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Surprising and Not Surprising: Atlanta Advocare 500

In one of the closest races to the Chase, here is what was surprising and not surprising from the 54^th running of the Advocare 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Surprising: While many drivers felt that the Atlanta race would be critical, Kyle Busch surprisingly found his race win to be positively pivotal after clinching a spot in the coveted Chase.

“Well, it started a little ugly,” the driver of the No. 18 M&Ms Toyota said. “I was a little ill on the radio, I’m sure, but I can’t say enough about Dave Rogers (crew chief) right here and the team that he’s assembled around us.”

“I think if you can pin a championship night on one race, I think tonight was the night,” Busch continued. “We certainly had a lot to do and a lot to overcome, and I think that Dave and these guys stuck with me.”

“For as bad as I may have been talking, they certainly never gave up,” Busch said. “The Lord was with us and blessed us today with a great night.”

This was Busch’s 38^th win in 318 Cup Series races, his fourth victory of the season and his second checkered flag at Atlanta. This was also the 250^th win for Toyota and the 100^th win for Kyle Busch in a Toyota across the three national series.

Not Surprising: There were two very disappointed drivers following closely on the heels of race winner Kyle Busch.

And although they disagreed on a few issues post-race, they did agree on two things, that they were disappointed with the finish and that they had to overcome adversity, one with a pit road problem and the other related to his fractured wrist.

“We’re both mad because we didn’t win,” Truex Jr. said after finishing third in his No. 56 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota said.

“Yeah, we both agree that sucks,” Logano, who finished second behind the wheel of the No. 22 Shell Pennzoil Ford, said.

“We overcame a loose wheel early in the race and cycled ourselves back to the lead after all of that,” Logano said. “I just needed 30 laps of green flag to get all the way up there to the front.”

“The cast just inside my hand here got all soft,” Truex Jr. said after the race. “I think maybe it’s just gotten wet from sweat or something and softened up, so we’ll have to look into that.”

Surprising: There were some angry drivers after the race at Atlanta, which surprisingly occurred at this mile and a half track instead of a short track.

Denny Hamlin was one angry bird, from altercations with other drivers to anger at NASCAR. Four-time champ Jeff Gordon and Carl Edwards were also at odds with one another after some hard racing and contact.

“Our night was ruined because of a penalty putting us two laps down that we couldn’t overcome,” Hamlin, who finished 38^th in his No. 11 SportClips Toyota, said. “We got wrecked by the No. 27 (Paul Menard), blew the tire, blew the fender off and blew another engine.”

Hamlin was also angry with his teammate Kyle Busch, at one point hollering over his radio ““Tell Kyle if he would f****** let me go, he’d learn how to drive this track and not be an idiot.”

“We’re just getting kicked in the nuts every weekend by something and I just can’t catch a break,” Hamlin said after the race.

Jeff Gordon and Carl Edwards also had their angry moments, both during and after the race.

“He just slide-jobbed me and I thought it was really out of character for him and I didn’t understand what was going on there,” Edwards said, after finishing 18^th in his No. 99 Subway Ford. “I did everything I could not to wreck us both.”

“I’ve never seen him drive me like that,” Gordon, driver of the No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet said of his battle with Edwards. “It was pretty wild.”

“He didn’t like that I slid him early in the race,” Gordon, who finished sixth to keep his Chase hopes alive, continued. “We went into (Turn) 1 and he took my line away to keep me behind him and I was a lot better than him and I just dove inside.”

“I came up a little bit too short on him,” Gordon said. “And that was my fault.”

“But he decided he was going to give me back, I guess, and he did all night,” Gordon continued. “I tried to have a regular conversation and that didn’t seem to be possible with him.”

“We don’t agree on what happened and finally he got frustrated enough with the conversation that he just walked away,” Edwards said of Gordon. “That might have been smart.”

Not Surprising: Even though he has signed with another race team for 2014, Kurt Busch not surprisingly continues to impress. The driver of the No. 78 Furniture Row Beautyrest Chevrolet motored from tenth to second on one of the restarts, and went on to finish the race in fourth, climbing into the tenth spot in the Chase standings.

“I noticed the 78 and I was like okay, they’re having a decent day,” Kyle Busch said of brother Kurt. “Then he was in my mirror and I’m like did everybody wreck?”

“The kid was wheeling it, I guess,” Kyle Busch continued. “That was pretty impressive.”

Brother Kurt Busch agreed, saying simply, “I can’t tell you what I did right, but it all went right.”

Surprising: For the third week in a row, five-time champion Jimmie Johnson struggled and at one point during the race had even lost the points lead.

Johnson was involved in the first true caution, following the competition yellow, when the field stacked up on a restart, collecting teammate Kasey Kahne, Jeff Burton and Mark Martin in addition to himself.

The driver of the No. 48 Lowes Dover White Chevrolet next hit the tire carcass from the Paul Menard vehicle, sustaining further damage, and went on later in the race to spin out.

Although Johnson finished 28^th, he still managed to hold serve over Clint Bowyer in the point standings by 28, ironically the same number of points as his finishing order.

Not Surprising: Clint Bowyer, behind the wheel of the No. 15 RKMotorsCharlotte.com Toyota for Michael Waltrip Racing not surprisingly decided that he would just go have an adult beverage after his experimental engine expired, resulting in a 39^th place finish.

“Well, it certainly sucks,” Bowyer said. “That was a super big bummer right there.”

“I wanted to go for the win,” Bowyer continued. “It was ours to lose and we found a way to lose.”

“I’m going to go have a beer.”

Surprising: Kevin Harvick, was surprisingly conflicted, happy with securing his role in the Chase, but not so happy with his race car.

“Obviously we’re happy to be in the Chase, but our day wasn’t very good,” the driver of the No. 29 Jimmy John’s Chevrolet said. “Our car was just terribly tight all night long and drove nothing like it did in practice.”

We’ll work on that.”

Not Surprising: Although Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished eighth, he was most grateful to leave Atlanta in one piece and in good Chase contention, hanging tough in the seventh spot in the point standings.

““I was real thankful the car was as good as it was,” the driver of the No. 88 National Guard/Race2Achieve.org Chevrolet said. “We have struggled here and not ran great here the last several trips.”

“All in all I’m real pleased with the way the car performed and the job the guys did.”

Surprising: After finding out this week that he would no longer be driving for Earnhardt Ganassi Racing in NASCAR, being replaced by young up and coming driver Kyle Larson, Juan Pablo Montoya has surprisingly been reacting like a weight has been lifted off his shoulders.

Montoya’s performance has also picked up since then as well, demonstrated by his seventh place finish at Atlanta in his No. 42 Target Chevrolet.

“It was a good night,” Montoya said. “The guys made great changes and the car was good at the end.”

“Happy that we were able to bring home another top-10 finish for Target tonight.”

Not Surprising: So often, the outcome of any race is outside the control of the man or woman behind the wheel. So, not surprisingly after engine troubles, reigning champ Brad Keselowski felt out of control, especially regarding his chances to make the Chase.

“Some things you can’t control and this was one of those days,” Keselowski said after finishing 35^th in his Blue Deuce. “It just broke.”

“There’s only so much you can control,” Keselowski continued glumly. “Maybe this was control, and maybe it wasn’t.”

“I don’t know until the guys take (the engine) apart and look at it.”

