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NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Bristol

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex finished 21st at Bristol, his first finish outside the top six since a 33rd at Indianapolis.

“What a run by my Furniture Row Racing teammate Erik Jones,” Truex said. “He almost won the race. Now, there were a lot of drivers pulling for Erik not to win the race. We call them ‘losers,’ or, in the case of Joey Logano, ‘encumbered losers.’”

2. Kyle Busch: Busch won the Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race on Saturday night to complete the Bristol sweep after winning the Camping World Truck race on Wednesday and the XFINITY Series race on Friday.

“I celebrated with a broom atop my car,” Busch said. “That cleaning implement comes in handy when you win all three races at a track, but the broom is especially handy when you need to sweep my bratty behavior under the rug.”

3. Kyle Larson: Larson led 70 laps and finished ninth at Bristol.

“Kyle Busch was pretty much unstoppable,” Larson said. “You could say he was on a mission. On the contrary, when Kyle acts up and his sponsor threatens to pull their support, Kyle handles that by going on a ‘mission to Mars.’”

4. Kevin Harvick: Harvick finished eighth in the Food City 500

“Kyle Busch swept all three NASCAR series races at Bristol,” Harvick said. “That means you heard his name mentioned continuously throughout our time here in Bristol. It probably sounded like this: ‘Buschhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.’ Consider that my least favorite sponsor promo.”

5. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin finished third at Bristol, posting his ninth top-five of the season.

“Kyle Busch just dominated the week at Bristol,” Hamlin said. “But the fans at Bristol weren’t too receptive of his success. Some of the fans were even booing him. That’s shocking, because I know Kyle, and all of those fans should be booing.”

6. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth battled for the win at Bristol before eventually finishing fourth.

“Luckily for me,” Kenseth said, “Erik Jones didn’t win the race. You know, Erik is taking over the No. 20 car next year. Frankly, I’m stunned. But it could be worse. When someone tells you you’re being replaced by a 21-year-old, I’d much rather it be a car owner than a wife.”

7. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson finished 11th at Bristol and is now 11th in the Monster Energy Cup points standings.

“Luckily,” Johnson said, “my three wins guarantee me a spot in the Chase For The Cup. That makes me a lock for the Chase. My seven championships make me a virtual lock for the Cup title. And all my opponents know that me winning is a virtual reality.”

8. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski finished 29th at Bristol.

“I’m shutting down my Camping World trucks team after this season,” Keselowski said. “Kyle Busch can have his broom; I have an axe.”

9. Jamie McMurray: McMurray finished 12th at Bristol.

“I’m currently holding on to the 16th and final playoff spot,” McMurray said. “Ideally, I’d want my standing to be a little more secure. But I guess I can’t complain. McDonald’s may be loving it; I’m just liking it.”

10. Clint Bowyer: Bowyer finished 19th at Bristol and sits 10th in the Monster Energy Cup points standings.

“I thought it was cool that the Bristol fans spelled out ‘Thank You Dale Jr’ with cards before the race,” Bowyer said. “It’s clear evidence that NASCAR fans can spell.”

August 20, 2017
Hot 20 – Saturday night it is Bristol, baby!

There are races you mark down, make plans for, but there are few venues that seem to provide the kind of action that transforms those events into stand alone spectacles. Daytona is one. Talladega is another. You might want to add Darlington, for tradition sake, and Sonoma to the mix. Charlotte hosts the longest and next year they break out the road course for its second date. Then there are the two in Bristol, Tennessee.

While we continue to yearn for announcers who captivate us with their voices, delivery, dialogue, banter, information, or entertainment value, it does not matter this Saturday night. This time, the track will take care of all that itself. No one is going to run away from the pack. Lapped cars will matter if only for being in the way. Fenders are going to be dented, drivers are going to get hot, and fans are going to find their time well spent. That is not always the case in NASCAR. It is damn near becoming the exception to the rule, but Saturday night they are in Bristol.

I am not sure if we will have another offering from a shrill voiced fellow with a distinctive accent, but if your head announcer does not sound something like Ken Squier, Chris Economaki, or at the very least Mike Joy, do not hire them. If your booth announcers do not have the bantering chemistry of Kyle Petty and Wally Dallenbach, you have failed. If the race sucks, at least your announcers can not. The name of the game is to keep us watching. Thankfully, this is Bristol, so that does not matter as much this week.

It will be interesting to see how many of its 162,000 seats will be filled in Thunder Valley’s stadium like layout. If they fail to turn out to watch the action on the 0.533 mile track, if they are not crowded on the couch to take it all in at home, do not expect things to get any better when they get to Chicago, Dover, or Kansas. In future, a general rule of thumb would be if a race track is not designed to be the next Daytona, Talladega, Bristol, Sonoma, or even a Martinsville, do not build it.

If I did not follow the sport, if I did not know what each race means to each driver, if I had no idea what the Chase was or what the points meant, if I did not know the difference between an Earnhardt and an Erlich Bachman, I probably would watch only a dozen events each season for their stand alone entertainment value.

