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  • Finley Factor: Class of 2016 Hall of Fame Votes

    Finley Factor: Class of 2016 Hall of Fame Votes

    This week’s Factor will be a little different than normal. I’m going to be going over my votes for the NASCAR Hall of Fame fan vote, which anybody can vote for right here- http://www.nascar.com/halloffame . Because NASCAR loves not to actually promote it (last year I didn’t know it was active until it closed), I feel I should do my part and reveal my votes for the Hall. Agree or disagree, I hope that you can take the time out to cast your vote this year.

    But First, Three Honorable Mentions:

    Ray Evernham– What kills him being in right now is the general uncompetitiveness of Evernham Motorsports. If Evernham had won a championship or was even still around today he would definitely get a vote from me.

    Evernham, while having a remarkable career with Jeff Gordon (being the Chad Knaus to Gordon’s Jimmie Johnson), his lack of success with anyone or anything else leaves him on the outside looking in for me so far. It’s like if Hendrick himself had just stopped in the late 90’s- sure he’d be in eventually, but he doesn’t have the longevity a Jeff Gordon has that shoots him ahead of most nominees.

    Curtis Turner– The field of nominees right now is just too good. If there were six able to go in no doubt he would be my sixth.

    Turner was the Babe Ruth of stock car racing, and although more popular drivers have come along since, few can match the antics and personality of the moonshiner from Roanoke, Virginia. If you think Dale Earnhardt Jr. or Tony Stewart are characters, Turner could impress you just by using his pinky.

    The first NASCAR driver on the cover of Sports Illustrated, Turner’s meager Cup stats only tell one side of the story. Never full-time, he was the king of the short-lived convertible series and his commitment to getting Charlotte Motor Speedway on the ground set the stage for numerous events, such as the rise of Bruton Smith as one of the most powerful men in sports. Having long since passed away after a strange plane crash in 1970, Turner was the poster child for a race car driver before the 1970’s, a wildman who didn’t care to run a full season in anything, picking and choosing big money or just fun races to do on the side of his real job. One of these off weekends I’m going to devote an entire Factor to Turner stories, like the time he landed a plane on a street in a town just to get liquor, or becoming the only pace car driver in history to lead the field under the green flag.

    Alan Kulwicki– So I might be just a little biased. Kulwicki is such an underrated driver and he did something nobody will probably ever do again. He came into Cup racing owning his own team, turned down all offers to race for everybody, even when he had no sponsors, then ended up winning a championship. Just doing the last part is difficult for many drivers; Darrell Waltrip’s team failed, Ricky Rudd’s team failed and Geoff Bodine’s team failed. But to waltz into Cup and within five years hoist the championship with the team you built is like a joke you tell to friends.

    And he never sat on his laurels either. This is a man who, the month before his tragic death in a plane crash, was working on his car in an Atlanta blizzard when nobody else was in the garage, using his helmet to protect him from the conditions. Kulwicki’s thing that is killing him, like Turner, is the unimpressive stat line and just how good the nominee list is.  I also feel like Kulwicki needs to go in with Davey Allison. Although both drivers had little in common, both will always be forever linked, and with Tim Richmond, their deaths will always be regarded as the great what-ifs of 1990’s NASCAR.

    Texas Preview

    The Favorite

    I think this will be the week Matt Kenseth makes his return to victory lane. This is one of his best tracks, and JGR seems to be improving every week.

    One to Watch

    It will be interesting to see if Ryan Newman can continue his constancy run with the dark cloud of those penalties looming. Let’s see how this team performs under pressure.

    Dark Horse

    David Ragan did well here before leaving Roush Fenway Racing. Now that he’s in a car that has some power to it again, I don’t doubt a good result will come on Saturday.

    Oh, and to those who actually still care about the Keselowski-Gordon fight from last year… Really? Don’t sit around and create stories for no real reason other than to stir the pot. And I doubt either man is going to drink from said pot this time around.

    The Votes: (Ranked in no particular order):

    Raymond Parks

    If there was no Raymond Parks, there would be no NASCAR. Before Parks, all stock car drivers were disorganized with little consistency in who they were running for, or if they were running for themselves, wrecking their car and never being heard from again. Parks brought to the sport uniformity and set the stage for today’s car owners in Rick Hendrick and Joe Gibbs. Paul Brown before Paul Brown, the “moonshine baron” of Atlanta created a winning formula that still works- buy the best cars, hire the best mechanics (Red Vogt), the best drivers (Lloyd Seay, Roy Hall, sometimes the Flock brothers, and most famously Red Byron among others), then collect the trophy and the check after winning the race.

    Red Byron

    If there was no Red Byron, there would be no stock car racing, or if there was it would be about 30 years behind the times. After World War II, stock car racing, after establishing itself in the late 1930’s as the southern sport on the rise, looked like it was going to struggle to catch open wheel racing. Most of its biggest stars were no longer around. Roy Hall was in prison. Lloyd Seay was dead. Bill France Sr., a fine racer and generally regarded as the unofficial 1940 overall stock car champion,  had retired to focus on promoting the sport. Not only that, but many involved in the sport were simply criminals, hard-nosed moonshiners who were not exactly people that would appeal to the police, politicans, or other powerful figures willing to take the sport down.

    Enter Red Byron.

    The World War II vet, with a bum left leg due to shrapnel from the war, was a racer. He never hauled moonshine. He had never done a “bootlegger’s turn”. But he was a racer, and he was exactly what the sport needed at the time, a solid and relatable man who, like Mark Martin many years later, wasn’t everybody’s favorite driver, rather at least their second favorite. Byron, also, as a seasoned open wheel driver, helped provide legitimacy to many who looked down on the “good old boy redneck show”.

