of the NASCAR playoffs.

“I’m the least well-known driver in the Stewart-Haas stable,” Almirola said. “So, while I was riding on their bumpers for most of the race, I’ve been riding on their coattails for much longer.”

5. Kurt Busch: Busch won the pole at Talladega and led 108 laps, but his victory hopes were dashed when he ran out of fuel on the final lap, handing Stewart-Haas teammate Aric Almirola the win.

“The race went to overtime,” Busch said, “otherwise I have enough fuel to hang on for the win. As it was, Aric Almirola was the one making the ‘splash.’”

6. Joey Logano: Logano finished fifth in the 1000Bulbs.com 500 at Talladega.

“That’s right,” Logano said, “the ‘1000Bulbs.com’ was the name of the race. Be careful typing that website address. That ‘u’ and ‘l’ are a doozy.”

7. Martin Truex, Jr.: A mechanical issue plagued Truex throughout the day at Talladega, resulting in a 23rd-place finish. It left Truex in the final transfer spot as an elimination race looms at Kansas.

“That means I’ll be racing for the win,” Truex said. “And that means I’ll go out of my way to get the win. And that means that if Jimmie Johnson is in my way, I’ll move him out of the way.”

8. Clint Bowyer: Bowyer started second at Talladega and finished second as Stewart-Haas Racing swept the top 2, as well as sweeping the top 4 in qualifying.

“Ten drivers are vying for 6 spots at Kansas,” Bowyer said. “That means 4 drivers will go home disappointed, as well as all fans in attendance at Kansas Speedway’s boring track.”

9. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski finished 27th at Talladega.

“I’ll need a solid finish at Kansas to advance to Round 3,” Keselowski said. “I certainly don’t want to leave Kansas and have to tell my dog, ‘We’re not in the playoffs anymore.’”

10. Ryan Blaney: Blaney finished 29th and now heads to Kansas needing a strong finish to advance to Round 3 of the playoffs.

“I plan to let it all hang out at Kansas,” Blaney said. “‘That’s a phrase you don’t mind hearing a NASCAR driver say, but you definitely don’t want to hear a NASCAR fan say it.”

October 15, 2018
Hot 20 – Not everyone loves Talladega, but not everyone is normal

Talladega. Do you need any more incentive to watch the action this Sunday? It is Talladega, dammit!

Flying around in aircraft formation inches apart at 200 mph. That would be good enough to force me into the Depends, especially if I were in the passenger seat. It is a track that causes skid marks to appear everywhere. One wobble, one mistake, and a whole bunch of folks find themselves in a world of hurt. It does not have to happen. Just the threat that it could, on each and every lap, is enough to watch, to wonder, and to marvel at the skills of the boys going round and round.

Just the nature of the beast allows almost all to hold out hope that victory could be their own, legends and no frill competitors alike. Many of the greatest names in the sport have won at least three times there. Bobby Allison. Brad Keselowski. Buddy Baker. Cale Yarborough, Dale Earnhardt. Dale Earnhardt Jr. Darrell Waltrip. Davey Allison. David Pearson. Jeff Gordon. Joey Logano. How sweet it would be to be included among those names.

More than a few have had that honor over the past 50 years. The big names boycotted the first race in 1969. Too dangerous, they said. It gave Richard Brickhouse his lone Cup victory. Peter Hamilton had four career wins, two with his sweep in 1970. James Hylton won twice during his career, including the summer of 1972. Dick Brooks claimed his one and only a year later. Same track, same solitary milestone for Lonnie Pond, Ron Bouchard and Phil Parsons.

Talladega is a track that plays no favorites. A legend or a no name can claim victory, and both can expect one hell of a ride at any time on any corner for any reason. To you, an Elliott could just mean a boy who once played with a funny looking alien fellow and ate Reese’s Pieces. Or a Busch is just a cold beer. Or someone named Kyle must mean a chap who does rap (never heard of the guy, personally). None of that would detract from your Talladega experience.

If you base your television viewing on how many times it causes you to exclaim “Holy Crap!”, might I suggest Talladega.

1. CHASE ELLIOTT – 1 ROUND WIN (3056 Pts – 2 Wins)
It is time for Bill to remove the training wheels. The boy no longer needs them.

2. KEVIN HARVICK – 3101 POINTS (7 Wins)
Harvick just hired my 85-year old mother-in-law to join his pit crew. She starts Sunday.

3. KYLE BUSCH – 3096 POINTS (7 Wins)
The knob is gone next year and, no, I am not referring to the driver.

4. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 3069 POINTS (4 Wins)
Along with Blaney, the Most Popular Driver contenders include him and the names listed above.

5. JOEY LOGANO – 3064 POINTS (1 Win)
Lately, he has been a Top Five guy at Talladega, and that is something he would like to continue.

