Testing SpeedwayMedia.com

Tag: Toyota

  • The Final Word – In Kansas, Harvick was Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End

    The Final Word – In Kansas, Harvick was Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End

    Boogity, boggity, boggity. It was Saturday night racing at Kansas, boys. Yes, sir, it was the Might As Well Watch Paint Dry 400. Kansas, where excitement goes to die. Kevin Harvick started at the pole and led through to the competition caution. Ryan Blaney led at the re-start and continued to do so right to the end of the opening segment. Okay, Harvick did make it close at the end, but close does not even count in horseshoes when the other guy wraps his around the peg. Maybe we would be hanging on the edge of our seats in the middle frame. Lord, I hoped so.

    I forgot that this was Kansas, where such hopes also go to die. Harvick led the segment for 50 laps, then gave it up to Kyle Larson for the final 30. There. That was our excitement. Okay, Jimmie Johnson came into the second stanza down a lap. Daniel Suarez and Brad Keselowski joined him after coming in for tire issues under green. At this point, the smart money was on either Larson, Harvick, or Blaney. Did an entirely new crop of fans take this in, and were now sitting there in front of the television sets saying that from now on they just have to watch this sport? Damn near made myself laugh just now.

    Matt Kenseth was racing. He spent most of the time off the lead lap, but he was out there replacing Trevor Bayne for this one. Being in a Ford is good this year unless you are in a Roush Fenway Ford. Kenseth is a great driver. He is a former champion. However, he can not turn water into wine, and he needed that kind of miracle power.

    Mind you, his chances were better than this race becoming a ratings juggernaut. When we opened the final segment already half the field found themselves a lap or more down. Larson led when they went green and stayed there until caution finally came out with 30 to go. Suarez wobbled, and William Byron sideswiped him just enough to cut down a tire. Oh, and Blaney had gotten by Harvick to sit a distant second. Harvick remained in third. Would anyone else even matter on this night?

    Why yes. After they got going again, Harvick emerged up front, but Joey Logano slipped into the runner-up spot. With 20 to go, the pair of Larson and Blaney were fighting it out for third when they came together. After hitting the wall, it was goodbye to Mr. Blaney. Larson’s team ended their own hopes, we thought, when they messed up in the pits. They went after a fender repair, but the tire was never tightened before the jack dropped. Yet in the end, Larson claimed fourth. Okay, that was a bit of a miracle.

    After 240 laps of dry as dust action, they did their best to create some measure of excitement. Harvick pitted under caution, but Logano, Martin Truex Jr., Erik Jones, Denny Hamlin, Chase Elliott, and Byron did not. They were leading Harvick when they dropped the green, but within seconds a wreck beside Harvick missed him by a hair. Byron clipped Clint Bowyer and slammed face first into the wall. Ryan Newman and Kenseth were among those collected.

    With eight to run, it took Harvick no time at all to use his four fresh friends to charge up into second, and when it came down to the final two trips around he got around Truex and that was the race. It was Harvick’s fifth victory on the season and 42nd of his career. Good point nights were recorded by Larson and Logano, while it was single digits for Byron, Newman, and Suarez.

    Next week, they head to Charlotte where the stars will shine for the annual exhibition classic. Johnson has won four of them, though it would be tough to jump on his bandwagon at the moment. Chevrolet has won more than half of them over the years, but that is another musical conveyance that might be shy a few believers. For example, on Saturday night there were five Fords in the Top Ten, Toyota had four, and Larson the lone bowtie representative. That is how this season has gone for them.

    It will be another Saturday night, but at least we won’t be in Kansas anymore, Toto.

  • Can Anyone Compete With Ford?

    Can Anyone Compete With Ford?

    Ford has done nothing short of dominating the 2018 NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series (MENCS) season. Eleven races into the 36 race season and Ford has managed to find their way into victory lane six total times. While it is true that four of the six wins came with Stewart-Hass Racing driver Kevin Harvick, the other Ford drivers in the field have been strong. There is no shortage of talent, or speed, in the Ford camp.

    So far in 2018, Ford has amassed 2,145 laps led, 48 top 10s, 17 stage wins, and six race wins. Things seem to be picking up for the “Blue Oval.”

