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Tag: Kurt Busch

  • The Final Word – Harvick Once Again the Best in Phoenix but Fontana is Johnson Country

    The Final Word – Harvick Once Again the Best in Phoenix but Fontana is Johnson Country

    Phoenix got somewhat exciting near the end. Kevin Harvick was the star of this show, with the likes of Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski, Kurt Busch and Jamie McMurray in supporting roles. Two straight this season, four straight at Phoenix, a lock on a Chase spot (you would think) and 30 career victories as he defends his Cup championship. It is good being Kevin Harvick.

    Not so good being Tony Stewart. Take some orange paper, write a number 14 on it, then crumple it all up and toss it on the floor. That is pretty much how Stewart’s car looked when it finally stopped along the wall. Thirty-ninth on the day, 35th in the standings. It is not good being Tony Stewart, at least after four Cup races.

    It was good being Dale Earnhardt Jr. Top Fives at Daytona, Atlanta and Las Vegas was good. A blown tire and a sharp slap to the wall to finish 43rd was not.

    It was good, finally, to be Kurt Busch. In the words of Mike Joy, he went from suspension to redemption, as he finished fourth in his return.

    Danica Patrick had another day outside the Top 25. Sure, her team-mates with the law firm of Stewart-Harvick-and Busch may all have won championships, but none of them have a cook book coming out. Game, set and match, losers.

    One day, one race, 43 teams. I guess that is a bit too much even for Will Ferrell.

    The best on the day amongst the lesser lights was Justin Allgaier. The 29th ranked driver from last season was 18th at Phoenix. Among the brighter bulbs who went dim were Junior, Brian Vickers, Sam Hornish Jr. and Smoke, all of whom wound up amongst the bottom five.

    The great thing about FOX Sports taking over coverage is all the extra time it has given me. No truck racing, no practices, no qualifying to sit through. Now, if I only don’t blow it all on watching curling on TSN.

    What does Junior’s puppy at Martin Truex Jr’s motorcoach have in common with Junior’s car last Sunday out on the track? That is where both suddenly went to crap.

    Someone stole the No. 44. Now a lawyer wants it. Apparently, there is a claim that team owner John Cohen owes some money, so when the counsel for the other party heard Cohen claim the car was worth $250,000 he thought he would claim a piece. Insert your favorite lawyer joke here, I guess.

    The western swing wraps up this Sunday in Fontana, California, where the mending Kyle Busch will see an end to his two race dominance of that track. Maybe that will work in favor of five time race winner Jimmie Johnson, or allow Kyle Larson to build on his runner-up performance in his one and only start there. Will it be exciting? It depends on who you like and where they are racing. Then again, who watches live events anymore? Hit record and watch the action at your own pace, maybe catch an inning or two of a ball game in the meantime, or shovel some snow, if you live in the northeast, then return to the track. Hey, it is a multi-task world.

  • Surprising and Not Surprising: Phoenix CampingWorld.com 500

    Surprising and Not Surprising: Phoenix CampingWorld.com 500

    With the exit of the ‘Outlaw’ and the return of Kurt Busch, here else is what was surprising and not surprising from the 11th annual CampingWorld.com 500 at Phoenix International Raceway.

    Surprising: Driver Kevin Harvick admitted to an interesting feeling after continuing his reign of Victory Lane celebrations at Phoenix and after picking up right where he left off from last year’s championship.

    The driver of the No. 4 Jimmy Johns/Budweiser Chevrolet confessed that he was surprisingly just a little scared.

    “It’s almost scary how well things are going,” Harvick said. “You don’t want to talk about it too much because you want it to keep going.”

    Harvick backed up his talk with his 30th victory in 506 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races, his second victory and fourth top-10 finish in 2015, and his seventh victory in 25 races at Phoenix International Raceway.

    Not Surprising: Even Brad Keselowski noticed that there were five Chevrolets in front of him as the highest finishing Ford. Keselowski, behind the wheel of the No. 2 Alliance Truck Parts Ford Fusion, finished sixth.

    “There were a lot of Chevy’s up there and we need to get our Fords running a tiny bit better,” Keselowski said. “I feel like it was kind of a decent, nonchalant day. We didn’t really have the speed we needed to run with the 4 and 41.”

    “Everybody was on a different strategy it seemed and it didn’t quite pan out for us to get the third or fourth we deserved but we ran really well. We just have to find some more speed. That is the common theme to keep up with the 4 and even the 41 this week.”

    Surprising: Two past champions were beating and banging their way through the field in the Valley of the Sun. Six-time champ Jimmie Johnson tangled with Brian Vickers early in the race, as well as Carl Edwards later in the pits, and three-time champ Tony Stewart had some shoving matches with young racers Austin Dillon and Kyle Larson before hitting the wall twice.

    While Johnson was able to rally back to an eleventh place finish, Stewart exited his race car and the infield care center after his second wreck to finish 39th.

    “Just terrible luck today,” Johnson said. “Lap 1 we had damage and had to go to the back and then at the three-quarter mark of the race I don’t know what happened on pit road. We were like three wide and then somebody came out of the pits and we got damage again.”

    “Decent car we should have been top five, but just frustrating to have to go to the back twice like that.”

