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  • Hot 20 – If viewership tanked for Talladega, imagine what the ratings for Kansas will be

    Hot 20 – If viewership tanked for Talladega, imagine what the ratings for Kansas will be

    Talladega was a ratings bust. Talladega. For fans who follow the sport, those four Stewart-Haas cars up front, doing what they had to do all day long, was something to behold. For those who simply tune in to watch incredible action, they had to wait for the final 20 laps for the payoff. However, they had to have tuned in to witness either. They did not even bother. That is troublesome.

    Now, we have Kansas coming up on Sunday. Kansas. Winning the Hollywood Casino 400 will not exactly mean anything more than finishing first at some generically named Cup event that no one will remember in a few weeks. It has the marquee value of actress Lecy Goranson headlining a major Hollywood production. None. In fact, Charlotte’s roval and Talladega were the last events of the season able to stand on their own. Do not expect anyone new to watch these final four races. Zip.

    NBC did its part. Bringing Dale Earnhardt Jr. into the mix along with Jeff Burton, Steve Letarte, Rick Allen and the rest of the talented crew finally gave us a broadcast that is interesting to tune to watch on its own. If you want to learn stuff, they can educate. Maybe it is the audience that has changed, that has become dimwitted, unable to focus, unable or unwilling to learn, complaining about the stupidest things for the stupidest of reasons. Maybe.

    Then again, old-time fans have been thinking that for years. Maybe decades. Stock cars are no longer stock. The champion is no longer determined by being the best over the season. The playoff concept was introduced. Stage points. Selling out tradition (the brief termination of the Southern 500, the Firecracker 400, the World 600) in favor of commercialization. Maybe both NASCAR and what today constitutes many of its potential fans, the society as a whole, has changed to the point the sport is unable to keep them in the seats or sitting in front of their televisions. Maybe too many would rather let someone else do their driving, or some artificial intelligence, than sitting behind the wheel of a car themselves to enjoy the experience of hitting the open road. Maybe.

    If you are not a fan, a follower of the action, someone who would love to have the talent to be able to hit the track themselves, maybe you just do not get it. I feel the same way about soccer and basketball. At least I have some ideas as to changes that might interest me in the former. Get rid of the off-side rule, push penalty shots much further back than just 12 yards out, and banning the effeminate diving by grown men hitting the ground over nothing more than a fart might give me some reason to watch the action. Unfortunately, I am fresh out of ideas as to what NASCAR needs to do to attract former and future fans back to their venues and telecasts. If the potential of mayhem on every lap does not do it, I do not know what will.

    I know Kansas, on its own, is not part of the answer. What is?

    1. ARIC ALMIROLA – ROUND WIN – 3087 Pts – 1 Win
    I wish to thank my teammates for all of their support.

    2. CHASE ELLIOTT – ROUND WIN – 3066 Pts – 2 Wins
    Kansas is next, but he is already preparing for Martinsville, Texas, and Phoenix.

    3. KEVIN HARVICK – 3128 POINTS – 7 Wins
    Put the pedal to the metal but he needed a chance to coast for a few laps.

    4. KYLE BUSCH – 3111 POINTS – 7 Wins
    Was in self-preservation mode until the end, when they finally got him.

    5. JOEY LOGANO – 3104 POINTS – 1 Win
    If he should pick up some stage points and a decent finish, he should be fine.

    6. KURT BUSCH – 3095 POINTS – 1 Win
    I loved the Talladega finish but as for Kurt, not so much.

    7. CLINT BOWYER – 3086 POINTS – 2 Wins
    Roar that engine and click those ruby red slippers as the lad is back in Kansas.

    8. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 3083 POINTS – 4 Wins
    How he wound up above the cut off line had a lot to do with fuel…or lack of it for others.

    9. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 3065 POINTS – 3 Wins
    Those three wins mean nothing coming to Sunday. A fourth would be very, very nice.

    10. RYAN BLANEY – 3061 POINTS – 1 Win
    A very bad day for Bowyer or Truex would be helpful…not wishing bad on anyone, but…

    11. KYLE LARSON – 3047 POINTS
    Being creative with repairs cost Larson 10 points. Now he is in Bowman country.

    12. ALEX BOWMAN – 3015 POINTS
    A win by Bowman this Sunday would top even what Almirola managed to do last weekend.

    13. DENNY HAMLIN – 2136 POINTS
    Being the best of the rest is his remaining goal.

    14. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 2128 POINTS
    Jimmie and Chad are down to four races to extend that string of seasons with at least one win.

    15. AUSTIN DILLON – 2124 POINTS – 1 Win
    Some ran out of gas on Sunday. Dillon’s quest ran out of gas a few weeks ago.

    16. ERIK JONES – 2108 POINTS – 1 Win
    We need the likes of Jones and 17-year old Hailie Deegan to become future marquee attractions.

    17. RYAN NEWMAN – 641 POINTS
    Had a better season than some, but hopes for better yet with Roush in 2019.

    18. PAUL MENARD – 619 POINTS
    Returned from two laps down to record a Top Ten at Talladega.

    19. RICKY STENHOUSE JR. – 615 POINTS
    Third best last week as some of the season’s also-rans finished their runs in lofty positions.

