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Tag: Tony Stewart

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: New Hampshire

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: New Hampshire

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski finished 15th at New Hampshire, as handling issues derailed his chances for a third consecutive win.

    “The No. 2 Miller Lite car wasn’t at its best,” Keselowski said. “That’s opposed to the previous two weeks when it was Lite years ahead of the field.”

    2. Kevin Harvick: Harvick finished fourth in the New Hampshire 301 as Matt Kenseth won. Harvick leads the Sprint Cup points standings with a 14-point cushion over Brad Keselowski.

    “We had one of the fastest cars,” Harvick said, “but we blew it during pit stops. Unfortunately, that’s become too often an occurrence. It seems like every time I make a pit stop, it’s a drive-through penalty. But I don’t want to name names, mostly because I don’t even know any of their names.

    “As far as speed goes, the No. 4 Jimmy Johns car is ‘freaky fast.’ As far as speed in the pits goes, the No. 4 Jimmy Johns pit crew is ‘freaky last.’”

    3. Kurt Busch: Busch finished 22nd at New Hampshire, with a likely top-10 run soured by late contact that resulted in a rear tire rub.

    “It’s never a good thing when you radio your crew chief to say you’ve got tire rub,” Busch said. “That’s a story no one likes to tell. If I had to make it in book form, it would be a work of friction.’”

    4. Carl Edwards: Edwards finished 20th after an accident with Ryan Newman caused a spin and cost Edwards hard-earned track position.

    “Congratulations to Matt Kenseth,” Edwards said. “I think he’ll enjoy that giant lobster given to the winner. They certainly have one thing in common—they’ll both soon be in hot water.”

    5. Joey Logano: Logano finished third at New Hampshire, posting his eighth top five of the season. He is fifth in the points standings, 65 out of first.

    “Matt Kenseth ran the perfect race,” Logano said. “I think everyone would give him two thumbs up, except for NASCAR inspectors.”

    6. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth took the lead with 29 laps to go and maintained it through three subsequent restarts to win the New Hampshire 301, his second win of the year.

    “Unfortunately,” Kenseth said, “my car failed a post-race laser inspection. On the flip side, 39 other cars passed the post-race loser inspection.

    “But I’m not worried about failing inspection. When all is said and done, I’ll still have the win. So everything will be ‘fine.’”

    7. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex suffered a broken shifter midway through the race on Sunday and finished 16th, and is now seventh in the points standings, 96 out of first.

    “My shifter handle fell off,” Truex said, “and the car got stuck in fourth gear. And then I had to make an unscheduled pit stop, which pretty much ruined my chances of winning. Broken shifters suck. Anyone who says otherwise is wrong. So, if you think my shift don’t stink, you are incorrect.”

    8. Kyle Busch: Busch finished eighth in the New Hampshire 301, recording his 12th top-10 result of the year. He is sixth in the points standings, 80 out of first.

    “Joe Gibbs racing drivers have won eight races this season,” Busch said, “and passed post-race inspections in all but one of those instances. That’s the definition of success, not failure. I’m not sure what part of Matt Kenseth’s car failed inspection, but it was detected via the use of a laser. I think lasers are great for NASCAR. That’s just one more thing, in addition to fans, that can get ‘lit’ at a NASCAR race.”

    9. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson finished 12th at New Hampshire, the top finisher among Hendrick Motorsports cars.

    “Dale Earnhardt Jr. missed the race due to concussion-like symptoms,” Johnson said. “So Sunday was a day of mourning for the people of Junior Nation. Of course, Junior fans needed some clarification on exactly what a ‘day of mourning’ is. To most of them, ‘day of mourning describes’ a restaurant that serves all-day breakfast.”

    10. Tony Stewart: Stewart chased Matt Kenseth to the finish at New Hampshire and score the runner-up finish, his second consecutive top five.

    “There was no catching Kenseth,” Stewart said. “He drove a near flawless race. I say ‘nearly’ flawless because there’s one thing he could have done to make it a totally flawless race, and that’s wreck Joey Logano.”

  • The Final Word – Even when not at the track, Earnhardt is the story, be it last week or this one

    The Final Word – Even when not at the track, Earnhardt is the story, be it last week or this one

    They had a race and Dale Earnhardt Jr. was not in it. Why bother? Should this not have been a day of universal sobbing, hand wringing, and “woe is me?” Of course, it should have been, but there was a race to be run in New Hampshire.

    Instead of Junior, 23-year-old Alex Bowman got the best seat of his 72-race Cup career. Would the car make the difference? It appeared that way until a tire made the difference and sent him into the wall. A possible Top Ten wound up 26th, but the young man got to show that he appears to have the right stuff.

