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Tag: Tony Stewart

  • Smoke Steals the Show at Ford OEM Press Conference

    Smoke Steals the Show at Ford OEM Press Conference

    Each season, the manufacturer reps and original engine manufacturers (OEM’s) meet with the NASCAR media corp in the deadline room at Daytona International Speedway to discuss the expectations for the upcoming season. The biggest takeaway from the Ford availability, however, is that retiring as a NASCAR driver hasn’t changed the fact that Tony Stewart is still the same Tony Stewart that most people love.

    Right from the start, the owner of Stewart-Haas Racing demonstrated his vintage snarkiness. Jack Roush spoke about forgiving Stewart for an incident involving him, Clint Bowyer and Carl Edwards at Pocono Raceway in 2007 when he “got frustrated with both of them at Pocono and he went after Clint and he got Carl.”

    “Is that the only time I did anything? (laughter) If that’s it, I’m good with that,” Stewart said. “I appreciate it.”

    The grenades continued flying, such as when he was asked to give the shortened story of when he and the folks at Ford started talking about transitioning SHR to the Ford camp.

    “I can’t remember the date, but Raj (Nair) was sitting out front begging at the front door (laughter),” he said.

    To which Nair responded, “Whatever it took (laughing).”

    Stewart fired back with “That’s why they put us on opposite sides of the table, in case you were wondering about that.”

    He was asked how Clint Bowyer’s transition to SHR was going and he delivered this classic.

    “You guys know Clint. It’s like dropping a super ball off the top of a building and watching it bounce around non-stop,” he said. “The only thing we’re trying to figure out is what size shock collar we need to get to him to keep his attention and keep him focused (laughter).”

    But the line that showed Stewart at his finest was his response to what it’s like being at Daytona as just an owner and not as a driver.

    “I’ll be honest, it’s been kind of nice. If I’m late to practice, nobody yells at me. If I leave practice early, nobody yells at me. And if I don’t show up for practice at all, nobody yells at me (laughter),” he said. “That side has been kind of nice. Really, the only drama I’ve had so far is Roger (Penske) picking at me on the color of shirt I wear, and I guess Jack has kind of given me the pardon already, so it’s been a pretty good weekend so far. If all I’ve got to worry about is my shirt color, I’ve got it made right now.”

  • The Final Word – NASCAR is back, but what gives with that points system?

    The Final Word – NASCAR is back, but what gives with that points system?

    A new season dawns upon us this weekend, with the Clash at Daytona this Saturday, to be followed by Sunday qualifying for the Daytona 500. After a couple of months sitting around watching world events and gleefully upsetting some with my witty political commentary, it is back to things involving gears and grease. So, much happen since we last chatted?

    A new points system; well, that ought to be great. Right? Wrong. Let me illustrate. Bob finishes first after the first 60 laps of the Daytona 500. He gets 10 points for doing so. Bob is sitting first after 120 laps. He gets another 10 points. Bob finishes the race, lap 200, in 21st. Bob gets an additional 16 points. Then there is Bill. He finishes the first segment in 11th. No points for Bill. Same thing after the second segment. Then over the final laps of the race, Bill is right up there challenging for the win. Bill falls just short. Bill gets 35 points for finishing second. Bob, when you add it all up, finishes 21st yet he has 36 points, one more point than Bill, who finished the race in second. Sounds just bloody wonderful. What is not to like, eh?

    Pardon me, but I am Canadian, which not only explains the “eh” but also my apology. The Duels will award from 1 to 10 points to the top 10 finishers in each race to count in the season standings. There are changes to how playoff points are awarded, but more on that later. It still comes down to win a race, more than likely make the Chase, and that is all that matters for the moment.

    No Canadians among Cup drivers. No Tony Stewart. No Jeff Gordon…but didn’t we say that last year? No Greg Biffle, at least for the time being. No Carl Edwards. No one seems exactly sure if he is just sitting one out or looking for a seat in the U.S. Senate. I wonder how secure Sen. Claire McCaskill, who comes up for re-election in 2018, is feeling these days?

    We have Clint Bowyer back in a real car, replacing Stewart. Daniel Suarez sits in for Edwards. Chris Buescher kind of replaces Biffle, in a car with ties to Jack Roush and JTG Daugherty Racing. Erik Jones sits in a brand new ride as the long-awaited teammate for Martin Truex Jr. Oh, Dale Earnhardt Jr. is back from his medically enforced vacation. That pretty much covers those who matter…at least those who matter at the moment.

