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  • Hot 20 – The Truex Triumph at Pocono Deserves an Encore at Michigan

    Hot 20 – The Truex Triumph at Pocono Deserves an Encore at Michigan

    You need a multi-car operation in order to be successful. At least, that seems to be the prevailing wisdom of the day, but just do not let Barney Visser and his Furniture Row team in on it. Other teams might not like what they would see.

    Marching to the beat of their own drummer is just what they do. For example, while most teams call the Charlotte area home, the auto driven by Martin Truex Jr. is prepared in Denver, Colorado. Starting part-time in 2005, Furniture Row has been a Top 30 entry ever since they ran the full schedule with Regan Smith in 2010. They even won a race the next season, but hitting the Top Twenty by year’s end was a struggle.

    Their dedication reached fruition in 2013 when Kurt Busch came over for a year, with 11 Top Fives launching them to a 10th best season. Still, no wins, and when Truex joined the outfit last year they dropped again to also-ran status in the standings. That proved to be just a blip on their radar as Cinderella got another shot to go to the ball and wear those glass galoshes.

    Last Sunday, Truex gave Furniture Row just its second victory ever when he was the class of the field at Pocono. This was no surprise outcome for a usual also-ran, as they are easily the best team in points amongst the single win teams. In fact, they are second only to Kevin Harvick in points for the season, period. Single car teams are not supposed to do that. In fact, no single car team is supposed to do what Alan Kulwicki did between 1987 and his championship of 1992 these days. It seems to me that those mountain men and women are putting up another solid argument that the prevailing wisdom of the day is not their way, at least not yet.

    While a teammate might not be to too far off in the future, Truex has had some success of his own at Michigan. He had three Top Tens racing for Michael Waltrip, and a pair of runner-up finishes for Dale Earnhardt Jr. in 2007. After last season’s annus horribilis, this appears to be a year of new beginnings and new successes, for both the team and its driver. Of course, he is among…

    …our Hot 20 heading into Michigan.

    1 – JIMMIE JOHNSON – 4 WINS (481 pts)
    If Chad and Jimmie were girls, they wouldn’t talk for months after a race.

    2 – KEVIN HARVICK – 2 WINS (559 pts)
    Fourteen races. Two wins. Ten times finishing in second place. Don’t worry, be Happy.

    3 – MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 1 WIN (520 pts)
    Finally.

    4 – JOEY LOGANO – 1 WIN (480 pts)
    Starts dead last after rear-end gear change, then gets a pit penalty, yet finishes fourth at Pocono.

    5 – DALE EARNHARDT JR. – 1 WIN (465 pts)
    You would have thought he, not his buddy, won the race.

    6 – BRAD KESELOWSKI – 1 WIN (441 pts)
    Brought the beer to the Truex party. while Junior sent some post-celebration head pain relief.

    7 – MATT KENSETH – 1 WIN (415 pts)
    Family joined the Johnsons and Dillon boys for a Taylor Swift concert. Perks of the profession.

    8 – KURT BUSCH – 1 WIN (379 pts)
    Took the pole, finished fifth. Just another day at the office.

    9 – DENNY HAMLIN – 1 WIN (379 pts)
    The way he qualified at Pocono, one would have thought he was Bowyer.

    10 – CARL EDWARDS – 1 WIN (368 pts)
    Not as good as Newman this season…except for that little ole win he has.

    11 – JAMIE MCMURRAY – 427 POINTS
    Has completed 96.8 percent of his career laps at Michigan, but fourth in 2004 his best result.

    12 – KASEY KAHNE – 417 POINTS
    Impromptu body work from Junior helped neither car last weekend.

    13 – JEFF GORDON – 411 POINTS
    So, Alan and Jeff swore at each other. Am I the only one who notices they are both guys?

    14 – PAUL MENARD – 385 POINTS
    Caught speeding, got caught again on the drive through, then got a flat. Not a good day.

    15 – ARIC ALMIROLA – 379 POINTS
    Pocono was not a pointless exercise for Aric. He did pick up a single point for his efforts.

    16 – RYAN NEWMAN – 374 POINTS
    After just earning five himself, Newman not feeling the love after being Allmendingered.

    17 – CLINT BOWYER – 354 POINTS
    Billy Scott to replace Brian Pattie atop the box at Michigan. Let the magic begin.

    18 – GREG BIFFLE – 343 POINTS
    Twelfth was twelve better than teammate Trevor Bayne, which means they still have work to do.

    19 – KYLE LARSON – 333 POINTS
    Third at Dover, eighth at Pocono and eighth last spring at Michigan. The time is now.

    20 – DANICA PATRICK – 328 POINTS
    Deserved a better fate last Sunday.

  • The Final Word – The Top Four at Pocono Have Been the Season’s Best Four

    The Final Word – The Top Four at Pocono Have Been the Season’s Best Four

    Three drivers. When it came to the story of the Pocono race, only three mattered. You probably wanted to know who led the race for the opening few laps, and that would have been Carl Edwards. He finished 15th. For the rest of the way, it was down to two names, right down to the final lap; Martin Truex Jr. and Kevin Harvick. No one else much mattered on Sunday.

    When it comes down to points, these two lead the way this year. When it comes to wins, Harvick’s two trailed only Jimmie Johnson’s four in that department. Truex, on the other hand, still had to close the deal. That finally happened in a race where he was a factor from start to finish, leading four times for 97 of the 160 laps, to snap a 69 race winless string. Harvick led for 39 to claim his 10th Top Two in 14 starts. As for third place, that eventually went to Johnson, as Pocono became a showcase of the three best thus far in 2015. Okay, Top Four, with Joey Logano finishing fourth.

