Tag: sprint cup series

Sprint Cup Drivers Invading the Nationwide Series; Is it Okay?

Recently, I’ve had a few discussions with race fans via Twitter regarding the amount of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) drivers racing in the NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS). This is a debate that is certainty not new to NASCAR and in fact, it is the reason officials decided to mandate that each driver must declare at the start of each season which division they wish to be given points toward the championship in. The point was to let Nationwide regulars win the Nationwide title and to hopefully discourage some Cup drivers to double dip. Well, 16 of the drivers that raced in the NNS event at Texas are also participating in the Cup race so those rules obviously haven’t discouraged them.

Should NASCAR put further rules in place to either limit or completely stop these drivers that love to pull double duty? If they decided to implement such rules regarding this issue, there really isn’t much they can do that isn’t beyond reason. They could simply tell Cup drivers that they are not allowed to race in any division other than the NSCS and that would eradicate the “problem” instantly. I put the word problem in quotations because I don’t personally see it as an issue whiles a large contingent of race fans do. I look at it this way, what better way for the Nationwide regulars to learn than to be racing the best guys in the sport? The reason why fans are getting so incensed by the Cup guys this year unlike 2012 is because Kyle Busch has won 4 out of the last 5 races aggravating a bunch of people. Sure, no one likes to see one guy dominate but if you eliminate the Cup guys, you will probably have a Nationwide guy like Austin Dillon dominate instead.

I don’t have a problem with our superstars racing on the Nationwide side but I do have a slight issue with Cup teams fielding Nationwide teams just so they can put Cup guys in them. I think it’s a waste for the best teams in NASCAR to field Nationwide cars and not even give the guys trying to work their way up a chance to drive them. I have to give major kudos to Jack Roush because if you look at his driver lineup at Texas, you would see that they were all up and comers instead of Cup guys. I’d love to see a JGR team fielding Parker Kligerman and Alex Bowman instead of Kyle Busch and Matt Kenseth. NSCS drivers double dipping may good for ticket sales except for when Kyle Busch has wins almost every race in dominating fashion. Here is a solution; put Busch in Robby Benton’s #99 and we’ll see if he can parlay that into a victory. He will still be fast but at least the Nationwide regulars might have a fighting chance against these titans of the sport and a small team would get the opportunity to have some major talent wheel their racecar.

I’d love it if NASCAR told all the Cup guys that they were only permitted to drive cars for teams that don’t run in the NSCS. NASCAR can still let the Cup teams field Nationwide ones but only allow them to hire Nationwide regulars as their drivers. I know that this is a crazy idea that in reality would never happen but it’s cool to think about the possibility of it. Anyway, back to reality….. Denying Cup drivers the right to race in NNS isn’t right in my opinion. When a Nationwide regular wins a race these days, they get noticed a lot more than they would if they weren’t racing against Busch, Keselowski and Harvick. It gives a NNS victory more credibility when you beat the best the sport has to offer.

The only reason why this issue has even been brought back up is because Kyle Busch is back to his old form and winning races left and right. The people against Cup drivers racing in Nationwide say that in F1 and Indycar, you don’t see the superstars racing in Indy lights in GP2. That is a very good point but how many people truly watch those forms of racing? Indy Lights only has about 9 drivers and is on the verge of collapse. Spice the field up with Franchitti and Hinchcliffe and I guarantee you that it will help.

You can’t tell these guys what they can and can’t race in. NASCAR tried a long time ago to tell drivers that they couldn’t race in anything that wasn’t NASCAR sanctioned and it caused a lot of trouble. In fact, they indirectly took the 1950 title from Lee Petty after taking 809pts way from him part-way through the year for breaking the rule. They also permanently banned future HOF’er Curtis Turner for the same infraction as Petty. The fact of the matter is that these guys are racers and they love to race. They don’t care if it’s Nationwide, a USAC Sprint car or some Late Model event in the middle of nowhere. All they want to do is drive and you can’t blame them for that; it’s in their blood.

April 14, 2013
Previewing the NRA 500 at Texas Motor Speedway

NASCAR is getting ready for Race #7 on the schedule located at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas. Will things finally settle down this weekend? I think so considering it is a large track with lots of room to race but you don’t have to look any further than the 2013 Auto Club 400 if you want a shoot a gaping hole in that theory. It seems like this year anything can and will happen. We’ve had Danica Patrick on pole for the Daytona 500, Tony Stewart going after Joey Logano, crews pushing and shoving, Edwards back in victory lane, Dale Jr. leading the standings, the race leaders taking each other out for the win, Denny Hamlin refusing to pay a fine and now having to sit out a few races due to a compression fracture in his lower back! Yea, you could say it’s been a wild season so far and we are only six races in by the way.

The Gen-6 has proven it is a great car even after it raised a lot of concern following the rather lackluster Daytona 500 we had. It put on a great show at both Las Vegas and Fontana which were the targeted track layouts when designing this new car. They put a lot of emphasis on improving racing at intermediate tracks which I believe they have accomplished with flying colors. Not only did we have great finishes at both Vegas and Cali but we also set the record for most green flag passes at one while tying the record at the other.

The next challenge for the Generation 6 is the night race at Texas Motor Speedway which is a track that is notorious for having things get wild and out of control very quickly. That’s kind of following the theme for us in 2013 so I guess it’s a great time to be heading to TMS! You can expect record speeds posted at this already blistering fast track which will really jack up the intensity as we get ready for the first Saturday night race of the season. Things always seem to get a little crazier at these NASCAR races every time the lights get turned on.