    Wreck a car, park a car. No new shiny noses. No new rear or side panels. You have five minutes to fix the beast on pit row, and if that does not do the trick, a driver’s day is done. Bad news for him, great news for those poor sots back in the garage. If the car is wrecked, it is Miller Time.

    Sorry. I mean, Monster Energy time! Sprint hung up, and now we have a new title sponsor. Of course, for me it was Cup and it remains Cup. If you raced five years in Cup, you are limited to just 10 races in the junior circuit and seven in the trucks this season. They race none of those circuits’ Chase races. See, not all changes are bad. Some are downright about time.

    Still, that points system kind of sucks. Maybe it is just me. By the way, it is good to have you back.

  • Hot 20 – If dreams do come true, why not a Dale Earnhardt 500 at Talladega?

    Hot 20 – If dreams do come true, why not a Dale Earnhardt 500 at Talladega?

    With more than a month left in the old year, talk about the new is already starting to dominate. Tony Stewart is now retired, with Clint Bowyer no doubt thrilled at the chance to get back into quality equipment as his replacement. Dale Earnhardt Jr. is getting ready to return to racing, though that message from fiance Amy Reimann seems to indicate he never really left. Greg Biffle has left Jack Roush after all these years, with his old ride apparently being put on blocks for next season.

    Dear NASCAR: Please start branding your races so they might one day become stand alone marquee events. Along with the Daytona 500, the Southern 500, and the Brickyard 400, change it back to the World 600 at Charlotte and summertime should mark the Firecracker 400 at Daytona. While we are at it, who would not want to win at Talladega, taking the Hellmann’s Dale Earnhardt 500, or STP’s Richard Petty 500 at Martinsville? A Ridgeway grandfather clock with the King’s face on the face. Hey, it is not our circus, but we have grown fond of some of the monkeys.

    Jimmie Johnson has another trinket to keep polished. NASCAR, in its stupidity, has few iconic events, we know, but Johnson has won them all. Daytona 500? Twice. Southern 500? Twice. World 600? Four times. Brickyard 400? Four more. Ten-time winner at Dover. Nine at Martinsville. Did anyone mention seven Cup championships? Is it too early to wonder about an eighth? Jimmie Johnson is a living, breathing active iconic legend of the sport. Enjoy him while we can.

    Most athletes are done by the time they hit 40. NASCAR is lucky in that way, but even at that age folks start asking the drivers “how much longer?” once they hit the milestone. Johnson, Junior, Biffle, Matt Kenseth and Kevin Harvick have already reached the peak of that mountain. The good news is that young gents such as Chase Elliott, Ryan Blaney, and Austin Dillon have already arrived, with Ty Dillon coming soon, along with the likes of Erik Jones and Darrell Wallace Jr. Those are just the ones with decent rides, either at this level or the one just below. Like XFINITY champ Daniel Suarez, for instance.

    Elliott, Cup’s top rookie, turns 21 within the week. There are 50 drivers younger than him with some experience in the Cup, XFINITY, Camping World, or ARCA series. Harrison Burton finished 22nd in a truck race, third in an ARCA event. Jeff Burton’s boy turned 16 in October. Cole Custer does not turn 19 until January, yet was 10th best in the trucks this season, with a pair of XFINITY Top Tens to his credit in just five attempts. Tomorrow’s stars are coming.

    Let us not rush things, though. 2016 gave us a nice mix of seasoned veterans and fuzzy-cheeked talent, as our Hot 20 bears out.

    1. JIMMIE JOHNSON (5 WINS – 11 T5 – 16 T10) 5040 PTS
    Gunning for eight in 2017. What, too soon?

    2. JOEY LOGANO (3-16-26) 5037 PTS
    I will never forget what he and Brittany did to honor the family of Jake Leatherman.

    3. KYLE BUSCH (4-17-25) 5035 PTS
    If NASCAR was Canadian, would Kyle be sponsored by Smarties?

    4. CARL EDWARDS (3-9-18) 5007 PTS
    Not at the front of the field in the end, but left as the class of the field.

    5. MATT KENSETH (2-8-19) 2330 PTS
    With the Biff leaving, that ole Roush gang have now all departed for greener pastures.

    6. DENNY HAMLIN (3-12-22) 2320 PTS
    Average finish over the final 21 races was 8.5. Thirtieth at Charlotte ruined everything.

    7. KURT BUSCH (1-9-21) 2296 PTS
    Was better in the first half than the second. The good news is that 2017 begins with the first half.

