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  • Hot 20 – Phoenix isn’t Tombstone, but it Might be Hard to Tell the Difference after Sunday

    Hot 20 – Phoenix isn’t Tombstone, but it Might be Hard to Tell the Difference after Sunday

    NASCAR sought unpredictability for its championship run, and they have it. If not for the Chase, Jeff Gordon would just need to hold off Joey Logano, 26 points back, over the next two races and the title would be his. If the Chase format had not changed from last year, Logano would be the man in charge, with Kevin Harvick 35 back with two to go. Not much drama, not terribly unpredictable, and to change that up is the sole reason NASCAR changed things up this season.

    Heading into Phoenix on Sunday, none of the eight remaining contenders are locked in. Logano, Denny Hamlin, and Ryan Newman look strong, but they are out of trouble by only 11 to 13 points. A bunch of things can happen to see that savings account get all used up. The other contenders are within six points either way of making it or losing their chance to race for all the marbles. At Homestead, the best finisher of the remaining four claims the crown, a track that historically is a good one for Carl Edwards, Harvick, Hamlin, and Gordon. Still, you got to be in the mix to contend, and you got to have a good final day to claim the prize.

    Jerks need not apply. If someone takes you out of the running, there are 38 cowboys (and one cowgirl) out there with nothing to lose at Miami. A simple “oops” can make one’s day while ruining somebody’s season. When a lad tries to fit his car in a hole it just does not fit without risking taking one or both of the leaders out, and tries to walk away from it later, somebody is bound to get a wee bit ticked off. Somebody might end up a tad bloodied. Somebody might find their bid for a title “accidently” wrecked. NASCAR wanted drama. NASCAR wanted unpredictability. NASCAR got it. While the O.K. Corral might be 200 miles away from the track in Phoenix, Keselowski might find himself facing a hell of a lot of Wyatt Earps out there this weekend.

    No matter how these “playoffs” end, the top two drivers throughout this season have been Gordon and Logano. It would be a shame if either fails to make it through Phoenix. It would be a damn shame if the third best fellow, Keselowski, also failed to make it through. Yup, a damn shame. Bad things befalling Bad Brad? Dramatic, yes, but unpredictable? Not so much. What remains to be seen is where, by whom, and when.

    *Drivers awarded 25 (instead of 3) bonus points for a win
    BOLD = Current Chase contender

    Hot 20

    1 – Jeff Gordon – 4 Wins – 1263 Points
    2 – Joey Logano – 5 – 1259
    3 – Brad Keselowski – 5 – 1208
    4 – Dale Earnhardt Jr – 4 – 1196
    5 – Kevin Harvick – 3 – 1144
    6 – Jimmie Johnson – 4 – 1115
    7 – Carl Edwards – 2 – 1064
    8 – Ryan Newman – 0 – 1060
    9 – Matt Kenseth – 0 – 1052
    10 – Kyle Larson – 0 – 1018
    11 – Kyle Busch – 1 – 976
    12 – Greg Biffle – 0 – 962
    13 – Jamie McMurray – 0 – 945
    14 – Clint Bowyer – 0 – 939
    15 – Austin Dillon – 0 – 933
    16 – Kasey Kahne – 1 – 933
    17 – Denny Hamlin – 1 – 931
    18 – Paul Menard – 0 – 883
    19 – Brian Vickers – 0 – 875
    20 – Kurt Busch – 1 – 862

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Texas

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Texas

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Joey Logano: Logano spun on lap 303 at Texas and lost ground, but recovered to finish 12th. He is tied for the lead in the points standings with Denny Hamlin.

    “I may be the Chase’s youngest driver,” Logano said, “but I can still set a good example for some of the veterans. I mean, I would never go after another driver—I’d just let my dad do it.

    “Was the post-race melee real, or was it staged? It looked fishy. I kind of expected Ashton Kutcher to appear and tell Brad Keselowski and Jeff Gordon that they had just been on MTV’s prank show ‘Punch’d.’”

    2. Jeff Gordon: Gordon led 49 laps and was poised to take the win before Clint Bowyer spun to bring out a caution with five laps to go. On the ensuing restart, Gordon was squeezed by Brad Keselowski, which punctured a rear tire on the No. 24. Gordon eventually finished 29th and is fourth in the points standings.

    “I’d like to apologize for my characterization of Keselowski,” Gordon said. “But only for its accuracy.

    “My quest for title number five took a hit. I’ll be extremely disappointed if I don’t get it, especially with a lot of big name drivers ineligible. My car is sponsored by the ‘Drive To End Hunger;’ I just don’t want the final race of the season to be a ‘drive to end hungry.’”

    3. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin finished 10th at Texas and now leads the Sprint Cup points standings, thanks to a shake-up in the final laps at Texas.

    “They say everything is bigger in Texas,” Hamlin said. “Apparently, that includes expletives utterted on the air.

    “Now, I’ll do anything at Phoenix to make sure I advance to the final round. Like some other drivers, I’ll gladly fight my way into the Championship round.”

    4. Ryan Newman: Newman finished 15th in the AAA Texas 500 and is now third in the points standings, two points behind Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin.

    “I just need to hold my position and I’m on to the next round,” Newman said. “Basically, that means I need to steer clear of the No. 2 car. I’ve got plenty of experience with that, because when Rusty Wallace was in that car, I avoided him like the plague.