It’s time to look at who the favorites are to take the win this weekend and which drivers should be worried about this race. Here are some stats that I’ll let you sink your teeth into before I give my opinion…

Texas Motor Speedway Track Facts

Track Size: 1.5-miles

Banking/Turns 1 & 2: 24 degrees

Banking/Turns 3 & 4: 24 degrees

Banking/Frontstretch: 5 degrees

Banking/Backstretch: 5 degrees

Frontstretch Length: 2,250 feet

Backstretch Length: 1,330 feet

Race Length: 334 laps / 500 miles

Top 10 Driver Ratings at Texas

(Compiled from TMS races from 2005-2012)

1.) Matt Kenseth———–106.6

2.) Jimmie Johnson——-103.5

3.) Greg Biffle—————103.4

4.) Tony Stewart———–101.4

5.) Kyle Busch————–98.7

6.) Carl Edwards———–98.3

7.) Denny Hamlin———93.3

8.) Dale Earnhardt Jr—–92.7

9.)Clint Bowyer———–92.5

10.)Jeff Gordon———–91.9

Most Top 5’s at Texas Among Active Drivers

1.) Matt Kenseth———12

2.) Jimmie Johnson—-9

3.) Mark Martin———8

4.) Jeff Gordon———-8

5.) Greg Biffle————-7

6.) Tony Stewart——–6

7.) Carl Edwards——–5

8.) Denny Hamlin——-5

9.) Kyle Busch————5

10.) Kasey Kahne——-4

Most Top 10’s at Texas Among Active Drivers

1.) Matt Kenseth———–15

2.) Jimmie Johnson——14

3.) Mark Martin———–13

4.) Dale Earnhardt Jr.—12

5.) Kurt Busch————-12

6.) Tony Stewart———12

7.) Jeff Gordon———–11

8.) Greg Biffle————-11

9.) Kevin Harvick——-10

10.) Jeff Burton———–9

Best Average Finishes Among Active Drivers

1.) Matt Kenseth————-8.3

2.) Jimmie Johnson ——–9.3

3.) Denny Hamlin———–10.9

4.) Kevin Harvick———–12.5

5.) Tony Stewart————12.7

6.) Clint Bowyer————12.8

7.) Dale Earnhardt Jr.—-13.6

8.) Mark Martin————13.9

9.) Kurt Busch————–14.1

10.) Kyle Busch————14.9

Most Laps Led Among Active Drivers

1.) Matt Kenseth————-772

2.) Greg Biffle—————-732

3.) Tony Stewart————727

4.) Jeff Gordon————–584

5.) Kyle Busch————–521

6.) Carl Edwards———–493

7.) Dale Earnhardt Jr.—-448

8.) Jimmie Johnson——443

9.) Kurt Busch————-235

10.) Kasey Kahne——–218

Victories at Texas Motor Speedway

– Jeff Burton won the first ever NSCS race at Texas back in 1997 beating pole sitter, Dale Jarrett by 4.067 seconds in a Ford 1-2 finish; Bobby Labonte was 3rd

– Carl Edwards holds the record for the most victories among active drivers with 3 (2005, 2008, 2008)

– Six active drivers have won at Texas a total of two times (Tony Stewart, Greg Biffle, Matt Kenseth, Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Burton Denny Hamlin)

– Six active drivers have won at Texas once (Jeff Gordon, Kasey Kahne, Ryan Newman, Mark Martin, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Burton)

– Bobby Labonte, Joe Nemechek, Dave Blaney and Kevin Harvick are the only active drivers to run over 20 races at Texas but have yet to win a race there

– 11 of the 24 races at Texas Motor Speedway have been won by Ford drivers (Chevrolet has 8, Dodge 3 and Toyota 2)

– Twice has a race at Texas been won from the pole, 15 times from the top 5, 18 times from the top 10, twice from positions 11th-20th, and 4 times from 21st or worse

– 31st is the farthest back a winner has come from at Texas (Matt Kenseth in Spring, 2002)

Texas Motor Speedway Race & Caution Stats

– 8 is the average number of cautions at Texas Motor Speedway

– 2 is the least amount of cautions in TMS history (Spring, 2012) while 12 is the most (Spring, 2000; Fall, 2006; Fall, 2007)

– There has been a caution within the final 10 laps 5 times in the track’s 24 race history

– Three times the race has gone beyond its scheduled distance due to a Green-White-Checker

– In 24 NSCS races, Texas Motor Speedway has never had a shortened race

After looking all this over, you can see that Jimmie Johnson and Matt Kenseth look like the favorites to win this race and if you don’t go with those two, you probably want to keep your pick in the Roush stable with the dominance and power Ford has shown here. This race doesn’t usually feature many cautions so that means teams won’t get many opportunities to adjust an ill handling race car so keep that in mind. You need a driver that can adapt to the changing track conditions and can carry the car when he needs to. 5-time and 2x Daytona 500 champion Matt Kenseth both fit that description very well.

Carl Edwards and Greg Biffle are both threats every time we show up to Texas so they would be good choices as well. Another driver to keep an eye on but doesn’t drive for the blue oval is Dale Earnhardt Jr. He scored his first ever NSCS win at Texas back in 2000 and has always been solid here. If you want to look at a driver that has never won at Texas but may be a good pick then Kyle Busch is your man. He has made the highlight reel at Texas A LOT in recent years but for all the wrong reasons. Taking out a title contender under caution, getting parked by NASCAR, flipping the bird at a NASCAR official and getting told to shut up by your crew chief while you were preaching your constitutional rights over the radio isn’t exactly what you want to be remembered for.

