Tag: Sprint Cup

Hot 20 – In search of the Sprint Cup series 2014 driver of the year

As justly proud I am of my ancestors, there is a downside to not being born a France. I could have a dream, wake in the morning and jot it all down on a napkin, and there is no chance in hell that it could be NASCAR policy by the afternoon. Some might think that a good thing. I think the circuit’s new emphasis on winning is also a good thing.

Just win baby, and it is a philosophy many of us can agree with. As I do not have to worry about television numbers or game seven moments, abandoning the Chase and adding 22 points to the winner’s total to a maximum of 70 seems just as good a way as any to determine just who was the most successful any given season.

Unless the champion at the end of the season turns out to be someone most can not accept, the new Chase elimination system will eventually be accepted. I mean, unless wins and wins alone determine who is king, then there has always been room for argument as to whether a champ was worthy or not.

We think back to 2003 when one race winner Matt Kenseth won the title over eight race winner Ryan Newman. Still, Kenseth won his crown using the same points system that had been in place for more than thirty years. Back in 1973, David Pearson won 11, Richard Petty had six, but the title that year went to single race victor Benny Parsons. No one seems to be arguing about that outcome today.

As I am not a France, I have no championship to bestow. However, I am interested in what keeping the present points system, but making a win worth between 25 and 28 points more than the runner-up, would have given us over a 36 race, non-Chase, season. The leader might not wind up our champion, but he sure would be my driver of the year.

Our Hot 20 as we head to Las Vegas are…

Pos	Driver	Points	Wins
1	Dale Earnhardt, Jr.	112	1
2	Kevin Harvick	101	1
3	Jeff Gordon	80	0
4	Jimmie Johnson	78	0
5	Joey Logano	75	0
6	Kyle Busch	71	0
7	Matt Kenseth	70	0
8	Denny Hamlin	68	0
9	Carl Edwards	65	0
10	Casey Mears	64	0
11	Greg Biffle	64	0
12	Jamie McMurray	64	0
13	Ricky Stenhouse, Jr.	63	0
14	Ryan Newman	60	0
15	Austin Dillon	56	0
16	Marcos Ambrose	49	0
17	Kasey Kahne	47	0
18	Reed Sorenson	41	0
19	A.J. Allmendinger	37	0
20	Tony Stewart	37	0

March 6, 2014

1/7th of a Human Hair

The warm Floridian sun illuminated the Daytona International Speedway as cars were on track to complete the only single-car qualifying round of the season. Then there was Jimmie Johnson, once again struggling to get his car through inspection.

Naturally, Twitter exploded with comments about Knaus’ cheating habits and his troubles with pushing the envelope too far. Just how far did Knaus push the envelope this time? Johnson’s car was too wide by 0.0001 inches.

I realize that NASCAR has to draw the line somewhere, but a ten-thousandth of an inch is ludicrous. To put that into perspective, the width of a human hair can be as thin as 0.0007 inches. Take a very thin hair, cut it in sevenths length-wise, and take one of those microscopically thin pieces. That’s the difference between a legal car and an illegal car. This tells me that NASCAR has become way too stringent with its rules, and the line in the sand should be moved back. In other words, instead of having 0.0001 inches being illegal, they should have anything above 0.01 inches be illegal.

Although I wasn’t watching NASCAR in 1997, I know the story about Jeff Gordon’s T-Rex car, and it’s unfortunate that we will never see another T-Rex car again. There simply aren’t enough gray areas in the rule book to allow for some serious experimentation. The elimination of the ride height rule gives teams some area to experiment, and I can picture many teams trying out a plethora of different ride heights, especially at rough tracks such as Auto Club Speedway.

And as much as non-Johnson fans are bored of seeing him win all the time, you have to give Chad Knaus credit for at least trying to find some gray areas in the rule book. However, with the way things are in NASCAR these days, I don’t see them making their rules any less strict, and that’s a shame, because I know all of us want to see T-Rex Car 2.0.