September 2, 2013
Ryan Truex Feeling Fortunate and Lucky After Bristol Debut

While Ryan Truex’s Sprint Cup Series debut might not have turned out exactly as he had hoped, the 21 year old development driver for Richard Petty Motorsports and past K&N Series Champion left Bristol feeling ‘fortunate and lucky’ to be where he is at currently in the sport today.

First and foremost, the youngest racing Truex feels lucky to be able to get back in a race car after a dirt bike accident over the Easter holiday left him injured with a broken collar bone.

“I went to the doctor and we hoped it would heal on its own,” Truex said. “We went six weeks and it hadn’t healed so then we had to have surgery.”

“I have a plate and twelve screws in there,” Truex continued. “It’s fine now but it wasn’t fun at the time.”

“I had to go through the surgery plus the physical therapy, which was twelve weeks from the time I had surgery to the time I was cleared to race.”

“And that didn’t include the six weeks of hoping that it would heal on its own,” Truex said. “It’s been a challenge and I’m apparently now banned from dirt bikes.”

Truex also feels fortunate and lucky to have signed with Richard Petty Motorsports as a development driver and to have been able to maintain a relationship with Phoenix Racing that allowed him to make his Cup debut in the No. 51 at Bristol Motor Speedway.

“Before I signed with Richard Petty Motorsports, I was supposed to drive the No. 51 in Richmond and Dover,” Truex said. “And then I went and got hurt and messed those plans up.”

“Phoenix Racing was able to plug me into their schedule later in the year and Bristol was the first opening,” Truex continued. “So, that was the first one we chose being a half mile and I was approved for it by NASCAR to run in the Cup Series.”

After being out recuperating from his injury, the opportunity to be back behind the wheel of a race car, especially in the Cup Series at one of the most noted tracks on the circuit in a race under the lights was not only exciting but a bit overwhelming for the young up and coming driver.

“It was really cool but a little intimidating being in a field with guys like Jeff Gordon and Mark Martin and Jimmie Johnson, all those guys who have proven themselves in the Cup Series,” Truex said. “And that was my first race since the Daytona Truck race so it had been about six months since I had raced anything.”

“The week before, I practiced and qualified Marcos Ambrose’s Nationwide car so I had a little seat time in something but other than that, that was the first weekend back in a race car and the first time in the Gen 6 car at all,” Truex continued. “So, it was a bit of a curve ball for me and it was a steep learning curve.”

Truex did indeed have challenges in his Cup debut, struggling with his car race, hitting the wall and finishing 42^nd in the Bristol Irwin Tools Night Race.

“We qualified really well and I was really happy with that,” Truex said. “We practiced pretty good and I thought we were a top-20 car at least.”

“In the race, we started off the first few laps and did alright but for some reason our car was just really, really loose and I ended up getting up out of the groove,” Truex continued. “I got up in the marbles and got freight trained.”

“Once I gathered it back up and got the junk off my tires, we started riding and were way back,” Truex said. “I was biding my time and then we started to get really, really tight and, being a rookie, I didn’t realize the problem at the time but it turns out that we ran over some debris and we had a cut in the left front tire.”

“It was slowly going down and then it blew out and ended our night.”

Fortunately, the rookie driver did not re-injure his collar bone although his older brother Martin Truex Jr. did not fare so well. After Martin’s hard hit late in the race at Bristol, an MRI showed that he had broken his right wrist and will have to wear a special cast for the rest of the racing season.

Although Ryan’s Cup debut race night was shortened by the blown tire and wreck into the wall, the younger Truex did learn some lessons from the evening and even got some advice and counsel from some of the biggest names in the sports.

“The biggest lesson for me is that I just need to be out there every weekend,” Truex said. “Since I stepped up from the K&N Series to Nationwide in 2011, I’ve been running part-time, once or twice a month at the most.”

“Last year, I had seven races with Joe Gibbs Racing, plus a couple of other races with some other teams, which added up to about eleven races for the year,” Truex continued. “That’s been the biggest challenge for me is just having some repetition in my racing and going out every weekend in my race car and be familiar with it.”

“One of the people that I talked to before driver intros standing in the tunnel at Bristol was Jeff Burton,” Truex said. “I thought that was really cool.”

“Mark Martin came up to my car and talked to me for a few minutes and told me what to expect and what to do,” Truex continued. “So, there were a couple of guys that I respect who talked to me and I thought that was awesome.”

“I grew up watching them race so for them to come over and give me words of advice was really cool.”

Another of Truex’s idols has been Richard Petty and the young driver feels especially fortunate and lucky to be invited into the fold of the ‘King’ and a part of Richard Petty Motorsports.

“It’s a huge deal for me to be with Richard Petty Motorsports,” Truex said. “In the past few years, I’ve been jumping around between teams and had some one-off deals, but since I’ve left Michael Waltrip Racing, I’ve never really had a true home.”

“So, they’ve taken under their wing and committed to developing me as a driver in the Cup Series,” Truex continued. “I’ve signed a multi-year deal with them with the goal of running full-time in the Cup Series one day.”

“So, that feels really good to just have one place to focus on and not have to worry about where I’m going to race week to week.”

For this year, Truex will continue to run some races in the No. 51 car for Phoenix Racing and hopes to be back in that car as early as the Richmond race. But his real focus is on the 2014 season when, sponsorship pending, he hopes to race full-time for Richard Petty Motorsports in the Nationwide Series.

“That’s the goal for me personally and for the team to be out there next year running for a championship,” Truex said. “But the biggest thing is finding the funding to do that.”

“Now that I have a team out there searching and helping me find the funding to run full-time, it takes a lot of pressure of me and makes me feel more secure with my future.”

Most of all, Ryan Truex is feeling fortunate and lucky to be a part of a family that has supported and nurtured his racing career every step of the way.

“My brother has always been there for me my whole career, and my parents are at my races every single weekend giving me support,” Truex said. “My dad always tells me that if you work as hard as you can and take advantage of every opportunity, there is no reason why you can’t reach your goal.”

“That’s been my philosophy too,” Truex continued. “There has been plenty of frustrating moments but then you step back and look at how far I’ve come and at the people I have around me, and it’s a pretty awesome deal for me.”

“I’m fortunate and lucky to be able to be where I’m at,” Truex said. “And I know that if I keep working at it, never give up and get down on myself that eventually it will work out.”

August 28, 2013
Surprising and Not Surprising: IRWIN Tools Bristol Night Race

From NASCAR children National Anthem singing to cars colliding and tempers flaring, here is what else was surprising and not surprising from the 53^rd annual IRWIN Tools Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Surprising: Disappointment surprisingly abounded atop the Chase leaderboard, with both point’s leader Jimmie Johnson finishing worse than 36^th for the second week in a row and second place Chaser Clint Bowyer being spun out while in the lead, finishing 14^th.

“This racing stuff happens,” Jimmie Johnson, driver of the No. 48 Lowe’s Dover White Chevrolet said after finishing 36^th. “Luckily, we had a big point’s lead that we can kind of deal with right now.”

“We’ve locked into the Chase and certainly want to clean things up,” Johnson continued. “We’ll keep after it and be back again next week.”

Having once had been in the lead by over 70 plus points, Johnson is now just 18 points ahead of the second place driver Clint Bowyer.

“I felt like we had a shot at winning and then I got spun out by a lapper, of all things,” Bowyer said after the race. “It hit that left-front tire, and the car never turned the center (of the corners) as good the rest of the night.”