Ryan Newman, Joey Logano, Brian Vickers and Paul Menard are drivers that have struggled here in the past and you may want to stay away from. All of them have an average finish worse than 20th and although Ryan has won at Texas, that was 10 years ago. Since that victory, he has posted seven finishes of 20th or worse. Menard has one bright spot in his TMS career which was a 5th back in 2011 but besides that, he has ran mostly mid-pack. Joey has finished 19th or worse in seven of his nine Texas Motor Speedway starts but I would be careful here. Logano seems much stronger in 2013 and may actually run very well. He has contended for the win in two of his last three races which is an awesome accomplishment for him as he tries to prove he deserves respect from his fellow racers. He needs to start bringing this winning cars back home in one piece though. Vickers will be filling in for Denny Hamlin in the #11 car and like Logano, be careful just writing this guy off because of his history. He has changed and is running for a top tier team now. Brian’s finishes at Texas have been far less than spectacular posting results around 20th or 25th most of the time with the occasional bright spot and a pole but that’s it.

With the Gen-6 making its night race debut and how wild the 2013 season has been, it wouldn’t surprise me at all to see Logano or Vickers pulling into victory lane this weekend. I expect this race to be a very interesting with a lot of passing, blistering speeds and not much wrecking until we get late into the event. You will probably see a bunch of comers and goers as well. I think Jimmie Johnson will continue to show some muscle but win #3 of the year won’t come this weekend. I see one of the Roush or Gibbs drivers taking the victory Saturday night and more specifically Matt Kenseth or Carl Edwards. I hope you enjoyed and feel free to post any comments you have below!

April 11, 2013
Is Jimmie Johnson The Greatest NASCAR Driver Of All-Time?

This article was inspired by Kenny Wallace and his tweet from Monday morning; “No doubt at 38 yrs old that @JimmieJohnson is the 2nd Greatest driver in the History of #NASCAR, ALL stats back it up. #3 is 1st.” That is a very bold statement by Kenny and it unsurprisingly caught the attention of many NASCAR fans that began to argue the topic amongst themselves. Attempting to compare Jimmie to the likes of Petty and Earnhardt is a very difficult task considering that they all raced in such different eras of the sport. This is not the first time that this controversial topic has been brought up but Jimmie’s domination at Martinsville which marked his 8th victory at the short track and the 62nd of his career brought it to the forefront of our minds again.

So, is 5-time better than Richard Petty and even the late, great Dale Earnhardt? Let’s crunch some numbers first and see how the three compare. It took Richard 15 years to win five championships while Earnhardt did it in 13…a feat that took Johnson just 9 years to accomplish in arguably the most competitive era in NASCAR history. Jimmie Johnson has competed in 405 NSCS events coming out victorious in 62 of them giving him a 15.3% winning percentage. In their first 405 races, Petty won 82 events while Dale Sr. won 53. If you are going to base it off of that, then I’d say Richard Petty is #1 but it isn’t so black and white. There are A LOT of factors you have to look at before making an accurate determination on the issue and it would be ignorant to simply base it your stance off of that.

First of all, not to take anything away from The King but back then, Petty Enterprises was heads and shoulders above the rest of the field car wise which is a major factor to why he won so much. The only other teams that could really compete with them on a regular basis were the Wood Brothers and Junior Johnson. Petty was winning races laps ahead of his closest competitor and just dominated the sport for well over a decade. He had easily the best team, one of the best crew chiefs (Dale Inman) and of course, some natural talent when it comes to driving a race car. Once 3x NSCS champion Lee thought Richard was ready; he threw his son into the fastest car in the field which contributed to all the success and the big numbers he put up. It’s a similar story for Johnson who was thrown into Hendrick equipment from the start and teamed up with Chad Knaus who he remains with to this day.

Dale Earnhardt on the other hand is a completely different situation and what I’m about to say explains why I rank Dale #1. The cars he drove at the start of his career were mid-packers at best that rarely, if ever found victory lane. Rod Osterlund ran over 200 races as an owner but only one driver ever gave him victories and his name is Dale Earnhardt. In fact, they stunned the NASCAR world when they defeated the titans of the sport to win the 1980 championship. Buddy Baker, Neil Bonnett, Dan Gurney and even David Pearson couldn’t win a single race for Osterlund while Earnhardt won 7. That was definitely not the last time Sr. would get in a mid-pack car and take it to the front.

After a 2 year stint with Bud Moore, the 7x champion joined Richard Childress Racing. In the 10 years before he showed up, RCR won just 2 races courtesy of Ricky Rudd and had a best championship result of 9th. RCR’s numbers went through the roof when Earnhardt arrived winning 6 championships and 67 races! Let’s not overlook the fact that even though he was 49 years old when he was killed in the 2001 Daytona 500, he was by no means done winning. In 2000, Dale won two races finishing runner-up in the championship to Bobby Labonte. Since the legend lost his life in that tragic crash, the team has amassed zero NSCS titles and just 31 victories combining ALL of their drivers and remember, they are now a three car (once four car) team. Also, unlike Petty and Johnson who won all their championships with a single crew chief, Dale won his with several different ones proving it didn’t really matter who this man had calling the shots; he would still win.

With that being said, I can without a doubt in my mind say that Dale Earnhardt is the greatest NASCAR driver of all-time. Once a driver comes up through the ranks and starts winning NSCS titles left and right in a Front-Row Motorsports or Phoenix Racing car….then we’ll talk. As for who is #2 and #3, I think I agree with Kenny Wallace. Winning 62 races and 5 titles in the span of 12 years with how competitive this sport has become is simply remarkable. What we are witnessing right now is history in the making and it may never be repeated. Those numbers will continue to grow as his career progresses and I can easily see Jimmie as a 100x winner and 7x champion down the road. On a different note, it’s a shame that there is a contingent of fans out there who not only disrespect this true legend of our sport but go as far as to say that his team cheated and that’s why he won 5-straight. I can only imagine how many times Petty, Junior Johnson and even the Wood Brothers illegally modified their cars but got away with it. It’s not cheating, it’s innovating while trying not to step on NASCAR’s toes at the same time.