February 18, 2014
Will The Chase Be Expanded to 16 Teams?

According to various sources, including the Charlotte Observer’s Jim Utter, NASCAR’s plan for the 2014 Chase is taking shape and it will have a new format. According to these sources, 16 teams would make the Chase with positions going to full-time participants who won a race during the season of 25 races. If there were not 16 teams with wins, the remaining positions would be based on the point finishers according to the standings at the end of the “regular season.”

There has to be a catch, right? Well there is one. The lowest four teams in the standings after the points are reset, which has always been the case since the beginning of the Chase, will be eliminated after the third, sixth, and ninth races in the final 10 Chase races. This would leave four teams and drivers to fight it out in the final race at Homestead next November. The “Final Four” would have their points reset to make them all equal in the final race. Whoever scored the most points in the final race would be the champion.

According to some sources, this might not be the final plan. Changes could still occur in the format, but it seems this is the direction NASCAR is headed. Details are expected to be announced at the annual Media Tour in Charlotte in about a week.

This is a radical change in the consistency based points structure created by the late Bob Latford, 39 years ago. It would virtually assure that the champion would be a winner and not sneak into a championship through consistency. Details will soon be known.

January 17, 2014
Sprint Cup, Nationwide Rookies Show Promise In Testing

The cars are on the track, the teams are meticulously preparing their race cars for the beginning of the 2014 season, and the rookies are outshining the veterans, at least in testing. Starting with the Sprint Cup Series, Austin Dillon, the 2013 Nationwide Series Champion, had the fastest car in Sprint Cup Preseason Thunder Testing at 195.109 mph. He was followed by his RCR teammate and fellow rookie Brian Scott.

Fans were delighted to see the eldest Dillon brother rise to the top of the speed charts since his car carries the prestigious number 3 on the doors. Fellow rookie competitor Kyle Larson was fifth quickest at 193.411 mph.

As for the Nationwide Series, the story remains the same. The rookies are showing a lot of promise and one driver has shown that he is the clear favorite for the pole if not the win: Dylan Kwasniewski. In the Saturday morning test at Daytona, Kwasniewski was had the fastest car, posting a speed of 183.408 mph. He was also fastest in Sunday’s morning test and was the only driver to break the 190-mph barrier. Kwasniewski, who was the 2013 K&N Pro Series East Champion, was also ninth in the Saturday evening session. Fellow Nationwide rookies Chase Elliott and Chad Boat paced the Saturday and Sunday afternoon sessions respectively.

So the question remains: What does this all mean? In reality, not much, other than the fact that Austin Dillon and Dylan Kwasniewski are major threats to win the pole in their respective series. Other than that, it’s too early to determine whether or not Dillon or Kwasniewski (or any other rookie) will actually win a couple of races in 2014.

However, I will predict that Austin Dillon will win a race in 2014, which will most likely come on a restrictor plate track. How will much-hyped Kyle Larson fair in 2014? It’s very difficult to say, but something tells me that his season might be statistically similar to Ricky Stenhouse’s season last year. So, are these test speeds foreshadowing great things to come for the 2014 NASCAR Rookie Class? Only time will tell.

January 13, 2014
Jimmie Johnson: Where Title Number 6 Stacks Up

Anybody can form a formidable argument that Jimmie Johnson only has three championships, but the history books will always reveal that Johnson is “Mr. 6 Time”, and probably soon to be “7 Time”.

After a decent run at Homestead and avoiding calamity on a restart, Johnson ended up finishing 9th to secure his 6th title by a 19 point margin over Matt Kenseth. Overall, it was an incredible season for the No.48, but where does this championship season rank against his five other championship seasons? Just how amazing was the No.48 team in 2013?

Let’s rank their greatest championship seasons, starting from number six, and working our way down to number one.

