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  • The Final Word – Keselowski Owns New Hampshire, Logano and Johnson Got Owned

    The Final Word – Keselowski Owns New Hampshire, Logano and Johnson Got Owned

    You sure could not beat the car that had Brad Keselowski behind the wheel Sunday in New Hampshire. And nobody did. He might have loaned out the lead from time to time to the likes of Kyle Busch and Clint Bowyer, but make no mistake about this one. The 30-year old Michigan driver owned this race as the former champion recorded his 13th Cup victory. With his third of the season, his moves atop the standings, 36 points up on Jimmie Johnson.

    To be honest, this was not one of the more visually stimulating events we have seen. It did provide a few surprises, though. Just ask Johnson. He might have three wins of his own, but he just picked up a pair of points at Loudon. First, a tire went flat, then its replacement blew out to send Six Time into the wall. That was all she wrote before five percent of the race was run.

    Morgan Shepherd provided a surprise of his own. Just ask Joey Logano. Fifteen laps down, the 72-year-old Shepherd slipped up to clip the 24 year old, who found the wall himself to end his day in 40th. The lad, who had been running second at the time, was not terribly understanding, wondering how the slowest guy on the track could eliminate him in such a fashion. As there was no camera shot that showed the event as it unfolded, we are left hearing arguments on both sides.

    We do know Shepherd was running above minimum speed. We know the driver who experienced the bulk of his Cup career from 1981 to mid 1990s has passed all the requirements needed to satisfy NASCAR that be belongs out on the track. It would appear his age was not a factor, just the quality of his ride that had trouble staying at the bottom. As for his being a friend of Logano’s team owner, Roger Penske, I think that ends the discussion right there.

    Are there more commercials or have we just become too impatient these days to sit through them? TNT had enough of them, and while I see the Canadian sponsors rather than what is seen in the U.S.A., most are not much to look at, especially for the tenth time in three or four hours. Thankfully, they invented the PVR/DVR, and as I do not watch the race live they last as long as it takes for me to hit the 30-second jump button six times. I might wear that button out in the upcoming weeks.

    Even though the work of Adam, Wally, and Kyle was not enough to keep me glued to this one, they are the best crew in NASCAR. Not even FOX is close. ESPN? Damn near unwatchable, as they will illustrate when action resumes in Indianapolis in a couple of weeks. As much as it saddens me to see TNT’s 32-year run come to an end, I look forward to seeing Jeff Burton and Steve Letarte on NBC next season, as long as it signals the removal of Allen, Rusty, and Brad.

    On the other hand, a win means inclusion in the Chase if you are still without one going into the seven race run from Indy to Richmond. If we have less than five first-time winners in that span, at least one driver will make it on points. Probably more. Eleven have their victories, two (Matt Kenseth and Ryan Newman) do not need to worry about that just yet, but there are 19 others who can punch a ticket to the Promised Land by taking a checkered flag. For more than half of them, that stands as probably their only chance for an invite to the dance.

    SWEET SIXTEEN
    1 – Brad Keselowski – 3 Wins – 634 Points
    2 – Jimmie Johnson – 3 – 598
    3 – Dale Earnhardt, Jr. – 2 – 658
    4 – Carl Edwards – 2 – 574
    5 – Joey Logano – 2 – 551
    6 – Kevin Harvick – 2 – 528
    7 – Jeff Gordon – 1 – 670
    8 – Kyle Busch – 1 – 567
    9 – Denny Hamlin – 1 – 530
    10 – Aric Almirola – 1 – 473
    11 – Kurt Busch – 1 – 440
    12 – Matt Kenseth – 0 – 621
    13 – Ryan Newman – 0 – 573
    14 – Clint Bowyer – 0 – 548
    15 – Paul Menard – 0 – 541
    16 – Kyle Larson – 0 – 524

    CONTENTERS & PRETENDERS
    17 – Austin Dillon – 0 – 524 Points
    18 – Greg Biffle – 0 – 519
    19 – Kasey Kahne – 0 – 515
    20 – Brian Vickers – 0 – 507
    21 – Tony Stewart – 0 – 502
    22 – Marcos Ambrose – 0 – 489
    23 – Jamie McMurray – 0 – 475
    24 – Martin Truex, Jr. – 0 – 446
    25 – Casey Mears – 0 – 444
    26 – A.J. Allmendinger – 0 – 440
    27 – Danica Patrick – 0 – 380
    28 – Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. – 0 – 377
    29 – Justin Allgaier – 0 – 326
    30 – Michael Annett – 0 – 311
    31 – David Gilliland – 0 – 276
    32 – Cole Whitt – 0 – 270

     

  • Keselowski Dominates Nationwide Series Race at New Hampshire

    Keselowski Dominates Nationwide Series Race at New Hampshire

    NNS Recap by NASCAR – July 12, 2014

    LOUDON, N.H. – Taking a deep breath at the winner’s podium, Brad Keselowski took a second to savor his dominant Saturday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

    Keselowski captured the pole, then led 152 of 200 laps to win the NASCAR Nationwide Series Sta-Green 200. In addition, he posted the fastest times in both NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice sessions in preparation for Sunday’s Camping World RV Sales 301.

    “One helluva Saturday,” said Keselowski, who recorded a perfect driver rating for the sixth time in his Nationwide career and has finished no worse than third in any of his six Nationwide Series starts this season. “Sometimes on these really busy days you get so caught up in the action that you really can’t appreciate all that’s transpired.

