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Tag: Roush Fenway Racing

Could This Be a Turnaround for Ricky Stenhouse Jr.?

Not since his rookie year of 2013, has Ricky Stenhouse Jr. had such a consistent start to the Sprint Cup season. Since taking over driving duties of the No. 17 from two-time Daytona 500 winner and 2003 champion Matt Kenseth, Stenhouse has had little reason to be confident. Yet, after a fifth-place run at the Auto Club 400 on Sunday he currently sits 14th in points. This coming a week after he finished 37th at Phoenix, thanks to a blown tire and a crash.

Sadly enough, crashes seem to be the norm for the 28-year-old Mississippi driver. In his fourth full season as a Sprint Cup driver, Stenhouse has finished no better than 19th in points in his rookie year. Since then it seems that the only coverage he was known for was being the boyfriend of Stewart-Haas Racing driver Danica Patrick, who he competed against for the 2013 Rookie of the Year title that Stenhouse won. But in five events in 2016, the No. 17 has earned a fifth at Fontana and a 10th at Atlanta, which is more than what can be said for his rookie year.

It’s no secret that the Roush Fenway Fords aren’t what they once were. Although every Roush car made the Chase for the Cup in 2005, as of now they have not won a Cup race since Sonoma in June of 2014, one of only two wins that year. Roush staple Greg Biffle has had major issues since his last win in 2013, Trevor Bayne has not come close to relevance since winning the 2011 Daytona 500, and Stenhouse has not had an ounce of glory since winning back-to-back XFINITY championships in 2011 and 2012.

This is Stenhouse’s second year with young Crew Chief Nick Sandler, who coached Stenhouse to a trio of top-10’s a year ago and has had plenty of time to get comfortable with his driver. A comfortable driver/crew chief bond is pretty ideal, but what else sticks out is this low downforce package.

KANSAS CITY, KS – OCTOBER 20: Ricky Stenhouse Jr., driver of the #6 Cargill/Sam’s Club Ford, celebrates in Victory Lane after winning the NASCAR Nationwide Series Kansas Lottery 300 at Kansas Speedway on October 20, 2012 in Kansas City, Kansas. (Photo by Jerry Markland/Getty Images for NASCAR)

It’s already been pointed out the low downforce helps drivers maintain better car control, and it’s been said that the package especially helps drivers with a dirt racing background. It so happens that Stenhouse does have a dirt background, having run several midget races and Sprint Car events over the course of his career. He hasn’t reached an Austin Dillon level of comfort in this new package, but like Dillon, he could be expected to shine on tracks where he hasn’t done that well at in 2015.

Is it too early to say Stenhouse and the Roush Fenway organization is going to thrive in 2016? Yes. However, it’s not unlikely, with the way that team has been running. Expect Stenhouse and Sandler to pull off some great runs at unexpected places in 2016.

March 21, 2016
Robert Yates Racing and Roush Fenway Racing…A similar Decline?

The 2015 season is over and Kyle Busch is the champion for this year. It was a tremendous fête, missing 11 races and still winning five races and coming home the champ. Congratulations to Kyle, but something very troubling is going on in the sport. It’s almost like we turned back the clock to 2006.

Robert Yates Racing was a force in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. After buying the team from Harry Rainer, he put Davey Allison in the car and a lot of magic was produced. Allison would have been a multiple champion, but his death cut his career short, yet Yates continued winning. Whether it was Ernie Irvan (who also had devastating injuries) or Dale Jarrett, his cars were fast and dominating. Jarrett won the championship in 1999 in his No. 88 Ford and then something happened.

I remember traveling to the October Martinsville Speedway race in 2006, and the big story was Dale Jarrett and Elliott Sadler, Yates’ two very successful drivers, were moving on from the team to other opportunities. The reason? Engineering. While other teams like Hendrick Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing, and Roush Fenway Racing had moved to the engineering model for their teams, Yates had fallen far behind which could be witnessed in their last couple of seasons. Robert Yates finally closed after a short alliance with Richard Petty and it was no more. This is so familiar that it seems eerie.

Roush Fenway Racing had become the top team for Ford in the Sprint Cup Series. Roush had a few championships and cars that competed in every race. When the Car of Tomorrow was introduced, the RFR teams had a hard time catching up. Roush blamed it on opposition teams not following the rules which left the RFR team behind. It was also mentioned that the computer software was not up to snuff. Sound familiar?

The last two years, RFR has found their teams behind. So much so that in that period of time, only Carl Edwards has won a race. After Matt Kenseth bolted for Joe Gibbs earlier, Carl Edwards followed. Roush formed his team in 2015 with veteran Greg Biffle, XFINITY Champ Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Trevor Bayne. None of them were competitive.

The Wood Brothers dropped their alliance with RFR and went with Team Penske, who became super competitive with the same Ford engines. Richard Petty Motorsports followed. There was more talk of outdated computer simulation software. Jack Roush was asked if the Penske people could share information with his team and his answer was the suspension setup which was so different, it wasn’t compatible.