    20. DANIEL SUAREZ – 614 POINTS
    Ranked 20th last season. Ranked 20th this season. If nothing else, the lad is consistent.

  • Hot 20 – Not everyone loves Talladega, but not everyone is normal

    Hot 20 – Not everyone loves Talladega, but not everyone is normal

    Talladega. Do you need any more incentive to watch the action this Sunday? It is Talladega, dammit!

    Flying around in aircraft formation inches apart at 200 mph. That would be good enough to force me into the Depends, especially if I were in the passenger seat. It is a track that causes skid marks to appear everywhere. One wobble, one mistake, and a whole bunch of folks find themselves in a world of hurt. It does not have to happen. Just the threat that it could, on each and every lap, is enough to watch, to wonder, and to marvel at the skills of the boys going round and round.

    Just the nature of the beast allows almost all to hold out hope that victory could be their own, legends and no frill competitors alike. Many of the greatest names in the sport have won at least three times there. Bobby Allison. Brad Keselowski. Buddy Baker. Cale Yarborough, Dale Earnhardt. Dale Earnhardt Jr. Darrell Waltrip. Davey Allison. David Pearson. Jeff Gordon. Joey Logano. How sweet it would be to be included among those names.

    More than a few have had that honor over the past 50 years. The big names boycotted the first race in 1969. Too dangerous, they said. It gave Richard Brickhouse his lone Cup victory. Peter Hamilton had four career wins, two with his sweep in 1970. James Hylton won twice during his career, including the summer of 1972. Dick Brooks claimed his one and only a year later. Same track, same solitary milestone for Lonnie Pond, Ron Bouchard and Phil Parsons.

    Talladega is a track that plays no favorites. A legend or a no name can claim victory, and both can expect one hell of a ride at any time on any corner for any reason. To you, an Elliott could just mean a boy who once played with a funny looking alien fellow and ate Reese’s Pieces. Or a Busch is just a cold beer. Or someone named Kyle must mean a chap who does rap (never heard of the guy, personally). None of that would detract from your Talladega experience.

    If you base your television viewing on how many times it causes you to exclaim “Holy Crap!”, might I suggest Talladega.

    1. CHASE ELLIOTT – 1 ROUND WIN (3056 Pts – 2 Wins)
    It is time for Bill to remove the training wheels. The boy no longer needs them.

    2. KEVIN HARVICK – 3101 POINTS (7 Wins)
    Harvick just hired my 85-year old mother-in-law to join his pit crew. She starts Sunday.

    3. KYLE BUSCH – 3096 POINTS (7 Wins)
    The knob is gone next year and, no, I am not referring to the driver.

    4. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 3069 POINTS (4 Wins)
    Along with Blaney, the Most Popular Driver contenders include him and the names listed above.

    5. JOEY LOGANO – 3064 POINTS (1 Win)
    Lately, he has been a Top Five guy at Talladega, and that is something he would like to continue.

    6. KURT BUSCH – 3054 POINTS (1 Win)
    Surviving the Roval and Talladega is not an easy thing to do, but here is hoping.

    7. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 3054 POINTS (3 Wins)
    Almirola’s drive to Victory Lane took a detour into Keselowski…and stopped there.

    8. RYAN BLANEY – 3043 POINTS (1 Win)
    Blaney’s Roval win was no accident, but it sure was assisted by one.

    9. ARIC ALMIROLA – 3033 POINTS
    Can he bounce back after Dover wreck? Sure, he bounced off Keselowski, didn’t he?

    10. CLINT BOWYER – 3033 POINTS (2 Wins)
    Feels sick about ruining the day for Almirola. Feels even sicker about ruining his own.

    11. KYLE LARSON – 3031 POINTS
    Good luck and determination got him here, but he will need more than that to continue.

    12. ALEX BOWMAN – 3009 POINTS
    Sometimes you do not want anything to do with Aric and Brad. Not a damn thing.

    13. AUSTIN DILLON – 2101 POINTS (1 Win)
    Avoid a wreck and he just might finish…but that has not happened at Talladega for a while.

    14. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 2098 POINTS
    I am loaning Jimmie my 2008 Chrysler Pacifica so he can at least get his parade laps in.

    15. DENNY HAMLIN – 2094 POINTS
    The way he is driving he obviously does not know he has been eliminated from contention.

    16. ERIK JONES – 2079 POINTS (1 Win)
    “How cool would it be to own this cardboard cutout of me in your house?” Not for a grown man.

    17. RYAN NEWMAN – 629 POINTS
    Just killin’ time.

    18. DANIEL SUAREZ – 593 POINTS
    About losing his ride, “When you don’t have anything good to say, it’s better not to say anything.”

    19. PAUL MENARD – 591 POINTS
    Some drivers worry about such things as sponsorship. I wonder if Paul understands why?

    20. RICKY STENHOUSE JR. – 581 POINTS
    At the moment, he is having a better season than McMurray. Hey, at least it is something.

