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Hot 20 – 36 Charter teams and just 36 cars running at Atlanta on Sunday

36. Damn, and I was so looking forward to saying nothing but positive things this season. 36. That is the number of entries slated to run at Atlanta on Sunday. 36. The last time we had that small a field, it was 1996 in Martinsville. Rusty Wallace and Jeff Gordon were the race winners at that venue. 36. The last time we had that many run in Atlanta was in 1976, 42 years ago. David Pearson and Dave Marcis were the eventual victors. That year, 20 of the 30 races had fields of 36 and less.

More than 40 years later, and maybe things have not changed that much after all. I guess NASCAR knew what they were doing when they handed out just 36 charters. That is all we got in Atlanta. I think we can safely say that, at most, only 36 entries matter. Truth be told, that number might be closer to 25, but did I not say I was trying to be positive this season?

The Hot 20 heading to Atlanta...

1. AUSTIN DILLON – 1 WIN – 47 Points
After 20 years, the No. 3 returns to Daytona’s Victory Circle…and life is as it should be.

2. RYAN BLANEY – 58 POINTS
Led for most of last Sunday and while he missed the win, he sure cashed in on bonus points.

3. JOEY LOGANO – 50 POINTS
Boasts having the car number first made famous by Fireball Roberts. Talk about good lineage.

4. DARRELL WALLACE JR. – 47 POINTS
Runner-up at the Daytona 500, driving for Richard Petty. How sweet is that!

5. PAUL MENARD – 46 POINTS
Atlanta has a slick, sliding worn out racing surface and, as Menard would put it, it is fun.

6. MICHAEL MCDOWELL – 39 POINTS
First race for his new team a success, but how long will the good times roll?

7. DENNY HAMLIN – 37 POINTS
It is okay to take personal jabs at your fellow drivers…just as long as it isn’t Denny, it seems.

8. RYAN NEWMAN – 34 POINTS
Dillon got his win. Now, it is Newman’s turn to bring home the bacon for Childress.

9. CHRIS BUESCHER – 33 POINTS
Is JTG Daugherty the next team to move from also-ran to someone to watch?

10. ARIC ALMIROLA – 33 POINTS
When you try to block a freight train on the final lap of the Daytona 500, you get freight trained.

11. TREVOR BAYNE – 31 POINTS
Daytona is one thing, but Atlanta is where you truly discover what you have.

12. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 30 POINTS
11 bonus points help pad an 18th place result.

13. CLINT BOWYER – 29 POINTS
I could talk about Clint or the fried chicken breast served on a potato roll and topped with bacon.

14. ALEX BOWMAN – 29 POINTS
It appears Bowman the Showman wants a new name. Bowman the Slowman would sure suck.

15. A.J. ALLMENDINGER – 28 POINTS
He probably thinks JTG Daugherty has already arrived.

16. KURT BUSCH – 27 POINTS
Most folks use a mirror to see behind them. Kurt turned his whole car, but it was not his idea.

17. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 23 POINTS
Hoping his 25th Atlanta start finds him finally able to shake the suds at the end.

18. RICKY STENHOUSE JR. – 22 POINTS
He fumed, he steamed, he got wrecked. That is some kind of hat trick.

19. KEVIN HARVICK – 19 POINTS
Harvick’s advice to Hamlin: “Sometimes you’ve got to keep your mouth shut.’’

20. KYLE LARSON – 18 POINTS
Somebody has to make room for Elliott, Byron, Jones, Keselowski,…

21. KYLE BUSCH – 18 POINTS
…Suarez and Johnson, but it won’t be either of these two.

February 22, 2018
Daytona 500 Report – More of the Same

The 60th edition of the Great American Race was run Sunday under sunny skies in Daytona Beach, Florida. From the start, shortly after 3:00 p.m., it was nearly four hours of chaos. At the end, there were only a few competitive cars left to race.

At Lap 61, nine cars were eliminated or damages. This included stars like Erik Jones, Jimmie Johnson, and Kyle Larson. At Lap 103, Chase Elliott, Danica Patrick, Kevin Harvick, Brad Keselowski, and Kasey Kahne were eliminated. It wasn’t over. At Lap 200, Kurt Busch, Martin Truex, Jr., Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., William Byron, Ryan Newman, and Kyle Larson were eliminated or damaged. Then came the “overtime,” and that cost Aric Almirola, who was leading at the time, elimination. That’s a total of nearly half the field.

