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Hot 20 – Gordon is a favorite to win at Martinsville, Truex and Kurt not so much

The truth, sometimes it is a tough thing to nail down. Sometimes not. Truth is, Jeff Gordon should do well at Martinsville. In the past five events there, the retiring four-time NASCAR champ has a win and four Top Tens. Over the past dozen years, a span of 25 races, Gordon has failed to claim a Top Ten only three times. He finished 20th in the fall of 2010, 14th in the spring of 2012, and finished 12th in the fall of 2014. That leaves 22 Top Tens, 18 Top Fives, and five victories. You just cannot do better than that. The stats do not lie, and after taking ninth this spring, Gordon still has it. That is the truth.

Sometimes, the truth is a little tougher to ascertain. A couple of years ago, a mysterious spin combined with a baffling call to the pits that briefly allowed a teammate to make the Chase caused controversy. Did Clint Bowyer intentionally spin his car? Bowyer denied it and Sprint Cup Series director John Darby is quoted as saying after the race that “I don’t think anybody realistically believes that was the case with the 15 car.” That tune changed quickly, as the truth appeared to be much more conspiratorial than NASCAR first thought. It cost Martin Truex Jr. a Chase position and his job, and he did nothing wrong. It cost Bowyer some credibility, it cost the team a major sponsor, $300,000 in fines and it possibly caused the eventual demise of Michael Waltrip Racing.

Last weekend, did Kevin Harvick, with a car that was barely running, that was barely in the Chase, deliberately spin out Trevor Bayne to save his season at the cost of Denny Hamlin and Dale Earnhardt Jr.? No, says NASCAR. So, we have to accept that Harvick was telling the truth. I mean, not everyone lies to us in order to get out of a sticky situation.

“I got out of the way, and I never even saw (Bayne) until he was by me.”
Kevin Harvick 2015

“I did not use performance enhancing substances as alleged in the notice of discipline…”
Alex Rodriguez 2014

“I had so much wheel, by the time I got to the gas, he was underneath me. I spun out.”
Clint Bowyer 2013

“I take these charges very seriously, and look forward to clearing my good name,”
Michael Vick 2007

“I’m not going to be the Alabama coach.”
Nick Saban 2006

“I have never had a single positive doping test, and I do not take performance-enhancing drugs.”
Lance Armstrong 2004 (among others)

“I did not have sexual relations with that woman”
Bill Clinton 1998

Sure, some may have misled us in the past, but would Kevin Harvick? Nah.

Here are our Hot 20 over the past five events at Martinsville.

1. JEFF GORDON – 5.4 AvFin – (1 WIN, 3 T5, 4 T10)
Has averaged a Top Seven finish going back 45 races and 23 seasons. Expect good things.

2. MATT KENSETH – 6.4 – (0-2-4)
No pot of gold at the end of this rainbow, but should he come across Logano along the way…

3. CLINT BOWYER – 6.8 – (0-2-4)
Author of “The Secrets of My Success.” Harvick has a copy.

4. DENNY HAMLIN – 8.8 – (1-1-3)
You can take that damn roof hatch and…

5. JOEY LOGANO – 9.8 – (0-3-3)
Mr. Three-in-a-Row has never won at Martinsville, but his last three have been Top Fives.

6. KYLE BUSCH – 11.2 – (0-1-1)
Does not believe Gordon can win it all. Next we will hear how he does not like kittens.

7. KEVIN HARVICK – 13.4 – (0-0-3)
If Karma is on duty this weekend…

8. GREG BIFFLE – 13.6 – (0-0-2)
MWR refugee Brian Pattie to be his crew chief next season.

9. DALE EARNHARDT JR. – 14.4 – (1-2-3)
Best 21 finishes at Martinsville boasts a 6.3 average; his worst 10 finishes…27.7

10. TONY STEWART – 14.5 – (0-1-1)
What is probably no longer equates into what was.

11. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 15.0 – (1-3-3)
Used to own this place, but outside the Top 30 his last two attempts.

12. CARL EDWARDS – 15.4
Expected Harvick to get penalized after Talladega. He probably even expects a Top Ten Sunday.

13. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 16.2 – (0-2-3)
While his 2014 visits were a write-off, he was the runner-up last spring.

14. ARIC ALMIROLA – 16.2 – (0-0-1)
Raised in Daytona. I wonder where he got the racing bug?

15. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 17.0 – (0-0-3)
Looked decent last week, at least until he turned all smoky.

16. PAUL MENARD – 17.6 – (0-0-1)
Best non-Chaser last week, but Martinsville is really not his kind of place.

17. DANICA PATRICK – 20.4 – (0-0-1)
Never thought you would see her name on this list again this season, did you?

18. KASEY KAHNE – 20.8 – (0-1-1)
Best thing about Martinsville will be the trip home.

19. KURT BUSCH – 21.2 – (1-1-1)
Won in the spring last year, but has been outside the top dozen 16 of his past 17 starts here.

20. CASEY MEARS – 22.6
Had a pair of Top Tens at Martinsville in 2008. None since.

22. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 24.2 – (0-0-1)
Was sixth in the spring. That ought to count for something.

October 28, 2015
NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Dover

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth started on the pole after qualifying was canceled and finished seventh at Dover, easily advancing to the Contender Round.

“And then there were 12,” Kenseth said. “Now, we’re headed to Charlotte, where speeds can reach upwards of 190 miles per hour. And, if history is any indication, the cars won’t be the only thing flying—-fists will be, as well.”