6. KURT BUSCH – 3054 POINTS (1 Win)
Surviving the Roval and Talladega is not an easy thing to do, but here is hoping.

7. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 3054 POINTS (3 Wins)
Almirola’s drive to Victory Lane took a detour into Keselowski…and stopped there.

8. RYAN BLANEY – 3043 POINTS (1 Win)
Blaney’s Roval win was no accident, but it sure was assisted by one.

9. ARIC ALMIROLA – 3033 POINTS
Can he bounce back after Dover wreck? Sure, he bounced off Keselowski, didn’t he?

10. CLINT BOWYER – 3033 POINTS (2 Wins)
Feels sick about ruining the day for Almirola. Feels even sicker about ruining his own.

11. KYLE LARSON – 3031 POINTS
Good luck and determination got him here, but he will need more than that to continue.

12. ALEX BOWMAN – 3009 POINTS
Sometimes you do not want anything to do with Aric and Brad. Not a damn thing.

13. AUSTIN DILLON – 2101 POINTS (1 Win)
Avoid a wreck and he just might finish…but that has not happened at Talladega for a while.

14. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 2098 POINTS
I am loaning Jimmie my 2008 Chrysler Pacifica so he can at least get his parade laps in.

15. DENNY HAMLIN – 2094 POINTS
The way he is driving he obviously does not know he has been eliminated from contention.

16. ERIK JONES – 2079 POINTS (1 Win)
“How cool would it be to own this cardboard cutout of me in your house?” Not for a grown man.

17. RYAN NEWMAN – 629 POINTS
Just killin’ time.

18. DANIEL SUAREZ – 593 POINTS
About losing his ride, “When you don’t have anything good to say, it’s better not to say anything.”

19. PAUL MENARD – 591 POINTS
Some drivers worry about such things as sponsorship. I wonder if Paul understands why?

20. RICKY STENHOUSE JR. – 581 POINTS
At the moment, he is having a better season than McMurray. Hey, at least it is something.

October 10, 2018
NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Dover

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Kyle Busch: Busch started on the pole at Dover and led 21 laps on his way to an eighth-place finish.

“I’m just glad to survive with a decent finish,” Busch said. “The ‘Monster Mile’ claimed a few victims on Sunday. Talladega’s 2.66 mile track could be even more monstrous. Then we get Kansas Speedway’s 1.5 mile track. It doesn’t scare anyone, except prospective ticket buyers.”

2. Martin Truex, Jr.: Truex finished 15th at Dover.

“Jimmie Johnson bought my team’s kids bicycles as an apology for wrecking me at Charlotte,” Truex said. “Just like what he did in Charlotte, this was a ‘sorry’ move as swell.”

3. Kevin Harvick: Harvick led 286 laps before a lug nut broke a valve stem, forcing an extra pit stop. Harvick fell a lap down but worked his way back to finish sixth.

“I was dominating,” Harvick said, “but that’s one way to ‘stem’ the tide. My luck with tires has been very unfortunate lately. But I’ll refrain from bashing Goodyear, because I ultimately had a good week.”

4. Chase Elliott: Elliott won at Dover and clinched his spot into Round 3.

“My ticket has been punched,” Elliott said. “I don’t know if that translates to tickets being bought, though.

“I like my chances to win the Monster Energy Cup. It would be great to join my father as Cup champion. My dad Bill won the 1988 Winston Cup championship. Dad was known as ‘Wild Bill From Dawsonville.’ With a championship, I could be known as ‘Awesome Chase From The Same Place.’”

5. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski finished 14th at Dover after he was collected in a crash triggered by Aric Almirola’s spin.

“I’m seventh in the playoff points standings,” Keselowski said. “That’s too close to the cutoff line for me, so I’m going to Talladega with every intention of winning. That’s called ‘Brad Intentions.’

“And while Talladega is not an official elimination race, it is the ultimate elimination race.”

6. Kurt Busch: Busch finished fifth at Dover, posting his sixth top 5 of the season.

“I’m pleased with my finish,” Busch said. “Talladega’s next on the schedule, and I finished second there in April. So the thought of ‘Dega’s super speedway makes my ears perk up. Or it used to, until the ‘perkiness’ was surgically removed from my ears back in 2006.”

7. Joey Logano: Logano finished third in the Gander Outdoors 400.

“I hear Matt Kenseth won’t be driving in 2019,” Logano said. “I’ll have no part of Matt’s going away party, but I will party that he’s going away.”

8. Clint Bowyer: Bowyer wrecked late at Dover and finished 35th, 16 laps down, and left him below the cutoff line to advance to the next round.

“Fans were able to bet on sports at a kiosk at Dover Speedway,” Bowyer said. “Sure, betting is fun, but if you’re a real NASCAR gambler, you’ll eat a hot dog at Martinsville.”

