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  • The Final Word – Hamlin Happy with Chicago Result, while Happy Was Not

    The Final Word – Hamlin Happy with Chicago Result, while Happy Was Not

    Chicago. The opening race of the Chase. Sixteen drivers would continue the quest, one very likely locking his way into the next round, some setting themselves up with fine starts while others…not so much. So much to watch for, so much at stake, but would all this a good race make?

    Damn right it would. Brilliant pit strategy, some luck, a flat tire, and a lot of air time for a sponsor highlighted the affair. It all started with a spin by Denny Hamlin on just the second lap. He was down low, so low A.J. Allmendinger did not see him and cut down in front, making both burn off some rubber. For Hamlin, it meant a drop from 23rd to dead last.

    That is where his adventure began. One hundred sixteen laps of green followed and by the time a caution did fall, Hamlin, Carl Edwards, Paul Menard, and Jamie McMurray were all a lap down; Clint Bowyer two in the depths. Time to roll the dice, as both Hamlin and Edwards took the wave around and hoped. They got what they wished for shortly after when Austin Dillon’s promising night went away with the bang of a tire and a wall that was not very gentle. With that, the two gamblers were back on the lead lap.

    By the time they were down to the final 70 laps, both were in the Top Ten, and with under 10 to go a debris caution gave the crew chiefs one more chance to strategize. Dave Rogers left Hamlin out to start among the Top Five while Edwards came in for fresh Goodyears. Not much difference between them, though Hamlin did beat his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate to the line, to claim a place in the next round of the Chase that begins at Charlotte in October.

    Kevin Harvick did not live up to his nickname, as Happy was not with Jimmie Johnson. Six-Time got an unwanted push on a re-start from Joey Logano that powered him down to the apron and beside the defending champ. Johnson tried to move back up, Harvick denied him, and the cars touched. Smoke came bellowing from the left rear of Harvick’s auto, then let go three laps later, to leave him 42nd on the night. Later in the garage, he showed his displeasure with Johnson, who finished 11th. As for Logano, he finished an angelic sixth.

    Jeff Gordon was in the 788th race of his Cup career, an unbroken string going back to the final race of 1992. You might remember that his debut also marked the final race of Richard Petty’s career. It also tied Gordon with Ricky Rudd for most consecutive races, a record that should be topped this Sunday in New Hampshire.

    Some thought Gordon jumped a restart just past the mid-point of the race to leave Kyle Busch behind. With the idea of drivers policing themselves finally abandoned, it was judged that Gordon did not so much accelerate away, but that Busch had slowed down coming to the line. The review went in Gordon’s favor.

    Gordon led for 41 laps, Martin Truex Jr. for 39, and Kurt Busch, who finished third, was the point man for 37 circuits. However, the dominant car for most of it was the M&M Crispy Toyota of Kyle Busch. He led four times for 121 laps, but he melted over the final 50 to come home in ninth.

    All but one came home in decent shape, with six points the biggest deficit to be overcome among them. Harvick, on the other hand, is 43 away. Eleven current Chasers have won in New Hampshire in the past, Hamlin among them. So is Harvick. Once. In 2006. I would expect him to go for broke when they break loose in Loudon this weekend.

  • Surprising and Not Surprising: Chicagoland myAFibRisk.com400

    Surprising and Not Surprising: Chicagoland myAFibRisk.com400

    In the first race of the 10-race Chase to the championship here is what was surprising and not surprising from 15th Annual myAFibRisk.com 400 at Chicagoland Speedway.

    Surprising:  While Denny Hamlin proved he was better than the rest of the field, coming back from an early spin to win the first race of the Chase, he also proved he was better than one of basketball’s greatest.

    “The first thing I’m going to do is text Michael Jordan,” Hamlin said in the media center after the race. “He texted me on Wednesday.  Jordon said he was in Monte-Carlo.  I popped in his head like I always do, which I thought was a little odd.

    “He says, I know you’re about to head into the playoffs.  I just want you to know I’ve never admitted to anybody that anyone is better than me at anything my whole life.  But if you win this race this weekend, I will admit that you’re a better driver than I am.

    “So the first thing I’m going to do is text him and say, Admit it, I’m better than you, and I want everyone to know.”

    With the ‘W,’ Hamlin advances to the Contender round of the championship and also ties NASCAR Hall of Famer Fred Lorenzen for 27th on the all-time Series win list.

    Not Surprising:  Remember when Carl Edward’s nickname was ‘Concrete Carl’ for all of his wins on those types of tracks?  Well, that moniker might now be changed to ‘Comeback Carl’ as the driver of the No. 19 Stanley Toyota finished in the runner-up spot after going down a lap earlier in the race.

    “I had a speeding penalty.  I set us back there,” Edwards said. “We knew if maybe we get our lap back, get back up there, we’d be all right.

    “Overall we planned on the racetrack changing a lot.  I felt like my guys did a great job getting the car tuned in for the end.  I felt like all of us as a group at JGR worked great together this weekend.”

