It was an amazing two weeks. In that time, Kevin Harvick locked his way into the final four, along with Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. We got to see Matt Kenseth win, spoil things for Chase Elliott, and allowed Brad Keselowski to round out our championship contenders. During that time, I was among eight family members enjoying 80 plus degree temperatures in Hawaii.
I know you did not click in to let me reminiscence about our time in paradise, but I do have one question. When did WestJet, what had been a very special, passenger orientated airline, become just like Air Canada? It appears that if you want to fly the friendly skies in comfort these days, you need to be Leonardo DiCaprio winging his way to Europe on a private jet to pick up an environmental award…but I digress.
Less than 24 hours after arriving back to the land of snow and ice, once again I could witness palm trees and 80 plus degree temps under the sunshine as NASCAR wrapped up its season in Homestead, Florida.
Of course, more than four would have our attention. Dale Earnhardt Jr. was in his final race as a full-time driver, though by the end of the second stage he was outside of the top twenty. Danica Patrick will be in the Daytona 500 and the Indianapolis 500 next season, but she failed to make the end of this one when she crashed out. Kenseth’s career might be coming to an end, and after winning last week he concluded this campaign with a top 10 result. As for the next face of the sport, Elliott finished fifth at Homestead, giving in him a top 15 in 10 of his final dozen events. His time is coming, and right soon.
All that was left to decide was the championship, and all four contenders were in the top five heading down the stretch. Keselowski faded to seventh, while Harvick would wrap things up in fourth. That left a duel between Truex and Busch. Truex held the lead as the laps counted down, but Busch had pit strategy working in his favor. Well, he did until his brother Kurt brought out the caution with less than 40 laps remaining.
Busch remained within a second of his rival from that point onward. However, the closest he got was 0.20 seconds…as they crossed the line. Martin Truex Jr. won his eighth of the season, just the 15th of his career, to become the 2017 Cup champion. It is his first, and the first for team owner Barney Visser and Furniture Row Racing out of Denver, Colorado.
It was a satisfying conclusion to the season. As for the broadcast, well, you cannot win them all. In 2007 I was part of another group of family members who flew in to watch the Daytona 500. Harvick beat out Mark Martin at the line while Clint Bowyer ended the race on his lid. It was an amazing experience. We flew in on WestJet, even watching the Duels run live on the television provided for each and every passenger. It was an amazing experience. That was in 2007. Those were the days of “how bad have you got it.” I sure miss those days.
1. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex led the final 51 laps at Homestead and held off Kyle Busch to capture the win at Homestead and his first Monster Energy Cup championship.
“No offense to Joey Gase,” Truex said, “but nice guys don’t finish last, they finish first. I am a nice guy, and as champion, I reserve the right to be called ‘Mister Nice Guy.’”
2. Kyle Busch: Busch finished second at Homestead to Martin Truex Jr., who got the jump on a lap 34 restart and kept Busch at bay for the remainder of the race.
“That race was for all the marbles,” Busch said. “First of all, I wanted to win this race for myself, but I also wanted to win it for my brother Kurt, so I could give him some marbles because he lacks ‘all his marbles.’”
3. Kevin Harvick: Harvick finished fourth at Homestead as Martin Truex, Jr. won the race to capture the Monster Energy Cup championship.
“Lost in the shuffle of Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s retirement was Danica Patrick’s retirement,” Harvick said. “The only way Danica will be ‘Miss-ed’ is if Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. doesn’t marry her.”
4. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski finished seventh at Homestead, falling short in his bid to win his second Cup championship.
“I guess I predicted a Toyota championship,” Keselowski said. “I guess at the time I was trying to give ‘constructive criticism,’ but it turned into ‘constructors criticism.’”
5. Chase Elliott: Elliott finished fifth at Homestead, posting his 21st top 10 of the season.
“I’m looking forward to a long offseason,” Elliott said. “I didn’t take long to erase Denny Hamlin from championship contention; it will take much longer to erase him from my memory.”
6. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin started on the pole at Homestead and finished ninth.
“Martin Truex Jr. has a rare quality among NASCAR champions,” Hamlin said. “He has absolutely no enemies. So, I can say for sure he’s friends with Chase Elliott.”
7. Ryan Blaney: Blaney finished a disappointing 29th at Homestead and ended the year ninth in the Monster Energy points standings.