There is no doubt that all three of these men are legends in their own right and have incredible talent but obviously, there is no definitive way of saying who the best really is. It is all opinions based on some facts and individual observations which will of course vary from person to person. Fans and media members alike will debate until the end of time who should be called #1 but in my mind, only one man has proven that he deserves that title and his name is Ralph Dale Earnhardt…..the greatest NASCAR driver that ever lived.

April 8, 2013
Casey Mears & Germain Racing Continue To Impress in 2013

While everyone focused on the battle for the win at Martinsville, there was a team that quietly finished 16th and continued their steady climb up the standings. They are Germain Racing with driver, Casey Mears who scored his 4th top 16 finish of the year at the historic short track. Casey moved up four positions in the standings to 17th and is now ahead of superstars such as Kurt Busch, Tony Stewart, Ryan Newman and Jeff Burton. Mears and the #13 team had just two top 15 finishes in all of 2010, 2011 and 2012 combined; they already have three so far this year.

In the Daytona 500, Mears was taken out in an early crash that also destroyed the chances of race favorites Kevin Harvick and Tony Stewart. The unfortunate accident relegated him to a 29th place finish, 19 laps down. They followed their disappointing start to the year up with an impressive 14th place run at Phoenix after starting dead last. Since Las Vegas, Mears has rattled off results of 15th, 15th and 16th steadily working his way through the standings.

Some say that the Gen-6 car is the main reason why this single car operation is running so well but I think it’s more than that. I believe that after three years of fighting to stay alive, even humbling themselves to the point of start and parking that this team has finally made a breakthrough. We saw the same thing happen with Furnitow Row Racing who was running around 20th most weeks and are now battling inside the top 10 on a regular basis. Of course, another obvious example would be Michael Waltrip Racing that was DNQing all three cars not so many years ago. Germain Racing hasn’t quite gotten to that point yet but if they continue to work as hard as they have been, they will one day be a top 10 team.

Going into this year, GEICO announced that they would sponsor the #13 for every race on the schedule through 2014 which is a huge accomplishment for any team let alone a small outfit like Germain. There are some big name drivers that don’t even have all 36 races sold yet. Mears was quoted saying earlier in 2013, “I can’t thank GEICO and Bob Germain enough for the support and commitment they have given our program. Our program shows that you don’t have to be the biggest team; you just have to work harder than everyone else. Our team has strength of character and remains focused on the process, which are two of the biggest reasons for our success.”

Casey and crew chief Bootie Barker have a great relationship and are communicating better than ever before which is big key to running well in NASCAR. Germain added employees during the off season while most teams downsized. They were actually one of the first organizations to produce a fully built, fully painted ready to race Gen-6 last winter. Their hard work and perseverance is paying major dividends now as they head to Texas hoping to ride this wave of momentum to another great finish further solidifying their position in the points. Creating a competitive NASCAR team is a puzzle and the #13 guys are slowly but surely putting all the right pieces in the right places. With a talented driver paired with a veteran crew chief, 30 dedicated employees who pour their heart and soul into what they do and a fully sponsored Ford Fusion powered by Roush-Yates engines, the sky is the limit for this little team that could as they look to turn some heads in 2013!

April 8, 2013
SHR Hopes To Turn Season Around at Martinsville

2013 has not been a good year so far for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR). Tony Stewart has one top 10 finish through five races, Danica Patrick looks like she’s somehow regressed and its been feast or famine for Ryan Newman who has either scored a top 10 or a DNF. While their Hendrick allies seem to have this Gen 6 car figured out better than most, SHR struggles to find solid ground. The only driver in the stable that has had good runs on more than one occasion is Newman who posted three top 10’s so far but two DNF’s have him marred deep in the points. It looks like reuniting Ryan with his former crew chief, Matt Borland has helped the No.39 team perform better but why are the other two having so much difficulty?

It’s no surprise that Danica is struggling to find success in Sprint Cup as a rookie with an open wheel background but not many people thought that she would be this bad. Towards the end of last season, Patrick showed improvement and found herself running inside the top 20 but now she has trouble putting the car inside the top 30. Last summer at Bristol, Patrick ran around the top 15 most of the night on the lead lap before she wrecked. This past March, she finished a disappointing 28th five laps behind the leader. She actually had a fairly clean race and there were no major issues that would explain the lackluster performance. With three qualifying runs of 40th or worse since Daytona and sitting deep in the standings, there is a very real possibility that DP could DNQ if she doesn’t step it up which would be a huge blow to the No.10 team. The reason why Patrick is probably struggling more than she did in 2012 may be the result of her trying to get a feel for this new car compounded with the fact that the SHR Chevy’s are lacking some speed.

Stewart finds himself 22nd in the standings and has struggled to run up front most of the year. After five races, Stewart has only led laps in one event which hasn’t occurred since 2005, in which he won the championship. Bad luck, blown tires, crashes and simply not enough speed has hindered the efforts of the SHR trio in 2013 but the year is young and as the season progresses; I am confident that they will get a handle on it. With a 3-time NSCS champion, the 2008 Daytona 500 winner and Hendrick powered Chevy’s, I find it hard to believe these travails will persist throughout the rest of the year. Stewart said after Bristol, “If you’re not concerned, you’re not doing your job. But if you panic, you’ve got as much opportunity to go backwards as you do forwards.”

