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Wisconsin Native Paul Menard Wins in Nail-biting Road America Finish

By Chris Knight

ELKHART LAKE, Wis. – The decision to compete in Saturday afternoon’s NASCAR XFINITY Series sixth annual Road America 180 Fired Up by Johnsonville at Road America (Wis.) paid off in a huge way for Paul Menard who scored his third career XFINITY victory at his hometown track.

Menard, a native of Eau Claire, Wis. started eighth and saw a decision to stay out after pitting on Lap 24 work to his advantage as he edged out a relentless Ryan Blaney by 0.573 seconds at the 14-turn road course. After the contest, Menard said had the race extended a lap further, he would not have collected his first XFINITY win since Michigan International Speedway last June.

“I’ve been really fortunate to win at some of the coolest tracks, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Road America is right there,” Menard said. “These guys called a great race. We didn’t have the fastest car. We had a really good short run car. We really burned off the rear tires as we ran, but the Richmond Water Heaters / Menards Chevrolet was fast and (crew chief Danny) Stockman made a hell of a call at the end.”

If wondering about running out of fuel wasn’t enough, Menard also had to fend off a hard-charging Blaney.

“I was definitely concerned,” added Menard on both circumstances. “I was saving as much as I could under caution, but then when we fired off I was just chattering the left rear tire really bad. It took a couple of laps for it to come in, then the (No.) 22 started burning his stuff up, but it just didn’t fire off very good in the end, but it came to us.”

After inclement weather forced the cancelation of Coors Light Pole qualifying, Ben Rhodes earned the top starting spot based upon turning the fastest lap at the 4.05-mile road course in the first XFINITY Series practice session Friday afternoon.

Rhodes, a NASCAR Next alum, would find himself under pressure from the drop of the green flag when JR Motorsports teammate Chase Elliott made the move for the lead in Turn 1. Quickly, though, the field would be under the first full-course caution of the day when Tomy Drissi found himself stuck in the gravel trap in Turn 5.

Racing resumed on Lap 4 with Elliott checking out from the field and before the first round of green-flag pit stops. The reigning champion stretched his lead to over 10 seconds when he relinquished the top spot on Lap 11 for a routine pit stop.

Championship contender Ty Dillon inherited the lead when Elliott pitted. Dillon, who finished 10th, stretched his fuel run an extra lap to earn a crucial bonus point towards the championship picture.

When pit stops cycled through, Elliott reclaimed the point on Lap 16 and built a 13.7-second lead over second-place Brian Scott at the halfway mark. On Lap 22, the second caution waved for fluid on the track, erasing Elliott’s substantial advantage.

Despite half of the field electing to come to pit road for service behind them, Elliott and his JRM team stood firm on their plan and stayed out. On the restart, Elliott withstood a challenge for Brian Scott and Ryan Blaney, but in Turn 14 and through the frontstretch, Scott mounted the pressure and made the move on Elliott to take the lead on Lap 27.

Unable to make it to the end on fuel, Scott pitted under green on Lap 29 handing the lead to defending race winner Brendan Gaughan. Three laps later, though, Gaughan pitted, handing the lead to hometown hero Paul Menard who pitted during the second caution with 13 laps remaining.

Planning to stay out till the end, Menard in saving mode purposely gave up the lead to Blake Koch who led with 10 laps remaining when pole-sitter Rhodes found himself stuck in the gravel trap in Turn 7 issuing the third full course caution. During the extended caution, Koch lost power putting Menard back at the point.

On the Lap 41 restart, Menard withstood challenges from Darrell Wallace Jr. and Blaney to seal the win in his 197th career start.

Next up for the NASCAR XFINITY Series is a trip to the track dubbed “Too Tough To Tame” at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway for the VFW Sport Clips Help A Hero 200 on Sept. 5 (3:30 p.m. ET on NBC).

NASCAR XFINITY Series Race – Road America 180 Fired Up by Johnsonville
Road America
Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin
Saturday, August 29, 2015

                1. (8) Paul Menard(i), Chevrolet, 45, $44401.

               2. (3) Ryan Blaney, Ford, 45, $44938.

               3. (5) Brian Scott, Chevrolet, 45, $35687.

               4. (2) Chase Elliott, Chevrolet, 45, $38976.

               5. (17) Darrell Wallace Jr. #, Ford, 45, $32908.

               6. (7) Boris Said, Toyota, 45, $26329.

               7. (4) Justin Marks, Chevrolet, 45, $26863.

               8. (12) Regan Smith, Chevrolet, 45, $23729.

               9. (6) Chris Buescher, Ford, 45, $23450.

               10. (13) Ty Dillon, Chevrolet, 45, $24122.

               11. (26) Michael Self, Chevrolet, 45, $23096.

               12. (9) Elliott Sadler, Ford, 45, $23019.

               13. (25) Dylan Lupton, Chevrolet, 45, $22919.

               14. (14) Kenny Habul, Toyota, 45, $22792.

               15. (15) Andy Lally, Chevrolet, 45, $23116.

               16. (16) Brendan Gaughan, Chevrolet, 45, $22640.

               17. (33) Kevin O’Connell, Chevrolet, 45, $16738.

               18. (23) Lawson Aschenbach, Chevrolet, 45, $22437.

               19. (24) Ryan Reed, Ford, 45, $22361.

               20. (27) David Starr, Toyota, 45, $22811.

               21. (22) Blake Koch, Toyota, 45, $22235.

               22. (20) Ryan Sieg, Chevrolet, 45, $22189.

