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Tag: Martin Truex Jr.

  • Bad Day for Truex at Pocono

    Bad Day for Truex at Pocono

    What started as a strong weekend for Martin Truex Jr. ended in disaster pretty fast.

    After scoring the pole and posting the fastest time in final practice, the driver of the No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Toyota had high hopes going into Pocono Raceway. He started off strong by leading the first 16 laps.

    But when the race restarted on lap 20, his day went downhill. He suffered a right-front tire blowout and slammed the wall in Turn 2.

    “A lug nut bounced off the ground, fell in behind the wheel behind a pit stop,” Truex said. “It’s just bad luck honestly. I knew something wasn’t right in (turn) one and two and I got real tight off of two on that restart and went down the back and was like, ‘Ah, it feels okay.’ And, as I got closer to the tunnel turn I felt it start to go down and by the time I let off and tried to slow down it was just going straight for the fence.”

    This would be a recurring trend for the rest of his day as he cut his left-front and made an unscheduled stop on lap 41 and cut another tire down around lap 100. He retired from the race and finished 38th.

    He leaves Long Pond, Pennsylvania eighth in points trailing Kevin Harvick by 132.

  • Truex Fastest in Final Practice at Pocono

    Truex Fastest in Final Practice at Pocono

    Martin Truex Jr. topped the chart in final Sprint Cup Series practice at Pocono Raceway.

    The driver of the No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Toyota was the fastest in the final practice session with a time of 51.027 and a speed of 176.377 mph. Brad Keselowski was second in his No. 2 Team Penske Ford with a time of 51.097 and a speed of 176.136 mph. Kevin Harvick was third in his No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet with a time of 51.133 and a speed of 176.012 mph. Kurt Busch was fourth in his No. 41 SHR Chevrolet with a time of 51.159 and a speed of 175.922 mph. Chase Elliott rounded out the top-five in his No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet with a time of 51.176 and a speed of 175.864 mph.

    Kyle Busch was sixth in his No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. Kyle Larson was seventh in his No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet. Paul Menard was eighth in his No. 27 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet. Carl Edwards was ninth in his No. 19 JGR Toyota. Jimmie Johnson rounded out the top-10 in his No. 48 HMS Chevrolet.

    Truex posted the fastest 10 consecutive lap average at a speed of 174.625 mph. Austin Dillon, who’s fastest single lap was 11th fastest, was second at an average speed of 174.442 mph.

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  • Truex Nabs the Pole at Pocono

    Truex Nabs the Pole at Pocono

    Martin Truex Jr. will lead the field to the green flag on Sunday at Pocono Raceway.

    The driver of the No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Toyota scored the pole for the Pennsylvania 400 after posting a time of 50.211 and a speed of 179.244 mph.

    “Feeling great,” Truex said of his feelings on getting the pole position. “It’s exciting for us, you know anytime you win anything in this series it’s a big deal. Getting a pole today is awesome. We had a game plan coming here that we felt like we needed to qualify well to have a shot at winning on Sunday and we were able to do so today was a success.”266

    It’s his 10th career pole in 390 Sprint Cup Series starts, the third of the season, first in 22 starts at Pocono and his 14th top-10 start of 2016.

    Carl Edwards will start second in his No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota after posting a time of 50.315 and a speed of 178.873 mph.

    ““I guess the thing I’m most grateful for about the lap is coming across the line I had the urge because it was such a good lap to say something on the radio like, ‘That’s it. That’s the pole.’ I’ve got to brag a little bit but it wasn’t good enough so I’m glad I didn’t say that,” Edwards said of his qualifying run. “My lap was awesome and Martin’s lap was spectacular so congrats to them. We have a very fast race car and all three rounds went really well and I’m really looking forward to the race.”

    Paul Menard will start third in his No. 27 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet after posting a time of 50.372 and a speed of 178.671 mph.

    Menard said afterwards that he has “had a rough year. We are not where we expected to be and need to be in points, so we had to make a change. Danny (Stockman) came in here and gave us a good car right off the truck. We stuck in qualifying trim all day. We know we have to improve our qualifying that just starts your race off way better. A good way to start it off.”

