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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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Thomas Bowles · Wednesday October 6, 2010
Did You Notice? … This latest appeal denial had a much different feel than the first? Former GM exec John Middlebrook, no stranger to Richard Childress, was in charge of making the final decision on a 150-point penalty, $150,000 fine, and two six-week suspensions within the No. 33 team that have defined this year’s Chase. Last week’s panel voted 3-0 that the penalties were warranted, its decision coming amidst Childress bringing in an accident reconstruction expert, Dr. Charles Manning, to show a virtual example of how the measurement problems NASCAR documented could be caused by a tow truck.
In between, Childress threw out a whole new barrage of accusations at the appeals process in general, taking shot after shot at NASCAR and questioning the fairness of the hearing. One week later, he still didn’t get the result he was after: Middlebrook reduced the suspensions of crew chief Shane Wilson and car chief Chad Haney from six weeks to four, the fine from $150,000 to $100,000 but upheld the killer 150-point deduction that, for all intents and purposes, is the Press Your Luck whammy that knocks Clint Bowyer out of the three-person RCR quest for the title.
It wasn’t a celebration, but Richard Childress was in a far better mood following the final rejection of his team’s appeal Tuesday than he was a week ago.
“After reviewing all the data, presentation and factors involved, I am ruling NASCAR was correct in its decision to levy penalties,” said Middlebrook, the National Stock Car Racing Chief Appellate Officer who presided over the hearing. “I believe that the revisions that have been made to the penalties are consistent and fair to both parties involved.”
You would think such a statement would leave Childress hunting for a different type of prey than on his Montana vacations, right? Yet after being as outspoken as possible the last two weeks, March, not October, became his favorite month as he entered this process roaring like a lion … but left it quiet as a lamb.
“I’m disappointed that the results are not what we wanted, but I feel we received a fair hearing today,” he said as if someone had tranquilized his right to freedom of speech. “The final step in the appeals process is very good, and I can assure you we would not have taken our case to the chief appellate officer if the first step in the process had been as fair as today’s. I want to thank all of the fans for their support. I’m proud to be a part of this sport and proud to represent RCR’s partners. We all need to put this behind us and get back to racing. There are seven races remaining in the Chase, and Richard Childress Racing will continue our focus on winning the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship.”
Huh? Who conked Childress on the head and put the fake PR person in charge? What’s more, this statement doesn’t appear to be out of character for him today, as reports from the ground state he was much more calm and relaxed after exiting the appeals room with Middlebrook – even though Dr. Manning wasn’t asked to return.
For NASCAR’s part, John Darby called it a situation where “nobody wins, nobody loses” even though they still haven’t A) Explained what’s specifically wrong with the car to the public at large, who still views the decisions with skepticism and B) Bowyer laid out a six-step anti-inspection speech at Dover that was the equivalent of turning NASCAR into a piñata, then beating it with a baseball bat until it broke into tiny little pieces.
So why did Childress lay off? Secret fines, anyone? Well, I’m sure part of it is he knows the decision is final, and there’s no reason crying over split milk when even a reversal won’t bring back the momentum that has since dissipated from the No. 33, knocking Bowyer out of the championship Chase. But if I were Childress, I’d also be looking at the lone true title contender I have remaining, Kevin Harvick, and moving forward knowing he could still get the last laugh.
How does he do it? Simple: by doubling the Jimmie Johnson – Jeff Gordon strategy of sharing setups. Sure, that’s a concept adopted by every multi-car team but not to the point of JG-JJ, where Gordon basically pulls Johnson aside with the bases loaded, his team up by three, then describes what the pitcher’s going to throw and where over the plate so his “driver” can hit the grand slam. How Gordon sleeps at night knowing he’s providing the tools to get beat, time and time again, is another topic for another day … but at the moment, Childress has a terrific opportunity to harness the same type of superior teamwork.
Let’s face it; Bowyer’s out of the Chase, and Jeff Burton seems out of sorts at ninth in the points, 101 back and coming off a horrific intermediate performance at Kansas. Why not have a “rah rah” team meeting, bring the gang together and change the entire focus of their season towards winning a title for the No. 29? Turn Burton and Bowyer – both willing, take-one-for-the-team individuals – into the equivalent of R&D cars collecting that extra information that will keep pace with a Gordon-Johnson juggernaut taking notes of their own over the course of the weekend.
Can it be done? I still think it’s a longshot to beat the No. 48 one year after the organization had no cars in the Chase at all. But in a way, this penalty frees Childress to give it his best shot with one car, able to stand up at NASCAR and say he beat both the officials and his major nemesis – Hendrick, who forced him to go to the multi-car model after winning the final single-car championship with Dale Earnhardt in 1994 – that he beat them at their own game.
Did You Notice? … What a difference eight months makes … or does it? The last time we visited Southern California, it was one week after Daytona and the top-5 storylines were radically different from what they are now. Here’s a look at how quickly things can change in eight months:
Daytona Storyline #1: Is Jamie McMurray for real?
Answer: Yes. McMurray was never able to dodge the Daytona 500 curse – the last three winners have now failed to make the Chase – but for all intents and purposes he’s had a career year driving for Earnhardt Ganassi Racing. A second victory at the Brickyard 400 left him one of three drivers (Jimmie Johnson, Dale Jarrett) to ever accomplish the feat, and runner-up finishes at both Charlotte and Talladega this spring lead one to believe he could squeak out a third before the year is over. That would leave him trailing just Johnson and Denny Hamlin in victories this season, making McMurray the rare Cinderella story that actually does pan out over 36 races – playoff appearance or not.
Daytona Storyline #2: Dale Earnhardt, Jr. is back!
Answer: Um… no. The difference between Junior’s demeanor now and then is so pronounced, it feels like five years have passed since a series of banzai late-race moves left him second, walking into the media center torn over coming so close to victory but confident in his team’s 2010 outlook for success.
Remember when Dale Earnhardt, Jr. actually won in a Hendrick car? It’s been so long – since June, 2008 – that it’s easy to forget he actually had some success during the early days driving the No. 88 Chevy.
“It’s great for our team to have a finish good anywhere no matter what,” he said. “I was happy. I’m happy for the finish; it validates the changes they made and the hard work they’ve done over the offseason to get better.”
“You know, I just hope we can keep it up.”
All eyes were on the spring Fontana race, where unlike McMurray, Earnhardt’s season began to unravel already. The No. 1 car won the pole, but the No. 88 started 27th, had some sort of axle issue and wound up 12 laps down, in 32nd place and with its driver immediately back in the same type of “no confidence” zone he’d spent the previous 12 months.
“Can’t build the cars,” he said. “What do you want me to do? I just drive them.”
Nothing’s changed since, the roller coaster wave of emotions typical of a tenure with Lance McGrew that’s failed to meet lofty expectations. With seven top-10 finishes, he sits just 17th in points and could easily fall outside the top 20 with some ugly history at the remaining tracks on the schedule.
Daytona Storyline #3: Will the ratings decline ever stop?
Answer: No. Coming off a lackluster year in 2009, the sport was hopeful this season’s “Have At It, Boys” regime combined with some new rules and positive energy would turn the fan base back from the exits. But right off the bat, a better-than-expected Daytona 500 was sidetracked by the pothole from hell that caused a two-hour delay, incensed fans and led to the lowest TV rating for the race since 1991. It was an ugly start from the series that had all eyes looking to Fontana for better-than-expected competition – parity that might cancel out the Nielsen woes.
Instead, Jimmie Johnson won, the race was another snoozer and the overnights dropped six percent, the start to another season where simply breaking even from year-to-year in either attendance or television viewership for a track has to be considered a victory.
Once considered a lock to be leaving RCR for Stewart-Haas Racing, Kevin Harvick has instead enjoyed his finest Cup season since 2006.
Daytona Storyline #4: Will Kevin Harvick be a wild child in his free agent year?
Answer: More like a title contender. While failing to win his second 500, Harvick clearly influenced the outcome, leading a race-high 41 laps before losing his chance to win through contact with Martin Truex, Jr. that sent the No. 56 squirrelly, left McMurray in the front row for the final green-white-checker restart, separating him from teammate Clint Bowyer and ultimately sealing his fate. An irate Bowyer was incensed on the radio, but at the time no one thought much of it because Harvick had one foot out the door to Stewart-Haas or the world of free agency.
Boy, how little we knew. The next weekend he led 27 laps, then gave Johnson all he could handle en route to a runner-up California finish that started mending fences behind the scenes. The stage was set for a Harvick-Johnson title battle, and while Hamlin remains the main challenger to the No. 48, “Happy” sits just third heading to Fontana a second time, armed with the “glory” of a regular season points title and a contract extension with RCR.
Daytona Storyline #5: Is Danica any good?
Answer: No. Daytona left us a little confused with the IndyCar star because it’s hard to judge overall talent in a plate race; the GoDaddy girl had a sensational comeback into the top 10 in ARCA, giving the 200 or so reporters tracking every move legitimacy to stick around another week.
Eight months later, what NASCAR’d give for even two reporters to stalk her. Her first Nationwide Series start was filled with questions about first-grade NASCAR terms, a low-grade experience running at the back of the draft and an eventual wreck not of her making that left the car leaving on a wrecker. Just one race later, the wide open, forgiving spaces of California proved no match for a woman determined to find her groove at a snail’s pace. Qualifying just 36th with superior equipment, she was penalized in the pits, fell three laps down and never so much as sniffed the top 30. It’s been a worst-case scenario ever since, a best run of 24th offset by two DNFs, countless crashes and a fade from the next big thing to the latest NASCAR PR sham.