2. Kevin Harvick: Harvick dominated at Dover leading 355 of 400 laps and winning when he had to.

“I advanced,” Harvick said. “Jimmie Johnson retreated. And that’s certainly not the first time.”

3. Kyle Busch: Busch finished second in the AAA 400 and advanced to the next round of The Chase for the Sprint Cup.

“It’s all about surviving and advancing,” Busch said. “And I did them both at the same time. Add those to the list of things I can do all at once, which includes ‘Whip And Nae Nae.’”

4. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin, already into the next round with his win at New Hampshire, finished 18th at Dover.

“I took a nice, leisurely Sunday drive,” Hamlin said. “That wasn’t the case for everyone. I’m not saying Kevin Harvick drives like a man possessed, but he emerges from his hauler like a man possessed.”

5. Carl Edwards: Edwards finished 15th at Dover and is one of four Joe Gibbs Racing drivers to qualify for the round of 12.

“Kevin Harvick didn’t waste any time taking over the lead,” Edwards said. “He took off like a bat out of hell, or just like the way he left Richard Childress Racing.”

6. Joey Logano: Logano finished 10th at Dover, posting his 23rd top-10 of the year. He advances to the Contender Round of the Chase.

“Kevin Harvick showed why he’s the reigning champion,” Logano said. “Jimmie Johnson showed why the Chase format is his biggest obstacle to winning his seventh Cup. Sadly, it was a simple seal that ruined Jimmie’s hopes. On this day, it appeared a mechanical issue was Jimmie’s ‘Achilles Seal.’”

7. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski finished 16th in the AAA 400, making his way to the next round of the Chase.

“It wasn’t pretty,” Keselowski said, “but the No. 2 Wurth Ford Fusion, after a rough start, came through when it counted. You could say it was ‘Wurth’ the wait.”

8. Kurt Busch: Busch finished 17th at Dover and claimed his spot in the next round of the Chase.

“I think NASCAR was a bit disappointed,” Busch said. “This was a high-pressure elimination race, and the only thing that got punched was a ticket.”

9. Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Earnhardt, needing a strong finish to make the Chase, took third at Dover to advance to the next round, but just barely. Earnhardt took the 12th and final spot, tied with Jamie McMurray in points but advancing by virtue of a tiebreaker.

“I heard a strange sound,” Earnhardt said. “It turned out I was almost done in by a loose wheel. Ironically, I ‘squeaked’ by.”

10. (tie): Jimmie Johnson: Johnson suffered a rear axle seal failure at Dover, forcing him to the garage and ending his hopes of advancing to the round of 12. Johnson finished 41st, and won’t be winning his seventh Sprint Cup title.

“That was a $5 part,” Johnson said. “The sad part is, I had to pay for it.”

10. (tie): Jeff Gordon: Gordon finished 12th at Dover and made his way to the round of 12.

“The ‘Drive For Five’ is still alive,” Gordon said. “If I could win my fifth Sprint Cup title in my final season, it would be the most emotional experience of my life. That’s why I’m calling my quest ‘Once More With Feeling.’”

October 6, 2015
Week Three of The Chase and Danger Approaches

Waiting until week three to comment on the Chase is probably unorthodox, but, as many readers know, hating the Chase is typical of old-timers like this writer. It’s like a team that was horrible all season and barely got in the playoffs still has a chance to win it all. It’s almost unfair. It’s obvious that the format is popular among those fans who are left (most of those who have followed the sport for more than 20 years are gone), and that is alright. So, we have to listen as television and radio guys want to talk non-stop on who is going to be the champion. Once this week a whole call-in show was dedicated to who the final four would be. What a crapshoot.

As it is in these kinds of formats, designed after stick and ball sports, it matters not how your whole season goes, but who gets hot at the end. Remember the wild card teams in baseball who won about 86 games and eliminated the team that won 100 for the season? That’s where we are in this year’s Chase. Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch are in trouble. Harvick finished in the Top Five at what seemed like every race and Busch’s season since May has been unbelievable. Yet, here they are in a situation where they almost have to win to move to the next round. Both won’t win. Add Dale Earnhardt Jr. to the list. One cannot imagine the wailing and gnashing of teeth if Junior doesn’t make it, but that’s the magic of the Chase, or so they say.

Harvick has had the worst luck. Obviously, his Stewart-Haas team has arguably been the best team all year. He’s only won twice, but he has been a threat in what seems like every race and finished second so many times. Now he faces elimination. A dustup with Jimmie Johnson at Chicago and running out of fuel at New Hampshire and now it’s do or die. Please remember that Dover is not one of Harvick’s best tracks.

Being appalled at television coverage is nothing new. While NBCSN had no trouble documenting the push from Harvick in the motor coach lot last week, they pretty much ignored that Greg Biffle finished fourth and was a threat to win the race. It was a big deal for Roush Fenway Racing, but Biffle is not in the Chase, so all the attention was elsewhere, which is my main criticism of the Chase format. While media concentrates on who’s in and who’s out, who’s in trouble or who’s not, we miss milestones that used to be a big deal. It’s not anymore. It’s all about the championship. I can remember a time when Pearson, Yarborough, and Petty won championships and the races still meant something. Those days are gone. Sadly.