    This was Edwards’s fourth top-10 finish in 11 races at Chicagoland and it was his 10th top-10 finish of the season.

    Surprising:  He may have achieved Iron Man status, but he certainly might have traded all that for just a little more rubber instead at this first race in the Chase.

    Jeff Gordon tied Ricky Rudd with 788 consecutive starts, however, the driver of the No. 24 Axalta Chevrolet stayed out on old tires instead of coming to pit, causing him to go from leading the race to finishing 14th.

    “I knew we were going to have a tough time with old tires like that,” Gordon said.  “Gosh, it would have been so much sweeter if I’d been in Victory Lane right now.

    “I’m very proud of all that I’ve achieved in this sport. There’s a lot of stats that are awesome numbers. This is one of them. And we’ve got nine more to go.”

    Not Surprising:  After recovering from his close encounter with Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick has a simple one-word recovery plan. He just plans to win.

    “I just held my ground and he just slammed into the side of the door like I wasn’t even there,” the driver of the No. 4 Jimmy John’s/Budweiser Chevrolet said after his wreck with Johnson that led to his 42nd place finish. “So, the spotter was telling me four-wide and I guess he just figured that he’d come up the race track.

    “But, I’m just really proud of everybody on our Jimmy John’s/Budweiser team for not giving up and doing all the things they had to do to get the car back on the track and we’ve just got to go win one of these races.”

    Surprising:  Kurt Busch, driver of the No. 41 Haas Automation Chevrolet was apparently readying himself for a pilgrimage after his third place Chicagoland finish.

    “This is a long journey through these next 10 weeks,” Busch said. “We weren’t given a hall pass now, through Loudon and through Dover. We’ve just got to work hard as a team and saddle-up.”

    This was Busch’s ninth top-10 finish in 15 races at Chicagoland Speedway.

    Not Surprising:  The mantra of every child known to man was echoed by one Chase driver Joey Logano, who basically said ‘It wasn’t me’ after the first Chase race.

    Of his restart issue where the No. 48 and the No. 4 cars mixed it up, Logano replied, “I had nothing to do with that. The 48 went three-wide bottom and I was just sitting there. I was no part of it.”

    And of the restart of Jeff Gordon that NASCAR reviewed and pronounced good, the driver of the No. 22 Shell Pennzoil Ford said, “I felt like the 24 jumped it once, but NASCAR isn’t calling it so we just need to push it.”

    Logano qualified second and finished the Chicagoland race in the sixth spot.

    “I felt like we were in the catbird seat on that restart starting sixth with new tires. I had a good start and got three-wide. The 18 got tight and fenced us. We lost all the spots that we should have gained. I felt like we were in the position that we needed to be in to win this thing.”

    Surprising:  While Hamlin punched his Chase ticket, there was no ticket, especially one of the speeding variety, for his teammate Matt Kenseth.

    “I definitely didn’t speed anywhere today,” Kenseth said. “We really struggled.  We had probably a 15th-place car at best and barely hung onto the lead lap all day and got the right line on the restart.

    “Jason made some good adjustments, guys never quit.  We were in the right line at the restart.  Everybody got bottled up.  I think passed seven or eight of them in the first corner, another two or three the next set of corners.

    “Somehow we wound up fifth.  We definitely finished way better than we deserved today.  But that’s what you have to do in these things, you have to try to take your days and try to make them the best you can.”

    Not Surprising:  Martin Truex Jr. came close to losing it at Chicagoland, in fact losing out on his top-10 finishing record and slipping to finish 13th instead.

    “You can’t win the Chase in the first race but you can sure lose it,” Truex said. “We didn’t lose it today but finishing 13th after running solidly in the top-10 for almost the entire race is very disappointing.

    “We didn’t have the speed to get back up there at the end. Though we didn’t have a great race car today, it was sure better than 13th. We’ll regroup and go after it in New Hampshire next week.”

    Surprising:  Two drivers, who no doubt had Chase expectations coming into the 2015 season, showed they could still mix it up with the best. Kyle Larson and Aric Almirola both finished better than many of the Chasers, in fact in seventh and 10th respectively.

    Not Surprising:  Sometimes drivers are fans and sometimes not. After this race, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. was not alone in not being a fan of restarts while Tony Stewart was all about proving that Ryan Newman should be his fan.

    “Those debris cautions, I’m not a fan of them,” Junior said after finishing 12th in his No. 88 Diet Mountain Dew Chevrolet.

    Tony Stewart, on the other hand, was not only signing autographs for fans before the race but also autographing the back of Newman’s shirt, no doubt for a bit of luck.

    Newman, one of the Chase contenders, finished fourth while Stewart finished well back in the 25th position.

    “I did what I had to do,” Newman said. “I was a lap down and took the wave around. That last caution was a blessing for us. Big improvement for where we were last year in the Chase. We just have to keep focused on our own deal.”

    The second race in the Chase will occur at New Hampshire Motor Speedway next weekend on Sunday, September 27, 2015. The Sylvania 300 will begin at 2:00 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by NBCSN.