    “We have so much to be proud of there and, obviously, we’re looking forward to tomorrow and the opportunity we have. Our Cup car was fast this morning. Our Nationwide car in qualifying had a lot of adversity but we fought through that and got the pole. In the Nationwide race the car was really fast.”

    In addition, Keselowski’s Penske-prepared Hertz Mustang became the first Nationwide Series car to win from the pole position in 17 races this season. He also won the March 8 race at Las Vegas and now has 29 victories in 211 Nationwide races.

    Kyle Busch, the pole-sitter for Sunday’s Sprint Cup race, was Keselowski’s primary competition and finished second ahead of Matt Kenseth, Kyle Larson and rookie Chris Buescher.

    “It was a bit of a dogfight – one of the most challenging races I’ve ever ran, knowing that you have Kyle Busch behind you and he’s just a tiny bit faster,” said Keselowski, whose only mistake was accidentally dropping the American flag during his victory lap. “You have to fight through a line of cars and it seemed like there was always something coming at us.”

    Busch pulled to within a car length of Keselowski’s rear bumper with 29 laps to go, but got loose on Lap 173, slid up the track and dropped nearly a second off the pace with 25 laps left. Taking advantage of lap traffic in the final 20 laps, Keselowski’s eventual winning margin was 1.8 seconds.

    “It was actually very hard-fought there at the end,” Keselowski said. “He (Busch) was really good at making adjustments. I didn’t think I was going to be able to hold him off.”

    Busch led the first 34 laps but never led again in falling just short of his fifth win in nine Nationwide Series starts at New Hampshire.

    “We got what we could out of our Monster Energy Camry,” Busch said. “We had the best run there at the end but just not quite enough. We had to fight hard to get by a few guys, got to second but didn’t have quite enough to chase (Keselowski) down.

    “If it was clean and green all the way to the end I don’t know if I could have got to him. I was hoping for a couple opportunities there in traffic.”

    Keselowski asserted his car as the one to beat, leading 66 of the first 100 laps. By Lap 66, only Busch (2.88) and Kenseth (9.25) were within 10 seconds of Keselowski’s yellow No. 22 Mustang.

    True to its name, the Sta-Green 200 stayed caution-free for 76 laps prior to a yellow flag for debris on Lap 93 that tightened the field.

    Busch struggled after the restart while Larson seized the opportunity and tucked in second behind Keselowski. And he wasn’t second for long.

    When Brian Scott got into the back of third-place Elliott Sadler, it touched off a spin that involved seven cars, enabling Larson to seize the lead.

    Larson led the race twice for 11 laps. But when things settled down after the race’s fourth caution, Keselowski regained the top spot and went on to dominate the final 56 laps.

    Series points leader Regan Smith didn’t have a top-five car but was the big bonus winner, capturing the $100,000 payoff in the first of four Dash 4 Cash races courtesy of Nationwide Insurance. Smith finished ahead of championship-eligible Nationwide Series drivers Ryan Reed (11th), Ryan Sieg (18th) and Jeremy Clements (20th), each of whom qualified for the Dash last week at Daytona International Speedway.

    Smith was in control of the Dash for most of the race but had trouble during a four-tire change in the pits with 55 laps left. Although Reed restarted in seventh and Smith ninth, Smith regained command on his fresh rubber and maintained his advantage the rest of the way.

    “The race was difficult for us,” Smith said. “We didn’t have the speed I thought we were going to have. The last pit stop we decided to go for four (tires), had a little hiccup, and it cost us some positions.  At that point, you kind of know the situation for the day and it’s ‘OK, let’s take the silver lining and get out of here with the money. This means a lot to our team.”

    Smith, Buescher, Sadler and Scott emerged as qualifiers for the second of four Dash 4 Cash races next Saturday at Chicagoland Speedway. Smith also became the only driver eligible for a $600,000 bonus – which will translate to $1 million in total prize money should he win the Dash 4 Cash at Chicagoland and Indianapolis Motor Speedway (July 26), then win the Aug. 2 race at Iowa Speedway outright.

    Smith retained the series points lead by eight points over Sadler, who finished sixth, and 13 over Chase Elliott, who finished eighth.

  • Kyle Busch Wins 15th Career Pole at New Hampshire Motor Speedway

    Kyle Busch Wins 15th Career Pole at New Hampshire Motor Speedway

    Kyle Busch won the Coors Light Pole Award Friday afternoon at New Hampshire with a new track record qualifying speed of 138.130 mph. This is the 13th track qualifying record set this season. It was Busch’s second pole of the season, his second at the Loudon track and his 15th career Cup pole.

    There have been 12 different winners in the last 12 races at New Hampshire and if Busch’s fast lap is any indication, it could be 13 for 13. He had two second place finishes here in 2013.

    “This has been a good place for us here,” Kyle noted. “Last year we qualified on the pole in the same race and finished second and followed that up with another second  in the fall race here. So we’d love to be able to continue that on and see if we can’t make it one spot better here this weekend.”

    Jimmie Johnson, who has three previous wins at the track, will line up second.

    “I was very optimistic coming into qualifying today,” he said. “I thought I had enough to get it there. Then I saw Kyle’s lap. He definitely put one down.”

    Busch’s teammate, Denny Hamlin will start from the third position. Tony Stewart, who also has three wins at the track, and Jamie McMurray, who has one top-five in his last six starts, rounded out the top five starting positions.