Why, you may ask. The answer is restrictor plate (or tapered spacer) racing. It involves cars racing at fast speeds, so close together that there is no room for error. Then include the fashionable practice of blocking. It’s Daytona Roulette. The result is only a few cars lucky enough to have avoided all the earlier carnage can be around at the end. Unfortunately, on this day even the lessening of contenders did not stop the blocking, and a crash ended the race. You may have read my earlier comment on the so-called plate racing from about five years ago. This guy doesn’t like it. Many people do. Some like the fact that almost anyone can win and others like the crashes. With 80 percent of the field either having damage or eliminated from competition, it becomes little more than a demolition derby or as I called it, a train wreck, not racing.

One proponent of this “racing” told me today that we run nearly 200 mph at several tracks, why is this a problem at Daytona, he asked. High banks and aggressive drivers is the answer. Those tracks don’t have the banking or the aggressive behavior that is required at Daytona because in order to keep up, you have to block, and when you get a push from behind, you are helpless to slow down.

What’s the answer? I won’t pretend to even think I know. I do take one tidbit from the past. Back in the dark ages before Bobby Allison tore out the catchfence at Talladega when everyone was running seven-liter engines, NASCAR decided to inch away from the big blocks for a more reasonable cost. The late Bud Moore was the first to try it and his No. 15 Fords had a hard time keeping up until everyone changed. Speeds at Daytona were about 176 mph and the racing was great. Now they use these smaller blocks and go even faster with a restrictor plate. Much like the gun debate in society, no one has an answer and no one is even trying to do anything to change it. So, we’re stuck with crash fests. Sad.

The lesson from all of this is never take anything from plate races that would mean there is a pattern to competitiveness that would ring true for the rest of the season (except for the three remaining plate races). Chevrolet won the 500, but only led 19 laps on the day. Ford drivers led 150 laps and Toyota drivers led 38. Chevrolet, which brought the new Camaro ZL1 to Daytona, led only 19 laps all day. When we get to Atlanta, we’ll have a better idea of the season ahead. No, we won’t anoint Bubba Wallace the most popular driver yet (though he’s got a head start on that), or declare the young kids as not as advertised. It’s back to reality next week and real racing.

February 19, 2018
Hot 20 – Best from last Sunday dream of being the best this Sunday at Daytona

Forty drivers, 40 spots. Still, despite the lack of interest and resources for additional teams to attempt to enter the iconic competition, we have some high-quality contenders to watch out for. Alex Bowman and Denny Hamlin are locked into the front row, as long as their cars last. The rest of the top 20 qualifiers went into Thursday trying to protect their positions from all challengers in the two 20 car heats.

Some of those trying to turn up the heat were quality drivers who were trying to improve on what took place last Sunday. Heading into this Sunday, does anyone want to count out the likes of Ryan Newman, Kyle Larson, Jamie McMurray, Bubba Wallace, or defending Cup champion Martin Truex, Jr.?

I didn’t think so.

The Hot 20 prior to the Duels…

1. ALEX BOWMAN
Junior who?

2. DENNY HAMLIN
Denny who? Okay, I’m just messing with you.

3. JIMMIE JOHNSON
His date with 8 could begin on Sunday.

4. KYLE BUSCH
Some days he wins, some days he crashes, but damn near every day we know that he raced.

5. WILLIAM BYRON
Jeff who?

6. ERIK JONES
I often wear a 2005 Little League coach’s shirt, and Jones would have been too young to play for us.

7. DANIEL SUAREZ
Open the border if that means more like him.

8. KEVIN HARVICK
Open the border, but what would Harvick do in Canada?

9. RICKY STENHOUSE JR.
If bad things happen, he won’t hear about it when he gets home…if you know what I mean.

10. CHASE ELLIOTT
Has Dad’s old number now needs some of Dad’s old results.

11. JOEY LOGANO
To win without penalty is his goal.

12. PAUL MENARD
New standard bearer for the Wood Brothers and the sponsor is not who you might think.

13. ARIC ALMIROLA
Aric does not look like Danica, but will his results by any different?

14. AUSTIN DILLON
If he can grow a mustache better than he wears a Stetson, I might have a suggestion for him.

15. RYAN BLANEY
This just in. Ryan is full of it. More at 11 on KB News.

16. CLINT BOWYER
Look at that. Sitting in a playoff position at the moment. How long will that last?

17. KURT BUSCH
Not the KB is was referring to earlier.

18. KASEY KAHNE
In 416 races, the No. 95 has not once won a race but Kahne was hired to change that.

19. BRAD KESELOWSKI
A bit slow early last Sunday, a bit fast later in the day seems to be pointing in the right direction.

