Testing SpeedwayMedia.com

Tag: Kurt Busch

  • Sonoma Raceway – Did You Know?

    Sonoma Raceway – Did You Know?

    The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series travels to Sonoma Raceway this weekend for the Toyota/Save Mart 350. Thirty-eight drivers will compete but only one will make it to the Wine Country Winner’s Circle for a champagne celebration.

    Sunday’s race will be the 29th Cup Series event at Sonoma. The inaugural race was held on June 11, 1989, with Ricky Rudd holding off Rusty Wallace to win the Banquet Frozen Foods 300. It was his only victory that year, though Rudd would go on to win again in 2002. But did you know he is one of only six drivers with multiple wins at the track?

    Jeff Gordon leads the series with five victories at the road course, including three consecutively, from 1998 – 2000. Tony Stewart has three trophies but did you know he captured the final win of his Cup career last year at Sonoma, ending an 84-race winless drought?

    Ernie Irvan, Rusty Wallace and Rudd have two wins each. Kyle Busch has scored two checkered flags, in 2008 and 2015, and is the only active driver with multiple wins.

    The Sonoma race will consist of 110 laps on the 1.990-miles road course which is lined with 1,000 tire packs made up of 25,000 tires. But did you know that each driver who completes the Toyota/Save Mart 350 will make 1,100 turns during the race?

    Kyle Larson heads to Sonoma as the points leader after his win last week at Michigan, giving him two victories this year. He has the series fifth-best driver rating (90.0) at the track with a best finish of 12th place last year. But did you know that he is one of nine drivers who has secured a spot in the playoffs with wins?

    The only way any of them would fail to make the playoffs is if there are more new winners than spots left in the 16-driver field. As it now stands, Jimmie Johnson (3), Brad Keselowski (2), Martin Truex Jr. (2), Ryan Blaney, Kurt Busch, Austin Dillon, Ryan Newman and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. will almost certainly join Larson as participants in the playoffs.

    Rounding out the top five at Sonoma are Kurt Busch (107.8), with the series-best driver rating, followed by Johnson (99.9), Clint Bowyer (90.2) and Kyle Busch (90.1)

    Kyle Busch and Bowyer are both winless this season but did you know they are among six active drivers with Sonoma victories? Kyle Busch has won twice (2008, 2015) while Clint Bowyer (2012), Kurt Busch (2011), Jimmie Johnson (2010), Kasey Kahne (2009) and Truex (2013) each have one win.

    One more interesting statistic — In his final trip to Sonoma as a full-time Cup Series driver, Dale Earnhardt Jr. may not be anyone’s favorite to win. But did you know that he leads all drivers with a 7.0 average finish in the last three races at Sonoma?

    Qualifying will be crucial this weekend as the pole position is the most proficient starting position. It has produced more wins than any other position, with five, while the second starting position has produced three wins. But did you know that Juan Pablo Montoya won from the deepest in the field in 2007 after starting in 32nd place?

    The on-track action begins Friday afternoon with two practices while Coors Light Pole qualifying will be held on Saturday at 2:45 p.m. ET. Be sure to tune into The Toyota/Save Mart 350 Sunday at 3 p.m. on FS1 for the 16th race of the season. In the meantime, check out the video below as we remember Tony Stewart’s last trip to victory lane.

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

  • Hot 20-California to make a sharp turn to the right, but only on the race track at Sonoma

    Hot 20-California to make a sharp turn to the right, but only on the race track at Sonoma

    It is ironic that the two tracks that feature folks turning to the right are in California and New York, where you would think left would be the preferred direction. Sonoma is the perfect venue to feature our hot drivers, with temperatures this week in the 90s, though promises to be in the low 80s come Sunday. It a facility well used, with 340 days of racing events featured annually.

    This is no oval in the sunshine. Its undulating geography has them rise up through the second and third turns, where the inside tires ride higher than the outside. Uphill they go, through the chute before heading back down to reach the hairpin left-hand 11th turn. Then, it is a race to the finish line to complete the 1.99-mile journey.

    Sonoma is where Tony Stewart claimed his final career victory, his third on the track. Only six active drivers remain who have claimed a win there. Kyle Busch has a pair. The other five include Kurt Busch, Jimmie Johnson, Martin Truex Jr., Kasey Kahne and Stewart’s employee, Clint Bowyer. The latter pair sure could use another one about now.

    No matter how your season has been going, a victory on the road course would make everything seem alright…just not alt.right. That is a totally different deal apparently.