    Stewart-Hass Racing has obviously been the dominant Ford team this season, accounting for five of the six wins that Ford has, of which Kevin Harvick owns four, and Clint Bowyer has one. Team Penske driver Joey Logano has the other Ford victory that came at Talladega Superspeedway in the 10th race of the Cup Series season.

    The fact that Harvick and Logano are the only two Ford drivers to win so far this season is not a reflection of the strong cars that the manufacturer has brought to each track this season. Brad Keselowski, Ryan Blaney, Kurt Busch, Aric Almirola, and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. have all had some really great runs this season. Blaney probably should have won Bristol, until he was caught up in a wreck coming to the end of the second stage.

    Keselowski has had a strong car at several races this season but has fallen into the clutches of bad luck. At Bristol, he blew a tire toward the end of the race and erased any shot he had at winning. At Talladega, he got caught up in the big one on lap 165 by running into the back of teammate Blaney, who were both a part of the 14 cars involved in the calamity.

    Roush Fenway Racing has shown some speed with Ricky Stenhouse Jr., who drives the No. 17 for the team. Those strong runs, combined with the recent announcement that 2003 MENCS Champion Matt Kenseth will be returning to the team to run a part-time schedule in the No. 6 car currently driven by Trevor Bayne, could be the shot in the arm that team needs to become a contender again.

    But, Ford’s domination isn’t limited to the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. They are also flexing some muscle in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Of the 10 races run in the series, Ford has snagged four wins with four different drivers. Harvick, Keselowski, Logano, and Blaney have all taken home a trophy this season driving a Ford.

    In the Xfinity Series, Ford has recorded 631 laps led, 22 top 10s, five stage wins, and four race wins. Team Penske accounts for three of the four wins, between three different drivers (Keselowski, Logano, and Blaney). Stewart-Hass Racing has the fourth win with Harvick.

    Ford has scored a win at four very different race tracks, including ISM Raceway, Atlanta, Auto Club, and Texas. These tracks range anywhere between one mile in length to two miles in length, showing that Ford is capable of winning regardless of the tracks that they run on. We will have to wait until later in the season to see if they will be able to keep the momentum going on the road courses and the bigger tracks like Michigan and Pocono.

    In short, if you are a Chevrolet or Toyota team, you need to be doing some serious digging to try to shut these Fords down this season. We do have to give credit where it is due; Toyota has won four races this season. Three with Kyle Busch and one with 2017 MENCS Champion, Martin Truex Jr. But if you are a Chevy team, you need to be worried. With only one win coming at this year’s Daytona 500, Chevy has not seen the early success that it is used to. Jimmie Johnson, a seven-time champion and one of the strongest, consistent Chevy drivers, has struggled this season and currently sits in the longest winless streak of his career, dating back to the spring Bristol race of 2017. Kyle Larson, though, has shown some strength this year. He battled with Kyle Busch for much of the third stage at Bristol but could not capitalize on the run after spinning out while leading the race.

    It may still be early in the season, but I don’t think it would be a surprise for us to see a Ford taking home the championship in the MENCS when they make their final stop of the year at Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 18. And don’t be surprised if it is the No. 4 Fusion for Stewart-Hass Racing claiming his second MENCS title.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • Kyle Busch on Pole at Atlanta, First at 1.5-Mile Oval

    Kyle Busch on Pole at Atlanta, First at 1.5-Mile Oval

    Kyle Busch will have a front row seat when the field takes the green flag for Sunday’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race after qualifying with the fastest speed of 184.652 mph at Atlanta Motor Speedway.  Driving the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, Busch nabbed the top spot from Ryan Newman (184.419 mph) and clinched his first career pole at the iconic 1.5-mile oval.

    Busch was cautiously optimistic after winning the pole.

    “The pole run was really good with being able to start up front where we left off last year having strong qualifying efforts each week all year long.” But, he added, “Atlanta is a tough place. It certainly isn’t easy, you have to able to make sure you bide your time here with the tires and everything. Going through three rounds of qualifying is a challenge and it certainly was for us. But we got it right there on the last round and were certainly were able to hit a good lap there on the last one. We got everything we needed out of the racecar, so we certainly were glad the time popped up when it did to put us on the top of the sheet and we’re looking forward to Sunday.”

