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  • Earnhardt Puts Loss in Perspective, Shifts Focus to Martinsville

    Earnhardt Puts Loss in Perspective, Shifts Focus to Martinsville

    Dale Earnhardt Jr. had to win Sunday at Talladega in order to move forward to the Eliminator Round of the Chase. For a few brief moments, it looked as though he had done that just that. However, an untimely caution flag flew and it was determined that Joey Logano was actually leading the race when the caution was called, leaving Earnhardt out in the cold.

    The result was not without controversy and has left many fans questioning NASCAR’s decision-making process. Earlier in the week NASCAR announced that they had decided to limit the number of green-white-checkered attempts to one for the Talladega race, stating, “We take very seriously the responsibility of balancing exciting finishes and safety. We’re confident that this is a positive direction for both.”

    It may have sounded good on paper, but the execution left something to be desired. After a first attempt at a green-white-checkered finish, a caution came out before the cars reached the start/finish line and NASCAR called a “do-over.”

    Earnhardt had one last chance to claim the victory at Talladega. But shortly after the field took the green flag again, another caution was called and Logano was declared the winner.

    The final yellow flag was brought out by Kevin Harvick who clipped the No.6 car of Trevor Bayne, causing a multi-car pileup behind him on the track, thereby ending the race. Bayne, along with Denny Hamlin, Matt Kenseth and Ryan Newman, were vocal in their displeasure with Harvick, claiming that he had caused the wreck to freeze the field and ensure his spot in the Chase.

    Kenseth didn’t mince words, saying, “He pulled out of the way the first time because he knew he was blowing up and this time he said he was going to hold his lane, so we went up to go round him and then he clipped the 6 (Bayne). He knew if he put him in a slow spin the race was over and he’d make it, so, like I said, it feels we lost control here the last two weeks. I don’t think that’s what racing is about. The spot they put us in, it’s hard to blame people, but that’s not what racing’s about.”

    Harvick maintained, “I thought I could get going better than I did the first time and I just didn’t get going. So, as I was pulling up, I was looking to the inside waiting for them to shoot the gap and I hit the 6.”

    While the drivers and the fans played the blame game on social media, Earnhardt took the high road.

    Clearly disappointed, he said, “I’m glad this weekend is over with.”

    But as others pointed fingers, Earnhardt chose to accept the defeat with grace, putting the day’s events in perspective, as he explained, “I just wanted to go out there, whatever happened, put forth a good account of myself, my team. I’m real proud of what we did today. So I can feel good about that.

    “I can look back on a lot of different things that put me in this situation right now, starting with the first two races in this round where we didn’t run well. We got wrecked by the 19 (Carl Edwards) and just didn’t run well at Kansas.

    “I’m going to get asked about the green-white-checkered rule, which I’m fine with it. I feel like no matter the rules when the race is over, I can live with the result as long as everyone else is going by the same rules.”

    “So I felt like, per the rule book, it sorted out and I finished second. I’m okay with that. We could argue they could have waited another 100 foot to throw the caution, but they didn’t have to. They threw it when they needed to. I’m fine with that.”

    Judging by Earnhardt’s final words to the media, it was evident that Talladega was disappearing in his rear view mirror as he looks ahead to the remainder of the season.

    “Well, the best thing that could happen for us is the same thing that happened last year; go win,” he stated. “We’re disappointed today. We were disappointed last year when we left Talladega. But we went to Martinsville and sort of surprised ourselves with our first win there.

    “Dang, you know when I look at that video of all of us jumping up and down on that trailer like idiots, that’s a team that’s not too bothered being knocked out of the Chase right there. If we can go to the racetrack and win, it certainly makes our situation more bearable. If we could go to Homestead and run well, I’d love to win there, never won there. I like that track. Running against the wall is a lot of fun. We’ll see.”

    As his fans adjust to the loss and a Chase without Earnhardt, it’s clear that he has already shifted his focus to the future. A victory in the weeks ahead will make the bitter pill of Talladega a little easier to swallow.