Interesting that the Wood Brothers No. 21 team became more competitive in 2015 and Richard Petty Motorsports’ No. 43 car outran all of the RFR cars. If the earlier discussion about Robert Yates Racing is true, we have another truth here. For five years, Roush Fenway Racing, the flagship of Ford Motor Company, has been in decline, and now there seems to be no end to their misery. Will we see the demise of that dynasty in 2016 or will the organization go the way of Robert Yates Racing?

For the good of the sport, NASCAR needs Jack Roush. If we had 43 Toyota Camry’s and Chevrolet SS’s only around the track, NASCAR might as well close shop. There must be competition. While Roger Penske’s organization holds down the fort for the Blue Oval now, his loyalty shifts from time to time. It was once said of Roush that if you cracked open his head, blue ovals would fall out. Let’s hope that the RFR teams,at least, become competitive in 2016.

December 11, 2015
NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Richmond

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth led 352 of 400 laps and cruised to an easy win in the Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond. The win was Kenseth’s fourth of the season and places him atop the points standings for the start of the Chase.

“I have the early momentum for the Chase,” Kenseth said. “And speaking of ‘early momentum,’ Joey Logano says I jumped the final restart. I dispute that. If I jumped anything, it was ‘ship,’ when I left Roush Fenway Racing.”

2. Kevin Harvick: Harvick struggled at Richmond, finishing 14th, one lap down, in the final race before the Chase For The Cup.

“It felt like I was driving on flat tires,” Harvick said. “That made the No. 4 Jimmy Johns Chevrolet ‘leaky fast.’

“Of course, the tires weren’t really flat. Or were they? The last thing NASCAR needs is its own ‘Deflate-Gate’ controversy.”

3. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski finished eighth at Richmond, posting his 18th top-10 result of the year. By virtue of his one win this year, he will start the Chase with 2,003 points, nine out of first.

“This is where you’ll see the real drivers separated from the pretenders,” Keselowski said. “Or, if you’d care not to wait, I’ll do it for you. Pretenders: Clint Bowyer, Paul Menard, Jamie McMurray. Contenders: everyone else.”

4. Kyle Busch: Busch finished second at Richmond on a commanding night for the Joe Gibbs Racing stable. Matt Kenseth won while Denny Hamlin finished sixth and Carl Edwards took 11th.

“JGR looks like the team to beat,” Busch said. “Kenseth is dominant while Edwards is domineering. Some people say Denny Hamlin isn’t a threat to win because of his injury, but they don’t have a leg to stand on. Me? I certainly have the talent, but history says that once the NASCAR post-season starts, I hit a wall.”

5. Joey Logano: Logano finished third at Richmond, and will start the Chase For The Cup with 2009 points, three points behind four-time winners Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch, and Matt Kenseth.

“Kenseth clearly jumped the final restart,” Logano said. “Replays verify it. Sure, Kenseth led 352 of 400 laps, but in this instance, he wasn’t ‘in the zone.’”

6. Carl Edwards: Edwards finished 11th in the Federated Auto Parts 400 as Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Matt Kenseth dominated for the win.

“I traded paint with Kenseth during the race,” Edwards said. “To his credit, Kenseth didn’t give an inch. He’s really manned up. If he wins another championship this year, it seems he will have finally ‘grown a pair.’”

7. Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Earnhardt finished fifth at Richmond, the top finisher among Hendrick Motorsports cars. Earnhardt will join HMS teammates, Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon in the Chase.

“HMS hasn’t had a win since Daytona in July,” Earnhardt said. “And we really need it. Our team motto for the upcoming race is ‘Just one, baby.’”

8. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson finished ninth and will enter the Chase For The Cup in first place with 2012 points by virtue of his four wins.

“’2012’ is a great number,” Johnson said. “It was not a good year. That’s when my run of six straight Cups came to an end.

“I just signed a contract extension to remain with Hendrick Motorsports through 2017. That’s good news for a team struggling to find speed heading into the Chase For The Cup. Finally, it’s a good ‘sign’ for HMS.”

9. Kurt Busch: Busch finished 15th at Richmond and will start the Chase For The Cup with 2,006 points, six behind the leaders at 2,012.

“Now,” Busch said, “the pressure really heats up. This is when you find out what you’re really made of. Sometimes, you never really know what someone is made of….until you go ‘court-ing.’”

10. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin finished sixth at Richmond despite driving with a torn right ACL, an injury suffered in a pickup basketball game on Tuesday.

“I probably shouldn’t have been playing basketball,” Hamlin said. “After all, this is the second time I’ve injured my knee. In both cases, I was wearing my favorite sneakers, the ‘Err Hamlins.’ Anyway, my right leg feels a little loose in the center.”

September 16, 2015
Surprising and Not Surprising: Richmond Federated Auto Parts 400

In the last race of the regular season and the one to set the Chase contenders here is what was surprising and not surprising from the 48th annual Federated Auto Parts 500 at Richmond International Raceway.

Surprising: One would think that a team owner standing in Victory Lane and one whose four drivers had qualified for the Chase would be a most happy camper.