6) 2006: Championship Number 1

It only seems fitting that Johnson’s first championship would be one of his “worst” season performances. And by worst, I mean having 5 wins, 13 top 5s, and 24 top 10s, and a career-best average finish of 9.7. Reminiscent of 2013, he held off Matt Kenseth by 56 points to start his streak of five titles in a row. By no means was this a bad season for the No.48 team, who ended up winning the Daytona 500, Brickyard 400, and The All-Star Race all in the same year.

5) 2013: Championship Number 6

Coming in at number five on the list, it’s championship number six for “Mr. 6-Time”. As always, it was still a stellar performance by the No.48 team, posting 6 victories, 16 top 5s, 24 top 10s, and an average finish of 10.7. He also won swept the races at Daytona, almost won the Brickyard 400, and won his 4th All-Star Race. Overall, it was a formidable season for the No.48, but it wasn’t his best.

4) 2010: Championship Number 5

In a season where Johnson became known as “5-Time”, it didn’t come without an epic fight between himself and Denny Hamlin, who ultimately lost the race do to a wreck at Homestead. Johnson cruised to his 5th title by 39 points over Hamlin, and ended up scoring 6 wins, 17 top 5s, 23 top 10s, with an average finish of 12.2. Some fans may argue that this is actually his worst championship season, due to Johnson having four DNFs on the year.

3) 2008: Championship Number 3

This was the year where everyone’s jaws dropped to the floor when they waved the checkered flag at Homestead. Nobody thought that Cale Yarborough’s record of three titles in a row was ever going to be matched, and sure enough in 2008, Johnson did just that. And with 7 victories, 15 top 5s, and 22 top 10s, his performance backed it up. He also scored another Brickyard 400 victory to add to his immaculate resume.

2) 2009: Championship Number 4

One year later, Cale Yarborough’s record was broken. Johnson had won an amazing four championships in a row. Wow was this even possible? You could say the chase had something to do with it, but I believe his 7 victories, 16 top 5s, and 24 top 10s also had something to do with it.

1) 2007: Championship Number 2

You can argue where I placed Championship’s 1, 3, 4, 5, and 6, but it will be very hard to argue against putting 2007 at the number one spot. Take his 10 wins for starters, including four wins in a row and the end of the year. Not to mention, he also scored a colossal 20 top 5s, and 24 top 10s. I think it’s safe to say, this was the best championship-winning season by the No.48 team.

November 18, 2013
All-Star Race Venue Change?

Dale Jarrett this week suggested that the All-Star Race be moved from Charlotte Motor Speedway to Bristol. Stating that these drivers have all grown up on short tracks, I’m assuming he isn’t taking into account Danica Patrick or Juan Puablo Montoya, who both have not ever thought about driving short track or dirt track cars.

When I first heard this brought up, I took the typical approach of, “Why change something as historic as the All-Star Race?” Then I realized that the last several years that I have not enjoyed the All-Star event as much as I once did.

Perhaps this isn’t such a bad idea after all. I mean think back to this weekend’s race, we saw plenty of cautions, plenty of beating and banging on each other, tempers flared, and despite the fact that there wasn’t a ton of passing for the lead, there was still some and a good bit of drama as the laps wound down.

Granted true NASCAR fans don’t want a ton of carnage during a race, we mainly want to see meaningful passes, people getting held up in lap traffic, and the leaders trying to figure out how to navigate that lap traffic in a confined space. Drop in something like Bruton Smith did this year and give a bonus for winning each segment and we the fans win almost instantly.

Obviously the segments and rules would need to be tweaked a little bit to be more entertaining for a smaller venue. Whereas this year’s segments were twenty lap events in the first four sections, with one final ten lap shoot out, I would plead with anyone listening that they make the segments longer, work with Goodyear Tires and build some give up into the tires and then let the boys have at it. Let’s think outside the box a little more here since we are basically playing with house money and throwing things against the wall to see what sticks. Currently the only ones allowed into this star studded event are: Any driver that has won a race in that year or the preceding year, then any Sprint Cup All Star Race winner within the last ten years, Any Champion of the series in the past ten years, The top two finishers in the Showdown, and the fan vote winner, (whom is determined the night of the event).

