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Tag: Talladega

  • Hot 20 – Charlotte’s roval goes left, it goes right, and possibly where everything will go wrong

    Hot 20 – Charlotte’s roval goes left, it goes right, and possibly where everything will go wrong

    They thought Talladega was a wild card. Boy, something tells me that Charlotte’s Roval is going to test them like never before. This one makes the World 600 nothing more than a nice test, a rest in some ways, before the storm coming their way on Sunday.

    When your first danger spot is identified as Turn 1, you got to think that the excrement is about to hit the ventilation system. A tire barrier, a safer barrier, and a concrete barrier all await those who fate decides to screw with. Imagine the potential for carnage for the start and any re-starts that follow.

    The next most treacherous part of the track? According to some, the entire rest of the track can claim that honor. Sounds interesting. Sounds more like a demolition derby. Sounds like a race I am not going to miss.

    Prepare for some hearts to be broken, along with a few auto body parts. It is the Roval at Charlotte this Sunday.

    1. KYLE BUSCH – 1 ROUND WIN (2125 Pts – 7 Wins)
    Best on the season, the best at Richmond, so who cares about the Roval?

    2. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 1 ROUND WIN (2111 Pts – 3 Wins)
    I guess you could say he has entered a one race slump.

    3. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 2141 POINTS (4 Wins)
    Another member of the family will be leading the pack…at least prior to the green flag.

    4. KEVIN HARVICK – 2113 POINTS (7 Wins)
    Name a scenario where he does not advance. There isn’t one.

    5. JOEY LOGANO – 2081 POINTS (1 Win)
    Not totally out of the woods, but he sees prairie just ahead.

    6. ARIC ALMIROLA – 2079 POINTS
    No wins but lots of speed, and that might be enough for round one.

    7. KYLE LARSON – 2073 POINTS
    Charlotte should be easy until he comes across all those curvy parts.

    8. KURT BUSCH – 2071 POINTS (1 Win)
    He has the talent. He has the equipment. Now all he needs is good fortune.

    9. CHASE ELLIOTT – 2066 POINTS (1 Win)
    This whole Roval thing should have a lot of folks nervous, including Bill’s boy.

    10. AUSTIN DILLON – 2066 POINTS (1 Win)
    The smart money had him out after this round, but now he has to clear just one more hurdle.

    11. ALEX BOWMAN – 2061 POINTS
    Sitting five to seven points to the good, and that can’t be good.

    12. RYAN BLANEY – 2060 POINTS
    If Bowman is nervous, imagine how this guy feels.

    13. CLINT BOWYER – 2056 POINTS (2 Wins)
    Finish four or five points better than the two ahead of him, and all will be fine.

    14. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 2054 POINTS
    If Bowyer does well, it would be smart to stay close to him, though ahead would be even better.

    15. ERIK JONES – 2039 POINTS (1 Win)
    Has a win this season, but now he needs another one.

    16. DENNY HAMLIN – 2031 POINTS
    It is either win it all or nothing.

    17. RYAN NEWMAN – 583 POINTS
    A Chevy is nice, but the offer from Ford was nicer…but that is next year.

    18. PAUL MENARD – 566 POINTS
    As long as he has a sponsor with deep pockets he shall remain safe.

    19. RICKY STENHOUSE JR. – 552 POINTS
    He might not have Danica, but he has something McMurray and Allmendinger do not.

    20. DANIEL SUAREZ – 550 POINTS
    Does leaving Gibbs mean leaving all hope behind?

  • The Final Word – A Saturday night to get reacquainted with the Big Three at Richmond

    The Final Word – A Saturday night to get reacquainted with the Big Three at Richmond

    Richmond, the second race of the opening rung of the championship ladder. Only four storylines awaited to be written.

    Who would win, and would it be Brad Keselowski for a fourth straight contest?

    Who could keep out of danger from falling out of the top dozen as they search for a berth in the second leg?

    Who could move up from the next four, already in danger to being eliminated, to challenge for one of those top dozen spots after having some hard luck at Las Vegas?

    Finally, who outside of our drivers of interest could make themselves relevant? The best of last week, Jamie McMurray, got wrecked before it was all over. Would someone outside the top sixteen manage to finish the event and make us notice they were even there?

    None of the outsiders showed up by the time that opening stage completed. Often it is too early to tell much, but Martin Truex, Jr. and Kevin Harvick dominated while Keselowski showed up late for third. No one else was even close. Chase Elliott was fourth, making us wonder if he was going to erase the nine point gap between himself and those above the cut off line when this one came to a conclusion. Clint Bowyer was the man in his sights, who started with an ill handling car that gave him no breaks in that opening run. As for as those who had to pass a lot of cars in that initial run, both Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin seemed prepared to put forth a good argument before it was all over.