The race Saturday night at Bristol would be one of them.

1. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 4 WINS (933 Pts)
If you want to win, you got to beat him…team mate or not…

2. KYLE LARSON – 3 WINS (804 Pts)
…just like Larson did last Sunday.

3. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 3 WINS (592 Pts)
Won at Bristol in the spring. Why not on a summer night?

4. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 2 WINS (720 Pts)
If Johnson does not win, another two-time Bristol winner would not mind wearing the suds.

5. RICKY STENHOUSE, JR. – 2 WINS (505 Pts)
Better half could be without a ride at SHR next year. I didn’t even know he and Kurt were dating.

6. KYLE BUSCH – 1 WIN (797 Pts)
They may be from Las Vegas, but Bristol is Busch country.

7. KEVIN HARVICK – 1 WIN (787 Pts)
Harvick is a champion, yet less popular than Junior or Danica. Maybe more so after last week.

8. DENNY HAMLIN – 1 WIN (710 Pts)
It is a girl!

9. RYAN BLANEY – 1 WIN (592 Pts)
Maybe Blaney can be the next Junior. You know, someone Harvick can harp on.

10. KURT BUSCH – 1 WIN (554 Pts)
Going into his 600th career race, the brothers have each claimed five at Thunder Valley.

11. RYAN NEWMAN – 1 WIN (536 Pts)
The invisible man was fourth last week while averaging 15.9 over the season.

12. KASEY KAHNE – 1 WIN (438 Pts)
After wrecking with Suarez on Sunday, I bet he wished he was still with the good hands people.

13. AUSTIN DILLON – 1 WIN (436 Pts)
Top Ten last week was his first since he won at Charlotte in late May.

14. CHASE ELLIOTT – 685 POINTS
Probably a near lock for the Chase, but that first career win sure would be nice.

15. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 675 POINTS
Could be 40 points higher if not for wrecking at Martinsville and Pocono.

16. MATT KENSETH – 654 POINTS
Odds of 4x Bristol winner making the Chase are better than driving a competitive car next year.

17. CLINT BOWYER – 623 POINTS
Pit penalties and a flat tire ruined his plans last week, and did him no favors hunting down Matt.

18. JOEY LOGANO – 556 POINTS (1 Win)
Might feel the worst, but if he came first it would turn his frown upside down.

19. ERIK JONES – 524 POINTS
Has a string of three Top Tens. Now he needs a Top One.

20. DANIEL SUAREZ – 515 POINTS
Actually 17th in points, but race winners Stenhouse, Kahne, and Dillon now sit ahead of him.

August 16, 2017
NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Michigan

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex won Stage 2, his 15th stage win of the season, and finished second at Michigan, passed on the final restart by a bold move from Kyle Larson. Truex leads the Monster Energy Cup points standings, and also leads with 35 playoff points.

“My Furniture Row Racing teammate Erik Jones restarted right beside me in second,” Truex said, “but Larson forced his way between us anyway. All this time I thought Carl Edwards was the best at driving a wedge between teammates.”

2. Kyle Larson: Larson went from fourth to first on the final restart to take the win in the Pure Michigan 400, his third consecutive win at Michigan.

“I went right between Martin Truex Jr. and Erik Jones,” Larson said. “I’m no expert in math or Roman numerals, but if you take 78 and 77, divide them by 42, you get ‘V.’ That’s ‘V’ for victory.”

3. Kyle Busch: A costly penalty ruined Busch’s chances of a win at Michigan. He was sent to the rear of the field at the start of the second stage after he pitted while pit road was closed. He still finished a solid 10th and is third in the points standings.

“My spotter told me pit road was open,” Busch said. “He was wrong. Now I’m going to play the role of spotter. You see my spotter there? He’s a moron.”

4. Kevin Harvick: Harvick finished 13th at Michigan.

“I said Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s popularity had ‘stunted’ the growth of NASCAR,” Harvick said. “And, in saying so, I may have stumbled upon the reason Junior is so popular—-he’s not an a-hole.”

5. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin finished 16th in the Pure Michigan 400.

“Kyle Busch called Brad Keselowski a ‘moron,’” Hamlin said, “and everyone is making a big deal about it. It’s not. I’ve been a teammate of Kyle’s for 10 years now; being called a ‘moron?’ That’s a compliment.”

6. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson finished 19th at Michigan and has not posted a top-10 result in his last four races.

“24, 21, 19,” Johnson said. “No, those aren’t my last three finishes. Those are the ages of my Hendrick Motorsports teammates in 2018.”

7. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski started from the pole at Michigan and led 105 laps only to finish 17th at Michigan.

“Our pit strategy left a lot to be desired,” Keselowski said. “In fact, a lot of people were questioning our decisions. Many called it ‘stupid.’ Others called it ‘idiotic.’ One even called it ‘moronic.’”

8. Jamie McMurray: McMurray finished ninth at Michigan, recording his 12th top 10 of the season.

“The Chevy Camaro is coming to NASCAR next year,” McMurray said. “That was big news in Michigan, where Chevrolet is headquartered. As announcements go that sent chills down the spines of Michiganites, it was a distant second to the news that Kid Rock is running for US Senate.”

9. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth was in third place with two laps to go before a tire issue dropped him to a 24th-place finish at Michigan.

“I still have a 31-point cushion over Clint Bowyer,” Kenseth said. “That’s should be enough to get me in the Chase. So, I know where I’ll be in three weeks; I just don’t know where I’ll be next year.”

10. Clint Bowyer: Bowyer finished a disappointing 23rd at Michigan and failed to make up any ground in his quest to make the Chase For The Cup.

“Like Kevin Harvick,” Bowyer said, “I chose to open my mouth and be critical of Dale Earnhardt Jr. Maybe I should spend more time trying to make the Chase than voicing my unwanted opinion. My foot is obviously better served on the gas pedal than in my mouth.”

August 14, 2017
The Final Word – Michigan’s highlights consisted of one big wreck and one spectacular re-start

Michigan, where winning was everything. Okay, points might have mattered for the likes of Chase Elliott, Jamie McMurray, Matt Kenseth, and Clint Bowyer, but for everyone else winning was the goal.

Michigan, where once again an Aussie did the play-by-play, but to be frank, Leigh Duffy’s accent is not a problem for me. I regularly watch the action from the Australian Football League, and it is totally a non-issue. An announcer has to inform, entertain, and it is helpful if they have one of those voices, one of those deliveries that allows you to just wrap yourself in like a warm blanket. That is how you keep fans watching and tuning in. NBC has not yet learned that, I am sad to say, but maybe the action on the track might overcome the deficiencies.

Not in the opening segment. They went fast, but they were strung out around the oval. A third of the field was lapped, and the dominating car, driven by Brad Keselowski, already has its wins. It was warm up where I live, but I decided to forgo the frosty beer for the moment. At least that gave me something to possibly look forward to.

Martin Truex Jr. is looking forward to the Chase, and he added to his playoff point total with yet another segment win in Stage two. Keselowski and Kevin Harvick were right behind him, but a couple of the others in the top 10 at this point made things interesting. Erik Jones had done well cruising in the top five, while Daniel Suarez was strong throughout the segment. Neither could make the Chase on points, but could they, would they win their way in? I guess that is why we watched the final run. Still, no beer for me. I am a patient, patient man with an iron will.

Kasey Kahne was not, as shortly after they resumed he popped in front of Suarez a fraction too early and got tossed to the scrap heap. Kahne is in the Chase, but out of that ride for next season. It did the Mexican driver no favors either, as his hopes for victory Sunday came to an end. At least we still had Jones.

A win would have worked for Bowyer. However, twice being caught speeding in the pits would not. Neither would a tire rub with 50 laps to go that turned into a flat. No win, and a squandered opportunity to make up some points was to be the fate for the man from Emporia, Kansas.

Joey Logano has a win, but it means nothing toward the Chase. His hopes for another went flat when his tire did the same with 15 laps to go. That brought out a caution, and that increased our interest. With nine to go at the re-start, four time winner Truex was running point, with Jones, Kenseth, and Elliott right behind him. Ken Squier and Chris Economaki could not have set things up any better for what we hoped would be an exciting finish with a lot on the line.

Truex took off with Jones, his Furniture Row teammate, behind him. They were all that mattered, though you could not tell from the NBC coverage as they focused on battles that in the long run were rather meaningless. It was sliding into ho-hum territory, I began to yearn for that long put off beer, but then a wreck with five to go allowed them to re-set.

Going into over-time, once again it was Truex, Jones, Kenseth, with Kyle Larson now fourth ahead of Elliott. Was it going to be exciting? Damn right, but that was thanks to Larson bursting between those Furniture Row boys as things turned green and away he went. It was his third win of the season and his third straight at Michigan.

So, did the standings change much? Nope. Kenseth finished 24th, but Bowyer dropped a further three points behind him for 16th place on the ladder. The gap is now 31 points, with McMurray 52 points over the horizon and Elliott now 62 on the other side of the crest. It was a good day for Larson, Truex, Jones and, thanks to bonus points, Harvick. It was a bit of a bummer for Kahne and Suarez.

Next up is a Saturday night at Bristol, an event good enough it attracts fans just because it is what it is. Kenseth, Logano, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. are previous winners who desperately need to re-live some of those good old times. Get your friends together for the race next weekend. Tell ‘em that Bristol represents the kind of action NASCAR presents every week. Hey, sometimes friends lie to friends over a cold beer. Which reminds me…

August 14, 2017
Hot 20 – Barring the unexpected, the Pure Michigan 400 could be just another race

Now we know why they call it Silly Season. 16 drivers will make the Chase, and we already know that three who have done well enough thus far this season may not have done well enough to save their rides for next.

Kurt Busch won the Daytona 500, but Stewart-Haas has not yet picked up his option for next season. Even he does not know if they will or won’t. Kasey Kahne claimed Indianapolis, but Rick Hendrick will be replacing him with young William Byron next year. Matt Kenseth holds down the final place for the moment, but Joe Gibbs is bringing Erik Jones back to the mother ship to take that ride.

Usually we are interested in the winners. This week, other than for Joey Logano, past winners mean nothing. A new winner, or Logano, could really have an impact on who makes it and who might not. Wins have all but locked up 13 positions. Chase Elliott, Jamie McMurray, and Kenseth hold down the next three, separated by just 11 points. Three positions, three drivers. Good for them, unless someone behind them in the standings wins and turns this into a game of musical chairs, with one of those chairs removed.

Anyone within the top 33 in the rankings still has a mathematical shot. Even Aric Almirola, who missed seven races due to injury but remains within the Top 30 and thus eligible for the free pass a non-encumbered win would give him. Matt DiBenedetto, Cole Whitt, and Landon Cassill are close enough that an unlikely win could spring them into eligibility.

Michigan might not be the most exciting venue to watch a race, but the result could be very interesting.

1. MARTIN TRUEX, JR – 4 WINS (881 Pts)
Truex and girlfriend Sherry Pollex have given us the season’s most compelling story.

2. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 3 WINS (574 Pts)
The King, the Intimidator, and Jimmie…all seven time champions.

3. KYLE LARSON – 2 WINS (759 Pts)
After back-to-back runner up finishes, has been outside the Top 20 in his last three attempts.

4. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 2 WINS (681 Pts)
Left a nice note to Truex for the win. Not sure if he left a nice note to Rowdy after the bus stop.

5. RICKY STENHOUSE, JR. – 2 WINS (486 Pts)
Nobody is talking about his sponsorship disappearing and, this season, that is saying something.

6. KYLE BUSCH – 1 WIN (765 Pts)
M&M’s are good. Any sponsor sticking around is very, very good.

7. KEVIN HARVICK – 1 WIN (746 Pts)
Figures some of NASCAR’s problems stem from its most popular not being its most successful.

8. DENNY HAMLIN – 1 WIN (687 Pts)
As of mid-Wednesday afternoon, we were still waiting.

9. RYAN BLANEY – 1 WIN (565 Pts)
Moving from Wood Brothers to Penske, and the world is his oyster.

10. KURT BUSCH – 1 WIN (528 Pts)
Not everyone has such a smooth transition going from this year to next.

11. RYAN NEWMAN – 1 WIN (503 Pts)
Ryan should know what that is like.

12. KASEY KAHNE – 1 WIN (437 Pts)
Despite Indianapolis, his future in the Cup series could depend on what he does to November.

13. AUSTIN DILLON – 1 WIN (406 Pts)
Meanwhile, some others have job security.

14. CHASE ELLIOTT – 648 POINTS
With the exception of a seven-time champion, Hendrick turns it all over to the kids in 2018.

15. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 643 POINTS
Has finished in the Top Twenty is all but three. In this race, Jamie has become the turtle.

16. MATT KENSETH – 637 POINTS
If he gets the results, others do not get the wins, all he would need is a damn ride for next season.

17. CLINT BOWYER – 609 POINTS
Clint is not wishing Chase, Jamie, or Matt any ill fortune…but if it happens…

18. JOEY LOGANO – 542 POINTS (1 Win)
You could say that encumbered win is something of an encumberment.

19. DANIEL SUAREZ – 508 POINTS
Third last week means nothing, but could it be a harbinger of what is to come?

20. ERIK JONES – 477 POINTS
Crew Chief Chris Gale gets two race vacation, but $50,000 fine might keep him close to home.

Then we have the Not So Hot, all who can be in with a win…

21. TREVOR BAYNE – 408 POINTS
22. PAUL MENARD – 383 POINTS
23. DALE EARNHARDT, JR. – 379 POINTS
24. TY DILLON – 378 POINTS
25. MICHAEL MCDOWELL – 351 POINTS
26. A.J. ALLMENDINGER – 349 POINTS
27. CHRIS BUESCHER – 346 POINTS
28. DANICA PATRICK – 325 POINTS
29. DAVID RAGAN – 276 POINTS
30. ARIC ALMIROLA – 242 POINTS
31. MATT DIBENEDETTO – 242 POINTS
32. COLE WHITT – 229 POINTS
33. LANDON CASSILL – 227 POINTS

August 9, 2017
NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Watkins Glen

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Martin Truex, Jr.: Truex held off Matt Kenseth to win the I Love New York 355 At The Glen, earning his fourth win of the season. Truex leads the Monster Energy Cup points standings by 16 over Kyle Busch.

“We were able to conserve enough fuel to pull out the win,” Truex said. “In doing so, we had to let some cars pass us for the lead. That wasn’t easy. It’s hard for someone payed to go fast to let up off the gas pedal for any reason. But it’s also just another example of how I win with ‘ease.’”

2. Kyle Busch: Busch started on the pole at Watkins Glen, his third straight pole, and finished a disappointing seventh.

“I was basically ran off the track by Brad Keselowski at the Bus Stop chicane on lap 45,” Busch said. “It was clearly Brad’s fault and I was furious. Chalk it up to another chapter in the Busch-Keselowski rivalry. With so many chapters, there should be a book. And that makes sense, because as today’s NASCAR feuds go, it’s all words and no action.”