    8. KEVIN HARVICK (4-17-27) 2289 PTS
    Best damn driver in NASCAR this season is a champion…just not for this year.

    9. KYLE LARSON (1-10-15) 2288 PTS
    Second-best 20-something driver this season, and seems to have designs on #1 in the next.

    10. CHASE ELLIOTT (0-10-17) 2285 PTS
    Not all Rookies of the Year are stellar choices, but this one most definitely is.

    11. MARTIN TRUEX JR. (4-8-17) 2271 PTS
    Next year, Erik Jones becomes his new teammate. If the boy wins, soda pop for everyone.

    12. BRAD KESELOWSKI (4-16-22) 2267 PTS
    Brad does not think the format led to great racing last week. Brad did not have my television.

    13. JAMIE MCMURRAY (0-2-12) 2231 PTS
    Joined by Larson, McMurray gave boss Chip Ganassi a pair in the Top Five last Sunday.

    14. AUSTIN DILLON (0-4-13) 2223 PTS
    Some wags figure if Woody from Toy Story drove in NASCAR, he would look a lot like Austin.

    15. TONY STEWART (1-5-8) 2211 PTS
    As iconic as Johnson, Petty, Earnhardt, Gordon, L. Petty, Pearson, Yarborough and Waltrip

    16. CHRIS BUESCHER (1-2-2) 2169 PTS
    Proof that one race can make a season.

    17. KASEY KAHNE (0-3-13) 898 PTS
    2004’s top rookie teams with a seven-time champ, a 13-time most popular, and 2016’s top rookie.

    18. RYAN NEWMAN (0-2-10) 895 PTS
    If he had actually been driving a Caterpillar, the car would have looked better after last Sunday.

    19. A.J. ALLMENDINGER (0-2-9) 830 PTS
    If getting the wave around works good enough to claim eighth at Homestead, why not?

    20. RYAN BLANEY (0-3-9) 812 PTS
    Turns 23 on New Year’s Eve. Talk about welcoming in a new year twice at the same party.

  • The Final Word – As it all went to crap for Edwards, Johnson rolls a seven in NASCAR finale

    The Final Word – As it all went to crap for Edwards, Johnson rolls a seven in NASCAR finale

    It was down to four as NASCAR made its final stop of the season at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Two champions had already been declared, with Johnny Sauter taking the truck title, with the junior circuit claimed by Mexico’s Daniel Suarez. Now it was down to Kyle Busch, Jimmie Johnson, Carl Edwards and Joey Logano to determine the Cup championship.

    Three-time champion Tony Stewart was the other driver who mattered. After 618 races, three championships, one more as a car owner, and with an IndyCar crown in the mix, he was stepping out as a driver to become a full-time team owner. As the laps went by, it became obvious this, like so many others in recent memory, was not going to be his day. That day could come next season if his drivers do well, and definitely will arrive soon enough when the Hall of Fame welcomes him.

    Within 60 laps, our contenders were all in the Top Five, along with Kevin Harvick, who at the time was leading the pack. It was obvious all those who mattered would be vying not only for the title but the win. It all depended on fate. Even so, if bad things happened early enough, they could be overcome. Johnson started at the rear of the pack due to some unauthorized modifications. No biggie. Kyle Busch came in early for a softening tire to go from being in the Top Five to the Top 20. Not a problem that could not be overcome. The secret was to stay close, and as the laps counted down, they were.

    As I’ve mentioned before, I do not watch the races live. I set it up to record, and start it up a couple of hours after the start time. If I had to sit through it live, and all those commercials, I do not know if I could do it. They need to come up with a better plan or surrender their viewership to only the most avid racing buffs. Few others would bother. Few others are these days, or so it appears. Then again, not my circus.

    It looked like Edwards, leading the way, might be the guy to beat. He was. Literally. A late caution interrupted the victory parade, and when they came out of the pits Carl led the Fabulous Four, with Logano behind him, two spots ahead of Johnson, with Kyle Busch sitting beside him on the re-start. As they pulled out, Logano attempted to dive down inside of Edwards, who tried to block. They collided, with Edwards slamming into the inside wall. He was done, as the red flag came out for 30 minutes in order to clear the carnage that included a bunch of names that normally would make headlines.

    Edwards’ reaction? He walked from the crash site to the pits, explained things to Logano’s crew, shook hands, and continued on to the care center. At a time when some would have went sniveling off to their safe place, that driver showed more class than most have. Than I have. Another season without getting the ring, but he left with tons of respect.

    They tried to get things going again, but then Ricky Stenhouse Jr. spun to bring out yet another caution, Johnson was sitting second. As they went one final time for a green-white-checker conclusion, he started on the inside lane, with Logano behind him, but history did not repeat itself. Johnson got tagged by his rival, but that only shot him to the front and that is where he stayed.

    Eighty career wins. Seven NASCAR championships. Sometimes life provides something that just makes you feel good. Real good. Homestead delivered just that as the final story of the final chapter of the 2016 season closed the book. Now, it is off to Daytona…in three months.

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Homestead

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Homestead

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson held off Joey Logano on an overtime restart and won at Homestead, earning his seventh Sprint Cup championship.

    “First,” Johnson said, “I’d like to thank the most important woman in my life. That would be ‘Lady Luck.’

    “This race was called the ‘Ford EcoBoost 400.’ I get an ‘echo boost’ when I say ‘Sprint Cup champion,’ because I hear it repeated six times.”

    2. Carl Edwards: Edwards was cruising to what appeared to be a championship run at Homestead before a caution flew with 15 laps to go. On the ensuing restart, Edwards dove low to block a charging Joey Logano and spun, first slamming the inside wall and then spinning back into traffic. Edwards’s day was done and his championship hopes were extinguished.

    “I was already visualizing my celebratory backflip,” Edwards said. “Instead of a landing stuck, however, it was disaster that struck.”

    3. Joey Logano: Logano finished fourth, and second to Jimmie Johnson in the championship race, in the Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead.

    “The wreck with 10 laps to go defined the outcome,” Logano said. “I had a good run on Carl Edwards and he blocked me, spinning himself and causing more wreckage. If I get by him clean, more than likely, I’m the Sprint Cup champion. That would have been my first, and at 23, I would be looking forward to many more Cups, particularly my third. After that, I would have been known as ‘Thrice’d Bread.’”

    4. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin finished ninth at Homestead, posting his 22nd top 10 of the year.

    “Congratulations to Jimmie Johnson,” Hamlin said. “He joins Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt Sr. as seven-time winners of the NASCAR championship. Jimmie is neither a ‘King’ nor an ‘Intimidator.’ Johnson’s much too humble to have such an audacious nickname. Me and the guys just call him ‘JJ,’ because he’s ‘Just Jimmie.’”

    5. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth started seventh and finished seventh in the Ford EcoBoost 400.

    “Jimmie Johnson’s seventh Sprint Cup championship is truly an amazing feat,” Kenseth said. “And it also takes amazing fingers to indicate that many championships.”

    6. Kyle Busch: Busch finished sixth at Homestead, behind championship contenders Jimmie Johnson, who won, and Joey Logano, who took fourth.

    “I really thought Carl Edwards was going to do it,” Busch said. “And I was right, because if you ask anyone about Sunday’s race, especially those on Logano’s team, they’ll say ‘he did it.’”

    7. Kevin Harvick: Harvick started on the pole at Homestead and finished third, recording his 17th top five of the season.

    “I’m known as ‘Happy,” Harvick said. “But after failing to have a chance to win the championship, friends and colleagues have said I don’t seem like myself. They tell me I’m ‘not Happy enough.’”

    8. Kurt Busch: Busch finished 13th at Homestead as Jimmie Johnson took the win and his seventh Sprint Cup championship.

    “Tony Stewart raced for the last time in Sprint Cup,” Busch said. “So, we may never see Tony in a Sprint Cup car ever again. I guess Tony’s ‘going away for a long time.’ But let’s be clear, Tony’s not going to jail.”

    9. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski was caught up in the Carl Edwards-Joey Logano mix up and finished 35th at Homestead, 11 laps down.

    “With no chance to win the championship,” Keselowski said, “I was really disinterested in putting forth my best effort. So, instead of being at Homestead, I would have rather best at home, instead.”

    10. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex was collected in a crash with 10 laps to go triggered when Carl Edwards tried to block Joey Logano on a restart. Truex’s No. 78 Toyota ended up in flames and he finished 36th.

    “I guess it’s fitting,” Truex said. “We started the Chase For The Cup ‘on fire,’ and ended it that way too.”

  • Stewart is frustrated to not have won any crown jewel races, but is glad to have run them

    Stewart is frustrated to not have won any crown jewel races, but is glad to have run them

    Tony Stewart, pondering whether failing to win any of the crown jewel events in NASCAR and IndyCar frustrates him, said it does, but “it was pretty damn cool to just have the opportunity to go race those races.”

    Speaking to the media earlier this afternoon at Homestead-Miami Speedway, the driver of the No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet was asked if there was anything missing from his resume that bothers him.

    “I would be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed that I didn’t win a Daytona 500, a Southern 500 and most of all an Indy 500,” Stewart said. “But, I look at it and look at where I was when I was 15 years old, and 18 years old, I never even thought I would get a chance to race those races let alone in all three of them have opportunities to win the race. In a perfect world, yes, I would have loved to be able to cross those three off the list. But at the same time, I look at the big picture and it was pretty damn cool to just have the opportunity to go race those races.”

    In 617 career Sprint Cup Series starts across 18 seasons, Stewart has amassed 49 career wins (13th on the all-time wins list). He’s won at all but three of the tracks at which he’s raced (Darlington Raceway, Kentucky Speedway and Rockingham Speedway). He’s got three Sprint Cup Series championships from 2002, 2005 and 2011 to his name. He set a new standard for rookie drivers when he took the sport by storm in 1999 with three wins, 12 top-fives, 21 top-10’s, two poles, 1223 laps led, a 10.3 finishing average and and Rookie of The Year honors on his way to finishing fourth in points.

    He also has an IndyCar title from 1997 on his resume.

    However, absent from his hall of fame came in any of NASCAR’s “Winston Million” races: the Daytona 500, the Coca-Cola 600 or the Bojangles’ Southern 500.

    He also failed to capture an Indianapolis 500 victory. Although he has two wins at The Brickyard in NASCAR.

    But as he stated, he’s glad to have run those races.

    He also has no desire to run another NASCAR race after this Sunday, even to get that elusive Daytona 500 victory.

    “This is it. This is the last one,” he added. “I think I learned my lesson from Jeff (Gordon). Jeff tried to do somebody a favor this year and got roped into running half the season (laughs). Thank you Jeff for teaching me a lesson before I got roped into it. So, no, I’m not planning on that at all. We are going to be busy. In all honesty and I don’t have a schedule set next year, but I just know the things that I’m planning, my schedule next year is going to be much busier than it already is this year. There is just not going to be room for it.”

  • Hot 20 – And now, the end is near, and so we face the final Homestead curtain

    Hot 20 – And now, the end is near, and so we face the final Homestead curtain

    So it ends. Another NASCAR season. A Hall of Fame career for Tony Stewart. The reign of a title sponsor. The wait for another seven-time champion, or a repeat champion, or maybe the crowning of the newest member of NASCAR royalty.

    Tony Stewart made his mark as an open wheel champion, and three times he proved to be the season best among those with fenders. One more race, one more chance to grab his 50th career win before he moves on to eventually join the Hall of Fame.

    Winston Cup held the rights for more than thirty years. Nextel had it for four, then when they got rolled into Sprint, the Sprint Cup it became for the past nine seasons. That ends at Homestead. Could it be the Monster Energy Cup next season? That remains to be seen.

    Will Jimmie Johnson join with two of the sport’s icons and become a seven-time champion? Can Kyle Busch repeat his championship run of last season and claim his second? Can Carl Edwards or Joey Logano finish the climb to the top of the mountain?

    The answer comes our way on Sunday at Homestead.

    The Hot 20, featuring wins, season-long points, and the official points tallies heading to Homestead.

    1. JOEY LOGANO – 3 WINS – 1095 S/PTS – 5000 PTS
    The best of the rest remaining in the hunt for the title.

    2. KYLE BUSCH – 4 WINS – 1027 S/PTS – 5000 PTS
    This seems like a good time to order up a double.

    3. CARL EDWARDS – 3 WINS – 997 S/PTS – 5000 PTS
    Always a bridesmaid, but will he get the ring this time?

    4. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 4 WINS – 963 S/PTS – 5000 PTS
    The King and the Intimidator await him as part of a very exclusive club.

    5. MATT KENSETH – 2 WINS – 963 S/PTS – 2296 PTS
    One mistake from above and his coach turned into scrambled pumpkin pie.

    6. DENNY HAMLIN – 3 WINS – 1052 S/PTS – 2288 PTS
    Was close when they started at Phoenix, just not close enough when they finished.

    7. KURT BUSCH – 1 WIN – 1027 S/PTS – 2268 PTS
    A win to be in, but there was no room at the inn this time.

    8. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 4 WINS – 986 S/PTS – 2266 PTS
    Rarely do leaders get penalized for passing the pace car to enter the pits. Last week was different.