     

  • Talladega Lived Up To Its Strange Past

    Talladega Lived Up To Its Strange Past

    The championship playoff known as the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup has had more turns that a West Virginia mountain, but Sunday’s CampingWorld.com 500 at Talladega Superspeedway took the cake. It all happened at the end of the race and it changed who would vie for the crown over the last three races before heading to Homestead and the final four. Dale Earnhardt Jr. had the best car all day when he wasn’t botching pit stops.

    Earnhardt is probably the best driver at Talladega. He apparently inherited his father’s ability to see the air because he led the most laps and seemed to have no other driver he couldn’t pass. It was in the later stage of the race that Joey Logano got the lead and it was only just a matter of time before Earnhardt was going to pass him, except it didn’t happen due to some really strange circumstances. With only four laps to go, Jamie McMurray lost an engine bringing out only the second caution all day. That ensured there would be a green-white-checker finish, and with the new rule for this race, it was one and done. No matter what happened, during the final laps, the race would end. Then it got really weird.

    Earlier, at Lap 172, when most pitted, Greg Biffle stayed out and gambled that he would have enough fuel to finish the race and steal a win. Biffle was so far ahead, it looked like his plan might work until the caution flag flew. That bunched up the field and Biffle now found himself back in a pack of superior cars. Biffle had to pit for fuel and his dream was over. He finished 20th.

    The two tries to finish the race were even stranger. When the first attempt at a finish started, cars getting together in the back of the field caused NASCAR to wave it off and said it wasn’t really an attempt. Stranger, the green light can be seen on the flag stand, but one more try was ordered. After a long caution period, another attempt was made—technically the first attempt. Before the cars could get to Turn 1, the big one finally happened. With Kevin Harvick not having enough power in his failing engine, he couldn’t get up to speed. Trevor Bayne tried to pass him on the outside, but once Bayne was almost by him, Harvick seemed to turn right, clip Bayne and create the only “big one” of the day. It involved the cars of Denny Hamlin, Michael McDowell, Tony Stewart, Matt Kenseth, Danica Patrick, Austin Dillon, Sam Hornish, Bayne, and Alex Bowman. Hamlin was eliminated from the Chase.

    Hamlin, Bayne, and Kenseth pointed fingers are Harvick since the only way he was going to get to the next round was to have an additional caution. NASCAR Vice Chair Mike Helton, after meeting with representatives from Joe Gibbs Racing and Stewart-Haas Racing said they could find no evidence that Harvick had done anything wrong unless something came up this week. Harvick denied any wrongdoing.

    So, after last week’s controversial win, Logano had another controversial win. It’s clear that Kenseth hasn’t gotten over that tap from Logano last week, as he threatened to beat him up when an early pit stop got dicey. Kenseth seemed to cool at the end after his day was over and no beating occurred. The final result showed Hamlin, Ryan Newman, Earnhardt, and Kenseth eliminated, with Logano, Edwards, Gordon, Kurt Busch, Brad Keselowski, Martin Truex Jr., and Kyle Busch left to compete for the title.

    Much will be said about the last two races, but a few things are clear. Team Penske drivers Logano and Keselowski are always near the front and Logano has shown the skill to be at the front at the end of races. Jeff Gordon has speed, but will it continue? With his expertise on mile and a half tracks, he could be a factor. The rest are only dependent on what happens to those favorites, but after the last two weeks, you can’t count anything out.

  • Talladega Clinch Scenarios by the Numbers

    Talladega Clinch Scenarios by the Numbers

    Let’s be honest. Trying to predict which eight drivers will make it through the characteristic chaos of Talladega Superspeedway to advance to the Eliminator Round of the Chase is next to impossible. With only 25 points separating the top eight contenders and the looming likelihood of the almost inevitable “big one,” the only thing certain is that no one is safe – except Joey Logano.

    After winning the first two races of the Contender Round, Logano is the only driver guaranteed to advance to the next round. Second place driver, Denny Hamlin, is only 13 points behind Logano. While that would seemingly make him a safe bet to move forward in the Chase for the Sprint Cup, Talladega has a way of shaking things up.