    At almost the same time as Bowman’s misadventure, Chase Elliott had a left front go down to help ruin his day. Elliott has the right stuff, but it is points he could use and 34th does not award too many of them. Still, with a pad of more than 50 points to the good, the 20-year-old has nothing to worry about.

    A late game of billiards was not helpful to a pair on the outside but seeking a place on the inside. Ryan Newman touched Carl Edwards who clipped Kasey Kahne who then turned Kyle Larson. While Larson recovered to salvage 17th, Kahne was left in 25th. With Earnhardt sitting out due to his concussion issues, it was time to make hay. Instead, it rained on some. Junior sits it out and still sits in the final Chase spot, 14 points better than Trevor Bayne, who was 23rd on Sunday, with Ryan Blaney, Kahne, and Larson with even more work to do in Indianapolis if they hope to break some hearts.

    We said a star would win in the sunshine and Matt Kenseth did just that with his third at Loudon and second on the season. It could have been won by Martin Truex Jr. He was solid, dueling with Kyle Busch much of the way. That is, until, his shifter snapped. It is pretty tough to set sail stuck in fourth gear. That left him in 16th, while Busch faded to wind up eighth.

    As expected, the likes of Joey Logano and Kevin Harvick recorded Top Fives. It might have been somewhat surprising to see Tony Stewart and Greg Biffle do the same. It does not change things for anybody, with Logano, Harvick, and even Stewart pretty much locked in, while Biffle needs a win to advance.

    Heading to Indianapolis, the big story will be Junior. Does he return, or might Jeff Gordon step back out of retirement to fill the seat? If Junior remains on the sidelines, who will take advantage of his absence to grab hold of that final Chase place? We should know by Wednesday who is behind the wheel. As for June Bug, his mind is as sharp as a tack but has balance issues and some nausea. He also is not going to rush things. It would be nice to see him back soon, to make the Chase, but there are more important factors at play just now.

  • Hot 20 – New Hampshire won’t be raced under the stars, but one will definitely win it

    Hot 20 – New Hampshire won’t be raced under the stars, but one will definitely win it

    The rich get richer. That will be the story this weekend, as only those with a pedigree seem to have a chance at success in this weekend’s New Hampshire 301.

    If Clint Bowyer wants a third win at Loudon, he might need to find a different car. In his wait in the wilderness before he takes over Tony Stewart’s ride next year, he has been driving autos that look pretty…they just do not perform that way. Kasey Kahne has a win there, too. He could do it. All he needs to do is perform better than he has been to date.

    As for the other 11 active drivers coming in with a win at Loudon since 2002, every single one of them currently sits in a Chase place. Something tells me that we might not be terribly shocked as to the outcome of events come Sunday. In just the past two seasons, the winners have been Brad Keselowski, already with back-to-back wins this month, along with Joey Logano, Kyle Busch, and Matt Kenseth. I really would not be expecting someone not listed below to be shaking up the suds this weekend.

    Yet, the question remains, which one from our Hot 20 will be the man of the hour?

    1. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 4 WINS (595 Pts)
    If I had to pick just one…

    2. KYLE BUSCH – 3 WINS (521 Pts)
    Winning driver and truck owner is an outstanding mentor to the next generation of stars.

    3. CARL EDWARDS – 2 WINS (566 Pts)
    Thought he had a chance for a win at Kentucky, but Keselowski made that no chance at all.

    4. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 2 WINS (484 Pts)
    Might not have the best 36-race record, but he is the undisputed king of the playoff era.

    5. KEVIN HARVICK – 1 WIN (599 Pts)
    If he was King of NASCAR, he would keep all the races but tighten the schedule up by 6 weeks.

    6. KURT BUSCH – 1 WIN (583 Pts)
    No more tracks left to claim a Top Five. Kentucky was the last one to be checked off the list.

    7. JOEY LOGANO – 1 WIN (533 Pts)
    Hosting the Driving Hope Home Golf Tournament today (Thursday) in Plantsville, Connecticut.

    8. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 1 WIN (514 Pts)
    Pass to the right in the pits…avoid cars pulling in…pass to the right in the pits…

    9. MATT KENSETH – 1 WIN (477 Pts)
    Last July it was Kyle, last September it was Matt at Kentucky. Take that, Keselowski.

    10. DENNY HAMLIN – 1 WIN (472 Pts)
    50-50 Sunday will result in a Top Ten…and for Loudon those are decent odds.

    11. TONY STEWART – 1 WIN (248 Pts)
    Donating his Kentucky tires to the NHL for use as massive hockey pucks.

    12. CHASE ELLIOTT – 492 PTS
    Once upon a time we had kids like Petty, Earnhardt, Gordon…and wasn’t there an Elliott?

    13. RYAN NEWMAN – 463 PTS
    Finally a Top Three finish…and yet he still sits in a Chase place.

    14. DALE EARNHARDT JR. – 461 PTS
    It appears that just a little bit of success might be enough.

    15. AUSTIN DILLON – 460 PTS
    Average 25 points per race and you got yourself a spot to the party.

    16. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 439 PTS
    Less than that and things start to get a bit heated…as Jamie has discovered.