    Byron’s stats are horrible compared to many on the ballot, but what he did for the sport at the most chaotic time of its existence, plus his distinction as the first NASCAR champion (in the modified series in 1948) and the first Strictly Stock (now known as the Sprint Cup) champion in 1949 definitely make up for it.

    Benny Parsons

    Parsons is definitely debatable right now. I’d guess the class cut-off will come down to Parsons and Terry Labonte. While it is true Labonte has another championship and better overall statistics in play than Parsons, the impact Labonte has had on the sport simply has been minimal, if at all. Rather, Parsons’ impact can still be felt today.

    I’m taking what Parsons did for coverage and media into account, simply because the Hall itself already has had displays for Darrell Waltrip and Ned Jarrett’s media careers following their driving days. Parsons, in many ways, is the hallmark for what an announcer should be. He had the Larry McReynolds gift of being able to tell the viewer what was going on during a race without dumbing it down or being too technical. His pairing with Jarrett will go down as one of the greatest in the sport’s history, and his announcing could turn a boring race into something exciting to watch and think about.

    Parsons was also a great driver. In 1964, Benny seemed to have gotten his big break into the Grand National (now Sprint Cup) series. He was getting the chance most drivers could only dream of, a race at the old Asheville-Weaverville Speedway in a Holman-Moody Ford. Success could lead to a full-time ride in the best equipment around. However, he had two little problems that day. The first of which was an overheating issue that knocked him out of the race prematurely. The other problem was that Ford was trying out another driver that day, who, although he only lasted nine more laps than Parsons, had impressed the Ford brass more than Benny could.

    That other driver was called Cale Yarborough.

    Benny would eventually have his day in the sun nine years later, beating Yarborough in a now famous points battle that spoke to the kindness and respect Parsons had and gave to the garage area.

    In 1973’s final race, Parsons came into Rockingham needing to complete a specific amount of laps to win the championship due to the way the points worked back then. Parsons wrecked early, and seemed to be doomed to once again come up short to Yarborough. However, men from every crew came down to the No. 72 garage and helped fix the car enough for Benny to come back out onto the track, winning the 1973 championship and etching his name into history. Benny ended his career with 21 victories, only one off from Labonte’s 22. Benny also only has roughly 100 less top-tens than Labonte, impressive considering the Iron Man had over 350 more starts than Parsons.

    Rick Hendrick

    There is literally only one argument one can make for Hendrick not to be in the Hall of Fame- he’s still active.

    If he wasn’t, we’re talking second class inductee here.

    There’s really not much I have to say here. It’s really just some numbers with some words:

    232 victories.

    202 poles.

    11 championships. Four straight in 1995-1998, five in 2006-2010.

    His engines/chassis have won three other championships, in 1989, 2011 and 2014.

    Quite simply the greatest car owner of all time. No argument.

    Mark Martin      

    Quite simply the greatest driver to never win a championship. But, to be honest, would a championship really make a huge difference?

    The king of consistency, Martin finished second in points five times, far and away the most in history among those never to hoist the Cup. Easily his most impressive season was 2009, where at the age of fifty he won five races and in an unlikely twist, filled the void the underperforming Dale Earnhardt Jr. made for many in the fanbase.

    Why would anybody hate Mark Martin? As far as I can remember, I’ve never heard of him being rude to fans. I can’t recall him ever making a fellow driver mad. Starting in Cup racing as a young 22-year-old in 1981 and ending his career as an old man at 54 in 2013, Martin remained constantly consistent and, outside of two winless seasons in 12thand 17th place in 2001 and 2003 respectively, never finished outside of the top-ten in points from 1988 to 2006. He helped build Roush Racing from being a new team to, at the time of his departure in 2006, a five car organization, having won championships in 2003 and 2004. They also won 18 races in 2005, a good enough record to force NASCAR to enact a four car team limit that same year.

    He also hold the distinction of having raced against every NASCAR champion since the start of the modern era in 1972, and at times bested all of them. His work with Michael Waltrip Racing in the last three years in his career helped to get the team into high gear, and his loss has definitely stung at MWR the last two years.

    Mark Martin is definitely a Hall of Famer, and there’s no doubting that. So what if he didn’t win a championship? Let’s not pretend Bill Rexford is going in anytime soon….

  • NASCAR Racing Schedule for Texas Motor Speedway

    NASCAR Racing Schedule for Texas Motor Speedway

    The racing action continues this weekend as the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and XFINITY Series head to Texas Motor Speedway. The Camping World Truck Series is off for the next few weeks but will return May 8 at Kansas.

    All times Eastern.

    Thursday, April 9:

    On Track:

    4:30-5:30 p.m.: XFINITY Series practice – No TV
    6:30-8 p.m.: XFINITY Series final practice – No TV

    Friday, April 10:

    On Track:

    11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series practice – FOX Sports 1
    2-3:20 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series final practice – FOX Sports 1
    4:45 p.m.: XFINITY Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying – FOX Sports 1
    6:45 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying – FOX Sports 1
    8:30 p.m.: XFINITY Series O’Reily Auto Parts 300 – FOX Sports 1 (200 laps – 300 miles) (Scheduled Green Flag (approx): 8:46 p.m.)

    Press Conferences (Watch live at NASCAR.com)

    10:00 a.m.: Carl Edwards

    10:25 a.m.: Kyle Larson
    10:50 a.m.: Michael Waltrip Racing Announcement
    3:45 p.m.: Chris Buescher
    4:15 p.m.: Jeff Gordon
    7:30 p.m.: Post NSCS Qualifying – Time Approximate
    10:45 p.m.: Post NXS Race – Time Approximate

    Saturday, April 11:

    On Track:

    7:30 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Duck Commander 500 – FOX (334 laps – 501 miles) (Scheduled Green Flag (approx): 7:46 p.m.)