    Stage two provided more of the same. Truex ran away with it, with Harvick next up. Keselowski was fourth, so still in the hunt. To this point, the question remained if Elliott would move into the top dozen and replace Bowyer, or not. As for an also ran, Ryan Newman was in the distant conversation. He was also a hot topic before the race. Newman will be leaving Richard Childress to take the ride split between Matt Kenseth and Trevor Bayne this season for Jack Roush.

    Just to make things interesting, the pit stops brought some interesting events. First, Truex got tagged with tire violation to set him back. Elliott went to the front, moving up three spots, thanks to his crew. That left us watching and wondering how things might shake out when they took the green.

    The “Baby” Busch soon rejoined the party, and soon was in front. He had the best car in the end, and won it to get his free pass to the next round. Harvick had the most steady car in the event, and was the runner-up. Like Busch, Truex had a nice comeback, making up nearly twenty spots from is pit miscue to come home in third. All three join Keselowski, who was ninth on that night, locked into the next round of three races based on wins and points. Up next, though, is the Roval in Charlotte next weekend.

    Elliott was fourth on Saturday night, and now is ten to the good. Bowyer and Jimmie Johnson are outsiders, yet the pair are within seven points of Ryan Blaney and Alex Bowman. Erik Jones and Hamlin, who wound up 16th,  damn near need a win to be in. As for the 24 other boys out on the track for this one, none were among our Top Ten.

    The Roval. That is a track that makes Talladega look downright tame. For you and I, a very entertaining race to watch. For the crews, an absolute nightmare to navigate. Let the good times roval next Sunday in Charlotte.

  • The Final Word – The Southern 500, a celebration of the passage of time

    The Final Word – The Southern 500, a celebration of the passage of time

    Darlington was a day all about time. A time when in 1950 the first Southern 500 was run. A time when some of the great names from the past were brought back to be saluted by their sport in the present. A time when 0.6 seconds can mean everything.

    Just ask Brad Keselowski and Kyle Larson. At a time when 14 entered locked into the Playoffs, two were trying to stay there, and up to 14 others were hoping against hope to steal a spot away, it was Larson who sped away. By the time he finished the opening stage, we knew that Jimmie Johnson and Alex Bowman were not going to be putting up a fight to keep their places. Both had already been lapped by this time and things were not going to get better for either of them. Their fate on that day was now entirely in the hands of others.

    The middle frame provided more of the same. It was all Larson all of the time. While members of the Big Three could always be counted to have a representative somewhere close by, Martin Truex Jr. was not that guy. An uncontrolled tire in the pits proved to be the pits for him and any hopes he might have had on Sunday. As for potential winners, it seemed by the time any of the stages concluded, we only had a dozen or so still on the lead lap. The rest, well the rest were participating, but they sure were not competing.

    Down to the final half of the classic, and it remained the Kyle Larson Show. Even after Clint Bowyer ran over Ryan Newman as one was slowing down to pit while the other could not see through the slowpokes poking along in front of him, it was Larson who was at the front on the re-start. Then, with less than 30 to go, Jeffrey Earnhardt spun his car. The caution came out, and pit road was open.

    Larson’s crew did a fine job. The broadcasters said so, but then there was Keselowski. Fifth after the opening stage, second after the next, his crew did a finer job than Larson’s band of brothers, 0.6 seconds better. Keselowski started up front and disappeared from view. Joey Logano, himself with stage finishes of fourth and third, moved into second by the time they hit the finish line. Larson salvaged third, Chase Elliott and Erik Jones were next, but it was the veteran and a stellar job by his service department that decided the Southern 500 on this particular Sunday.

    That leaves one more Sunday to shake things up. Johnson needs to finish within nineteen positions of Bowman at Indianapolis to ensure he makes the playoffs. Bowman needs to either ruin Johnson’s plans or hope no one behind him in the standings claims victory. That is the only way he can be caught. Kasey Kahne won at Indianapolis last year. Newman, Paul Menard, and Jamie McMurray have done so in the past. Can one of them, or some other outsider, do it at the Brickyard this Sunday?

    As for Keselowski, this past weekend marked his 25th career victory. It extended his string of seasons with at least one victory to eight. It earned him his first Southern 500, to go along with five Talladega wins, a pair at Bristol, and his 2012 championship in a career that will end in the Hall of Fame. However, that will come in time, sometime in the next dozen years or so. Right now, there is no time other than the present, and the memory of 0.6 seconds at Darlington.

  • Hot 20 – Getting down and dirty, be it at New Hampshire or Eldora

    Hot 20 – Getting down and dirty, be it at New Hampshire or Eldora

    On Wednesday, the pick-up trucks race on dirt at Eldora. Some figure we need some dirt track racing in NASCAR. The fact is that in these times such a race would be a novelty, just as Eldora is, but does it need to be a feature in Cup?

    Why not? The fact that NBC has finally returned television coverage that actually keeps one glued to the action, entertained and informed with real insight, allows me to watch Loudon without any complaint or the use of the fast-forward feature on my PVR. Finally, I am content with what I watch on the pavement. Being different, though, is not a bad thing.