    Notable drivers who did not make it into the second and final round of qualifying include Carl Edwards (14th), Matt Kenseth (15th), Kurt Busch (18th), Ryan Newman (24th) and Dale Earnhardt Jr. who will start 28th.

    Kyle Busch will lead the field to green Sunday for the Sprint Cup Series Camping World RV Sales 301. Race coverage will begin at 1 p.m. ET on TNT and the green flag is set to drop at 1:15 p.m. The race will be Turner Sports’ final NASCAR broadcast.

    Complete Starting Lineup for the Camping World RV Sales 301:

    1. Kyle Busch
    2. Jimmie Johnson
    3. Denny Hamlin
    4. Tony Stewart
    5. Jamie McMurray
    6. Joey Logano
    7. Brad Keselowski
    8. Clint Bowyer.
    9. Martin Truex Jr.
    10. Kasey Kahne
    11. Jeff Gordon
    12. Kevin Harvick
    13. Kyle Larson
    14. Carl Edwards
    15. Matt Kenseth
    16. Paul Menard
    17. Brian Vickers
    18. Kurt Busch
    19. Aric Almirola
    20. AJ Allmendinger
    21. Marcos Ambrose
    22. Ricky Stenhouse Jr
    23. Austin Dillon
    24. Ryan Newman
    25. Justin Allgaier
    26. David Ragan
    27. Greg Biffle
    28. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
    29. Danica Patrick
    30. Jeff Burton
    31. Casey Mears
    32. Josh Wise
    33. David Gilliland
    34. Landon Cassill
    35. Cole Whitt
    36. Alex Bowman
    37. Reed Sorenson
    38. Ryan Truex
    39. Michael Annett
    40. Eddie MacDonald
    41. Mike Bliss
    42. Timmy Hill
    43. Morgan Shepherd

  • The Hot 20 – Elder Gents and Past Winners Lead the Way to New Hampshire

    The Hot 20 – Elder Gents and Past Winners Lead the Way to New Hampshire

    If you want to make the Chase, maybe one should win at New Hampshire. Out of 43 drivers entered and scheduled to make up the field at Loudon this Sunday, a whopping 16 of them have won at New Hampshire. They include the only four-time winner, 47-year old Jeff Burton, slated to drive the 66 Toyota of Jay Robinson. Along side will be his team mate, 50-year-old Joe Nemechek and a winner there in 1999, driving the 87. Kids. The oldest driver at Loudon has never won there in 14 attempts, going back to 1993. At the age of 72, Morgan Shepherd will be there in Joe Falk’s 33 Chevy.

    Among our hot 20, based on points and super-sizing the winner’s bonus from 3 to 25 points, a dozen have had the post-race bubbly shower here before. Jeff Gordon is our king of the hill and while both he and Jimmie Johnson both have three wins at Loudon, neither really do not need another one. In reality, a win means a Chase spot, and they are both in. Same goes for Joey Logano, Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, and Denny Hamlin. Matt Kenseth probably does not need one and Ryan Newman is still sitting pretty, but the same can not be said for Clint Bowyer, Greg Biffle, Brian Vickers or Kasey Kahne. Kurt Busch is not even in out Hot 20 but he has a win, though the same cannot be said for Tony Stewart.

    As much as I think this system best showcases which drivers have actually been the most relevant during the season, I doubt NASCAR will adopt it. If I thought I had that much influence, you would never see ESPN’s current crew call another race, but I do not. Plus, giving a Chase spot to a New Hampshire winner would mean adios to the likes of Dale Earnhardt Jr, Brad Keselowski, and Carl Edwards, none of whom have won there. The kids, Austin Dillon and Kyle Larson, obviously have not. Take the free pass for last Sunday’s Daytona win, and Aric Almirola drops from 10th in the official rankings, drops from 19th on my list, down to 21st and with little hope of making the Chase. Of course, my method eliminates the Chase, and I have a feeling that Brian France would not be terribly receptive to that argument.

    I think it a shame that wins put Almirola and Kurt Busch into a Chase place at the expense of Biffle and Vickers. Still, you cannot ignore the excitement that a single victory can bring to the driver, his team, or the fans. Winning is not easy, so maybe the reward is justified. Maybe.

    That said, here is a look at my Hot 20 as they prepare for battle in New Hampshire this Sunday.

    Ps – Driver – Pts – Wins
    1 – Jeff Gordon – 673 – 1
    2 – Dale Earnhardt, Jr. – 668 – 2
    3 – Jimmie Johnson – 662 – 3
    4 – Brad Keselowski – 630 – 2
    5 – Joey Logano – 590 – 2
    6 – Carl Edwards – 587 – 2
    7 – Matt Kenseth – 580 – 0
    8 – Kevin Harvick – 558 – 2
    9 – Kyle Busch – 546 – 1
    10 – Ryan Newman – 534 – 0
    11 – Paul Menard – 516 – 0
    12 – Denny Hamlin – 515 – 1
    13 – Clint Bowyer – 509 – 0
    14 – Austin Dillon – 494 – 0
    15 – Greg Biffle – 490 – 0
    16 – Brian Vickers – 484 – 0
    17 – Kyle Larson – 482 – 0
    18 – Kasey Kahne – 482 – 0
    19 – Aric Almirola – 474 – 1
    20 – Marcos Ambrose – 472 – 0

  • The Final Word – Rains delayed and shortened the race, but there were still fireworks at Daytona

    The Final Word – Rains delayed and shortened the race, but there were still fireworks at Daytona

    Holy crap, what was that? If nothing else, the Firecracker 400 in Daytona sure was not predictable. A few yards short of a competition caution, many of the favorites were removed or seriously hampered when all hell broke loose. Ricky Stenhouse Jr, Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart got involved in a non-romantic triangle that involved some of the circuit’s best. Just past the half-way mark, they took care of a bunch of others with an even bigger demo derby. Greg Biffle caught up to Kasey Kahne, who in turn kissed Joey Logano, which commenced a wrecking orgy. In the end, half of the field was gone and those running up front were folks we usually expect to see running near the back.