    “I don’t know all the ins and outs of clinching scenarios for Phoenix. My goal is to go out and win. I may have an engineering degree, but someone else can do the math.”

    5. Carl Edwards: Edwards posted a ninth in the AAA Texas 500, earning his 13th top-10 of the year. He is fifth in the points standings, one behind fourth place.

    “What a scene after the race,” Edwards said. “That’s two fights in the last three races. I can’t wait to see what happens at Phoenix. They say the track there is an oval; I say it looks more like a ‘squared circle.’”

    6. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth started on the pole at Texas and finished 25th, a finish which severely damaged his hopes to advance. He is fifth in the points standings, one point behind Jeff Gordon in fourth.

    “I’ve only got Kevin Harvick after me,” Kenseth said. “That’s nothing compared to Brad Keselowski. There’s a lot a drivers that want to get in his face. I truly think Brad needs another spotter at Phoenix. By ‘another spotter,’ I mean ‘eyes in the back of his head.’”

    7. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski started 26th at Texas and finished third in the AAA Texas 500. On the races penultimate restart, Keselowski forced his way between Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon. Contact punctured Gordon’s tire, and Keselowski also raised the ire of Kevin Harvick.

    “Depending on who you ask,” Keselowski said, “I’m either on a reign of terror or a reign of error.

    “But I won’t change how I race. I’m still going to do things my way, so don’t get in my way. Right now, I’m just focused on Phoenix International Raceway. You could say I have a ‘one track mind.’”

    8. Kevin Harvick: Harvick finished second in the AAA Texas 500, placing himself in solid position to advance to the Chase For The Cup’s next round. Afterwards, Harvick was in the middle of a melee involving Jeff Gordon and Brad Keselowski.

    “I pushed Keselowski right into the middle of it,” Harvick said. “It may have been the most literal example of the saying, ‘When push comes to shove.’

    “Don’t tell anyone, but my push was a crafty ploy to create a feud between Keselowski and Gordon, two drivers who just happen to be the ones I’m battling for a spot in the Chase’s final round. Jimmy John’s is ‘freaky fast; ’ I’m ‘sneaky fast.’”

    9. Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: Earnhardt finished sixth in the AAA Texas 500 as Hendrick teammate Jimmie Johnson won the race.

    “Formula 1 raced in Austin on Sunday,” Earnhardt said. “But their race couldn’t hold a candle to what happened at the NASCAR event. To Formula 1, we all say ‘Stay classy.’ To NASCAR, Formula 1 says the same thing, but with an open cockpit full of sarcasm.

    “There were more cheap shots at Texas than on dollar night at Whisky River. Only one thing could have made that Texas fracas better—if Dr. Jerry Punch could have handled post-race interviews.”

    10. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson held off Brad Keselowski and Kevin Harvick to win his third consecutive Texas fall race.

    “That’s two straight wins for Hendrick Motorsports drivers in the Eliminator round,” Johnson said. “Apparently, we’re trying to ‘eliminate’ Jeff Gordon from any chance of winning his fifth Cup.”

  • Surprising and Not Surprising: Texas AAA 500

    Surprising and Not Surprising: Texas AAA 500

    After remembering the passing of racer Jim Sauter with a moment of silence, here is what was surprising and not surprising from the 10th annual AAA Texas 500 at the Texas Motor Speedway.

    Surprising: Brad Keselowski gave a whole new meaning to minding the gap after his on and off track real estate dispute with Jeff Gordon.

    “Today something happened,” Keselowski said after finishing third. “There was a gap. It closed up. By the time it closed up, I was committed, and I stayed in it. That almost won me the race.”

    “It hurt somebody else’s day. That’s a shame,” the driver of the No. 2 Miller Lite Ford said. “But the reality is there was a gap.”

    “You know, I’m not Dale Earnhardt or Senna. I read how they raced, how great they were for this sport. They would sit here and tell you they would go for that same gap. I’m not them, but I’m inspired by that, and I’m going to race that way.”

    Not Surprising: Team Hendrick continued flawlessly executing their strategy in the Eliminator Round of the Chase, sending their Chase busting team members into Victory Lane as a sort of protection for their Chaser brethren Jeff Gordon, who did not quite make it there after his Keselowski encounter.

    Hendrick driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. became the Chase buster in Martinsville last weekend and this weekend it was another HMS Chase buster Jimmie Johnson who took his turn, honoring all Lowe’s employees who wear the red vest in his red No. 48.

    “We are back on track,” Johnson said after winning his fourth of the year and his fourth at Texas Motor Speedway. “Unfortunately we didn’t find this stuff a month or two ago, but that is the way racing goes.”

    With both HMS Chase busters in Victory Lane for the first two races in the Eliminator Round, the lone HMS Chaser Gordon has maintained his position in the top-4, a team feat especially impressive given Gordon’s 29th place run at Texas.

    Surprising: While tire troubles may be a common driver mantra, it is not often that there are complaints about the sheer lack of number of tires available, so much so that NASCAR actually permitted teams to get an extra set of tires during this particular race.

    “It’s kind of a sad situation when you run out of tires like that,” Newman, driver of the No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet said after finishing 15th. “I wish NASCAR had given us more tires. They gave us one set, but when they keep throwing cautions like that that were totally unnecessary, and there’s not debris on the race track and no reason to throw it. We need to keep racing. And it’s sad to see but that’s the way they’ve been playing it.”