    Bristol is different. Daytona and Talladega are different. Sonoma and Watkins Glen are different. So will be the road-course feature coming up at Charlotte. Why not a little dirt? Just no gimmicks. We do not need any more gophers. I have had it up to here with “boogity, boogity, boogity.” No more draft tracks. You can even toss out the wild sound laps, where we get to hear the roar of the engines as the announcers take a time-out. It comes nowhere close to being at the live event.

    No more gimmicks. Just tracks that are different. Dirt is good. I have high hopes the New Hampshire experience on Sunday will be as well.

    1. KYLE BUSCH – 5 WINS (799 Pts)
    To be the man, you have to beat the man…more times than he has beaten you.

    2. KEVIN HARVICK – 5 WINS (740 Pts)
    This fall, the Magic Mile will magically look a lot like Las Vegas. Hey, it’s magic.

    3. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 4 WINS (689 Pts)
    Has never won at Loudon…yet.

    4. CLINT BOWYER – 2 WINS (629 Pts)
    Like Harvick, the pit road experience at Kentucky fell short of the standard set on the track.

    5. JOEY LOGANO – 1 WIN (648 Pts)
    A single win locks one into the Chase this season.

    6. ERIK JONES – 1 WIN (480 Pts)
    Earned his golden ticket, so when does he get to visit the Chocolate Factory?

    7. AUSTIN DILLON – 1 WIN (362 Pts)
    After Daytona, he went into Witness Protection and has not been seen since.

    8. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 630 POINTS
    “We’ve been good, not great this year, and this is a sport of great.”

    9. KURT BUSCH – 601 POINTS
    Three career wins at Loudon ties him with his brother, Jimmie, Ryan, Denny, and Matt.

    10. KYLE LARSON – 581 POINTS
    On Tuesday was at the Lernerville Speedway winning a World of Outlaws event.

    11. DENNY HAMLIN – 559 POINTS
    The defending race champion returns, but will the checkered flag?

    12. RYAN BLANEY – 546 POINTS
    Might find Loudon too easy after testing this week at Charlotte.

    13. ARIC ALMIROLA – 534 POINTS
    Did the former driver of this car ever threaten to make the Chase? Ever?

    14. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 484 POINTS
    Only a true disaster will keep even a winless Johnson out of the Chase.

    15. CHASE ELLIOTT – 469 POINTS
    William Clyde’s nickname features his season goal. Next year, he wants to be known as Champ.

    16. ALEX BOWMAN – 427 POINTS
    Spent his Tuesday spinning in Turns 3 and 4 of the Charlotte infield road course. It is sketchy.

    17. RICKY STENHOUSE JR. – 418 POINTS
    He has a standing offer to Kyle Busch to help him stop running his mouth. Jimmy Spencer, Jr.?

    18. PAUL MENARD – 404 POINTS
    23 points between him and a playoff spot, but he averages a 23rd place finish at Loudon.

    19. RYAN NEWMAN – 348 POINTS
    Pick-up racing is cute. Now, European Truck Racing is for the big boys with the big toys.

    20. DANIEL SUAREZ – 344 POINTS
    Two Loudon starts, two Top Tens. Unfortunately, only a win gets him to where he wants to be.

  • Hot 20 – If only the action at Pocono could be as cool as its name

    Hot 20 – If only the action at Pocono could be as cool as its name

    Some things matter. Some do not. Every weekend, no more than 30 entries matter to some degree. The rest do not.

    Most weekends NASCAR features a race and while some matter to race fans, most do not. Bristol, Charlotte, Darlington, Daytona, Sonoma, and Talladega races matter due to what they deliver and a long history of tradition.

    Some are loyal to the short tracks at Martinsville and Richmond. Indianapolis is an over-hyped crown jewel, great history but not much gripping action delivered. Homestead gets the nod as long as it hosts the final race of the season. Those tracks present 16 of the 36 points events each season.

    Pocono gives us two. It is a track ranked by some down amongst such venues as Chicago, Fontana, Kansas, and Kentucky. Cool name. Interesting layout. Lovely trees in the background. Like Indianapolis, it might be more entertaining for open-wheel racing than for the fender folk. Still, twice a year they return there, and twice a year I forget about the last one and actually look forward to the tri-oval. Each year I hope that it will all come together for a terrific contest.

    Maybe this year. Maybe this will be the one. It is a track that boasts of the performances put in by the likes of Jeff Gordon, Emerson Fittipaldi, Danny Sullivan, Juan Pablo Montoya, and A. J. Foyt.  Kyle Busch won there last July. Ryan Blaney is the defending June race champion. Chris Buescher won there for Bob Jenkins in 2016. Denny Hamlin has four Pocono wins. Jimmie Johnson and Kurt Busch each have claimed three.

    Yes, the highlight packages of the past from Pocono look truly awesome. The highlights. The actual action come race day….well, maybe this will be the year. I sure hope so. Such things matter.