    With the Truex win, we still have no drivers outside the Top 16 in points with a victory this season. With a dozen events to go, that could change, which would put some pressure on those up there, yet still winless. However, Jamie McMurray, Kasey Kahne and even Jeff Gordon look safe for the moment though Paul Menard, Aric Almirola and Ryan Newman are vulnerable. All three finished outside the Top Thirty on Sunday.

    Top Thirty on the season is valuable for those who want to win to be in. Only Kyle Busch has a realistic expectation to possibly win amongst the outsiders, and he sits 151 points behind Trevor Bayne for that 30th spot. Busch gained 15 points on Bayne over the weekend and needs to average a 12.6 point advantage over each of the next 12 races, as well as claim a win along the way, for it to matter.

    Danica Patrick looked good for much of the race, solidly a Top 15, if not better. She lost a tire, found a fence, and finished 37th. However, the girl looked good, and for those on her bandwagon, that certainly counts for something.

    After taking the last five at Pocono, shared by their four drivers, Team Hendrick had to settle for all four in the Top 15. Considering the trials Truex has faced both professionally and personally over the past couple of years, I think their genuine happiness over his success more than makes up for any disappointment that they might feel. Way more.

    While Truex celebrated, Almirola (43rd), Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (42nd), and Sam Hornish Jr. (41st) were top thirty drivers who did not have top thirty days. Meanwhile, Kyle Busch (9th), Ty Dillon (18th), and Landon Cassill (25th) were among those outsiders who gladly took their place.

    Michigan International Speedway is the next stop, where the last six contests run over the past three years have been split between Hendrick Chevrolets and Roush or Penske Fords. At least it is a venue Hendrick has not won the last five…just the last two.

  • Surprising and Not Surprising: Pocono Axalta We Paint Winners 400

    Surprising and Not Surprising: Pocono Axalta We Paint Winners 400

    In a peculiar race at Pocono, filled with shifting and unexpected bumps, here is what else was surprising and not surprising in the 34th annual Axalta We Paint Winners 400.

    Surprising:  Under picture-perfect skies, both blessings and curses abounded at the Tricky Triangle in the track’s first race of the season.

    “I just feel super blessed to be with this group of guys,” race winner Martin Truex Jr. said of his No. 78 Furniture Row race team. “They are super impressive and just proud to drive cars for them.”

    “We finally got it. That is all I can say we finally got it. Just can’t thank all my guys enough, Barney Visser, everybody at Furniture Row, everybody back in Denver for working so hard. This is a brand new racecar and they have been working really hard lately. Just proud of them and blessed to drive great racecars.”

    “It never gets any better than this.”

    This was Truex Jr.’s first victory of the season and one that ended a 69-race winless streak as well as qualifying him for the Chase.

    As much as Truex felt blessed to win, Jeff Gordon and Alan Gustafson on the flip side exchanged a tirade of uncharacteristic curses after disagreeing on pit strategy.  The curse-laden audio can be heard at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPeUz35cQRA&app=desktop.

    In spite of all that cursing, the Team 24 driver and crew chief duo managed to pull off a top-15 finish for the No. 24 Axalta/Penn State Chevrolet.

    Not Surprising:  Although many in the garage felt that he was the one to beat, Kevin Harvick finished second yet again, having had to deal with gear issues on the restarts and splitter issues as well.

    “Our Budweiser Chevy was really fast, but we were just terrible on the restarts getting going,” Harvick said. “We would lug really bad in third gear and just had to go into defense mode.”

    “We struggled in Turn 1 with the splitter on the ground. Things aren’t lining-up to win races right now.”

    Surprising:  Aric Almirola went from having one of the best finishes of the season in Dover to having one of his worst days at Pocono, finishing 43rd in his No. 43 Nathan’s Famous Ford with something malfunctioning in the motor of his race car.

    “It wouldn’t run anymore,” Almirola said. “It’s a shame.  It was not a good weekend for us. We struggled all weekend finding speed in our car and right there we came in and made a pretty aggressive adjustment on that pit stop. Trent (Owens, crew chief) changed a lot of stuff and just on that one lap of the restart it drove a lot better and I had my hopes up for a minute and then my hopes got crushed.”

    “We had some sort of motor issue. Every once in a while something like that happens.”

    This was Almirola’s first DNF of the season as well.

    Not Surprising:  Tony Stewart shared the best quote of the day. After received a penalty on pit road for an uncontrolled tire, Smoke came on the radio and said “They should start calling penalties on me for being an uncontrolled driver.”

    “I put us in a hole to start the weekend,” Stewart said, referring to his crash on Friday in practice that forced him to a backup racecar. “This whole Mobil 1/Bass Pro Shops team dug in, worked hard all weekend and never gave up.”

    “I’m really proud of everybody and hate the finish doesn’t reflect that effort.”

    Stewart finished 21st at Pocono Raceway in his No. 14 Mobil 1/Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet.

    Surprising:  While Carl Edwards looked to be the strongest Toyota, starting on the outside pole, three other Toyotas managed to finish better than he did with his 15th place run. Matt Kenseth was the highest finisher of the manufacturer’s brand in the sixth place, with Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin finishing ninth and tenth respectively.

    “We had a really fast car – it was the fastest sixth-place car that I’ve ever had,” Kenseth, driver of the No. 20 Dollar General Toyota, said. “We ran much better than we finished.”

    “This is a bad track for me and we had a great car today.”

    “We didn’t start the race with what we needed with our M&M’s Crispy Camry,” Kyle Busch said. “But Adam (Stevens, crew chief) made some good adjustments to get us better. Track position was big, so Adam also made a good call to take two tires and get us some track position and we were able to hold onto it for a while.”

    “Those last two cautions didn’t help us, we just couldn’t get going on those last couple of restarts. We’ll take it and move on to Michigan.”

    “I thought we were a decent car – fifth to 10th place most of the day, but with our track position, we always took four tires,” Denny Hamlin, driver of the No. 11 FedEx Ground Toyota , said. “Some of those guys made it on fuel because of all the cautions so we continued to lose track position throughout the day, but we kind of battled back.”