    Just ask Kyle Busch who arrived at Talladega last year with a 26-point cushion and only had to finish in the 24th position to advance. Busch, however, was caught up in a wreck and finished 40th, missing the cutoff by seven points.

    With that said, as the numbers stand, this is what each driver in the Contender Round must do to capture a top-eight spot and lock into the Eliminator Round. Please keep in mind that these numbers are only a starting point, subject to the twists and turns of Talladega restrictor plate racing.

    Denny Hamlin: 14th and no laps led; 15th and at least one lap led; 16th and most laps led

    Kurt Busch: Eighth and no laps led; ninth and at least one lap led; 10th and most laps led

    Carl Edwards: Seventh and no laps led; eighth and at least one lap led; ninth and most laps led

    Kevin Harvick: Third and no laps led; fourth with a lap led

    Jeff Gordon and Brad Keselowski: Second or better; third and at least one lap led; fourth and most laps led

    Martin Truex Jr.: Second and no laps led; third and most laps led

    Kyle Busch, Ryan Newman, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Matt Kenseth: Only a win guarantees advancement to the Eliminator Round.

    Notes:

    1) Dale Earnhardt Jr. has the top driver rating (92.8) at Talladega and is tied with Jeff Gordon for most wins of active drivers with six victories. He has two restrictor plate victories this season, Talladega in May and the July race at Daytona. If he wins Sunday, he will be the first driver to have three plate wins in a single season since his father did so in 1990.

    2) NASCAR announced this week that they will reduce the number of attempts at a green-white-checkered finish, from three to one.

    Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR Executive Vice President and Chief Racing Development Officer, explained the reason for the change, stating, “In the event the race goes beyond the advertised distance due to a caution, we will use a single attempt at a green-white-checker finish. We take very seriously the responsibility of balancing exciting finishes and safety. We’re confident that this is a positive direction for both.”

    The CampingWorld.com 500 at Talladega Superspeedway will be televised this Sunday at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN. Tune in as 12 become 8 in the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship.

     

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Kansas

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Kansas

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Joey Logano: Logano won his second straight race, bumping Matt Kenseth out of the lead with five laps to go to win the Hollywood Casino 400.

    “Let’s face it,” Logano said, “Kenseth’s tailspin started well before Kansas.

    2. Kevin Harvick: Harvick left the pits with his gas can still attached with about 50 laps to go, incurring a drive-through penalty. Harvick finished 15th and has 3,071 points, just seven ahead of Kyle Busch in ninth.

    “I just need to keep my nose clean at Talladega,” Harvick said, “and keep the No. 4 Chevrolet off the wall. It will be different than it was at Dover—-to keep my nose clean there, I intentionally had to hit the wall.”

    3. Kurt Busch: Busch took sixth at Kansas, scoring his 17th top-10 of the year. He is third in the points standings, 13 ahead of ninth place.

    “I’m in perfect position to advance to the Eliminator Round,” Busch said. “It doesn’t apply to my mental state, but I’m ‘in a good place.’”

    4. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin finished second at Kansas and is now second in the points standings.

    “Matt Kenseth will get Joey Logano back,” Hamlin said. “It’s gonna be hard for Matt to properly avenge himself at Talladega because Logano’s already advanced to the next round. So, Matt may be able to get some sort of revenge, but he won’t be able to exact revenge.”

    5. Carl Edwards: Edwards finished eighth in the Hollywood Casino 400, posting his 13th top-10 of the year.

    “Matt Kenseth is old enough to be Joey Logano’s father,” Edwards said. “In my eyes, Joey needs a beating; in Matt’s eyes, he needs a spanking.”

    6. Martin Truex Jr.: A late pit mishap coast Truex a likely top-10 finish and he settled for 16th in the Hollywood Casino 400.

    “We had a tire get away from us in the pits,” Truex said. “Up until that point, we were ‘rolling.’”

    7. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski started on the pole and finished ninth at Kansas, recording his 21st top-10 of the year. He has 3,071 points in the standings, tied with Kevin Harvick and Jeff Gordon.

