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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 20, 2010
Did You Notice? … Brian Scott’s mystery lugnut penalty wasn’t the only scoring call NASCAR blew this weekend? Watch closely this replay of the Marcos Ambrose spin at Charlotte by going to the 3:07 mark of this clip, a crash which caused the caution flag on Lap 204. What you’ll find is that when the No. 47 car went around, he was put one lap down by Jimmie Johnson right before the yellow lights came on, putting him first in line to receive the “Lucky Dog” pass and get back on the lead lap. Of course, under the rules he would be branded ineligible, as the NASCAR rulebook states the driver that causes the caution is not eligible to receive the “Lucky Dog” pass during that yellow. If officiated correctly, that would have left this “free pass” unused and forced all drivers one lap down to use the wave-around rule in an attempt to work their way back onto the lead lap.
The way NASCAR has been officiating these races, who knows? A second straight wreck for Ambrose at Martinsville the Fall could lead to yet another missed call that changes the shape of the Chase.
Sounds pretty cut and dry, right? Except when you get to the part where NASCAR awarded Gordon the Lucky Dog instead, a move that left even ABC’s Allen Bestwick a bit surprised as a Steve Letarte radio transmission kept him from even spitting out the controversy before a decision was made. That left the No. 24 back on the lead lap, able to go down pit road and get fresh tires while the rest of the cars behind him had to stay out and use the wave-around rule to earn the same privilege. It’s a big advantage, one that could have protected him over a long green-flag run if the other wave-around cars were forced to pit for fuel and tires.
Turns out the mistake had little to no bearing on the final results, as Gordon never had the speed in his DuPont Chevrolet and wound up 23rd, one lap off the pace after an additional pit road speeding penalty under green. A Lap 240 caution also ensured that both the Lucky Dog recipient and the wave-around cars were able to earn their lap back before the latter were forced to pit under green, virtually negating any such advantage Gordon could have gained. But considering his teammate pulled one of the best Chase comebacks of all-time, the right adjustments from Letarte in Gordon’s favor could have easily meant a difference of 40, 50, 60 free points in the final results if the fresh rubber paid off. And no matter what, to blow a call like that concerning a Chase driver, however close it may be during the race is a bit surprising.
Did You Notice? … Who the new short track king of NASCAR is? Heading into this weekend’s race at Martinsville, I realized we haven’t really had an answer to that since Rusty Wallace retired in 2005. Certain drivers have had their moments, including the Busch brothers, Denny Hamlin, Jimmie Johnson, and even Carl Edwards but no one driver has laid claim across the board as champion of the bullrings.
So let’s have some fun with numbers and figure it out. For this year, at least, Kyle Busch appears to be king. Here’s a look at the top-10 point scorers through five events at Richmond, Bristol, and Martinsville:
1) Kyle Busch 795 – 2 wins, 3 top 5s, 4 top 10s, 508 laps led.
2) Jeff Gordon 728 – 2 top 5s, 2 top 10s, 238 laps led.
3) Carl Edwards 718 – 1 top 5, 4 top 10s, 97 laps led.
4) Ryan Newman 702 – 1 top 5, 3 top 10s.
5) Jimmie Johnson 695 – 1 win, 2 top 5s, 4 top 10s, 266 laps led.
6) Denny Hamlin 687 – 2 wins, 2 top 5s, 2 top 10s, 423 laps led.
7) Jeff Burton 651 – 1 top 5, 2 top 10s, 162 laps led.
8) Matt Kenseth 643 – 1 top 5, 2 top 10s.
9) Martin Truex, Jr. 642 – 1 top 5, 2 top 10s, 1 lap led.
10) Joey Logano 641 – 2 top 5s, 2 top 10s, 2 laps led.
It’s hard to believe a man who once dominated the short track circuit like Jeff Gordon did hasn’t won on the bullrings since Martinsville in October of 2005.
While Gordon comes in a strong second, the wins are split up between Busch, Jimmie Johnson, and Denny Hamlin, collecting 10 of this year’s 50 top-10 finishes at those tracks for themselves. Around them, note that Chasers take up seven of the top-10 spots in total, with some conspicuous absences on the list: third-place Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch, who began his career with a Bristol victory but has always seemed to struggle on all other short track configurations. RCR’s overall struggles at these places is a mild surprise (Jeff Burton is the only one to crack the top-10 in eighth) as short tracks used to be their bread and butter during their first resurgence into the Chase in 2006-08. So much for Harvick mounting a comeback this weekend, even though he did win the pole and lead 57 laps at Martinsville in the spring before mechanical problems led to an early exit.
So should the recent battle of the bullrings be giftwrapped to the younger Busch? Moving on, let’s take a look at who’s scored the 29 short track victories on the circuit since Rusty Wallace officially retired in November, 2005:
Jimmie Johnson – 9
Kyle Busch – 6
Denny Hamlin – 5
Carl Edwards – 2
Jeff Burton – 1
Clint Bowyer – 1
Kevin Harvick – 1
Matt Kenseth – 1
Dale Earnhardt, Jr. – 1
Tony Stewart – 1
Kurt Busch – 1
Turns out four straight titles aren’t the only way the No. 48 has dominated the last few years. While Busch and Hamlin have closed the gap, Johnson still maintains a fairly healthy lead in the win column heading into the season finale. It’s an impressive statistic, made even more so by the fact Johnson had never won at Bristol until a shocking, come-from-behind victory in March of this year.
What’s most intriguing, though, is a Hendrick name not on the list. Can you figure it out? That’s right; Jeff Gordon, who’s collected 15 of his 82 career wins on short tracks but none since Martinsville in the Fall of 2005 – five years ago this weekend. How far the former leader has fallen, relinquishing another crown to the newfound head of the Hendrick household who continues to dominate the series in just about every category, even the obscure ones you don’t expect.
So yes, Jimmie Johnson is your new short track king. Now, it’s Hamlin or Busch’s job to try and steal it.
Did You Notice? … Kasey Kahne’s Saturday night sneakaway has been well-documented by fellow writer Bryan Davis Keith this week, his refusal to man the wreckage of the No. 9 car symptomatic of the wreckage that serves as his season. But the part that really gets me about this whole situation is that 12 hours after being “sick to his stomach,” the 30-year-old turned around and had the guts to go out and run a 5k!
It’s a baby marathon the likes of which Kahne didn’t have to run; he could have easily kept the lie going, feigned sickness and used the opportunity to still vent about the RPM team that’s revving up his desire to leave Ford forever – already his least favorite manufacturer after a previous dispute to drive for owner Ray Evernham ended up in court. Instead, the 30-year-old pulled the ugly equivalent of shoving the lie in RPM’s face, going from stomach virus to 3-mile run in the matter of a “good night’s sleep.” Seriously?! Who does he think he’s fooling! That’s like calling in sick on speaker phone, in the middle of a sports bar with your buddies screaming around you on a Sunday afternoon. No wonder why the usually mild-mannered Robbie Loomis, RPM VP, came out and took some potshots right back at his driver through SceneDaily’s Bob Pockrass.
Kasey Kahne’s disappearance from his car and team on Saturday night in Charlotte left Richard Petty Motorsports’ VP Robbie Loomis fired up and ticked off at his exiting star driver.
My big complaint here for Kahne is why he bothered to hide the truth. Why not just say, “I didn’t drive that car because I don’t want to be a part of this team anymore!” Instead, he compounded the lie, disguising some of his criticisms by saying he didn’t feel well, even though another team member came up to him and demanded the driver “do his part.”
“I wasn’t 100 percent,” he said of the run for the Kasey Kahne Foundation. Mmm-hmm. Are we sure he didn’t experience a helmet-to-helmet hit on the NFL sideline Sunday? I just don’t understand why everyone demeans NASCAR fans and garage observers with statements that insinuate we’re all stupid.
In a NASCAR world where lies build up the foundation of failure, I’d have at least kept some of my respect for Kahne if he told the truth. Now, I think he’s doubly in the wrong for being passive-aggressive on the issue and walking away from a team that he’s still employed by and receiving checks between now and November. Certainly, the late-season conditions for either side haven’t been ideal. But you don’t see pending free agents in any sports just stop showing up for the last month of the season — well, at least those that are looked at as team players, anyway.
Did You Notice? … Quick hits before I take off…
- I reviewed the Tim Richmond documentary at length over at Athlon Sports, so I’m not going to spout off much more other than one more thing that sticks out in my head after watching it multiple times: the chilling Bill France, Jr. clip taken in his office back in 2006. Even while a frail, aging man battling cancer, the way in which he described Richmond’s failed drug test came with the kind of cunning, sharp-edged explanation that you knew immediately two things:
A) He was skirting the truth
B) This man was a heck of a dictator in his day
Once again, I thought the documentary was excellent, a well-rounded look of a man on the rise whose career took a tragic turn.
- One more thing on Kahne: Here’s what I would do if I were Red Bull Racing and Richard Petty Motorsports. First off, with Reed Sorenson just filling a seat in the No. 83 for the next four weeks it would be great for Kahne to get a head start on 2011. At this point, the vicious verbal sparring that’s gone on can’t be good for anyone involved, and while Budweiser likely won’t be happy if a change is made why should RPM cater to them – they’re leaving in November, too.
Both sides are better off to part ways, with Kahne going to the No. 9 car and – get this one – Trevor Bayne filling his seat for the last four weeks. Roush was already considering throwing him in the No. 21 Wood Brothers Ford in Texas, and after a stellar Nationwide Series second half the kid deserves a shot to dabble in Cup and see how he does. Who knows, with RPM searching for sponsorship for a third car maybe a couple of surprising, solid runs gives us a company looking to back him, putting a much-needed new face in front of the 2011 Sprint Cup Rookie Class that to this point has been absolutely invisible.
Will it happen? Probably not. But should a change be made at the No. 9 car? Absolutely.
- You’d have to think Kyle Busch will end up fined for his unprovoked “mouse went across the track” comment, re: fake Charlotte debris. After all, teammate Denny Hamlin said something far less controversial and ended up $50,000 in the hole. The bigger issue is how, if, and when we’ll see any of these secret fines pop up as a matter of public record again. Recent meetings over the summer and fall appear to be carrying the same “Rally The Troops, Keep Everyone In Line” message we saw a couple of years ago, where the ever-changing philosophy from NASCAR headquarters is to deny everything, pretend it’s all fine and let the writers be the one to criticize and investigate without acknowledging fault. After all, according to Brian France this weekend, NASCAR racing is “phenomenal” despite the recent TV ratings dip.
- Speaking of the ratings dip, it’s notable that there was only a nine percent drop in Charlotte ratings, from 3.5 to 3.2 in the only race of the Chase that was aired on ABC. Some will point to the switch from ESPN as the reason, but I’m not buying it. Keep in mind the ugly, Monday Night Football game between Jacksonville and Tennessee outrated even the Major League Baseball playoffs last night, the latest sign in how big of a monster the NFL is becoming over anyone else. Pure speculation on my part, but I think a bunch of newly-minted NASCAR-turned-NFL fans were home on a Saturday night, browsed the channels and felt like they’d take in the Chase, see how it was going nearly halfway through without another major sport they loved to distract them.
- When in doubt of what to think for this upcoming election, I think there’s one thing we can all agree on. The Rent Is too Damn High.
Can someone please get this man to put his name on the side of a race car? Just the radio and TV announcers trying to describe it would make it worth every dime that man ever spent.
Connect with Tom!
Contact Tom Bowles
Wednesday on the Frontstretch:
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Mirror Driving: Non-Chase Rewards, France Fantasies, And Faking The Truth
How Jamie McMurray Has Single-Handedly Invalidated the Chase
Beyond The Cockpit: A.J. Allmendinger on Consistency, 2011 Daytona 500, More
Sprint Cup Power Rankings: Top 15 Through Charlotte-2
Top 10 Reasons Kasey Kahne Left the Track Early on Saturday Night
The Frontstretch Foto Funnies – Charlotte, October 2010
Monday on the Frontstretch:
Thinkin’ Out Loud: All-Star Race Recap
A Problem Of Predictability
All-Star Gimmicks Gone Wrong
Pace Laps: Owning History, Across All Disciplines
The Big Six: Questions Answered After NASCAR’s All-Star Race Weekend
Tracking The Trucks: North Carolina Education Lottery 200
Dick Trickle: Short Track Legend
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