    Aric Almirola was not favored to return the iconic 43 that Richard Petty won his 200th win the Independence Day weekend thirty years ago, but he did. The rains that delayed the action for a day, and delayed it again early on Sunday, returned to finally put a wash to the proceedings prior to the three-quarter mark. The man in front was the 30-year old Tampa, Florida native, recording his first Cup victory in 125 starts. That goes with his single Nationwide win from 2007 and his two truck series triumphs back in 2010. Better yet, that car is all but entered into the Chase, with eight races to run before they settle on the 16 championship contenders.

    Brian Vickers is not in a Chase place, yet finished second. Ditto for Casey Mears, in fourth. Danica Patrick and Marcos Ambrose had Top Ten days. Michael McDowell , who is not even in the Top 30 in points, was seventh on Sunday with Alex Bowman finishing 13th. Even part-timer Terry Labonte, the former two-time champ, was 11th. For some, it was worth the wait to run this thing.

    For others, not so much, as barely half the field managed a hundred laps. Our list of likely Chasers who wound up in scrap metal included Jimmie Johnson (42nd), Kevin Harvick (39th), Carl Edwards (37th), Kyle Busch (28th), and Ryan Newman (24th). It is too early yet to get all tight ended about the chances of Kahne, Biffle, and Kyle Larson after they all finished outside the Top 25, but they could have done without this Daytona experience. On the other hand, Stewart and Jamie McMurray might be puckering up a little as both dropped points they could ill afford to lose. It has become even more likely than ever that without a win they will be running the final ten just for fun.

    Almirola is the 11th driver to win this season, so as long as no more than five more drivers win their first of the season over the course of the next eight, he and the others will be in the Chase. Matt Kenseth is 90 points to the good in the Top 16, so he is secure as they sit right now. Newman also is strong, but things start to get tight after that. Still, anyone in the Top 20 can still dream of making it in on points, but the next dozen will need a win to even hope of making it.

    Next Sunday it is New Hampshire. Sadly, that marks the final race broadcast on TNT before the ESPN gong show returns to test our love of the televised version of the sport. Adam, Wally, and Kyle, thanks for showing us how the job should be done.

    Loudon could be the place where some winless drivers can show us how it should be done. Newman and Stewart each have three wins there. Clint Bowyer has a couple, and Biffle, Kenseth, Vickers, and Kahne also know where to find Victory Lane. Now, as long as other former New Hampshire winners, such as Johnson, Gordon, Harvick,  Logano, Denny Hamlin, or one of the Busch brothers do not get greedy…

    SWEET SIXTEEN
    1 – Jimmie Johnson – 3 WINS – 596 POINTS
    2 – Dale Earnhardt, Jr. – 2 – 624
    3 – Brad Keselowski – 2 – 586
    4 – Joey Logano – 2 – 546
    5 – Carl Edwards – 2 – 543
    6 – Kevin Harvick – 2 – 514
    7 – Jeff Gordon – 1 – 651
    8 – Kyle Busch – 1 – 524
    9 – Denny Hamlin – 1 – 493
    10 – Aric Almirola – 1 – 452
    11 – Kurt Busch – 1 – 422
    12 – Matt Kenseth – 0 – 580
    13 – Ryan Newman – 0 – 534
    14 – Paul Menard – 0 – 516
    15 – Clint Bowyer – 0 – 509
    16 – Austin Dillon – 0 – 494

    CONTENDERS & PRETENDERS
    17 – Greg Biffle – 0 – 490
    18 – Brian Vickers – 0 – 484
    19 – Kyle Larson – 0 – 482
    20 – Kasey Kahne – 0 – 482
    21 – Marcos Ambrose – 0 – 472
    22 – Tony Stewart – 0 – 465
    23 – Jamie McMurray – 0 – 447
    24 – Casey Mears – 0 – 438
    25 – A.J. Allmendinger – 0 – 414
    26 – Martin Truex, Jr. – 0 – 414
    27 – Danica Patrick – 0 – 358
    28 – Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. – 0 – 342
    29 – Justin Allgaier – 0 – 319
    30 – Michael Annett – 0 – 299
    31 – David Gilliland – 0 – 256
    32 – Cole Whitt – 0 – 254

     

  • Matt Kenseth Wins at New Hampshire

    Matt Kenseth Wins at New Hampshire

    Matt Kenseth is the man to beat in the 2013; there is no doubt about that. He has now won both chase races with his teammate, Kyle Busch finishing 2nd just like Chicagoland last weekend. This is his 7th win of the season and the 31st of his career. Matt started 9th and wasn’t looked at as a favorite to win the race and wasn’t a factor until after the halfway point. He’s never gone to victory lane at New Hampshire until now and it just so happened to be his 500th career start as well.

    The race kicked off with Ryan Newman on pole but he would quickly be overtaken by a hard-charging Kasey Kahne. Kasey led until the first caution of the day flew courtesy of Josh Wise going for a spin in turn 4. On the restart, Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing teammates Juan Pablo Montoya and Jamie McMurray made contact sending the No.1 spinning. Jamie kept it off the wall though and the car was fine until rookie Kevin Swindell ran into the back of him. McMurray rebounded and finished a solid 5th with a damaged rear end.

