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Tag: Nationwide

  • Nationwide to end sponsorship with Hendrick Motorsports

    Nationwide to end sponsorship with Hendrick Motorsports

    Nationwide announced Wednesday that they will end their sponsorship with the Hendrick Motorsports No. 88 team with driver Alex Bowman at the end of the 2019 season.

    The insurance company has been a sponsor of the car since partnering with Dale Earnhardt Jr. in 2015. After Earnhardt’s retirement at the end of the 2017 season, they renewed their commitment as a sponsor when Bowman was named as the new driver of the No. 88 Chevrolet.

    Nationwide will continue their long-standing personal service relationship with Earnhardt in 2020.

    The full statement from Nationwide:

    “Since 2015, Nationwide has had the pleasure of being the primary sponsor of the No. 88 team—first with Dale Earnhardt Jr. as the driver and then with Alex Bowman. In that time, the platform has played a valuable role in building the Nationwide brand, sharing with NASCAR fans our noble purpose of protecting what matters most to our members and raising money and awareness for Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio.

    As Nationwide’s business needs to evolve, we are adjusting our marketing resources to ensure that we are aligning to those new business priorities.

    “With that in mind, we have informed Hendrick Motorsports of our decision to step away from our sponsorship of the 88 team at the end of the year. We have not made this decision lightly, given our 20-plus year involvement in NASCAR and our deep appreciation for Rick Hendrick, Alex Bowman, Hendrick Motorsports, and the millions of NASCAR fans we have engaged with over the years.

    “Nationwide will continue to leverage our sponsorship for the rest of 2019 and have many special activations planned. In 2020, we will host partners at select NASCAR races and continue our relationship with Dale Earnhardt Jr.

    “We thank Mr. Hendrick for a wonderful five years and wish him and the entire Hendrick Motorsports organization the very best in their future endeavors.”

    Hendrick Motorsports team owner Rick Hendrick issued the following statement:

    “We understand the changing dynamics of business, and we’re grateful to the entire team at Nationwide for their wonderful partnership over the past five years. Whether it’s been winning races, competing in the NASCAR playoffs or our recent on-track performance, we have accomplished so much together. Off the track, we have been just as successful, from collaborating on national advertising campaigns to supporting the important mission of Nationwide Children’s Hospital. It has been a pleasure to work with all of their people and to help drive Nationwide’s business forward.

    “Alex (Bowman) is having a breakout season and showing the world just how talented he is. He’s signed through next year (2020) and will be a big part of our future. The momentum we’re building as a sport is due in large part to NASCAR’s leadership and a unique combination of emerging personalities like Alex, established stars and the exciting shows our racing is putting on. There’s tremendous confidence in the product we have to offer our fans and partners.”

    In a separate statement, Bowman said, “I owe a lot to Nationwide. They wanted me as their driver and have supported me from the beginning, which I can’t thank them enough for. I’m proud to represent them and have a lot of appreciation for all the awesome people I’ve met and worked with. I couldn’t be more positive about my No. 88 team and what the future holds for us this year and beyond. I know we’re just scratching the surface, and I’m pumped for what’s ahead. We appreciate the role Nationwide has played in our success.”

    Follow @angiecampbell_ for the latest NASCAR news and feature stories.

  • The Final Word – After Chasing, Eliminating, and Winning, Kevin Harvick is the 2014 Cup Champion

    The Final Word – After Chasing, Eliminating, and Winning, Kevin Harvick is the 2014 Cup Champion

    Watching the Cup finale was like watching most Nationwide races. Few of the participants actually matter. You have your winner, you have those who actually are competing for the prize, and then you have the odd spectacular, special moment. Sunday’s race marked the end of ESPN’s run, which meant no more Allen, no more Dale, no more Andy, no more Rusty, no more Brad, and no more Nicole. A special moment, indeed.

    It could have been a special season for Jeff Gordon. He was best overall this year, just as he was the dominate wheel man for more than half the laps at Homestead. But it is no longer 2001, and at the end of the day he was 10th on the track and sixth in the official standings. In the old days only Joey Logano would have had a chance to catch Gordon in the final race. As pure a way of determining a champion it might have been, those days are gone forever.

    Logano’s day wound up being the pits. With 74 to go, he was riding fifth when they took time under caution to do a few repairs that dropped him to tenth. With 47 to go, he had worked his way back to fourth when he returned to the pits under caution, but a hung lug nut left him 11th on departure. No problem, if not for the pits. Another caution, another stop, another miscue as a dropped jack dropped Logano from sixth to 20th with 20 to go. Game, set, and match, as he finished 16th.

    Things seemed to be about to go Denny Hamlin’s way. They had the pit strategy, if only they could go green. They did not. The cautions allowed those with fresher tires to move past, and his title hopes went up in smoke over the final laps. Hamlin wound up seventh.

    That left two at the front. Ryan Newman had been the weak sister amongst the contenders for much of the race, but pit strategy gained them track position. The car was the best it was all night but only one problem remained.

    His name was Kevin Harvick. On the final restart, Harvick once again separated himself from the field, leaving Newman staring at a back bumper. The best finisher amongst the four would win the title, and you cannot do much better than winning the race to erase all doubt.

    Once we had a points system that rewarded consistency at the expense of wins over the course of a season. Then we got a 10 race playoff where only the top 10, or 12, or 13 were eligible for the crown after the initial 26 events. Now, we have a system where a win gets you into the Top 16 vying for the title in those final 10 races, where every three events they eliminate four contenders until you wind up with the best among the final four on the final day winning the title while racing 39 non-contenders.

    The records show that Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt won seven titles each using the original system, Jimmie Johnson won six through the Chase, and Kevin Harvick is the 2014 Cup champion through the elimination series. Each champion just as valid as the man who preceded him.

  • Kenseth Wins Nationwide Finale; Elliott and Penske Celebrate Championships

    Kenseth Wins Nationwide Finale; Elliott and Penske Celebrate Championships

    In a thrilling green-white-checkered finish, Matt Kenseth, behind the wheel of the No. 20 GameStop/Rock Candy Toyota, held both Kyle Busch and Kyle Larson at bay to win the 20th annual Ford EcoBoost 300.

    This was Kenseth’s first win of the 2014 Nationwide Series season and his second victory in 13 races at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

    “Well, we kept getting those restarts at the end of the race, and the first couple got away okay,” Kenseth said. “I felt good about it.”

    “We had a really good car tonight, especially on a short- to mid-range run, and that kind of fell into our hands except for the last two or three cautions we didn’t need, but it kind of worked out where we got in the front and had the speed on the front side of the run where we needed it.”

    ”It’s been a long time since I’ve won a race in anything.”