Let’s expand the eligibility to anyone who has won a race in any of the three top touring series in the last five years. How great would it be to see a Ron Hornaday, or some rookie that snagged a victory in the Nationwide Series getting a one off deal to run in the All-Star Event? And since we are doing that, then obviously we have to let any champion in those three series in the past five years into the event as well. This will automatically give us an expanded field, if there are teams out there willing to take a run at that tasty thought.

Of course we would allow any Cup champion in the last ten years in, since that is what like three now? (Just kidding I know it’s four). I know I am just thinking loudly, and these things may seem like madness, but let’s play with this thought a little more. Let’s allow the top three finishers in the Sprint Unlimited All-Star Showdown Race presented by about seventy different sponsors whom we don’t even know, or whatever they plan to call it next year, I just call it the qualifying race for the All-Star Shootout.

The last rule on eligibility that I would make is a simple one, once you win the fan vote you are ineligible to win the fan vote again for three years. I am tired of seeing the same select few people win this part of the process before the night even gets started (Danica Patrick and Dale Jr, I am looking directly at you two).

Now to the matter of segment and race length, let’s start out slow and actually build towards something and learn a little from the trucks being on dirt this season. The first segment is twenty laps, and only green flag laps count, the second segment is thirty, and again only green flag laps count. The third segment would be forty-five laps, and a fourth segment would be fifty both with only green flag laps counting. I liked the idea of how where you exit pit road is where you line up, and a few years ago NASCAR gave us the fans a chance to participate a little more with each segment. At the beginning of each segment there would be a brief five minute voting process to determine the number of spots to invert at the end of the segment. This way the drivers and crew chiefs don’t know where they will be starting until the final sixty lap segment, which would be run for an extra payday for the drivers favorite charity. Let’s make it about giving back to the community that has been supporting this sport for so very long.

This would actually add a certain level of excitement back to the event, of course it would have to be run under the lights, if a driver is able to win all five segments then of course that team earns an extra million dollars for their favorite charity. Again I want this to be about the fans, because isn’t that what this event is supposed to be about? Isn’t the All Star supposed to be about giving us an extra layer of entertainment? Something extra for us to believe that our driver is simply the greatest person out there, would this instantly fix what is ailing NASCAR these days? Probably not, but it would at least give us something to cheer for again, and one final thought? Bring back the pit crew challenge the day before qualifying, show case the teams and let them factor heavily into the outcome of the event.

August 25, 2013
How To Improve The Nationwide Series

How can NASCAR turn the yawn fest that has become Nationwide Series Racing into something the fans will enjoy again? My twitter and Facebook time lines both blow up when Kyle Busch, Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski, Kasey Kahne, or even Matt Kenseth take the lead at any point in the race. It quickly becomes a stream of “Anybody but……(fill in Cup Regulars name here).

For the longest time I defended allowing the cup regulars racing in the lower series, mainly because my favorite driver was still doing it from time to time and ran well in that series at points. I even defended it more when NASCAR made the rule that drivers had to declare which series they were going to race for a championship in before the season really began.

The excuse that I often used was, “Well it helps the track promoters out by getting butts in the seats to see their favorite drivers one more time during the race weekend.” Granted this was back before the Cup regulars truly dominated the lower series. Would they win often? Yes, but they would not go on an eight race winning streak, or in the case of this year’s races, winning sixteen of twenty-one races, or a winning percentage of 1.3125 percent of the time. Now, honestly it is keeping people OUT of the seats more than it is putting butts in seats.

I have also heard and understand the argument that having the Cup drivers in the lower series gives the lower series guys a chance to see what they will be up against when they get into the Cup series. For the longest time, I really didn’t have a comeback for this statement, now I do. While the younger driver may learn something about driver etiquette on the track, they are not learning anything else for the most part. The Cup cars are not the same cars the Nationwide series cars are, and therefore the driver in the NNS isn’t learning very much that will help them once they graduate into the Cup series. About the only thing it shows them is that if they want to be successful in the Cup series they will need to land at a top tier team or their hopes of challenging for a win each week is out the window.

The cars in the Nationwide series are great, they look incredible on T.V. and on the track. They afford for some nice side by side racing. Only when the cars that are being raced aren’t from an over funded team with an over talented driver, holding off someone who is simply trying to get a handle on the series. I could actually understand a lower talented Cup driver trying to get extra seat time to try and improve their performance for their main sponsor on Sunday. Take Bliss, Blaney, Stremme, or any other driver, hell even take Danica and put her in the Nationwide series and allow them more seat time to improve the racing on Sunday, and I would get it much better than I do these days.

These days unless the series is split like it is this weekend with the Cup cars in Michigan and the Nationwide cars in Ohio; it basically takes a catastrophic incident or failure by the Cup regulars team or car for the Nationwide series drivers to even stand a chance to win the race. Which is what leads to my timeline being blown up with people changing the channel, going to the pool, or horror of all horrors heading to the store or mall to get some last minute shopping done.

My solution is a relatively simple and painless one to implement and simply builds upon the declaring which series a driver is running for a championship. Limit the number of starts that a Cup regular can have in the lower series, to five. Which would mean that the track promoters would still be able to promote the fact that Dale Earnhardt Jr will be running both Daytona and Talladega races, without stacking the deck at the races against the Nationwide drivers. It would allow the drivers like Kyle Busch, and Brad Keselowski to race the Nationwide and Camping World Series trucks, but on a limited basis. Let’s just call it the Mark Martin schedule for simplification purposes.

Let’s face facts, drivers in the Cup series retire, where will that leave fans that still love the sport but don’t have a driver to root for? In my case I know that in the next year to two my driver Jeff Burton will be retiring. I have followed Jeff’s career since I attended my first Cup race and Jeff won for the first time in Texas. I know that I will have to find someone else to root for week in and week out. Are there drivers suitable enough for me to start cheering for already in the Cup series? Of course there are, but I do not want to have to repeat this cycle in another five to ten years. I would much rather have a driver that I can cheer for week in and week out in the Trucks or Nationwide series, see him or her grow into the next series and root for them when they finally reach the Cup series.

Can I realistically do that now? Yes, but I honestly do not get to “KNOW” the driver these days in the lower series. The main focus by main stream media is either how well the cup drivers or doing, or when things are going wrong for them, how badly things are going. I will gladly put a large portion of the blame for the Cup regulars doing double duty on the shoulders of main stream media since it is these same media members that focus so greatly on the Cup drivers. Aside from Kyle Busch I honestly do not think that the other regular drivers would run as many races, of course this isn’t taking into account sponsorship obligations, as they do now if they weren’t almost guaranteed almost unfettered T.V. time each week. Kyle is the lone amalgam in this situation; he in a lot of ways is the same as Tony Stewart.

Tony is a racers racer, and so is Kyle. They both see seating behind the wheel of a vehicle and trying to get something out of it that no one else can as therapeutic. It is their weekend golf game, or shooting hoops with the guys. The difference is this, while Tony does it in a series that doesn’t directly impact the potential for up and coming drivers; Kyle almost relishes in the fact that he is potentially holding back a future driver in the Cup series.

With the limited number of races it would be an excuse for people like Matt Kenseth, Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano, Mark Martin and Kyle Busch to actually MENTOR potential drivers on a weekly basis. Especially when you take into account that two of the five drivers I named own a lower series team. To mentor someone, means teaching not showing someone how to do something, allowing them to fail in their own unique way, and being there to pat them on the back when they succeed. It does not mean, “Step out of my way, let me show you how this is done, and oh by the way don’t even THINK about passing me late to steal a victory away from me,”

We worry about the future of the NASCAR sport, and trying to fix so many things that are wrong with it, how about we start looking at what truly IS the future of the sport in the lower series and attempt to give them something to hope for on their own?