    “Joey Logano’s won the last two races,” Keselowski said, “and five total this season. He’s looking like the favorite to win the Sprint Cup championship. He just has to avoid being overconfident. Can Joey avoid getting a ‘big head?’ I don’t think so; on that neck, any head looks big.”

    8. Jeff Gordon: Gordon took 10th at Kansas and has 3,071 points in the standings, which places him seven points ahead of Kyle Busch in ninth.

    “Advancing to the next round could come down to a single point,” Gordon said, “so every point matters. At Talladega, I’m just as worried about the ‘Little One’ as I am about the ‘Big One.’”

    9. Kyle Busch: Busch posted his eighth top-5 finish of the season with a fifth in the Hollywood Casino 400. He is currently in ninth place in the points standings, six points behind eighth place.

    “One week after the Hollywood Casino 400,” Busch said, “we’re heading to Talladega, where, fittingly, all bets are off.

    “The level of tension will be such that you’ll be able to cut it with a knife. In the infield at Talladega, the level of alcohol will be such that you might get stabbed with a knife.”

    10. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth was leading with five laps remaining at Kansas when Joey Logano bumped him, sending Kenseth’s No. 20 sliding up the track and out of the lead. Kenseth finished 14th and will likely need to win at Talladega to advance.

    “With Halloween approaching,” Kenseth said, “Logano should be mindful of things that go bump in the night, as well as things that go bump in the face.”

  • Logano versus Kenseth – What They Said After the Race

    Logano versus Kenseth – What They Said After the Race

    In racing there is one objective – to win. Does that mean that winning by any means is justified? I suppose that depends on your point of view.

    In today’s event at Kansas Speedway, Logano captured the victory giving him back-to-back wins in the Contender Round of the Chase, but Sunday’s Hollywood Casino 400 was not without controversy

    From Logano’s seat, both drivers raced each other aggressively. Kenseth had taken over the lead after a restart on Lap 248 and had already blocked Logano on the frontstretch as the pair approached lapped traffic. When it happened again as they were entering Turn 1 Logano gave Kenseth’s No. 20 Toyota a bump that sent him spinning, resulting in a 14th place finish for Kenseth while Logano claimed the checkered flag.

    “It was good, hard racing,” Logano said. “We were racing each other really hard, and I got in the fence twice on the straightaways. He raced me hard, and I raced him hard back. That’s the way I race. If I get raced like that, I’ll race the same way.

    “That’s how I’ve always been,” he continued, “and it will always be that way. I really couldn’t be more proud of this team. To be sitting in such a great position going into Talladega makes us feel really, really good.”

    In the media center following the race, Logano was asked if he intentionally turned Kenseth. His answer was an emphatic, “No.”

    “No, no, I think we both went for the same piece of real estate,” Logano explained. “We both went into that corner hard. I wanted to get position and get to the inside of him, and then he went for the same piece of real estate, as well. I wanted that second lane to be able to stay on the inside of him. You know, I ‘m thinking he may get trapped up behind one of those lap cars in front of him because they were running the top before, and they all hopped to the bottom, but you don’t know that until you’re in the corner, right?”

    Kenseth, after finishing 42nd at Charlotte last week, desperately needed the win to ensure his advancement to the Eliminator Round and had a completely different opinion of Logano’s move.

    “It was really cut and dry,” Kenseth said. “He (Logano) picked my rear tires off the ground and wrecked me, so there’s no debate about that one. He was a little bit tighter on that short run than I was, and I couldn’t get away from him.

    “All day we had him pretty good. I still thought I was going to be able to stay in front of him and saw those lapped cars coming and tried getting a couple runs off the top there and I was plenty clear, got up in front of him and he just decided to take us out.”

    Kenseth is currently 35 points out of the final transfer position (eighth place) and will probably need a victory at Talladega to advance to the next round.

    Kenseth obviously upset after the race, said he has no plans to discuss the incident with Logano.

    “I don’t think there’s anything to talk about,” he commented. “Anybody can see what happened. I know what happened. He knows what happened. Everybody watching knows what happened so I don’t really think there’s a lot to talk about.”

    Kenseth went on to say that he did not feel Logano’s actions were warranted by anything he did.