“I’m really just disappointed … because we had a really good car,” Bowyer continued. “Absolutely nothing went our way all night.”

Not Surprising: Although he has been a bit quiet over the last month or two, the resurgence of Matt Kenseth at Joe Gibbs Racing continued, with the driver of the No. 20 Dollar General Toyota rolling right into Bristol’s Victory Lane for the fifth time this season.

This was Kenseth’s 29^th win in 496 Cup Series races and his third victory in 28 races at Bristol Motor Speedway.

“The last month and a half, two months has been a little bit more of a, I hate to say reality check,” Kenseth said. “We’ve struggled just a little bit more, haven’t quite had the speed so it was really, really encouraging this weekend to get to the track and be really fast.”

“It’s a huge win for us,” Kenseth continued. “The Bristol night race is one of the biggest races of the year.”

“I’m glad we were able to pull it off.”

Surprising: The driver of the No. 5 Farmers Insurance Chevrolet seemed surprisingly befuddled at the end of the race in spite of finishing runner up under the Bristol lights.

“I didn’t get it done,” Kasey Kahne said dejectedly. “We ended up second and it was a good point’s day but I didn’t figure out how to win the race.”

“I don’t know, I just don’t know,” Kahne continued. “I think at the end of the day I just don’t wreck people.”

This was Kahne’s ninth top-10 finish in 20 races at Bristol and his 11^th top-10 finish of the season. He also moved up three positions in the Chase standings to the eighth spot.

Not Surprising: Joey Logano, riding the wave of momentum from last week’s race win at Michigan, not surprisingly proved, at least in his own mind, that he has the mettle to make it into the Chase.

The driver of the No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Ford finished fifth and moved up three spots in the points to the tenth position.

“We came from the back three times to get a top-five finish,” Logano said. “They can’t put us down and can’t keep us down.”

“We deserve to make this Chase and if we keep doing this on days that they’re trying to put us down, we deserve it.”

Surprising: Although admittedly hoping that the leaders would wreck each other so he could score the win, Juan Pablo Montoya surprisingly credited his third place finish to, of all things, a speeding penalty.

“I got caught speeding there with like 170 to go or something and that kind of hurt us,” the driver of the No. 42 Target Chevrolet said. “But I’ll tell you the truth, I think it helped us because if it would have played right, we probably would have run out of gas.”

“It made it more interesting,” Montoya continued. “I really cooked the front tires there at the end but it was fun.”

This was JPM’s fourth top-10 finish in 14 races at the Bristol Motor Speedway.

Not Surprising: Well, it was Bristol after all so, to no one’s surprise, there were a few tempers flaring, especially after a late race wreck took out many of the best cars, including some Chase contenders.

Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick, who do have a history with one another, had a rather vigorous discussion on pit road after the wreck when Harvick pulled into Hamlin’s pit stall and Hamlin gave him a shove out of the box.

As a result, Harvick jumped out of his car and beat a path to the door of Hamlin’s car to have a few words about the incident.

“I just saw the No. 11 shoot across the track,” Harvick said. “He said the No. 56 got into him and so I just wanted to know what happened.”

“He just told me his version of it,” the driver of the No. 29 Jimmy John’s Chevrolet said. “It’s all good.”

“It’s Bristol racing.”

Harvick finish 34^th but maintained his fourth spot in the point’s standings while Hamlin finish 28^th, well out of Chase contention in 25^th in the point’s standings.

Surprising: In spite of some greetings from Smoke’s recovery bed, the Stewart-Haas Racing team had a surprisingly tough day. Mark Martin, subbing for the ailing Stewart, finished 20^th with Ryan Newman right behind him in 21^st and Danica Patrick in 26^th.

“We had some tough luck and a few things that we could’ve done better, but we were pretty fast at the end,” Martin said. “That’s why I go home feeling good about it because we were able to improve the car and get it competitive.”

“This one is behind us and hopefully we’ll move ahead from here.”

“I really don’t know what happened there,” Newman, behind the wheel of the No. 39 Quicken Loans Chevrolet, said. “A couple of guys around us made contact and that triggered a big mess.”

“Our Quicken Loans Chevrolet was damaged pretty significantly; it was a handful to drive those last 50 laps with,” Newman continued. “I basically tried to just stay out of everyone’s way and bring the car to the finish.”

“There is nothing you can do about getting into the wall and having damage,” Patrick said. “We came back as best as we could and made the car as good as it was at the end.”

“We will take it and move on.”

Not Surprising: In spite of finishing top-10, Jeff Gordon, driver of the No. 24 Axalta Coating Systems Chevrolet, could only talk about opportunities lost at Bristol, especially after gaining just one position in the standings to the 13^th spot.

“I think we were better than that,” Gordon said of his seventh place finish. “I don’t know if we had enough for Matt but we fought hard and gave it our best effort.”

“Gained points on 10^th but not as much as we could have,” Gordon continued. “But we gained something.”

Surprising: While the Truex brothers were excited to be racing against one another yet again, both Ryan Truex, making his Cup debut, and Martin Truex, Jr. had surprisingly difficult days.

Young Ryan Truex spun and hit the wall, retiring his No. 51 Seawatch Chevrolet after 39 laps to finish 42^nd in his first ever Cup effort.

Brother Martin had a very hard crash late in the race, causing him to finish 35^th in his No. 56 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota. Although maintaining his wild card status thanks to his win, Truex Jr. also suffered in the point standings, losing two positions to 14^th.

“We ran up towards the front all night,” Truex Jr. said. “Just disappointed.”

“They start wrecking and you’re an innocent victim,” Truex Jr. continued. “We didn’t deserve that tonight.”

Not Surprising: Another brother duo, this one with the surname Busch, had eventful days at Bristol as well, with Kyle Busch having to start from the rear of the field to finish 11^th and Kurt Busch suffering wheel hub issues resulting in a 31^st place run.

“Yeah, I guess we had a right-rear hub fail where the studs pulled through or they weren’t tightened,” the driver of the No. 78 Furniture Row Racing/Sealy Chevrolet said. “We just rode around.”

Kurt Busch lost three positions in the point’s standings, falling to the 12^th spot. Kyle Busch remains in the fifth spot in the standings, 82 points behind leader Jimmie Johnson.

Surprising: There was a surprising first-of-the season engine failure at Roush Fenway Racing and it happened to none other than the race lap leader Carl Edwards, driver of the No. 99 Fastenal Ford.

“I didn’t have any warning,” Edwards said. “The car was almost perfect and the engine ran awesome until it broke.”

“The engine ran great until it blew up, so if we run like that the rest of the year, it’s going to be awesome.”

Not Surprising: Marcos Ambrose finished top-10 for two weeks in a row and he said that the devil made him do it.

“That’s two top-10s in two weeks and we’ve got to take that,” the driver of No. 9 Stanley Ford Fusion said. “Yeah, I guess a little bit of the Tasmanian Devil comes out in me at this track.”

“This is a really aggressive track and you’ve got to be aggressive all night,” Ambrose continued. “You’ve got to gnaw on that steering wheel and I just like getting up on the wheel like that.”

“These are good nights to test your mettle and see what kind of man or lady you are out there and get after it.”

The Cup Series will head next to Atlanta for the next to the last race before the Chase begins.