“Homestead was my final race with Wood Brothers Racing,” Blaney said. “I’m moving on to Penske Racing in 2018. This bodes well for my bank account, but not for my love life, because my days with Wood are over.”
8. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth finished eighth in the Ford EcoBoost 400.
“I’m not sure what I’ll be doing in retirement,” Kenseth said. “I am sure it won’t be anything with Carl Edwards.”
9. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson finished 27th at Homestead and completes the season 10th in the points standings.
“With no chance to win the Cup,” Johnson said, “my mind was elsewhere for the duration of the entire race. I guess I was thinking of my seven Cup championships. When you’re Jimmie Johnson, reminiscing is an all day job.”
10. Jamie McMurray: McMurray finished 13th in the Ford EcoBoost 400.
“Dale Earnhardt Jr. celebrated his final race by sharing beers with his pit crew,” McMurray said. “As if NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver needed another reason for people to ‘say cheers.’”
As the checkered flag waved on the 2017 season Sunday night, Martin Truex Jr. became our newest champion. It has indeed been a season to remember for Truex who has risen in the past five years from just another driver to a Monster Energy Cup Series champion. This was a season to remember for Truex who compiled more wins this season than any season in the past.
Showing emotion as soon as he climbed out of the car, Truex described his win as ”overwhelming.” With a career that has seen its share of ups and down, Truex now has a reason to celebrate.
Martin Truex Jr. spoke to the media about how much this championship season has meant, not only for him personally but also for his girlfriend Sherry Pollex, as well as his team.
“A lot of it was for her,” said Truex, who won for the first time at Homestead and the 15th time in his career. “A lot of it was for me. A lot of it was for this team – just, I don’t even know what to say. We just never gave up all day long. We didn’t have the best car. I don’t know how we won that thing. Never give up. Dig deep.”
Battling Kyle Busch in the closing laps, Truex gave the top lane a try and held off Kyle Busch to score his eighth win of the season and his first Monster Energy Cup series championship.
Martin Truex Jr. celebrates in Victory Lane after winning the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Championship at Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 19, 2017, in Homestead, Florida. Photo: Matt Sullivan/Getty Images.
Martin Truex Jr. 2017 season statistics.
Wins: 8
Top 5s; 19
Top 10s: 26
Average Start: 6.8
Average Finish: 9.4
Four years ago, Martin Truex Jr. sat on his front porch thinking his career was over. Four years later, he held off a hard charging Kyle Busch to win the Ford EcoBoost 400 and the 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championship.
When the final caution flew with 39 laps to go, everyone hit pit road for tires and fuel. Truex exited with the race lead.
It went back to green with 34 to go.
Busch was held up a few laps by Joey Logano, which, in his words, is what cost him in the end.
Once he passed Logano for third with 25 to go, he essentially hit the nitro button, because it took him only seven laps to run down and pass Kevin Harvick for second.
Five laps later, he caught up to Truex.
The gap between him and Truex went back and forth from 13 to go, until eight to go, when it remained around three-tenths of a second to the checkered flag.
“I don’t even know what to say,” a teary-eyed Truex said after getting out of his car. “We just never gave up all day long. We didn’t have the best car. I don’t know how we won that thing. Never give up, dig deep. I told my guys, ‘We’re gonna dig deeper than we ever have today.’ With 20 to go, I thought I was done. They were all better than me on the long run all day long. I just found a way. I found a lane that I could use and I found a lane that blocking enough of the air that they couldn’t use it. I just made it happen.”
HOMESTEAD, Fla. – NOVEMBER 19: Martin Truex Jr., driver of the #78 Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats Toyota, celebrates with teammates after winning the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Championship and the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Championship Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 19, 2017 in Homestead, Florida. Photo: Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images
As Truex drove his car down the front stretch of Homestead-Miami Speedway, fans and pit crews lined along the outside pit wall to congratulate the journeyman his share of frustration, heartache and tragedy. Even Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Race Director David Hoots told Truex, “Congrats, you finally did it.”
When he got out, he was swarmed by his overjoyed crew and he joined in the sea of emotion.
“It’s overwhelming. You think about all the rough days, the bad days, the days that we couldn’t run 20th to be here. I never thought this day would come and to be here is unbelievable!
