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Tag: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Dover

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Dover

    [media-credit name=”Tammyrae Benscoter” align=”alignright” width=”260″][/media-credit]Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson dominated atDover, leading 289 laps, including the final 76, to win for the second time this year and capture his seventh victory at the Monster Mile. Johnson is fifth in the Sprint Cup point standings, 33 behind Greg Biffle.

    “I got a great start when we went green for the last time,” Johnson said, “and we left Kevin Harvick and the Jimmy Johns No. 29 in our wake. What’s the difference in ‘Jimmie Johnson’ and ‘Jimmy Johns?’ Three letters….’W-I-N.’

    “You may have seen wearing a multi-colored wig to promote Madagascar 3. Many sports fans see a colored wig and expect to see a ‘John 3:16’ sign. Not in this case. However, you may see a ‘Johnson 6:12’ sign, after a capture my sixth Cup title this year.”

    2. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth finished third in the Fed Ex 400, posting his eight top-10 result of the year. He has not finished outside the top 11th since a 16th atCalifornia and now trails Greg Biffle by only a single point in the standings.

    “Jimmie Johnson certainly was dominant,” Kenseth said, “even while wearing a silly wig. The funny thing is, he made everyone else look like a clown.”

    3. Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: Earnhardt finished fourth in the Fed Ex 400 atDoveron a stellar day for Hendrick Motorsports, as Jimmie Johnson’s win led the way for three HMS cars in the top 10. Earnhardt is now third in the point standings, ten behind Greg Biffle.

    “Doesn’t Jimmie look cool in a wig?” Earnhardt said. “If a narrow win is said to be by a ‘hair,’ then Jimmie’s margin of victory over Kevin Harvick must have been by a ‘wig.’

    “I can’t say I’m not jealous, because after 142 races without a win, I’m dying to ‘wig out’ myself.”

    4. Greg Biffle: Biffle finished 11th in the Fed Ex 400, just missing his ninth top-10 of the year. He narrowly remained atop the Sprint Cup point standings, ahead of Roush Fenway teammate Matt Kenseth by a single point.

    “Never underestimate the value of a single point,” Biffle said. “Carl Edwards never will.

    “I’m hanging on to the points lead by a thread. And, as Kurt Busch has said on countless occasions, “I sure hope I don’t lose it.”

    5. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin led two early laps at Dover, but struggled with handling issues before coming home 18th. He dropped one place in the point standings to fourth, 22 out of first place.

    “Jimmie Johnson’s win was historic,” Hamlin said. “His sevenDoverwins tied him with Richard Petty and Bobby Allison. It was truly one for the books. And speaking of ‘books,’ just call Johnson the ‘Librarian,’ because he checked out on everyone.”

    6. Martin Truex, Jr.: Truex finished a solid yet disappointing seventh atDover, posting his eighth top-10 result of the year. He remained sixth in the point standings, 45 out of first.

    “Jimmie Johnson whipped the field easily,” Truex said. “His lead was so big, he was able to celebrate early. I think that’s called a ‘whoopee cushion.’”

    7. Kevin Harvick: Harvick took the runner-up spot atDoverafter Jimmie Johnson ran away from the No. 29 Jimmy Johns Chevy on the final restart with 31 laps to go. It was Harvick’s second runner-up finish of the year as he continues to search for the season’s first win.

    “Close, but no cigar,” Harvick said. “But no worries. As an expectant father, I can at least expect one cigar this season.”

    8. Kyle Busch: Busch’s engine expired on lap 205, sending the No. 18 M&M’s Toyotato the garage with a 29th in the Fed Ex 400. Busch fell one place to 9th in the point standings, where he is 80 behind Greg Biffle.

    “What can you say?” Busch said. “I say the same thing about engine failure that my brother Kurt says about his emotions: ‘I have no control over it.’ Kurt is truly psychotic. His car number shouldn’t be ’51;’ it should be ‘5150.’”

    9. Tony Stewart: Stewart was collected in a lap 10 wreck that involved 12 cars and left his No. 14 Chevrolet with considerable damage. He limped home with a 25th-place finish and is now eighth in the point standings, 79 out of first.

    “Kurt Busch has been suspended for one race,” Stewart said. “And deservedly so. NASCAR had no recourse but to punish him. Kurt forced their hand, just like he did mine when I punched him.”

    10. Clint Bowyer: Bowyer led a strong Michael Waltrip Racing charge at Dover, finishing fifth, as teammates Martin Truex, Jr. and Mark Martin finished 7th and 14th, respectively. Bowyer improved two places to 10th in the Sprint Cup point standings, where he is 81 out of first.

    “You probably saw Ryan Newman nearly run over one of my crewmen,” Bowyer said. “And that was the only time during the race that the words ‘That was close!’ were uttered. It was a scary moment, almost as scary as Jimmie Johnson’s dominance.”

  • Matty’s Picks 2012 – Vol. 14 Dover International Speedway – FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks – June 3, 2012

    Matty’s Picks 2012 – Vol. 14 Dover International Speedway – FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks – June 3, 2012

    [media-credit name=”doverspeedway.com” align=”alignright” width=”100″][/media-credit]It’s off to the first state to ratify the United States Constitution this weekend to a track that ranks up there in my list of personal favorites. Contrary to a belief that Delaware would be full of parks, monuments, historic sites, battlefields, etc… it remains the only state without a National Park System unit. This doesn’t mean there is not any NASCAR history in the state of Delaware. In 1995, Dover Downs International Speedway became the first NASCAR racing venue to be paved with concrete rather than asphalt. The concrete is one of the 1,000 elements that make Dover such a popular spot for NASCAR fans, and Sunday’s FedEx 400 will be nothing shy of exciting.

    Coca-Cola 600 Recap

    Jimmie Johnson was my guy for last week’s Coca-Cola 600, coming off his win in the NASCAR Sprint All-Star race two weeks ago. Johnson had been on fire for Hendrick Motorsports, claiming their 200th win at Darlington and winning the All-Star race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, but his flames were put out last Sunday by a stop-and-go penalty on lap 354. His night was rather uneventful up to that point, creeping around the top five for the majority of the laps, but Johnson left his pit box with the fuel can still attached to his Impala on lap 354. Johnson couldn’t recover from the stop-and-go penalty and ended his night on a bitter note in 11th place.

