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Tag: Rick Allen

  • The Final Word – Bristol, we have a problem

    The Final Word – Bristol, we have a problem

    Bristol is not Las Vegas, Phoenix, Fort Worth or Charlotte. There are reasons to go to the Virginia-Tennessee border. The country is beautiful. On Sunday, it appears a lot of people were taking in the scenery. They sure in hell were not at the race track.

    NASCAR is in serious trouble. Sure, we have commented on the dropping ratings and crowds for years. The pretty people who once made it the thing to be part of have all disappeared and even the sponsors rarely do anything special in their commercials as they did a decade or more ago. We knew things were not great. Then we saw the grandstands at Bristol on Sunday.

    They were “optimizing the stadium configuration for the spring race only” the track folks announced, taking “a more frontstretch and backstretch approach.” That was their way of explaining why not a single soul was sitting in the large stretches at either end of the facility. Not a soul. No doubt the buses arrived to take the sight seers out on their tour and off they went. Not a candy wrapper to be found.

    “To create a more energetic atmosphere” was what was to be enjoyed by the token few left behind. I can smell the bovine excrement from here. In a stadium that is built for 146,000 fans, only an estimated 38,000 bothered to show up for the prizes and to be revved up during the cautions and stage breaks. When one of your most iconic tracks, one that can be counted on to serve up some great action, looks as abandoned as North Wilkesboro, you have a problem. An Apollo 13 kind of problem.

    Sometimes a race can be highly entertaining. Daytona was. Bristol was. Everything in between was not. They actually sucked. I wager that the “action” presented in Atlanta, Las Vegas, Phoenix, California, Martinsville, and Texas earned the sport not one single new fan. Not one. Instead, they probably sent a few more former fans packing. When they quit turning out at a track like Bristol, disaster looms on the horizon.

    Want a quick easy fix? How about announcers who entertain you in a fashion the race is not. NBC finally got it, with the style of broadcasting delivered by Dale Earnhardt Jr, Jeff Burton, Steve Letarte, Rick Allen and company keeping us tuned in just to hear what those boys and girls might say. On FOX, their style depends on the race being worth to watch, as their commentary does not provide a diversion for when it is not. Thus far, six of the eight have not.

    Now, take that NBC-style commentary with his broadcasters who might tell you what is happening, who might make you think, who certainly will make you laugh, and pipe it through as a channel on the scanners worn by those in the crowd. I am sure it would add to the experience a whole lot more than massive sections of empty seats and a few prizes. If they can not fix the racing, at least fix the experience.

    After 15 years of watching the sport closely, of commenting on it weekly, it simply became a chore for me. I am not the only one. Next year, NASCAR once again attacks its own tradition. For 11 seasons (2004-2014) they moved the Southern 500 out of its usual Labor Day spot. They even dropped the Southern 500 moniker for a time. When they finally returned to tradition, we thought they might have learned something. They did not. Next season, the former Firecracker 400 July race at Daytona moves to the fall, to be replaced by the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis. The track at Indy is iconic, the NASCAR racing there is always horrid. Almost unwatchable,

    They keep saying the current schedule is stagnant. Who in hell are “they?” Are “they” people who actually go to the races, who are continuing family traditions with an annual trek to Daytona in the summer on their own dime? I sincerely doubt it. The tracks are not stagnant. The dates are not stagnant. The damn racing experience and the television commentary are what is stagnant. If you want to do something, fix that.

    Next week it is Richmond. Not bad. Two weeks after that, it is Talladega. Always great. After the shock we got at Bristol, I just hope they have enough fans left to fill at least half of the seats. I am taking nothing for granted.

  • Hot 20 of the NASCAR season that was

    Hot 20 of the NASCAR season that was

    Another season has come and gone, along with a few more drivers and fans, to be honest. However, there are some things I have noticed that are on the positive side, though not all would agree.

    I like stage racing. I was not sure to start with, but I like it now. It helps chronicle who mattered early and it informs us as to who mattered throughout. It even tells us who won, and it rewards that winner is a meaningful way.

    As a traditionalist, I was dead set against the playoffs. I have changed my mind. Logically, it makes no sense to have the pretenders still on the same competitive field as the contenders. Yet, it has not much affected the action, other than for one understandably upset Matt Kenseth. In this snowflake influenced world of ours, sometimes vengeance can still be had.

    Dale Earnhardt Jr. was not missed on the track due to his excellence in the NBC broadcast booth alongside Jeff Burton, Steve Letarte, Rick Allen and a very stout track-side team. They were entertaining, informative, and sounded like they were excited being there. That is all it takes, but it took a long, long time for some to figure that out. I am not sure FOX has yet.

    NASCAR boss man Brian France left the scene in August after being tagged with charges of aggravated driving while intoxicated and criminal possession of a controlled substance. Replaced by his uncle, I think most think that was a positive step. At least Jim France bothers to show up at the track every week.

    The France family is looking to fold its 13 track International Speedway Corp., which includes Darlington, Daytona, Martinsville and Talladega, into a merger with NASCAR itself. One can speculate as to the reasons, be it to lay out “a more unified strategic approach”, as Jim France says, or to package it all up for sale. Time will tell.

    Sometime over the past decade, the “How bad have you got it” mantra went out the window, along with the fans they were asking. Most of the races this season had a dip in ratings, with at least 26 being seen as having their worst of the past decade, if not of all time. Most of the celebrities are gone, we produce fewer gear heads these days, and the good ole boys and girls like Bo, Luke, and Daisy have been replaced in society by those who know more about tissues than issues.

    It appears Jamie McMurray is leaving the driver’s seat, at least on a full-time basis. Kurt Busch could be his replacement with Chip Ganassi. Kenseth is set to step back from even doing that after spelling off Trevor Bayne. Ryan Newman will take their place at Roush-Fenway, with newcomer Daniel Hemric taking his former ride with Richard Childress. Furniture Row is now gone, as Martin Truex Jr. heads over to Joe Gibbs, bumping Daniel Suarez possibly over to replace the elder Busch at Stewart-Haas. A.J. Allmendinger will be without a ride, giving up his seat to rookie Ryan Preece. Kasey Kahne has called it a career, and the 17-year combination of Jimmie Johnson and Chad Knaus comes to an end.

    Changes. Some we like, some we will not, at least to start with. Will fans come back in droves? Nope. Why should they? Give them a reason, give them entertainment, give them a reason to care.

    All they have to do is figure out what that is. Over the course of the past decade, they have not.

    1. JOEY LOGANO – 5040 POINTS (3 Wins)
    This is not “fake news.” Logano is a deserving, even if not an overly popular, champion.

    2. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 5035 POINTS (4 Wins)
    If we could ignore the facts for our own biases…but we can not. Now he is off to join the Coach.

    3. KEVIN HARVICK – 5034 POINTS (8 Wins)
    If he could win all those he dominated for a period of time, he would have gone double figures.

    4. KYLE BUSCH – 5033 POINTS (8 Wins)
    Great seasons can be spoiled by the uncertainty of a playoff. Case in point…

    5. ARIC ALMIROLA – 2354 POINTS (1 Win)
    Not everyone is moving on. Then again, he was one of those movers not so long ago.

    6. CHASE ELLIOTT – 2350 POINTS (3 Wins)
    The future of Hendrick has already arrived.

    7. KURT BUSCH – 2350 POINTS (1 Win)
    If he wants to race Indy, his rumored new boss might have a few options open to him.

    8. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 2343 POINTS (3 Wins)
    “I’m going to say it again. I did not intentionally spin out that driver, Mr. Suarez.”

    9. KYLE LARSON – 2299 POINTS
    If your business is named “Hi-Line”, I have a marketing opportunity for you.

    10. RYAN BLANEY – 2298 POINTS (1 Win)
    Like Chase, he is one of the positives NASCAR can showcase for the future.

    11. DENNY HAMLIN – 2285 POINTS
    As with Johnson, a years-long streak of wins in a season comes to an end.

    12. CLINT BOWYER – 2272 POINTS (2 Wins)
    Light-hearted and funny. Plus, if you ever find yourself in a ditch, he has connections.

    13. AUSTIN DILLON – 2245 POINTS (1 Win)
    That win was nice, but the iconic number was not so iconic after Daytona.

    14. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 2242 POINTS
    The marriage with Chad lasted longer than a vast majority of Hollywood relationships.

    15. ERIK JONES – 2220 POINTS (1 Win)
    At 22, That Jones Boy is making Joe Gibbs feel pretty good about the future.

    16. ALEX BOWMAN – 2204 POINTS
    Driving a car once driven by an Earnhardt is not an easy act to follow.

    17. RYAN NEWMAN – 769 POINTS
    Off to become one of the guys over at the House that Jack built. Maybe even his bodyguard.

    18. RICKY STENHOUSE JR. – 701 POINTS
    After five years, the storyline changed in 2018, along with a downturn in performance

    19. PAUL MENARD – 692 POINTS
    Will be around as long as a certain home improvement company markets its wares on a stock car.

    20. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 683 POINTS
    If this marks the end of the line, he finishes it up among those who mattered.

  • Hot 20 – If viewership tanked for Talladega, imagine what the ratings for Kansas will be

    Hot 20 – If viewership tanked for Talladega, imagine what the ratings for Kansas will be

    Talladega was a ratings bust. Talladega. For fans who follow the sport, those four Stewart-Haas cars up front, doing what they had to do all day long, was something to behold. For those who simply tune in to watch incredible action, they had to wait for the final 20 laps for the payoff. However, they had to have tuned in to witness either. They did not even bother. That is troublesome.

    Now, we have Kansas coming up on Sunday. Kansas. Winning the Hollywood Casino 400 will not exactly mean anything more than finishing first at some generically named Cup event that no one will remember in a few weeks. It has the marquee value of actress Lecy Goranson headlining a major Hollywood production. None. In fact, Charlotte’s roval and Talladega were the last events of the season able to stand on their own. Do not expect anyone new to watch these final four races. Zip.

    NBC did its part. Bringing Dale Earnhardt Jr. into the mix along with Jeff Burton, Steve Letarte, Rick Allen and the rest of the talented crew finally gave us a broadcast that is interesting to tune to watch on its own. If you want to learn stuff, they can educate. Maybe it is the audience that has changed, that has become dimwitted, unable to focus, unable or unwilling to learn, complaining about the stupidest things for the stupidest of reasons. Maybe.

    Then again, old-time fans have been thinking that for years. Maybe decades. Stock cars are no longer stock. The champion is no longer determined by being the best over the season. The playoff concept was introduced. Stage points. Selling out tradition (the brief termination of the Southern 500, the Firecracker 400, the World 600) in favor of commercialization. Maybe both NASCAR and what today constitutes many of its potential fans, the society as a whole, has changed to the point the sport is unable to keep them in the seats or sitting in front of their televisions. Maybe too many would rather let someone else do their driving, or some artificial intelligence, than sitting behind the wheel of a car themselves to enjoy the experience of hitting the open road. Maybe.

    If you are not a fan, a follower of the action, someone who would love to have the talent to be able to hit the track themselves, maybe you just do not get it. I feel the same way about soccer and basketball. At least I have some ideas as to changes that might interest me in the former. Get rid of the off-side rule, push penalty shots much further back than just 12 yards out, and banning the effeminate diving by grown men hitting the ground over nothing more than a fart might give me some reason to watch the action. Unfortunately, I am fresh out of ideas as to what NASCAR needs to do to attract former and future fans back to their venues and telecasts. If the potential of mayhem on every lap does not do it, I do not know what will.

    I know Kansas, on its own, is not part of the answer. What is?

    1. ARIC ALMIROLA – ROUND WIN – 3087 Pts – 1 Win
    I wish to thank my teammates for all of their support.

    2. CHASE ELLIOTT – ROUND WIN – 3066 Pts – 2 Wins
    Kansas is next, but he is already preparing for Martinsville, Texas, and Phoenix.

    3. KEVIN HARVICK – 3128 POINTS – 7 Wins
    Put the pedal to the metal but he needed a chance to coast for a few laps.

    4. KYLE BUSCH – 3111 POINTS – 7 Wins
    Was in self-preservation mode until the end, when they finally got him.

    5. JOEY LOGANO – 3104 POINTS – 1 Win
    If he should pick up some stage points and a decent finish, he should be fine.

    6. KURT BUSCH – 3095 POINTS – 1 Win
    I loved the Talladega finish but as for Kurt, not so much.

    7. CLINT BOWYER – 3086 POINTS – 2 Wins
    Roar that engine and click those ruby red slippers as the lad is back in Kansas.

    8. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 3083 POINTS – 4 Wins
    How he wound up above the cut off line had a lot to do with fuel…or lack of it for others.

    9. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 3065 POINTS – 3 Wins
    Those three wins mean nothing coming to Sunday. A fourth would be very, very nice.

    10. RYAN BLANEY – 3061 POINTS – 1 Win
    A very bad day for Bowyer or Truex would be helpful…not wishing bad on anyone, but…

    11. KYLE LARSON – 3047 POINTS
    Being creative with repairs cost Larson 10 points. Now he is in Bowman country.

    12. ALEX BOWMAN – 3015 POINTS
    A win by Bowman this Sunday would top even what Almirola managed to do last weekend.

    13. DENNY HAMLIN – 2136 POINTS
    Being the best of the rest is his remaining goal.

    14. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 2128 POINTS
    Jimmie and Chad are down to four races to extend that string of seasons with at least one win.

    15. AUSTIN DILLON – 2124 POINTS – 1 Win
    Some ran out of gas on Sunday. Dillon’s quest ran out of gas a few weeks ago.

    16. ERIK JONES – 2108 POINTS – 1 Win
    We need the likes of Jones and 17-year old Hailie Deegan to become future marquee attractions.

    17. RYAN NEWMAN – 641 POINTS
    Had a better season than some, but hopes for better yet with Roush in 2019.

    18. PAUL MENARD – 619 POINTS
    Returned from two laps down to record a Top Ten at Talladega.

    19. RICKY STENHOUSE JR. – 615 POINTS
    Third best last week as some of the season’s also-rans finished their runs in lofty positions.

    20. DANIEL SUAREZ – 614 POINTS
    Ranked 20th last season. Ranked 20th this season. If nothing else, the lad is consistent.

  • Hot 20 – It is a summer time Saturday night in Daytona

    Hot 20 – It is a summer time Saturday night in Daytona

    Daytona. Usually, I look forward to any race from that track. After Chicago’s race coverage on NBC, I am really looking forward to it. That was the best NASCAR television broadcast in years.

    I like to be informed and entertained, with an odd opportunity to laugh mixed in. Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Steve Letarte showed their personal chemistry extends beyond the track and into the broadcast booth. They talked, they joked, they provided insight, and they were fun to listen to.

    Jeff Burton did what we expected the Mayor to do. He was obviously excited to share with us what he saw and what it meant, and that just ratcheted up our own excitement and understanding of what we were witnessing. Rick Allen kept it all nicely wrapped together with his call of the action.

    Add to that the descriptions from pit road, the camera work, and the direction that masterly mixed the audio and the video into a seamless professional package, and NASCAR fans finally got what they deserved. Great television, and from a track few expected to find it.

    It has been a very long time since I’ve been able to answer Sheryl Crow’s question from all those years ago in a positive fashion. I can now.

    Not a boogity, boogity, boogity to be found.

    1. KYLE BUSCH – 5 WINS (736 Pts)
    Some did not like the way he won at Chicago, but he is just fine with it…and he got the trophy.

    2. KEVIN HARVICK – 5 WINS (674 Pts)
    I am guessing he is not Happy to be referred to as the second-best driver in NASCAR.

    3. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 3 WINS (594 Pts)
    Plate racing is not Martin’s thing. Never has been. Might that change on Saturday night?

    4. CLINT BOWYER – 2 WINS (579 Pts)
    Some think Larson could be part of the Big Three. He needs to get by Bowyer and Logano first.

    5. JOEY LOGANO – 1 WIN (617 Pts)
    Driving the right make and for the right owner to make waves near Daytona Beach.

    6. AUSTIN DILLON – 1 WIN (314 Pts)
    Well, they are returning to Daytona. Some think ole Austin never left.

    7. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 592 POINTS
    Driving a Penske Ford has meant good results the past few years on the big tracks.

    8. KURT BUSCH – 560 POINTS
    Hates teammates who refuse to just hand over Stage Points. Tough.

    9. DENNY HAMLIN – 537 POINTS
    Tops list of active drivers with 407 Daytona laps led in 25 starts.

    10. KYLE LARSON – 524 POINTS
    Larson is a true racer, not a snowflake. Learn from him. Don’t be a snowflake.

    11. RYAN BLANEY – 495 POINTS
    Along with Larson, the best of the newest generation.

    12. ARIC ALMIROLA – 493 POINTS
    Damn loose wheels.

    13. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 442 POINTS
    75 points to the good makes things all good for the seven-time champion.

    14. CHASE ELLIOTT – 435 POINTS
    His dad took 116 races to win his first one. Chase is heading into #95.

    15. ERIK JONES – 408 POINTS
    The 22-year-old is good, good enough for this season, but not as good as he will be.

    16. ALEX BOWMAN – 390 POINTS
    Good enough as long as someone else behind him in points does not get a win.

    17. RICKY STENHOUSE JR. – 367 POINTS
    23 points can be made up, but his last top five was at Talladega.

    18. PAUL MENARD – 362 POINTS
    Four Top Tens, but five times outside the Top 25. Which Menard will show up at Daytona?

    19. DANIEL SUAREZ – 316 POINTS
    When it comes to the Chase, no win and he won’t be in. Just ask Dillon as to how that works.

    20. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 309 POINTS
    Jamie is back in as William Byron drops out.

  • The Final Word – NBC and race fans were the big winners in Chicago

    The Final Word – NBC and race fans were the big winners in Chicago

    I was wrong. That is something you do not hear me say very often. How about this, then? The broadcast from Chicago was the best I have seen in years. That is something I do not ever remember saying, writing, or thinking. I did not think Chicago would be much worth watching. Boy, was I wrong.

    Racing is exciting. The NBC crew of Rick Allen, Jeff Burton, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Steve Letarte sounded like they were excited by what they were watching. Pit reporters Marty Snider, Dave Burns, Kelli Stavast and Parker Kligerman sounded like they were involved in one hell of an event, one they believed we should want to follow closely. Because of them, I did. Even the camera shots, be it the focus on those in the pits, the in-car footage and how it was used, and even the lap by lap coverage of the action seemed to be a step above. Hard as I may, I could not skip ahead. I had to watch and listen. NBC did its job. It is about time someone in the sport finally did. Amen. Amen.

    Clint Bowyer looked heaven sent. Then things went to hell. After charging to the lead, his green flag stop resulted in a penalty for exiting the pits too quickly. When he came in to do his drive-through penance, be damned if the lad did not speed through that, too. Now, he needed to do a stop and go penalty, but he did not stop. Guess what? Yes, back he had to come in yet again. That is one way to turn one’s day into nothing but a pile of frozen horse pucks. In no time, he had gone from first to 35th and three laps down. Well, the car looked nice. So will the one he drives next week.

    It might be cooler in Florida. It was close to 90 degrees Fahrenheit in Chicago on Sunday. It was over 155 degrees in the cars, as we discovered through yet another in-car shot. I am sure Bowyer was hot enough due to how his day was going. Chances are, he was more like a dog on the grill, and we were still in the opening stage.

    No one got stage points due to someone else’s pit strategy. They earned them, with Aric Almirola taking the maximum 10. Among those in our top 10 in the standings, Kyle Busch, Bowyer, Austin Dillon, and Denny Hamlin came up empty, replaced by Almirola, Ryan Blaney, Chase Elliott, and Erik Jones. Only 16 were on the lead lap come break time.

    Almirola remained the story, and with 10 left in the stanza, he recorded his best lap only to pull into the pits. He was sure he had a loose wheel. The team was not sure he did. It was. A smart call by the driver, though he dropped just off the lead lap to 26th. That left it to his teammates, Kurt Busch and Kevin Harvick to decide the stage. It literally came down to the final yards heading to the line, with Harvick taking it by .28 of a second. Pretty exciting stuff, and we still had over a hundred laps to go.

    Once again, no one not already in a Chase place picked up any bonus points. Almirola and Jones dropped out this time around, with Hamlin and Bowyer joining the party. A combination of driving like a bat out of hell, strategy, and good fortune delivered through a debris caution that allowed Clint to get back on the lead lap, and he took advantage of it to sit eighth at this point. Blaney took only two fresh tires under the same caution, and that move gained him five spots, to fifth, as they set their sights on the checkered flag run.

    They also had their sights set on the radar. Wet weather was coming in front the west. Hamlin went for a skid, that brought out a caution. That allowed Kyle Busch to finally put his previously ailing beast in the lead coming out of the pits. As he had been with Bowyer, Almirola, and Rowdy’s brother, Harvick was again the hunter.

    Then he became the hunted. Kyle Larson was strong all day, finishing among the top three in the opening two stages. He was stout late and got around Harvick for second. Once again, it was the two Kyles. NBC brought it home with commentary that matched the excitement on the screen as they described the duel to the finish. There was contact as Larson went to the front. Behind him, Busch put on the blade and started up the bulldozer. That contact sent Larson for a skid, yet he finished second. Busch, with his right front flat and about to depart the auto, went to the line for his 48th career victory, his fifth of the season.

    There were boos from the stands. They better have been disappointed Larson fans, as Busch did what the greats have done for decades. Larson, by his own admission, began the car-to-car contact. All Busch did was finish it.

    One Kyle may have won the race, but the other topped the day’s points with 52. Harvick’s 50 came next, followed by the 48 claimed by Martin Truex Jr., who always was among the top five it seemed, as those two finished third and fourth respectively. As for Bowyer, he showed that with a fast car and a p***** off attitude, a man can do amazing things, like finishing fifth.

    I thought Chicago was going to be a dud. I was wrong. The best race of the season, bar none. The chemistry of this broadcast team; the excitement, the information they provided, and the humor is the best we have been blessed with for many, many years. If this is what NBC can deliver from Chicago, just imagine how freaking awesome Daytona is going to be next week.

    Thanks to NBC, NASCAR is back. It is about time.

  • The Final Word – Kyle turns it up, turns it left, and turns it right at Sonoma like a FOX on the run

    The Final Word – Kyle turns it up, turns it left, and turns it right at Sonoma like a FOX on the run

    Win and you are in, or so the saying goes. Well, not if it is only your fifth race, 16 events into the season. However, running together a string of 10 straight Top Fifteens or better is easier than taking one of these contests, and Kyle Busch checked that off his “to do” list at Sonoma Sunday.

    A late caution allowed him to swing in for fresh tires that he used to maximum effect as he got by Jimmie Johnson then held off Clint Bowyer and his brother for the victory. It marked his 30th Cup decision, but he now needs to get himself in the Top 30 in the season standings. He currently sits 136 points distant behind Cole Whitt for that final eligible spot where wins matter. Whitt, who has an average finish of just beyond 27th, was 22nd on Sunday, so Busch gained 25 points on the day.

    Brother Kurt was second, and one does wonder just how hard he was trying to break his sibling’s heart. I am sure I know what Kurt would say, but he did not seem terribly broken up by the outcome. Bowyer jumped 25 points ahead of Carl Edwards, in points, but without a win that does not matter. Where it does matter, Clint is just a point behind the equally winless Aric Almirola, and five in arrears of Ryan Newman for the final two Chase places.

    Albert Hammond was prophetic when he sang “It doesn’t rain in California,” so we saw none. What we did see was Casey Mears coming to a halt after a rear tire and attached axle housing broke free and outpaced him down the track. We saw Martin Truex Jr. force David Ragan wide into the dirt, but a small nudge later and it was Truex heading into the tires along the fence. Later, Edwards tried to avoid going off the track, nudged Ragan, and both of them found the fence. Carl was literally left sitting in 40th place.

    Jeff Gordon came in to have a spring rubber removed. That takes time, and it is quicker for a crewman to toss it over the car and over the wall. Too bad NASCAR has a thing about that, so instead of re-starting 26th, he was 28th, but 36th on the track at the end of the longest line. Sixteenth was his fate. Matt Kenseth had a flat that turned into a departing carcass, but no caution, as he hit the pits and his day did the same, landing him in 21st. A.J. Allmendinger was strong early, but a fuel pressure problem crippled his day to leave him 37th.

    Some seem to do well no matter what. Kevin Harvick was fourth, which is not a surprise, except for the disastrous pit stop that saw the jack come down before his left rear was even placed on the car. The end of hope for some, a beginning of a challenge for others, it would seem.

    Ten races are left before the Chase positions are decided, with six of the 16 current position holders still winless, facing various degrees of vulnerability. With Kyle’s win, 32 drivers are still in the hunt, including Justin Allgaier, himself just a point behind Whitt in the rankings. A win at Daytona next Sunday would sure be sweet.

    Last weekend marked the end of the NASCAR season on FOX, with Larry McReynolds leaving the announce booth in favor of Jeff Gordon when they return next February. That ends a 15-year partnership with Mike and Darrell. Personally, I think the wrong guy is leaving to join Michael Waltrip and Chris Myers down in the studio, but I do not make these Boogity-Boogity-Boogity decisions. Next week, NBC arrives back on the scene with Rick Allen, Steve Letarte and Jeff Burton doing the honors.

    At Daytona, we wait to see if we have a repeat winner or a new kid in the mix. We will see how the battle settles between Newman, Almirola and Bowyer for the final spots on points. We will watch how Kyle does in relation to Whitt and Allgaier. We will listen and watch, and no doubt evaluate, the new television crew. Finally, it is Daytona in the summer. What else do you need to tune in?

  • The Final Word – The Countdown to the New Season is Down to Single Digits

    The Final Word – The Countdown to the New Season is Down to Single Digits

    The countdown has begun to the start of a new season, with less than ten days to go before the Sprint Unlimited exhibition race at Daytona. A new campaign, some new teams and some new expectations.

    Stewart-Haas had a year of mixed results in 2014. Kevin Harvick has his crown, but I think if you claim one championship you might like to claim another. Hey, it works for Jimmie Johnson. His boss, Tony Stewart, has three, but just having a year without the drama would be a Godsend. Kurt Busch won a race, which placed him in the Chase, but he actually was not even as good as Austin Dillon, Paul Menard, or Brian Vickers over the course of the season. He needs to show this year as to why Gene Haas spent the big money to bring him into the stable.

    Danica Patrick must do well. I hear that, I believe that should be so, but I am not so convinced the bloom is off the rose just yet. With the big money funding, a solid organization behind her, and the media attention she gets, I do not believe she needs to be anything more than the novelty she already is. Being the best female driver in NASCAR history might still be enough, but results better than those of, say, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. should be expected as the soon-to-be 33-year-old embarks on her third full season.

    Kasey Kahne turns 35 this spring and probably is considered the little guy at the big boys table at Hendrick by some. Seventeen wins over his career, including six in the past four years, argues otherwise. The only reason Kahne is not more front and center is due to having teammates who have either won the title multiple times or who happens to be the sports most popular performer. Even Harvick and Stewart would be considered fourth on the depth chart on this outfit.

    Dale Earnhardt Jr. has a new crew chief. After matching his win totals of the previous nine seasons in 2014, Junior has Greg Ives on the box after Steve Letarte left for the broadcast booth. The 40-year-old needs to repeat what he did in 2014, as 23 Cup wins, 23 more on the junior circuit, two Daytona 500 wins, five Talladega celebrations, and a dozen straight Most Popular Driver of the Year nods might not be enough to make the Hall…in 2030.

    2015 marks the final full-time season for Jeff Gordon. You better enjoy it, as he will not be eligible for the Hall of Fame until at least 2023. That would mark 30 years since he began his career, which is one qualification. If he has to wait until he is 55, that would be in 2027. Gone is the former three years in retirement qualification, as of this year. This alone causes me to expect more tinkering to the qualification rules between now and then.

    Trevor Bayne has a Daytona 500 to his credit, and not much else over the past four seasons. He leaves his part-time job driving for the Wood Brothers to a full-time gig with Roush Fenway. Bayne turns 24 the day they run the Duels at Daytona, with hopes of taking Mark Martin’s old No. 6 ride back to the front. The question is, does he and teammates Greg Biffle and Stenhouse represent an organization on the rise?

    Bayne takes the place of Carl Edwards, who hopes to realize that first championship with his move. Twice he has been the season’s runner-up, as the 35-year-old seeks some greener grass on Joe Gibbs’ side of the fence. Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch and Matt Kenseth are a pretty good trio of teammates to roll with. Without question, one of NASCAR’s Big Three organizations, along with Hendrick and Stewart-Haas.

    Or should that be Big Four? Penske is just a two car outfit, but with Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano on the reins their wagons can make something happen. Both finished amongst the season’s Top Five, combining for 11 victories last year. Yes, Big Four is more like it.

    Is there anyone to make it a Big Five? Childress has youth in Austin Dillon, with brother Ty waiting in the wings. They have experience in Ryan Newman, who was just one point behind Harvick when the smoke cleared at Homestead last November. Then there is Paul Menard, who has yet to crack the season’s Top Fifteen in his career, the past four with Childress. On the positive side, he does come complete with a sponsor. Is that enough?

    Michael Waltrip’s crew once was considered a top flight team, until the wings came off. Martin Truex Jr. found himself with Furniture Row, where their gains with Kurt Busch disappeared with his replacement. Brian Vickers is on the mend with a heart issue, so he will require a temporary replacement. As for Clint Bowyer, Captain Skid dropped to 19th in the season rankings after being the runner-up in 2012 and seventh the season after. Bowyer is locked in for another three years, but will they be the best of times, or the worst of times?

    Ganassi has 22-year old Kyle Larson, who just missed the Chase in his rookie season, along with veteran Jamie McMurray. Am I the only one who thinks this team should have been, and should be, more successful? McMurray has only seven wins over 13 seasons, but where he won is impressive. Two came at Daytona, including the 500 in 2010, two at Talladega, two at Charlotte, as well as the Brickyard 400. Not enough to make one a contender, but certainly one who gets remembered.

    You cannot forget Petty, if only for the guy the outfit is named after. Aric Almirola is back, after a single win got him into the Chase…for three races. That victory was just one of five the team has had over six seasons. Coming in is Sam Hornish Jr. who, in 239 NASCAR races in all three top series, has just three wins on the junior circuit. Two of them came over his last 39 races run there over the past two campaigns. Let us not forget his 19 IndyCar wins between 2001 and 2007, including the 2006 Indianapolis 500. Does that get one excited? Sadly, not much.

    Maybe the biggest move comes off the track. Gone is ESPN. Thank God Almighty. FOX returns, with NBC taking over the second half of the season. Mike Joy is a good lap-by-lap announcer, while Rick Allen is even better. While he may have a few detractors, I enjoy Darrell Waltrip, along with Larry McReynolds, providing color analysis. I think Steve Letarte will be even better though, surprisingly, Jeff Burton may be the weak link until he smooths out his delivery. Still, he has a few months to work on it. All are infinitely better than the ESPN crew, and that works for me.

    It all begins on Saturday, February 14th with the Sprint Unlimited from Daytona on FOX. Dare I say it, “Boogity, Boogity, Boogity.” Sorry, I just could not resist.