    “He just plain wrecked me. He cries on his radio a lot I guess about blocking or moving around, but I mean man, you’re leading the race you can pick whatever lane you want. It’s not like he was alongside of me. To wreck somebody for being in a lane you that you wanted to be in seems kind of risky and not very smart but it’s a decision he made.

    Kenseth said he was not surprised by Logano’s actions, but that he was “really disappointed,” saying, “I’ve probably been one of his biggest supporters. It was an awkward thing, obviously, taking his ride, and I was excited for him when he started winning at Penske and when he got that ride and even found him today and congratulated him about racing against each other for a championship.”

    He ended by stating, “That’s not the way I race people no matter what the stakes are.”

    Is there a wrong way or a right way to win or is it as simple as the ends justify the means? You decide.

     

  • Keselowski Earns Coors Light Pole at Kansas

    Keselowski Earns Coors Light Pole at Kansas

    By Reid Spencer | NASCAR.com

    KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Brad Keselowski’s pole-winning run on Friday at Kansas Speedway was an early Christmas present to second-place qualifier, Carl Edwards.

    Keselowski saved his best lap for the third and final round of knockout qualifying at the 1.5-mile track, touring the distance in 27.621 seconds (195.503 mph) to edge Edwards (195.454 mph) for the top starting spot by .007 seconds.

    But in claiming his second Coors Light Pole Award of the season, his first at Kansas and the 10th of his career, Keselowski didn’t cash in on one of the primary perks that typically accrues to the pole winner.

    Because his No. 2 Team Penske Ford had accumulated four written warnings for minor infractions discovered during the at-track technical inspection process, Keselowski forfeits the traditional right of first pit selection, and the choice goes to Edwards for Sunday’s Hollywood Casino 400 (2 p.m. ET on NBC), the fifth race in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

    “It’s like getting a nice piece of cheesecake without the toppings,” Keselowski said. “It’s nice to be fast this week. We weren’t anywhere near as fast as we wanted to be at Charlotte (last Sunday), which was frustrating.

    “And I’m not sure I could answer why we’re faster this week, but sometimes that stuff just comes and goes, and you don’t really understand why. But when you have speed, you’ve got to make the most of it.”

    Getting the last pick of pit stalls won’t help Keselowski’s cause, but Edwards didn’t seem to mind the unexpected bonus.

    “So we’ll get that first pit stall (closest to the exit from pit road),” a delighted Edwards said after time trials. “That’ll be huge. That’s a gift — and we’ll take it.”

    Both Keselowski and Edwards are among 12 Chase drivers vying for eight spots in the Eliminator 8 Round of NASCAR’s 10-race playoff, with the cutoff looming Oct. 25 at Talladega Superspeedway.

    Only 14th-place qualifier Joey Logano, who with Dale Earnhardt Jr. (15th) was one of two Chase drivers who didn’t make the top 12 on Friday, has already advanced to the Eliminator 8 Round, by virtue of last Sunday’s victory at Charlotte.

    In addition to Keselowski, Edwards, Logano and Earnhardt, other Chase drivers will line up as follows: Kyle Busch, third; Kevin Harvick, fourth; Denny Hamlin, fifth; Jeff Gordon, sixth; Martin Truex Jr., seventh; Kurt Busch, ninth; and Matt Kenseth, 10th.

    Ryan Blaney (eighth), running a limited schedule for Wood Brothers Racing, was the only non-Chase driver to crack the top 10. Blaney posted the fastest lap in the second round of qualifying at 195.164 mph.

    Harvick had difficulty getting up to speed during Friday’s opening practice session, but the reigning series champion was relieved by his fourth-place qualifying effort.

    “That’s a win for us,” Harvick said. “We thought we were going to have to race our way from 25th, so to be fourth is a big improvement.”

    Notes: Timmy Hill failed to make the 43-car field… Casey Mears’ No. 13 Chevrolet broke loose and slammed into the Turn 4 wall seven minutes into the first round of qualifying, forcing him to a backup car for Sunday’s race.