    Following closely behind race winner Kenseth, with what has become known as the ‘Kyle and Kyle show’, Busch and Larson finished second and third respectively. This was Busch’s seventh top-10 finish in eight races and Larson’s seventh top-10 finish in just two races at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

    “Yeah, we had a strong car,” Kyle Busch said. “Somewhere in the middle part of the race we started falling behind a little farther than I wanted to, just ill handling, being loose, tight, loose, and everything going on. But Adam made some great race calls and some good adjustments to get our car handling a little bit better, to get ourselves farther up toward the front. The 20 was kind of off there early on in the race, but there at the end he really came on strong and the 42 was really good.”

    “So it was kind of a race amongst us three, I thought, and that’s kind of what it came down to there at the end,” Busch continued. “All in all, can’t be prouder of my team, Adam Stevens and Curtis and everyone that works so hard on the Monster Energy 54 at Joe Gibbs Racing, all the guys at the shop.”

    “We did our part and we had some great races, and we did have a successful year, so nothing to hang our hats about, but there’s one other guy or team out there that was a little bit better than us.”

    “Yeah, we were able to lead a lot of laps today, a lot more than I’ve probably ever led in my career,” Kyle Larson said. “That was fun. I had good restarts up there until the last 50 laps or so, and then I finally got a good one underneath Matt, was able to get to the lead, and was about 15 feet short of the win.”

    “Almost had second, but Kyle was able to squeeze around me,” Larson continued. “I probably could have shut the door on him, but we weren’t going to win, so there was no point in maybe tearing up two cars. Disappointed, super disappointed. Really close to a win today.”

    The Homestead finale race also officially crowned Chase Elliott as the Nationwide Series champion, an honor he had clinched last weekend. In spite of finishing 17th in the last race of the season, Elliott still made history as the youngest champ in NASCAR history.

    “I know it was ugly,” Elliott said. “We didn’t have a very good run, but we’ll take it.”

    The title was not just special for Chase Elliott and his family, NASCAR Hall of Famer Bill Elliott and wife Cindy, but was also the first ever for the team owned by Dale Earnhardt, Jr., his sister Kelly and Rick Hendrick.

    Roger Penske also clinched a championship, that of the Nationwide owner’s title. He did so with six wins and not just with one, but five different drivers, in the No. 22 Hertz Ford Mustang.

    “It was a great day,” Penske said. “I thought that race would never get over. I think we had a green-white-checker and all we had to do was finish 25th, but you never know with all the action up front.”

    “Brad (KeselowskI) ran a great race and when you think about five different drivers it’s really a credit to Jeremy Bullins and the job he’s done in preparing the car for different drivers and with six wins.”

    “So, to me, this was a team effort at Team Penske,” Penske continued. “Everyone did so much to make this happen and obviously it didn’t come down until the last lap there that we knew we had it.”

    With the final race in the books, NASCAR also bid a fond adieu to Nationwide, who has ended their title sponsorship, turning the reigns over to Xfinity.

    “We have truly enjoyed our time as the series sponsor and are grateful for the relationships we’ve made with the drivers, teams, owners, and fans,” Jim McCoy, director of sports marketing for Nationwide Insurance, said.

    The full race and points results are as follows:

    2014 NNS Ford EcoBoost 300 Race Results

    Fin Str Car Driver Team Lap Pts BPts Status TLd LLd
    1 3 20 Matt Kenseth(i) GameStop/Rock Candy Toyota 206 0 Running 3 52
    2 6 54 Kyle Busch(i) Monster Energy Toyota 206 0 Running 2 5
    3 2 42 Kyle Larson(i) Cartwheel by Target Chevrolet 206 0 Running 5 111
    4 5 12 Ryan Blaney(i) Discount Tire Ford 206 0 Running 1 24
    5 10 60 Chris Buescher # Humalog Ford 206 39 Running
    6 15 7 Regan Smith TaxSlayer.com Chevrolet 206 38 Running
    7 21 3 Ty Dillon # WESCO Chevrolet 206 37 Running
    8 1 22 Brad Keselowski(i) Hertz Ford 206 0 Running 1 5
    9 4 11 Elliott Sadler OneMain Financial Toyota 206 35 Running
    10 7 2 Brian Scott Shore Lodge Chevrolet 206 34 Running
    11 13 6 Trevor Bayne AdvoCare Ford 206 34 1 Running 1 3
    12 31 33 Paul Menard(i) Alert Today Florida/Boy Scouts of America Chevrolet 206 0 Running 3
    13 20 51 Jeremy Clements All South Electric/Repairable Vehicles Chevrolet 206 32 1 Running 1 1
    14 25 10 Ross Chastain(i) watermelon.org Toyota 206 0 Running
    15 30 93 TJ Bell(i) Dedicated to Electrical Linemen Dodge 206 0 Running
    16 17 28 JJ Yeley Texas 28 Spirits Stage Toyota 206 28 Running
    17 14 9 Chase Elliott # NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet 206 28 1 Running 1 1
    18 24 99 James Buescher Rheem Toyota 206 26 Running
    19 9 31 Dylan Kwasniewski # Rockstar/AccuDoc Solutions Chevrolet 206 25 Running
    20 19 43 Dakoda Armstrong # WinField Ford 206 24 Running
    21 28 4 Jeffrey Earnhardt GCL/Polyglass Chevrolet 206 23 Running
    22 22 44 Blake Koch Celsius Flo Fusion Toyota 206 23 1 Running 1 1
    23 18 19 Mike Bliss Tweaker Energy Shot Toyota 206 21 Running
    24 35 26 Jake Crum(i) MyFreedomSmokes.com Chevrolet 206 0 Running
    25 12 5 Josh Berry Ragu Chevrolet 206 19 Running
    26 27 14 Eric McClure Hefty Ultimate/Reynolds Wrap Toyota 206 18 Running
    27 11 16 Ryan Reed # ADA Drive to Stop Diabetes/Lilly Diabetes Ford 206 17 Running
    28 33 36 Ryan Preece Accell Construction/East West Marine Chevrolet 206 16 Running
    29 8 62 Brendan Gaughan South Point Chevrolet 205 15 Running
    30 29 55 David Starr Niece Equipment Chevrolet 205 14 Running
    31 40 17 Tanner Berryhill # New Gulf Resources Toyota 204 13 Running
    32 37 23 Carlos Contreras Circle K Chevrolet 203 12 Running
    33 26 25 John Wes Townley(i) Zaxby’s Toyota 201 0 Running
    34 39 87 Milka Duno CanTV Toyota 201 10 Running
    35 23 1 Landon Cassill Flex Seal Chevrolet 190 9 Engine
    36 32 39 Ryan Sieg # Huntinator Chevrolet 179 8 Suspension
    37 16 98 Corey LaJoie(i) Medallion Financial/Smithfield Ford 116 0 Accident
    38 36 40 Matt DiBenedetto Curtis Key Plumbing Chevrolet 57 6 Transmission
    39 38 52 Joey Gase FindDieselEngines.com Chevrolet 54 5 Engine
    40 34 91 Jeff Green SupportMilitary.org Toyota 3 4 Vibration