    Denny Hamlin will start fourth in his No. 11 JGR Toyota after posting a time of 50.409 and a speed of 178.540 mph. Ryan Newman will round out the top-five starters in his No. 31 RCR Chevrolet after posting a time of 50.439 and a speed of 178.433 mph.

    Tony Stewart will start sixth in his No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet. Brad Keselowski will start seventh in his No. 2 Team Penske Ford. Chase Elliott will start eighth in his No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. Matt Kenseth will start ninth in his No. 20 JGR Toyota. Joey Logano will round out the top-10 in his No. 22 Penske Ford.

    Kyle Larson will start 11th in his No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet. Austin Dillon will round out the 12 drivers that made the final round of qualifying in his No. 3 RCR Chevrolet.

    Forty cars attempted to qualify. So no driver was sent home.

    Twenty-two Chevrolet’s, 11 Ford’s and seven Toyota’s will comprise the 40-car field for Sunday’s Pennsylvania 400.

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  • Hot 20 – Pocono, where some things just do not matter

    Hot 20 – Pocono, where some things just do not matter

    As the boys and girl venture to Pocono for their second visit to the venue in 56 days, there are some things that matter and some that do not. Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s recovery from his concussion issues matters, him making the Chase does not in comparison. Kevin Harvick is missing his crew chief after some lug nuts went AWOL at Indianapolis. With a win and the points lead, it does not matter.

    XFINITY races do not matter, but they matter enough to Brad Keselowski to head out to Iowa to be the lone Cup representative. Camping World truck racing does not matter, it appears, in the land of hockey, curling, and Don Cherry. Danica Patrick matters to women, to sponsors, and to folks who just like attractive people, but buried once again 24th in the standings despite some good equipment, she does not matter on the track.

    Pocono matters to Kasey Kahne, Trevor Bayne, and Ryan Blaney if they wish to keep their Chase hopes viable. It matters to Jamie McMurray and Kyle Larson, who do not want themselves finishing behind that trio to find their own positions threatened.

    Live event attendance does not matter, as only 50,000 bothered to turn out to the Brickyard last weekend. It still might matter for those at home, as it seems NBC was pleased with its ratings. Imagine the savings if pro sport venues did not have to put in seating, concessions, or parking, as we all watched the action from our living rooms. Many of us are already doing that. You would think that would matter enough to some.

    To that end, I have my own concession, private washroom facilities, a comfortable chair, a big screen television, my remote control, and our Hot 20 going into Pocono. What more do I need?

    1. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 4 WINS (647 Pts)
    Watkins Glen testing crash appears to have knocked Cup’s big dog all the way to Iowa.

    2. KYLE BUSCH – 4 WINS (601 Pts)
    Best damn driver in NASCAR today…and Keelan Harvick would agree.

    3. CARL EDWARDS – 2 WINS (593 Pts)
    It can be fun to chase your car up the hill, except when other drivers catch it first.

    4. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 2 WINS (552 Pts)
    #2 in merchandise sales. You know who is #1.

    5. MATT KENSETH – 2 WINS (545 Pts)
    Top five are locked into the Chase.

    6. KEVIN HARVICK – 1 WIN (671 Pts)
    No lug nuts, no crew chief. It appears that is how NASCAR rolls.

    7. KURT BUSCH – 1 WIN (627 Pts)
    Shares record for running every lap for opening 20 races of a season. Pocono would be 21.

    8. JOEY LOGANO – 1 WIN (606 Pts)
    Some say maturity is the biggest reason Kyle is where he is today. There may be hope for Joey.

    9. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 1 WIN (573 Pts)
    The last three winners at Pocono are Kurt, Matt, and this guy.

    10. DENNY HAMLIN – 1 WIN (542 Pts)
    Lending his support to West Virginia, the land of coal and way too much water.

    11. TONY STEWART – 1 WIN (317 Pts)
    Will he and Jeff Gordon take another final lap around Pocono, too?

    12. CHASE ELLIOTT – 525 PTS
    Some claim he is experiencing rookie growing pains. If he is, I think he can tough it out.

