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  • Hot 20 over the past 10 – Montoya soon to be rid of fenders, NAPA soon to be rid of Michael Waltrip

    Hot 20 over the past 10 – Montoya soon to be rid of fenders, NAPA soon to be rid of Michael Waltrip

    So, what have we learned lately? Well, if one cheats, one must not do so in a fashion that allows them to be quickly caught. Caught by everybody. Caught on scanners, radios, and in full view of millions at the track and watching on television. Nothing good can ever come from that. That is, if one decides that they must cheat in the first place.

    Since February, 2001 NAPA and Michael Waltrip have been synonymous in NASCAR. That comes to an abrupt end at the conclusion of this year when the company terminates its association with MWR, and it is all due to the events at Richmond. It is a very high price to pay and as much as I did not condone that team’s actions, as much as I applaud NASCAR’s reaction to them, I hate to have seen it come to this. I understand why the team did what it did. I understand why the fans reacted as they did, with those actions affecting two drivers who have become sentimental favorites. I understand why NAPA did what they did, being sensitive to public perception. However, it gives me no joy to read about it. The price has been paid. It is time to move on.

    Juan Pablo Montoya is moving on. After seven seasons and two victories in NASCAR’s Cup series, he returns to the open wheeled racing in which he thrived between 1999 and 2006. Over the course of those eight campaigns, he won 18 races, claimed the CART championship as well as the Grand Prix of Monaco in claiming seven Formula One events. Ironically, while he joins the Penske organization in IndyCar, he has run only one race in that circuit, winning the 2000 Indianapolis 500. We look forward to his return to the track in St. Petersburg, Florida in late March.

    Matt Kenseth returns to the track this Sunday at Loudon, New Hampshire. Unlike the other five drivers among our hottest half dozen, which includes the Busch Brothers, Ryan Newman, Kevin Harvick, and Jeff Gordon, Kenseth has never won at Loudon in 27 attempts. Then again, he has never won six races in a season before, either, and that Joe Gibbs car of his might be just what he needs to break that streak in New Hampshire.

     

    Name Points Pos LW Rank W T5 T10
      Kyle Busch  354 1 1 (2) 2 4 6
      Kurt Busch  339 2 2 (6) 0 5 7
      Ryan Newman  328 3 5 (8) 1 4 6
      Matt Kenseth  327 4 3 (1) 2 3 5
      Kevin Harvick  326 5 6 (4) 0 3 5
      Jeff Gordon  312 6 8 (7) 0 1 7
      Jamie McMurray  310 7 4 (15) 0 1 2
      Carl Edwards  304 8 11 (5) 1 2 4
      Greg Biffle  299 9 13 (11) 0 0 3
      Kasey Kahne  293 10 10 (10) 1 3 4
      Brad Keselowski  293 11 15 (14) 0 2 4
      Joey Logano  280 12 7 (12) 1 3 6
      Dale Earnhardt, Jr.  279 13 9 (13) 0 1 5
      Jimmie Johnson  271 14 14 (3) 1 3 5
      Juan Pablo Montoya  269 15 12 (20) 0 2 4
      Paul Menard  261 16 17 (16) 0 2 3
      Marcos Ambrose  256 17 16 (21 0 0 2
      Ricky Stenhouse, Jr.  247 18 20 (19) 0 0 2
      Clint Bowyer  245 19 18 (9) 0 2 4
      Aric Almirola  239 20 21 (18) 0 1 1
      Jeff Burton  230 21 22 (22) 0 1 2
      Martin Truex, Jr.  227 22 19 (17) 0 2 3
  • The Final Word – Matt takes Chicago, Jimmie to take Loudon, leaving Junior and Joey to split the final eight?

    The Final Word – Matt takes Chicago, Jimmie to take Loudon, leaving Junior and Joey to split the final eight?

    After the week’s worth of who is in, who is not, who has been naughty, who has been wronged, we got back to racing. Sadly, the most exciting thing about the day was watching Kyle, Larry, and Kenny discuss the week that was. The race, for me, turned out to be a bit of a let down.

    One lap kind of looked like the last one, that looked like the next one. The contenders moved into the front half of the pack and other than an official messing up Jimmie Johnson’s pit stop and Kurt Busch caught speeding, there was not much drama in the proceedings.

    Then the rains came. Five hours went by before things got back on track, by which time we caught the PGA event taking place about 70 miles north of Chicagoland, at least until they got washed out. We got to view some NFL action, at least when lightening was not delaying things in Tampa and Seattle. We had time to see the Yankees taking on the Red Sox. Well, not enough time, as I had to watch that game finish before they returned to the race track.

    I could have watched it live on computer or got Sirius about it, but I thought I would wait for the tape delayed version after the ball game. I should have known better, but like Clint I just sat there and scratched my arm. The race returned, live and in progress and with just 50 laps left.

    I know, I should dwell on the fact Matt Kenseth increased his points lead by winning his career high sixth race of the season. With his 30th career triumph he now sits eight points up on Chicago runner-up Kyle Busch. There was Jimmie Johnson, just 11 points out, after recovering from a failed jack as well as the official problems on pit road, to bring it home fifth. I could seek happiness at the discovery Joey Logano had blown up and would finish 37th, but then Karma bit my butt.

    Dale Earnhardt Jr was leading when the action returned to my screen. He then pitted and was buried way, way back, but not for long. He blew up spectacularly in a huge white plume to finish 35th and, like Logano, sits more than 50 points out.

    For the rest of the Chasers, they took the top six positions, ten of the top dozen, with Greg Biffle bringing up the rear among those who did not explode in 16th spot. The Biff is 11th in the standings, 31 points in arrears. Still, nobody is out of it yet if history tells us anything.

    Rating Chicago – 6/10 – Maybe it just rained on my parade. Kenseth fans no doubt thought it one heck of a great contest.

    In 2006, Jimmie Johnson started the Chase by finishing 39th at Chicago, though his 10.8 average Chase finish that year was the worst of the nine among series winners. Over the past six seasons, the eventual champion has averaged 3 Chase wins, 8 Top Tens, and 9 Top Twenties and an average finish of better than seventh. For Junior and Joey fans, that means a Top Five next Sunday would not be good enough.

    Now that we have put the controversy of the past week behind us, I wonder if the boys at Michael Waltrip Racing get it just yet? The boss seems to, saying they now know what they can do and what they can not. Clint Bowyer might, though his reputation takes a hit for the perception he can do one thing then lie about the circumstances surrounding what happened. To be honest, he would have been some kind of idiot to confess right after Richmond what he had done. It is like the teacher asking you about your homework assignment, and you reply how the family pet digested it. Clint didn’t raise a stink in his car, the dog did it. We have all been there. He will be forgiven, in time. Just not in enough time to see many wanting him to take the title this year.

    Martin Truex Jr does not get it. He figures if Ryan Newman gets in, he should, too. Wrong. He might not have done something wrong, but his organization did. It is the same as when a car has an illegal set up and the team gets sanctioned. The driver may have been an angel, but he gets penalized just the same. To be honest, with MWR being something of a pariah at the moment, no one really gives a damn what they want. As for Brian Vickers, he says he would do the same thing again if asked, which only means he does not mind running for negative points. What they did was fix the outcome of the race, and no professional sport allows that. If he did not get the memo, NASCAR has just reminded everyone that they will no longer tolerate it. End of story.

    Thus Sunday, it is off to Loudon and the New Hampshire Motor Speedway, and Chasers have done well there. Three time winners include Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Ryan Newman and Kurt Busch. Bowyer has won there twice, while victory has been celebrated by Logano, Biffle, Kasey Kahne, Kevin Harvick, and Kyle Busch. If fact, the only ones who have never done so are Carl Edwards, Junior, and Kenseth. As for having the best average finish there over his career, it could be a good day for Jimmie Johnson. Enjoy the week.

  • My 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship Predictions

    My 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship Predictions

    Once we get past all the chaos and controversy surrounding Richmond; it becomes apparent that we still have a championship battle to talk about! Thirteen…yes, thirteen racers will battle tooth and nail for the coveted Sprint Cup trophy and they have ten races to get it done. This chase lacks Tony Stewart, Denny Hamlin and reigning champion Brad Keselowski but it still features some of NASCAR’s heavyweights. Four champions, six Daytona 500 winners and eight teams make up the 2013 chase field. No one has shown immunity to bad luck this season; not even 5-time champion Jimmie Johnson and I could certainly see this coming down to three or five man race at Homestead, much like what we saw in 2004. It’s going to be a great battle!