    # = Rookie, Fin = Finish, Str = Start, Pts = Total Points, BPs = Lap Leader Bns Pts, TLd = Times Led, LLd = Laps Led. (i) Ineligible for driver points in this series

    2014 NASCAR Nationwide Series Unofficial Point Standings Final

    Pos Driver BPts Points Ldr Nxt Starts Poles Wins T5s T10s DNF PPos G/L
    1 Chase Elliott # 26 1213 0 0 33 2 3 16 26 0 1 0
    2 Regan Smith 13 1171 -42 -42 33 0 1 7 26 0 2 0
    3 Elliott Sadler 13 1154 -59 -17 33 1 1 7 25 1 4 1
    4 Brian Scott 10 1154 -59 0 33 3 0 6 23 1 3 -1
    5 Ty Dillon # 11 1148 -65 -6 33 3 1 7 24 1 5 0
    6 Trevor Bayne 7 1086 -127 -62 33 1 0 5 21 3 6 0
    7 Chris Buescher # 9 1014 -199 -72 32 0 1 5 14 1 7 0
    8 Brendan Gaughan 14 954 -259 -60 33 0 2 2 7 2 8 0
    9 Ryan Reed # 1 889 -324 -65 33 0 0 1 1 2 9 0
    10 James Buescher 3 868 -345 -21 33 0 0 0 2 1 11 1
    11 Dylan Kwasniewski # 0 867 -346 -1 33 1 0 0 3 4 10 -1
    12 Landon Cassill 0 800 -413 -67 33 0 0 0 3 7 12 0
    13 Dakoda Armstrong # 2 788 -425 -12 33 1 0 0 3 1 13 0
    14 Mike Bliss 1 779 -434 -9 33 0 0 0 1 4 14 0
    15 Jeremy Clements 8 757 -456 -22 33 0 0 0 2 2 15 0
    16 Ryan Sieg # 1 682 -531 -75 33 0 0 1 2 5 16 0
    17 Jj Yeley 2 651 -562 -31 30 0 0 1 2 5 17 0
    18 Jeffrey Earnhardt 1 586 -627 -65 33 0 0 0 0 9 18 0
    19 Eric McClure 0 521 -692 -65 28 0 0 0 0 4 19 0
    20 Joey Gase 1 482 -731 -39 33 0 0 0 0 11 20 0
    21 Matt Dibenedetto 0 369 -844 -113 29 0 0 0 0 17 22 1
    22 Tanner Berryhill # 1 365 -848 -4 29 0 0 0 0 14 23 1
    23 Derrike Cope 0 364 -849 -1 28 0 0 0 0 12 21 -2
    24 Blake Koch 2 317 -896 -47 28 0 0 0 0 18 25 1
    25 Jamie Dick 1 314 -899 -3 21 0 0 0 0 7 24 -1
    26 David Starr 2 293 -920 -21 14 0 0 0 1 1 26 0
    27 Sam Hornish Jr. 10 242 -971 -51 8 2 1 4 4 3 27 0
    28 Mike Wallace 1 229 -984 -13 11 0 0 0 1 2 28 0
    29 Chad Boat 1 227 -986 -2 14 0 0 0 0 6 29 0
    30 Carlos Contreras 0 204 -1009 -23 14 0 0 0 0 5 30 0
    31 Jeff Green 0 172 -1041 -32 20 0 0 0 0 16 31 0
    32 Kevin Swindell 0 157 -1056 -15 10 0 0 0 0 4 32 0
    33 Mike Harmon 0 153 -1060 -4 16 0 0 0 0 13 33 0
    34 Kevin Lepage 0 137 -1076 -16 14 0 0 0 0 10 34 0
    35 Tommy Joe Martins 0 124 -1089 -13 11 0 0 0 0 8 35 0
    36 Josh Reaume 0 116 -1097 -8 11 0 0 0 0 8 36 0
    37 Ryan Ellis 0 104 -1109 -12 12 0 0 0 0 10 37 0
    38 Carl Long 0 104 -1109 0 16 0 0 0 0 16 38 0
    39 Alex Tagliani 1 82 -1131 -22 2 1 0 2 2 0 39 0
    40 Austin Theriault 0 78 -1135 -4 3 0 0 0 0 0 40 0
    41 Will Kimmel III 0 74 -1139 -4 5 0 0 0 0 1 41 0
    42 Robert Richardson Jr. 0 72 -1141 -2 7 0 0 0 0 4 42 0
    43 Cody Ware 0 71 -1142 -1 4 0 0 0 0 1 43 0
    44 Kenny Habul 0 61 -1152 -10 3 0 0 0 0 1 44 0
    45 Justin Marks 0 58 -1155 -3 2 0 0 0 1 0 45 0
    46 Daniel Suarez Garza 0 54 -1159 -4 2 0 0 0 0 0 46 0
    47 Morgan Shepherd 0 54 -1159 0 8 0 0 0 0 8 47 0
    48 Kelly Admiraal 0 53 -1160 -1 3 0 0 0 0 1 48 0
    49 Martin Roy 0 53 -1160 0 5 0 0 0 0 3 49 0
    50 Josh Berry 0 51 -1162 -2 2 0 0 0 0 0 59 9
    51 Stanton Barrett 0 49 -1164 -2 3 0 0 0 0 2 50 -1
    52 Kevin O’connell 0 48 -1165 -1 2 0 0 1 1 1 51 -1
    53 Ryan Preece 0 46 -1167 -2 2 0 0 0 0 0 61 8
    54 Ruben Garcia Mateos 0 41 -1172 -5 3 0 0 0 0 1 52 -2
    55 Harrison Rhodes 0 40 -1173 -1 6 0 0 0 0 6 53 -2
    56 Daryl Harr 0 39 -1174 -1 3 0 0 0 0 1 54 -2
    57 Andy Lally 0 37 -1176 -2 1 0 0 0 1 0 55 -2
    58 Hermie Sadler III 0 37 -1176 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 56 -2
    59 Bobby Reuse 0 35 -1178 -2 2 0 0 0 0 1 57 -2