3. Kevin Harvick: Harvick finished 17th in the I Love New York 355.

“I was involved in a pit road wreck with Brett Moffitt,” Harvick said. “I’m not sure what Brett Moffitt was doing on pit road, much less on pit road in a race car.”

4. Kyle Larson: Larson finished 23rd at Watkins Glen and has finished 23rd or worse in his last three races.

“I was docked 30 minutes of practice at Watkins Glen for doing a burnout after a lug nut inspection at Pocono,” Larson said. “That was just me venting my frustration at being subjected to another inspection. I find inspections ‘de-grading,’ especially since I don’t pass them.”

5. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin finished fourth at Watkins Glen despite having to go to the rear at the start due to a brake issue that arose during qualifying.

“I guess we pulled one out of my backside,” Hamlin said. “And on a similar note, doctors will soon pull one out of my wife’s front side.”

6. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson finished 29th at Watkins Glen.

“Kasey Kahne won’t return to Hendrick Motorsports in 2018,” Johnson said. “That’s kind of surprising coming after his win at Indianapolis, which many thought would be a vital bargaining chip for an extension. Unfortunately, it seems in contract negotiations, Mighty Kasey struck out.”

7. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski led with three laps to go at Watkins Glen and finished 15th as Martin Truex, Jr. took the win.

“If my fuel gauge could speak,” Keselowski said, “it would have said ‘E.’ Since I can speak, I said ‘F.’ In addition, I had a run-in with Kyle Busch halfway through the race. As you would expect, Kyle’s going to give me ‘H.’”

8. Jamie McMurray: McMurray finished 14th at Watkins Glen.

“Kyle Busch and Brad Keselowski are at it again,” McMurray said. “They had another incident on the track, and now everybody’s wondering if retaliation is in the future. This thing could come to a head soon. Usually, when something ‘comes to a head’ and a Busch brother is involved, the thing ‘coming to a head’ is someone’s fist to Kurt’s.”

9. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth took the runner-up spot at Watkins Glen to Martin Truex, Jr. as Toyota’s capture the top 4 spots. Kenseth currently holds the final Chase For The Cup playoff spot over Clint Bowyer.

“Joe Gibbs Racing put four cars in the top 7,” Kenseth said. “That says a lot about Japanese automakers. They’ve been telling us they can make the quickest cars. When people say the Japanese talk fast, they’re not kidding.”

10. Clint Bowyer: Bowyer came home fifth at Watkins Glen to keep his chances for making the Chase For The Cup alive. He faces a 28-point deficit to Matt Kenseth for the current final playoff spot.

“I have plenty of time,” Bowyer said. “As the saying goes, ‘It ain’t over until the hefty Dale Earnhardt, Jr. fan in the tube top and Daisy Dukes standing atop the Port-A-Potty in the infield sings.’”

August 7, 2017
The Final Word – Truex wins at the Glen, but the spotlight now falls on the winless

I am sorry. Last week, coming out of Pocono, I said you could bet that Watkins Glen would provide you with a much more entertaining race. I lied. I apologize. As for the NBC announcing crew, they did not make the experience any better. Just saying.

The early part of the race could be summed up in this fashion. Kyle Busch won the opening stage but came in during the break to tighten a loose wheel and dropped out of the first 30 to begin the second. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. had an engine that gave up the ghost, and he was done. Jamie McMurray was doing fine until a 45 second pit stop due to ornery wheels that would not come off…or go on.

At least the end of the second stage gave us some story lines of note. While Rowdy got back into the Top Ten, Daniel Suarez won that portion of the race. Erik Jones and A.J. Allmendinger were in the Top Ten as well. If any of the latter three won this race, it would have a meaningful impact on those hoping to get to the Chase via points alone. So, with 50 laps remaining there might be some excitement to be had after all. At least, that was what I was hoping for.

I guess Watkins Glen is where hope goes to die. It appeared maybe Brad Keselowski might win, despite going for a skid with his buddy, the aforementioned Kyle, and being short on fuel. Too bad when he pitted he decided to run through more than three pit stalls to do it. That gave him a penalty and all of his hopes were dashed.

Matt Kenseth had a run over the last couple of laps. Hey, better late than never. Unfortunately for him, Martin Truex, Jr. was using fuel mileage to make it, after finishing second in both of the opening stages, to claim his fourth victory of the season. A great day for Truex, a good day for the likes of Kenseth and Suarez, who finished third. Even the younger Busch had a 42 point day after wrapping things up in seventh. Duds on the day included the 29th place finisher Jimmie Johnson, with Ryan Newman, Austin Dillon, and Joey Logano also missing the Top Twenty.

Logano has to win to be in, so no big news there. Clint Bowyer is now 28 points out of a Chase place despite coming home in fifth. Ahead of him are the 16th place Kenseth (637 points), McMurray in 15th (638), and the 14th place sitting Chase Elliott (648). A bad day for any one amongst that trio, and a good one for Bowyer, would make things interesting. So would a victory over the next four events by someone previously winless, which would put the final two spots in play.