    Not Surprising: Even in the midst of the race, teammates apparently take a few moments behind the wheel to become race fans. And Kyle Larson, from his spot in the tenth position did just that, rooting for teammate Jamie McMurray to try to get around Kevin Harvick for the win.

    “Jamie (McMurray) did a great job to finish second there,” Larson, driver of the No. 42 Target Chevrolet for Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates, said. “I was pulling for him there at the end, but I was happy to get a top 10. 10th to 12th is about where we should of ended up.”

    “Lost two spots there that last lap, but it was a hard fought day. Our car wasn’t the greatest, but we kept working on it and got it better and salvaged a pretty good finish.”

    “It was a good day for everybody at Chip Ganassi Racing.”

    Surprising: There were some milestones and a few records set amongst the top-ten, with Kasey Kahne finishing fourth in his 400th start, Kurt Busch finishing fifth in his return after his suspension, and Martin Truex Jr. scoring a record four straight top-10 finishes for Furniture Row Racing.

    Four straight top-10 finishes by Martin Truex Jr. is a Furniture Row Racing team record. The previous record of three straight 10s for a Furniture Row Racing driver was set by Kurt Busch in 2012 and 2013.

    “It’s neat to have 400 starts in NASCAR, straight starts, I hope I get 400 more,” Kahne, behind the wheel of the No. 5 Farmers Insurance Chevrolet, said. “It felt really good.”

    “I’m really happy with our Farmers Insurance team. It’s pretty neat.”

    “It great to get back and produce a result like this on our first day back,” Kurt Busch said from behind the wheel of his No. 41 Haas Automation Chevrolet. “The way that we raced today, it was with heart. “

    Thanks again to all my sponsors and Chevrolet and everybody that’s part of our team and the whole group at Stewart-Haas. Thank you.”

    “We had a strong car,” Truex Jr., driver of the No. 78 Furniture Row Chevrolet, said. “We got tore up on pit road and had to go back to 24th. It was a hell of a rebound.”

    “A really good pit call by Cole (Pearn, crew chief) to stay out on the last pit stop. We were able to pass a couple of cars there at the end and get a top 10.”

    “To get a top 10 feel good.”

    Not Surprising: Team Toyota continued its struggles with Carl Edwards as the highest Toyota finisher in the 13th position.

    “We fought a lot of things,” the driver of the No. 19 Stanley Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing said. “We were a little tight in the middle of the corner and when we would get in dirty air our car seemed to be more affected than other people.”

    “We made the most of what we had today and I think we ended up 13th or something like that. I feel like we had about a 15th-place car and we didn’t do worse than that.”

    Fellow Toyota drivers Matt Kenseth finished 16th, David Ragan 21st, Denny Hamlin 23rd, and Clint Bowyer took the checkered flag in 24th.

    Surprising: After a strong start to the season, Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished dead last after Goodyear diagnosed a melted bead on his right rear tire caused by the high brake heats. The driver of the No. 88 Nationwide Chevrolet blew his right rear tire in Turn 2 on Lap 181, suffering severe rear end damage to his race car, and ended the race in the 43rd position.

    “The car was really, really loose today and just wore the right rear tire out, and blew the tire,” Junior said. “

    “You can’t wear the tire out. You have to get your car handling better.”

    “We just have to get the balance better where we don’t burn the tire off of it.”

    Not Surprising: Whoever said that there were just wins and no points racing involved in the new format has not met Ryan Newman. The driver of the No. 31 Quicken Loans Chevrolet finished third and definitely had his eye on the points, moving up to eighth from the twelfth position.

    “It was a good points day,” Newman said. “We’re knocking on the door. That’s two Top 3’s in a row.” “

    “We’re four races in and we’ve got two Top 5’s. It took us until June last year to get our first one. So, we’ll keep digging.”

    Surprising: After starting from the rear of the field due to an engine change, AJ Allmendinger quietly finished the race in the 17th spot. And with that finish, the driver of the No. 47 Kingsford Charcoal Chevrolet sustained his fifth position in the point standings.

    Not Surprising: Jeff Gordon finally rebounded to finish top-10 after his rough finishes in the first three races of the season. The driver of the No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet also inched up in the point standings from 30th to 25th.

    “It was a really great team effort,” Gordon said. “A nice job in the pits. We had a decent race car and we showed that as we got track position.”

    “It certainly wasn’t easy, but I’m real proud of everybody,” Gordon continued. “There at the end it was just kind of a judgment call whether to come in and take tires or not.”

    “As it turned out that might not have worked in our favor, but hey some of those are going to go your way and some of those aren’t.”

    The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series finishes up the final of the three races in the West Coast swing next weekend at Auto Club Speedway.

  • Matty’s Picks 2015 – Phoenix Round 1

    Matty’s Picks 2015 – Phoenix Round 1

    After a bye week for me, I’m back with another round of Matty’s Picks. We’re still in the desert this week, and I’m hoping my results this week are better than my dismal performance last week at Las Vegas. It was dead last for me last week at Las Vegas on the CNY Race Fans’ Scorecard…

    I’ll make my weekly recap quick because there was nothing really to highlight last week. I had Jimmie Johnson who started 9th, led 45 laps, but had tire trouble and finished 41st. My next hope was Joey Logano, who started 2nd, led 47 laps and finished 10th for 35 points. Kasey Kahne started inside the second row, but got tangled up in a crash with my fourth pick, Carl Edwards who led a couple laps after starting 14th. Kahne was able to return to the race and squeak out a 17th place finish, Edwards however exited the race after the collision with Kahne and finished 42nd. Trevor Bayne, my filler guy, actually netted me my third-most points last week by starting 35th and finishing 28th. When it was all said and done, 92 points is all I could show for myself last week, probably a good idea I was on a bye week from writing.