    60 Hal Martin 0 34 -1179 -1 2 0 0 0 0 0 58 -2
    61 Scott Lagasse Jr. 0 31 -1182 -3 2 0 0 0 0 0 60 -1
    62 Matt Frahm 0 28 -1185 -3 3 0 0 0 0 2 62 0
    63 Tim Cowen 0 26 -1187 -2 1 0 0 0 0 0 63 0
    64 Paulie Harraka 0 25 -1188 -1 1 0 0 0 0 0 64 0
    65 Kenny Wallace 0 25 -1188 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 65 0
    66 Jason White 0 25 -1188 0 2 0 0 0 0 1 66 0
    67 Ryan Gifford 0 24 -1189 -1 1 0 0 0 0 0 67 0
    68 Bobby Gerhart 0 19 -1194 -5 2 0 0 0 0 1 68 0
    69 Mackena Bell 0 15 -1198 -4 1 0 0 0 0 0 69 0
    70 John Jackson 0 15 -1198 0 4 0 0 0 0 4 70 0
    71 Matthew Carter 0 15 -1198 0 3 0 0 0 0 3 71 0
    72 Roger Reuse 0 14 -1199 -1 2 0 0 0 0 1 72 0
    73 Tim Schendel 0 14 -1199 0 3 0 0 0 0 3 73 0
    74 Milka Duno 0 14 -1199 0 2 0 0 0 0 1 76 2
    75 Kyle Fowler 0 12 -1201 -2 1 0 0 0 0 0 74 -1
    76 Richard Harriman 0 12 -1201 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 75 -1
    77 Kyle Busch(I) 0 0 -1213 -12 26 7 7 25 25 0 77 0
    78 Brad Keselowski(I) 0 0 -1213 -12 11 5 5 10 11 0 78 0
    79 Kevin Harvick(I) 0 0 -1213 -12 15 1 4 12 15 0 79 0
    80 Kyle Larson(I) 0 0 -1213 -12 28 1 2 14 21 2 80 0
    81 Ryan Blaney(I) 0 0 -1213 -12 14 1 1 10 13 0 81 0
    82 Matt Kenseth(I) 0 0 -1213 -12 19 0 1 10 15 1 87 5
    83 Paul Menard(I) 0 0 -1213 -12 8 0 1 3 5 0 82 -1
    84 Kasey Kahne(I) 0 0 -1213 -12 3 0 1 2 2 1 83 -1
    85 Marcos Ambrose(I) 0 0 -1213 -12 1 0 1 1 1 0 84 -1
    86 Joey Logano(I) 0 0 -1213 -12 10 3 0 8 9 0 85 -1
    87 Michael McDowell(I) 0 0 -1213 -12 3 0 0 1 3 0 86 -1
    88 Dale Earnhardt Jr.(I) 0 0 -1213 -12 4 0 0 3 3 0 88 0
    89 David Ragan(I) 0 0 -1213 -12 6 0 0 1 2 0 89 0
    90 Erik Jones(I) 0 0 -1213 -12 3 0 0 0 3 0 90 0
    91 Cale Conley(I) 0 0 -1213 -12 11 0 0 0 1 2 91 0
    92 Joe Nemechek(I) 0 0 -1213 -12 6 0 0 0 1 0 92 0
    93 Darrell Wallace Jr.(I) 0 0 -1213 -12 2 0 0 0 1 0 93 0
    94 Austin Dillon(I) 0 0 -1213 -12 1 0 0 0 1 0 94 0
    95 Justin Boston(I) 0 0 -1213 -12 2 0 0 0 1 0 95 0
    96 Ross Chastain(I) 0 0 -1213 -12 7 0 0 0 1 0 96 0
    97 Alex Bowman(I) 0 0 -1213 -12 3 0 0 0 0 0 97 0
    98 Matt Crafton(I) 0 0 -1213 -12 1 0 0 0 0 0 98 0
    99 Aric Almirola(I) 0 0 -1213 -12 2 0 0 0 0 0 99 0
    100 John Wes Townley(I) 0 0 -1213 -12 11 0 0 0 0 2 100 0
    101 Chase Pistone(I) 0 0 -1213 -12 3 0 0 0 0 0 101 0
    102 Johnny Sauter(I) 0 0 -1213 -12 3 0 0 0 0 0 102 0
    103 Josh Wise(I) 0 0 -1213 -12 17 0 0 0 0 6 103 0
    104 Tj Bell(I) 0 0 -1213 -12 2 0 0 0 0 1 117 13
    105 Jeb Burton(I) 0 0 -1213 -12 1 0 0 0 0 0 104 -1
    106 Corey Lajoie(I) 0 0 -1213 -12 5 0 0 0 0 3 105 -1
    107 Brennan Newberry(I) 0 0 -1213 -12 4 0 0 0 0 1 106 -1
    108 Danica Patrick(I) 0 0 -1213 -12 1 0 0 0 0 0 107 -1
    109 Tomy Drissi(I) 0 0 -1213 -12 2 0 0 0 0 0 108 -1
    110 Timmy Hill(I) 0 0 -1213 -12 7 0 0 0 0 4 109 -1
    111 Jake Crum(I) 0 0 -1213 -12 4 0 0 0 0 1 111 0
    112 Jennifer Jo Cobb(I) 0 0 -1213 -12 1 0 0 0 0 0 110 -2
    113 Todd Bodine(I) 0 0 -1213 -12 2 0 0 0 0 1 112 -1
    114 Chris Cockrum(I) 0 0 -1213 -12 2 0 0 0 0 0 113 -1
    115 Caleb Roark(I) 0 0 -1213 -12 1 0 0 0 0 1 114 -1
    116 Denny Hamlin(I) 0 0 -1213 -12 1 0 0 0 0 1 115 -1
    117 Derek White(I) 0 0 -1213 -12 2 0 0 0 0 2 116 -1
    118 Jimmy Weller(I) 0 0 -1213 -12 1 0 0 0 0 1 118 0
    119 Willie Allen(I) 0 0 -1213 -12 0 0 0 0 0 0 119 0
    120 Benny Gordon 0 0 -1213 -12 0 0 0 0 0 0 120 0
    121 Clay Greenfield(I) 0 0 -1213 -12 0 0 0 0 0 0 169 48