    Not Surprising: If you think that Alexander had a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day, just ask the Toyota drivers how they were feeling after Texas.

    “We were a bag of everything today. Man we were so bad,” Kyle Busch said after his fourth place run. “I don’t know what happened to us from yesterday. We fought all day long.”

    “We had a bad car,” Denny Hamlin, who finished tenth, said, echoing the theme. “We made the best of it. Other guys made mistakes. We weren’t really that good. Luckily other guys had problems. That’s what happened.”

    “We went the wrong direction on adjustments during the middle part of the race,” Brian Vickers said after his 16th place run. “Billy Scott (crew chief) was able to get the car pretty good for the end of the race but with all those cautions we just got too tight.”

    “We were okay when we were up front and had track position, but we had a problem in the pits and lost our track position,” Matt Kenseth said after finishing 25th. “The way my car drove — I was kind of afraid of how it would be in traffic. We got most of our track position back, stayed out on tires and just couldn’t get by Kurt (Busch) there — and got to the back again having to get tires. Then we got caught up in a restart deal that was three-four wide which did some damage, and we could just never overcome it.”

    Surprising: Joey Logano was on a surprisingly odd salvage mission of his own, trying to make good after, of all things, a glue issue on pit road.

    “We were able to salvage something decent out of tonight,” the driver of the No. 22 AAA Insurance Ford said. “We were a top five car and possibly a winning car if scenarios played out right.”

    “I don’t know what happened with the glue on the pit stop and I haven’t gotten the full story yet but we had a hell of a time trying to put rear tires on the car,” Logano continued. “We lost all our track position with 30 to go and I came off the corner and the 9 hit me and popped my right rear and then we spun out. We put tires back on it and then just held on until the end and got something decent out of something that could have been way worse.”

    In spite of his sticky situation, Logano did emerge the point’s leader by virtue of his five wins for the season, which broke the points tie with Denny Hamlin, who has but one win to date.

    Not Surprising: After the two past races where Austin Dillon scored Rookie of the Race honors, Kyle Larson emerged victorious in that regard, finishing seventh to Dillon’s 21st place run.

    “I thought we practiced really well,” the driver of the No. 42 Target Chevrolet said. “When the race fired off, we weren’t very good. I thought we’d get better, but we didn’t. We got worse and worse and worse. We had a lot of late-race restarts to get up there to get a better finish.”

    “Disappointing day, but okay to finish seventh where we did. Hopefully we can get some better runs in the last races.”

    Surprising: In a somewhat surprisingly ironic twist, Kevin Harvick, who nudged along the Keselowski vs. Gordon post-race match up, did not want anything to do with retaliation, even after some harsh words for Matt Kenseth as a result of last weekend’s short track racing.

    “I just raced,” Harvick said after Texas was completed. “I thought my car was fast enough to win the race and be in contention. Doing something crazy at that point in the race, then I never saw him (Matt Kenseth) towards the end of the race, so it wasn’t really our game plan to get into that situation any further than we needed to.”

    “It’s like I said before the race, I know he didn’t do it on purpose, but in the end we still lost 33 points to the leader. We got to race as hard as we can to try to get that back.”

    Not Surprising: Even with a swapped out crew chief, Kurt Busch was able to pull off a top-10 finish in his No. 41 Haas Automation Chevrolet.

    “It was great to have a shot at the win,” Busch said after taking the checkered flag in the eighth position. “Tony Gibson (new Crew Chief), the engineers did a great job reading my balance, and I was trying to pick up on their changes. So, it was nice to go out there and execute.”

    “We used the last yellow to our advantage,” Busch continued. “The last two yellows for fresh tires, and worked our way from, I don’t know, 25th to eighth. All-in-all, a great first day. I love the team; I love the guys. We are going to be good. We just have to work out the details.”

    Surprising: Jamie McMurray could not wait for the sun to go down on him, as when the darkness descended he ascended to the fifth finishing spot.

    “We had an up and down day,” the driver of the No. 1 McDonald’s Chevrolet said. “Fortunately for us we were better when the sun went down. It was really slick at the beginning. We really struggled with the car, but when the sun went down the car started coming to us.”

    Not Surprising: There is no quit in the No. 99 Aflac Ford team, who finished the race ninth after battling from the rear.

    “We got super lucky there at the end and my guys never quit,” Carl Edwards said. “I am so proud of my guys. I have no idea where we are at in points but we certainly finished better than we should have tonight.”

    “It was a great night when for awhile it didn’t look like it was going to be,” Edwards continued. “We get to move on to Phoenix now and we will know what we have to do there. We will take it.”

    “My guys didn’t quit and I know they won’t quit and we are going to go next week and go for this thing.”

  • The Final Word – In Texas, the Racing is Just an Appetizer for the Excitement yet to Come

    The Final Word – In Texas, the Racing is Just an Appetizer for the Excitement yet to Come

    Jimmie Johnson was a factor from beginning to end in Texas, claiming his fourth victory of the season. Okay, enough about the damn race. All the real excitement took place after they waved the checkered flag.

    On a first attempt at a green-white-checkered restart, Johnson and Jeff Gordon started up front. A gap opened between the two and Brad Keselowski tried to punch his way through. There was some separation between the leaders, but not a hole big enough to fit a car, at least to begin with. As Gordon came down, Keselowski was there, but there still was not quite enough of a hole to fit a car through. The two hit, Brad slipped and scraped his way by, while Gordon wound up with a flat tire. Johnson won while Kevin Harvick managed to take the runner-up spot away from the third place Keselowski. As for Gordon, he went from second to finishing a lap down in 29th. Again, enough about the damn race.