    17. TREVOR BAYNE – 429 PTS
    Average 23.8 points per race and you are looking up McMurray’s tailpipe. That can’t be pretty.

    18. KASEY KAHNE – 423 PTS
    Danica says she could take Kahne in a fight. Imagine. A bout between our two prettiest drivers.

    19. RYAN BLANEY – 415 PTS
    Ryan and Chase and 18-year old William Byron in the trucks. It is the dawn of a new era.

    20. KYLE LARSON – 412 PTS
    At 23, young Mr. Larson is not exactly ready to join any old boys club just yet, either.

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Kentucky

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Kentucky

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski won for the fourth time this year, and second time consecutively, with the victory in the Quaker State 400.

    “That’s ‘2’ in a row,” Keselowski said. “I saved just enough fuel to make it to the finish line for my fourth win this year. That’s more than any other driver. But I’m not done yet. Trust me, I’ve got more left in the tank.”

    2. Kevin Harvick: Harvick started on the pole at Kentucky and finished ninth, posting his 14th top 10 of the year.

    “I led the most laps,” Harvick said, “and I had one of the strongest cars. I should have won, but I didn’t. Now I know what Richard Childress felt like in 2013 because I ‘let one slip away.’”

    3. Kurt Busch: Busch finished fourth in the Quaker State 400, recording his sixth top-five finish of the year. He is third in the points standings, 16 behind Kevin Harvick.

    “There was a truck in the parking lot that caught fire during the race,” Busch said. “It was quite a spectacle. But there was ‘Smoke’ rising on the track as well; Tony Stewart finished fifth. And speaking of ‘finished fifths,’ there were a lot of empty bottles of bourbon littering the Kentucky Speedway infield. So, consider the sorrows of Dale Earnhardt Jr. fans drowned.”

    4. Carl Edwards: Edwards closed the gap on Brad Keselowski in the closing stages at Kentucky, but Keselowski had just enough fuel to hold him off. Edwards settled for the runner-up spot and is now fourth in the points standings, 33 out of first.

    “I got all up on Keselowski’s bumper,” Edwards said. “Brad should consider himself lucky, because most drivers, like Matt Kenseth and Kevin Harvick, are used to me getting all up in their grill.”

    5. Joey Logano: Logano blew a right-front tire early in the race at Kentucky and slammed the wall hard, severely crippling his No. 22 Penske Ford. Logano limped home with a finish of 39th.

    “That was the hardest hit I’ve experienced in a long time,” Logano said. “Ryan Newman once threatened to hit me that hard.

    “My teammate Brad Keselowski took the win with a perfect fuel mileage strategy. He saved fuel to the point where he didn’t even have enough to do a victory burnout. Now that’s what I call taking fuel mileage strategy to the extreme.”

    6. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex’s sights on a win at Kentucky came crashing down when he was penalized for an illegal pass on pit road during a late caution. He eventually finished 10th.

    “NASCAR officials tell me it’s illegal to pass on the inside on pit road,” Truex said. “That pretty much ended my run to the front. You could say I had a ‘transmission” problem because I got ‘drive shafted.’”

    7. Kyle Busch: Busch, who won at Kentucky last year, finished 12th in the Quaker State 400.

    “The finish to the race was very exciting,” Busch said, “with Carl Edwards chasing Brad Keselowski. But the real action was in the parking lot, where a truck caught on fire. Apparently, emergency responders pulled a person out of the truck. So, it seems the truck wasn’t the only thing ‘smoking.’”

    8. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson suffered an early spin at Kentucky and smashed the wall exiting Turn 4, leading to a long night in the Quaker State 400. He eventually finished 32nd, 59 laps down.

    “I just got loose,” Johnson said. “The lower downforce package the cars are running make them hard to handle. But it’s no surprise grip is an issue with me. I won my last Sprint Cup championship in 2010, and things have been ‘slipping’ since then.”

    9. Chase Elliott: Elliott was clipped by Ryan Blaney’s spin early in the race and limped home with a 31st at Kentucky.

    “I don’t fault Ryan for the accident,” Elliott said. “He comes from a reputable family, so I’m reluctant to throw blame around. Much like his father Dave, Ryan’s ‘done nothing’ in this sport.”

    10. Tony Stewart: Stewart finished fifth in the Quaker State 400, earning his second top-five of the year.

    “I’ve already got a win this season,” Stewart said. “The Chase format tells me I need to keep an eye on the top 30. My waist size tells me I need to keep an eye on the ‘bottom 50.’”