    Ryan Newman will join Busch on the front row after qualifying with the second fasted speed.

    “We’ve got a good racecar with our Liberty National Life Insurance Chevrolet. Obviously, the Camaro is strong out of the box, but wish we could have got that pole for them as well as us. Just in general, look forward to this weekend,” Newman said.

    Kevin Harvick (184.388 mph) will start third, placing all three manufacturers in the top-3 starting positions. Daniel Suarez (184.229 mph) and Brad Keselowski (183.856 mph) round out the top-five.

    “I think everybody did a great job on our Jimmy John’s/Busch Ford and the car still had speed. It just didn’t drive as good as we needed it to drive to cut to the center of the corner and it was just way too tight the whole time. We were that way in race trim too, and you don’t get a lot of chances at it in practice to try and make it better, so we took our best guess at it,” Harvick said.

    Perhaps the biggest news besides Busch’s first career pole at the speedway was the pre-qualifying inspection failure by defending Monster Energy Cup champion, Martin Truex Jr. After three failed attempts to pass through Optical Scanning Station, NASCAR’s rule book states that a crew member gets ejected and the team is docked 30 minutes of practice. Blake Harris, car chief for the No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Toyota will be ejected for the remainder of the weekend. Truex will start at the rear of the field, as he and Harrison Rhodes did not turn a lap during qualifying.

    “NASCAR’s new inspection process is just that … new,” said Joe Garone, president of Furniture Row Racing. “The tolerances are very tight, within thousandths of an inch. It’s difficult to push the limits where you feel you need to and still be within the tolerances of the new system. One thing we won’t do is leave anything on the table and expect to get poles and wins. We will always push for the maximum.”

    Notable drivers eliminated during the first round of qualifying include Chase Elliott, Ryan Blaney, and last week’s Daytona 500 champion Austin Dillon. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., who topped first practice earlier in the day, backed up his run with a sixth-place start at 183.722 mph for Sunday’s race.

    “Some days you do and some days you don’t and we didn’t today. So, I don’t know. We were way off, not even close. So, I don’t really have much of an excuse for it. We just didn’t hit it right today and we’ll go to work tonight and work through it and hopefully get ready for tomorrow. It’s our only option now,” Elliott said.

    The green flag will wave on Sunday afternoon for the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 shortly after 2 p.m. ET at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

  • The View From My Recliner — Pre 500

    The View From My Recliner — Pre 500

    It’s been a while, but the recliner is set for another great season of NASCAR action.

    I hope there is more action in the Daytona 500 than the Advanced Auto Parts Duel at Daytona because riding around in single file and the big one happening on the final lap doesn’t mean action to me.

    It looks like the new ride height rule has crew chiefs and engineers scratching their heads about how to make the car handle at Daytona. Thankfully they have a couple of days to run simulations and get a plan together and hopefully bring us an action-packed Daytona 500.

    The idea behind this column is to share the perspective of a fan. If there is something you want to comment on, feel free to e-mail me jdhwood20@aol.com. I am here for you.

    Time for some Bold Predictions from the Recliner.

    • The five crew members over the pit wall will be a mess and before NASCAR gets to Charlotte for the All-Star Race, that rule will change.
    • Ryan Blaney will win the Daytona 500.
    • I will be the new owner of BK Racing. Well, not really, but Ron Devine won’t be soon.
    • When we hit the intermediate tracks, every Ford driver will be complaining that Chevy and Toyota will have an unfair advantage.
    • The Danica Double will end with wrecks at Daytona and Indy.
    • Chase Elliott will get his first win and they will keep coming after that.
    • Furniture Row Racing will have the Championship hangover and Martin Truex Jr. will not make the final four at Homestead.
    • The final four at Homestead will be: Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, Kyle Larson and Ryan Blaney.
    • The 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Champion will be Kyle Larson.

    There are a few things I will be watching for this year.

    I want to see how Aric Almirola performs in Stewart-Haas equipment. He was respectable at Richard Petty Motorsports, but he knew most weeks that a top-15 was what he could hope for. Now that he is in a top-notch ride, he needs to prove he is the driver who can handle the equipment.

