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  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Sonoma

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Sonoma

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Kyle Larson: Larson started from the pole, his fourth of the year, but struggled at Sonoma on his way to a 26th at the California road course.

    “Much is said of the elevation changes on Sonoma’s 2.52-mile road course,” Larson said. “I would tend to agree, especially after starting on the pole and finishing 26th. Because apparently, it was all downhill.”

    2. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex started third in the Toyota/Save Mart 350 and won the first stage before a late engine failure ended his day at Sonoma. He finished 37th and dropped out of the top spot in the Monster Energy Cup points standings.

    “I could tell something was wrong with the car,” Truex said. “It just didn’t sound right. Unlike Ryan Newman, I don’t need a college degree in ‘engine-ear-ing‘ to be able to detect a sour engine with my ears.”

    3. Kevin Harvick: Harvick took charge late at Sonoma to win the Toyota/Save Mart 350, taking his first win of 2017 and first road course win of his Cup career.

    “I had a whopping nine second lead before the race ended under caution,” Harvick said. “That’s certainly not what NASCAR was hoping for. They wanted it ‘closer;’ instead, they got the ‘Closer.’

    And speaking of ‘nine seconds,’ I had about that many runner-up finishes last season.”

    4. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson finished 13th in the Toyota/Save Mart 350, and is seventh in the points standings, 176 behind Kyle Larson.

    “Chad Knaus had his laptop stolen recently,” Johnson said. “That laptop had his race notes for the race at Sonoma, and we needed those to maximize our performance. So, that made for a very ‘hard drive’ on Sunday.”

    5. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski finished third at Sonoma, posting his eighth top-five finish of the season. He is sixth in the points standings, 164 out of first.

    “I’m being mentioned as the most likely replacement for Dale Earnhardt Jr. at Hendrick Motorsports,” Keselowski said. “If Penske Racing wants to keep me, then they should pay me what I’m worth. If not, then I’ll be sure to make the move to Hendrick with my belongings in a Penske moving truck.”

    6. Kyle Busch: Still in search of his first win this season, Busch finished fifth at Sonoma, joining Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin, who finished fourth, in the top five.

    “I’m certainly disappointed,” Busch said. “I’m arguably the most talented driver in NASCAR, yet I don’t have a single win this season. There are 11 drivers with wins this season, and I’m not one of them. So, where victories are concerned, my record, much like my complexion, pales in comparison.”

    7. Chase Elliott: Elliott posted his ninth top 10 of the year with an eighth at Sonoma. He is fifth in the Monster Energy Cup points standings but has yet to capture a win this season.

    “Alon Day became the first Israeli driver to start a race at NASCAR’s highest level,” Elliott said. “That’s great to see. Now, all he needs is a beer sponsor. If there’s not already a low-calorie beer named ‘Israel Lite,’ there needs to be.”

    8. Jamie McMurray: McMurray started second at Sonoma alongside Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Kyle Larson and raced to a 10th-place finish in the Monster Energy Cup series first road course race of the season.

    “If you’ve ever raced at Sonoma,” McMurray said, “you understand the importance of monitoring your brakes. Brake wear is basically a common thread across all forms of racing. In fact, if you’re a fan of Formula 1, you are no doubt familiar with the impact of ‘brake checking.’”

    9. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin finished fourth in the Toyota/Save Mart 350 after a late charge at Sonoma.

    “Former teammate Carl Edwards says he doesn’t miss racing and has no plans to end his retirement,” Hamlin said. “I think that’s smart on Carl’s part. I’m sure if he returned, he would end up retiring once again. Then we could call Carl the ‘cousin twice removed.’”

    10. Joey Logano: Logano finished 12th at Sonoma and is now 10th in the points standings.

    “Kevin Harvick and Kyle Larson were both born in California,” Logano said. “So both the race winner and pole sitter were very motivated to do well in their home state. Well, the driver known as ‘Sliced Bread’ made a name for himself in the great state of Connecticut. You could say I was born and ‘bread’ there.”

  • The Final Word – Tradition is fine, but at Sonoma some followed their own course on that road

    The Final Word – Tradition is fine, but at Sonoma some followed their own course on that road

    As we were reminded by Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof, tradition contributes a lot to our society. However, sometimes we like to change things up. Sometimes we have to.

    Gentlemen, start your engines. That is what was customarily said prior to races, but no longer. You probably thought that was due to a woman being in the field. Nope. There are just not enough gentlemen. Just ask Danica Patrick. She was cruising along in sixth in the opening stage when Dale Earnhardt Jr. lost traction, slid through the hairpin turn at Sonoma, and sat across the track. She collided with him. Of course, it was an accident, but it also was not very gentlemanly.

    Later, the boys were crowding into another turn. Junior and Kyle Larson made contact, domino’d into Patrick, who spun. Again, not very gentlemanly. She spun right in front of Ricky Stenhouse Jr. That ended the day for the boyfriend, as Patrick finished 17th in an event that promised to be better.

    There are 20 bonus points up for grabs each race, not counting the World 600. Some, like Martin Truex Jr., enjoy collecting those points and the additional playoff markers that winning a stage delivers. Sometimes, that is about the only thing you come away with. Truex won the opening stage but saw his engine expire in the third. He finished last, but he did collect 11 points on the day.

    Some want the bonus points, and some could not care less. Everything Kevin Harvick did on the day, especially their pit strategy, was to be there up front in the end. No bonus except what comes with winning. It was Harvick’s first win of the season, the 36th of his career and his first on a road course. The win turned a very likely playoff appearance into almost a sure thing.

    Harvick got the win, chalked up 40 points for the race, but others collected more. Denny Hamlin (fourth) managed 46 and Brad Keselowski (third) earned 43 to pad their own collections. Just as 40+ points equates into a good day, below 20 means things could have gone better. We already talked about Truex, but Larson had the pole, finished third in the opening stage, but finished 26th. Same low grades for Erik Jones and Trevor Bayne.

    Of note was the runner-up finish of Clint Bowyer. He pops four points ahead of Matt Kenseth in the fight for that final Chase berth, and within seven of Joey Logano. Ten are locked in with wins, leaving six presently open to being determined by points. There are just 10 races to go to see if someone might break some hearts.

    Some break hearts, some help break your bank account. If I were a crew chief, I would insist on the crew being part of my family. Kyle Busch, who lost one crew chief due to suspension for no lug nuts, might lose his replacement for missing a pair of them at Sonoma. At least if my sons were my tire changers, I could deduct the fines coming my way from their inheritance. There is an idea for a new family tradition.

    Dale Earnhardt Jr. could be a heart breaker next week. He might be just 22nd in points, but a win would certainly shake things up as he wraps up his career. Just as a win at Sonoma did wonders for Tony Stewart in his final season, same goes for Earnhardt. Why would I put forth Junior as a possible winner at Daytona? Tradition, of course.

    Tradition!

  • 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.

     

  • The Final Word – Larson wins on a Michigan Fathers’ Day as Bowyer slips down the ladder

    The Final Word – Larson wins on a Michigan Fathers’ Day as Bowyer slips down the ladder

    Popular. Iconic. A “must be in” race. If that is what you were looking for, you were disappointed. A 37-car field was the smallest in 21 years. Tight, pack racing, the kind that leaves you swooning each and every lap. If that is what you were looking for, sorry, Sonoma is coming up next weekend. No, this week it was Michigan.

    About the only exciting moment in the early going came when Erik Jones pulled in under green during the opening segment due to loose lug nuts. That stop dropped him to 37th, a lap down. Would we seem him again? The odds were not in his favor.

    Two segments, two “wins” for Martin Truex Jr. Ten times he has done it, and of his point total, 100 of them have come due to taking a race segment. If the boy runs well, the boy earns the bonus. Would he win the race? Up to the final stage, only Kyle Larson and Kyle Busch seemed like the main challengers. Kevin Harvick, Denny Hamlin, Clint Bowyer and Matt Kenseth were making some noise up to that point, but only time would tell if they would be a factor when it counted.

    By the time we had 14 laps to go, Chase Elliott had entered the picture. Ryan Blaney was in the vicinity. Jamie McMurray also used some pit strategy to poke his nose in, along with Daniel Suarez. Bowyer took his nose out of it as he ground down the right side of his car against the fence. One more pit stop, one more opportunity to provide some excitement.

    Sunday was Father’s Day. I spent some time with my father-in-law, Jack Clements, and my dad, the original Ron Thornton. I hope you were able to spend some time celebrating with your pop or being celebrated for being one. After spending some quality time with your loved ones, this would have been the time to turn the tube on to watch the conclusion of the race. If you had missed the opening 186 laps, trust me, you can forgive yourself.

    With 10 to go, Blaney’s car started to run in some molasses after getting loose, stacking the field. You just knew that somebody was going to get punted. When Bubba Wallace Jr. turned Suarez, he found himself straightened out by the lady on his inside. You just knew that Danica Patrick was not going to be a happy camper, as she crunched the inside barrier.

    They re-started with five to run, and that is when Larson checked out. He was number one, Elliott was number two, and the rest were somewhere behind. It was win number two for Larson on the season, while Hamlin (fourth), Truex (sixth), and Rowdy (seventh) all had 40-plus point days.

    Both Joey Logano and Hamlin slip past Bowyer in the standings. Thanks to having five drivers behind him in points holding wins, Bowyer now drops out of a Chase position into 17th place. That means he heads to Sonoma seven points behind his two rivals, and for him points mean everything. At least, unless he wins.

    Now it is time to enjoy a popular, iconic, a “must be in” contest that features driving door to door, fender to fender racing. They add the right turns to the lefts out in California, as they head just north of San Francisco. Last year’s winner at Sonoma will be cheering on the 2012 race winner, as team owner Tony Stewart hopes his boy Bowyer can claim the prize once again.

    As for you and me, this is a race we might actually have to watch. It might even be one you can invite your dad to watch with you.

     

  • 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.”

  • 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.

  • The Final Word – It was the thrill of victory at Pocono for one, but first a lot had to suffer the agony of defeat

    The Final Word – It was the thrill of victory at Pocono for one, but first a lot had to suffer the agony of defeat

    If you were looking for tight pack racing, Pocono was not it. However, if you wanted to see variations of the old Wide World of Sports “agony of defeat” scenario, that it had.

    Bubba Wallace, Jr. got his first Cup ride sitting in for the injured Aric Almirola. His opening act was a lot similar to an actor stepping out from behind the curtain for the first time, only to fall off the stage. Wallace got caught speeding on pit road twice in the opening stage, including his penalty pass through. He went down a lap early, and stayed there, coming home 26th.

    Clint Bowyer saw his tail end slip slide away on him to brush the fence. He never threatened, yet finished on the lead lap in 17th.

    Dale Earnhardt Jr. picked up a bad habit in his 609th career race. As you accelerate, shifting from third to fourth saves the engine. Shifting from third to second kills it. Junior did it twice. Once in practice, once during the second stage. Same result; 38th was to be his fate.

    Jimmie Johnson and Jamie McMurray are what I might call fitness freaks. They do freaky things together, like a Saturday bicycle ride, for example. They got caught in the rain and probably skipped the Piña coladas after that exercise trek got washed out. On Sunday, they had brake failures within a couple of seconds and a few yards apart. Johnson had his chimes rung a bit while McMurray needed to evacuate his burning auto. Now you know who finished just ahead of Junior.

    Kevin Harvick was in his 588th race. Near the end of the second segment, he did the same damn thing Junior did. Fortunately for him, a quick tap on the clutch saved his bacon, along with a very stoutly built engine. It was a death watch for smoke and flames that proved to be a tad premature.

    After Kasey Kahne brought out a late caution, we had Kyle Busch on point, with Ryan Blaney just behind him with 13 to go. Three laps later, Blaney finally managed to avoid the blocks and took over the lead, but he had company. As Rowdy faded to ninth, it was Harvick, abused engine and all, making this a race to the line. In the end, it was Dave Blaney’s son coming through to do something his dad could only come close to accomplishing in 473 starts and claim a Cup victory.

    It was a great day for Blaney and Harvick, a good one points-wise for the Busch boys (Kurt was fourth), Kyle Larson, Brad Keselowski, and Chase Elliott. However, if we have just seven more drivers winning their first of the season over the next dozen races, points will not mean as much as they used it.

    An encumbered win means nothing, so that leaves Joey Logano 16th in the standings, just three points up on Matt Kenseth. Michigan is next, and with the pair having won two of the past three runs at the track, it might be a time for one of those other Wide World of Sports moments. You know, the “thrill of victory.”

  • Kyle Busch Fastest in Final Practice at Pocono

    Kyle Busch Fastest in Final Practice at Pocono

    Kyle Busch topped the chart in final Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice at Pocono Raceway.

    The driver of the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota was the fastest with a time of 51.305 and a speed of 175.421 mph. Brad Keselowski was second in his No. 2 Team Penske Ford with a time of 51.345 and a speed of 175.285 mph. Kyle Larson was third in his No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet with a time of 51.367 and a speed of 175.210 mph. Chase Elliott was fourth in his No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet with a time of 51.406 and a speed of 175.077 mph. Kevin Harvick rounded out the top-five in his No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford with a time of 51.414 and a speed of 175.050 mph.

    Kurt Busch, Ryan Newman, Jimmie Johnson, Kasey Kahne and Joey Logano rounded out the top-10.

    Harvick posted the fastest 10 consecutive lap average at a speed of 172.442 mph.

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  • Kyle Busch Soars to Coors Light Pole at Pocono

    Kyle Busch Soars to Coors Light Pole at Pocono

    LONG POND, Pa. — Running his fastest lap of the day in the final round of Friday’s knockout qualifying, Kyle Busch won the pole position for Sunday’s Axalta presents the Pocono 400 at Pocono Raceway (3 p.m. ET on FS1) by a comfortable margin.

    The only driver to top 179 mph in three rounds of time trials, Busch covered the 2.5-mile distance at the triangular track in 50.237 seconds (179.151 mph) to earn his second Coors Light Pole Award of the season, his third at Pocono and the 21st of his career.

    In the money round, Busch powered his No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota to a .171-second over fellow Camry driver Martin Truex Jr. (178.543 mph). As the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series regular season enters its second half, Busch and Truex, the series leader, will start 1-2 for their second straight race, having qualified first and second, respectively, at Dover.

    Despite slipping slightly at the entrance to Turn 3, Busch gained substantial time through that corner.

    “I thought I got through Turn 1 pretty good,” said Busch, whose crew chief, Adam Stevens, is serving a four-week suspension because the left rear tire on Busch’s car fell off (because of unattached lugs) during the team’s first pit stop last week at Dover. “I thought I got through Turn 2 just OK, and entering Turn 3, I felt I slipped a little too much, actually.

    “As it stopped slipping, I was like, ‘Wow, it’s got great grip right now — go!’ I was able to get the gas down and stick really well off Turn 3. I did notice that I was able to shift early and felt like I got a really good exit there. I didn’t know how good a lap it was going to be. It took forever to pop up on my screen.

    “And once they said it was a 50.20, I said ‘Well, that’s faster than the last round. Hopefully, that’s good enough.’”

    Matt Kenseth qualified third, as Toyotas grabbed the top three spots on the grid. The three Fords of Ryan Blaney, Kurt Busch and Brad Keselowski followed in fourth through sixth. Kyle Larson, who ran the fastest lap in the first round (178.625 mph), was seventh in his No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet.

    “The first round was really good for us,” Larson said. “Our Target Chevy drove really nice. I didn’t even feel like I was driving hard. So, the second round, I tried to get a little more, and I just got loose into (Turn) 1 and screwed up my whole lap.

    “And then the third round there, I backed my entry up into (Turn) 1 and still got loose in but was able to get to the bottom, and then I just got really tight off of (Turn) 1 and it killed my lap. Turns 2 and 3 are pretty good, but I just killed it there in Turn 1.”

    Jamie McMurray, Joey Logano and Ryan Newman were eighth, ninth and 10th.

    Dale Earnhardt Jr. will start at the rear of the field after over-revving his engine during Friday’s opening practice, necessitating a change of the power plant. Under NASCAR’s one-engine rule, that means a mandatory start at the back.

    “I blew the engine up,” Earnhardt explained in a tweet. “Went into 2nd gear (aiming for fourth) and grenaded it. Will have to start last Sunday… Our rev limiter is 9500. It turned 12,615 before it gave up.”

    Earnhardt ran one lap in the first round of qualifying and was 28th fastest, but he will drop to the rear for the green flag.

    “If there’s a race track you’ve got to start in the back and not have a very good pit selection, this is the one to do that at,” Earnhardt said after his run. “Since we’re required to start on the tires we qualify on, we really just planned on making one lap. We went out there and we had our car set-up like we are going to try to start tomorrow (for practice) in race trim.

    “We just went out there and made one single lap to really kind of get a directional idea of where we want to go tomorrow. It allowed us to take pictures of our car and know where the travels and everything is. That way we don’t put any more laps on our tires that we have to start on Sunday.”

    Race lineup