    My Dark Horse pick had even less luck on his side than Jimmie Johnson in last week’s Coca-Cola 600, retiring early due to mechanical failure. Marcos Ambrose had been on my radar to step up and make a statement in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series on an oval. I was on the right track through the first 200 of the 400 lap stanza as Ambrose took the lead on several occasions last Sunday evening, when a rare hub failure ended my hopes of pulling a pick from where the sun don’t shine. Ambrose limped his No. 9 DEWALT Ford Fusion to the garage for repairs on lap 218, and eventually claimed the 32nd spot in the 2012 Coca-Cola 600.

    Dover Picks

    I’ve got two practice sessions but no starting positions to base my picks off of this week as qualifying for the 43rd Annual FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks is on the unusual Saturday this week. There are a few guys on my list of contenders this week because of the difficulty the Monster Mile brings on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers.

    Winner Pick

    Its ‘Concrete Carl’ who I’m going with this week to win at Dover International Speedway. There is one team in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series which has three drivers in the top 10 in points thru the first 12 races of the season, yep its Roush Fenway Racing. Concrete Carl has the best average finish (7.3) of all active drivers and the third-best Driver Rating (106.5). His first and only win on the high-banked, one-mile concrete oval back in September of 2007 and Edwards is looking to solidify his spot in the top-10 in drivers points this weekend in Dover.

    Dark Horse Pick

    Its Martin Truex Jr. who will prevail as my Dark Horse this week. The Southern New Jersey native calls the Monster Mile his home track, and his first and only win came five years ago at Dover. Much like five years ago, the weather forecast is questionable for Sunday’s race, and coincidentally the forecast for Truex’s first win was less than optimal, as his first win came on Monday, June 4th, 2007 rather than Sunday, June 3rd, 2007. Truex currently sits solidly in sixth in NASCAR Sprint Cup points, and has won two of the last three Coors Light poles at the Monster Mile. His stats are mixed at Dover, last five finishes are 30th, 8th, 34th, 12th, and 33rd, but he is really in the groove this season and Truex is looking for a solid homecoming to add to the banner season he has had thus far.

    That’s all for this week, so until next time…You Stay Classy NASCAR NATION!

  • Stewart ‘pretty pleased’ with third place after frustrating performance

    Stewart ‘pretty pleased’ with third place after frustrating performance

    [media-credit name=”Brad Keppel” align=”alignright” width=”224″][/media-credit]Considering the two have won the last seven NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championships, it was only fitting that it came down to the two of them to settle who would take home another one of NASCAR’s prestigious trophies on Saturday night.

    The final 15 laps of the Bojangles Southern 500 at Darlington saw a dominant Jimmie Johnson leading but a charging Tony Stewart behind him. On the line for Johnson was his first win of the season, No. 200 for Hendrick Motorsports. On the line for Stewart was his third win of the season but very first at Darlington.

    Johnson was able to pull away on the green-white-checkered finish with Stewart falling to third. While he came ever so close again to crossing another track of his winless list, Stewart wasn’t about to complain about the finish he and his No. 14 Office Depot / Mobile 1 team had to fight for.

    “I was pretty frustrated about halfway through because we just kept fighting the same issues on the respective ends of the track,” said Stewart afterwards. “We just kept fighting loose and couldn’t get it tightened up in one and two and couldn’t do anything. Because we were trying to tighten it up in one and two, we didn’t really have the opportunity to try to free up three and four.

    “It’s hard and frustrating when you got two different conditions going on. We basically fought that loose condition in one and two since we unloaded [Friday]. It just kind of was frustrating that we couldn’t find anything and couldn’t hit on it. After the first couple of runs of the race, having two or three chances to take a stab at it didn’t seem like we were making the direction. It was frustrating.

    “It’s why we won a championship last year, too. We never give up. Steve [Addington, crew chief] kept me positive. He was calm the whole time. He kept saying, I’ll work on it; I’ll get it fixed. It just kept me calm. Sure enough, we finally got it to do one thing and then we could work on it from there and try to get it the rest of the way.”

    Stewart bounced between the top 15 and the top 10 for the first 100 laps. The defending NSCS champions only able to make adjustments on the car during a fast paced race and green flag pit stops.

    Finally the first caution flew on lap 172 for debris and soon cautions were flying often. By the races 200-lap mark Stewart had climbed to the top five and started to make his presence known. When the fourth caution flew on lap 298 Stewart pitted with the leaders but had to give up his fifth place position as the team took a look at his clutch and transmission.

    It didn’t take long for Stewart to rebound. He quickly climbed back into contention and into Johnson’s rearview mirror for the finish.

    “It ended up really good, I was really proud of Steve Addington and all of our crew,” Stewart said, noting how difficult the car was in the first half of the race. “Really proud of Addington. He just kept throwing things at it to try and get a direction. Once he got on what it was like, it got a lot better at the end there. We got both ends at least to do the same thing and we could balance it out from there.

    “I broke the clutch with about 85 to go, came into the pits, they jacked it up and looked at it and figured out we could keep going. But we came in because we looked at it, took the option to come back in and top it off with fuel, just basically got the opportunity the next caution. When everybody came in, we got up to eighth, had two really good restarts after that got us up to second.”

    Before the restart however, Stewart suffered another scare. He told the team he had only 20 pounds of fuel pressure and he wasn’t sure what to do. Without hesitation he was told to stay on the flat of the racetrack and Stewart was able to tell the team the pressure was building back up.

    In the end though he just didn’t have enough for Johnson who drove away on the restart, Hamlin then getting around Stewart for second. The 14 just got too tight when he was behind Johnson and Stewart was hoping Johnson would spin his tires on the restart so he could have a shot at the win.

    But the track Too Tough To Tame now has Stewart sitting winless in 20 career attempts and he remains seventh in the NSCS points.

    “Coming to the green, we actually lost fuel pressure, with one to go and that’s why we were on the apron trying to get it back to the pickups,” said Stewart. “Got it back, but then lost it again coming off four to the green. Coming down the front straightaway on the restart it kind of laid down a little bit, that dropped us back to third.

    “Considering the hurdles of the day, I’m pretty happy with a third-place run.”

  • Matty’s Picks 2012 – Vol. 11 Darlington Raceway – Bojangles’ Southern 500 – May 12, 2012

    Matty’s Picks 2012 – Vol. 11 Darlington Raceway – Bojangles’ Southern 500 – May 12, 2012

    [media-credit name=”darlingtonraceway.com” align=”alignright” width=”199″][/media-credit]Tonight we head to NASCAR’s oldest superspeedway. The track “Too Tough to Tame” is the spot for the 63rd running of Bojangles’ Southern 500 tonight on FOX, (live 7 p.m. ET) and when the engines fire tonight, it will be the last time the 43-cars making the start tonight have four straight fenders. The cars that exit the racetrack this weekend will surely go to the same scrap pile as the cars raced at Bristol and Martinsville. With the aging track surface and 43 drivers itching to claim hardware from The Lady in Black, the fenders will connect tonight when the green flag files.