August 26, 2013
Dale Jarrett and Nicole Briscoe Excited for NASCAR Contenders Live Event

While the contenders for the NASCAR Chase may still be uncertain at present, there are two NASCAR personalities who are most certainly looking forward to the special event, NASCAR Contenders Live Sponsored by Toyota and Sprint, where fans will formally meet the twelve Chase competitors.

Nicole Briscoe, ESPN analyst, and her colleague and NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Jarrett will both take lead roles in the NASCAR Contenders Live event at Chicago’s Navy Pier in the Grand Ballroom from 1:30 to 3:00 PM CT on September 12^th. The event, back by popular demand for the second year in a row, will be featured prior to the first Chase race at Chicagoland Speedway.

NASCAR Contenders Live will begin with Dale Jarrett sitting down in front of the fans with NASCAR President Mike Helton to discuss how NASCAR will approach officiating of the final races to decide the Sprint Cup championship.

“I think the biggest thing that I’m excited about in the NASCAR Contenders Live event is creating a little excitement with the fans before the get to see the twelve Chase drivers,” Jarrett said. “Mike Helton and myself have been around this a long time, have experienced a lot and seen a lot of things happen and this is an opportunity to set things up for the fans and to give them a perspective from the NASCAR-side of the Chase.”

“We’ll talk about what NASCAR expects from the drivers and even what they may or may not tolerate just because it’s kind of the playoffs,” Jarrett continued. “I wasn’t a big fan of the Chase when Mike Helton first talked to me about it but I’ve become a huge fan of it because it is exactly what our sport needs.”

Jarrett is excited to talk to Helton about the Chase format, as well as other aspects of the Chase scenario itself.

“NASCAR knows that every driver involved will make a great champion for the sport but they want to make it as fair as they can make it,” Jarrett said. “I want to ask Mike if they scrutinize with these twelve teams any more than others.”

“I’ll talk to him about the pressure ramping up in NASCAR control to make calls and are they more lenient or strict with those Chase drivers as they battle for the championship,” Jarrett continued. “I think it’s great for the fans to see the NASCAR side of it.”

“We’re very fortunate in our sport to have someone like Mike Helton who understands about everything involved in our sport,” Jarrett said. “He can answer and talk on all different levels and I think the fans appreciate that.”

Jarrett is not only looking forward to discuss the Chase format with Helton but also sharing his thoughts with the NASCAR President on the Chase itself.

“From my side, even though I’m going to do most of the questioning, there will also be opportunities to throw in my ideas on the Chase,” Jarrett said. “Right now we have no idea who is going to be in the Chase and that’s a great thing.”

“For us in television, it gives us the next three weeks to keep up with and talk about all the scenarios.”

Jarrett has some ideas about who may be a favorite for the Chase, but is also intrigued by the wide-open nature of the Chase to date.

“You have to make Jimmie Johnson a favorite but after what happened this past week, you have to wonder just how much anyone can be considered a favorite,” Jarrett said. “We say this every year, but the competition does get stronger each year.”

“There are more teams capable of putting together a ten race stretch where they do things right,” Jarrett continued. “It literally could come down to four or five drivers at Homestead to win the race and take the championship.”

“And it might take like a Tony Stewart a few years ago winning the race to win the championship.”

“I’m more excited about this year than I ever have been because you have drivers trying to make history and those that are looking for that first ever opportunity,” Jarrett said. “And then you look at someone like Kurt Busch at what some would consider a small team showing his muscle.”

“And you have his brother Kyle Busch, who wants to do well in the Chase just so we will quit asking him about it,” Jarrett continued. “So, there are a lot of great storylines and I think it’s pretty wide open.”

So what advice would the NASCAR veteran give to the drivers who will be competing for that coveted Sprint Cup?

“Although I’ve never raced for the championship in this format, I know what this time of year is like when you are racing for a championship,” Jarrett said. “The biggest thing is to embrace the moment in these final ten weeks.”

“You like to think that you will be in that position again but the reality is that you may not,” Jarrett continued. “It’s not that you can get rid of the pressure because that pressure is there every week but have to have fun with it.”

“Have a good time because if you can’t do that, it’s not worth doing.”

In addition to sharing his words of wisdom for the twelve special drivers and lobbing questions at the NASCAR President, Dale Jarrett thinks that the NASCAR Contenders Live event is special for one other reason.

“With this event, the thing that intrigues me is the opportunity for the fans to see the drivers as they prepare for the Chase,” Jarrett said. “There will be serious questions but there will also be some fun.”

“I love the fans interactions with the drivers.”

After his portion of the program concludes, Dale Jarrett will hand the baton over to his ESPN colleague Nicole Briscoe for the main event of introducing the Chasers to the fans.

“I am the host of NASCAR Contenders Live, which for me is super-exciting because it’s more of a relaxed event,” Briscoe said. “The drivers are away from the track and not in that competitive place so you get to have more fun with the guys.”

“Plus the fans are involved and that is the most fun.”

While Briscoe approaches every aspect of her job seriously, she has not yet developed the questions that she will ask of the Chase drivers and for one very good reason.

“At this point, we don’t even know the bottom half of the Chase,” Briscoe said. “I can pretty much guarantee Jimmie Johnson and I think this weekend a few more drivers may lock into the Chase.”

“But the rest, I swear will be decided on that last lap at Richmond.”

Like Jarrett, Briscoe acknowledges that the NASCAR Contenders Live event is one where the drivers’ personalities can shine. And she too has the opportunity to relax a bit herself and let the fans see her personality as well.

“The fans want to see the drivers’ personalities and I’ll let them go wherever they want to go,” Briscoe said. “It’s totally an opportunity for me to let my hair down as well.”

“I enjoy the personality side of it because that makes this so interesting and different.”

Does Briscoe expect some interplay between the drivers as they come out to be questioned by her?

“I think there will be some trash talking because the drivers will come on in groups,” Briscoe said. “You will have those different personalities up there and that will make it be the event.”

Just like Jarrett, Briscoe is also most intrigued with the whole notion of the Chase because in her mind, it is ‘one giant question mark’ at present.

“I think when I look at the season right now to me it is one giant question mark on how the Chase will play out and who will make it,” Briscoe said. “You look at Joey Logano who just won and he got closer but that doesn’t guarantee him a wild card.”

“Then you look at a guy like Martin Truex Jr. who was so excited after his win at Sonoma and then look at how the next races have played out,” Briscoe continued. “Then you have to look at the question marks around Kurt Busch in terms of what is he going to do next year and what can the little team that could do.”

“And then if you look at the top of the points, what Jimmie Johnson has done so far is really quite remarkable.”

“He is one of the greatest drivers that the sport has ever seen and I have so much respect for what he has done,” Briscoe said. “So, I look at who can compete against Jimmie Johnson and is there anyone that can run with him?”

“That’s my question mark about how this is going to play out.”

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August 22, 2013
Ryan Truex makes Sprint Cup Debut at “World’s Fastest Half-Mile”

With the support of Richard Petty Motorsports and Phoenix Racing, the Richard Petty Motorsports development driver, Ryan Truex, will make his first Sprint Cup series start this weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Truex, a Mayetta New Jersey native, comments on his upcoming debut, “I’m excited to make my NASCAR Sprint Cup Series debut at Bristol. It has been tough waiting on the sidelines while I healed from my collarbone injury, but now I am ready to go…It’s pretty awesome that it’s coming at Bristol at the night race. This is a premier race on the Sprint Cup circuit.”