    1.) Matt Kenseth – 5 Wins & 2003 NSCS Champion

    Matt Kenseth has been known to quietly click away solid finishes race after race and have sub-par efforts in qualifying seeing that the “go fast for two lap thing” has never really been Matt’s forte. All that changed when he joined Joe Gibbs Racing this year. Matt has made his presence known and has asserted himself as one of the guys you have to go through if you want to win the championship. It’s almost like Roush-Fenway was holding him back. The Achilles Heel of this team may be the lingering TRD engine issues although they have gotten it under control for the most part. Matt is a top five and top ten machine which is why he’s finished 8th or higher in the standings in nine of the last eleven years. He has proven that he’s fully capable of being a title threat and I’ll be very surprised if he’s not a contender.

    2.) Jimmie Johnson – 4 Wins & 5-time NSCS Champion (’06, ’07, ’08, ’09, ’10)

    The untouchable No.48 team has been vulnerable this year. Their immunity to bad luck has ceased and their rivals are excited to take them on. A recurring thing you heard at Chase Media Day was that drivers thought they can beat Jimmie and they said that with a big grin on their face. This is the guy everybody compares themselves with. If you can beat him, then you definitely have a shot at it! Don’t fool yourself into believing that this rash of bad luck has enervated this team. They have endured their fair share of bad luck in 2013 but it was while they were running up front and for the win so don’t think for a second that they are under performing this year. They just aren’t quite as lucky. If fate was kinder, Johnson could be starting the chase with eight or nine wins. As for momentum going into the chase; Jimmie Johnson doesn’t need momentum. He becomes a winning machine that can do no wrong when the playoffs start. Only time will tell if the this group becomes that indestructible winning machine that all their competitors fear or if the bad luck that has plagued the No.48 carries over into the post-season. One thing for certain is that you can never count out Jimmie Johnson and that elite No.48 team.

    3.) Kyle Busch – 4 Wins & Best Points Finish of 5th (2007)

    Rowdy Busch. Some love him, many hate him but no one can deny the fact that he’s a heck of a wheel man. Kyle has never fared too well in the chase and last year, he missed out on the post-season by 1pt but went on to score enough points in the ten race stretch that would have given him a 3rd place finish in the championship. The chase is primarily made up of large, high speed banked ovals which bodes well for Busch and his teammate, Matt Kenseth. JGR has excelled at those venues this year with six of their combined nine wins coming at those kind of tracks. Kyle has always had issues handling adversity and it will be interesting to see if he falls apart and makes imprudent decisions should things get tempestuous for him at some point in this chase. I believe 2013 will be the best chase result of Kyle’s career.

    4.) Kevin Harvick – 2 Wins & Best Points Finish of 3rd (’10 & ’11)

    Kevin Harvick has once again made his way into the chase without many people noticing. “The Closer” not only comes out of nowhere at the end of races but he also has an uncanny way of making his way into the top five in points at the end of the season on multiple occasions without anyone realizing it.  I don’t see a championship for Kevin this year but I wouldn’t put it past him. This “lame duck” wants to deliver Richard Childress his first Cup title since 1994 and he’s got one last chance to get it done.

    5.) Carl Edwards – 2 Wins & Best Points Finish of 2nd (’08 & ’11)

    He’s tied for 2nd, he’s finished 2nd and he’s tied for 1st….guess what comes next? I believe it’s only a matter of time before Cousin Carl, as Kenny Schrader would call him, hoists the trophy in Miami at the end of the season. Carl is one of those drivers who is a champion waiting in the wings. It will come with time. His consistency is what won him the unofficial title of regular season champion and his consistency also helped him stay neck-and-neck with Tony Stewart in 2011. Despite the two wins, Carl hasn’t shown that he can contend for wins on a regular basis but should the other drivers use up their mulligans while he keeps clicking away top 10’s and top 5’s, he may very well find himself in the middle of the title fight.

    6.) Joey Logano – 1 Win & Best Points Finish of 16th (2010)

    Penske Racing got one driver in the chase this year…and it wasn’t Brad Keselowski. Joey Logano has truly impressed me this year with his tenacity and the way he and this No.22 camp have handled adversity. Joey has won the pole for the first chase race and he seems to have found his niche in the form of large, high banked ovals. Lucky for him, that’s 50% of the chase races. He will win at least one race in the chase in my opinion and I see him as a dark horse. You wouldn’t normally look at Logano as  title threat seeing that he’s never gotten a top 15 points finish but he could surprise a few people. His inexperience in this kind of situation may be what hurts him in the end though.

    7.) Greg Biffle – 1 Win & Best Points Finish of 2nd (2005)

    I doubt Greg Biffle can win the championship this year. He has spent the majority of his season around 8th-10th in points and I don’t expect that to change in the chase. He only has three top five finishes in the first 26 races and ten top 10’s. Those are the lowest numbers of anyone in the top 13 in points right now. The Fords seem very strong at Chicagoland so I wouldn’t be surprised to see him win one of the 1.5 milers but other than that, I really don’t expect Greg to make much noise in the chase this year.

    8.) Clint Bowyer – 0 Wins & Best Points Finish of 2nd (2012)

    Would I be exaggerating if I said this guy has a lot of attention on him going into Chicagoland? I thought not. Clint Bowyer and his race team have been the headline on every major news outlet this week for all the wrong reasons. He was grilled by multiple ESPN reporters, booed by fans at NASCAR Contenders LIVE, harassed by thousands of incensed people on Twitter and even criticized by his fellow competitors. His integrity has been called into question after a spin that many believe to be deliberate and his intentions with seven laps to go were incontrovertible to most but Bowyer denies it. Clint says that all this negative attention has him determined more than ever to win it all. The usually loquacious Clint is ready to just put that helmet on and go to work. He has spent most of 2013 near the top of the standings despite failing to reach victory lane. I don’t think all this drama will affect him while he’s racing. I wouldn’t bet against it hurting his team though. Distractions are never a good thing in sports. I would say Clint can be a contender just like he was in 2012 but some disgruntled drivers that didn’t take too kindly to what went down may make sure that a championship for the No.15 doesn’t happen this year. It will be interesting to see how Bowyer is treated by other drivers once we get to racing at Chicagoland..

    9.) Dale Earnhardt Jr. – 0 Wins & Best Points Finish of 3rd (2003)

    Dale Jr. has consistency but he isn’t up there mixing it up for victories every week like his teammate Jimmie Johnson and even Kasey Kahne are. They need to take it up a notch if they want to hold their own against Johnson, Kenseth and Kyle Busch in this chase. If they can’t do that, then I don’t see Jr. getting anything higher than 5th or 6th this year.

    10.) Kurt Busch – 0 Wins & 2004 NSCS Champion

    Here we have the first “single car” team to ever make the chase. Despite their strong technical alliance with Richard Childress Racing, they are still considered a single car operation. Do not make the foolish mistake of underestimating Kurt Busch or this well funding race team though. The tenacity and raw talent of this proven champion is undeniable and he can most certainly win the championship this year….if he had a better pit crew. When the pressure’s on, the No.78 crew almost always drops the ball and costs Kurt valuable spots. NASCAR is a team sport and if you have a pit crew that isn’t getting the job done, it doesn’t matter if you have a Dale Earnhardt caliber guy wheeling the No.48 with Junior Johnson on top of the pit box…you still won’t win. They have two crew guys so hopefully, he doesn’t encounter as many costly issues on pit road. If his pit crew can get it together, Kurt can be a serious threat for the championship before he departs for Stewart-Haas Racing at the end of the year.

    11.) Kasey Kahne – 2 Wins & Best Points Finish of 4th (2012)

    Kasey Kahne was my pick to win the title back in March and I wouldn’t be surprised if he proved me right. If fate was kinder (and if Kasey was more aggressive), he could have at least five wins right now. He has four runner-up finishes this year; three of which came down to half a second or less. He also crashed while leading Michigan, Darlington and while going three wide for the lead with two laps to go at the July Daytona race. Kasey’s kindness on track though may pay dividends during the chase when he’s racing around guys not in the running that remember his courtesy while racing them earlier in the year. On the flip side, it may also tempt drivers his battling to use him up not thinking there will be any repercussions. In my eyes, Kasey can win the championship this year if the stars align.