    “We barely got inside the top-10 and at best I thought we could have improved four or five more spots, but overall a solid day. We didn’t tear up anything this week and now we can go and improve our program for next week.”

    Not Surprising:  While Ford has traditionally struggled at Pocono, Joey Logano still managed to be the best finishing Ford, bringing his No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Ford to the checkered flag in the fourth position. His finish was especially noteworthy as he had to start from the back of the pack due to a rear gear change.

    “I’m happy with the way it ended,” Logano said. “We didn’t have a very fast Shell/Pennzoil Ford from the get-go when we unloaded here, but we kept fighting hard.”

    “This was one of those blue-collar days, just working hard all day on the car and on pit road the guys did a good job making my car faster and got to where we were a top-five car at the end.”

    Surprising:  Ryan Newman’s temper got the best of him after contact between himself and AJ Allmendinger on Lap 142. And he even vowed some revenge as a result of that contact.

    “It’s pretty obvious what happened,” Newman, driver of the No. 31 Grainger Chevrolet, said after finishing 39th. “The No. 47 (AJ Allmendinger) just ran out of talent.”

    “He has got one coming now.”

    Not Surprising:  While Trevor Bayne got some Pocono practice time in running and winning the ARCA Series race, the driver of the No. 6 AdvoCare Ford acknowledged that he was still in the learning mode for the Tricky Triangle.

    “We got through it and that was the main part for our first run here at Pocono,” Bayne said. “Overall, we kept a clean car and for the first time here I learned a ton.”

    “From where I started this week and getting to where we finished I think we made big gains.  We got back on the lead lap there at the end and we just needed to be a little bit better off turn three and we would have had something for a top-15 run.”

    Bayne finished the race in the 24th position.

    Surprising:  Forget girls just wanting to have fun, sometimes six time champions like Jimmie Johnson just want to do that as well even with a beat up race car, with some missing parts to boot. And while he had fun, Johnson also went on to finish third in his No. 48 Lowe’s/Jimmie Johnson Foundation Chevrolet.

    “A fun day,” Johnson said. “She is beat up and missing a left-front splitter too from the contact we had with the outside wall off of Turn 3 there.”

    “We overcame a lot and still got a third place finish out of it.  Wish we had a little bit more, but not a bad finish.”

    Not Surprising:  Both Chip Ganassi Racing drivers managed top-10 finishes at the Tricky Triangle, with Jamie McMurray coming in seventh and Kyle Larson finishing eighth.

    “It was a good race and a nice top 10,” Larson, the driver of the No. 42 Target Chevrolet, said after the race. “I thought that was probably about the speed we had maybe eighth to 11th or so.  So to get an eighth place is alright.”

    Surprising: Alex Bowman, driver of the No. 7 Accell Construction Chevrolet, managed a 26th place finish only to go home and have an accident there.

    “No joke got home and roscoe ran to the door and head butted me so hard because he couldn’t stop that I now have an actual black eye,” @AlexBRacing tweeted after the race.

    Not Surprising: At the end of the day and in spite of the competition, friendships develop in the garage area. And the best example of that was Dale Earnhardt Jr. who could not wait to get into Victory Lane to shake the hand of his friend and race winner Martin Truex Jr.

    “I’m just happy for him,” the driver of the No. 88 Nationwide Chevrolet said after finishing 11th. “I know he’s been through a lot of stuff both inside the car and outside the car the last several years. He’s been able to get into a good opportunity with good people.”

    “He’s got a team that believes in him. And I was in the stall next to those guys during qualifying and how they are as a team and how they interact with each other really impressed me.”

    “So, Martin’s in a good situation. So, it’s real refreshing. I look forward to going over there (Victory Lane) and saying hey to him.”

    The Cup Series will race next weekend in the Irish Hills of Michigan for the Quicken Loans 400.

     

  • Hot 20 – Preparing For Pocono, May They Remember to Just Stay in The Damn Car

    Hot 20 – Preparing For Pocono, May They Remember to Just Stay in The Damn Car

    Stay in your damn car. Jennifer Jo Cobb did not during Friday’s truck race, leaving the confines of the cab to direct a little displeasure after being wrecked. On Sunday, Trevor Bayne got wrecked and headed onto to the apron to voice his displeasure. According to NASCAR rules brought in last August, unless there is smoke or fire in the cockpit, stay in the damn car until the emergency crew arrives.

    I love watching drivers venting steam, challenging those who they believe have done them wrong. Sometimes it is downright amusing, especially if the driver is much smaller than the focus of their displeasure. However, life is not a cartoon. Sometimes what might be funny can become terribly tragic in the blink of an eye.

    August 9, 2014. After that date, on a dirt track in New York, with the death of 20-year old Kevin Ward Jr., we learned a very valuable yet costly lesson. Please just stay in the damn car.

    Here are our Hot 20 as they take to the track at Pocono on Sunday…

    1. Jimmie Johnson – 4 WINS (440 Pts)
    Whenever Johnson fails to win at Dover, Miles the Monster gets a Jimmie Johnson trophy.

    2. Kevin Harvick – 2 WINS (516 Pts)
    Tony just called. He wants his damn car back…and pit crew…and crew chief..and lucky penny.

    3. Joey Logano – 1 WIN (440 Pts)
    A big believer in Loudon. Unless it is a songwriter named Wainwright, I’m not with him.