    We’re onto the second of the three-race west coast swing this week, and the stop is in Phoenix, Arizona for the CampingWorld.com 500 this week. Now for my quirky fact of the week…The race distance is not 500 miles this week, but 500 kilometers, making the races at Phoenix the only oval races on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule where the race distance is measured by anything other than miles or laps. Starting position is much less important this week than a couple weeks back at Atlanta, as over half of the 37 races at Phoenix have been won from starting spots outside the top 10, including 6 of the last 10 races at the one mile tri-oval in the desert. Lets roll right into my picks this week…

    (more…)

  • On the Edge with Ed: Kurt Busch Edition

    On the Edge with Ed: Kurt Busch Edition

    After an off week for me I decided that I could not stay out of the Kurt Busch debacle. NASCAR announced today that, according to the press release, “effectively immediately, the indefinite suspension of Kurt Busch has been lifted. He is eligible to return to NASCAR racing under indefinite probation subject to additional mandatory requirements that include but are not limited to participation in a treatment program and full compliance with any judicial requirements placed upon him. The decision to lift the suspension was made by NASCAR after Kurt Busch:

    • Complied with all requirements in its reinstatement program;
    • Completed the mandatory behavioral assessment sessions; and
    • The behavioral health care expert who conducted the sessions recommended to NASCAR that Kurt Busch be allowed to return to competition.

    Kurt Busch now will undergo additional steps to address the behavior for which he was penalized.”

    NASCAR’s Executive Vice President Steve O’Donnell said, As we stated last week, the elimination of the possibility of criminal charges removed a significant impediment to Kurt Busch’s return to full status as a NASCAR member. We therefore have decided to move him to indefinite probation and waive the Chase requirement. He has fully complied with our reinstatement program during his suspension and the health care expert who conducted his evaluation recommended his immediate return. We have made it very clear to Kurt Busch our expectations for him moving forward, which includes participation in a treatment program and full compliance with all judicial requirements as a result of his off-track behavior.”

    The same organization that reacted swiftly to a judge’s comments in a civil case between Busch and his ex-girlfriend, Patricia Driscoll, by suspending him indefinitely, just put him on probation indefinitely. It doesn’t make sense to me. If you were at Daytona International Speedway just before the Daytona 500, or in Atlanta or Las Vegas, all mentions of Kurt Busch were removed. Chevrolet, within hours of NASCAR’s announcement regarding the suspension announced that they too were disassociating themselves from Busch. No souvenirs, his name removed from the car, from the garage, from the team. He was gone. So, I need to check with the medical and psychological experts about how quickly “normal” abusers are rehabilitated, if they are at all.  I’m pretty sure that three weeks is pretty close to the record for the shortest successful rehab ever (for those wondering, please note the preceding should be in the sarcastic font).

    Chevrolet severed ties with Busch immediately after his NASCAR suspension but announced Wednesday that they would reinstate their personal services agreement with Busch.

    In a statement released by Jim Campbell, the Chevrolet vice president of performance said, “Now that Kurt Busch has been reinstated by NASCAR and is able to fulfill his obligations associated with our agreement, we have lifted our suspension and will continue to monitor the situation.”

    Driscoll, in a prepared statement said, “Even though Kurt remains on indefinite probation under this decision, I’m deeply concerned about the message NASCAR is sending by letting him compete for the championship after he was found by a judge to have committed an act of domestic violence. But I am gratified, at least, that NASCAR’s decision comes with the mandatory condition that he follow through on the treatment he so clearly needs. My work with the Armed Forces Foundation on veteran treatment courts has made me a strong believer in the rehabilitation process. But it has also taught me that rehabilitation takes time and can only come after you’ve taken full responsibility for your actions. Though this continues to be a difficult time for me, I remain committed to standing up for my integrity and seeking full justice.” Driscoll’s statement seems, to me, an appropriate response to the situation.

    Of course Busch was ecstatic at his reinstatement but he started out a press conference by denying all charges, “It means the world to me to be back in the car,” Busch said. “It’s been a tough situation the last few months, and I’ve gone through this with confidence knowing that I know the truth and that I never did any of the things that I was accused of.  It was a complete fabrication. But it’s unfortunate that my personal life crossed over and affected my business life, but I can’t wait to get to the track, to see my team, to shake their hands and say thanks for the support, and to go out there and make my first lap this weekend. But it’s unfortunate that my personal life crossed over and affected my business life, but I can’t wait to get to the track, to see my team, to shake their hands and say thanks for the support, and to go out there and make my first lap this weekend.” But Busch also noted, “What’s happened so far in court, there’s been no winners.  Everybody has lost on that portion of it.”