Heading to Michigan next weekend, the 16 winless drivers in the Top 30 in points are the ones to watch for. Them and only them. Kenseth, Logano, and Junior have all won at Michigan before. They might want to do it again. Will it be an exciting race to watch? I plead the Fifth.

August 7, 2017
Truex stretches fuel to win at The Glen

Martin Truex Jr. played the fuel game correctly in the closing laps of the I Love New York 355 at The Glen to win at Watkins Glen International.

When caution flew for the final time on Lap 51, Truex opted to pit under the caution, while Brad Keselowski, who had last pitted on Lap 43, stayed out and inherited the lead.

Truex reeled him in and applied pressure for a few laps, before Keselowski pulled aside and let Truex pass him going into Turn 11 on Lap 64.

Truex and others who pitted under the Lap 51 caution were told they were two to three laps short of making the finish, while Keselowski was told he’d be short six laps.

While Truex was saving fuel, Keselowski ran him down and powered by his outside on the approach to the inner-loop with 14 laps to go to retake the lead. Unfortunately for Keselowski, he didn’t conserve enough and pitted with three to go, handing the lead to Ryan Blaney for a brief period, before he ran out on the backstretch and was passed by Truex.

He botched his entry of the inner-loop on the final lap and locked up going into Turn 10, costing him some of his lead to Matt Kenseth. But all that, and running dry coming to the line, wasn’t enough to stop Truex from crossing the line to claim his 11th career victory in his 427th career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series start.

“I can’t believe that,” Truex said. “Man, that’s so stressful, to just let guys go by for the lead. I’ve never had to do that before. But I guess I was trusting Cole (Pearn). He was telling me what to do. He knew, based on our lap times, how fast we were going and what we needed to do. So hats off to him (and) this whole team.

“I’ve wanted to win here a long, long time. This is a special place. I think, back in the 90’s, watching my dad run here. Coming here as a kid and spending time in the garage, just walking around and wishing someday, I’ll race here, let alone win.

“This is a big one for our team. This is a big one for Cole. He had a tough week. He lost his best friend. We’re really think about his family. Just proud of Cole and his perseverance and everything he does for this team. Barney (Visser) and everybody at home, thank you guys so much for letting me drive this thing.”

Kenseth finished second and Daniel Suarez rounded out the podium.

Denny Hamlin and Clint Bowyer rounded out the top-five.

“Yeah, that’s that hard thing. When you have them there at arm’s reach you want to go for it. That’s the win that will put you into the Chase right there in front of you. But if you run out of gas that’s the dagger that will knock you out for good,” Bowyer said on the difficulty of saving fuel. “It’s the right thing. We just have to keep knocking on the door. Another top-five with our Five Star Urgent Care car. It’s a new sponsor on the car. Hopefully we can get them on board for another shot.”

Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, Ryan Blaney, A.J. Allmendinger and Erik Jones rounded out the top-10.

“I stumbled down the back coming to two to go, so we wouldn’t have made it,” Blaney said. “It stinks. I wish I would have saved earlier like the 78 did. I pushed hard and thought we were better to go on gas than they were. They did a good job saving. I could have done better. If I would have started saving sooner I think we would have made it. you never know. I am pretty proud of the effort. We got up front at the beginning of the day and stayed there pretty much all day. I thought our strategy was right and we had a good race car. Things just didn’t work out for us. That is just the way it goes sometimes.”

“Of course you always want more when you come here, at least I do. We had a tough weekend, and we fought hard,” Allmendinger said. “The car wasn’t very good on the first run, and we made some better changes. Got it better. Got it pretty competitive there. I just really struggled in traffic. I got behind Jimmie, and tore up the tires. Once I got by him it was actually not too bad. From there it was just fuel saving. Don’t really know how much you have. I tried to save, I felt like I saved a lot. Maybe a little too much. Overall it was a solid day for the Kroger Clicklist Chevy. Always want more here, but it was a tough weekend and we got everything we could.”

RACE SUMMARY

Even before the race started, Trevor Payne didn’t take the start after pitting twice during the pace laps. He joined the race 10 laps down.

Kyle Busch led the field to the green flag at 3:21 p.m. He led all 20 laps of the first stage on his way to winning it. Chase Elliott, who was among a number of drivers who short-pitted the stage with three laps remaining in the stage, took over the race lead when Busch pitted. Busch came back down pit road for a lug nut that was stuck between the caliber and wheel.

Elliott pitted from the lead on Lap 32. This handed the lead to Suarez, who drove on to win the second stage.

Truex took the lead from Suarez exiting Turn 1 on the Lap 45 restart. On the same lap, Busch and Keselowski made contact in the inner-loop and went spinning, though the race stayed green.

A tire carcass that came from Landon Cassill’s car brought out the third caution and set up the run to the finish.