This week, we also saw that a second driver decided to retire at a young age. First it was Jeff Gordon who announced late last year, and now Tony Stewart. Both are in their early 40’s, and it just doesn’t seem right. I first met Stewart at Rockingham in (I think) 1996 when Stewart and Matt Kenseth were racing for the win. Kenseth won the race but used the chrome horn to get by him. Tony was like one of my heroes, A.J. Foyt. He wasn’t a happy camper. He was gracious. I didn’t have any contact after that until the Sprint Media Tour in 2014 when I noticed the difficulty Stewart was having walking. I had broken my ankle at Bristol and in recovery myself. I had the opportunity to exchange notes with Smoke on broken bones. He was funny, sarcastic and just Tony. I will miss him.

Many have talked about the void that may have caused NASCAR to lose fans starting with the death of Dale Earnhardt. I’ve witnessed that over the last few years. Fans still come in the campgrounds (the most loyal fans) with their big black and white No. 3 flags but many more have 24 and 14 flags. This is another stumbling point for the sanctioning body. As many more icons leave the sport, what will be the effect? Earnhardt was bigger than life, but Gordon and Stewart were the younger generation’s big heroes. That generation has grown up, but many former Earnhardt fans moved to Stewart, Gordon, and Dale Junior. It’s another crisis that NASCAR has to deal with now. The sport is strong, but will the Chase, which probably will eliminate two strong contenders in the first round, and the retirements, have the effect that that horrible day at Daytona caused. We will see.

October 1, 2015
Finley Factor: The Smoke Show

When it comes to racing drivers who have won across vastly different series around the world, there can be hundreds of debates and viewpoints on who the greatest of all time is. Names like Mario Andretti, the Unsers, Aryton Senna and Nicki Lauda come to mind.

To me, though, there are two at the top of the list, ahead of all the others. These two drivers won in just about everything they raced in, and they could and would race in anything at any time.

One of them is A.J. Foyt. The other is Tony Stewart.

“This one’s for every one of those fans in the stands who pull for me every week and take all of the bull**** from everyone else,” Tony Stewart proclaimed in victory lane after winning the 2007 Allstate 400 at the Brickyard.

Stewart announced his retirement on September 30 from the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series following the 2016 season, adding that Clint Bowyer will replace him in the No. 14 Chevrolet. It is not the end of a long and storied career, however. Stewart made it extremely clear in his press conference that he isn’t retiring from racing. When asked if he would run in just about anything outside of Sprint Cup cars, the only race he gave a definite no to, is an Indianapolis 500 start.

After being asked if he had spoken to A.J. Foyt yet about his retirement from the Sprint Cup Series, Stewart said, “I haven’t yet. He’s probably going to yell at me like he normally does when I call him. I’m sure I’m going to get a bunch of grief, but I’m trying to be as nice today as I can. But I’m sure he’s going to give me a lot of grief over this.”

Stewart is the splitting image of Foyt, his boyhood hero and idol, even in retirement from the big leagues. Foyt continued on after driving by owning and operating a top race team, which he continues to do today. The three-time champion made certain to point out during his press conference that he would remain involved in the highest levels of racing via Stewart-Haas Racing.

“I made sure to send (Mike) Helton and (Steve) O’Donnell messages this week,” Stewart emphasized, “and say, listen, don’t get too excited about this because I’m taking a suit and helmet off, but I’m still going to be at the track harassing everybody, so nobody is getting a free pass now.”

Stewart is a driver’s driver. Keeping an extensive dirt racing schedule until 2013 and hoping to resume it in 2017, he was right at home in whatever car he drove. It could be slingin’ dirt at Eldora, hitting speeds well over the 200 mph range in an IndyCar, dominating in go-karts at the Daytona road course, going up on the high banks at the same track in a big NASCAR stock car, or just competing at your local track in a quarter midget. Stewart has done it all and won it all.

However, these last few years have easily been the toughest years of Stewart’s career. A leg injury in 2013 capped off what had been a mediocre season that saw him sitting out The Chase. The next year, 2014, was a disappointing season even before the now infamous Kevin Ward Jr. incident. So far, 2015 has far and away been the worst full-time season in Stewart’s entire Cup career.

Before Stewart’s press conference, I thought it would be one of the saddest moments of the year. Instead, however, I saw something else. Stewart, for the first time in what seems like forever, is back to being himself. Not the doom and gloom version, but the Stewart of old, happy and joking around.

“A lot of you probably were here yesterday or some of you might have been here for the press conference here in the same room yesterday for Gene’s Formula 1 announcement. He didn’t announce his second driver for the F1 team, and you’re looking at him,” Stewart said with a smile.

Stewart’s life in racing isn’t ending. You probably won’t see him racing on television much after 2016, but at your local dirt track? They say if you get really lucky, you may see Smoke rise again.

New Hampshire Preview, the Third and Final Race of the Challenger Round of the 2015 Chase for the Sprint Cup.

The Favorites

Jimmie Johnson is going to be very hard to stop. The June winner at Dover, Johnson, hasn’t finished outside of the top three since the 2013 June race here, when he jumped the last restart, got a black flag, and finished 17th. Outside of that finish, Johnson hasn’t ended the day outside of the top-10 since 2010.

Although Matt Kenseth only has two victories at Dover, this has always been a good track for the Wisconsin native. In 33 starts, Kenseth holds 15 top fives and 21 top 10s at the Monster Mile. A fun fact – this was the site of his very first start in 1998. The then 26-year-old XFINITY Series driver drove the No. 94 McDonalds Ford to an impressive sixth place finish in relief of team owner Bill Elliott, whose father passed away the day before the race.