               23. (28) Eric McClure, Toyota, 45, $22154.

               24. (10) Daniel Suarez #, Toyota, 45, $22093.

               25. (34) Tim Cowen, Ford, 45, $16172.

               26. (40) Stanton Barrett, Ford, 45, $15986.

               27. (32) Ross Chastain #, Chevrolet, 44, $21951.

               28. (11) Jeremy Clements, Chevrolet, 44, $21921.

               29. (35) Joey Gase, Chevrolet, 44, $21885.

               30. (36) Derrike Cope, Chevrolet, 43, $16140.

               31. (37) Roger Reuse, Chevrolet, 43, $15794.

               32. (1) Ben Rhodes, Chevrolet, 41, $21749.

               33. (18) Dylan Kwasniewski, Chevrolet, 41, $15718.

               34. (19) Dakoda Armstrong, Ford, 41, $21698.

               35. (21) JJ Yeley, Toyota, 35, $21661.

               36. (29) Tomy Drissi, Toyota, 35, $20158.

               37. (31) Cale Conley #, Toyota, Rear Gear, 22, $19158.

               38. (38) Derek White, Dodge, Transmission, 22, $12158.

               39. (39) Morgan Shepherd, Chevrolet, Brakes, 7, $11158.

               40. (30) Jeff Green, Toyota, Transmission, 2, $10158.

Average Speed of Race Winner: 77.874 mph.
Time of Race: 2 Hrs, 20 Mins, 21 Secs. Margin of Victory: 0.572 Seconds.
Caution Flags: 3 for 11 laps.
Lead Changes: 9 among 6 drivers.

Lap Leaders:    0; C. Elliott 1-12; T. Dillon 13; B. Gaughan 14-15; C. Elliott 16-26; B. Scott 27-29; B. Gaughan 30-31; P. Menard(i) 32-34; B. Koch 35-39; P. Menard(i) 40-45.

Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led): C. Elliott 2 times for 23 laps; P. Menard(i) 2 times for 9 laps; B. Koch 1 time for 5 laps; B. Gaughan 2 times for 4 laps; B. Scott 1 time for 3 laps; T. Dillon 1 time for 1 lap.

Top 10 in Points: C. Buescher – 835; C. Elliott – 819; T. Dillon – 816; R. Smith – 785; E. Sadler – 750; D. Wallace Jr. # – 736; B. Scott – 723; D. Suarez # – 717; B. Gaughan – 705; R. Reed – 631.

August 29, 2015
Surprising and Not Surprising: Bristol Irwin Tools Night Race

With lots of discussion and questions about restarts in the drivers’ meeting prior to the race, here is what was surprising and not surprising after the checkered flag flew on the 55Th Annual Irwin Tools Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Surprising: Joey Logano took a page from ‘Through the Looking Glass’ as he battled against Kevin Harvick and the rest of the field to take the checkered flag at Bristol Motor Speedway. This was the third win of the season for the driver of the No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Ford for Team Penske.

“It was kind of interesting to watch it in the mirror,” Logano said. “I was watching him (Harvick) drive in and I was like, ‘He’s going to get me eventually,’ so I just wanted to make sure I stayed at least three or four car lengths up on him so he didn’t get to me.

“There’s not much time to look in the rearview mirror, but I realized how different his line was than mine. He’d drive in so hard and almost get to my back bumper and then I’d drive off really good. It’s kind of interesting to watch a race like that when two cars are a similar speed but in two complete different ways. That’s what’s so fun about Bristol is you can drive the car about five or six different ways and make it fast, so it’s fun to race here.

“That’s what we did and that’s what we do every week. We just try to keep our heads calm and cool and just run our race.

“I feel like we’re right where we need to be, just like we were last year at this point. I can’t wait for the Chase to start.”

Not Surprising: It was a twofer for the No. 4 car, who turned two pit road penalties into another second place finish.

“Yeah, we had an interesting night,” Kevin Harvick said after finishing second for the 10th time this season. “We went to the back twice and passed a bunch of cars.

“I think, all in all, it’s just a huge credit to the team. They just keep bringing fast cars to the race track and we’re able to overcome a lot of things.

“So, it’s just great to be a part of a team like this and just really excited to be able to run like this at Bristol.”

Surprising: It was a blowout of the unwanted kind for Kyle Larson, who had such high hopes coming into the Bristol night race. The driver of the No. 42 Target Chevrolet had a tire blow out when he stayed out after taking just two tires, finishing 41st.

“The first time we blew our left front we stayed out on two tires and we had a lot of laps on our lefts,” Larson said. “And we blew that one out. Later on we had a lot of damage and got really tight and blew the right front.

“I guess on our left front the side wall got cut out. I don’t know if that was a wear issue or not. Then we got into the wall and we were pretty tight after that with lots of damage on the right side. So, probably just used up our right front tire because I couldn’t turn. I just hate it we hit the wall with a blown right front and ended our night.”

Not Surprising: By no means out but……could best describe Paul Menard, who finished 24th at Bristol and is hanging on to 12th in the point standings and 14th in the Chase grid at present.

“This was not the finish we wanted when the weekend started at Bristol,” the driver of the No. 27 Knauf/Menards Chevrolet said. “We got behind early in the race and then were never able to make the improvements work to our advantage during the night. Then we ended up getting some damage there near the end and that didn’t help us any.

“But, the good news is we fought through all that and finished the race. We are by no means out of the Chase for the Championship and look forward to being there after Richmond.”