    The next incident involved Bobby Labonte and David Gilliland on the front stretch. Labonte’s car was destroyed while Gilliland suffered some front end damage during the crash. Martin Truex Jr. led a bunch of laps before Jeff Gordon took control of the event. A rare pit road mistake by the 4-time champ ruined his race as he brought home a disappointing 15th place finish.

    Late in the race, Kasey Kahne got loose underneath Brian Vickers and smacked the inside wall. He was very upset and didn’t have anything to say when he left the infield care center. Dale Earnhardt Jr. had a fantastic restart with 30 to go and rocketed up to 2nd but he gave it all back within a few laps. It came down to a duel between JGR teammates Matt Kenseth and Kyle Busch with the 2003 NSCS champion prevailing as Kyle desperately tried to get to him. Track position was key today and when you didn’t have it, you didn’t stand a chance.

    The race featured eleven different leaders, seven cautions and nineteen lead changes. 28 cars finished on the lead lap and five failed to finish. Kenseth, (Kyle) Busch and Johnson have separated themselves from the rest of the chase field and are certainly living up to all the hype surrounding their chase chances. Matt has a 14pt lead over teammate Kyle and Jimmie Johnson faces a 18pt deficit. There’s a noticeable gap back to 4th place Carl Edwards who sits 36pts back. 10th on back are a full race’s worth of points behind the leader and Kasey Kahne is now last in the chase; 71pts back of Kenseth.

    RACE RESULTS

    1.) Matt Kenseth #20

    2.) Kyle Busch #18

    3.) Greg Biffle #16

    4.) Jimmie Johnson #48

    5.) Jamie McMurray #1

    6.) Dale Earnhardt Jr. #88

    7.) Brian Vickers #55

    8.) Jeff Burton #31

    9.) Carl Edwards #99

    10.) Matin Truex Jr. #56

    11.) Brad Keselowski #2

    12.) Denny Hamlin #11

    13.) Kurt Busch #78

    14.) Joey Logano #22

    15.) Jeff Gordon #24

    16.) Ryan Newman #39

    17.) Clint Bowyer #15

    18.) Marcos Ambrose #9

    19.) Juan Pablo Montoya #42

    20.) Kevin Harvick #29

    21.) Aric Almirola #43

    22.) Paul Menard #27

    23.) Mark Martin #55

    24.) Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #17

    25.) Casey Mears #13

    26.) David Reutimann #83

    27.) Danica Patrick #10

    28.) Travis Kvapil #93

    29.) David Ragan #34

    30.) Michael McDowell #51

    31.) Dave Blaney #7

    32.) Josh Wise #35

    33.) JJ Yeley #36

    34.) Landon Cassill #40

    35.) Joe Nemechek #87

    36.) Timmy Hill #32

    37.) Kasey Kahne #5

    38.) Kevin Swindell #30

    39.) David Gilliland #38

    40.) Bobby Labonte #47

    41.) Tony Raines #33

    42.) Johnny Sauter #98

    43.) Scott Riggs #95

    – Richard Petty is the only other driver besides Kenseth to win in his 500th start

    – 4 of Matt’s 7 victories this season have all come at tracks that he had not won at until 2013

    – Kenseth is the 12th different driver to win in the last 12 New Hampshire races

    – This is the third time a chase driver has won the first two chase races…Biffle did it in 2008 & Stewart in 2011

  • Hot 20 over the past 10 – Montoya soon to be rid of fenders, NAPA soon to be rid of Michael Waltrip

    Hot 20 over the past 10 – Montoya soon to be rid of fenders, NAPA soon to be rid of Michael Waltrip

    So, what have we learned lately? Well, if one cheats, one must not do so in a fashion that allows them to be quickly caught. Caught by everybody. Caught on scanners, radios, and in full view of millions at the track and watching on television. Nothing good can ever come from that. That is, if one decides that they must cheat in the first place.

    Since February, 2001 NAPA and Michael Waltrip have been synonymous in NASCAR. That comes to an abrupt end at the conclusion of this year when the company terminates its association with MWR, and it is all due to the events at Richmond. It is a very high price to pay and as much as I did not condone that team’s actions, as much as I applaud NASCAR’s reaction to them, I hate to have seen it come to this. I understand why the team did what it did. I understand why the fans reacted as they did, with those actions affecting two drivers who have become sentimental favorites. I understand why NAPA did what they did, being sensitive to public perception. However, it gives me no joy to read about it. The price has been paid. It is time to move on.

    Juan Pablo Montoya is moving on. After seven seasons and two victories in NASCAR’s Cup series, he returns to the open wheeled racing in which he thrived between 1999 and 2006. Over the course of those eight campaigns, he won 18 races, claimed the CART championship as well as the Grand Prix of Monaco in claiming seven Formula One events. Ironically, while he joins the Penske organization in IndyCar, he has run only one race in that circuit, winning the 2000 Indianapolis 500. We look forward to his return to the track in St. Petersburg, Florida in late March.

    Matt Kenseth returns to the track this Sunday at Loudon, New Hampshire. Unlike the other five drivers among our hottest half dozen, which includes the Busch Brothers, Ryan Newman, Kevin Harvick, and Jeff Gordon, Kenseth has never won at Loudon in 27 attempts. Then again, he has never won six races in a season before, either, and that Joe Gibbs car of his might be just what he needs to break that streak in New Hampshire.

     

    Name Points Pos LW Rank W T5 T10
      Kyle Busch  354 1 1 (2) 2 4 6
      Kurt Busch  339 2 2 (6) 0 5 7
      Ryan Newman  328 3 5 (8) 1 4 6
      Matt Kenseth  327 4 3 (1) 2 3 5
      Kevin Harvick  326 5 6 (4) 0 3 5
      Jeff Gordon  312 6 8 (7) 0 1 7
      Jamie McMurray  310 7 4 (15) 0 1 2
      Carl Edwards  304 8 11 (5) 1 2 4
      Greg Biffle  299 9 13 (11) 0 0 3
      Kasey Kahne  293 10 10 (10) 1 3 4
      Brad Keselowski  293 11 15 (14) 0 2 4
      Joey Logano  280 12 7 (12) 1 3 6
      Dale Earnhardt, Jr.  279 13 9 (13) 0 1 5
      Jimmie Johnson  271 14 14 (3) 1 3 5
      Juan Pablo Montoya  269 15 12 (20) 0 2 4
      Paul Menard  261 16 17 (16) 0 2 3
      Marcos Ambrose  256 17 16 (21 0 0 2
      Ricky Stenhouse, Jr.  247 18 20 (19) 0 0 2
      Clint Bowyer  245 19 18 (9) 0 2 4
      Aric Almirola  239 20 21 (18) 0 1 1
      Jeff Burton  230 21 22 (22) 0 1 2
      Martin Truex, Jr.  227 22 19 (17) 0 2 3
  • The Final Word – Matt takes Chicago, Jimmie to take Loudon, leaving Junior and Joey to split the final eight?

    The Final Word – Matt takes Chicago, Jimmie to take Loudon, leaving Junior and Joey to split the final eight?

    After the week’s worth of who is in, who is not, who has been naughty, who has been wronged, we got back to racing. Sadly, the most exciting thing about the day was watching Kyle, Larry, and Kenny discuss the week that was. The race, for me, turned out to be a bit of a let down.

    One lap kind of looked like the last one, that looked like the next one. The contenders moved into the front half of the pack and other than an official messing up Jimmie Johnson’s pit stop and Kurt Busch caught speeding, there was not much drama in the proceedings.

    Then the rains came. Five hours went by before things got back on track, by which time we caught the PGA event taking place about 70 miles north of Chicagoland, at least until they got washed out. We got to view some NFL action, at least when lightening was not delaying things in Tampa and Seattle. We had time to see the Yankees taking on the Red Sox. Well, not enough time, as I had to watch that game finish before they returned to the race track.

    I could have watched it live on computer or got Sirius about it, but I thought I would wait for the tape delayed version after the ball game. I should have known better, but like Clint I just sat there and scratched my arm. The race returned, live and in progress and with just 50 laps left.

    I know, I should dwell on the fact Matt Kenseth increased his points lead by winning his career high sixth race of the season. With his 30th career triumph he now sits eight points up on Chicago runner-up Kyle Busch. There was Jimmie Johnson, just 11 points out, after recovering from a failed jack as well as the official problems on pit road, to bring it home fifth. I could seek happiness at the discovery Joey Logano had blown up and would finish 37th, but then Karma bit my butt.

    Dale Earnhardt Jr was leading when the action returned to my screen. He then pitted and was buried way, way back, but not for long. He blew up spectacularly in a huge white plume to finish 35th and, like Logano, sits more than 50 points out.

    For the rest of the Chasers, they took the top six positions, ten of the top dozen, with Greg Biffle bringing up the rear among those who did not explode in 16th spot. The Biff is 11th in the standings, 31 points in arrears. Still, nobody is out of it yet if history tells us anything.

    Rating Chicago – 6/10 – Maybe it just rained on my parade. Kenseth fans no doubt thought it one heck of a great contest.

    In 2006, Jimmie Johnson started the Chase by finishing 39th at Chicago, though his 10.8 average Chase finish that year was the worst of the nine among series winners. Over the past six seasons, the eventual champion has averaged 3 Chase wins, 8 Top Tens, and 9 Top Twenties and an average finish of better than seventh. For Junior and Joey fans, that means a Top Five next Sunday would not be good enough.

    Now that we have put the controversy of the past week behind us, I wonder if the boys at Michael Waltrip Racing get it just yet? The boss seems to, saying they now know what they can do and what they can not. Clint Bowyer might, though his reputation takes a hit for the perception he can do one thing then lie about the circumstances surrounding what happened. To be honest, he would have been some kind of idiot to confess right after Richmond what he had done. It is like the teacher asking you about your homework assignment, and you reply how the family pet digested it. Clint didn’t raise a stink in his car, the dog did it. We have all been there. He will be forgiven, in time. Just not in enough time to see many wanting him to take the title this year.

    Martin Truex Jr does not get it. He figures if Ryan Newman gets in, he should, too. Wrong. He might not have done something wrong, but his organization did. It is the same as when a car has an illegal set up and the team gets sanctioned. The driver may have been an angel, but he gets penalized just the same. To be honest, with MWR being something of a pariah at the moment, no one really gives a damn what they want. As for Brian Vickers, he says he would do the same thing again if asked, which only means he does not mind running for negative points. What they did was fix the outcome of the race, and no professional sport allows that. If he did not get the memo, NASCAR has just reminded everyone that they will no longer tolerate it. End of story.