    Busch said he understood NASCAR actions, “This is a very serious issue.  I mean, the way that NASCAR reacted, it was different than what we had been told all along.  They were more focused on the criminal side, as were we, but the commissioner’s ruling was not necessarily what was the important factor here.  The important factor is that what I was accused of was a complete fabrication, and I never wavered through this whole process because of the confidence in the truth, and I had the support from Gene Haas and everybody at SHR, and that’s where my focus has been.  It’s been on the racing side of it, and I never lost that confidence and that drive, and so it’s a humbling experience, but it’s made me more focused and determined.”

    Busch also noted, “My reputation will iron itself out in whichever way that it is, but my focus is the race car, and as I move forward, I’m putting my signature above the door of the car, and I’m proud to have my signature on the side of a car that Gene Haas has and to carry his name into victory lane.”

    Stewart-Haas Racing executive vice president Joe Custer issued a statement on behalf of the team, saying, “We appreciate the steps Kurt Busch has made while following NASCAR’s process for reinstatement. He has taken this path seriously, which allowed him to return to our race team.”

    One thing I want to note is that there are two sides to this situation and that the truth lies somewhere in the middle. Many people, fans and media alike, have had bad experiences with Busch. I will say I never had a problem with him at all. I had a very frank conversation with him after a press conference at Watkins Glen where he was very upset with Jimmie Johnson due to some on-track incidents that led up to that race weekend. But all that many recall are his tantrums, in the car, in the garage and even in the media center. His past actions and the multiple acts of forgiveness bestowed upon him will haunt him for the rest of his career. I thought that this suspension would be the end of Kurt Busch and his racing career.  NASCAR and others made it feel that way but the fact that no criminal charges were being filed made people rethink their position. There will always be those that loathe him and those that support him. I think that everyone should give him the benefit of the doubt with this situation.

  • Kurt Busch Will Not Face Criminal Charges

    Kurt Busch Will Not Face Criminal Charges

    Delaware Attorney General Matt Denn’s office announced Thursday morning that they will not file any criminal charges against Kurt Busch. The decision comes after an investigation stemming from allegations made by Busch’s ex-girlfriend, Patricia Driscoll, of domestic assault.

    The Delaware Department of Justice issued a statement indicating that meeting the burden of proof “beyond a reasonable doubt” would have been difficult.

    “The Delaware Department of Justice has carefully reviewed the complaint made of an alleged act of domestic violence involving Kurt Busch in Dover on September 26, 2014, which was reported to the Dover Police Department on November 5, 2014 and investigated.

    “After a thorough consideration of all of the available information about the case, it is determined that the admissible evidence and available witnesses would likely be insufficient to meet the burden of establishing beyond a reasonable doubt that Mr. Busch committed a crime during the September 26th incident.

    “Likelihood of meeting that high burden of proof is the standard for prosecutors in bringing a case. For this reason, the Department of Justice will not pursue criminal charges in this case.”

    Busch is currently under an indefinite suspension issued by NASCAR on Feb. 20, just two days before the season-opening Daytona 500. The suspension came after the Family Court of the State of Delaware issued a detailed opinion of its findings that resulted in an Order of Protection of Abuse against Busch. Busch appealed the suspension but it was upheld on appeal and on Feb. 27 Busch agreed to the terms and conditions set forth by NASCAR to begin the reinstatement process.

    “I am grateful that the prosecutors in Delaware listened, carefully considered the evidence, and after a thorough investigation decided to not file criminal charges against me,” Busch said in a statement. “I wish to thank my family, friends, fans, and race team who stood by me throughout this nightmare with their unwavering support.

    “Thanks also goes to my legal team for making sure that the truth got out and was fully provided to the prosecutors. As I have said from the beginning, I did not commit domestic abuse. I look forward to being back in racing as soon as possible and moving on with my life.”

    Driscoll also issued a statement, saying, “While I respect the process, I am disappointed that full justice was not served here,” Driscoll said in a statement. “My family and I take a measure of solace in the Order of Protection From Abuse granted by (family court) commissioner (David) Jones, who ruled my account of the facts was the most credible.”

    David Higdon, NASCAR Integrated Marketing Communications vice president, responded to this latest development Thursday afternoon with the following statement:

    “NASCAR is aware of the Delaware Department of Justice announcement today regarding driver Kurt Busch. As we disclosed Monday, he has accepted the terms and conditions of a reinstatement program and is actively participating in the program. Kurt Busch’s eligibility for reinstatement will continue to be governed by that program and the NASCAR Rule Book, though the elimination of the possibility of criminal charges certainly removes a significant impediment to his reinstatement.”

    Joe Custer, Stewart-Haas Racing executive vice president, released the following statement, calling the decision an “important one.”

    “We appreciate the thoroughness of the Dover Police Department’s investigation into the allegations made against Kurt Busch and respect the time the Attorney General put into his decision. They are the experts in these matters and the decision not to pursue charges is an important one. We’re currently working with NASCAR to understand how this impacts Kurt’s reinstatement process.”

    Chevrolet announced last month that it had “suspended its relationship with Kurt Busch indefinitely.” Thursday evening, Jim Campbell, Chevrolet vice president of Performance Vehicles and Motorsports, reiterated their stance, stating, “Our relationship with Kurt Busch remains unchanged. He remains suspended, and we will continue to monitor all aspects of this situation.”