Surprising: Ryan Newman apparently was doing his best imitation of David Copperfield, working some magic on his. No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet.

“We took a 20th place car from Friday and turned it into a top 10 on Saturday,” Newman said. “Not the end result that we wanted, but a good points day for us. That is part of what we are racing for right now.”

This was Newman’s second straight top-10 finish at Bristol and his 10th place finish advance him up to the 11th place in the championship point standings and 13th in the Chase Grid.

Not Surprising: After the devastating news of the demise of Michael Waltrip Racing for the 2016 season, Clint Bowyer fought the hard fight for his team, finishing fifth in his No. 15 5-Hour Energy Toyota.

“MWR (Michael Waltrip Racing) really needed that run,” Bowyer said. “With that being said we desperately needed a solid run right there. I mean obviously you’re hungry for a win with this organization given everything it had and I drove my ass off, we just come up short.

“I’m really proud of all of these guys on the 5-hour ENERGY Toyota. They’re digging man. It’s fun to be a part of this. It’s fun to be a part of a group that can answer the call when you gotta dig down and reach down a little bit more to get in that Chase and be a part of that elite group.

“These guys are up for the challenge.”

Surprising: One young driver surprisingly logged an incredible number of laps at Bristol Motor Speedway, in fact, one thousand to be exact.

“I could do it again,” Ryan Blaney, driver of the No. 21 SKF Ford in the Cup race and driver in the Truck and Xfinity races as well. “It’s just nice to get all those laps under your belt and know the race track, what it does and learn for next time.”

In the Cup race and after completing his one thousand Thunder Valley laps, Blaney finished 22^nd.

“It’s not the night we wanted, but we gained some good experience and hopefully we come back better.”

Not Surprising: As they have done for much of the season, Hendrick Motorsports shop mates Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr. fared fairly well at Bristol where shop mates Jeff Gordon and Kasey Kahne continued to struggle.

Johnson finished best in fourth in his No. 48 Lowe’s Pro Services Chevrolet, and Earnhardt Jr. popped off another top-10 finish in his No. 88 Nationwide Chevrolet. Kasey Kahne and Jeff Gordon, however, finished 16th and 20th respectively.

Jeff Gordon, in his final year of Cup competition, currently sits 15th in the Chase grid after the Bristol race.

Surprising: Martin Truex Jr., who has been so consistently running for much of the season to date, took the biggest tumble in the point standings, falling two spots to the sixth spot. Truex had to go to a backup car, then had a lug nut issues, which put him back in the field, and finally was collected in an accident.

“I felt we had a top-three car tonight, but the loose wheel really hurt our chances,” Cole Pearn, crew chief, said after the race.

Not Surprising: As usual, given his dry wit, Matt Kenseth had the quote of the race after finishing 42nd due to engine failure, wishing for at least a text before going up in smoke.

“It broke in the middle of the straightaway – it had that hop and that noise that it makes when you know you dropped a valve,” the driver of the No. 20 Dollar General Toyota Camry said. “Something in the valve train, we dropped a valve or something it felt like and sounded like. Things like that happen.

“They never warn you, it would be cool if they would send you a text or something. Just the middle of the straightaway it made that pop where you knew that was it.”

As the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series prepares to head into the Chase, the racers get a needed weekend off next weekend. On Sunday, September 6, racing will resume at historic Darlington Raceway.

August 23, 2015
Hot 20 – Bowyer soon to become a free agent as MWR goes part-time in 2016

Hot news this week is headlined by the near-demise of Michael Waltrip Racing. The team has announced that it will not run full-time entries in 2016 and that Clint Bowyer will indeed be a free agent after this season. It has been a bit of a bumpy ride for the team that Mikey built, and Rob Kauffman paid for, and with the money man headed elsewhere, the writing was all over the wall. Kauffman is looking to buy into the Ganassi operation, but that deal is not done. Bowyer could wind up there, or wherever an opening appears between now and next season.

Danica Patrick has a new sponsor. With Go Daddy about to be Gone Daddy, Nature’s Bakery has decided that sponsoring the only woman in Sprint Cup is a great $20 million sponsorship opportunity. With just a single IndyCar win back in 2008 to go with her Budweiser Duel victory in 2013, she is not a great driver, but still a competent one with tons of drawing power. Plus, did you see her latest yoga video? I mean, I am a straight male and I fear the day I find something similar posted by Tony Stewart.

Stewart has had some tough times, with results no better than Patrick’s since he broke his leg driving on dirt in 2013. Then came the tragedy in upstate New York a year ago. The family of Kevin Ward Jr. filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Stewart on Friday. It alleges Stewart drove his car up the track, gunned his engine, causing the vehicle to slide and strike Ward with the rear-right tire. As a father of a couple of lads about Kevin’s age, I understand the family’s course of action. It was either Stewart’s fault or, as what came out of the criminal investigation, their son had enough marijuana in his system to impair his judgement and that in an act of bravado he approached Stewart’s car on foot and simply got too close and was struck. As a parent, what would you want to believe?

The action will be hot on Saturday night at Bristol, one of NASCAR’s fan favorite venues. There should be enough action to satisfy a television viewer who simply finds their way to the telecast, along with those who know what it all means for Kyle Busch, Bowyer, Aric Almirola, Kasey Kahne, and those behind them in the standings.

Our Hot 20 heading into Bristol include…

1. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 4 WINS
You know your focus is off when you can’t even remember where your pit stall is.