    The Hot 20 heading to Sonoma include…

    1. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 3 WINS – 449 Pts
    After signing up for an additional three seasons, wants Chad Knaus to join him.

    2. KYLE LARSON – 2 WINS – 640 Pts
    17th at Martinsville. 14th at Richmond. 33rd at Charlotte. 12th or better everywhere else.

    3. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 2 WINS – 635 Pts
    When you count playoff points, Truex becomes our leader.

    4. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 2 WINS – 476 Pts
    Some say he could be the new man in the 88. Others say they then would burn their 88 gear.

    5. RYAN BLANEY – 1 WIN – 376 Pts
    Embrace your Nickelback adoration and become Hanna, Alberta’s most beloved driver.

    6. KURT BUSCH – 1 WIN – 359 Pts
    Sonoma is wine country. Wine comes from grapes. Grapes grow on Busch’s. Okay, it’s a theory.

    7. RICKY STENHOUSE JR. – 1 WIN – 354 Pts
    When my wife has a bad day at the office, we don’t talk about work. Thought I might mention it.

    8. RYAN NEWMAN – 1 WIN – 344 Pts
    I briefly saw Newman at Michigan. Once, but I did see him.

    9. AUSTIN DILLON – 1 WIN – 297 Pts
    Former Air Force fan sent him his flight gloves. My biggest fan is a proctologist. I want nothing.

    10. KYLE BUSCH – 510 PTS
    Has led in each of the past six races, and won the All-Star race. I do not think he has to worry.

    11. KEVIN HARVICK – 508 PTS
    From DeLana to Joey: “Congrats! Now you’ll really see who wears the fire suit in the family.”

    12. CHASE ELLIOTT – 478 PTS
    Runner-up finish last week was his best, to add to his handful of Top Fives in 15 attempts.

    13. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 450 PTS
    If his teammate can win, he can win. Next iconic race comes up soon in Daytona.

    14. DENNY HAMLIN – 430 PTS
    Was fourth on Sunday, which is good. Won the Xfinity race on Saturday (sort of), but who gives a damn?

    15. JOEY LOGANO – 398 PTS – 1 Win
    Encumbered is a fancy way of saying wins without benefits.

    16. MATT KENSETH – 398 PTS
    Fun fact: Only those currently in a Chase place have earned a playoff point this season.

    17. CLINT BOWYER – 391 PTS
    His boss won at Sonoma last year, he won in 2012, and Clint might need to do it again.

    18. ERIK JONES – 346 PTS
    Was racing recently in Senoia, Georgia. I wonder if he got to meet Carl, Rick, Daryl, and Negan?

    19. TREVOR BAYNE – 323 PTS
    This month he has a win and now Levi Jensen Bayne. It has been a great June for Trevor.

    20. DANIEL SUAREZ – 313 PTS
    Older drivers still rule, as just nine of this group of twenty are 20-somethings.

     

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Michigan

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Michigan

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Kyle Larson: Larson started on the pole at Michigan and led 96 laps on his way to the win at Michigan. Larson pulled away from Chase Elliott on a restart with five laps to go to claim his second win of the year.

    “That’s my third pole this season,” Larson said. “And it’s the second time I’ve won from the pole this year. In honor of the great Alan Kulwicki, I call doing that a ‘pole-ish victory lap.’”

    2. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex won the first two stages at Michigan and finished sixth, posting his 11th top 10 of the year.

    “I’ve made it a habit of winning two stages in a race but failing to win the race,” Truex said. “As someone who’s never won a Cup championship, I guess that’s called underperforming on the big stage. Maybe I just have a case of stage fright.”

    3. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson started at the rear after a spin in Saturday’s practice ruined his primary car and pulled out a 10th in the FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan.

    “I signed a contract extension with Hendrick Motorsports through 2020,” Johnson said. “That was definitely a ‘signature’ win for HMS. Hendrick now has me under contract for three more years. The last time a NASCAR driver said he was ‘locked up for three years,’ it was Jeremy Mayfield.”

    4. Kevin Harvick: Harvick took 14th in the Firekeepers Casino 400, and is fourth in the points standings, 132 out of first.

    “I was anything but freaky fast in the No. 4 Jimmy Johns car,” Harvick said. “Unless we’re better in the future, there’s no way we deliver, a sandwich or a win.

    5. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski finished 16th at Michigan and is now sixth in the Monster Energy Cup points standings.

    “I tangled with Kyle Busch on the first lap of the Xfinity Series race on Saturday,” Keselowski said. “Of course, that’s not the first time that’s happened. I’m not sure what’s clashed more, our cars or our personalities.”