    Darlington Raceway dates all the way back to 1950 as NASCAR’s first asphalt oval that measured over a 1/2-mile in length. The track’s first NASCAR race was held on Labor Day in 1950, won by Californian Johnny Mantz in a six-cylinder Plymouth, amongst a field of 75 cars! Much like this month’s Indianapolis 500, the first Southern 500 staged a 2-week qualifying scheme to whittle down the field of more than 80 entrants and align the 75 car field into 25 rows of three cars. When the dust settled, it was Mantz, driving a car owned by Bill France Sr., that would claim the $25,000 purse, a reward that was 7-times the average wage in 1950.

    Talladega Recap

    I had the honor of watching last week’s Aaron’s 499 with a very close family friend whom happens to be a Brad Keselowski fan (or maybe he’s just a fan of the Blue Deuce, or Miller Lite, or maybe just beer in general), and I have to give him credit for my win last week in Alabama. I happened to be writing my column last Saturday afternoon when Uncle Scotty walked through my front door, and I admit to asking his advice with my picks last week. “Pick Bad Brad” he said, “Remember when we were at Talladega and he put (Carl) Edwards in the fence for his first win. The kid can race in Alabama.”

    Thanks Uncle Scotty for the pick as Brad Keselowski ran as flawless of a race last week by Talladega standards as ‘flawless’ comes. Keselowski put himself in second coming out of the final turn at the 2.66-mile superspeedway, a position which conventional wisdom says the driver in the second spot on the final lap of a restrictor-plate race has a much better chance of winning than the leader.

    “I had this whole plan if I ever got in that situation where I was leading,” Keselowski said. “I thought about it and thought about it — dreamed about what to do — and sure enough, going into (Turn) 3, it was just me and (Kyle) Busch. And I knew the move I wanted to pull.”

    “. . . I went into Turn 3 high and pulled down off of Kyle and broke the tandem up. That allowed me to drive untouched to the checkered flag. It wasn’t easy to convince myself to do that, but it was the right move. I’m glad it worked.”

    My Dark Horse pick, Joey Logano got caught up in a wreck with 10-laps to go and finished 26th. I guess sometimes you just have to take the hi’s with the low’s.

    Darlington Picks

    Winner Pick

    As much as I hate to jump on the Biffle bandwagon, I believe it is in my best interest to make an educated pick this week and go with the Roush-Fenway racing driver. He’s starting from the pole at a track where passing is extremely difficult to complete and the eventual race-winner has come from the pole position 19-times, you’ve got to go with a driver starting towards the front tonight.

    Once in the last 10 races at Darlington has a driver won the race after starting the race outside the top-12 positions. That one time occurring in last year’s Southern 500 when Regan Smith made a late-race gamble to stay on-track and not take on tires during the race’s 11th and final caution, a call that would win him the race after starting in 23rd.

    Biffle enters the weekend as the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series’ points leader, and took the pole by breaking the tie between Jimmie Johnson and Kasey Kahne for the top spot late in qualifying Friday evening. He was second fastest in both NASCAR Sprint Cup Series’ practice sessions yesterday at the track Too Tough To Tame. The last time Biffle started from the pole at Darlington was back in 2008, and the top spot was not too kind to the Washington native, as he blew an engine and finished just 234 of the scheduled 367 laps at The Lady in Black, finishing dead last in 43rd. I’m hoping Lady Luck is on my side tonight and Biffle becomes the 20th winner from the pole at Darlington Raceway.

    Dark Horse Pick

    I’m not sure you can qualify the guy sitting 6th in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points a Dark Horse, but a Dark Horse isn’t always a driver that is way outside the realm of possibility of winning. This week it’s a guy that tends to fly under the radar of most NASCAR writers and fans. Martin Truex Jr. has been leading the charge of Michael Waltrip Racing drivers to boost the Toyota team to the upper echelon of race teams. Last week’s 28th-place finish marked Truex’s worst finish of the season, and he is looking for a quick rebound this week at a track where he has finished no-better than 6th in his six tries to tame The Lady in Black.

    6th in the first practice Friday afternoon, Truex slipped back to 12th on the leader board during Happy Hour, and rebounded to claim a starting spot for his NAPA Auto Parts Toyota in the third-row tonight in South Carolina. He’s had a great season so far, and a win tonight at Darlington would make a statement that Michael Waltrip Racing is a force to be reckoned with in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

    That’s all for now, so until the All-Stars come out in Charlotte…You Stay Classy NASCAR NATION!!

    PS: Happy Mother’s Day to all the NASCAR Moms this weekend!

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Talladega

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Talladega

    [media-credit name=”Credit: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images” align=”alignright” width=”266″][/media-credit]Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth led with one lap to go at Talladega, but was passed by Brad Keselowski, benefitting from a huge push from Kyle Busch. Kenseth settled for third, and advanced one place in the point standings to second, seven behind Greg Biffle.

    “My first thought was to say ‘Where’s the Biff?’” Kenseth said. “I didn’t mean to leave Biffle. Ask Carl Edwards. He’ll tell you that usually when I run away from a teammate, it’s on purpose.

    “I just got too far out in front. That’s how it goes when you’re leading the field at Talladega. If you check out on the field, you better be ready to check up on the field. I was like my own debris caution.”

    2. Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: Earnhardt finished ninth at Talladega, unable to muster the momentum needed for a late-race surge towards the front. He dropped one spot to third in the Sprint Cup point standings and trails Greg Biffle by nine. Earnhardt’s winless streak now stands at 139.

    “The No. 88 Diet Mountain Dew Chevrolet was fast,” Earnhardt said, “but not fast enough to win. That’s been a familiar refrain for me lately. I hate to repeat myself, and that’s sad, because I’m getting pretty good at it.”

    3. Greg Biffle: Biffle posted a solid fifth in the Aaron’s 499, leading 15 laps and running near the front for much of the day. On the green-white-checkered finish, Biffle pushed Matt Kenseth to a sizeable lead, but Biffle’s No. 16 couldn’t keep pace with Kenseth’s No. 17. With their draft connection lost, Brad Keselowski and Kyle Busch passed the Roush Fenway duo.

    “Keselowski and Busch just blew us away,” Biffle said. “The ‘friends with benefits’ were outdone by the ‘enemies with benefits.’

    “But I’m still on top of the Sprint Cup point standings. At least we know one Roush Fenway driver can hold a lead.”

    4. Kyle Busch: With one lap to go in the Aaron’s 499, Busch was in the driver’s seat, in second place, trailing race leader Brad Keselowski. But Busch never got close enough to even attempt a race-winning move, and settled for the runner-up spot. Busch moved up two spots to ninth in the point standings, 70 out of first.

    “I had Keselowski,” Busch said, “right where I wanted him. But he outsmarted me. In other words, he had me. But I’m not upset. This made me a complete driver. Now, I can say I’ve been ‘schooled’ for going too fast, and ‘schooled’ for going too slow.”

    5. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski, with a strong push from draft partner Kyle Busch, surged into the lead with a lap to go at Talladega, zooming past the Roush Fenway duo of Matt Kenseth and Greg Biffle. Keselowski held off Busch and won for the second time this year, and second career victory in the Talladega spring race.

    “I got a big push from Kyle,” Keselowski said. “I’ll reiterate what I said at Bristol some years back: ‘Kyle Busch is an ass…..et.’ I’m not sure if Kyle follows me on Twitter, but he definitely follows me on asphalt. That’s two second place finishes for Busch for the weekend. Apparently, M&M’s melt in your hands, and under pressure.

    “It was an extremely satisfying win for me. Not only did I win the race, but I was able to tweet from Victory Lane for the second time this year. Call it a ‘re-Tweet.’”

    6. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin was fast all day at Talladega, and was prepared to make a charge after a restart on lap 192. Hamlin’s dive to the middle lane was cut off by a block from A.J. Almendinger, and the contact knocked Hamlin out of the race. He finished 23rd, and fell one place in the points to fourth, 27 out of first.

    “I got dinged by the ‘Dinger,’” Hamlin said. “But that’s just the nature of racing at Talladega. You race all day, waiting for the ‘Big One.’ And, when it happens, you can usually blame the ‘Biggest One.’

    “Trust me. I’d like nothing more than to seek revenge. But I can’t afford the penalty that is sure to follow. Therein lies the ‘Catch-22’ of catching 22.”

    7. Tony Stewart: Stewart ended a frustrating day at Talladega with a 24th in the Aaron’s 499, as Stewart-Haas teammate Ryan Newman finished 36th. Newman suffered early engine trouble, while Stewart was KO’d in a nine-car wreck four laps from the finish.

    “You probably heard about my tongue-in-cheek assessment of the racing at Talladega,” Stewart said. “That’s just my way of keeping my ‘tongue-in-check.’ For those too ignorant to understand sarcasm, call it Talladega Spites: The Ballyhoo Of Tony Stewart.”

    8. Martin Truex, Jr.: Truex was collected in a lap 142 pileup started when Dave Blaney and Aric Almirola made contact. Truex’s No. 55 Toyota slammed into Jeff Gordon’s No. 24, ending the day for both. Truex fell one spot to sixth in the points, and trails Greg Biffle by 46.

    “The No. 56 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota was running well,” Truex said. “Then, it all came crashing down. NAPA ‘know how’ suddenly became NAPA ‘no how.’”

    9. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson suffered a broken oil pump that sent him to the garage just 61 laps into the Aaron’s 499. He finished 35th and fell two places in the Sprint Cup point standings, 54 out of first.

    “We certainly don’t look like 5-time champions,” Johnson said. “Then again, who does?

    “I watched the rest of the race from Dale Earnhardt, Jr.’s pit box. It’s quite a view from up there. You can see for miles, and somewhere in the distance, there’s a win on the horizon.”

    10. Kevin Harvick: Harvick was caught in a lap 184 wreck that left his No. 29 Rheem Chevrolet unable to continue. He finished a disappointing 25th and is now fifth in the point standings, 45 out of first.

    “We led one lap,” Harvick said, “so the car went from the front of the field to the back of the garage. Appropriately, with Rheem as our primary sponsor, we ran hot and cold.

    “Brad Keselowski drove a heck of a race. He kept Kyle Busch behind him. Last year at Darlington, I couldn’t keep Busch in front of me.”

  • Penske sticking with Keselowski: ‘I wouldn’t trade him for anybody’

    Penske sticking with Keselowski: ‘I wouldn’t trade him for anybody’

    [media-credit name=”Credit: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images for NASCAR” align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]Roger Penske has won a lot of races with many different drivers over the course of his NASCAR career. He’s had some of the best drivers in the sport drive his cars, represent his company and become big stars.

    But Sunday afternoon when Brad Keselowski won at the Talladega Superspeedway, driving Penske and Miller Lite’s famous blue deuce, it was almost as if ‘The Captain’ was going through the motions for the very first time.

    Keselowski, the 28-year-old Michigan native who’s in just his third NSCS season, delivered Penske his first win at Talladega and the first win for Dodge at the track since August of 1976. It’s why afterwards Penske was calling Keselowski, the 2010 Nationwide Series champion and six-time winner in the NSCS, a world-class driver among other things.

    “I’d say that you certainly become a student of the game,” Penske said of Keselowski. “The fact that he slowed down there at the beginning to get Kyle [Busch] on that restart so they could get a run, then pulling on the outside of [Matt] Kenseth was amazing. Obviously with the moment, he was to pull it off.

    “Kurt [Busch] does a great job, [Ryan] Newman is a great race, Rusty [Wallace]. If you look at the rules today, I would say he [Keselowski] ran a perfect race. He ran the bottom lane all day. When it was time to go, he had it figured out. For me, that’s what we hire these guys for, so it was a good job.”

    Amazing and world-class were the two adjectives Penske used to many times describe Keselowski, who now sits 12th in points and looks to be a sure-fire lock for the Chase thanks to the wildcard format.

    The win marked the second time Keselowski has visited Victory Lane in the still early 2012 season. It’s what has Penske looking toward the future and what else Keselowski might be able to accomplish, like helping him break through and win his first championship.

    “I think he’s matured a lot,” said Penske. “He’s been a tremendous asset to the team, not just for Brad Keselowski, for Penske Racing. You can see when he comes in the shop; he’s spending a lot of time. I wouldn’t trade him for anybody right now.

    “He came to me before he went to work for us, he said, I’d like to come to Penske Racing and help build a winning Cup team. He’s certainly demonstrated that from the driving ability. His chemistry with Paul Wolfe and that whole team has made a difference.

    “That is not about the driver, the car, the sponsor, it’s about the whole team. He’s the real package. What we’re trying to do is give him everything we can to make him a winner. Obviously, one of the goals in my life is to sit up on that stage in New York or Las Vegas and I think he’s the guy that can make it happen this year, hopefully.”

    The team owner’s praise for Keselowski did come from win bias. It was true, genuine and steams from the praise and belief that Keselowski has for him. If there’s no other driver for Penske, there’s no other owner for Keselowski.

    Late last season he spoke about why he came to work for Penske, citing the man’s ethics, integrity and love of the sport. He knows that being surrounded by someone like Penske is the best thing for him and the goals he would like to accomplish.

    Winning at Talladega was another step in the right direction. And according to Penske it all happened because Keselowski already had a winner’s attitude and because his best attribute is being a team player, helping everyone around him become better as well.

    The move Keselowski made coming out of turn four to pull away from Busch and set sail for the finish line wasn’t a surprise to Penske because he knows how methodical and hardworking his driver is. Had it not been for Keselowski spending as much time behind the wheel, running the NNS program for Penske that might not have happened.

    Racing on Saturday’s helps him learn for Sunday’s. And where Penske’s looking for Keselowski to finally bring him to the promise land, Keselowski’s eager to meet that challenge and make it happen sooner rather than later.

    “It’s a large part of the reason why I came here to drive for him,” said Keselowski. “I want to be that first guy. I feel like he’s dedicated to making that happen. I look at some of the other elite car owners in the sport, and I don’t want this to be offensive, but to win another Cup championship for Hendrick or Richard Childress is not the same as winning the first for Roger Penske.

    “That’s a whole different accomplishment. I think he’s certainly paid his dues in this sport, has that reputation, as a titan for a reason, and that is that he can get it done. I want to be the guy that proves it in the record books.”

    Penske certainly wouldn’t take it for granted, just as he doesn’t take Keselowski for granted. He’s the complete package: winner, a fan favorite, sponsor friendly and most importantly, in a Penske Racing Dodge.

    “When I look for a driver, I think the first thing we look at is does he know how to win races?” said Penske. “Brad obviously had that attribute when he came with us … He could have raced for other people. He came with us. At that point he said, I want to help you attract the best people.

    “I said that to Paul [Wolfe, crew chief]. If the driver helps you attract the best people, a crew chief like Paul, you get stronger and stronger. I saw a driver that could win, one that was committed to the team, not just himself, and he has been good with all our sponsors. That’s the third element, you have to have, someone that is key from a commercial standpoint.

    “When you put that all together, I wouldn’t trade him for anybody on the grid.”

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Richmond

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Richmond

    [media-credit name=”Brad Keppel” align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: With a 137-race winless streak still dogging him, Earnhardt nearly broke through at Richmond, finishing second to Kyle Busch in the Capital City 400. Earnhardt now trails points leader Greg Biffle by five points in the Sprint Cup point standings.

    “What does Busch have that I don’t, besides a win at Richmond?” Earnhardt said. “A ‘checkered’ past.

    “Anyway, I’ve got two second-place finishes and two thirds so far this year. They may not be wins, but in the eyes of Junior Nation, I lead NASCAR in ‘Little’ victories.”

    2. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin followed last week’s win at Kansas with a fourth at Richmond, as Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch won for the first time this season. Hamlin improved two spots in the point standings to third, nine points out of first.

    “Kyle ran an unbelievable of a race,” Hamlin said. “He was patient, methodical, and in control. And that makes it unbelievable, because he was totally out of character.”

    3. Greg Biffle: Biffle finished 18th in the Capital City 400 at Richmond, handicapped by handling issues that proved unresponsive to adjustments. He maintained the top spot in the points, but now leads Dale Earnhardt, Jr. by only five points.

    “Five points isn’t much of a lead,” Biffle said, “but it’s a lead nonetheless. And let’s face it, any lead over Earnhardt is a safe lead.”

    4. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson posted his third-straight top-6 finish, and seventh top-10 result of the year, with a sixth in the Capital City 400. He is now sixth in the Sprint Cup point standings, 24 out of first.

    “I finished sixth,” Johnson said, “to move into sixth in the Sprint Cup point standings, on the way to what will surely be my sixth championship. That’s three sixth’s, which is a hell of a lot, and certainly an omen of good things for me.

    “As you may have heard, I was named Forbe’s most influential athlete. That means I can win, and ‘win over.’ That’s two more wins than Dale Junior.”

    5. Tony Stewart: Stewart was sailing towards a win at Richmond, with a comfortable lead over Kyle Busch, when NASCAR flew a debris caution with 12 laps to go. A slow pit stop allowed Busch to exit with the lead, and Stewart settled for third, and later questioned NASCAR’s decision.

    “I understand the ‘debris’ in question was a water bottle,” Stewart said. “That’s garbage. I’m not sure what was in that bottle, but whatever it was, it was ‘full of it.’ And, I guess I’ll have to ‘swallow’ it.

    “Anyway, it’s clear NASCAR doesn’t want to see me run away with the championship. And, as my typical subpar runs that follow strong runs would suggest, neither do I.”

    6. Martin Truex, Jr.: Truex finished 25th at Richmond, his worst finish of the year, after an untimely caution on lap 311 cost him two laps. He tumbled three places in the point standings to fifth, and now trails Greg Biffle by 22.

    “After five-straight top-10 finishes,” Truex said, “I was due for a mediocre finish. And I didn’t disappoint. But I hesitate to say I’ll ‘rebound’ at Talladega, because there may be a wall involved.”

    7. Carl Edwards: Edwards led 206 of 400 laps, but lost any chance for his initial 2012 victory when he was penalized for jumping a restart on lap 89. Edwards battled back from the penalty and eventually finished 10th , but was left doubting the veracity of NASCAR’s decision. He is ninth in the point standings, 51 out of first.

    “I was told I was the leader,” Edwards said, “while NASCAR insists that Tony Stewart was the leader. Apparently, they were just blowing ‘Smoke’ up my behind.”

    8. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth finished 11th at Richmond, just missing his sixth top-10 finish of the year. He holds the fourth spot in the point standings, 10 behind Roush Fenway teammate Greg Biffle.

    “NASCAR said Carl Edwards jumped a restart with 89 laps to go,” Kenseth said. “I know exactly how that feels. ‘That’ being the restart, because I’ve been ‘jumped’ by Edwards myself.”

    9. Kyle Busch: Busch took advantage of a late caution and beat Tony Stewart out of the pits, then pulled away to win at Richmond. It was Busch’s fourth-straight Richmond spring win, and first of the year, as he followed Joe Gibbs teammate Denny Hamlin’s win at Kansas last year.

    “Thanks to NASCAR for a timely caution,” Busch said. “Usually, when NASCAR gives me a ‘gift,’ it’s probation instead of a suspension.”

    10. Kevin Harvick: Harvick finished 19th in the Capital City 400, the last car on the lead lap, after starting third. The No. 29 Jimmie John’s Chevy was solid early in the race, but faded late on a tough day for Richard Childress Racing.

    “Right now,” Harvick said, “we don’t look like a true championship contender. We’re struggling, with an average finish of 11th. It seems the last positive I experienced was on a pregnancy test.”

  • Greg Biffle Snaps Winless Streak at Texas Motor Speedway

    Greg Biffle Snaps Winless Streak at Texas Motor Speedway

    [media-credit name=”Nigel Kinrade/Autostock” align=”alignright” width=”301″][/media-credit]So far this year Greg Biffle had done everything right, except win. That all changed on Saturday night as he led 90 laps on his way to winning the Samsung Mobile 500 at Texas Motor Speedway.

    “I’ll tell you what, I could say it’s about time, but hard work pays off still today, and that’s what this is about,” Biffle says. “The team and Matt Puccia putting together the guys he has, the engine shop, how hard they’ve worked on the fuel injection and the engines and all that.  I am just thankful to get the opportunity to drive these cars as fast as they are.  We knew it was a matter of time we were going to win one of these things.  We’ve been running so good.  We had great pit stops, we’ve had good cars.  Vegas we were off a little bit, and that ate at us a little bit because that’s a good track for us.  So we came here and really focused on our car to get it driving the best we could.”

    The 17th win of his career allowed Biffle to end a 49-race winless streak that dated back to October 3, 2010 when he won at Kansas Speedway.

    With 30 laps to go, Biffle was able to catch Jimmie Johnson in traffic and pass him for the lead.

    “I’ll tell you what, catching the 48 car at the end, I had to dig deep,” Biffle comments. “It was all I had to be able to get to him, and it seemed like when I got to him it was too easy.  I don’t know if he used up his tires or the traffic — he had trouble, I think a little bit of trouble in traffic.  That’s when I could close in on him.  But over all it was a good night for us.”

    Johnson would come home to finish second despite getting into the wall with 15 to go for his fifth top five of 2012 after leading 156 laps.

    “I wish we could have won,” Johnson says. “We were in contention, had a great race car.  Pit stops were just amazing all night long.  Car was great.  You know, at the end the 16 — really probably the last two or three runs the 16 and I were pretty equal, run pretty similar lap times, and right before the last pit stop I got caught in some traffic, he got to me and came out of the pits and was pacing him and had a second half lead and then we caught traffic, some guys were multiple laps down that didn’t show much respect to myself, the leader, and before I know it 16 was there on the side of me and got by.”

    Mark Martin would finish third to continue the hot streak that Michael Waltrip Racing (MWR) has been on early this season.

    “I am just so proud of MWR and all the people there and the teamwork that they have shown there starting with Martin Truex, Jr., who has put so much work into getting the program where it was when we started the season and everybody combined,” he says. “They really have a lot of great people there with great attitude, great teamwork, and man, have I got one awesome crew chief in Rodney Childers.  This is so much fun and such an incredible privilege to drive a race car at this point in my career, to be able to drive a race car for a team like that and in a hot rod like that.

    “I could see the leader the whole race, and at times we could gain — when we were at our very best we were making some gains on the leaders, and when we were at our worst we were falling back some, and most of the time we could kind of maintain pace.  We don’t have much more work to do, and we can get up there and be battling for the win.  So I’m really proud of the guys.  We’ve made improvements on our racer every race that we’ve got to run together, so Rodney and I are starting to figure some things out in the car that I like for the long haul.  So it’s working well.”

    Jeff Gordon would finish fourth followed by Matt Kenseth in fifth. Pole sitter Martin Truex Jr. finished sixth, followed by Kasey Kahne, Carl Edwards, Kevin Harvick and Dale Earnhardt Jr.

    The race was the quickest in Texas Motor Speedway history with an average speed of 160.577 and had the fewest cautions ever with two for 10 laps. The first was for Trevor Bayne getting into the wall, while the second was for debris.

    Following the win, Biffle leads Kenseth and Earnhardt Jr. by 19 points in the Sprint Cup Series Points Standings heading into Kansas Speedway.

     

    Full Rundown:

    1. Greg Biffle
    2. Jimmie Johnson
    3. Mark Martin
    4. Jeff Gordon
    5. Matt Kenseth
    6. Martin Truex Jr.
    7. Kasey Kahne
    8. Carl Edwards
    9. Kevin Harvick
    10. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
    11. Kyle Busch
    12. Denny Hamlin
    13. Kurt Busch
    14. Jamie McMurray
    15. AJ Allmendinger
    16. Juan Pablo Montoya
    17. Clint Bowyer
    18. Paul Menard
    19. Joey Logano
    20. Marcos Ambrose
    21. Ryan Newman
    22. Aric Almirola
    23. Regan Smith
    24. Tony Stewart
    25. Casey Mears
    26. David Reutimann
    27. Bobby Labonte
    28. Trevor Bayne
    29. Jeff Burton
    30. Landon Cassill
    31. David Gilliland
    32. Reed Sorenson
    33. JJ Yeley
    34. Tony Raines
    35. David Ragan
    36. Brad Keselowski
    37. Dave Blaney
    38. Travis Kvapil
    39. Josh Wise
    40. Mike Bliss
    41. Michael McDowell
    42. Scott Riggs
    43. Scott Speed

     

  • Lap by Lap: Samsung Mobile 500 won by Greg Biffle

    Lap by Lap: Samsung Mobile 500 won by Greg Biffle

    [media-credit name=”Tom Pennington/Getty Images for NASCAR” align=”alignright” width=”300″][/media-credit]In the quickest race in Texas Motor Speedway history, Greg Biffle passed Jimmie Johnson with 30 laps to go and never looked back, snapping a 49-race winless streak.

    Green Flag

    Lap 1: Martin Truex Jr. leads the first lap

    Lap 10: Truex leads Greg Biffle, Kasey Kahne, Marco Ambrose, Matt Kenseth, Mark Martin, Jamie McMurray, Paul Menard, Jimmie Johnson and Ryan Newman.

    Lap 14 Amborse, Kenseth and Martin pass Kahne; Denny Hamlin passes Newman

    Lap 27 Truex leads Biffle, Kenseth, Ambrose, Martin, Johnson, McMurray, Kevin Harvick, Menard, Carl Edwards

    Lap 36 Biffle leads Truex, Kenseth, Ambrose, Martin, Harvick, Johnson, Edwards, Keselowski, Dale Earnhardt Jr.

    Lap 37 Kenseth passes Truex for second

    Lap 39 Harvick passes Martin for fifth

    Lap 41 Harvick passes Ambrose for fourth

    Lap 45 to 48 the leaders pit

    Lap 49 Biffle now leads

    Lap 52 Biffle leads Harvick, Truex, Kenseth, Martin, Ambrose, Keselowski, Johnson, Edwards, McMurray

    Lap 64 Biffle leads Harvick, Truex, Kenseth, Martin, Ambrose, Johnson, Keselowski, McMurray and Edwards

    Caution Lap 67 Debris…….The leaders go down pit road…….Truex leads Biffle, Martin, Johnson, Ambrose, Edwards, Keselowski, Harvick, Earnhardt Jr., McMurray, Kyle Busch, Menard, Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon and Jeff Burton

    Restart Lap 72

    Lap 73 Truex and Biffle are side-by-side for the lead

    Lap 75 Biffle clears Truex for the lead

    Lap 76 McMurray passes Earnhardt Jr.

    Lap 77 Biffle leads Truex, Kenseth, Johnson, Martin, Ambrose, Edwards, Keselowski, McMurray and Harvick

    Lap 79 Kenseth passes Truex

    Lap 82 Kenseth to the lead past Biffle

    Lap 86 Kenseth, Biffle, Martin, Johnson, Truex, Ambrose, Edwards, Keselowski, McMurray and Gordon

    Lap 88 McMurray passes Keselowski for eighth

    Caution Lap 95 Trevor Bayne gets into the wall……Leaders head down pit road…..

    Restart Lap 101

    Lap 102 Biffle now leads the field.

    Lap 105 Biffle leads Johnson, Truex, Kenseth, Ambrose, Martin, Keselowski, Allmendinger, Gordon and Kyle Busch

    Lap 111 Earnhardt Jr. passes Busch for 10th

    Lap 114 Johnson passes Biffle for the lead

    Lap 115 Gordon passes Allmendinger for eighth

    Lap 117 Earnhardt Jr. passes Gordon for ninth

    Lap 118 Johnson leads Biffle, Truex, Kenseth, Ambrose, Martin, Keselowski, Gordon, Earnhardt Jr., Allmemdinger

    Lap 123 Kenseth passes Truex for third

    Lap 125 Earnhardt Jr. passes Gordon for eighth

    Lap 127 Johnson leads Biffle, Kenseth, Truex, Ambrose, Martin, Keselowski, Earnhardt Jr., Gordon, Harvick

    Lap 139 Johnson leads Biffle, Kenseth, Truex, Ambrose, Keselowski, Martin, Earnhardt Jr., Gordon, Harvick

    Lap 141 Juan Pablo Montoya hits pit road as the leaders begin hitting pit road.

    Lap 147 Leaders Johnson and Biffle pit, handing the lead to Truex

    Lap 148 Truex leads Kenseth, Martin, Johnson and Earnhardt Jr.

    Lap 156 Keselowski is having motor problems

    Lap 159 Truex leads Kenseth, Johnson, Martin, Biffle, Earnhardt Jr., Harvick, Gordon, Allmendinger, Denny Hamlin

    Lap 160 Johnson passes Kenseth for second; Gordon passes Harvick for seventh

    Lap 180 Truex leads Johnson, Kenseth, Martin, Biffle, Gordon, Earnhardt Jr., Harvick, Ambrose, Allmendinger

    Lap 181 Johnson takes the lead

    Lap 184 Pit stops begin……

    Lap 186 Leader Johnson hits pit road

    Lap 189 Pit cycle complete. Johnson is the leader once again.

    Lap 197 Johnson leads Martin, Biffle, Kenseth, Truex, Harvick, Earnhardt Jr., Gordon, Ambrose and Allmendinger

    Lap 200 Gordon passes Earnhardt Jr. for seventh

    Lap 203 Hamlin passes Allmendinger for 10th

    Lap 214 Johnson leads Biffle, Martin, Kenseth, Truex, Gordon, Harvick, Earnhardt Jr., Ambrose and Hamlin

    Lap 228 Johnson leads Biffle, Martin, Kenesth, Truex, Gordon, Earnhardt Jr., Ambrose, Harvick, Hamlin, Kahne

    Lap 229 Harvick comes down pit road so Hamlin and Kahne both pass him

    Lap 230 Martin comes down pit road from third position

    Lap 231 Trevor Bayne and Juan Pablo Montoya pit along with Jeff Burton, Denny Hamlin

    Lap 232 Marco Ambrose, Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards, Dale Earnhardt Jr. pit

    Lap 233 Clint Bowyer, Kasey Kahne, Martin Truex Jr., Ryan Newman pit

    Lap 234 Jimmie Johnson pits from the lead, followed by Greg Biffle, Matt Kenseth. Pit cycle complete, handing the lead to Johnson over Biffle.

    100 to go Johnson leads Biffle, Martin, Kenseth and Truex

    96 to go Johnson leads Biffle, Martin, Kenseth, Truex, Gordon, Harvick, Ambrose, Earnhardt Jr., and Kahne

    71 to go Gordon passes Truex for fifth; Kahne passes Earnhardt Jr. for ninth

    67 to go Gordon passes Kenseth for fourth

    59 to go Ambrose passes Harvick for seventh

    58 to go Johnson leads Biffle, Martin, Gordon, Kenseth, Truex, Ambrose, Harvick, Kahne, Earnhardt Jr.

    55 to go Kahne passes Harvick for eighth as Joey Logano pits. Harvick joins Logano on pit road.

    54 to go Regan Smith pits

    53 to go Denny Hamlin, Carl Edwards, Allmendinger, Bowyer, Mears pit

    52 to go Almirola, Kyle Busch, Mark Martin, Kasey Kahne, Martin Truex Jr. pit

    51 to go Greg Biffle, Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth, Kurt Busch, Marco Ambrose, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jamie McMurray pit.