2. KYLE BUSCH – 4 WINS
Second in the standings, yet battling Cole Whitt for his playoff position.

3. MATT KENSETH – 3 WINS
Owned Michigan, has a down payment on Bristol.

4. KEVIN HARVICK – 2 WINS
Only three times he has missed finishing in the Top Ten…including Bristol in the springtime.

5. JOEY LOGANO – 2 WINS
Winner at the Brickyard and the Glen…you know, races one might actually remember.

6. DALE EARNHARDT JR. – 2 WINS
Man, he feels like a woman. Really. I heard him say so. You can’t make something like this up.

7. KURT BUSCH – 2 WINS
Sure, his brother has more wins, but when it comes to points, baby, Kurt rules!

8. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 1 WIN
Finished third and is still frustrated. I wonder if he has ever met Timmy Hill?

9. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 1 WIN
He and Joey no doubt would like their splitters back, splitters back.

10. DENNY HAMLIN – 1 WIN
Kyle and Matt and…what are the names of their two teammates again?

11. CARL EDWARDS – 1 WIN
Figures he has the car to beat at Bristol. Forty-two other drivers will attempt to prove him right.

12. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 663 POINTS
70 points up on Almirola, 47 ahead of Bowyer. McMurray remains good to go this Saturday.

13. PAUL MENARD – 654 POINTS
Along with Junior, loses 15 minutes of practice time this weekend due to inspection issues.

14. RYAN NEWMAN – 649 POINTS
Having an actress of the same name is confusing. I do not believe he is dating Jack Griffo.

15. JEFF GORDON – 648 POINTS
When they say “pull those belts tight, boys”, his boys tend to argue for a bit of slack.

16. CLINT BOWYER – 616 POINTS
NASCAR’s own bubble boy.

17. ARIC ALMIROLA – 593 POINTS
It would be a real shame if Clint has another bad day. Yes, it sure would be. Just ask Aric.

18. KASEY KAHNE – 590 POINTS
Now, if both Clint and Aric had bad days this Saturday night…

19. GREG BIFFLE – 553 POINTS
Three races in just over two weeks and he has to win one of them.

20. KYLE LARSON – 548 POINTS
Has done well in the few he has raced at Bristol. Now he needs to be great.

August 19, 2015
Hot 20 – Unless Kyle sputters or someone new wins, not much drama to be expected at Michigan

There are only two things to watch for in Michigan on Sunday. One is the ride of Kyle Busch and the other is the car that crosses the line first.

If Kyle does well and at least stays in the Top Thirty in points, nothing changes. Aric Almirola and Kasey Kahne would not mind if we have such a change, as it would put them back in the mix on points. However, the way Mr. Busch has been running, I would not hold my breath, if I were them. If no one currently outside the Chase wins, then nothing changes. It will be up to those pretenders to become contenders at Michigan, Bristol, Darlington, or Richmond.

Meanwhile, this week we said goodbye to Buddy Baker. The 74-year old legend, a winner of the Daytona 500, the Southern 500, and the World 600 twice, passed away on Monday.

This week also marked the 60th anniversary of my parents, Ron and Mae Thornton. Wednesday was a day of love, laughter, and family memories…just as it should be.

Cancer is what took Buddy Baker from us. That same disease will take my mother, sooner than later. As a fan of NASCAR history and as a son, love, laughter, and memories are becoming more cherished than ever before.

Here is a look at the Hot 20 as they run this Sunday at Michigan.

1. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 4 WINS (747 Points)
Denny said he was sorry. Jimmie replied with something possibly describing an unnatural act.

2. KYLE BUSCH – 4 WINS (361 Points)
Back where he belongs.

3. KEVIN HARVICK – 2 WINS (823 Points)
Turn, turn, turn, turn, turn, turn, turn, turn, turn, damn…damn.

4. JOEY LOGANO – 2 WINS (781 Points)
Fresh tires and some fuel made all the difference last week.

5. DALE EARNHARDT JR. – 2 WINS (750 Points)
Like most others at the Glen, they were left wondering, “Where in hell was that last caution?”

6. MATT KENSETH – 2 WINS (703 Points)
Five straight Top Tens makes Kenseth more than just a pretty face.

7. KURT BUSCH – 2 WINS (659 Points)
You can never have too much help…except in the pits…or so says NASCAR.

8. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 1 WIN (719 Points)
Figures if you liked the Brickyard, you might love Michigan. Sadly, few did and few will.

9. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 1 WIN (714 Points)
On a Rocky Mountain high after locking in his berth into the Chase.

10. DENNY HAMLIN – 1 WIN (631 Points)
Last week, he drove with the hood up. This week he will try to drive blindfolded.

11. CARL EDWARDS – 1 WIN (589 Points)
Under former rules, he would be just a pretender…but not under these rules.

12. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 635 POINTS
No wins…and in the end last week…no fluids.

13. PAUL MENARD – 622 POINTS
Ten up on Bowyer, 60 ahead of Almirola, vulnerable as hell if the wrong driver wins Sunday.

14. JEFF GORDON – 620 POINTS
Ditto.

15. RYAN NEWMAN – 613 POINTS
Did you read the comments for Menard and Gordon?

16. CLINT BOWYER – 612 POINTS
Sitting pretty, as long as no one beyond this point comes up with a win.

17. ARIC ALMIROLA – 562 POINTS
Watkins Glen hurt, but it meant only the difference between 50 or “just” 40 points out.

18. KASEY KAHNE – 561 POINTS
One of two active drivers not currently in the Chase who has won at Michigan. That was in 2006.