    Press Conferences    : (Watch live at NASCAR.com)

    4:15 p.m.: Charlotte Motor Speedway Announcement

    5:00 p.m.: Duck Commander Press Conference

    11:15 p.m.: Post-NSCS Race – Time Approximate

    Please note that some of the press conferences may not be streamed on NASCAR.com/Press Pass. Due to changes in schedule or extenuating circumstances, streaming availabilities are subject to change without notice.

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Martinsville

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Martinsville

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Kevin Harvick: Harvick finished eighth at Martinsville, ending his streak of eight consecutive results of second or better. He remains atop the Sprint Cup points standings, 24 ahead of Joey Logano.

    “It was a disappointing finish,” Harvick said. “Not that eighth is bad, but I finished behind Danica Patrick. I guess my son Keelan’s cries of ‘Go Daddy!’ were heard by Danica and not me.”

    2. Joey Logano: Logano started on the pole at Martinsville and came home third, leading 108 laps in the STP 500. He is second in the points standings, 24 behind Kevin Harvick.

    “That race had it all,” Logano said. “Action, intrigue, fake cautions, you name it. Plus, there was controversy, because track management dumped Jesse Jones hot dogs for Valleydale. How could they? I’ve been called one, but this takes the term ‘undeserving weiner’ to a new level.”

    3. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski stalked Denny Hamlin over the final laps at Martinsville but couldn’t make the pass. Hamlin took the checkers while Keselowski settled for second.

    “The No. 2 Miller Lite was fast,” Keselowski said, “and I almost pulled it out. And that would have been nice. Had I won, you could have said the race itself, much like Kyle Larson, was ‘Lite-headed.’”

    4. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex led 23 laps and finished sixth at Martinsville, posting his sixth top 10 of the year. He is third in the points standings, 32 behind Kevin Harvick.

    “Kyle Larson missed the race after fainting Saturday at an autograph session,” Truex said. “Apparently, he signed ‘out.’ Don’t ask me what his condition is, because I don’t have the faintest. Somebody told me Fall Out Boy was signing autographs on Saturday. Turns out it was just Kyle Larson.”

    5. Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Earnhardt suffered a broken shifter early at Martinsville and was involved in a multi-car wreck on lap 228 that smashed the front end of the No. 88 Chevrolet. He eventually finished 36th, 47 laps behind.

    “Obviously,” Earnhardt said, “you can’t do shift without a shifter. And if you can’t change gears, a sorry finish becomes, well, ‘automatic.’

    “After a lengthy stint in the garage, the No. 88 returned to the track without a hood. That is, of course, bad news, but it comes with a silver lining. Trust me, when anything Earnhardt-related goes topless, I thank the lucky starts it’s the car and not one of my fans.”

    6. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson, an eight-time winner at Martinsville, suffered numerous issues at Martinsville on his way to a 35th-place finish.

    “My day at Martinsville had a lot in common with Chad Knaus’ history with the NASCAR rule book,” Johnson said. “There were ‘multiple issues.’

    “I’ve won eight times at Martinsville. Normally, when I race there, I say “Hot dog.’ Not on Sunday. I spent so much time with the hood up, there was no ‘hot dog,’ just ‘all the fixings.’”

    7. Kasey Kahne: Kahne finished 11th in the STP 500 as Hendrick teammate Jeff Gordon took ninth, while Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr. struggled mightily. Kahne is now fifth in the points standings, 70 out of first.

    “Rick Hendrick had two cars in the top 11,” Kahne said, “and two cars finish 35th or worse. So you can understand why Martinsville’s half-mile left him with a ‘half-smile.’”

    8. Jeff Gordon: Gordon let a potential win slip away at Martinsville after a pit road speeding penalty cost him the lead with about 40 laps to go. Forced to the end of the lead lap, Gordon passed enough cars to salvage a ninth.

    “It’s never pleasant when you hear the words, ‘You’ve made a terrible mistake,’” Gordon said. “But I’d rather hear it from my crew chief than my divorce lawyer.”

    9. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin overcame an early penalty in the pits and held off Brad Keselowski to win the STP 500. Hamlin led the final 28 laps and is now eighth in the points standings, 91 behind Kevin Harvick.

    “We had a tire get away from us on pit road,” Hamlin said. “The same thing happened at California. We have a fast car, but instead of burning rubber, we keep getting burned by rubber.

    “But, I bounced back and kept Keselowski at bay, winning my fifth grandfather clock. He gave me a little nudge in the final turn. Had I wrecked, you can best believe, with a clock in mind, you would have seen ‘one hand on the 2.’”

    10. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth led 11 laps and finished fourth on a strong day for Joe Gibbs Racing. Denny Hamlin won the STP 500, while David Ragan took fifth.

    “Denny ended a 31-race winless streak for Joe Gibbs Racing,” Kenseth said. “What better place than Martinsville to end that streak. I think Denny said it best after being awarded the grandfather clock when he said, ‘It’s about time.’ To all of those who thought JGR was slipping, that’s just ‘Gibb-erish.’”

  • Martinsville – A Love Affair With a Track

    Martinsville – A Love Affair With a Track

    It is common for this writer to say I love Martinsville Speedway. Some say it’s because my home is only 150 (give or take) miles from the speedway. Some try to get into my mind and say it’s because it was the first speedway I ever visited, but the truth of the matter is that little paper clip-shaped track is exactly how the whole phenomenon we now call NASCAR started. It is and was a short track where the competition is and was fierce and difficult. Everyone has and had a good seat. It’s nearly perfect as any track can be. As I calculate it, I haven’t missed but one Sprint Cup race there in 44 years.