    6. Kyle Busch: Busch led late at Michigan but faded to seventh after a late caution did away with his sizable lead. Busch is third in the Monster Energy Cup points standings, 130 out of first.

    “Once again,” Busch said, “a late caution cost me a chance at the win. I’m beginning to think I’m just cursed. And for that reason, I just cursed.”

    7. Chase Elliott: Elliott finished second to Kyle Larson for the second consecutive race at Michigan. In August, Larson bested Elliott to win his first career Cup race.

    “I just can’t seem to get past Larson at Michigan,” Elliott said. “It seems he has ‘MI’ number.”

    8. Jamie McMurray: McMurray bounced back from a 37th at Pocono with a fifth in the FireKeepers Casino 400, scoring his second top five of the season.

    “Fifth place was impressive,” McMurray said, “but it certainly wasn’t the biggest story in what was a fairly uneventful race. The big story was Dale Earnhardt Jr. Not necessarily his ninth-place finish, but anytime his crew chief Greg Ives called him in for fresh rubber, or, in other words, when he announced Junior’s ‘re-tire-ment.’”

    9. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin finished fourth at Michigan as Joe Gibbs Racing placed three drivers in the top 11.

    “Once again,” Hamlin said, “a debris caution affected the outcome of the race. Was their actually debris on the track? If you were watching on television, you probably didn’t see any. Trust me, though, there is garbage on the track. It’s called ‘NASCAR’s product.’”

    10. Joey Logano: Logano posted his first top-five finish since taking the win at Richmond on April 30.

    “Of course,” Logano said, “that win at Richmond didn’t really count because due to a rules violation, it won’t automatically get me into the Chase. You could also say I cheated out a win. You could also say I got cheated out of a win.

    “NASCAR calls that an ‘encumbered’ win. ‘Encumbered’ means ‘to restrict or burden (someone or something) in such a way that free action or movement is difficult.’ If you look that word up in the dictionary, you’ll find a picture of my dad.”

  • Michigan International Speedway – Did You Know?

    Michigan International Speedway – Did You Know?

    The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and the XFINITY Series will compete at Michigan International Speedway this weekend while the Camping World Truck Series travels to Gateway Motorsports Park. The Cup Series race will headline the competition Sunday with 37 drivers entered in the Cup Series “FireKeepers Casino 400” event.

    Last week at Pocono Raceway Ryan Blaney scored his first win in the Cup Series giving Wood Brothers Racing their first checkered flag since Trevor Bayne won the Daytona 500 in 2011. But did you know that he was the 10th different driver to capture a Cup Series victory this season? Blaney joins Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Austin Dillon as first-time winners this year.

    Darrell Wallace Jr. will make his second Cup Series start this weekend, filling in for the injured Aric Almirola. Almirola’s recovery is progressing well and he could return as early as July 14 at New Hampshire. This means that Wallace has, at the least, four more chances to hone his skills in the Cup Series.

    Sunday’s race is the 95th Cup Series race at Michigan. The first race at the two-mile track was held on June 15, 1969, and was won by Cale Yarborough for Wood Brothers Racing. He gave them another win in the June event the following year. Yarborough has eight career wins at Michigan but did you know that David Pearson leads all drivers with nine victories? Kurt Busch and Matt Kenseth lead all active drivers with three each.

    Joey Logano heads to Michigan as the defending race winner. The Team Penske driver started the season strong and grabbed a win at Richmond in April but did you know that in the last five races, Logano’s best finish was a 21st place result at Charlotte? He has dropped from as high as third to 11th in the points standings.

    Will we see another first-time winner at Michigan?

    It may surprise you to learn that Chase Elliott has the series-best driver rating (125.1) at Michigan. In his only two starts last year, he earned two runner-up finishes. Elliott also has the series-best average finish (2.000), average running position (4.300) and the series-most laps in the top 15 (391 laps, 97.8 percent).

    Or will we see another veteran take the checkered flag?

    Kenseth has the second-best driver rating (102.2) heading into Michigan and the series-most quality passes with 990. He has scored three trips to victory lane at the track with 14 top-fives, 20 top-10s and one pole. Kenseth is looking for his first win this year to solidify his berth in the playoffs. But did you know that a Michigan victory would tie him with Tim Flock for 18th place on the all-time Cup Series wins list?

    Could this be the weekend that Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his team get it together and turn his final Cup season around?

