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Tag: Ronald Thornton

  • The Final Word – It rained on Bowyer’s Michigan parade, and he couldn’t care less

    The Final Word – It rained on Bowyer’s Michigan parade, and he couldn’t care less

    Rain. Sometimes rain really sucks. Outside my window, nothing but rain. In Brooklyn, Michigan, a two hours rain delay, a window for NASCAR, and with 140 miles still to go the rain returned and the racing ended. It was cold, wet, and miserable…both here and there. Just a perfect bloody Sunday.

    It was perfect for Stewart-Haas. After Kasey Kahne clipped Ricky Stenhouse Jr. into the fence, Clint Bowyer got just two tires on the pit stop to come out in front of teammates Kevin Harvick and pole-sitter Kurt Busch. Then it got wet. Again. For the final time. Bowyer joins Harvick, Kyle Busch, and Martin Truex Jr. among those with multiple wins this season, giving him 10 on his career. Two wins in 2018 after a five-season drought. Sweet.

    While Busch the Elder started this contest from the pole, Harvick took over the lead for a spell before handing it over for Ryan Blaney to claim the opening stage. Harvick took the middle frame ahead of Bowyer, but a daring bit of pit strategy, with an eye to the sky, proved to be the difference. Busch the Younger and Paul Menard rounded out the Top Five. Blaney and Brad Keselowski were the others with 40-plus point days. Alex Bowman was 16th, but it was enough to slip him into 16th in the season standings and that final Chase place, four points ahead of both Stenhouse and Menard.

    I would like to share with you my great enjoyment of Sunday’s action, the anticipation leading up to it, along with the nail-biting excitement it brought forth. Let me take the next couple of weeks to ponder doing just that, as they take next weekend off. Next up, the road course that is Sonoma out California way. That is one venue I have come to enjoy.

    Harvick won there last year. Kyle Busch has won there twice. Other past winners include Truex and Bowyer, so maybe the rich will keep on getting richer. Kurt Busch and Jimmie Johnson have both claimed a win in the past. Maybe they can do it again. If a newbie does take it, the best bet would be Joey Logano. He has been decent on the course in the past and he is one of the best this season.

    Next Sunday, NASCAR takes a day off to celebrate Father’s Day. Thanks to Amy for allowing me to be one, to Ronald and John for being the reason I am one, and to the original Ron Thornton for being the best one. The forecast calls for sunny skies. That seems about right.

  • The Final Word – Newman rises in Phoenix, while a pair run down under in New Zealand

    The Final Word – Newman rises in Phoenix, while a pair run down under in New Zealand

    Let us be honest. Of the 39 entries at Phoenix, the race itself featured just 28 marquee teams. Those are outfits that through a combination of great equipment, driver talent, and, to be honest, marketability, have most of us watching for every week.

    Most are relatively easy to spot. Check out the standings. They would include the Top 25 as of today, and I will let you figure out who the other three might be. That would include the Top 26 finishers at Phoenix. If you were hoping for a dark horse to win, you might consider Talladega in May.

    You had better luck finding Nemo than Ryan Newman in Victory Lane in recent years. He was there for the first time since July 28, 2013, in Indianapolis. That was surprising enough. Newman was in the vicinity early, but a call for no tires is what put him on the front row for the overtime restart and that was all she wrote. Career win number 18 was a long time coming.

    Kyle Larson did not win. He actually had to avoid being collected up, which broke his momentum, and that allowed the Rocket to take off before him. Larson had to settle for second place. Again. Like he did at Las Vegas. Like he did at Atlanta. Hell, he was second at Homestead to finish last season. We might have four drivers with wins to their credit bound for the Chase, but right now no one has accumulated more points this season than Larson. In fact, on Sunday, Larson accumulated 11 more points than Newman did. So, to the winner goes the spoils…but sometimes not most of the spoils.

    A winner gets a minimum of 40 points, with two stage wins pushing that to a maximum of 60. Five drivers came in with 40 or more. Newman had 42, Larson 53, and Kyle Busch 47. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. was fourth, but it was fifth place Brad Keselowski finishing 13 points ahead of him, with 46. As for Chase Elliott, he was fourth in the opening stage, won the second, and finished 12th to accumulate 42 of his own. You can make up your own mind if first and 12th can be worth the same. To be honest, I can live with it. I guess I do like surprises after all.

    So, if 40 points constitutes a good day, what is a dud? Twenty? More than half the field in Phoenix failed to even reach that plateau. Single digits? That would at least place a driver outside the Top 28, and if a driver is worth following you would think they should finish above that unless fate intervenes.

    Fate intervened with Matt Kenseth when his right front blew and he blasted the wall pretty hard. He got just a single point for his day’s efforts. That would be a dud. Same thing happened to Joey Logano with six to go while he was running in 11th place. Thanks to winning Stage One, was 31st on the track, but 16 markers had him 23rd in points earned. Not a dud, but also not a very good day.

    It is interesting how life works. In Las Vegas, Logano “accidentally” took out Rowdy in the final lap, prompting their post-race aerobic activity. In Phoenix, Logano pounds the wall in the late going, bringing out the caution that probably cost Busch the win. I think Karma just decided to punish them both. Who knew that she was such a peacenik?

    Next up is the swing out to California. There are times when I think that track produces the most mind numbing boring contests. Then a gem appears that forces me to reconsider that. Forrest Gump is right. The Auto Club Speedway is like a box of chocolates. Jimmie Johnson has six wins there, with Kenseth and the younger Busch each with three. Then again, Kevin Harvick came in the king of the hill at Phoenix, and he wound up sixth. Not bad, not good, but still not a dud.