The Sleepers

Kyle Busch enters this weekend a single point out of the final transfer spot of the Chase. A solid race for “Rowdy” should get him into the next round. This definitely isn’t his worst track, either. If you take out all five of his DNFs, none of which were really his fault, Kyle has finished outside of the top-10 only three times in his career at Dover.

Jeff Gordon is the defending race winner and hasn’t won since that race nearly a year ago. Iron Man seems to be finding his way back on track lately, however, a win-contending run ending in a disappointing 14th place finish at Chicagoland due to a poor restart, was sandwiched between sevenths at both Richmond and last week at New Hampshire.

The Wildcard

Kevin Harvick enters Dover needing a win to make it to the Contender Round of The Chase. A top-five finish could be enough, but he’d need a lot of help to get into the top 12 in points. Although Harvick has never won at Dover in the Cup Series, he has led laps in the last three races here, including 223 laps last fall before blowing a tire while leading and 93 laps in June before settling for a second place.

All stats for the Finley Factor are as per Racing Reference unless otherwise noted.

October 1, 2015
Hot 20 – A Senior Driver Leads the Pack into Dover as Others Prepare to Ride into the Sunset

Time can bring us many wonderful memories, but it comes with change. Most of us are not all that fond of change. Once we watched the likes of Richard Petty, David Pearson, Dale Earnhardt and the Alabama Gang take to the track, to thrill us with their exploits. That was then. Time changed that.

Jeff Gordon prepares to enter his 790th consecutive Cup race, but time is ticking down on his great Hall of Fame career. Tony Stewart has one more season left in him, then he goes to the sidelines. NASCAR gives us a little more time for most of our favorites than other sports, where our heroes are usually finished by the time they hit 40. Still, even in NASCAR, it is an age when the countdown seems to begin, whether we like it or not.

We have Greg Biffle, 45, and Matt Kenseth, 43, getting up there. Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jimmie Johnson both are now 40. Next season, so will Kevin Harvick. Sure, there is always a Chase Elliott working his way up, or an Erik Jones, but we treasure those who we cheered for in our youth, then for those our own age who claimed our support, then we watch those even younger than ourselves hanging them up. Damned time.

Nothing makes a person feel older than when one of the kids decides to retire. We might find some solace in that one of those seniors is leading the pack heading into Dover this weekend. A senior. I was already driving when that old fossil was born. At least I can still do the same number of backflips that I could do forty years ago.

I wonder what it is like to do a backflip?

Here are our Hot 20 heading to their date with the Monster Mile.

1. MATT KENSETH – CHASE WIN
You do not have to be the most dominant as long as you finish first.

2. DENNY HAMLIN – CHASE WIN
First at Chicago, second at Loudon. Is Hamlin trying to tell us something?

3. CARL EDWARDS – 2089 POINTS
A Top 30 finish is all he needs to move on.

4. JOEY LOGANO – 2089
As long as it isn’t in a first lap wreck, staying up with Edwards should do the trick.

5. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 2083
A visit to Dover and an 11th win on the Monster Mile would be lovely at this time of year.

6. RYAN NEWMAN – 2074
How did he end up way up here?

7. KURT BUSCH – 2073
Minimal success, with minimal problems, just might work in the Challenger round.

8. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 2072
Jumped a re-start, was running second at the first turn, then 24th after the penalty.

9. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 2071
I’m thinking a move to Toyota sure beats a move to Volkswagen about now. Just sayin’.

10. JEFF GORDON – 2068
The length of Gordon’s Cup career is about to turn 790 races long, with no interruptions.

11. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 2058
It is time for McMurray to McDrive his arse off.

12. DALE EARNHARDT, JR. – 2057
Driving with an empty bladder is a joy for us, not so much late in the race in NASCAR.

13. PAUL MENARD – 2056
Can a driver with a single career Cup win really be a serious candidate for the championship?

14. KYLE BUSCH – 2056
Damn tire. Damn wall.

15. KEVIN HARVICK – 2034
Dear Kyle: It could be worse.

16. CLINT BOWYER – 2018
Tony promises to never goad me into spinning out on purpose, so I will never have to fib again.

17. KASEY KAHNE – 732
2016 came a lot earlier than Kasey had hoped.

18. ARIC ALMIROLA – 728
Came close to making the Chase, but even closer to the wall at New Hampshire.

19. KYLE LARSON – 683
Stewart wanted the 23-year-old Larson, settled for the 36-year old Bowyer in 2017.

20. GREG BIFFLE – 675
Finishing fourth at Loudon means we might not see Austin Dillon make this list again in 2015.

September 30, 2015
NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Loudon

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth took advantage of Kevin Harvick’s fuel misfortune to take the Sylvania 300 at Loudon. The win kept Kenseth atop the points standings and guaranteed his spot in the next round of the Chase.

“Harvick clearly had the best car,” Kenseth said. “To lead 216 of 300 laps and not win? That has to be the ultimate feeling of coming up ‘empty.’”

2. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin backed up his Chicagoland win with a strong second-place finish at New Hampshire, following Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Matt Kenseth across the line.

“These Gibbs cars have speed,” Hamlin said, “and their fuel mileage is so good it borders on the mysterious. With apologies to Kevin Harvick, you could say they’re ‘freaky fast.’

3. Carl Edwards: Edwards started on the pole at Loudon and finished fifth as the Joe Gibbs Racing driver took three of the top five positions, including Matt Kenseth’s victory.