    Earnhardt is currently 23rd in the standings. He has the fifth-best driver rating (96.0) at Michigan with two wins (2008, 2012), eight top fives, 14 top 10s and two poles plus the second-most quality passes at the track with 933. A top five finish could bolster the confidence of the No. 88 team as they head into the final 11 races of the regular season.

    Thirty-seven different drivers have won in 95 races at Michigan and capturing the pole may be the key to winning it all. The pole position has produced more winners (20) than any other starting position.

    The on-track activity begins Friday with practice and qualifying on FS2. Tune into the FireKeepers Casino 400 Sunday at 3 p.m. on FS1 for the 15th Cup Series race of the season at Michigan International Speedway.

    In the meantime, check out the video below as Dale Earnhardt Jr. wins the LifeLock 400 at Michigan on June 15, 2008, breaking a 76-race winless drought. It was his first visit to victory lane for Hendrick Motorsports.

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

     

  • Hot 20 – Heading to Michigan, Danica would top this chart if it were not based on performance

    Hot 20 – Heading to Michigan, Danica would top this chart if it were not based on performance

    You would think it would be great to be Danica Patrick. After Pocono, she might be thinking it would be far easier to be Kyle Busch.

    When Kyle does not win, Kyle is not happy. He might not be out signing autographs like Richard Petty should he fall short, especially a race he thought he should have won. Danica finished 16th at Pocono and walked by some autograph hounds without stopping to sign. They then brought out the raspberries. Patrick did not like that and turned to face them.

    “If you’re a real fan then you’ll know my job is not to sign autographs. My job is to drive a car and to tell the team what is going on.”

    She added that the booing was hurtful, and she pulled no punches in doing so.

    “I don’t appreciate the booing. It hurts my feelings. I’m a f***ing person. I’m a person too. I have feelings.”

    I think Kyle might have similar thoughts on the matter, though I am sure he probably would have expressed them a bit differently. Rowdy might not have mentioned how they hurt his feelings, but there are a couple of Danica’s words he might have used, along with a few more. Did the crowd feel bad after her comments? Not really. They could not help but notice she still had not given them her autograph. They forget she is a driver first and foremost. If not, they would be hounding the Monster Energy ladies for their autographs. Hell, maybe they do.

    Meanwhile, Patrick has a new book out, but some question as to how much touch-up was done to her cover photo. Really? Who gives a damn? I might question her ability to bring in the results you might expect given the resources behind her, but I do not question her popularity, her place in the sport, her dedication, or her appearance.

    If the latter really mattered out on the track, Patrick would top our Hot 20 every damn week. Until such time as they figure out why her racing performance is not where they want it to be, that should be her focus. Her real fans would understand that. The others just do not matter. If you don’t like it, try approaching Jack Nicholson for an autograph. He would just tell you to go to hell.

    1. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 3 WINS (421 Pts)
    Had a Yosemite Sam moment. “Whoa, camel. Whoa, Whoa!” This time, no brakes, no whoa.

    2. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 2 WINS (584 Pts)
    Top Tens in seven of his past eight. Too bad about Talladega.

    3. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 2 WINS (454 Pts)
    At least nobody wrecked him last week.

    4. KYLE LARSON – 1 WIN (583 Pts)
    Career wins: 2 Cup, 8 Xfinity, 2 Craftsman, 1 ARCA, 5 World of Outlaws

    5. RYAN BLANEY – 1 WIN (360 Pts)
    Dad finished third twice at Talladega and once at Darlington, but the boy finished the deal.

    6. KURT BUSCH – 1 WIN (331 Pts)
    Won 15 times in a Ford (2002-05, 2017), 14 times in another brand (2006-16). Lesson learned.

    7. RICKY STENHOUSE JR. – 1 WIN (325 Pts)
    Never feels he needs to ask Danica for her autograph.

    8. RYAN NEWMAN – 1 WIN (322 Pts)
    Count the win, and he is 8th. Count the points, and he is 17th. He likes to count the win.

    9. AUSTIN DILLON – 1 WIN (287 Pts)
    If Newman likes the new format to get to the Chase, Dillon must love it.

    10. KEVIN HARVICK – 480 PTS
    You shift from first to second to third, pop it back to second, slam clutch and try again.

    11. KYLE BUSCH – 463 PTS
    I do remember Kyle trying to share his feelings, but Logano’s crew got in the way.

    12. CHASE ELLIOTT – 438 PTS
    Believing Elliott the next first-time winner is like believing Johnson the next eight-time champ.

    13. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 418 PTS
    Same scene, different camel at Pocono.