    The track is close enough to the hub of NASCAR racing (about 130 miles) that drivers can drive up on Thursday or Friday and be home Sunday night. Fans will normally run into a driver or two—it’s too small to get lost or hide—and chat with the friendly track personnel. Its position on the calendar mystifies me.

    It was cold over the weekend. Friday, it didn’t get to 40 and Saturday didn’t do much better. After spending a week in 50-60 degree temperatures at my home 150 miles north, I had to pack my winter coat this time. Sunday broke the 50 degree mark, but I had to wonder why this race that traditionally (and I’m dating myself here) was run in mid April is now in late March. Mid April in southern Virginia is very nice. Late March is hit or miss.

    I looked at the schedule and had a rough time understanding why Texas Motor Speedway’s race is held two weeks later in what is a much warmer climate. Why not switch these two races? It would give the series three straight short tracks, kind of a short track swing. Yes, I know that Texas is close to Talladega and having them back to back might be the reason, but asking fans to come out when the daytime temperature is 40 or less and the nighttime temperature is in the 20’s is a bit much.

    In the fall, the Martinsville race is in the Eliminator Round on, you guessed it, November 1. That time of year, there could be snow in Henry County. Note that Texas is properly scheduled the week after Martinsville, but why have Talladega in October?

    The attendance was good this weekend despite the weather. Most folks were bundled up in down coats, but one has to wonder what the attendance would be if they could have a comfortable experience in April or early October. And yes, where would they put all these fans? I don’t imagine Clay Campbell would complain too much.

    It always seems like the big news comes out at Martinsville. This year was the buzz about doctoring tires, the announcement that Coach Joe Gibbs’ son, JD, was having a health problem and Kyle Larson fainting on Saturday and having to sit out Sunday’s race. Chase Elliott made his Cup debut. The racing was filled with drama and we saw two extremely close finishes. Joey Logano’s pass on the last lap of the truck race was breathtaking. Denny Hamlin holding off a determined Brad Keselowski was very exciting. Domination like we saw at other venues didn’t exist here. Oh yeah, and the hot dogs. I’m proud to say that I sampled a few and they’re just as good as they have been for 40 years. A little controversial for sure, but I’m not the business manager at the speedway.

    I always look forward to two weekends a year at the Paper Clip, making sure my schedule is clear during race week. I’m never disappointed at what I see, and dread the cookie cutter tracks that just don’t hold up to what I see at this little track. I just wish it could be held in warmer weather.

  • Logano Speeds to Virginia Lottery Pole Day Victory at Martinsville

    Logano Speeds to Virginia Lottery Pole Day Victory at Martinsville

    MARTINSVILLE, Va. (March 27, 2015) – Joey Logano turned in the fastest lap of the day Friday to win the Virginia Lottery Pole Day pole and claim the top starting spot for the STP 500 Sunday at Martinsville Speedway.

    Logano had a lap of 19.232 seconds (98.461 mph) around the .526-mile oval to claim his second pole of the year and the 10th pole victory of his career.

    “It feels great to finally get the pole here,” Logano said after winning his first Martinsville pole in 16 attempts. “We’ve been so close so many times and throughout my career I feel like we’ve always qualified well here, but was never able to get the pole.
    “You win anything at Martinsville, it’s a big deal. This is such a tough race track and it means a lot to say you’ve won something here even if it’s a pole.”

    Ryan Newman captured the second starting spot for the STP 500 with a time of 19.258 seconds (98.328 mph) followed by Martin Truex Jr., Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson.

    There is a full day of action at Martinsville Speedway on Saturday with NASCAR Sprint Cup practice at 10 a.m., qualifying for the Kroger 250 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at 11:15 a.m. and the final Sprint Cup practice at 1 p.m.

    The Kroger 250 will begin at 2 p.m. Tickets are $35 for adults and $5 for children 12-and-under. Ticket may be purchase online at www.martinsvillespeedway.com or at the Martinsville Speedway ticket office Saturday.

    Great tickets are available for Sunday’s STP 500. Ticket prices start at $50 and can be purchased by calling 877.RACE.TIX, online at www.martinsvillespeedway.com or at the Martinsville Speedway ticket office.

    Fan gates open at 9 a.m. both Saturday and Sunday.

    Complete Starting Lineup for the STP 500:

    1) Joey Logano
    2) Ryan Newman
    3) Martin Truex Jr.
    4) Jeff Gordon
    5) Jimmie Johnson
    6) Tony Stewart
    7) Kyle Larson
    8) Matt Kenseth
    9) Kasey Kahne
    10) AJ Allmendinger
    11) Carl Edwards
    12) Brad Keselowski
    13) Paul Menard
    14) Dale Earnhardt Jr.
    15) Denny Hamlin
    16) Danica Patrick
    17) Kevin Harvick
    18) Aric Almirola
    19) Jamie McMurray
    20) David Ragan
    21 )Justin Allgaier
    22) Austin Dillon
    23) Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
    24) Casey Mears
    25) Greg Biffle
    26) Kurt Busch
    27) Chase Elliott
    28) Michael Annett
    29) David Gilliland
    30) Clint Bowyer
    31) Josh Wise
    32) Jeb Burton
    33) Brett Moffitt
    34) Landon Cassill
    35) Chris Buescher
    36) Trevor Bayne
    37) Cole Whitt
    38) Sam Hornish Jr.
    39) Alex Bowman
    40) Mike Bliss
    41) Alex Kennedy
    42) JJ Yeley
    43) Matt DiBenedetto