“I can’t believe it. I’ve wanted it since I was a little kid. Just never give up. Just never give up on your dreams, no matter what happens, or what kind of crap you go through. Thank you Barney (Visser). I wish you were here buddy.”
Busch finished second and Kyle Larson rounded out the podium.
“Yeah, that’s what happens when you lose in this format. But we gave it everything we had. We gave it our all. So congratulations to the 78 (Truex). They deserved it probably on every other race, but today, I thought we were better. Don’t matter though. They were out front when it mattered most. Just unfortunate for us that that caution came out and ruined our race strategy and we weren’t able to get back to where we needed to be and then I had to fight way too hard with some of those guys trying to get back up through there. But that’s racing.”
“Yeah, we had a great Credit One Bank Chevy today,” Larson said. “Throughout the first half especially. It seemed like the 18 and them guys were probably a little bit faster than me the first, I don’t know 15 laps a run and then I was really, really good. I was definitely better than them in front of me, but I was just stuck in their dirty air a little bit. I was going to race them, I just could never get close enough. I wanted to win the race bad, but a good way to end the year. It showed we had a lot of speed all year long and congrats to the No. 78 (Martin Truex, Jr.) team they were the class of the field all year. It is pretty neat to see the top three there they were the three best cars all season. I wish I could have been a part of the final four, but had a little bit of bad luck here lately. It’s nice to see a checkered flag, it’s been about a month since I’ve seen one. That was good and yeah, we will try and make our stuff even better than next year just fine tune on little things and try and come back even stronger. Hats off to everybody on my Chip Ganassi Racing team. They busted their tails throughout the off season and that prepared us to be good this year. Thanks to them and thanks to all of our other partners, Target, wish they were still with us, but we will miss them. Looking forward to our future with all of our other partners. Good year all-in-all.”
Kevin Harvick and Chase Elliott rounded out the top-five.
“We just got really loose and then got a hole in the nose and it started to get tight in. We got that fixed,” Harvick said. “We were pretty good on the next-to-last run and we were just really loose on the last run. I want to thank everybody on my Jimmy John’s, Busch Ford for everything they’ve done. It was great to have a chance. We were in the mix all day. Didn’t quite have what we needed at the end. I want to thank Mobil 1, Hunt Brothers Pizza, Morton Building, Textron, everybody at Stewart-Haas Racing. Thank you guys for everything you did all year. We’ll be back.”
Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski, Matt Kenseth, Denny Hamlin and Ryan Newman rounded out the top-10.
RACE SUMMARY
Hamlin led the field to the green flag at 3:15 p.m., but didn’t lead a single lap as Truex quickly took the lead in Turn 1. He led the first 13 laps, before Larson passed him in Turn 1 to take it. Aside from one lap by Keselowski during the first stage break and Busch during a cycle of green flag stops on Lap 122, Larson lead from Lap 13 to Lap 160, sweeping the stages in the process.
Truex exited pit road during the second stage break with the race lead and led the field back to green on Lap 166. Busch swung around him through Turns 1 and 2 to take the lead on Lap 179.
Keselowski hit pit road with 69 laps to go. Truex and Harvick pitted a few laps later.
Rather than follow suit, Busch elected to stay out until 55 to 50 to go to get within the 55-lap fuel window to one-stop the rest of the race. His plan went up in flames when Kurt Busch spun out in Turn 3 and laid debris on track, bringing out the caution with 39 to go and setting up the run to the finish.
NOTES OF INTEREST
Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished 25th in his final career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series start.
Jimmie Johnson’s 27th-place finish ended his 13-year streak of winning at least one race in the Playoffs.
Danica Patrick brought out the third caution of the race on Lap 142 when she got loose and slammed the Turn 1 wall, and was rear-ended by Kasey Kahne. She finished 37th.
NUTS & BOLTS
The race lasted three hours, two minutes and 11 seconds, at an average speed of 131.900 mph. There were 13 lead changes among four different drivers and five cautions for 26 laps.