    14. DENNY HAMLIN – 386 PTS
    Believes there will be at least 10 drivers making the Chase on wins…he being one of them.

    15. CLINT BOWYER – 369 PTS
    You know, his position in the playoffs does not seem near as secure as it once did.

    16. JOEY LOGANO – 362 PTS (1 win)
    “To hinder or impede the action or performance of something.” That is what encumbered means.

    17. MATT KENSETH – 359 PTS
    Both Kenseth and Logano have recent wins at Michigan. They each could use another one.

    18. ERIK JONES – 322 PTS
    Drop this far back in points and you just can not make them up…even with a third place finish.

    19. TREVOR BAYNE – 303 PTS
    If you thought his 21st place finish was bad, you should check out last week’s tv ratings.

    20. DANIEL SUAREZ – 300 PTS
    Crew chief Scott Graves tagged with fine over lug nuts? A politician accepts less responsibility.

  • Pocono Raceway – Did You Know?

    Pocono Raceway – Did You Know?

    The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and the XFINITY Series head to Pocono Raceway this week while the Camping World Truck Series travels to Texas Motor Speedway. The Cup Series “Axalta presents the Pocono 400” headlines the weekend’s competition, Sunday at 3 p.m. on FS1. Thirty-nine drivers are entered in the Cup event.

    But did you know that one of those 39 drivers is Darrell Wallace Jr., who will make his Cup Series debut at Pocono in the iconic No. 43 Richard Petty Motorsports Ford? On Monday, Wallace was named as the interim driver for Aric Almirola who is recovering from injuries sustained in an accident at Kansas Speedway on May 13.

    Wallace is determined to make the most of this opportunity.

    “I know I’ll go out there and prove to everybody inside the racetrack, outside the racetrack, on the TV, that I belong in the Cup Series,” he said. “Do the best that I can.  Give an extra 200% each and every time I climb in the car for Ford, for Richard Petty, for everybody on the team, for Smithfield, to go out there and make the opportunity the greatest it has been.”

    Did you know that the weekend will feature another first during the XFINITY Series Pocono Green 250? FOX will feature a special drivers-only broadcast that will be called by active Cup Series drivers? Kevin Harvick will handle the play-by-play announcing and will be joined by Joey Logano and Clint Bowyers as analysts. Ryan Blaney, Erik Jones and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. will cover pit road while Danica Patrick and Denny Hamlin host the event coverage from the Hollywood Hotel studio.

    While we’re talking about firsts, we can’t forget the winner of the inaugural race in 1974, Richard Petty. But did you know that prior to 2012, all of the Cup races at Pocono were 500 miles? Beginning in 2012 the race length was shortened to 400 miles. There have been 78 Cup Series races at the 2.5-mile track, one race each year from 1974-1981 and two races per year since 1982.

    Thirty-five different drivers have won at Pocono with Jeff Gordon leading the way with six wins. Of the active drivers, five have multiple wins at the track including Denny Hamlin (four), Jimmie Johnson (three), and Kurt Busch (three). Kasey Kahne and Dale Earnhardt Jr. both have two wins.

    Kurt Busch is the defending race winner but did you know he has the series-best driver rating (105.7)? The Stewart-Haas Racing driver also has 13 top fives, 18 top 10s and two poles at Pocono. He is currently 16th in the points standings.

    Denny Hamlin (105.6) has the second-best driver rating followed by Jimmie Johnson (104.8), Chase Elliott (102.7) and Kyle Larson (95.6). All of these drivers are in the top-10 of the series standings but both Hamlin and Elliott are still searching for their first win this year.

    But did you know that the best chance for victory at Pocono begins with qualifying well? The pole is the most proficient starting position, having produced 15 winners while nine races have been won from the second starting position.

    Only seven drivers have swept Pocono in a single season. They include Bobby Allison (1982), Bill Elliott (1985), Tim Richmond (1986), Bobby Labonte (1999), Jimmie Johnson (2004) and Denny Hamlin (2006).

    Dale Earnhardt Jr. was the latest to sweep Pocono in 2014. In his past 11 starts at the track, Earnhardt has nine top-10 finishes including two wins and a runner-up finish last June.

    Tune in to FS1 this Sunday at 3 p.m. for the Pocono 400 to find out who will take home the trophy. In the meantime, watch the video below as Earnhardt holds off Kevin Harvick for the Pocono sweep.

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

     

  • Hot 20 – No lug nuts, no crew, as Kyle discovered heading to Pocono

    Hot 20 – No lug nuts, no crew, as Kyle discovered heading to Pocono

    They went and done it. Kyle Busch comes in leading early in the race at Dover. For whatever reason, when they went to tighten up the rear left lug nuts, the air gun was removing them instead. When the jack dropped, the car left, and shortly after the tire left the car. Bad news for Kyle. Today, bad news for the crew.