NUTS & BOLTS

The race lasted two hours, seven minutes and three seconds, at an average speed of 104.132 mph. There were nine lead changes among six different drivers and three cautions for eight laps.

Truex leaves with a 116-point lead over Busch.

Elliott, McMurray and Kenseth leave as the bubble drivers who are above the playoff cutline.

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August 6, 2017
Hot 20 – Watkins Glen is another chance to win, but most are just as desperate to find money

Money, it makes the world go round. So I’m told, anyway. While you and I might remain in perpetual financial darkness, the stock markets would seem to indicate that those on top of the heap are reeling it in. That would include, you would think, those who disperse those big sponsorship dollars that are the life blood of NASCAR. Not so, it appears. Either that, or what they are planning to spend their windfall on has nothing to do with motor car racing.

Target is leaving Chip Ganassi after a 16-year relationship, despite the success of Kyle Larson. That leaves only Lowe’s (Jimmie Johnson) and FedEx (Denny Hamlin) as full-time sponsors on the Cup circuit. Roger Penske, Rick Hendrick, Richard Petty, Richard Childress, and the duo of Stewart-Haas are all said to be hunting down those elusive dollars for next season. To make it worse, Target is redirecting its resources from racing to soccer. Soccer!

Among the less established outfits, some hire a driver who comes with a team that promises to also bring in the dollars. Paul Menard is the best known example, as his family’s business made it easy for the Wood Brothers to welcome him in as their replacement for Ryan Blaney. The move leaves Childress looking for cash to field a car for his grandson, Ty Dillon, with that family operation.

Some drivers do not come with a fortune. Gray Gaulding had a deal with B.K. Racing where his family’s marketing firm dug up the sponsorship bucks, allowing him to drive and everyone to make money. The story has it that when those dollars dried up, the 19-year old driver was out. If names like Danica Patrick, Kurt Busch, and Larson can not lock in the funding easily, just imagine how tough it must be for under-performing teams with unestablished wheel-men.

How anyone makes money in the other two national series is beyond me. The “crowd” for the Xfinity event at Indianapolis, for example, was tragic. Hell, there are reports that claim only 35,000 turned out for the Cup event, in a facility that seats ten times that number. The lack of crowds just about everywhere remains a concern. Not every race can be a spectacle, we know, but you need more than a bunch of cars spread out going round and round in the same position lap after lap. Most fans that came with the fad that NASCAR was were not racing fans, just folks looking for an adrenaline rush. For a time, they got it. Today, they do not, or so it would seem. At least the stage concept has provided us with some different pit strategies and re-starts to try and shake up the field a bit.

Let us be honest. Some tracks are duds, for the most part. We could argue that last week’s venue, Pocono, could be among them if excitement is what you are in it for. In fact, nearly half of the Cup schedule is placed in spots that yield less than “edge of your seat” outcomes. I do not think Watkins Glen is among them. I think you might enjoy what is coming up this Sunday.

If you can find any, you might even put some money down on that. If nothing else, you will get better odds than say you would get on seeing Kurt Busch, Matt Kenseth, and Kasey Kahne all having full-time rides next season. Follow the money…if you can find it.

1. MARTIN TRUEX, JR. – 3 WINS (823 Pts)
The Furniture Row driver is simply the best thus far this season. Period.

2. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 3 WINS (566 Pts)
When Jimmie and Chad retire, Lowe’s should have a place on their Hall of Fame plaques.

3. KYLE LARSON – 2 WINS (738 Pts)
If there is any sponsor out there looking to target a premium driver, this would be one of them.

4. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 2 WINS (649 Pts)
The Cup series is sick, the other two series are dying. Does everybody realize this?

5. RICKY STENHOUSE, JR. – 2 WINS (468 Pts)
Has just four more points than Daniel, but two more wins than Mr. Suarez.

6. KEVIN HARVICK – 1 WIN (726 Pts)
Limiting veterans in Xfinity limits Harvick’s sponsorship opportunities. He is not happy.

7. KYLE BUSCH – 1 WIN (723 Pts)
Could Kyle tell me how any games he thinks Mike Trout should play in Salt Lake and Mobile?

8. DENNY HAMLIN – 1 WIN (649 Pts)
Will be ready to race on Sunday, unless Jordan is ready to deliver their second child that day.

9. RYAN BLANEY – 1 WIN (529 Pts)
It should not be long before the Blaney-Bubba Show arrives full-time in Cup.

10. KURT BUSCH – 1 WIN (494 Pts)
On the verge of becoming a free agent? Wow!

11. RYAN NEWMAN – 1 WIN (491 Pts)
Could we see a return of Newman to Stewart-Haas? Hahahaha. I just made myself laugh.

12. KASEY KAHNE – 1 WIN (414 Pts)
Wins a race, like Kurt, and has no assurance he will keep his job. What does that tell you?

13. AUSTIN DILLON – 1 WIN (395 Pts)
Brother Ty is ready to take his place in the family business…if they can find the money.

14. CHASE ELLIOTT – 616 POINTS
Rule of thumb over the next five races would be to finish on the lead lap. Easier said than done.

15. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 615 POINTS
Only wins on the marquee tracks. He might want to re-think that.

16. MATT KENSETH – 594 POINTS
Could he make the Chase and still be looking for a job next season? Just ask Kasey and Kurt.

17. CLINT BOWYER – 577 POINTS
Could move closer to Kenseth on Sunday, but if A.J. Allmendinger wins then it is all for naught.

18. JOEY LOGANO – 525 POINTS (1 Win)
The Glen, Michigan, Bristol, Darlington, or Richmond. Joey has to win one of them.

19. DANIEL SUAREZ – 464 PONTS
Unless there is an appeal, Jones’ 25 point penalty at Pocono moves Suarez to right here.

19. ERIK JONES – 444 POINTS
With Jones joining Gibbs next season, could that leave open a return of Kurt to Colorado?

August 2, 2017
NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Pocono

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Martin Truex, Jr.: Truex finished third at Pocono as Kyle Busch won from the pole. Truex leads the Monster Energy Cup points standings by 48 over Kyle Larson.

“Kyle was just unstoppable today,” Truex said. “Somebody should tell Kyle ‘Way to go,’ but it won’t be me or any member of my pit crew, especially two of my tire changers that are suspended. That’s because Kyle’s crew chief Adam Stevens had a confrontation with my pit crew at Indianapolis. While Kyle and I made fire, Adam and my crew made fireworks.”

2. Kyle Busch: Busch won the pole for the Overton’s 400 at Pocono and led 74 laps on his way to the win, snapping a 36-race winless streak and winning for the first time at Pocono.

“It feels great to do a burn out,” Busch said, “as opposed to being ‘burned out’ of my car. Ironically, I’ve been ‘spinning my wheels’ all year.”

3. Kevin Harvick: Harvick finished second at Pocono, posting his eighth top 5 of the year, and is now third in the points standings, 97 out of first.

“That makes four runner-up finishes in my career at Pocono,” Harvick said. “If you think I’m disappointed about that, I ‘second’ that emotion. And trust me, I know disappointment. It permeates my household, in fact. Much of the disappointment stems from the fact that I’m known there as ‘three-inch Kevin Harvick.’”

4. Kyle Larson: Larson lost his drive shaft early at Pocono, necessitating a lengthy trip to the garage before returning to claim a 33rd-place finish.

“What’s worse than losing a drive shaft?” Larson said. “Losing a sponsor. Target will no longer sponsor the No. 42 car next year. They’re moving sponsorship from racing to soccer. At least, that’s their goal. It’s seems the red on the red car has been red-carded.”

5. Jimmie Johnson: Contact with Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kasey Kahne sent Johnson into the wall on lap 57, ending his day at Pocono. Johnson eventually finished 35th.

“Kasey had a huge win the previous week at Indianapolis,” Johnson said. “He apparently was still riding that wave of momentum when he slid up the track and got into me.

“But it was just a racing incident. And let me define ‘racing incident’ for you: it’s when there’s an accident that doesn’t involve cars bursting into flames, a crew chief mouthing off with members of an opposing crew, and a race team unfairly disciplining just one of the involved parties.”

6. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski took fifth in the Overton’s 400, recording his series-best 11th top 5 of the season.

“Penske Racing is adding a third car in 2018,” Keselowski said, “and Ryan Blaney will be the driver. Ryan is a great guy, and one of the best things he has going for him is that his father is Dave Blaney, and not Tom Logano. Tom Logano is the Lavar Ball of NASCAR.”

7. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin led 18 laps and finished fourth at Pocono, as Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch took the victory.

“Kyle Busch was the class of the field,” Hamlin said. “That’s saying something, because it’s not often you can use the words ‘class’ and ‘Kyle Busch’ in a sentence. Now, using ‘Kyle Busch’ and a word that rhymes with class in the same sentence, that’s another story altogether.”

8. Jamie McMurray: McMurray started third at Pocono but finished a disappointing 26th.

“The No. 1 McDonald’s Chevrolet was handicapped by transmission issues,” McMurray said. “That caused a lot of smoke to enter the cockpit. It’s doubly disappointing because at Pocono in June, I wrecked with Jimmie Johnson and my car burst into flames. As the saying goes, ‘Where there’s smoke, there was fire.’”

9. Chase Elliott: Eliott finished tenth at Pocono and remains winless on the season.

“I know I don’t necessarily have to win to make the Chase For The Cup,” Elliott said, “but it would sure make things easier. But sometimes just the mere pressure of knowing you need a victory can hinder, impede, and hamper you from doing just that. A lot of drivers, Joey Logano included, call that an ‘encumbered win.’”

10. Clint Bowyer: Bowyer scored a solid day at Pocono, winning Stage 2 on his way to a sixth-place finish. He is tenth in the Monster Energy Cup points standings.

“Thirteen different drivers have posted victories this year,” Bowyer said. “That means there are only three spots in the Chase For The Cup up for grabs. People who know me understand that I’m willing to go to great lengths to secure one of those spots, for me or for a teammate.”

August 1, 2017