    I hope Bubba Wallace gets enough funding and RPM has the patience to see him develop as a driver at the Cup level. I think he has the talent and I hope he gets the chance to prove it.

    I am looking forward to finding out how the Hawkeye inspection platform works and if we will have 20 cars late for qualifying.

    It truly is an honor to have this space to share my thoughts on a sport I love.

    Enjoy the Duels and the rest of Speedweek.

    We’ll talk soon when I share The View From My Recliner.

  • Four Gears: Kevin Harvick, John Hunter Nemechek, Winston Millon/No Bull 5 and Toyota

    Four Gears: Kevin Harvick, John Hunter Nemechek, Winston Millon/No Bull 5 and Toyota

    It’s time to cycle through the transmission for another edition of Four Gears.

    This week, our resident NASCAR journalists were asked if other drivers should be as up front as Kevin Harvick was about his pit crew to affect change. They also considered whether John Hunter Nemechek deserves all the flak he’s gotten for his last lap move at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park and if he could’ve handled his last turn differently.  Another topic up for discussion was what programs like the old Winston Million and the No Bull 5 NASCAR could do to put emphasis on the crown jewel events and the odds of another Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota title victory at Homestead.

    FIRST GEAR: Kevin Harvick was blunt in his criticism of his pit crew at Darlington. Now there’s going to be a big change in the pit crew of the No. 4. In order to affect proper change, should more drivers be as up front and critical as Harvick was?

    Yes. Too much “toeing the line” in the sport, and to speak up and affect change on any level in NASCAR is a must. — Joseph Shelton

    It all depends on the situation. When it happens once, there’s no need to make a stink about it. After a couple of times, maybe it’s time to talk to the team in private. When it’s a constant thing, it needs to be addressed in public. Harvick has thrown away at least two wins this year because of terrible pit stops and didn’t get a major change until he made it public. — Michael Finley

    I would say yes, but I don’t think anyone could match Kevin Harvick’s bluntness from this past week. Sitting in the media center at Darlington Raceway, I had a front-row seat for the show or one question show. When he was asked if he would considering swapping pit crews with another one of his teammates, he got up and left.

    But in all seriousness, sometimes you need to chastise someone to get results. If this doesn’t serve as a wake-up call to his crew, then they need to be replaced. — Tucker White

    SECOND GEAR: John Hunter Nemechek was subjected to a ton of hate on social media following his MoSport win. Was it justified? Could he really help what happened in that final corner?

    Nemechek drove in over his head a bit, but he aggressively went for a win and got it. That’s what a driver is supposed to do, and considering NEMCO doesn’t have the financial cushion of JR Motorsports he’s fighting to keep the team competitive.

    As for the hate he was subjected to, it was ridiculous. It was a double-standard among peers and fans for sure. — Joseph Shelton

    When you are a young, hungry driver, you do anything to win. Nemechek didn’t just straight up dump Custer like he could have. And unlike a lot of kids coming up today, Nemechek knew when and where to be aggressive like that. It’s smarter when it’s for the win and dumber when it’s for 11th. — Michael Finley

    I’m not going to be hypocritical and say the hate wasn’t justified. I also took John Hunter Nemechek to task for his move on the final lap.

    But being just two years older than him, I also understand that he’s young and he’s going to make mistakes. I believe it was a heat of the moment decision that he’ll learn from and not be as over the line going for the win again. — Tucker White

    THIRD GEAR: With Martin Truex Jr.’s win Sunday, he now has two wins in 2016, both in two of the sport’s crown jewel events. What could NASCAR do to resurrect the Winston Million/No Bull 5 programs of the ’90s and 2000s?

    It’d be neat to have a similar program make its return, especially something like the No Bull 5, where a fan also won a cool million. Let’s see what the next series title sponsor has in mind. — Joseph Shelton

    A better title sponsor next season could be awesome. The No Bull was dumb to me (Although I did like the fan component of it) but the Winston Million was amazing. Just make the tracks Daytona, Charlotte, Indy, and Darlington and you’ve made important races even more so. — Michael Finley

    I’ve always wanted NASCAR to reboot the Winston Million and put more emphasis on the crown jewel races. Other than the Daytona 500, the other three crown jewel events are usually just another race.