    Thus Sunday, it is off to Loudon and the New Hampshire Motor Speedway, and Chasers have done well there. Three time winners include Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Ryan Newman and Kurt Busch. Bowyer has won there twice, while victory has been celebrated by Logano, Biffle, Kasey Kahne, Kevin Harvick, and Kyle Busch. If fact, the only ones who have never done so are Carl Edwards, Junior, and Kenseth. As for having the best average finish there over his career, it could be a good day for Jimmie Johnson. Enjoy the week.

  • From A Hospital Bed To Victory Lane; Brian Vickers Has Persevered

    From A Hospital Bed To Victory Lane; Brian Vickers Has Persevered

    October 24th, 2004 – Brian Vickers ended a rough day at Martinsville in 27th position and two laps off the pace to race winner and teammate, Jimmie Johnson. Just a few miles away in the Bull Mountains that surround the legendary racetrack, a plane had crashed and sadly, there were no survivors. The plane was owned by Hendrick Motorsports and 10 members of the Hendrick family were tragically lost that day including promising young racer and son of Rick; Ricky Hendrick. Brian Vickers had now lost two very good friends before he was even 21 years old; the first being Adam Petty four years earlier.Brian Vickers is a spiritual person and believes to this very day that those two friends are still with him and that somebody up there is definitely looking after him. Brian wiped away the tears and continued to do what he and they loved so much and that was racing. He was forced to endure the untimely deaths of two people that were very close to him and just six years later, he would brush shoulders with death himself.

    In those six years, Brian got to feel the thrill of winning a Cup race on two separate occasions. The first was a controversial finish at Talladega in 2006 when he accidentally took out his teammate Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr on the final lap in route to the win. Three years later, he was celebrating in victory lane at Michigan as a driver for Red Bull Racing. The win gave Brian and team the boost they needed to make the chase and he was very excited to improve on their impressive 2009 season in 2010. As fate would have it though, Brian never got that chance.

    The week prior to racing at Darlington, Brian had experienced numbness and tingling in his hand as well as some pain in his chest. It didn’t hinder his efforts on track though as he would start 3rd and finish 10th at the “track to tough to tame.” Unfortunately, the pain worsened while lying in bed Monday night but he pushed through it. It occurred again on Tuesday night but the young, athletic Vickers again persevered through the intense pain that he later called the worst pain he’s ever felt in his life.

    On Wednesday, he toured Washington D.C. with some friends while he felt an intense burning sensation in his lungs. He called Dr. Petty who advised him to go to the emergency room immediately which Brian ignorantly did not do. After finally deciding to go to a nearby hospital, Brian jumped in a cab in what happened to be rush hour and traffic was at a standstill. He got out and thought it would be quicker to walk but it started raining so he ran…bad idea. He could barely breathe and by the time he got to the ER, he was in tremendous, unbearable pain.

    After a CT scan, Brian anxiously awaited news from doctors regarding what was wrong with him and he was worried that he might have to miss Dover. As he quickly found out, he would be missing a lot more races than just Dover and in fact, he was lucky to be alive after blood clots in his legs had made it to his lungs and heart. His imprudent decisions that day nearly cost him his life but in retrospect, who would have thought it was that serious considering how fit Brian is.

    The magnitude of his situation didn’t fully hit Vickers until the press conference at Charlotte Motor Speedway when he would enlighten the racing world regarding what happened to him. After his recovery, Brian was hungry to get back into the car and that chance finally came in the 2011 Daytona 500 but it seems that his travails were not over just yet. Roughly a year after Vickers was sidelined due to blood clots, the Associated Press broke the news that Red Bull was leaving NASCAR at the conclusion of 2011 and shutting down Red Bull Racing; leaving Brian Vickers without a ride.

    Photo Credit: Getty Images
    Photo Credit: Getty Images

    It didn’t take long for the world to see Brian’s anger and frustration as his behavior on the racetrack drastically changed. His on track performance suffered and he was involved in multiple altercations with other drivers including Tony Stewart, Matt Kenseth, Jamie McMurray and Marcos Ambrose. At Martinsville in October, Vickers completely fell apart and showed great disdain for everyone he raced with that day. He was the main cause of five separate wrecks during the race. He lost a lot of credibility among his fellow racers after that race and his reputation was damaged leaving a large contingent of people to believe that we wouldn’t be seeing him in NASCAR for much longer.

    Michael Waltrip gave Brian a chance to get behind the wheel of one of his cars for six races in 2012 in a move that many had doubts about. Brian would quickly prove all the naysayers wrong when he made his debut with MWR at Bristol. He led over 100 laps and finished 5th without a scratch on the car; redeeming himself from the events of 2011 that had tarnished his reputation. He continued to run very well in the car proving that Bristol was no fluke and the success continued into 2013. In fact, he landed a full-time Nationwide ride with Joe Gibbs Racing while also increasing the number of races he would run for MWR in Cup. His performance in the No.55 has given credence to the longevity of his career in NASCAR.

    At New Hampshire Motor Speedway last weekend, Vickers’ incredible story of tragedy, tenacity and perseverance finally came full circle. Brian quietly started 13th and wasn’t mentioned much throughout the event except for when he received a penalty for a pit road violation that trapped him one lap down. He kept fighting though and with 16 laps to go, he muscled his way past Tony Stewart for the lead and then proceeded to pull away from the field.