    9. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 4 WINS – 1083 S/PTS – 2261 PTS
    Thought Joey would be a good fit for Penske after leaving Gibbs. It appears he was right.

    10. CHASE ELLIOTT – 0 WINS – 936 S/PTS – 2255 PTS
    Took over from Jeff Gordon, and still got to race against Jeff Gordon. Sweet.

    11. KEVIN HARVICK – 4 WINS – 1120 S/PTS – 2250 PTS
    The best over the course of the season, but they do not have a trophy for that.

    12. KYLE LARSON – 1 WIN – 890 S/PTS – 2247 PTS
    Eneos. If you know who they are, it might be due to this guy.

    13. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 0 WINS – S/871 PTS – 2195 PTS
    Official points give him 13th. The season-long tally has him behind Kahne and Newman.

    14. AUSTIN DILLON – 0 WINS – 873 S/PTS – 2194 PTS
    Paint scheme needs to include a pair of Texas longhorns on the hood. Just a suggestion.

    15. TONY STEWART – 1 WIN – 623 S/PTS – 2192 PTS
    Future Hall of Famer would love to bow out with a 50th victory.

    16. CHRIS BUESCHER – 1 WIN – 524 S/PTS – 2152 PTS
    One win. The difference between a notable season and finishing 28th in points.

    17. KASEY KAHNE – 0 WINS – 894 S/PTS – 894 PTS
    On the bright side, his season was better than that of team-mate Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

    18. RYAN NEWMAN – 0 WINS – 879 S/PTS – 879 PTS
    Stewart will soon be going, just not to where Newman once suggested he go to.

    19. RYAN BLANEY – 0 WINS – 797 S/PTS – 797 PTS
    It comes down to this….Ryan or A.J. for 19th.

    20. A.J. ALLMENDINGER – 0 WINS – 797 S/PTS – 797 PTS
    Might have a teammate, at least for a few races, next season.

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Phoenix

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Phoenix

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson finished 38th at Phoenix, 28 laps down, his day ruined by a penalty for passing the pit car during a pit stop.

    “That’s a penalty I really don’t understand,” Johnson said. “I think I’ll ask for some clarification from NASCAR. Then again, maybe I won’t. Getting a straight answer from NASCAR is ‘exhausting,’ because all they do is blow smoke up your behind.”

    2. Kyle Busch: Busch finished second at Phoenix to qualify for the Chase finale based on points. Busch was involved in a late restart crash that knocked Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Matt Kenseth out of the lead and cost him a spot in the final four at Homestead.

    “I’m happy to make the final,” Busch said, “but I feel terrible that I may have played a part in knocking Matt out. I hate to talk sponsors at a time like this, but it would be a great time for Mars to introduce a new ‘M&M’s Bittersweet’ product.”

    3. Carl Edwards: Edwards finished 19th in the Can-Am 500. Edwards will join Jimmie Johnson, Joey Logano, and Kyle Busch at Homestead, where the Sprint Cup champion will be determined.

    “I’m happy for Kyle,” Edwards said, “But I really feel bad for Matt Kenseth. I’d like to comfort him by putting my arm around his neck. But it would be wise for me to be careful. There’s a fine line between a shoulder to cry on and a headlock.”

    4. Joey Logano: Logano won the Can-Am 500 at Phoenix to secure his spot in the Chase finale at Homestead.

    “Ironically,” Logano said, “Matt Kenseth’s spin allowed me to win the race and advance to the finale. I guess the saying is true, ‘What goes around, comes around,’ especially when it’s the back end of Kenseth’s car.”

    5. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin finished seventh at Phoenix and failed to advance to the final round of the Chase For The Cup.

    “I look at the Sprint Cup standings,” Hamlin said, “and I no longer see that ‘C’ by my name, indicating I’m ‘in the Chase.’ That means I’m on the outside looking in, and I don’t like what I ‘C.’”

    6. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth had victory in sight, and a spot in the Chase finale, before a caution led to a restart, where disaster struck. Kenseth was spun by Alex Bowman after Bowman and Kyle Busch made contact in Turn 1. Kenseth finished 21st.

    “And Joey Logano won instead of me,” Kenseth said. “I guess I deserved that. You could say I got my ‘just desserts in the desert.’”

    7. Kevin Harvick: Harvick finished fourth at Phoenix but was eliminated from contention for the Cup title at Homestead.

    “I’ve dominated at Phoenix over the years,” Harvick said, “but just didn’t have enough this time. We put ourselves in a hole early in the Chase and couldn’t recover, and we’re very sad about it. If you add ‘too little’ and ‘too late,’ you get ‘forlorn.’”