  • Hot 20 – The Big Three still remain the biggest obstacles for the rest as they hit Dover

    Hot 20 – The Big Three still remain the biggest obstacles for the rest as they hit Dover

    On to Dover this Sunday, and down to a dozen championship contenders. Once again, as we enter the second round of eliminations, Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick look solid. So does Martin Truex Jr. Not so for everyone else.

    Just ask Aric Almirola and Kyle Larson. If Jimmie Johnson had not wrecked coming to the line and if Jeffrey Earnhardt did not sit idle for as long as he did just shy of it, one of them would have been out. Both lads came into Charlotte between 17 and 23 points to the good, and it almost was not enough.

    As for Johnson, he said that, after sleeping on it, he still thought he made the right decision to try to challenge Truex for the win last Sunday. I might disagree, but I am not a well decorated former race car championship winner, so what do I know? Well, if you research why George Custer did what he did at the Little Big Horn, you can see the logic behind his actions. Sadly, the result is all we remember, both for ole George and Jimmie.

    The Monster Mile is not exactly one of my favorite venues. On the positive side, the NBC crew is my absolute favorite broadcast team. I do believe those boys and girls can make me watch a soccer game. Okay, as Maury would say, “that was a lie.” Still, it should make for an entertaining broadcast as we begin the round that takes us from Dover, to Talladega, to Kansas.

    Let the fun continue.

    1. KYLE BUSCH – 3055 POINTS (7 Wins)
    “I guess all of us are just stupid” when it came to that late wreck. He was far from alone.

    2. KEVIN HARVICK – 3050 POINTS (7 Wins)
    If having a dud day means finishing ninth, being a dud sometimes is not bad at all.

    3. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 3038 POINTS (4 Wins)
    Sure, he lost his bid for a win, but Johnson lost his bid for a championship.

    4. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 3025 POINTS (3 Wins)
    Believes the 2019 rules package will equate into closer racing. We shall see. We shall see.

    5. CLINT BOWYER – 3015 POINTS (2 Wins)
    One outsider who moved to the inside was not tempted to gamble it all away for a win.

    6. JOEY LOGANO – 3014 POINTS (1 Win)
    Todd Gordon to his driver, “Brad led the army off the cliff” after the late race pileup in Turn 1.

    7. KURT BUSCH – 3014 POINTS (1 Win)
    Took the pole, finished fifth, avoided being part of Brad’s army. A good day, all in all.

    8. RYAN BLANEY – 3013 POINTS (1 Win)
    I want to thank Jimmie Johnson for all he did FOR me…and TO Martin Truex Jr.

    9. CHASE ELLIOTT – 3008 POINTS (1 Win)
    If the new rules package allows the cream to rise, he should like the changes just fine.

    10. KYLE LARSON – 3006 POINTS
    Next, his pit crew will turn water into wine after just raising that car from the dead.

    11. ARIC ALMIROLA – 3001 POINTS
    Thanks, Jimmie. I might not have gotten here without you.

    12. ALEX BOWMAN – 3000 POINTS
    Started last Sunday a point above the bubble, only to now sit 13 points under the bubble.

    13. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 2097 POINTS
    A bridge…or maybe a chicane…too far.

    14. AUSTIN DILLON – 2066 POINTS (1 Win)
    Literally went to the wall to keep his playoff hopes alive…but that is what ended them.

    15. DENNY HAMLIN – 2053 POINTS
    Super sorry I ran into the back of your car, Erik.

    16. ERIK JONES – 2041 POINTS (1 Win)
    “What the [expletive] are teammates even for?”

    17. RYAN NEWMAN – 609 POINTS
    Meanwhile, at the kiddie’s table…

    18. PAUL MENARD – 570 POINTS
    Has not had a good past couple of weeks, and it is doubtful things will get any better at Dover.

    19. DANIEL SUAREZ – 566 POINTS
    Still searching for a landing spot and Dover has so far been very, very good to him.

    20. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 553 POINTS
    Anyone want to hire a Top 20 NASCAR driver for next season?

    21. RICKY STENHOUSE JR. – 553 POINTS
    I guess this is the week for tie-breakers.

  • Hot 20 – Charlotte’s roval goes left, it goes right, and possibly where everything will go wrong

    Hot 20 – Charlotte’s roval goes left, it goes right, and possibly where everything will go wrong

    They thought Talladega was a wild card. Boy, something tells me that Charlotte’s Roval is going to test them like never before. This one makes the World 600 nothing more than a nice test, a rest in some ways, before the storm coming their way on Sunday.

    When your first danger spot is identified as Turn 1, you got to think that the excrement is about to hit the ventilation system. A tire barrier, a safer barrier, and a concrete barrier all await those who fate decides to screw with. Imagine the potential for carnage for the start and any re-starts that follow.

    The next most treacherous part of the track? According to some, the entire rest of the track can claim that honor. Sounds interesting. Sounds more like a demolition derby. Sounds like a race I am not going to miss.

