Testing SpeedwayMedia.com

Tag: kyle busch

Kyle Busch Victorious in Trucks at Martinsville

MARTINSVILLE, Va.– Kyle Busch can now say he owns a Martinsville grandfather clock after scoring the Truck victory at the Virginia paperclip.

The driver of the No. 18 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota led 123 of the 255 laps on his way to scoring the win in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Alpha Energy Solutions 250 at Martinsville Speedway. It’s his 45th career victory in the series and first at Martinsville in any series.

Busch spoke about the significance of the win.

“I’ve got a couple owner’s ones (grandfather clock trophies), but never one of my own, so this is just a day that we’ve been looking for for a long, long time. We just haven’t never necessarily had all the pieces go together like they should have and I didn’t know that the pieces we’re going to go together today either the way all them cautions were kind of playing out, the way tire strategy was playing out, when to pit, when not to pit, how to do all of that. Wes (Ward, crew chief) and I we both leaned on each other and we both had no idea, so we just dumbed into this I think, but it all worked out, so this Toyota Tundra was awesome.

“All the guys at KBM (Kyle Busch Motorsports), KBM chassis, NOS, TRD (Toyota Racing Development), Joe Gibbs Racing Engines – appreciate them – Camping World, of course, the fans – it’s neat to win here at Martinsville. I love when they do it up here on the front stretch for everyone to be up close and personal.”

John Hunter Nemechek finished runner-up in his No. 8 NEMCO Motorsports Chevrolet. Busch’s teammate, William Byron, finished third in his No. 9 KBM Toyota.

“I was able to hang tough on the outside,” Nemechek said, “get around William (Byron) there at the end. That was the big key for us to finish second — if not we were probably going to lose a couple spots.

“Those restarts were hectic at the end. I just kept spinning the tires on the restarts. We’ve got to go back and look at some things. I could never get to Kyle.”

Nemechek leaves Martinsville with a three-point lead over Parker Kligerman, who finished in eighth place.

Kyle Larson led 79 laps on his way to a fourth-place finish in his No. 24 GMS Racing Chevrolet while Timothy Peters rounded out the top-five in his No. 17 Red Horse Racing Toyota.

Spencer Gallagher finished sixth in his No. 23 GMSR Chevrolet followed by Matt Crafton who finished seventh in his No. 88 ThorSport Racing Toyota and Parker Kligerman in eighth in his No. 92 Ricky Benton Racing Ford. Cameron Hayley led 11 laps on his way to a ninth-place finish in his No. 13 TSR Toyota and Rico Abreu rounded out the top-10 in his No. 98 TSR Toyota.

The race lasted two hours, 10 minutes and 12 seconds at an average speed of 61.811 mph. There were eight lead changes among four different drivers and 11 cautions for 66 laps. There were two red flags for a total of 13 minutes and 12 seconds. Nemechek leaves with a three-point lead over Kligerman in the points standings.

Complete Finishing Order – NCWTS Alpha Energy Solutions 250 at Martinsville Speedway

April 2, 2016
Hot 20 of the 40 making their way to the truly traditional race at Martinsville

A full field. I may be a traditionalist in many ways, but a 40 car field seems about right to me now. It costs money to put a car on the track, to fit the templates, to run fast enough over a lap or two to qualify. That is even so when that auto is destined to simply start and park.

Three fewer starting spots means an entry that has no intention to try will soon enough whither and die. It becomes too much of a gamble, leaving it to teams like the Wood Brothers, Premium, and the Motorsports Group to fill up any void, to grow, to matter. The No. 55 Premium owned car of Reed Sorenson makes its season debut. The 39 others have all attempted every race, with the No. 30 of Josh Wise and the No. 98 of Cole Whitt only missing the start at Daytona.

If I were a strict traditionalist, I would love races decided by laps instead of inches, but I do not. A traditionalist would want a return to old stock cars, open masked helmets, a monkey in the cockpit or even concrete walls. I do not. What I want is to have Joe, Fireball, Tiny, Bobby, J.D., Clifford, John, Adam, Kenny, and Dale back.