  • The Final Word – Kentucky is wide open for 2017, but the even years belong to Brad Keselowski

    The Final Word – Kentucky is wide open for 2017, but the even years belong to Brad Keselowski

    Brad Keselowski is one of the most generous drivers in NASCAR. When they opened the track in Kentucky, did Brad win it in 2011? He did not. No, he was gracious enough to let Kyle Busch take the inaugural event. In fact, he was thoughtful enough to let Kyle take it last year as well. Keselowski is no race hog. Matt Kenseth benefitted from his generosity in 2013. Brad Keselowski is a swell guy. However, note that the even years belong to him and only to him.

    Saturday night, Keselowski claimed his third Kentucky contest in six attempts. With the tank running dry and the competition diving down pit road for a top off on fuel, Keselowski just kept going on and on and on to the finish. He managed to turn around to capture the flag, but after that, he was powered by the front bumper of a tow truck. For him, Sonoco was good to the very last drop.

    Four wins on the season, at the top of the charts in the standings, three wins and eight Top Tens in his last 10, with a worst finish of 15th in that span. It would appear all is well in Brad’s world. For others, it appears they were traveling behind a honey wagon last weekend.

    Ricky Stenhouse Jr. is trying to at least stay within hailing distance of a Chase place. That cause was not helped a wit in Kentucky. A blown tire just nine laps in and he was toast and dead last. Joey Logano has a win and is high in the points, so when he pounded the wall with just 52 gone and more than 200 to go, it was not as devastating but he was just as parked.

    A.J. Allmendinger picked up five big needed points, but maybe just taking the day off would have been better. He got caught up in a multi-car wreck, then got pasted into the fence even worse later on, injuring his thumb while he was at it. Ryan Blaney is dropping further and further from contention, this time, he and fellow rookie Chase Elliott found themselves emulating synchro swimmers in a lovely choreographed dual spin. Neither were to finish in the Top 30. As for Jimmie Johnson, he did not go unnoticed, but that spin 33 laps in did the damage, and the time to make repairs left him behind Elliott on the day, and that was not good.

    Carl Edwards was second best on the day while others with a Chase place also finishing in the Top Ten include Ryan Newman, Kurt Busch, Jamie McMurray, Matt Kenseth, Kevin Harvick, and Martin Truex Jr. Tony Stewart was fifth and is 31 points to the good in making his win count toward a championship run. Greg Biffle was sixth, but a win might be what it takes to be in at this point.

    Only McMurray appears to have much heat behind him as they move on to New Hampshire on Sunday. He goes in with a 10 point lead over Bayne, with Kasey Kahne 16 off the pace, and Blaney 23 back in the weeds.

    Kahne has won there before, while McMurray has not. Going back to September of 2002, only five of the 27 races there were not claimed by someone not currently holding a place in the Chase. Only Kahne (once), Clint Bowyer (twice), along with Brian Vickers and Mark Martin are the anomalies. As for Brad Keselowski, he did not win it last year, but he did in 2014. Do I need to remind you that this is one of those even years?

  • Hot 20 – We realize NASCAR is a commercial enterprise…but enough is enough

    Hot 20 – We realize NASCAR is a commercial enterprise…but enough is enough

    Sponsors pay for stuff. They pay enough cash that NASCAR and its track owners have sold their collective souls and it explains why they no longer promote a Firecracker 400, or a World 600, and why they actually dumped, for a time, the Southern 500. Money talks, tradition walks. It is an old story and as long as there is a can of soda to be sold, some tools to be used, a grocery chain with vittles on offer, a casino seeking guests, insurance to be flogged, tents up for grabs, or a car model to be promoted, it appears that will remain the case. Do the folks doing the advertising get their money’s worth? Who cares; that is their worry, not mine.

    What an event is called matters little in the grand scheme of things, I guess. A race is a race, and if prestige is swapped for big bucks, I guess that is the price one is willing to pay. To watch the races on television, the price viewers pay is a slew of interruptions in order to make room for a word from a sponsor who is paying too much for a message most of us ignore.

    That was not always the case. Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Michael Waltrip were one hell of a team selling everything from pizza to car parts to beer. The boys from a day not so long ago sold razors, hardware, gum, insurance, cars, and who can forget about that Big Brown Truck? Hell, we watched those commercials and they were classic enough to be watched over and over without complaint. Today, it is a different story. They seem to think they can get away with little creativity, provide little entertainment value, yet apparently not bright enough to realize that a lot of us do not even watch the damn things long enough to even know what they are about.