    BPts – Bonus Points, -Ldr/-Nxt = Points behind Leader/Next higher, PPos = Previous Position, G/L = Points standing gain/loss, (i) Ineligible for driver points in this series

    Source: Timing and Scoring provided by NASCAR Media/NASCAR Statistics

     

  • The Final Word – At Phoenix we Learned Being Liked and Respected can Earn Forgiveness

    The Final Word – At Phoenix we Learned Being Liked and Respected can Earn Forgiveness

    There are drivers you like and there are drivers you do not. If a driver should be a whiney revisionist weasel who does his best to avoid cashing the checks his mouth keeps on writing, I am not a fan. This is how I once viewed Kurt Busch, and it is how I presently see Brad Keselowski. For him to not make the Chase finale came as a welcome conclusion to the activities at Phoenix.

    I love Kevin Harvick. He does what he does and if you do not like it, you know where you can find him. At Phoenix, that would have been up front. He dominated the Harvick 500 from start to finish and every restart to win his fourth of the season to punch his ticket into the final four.

    I am not a fan of Denny Hamlin or Joey Logano. To be honest, I cannot tell you the deep dark reasoning behind it. I guess I just need some black hats out there on the range to go with the cowboys in white. They finished fifth and sixth respectively and had enough in the bank to go through to the final round themselves. Only tough luck has kept Hamlin from taking a championship in the past, while the 24-year old Logano is a legitimate contender no matter what measurement one wishes to use. One day, I might even get excited when they take the checkered flag.

    Jeff Gordon has been outstanding in 2014, robbed of something better by Keselowski at Texas. Ryan Newman, whose eight win season in 2003 was trumped by Matt Kenseth’s title run, used Kyle Larson’s car as a buffer on the final turn on Sunday to pick up the spot that got him in. In doing so, he also put Gordon out. Fan reaction to that move, and the end result in the Chase standings, I dare say, is much different than if it were Keselowski bouncing off Larson to end the dream for Gordon.

    By in large, it comes down to one driver being basically liked while the other is essentially not. It is not a universal feeling, granted, but by enough that it matters. While it might affect how many t-shirts he sells, being liked by the fans is not as important as being respected by your peers. They do not have to love you, but they need to have an appreciation for you that, despite his unquestionable talent, Keselowski still appears to have failed to earn.

    What the boy needs is charm and the cojones to meet head on any challenges that comes his way. Sure, he might get shaken like a rag doll from time to time, but he won’t get punched, unless someone has the cash to spend. With his talent in the car and his gift of the gab outside of it, he has the tools to jaw and charm his way through damn near anything. J.R. Ewing did it. So did Dale Earnhardt. Why not Brad? Heck, he could even continue to wear the black hat.

    Why was Brad driving the winning Nationwide car at Phoenix on Saturday? Why are any Cup guys running that circuit enough to claim 21 of 32 events this season, and nine of the past 10? Maybe NASCAR just wants to kill the circuit and this is what they have come up with. Chase Elliott has already claimed the season crown, winning three races in Texas, Darlington and Chicago against Cup talent. The lad turns 19 at the end of this month. We need to see more young talented drivers in this circuit like Chase Elliott, and less of the likes of Kyle Busch and Brad Keselowski.

    To see either in more than one race at Homestead is likely, but neither will be in the running for a title in the season finales. What we will have will be four drivers, each seeking this first Cup championship, and come Sunday one of them will be successful. Nothing to not like there.

    CHASE CHAMPIONSHIP FOUR…
    1 – Kevin Harvick – 1 WIN – 4102 Points
    2 – Denny Hamlin – 4112 Pts
    3 – Joey Logano – 4111 Pts
    4 – Ryan Newman – 4103 Pts

    FOUR SHOWN THE DOOR…
    5 – Jeff Gordon – 4102 Pts
    6 – Matt Kenseth – 4100 Pts
    7 – Brad Keselowski – 4095 Pts
    8 – Carl Edwards – 4088 Pts

  • Hot 20 – Martinsville Could Showcase a Wildcard Cup Contender and a Dying Minor League

    Hot 20 – Martinsville Could Showcase a Wildcard Cup Contender and a Dying Minor League

    Will it bother anyone if, conceivably, one not so deserving wins the Cup title this year? I mean, if it is Jeff Gordon, Joey Logano, or Brad Keselowski, I doubt few would argue the outcome. One could even argue that the likes of Kevin Harvick, Carl Edwards, Matt Kenseth, or Ryan Newman would be a worthy champion.

    However, what about Denny Hamlin? Even if he had taken part in the two events he missed in order to mend, Hamlin would not even be in our Top Ten. Okay, maybe if he had won them both, but what were the chances? Still, would he be deemed as a worthy holder of the title?

    In a word, yes. Few, if any, are pointing out the fact that the World Series participants, the Giants and the Royals, are just a pair of wildcard teams. They were not the best in their division, and in fact each was just the fourth best in their respective leagues. Yet, as time goes on, fewer will remember that the Orioles, Tigers, Angels, Dodgers, Nationals and the Cardinals all had better runs in 2014. They did, but when it counted, they did not. Hamlin is among those who has, thus far, been there when it counted.

    When you watch a truck race, you can count on 36 entries. Usually. Well, sometimes. Not next year, when they scale the field down to 32. My guess is that it has been an embarrassment for NASCAR to realize a full slate just five out of 18 events. Three times they could not even get 30. Of the 37 entered to compete at Martinsville, only 13 have run the entire series. Only 16 have run 15 or more. Two others in that number, Ron Hornaday and T.J. Bell, are not even entered for this weekend.

    I wonder what the problem is. Eight races have been won by Cup regulars, six of them by Kyle Busch. He, along with Keselowski and Austin Dillon are not entered at Martinsville. Two time winner Erik Jones is not, along with Cole Custer. What has gone wrong?

    We are told the economy is still suffering, that sponsorship is hard to come by. So, is the involvement of the Cup guys keeping at least some level of interest alive, or is it helping to kill it? Maybe an answer can be found in the Nationwide series, where only 17 drivers have run all 30 of those races to date. They have won just eight between them. Nineteen have been won by Cup regulars, led by the half dozen claimed by (guess who?) Kyle Busch. At least they will retain the 40 car field for next season, but for how much longer?

    Me thinks NASCAR needs to rethink its model for the supposed minor leagues, where 27 of the 48 events have been claimed by “major leaguers” this season. If the trend of attrition in the number of teams and full-time drivers at its lower levels does not turn around soon, Cup might be all NASCAR has to offer.

    *Winning bonus increased from 3 to 25 points.
    BOLD = Current Chase contenders

    1 – Jeff Gordon – 4 Wins – 1203 Points*
    2 – Joey Logano – 5 – 1187
    3 – Brad Keselowski – 5 – 1175
    4 – Dale Earnhardt Jr – 3 – 1089
    5 – Kevin Harvick – 3 – 1088
    6 – Jimmie Johnson – 3 – 1033
    7 – Carl Edwards – 2 – 1005
    8 – Matt Kenseth – 0 – 993
    9 – Ryan Newman – 0 – 990
    10 – Kyle Larson – 0 – 967
    11 – Kasey Kahne – 1 – 923
    12 – Kyle Busch – 1 – 903
    13 – Greg Biffle – 0 – 900
    14 – Clint Bowyer – 0 – 885
    15 – Austin Dillon – 0 – 878
    16 – Jamie McMurray – 0 – 877
    17 – Denny Hamlin – 1 – 859
    18 – Brian Vickers – 0 – 830
    19 – Paul Menard – 0 – 826
    20 – Kurt Busch – 1 – 816

  • Hot 20 – After the Week We’ve Had, We Could Use a Little Good News From Michigan

    Hot 20 – After the Week We’ve Had, We Could Use a Little Good News From Michigan

    The news of late has been enough to make a clown cry. In fact, we just lost one of our most treasured entertainers, by his own hand. We have the tragedy involving Kevin Ward Jr. and Tony Stewart still on our minds. We have Martin Truex Jr.’s girlfriend facing health challenges.