Getting put a lap down by the Joe Gibbs Racing drivers is about the only time Danica Patrick’s seen the front of the field in her short, unimpressive Nationwide Series career thus far.
Here’s another interesting stat for you: Just five of Daytona’s top-10 finishers return to Fontana having made the Chase. Greg Biffle, Clint Bowyer, Kevin Harvick, Matt Kenseth, and Carl Edwards succeeded; McMurray, Earnhardt, David Reutimann, Truex, and Juan Pablo Montoya failed. Compare that to the following Fontana weekend where eight of the top-10 drivers made it, and those who didn’t (Mark Martin, Joey Logano) came razor-thin close to sneaking in the field.
It just goes to show you how far from the norm plate races are perceived when it comes to the meat of NASCAR’s schedule. There was also little talk about Johnson’s 35th-place finish at the 500, because smart observers knew the No. 48’s dream for five titles was far from done; as expected, they were sitting in Victory Lane that Sunday, their third victory in the last four races in Fontana while asserting themselves as the team to beat once again.
Guess in this era of NASCAR, there’s some things completely incapable of change.
Did You Notice? … Quick hits before we take off:
- California’s second date, set for its swan song this weekend, came into being the year NASCAR peaked and began to go downhill: 2005. Pure coincidence? Watch five laps here, compare it to the track it replaced – Rockingham – and judge for yourself.
- So the South Park season premiere is centered all around NASCAR, premiering tomorrow night at 10 PM on Comedy Central. The preview episode reveals all you need to know, Eric Cartman inside the car and saying to his one-man pit crew, Butters: “I’ve learned everything I can about being poor and stupid. I’m ready for NASCAR!”
Now, don’t get me wrong here; I can’t wait to watch, the show is hysterical and I’m sure this episode will be no different. But is this satire the type of publicity NASCAR needs? The episode targets a key demographic the sport’s been trying to reach — 18-35-year-old males — but is depicting the sport as a bunch of stupid, white rednecks incapable of doing anything more than driving in circles really going to whet their appetite to watch? I don’t think that’s what the Daytona Beach offices would like to see, stereotypes they’ve worked hard to erase reconfirmed to the casual observer through one 22-minute, satirical episode they’re powerless to contradict.
- After a disgusting drop to start, NASCAR’s TV ratings have stabilized at 2.3 for the first three weeks of the Chase. But now’s a case study in how much Jimmie Johnson’s dominance means to fans turning off the television. This weekend marks his first as point leader, and this track has typically tilted straight in the direction of the No. 48. Will people click away just because of the sheer thought of Johnson winning the title, or does the whole rest of the race take precedent?
There’s a whole lot of interested parties looking to find out.
- At some point, the ratings can only go down so far before the power lies not with the sport but with the TV networks themselves. If you’re losing $xx millions of dollars per year on a contract and it gets to the point you’re halfway done, what’s the difference in telling the sport you’re losing $3-4 million more, investing your money elsewhere and not bringing cameras and crews to the track without a discount? Clearly, it’s a story to watch going forward – especially considering two of the three networks vying for the next Olympics package are saddled with the NASCAR contract.
- So whom are the “A” level movie stars heading to the “Hollywood” track on Sunday? Kenny Loggins – yes, the Winnie The Pooh songwriter Kenny Loggins – will be performing in concert beforehand. What, I guess Paris Hilton was still pissed Kasey Kahne never called her back? Where’s all the big-time support when you need it? Not that they ever put fans in the stands or anything, but having popular people embracing the sport is as good of a publicity push as you can get.
Wednesday on the Frontstretch:
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The Chase, Take III: Who’s In, Who’s Out, Who Will Win, And Those I Doubt
Beyond the Cockpit: Brian Scott on Leaving Braun, 2011 Prospects, and The New CoT
Mirror Driving: Settling Bayne, Biffle, And Busch Questions Once And For All
Sprint Cup Power Rankings: Top 15 After Kansas
Top 10 Entitlements for Chase Drivers
The Frontstretch Foto Funnies! Kansas, October 2010
Carey And Coffey: Closest Points Battle Yet
Tuesday on the Frontstretch:
Five Points to Ponder: Jimmie vs. Matt And The Best Day In Motorsports
Who’s Hot / Who’s Not in NASCAR: All-Star – Charlotte Edition
The Art Of Closing The Deal In NASCAR’s Longest Race
Racing To The Point: A Radical Idea For The All-Star Race
Couch Potato Tuesday: SPEED’s Last-Gasp Sprint Cup Hurrah
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