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Tag: Paul Menard

  • The Final Word – Harvick rises like a phoenix at Phoenix from the tears of Edwards

    The Final Word – Harvick rises like a phoenix at Phoenix from the tears of Edwards

    A phoenix rises from the ashes to be reborn. In Phoenix, Kevin Harvick rose from the tears of Carl Edwards to once again become the Cactus King, the driver to beat at Phoenix.

    In November of 2012, Harvick won his first at that track. The next spring, the winner was Edwards. Last fall, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. was the victor. The four in between were all claimed by the man who has been victorious in six of the past eight events run in Arizona. That is domination, but it was close on Sunday. Very close.

    Harvick had the dominant car on the day. Oh, what a surprise that was. However, he came to the overtime dash to the finish on four used tires, compared to the two fresh ones underneath Edwards. Underneath is where the gent went to make the pass, but Edwards did not get a clean get away. Side by side, fender to fender, fender into fender they came to the stripe, with Harvick taking it by a head. My head, if I had been foolish enough to have had it laying on the track, just 0.01 of a second for the closest outcome ever at this track, one of the closest finishes on any track, at any time.

    Edwards was no slacker on the day, sitting among the top three pretty much from start to finish. He was the guy who was chasing Kyle Busch over the first 60 laps of this thing. Even a little miss on pit road did not derail Busch for long, as he concluded the event in fourth. Denny Hamlin was third, even after an early stop saw a tire roll away to find him penalized from fourth to 26th at the time. Earnhardt (5th) and Kurt Busch (6th) were also among the notables on the day, with young Chase Elliott bringing it home in eighth.

    Sometimes being tired equates into being fatigued, adding new rubber in the pits, or having them fail to send one into the wall. Ryan Newman (39th) was the first casualty just over 50 laps into the race, and every fifty laps or so after somebody else got bit. Next up was Paul Menard (38th), to be followed by Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. (37th), but the exploding tread from Brad Keselowski (29th) was the most spectacular failure.

    The Danica Patrick Line last Sunday was drawn at 19th, one place behind Joey Logano, who had a fuel intake issue that forced a late stop for juice, and Matt DiBenedetto in 20th.

    The good news for everybody is the fact Harvick has not won at Fontana for the past five years. From 2004-2010, they visited the California venue twice, allowing the likes of Jimmie Johnson (5), and Matt Kenseth (3) to pick up a bunch of wins. Harvick and Tony Stewart have won there since they returned to a one and done situation, with Kyle winning twice before Keselowski took it last spring.

    Those last two might be considered decent selections for the prognosticators, but remember that since 2006 Johnson has finished outside the Top 15 just once over the past 15 starts at Fontana. With both Edwards and Kenseth also boasting Top Ten averages, the track could live up to the community’s motto as the “City of Action.” I can live with that.

  • Hot 20 – The heat is on at Phoenix after an endorsement, poor ratings, and some poorer finishes

    Hot 20 – The heat is on at Phoenix after an endorsement, poor ratings, and some poorer finishes

    It is a strange world we live in. Donald Trump appears on his way to the Republican nomination, but an endorsement from Brian France has folks in a tizzy. It could kill the diversity NASCAR is striving for, some claim. That is true. I doubt Trump would be a supporter of any team hiring an illegal alien to drive for them. Crazy, I know.

    If that is not bad enough, the television ratings have gone from bad, to worse, to not nearly as awful as the first two races. In a sport that had something of a cult following a decade ago, NASCAR no longer releases attendance figures, prize payouts, and has torn down some grandstands. The antidote will be found on the track, in their marketing, and in the economy. As always, there remains stark room for improvement in all those areas.

    A year ago, Dale Earnhardt Jr. won at Phoenix. Five of the six before that, Kevin Harvick claimed the prize. Now, if anyone could use a win this weekend, Danica Patrick, Chase Elliott, and Clint Bowyer would be among them. They sure are not among the Hot 20 going into Sunday’s action.

    1. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 1 WIN – 110 PTS
    Drives like Superman. In California, he will even look a bit like him.

    2. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 1 WIN – 98 PTS
    Flag on the ground, flag on the ground, felt like a fool with the flag on the ground.

    3. DENNY HAMLIN – 1 WIN – 93 PTS
    Recently was asked if driver confrontations are staged. Sure, about as much as a Republican debate.

    4. KYLE BUSCH – 116 PTS
    Best in points, zip in wins. Close only counts in horseshoes, hand grenades, and NASCAR

    5. KEVIN HARVICK – 109 PTS
    Has won five of past seven races at Phoenix. If I were a betting man…

    6. JOEY LOGANO – 104 PTS
    Truck decal: Things I hate: warm beer, cold women, Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski

    7. KURT BUSCH – 102 PTS
    A pit-road speed limiter button request was made by the speedster to f****** NASCAR.

    8. CARL EDWARDS – 96 PTS
    Twice failing template inspection last week earns the team a written note of bad tidings.

    9T. AUSTIN DILLON – 90 PTS
    It has been a while since the No. 3 sat in Victory Lane. It might not be long before it returns.

    9T. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 90 PTS
    Crew Chief is in the sin bin this week, but the driver has been a factor thus far.