    A major penalty can be handed out for sacrificing safety in order to have a fast pit stop. That clearly was not the case here, but it did not matter. Gone for four races are crew chief Adam Stevens, tire changer Jacob Seminara and tire carrier Kenneth Barber. To be fair, the rule does state “loss of wheel(s) due to improper installation will result in a mandatory minimum four race suspension of the crew chief and the tire changer and tire carrier of the lost wheel(s).” As I read it, and it appears this is NASCAR’s interpretation, intent matters not. Something tells me that a certain jackman might owe his buddies a few beers, at the very least.

    Sometimes the crew does things a bit more on purpose. As we head to Pocono, we remember last year at this time, at this track, when Brad Keselowski’s rear tire carrier threw a hip check to the side of his driver’s car in the pits. NASCAR saw it, and did not like the unapproved modifications to its aerodynamics. Mind you, all he got was a call to return to the pits to repair the indentation. No one got vacation time.

    Keselowski knows all about vacation time. He has not made it past the first segment in the past two races. As for Busch, he is left hoping race engineer Ben Beshore will have the magic atop the box to get him his first victory of the season as the Hot 20 make their first visit of the campaign to Pocono.

    1. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 3 WINS – 414 PTS
    Seven is heaven, but to win eight would be great.

    2. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 2 WINS – 545 PTS
    Good on segments, good on wins, good on points, good to go for the Chase.

    3. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 2 WINS – 410 PTS
    Dear Race Friends: Please do not wreck me until at least the second segment. Thanks, Brad.

    4. KYLE LARSON – 1 WIN – 536 PTS
    Had the best car out there last week, at least until the final re-start.

    5. RICKY STENHOUSE JR. – 1 WIN – 299 PTS
    Afraid last week that he had to hit the wall a third time to finally kill the car. It only took two.

    6. RYAN NEWMAN – 1 WIN – 299 PTS
    Late caution during green flag stops shuffled the order, allowing the Rocket a Top Ten at Dover.

    7. KURT BUSCH – 1 WIN – 291 PTS
    Wiggled early and took out Keselowski last week. One flat later, and he was gone himself.

    8. AUSTIN DILLON – 1 WIN – 263 PTS
    Until nine more drivers win this season, he is sitting pretty for the Chase.

    9. KEVIN HARVICK – 429 PTS
    Six Top Tens in his last seven races leaves him winless yet sitting pretty.

    10. KYLE BUSCH – 416 PTS
    “The wheels on the car go round and round…” He hates that song.

    11. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 415 PTS
    Has run no worse than 12th over the past seven events.

    12. CHASE ELLIOTT – 398 PTS
    After Richmond, Talladega, Kansas, and Charlotte, Dover was like a breath of fresh air.

    13. DENNY HAMLIN – 361 PTS
    Four Pocono wins, but the last one came seven years ago.

    14. CLINT BOWYER – 349 PTS
    Thought Tony Stewart was back, but it was just an idiot fan climbing the Dover catchfence.

    15. JOEY LOGANO – 348 PTS (1 Win*)
    Some seem to think Donald Trump’s win in November was also encumbered. They are wrong.

    16. MATT KENSETH – 327 PTS
    Screw it. Just win on Sunday and all this point counting will no longer matter.

    17. RYAN BLANEY – 320 PTS
    Ryan’s plan is to get eight more points than Kenseth and hope someone winless does not win.

    18. TREVOR BAYNE – 287 PTS
    40 points is not hard to make up…with a win. You might notice a bit of a theme here.

    19. ERIK JONES – 283 PTS
    Joins Saturday broadcast team of Erik, Ryan, Ricky, Kevin, Joey, Clint, Danica, and Denny.

    20. DANIEL SUAREZ – 278 PTS
    I read “Suarez drives in three”, but it was Eugenio’s performance for the Reds over the Cards.

  • The Final Word – Dover, where yellow became my favorite color

    The Final Word – Dover, where yellow became my favorite color

    When it comes to extraordinary television, sit on the edge of your seat excitement, Dover under green will not exactly get your heart racing. In fact, Sunday’s race was more of a cautionary tale. When the yellow waved, the interest spiked.

