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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.
Johnny Sauter Penalized For Fuel Cell Infraction At Kansas
posted by Thomas Bowles
Wednesday April 24, 2013
Thorsport Racing, along with former Truck Series point leader Johnny Sauter are reeling this Wednesday after a major penalty involving their No. 98 Toyota. On Wednesday, NASCAR announced the team was fined $10,000, crew chief Joel Shear has been suspended for four races and 25 owner points were taken away as a result of a faulty fuel cell, confiscated during pre-race inspection at Kansas. Driver Sauter was also hit was a loss of 25 points, completely reshaping the championship Chase heading into the next race of the season at Charlotte May 17th. According to NASCAR officials, the team violated multiple sections of the rulebook. The key ones involve Section 20B-16 and 20B-16.1B, regarding the proper size and functioning of fuel cells. “Once a fuel cell or fuel cell components have been certified,” the rules say, “Modifications of any kind will not be permitted.” The 16.1B portion refers to black safety foam, with a minimum height of eight inches that must be used as a safety mechanism when putting together the fuel cell itself. By violating that rule, NASCAR is insinuating the team modified or enhanced the cell in some way by cutting back / replacing that foam. Section 12-1, actions detrimental to stock car racing was also listed as a rules violation along with 12-4K, which gives NASCAR Officials the leeway to penalize teams when they feel previously legal equipment was modified, in any manner after being initially inspected. Thorsport, as of yet has not said whether they plan to appeal. The penalties mean Matt Crafton becomes the new Truck Series point leader, by 13 over Jeb Burton while Sauter gets pushed back into a tie for second place. |
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Welcome to “Mirror Driving.” Every week, your favorite columnists sit down and give their opinion about the latest news coming out of last week’s race weekend. Love us or hate us, make a comment below and tell us how you feel about what we’ve said!
This week’s participants:
Tom Bowles
(Mondays/Bowles-Eye View)
Jeff Meyer (Thursdays/Voices)
Toni Heffelfinger (Fridays/Second Fiddle)
Amy Henderson (Fridays/That’s History)
Tom: What was the bigger surprise on Sunday: Carl Edwards’ come-from-behind win, or Greg Biffle’s shocking collapse after dominating the race here in April?
Toni: Greg Biffle’s collapse. It was like some sort of sad comedy of errors.
Tom: Toni, I’d have to agree with you. You could just see his
championship slipping away right before our eyes. Carl’s used to running up front at one-and-a-half mile tracks; but Biffle’s clearly been leading the championship battle out of the Roush camp all season. For him to fall flat when it counted most is a real shock.
Toni: Edwards doesn’t surprise me anymore.
Jeff: A come from behind win by Carl shouldn’t be a big surprise. He likes to do that. Honestly, I would love to see Carl win it all, but I don’t think Tony Stewart will allow that.
Amy: Carl’s way more fun than Biffle anyway.
Toni: Although the 16’s do-si-do with Junior on the frontstretch was pretty cool to watch.
Tom: Amazing that Junior didn’t hit him….Biffle was very lucky on not one but two spins there.
Amy: Every time Junior moved to avoid Biffle, Biffle followed. It was like Dale was saying "Just hit me, will ya? Then at least I’ll have someone to blame!"
Tom: Is it just me, or did it seem like Biffle overdrove it after that first spin? That team just appeared to put too much pressure on themselves after that.
Toni: That’s what was so surprising to me Tom. They’ve had bad luck before but they didn’t panic and managed to salvage something. This time, it was like the whole team fell to pieces.
Tom: Toni, so true! I mean, the day was still very salvageable despite all the madness. There weren’t many cautions, but Biffle had a car easily capable of getting back on the lead lap through the Lucky Dog. For him to keep from getting in that position until 15 laps to go is surprising.
Amy: It can’t help that Biffle makes nitpicky little remarks
about their performance in every post-race interview, either.
Jeff: They should be used to that by now though. It hasn’t seemed to affect the team performance wise in the big picture.
Tom: And this time I thought it was justified. The loose wheel was a mistake, you know? Biffle’s right…this year, those types of mistakes will just do you in. Just like the small mistake of no one telling Ryan Newman he had already won the pole in qualifying and to shut it off. That simple mistake comes back and bites you, and with the 20 running the way they are, you’re done.
Amy: True, but the team already knew that, the fans already knew that…it didn’t need to be said on national TV.
Tom: In my mind, Biffle had everyone right where he wanted them. Neither Johnson nor Stewart was really paying attention to him, and he dominated Texas in April and won Homestead the last time we were there. Not to mention he was easily within striking distance of the Top 2. He certainly had just as much a shot as Johnson to catch Stewart, if not a better one.
Jeff: So now Edwards is in that chair.
Tom: Yeah, who’d have thought Carl would be in that position?
Toni: I think a lot of it has to do with the mindset. Carl doesn’t expect to win it either, so they’re not stressing
about it. Reminds me of how Stewart is trying to keep his team from stressing about things.
Amy: I agree with that Toni—-the 99 team has nothing to lose at this point. The 20 and the 48 have a lot to lose…and you cannot play any game not to lose.
Toni: And when you’re opponents start falling apart at the first sign of bad luck like Biffle’s team did this week, it makes it even easier for Stewart and Edwards.
Tom: You wonder if Stewart and Johnson are leaving the door just a little too open for Carl. I mean, the last two weeks, they’ve both struggled. Well, struggle is a strong term…but they’re not trotting out winning cars, by any means. Meanwhile, Carl’s playing this nothing to lose game, and to be honest, Stewart isn’t putting Johnson or the 99 away when he easily could have.
Amy: Since when is a top-five struggling? Johnson and Stewart finished fifth and sixth at Texas…I don’t buy that either of them is struggling.
Jeff: Yeah, how can you say they are struggling? Both are in the Top 10.
Tom: But they’re not blowing their competition away. Stewart and Johnson need to take these hangers-on out of it once and for all, and they can’t seem to do it for whatever reason. Now, if either or both have a problem in the final two races, you’ve got Carl right there, and even perhaps Mark with an outside shot (Biffle to me is done).
Amy: But theoretically, if the Top 10 teams are the ten best
teams in racing, nobody should be blowing anybody away every week.
Jeff: Remember, last year came down to the final laps.
Amy: That’s certainly what NASCAR banks on.
Toni: With two races left I think I’m finally prepared to declare it a three man race.
Tom: The biggest question mark really is how Edwards and Johnson will do at Phoenix. And, of course, we know what happened the last time Johnson and Stewart were there (Johnson got into Stewart, causing a 5-car crash and sending both drivers to poor finishes of 15th and 33rd). Because of that, I wouldn’t count Martin out…it’s just not over yet.
Tom: Judging by the crowd and the racing on the track this Sunday, has Texas finally done enough to deserve that second date? Or should we be going somewhere else?
Toni: Texas has all along been more deserving of that date than some other tracks who got second dates, or some even that got first dates.
Tom: I can’t believe I’m saying this, but slowly but surely, it
appears Texas is developing some sort of second groove. The racing isn’t perfect yet by any means, but it’s improving, enough to swallow the fact they come back here for round two.
Amy: Couldn’t disagree more. Texas never deserved a second date, and certainly not in the Chase. It’s just another cookie-cutter track.
Tom: My issue with Texas in the Chase is it’s too much like Atlanta. And several other tracks, for that matter"¦10 races in the Chase, five 1.5 mile tracks (Charlotte, Atlanta, Texas, Kansas, Homestead).
Amy: I’m sorry, but no matter how many grooves it gets, Texas will NEVER race like Rockingham or Darlington. Texas was lucky to be able to steal North Wilkesboro’s date back in 1996…they should have left it at that.
Toni: I will agree that the racing at Rockingham and Darlington is better, but I can also understand to some extent that you can’t continue to go where the fans don’t. And that’s coming from someone who had to give up a track for precisely that reason (Nazareth).
Tom: Well, you can’t point at one track and blame them for taking a date away. It’s ultimately NASCAR that makes the final decision.
Toni: I mean, honestly, we all wanted Rockingham to stay on the schedule. I just assumed enough other people would go and take care of it.
Amy: I think in the long run though, where the fans go is less important than the TV ratings…and the cookie cutters will not generate those ratings long-term unless the racing improves.
Tom: The problem is, as was proven Sunday, the crowds will always be better in a market where there’s only one Nextel Cup track within driving distance. That alone will allow it to keep its second date"¦Texas also has better racing then New Hampshire, as well as possibly Michigan and California, all two-date tracks.