    11. RICKY STENHOUSE, JR. – 79 PTS
    If Dillon’s performances surprise you, this must make your head spin.

    12. DALE EARNHARDT JR. – 78 PTS
    California’s Caped Crusader hopes to repeat at Gotham…er…Phoenix.

    13. KASEY KAHNE – 77 PTS
    Bouncing back, or just bouncing. The jury remains out.

    14. RYAN BLANEY – 73 PTS
    While Mr. Elliott gets the headlines, fellow rookie Blaney thrives in un-Chartered territory.

    15. ARIC ALMIROLA – 72 PTS
    Living the all-American dream in the all-American car, employed by an all-American icon.

    16. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 69 PTS
    Some consider this to be a slow start, but it is way too early to get terribly excited just yet.

    17. RYAN NEWMAN – 66 PTS
    Led just one lap this season. Maybe he is going for quality rather than quantity.

    18. PAUL MENARD – 62 PTS
    Getting out of a hole at this time of year is a whole lot easier than trying to do it later.

    19. REGAN SMITH – 57 PTS
    Good start by Tommy Baldwin entry, but last two results have been far from impressive.

    20T. TREVOR BAYNE – 56 PTS
    Finally had a Top 20 finish last week. Well, at least, that is something.

    20T. KYLE LARSON – 56 PTS
    Was looking pretty good, then came Las Vegas.

    20T. MATT KENSETH – 56 PTS
    If NASCAR had a bumper car division, he would be running away with it this season.

    20T. GREG BIFFLE – 56 PTS
    Tied with his former team-mate and ahead of Danica. That might not make him feel any better.

  • Hot 20 – If rules are meant to be broken, somebody forgot to tell NASCAR

    Hot 20 – If rules are meant to be broken, somebody forgot to tell NASCAR

    Rules be rules, and the book was tossed at a number of folks after Atlanta. The biggest hit was taken by Martin Truex Jr. after a roof flap issue meant the loss of 15 points. Thanks to the appeal process, he keeps crew chief Cole Pearn for this weekend otherwise, he would be gone for a race and tagged with a $50,000 fine. Considering it is the second straight race the issue has come up, NASCAR got rather ornery.

    The honchos were not happy. A.J. Allmendinger lost 10 points for issues regarding his rear wheel crush panels. Austin Dillon, Paul Menard, Ryan Newman and Michael McDowell lost 10 each for components of the car not being kosher. Each crew chief also got to donate $15,000 to the cause.

    The poobahs were not done. For failing to pass the pre-qualifying inspection after three attempts, they sent nasty notes to Jeffery Earnhardt’s people, along with the loss of 15 minutes of practice time. Uncle Dale Earnhardt Jr., along with Matt DiBenedetto, and Cole Whitt, were written up after each failed twice.

    The lords of all racing even managed to hand out a $5000 penalty to an XFINITY crew chief, wrote up six others for pre-racing inspection issues, and even tagged a Camping World team for failing post-race inspection.

    Bad boys, bad boys, whatcha gonna do?

    In the meantime, NASCAR boss Brian France came out and endorsed Donald Trump for President. To each his own, but I cannot help thinking that while the Donald might not be everyone’s cup of tea, the character and morality flaws of some of the others leave him looking like Gandhi. Yes, it is a strange, strange world we live in, Master Jack.

    Off to Las Vegas, our Hot 20 performers include…

    1. DENNY HAMLIN – 1 WIN – 70 PTS
    Still has Atlanta car, but his Daytona car is missing. It happens every darn year to somebody.

    2. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 1 WIN – 70 PTS
    Win a race, tie Dale Earnhardt, pretty much lock in a spot in the Chase. Check, check, and check.

    3. KYLE BUSCH – 78 PTS
    Won Atlanta’s XFINITY race and outran my five-month-old nephew Oscar. What a guy.

    4. KEVIN HARVICK – 74 PTS
    If he hopes to repeat in 2016, does that mean Harvick “peated” at Las Vegas last year?

    5. CARL EDWARDS – 73 PTS
    No one mentions his former friend 12919-028 anymore.

    6. KURT BUSCH – 69 PTS
    Will the hometown look the same as he steps down from the plane?

    7. JOEY LOGANO – 64 PTS
    A recent story was entitled, “Logano tries to adjust to new package.” I giggled. I am so immature.

    8. MARTIN TRUEX, JR. – 60 PTS
    Roof flap issues cost Truex 15 points, but the appeal retains for him his crew chief, for now.

    9. ARIC ALMIROLA – 55 PTS
    Some with Cuban heritage are running for President. President Almirola has a ring to it.

    10. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 54 PTS
    While Mr. France likes Donald Trump, Brad kind of likes the sound of President Keselowski.

    11. AUSTIN DILLON – 53 PTS
    When I rechecked the point standings from Tuesday, I thought I might have had another stroke.

    12. MATT KENSETH – 51 PTS
    In future, when the flag goes black, maybe they should get back.

    13. RICKY STENHOUSE, JR. – 50 PTS
    Later this season, he will truly be a Sunny Delight. I wonder if Ms. Patrick would agree?

    14. KYLE LARSON – 49 PTS
    A big fan of the NBA Charlotte Hornets. I like the NHL Montreal Canadiens. We both are weird.

    15. KASEY KAHNE – 46 PTS
    Named by Hollywood Life as a Top 10 Hottie of NASCAR. Nope. Danica is all alone.

    16. DALE EARNHARDT JR. – 45 PTS
    After failing pre-qualifying inspection twice, even Junior got written up on Santa’s naughty list.

    17. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 44 PTS
    Looked good at Atlanta, then they began the second minute of action.

    18. REGAN SMITH – 40 PTS
    Tommy Baldwin should be proud.

    19. CHASE ELLIOTT – 38 PTS
    Thanks to good, clean living and NASCAR penalties, the rookie makes the list.

    20. RYAN BLANEY – 38 PTS
    Some got a Charter, some did not need it.

    21. RYAN NEWMAN – 38 PTS
    Must have been a Childress thing, as Newman and Menard are also 10 lighter than first tallied.

  • Hot 20 – Some familiar names missing, but their replacements do not seem all that out of place

    Hot 20 – Some familiar names missing, but their replacements do not seem all that out of place

    Interesting things can happen after the first race of the season. Some names usually near the front find themselves as also-rans as the schedule continues on to Atlanta. No Junior. No Biffle, No Bowyer. No Patrick. Okay, I’ve gone too far, I know.

    Still, a lot of the boys who did, do not appear out of place. Regan Smith might have something to prove this year and the same with his owner Tommy Baldwin. Michael McDowell did well in a non-Charter ride and returns to his regular seat this Sunday. Ryan Blaney has no safety line, but the Wood Brothers just need to continue showing up and making races. Odds are the three past contenders should move ahead of this trio before long, but could one or two of them win somewhere along the way and steal a Chase spot from somebody? Why not.

    Last Sunday, it was all about restrictor plate pack racing. Atlanta should be more about the car, the one they worked on, the one NASCAR claims again to be just what we need for more competitive, more exciting action.

    I await the excitement promised for Sunday. Here are our hottest 20 performers coming to Atlanta.

    1. Denny Hamlin – 1 Win – 45 Points
    Toyota claims its first Daytona 500 in a game of inches.

    2. Martin Truex, Jr. – 40 Points
    If Charlton Heston was at the wheel, this car might have hit ramming speed.

    3. Kyle Busch – 39 Points
    39 points better than he was at this time last year. Walks better, too.

    4. Kevin Harvick – 37 Points
    Harvick had a plan last Sunday. Hamlin took that plan to Victory Lane.

    5. Carl Edwards – 36 Points
    A Top Five with a front fender made of peanut brittle.

    6. Joey Logano – 35 Points
    In the best darn Ford on the day. If you are seeking a Roush Ford…there is always next week.

    7. Kyle Larson – 34 Points
    This season, his Daytona 500 proved to be a much better experience than his Rolex 24.

    8. Regan Smith – 33 Points
    Some get a Charter handed to them, but maybe Tommy Baldwin wishes to show his was earned.

    9. Austin Dillon – 33 Points
    Only one man has ever taken the No. 3 to victory in the Daytona 500…and he did it once.

    10. Kurt Busch – 31 Points
    Has he driven a Ford lately?

    11. Ryan Newman – 31 Points
    If you can’t make tracks driving a Caterpillar, you can’t make tracks at all.

    12. Aric Almirola – 29 Points
    Petty people worked hard on their intermediate-track package. Sunday shall be a test of that.

    13. Kasey Kahne – 28 Points
    Who is the best damn driver at Hendrick? Kan’t guess?

    14. Matt Kenseth – 28 Points
    Only the inside lane was moving, until the outside lane did.

    15. Michael McDowell – 26 Points
    Loaned out his Charter ride and beat it as an outsider.

    16. Jimmie Johnson – 26 Points
    Not often Six Time is not visible. That probably won’t be the case in Atlanta.

    17. Jamie McMurray – 24 Points
    Bend ‘em like Beckham? Danica has to work to motor like McMurray.

    18. Paul Menard – 23 Points
    Childress entries were more successful last Sunday than Hendrick Chevys. Interesting.

    19. Ryan Blaney – 22 Points
    Charter? Who needs a stinkin’ Charter?

    20. Brad Keselowski – 22 Points
    According to Hamlin, the least athletic driver, “…with a sprint cup championship,” added Brad.

  • Hot 20 – The cream of the crop for the Daytona 500

    Hot 20 – The cream of the crop for the Daytona 500

    There will be no Daytona 500 victory listed on Tony Stewart’s resume. His recent off-season back injury ensured that. Well, maybe. I cannot help but notice that Michael Waltrip already has a lock on his 29th place in the Great American Race. There is always the chance that, given an opportunity and still with the ability to squeeze into a firesuit, Smoke could be back, at some time.

    The hottest 20 drivers heading into Sunday are all locked in. Thanks to some large wallets, even Carl Edwards and Kurt Busch are good to go for the rest of the season, buying up those Charters from Waltrip’s defunct operation.

    As far as the debate over the Wood Brothers not getting a Charter, I agree that as they have been running part-time, they should not have received one. I do disagree that B.K. Racing got two, or that Go Fas Racing or Premium Motorsports received any. Instead of the only criteria to receive one being reduced to only those who attempted to quality for the past 108 straight races, maybe they should have taken performance into consideration. I mean, between them, those four operations failed to qualify for 29 events last season. Maybe those Charters should have been held for those who attempted the past 36, AND who were among the Top 36 in owner’s points. Good enough to earn a one-year Charter, something they could regain through a Top 36 finish in 2016.

    Thirty-six entries, just like the 36 provisional spots once awarded in past years; awarded based on performance. Qualifying spots should have remained at 43, giving teams seven openings to make it and still be able to challenge for one of those 36 Charter positions. A Charter gives peace of mind, but seven open spots still allow those without a parachute an opportunity to challenge, to compete, to succeed. Just what in hell NASCAR and the members of the Race Team Alliance were thinking when they guaranteed places for at least the next three years while all but closing the door on challengers is beyond me.

    At least, we still have the race, albeit minus three entries and the entire backstretch grandstands. I am sure nobody will notice, or ponder the reasons why. Here are our hot 20, based on their 2015 season long performance.

    1. Joey Logano – 6 Wins – 1299 Points
    Logano arrived in 2014, confirmed that in 2015, and as for 2016….

    2. Jimmie Johnson – 5 Wins – 1155 Points
    The official standings have him finishing 10th; a rather misleading statistic.

    3. Matt Kenseth – 5 Wins – 1046 Points
    When Matt says he is going to run a driver down, he just might mean it.

    4. Kyle Busch – 5 Wins – 867 Points
    His greatest year featured a championship, a busted leg, and a late May start to the season.

    5. Kevin Harvick – 3 Wins – 1321 Points
    Recorded an average of nearly 36.7 points per race in 2015.

    6. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. – 3 Wins – 1198 Points
    After just two wins in seven seasons, he has seven wins in his last two.

    7. Denny Hamlin – 2 Wins – 1117 Points
    Finishing in the season’s Top Ten eight times in 10 tries, is this the year he takes all the marbles?

    8. Carl Edwards – 2 Wins – 1108 Points
    Wins two and still has to pay for a Charter spot, while BK Racing gets two, after four DNQ’s.

    9. Kurt Busch – 2 Wins – 1108 Points
    Kurt wins twice and gets nothing while the No. 62 DNQ’s 19 times last season and “earns” one.

    10. Brad Keselowski – 1 Win – 1217 Points
    Just a single win but a personal high of 25 Top Tens kept him close.

    11. Martin Truex, Jr. – 1 Win – 1165 Points
    A team that made it all the way to top tier status without the benefit of a Charter.

    12. Ryan Newman – 1052 Points
    I still think Tony let go the wrong driver.

    13. Jamie McMurray – 1052 Points
    He might not be great, but you might have to be in order to out-point him.

    14. Paul Menard – 972 Points
    You hear more about his driving ability and less about his daddy’s cash these days.

    15. Aric Almirola – 940 Points
    Last year, Petty trumped Roush.

    16. Kasey Kahne – 939 Points
    In fact, Hendrick’s weak sister would have led the way for Jack’s crew.

    17. Clint Bowyer – 891 Points
    Teammates once were Waltrip and Truex. Today, he is Michael Annett.

    18. Kyle Larson – 872 Points
    Maybe the best of the kiddie corps…but Chase probably will contest that thought.

    19. Greg Biffle – 869 Points
    Damn good driver with what has become a damn poor team.

    20. Austin Dillon – 832 Points
    Grandpa expects more this time out.

  • The Final Word – 2016’s NASCAR Contenders, Pretenders, and Participants

    The Final Word – 2016’s NASCAR Contenders, Pretenders, and Participants

    Starting in ten days, just about every week the engines will roar to life and 43 cars will take the green flag. However, we all know that not all race drivers and teams are created equal. A half dozen will come from the part-time ranks, and only a couple of dozen will have any kind of hope of even challenging for a win. To put it in culinary terms, you have your steak, your hamburger and, to fill out the field, your hamburger helper. Here is a look at who is who on the menu, with the Daytona 500 less than two weeks away.

    TIER I – THE CONTENDERS

    Few can question that the 2016 champion could well come out of the top tier of drivers. In fact, half of them already know what it is like to claim the crown.

    2 – Brad Keselowski
    4 – Kevin Harvick
    11 – Denny Hamlin
    18 – Kyle Busch
    19 – Carl Edwards
    20 – Matt Kenseth
    22 – Joey Logano
    31 – Ryan Newman
    41 – Kurt Busch
    48 – Jimmie Johnson
    78 – Martin Truex, Jr.
    88 – Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

    The odds might favor Kyle Busch repeating in what we hope, this time, will be a healthy full campaign though Harvick had the best season from start to finish. Well, almost to the finish. Johnson has already claimed the trophy six times, and seems to always be in contention even in those years he falls short. If one was going to pick a potential winner, race in and race out, chances are the favorites would come from this list.

    TIER II – THE PRETENDERS

    There are those you expect to have a good shot at being victorious every week, and then there are those who, if they did, probably would not come as all that much of a shock, either. In fact, I would expect at least four of these drivers to make it into the Chase, where a pretender could get hot and become a true contender themselves if things fall into place at the right time.

    1 – Jamie McMurray
    3 – Austin Dillon
    5 – Kasey Kahne
    6 – Trevor Bayne
    13 – Casey Mears
    15 – Clint Bowyer
    16 – Greg Biffle
    24 – Chase Elliott
    27 – Paul Menard
    42 – Kyle Larson
    43 – Aric Almirola
    47 – A.J. Allmendinger

    In this case, a pretender is one with tons of talent, one with a good chance of claiming a Top Ten, but just not a driver you expect taking the checkered flag on a regular basis. I have always liked McMurray, but he just doesn’t seem to be able to clear that final hurdle. Biffle should be rated higher and in previous years he no doubt would have been, but Roush Fenway has not been an outfit on the rise. Kahne has the ability, but not the results in recent seasons. Dillon and Larson are touted as future stars, and just maybe this is the year they meet expectations. Elliott has things to prove, and a lot of eyes with be watching Jeff Gordon’s former ride to see if the rookie can break out in his rookie campaign.

    TIER III – THE PARTICIPANTS

    43 cars hit the track each event, with some having pretty good odds of finishing high in the running order when things are said and done. Some others are not as fortunate.

    7 – Regan Smith
    10 – Danica Patrick
    14 – Tony Stewart
    17 – Ricky Stenhouse, Jr.
    21 – Ryan Blaney
    23 – David Ragan
    32 – Jeffery Earnhardt
    34 – Chris Buescher
    38 – Landon Cassill
    44 – Brian Scott
    46 – Michael Annett
    83 – Matt DiBenedetto
    95 – Michael McDowell

    Stewart is on the mend, again, and could be out for quite a spell at the beginning of his final season. Some tend to believe we won’t see him for months as he recovers from his recent back injury. If only Patrick could emerge as the next Jamie McMurray that would be something, but thus far cracking the Top Twenty has been a struggle every week. There is nothing I would like more than to see someone from this group emerge as a pleasant surprise, but they are going to have to prove it for me to believe it. Sure, Stewart could mend enough to rise by the end of the year and Patrick could finally cash in on all of those resources to take it to the next level, but my money would be on Blaney and the Wood Brothers as they return to running a full schedule.

  • Hot 20 – Homestead is a place Happy Harvick should love, but so should Gordon and Truex

    Hot 20 – Homestead is a place Happy Harvick should love, but so should Gordon and Truex

    Homestead. That is where dreams are made or, more likely, where they die. That is if they have not already been snuffed for another year before even reaching the season finale. One thing about that track in Miami is that some of the best just do not seem to do their best there.

    For example, try as you may, you will not find some familiar names listed among the Hot 20 at Homestead. If your average finish is 20th or worse, you will fail to make the cut. Among them are Joey Logano, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and Paul Menard. That trio of eliminated Chasers has, between them, raced at Homestead thirty times. None has won there and combined they boast just a couple of Top Fives and four Top Tens. Even if they had remained in contention, one would have to be hard pressed to consider any of them a favorite to win this Sunday.

    Yet, as bad as they are, there is one notable driver who is worse. Kyle Busch has failed to even make the Top Twenty in half of his 10 starts. He has won none at Homestead, with an average finish of 23rd place. His best result was fourth in 2012. Last year, he was 39th. If Kyle emerges with the championship after this weekend, he would have delivered the race of his life.

    As for the other three contenders, all have a shot, with defending champion Kevin Harvick leading the way. Last year, he did just that to take the race and the crown. Jeff Gordon won there in 2012 while Martin Truex, Jr. has seven Top Tens in 10 attempts to be right in the mix. All have an average finish of no worse than 11th.

    One may well come away with the race win on Sunday though I believe we can expect some heat from others among Homestead’s Hot 20…

    1. Kevin Harvick – 14 races – 1 Win – 12 Top Tens – 7.6 Average Finish
    A repeat as winner guarantees a repeat as Cup champion.

    2. Carl Edwards – 11 races – 2 Wins – 7 Top Tens – 9.1 AveFin.
    His track record at Homestead makes him a fav to win a title some day. It just won’t be Sunday.

    3. Martin Truex Jr. – 10 races – 7 Top Tens – 10.0 AveFin.
    It is time for a Rocky Mountain high to visit Florida.

    4. Jeff Gordon – 16 races – 1 Win – 12 Top Tens – 10.6 AveFin
    This would be a good time to become known as Five-Time.

    5. Denny Hamlin – 10 races – 2 Wins – 6 Top Tens – 10.8 AveFin
    If what Hamlin is selling is his “starter” home, what in hell does he live in now?

    6. Clint Bowyer – 9 races – 6 Top Tens – 10.9 AveFin
    Still a chance he could leave Michael Waltrip Racing with a final win before the sun sets.

    7. Tony Stewart – 15 races – 3 Wins – 7 Top Tens – 14.0 AveFin
    Oh, how the mighty have fallen…and so quickly.

    8. Kyle Larson – 2 races – 14.0 AveFin
    15th one year, 14th last year. You could say he is improving here each time out. Well, you can.

    9. Jimmie Johnson – 14 races – 9 Top Tens – 14.4 AveFin
    A six-time champion under the previous formats, but not so sure about a seventh under this one.

    10. Kasey Kahne – 11 races – 4 Top Tens – 14.9 AveFin
    Number 5 will be as mellow yellow as the number 24 on Sunday.

    11. Brad Keselowski – 7 races – 2 Top Tens – 15.0 AveFin
    Over the past two events at Homestead, his average finish has been 4.5.

    12. Justin Allgaier – 1 race – 15.0 AveFin
    A Top Fifteen finish would match…well…what he did last year.

    13. Matt Kenseth – 15 races – 1 Win – 7 Top Tens – 15.8 AveFin
    He is back. Will he and Joey meet at high noon, or will peace and harmony reign supreme?

    14. Ryan Newman – 13 races – 5 Top Tens – 15.8 AveFin
    Can drive a dozer from 150 miles away. Let him try that in a race car.

    15. Aric Almirola – 5 races – 2 Top Tens – 16.2 AveFin
    I am thinking that Richard Petty likes him best. At least he gets to return next season.

    16. Jamie McMurray – 13 races – 4 Top Tens – 16.6 AveFin
    Once had problems with Kenseth, but now are best buds. Is there hope for Matt and Joey? Right.

    17. Greg Biffle – 13 races – 3 wins – 5 Top Tens – 17.2 AveFin
    Best damn Roush driver this season, but when your teammates are Stenhouse and Bayne…

    18. Danica Patrick – 2 races – 19.0 AveFin
    It is sad when one thinks of this as one of her better tracks.

    19. Kurt Busch – 14 races – 1 Win – 5 Top Tens – 19.2 AveFin
    Hasn’t won in Miami since 2002, but it was the crashes in 2006 and 2008 that left him dead last.

    20. A.J. Allmendinger – 6 races – 2 Top Tens – 19.5 AveFin
    Great start to his career but 36th and 40th in his last two have marred his average just a tad.

    25. Kyle Busch – 10 races – 3 Top Tens – 23.1 AveFin
    His efforts to date get him included on this list. His past efforts at Homestead do not.

  • Hot 20 – Kenseth to miss Texas and Phoenix after facing NASCAR justice (pending appeals)

    Hot 20 – Kenseth to miss Texas and Phoenix after facing NASCAR justice (pending appeals)

    Bad boy and bad girl. It would seem NASCAR is an equal opportunity disciplinarian, as both Matt Kenseth and Danica Patrick got slapped for aggressive driving at Martinsville. In short, they purposely ran into people with bad intentions.

    Gone for two, including the races in Texas and Phoenix, is Kenseth for taking out Joey Logano in mobster style last week. Nine laps down he plucked the front running Logano out of the mix and bulldozed him into the wall. As I write this, Kenseth is appealing his penalty, though I would be surprised if any change in his sentence is forthcoming.

    There are those hand ringers who figure this was an awful thing. I do not agree. In fact, I think I just became a Kenseth fan for life. The way I see it, all he did was tune in a mouthy little twerp who danced all over his accomplishment of knocking the former champ out of the way back in Kansas, robbing Kenseth of his best shot at continuing in the Chase. You do not celebrate causing another’s misfortune unless you want karma to come back and bite you in the ass.

    Now, you might suspect that I am no fan of Logano. That would be correct, but my feelings toward the man are based only on perception. If I knew him and ran into him on a weekly basis and could not stand him, that is one thing. The truth is, we have never met, and if I had the chance to sit down with Logano for a couple of hours over some adult pops, I might end up a fan of his for life, too. Instead, my feelings toward him, along with those of most of you, are based only on a perception, and that perception just leaves me ice cold.

    As for Patrick, her temper was anything but cold. It warranted her picking up a behavioral penalty for using her car to rearrange parts of that driven by David Gilliland at Martinsville. That cost her $50,000 and 25 points.

    Both penalties, by the way, are justified, though I do not condemn their actions. They felt they needed to do something, they did what they did, and now have to pay the piper. End of story.

    This column takes a break next week but returns to set the table as the boys and girl venture into Homestead to wrap things up for the season. Just in time to see the return of a certain bad boy to the track. My hero, at least for the moment.

    Our Hot 20 during the Chase, and only the Chase, to date include…

    1. JOEY LOGANO – 3 Wins, 265 Points
    Joey might be the best in the Chase, but Kenseth seemed more than able to chase him down.

    2. JEFF GORDON – 1 Win, 260
    Do you believe in fairy tales with happy endings?

    3. CARL EDWARDS – 257
    It has been seven years since he won his third at Texas.

    4. DENNY HAMLIN – 1 Win, 248
    Could have still been in the hunt himself except for Harvick’s actions at Talladega.

    5. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 247
    If NASCAR is going all “wild west,” shouldn’t that well suit a team from Denver?

    6. RYAN NEWMAN – 231
    Being outside the Chase, he shouldn’t feel the need to repeat last year’s move at Phoenix.

    7. KYLE BUSCH – 224
    Four Top Fives, including a win, in last five attempts at Texas, bodes well for Sunday.

    8. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 221
    How things change. Just a year ago the Feud of the Week involved Brad and Jeff.

    9. KURT BUSCH – 217
    Can pick either Kenseth or Keselowski to blame for his tribulations last week.

    10. DALE EARNHARDT JR. – 215
    Jeff cheered for winning, Matt cheered for creaming Logano, Junior cheered for being Junior.

    11. KEVIN HARVICK – 1 Win, 214
    After Matt’s little adventure, we did not hear much from Harvick. Trevor Bayne wonders why?

    12. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 201
    Not a contender but he has become relevant.

    13. RICKY STENHOUSE, JR. – 196
    Not among the Top Twenty heading into the Chase, but some groundwork is being laid for 2016.

    14. KASEY KAHNE – 195
    Four Top Tens during the Chase, but 19th at Talladega, 24th in Chicago, dead last at Charlotte.

    15. MATT KENSETH – 1 Win, 185
    I once thought Matt was as boring as white bread…but not anymore!

    16. GREG BIFFLE – 185
    The worst season of his career still the best Roush-Fenway has this year.

    17. ARIC ALMIROLA – 184
    Ranked 17th on the season, 17th during the Chase events. Not great, but he is consistent.

    18. KYLE LARSON – 184
    Newman’s berth to Homestead last year went through Larson…literally.

    19. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 181
    Are we there yet?

    20. PAUL MENARD – 177
    He always wanted to have the same success as Jimmie, but this is not quite what he envisioned.

  • Hot 20 – Gordon is a favorite to win at Martinsville, Truex and Kurt not so much

    Hot 20 – Gordon is a favorite to win at Martinsville, Truex and Kurt not so much

    The truth, sometimes it is a tough thing to nail down. Sometimes not. Truth is, Jeff Gordon should do well at Martinsville. In the past five events there, the retiring four-time NASCAR champ has a win and four Top Tens. Over the past dozen years, a span of 25 races, Gordon has failed to claim a Top Ten only three times. He finished 20th in the fall of 2010, 14th in the spring of 2012, and finished 12th in the fall of 2014. That leaves 22 Top Tens, 18 Top Fives, and five victories. You just cannot do better than that. The stats do not lie, and after taking ninth this spring, Gordon still has it. That is the truth.

    Sometimes, the truth is a little tougher to ascertain. A couple of years ago, a mysterious spin combined with a baffling call to the pits that briefly allowed a teammate to make the Chase caused controversy. Did Clint Bowyer intentionally spin his car? Bowyer denied it and Sprint Cup Series director John Darby is quoted as saying after the race that “I don’t think anybody realistically believes that was the case with the 15 car.” That tune changed quickly, as the truth appeared to be much more conspiratorial than NASCAR first thought. It cost Martin Truex Jr. a Chase position and his job, and he did nothing wrong. It cost Bowyer some credibility, it cost the team a major sponsor, $300,000 in fines and it possibly caused the eventual demise of Michael Waltrip Racing.

    Last weekend, did Kevin Harvick, with a car that was barely running, that was barely in the Chase, deliberately spin out Trevor Bayne to save his season at the cost of Denny Hamlin and Dale Earnhardt Jr.? No, says NASCAR. So, we have to accept that Harvick was telling the truth. I mean, not everyone lies to us in order to get out of a sticky situation.

    “I got out of the way, and I never even saw (Bayne) until he was by me.”
    Kevin Harvick 2015

    “I did not use performance enhancing substances as alleged in the notice of discipline…”
    Alex Rodriguez 2014

    “I had so much wheel, by the time I got to the gas, he was underneath me. I spun out.”
    Clint Bowyer 2013

    “I take these charges very seriously, and look forward to clearing my good name,”
    Michael Vick 2007

    “I’m not going to be the Alabama coach.”
    Nick Saban 2006

    “I have never had a single positive doping test, and I do not take performance-enhancing drugs.”
    Lance Armstrong 2004 (among others)

    “I did not have sexual relations with that woman”
    Bill Clinton 1998

    Sure, some may have misled us in the past, but would Kevin Harvick? Nah.

    Here are our Hot 20 over the past five events at Martinsville.

    1. JEFF GORDON – 5.4 AvFin – (1 WIN, 3 T5, 4 T10)
    Has averaged a Top Seven finish going back 45 races and 23 seasons. Expect good things.

    2. MATT KENSETH – 6.4 – (0-2-4)
    No pot of gold at the end of this rainbow, but should he come across Logano along the way…

    3. CLINT BOWYER – 6.8 – (0-2-4)
    Author of “The Secrets of My Success.” Harvick has a copy.

    4. DENNY HAMLIN – 8.8 – (1-1-3)
    You can take that damn roof hatch and…

    5. JOEY LOGANO – 9.8 – (0-3-3)
    Mr. Three-in-a-Row has never won at Martinsville, but his last three have been Top Fives.

    6. KYLE BUSCH – 11.2 – (0-1-1)
    Does not believe Gordon can win it all. Next we will hear how he does not like kittens.