    1. KYLE BUSCH – 4 WINS – 573 Pts
    If he runs at Pocono like he did at Charlotte, he might be the only one who matters.

    2. KEVIN HARVICK – 4 WINS – 1 E.W. – 485 Pts
    Today, that encumbered win comes in to play.

    3. JOEY LOGANO – 1 WIN – 506 Pts
    Picks up an average of 39 points per race. You do not have to be loved to be awesome.

    4. MARTIN TRUEX, JR. – 1 WIN – 430 Pts
    If he only had some Kryptonite to toss as Superman on Sunday, he could have won it.

    5. CLINT BOWYER – 1 WIN – 421 Pts
    Crew chief Mike (Buga) Bugarewicz would love a happy homecoming.

    6. AUSTIN DILLON – 1 WIN – 244 Pts
    If he had finished second at Daytona, he would be less successful than Suarez.

    7. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 437 POINTS
    Won Saturday’s Xfinity race. Please raise your hand if you give a damn.

    8. KURT BUSCH – 429 POINTS
    The only driver in NASCAR to have seen Kyle Busch wearing a diaper. I hope that is true.

    9. DENNY HAMLIN – 429 POINTS
    “We’re either really good or we’re average at best.” Finishing third is average?

    10. KYLE LARSON – 382 POINTS
    Raced Sunday in Charlotte, North Carolina. Raced Wednesday as an outlaw in Fairbury, Illinois.

    11. ARIC ALMIROLA – 376 POINTS
    The decision to move over from the King to join Smoke has proven to be a good one.

    12. RYAN BLANEY – 375 POINTS
    A cylinder let go around lap 150 and they tried to limp it home. Instead, they started a barbecue.

    13. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 327 POINTS
    Imagine. Almost an entire year with a single win. I bet Michael McDowell can.

    14. ERIK JONES – 314 POINTS
    Three bad luck pit road moments buried any hope of shining last Sunday.

    15. ALEX BOWMAN – 299 POINTS
    One of the greatest coaches in NHL history. What? Sorry, wrong Bowman.

    16. CHASE ELLIOTT – 296 POINTS
    According to TMZ, he believes “Judging Hooters Competition Harder Than Racing Cars”

    17. RICKY STENHOUSE, JR. – 296 POINTS
    His Charlotte experience was better than someone else’s Indianapolis adventure.

    18. PAUL MENARD – 263 POINTS
    Another Cup guy racing Xfinity on Saturday. One more young driver fails to get a ride.

    19. DANIEL SUAREZ – 245 POINTS
    More than 50 points out of the Chase…unless he wins. Winning is always good.

    20. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 231 POINTS
    One ahead of Newman and Byron, two up on Wallace.

  • Hot 20 – Selling NASCAR could be about as tough as trying to sell fans on watching Kansas

    Hot 20 – Selling NASCAR could be about as tough as trying to sell fans on watching Kansas

    For Sale. National sanctioning body. A real fixer-upper. Updated safety features. Decades of tradition. All offers to be considered. Contact Goldman Sachs for further details.

    Ever since Bill France gathered together other influential racers and promoters at the Streamline Hotel at Daytona Beach on December 14, 1947, and its founding two months later, it has been a family operation. NASCAR moved from the beach to the big track at Daytona in 1959. A decade later, he brought us Talladega. It was a time when the cars on the track were the cars on the street, with some modifications. By 1966, they introduced changes to the frames and chassis. It was the heyday of short track racing in the south, many of which departed the scene at the same time as the founder handed over the reins.

    Bill France Jr. brought the sport into the modern era in 1972. It was the time of Winston Cup. Darrell Waltrip’s Monte Carlo and Richard Petty’s Dodge Charger looked a whole lot like what you could hit the streets in come Monday. Television arrived, at least sporadically, and a nation was let in on what had been primarily a southern secret. Another change in the car appeared when 1981 arrived. Not radical changes, mind you, as Dale Earnhardt’s Goodwrench No. 3 Chevy looked like the beast we all well remember. Fans still turned out in even greater numbers, even when they altered the car once more in 1992. A highly modified body, hours in the wind tunnel, fiberglass bumpers, noses, and tails, and higher costs. If we didn’t know it by then, that old Hudson Hornet was not coming back.

    The new millennium brought new leadership as Brian France became the third generation to run the family operation. As Charles Dickens opened the Tale of Two Cities, it truly was the best of times, it was the worst of times. 2001 opened with a nationwide television audience and a long-term contract. It also opened with the death of its greatest active star. In order to provide greater safety, they went to work, and that produced the Car of Tomorrow in 2006, and the sport has never been the same since. No more slingshot passes. Clean air now meant everything. With the splitter and boxy exterior, the cars looked like nothing you would find in a showroom, not that you would want to buy one of them. By the end of the decade, the catchphrase “How bad have you got it” was more like how bad has it gotten. A downturn in the economy and fans quit coming. Seats were torn out of race venues. Attendance figures became a secret. Chicago, Kansas, and Kentucky came on board, but for what reason? Five years ago, a more streamlined sixth generation auto came out. It looked better, but the racing did not get much better.