“There were no punches to the chest after this race,” Edwards said. “But if Kevin Harvick felt the need to punish someone, he would definitely kick himself.”

4. Joey Logano: Logano finished third in the Sylvania 300 and now sits third in the Sprint Cup points standings.

“I’m in great position to advance to the next round of the Chase,” Logano said. “There’s only one driver that needs to drive like a maniac at Dover, and that’s Kevin Harvick. But he put himself in this position. Of all people, Harvick should know how to ‘baby’ a gas pedal.”

5. Jimmie Johnson: Jimmie rallied from a flat tire, which left him a lap down, to finish a solid sixth at Loudon.

“I went to see Kevin Harvick’s gas tank after the race. Instead of emerging calmly from its hauler, it ‘ran out.’

“Jeff Gordon broke the NASCAR record for consecutive starts. That makes him the sport’s ‘Iron Man,’ but it sure as heck doesn’t make him the most hard-headed.”

6. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski was penalized for jumping a restart and dropped to 25th before rallying to finish 12th.

“Usually,” Keselowski said, “when somebody says ‘punch it,’ I duck instead of getting on the gas.

“Jumping a restart is something that Matt Kenseth can do and get away with. Apparently, Matt is sneaky. You saw it last year – he attacked me in between our team transporters before I even knew it. And even when Matt punches you, you don’t even know it.”

7. Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Earnhardt ran out of gas on the final lap and finished 25th at New Hampshire. He is 12th in the points standings, one point ahead of Kyle Busch.

“The race at Dover is an elimination race,” Earnhardt said. “And you can’t spell ‘elimination’ without ‘E Nation.’ Of course, the Chase isn’t a spelling bee. Hopefully, I can maintain my spot of 12th or improve on it. Otherwise, I’ll be like an Earnhardt fan in a spelling bee—I won’t make it out of the first round.”

8. Kyle Busch: Busch blew a tire on lap 159 and slammed the wall, leading to a 37th-place finish. He is 13th in the points standings, one point behind Dale Earnhardt Jr. in 12th place.

“I’ve got my work cut out for me,” Busch said. “I’ve been behind the Eight-Ball before, which is usually because there’s a state trooper behind me.”

9. Ryan Newman: Newman finished 10th at Loudon, posting his 14th top-10 of the year. Newman is sixth in the points standings, 25 behind Matt Kenseth.

“I’m the Chase driver no one’s talking about,” Newman said. “That’s because I drive for the team no one’s talking about. That would be Richard Childress Racing. Unless I advance to the next round, RCR will have no chance to win the Cup, so our four teams will figuratively pack it in for the season. That’s when ‘RCR’ becomes ‘RCR & R.’”

10. Kevin Harvick: Harvick started second in the Sylvania 300 and led 216 of 300 laps, but ran out of gas with three laps remaining, losing the lead and finishing 21st.

“Our calculations said we had plenty of gas to finish the race,” Harvick said. “Am I in serious danger of not advancing to the next round? Well, you do the math, because you’re probably better at it than we are.”

September 29, 2015
Surprising and Not Surprising: Chicagoland myAFibRisk.com400

In the first race of the 10-race Chase to the championship here is what was surprising and not surprising from 15th Annual myAFibRisk.com 400 at Chicagoland Speedway.

Surprising: While Denny Hamlin proved he was better than the rest of the field, coming back from an early spin to win the first race of the Chase, he also proved he was better than one of basketball’s greatest.

“The first thing I’m going to do is text Michael Jordan,” Hamlin said in the media center after the race. “He texted me on Wednesday. Jordon said he was in Monte-Carlo. I popped in his head like I always do, which I thought was a little odd.

“He says, I know you’re about to head into the playoffs. I just want you to know I’ve never admitted to anybody that anyone is better than me at anything my whole life. But if you win this race this weekend, I will admit that you’re a better driver than I am.

“So the first thing I’m going to do is text him and say, Admit it, I’m better than you, and I want everyone to know.”

With the ‘W,’ Hamlin advances to the Contender round of the championship and also ties NASCAR Hall of Famer Fred Lorenzen for 27th on the all-time Series win list.

Not Surprising: Remember when Carl Edward’s nickname was ‘Concrete Carl’ for all of his wins on those types of tracks? Well, that moniker might now be changed to ‘Comeback Carl’ as the driver of the No. 19 Stanley Toyota finished in the runner-up spot after going down a lap earlier in the race.

“I had a speeding penalty. I set us back there,” Edwards said. “We knew if maybe we get our lap back, get back up there, we’d be all right.

“Overall we planned on the racetrack changing a lot. I felt like my guys did a great job getting the car tuned in for the end. I felt like all of us as a group at JGR worked great together this weekend.”

This was Edwards’s fourth top-10 finish in 11 races at Chicagoland and it was his 10th top-10 finish of the season.

Surprising: He may have achieved Iron Man status, but he certainly might have traded all that for just a little more rubber instead at this first race in the Chase.

Jeff Gordon tied Ricky Rudd with 788 consecutive starts, however, the driver of the No. 24 Axalta Chevrolet stayed out on old tires instead of coming to pit, causing him to go from leading the race to finishing 14th.

“I knew we were going to have a tough time with old tires like that,” Gordon said. “Gosh, it would have been so much sweeter if I’d been in Victory Lane right now.

“I’m very proud of all that I’ve achieved in this sport. There’s a lot of stats that are awesome numbers. This is one of them. And we’ve got nine more to go.”