     

  • Hot 20 – The Chase for the Championship Commences in Chicago

    Hot 20 – The Chase for the Championship Commences in Chicago

    So it begins. Sixteen drivers, each trying to avoid being one of the four eliminated from contention for the championship after each round of three races.

    The first round, Chicago, New Hampshire, and Dover, will see each running for the best finish amongst those qualified. A win in any of the three would guarantee them a spot in the next round of three events no matter how they might fair in the other two contests. History tells us that Jamie McMurray and Paul Menard will not do well this weekend.

    For them, this would be a good time to rewrite history. For those outside the Top Sixteen, no time like the present to break a few hearts. A win now robs a contender of a free pass and could go a long way in getting sponsors thinking more of what is to come than what could have been.

    That would be the goal of the bottom four amongst our hot 20 heading into Chicago this Sunday.

    1. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 2012 POINTS (4 Wins)
    The firm of Petty and Earnhardt still has room for another name partner.

    2. KYLE BUSCH – 2012 (4)
    Having a leg up on the opposition was not a good thing in his case, but it matters not now.

    3. MATT KENSETH – 2012 (4)
    If his 2003 title started this Chase business, now he can start eliminating his critics four at a time.

    4. JOEY LOGANO – 2009 (3)
    Had the pole at Richmond, but Kenseth only allowed him to lead 25 of the 400 laps.

    5. KEVIN HARVICK – 2006 (2)
    His points standing just went from a 30 point lead to a six-point deficit.

    6. DALE EARNHARDT JR. – 2006 (2)
    He and his buddy Greg Ives come in with four straight Top Tens. Three more would be nice.

    7. KURT BUSCH – 2006 (2)
    First Chase champion would like to be the next one, too.

    8. CARL EDWARDS – 2006 (2)
    I am not sure if he misses Jack Roush at all, considering how his season with Joe Gibbs has gone.

    9. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 2003 (1)
    One of six in the Chase who already knows how it feels to be crowned a champion.

    10. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 2003 (1)
    Team-mates? We ain’t got no teammates. We don’t need no team-mates.

    11. DENNY HAMLIN – 2003 (1)
    Adversity is racing with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his throttle leg’s knee.

    12. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 2000
    So…this is the Chase, eh?

    13. JEFF GORDON – 2000
    What better way to ride off into the sunset than with a fifth title?

    14. RYAN NEWMAN – 2000
    Winless in 2015. Runner-up to Harvick in 2014.

    15. PAUL MENARD – 2000
    Chicago has not been his kind of town.

    16. CLINT BOWYER – 2000
    Like his team owner, he is out of a job after this season. Both could use a little good news.

    17. ARIC ALMIROLA – 693
    Fourth at Richmond was like being a groomsman at your sweetheart’s wedding.

    18. KASEY KAHNE – 677
    Only Hendrick driver to miss the party this year, needs some positive results heading into 2016.

    19. KYLE LARSON – 618
    Sophomore jinx bit him hard this season.

    20. GREG BIFFLE – 611
    Limping along in his worst season ever, as Jack Roush has his worst as an owner.

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Richmond

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Richmond

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth led 352 of 400 laps and cruised to an easy win in the Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond. The win was Kenseth’s fourth of the season and places him atop the points standings for the start of the Chase.

    “I have the early momentum for the Chase,” Kenseth said. “And speaking of ‘early momentum,’ Joey Logano says I jumped the final restart. I dispute that. If I jumped anything, it was ‘ship,’ when I left Roush Fenway Racing.”

    2. Kevin Harvick: Harvick struggled at Richmond, finishing 14th, one lap down, in the final race before the Chase For The Cup.

    “It felt like I was driving on flat tires,” Harvick said. “That made the No. 4 Jimmy Johns Chevrolet ‘leaky fast.’

    “Of course, the tires weren’t really flat. Or were they? The last thing NASCAR needs is its own ‘Deflate-Gate’ controversy.”

    3. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski finished eighth at Richmond, posting his 18th top-10 result of the year. By virtue of his one win this year, he will start the Chase with 2,003 points, nine out of first.

    “This is where you’ll see the real drivers separated from the pretenders,” Keselowski said. “Or, if you’d care not to wait, I’ll do it for you. Pretenders: Clint Bowyer, Paul Menard, Jamie McMurray. Contenders: everyone else.”

    4. Kyle Busch: Busch finished second at Richmond on a commanding night for the Joe Gibbs Racing stable. Matt Kenseth won while Denny Hamlin finished sixth and Carl Edwards took 11th.

    “JGR looks like the team to beat,” Busch said. “Kenseth is dominant while Edwards is domineering. Some people say Denny Hamlin isn’t a threat to win because of his injury, but they don’t have a leg to stand on. Me? I certainly have the talent, but history says that once the NASCAR post-season starts, I hit a wall.”

    5. Joey Logano: Logano finished third at Richmond, and will start the Chase For The Cup with 2009 points, three points behind four-time winners Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch, and Matt Kenseth.