    Now, we are where we are today. Declining attendance, declining viewership, at a time when the most loyal fans are among the oldest, and the drivers they followed are either retired or near the end of the road. Announcers who simply lack the chemistry of good ole boys joking around, telling stories, keeping us entertained, as well as following what action there is on the track. We were reminded of what we are missing when the Cup guys announced the Xfinity race at Talladega. If only every race provided that kind of viewing experience.

    Despite their recent purchase of the ARCA series, and the recent memo stating how the France family “remains dedicated to the long-term growth of our sport”, the door is open for the tire kicking to begin. Whoever makes an offer needs to bring back the fans and the sponsors, who are also departing. Whoever comes in will pay billions for the privilege, and they better have a plan. The current one is not working.

    What is wrong with NASCAR? Watch Kansas on Saturday night for a hint. Meanwhile, post-race inspections at Dover meant 20 point penalties to Clint Bowyer and Daniel Suarez (rear window violations) while Austin Dillon avoided a point hit for his splitter issue. I wonder what Smoky Yunick would think?

    1. KYLE BUSCH – 3 WINS – 466 Pts
    Looked damn good even with a vibration, until they had to shut it off.

    2. KEVIN HARVICK – 3 WINS (1 E.W.) – 426 Pts
    Three clean wins, one encumbered win, and that still equals “four” in my book.

    3. JOEY LOGANO – 1 WIN – 444 Pts
    A fan of Junior, the “Most Popular Driver for the past 100 years.” Joey seems to like old people.

    4. CLINT BOWYER – 1 WIN – 360 Pts
    All he wanted was to become relevant again. Mission accomplished.

    5. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 1 WIN – 340 Pts
    After a 2017 sweep of Kansas, what is one more?

    6. AUSTIN DILLON – 1 WIN – 221 Pts
    If he had been second at Daytona, he would now sit 19th in the standings.

    7. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 365 POINTS
    It was nice of Harvick to share the stage for a time at Dover.

    8. KURT BUSCH – 358 POINTS
    “…seeing this schedule for next year, I’m not excited.” I know how he feels.

    9. RYAN BLANEY – 346 POINTS
    Just the second best Penske Ford at Dover…and he finished eighth.

    10. DENNY HAMLIN – 344 POINTS
    Obviously got his driver’s license for his skills on the street, not those coming into the driveway.

    11. KYLE LARSON – 307 POINTS
    Named his new daughter Coke. Okay, I am kidding. I think I am kidding.

    12. ARIC ALMIROLA – 304 POINTS
    Leaving the track without assistance this year would be nice.

    13. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 268 POINTS
    No chance of moving up on this ladder this week, except for a win.

    14. ERIK JONES – 253 POINTS
    He swears he has seen the ghost of Matt Kenseth at Kansas.

    15. ALEX BOWMAN – 252 POINTS
    Cup, Xfinity, Trucks, ARCA, K&N…one driver who has touched all of NASCAR’s bases.

    16. CHASE ELLIOTT – 241 POINTS
    Without a win in the bag, those penalty points hurt. Chase is one who knows that pain.

    17. RICKY STENHOUSE JR. – 239 POINTS
    He has a new teammate this week. Some old guy I hear.

    18. WILLIAM BYRON – 225 POINTS
    Learned to race in a simulator, then in a car at 15. It is a new era.

    19. RYAN NEWMAN – 218 POINTS
    The Rocketman is fizzing out.

    20. DANIEL SUAREZ – 214 POINTS
    Earn a podium finish, and good things happen. Fail post-race inspection, bad things take place.

  • Hot 20 – Dover is not Talladega, but it simply oozes the very best of tradition

    Hot 20 – Dover is not Talladega, but it simply oozes the very best of tradition

    Sometimes the news is good like it was at Talladega last week. Entertaining races and I loved the Cup guys manning the microphones for the Xfinity race. They were laid back, funny, and in the case of Darrell Wallace, Jr., pretty darn articulate. Michael Waltrip was a pizza delivery boy, and it brought me back to the best NASCAR show ever. I miss Inside Winston Cup, where Waltrip was held in line by Ken Schrader. Allen Bestwick and Johnny Benson tried to keep things moving forward in a loosely sane manner, even as a garbage truck rolled noisily down the alley behind their studio.

    Last Saturday, Spencer Gallagher made that announce crew quite giddy as he claimed his first career junior circuit triumph. The 28-year old won it for his team owner, his dad Maury, as the family operation climbed to the top of the mountain. What a wonderful story. So heartwarming. So family orientated. So traditional.

    Well, that went for crap in a hurry. Today, young Gallagher is suspended for violating NASCAR’s drug policy. He is now on their quaintly named Road to Recovery Program. Gone is his team’s shot at the Dash 4 Cash money. Gone is his playoff eligibility for this season. It is a good thing dad has rather deep pockets.

    On the positive side of things, Amy and Dale Jr. welcomed Isla Rose Earnhardt into the family on Monday. It is way too early to play matchmaker, but His Royal Highness Prince Louis Arthur Charles of Cambridge is a fine looking young man. Then again, she is already royalty in our books.

    Let us hope Dover brings us another feel-good story, one that might last the week. Dover is no Talladega, but they do have Miles the Monster, in sculpture and trophy form. This is the 50th year the track has hosted a Cup event, starting with Richard Petty’s 1969 win in the inaugural Mason-Dixon 300. The venue marked NASCAR’s return to action after 9-11, a race won by Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Track records for practice and race times over all three national series are held by the likes of Brad Keselowski, Mark Martin, Bill Elliott, Erik Jones, Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney. Jimmie Johnson has won 11 times on that surface.

    You might not remember Jody Ridley, who won there in 1981. He might be the only former winner you might not know. Thirty-five drivers have claimed at least one of the 96 contests at Dover. A pair of Allisons won there. Each Busch brother. A couple of Earnhardts. Two guys named Petty. Forty were won by Hall of Famers, 68 by drivers who have laid claim to the Cup championship.

    Dover brings us both Miles the Monster and tradition. You can never have enough of either.

    Among our Hot 20 we have…

    1. KYLE BUSCH – 3 WINS – 447 Pts
    When he’s not happy, he’s not smiling.

    2. KEVIN HARVICK – 3 WINS – 366 Pts
    Smiles when he is happy, smiles when he is not. Beware of the unhappy smile. It is evil.

    3. JOEY LOGANO – 1 WIN – 417 Pts
    Spotter T.J. Majors helped Junior to victory at Talladega in 2015, and now Logano in 2018.

    4. CLINT BOWYER – 1 WIN – 335 Pts
    The Fords are flying, the Mustang is on its way, but the rest of the sedan fleet is DOA?

    5. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 1 WIN – 303 Pts
    Was winless at Dover last year, but claimed the most points (3rd and 4th).

    6. AUSTIN DILLON – 1 WIN – 210 Pts
    Did he pee himself last week? You would have to ask team interior mechanic Adam Brown.

    7. KURT BUSCH – 320 POINTS
    Runner-up at Talladega. “I feel like I left that one out on the table.”

    8. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 317 POINTS
    He really could have used an ice-cream after Sunday’s wreck.

    9. DENNY HAMLIN – 314 POINTS
    He meant to get back-to-back speeding penalties. He needed the challenge.

    10. RYAN BLANEY – 313 POINTS
    Last Saturday he was very good for television but absolutely perfect for radio.

    11. KYLE LARSON – 280 POINTS
    With NASCAR buying ARCA this week, he can now add to his Cup, Xfinity, and Truck tallies.

    12. ARIC ALMIROLA – 278 POINTS
    Driving a SHR Ford has been sweet for the entire gang.

    13. ALEX BOWMAN – 238 POINTS
    When a cashier asked him what he thought about Junior retiring, he said his replacement is lame.

    14. ERIK JONES – 234 POINTS
    Has some points room, but not that much room to repeat what took place last time out.

    15. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 230 POINTS
    The kid did not take the air out of his sails, but it sure disappeared around that rear fender.

    16. RICKY STENHOUSE JR. – 217 POINTS
    Some think all one needs is more cowbell. Kurt Busch needed a bit more Stenhouse.

    17. RYAN NEWMAN – 214 POINTS
    Close to a playoff spot, a 594 race career, and Spencer Gallagher gets all the headlines?

    18. CHASE ELLIOTT – 209 POINTS
    Third place finish the best among three Chevrolets in the Top Ten last Sunday.

    19. PAUL MENARD – 206 POINTS
    Won the second stage last week, yet finished 30th with some fender bending assistance.

    20. WILLIAM BYRON – 202 POINTS
    Twenty percent fewer tuned in to watch Byron at Talladega than who watched Gordon and Junior last year. That is shocking, even in these times.

  • The Final Word – Talladega, bringing you the thrill of victory…and the agony of defeat

    The Final Word – Talladega, bringing you the thrill of victory…and the agony of defeat

    Talladega was sweet. That was the kind of action that captured my attention as a kid, watching Wide World of Sports. As Jim McKay so iconically put it all those years ago, “Spanning the globe to bring you the constant variety of sport… the thrill of victory… and the agony of defeat… the human drama of athletic competition.” That was Sunday at Talladega.

    Joey Logano got the thrill. It was his third on the big track and the 19th Cup victory of his career. It was exciting, but not exactly a nail-biter, as Logano led the final 42 laps. Kurt Busch was right there in case he faltered, while Chase Elliott did manage to slip ahead of Kevin Harvick at the line for third.