  • On the Edge with Ed: Kevin Harvick Edition

    On the Edge with Ed: Kevin Harvick Edition

    Last weekend, after a dominating win at the Phoenix International Raceway, Kevin Harvick’s crew chief Rodney Childers got up in front of the assembled media and said, “I know it didn’t seem this way, but we actually struggled a little bit.” Childers, who saw his driver lead 224 of the scheduled 312 lap affair continued, “Fault some of our tools and different things that weren’t matching up with the car this weekend. Finally we had to kind of wing it late model style. Finally got it going really good in Happy Hour. The guys at the shop have built great cars. You know, everything just went our way all weekend. You come to these deals, and some weekends it goes your way and sometimes it doesn’t whether you got a fast car or not.

    Childers went on to speak about the added demands of competing at Phoenix, saying, “just proud of all the guys back at the shop that have worked so hard, and of course Kevin. I think his record speaks for itself at this place. I said a minute ago, somebody asked me what was wrong with me this morning. I said that I felt more pressure to win this one race at Phoenix than I did to win the race at Homestead. When you bring him here, I think everybody expects him to win. I didn’t want it to be my fault if we didn’t. Just proud of everybody, like I said.  Just a great effort.”

    It was a great effort. The thing is Harvick has dominated the Sprint Cup Series since last season when he ended the season with two wins and the Sprint Cup championship. In fact Harvick has had seven top-two finishes in his last seven races dating back to last season. The last guy that accomplished such a feat was Richard Petty, who had 11 consecutive top-two finishes back in 1975. Harvick said after being told that fact, “When you said the Richard Petty part, that just gives me chills.”

    Runner-up in Phoenix, Jamie McMurray, said after the race, “That was a fun battle with Kevin (Harvick). Those are the kinds you wish you could do over again, because I would have slid up earlier. It’s similar to plate racing with the engine package we have now, where if you don’t get the guy cleared he can kind of stall you out a little bit. And I saw Kevin coming and I thought I could slide up in front of him, but I also knew it was for the win and that we would probably have wrecked there. But it was a good team effort with great pit stops all day. Our team is as good or better than where we left off last year, and it’s a great feeling.”

    Harvick’s teammate, Kurt Busch, racing for the first time this season due to his well documented off track problems finished fifth in Phoenix. He said about his team, his car and his owner after the race, “It means I’ve got a strong team. And personally it’s great to get back to them and produce a result like this on our first day back. It’s a quality car. Haas Automation and Gene Haas and everybody that’s there; I went over and visited the headquarters this week and I can’t thank them enough for believing in me. The truth will be shown later on. But, the way that we raced today, it was with heart. And I thought there had been enough good will in the bank to try to bring home a win. But Kevin (Harvick, race winner) was tough. Congratulations to my teammate, Kevin Harvick, for winning. We had a great day. To run up there and almost lead a lap; I was just too loose on restarts and couldn’t quite capitalize on some of those positions that I needed to gain early in a run. But thanks again to all my sponsors and Chevrolet and everybody that’s part of our team and the whole group at Stewart-Haas. Thank you.”

    Their teammates, Tony Stewart and Danica Patrick finished 39th (accident) and 26th respectively and sit 36th and 23rd in points respectively. Busch’s finish has him at 33rd in points after the Phoenix race. What is odd to me is the fact that Harvick’s dominance isn’t really odd in the sport. In 1998, on his way to his third championship Jeff Gordon tied Richard Petty, in the modern era, with 13 victories. Since then Jimmie Johnson’s dominance in the Chase secured him multiple championships, most notably in 2004 and 2007 when Johnson needed those victories to storm back from early chase mediocrity. Also, let’s not forget Tony Stewart who just weeks before the chase started in 2011 said to us in Bristol that his team was not “chase worthy” and then rattled off five victories, including a nail biter in the final race at Homestead to break a tie with Carl Edwards for his third championship.

    Some will say that Harvick’s peaking too soon this season and that there are many teams that will fill the gap before the season’s end. However, I look back to just last season, when they ran a completely different race package and the fact that Harvick dominated many races that resulted in poor finishes due to equipment failure, poor strategy or pit stops and he still won his first championship with a brand new team. Right now the usual suspects will be chasing Harvick. Jimmie Johnson, fan favorite Dale Earnhardt Jr. and even sentimental favorite Jeff Gordon should be in the mix by the time the chase starts but I fully expect that Harvick will be a factor in who wins the 2015 championship.

     

     

     

     

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Phoenix

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Phoenix

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Kevin Harvick: Harvick started on the pole at Phoenix and won as expected, rolling to his fourth consecutive win at Phoenix International Raceway. He sits high atop the Sprint Cup points standings, 22 ahead of Joey Logano.

    “You can call me ‘Happy,’” Harvick said, “but you might as well call me ‘Tarp,’ because I had the field covered.

    “I’ve got four top-two finishes to start the season. No one has done that since Richard Petty in 1974. And speaking of ‘Kings,’ I rule.”

    2. Joey Logano: Logano finished eighth at Phoenix after starting second on the grid and leading 35 laps. He is second in the points standings, 22 behind Kevin Harvick.

    “No one can catch Harvick,” Logano said. “As such, it looks like the ‘Chase’ has started early this year.

    “I won the Xfinity Series race on Saturday. That race was called the ‘Xalta Faster. Tougher. Brighter. 200.’ It wasn’t much of a race, but it did have something that no other race in NASCAR history had, and that’s punctuation.”