9. Aric Almirola: Almirola was leading when Clint Bowyer wrecked, opening the door for Chase Elliott to stay out and win the race. Almirola finished a disappointing 13th.

“I’m winless in my last 149 races,” Almirola said. “Maybe I should have stayed out on old tires and kept the lead. But hindsight is 20/20, and you really need to have great vision to look back to my last win.”

10. Ryan Blaney: Blaney finished 11th at Dover.

“The win at Charlotte gave me a lot of confidence,” Blaney said. “And I’m very confident I can win at Talladega. The name of the game at Talladega is to hang back and wait for an accident up front to open the door. So, I’ll maintain my strategy from Charlotte, and keep Jimmie Johnson in front of me.”

October 8, 2018
Hot 20 – The Big Three still remain the biggest obstacles for the rest as they hit Dover

On to Dover this Sunday, and down to a dozen championship contenders. Once again, as we enter the second round of eliminations, Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick look solid. So does Martin Truex Jr. Not so for everyone else.

Just ask Aric Almirola and Kyle Larson. If Jimmie Johnson had not wrecked coming to the line and if Jeffrey Earnhardt did not sit idle for as long as he did just shy of it, one of them would have been out. Both lads came into Charlotte between 17 and 23 points to the good, and it almost was not enough.

As for Johnson, he said that, after sleeping on it, he still thought he made the right decision to try to challenge Truex for the win last Sunday. I might disagree, but I am not a well decorated former race car championship winner, so what do I know? Well, if you research why George Custer did what he did at the Little Big Horn, you can see the logic behind his actions. Sadly, the result is all we remember, both for ole George and Jimmie.

The Monster Mile is not exactly one of my favorite venues. On the positive side, the NBC crew is my absolute favorite broadcast team. I do believe those boys and girls can make me watch a soccer game. Okay, as Maury would say, “that was a lie.” Still, it should make for an entertaining broadcast as we begin the round that takes us from Dover, to Talladega, to Kansas.

Let the fun continue.

1. KYLE BUSCH – 3055 POINTS (7 Wins)
“I guess all of us are just stupid” when it came to that late wreck. He was far from alone.

2. KEVIN HARVICK – 3050 POINTS (7 Wins)
If having a dud day means finishing ninth, being a dud sometimes is not bad at all.

3. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 3038 POINTS (4 Wins)
Sure, he lost his bid for a win, but Johnson lost his bid for a championship.

4. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 3025 POINTS (3 Wins)
Believes the 2019 rules package will equate into closer racing. We shall see. We shall see.

5. CLINT BOWYER – 3015 POINTS (2 Wins)
One outsider who moved to the inside was not tempted to gamble it all away for a win.

6. JOEY LOGANO – 3014 POINTS (1 Win)
Todd Gordon to his driver, “Brad led the army off the cliff” after the late race pileup in Turn 1.

7. KURT BUSCH – 3014 POINTS (1 Win)
Took the pole, finished fifth, avoided being part of Brad’s army. A good day, all in all.

8. RYAN BLANEY – 3013 POINTS (1 Win)
I want to thank Jimmie Johnson for all he did FOR me…and TO Martin Truex Jr.

9. CHASE ELLIOTT – 3008 POINTS (1 Win)
If the new rules package allows the cream to rise, he should like the changes just fine.

10. KYLE LARSON – 3006 POINTS
Next, his pit crew will turn water into wine after just raising that car from the dead.

11. ARIC ALMIROLA – 3001 POINTS
Thanks, Jimmie. I might not have gotten here without you.

12. ALEX BOWMAN – 3000 POINTS
Started last Sunday a point above the bubble, only to now sit 13 points under the bubble.

13. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 2097 POINTS
A bridge…or maybe a chicane…too far.

14. AUSTIN DILLON – 2066 POINTS (1 Win)
Literally went to the wall to keep his playoff hopes alive…but that is what ended them.

15. DENNY HAMLIN – 2053 POINTS
Super sorry I ran into the back of your car, Erik.

16. ERIK JONES – 2041 POINTS (1 Win)
“What the [expletive] are teammates even for?”

17. RYAN NEWMAN – 609 POINTS
Meanwhile, at the kiddie’s table…

18. PAUL MENARD – 570 POINTS
Has not had a good past couple of weeks, and it is doubtful things will get any better at Dover.

19. DANIEL SUAREZ – 566 POINTS
Still searching for a landing spot and Dover has so far been very, very good to him.

20. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 553 POINTS
Anyone want to hire a Top 20 NASCAR driver for next season?

21. RICKY STENHOUSE JR. – 553 POINTS
I guess this is the week for tie-breakers.

October 3, 2018
NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Charlotte

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Kyle Busch: Busch finished 18th at Charlotte.

“Luckily,” Busch said, “I was already on to Round 2 of the Playoffs. If there’s such a thing as a ‘leisurely’ drive around a ‘roval,’ that was it.”

2. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex was leading on the final lap when Jimmie Johnson attempted a daring pass and spun, sending Truex off course. Truex finished 14th.

“I deliberately spun Jimmie after the finish,” Truex said. “It’s called ‘an eye for an eye,’ or, as I’m fond of saying, ‘If you take a ‘dump’ on me, I’m gonna take a ‘dump’ on you.’”

3. Kevin Harvick: Harvick finished ninth in the Bank Of America Roval 400.

“I clinched my spot in the next round simply by starting the race,” Harvick said. “Only a driver known as the ‘Closer’ could achieve such a feat.”

4. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski misjudged the entry to Turn 1 on a late restart and caused a huge pileup. Keselowski’s day was done and he finished 31st.

“Turn 1 on the roval is a near-90 degree turn,” Keselowski said. “It appears I didn’t take the ‘right angle’ to safely navigate the corner. As such, my day took a sharp turn for the worse.”

5. Kurt Busch: Busch started on the pole at Charlotte and finished fifth in the Bank Of America Roval 400.

“Personally,” Busch said, “I like the ‘roval’ course. Like me, it’s unpredictable, and also like me, most people say they hope they never see it again.”

6. Joey Logano: Logano finished 10th at Charlotte and moved on to Round 2 of the Playoffs.

“What a great finish,” Logano said. “You could call it a ‘fantastic’ finish. Some great finishes at NASCAR races can simply be called ‘tastic’ finishes because there are no ‘fans.’”

7. Clint Bowyer: Bowyer took third at Charlotte and joined his three Stewart-Haas Racing teammates in Round 2 of the Playoffs.

“There are 12 drivers in Round 2,” Bowyer said. “Four of those are SHR drivers. The chances that a driver for SHR ultimately wins the Monster Energy Cup championship are pretty good. How do I know? Because the ‘4’ of SHR is a good bet to win it all.”

8. Kyle Larson: Larson won Stage 1 and finished 25 at Charlotte and is on to Round 2 of the Playoffs.

“But just barely,” Larson said. “I got caught up in Brad Keselowski’s wild ride through Turn 1 late in the race and ended up just squeezing into the next round. I would say all credit goes to the man upstairs, but only if Jimmie Johnson is a floor above me.

“I married my girlfriend Katelyn Sweet last Wednesday. We’ve already produced two children, so we’ve been living in sin and synergy.”

9. Aric Almirola: Almirola finished 19th at Charlotte and qualified for the next round of the Playoffs as the 11th driver in.

“Dover is the next destination on the schedule,” Almirola said. “Hopefully, there will be no mention of the word ‘doval.’”

10. (tie): Chase Elliott: Elliott finished sixth at Charlotte and safely qualified for Round 2 of the Playoffs.

“The action at the ‘roval’ was as wild and crazy as predicted,” Elliott said. “That’s all thanks to Jimmie Johnson. Was J.J. driving a Toyota, because he seemed to be on a ‘Kamikaze mission?’”

10. (tie): Ryan Blaney: Blaney took advantage of Jimmie Johnson’s ill-advised pass attempt to steal the in win at Charlotte from Martin Truex, Jr.

“The door opened,” Blaney said, “and I drove right through it. Which is basically what Johnson did to Truex’s door. Johnson and Truex are legends in this sports. Fortunately for me, the ‘stars’ aligned, then wrecked, which gave me the win.”

October 1, 2018

Kurt Busch captures inaugural pole at Charlotte Roval

Kurt Busch won the Busch Pole Award Friday at Charlotte Motor Speedway for the inaugural running of the Bank of America ROVAL™ 400 featuring a unique 2.28-mile, 17-turn, road course.

His 106.868 mph lap in the No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford earned him his fourth pole of the season and the 26th of his Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series career. Bush was the only Ford driver at the top of the leaderboard with Chevrolets scoring seven of the top 10 starting positions.

Busch, a playoff contender, spoke about the significance of the pole, saying, “It’s pretty special to get the pole at an inaugural event and to do it here at the Roval, I mean, there’s so much going on. There’s so much that everybody has to manage, crew chief, lead engineer, myself, engine tuners, everybody chipped in on this 41 car the right way. We had a plan for the first two rounds and it paid off. I struggled this year qualifying at Watkins Glen and at Sonoma, so we came here with a plan and it worked. Some conventional wisdom and thinking played out with our pole run today, but thanks to the guys, Monster Energy, Haas Automation, and Ford. We’re on the pole for the Roval.”

AJ Allmendinger’s expertise on road courses was evident as he will start beside Busch after qualifying second with a lap speed of 106.811 mph in what will be his final season in the No. 47 JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet.