  • NASCAR Racing Schedule for Kansas Speedway

    NASCAR Racing Schedule for Kansas Speedway

    The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and the XFINITY Series travel to Kansas Speedway this weekend while the Camping World Truck Series is off. All of the on-track action will be broadcast on NBC Sports Live Extra. Please see the full schedule below.

    All times are Eastern.

    Friday, Oct. 16:

    On Track:

    1-2:25 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series Practice – CNBC/Live Extra
    2:30-3:20 p.m.: XFINITY Series Practice – NBCSN/Live Extra
    4:30-5:55 p.m.: XFINITY Series Final Practice – NBCSN/Live Extra
    6:15 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying – NBCSN/Live Extra

    GarageCam: (Watch live)

    12:30 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series
    4 p.m.: XFINITY Series

    Press Conferences (Watch live at NASCAR.com)

    11:30 a.m.: Joey Logano
    11:45 a.m.: Chris Buescher
    Noon: Matt Kenseth
    12:15 p.m.: Martin Truex Jr.
    2:30 p.m.: Carl Edwards
    3:30 p.m.: Jeff Gordon
    7:15 p.m.: Post-NSCS qualifying

    Saturday, Oct. 17:

    On Track:

    11:30 a.m.-12:25 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series Practice – CNBC/Live Extra
    12:45 p.m. ET: XFINITY Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying – NBCSN/Live Extra
    2:30-3:20 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series Final Practice – NBCSN/Live Extra
    4 p.m.: XFINITY Series Kansas Lottery 300 (200 laps, 300 miles) – NBCSN/Live Extra (Green flag: 4:18 p.m. approx.)

    Press Conferences (Watch live at NASCAR.com)

    6:45 p.m.: Post-XFINITY Series Race

    Sunday, Oct. 18:

    On Track:

    2:15 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Hollywood Casino 400 (267 laps, 400.5 miles) – NBC/Live Extra (Green flag: 2:31 p.m. approx.)

    Press Conferences (Watch live at NASCAR.com)

    5:45 p.m.: Post-Sprint Series Race

     

     

    TV Schedule- Additional NASCAR Coverage

    Saturday, Oct. 17:

    2 p.m.: NASCAR America Live – NBCSN
    3:30 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series Countdown to Green – NBCSN

    Sunday, Oct. 18:

    11 a.m.: NASCAR RaceDay – FOX Sports 1
    1 p.m.: NASCAR America Sunday – NBCSN
    1:30 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Countdown to Green – NBCSN
    6 p.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Post-Race – NBCSN
    6:30 p.m.: NASCAR Victory Lap – NBCSN
    Midnight: NASCAR Victory Lane – FOX Sports 1

     

  • The White-Zone: Atlanta race fans must drop the excuses and go to the race

    The White-Zone: Atlanta race fans must drop the excuses and go to the race

    “The white-zone is for immediate loading and unloading…” and it’s time Atlanta race fans drop the excuses and start loading into the track.

    Let me just start off by acknowledging Atlanta Motor Speedway is not alone in attendance issues. In fact, it’s almost across the board. Percentage-wise, Atlanta probably fills more seats than Indianapolis. However, the issues surrounding attendance at most tracks are the on-track product. Atlanta is unique in its attendance issues.

    Atlanta has a reputation for being a lousy sports town. Basically, the only sport people in the Atlanta area care about is college football. The Atlanta Falcons are consistently one of the top teams in the NFC South and could very well make a deep playoff run this season. However, the Georgia Dome is rarely sold out. The Atlanta Braves won 14 straight division titles from 1991 to 2005, five National League pennants and the World Series in 1995, but they couldn’t sell out playoff games during that run. The only series this season that packed Turner Field was when the Braves played the Yankees, and there were far more Yankee fans. The Atlanta Hawks finished with the best record in the Eastern Conference and made it to the Eastern Conference Finals, but Philips Arena was toward the bottom of NBA attendance. I should also mention that Atlanta has been host to two failed NHL franchises, the Flames (now the Calgary Flames) and the Thrashers (now the Winnipeg Jets) because of attendance issues.