    3. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson finished 11th at Phoenix as Kevin Harvick dominated, leading 224 of 312 laps. Johnson is seventh in the points standings, 58 behind Harvick.

    “Harvick has been on a tear,” Johnson said. “They say this level of dominance hasn’t been seen since Richard Petty in 1974. I say it goes back further than that, to a time in racing when dirt tracks were the norm, because everyone is eating dust.”

    4. Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Earnhardt blew a right rear tire on lap 180 at Phoenix and slammed the wall, ending his day with a last place finish.

    “The No. 88 Hendrick Chevrolet was fast,” Earnhardt said, “but the surface at Phoenix is really tough on rubber. So, there’s a fine line separating ‘Hell On Wheels’ from ‘Hell On Tires.’”

    5. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex continued his solid start to the season with a seventh at Phoenix, giving him four top 10s in four races this year. He is fourth in the points standings, 27 behind Kevin Harvick.

    “We’ve been consistent,” Truex said, “but we won’t be satisfied until we win. Some say that we can’t. On that note, Furniture Row offers upholstery in several patterns, but none in ‘checkers.’”

    6. Kasey Kahne: Kahne took fourth in the CampingWorld.Com 500 on Sunday, posting his first top-five result of the year. He sits fourth in the points standings, 50 behind Kevin Harvick.

    “I finished just ahead of Kurt Busch,” Kahne said. “Kurt was all over me, and, depending on who you ask, there may have been contact.

    “Is it right that no domestic abuse charges were filed against Kurt? Who am I to say? I can say this: I don’t mind racing against the ‘Outlaw,’ but I surely wouldn’t want him as an inlaw.”

    7. AJ Allmendinger: Allmendinger placed 17th at Phoenix and is now sixth in the Sprint Cup points standings, 55 out of first.

    “We didn’t get the finish we wanted,” Allmendinger said, “but I still had a great time. Grammy-nominated band Tonic played a pre-race concert, and boy, did that really get my blood pumping. Talk about a ‘band stimulant.’”

    8. Jeff Gordon: Gordon finished ninth at Phoenix as Hendrick Motorsports cars took three of the top 11 spots.

    “I’m on a quest for my fifth championship,” Gordon said. “Kevin Harvick appears well on his way to his second. Just a few words of advice for Kevin: before you can be ‘three-time’ or ‘four-time,’ you have to be ‘two-timed.’ And I have, on and off the track.”

    9. Ryan Newman: Newman finished third in the CampingWorld.Com 500, recording his second straight third-place finish.

    “Kevin Harvick was unstoppable,” Newnam said. “There was a time in my career when I wished I could be just like Harvick and join Richard Childress Racing. Now, I want to be even more like Harvick and leave RCR, because that’s when the wins and championships happen.”

    10. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski finished sixth in the CampingWorld.Com 500 in Phoenix, joining Penske Racing teammate Joey Logano, who finished eighth, in the top 10.

    “After a slow start to the season,” Keselowski said, “we’re back on track. I’ve got three top-10 finishes in a row after finishing 41st at Daytona. But to keep up with Kevin Harvick, we’re really gonna have to ‘push.’

    “My crew chief Paul Wolfe was placed on probation for an entire season. NASCAR should try putting the whole sport on probation, just to make sure it’s being ‘watched.’”

  • Finley Factor: Is Danica Really Any Good?

    Finley Factor: Is Danica Really Any Good?

    Danica. Danica. Danica. Danica. Danica. Danica. Danica. Danica. Danica. Danica.

    I’m still amazed at how popular this person is, in spite of having little to show for it after two years in full-time Sprint Cup competition.

    It’s kind of sad, really. All of this talk of Danica being the face of women drivers in NASCAR, all four of them. I think there can be great female drivers. As a non-contact sport there is no doubt in my mind a woman can do it against men.

    I think there are great female drivers. Johanna Long showed a lot of promise in the XFINITY series a couple of years ago. But because she can’t find sponsorship, she can’t find a ride. Let’s not pretend, however, this is a gender problem. It’s a NASCAR problem, where young drivers with promising careers, like Bubba Wallace Jr., Jeremy Clements or Chad Boat, regardless of gender, just cannot catch a break and get a single big company sponsor behind them. But, hey, that’s another Factor for another day.

    Anyway, here is Danica. What happens when we take away the fact that yes, she is a she, and compare her fair and equally? What I did during the last month or so is simple. Using Racing Reference for stat lines, I have ranked the 52 drivers who competed in either 2013 or 2014 who had or completed two full-time seasons in those years, using only those year’s stats. I’ve also added Kyle Larson and Austin Dillon to the ranking, as both had comparable rankings already towards the rest of the field. What this basically means is that only the first two seasons, along with anything beforehand, matter in this ranking. For example, Tony Stewart won nine races in 1999 and 2000, his first two seasons in Cup, and thus he is listed as having nine wins in the ranking. However, his three victories in 2001 or anything else he has done since 2000 is not part of the ranking. This way, Danica and everybody else ranked are on completely equal footing. But first, Phoenix preview!

     

    Favorite

    Kevin Harvick is on a complete roll right now, with the last six Cup races ending with him either winning or in second. It won’t stop this weekend, as Harvick goes to his best racetrack. With an average finish of fourth in the last four races, and having won the last three races here, expect Happy to bring home another victory.

    One to Watch

    Dale Earnhardt Jr. has had a good start to the season. He has had an average finish of 4.8 in the last four starts here and is the only driver to have finished in the top 10 in all four of the last races. Don’t expect Earnhardt Jr. to win but another solid top five run would shock nobody.