Not Surprising: After recovering from his close encounter with Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick has a simple one-word recovery plan. He just plans to win.

“I just held my ground and he just slammed into the side of the door like I wasn’t even there,” the driver of the No. 4 Jimmy John’s/Budweiser Chevrolet said after his wreck with Johnson that led to his 42nd place finish. “So, the spotter was telling me four-wide and I guess he just figured that he’d come up the race track.

“But, I’m just really proud of everybody on our Jimmy John’s/Budweiser team for not giving up and doing all the things they had to do to get the car back on the track and we’ve just got to go win one of these races.”

Surprising: Kurt Busch, driver of the No. 41 Haas Automation Chevrolet was apparently readying himself for a pilgrimage after his third place Chicagoland finish.

“This is a long journey through these next 10 weeks,” Busch said. “We weren’t given a hall pass now, through Loudon and through Dover. We’ve just got to work hard as a team and saddle-up.”

This was Busch’s ninth top-10 finish in 15 races at Chicagoland Speedway.

Not Surprising: The mantra of every child known to man was echoed by one Chase driver Joey Logano, who basically said ‘It wasn’t me’ after the first Chase race.

Of his restart issue where the No. 48 and the No. 4 cars mixed it up, Logano replied, “I had nothing to do with that. The 48 went three-wide bottom and I was just sitting there. I was no part of it.”

And of the restart of Jeff Gordon that NASCAR reviewed and pronounced good, the driver of the No. 22 Shell Pennzoil Ford said, “I felt like the 24 jumped it once, but NASCAR isn’t calling it so we just need to push it.”

Logano qualified second and finished the Chicagoland race in the sixth spot.

“I felt like we were in the catbird seat on that restart starting sixth with new tires. I had a good start and got three-wide. The 18 got tight and fenced us. We lost all the spots that we should have gained. I felt like we were in the position that we needed to be in to win this thing.”

Surprising: While Hamlin punched his Chase ticket, there was no ticket, especially one of the speeding variety, for his teammate Matt Kenseth.

“I definitely didn’t speed anywhere today,” Kenseth said. “We really struggled. We had probably a 15th-place car at best and barely hung onto the lead lap all day and got the right line on the restart.

“Jason made some good adjustments, guys never quit. We were in the right line at the restart. Everybody got bottled up. I think passed seven or eight of them in the first corner, another two or three the next set of corners.

“Somehow we wound up fifth. We definitely finished way better than we deserved today. But that’s what you have to do in these things, you have to try to take your days and try to make them the best you can.”

Not Surprising: Martin Truex Jr. came close to losing it at Chicagoland, in fact losing out on his top-10 finishing record and slipping to finish 13th instead.

“You can’t win the Chase in the first race but you can sure lose it,” Truex said. “We didn’t lose it today but finishing 13th after running solidly in the top-10 for almost the entire race is very disappointing.

“We didn’t have the speed to get back up there at the end. Though we didn’t have a great race car today, it was sure better than 13th. We’ll regroup and go after it in New Hampshire next week.”

Surprising: Two drivers, who no doubt had Chase expectations coming into the 2015 season, showed they could still mix it up with the best. Kyle Larson and Aric Almirola both finished better than many of the Chasers, in fact in seventh and 10th respectively.

Not Surprising: Sometimes drivers are fans and sometimes not. After this race, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. was not alone in not being a fan of restarts while Tony Stewart was all about proving that Ryan Newman should be his fan.

“Those debris cautions, I’m not a fan of them,” Junior said after finishing 12th in his No. 88 Diet Mountain Dew Chevrolet.

Tony Stewart, on the other hand, was not only signing autographs for fans before the race but also autographing the back of Newman’s shirt, no doubt for a bit of luck.

Newman, one of the Chase contenders, finished fourth while Stewart finished well back in the 25^th position.

“I did what I had to do,” Newman said. “I was a lap down and took the wave around. That last caution was a blessing for us. Big improvement for where we were last year in the Chase. We just have to keep focused on our own deal.”

The second race in the Chase will occur at New Hampshire Motor Speedway next weekend on Sunday, September 27, 2015. The Sylvania 300 will begin at 2:00 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by NBCSN.

September 20, 2015
The Final Word – A Southern 500 that took us on a nice ride back to the future

Tradition. On Sunday, we learned that tradition means something. We learned it is actually worth waiting for its return, though why it took NASCAR a decade to solve the hot, muggy conditions of a day race in early September by simply moving it to the evening still boggles the mind. The Southern 500 was back, back to where and when it belonged, along with throwback paint schemes and other nods to the past. Tradition.

We learned that Ken Squier should be cloned. He is to auto racing what Vin Scully is to baseball, a poet with a microphone who has the gift to paint vivid pictures through prose, to enhance the action we see with our own eyes, to allow us to commune with the best of the sport’s past even as we watch its future unfold before us. One is an 80-year-old legend who we got to hear from again on Sunday night, the other is an 87-year old Dodger icon. We learned that sometimes the best of what is has been with us all along. Tradition.

Jeff Gordon, for one. Seven times he managed to not just survive but to thrive on the track too tough to tame over the course of his career. He finished 16th on Sunday in his event curtain call. Jimmie Johnson, a six-time Cup king and three-time Darlington winner, was 19th. These two eventual Hall of Famers were seen last weekend in the company as such past stars as Richard Petty, Bobby Allison, and Bill Elliott. Terry Labonte was the Grand Marshal. Ned Jarrett was put to work in the broadcast booth, alongside his son Dale. Tradition.