    With just five laps remaining, the caution flew for debris and the feelings of trepidation in the No.55 pits was obvious as they got ready for a Green-White-Checker with two drivers notorious for their aggression restarting 2nd and 3rd. Stewart ran Vickers hard in the first corner with the always aggressive Kyle Busch making it three wide on the inside. With a power move off the corner, Brian cleared both drivers as he desperately raced towards the white flag. Kyle Busch moved into 2nd but failed to catch Brian who was able to hold on and take the win at Loudon! To the delight of the fans, Brian took the time to give many of them high-fives as he walked down the front-stretch, proudly displaying the checkered flag in his hand.

    This victory basically guaranteed Brian Vickers a full-time ride in 2014 driving that No.55 for Michael Waltrip Racing and I’m sure he will be a force to be reckoned with. We are witnessing the resurgence of Brian Vickers right now. The desire to compete and to win is something all drivers possess but Brian Vickers knows better than most that it can be ripped away from you in a matter of seconds. From mourning at the funerals of fallen friends to celebrating in victory lane for the first time, or recovering from a near-death experience only to find out that you may never get to do what you love ever again, but then a simple phone call changes everything and you are back and better than ever….Vickers endured through it all and came out a better man because of it.

    In this life, we all have a cross to bear and Brian Vickers has done so valiantly. He stumbled along the way but in times when so many would have thrown up their hands and given up, he pushed on seeking the light in a place where the darkness seemed endless. Congratulations on the well-deserved win at New Hampshire Brian and I firmly believe that we will see you in victory lane again.

  • Newman & Busch Take Jabs At One Another Following New Hampshire Run-In

    Photo Credit: Getty Images
    Photo Credit: Getty Images

    Ryan Newman was told last Wednesday that his services at Stewart-Haas Racing would no longer be needed beyond 2013 and that 2007 Daytona 500 winner, Kevin Harvick would fill the vacated seat. Ryan doesn’t know what he will be doing next year or if he’ll even be racing at the Cup level but at least the next race on the schedule was one of his best; New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Unfortunately, the weekend didn’t go according to plan. The No.39 finished 39th after crashing heavily with Kurt Busch on lap 225. Although both drivers were upset following the untimely end to their days, it’s what happened a few laps earlier involving Newman and another Busch that would make for some animated soundbites that won’t soon be forgotten.

    Ryan Newman found himself racing Kyle Busch hard and the two made contact which infuriated Ryan.  The two slammed doors and Ryan tried to hit him again going into a corner but only managed to trade some paint with bystander Brad Keselowski. After the race, ESPN asked Kyle Busch what happened and this is what he said…

    “Ryan Newman is the biggest, stupid idiot out there….He’s a big ogre and can do whatever he wants because he can probably kick anybody’s butt so no sense getting in a fight with him. Glad he’s out of a job.”

    It’s not often that you hear the word “ogre” used to describe a fellow driver and saying that he’s glad Ryan is out of a job turned some heads. It caught the attention of the whole racing community including Newman himself who held nothing back in his incensed reply to Kyle…

    “I’m just afraid if I rearranged his face, I might fix it. We know he’s not very bright. He’s a heck of a talent, but he’s not very bright and I’ll leave it at that. I admit to goring Kyle down the straightaway after he blasted me into the corner. I didn’t crash him. He didn’t crash me. I don’t know what he’s got to be mad about. Evidently he’s got a bone to pick for some reason. “

    “It seems like after his comments about me not having a ride and all that stuff, seems like he’s got way more to lose than I do, so I think he might check his trap there before he gets too ahead of himself. If he’s going to run his mouth, he better be able to back running his mouth.”

    These two drivers are fierce competitors who both wear their emotions on their sleeves and Ryan Newman is never afraid to throw down. Go talk to Juan Pablo Montoya and Joe Logano if you think otherwise. It seems that we have an intense rivalry or feud shaping up between these two who are both vying for a chase berth and one is looking for a ride. In a tweet today, Kyle Busch actually apologized for the last part of his angry comments…

    “I want to clarify that I was answering what I felt was two separate questions asked to me at the same time in an interview following the race in Loudon. The first was about how fast Kurt was and the second was how I felt about Ryan Newman blaming me for him getting wrecked. 

    First I answered the Kurt part. He was fast… Great to see them running well… Was a shame to see him crashed… Nowhere there did I place blame on who wrecked who. I didn’t see it and I still haven’t seen it. 

    My second answer came from being upset over an incident I had with RN on the track during the race. I answered it in the same response, but it was intended as a completely separate answer. 

    I was upset because I felt RN raced me poorly, making contact and causing damage to my RF fender that affected the handling on my racecar. This isn’t the first time that I’ve been raced poorly by RN either, which added to my frustration. All this built up and allowed my emotions to spill over for how I felt. I’m not sorry for how I feel in those moments, but could have expressed it better and certainly my comments about someone’s livelihood went too far.”

    I doubt Kyle will try to continue this feud but I wouldn’t be too sure about Newman simmering down anytime soon. It will be interesting to see how these two race one another in the future and if anything controversial will unfold. Multiple drivers got angry at each other at Loudon and I believe those instances of intense anger between drivers will only increase as we get closer and closer to Richmond. You will see patience wearing thin and the aggression pick up as some drivers realize that they have to make something happened if they want one of those coveted chase spots and begin taking risks that they wouldn’t normally take.

    Lastly, as long as we are taking about on track feuds; take a look at this wild video from a race at the legendary Bowman Gray Stadium that occurred the other night: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2F2iHTNDE8&feature=youtu.be