Indeed, Coach Joe Gibbs was pretty happy, but he also alluded to the anxiety that he will feel in the three weeks ahead as the first elimination round plays out.

“Now the problem is, I think for the next three weeks I’ll be ready to throw up at any minute,” Gibbs said after the race. “That’s the bottom line.”

Not Surprising: While two teams, Richard Petty Motorsports and Roush Fenway Racing, were shut out of NASCAR’s playoffs, the way their eliminations took place was not surprising.

Having not shown much life all season, Roush Fenway drivers Greg Biffle, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., and Trevor Bayne not only finished well out of Chase contention but they also completed the regular season in disappointment.

Biffle had the worst of the team’s days finishing 31st. Stenhouse and Bayne finished 16th and 23rd respectively.

This was the first time in RFR’s history that one of their drivers failed to make the Chase since its inception.

In contrast, Aric Almirola, who made the Chase last year with Richard Petty Motorsports, delivered one of the gutsiest performances, finishing fourth. And even with that, the driver of the famed No. 43 Smithfield Foods/Waffle House Ford still came up 17 points short, edged out of Chase contention by Clint Bowyer.

“Disappointed for sure,” Almirola said. “I drove my heart out tonight. All year long, really.”

“I feel like we’ve certainly overachieved this year. Our cars just haven’t had the speed, and we’ve managed a way to get good results, and really proud of this race team.”

“Everybody has done so much to support us, and to come up short, it hurts. We were in it last year and we got a taste of what it was like to be in the Chase. This race team is a great race team and we wanted another shot at it, and we just came up short. Just wasn’t meant to be.”

Surprising: Forget about making the Chase, Jeff Gordon was just excited about finally having a top-10 car. The driver of the No. 24 3M Chevrolet was also excited about being able to work with his team to finally make good enough adjustments to end up with a seventh place finish.

“Excited we finally had a solid night on pit road, on the racetrack, in the race car, communication,” Gordon said. “Everything was just really solid. That certainly gives us something to be excited about these next ten races.”

“It’s nice to be in the Chase and take that relief and take that breath and now go reset and see what we can do over the next 10.”

Not Surprising: Kasey Kahne got himself turned around and ended up the odd man out in the Hendrick Motorsports Chase contingent. His HMS teammates, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson, instead are all heading on to compete for the Cup without him.

“I think the main thing for me is just figuring out how to get a car to turn again,” Kahne said. “I’ve struggled all year to have front turn, and if I don’t have that, I can’t race. That’s how I’ve been my whole life.”

“We’ll just work on trying to get the cars the way I need them to, and if we can’t, we’ll keep running about 15th.”

Surprising: While two of his drivers, Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch, head to Chase competition, Tony Stewart achieved a milestone that he would no doubt like to forget. The driver of the No. 14 Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 Chevrolet finished 29th, four laps down.

Stewart’s 29th place finish was only his fifth outside of the top-25 in 33 career Cup starts at Richmond International Raceway.

Not Surprising: Although one’s injuries were much fresher than the other, two drivers with physical challenges managed to not only finish the Richmond race well but also find their spots in the Chase.

Kyle Busch, driver of the No. 18 M&M’s Crispy/American Heritage Chocolate Toyota, continued his miraculous comeback with a runner-up position at Richmond. Busch is also seeded in the second place in the Chase, even after missing 11 races due to injuries sustained in the Daytona XFINITY Series race at the beginning of the season.

Just after tearing another ACL, Denny Hamlin also struggled through his injury to get into the Chase, seeded in the 11th position. The driver of the No. 11 FedEx Express Toyota finished sixth in the Richmond race.

“Well, I think it’ll be a lot better next week,” Hamlin said. “Just three days out, really, four nights out, from when it happened, and anybody that’s had it happen before knows that the first week is pretty tough.”

“I think I’ll start to rehab and everything this week and try to get it stronger and make sure we’re ready to make a Chase run.”

Surprising: Paul Menard summed up the sentiments of several of the drivers who made the Chase but had a bad race at Richmond. The driver of the No. 27 Libman/Menards Chevrolet finished 26th in the race and is seeded 15th in the Chase.

“We don’t know whether to be happy or sad, it was such a bad race for us,” Menard said. “Obviously very excited to be in the Chase. It was a goal that we set at the beginning of the year. Everybody at RCR and the 27 guys and ECR, they work hard. We’ve had a lot of good runs this year. Tonight just wasn’t one of them, but we did what we had to do.”

Kevin Harvick, another driver who made the Chase but struggled at Richmond, finished an uncharacteristic 14th. And Martin Truex Jr. finished 32nd after hitting oil from another driver’s car on Lap 39.

Harvick is seeded fifth in the Chase, with Truex Jr. following in the 10th spot.

Not Surprising: With his usual enthusiasm, Clint Bowyer bounded into this year’s Chase, saving the day at least for now, for Michael Waltrip Racing, which will fold at the end of 2015.

“Well, I mean, just to go through the year we’ve had, I mean, a lot of ups and downs here, a lot of downs,” Bowyer said. “We did this, now we’re in the Chase! Pressure is off, go cat go! Let’s go out and have some fun.”