    12.) Ryan Newman – 1 Win & Best Points Finish of 6th (’02, ’03 & ’05)

    Ryan wasn’t a chaser until Monday night which seemed crazy until Jeff Gordon had to go and outdo him by being added to the chase as the 13th seed less than 48 hours before the first chase race! Ryan is motivated and motivation always seems to have an uncanny way of giving a driver a few extra horsepower. Can he hold his own against Busch, Johnson and Kenseth? I doubt it but be assured that the Rocket Man will go all out and leave nothing on the table before his release from Stewart-Haas Racing. Ryan has been fired and replaced because Gene Haas believes Kurt is a better driver. He’s also been called an ogre, had an airborne car land on top of him, been cheated out of his 18th career win, knocked out of the chase before being put back in two days later and even watched his good friend and current owner break his leg in a Sprint Car crash….yeah; it’s been an interesting year to be Ryan Newman to say the least. He will make some noise in this chase probably by winning at one of the flat tracks that he;s always so good at and I see him having his best points finish since 2005.

     13.) Jeff Gordon – O Wins & 4-time NSCS Champion (’95, ’97, ’98, ’01)

    Well, who saw this coming? You aren’t supposed to be here! One of unluckiest guys in the garage got a once in a life time break Friday when he was added to the chase as a 13th seed. It would be an auspicious time for Jeff to go buy a lottery ticket right now…although he obviously doesn’t need it. I am hoping that he somehow goes on a tear in the chase, becomes a contender and that we go to Homestead with Kansas Clint and 4-time 1-2 in points. In reality though, I don’t see Jeff making much of an impact on the 2013 chase at all. He is fully capable of being a 5-time champion talent wise but all the pieces team and luck wise just aren’t there. This was a nice gesture by NASCAR but Jeff’s team is not championship caliber in 2013….I think he will spend the last 10 races in the back half of the chase field.

    My Three Championship Picks

    Kasey Kahne: Why Kasey? I have liked what I’ve seen out of him this year with the speed he’s shown on both 1.5 milers and short tracks. I also like the chemistry he has with long time crew chief Kenny Francis. When it comes to the best driver/crew chief combos in the garage; these two are near the top of the list. Kasey is also able to keep a level head in difficult situations and get all he can out of the car without risking his whole race; necessities for a championship hopeful. Bad luck and JGR drivers running him over has been his only noticeable weakness in 2013.

    Kurt Busch: You want to talk about determination? You want to talk about someone that will drive their guts out and finish 10 spots higher than the car he’s driving should? That would be Kurt Busch. That No.78 has been blistering fast at every kind of track this year; they have no bad track. Kurt has completely changed as a person and for the better. No longer does he act churlish towards the media, fans and his team when things get rough. In fact, he’s become one of the most optimistic people out there when things go awry. If Furniture Row wasn’t trying to resolve their pit crew issues, then I’d be counting Kurt out but they’ve already replaced a front tire changer and tire carrier. If Kurt has a solid pit crew, he can win it all.

    Jimmie Johnson: Do I really need to say why? You can never count out 5-time and like I said earlier, his win column could be in the double digits this year if it weren’t for bad luck. Like always, he is fast everywhere and his team is solid as a rock. Performing at a super-human level during the chase is something embedded deep within the DNA of everyone on this race team. Chad Knaus is very fastidious and will make sure everything that he can possibly control is in his control. Jimmie doesn’t need momentum to be on his side. He doesn’t even need a good start to the chase. Nothing phases the 5-time champ and that’s why he is one of my three favorites to win the 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup championship?

    Feel free to post your picks below or to comment on mine!

  • NASCAR and the Ripple Effect

    NASCAR and the Ripple Effect

    This past week has been unprecedented and historic for the sport of NASCAR, with the sanctioning body announcing the two major penalties, the first for Michael Waltrip Racing on Monday and then Friday announcing probation for Penske and Front Row Motorsports, as well as the historic placement of a thirteenth driver into the Chase, Jeff Gordon.

    In spite of these machinations, twists and turns this past week, there has been one constant throughout, the ripple effect.

    So, what is the ripple effect?

    Webster’s dictionary defines it as “a spreading, pervasive and usually unintentional effect or influence” and dictionary.com defines it as “a series of consequences caused by a single action or event.”

    Mike Helton, NASCAR President, used the term ripple effect first by describing how the sanctioning body made the difficult decision on the Monday after the Richmond race to penalize Michael Waltrip Racing with a $300,000 fine, suspend MWR executive Ty Norris indefinitely, and replace MWR driver Martin Truex Jr. in the Chase with Ryan Newman.

    “The way we go about these is we look at the incident and only the incident because we know from experience that if you try to look at the ripple effect of an incident, you can’t cover all those bases,” Helton said during the MWR penalty announcement.

    “Our focus is around the incident and what we were going to do to react around it, not the ripple effect of the incident or the ripple effect of our reaction,” Helton continued. “So, we simply look at the incident and react to the incident, and whatever our reaction may create, that has a ripple effect to it as well.”

    One of the first ripple effects was the outrage expressed by driver Jeff Gordon, who was outside the Chase looking in by just one point behind due to the apparent shenanigans that took place both on the track and on pit road.

    “Someone explain the ‘ripple effect’ to me,” Gordon, driver of the No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet, tweeted after the race.

    And just after the tweet, Jeff Gordon fans latched on and quickly echoed the sentiments that their driver had been a victim of the ripple effect, starting a social media movement of their own in reaction to their driver being denied an opportunity to run for the championship.

    Gordon’s teammate Jimmie Johnson also joined in the discussion about the ripple effect, calling for NASCAR to adopt rules similar to the NFL, where play is halted and a review is made of any questionable play or call on the field.

    “In my opinion, if there is a question they don’t know, they need to stop the race immediately,” Johnson, driver of the No. 48 Lowes Chevrolet, said. “Figure it out and made the best judgment they can because trying to go back on Monday or Tuesday to fix the situation is just too much and then I learn something about a ripple effect.”

    While ripples ran rampant through the garage and the media center alike, the biggest ripple effect came from the fans who continued to be incensed about the actions on the track that they felt compromised the integrity of the sport.

    The ripple effect continued throughout the week as the sanctioning body continued to investigate the events at Richmond, turning their attention to the team communication with Front Row Motorsports driver David Gilliland and the discussion to give a spot to Joey Logano late in the Richmond race.

    This apparently assisted Logano, who finished 22nd in front of Gilliland, to move ahead of Gordon in the point standings, squeaking into Chase contention.

    On both Wednesday and Thursday, NASCAR announced that they would not have any comment, however, Joey Logano addressed the media during his pre-Chase interview in Chicago.

    “I am going to be 100 percent honest, I knew nothing about it,” Logano said. “That is stuff that happens week in and week out with spotters.”

    “What I look at and say is that if we didn’t pass the 38 car, we were still in 10th in points and still got our bonus point so it has no change in the outcome of where we are right now.”

    But the ripple effects did not stop and again NASCAR made a major announcement on Friday, September 13th that a 13th driver would be added to the Chase for the Championship.

    In addition to NASCAR making the unprecedented decision Friday to add the four-time champion to the 2013 Chase for the Sprint Cup field, they also put the Penske Racing team of Joey Logano and Front Row Motorsports with David Gilliland on probation.

    And the ripple effect continued.

    “There were just too  many things that went on Saturday night that gave a clear disadvantage and what we deemed an unfair disadvantage to the 24 (Gordon),” Brian France, NASCAR Chairman and CEO said. “I have the authority to do that.”

    “It is an unprecedented and extraordinary thing but it is also an unprecedented and extraordinary set of circumstances that unfolded in multiple ways on Saturday night,” France continued. “And we believe this is the right outcome to protect the integrity of the sport, which is our number one goal in NASCAR.”

    “It’s been a rough week,” Gordon said after learning that he was back into championship contention. “I’m very appreciative to be in and I know it’s under the most unbelievable circumstances I’ve ever been in as part of my racing career.”