A traditionalist would subscribe to the notion that a driver can drive where ever he damn well pleases. Still, I think Kyle Busch and other Cup drivers have made the XFINITY series irrelevant, which is a damn shame. It irks me how much it steals from the public spotlight that should belong to up and comers like Daniel Suarez, Erik Jones, Ty Dillon, and Darrell Wallace Jr. If NASCAR instituted a “powder puff” division for women, hell, Kyle would probably want to run there, too.

However, a traditionalist loves excellence. A traditionalist wants to see a king on top of the mountain and a field of challengers looking to knock him off the peak. There were some seasons it appeared that Richard Petty was competing against XFINITY drivers. Some might argue that, back in the day, he might have been. Some argue how bad it was for Jimmie Johnson to win five straight titles. I argue that it made it that much sweeter when someone came along good enough to take that title away.

Martinsville reminds me of that. The three hottest of our Hot 20 have, between them, claimed 14 victories at Martinsville. Kevin Harvick has one of them. Denny Hamlin has five. Johnson? He would be the guy with eight to his credit over the course of his career. As a traditionalist, I like that. It gives the rest of them something to go after, something that would be really meaningful if they can accomplish it. Still, Johnson needs another seven just to tie Petty’s career total on the circuit that has been hosting such events since 1948. A traditionalist would love to see him do it.

1 – JIMMIE JOHNSON – 2 WINS – 184 PTS
Most successful driver of the 21st century, the best active driver competing at Martinsville.

2 – KEVIN HARVICK – 1 WIN – 195 PTS
A former champion, the leader in points, and still feels he has something to prove on Sunday.

3 – DENNY HAMLIN – 1 WIN – 170 PTS
I bet his grandfather clock was too large for the shelf, so it stood the past year on the floor.

4 – BRAD KESELOWSKI – 1 WIN – 142 PTS
If the future President Keselowski has to wear a sponsor covered fire-suit, shouldn’t politicians?

5 – CARL EDWARDS – 171 PTS
Averaging a seventh place finish every week is not bad.

6T – KYLE BUSCH – 170 PTS
Ditto. Now with no XFINITY race to worry about this weekend, the trucks, the trucks are calling.

6T – JOEY LOGANO – 170 PTS
Ditto that ditto. Now, as long as Kenseth doesn’t get mad at him this weekend…

8 – KURT BUSCH – 148 PTS
Will not be in the Indianapolis 500 this year. So, I guess that also means Monaco is out.

9 – DALE EARNHARDT JR. – 145 PTS
Will donate his brain for concussion research…but they should expect a very long wait.

10 – AUSTIN DILLON – 139 PTS
How a guy looks in a cowboy hat may depend on his ability, and he is looking better all the time.

11 – MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 127 PTS
Just the latest member of the “Joey is a Jerk” club.

12 – JAMIE MCMURRAY – 125 PTS
No truth to the report that he has insured his dimples for a million dollars.

13 – ARIC ALMIROLA – 120 PTS
You would think the ole No. 43 would be a favorite to win the STP 500.

14 – RICKY STENHOUSE JR. – 119 PTS
Not everyone gets to escape from all his racing peers on a holiday, or wants to.

15 – MATT KENSETH – 113 PTS
If having a horrid season still has one sitting in a Chase place, just how horrid can it be?

16T – RYAN BLANEY – 110 PTS
When your son surpasses you, that is when a father knows just how great a job he has done.

16T – CHASE ELLIOTT – 110 PTS
If he used his given name, we would have yet another “Junior” on our hands.

18 – KASEY KAHNE – 109 PTS
I am guessing Ricky and Danica did not invite him over for Easter.

19 – A.J. ALLMENDINGER – 108 PTS
Might consider a return to IndyCar…once they put a roof on the auto and not before.

20T – TREVOR BAYNE – 95 PTS
Almost easy to dismiss the once promising rising star driving for Roush…but he is only 25.