Toni: Texas is better than Chicago and Kansas too.
Amy: But I still think that, long-term, TV ratings will become more important than bodies in the stands.
Toni: Funny thing about TV ratings too though"¦when they race in a big urban market they do fine in the ratings. I don’t think it’s all about the track or how good the racing is for TV, personally. Because let’s face it, if it was trucks and IRL should get higher ratings than most Cup races.
Amy: True…but I do think that as the fans who watch NASCAR because it’s the trendy thing to do get bored with cookie-cutter racing, and ratings will change.
Tom: Well, I think the reason they haven’t made any major track changes to the Chase for 2006 is because this seems to be a three-year experiment. They don’t want to do anything drastic while the current television package reaches the end of its deal after 2006. Then, for 2007, when ABC probably reenters the fold and the Car Of Tomorrow comes on board…THAT’s when we’ll see some changes.
Jeff: Well, eventually the NASCAR bubble will burst and, at some point, it will become about the racing again.
Tom: Where will Bobby Labonte end up after leaving Joe Gibbs Racing? And are the new, young drivers coming up behind Bobby at JGR in Denny Hamlin and J.J. Yeley too inexperienced as replacements?
Jeff: Hamlin (as I said a couple of columns ago) is the future of Gibbs. So I don’t think he’s inexperienced. Yeley will continue to struggle.
Toni: Hamlin is ready now. I don’t think he’ll be a problem. But Yeley needs more Busch time. He takes longer to catch on, and
he’s just starting to get it there.
Amy: Yeley has talent, but it’s too much too soon. Hamlin is proving his readiness every week. I think Labonte, in the meantime, will end up at Petty Enterprises…not great equipment, but a good personality fit.
Jeff: Hall of Fame racing will get a 2nd car going and put Bobby in it. Have Terry and Bobby as teammates.
Toni: Nope, I’m with Amy, Jeff – Labonte will end up with the Pettys. It’s the only logical choice I see left for him with what’s out there.
Amy: As long as it isn’t Bill Davis Racing.
Jeff: Labonte to Yates in a 3rd car…that would be interesting.
Tom: Bobby, to me, would seem a perfect fit with the Pettys. He’s got enough years left in his career to see through a rebuilding process, and that team is quietly putting some important pieces of the puzzle together. Kyle is having his best year since 2002, and the team in general is finishing better and better every week. It’s the Charger that nips them more than anything else.
Toni: I am a little surprised though. I know Kyle and Richard were really hoping to get Bobby, but I didn’t think they’d pull that off.
Tom: Toni, I just don’t know where else Bobby would go. There’s not a lot of atttractive options out there at this point. I will say this, though…it says a lot to me that both Bobby and Ricky Rudd turned down Chip Ganassi.
Jeff: I was hoping they would.
Tom: That’s two class drivers saying no way am I getting into that mess…let me tell you, Chip’s got a heck of a hard road turning that around.
Toni: I agree, I don’t see any other better option out there at the moment.
Amy: Although at least Ganassi made one good decision at staying with three teams. They A) Aren’t ready for a 4th team at the moment, and B) Were really screwing Mears under the original plan.
Tom: It’s a shame Ricky Rudd’s gonna retire though. He’s running so well.
Jeff: Did he finally make that official?
Toni: He will be soon. He said he was retiring unless Penske needed him for the 2 car.
Tom: The biggest problem with Ganassi right now is they need a Bobby Labonte or a Ricky Rudd on their team. There’s no veteran leadership there anymore once Sterling leaves…just two rookies and a third driver that’s still proving himself after three years on NASCAR’s top circuit.
Jeff: Ganassi made his own bed, and now has to lie in it.
Tom: To be honest, Toni, I wish Rudd would just stay with the Wood Brothers one more year. I don’t know why he wouldn’t.
Jeff: I don’t feel sorry for him one bit.
Toni: One year can be a long time if you really don’t want to do it, Tom. Rick Hendrick would have preferred if Terry Labonte had given him one more year to get Kyle Busch ready, too; but he didn’t. Not everyone is Mark Martin and can be convinced to do it.
Amy: AND, with Rudd’s indecision, the Wood Brothers may have got tired of waiting.
Tom: Yeah, but Wallace and even Bill Elliott had strong years right before they hung up the helmet full-time…Rudd still doesn’t have that championship, nor has he won in three years. Seems to me there’s some unfinished business.
Toni: Maybe Tom, or maybe you turn into Darrell Waltrip trying to get that one more win long after you should have hung it up.
Tom: With Kevin Harvick now rumored to run a full Busch schedule again next year, that’s up to six Nextel Cup drivers trying to pull double duty. How is this going to affect the series on 2006?
Toni: Do you think it’s a coincidence that they’ve talked about rule changes to discourage the Buschwhackers? And now all these guys are going to do a full schedule in both series?
Amy: It’s not the drivers that are necessarily the problem here"¦it’s the Cup owned teams they run for, and using their names to lure sponsors from Busch teams. That is where the real problem lies.
Jeff: I think it’s funny really Kevin Harvick is coming back. Why would Harvick want to run a full Busch schedule? Can’t beat the big guys? It’s like a high-schooler playing football on a junior high squad.
Tom: I disagree with Amy on the driving pool not being affected. I just don’t know how you’re going to develop new stars in that series, when the stars already there don’t leave. And not only do they stay, but they’re running a full schedule with what is being advertised as a higher level of competition somewhere else. That, to me, absolutely kills the series. How can the David Greens and Randy Lajoies stand a chance with that?
Amy: That should not be allowed either…a driver should be able to run for ONE title-and not accrue driver or owner points in another series.
Toni: That’s a good question Tom. Where are these young guys
supposed to go? Harvick running full time puts Brandon Miller out of a ride. You can’t even put him in Bowyer’s car, because Bowyer’s planning the full tour, too.
Tom: Well, the Miller thing is debatable, because in my opinion he hasn’t been all that impressive. But even if they release Miller, there would be someone else to take his place without this ridiculousness.
Toni: But Tom, what if Miller was a Paul Menard? What if he just needed seat time he didn’t get? At the beginning of this season, I’d have thought Menard was a lost cause, too.
Jeff: Paul Menard’s biggest pull is the built in sponsor that comes with him.
Tom: Right…and because he had that built in sponsor, Jeff. Menard was allowed the patience and the chance to grow into his
job as a Busch Series driver and succeed. Now, with more Cup teams invading Busch and running more times, there’s less high profile runs for these young guys, and that will make the Busch teams even more desperate in terms of patience. Some guys struggle in the first five races, they could be gone even quicker than Ryan Hemphill was this year.
Amy: Right, a young driver and a new team need time to gel, no matter what series you’re in.
Jeff: Here’s my thought: I think what you do is that anyone who is not a rookie in Cup cannot run more than 6 Busch races, no matter what team you drive for.
Amy: But the teams have to be denied owner points from Cup
drivers for any other restriction to work
Tom: I agree that putting a limit on the number of Busch races you can run seems to be the best option though…otherwise, this is only going to get more popular as drivers get younger and new kids in Nextel Cup need more seat time to be successful.
Jeff: The problem is, I can always see NASCAR itself encouraging Cup drivers in Busch just to sell more tickets.
Toni: And how many have to run full time in both series before we can’t tell them apart? That’s my problem with it. It starts with six now, but eventually there will be so many that you’ll have basically two of the same series. I think this is even worse than Buschwhackers cherry picking races here and there.
Tom: Phoenix Predictions?
Jeff: Carl Edwards?!?
Tom: I’m thinking a veteran wins this one. To be honest, for some reason I see Ricky Rudd pulling it off. He wins, then announces his pending retirement in Victory Lane.
Toni: I say Mark Martin gets it right this time, and doesn’t get passed with two to go.
Amy: Tony Stewart, all the way on this one. Stewart can all but put the title away with a win and he knows it. That’s strong motivation if ever there was one.
Tom: To be honest, I think the title gets decided here this year. Two of the three drivers I think will struggle—- but the third will
pull away to have a nice cushion heading into Homestead.
Wednesday on the Frontstretch:
Did You Notice? … The Evolution Of An Ending, Double Duty’s Drought And Charlotte Controversy
Side by Side: Daytona Or Indy — Which Race Is More Important?
Life at the 55: How Engineering and Technology Brought Billy Scott into NASCAR
Top Ten Ways Drivers Entertain Themselves During A 600-Mile Race
Open-Wheel Wednesday: The History of the Indianapolis 500
A Good Friend Mourns: Dick Trickle Remembered
Happiness Is… Racing, Racing, Racing
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