Truex will be driving the No. 51 car for Phoenix Racing. Phoenix Racing is notorious for giving young drivers opportunities to drive for their team. Ryan’s older brother Martin is also a former Phoenix Racing driver.

Truex is no stranger to the NASCAR Nationwide Series, Camping World Truck Series, and the K&N Pro Series East with thirty-five Nationwide Series starts, three Camping World Truck Series Starts, and twenty-two K&N Pro Series East starts. During his three years in the K&N Pro Series East, Truex claimed five victories, seventeen top-ten finishes, and won the championship in back-to-back seasons in 2009 and 2010.

Truex signed a multi-year development contract with Richard Petty Motorsports earlier this year, and Richard Petty commented on Ryan’s Bristol debut. He said, “It will be a big night for Ryan. He is a talented driver, and we look forward to his future with our team. We are working hard to find funding support to give him more opportunities behind the wheel.”

Sprint Cup practice at the “World’s Fastest Half-Mile” will begin Friday at noon, with final practice and qualifying following. The Irwin Tools Night Race will be Saturday August 24^th at 7:30 pm EST.

August 21, 2013
The Countdown Hits Three: Who Will Make the 2013 Chase?

Three night races are all that remain before the 2013 chase field is set. The sand in the hour glass is running out and the time to make something happen is now. The tension in the garage is palpable and the intense feeling of trepidation among the teams in the danger zone is growing with every passing race. Procuring a chase berth means you have a shot to become the next NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) titlist. Glory, money and a place among NASCAR’s immortals; that is what they are all fighting for. They are fighting to ensure the longevity of their titles hopes…it’s an obvious fact that you can”t win the championship if you don’t secure a spot in the chase first

Multi-million dollar sponsors pay to see you put their car in the elite twelve. Millions of loyal fans cheer you on until their voices become raspy because they want to see you make postseason headlines. The pressure to succeed is always there but it isn’t truly felt until this time of the year rolls around. The stakes are high and failure isn’t an option for chase hopefuls although failure will be the inevitable result of the futile efforts by some. A position suddenly means so much more now and you will see drivers throw a whole race away as they try desperately to gain just one more point; the point that could make their season or break it. The innocuous driving that we’ve watched all year will rescind as we get closer and closer to Richmond. This is a race within a race; one none of these men are willing to lose.

Photo Credit: LAT Photographic

To earn your place in the 2013 chase, you must first conquer the treacherous Bristol Motor Speedway. When you go to Bristol, you leave your manners at the entrance gate. The racing will be rough, tempers will flare, sparks will fly under the lights and sheet metal will most certainly be twisted into 3,000lb piles of smoldering wreckage. To survive Bristol, a driver must take what they can and give nothing back. They must race every lap like it’s the last because if they don’t, the race leader will be knocking on their rear bumper shortly as he proceeds to lap the field. A driver can be their own worst enemy at this concrete Colosseum and out of control emotions have ruined the races of even the greatest racers in the past. This track will bring you to your knees and is notorious for destroying the dreams of many chase hopefuls in a heartbeat.

Atlanta Motor Speedway is no Bristol but it’s no walk in the park either. At speeds that will break the 200mph barrier and restarts that will see the pack fanning out three and four wide; a steady hand on the wheel and nerves of steel are a necessity at this historic venue. This is the penultimate race before the chase commences so a bad run here will most likely doom the chase hopes for that individual. The last ten winners at Atlanta all went on to make the chase; 2006 was the last time that didn’t happen. This race is notorious for being hard on engines making patience a virtue and drivers must walk the thin line of aggression and over driving as they try to get all they can without making any imprudent decisions. That’s why drivers such as Jeff Gordon, Bobby Labonte, Jimmie Johnson and Carl Edwards have all excelled here.

Lastly, we have Richmond. Richmond will be all or nothing for a lot of people while others will do their best to survive the inevitable short track carnage that will ensue and bring home a solid finish…easier said than done. Being a short track and the final race to make something happen; Richmond will definitely put on one hell of a show. Desperate drivers will do desperate things in order to get their team in the chase and then there are always the ones that are already locked in but want some more of those precious bonus points. Carl Edwards knows all to well how important those bonus points can be. It will be a wild night under the lights at Richmond; you can be sure of that. The race will feature some of the most aggressive driving of the year and with everything that’s on the line; there’s sure to be some incensed drivers when the dust settles.

With all this being said, one looming question remains…who will make the 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup chase?

The Solid Six – “The solid 6″ is what I’m calling the top six in points right now. They are Jimmie Johnson, Clint Bowyer, Carl Edwards. Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch and Matt Kenseth. Four of them have won multiple races, everyone in the top five is a full race ahead of 11th and all of them have shown a lot of muscle this year either by winning or with consistency. They will all surely make the chase unless something catastrophic or unforeseen happens like the unfortunate situation with Tony Stewart.

Photo Credit: USA Today

The Danger Zone –This label is applied to the drivers just barely within or just outside the top 10 and are currently winless in 2013. Those drivers are Dale Earnhardt Jr., Brad Keselowski, Kurt Busch, and Jeff Gordon. We have quite an impressive group of drivers in this category but despite how good of a driver they all are; some will miss out on a chance at the 2013 championship. Dale Jr. has only recently had his name added to this anxious and nervous list after a few poor finishes have all but caused his cushion over 11th to vanish. Jr. is is not known to win many races so that might make his fans a little nervous with him so close to the cutoff. I have some good news though…the next three tracks are all ones Earnhardt has been fast at in the past so you shouldn’t be too concerned about him unless the bad luck that has hindered him lately continues.

Here’s something no one saw coming…defending NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Brad Keselowski has yet to win this year and is right on the edge of falling out of the top 10. Last month, I would have told you that he’s done but my opinion has been altered after his last three performances. The No.2 team seems to have finally found their niche again and are back to clicking away great runs on a weekly basis. Bristol is one of Brad’s best tracks and I firmly believe that the reigning champ will have a presence in the chase this year.

Speaking of champs…how about Jeff Gordon? He finds himself in the middle of the danger zone and he’s beginning to make that a habit lately to the displeasure of his many fans but 4-time seems to always get the job done in the end. I’m sorry but the feel good story of Richmond last year won’t do it again in 2013 and that’s not a knock on Jeff. His team hasn’t shown much strength this year and look no further than the Pure Michigan 400 for proof of that. I don’t see them pointing this sinking ship in the right direction in time to make the chase but they will hopefully turn it around in 2014.

Kurt Busch is another former champion that’s trying to hold his ground in the top 10 with no wins. He has turned a lot of heads this year driving for Furniture Row Racing. He’s made that team a contender on a weekly basis and if fate was kinder (and his pit crew was faster/made less mistakes), he’d have multiple wins already. Based on the way they are performing at every kind of track this year, I see the flat black No.78 in the chase this year. He he will most certainly win a race in 2013 but maybe not before Richmond so I count on him holding his own inside the top 10.

Wild Card Race – This category is fairly self-explanatory. It’s the guys that have wins but find themselves in the danger zone. They are Greg Biffle, Kasey Kahne, Martin Truex Jr, Joey Logano and Ryan Newman. Kasey Kahne is the only driver in this group that has multiple wins in 2013 and he will definitely make the chase in my opinion either via a wild card or by positioning himself inside the top 10. He’s shown a lot of muscle this year and I’m sticking to my prediction that I made back in March; he will be a threat for the championship regardless of his recent travails.

