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Tag: Ryan Blaney

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Atlanta

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Atlanta

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Kevin Harvick: Harvick led 105 of the final 108 laps, dominating the last stage to win the Folds Of Honor QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta.

    “The No. 4 Chevy was awesome today,” Harvick said. “I knew we were going to be fast by just looking at our paint scheme. Busch beer and Hunt Brothers Pizza make a lethal combination, and not just in your stomach.”

    2. Joey Logano: Logano came home 10th at Atlanta, posting his fifth top 10 of the season.

    “I guess I could blame my performance on handling,” Logano said. “I didn’t have a handling problem last week at Bristol, because regarding the Chase Elliott wrecking me situation, I ‘handled’ it. Of course, I handled it not with a fist, but with the hand of compassion, which most would say has ruined too many budding feuds in this sport.”

    3. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski finished ninth at Atlanta.

    “It’s an unprecedented time in our sport,” Keselowski said. “Hopefully, things will change. But how must Richard Petty and Richard Childress be feeling for criticizing kneeling athletes in the past? Probably like ‘Dicks.’”

    4. Chase Elliott: Elliott started on the pole at Atlanta and finished eighth.

    “It’s always fun racing on Atlanta’s surface,” Elliott said. “The track can get pretty slick, especially on the turns with their 24 degree banking. And a ‘slippery slope’ fits in perfectly with NASCAR’s newfound political stance.”

    5. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex won Stages 1 and 2 at Atlanta, but couldn’t catch Kevin Harvick over the course of the final stage. Truex settled for third, right behind Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch.

    “Harvick had the best car when it counted,” Truex said. “In other words, he was in the driver’s seat. That meant I had to take a back seat.”

    6. Alex Bowman: Bowman finished 12th at Atlanta, and is eighth in the points standings.

    “It’s good to hear Bubba Wallace is doing better,” Bowman said. “I hear he got the ‘OK’ from doctors, right after they gave him the ‘IV.’”

    7. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin finished fifth at Atlanta and is now seventh in the Cup points standings, 94 out of first.

    “Wow,” Hamlin said, “Bubba Wallace passed out during an interview after the race. That’s one instance in which even Richard Petty says it’s okay to take a knee.”

    8. Ryan Blaney: Blaney finished fourth in the Folds Of Honor QuikTrip 500.

    “And speaking of ‘Quik Trips,’” Blaney said, “NASCAR’s road to racial justice recognition should be over soon, once the fan base takes its stand, which certainly won’t be on a knee.”

    9. Kyle Busch: Kyle Busch finished second at Atlanta, claiming his second consecutive top-five result.

    “Now that the Trucks bounty is off my head,” Busch said, “I feel like I’ve found a renewed focus. Just give me a few races, and I’m sure I’ll become the ‘poster boy’ for something.”

    10. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson finished seventh at Atlanta and hasn’t won a race in over three years.

    “I think it’s great that we paused for a moment of silence before the start of the race,” Johnson said. “It would have been even better if we then paused for a moment of uncomfortable silence in honor of all the drivers and owners who haven’t spoken out against racial injustice.”

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Charlotte

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Charlotte

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Kevin Harvick: Harvick finished fifth in the Coca-Cola 600 and remains atop the points standings with a 23 point lead over Joey Logano.

    “Chase Elliott must be devastated,” Harvick said. “And it shows. Even with the specter of Coronavirus all around us, he still can’t ‘mask’ his disappointment.”

    2. Joey Logano: Logano won Stage 3 and finished 13th at Charlotte.

    “I turned 30 on Sunday,” Logano said. “NASCAR officials gave me a pit road speeding penalty for my birthday, apparently.”

    3. Alex Bowman: Bowman won Stages 1 and 2 at Charlotte, but faded late and finished 19th. He is third in the points standings, 25 behind Kevin Harvick.

    “Chase Elliott might be a little upset at crew chief Alan Gustafson for the decision to pit,” Bowman said. “I hear Gustafson came to Chase’s hauler to console him. Chase was having none of it. He told Alan to ‘Get out.’ And, most importantly, he told him to ‘Stay out!’”

    4. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski stayed out on a caution with two laps remaining and held off Jimmie Johnson to win the Coca-Cola 600.