Surprising: Michael McDowell went from sharing the invocation before the start of the race to being called to the NASCAR hauler after hitting the safety vehicle during a caution on Lap 288.

McDowell made heavy contact with the right rear of his No. 95 Leavine Family Racing Ford. McDowell was unhurt, as were the safety workers in the truck.

“I’m not really sure what happened,” McDowell said. “I’m embarrassed for my team. My mistake. Luckily no one was hurt.”

Not Surprising: Kim Lopez, the first woman and Latina to flag races at the highest level, got a tip of the cap as she threw her final checkered flag. Lopez is headed for a new role and challenge in the NASCAR R&D Center.

September 13, 2015
NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Darlington

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Kevin Harvick: Harvick led 44 laps and finished fifth in the Bojangles Southern 500 at Darlington, posting his 18th top-5 finish of the year.

“It’s great to see the Darlington race back on its traditional weekend,” Harvick said. “I think fans would agree. Ironically, sitting through a 4 hour and 29-minute marathon on Labor Day weekend is truly ‘work.’”

2. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski started on the pole at Darlington and led a race-high 196 laps. However, Keselowski was beaten out of the pits on the race’s final caution by Carl Edwards. Edwards held on for the win, and Keselowski was left with a disappointing runner-up finish.

“I’m a big fan of the low downforce package we ran at Darlington,” Keselowski said. “As I said before, it separates the race car drivers from the pretenders. And, .902 seconds separates the winner from second place.

“I was sporting the ‘Miller High Life’ paint scheme at Darlington. They call ‘High Life’ the ‘Champagne Of Beers.’ The difference between winning and losing is known as ‘Champagne Or Beers.’”

3. Kyle Busch: Busch finished eighth at Darlington and officially clinched a spot in the Chase.

“It’s a great day,” Busch said. “Usually, when you hear the word ‘official’ mentioned along with a Busch brother, something’s going on in the NASCAR hauler.”

4. Joey Logano: Logano finished fourth at Darlington, as Penske Racing took two of the top four spots at “The Track Too Tough To Tame.”

“It was ‘throwback’ weekend at Darlington,” Logano said. “With one race left before the Chase, and only three Chase spots up for grabs, Richmond could be ‘throw punch’ weekend.”

5. Carl Edwards: Edwards took the lead late at Darlington, using a quick pit stop to beat Brad Keselowski on the race’s final caution. Edwards pulled away to grab his second victory of the season.

“I went in third and came out first,” Edwards said, “thanks to my pit crew. I owe this win to them. Believe me, they’ll be a part of the victory celebration. Heck, I might even have them DJ the party because they know how to ‘turn tables.’”

6. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth hit the wall on lap 19 and struggled with handling for the duration of the Bojangles Southern 500, finishing 20th.

“It was an otherwise strong day for Joe Gibbs Racing,” Kenseth said. “Carl Edwards took the lead in the pits and pulled away for the victory, winning by nearly a second. Carl took off like he was shot out of a cannon. Much like he did with Roush Fenway Racing, Carl left in a hurry.”

7. Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Earnhardt was the top finisher among Hendrick Motorsports cars at Darlington, finishing eighth.

“Right now,” Earnhardt said, “HMS cars aren’t fast enough to compete for wins. With the Chase For The Cup right around the corner, that’s not good. So, much like our current lap speeds, it’s a case of ‘bad timing.’

“In other news, Danica Patrick has become more famous for her yoga poses than for her racing. Should we call her a ‘yoga master’ or a ‘threat to win a race?’ Either way, it’s a stretch.”

8. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson finished a disappointing 19th at Darlington and is now winless in his last 12 races.

“You probably heard my crew chief Chad Knaus married a former Miss Sprint Cup,” Johnson said. “Hopefully, Chad will have more luck with the ‘Lady In White’ than I did with the ‘Lady In Black.’

“I gave the groom a bottle of ‘Burnt Rubber’ cologne. Chad wore some during Sunday’s race. At a track like Darlington, that’s known as ‘tire wear.’”

9. Kurt Busch: Busch started second in the Bojangles Southern 500 at Darlington and finished sixth.

“Much like me,” Busch said, “Bojangles is famous for its ‘chicken.’

“You may have heard that I recently became engaged. I asked Ashley Van Metre and she said ‘yes.’ Soon, I’ll pop the question, and ask her if she’s an assassin.”

10. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex finished ninth and had a late run-in with Kurt Busch, whom Truex sent spinning after contact on lap

“Just as Daytona did, Darlington was offering a flag exchange,” Truex said, “in which you could exchange a Confederate flag for an American flag. With race ticket prices skyrocketing and races becoming even less exciting, leave it to NASCAR to offer fan another offer they can refuse.”

September 8, 2015
NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Bristol

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Kyle Busch: Busch suffered from a loose wheel early in the race before picking his way back into the top 5 at Bristol. But a late pit road speeding penalty cost him a chance at the win, finishing eighth.