    13. AUSTIN DILLON – 520 PTS
    If GM Goodwrench would only come back, my NASCAR jacket would again be contemporary.

    14. RYAN NEWMAN – 507 PTS
    Secret to success at Pocono? Stay the hell away from Edwards.

    15. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 496 PTS
    I have been blamed for driving at Indianapolis. No, that was Jamie in the No. 1 in overtime.

    16. KYLE LARSON – 472 PTS
    Target leaving IndyCar, though Larson’s sponsorship good through 2017.

    17. KASEY KAHNE – 462 PTS
    38 major brands backed NASCAR drivers at Indianapolis…but All-State is not among them.

    18. DALE EARNHARDT JR. – 461 PTS
    It is going to take time to return, it is going to take a win to make the Chase…if there is time.

    19. TREVOR BAYNE – 458 PTS
    No more room for error or misadventure. The time is now.

    20. RYAN BLANEY – 450 PTS
    Also said to be experiencing rookie growing pains. Okay, he might need some relief.

  • Hot 20 – Earnhardt out, Gordon in as an old dog tries to perform some old tricks for a sixth time

    Hot 20 – Earnhardt out, Gordon in as an old dog tries to perform some old tricks for a sixth time

    Heading into Indianapolis, there was just one story of note. Sure, Matt Kenseth’s winning car at Loudon was tagged at inspection, but nothing meaningful took place. He lost 15 points and drops behind Jimmie Johnson in the standings. In short, nothing of consequence.  Kevin Harvick remains upset with his pit crew, but they still have seven races before the Chase to figure that out. The only story of note involves the No. 88 and who will be behind the wheel.

    That would be Jeff Gordon, who comes out of retirement to run Indianapolis and Watkins Glen while Dale Earnhardt Jr. recovers from the effects of his latest concussion. Shaky balance and some nausea are what he needs to overcome, but while that is happening Gordon will run his 798th and 799th career races. The former four-time champ has five wins at the Brickyard, with the last coming just two years ago, while the last of his four Glen victories came back in 2001.

    I guess if you have to plop a bottom into the seat, this is not a bad selection. Gordon, obviously, is not among our Hot 20…but he should be the focal point of most of the fans on Sunday.

    1. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 4 WINS (622 Pts)
    One of only a handful of drivers averaging 30 points or more per race. That works.

    2. KYLE BUSCH – 3 WINS (556 Pts)
    Rowdy is to XFINITY what I am to a three-legged race involving 3-year-olds. The favorite!

    3. CARL EDWARDS – 2 WINS (587 Pts)
    He has had the best of times, but last week was not one of them.

    4. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 2 WINS (514 Pts)
    Figures his new teammate could very well make it six Brickyard wins on Sunday.

    5. MATT KENSETH – 2 WINS (506 Pts)
    Bad boys, bad boys, whatcha gonna do…? Not a hell of a lot that matters, it seems.

    6. KEVIN HARVICK – 1 WIN (636 Pts)
    It sounds as if his crew are to pit stops what I am to ballet, sprinting, basketball, hair styling…

    7. KURT BUSCH – 1 WIN (602 Pts)
    Wheels on the car do not go round and round when they are no longer round.

    8. JOEY LOGANO – 1 WIN (571 Pts)
    Going from mediocre to third turned New Hampshire into a pretty nice day…in the end.

    9. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 1 WIN (540 Pts)
    You cannot stick it to the man without a stick shift to do it with.

    10. DENNY HAMLIN – 1 WIN (505 Pts)
    Half of his ten Indianapolis attempts resulted in Top Tens, but third has been his best finish.

    11. TONY STEWART – 1 WIN (287 Pts)
    All of a sudden, ole Smoke looks pretty comfortable in the standings.

    12. CHASE ELLIOTT – 499 PTS
    If William Clyde’s nickname was “Champ”, we could engrave the trophy and be done with it.