    “I’d like to thank my team,” Keselowski said, “as well as the fans. I’d also like to thank the ‘man upstairs.’ That’s what I call the person sitting atop Chase Elliott’s pit box who made the decision to pit.”

    5. Chase Elliott: Elliott pitted with the lead when a caution flew with two laps remaining, a decision that ultimately cost him the win. A dejected Elliott finished second.

    “We blew that,” Elliott said. “It was such a bad decision, I gave myself the finger.

    “We thought pitting was definitely the right call, but it turned out to be one of the dumbest moves we’ve made. No matter how you look at it, it was a ‘no brainer.’”

    6. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin finished 29th, seven laps down, after a disastrous start in Charlotte.

    “I had a rough start to my night,” Hamlin said. “I had to pit before the green flag because my ballast weights fell out. My response was, ‘Weight! What?’

    “On the bright side, I’ve already got two wins this season. So, mask or no mask, it’s easy to ‘put on a happy face.’”

    7. Ryan Blaney: Blaney finished third at Charlotte, posting his second top-five of the season. He is seventh in the points standings, 79 out of first.

    “Charlotte’s race was called the ‘Coca-Cola 600,” Blaney said. “When I looked into the stands, however, I thought ‘Coke Zero.’”

    8. Aric Almirola: Almirola finished 15th at Charlotte.

    “Kyle Larson won the World Of Outlaws race on Saturday night in Missouri,” Almirola said. “Earlier this year, he lost big in the ‘Words Of Outlaws.’”

    9. Kyle Busch: Busch came home fourth in the Coca Cola 600

    “It was an eventful week for Chase Elliott and his right arm,” Busch said. “First, I wrecked him in Darlington and he gives me the finger. Then, in Charlotte, he loses the race by his own hand.”

    10. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson finished second at Charlotte, but was disqualified after failing post-race inspection and relegated to last place.

    “As Kyle Busch might say,” Johnson said, “you can’t fix this and have ice cream later. But if I were to have ice cream, it would definitely be from DQ.”

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: California

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: California

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Ryan Blaney: Blaney won Stage 2 and suffered a cut tire late in the final stage, which forced a pit stop and left him with a 19th-place finish.

    “Alex Bowman whipped the field by almost nine seconds,” Blaney said. “So mine wasn’t even the biggest ‘blowout’ of the race.”

    2. Joey Logano: Logano finished 12th in the Auto Club 400 at Fontana.

    “It was cool to see Jimmie Johnson honored with the ‘5-Wide Salute,’” Logano said. “Maybe one day, I can receive that same appreciation. I kind of do now. However, my ‘5-Wide Salute’ is five people standing side-by-side giving me the ‘One-Finger Salute.’”

    3. Kevin Harvick: Harvick came home ninth in a mostly uneventful Auto Club 400. He is fourth in the points standings, 12 out of first.

    “My ‘Kyle Busch Bounty’ really has people talking about the Gander Truck Series,” Harvick said. “And it has people talking more about Kyle Busch, which is actually what I was trying to avoid.”

    4. Alex Bowman: Bowman led 110 laps at Fontana and held off Kyle and Kurt Busch late to ease to victory in the Auto Club 400.

    “I promised a friend I’d get an ’88’ tattoo if I won,” Bowman said. “I’m sure people will have a lot of questions when they see my tattoo, like, ‘Cool, are you’re a Dale, Jr. fan”‘”

    5. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson started second and finished seventh at Fontana.

    “I was honored with a ‘Five-Wide Salute’ during the warmup laps,” Johnson said. I’m really digging this farewell tour. I mean really digging it. It’s quite a turn-on actually. You could say I now have a ‘fete fetish.’”

    6. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski finished fifth at Fontana, scoring his first top-five result of the season.

    “Good news,” Keselowski said. “NASCAR is transitioning to single lug nut wheels in 2021. In hockey, that would be a ‘one-timer.’ In baseball, it’s a ‘single.’ In basketball, it’s a ‘one-and-done.’”

    7. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin started at the back of the field and forged his way forward to finish sixth at Fontana, posting his second top-10 of the season.