    Thrills for the fans meant the agony of defeat for so many others, as it often does when the circuit visits Alabama. Jamie McMurray had one hell of a spill during practice, tumbling through the air to roll over a half dozen times to totally destroy his primary ride. His back-up fared a little better. Erik Jones caught the apron, went up to get turned by McMurray, then onward to pile into Trevor Bayne along the wall. It also ruined the day for Kyle Larson and Martin Truex Jr. Innovation, thy name is Talladega. To get Truex back out there, the crew busted out a concrete saw in order to make repairs. That was a first.

    No big one yet, but the clock was ticking. With 22 laps to run, William Byron took the air off the rear of Jimmie Johnson’s equally unstable auto, and the fun began. While Johnson survived to eventually finish 12th, Byron, Paul Menard, Clint Bowyer, Michael McDowell, Brad Keselowski, A.J. Allmendinger and Austin Dillon were toast on the spot.

    We learned a few things at Talladega. First, pit road infractions might set you back, but they did not end your hopes on the 2.66-mile loop. Elliott, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Alex Bowman, and Daniel Suarez were among those tagged who managed to finish in the Top Ten. However, if you get hit with speeding late in the race and then get hit for speeding again while taking the pass-through penalty, your hopes evaporate. They did for Denny Hamlin, though even he recovered enough over the next hour for a lead lap 14th place conclusion.

    We learned that pitting early helps. On the opening segment Ford and Toyota all came in early on, the Chevys did not. They also did not lead the parade at the end of the stage. Lesson learned, so when the Fords came back to the pits early in the second segment, the Toyota boys arrived on the next lap, with Chevrolet just one more behind them. Not that it worked for them all. Six of the Top Seven at Talladega were Fords. Chevy had the third, eighth, and ninth best, with Kyle Busch driving the best Toyota in 10th.

    With 58-points, Logano took the lion’s share of points, with only Harvick and Stenhouse among the others breaking 40. David Ragan is 25th on the season, but sixth on the day. Single point days were “enjoyed” by Top 20 drivers Larson and Jones.

    From Talladega, we technically stay in the south as the circuit moves to Dover, Delaware. It might not be Talladega, but it sports one of the best trophies in the sport at a track owned by legends. In the first 18 races run there from 1969 through 1978, the winners were limited to Richard Petty (5), David Pearson (5), Bobby Allison (3), Cale Yarborough (3), and Benny Parsons (2). That is some kind of blue-blood pedigree, Hall of Famers all.

    By the way, the first time we saw Dover on our television screens it was 1974. The man who got the thrill of victory that day was Yarborough. The agony of defeat was experienced by Petty, as the race leader lost an engine with three laps to go. The action was described by Bill Flemming and Chris Economaki. The program, ABC’s Wide World of Sports.

  • Hot 20 – It is a Talladega Sunday. What more do you need to know?

    Hot 20 – It is a Talladega Sunday. What more do you need to know?

    Welcome to Talladega, the most entertaining racetrack in NASCAR. We watch something you and I haven’t got the guts to do, or just maybe we have enough brains not to. Fender to fender, side by side at 200 mph, and you sit in wonder that they have not wrecked yet. When they do wreck, something considered more of an eventuality than anything else, it often is spectacular. If that does not get your juices flowing, then might I interest you in the ballet, or maybe soccer or basketball is more to your liking.

    There are other items of interest that popped up this week. Someone made the suggestion that NASCAR should consider paying refunds for rainouts or delays that force the event to be spread over a couple of days. Great idea, for those who do not understand economics. Expenses have been incurred, revenue is required to pay them off, and we all understand that the weather could play a role. If you are not prepared to pad your stay by a day, just in case, you take your chances. If it rains for a couple of days, some refund might be a consideration.

    A return of Matt Kenseth could be in the offing. Reports have him coming in to replace Trevor Bayne, with the pair splitting the duties for the rest of the season at Roush-Fenway. Bayne’s health issues could be an issue behind the move or just a lack of performance. The No. 6 currently sits 26th in the standings. It will be good to see Matt back, but I wish it was under different circumstances.

    Monster Energy will be back as the main sponsor for the Cup folks for 2019. After what will be just three seasons, there are no promises beyond that. Hell, Nextel lasted longer. I think we know the answer as to how bad Monster Energy has got it. What once had been a fever has turned into a mild case of the sniffles.

    Skittles. M&M’s. Snickers. Kyle Busch drives a car that even the kids of his rivals love. That has to hurt, especially lately. When Kyle Larson lost to Busch at Bristol, the first thing 3-year-old Owen Larson asked his pops was if he had any Skittles for him. That had to hurt. You know, Mr. Larson, you are not you when you lose to Mr. Busch. Have a Snickers. What, too soon?

    It is never too soon for Talladega. I bet you it could have a successful series all on its own. If the Professional Bull Riders can break away from rodeo with its own separate event, I think a Talladega series could make a go of it. I know I would be watching.

    You can catch a preview this Sunday afternoon with our Hot 20 and their friends.