We learned that even though it is possible for 26 drivers to win a race from Daytona in February to Richmond later this month, it seems improbable. Only 11 different pilots have shaken the suds in Victory Lane this season, with the last first-time victor coming in the form of Martin Truex Jr. three months ago. For the second time this season it was Carl Edwards doing the backflip at the finish line, his first at Darlington’s Lady in Black. Once again, the same 16 drivers sitting in a Chase place coming in will be the same when they hit the line at Richmond next Saturday night.

Racing began in Darlington in 1950. Three years later, the Richmond tradition got its start. Potential winless Chasers have won there, including Gordon, Ryan Newman and Clint Bowyer. Drivers such as Tony Stewart and Kasey Kahne have claimed the prize before, and their only route to the Chase is to do it again this Saturday night. Of the quintet, though, only Bowyer has done so in the past decade. In fact, 19 of the other past 20 Richmond winners have already punched their tickets for this season’s Chase. Unless there is a break in tradition, the 20th should as well.

The 20 Richmond race winners over the past ten years include…

Kyle Busch (4)
Jimmie Johnson (3)
Kevin Harvick (3)
Denny Hamlin (2)
Kurt Busch (2)
Clint Bowyer (2)
Brad Keselowski
Carl Edwards
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Joey Logano

September 7, 2015
NASCAR BTS: Stewart Haas Sponsor Code 3 Associates

While Danica Patrick may just have scored a brand new sponsor for the next race season, Stewart Haas Racing has another unique sponsor relationship with a nonprofit organization by the name of Code 3 Associates.

This week’s NASCAR Behind the Scenes takes a closer look at Code 3 Associates, their unique synergy with an elite NASCAR team, and their new relationship with up and coming driver Cole Custer.

“Code 3 was a company that I will readily admit that I half-heartedly started in the 1980s when I was a police officer,” Eric Bagdikian, President, Code 3 Associates, said. “Right around the mid-1990s, my wife Nan Stewart had retired off the road as a California state humane officer and was in very high demand to teach and consult.”

“So, Code 3 became the perfect platform for her to work off to do that. She has really been the driving and passionate force behind Code 3 Associates.”

“As things developed, Code 3 branched out into two areas,” Bagdikian continued. “My wife and a former partner saw a need for animal welfare and care in times of natural disasters. At the time, there was little or nothing in the federal incident command structure has various different emergency service functions (ESFs). At that time, the realization of animals as part of the family was just coming out into the open as part of that protocol.”

“Nan and my partner saw this but also saw the need for a tool, which gave birth the BART, our 82-foot hauler, known affectionately as the Big Animal Rescue Truck. It literally houses everything that operators and responders are going to immediately need to respond to the needs of animals in a disaster.”

“The other side of the company that developed concurrently, because of Nan’s expertise, was training. At the time, there were only a few organizations that specialized in animal control training. This has become more important now because training is the first line for liability and risk management.”

“So, over the years, Code 3 has continued to develop in this area. One of the bigger animal control organizations was National Animal Care and Control Association (NACA) and Code 3 ended up joining forces. So, that is how Code 3 Associates came about and has evolved.”

Code 3 Associates also has a very unique story when it comes to their involvement in NASCAR.

“We have a benefactor who has a very, very strong interest in animals and are big NASCAR fans,” Bagdikian said. “Putting the two together, we are able to combine their passions, get into NASCAR and provide a cause to apply to that interest.”

“We looked at various different teams and drivers but back in the early 2000s Code 3 received an unsolicited donation of $500 from the Tony Stewart Foundation. The craziest things happen from the smallest seeds. So, that was the link. We approached Stewart-Haas Racing and it was the perfect recipe.”

“At the time Ryan Newman was one of the drivers on the team and of course Tony Stewart. They both have a very strong interest in animals. They both love animals. And Tony operates his Foundation, which provides for animals and/or children.”

“So, that’s how it all came about. It was a synergy that was waiting for a catalyst. It just so happened that Code 3 was the catalyst. We met with the VP of Business Development for SHR and we were truly amazing at his reaction to the synergy. Stewart-Haas has taken an active interest in what we are doing in almost a daily basis. They have been very supportive of Code 3 and animal welfare issues in general.”

Code 3 Associates and Stewart-Haas Racing also combine their missions in very down to earth unique ways.

“Code 3 holds a couple of training sessions at the race shop during the year,” Bagdikian said. “And that’s been at Stewart-Haas insistence. But they do have one complaint because when we are there all of the workers want to come out of the shop and play with the animals.”

“They’re not getting much done, but their frame of mind is much better when they get back to work!”

One of the most unique aspects of the Code 3 Associates partnership with Stewart-Haas Racing is their interest in the development of a seventeen-year-old racer Cole Custer.

Cole is a very bright, well-educated, outgoing young man. You don’t get that from him initially, but he is. And he really cares,” Bagdikian said. “When we initially started talking about this, Cole does bring the young element to the table.”

“And in my opinion, we have sold that generation short. I’ll call them kids, but that generation does care. They really do want to help. Cole is emblematic of that. NASCAR really needs to culture that generation into their fan base. So, it’s a perfect platform for that generation’s passions to also make that bridge to NASCAR.”