I believe that Greg Biffle and Martin Truex Jr will both put up a valiant effort but in the end, it will be to no avail. I see “lame duck” Ryan Newman taking the wild card while these two endure a very poignant moment as they realize that a chase berth has slipped through their fingers. Newman is motivated and has something to fight for besides just a spot in the chase which makes him a much more volatile opponent. He’s also Stewart-Haas’ only hope to win the title now and it would be foolish to underestimate the tenacity and determination of the “Rocket Man.” I predict that he will make his way into the chase at the expense of Truex Jr. and Biffle.

Photo Credit: Simon Scoggins

The proverbial wild card in this wild card race has to be Joey Logano. His win in the “Motor City” gained him credence as a threat for the wild card but my feelings regarding Joey’s chase chances are still ambivalent. A driver becomes unpredictable after tasting victory lane for the first time this far into a season. They may suddenly go on a tear and catapult themselves into chase contention or they may just quietly miss out on all the postseason fun.

Just look at Ryan Newman for proof of what I’m talking about. He has spent a lot more time up front since his surprise win in the Brickyard 400. I’ve always said that motivation and confidence has an uncanny way of giving a driver a few extra horses under the hood. Joey had a great run at Bristol in March before Denny Hamlin found his rear bumper so don’t count this guy out but only time will tell if he is truly a contender or just a pretender.

All Or Nothing – The “all or nothing” guys is a very dangerous contingent of drivers due to the obvious fact that they have nothing to lose and everything to gain. The only way to keep their chase hopes alive is if they win. They are the drivers in the teens that have no wins and haven’t shown that they have the ability to make a run for the top 10. Said drivers are Jamie McMurray, Paul Menard and Aric Almirola. All three of them are stretches to make the chase and would most likely need two wins to make it. I highly doubt that any of them will get even one win before the chase but the chance is still there so keep an eye on them if any of the three should end up winning Bristol or Atlanta.

It will be very interesting as we watch the best NASCAR has to offer battle tooth and nail to procure a cede in the 2013 chase in these final three races. Now I’d like to hear your thoughts…feel free to post your theories on who makes the chase below and I’d love to debate it with you!

August 20, 2013
Matty’s Picks Vol. 19 – Pure Michigan 400 – Michigan International Speedway – August 18, 2013

Off to Michigan this week for the second and final stop in The Great Lakes State this season and Michigan International Speedway is the 2.5-mile D-shaped superspeedway with 18 degrees of banking in the corners, 12 on the frontstretch, and 5 on the long backstretch. We see speeds top 210 MPH at MIS, making it the fastest track on the schedule.

Qualifying is fairly important this week, but not nearly as important as last week as 16 of the 88 races at Michigan have been won from the pole – unlike 9 of 30 last week at Watkins Glen. 66 of the 88 have been won from inside the top 10 however, but Mark Martin won from the furthest back – 32nd – in the spring race of 2009.

As far as the manufacturers go, Ford has the edge by winning 33 of the 88 races all-time but only three of the last 10 races with the next best being Chevrolet with 20 wins. Ford driver Greg Biffle will go for his 3rd straight victory at MIS this week, also for Roush Fenway Racing who happens to have the most wins of any team at Michigan, with 13 wins all-time.

In news outside of Tony Stewart, it was announced on Tuesday, Juan Montoya would not return to Earnhardt Ganassi Racing in 2014. Juan came to EGR in 2007, his first ride in a stock car – he made The Chase in 2009, but has not finished better than 17th in the points since then for car owner Chip Ganassi.

My thought is the departure could open the seat for it’s 21-year-old development driver Kyle Larson, who currently competes in the Nationwide Series for Turner Scott Motorsports. Chip Ganassi was actually at Larson’s car, giving him a pep-talk for the majority of the pre-race at Watkins Glen this past weekend before the Nationwide race, so to me he’s probably at the top of the list to replace Juan next season.

We’ve seen these mid-season announcements before – this season even with Kevin Harvick going to Stewart-Haas – we’ve seen what he’s done sitting 4th in points for RCR and even Ryan Newman losing his ride at SHR and winning the Brickyard. Bottom line is these guys are competitors and they want to win today, next week, next month, and next year. There are no discounted parts put on these cars to guys who are leaving at the end of the season, and these guys without rides next season want a win now more than ever.

Watkins Glen Recap

It was a fantastic weekend last week for me at my hometown track, and I was 50/50 on my picks last week at Watkins Glen.

It was extremely difficult to go to The Glen and not look at Marcos Ambrose to win. He had won back-to-back races at Watkins Glen and was the overwhelming favorite going into last week’s Cheez-It 355 at The Glen for a number of reasons, mainly because he had won those two previous races and because he put his No.9 Ford on the pole, the most proficient starting spot for race-winners over the years at Watkins Glen.

Well, if the race last week was 51 laps instead of 92, Marcos Ambrose would have been a fantastic pick last week as he completely dominated the early stages of the race last week at Watkins Glen. An unfortunate caution for Ambrose came out in the middle of pit sequences for the majority of the field, and Ambrose was shuffled back in the pack after leading the majority of the early stages of the race.

Being shuffled back at Watkins Glen is never a good thing, due to the limited passing opportunities, and Ambrose learned the hard way after being tangled up in an accident between Turn 2 and 3 on lap 84. The wreck would end Ambrose’s march towards the front last week and would land him a disappointing 31st place finish.

As far as my Dark Horse goes, Martin Truex Jr’s. race at Watkins Glen was much less eventful, running in the top 5 all day, and being in the front of the field for the majority of the day paid its dividends as Truex would score a 3rd place finish behind Kyle Busch and Brad Kesolowski. I’m not sure I’ll be allowed to call Truex a Dark Horse next season with his win at Sonoma in June and his 3rd place finish at The Glen last week, bringing his season road-course average finish to runner-up finish.

Michigan Picks
Winner Pick

Up until this year, Matt Kenseth added to the dominance of Roush-Fenway Racing at Michigan International Speedway, winning twice for Jack Roush in 2002 and 2006. On top of the wins, he’s got 12 Top 5’s and 18 top 10’s at MIS in 28 races, making him the 2nd best driver overall at Michigan all-time.

Kenseth is in the top 5 in ALL BUT ONE….of the pre-race loop stats, he’s second in Average Running Position and Driver Rating, he’s third in Average Green Flag Speed, Laps in the top 15, and quality passes, and the one loop stat he’s not in the top 5……Fastest Laps Run – he’s got 159 and that’s good enough for 6th on the list. He’s qualified 12th which doesn’t scare me because of the great passing stats he has over the years at Michigan.

He was 7th at California in March, 6th at Michigan earlier this year in June, and with the way he’s running this season, it’s been 5 weeks since he’s won and without a win this week, he’ll tie his longest stretch this season without a win….so I’m going with Matt Kenseth as my top pick this week.
Dark Horse Pick

On Thursday while previewing this week’s race at Michigan with Greg on the Prime Sports Network, I picked Joey Logano as my longshot play of the week. Qualifying has really helped my cause with Logano because yesterday in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series qualifying, Logano shattered the track record at Michigan International Speedway and captured the Coors Light Pole, another week for me picking the pole-sitter before any cars hit the track.