20T – RYAN NEWMAN – 95 PTS
Wants more barrier protection for his pit crew…and on some tracks that shortfall is evident.

March 30, 2016
The View From My Recliner – Easter Break

Hello, everyone. I am John Harlow and I am a NASCAR fan.

I became a racing fan because it was one of the few things my Dad and I had in common. I have been watching racing since the early 70s. It is an honor to be one of the newest writers at Speedwaymedia.com.

We’re five weeks into the 2016 NASCAR racing season and we have watched (the TV ratings says that many haven’t and the fans dressed as empty seats the last few weeks haven’t shown much) some of the best racing NASCAR has put on the track in years.

A few observations from the first five weeks.

Everyone who thought that Kyle Busch would change since he won his Sprint Cup championship is wrong. His comments following the XFINITY race in Fontana show that he hasn’t matured and trying to take out Austin Dillon shows that he is still all about Kyle. Racers are and need to be all about themselves. There are many times where I will defend Kyle, but this time, he was wrong. NASCAR got it wrong today for not digging into his wallet for his remarks. He was fined $10,000 for not showing up for media availability after the race, but nothing for his comments about fixing races.

The racing coverage on Fox Sports has the good and the bad. The good is Jeff Gordon making the transition from driving to the TV booth look easy. He gives great analysis from someone who was in the driver’s seat less than a year ago. Pairing him with Darrell Waltrip has been a disaster. DW comes across as someone who is jealous that someone is taking his TV time away. While we’re at it, get Chris Myers and Michael Waltrip off of the pre-race show. Danielle Trotta, Larry McReynolds and Jeff Hammond would make the pre-race show watchable. Pulling DW from the booth and replacing him with Larry Mac would make the race coverage bearable.

Last but not least, the XFINITY Series is a joke. Who cares about the Chase in the XFINITY Series? The three Joe Gibbs Racing Toyotas have dominated this series. I would rather watch paint dry. Here is the basic narrative from each XFINITY. The Gibbs cars are 1-2-3 and the XFINITY regulars are battling for 10th-15th place. Let’s get the Cup drivers and Cup teams out of XFINITY. I would rather see a Corey LaJoie or Brandon McReynolds race than watching Kyle stink up the show.

Have a safe and Happy Easter. And we’ll talk soon about what I see in my Recliner.

March 25, 2016
Busch and Patrick Fined for Actions in California

Kyle Busch and Danica Patrick have been penalized for their respective action’s from this past weekend in the Golden State.

The driver of the No. 10 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet was fined $20,000 and placed on probation through the next four races for violating NASCAR’s behavioral policy.

Patrick crashed out of Sunday’s Auto Club 400 with 79 laps to go when her car was hooked into the outside wall on the front stretch by Kasey Kahne. After exiting from her car, she walked toward the racing surface to show her displeasure to the driver of the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. This was found to be in violation of the on-track incident procedure section (10.4.2.1) of the 2016 NASCAR rule book.

Busch was fined $10,000 and placed on probation for the next four races for failure to fulfill post-race media obligations.

The driver of the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota led 133 of the 150 laps and was leading when the white flag was shown, but suffered a cut left-front tire and finished second to Austin Dillon.

In addition to the fines, six teams were issued warnings for failing inspection twice over the weekend. Four of them – the No. 3 of Dillon, the No. 20 of Matt Kenseth, the No. 21 of Ryan Blaney and the No. 27 of Paul Menard – failed the Laser Inspection Station in pre-qualifying inspection. The No. 19 of Carl Edwards failed the LIS twice during pre-race inspection. The No. 95 of Michael McDowell was cited for a truck trailing arm not meeting specifications.

March 24, 2016
NASCAR Should Drop the Rhetoric Regarding Kyle Busch

Dear NASCAR: Let it go. Let the stern rhetoric towards Kyle Busch following his response after the Fontana XFINITY race go. It serves no purpose, gets nothing done, and robs the essence of one of the greatest NASCAR drivers of all time. Why flex muscle on what was ultimately a useless race?

Granted, the XFINITY Series is in the midst of a serious crisis regarding competition and ratings. Sure, the Kyle Busch of 2015 was much more preferable than the Kyle Busch of yore, and seeing him so upset and storming off was a bit disheartening. What put him off from fans before Joey Logano came along to take up that mantle was the fact that he was prone to childish outbursts that were very off-putting.

Look at the last lap again. Busch’s tire detonated, sending sheet metal all over the track, which could have posed an immediate danger to oncoming traffic and caused a crash. NASCAR’s so prone to throwing debris cautions, yet they dropped the ball here by letting the green flag stay flying even though the debris was on the race track.

Also, despite the growing headache that is Busch’s XFINITY campaign, he cannot be faulted for wanting to win every race he enters. That’s the heart of a race car driver, and he’s not in the wrong for that. Also, there was the team to think of as well as the sponsors and the guys back at the shop to think about. Saying that NASCAR is fixing races is a bit much, but considering how NASCAR ultimately neglected to back up “their standard” caution flag procedure, it’s easy to see how Busch felt he was wronged.

Could he have handled his post-race actions better? Of course. But the blame can’t be 100 percent Busch’s in the instance. He felt like NASCAR did him wrong, and considering how intense he is, he acted accordingly and there is nothing wrong with that.

So, once again, drop the stern rhetoric, NASCAR.

March 22, 2016
NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: California

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson got by Kevin Harvick on a late restart and won the Auto Club 400, giving him 77 career wins, one more than the late Dale Earnhardt.

“’Superman’ was on my car today,” Johnson said, “and his superpowers seemed to rub off on me. Some say I leap tall buildings; others, like maybe Kevin Harvick, say I jump restarts.”

2. Kevin Harvick: Harvick dominated at Fontana, leading 142 of 205 laps, but fell short after a late caution evaporated his sizable lead. Jimmie Johnson slipped by Harvick on the restart, leaving Harvick with another runner-up finish, his 15th in the last two seasons.

“Unless it’s not a tenth of a second,” Harvick said, “I’m getting tired of hearing about seconds.

3. Kyle Busch: Busch blew a tire late at Fontana on Sunday, the same fate he suffered in Saturday’s XFINITY Series race. Busch eventually finished 25th and dropped three places in the points standings.

“I’m not sure what’s going on with our tires,” Busch said. “Is Goodyear peddling faulty rubber? It would take a real sales job to sell bad tires to an established racing team. So, who’s the real person with superpowers? Batman, Superman, or the Goodyear Pimp?

“I gave NASCAR an earful after they refused to wave a caution flag when I blew the tire in the XFINITY race. Of course, they’ll levy a hefty fine on me I’m sure. But that’s okay. The Busch family ‘swear jar’ is a 55-gallon drum.”

4. Carl Edwards: Edwards started fifth at Fontana and finished seventh, posting his fourth top 10 of the year.

“The No. 19 Toyota was fast,” Edwards said, “but it just didn’t have the handling to put me over the top. I was fighting the steering wheel all day. I know my sponsor Subway would rather not hear these two particular words, but Sunday was a ‘hard drive.’”

5. Kurt Busch: Busch started 26th and started from the rear in a backup car, leading to a long day at Fontana. He finished 30th, the last car on the lead lap.

“I got rammed by Dale Earnhardt Jr.,” Busch said, “and I’m angry. Junior had Batman on his car, which made me want to go ‘Robin’ on him, with a ‘trusty sidekick’ to the head.”

6. Joey Logano: Logano took fourth in the Auto Club 400, scoring his second top-five finish of the year. He is sixth in the Sprint Cup points standings, 30 out of first.

“Hey,” Logano said, “I love Batman and Superman. Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr. showed me that it’s cool to have ‘Superfriends’ on their cars. Matt Kenseth showed me that it’s not so great to have an ‘Avenger’ in his car.”

7. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin finished third at Fontana, posted his second consecutive third place finish. He is now fourth in the points standings, 25 out of first.