August 15, 2013
Chase hopefuls on the outside looking in

There are just ten races remaining before NASCAR enters it’s “playoff” season – the Chase for the Championship. After race No. 26, drivers that are in the top-10 in points are locked in and they are the drivers that are eligible to win the championship. There are also two wildcard spots available. Drivers who are in positions 11-20 are eligible for a wildcard. The criteria to earn a wildcard is based on wins. The two drivers with the most wins get the two spots, with their points being the tie-breaker.

This season has seen a very tight points battle between just inside the top-10 to 15^th. These drivers are fighting hard to get inside or stay inside the top-10. They also need to score as many victories as possible to lock in a wildcard in case they miss the top-10.

There is also a fierce battle for drivers trying get into or stay inside the top-20. These drivers have two concerns. First, they must get inside the top-20, second they must have more wins than the drivers ahead of them in points.

Currently there are several drivers on the outside looking in, or just barely inside trying to stay in and secure a coveted spot in the Chase for the Championship.

Kyle Busch – Currently 8^th in points, but only 16 points ahead of Kasey Kahne in 11^th.

Plus – Kyle does have two wins which gives him some security.

Minus – Toyota has struggled with engine problems this season. They have sacrificed some horsepower for durability.

Brad Keselowski – Currently 9^th in points, just nine points ahead of 11^th place.

Plus – Brad has ran well at times and as defending series champion, has experienced team.

Minus – The team changed to Ford this season and Ford’s, as a whole, have been a little lackluster. The team has also seemed to struggle to catch up after they were penalized for illegal rear end housings setups.

Martin Truex Jr. – Currently 10^th in points, only 8 points ahead of 11^th.

Plus – Martin is the series’ most recent winner and has confidence and momentum heading into crucial time of the season.

Minus – Team has struggled to “close the deal”.

Kasey Kahne – Currently 8 points outside the top-10 in 11^th

Plus – Kahne has ran strong this season, has one win. Solid performer all season.

Minus – Has had some bad luck, recently blew tire while leading at Michigan. Needs to stay consistent

Paul Menard – Currently 12^th in points, tied with 11^th

Plus – Paul has shown promise. In midst of best season of career. Team confidence is high

Minus – Team has started strong in past, but faded during middle of season

Jeff Gordon – Currently 13^th in points, 12 points out of 10^th

Plus – Jeff has performed well at times

Minus – Does not have a win, and has been very inconsistent. Must find victory lane, must find confidence

Joey Logano – Currently 14^th in points, 14 points out of 10^th

Plus – Joey has ran stronger this season than any time in his career. Fitting in nicely at Penske Racing

Minus – Same as teammate – The team changed to Ford this season and Ford’s, as a whole, have been a little lackluster. The team has also seemed to struggle to catch up after they were penalized for illegal rear end housings setups.

Tony Stewart – Currently 15^thpoints, 20 points out of 10^th

Plus – Team has one win. Tony very experienced in championship battles. Gets support and equipment from Hendrick Motorsports. Has seemed to improve lately. Tony runs well at this time of season

Minus – Team has been wildly inconsistent. Struggled in many races

Kurt Busch – Currently 17^th in points, 28 points out of 10^th

Plus – Team has ran extremely well. Receives support and engines from Richard Childress Racing

Minus – Team seems to beat themselves. Constant battle to overcome small problems of their own creation.

Jamie McMurray – Currently 21^st in points, 8 pints out of top-20

Plus – Team has improved recently and had strong runs.

Minus – Very inconsistent, needs wins badly, does not seem to be able to close the deal

Marcos Ambrose – Currently 22^nd in points, 23 points out of top-20

Plus – Team seems to be showing improvement recently

Minus – Lack consistently. Missed best opportunity for a win at Sonoma. Must win to get in

The next ten races for each of these teams are crucial. They must find their problems, fix them and acquire all the pints they possibly can. We are in the closing moments and now is no time to fumble the ball and beat yourself. Discipline and performance will make or break their season. This is the time when true champions shine, and the cream rises to the top.

NASCAR has achieved the goals they desired when they created the Chase format and then enhanced it with the wildcard spots. There are many exciting points battles throughout the standings. At any time during a race there are several races within the race. Many times we come down to the last race of the regular season before we know who is in and who is out.

June 29, 2013

Kenseth scores the win at Talladega in wild finish

[media-credit id=100 align=”alignright” width=”222″][/media-credit]Matt Kenseth scores a much needed victory in the Good Sam’s Roadside Assistance 500 by avoiding a last lap crash triggered by contact between Tony Stewart and Micheal Waltrip.

After a clean and calm race, but the “big one” finally came on the final turn of the final lap. In an interview immediately following the race, Stewart took full responsibility for the crash saying he came down on Waltrip trying to protect his position.

“I just looked in my mirror and saw them coming at me three-wide. I kind of let Tony have his spot there. It didn’t look like he had a big push behind him and lined up with Kevin and we pretty much stayed locked together there until we got to turn three and I thought it was gonna be a drag race to the finish. I didn’t know what was gonna happen and I’m still not sure what happened. Somehow I think Tony got turned and caused a big wreck.” Kenseth said.

Waltrip, however, says “I don’t blame Tony at all.” going on to say anyone else leading would have done the same thing.

“I just screwed up. I turned down and cut across Michael and crashed the whole field. It was my fault, blocking and trying to stay where I was at.” Stewart said.

Kenseth and his Roush-Fenway Racing teammate Greg Biffle ran strong for most of the day.with Kenseth leading three times for a total of 33 laps. After a a poor start in the Chase, this strong run was just what they needed to regain some momentum for the remainder of the Chase. The downside for the No.17 team is that points leader Brad Keselowski finished a solid seventh and only lost ten points to the winner Kenseth leaving a distant 62 points back.

Jeff Gordon also made it through the carnage unscathed giving him three top three finishes out of four Chase races, but he too only gained five points on the leader Keselowski, he did however gain four spots in the standings.

A long list of Chase contenders including Jimmie Johnson, Clint Bowyer, Tony Stewart and Dale Earnhardt Jr were all involved in the last lap crash and took hits in the points.

“If this was what we did every week, I wouldn’t be doing it. I’ll just put it to you that way. If this was how we raced every week, I’d find another job. That’s what the package is doing. It’s really not racing. It’s a little disappointing. It cost a lot of money right there.” Earnhardt Jr. said.

Keselowski now has a solid 14 point lead over Johnson and six more back to Hamlin. They have now separated themselves from the rest of the Chase drivers, and seemingly will be the three that contend for the 2012 title.

“That’s pretty big. I just feel lucky to survive Talladega.” Keselowski said.