“It’s a crazy race track, for sure,” he said. “It’s like my Champ Car days. It’s a street course in the infield there. The walls are on both sides and if you make a small mistake, you’re going to pay the price for it. To me, it makes for a lot of fun because you’ve got to be on point. You’ve got to be aggressive but you can’t be over-aggressive. I could nit-pick both my laps and say there’s a lot more out there, but you could easily try to get that and find yourself in the wall. My strategy (for Sunday) is to go out there and try to win. I’ve got no job, it doesn’t matter. I’m going there trying to win.”

Alex Bowman (P), Chase Elliott (P) and Kyle Larson (P), rounded out the top five qualifiers. Jimmie Johnson (P), Clint Bowyer (P), Jamie McMurray, Ryan Blaney (P) and Chris Buescher will start in sixth-10th, respectively.

Bowman was pleased with his effort but said, “Well I didn’t think we would qualify third on the Roval, so this was a nice surprise! Greg (Ives) and this Axalta team made some great changes after practice, which made the car a lot better in some of the turns. I messed up off the bus stop, so I think the biggest thing on Sunday will be minimizing mistakes. I’m glad to be up toward the front to start this race and hopefully, we can stay up front all day on Sunday and have a clean Axalta Camaro ZL1 at the end of the day.”

Johnson spoke about the significance of starting up front.

“Track position is going to be super important after that first stage and we are after stage points,” he said. “Strategy is going to play a huge role in this race, and the first guy with enough fuel and tires for the finish is going to be in great, great shape. But we need points in each segment and then obviously a good result at the end. So, starting this close to the front is a huge, huge help.”

Playoff drivers Erik Jones, Martin Truex Jr., Kyle Busch and Joey Logano qualified 12th-15th, respectively, with Kevin Harvick and Aric Almirola starting 19th and 20th. The remaining drivers vying for the championship will start in the back half of the field, including Austin Dillon (24th), Brad Keselowski (25th) and Denny Hamlin (27th).

The Charlotte Roval course has proved to be challenging as evidenced by several incidents during practice and qualifying. It will also serve as an elimination race and cut the Playoff field from 16 drivers to 12. Only three drivers have clinched a spot in the next round – Kyle Busch, Keselowski and Truex. Bowyer, Johnson, Jones and Hamlin are currently below the cutoff.

Hamlin may face the biggest hurdle as he enters the race ranked last in the Round of 16. During qualifying, he hit the outside wall and damaged the rear of his car. The Joe Gibbs Racing team made repairs to the No. 11 and were able to make another qualifying run to start 27th. However, the decision was made to go to a backup car which means Hamlin will start from the rear of the field.

Sunday’s Bank of America Roval 400 will be televised on NBC at 2 p.m. with radio coverage by PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Follow @angiecampbell_ for the latest NASCAR news and feature stories.

Starting Line Up
Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course
The Inaugural Bank of America ROVAL 400

1	41	Kurt Busch (P)	Haas Automation/Monster Energy	Ford
2	47	AJ Allmendinger	Kroger ClickList	Chevrolet
3	88	Alex Bowman (P)	Axalta	Chevrolet
4	9	Chase Elliott (P)	SunEnergy1	Chevrolet
5	42	Kyle Larson (P)	Clover/First Data	Chevrolet
6	48	Jimmie Johnson (P)	Lowe’s for Pros	Chevrolet
7	14	Clint Bowyer (P)	Mobil 1/Advance Auto Parts	Ford
8	1	Jamie McMurray	DC Solar	Chevrolet
9	12	Ryan Blaney (P)	Menards/Pennzoil	Ford
10	37	Chris Buescher	Maple Cheerios	Chevrolet
11	8	Daniel Hemric(i)	Smokey Mountain Herbal Snuff	Chevrolet
12	20	Erik Jones (P)	Reser’s	Toyota
13	78	Martin Truex Jr. (P)	Auto-Owners Insurance	Toyota
14	18	Kyle Busch (P)	M&M’s	Toyota
15	22	Joey Logano (P)	Shell Pennzoil	Ford
16	6	Trevor Bayne	AdvoCare Rehydrate	Ford
17	19	Daniel Suarez	Lenox	Toyota
18	34	Michael McDowell	K-LOVE Radio	Ford
19	4	Kevin Harvick (P)	Jimmy John’s New 9-Grain Wheat Sub	Ford
20	10	Aric Almirola (P)	Smithfield	Ford
21	24	William Byron #	Unifirst	Chevrolet
22	21	Paul Menard	Motorcraft/Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center	Ford
23	17	Ricky Stenhouse Jr.	SunnyD	Ford
24	3	Austin Dillon (P)	Dow	Chevrolet
25	2	Brad Keselowski (P)	Alliance Truck Parts	Ford
26	13	Ty Dillon	GEICO	Chevrolet
27	11	Denny Hamlin (P)	FedEx Freight	Toyota
28	32	Matt DiBenedetto	Superior Logistics Services Inc.	Ford
29	31	Ryan Newman	Grainger/American Red Cross	Chevrolet
30	38	David Ragan	MDS Transport	Ford
31	15	Justin Marks(i)	GoPro Motorplex/Pickers Vodka	Chevrolet
32	95	Regan Smith	Procore	Chevrolet
33	72	Cole Whitt	Rinnai	Chevrolet
34	43	Bubba Wallace #	World Wide Technology	Chevrolet
35	7	Ross Chastain(i)	SOKAL Media Group	Chevrolet
36	23	JJ Yeley(i)	Adirondack Tree Surgeons	Toyota
37	96	Jeffrey Earnhardt	iK9/Xtreme Concepts	Toyota
38	00	Landon Cassill(i)	Dairi O	Chevrolet
39	51	Stanton Barrett	Jacob Companies	Ford
40	66	Timmy Hill(i)	Ternio	Toyota