    Other than a name change, just bring back the Winston Million as it was with the Daytona 500, the Coca-Cola 600, the Brickyard 400 (although it’s hard to consider it a crown jewel event when only 30-50,000 people are in attendance at a track that sits over 200,000) and the Bojangles’ Southern 500. — Tucker White

    FOURTH GEAR: What are the odds of another JGR Toyota winning the championship at Homestead?

    92 percent. Stewart-Haas Racing has been in the picture, and Team Penske is still right on JGR’s bumper, but as successful as Toyota has been this year I could see a JGR championship again at Homestead. — Joseph Shelton

    50/50. Yeah, they have run great all season. But Brad Keselowski has been strong, Joey Logano has been tough. After Dover last season, you cannot count out Kevin Harvick at any time. And all three are higher in driver points right now than any one Gibbs driver. — Michael Finley

    According to Las Vegas, Kyle Busch is 5/1, Carl Edwards is 10/1, Denny Hamlin is 10/1 and Matt Kenseth is 12/1 (odds are from Vegas Insider).

    What odds I’d give JGR to win? I’d say they’re pretty good. But I’m not going to rule out Team Penske or Stewart-Haas Racing. — Tucker White

  • The Least Successful Sprint Cup Driver of 2014 is…

    The Least Successful Sprint Cup Driver of 2014 is…

    For some, 2014 was a damn good year. Kevin Harvick won five and the title. Brad Keselowski led the way with six victories, with Joey Logano also a five-time victor. The Hendrick power trio of Dale Earnhardt Jr, Jeff Gordon, and Jimmie Johnson all had four apiece, as all six listed here with 20 or more Top Tens while winning 28 of the 36 events. Unfortunately, this is not about those who did well.

    There were those who put on the fire suits, got to be among the big boys, but when it came time to go they might have been best suited to go down the road instead of the track. Instead of being competitors, they were lucky to be participants, saddled in entries that had no hope of being anywhere near the front. However, this is all about misery, no bright spots allowed. To be eligible as our least successful driver one would have had to have attempted to qualify in at least 15 races and average a finish of 30th or worst.

    That means no Danica Patrick to be found here. Even failing to qualify twice and finishing outside the Top 40 four times could not get Landon Cassill included, thanks to a fourth place finish at Talladega in the fall. In fact, even a single Top Ten excludes one from inclusion, and so we take Travis Kvapil and Michael McDowell out of the mix.

    Ryan Truex was a contender to be the top pretender. It went sour fast in B.K. Racing’s No. 83 Toyota when he failed to qualify at Daytona. In fact, in attempting to make 26 of the first 27 races of the season, they missed three, finished 20th at the second Pocono race, with 30th in a Martinsville race the next best. After seven times outside the Top 40, they parted company after Chicago. Still, not bad enough for us.

    The car was not parked, as J.J. Yeley was blessed to take it over. He already had some adventures driving the No. 44 Chevy of Johnathan Cohen. They withdrew four times, failed to qualify for four more, and were in the bottom 10 the other six. Three with Frank Stoddard left him outside the Top 30 every time, and in nine outings driving the illustrious No. 83 Yeley did manage to finish 29th once. Still, bad but not bad enough.

    Joe Nemechek attempted the first dozen Cup races of 2014. Driving mostly for Jay Robinson in the No. 66 Toyota, but also for himself, he missed four of them, was 40th or worse in three, with a 31st in Kansas the best of the bunch. Later in the year, he came up empty at both Daytona and Talladega, with a 30th at Watkins Glen by far his best outcome in his final nine attempts. Still, not futile enough.

    I am not sure what motivates a professional driver to take a ride that most likely will not be successful, despite his best efforts. A love for the sport, a willingness to help an outfit get started, an opportunity to pick up a few bucks with minimal effort, or all of the above. Randy Humphrey, a former partner of Phil Parsons and then Mark Smith, formed his own operation a year ago, hiring veteran crew chief Peter Sospenzo on the box and Dave Blaney behind the wheel.