20. TREVOR BAYNE
If he has a career like Mark Martin, the No. 6 is in good hands.

February 14, 2018
Hot 20 – Sunday’s Clash to feature 17 drivers representing 12 championships and 332 Cup wins

The new pre-season opens this Sunday, as those who made last season’s Playoffs or claimed a pole, who has ever claimed a Daytona 500 pole, or who has ever won this event in the past dust off the cobwebs and rev the engines. Now, you may be asking yourself how could this be a “Hot 20″ column with only 17 drivers competing? Well, you have to improvise.

Martin Truex Jr.
Won three poles in 2017. He also picked up a ring at a dinner after the season.

Kyle Busch
Won eight poles in 2017, which seems rather greedy to me.

Kevin Harvick
Keelan is now 5-and-a-half. His NASCAR debut is still at least 15 years away.

Brad Keselowski
Brad has a ring. Kevin has a ring. Kyle has a ring. Martin has a newer ring. Notice a theme?

Chase Elliott
Won nothing last year, except one pole and the hearts of fans looking for a new Pied Piper.

Denny Hamlin
You would have thought that with his last name, Denny would have been the new Pied Piper.

Kyle Larson
You can never have too many Kyles.

Ryan Blaney
…or Ryans.

Jimmie Johnson
Give me a moment and I might come up with a reason he is here. Maybe seven of them.

Austin Dillon
All hat and maybe a few cattle.

Jamie McMurray
Dimples are considered the cutest deformity ever. Jamie has them. So does Duchess Kate.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Available. Need I say more?

Kurt Busch
Another season where all the excitement comes on the track.

Kasey Kahne
New team, a new look.

Ryan Newman
Fortunate that races can be won by a nose, but never by a neck.

Joey Logano
Was encumbered by a win that did not count and a playoff that was not to be.

Erik Jones
Turns 22 in May. Old bastard. He is the last on this list who will be in Sunday’s event.

Matt Kenseth
Had the talent to continue, just not the charisma apparently, so he won’t be driving.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Has the charisma, but to avoid a possible clash at home, he is avoiding the Clash at Daytona.

Mae Thornton
Tied for 20th with the rest of us, my late mother also failed to qualify for the Clash.

As I said…you improvise.

February 7, 2018
The Players – The Best Teams’ 2018 Lineup in NASCAR Cup

It’s only a short time until the annual Media Tour at the Hall of Fame in Charlotte. We will learn a lot there, but a couple things are obvious. There will be 24 major teams running next year (10 Fords, nine Chevrolets, and five Toyotas). Each camp has stars in their lineup, but Toyota’s dominance of the 2017 season (with only six competitive cars) is favored. Let’s look at each team’s lineup.

Chevrolet has the four Hendrick Motorsports cars. HMS fell on hard times last year despite their dominance for several years. Jimmie Johnson will be back in the Lowe’s Camaro. You read that right. The older SS they have fun the last few years is no longer being manufactured, so a change had to be made. Besides, finding a dealer with a Chevy SS was about as hard as finding a needle in a haystack anyway. After Johnson, the rest of the team will be made up of a group of youngsters. Chase Elliott is back, this time taking his father’s No. 9, William Byron, in the 24, and Alex Bowman in the 88. Of this team, only Johnson has ever won a Cup race. You might call this a rebuilding year for HMS.

Richard Childress Racing will field the 31 for Ryan Newman, the 3 for Austin Dillon, and the 27, with the driver rumored to be Brennan Poole, but nothing has been announced. Both Newman and Dillon won races last year.

Chip Ganassi Racing will feature Kyle Larson in the 42, coming off an excellent season. Jamie McMurray will be back in the No. 1 Chevrolet.

Ford will field one more competitive car in 2018. Team Penske has expanded to three cars with Brad Keselowski in the No. 2 and Joey Logano in the No.22 Fords. Ryan Blaney, who earned his first victory in 2017 with the Wood Brothers will pilot the No. 12 Ford. The team’s alliance with the Wood Brothers continues with Paul Menard taking over the driving chores. Penske bought a charter for the No. 12 from Roush Fenway Racing, meaning the No. 16 is not coming back. The Charter was leased to the No. 37 JTG Daugherty team last year.

Roush Fenway will see their improved team have the same driver lineup. Trevor Bayne in the No. 6 and Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. in the No. 17. Stenhouse won two restrictor plate races in 2017 and Bayne won the Daytona 500 in 2011.

Stewart-Haas Racing will see it’s lineup jumbled somewhat. The Ford team will have Aric Almirola move over from the Richard Petty Motorsports No. 43 and drive the No. 10, formerly driven by Danica Patrick. Otherwise, things stay the same with 2017 Final Four driver Kevin Harvick in the No.4, Clint Bowyer in the 14, and Kurt Busch in the 41.