    This has not been the best of weeks. You turn on your televison or check out Youtube and it does not get much better. Police lobbing tear gas at news crews in Missouri. One nation protecting its people with missiles while the other side protects its missiles with people. A tyrant threatening a neighboring country because he can. People streaming into another like it is “no pay and stay day” at Disneyland because some think that allowing them to do so is the right thing to do.

    I even sought escape in reality shows, with no luck. “America” just tossed out the best dancer on “So You Think You Can Dance” and I cannot begin to describe the talent tossed aside for crap on “America’s Got Talent.” It is enough to make Lewis Black go nuclear. Good Lord, we sure could use some positive diversions from all this damn reality.

    Just maybe Michigan will provide it for us. Might four time winner Greg Biffle lay claim to another and a Chase berth? Jack Roush’s organization could use a little good news today, an organization that will see a major sponsor and its best driver both fly away next season. Maybe Matt Kenseth could lock his way in with a third Michigan victory, even though a berth by points alone seems likely. Then again, one of those Hendrick boys might claim this thing again. Even Kasey Kahne has won there before. At least it would make some folks happier.

    Good news is that there will not be a single Cup driver in the Nationwide race. The bad news is that only 37 cars are entered to compete in the Ohio event. Only 28 trucks will run in the Camping World race at Michigan on Saturday. Kyle Busch will be competing, for you can never have enough races involving Kyle Busch.

    Maybe he just loves to race. Like Tony. Tony has won at Michigan before, but he will not be racing there on Sunday. With that, we’ve come full circle.

    Dale Earnhardt Jr. has returned to where he was, a decade ago. In these standings, where we bump up the victor’s bonus from 3 to 25 points, he leads. In the official standings, he leads. Twice before at Michigan, at the end, he has led. Maybe a win by Junior, or Jeff, or Brad, or Jimmie, Joey, Matt, Carl or Kevin might help put a big ole smile back on this face. I sure hope so. It has been one hell of a week.

    1 –   Dale Earnhardt, Jr. – 839 Points – 3 Wins
    2 –   Jeff Gordon – 812 – 2
    3 –   Brad Keselowski – 762 – 3
    4 –   Jimmie Johnson – 716 – 3
    5 –   Joey Logano – 715 – 2
    6 –   Matt Kenseth – 703 – 0
    7 –   Carl Edwards – 702 – 2
    8 –   Kevin Harvick – 689 – 2
    9 –   Ryan Newman – 645 – 0
    10 –   Kyle Busch – 637 – 1
    11 –   Kyle Larson – 635 – 0
    12 –   Clint Bowyer – 634 – 0
    13 –   Greg Biffle – 626 – 0
    14 –   Kasey Kahne – 622 – 0
    15 –   Austin Dillon – 616 – 0
    16 –   Marcos Ambrose – 584 – 0
    17 –   Denny Hamlin – 574 – 1
    18 –   Paul Menard – 574 – 0
    19 –   Brian Vickers – 573 – 0
    20 –   Jamie McMurray – 566 – 0

     

  • The Final Word – The Southern 500 featured SHR’s good, their bad, their ugly…and their boss

    The Final Word – The Southern 500 featured SHR’s good, their bad, their ugly…and their boss

    There is a reason we read the entire book, rather than rely totally on the CliffsNotes version. For example, the shortened description of Saturday night’s Southern 500 action at Darlington would read that Kevin Harvick dominated and went on to win his second of the season. That would be correct, yet it misses the fact Jeff Gordon had a shot, then Dale Earnhardt Jr had an opportunity, before Harvick charged ahead on fresh tires in the green-white-checker to run away with it in the end.

    It has been feast or famine for Harvick in the opening eight. He won at Phoenix and Darlington, was 13th at Daytona and 7th at Martinsville. Then there are the four races where he wound up beyond 35th. At least in a season where Stewart-Haas drivers have had their share of adversity on-track, he has given some hope, even if it proceeded a feeling of hopelessness. He has been damned good in all, a force to be reckoned with in each, but too often some part fails and the day goes for naught.  Saturday was not one of those days.

    If not for Harvick, we would be telling tales of woe regarding his team mate Kurt Busch. He did have one of those days on Saturday night, when he crashed out in 31st, a week after crashing out in 35th in Texas. A bad engine left him 39th at Phoenix, and when he clipped his brother at Bristol, once again 35th was his fate. Still, he has that win and that is going to mean a lot over the next few months.

    The CliffsNotes might have missed that little factoid, along with just how ornery that Lady in Black proved to be, especially to the rookie class. Both stand-out rookies Kyle Larson and Austin Dillon clobbered the fence coming off turn two, yet did finish 8th and 11th respectively…and respectfully.  

    When measuring the Danica Line, 25th or better usually finds one sitting ahead of her on the track. Not so on Saturday, when the third member of SHR finished 22nd. Of the other newcomers at Darlington, only the 23rd place of Justin Allgaier came close. Still, you have to show some respect to the other boys and their teams who are out there to race, to learn, to grow, to compete, and not just there to start and park and collect some undeserved cash.  Of the 43 who ran, maybe one might have exited early due to having a bad hair day.

    As for the driver in the owner’s seat, just where did Tony Stewart come from last weekend? Most of the night, he was trailing Danica, for goodness sake, but at the line Stewart recorded a Top Ten. How in blazes did that happen?  Fortuitous and smart pit strategy brought him back from the dead.

    Among those who do not get to hang with Gene Haas, Earnhardt and Gordon finished 2nd and 3rd, while Kyle Busch, Matt Kenseth, and Jimmie Johnson all had Top Ten days to remain high on the charts. Carl Edwards is still the best among single race winners, and he came home 13th.

    It burns me that the Nationwide series is still a showcase for five or six Cup guys, but I am pleased to see they are now joined by Chase Elliott. Bill’s boy won his second straight when the series regular won at Darlington to lead the over-all standings. Elliott Sadler (2nd), Regan Smith (8th), Trevor Bayne (9th), and Ty Dillon (10th) also finished strong among the relevant performers.

    If wins are the thing, then Harvick takes over the top spot in the Cup standings, while Gordon and Kenseth remain the best among those who have yet to shake up the bubbly post-race as we take the week off for Easter. A fellow might even have time to read a full sized book this weekend. Any suggestions?