    4. Dale Earnhardt Jr. – 1 WIN (432 Pts)
    Never won at Pocono until last year. Now looking for his third straight.

    5. Brad Keselowski – 1 WIN (414 Pts)
    Giving a rival crewman a ride is fine after the race, just not during the race.

    6. Matt Kenseth – 1 WIN (377 Pts)
    As he prepares for Pocono, his boy Ross makes his XFINITY debut later this month.

    7. Denny Hamlin – 1 WIN (345 Pts)
    Bowyer’s Toyota was going places, causing Hamlin’s Toyota to go to a bad place.

    8. Kurt Busch – 1 WIN (340 Pts)
    On the track, he makes Gene’s gambit look pretty good.

    9. Carl Edwards – 1 WIN (338 Pts)
    A drag race is not what one does to a crew member in leaving the pits.

    10. Martin Truex, Jr. – 472 POINTS
    A 140-point bulge means winning is not everything…but it sure would be nice.

    11. Jamie McMurray – 390 POINTS
    Miles needs a desperate facelift. After what happened to him last year, Jamie would agree.

    12. Kasey Kahne – 385 POINTS
    The second best Hendrick driver at Dover? It sure in hell was not Earnhardt or Gordon.

    13. Jeff Gordon – 380 POINTS
    Then again, a Top Ten is not bad for an old guy…with four titles…and 92 career wins.

    14. Aric Almirola – 378 POINTS
    Solidly in the hunt, solidly a Top Five guy last weekend at Dover.

    15. Paul Menard – 372 POINTS
    If no one outside the Top 16 in points wins, he is fine. If not, he will need one of his own.

    16. Ryan Newman – 369 POINTS
    What goes for Menard also goes for Newman.

    17. Clint Bowyer – 332 POINTS
    Chasing is fine, but a win is his best bet to make the playoffs.

    18. Danica Patrick – 321 POINTS
    The Danica-Line used to be 25th. While not yet Chase worthy, it marks a definite improvement.

    19. Greg Biffle – 311 POINTS
    What’s Buggin’ Biffle? Nothing that a win would not cure.

    20. Kyle Larson – 297 POINTS
    At 22, elected to sit at the big boy table as a driver rep in chat with NASCAR.

  • Hot 20 – A Dozen Drivers Seeking Another Miles the Monster Trophy this Sunday at Dover

    Hot 20 – A Dozen Drivers Seeking Another Miles the Monster Trophy this Sunday at Dover

    The trophy features Miles the Monster, a sharp-toothed, red-eyed stone creature hoisting the winner’s car in the air in an apparent prelude to dashing it into dust. Imagine what happens to the guy who finishes dead last.

    Jimmie Johnson has a lot of these trophies, courtesy of nine victories at Dover. It does not seem to matter the time of year or even the time of his career. He swept 2002 in his rookie season, as he did in 2009. Johnson has won half of the last six ran there, including last spring. I am going out on a limb here, but I got a feeling Jimmie might be considered the favorite on Sunday.

    It is not as if he does not share. Jeff Gordon has five of those trophies. There is a trio of them at both Ryan Newman and Tony Stewart’s homes. In fact, there are 11 other drivers who will be competing this weekend with a combined total of 22 to go along with the nine Jimmie has in his man-cave. Even Martin Truex, Jr. has one. He sure would love another.

    Hot 20 heading over to Dover…with past winners in CAPS…

    1. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 3 WINS – 393 Points
    Dover has been kind to him nine times…so how about 10?

    2. Kevin Harvick – 2 WINS – 473 Points
    Points are important, but wins more so. Just ask Truex.

    3. Joey Logano – 1 WIN – 407 Points
    Winning just a single race isn’t that big a deal, is it? When it is THAT race, it sure is.

    4. DALE EARNHARDT JR. – 1 WIN – 401 Points
    Loves Speedy Dry on oil, not so much on the top grove, on the fans, on your cereal…

    5. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 1 WIN – 381 Points
    Who’s her daddy? Brad is…of a baby girl. Congratulations!

    6. MATT KENSETH – 1 WIN – 372 Points
    You can join his pit crew in Kansas…sort of. Now, if you could just be Newman’s crew chief.

    7. KURT BUSCH – 1 WIN – 327 Points
    Still waiting for that final caution at Charlotte…that never came.

    8. Denny Hamlin – 1 WIN – 321 Points
    36 holes of golf and a game of tennis…not how to prepare for 600 miles.

    9. CARL EDWARDS – 1 WIN – 312 Points
    They call him Flipper, Flipper, faster than lightning…at least over the final 21 laps last week.

    10. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 432 POINTS
    Best car in Charlotte, yet still winless.

    11. Jamie McMurray – 353 POINTS
    Interested only in winning the big ones, and July has both the Firecracker and Brickyard 400’s.

    12. JEFF GORDON – 346 POINTS
    Led the way at Indianapolis, so it was just too bad he was not also in the pace car at Charlotte.

    13. Kasey Kahne – 345 POINTS
    Last Sunday found Kasey having to do a lot of passing on a day when passing wasn’t easy.

    14. RYAN NEWMAN – 343 POINTS
    Last win was the 2013 Brickyard. Last race with his crew chief…Talladega.

    15. Aric Almirola – 339 POINTS
    Smithfield Foods sponsors Almirola and the IndyCar that caught fire prior to Sunday’s start.

    16. Paul Menard – 336 POINTS
    I hear his dad sponsors this team. Well, a big howdy to Mr. Pittsburgh Paints. Wrong one?

    17. Clint Bowyer – 296 POINTS
    Lt. Dale Bowyer…we and your grandson salute you.

    18. Danica Patrick – 292 POINTS
    Whose yoga photos would you prefer…Danica’s or Tony’s?

    19. GREG BIFFLE – 284 POINTS
    The only one even close to being the bearer of positive news for Roush-Fenway.

    20. A.J. Allmendinger – 274 POINTS
    Not saying he is bad at Dover, but anything in the Top 20 would represent a good day.

  • Hot 20 – Charlotte, where this weekend they go the extra miles

    Hot 20 – Charlotte, where this weekend they go the extra miles

    We begin with Monaco, tune into Indianapolis for the matinee, then spend the evening in Charlotte in our 600-mile feature. While we go in concerned about cars running into a house or into a harbor overseas, or find the wall and flipping down the track in Indiana, our biggest concern for the folks with fenders is that they might not be able to pass the leader in North Carolina.

    As we discovered last week in the All-Star contest, if you run up front your only concern is that your car turns sour or adjustments just made the competition better. If neither happens, the leader leads until somebody has to hit pit road. Not terribly exciting in a visual sort of way, yet we shall watch to see if Clint Bowyer can hold on to that final Chase berth, if a past winner can win again, or if someone buried in points might be able to make the leap with a checkered flag performance.

    Of course, Kyle Busch returns from his Daytona injury with zero points, 179 behind the 30th placed Tony Stewart. Well, that is nothing five or six straight wins wouldn’t cure. Hey, I did not say it would be easy.

    Our hot 20 heading to Charlotte…

    1. Jimmie Johnson – 3 WINS (389 Points)
    Modifying the side skirt…okay on Fashion TV, not so good in NASCAR. Yet, forgivable.

    2. Kevin Harvick – 2 WINS (437 Points)
    Back in a crushing slump after a runner-up finish in the All-Star event. Yes, that is sarcasm.

    3. Joey Logano – 1 WIN (375 Points)
    Some dream of the double while Joey is content to focus on winning at night.

    4. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. – 1 WIN (360 Points)
    How to avoid post-race altercations? Have a NFL linebacker riding shotgun every race.

    5. Brad Keselowski – 1 WIN (343 Points)
    Noticed Hamlin’s sad eyes, so donated the All-Star race to him. What a nice guy!

    6. Matt Kenseth – 1 WIN (331 Points)
    A very funny man, but just in a dry sort of way.

    7. Kurt Busch – 1 WIN (292 Points)
    A personal life for Kurt equal to his success behind the wheel would bring me a measure of joy.

    8. Denny Hamlin – 1 WIN (284 Points)
    Feeling like a million bucks.

    9. Martin Truex, Jr. – 391 POINTS
    All-Star race? We don’t need no stinkin’ All-Star race!

    10. Jamie McMurray – 328 POINTS
    Boasts the prettiest mechanic in NASCAR…12 year veteran Ashley Parlett.

    11. Jeff Gordon – 317 POINTS
    Driving the Indianapolis 500….pace car.

    12. Kasey Kahne – 313 POINTS
    Beat young Erik Jones in an illegal truck last week…but not a terribly illegal truck.

    13. Aric Almirola – 312 POINTS
    Only driver in a Chase position with not a single Top Ten to his credit.

    14. Paul Menard – 306 POINTS
    Comparing Clinton Foundation cash to his dad’s support of Scott Walker? Not even close.

    15. Ryan Newman – 305 POINTS
    I heard Ryan Newman was very pretty. That is how I discovered the actress of the same name.

    16. Clint Bowyer – 272 POINTS
    Inside the top 16…but not very comfortably.

    17. Danica Patrick – 270 POINTS
    Bowyer takes over the final Chase place. Obviously, the man is no gentleman.

    18. Carl Edwards – 265 POINTS
    Amongst JGR drivers, he at least has more points than Kyle. Really.

    19. A.J. Allmendinger – 259 POINTS
    Would love a double, but it won’t happen this year.

    20. Casey Mears – 242 POINTS
    Is this enough to keep Germain Racing interested for 2016?

    20. Greg Biffle – 242 POINTS
    Can a front row start last week transfer into good tidings when it counts this week?

  • The Final Word – It was an all-star Saturday night in Charlotte, but the all-star weekend is still to come

    The Final Word – It was an all-star Saturday night in Charlotte, but the all-star weekend is still to come

    Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, and sometimes you give it away. Denny Hamlin won the All-Star event Saturday night, but Brad Keselowski and his team handed it over.

    With the 10 lap final shootout to go, Keselowski got out of his pit box just behind Hamlin. He gunned it to clear pit road ahead of his rival, but in doing so he was caught speeding. Keselowski, the best in two of the four 25-lap segments and the leader going into the pits, went to the back of the line and his hopes of winning went out of the window.

    With the lead and the clean air that came with it, Hamlin kept ahead of Kevin Harvick to the end to claim the million dollar prize. Sadly, the days of being able to slingshot past the leader to victory, it seems, ended when David put the moves on Goliath. There were just three lead changes on the track; when Kasey Kahne went by Keselowski 15 laps in, when Hamlin loaned it to Kurt Busch for a lap in the second segment, and when Busch went by Hamlin two laps into the fourth segment.

    Clint Bowyer and Greg Biffle made the race through their efforts in Friday night’s showdown. Danica Patrick got in through the fan vote. Martin Truex Jr., who is second in points but lacking in wins, was left in the cold when he failed to make the grade through the preliminary event. Maybe an all-star should also be defined as someone in the top three in points, as that person appears very likely to make the Chase one way or another. You know, like one would expect from an all-star.

    Kasey Kahne was seventh Saturday but won Friday’s truck race in a photo finish over Erik Jones. There was just one problem. It seems the winning truck was too low on both sides and high in the right rear. For any penalties for this cameo violation to be meaningful, they would either have to come by way of taking cash from team boss Dale Earnhardt Jr. or take the win away.  It just depends on how serious a violation it was and if, in itself, it made the difference between winning or losing.

    Ryan Newman lost and I am not just talking about the weekend. He got some points back in his first appeal regarding his California tire violation in March but got nothing out of his second appeal to further reduce the penalties to him and his crew. Brian France claims all teams know what the problem was that day. The problem now seems to be that at least some of the teams claim they still do not know what Newman’s group did to get penalized, thus remain in the dark as to how to avoid such an issue themselves. It would seem to me that we have here, as was stated in that other Newman’s movie years ago, is a failure to communicate.