Logano won the Nationwide race at Michigan last season, but MIS hasn’t been too kind to him in the cup series. Besides his 9th earlier this season, he’s finished 31st, 35th, and 21st in his previous 4 starts at Michigan. He did lead 21 laps in that race in June race, the only laps he’s ever led at Michigan, and with his teammate Brad Keselowski coming alive down the stretch here this season, I think this team is only going to get better. Considering 16 of the 88 races at Michigan have been won from the pole position, I like my chances this week with Logano, he’ll stay my longshot play of the week.

That’s all for this week, so until we head for the Hills of Tennessee…..You Stay Classy NASCAR NATION!

August 17, 2013
Surprising and Not Surprising: Cheez-It 355 at the Glen

In a race named by kilometers rather than the actual 90 laps and the 220 miles distance, here is what was surprising and not surprising from the 28^th annual road course running at Watkins Glen International.

Surprising: In addition to the traditional burnout, flag capture and bow, there was a surprising new tradition in Victory Lane at the Glen, with a handshake between the race winner Kyle Busch and runner up Brad Keselowski.

The gesture signified the respect that both had as they raced each other cleanly and without wreckage, in contrast to the previous year where both were running through oil that resulted in some final lap mayhem.

“I felt we ran really hard there those last couple laps,” Busch said. “I commend Brad for doing a better job this year at bringing home a cleaner race.”

“I could have dumped Kyle and won the race,” Keselowski said. “It doesn’t mean there isn’t temptation, but there’s a level of respect and a code of honor that you have to have as a man.”

“I know I did the right thing.”

Not Surprising: As so often happens in the sport of NASCAR, the most dominant car, the No. 9 Stanley/CTC Jumpstart Ford piloted by Marcos Ambrose, did not win the race.

Ambrose got caught further back in the pack after a caution and wrecked trying to come back up through the field, finishing a heartbreaking 31^st.

“I’m just really disappointed for my Stanley team,” Ambrose said. “That’s not the way we wanted our day to finish.”

Surprising: Juan Pablo Montoya led team Chevy when the checkered flag flew at the Glen, bringing his No. 42 Target Chevrolet home as the highest finisher of the brand in the fifth position.

“It was fun,” Montoya said. “These cars, you know, guys that run up front are pretty good here.”

“Our Target Chevy was really good all day.”

Not Surprising: The Michael Waltrip team regulars, Martin Truex Jr. and Clint Bowyer, proved their road racing prowess yet again by finishing third and fifth respectively at Watkins Glen. And not only were their finishes special but both racers had been looking forward to the weekend for their own reasons.

“Watkins Glen is a place that has been special to me,” Truex said. “I went there when I was younger running Busch North back in the day.”

“It was the first road course that I ran a stock car on.”

“I think it’s great that PEAK and Duck Dynasty came together to create this special paint scheme and have some fun with it,” Bowyer said. “Being a guest on an episode of Duck Dynasty was probably one of the biggest things I’ve done outside of a race car.”

Surprising: With a solid road course record at Watkins Glen, including four wins, six top-fives, nine top-tens and two poles, Jeff Gordon exited the race surprisingly early, wrecking on lap 13 and finishing 36^th.

“It’s unfortunate,” Gordon said. “I had a big run on the No. 11 and I got up on him and the nose just completely took off and put me in the wall.”

Although the difficult day also resulted in a significant points loss, with Gordon dropping from ninth to fourteenth place in the standings, it is also somewhat surprising that after such a tough run, the four-time champion sits just 15 points out of the tenth position and still is in line for possible Chase contention.

Not Surprising: Hendrick teammate Jimmie Johnson continued his march to the championship with a top-ten finish, bringing his No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet to the checkered flag in the eighth position.

Johnson still maintains a 75 points lead over second place Clint Boywer and could literally sit out a race or two, potentially for the birth of his second child, without any fear of point standing damage.

Surprising: Richard Childress Racing’s highest finisher was surprisingly Kevin Harvick, taking the checkered flag in the 13^th position.

“We had a really fast Budweiser Chevrolet today,” Harvick said. “We just couldn’t get the break we needed on pit strategy.”

Not Surprising: Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kasey Kahne were upset and a bit miffed after tangling with several other cars and wrecking into one another.

“The No. 20 was going after the No. 9 and missed him and ended up knocking the No. 5 out of the race and knocked ourselves out of the race,” Junior said.

“I’m not sure what happened,” Kahne said. “I was just trying to get through there.”

Surprising: After running out of gas in the No. 47 Scott Products Toyota, A.J. Allmendinger made a surprising comeback to finish in the top-10.

And without a doubt, that was an additional boost not only for the driver but also the team, who had Bobby Labonte step aside for a few races to let Allmendinger shake that car and team down.

Not Surprising: Max Papis, in for the ailing Tony Stewart, who is now home recovering from two surgeries on his broken leg, finished a respectable 15^th. Papis helped maintain Stewart Haas Racing’s 11^th place position in the owner’s point standings.

“It was pretty crazy,” Papis said. “I drove the wheels off the car every lap.”

“These guys are all pretty good.”

This will apparently be Papis’ only substitution for Stewart as the team just announced that Austin Dillon will drive the No. 14 car for the Michigan race next weekend.

August 13, 2013
Kyle Busch wins a thriller at Watkins Glen!

After the destroyed racecars were towed away, the smoke faded and the crowd dispersed, Kyle Busch was left standing triumphantly in victory lane at Watkins Glen. Brad Keselowski got to the bumper of Kyle and bumped him in the final corner but it wasn’t enough to dislodge the No.18 from the top spot. This is Kyle’s 27th career NASCAR Sprint Cup win and his third of the year. Sonoma winner Martin Truex Jr. finished third while pole-sitter and race favorite Marcos Ambrose crashed out heavily with just a handful of laps remaining.

NASCAR’s 28th visit to Watkins Glen International Raceway was definitely an exciting one which produced an abundant supply of carnage and epic battles during the 90 lap event. The race kicked off around 1:30pm and quickly claimed its first victim via a crash in the form of 4-time NSCS champion Jeff Gordon who slammed head-on into the guard rail after getting into the wall with the left side.

Most of the big wrecks took place in the esses with a four car melee taking place 40 laps in when Ron Fellows got into Travis Kvapil. The race was red flagged to clean up the oil that was spread around the track by the wrecked cars. The turning point of the race occurred with 30 laps to go when Aric Almirola crashed during green-flag pit stops. A bunch of drivers had their days ruined by the unexpected caution but the most notable was obviously Marcos Ambrose who ironically, is Aric’s teammate. The Aussie had led all but 10 laps up to that point but was forced to restart 12th while Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr led the way.

The two made door-to-door contact in the bus stop with Busch prevailing and Keselowski moving to second. Travis Kvapil returned to the track after his earlier wreck but quickly blew a tire and the tire carcass ended up in the grass. Busch got a great restart while the field bottled up behind him and in the esses. Kasey Kahne crashed into the guard rail and after backing it into the fence, he was nailed by his teammate, Dale Earnhardt Jr. A few other cars got tangled up in the mess as well.

They didn’t make it any further on the following restart when Marcos Ambrose spun off the nose of Max Papis in the esses and collected Brian Vickers. Both the No.9 and No.55 were destroyed and done for the day. Marcos angrily threw his steering wheel, helmet and HANS Device before getting into the ambulance for a mandatory visit to the infield care center.