    “Kenseth clearly jumped the final restart,” Logano said. “Replays verify it. Sure, Kenseth led 352 of 400 laps, but in this instance, he wasn’t ‘in the zone.’”

    6. Carl Edwards: Edwards finished 11th in the Federated Auto Parts 400 as Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Matt Kenseth dominated for the win.

    “I traded paint with Kenseth during the race,” Edwards said. “To his credit, Kenseth didn’t give an inch. He’s really manned up. If he wins another championship this year, it seems he will have finally ‘grown a pair.’”

    7. Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Earnhardt finished fifth at Richmond, the top finisher among Hendrick Motorsports cars. Earnhardt will join HMS teammates, Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon in the Chase.

    “HMS hasn’t had a win since Daytona in July,” Earnhardt said. “And we really need it. Our team motto for the upcoming race is ‘Just one, baby.’”

    8. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson finished ninth and will enter the Chase For The Cup in first place with 2012 points by virtue of his four wins.

    “’2012’ is a great number,” Johnson said. “It was not a good year. That’s when my run of six straight Cups came to an end.

    “I just signed a contract extension to remain with Hendrick Motorsports through 2017. That’s good news for a team struggling to find speed heading into the Chase For The Cup. Finally, it’s a good ‘sign’ for HMS.”

    9. Kurt Busch: Busch finished 15th at Richmond and will start the Chase For The Cup with 2,006 points, six behind the leaders at 2,012.

    “Now,” Busch said, “the pressure really heats up. This is when you find out what you’re really made of. Sometimes, you never really know what someone is made of….until you go ‘court-ing.’”

    10. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin finished sixth at Richmond despite driving with a torn right ACL, an injury suffered in a pickup basketball game on Tuesday.

    “I probably shouldn’t have been playing basketball,” Hamlin said. “After all, this is the second time I’ve injured my knee. In both cases, I was wearing my favorite sneakers, the ‘Err Hamlins.’ Anyway, my right leg feels a little loose in the center.”

  • Hot 20 – The final hurdle for Bowyer and the rest comes this Saturday night in Richmond

    Hot 20 – The final hurdle for Bowyer and the rest comes this Saturday night in Richmond

    If history repeats itself, there will be no surprise winner at Richmond on Saturday night. Going back over the past 10 years, every single driver who has won there is currently locked into the Chase for this year. Except for one.

    Clint Bowyer has a pair of victories on the 3/4-mile track, but none anywhere to his credit this season. To make it worse, even if a first-time driver does not emerge this weekend to steal his thunder, he still sits just 29 points up on Aric Almirola for the final Chase position, with Kasey Kahne just a couple of points further back. A sour engine, a meeting with a wall or a competitor, a bad tire or messed up pit stop at the wrong time, and Bowyer’s season turns south faster than one’s job security at Michael Waltrip Racing. To make sure he is in, Bowyer needs to finish in the Top 25 on Saturday night. That and hope history does indeed repeat itself.

    The odds are almost prohibitive that the winner this weekend at Richmond will be from amongst our Hot 20…

    1. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 4 WINS
    Expect the team of Jimmie, Chad, and Lowe’s to be around for some time yet.

    2. KYLE BUSCH – 4 WINS
    The story of the year to this point.

    3. JOEY LOGANO – 3 WINS
    Liked Johnson’s car so much he almost took it out with a spin last week.

    4. MATT KENSETH – 3 WINS
    Progress last week was thwarted by an early Darlington stripe…okay, more like a sledge hammer.

    5. KEVIN HARVICK – 2 WINS
    A late trip to the pits in Darlington was the pits for Harvick.

    6. DALE EARNHARDT JR. – 2 WINS
    Getting some real cool throwback gifts from fans lately, including on his last trip to Walmart.

    7. KURT BUSCH – 2 WINS
    Went digital with his Darlington dashboard.

    8. CARL EDWARDS – 2 WINS
    After three Bristol wins, he has added a World 600 and a Southern 500 to the collection in 2015.

    9. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 1 WIN
    Led the most laps, but Edwards got to walk down the aisle, leaving him a bridesmaid.

    10. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 1 WIN
    A Darlington Top Ten, and he wasn’t happy. Has three Top Tens in last four at Richmond.

    11. DENNY HAMLIN – 1 WIN
    On Saturday night, he denied Daniel Suarez his first career XFINITY victory. My hero.

    12. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 726 POINTS
    To make the Chase, he just needs to start on Saturday night. If he gets the flu, it could get messy.

    13. RYAN NEWMAN – 714 POINTS
    If his finishing position matches his car number, or better, he rockets in as well.

    14. JEFF GORDON – 700 POINTS
    17th will do no matter what anyone else does…and he needs that only if there is not a repeat winner.

    15. PAUL MENARD – 692 POINTS
    Ninth if there is a first time winner…38th if there is not.

    16. CLINT BOWYER – 682 POINTS
    25th gets him in if history repeats itself, or a move ahead of Ryan, Jeff, or Paul if it does not.