19. GREG BIFFLE – 532 POINTS
The other driver is this guy, a Michigan winner in 2004-05 and in 2012-13 (summer/spring).

20. KYLE LARSON – 517 POINTS
To do list: Win one of the next four races.

August 13, 2015
The Final Word – Watkins Glen was a Seinfeld event…a race all about nothing

It was, for the most part, a race about nothing. This is not to say that Watkins Glen was boring, for it was actually one of those pleasant occurrences where we had an event that actually was entertaining enough to keep us watching. The damndest things can happen on a road course, and they did.

Nothing but wins mean much of anything to Tony Stewart. He ran well for a time, but in the end something in the driveline broke and he wound up with nothing. A.J. Allmendinger had the pole, sought to repeat his win of a year ago, but as strong as he once was, things slowly turned sour and his hopes for a win turned the same way.

Gas, or more specifically the lack of it, bit most of them. We knew for some time that without a late caution, none of the leaders would make it. Kevin Harvick came close, but he hit fumes with two corners to go. That allowed Joey Logano and Kyle Busch to sail by to complete the course one-two. For Logano, it marked his second win of the campaign and 10th of his career. For Busch, he moved into 30th place in points and, with his four wins now counting, he sits second in the standings. I guess that was not nothing, just expected.

No matter what happened to those who already had a win coming in, the race meant nothing. No matter what hardships they might have endured, the race meant nothing even for the winless Jamie McMurray, Paul Menard, and Jeff Gordon. Nothing to sweat about for Ryan Newman or Clint Bowyer, for that matter. The gap between being a Chaser and being on the outside is a good 50 points or more. At least it is, for the moment.

Nothing was what some got, but it meant something. Aric Almirola got his car roughed up early as he dived to 17th on the season, more than a race full of points out of it. Kasey Kahne is a point behind him after he got crunched during a re-start. Like everyone else outside the Top Sixteen, no win, no Chase.

However, things could start to mean something as they move on to Michigan, Bristol, Darlington, and Richmond. Should an outsider win, that 50 point cushion disappears and the gap that currently separates those currently between 12th and 16th is only 23 points.

In short, the next four races could prove meaningless as far as the Chase goes, other than to pick up bonus points through victories. That could change if Kyle Busch falters out of the Top 30, or somebody outside the Top Sixteen claims a checkered flag. If either happens, things would get meaningful in a hurry.

August 11, 2015
Hot 20 – Rain, rain that went away, the Glen invites you back Sunday

Rain. Usually, that would mean a long delay before we see some action if we wind up seeing any at all, but not before we interview every driver at the track. Then, there are those who like to record the race on television, but fail to allow for an eight-hour delay.

Still, rain at Watkins Glen means racing. Take off the slicks, replace them with rain tread, and off they go. There is a possibility of rain, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. is among those who would not mind using the wipers. Of course, you just got to know that come Sunday the sun shall be shining.

You also know that, barring a fuel mileage, heartbreaking finish, Kyle Busch will hit the Top 30, and the Top Two on this list on Sunday. Until then, here are our Hot 20 coming into Watkins Glen…

1. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 4 WINS (713 Points)
To all the Johnson haters out there…Jimmie invites you to kiss his…

2. KEVIN HARVICK – 2 WINS (780 Points)
Engine department thought the 400 mile Pocono event was a 20 lap feature. They bad.

3. DALE EARNHARDT JR. – 2 WINS (717 Points)
I wonder how much space the new NASCAR “at track” superstore has devoted to one guy?

4. MATT KENSETH – 2 WINS (662 Points)
It is amazing what one can accomplish when one has fuel…and others do not.

5. KURT BUSCH – 2 WINS (620 Points)
Another free agent at the end of the season, but don’t expect him to go anywhere.

6. JOEY LOGANO – 1 WIN (734 Points)
I am not a fan of Joey Logano. He is not a fan of Ron Thornton, whoever he is.

7. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 1 WIN (694 Points)
Could not save enough fuel to sweep Pocono, but should do well at the Glen.

8. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 1 WIN (681 Points)
So THAT is the reason the crew chief stays up on the box.

9. DENNY HAMLIN – 1 WIN (614 Points)
Erik Jones will arrive full-time in Cup in 2017. Who departs Gibbs’ operation to make room?

10. CARL EDWARDS – 1 WIN (553 Points)
A dirty low down bottle tossing varmint? Say is isn’t so.

11. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 631 POINTS
Winning is so over-rated, as he will prove again this Sunday.

12. JEFF GORDON – 617 POINTS
40+ points up on Bowyer, so why in hell are some saying this has been a disappointing season?

13. PAUL MENARD – 591 POINTS
His dad is the richest person in Wisconsin. I’m not even the richest person in my household.

14. RYAN NEWMAN – 584 POINTS
The last of his four Top Fives was back in April. That has to change.

15. CLINT BOWYER – 574 POINTS
Calls everyone Boss these days, as you never know who his Boss might be next season.

16. KASEY KAHNE – 559 POINTS
The only sponsor who should have a real problem with Donald Trump is Great Clips.

17. ARIC ALMIROLA – 534 POINTS
Almirola? Isn’t that a great ice cream flavor?

18. GREG BIFFLE – 502 POINTS
First four races at the Glen, he averaged a 35th place finish. Since then, 15th. He got better.

19. KYLE LARSON – 485 POINTS
Just turned 23, so not quite a grey beard yet. Come to think of it, not quite ready for a beard yet.