Martin Truex Jr. topped the chart in final Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
The driver of the No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Toyota was the fastest with a time of 31.543 and a speed of 171.195 mph. Clint Bowyer was second in his No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford with a time of 31.804 and a speed of 169.790 mph. Denny Hamlin was third in his No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota with a time of 31.807 and a speed of 169.774 mph. Erik Jones was fourth in his No. 77 Furniture Row Toyota with a time of 31.817 and a speed of 169.721 mph. Ryan Blaney rounded out the top-five in his No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford with a time of 31.849 and a speed of 169.550 mph.
Kyle Busch, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Matt Kenseth, Kurt Busch and Daniel Suarez rounded out the top-10. Brad Keselowski was 11th and Kevin Harvick rounds out the Playoff drivers in 18th.
Kyle Busch posted the fastest 10 consecutive lap average of 164.681 mph.
With the final race of the 2017 Monster Energy Cup series looming, four drivers go into Homestead hoping to hoist the trophy come Sunday night.
Before the green flag waves on Sunday, here’s how the Championship 4 have fared at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
1. Kyle Busch
Photo Credit: Noel Lanier
Coming into Homestead, Kyle Busch will be one to keep your eye on. With one win coming back when Busch won the championship in 2015, he has shown he has what it takes to hoist the championship trophy when the checkered flag falls. In 12 starts in Homestead, Kyle Busch has an average start of 12.8 and an average finish of 19.8. Before the new championship format was introduced, Busch had only three top-10 finishes. With the stakes high this weekend, Busch hopes to recapture his 2015 dominance and win his second Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series title.
2. Kevin Harvick
Photo Credit: Jared C. Tilton/NASCAR via Getty Images
With one win coming in his championship season, 2014, Kevin Harvick has statically had the best finishes out of the Championship 4 with an average finish of 6.9. Harvick didn’t really show his dominance this season until his first win of the season coming earlier in the year at Sonoma. In just three years at Stewart-Haas Racing, Harvick has been the face of the team grabbing Gene Haas and Tony Stewart their first championship in 2014.
Brad Keselowski
Photo Credit: Tom Pennington – Getty Images for NASCAR.
The 2012 season was the most memorable season for Brad Keselowski and the No. 2 team as he held off Jimmie Johnson to capture Roger Penske his first Monster Energy Cup Series championship. Heading into Homestead this weekend, Keselowski hasn’t shown his dominance of the 2012 season but nevertheless has had consistent finishes all year round.
Martin Truex Jr.
Martin Truex Jr. celebrates victory in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Tales of the Turtles 400 at Chicagoland Speedway. Photo: Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images
Martin Truex Jr. heads into Homestead as the legitimate favorite as he has compiled seven wins this season, more than any season in the past. With three top-five finishes and seven top-10 finishes, Truex has an average finish of 12.3. Furniture Row Racing will be without team owner Barney Visser this weekend after he suffered a heart attack just two weeks ago. Heading into Homestead this weekend Truex looks to show his dominance of this season and bring Barney Visser his first NASCAR title.
1. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex finished second in the AAA 500 and clinched a spot in the Chase final four at Homestead.
“The pressure is on for five drivers looking for that final spot,” Truex said. “I’m just glad I can sit back and relax, and watch frustration boil over for other drivers. So, while they’re going ‘postal,’ I’ll be going ‘coast-al.’”
2. Kyle Busch: Busch finished 19th in the AAA 500 and is already good to go for Homestead by virtue of his win at Martinsville.
“There are three drivers with clinched spots,” Busch said, “and five others with clinched sphincters.”
3. Kevin Harvick: Harvick passed Martin Truex Jr. late to win at Texas and qualify for the Chase finale at Homestead.
“The No. 4 Jimmy John’s car was not only ‘freaky fast,’” Harvick said, “it was ‘freakin‘ fast.’”
4. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski finished fourth at Texas and is fourth in the points standings, 19 ahead of Denny Hamlin in fifth.
“I’m going to Phoenix like a NASCAR fan in the infield going to the port-a-potty,” Keselowski said. “I’m headed there strictly to ‘take care of business.’
“And speaking of business, I’ll have Discount Tire sponsorship for the No. 2 car for several races next year. I think Discount Tire sponsorship will be very noticeable to the NASCAR fan base, because what NASCAR fan is not intrigued by cheap rubbers?”
5. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin started second at Texas and finished third at Texas, and will vie for the last of the four available playoff spots at Phoenix.
“I spent much of the day looking to see if Chase Elliott was behind me,” Hamlin said. “He was, but fortunately for me, there were 15-20 cars between us.”