    “We started at the back because we pitted to change a shock absorber on the warmup laps,” Hamlin said. “Little did we know that the real shock ‘absorber’ would be Kyle Larson’s rear bumper.”

    8. Chase Elliott: Elliott finished fourth at California, recording his first top-five of the season. He is sixth in the points standings, 17 out of first.

    “I was just named brand ambassador for Hooters Spirits,” Elliott said. “In case you’re wondering, Hooters Spirits is not a haunted Hooter’s restaurant, where the waitresses might say ‘Boo(b)!’ It’s a line of Hooter’s alcoholic beverages. Look for them on shelves. Or better yet, look for them on racks.”

    9. Matt DiBenedetto: DiBenedetto continued his strong start to the season, posting a 13th at Fontana, and is eighth in the points standings.

    “You could say I’m ‘running with the big dogs,’” DiBenedetto said. “And as they say, ‘If you can’t run with the big dogs, stay off the porch.’ Well, I’m a big dog, and I’m gonna stay on that porch, and probably ‘leave my mark.’”

    10. Kyle Busch: Busch finished second in the Auto Club 400, scoring his first top-five result after two lackluster efforts to begin the season.

    “Alex Bowman beat me by almost nine seconds,” Busch said. “In racing, that’s an eternity. So, if you ask how badly I was beaten, I’ll tell you ‘from there to eternity.’

    “As for bounties on me, I say ‘Bring ’em on.’ I don’t mind being the hunted, just as I don’t mind being the bad guy. I’m not here to be liked. You’ve heard of Formula 1, right? Well, for me, it’s not ‘F1,’ it’s ‘F everyone.’”

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Las Vegas

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Las Vegas

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Joey Logano: Logano took the win in the Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas, staying on the track during a late caution to secure the win.

    “My crew chief Paul Wolfe said to pit,” Logano said, “but I didn’t hear him, so I stayed out. Now, a lot of people are telling me I should have my ears checked, most notably Kurt Busch’s cosmetic surgeon.”

    2. Ryan Blaney: Blaney seemed headed to victory at Las Vegas before Ross Chastain’s spin brought out the caution with six laps to go. Blaney hit the pits, but Joey Logano stayed out to steal the win. Blaney finished 11th and leads the points standings.

    “I guess we should have stayed out,” Blaney said. “It was a regrettable decision, but we can always learn from our mistakes. As a team, we usually meet and discuss the big mistakes we’ve made. We call it the ‘craps!’ table.”

    3. Kevin Harvick: Harvick finished eighth at Las Vegas and is third in the Cup series points standings.

    “Compared to Daytona,” Harvick said, “this race was pretty boring. There were no huge crashes, no photo finish, and no President taking a lap. So apparently, what happens in Daytona stays in Daytona.”

    4. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.: Stenhouse finished third in the Pennzoil 400 and is fifth in the Cup points standings.

    “It’s early in the season,” Stenhouse said. “I know because I’m fifth in the points standings.

    “But I believe I can keep it going, because I believe in myself, and unlike Aaron Rodgers, I believe in God. I don’t think Danica Patrick shared my faith. Clearly, she was less in tune with the ‘heavenly father,’ and more in tune with ‘Go Daddy.’”

    5. Kyle Larson: Larson finished ninth in the Pennzoil 400.

    “The members of the 1980 Olympics gold medal-winning hockey team served as grand marshals,” Larson said. “The last time this sport experienced a ‘Miracle On Ice,’ was when Jeremy Mayfield was able to drive while high on meth.”

    6. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin finished 17th at Las Vegas.

    “It was a tough day for Joe Gibbs Racing,” Hamlin said. “No one finished better than 15th. So, you could say, here in Las Vegas, JGR went ‘bust.’ In other words, it was a case of ‘Toyota-ta‘s.’”

    7. Chase Elliott: Elliott won the first 2 stages at Las Vegas, but suffered a flat tire with 50 laps remaining, which ruined any chance for the win. Elliott eventually finished 26th, one lap down, and is seventh in the points standings.

    “I was dominating the race,” Elliott said. “My chances of winning the race were high, then, ‘Poof!,’ it all came crashing to a halt. It was the epitome of the phrase ‘Odds and ends.’”

    8. Austin Dillon: Dillon finished fourth at Las Vegas after posting a 12th in the Daytona 500. He is sixth in the points standings.