     

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Atlanta

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Atlanta

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Joey Logano: Logano won the pole at Atlanta and led 84 laps on his way to a fourth-place finish in the Folds Of Honor 500. He is first in the Sprint Cup points standings, one ahead of Jimmie Johnson.

    “I’m finally realizing my potential,” Logano said. “I believe I can win the Sprint Cup championship. I haven’t been this fast since my departure from Joe Gibbs Racing. I really have to thank Roger Penske for hiring me. Roger’s like a father to me, because he buys me cars and gives me no option but to go fast.”

    2. Kevin Harvick: Harvick started from the rear at Atlanta after an engine change and was strong throughout the day. Unable to chase down Jimmie Johnson, Harvick finished second, his second runner-up finish of the season.

    “It appears that Jimmie Johnson delivers as well,” Harvick said.

    “My No. 4 Jimmy Johns Chevy was great, but we had nothing for the No. 48 car. The No. 4 was ‘freaky fast;’ any car supervised by Chad Knaus is ‘sneaky’ fast. Any car driven by a member of the Mayfield clan is ‘tweaky’ fast. Obviously, that wouldn’t be for delivery; it would be for pickup.”

    3. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson took the lead on lap 305 at Atlanta and pulled away on a restart with 13 laps to go to win the Folds Of Honor 500.

    “My car was super-fast,” Johnson said. “Somebody call the police, because there’s 42 other drivers who will testify that the No. 48 ‘went missing’ in Georgia.

    “I had to start in the back because I never made it to qualifying because of inspection issues. I’ve had a number of rivals in my storied career, but ‘inspection’ has certainly been the toughest, because it’s always been hardest to pass.”

    4. Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Earnhardt finished third in the Folds Of Honor 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, as Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jimmie Johnson took the win.

    “It was a cold day of racing,” Earnhardt said. “Hey, I’m all for a ‘cold one,’ and so are the fans of Junior Nation. On that note, it was an historic day for my fans—it’s the first time they’ve ever called a cooler ‘useless.’

    “I’ve got to hand it to my crew chief Greg Ives for some great calls. Some people thought pairing up with a rookie Cup crew chief would be a bad idea early in the season, and they warned me about the ‘Ives Of March.’”

    5. Kasey Kahne: Kahne started 10th and finished 14th at Atlanta. He is seventh in the points standings, 23 out of first.

    “The temperature was 43 degrees when the green flag dropped,” Kahne said. “NASCAR historians noted that it was the first time ‘Mercury’ has made an impact in the sport in a long time. Jeff Gordon said he hadn’t felt such a chill in the air since his first marriage.”

    6. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth finished fifth at Atlanta, leading the charge for Joe Gibbs Racing.

    “It’s good to hear that Kurt Busch has agreed to NASCAR’s terms for reinstatement,” Kenseth said. “Now, I’m not sure Kurt will have his job back at Stewart Hass Racing upon completion, but I don’t think he’ll have any trouble finding work, especially as a ‘hired gun.’”

    7. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex followed his eighth-place finish at Daytona with a sixth at Atlanta. He is fifth in the Sprint Cup points standings, 13 behind Joey Logano.

    “Furniture Row Racing is making a name for itself,” Truex said, “as is Denver Mattress. What do you call it when a mattress company pays you to advertise on your car? ‘Lying down on the job.’”

    8. Casey Mears: After a sixth at Daytona, Mears posted a solid 15th at Atlanta and is now sixth in the Sprint Cup points standings, 20 points out of first.

    “I think it’s too early for me to start thinking ‘championship,’” Mears said. “I don’t want to get ‘too far ahead of myself.’ Evryone knows I can’t hold a lead, even over myself.”

    9. AJ Allmendinger: Allmendinger finished seventh at Atlanta, driving the No. 47 JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet in the top 10.

    “My major sponsor is Clorox, the No. 1 cleaning product in the world,” Allmendinger said.”Thusly, my diehard fans are known as the ‘Bleacher Bums.’ They’re a little hard to recognize amongst the rest of NASCAR’s fans, because just like everyone else,the Bums are all white.

    “Did you hear? May 9th’s Sprint Cup race in Kansas will be called the ‘SpongeBob SquarePants 400.’ Kevin Harvick and the voice of Fox’s NASCAR coverage are doubly ecstatic. They’re saying ‘Happy Happy! Joy Joy!’”

    10. Carl Edwards: Edwards posted a solid 12th in the Folds Of Honor 500, joining Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Matt Kenseth, who finished fifth, in the top 12.

    “I’ve got a new team,” Edwards said, “and new teammates. I’m the new guy, so I have a lot of questions for my new teammates, and they’ve all been great. Matt Kenseth said I don’t even have to raise my hand when I have a question.”

  • Kurt Busch Begins NASCAR Reinstatement Program

    Kurt Busch Begins NASCAR Reinstatement Program

    Kurt Busch, who was suspended by NASCAR on Feb. 20, will actively pursue reinstatement. He agreed to NASCAR’s terms and conditions last Friday to begin the process.