    They went to the track in hopes of getting their No. 77 Ford into Daytona, Phoenix, Las Vegas, and Bristol to open the season. Each time the car was back in the trailer when the green flag waved. In fact, they withdrew before qualifying at Daytona, did the same at Fontana and Martinsville, though they made the race at Texas, finishing 41st, before winding up dead last at Darlington.

    That proved to be better than the results at Richmond, Talladega, Kansas, and Charlotte, when they were left heading down the road a day or two early. Thirty-third at Dover was the high water mark for the car, as they followed up that effort coming in dead last at Pocono. I am not sure what they paid to sponsor the entry at Daytona but Plinker Arms, a firearm production company, might have better advertised their product by using it to put this entry out of its misery. Such are the trails and tribulations of starting up a new team.

    After all that excitement, Blaney moved over to Tommy Baldwin’s No. 37 Chevy, where he was 26th at the second run at Pocono, 33rd at Michigan, then concluded his Cup campaign last at Bristol. When the season was over, he had four withdrawals prior to qualifying and seven failed qualifying attempts, to go with three finishes of dead last in seven attempts. Combined with results of 26th, 33rd (twice), and 41st in the other four, Dave Blaney is our least successful Cup driver of 2014.

    While the 52-year-old Blaney has no plans to run Cup in 2015, he will be keeping busy racing dirt this season and working with his 21-year-old son Ryan. The kid will race some Cup this year with the Wood Brothers and hopes to add to his two victory total in the Xfinity Series with Team Penske. Maybe the least successful Cup driver of 2014, but arguably its most successful father. I think Dave Blaney might be more than content with that distinction.

  • Darrell Wallace Jr. Transitions from Eldora Win to Tackling the Tricky Triangle

    Darrell Wallace Jr. Transitions from Eldora Win to Tackling the Tricky Triangle

    Darrell Wallace Jr., behind the wheel of the No. 54 ToyotaCare Toyota Tundra for Kyle Busch Motorsports, is ready to make the difficult transition from one of the sport’s highest highs, a coveted Truck win at Eldora Speedway, to the trickiness of Pocono Raceway where he will race the Pocono Mountains 150 in NASCAR’s Camping World Truck Series.

    Even though he is in Long Pond, PA, he is still savoring his ‘W’ in the Mudsummer Classic at Eldora and in fact, just recently had the opportunity to celebrate with his race team.

    “Luckily the race was a Wednesday night race so we had the whole weekend to sit back, reflect on it and let it sink in,” Wallace said. “I’m still pumped up about it of course. We had our team dinner last night and we were talking about it.”

    “It’s been a fun week.”

    “Eldora was a surprise; a shocker,” Wallace said. “But we did it. If we can just finish out the rest of the season strong and we can keep it going, we will be fine.”

    While Wallace now has turned his attention to Pocono, he admits that the track is more difficult to figure out than even racing on the dirt, at least in his book.

    “It is a tricky triangle for a reason,” Wallace said. “It is grueling on the mindset of a driver, especially me.”

    “It’s just hard figuring out every corner because every corner is unique,” Wallace continued. “The guys brought me a fast Toyota Tundra and we just have to figure out where we need to gain speed. That’s the biggest thing. I think it’s mostly me but we will be fine by race time.”

    Wallace acknowledges that he may just need to lean on not only his crew chief but also his team owner Kyle Busch and teammate Erik Jones to make it around the three corners of Pocono.

    “My crew chief Jerry (Baxter) has been my biggest mentor and coach,” Wallace said. “He has been in the sport for a long time and he knows the ins and outs of it.”

    “I listen to what he has to say, through the frustrating moments to winning moments to losing moments, I try to take in everything he says,” Wallace continued. “We move forward as a team and that’s a huge part of being successful. Having the communication and relationship with your team is critical. Jerry is the team leader and we all listen to him. We’re giving him feedback and we’re trying to help each other progress as one.”

    “I think that is why we’re so dominant at KBM because we have the communication and we’re hitting on every note.”