    In other racing news, I am a very proud papa. While my sons carry far too much muscle to be considered greyhounds, they are a determined pair. Both took on the challenge of Northburn Station near Cromwell, New Zealand on the weekend. A leg injury interfered with Ronald’s training, but he still did his 50 kilometer (31 mile) event in 8.5 hours. John took on the 161 kilometer (100 mile) race and completed it in 37 hours and 54 minutes. Check out the Northburn Station 100 and see the kind of terrain they ran.

    Let me be honest. I love my sons, who give us every reason to be very proud parents, but they are truly nuts.

  • Hot 20 – If you think racing at Bristol will be tough, you should have been on Moose Mountain

    Hot 20 – If you think racing at Bristol will be tough, you should have been on Moose Mountain

    It was an off-week for NASCAR, but racing continued where I sit. At least, sitting would have been nice. Last weekend, my son John ran a 54-mile mountain terrain ultra-marathon. In following the action, I found myself walking up a half-mile dusty road with an uninterrupted 20-plus degree angle climb with a chest cold and a hacking cough. I do not believe a single bear remains on that mountain after the commotion I was making. By the way, the boy came through in far better shape than his father did. This weekend, my other son Ronald is running a marathon. I plan to sit.

    Sitting before the big screen watching the action from Bristol Saturday night is definitely in the cards. Dale Earnhardt Jr. continues to sit as he waits for his concussion symptoms to run their course. Jeff Gordon gets to continue his second farewell tour, while we await Chris Buescher passing David Ragan in the standings to make his Pocono win count in the standings. Should that happen, and there is no guarantee that it will, Kyle Larson would fall from a place in the Chase to 30 points out. Then it would come down to everyone outside pretty much requiring a win to make the post-season derby.

    Bristol is one of those tracks where you do not need much background info in order to simply enjoy the action. However, there are three storylines to follow. We will watch the duel between Buescher and Ragan. We will see if Ryan Newman, Chase Elliott, Austin Dillon, and Jamie McMurray can avoid disaster. Finally, we will be watching for who wins.

    Usually, the fans are the big winners at Bristol. While on Sunday, I plan to stand on flat ground to watch my son race in the morning, the night before, my goal is to sit on my fat ass to watch the boys and girl perform in Tennessee. Now, that is a plan of inaction to stick to.

    Here are our Hot 20 heading to Bristol.

    1. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 4 WINS (727 Pts)
    In NASCAR, “Sorry” is just another way of saying “Don’t kick my ass.”

    2. KYLE BUSCH – 4 WINS (670 Pts)
    This is a race that is destined to be won by a Busch brother, a Gibbs driver, or both.

    3. CARL EDWARDS – 2 WINS (653 Pts)
    Edwards could be that Gibbs driver. Would need to change name to Karl to be a Busch.

    4. DENNY HAMLIN – 2 WINS (620 Pts)
    Burnouts are fine. Tear ups are not. Just a reminder.

    5. MATT KENSETH – 2 WINS (600 Pts)
    Four of the top five belong to the Coach. Two years before room has to be made for Erik Jones.

    6. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 2 WINS (578 Pts)
    Crew Chief Chad Knaus says things will be just fine, and Knaus knows stuff.

    7. KEVIN HARVICK – 1 WIN (718 Pts)
    Jimmy Buffett was not wasting away at Margaritaville, he was hanging with Harv.

    8. KURT BUSCH – 1 WIN (689 Pts)
    Set rookie truck record with four wins in 2000. William Byron has beat that driving for Kyle.

    9. JOEY LOGANO – 1 WIN (652 Pts)
    Winner of last two Saturday night Bristol races looked a whole lot like this guy.

    10. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 1 WIN (612 Pts)
    Will be driving for the Mile High outfit for an additional two years.

    11. TONY STEWART – 1 WIN (389 Pts)
    One final helmet toss at Kenseth for old time’s sake?

    12. RYAN NEWMAN – 562 POINTS
    With a contract running out and the owner’s grandson ready to go, this Rocket needs to liftoff.

    13. CHASE ELLIOTT – 561 POINTS
    The only excuse you’ll get from Chase is if you ask him “why don’t you make excuses?”

    14. AUSTIN DILLON – 559 POINTS
    Took the free time to fulfill an engagement.

    15. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 550 POINTS
    Fishing for a Chase place, fishing in British Columbia with Dierks, Martin, and Clint.

    16. KYLE LARSON – 520 POINTS
    Was it the incident or was it A.J. that Kyle was calling “flat out stupid?”

    17. TREVOR BAYNE – 512 POINTS
    Bayne was in Ireland for a 70.3-mile Ironman race. Running I don’t get. Potato salad, I get.

    18. KASEY KAHNE – 509 POINTS
    It is good to have a couple of years left on a contract.

    19. RYAN BLANEY – 502 POINTS
    Iconic Wood Brothers ride will sport Virginia Tech colors on Saturday night.

    20. A.J. ALLMENDINGER – 486 POINTS
    Thought he was Ben Hur at Watkins Glen, and the drummer called for ramming speed.

    30. DAVID RAGAN – 295 POINTS
    Not surprising a NASCAR driver supports Trump. Hey, both believe walls are important.

    31. CHRIS BUESCHER – 292 POINTS (1 W)
    Sometimes the story of a race does not unfold near the front.