    7. KEVIN HARVICK – 13.4 – (0-0-3)
    If Karma is on duty this weekend…

    8. GREG BIFFLE – 13.6 – (0-0-2)
    MWR refugee Brian Pattie to be his crew chief next season.

    9. DALE EARNHARDT JR. – 14.4 – (1-2-3)
    Best 21 finishes at Martinsville boasts a 6.3 average; his worst 10 finishes…27.7

    10. TONY STEWART – 14.5 – (0-1-1)
    What is probably no longer equates into what was.

    11. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 15.0 – (1-3-3)
    Used to own this place, but outside the Top 30 his last two attempts.

    12. CARL EDWARDS – 15.4
    Expected Harvick to get penalized after Talladega. He probably even expects a Top Ten Sunday.

    13. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 16.2 – (0-2-3)
    While his 2014 visits were a write-off, he was the runner-up last spring.

    14. ARIC ALMIROLA – 16.2 – (0-0-1)
    Raised in Daytona. I wonder where he got the racing bug?

    15. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 17.0 – (0-0-3)
    Looked decent last week, at least until he turned all smoky.

    16. PAUL MENARD – 17.6 – (0-0-1)
    Best non-Chaser last week, but Martinsville is really not his kind of place.

    17. DANICA PATRICK – 20.4 – (0-0-1)
    Never thought you would see her name on this list again this season, did you?

    18. KASEY KAHNE – 20.8 – (0-1-1)
    Best thing about Martinsville will be the trip home.

    19. KURT BUSCH – 21.2 – (1-1-1)
    Won in the spring last year, but has been outside the top dozen 16 of his past 17 starts here.

    20. CASEY MEARS – 22.6
    Had a pair of Top Tens at Martinsville in 2008. None since.

    22. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 24.2 – (0-0-1)
    Was sixth in the spring. That ought to count for something.

  • Hot 20 – Kansas, where there is no oil on the track…not that there is ever oil on any track

    Hot 20 – Kansas, where there is no oil on the track…not that there is ever oil on any track

    Lower downforce in next season’s rule package is supposed to reduce grip and make the cars more maneuverable. In short, passing should be more commonplace in 2016. If that is how it works out, we shall be happy. However, forgive me for waiting until at least February before I start celebrating.

    Considering the follow the leader kind of racing we saw at Charlotte, at least we have hope. Not sure how much we have for this season, but we can always…well….hope. By opening up the zone for the lead car to control the re-start. it seems to work just dandy up front, but it can cause accordion type mishaps further back. If that happens, oil and other fluids can spill out onto the track, and if it is not totally cleared up like some claim was not done last week, it causes even more problems. Of course, that was not true and we know this because…NASCAR denies that it was true.

    Did I mention that we had single lane racing? That can be a real problem, not only for fans trying to keep awake and drivers hoping to pass but enough oil and fluid that is left in that lane kind of messes things up a bit more. That is if such a thing happened. Which, of course, was not the case, because NASCAR said so.

    This Sunday, we are off to Kansas, where Matt Kenseth, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kyle Busch, and Ryan Newman have some clean up of their own to do after their respective Charlotte adventures. Considering he has a couple of wins there over the past three years, it could be redemption time for Kenseth.

    1. JOEY LOGANO – ROUND WIN
    Now Talladega is just another race.

    2. KEVIN HARVICK – 3042 POINTS
    Ill handling car was healthy enough to place second last week.

    3. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 3041
    Truex…the other Junior.

    4. DENNY HAMLIN – 3040
    Now that Kyle was recovered, Denny’s the best one-legged driver in the sport.

    5. CARL EDWARDS – 3039
    Super sorry about your car, Matt.

    6. KURT BUSCH – 3039
    Sounds like the Panic Switch clothing people are…well…panicking.

    7. JEFF GORDON – 3037
    2015’s best damn winless driver in NASCAR.

    8. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 3035
    If Brad and Kyle got along as well as Scarlett and Brexton, what a wonderful world it would be.

    9. RYAN NEWMAN – 3029
    Rained on Kenseth’s parade, but got a bit damp himself.

    10. KYLE BUSCH – 3025
    If only Kyle and Brad got along as well as Samantha and Paige…

    11. DALE EARNHARDT JR. – 3016
    It is just a flesh wound…and Talladega is coming.

    12. MATT KENSETH – 3003
    Did not see Newman, but he sure saw the wall…a lot.

    13. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 2130
    Out of the Chase, but trying to stay in the weekly on-track conversation.

    14. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 2092
    It just does not matter anymore.

    15. PAUL MENARD – 2083
    Fixes got him back on the track but wrecked any hope of a decent finish at Charlotte.

    16. CLINT BOWYER – 2082
    One race closer to greener pastures.

    17. ARIC ALMIROLA – 801
    A Top Ten in Charlotte aids in dreams of greater things for 2016.

    18. KASEY KAHNE – 771
    Early crash left him dead last at Charlotte, but Tanner Lee’s arrival trumps everything.

    19. KYLE LARSON – 742
    One Kyle is good, two Kyles is a crash.

    20. GREG BIFFLE – 726
    Best Roush-Fenway driver of this season, but third best at Charlotte.