    “Did you see Michael Waltrip in the ‘Between Two Buschs’ segment on Fox’s pre-race coverage?” Dillon said. “Michael looked stoned. If his brother Darrell did the ‘Ickey Shuffle,’ then Michael must be doing the ‘Sticky Ickey Shuffle.’”

    9. Matt DiBenedetto: DiBenedetto took the runner-up spot in Las Vegas in just his second race with Wood Brothers Racing.

    “Obviously,” DiBenedetto said, “staying on the track during that late caution was the right call. And Ryan Blaney and William Byron learned a hard lesson about taking new tires. So, to all those who believe you should always take fresh rubber during a caution, well, they just need to ‘get a grip.’”

    10. Kyle Busch: Busch finished 14th on a tough day for Joe Gibbs Racing, who failed to place a driver in the top 10.

    “I’ve won seven consecutive Truck Series races,” Busch said. “And Kevin Harvick has offered a $50,000 bounty to any full-time Cup driver who beats me in the next four races. Harvick can take that money and shove it, right back into his bank account because no one’s going to claim it.”

  • Newman’s Daytona 500 accident nothing more than that – an accident

    Newman’s Daytona 500 accident nothing more than that – an accident

    It’s difficult to believe that we’re constantly in a position in the sport where we have to reiterate certain things that should be obvious. Accidents happen. The loss of Dale Earnhardt on February 18, 2001 was an accident. The losses of Blaise Alexander, Tony Roper, Kenny Irwin, and Adam Petty were all accidents. Carl Edwards being launched into the fence at Talladega in 2009 was an accident. Ryan Newman’s accident in Sunday’s Daytona 500? Also an accident.

    I went into work tonight expecting some talk about Newman’s accident as I’m the lone racing guy on our staff. Sure enough, my coworkers were approaching me to talk about what they heard about Newman’s crash. Most were facts about Newman that come as obvious to those who follow racing and who have been following the news of the crash, but there were others who heard the same obnoxious nonsense from social media – that Ryan Blaney turned the No. 6 Ford while trying to win the 500.

    Rarely has such news solicited such a groan-worthy reaction out of me. Just hearing that brings back memories of how obsurd things got for Sterling Marlin when Earnhardt died, how he received death threats and hate mail following the 2001 Daytona 500. I don’t understand – in the post-race shots on pit road, Blaney looks as distressed and upset as he could be without falling into absolute hysterics. Not the reaction expected of someone who had punted Newman into the wall.

    What’s the logic here? Do people actually think that the drivers aren’t aware of the risks of malicious intent at 200 mph? Do people really think that Blaney is the type of driver that would punt a guy for a win? This sentiment ranks up there with the idiots (I use that word deliberately) who said Newman deserved his fate for being a Trump supporter or the people who tried to call attention to themselves by “knowing somebody who knew somebody who knew somebody who knew Newman’s conditon.”

    Racing brings out the comraderie in it’s fans regardless of political or religious leanings, but it brings out the less-than-savory folks too. Then, it brings out the people who tend to act without thinking – especially the folks who assumed that the bump from Blaney was some sort of ruthless, calculated smack designed to move Newman out of the way.

    If anything, Blaney is the most mellow guy on the track – when he’s not racing for the win he’s usually hosting his podcast, making television and movie cameos, or tormenting William Byron for dating his little sister. He takes time for his fans and seems to be an all-around fun and respectful guy. In this instance he was going to try to push another driver who raced for Ford to the win after realizing he wasn’t going to win the race. That doesn’t come across as a guy who’d gleefully dump a guy a la Chick Hicks on the way to winning a Piston Cup.

    The Daytona 500 is the Mecca of NASCAR. It’s the be-all-end-all for the sport. The drive to win it is bigger than winning a title for some. But if guys like Tony Stewart, Mark Martin, and Kyle Busch can lose the race gracefully again and again, then it just goes to show that there isn’t some inherent curse among the drivers that causes them to act out horrible urges in order to win this race. This isn’t the literal Holy Grail and they aren’t Indiana Jones.