“Kasey Kahne wrecked Danica Patrick,” Hamlin said, “and Danica was none too happy. I think it’s safe to say, despite all the images of Batman and Superman at the race, Patrick and Kahne won’t be ‘super friends.’

“Me? I had my issues with Danica, and I’ve tried talking to her face to face to come to some resolution. It hasn’t always worked. Talking to Danica is like talking to a wall, a very pretty wall.”

8. Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Earnhardt finished 11th in the Auto Club 400 as Hendrick teammate Jimmie Johnson captured the win.

“The No. 88 Chevrolet sported a ‘Batman’ theme in connection with the ‘Batman Vs. Superman: Dawn Of Justice’ movie,” Earnhardt said. “And my merchandise tent did as well. We were selling any and everything that had a bat on it—hats, T-shirts, flags, all kinds of crap. You know my fans—they’ll go bat ‘S’ crazy over bat ‘S’ if it has my name on it.”

9. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski finished ninth in the Auto Club 400, joining Penske Racing teammate Joey Logano, who finished fourth, in the top 10.

“I love the way NASCAR is promoting the upcoming ‘Batman Vs. Superman’ movie,” Keselowski said. “I think most drivers would say this sport needs more heroes. Danica Patrick would say this sport needs more heroines. Jeremy Mayfield would say this sport needs more heroin.”

10. Austin Dillon: Dillon started on the pole in the Auto Club 400 yet didn’t lead a single lap and finished a distant 24th. He is 10th in the points standings, 56 out of first.

“The heck with Sunday’s race,” Dillon said. “Let’s talk about Saturday’s race. I won when Kyle Busch blew a tire and Daniel Suarez ran out of gas. I haven’t had a race handed to me like that by anyone other than my grandfather.”

March 22, 2016
The Final Word – Kyle removes the Kryptonite as Superman wins at Fontana

Among the things I learned on Sunday from Fontana include…

-you don’t tug on Superman’s cape.
-you don’t spit into the wind.
-you don’t put up for long with ole Lex Luthor
-and you don’t mess around with Jim.

Jimmie Johnson, that is. For most of the day, the field had to deal with Kevin (just call him Lex) Harvick, who led early and led often. About the only time he did not lead was when he unnecessarily came in early to dump a perfectly good set of tires in a vain bid to eliminate a vibration. Then he was back. In fact, he might have gotten away with it, if not for Kyle Busch.

Busch was among a number of drivers that were relevant on the day and was running second when he discovered the limitations of the track. That came in the form of the outside wall after a tire indicated that it not longer wished to be of service. Caution waved, the Kryptonite was removed from the track, Busch was left in 25th, and this allowed for the possible finale moviegoers had hoped for.

After the restart, Johnson moved down to the line, hugged it tightly, and came up to Harvick’s rear quarter-panel. A bit of side drafting tugged Luthor…ahem…Harvick…back enough to set Johnson sailing right by and into the lead. In the end, no super villain, no Kryptonite, not even Batman could stop the inevitable from happening. SuperJimmie won his 77th career victory and marked the 15th straight season that he was won at least twice during the campaign.

As for Batman, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. could not get by any of the jokers, penguins, or riddlers. He got up to the horizon, but never challenged, finishing 11th. By the way, Superman should always trump Batman. One is an alien who our sun bestows with superpowers while the other is an athletic rich guy with a lot of neat contraptions. No contest.

Denny Hamlin finished third, and really was nowhere to be seen for the first 150 laps, but was visible in the end. Joey Logano was fourth on the day, was in the vicinity of the lead for much of the time, but probably was best remembered by Martin Truex Jr. as the guy who turned him enough to cause him to solidly tag the fence to turn a good day into 32nd. Also notable were Chase Elliott, who was fifth, while Carl Edwards came in just behind to record yet another solid effort.

“I’m alright, it really hurt, though,” was the report from Kyle Larson after he lost a tire, touched the outside wall before experiencing a huge impact against the infield barrier that put him up where he did not belong. Danica Patrick was not Supergirl, but she went flying after Kasey Kahne turned her into the wall to demolish her entry. That set the Danica Line artificially to 38th on the day, just one behind Greg Biffle and just ahead of Larson.