September 28, 2018

Hot 20 – Charlotte’s roval goes left, it goes right, and possibly where everything will go wrong

They thought Talladega was a wild card. Boy, something tells me that Charlotte’s Roval is going to test them like never before. This one makes the World 600 nothing more than a nice test, a rest in some ways, before the storm coming their way on Sunday.

When your first danger spot is identified as Turn 1, you got to think that the excrement is about to hit the ventilation system. A tire barrier, a safer barrier, and a concrete barrier all await those who fate decides to screw with. Imagine the potential for carnage for the start and any re-starts that follow.

The next most treacherous part of the track? According to some, the entire rest of the track can claim that honor. Sounds interesting. Sounds more like a demolition derby. Sounds like a race I am not going to miss.

Prepare for some hearts to be broken, along with a few auto body parts. It is the Roval at Charlotte this Sunday.

1. KYLE BUSCH – 1 ROUND WIN (2125 Pts – 7 Wins)
Best on the season, the best at Richmond, so who cares about the Roval?

2. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 1 ROUND WIN (2111 Pts – 3 Wins)
I guess you could say he has entered a one race slump.

3. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 2141 POINTS (4 Wins)
Another member of the family will be leading the pack…at least prior to the green flag.

4. KEVIN HARVICK – 2113 POINTS (7 Wins)
Name a scenario where he does not advance. There isn’t one.

5. JOEY LOGANO – 2081 POINTS (1 Win)
Not totally out of the woods, but he sees prairie just ahead.

6. ARIC ALMIROLA – 2079 POINTS
No wins but lots of speed, and that might be enough for round one.

7. KYLE LARSON – 2073 POINTS
Charlotte should be easy until he comes across all those curvy parts.

8. KURT BUSCH – 2071 POINTS (1 Win)
He has the talent. He has the equipment. Now all he needs is good fortune.

9. CHASE ELLIOTT – 2066 POINTS (1 Win)
This whole Roval thing should have a lot of folks nervous, including Bill’s boy.

10. AUSTIN DILLON – 2066 POINTS (1 Win)
The smart money had him out after this round, but now he has to clear just one more hurdle.

11. ALEX BOWMAN – 2061 POINTS
Sitting five to seven points to the good, and that can’t be good.

12. RYAN BLANEY – 2060 POINTS
If Bowman is nervous, imagine how this guy feels.

13. CLINT BOWYER – 2056 POINTS (2 Wins)
Finish four or five points better than the two ahead of him, and all will be fine.

14. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 2054 POINTS
If Bowyer does well, it would be smart to stay close to him, though ahead would be even better.

15. ERIK JONES – 2039 POINTS (1 Win)
Has a win this season, but now he needs another one.

16. DENNY HAMLIN – 2031 POINTS
It is either win it all or nothing.

17. RYAN NEWMAN – 583 POINTS
A Chevy is nice, but the offer from Ford was nicer…but that is next year.

18. PAUL MENARD – 566 POINTS
As long as he has a sponsor with deep pockets he shall remain safe.

19. RICKY STENHOUSE JR. – 552 POINTS
He might not have Danica, but he has something McMurray and Allmendinger do not.

20. DANIEL SUAREZ – 550 POINTS
Does leaving Gibbs mean leaving all hope behind?

September 27, 2018
NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Richmond

Please Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Kyle Busch: Busch battled back from a start of 39th and took the win at Richmond, earning his 50th career Cup victory.

“They say ‘Virginia is for lovers,” Busch said. “But did you hear the fans? ‘Virginia is for haters.’”

2. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski led late at Richmond but faded and finished ninth.

“I had an ongoing battle with Kyle Busch,” Keselowski said. “As you know, we don’t like each other, but we raced clean. We raced side-by-side for several laps. We were so close, we traded paint, as well as insults.”

3. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex was strong early at Richmond, winning the first two stages, and came home third in the Federated Auto Parts 400.