    Dark horse

    This is one of Tony Stewart’s best race tracks, and certainly one he knows best, having raced here in various series for over 20 years. If there was ever a track for Stewart to turn his luck around at, it’s here.

     

    Before I show the ranking, I would like to point out something. To those out there who do not fully understand NASCAR, to compare drivers you must remember that a driver may only be as good as their team and equipment 90 percent of the time. It’s like in football, where Tom Brady is such a great QB because he’s on the best team, whereas if he were drafted to the Jaguars at the start of his career I doubt we’d know his name.

    Many claim that Danica has never had good equipment. This is a flat out lie. Why? Because her teammate won the Sprint Cup championship last year. She is part of Stewart-Haas Racing, which runs Hendrick Motorsport cars, whose cars have won eight of the last nine championships, two of which came from Stewart-Haas Racing. To say “Well, she can’t drive well because she isn’t in good equipment” is like saying “JR Motorsports needs to fire Chase Elliott and hire Jeffery Earnhardt, because Chase has no future and Jeffery is family.” It’s moronic and makes absolutely no sense. And if you turn around and say that Jimmie Johnson only wins because he has the best car IN SPITE of both the 48 and 10 being made at virtually the same shop, that’s double jeopardy stupid. Anyway, on with the list:

    Key: Drivers ranked by wins, then top fives, then top 10s in their first two full time seasons as well as any races done beforehand. Attempting at least 30 races equals a full time season.

    1st Ryan Newman- 9 wins, 33 top fives, 46 top tens.

    2nd Tony Stewart- 9 wins, 24 top fives, 44 top tens.

    3rd Jimmie Johnson- 6 wins, 20 top fives, 41 top tens.

    4th Dale Earnhardt Jr.- 5 wins, 12 top fives, 20 top tens.

    5th Carl Edwards- 4 wins, 24 top fives, 43 top tens.

    6th Kurt Busch- 4 wins, 15 top fives, 26 top tens

    7th Brad Keselowski- 4 wins, 11 top fives, 18 top tens.

    8th Denny Hamlin- 3 wins, 20 top fives, 38 top tens.

    9th Kyle Busch- 3 wins, 19 top fives, 31 top tens.

    10th Greg Biffle- 3 wins, 7 top fives, 14 top tens.

    11th Jeff Gordon- 2 wins, 14 top fives, 25 top tens.

    12th Kasey Kahne- 1 win, 18 top fives, 22 top tens.

    13th Jamie McMurray- 1 win, 15 top fives, 38 top tens.

    14th Joey Logano- 1 win, 10 top fives, 23 top tens.

    15th Terry Labonte- 1 win, 9 top fives, 32 top tens.

    16th Clint Bowyer- 1 win, 9 top fives, 28 top tens

    17th Morgan Shepard- 1 win, 9 top fives, 24 top tens.

    18th Matt Kenseth- 1 win, 9 top fives, 22 top tens.

    19th Martin Truex Jr.- 1 win, 9 top fives, 20 top tens.

    20th Juan Pablo Montoya- 1 win, 5 top fives, 9 top tens.

    21st David Ragan- No wins, 8 top fives, 17 top tens.

    21st Kyle Larson*- No wins, 8 top fives, 17 top tens.

    23rd Mark Martin- No wins, 7 top fives, 23 top tens.

    24th Marcos Ambrose- No wins, 7 top fives, 11 top tens.

    25th Brian Vickers- No wins, 5 top fives, 14 top tens.

    26th Reed Sorenson- No wins, 4 top fives, 11 top tens.

    27th Aric Almirola- No wins, 3 top fives, 12 top tens.

    28th Scott Riggs- No wins, 3 top fives, 6 top tens.

    29th Jeff Burton- No wins, 3 top fives, 5 top tens.

    30th Ricky Stenhouse Jr.- No wins, 2 top fives, 8 top tens.

    31st Joe Nemechek- No wins, 2 top fives, 7 top tens.

    31st Sam Hornish Jr.- No wins, 2 top fives, 7 top tens

    33rd David Gilliland- No wins, 2 top fives, 4 top tens.

    34th Casey Mears- No wins, 1 top five, 9 top tens.

    35th Bobby Labonte- No wins, 1 top five, 8 top tens.

    36th J.J. Yeley- No wins, 1 top five, 6 top tens.

    37th Mike Bliss- No wins, 1 top five, 5 top tens.

    38th Austin Dillon*- No wins, 1 top five, 4 top tens.

    39th Scott Speed- No wins, 1 top five, 3 top tens.

    40th Paul Menard- No wins, 1 top five, 2 top tens.

    40th Mike Wallace- No wins, 1 top five, 2 top tens.

    42nd Dave Blaney- No wins, no top fives, 8 top tens.

    43rd Ken Schrader- No wins, no top fives, 7 top tens.

    44th David Reutimann- No wins, no top fives, 4 top tens.

    44th Danica Patrick- No wins, no top fives, 4 top tens.

    46th David Stremme- No wins, no top fives, 3 top tens.

    47th A.J. Allmendinger- No wins, no top fives, 2 top tens.

    48th Elliott Sadler- No wins, no top fives, 2 top tens.

    49th Travis Kvapil- No wins, no top fives, 2 top tens.

    50th Michael Waltrip- No wins, no top fives, 1 top ten.

    Josh Wise- N/A

    Landon Cassill- N/A

    Michael McDowell- N/A

    Regan Smith- N/A

    *=Before Daytona statline, second season so far ignored.