20. AUSTIN DILLON – 484 POINTS
He did not win, but having a Tennessee Titan cheerleader in your corner is not exactly a loss.

August 5, 2015
Hot 20 – Pocono, where Kyle’s winning streak comes to an end…maybe

Back we go to Pocono, where Martin Truex Jr. won in the spring, where all of the Hendrick drivers shared in winning the previous five. A Busch has won there, twice. His name is Kurt.

Kyle Busch has not…yet. He swept Indianapolis last weekend, meaning he ran and won the XFINITY race there on Saturday. It was his second junior circuit win in five tries this season. That now means series regulars have won just three of 18 events, with Chris Buescher taking two while Ryan Reed won at Daytona in February. Truck series wonder-kid Erik Jones has a pair while six Cup drivers have shared the other 13. Of course, most see what the problem is. I guess stupid is as stupid does, as Forrest Gump reminded us.

NASCAR spent tons of time and money figuring out a package to run at Indy. Then they got teams to spend their own time and money to ready their cars with that new package. In the end, they appear to have wasted a bunch of time and money. The racing was not much different than it has ever been, which is not all that good while making them a bit more sensitive to losing control after losing air on the spoiler, spoiling their day. Next month, they will use the same package in Michigan. You can never have too much of a bad thing, I guess.

Word is that Danica Patrick is expected to stay with Stewart-Haas after this season, a new contract and new sponsors. Why? It has everything to do with being a competent attractive female in a sport dominated by men. She might never contend for a title or even a Chase berth, but as long as she continues to enjoy the following she has, she does not have to.

Cameron Hayley is a 19-year-old Canadian sitting sixth in the truck series standings. He is a Calgary boy, making him as likely to be a cowboy as a hockey player. Instead, he turned to racing. Too bad the truck series is not broadcast in Canada this season. However, if you want to watch soccer instead, I got great news for you.

Heading to Pocono, our Hot 20 does not include our hottest driver. Heading out of Pocono probably will be a different story. If you are wondering if it is all about Kyle…it seems it is.

1. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 4 WINS (675 Points)
Will remain first overall, unless Kyle wins Pocono.

2. KEVIN HARVICK – 2 WINS (777 Points)
All the talk is about Kyle, but Harv’s finishes over the past five have been fourth, fourth, eighth, third, and third.

3. DALE EARNHARDT JR. – 2 WINS (677 Points)
The last driver not named Kyle Busch to win a Cup race.

4. KURT BUSCH – 2 WINS (612 Points)
Kyle’s first bridesmaid was his own brother.

5. JOEY LOGANO – 1 WIN (708 Points)
Bridesmaid No. 2…and No. 4.

6. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 1 WIN (668 Points)
Could have helped Kyle and Kevin in late restarts…but I guess they were on their own.

7. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 1 WIN (638 Points)
Kyle’s other bridesmaid, as Penske finished second in each of the past three.

8. MATT KENSETH – 1 WIN (615 Points)
As a teammate, he personally knows Kyle.

9. DENNY HAMLIN – 1 WIN (591 Points)
So does Denny.

10. CARL EDWARDS – 1 WIN (519 Points)
So does Carl.

11. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 602 POINTS
Has enough points that Kyle’s expected jump up the ladder affects him the least.

12. JEFF GORDON – 575 POINTS
Forget Kyle. Until further notice, the goal is to finish ahead of Bowyer every week.

13. RYAN NEWMAN – 563 POINTS
After Pocono and Kyle’s expected rise in the standings, things get a little more tense.

14. KASEY KAHNE – 558 POINTS
Same as above.

15. PAUL MENARD – 558 POINTS
Ditto.

16. CLINT BOWYER – 538 POINTS
If Kyle moves up, 16th becomes the new 17th.

17. ARIC ALMIROLA – 508 POINTS
Forget Kyle and forget making the Chase on points. A win is the only way in.

18. GREG BIFFLE – 462 POINTS
Kyle is the least of his worries.

19. AUSTIN DILLON – 453 POINTS
Like Kyle, Austin was a speed racer at Indy. Unlike Kyle, he did his speeding on pit road…twice.

20. KYLE LARSON – 452 POINTS
The other Kyle.

July 29, 2015
The Final Word – Post-race Kyle kissed the Bricks at Indianapolis, the rest could just kiss his…

All we have heard all summer long is how great Kyle is at winning, how wonderful Kyle has been in making a comeback. Kyle, Kyle, Kyle. It is enough to make one channel their inner Jan Brady.

What a wonderful race Kevin Harvick had. He led all those laps, yet the best he gets in the end was third. Joey Logano, he had a wonderful day going for him, but with about 10 to go, Kyle decided the race was his and won his first Brickyard 400.

Okay, three wins in a row. Four of the past five, all in just the past nine events; 33rd of his career. Over those last five events, Busch has managed to pick up an average of 30 points per race on the driver sitting in 30th place in the standings, and today sits just 23 behind Justin Allgaier as he moves closer to being Chase eligible and making those wins count toward the standings. My bold prediction is that he will rocket from 32nd to at least second in the season standings come next Sunday at Pocono.

Busch is having a season just as unbelievable as that of Tony Stewart. I mean, who can believe the crap Smoke has been putting up with this season? He starts fourth at Indianapolis, was up front the first half of the day, yet the heaping helping he was left with was not exactly a steaming pile of hospitality. Strategy gone bad, they said. Stewart pits when some thought he should have maintained track position. Shortly after, he pits again, giving up even more. He finished 28th, a spot behind Danica Patrick, who had a Top 15 day, was eighth when they re-started with eight to go.