“We didn’t win,” Truex said, “but I clinched my spot in the round of 12 based on points. That really puts me at ease. It’s always good to know that your immediate future is secure.”

4. Kevin Harvick: Harvick started on the pole and ran near the front all night at Richmond on his way to a second in the Federated Auto Parts 400.

“I thought I’d be able to run down Kyle Busch at the end,” Harvick said. “It looked like he’d used up his tires getting past Brad Keselowski. I guess those Goodyear tires are better than I thought. I guess I owe Goodyear an apology, because, ironically, I blistered them with my words after the Las Vegas race.”

5. Kyle Larson: Larson finished seventh at Richmond and is seventh in the playoff points standings.

“Next up on the schedule is the ‘roval’ at Charlotte,” Larson said. “Nobody knows what to expect there. They’re calling it the ‘Great Unknown,’ so it shares its nickname with Kurt Busch’s day-to-day mental state.”

6. Aric Almirola: Almirola finished fifth at Richmond and is sixth in the playoff standings.

“All I have to do at Charlotte is have a solid finish,” Almirola said, “and I should be a lock to advance to Round 2. That’s assuming things don’t go ‘haywire’ at Charlotte, which happens to be the route drivers will be taking on a course they’re not very familiar with.”

7. Chase Elliott: Elliott led 34 laps and finished fourth at Richmond.

“The No. 9 Chevy was fast,” Elliott said. “Now that it’s football season, we like to call the Hooters car the ‘Juggs Machine.’”

8. Kurt Busch: Busch finished 18th at Richmond as younger brother Kyle won. Kurt is eighth in the playoff standings.

“Kyle drove a heck of a race,” Busch said. “And he won the spring race at Richmond as well. We call that a ‘sweep.’ Judging by fans’ opinions of Kyle, you’d think he’d riding a broom instead of using one.”

9. Austin Dillon: Dillon finished sixth at Richmond.

“Brian France pleaded not guilty to driving while impaired,” Blaney said. “Everybody knows he’s guilty, but as a high-powered NASCAR official, he can afford a high-priced lawyer who will argue France is above the law. So, France might as well just plead guilty to being drunk on power.”

10 (tie). Joey Logano: Logano finished 14th, one lap down, in the Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond.

“I had an uncontrolled tire penalty,” Logano said. “That’s an aggravating penalty, but it’s not the worst fate. What’s worse than an uncontrolled tire penalty? An ‘uncontrolled bore,’ which is what happens when a normally mild-mannered and uninteresting person like Matt Kenseth loses his mind and wrecks you.”

10. (tie) Clint Bowyer: Bowyer finished 10th at Richmond.

“Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished fourth in the Xfinity face on Friday night,” Bowyer said. “It was great to see Junior back on the track. Fans love seeing Junior driving, but Junior loves broadcasting. But we can’t have both. Or can we? Why not let Junior call a race from inside the car. It’s a win-win situation, and that’s two more wins than Junior’s used to getting on race day.”

September 25, 2018
Hot 20 – Richmond’s good ole rock and roll road show, gotta go, Saturday night, Saturday night

We know some things. In these times, some folks do not seem to know anything, but we do. Brad Keselowski is advancing to the next round. After Saturday night in Richmond, it should be confirmed that Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch will be joining him. I feel pretty confident about Kevin Harvick and Joey Logano about now.

Some I am almost sure of. Some I am not. Based on how they are running and how they have run, I am pretty sure that anyone behind Aric Almirola, seven of them in total, are fighting for the final three transfer spots in the Chase.

I am not sure nine points is enough for Austin Dillon, for example. I am not ready to bury the likes of Jimmie Johnson, Chase Elliott, or Denny Hamlin just yet. I think there is still hope for Erik Jones.

However, they need to get it done this Saturday night in Richmond. The short track is normal. The next one is not. A week later at Charlotte, the Bermuda Triangle, the Black Hole, the darkness of Mordor possibly awaits with the inaugural running of the Roval. I mean, if Joey Gase winds up being the winner of that race of mystery I would not be the least bit surprised.

1. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 1 CHALLENGER ROUND WIN (2069 Pts – 3 W)
Is the boy trying to run the table?

2. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 2087 POINTS (4 W)
Nothing to lose and everything to win…again.

3. KYLE BUSCH – 2085 POINTS (6 W)
Easily cut through the grass at Las Vegas. Imagine if he had been sponsored by Caterpillar.

4. KEVIN HARVICK – 2060 POINTS (7 W)
Damn pit crew. Damn tires. Damn Las Vegas.

5. JOEY LOGANO – 2056 POINTS (1 W)
As long as his next Richmond win is not as encumbered as his last one was, he’ll be fine.