That wreck proved to be the last as they went clean and green for the final two laps with Brad Keselowski and Kyle Busch left to fight it out for the win. Brad began to reel in the No.18 on the penultimate lap and in the final corner, he laid the bumper to Kyle but refused to dump him stating that there is a “code of honor” that he felt he should abide by. Busch, Keselowski and Truex Jr. led the field across the stripe as the No.18 crew and Samantha celebrated on pit road.

Kasey Kahne who finished 34th and Ryan Newman who finished 14th currently hold the wild card spots with four races remaining in the regular season. Jimmie Johnson has officially clinched a spot in the chase after finishing 8th and everyone in the top seven in points is expected to make the chase with ease unless something catastrophic happens. The full race results can bee seen below…

1.) Kyle Busch #18

2.) Brad Keselowski #2

3.) Martin Truex Jr #56

4.) Carl Edwards #99

5.) Juan Pablo Montoya #42

6.) Clint Bowyer #15

7.) Joey Logano #22

8.) Jimmie Johnson #48

9.) Kurt Busch #78

10.) AJ Allmendinger #47

11.) Jamie McMurray #1

12.) Casey Mears #13

13.) Kevin Harvick #29

14.) Ryan Newman #39

15.) Max Papis #14

16.) Greg Biffle #16

17.) Paul Menard #27

18.) Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #17

19.) Denny Hamlin #11

20.) Danica Patrick #10

21.) David Ragan #34

22.) Boris Said #32

23.) Matt Kenseth #20

24.) Owen Kelly #51

25.) David Gilliland #38

26.) Jeff Burton #31

27.) Dave Blaney #7

28.) Landon Cassill #40

29.) Alex Kennedy #19

30.) Dale Earnhardt Jr. #88

31.) Marcos Ambrose #9

32.) Brian Vickers #55

33.) David Stremme #30

34.) Kasey Kahne #5

35.) Ron Fellows #33

36.) Jeff Gordon #24

37.) Aric Almirola #43

38.) Michael McDowell #35

39.) Brian Keselowski #52

40.) Travis Kvapil #93

41.) Victor Gonzalez Jr. #36

42.) Tomy Drissi #87

43.) David Retimann #83

August 11, 2013
Matty’s Picks Vol. 18 – Cheez-It 355 at The Glen – Watkins Glen International – August 10, 2013

This week we travel back to the place that was the start of my NASCAR days. Sunday’s race at Watkins Glen International marks my 19th consecutive year at The Glen and it’s a track near and dear to my heart, and no matter where life takes me, it will always serve as my ‘Hometown Track’. The Glen may not be the most famous stock car track in the world, but it produces some of the best beating and banging NASCAR has to offer. The past two NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at The Glen have also produced arguably the best finishes in as many seasons, so if you’re thinking about

My first memories of WGI involve standing on a trash can on the inside of Turn 11 while my father tried to time a photo just right in order to capture a snapshot of The Intimidator and one of his biggest fans in the same frame. That moment is one of the most special memories I have in racing and is something that keeps me coming back year after year.

In my teenage years, Ed Coombs taught me the art of obtaining autographs outside the motor-coach lots when Ron Hornaday invited me inside the fences and into his motor-coach for a quick autograph and meet and greet, so I’ve had some great experiences at The Glen over the years.

I’ve had some great times at Watkins Glen over the years, and continue to add to my bank of memories each year.

Now that the trip down memory lane is over, we can get to some numbers, and we’ll start with how important it is to qualify well at The Glen. Nine of the thirty races at Watkins Glen have been won from the pole position, including 3 straight wins from the pole for Mark Martin from 1993-1995. To add to my point, 22 of the 30 races all-time have been won from starting spots inside the top 10, and the furthest back a race winner has started was Steve Park from the 18th position back in 2000.

The starting field has been set and two-time Watkins Glen winner and overwhelming favorite, Marcos Ambrose will start on the pole with Clint Bowyer sharing the front row with Ambrose. The other road-course winner in 2013, Martin Truex Jr. will start from the third position with another Toyota in AJ Allmendinger starting fourth. Kyle Busch will start fifth, and the Sonoma pole-sitter, Jamie McMurray will start next to Busch on row number three.

Last year’s race finished in dramatic fashion as Marcos Ambrose and champion-to-be Brad Keselowski traded paint on and off the racing surface during the race’s final lap, also being voted as one of the best finishes in NASCAR HISTORY.

Since practice, qualifying, and now the NASCAR Nationwide series race have all concluded, I’m ready to try and make some educated picks and share my thoughts for the outcome of tomorrow’s 28th Annual Cheez-It 355 at The Glen.

Winner Pick

On Wednesday, I previewed the race this weekend at The Glen with Greg on the Prime Sports Network, and I had Kyle Busch as my top pick, Marcos Ambrose as my number two guy, and Martin Truex Jr. and AJ Allmendinger as longshot plays this week. One factor in my picks on Wednesday which is a bit different than my column here on SpeedwayMedia.com is the odds at the time of my picks. On Wednesday, Marcos Ambrose was the overwhelming favorite to win at Watkins Glen this weekend. The odds were a bit better with Kyle Busch at 8 to 1 so I made him my top pick on Wednesday.

Well, I’m going to swap my top pick for my number two pick from Wednesday for a couple of reasons. I’ve recently been making picks based on trends, not steering from the recent race trends. Here is the trend I found the last time a driver won three Sprint Cup races in a row at Watkins Glen International – they started on the pole at least once. Both Mark Martin and Jeff Gordon, the two drivers who have won three in a row at The Glen both started on the pole during their stretch of wins.

Marcos Ambrose has two wins in a row at Watkins Glen going into Sunday’s race, and both of those wins were not from the pole or the front row even. The pole position is the most proficient starting spot in the field producing 9 wins in 30 races. The best road-course driver in stock car racing has that pole position for tomorrow’s Cheez-It 355 at The Glen and was extremely modest about his record-breaking lap after he claimed the Coors Light Pole,

“It was a great lap. It wasn’t perfect. It wasn’t the cleanest lap I could have done, but it certainly carried a lot of momentum and it was enough to get the job done….We were the lucky one on the day to get the pole, so I’m very proud of our day. I’m looking forward to the race and feel like we have as good a chance as anybody to win and go three in a row.”

It’s that confidence I like, and with his first practice session being spent in race trim and the No. 9 team being shown second on the speed charts, its’ Ambrose as my Winner Pick this week.

Dark Horse Pick

Unlike my winner pick, my Dark Horse or longer plays have not changed. I like both Martin Truex Jr. and AJ Allmendinger who were my longshot plays on Wednesday. It was Truex who was shown on top of the speed charts in first practice on Friday in both speed and best 10 lap average, and it’s Truex as my Dark Horse of the week.

Martin Truex Jr. likes the car Michael Waltrip Racing has provided for him this week, and it’s again the confidence I like at a track as tough as Watkins Glen.

“Typically we have not qualified well here. We always raced well. We had such a good car in race trim (on Friday). I felt like we were definitely the fastest car here and that kind of made me back off a little bit (in qualifying) to get a nice and consistent lap in.”

Those are my picks, be sure to tune in to www.PrimeSportsNetwork.com at 7:00PM tonight as Greg, Ed Coombs, and I give a final preview of tomorrow’s Cheez-It 355 at The Glen. Follow me on Twitter @ML_B_Lo for live action from Watkins Glen International.

So, until next time…You Stay Classy NASCAR NATION!

August 10, 2013