    Busch was indefinitely suspended after Kent County (Del.) Family Court Commissioner David Jones issued a protective order against Busch that concluded that Busch “more likely than not” committed an act of domestic violence against his ex-girlfriend, Patricia Driscoll, last September.

    The suspension came after it was determined that Busch was in violation of NASCAR rules:

    Section 12.1.a: Actions detrimental to stock car racing.

    Section 12.8:    Behavior Penalty

    David Higdon, NASCAR Integrated Marketing Communications vice president, said Monday morning that the reinstatement program is “very much tailored to each individual case,” but did not divulge the specific requirements that NASCAR has set forth for Busch. He also stated that the sanctioning body consulted with outside experts to formulate a set of terms and conditions that Busch must meet and added that there was not a specified date for his potential return to NASCAR Sprint Cup competition.

    “There are certain things that need to happen within a certain period of time, but there’s no timetable in terms of a return perspective,” Higdon explained. ”Secondly, before we put this in place when we worked with the experts on it, they were very adamant about saying the most important thing if you pursue any type of action in this area that you need to have a return-back program. That was why this was atop of our list as soon as the penalty was assessed; our next course of action was to clearly get in front of him the terms and conditions for the reinstatement of the license.”

    Joe Custer, executive vice president at Stewart-Haas Racing, issued a statement, saying, “We understand Kurt Busch has begun the process for reinstatement as a NASCAR member. NASCAR has laid out its expectations for Kurt, and while there is no timetable to meet those expectations, Kurt’s willingness to embrace the conditions set forth by NASCAR is a positive step that we support.”

    Stewart-Haas Racing has named Regan Smith as interim driver in the No. 41 Haas Automation Chevrolet for the third consecutive week in the upcoming Sprint Cup Series race this weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Smith finished in 16th place in the Daytona 500 and captured a 17th place finish last weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Daytona

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Daytona

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Joey Logano: Logano surged to the lead late at Daytona and held off Kevin Harvick, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Denny Hamlin to win his first 500.

    “Oh what a feeling,” Logano said. “I feel like this win validates my nickname. So, this is the greatest thing, hence ‘Sliced Bread.’ And enrollment in my fan club, ‘Flour Power,’ is growing exponentially.

    “I guess I have to thank my father, Tom Logano, for much of my success. I fondly remember fondly being strapped unwillingly to the seat of a midget car at a very young age. I guess that was my introduction to racing ‘restraint’ systems.”

    2. Kevin Harvick: Harvick finished second in a tightly-contested Daytona 500, taking the runner-up spot behind Joey Logano.

    “Logano is lucky I couldn’t get close to his bumper,” Harvick said. “After what he did to me in the Sprint Unlimited, I owed him. But I’m sure Joey doesn’t want to mess with me. To Logano, I’m like a weight scale to Tony Stewart—-he wants no part of it. If you’re gonna tell Tony to ‘step on it,’ you might want to be very specific.”

    3. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin started 42nd and methodically worked his way to the front and into position for a last-lap run at Joey Logano. Hamlin came up short for the win, but posted a solid fourth as Toyota’s top finisher.

    “I tangled with Danica Patrick in the second Gatorade Duel,” Hamlin said. “I found out that there’s only one thing worse than racing with Danica, and that’s talking to her.”

    4. Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Earnhardt led 32 laps and fell back late before a strong, final charge gave him a third-place finish. On a restart with 19 laps to go, Earnhardt lost the draft and was shuffled back to 19th before charging back to the front.

    “I let down the fans of Junior Nation,” Earnhardt said. “When I fell back, you could hear the collective gasp emanate from the mouths of the Nation. What’s worse, you could smell it.”

    5. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson overcame an early drive-through penalty, charging from the back of the field to claim fifth, joining Hendrick teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr., who finished third, in the top five.

    “At first,” Johnson said, “NASCAR officials wouldn’t tell us why we were being penalized. Usually, they can’t wait to tell us what we did wrong.

    “We were penalized for having too many men over the wall,” Johnson said. “As we found out, it’s easier to get over the wall than get over the hump.”

    6. Jeff Gordon: Gordon won the pole and dominated early, leading 87 laps at Daytona, but found himself mired in traffic late and vulnerable to the inevitable accident. It happened on the final lap, when the No. 24 was clipped and spun by Austin Dillon. Gordon finished 33rd.

    “That’s certainly not what I meant when I said this would be my last ‘go-round,’” Gordon said.

    “But let’s be serious. Do you really think I’ll never race in a 500 again? I just got a retirement gift from Mark Martin. It’s a shirt that says, ‘Retirement is for quitters.’”

    7. Clint Bowyer: Bowyer gave Joey Logano a push to the front late at Daytona, a lead Logano maintained while Bowyer finished seventh.

    “Penske drivers are always getting a ‘push’ when they least expect it,” Bowyer said. “I don’t think Logano’s been pushed that hard by anyone except his father. Ton Logano is the Joe Jackson of NASCAR.”

    8. Casey Mears: Mears finished sixth at Daytona after starting 41st, giving Germain Racing a huge boost to start the season.

    “The No. 13 car is sponsored by Geico,” Mears said. “Usually, when you see a reptile in NASCAR, you’re looking at one of the repulsive track owners.