“It was still a strong day for Joe Gibbs Racing,” Busch said. “JGR went 1-2-3-4 in qualifying and place three cars in the top 10. That’s quite a stable Joe’s got right now. Take my brother Kyle and myself at our worse, and you’ve got yourself an ‘unstable.’”

2. Kevin Harvick: Harvick chased Joey Logano over the final laps at Bristol, but Logano’s No. 22 Penske machine was just too strong. Harvick settled for second, his second-consecutive runner-up finish and 11th of the season.

“We certainly weren’t helped by two pit road speeding penalties,” Harvick said. “At 30 miles per hour, a drive-through penalty is brutal. At that speed, Bristol’s pit road is much like Kyle Petty’s ponytail—long and grey.”

3. Joey Logano: Logano won his second straight Bristol night race, holding off Kevin Harvick over the final laps to win the Irwin Tools Night Race.

“I knew I couldn’t make a mistake with Harvick behind me,” Logano said. “Obviously, this Penske driver reacts a little better from a push from Harvick.”

4. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth blew an engine early at Bristol, spoiling an otherwise solid day for Joe Gibbs Racing.

“Did this Toyota engine come from Michael Waltrip Racing?” Kenseth said, “because it just quit on me.”

5. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson was solid at Bristol, finishing fourth for his first top-five result since a second at Daytona in July.

“With six Sprint Cup championships,” Johnson said, “I obviously have the look of a champion. Now, with the new fragrance ‘Burnt Rubber,’ anyone can smell like a champion. And if you have the nerve to go to the fragrance counter and ask for Burnt Rubber, then you certainly won’t be phased by extreme speeds. Just make sure you ask for ‘Burnt Rubber’ by name, lest you may end up with the Jeremy Mayfield knockoff brand, ‘Speed In A Bottle.’”

6. Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Earnhardt took advantage of two “Lucky Dog” free passes and recorded a ninth-place finish at Bristol. He is third in the Sprint Cup points standings, 89 out of first.

“Danica Patrick has a new sponsor in Nature’s Bakery,’” Earnhardt said. “Now people can finally say she’s got ‘natural’ talent and actually believe it.”

7. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski led four laps and finished sixth in the Irwin Tools Night Race as Penske Racing teammate Joey Logano captured the win.

“Logano showed a load of maturity holding off Harvick,” Keselowski said. “That gives Joey three wins this season. I have only one. I guess we know who wears the firesuit on this team.”

8. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex suffered from a collection of misfortune at Bristol and finished 28th at Bristol, five laps down.

“They call Bristol Motor Speedway ‘The Last Great Colosseum,’” Truex said. “I guess that means the drivers are gladiators. Instead of fighting to the death, fans in the stands are bored to death.”

9. Carl Edwards: Edwards led 74 laps at Bristol and was out front on lap 355 when he suffered a flat tire. He still managed a seventh-place finish, joining Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch in the top 10.

“A flat tire while leading is the very definition of ‘untimely,’” Edwards said. “What is the very definition of ‘timely?’ Leaving Roush Fenway Racing when I did. Jack Roush may be the ‘Cat In The Hat,’ and chances are he owns the ‘Car In The Rear.’”

10. Kurt Busch: Busch finished 14th, one lap down, at Bristol, after damaging his car in an incident with David Ragan.

“What do you expect from a Michael Waltrip Racing driver?” Busch said. “Ragan was driving like there was no tomorrow.

“I guess you’ve heard that MWR released Clint Bowyer from his contract. And I think I’m qualified to announce that Bowyer is not a secret agent, but a free agent.”

August 25, 2015
NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Watkins Glen

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Kyle Busch: Busch kept his hot streak alive with a third-place finish at Watkins Glen, and although he didn’t win, he moved into 30th place in the Sprint Cup points standings.

“We played the finish conservatively,” Busch said. “I took an unnecessary chance last week at Pocono, not to mention one in Iredell County, North Carolina back in 2011. I got busted in both instances.

“This time, we played it safe. Sometimes, you’ve gotta think ‘big picture.’ And I’m always thinking ‘big picture,’ because that’s the only one my ego will fit in.”

2. Kevin Harvick: Harvick ran out of fuel in the final corner at Watkins Glen, handing Joey Logano the win while settling for third.

“Logano overtook a car that was out of fuel,” Harvick said. “That’s called ‘passing gas.’ I tried to wreck Logano as he went by. And, much like my fuel tank, it came up empty.”

3. Joey Logano: Logano passed Kevin Harvick in the final corner after Harvick’s fuel ran out, giving Logano the win in the Cheez-It 355 At The Glen.

“I’m just happy to get the win,” Logano said. “Fuel mileage races don’t really tell us who’s best. They do, however, tell us who ‘sucks’ the least.

“I knew I had plenty of fuel to chase Harvick. And I knew if I pressed the issue, I could make him run out. In essence, I put him back in a Richard Childress Racing car, because he slowed to a crawl.”

4. Jimmie Johnson: Despite a late spin caused by Tony Stewart’s blown engine, Johnson salvaged a tenth at Watkins Glen, scoring his 14th top 10 of the year.