    “Kyle (Busch) is the centerpiece of this team and we build off him,” Wallace said. “We try to be as fast as him and he is undefeated this season. Toyota is undefeated. We have two wins; Erik (Jones, teammate) has got one. So, we’re on a hot streak right now.”

    “We try to be patient and consistent and be ready to win.”

    Although his teammate Erik Jones is on the quiet-side, at least quieter than Wallace himself, the driver of the No. 54 has the greatest respect for him, especially with Jones’ performance so far at Pocono, where he has practiced consistently in the top-ten.

    “He’s quiet that’s for sure,” Wallace said of Jones. “But Erik is fast and he has speed. We sat on the front row at Iowa and he ended up winning the race. He has always shown speed and he is pretty fast here at Pocono.”

    “We bounce ideas off each other and places where we have been. We grow as a team and we will be just fine here.”

    So, what will success look like at Pocono for Darrell Wallace Jr.?

    “I would definitely be happy with a top five,” Wallace said. “I hate to say it, but we’re on a points run right now. We’re trying to bounce back up through the points.”

    “We have to be smart in the race,” Wallace continued. “The tunnel turn is the trickiest corner that you will ever get through.”

    “We have to be patient, calm and make smart decisions,” Wallace said. “We’ll let those other drivers make a bone head move and then there’s our top five opportunity.”

    “I’m on the level that I want to race,” Wallace continued. “We have to go out there and be smart about every call we make. We can’t get overexcited about what happened before because you get that special moment and then it’s time to get back to work.”

    Wallace finished final practice for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in the 1th position with a time of 55.427 seconds and a speed of 162.376 mph. Wallace will qualify Saturday, August 2nd at 10:10 am and then race the ‘Tricky Triangle’ at 1:00 pm.

  • Waiting for the Other Shoe to Drop

    Waiting for the Other Shoe to Drop

    The first shoe dropped Sunday morning. It was almost certain when Jack Roush revealed that Trevor Bayne would be driving the No. 6 Ford in 2015. Roush has only had three cars in recent seasons because of the lack of sponsorship, and it was almost unbelievable that he would field four in 2015. Of course, there was always a possibility that it would be Greg Biffle or Ricky Stenhouse Jr. that was leaving, but all along we knew.

    The announcement came first via email, Facebook and Twitter from Roush Fenway Racing. It simply announced the driver lineup for 2015. It was minus Carl Edwards. Fastenal, Edwards’ lead sponsor would go to Stenhouse. Later on Jack Roush and other RFR principals commented. Edwards would not be part of the team in 2015. The usual “we’re going to race just like always with Carl and get a championship” line was spoken as well as the “he’ll always be a part of the RFR family.” Bull. This was payback.

    The last time Edwards’ contract came up, he played it just like he did this year. No comments and no news, just the usual “proud to drive a Ford for Jack Roush.” The ball was in Edwards’ court, and it probably didn’t sit well with Roush. Ford had bent over backward to keep Edwards then. There was talk of stock options and commercial deals in addition to his contract with the race team. Edwards was Ford. There was almost a championship in 2011 and struggles since, but no driver ever mentioned Ford so much in post-race interviews, win or lose. After all of that, Edwards told Roush in May that he had a contract with another team. Which team? He didn’t even tell Roush which team he was going to. Despite all the talk that he is part of the family and that they are still running for a championship, there is bad blood there.

    Then there is the Toyota thing. Everyone knows Roush despises Toyota. Remember the battle of words between Roush and Lee White when he was at Toyota. He just saw Matt Kenseth go over to the Japanese brand and now probably Edwards. It was the second or third most prestigious race on the circuit. What better time to announce his 2015 team minus Edwards. Here, take that, Carl. Oh, in public, there will be nothing but good will expressed, but this act on the day of the Brickyard 400 speaks volumes. If the mission was to embarrass Edwards, mission accomplished.

    Now we wait for the other shoe to drop. It won’t be much of surprise if the rumors are correct. Everyone agrees that his new ride will be with Joe Gibbs Racing in a fourth car with unknown sponsorship. Many felt that the key was Edwards taking sponsorship to Gibbs or wherever he went, but the Fastenal announcement seems to have quieted that theory. As is Edwards’ custom, he’s not talking, and probably won’t until October in Charlotte.

