2017 has been the breakout season for Ryan Blaney, getting the Wood Brothers back on track. He has proved that the sophomore slump does not exist, at least for him. Entering his second full-time seasons in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, Blaney has yet to cross the finish-line first at …
Read More »Humphrey Racing Retooling, Out Until Indianapolis
NASCAR.com’s David Caraviello is reporting that Humphrey Racing, which fields the No. 77 Fords for Dave Blaney in the Sprint Cup Series, will take the next few weeks off from the Sprint Cup Series tour. The team is not shutting down, though. Instead, they are retooling in order to show …
Read More »The Big 6: Questions Answered After the 2011 Good Sam Club 500 at Talladega
After the chaos that is Talladega, a pair of shoutouts go out this week. One goes to Dave Blaney, who worked all day with Brad Keselowski, hanging back for much of the race only to close at the end and finish third. The finish was a career best for Blaney, who runs for a small-time team in Tommy Baldwin Racing. Speaking of the smaller teams, two others made some real noise at Talladega as Casey Mears and Landon Cassill raced at the front of the field all day until the late-race mess destroyed their hope for a great finish. These are three drivers fighting for the sponsorship just to race, and they showed this weekend that they can get it done when the playing field is truly level.
Read More »The Big 6: Questions Answered After the 2011 Aaron’s 499 at Talladega
There were a lot of lead changes in Sunday, and a few surprise leaders as well. One of those surprises came in the form of Dave Blaney, who led 21 laps before all but wrecking in turn 3 after a mis-timed bump from Kurt Busch as the race drew to a close. For Tommy Baldwin’s small operation, it was shaping up to be a huge day. That it was ended through no fault of Blaney’s should cast any pall over it. At a track that is the great equalizer in terms of equipment, it was interesting to see exactly which cream rose to the top. Blaney was all cream on Sunday; too bad he got iced at the end.
Read More »Bubble Breakdown: Robby’s Top 15 Bursts Kvapil’s Bubble Inside Top 35
Robby Gordon picked up a well-deserved 14th-place finish in Saturday’s Subway Fresh Fit 600 at Phoenix. But was that enough to get him inside the Top 35? Meanwhile, David Stremme’s No. 26 and Mike Bliss’s No. 36 both failed to make the race, meaning their 37th and 38th-ranked teams both …
Read More »Talking NASCAR TV: Timing Troubles Haunt Bristol FOX, ESPN Coverage
Hello, race fans and welcome to my personal abode, the weekly TV critique. This past weekend, the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series were in action at Bristol Motor Speedway. They were also joined by some legends of the sport who came together for the Scotts EZ Seed Showdown, a 35-lap …
Read More »Bubble Breakdown: What Big Teams Are In Top-35 Danger?
For many in the Sprint Cup garage this weekend, 500 laps at Bristol will be a nail-biting experience, with one wreck making the difference between locking them into the 43-car field for Martinsville and beyond… or kicking them out. So while NASCAR’s top divisions enjoy their week off, let’s take …
Read More »Mirror Driving: Fontana Follies, NASCAR Sends a Message & Danica’s Nationwide Impact… On TV?
The racing at Fontana was somewhat improved over recent races, with the 1.5-second margin of victory in the Cup race, which was .4 seconds under the average. Is this a sign of a turnaround for the track? And what can it be attributed to?
Read More »5 Points to Ponder: A Surprisingly Solid Western That Nobody Witnessed
See that guy in victory lane? Yeah, that Lowe's dude that has hoisted the Sprint Cup the last four seasons? He won again on Sunday. It only took the No. 48 team two tries to win in 2010.
Read More »Bubble Breakdown: Blaney Needs a Sponsor, Ambrose & Newman Need a Break
With the second race of the season complete, a rough picture of the 2010 bubble is starting to take shape. Teams have just three more weeks to get their act together, which is why Sunday’s 500-miler at California was such an important step in the process. The cookie-cutter oval has …
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