    1. KYLE BUSCH – 3 WINS – 415 Pts
    Why not four?

    2. KEVIN HARVICK – 3 WINS – 324 Pts
    3 wins, one of which is encumbered. It matters not, for the moment.

    3. CLINT BOWYER – 1 WIN – 329 Pts
    Stewart-Haas has yet to win at Talladega. Could times, they be a changin’?

    4. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 1 WIN – 284 Pts
    Things were looking sweet on the track but went sour in the Richmond pits.

    5. AUSTIN DILLON – 1 WIN – 208 Pts
    You would have to think the Daytona winner would have a shot at Talladega.

    6. JOEY LOGANO – 359 POINTS
    Appeared to be the best damn car at Richmond, at least for the first half.

    7. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 303 POINTS
    5 times Talladega has been kind to him. Only a Gordon and a pair of Earnhardts have won more.

    8. DENNY HAMLIN – 286 POINTS
    An owner of Little Big Burger in Cornelius, N.C. might look familiar. Denny Hamburger?

    9. RYAN BLANEY – 282 POINTS
    If being wrecked is something you get used to, Blaney should be relaxed going into Sunday.

    10. KURT BUSCH – 282 POINTS
    Third SHR auto in the Top Ten, as all sit among the dozen best.

    11. KYLE LARSON – 279 POINTS
    Credit One Bank is a fine sponsor, but they are not exactly Skittles.

    12. ARIC ALMIROLA – 248 POINTS
    Has three Top Tens in 2018. Danica had three Top Tens from 2015 to 2017.

    13. ERIK JONES – 233 POINTS
    It promises to be a perfect Talladega Sunday, especially if he claims his first career win.

    14. ALEX BOWMAN – 209 POINTS
    Except for Texas, it has been nothing but Top Twenties, with a pair of Top Tens in his last four.

    15. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 200 POINTS
    Both crew chief and driver showed their worth last week.

    16. WILLIAM BYRON – 192 POINTS
    Drives an iconic car, but not exactly an iconic or even a recognizable name just yet.

    17. RYAN NEWMAN – 186 POINTS
    The RCR boys are in the mix, but lately, they have not been among the main ingredients.

    18. PAUL MENARD – 183 POINTS
    Was working his way back at Richmond, but an uncontrolled tire in the pits dashed all hope.

    19. RICKY STENHOUSE JR. – 176 POINTS
    Last year, he was the guy with the girl. This year, he is the guy who is the defending race winner.

    20. CHASE ELLIOTT – 175 POINTS
    Eight times a bridesmaid before becoming a bride. That was also his dad’s experience.

  • The Final Word – Richmond taught us that sometimes we have no clue as to how it all will end

    The Final Word – Richmond taught us that sometimes we have no clue as to how it all will end

    Sometimes you watch a race and you just know early what the outcome will be. Sometimes you discover you did not have a clue. Welcome to Richmond last Saturday night.

    It appeared that pole sitter Martin Truex Jr. would have a great day. Then again, Joey Logano was the one to watch. He was in the end of the caution-free opening segment, one that left half the field in the dust, at least a lap down. Already the likes of Erik Jones, Alex Bowman, Paul Menard, A.J. Allmendinger, and Jimmie Johnson were out of it. Done. Gone but not forgotten. We were kind of wrong about that, too, as it turned out.

    The second segment, more of the same. No cautions, as Kurt Busch took a turn up front, followed by Clint Bowyer. Then Logano made his return to claim the top bonus points. No doubt, Logano would be the one to beat. Right? Wrong.

    The third frame was more of the same, and more familiar names leading the parade. We started with Kurt, then Bowyer, then Truex, before Kevin Harvick took a bow. Then the cautions started to fall, and so did our earlier expectations.

    Sure, Truex did come back to lead the way for 35 laps. For a moment, we thought how it began, so would it end. We had no idea. A screwed up pit stop left the defending champion sucking wind, finishing 14th. So, who would finally emerge? Which one of our aforementioned heroes would shake the suds when it was all over?

    None of them. Kyle Busch started deep in the field and led 31 of the final 32 laps to claim his third straight Cup victory with an overtime decision. It marked the 46th time he has claimed the prize, and in over the past 25 NASCAR races, it was the Rowdyman taking eight of them.

    Great points day for Busch, and a good one for brother Kurt, yet it was Logano taking home a race-high 53 ducats in finishing fourth. With his eight career runner-up finish was Chase Elliott. As for Johnson, he who was lost and gone from view until Talladega next week, he finished sixth. Sixth. Be it God, Jesus, Mohammed, Buddha, the Great Manitou, or Chad Knaus up on the box, somehow a miracle took place. A big adjustment after the opening segment, a wave around late in the third, a couple of cautions, and some great driving greatly assisted in putting the seven-time king in a place to claim a Top Ten, which moves him into 15th in the season standings.

    At Richmond, we discovered we knew nothing. At Talladega on Sunday, I expect one hell of an adventure. I am pretty sure I will not be wrong about that.