    13. RYAN NEWMAN – 497 PTS
    Newman figures Gordon still knows how to put on his underwear…or he said something like that.

    14. AUSTIN DILLON – 488 PTS
    That 2015 Daytona 400 crash now the cause of a lawsuit against NASCAR and the track.

    15. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 474 PTS
    Sixth place finish last weekend gives Dimples some breathing room going into Sunday.

    16. DALE EARNHARDT JR. – 461 PTS
    Staying out of the car this week and at the Glen, allowing some pretty boy his seat time.

    17. TREVOR BAYNE – 447 PTS
    A Top 20 finish would be very, very helpful this weekend.

    18. RYAN BLANEY – 445 PTS
    Ditto.

    19. KASEY KAHNE – 439 PTS
    Ditto again.

    20. KYLE LARSON – 436 PTS
    Read above.

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: New Hampshire

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: New Hampshire

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski finished 15th at New Hampshire, as handling issues derailed his chances for a third consecutive win.

    “The No. 2 Miller Lite car wasn’t at its best,” Keselowski said. “That’s opposed to the previous two weeks when it was Lite years ahead of the field.”

    2. Kevin Harvick: Harvick finished fourth in the New Hampshire 301 as Matt Kenseth won. Harvick leads the Sprint Cup points standings with a 14-point cushion over Brad Keselowski.

    “We had one of the fastest cars,” Harvick said, “but we blew it during pit stops. Unfortunately, that’s become too often an occurrence. It seems like every time I make a pit stop, it’s a drive-through penalty. But I don’t want to name names, mostly because I don’t even know any of their names.

    “As far as speed goes, the No. 4 Jimmy Johns car is ‘freaky fast.’ As far as speed in the pits goes, the No. 4 Jimmy Johns pit crew is ‘freaky last.’”

    3. Kurt Busch: Busch finished 22nd at New Hampshire, with a likely top-10 run soured by late contact that resulted in a rear tire rub.

    “It’s never a good thing when you radio your crew chief to say you’ve got tire rub,” Busch said. “That’s a story no one likes to tell. If I had to make it in book form, it would be a work of friction.’”

    4. Carl Edwards: Edwards finished 20th after an accident with Ryan Newman caused a spin and cost Edwards hard-earned track position.

    “Congratulations to Matt Kenseth,” Edwards said. “I think he’ll enjoy that giant lobster given to the winner. They certainly have one thing in common—they’ll both soon be in hot water.”

    5. Joey Logano: Logano finished third at New Hampshire, posting his eighth top five of the season. He is fifth in the points standings, 65 out of first.

    “Matt Kenseth ran the perfect race,” Logano said. “I think everyone would give him two thumbs up, except for NASCAR inspectors.”

    6. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth took the lead with 29 laps to go and maintained it through three subsequent restarts to win the New Hampshire 301, his second win of the year.

    “Unfortunately,” Kenseth said, “my car failed a post-race laser inspection. On the flip side, 39 other cars passed the post-race loser inspection.

    “But I’m not worried about failing inspection. When all is said and done, I’ll still have the win. So everything will be ‘fine.’”

    7. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex suffered a broken shifter midway through the race on Sunday and finished 16th, and is now seventh in the points standings, 96 out of first.

    “My shifter handle fell off,” Truex said, “and the car got stuck in fourth gear. And then I had to make an unscheduled pit stop, which pretty much ruined my chances of winning. Broken shifters suck. Anyone who says otherwise is wrong. So, if you think my shift don’t stink, you are incorrect.”

    8. Kyle Busch: Busch finished eighth in the New Hampshire 301, recording his 12th top-10 result of the year. He is sixth in the points standings, 80 out of first.

    “Joe Gibbs racing drivers have won eight races this season,” Busch said, “and passed post-race inspections in all but one of those instances. That’s the definition of success, not failure. I’m not sure what part of Matt Kenseth’s car failed inspection, but it was detected via the use of a laser. I think lasers are great for NASCAR. That’s just one more thing, in addition to fans, that can get ‘lit’ at a NASCAR race.”