Some people don’t understand why Hendrick Motorsports and SHR are so far apart speed wise but you have to remember that Stewart’s team gets engines from HM and that’s it…they set the cars up themselves and they are definitely behind the eight ball in 2013.

The team had an off week which gave them time to work on a better package to bring to the next few races. Now, they look forward to the race that Ryan Newman is the defending winner of and will try to regain some confidence after a disappointing start to the season. Stewart’s results at the paper clip have been very sporadic recently with five top 5’s and five finishes of 26th or worse in his last 10 races. Newman on the other hand always seems to find himself near the front leading laps in five of the last seven Martinsville races. Danica has never raced at Martinsville in any division so she will certainty have a tough time adjusting to the unique challenge this historic speedway presents. Even if the three continue to lack speed, that won’t hurt them at a 0.526 mile short track where track position and a balance between patience and aggression is the key to reaching victory lane.

April 4, 2013
NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: California

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: Earnhardt posted his third top-5 result of the year with the runner-up in the Auto Club 400 and took over the top spot in the Sprint Cup point standings. He leads Brad Keselowski by 12.

“I’m keeping this in perspective,” Earnhardt said. “We’re only making one t-shirt design commemorating this moment. Sales will be brisk, and much like me atop the rankings, they should be gone in a week.”

2. Kyle Busch: Busch avoided the Denny Hamlin-Joey Logano disaster in front of him on the last lap and drove to the win in the Auto Club 400. Busch is now sixth in the point standings, 36 out of first.

“For those that don’t think I know how to avoid controversy,” Busch said, “take that. I went right around it. Thanks are in order to my former teammate Logano. In this case, he gave me a going-away present.”

3. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson finished 12th at California as the Joey Logano-Denny Hamlin wreck unfolded in front of him on the final lap. Johnson remained third in the point standings, and trails Hendrick teammate Dale Earnhardt, Jr. by 16.

“Obviously,” Johnson said, “Logano and Hamlin have some history. And Tony Stewart and Logano have some ‘language.’ And I’m sure all three will be summoned to the NASCAR hauler for social studies.”

4. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski struggled late at Fontana 1.5-mile oval, finishing a disappointing 23rd in the Auto Club 400. He dropped out of the lead in the point standings and is now second, 12 behind Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

“Joey Logano is quickly becoming the most-hated driver in NASCAR,” Keselowski said. “It seems that everybody wants a piece of ‘Sliced Bread.’ I have millions of followers on Twitter. Logano has only one follower—-controversy.”

5. Carl Edwards: Edwards finished fourth in the Auto Club 400, earning his third top-5 finish of the year. He improved three places in the point standings to fourth, 35 out of first.

“I hear Kyle Busch is scheduled to appear on Anger Management with Charlie Sheen,” Edwards said. “I’ll tell you who needs anger management—-Tim Richmond, because he’s not alive today to hang out with Sheen. Let’s hope Sheen doesn’t pressure Busch into snorting cocaine off the hood of the No. 18 Toyota. That would be called an ‘engine blow.’”

6. Greg Biffle: Biffle’s No. 16 Fusion was one of three Fords in the top 10 at California, recording a sixth in the Auto Club 400. He is now fourth in the point standings, 35 out of first.

“I think Tony Stewart was wrong to go after Joey Logano,” Biffle said. “How dare he attack someone nearly 1/2 his age, and nearly 1/3 his weight.”

7. Paul Menard: Menard led the Richard Childress Racing charge at California, finishing eighth as teammates Kevin Harvick and Jeff Burton finished outside the top 10.

“Ho hum,” Menard said. “Another NASCAR ‘fight’ in which no meaningful punches were landed. Punches in NASCAR fights are like spoilers—they catch air.”

8. Joey Logano: Logano led 41 laps at California, but not the last one, as he and former teammate Denny Hamlin scrapped in Turn 4, sending Hamlin hard into the inside wall while Kyle Busch slipped by for the win. Logano survived to finish third, his first top-5 of the year.

“Don’t forget,” Logano said, “I also tangled with Tony Stewart after the race. He claimed I blocked him on the restart. And I guess if Tony Stewart says you blocked, then you blocked. I may only be only 22, but Stewart seems to be the immature one. That’s why I tossed a water bottle at him—I was giving him a ‘baby’ shower.”

9. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin finished 25th in the Auto Club 400 after his last-lap tangle with Joey Logano that send Hamlin’s No. 11 Toyota hard into the infield wall. He suffered a compression fracture of his L1 vertebrae.

“Mark my words,” Hamlin said, “I’ll be ‘back.’ And once I return, Logano should ‘brace’ for retaliation.”

10. Kurt Busch: With brother Kyle scoring a dramatic win, Kurt took fifth in the Auto Club 400, his second top-5 result of the season.

“I can relate to what Joey Logano must be feeling,” Busch said. “I know exactly what it’s like to be attacked by Tony Stewart. My advice is to turn the other cheek. Why? Because you have two of them, just like that ‘ass.’”

March 26, 2013
NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Bristol

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski finished third at Bristol and snatched the points lead from Jimmie Johnson, who finished 22nd, two laps down. Keselowski now leads Dale Earnhardt, Jr. by nine.

“I finished the race sandwiched between the two Busch brothers,” Keselowski said, “which is like being between a rock and a hard head. Many have often said that a ‘championship’ might someday come between the Busch brothers. Thanks to me, it just did.”

2. Kasey Kahne: Kahne wrested the lead from Brad Keselowski on a lap 460 restart and pulled away for the win in the Food City 500, Kahne’s first win at Bristol.

“The No. 5 Great Clips Chevrolet was amazing,” Kahne said, “and just a hair better than everyone else. In honor of the track they call the ‘Bull Ring’ and in honor of my current favorite sponsor, I plan to get a ‘bull cut.’”

3. Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: Earnhardt posted his fourth top-10 finish of the year with a sixth at Bristol. He moved up one spot to second in the Sprint Cup point standings and now trails Brad Keselowski by nine.

“They call this a ‘promising’ start,” Earnhardt said, “mostly because I can’t ‘promise’ it will continue.”

4. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson hammered the wall with 46 laps to go at Bristol and limped home to a 22nd in the Food City 500. He tumbled from the top of the Sprint Cup point standings and is now in third, 15 behind Brad Keselowski.

“Like Joey Logano,” Johnson said, “I hit the wall on Sunday. Unlike Logano, I didn’t go talk to one after the race. This Logano-Denny Hamlin feud could potentially come to a head, but I doubt it. Their threats were much like Bristol’s seats on Sunday—empty.”

5. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin was headed for a likely top-5 finish at Bristol, but cut a tire with eight laps to go and scraped the wall continuously as he struggled to a 23rd-place finish. Afterwards, Hamlin was accosted by former teammate Joey Logano, who was spun into the wall by Hamlin earlier.

“Look at this,” Hamlin said. “Just four races in, and Logano’s dying to get back in a Toyota.

“I’m not in the least bit afraid of Logano. They call him ‘Sliced Bread,’ but there’s certainly no yeast in that bread, because Logano’s never ‘risen’ to anything, much less a challenge.”

6. Clint Bowyer: Bowyer finished fifth in the Food City 500, posting his first top-5 of the year. He improved five spots in the point standings to fourth, and now trails Brad Keselowski by 38.

“’It’s Bristol! They’re fighting!’ I famously quoted after the race,” Bowyer said. “That makes me the ‘ring announcer.’”

7. Kyle Busch: Busch registered his second straight top-5 finish with a runner-up at Bristol. He jumped seven spots in the point standings to 10th, and is now 51 out of first.

“No one enjoyed my spirited battle with Brad Keselowski more than me,” Busch said. “Brad famously called me an ‘ass’ once at Bristol; in case he’d forgotten, I gave him a good look at it on Sunday.”

8. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth was running second when leader Jeff Gordon blew a tire and collected Kenseth’s No. 20 Chevrolet, eliminating them both from the race. Kenseth finished 35th and is now 63 out of the lead in the points standings.

“Take it from Clint Bowyer,” Kenseth said. “’Following’ Jeff Gordon can only lead to bad things for both teams in the garage.”

9. Carl Edwards: Edwards struggled in the Food City 500, finishing one lap down in 18th. He is now seventh in the point standings, 42 out of first.

“I was ill for most of the race,” Edwards said. “I said ‘Aflac’ several times during the race, but it had nothing to do with supplemental insurance. At least for a day, the Aflac mascot was no longer a duck, but a ‘yak.’”

10. Greg Biffle: Biffle finished 11th at Bristol, posting Roush Fenway’s top finish. He is now fifth in the point standings, 40 out of first.

“There are power couples,” Biffle said, “like Danica Patrick and Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. And there are power couples, like Tiger Woods and Lindsey Vonn. I find it refreshing that Woods has gone public with a relationship, this time on purpose.”

March 19, 2013
NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Las Vegas

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson finished sixth at Las Vegas and maintained his lead in the Sprint Cup point standings. Johnson leads Brad Keselowski by five points.

“It’s always good to leave Las Vegas on top,” Johnson said. “The season is shaping up to be a two-man battle for the Sprint Cup championship. Who’s going to win it, me or Keselowski? I don’t have a clue, but if I was a detective, I’d have a ‘lead.’”

2. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski started on the pole in the Kobalt Tools 400 and finished third, his third top-5 result of the year. Keselowski now trails Jimmie Johnson by five in the point standings.

“It was quite an awkward moment when the Miller Lite Ford was awarded the Coors Light Pole Award,” Keselowski said. “Luckily, my ‘wide mouth’ didn’t ‘vent,’ thereby avoiding a ‘vortex’ of controversy.”

3. Matt Kenseth: On his 41st birthday, Kenseth held off Kasey Kahne to win the Kobalt Tools 400, his 25th career Sprint Cup win.

“How about that race trophy I was awarded?” Kenseth said. “Toyota engine issues aside, Joe Gibbs, for once, is happy to have a wrench thrown into his operation.

“I became just the third driver to win on his birthday. Carl Edwards threatened to give me a ‘spanking,’ but I politely declined.”

4. Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: Earnhardt posted his third top-10 finish of the year with a seventh at Las Vegas. He now trails Jimmie Johnson by 10 in the point standings.

“I’m off to the best three-race start of my career,” Earnhardt said. “And I’m still in third.

“I hear they’ve chosen a grand marshal for the April race in Texas. His name is ‘N.R. Ray,’ and I understand he’ll be packing a starter’s pistol.”

5. Denny Hamlin: An eventful week for Hamlin culminated with a 15th at Las Vegas, as Joe Gibbs teammate Matt Kenseth won the Kobalt Tools 400. Earlier in the week, Hamlin was fined $25,000 for making critical comments about the new Gen-6 car.

“There’s five digits in $25,000,” Hamlin said. “Unfortunately for NASCAR, they’ll only see one of them.”

6. Carl Edwards: Edwards backed up his win at Phoenix with a solid fifth at Las Vegas, earning his second top 5 of the year. He moved up six spots to fifth in the point standings, 31 out of first.

“I hear Danica Patrick was hit in the head by a rock,” Edwards said. “If it’s anything like her driving, I’m sure it left a dent.”