“While nobody can predict a cut and dry timetable, right now our mutual interest is really Cole’s development,” Bagdikian continued. “Some of us are focusing on the competition end of it and some of us are focusing on the off-track development. And that is where we see providing Cole the opportunity to represent the cause that he believes in as us helping him with his development.”

“I am a firm believer that as each day, month, year goes by, that representation will be more and more present. If we can help him grow and develop and benefit this cause, we are all for it.”

The most important partnership for Code 3 Associates is that they are fulfilling their mission with a long-term commitment to drivers like Cole Custer and teams like Stewart-Haas Racing.

“One of the things that I like is that drivers like Cole are coming in with no sense of entitlement,” Bagdikian said. “The vast majority of them have had to compete. Yeah, it’s all fine and well to say you are part of a team, but when you’re out on the track you are competing for yourself.”

“Cole has really worked and honed his craft with diligence and determination. I think this is one thing that really separates our sport from others as far as our up and coming athletes. There are not scholarships. They have to come up on their own merits. The recruitment opportunities in our sport are not as prevalent as in other sports.”

“So, I definitely I think we are in for the long-term with this NASCAR relationship.”

For more information about this unique organization and its NASCAR commitment, check out www.Code3Associates.org.

August 19, 2015
Hot 20 – Bowyer soon to become a free agent as MWR goes part-time in 2016

Hot news this week is headlined by the near-demise of Michael Waltrip Racing. The team has announced that it will not run full-time entries in 2016 and that Clint Bowyer will indeed be a free agent after this season. It has been a bit of a bumpy ride for the team that Mikey built, and Rob Kauffman paid for, and with the money man headed elsewhere, the writing was all over the wall. Kauffman is looking to buy into the Ganassi operation, but that deal is not done. Bowyer could wind up there, or wherever an opening appears between now and next season.

Danica Patrick has a new sponsor. With Go Daddy about to be Gone Daddy, Nature’s Bakery has decided that sponsoring the only woman in Sprint Cup is a great $20 million sponsorship opportunity. With just a single IndyCar win back in 2008 to go with her Budweiser Duel victory in 2013, she is not a great driver, but still a competent one with tons of drawing power. Plus, did you see her latest yoga video? I mean, I am a straight male and I fear the day I find something similar posted by Tony Stewart.

Stewart has had some tough times, with results no better than Patrick’s since he broke his leg driving on dirt in 2013. Then came the tragedy in upstate New York a year ago. The family of Kevin Ward Jr. filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Stewart on Friday. It alleges Stewart drove his car up the track, gunned his engine, causing the vehicle to slide and strike Ward with the rear-right tire. As a father of a couple of lads about Kevin’s age, I understand the family’s course of action. It was either Stewart’s fault or, as what came out of the criminal investigation, their son had enough marijuana in his system to impair his judgement and that in an act of bravado he approached Stewart’s car on foot and simply got too close and was struck. As a parent, what would you want to believe?

The action will be hot on Saturday night at Bristol, one of NASCAR’s fan favorite venues. There should be enough action to satisfy a television viewer who simply finds their way to the telecast, along with those who know what it all means for Kyle Busch, Bowyer, Aric Almirola, Kasey Kahne, and those behind them in the standings.

Our Hot 20 heading into Bristol include…

1. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 4 WINS
You know your focus is off when you can’t even remember where your pit stall is.

2. KYLE BUSCH – 4 WINS
Second in the standings, yet battling Cole Whitt for his playoff position.

3. MATT KENSETH – 3 WINS
Owned Michigan, has a down payment on Bristol.

4. KEVIN HARVICK – 2 WINS
Only three times he has missed finishing in the Top Ten…including Bristol in the springtime.

5. JOEY LOGANO – 2 WINS
Winner at the Brickyard and the Glen…you know, races one might actually remember.

6. DALE EARNHARDT JR. – 2 WINS
Man, he feels like a woman. Really. I heard him say so. You can’t make something like this up.

7. KURT BUSCH – 2 WINS
Sure, his brother has more wins, but when it comes to points, baby, Kurt rules!

8. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 1 WIN
Finished third and is still frustrated. I wonder if he has ever met Timmy Hill?

9. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 1 WIN
He and Joey no doubt would like their splitters back, splitters back.

10. DENNY HAMLIN – 1 WIN
Kyle and Matt and…what are the names of their two teammates again?

11. CARL EDWARDS – 1 WIN
Figures he has the car to beat at Bristol. Forty-two other drivers will attempt to prove him right.

12. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 663 POINTS
70 points up on Almirola, 47 ahead of Bowyer. McMurray remains good to go this Saturday.

13. PAUL MENARD – 654 POINTS
Along with Junior, loses 15 minutes of practice time this weekend due to inspection issues.

14. RYAN NEWMAN – 649 POINTS
Having an actress of the same name is confusing. I do not believe he is dating Jack Griffo.

15. JEFF GORDON – 648 POINTS
When they say “pull those belts tight, boys”, his boys tend to argue for a bit of slack.

16. CLINT BOWYER – 616 POINTS
NASCAR’s own bubble boy.

17. ARIC ALMIROLA – 593 POINTS
It would be a real shame if Clint has another bad day. Yes, it sure would be. Just ask Aric.

18. KASEY KAHNE – 590 POINTS
Now, if both Clint and Aric had bad days this Saturday night…

19. GREG BIFFLE – 553 POINTS
Three races in just over two weeks and he has to win one of them.

20. KYLE LARSON – 548 POINTS
Has done well in the few he has raced at Bristol. Now he needs to be great.

August 19, 2015