    9. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson finished 12th at New Hampshire, the top finisher among Hendrick Motorsports cars.

    “Dale Earnhardt Jr. missed the race due to concussion-like symptoms,” Johnson said. “So Sunday was a day of mourning for the people of Junior Nation. Of course, Junior fans needed some clarification on exactly what a ‘day of mourning’ is. To most of them, ‘day of mourning describes’ a restaurant that serves all-day breakfast.”

    10. Tony Stewart: Stewart chased Matt Kenseth to the finish at New Hampshire and score the runner-up finish, his second consecutive top five.

    “There was no catching Kenseth,” Stewart said. “He drove a near flawless race. I say ‘nearly’ flawless because there’s one thing he could have done to make it a totally flawless race, and that’s wreck Joey Logano.”

  • The Final Word – Even when not at the track, Earnhardt is the story, be it last week or this one

    The Final Word – Even when not at the track, Earnhardt is the story, be it last week or this one

    They had a race and Dale Earnhardt Jr. was not in it. Why bother? Should this not have been a day of universal sobbing, hand wringing, and “woe is me?” Of course, it should have been, but there was a race to be run in New Hampshire.

    Instead of Junior, 23-year-old Alex Bowman got the best seat of his 72-race Cup career. Would the car make the difference? It appeared that way until a tire made the difference and sent him into the wall. A possible Top Ten wound up 26th, but the young man got to show that he appears to have the right stuff.

    At almost the same time as Bowman’s misadventure, Chase Elliott had a left front go down to help ruin his day. Elliott has the right stuff, but it is points he could use and 34th does not award too many of them. Still, with a pad of more than 50 points to the good, the 20-year-old has nothing to worry about.

    A late game of billiards was not helpful to a pair on the outside but seeking a place on the inside. Ryan Newman touched Carl Edwards who clipped Kasey Kahne who then turned Kyle Larson. While Larson recovered to salvage 17th, Kahne was left in 25th. With Earnhardt sitting out due to his concussion issues, it was time to make hay. Instead, it rained on some. Junior sits it out and still sits in the final Chase spot, 14 points better than Trevor Bayne, who was 23rd on Sunday, with Ryan Blaney, Kahne, and Larson with even more work to do in Indianapolis if they hope to break some hearts.

    We said a star would win in the sunshine and Matt Kenseth did just that with his third at Loudon and second on the season. It could have been won by Martin Truex Jr. He was solid, dueling with Kyle Busch much of the way. That is, until, his shifter snapped. It is pretty tough to set sail stuck in fourth gear. That left him in 16th, while Busch faded to wind up eighth.

    As expected, the likes of Joey Logano and Kevin Harvick recorded Top Fives. It might have been somewhat surprising to see Tony Stewart and Greg Biffle do the same. It does not change things for anybody, with Logano, Harvick, and even Stewart pretty much locked in, while Biffle needs a win to advance.

    Heading to Indianapolis, the big story will be Junior. Does he return, or might Jeff Gordon step back out of retirement to fill the seat? If Junior remains on the sidelines, who will take advantage of his absence to grab hold of that final Chase place? We should know by Wednesday who is behind the wheel. As for June Bug, his mind is as sharp as a tack but has balance issues and some nausea. He also is not going to rush things. It would be nice to see him back soon, to make the Chase, but there are more important factors at play just now.

  • Hot 20 – New Hampshire won’t be raced under the stars, but one will definitely win it

    Hot 20 – New Hampshire won’t be raced under the stars, but one will definitely win it

    The rich get richer. That will be the story this weekend, as only those with a pedigree seem to have a chance at success in this weekend’s New Hampshire 301.

    If Clint Bowyer wants a third win at Loudon, he might need to find a different car. In his wait in the wilderness before he takes over Tony Stewart’s ride next year, he has been driving autos that look pretty…they just do not perform that way. Kasey Kahne has a win there, too. He could do it. All he needs to do is perform better than he has been to date.

    As for the other 11 active drivers coming in with a win at Loudon since 2002, every single one of them currently sits in a Chase place. Something tells me that we might not be terribly shocked as to the outcome of events come Sunday. In just the past two seasons, the winners have been Brad Keselowski, already with back-to-back wins this month, along with Joey Logano, Kyle Busch, and Matt Kenseth. I really would not be expecting someone not listed below to be shaking up the suds this weekend.

    Yet, the question remains, which one from our Hot 20 will be the man of the hour?

    1. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 4 WINS (595 Pts)
    If I had to pick just one…

    2. KYLE BUSCH – 3 WINS (521 Pts)
    Winning driver and truck owner is an outstanding mentor to the next generation of stars.

    3. CARL EDWARDS – 2 WINS (566 Pts)
    Thought he had a chance for a win at Kentucky, but Keselowski made that no chance at all.

    4. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 2 WINS (484 Pts)
    Might not have the best 36-race record, but he is the undisputed king of the playoff era.

    5. KEVIN HARVICK – 1 WIN (599 Pts)
    If he was King of NASCAR, he would keep all the races but tighten the schedule up by 6 weeks.

    6. KURT BUSCH – 1 WIN (583 Pts)
    No more tracks left to claim a Top Five. Kentucky was the last one to be checked off the list.

    7. JOEY LOGANO – 1 WIN (533 Pts)
    Hosting the Driving Hope Home Golf Tournament today (Thursday) in Plantsville, Connecticut.

    8. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 1 WIN (514 Pts)
    Pass to the right in the pits…avoid cars pulling in…pass to the right in the pits…

    9. MATT KENSETH – 1 WIN (477 Pts)
    Last July it was Kyle, last September it was Matt at Kentucky. Take that, Keselowski.

    10. DENNY HAMLIN – 1 WIN (472 Pts)
    50-50 Sunday will result in a Top Ten…and for Loudon those are decent odds.

    11. TONY STEWART – 1 WIN (248 Pts)
    Donating his Kentucky tires to the NHL for use as massive hockey pucks.

    12. CHASE ELLIOTT – 492 PTS
    Once upon a time we had kids like Petty, Earnhardt, Gordon…and wasn’t there an Elliott?

    13. RYAN NEWMAN – 463 PTS
    Finally a Top Three finish…and yet he still sits in a Chase place.

    14. DALE EARNHARDT JR. – 461 PTS
    It appears that just a little bit of success might be enough.

    15. AUSTIN DILLON – 460 PTS
    Average 25 points per race and you got yourself a spot to the party.

    16. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 439 PTS
    Less than that and things start to get a bit heated…as Jamie has discovered.

    17. TREVOR BAYNE – 429 PTS
    Average 23.8 points per race and you are looking up McMurray’s tailpipe. That can’t be pretty.

    18. KASEY KAHNE – 423 PTS
    Danica says she could take Kahne in a fight. Imagine. A bout between our two prettiest drivers.

    19. RYAN BLANEY – 415 PTS
    Ryan and Chase and 18-year old William Byron in the trucks. It is the dawn of a new era.

    20. KYLE LARSON – 412 PTS
    At 23, young Mr. Larson is not exactly ready to join any old boys club just yet, either.

  • The Final Word – Kentucky is wide open for 2017, but the even years belong to Brad Keselowski

    The Final Word – Kentucky is wide open for 2017, but the even years belong to Brad Keselowski

    Brad Keselowski is one of the most generous drivers in NASCAR. When they opened the track in Kentucky, did Brad win it in 2011? He did not. No, he was gracious enough to let Kyle Busch take the inaugural event. In fact, he was thoughtful enough to let Kyle take it last year as well. Keselowski is no race hog. Matt Kenseth benefitted from his generosity in 2013. Brad Keselowski is a swell guy. However, note that the even years belong to him and only to him.

    Saturday night, Keselowski claimed his third Kentucky contest in six attempts. With the tank running dry and the competition diving down pit road for a top off on fuel, Keselowski just kept going on and on and on to the finish. He managed to turn around to capture the flag, but after that, he was powered by the front bumper of a tow truck. For him, Sonoco was good to the very last drop.

    Four wins on the season, at the top of the charts in the standings, three wins and eight Top Tens in his last 10, with a worst finish of 15th in that span. It would appear all is well in Brad’s world. For others, it appears they were traveling behind a honey wagon last weekend.

    Ricky Stenhouse Jr. is trying to at least stay within hailing distance of a Chase place. That cause was not helped a wit in Kentucky. A blown tire just nine laps in and he was toast and dead last. Joey Logano has a win and is high in the points, so when he pounded the wall with just 52 gone and more than 200 to go, it was not as devastating but he was just as parked.

    A.J. Allmendinger picked up five big needed points, but maybe just taking the day off would have been better. He got caught up in a multi-car wreck, then got pasted into the fence even worse later on, injuring his thumb while he was at it. Ryan Blaney is dropping further and further from contention, this time, he and fellow rookie Chase Elliott found themselves emulating synchro swimmers in a lovely choreographed dual spin. Neither were to finish in the Top 30. As for Jimmie Johnson, he did not go unnoticed, but that spin 33 laps in did the damage, and the time to make repairs left him behind Elliott on the day, and that was not good.

    Carl Edwards was second best on the day while others with a Chase place also finishing in the Top Ten include Ryan Newman, Kurt Busch, Jamie McMurray, Matt Kenseth, Kevin Harvick, and Martin Truex Jr. Tony Stewart was fifth and is 31 points to the good in making his win count toward a championship run. Greg Biffle was sixth, but a win might be what it takes to be in at this point.

    Only McMurray appears to have much heat behind him as they move on to New Hampshire on Sunday. He goes in with a 10 point lead over Bayne, with Kasey Kahne 16 off the pace, and Blaney 23 back in the weeds.

    Kahne has won there before, while McMurray has not. Going back to September of 2002, only five of the 27 races there were not claimed by someone not currently holding a place in the Chase. Only Kahne (once), Clint Bowyer (twice), along with Brian Vickers and Mark Martin are the anomalies. As for Brad Keselowski, he did not win it last year, but he did in 2014. Do I need to remind you that this is one of those even years?

  • Hot 20 – We realize NASCAR is a commercial enterprise…but enough is enough

    Hot 20 – We realize NASCAR is a commercial enterprise…but enough is enough

    Sponsors pay for stuff. They pay enough cash that NASCAR and its track owners have sold their collective souls and it explains why they no longer promote a Firecracker 400, or a World 600, and why they actually dumped, for a time, the Southern 500. Money talks, tradition walks. It is an old story and as long as there is a can of soda to be sold, some tools to be used, a grocery chain with vittles on offer, a casino seeking guests, insurance to be flogged, tents up for grabs, or a car model to be promoted, it appears that will remain the case. Do the folks doing the advertising get their money’s worth? Who cares; that is their worry, not mine.

    What an event is called matters little in the grand scheme of things, I guess. A race is a race, and if prestige is swapped for big bucks, I guess that is the price one is willing to pay. To watch the races on television, the price viewers pay is a slew of interruptions in order to make room for a word from a sponsor who is paying too much for a message most of us ignore.

    That was not always the case. Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Michael Waltrip were one hell of a team selling everything from pizza to car parts to beer. The boys from a day not so long ago sold razors, hardware, gum, insurance, cars, and who can forget about that Big Brown Truck? Hell, we watched those commercials and they were classic enough to be watched over and over without complaint. Today, it is a different story. They seem to think they can get away with little creativity, provide little entertainment value, yet apparently not bright enough to realize that a lot of us do not even watch the damn things long enough to even know what they are about.

    Last Saturday night, 124 commercials got in the way. That is 28 more than what ran a year before. As it is, nearly 20 percent of the airtime over the course of this season has been devoted to commercials but they upped that for Daytona. It reached up to nearly a quarter of what you watched had nothing to do with the race. Then the idiots actually scratch their heads and wonder why the television numbers are down. Duh!