    Prepare for some hearts to be broken, along with a few auto body parts. It is the Roval at Charlotte this Sunday.

    1. KYLE BUSCH – 1 ROUND WIN (2125 Pts – 7 Wins)
    Best on the season, the best at Richmond, so who cares about the Roval?

    2. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 1 ROUND WIN (2111 Pts – 3 Wins)
    I guess you could say he has entered a one race slump.

    3. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 2141 POINTS (4 Wins)
    Another member of the family will be leading the pack…at least prior to the green flag.

    4. KEVIN HARVICK – 2113 POINTS (7 Wins)
    Name a scenario where he does not advance. There isn’t one.

    5. JOEY LOGANO – 2081 POINTS (1 Win)
    Not totally out of the woods, but he sees prairie just ahead.

    6. ARIC ALMIROLA – 2079 POINTS
    No wins but lots of speed, and that might be enough for round one.

    7. KYLE LARSON – 2073 POINTS
    Charlotte should be easy until he comes across all those curvy parts.

    8. KURT BUSCH – 2071 POINTS (1 Win)
    He has the talent. He has the equipment. Now all he needs is good fortune.

    9. CHASE ELLIOTT – 2066 POINTS (1 Win)
    This whole Roval thing should have a lot of folks nervous, including Bill’s boy.

    10. AUSTIN DILLON – 2066 POINTS (1 Win)
    The smart money had him out after this round, but now he has to clear just one more hurdle.

    11. ALEX BOWMAN – 2061 POINTS
    Sitting five to seven points to the good, and that can’t be good.

    12. RYAN BLANEY – 2060 POINTS
    If Bowman is nervous, imagine how this guy feels.

    13. CLINT BOWYER – 2056 POINTS (2 Wins)
    Finish four or five points better than the two ahead of him, and all will be fine.

    14. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 2054 POINTS
    If Bowyer does well, it would be smart to stay close to him, though ahead would be even better.

    15. ERIK JONES – 2039 POINTS (1 Win)
    Has a win this season, but now he needs another one.

    16. DENNY HAMLIN – 2031 POINTS
    It is either win it all or nothing.

    17. RYAN NEWMAN – 583 POINTS
    A Chevy is nice, but the offer from Ford was nicer…but that is next year.

    18. PAUL MENARD – 566 POINTS
    As long as he has a sponsor with deep pockets he shall remain safe.

    19. RICKY STENHOUSE JR. – 552 POINTS
    He might not have Danica, but he has something McMurray and Allmendinger do not.

    20. DANIEL SUAREZ – 550 POINTS
    Does leaving Gibbs mean leaving all hope behind?

  • The Final Word – A Saturday night to get reacquainted with the Big Three at Richmond

    The Final Word – A Saturday night to get reacquainted with the Big Three at Richmond

    Richmond, the second race of the opening rung of the championship ladder. Only four storylines awaited to be written.

    Who would win, and would it be Brad Keselowski for a fourth straight contest?

    Who could keep out of danger from falling out of the top dozen as they search for a berth in the second leg?

    Who could move up from the next four, already in danger to being eliminated, to challenge for one of those top dozen spots after having some hard luck at Las Vegas?

    Finally, who outside of our drivers of interest could make themselves relevant? The best of last week, Jamie McMurray, got wrecked before it was all over. Would someone outside the top sixteen manage to finish the event and make us notice they were even there?

    None of the outsiders showed up by the time that opening stage completed. Often it is too early to tell much, but Martin Truex, Jr. and Kevin Harvick dominated while Keselowski showed up late for third. No one else was even close. Chase Elliott was fourth, making us wonder if he was going to erase the nine point gap between himself and those above the cut off line when this one came to a conclusion. Clint Bowyer was the man in his sights, who started with an ill handling car that gave him no breaks in that opening run. As for as those who had to pass a lot of cars in that initial run, both Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin seemed prepared to put forth a good argument before it was all over.

    Stage two provided more of the same. Truex ran away with it, with Harvick next up. Keselowski was fourth, so still in the hunt. To this point, the question remained if Elliott would move into the top dozen and replace Bowyer, or not. As for an also ran, Ryan Newman was in the distant conversation. He was also a hot topic before the race. Newman will be leaving Richard Childress to take the ride split between Matt Kenseth and Trevor Bayne this season for Jack Roush.

    Just to make things interesting, the pit stops brought some interesting events. First, Truex got tagged with tire violation to set him back. Elliott went to the front, moving up three spots, thanks to his crew. That left us watching and wondering how things might shake out when they took the green.

    The “Baby” Busch soon rejoined the party, and soon was in front. He had the best car in the end, and won it to get his free pass to the next round. Harvick had the most steady car in the event, and was the runner-up. Like Busch, Truex had a nice comeback, making up nearly twenty spots from is pit miscue to come home in third. All three join Keselowski, who was ninth on that night, locked into the next round of three races based on wins and points. Up next, though, is the Roval in Charlotte next weekend.