Toyota saw its field go down a car this year. The Joe Gibbs Racing stable will have the 11 with Denny Hamlin, the 19 with Daniel Suarez, the 18 with Kyle Busch, and Erik Jones, who raced for Furniture Row Racing in 2017 in the No. 20. Much like Team Penske does with the Wood Brothers, Furniture Row and 2017 champ Martin Truex, Jr. will field the 78 Toyota. Furniture Row did not have sponsorship for the No. 77 car, so Toyota’s stable goes from six to five for 2018

These are the teams that I predict will land in victory lane in 2018. Oh, we may get a surprise winner, but these 24 teams will battle race in and race out for the checkers. We will know more in a couple of weeks when the teams meet with the media in Charlotte, but this how I see it now. A big hole was left in the sport with the retirements of Dale Earnhardt Jr, Danica Patrick and Matt Kenseth at the end of the year. How many will stay away from the sport because these drivers are not in the lineup? Time will tell.

January 11, 2018
Hot 20 – Truex is king, Junior is done, and the kids are moving to the big boy table

The cream rose to the top, as the top four accumulated half of the wins between them this season. Four drivers, 18 wins, and now four shared championships.

Next season NASCAR decides its 70th Cup champion, an honor claimed by just 32 men in that time. Martin Truex Jr., Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, and Brad Keselowski will be joined by Jimmie Johnson and Kurt Busch as each will seek to add to their trophy cases. A bunch of talent will be bursting out of the gate at Daytona come February to make their own arguments. Rick Hendrick does not make up his roster based on age alone, boasting the elder statesman and the baby in 2018. The 41-year-old seven-time king Johnson will be joined by a new teammate, William Byron, who does not turn 20 until next week.

Nothing says our final four will not be back. Truex had a dominant season, while Busch once again laid claim as being one of the very best in the business. Harvick and Keselowski have not grown any moss, and then there is Chase Elliott, who turns 22 at the end of the month. Another Hendrick driver who will be sporting his father Bill Elliott’s old number, seeking that first career win. Only a fool would bet against that happening.

NASCAR has its issues, to be sure. They cannot figure how to get fans back to the tracks or even how to insist on television crews with the talent to keep us watching, no matter what. However, there is no shortage of storylines for next season. Along with those mentioned, a new generation has emerged. Kyle Larson and Ryan Blaney have arrived. Twenty-one-year-old Erik Jones is on the cusp. Next season, 24-year-old Bubba Wallace will drive the iconic Petty blue No. 43, featuring a familiar look for a native son of Alabama, but something rare in NASCAR.

But all that is nearly three months away. In the meantime, we give thanks for the likes of Dale Earnhardt Jr., Matt Kenseth, and Danica Patrick, and wait to see what the future holds in store for them. We await to see what Kurt Busch will be doing next year. Above all else, we salute a very worthy 2017 champion who tops our Hot 20.

1. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 5040 POINTS – 8 Wins
For the driver, his fiancé, his team owner, and his entire team…this was truly well deserved.

2. KYLE BUSCH – 5035 POINTS – 5 Wins
One position, and possibly one caution, away from holding his own celebration.

3. KEVIN HARVICK – 5033 POINTS – 2 Wins
Handling issues and a debris-induced hole did not help his cause.

4. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 5030 POINTS – 3 Wins
Fears a lack of manufacture parity might mean his Fords will be fried next year.

5. CHASE ELLIOTT – 2377 POINTS
In 2018, the torch passes to the next generation and this is the standard bearer.

6. DENNY HAMLIN – 2353 POINTS – 2 Wins
Learning that the Elliott Bible states, “Do unto others AS they have done unto you.” Let us pray.

7. MATT KENSETH – 2344 POINTS – 1 Win
If this is how Matt goes out, he did it as we would have expected…in style.

8. KYLE LARSON – 2320 POINTS – 4 Wins
The next generation has arrived. After Elliott, Larson is definitely Exhibit “B.”

9. RYAN BLANEY – 2305 POINTS – 1 Win
Exhibit “C” is moving on to join Roger Penske next season.

10. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 2260 POINTS – 3 Wins
Already among NASCAR royalty, he will once again try to rate eight in 2018.

11. AUSTIN DILLON – 2224 POINTS – 1 Win
Just four top 10s and he sits 11th. Nine top 20’s in his last 10 races mean more than I thought.

12. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 2224 POINTS
Seventeen top 10s, and he sits tied with Dillon in the standings. Maybe it is the cowboy hat.