    Last Saturday night, 124 commercials got in the way. That is 28 more than what ran a year before. As it is, nearly 20 percent of the airtime over the course of this season has been devoted to commercials but they upped that for Daytona. It reached up to nearly a quarter of what you watched had nothing to do with the race. Then the idiots actually scratch their heads and wonder why the television numbers are down. Duh!

    The current model is not working. While we realize everything comes with a cost, that somebody has to pay in order for us to watch the action, they should realize that either we pre-record the action to avoid the commercials, or we hit the head or the galley during such interruptions, or we wander off to do other things instead. Last week, we might have hung around just because of the action promised at Daytona. The sixth running of the Quaker State 400 from Sparta, Kentucky does not have the same pedigree. It is just another race.

    You and I know why we watch. Brad Keselowski and Kyle Busch have combined to win four of the first five run there at Kentucky. Will one of them take his fourth victory of the season on Saturday? We watch to see if Ryan Blaney can hold down that final Chase place, despite challenges from Jamie McMurray, Trevor Bayne, and Kasey Kahne. We watch to see if Tony Stewart can stay ahead of the two boys close behind in the battle for 30th in points. We watch because we like the sport, the action, and its athletes. We do not watch for the commercials.

    The Hot 20 heading into Kentucky include…

    1. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 3 WINS (551 Pts)
    Winner last week, and he is two for five at Kentucky. Maybe more bubbly is in his future.

    2. KYLE BUSCH – 3 WINS (492 Pts)
    Won the first race at Kentucky, and won the last race there.

    3. CARL EDWARDS – 2 WINS (527 Pts)
    If being at the wrong place at the wrong time was a goal, Edwards attained it at Daytona.

    4. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 2 WINS (475 Pts)
    Thirty wins since 2010, but none at Kentucky though five for five in Top Tens is pretty good.

    5. KEVIN HARVICK – 1 WIN (565 Pts)
    If points still told the tale, he would be at the top, and still might when they finish in November.

    6. KURT BUSCH – 1 WIN (545 Pts)
    It seemed that Kurt was very understanding of Logano after Daytona. We shall see, we shall see.

    7. JOEY LOGANO – 1 WIN (531 Pts)
    Too bad this jerk is on this list. Too bad this jerk is also one hell of a driver.

    8. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 1 WIN (482 Pts)
    He probably did not appreciate the 30 lap rest in the middle of last week’s race.

    9. DENNY HAMLIN – 1 WIN (446 Pts)
    We heard Denny was hungry for a Daytona sweep. I guess the boy must be starving today.

    10. MATT KENSETH – 1 WIN (443 Pts)
    Only three drivers have won the five races held thus far at Kentucky. Matt is one of them.

    11. TONY STEWART – 1 WIN (212 Pts)
    He is ba-ack…but can he stay here?

    12. CHASE ELLIOTT – 482 PTS
    The only winless Chaser who heads to Kentucky fairly relaxed. The rest hear footsteps.

    13. AUSTIN DILLON – 434 PTS
    A 29 point pad is good unless an engine goes south or he gets caught up in someone else’s mess.

    14. DALE EARNHARDT JR. – 433 PTS
    Biggest free agents in sports history include the names of Bobby, Reggie, Payton, LeBron, and Junior.

    15. RYAN NEWMAN – 425 PTS
    His Kentucky goal is to keep the likes of Blaney, McMurray, Bayne, and Kahne in the rear view.

    16. RYAN BLANEY – 409 PTS
    A Chase place would be a wonderful story, but not everyone likes wonderful stories.

    17. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 405 PTS
    Got a little loose, got a lot wrecked. Now his goal has to be to break a kid’s heart.

    18. TREVOR BAYNE – 399 PTS
    See a Blaney, catch a Blaney.

    19. KASEY KAHNE – 396 PTS
    Things were getting better, then Daytona happened.

    20. A.J. ALLMENDINGER – 393 PTS
    The Glen is coming up August 7th.

    31. BRIAN SCOTT – 209 PTS
    Stewart sits 30th in points, just three ahead of Scott. Talk about incentive.

    32. REGAN SMITH – 203 PTS
    If Scott falters, there is still another shark in the water close behind.

  • The Final Word – Wouldn’t you hate having a Daytona night like Kurt, Carl, Jamie, Jimmie…

    The Final Word – Wouldn’t you hate having a Daytona night like Kurt, Carl, Jamie, Jimmie…

    “I hate that I…” I love that phrase. It is the prelude to expressing some measure of regret for some on track transgression in the hopes that these mere words will make everything alright. For instance, “I hate that I got into Kurt [Busch] there at the end racing to the line.” So says Joey Logano after Busch got dumped on the final lap, crossing the line spinning backward in 23rd place Saturday night at Daytona. Well, doesn’t that just make everything just wonderful?