    Elliott was fourth on Saturday night, and now is ten to the good. Bowyer and Jimmie Johnson are outsiders, yet the pair are within seven points of Ryan Blaney and Alex Bowman. Erik Jones and Hamlin, who wound up 16th,  damn near need a win to be in. As for the 24 other boys out on the track for this one, none were among our Top Ten.

    The Roval. That is a track that makes Talladega look downright tame. For you and I, a very entertaining race to watch. For the crews, an absolute nightmare to navigate. Let the good times roval next Sunday in Charlotte.

  • Hot 20 – Richmond’s good ole rock and roll road show, gotta go, Saturday night, Saturday night

    Hot 20 – Richmond’s good ole rock and roll road show, gotta go, Saturday night, Saturday night

    We know some things. In these times, some folks do not seem to know anything, but we do. Brad Keselowski is advancing to the next round. After Saturday night in Richmond, it should be confirmed that Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch will be joining him. I feel pretty confident about Kevin Harvick and Joey Logano about now.

    Some I am almost sure of. Some I am not. Based on how they are running and how they have run, I am pretty sure that anyone behind Aric Almirola, seven of them in total, are fighting for the final three transfer spots in the Chase.

    I am not sure nine points is enough for Austin Dillon, for example. I am not ready to bury the likes of Jimmie Johnson, Chase Elliott, or Denny Hamlin just yet. I think there is still hope for Erik Jones.

    However, they need to get it done this Saturday night in Richmond. The short track is normal. The next one is not. A week later at Charlotte, the Bermuda Triangle, the Black Hole, the darkness of Mordor possibly awaits with the inaugural running of the Roval. I mean, if Joey Gase winds up being the winner of that race of mystery I would not be the least bit surprised.

    1. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 1 CHALLENGER ROUND WIN (2069 Pts – 3 W)
    Is the boy trying to run the table?

    2. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 2087 POINTS (4 W)
    Nothing to lose and everything to win…again.

    3. KYLE BUSCH – 2085 POINTS (6 W)
    Easily cut through the grass at Las Vegas. Imagine if he had been sponsored by Caterpillar.

    4. KEVIN HARVICK – 2060 POINTS (7 W)
    Damn pit crew. Damn tires. Damn Las Vegas.

    5. JOEY LOGANO – 2056 POINTS (1 W)
    As long as his next Richmond win is not as encumbered as his last one was, he’ll be fine.

    6. KURT BUSCH – 2046 POINTS (1 W)
    When a car shoots up toward you at a 90-degree angle, a good day is about to go bad.

    7. RYAN BLANEY – 2042 POINTS
    A Top Five gives the lad some breathing room.

    8. KYLE LARSON – 2041 POINTS
    The Rail Rider.

    9. ARIC ALMIROLA – 2034 POINTS
    How could he scrape the wall? Scrape Blaney, sure, but the wall?

    10. AUSTIN DILLON – 2031 POINTS (1 W)
    If he gets a decent finish on Saturday night, I will start believing he will advance..but not before.

    11. CLINT BOWYER – 2029 POINTS (2 W)
    Another Top Ten at Richmond this year might be all he needs.

    12. ALEX BOWMAN – 2028 POINTS
    Three Hendrick cars in the hunt, but that could be down to one…or none…after the Roval.

    13. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 2022 POINTS
    Things were going so well until the final dozen or so laps.

    14. CHASE ELLIOTT – 2019 POINTS (1 W)
    McMurray was doing so well, and then he became a contender collector.

    15. ERIK JONES – 2009 POINTS (1 W)
    Mr. Harvick, I presume.

    16. DENNY HAMLIN – 2008 POINTS
    Obviously did not have the same earth moving capability as Rowdy.

    17. RYAN NEWMAN – 561 POINTS
    A decent run last weekend…not that it matters anymore.

    18. PAUL MENARD – 551 POINTS
    The top three guys out of the Chase recorded Top Tens last Sunday. I should care, but I do not.

    19. DANIEL SUAREZ – 530 POINTS
    Will fate be kinder to him next season than it was to Kasey Kahne this year?

    20. RICKY STENHOUSE JR. – 528 POINTS
    Jamie McMurray is 26 points behind him. He damn near moved ahead until Lady Luck left town.

  • Hot 20 – On to Las Vegas, and let the games begin

    Hot 20 – On to Las Vegas, and let the games begin

    Change is coming to NASCAR. Not the kind that makes people return in droves to the grandstands, but the change that always comes through the passage of time. Martin Truex Jr. moves to a new team, as his old one folds. That means Daniel Suarez is on the move, replacing the retiring Kasey Kahne. Jamie McMurray is in search of a new ride and we await word as to what the future holds for Kurt Busch.

    Sunday in Las Vegas, 16 drivers will go through the first of three gauntlets to see who survives into the next round of the Playoffs. Playoff points give Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, and Truex good margins to build on to make it through. However, a run of real bad luck and someone else winning can turn things upside down for some. There is always the possibility of a change in the running order by the time we hit October. The question is, who will rise and who will fall?