13. RICKY STENHOUSE JR. – 2222 POINTS – 2 Wins
Two wins do not a season make. Well, that statement has been proven to be wrong.

14. KURT BUSCH – 2217 POINTS – 1 Win
What is next?

15. KASEY KAHNE – 2198 POINTS – 1 Win
As Kurt rose Furniture Row to the next rung, can Kasey do the same for Leavine Family Racing?

16. RYAN NEWMAN – 2196 POINTS – 1 Win
Double figures in top 10s in all but two of his seasons, including 13 more this year. Really.

17. JOEY LOGANO – 930 POINTS – 1 Win
Even with a win that meant something, he probably would have been done by Kansas.

18. CLINT BOWYER – 871 POINTS
Things started well enough, then Michigan, Bristol, Darlington, and Richmond happened.

19. ERIK JONES – 863 POINTS
At 21, I guess that would make Jones Exhibit “D”.

20. DANIEL SUAREZ – 777 POINTS
Loved Michigan and Darlington even less than Bowyer did.

21. DALE EARNHARDT JR. – 668 POINTS
Thanks for the memories. It was one hell of a ride.

November 22, 2017
Hot 20 – Will the drama continue in Texas and Phoenix on the road to Homestead-Miami?

Dale Earnhardt Jr. is right when he says NASCAR needs more Martinsville-like dramas to play out every week. What they need is “drama and exciting finishes — the fans sitting there in the grandstands cheering like crazy, and booing, and cheering and booing after every interview, for 15 minutes after the race — we need that every weekend.” Damn right.

They need more races on tracks that excite us and fewer on those that do not. They need better announcers who can pull off a telecast all on their own, regardless as to the non-action. People we are compelled to tune in to watch just because they are as entertaining, at least, as the product they describe. They, the good folks running NASCAR, need to listen and to act. One thing I am pretty sure of is…they don’t and will not.

Texas is one of those races where the sport is popular in a large metro area. That might be enough to get folks to actually go to the facility. Tuning in at home might be another question. As for the storyline coming in, we have one driver locked into the final four, one almost there, a wide-open battle for the final transfer spot, and one young gun who has to win or hope somebody, or some bodies, will fall on their face. Eight drivers matter. Thirty-two others are hoping to play spoiler.

Only a dozen drivers will be worthy of mention come next week. I, for one, will not mention a single one. My focus will be on other things for the next couple of weeks, but we will chat about the outcome after Homestead when the smoke clears.

The only thing we know for sure is that Kyle Busch and, more than likely, Martin Truex Jr. will be two of the four seeking to win the title. Who the other two shall be is why Texas and Phoenix should keep us tuned in for the answer.

1. KYLE BUSCH – SEGMENT WIN – 4100 POINTS – 5 Wins
Saw the post-race celebration with his family. So, who vacuums Brexton’s room afterward?

2. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 4117 POINTS – 7 Wins
If he took Sunday off, he still would be at least 27 points to the good come Phoenix.

3. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 4079 POINTS – 3 Wins
Just a Logano cut tire away from victory last week. Teammates can be such fun.

4. KEVIN HARVICK – 4053 POINTS – 1 Win
“It all started when Blaney hit me back.”

5. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 4050 POINTS – 3 Wins
Nine-time Martinsville winner had just a slightly better chance than you had to win last Sunday.

6. RYAN BLANEY – 4047 POINTS – 1 Win
The new generation is getting a lot more comfortable expressing themselves these days.

7. DENNY HAMLIN – 4045 POINTS – 2 Wins
The last Virginian to get in this much crap in his home state was Gen. George Thomas.

8. CHASE ELLIOTT – 4027 POINTS
In the immortal words of Popeye the Sailor, “That’s all I can stands, cuz I can’t stands n’more!”

9. KYLE LARSON – 2237 POINTS – 4 Wins
His elimination from the Playoffs is not a flaw in the system…it is what happens in playoffs.

10. MATT KENSETH – 2215 POINTS
If the 10th best driver this season cannot get hired, damn few drivers have much job security.

11. KASEY KAHNE – 2150 POINTS – 1 Win
Some refer to Kahne as a Hendrick refugee. To my knowledge, he did not even cross a border.

12. AUSTIN DILLON – 2148 POINTS – 1 Win
So…Austin and Rowdy get foiled by Happy again. It must be true. I saw it on Youtube.

13. RICKY STENHOUSE JR. – 2146 – 2 Wins
Could a new teammate be his present housemate?

14. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 2146 POINTS
Believes the next All-Star race might be a good time to unveil Charlotte’s road course.

