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  • The Final Word – It was just another whiny ass Saturday night at Bristol

    The Final Word – It was just another whiny ass Saturday night at Bristol

    We learned a lot at Bristol on Saturday night. We learned that there might be some bashed fenders. Okay, we already knew that. Kyle Busch learned it as well as anyone else.

    We learned that Kyle can be a bit of a whiny ass at Bristol. Well, I guess we knew that, too, but that did not stop his crew chief, Dave Rogers, from reminding Rowdy of that fact. When the driver went off on a rant about needing new suspension and was going to head behind the wall, Rogers told him to “Park it behind the truck and take your whiny little ass to the bus.” All of a sudden, I like Dave Rogers. A lot.

    I learned I am not much of a Joey Logano fan. Okay, you got me. I have always known that. Logano wins and I fail to realize a big ole smile on my face. On a day when Jamie McMurray led the most, and the likes of Kevin Harvick, Matt Kenseth, and Brad Keselowski had their turns up front, it was the 24 year old kid taking his third of the season. That puts him in the same conversation as Keselowski, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, and Dale Earnhardt Jr.

    I learned that some wrecks you do not mind, some you do. At least, when Denny Hamlin got taken from first to 41st, thanks to Harvick, I was not all that torn up. Then Earnhardt caught the rear end of the sliding beast, and I got almost as torn up about it as Junior’s car did. As for Hamlin, you might have thought he would have been upset, yet that did not stop him from trying to lend Harvick his HANS device. Too bad it just bounced off his passing car.

    We learned that Kurt Busch is a Little League World Series fan. When the team from Las Vegas was taking on Chicago in the U.S. final, a tweet came in from the driver saying that he would be there to watch them in the championship game. What I do not know is if he bothered to come out to Williamsport to see them play Japan in the consolation final.

    We learned that at least two pilots and as many as four will make the Chase through points. With a 58 point bulge over the cut off, all Kenseth needs to do is finish with a Top 30 at Atlanta and he will be locked in.

    We learned that the sights and sounds from Bristol were just as amazing as ever. Then the ABC announcers would speak and ruin everything. We were expecting as much.

    Atlanta is the place to be this Sunday. Only two drivers not already locked into the Chase have a win there. One is Kasey Kahne. The other is Tony Stewart.

    SWEET SIXTEEN
    1 – Jeff Gordon – 3 Wins – 815 Points
    2 – Dale Earnhardt, Jr. – 3 – 813
    3 – Brad Keselowski – 3 – 733
    4 – Joey Logano – 3 – 714
    5 – Jimmie Johnson – 3 – 686
    6 – Kevin Harvick – 2 – 687
    7 – Carl Edwards – 2 – 679
    8 – Kyle Busch – 1 – 620
    9 – Denny Hamlin – 1 – 589
    10 – Aric Almirola – 1 – 556
    11 – A.J. Allmendinger – 1 – 556
    12 – Kurt Busch – 1 – 553
    13 – Matt Kenseth – 0 – 709
    14 – Ryan Newman – 0 – 679
    15 – Clint Bowyer – 0 – 672
    16 – Greg Biffle – 0 – 660

    CONTENDERS & PRETENDERS
    17 – Kasey Kahne – 0 – 651 Points
    18 – Austin Dillon – 0 – 638
    19 – Kyle Larson – 0 – 636
    20 – Marcos Ambrose – 0 – 616
    21 – Paul Menard – 0 – 614
    22 – Brian Vickers – 0 – 598
    23 – Jamie McMurray – 0 – 596
    24 – Casey Mears – 0 – 543
    25 – Tony Stewart – 0 – 537
    26 – Martin Truex, Jr. – 0 – 516
    27 – Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. – 0 – 476
    28 – Danica Patrick – 0 – 445
    29 – Justin Allgaier – 0 – 400
    30 – Michael Annett – 0 – 364
    31 – David Gilliland – 0 – 357
    32 – David Ragan – 0 – 332

     

  • Kyle Busch Dominates Qualifying for Food City 300

    Kyle Busch Dominates Qualifying for Food City 300

    When any NASCAR series travels to Bristol Motor Speedway, everyone automatically says Kyle Busch is the guy to beat. He once again lived up to that hype on Friday afternoon in qualifying for the Food City 300.

    Busch turned in a lap of 125.142 mph to score his fifth pole of the season and his fourth career pole at Bristol Motor Speedway. It is also his 41st career Nationwide Series pole.