Jeff Gordon was in his final Brickyard, but he lost control trying to avoid a spinning Clint Bowyer. Contact with the outside wall left him limping to 42nd. Still, he is in no danger of dropping out of the Top 16 just yet. Bowyer has that final transfer spot, sitting 30 points ahead of Aric Almirola. He appeared to be driving a metallic pinata as Bowyer gained 32 positions on him.

Mind you, after Pocono, when the four Busch wins trump whatever points he might have, as long as he sits amongst the Top 30, Bowyer will slip back to 17th. In reality, he goes into next weekend down by 20 to Kasey Kahne and Paul Menard, and 25 behind Ryan Newman, for the spot that will matter at the end of the day.

As for Kyle, he has never won at Pocono. Of course, he had never won a Cup event at Indianapolis before, either. Busch is a husband, a new dad and appears to have returned a more mature version of his former self. Maybe even a more talented version, if that can be possible. Some might not like it, but the way things are going, they might have to be content with kissing his…championship ring at the end of the season.

July 27, 2015
Hot 20 – Indianapolis, It is no Wetaskiwin, but it will do

I am just another foreigner. Sure, I’ve been to Daytona. I spent Christmas a couple of years ago on a beach near Malibu. I have been in the Empire State Building, walked the boardwalk in Atlantic City, toured Gettysburg, been to Independence Hall in Philadelphia, and drove the strip in Las Vegas. I have walked the Little Bighorn Battlefield more than once, seen Devil’s Tower and visited Mount Rushmore. I have watched the Red Sox play in Seattle, and I believe the scenery in Wyoming is second to none. I’ve been there, but I do not live there.

I am reminded of that fact as I write this. You see, the big dirt race at Eldora Speedway was slated for this week. Sadly, as a Canadian, that American-based program was not be broadcast on this side of the border, or any truck race for that matter. All was not lost. TSN, our version of ESPN, was slated to run a NASCAR event the same night. It was the Canadian Tire series, from Wetaskiwin, Alberta. A race run nearly two weeks ago and won by 43-year old Scott Steckly from Milverton, Ontario. It was his second win in the six races run to date and he leads the season standings. You might not care. You might not even be Canadian. You might have been stuck having to watch that dirt race broadcast on live television from Iowa. Oh, well, such are the trials and tribulations of being American, I guess.

This Sunday, NASCAR is back on my television, but not from Wetaskiwin, a place where I understand cars cost less than in, say, Edmonton. No, this Sunday the event is something called the Brickyard 400, from a place called Indianapolis. You might have heard of it.

In the meantime, as a Canadian, please allow me to politely submit this week’s Hot 20…

1. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 4 WINS (646 Points)
He and Chad are free agents at the end of the season. Could anyone tempt them?

2. KEVIN HARVICK – 2 WINS (734 Points)
Disaster struck in the pits…so the best he could do was third. Third. Oh, the humanity!

3. DALE EARNHARDT JR. – 2 WINS (655 Points)
Junior was hot last week. Okay, more like p.o.’d, to use the vernacular.

4. KURT BUSCH – 2 WINS (576 Points)
The forgotten Busch? Little brothers can be so attention getting.

5. JOEY LOGANO – 1 WIN (665 Points)
It is so good to be a Penske guy right now.

6. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 1 WIN (628 Points)
Some guys got the breaks in New Hampshire, other guys were named Truex.

7. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 1 WIN (603 Points)
Best damn driver in recent weeks not named Kyle Busch.

8. MATT KENSETH – 1 WIN (578 Points)
It is a good thing they do not hand out demerits for speeding…on pit road.

9. DENNY HAMLIN – 1 WIN (552 Points)
Hamlin wins Saturday, upsets Austin, but why in hell were either racing in the minor league?

10. CARL EDWARDS – 1 WIN (487 Points)
The big difference between Clint and Carl is a single checkered flag.

11. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 574 POINTS
Jamie had a lousy day. Still, Bowyer’s was even worse.

12. JEFF GORDON – 573 POINTS
Five Indianapolis wins, including just one year ago. Why not six?

13. KASEY KAHNE – 538 POINTS
Presently a Chase contender, but best title comes in October…a new dad.

14. RYAN NEWMAN – 530 POINTS
Eleventh at New Hampshire means some breathing room heading to Indianapolis.

15. PAUL MENARD – 528 POINTS
Fail inspection once, you get a letter. If it happens again this week, they get penalized.

16. ARIC ALMIROLA – 502 POINTS
Thanks, Clint!

17. CLINT BOWYER – 500 POINTS
Failed inspection, runs into Gordon outside the garage, then car fades to irrelevance in the race.

18. GREG BIFFLE – 437 POINTS
If NASCAR had the same rules as MLB, Biffle should demand to be traded by the deadline.

19. AUSTIN DILLON – 434 POINTS
Has an idea as to where he would love to shove the XFINITY checkered flag after last Saturday.

20. CASEY MEARS – 427 POINTS
#13 proves to be a good number as Casey signs up for another season with Germain Racing.

July 22, 2015
Surprising and Not Surprising: New Hampshire 5-Hour Energy 301

With the race running in temperatures hot enough to boil a lobster, here is what was surprising and not surprising from the 23rd annual 5-Hour Energy 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

Surprising: Although Kyle Busch ended the race in Victory Lane, with a gutsy pass at the end and a great restart, he may owe a major debt of gratitude to young Alex Bowman, who survived a fire in his car exiting pit road only to wreck on the white flag lap, bringing out the very caution that Busch needed to win the race.