    17. ARIC ALMIROLA – 653 POINTS
    Has the King’s car and last week stole his old mustache.

    18. KASEY KAHNE – 651 POINTS
    Can’t grow a mustache. Okay, I am just guessing here.

    19. GREG BIFFLE – 598 POINTS
    I could get Biffle into the Chase…but it has to be in EA Sports’ indestructible mode.

    20. AUSTIN DILLON – 586 POINTS
    One of three Cup guys in the XFINITY race. Go Austin! Go Rowdy! Go Joey! Just be gone!

    20. KYLE LARSON – 586 POINTS
    Last week, they called him Mello Yello, but is he truly just mad about Saffron?

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Darlington

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Darlington

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Kevin Harvick: Harvick led 44 laps and finished fifth in the Bojangles Southern 500 at Darlington, posting his 18th top-5 finish of the year.

    “It’s great to see the Darlington race back on its traditional weekend,” Harvick said. “I think fans would agree. Ironically, sitting through a 4 hour and 29-minute marathon on Labor Day weekend is truly ‘work.’”

    2. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski started on the pole at Darlington and led a race-high 196 laps. However, Keselowski was beaten out of the pits on the race’s final caution by Carl Edwards. Edwards held on for the win, and Keselowski was left with a disappointing runner-up finish.

    “I’m a big fan of the low downforce package we ran at Darlington,” Keselowski said. “As I said before, it separates the race car drivers from the pretenders. And, .902 seconds separates the winner from second place.

    “I was sporting the ‘Miller High Life’ paint scheme at Darlington. They call ‘High Life’ the ‘Champagne Of Beers.’ The difference between winning and losing is known as ‘Champagne Or Beers.’”

    3. Kyle Busch: Busch finished eighth at Darlington and officially clinched a spot in the Chase.

    “It’s a great day,” Busch said. “Usually, when you hear the word ‘official’ mentioned along with a Busch brother, something’s going on in the NASCAR hauler.”

    4. Joey Logano: Logano finished fourth at Darlington, as Penske Racing took two of the top four spots at “The Track Too Tough To Tame.”

    “It was ‘throwback’ weekend at Darlington,” Logano said. “With one race left before the Chase, and only three Chase spots up for grabs, Richmond could be ‘throw punch’ weekend.”

    5. Carl Edwards: Edwards took the lead late at Darlington, using a quick pit stop to beat Brad Keselowski on the race’s final caution. Edwards pulled away to grab his second victory of the season.

    “I went in third and came out first,” Edwards said, “thanks to my pit crew. I owe this win to them. Believe me, they’ll be a part of the victory celebration. Heck, I might even have them DJ the party because they know how to ‘turn tables.’”

    6. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth hit the wall on lap 19 and struggled with handling for the duration of the Bojangles Southern 500, finishing 20th.

    “It was an otherwise strong day for Joe Gibbs Racing,” Kenseth said. “Carl Edwards took the lead in the pits and pulled away for the victory, winning by nearly a second. Carl took off like he was shot out of a cannon. Much like he did with Roush Fenway Racing, Carl left in a hurry.”

    7. Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Earnhardt was the top finisher among Hendrick Motorsports cars at Darlington, finishing eighth.

    “Right now,” Earnhardt said, “HMS cars aren’t fast enough to compete for wins. With the Chase For The Cup right around the corner, that’s not good. So, much like our current lap speeds, it’s a case of ‘bad timing.’

    “In other news, Danica Patrick has become more famous for her yoga poses than for her racing. Should we call her a ‘yoga master’ or a ‘threat to win a race?’ Either way, it’s a stretch.”

    8. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson finished a disappointing 19th at Darlington and is now winless in his last 12 races.

    “You probably heard my crew chief Chad Knaus married a former Miss Sprint Cup,” Johnson said. “Hopefully, Chad will have more luck with the ‘Lady In White’ than I did with the ‘Lady In Black.’

    “I gave the groom a bottle of ‘Burnt Rubber’ cologne. Chad wore some during Sunday’s race. At a track like Darlington, that’s known as ‘tire wear.’”

    9. Kurt Busch: Busch started second in the Bojangles Southern 500 at Darlington and finished sixth.

    “Much like me,” Busch said, “Bojangles is famous for its ‘chicken.’

    “You may have heard that I recently became engaged. I asked Ashley Van Metre and she said ‘yes.’ Soon, I’ll pop the question, and ask her if she’s an assassin.”

    10. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex finished ninth and had a late run-in with Kurt Busch, whom Truex sent spinning after contact on lap

    “Just as Daytona did, Darlington was offering a flag exchange,” Truex said, “in which you could exchange a Confederate flag for an American flag. With race ticket prices skyrocketing and races becoming even less exciting, leave it to NASCAR to offer fan another offer they can refuse.”

  • The Final Word – A Southern 500 that took us on a nice ride back to the future

    The Final Word – A Southern 500 that took us on a nice ride back to the future

    Tradition. On Sunday, we learned that tradition means something. We learned it is actually worth waiting for its return, though why it took NASCAR a decade to solve the hot, muggy conditions of a day race in early September by simply moving it to the evening still boggles the mind. The Southern 500 was back, back to where and when it belonged, along with throwback paint schemes and other nods to the past. Tradition.