6. Chase Elliott: Elliott failed pre-qualifying technical inspection and started 34th at Texas on his way to an eighth-place finish.
“I’ll likely need a win at Phoenix to make a run for the Cup at Phoenix,” Elliott said. “Here’s a prediction: if you don’t see me in Victory Lane, you can probably find me in the NASCAR hauler with Denny Hamlin.”
7. Ryan Blaney: Blaney took sixth in the AAA 500 and is sixth in the Monster Energy Cup points standings, 22 behind Brad Keselowski in fourth.
“Dale Earnhardt Jr. tweeted a pic of Tony Stewart in spandex,” Blaney said. “Unfortunately, it was so tight, you could see the outline of Tony’s ‘mo jo.’”
8. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth finished fourth at Texas and will likely need a win at Phoenix to advance as a Cup contender at Homestead.
“I won’t be a full-time Cup driver in 2018,” Kenseth said. “So, the next two races for me will be ‘win and I’m in’ and ‘over and out.’”
9. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson, who won at Texas in April, finished 27th at Texas, his day marred by an unscheduled pit stop due to a vibration.
“I’ll tell you what else is vibrating,” Johnson said. “My head, because I’m shaking it because I really have no explanation for our struggles.”
10. Kurt Busch: Busch started on the pole at Texas after turning a record lap in qualifying. He finished ninth on Sunday.
“That’s the Busch brother way,” Kurt said. “Whether we’re going super fast, or being super whiny, it sounds like a broken record.”
While Martin Truex Jr. didn’t win the AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway, his runner-up finish — and points he amassed through the course of the day, via stage finishes — secured him a spot in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Championship 4 race at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Much of Truex’s day was uneventful. Starting seventh, he drove his No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Toyota to a runner-up finish in the first stage and fourth in the second stage. It wasn’t until the Lap 187 restart — following Landon Cassill’s spin in Turn 1 on Lap 180 — that he first took the race lead, usurping it from Matt Kenseth.
Truex gave up the lead to pit under green on Lap 225, and it most likely would’ve cycled back to him if a caution, for Michael McDowell spinning in Turn 2, on Lap 234 didn’t interrupt it.
He regained the lead on the restart that followed Ray Black Jr.’s spin on Lap 242, once again taking it from Kenseth.
Everybody hit pit road on Lap 270, after Black brought out another caution, and Denny Hamlin beat Truex off pit road.
After a 10-minute, 29-second red flag following Kyle Larson’s wreck in Turn 1 with 51 laps to go, the race went back green for the final time with 46 to go. By the time the field left Turn 2, Truex had the lead.
With 27 to go, Kevin Harvick took second from Hamlin and Truex ran into lap traffic, allowing Harvick to eat away at the one-second gap. With 20 to go, Harvick was less than half a second back of Truex.
Clean air allowed Truex to stay in front of Harvick for a few laps, but running into another group of lapped cars with 10 to go gave Harvick the opening he needed to pull up to him in Turn 1, alongside him on the outside exiting Turn 2 and take the lead entering Turn 3.
“[On] the long runs I would get really lose getting into the corners,” Truex said. “As the runs went, I would get looser and looser. Wasn’t much I could do about it. I could hold my own in clean air. As soon as I caught lap cars, I would get loose getting in the corner. We ran up on the 6 (Trevor Bayne) and somebody else racing each other, took up the whole racetrack. I went into (Turn) 1 and started chattering rear tires, chasing it up the hill. Harvick followed me and got loose with me. Somehow got to my right rear corner, got outside me, just carrying that momentum.
“I thought when we went in there and we both started sliding up, I was going to be okay. He got to my outside and was just faster at the end. Once he got in front of us, he was just gone. Nothing I could do. Just one of those deals where he was quicker. Got me in a bad spot, took advantage, and he was gone.”
Truex couldn’t muster up a counterattack, as Harvick pulled away to a two-second lead by the time he took the checkered flag, and brought his car home to second.
“It was an up‑and‑down day for our Bass Pro Toyota,” he said. “Doing what we need to do. Just proud of everybody. We fought hard all day. It was a tough race. Track was slick.