    When all is said and done, Blaney should be commended for a race well run. Denny Hamlin should be commended for winning his third 500. The NASCAR Safety R&D center should be commended for making durable equipment. The Safety Team should be commended for a swift and appropriate response to Newman’s aid. Even the NASCAR Media should be commended for keeping their mouths shut and their thumbs still until official word on Newman’s condition was released.

    As for those who were quick to blame Blaney for “deliberately” turning Newman, to paraphrase the great 20th century poet Phife Dog, they can take that garbage to St. Elsewhere.

  • The Final Word…thankfully of just a single race

    The Final Word…thankfully of just a single race

    No!

    I am not a very expressive guy when it comes to watching sporting events. I have long come to realize there are more important things in life than a winning result. Then, there are times when something takes place that is truly important. Something that brings forth emotion.

    No!

    19 years ago was one of those moments. My wife had convinced me to forsake the Daytona 500 finish to go out shopping. It was a race that made me laugh as Dale Earnhardt gave a one-finger salute to a rookie by the name of Kurt Busch. The Intimidator was taking no guff from the cocky kid. As we pulled back into the driveway, we heard the news on the car radio.

    No!

    My enthusiasm for covering NASCAR may have diminished over recent years, but there have been no more shopping sprees to interrupt the Great American Race since. My PVR had caught up to the live action and I was glued to the tube as Ryan Newman made his bid to claim the prize. He came close, then came a bump and a hard right into the wall.

    No!

    While Denny Hamlin was edging out Ryan Blaney at the line, we watched Newman’s upside down flaming wreckage slide down the track. It did not look good. Then they showed the replay.

    No!

    Newman was upside down. Vulnerable. A sitting duck. Corey Lajoie had no place to go to avoid what came next. His car hit Newman’s right on the driver’s side. Hard. You could see where he hit and the damage it caused.

    No!

    My wife and I went out to join some fellow runners for a trek out into a cold winter night. It was therapeutic. As my spikes hit the ice with each step I managed to forget for a moment those fears, that emotion. Then it was over and those emotions returned.

    No!

    NASCAR news was coming to us over Sirius radio in the car as we headed back home. An update. Serious condition, but not life-threatening injuries.

    Yes!

    As I write this, I do not know exactly what that means. I prefer to think it means good news. I prefer to believe it means a guy out of his car seat for a while, a man slowly mending at home, a big burly impatient ornery bear driving his wife crazy as he dreams of a return to the track.

    Yes!

    That is what I choose to believe. That is my hope. It is not who won the race that is important, but the news I have as I finish the day. That brings me some comfort. Some things are more important than who won, but who survived.

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Kansas

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Kansas

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin won the Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas in a cut-off race that narrowed the field to eight drivers.

    “Anytime it’s an elimination race,” Hamlin said, “things can get crazy. So, even though this race was sponsored by Hollywood Casino, ‘all bets were off.’”

    2. Kyle Busch: Busch took third in the Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas.

    “This is the time of year when pressure builds,” Busch said. “That was evident in Saturday’s Xfinity race when Daniel Hemric and Cole Custer were involved in an altercation. Things got physical, and a little sexy, because the ‘fight’ was really just a very intense hug.”

    3. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex finished sixth in the Hollywood Casino 400 and joins Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin in the Playoff Round of 8.

    “It’s me, Denny, and Kyle,” Truex said. “Some people would call that ‘Two Men And A Baby.’”

    4. Kevin Harvick: Inspection issues forced Harvick to start 40th but he worked his way through the field to post a ninth. He heads to Round 3 of the Playoffs in fifth, 18 out of first.

    “I didn’t even get to qualify,” Harvick said. “But there’s something cool about starting at the back of the field. Starting at the ‘ass-end’ of the field, you get a true perspective of the ‘ass-end’ of talent in this series.”

    5. Kyle Larson: Larson finished 14th in the Hollywood Casino 400 and is seventh in the Playoff points standings, 35 out of first.

    “I had a run-in with the lapped car of Joey Gase,” Larson said. “He was in my way and I needed to be somewhere, so I moved him. It’s football season so I gave Joey the ‘punt, the pass, and the kick (to the curb).’”

    6. Joey Logano: Logano survived a late accident and slide through the grass to finish 17th at Kansas and advanced to the Round of 8, where he’ll be the sole representative of Penske Racing.