    50 to go Tony Stewart and Jeff Gordon pits handing the lead back to Jimmie Johnson

    49 to go Johnson leads Biffle, Martin, Kenseth, Gordon, Truex, Harvick, Ambrose, Kahne and Hamlin

    46 to go Ambrose passes Harvick for seventh

    44 to go Earnhardt Jr. passes Hamlin for 10th

    41 to go Kahne passes Harvick for eighth

    40 to go Johnson leads Biffle, Martin, Kenseth, Gordon, Truex, Ambrose, Kahne, Harvick and Earnhardt Jr.

    37 to go Gordon passes Kenseth for fourth

    30 to go Biffle takes the lead from Johnson

    24 to go Biffle leads Johnson, Martin, Gordon, Kenseth, Truex, Ambrose, Kahne, Harvick, Earnhardt Jr.

    21 to go Trevor Bayne got into the wall but no caution

    17 to go Kahne passes Ambrose for seventh

    15 to go Johnson gets into the wall

    13 to go Edwards passes Earnhardt Jr. for 10th

    6 to go Edwards passes Harvick for ninth

    Final Lap – Marco Ambose is slow and out of gas.

    Greg Biffle wins followed by Johnson, Martin, Gordon, Kenseth, Truex, Kahne, Edwards, Harvick, Earnhardt Jr.

  • Matty’s Picks 2012 – Vol. 8 Texas Motor Speedway – Samsung Mobile 500 – April 14, 2012

    Matty’s Picks 2012 – Vol. 8 Texas Motor Speedway – Samsung Mobile 500 – April 14, 2012

    [media-credit name=”texasmotorspeedway.com” align=”alignright” width=”199″][/media-credit]We head to the Lone Star State for tonight’s Samsung Mobile 500 for the first scheduled race under the lights during this 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. Its wide, its fast, and there will be plenty of drama when the green flag flies later this evening. This is just the second mile-and-a-half track of the season, and is guaranteed to pull me away from the NHL playoffs tonight.

    Texas has been one of my favorite tracks for a while now, I’m not sure if its the speed, the flames and six-shooters in Victory Lane, the simple thought that ‘Everything’s Bigger in Texas’ – (a track that comfortably seats over 190,000). If you recall last fall’s AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway , the race was promoted as a old west showdown between Carl Edwards and Tony Stewart. This weekend will not be much different except that it will be a duel between two teams, Roush Fenway Racing (8 wins in 22 Cup races at Texas) and Michael Waltrip Racing.

    Last Week’s Recap

    I had a great time celebrating Easter back in Syracuse, Mom made some great ham, showed my brothers and SpeedwayMedia.com editor Ed Coombs how to catch fish…
    Back to racing.

    It was two-weeks ago that we visited Martinsville Speedway for the Goody’s Fast Relief 500, and it was a dandy of a race on April Fools Day. My Dark Horse pick two weeks ago was a long shot after NASCAR Sprint Cup Series qualifying, but Kurt Busch was up for the challenge of winning the race from 40th. Well, Busch’s day ended after a slue of problems with the No. 51 Phoenix Construction Services Chevrolet including a pair of blown right-front tires. Busch’s No. 51 was shown way down towards the bottom of the scoring pylon in 33rd, netting me yet another finish outside the top 30.

    It was a much better day for my Winner Pick two weeks ago, leading a race-high 328 laps and completely dominating the 500-lap battle at Martinsville Speedway. It was David Reutimann that squashed my hope of picking up my first win of the season two weeks ago at Martinsville. When his car came to rest on the backstretch with just three laps to go, he brought out the caution that would make the final restart of the race a five-car fiasco. My Winner Pick had the lead on the final restart, partly because him and his teammate Jimmie Johnson opted not to come to pit road under the final caution for fresh tires. Jeff Gordon had dominated all day, and when the field took the green flag on the race’s final restart, he was punted by Clint Bowyer, who was shoved by race-winner Ryan Newman. It was a result of fresh tires vs. old tires, and the old tires lost. Gordon finished 14th.

    Texas Picks

    Besides a couple Hendrick chassis, its a MWR versus Roush Fenway battle this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway. Roush Fenway drivers Matt Kenseth and Greg Biffle are sandwiched between pole-sitter Martin Truex and Mark Martin in the top-4 starting spots, setting the stage for the two-team battle under the lights tonight.

    Winner Pick

    I think its Matt Kenseth who will fire the six-shooters tonight in Fort Worth. He is the defending winner of the Samsung Mobile 500, his second Cup win at Texas coming this time last year. His average finish of 8.7 at Texas is the best out of all the drivers taking the green tonight, and he’s also got two NASCAR Nationwide Series victories under his belt at Texas.

    Kenseth will start on the outside of the front row tonight, and is excited for his chances of putting the cowboy hat on in Victory Lane, “I don’t really know why, but it has been a pretty good track for us in the past. We have had a lot of good runs and finishes here. Whenever you come back to a track you’ve had success at, then I think you probably always look forward to coming back to it maybe a little bit more. As far as mile-and-a-half tracks, we have only been to Vegas (this season) and I thought we performed really well there.“

    Dark Horse Pick

    Since Roush Fenway claimed my Winner Pick this week, Michael Waltrip Racing will take my Dark Horse this week, although this pick is a stretch of a Dark Horse.

    He’s starting 4th tonight in just his 5th start of the 2012 season, but he will be piloting a rocket ship in the form of a Toyota Camry. Mark Martin is running a limited schedule this season in the No. 55 Aaron’s Toyota for Michael Waltrip Racing, so when he does make it behind the wheel, he’s got to make the most out of it.

    He fired the six-shooters in Victory Lane at Texas back in 1998, but struggled severely in the two races in the Lone Star State last year with 36th and 19th place finishes. Texas has been fairly kind to him with 7 top-5’s and 12 top-10’s, and enjoys the ‘Hometown’ feel Texas has for him, “Texas Motor Speedway is about 450 miles from my hometown of Batesville, Arkansas. I’ve had a stronger fan following there than anywhere else. Sure I listen in driver introductions when the fans cheer or boo, but I really notice the fans in general throughout the weekend. They are pretty vocal. Since it isn’t that far from Batesville it’s one of the places where my fans go. Texas and Kansas are probably the two places where I see or hear from most of my fans. That’s always a great feeling.”

    Tonight will be fun and I look forward to what the Lone Start State’s first race of 2012 has to offer. Until Next Time…You Stay Classy NASCAR NATION!