    8. Kurt Busch: Needing a win to advance, Busch finished a disappointing fifth at Phoenix. Like Stewart-Haas Racing teammate Kevin Harvick, Busch fell short in making the Chase finale at Homestead.

    “It’s very difficult,” Busch said, “starting a race while knowing you have no chance whatsoever of winning the Sprint Cup championship. I admire Danica Patrick because she manages that feeling 36 times a year.”

    9. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski finished 14th at Phoenix as Penske Racing teammate Joey Logano took the win.

    “I’ll do everything in my power to help Joey win the Sprint Cup championship,” Keselowski said. “I would go as far as saying I will accept ‘team orders’ to benefit Joey. In other words, if the team orders pizza, I’ll be happy to go pick it up.”

    10. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex finished 40th at Phoenix, 40 laps down, for his worst finish of the season.

    “Tony Stewart will race in Sprint Cup one last time at Homestead,” Truex said. “Tony’s passion for the sport will be missed, and so will his ornery behavior. Tony puts the ‘ass’ in ‘ambassador.’”

  • Hot 20 – There are a lot of nice things to do in Phoenix, but winning Sunday would be the nicest

    Hot 20 – There are a lot of nice things to do in Phoenix, but winning Sunday would be the nicest

    I like being nice. Sure, I can bitch with the best of them, but it is nice when one can say nice things about someone. For instance, I think NASCAR did the right thing by calling the race at Texas last week. Let me see, the race was already delayed by five hours and the skies really opened up with 40 to go. Damn right they should have wrapped things up when they did. The fans at the track no doubt had enough. Those watching on television had enough. We all knew it was going to get wet again, and Carl Edwards was leading when it came down. I see no controversy over the call. In fact, it was downright merciful.

    I think it is nice when someone decides that family comes first, even if it is not what fans want to hear. Twenty-eight-year-old Brian Scott is stepping out of his ride with Richard Petty next season to spend more time with his family. He admits the Cup schedule “has taken its toll” and caused him “to re-evaluate what I want in life for myself and for my family.” You cannot blame a man for that. Some things are just more important.

    Like honoring the life of a five-year-old boy. Jake Leatherman’s journey came to an end after a valiant battle against juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia. He had become a huge NASCAR fan, and when his mom asked if anyone in the NASCAR community could attend his services this past week in uniform, they did not let him and his family down. They represented such organizations as Penske, Stewart-Haas, Childress, Hendrick and Petty. Sometimes the youngest among us can inspire us to be our best.

    It is sure nice to see that Dale Earnhardt Jr. has returned to racing. Well, not actually racing. Just driving fast. Faster than the law will allow. No pit road penalty, just a cop and a ticket book. Welcome back, Junior!

    The boys and girl are welcomed back to Phoenix on Sunday. Jimmie Johnson and Edwards are locked into the Final Four. Joey Logano and Kyle Busch are in, but by just a point over Matt Kenseth and two ahead of Denny Hamlin. Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch either have to win or hope it is a bad day at Black Rock sort of situation for those other dudes.

    1. JIMMIE JOHNSON – SEGMENT WIN (4074 Pts)
    Just another nice Sunday drive chatting with Chad on his radio.

    2. CARL EDWARDS – SEGMENT WIN (4049 Pts)
    Was like Gene Kelly last week. You know, just singing in the rain.

    3. JOEY LOGANO – 4074 PTS
    After he and Brittany attended young Jake’s funeral this week, I have a whole new level of respect for this couple.

    4. KYLE BUSCH – 4074 PTS
    Good luck, Kyle. Go out there and break a leg. What? Too soon?

    5. MATT KENSETH – 4073 PTS
    Was having just a so-so season until Dover…then things just sort of perked right up.

    6. DENNY HAMLIN – 4072 PTS
    Two spots open, two points separating the top four contenders.

    7. KEVIN HARVICK – 4056 PTS
    Of course, if Harvick wins yet again at Phoenix, one of those spots would be spoken for.

    8. KURT BUSCH – 4040 PTS
    Eight remaining Chasers, five of ‘em former champions.

    9. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 2265 PTS
    Driver most likely to be leading a race won’t win a title this year due to bad luck.

    10. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 2234 PTS
    Four-time winner this season, he might not be done yet.

    11. CHASE ELLIOTT – 2223 PTS
    We know his dad is happy the way Tuesday turned out. You know, so am I.

    12. KYLE LARSON – 2209 PTS
    Inexperienced enough to continue driving XFINITY…good enough to win Texas event.

    13. AUSTIN DILLON – 2192 PTS
    After Texas, the “Silver Spoon Kid” might be gunning for the outlaw known as Happy.

    14. TONY STEWART – 2166 PTS
    1 IRL title, 3 Cup crowns, 2 Brickyard 400’s, 4 Firecracker 400’s, 8 road course wins.

    15. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 2165 PTS
    Wonders how you might be set in regards to ratcheting wrenches and hand tools.

    16. CHRIS BUESCHER – 2143 PTS
    I am sure he agrees with me that sometimes you just have to call a race early.

    17. KASEY KAHNE – 866 PTS
    Spending his summer driving in Australia. Summer there begins in December.

    18. RYAN NEWMAN – 850 PTS
    Was caught on a hot mic saying bad things at Texas. The President-Elect knows how that feels.

    19. A.J. ALLMENDINGER – 773 PTS
    17th in Texas snapped a three-race streak of Top Tens.

    20. RYAN BLANEY – 764 PTS
    Considering who is not on this list, this has been a pretty decent season for the 22-year old.

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Texas

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Texas

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Jimmie Johnson: With his place in the Chase finale set, Johnson cruised to an 11th place finish at Texas.

    “All I heard during race week was ‘Don’t mess with Texas,’” Johnson said. “Well, I was happy not to.”

    2. Carl Edwards: Edwards beat martin Truex, Jr. out of the pits on the race’s final stop and was declared the winner when rain end the AAA Texas 500. Edwards joins Jimmie Johnson as qualifiers for the Chase finale at Homestead.

    “I decided to forgo my celebratory backflip,” Edwards said, “with the hopes I’ll be able to do it at Homestead. That’s a ‘flip-flop’ worthy of election season.”

    3. Joey Logano: Logano led 178 of 293 laps at Texas and finished second.

    “We had to sit out a rain delay before the race,” Logano said. “A six-hour rain delay, to be exact. When there’s rain in the sky, and NASCAR fans have nothing to do but wait, you can be certain it was ‘pouring.’”

    4. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin finished ninth at Texas as Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Carl Edwards took the rain-shortened win.

    “Phoenix will be pressure-filled,” Hamlin said. “And pressure-packed. Nerves will be a factor. But I can tell you, every part of my body possesses the competitive spirit. Even my heart will be racing.”

    5. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth took seventh in the AAA Texas 500, and now sits one point behind Joey Logano among drivers who haven’t clinched a spot in the Chase For The Cup final round.

    “Congratulations to Carl Edwards,” Kenseth said. “One of the spoils of victory at Texas is a black cowboy hat. Take it from me, just because he’s wearing a black hat doesn’t make Carl a bad guy. Carl was a bad guy before he put on the hat.”

    6. Kyle Busch: Busch posted his 16th top-five finish with a fifth at Texas. Busch is tied with Joey Logano, one up on Matt Kenseth, and two ahead of Denny Hamlin.

    “Two spots for Homestead have been filled,” Busch said, “and two remain. Two plus two equals four. Let’s just hope that ‘4’ isn’t Kevin Harvick. Somehow, mysteriously, Harvick always seems to find a way to win at Phoenix. No one can ever catch him. In other words, he doesn’t ‘get caught.’”

    7. Kevin Harvick: Harvick finished sixth at Texas and will likely need a win at Phoenix to advance.

    “I’m extremely worried that I won’t advance to have a chance to win the Sprint Cup championship,” Harvick said. “You could say I’m a ‘wreck.’ Some drivers, noting my history of avoiding elimination, would say I’m a ‘wreck waiting to happen.’”

    8. Kurt Busch: Busch finished 20th, one lap down, in the AAA Texas 500, and now needs a win at Phoenix to be eligible for the championship at the Chase finale at Homestead.

    “My back is against the wall,” Busch said. “But it’s a familiar situation. Usually, that happens when a rival driver I’ve pissed off jacks me up.”

    9. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski finished 14th in the rain-delayed and rain-shortened AAA Texas 500.

    “There’s been a lot of talk about concussions,” Keselowski said. “Actually, I think I’d like to have a concussion because there are a lot of recent memories I’d like to forget.”

    10. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex finished third at Texas, posting his eighth top five of the year.

    “Dale Earnhardt Jr. was pulled over for speeding while on his way to Texas Motor Speedway,” Truex said. “Let’s hope that this instance of Junior getting ‘clocked’ doesn’t cause a concussion.”