    Atlanta sports fans are also notorious for coming up with all sorts of excuses for not going to an event. I’ve heard because it’s “too cold,” it’s “too hot,” “I had a party to attend” and my personal favorite, “I’ve still not forgiven William The Conquerer for The Invasion of 1066.” Okay, the last one I made up, but I’ve heard the rest of these on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio channel 90 over the years.

    Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis. has played host to four of the 10 coldest games in NFL history. The Packers fans not only don’t use the cold as an excuse to stay home, they’ll even get painted up and pack the stands when the temperature is penguin house. The “it’s too cold” excuse is laughable to those who grew up in places like New England where it only warms up two days out of 365 (a slight hyperbole).

    I also don’t think you can use the “it’s too hot” excuse when you live in a temperate place like Atlanta. Now I live in Knoxville, Tenn., but the weather patterns between Knoxville and Atlanta are very similar.

    I know it seems like I’m nitpicking and picking on Atlanta. Nitpicking perhaps, but I’m not saying all this to be mean. I’ve said everything I’ve said because I really believe Atlanta Motor Speedway is close to being axed off the schedule. If the Atlanta sports fans continue to drag their feet and use these excuses to not attend the races, you eventually won’t have a home track to see the Sprint Cup Series. Knowing Bruton Smith has wanted to put a second Sprint Cup race in Las Vegas, the lack of support from the Atlanta populace will tell him that you don’t mind not having a Sprint Cup race in your area.

    Do your part and go to the track in February if you want Atlanta Motor Speedway to continue existing. If y’all start packing the track, NASCAR will begin to seriously consider moving your race to an ideal date. But if you’d rather stay home and complain about the race weekend being too cold or too hot, don’t be shocked to wake up one day and read online that Atlanta has lost its Sprint Cup race.

    I don’t want to see Atlanta Motor Speedway disappear. I consider it my second home track and it’s been home to some of the best finishes in NASCAR history. But you must understand that the Southeastern United States is the most saturated race market in the world. From Knoxville, there are eight tracks within a few hours driving distance. As such, it’s important for each track in the South to have a solid local base to fill the seats. With Atlanta being the third largest metropolitan area in the Southeastern United States, that shouldn’t be hard to accomplish.

    My plane is about to take off, so I must wrap this up. Until next time, I’ll leave you with this fact. May 29 is officially designated as “International Put a Pillow on Your Fridge Day.”

  • Atlanta Motor Speedway introduces “Perfect Race Weather Guarantee”

    Atlanta Motor Speedway introduces “Perfect Race Weather Guarantee”

    The 2016 schedule still hasn’t been released, but one track has both announced it’s date and a full “credit” for inclement weather.

    Tuesday morning, Atlanta Motor Speedway announced that the NASCAR traveling circus of the Camping World Truck, XFINITY and Sprint Cup Series will return on the weekend of Feb. 26-28, 2016 following the 58th Daytona 500. The track has reduced the price of tickets by 15 percent, the cheapest being $39 and most expensive being $99.

    The most notable announcement was the “Perfect Race Weather Guarantee.” It doesn’t mean that track General Manager Ed Clark acquired Destro’s Weather Dominator and will crank the temperature up to 100 (that’s for you G.I. Joe fanatics), but it will give fans options if they can’t make the race. Here’s an excerpt from the press release.

    “The all-new policy offers fans options in the event that inclement weather prevents them from attending the race. If the daytime high temperature in Hampton, Georgia on Saturday or Sunday of race weekend fails to reach at least 50 degrees as observed by the National Weather Service, or if weather issues postpone the day’s activities to a different day and fans are unable to attend on the rescheduled date, fans who do not enter the admission gates on the day the event is held will receive an account credit for the full price of their tickets. Credits can be applied to any future AMS event or events in 2016 or the 2017 NASCAR Weekend.”

    In other words, if the weather doesn’t go higher than penguin house or if mother nature decides to rain on us and you can’t make the race, you can use that credit for a free ticket to the 2017 NASCAR race weekend at Atlanta.