    I mean, “I hate that my dog ate my homework, so I got nothing for you.” Maybe “I hate that my excess speed forced you to have to chase me down, officer.” One could try “I hate you found me in the arms of another.” Lovely sentiments, but without any reference to restitution, to make good on what had gone bad, rather meaningless.

    To be honest, while Kurt was not pleased, he did sound mature in describing how any hope he had to charge to the front went sideways thanks to Logano. Not a curse word, no profanity, no vivid descriptions of where Joey could shove his weak apology, not a single declaration of revenge. It was damn near genteel.

    Brad Keselowski, a man not known for his genteel nature, finally won at Daytona, and like most results on this particular track he had a lot of company coming to the line. Of course, being Daytona, he had less company than when they started. Ninety laps in, Jamie McMurray drifted up, drifted down, touched the side of Kyle Larson, and went back up in front of Jimmie Johnson. McMurray had scraped off a bit of speed. Johnson had not, and bad things happened. Seventeen other drivers got involved as folks got twisted in front of others, or simply run over from those charging from behind.

    Thus ended the day for the two principles of the mayhem, along with Kevin Harvick, Paul Menard, Regan Smith and Brian Scott. Scott was the man sitting in 30th place, just nine points ahead of Tony Stewart when the green flag waved. That meant Smoke just needed to finish 28th or better to move into the position, making his win at Sonoma count, and launching him forward in the standings. Stewart finished 26th. Things were going well for him, at least until his back end did a little flutter with a dozen laps remaining, and he got punted into the fence to conclude his activities. Still, he had a goal and he met it, albeit barely.

    Mishaps bent them and shaped them, as the American Breed might have sung back in the 60’s, to leave some running but laps in the dust. Danica Patrick, Matt Kenseth, Martin Truex Jr., Kasey Kahne and Chase Elliott were among those finishing just behind Stewart, between 27th and 32nd. A wreck halted Carl Edwards at 25th.

    Keselowski, with his third of the season, was joined by Logano and Austin Dillon with expected Top Tens. Trevor Bayne, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Greg Biffle and Clint Bowyer were not expected, but hopeful. It moves Bayne to within six points of 16th sitting McMurray on the ladder, as Stenhouse and Biffle are both less than 20 points out. Michael McDowell was 10th and probably more than happy with that result, as he has run eight more races than Stewart, collecting 18 fewer points. Saturday was a good day.

    This weekend brings more Saturday action, as the boys and girl head to Kentucky for just the sixth time. Keselowski has two, Kyle Busch the first and the last, with Kenseth taking the race in 2013. Mind you, Johnson has also done well there, with a quintet of Top Tens. As to who needs to do what, Stewart will be okay as long as Scott and Smith remain behind him.

    As for Ryan Blaney and McMurray, wouldn’t you just hate for any of the five drivers within 21 points of replacing them among our Chasers do just that this Saturday night? I bet they would.

  • The View from My Recliner – Thoughts from Daytona

    The View from My Recliner – Thoughts from Daytona

    Let it be known that I hate restrictor plate racing.

    Between the XFINITY and Cup races, it was pile up after pile up. If you’re a fan, you might as well save the money, go to the County Fair and go see the demolition derby.

    If I am a car owner, I would really think hard about even entering my car into a race at Daytona and Talladega. You might as well consider that car a known loss and be surprised if the car survives. The investment for four restrictor plate races isn’t worth it.

    It was great to see Roger Penske in victory lane celebrating the 100th victory for Team Penske. The Captain has been the center of Indy Car racing for years and in the past 20 plus years, has been a force in NASCAR. He has his team poised to be in contention for years to come with younger drivers like Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano driving the Penske cars and Ryan Blaney driving for the Wood Brothers. The three drivers are lined up with three crew chiefs in Paul Wolfe, Todd Gordon and Jeremy Bullins which will add to team chemistry and continuity.

    Tony Stewart made it into the top-30 in points even though he wrecked out of Daytona. Look for Stewart to go hard for another win to solidify his spot in the Chase. I have the feeling Smoke will be a big factor at Indy. He was part of the tire test and would love to get his 50th Cup win at home.

    Kudos to Ryan Newman who called out NASCAR in the drivers meeting. I can see a fine coming, but his comments were on target. With the way the XFINITY race ended on Friday night, Newman calling into question how NASCAR officiated the race was on the money.

    Right now, there have been 11 winners in the Cup series. The five who are in on points right now are Chase Elliott, Austin Dillon, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Ryan Newman and Ryan Blaney. After Richmond, unless someone like A.J. Allmendinger grabs a win at The Glen, the only driver in this group I don’t see in the Chase is Austin Dillon. The Slugger Labbe-led team hasn’t been consistent lately and I could see them dropping out of the Chase race and their spot taken by Jamie McMurray on points or Kyle Larson with a win.