“You may have seen me in a commercial for ‘Burnt Rubber,’” Johnson said. “It’s a new fragrance from Sunoco, and it’s left its mark on the cologne industry. Unfortunately, it’s a skid mark. Let’s just be thankful that the latest NASCAR-themed cologne wasn’t called ‘Dick Trickle.’”

5. Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: Earnhardt finished 11th in the Cheez-It 355 At The Glen, just missing his 14th top-10 finish of the season.

“It was a tough day for a lot of drivers,” Earnhardt said. “Particularly Tony Stewart. He finished last. Plus, he experienced something that often happen to fans of Junior Nation when they break out their finest china for an important meal—he got ‘served with papers.’”

6. Martin Truex, Jr.: Truex qualified second and suffered a flat tire with 22 laps to go, ruining what would have been a solid day and settling for a 25th-place finish.

“Some drivers ran out of gas,” Truex said, “while some, like me, ran out of air. Others ran out of talent. Still others had no talent to begin with. The remainder drive for Michael Waltrip Racing.”

7. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski finished seventh as Penske Racing teammate Joey Logano took the win at Watkins Glen.

“Joey had luck on his side,” Keselowski said. “My No. 2 Ford did not. Maybe, instead of having ‘Miller Lite’ plastered on the side of my car, we should have had ‘Miller Fortune’ there.”

8. Kurt Busch: Busch claimed fifth in the Cheez-It 355 At The Glen, posting his seventh top-5 finish of the year.

“Kevin Harvick clearly had the fastest car on the track,” Busch said. “Then he ran out of fuel. He was more than ‘good,’ he was best….till the last drop.”

9. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth led two laps and finished fourth at Watkins Glen, one of three Joe Gibbs Racing cars in the top 10.

“That’s two consecutive fuel mileage races,” Kenseth said. “I won at Pocono, and was pretty close to winning at Watkins Glen. That really would have established me as a driver who knows how to make a drop of fuel last. I guess I would have been known as the ‘Wizard Of Oz.’”

10. Carl Edwards: Edwards finished eighth at Watkins Glen, posting his sixth top 10 of the season.

“Did you see Denny Hamlin speeding around the track with his hood up on the No. 11 FedEx Toyota?” Edwards said. “That performance earned Denny the nickname ‘Little Fed Riding Hood.’”

August 11, 2015
NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Daytona

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson finished third at Daytona as a massive crash developed back in the field as the leaders crossed the finish line. Hendrick teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr. won the race while HMS cohort Jeff Gordon took sixth.

“I don’t think you can necessarily blame anyone for the carnage on the last lap,” Johnson said, “so I don’t think anyone should be punished for it. But Austin Dillon should certainly be ‘grounded.’

2. Kevin Harvick: Harvick took fourth at Daytona, but not before making contact with Denny Hamlin, who hit Austin Dillon’s No. 3 and sent it airborne into the fence. Dillon was not hurt, and Harvick remained atop the Sprint Cup points standings.

“Dillon’s No. 3 car went flying in the air,” Harvick said. “I know exactly what it’s like to be a Richard Childress Racing driver and feel like things are ‘up in the air.’ But I knew he’d be okay because I’m an optimist, not a pessimist, and certainly not a nepotist.”

3. Dale Earnhardt Jr.: After qualifying was rained out, Earnhardt started on the pole at Daytona and won the rain-delayed Coke Zero 400, which ended at well past midnight.

“That race ended at 2:41 on Monday morning,” Earnhardt said, “and it ended with a scary crash that really freaked me out. So, the night ended with an ‘A.M.’ on the clock and a ‘B.M.’ in my pants.

“I’m up to second in the points standings. And my two wins puts me in great position in the Chase For The Cup. But if I don’t win the championship, I’ll be all right. I’m in love with the idea of winning the Sprint Cup title, but I’m not married to it.”

4. Martin Truex Jr.: One week after a miserable day at Sonoma, Truex was collected in a crash triggered by Kasey Kahne that left Truex with a 38th-place finish.

“My accident was nothing compared to the last-lap incident,” Truex said. “That was frightening. You’ve heard of ‘three-wide’ racing. Austin Dillon went ‘three-high.’”

5. Joey Logano: Logano, who won the Daytona 500 in February to open the season, finished 22nd despite falling four laps down early in the race.

“It was a grueling day at Daytona,” Logano said. “The race didn’t go green until 11:42 Sunday night and ended at 2:41 Monday morning. So, like most NASCAR races, fans were asleep by the end.”

6. Kurt Busch: Busch, seeking his third win of the season, brought home a fifth-place finish in the Coke Zero 400, the culmination of a crash-filled weekend at Daytona International Speedway.

“Brad Keselowski wrecked my brother Kyle in Friday’s practice,” Busch said. “And NBC, back covering NASCAR, was there to broadcast it. They’re proud as a peacock while Keselowski is still a chicken.”

7. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski’s No. 2 Alliance Truck parts Ford was damaged in a mid-race pileup that eventually left him with a 29th-place finish in the Coke Zero 400. He is now seventh in the Sprint Cup points standings, 136 out of first.

“It was a tough day for Penske Racing,” Keselowski said. “Both Joey Logano and I found our fair share of trouble on the track, plus we didn’t have the speed anyway to match the Hendrick cars. On the plus side, it’s a good time not to be considered ‘race-ist.’”

8. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth finished 23rd at Daytona while Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin spun across the finish line in third after contact sent Austin Dillon’s car rocketing over three lanes of traffic in a spectacular final lap crash.

“Dillon went airborne and slammed into the catchfence,” Kenseth said. “Carl Edwards knows exactly what it feels like to be Dillon, because Carl’s never won a championship either.

“Daytona offered a ‘flag exchange in which you could turn in your Confederate flag for an American flag. It’s just too bad Alan Kulwicki can’t be there to provide a ‘Pole.’”

9. Jamie McMurray: McMurray finished 15th at Daytona and moved up one spot in the points standings to sixth, 130 out of first.

“Thank goodness everyone’s okay following that huge last-lap crash,” McMurray said. “As it was, the race itself was the only thing that was ‘in morning.’”

10. Jeff Gordon: Gordon finished sixth in the Coke Zero 400 on a strong day for Hendrick Motorsports, as teammates Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jimmie Johnson finished 1-2, respectively.

“What a great race by Dale and Jimmie,” Gordon said. “I’m proud to call those guys my teammates. I can also call them business partners, associates and friends. Heck, I could even call them my confederates. Now, all that remains to be seen is what will fly longer, the Confederate flag, or our race cars themselves.”

July 7, 2015
NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Michigan

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson’s No. 48 Chevrolet was damaged when he went three-wide early in the Quicken Loans 400. The consequences cost Johnson track position and he eventually finished 19th after battling his way back for the remainder of the race.

“You heard right,” Johnson said. “I went three-wide. That’s something the average NASCAR fan can’t relate to. But they can come close because the average NASCAR fan can certainly relate to going ‘double-wide.’”

2. Kevin Harvick: Harvick led 63 laps at Michigan, but his day was derailed by tire troubles that left him with a 29th-place finish, his worst result of the year. He leads the Sprint Cup points standings by 15 over Martin Truex Jr.

“Hey,” Harvick said, “finishing 29th isn’t all that bad. ‘29’ was my car number at Richard Childress Racing. And finishing 29th reminded me why I left RCR in the first place.”

3. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex took third in the Quicken Loans 400, posting his series-best 14th top-10 of the year. He trails Kevin Harvick by 15 in the points standings.

“Rain interrupted Sunday’s race four times,” Truex said. “In fact, there were so many water ‘breaks,’ it reminded me of pregnant NASCAR wives.”

4. Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Earnhardt finished second at Michigan, tops among Hendrick Motorsports drivers. He is fourth in the points standings, 68 out of first.

“The No. 88 Chevy was sponsored by Amp Energy’s new ‘Passion Fruit’ flavor,” Earnhardt said. “I’m not sure that flavor appeals to the good people of Junior Nation. If there’s a fruit they’re passionate about, it better be in the form of schnapps.”

5. Joey Logano: Logano placed fifth in the Quicken Loan 400, posting his eighth top-five finish of the year.

“How did Kurt Busch pull out the win?” Logano said. “The rain came at precisely the right moment. And all this time I thought he was trying to get the dark cloud away from him.”

6. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski finished sixth at Michigan, joining Penske Racing teammate Joey Logano, who finished fifth, in the top 10.

“Logano won at Daytona,” Keselowski said, “and I won at California. And Penske hasn’t won since. You could say we’re just ‘coasting.’”

7. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth took fourth at Michigan, scoring his sixth top-five result of the season.

“My son, Ross, got his first win in the ARCA racing series on Friday night,” Kenseth said. “Obviously, talent runs in the family. There are a lot of drivers who’ll argue that I’m the only thing that ‘runs’ in the family.”

8. Kurt Busch: Kurt Busch won the rain-shortened Quicken Loans 400 at Michigan, taking the lead when Kyle Larson was forced to pit for fuel. A downpour ensued, and Busch had his second win of the year.

“I won today,” Busch said. “That means I have a checkered present to go along with my checkered past.”

9. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin finished 11th at Michigan after starting 13th on the grid.

“Congratulations to Kurt Busch,” Hamlin said. “After two wins this season, he must feel vindicated. Especially now that the feds are investigating his former girlfriend Patricia Driscoll. Apparently, her most covert operation may have been her accounting.”

10. Jamie McMurray: McMurray finished seventh in the Quicken Loans 400, scoring his third consecutive seventh-place finish.

“I feel for Kyle Larson,” McMurray said. “He deserved the win, but the rain, or lack thereof, cost him. If the weather were as predictable as racing itself, Larson would have had the win.”

June 16, 2015
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Doubling Down in Dover

In addition to trying to conquer the Monster Mile, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. is doing his own version of the Dover double down by also trying to conquer autism.