    They waved the flag to start the race. I dozed. There was a caution, but it was for one of the exhaust eaters. No big deal. Then they dropped the jack on leader Kyle Busch in the pits, nearly spun the fingers off tire man Kenny Barber, and then the tire rolled off as Busch pulled out. That got my attention. I bet it got the attention of the entire crew. It sure got the attention of NASCAR. It seems Barber, tire changer Jake Seminara, and crew chief Adam Stevens could all face a major penalty. That could cost them each up to four races. We shall see. However, instead of trying to jump the gun by putting on fewer lugs nuts, the air gun was actually pulling them off instead of spinning them on. Be it a malfunction or a miscue, it was rather memorable.

    Then, back to my nap. For a couple of laps. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. did not take tires under the caution, but caused the next. The lights went on, I woke up, and Stenhouse had some mangled rubber. That contact with the wall did not help either.

    I was about to head off to dream land when Stenhouse hit the wall again. He was finally done. Still, no nap for me, as on the re-start, Kurt Busch broke loose and drove Brad Keselowski into the fence. Bad Brad was toast. Busch lingered, but the damage he sustained finally got to his tire, which got him into the wall, and finally in to the garage to stay. There were still three-quarters of the race left to run and three bound for the Chase were already gone for the day.

    They pitted, when Clint Bowyer’s crew noticed a mechanical issue. Fluids were flowing out where they should not be flowing. To the garage for repairs. By the time he returned, 18 laps had gone by.

    I was able to get in some serious “zzzz” time for the next hundred laps. That was interrupted by another caution. It would seem Joey Logano met the outside barrier, and the repair time cost him four circuits.

    More than a hundred laps of round and round later, the alarm went off again. Regan Smith, sitting in for the mending Aric Almirola, had his right front surrender. Another caution, another tire, another fence, another retirement.

    As the final laps clicked off, it was Kyle Larson, Jimmie Johnson, and Martin Truex Jr., the contenders. One more caution, and we were off to overtime. Six additional laps under green, we thought. It actually ended under caution.

    Johnson moved to the lead with a better re-start and had gone by the overtime line when all hell broke loose behind them on the front stretch. Ty Dillon wiggled and got punted into the safer wafers, while Trevor Bayne and Kasey Kahne not only rhymed but also were among those who failed to make the line. Under caution, Johnson, Larson, and Truex did, in that order.

    It marked the 83rd career win for Johnson, tying him for sixth all-time with Cale Yarborough. It gave him his 11th career Dover win in 31 attempts, and third victory of the season. As far as the standings go, the only real change of note was Matt Kenseth out performing Ryan Blaney, 13th compared to 32nd, and moving seven points up in the battle for the final Chase place.

    With Pocono coming up next week, here is a final cautionary tale. If you are not in the Top 17 heading to Pennsylvania on Sunday, you are not going to make the Chase on points. With the rest 40 or more points out, their best hopes lie in winning one of the next 13 events. The way things have played out so far, with nine winners to date, even a single victory might not be enough.

    This might be a good time for recent past Pocono winners Kahne, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kenseth, and Chris Buescher to catch lightning in a bottle one more time. Either Sunday, or the return date in August will do. Maybe.

  • Kurt Busch Pounds Wall Twice in Dover Cup Race

    Kurt Busch Pounds Wall Twice in Dover Cup Race

    By Lap 65, Kurt Busch was in second place and looked to have a car to run up front Sunday at Dover in the AAA 400 Drive for Autism. However, by Lap 97, he was in the garage and out of the race after hitting the wall a second time.

    Busch lined up inside of Kyle Larson on the Lap 65 restart and edged ahead of him going into Turn 1. But rounding the turn, Busch got loose underneath Larson. He overcorrected, turned up the track, hit Brad Keselowski, who swerved up to the high line to avoid the spinning Busch and sent him into the outside wall in Turn 2. Busch continued his slide through the turn before coming to a stop near the exit of Turn 2 in the middle of the track.

    “I got loose on a restart, it’s my bad as a driver. My bad,” Busch said. “We had good speed in our car and just couldn’t finish. You can’t make mistakes out here and we did.”

    “Yeah, one of them racing deals,” Keselowski said. “These cars rely so much on aerodynamics. We saw that early with guys being able to stay out on two tires even with a lot of tire wear. I don’t know if it was Kurt’s fault, just one of them racing deals. We line-up double-file and somebody got loose and just took us out. What a bummer. Just one of them racing deals.”

    Busch soldiered on in the race until his left-rear tire came apart entering Turn 1 on  Lap 97, sending him spinning through the turn and rear-first into the outside wall.