    Kentucky will be interesting to see if it is a follow the leader like most re-paves turn out to be.

    Enjoy the racing this week and that is the View from My Recliner.

  • Hot 20 – Would reducing the dangers of Daytona also reduce its thrills?

    Hot 20 – Would reducing the dangers of Daytona also reduce its thrills?

    We want drivers and fans to be safe. We want action that is anything but safe. It might sound hypocritical, but deep in our hearts, we know it to be true.

    Talladega concerned some drivers. Kyle Busch says it was “pretty dangerous for all us drivers.” That may have been true. He also said it “wasn’t very exciting.” That is false. For fans, watching drivers inches apart at up to 200 mph, where disaster is only a sneeze away, is pretty damned exciting.

    Personally, it is the threat of a wreck that is more exciting than the actual carnage. The boys and girl are doing something I do not have the ability to perform nor, to be honest, the courage to attempt. It appears to be dangerous and, according to Kyle, that is because it is.

    We want the danger. Yet, we also want to see Kyle climb out of his Xfinity car unscathed at Daytona. We wanted to see Dale Earnhardt, Adam Petty, and Kenny Irwin Jr. step out of their wrecks. We want to see the crushing hits in the NFL, but it appears their helmets cannot prevent the devastation of long-term brain injuries. We want the fights and the hard hits of the NHL, yet the mounting evidence of long-term head trauma has brought rule changes to make the sport safer.

    Does reducing the danger also reduce the excitement for the fans? It has to. Hall of Famers Sprague Cleghorn, Eddie Shore, Rocket Richard, and Gordie Howe would have had to play differently to avoid lifetime suspensions in today’s NHL. Some used their sticks, some their elbows, and some just beat the crap out of their opponents. Seeing a receiver take the hit just as he receives the ball, slamming straight to the ground or doing mid-air flips upon impact, is a great visual, but it has to take a toll on the human being involved. Does anyone remember Lawrence Taylor’s sack of Washington Redskins quarterback Joe Theismann that broke the pivot’s leg in two places? Pretty amazing. Pretty devastating. For safety sake, change is required, change is happening, and more change is coming.

    Deaths have happened in most sports, but very few at the highest level. Ray Chapman of the Cleveland Indians died in 1920 after being struck in the head by a pitched ball. Bill Masterton of the Minnesota North Stars struck his head on the ice and died in 1968. In football, AFL players Howard Glenn and Stone Johnson died in the 1960’s due to neck injuries. Chuck Hughes of the Detroit Lions suffered a fatal heart attack in a game in 1971. Then there is professional boxing. Then there is motorsports.

    Joe Weatherly, Fireball Roberts, Tiny Lund, J.D. McDuffie, Neil Bonnett, John Nemechek, and Carlos Pardo remind us that we cannot build more durable humans, nor dismiss the heartbreak of their loss. Pit road is safer, yet only after the Southern 500 in 1960 cost the lives of mechanics Paul McDuffie, Charles Sweatlund, and official Joe Taylor. We lost crewman Randy Owens at Talladega in 1975. Yet, we liked the excitement of those old cars, the open faced helmets, and the speeding down pit road. We still do, but not at that price.

    If NASCAR gets too safe, might it cause fans to wander off seeking new distractions, new outlets for their thrills and emotions? It could. It may have already taken place to some degree. I love watching the action at Daytona and Talladega, watching those who can do what I cannot, or will not, even attempt. I watch what I enjoy, and often we can not say exactly what it is that caused us to lose interest. I loved hockey, the hard-nosed 1960’s, the violent 1970’s, and the grace and majesty of the 1980’s, but it is rare to find me sitting through an NHL game today. Many once loved NASCAR; they had it bad and could not get enough of it. Today, the tracks no longer even release attendance figures and grandstands are being torn down. Sports of all kinds are trying to increase the “fan experience,” all but admitting the action on the field is no longer enough.

    Saturday night should be enough. It is Daytona, the Firecracker 400 as it was known until 1989. A race that has meaning, a race that has tradition, a race that has high speeds and, yes, a race that has a measure of danger.

    May our Hot 20 and the rest provide us with excitement and, despite our barbaric nature, a safe event.

    1. KYLE BUSCH – 3 WINS (452 Pts)
    No new rules to slow down the cars at Daytona, and Kyle isn’t happy about that.

    2. CARL EDWARDS – 2 WINS (510 Pts)
    Has run good at Daytona, has run bad, but has never won there.

    3. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 2 WINS (506 Pts)
    Tried out an IndyCar at Road America, and plans to run Indianapolis…some day.

    4. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 2 WINS (469 Pts)
    Daughters cannot listen to team radio…because sometimes daddy says bad words.