    Busch will be driving the No. 54 Monster Energy Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing.The No. 54 is currently second in owner’s points, 21 points behind the No. 22 Penske Racing Ford, driven this week by Ryan Blaney, who qualified second. Blaney posted a lap of 124.339 mph edging out Kyle Larson, who qualified third.

    With Busch, Blaney and Larson locking down the top three spots, it is a recipe for excitement. Blaney will be pushing hard to hold or extend the owner’s points lead over the No. 54 of Busch. Larson and Busch have a fantastic history at Bristol as they were involved in one of the most exciting finishes in Nationwide Series history.

    All three drivers perform well at the World’s Fastest Half-Mile nestled in the hills of northeast Tennessee. Busch has won the last three races here, Larson has three starts and three top-five finishes, and Blaney has two starts with two top-10s.

    Points leader, Chase Elliott, will take the green in fourth in his NAPA Chevrolet. Elliott Sadler rounds out the top five in the No. 11  Sport Clips Toyota.

    Milka Duno will have to wait to make her NASCAR debut. Duno ran 48 laps in the first round of qualifying, but only managed a lap of 116.566 mph, almost two mph slower than the 40th place qualifier.

    Other notables: Ty Dillon 7th, Regan Smith 8th , Kevin Harvick 13th, Chris Buescher 23rd

    The green falls on the Food City 300 at 7:30 pm local time.

  • NNS Notebook – Food City 300

    NNS Notebook – Food City 300

    The NASCAR Nationwide Series travels to the World’s Fastest Half-Mile this week for the 23rd race of the 33 race season. Bristol Motor Speedway has long been considered a “wildcard” race on the schedule. Wildcard … because anything can happen here.

    This year at Bristol we have the Food City 300. No, that’s not a typo, 50 extra laps have been added to the race (just like in the spring race) this year to give drivers a few more laps to battle and, of course, to give fans a few more laps of excitement. Just imagine what could happen with an additional 50 laps!

    JR Motorsports sits atop the points standings with two drivers, Chase Elliott and Regan Smith. Currently, Elliott leads Smith by 10 points. It is then an additional 16 points back to Elliott Sadler in third.

    Given how fast Kyle Busch and Kyle Larson were in practice, we may very well see another Kyle vs. Kyle show. Busch competed in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series on Wednesday night. Busch ran strong leading 81 laps, but cut down a tire late in the race and finished 24th.

    It’s also great to see another female racer working her way up the ranks in NASCAR. The fact that she is from Venezuela, is an additional bonus. NASCAR is becoming more and more diverse every day.

    Ryan Blaney is behind the wheel of the No. 22 Penske Racing Ford this week. The No. 22 is leading the owner’s standings with a 21 point lead over the No. 54 fielded by Joe Gibbs Racing. This battle will definitely be one to watch on Friday night. With Kyle Busch piloting the No. 54, Blaney will have a tough job stretching that points lead.

     

    Here are your quick notes for the event:

     

    • Chase Elliott has just one start at Bristol. He started 15th and finished ninth.
    • Regan Smith has nine starts at Bristol with two top-10’s and zero laps led.
    • Kyle Busch has won the last three races at Bristol
    • Kyle Larson finished second to Busch in the last race.
    • Larson was fastest in final practice. . .  Busch was second fastest.
    • Larson has three starts at Bristol and has scored three top five’s
    • 45 cars are attempting to make the field this week. 40 will start.
    • Milka Duno is attempting to make her first start in NNS. She was 36th fastest in final practice.
    • Duno, the forty-two year old from Venezuela, has 47 ARCA starts, as well as 43 starts in the Verizon Indycar Series and 44 starts in the Grand-Am Series.
    • Ryan Blaney is driving the No. 22 for Penske Racing this week. Blaney was fourth fastest in practice.
    • Chris Buescher, the most recent winner in the series, was 28th fastest in practice.
    • Phil Parsons won the first NNS race at Bristol in 1982.
    • This week’s race will be the 65th NNS race at Bristol Motor Speedway.
    • The green flag drops on the Food City 300 at 7:30pm local time on Friday night.

     

     

  • Kyle Busch Wins Pole for UNOH 200

    Kyle Busch Wins Pole for UNOH 200

    Kyle Busch continues to dominate the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series by scoring the pole for Wednesday night’s UNOH 200 at Bristol Motor Speedway. Wednesday’s pole was his fourth pole win of the season in only seven attempts. It’s an impressive record by any standard.