    We learned that Ken Squier should be cloned. He is to auto racing what Vin Scully is to baseball, a poet with a microphone who has the gift to paint vivid pictures through prose, to enhance the action we see with our own eyes, to allow us to commune with the best of the sport’s past even as we watch its future unfold before us. One is an 80-year-old legend who we got to hear from again on Sunday night, the other is an 87-year old Dodger icon. We learned that sometimes the best of what is has been with us all along. Tradition.

    Jeff Gordon, for one. Seven times he managed to not just survive but to thrive on the track too tough to tame over the course of his career. He finished 16th on Sunday in his event curtain call. Jimmie Johnson, a six-time Cup king and three-time Darlington winner, was 19th. These two eventual Hall of Famers were seen last weekend in the company as such past stars as Richard Petty, Bobby Allison, and Bill Elliott. Terry Labonte was the Grand Marshal. Ned Jarrett was put to work in the broadcast booth, alongside his son Dale. Tradition.

    We learned that even though it is possible for 26 drivers to win a race from Daytona in February to Richmond later this month, it seems improbable. Only 11 different pilots have shaken the suds in Victory Lane this season, with the last first-time victor coming in the form of Martin Truex Jr. three months ago. For the second time this season it was Carl Edwards doing the backflip at the finish line, his first at Darlington’s Lady in Black. Once again, the same 16 drivers sitting in a Chase place coming in will be the same when they hit the line at Richmond next Saturday night.

    Racing began in Darlington in 1950. Three years later, the Richmond tradition got its start. Potential winless Chasers have won there, including Gordon, Ryan Newman and Clint Bowyer. Drivers such as Tony Stewart and Kasey Kahne have claimed the prize before, and their only route to the Chase is to do it again this Saturday night. Of the quintet, though, only Bowyer has done so in the past decade. In fact, 19 of the other past 20 Richmond winners have already punched their tickets for this season’s Chase. Unless there is a break in tradition, the 20th should as well.

    The 20 Richmond race winners over the past ten years include…

    Kyle Busch (4)
    Jimmie Johnson (3)
    Kevin Harvick (3)
    Denny Hamlin (2)
    Kurt Busch (2)
    Clint Bowyer (2)
    Brad Keselowski
    Carl Edwards
    Dale Earnhardt Jr.
    Joey Logano

  • Hot 20 – The Southern 500…a tradition truly reborn this Labor Day weekend!

    Hot 20 – The Southern 500…a tradition truly reborn this Labor Day weekend!

    It is the Southern 500 coming our way from Darlington on Sunday night. Interestingly, I do not view it as one of the circuit’s marquee tracks, where you do not dare touch the fast-forward button. However, like Indianapolis, it is one of the Cup Series marquee events where a win gets you remembered.

    After a few years of tinkering around with tradition, something NASCAR seems more than eager to do until the manure hits the ventilation system, the Southern 500 is back for the Labor Day weekend. It worked from 1950 until someone had a bright idea in time for the 2004 event. They pushed the legendary race back to November so that fans would no longer have to face the heat of day in September. That, and they thought it also a brilliant move to give the 500’s date to California after it had taken Rockingham’s spot on the calendar. I wonder how that worked out for them?

    Somebody sued so that Texas could have a second race, and they got it when the Lady in Black’s spring date was spirited away. Then to prove their astute understanding of its fan base, they moved the race to Mother’s Day before dropping the iconic “Southern 500″ moniker entirely for four seasons, starting in 2005. Then they did not have a title sponsor in 2009, at least before Go Daddy came on board, so the Southern 500, now presented by Go Daddy.com, was back.

    The tinkering did not end there, of course. Sponsors come and go, but traditions remain…except in NASCAR. In 2014, the race date was shipped to April before someone came up with a bright idea. No, really. They moved the Southern 500 back to the Labor Day weekend, but as had been the case since its rebirth, they scheduled it for Sunday night to avoid the heat that started all the nonsense a decade before.

    The fact they installed lights in 2004, just before they moved the date to avoid the heat, doesn’t make much sense, either, come to think of it. However, let us just be glad the Southern 500 is truly back with cars with paint schemes from Darlington’s glory years.

    The Hot 20 as they challenge “The Track Too Tough to Tame” include…

    1. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 4 WINS
    Christopher Walken’s favorite driver. More cowbell!

    2. KYLE BUSCH – 4 WINS
    Looking to finish two spots up on Cole Whitt to claim his Chase place. Let the battle begin.

    3. JOEY LOGANO – 3 WINS
    The Shell logo on his car is one I remember…from way back…when I had hair…and youth.

    4. MATT KENSETH – 3 WINS
    After running less than 60 miles at Bristol, he should be well rested for Darlington

    5. KEVIN HARVICK – 2 WINS
    I keep underwear longer than he keeps a house.

    6. DALE EARNHARDT JR. – 2 WINS
    Is Junior interested in driving IndyCar? Apparently, the answer is “no, no, no, no.”

    7. KURT BUSCH – 2 WINS
    Kurt is engaged. It would be easy to come up with a punchline, but I truly wish him happiness.