    “I feel like it’s me against the world,” Logano said. “So, I’m gonna go out there and be a ‘world beater.’ Unfortunately, no one will care, because the general opinion of me is a ‘world of indifference.’”

    7. Chase Elliott: Elliott finished second at Kansas which was good enough to secure the final playoff spot.

    “That was close,” Elliott said, “and I get the cigar. And, as the kids say, it was ‘lit.’”

    8. Ryan Blaney: Blaney finished 21st at Kansas and heads to Martinsville eighth in the Playoff points standings.

    “I’m last among the eight drivers in the Playoff field,” Blaney said. “I feel like I’m the forgotten driver in the Playoffs. But I very well could quietly sneak in and eliminate the rest of the field. Then you could call me ‘champion,’ and Kurt Busch could call me ‘assassin.’”

    9. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski finished 18th at Kansas and narrowly missed advancing to the next round of the Playoffs.

    “Had a late caution came out just a fraction of a second later,” Keselowski said, “I’d be in the Playoff field. But we all know NASCAR wanted that extra restart. I’d like a do-over because I have some ‘un-finish-ed’ business I’d like to take care of.”

    10. William Byron: Byron finished fifth at Kansas and failed to make the Playoff Round of 8.

    “You probably heard about the flock of birds flying into the NASCAR Hall Of Fame,” Byron said. “I guess they really wanted to get in. But come on birds, show some manners. Don’t you know, ‘Birds of a feather knock together.’”

  • NASCAR must find way to bottle their superspeedway package following Talladega

    NASCAR must find way to bottle their superspeedway package following Talladega

    Superspeedway racing, chaos be thy name.

    Gone are the days of incident-free events. Gone are the day of overly-dominant drivers mastering pack racing and the draft. These days it’s now a matter of carnage, mayhem, and wild, wild finishes. What’s more important, though, is that NASCAR finds a way to maintain this package. Ergo, leaves it alone and absolutely does not tweak it in any way, shape, or form.

    Case in point: Sunday’s 1000Bulbs.com Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series event. There were 46 lead changes among 19 drivers, nine cautions, a few major scrapes (including a sick kickflip from the No. 62 of Brendan Gaughan) that thankfully yielded zero injuries, and an astounding 11,564 green flag passes (which equated to 79.8 passes per green flag lap).

    On top of that, with NASCAR’s Playoff season in full effect, there were several storylines coming into the race that the NASCAR community were paying close attention to, such as whether or not Chase Elliott could rebound from his last-place finish at Dover, whether Ford drivers Clint Bowyer or Ryan Blaney could finally get a win this season, or if Elliott’s Hendrick teammate William Byron could seal the deal and score his first win. In the end, it was Blaney who advances to the Round of Eight by a 0.007-second win over Ryan Newman.

    Of course, considering Talladega’s nature, it’s only fitting that the Playoff’s current storylines played a role in Sunday’s race. But with regards to the chaotic nature of superspeedway racing, it’s a must that NASCAR maintains the status quo when it comes to Talladega and Daytona. That isn’t to say that every race on the schedule needs to be full of chaos and anarchy from green flag to checkered flag. But Talladega and Daytona are both revered as some of the best racing all season long – they carry that weight of providing the best action in NASCAR.

    That carries more weight when it’s taken into consideration that of all the races of season, the majority of which are held on mile-to-mile-and-a-half race tracks where Joe Gibbs Racing Toyotas regularly dominate, superspeedway racing feels like the last bastion of equality in the sport. Literally anyone who is anyone can win, from David Ragan to Justin Haley. For years NASCAR has been looking for a way to keep that aspect in the sport; with this current superspeedway package they may have found that sweet spot.

    However, NASCAR has a way of fixing what isn’t broken. It’s something the NASCAR community is used to and in some cases expects, but ultimately it isn’t welcomed that often. So when the NASCAR world spoke up to say that Sunday’s race was nothing short of amazing, they can only hope that NASCAR heard them well enough to go on and act on their critiques. And by act, they really mean not act at all.