“At the start of the race, our car wasn’t very good. Track position was a big part of this race. We fought the car, we fought track position. We got the lead, led some laps. Ultimately at the end we weren’t as good as we needed to be to win.”
While Truex came up short, his runner-up garnered him enough points to mathematically clinch a spot in the Championship 4 in two weeks time at Homestead-Miami Speedway, thanks to leaving Texas 57 points ahead of Brad Keselowski.
“It feels great. It feels amazing – that’s what we set out to do this year was to make it to Homestead and fight for the title and we feel like we’re right there. I just can’t wait to get there and get back to work,” Truex added. “I wish we could have won today, it would have been a little sweeter going and locking it up in victory lane, but we were off a little bit there at the end.”
Dale Earnhardt Jr. is right when he says NASCAR needs more Martinsville-like dramas to play out every week. What they need is “drama and exciting finishes — the fans sitting there in the grandstands cheering like crazy, and booing, and cheering and booing after every interview, for 15 minutes after the race — we need that every weekend.” Damn right.
They need more races on tracks that excite us and fewer on those that do not. They need better announcers who can pull off a telecast all on their own, regardless as to the non-action. People we are compelled to tune in to watch just because they are as entertaining, at least, as the product they describe. They, the good folks running NASCAR, need to listen and to act. One thing I am pretty sure of is…they don’t and will not.
Texas is one of those races where the sport is popular in a large metro area. That might be enough to get folks to actually go to the facility. Tuning in at home might be another question. As for the storyline coming in, we have one driver locked into the final four, one almost there, a wide-open battle for the final transfer spot, and one young gun who has to win or hope somebody, or some bodies, will fall on their face. Eight drivers matter. Thirty-two others are hoping to play spoiler.
Only a dozen drivers will be worthy of mention come next week. I, for one, will not mention a single one. My focus will be on other things for the next couple of weeks, but we will chat about the outcome after Homestead when the smoke clears.
The only thing we know for sure is that Kyle Busch and, more than likely, Martin Truex Jr. will be two of the four seeking to win the title. Who the other two shall be is why Texas and Phoenix should keep us tuned in for the answer.
1. KYLE BUSCH – SEGMENT WIN – 4100 POINTS – 5 Wins
Saw the post-race celebration with his family. So, who vacuums Brexton’s room afterward?
2. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 4117 POINTS – 7 Wins
If he took Sunday off, he still would be at least 27 points to the good come Phoenix.
3. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 4079 POINTS – 3 Wins
Just a Logano cut tire away from victory last week. Teammates can be such fun.
4. KEVIN HARVICK – 4053 POINTS – 1 Win
“It all started when Blaney hit me back.”
5. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 4050 POINTS – 3 Wins
Nine-time Martinsville winner had just a slightly better chance than you had to win last Sunday.
6. RYAN BLANEY – 4047 POINTS – 1 Win
The new generation is getting a lot more comfortable expressing themselves these days.
7. DENNY HAMLIN – 4045 POINTS – 2 Wins
The last Virginian to get in this much crap in his home state was Gen. George Thomas.
8. CHASE ELLIOTT – 4027 POINTS
In the immortal words of Popeye the Sailor, “That’s all I can stands, cuz I can’t stands n’more!”
9. KYLE LARSON – 2237 POINTS – 4 Wins
His elimination from the Playoffs is not a flaw in the system…it is what happens in playoffs.
10. MATT KENSETH – 2215 POINTS
If the 10th best driver this season cannot get hired, damn few drivers have much job security.
11. KASEY KAHNE – 2150 POINTS – 1 Win
Some refer to Kahne as a Hendrick refugee. To my knowledge, he did not even cross a border.
12. AUSTIN DILLON – 2148 POINTS – 1 Win
So…Austin and Rowdy get foiled by Happy again. It must be true. I saw it on Youtube.
13. RICKY STENHOUSE JR. – 2146 – 2 Wins
Could a new teammate be his present housemate?
14. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 2146 POINTS
Believes the next All-Star race might be a good time to unveil Charlotte’s road course.
15. KURT BUSCH – 2139 POINTS – 1 Win
Won the NASCAR title, the Daytona 500, and seen every MLB park. Check, check, and check!
16. RYAN NEWMAN – 2130 POINTS – 1 Win
During these times, anytime you sign a new sponsor is a very good time.