    8. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 1 WIN
    Frank Kimmel, 10 time ARCA champ and Brad’s matchmaker.

    9. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 1 WIN
    Furniture Row might not be big, but you cannot say they have not been successful.

    10. DENNY HAMLIN – 1 WIN
    Only problem with a throwback weekend is do you go with a Ned, Cale, or Jaws scheme?

    11. CARL EDWARDS – 1 WIN
    Worst driver at Gibbs Racing? Honestly, I do not believe there is such a thing.

    12. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 696 POINTS
    After claiming a Brickyard 400 and a Daytona 500, he needs a little trinket from Darlington.

    13. RYAN NEWMAN – 683 POINTS
    Riding along the walls at Darlington, it might be best to be driving a Caterpillar.

    14. PAUL MENARD – 674 POINTS
    Paul won the XFINITY race last week. I used to outrun my baby sister.

    15. JEFF GORDON – 672 POINTS
    Only driver whose throwback paint scheme could be one of his own.

    16. CLINT BOWYER – 655 POINTS
    Sitting pretty, unless the wrong guy wins on Sunday. Then it could get ugly.

    17. ARIC ALMIROLA – 620 POINTS
    The King won 200 times. Aric needs just one.

    18. KASEY KAHNE – 618 POINTS
    Will be channeling his inner Geoff Bodine this weekend.

    19. GREG BIFFLE – 572 POINTS
    Roll them dice. Daddy needs a win.

    20. AUSTIN DILLON – 564 POINTS
    Race car driver, former Little League World Series player, now basketball star?

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Bristol

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Bristol

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Kyle Busch: Busch suffered from a loose wheel early in the race before picking his way back into the top 5 at Bristol. But a late pit road speeding penalty cost him a chance at the win, finishing eighth.

    “It was still a strong day for Joe Gibbs Racing,” Busch said. “JGR went 1-2-3-4 in qualifying and place three cars in the top 10. That’s quite a stable Joe’s got right now. Take my brother Kyle and myself at our worse, and you’ve got yourself an ‘unstable.’”

    2. Kevin Harvick: Harvick chased Joey Logano over the final laps at Bristol, but Logano’s No. 22 Penske machine was just too strong. Harvick settled for second, his second-consecutive runner-up finish and 11th of the season.

    “We certainly weren’t helped by two pit road speeding penalties,” Harvick said. “At 30 miles per hour, a drive-through penalty is brutal. At that speed, Bristol’s pit road is much like Kyle Petty’s ponytail—long and grey.”

    3. Joey Logano: Logano won his second straight Bristol night race, holding off Kevin Harvick over the final laps to win the Irwin Tools Night Race.

    “I knew I couldn’t make a mistake with Harvick behind me,” Logano said. “Obviously, this Penske driver reacts a little better from a push from Harvick.”

    4. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth blew an engine early at Bristol, spoiling an otherwise solid day for Joe Gibbs Racing.

    “Did this Toyota engine come from Michael Waltrip Racing?” Kenseth said, “because it just quit on me.”

    5. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson was solid at Bristol, finishing fourth for his first top-five result since a second at Daytona in July.

    “With six Sprint Cup championships,” Johnson said, “I obviously have the look of a champion. Now, with the new fragrance ‘Burnt Rubber,’ anyone can smell like a champion. And if you have the nerve to go to the fragrance counter and ask for Burnt Rubber, then you certainly won’t be phased by extreme speeds. Just make sure you ask for ‘Burnt Rubber’ by name, lest you may end up with the Jeremy Mayfield knockoff brand, ‘Speed In A Bottle.’”

    6. Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Earnhardt took advantage of two “Lucky Dog” free passes and recorded a ninth-place finish at Bristol. He is third in the Sprint Cup points standings, 89 out of first.

    “Danica Patrick has a new sponsor in Nature’s Bakery,’” Earnhardt said. “Now people can finally say she’s got ‘natural’ talent and actually believe it.”

    7. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski led four laps and finished sixth in the Irwin Tools Night Race as Penske Racing teammate Joey Logano captured the win.

    “Logano showed a load of maturity holding off Harvick,” Keselowski said. “That gives Joey three wins this season. I have only one. I guess we know who wears the firesuit on this team.”

    8. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex suffered from a collection of misfortune at Bristol and finished 28th at Bristol, five laps down.

    “They call Bristol Motor Speedway ‘The Last Great Colosseum,’” Truex said. “I guess that means the drivers are gladiators. Instead of fighting to the death, fans in the stands are bored to death.”

    9. Carl Edwards: Edwards led 74 laps at Bristol and was out front on lap 355 when he suffered a flat tire. He still managed a seventh-place finish, joining Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch in the top 10.

    “A flat tire while leading is the very definition of ‘untimely,’” Edwards said. “What is the very definition of ‘timely?’ Leaving Roush Fenway Racing when I did. Jack Roush may be the ‘Cat In The Hat,’ and chances are he owns the ‘Car In The Rear.’”