    “A good showing for me at Daytona always draws comparisons to my more famous uncle, Indy car great Rick Mears. I like to tell myself I’m just like him, and I am—he never won a Daytona 500, either.”

    9. Greg Biffle: Biffle quietly finished 10th at Daytona after qualifying eighth and avoiding trouble throughout the day. Biffle was the top finisher for Roush Fenway Racing, as Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Trevor Bayne finished 29th and 30th, respectively.

    “With Carl Edwards gone,” Biffle said, “I’m now the face of RFR. And that’s scary.”

    10. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex finished eighth at Daytona, giving Furniture Row Racing a strong start to the 2015 season.

    “We had a great run,” Truex said, “and it was great publicity for Furniture Row. By the way, Furniture Row has some of the best furnishings in the business, especially our tables, which are varnished to a brilliant sheen. You could say they all come with a ‘top 10 finish.’”

  • Hot 20 – Weights and measurements not a good Jeopardy category for Logano

    Hot 20 – Weights and measurements not a good Jeopardy category for Logano

    Three of last Sunday’s top drivers failed to make the cut simply due to not being registered to run for Cup points. Regan Smith, Matt Crafton, and Johnny Sauter all were within the Top Twenty, but their focus is on one of the other two national series. Smith will be kept busy, though, as he sits in for the suspended Kurt Busch. Considering the ride was especially created by Gene Haas for Busch to wear his company colors, one has to wonder about the long-term fate of the No. 41.

    What is 3100 pounds yet weighs in at under a ton? It appears Logano did not just have the winning ride at Daytona…he had a magic car.

    The Hot 20 after Daytona

    1. Joey Logano – 1 Win – 47 Points
    Daytona 500 winner provided a “ton” of laughs on Letterman.

    2. Kevin Harvick – 42 Points
    If only it were the Daytona 505, all green, all of the time.

    3. Dale Earnhardt Jr – 42 Points
    A late change to the slow lane proved costly.

    4. Denny Hamlin – 41 Points
    Got yelled at so much, he thought he was Stenhouse for a moment.

    5. Jimmie Johnson – 40 Points
    Car was fast at Daytona, his pit crew even faster.

    6. Casey Mears – 39 Points
    Car just got better and better thanks to a Bootie call…or two.

    7. Clint Bowyer – 37 Points
    If you cannot be the man to beat the man, be the man who makes the man unbeatable.

    8. Martin Truex Jr – 37 Points
    Last year he was no Kurt Busch, this year that is a good thing.

    9. Greg Biffle – 35 Points
    This season you can discover “What’s Buggin’ Biffle.”

    10. Kasey Kahne – 35 Points
    Won just once in 2014, but Atlanta was the place.

    11. David Gi_ _i _ and – 33 Points
    I’ll take an “L”, Pat Sajack.

    12. Michael Annett – 32 Points
    14th on Thursday, 13th on Sunday, a Top Ten in Atlanta?

    13. Sam Hornish Jr – 32 Points
    Welcome back to Cup, Sam.

    14. Austin Dillon – 30 Points
    The No. 3 now driven by the man in the black hat.

    15. Aric Almirola – 29 Points
    Somewhere there has to be someone named Eric Elmirola.

    16. David Ragan – 27 Points
    Loaned out by Front Row to sit in for Kyle at Gibbs.

    17. A.J. Allmendinger – 25 Points
    No sponsor, no Sprint Unlimited.

    18. Danica Patrick – 23 Points
    Kurt sits, Tony wrecks, and Danica gets a written warning. Thank God for Harv.

    19. Carl Edwards – 22 Points
    Is there a doctor in the house? Why yes, yes there is.

    20. Cole Whitt – 22 Points
    Good funding stems from good finishes. I hope this helps.

  • On the Edge with Ed

    On the Edge with Ed

    It’s time for me to get back to covering NASCAR as I have for the past 10 years. As an editor at www.speedwaymedia.com I spend a lot of time behind the scene trying to bring everyone quality coverage on all sorts of motorsports. I must note that coverage of the sport has changed significantly since I started in what was the last century.  Many print publications have gone away and with those changes we have lost some incredible talent. I can recall when internet racing sites were frowned upon by the sanctioning body, not supported by the tracks or sponsors.  So much has changed in how the fans interact with teams, sponsors and drivers. Who would have thought that you could actually get a message to a driver in just a few seconds by “tweeting” them?  So I decided that I would start up a weekly column, “On the Edge.” I will not always cover the obvious.  I may just recap, as I am this week because so much happened during 2015 Speedweeks in Daytona.

    DAYTONA RECAP: The 2015 NASCAR season roared to life just a couple of weekends ago with the Sprint Unlimited. The non-points paying event is usually chaotic and this year’s edition was no exception. The field saw at least three significant wrecks that saw only 12 survive all 75 laps of the race. Matt Kenseth won the race but there were some disgruntled drivers after the race including Kevin Harvick who felt he was run over by Joey Logano. “He just drove us straight in the fence,” Harvick said post race. Everybody is trying to be aggressive, but you still have to know when and where you can do things. You can’t just drive somebody in the fence. Whether it is an all-star race or not, it doesn’t really matter, you can’t just take your head off and throw it on the floorboard and not use your brain. Like I told him last year that kind of stuff catches up with you. It caught up with him last year and you can only do things like that so long before it catches up with you.”

    The drama just continued on the following day when it came time for the Sprint Cup cars to qualify, shoot-out style. There were multiple wrecks during the sessions and eventually team Hendrick made up the front row with Jeff Gordon taking the pole award and Jimmie Johnson taking second. Gordon had announced previously that this would be his final Daytona 500. With all the wrecked race cars many teams were unhappy with the format, including Martin Truex Jr. who said, “My thoughts are they need to do something different. I don’t know, it just doesn’t seem like it’s a good show. It’s not fun. It’s kind of chaos. I don’t know, seeing cars get tore up and other stuff. I’m not a fan of it, but hey, it is what it is. It’s fun at every other race track, it’s just plate tracks we need to figure something else out.”

    On the Monday after qualifying things began to get bizarre as NASCAR announced that they were aware of the ruling in a civil matter regarding some domestic violence allegations against beleaguered Stewart-Haas driver Kurt Busch. The announcement was they were “waiting on the full findings from the commissioner and any actions by the Attorney General.” We fast forward to Friday afternoon, when the commissioners’ findings were released, and Kurt Busch is indefinitely suspended from NASCAR participation. By Saturday he has lost all appeals and he is erased from existence in souvenir haulers and on the team cars and gear. For the record, no actions were taken by the attorney general and I am old enough to know and understand, that the reality of what happened in the privacy of that motor coach lot, lies somewhere in between the testimonies of Busch and his ex-girlfriend.

    We had on-track festivities that got out of hand, when Danica Patrick and Denny Hamlin had issues during  a practice session and more importantly the qualifying race on Thursday that had Patrick nearly missing NASCAR’s big event. Patrick was clearly upset and got in Hamlin’s face after the race but as one would expect, nothing more came of it. More significantly both the Camping World Truck Series and newly named Xfinity Series races were wreck fests that saw Sprint Cup driver Kyle Busch sent to the hospital with a compound fracture to his right leg and a left broken foot. Daytona International Speedway president Joie Chitwood took responsibility for the track not having all track walls covered with the SAFER barrier and vowed to have it fixed immediately. No timetable for Busch’s return to his No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing team was discussed as this went to press.

    JOEY LOGANO – In 2007 I had the pleasure of meeting a young up and coming star named Joey Logano at a local track on the outskirts of the Adirondack Mountains. He was just 17 years old and had already won three races in the NASCAR Busch North Series. He was an extremely personable young man and I recall that the customary pre-race autograph session was extended due to the large crowd that was present not only to watch him race, but to meet him. During the race Logano, who started on the pole due to him being the points leader, faded back to third or fourth place as he struggled to figure out the D shaped track. He had fought his way to third when the white flag was flying and as the leaders battled side by side coming off turn four they touched and began to spin out and Logano pounced, diving low in a remarkable fashion, keeping it on the track and taking the checkered flag. I recall looking at my friend who was with me in the pits and say, like others before me, ‘that kid is the real deal!’

    In 2009 when Logano was a rookie with Joe Gibbs Racing I had an opportunity to speak with him about that race at the Adirondack Speedway. At the time Logano had a lot to say about Adirondack. “Adirondack was nowhere!” he said a bit loudly when I asked.  “It’s one of a kind.” But he also recalled it took some time to learn how to get around the place. “That was one of the most frustrating places I have been to,” he said.  “I remember we started practice there and I was off a little bit and I was mad. I mean you never stop turning. You turn the wheel here (motions to the left) and that’s it. You never get full throttle or anything. I was trying to get full throttle, I was over driving it. I came in and they’re like, ‘What’s the deal, Joey?’ and I said, ‘I don’t freaking know!’  I got out of the car and I was like, ‘I just don’t know. I don’t know what to tell you.’ I went and watched the other cars to see what the heck they were doing; I got back in the car and tried again. Qualifying rained out and I got the pole so I’m like, ‘I’m cool with that.’” Logano mentioned that Matt Kobyluck, a Busch Series East veteran, had the place figured out. “So did I by the end,” he explained. Logano’s last lap pass as the two leaders got tangled up with a lapped car coming to the checkered flag was one of the most exciting finishes of the NASCAR races held there. Logano said he looked fondly upon his days in the series and his interactions with the fans. “Of course it was all worthwhile with the fans, he said smiling. “They’re fans, real good fans. We had autograph sessions before every race. That was kind of cool, to meet the fans.”

    Things looked bleak for Logano after a few disappointing years in the No. 20 car and he needed a new home. He found it at Penske where he is teamed up with 2013 Sprint Cup champion Brad Keselowski. Logano was one of the final four cars that were in the hunt for the Sprint Cup at Homestead last November after a breakout season for him. He had five wins and led almost 1,000 laps in 2014 and he began living up to the nick-name veteran Mark Martin had given him when he was a teenager, “sliced bread.”

    One weekend into the 2015 season and Logano has secured himself in the final 16 cars that will go for the 2015 edition of the Chase for the Sprint Cup, the new playoff system that started last season and eliminates participants from contention based on performance. He did that by winning the Daytona 500, the second youngest driver ever to win it. Something that is hard to believe since he’s been driving in the Sprint Cup Series for so long.