    Busch has a total of 40 wins, 76 top fives, and 96 top tens in just 121 starts in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

    Busch posted a lap of 124.662 mph in his Dollar General Toyota Tundra to edge out series rookie, Cole Custer. The sixteen year old Custer, making just his fifth start in the Camping World Truck Series, qualified second with a lap 124.484 mph.

    Ron Hornaday Jr., Brad Keselowski, and rookie Gray Gaulding round out the top five.

    Other notables: Last week’s winner and series points leader, Johnny Sauter, will start seventh. Busch’s teammate, Darrell Wallace Jr. will start eighth. Matt Crafton will take the green in 11th. Timothy Peters starts 20th.

    The green flag will fall on the UNOH 200 at 8:30 pm local time on Wednesday night.

  • Darrell Wallace Jr. Fastest in Practice for UNOH 200 at Bristol

    Darrell Wallace Jr. Fastest in Practice for UNOH 200 at Bristol

    Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM) driver, Darrell Wallace Jr. was fastest in practice for the UNOH 200 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event slated for Wednesday night at Bristol Motor Speedway.

    Wallace turned in a lap of 125.264 mph in his ToyotaCare Toyota Tundra to edge out his boss, KBM team owner, Kyle Busch. Busch was .041 seconds slower than the up and coming star who has visited victory lane twice already this season – once at Gateway Motorsports Park and then at the only dirt track on the series schedule – Eldora. The KBM team has visited victory lane seven times this season.

    This practice session will be the only session for the Camping World Truck Series drivers, as two thunderstorms passed through the area causing some items on the schedule for today to be postponed or cancelled.

    Another up and coming star in the series, Gray Gaulding, was also very impressive in practice. Gaulding wound up third on the practice sheet with a lap of 123.970 mph in his Gemini Southern/Krispy Kreme Chevrolet.

    Series veteran, Ron Hornaday Jr. and Cole Custer rounded out the top-five.

    The green flag will fall on the UNOH 200 at 8:30 pm local time on Wednesday night.

  • The Final Word – All the World’s a Stage, as we Close the Curtain on Michigan

    The Final Word – All the World’s a Stage, as we Close the Curtain on Michigan

    A curmudgeon. An old fart who sits in the wings like a Muppet and mocks those upon the stage. In this case, for me that includes the three in the booth and the three on the desk offered up by ESPN. I am sure even a certain green talking frog would not have been safe from my sarcasm. My use of the mute button had nothing to do with escaping the droning that passes for professional race description and analysis. No, I am merely previewing what the future might be should NASCAR turn to electric cars.

    Jeff Gordon was electric at Michigan on Sunday. Only one driver led more laps, and on that final restart Gordon managed to do what he often fails to do. Four Time came out strong, took the lead from Joey Logano, then stretched it out in the end to claim his 91st career victory. The win even moved him ahead by three points over Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the standings, as the pair are joined by Jimmie Johnson and Brad Keselowski with three wins apiece.

    That latter pair had their adventures, yet finished well enough. Keselowski lost a right front and put the wall grinder to the fender, but managed to finish eighth. Six Time did not text while driving, but trying to apply a set of vice grips to replace his shifter lever as he left the pits probably was not the best idea either. It also proved unsuccessful, but his boys eventually provided a better fix, and an eventual ninth place result.

    Even Danica Patrick had a Top Twenty, though her spin early ensured that the collected Martin Truex Jr. and Matt Kenseth did not. Kyle Busch lost a tire five laps in, pounded the wall, and he was all but done for the day. Kyle Larson thought he found trouble when he and Junior locked fenders on pit road. That was nothing compared to when he hit the wall and went up in flames to finish dead last. Oh, and after the race 11th place finisher Ryan Newman was seen jawing with Johnson over some on-track bone of contention. Maybe Ryan is becoming an old curmudgeon, too.

    If he was upset at Michigan, the odds are good he will not be happy Saturday night at Bristol. Everybody but the winner seems to get a bit torqued after spending time on the half-mile and change oval in Tennessee. With just three to go before the Chase cutoff, just about every full-timer who has ever won there already has a win this year. Matt Kenseth has not, but he remains nearly sixty points to the good. Kasey Kahne has not, and sits nine points behind Greg Biffle for the final berth. The only other former Bristol winner still seeking a win for 2014 is locked in the Top 30, but would need a victory in one of the three upcoming events to make the Chase.