“Today we may not have been the best car, we were early, but towards the end I’m not sure that we were,” Busch said. “We put ourselves in the right spot to be able to capitalize. Sometimes in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series you got to be able to do that. Today was one of those opportunities for us.”

Not Surprising: While a top-five finish is a source of pride for many drivers, Dale Earnhardt Jr. was still frustrated with his continuing streak of top-five finishes at Loudon without a win to show for it.

“Seem like I run in the top five or top 10 every damn time we come here,” the driver of the No. 88 Nationwide Chevrolet said. “I’m always like the third, fourth, fifth best car. I’m never like the 2, the 18, the 4, the 11. That is very frustrating.”

“But at the same time, you know, I got to say something about my ability and the team’s ability. I take a lot of pride in having a good, positive statistic like that. But it sure would be nice to hold the lobster and do all the fun stuff they do in Victory Lane.”

Surprising: Penske teammates Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano may have finished top-five, in second and fourth respectively, but they seemed on the opposite ends of the speed opinion poll.

“We had a really fast car,” Keselowski, driver of the No. 2 Miller Lite Ford, said. “I’m proud of my team for the effort. It feels good to have fast cars.”

“We had a really fast car and led a lot of laps. I’m really proud of the team for bringing me two fast cars these past two weekends. It’s a joy to drive cars that fast.”

“We had great execution with the Shell/Pennzoil Ford, just not enough speed,” Logano said of his No. 22 race car. “Todd made some great calls keeping us toward the front. We were good on the restarts and got a few when we could there. When you’ve got four tires you try to make something happen, but we just didn’t have enough speed in our race car to go up there and race with those guys.”

“We’ll find a little bit more speed before we come back.”

Not Surprising: In spite of a bit of a misstep on pit road, Kevin Harvick stood by his team, crediting them for strategy and overall performance for the weekend in his third place finish in the No. 4 ‘Freaky Fast’ Jimmy John’s/Budweiser Chevrolet.

“I think we had the right strategy, just a little miscue on the last pit stop,” Harvick said. “Those guys have done great all year. They did great today.”

“I just have to thank everybody at our Jimmy John’s/Budweiser Chevrolet for everything they do. We were off on Friday and we were able to really rebound and have a good Saturday and good racecar today. It’s encouraging.”

Surprising: Paul Menard, who had been having a good race run for the first half of the laps at least, had contact with Kasey Kahne, missed pit road, limped around the track and then spun getting onto pit road.

Menard then capped it all off with no less than four pit road penalties on top of the less than stellar stop. The driver of the No. 27 Richmond/Menards Chevrolet took the checkered flag in the 25th position and on the lead lap.

Not Surprising: Although they raced one another hard at one point during the race, the young Dillon boy and the seasoned veteran on his last run, Gordon managed to both pronounce their top-ten days good.

“It was a good day,” Dillon said. “The Dow Chevy was pretty solid. I can’t thank (crew chief) Slugger enough for sticking with me. We were not very good in practice. I learned a lot in the XFINITY car, I think, it laid over today, and it was probably one of our best races in the last two years.”

“Honestly, that’s the kind of effort that this team has been putting in a lot lately,” Gordon said. “We haven’t been coming to the track in the position that we really feel like we could be like we were last year. We’ve got some catch-up to do there; but my gosh, one thing we’re not lacking is determination and just the ability to overcome adversity. I’m really proud of that.”

“It was still a nice top 10.”

Surprising: There was no one hoping more for a caution than Danica Patrick, who had to pit for fuel with just six laps to go. She ran short after taking the wave-around being short on gas in order to get back on the lead lap.

The trip down pit road so late in the race put the driver of the No. 10 GoDaddy Chevrolet a lap down to finish in the 24th position.

“The call to take the wave-around was definitely the right decision to make there,” Patrick said. “We had to go for it and get our lap back so we could try to compete for a better finish.”

“Days like these are tough and require a lot more effort and energy from everyone. It’s disappointing to end up as far back as we did, but I’m proud of my GoDaddy team for not giving up and working so hard today.”

Not Surprising: With fans taking refuge under the stands from the unusually hot weather in New Hampshire, it was no wonder that at least three drivers had to be attended to medically after the race. Michael Annett and Matt DiBenedetto were both helped to the infield care center and treated there for over an hour and a half for their heat-related conditions.

AJ Allmendinger was also attended to in his hauler from a combination of heat and having strep throat all weekend.

“I wasn’t at my best today either,” Dinger said. “I’ve been battling strep throat. It was very hot today and I got frustrated at times because I wasn’t feeling good. Brian (Burns, crew chief) and the guys did a good job. The pit crew was solid again. I will get a little bit better, but hopefully something we can build off of.”

Surprising: After two good race runs, Trevor Bayne had a surprisingly difficult time at New Hampshire, finishing a disappointing 32nd.

“We fought hard all race,” Bayne said after the race. “Our AdvoCare Ford was just tight in the center throughout the day.”

Not Surprising: Although he continued his less than stellar season, with a 20^th place finish at Loudon, Tony Stewart does have a bright spot ahead for the upcoming week.

He will get to step out of the car and into the role of track owner for the Mud Summer Classic at Eldora Speedway for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series on Wednesday.

July 20, 2015