     

    Driver

    Races

    Wins

    Points

    1

      Kevin Harvick

    8

    2

    186

    2

      Carl Edwards

    8

    1

    278

    3

      Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

    8

    1

    271

    4

      Kyle Busch

    8

    1

    269

    5

      Brad Keselowski

    8

    1

    246

    6

      Joey Logano

    8

    1

    245

    7

      Kurt Busch

    8

    1

    164

    8

      Jeff Gordon

    8

    0

    297

    9

      Matt Kenseth

    8

    0

    296

    10

      Jimmie Johnson

    8

    0

    270

    11

      Ryan Newman

    8

    0

    236

    12

      Austin Dillon

    8

    0

    235

    13

      Greg Biffle

    8

    0

    227

    14

      Brian Vickers

    8

    0

    224

    15

      Tony Stewart

    8

    0

    224

    16

      Denny Hamlin

    7

    0

    223

    17

      Kyle Larson

    8

    0

    223

    31

      Reed Sorenson

    8

    0

    118
  • Sprint Cup, Nationwide Rookies Show Promise In Testing

    Sprint Cup, Nationwide Rookies Show Promise In Testing

    The cars are on the track, the teams are meticulously preparing their race cars for the beginning of the 2014 season, and the rookies are outshining the veterans, at least in testing. Starting with the Sprint Cup Series, Austin Dillon, the 2013 Nationwide Series Champion, had the fastest car in Sprint Cup Preseason Thunder Testing at 195.109 mph. He was followed by his RCR teammate and fellow rookie Brian Scott.

    Fans were delighted to see the eldest Dillon brother rise to the top of the speed charts since his car carries the prestigious number 3 on the doors. Fellow rookie competitor Kyle Larson was fifth quickest at 193.411 mph.

    As for the Nationwide Series, the story remains the same. The rookies are showing a lot of promise and one driver has shown that he is the clear favorite for the pole if not the win: Dylan Kwasniewski. In the Saturday morning test at Daytona, Kwasniewski was had the fastest car, posting a speed of 183.408 mph. He was also fastest in Sunday’s morning test and was the only driver to break the 190-mph barrier. Kwasniewski, who was the 2013 K&N Pro Series East Champion, was also ninth in the Saturday evening session. Fellow Nationwide rookies Chase Elliott and Chad Boat paced the Saturday and Sunday afternoon sessions respectively.

    So the question remains: What does this all mean? In reality, not much, other than the fact that Austin Dillon and Dylan Kwasniewski are major threats to win the pole in their respective series. Other than that, it’s too early to determine whether or not Dillon or Kwasniewski (or any other rookie) will actually win a couple of races in 2014.

    However, I will predict that Austin Dillon will win a race in 2014, which will most likely come on a restrictor plate track. How will much-hyped Kyle Larson fair in 2014? It’s very difficult to say, but something tells me that his season might be statistically similar to Ricky Stenhouse’s season last year. So, are these test speeds foreshadowing great things to come for the 2014 NASCAR Rookie Class? Only time will tell.

  • Hot 20 over the past 10 – The junior circuit needs a rejig, while our Cup leaders hope to avoid a bad day in Charlotte

    Hot 20 over the past 10 – The junior circuit needs a rejig, while our Cup leaders hope to avoid a bad day in Charlotte

    As we head into Charlotte, there is a birthday to note and a milestone to recognize.  Dale Earnhardt Jr has celebrated his 39th birthday, and on Saturday night he will run in his 500th Cup start. It is a track he has yet to win on, a track that launched his Cup career back in 1999.

    Of course, by that time Junior had already won his first of two junior circuit titles. In doing so, in 1998 and 1999, he claimed 13 victories. Imagine that, the champion of what, for now at least, is known as the Nationwide series actually winning races.  Regan Smith has won two and sits in second place. Sam Hornish Jr and the eighth place Trevor Bayne each has one. Austin Dillon leads Smith by eight points, and he has not yet won a blessed thing. I wonder why?

    Four Nationwide drivers have won just four of 29 events.  Maybe it is a good thing that Kyle Busch missed seven of those races, for he has won 10 of those he has run. Brad Keselowski has five, Joey Logano has three, and two more claimed by Matt Kenseth. After fellow Cup drivers Tony Stewart and Kevin Harvick get credit for their wins, that leaves only the one to youngster Ryan Blaney and the two for two run of A.J. Allmendinger when he found the time when not running Cup or IndyCar.  So, exactly what is the purpose of the Nationwide series?

    If it is to develop future Cup drivers, rather than providing Chasers or former Cup champions yet another opportunity to showcase their talents against lesser lights, then just maybe we have undermined the purpose of the series. Maybe we have turned the exercise into something of a joke. I do understand why they run there, why the track owners want to see them there, but as much as I would love to see such names as Cabrera, Ellsbury, and Scherzer on the field should I take in a game in Winnipeg, it would be wrong for them to be there in a regular American Association game. It is just as wrong for Kyle, Joey, Matt, et al to take the place of drivers who have hopes of climbing the ladder. There is nothing to be gained by having established  stars simply dropping down to the bushes,  as it were.

    A solution? Allow Cup drivers five, and no more than five, opportunities to compete in any lower series than the one they are competing for points in. If Kyle Busch wishes to race in five Nationwide races and five truck events, let him do so. The fans would love it…but no more than five in each. Up and coming drivers would love the opportunity to compete, and to do so against their peers. They deserve no less. You can discuss.

    While the others await a stumble from Kenseth as we head toward the fifth of the ten Chase events, our points leader remains the hottest driver over the past ten events. While Jimmie Johnson sits three points back in the standings, he is buried  in 17th place over the past ten starts. So, what if there is no stumble, what if these drivers average a tenth place finish the rest of the way?

    With the advent of the Chase, whomever is the best over the final ten races of the season should be the champion. Obviously, making the Chase is necessary as well as taking into consideration the bonus advantage the leader takes in. Three points is what Kenseth had over Johnson going in, and three points is what he has today.

    As we replace the results from Pocono, Watkins Glen, Michigan, Bristol, Atlanta and Richmond by those of Charlotte, Talladega, Martinsville, Fort Worth, Phoenix, and Homestead, let us assume both Kenseth and Johnson will average 34 points, a 10th place finish, from this point onward. If that were the case, Kenseth would end with a ten race total of 372 points, a dozen better than what he has today. If Jimmie Johnson replaces those results (13th, 8th, 40th, 36th, 28th, and 40th) in similar fashion, he also would wind up with 372 points, jumping his total by 103.

    While Five Time is not among our hottest today, he will be in six weeks if he hopes to make it six. As hot as the Busch boys, Logano, Gordon, and Harvick might be right now, they will need better than a series of 10th place finishes to get back into the picture. That said, a bad day for two could equate into a great one for a few others.