7. Kasey Kahne: Kahne No. 5 Chevy was clearly the class of the Kobalt Tools 400, but lost the race off pit road to Matt Kenseth on the final caution. Kahne tracked down Matt Kenseth but was unable to make the winning pass and settled for second.

“I’m amazed that Kenseth could hold me off on old tires,” Kahne said. “And speaking of ‘old’ and ‘tired,’ how about the racing at Las Vegas. Maybe Denny Hamlin was on to something. His children may not be, but his points sure are legitimate.”

8. Mark Martin: Martin finished 14th in the Kobalt Tools, as Michael Waltrip Racing teammate Martin Truex, Jr. finished eighth. Martin is sixth in the point standings, 34 out of first.

“Much like my homeboy 50 Cent to find black people at Daytona,” Martin said, “I’m on a fruitless quest of my own—-to win a Sprint Cup championship.

9. Greg Biffle: Biffle finished 17th in the Kobalt Tools 400 as former Roush Fenway teammate Matt Kenseth took the win. Biffle is tied for seventh in the point standings, 36 out of first.

“Congratulations to Matt,” Biffle said. “I knew he’d do well in the Dollar General Toyota. When you combine Matt’s boring personality in a car with ‘Dollar’ on the side, you get a character named ‘So-So Money.’

10. Kyle Busch: Busch overcame an early pit road speeding penalty to claim fourth in the Kobalt Tools 400.

“Pit road speeding is exactly what you’d expect from Joe Gibbs Racing,” Busch said. “Usually, it happens when we’re in a hurry to make an engine change.”

March 12, 2013
NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Daytona

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson won his second Daytona 500, leading the final ten laps and holding off a late charge from Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

“It was a historic day at Daytona,” Johnson said, “especially for women. Danica Patrick pocketed $357,464 in prize money, while Erin Andrews lost 50 Cents.

“It’s great to win my second Daytona 500, and first for Chad Knaus. As you may recall, Chad was suspended for my first 500 in 2006, but he was with me there in spirit, and in my rear window.”

2. Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: Earnhardt’s last-lap charge gave him his second consecutive Daytona 500 runner-up finish, and third in four years, as Hendrick teammate Jimmie Johnson took the win.

“I was a day late and a dollar short,” Earnhardt said, “as opposed to a certain rapper, who was a half-dollar short.

“Finishing second at Daytona, followed by a disappointing result in the Chase, has been the story of my career. It’s a case of ‘so close, yet so far away.’”

3. Brad Keselowski: NASCAR’s defending champion overcame early damage after being collected in an early crash and battle back to finish fourth in the Daytona 500. Keselowski led 13 laps on the day, and trails Jimmie Johnson by six points.

“As you may have heard,” Keselowski said, “I was called to speak to NASCAR brass about some comments I made critical of NASCAR. I was politely told to keep my foot on the pedal and out of my mouth.”

4. Greg Biffle: Biffle qualified fifth and finished sixth at Daytona, the top finisher among the Roush Fenway Racing trio, as Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. finished 12^th and Carl Edwards finished 33^rd.

“Stenhouse is dating the hottest driver in NASCAR,” Biffle said, “while Edwards is the coldest driver in NASCAR.”

5. Regan Smith: Smith, in the No. 51 Phoenix Racing Chevrolet, finished a strong seventh in the Daytona 500, leading one lap.

“50 Cent says ‘He doesn’t see black people,’” Smith said. “If memory serves me, there once was a wrapper named ‘6 Cents’ who also didn’t see black people, but did see dead people.

“As the driver of the car once piloted by Kurt Busch, I’m proud to say that Phoenix Racing no longer sees crazy people.”

6. Mark Martin: Martin finished third in the Daytona 500, moving up with a late charge while pushing Dale Earnhardt, Jr. to a second-place finish.

“I’m now 0-29 at Daytona,” Martin said, “so finishing third is nothing special. It’s like ‘kissing a sister,’ and I want to do that about as much as Erin Andrews wants to kiss a ‘brother.’

“My man 50 Cent said he didn’t see any black people at Daytona. I say, Look, Fitty, it’s Sunday at Daytona. There’s only one ‘race.’”

7. Danica Patrick: Patrick started on the pole at Daytona and became the first female driver to lead a lap in the iconic NASCAR event. She eventually finished eighth, by far her best Sprint Cup finish.

“The No. 10 GoDaddy.Com Chevrolet not only had horsepower,” Patrick said, “it had girl power.

“Kudos to Erin Andrews for rejecting the advances of 50 Cent. What kind of man complains about the lack of black people, then goes in for a kiss on the girl in the white ‘wrapper?’

“I guess I silenced most of my critics with my performance, but not all of them. There are some creeps still monitoring the GoDaddy.com website who wish I’d show more of myself.”

8. Ryan Newman: With Tony Stewart knocked out early, Newman led the charge for Stewart-Haas Racing, leading three laps and finishing fifth at Daytona.

“I hate it for Tony,” Newman said. “His run of bad luck continued in the 500. Tony can’t catch a break, unlike the Daytona catchfence, which catches brakes, tires, and engines. You’ve got to hand it to NASCAR fans for coming to the race on Sunday despite what happened on Saturday. Those fans have a commendable ‘debris de corps.’”

9. Clint Bowyer: Bowyer finished 11^th in the Daytona 500, one of only two Toyotas in the top 11.

“Judging by what happened early in the race,” Bowyer said, “Jimmie Johnson was not the Hendrick driver I expected to win the race. After the race, I felt like I was back at Phoenix when I kept asking, ‘Where’s Jeff Gordon?’

“I’m just pleased my Toyota engine didn’t blow up like those of the Joe Gibbs Racing cars. Those JGR engines are like milk—that expiration date will sneak up on you.”