    We await word if, when the curtain rises at Bristol, Tony Stewart is yet ready to take to the stage.
    SWEET SIXTEEN
    1 – Jeff Gordon – 3 Wins – 815 Points
    2 – Dale Earnhardt, Jr. – 3 – 813
    3 – Brad Keselowski – 3 – 733
    4 – Jimmie Johnson – 3 – 686
    5 – Joey Logano – 2 – 714
    6 – Carl Edwards – 2 – 679
    7 – Kevin Harvick – 2 – -128
    8 – Kyle Busch – 1 – 620
    9 – Denny Hamlin – 1 – 589
    10 – Aric Almirola – 1 – 556
    11 – A.J. Allmendinger – 1 – 556
    12 – Kurt Busch – 1 – 553
    13 – Matt Kenseth – 0 – 709
    14 – Ryan Newman – 0 – 679
    15 – Clint Bowyer – 0 – 672
    16 – Greg Biffle – 0 – 660

    CONTENDERS & PRETENDERS
    17 – Kasey Kahne – 0 Wins – 651 Points
    18 – Austin Dillon – 0 – 638
    19 – Kyle Larson – 0 – 636
    20 – Marcos Ambrose – 0 – 616
    21 – Paul Menard – 0 – 614
    22 – Brian Vickers – 0 – 598
    23 – Jamie McMurray – 0 – 596
    24 – Casey Mears – 0 – 543
    25 – Tony Stewart – 0 – 537
    26 – Martin Truex, Jr. – 0 – 516
    27 – Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. – 0 – 476
    28 – Danica Patrick – 0 – 445
    29 – Justin Allgaier – 0 – 400
    30 – Michael Annett – 0 – 364
    31 – David Gilliland – 0 – 357
    32 – David Ragan – 0 – 332
    33 – Cole Whitt – 0 – 325

     

  • Surprising and Not Surprising: Pure Michigan 400

    Surprising and Not Surprising: Pure Michigan 400

    With an impassioned driver’s meeting speech by Carl Edwards urging safety and throttling back during cautions at such a high-speed track, here is what else was surprising and not surprising from the 45th annual Pure Michigan 400.

    Surprising: Drivers were apparently in full throttle preparation for Bristol, with tempers surprisingly abounding at the two-mile track in the Irish hills. Six time champion Jimmie Johnson and Ryan Newman exchanged words after the race, as did Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Denny Hamlin.

    “Just old Ryan Newman stuff,” Johnson said after his heated conversation with the driver of the No. 31 WIX Filters Chevrolet. “Anybody that has watched the sport long enough or has been in a race car out there understands the frustration of racing Ryan.”

    Racing frustrations also abounded between the drivers of the No. 11 FedEx Freight Toyota and the No. 88 National Guard Chevrolet.

    “I felt like he crowded me off of (Turn) 4 in the middle part of the race,” Hamlin said. “We’re trying to make the best we can do down 50 horsepower.”

    “I’m going to eventually let him go, but I’m not some lapped car that you can just shove to the high side and I’m going to back off.”

    “I ran him up the track a little bit early in the race,” Earnhardt said. “He didn’t like it too much. I’ve been run up the track, too. I don’t like it either, but I didn’t want him hanging on my quarter panel all the way down the front straightaway and ended up three- or four-wide.”

    “I just wanted to get on by him because I was flying. We were hauling.”

    Not Surprising: Jeff Gordon went three for three for three, with his third win of the season, his third win at Michigan and a now three-win season, his first since 2011.

    “Well, I like to go fast. This place is really, really fast,” the driver of the No. 24 Axalta Chevrolet said. “Michigan has always been one of my favorites.”

    “Today I was able to drive this place the way I like to drive it, have success here again.”

    Surprising: It was a surprisingly rough weekend for Martin Truex, Jr., with his girlfriend Sherry Pollex undergoing surgery for ovarian cancer, his brother Ryan suffering a concussion in Michigan practice and his involvement a nine car pile-up that relegated him to a 36th place finish.

    “These two Michigan races turned out to be very long days,” the driver of the No. 78 Furniture Row/Denver Mattress Chevrolet said. “It was hard to learn anything about this place back in June and it was the same story today.”

    “I just wish we could have finished one of these Michigan races with a clean car,” stated Truex. “You’re always curious to see how things would have played out and where you could have potentially finished.”

    Not Surprising: He may have been a bridesmaid yet again, in fact for the fourth time at Michigan, but Kevin Harvick deemed his second place run a success, especially in light of the upcoming Chase.

    “Yeah, I mean, we had a solid day,” Harvick said. “Just the 24 had more speed than we did all day. I felt like when Joey was out front, he could get away at the short run, we’d kind of even out.”

    “But all in all, it was a good day,” the driver of the No. 4 Jimmy John’s Chevrolet said. “The main focus for our team has been consistency heading into the Chase to make sure we can scramble and do the things we’ve done over the last month.”

    “Obviously you want to win, but all in all we had some different goals that are as important leading into the Chase.”

    Surprising: While Joey Logano joked in the media center after the race that he really did not want to relive his last few laps, he too like Harvick had the championship on his mind, laying down the gauntlet after his third place finish.

    “We can win a championship. I really feel we can do that,” the driver of the No. 22 Shell Pennzoil Ford said. “That’s the message I want to put out there. I want to put out for my team that we’re strong enough to do that. I think we showed that today.”

    Not Surprising: It was indeed a ‘hard week’ as Jeff Burton put it after being tapped to substitute for Tony Stewart, who decided to miss another race, grieving the contact with Kevin Ward Jr. which cost the young driver his life.

    “This was a hard week,” Burton said. “This was honestly one of the hardest weeks I’ve ever spent, coming here on Friday not knowing what to expect.”

    Burton’s No. 14 Mobil 1/Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet finished 37th after an electrical issue and a burning smell in the cockpit sent him to the garage.

    Surprising: It was a surprisingly bad day if your name was Kyle. Both Kyle Busch and Kyle Larson crashed, the first on lap four and the latter on lap 98.

    “I felt so good about my car those first few laps running the bottom, but then I was getting hung out on the straightaways,” Busch said “Then I just tried going to the top in (turns) three and four right away, and I got loose all the way through three and four. Every time I touched the gas it wanted to spin out, and finally it was too much gas and not enough save, and I wrecked.”

    Larson’s incident was far more frightening, however, as his No. 42 Target Chevrolet went up in flames after his hard impact.

    “I had no warning the right-front was going to blow,” Larson said. “Michigan is a fast track and into turn three is fast too. We are turning some really high speeds here so the hit was definitely a hard one.”

    “Yeah anytime you see flames you want to get out,” Larson continued, explaining his bailing out of his car in spite of NASCAR’s new ruling. “I have had fires and stuff, but that is the first time I have ever had fumes or smoke and stuff in the cockpit. That is the main reason why I wanted to get out.”

    Not Surprising: Once you get a win under your belt, as AJ Allmendinger did at Watkins Glen, those good finishes just seem to roll along. The Dinger finished top-15 at Michigan and officially clinched his spot in the Chase.

    “It’s really cool,” the driver of the No. 47 Kingsford Charcoal Chevrolet said of his Chase berth. “I thought we had a really good shot, but you never know until it’s official. So to have that is really good.”

    “More than anything I felt like this weekend made some gains so that gets a little excitement going into the next couple of race tracks to see if we can keep getting better. Overall the last few weeks has been really cool to share with the guys and come here and have a little energy and confidence. To come out here all weekend and show some speed has been really good.”

    Surprising: In spite of burning up a test session at Michigan International Speedway prior to the race weekend, Roush Fenway Racing continued to struggle at a track they once owned. Greg Biffle did manage a tenth place finish and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. finished 15th, however, Carl Edwards had a disappointing end to his day, taking the checkered flag in 23rd.

    “You know, I guess it was a good day,” Biffle said. “We got a top-10. Really we wanted to run up in the top-five. We had a car to do that and that track position we would get loose around other cars. We still have to work on that with our race cars.”

    “It was a good solid top-15,” Stenhouse Jr. said. “We qualified 10th and finished 15th and ran right around 15th the whole time which is kind of a goal. Obviously we want to run top-10 and pass as many cars as we can but all in all we accomplished what we were looking to do.”

    “We were so loose I just couldn’t drive it,” Edwards said. “It looked like Greg (Biffle) had a good run and we had speed in qualifying so that gives us something to look forward to but we were just too loose today to be able to do anything.”

    Not Surprising: After some difficult runs recently, it was not surprising that Paul Menard scored a fourth place finish at an intermediate track where he tends to run well. The driver of the No. 27 Certainteed/Menards Chevrolet did in fact run well, finishing fourth.

    “Our cars are really good,” Menard said. “The RCR fab shop, the ECR engine shop they make really good race cars. This track kind of suits my driving style I guess. Sluggar (Labbe, crew chief) and I, Justin and James and everybody on the No. 27 car have a good baseline intermediate track package that seems to work good at these fast tracks.”

    “Definitely needed a good run the last three or four weeks have been pretty brutal,” Menard continued. “We definitely needed this.”

    As a result of the Michigan race and assuming that they all attempt to qualify for the remaining three races of the regular season, AJ Allmendinger, Aric Almirola, Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin all scored their spot in the championship Chase.

     

  • Hot 20 – After the Week We’ve Had, We Could Use a Little Good News From Michigan

    Hot 20 – After the Week We’ve Had, We Could Use a Little Good News From Michigan

    The news of late has been enough to make a clown cry. In fact, we just lost one of our most treasured entertainers, by his own hand. We have the tragedy involving Kevin Ward Jr. and Tony Stewart still on our minds. We have Martin Truex Jr.’s girlfriend facing health challenges.

    This has not been the best of weeks. You turn on your televison or check out Youtube and it does not get much better. Police lobbing tear gas at news crews in Missouri. One nation protecting its people with missiles while the other side protects its missiles with people. A tyrant threatening a neighboring country because he can. People streaming into another like it is “no pay and stay day” at Disneyland because some think that allowing them to do so is the right thing to do.

    I even sought escape in reality shows, with no luck. “America” just tossed out the best dancer on “So You Think You Can Dance” and I cannot begin to describe the talent tossed aside for crap on “America’s Got Talent.” It is enough to make Lewis Black go nuclear. Good Lord, we sure could use some positive diversions from all this damn reality.

    Just maybe Michigan will provide it for us. Might four time winner Greg Biffle lay claim to another and a Chase berth? Jack Roush’s organization could use a little good news today, an organization that will see a major sponsor and its best driver both fly away next season. Maybe Matt Kenseth could lock his way in with a third Michigan victory, even though a berth by points alone seems likely. Then again, one of those Hendrick boys might claim this thing again. Even Kasey Kahne has won there before. At least it would make some folks happier.

    Good news is that there will not be a single Cup driver in the Nationwide race. The bad news is that only 37 cars are entered to compete in the Ohio event. Only 28 trucks will run in the Camping World race at Michigan on Saturday. Kyle Busch will be competing, for you can never have enough races involving Kyle Busch.

    Maybe he just loves to race. Like Tony. Tony has won at Michigan before, but he will not be racing there on Sunday. With that, we’ve come full circle.

    Dale Earnhardt Jr. has returned to where he was, a decade ago. In these standings, where we bump up the victor’s bonus from 3 to 25 points, he leads. In the official standings, he leads. Twice before at Michigan, at the end, he has led. Maybe a win by Junior, or Jeff, or Brad, or Jimmie, Joey, Matt, Carl or Kevin might help put a big ole smile back on this face. I sure hope so. It has been one hell of a week.

    1 –   Dale Earnhardt, Jr. – 839 Points – 3 Wins
    2 –   Jeff Gordon – 812 – 2
    3 –   Brad Keselowski – 762 – 3
    4 –   Jimmie Johnson – 716 – 3
    5 –   Joey Logano – 715 – 2
    6 –   Matt Kenseth – 703 – 0
    7 –   Carl Edwards – 702 – 2
    8 –   Kevin Harvick – 689 – 2
    9 –   Ryan Newman – 645 – 0
    10 –   Kyle Busch – 637 – 1
    11 –   Kyle Larson – 635 – 0
    12 –   Clint Bowyer – 634 – 0
    13 –   Greg Biffle – 626 – 0
    14 –   Kasey Kahne – 622 – 0
    15 –   Austin Dillon – 616 – 0
    16 –   Marcos Ambrose – 584 – 0
    17 –   Denny Hamlin – 574 – 1
    18 –   Paul Menard – 574 – 0
    19 –   Brian Vickers – 573 – 0
    20 –   Jamie McMurray – 566 – 0

     

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Watkins Glen

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Watkins Glen

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Earnhardt finished 11th at Watkins Glen after an untimely late caution cost him any chance of winning. He passed Jeff Gordon to take over the lead in the Sprint Cup points standings, and now leads Gordon by four.

    “Let me point out,” Earnhardt said, “that at this point, points don’t mean much. Have I made my point?

    “It was a crazy day at Watkins Glen. A.J. Allmendinger proved that a one-car team can compete with the multi-car teams. Chances are that the ‘Dinger’ will be with a big-time team in the future. Instead of losing a ride, he’ll be pimping one.”

    2. Jeff Gordon: Gordon won the pole at Watkins Glen but faltered late after electrical issues sabotaged his chances. He eventually finished 34th and now trails Dale Earnhardt, Jr. by four in the Sprint Cup points standings.

    “There’s only one word to describe how you feel sitting in a car suffering from electrical issues,” Gordon said. “Powerless.

    “The weekend started on a high note. I won the pole on my son Leo’s birthday, and he couldn’t be happier. And can you blame him? What other adolecent has a Coors Lite Pole Award in his bedroom? Besides Kurt Busch?”

    3. Brad Keselowski: A promising start at Watkins Glen soured for Keselowski after brake issues relegated him to a 23rd-place finish, five laps down.

    “I’d rather have trouble stopping,” Keselowski said, “than trouble ‘going,’ which is a problem 72-year-old Morgan Shepherd deals with on a daily basis. At least that’s what Joey Logano tells me.”

    4. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson had a solid finish in sight before a spin on a lap 80 restart sent him hurtling back in the field. He finished a disappointing 28th.

    “Sunday’s race was stopped twice so repairs could be made after accidents,” Johnson said. “Chad Knaus radioed me during the delays and asked, ‘How’s the track look?’ I replied, ‘It’s fixed.’ And I fully expect that statement to be taken out of context.”

    5. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth finished ninth in the Cheez-It 355 At The Glen and remains winless on the year. He is third in the points standings, 70 behind Dale Earnhardt Jr.

    “Unless I can find a win in the next four races,” Kenseth said, “I’ll be starting at the bottom when the Chase For The Cup starts. Where my wins total is concerned, ‘V’ is for ‘void.’

    6. Joey Logano: Logano finished sixth at Watkins Glen, recording his 12th top 10 of the year.

    “Allmendinger ran a heck of a race,” Logano said. “I guess the competition was a lot like drug problems—he put it behind him.”

    7. Carl Edwards: Edwards finished fifth at Watkins Glen, posting his fifth top-five result of the year. He is sixth in the points standings, 115 out of first.

    “I had a good view of the A.J. Allmendinger-Marcos Ambrose battle,” Edwards said. “Allmendinger obviously knew the track well. He’s certainly done his homework. There’s probably only one circuit he knows better than Watkins Glen, and that’s the road to recovery.

    “It was a great day for the Cheez-It brand. They sponsored the race, as well as my No. 99 car. If the race in Sonoma is attended by the ‘wine and cheese’ crowd, then fans at the Glen should be called the ‘wino and Cheez-It’ crowd.”

    8. Ryan Newman: Newman crashed heavily with 34 laps to go at Watkins Glen, smashing a fence and causing the race to be stopped for over an hour while repairs were made. Newman finished 41st, 35 laps off the pace.

    “Race officials raised more red flags than the Mayfield family,” Newman said. “And I’m not happy with safety at the Watkins Glen track. It seems track officials need a crash course in safety.”

    “My former teammate Rusty Wallace was recently inducted into the Motorsports Hall Of Fame. I don’t know who told Rusty to ‘Go to Hall,’ but it sure as Hell wasn’t me.”

    9. Kevin Harvick: Harvick finished seventh at Watkins Glen, posting his 11th top-10 result of the year.

    “Was God on AJ Allmendinger’s side at Watkins Glen?” Harvick said. “It certainly looked that way. If He was, AJ should change his name to ‘Amendinger.’”

    10. AJ Allmendinger: Allmendinger repelled the challenges of Marcos Ambrose on two late restarts to win the Cheez-It 355 At The Glen. The win guaranteed Allmendinger a spot in the Chase For The Cup.

    “Kimberly-Clarke Corporation renewed their sponsorship of my car,” Allmendinger said, “making the weekend even more satisfying for car owner Brad Daugherty and myself. Kimberly-Clarke produces the Kleenex, Scott, Viva, and Cottonelle brands, and that means Sunday was a great day for white paper and black hillbillies.

    “Of course, this doesn’t mean I’m a ‘paper’ champion. It does mean I’m well equipped to wipe up the competition.”

  • The Final Word – Tragedy in New York

    The Final Word – Tragedy in New York

    Watkins Glen might have hosted the action on Sunday, but it was Saturday night at the Canandaigua Motorsports Park a hundred miles away that drew our attention.

    Amateur video shows Kevin Ward Jr racing his Sprint car against Tony Stewart, winding up brushed against the wall and out of action. The 20-year old unbuckled himself, came out of his car, walking toward the cars running under caution. He appeared upset at being taken out of the race, apparently pointing toward Stewart.

    We see the car in front of Stewart go past, as Ward appears to take a slight step to his left, away from the car as the video briefly follows it before panning back to pick up Stewart. It happens so fast, so I pause the video showing the young man halfway down the track as Stewart’s car appears in the frame. It appears to be passing him, then Ward is gone. In less than two seconds, his body is flung upward, dragged, then tossed for yards before coming to rest down the track. The crowd reacts as emergency personnel race to his still form.

    There are some who claim, in watching the same video, that it shows a deliberate action. It does not. Due to the angle, we do not know the precise distance Ward was standing from Stewart’s, or even the previous car, as it passed. We do know that it was close. There are those who claim Stewart gunned his car as he passed, causing it to fish-tail toward the young man.

    In going over the video numerous times I cannot tell for certain if the end of Tony’s car initially flipped ever so slightly to the right or not. If it did, it could not have been by more than a couple of inches, if that. I do know it definitely moves left. In his anger, Ward may have approached too close, within mere inches to the side of Stewart’s moving car, to his rear tires. So close that any slight movement, or no movement at all, was going to catch him. Even under caution the cars were still moving at a fair clip. The engine of Stewart’s car does sound like it revs up, either through a brief acceleration or the car broke traction on the dirt track instantaneously with making contact; contact that appears to have been made with Stewart’s rear right tire.

    On Sunday, Stewart did not race. Regan Smith drove for him, as the winless Stewart drops nearly a hundred points out of a Chase place. It was a day of celebration for first time Cup winner A.J. Allmendinger, who shared his condolences for what had taken place the day before even as he secured a Chase berth of his own.

    It was a race that featured a great battle in the end between Allmendinger and Marcos Ambrose. It featured a terrible crash that saw both Ryan Newman and Michael McDowell walk away from pieces of scrap metal. It saw a bid by Jeff Gordon end when he lost power, Denny Hamlin lost his along with his brake fluid even before finding some barrels to destroy later on, and Kyle Busch left with a gas can and shortly after left with a blown tire.

    With four to go, a dozen Chase spots have been claimed by race winners with only four left on points unless another first time victor emerges at Michigan, Bristol, Atlanta, or Richmond. Tony Stewart may be there to contend, but today his thoughts no doubt are understandably with a young man and a track a hundred miles from Watkins Glen.

    SWEET SIXTEEN
    1 – Dale Earnhardt, Jr. – 3 Wins – 773 Points
    2 – Brad Keselowski – 3 – 696
    3 – Jimmie Johnson – 3 – 650
    4 – Jeff Gordon – 2 – 768
    5 – Joey Logano – 2 – 671
    6 – Carl Edwards – 2 – 658
    7 – Kevin Harvick – 2 – 645
    8 – Kyle Busch – 1 – 615
    9 – Denny Hamlin – 1 – 552
    10 – Kurt Busch – 1 – 539
    11 – Aric Almirola – 1 – 532
    12 – A.J. Allmendinger – 1 – 525
    13 – Matt Kenseth – 0 – 703
    14 – Ryan Newman – 0 – 645
    15 – Kyle Larson – 0 – 635
    16 – Clint Bowyer – 0 – 634

    CONTENDERS & PRETENDERS
    17 – Greg Biffle – 0 Wins – 626 Points
    18 – Kasey Kahne – 0 – 622
    19 – Austin Dillon – 0 – 616
    20 – Marcos Ambrose – 0 – 584
    21 – Paul Menard – 0 – 574
    22 – Brian Vickers – 0 – 573
    23 – Jamie McMurray – 0 – 566
    24 – Tony Stewart – 0 – 537
    25 – Casey Mears – 0 – 516
    26 – Martin Truex, Jr. – 0 – 508
    27 – Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. – 0 – 447
    28 – Danica Patrick – 0 – 419
    29 – Justin Allgaier – 0 – 398
    30 – Michael Annett – 0 – 360
    31 – David Gilliland – 0 – 334
    32 – David Ragan – 0 – 312