The driver of the No. 17 Ford EcoBoost Ford for Roush Fenway Racing took to the links for the Artie Kempner Drive for Autism golf tournament event on Thursday prior to practice and qualifying on Friday at the Dover track.

“It’s really neat,” Stenhouse said. “This was the third or fourth year that I’ve been involved with the Drive for Autism golf tournament. Artie Kempner is a great guy in our garage and very well-respected. He really enjoys us coming and schedules it at a perfect time so we can attend.”

While Stenhouse enjoyed the golfing, for him the Drive for Autism tournament is all about the kids, many of whom are on the autism spectrum, who are there to see their racing heroes.

“We sign in and then we get to meet all the kids,” Stenhouse said. “You see how excited they are for you to be there and to be helping to raise money for autism. All of the kids are sitting at tables and everyone goes around and signs autographs. We do hero cards so they can have those.”

“Then then you see how much everyone raises in that golf tournament alone and how much it is used to help kids with autism, especially for kids who are transitioning out of school and into adulthood and getting jobs.”

“I’m very honored to be a part of it.”

Stenhouse will also be carrying the puzzle piece Autism logo on his No. 17 race car, as are most of the other drivers in the Roush Fenway stable.

“We just play a small part in calling attention to autism,” Stenhouse said. “We don’t think we’re helping that much by putting a sticker on the car but in other people’s eyes, it is a big thing.”

“So we really enjoy helping out.”

While Stenhouse and his team, including fellow driver Danica Patrick, did well in the Drive for Autism golf tournament, he was most proud of his team’s performance during the putting contest.

“The golf game was good,” Stenhouse said. “We shot really well as a team – Danica and three other guys that are very good at golf. We had a lot of fun and ended up shooting sixteen under.”

“We birdied every hold but two and then we got to the putting contest. And Danica won that contest so that was really exciting.”

“She was the only one out of every group that got that putt. It was probably a 40 foot putt to the right. A couple of us got really close; I think mine hit the edge of the cup and kept going past. I had a little too much speed on mine. Hers was dead center.”

“So, the golf was fun, the event was fun. We had to stop one time because of lightning but it never rained. We had a good time.”

After conquering the golf event, Stenhouse Jr. turned his attention to the second part of the Dover double down by taking the track at the Monster Mile. He was fourteenth in the first practice with a speed of 162.104 and a time of 22.208.

“It is a tough track,” Stenhouse said. “We’ve had some decent runs here in the Cup car and in the Xfinity car, with some top-fives. The Cup car we haven’t been real fast but we’ve gotten some solid finishes out of it.”

“So, this week so far I think we’ve got a better race car than what we had here last year. It’s a real fine balance of if you get your car too tight or too loose and where in the corner is your car good. You’d like to be dead on the bottom and run around there. But in the race, that line gets all rubbered up and real slick.”

“So, the first practice went really well and hopefully we can continue from there.”

Stenhouse also acknowledged the importance of qualifying, the difficulty of pit road and the changes in the tires and set up that happens at the Monster Mile.

“I think the toughest thing at Dover is you have to qualify well because it’s hard to pass,” Stenhouse said. “But the biggest thing is getting to pit road under green. It’s really tricky. I’ve seen some crashes right around me coming to pit road. So, I always like to be a little cautious coming to pit road, especially the first few times under green flag conditions.”

“The tires are different,” Stenhouse continued. “But it’s the same for everybody. “When you go out in practice and you see say Jimmie Johnson being at the top of the leaderboard, he’s got the same tires you’ve got. So, you just work on it and try to be the fastest with that set of tires.”

“It’s a challenge every year having different stuff but it’s good for us when we’re changing our cars around. I feel like we’re getting better cars. And a different tire makes everyone change their set ups around. So, maybe we can catch up a little quicker when they do change tires.”

Another factor that will apparently rear its potentially ugly head at the Monster Mile and have an impact on Stenhouse’s double down is the weather.

“It looks like Sunday may not be very good weather but we got cloud coverage now for practice,” Stenhouse said. “Hopefully it will stay like that all weekend. I would say the cloud cover or not is the biggest thing with race tracks. The sun really seems to affect the race track quite a bit.”

“Right now, I think we feel everything will be comparable with the cloud cover that we have.”

In spite of the potential weather and other challenges, Stenhouse Jr. expressed his hope that this is a lucky weekend with good odds for a stellar finish for his Roush Fenway team.

“We were good in practice and we were close,” Stenhouse said. “So, a little bit more and we could be really good but we don’t want to over-adjust it. We’re making small changes and trying to keep us in the game.”

“Greg (Biffle, teammate) has been really good here and Roush Fenway has had some really good runs here as well,” Stenhouse said. “So, we’ve got a lot of good notes.”

“Now that the horsepower is down, similar to the XFINITY cars, we’ve got a lot of laps at these tracks in low horsepower. We feel really good about what I need to feel out on the race track to be fast.”

“We’re a little bit closer this weekend than the last two times here so I’m looking forward to a good run.”

May 29, 2015