    The current model is not working. While we realize everything comes with a cost, that somebody has to pay in order for us to watch the action, they should realize that either we pre-record the action to avoid the commercials, or we hit the head or the galley during such interruptions, or we wander off to do other things instead. Last week, we might have hung around just because of the action promised at Daytona. The sixth running of the Quaker State 400 from Sparta, Kentucky does not have the same pedigree. It is just another race.

    You and I know why we watch. Brad Keselowski and Kyle Busch have combined to win four of the first five run there at Kentucky. Will one of them take his fourth victory of the season on Saturday? We watch to see if Ryan Blaney can hold down that final Chase place, despite challenges from Jamie McMurray, Trevor Bayne, and Kasey Kahne. We watch to see if Tony Stewart can stay ahead of the two boys close behind in the battle for 30th in points. We watch because we like the sport, the action, and its athletes. We do not watch for the commercials.

    The Hot 20 heading into Kentucky include…

    1. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 3 WINS (551 Pts)
    Winner last week, and he is two for five at Kentucky. Maybe more bubbly is in his future.

    2. KYLE BUSCH – 3 WINS (492 Pts)
    Won the first race at Kentucky, and won the last race there.

    3. CARL EDWARDS – 2 WINS (527 Pts)
    If being at the wrong place at the wrong time was a goal, Edwards attained it at Daytona.

    4. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 2 WINS (475 Pts)
    Thirty wins since 2010, but none at Kentucky though five for five in Top Tens is pretty good.

    5. KEVIN HARVICK – 1 WIN (565 Pts)
    If points still told the tale, he would be at the top, and still might when they finish in November.

    6. KURT BUSCH – 1 WIN (545 Pts)
    It seemed that Kurt was very understanding of Logano after Daytona. We shall see, we shall see.

    7. JOEY LOGANO – 1 WIN (531 Pts)
    Too bad this jerk is on this list. Too bad this jerk is also one hell of a driver.

    8. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 1 WIN (482 Pts)
    He probably did not appreciate the 30 lap rest in the middle of last week’s race.

    9. DENNY HAMLIN – 1 WIN (446 Pts)
    We heard Denny was hungry for a Daytona sweep. I guess the boy must be starving today.

    10. MATT KENSETH – 1 WIN (443 Pts)
    Only three drivers have won the five races held thus far at Kentucky. Matt is one of them.

    11. TONY STEWART – 1 WIN (212 Pts)
    He is ba-ack…but can he stay here?

    12. CHASE ELLIOTT – 482 PTS
    The only winless Chaser who heads to Kentucky fairly relaxed. The rest hear footsteps.

    13. AUSTIN DILLON – 434 PTS
    A 29 point pad is good unless an engine goes south or he gets caught up in someone else’s mess.

    14. DALE EARNHARDT JR. – 433 PTS
    Biggest free agents in sports history include the names of Bobby, Reggie, Payton, LeBron, and Junior.

    15. RYAN NEWMAN – 425 PTS
    His Kentucky goal is to keep the likes of Blaney, McMurray, Bayne, and Kahne in the rear view.

    16. RYAN BLANEY – 409 PTS
    A Chase place would be a wonderful story, but not everyone likes wonderful stories.

    17. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 405 PTS
    Got a little loose, got a lot wrecked. Now his goal has to be to break a kid’s heart.

    18. TREVOR BAYNE – 399 PTS
    See a Blaney, catch a Blaney.

    19. KASEY KAHNE – 396 PTS
    Things were getting better, then Daytona happened.

    20. A.J. ALLMENDINGER – 393 PTS
    The Glen is coming up August 7th.

    31. BRIAN SCOTT – 209 PTS
    Stewart sits 30th in points, just three ahead of Scott. Talk about incentive.

    32. REGAN SMITH – 203 PTS
    If Scott falters, there is still another shark in the water close behind.