    Would better performance have kept Edwards at Roush? Not likely. Neither would loyalty. Even though Roush put him in his first major truck, Nationwide car, and Sprint Cup ride, Edwards wanted to see what it was like to drive someplace else. I’m waiting for Edwards to utter that old tired line, “it’s business.”

    Indeed it is, and the rest of the season will be tough for Edwards. Very few lame duck drivers do well once they announce, or someone else announces they are leaving. Kevin Harvick was an exception last year, but that’s unusual. Edwards was a long shot for the championship anyway. The announcement Sunday morning made those odds longer.

  • The Hot 20 – Elder Gents and Past Winners Lead the Way to New Hampshire

    The Hot 20 – Elder Gents and Past Winners Lead the Way to New Hampshire

    If you want to make the Chase, maybe one should win at New Hampshire. Out of 43 drivers entered and scheduled to make up the field at Loudon this Sunday, a whopping 16 of them have won at New Hampshire. They include the only four-time winner, 47-year old Jeff Burton, slated to drive the 66 Toyota of Jay Robinson. Along side will be his team mate, 50-year-old Joe Nemechek and a winner there in 1999, driving the 87. Kids. The oldest driver at Loudon has never won there in 14 attempts, going back to 1993. At the age of 72, Morgan Shepherd will be there in Joe Falk’s 33 Chevy.

    Among our hot 20, based on points and super-sizing the winner’s bonus from 3 to 25 points, a dozen have had the post-race bubbly shower here before. Jeff Gordon is our king of the hill and while both he and Jimmie Johnson both have three wins at Loudon, neither really do not need another one. In reality, a win means a Chase spot, and they are both in. Same goes for Joey Logano, Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, and Denny Hamlin. Matt Kenseth probably does not need one and Ryan Newman is still sitting pretty, but the same can not be said for Clint Bowyer, Greg Biffle, Brian Vickers or Kasey Kahne. Kurt Busch is not even in out Hot 20 but he has a win, though the same cannot be said for Tony Stewart.

    As much as I think this system best showcases which drivers have actually been the most relevant during the season, I doubt NASCAR will adopt it. If I thought I had that much influence, you would never see ESPN’s current crew call another race, but I do not. Plus, giving a Chase spot to a New Hampshire winner would mean adios to the likes of Dale Earnhardt Jr, Brad Keselowski, and Carl Edwards, none of whom have won there. The kids, Austin Dillon and Kyle Larson, obviously have not. Take the free pass for last Sunday’s Daytona win, and Aric Almirola drops from 10th in the official rankings, drops from 19th on my list, down to 21st and with little hope of making the Chase. Of course, my method eliminates the Chase, and I have a feeling that Brian France would not be terribly receptive to that argument.

    I think it a shame that wins put Almirola and Kurt Busch into a Chase place at the expense of Biffle and Vickers. Still, you cannot ignore the excitement that a single victory can bring to the driver, his team, or the fans. Winning is not easy, so maybe the reward is justified. Maybe.

    That said, here is a look at my Hot 20 as they prepare for battle in New Hampshire this Sunday.

    Ps – Driver – Pts – Wins
    1 – Jeff Gordon – 673 – 1
    2 – Dale Earnhardt, Jr. – 668 – 2
    3 – Jimmie Johnson – 662 – 3
    4 – Brad Keselowski – 630 – 2
    5 – Joey Logano – 590 – 2
    6 – Carl Edwards – 587 – 2
    7 – Matt Kenseth – 580 – 0
    8 – Kevin Harvick – 558 – 2
    9 – Kyle Busch – 546 – 1
    10 – Ryan Newman – 534 – 0
    11 – Paul Menard – 516 – 0
    12 – Denny Hamlin – 515 – 1
    13 – Clint Bowyer – 509 – 0
    14 – Austin Dillon – 494 – 0
    15 – Greg Biffle – 490 – 0
    16 – Brian Vickers – 484 – 0
    17 – Kyle Larson – 482 – 0
    18 – Kasey Kahne – 482 – 0
    19 – Aric Almirola – 474 – 1
    20 – Marcos Ambrose – 472 – 0