    5. KEVIN HARVICK – 1 WIN (562 Pts)
    Sixteen races, 13 Top Tens. Some have more wins, no one has more points.

    6. KURT BUSCH – 1 WIN (527 Pts)
    Formula 3000 is just one step below F-1…and could be in Kurt’s future come December.

    7. JOEY LOGANO – 1 WIN (493 Pts)
    If Tony and Denny had crashed on last Sunday’s final lap, guess who would have won.

    8. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 1 WIN (469 Pts)
    Tony, Tony, Tony…but did anyone notice Martin finished fifth? Did not think so.

    9. MATT KENSETH – 1 WIN (430 Pts)
    He did not have Chris Osborne as his eyes in the sky in February. He will on Saturday night.

    10. DENNY HAMLIN – 1 WIN (421 Pts)
    With Tony Stewart behind him at Sonoma, Denny thought for a second he was Ron Thornton.

    11. CHASE ELLIOTT – 473 PTS
    Good talent, good car, equals good results.

    12. DALE EARNHARDT JR. – 413 PTS
    Newman, McMurray, and Junior battled on the track, only to face de-feet in the sky.

    13. RYAN NEWMAN – 402 PTS
    The winner.

    14. AUSTIN DILLON – 400 PTS
    I am trying to remember how his Daytona race finished last year. So is he.

    15. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 398 PTS
    If a pissed off Stewart is a motivated Stewart, does that make Jamie his personal Tony Robbins?

    16. KASEY KAHNE – 385 PTS
    If you think Kasey’s season sucks, please consider Clint’s situation.

    17. RYAN BLANEY – 382 PTS
    New rule change locks even unchartered teams into Chase races…but they have to be Chasers.

    18. A.J. ALLMENDINGER – 365 PTS
    Damn rolling tire.

    19. TREVOR BAYNE – 361 PTS
    You might remember that he has won at Daytona before.

    20. KYLE LARSON – 355 PTS
    Do you remember when everyone was gushing over Kyle and Trevor?

    30. BRIAN SCOTT – 205 PTS
    Sometimes holding down 30th gets you recognition…at least for this week.

    32. TONY STEWART – 196 PTS (1 win)
    As Kyle did before him. Now cue the Jaws theme.

  • The Final Word – Dreams do Come True in California

    The Final Word – Dreams do Come True in California

    Frodo and Sam live. Shane kills the bad men. Cinderella gets the slipper and the fella. Tony Stewart wins at Sonoma.

    It was a fairytale end to the action, but on that last lap, it looked like Cujo was going to win the day and break our hearts. On the seventh lap, Denny Hamlin got inside Stewart to take the lead and started to put some distance between himself and the retiring former champion. Then, on the 11th turn, Hamlin made a miscue. Be it a wheel hop, a braking issue, or too much mirror watching, Hamlin went wide, Stewart went inside and used his entire car to block his rival toward the fence. It was over, as Stewart won his 49th victory, the first since everything went to hell for him in 2013.

    That all but assures Stewart a place in the Chase, just as long as he can make that win count by making up the nine points that separate him from 30th in that category. It also would be helpful if five of the remaining 10 races between now and when the Chase begins are taken by someone already with a victory. If more than 16 claim a win, then this story would end up with an Ole Yeller kind of conclusion. Please don’t let them shoot Tony.

    While Smoke finishes off his career in a good car, Clint Bowyer is spending the year before he succeeds him driving for Harry Scott, Jr. It is like Tony gets a new pair of fresh underwear to start each race, while Clint just gets a different pair of underwear. Trust me, there is a difference. While Stewart was winning, Bowyer’s car quit on the fifth lap. When he tried to restart the lemon, smoke came bellowing out from under the dash, and Bowyer went scrambling to get the hell out of it. It has been a One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest kind of season for him, and time will tell if he is Jack Nicholson or Will Sampson.

    Someone needed to scramble just a split second faster for A.J. Allmendinger. The runaway tire in the pits cost him in the late going, falling from sixth to 35th. Considering he climbed back to finish 14th, one is left wondering just how he might have finished the race if fate had been kinder. Talk about good things just disappearing in the Mist.

    So, gone are Darrell Waltrip and Jeff Gordon, as FOX makes way for Steve Letarte and Jeff Burton and the rest of the NBC gang. Daytona is back on the dance card this Saturday night for what should be known as the Firecracker 400. It is expected Stewart will pick up the points necessary so that win puts him among the top dozen in the standings. That would, for all intents and purposes, leave Kasey Kahne 13 points shy of a Chase position, and Ryan Blaney 16 out as they wave the green flag.

    I guess it is apropos that last Sunday featured this race as well as the season finale of Game of Thrones. You know, one comes back from the dead, another blows up, as everyone wants to sit upon the throne when the season is over. The nice thing is, you do not have to wait 10 months for the next episode.