    As Jeff Gordon ran his final All-Star contest, we see a bright horizon for the sport. We have the 18-year old Jones lighting it up in both XFINITY and the trucks, and on Sunday Ben Rhodes skipped his high school graduation to make his XFINITY debut for JR Motorsports. Jones finished third, Rhodes seventh. Not a single Cup guy was to be seen in Iowa, which is the way it should be for the most part.

    Meanwhile, while American Pharoah won the Preakness last weekend to set up a run for horse racing’s Triple Crown in June, next Sunday is truly an all-star extravaganza in motorsports. We begin with the Monaco Grand Prix, followed by the Indianapolis 500, with the World 600 bringing the day to a close. Get the PVR ready and the couch all comfy, as it is going to be a busy day.

  • Kansas Speedway Sprint Cup Preview – Milestones, Firsts and Driver Quotes

    Kansas Speedway Sprint Cup Preview – Milestones, Firsts and Driver Quotes

    As the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads to Kansas Speedway, eight drivers are locked into the Chase for the Sprint Cup, provided they attempt to qualify for the remaining regular season races. Several prominent drivers are still searching for that elusive victory or the consistency needed to grab one of the eight remaining spots as the Chase approaches.

    Milestones:

    1) Jimmie Johnson is approaching two career milestones as he heads to Kansas Speedway.

    A top-five at Kansas Speedway would give him 200 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series top-five finishes. He is currently tied with Benny Parsons for 12th on the all-time NSCS top fives list and only two top-fives behind Buddy Baker in 11th (201).

    Johnson is also one away from 300 NSCS top-10 finishes. He is 16th on the all-time NSCS top 10s list and only two top-10s behind James Hylton in 15th (301).

    In the 18 NSCS events held at Kansas Speedway, Johnson has finished among the top 10 a total of 14 times. Combine that with two wins, three poles and the Series-best driver rating (112.1) and it’s a safe bet that Johnson will quickly mark these two items off his to-do list.

    2) Reigning champion and current points leader Kevin Harvick is 47 laps away from becoming the 10th driver in NSCS history to lead 1,000 laps or more in the first 11 races of a season.

    He has three consecutive poles at Kansas (October 2013, May 2014, and October 2014), holds the track qualifying record of 197.773 mph and has the sixth best driver rating (100.4). Leading 47 laps is certainly within Harvick’s capabilities and Kansas Speedway may be the perfect track to accomplish yet another milestone in his career.

    3) Matt Kenseth is only one checkered flag away from 33 NSCS wins. Another victory would move him up to 21st on the all-time wins list, tied with Fireball Roberts.

    He has two wins, two poles, six top-fives, 10 top-10s and the second best driver rating at Kansas. After a frustrating finish of 25th at Talladega, Kenseth will be looking for redemption this weekend.

    Firsts – Now and Then:

    Erik Jones will make his first official start in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series debut at Kansas in the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. Although he replaced the ailing Denny Hamlin after the rain delay at Bristol, his drive to a 26th place finish is credited to Hamlin. Jones has one XFINITY Series win and four victories in the Camping World Truck Series.

    David Ragan will begin a new chapter in his career at Kansas in his first race driving for Michael Waltrip Racing in the No. 55 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota. His primary focus will be centered on securing a spot on the Chase Grid.

    “Our expectations are very high,” Ragan emphasized. “At the end of the day, Michael Waltrip Racing has all the tools and resources that Joe Gibbs Racing has or that Hendrick Motorsports or Stewart-Haas Racing has and there’s no reason for us not to be able to win a race and have a shot at making the Chase. Certainly, that is our goal going forward.”

    Jeff Gordon won the first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway on September 30, 2001. It was his sixth win of his fourth championship season. He made it two-for-two at Kansas with another victory at the track on Sept. 29, 2002.

     Jason Leffler won the inaugural pole at Kansas Speedway in 2001 with a speed of 176.499 mph. He holds the track record as the youngest pole winner, at 26 years, 0 months and 14 days.

    Jim Roper, a Kansas native, won the very first NASCAR Strictly Stock (now Sprint Cup) race in June, 1949, at Charlotte Speedway. The event was 1,200 miles away from his hometown in Halstead, Kansas, but neither the distance nor lack of a car would deter him.

    He purchased a Lincoln Cosmopolitan and drove it from the showroom all the way to Charlotte to compete for the $2,000 purse. He raced with the best including Curtis Turner, the Flock brothers and Red Byron, the reigning modified champion. Roper finished the race, second to only Glenn Dunaway.

    But Dunaway was quickly disqualified when the post-race inspection revealed modifications to the rear springs, a bootlegger’s trick to improve the car’s handling. Roper was declared the winner even though he only finished 197 of the 200 laps. He only competed in one more NASCAR race, retiring in 1955 after he broke a vertebra in a sprint car accident.

    Noteworthy:

    Jeff Gordon is winless in his last full-time Sprint Cup season, but that could change this weekend at Kansas Speedway where he will defend his 2014 win at the track. The victory secured his place in the Chase and was the first of four wins during the 2014 season. Gordon also holds the track record with three victories and leads the series with10 top-five finishes in 18 starts.

    Martin Truex Jr. continues to impress, coming off a fifth place at Talladega to capture his ninth top-10 finish of the season. He is second in the points standings, 40 points behind leader Kevin Harvick, but needs a win to guarantee a position on the Chase Grid.

    Outside Looking In:

    Some of the biggest names in NASCAR are outside the top 16 and desperately need to make something happen, including Clint Bowyer (17), Carl Edwards (18) and Greg Biffle (22).

    Bowyer and Edwards are winless at Kansas Speedway while Biffle has two victories.  However, Biffle has only one top-5 in his last six outings at Kansas.

    Kyle Larson is 24th in the points standings, partly due to missing the race at Martinsville this season after he fainted following an autograph session. Larson will make his third Cup start at Kansas this weekend. He finished 12th in his first attempt and claimed the runner-up position last year in October. The race will also mark Larson’s 50th career NSCS start.

    Tony Stewart heads to Kansas Speedway in 30th place in the points standings. After a frustrating start to the season, the results of the last few weeks suggest that the team may have turned the corner. Stewart finished in sixth place, his best result of the year, three weeks ago at Bristol and looked to be headed for a top-10 at Richmond until an incident on lap 361 took him out of contention. He has two previous wins at Kansas in 2006 and 2009.

    Driver Quotes:

    Paul Menard is 12th in the point standings and is looking for a win to claim his entry into the Chase. “Kansas is a pretty newly repaved track so it’s extremely fast,” Menard said.  “Since it’s a night race it will be even faster than during the day. I enjoy night racing, I think it adds another level of excitement. You can see flames from the exhaust and sparks from under the car which makes it cool for the fans. The only downside is we have to wait all day for the race and there really isn’t much to do. I enjoy it, but I’ll be there ready to go whether it’s Sunday afternoon or Saturday night.”

    Ty Dillon is looking forward to making his fourth Sprint Cup Series start and his debut at Kansas Speedway. “From all the practices, testing and races I’m starting to get very comfortable in the Chevrolet SS, “he said. “I’m fortunate to be put in the position to race as often as I do and I’m focused on going out and doing the best that I possibly can. Kansas will be a fun race this weekend, not only off the track, but on the track with the high speeds, different racing lines and competition. Our team will be ready.”

    Ryan Newman is 15th on the Chase Grid and looking for a win to solidify his position. He finished in sixth place in his last outing at Kansas Speedway. “Kansas is super fast, I am kind of excited to get back there after it has aged a little bit,” Newman explained. “With the new pavement we’ve had a few years back, it has still maintained its speed. It seems like we keep coming back here with softer tires. In general, the track has maintained the speed and I hope it’s gained some more character.”

    Martin Truex Jr. counts Kansas Speedway as one of his favorite tracks. With four top-five finishes in the last six races at Kansas, Truex is hoping to grab the checkered flag this time around. “I love Kansas Speedway,” Truex says. “I don’t know what it is about the track, it’s not much different than any other mile-and-a-half track, but something about the way the corners are laid out there seems to fit my style. I’ve run well at Kansas, led a lot of laps (251) and feel I should have won a few times there. “We’re enjoying the top-10s this season, but we want to get up there and be fighting for a win,” he continued. “Cole (Pearn, crew chief), the engineering staff and all the guys at the track and at the shop have done an outstanding job. We’re having plenty of fun, but we want that victory really bad.”

    By the Numbers:

    Chase Grid

    The following drivers are locked into the 2015 Chase provided they attempt to qualify for the remaining regular season races.

    1) Kevin Harvick – 2 wins
    2) Jimmie Johnson – 2 wins
    3) Joey Logano – 1 win
    4) Dale Earnhardt Jr. – 1 win
    5) Brad Keselowski – 1 win
    6) Matt Kenseth – 1 win
    7) Denny Hamlin – 1 win
    8) Kurt Busch – 1 win

    The following drivers are currently in the Chase Top 16, but without any wins, are not locked in.

    9) Martin Truex Jr.
    10) Jamie McMurray
    11) Kasey Kahne
    12) Paul Menard
    13) Aric Almirola
    14) Jeff Gordon
    15) Ryan Newman
    16) Danica Patrick

    Top 10 Driver Ratings at Kansas

    112.1 Jimmie Johnson
    105.6 Matt Kenseth
    103.9 Kyle Larson
    102.8 Greg Biffle
    100.5 Jeff Gordon
    100.4 Kevin Harvick
    96.8 Carl Edwards
    95.3 Tony Stewart
    92.7 Kasey Kahne
    91.3 Dale Earnhardt Jr.

    Tune in to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series SpongeBob SquarePants 400 Saturday at 7:30 p.m. on FOX Sports 1.

  • Hot 20 – Kansas race is the SpongeBob SquarePants 400…You just can’t make stuff like that up

    Hot 20 – Kansas race is the SpongeBob SquarePants 400…You just can’t make stuff like that up

    There are a dozen races run on eight tracks that are truly iconic NASCAR events. Last Sunday was one of those races. The SpongeBob SquarePants 400 in Kansas is not. That is not to say we will not see one of the all-time great races this Saturday night…though the odds might be stacked against us. While they have been racing here since 2001, this marks just the fifth spring race since it picked up its second date in 2011.

    Now, I may be a bit unfair in regards to the cartoon derby this weekend. Last year, they had highlights galore. First, we started late due to lightning in the area. Clint Bowyer, Denny Hamlin, and Marcos Ambrose all went for wild rides at one time or another to bring out a caution, but it was Jamie McMurray who actually went up in smoke. We had a pair of four-car wrecks, one that just destroyed the auto of David Gilliland. Danica Patrick even ran near the front, and came home with a Top Ten. Hey, we even had the lights go out on the backstretch to cause yet another delay before Jeff Gordon won the thing. Maybe it won’t be a bad one to tune in after all.

    The Hot 20 heading to Kansas are…

    1. KEVIN HARVICK – 2 WINS (394 Points)
    Fast repairs by the crew helped save an eighth place finish at Talladega.

    2. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 2 WINS (342 Points)
    Last week it was Junior’s turn, with Jimmie taking second.

    3. JOEY LOGANO – 1 WIN (335 Points)
    Logano won Saturday, but the big boys were racing on Sunday.

    4. DALE EARNHARDT JR. – 1 WIN (319 Points)
    When will Payton Ives be named car chief?

    5. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 1 WIN (305 Points)
    New sponsor, thanks to a Silicon Valley implant.

    6. MATT KENSETH – 1 WIN (292 Points)
    Wanted a caution on the last lap last week…but Junior fans did not.

    7. DENNY HAMLIN – 1 WIN (281 Points)
    What he needed last Sunday was a Hendrick engine. Didn’t everybody?

    8. KURT BUSCH – 1 WIN (255 Points)
    Crew chief got rid of a major pain, and no it was not the driver.

    9. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 354 POINTS
    Second in points, ninth on the depth charts, best damn car out of Colorado.

    10. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 297 POINTS
    If he does not lose his steering, find the wall, and catch fire, he could top last year’s performance.

    11. KASEY KAHNE – 286 POINTS
    If you squint your eyes, a lot, Kasey kind of looks like Sponge Bob.

    12. PAUL MENARD – 280 POINTS
    Daddy’s money, Paul’s talent, and one hell of a crew chief in Dale Alexander.

    13. ARIC ALMIROLA – 279 POINTS
    Showed the kids what they ought not to do in Talladega’s XFINITY demolition.

    14. JEFF GORDON – 277 POINTS
    Won the pole in Alabama but things went to the pits after a late speeding penalty.

    15. RYAN NEWMAN – 271 POINTS
    Returning to the truck series this Friday night in Kansas.

    16. DANICA PATRICK – 253 POINTS
    Yes, she is not a good driver…but what does that say about the Boyfriend, the Biff, and the Boss?

    17. CLINT BOWYER – 249 POINTS
    Kansas boy claims this as his home track…but he is 0 for 13 there.

    18. CARL EDWARDS – 240 POINTS
    Missouri boy also claims this as his home track…and is 0 for 15…but has 11 Top Tens.

    19. A.J. ALLMENDINGER – 229 POINTS
    A bad vibration and no speed, but other than that Talladega was one hell of a great time.

    20. DAVID RAGAN – 224 POINTS
    Moves to MWR this week to make room for the Boy Wonder whose age matches his car number.

  • Hot 20 – 500 miles at Talladega, as it always has been and always should be

    Hot 20 – 500 miles at Talladega, as it always has been and always should be

    “It’s no secret that attention spans, especially with the millennial fans, are changing,” or so says NASCAR boss Brian France. Hard to argue with that, but it basically states that today’s fans are idiots who need the keys jangled before their faces much like one does with a bored infant. Be it as it may, if NASCAR desires to shorten a few events to keep the droolers engaged, go right ahead. However, there are some events it would be ill-advised to mess with.

    You do not touch the legacy races. The Daytona 500, the Southern 500, the World 600, the Firecracker 400 and the Brickyard 400 are etched in stone. All races at Bristol’s half-mile run 500 laps. If you race at Talladega, you race for 500 miles. These are the events even non-fans take in, the races new fans discover before they even know NASCAR has something called a series championship. The road courses seem about right to me, along with the 500 mile night race at Charlotte. Do what you will with all the rest, as truth be known some of the remaining 24 events are boring as hell to watch unless you know the storylines going in, and even then it might be something of a chore. It is not a case of keeping our attention, but rather ending the monotony sooner than later.

    So, change away in your bid to snare those who have the attention span of a gnat, but beware screwing over your true fans. Those folks have memories that last forever, and forgiveness is not something you can expect to get readily.

    What you can expect is one hell of a race to watch this Sunday, with its Saturday appetizer.

    Hot 20 heading to Talladega…

    1. KEVIN HARVICK – 2 WINS (357 Points)
    Eighth at Martinsville, 38th at Bristol, first or second everywhere else.

    2. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 2 WINS (299 Points)
    That woman always telling people what to do on television has turned him into Jimmie Goldberg.

    3. JOEY LOGANO – 1 WIN ( 324 Points)
    Bristol was a hiccup.

    4. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 1 WIN (283 Points)
    Was firing on all cylinders…but one.

    5. MATT KENSETH – 1 WIN (273 Points)
    Richmond was disappointing for Joe Gibbs Racing, though Matt had few complaints.

    6. DENNY HAMLIN – 1 WIN (245 Points)
    There was no Petty Man, there is no Junior Man, but there is a Hamlin Man…cape and all.

    7. KURT BUSCH – 1 WIN (222 Points)
    Got that monkey off his back.

    8. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 315 POINTS
    The most pleasant surprise of 2015.

    9. KASEY KAHNE – 275 POINTS
    All-State. Nextel. Sunoco. Gillette. Remember when NASCAR sponsors tried?

    10. DALE EARNHARDT JR. – 271 POINTS
    How we wish Dale Sr., John, and George could have felt the love when they turned 64.

    11. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 264 POINTS
    Ranked 11th best in 2004, 12th best in 2005, ranked here as of today.

    12. JEFF GORDON – 263 POINTS
    Just as he once raced against Petty, teenagers Elliott and Jones will remember racing this guy.

    13. ARIC ALMIROLA – 250 POINTS
    I would like to buy a vowel. Could I have an “A”, Pat?

    14. PAUL MENARD – 239 POINTS
    Hanging out with Gordon testing at Indianapolis. How cool is that?

    15. CLINT BOWYER – 235 POINTS
    No, this is not a single car operation. Why do you ask?

    16. RYAN NEWMAN – 234 POINTS
    Next week comes his final appeal…then he loses his crew chief?

    17. DANICA PATRICK – 230 POINTS
    Go Daddy soon to be Gone Daddy.

    18. CARL EDWARDS – 228 POINTS
    It is not all bad. He could still be driving for Roush-Fenway.

    19. DAVID RAGAN – 218 POINTS
    Driving for Mikey after this, filling in for Vickers after sitting in for Kyle.

    20. KYLE LARSON – 205 POINTS
    Always competitive at Talladega…both times.