15. KURT BUSCH – 2139 POINTS – 1 Win
Won the NASCAR title, the Daytona 500, and seen every MLB park. Check, check, and check!

16. RYAN NEWMAN – 2130 POINTS – 1 Win
During these times, anytime you sign a new sponsor is a very good time.

17. JOEY LOGANO – 839 POINTS – 1 Win
“I missed the call” – Crew chief Todd Gordon. The problem no doubt lost in the billowing smoke.

18. CLINT BOWYER – 829 POINTS
Third at Martinsville, a track that produced the kind of racing that “put this sport on the map…”

19. ERIK JONES – 768 POINTS
That Jones Boy is down to his final three before taking over the ride Smoke made famous.

20. DANIEL SUAREZ – 731 POINTS
An average of 22 points per race gets you on this list. That is an easy top 16. I guess not so easy.

November 1, 2017
Hot 20 – Martinsville has to stay, but there is room for improvement in the NASCAR schedule

Thirty-six races. A few are great venues that produce very entertaining television events. A lot more are not. Some tracks have two events, and you wonder why. Some have two and you wonder…why not three? As our Hot 20 venture to Martinsville on Sunday to open the Round of Eight, would NASCAR be more appealing if we kept 36 races, but ran more of them at tracks people want to see races run? How about nine of them at NASCAR’s three most fan-favored venues?

If they put me in charge of NASCAR for an hour, this is what next season’s Cup schedule would look like. What do you think?

Feb. 18 – Daytona
Feb. 25 – Atlanta
Mar. 4 – Las Vegas
Mar. 11 – Phoenix
Mar. 18 – Fontana
Mar. 25 – Martinsville
Apr. 8 – Texas
Apr. 15 – Bristol
Apr. 21 – Richmond
Apr. 29 – Talladega
May 6 – Watkins Glen (from Dover)
May 12 – Kansas
May 27 – Charlotte
June 3 – Pocono
June 10 – Bristol (from Michigan)
June 24 – Sonoma
July 1 – Chicago
July 7 – Daytona
July 14 – Kentucky
July 22 – New Hampshire
July 29 – Talladega (from Pocono)
Aug. 5 – Watkins Glen
Aug. 12 – Michigan
Aug. 18 – Bristol
Sep. 2 – Darlington
Sep. 9 – Indianapolis
Sep. 16 – Las Vegas
Sep. 22 – Daytona (from Richmond)
Sep. 30 – Charlotte (road course)
Oct. 7 – Dover
Oct. 14 – Talladega
Oct. 21 – Darlington (from Kansas)
Oct. 28 – Martinsville
Nov. 4 – Texas
Nov. 11 – Sonoma (from Phoenix)
Nov. 18 – Homestead-Miami

That’s 36 races featuring six on a superspeedway, retaining six on short tracks while expanding to five road courses. Minimal changes, maximum impact. How does it look to you?

1. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 4069 POINTS – 7 Wins
Not only does he have enough in the bank to have a bad race, but could even take a day off.

2. KYLE BUSCH – 4042 POINTS – 4 Wins
Winning would have been nice, but not being eliminated is even nicer.

3. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 4026 POINTS – 3 Wins
Junior wants teammates and young guns to advance…friends with the wrong team, not so much.

4. KEVIN HARVICK – 4017 POINTS – 1 Win
In 606 career starts, he has 303 top 10 finishes. You want to bet against good ole 50-50?

5. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 4017 POINTS – 3 Wins
The drive is alive for his date with eight.

6. DENNY HAMLIN – 4014 POINTS – 2 Wins
Virginia is for Lovers…and Virginians. That is the view of this native son of Chesterfield, Va.

7. RYAN BLANEY – 4009 POINTS – 1 Win
In 68 years, Wood Brothers have not a single driver’s championship. Maybe this is the year.

8. CHASE ELLIOTT – 4006 POINTS
Might want to think about getting that first win sooner than later.

9. KYLE LARSON – 2236 POINTS – 4 Wins
Damn engines.

10. MATT KENSETH – 2184 POINTS
Damn guys who cannot count.

11. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 2138 POINTS
It was doubtful he was going to win, but after he got all torn up last week all doubt was removed.

12. KASEY KAHNE – 2126 POINTS – 1 Win
Leaving Hendrick pens and stationary behind him, but will be taking Travis Mack.

13. KURT BUSCH – 2124 POINTS – 1 Win
After flogging Monster Energy for years, I wonder if he is feeling a bit like Tammy Wynette.

14. AUSTIN DILLON – 2122 POINTS – 1 Win
His N.C. team lost 4-2 to the eventual 2002 Little League World Series champions of Louisville.

15. RICKY STENHOUSE JR. – 2119 POINTS – 2 Wins
Things got so bad he went from 12th and in the final playoff spot one week, to 15th the next.

16. RYAN NEWMAN – 2107 POINTS – 1 Win
His second-place finish at Talladega is sandwiched between two results outside the top 30.

17. JOEY LOGANO – 810 POINTS – 1 Win
A win a win, but is it really if it is an encumbered one that fails to give you a pass to the Chase?

18. CLINT BOWYER – 793 POINTS
His last win came on October 13, 2012, in Charlotte. Even an encumbered one might be nice.

19. ERIK JONES – 757 POINTS
One moment his car was facing this a’way, the next it was facing that a’way.

20. DANIEL SUAREZ – 709 POINTS
String of six straight among the top 15 came to a crashing conclusion last week.

October 25, 2017
Hot 20 – Dorothy returns to Kansas after spending last weekend in the Talladega tornado

This Sunday, NASCAR action takes us to Kansas. We just cannot get enough of Kansas, which is why we find ourselves watching the action from there for a second time this season. If not Kansas, I guess there is always Kentucky, Chicago, Dover, Fontana, or Pocono , but allow me to calm down my beating heart.

Coming out of Talladega to Kansas, and I am just taking a guess here, probably will not increase the ratings. Entertainment value and tradition go a long ways to attracting and keeping the fan base. Last week was the Alabama 500. We started with the Daytona 500. Darlington delivered the Southern 500. We know the early race in Charlotte is really the World 600. How high on your list of must-see traditional spectacles do you rank the Hollywood Casino 400 in Kansas?

If you are Kevin Harvick and Joey Logano, it would rank pretty high. The pair split the last four of these fall classics.

1. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – SEGMENT WIN – 3120 Pts – 6 Wins
Earned his pass into the next round and has secured full sponsorship for 2018. Good times.

2. BRAD KESELOWSKI – SEGMENT WIN – 3101 Pts – 3 Wins
No communication for much of the race, but a whole lot when it ended.

3. KYLE LARSON – 3096 POINTS – 4 Wins
Things were looking good for a while before Suarez and Elliott thought they were in a cartoon.

4. KEVIN HARVICK – 3089 POINTS – 1 Win
A repeat of last year’s Hollywood Casino 400 finish would be just fine with Harvick.

5. DENNY HAMLIN – 3088 POINTS – 2 Wins
The Roush boys have fancy pit guns no one else has. All that goes out the window next season.

6. CHASE ELLIOTT – 3087 POINTS
Found a hole, filled a hole, and then someone tossed dirt in the hole.

7. RYAN BLANEY – 3076 POINTS – 1 Win
Tough luck last week cost him some points, but he has emerged as a top-tier talent.

8. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 3074 POINTS – 3 Wins
22 Kansas races, 17 Top Tens, along with three wins. Jimmie likes Kansas just fine.

9. KYLE BUSCH – 3067 POINTS – 4 Wins
Rowdy Busch? He is more like a Battered Busch.

10. MATT KENSETH – 3066 POINTS
Maybe he will become the fastest damned school bus driver who ever lived next season.

11. RICKY STENHOUSE JR. – 3052 POINTS – 2 Wins
Best Kansas finish is 11th. Twice. Well, the Chase was fun while it lasted.

12. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 3045 POINTS
21 Kansas races, 4 Top Tens. This does not look good.

13. KASEY KAHNE – 2104 POINTS – 1 Win
Chase is over, time at Hendrick is near done, but Kansas marks his 500th career start.

14. RYAN NEWMAN – 2103 POINTS – 1 Win
Newman is a NASCAR ninja. Unseen, unnoticed, and then late Sunday afternoon he appeared.

15. AUSTIN DILLON – 2099 POINTS – 1 Win
This season has come down to trying to catch Newman and Kahne and staying ahead of Kurt.

16. KURT BUSCH – 2089 POINTS – 1 Win
Turning left is expected, but that sharp right-hand turn was not.

17. JOEY LOGANO – 794 POINTS – 1 Win
Best damn driver not to make the Chase.

18. CLINT BOWYER – 775 POINTS
Best damn driver not to make the Chase who was born in Emporia, Kansas.

19. ERIK JONES – 749 POINTS
Got a whole face full of McMurray the other day.

20. DANIEL SUAREZ – 708 POINTS
Looking good last Sunday, but when he forgot to look to his left things started to look real bad.

October 18, 2017
The Final Word – If they weren’t racing, they were wrecking at Talladega

Dale Earnhardt Jr. started on the pole at Talladega. Most years, that is just par for the course. In this, his final season, it was a return down memory lane. Talladega is where anything can happen, where any lead lap car has a shot to win it, and a where one’s dreams can go up in flames, smoke, and mangled metal without notice.

Just ask Jamie McMurray. He went in clinging to the final berth into the next round of the Chase. Sometimes you make a mistake. Sometimes you decide to turn toward pit road way too high on the track, a place where those with no intention of turning in are still running at high speed. That is what McMurray did just 25 laps in, and got punted to the outside by Erik Jones, then t-boned by Jeffery Earnhardt. By the time Mark Thompson tore off the rear section of his car, the damage had already been done. Done, thy name is McMurray. Somebody needs a win next week.

Unfortunately for Junior, our leader was hitting the pits as that caution came out for the wreck behind him. Pit lane closed in front of his eyes. The penalty sent him, Kyle Larson, and Chase Elliott to the back. Totally unfair, totally unrealistic to expect a driver to react in time, I know, but them is the rules. Still, they had over 160 laps to make up the lost ground.

Earlier in the race, just 14 laps in, the Fords ducked onto pit road and packed themselves together. That paid off in the end of the opening segment, as Brad Keselowski was followed by Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney, and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. All but Logano were current Chasers who came in outside the eight berths for the next round of the playoffs. Sometimes a plan works to perfection.

After two stages, that Ford plan was still paying dividends. Blaney won the stage, with Keselowski right behind him. Jimmie Johnson had his rear folded by Ty Dillon at one point, but he was still running in the top 10. Same for Denny Hamlin, as an early pit for a loose wheel, came at the same time there was a debris caution. No harm, no foul. As for Junior, he was barely in our top 20 as a planned stop just before the end of the stage was waved off for some reason.

Sixty laps remaining, and like magic, Junior was back among the top three. How? He was born to a wizard who did magical things at Talladega, just as his son has done throughout his career. Along with the Legacy were young guns, Blaney and Elliott. Of course, with that many laps to go on this track, it meant nothing as to what might happen by the time they reached the end. It was down to sticking on the lead lap and seeing what fate was willing to deliver.

I said, “WHAT FATE WAS WILLING TO DELIVER.” Keselowski was not hearing much of anything due to a very intermittent radio that only worked on the front stretch. Under a caution caused by a bunch of also-rans at the back of the pack, they reached in to fix it. That left him starting just inside the top 30 with about 30 to go when they returned to green. Junior was sitting inside the top 15 in his final Talladega race.

Fifteen. Interesting number. By the time this thing ended, that was all that was left running. With 17 to go, Martin Truex Jr. touched David Ragan, who collected Kurt Busch, and all hell broke loose. Johnson was toast, along with Kyle Busch and Stenhouse, while Kevin Harvick and Matt Kenseth both got roughed up. They were just getting started.

With 11 laps remaining, Logano and Blaney touched, taking out Blaney, and roughing up Harvick even more, and more was yet to come. Down to six laps, our leaders were Daniel Suarez, Elliott, and Larson. Not for long. Suarez was leading up high when he came down in the corner but Elliott already had his nose there. Suarez got turned into Larson, then came back up to collect Elliott, and that ended the day for two of them while Larson was still able to continue, albeit with a ton of front-end damage.

Finally, we were down to just four laps, 15 cars, with about eight having any shot of winning. On the start, it was Ryan Newman among the survivors up front, but with a pair remaining Keselowski took over and there he was to stay. Trevor Bayne was third, Logano fourth, with Aric Almirola in fifth. Hamlin and Earnhardt were next, followed by Kasey Kahne, Gray Gaulding, and Ragan to round out our top 10. It might not have thrilled so-called “race” fans, but if extreme sports lights your fire, the Alabama 500 got you all warm and toasty Sunday afternoon.

Keselowski had a great day, and advances to the next round of the Chase, to join with Truex. Larson, Harvick, Hamlin, and Elliott are all fine, as long as they stay out of trouble in Kansas. Blaney and Johnson need to have good days, Kyle Busch and Kenseth will have to be even better, while Stenhouse and McMurray need to win to be in.

On Sunday, the television ratings went against the grain and actually went up. Do not expect that to occur again next week. After the thrills and spills of what we just witnessed, it would be an understatement to say that Kansas will not exactly present anything like what was seen at Talladega. Then again, history tells us that might suit the likes of someone like Jimmie Johnson just fine.

October 16, 2017