    NASCAR has something with the new package and the tapered-spacer engine. Therefore, once again, NASCAR should not work to change that. Unless cars are regularly being launched into the crowd, stop trying to fix what isn’t broken. The fans loved it, the NASCAR community as a whole loved it. Sure, there were some angry faces in the crowd, but that’s every superspeedway race; pack racing is known to be very unforgiving in nature. That’s been the story for years.

    Sunday was how Talladega was supposed to be run, and NASCAR did a fine job. So until further notice, the superspeedway product is fine as it is.

  • Blaney and Elliott earn top-10 finishes, playoff bound

    Blaney and Elliott earn top-10 finishes, playoff bound

    Consistency is why Ryan Blaney did not have to worry about making the Playoffs. The No. 12 team had no wins coming into the Indy race but had seven top fives and 11 top-10 finishes.

    Blaney qualified ninth at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and was fairly consistent all afternoon during the Big Machine Vodka 400. He finished fourth in Stage 1 and third in Stage 2. The No. 12 driver even took the lead at one point off the restart and led once for 19 laps. Unfortunately, it would be the only time Blaney would be in the lead. Even with a few late-race yellows, they weren’t enough and left the Team Penske driver frustrated with a seventh-place finish.

    “Lost the lead when the caution came out on the pit stop cycle and not going to pass anybody,” Blaney frustratingly said to PRN Radio. “So, whoever was in the lead was the best car. We lost the lead and that was pretty much it.”

    Blaney will be seeded 12th in the Playoff standings.

    Chase Elliott, on the other hand, had quite an eventful day from the start. During the first caution, Elliott was bumped from behind and turned around on pit road. He was fairly quiet all day, not scoring any stage points and trying to make ground up. With the late-race cautions and the way pit strategy played out, Elliott claimed the ninth position after contact early on.

    “It was pretty much destroyed,” Elliott described to PRN Radio about his car. “Our NAPA team did a nice job to somehow piece it back together. The splitter is gone on the left front and the right side, I tore it off later. So yeah it was a long day. We kind of just had to fight and came with a top-10. All things considered, I thought it was okay.”

    Elliott is seeded seventh in the playoff grid.

  • Chase Elliott and Ryan Blaney score solid runs at Bristol

    Chase Elliott and Ryan Blaney score solid runs at Bristol

    Chase Elliott debuted a new paint scheme featuring Hooters Spirits Saturday night at Bristol Motor Speedway in his eighth start at the track. He was hoping to bring home a popular win for the fans.

    It all started with qualifying on Friday afternoon with Elliott qualifying sixth. He was consistently strong throughout the race, even leading at some points.

    In Stage 1, the Georgia native finished second while he finished sixth in Stage 2. Elliott avoided the accidents and kept his car clean for the most part. On Lap 131, he took the lead and led for 33 laps, the only time he led the race. However, Elliott was up front late on the final restart, before making slight contact with Erik Jones.

    Elliott had to slow down and swerve to miss Jones which caused him to lose some momentum and he was never able to get back up to the front to fight for the win. In the end, the Hendrick Motorsports driver finished sixth for his 10th top-10 of the 2019 season.

    “We were a little off from being perfect all weekend,” Elliott said to PRN Radio. “The guys did a great job in the pits. you know we had track position all night long, I just never did anything with it really. Executed really nice, just needed to do a little bit better to do something. We kept lining up on the top, kept gaining spots on pit road, that’s all you could ask for.”

    While it was a quiet night for Elliott, Ryan Blaney had an adventurous night that saw him finish 10th.

    Blaney fought multiple challenges throughout the night. The first challenge came on Lap 231 when he had to check up to avoid making contact with the 52 of Kyle Weatherman. Blaney was also involved in a big wreck on Lap 373 as he shot straight up the track when a right-front tire went down.

    Despite Blaney being caught up in a wreck, he was able to rebound to a 10th place finish in what had been a long night.

    “Multiple things, but not wrecking,” Blaney explained to PRN Radio about his night. “Got in a big wreck right there, cut a right front (tire). Just misjudging where the 8 (Hemric) was. Throughout the race, I just kind of got loose and cut my right front. I think it blew his left rear too. I got into a big pileup there, but luckily we were able to fix it. Just keeping up with the racetrack and struggling a little bit, I’ll have to do better next time.”

    The 10th place finish was Blaney’s 11th top-10 finish of 2019.