    In addition, Atlanta Motor Speedway is offering three different ticket packages for the 2016 race weekend. Their “Good” ticket package, starting at $79, includes general admission seating for Sprint Cup Series qualifying on Friday, tickets to the XFINITY and Truck doubleheader on Saturday and Sunday’s Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 for the Sprint Cup Series. Next is the “Better” package at $139. This package is comprised of everything included in the “Good” package plus a weekend FanVision rental and a pre-race pit pass for Sunday’s Cup race. The “Best” package at $179 includes everything in the “Good” and “Better” packages and $25 off any purchase greater than $50 at the AMS souvenir shop.

    For tickets to the February NASCAR weekend of events at Atlanta Motor Speedway next season, call (877) 9-AMS-TIX or visit www.atlantamotorspeedway.com.

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Charlotte

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Charlotte

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Joey Logano: Logano led 227 of 334 laps and held off Kevin Harvick down the stretch to claim the Bank Of America 500. With the win, Logano advanced to the next round of the Chase For The Cup.

    “I knew Harvick was creeping up behind me,” Logano said. “I knew I had to hit my marks to maintain my cushion. I kind of utilized Harvick’s strategy from Dover, because I knew if he got close enough to see my rear end, it would be bad news.”

    2. Kevin Harvick: Harvick finished second in the Bank Of America 500, posting his 12th runner-up finish of the year.

    “I ‘backed up’ my win in Dover with a second,” Harvick said.

    “I am the defending Sprint Cup champion, but that doesn’t mean I’m not extremely motivated to win it again this year. Last year means nothing. In my mind, all evidence of that victory has been destroyed.”

    3. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin finished fourth at Charlotte, the top finisher among Joe Gibbs Racing drivers.

    “I dealt with some battery issues,” Hamlin said. “As you know, that comes with the positives and the negatives.

    “Matt Kenseth has been JGR’s best driver all year, but he struggled at Charlotte. And, if you remember, he had his issues last year at CMS. So for Matt, nothing is a cinch at Charlotte, except Brad Keselowski’s noggin in a headlock.”

    4. Carl Edwards: Edwards took sixth at Charlotte, joining Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin, who finished fourth, in the top 10.

    “I bumped Dale Earnhardt Jr. and sent him into the wall,” Edwards said. “Now, my status with Earnhardt fans has been upgraded, from ‘unlikeable’ to ‘hated.’”

    5. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex finished third at Charlotte, scoring his eighth top-five result of the year. He is third in the points standings, seven behind Joey Logano.

    “NASCAR did a sorry job of cleaning the track of oil and fluid,” Truex said. “But let’s face it, if anyone’s guilty of pulling a slick one, it’s not the track at Charlotte, but Kevin Harvick at Dover.”

    6. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski finished ninth in the Bank Of America 500, posting his 20th top 10 of the year.

    “There were a lot of cars making contact with the wall,” Keselowski said. “The wall played as big a factor in the Charlotte race as it did in the Dover race. For further explanation, see Kevin Harvick.”

    7. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth started on the pole at Charlotte and struggled thereafter, battling tight-handling conditions and hitting the wall three times, the last of which ended his day. He eventually finished 42nd.

    “We thought we had the No. 20 Dollar General car set up perfectly for Saturday’s night race,” Kenseth said. “Then rain postponed it until Sunday. So, after a tough day on Sunday, we were a day late and a Dollar General short.

    8. Jeff Gordon: Gordon finished eighth at Charlotte and has not finished below 14th in the Chase.

    “I may be Hendrick Motorsports only hope for the title,” Gordon said. “What’s shocking is that’s a long shot.

    9. Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Earnhardt found trouble early at Charlotte, hitting the wall on lap 70 after making contact with Carl Edwards, then hitting it again after running through a patch of fluid on the track.

    “Carl Edwards flat out wrecked me,” Earnhardt said. “I promise revenge is coming. It will be swift and just, and will be called ‘E-taliation.’”

    10. Kyle Busch: Busch finished a disappointing 20th, his day spoiled by an incident with Kyle Larson that damaged his car.

    “I damaged the right front of the M&M’s No. 18 Toyota after colliding with Kyle Larson entering the pits,” Busch said. “You can’t blame me for that—I hit the Target.”