17. JOEY LOGANO – 839 POINTS – 1 Win
“I missed the call” – Crew chief Todd Gordon. The problem no doubt lost in the billowing smoke.
18. CLINT BOWYER – 829 POINTS
Third at Martinsville, a track that produced the kind of racing that “put this sport on the map…”
19. ERIK JONES – 768 POINTS
That Jones Boy is down to his final three before taking over the ride Smoke made famous.
20. DANIEL SUAREZ – 731 POINTS
An average of 22 points per race gets you on this list. That is an easy top 16. I guess not so easy.
Martinsville, where eight boys were trying to lock themselves into the final field of four contenders for the championship in Homestead. At the same time, 31 boys and a girl were doing their utmost to spoil the party for someone by winning the thing themselves. I mean, who would not want a grandfather clock to mark the time since they won at that Virginia track?
It was a cold one, with the temp sitting at 48F (9 C). You might as well have been racing this one in Canada. Some were cold, but Brad Keselowski was hot to start with. He took the opening stage, ahead of Kyle Busch. Seven of the eight contenders, with the 13th place Kevin Harvick the lone exception, picked up points. Denny Hamlin was 10th, but a speeding penalty would set him outside the top 30. While only eight really mattered on that day, I should mention that even Joey Logano, Kasey Kahne, and Austin Dillon were up there racing with the big boys. Some gents took this spoiling thing to heart.
Not much changed in the second segment. Keselowski stole the lead back from Busch late in the run, as all but Hamlin picked up points among our contenders. Denny managed to stay on the lead lap, though barely, sitting 12th. Among the also-rans making cameos we still had Logano, once again in third place, with Matt Kenseth and Clint Bowyer joining in on the fun.
To that point, none of the contenders had hurt their chances, Logano was the best bet to be a spoiler, with half the race left to run. I do try to be a “glass half full” kind of guy, so while Kyle Larson went for a solo glide into the inside wall to buckle up his ride, the good news was that he had already been eliminated from the Chase. Rather than “Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive”, something tells me Larson probably looked at it as a broken glass kind of deal.
Few incidents involved those in the top half of the standings. Erik Jones went for a single spin. That might have meant something a month ago, but not much on Sunday. Jimmie Johnson sideswiped Trevor Bayne, and that meant something but just not as much as it could have. While it seemed like some of the boys were losing contact with the top dogs, a late caution bunched the bottom five together again. That fourth and final spot was still up for grabs.
While Logano appeared to be a potential spoiler, Busch spoiled that effort. Down to 13 laps remaining, Rowdy dived into the corner and punched some metal where rubber is supposed to reign supreme in Joey’s left rear. Four laps later, Logano spun, and the caution came out. The final run for all the marbles was going to be a short one.
It turned out especially short for Elliott. He managed to send Keselowski high to fend him off, but Hamlin’s bumper horn was working fine. Elliott spun into the wall, and his hopes for his first career victory was put off for another day. Caution came out again, and a green-white-checker finish was in the offing.
For those not cheering for Hamlin, Karma was your friend. Busch managed to do a little tag and go of his own, but to a lesser degree, then held off Martin Truex Jr. to claim the victory as they wrecked behind him coming to the line. How did they wreck? Well, Blaney got into Hamlin, and the rest just found those two in the way.
Busch has found his way into Homestead with his win. Truex is 67 points to the good and looking very healthy. Keselowski is 29 up, while Harvick has a three-point lead over Johnson as eight points separate fourth from seventh. None of our contenders finished outside the top dozen. Well, except for one.
Elliott was recorded in 27th and falls to 26 points off the pace required for him to stay in contention. A win at Texas or Phoenix is no doubt on his wish list. If nothing else, we know who the fans love and who they do not. As Elliott and Hamlin had a little post-race discussion, the nice son of the nice Hall of Famer from Dawsonville appeared to give clear notice that he might be nice, but enough is enough. The fans loved it. There are reports of Hamlin damn near losing half of his fan club, which should leave two or three holding down the fort.
Meanwhile, I’m sure the winner’s second grandfather clock will prove too large for the shelf, so it will stand many years on Kyle Busch’s floor. I am not sure how tall it is or how much it weighs. In the meantime, I am off to do other things but we will get together to chat about how this all turned out after Miami.