    10. Kurt Busch: Busch finished 14th, one lap down, at Bristol, after damaging his car in an incident with David Ragan.

    “What do you expect from a Michael Waltrip Racing driver?” Busch said. “Ragan was driving like there was no tomorrow.

    “I guess you’ve heard that MWR released Clint Bowyer from his contract. And I think I’m qualified to announce that Bowyer is not a secret agent, but a free agent.”

  • Hot 20 – Bowyer soon to become a free agent as MWR goes part-time in 2016

    Hot 20 – Bowyer soon to become a free agent as MWR goes part-time in 2016

    Hot news this week is headlined by the near-demise of Michael Waltrip Racing. The team has announced that it will not run full-time entries in 2016 and that Clint Bowyer will indeed be a free agent after this season. It has been a bit of a bumpy ride for the team that Mikey built, and Rob Kauffman paid for, and with the money man headed elsewhere, the writing was all over the wall. Kauffman is looking to buy into the Ganassi operation, but that deal is not done. Bowyer could wind up there, or wherever an opening appears between now and next season.

    Danica Patrick has a new sponsor. With Go Daddy about to be Gone Daddy, Nature’s Bakery has decided that sponsoring the only woman in Sprint Cup is a great $20 million sponsorship opportunity. With just a single IndyCar win back in 2008 to go with her Budweiser Duel victory in 2013, she is not a great driver, but still a competent one with tons of drawing power. Plus, did you see her latest yoga video? I mean, I am a straight male and I fear the day I find something similar posted by Tony Stewart.

    Stewart has had some tough times, with results no better than Patrick’s since he broke his leg driving on dirt in 2013. Then came the tragedy in upstate New York a year ago. The family of Kevin Ward Jr. filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Stewart on Friday. It alleges Stewart drove his car up the track, gunned his engine, causing the vehicle to slide and strike Ward with the rear-right tire. As a father of a couple of lads about Kevin’s age, I understand the family’s course of action. It was either Stewart’s fault or, as what came out of the criminal investigation, their son had enough marijuana in his system to impair his judgement and that in an act of bravado he approached Stewart’s car on foot and simply got too close and was struck. As a parent, what would you want to believe?

    The action will be hot on Saturday night at Bristol, one of NASCAR’s fan favorite venues. There should be enough action to satisfy a television viewer who simply finds their way to the telecast, along with those who know what it all means for Kyle Busch, Bowyer, Aric Almirola, Kasey Kahne, and those behind them in the standings.

    Our Hot 20 heading into Bristol include…

    1. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 4 WINS
    You know your focus is off when you can’t even remember where your pit stall is.

    2. KYLE BUSCH – 4 WINS
    Second in the standings, yet battling Cole Whitt for his playoff position.

    3. MATT KENSETH – 3 WINS
    Owned Michigan, has a down payment on Bristol.

    4. KEVIN HARVICK – 2 WINS
    Only three times he has missed finishing in the Top Ten…including Bristol in the springtime.

    5. JOEY LOGANO – 2 WINS
    Winner at the Brickyard and the Glen…you know, races one might actually remember.

    6. DALE EARNHARDT JR. – 2 WINS
    Man, he feels like a woman. Really. I heard him say so. You can’t make something like this up.

    7. KURT BUSCH – 2 WINS
    Sure, his brother has more wins, but when it comes to points, baby, Kurt rules!

    8. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 1 WIN
    Finished third and is still frustrated. I wonder if he has ever met Timmy Hill?

    9. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 1 WIN
    He and Joey no doubt would like their splitters back, splitters back.

    10. DENNY HAMLIN – 1 WIN
    Kyle and Matt and…what are the names of their two teammates again?

    11. CARL EDWARDS – 1 WIN
    Figures he has the car to beat at Bristol. Forty-two other drivers will attempt to prove him right.

    12. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 663 POINTS
    70 points up on Almirola, 47 ahead of Bowyer. McMurray remains good to go this Saturday.

    13. PAUL MENARD – 654 POINTS
    Along with Junior, loses 15 minutes of practice time this weekend due to inspection issues.

    14. RYAN NEWMAN – 649 POINTS
    Having an actress of the same name is confusing. I do not believe he is dating Jack Griffo.

    15. JEFF GORDON – 648 POINTS
    When they say “pull those belts tight, boys”, his boys tend to argue for a bit of slack.

    16. CLINT BOWYER – 616 POINTS
    NASCAR’s own bubble boy.

    17. ARIC ALMIROLA – 593 POINTS
    It would be a real shame if Clint has another bad day. Yes, it sure would be. Just ask Aric.

    18. KASEY KAHNE – 590 POINTS
    Now, if both Clint and Aric had bad days this Saturday night…

    19. GREG BIFFLE – 553 POINTS
    Three races in just over two weeks and he has to win one of them.

    20. KYLE LARSON – 548 POINTS
    Has done well in the few he has raced at Bristol. Now he needs to be great.