    “I wish all of this hadn’t happened,” Gordon continued. “Now here we are as a 13th car and in and we just try to take that opportunity and make the most of it.”

    While Gordon expressed his thoughts on how rough his week was, the ripple effect that extended to Martin Truex, Jr. was, however, the most devastating.

    Truex, through no fault of his own, was ousted from the Chase due to the MWR penalties, said that all he did was ‘drive his heart out’ throughout the entire race at Richmond, only to be taken out of the chance to run for a championship.

    “I’m not even sure what to say at this point to be honest with you,” Truex said. “I’m kind of at a loss for words.”

    “They kick me out to make spot for somebody and then they don’t do the same for the other guys,” Truex continued. “It’s just unfair, and nothing I can do about it.”

    Truex was not the only driver to experience the ripple effect of confusion stemming from the events of the week since Richmond. Hendrick Motorsports teammate and the sport’s most popular driver also weighed in with his thoughts on the events.

    “I don’t know what is fair anymore,” Dale Earnhardt Jr. said. “You could have done it a million different ways and I don’t know that one is better than the other.”

    “The whole thing is a mess.”

    The most significant ripple effect has yet to be determined, however, as NASCAR announced that it will have a mandatory meeting with all of the drivers, crew chiefs and owners to further discuss these issues.

    “We’re going to protect, no matter what it takes — the integrity of the sport will never be in question,” France said. “We’re going to make sure that we have the right rules going forward that are clear so that the integrity of the competitive landscape of the events are not altered in a way or manipulated.”

    “And that will be what we will address.”

    But will this be the end of the ripple effect that has been created throughout the sport of NASCAR as a result of these unfolding events?

    Just as in the original penalties announced earlier in the week, there may be ripple effects that even the sanctioning body cannot even begin to predict or may not even have imagined.

    And the biggest and most significant ripple effect that remains to be seen is the reaction by the sport’s fan base, who ultimately determine if their passion or thoughts about the integrity of the sport have been affected or diminished.

    And the ripple effect goes on and on and on.

  • Matty’s Picks 2013 – Race 27 GEICO 400 – Chicagoland Speedway – September 15, 2013

    Matty’s Picks 2013 – Race 27 GEICO 400 – Chicagoland Speedway – September 15, 2013

    The eventful NASCAR Sprint Cup Series regular season has finally come to a close, and we head onto the opening week of the 2013 Chase for the Sprint Cup this week at Chicagoland Speedway. It has been a fantastic regular season, filled with parody, the broadest spectrum of winners we’ve ever seen in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, and of course drama.

    I’ll start this week with my thoughts on the biggest news of the week surrounding the Michael Waltrip Racing cars of Clint Bowyer, Martin Truex Jr., and Brian Vickers, the Stewart-Haas Racing car of Ryan Newman, and now the Penske Racing car of Joey Logano, the Front Row Motorsports car of David Gilliland, and Hendrick Motorsports’ Jeff Gordon. Now we’ve gotten all the names out of the way, I’ll attempt to recap what happened with each team to set the now 13-driver field for this year’s Chase for the Sprint Cup.

    It was Ryan Newman in the lead late last Saturday Night at Richmond when Bowyer’s spotter, Brett Griffin, came over the radio and said “(No.) 39 is going to win the race…well that kinda sucks. Nine more (laps) right here.” Then there was an arm itching comment by Crew Chief Brian Pattie, Bowyer spun out with no cars around him sending out the Caution Flag. Bowyer spin, Check.

    When it came time for the restart, Brian Vickers was called to Pit Road, and amongst the confusion associated with pitting when the field was going green, a comment came over the radio “we need that one point.” and a “I owe you a kiss” comment. When the cars went back to green, Vickers made laps at a speed that any quarter-midget driver would have beaten, raising some more red flags. Vickers pit/lap times, Check.

    The result was Joey Logano gaining enough points on Jeff Gordon to knock him from the 10th spot in points, which opened a Wild Card spot for Martin Truex Jr. The result on Monday was a 50-point fine for each of the three Michael Waltrip Racing guys (pre-Chase reset), enough to knock Martin Truex Jr. out of his Wild Card spot, and inserting Ryan Newman (who should have won the race anyway) into the Chase picture. Oh and don’t forget about the $300,000 fine for Michael Waltrip Racing on top of $3-3.5 million in foregone Chase earnings for the No.56 team.

    Fast forward to Friday Afternoon…

    Towards the end of the race on Saturday Night, there was a “Big Dog and his cronies” atop the spotter stand in what seems like a reference towards Roger Penske who often watches the races from the Spotter’s Deck, so nothing new. The out of the ordinary part of this deal is the chatter over the No.38 (David Gilliland) team radio between Crew Chief Frank Kerr and Gilliland’s spotter requesting Gilliland to give up a spot to Chase hopeful, Joey Logano. Kerr asked who the request came from, the spotter referenced “The Big Dog”, pass happens, Logano gets in the chase, Gilliland’s Spotter says “Hopefully we’ll get something out of that” after the race. Gilliland/Logano pass, Check.

    The result here was a review by NASCAR of radio chatter between the No.38 team Driver, Spotter, and Crew Chief and a determination was made that the No.38 and No.22 teams had tried to manipulate the outcome of the race at Richmond and furthermore, the 2013 Chase field. “Based on all of our findings this week, we determined both Front Row Motorsports and Penske Racing organizations would be placed on probation for the remainder of the NASCAR this season.” said Brian France, NASCAR Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “Additionally, based on the totality of our findings, to be totally fair and equitable we decided that adding a 13th car to this year’s Chase is the appropriate action.” France went on to add, “Beginning with our decision Monday, which resulted in an unprecedented team penalty, and continuing with further examination of actions involving two other race teams, it is clear to us that attempts to manipulate the results impacted the Chase field.”

    So, nobody else is out, but Jeff Gordon is now into the first 13-driver Chase for the Sprint Cup field, set to begin on Sunday with the first of the 10 races which make up the NASCAR playoffs.

    Now that we’ve gotten the stories straight (or as straight as they can be at this point), my stance on this week’s events is still up in the air…

    Though I appreciate the team aspect this sport has to offer, I do not agree with manipulating the outcome of a race to help out a teammate. A sport that was bread in the South on integrity and downright grit has now been tainted with numerous attempts that would have some of the sports’ founders in outrage and calling for a permanent ban from the sport. If this were baseball for instance, the sport’s fans would call for the player attempting to manipulate the outcome of a game to be banned from the sport forever (Pete Rose, Ty Cobb, Alex Rodriguez, Barry Bonds, the list goes on).

    The Michael Waltrip Racing penalty is the most severe to ever be passed down by NASCAR, but to me, the team’s greatest chance at a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion was only given a wrist slap. Clint Bowyer is still racing for a Championship even with his (inconclusive) involvement in the events at Richmond, and the guy with no known involvement (who deserves to race for a Championship) in the scheme is left out to dry. Martin Truex Jr. deserves a spot in this year’s Chase because he had earned his right to race for a Championship over the 25 races leading up to the circus in Richmond (winning one of them). Truex in, Bowyer out in my eyes -OR- a 14-team Chase field (why stop at 13?)

    Now, as far as how NASCAR handled the penalties and my thoughts on how this week panned out are a different story. It is unfortunate to even have to address things like this during a time when our sport competes with the Nation’s largest viewership week in and week out, but I am guessing Sunday’s race could draw more viewers than any of the previous 9 first Chase races. The question will be if viewers will be tuning in to watch a sport, or to watch a WWF-style half sport, half drama show. Credibility is huge when talking sport vs. show and with this week’s circus, I’m afraid NASCAR may have gained some followers curious about the “Drama Show” aspect this week has been. The deal was sealed on that statement on Friday with the “re-do” on the Chase field for the third time in five days.

    To me, it was an all or nothing decision for NASCAR this week, and to hand pick and choose who gets to race for a Championship and who does not has a WWF jingle to it, much like the promoters who decide who gets the title belt and who does not. For so long, NASCAR’s stance was to let the boys settle it out on the track, and to step in and hand pick the Chase field has set a precedent for the future, but still has not addressed any of the “grey area” each and every team likes to play in.

    Oh, by the way, my picks for this weekend at Chicago are Kevin Harvick since he’s the only guy in the field this weekend with multiple wins at Chicagoland, and Martin Truex Jr. because he’s out for vengeance and you have to go back to last season for his last finish outside the top-10 on any of the Intermediate tracks.