6. KURT BUSCH – 2046 POINTS (1 W)
When a car shoots up toward you at a 90-degree angle, a good day is about to go bad.

7. RYAN BLANEY – 2042 POINTS
A Top Five gives the lad some breathing room.

8. KYLE LARSON – 2041 POINTS
The Rail Rider.

9. ARIC ALMIROLA – 2034 POINTS
How could he scrape the wall? Scrape Blaney, sure, but the wall?

10. AUSTIN DILLON – 2031 POINTS (1 W)
If he gets a decent finish on Saturday night, I will start believing he will advance..but not before.

11. CLINT BOWYER – 2029 POINTS (2 W)
Another Top Ten at Richmond this year might be all he needs.

12. ALEX BOWMAN – 2028 POINTS
Three Hendrick cars in the hunt, but that could be down to one…or none…after the Roval.

13. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 2022 POINTS
Things were going so well until the final dozen or so laps.

14. CHASE ELLIOTT – 2019 POINTS (1 W)
McMurray was doing so well, and then he became a contender collector.

15. ERIK JONES – 2009 POINTS (1 W)
Mr. Harvick, I presume.

16. DENNY HAMLIN – 2008 POINTS
Obviously did not have the same earth moving capability as Rowdy.

17. RYAN NEWMAN – 561 POINTS
A decent run last weekend…not that it matters anymore.

18. PAUL MENARD – 551 POINTS
The top three guys out of the Chase recorded Top Tens last Sunday. I should care, but I do not.

19. DANIEL SUAREZ – 530 POINTS
Will fate be kinder to him next season than it was to Kasey Kahne this year?

20. RICKY STENHOUSE JR. – 528 POINTS
Jamie McMurray is 26 points behind him. He damn near moved ahead until Lady Luck left town.

September 20, 2018
The Final Word – The first race of the playoffs in Las Vegas damaged the hopes of some

Now it gets real. There is no argument as to whom the contenders are, and who are the pretenders. Say what you will, but even though there might be forty cars on the track, only 16 matter.

It was the playoff opener in Las Vegas and now the race winner and the boys in the hunt for the championship are all we need focus on. The rest are merely hamburger helper, the garnish around the good stuff. Martin Truex Jr. showed early he was pure sirloin by taking the opening stage. All the contenders, in fact, were in the forward half of the field.

Kevin Harvick was among them. However, he could still use a pit crew that matches his driving talents. Some gain ground when they turn in for service. Harvick does the opposite. On Sunday his car got tighter and tighter during that middle stage, not turning worth a damn. Finally, his tire gave up, he clipped the wall, and pole sitter Erik Jones had no place to go but into him. Two contenders were done for the day.

If you ask Harvick, the tires sucked. There were issues with the rubber but it is not clear what those issues were other than the results. Jamie McMurray was our best outsider on the day, a solid Top Ten run going for him, when a rear tire gave up, he spun into the wall, collecting Chase Elliott. He became our third contender to be booted from the event with 55 laps remaining.

Truex allowed Brad Keselowski some time up front but had gone back in front prior to the caution. Things changed in the pits when Keselowski and his Penske compadre Joey Logano emerged just ahead of the defending champ. Logano took the point position, but Truex had just gotten by Keselowski for second when Kyle Busch broke loose to bring out the yellow once again. While Rowdy was now buried in 26th, Keselowski, Truex, and Logano came out of the pits in that order for the final run to the line.

Or so we thought. Up front, Kyle Larson joined the party riding the high side. He got past Keselowski, while behind them Truex managed to get by Logano for third. Just when we started to wonder how things would shake out, another contender in Denny Hamlin went through the grass to tear up his splitter to bring out the caution yet again. The old Etch A Sketch of how this one might turn out got turned upside down and shaken with 20 to go. It was a Las Vegas gambler’s dream, as it was time to lay down your bets as to whether this one was going to go to Keselowski, Larson, Truex, Logano, or might we have yet another surprise coming our way?

If more contenders getting beat to a pulp over the final dozen laps was a surprise, we got a few, along with enough cautions to force overtime. Among the stricken were Jimmie Johnson, when he tagged the wall. Alex Bowman had a tire go down. Kurt Busch and Clint Bowyer both had contact…twice.

There was no surprise when Keselowski once again cleared the field and was off to the races in the extra laps needed to jump into an automatic berth into the second round. It was his third straight victory, coming off the Southern 500 and the Brickyard 400. It marked the 500th for Roger Penske in all forms of racing his cars are involved in. Four drivers find themselves needing to fight to get in, heading to Richmond anywhere from six to 20 points on the outside. They include Johnson (22nd at Las Vegas), Elliott (36th), Hamlin (32nd), and Jones (40th). Both Truex (3rd) and Rowdy Busch (7th) are just a handful of points away from being locked into the next round as well.

Things just got real and by the time they leave Richmond Saturday night, things will become very clear for most of the others.

September 18, 2018