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Tag: Ricky Stenhouse Jr

  • Hot 20 – Harvick hit by penalties heading to Phoenix, but they do not much matter

    Hot 20 – Harvick hit by penalties heading to Phoenix, but they do not much matter

    The damndest thing happened right after I submitted this for publication. The penalties came down after Las Vegas. Kevin Harvick’s team got hit. Hard. Talk about having to go back to the drawing..er..keyboard.

    So, what did they do? Well, according to NASCAR.com, “The team was found to have violated Sections 20.4.8.1 (dealing with rear window support) and 20.4.18 (rocker panel extensions), specifically. A brace that supports the rear window failed and did not meet specifications for keeping the rear window glass rigid in all directions, at all times. Additionally, the rocker panel extension was not aluminum.”

    So, though they no longer use the term, the win is encumbered. If you find the term too confusing, buy a dictionary. Crew chief Rodney Childers has been fined $50,000. Car chief Robert Smith has been suspended for the next two races, and the team and driver both lost 20 points. That means, they get to keep the other 40 they picked up on the day. In short, it matters little to Harvick, with that Atlanta win already in the bag.

    What does matter is that some good people stepped up when they heard that Matt DiBenedetto’s No. 32 entry was unsponsored going into this one. Harvick donated $5000 to the cause. So did Denny Hamlin. Darrell Waltrip matched them. Talk about good people helping look after their own.

    As for our Hot 20 heading to Phoenix…

    1. KEVIN HARVICK – 1 WIN – 1 E.W. – 115 Pts
    If the penalties in any way mean that Kevin is a bit of a brat, welcome to Harvickville.

    2. AUSTIN DILLON – 1 WIN – 94 Pts
    After Daytona, when will we next notice him on race day?

    3. JOEY LOGANO – 132 POINTS
    Three races. Three Top Tens.

    4. RYAN BLANEY – 131 POINTS
    Took the pole last week, which was about the only thing Harvick did not leave town with.

    5. MARTIN TRUEX, JR. – 115 POINTS
    Colorado also boasts Boulder, Crabtree, Dillon Dam, and the Great Divide Brewing Companies.

    6. KYLE BUSCH – 104 POINTS
    If he does not matter it is because he is in the garage.

    7. KYLE LARSON – 104 POINTS
    Chevrolet was not completely shut out of the Top Ten last week. Damn near, but not completely.

    8. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 99 POINTS
    Along with Logano and Blaney, Team Penske has done rather well thus far.

    9. DENNY HAMLIN – 97 POINTS
    The guy is a jerk…then he goes and gives DiBenedetto a helping hand. Still a jerk, but a nice jerk.

    10. PAUL MENARD – 96 POINTS
    While everyone is watching Harvick up front, Menard is quietly succeeding further back.

    11. CLINT BOWYER – 93 POINTS
    Some like Nickelback. Others are named Clint Bowyer.

    12. ARIC ALMIROLA – 93 POINTS
    Failed to stay on the lead lap, but 10th is 10th.

    13. KURT BUSCH – 77 POINTS
    Kurt + Chase = A bad day

    14. RYAN NEWMAN – 75 POINTS
    Ooh, and it’s alright and it’s coming on, Ryan’s gotta get right back to where he last won.

    15. DARRELL WALLACE, JR. – 68 POINTS
    In a seven-race Cup career, Bubba has not done too badly.

    16. CHRIS BUESCHER – 67 POINTS
    Average a 15th place finish (5th, 25th, 15th) and that gives you a Chase place…for the moment.

    17. ALEX BOWMAN – 67 POINTS
    How bad has Hendrick got it? Alex is the best of their stable at present.

    18. RICKY STENHOUSE JR. – 66 POINTS
    This week…he is going after the hot dog guy.

    19. ERIK JONES – 64 POINTS
    In 40 career Cup starts, 24 times he has finished in the Top 15. You can build on that.

    20. MICHAEL MCDOWELL – 53 POINTS
    Mechanical issue killed his day early, yet he keeps on hanging on.

  • Hot 20 – If you are looking for hot, usually there is no better place to find it than Las Vegas

    Hot 20 – If you are looking for hot, usually there is no better place to find it than Las Vegas

    The general consensus is that Atlanta was a boring race. I disagree. Let me share as to why.

    There is no debate that Kevin Harvick had the best car, that based on performance his was the auto that should have won. However, when drama was needed we had weather and strategy apparently conspiring to beat him. Would it rain? Would Denny Hamlin be in front at the right time when the heavens opened up? Well, “nope” turned out to be the correct answer to both questions. Sure, only 13 cars were left on the lead lap when it ended, but as I tend to feel a measure of joy when most drivers win, I can appreciate pure dominance.

    Now, what if Hamlin, Brad Keselowski, or Joey Logano were in Harvick’s position, one might ask. Well, that race would have truly sucked. Hey, should I open my front door and any one, two, or three of that trio were to be standing there with a case of beer in hand, I would welcome them in with open arms, and a bottle opener. However, I just do not feel much joy when one of those gents wins a race. Nothing personal or terribly complex. To be honest, after the sharing of suds, I do not doubt my feelings toward them would change to the positive. It just has not happened yet. Hold on…do I hear the doorbell?

    Often, a cold brew can help ease a mighty warm day in Las Vegas. Our Hot 20 will be out to try and turn up the heat this Sunday.

    1. KEVIN HARVICK – 1 WIN – 75 PTS
    A one-man show in Atlanta. What has he got this weekend? Hopefully all his lug nuts.

    2. AUSTIN DILLON – 1 WIN – 70 PTS
    With his Daytona win, he can now concentrate on stage points. It worked for Truex.

    3. JOEY LOGANO – 89 POINTS
    Points do not lock one into the Playoffs just yet, but they are an indicator as to how good you are.

    4. RYAN BLANEY – 83 POINTS
    Had himself a face full of Suarez last week, and he did not seem to love it.

    5. DENNY HAMLIN – 77 POINTS
    Golf or basketball anyone? Apparently, he still has a vacancy in his leagues.

    6. CLINT BOWYER – 74 POINTS
    In the final year of his deal, but Bowyer is no Patrick…and in this case, that is a good thing.

    7. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 69 POINTS
    The first of eight in 2017 was won in Las Vegas. Time to let ‘er ride and double down.

    8. KURT BUSCH – 68 POINTS
    Won the Daytona 500 last year, made the Playoffs, and sunk from view.

    9. PAUL MENARD – 66 POINTS
    Not a name on everyone’s lips, but if he can stay up here, folks will learn about it.

    10. ARIC ALMIROLA – 66 POINTS
    Danica Who?

    11. KYLE BUSCH – 61 POINTS
    Wheels on the truck went round and round and left. Crew suspensions limited to that series.

    12. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 58 POINTS
    Looked mighty strong last week, but he was also looking at Harvick’s tail lights the whole time.

    13. KYLE LARSON – 54 POINTS
    The oddsmakers see this Kyle as one of the top five favorites for Sunday.

    14. DARRELL WALLACE JR. – 52 POINTS
    Petty blue replaced by Cosmopolitan purple for this weekend.

    15. MICHAEL MCDOWELL – 52 POINTS
    Just 22 starts in quality equipment but none this season…or might we have to rethink that?

    16. RYAN NEWMAN – 49 POINTS
    Started strong, got tight, had a tire go down, then slapped the wall. That’s about it.

    17. ALEX BOWMAN – 46 POINTS
    Bowman of 2018 is still better than Junior of 2017. He just needs time to build the fan base.

    18. CHRIS BUESCHER – 45 POINTS
    Atlanta was a step back. Has JTG-Daugherty arrived, or is this the rise before the fall?

    19. CHASE ELLIOTT – 44 POINTS
    “We have a lot of work to do.”

    20. RICKY STENHOUSE, JR. – 43 POINTS
    If you are looking for Jimmie Johnson, he is 15 spots further down the well.

  • The Final Word – Atlanta was like a Happy little children’s song for Harvick

    The Final Word – Atlanta was like a Happy little children’s song for Harvick

    If you’re Happy and you know it,
    Drive your car.
    If you’re Happy and you know it,
    Drive it far.
    If you’re Happy and you know it,
    End the day doing donuts,
    If you’re Happy and you know it,
    Be as you are.

    That pretty much sums up the 500 mile race Sunday at Atlanta. Kevin “Happy” Harvick dominated the opening stage, and though an air gun mishap dropped him back, he was near the front after the second stage. The third, it was all Harvick, with a few cameos as some anticipated rain, others tried different strategies, but all to no avail. It marked his first win at the track on which he claimed his first back in 2001. This victory was his 38th and locked him into the playoff hunt.

    While Harvick led more than half the time, Brad Keselowski was second after holding point for 38 laps. Denny Hamlin was fourth with 26 up front, while Kurt Busch settled for eighth, taking the second stage and leading 52 circuits.

    Only 13 drivers managed to run the full 325 laps, including Top Five finishers Clint Bowyer and Martin Truex Jr. Pole sitter Kyle Busch was seventh but did well enough throughout in accumulating extra notches to wind up third best in points on the day. Rounding out the Top Ten was Joey Logano, Kyle Larson, and Chase Elliott.

    Good days for some, bad days for others who one would think would have done better. A blown tire that did some serious renovations to the front fender did in Jimmie Johnson. After the Daytona disaster, it would be an understatement to say that he is off to a slow start. He already sits way down in 35th in the standings. Others with 10 points or less on Sunday included A.J. Allmendinger, Matt DiBenedetto, Bubba Wallace, and a blown engine parked Trevor Bayne in 35th.

    Next stop is Las Vegas, as the teams answer the call to go west with their young men. Just 36 entries last week marked a 22 year low, but Premium Motorsports will add the uncharted entry of Joey Gase for the trip to the Strip to push the entry tally to 37. It will be the 23rd career Cup start for the 25-year-old from Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

    Truex is the defending race champion, though a second visit to the venue comes up in September, a date that once belonged to New Hampshire. Keselowski has won two of the past four in Las Vegas, sandwiching the 2015 victory of Harvick. It could be a case of the rich getting even richer next weekend. It might be early, but Johnson is not the only one who could use a little luck to come their way on their visit to The Entertainment Capital of the World. Alex Bowman, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Jamie McMurray, Erik Jones, William Byron, and Daniel Suarez are just some of those who have seen craps come up enough times already. Something better than snake eyes is what they will be looking for the next time they roll ‘dem bones on Sunday.

    As for Harvick and Daytona winner Austin Dillon, they might prefer the wheels on the bus to continue going round and round. However, if the damn things fall off, there is always next week. The pressure is off.

  • Hot 20 – 36 Charter teams and just 36 cars running at Atlanta on Sunday

    Hot 20 – 36 Charter teams and just 36 cars running at Atlanta on Sunday

    36. Damn, and I was so looking forward to saying nothing but positive things this season. 36. That is the number of entries slated to run at Atlanta on Sunday. 36. The last time we had that small a field, it was 1996 in Martinsville. Rusty Wallace and Jeff Gordon were the race winners at that venue. 36. The last time we had that many run in Atlanta was in 1976, 42 years ago. David Pearson and Dave Marcis were the eventual victors. That year, 20 of the 30 races had fields of 36 and less.

    More than 40 years later, and maybe things have not changed that much after all. I guess NASCAR knew what they were doing when they handed out just 36 charters. That is all we got in Atlanta. I think we can safely say that, at most, only 36 entries matter. Truth be told, that number might be closer to 25, but did I not say I was trying to be positive this season?

    The Hot 20 heading to Atlanta...

    1. AUSTIN DILLON – 1 WIN – 47 Points
    After 20 years, the No. 3 returns to Daytona’s Victory Circle…and life is as it should be.

    2. RYAN BLANEY – 58 POINTS
    Led for most of last Sunday and while he missed the win, he sure cashed in on bonus points.

    3. JOEY LOGANO – 50 POINTS
    Boasts having the car number first made famous by Fireball Roberts. Talk about good lineage.

    4. DARRELL WALLACE JR. – 47 POINTS
    Runner-up at the Daytona 500, driving for Richard Petty. How sweet is that!

    5. PAUL MENARD – 46 POINTS
    Atlanta has a slick, sliding worn out racing surface and, as Menard would put it, it is fun.

    6. MICHAEL MCDOWELL – 39 POINTS
    First race for his new team a success, but how long will the good times roll?

    7. DENNY HAMLIN – 37 POINTS
    It is okay to take personal jabs at your fellow drivers…just as long as it isn’t Denny, it seems.

    8. RYAN NEWMAN – 34 POINTS
    Dillon got his win. Now, it is Newman’s turn to bring home the bacon for Childress.

    9. CHRIS BUESCHER – 33 POINTS
    Is JTG Daugherty the next team to move from also-ran to someone to watch?

    10. ARIC ALMIROLA – 33 POINTS
    When you try to block a freight train on the final lap of the Daytona 500, you get freight trained.

    11. TREVOR BAYNE – 31 POINTS
    Daytona is one thing, but Atlanta is where you truly discover what you have.

    12. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 30 POINTS
    11 bonus points help pad an 18th place result.

    13. CLINT BOWYER – 29 POINTS
    I could talk about Clint or the fried chicken breast served on a potato roll and topped with bacon.

    14. ALEX BOWMAN – 29 POINTS
    It appears Bowman the Showman wants a new name. Bowman the Slowman would sure suck.

    15. A.J. ALLMENDINGER – 28 POINTS
    He probably thinks JTG Daugherty has already arrived.

    16. KURT BUSCH – 27 POINTS
    Most folks use a mirror to see behind them. Kurt turned his whole car, but it was not his idea.

    17. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 23 POINTS
    Hoping his 25th Atlanta start finds him finally able to shake the suds at the end.

    18. RICKY STENHOUSE JR. – 22 POINTS
    He fumed, he steamed, he got wrecked. That is some kind of hat trick.

    19. KEVIN HARVICK – 19 POINTS
    Harvick’s advice to Hamlin: “Sometimes you’ve got to keep your mouth shut.’’

    20. KYLE LARSON – 18 POINTS
    Somebody has to make room for Elliott, Byron, Jones, Keselowski,…

    21. KYLE BUSCH – 18 POINTS
    …Suarez and Johnson, but it won’t be either of these two.

  • The Final Word – The Daytona 500 finish reminded us of when giants ruled the asphalt

    The Final Word – The Daytona 500 finish reminded us of when giants ruled the asphalt

    Unstable. Set to go off with the least provocation. No, I’m not talking about CNN or late night talk show hosts, most celebrities, or more than a few politicians. What I am referring to is the Daytona 500.

    Ricky Stenhouse Jr. weebled, wobbled, and stacked ‘em up. He drove off, for the moment at least, but it was goodbye Erik Jones, Daniel Suarez, and Jimmie Johnson before they got 60 laps in. Segment two found Chase Elliott the meat in a Ryan Blaney – Brad Keselowski sandwich and the aerodynamics took care of the rest. Adios Elliott, Keselowski, Kevin Harvick, and Danica Patrick. Then, down to the final couple of scheduled laps on the day, Kurt Busch was near the front but traded paint with Blaney and found himself facing the wrong way. Sayonara Kurt, Alex Bowman, and Matt DiBenedetto, who had looked so good before things went so bad.

    Good was remembering 20 years ago when the No. 3 crossed the finish line first, and car owner Richard Childress looking so happy for his driver, Dale Earnhardt. Sunday we saw Childress looking happy once more as the No. 3 of grandson Austin Dillon took the Great American Race. For a brief moment, we remembered a time when things were not so unstable, when the news was really the news, and you could believe what you had heard and seen. Believe me, what we saw at the end of the Daytona 500 felt so real and good, if only because it reminded us of a time past.

    Of course, Dillon won it because Aric Almirola threw a block in front of Dillon’s freight train, and wound up as one would expect in such a situation. While Dillon went on to win, Bubba Wallace, driving for Richard Petty, was the guy pushing him to victory, edging out Denny Hamlin at the line. Joey Logano was fourth, which was not as surprising as finding Chris Buescher taking fifth. Blaney, who was seventh in the end, was third in the opening stage and took the second to lead the points standings. He sits six ahead of Dillon and Paul Menard, who was sixth.

    It was an entertaining race, assisted by the volatility of the cars that made things a tad unpredictable for us, and for the drivers. The race kept us engaged while the television crew did not drive us off. In fact, the FOX coverage was pretty darn good. I do like the left side of the screen ticker better than the scroll they used to run atop it. Informative and entertaining. What a concept.

    Some were not as enthralled with the action. It was not worth a crap if you were named Kyle. Kyle Larson got some damage in that opening wreck and finished 19th. Kyle Busch had tires going down and fenders smacking the fence and wound up 25th. Stenhouse was blowing more steam than Old Faithful late in the second stage, and the Busch wreck really left him steaming in 29th when the day was over.

    Heading to Atlanta, Suarez, Jones, and Johnson sit with a single point each for their Daytona efforts. Johnson has won two of the last three raced down in Georgia, with Keselowski the defending race champ. With just five points, ole Brad also could use some stability himself come next week. Last Sunday, as oft times happens at Daytona, we were provided with a good show.

    The Daytona 500 finished with some of NASCAR’s most iconic numbers, the No. 3, the No.43, the No. 11 and the No. 22, coming home one-two-three-four. Just for the briefest of moments, the hands on the wheel could have been those of  Earnhardt. Petty. Cale Yarborough (or was it Ned Jarrett or Darrell Waltrip?). Fireball Roberts. Those were the days when giants ruled the asphalt. May such memories of the past merge with the reality that was last Sunday. May they just be the harbinger of more good things for Sundays come.

  • Daytona 500 Report – More of the Same

    Daytona 500 Report – More of the Same

    The 60th edition of the Great American Race was run Sunday under sunny skies in Daytona Beach, Florida. From the start, shortly after 3:00 p.m.,  it was nearly four hours of chaos. At the end, there were only a few competitive cars left to race.

    At Lap 61, nine cars were eliminated or damages. This included stars like Erik Jones, Jimmie Johnson, and Kyle Larson. At Lap 103, Chase Elliott, Danica Patrick, Kevin Harvick, Brad Keselowski, and Kasey Kahne were eliminated. It wasn’t over. At Lap 200, Kurt Busch, Martin Truex, Jr., Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., William Byron, Ryan Newman, and Kyle Larson were eliminated or damaged. Then came the “overtime,” and that cost Aric Almirola, who was leading at the time, elimination. That’s a total of nearly half the field.

    Why, you may ask. The answer is restrictor plate (or tapered spacer) racing. It involves cars racing at fast speeds, so close together that there is no room for error. Then include the fashionable practice of blocking. It’s Daytona Roulette. The result is only a few cars lucky enough to have avoided all the earlier carnage can be around at the end. Unfortunately, on this day even the lessening of contenders did not stop the blocking, and a crash ended the race. You may have read my earlier comment on the so-called plate racing from about five years ago. This guy doesn’t like it. Many people do. Some like the fact that almost anyone can win and others like the crashes. With 80 percent of the field either having damage or eliminated from competition, it becomes little more than a demolition derby or as I called it, a train wreck, not racing.

    One proponent of this “racing” told me today that we run nearly 200 mph at several tracks, why is this a problem at Daytona, he asked. High banks and aggressive drivers is the answer. Those tracks don’t have the banking or the aggressive behavior that is required at Daytona because in order to keep up, you have to block, and when you get a push from behind, you are helpless to slow down.

    What’s the answer? I won’t pretend to even think I know. I do take one tidbit from the past. Back in the dark ages before Bobby Allison tore out the catchfence at Talladega when everyone was running seven-liter engines, NASCAR decided to inch away from the big blocks for a more reasonable cost. The late Bud Moore was the first to try it and his No. 15 Fords had a hard time keeping up until everyone changed. Speeds at Daytona were about 176 mph and the racing was great. Now they use these smaller blocks and go even faster with a restrictor plate. Much like the gun debate in society, no one has an answer and no one is even trying to do anything to change it. So, we’re stuck with crash fests. Sad.

    The lesson from all of this is never take anything from plate races that would mean there is a pattern to competitiveness that would ring true for the rest of the season (except for the three remaining plate races). Chevrolet won the 500, but only led 19 laps on the day. Ford drivers led 150 laps and Toyota drivers led 38. Chevrolet, which brought the new Camaro ZL1 to Daytona, led only 19 laps all day. When we get to Atlanta, we’ll have a better idea of the season ahead. No, we won’t anoint Bubba Wallace the most popular driver yet (though he’s got a head start on that), or declare the young kids as not as advertised. It’s back to reality next week and real racing.

  • Hot 20 – Best from last Sunday dream of being the best this Sunday at Daytona

    Hot 20 – Best from last Sunday dream of being the best this Sunday at Daytona

    Forty drivers, 40 spots. Still, despite the lack of interest and resources for additional teams to attempt to enter the iconic competition, we have some high-quality contenders to watch out for. Alex Bowman and Denny Hamlin are locked into the front row, as long as their cars last. The rest of the top 20 qualifiers went into Thursday trying to protect their positions from all challengers in the two 20 car heats.

    Some of those trying to turn up the heat were quality drivers who were trying to improve on what took place last Sunday. Heading into this Sunday, does anyone want to count out the likes of Ryan Newman, Kyle Larson, Jamie McMurray, Bubba Wallace, or defending Cup champion Martin Truex, Jr.?

    I didn’t think so.

    The Hot 20 prior to the Duels…

    1. ALEX BOWMAN
    Junior who?

    2. DENNY HAMLIN
    Denny who? Okay, I’m just messing with you.

    3. JIMMIE JOHNSON
    His date with 8 could begin on Sunday.

    4. KYLE BUSCH
    Some days he wins, some days he crashes, but damn near every day we know that he raced.

    5. WILLIAM BYRON
    Jeff who?

    6. ERIK JONES
    I often wear a 2005 Little League coach’s shirt, and Jones would have been too young to play for us.

    7. DANIEL SUAREZ
    Open the border if that means more like him.

    8. KEVIN HARVICK
    Open the border, but what would Harvick do in Canada?

    9. RICKY STENHOUSE JR.
    If bad things happen, he won’t hear about it when he gets home…if you know what I mean.

    10. CHASE ELLIOTT
    Has Dad’s old number now needs some of Dad’s old results.

    11. JOEY LOGANO
    To win without penalty is his goal.

    12. PAUL MENARD
    New standard bearer for the Wood Brothers and the sponsor is not who you might think.

    13. ARIC ALMIROLA
    Aric does not look like Danica, but will his results by any different?

    14. AUSTIN DILLON
    If he can grow a mustache better than he wears a Stetson, I might have a suggestion for him.

    15. RYAN BLANEY
    This just in. Ryan is full of it. More at 11 on KB News.

    16. CLINT BOWYER
    Look at that. Sitting in a playoff position at the moment. How long will that last?

    17. KURT BUSCH
    Not the KB is was referring to earlier.

    18. KASEY KAHNE
    In 416 races, the No. 95 has not once won a race but Kahne was hired to change that.

    19. BRAD KESELOWSKI
    A bit slow early last Sunday, a bit fast later in the day seems to be pointing in the right direction.

    20. TREVOR BAYNE
    If he has a career like Mark Martin, the No. 6 is in good hands.

  • Hot 20 – Sunday’s Clash to feature 17 drivers representing 12 championships and 332 Cup wins

    Hot 20 – Sunday’s Clash to feature 17 drivers representing 12 championships and 332 Cup wins

    The new pre-season opens this Sunday, as those who made last season’s Playoffs or claimed a pole, who has ever claimed a Daytona 500 pole, or who has ever won this event in the past dust off the cobwebs and rev the engines. Now, you may be asking yourself how could this be a “Hot 20″ column with only 17 drivers competing? Well, you have to improvise.

    Martin Truex Jr.
    Won three poles in 2017. He also picked up a ring at a dinner after the season.

    Kyle Busch
    Won eight poles in 2017, which seems rather greedy to me.

    Kevin Harvick
    Keelan is now 5-and-a-half. His NASCAR debut is still at least 15 years away.

    Brad Keselowski
    Brad has a ring. Kevin has a ring. Kyle has a ring. Martin has a newer ring. Notice a theme?

    Chase Elliott
    Won nothing last year, except one pole and the hearts of fans looking for a new Pied Piper.

    Denny Hamlin
    You would have thought that with his last name, Denny would have been the new Pied Piper.

    Kyle Larson
    You can never have too many Kyles.

    Ryan Blaney
    …or Ryans.

    Jimmie Johnson
    Give me a moment and I might come up with a reason he is here. Maybe seven of them.

    Austin Dillon
    All hat and maybe a few cattle.

    Jamie McMurray
    Dimples are considered the cutest deformity ever. Jamie has them. So does Duchess Kate.

    Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
    Available. Need I say more?

    Kurt Busch
    Another season where all the excitement comes on the track.

    Kasey Kahne
    New team, a new look.

    Ryan Newman
    Fortunate that races can be won by a nose, but never by a neck.

    Joey Logano
    Was encumbered by a win that did not count and a playoff that was not to be.

    Erik Jones
    Turns 22 in May. Old bastard. He is the last on this list who will be in Sunday’s event.

    Matt Kenseth
    Had the talent to continue, just not the charisma apparently, so he won’t be driving.

    Dale Earnhardt Jr.
    Has the charisma, but to avoid a possible clash at home, he is avoiding the Clash at Daytona.

    Mae Thornton
    Tied for 20th with the rest of us, my late mother also failed to qualify for the Clash.

    As I said…you improvise.

  • Stenhouse Looking Forward to the Daytona 500 and Has No Qualms About Racing with Danica

    Stenhouse Looking Forward to the Daytona 500 and Has No Qualms About Racing with Danica

    CHARLOTTE, NC – Ricky Stenhouse Jr. won two restrictor plate races, the first of his career, and took a tumble in the Chili Bowl in the offseason. Those were just two of the topics the press corps heard at the NASCAR Media Tour in the Charlotte Convention Center on Tuesday.

    With two wins, a Playoff berth and a lot of baggage off him for 2018, Stenhouse seems to be ready to take on the challenges of the new season with vigor and anticipation.

    “I think there’s a lot of things that are looking good for us in 2018,” Stenhouse said. “I think, we ended the season really strong and I think my team has confidence in what we’re gonna be able to do. The cars that we’re building going into the Daytona 500 after winning two speedway races this past season, not looking for our first win is nice, not having that riding on your back. That seemed pretty tough to deal with for a long time and now I don’t have to answer those questions, but now it’s what other race tracks are we gonna win at?”

    Confidence is plentiful around the Stenhouse camp. His two wins in 2017 are making the driver of the No.17 Ford look at other tracks and maybe taking the Roush Fenway organization back to the glory days they had earlier before Stenhouse came along.

    “I definitely want to win at other race tracks, but going into the 500 I feel a lot more confident than I ever have. I always went into the 500 thinking, ‘Hey, lets’ get off to a good start. Let’s have a good points race.’ I never thought about winning the 500. I just thought that I was competing in it and if I won that was cool, but I didn’t really feel I had the confidence that we could.

    “After last season, I feel like going in that is the only goal that we have when we go down there is to win and not just to get a good finish out of it. Until we’re done with Daytona, that’s our number one priority, but we do have a Vegas test coming up that I’m looking forward to.

    “We’ve got a new car that we’re taking out there and we’ve got other cars to kind of judge ourselves off of. I know Kyle Larson is gonna be out there, so some of those cars that were fast on the mile-and-a-half race tracks last year will be out there testing and I’m anxious to kind of see how we stack up with our new car.”

    Stenhouse talked about the strides Roush Fenway Racing has made since the start of last season and why he thinks that 2018 is going to be a good year for them. The cars are better.

    “We worked on a lot of things last year. I think we worked on a lot of things that didn’t work as well,” Stenhouse said. “When I feel we got off a little bit last season it was we were working down a path that we thought there was gonna be some good things at the end of the tunnel. When we got there it just didn’t produce, whether it be the downforce or the grip in the race car we were looking for, so I feel like there was about a month or two that we fell behind of not gaining on it while other teams were continuing to gain. I felt like we fell behind at that point.

    “I felt like we started the Playoffs further behind than we thought, but I thought we ended the season – Martinsville, Phoenix, Texas, Homestead – closer to where we started the year based off of speed. So, I’m looking forward to those things that we worked on. We worked on those things this offseason to hopefully continue that progress, but it’s not gonna be overnight. I think we have focused in on things that we need to be better on.”

    During the offseason, Stenhouse and former girlfriend Danica Patrick parted ways. Much speculation has been voiced over how the two would race together in the Daytona 500. Patrick recently signed a contract to drive in the Great American Race in the No. 7 Premium Motorsports Chevrolet. Will Stenhouse race differently around his former girlfriend?

    “I don’t think I’ll race any different around her,” Stenhouse said. “I try to respect everybody around me, especially at those speedway races. You don’t really want to put anybody in a bad spot because you put the whole field in a bad spot, but I think I’ll go out and race just like I’m racing everybody else and see how it plays out. Heck, when we first started racing together we got in crashes anyway, so it is what it is. I’ll just go out and compete as hard as I can and I plan on putting myself in a position to win the race.”

  • The Final Word – Ricky and Danica…or…when romance passes the checkered flag

    The Final Word – Ricky and Danica…or…when romance passes the checkered flag

    It is over. I am not just talking about my writing hibernation. It is not like I was just jumping at the bit to return, but sometimes you hear some news and you feel the need to say something, to make comment, to share your observations. Today is that day.

    Danica Patrick and Ricky Stenhouse Jr., a.k.a. Daniky, Ricica, Stentrick, is no more. The end came last month, hopefully in time to prevent the buying of an awkward gift. Five years ago, of all the race tracks, in all the towns, in all the world, Danica drove into Ricky’s. We sweet scribes were joyous, as they gave us an easy out when troubled with writer’s block. They allowed us to raise speculation to ridiculous heights on the possible issues arising at home when one of them crumpled the metal of the other on the track. Now, we are left with the reality of Paradise Lost. Now, it is back to rounding up the usual suspects for storylines, commenting solely on the results of Stenhouse in the car. Ricky, here’s looking at you kid.

    As for the heroine of our saga, she has moved on. When she left NASCAR, she truly left it. What is actress Olivia Munn’s loss, who I loved in The Newsroom, is Patrick’s gain. She is now the quarterback’s girl. Green Bay pivot Aaron Rogers, Super Bowl champ and MVP, twice judged the top dog in the NFL, and six-time Pro Bowler, is now her guy. She is lost to us, no doubt the future subject of some fellow writing for FootballStadiumMedia.com. Yet, she left us with memories.

    After leaving IndyCar as its six-time Most Popular Driver, and a win in Japan in 2008, she came to NASCAR. They loved her in Nationwide back in 2012, winning Most Popular there, too. In 2013, she opened her full-time Cup career with taking the pole for the Daytona 500. The lady appeared about to kick ass. Well, so it appeared.

    In 61 Nationwide events, she claimed a pole and seven Top Tens. In 190 Cup races, she claimed that one pole and another seven Top Tens. Her best finish was sixth in a 2014 Atlanta race. As a driver with top-flight equipment, she was not notable. As a woman, she was something of a pioneer. Patrick was the first to lead a lap at both the Indianapolis and Daytona 500 races, she took the pole at Daytona, and there is that IndyCar win in Japan. She was the first active driver to date one of her competitors, and now the first part-time driver to date a Green Bay Packer. Now we have something in common. Danica and I will both be cheering on the Packers next season.

    Yet, the Packers are done until next fall and NASCAR and Stenhouse do not return to action for another month. While I wish the new couple all the best, as I have no reason not to, I shall return to my hibernation. As for racing, at least we will always have Daytona and Patrick’s probable final run in the Great American Race.

    Good night, good night. Parting is such sweet sorrow that I’ll say goodnight until tonight becomes tomorrow…or more truthfully, until sometime in February.