    TW Driver Win T5 T10 Points LW Rank
    1 Matt Kenseth 3 3 5 360 1 1
    2 Kurt Busch 0 6 7 352 5 7
    3 Joey Logano 1 5 7 348 4 10
    4 Jeff Gordon 0 3 7 342 6 4
    5 Kyle Busch 2 5 6 337 2 5
    6 Kevin Harvick 1 3 5 332 9 3
    7 Greg Biffle 0 1 5 330 7 6
    8 Ryan Newman 0 3 5 317 3 12
    9 Jamie McMurray 0 2 2 310 8 14
    10 Carl Edwards 1 3 5 304 10 11
    11 Dale Earnhardt, Jr. 0 2 6 294 11 8
    12 Marcos Ambrose 0 0 3 288 15 20
    13 Paul Menard 0 2 4 285 14 17
    14 Juan Pablo Montoya 0 2 3 280 12 22
    15 Kasey Kahne 1 2 3 275 13 13
    16 Brad Keselowski 0 1 3 274 17 15
    17 Jimmie Johnson 1 3 5 269 16 2
    18 Jeff Burton 0 0 2 258 22 19
    19 Martin Truex, Jr. 0 2 4 252 18 16
    20 Aric Almirola 0 0 1 246 20 18
    21 Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. 0 0 2 246 19 21
    22 Clint Bowyer 0 1 4 242 21 9
  • Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Talks About His Rookie NSCS Season

    Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Talks About His Rookie NSCS Season

    Following the opening Cup practice of the weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, I spoke with ROTY contender and 2-time Nationwide champion Ricky Stenhouse Jr. regarding his rookie season. The past few weeks, Ricky has turned a corner winning the pole at Atlanta before ripping off back-to-back top ten finishes. There is no doubting this guy’s ability and it’s only a matter of time before his true potential at the Cup level is fully realized.

    Talk first about the transition from Nationwide to Cup and the challenges you face as you try to adapt to the Gen-6 car.

    The biggest thing is obviously the horsepower. Having the Gen-6 cars being implemented this year at the same time I’m coming in; I thought (that) was a great time because everyone’s still learning. We haven’t really been as fast at Roush-Fenway as a whole as we wanted and we’re trying to figure this car out as a race team. Driving wise, it’s a big difference. There’s a lot more brake that you got to use and you can’t just jump right back into the gas with all that extra horsepower. It’s been a challenge trying to figure that out. One of the biggest things about Cup is that we always practice at the worst time of the day and then race at a completely opposite (time). In Nationwide, you practice early in the morning; the temperatures are a little cooler and then we race at night. With the Cup cars, we practice dead in the middle of the day so that transition from practice to the race is something I’ve been trying to figure out as well. There’s a lot of factors that go into learning these cars and we’re starting to figure it out.

    Every driver has their particular style of driving and how they want their cars setup; how do you like your cars to feel?

    Yeah, I like mine loose. I hate when our car doesn’t turn. If you listened on our radio, you would find that out. (chuckles) I like my cars to turn…I feel like when the car’s too tight with my driving style of driving (which is) really hard and aggressive, there’s nothing you can do but slow down to get the car to turn. When it’s a little looser, you can still drive it hard and try to get it to tighten up the harder you drive it so I enjoy a loose racecar.

    Going into this season, what were your expectations and have you met them?

    No, we have not met them. We wanted to be top 15 team in points.I think we can get maybe an 18th, 17th or something before the year’s up. We feel like we should have more top 10’s by now. I would like to be running top 10 consistently by now…we’ve done it the past few weeks but we still got to get that speed consistently every week. We’ve led laps which is a positive; we wanted to lead laps this year at some point but we just haven’t been able to finish the races off like we want to. We’ve been fast at the beginning of some races; had some bad luck when we have been fast but yeah, we definitely want some more top 10’s before the end of the year…we thought we’d have quite a few by now.

    The past few weeks, you’ve been doing a lot better. You got that pole and two top 10’s so what’s changed?

    Just getting more comfortable. The guys are working really hard and Scott (Graves) and the guys are making really good calls at the end of these races to keep our track position. I’m not the only rookie here; Scott is a new crew chief so he’s learning as well. At the beginning of the year, we had a lot of times at the end of these races where we tried to make these cars better and we would never make them better and we’d still be behind a lot of guys on the restarts. Staying out and keeping our track position has been one of the best things but you still got to have a decent racecar to do that. I think our cars have been getting a little better and I’m getting more comfortable as well.

    How close do you think you are to that first win…do you think you might be able to get it before the end of the year?

    That would be nice…if we can carry this momentum that we got going to some of these mile and a half race tracks like Charlotte, Kansas, and Texas; I feel like those are going to be our best shots at it. You know, Talladega we were really fast and we led laps there earlier in the year so if we can carry some momentum into those race tracks, keep making our cars better and I keep getting better as a driver; those would be our best shots.

    As you try to adapt to these cars, which driver has been the biggest help to you?

    The teammates are great help. Obviously, I can look at their data and see what they’re doing and how they’re driving the cars. Kevin Harvick has been another good one that has really reached out and helped me; especially at some of the tracks that I haven’t been to like Sears Point or Infinion…(Sonoma)…yeah, Sonoma or whatever it is. He’s (Harvick) raced with me in Nationwide so he knows my tendencies (in Nationwide) and he knows that they won’t exactly work over here. He’s been a big help as well.

    You know, as a rookie, sometimes the veterans pick on you so has anyone given you a hard time this year?

    Nah….everybody’s been pretty good. Some of them that I haven’t raced with; they’ll get a little madder than others like if I don’t give them enough room or whatever but everybody’s been pretty good. I haven’t really had any issues.

    I asked this to Eric McClure this a few weeks ago and got a pretty funny response (Ricky chuckles) and I’ve asked a couple other drivers it and gotten some interesting answers so I thought I might ask you…what’s the strangest fan encounter you’ve ever had?

    Mine hasn’t been too bad or at least from what I can remember. Normally, you’d remember something like that. Umm…I signed a guys forehead once; that was kind of weird because I don’t know why you would want someone’s signature on your forehead. (chuckles) That’s probably been the weirdest thing. It’s always a little different….sometimes they’ll show you pictures of their room and they’ll have pictures all over the place but it takes die-hard fans like that to keep our sport going.

    At just 25 years old, Ricky has an incredible future ahead of him. He’s got a solid ride with a top tier organization and he will most likely be a chase contender within the next couple of years. He only has two top 10’s in his rookie season but wasn’t there some other new guy a few years back who in his first full-time season, only finished inside the top 10 twice driving for a top level team just like Ricky? I think he is a Nationwide champion too actually. Oh yeah! He’s that guy we call Brad Keselowski…the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion.