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Hamlin Snags Coca-Cola 600 Pole With Track Record Time
posted by Amy Henderson
Thursday May 23, 2013
Denny Hamlin shattered the track qualifying record at Charlotte Motor Speedway as he rocketed to the pole for Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600. Hamlin had a lap time of 27.604 seconds, or 195.624 miles per hour. Several drivers drove past the old record, set by Greg Biffle in 2012, but it was Hamlin who came out at the top of the heap and holds the new record. Kurt Busch will start on the outside of the front row. Matt Kenseth, Mark Martin, and Clint Bowyer round out the top 5. Kasey Kahne, Greg Biffle, Kyle Busch, Jamie McMurray, and Ryan Newman hold down sixth through tenth places. The pole is Hamlin’s second of 2013; he also started in front at Fontana before an injury in that race sidelined him for over a month. Hamlin says that his back feels “nearly 100%” and that it doesn’t cause him pain while driving. He added that winning the pole helped solidify for him that he is back at a competitive level, but he wants one more thing before he’ll be satisfied. “I think winning would do that. I think ultimately getting the big trophy on Sunday is the validation that you’re truly back,” said Hamlin after his lap. “For me, it’s going to take some wins and some really good consistency throughout these summer months to put ourselves in position to have a chance at a championship. That’s what we’re here for. Even these small victories though give me that confidence that I’m still capable, and I’m still able to do the job at 100 percent like I should be. Any kind of confidence booster for me — it’s always a plus on Sunday.” The Cup teams are next on track Saturday at 10 AM for the weekend’s second practice. Final practice for Sunday’s race is Saturday afternoon at one o’clock. The Coca-Cola 600 is scheduled to start at 6 PM on Sunday and will air on FOX.
Jimmie Johnson wins the Sprint All-Star race.....again
posted by Mike Neff
Sunday May 19, 2013
Five-time is now four-time when it comes to the Sprint All-Star race. Coming into Saturday night’s race, Johnson was tied with Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt for most wins in the annual event with three wins. Johnson bided his time, restarted the last segment in the second spot, dueled Kasey Kahne for two laps to secure the lead and pulled away to a convincing win. Joey Logano started the last segment in the seventh position, took advantage of a slip up by Kyle Busch on the start of the final segment, and ultimately came home in the runner-up spot. Kyle Busch rebounded from his slip up to muscle his way back to third. Kahne started the final segment on the pole but couldn’t hold off Johnson on the first few laps of the restart and ended up fourth. Kurt Busch won two segments, was the first on pit road for the money pit stop, but finished the event in fifth place. Jimmie Johnson summed up his results in two words, “we’re lucky”. It was tongue in cheek but Johnson was poking fun at the people who continue to accuse the No. 48 of preferential treatment, fixed races, and a blind eye to cheating. Johnson has one of the highest winning percentages in NASCAR history and it comes from natural talent and chemistry with his crew. This race also now ties Johnson with Davey Allison as the only two drivers to win the race in back-to-back years. Logano and Busch visited with the media after the race to speak about their runs. Logano was understandably upbeat about his second while Busch was quite dejected, having another All-Star race slip out of his grasp. Kahne spoke about the elephant in the room that is the length of the segments in the race during his post race availability on pit road. He noted that the inherent problem with the format is that the car is designed with downforce, on a track that is cool and has a bunch of grip. The only way to make the races exciting after the first couple of laps of racing would be to extend the segments to the The first 20 lap segment was won by Kurt Busch. Segment two went to his brother Kyle. That segment win allowed Bruton Smith to breathe more easily since he put up a $1,000,000 bonus to anyone who won all four of the segments. Segment three also went to the younger Busch, while the fourth segment win was tallied in brother Kurt’ s account.
Kyle Busch wins the North Carolina Education Lottery 200
posted by Mike Neff
Friday May 17, 2013
‘Rowdy’ Busch was back in his familiar No. 51 truck at his favorite track on the Truck schedule. Busch led 80 laps and thought he should have led more but had a fuel issue on pit road that resulted in him having to battle back through the field. The race was slowed by eight cautions that helped him work his way back through the field. Busch beat Brendan Gaughan to the finish by .488 seconds, while Max Gresham chased them both to the line for his first top three finish of his Truck career. Matt Crafton came home in fourth place after having to battle through a couple of tire mishaps during the event. Ty Dillon rounded out the top 5 for his first finish that high this season. Busch led the race three times for his 80 laps. Miguel Paludo was second on the laps led board with 33. Gaughan, Gresham and Dillon also scored bonus points for leading laps. There were two cautions in the first 72 laps of the race while 29 of the last 62 laps were completed under the yellow flag. Jeb Burton started the race on the pole but did not lead a lap. He did however end the race as the Rookie of the Race for his 13th place finish. Matt Crafton leads Burton by 22 points in the season standings after five races this season.
Matt Kenseth Snatches Victory from the Jaws of Defeat at Darlington
posted by Mike Neff
Sunday May 12, 2013
Kyle Busch appeared to be headed for another weekend sweep after winning the Nationwide race at Darlington on Friday night. However, a funny thing happened as they were bringing out the dustpan. Matt Kenseth chased down the dominant car of the night, passed him with relative ease and then strolled away to a 3.165 second victory. Kenseth led the final 13 laps after Busch had held the point for 265 of the 354 laps leading up to Kenseth’s race winning pass. After Kenseth worked around Busch, the No. 18 slid rapidly backwards over the final eight laps to fall from second to sixth place. Joe Gibbs Racing did manage a 1-2 finish after sweeping the podium in Friday night’s Nationwide tilt. Denny Hamlin, in his first full race back in the car since his vertebrae fracture at California, soldiered through the pain of his arms, neck and shoulders more than his recovered back to wrestle a second place finish away from the Lady in Black. Coming home in third was Jeff Gordon, who turned his 700th career start into a top 3 finish. Jimmie Johnson and Kevin Harvick rounded out the top 5 in the Bojangles Southern 500. Kurt Busch started the race on the pole and led the first 51 laps before coming to the pits for a green flag stop. After the stops cycled through Busch was back at the point for 18 more laps before his brother began his domination. The race went green for the first 302 laps save a seven lap caution stint from lap 125 to lap 131. The final 65 laps saw four more cautions that flew for accidents involving Regan Smith, Brad Keselowski, Casey Mears, Kurt Busch, Josh Wise, David Reutimann and Kasey Kahne. The race saw four leaders including Jeff Gordon in addition to the Busch brothers and Kenseth. The win is Kenseth’s 27th of his career and breaks a tie between himself and his teammate Kyle Busch. The win is Kenseth’s third this season which is the most among all of the competitors in the Cup series. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. was the Rookie of the Race. Jeff Gordon’s top 5 finish was his 300th of his career. He joins Richard Petty, David Pearson and Bobby Allison as the only four drivers in the history of the sport to accomplish such a feat.
Busch Dominates at Darlington as JGR Sets Nationwide Series Record
posted by Amy Henderson
Friday May 10, 2013
Kyle Busch dominated the VFW Sport Clips Help a Hero 200 on Friday night en route to his 56th career Nationwide Series victory and fifth series win of 2013. Joe Gibbs Racing in general was the class of the field all night at Darlington Raceway, claiming four of the top 5 finishing spots, with only fourth-place Joey Logano keeping them from sweeping the top four spots. It was a historic night for JGR, as no team has ever before placed four cars in the top 5. Elliott Sadler finished second to Busch and Brian Vickers third, with Logano and Matt Kenseth rounding out the top 5. Busch led 107 of 147 laps on the way to the win. Sadler was the best among the Nationwide Regulars, finishing second despite an early spin in Turn 2, and gained points on leader Regan Smith, who finished seventh. Kyle Larson continued to impress at the Lady in Black, posting a sixth-place finish in his first Darlington start as he runs for rookie honors. Sam Hornish, Jr., who remained second in points, finished eighth while Kasey Kahne and Justin Allgaier filled the top 10. Smith now leads Nationwide Series points by 28 over Hornish. Sadler jumps two spots to third on his second-place run as Justin Allgaier fell one place to fourth. Vickers gained three sports and is now fifth, 49 behind Smith. Austin Dillon, Parker Kligerman, Brian Scott, Alex Bowman, and Kyle Larson round out the top 10.
Joe Gibbs Racing Penalties Reduced Following Appeal
posted by Summer Bedgood
Wednesday May 8, 2013
Joe Gibbs Racing had many of their penalties for the No. 20 team reduced during the appeal process on Wednesday. Driver Matt Kenseth and owner Joe Gibbs had their points penalties reduced from 50 to 12 points. Crew chief Jason Ratcliff’s suspension has also been dropped from seven races to one, though he will still be forced to pay the $200,000 fine. Not all of the penalties were reduced, however. Toyota Racing’s manufacturer points penalty was increased from five points to seven. All other penalties were dropped, including the suspension of Joe Gibbs’ owners license, the loss of bonus points for the Chase earned at Kansas Speedway, and the loss of eligibility into the Sprint Unlimited garnered from the pole at Kansas Speedway. JGR has accepted the penalties and will not appeal further. Following a dominant win at Kansas Speedway a few weeks ago, Kenseth’s car failed post-race inspection when it was found that a connecting rod was 2.7 grams below the minimum weight. Toyota Racing Development accepted the blame for the incident. The reduction moves Kenseth up to fourth in points, 66 points behind leader Jimmie Johnson. JGR has not announced who will replace Ratcliff this weekend in Darlington. The appeal was heard by Mark Arute, Dennis McGlynn, and Jack Housby. NASCAR cannot appeal the revised penalties.
Penske Has Suspensions Reduced On Appeal
posted by Thomas Bowles
Wednesday May 8, 2013
Roger Penske’s team got some relief Tuesday from NASCAR’s Chief Appellate Officer John Middlebrook, as he chose to reduce penalties assessed to that organization at Texas Motor Speedway in early April. Middlebrook, after hearing the evidence from both sides Tuesday chose to reduce all suspensions in the case from six to two weeks, plus NASCAR’s All-Star Race on May 18th. That means the final consequences for both teams are the following: No. 2 car No. 22 car Other Middlebrook’s official statement was short, simply stating, “After looking at all the facts, data, and interpretations from the rule book, I have decided to uphold the original fines and points penalties. However, I have decided to reduce the suspensions of the seven team members involved from six points races and the All-Star race to two points races and the All-Star Race.” However, it seemed both sides, after presenting their cases were far more pleased with how the case was handled during this portion of the appeal. “We were able to talk about areas we worked in,” said Roger Penske, referring to the “gray area” of the NASCAR rulebook officials ultimately felt stepped over the line. “I’m very happy with the outcome. This sport has been built on innovation. All of us have tried to innovate in areas not defined in the rulebook. We were in that area.” In conversations with the parties involved, it was clear the controversy surrounded parts designed to increase the rear-end angle at the back of both cars. In past years, with innovation limited through the Car of Tomorrow templates teams have played around with suspension systems designed to make the rear end of the car easier to “move.” The more the car skews in the corner, the easier it can be to handle and gain extra speed. However, NASCAR had made rules designed to curb those types of innovations this year and made the determination Penske parts to build the rear suspension were unapproved. Why they had gone undetected in previous inspections was never addressed, along with claims someone else in the garage had alerted officials to possible inappropriate car construction. One thing Penske did admit, though is had this decision been issued by the initial appeals panel, he would not have pressed his luck with Middlebrook. “All of us,” he said. “Have lost points for certain infractions over the years. The key thing is to have people back at the racetrack operating in full control.” The end results leave Logano 18th in points, 146 behind championship leader Jimmie Johnson and 43 outside a Chase position. Keselowski is far more stable; fifth in points, he’s 69 behind and 45 ahead of 11th-place Matt Kenseth. Neither of the Penske cars have won a race this season. “Moved on from last few weeks,” Keselowski tweeted Wednesday morning. “And ready to focus on @TooToughToTame (Darlington Raceway).” The next round of NASCAR penalty appeals, focusing on Joe Gibbs Racing and Matt Kenseth will be heard on Wednesday morning. Connect with Tom!
Penske Racing LOSES Penalty Case, Will Appeal To NSCRC John Middlebrook
posted by Thomas Bowles
Wednesday May 1, 2013
A three-member panel Wednesday unanimously upheld penalties assessed to Penske Racing after pre-race inspection at Texas Motor Speedway. Comprised of Pocono President Brandon Igdalsky, Bowman-Gray President Dale Pinilis and former NASCAR VP Paul Brooks, the trio determined the sanctioning body’s evidence was enough to “convict” Penske to the tune of points lost, suspensions given and $200,000 in fines. Roger Penske, in response has pledged to send a final appeal to National Stock Car Racing Commissioner John Middlebrook. That hearing will occur Tuesday, May 7th at NASCAR’s Research and Development Center. Here’s a quick list of what penalties are pending (everything but the points deductions will be deferred, pending Middlebrook’s approval until after the final appeal): No. 2 team No. 22 team Both teams NASCAR’s representation included Sprint Cup Director John Darby but not Vice President Robin Pemberton, who was whisked away to Florida on jury duty. Owner Roger Penske was in attendance to defend the allegations along with Team Manager Travis Geisler, Tim Cindric, Walt Czarnecki, Joey Logano’s crew chief Todd Gordon along with several other key principles. UPDATE: The National Stock Car Racing Commission issued a brief statement, reviewing the penalties and then explaining the following. “Upon hearing the testimony and carefully reviewing the facts, it was a unanimous decision by the National Stock Car Racing Appeals Panel to uphold the original penalties assessed by NASCAR.” “The Appellants have the right under Section 15 of the rule book to appeal this decision to the National Stock Car Racing Chief Appellate Officer.” Connect with Tom!
Kyle Busch Wins Denny Hamlin Short Track Showdown
posted by Thomas Bowles
Friday April 26, 2013
Who says Joe Gibbs Racing teammates don’t get along? Kyle Busch is certainly receiving gifts, from Denny Hamlin in the form of shiny trophies from winning the latter’s annual charity event. Rowdy was romping through the field again at Richmond Thursday night, taking control at the race’s midpoint and cruising during the latter stages to win the Showdown for the third time in the past six years. In a race that benefits the Denny Hamlin Foundation, created to help those with cystic fibrosis Busch had his late model hitting on all cyilnders down the stretch. Pulling away from fellow Cup driver David Ragan, in the final segment of the 75-lap race the outcome was simply never in doubt following a 5-minute break for pit stops prior to Lap 47. Ben Rhodes, Ronnie Bassett, Jr., and Garrett Campbell rounded out the top-5 finishers. Other Cup drivers, including defending race champion Tony Stewart were in the field but never a factor up front. Smoke, actually extending his slumping start to 2013 into this race got wrecked before the halfway point and wound up 28th. Matt Kenseth, still distraught after a midweek penalty virtually negated his win at Kansas was never truly competitive, either; he finished 22nd. Also on Thursday night, African-American driver Ryan Gifford won the first K&N Pro Series East race of his young career. Surviving a five-lap shootout, following a red flag he cruised home over Brandon Gdovic. Connect with Tom!
Matt Kenseth, Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota Penalized As Engine Fails Kansas Post-Race Inspection
posted by Thomas Bowles
Wednesday April 24, 2013
Until the end of time, Matt Kenseth can say he crossed the finish line first at Kansas Sunday. NASCAR Record Books will say the same. But after a harsh series of penalties announced on Wednesday, should they stand that’s about the only thing Kenseth can hang his hat on after a successful weekend turned sour. According to multiple reports, officials at the NASCAR R & D Center in North Carolina discovered a connecting rod on Kenseth’s engine, brought in for Kansas post-race inspection weighed three grams less than the minimum weight of 525g. The consequences, announced today are crippling for both driver and team. Kenseth, along with car owner Joe Gibbs have been docked 50 driver and owner points, actually reducing their overall totals heading into Kansas even though the No. 20 car won the race. That lost chunk of points drops Kenseth from eighth to 14th in the standings. More importantly, the win “won’t count” for either bonus points in the Chase or determine postseason eligibility; that means the driver, now in “Wild Card” position is considered to have one win so far this season instead of two. That’s just the tip of the iceberg on these consequences. Crew chief Jason Radcliffe, fined $200,000 based on the infraction has also been suspended for the next six Sprint Cup points events, along with the All-Star Race. Toyota, whose TRD engine department ultimately supplies the JGR powerplants has had five points deducted from its total in the manufacturer’s championship. And finally, Joe Gibbs himself, already docked 50 owner points has had his license suspended by NASCAR, which means he’s ineligible to accrue owner points for the No. 20 until the next six Sprint Cup Series points races are completed. Gibbs, NASCAR has clarified will still be able to travel to the racetrack despite a suspended license. In a tersely worded statement, the owner says he’ll appeal the ruling, which violated three parts of the series rulebook. The one most pertinent is Section 20-5.5.3(E) which states only magnetic steel connecting rods, with a minimum weight of 525.0 grams will be permitted. Sections 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing) and 12-4J, which gives officials the right to penalize for parts they claim do not conform to NASCAR rules were also cited in the sport’s official release. Toyota Racing Development’s Lee White, in a statement released early this afternoon took responsibility for the violation. During NASCAR’s routine post-race tear down of Matt Kenseth’s race-winning car and engine from Kansas Speedway,” he stated, “One of our engine connecting rods weighed in approximately three grams under the legal minimum weight of 525 grams. None of the other seven connecting rods were found to be under the minimum weight. We take full responsibility for this issue with the engine used by the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) team this past Sunday in Kansas — JGR is not involved in the process of selecting parts or assembling the Cup Series engines. It was a simple oversight on TRD’s part and there was no intent to deceive, or to gain any type of competitive advantage. Toyota is a company that was built on integrity, and that remains one of the guiding principles of the company. The goal of TRD has always been — and will continue to be — to build high-performance engines that are reliable, durable and powerful, and within the guidelines established by NASCAR.” Kenseth, who has led 482 laps this season, two higher than his total last year has been one of the strongest competitiors on the Sprint Cup track in 2013. His engines have also passed several previous inspections. |
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The Key Moment – Carl Edwards soft-pedaled 113.5 miles out of a tank of gas to cruise across the finish line first at half throttle.
In a Nutshell – Edwards day-long domination forced his competitors to use risky strategy in the pits late in the race, but Edwards and the No. 99 bunch trumped them all with the riskiest strategy of them all at the end.
Dramatic Moment – Waiting to see if the No. 99 was going to run out of gas on the final two laps. Or, waiting to see if Texas Rangers were going to arrest David Gilliland for attempted murder after he wrecked the No. 42 car.
What They’ll Be Talking About Around the Water Cooler This Week
Well, I sure hope they aren’t talking about stock car racing Monday and Tuesday. This year’s presidential election is a crossroads for the greatest nation in the history of the world. Few will disagree with the fact things are pretty grim right now for most working class Americans, and our futures and the futures of our children are on the line. We have two compelling candidates with markedly different visions of how to straighten this mess out; and as is the case over the last couple of decades, we have a lot of negative disinformation spewed by both sides. It’s time for voters to sort through the wheat and the chaff and make an informed decision. Seven percent of voters still haven’t made up their minds, and the future of our country rides on the shoulders of those seven percenters. Study the issues. Make an informed decision. Then get out there and vote Tuesday. Our country has seen grim times before. We survived the Great Depression, the bombing of Pearl Harbor, and the tragedy of the morning of September 11th, 2001. And we’ll survive this mess as well, because this country’s greatest asset isn’t politicians; it’s the wisdom and resolve of the American people when the chips are on the table. If you don’t vote, don’t bitch. And as our friend Mr. Gump might add, “That’s all I’m going to say about that.”
What the devil was David Gilliland thinking knocking a competitor into the wall at a track where entrants flirt with 200 MPH all day? If they need to make room for Paul Menard at Robert Yates Racing next year, I have a suggestion.
You think the NASCAR officials are going to be having a real close look at the fuel cell in the No. 99 car after the race? There’s good gas mileage, there’s great fuel mileage, and then there’s Junior Johnson fuel mileage.