    Keselowski leaves Dover seventh in points, 135 back of leader Martin Truex Jr. while Busch leaves 16th, 254 behind.

  • Hot 20 – If Dover is such a boring track to watch a race, why is Jimmie Johnson so excited?

    Hot 20 – If Dover is such a boring track to watch a race, why is Jimmie Johnson so excited?

    Some things are just not like the others. May featured the World 600 and the All-Star race at Charlotte, the spring derby at Talladega, events a fellow can get excited about. This week. Dover.

    Maybe Jimmie Johnson will stall on the re-start like he did last spring. That caused one hell of a mess. No, it was not racing, but it sure was not boring. It was not boring when Carl Edwards bounced off the infield wall. At the end, Kyle Larson kept Matt Kenseth honest right to the stripe, as the veteran claimed the victory. That was not a boring finish.

    Miles the Monster is not boring. He is big, and the trophy is cool as it holds a model of the winning car in its big mitt. The Monster Mile was once known as White Lightning, but I am thinking that Miles is a bit of a Teetotaler. Come to think of it, so are Donald Trump and Kathy Griffin. Why that fun fact amuses me as much as it does, I do not know.

    They have raced 94 times at Dover since the first Cup event in 1969. Richard Petty won the first two, three of the first four, and is tied with Bobby Allison with seven victories. That is good enough for second best.

    Among active drivers, Kenseth and Ryan Newman have won three apiece but they are a long ways away from the top gun. Remember that guy who jammed things up last year? Johnson has won 10 in 30 attempts. That is a pretty good average. I wonder who the favorite might be?

    It would seem our seven-time Cup champion just likes collecting the more unusual trophies. Ten Monsters to go with his nine Martinsville grandfather clocks. Say what you might about the one-mile track in Delaware or the driver who dominates it, but I think we can agree that there is a trophy room out there that is anything but boring.

    Like Austin Dillon, Johnson is among our Hot 20 with a Chase in his future.

    1. MARTIN TRUEX JR – 2 WINS – 491 PTS
    First in points, tied for first in wins. What do you think of Furniture Row now?

    2. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 2 WINS – 409 PTS
    Dreams of lasting a tad longer this Sunday than he did in the race last week.

    3. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 2 WINS – 359 PTS
    The gatekeeper of the room with Monsters and Grandfather Clocks.

    4. KYLE LARSON – 1 WIN – 486 PTS
    Monaco is too far away to attempt a Triple but has dreams of a Memorial Day Weekend Double.

    5. RICKY STENHOUSE JR. – 1 WIN – 298 PTS
    Like Happy and Rowdy, he has an attractive better half, but he also has something they do not.

    6. KURT BUSCH – 1 WIN – 290 PTS
    With his Daytona 500 win and three of the past four a Top Ten, it is good to be Kurt.

    7. RYAN NEWMAN – 1 WIN – 266 PTS
    When a veteran looks you in the eye and says you are who they fight for, that has an impact.

    8. AUSTIN DILLON – 1 WIN – 238 PTS
    Points? Who needs stinkin’ points when you get a win at Charlotte?

    9. KEVIN HARVICK – 388 PTS
    The buck stops with the crew chief, as Childers loses $10,000 for Charlotte’s loose lug nut.

    10. KYLE BUSCH – 386 PTS
    Hates to lose, be it 38th at Daytona or 2nd at Charlotte. He won’t be a happy camper.

    11. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 385 PTS
    All of his wins have come on just four marquee tracks, and this is not one of them.

    12. CHASE ELLIOTT – 362 PTS
    Keselowski saved mechanics a ton of time last week, removing any thought of making repairs.

    13. CLINT BOWYER – 343 PTS
    Solution to a front end that just would not turn last weekend. Clydesdales. Just a thought.

    14. JOEY LOGANO – 336 PTS (1 WIN*)
    Win at Kansas was encumbered, meaning it means nothing when it comes to Chase eligibility.

    15. DENNY HAMLIN – 332 PTS
    One very bad day away from being in danger of losing his contender status.

    16. RYAN BLANEY – 308 PTS
    One very good day away from potentially putting Hamlin in that position.

    17. MATT KENSETH – 288 PTS
    A repeat of last year’s spring edition would be just fine with him.

    18. TREVOR BAYNE – 271 PTS
    Doing enough to stay on this list, but not enough to challenge for a title.

    19. ERIK JONES – 256 PTS
    Just turned 21 this week. I turned 21 in 1977. I win!

    20. DANIEL SUAREZ – 246 PTS
    Five straight in the Top 20, three of the last four in the top dozen. There is still time.