    In the north, things have gotten much colder than usual. In the east, the forecast is for wet and wild. In Las Vegas, the weather for Sunday calls for a temperature of up to 100 F (38 C). Too hot, too cold, too wet and wild. It seems a lot of folks would like to see some change.

    For a few near the bottom of the rung among our playoff contenders, positive change will be what they seek this weekend. A few at the top like things to continue as they have been.

    I guess change is something we have come to expect in these times. Now, it all depends on what kind of change is on its way.

    1. KYLE BUSCH – 2050 POINTS (6 Wins)
    Odds of making the next round of the playoffs are at least 4-to-1.

    2. KEVIN HARVICK – 2050 POINTS (7 Wins)
    The names of the winners of the past five Las Vegas races are Harvick, Keselowski, and Truex.

    3. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 2035 POINTS (4 Wins)
    Team exits NASCAR. Car exits Indianapolis early. Time to stop exiting.

    4. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 2019 POINTS (2 Wins)
    Southern 500. Check. Brickyard 400. Check. A 2nd Cup Championship. On the Bucket List.

    5. CLINT BOWYER – 2015 POINTS (2 Wins)
    His odds of winning on Sunday are long. Very long.

    6. JOEY LOGANO – 2014 POINTS (1 Win)
    His last five visits to Las Vegas has seen him roll Top Tens every time.

    7. KURT BUSCH – 2014 POINTS (1 Win)
    Is this his last rodeo with Stewart-Haas?

    8. CHASE ELLIOTT – 2008 POINTS (1 Win)
    One Top Five, two crashes. Dad did not have any better luck at this track.

    9. RYAN BLANEY – 2007 POINTS (1 Win)
    Has rolled a lucky seven or better his last three trips down the Strip.

    10. ERIK JONES – 2005 POINTS ( 1 Win)
    One of the big stars of the future, but has the future arrived just yet or not?

    11. AUSTIN DILLON – 2005 POINTS (1 Win)
    Someone below him will move past him by the time they leave the Roval, unless…

    12. KYLE LARSON – 2005 POINTS
    Running second does not equate into playoff points, but is an indicator of what might be to come.

    13. DENNY HAMLIN – 2003 POINTS
    His point total should indicate a rather quick exit, but only a fool would bet against him just yet.

    14. ARIC ALMIROLA – 2001 POINTS
    Of course, he will not get out of the opening round, but that car has some serious speed.

    15. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 2000 POINTS
    His date with eight will not be easy to lock down.

    16. ALEX BOWMAN – 2000 POINTS
    Making a cameo this season. Needs to be better, not just better than the last half of the field.

    17. RYAN NEWMAN – 532 POINTS
    Decent enough the past seven races, but 11 times outside the Top Twenty killed his chances.

    18. PAUL MENARD – 524 POINTS
    A Top Ten at Indianapolis, but outside that standard the previous ten events.

    19. RICKY STENHOUSE JR. – 521 POINTS
    Bad luck and a bad engine last week was symbolic of how his season has gone.

    20. DANIEL SUAREZ – 511 POINTS
    Making room for Truex next season, so does he replace the retiring Kasey Kahne?

  • The Final Word – Indianapolis proved to be more a brick than a crown jewel for much of Monday

    The Final Word – Indianapolis proved to be more a brick than a crown jewel for much of Monday

    Storylines, we had a few going into the Indianapolis Brickyard 400. We wondered if the crown jewel race on the historical track would be worth watching. Sometimes it has not been. However, now that NBC has brought back meaningful commentary to the experience, we had high hopes. Hell, despite it being obvious no one was going to be racing for a while, I was glued to the television just to hear what everyone had to say. The network that once brought us Rusty Wallace now presents Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Burton, and Steve Letarte. Now, that is the true meaning of being progressive, as Lord knows progress has finally been made.

    Yet, the big story was the start of the race. When would that be? The wet cold rainy weather punted both practice and qualifying, thus nobody would have any laps in their car when the green waved. None. Zip. That had never happened before in NASCAR’s modern era. I mean, with defending race champ Kasey Kahne out of the car due to the after-effects from heat exhaustion in the Southern 500, Regan Smith was in a Cup car for the first time in 17 months. No practice, no laps, nothing before he takes the green flag on a green track known for grinding tires down to the nub.

    Obviously, we also wondered if someone below NASCAR’s dividing line between contenders and pretenders might shock us all with a win. Someone who might actually put Jimmie Johnson and Alex Bowman in jeopardy of losing their spot in the season-ending party. Winning this particular race is a big deal. Winning it to steal a spot in the Chase would have been huge.

    Sunday came and went, but when they waved the green on Monday we discovered tire wear and lack of practice was no big deal. The cars stuck and when Denny Hamlin ignored the competition caution after 10 laps, he went to the front and stayed there. So much for those storylines.

    So much for the Sunday fans as many, if not most, were nowhere to be seen in the stands come Monday. Maybe they knew that being there was not as good as watching it all from home. As for the racing, the boys were stretched all around the track. If you love pack racing, you would have hated Indianapolis. Meanwhile, the NBC boys and girls kept it more than watchable due to the insight of their commentary. See, it all was not bad.

    It was not a good week for Martin Truex Jr. First, we heard that his team is heading for the exits after this season. Then we saw in the middle of the opening stage that same car heading for the exits after shattering a left front brake rotor. When it rains it pours, at least it did at Indianapolis.

    Lost brakes ended all hopes for Bubba Wallace when a failure caused his wreck. Johnson got some relief in the middle frame when A.J. Allmendinger crippled Bowman’s ride. That guaranteed Johnson was in the Chase, but it still meant someone on the outside had to win to beat Bowman out. The odds were not great, especially considering the fact the best of the rest with 60 laps to go was Stage Two winner Matt Kenseth, and he was not even eligible for a playoff run.

    As the laps clicked off, it was down to a pair of drivers. Hamlin was up front, with Clint Bowyer trying to track him down. With seven to go, Jeffrey Earnhardt and Landon Cassill came together to bring out the caution. That set the stage for those two boys left hoping to hold off Brad Keselowski, with his fresher tires, sitting a row behind them. He was sitting beside Jamie McMurray, who is in final campaign in his current ride, needed a win to be in. Same for Ryan Newman, who started right behind him. Finally, this thing was going to get interesting.

    On the restart, Bowyer spun his tires and sank from view. Keselowski came up to challenge Hamlin, and the pair did some beating and banging before Mad Brad took off to collect a second straight crown jewel, coming off of his win last week in the Southern 500. Erik Jones finished third, ahead of Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, and Bowyer. Three outsiders finished in the top 10, but McMurray, Newman, and Paul Menard came up short of the prize they were after.

    Now it is off to the playoffs. Three drivers go in with a big cushion in playoff points. For the rest, a win would automatically launch them into the next round. The excitement begins next Sunday at Las Vegas, where there is always a story to tell.

  • Hot 20 – The impending demise of Furniture Row Racing overshadows Sunday’s Brickyard 400

    Hot 20 – The impending demise of Furniture Row Racing overshadows Sunday’s Brickyard 400

    I had such high hopes for NASCAR, at least since July. That is when NBC came on board and presented the long sought after broadcast crew that could keep fans glued to the track simply by the strength of their commentary. We have waited years for that to happen, and it is crucial for a sport that has yet to solve some on-track competitive issues and more than a few off it. If the racing is not spellbinding, then the commentary damn well better be if you hope to have anyone watching.

    The broadcast team could not solve the biggest off-track issue. Economics. Long gone are the days when Bob bought or borrowed a car and went racing. It costs big money to build the big cars with the big engines supported by big technology and hauled around by big trucks. Long, long gone. If you are in Denver, Colorado, it might cost a few more ducats to do so. To be competitive, to be the reigning Cup champion, you better believe the dollars are big. Without sponsorship, even a successful company with a successful sibling enterprise to help shore things up, cannot long last. This week, we discovered exactly how long.

    Furniture Row Racing, established in 2005, Cup champions in 2017, will not be around come next season’s Daytona 500. With 5-hour Energy heading to the exits, and with no sugar daddies waiting to take their place, the cash had simply run out. A defending champion who cannot get proper sponsorship. If that is not a wake-up call for the sport, you might as well let them sleep in.

    If nothing else, it should make for a very active silly season. Martin Truex Jr. and pit boss Cole Pearn, according to Dale Earnhardt Jr. and other published reports are bound in tandem for the mothership. Like Erik Jones before him, a move from Furniture Row to Joe Gibbs Racing is being claimed. If those reports are accurate, Daniel Suarez will take his dance to another ballroom, and it probably will result in a step down in his equipment. The really bad news is that one premier ride is disappearing and what, if anything, replaces it will feature a team destined to sit outside the top twenty-five next season. That will not bode well for the sport.

    However, NBC does. Indianapolis might, depending on if the Brickyard 400 has solid rubber to avoid the debacle of 2008. At least the cars are different from the time of that disaster, and I am sure Goodyear has better rubber. I am not sure even this broadcast team could save a race where drivers are pitting every 10 laps to keep their tires from exploding.

    This marks the final chance for those outside the Chase to win themselves in. All Jimmie Johnson has to do is come home 19 positions better than Alex Bowman, though Bowman could eat that up in a hurry by winning both stages. All Bowman needs is do, other than that, is to keep those behind him away from Victory Lane. Not likely one will slip by, but it could happen. There are some other possibilities when you see that past winners include such outsiders as defending race champ Kasey Kahne, Ryan Newman, Paul Menard, and Jamie McMurray. They could yet upset the apple cart. However, I do not have much hope of that happening.

    Did I mention the outstanding broadcast team to take us through all the action on Sunday?

    1. KYLE BUSCH – 6 WINS (1038 Pts)
    With a “regular season” pennant, he should enter the playoffs in the top spot.

    2. KEVIN HARVICK – 6 WINS (1 E.W. – 999 Pts)
    He is retiring…from Xfinity racing.

    3. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 4 WINS (883 Pts)
    Defending champion now in a lame duck situation.

    4. CLINT BOWYER – 2 WINS (777 Pts)
    Hoping some of A.J. Foyt’s No. 14 magic at Indianapolis might rub off on him this week.

    5. KURT BUSCH – 1 WIN (835 Pts)
    Nothing definite yet as to where he will run in 2019.

    6. JOEY LOGANO – 1 WIN (818 Pts)
    Penske finishes last week’s classic 1-2, and that has to have Roger feeling pretty good.

    7. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 1 WIN (785 Pts)
    As demonstrated at Darlington, this truly is a team sport.

    8. CHASE ELLIOTT – 1 WIN (737 Pts)
    At 22, the young gent is not retiring from anything, including his Saturday ride at Indy.

    9. ERIK JONES – 1 WIN (679 Pts)
    Can Erik now be called the original Furniture Row refugee, or is that Kurt?

    10. AUSTIN DILLON – 1 WIN (496 Pts)
    Daytona (twice), Fontana, and Michigan. Outside the Top Ten everywhere else.

    11. KYLE LARSON – 783 POINTS
    0.6 seconds. Everything went right last week, except for 0.6 seconds.

    12. RYAN BLANEY – 755 POINTS
    Still seeking his first Indy Top Ten.

    13. DENNY HAMLIN – 738 POINTS
    In a dozen starts, has finished on the lead lap at the Brickyard in all but one.

    14. ARIC ALMIROLA – 681 POINTS
    Do not expect much, as his best finish in six starts at Indianapolis is 13th.

    15. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 605 POINTS
    If Bowman wins the opening two stages he might start getting nervous.

    16. ALEX BOWMAN – 586 POINTS
    He does not care who wins on Sunday, as long as it is not one of 14 particular drivers of interest.

    17. RICKY STENHOUSE JR. – 518 POINTS
    Not exactly hot with Top Ten finishes limited to Bristol, Talladega, and Charlotte in May.

    18. RYAN NEWMAN – 503 POINTS
    Coming back home again to Indiana, he needs to race like it is 2013 and Jim Nabors is singing.

    19. PAUL MENARD – 493 POINTS
    Needs to race like it is 2011.

    20. DANIEL SUAREZ – 487 POINTS
    Reports claim he is about to play off-season musical chairs.

  • The Final Word – The Southern 500, a celebration of the passage of time

    The Final Word – The Southern 500, a celebration of the passage of time

    Darlington was a day all about time. A time when in 1950 the first Southern 500 was run. A time when some of the great names from the past were brought back to be saluted by their sport in the present. A time when 0.6 seconds can mean everything.

    Just ask Brad Keselowski and Kyle Larson. At a time when 14 entered locked into the Playoffs, two were trying to stay there, and up to 14 others were hoping against hope to steal a spot away, it was Larson who sped away. By the time he finished the opening stage, we knew that Jimmie Johnson and Alex Bowman were not going to be putting up a fight to keep their places. Both had already been lapped by this time and things were not going to get better for either of them. Their fate on that day was now entirely in the hands of others.

    The middle frame provided more of the same. It was all Larson all of the time. While members of the Big Three could always be counted to have a representative somewhere close by, Martin Truex Jr. was not that guy. An uncontrolled tire in the pits proved to be the pits for him and any hopes he might have had on Sunday. As for potential winners, it seemed by the time any of the stages concluded, we only had a dozen or so still on the lead lap. The rest, well the rest were participating, but they sure were not competing.

    Down to the final half of the classic, and it remained the Kyle Larson Show. Even after Clint Bowyer ran over Ryan Newman as one was slowing down to pit while the other could not see through the slowpokes poking along in front of him, it was Larson who was at the front on the re-start. Then, with less than 30 to go, Jeffrey Earnhardt spun his car. The caution came out, and pit road was open.

    Larson’s crew did a fine job. The broadcasters said so, but then there was Keselowski. Fifth after the opening stage, second after the next, his crew did a finer job than Larson’s band of brothers, 0.6 seconds better. Keselowski started up front and disappeared from view. Joey Logano, himself with stage finishes of fourth and third, moved into second by the time they hit the finish line. Larson salvaged third, Chase Elliott and Erik Jones were next, but it was the veteran and a stellar job by his service department that decided the Southern 500 on this particular Sunday.

    That leaves one more Sunday to shake things up. Johnson needs to finish within nineteen positions of Bowman at Indianapolis to ensure he makes the playoffs. Bowman needs to either ruin Johnson’s plans or hope no one behind him in the standings claims victory. That is the only way he can be caught. Kasey Kahne won at Indianapolis last year. Newman, Paul Menard, and Jamie McMurray have done so in the past. Can one of them, or some other outsider, do it at the Brickyard this Sunday?

    As for Keselowski, this past weekend marked his 25th career victory. It extended his string of seasons with at least one victory to eight. It earned him his first Southern 500, to go along with five Talladega wins, a pair at Bristol, and his 2012 championship in a career that will end in the Hall of Fame. However, that will come in time, sometime in the next dozen years or so. Right now, there is no time other than the present, and the memory of 0.6 seconds at Darlington.