Racing is a fickle business. Because it worked out, Bob Osborne’s strategy for the No. 99 team looks brilliant in retrospect. Had Edwards run out of gas and fallen back into a twenty something-th finishing spot, though, he would have looked like the biggest dope ever to walk pit road for giving away a shot at the title.
The surprise ending perked things up a bit, but there’s no denying that the first four-fifths of the Texas race was putrid and utterly lacking in any redeeming social value. That was about as bad as it gets.
Be it herein resolved — no stock car race should end after 7 PM EST unless it was planned as a night race. These late race day starts wear at even a patient man’s soul. Oh, and before the clocks are set back an hour and flocks of noisy Canada geese fly south over the multi-hued autumnal skies of the northeast, the stock car racing season should be over. We hold these truths to be self-evident.
Texas track promoter Eddie Gossage could probably sell a cup of water to a drowning man, but it was hard not to notice (once again) huge blocs of empty seats in the stands Sunday. Whether it’s the economy, the price of gas, or the lack of exciting racing, I don’t know; but clearly, Houston (and Dallas/Fort Worth), we have a problem. If this keeps up, soon Carl Edwards will be able to thank the fans who showed up at the race by name.
Even the once free-dealing, hog-wild, spend your way to success world of the NASCAR garage area isn’t immune from the current economic crisis. Unable to find adequate sponsorship for two teams next season and having lost two million dollars in each of the last two years, JR Motorsports is cutting back to a single team in the Nationwide series for 2009 with a part-time second team running select races with various drivers. In a nutshell, that means massive layoffs at the shop. Let me ask you this: if Dale Earnhardt, Jr. — the most visible and popular driver in the sport — can’t attract sponsorships for his team, how are the full-time Nationwide owners going to fare?
Speaking of Junior, he went on the record this week as saying the Cup season is too long, and that, combined with the later start times for this series of races, is diminishing fans’ interest in the sport. He also admitted the changes in the sport are motivated by greed and some folks wanting to milk every dollar they can out of NASCAR. Meanwhile, in Daytona Beach, Emperor Brian keeps right on playing his fiddle as Rome burns.
With two races left to run, Johnny Benson leads Ron Hornaday by six points in the championship standings in the Truck Series. Of course, the Truck Series uses the old points system. Under the Chase system, the Cup points race is… well, um, a little bit more spread out than that. As our buddies at FOX might say, “We report… you decide.”
Kyle Busch can be pretty contemptible at times, but we have to give credit where credit is due. On Saturday, when he tied Sam Ard’s record for wins in NASCAR’s AAA (Once Grand National, then Busch, and currently Nationwide) Series, Busch announced he was giving a hundred thousand dollars of his winnings to Sam Ard. Ard is currently battling Alzheimer’s disease and is in serious financial trouble. Newer fans might not have ever heard of Sam Ard, but in his day Ard was an almost unstoppable force in the Saturday series. He won 22 races and two championships in just three brief years on the circuit before devastating injuries in a wreck at Rockingham ended his racing career. Prior to that dehabiliating wreck, Ard had posted Top 5 finishes in 24 of 27 races, and had missed the Top 10 just once. He’d won five of the last six races in the 1983 Busch season. At his best, Ard beat them all, including a fellow by the name of Dale Earnhardt on several occasions — most notably at Charlotte in 1983. As Ard’s health has begun to fail, several other drivers have contributed to helping his needs, most notably Kevin Harvick.
If you wish to contribute any amount, no matter how small, contributions can be sent to:
Sam Ard Care Fund
Account # 68212-03
Carolina Trust Federal Credit Union
P.O. Box 780004
Myrtle Beach, SC 29578
Think about it. You can donate to a big charity that will eventually filter down through layers of management to do some good, or you can write a small check that will help put food on a man’s table this week and help pay the slab fee for his double-wide this month.
With debacles like this year’s Brickyard 400 still fresh in our minds, there have been a lot of calls to adopt taller and wider tires that might hold up better under the strains of the Car of Sorrow. NASCAR official John Darby, who apparently didn’t get the memo about the urgency of the situation, went on record as saying any such changes are at least five years down the road. I have a one word response to that: “Unacceptable.” If we are indeed stuck with this pig in a poke of a race car, we need to rapidly develop a tire that can live under the strain of those mulish pigs. Other people seem to get it. Bruton Smith, who has to sell a lot of tickets to keep his empire afloat, said simply, “We have to constantly make the sport better for the fans. If we do that, then it’s better for everybody. It’s better for me, it’s better for the sponsors, and it’s better for NASCAR. That’s what we ought to do. Make the product better, and the fans will beat a path to your door.” Don’t you wish on Tuesday, race fans could also cast their ballot deciding if Smith or current NASCAR management would lead this sport into the future?
Bobby Hamilton, Jr. finished sixteenth in Saturday’s Nationwide race at Texas. That might not sound remarkable, but what is notable is Hamilton wrote a $380,000 check out of his personal account to keep his struggling team competing in the final three Nationwide races of the season. In addition to keeping Hamilton in a ride, that keeps Team Rensi team members employed for the rest of the year. If I were a potential sponsor, I’d take a look at the fact a driver believed enough in his team to lay out his own money rather than just accepting a paycheck, and I’d think there’s a driver and a team I can count on to maximize my investment.
It was hard to miss the sarcasm in Kurt Busch’s thumbs up approval of the new Dodge power plant as his stricken car sat parked in the garage area. My guess is that Busch and Penske are going to agree by mutual consent to part ways soon.
Congratulations to Lewis Hamilton, this year’s Formula One champion. Hamilton is the youngest driver ever to claim that title, and the first black driver to win this coveted honor. How tight was the championship chase? Hamilton won the title on the final corner of the final lap of the final race of the season, and the margin was a single point. To paraphrase a line from “When Harry Met Sally,” can we have some of what they’re having?
I’ll touch on driver’s personal lives only carefully and playfully. Admittedly, though, when I heard Carl Edwards is now engaged to a former classmate and a licensed physician, my first reaction was “Days of Thunder – Part Deux.” I’m seeing a potential situation comedy here, as a former substitute teacher and NASCAR star marries a pretty physician. They and their pet duck move to their dream home in the upscale suburbs of Charlotte, only to find there’s a fly in the ointment: their next door neighbor is Kyle Busch! OK, so it’s a lame idea for a sitcom, but it has to be better than Cavemen, right?
It was kind of hard not to notice that the ticker of one of the channels owned by “The Worldwide Leader in Sports” mistakenly noted Lewis Hamilton had won the Brazilian Grand Prix all afternoon with nobody catching the error. Hamilton won the title, but Felipe Massa of Ferrari won the race.
Yep, she’s a Gordon. One-year-old Ella Gordon carefully pointed to key sponsor patches on her Daddy’s uniform during his pre-race interview. Just wait until this little charmer can talk!
The Hindenburg Award For Foul Fortune
Juan Pablo Montoya had a solid Top 10 run going (again) when Gilliland’s punkish display of bad temper ended both their days. Montoya and his team have been running better lately, but he’s failed to finish four of the last six races.
Dale Earnhardt, Jr.’s team decided to gamble on fuel mileage as well, but the gamble came up short when Junior was forced to limp into the pits out of third place and out of gas. The No. 88 car wouldn’t refire at first, and that dropped Earnhardt to a twentieth place finish in the final rundown.
With no Top 10 finishes since his surprising Talladega win, it’s no wonder Tony Stewart looks to be packing it in at this point in the Chase.
Right now, it appears the No. 20 team and Tony Stewart are just coasting out the waning weeks of their relationship.
The “Seven Come Fore Eleven” Award For Fine Fortune
I simply can’t believe Edwards made it that distance on a single tank of gas, even if RVs leaving the infield early were passing him during the final laps of the race.
After winning the pole, Jeff Gordon sank back through the field and fell a lap off the pace. But superior fuel mileage allowed Gordon to coast home second, matching his best ever effort at this track scored way back in 2002.
Jamie McMurray finally managed to put one in the bank after several weeks of strong runs with a third place finish.
David Reutimann ran even better than his eventual tenth place finish indicates.
It was a pretty good weekend for Jack Roush, with all five of his Cup drivers finishing eleventh or better at Texas.
Worth Noting
- For the fourth year in a row, the winner at Atlanta in the Fall went on to win the Texas Cup race the following weekend.
- Carl Edwards has matched Kyle Busch’s season high total of victories this year with eight. While it’s hard to imagine two more different drivers, they share this much in common – neither is going to win this year’s Cup title. Edwards has finished first, second, or third in six of this year’s eight Chase races.
- Johnson’s fifteenth place finish was his worst since Bristol in August.
- Still winless, Jeff Gordon finished second for the second time this season.
- Jamie McMurray’s third place finish was his best of the season, and his best Cup result since he won at Daytona last July.
- Clint Bowyer’s fourth place finish was his best result in this year’s Chase.
- Greg Biffle (fifth) managed his first Top 5 result in the last five races.
- David Ragan (eleventh) hasn’t finished worse than eleventh in the last six races. Boy Howdy! I remember last year when it would have been notable that Ragan finished six straight races without wrecking himself and half the field.
- Marcos Ambrose’s 21st place finish was his best Cup result on an oval track.
- Brad Keselowski’s nineteenth place finish easily eclipsed either run by “Sliced Bread” Logano in the Cup Series to date. Yeah, yeah, I know: Keselowski isn’t eighteen. That’s my point.
The Top 10 finishers at Texas drove four Fords, four Chevys, and a pair of Toyotas. The best finishing Dodge pilot was Sam Hornish, Jr. in 23rd. Hornish was also the top finishing Rookie of the Year candidate at Texas.
What’s the Points?
Mr. James Johnson currently leads the Cup standings by 103 over Carl Edwards, and would request the honor of your presence at his coronation as a three-time Cup champion in New York the first Friday night of December, 2008. RSVP.
All drives from eighth place Matt Kenseth on back are now mathematically excluded from this year’s title, presuming Johnson starts the next two Cup races. If Johnson finishes seventh or better in the next two Cup races, the title is his.
Greg Biffle remains third in the standings, 140 points out of the lead. Jeff Burton remains fourth, 212 points behind, meaning that even if Johnson finishes last at Phoenix and Burton wins the race after having led the most laps, he could not leave next week’s race with the points lead.
Jeff Gordon moved up a spot in the standings to fifth. Clint Bowyer moved up a spot to sixth. Kevin Harvick yielded two positions to the above drivers to find himself seventh in the standings. And in their ongoing see-saw battle, Matt Kenseth now has the advantage over Tony Stewart for eighth.
Fitting for Halloween weekend, “The Thing That Came from the Cellar” Kyle Busch advanced two spots to tenth. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. fell a spot to eleventh, which is a Nightmare on Elm Street for promoters trying to sell tickets to the next two Cup races. Denny Hamlin rounds out the Chasers in twelfth.
Further back, David Ragan now has a 263-point lead over Kasey Kahne in the battle for the less-than-coveted thirteenth finishing position in the points.
Overall Rating (On a scale of one to six beer cans, with one being a stinker and a six pack an instant classic) — I’ll give this one a single can of skunked Lone Star. Despite the bizarre finish, it’s hard to ignore the first two and a half hours of the race were a processional parade, with polite distances between the lead lap drivers circling the track just wishing the day was over if they weren’t in the seat of the No. 99 car.
Next Up – By the time I get to Phoenix, I’ll just be wishing this whole sorry excuse of a season was over; but we’ve got two more weeks before it draws to its long overdue conclusion.
Friday on the Frontstretch:
Charlotte’s Four Burning Questions: Translating Success And McMurray’s Time To Shine
Frontstretch Foto Funnies: Cleaning Out The Vintage Vault
Brendan Gaughan Driver Diary: Race Day, Sharks, And A Fast Fix
That Sound You Heard? Hall Of Fame Standards Dropping A Notch
IndyCar In-Depth: Indianapolis 500
Formula 1 Friday: Two Questions
Voices From the Cheapseats: Discussing The Need For Diversity’
Nuts for Nationwide: Jack Ingram’s Moment To Shine
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