    As the boys and girl lined up on pit road to head toward the garage, Gordon pulled up beside Keselowski. As the teams already seemed to be in a scrum, Gordon calmly walked around it all in order to chat with his rival. I say calmly, but appearances can be deceiving. Okay, there was some steam pouring out of Jeff’s helmet as he came around.

    As Keselowski emerged from his car, Gordon began jawing at him while Brad jawed right back, separated by some big boys from his crew. Just when it appeared that One Time might escape from the ruckus, Harvick came in from behind him, apparently said something about fighting his own fight, and pushed Brad back toward the maelstrom. It was enough to allow Gordon to grab Keselowski’s uniform, and the melee ensued. Brad had an escape strategy going for him, but that is when a Gordon crew man came from behind to commit him entirely before collaring the boy. Brad bent backwards and sunk beneath the waves. Both drivers got a little bloodied, but it all proved about as damaging as a pair of toddlers squaring off.
    There were punches thrown, but few if any, really connected. The boys got rough, the boys got loud, and the only person you could really feel sorry for was ESPN’s Jamie Little, who was caught on the fringes of it all. Mind you, a big lug with Paul Menard’s team placed a mitt over the wall to keep her stabilized and upright. Chivalry is alive in NASCAR, as she went on with her job and interviewed Bad Brad post-ruckus. She is a good one, and it is good to see she will be heading over to FOX for next season.

    So, is anyone at fault here? Gordon had every right to be upset as a great finish went into the tank big time. Keselowski tried a maneuver Dale Earnhardt would have attempted in a moment, only the Intimidator would have been in the middle of the expected activities that came afterward. All Harvick did was give Brad a little advice and a gentle push in a direction the boy did not seem eager to face on his own. It was rowdy, not terribly genteel, and totally inappropriate for the conclusion of a chess match, but with these type of personalities in this kind of situation, not overly unexpected. As for violence, it barely matched that of a rugby scrum.

    Yes, there are reports about the supposed mass brawl. No doubt, these folks have never seen a real one, never mind taking in a rough hockey game. Both men were cut up, though scraped up might be a more truthful observation. Brad might have been spitting blood, though it was hard to tell as he was rinsing his mouth out with a red liquid. Harvick’s shove was less aggressive than what I’ve seen DeLana “suffer” at the hands of a teasing Tony Stewart. One writer has stated that throwing a punch, connecting, and giving someone a bloody lip has no place in society. In a conference room, yes, but throw a beanball, spear a hockey player, or drive your car recklessly and you just might face a good, ole fashioned whopping. Even that did not happen in Texas. We saw some boys get rough, some got scraped up a bit, but nobody got whopped. Then again, some scribes obviously chose not to subscribe to the notion of actual facts getting in the way of a good story.

    We have a good storyline heading into Phoenix, where everybody is still in the running, either via a win or on points, and nobody is yet a sure thing. Joey Logano, Denny Hamlin, and Ryan Newman have an edge, but early misfortune can still bite them. While Johnson’s previous four wins and an average finish of 6.3 finish in Arizona makes him the favorite going in, Hamlin, Gordon, Harvick, and Carl Edwards are the best amongst the Chasers.

    It should be one hell of an event, both on and off the track.
    1 – Joey Logano – 4072 Points – 13 Pts to the good
    2 – Denny Hamlin – 4072 – 13 Pts to the good
    3 – Ryan Newman – 4070 – 11 Pts to the good
    4 – Jeff Gordon – 4060 – 1 Pt to the good

    5 – Matt Kenseth – 4059 – 1 Pt out
    6 – Carl Edwards – 4059 – 1 Pt out
    7 – Brad Keselowski – 4055 – 5 Pts out
    8 – Kevin Harvick – 4054 – 6 Pts out

  • Surprising and Not Surprising: Martinsville Goody’s 500

    Surprising and Not Surprising: Martinsville Goody’s 500

    Hosting the first Eliminator race in the Chase, here is what was surprising and not surprising in the 66th annual Goody’s Headache Relief Shot 500 at Martinsville Speedway.

    Surprising: While some tributes were expected, especially with the remembrance of the Hendrick Motorsports plane crash at Martinsville ten years ago, other tributes also abounded, from the race winner’s tribute to his crew chief to the tribute of Front Row Motorsports to Hall of Fame inductee Wendell Scott.

    “He turned my career around,” Dale Earnhardt Jr. said, paying tribute to his crew chief Steve Letarte after winning his first ever race at Martinsville. “He put a great team together. What he’s accomplished is impressive as hell. I’m overwhelmed with what he’s been able to do.”

    “He put me in Victory Lane,” the driver of the No. 88 National Guard Chevrolet continued about his crew chief. “Like I say, the team he’s assembled, incredible group. That’s all Steve. He seems to have evolved into one of the best crew chiefs in the garage.”

    The other major tribute at Sunday’s Martinsville race was to Wendell Scott, the first African American to win in NASCAR competition. Darrell Wallace Jr. carried the tribute paint scheme to Victory Lane in the Truck Series race and David Ragan piloted his Scott tribute No. 34 Front Row Motorsports car to a tenth place finish in the Cup race.

    “Last Sunday was a good day for us,” Ragan said. “To get a top-10 finish was a real shot in the arm for this team and for Front Row Motorsports, and to do it in the Wendell Scott tribute car made it even more special.”

    Not Surprising: It’s not often that the race runner up is embarrassed, but four-time champion driving for five Jeff Gordon was just that, taking his lumps for his mistake speeding on pit road.

    “I’m embarrassed to say this,” the driver of the No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet said. “Completely my fault.”

    “We do two settings, one in first gear, one in second gear. A late sequence for each one. I ran second gear under my light sequence for first gear,” Gordon continued. “I was supposed to run one green light in second gear and one red light in first gear. I ran one red light in second gear. That’s way too fast.”

    “I knew right then I was speeding.”

    Surprising: After no Talladega ‘big one’ the previous race, it was surprising to see a huge, hard wreck at one of the sport’s shortest tracks. The Martinsville ‘big one’ included Kasey Kahne and Casey Mears taking big hits, as well as Danica Patrick, Brad Keselowski, Carl Edwards, Martin Truex and Brian Vickers involved in the melee.

    “I just didn’t really see him (No. 2, Brad Keselowski) slowing down,” Kahne said. “I think my spotter was spotting me and I think he saw it last second. As soon as he said it I hit the brakes, but it was way too late.”

    “It was a pretty good hit.”

    “I was behind the No. 43 (Aric Almirola) and I guess the No. 2 (Brad Keselowski) was just backing up on the outside, I don’t know what happened,” Casey Mears said. “I saw the No. 43 go a little bit low and I was just using up all the track and right when I hit the No. 2 my spotter said the No. 2 is backing up. I just plowed him.”

    “I ran into him hard.”

    Not Surprising: Smoke did rise again at Martinsville, albeit with a bit of a gamble staying out on old tires to finish 4th place in his No. 14 Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 Chevrolet.

    “I don’t even think it was a gutsy call,” Tony Stewart said. “To me it was a no-brainer and if we were in that spot 100 times, that is the choice I want to make. I want to give ourselves a chance to fight for it like that.”

    “This car was pretty good all weekend,” Smoke continued. “I just can’t thank Johnny Morris (Bass Pro Shops) and Rusty Rush and everybody at Mobil 1 and Eric (Bagdikian) from Code 3 Associates and his staff; and most of all, our fans.”

    “They have been plowing a tough road for the last 18 months and this top 5 is for the fans more than anybody.”

    Surprising: Austin Dillon again outscored Kyle Larson in the Rookie of the Race battle, for the second week in a row. RCR driver Dillon finished 12th after starting 19th and Larson, in his No. 42 Target Chevrolet, finished 30th after a crash on Lap 487.

    “I’m really proud of everyone at RCR today,” Dillon said. “I was hoping to pass the No. 34 at the very end there to gain one more position and finish 11th, but a 12th-place finish – hey we’ll take it.”

    “It was a true team effort.”

    “I was terrible all day,” Larson, the other rookie contender said of his Martinsville adventure. “I’m just not very good at this track.”

    “I kept running into the back of people when cars five or six in front of me would check up, then it would get to me and I’d hit them,” Larson continued. “It was a really bad race for me.”

    Not Surprising: Brian Vickers and Kasey Kahne proved that three times was a charm in bringing out the yellow flag together. The two drivers mixed it up royally and potentially could have caused four or more cautions had they not been warned by NASCAR to cool it down.

    “He definitely wrecked us on purpose the first time, I mean look at the video,” Vickers said of his incidents with Kahne. “He just hooked us in the bumper and just wrecked us, I don’t know why.”

    “I was actually passing him off of (Turn) 2 and he didn’t give me room and I was going to hit the wall so I lifted a little,” Kahne said in response. “And then he kind of went high into (Turn) 3, and that’s where I was entering so he blocked. So I went low to pass him and then he chopped low across and spun himself out.”

    “He was using up the whole race track so I was going high, then he went high,” Kahne continued. “Then I decided to go low, and he went low and spun himself out on my front end. I was confused as to why he would want to do that. Then later on he crashed me. I don’t know what his deal was he was using up the whole track. You get one lane you don’t get all of them.”

    Surprising: In addition to the wrecking and tempers flaring, there were also actual flames on the track, from Timmy Hill, who went ablaze early, to Kurt Busch, who had a conflagration in his car on Lap 424.

    “I think we ruptured an oil line,” Busch said. “Whether it was the fitting or the line itself, I don’t know.”

    “But we had a really good run. We were in the mix. We were running up front with the Haas Automation Chevy and we were in that spot where we won that race this spring,” the driver of the No. 41 Haas Automation Chevrolet continued. “I was hoping to get off the broom, but instead we’ve got our broom cleaning up our kitty litter.”

    Not Surprising: The winless wonders continued their quiet and calculated consistency at Martinsville, with Ryan Newman finishing third and Matt Kenseth taking the checkered flag in the sixth position.

    “The strategy of two tires there at the end worked out good for us,” Newman said. “Right number of laps with the guys that stayed out, kept the guys behind us that had four tires.”

    “Just a great team effort for the Quicken Loans Chevrolet, everybody at RCR,” Newman continued. “It was fun to have at least our highest running position be the last lap of the race.”