    So, until we put all this chaos behind us and head to the second race of the 2013 Chase for the Sprint Cup…You Stay Classy WWF NATION!

  • NASCAR, we have a problem

    NASCAR, we have a problem

    It has been said that there has been cheating going on in NASCAR since they first started. Yes, advantages were sought, but usually it was to make the car go faster in order to win, not to throw the race in order to fix an outcome.

    Richard Petty, the King himself, got caught winning with an engine that was not just a bit too big but more like super sized. Country singer Marty Robbins turned down rookie of the race honors after racing at Talladega in 1972 as he had modified the restrictor plate just to see what it was like to run like Richard Petty. Some boys have run with nitrous oxide bottles, some with expanded gas tanks, others with modified car frames, and the list goes on and on.

    So, what is the big deal? Well, fixing the outcome of a contest gets you tossed for life out of baseball. Shoeless Joe Jackson would have been in the Hall of Fame 60 years ago if not for that 1919 World Series. Fixing the outcome in NASCAR should come with consequences, as well, if you do not want it to go the route of professional wrestling. Goodbye six figured prize money, multi-million dollar sponsorship deals, national television contracts, and goodbye to all those fans who expect to see a real contest presenting an outcome not fixed before or during a race.

    If not for Michael Waltrip Racing, Joey Logano would probably have finished 25th instead of 22nd at Richmond. If he had, Logano would have needed to use his wild card eligibility to make it through, beating out both Martin Truex Jr and Ryan Newman, with Jeff Gordon advancing by finishing 10th in the standings. If not for David Gilliland, Logano would have finished 23rd, tied with Gordon in points but still finishing tenth due to having a win, something Gordon does not yet have this season.

    From listening to the in-car radio, it appears Logano’s team big wigs made a deal with Gilliland’s outfit to allow Joey to move past and into 22nd spot on the final lap. Just some insurance, as in the end the spot was not crucial to deciding the final pre-Chase standings. Still, the fix was in, even if it turned out to be unnecessary. Of course, it become unnecessary only because of Bowyer’s spin and the fact both his car and that of Brian Vickers made, some contend, very unnecessary pit stops to allow Logano to move up a couple of spots in the first place.

    More worrisome, there was already chatter to play “Let’s Make A Deal” between Penske and Front Row before Bowyer even went for his slide. That should be a huge red flag for anybody. It may have turned out to be unnecessary in the end, but that was not the case when they started talking.

    Just as you can not fix a baseball game, in this day and age you can not fix a NASCAR race. If you do not believe me, check out the reaction of those MWR sponsors who do not seem very happy about all this. If I have not yet made my point, imagine a major league baseball player going on Twitter to even jokingly discuss fixing a game. That boy’s ass would be grass and the Commissioner would be just jumping at the bit to take his mower to that lawn.

    Can we stop cheating in NASCAR? Nope. Can we make damn sure those on whom we have evidence that they did cheat pay the price? Damn right we can. Cheat if you must, bu if you get caught cheating there should be hell to pay. If NASCAR prefers to continue having its big awards banquet at venues like the Wynn Las Vegas Luxury Resort and Casino instead of the Economy Motel in Rockingham, North Carolina, they damn well better make sure that is the case.

  • MWR Controversy: Did The Penalties Fit The Crime?

    MWR Controversy: Did The Penalties Fit The Crime?

    NASCAR was faced with a very tough decision this past weekend…how to deal with a team that deliberately manipulated the chase outcome to benefit themselves? Four days later and race fans are still in an uproar over the biggest controversy to rock the motorsports world since the infamous “Crashgate” incident during the 2008 Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix. With the overwhelming evidence, all the publicity and the outrage from millions of disappointed fans; NASCAR had to act and act they did…with unprecedented penalties.

    The Punishment

    Before you continue reading, if you have yet to learn about all the evidence presented to NASCAR from the in-car video, (#15 & #55) radio communications and the suspicious post-race comments…please direct your attention here so that you may be enlightened: http://www.speedwaymedia.com/?p=67736 Now onto the record breaking penalties levied by NASCAR & the interesting reasoning behind why they did what they did…

    -MWR was found to have violated Section 12-4 (Actions detrimental to stock car racing). As a result, MWR’s three teams in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (No. 15, 55, 56) have been penalized with the loss of 50 championship driver and 50 championship owner points, respectively.

    -These point penalties are assessed following the season’s 26th regular season race and not after the seeding for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Therefore, the point total for the No. 56 car driven by Martin Truex Jr. is reduced to 691, putting him in 17th position and eliminating him from the second Wild Card berth for the Chase field. Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 39 car, now moves up into the Chase as the second Wild Card participant.

     -NASCAR has also fined the MWR organization $300,000 and indefinitely suspended Ty Norris, MWR Executive Vice President/General Manager and spotter for the No. 55 car, for violating Section 12-4. The three crew chiefs – Brian Pattie (No. 15), Scott Miller (No. 55) and Chad Johnston (No. 56) – have all been placed on NASCAR probation until Dec. 31.

     -“Based upon our review of Saturday night’s race at Richmond, it is our determination that the MWR organization attempted to manipulate the outcome of the race,” said Robin Pemberton, NASCAR vice president of competition. “As the sport’s sanctioning body, it is our responsibility to ensure there is a fair and level playing field for all of our competitors and this action today reflects our commitment to that.”

    I want to make it clear that NASCAR didn’t just hand Newman the Wild Card that would otherwise belong to Martin Truex Jr. He got it as a result of the 50pt penalty issued to the No.56 team. The point penalties were assessed before the re-seed so that’s why Ryan was able to overtake Martin in points. That is also the reason why Clint Bowyer starts the chase off as if nothing happened to him….I don’t like that part. The 50pt penalty issued to the No.15 was before NASCAR re-racked the standings so he goes to Chicagoland 15pts behind Matt Kenseth. Not 50 or 65 behind like some have mistakenly thought.

    NASCAR did not help Jeff Gordon though who was on his way to a chase berth before Bowyer’s spin. Their reasoning behind that? NASCAR felt that they couldn’t help those affected by the “ripple effect” of the Bowyer spin. They don’t know what would have unfolded in the final laps if that spin never happened and they weren’t about to make a chase altering decision based on assumption. If the spin never happened, Jeff might have fallen out on his own for all we know. That is why they couldn’t just give the Wild Card to Newman either…there’s no way of knowing with 110% certainty that he would have went on and won the race; way too many unknown variables for them to be able to make a fair decision.

    Morally…we all believe Jeff Gordon and Ryan Newman both deserve a chase spot but factually, you just can’t say they would have held on in those final seven laps as much as we’d like to believe they would have. Ty Norris (MWR GM & Spotter For No.55 at Richmond) was the only one suspended and that is because he is the only person they have conclusive evidence against. (Instructed Vickers On Radio To Pit Because They Needed That 1pt) How we feel about all the other shenanigans that went on are just educated opinions based on observations and personal interpretation. Without admission, there’s no way of knowing for sure.

    NASCAR said they didn’t target Truex exclusively but that losing his chase spot was simply the byproduct of them penalizing MWR as a whole. That would also explain why they didn’t go and punish Bowyer enough to make sure he relinquished a top 10 spot to Jeff Gordon like so many fans wanted. As for Truex, I think Bob Pockrass put it well when he said it’s like a friend giving you a TV that they stole…you’re going to have to give it back even if you had no part in it. NASCAR actually handled this quite professionally and with leveled heads in my opinion. Doesn’t mean I completely agree with it but I’ll get to that later…now for some statements and Twitter reactions!

    Michael Waltrip 

    “What occurred on the No.55 radio at the end of Saturday night’s race in Richmond was a split-second decision made by team spotter Ty Norris to bring the No.55 to pit lane and help a teammate earn a place in the Chase. We apologize to NASCAR, our fellow competitors, partners and fans who were disappointed in our actions. We will learn from this & move on.” 

    Interview With Fox Sports 1’s Bob Dillner: http://msn.foxsports.com/nascar/shakeandbake/race-hub-exclusive-video-waltrip-speaks-vickers-in-car-audio-091013

    Ty Norris

    “In the final laps I made a call to pit the 55 to benefit a teammate. It was a split second decision made in the middle of a chaotic finish bad on the circumstances. There was no time to think just act. Though it was to benefit MWR it is now clear it was to the detriment of the sport I love and have called home for the past 24 years.I apologize to all who were affected by that decision in the greatest race for the chase in its 10 yr history. I have dedicated my life to this industry and value its integrity and understand the decision.”

    “I am suspended for being a spotter, not a GM, for making a call to bring teammate to pit road. NO other reason. NO other incident.”

    Clint Bowyer

    Tweets: “No rearview mirrors in life, just windshield ahead. It’s been a great year and is going to be a great chase. Time to move on!!!” & “I sure hope you guys are as tired of hearing about me as I am talking about me!!! #uncleJackhereicome“

    ESPN Interview – Drilled by Ricky Craven: http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=9658424

    Marty & McGee Interview: http://espn.go.com/espnradio/play?id=9658768

    Brian Pattie (#15 Crew Chief)

    SiriusXM NASCAR interview: https://soundcloud.com/siriusxmsports/brian-pattie-reacts-to-nascar

    Brett Griffin (#15 Spotter)

    “We all know the score. Its time to go do our jobs. Ill do it the same as I did last week. Love my team”

    “Team orders? Really. I swear on my kids lives no one gave me team orders.”

    NAPA

    “The actions taken by Michael Waltrip’s Racing team this past weekend leading to the penalties assessed by NASCAR, are very concerning. We are disappointed that a partner associated with our organization would make such a significant error in judgment. In addition, we have launched our own review to determine the future of our partnership with Michael Waltrip’s Racing team. The NAPA AUTO PARTS organization is proud of its long-standing NASCAR relationship. We share a passion with our customers for high quality racing and seek to determine the best course of action for our customers, NASCAR fans, and the NAPA organization.”

    5-Hour Energy

    “We respect NASCAR’s penalties against MWR & are addressing our sponsorship relations internally. We appreciate your understanding & patience”

    Martin Truex Jr.

    “I just want to take a min to thank my fans, NAPA AUTO PARTS, Toyota, NASCAR, my fellow competitors, & MWR for their support. I was very excited for my team when I learned that we clinched a wild card spot Sat night in Richmond. I drove the hardest race of my life that night & was unaware of any other circumstances other than needing to finish as high as I could to have a chance. This has been a very difficult situation for everyone involved. I hope we can all move on. I’m looking forward to Chicago, seeing all my fans & getting back in.My #56 NAPA Toyota. Thank you for all the messages. They are much appreciated.”

    Tony Stewart

    “Obviously, we’re very pleased with NASCAR’s decision to provide Ryan Newman’s rightful place in this year’s Chase. NASCAR was put in a very difficult position Saturday night at Richmond and we commend the sanctioning body for taking the time to do the necessary due diligence to ensure that the right call was made.”

    Ryan Newman

    “I am proud that NASCAR took a stand with respect to what went on Saturday night at Richmond. I know it was a tough decision to make. With that being said, myself, Matt Borland (crew chief) and this entire No. 39 team are looking forward to competing for the 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship.”

    Jeff Gordon

    “Feel bad for Truex. He got in under controversy now out due to it. But the guy who started all of this not effected at all??? Don’t agree!” 

    “Take me out of this completely. At this point all that matters to me is if @NASCAR decides to fix this then fix it completely!”

    “Phone bat going to die. Prob a good thing b4 I say something that gets me in trouble. Lastly, someone explain the “ripple effect” to me?”

    His wife Ingrid replied, “@JeffGordonWeb Ripple effect is when first guy causes something and gets no penalty. Every driver effected by that first move gets Screwed!”

    Ryan Truex (Martin’s Younger Brother)

    “Like my dad tells me, all you can do is go out every weekend and drive the car as hard as you can. Everything else is out of your control.”

    Sherry Pollex (Martin Truex Jr.’s Girlfriend)

    “Our family is healthy & well. We have a warm bed to sleep in at night, many don’t. We are so blessed and have so much to be thankful for. I will stand by my man until the day I die. He is a steady rock in my life. The most honest, loyal and dedicated guy I know. We’ll be fine Thank you for all the messages, they mean a lot. Now 10 more races to go & try to win for this @napaknowhow team! Broken wrist and all!”

    Larry McReynolds

    “I close my night out by saying I applaud NASCAR for their decision tonight! I know many are happy and many disagree, but this type of thing that happened hurts the sport and integrity of our racing! I still feel bad for J. Gordon, but we all move on. We move onto Chicago to start our Chase and to possibly one of the most exciting Chase races in 10 year history!”

    Brad Keselowski

    “Don’t know how to say what I really think about Mwr penalty with out getting in a lot of trouble. Better stay off twitter for awhile…”

    Do we know for sure that Pattie, Waltrip and Bowyer are lying about the spin? As much as we’d like to think so, we do not truly no for certain and that’s why NASCAR called the video and audio from Bowyer concerning but inconclusive. That statement from an upset NAPA should be a real eye opener of how serious this is. They have had a relationship with Waltrip that goes back to 2001 and for them to say all that demonstrates just how many people this has angered. There are always morality clauses in contracts with sports teams/players and should they want to; NAPA could very well end their affiliation with the team after these transgressions.

    For reasons that we cannot ascertain with 100% certainty, Clint Bowyer spun out and completely changed the outcome of the race to make the chase. We all surely have our opinions on it and most, including myself, feel it was intentional although in my heart, I’d truly like to believe Clint…but I can’t. That spin seemed awkward and controlled to me; not the end result of a NASCAR superstar losing control while racing on the ragged edge.

    Michael Waltrip Racing claims the spin was accidental but is taking responsibility for the No.55 radio communication. They say it was a split second and on the spot decision by Ty though; not a well thought out plan that was waiting in the wings ready to be implemented at any moment if necessary. Personally, a teammate giving a fellow teammate a point happens all the time and isn’t that big of a deal to me but purposely causing a caution that changes almost every position on the race track does bother me. To NASCAR, the Vickers radio was the smoking gun needed to convict MWR. That alone wouldn’t have barred this massive penalty though.

    Seeing a lot of veterans of NASCAR say the spin was intentional is enough for me to stand by what I believe, despite MWR’s claims. NASCAR couldn’t entirely fix what MWR broke but they repaired it to the best of their ability in my eyes. If they started looking into what could have been, then we’d be opening Pandora’s Box. I feel they should have included a point penalty for Clint that would impede his chase hopes though; not take him completely out of the running but at least put him in a hole to start the 10 race stretch.

    This penalty assessed to MWR will certainly be a deterrent to any teams who are tempted by circumstance to determine their own fate in the future but it’s definitely not going to eradicate team orders by any stretch of the imagination. Teams will be hesitant to go as far as MWR did but there will always be that guy who “gets loose” in turn one while his teammate passes him or that one that “can’t get the throttle down off the corner” well enough to beat his teammate to the line for that bonus point. In the end, Truex Jr. didn’t get the Wild Card so I am content with the ruling for the most part. MWR’s efforts to get both cars in the chase were effectively thwarted in the end but now they must deal with the unanticipated repercussions of their imprudent actions.

    Racing has an uncanny way of policing itself when someone does wrong. Clint and his teammates will go to court when they take the green flag Sunday and it’s up to their fellow racers to determine their fate. Clint may get blatantly wrecked by someone and if so; it would most likely be by the hand of a disgruntled Jeff Gordon. Jeff says the anger and disappointment from all this is unlike any he’s ever felt before. The punishment may be much more subtle though. Holding him up on the track or blocking him in on pit road are two very effective ways of getting back at a fellow racer. Then there’s the old Alllison/Yarborough way where you break out the right hook and let the impact do the talking…I doubt it comes to that but you never know!

    I hate dwelling on such an unfortunate and uncalled for situation but you can’t ignore a story that has gained so much national attention. The guys over at MWR are not bad people…they are humans and humans screw up. There is no excuse for it but I don’t wish for their lives to be ruined because of it. The damage is done, the humiliation is ongoing and the black eye that has been cast over that organization won’t rescind anytime soon. NASCAR has made their point and this team must now deal with the consequences…now we wait to see how NASCAR handles the Logano/Gilliland controversy.

     

  • Hot 20 over the past 10 – Newman gets justice while Gordon will have to rely on vengeance

    Hot 20 over the past 10 – Newman gets justice while Gordon will have to rely on vengeance

    Sometime over the next ten weeks, at one of ten tracks hosting the Chase, Clint Bowyer will be sailing along. He will feel a sudden nudge in his left rear quarter-final, just a touch but enough to cause him to feel the car getting out from under him. Bowyer will try to save it, and come close in doing so but, alas, his car will find the wall. His race and his Chase hopes, done in an instant.

    Over the car radio we will hear Jeff Gordon, “I did not mean to do that; I sure hate it.” Then silence, at least over the air waves, as laughter explodes from behind the wall, just beyond the #24 pit box and spotter’s stand. High above the track, Mike Helton will look on, a hint of a smile appearing behind that bushy mustache. He will know, just as was the case with Bowyer at Richmond, that he will not have definitive proof that Gordon did anything intentional. No doubt just a racing deal. Just like Bowyer. Then, all will be right with the world.

    Bowyer was not penalized for intentionally spinning out to cause that late caution at Richmond. Not enough definitive proof, though enough to tarnish the reputation of the personable driver for the foreseeable future among fans. No, this was not an individual penalty, but one aimed at an entire organization for attempting to manipulate the outcome of an event and the standings to benefit one of their own. A $300,000 fine to Michael Waltrip Racing, a indefinite suspension of General Manager Ty Norris, 50 point penalties to each of the organization’s cars and drivers, and probation for all three of its crew chiefs.

    In order for Martin Truex Jr to make the Chase, Ryan Newman could not win and Joey Logano had to claim a Top Ten spot in the standings in order to keep him out of the wild card scenario. When a startled Brian Vickers was ordered to the pits, just before the re-start, in order to allow Logano to move ahead of him on the track, combined with Bowyer’s dawdling on pit road to do the same, the proof was there. Logano made it, taking Jeff Gordon out of the Chase and allowing Truex to slip into the final wild card position.

    At least until the penalties. They dropped Truex behind Newman in points, so Newman takes over that position. Logano was simply a pawn, so there was no reason to sanction him. Other than to invent a rule to award Gordon an extra Chase place, NASCAR’s hands were tied. Bowyer gets penalized from his season total, which will not affect his Chase standing going in. He was going to be tied for 8th at Chicago, penalty or no penalty. Where is the justice, you might ask. For Gordon, the best he can do is discover an itch in his hot car, just enough for him to need to scratch it, sometime over the next few weeks as his right front fender nears Bowyer’s left rear quarter-panel. We know it could happen. We have all already seen it.

    As they enter the Chase, five race winner Matt Kenseth takes a three point lead over Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Busch in to Chicago.  The leader has been as hot as Johnson has not, as of late, but Rowdy is the one to watch. He has won there, while Kevin Harvick has done so twice. While they have not yet claimed a victory at the track, the two we will be watching who have the best average finish at Chicagoland are Johnson and Bowyer.  Ironically, Gordon owns a piece of one of those cars and would like just a piece of the other.

     

    Name Points Pos LW Rank W T5 T10
      Kyle Busch  350 1 2 (2) 2 4 6
      Kurt Busch  337 2 1 (8) 0 4 7
      Matt Kenseth  326 3 7 (1) 2 3 5
      Jamie McMurray  326 4 9 (14) 0 2 3
      Ryan Newman  323 5 8 (8) 1 4 5
      Kevin Harvick  318 6 5 (4) 0 2 5
      Joey Logano  312 7 3 (6) 1 4 7
      Jeff Gordon  309 8 6 (13) 0 1 7
      Dale Earnhardt, Jr.  302 9 10 (8) 0 1 5
      Kasey Kahne  294 10 11 (8) 1 3 5
      Carl Edwards  294 11 14 (4) 1 2 4
      Juan Pablo Montoya  285 12 17 (19) 0 2 4
      Greg Biffle  280 13 15 (6) 0 0 3
      Jimmie Johnson  268 14 13 (2) 1 2 5
      Brad Keselowski  266 15 18 (15) 0 2 3
      Marcos Ambrose  258 16 16 (21) 0 0 2
      Paul Menard  253 17 19 (16) 0 2 3
      Clint Bowyer  251 18 4 (8) 0 3 4
      Martin Truex, Jr.  238 19 12 (17) 0 2 4
      Ricky Stenhouse, Jr.  238 20 22 (20) 0 0 1
      Aric Almirola  236 21 20 (18) 0 1 1
  • Surprising and Not Surprising: Richmond Federated Auto Parts 400

    Surprising and Not Surprising: Richmond Federated Auto Parts 400

    With everything on the line as far as Chase berths, here is what was surprising and not surprising from the 56th annual Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond International Raceway.

    Surprising:  The very technology that attracts fans to the sport because of how up close and personal they can be with their drivers and teams, including in-car audio and race scanners, was surprisingly what doomed Michael Waltrip Racing at Richmond.

    After the race, the in-car audio and video of Clint Bowyer, driver of the No. 15 5-Hour Energy Toyota, seemingly indicated that his late race spin, which sent his teammate Martin Truex, Jr. into the Chase, may not have been so accidental.

    To complicate matters, the audio of the race scanner chatter between MWR driver Brian Vickers and his spotter Ty Norris also seemed to indicate some shenanigans about pitting to allow Truex Jr. into the Chase as well.

    In a surprising Monday after the race weekend press conference, NASCAR announced significant penalties to address these issues which they deemed detrimental to the sport, including points penalties, the largest monetary fine ever imposed, and the indefinite suspension of key MWR leader Ty Norris.

    Even more surprising, because of the reduction in the points, Martin Truex Jr. was moved out of the Chase and Ryan Newman was placed into the Chase.

    “Based upon our review of Saturday night’s race at Richmond, it is our determination that the MWR organization attempted to manipulate the outcome of the race,” said Robin Pemberton, NASCAR vice president of competition. “As the sport’s sanctioning body, it is our responsibility to ensure there is a fair and level playing field for all of our competitors and this action today reflects our commitment to that.”

    Not Surprising:  While the major issues with MWR may have been surprising, it was not surprising that the last race of the regular season yet again involved a restart controversy. And this time it involved the ultimate race winner Carl Edwards, driver of the No. 99 Frosted Flakes Ford.

    “What happened on that last restart is Paul (Menard) had two tires,” Edwards said. “I knew he was going to be at a big disadvantage with grip.”

    “He took off and I waited until he went to go,” Edwards continued. “As we were going, his car actually touched my door.”

    “I heard his engine speed up and he spun the tires,” Edwards said. “At that point, I really had no choice.”

    Edwards scored his 21st win in the Cup Series, his second victory of the season and his first win at Richmond. He is now seeded fifth in the Chase, just nine points behind the leader.

    Surprising:  Jimmie Johnson, fresh off the birth of his second daughter Lydia, continued his slump, finishing outside the top 25 for the fourth straight race. Johnson’s previous worst slump was three straight finishes of 36th or worse in August 2004.

    Johnson endured mechanical problems and a late-race spin to finish 40th at Richmond in his No. 48 Lowes/Kobalt Tools Chevrolet. In spite of his struggles, he is still seeded second in the Chase, just three points behind the leader.

    “Yeah, that was a tough night,” Johnson said. “Just a bummer we ended the regular season like we did.”

    “We will go to Chicago and get this Chase started off on the right foot.”

    Not Surprising:  The current lame duck drivers had positive results when it came time to decide the Chase, with one making history, one solidly in, and the third catapulting in thanks to the MWR penalties.

    Kurt Busch, current driver of the No. 78 Furniture Row/Beautyrest Chevrolet who will be moving to Stewart-Haas Racing in 2014, made history by finishing second at Richmond and taking his one-car team into the Chase. He is seeded 10th in the Chase standings at present, 15 points behind the leader.

    “It’s an amazing feeling to go up against these big teams and to put a little lone Chevrolet from Colorado into the Chase against the big boys,” Busch said. “This feels incredible.”

    Kevin Harvick, who has run consistently all season and will also move to Stewart-Haas Racing in 2014 along with Kurt Busch, closed the deal on his Chase berth, finishing the race in 11th and taking the fourth seed position in the Chase, just nine out of first.

    “We’re as good as we’ve ever been over the years,” the driver of the No 29 Budweiser Chevrolet said. “Hopefully we can take our team and get better over the next few weeks.”

    Ryan Newman, the other lame duck driver, who just confirmed that he will be leaving Stewart-Haas Racing for Richard Childress Racing in 2014, ended up in the Chase after NASCAR levied its decision regarding Martin Truex Jr.

    “I am proud that NASCAR took a stand with respect to what went on Saturday night at Richmond,” Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 39 Quicken Loans Chevrolet, said. “I know it was a tough decision to make.”

    “With that being said, myself, Matt Borland (crew chief) and this entire No. 39 team are looking forward to competing for the 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship.”

    Surprising:  Roush Fenway had a surprisingly good night at and after the Richmond race, locking up two of its drivers in the Chase and having its rookie driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr. score a top-10 finish.

    This was the tenth time in ten seasons that Roush Fenway Racing has placed multiple teams into playoff contention. The event also marked the seventh time that RFR driver Carl Edwards made the Chase in his career.

    Roush Fenway Racing has achieved another milestone, that of placing five of ten entries inside the Chase since 2005, including both Carl Edwards and teammate Greg Biffle.

    “As I look at the racetracks in front of us in the Chase, I think that we’ve got more momentum than we’ve ever had as we look at it going forward,” team owner Jack Roush declared.

    Not Surprising:   The ever understated Matt Kenseth not only made the Chase with his ‘new’ team Joe Gibbs Racing but is seeded in the top dog position of P1, with all the other contenders literally chasing him for the championship.

    Kenseth, behind the wheel of the No. 20 Home Depot Husky Toyota, finished sixth at Richmond.

    “We ended up finishing the night decent,” Kenseth said. “The last couple cautions fell our way and the last restart fell our way.”

    “I feel good going to Chicago – it will be alright.”

    Surprising:  Considered a short track, it was surprising that there was not one caution caused by anything other than debris or a single car incident at RIR under the lights.

    In fact, the first one hundred laps of the race were completely caution free and there were only five yellow flags for a total of 29 laps.

    Not Surprising:  The disappointment, not surprisingly, of two past champions was absolutely palpable after seeing their Chase hopes disappear.

    Both reigning champ Brad Keselowski and four-time champion Jeff Gordon failed to make the Chase for 2013. Keselowski finished in 17th and Gordon finished 8th in the final race before the Chase.

    “I don’t really have any emotions right now,” Brad Keselowski, driver of the No. 2 Miller Lite Ford. “We weren’t good enough to make it and we didn’t.”

    “That is the reality.”

    “It’s disappointing to miss it that close,” Jeff Gordon, driver of the No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet, said after barely missing the Chase. “I love the effort this team put in.”

    Surprising:  Two drivers who made it into the Chase were surprisingly disappointed after their Richmond run. Kyle Busch, driver of the No. 18 American Heritage Chocolate Toyota, and Kasey Kahne, behind the wheel of the No. 5 Farmers Insurance Chevrolet, were both unhappy after their 19th and 14th place finishes respectively.

    “We made it I guess,” Busch said. “We’ll just have to work and lay all the pieces out and see what needs to be better.”

    “So I’m not pleased with where we’re at,” Kahne said. “But I’m still very confident and feel that going into the Chase it’s a clean sheet of paper for everybody, and we’re going to be where we need to.”

    “People can speculate and wonder all week long, but I really look forward to getting to Chicago and showing people what this team has in it.”

    Not Surprising:  Ironman Mark Martin, substitute driver for the recuperating Tony Stewart, not surprisingly brought home the No. 14 Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 Chevrolet for his first-ever top-10 performance in that race car.

    “Really proud of all the guys on this Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 team,” Martin said. “They improved the car throughout the race and made some great calls.”

    “We got our first top-10 together,” Martin continued. “We’ll take that and build on it.”

  • NASCAR Drops Penalty Hammer on Michael Waltrip Racing; Newman Heads to Chase

    NASCAR Drops Penalty Hammer on Michael Waltrip Racing; Newman Heads to Chase

    In an unprecedented Monday evening news conference after the wild Richmond race on Saturday night, NASCAR dropped the penalty hammer on Michael Waltrip Racing.

    “Based upon our review of Saturday night’s race at Richmond, it is our determination that the MWR organization attempted to manipulate the outcome of the race,” said Robin Pemberton, NASCAR vice president of competition. “As the sport’s sanctioning body, it is our responsibility to ensure there is a fair and level playing field for all of our competitors and this action today reflects our commitment to that.”

    Although NASCAR could not determine if the late race spin by MWR driver Clint Bowyer was intentional, that combined with the unusual pitting by MWR teammate Brian Vickers, which was documented on the radio transmissions between him  and spotterTy Norris, added up to what the sanctioning body considered a violation of Section 12-4, Actions detrimental to stock car racing.

    As a result, NASCAR levied the following penalties:

    *The three MWR teams, including the No. 15 of Clint Bowyer, the No. 55 of Brian Vickers, and the No. 56 of Martin Truex Jr. were penalized with the loss of 50 championship driver and 50 championship owner points, respectively.

    *NASCAR also fined MWR $300,000, the largest fine that the sanctioning body has ever levied.

    *Ty Norris, the Executive Vice President & General Manager of Michael Waltrip Racing and the spotter for Brian Vickers, has been suspended indefinitely from the sport.

    *The three crew chiefs, Brian Pattie on the No. 15, Scott Miller on the No. 55 and Chad Johnston on the No. 56 car have also been placed on probation until the season end.

    The controversy started after in-car audio and video revealed what appeared to be some sort of exchange in code between Bowyer and his team, leading to a late race spin and caution that changed the entire complexion of the finishing order and the Chase setting.

    “(Newman) is going to win the race,’’ spotter Brett Griffin told Bowyer in audio first aired by ESPN.

    About 30 seconds later, crew chief Brian Pattie asked Bowyer if his arm was hurting and if it was “hot in there” and then was told to “Itch it.” Shortly after that, Bowyer seemed to have jerked the wheel, sending his No. 15 5-Hour Energy spinning and his teammate Martin Truex Jr. into Chase contention.

    Even Dale Earnhardt Jr., who was right behind Bowyer, commented after the race that the spin was suspicious.

    “He just spun right out,” Junior said. “That’s the craziest thing I ever saw.”

    “He just came right around,” Junior continued. “We were going into (Turns) 3 and 4 … he was hemming around on the brakes and jerking the car around, and then the thing just spun out.”

    “It was crazy.”

    Because of the point penalties, which were assessed following the Richmond race and not after the Chase seeding, the point total for the No. 56 car piloted by Truex Jr. was reduced to 691, eliminating him from the second Wild Card berth.

    This change, which put Truex Jr. in 17th position in points, moved Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 39 car for Stewart-Haas Racing, up into the Chase field.

    “Obviously, we’re very pleased with NASCAR’s decision to provide Ryan Newman’s rightful place in this year’s Chase,” Tony Stewart, Co-Owner of Stewart-Haas Racing, said. “NASCAR was put in a very difficult position Saturday night at Richmond and we commend the sanctioning body for taking the time to do the necessary due diligence to ensure that the right call was made.”

    “I am proud that NASCAR took a stand with respect to what went on Saturday night at Richmond,” Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 39 Quicken Loans Chevrolet, said. “I know it was a tough decision to make.”

    “With that being said, myself, Matt Borland (crew chief) and this entire No. 39 team are looking forward to competing for the 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship.”

    As with any penalty, Michael Waltrip Racing can appeal, however, that still will not re-instate Martin Truex Jr. back into Chase contention. Shortly after the penalties were announced, MWR advised that they would not be appealing the decision.

    “What occurred on the No. 55 radio at the end of Saturday night’s race in Richmond was a split-second decision made by team spotter Ty Norris to bring the No. 55 to pit lane and help a teammate earn a place in the Chase,” a statement from Michael Waltrip Racing read. “We regret the decision and its impact.”

    “We apologize to NASCAR, our fellow competitors, partners and fans who were disappointed in our actions,” the MWR statement continued. “We will learn from this and move on.”

    “As general manager, Ty Norris has been an integral part of Michael Waltrip Racing since its founding and has my and (co-owner) Rob Kauffman’s full support.”