10. Ricky Stenhouse, Jr.: Stenhouse, in the No. 17 Roush Fenway Ford, finished 12^th at Daytona after starting 28th, joining teammate Greg Biffle in the top 12.

“It looks like Danica Patrick and I have taken our driving to another level,” Stenhouse said. “It remains to be seen whether our relationship will follow. I sure hope so. Until then, though, Danica and I will collectively be known as ‘Hot And Bothered.’

“I hold a unique position among NASCAR drivers. I’m the only driver who can say he’s dating a ‘fellow’ driver and still retain his manhood.”

February 26, 2013

Crunching the Numbers: Daytona

As the 2013 season gets underway this weekend at Daytona for the Sprint Cup Series, Nationwide Series, and the Camping World Truck Series, it’s time once again to analyze the statistics and see just who you should be watching this weekend at the “World Center of Racing”.

First on the docket of racing this weekend will be the Camping World Truck Series, which will take to the high banks Friday night in the Nextera Energy Resources 250.

Top 10 Camping World Series drivers at Daytona International Speedway (last 10 races):

Driver	Races	Win	Top 5	Top 10	Pole	Laps Led	Avg. Start	Avg. Finish
John King	1	1	1	1	0	6	23.0	1.0
Todd Bodine	8	2	6	7	0	136	9.0	5.4
Timothy Peters	5	1	2	3	0	17	23.0	6.4
Kyle Busch	4	0	3	3	0	18	19.2	7.8
Ty Dillon	1	0	0	1	0	0	4.0	9.0
Clay Greenfield	1	0	0	1	0	0	26.0	10.0
Chris Fontaine	2	0	0	1	0	0	19.0	13.0
Justin Lofton	3	0	1	1	0	0	17.0	13.0
Dusty Davis	1	0	0	0	0	0	16.0	13.0
Matt Crafton	10	0	1	4	0	1	16.2	14.6

Who to Watch: Defending winner John King returns in 2013 after winning in his first attempt last year in a wild finish. King will be with a different team, but is batting 1.000 in his career at Daytona, so he will definitely be one to keep an eye on. Todd Bodine leads the series regulars with 2 wins and an average finish of 5.4. Other series regulars who run well at Daytona include Timothy Peters with 1 win and an average finish of 6.4 and Ty Dillon, who finished top 10 in his first outing last year. Throw in Cup regular Kyle Busch with an average finish of 7.8 and Friday night’s Truck race should be a great race, as usual.

Next up will be the Nationwide Series taking on the famed 2.5 superspeedway in Florida in the Drive4COPD 300 on Saturday afternoon.

Top 10 Nationwide Series drivers at Daytona International Speedway (last 10 races):

Driver	Races	Win	Top 5	Top 10	Pole	Laps Led	Avg. Start	Avg. Finish
Tony Stewart	6	4	4	5	1	146	10.2	4.2
Austin Dillon	2	0	2	2	0	8	23.5	4.5
Kurt Busch	2	1	1	2	0	65	9.5	5.5
Kyle Busch	10	0	5	7	0	132	12.9	8.7
Matt Kenseth	3	0	1	2	0	39	7.3	9.7
Brian Vickers	5	0	2	4	0	12	17.2	11.8
Kasey Kahne	6	0	1	4	0	5	14.5	12.5
Dale Earnhardt Jr	8	1	4	5	0	62	8.5	12.8
Parker Kligerman	1	0	0	0	0	0	2.0	13.0
Elliott Sadler	4	0	1	3	0	49	9.5	13.8

Who to Watch: The field will be stocked full of Cup regulars, with Tony Stewart as best by far when the Nationwide Series rolls into Daytona. Stewart has 4 wins in 6 starts and has finished no worse than 10th in all but 1 start. This year should be more of the same from Stewart as he will be the one to beat for the win. Others to keep an eye on will be Austin Dillon with a 4.5 average finish in 2 starts, as well as the Busch brothers and Matt Kenseth, all of whom have an average finish of 9.7 or better. Should be another exciting race for NASCAR’s 2nd tier series.

Rounding out the weekend will be Sunday’s 55th running of the Daytona 500, which should be even more of a spectacle than usual with the points race debut of the Gen6 car.

Top 10 Sprint Cup Series drivers at Daytona International Speedway (last 10 races):

Driver	Races	Win	Top 5	Top 10	Pole	Laps Led	Avg. Start	Avg. Finish
Carl Edwards	10	0	3	7	1	2	14.4	11.1
Matt Kenseth	10	2	5	7	1	164	15.7	11.1
Tony Stewart	10	2	3	4	0	149	13.3	12.0
Kevin Harvick	10	1	2	5	0	90	15.7	14.1
Kurt Busch	10	0	4	6	0	82	20.3	14.4
Dale Earnhardt Jr	10	0	3	5	1	78	9.0	14.9
Kasey Kahne	10	0	2	5	0	24	15.0	15.5
Bobby Labonte	10	0	1	2	0	3	28.0	16.3
Paul Menard	10	0	0	3	1	37	20.8	16.6
Kyle Busch	10	1	3	4	0	252	13.9	16.8

Who to Watch: The top 10 is a virtual who’s who of restrictor plate masters with recent Daytona winners Matt Kenseth, Tony Stewart and Kevin Harvick, who have 5 wins among them in the last 10 races at Daytona, being book-ended by a consistent Carl Edwards and Kurt Busch. All 5 of these drivers have an average finish of 14.4 or less over the last 10 races and all of the top 10 drivers could be threats for the win on Sunday. The one X-factor, however, will be the debut of the Gen6 car and the vast array of unknowns associated with it, so anyone could be a winner in the “Great American Race” this year.

February 20, 2013