    “We didn’t run the way we wanted to run,” Kenseth said. “We still finished respectably with all the stuff that happened. Like I said, we didn’t run great today, but they made some good calls and did the right things at the end and finished strong.”

    Surprising: AJ Allmendinger continued to surprise with his “little engine that could’ team finishing ninth in his No. 47 Clorox Products Chevrolet for JTG Daugherty Racing.

    “Good day, honestly maybe one of the best days we have had all year just in the sense of not great early on, fighting hard,” ‘Dinger said. “The guys had good pit stops and then a couple of adjustments there.”

    “In a way ninth is a little bit disappointing,” Allmendinger continued. “But overall just really proud of the team that was probably one of the best efforts we have had all year.”

    Not Surprising: Revenge is mine said one Kevin Harvick after the race of his struggles with competitor Matt Kenseth, with whom he tussled on track.

    “The good thing about this format is you have two more weeks and two race tracks that we can win on,” Harvick said after being involved in an early accident and finishing 33rd. “Everybody was so worried about us starting in the back and we wrecked at the front. Unfortunate.”

    And of his Kenseth issues, Harvick had a rather cryptic remark about his competitor to end the race weekend.

    “Yeah, he won’t win this championship. If we don’t, he won’t.”

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Martinsville

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Martinsville

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Jeff Gordon: Gordon, an eight-time winner at Martinsville, finished second in the Goody’s Headache Relief Shot 500, the best finish among Chase-eligible drivers. He leads the points standings by three over Ryan Newman.

    “I just couldn’t catch Dale Earnhardt, Jr.,” Gordon said. “Would I have moved him out of the way had I got close enough? You bet. I took no teammates to the Chase, and I take no prisoners in the Chase.”

    2. Joey Logano: Logano finished fifth at Martinsville as Penske teammate Brad Keselowski struggled and finished 31st.

    “How many times to I have to apologize to Danica Patrick for wrecking her at Charlotte?” Logano said. “My goodness, I can’t imagine what it’s like to be her boyfriend, although I can’t say I haven’t fantasized about it.”

    3. Ryan Newman: Newman finished third at Martinsville, posting his fifth straight top-10 result.

    “I may be the forgotten man in the final eight of the Chase,” Newman said. “But I could surprise some people. Brad Keselowski calls me the ‘Matt Kenseth Of The Chase,’ because I can sneak up on you.”

    4. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth finished sixth at Martinsville but raised the ire of Kevin Harvick, who was spun by Kenseth just past the halfway point. Harvick all but promised retaliation.

    “I guess the question isn’t ‘Oh no,’” Kenseth said. “It’s ‘Owe? Yes.’

    5. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin posted a solid eighth in the Goody’s Headache Relief Shot 500 at Martinsville.

    “Martinsville was a ‘Headache’ for Kevin Harvick,” Hamlin said. “Finishing eighth was a ‘Relief’ for me. And Brad Keselowski’s championship hopes are nearly ‘Shot.’ ‘Goody!’”

    6. Carl Edwards: Edwards struggled at Martinsville, spending much of the race a lap down and finishing 20th.

    “I may have just driven myself out of Cup contention,” Edwards said. “I sense a pattern developing here—me saying my goodbyes early.”

    7. Brad Keselowski: After staying alive with a dramatic win at Talladega last week, Keselowski lost his transmission with 64 laps left. He finished 31st.

    “Something just snapped,” Keselowski said. “This time, it wasn’t me.

    “Once again, I’ve placed myself behind the eight ball. But digging myself a hole seems to be the ‘queue’ for me to pull off a big win.”

    8. Kevin Harvick: Harvick qualified a disappointing 33rd and worked his way to the front before contact with Matt Kenseth damaged the No. 4 Outback Chevrolet. Harvick finished 33rd and will likely need a win at Texas or Phoenix to advance to the final round.

    “Speaking of ‘Outback,’” Harvick said, “I’d like to take Kenseth ‘out back,’ to the woodshed.

    9. Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: Earnhardt led 79 laps and held off teammate Jeff Gordon to win the Goody’s Headache Relief Shot 500 at Martinsville. It was Earnhardt’s fourth win of the season, and his first ever in a Sprint Cup race at Martinsville..

    “Winning that Martinsville grandfather clock has always been on my bucket list,” Earnhardt said. “It must be a very small bucket, because a ‘Cup’ won’t even fit in it.”

    10. Kyle Busch: Busch responded from his disastrous finish at Talladega with an 11th at Martinsville. Excluding his Talladega result, Busch has finished 11th or better in every Chase races.

    “I’ve put Talladega behind me,” Busch said. “Now, it’s on to Texas. Unfortunately, I’m not in the hunt, but Ill be interested to see how things play out. The line between fourth place and fifth place in the points standings will be hotly contested. And Texas is just the place for such a ‘border’ war.”

  • The Final Word – Martinsville, A Day of Sunshine for Some, Storm Clouds for Others

    The Final Word – Martinsville, A Day of Sunshine for Some, Storm Clouds for Others

    As I peer out my window, I see cloudy skies and snow upon the ground. Even for us in the Great White North, this sucks. Yet, for many NASCAR fans, the skies are blue, the sun is shining, the birds are singing, and even that fat little mouse is eager to help Cinderelli build her dress. Life is perfect. Well, almost perfect. Dale Earnhardt Jr. won his fourth of the season at Martinsville, but just one race too late to keep his title hopes alive. Still, it took him just nine months to match what he had done over the course of the previous nine years, and that is to win four races.

    Jeff Gordon had the car to beat. A speedy run through the pits put him back of the pack for some time, to allow others some face time up front. Denny Hamlin had the spotlight for awhile, as did Joey Logano. It was Gordon’s misfortune to return amongst the leaders about the time Junior’s car came alive. However, Four Time has the point as the Chasers advance to Texas. Ryan Newman, who led not a lap, was third and is within three points of Gordon.

    Martinsville, in large part due to the quality of the broadcasters, was a chore to watch. At least it was until the action superseded their attempts at commentary. Gordon went from first to beyond 30th after his pit road violation and things seemed to perk up after that.

    Kevin Harvick’s temper certainly spiked after fellow Chaser Matt Kenseth wheel-hopped and popped Harvick into the fence. Both had been riding around in the top 10, while in the end Kenseth finished sixth, Harvick 33rd and not very happy. In fact, he predicted Kenseth would not win the title. No need for a crystal ball when one has a fender that has the ability to alter history at Homestead.

    Then we had Kasey Kahne and Brian Vickers. Kahne shoved Vickers out of the way early, Vickers spun Kahne later. When Kahne added his own version of the spin-o-rama NASCAR forced a peace and a halt to the shenanigans.

    Danica Patrick and Martin Truex Jr. had their own tete-a-tete going on, but they and Kahne both got roughed up when Brad Keselowski got hit with drive line problems. Brad soon got hit by Casey Mears when he slowed to a crawl, and Patrick got a piece of Mears, while Kahne got all of Truex. Even Carl Edwards got a small piece of that and came home 20th on the day.

    For a while there, I had visions of a 1-2-3 finish involving that trio of Chasers that warm the cockles of our hearts. Thankfully, reality stepped in and spared us. With apologies to that iconic trio of Chicago Cubs from a century ago…

    These are the saddest of possible words:
    “Joey and Denny and Brad”
    Trio of racers who are fleeter than birds,
    Joey and Denny and Brad.
    Leaving fan favorites to sit on the bubble,
    It is enough to make one order up doubles
    Three bloody drivers who are nothing but trouble:
    “Joey and Denny and Brad”

    Joey was fifth, Hamlin eighth, Brad back in 31st.

    As one can not be sure of others’ misfortune, both Keselowski and Harvick need to be hunting for wins at Texas and Phoenix in order to advance to the final round as Chasers. However, based on past history, a win for either this weekend, or even Edwards for that matter, is a bit of a long shot. The one with the best shot is Kenseth, with a pair of wins and an average finish of 8.2, though Hamlin has a couple claimed there, as well.

    If there was a time for one of those on the outside looking in to order up a bit of sunshine of their own, this would be it.

    1 – Jeff Gordon –  4044 POINTS –  7 to the good
    2 – Ryan Newman –  4041 – 4 to the good
    3 – Joey Logano –  4040 – 3 to the good
    4 – Matt Kenseth –  4039 – 2 to the good
    5 – Denny Hamlin –  4037 – 2 away
    6 – Carl Edwards –  4024 – 15 away
    7 – Brad Keselowski –  4013 – 26 away
    8 – Kevin Harvick –  4011 – 28 away

  • Dale Jr. Takes Home Martinsville Clock

    Dale Jr. Takes Home Martinsville Clock

  • Hot 20 – Martinsville Could Showcase a Wildcard Cup Contender and a Dying Minor League

    Hot 20 – Martinsville Could Showcase a Wildcard Cup Contender and a Dying Minor League

    Will it bother anyone if, conceivably, one not so deserving wins the Cup title this year? I mean, if it is Jeff Gordon, Joey Logano, or Brad Keselowski, I doubt few would argue the outcome. One could even argue that the likes of Kevin Harvick, Carl Edwards, Matt Kenseth, or Ryan Newman would be a worthy champion.

    However, what about Denny Hamlin? Even if he had taken part in the two events he missed in order to mend, Hamlin would not even be in our Top Ten. Okay, maybe if he had won them both, but what were the chances? Still, would he be deemed as a worthy holder of the title?

    In a word, yes. Few, if any, are pointing out the fact that the World Series participants, the Giants and the Royals, are just a pair of wildcard teams. They were not the best in their division, and in fact each was just the fourth best in their respective leagues. Yet, as time goes on, fewer will remember that the Orioles, Tigers, Angels, Dodgers, Nationals and the Cardinals all had better runs in 2014. They did, but when it counted, they did not. Hamlin is among those who has, thus far, been there when it counted.

    When you watch a truck race, you can count on 36 entries. Usually. Well, sometimes. Not next year, when they scale the field down to 32. My guess is that it has been an embarrassment for NASCAR to realize a full slate just five out of 18 events. Three times they could not even get 30. Of the 37 entered to compete at Martinsville, only 13 have run the entire series. Only 16 have run 15 or more. Two others in that number, Ron Hornaday and T.J. Bell, are not even entered for this weekend.

    I wonder what the problem is. Eight races have been won by Cup regulars, six of them by Kyle Busch. He, along with Keselowski and Austin Dillon are not entered at Martinsville. Two time winner Erik Jones is not, along with Cole Custer. What has gone wrong?

    We are told the economy is still suffering, that sponsorship is hard to come by. So, is the involvement of the Cup guys keeping at least some level of interest alive, or is it helping to kill it? Maybe an answer can be found in the Nationwide series, where only 17 drivers have run all 30 of those races to date. They have won just eight between them. Nineteen have been won by Cup regulars, led by the half dozen claimed by (guess who?) Kyle Busch. At least they will retain the 40 car field for next season, but for how much longer?

    Me thinks NASCAR needs to rethink its model for the supposed minor leagues, where 27 of the 48 events have been claimed by “major leaguers” this season. If the trend of attrition in the number of teams and full-time drivers at its lower levels does not turn around soon, Cup might be all NASCAR has to offer.

    *Winning bonus increased from 3 to 25 points.
    BOLD = Current Chase contenders

    1 – Jeff Gordon – 4 Wins – 1203 Points*
    2 – Joey Logano – 5 – 1187
    3 – Brad Keselowski – 5 – 1175
    4 – Dale Earnhardt Jr – 3 – 1089
    5 – Kevin Harvick – 3 – 1088
    6 – Jimmie Johnson – 3 – 1033
    7 – Carl Edwards – 2 – 1005
    8 – Matt Kenseth – 0 – 993
    9 – Ryan Newman – 0 – 990
    10 – Kyle Larson – 0 – 967
    11 – Kasey Kahne – 1 – 923
    12 – Kyle Busch – 1 – 903
    13 – Greg Biffle – 0 – 900
    14 – Clint Bowyer – 0 – 885
    15 – Austin Dillon – 0 – 878
    16 – Jamie McMurray – 0 – 877
    17 – Denny Hamlin – 1 – 859
    18 – Brian Vickers – 0 – 830
    19 – Paul Menard – 0 – 826
    20 – Kurt Busch – 1 – 816

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Talladega

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Talladega

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Joey Logano: Logano finished 11th at Talladega as Penske teammate Brad Keselowski won, joining Logano and six others with a chance to win the Sprint Cup.

    “Brad is in with the win,” Logano said, “If NASCAR had a ‘wild card’ qualifier, Brad would have made it solely based on his performance at Charlotte.”

    2. Jeff Gordon: Gordon finished 26th at Talladega and secured his spot in the Eliminator round.

    “Amazingly,” Gordon said, “Brad Keselowski didn’t make contact with anyone at Talladega. He drove a heck of a race. He was in a zone, as opposed to a headlock.

    “I’m the only Hendrick Motorsports driver in the final eight. It’s up to me to carry the HMS flag. As for the ‘HMS Johnson,’ the ‘HMS Earnhardt,’ and the ‘HMS Kahne’—those ships have sailed.”

    3. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski beat the odds and won the Geico 500 to qualify for the Eliminator round in the Chase For The Cup. Needing a win, Keselowski held off Ryan Newman for his sixth win of the year.

    “The Redd’s Wicked Apple No. 2 car was set up perfectly,” Keselowski said. “There’s only one thing better than a Redd’s Apple, and that’s a bad apple driving it.

    “There’s nothing more satisfying than doing burnouts on the track. NASCAR handed me a check after that. I’ve smoked the tires in the garage area, as well. I handed NASCAR the check after that one.”

    4. Kevin Harvick: Harvick finished ninth at Talladega as a frantic finish saw Brad Keselowski take the win and an unlikely spot in the Chase’s Eliminator round.

    “It was nice to go to Talladega and not have to win,” Harvick said. “I admire the guts it took for Keselowski to pull out the win. I had the same reaction after the race at Charlotte: ‘the nerve.’”

    5. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth finished second to Brad Keselowski and qualified for the Eliminator round on points.

    “Just like at Charlotte,” Kenseth said, “I’m ‘after’ Keselowski.”

    6. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin finished 18th in the Geico 500, good enough to advance him to the third round of the Chase For The Cup.

    “What a run by Brad Keselowski,” Hamlin said. “The results were much different than those at Charlotte, but in both cases, he drove like a man possessed.”

    7. Ryan Newman: With a fifth at Talladega, Newman punched his ticket as one of the final eight drivers in the Chase.

    “I’m sure a lot of drivers were pulling for me to win,” Newman said, “if for no other reason than to keep Brad Keselowski out of the next round. But I just couldn’t keep Brad behind me, which was surprising, because Denny Hamlin advised me that the No. 2 would likely be on my bumper well past the checkered flag.”

    8. Carl Edwards: Edwards advanced to the Eliminator round with a safe 21st at Talladega. He is one of eight drivers eligible to win the Sprint Cup championship.

    “Kyle Busch is expecting,” Edwards said. “Nobody was expecting Brad Keselowski to win. Either way, a ‘baby’ made headlines.”

    9. Jimmie Johnson: Needing a win to advance to the Chase’s next round, Johnson finished 24th at Talladega and fell well short of qualifying for the Chase’s next round.

    “Our title hopes were dashed,” Johnson said. “But we gave it all we had. We didn’t run out of talent, we just ran out of eligibility.”

    10. Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Earnhardt struggled from the start and finished 31st in the Geico 500. He finished 13th, well short of qualifying for the Chase’s third round.

    “Junior Nation is in a state of ‘E-nial,’” Earnhardt said. “But I expect them to survive. These final four races will be business as usual for Junior Nation—I’ll be racing with no chance whatsoever to win the Sprint Cup championship.”