With his win, Johnson moves one ahead of Dale Earnhardt on the all-time list, sitting sixth behind Richard Petty, David Pearson, and Jeff Gordon, while he is eight wins away from passing by the likes of Bobby Allison, Darrell Waltrip, and Cale Yarborough. I do not think anyone is betting the farm against that happening this year, at least, not yet.

The good news for the field is that Johnson will not win next week. Neither will Harvick, Hamlin, or Kyle Busch, all of whom have been writing headlines over the first five events. After a week off, they all return for Martinsville, a place Kyle Busch has never won. Harvick has just one, compared to Hamlin’s five. Then you have Superman, as one must ask themselves if eight is enough? Well, not if you are within just six wins of the great Cale Yarborough it’s not. Meanwhile, my best wishes to you over Easter.

March 21, 2016
Hot 20 – Johnson is again California dreaming while Harvick is staying with SHR…or is he?

Best damn finishes ever. Well, for two of the four events to date, that has been the headline for NASCAR in 2016. Daytona and Phoenix were decided by gaps measurable with a ruler, and that has to be a good thing. Hell, a great thing. That said, just how exciting has the visual been, what you and I see on the television prior to the final few laps? Pushing the fast forward button at Daytona was difficult, but it always is. As for the rest, the temptation has been there to quicken the action, if only for a few round and round laps.

Kevin Harvick won last week by a hair over Carl Edwards. That was a good story. Rumblings that Harvick might bolt Stewart-Haas Racing when it abandons Chevrolet for Ford might be a better one. Oh, no, it is not going to happen, if you listened to the driver at Daytona. Funny, that was the same line Tony Stewart gave before he dashed away from Joe Gibbs when they went with Toyota. Mind you, this is different. For example, we are not hearing anything about anyone about to place Harvick’s name on the wall as a name partner any time soon, but the point is that today’s promise could always wind up broken.

A piece by Beyond the Flag’s Christopher Olmstead does make one ponder, with sponsor deals with Busch Beer and Jimmy Johns coming to an end after this season and only an option of keeping Harvick for a season longer if push comes to shove. If he bails, some figure he could replace Kasey Kahne in the Rick Hendrick stable. Makes some sense. Still, there is a good chance that where there is Smoke there shall also be Harvick. Rumors can be fun, at least for the gossipers if not so much for the principles involved. Did we not once think a certain Hendrick driver would actually wind up driving for Richard Childress in a car his dad made famous? Nice story, different ending. It could be the same with this one.

Here is hoping the racing at Fontana proves entertaining from start to middle, as well as the finish. Even more entertaining than any rumors. No doubt, a few of the drivers among our Hot 20 will be front and center this weekend, as Jimmy Johns might be replaced by Jimmie Johnson as Sunday’s center of attention. Now, why am I yearning for a sandwich about now?

1. KEVIN HARVICK – 1 WIN – 154 PTS
In the words of Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes, he is once again back up where he belongs.

2. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 1 WIN – 140 PTS
Expect no less than a Top Ten, as long as he has something more than vice-grips to steer with.

3. DENNY HAMLIN – 1 WIN – 131 PTS
Last week he did not have a great performance, yet finished third. Sometimes okay is enough.

4. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 1 WIN – 110 PTS
Needed a bus at Phoenix, as everyone knows its wheels go round and round, not kaboom!

5. KYLE BUSCH – 154 PTS
3rd, 3rd, 4th, 4th kind of works as he goes forth.

6. KURT BUSCH – 137 PTS
At least, we have one Busch who knows why Big Leaguers do not regularly play Little League.

7. CARL EDWARDS – 136 PTS
Carl mattered in Phoenix, he will matter at Fontana.

8. JOEY LOGANO – 127 PTS
Life lesson #22: Gas and go…but get all the gas you can before you go.

9. AUSTIN DILLON – 122 PTS
A new generation is making its presence felt…but where are Newman and Menard?

10. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 117 PTS
A new manufacturer, trouble in inspection, a race without his crew chief…and all is well?

11. DALE EARNHARDT JR. – 115 PTS
Would be much, much higher if Daytona had not been so much a disappointment.

12. RYAN BLANEY – 104 PTS
Some fly charter, some fly coach, and for some, it just does not matter.

13. ARIC ALMIROLA – 100 PTS
No matter where he goes to bed at night he always remains Almirola by morning.

14. KASEY KAHNE – 96 PTS
Beaten up by a loose air cooling hose in the car, finally beaten by a tire issue outside it.

15. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 94 PTS
Has never enjoyed a Top Ten season. Even in 2010 (Daytona 500/Brickyard) he finished 14th.

16. MATT KENSETH – 90 PTS
Relevant in every race, but just has had trouble before the end of every race…except for last week.

17. KYLE LARSON – 85 PTS
Not yet a Top 15 driver. Not yet.

18. RICKY STENHOUSE JR. – 83 PTS
Even after the disaster that was Phoenix, he still is the best performer Roush-Fenway has.

19. GREG BIFFLE – 76 PTS
A mean handling car meant another long day for the Biff.

20. A.J. ALLMENDINGER – 75 PTS
Average finish of 20th does not cut it, but it beats Trevor, Chase, Danica, Ryan, Paul, Clint…

March 16, 2016
NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Phoenix

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Kyle Busch: Busch finished fourth at Phoenix to post his fourth top-five finish of the season. He is tied with Kevin Harvick for the lead in the Sprint Cup points standings.

“I’m surprised Carl Edwards and Kevin Harvick both didn’t wreck each other before they reached the finish line,” Busch said. “I think it would have made for great controversy, although their cars would have been torn up. But I would have been more than happy to pick up the pieces.

“As for being co-leader in the points, there’s only thing I care to share with Harvick, and that’s mutual hatred.”

2. Kevin Harvick: Harvick battled Carl Edwards door to door over the final lap at Phoenix and held on to win the Good Sam 500 by .01 seconds.

“I was surprised I was able to hold off Edwards,” Harvick said. “He may have had fresh tires, but I had a flag that said, ‘Don’t tread on me.’”

3. Carl Edwards: Despite having fresh right-side tires for the final restart at Phoenix, Edwards was unable to complete the pass on Kevin Harvick, instead losing by .01 seconds.

“Harvick and I traded a lot of paint,” Edwards said. “We were racing so close, I felt like I could have reached over and grabbed him by the throat. The only thing that’s clashed harder than our cars is our personalities.”

4. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson finished 11th at Phoenix after starting in a backup car, due to a wreck in Friday’s qualifying.

“My steering wheel literally came loose in my hands,” Johnson said. “I guess that would be the most severe case of ‘losing your handling.’ And what an impact. I haven’t ‘hit a wall’ like that since right after winning my sixth championship.”

5. Kurt Busch: Busch finished sixth in the Good Sam 500, recording his fourth top 10 of the year. He is fourth in the points standings, 17 out of first.

“That’s a top 10 in each race this year,” Busch said. “That’s called consistency, which is a word that is not used very often to describe me, particularly the history of my mental state.”

6. Joey Logano: Logano finished 18th at Phoenix after his crew failed to fill his fuel tank on what should have been his final pit stop. Logano was forced to pit for a splash of gas, which likely cost him a top 10.

“I thought for sure we got all the fuel in,” Logano said. “Even Matt Kenseth would vouch for that fact—he said I ‘was full of it.’”

7. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin started third at Phoenix, part of a 1-2-3 Joe Gibbs Racing sweep in qualifying, and finished third, posting his first top-five since winning the Daytona 500.

“What a finish between Kevin Harvick and Carl Edwards,” Hamlin said. “I think many people are surprised that Edwards didn’t send Harvick into the wall to get past him, as NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt would have done. But let’s be serious. Only one person considers Edwards the ‘Intimidator,’ and that’s Matt Kenseth.”

8. Austin Dillon: Dillon took ninth in the Good Sam 500, posting his third top-10 result of the year.

“It was an otherwise lousy day for Richard Childress Racing,” Dillon said. “My teammates Ryan Newman and Paul Menard finished last and next-to-last. Both suffered right-front tire failures. Some will ask: ‘Who blows more? The tires, or the drivers?’ In any case, Ryan and Paul will always have a job with RCR, probably as the guys who scuff the surface of new tires, because they’re scrubs.”

9. Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Earnhardt came home fifth at Phoenix, the top finisher among Hendrick Motorsports drivers.

“It’s too bad it didn’t end with tempers flaring,” Earnhardt said. “That would have made for a perfect ‘March Mad-ness’ tie-in.”

10. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski suffered a blown right-rear tire on lap 226 at Phoenix, and the resulting damage left the No. 2 Penske Ford with a 29th-place finish.

“What an entertaining finish,” Keselowski said. “Carl Edwards and Kevin Harvick put on quite a show. Rest assured, when those two are battling for something, it’s definitely not a popularity contest. I really would have loved to have been part of an Edwards-Harvick duel, preferably as the guy that says, ‘Take 10 paces, turn, and fire.’”

March 15, 2016
The Final Word – Harvick rises like a phoenix at Phoenix from the tears of Edwards

A phoenix rises from the ashes to be reborn. In Phoenix, Kevin Harvick rose from the tears of Carl Edwards to once again become the Cactus King, the driver to beat at Phoenix.

In November of 2012, Harvick won his first at that track. The next spring, the winner was Edwards. Last fall, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. was the victor. The four in between were all claimed by the man who has been victorious in six of the past eight events run in Arizona. That is domination, but it was close on Sunday. Very close.

Harvick had the dominant car on the day. Oh, what a surprise that was. However, he came to the overtime dash to the finish on four used tires, compared to the two fresh ones underneath Edwards. Underneath is where the gent went to make the pass, but Edwards did not get a clean get away. Side by side, fender to fender, fender into fender they came to the stripe, with Harvick taking it by a head. My head, if I had been foolish enough to have had it laying on the track, just 0.01 of a second for the closest outcome ever at this track, one of the closest finishes on any track, at any time.

Edwards was no slacker on the day, sitting among the top three pretty much from start to finish. He was the guy who was chasing Kyle Busch over the first 60 laps of this thing. Even a little miss on pit road did not derail Busch for long, as he concluded the event in fourth. Denny Hamlin was third, even after an early stop saw a tire roll away to find him penalized from fourth to 26th at the time. Earnhardt (5th) and Kurt Busch (6th) were also among the notables on the day, with young Chase Elliott bringing it home in eighth.

Sometimes being tired equates into being fatigued, adding new rubber in the pits, or having them fail to send one into the wall. Ryan Newman (39th) was the first casualty just over 50 laps into the race, and every fifty laps or so after somebody else got bit. Next up was Paul Menard (38th), to be followed by Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. (37th), but the exploding tread from Brad Keselowski (29th) was the most spectacular failure.

The Danica Patrick Line last Sunday was drawn at 19th, one place behind Joey Logano, who had a fuel intake issue that forced a late stop for juice, and Matt DiBenedetto in 20th.

The good news for everybody is the fact Harvick has not won at Fontana for the past five years. From 2004-2010, they visited the California venue twice, allowing the likes of Jimmie Johnson (5), and Matt Kenseth (3) to pick up a bunch of wins. Harvick and Tony Stewart have won there since they returned to a one and done situation, with Kyle winning twice before Keselowski took it last spring.

Those last two might be considered decent selections for the prognosticators, but remember that since 2006 Johnson has finished outside the Top 15 just once over the past 15 starts at Fontana. With both Edwards and Kenseth also boasting Top Ten averages, the track could live up to the community’s motto as the “City of Action.” I can live with that.

March 14, 2016