Unofficial Race Results
Good Sam 500, Talladega Superspeedway
http://www.speedwaymedia.com/Cup/race.php?race=30
=========================================
Pos.	St.	No.	Driver	Make	Points
=========================================
1	15	17	Matt Kenseth	Ford	47
2	6	24	Jeff Gordon	Chevrolet	43
3	13	18	Kyle Busch	Toyota	42
4	25	34	David Ragan	Ford	41
5	5	16	Greg Biffle	Ford	40
6	28	78	Regan Smith	Chevrolet	38
7	22	2	Brad Keselowski	Dodge	37
8	36	93	Travis Kvapil	Toyota	37
9	2	39	Ryan Newman	Chevrolet	35
10	26	31	Jeff Burton	Chevrolet	35
11	23	11	Denny Hamlin	Toyota	33
12	9	56	Martin Truex Jr.	Toyota	32
13	1	5	Kasey Kahne	Chevrolet	32
14	21	29	Kevin Harvick	Chevrolet	31
15	32	38	David Gilliland	Ford	29
16	31	32	Terry Labonte	Ford	28
17	17	48	Jimmie Johnson	Chevrolet	28
18	40	47	Bobby Labonte	Toyota	26
19	8	21	Trevor Bayne	Ford	0
20	18	43	Aric Almirola	Ford	24
21	12	88	Dale Earnhardt Jr.	Chevrolet	24
22	4	14	Tony Stewart	Chevrolet	23
23	3	15	Clint Bowyer	Toyota	22
24	10	22	Sam Hornish Jr.	Dodge	0
25	11	55	Michael Waltrip	Toyota	19
26	19	13	Casey Mears	Ford	19
27	20	9	Marcos Ambrose	Ford	18
28	16	27	Paul Menard	Chevrolet	16
29	39	36	Dave Blaney	Chevrolet	15
30	38	83	Landon Cassill	Toyota	14
31	34	98	Michael McDowell	Ford	13
32	14	20	Joey Logano	Toyota	12
33	30	30	David Stremme	Toyota	11
34	24	1	Jamie McMurray	Chevrolet	12
35	43	23	Robert Richardson Jr.	Chevrolet	0
36	7	99	Carl Edwards	Ford	8
37	41	10	David Reutimann	Chevrolet	7
38	27	42	Juan Montoya	Chevrolet	6
39	29	51	Kurt Busch	Chevrolet	6
40	42	33	Cole Whitt	Chevrolet	0
41	37	87	Joe Nemechek	Toyota	0
42	35	97	Timmy Hill	Toyota	2
43	33	26	Josh Wise *	Ford	1

October 7, 2012

Johnson dominates the Brickyard, sights locked on 6th Sprint Cup title

Jimmie Johnson had an extremely confident look on his face during pre-race before Sunday afternoon’s running of the Brickyard 400. He went even as far to tweet on Saturday ” I can’t wait for tomorrow, Our car is awesome”. Jimmie Johnson proved beyond all doubt on Sunday afternoon how awesome that car was.

On a sun splashed afternoon in Indianapolis, Johnson and the No.48 team showed why without doubt they are the favorite to win their 6th NSCS championship. Denny Hamlin set the pace early on leading the first 27 laps in which time Johnson went from 6th to 2nd and then took the lead after a pit stop. He only relinquished it during pit stops. Johnson led 99 of the 160 laps and beat 2nd place Kyle Busch by 4.7 seconds to secure his record tying 4th Brickyard win in a dominating fashion .

Johnson and the No.48 team are quietly putting together one of their best seasons in NASCAR since his rookie season in the series in 2002, posting 3 wins,10 top 5’s, and 15 top 10’s all which are series best. He also leads the series in laps led, with 912.

A look deeper inside the numbers tells why Johnson is the favorite heading into the chase. On non restrictor plate tracks in 2012, Jimmie’s numbers have been absolutely mind boggling. In 17 starts on the non plate tracks, he has 3 wins,10 top 5’s, and 15 top 10’s to go along with an average finish of 5.2 in those races which is the best in NSCS.

There are 6 races to go before the 12 driver cutoff for the Chase for the Sprint Cup and by all appearances the No.48 team is really starting to hit their stride. It wouldn’t surprise this guy if they put a couple of more wins on the board before the chase starts . It seems like they unload fast off the truck every weekend and they have the ultimate X factor in crew chief Chad Knaus calling the shots from the pit box. Today’s win should put the garage on notice that this is indeed the team to beat come chase time starting in Chicago in September.

The only thing standing in Jimmie’s way of a 6th cup series title is an October visit to Talladega. Where the plate tracks have been unkind to the No.48 team this season, but if they can navigate the treacherous close quarter racing at Talladega and come out of there with a top 10 and judging by the numbers this season on the rest of the chase tracks. NASCAR could have a very familiar face holding the trophy at the end of 400 miles at Homestead in November and that face is Jimmie Johnson. Right now I wouldn’t bet against him.

July 30, 2012