    Keeping in mind what I said beforehand, literally everybody on this list is in either comparable equipment or, for most, worse equipment than Patrick. They also usually have less experience racing in stock cars. Take A.J. Allmendinger, for instance. His rookie year, 2007, was plagued with a horrible team, a new car, an old car, less than a year of racing stock cars beforehand, and a new make of car (Toyota). He was never in a car that could break the speed limit on pit road until 2009, his third year in the sport, with Petty. Josh Wise and Landon Cassill have never been in even mediocre equipment. Perhaps most incredible to me, however, is just how well Kyle Larson has done. The youngster who I wrote about being the next big thing nearly two years ago is just that. And he has only had experience running cars on pavement since 2012, when Patrick had been running in NASCAR for two years up to that point and around seven years’ experience in national racing leagues (IndyCar).

    There’s no doubting Danica has made some progress, wrecking less, but at her age and with her level of experience, the learning process is now over. If I where in charge of Stewart-Haas, I’d know what I’d do: not renew her contract at the end of the season..

  • Dale Earnhardt Jr. Still Chasing First Win of the Season

    Dale Earnhardt Jr. Still Chasing First Win of the Season

    Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished fourth in the Kobalt 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, capturing his third top five in three races this season. Two third place finishes at Daytona and Atlanta plus a fourth Sunday at Vegas sounds good on paper but Earnhardt is looking for more.

    “Sounds a little bit less than we did last year, I think we were first, second, second – so, we have to step it up a little bit,” he said laughing.”

    Earnhardt led twice for four laps but was no match for Kevin Harvick. The No. 88 team decided to take a gamble on the last pit stop, taking only two tires, in an effort to steal the lead from the dominant Harvick. It was a risky call but one that Earnhardt felt was justified.

    “We didn’t put lefts (tires) on it; made it a gamble. I like to gamble. I liked the call. I love being aggressive,” he stated after the race. “We were going to drive up there and pass that No. 4 (Kevin Harvick). So, we had to take a chance. Second, fifth, fourth, whatever; it really don’t matter if you don’t win.”

    Unfortunately, the end result was an ill-handling car.

    “I got really loose. I had a real bad vibration on that last run and I was really, really loose,” Earnhardt explained. “We’ve been running the track bar pretty much even the whole race, and at the end there I had it down three inches on right side trying to save my butt. Maybe it was worn-out lefts, I don’t know. The left side (tires) is new and a little softer compound, maybe we just took it a little bit too far.”

    Although he was somewhat disappointed with today’s finish, Earnhardt is certain that his next win is imminent.

    “This year, our cars are racing up there. So, we think we’ve got the cars better than we had last year. Hendrick, overall, has great speed. The engine department is doing awesome and we’re going to get one,” he predicted.

    “I want to win! We’re going to get there.”

    So far this season, Earnhardt’s partnership with new crew chief, Greg Ives, has produced impressive results and Earnhardt is his biggest supporter.

    Just last week, he praised Ives, saying, “Greg is great at communicating. Our communication is natural, feels good. He’s a pretty decent cheerleader, too, for myself, the team. Man, he’s going to be something else for a while around that garage. I’m glad to be able to work with him there.”

    After Sunday’s race at Las Vegas, Earnhardt’s enthusiasm spilled over onto twitter.

    “I am so excited about our team! Getting a group THIS talented & focused is rare,” he tweeted. “Been doing this gig a long time and I know how lucky I am.”

    Earnhardt is now second in the Sprint Cup standings, nine points behind leader, Harvick. The only missing piece is a trip to victory lane and if Earnhardt’s confidence is any indication, it could happen sooner rather than later.

  • Kurt Busch Begins NASCAR Reinstatement Program

    Kurt Busch Begins NASCAR Reinstatement Program

    Kurt Busch, who was suspended by NASCAR on Feb. 20, will actively pursue reinstatement. He agreed to NASCAR’s terms and conditions last Friday to begin the process.

    Busch was indefinitely suspended after Kent County (Del.) Family Court Commissioner David Jones issued a protective order against Busch that concluded that Busch “more likely than not” committed an act of domestic violence against his ex-girlfriend, Patricia Driscoll, last September.

    The suspension came after it was determined that Busch was in violation of NASCAR rules:

    Section 12.1.a: Actions detrimental to stock car racing.

    Section 12.8:    Behavior Penalty

    David Higdon, NASCAR Integrated Marketing Communications vice president, said Monday morning that the reinstatement program is “very much tailored to each individual case,” but did not divulge the specific requirements that NASCAR has set forth for Busch. He also stated that the sanctioning body consulted with outside experts to formulate a set of terms and conditions that Busch must meet and added that there was not a specified date for his potential return to NASCAR Sprint Cup competition.

    “There are certain things that need to happen within a certain period of time, but there’s no timetable in terms of a return perspective,” Higdon explained. ”Secondly, before we put this in place when we worked with the experts on it, they were very adamant about saying the most important thing if you pursue any type of action in this area that you need to have a return-back program. That was why this was atop of our list as soon as the penalty was assessed; our next course of action was to clearly get in front of him the terms and conditions for the reinstatement of the license.”

    Joe Custer, executive vice president at Stewart-Haas Racing, issued a statement, saying, “We understand Kurt Busch has begun the process for reinstatement as a NASCAR member. NASCAR has laid out its expectations for Kurt, and while there is no timetable to meet those expectations, Kurt’s willingness to embrace the conditions set forth by NASCAR is a positive step that we support.”

    Stewart-Haas Racing has named Regan Smith as interim driver in the No. 41 Haas Automation Chevrolet for the third consecutive week in the upcoming Sprint Cup Series race this weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Smith finished in 16th place in the Daytona 500 and captured a 17th place finish last weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway