Nascar: Beyond the Track

NASCAR should avoid tinkering with 'boys have at it' policy; Welcome back Ward Burton

2012-01-29T13:42:00.000-08:00

Well that didn’t last long.

Just two years after the ‘boys have at it’ era began, it may be coming to an end.

NASCAR officials said this week that the policy will be examined before the season starts and the sport may not be as lenient this year.

"We reflect on that at the end of the year and the season hasn't started yet, but there are some things that a group of us will sit down and talk about, and that is one of them," NASCAR Vice President of Competition Robin Pemberton said Thursday. "There were times that it got out of hand, and we're going to discuss what out of hand really is moving forward."

On one hand I understand, as some drivers (cough, Kyle Busch, cough) acted a fool in 2011 on the track.

But at the same time, I hope the policy doesn’t get ratcheted back too far. The ‘boys have at it’ era has produced some great moments for the fans, and I don’t want to see a nanny state imposed and take that away.

For the most part I do believe that the drivers have done a good job policing themselves; and hitting back when there were hit unfairly. True, there may have been some collateral damage collected along the way, but I don’t think it’s gotten too out of hand other than a couple occasions.

Let it be I say; The sport is on a good run here and there is no need to slow down the excitement level because a couple drivers went a little too far.

If they want to be more definitive about what is allowed, that is fine with me. But let’s not get too crazy about the regulations.

Welcome back Ward

One of my all time favorite drivers – Ward Burton, aka the man with the most hard to understand yet awesome accent in all of NASCAR is back after five years, this time with his son by his side. The former Daytona 500 winner will compete this season in the Truck series, along with his son Jeb, who is 19 and last ran in the Whelen All-American Series. Ward will run at Daytona in the truck, as Jeb is not yet qualified for the track.

Welcome back Ward, I hope you can get back to your winning ways.

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With news she'll skip 2012 Indy 500, Danica Patrick is clearly done with Indycar; focusing on her NASCAR future

2012-01-25T21:01:00.000-08:00

The writing was on the wall all along.

For all of 2011, everyone knew Danica was leaving Indycar for NASCAR in 2012. She kept saying it was still up in the air, but it has come out now that she told her Indycar team a year ago she wouldn't be back.

So here we are, and Danicamania can now take full effect. She will be running the full Nationwide series this season, and many thought she would still take part in the Indy 500, since she is only a part-time Cup driver in 2012.

No dice, Danica has announced. She'll be in Charlotte for the Coke 600, so there is no Indy 500 for her this year, she announced, though she may attempt it in the future.

She said skipping Indy was a “business decision.”
“I hope to do it in the future, the Indy 500 that is, and maybe it will be a double,” she said. “But at this point in time, after a lot of conversations, it’s just going to be the Coke 600 and I think it’s going to be a big challenge. It’s just is something that didn’t work out, as far as the business side of things. ... For this year, it just didn’t happen.”

Translation; she's probably never going to race an Indycar again. The double isn't going to happen, not by her or anyone else.

By skipping the Indy 500 this year, when she clearly could have done it due to her part-time Cup schedule, Danica is sending a clear message.

I'm moving on, she is saying.
It was nice knowing you Indycar, but I'm off to the bigger bucks of NASCAR, she is saying.
Even your biggest stage isn't big enough for me anymore, she is saying.

She once dreamed of winning the Indy 500.
Now she dreams of winning the Daytona 500, and the Coke 600 and the Brickyard 400.

History shows there really is no going back once this bridge is crossed, so the Indycar powers-that-be will have to find a new driver to market come Indy 500 time. Their biggest superstar is gone and will likely never show her face in that series again.

It's a move that was not surprising to anyone who has followed Danica's career. Indycar is a minor-league motorsport compared to NASCAR and was not going to contain her.

She was easily the biggest star on that stage, and even though she's new to NASCAR it's pretty clear that she's already a top 3 or 4 star in terms of overall popularity among the general public (behind Dale Earnhardt Jr. and maybe Tony Stewart and Jeff Gordon.)

If she can manage to win a Nationwide race this year, or do something crazy like win a Cup race (not likely, but just throwing it out there), she'll easily become the biggest motorsports star in the country -- right up there with good old Jr.

And even if that doesn't happen (which is likely the case), her decision to skip Indy makes a bold statement: She's all NASCAR all the time, so don't expect her to go open-wheeling ever again (and considering how the Indycar season ended tragically last year, I can't say I blame her).

She might claim otherwise, but considering how honest she was last year about the move, don't believe any of the hype she might spit out. Her Indycar days are done.

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Ford excitedly unveils its 2013 Ford Fusion Cup ride

2012-01-24T21:02:00.000-08:00

Forget 2012 for a minute; Ford is pumped up about 2013 already.

On Tuesday, they were positively thrilled to unveil the new 2013 Fusion that will compete starting one year from now. Apparently, there had been discussions about bringing the Mustang up to Cup from Nationwide, but that all changed.

Ford Racing Director Jamie Allison said: “All along, we had planned to bring Mustang into Cup because that’s our iconic car, until we saw this at the studio (pointing to the 2013 production Fusion). You now see what we saw, a streamlined, sleek, sport roof line that is unique in the midsize segment. A lightness of design, something that’s about aerodynamics and efficient and belongs on the track; a dynamic car that looks fun to drive."

Allison said the Mustang will remain in Nationwide racing, after a successful debut in 2011.
“Mustang in Nationwide, Fusion in Cup – two great brands, two great series, reaching different fans,” he said.

There may be excitement now, but I say hold off until the thing hits the track. Let's see if it's a winner before anyone cheers too much.

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Fans can interact with drivers at this week's NASCAR Acceleration Weekend in Charlotte

2012-01-18T22:19:00.000-08:00

NASCAR Acceleration Weekend will be a festival-like experience for NASCAR fans of all ages, featuring drivers and legends, unique interactive experiences and more.

The weekend’s activities commence with the 2012 NASCAR Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Friday, followed by NASCAR Preview 2012 Presented by Sprint on Saturday, where fans can interact with the sport’s legends and current stars, get autographs, participate in Q&A sessions and games, and get a sneak peek at the upcoming season.

NASCAR Acceleration Weekend culminates Sunday as the inductee spires and exhibits are enshrined for the first time in the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

Fans can visit NASCARacceleration2012.com to purchase a combo ticket package that includes entry into both the NASCAR Hall of Fame and NASCAR Preview 2012 for $20. Admission for children under five-years-old is FREE.

WHO:
Top NASCAR drivers and legends, 2012 NASCAR Hall of Fame Inductees and current NASCAR Hall of Famers

WHEN:
Friday, January 20 - Sunday, January 22, 2012

WHERE:
NASCAR Hall of Fame and Charlotte Convention Center

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS (times subject to change):

Friday
— 4 p.m. – Storytelling event with 2010 and 2011 Inductees (NASCAR Hall of Fame Great Hall)
— 4:30-5:30 p.m. – Red Carpet Photo Opportunity (NASCAR Hall of Fame Great Hall)
— 7:30-10 p.m. – Induction Ceremony (Crown Ballroom) (**Credentialed media only**)
— 10-11 p.m. (approx.) – Post-Induction Inductee Media Interviews (Rooms 211 & 212)

Saturday
— 7-9 a.m. – Junior Johnson breakfast with fans (NASCAR Hall of Fame Great Hall)
— 9 a.m-5 p.m. – NASCAR Preview 2012 Presented by Sprint (Charlotte Convention Center)
— Driver autograph and Q & A sessions (see schedule below). Wristbands for autograph sessions will be distributed starting at 7 a.m. on a first-come, first-served basis.
— NASCAR legends leading fan tours throughout the day (departs from Main Stage)
— Junior Johnson (10 a.m.), Ned Jarrett (11 a.m.), Richard Petty (Noon), Bud Moore (2 p.m.), Bobby Allison (3 p.m.) and Darrell Waltrip (4 p.m.)
— 9:45 a.m. – NASCAR Foundation – Presentation of 2012 plans
— 10:30 a.m. – Unveiling of 2012 Miss Sprint Cup lineup
— 1-2 p.m. – DuPont press conference with Jeff Gordon and Richard Petty (NASCAR Hall of Fame Great Hall)
— 1:15 p.m. – American Ethanol announcement with Kenny Wallace
— 2:30-2:45 p.m. – Unveiling of NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion exhibit with Tony Stewart (NASCAR Hall of Fame)
— 5-7 p.m. – “Evening of Living History”: Inductees and legends sharing stories from their exhibits (NASCAR Hall of Fame)
— Bobby Allison, Cale Yarborough and Donnie Allison (1979 Daytona 500 Exhibit)
— Darrell Waltrip and Jeff Hammond (Mountain Dew Car in the Great Hall)
— Ned Jarrett and Bondy Long (Hall of Honor)
— Junior Johnson and Tom Higgins (Moonshine Still)
— Glen and Leonard Wood (No. 21 Car)
— Dale Inman and Bud Moore (Inspection exhibit)
· Sunday
— 9:30-10:30am – First Look of 2012 Inductee exhibits and Granite Marker Photo Opportunity (NASCAR Hall of Fame Garden), Presentation of Lifetime Membership (Belk High Octane Theater Lobby)

DRIVER SCHEDULES FOR NASCAR PREVIEW PRESENTED BY SPRINT (Saturday, January 21):

Convention Center Ballroom:
9:15 -11:15 a.m. – Kyle Busch, Matt Kenseth
10:15 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. – Jeff Gordon, Denny Hamlin, Jimmie Johnson
11:45 a.m. - 1:45 p.m. – Kevin Harvick, Brad Keselowski
12:15 - 2:15 p.m. – Greg Biffle
12:30 - 2:30 p.m. – Kasey Kahne, Ryan Newman
2:45 - 4:45 p.m. – Dale Earnhardt Jr., Juan Pablo Montoya
3:15 - 5:15 p.m. – Kurt Busch, Carl Edwards, Tony Stewart

Exhibit Hall:
— 9 - 11 a.m. – AJ Allmendinger, Jeff Burton, Bobby Labonte, Joey Logano, Mark Martin, Jamie McMurray, Casey Mears, David Ragan, Justin Allgaier, Jeffrey Earnhardt, Timmy Hill, Blake Koch, Travis Pastrana, Timothy Peters
— 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. – Aric Almirola, Marcos Ambrose, Clint Bowyer, Paul Menard, Regan Smith, Trevor Bayne, Brian Scott, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Brad Sweet, Cale Gale, Justin Lofton, Todd Peck
— 12:30 - 2:30 p.m. – Michael Annett, Elliott Sadler, Mike Wallace, Dakoda Armstrong, Johnny Sauter, Parker Kligerman, Brian Keselowski, Michael Waltrip, Jason Leffler, Todd Bodine
— 2:30 - 4:30 p.m. – Danica Patrick, Martin Truex Jr., Austin Dillon, Morgan Shepherd, Kenny Wallace, Joey Coulter, Ty Dillon, Brendan Gaughan, Tim George Jr., Max Gresham

Jimmie Johnson is no longer NASCAR's defending Cup champion. … but does that help him or hurt him in 2012?

2012-01-15T20:26:00.001-08:00

Jimmie Johnson is in a unique position heading into the 2012 season, one he hasn’t been in since 2006.

He is not champion.

If that seems like forever ago, it’s because it is.

No one has a reign like that in modern-day sports, which is what makes it so stunning.
But today is a new day … or rather, a new year.

Johnson is now just another competitor, not the defending champion. And the way I see it, that could work two ways for him.

One, it could be a positive motivating factor, as he and his team will do everything in their power to get back to the top of the heap. This is the most likely effect of Jimmie not being champ.

But it could work against him too. In his effort to get back up top, he could reach too far, take too many chances, and end up with some cars that just don’t match up to the field. Not likely, of course, as the 48 team does its homework every week, but it’s not out of the realm of possibility; as it has happened before even with great teams.

In a time when you would think he would work overtime getting cars ready, crew chief Chad Knaus didn’t show up to testing and was enjoying personal time.
Johnson said that it wouldn’t affect the team’s progress.

“He's been texting and emailing, so there still is that communication taking place. But we've got a very confident race team, and everybody is following the test plan, and we're going through the motions. Truthfully a lot of the work for this test was done at the shop getting prepared, and now we're just following a test plan. It's worked out well for Chad to take some time for himself, and I'm really happy that he has decided to do this. As we all know, he doesn't give himself much personal time.”

Oddly enough, 2006 was also the year that Jimmie won the Daytona 500. And he’d love to do it again this season.

“It's such a special race, and I feel very fortunate to have won that race. At that point I didn't have a championship, and it's one of two races that you get a title when you win this race, this one and the Brickyard. It can make a career, and it was a huge, huge thing for myself when I won it in 2006.”

With his new situation, Jimmie said he is trying to look at the way he operates from new angles.

“I've spent a lot of time through the offseason thinking about the way I'm involved with the race team, the responsibilities I have,” he said. “It's been a very good off season for me to internalize some things and to really evaluate what goes on from my standpoint and my involvement with the team and how good of a teammate and team member I can be for the 48 car, and I'm making changes. I feel like even though I tried to over the five year run not stall out and tried to continue to evolve and challenge myself and recreate myself. It's hard to do it. You have a roadmap that's working and it's hard to get too far from it. This winter has been really good for me to really dive down and understand the areas where I feel like I can do a better job and be a better member of the 48 team. So I know I'm stronger and better today than I was leaving Homestead, so I'm looking forward to 2012.”

That sounds like a confident Jimmie, something the competitors probably don’t want to see, but it’s all about what happens on that track. As with every year, some drivers will take a step up (as, for example, Brad Keselowski did in 2011), and some drivers will take a step down (like Jimmie did in 2011.)

Which way will Jimmie’s elevator go in 2012? Stay tuned starting next month and we’ll see.
Honestly, you can’t pick against him doing well and making the Chase. That’s pretty much a given, and he will win races here and there – he is Jimmie Johnson after all.

The key question becomes: Once in the Chase, can he reclaim that killer ability he had for so many years to come up big when it counted, or will he struggle again and let others (like Carl Edwards and Tony Stewart did in 2011) be the ones to catch fire?

The answer to that will be determined throughout the season – If Chad and Jimmie are clicking and he is showing that he can run with the best of him – watch out, as he might be aiming at title no. 6 with a realistic shot to win.
But if they struggle this season – who knows? Maybe the Jimmie Johnson era will be put even further into the past.

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Petty says sponsors avoided Kurt Busch; Earnhardt Jr. wins facial hair bet; Kahne ready to race for Hendrick

2012-01-12T21:00:00.000-08:00

NASCAR is back, sort of, with testing underway at Daytona, and the full media frenzy and interviews under way:

The preseason media frenzy began Thursday, and here are some of the highlights.

-- Richard Petty said a deal couldn't be worked out for Kurt Busch to drive the 43 car due to 'personality' issues; or in other words, no sponsors wanted to be associated with him.

No shock there. His personality was on full display at the end of the year, and anyone with common sense would want to steer clear, at least for now: Except, of course, a team like where he signed, the #51 car -- an underdog who was eager to get their hands on a championship driver and begin a climb to respectability. Only they would put up with someone as toxic as Busch at this point. I wish them luck.

— Danica Patrick on interim Cup crew chief Greg Zipadelli:
"His accent is not as thick as Tony, Jr. I understand every word he says."

-- Not that it matters much at this point, but Jeff Gordon led the morning practice session. Kyle Busch and Joey Logano were fastest in the afternoon session.

-- A wager involving facial hair between Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Matt Kenseth left Jr. $2,500 richer, when Kenseth failed to keep the muttonchop beard he had grown. ... Oh, those crazy drivers and their offseason hi-jinks.

-- Carl Edwards opened up about his heartbeaking end to the 2011 season, and his crew chief's decision not to go to Vegas:
“Well he didn’t go to Las Vegas because he was upset. He was working. After the race I could tell he was upset, just as I was and everybody was. That is it. If we weren’t upset about it and it wasn’t something that frustrated you then you probably aren’t in the right sport. I like to believe that we are wise enough to not let that get the best of us and just go perform and do the best we can. That is competition. That is life. You have to keep going and do the best you can. Honestly I really wish we could talk about this year. Let me put it this way, after the whole off season we parked the airplane at the airport and I was excited for the season to start and I feel more true confidence than I have had in a long time and feel we are doing well for the right season and have everything lined up. I don’t think that would be any different if we would have won. The season is going to be what it is and I feel like we are going to be good.”

I don't see a slump for Edwards; but it will be very hard to match his awesome 2011 run.

-- Kasey Kahne talked about finally getting to drive for Rick Hendrick after a yearlong stopover at Red Bull Racing:
"It's really just exciting to get started, to start working with the 5 guys and everybody at Hendrick Motorsports. It's really an incredible place. I was able to spend some time there over the off season and just try to be as prepared as possible when we get here for testing and then when we get started during Speed Weeks. It's neat, though. It's awesome to be able to talk with Jimmie and Dale and Jeff about racing and driving and things like that, and then just all the people that they have there. I don't know, it's just been kind of a different feeling more than anything than what I've had before at other race teams. It's a great opportunity, and I want to take full advantage of it."

One thing's for sure: Kahne makes the Hendrick team better, and I fully expect all four teams to do very well in 2012; even good-old underachieving Dale Jr.

——
That's all for the moment, lots more fun to come in the days, weeks and months ahead.
Welcome back, NASCAR. May 2012 be another good one.

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Joe Gibbs Racing teams need a big-time improvement over dismal 2011 effort to contend for 2012 Cup crown

2012-01-02T19:59:00.000-08:00

Joe Gibbs Racing has lots of potential.

They have Kyle Busch -- arguably the most talented pure racer on the track each week. Whatever you put him in, he's capable of winning in it. He's going to go down in history as one of the winningest drivers in NASCAR history -- yet he does not have a Cup title yet.

They have Denny Hamlin, who came oh-so-close to stopping Jimmie Johnson's fifth title in 2010, then went on a tailspin in 2011 and became the latest driver to have a slump after nearly claiming the title.

They have Joey Logano, aka "sliced bread", who was supposed to be NASCAR's next superstar when he came into the sport at age 18 a few years back -- um, that hasn't exactly worked out.

So what gives? In addition to three talented drivers, they have an owner in Joe Gibbs who is capable of winning championships in both football (he has 3 rings) and NASCAR (he has won 3 Cups, one with Bobby Labonte, two with Tony Stewart.)

Coach Gibbs no doubt has thought about this longer than I have, and yet somehow the results are not there on a level as consistent as you see with some of the other teams that compete regularly for the title. 2011 was a horrorshow for the team, which finished 9th, 12th and 24th in the final 2011 points standings.

It's all about coming through in the clutch, aka the Chase, and that's just not JGR's forte. Kyle Busch always self-destructs, especially this year -- when he went and got himself suspended from a Chase race due to some silly retribution in a Truck race, and wasn't doing much in the Chase before that. Will Kyle calm down in 2012 and finally contend for a title? I'll believe it when I see it. Something about the Chase format doesn't agree with him, and despite his boatload of talent there's no guarantee he'll ever win a title or even come close to it.

Hamlin had his one moment in the sun, and he blew it. He got too cocky when he had a lead on Johnson, then couldn't handle the pressure the final two races and psyched himself out of a Cup title. This year he tanked it, and who knows if he'll be fully back to his potential in 2012. He's got talent, obviously, he just needs to get his head straight and put that talent to proper use.

Now Logano is a whole different animal. He has the unfortunate background of being being viewed as the next big thing. So when he doesn't immediately live up to that, he is dissed as a failure. I say hold up, the kid is in his early 20s, has a huge potential, and if it hadn't been so much hype around him he might be viewed quite differently. 2012 opens a whole new year of challenges for him, as his crew chief Greg Zipadelli is gone and he'll have to work with someone new (Jason Ratcliff, who led the #18 JGR Nationwide team to a ton of wins, mostly with Kyle Busch driving). If he and Ratcliff can find a good bond, the key to any team's success, there's hope he can rebound from his terrible 2011 and get closer to being a Chase-worthy team. I said from the start of his career that Logano will be a great driver, and I stick by that. Given time, he will be elite.

There is no magic bullet here. All the Gibbs drivers have their own situations they need to overcome. Obviously, the team providing good quality equipment will help them on their quest to get back to Cup contention. But each driver will have to find that special something that Tony Stewart and Carl Edwards found in 2011 if they want to be a title contender in 2012.

Kyle might back off his Nationwide and Truck series schedules and focus more on Cup, a wise move, as lately this extracurricular work has just gotten him into trouble. Denny's work with a sports psychologist hopefully will pay off more in 2012 than it did in 2011, and he'll have champion crew chief Darian Grubb leading his effort this year -- not a bad addition. And Joey just needs to make the leap we've been waiting for.

It may or may not happen, but one thing is for sure; 2012 will most definitely be an improvement for JGR, which had a hell of an off year in 2011.

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No down year here; Rick Hendrick continues to dominate NASCAR, despite end of Jimmie Johnson reign

2012-01-01T15:02:00.000-08:00

It’s 2012, and Jimmie Johnson is not the defending champion for the first time in many years.

Tony Stewart and Carl Edwards battled for the championship, and if it weren’t for Tony Stewart’s amazing run in the Chase, Edwards would have claimed the title for the Ford camp. Many were excited by this news, claiming that Hendrick’s grip on the sport was loosening and his teams no longer were dominant.

But I must point out to this crowd that, in the end, Rick Hendrick still came out on top. No, none of his four teams won the title. But Tony Stewart did, using mostly Hendrick equipment due to SHR’s strong affiliation with Hendrick. When Tony started Stewart-Haas Racing, he was not starting a new team, he was taking over an existing team that was already affiliated with Hendrick Motorsports.

As a satellite team of Hendrick, he had their equipment, making SHR essentially another Hendrick operation. You can argue the semantics and say it’s different, but deep down we all know it’s true.

So what does that mean? Well, even though Jimmie Johnson didn’t win the championship, and Jeff Gordon, Mark Martin and Dale Earnhardt Jr. didn’t win the championship, Rick Hendrick essentially remained the championship team for the sixth year in a row.

So while it’s easy for the anti-Jimmie / anti-Hendrick crowd to get excited about the “change” that happened in 2011, a quick reality check will show that nothing really changed.

Jimmie was still strong, and will likely return to form in 2011. Stewart might make another run. Jeff Gordon, Dale Jr. and now Kasey Kahne have good chances of winning it all in 2012. So a seventh consecutive Hendrick title is a very real possibility.

Unless someone from the Roush camp, or the Penske camp, or the RCR camp or the Gibbs camp, can actually take the title away from the Hendrick umbrella, NASCAR will continue to be the domain of Rick Hendrick.

Other teams may win races and be in contention for the crown, but in the end a Hendrick-connected organization is still coming out on top.

Sad news from Dakar
The new year has started with sad news in the motorsports world.
On Jan. 1 at 11:19 a.m., Argentinean motorcycle rider Jorge Boero crashed and suffered a cardiac arrest. Medical staff reached him by helicopter, but were unable to resuscitate him and he died on the way to the hospital. Boero, 38, was taking part in his second Dakar rally.
NASCAR’s Robby Gordon is also competing in the event.

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Kasey Kahne's breastfeeding rant is this NASCAR offseason's official WTF moment

2011-12-28T20:01:00.000-08:00

Kasey Kahne and breastfeeding.

Those are two words I never thought I would say in the same sentence.

But thanks to the glorious forum of public expression called Twitter. I can now do that.

Kahne caught all kinds of hell Wednesday for tweeting that he was basically disgusted by the fact he saw a woman breastfeeding in the supermarket, using the hashtag #nasty in the process.
"Just walking though supermarket. See a mom breast feeding little kid. Took second look because obviously I was seeing things. I wasn't!" he wrote.
And when one of his followers disagreed with him, he apparently called her a "dumb bitch"
Couple thoughts I have on this.
-- 1. Good to see Kahne actually has some sort of a personality. He's been pretty much a drone since coming into this sport -- boring with a capital B. This is the first opinion I've heard him express any real opinion on anything.
-- 2. Dude, seriously, get over it. Babies need milk. Would you rather the baby scream through the entire shopping trip? Let the lady feed her kid. It's really not that big a deal. Only in America do we care about stupid stuff like this. Way too prudish for no reason.
-- 3. Kahne felt he had to apologize to his fans, and did on Facebook. he wrote: "I understand that my comments regarding breastfeeding posted on Twitter were offensive to some people. For that, I apologize. It was in no way my intention to offend any mother who chooses to breastfeed her child, or, for that matter, anyone who supports breastfeeding children. I want to make that clear. In all honestly, I was surprised by what I saw in a grocery store."
"My comments were not directed at the mother's right to breastfeed. They were just a reaction to the location of that choice, and the fashion in which it was executed on that occasion. I respect the mother's right to feed her child whenever and wherever she pleases."

That sounds like a forced apology if you ask me. Did Rick Hendrick's PR people write that? Hell, the way I see it, even though his views are archaic and ridiculous in my mind, he has the right to express them. Don't apologize if you actually believe what you said. I don't see the point.

Well that's enough about breasts. To be honest, it's not a topic I ever thought I'd mention in this blog, barring a ranking of NASCAR wives or something tawdry like that (which I don't see happening.)

Can't wait until racing starts, so we can talk about who's being a boob on the track, not the literal kind.

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Volunteers sought for 2012 Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix

2011-12-20T20:46:00.000-08:00

DETROIT -- Have you ever wanted to get close to the action or work behind the scenes at an Indycar race?

The Detroit Grand Prix returns to Belle Isle in 2012, and the event is looking to strengthen its volunteer lineup.The race weekend will take place June 1-3, 2012, at the 2.1-mile Belle Isle Park road circuit. The weekend will feature four premiere series battling on Belle Isle – the IZOD IndyCar Series, the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series the Pirelli World Challenge Championship Series and the Firestone Indy Lights Series.

Grand Prix volunteers can enjoy the Grand Prix from an up close and personal point of view while helping in various areas of race operations. Volunteer areas include; circuit marshals, credentials, customer relations, food services, golf cart shuttle services, hospitality services, information booths, media relations, shuttle guides, track services, ticket takers, transportation/delivery services and ushers. Previous volunteer experience is not required to join the DGPA but a willingness to work hard, have fun and serve as an ambassador for Detroit is certainly recommended.

Interested volunteers can log on to www.detroitgp.com – the Official Web site of the Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix – and sign up to be a team member by clicking the “Volunteer” link.

The $15 DGPA annual registration fee comes with race credentials for all three days of the Grand Prix weekend, an official DGPA volunteer uniform, a DGPA membership patch, a lapel pin, access to several organization parties over the course of the year, off-island parking and meals provided for all three days of the Grand Prix. Each Grand Prix volunteer must satisfy a 30-hour minimum work requirement over the course of the year, split into various time segments depending on volunteer assignment.

Brad Keselowski has quickly gone from learner to leader at Penske Racing

2011-12-18T15:44:00.000-08:00

How quickly things have changed for Rochester Hills native Brad Keselowski.

The 2011 season started with him still the learner, following a champion teammate and trying to learn from Kurt Busch how to be more consistent and win races on a regular basis.

But a strange scenario unfolded as 2011 progressed. As Kurt Busch imploded, and eventually was fired by Roger Penske, Brad got really really good.

Instead of learning from Kurt, he would often have better finishes that his alleged mentor at Penske. This no doubt furthered Busch’s paranoia about the equipment he was getting, and made his downward spiral that much faster.

Brad busted up his foot, and then he went on a hot streak. He had no shot at making the Chase, then he stormed into it with vigor, winning in surprising fashion several times – well, surprising considering his inconsistent start to the season at least.

Once in the Chase, Brad held his own. While he never contended for the title, he ended up in the top-5. Not bad for a guy who was supposed to be the No. 2 driver at Penske at the start of the year (by the way, Mr. Busch finished out of the top 10 in points and didn’t even get invited to the banquet in Vegas.)

Where will Kurt Busch end up next year? Best case scenario is a Petty car. Worst case, some backmarker looking for a driver with a past champions provisional.

But we know where Brad will be. He has extended his contract with Penske, along with his crew chief, and will now be the team leader.

And you can tell he is ready for it.

I once suggested that Brad’s time at Penske might not go so well, and that he might end up returning to the Hendrick team once Jeff Gordon decided to retire.

After seeing the potential he has in the Penske ride based on 2011, I don’t think that will happen. Not only is Gordon sticking around for a little while, Brad is doing just fine where he is.

He can win races, he can contend for the Cup. His risky move to Penske didn’t turn out to be so risky after all. He is a talented driver, with a crew chief who works well with him, and that right there is a winning combination as long as Penske can get him the right equipment.

What a difference a year makes.

Keselowki, Logano visit Guantanamo Bay on NASCAR/USO Tour
Not many people get to see what it’s like at Guantanamo Bay, but Keselowski and Joey Logano can count themselves on that list. The two went last week down to visit troops at Gitmo and help them celebrate the holidays, and was conducted in partnership with the USO.

During the visit, Keselowski and Logano visited hundreds of sailors and coast guardsmen and their families. The pair dined with troops, visited the U.S. Navy Hospital, signed autographs and patrolled the waters with service members.
This was the first USO tour for Keselowski and Logano, though both have visited Walter Reed Army Medical Center and done other activities involving the military.

“This was a once in a lifetime experience and I am so glad to be a part of it,” Keselowski said. “I hope to go back on another USO Tour. After meeting the men and women in Guantanamo Bay, I cannot imagine the sacrifices and experiences they have to go through during their time there. It was an amazing experience and I am so grateful that I was invited to go.”

“It was awesome to learn more about Guantanamo Bay and what the mission is down there and how it works,” Logano said. “It was great to meet and talk to the troops, and it was one heck of an experience. We get to see a lot of troops at the race track, but to see them in action and doing their jobs…I am so impressed and have such a high amount of respect for each and every one of them and what they do.”

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2012 Bud Shootout entry list revealed ... and it's freaking huge!

2011-12-14T21:04:00.000-08:00

I love NASCAR, and I'll watch it regardless of who they put on the track, but I have to say that having viewed the entry list for the Bud Shootout, it has lost the identity it once had. It used to be where the pole winners from the previous season would race each other, so you had an elite field of the fastest drivers out there.

Now you get this entry list:
2011 Top 25 Driver Points
Tony Stewart
Carl Edwards
Kevin Harvick
Matt Kenseth
Brad Keselowski
Jimmie Johnson
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Jeff Gordon
Denny Hamlin
Ryan Newman
Kurt Busch
Kyle Busch
Clint Bowyer
Kasey Kahne
AJ Allmendinger
Greg Biffle
Paul Menard
Martin Truex Jr.
Marcos Ambrose
Jeff Burton
Juan Pablo Montoya
Mark Martin
David Ragan
Joey Logano
Brian Vickers
Others (criteria in parentheses)
Bill Elliott (Daytona 500, Coke Zero 400, Shootout)
Geoff Bodine (Daytona 500, Shootout)
Derrike Cope (Daytona 500)
Michael Waltrip (Daytona 500, Coke Zero 400)
Jamie McMurray (Daytona 500, Coke Zero 400)
Trevor Bayne (Daytona 500)
Terry Labonte (Shootout)
Ken Schrader (Shootout)

So basically, it's another race at Daytona, and not what it once was. All kinds of people are in it, including some who haven't sniffed a pole in years, and others who just aren't very competitive and did little to distinguish themselves in 2011.

It's not the biggest deal. Hell, I'll be happy just to see racing after a winter without it. But you might as well call it something other than the Bud Shootout ... maybe the Daytona 250.

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Roush Fenway team had great success this year, and great disappointment

2011-12-12T22:55:00.000-08:00

Before we get into the heartbreak segment of this entry, let’s talk positive.

Roush Fenway had a very good year, with Carl Edwards and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. leading the way.

The numbers are very impressive:
Sprint Cup Series- 5 wins, 38 top fives & 64 top 10s
Nationwide Series- 2 wins, 45 top fives & 68 top 10s
— Roush Fenway Racing swept the 2011 Nationwide Series by winning both the drivers and owners championships. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. claimed Roush Fenway's third NASCAR drivers Nationwide Series Championship and Carl Edwards In addition and Roush Fenway Ford to the manufacturer’s championship in the NNS Series.
— Carl Edwards and the No. 99 Aflac team closed out the season tied for the points lead and earned second place in the closest points finish in history. Matt Kenseth and the No. 17 team finished fourth in the Chase point standings for the year.

Carl led the points most of the year, right up to the very end as a matter of fact. Cosidering their struggles a couple years back, it’s pretty amazing to see how far the team has come in such a short time.
Stenhouse was the feel-good story of the year, as he came from being almost fired last year to winning the title in 2011. He definitely has a future at Roush in a Cup car, and should do well in his career, which will be very long since he is so young.

But the moment everyone will remember from the Roush team in 2011 is how they had their best shot at a title and blew it, but Carl Edwards should not hang his head despite this failing. it was by no means due to lack of effort from him. Carl did great in the Chase, in fact he had the best average finish in the Chase’s history.
No, he didn’t screw up; he just got a little unlucky in the last race, with the pit calls working out in Tony Stewart’s favor, and he ended up tied. And he ran into the late-season hurricane that was Tony Stewart. The way Tony’s regular season went, no one could have predicted that he would win the title. But he shocked the world, and he shocked Carl Edwards. Ever the gentleman, Carl was gracious in defeat, congratulating Tony on the track after the Homestead race (Kurt and Kyle Busch could take a few lessons from this man.)

The only thing Carl, who was amazingly consistent, could have done better in 2011 is win more races (instead of just racking up top 5s and top 10s). After all, that’s what broke the tie and gave the title to Tony. You can bet next year, Carl will focus more on getting those Ws, now that he knows how much they can mean in a tight Chase.
I still think Carl will win a title someday, possibly even in 2012, as he is extremely talented and definitely would be deserving of the honor.

The rest of the bunch
Matt Kenseth ended up fourth in points, but never really contended for the crown. This is right within his area of expertise, doing well, just not well enough to be champ. He needs to get over that hump if he wants to be champ again.
Greg Biffle’s season in 2011, quite honestly, just stunk. Something needs to change on that team or 2012 could be more of the same.

And finally, the #6 car had a first-time winner in David Ragan, but unfortunately it didn’t lead them to an overall great year, and sponsorship fell through. This means that Ragan is likely going to Penske to replace Kurt Busch, and there will be only 3 full time teams for Roush in 2012. It’s probably for the better, as the team needs to focus its energy, and the three drivers are all talented enough to do great things if given the right equipment.

Looking ahead, I say Carl leads the way again. But if they can figure things out, the other guys will be nipping at his heels in 2012. That’s a big if though.

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NASCAR fan festival set for Jan. 21 in Charlotte; Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr. to appear

2011-12-11T22:56:00.000-08:00

Driver appearances have been confirmed for the inaugural NASCAR Preview 2012 preseason fan event scheduled for Jan. 21 in Charlotte, N.C.

Five-time champion Jimmie Johnson, four-time champion Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and 11 other top drivers of the sport, plus champion Tony Stewart, will make 2-hour appearances at the all-day event at the Charlotte Convention Center. Driver appearances will include driver autograph and on-stage question-and-answer sessions.
NASCAR Preview 2012 Presented by Sprint is a new addition to the annual calendar.

The festival-like event will also feature show cars, simulators, games, prizes and other fan-friendly and interactive activities. The event is part of the three-day NASCAR Acceleration Weekend from Jan. 20-22 in Charlotte.

NASCAR Acceleration Weekend kicks off Friday, Jan. 20, with the NASCAR Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony for the Class of 2012, which features Darrell Waltrip, Cale Yarborough, Dale Inman, Richie Evans and Glen Wood. Following Saturday’s NASCAR Preview 2012 Presented by Sprint event will be the unveiling of the Class of 2012 exhibits in the NASCAR Hall of Fame on Sunday, Jan. 22.

Driver Appearance Times (Jan. 21, 2012)
9:15 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. – Kyle Busch & Matt Kenseth
10:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. – Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson & Denny Hamlin
11:45 a.m. – 1:45 p.m. – Brad Keselowski
12:15 p.m. – 2:15 p.m. – Kevin Harvick & Greg Biffle
12:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. – Kasey Kahne & Ryan Newman
2:45 p.m. – 4:45 p.m. – Dale Earnhardt Jr. & Juan Pablo Montoya
3:15 p.m. – 5:15 p.m. – Tony Stewart, Carl Edwards & Kurt Busch

Additional driver appearances from the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, plus all four living NASCAR Hall of Fame members inducted the previous night, will be announced at a later date. Appearance times are subject to change.

Fans will have the opportunity to purchase new 2012 NASCAR merchandise at the NASCAR Preview 2012 Presented by Sprint. New items for 2012 include NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee merchandise, new 1:24 and 1:64 scale die cast cars, 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule T-shirts and new driver merchandise featuring Clint Bowyer, Carl Edwards, Kasey Kahne and more.

Tickets to NASCAR Preview 2012 Presented by Sprint start at just $10 for individual event admission. A discounted $20 combo ticket includes admission to both the Preview event and the NASCAR Hall of Fame, while a $299 VIP weekend package includes all NASCAR Acceleration Weekend events, including the NASCAR Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. Tickets are available at www.ticketmaster.com or by calling 1-800-745-3000.

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VIDEO LOWLIGHTS: The best (or should I say worst) of Kurt Busch's rants

2011-12-05T00:50:00.000-08:00

For those unfamiliar with the antics of Kurt Busch, here's some of his greatest hits.
Enjoy.
NOTE: Parental discretion is advised; Kurt doesn't talk nice.

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Penske expected to fire Kurt Busch; and Kurt has no one to blame but himself

2011-12-05T00:41:00.000-08:00

Kurt Busch has a lot to think about right now.

Reports are he is out at Penske Racing. Apparently the temper tantrums have gone on too long, and Roger Penske is parting ways with the ever-cantankerous elder Busch brother.

His rants on the radio are legendary, including arguments with the Captain himself, his pit crew, and most recently a expletive-laden tirade against veteran reporter Dr. Jerry Punch that went viral on YouTube (thanks to an intrepid young man who recorded it and put it online).

No doubt sponsors got involved, and companies like Shell and Pennzoil were not too happy about being associated with a guy so prone to going off the rails at a moment’s notice, and Penske appears to have made the right call – dumping the problematic driver. After all, you can find another good driver more easily than you can find another paying sponsor – that’s the plain and honest truth in today’s racing world (And this may open the eyes of other drivers who think they’re “too big to fire”).

Rumors are already rampant that Kurt will be replaced at Penske Racing by David Ragan, for whom the funding has not yet been found for a return to Roush in 2012. If so, Penske will have positioned itself as an up-and-coming team, with hot young drivers Brad Keselowki and Ragan taking on the bigger multicar teams that have traditionally dominated the Cup series.

Getting back to Kurt, I’d like to get a little philosophical here – and say that this is an example of reaping what you sow.

Just like everything else in life, when you act inappropriately, there are consequences. Sometimes they come right away, and sometimes it takes a while.

Kurt’s temper issues go back to before his time in a Penske car even started. Roush removed Kurt from his last ride a few races early, after an incident in Arizona where Kurt was allegedly mouthing off to an officer who pulled him over (in a sort of ‘do you know who I am?’ routine). So Penske kind of knew what he was getting at the start.

In good times, when the car ran well, Kurt was a happy guy. But when it wasn’t, hide the kids because he’s about to go off. Once famous exchange between Kurt and Roger Penske himself had people wondering at the time: How does the Captain put up with this crap?

For the past several years, Kurt’s crew chiefs have endured his ridiculous tantrums. When he doesn’t get his way, Kurt’s going to cry. Other drivers get mad, and might go back and forth with their crew chiefs, but Kurt’s raging was on another level. Instead of discussing what was going on with the car and trying to figure things out so it could improve, he would just whine.

The final straw may have been the ESPN video, but if that hadn’t happened, something else would have made this firing a reality. Or maybe, unbeknownst to any of us, this was in the plans all along, and Roger was just waiting for the end of the year to announce it.

Either way, Kurt has to really think about his attitude as he looks to the future. He is seeing a sports psychologist, but his issues go beyond the racetrack. I recognize that in life many things will make everyone angry, or even enraged, but that does not excuse treating people the way Kurt does when he throws his temper tantrums. Between his battles with the press (including ripping up the notes of a reporter who simply repeated a quote he said), and the antics described above, there’s clearly a lot of anger management work to do here.

One thing’s for sure: Wherever Kurt Busch lands (and he will find some place to drive, considering he is a past champion and is guaranteed a starting spot in the races), it’s a safe bet he won’t have equipment as solid as Roger Penske offered him the past several years. All the top teams’ lineups are pretty set right now, unless he could find a new sponsor and bring them with him to a new fourth team at Gibbs or Childress – a highly unlikely scenario so late in the year.

So getting back to the theme – Kurt is reaping what he has sown. His actions will leave him less competitive next year, and should make him think real hard about how his temper and his words are having an effect on his life, both personally and professionally.

If he has any common sense, we’re likely to see the 2012 edition of Kurt Busch be a little more measured, a little more willing to discuss rather than yell, and a little more appreciative of what he has.

After all, he does drive a racecar for a living. Even if things aren’t perfect, there’s a lot to be thankful for, considering the real problems some people in the world are facing.

Hopefully he’ll realize that when he’s running in 25th next year and thinking about what could have been at Penske.

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Tony Stewart speaks to President Obama; simpler points system goes to regional NASCAR series

2011-11-30T21:13:00.000-08:00

Here's an email I got from the White House, paraphrasing the conversation Wednesday between Cup champion Tony Stewart and President Obama.

"Earlier today, the President called Tony Stewart to congratulate him and the entire Stewart-Haas Racing team on winning the 2011 Sprint Cup Series Championship and on the incredible season they had. The President said he was impressed that Mr. Stewart was able to come from the back of the pack to edge out Carl Edwards for the win. The President said that the First Lady and Dr. Biden enjoyed being at Homestead for the Ford 400 and how grateful they were to have NASCAR honor military families. The President commended Mr. Stewart and the other drivers for being such positive role models and great ambassadors for NASCAR, and said that he looks forward to congratulating Mr. Stewart in person at the White House next year."

A couple observations:
1. Tony Stewart apparently is a "positive role model"? ... that's obviously written by someone who hasn't read the Rolling Stone profile of him. Nothing against Tony, but with his bad boy image, I'm sure he'd laugh at that description.

2. Tony, ironically, is one of the guys who was too busy to go see Obama at the White House this year. (I'm guessing he'll fit it in next year, since he won the title).

3. Despite the booing, I'm sure Michelle Obama and Jill Biden did have a good time at Homestead. Like I said before, most NASCAR fans are really good people who still show respect to people they don't agree with.

Simplified points system expanded to NASCAR Regional Touring Series

In a move that makes sense to me, NASCAR has announced that the simpler points system it began using this year in Cup, Nationwide and Trucks will be instituted in the regional touring level for 2012.

The points system was easier to understand and there's no reason it shouldn't be expanded to all the series.

Beginning in 2012, the system will be integrated into the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, NASCAR K&N Pro Series West, NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour, NASCAR Canadian Tire Series and NASCAR Mexico Series.

The new structure awards points in 1-point increments. Race winners earn 43 points, plus three bonus points for the win. Drivers also can earn an extra point for leading a lap and leading the most laps, bringing the race-winning total to a possible maximum of 48 points.

All other drivers in a finishing order are separated by one-point increments. A second-place finisher earns 42 points, a third-place driver 41 points, and so on.

“Implementing the simplified points system at the regional touring level will make the points structure consistent with the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series,” said George Silbermann, NASCAR vice president, regional and touring series. “The change at the national level was welcomed in the industry this year and has provided a points system that is much easier for everyone to understand.”

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Homestead fans who booed first lady Michelle Obama should be ashamed of themselves; give NASCAR fans a bad name (WITH VIDEO)

2011-11-25T01:16:00.000-08:00

I am thankful for a lot this Thanksgiving.

I have a wonderful family, including a beautiful 4-month-old daughter who has changed my life in ways I could never have imagined.

I have a job that I enjoy doing, which Is more than a lot of people can say (some might not even have a job at all).

And I have my health, so I can enjoy all the above.

And I’m thankful for something else, too: I’m thankful that I’m not one of the awful people attending the race at Homestead who felt the need to boo first lady Michelle Obama when she appeared at the race along with Dr. Jill Biden, wife of the vice president. These two women showed up in connection with a group that supports our country’s brave military members, and their families, so in a patriotic sport like NASCAR you would think they would be cheered like anyone else giving the command to start engines.

With a huge nationwide audience (the Homestead finale was the most-watched race broadcast on ESPN with a peak audience of 10.5 million), these yahoos in the crowd did the worst thing possible – they reinforced the belief that a lot of non-NASCAR fans have: that anyone who watches the sport is a racist , uneducated redneck.
Of course, that’s not true. Anyone who has followed the sport knows that there are all kinds of NASCAR fans: Some are smarter than others, but having been to tons of races I can say with confidence that a very small percentage would fall into the ignorant stereotypes that the sport’s detractors tend to portray.

So I was very dismayed when I heard the booing last Sunday, as I knew the type of reaction it would cause from the general public – which is exactly what happened when the clip of the booing spread to CNN and other mainstream media sources.

The free speech argument
Before I go any further, let me dispel the lame arguments people are using to try to defend this horrible display of disrespect to the nation’s first lady that unfortunately was aired for all the world to see.

IT’S FREE SPEECH, they scream and holler.

True, we do have the right to express our beliefs in America. And I’m not suggesting they didn’t have the right to speak their mind.

As a journalist, I cherish this right above all others. And if this had taken place at a political event, I wouldn’t have any issue. If President Obama and his wife had shown up at a rally to support his jobs bill, or some other scenario like that, boo all you want and line up the protest signs and chants. You have to right to speak out against politicians you don’t like.

Couple problems with applying that to Homestead, though. One, this wasn’t a political event, and it wasn’t even a politician – it was his wife. That’s just low-down to boo a guy’s wife, as if she has anything to do with whatever Obama policies you may disagree with. She’s his wife and the mother of his kids, not a policy adviser to him. Two, she was there standing beside a military family and spend the weekend drumming up support for military families, a cause that should be embraced by all. She did not mention any politics or even her husband’s name. By booing her, those fans were booing that military family in extension; and that’s completely ignorant.

If I was the first lady, I would have a really bad feeling about NASCAR fans right now – and that’s too bad, because most of us aren’t idiots like the boo-birds. She shows up for a good cause, and these fools try to inject politics into a nonpolitical appearance.

To top things off, conservative talkers made things worse in the aftermath. Notable nitwit Rush Limbaugh defended the booing, and added that a lot of people don’t like Michelle Obama because she acts “uppity”

"What the hell is there to cheer for?" Limbaugh asked. He said that people didn't like "paying millions of dollars" for Obama's vacations. "They understand it's a little bit of a waste," he said. "They understand it's a little bit of uppity-ism."

This guy (and the people who booed, many of whom are likely Limbaugh fans) just don’t understand how to talk or act like a respectable human being. You don’t use racist code words like uppity to describe the first lady, and you don’t boo someone who’s just trying to support a good cause. Her “vacations” have nothing to do with this Rush. It’s a matter of simple respect, something that far too many people fail to show these days in society in general. This is just the latest example of it.

Rudeness from left and right
Before you start calling me a whiny liberal who wants to suppress your right to boo Democrats, let me tell you that I know that this level of respect show be shown on all sides of the political spectrum.

The day after the Homestead incident, GOP candidate Michelle Bachmann appeared on the Jimmy Fallon show, and his house band (hip-hop group The Roots, led by drummer Questlove) played some very dubious intro music without her knowledge. The song was titled “Lyin’ Ass Bitch”, an obvious nod to the left-leaning band’s disapproval of the GOP candidate’s views.

Just like the booing of Obama at Homestead was not necessary and lacked respect, this is the exact type of situation occurring on the other side of the political spectrum. I happen to enjoy The Roots and their music, but I also recognize that they were way over the line to basically call Bachmann what the title of the song is. They have no business doing that, as it’s completely rude and yet another example of how nobody can have a healthy political discourse with their opposition nowadays without resorting to name-calling and insults.

Questlove is a smart man. If Bachmann bothered him so much, he could have gone on Twitter and started a conversation about Bachmann’s beliefs with the public. Or he could have written a column for a newspaper about whatever positions she had that he disliked. Playing an intro song that calls her a “Lyin’ Ass Bitch” is just not a good way to start any political discussion. He said he was trying to be “snarky”, but if that kind of rude name calling is acceptable our society has degenerated into a complete lack of civility.

Questlove later said, in a weak apology that nobody is buying: “The performance was a tongue-in-cheek and spur of the moment decision. The show was not aware of it and I feel bad if her feelings were hurt. That was not my intention.”
Come on dude. Calling someone that kind of name isn’t meant to hurt her feelings? Really?

So there you have it. People on all sides of the political spectrum are acting childish. We’ve gotten to the point where if anyone is associated with anyone we don’t agree with, we boo them and call them names. We act like children. Instead of recognizing that Michelle Obama was just there to support military families, these morons in the crowd decided to boo her based on the fact that her husband is president and they don’t like what he’s doing in office.

Simply pathetic, and it made me embarrassed to be a NASCAR fan. When I went online and read the deluge of “NASCAR fans are dumb rednecks” comments on Sunday night, I didn’t really have a reply, because that’s how the Homestead crowd had acted.
Now, almost a week later, on behalf of all the non-ideological NASCAR fans, I must say that we’re not all this bad. Most of us are good people who, whether or not we agree with President Obama, can be respectful when his wife comes to the racetrack to make an appearance.

And to the people who booed, do me a favor and don’t go to the races anymore: You give us NASCAR fans a bad name and I’d rather not see you around, or hear your ignorance come through my television set.

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Kurt Busch shows he has the emotional stability of a 2-year-old in latest rude attack on the media, WITH VIDEO

2011-11-22T06:15:00.000-08:00

Those of you who have small children will recognize the childish behavior on this video. Kurt Busch, showing his true character, is incredibly disrespectful to ESPN's Dr. Jerry Punch.

Everyone has bad days, Kurt, but between your ripping up a reporter's notes earlier this year, and this incident and many others in the car and out, you have proven yourself to be a completely ridiculous person.

You're not the first to get mad at a reporter, and that's fine, but your actions make Tony Stewart and others who have lashed out in the past look like nothing. I suggest you get some counseling for these anger issues.

This lack of ability to control your emotions is why you no longer contend for championships, and I'm amazed your sponsors and your team owner put up with this crap.

WARNING: STRONG LANGUAGE

Pure will and determination, and a little bit of luck, led Tony Stewart to this history-making third Cup title

2011-11-20T23:29:00.000-08:00

It couldn’t have been set up any better.

Trash-talking Tony vs. Clean-cut Carl.

The guy who has been steady all year vs. the guy who was on fire in the Chase.

3 points. If you win the race, you win the title.

I expected a great one.

And what I saw was a classic. On par with 1992 (eerily similar actually) and Alan Kulwicki vs. Bill Elliott; Also on a level with 2004, when Kurt Busch lost a wheel entering pit road and still hung on for the title.

It was that good.

People I know who don’t watch NASCAR watched it, and loved it. Stewart drove like a madman, going 3 and 4 wide on restarts in an effort to make up every position he could. He caught a good break with the timing of his pit stop and the rain, and got ahead of Carl and never looked back.

How did this happen?
Looking back, the question that keeps coming is a basic one: What happened to Tony Stewart to make this happen?
How did the guy who didn’t win a race prior to the Chase -- and at one point claimed he didn’t even belong in it and would just be taking up space -- win 5 of the 10 Chase races, in the process topple Carl Edwards, who assembled the best average finish in Chase history yet still couldn’t win it all?

The answer is two-fold: Determination, with a dash of luck
There is no doubt that Smoke was at the top of his game in the Chase; you don’t rack up five Chase wins without that being the case.

And the amount of determination he showed Sunday at Homestead, passing well over 100 cars over the course of the evening, proves he is well worthy of being a champion for the third time.
But luck was, of course, a factor. They nearly lost the radiator early in the race when a piece of Kurt Busch’s transmission found Smoke’s car. Luckily, they were able to repair damage done and surge back to the front.

Also, remember that his early Chase wins were on fuel mileage, and if he had run out of fuel then we wouldn’t have gotten to this amazing conclusion to the year.

Not the same as Kulwicki
One bone I must pick is that I’m not a big fan of everyone comparing this title by Smoke to Alan Kulwicki’s in 1992. Technically, Smoke is an owne/driver. He is part owner of the team with Gene Haas.

But to compare this to the amazing underdog story of Kulwicki is just silly. Kulwicki was a true owner/driver, coming up from the bottom and struggling to make it early in his career. He built his team into a contender, and won against a Bill Elliott driven car fielded by legendary owner Junior Johnson – the Rick Hendrick of his day.

Ironically, Tony’s car today, basically is a Hendrick car. True, Stewart-Haas racing is a separate team, but much of their equipment comes from Hendrick, making them a satellite operation of the team. So this is basically a Hendrick title – their 6th in a row. Unlike 1992, which was the Underbird vs. a giant, this was two titans battling – Hendrick vs. Roush – and there’s no way to dispute that.

It was a great battle; one of the best ever in fact. But don’t call it something
it’s not.

All about wins
Stewart and Edwards finished the year tied – with the title going to Stewart because of his larger number of wins.

This year in Cup it was all about winning.
Winning races in the regular season was pretty much necessary to make the Chase in the first place … especially for the wild card entries.

And once those Chase races started, little did Tony know how important they would be in the end.

Imagine all the little moves that made this possible. That last lap pass of Jeff Burton at Phoenix … Any of the 100+ passes he made Sunday. All of them counted.

Every

Single

One.

Kudos to Tony. He deserved this title. He carries A.J. Foyt’s old number, and he has the old man’s attitude.
He said he was coming for Carl. I called him cocky. Turns out he was properly predicting the future.
To win a title, you have to want it more than anyone else.
It’s pretty obvious that was very true with Tony this year.

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Is champion crew chief Darian Grubb out of a job?

2011-11-20T23:20:00.000-08:00

When asked about his rumored job status, that rumor that he was fired, Grubb was very honest in his answer.
“It is (baffling) to me, honestly. I'm not sure what's going to happen. But I was told early in the Chase before Charlotte that next year I was not going to be here. We just kept fighting and doing everything we had to do every week. It did not change anything, what the outcome was going to be. We fought as if we were going to fight to win this championship, and we did it, and now we'll just see in this coming week how things change.”
“As far as time line, I'll let you know later. We are just going to plan to celebrate, talk, see what happens from there.”

Well, let me say for the record that firing Grubb (rumor is they want Steve Addington instead) would be very stupid, as he obviously did a good job this year. I have a feeling they might change their mind about the firing, and if they don't he will easily find work elsewhere.

Facts about Tony’s win
-- Stewart, who previously won titles in 2002 and 2005, becomes the eighth driver in series history to win three championships. Chevrolet now has won 28 driver’s championships, including each of the last seven. Stewart started the streak in 2005, and Jimmie Johnson won an unprecedented five in a row from 2006-2010.
-- Sunday’s victory was the 44th NSCS win for Stewart. He led four times for a total of 65 of the 267-lap race that was delayed by rain three times. Fighting back from adversity that sent him to the back of the field twice as a result of repairs made on pit road by the Darian Grubb-led crew, Stewart passed 118 cars on the way to Victory Lane and the Championship.
Other points finishers
-- Jeff Gordon drove the No. 24 to a fifth place finish Sunday. The run moved Gordon up to eighth in the final standings. He had three wins during the year.
-- Kevin Harvick, No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet, finished 8th Sunday to finish third in points with four victories during the season.
-- Five-time champion Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet, finished sixth in points after a lengthy stay on pit road and a spin on-track put him six laps down to the leaders relegating him to the 32nd finishing position.
-- With his 11th place finish tonight, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., No. 88 National Guard/AMP Energy Chevrolet, finished seventh in the final standings.
-- Ryan Newman, No. 39 US Army Chevrolet, was the 12th place finisher in the season finale and stands 10th in the final standings to give Team Chevy six of the top-10 drivers in the final top-10 standings.

Quotes on Tony’s win
“What an incredible championship run Tony put on this year,” said Jim Campbell, Chevrolet U.S. Vice President of performance Vehicles and Motorsports. “Winning a record five of the 10 Chase races and overcoming a deficit in the final race is the very definition of a champion. But, he had been there before and he handled that pressure like the champion that he is.”

Team co-owner GENE HAAS
“It's an awesome day. It's really hard to get to this point and kind of leaves you speechless.”
“So many teams fail. People spend huge amounts of money to try to get to this point. And we just kept plugging away. I think we weren't doing that well as you pointed out. We had two cars. It’s tough when you're in that bottom 35 range. So you just make changes. And you know, thanks to Chevrolet, and Tony was ready to go beyond being a driver, and so that's how it was all born.”

DARIAN GRUBB, Stewart’s crew chief
“It was just fun, honestly. We had our ups and downs with Dover and Kansas and some of the others. But the team rallying around when we had bad days and never giving up, and then Tony never giving up either. And just what he's done arriving a race car has been just extremely impressive to me. He's been the one to go three and four wide and everyone else is just scared and lifts. I think he went out and earned this championship.”

TONY STEWART
“I would have lost every bet in the world if people would have said, hey, when you got in the Chase, that we were going to win a race or we were going to win five races and win this thing; I would have bet against us. And I learned a big lesson with our organization and, you know, how strong a program we have and people wise. I mean, everybody has good cars and good equipment, but you know, I'm sure Darian's mentioned it, it's the people you have that make the difference.”

“Man, I feel like I passed half the State of Florida (Laughter). 118 cars is a lot of cars to pass in one race. I don't care what series you're in or where you're at. To do it under the circumstances and the pressure that we had today, I'm very, very proud of that, and man, I've been racing 31 years, I can't even remember some of the races I've won. But I would have to say that under the circumstances, I've got to believe that this is definitely one of the greatest races of my life.”

“It goes back to nobody has ever quit on this team and you know, like I said, I think the season has been character building and when something like that's happened it's easy to feel like you're backing yourself in a corner but the way our day was and to battle back from the back twice in those first hundred laps, I thought gave us that confidence that it wasn't the end of the world and that we could recover from it.

(deflecting question on Grubb’s status for 2012)
“I know what his status is for the rest of the night, and I'm going to get him drunk. (Laughter).
Tomorrow if we can just pick our heads up off the floor without throwing up, I'm going to be extremely happy, but I'll worry about that tomorrow.”
“There's a lot of things in the off season and decisions that have to be made. Obviously we wanted to get through this championship battle first, and we'll sit down as a group, obviously, this week and figure out the direction of our program. But, you know, the good thing right now is that we are sitting up here right now as champions and I don't think any of us are really too concerned other than having fun tonight and enjoying the accomplishment we have had over the last ten weeks."

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Austin Dillon, Ricky Stenhouse have bright futures in NASCAR … and will the #3 return to Cup?

2011-11-19T22:46:00.000-08:00

As we await the exciting battle today between Tony Stewart and Carl Edwards for the Cup title, which should be an awesome sight, a couple titles have already been decided.
Austin Dillon – aka the grandson of Richard Childress – has won the Truck series title. And Ricky Stenhouse, driving for Jack Roush, has claimed the Nationwide title.
There was little drama surrounding each title clinching, but I have to say that I like both of these young drivers and I believe their futures are bright.
First, let’s look at Dillon. True, he got a lot of opportunities given to him by Pop-Pop, but he also did his part to earn this title. Just because you have good equipment doesn’t mean you’ll win, you have to have talent too.
From what I’ve seen of Dillon in trucks, he shows the promise to have a Greg Biffle like career – meaning a Truck title, a Nationwide title, then a promising Cup career.
With an RCR ride awaiting him whenever he’s ready, you can expect to see Dillon doing well in NASCAR for a long, long time.
And when he comes to Cup, he might bring something special with him – the #3.
It hasn’t been seen in a cup race since that fateful day in February 2001, but it’s still available for Childress to use, should he want to keep Dillon in the same number as he moves up the NASCAR series chain.
And he has the blessing of Dale Earnhardt Jr.
“Austin’s ran that number and you can’t really deny him the opportunity to continue to run it. It just wouldn’t be fair. Dad (Dale Earnhardt Sr.) did great things. He was a great ambassador for the sport and we’re still as a whole, reaping the benefits of all he accomplished and what he did that put us in front of a lot of people. But even before that, the number was Richard’s. Richard drove it. And someone else drove it before then. There’s a lot of guys in the fifties and sixties that ran that number with success. So the number is really kind of like a bank and you deposit history into and they don’t really belong to the individuals. It’s iconic when you put the colors and the style with it; it’s a little bit iconic to the sport. Austin is a good kid, He seems to have a great appreciation for what’s happening to him and what’s going on around him. And I would be happy if he wanted to keep doing that. He kind of had to know when he first started to run that number if he got this far into the deal, he would have to cross a few bridges like that and that was a tough decision I guess at first to start running the number for him; knowing what kind of pressures he might face down the road. But I think it would be fine by me for him to do that. I think that it’s got to get back on the race track one of these days. It just can’t be gone forever you know?”

I’m going to predict that it will happen, and Dillon will instantly become one of the most popular drivers in the Cup series when that day comes.

Stenhouse a great comeback story
As recently as early 2010, the joke each week was to wonder which lap Ricky Stenhouse was going to wreck on. His time with the Roush team didn’t start out well, and he was battling each week just to keep his job.
Thankfully for the team, Roush found something he liked in Stenhouse, and stuck with him, letting other drivers – such as Colin Braun – go instead.
Now, Stenhouse is a champion, benefitting from the new points rules that only allow a driver to earn points in one series.
He even got a Cup start in this year and did pretty well. It’s pretty much a sure bet that if he can get the sponsorship lined up (not an easy task these days), Stenhouse should be in a Cup car for Roush in the next couple years or so.
Both he and Dillon are part of a new crew of young talent hoping to upset the establishment once they make the leap to the top level of the sport.
The fact that they both have a title under their belt will do a lot for their confidence as they climb to that level. And they are both very deserving champions.
I look forward to watching them, and other young stars like Trevor Bayne, bring some new blood into the sport.

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Watch Tony Stewart's in-car camera video live on Facebook during season finale at Homestead

2011-11-18T10:48:00.000-08:00

NASCAR.COM and ESPN announced today that it will stream Tony Stewart’s live in-car camera on Facebook for NASCAR's season finale - the Ford 400 - on Sunday, November 20, which airs on ESPN at 3 p.m. ET from Homestead-Miami Speedway. This will mark the first time that a championship racing event will stream live on the social media platform. The in-car camera live stream on Facebook, via NASCAR.COM’s RaceBuddy, will complement ESPN’s coverage of the final race of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.
The live in-car camera video will provide fans on Facebook with a real-time, inside look at Tony Stewart as he races for his third NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship. Entering the final race of the season, Stewart sits three points behind points-leader Carl Edwards. Simultaneously on the social media platform, fans will be able to chat with friends and other racing fans about the experience. In addition, the NASCAR.COM live stream on Facebook will promote all available full viewing options for the race including 10 interactive viewing angles at NASCAR.COM's RaceBuddy, as well as the race telecast on ESPN, Watch ESPN app and Watch ESPN.com.
“Offering a live in-car camera stream from NASCAR.COM on Facebook provides NASCAR fans another ubiquitous platform where they can enjoy the exciting conclusion of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship,” said Matthew Hong, Senior Vice President & General Manager of Sports Operations for Turner Sports, who manages NASCAR.COM. “Throughout the season we've provided multiple online offerings to engage hard-core and casual racing enthusiasts alike, and we're excited to conclude this championship with this unique social media experience.”

Will Kasey Kahne be the next Jimmie Johnson?, or the next Dale Earnhardt Jr?

2011-11-16T20:30:00.001-08:00

Everyone is singing a similar refrain about Kasey Kahne this week. It goes along these lines: "If he can win with Red Bull and its closing team, imagine all the races he'll win in Hendrick equipment!"

Hold the phone, I say.

While I know Kasey is a talented driver, and should do well at Hendrick next year and beyond, don't go anointing him a championship contender quite yet.

We went through this a few years back with Dale Earnhardt Jr. He was sure to win tons of races at Hendrick Motorsports, right?

Yeah, that's working out well.

So in short, while I think it's possible Kahne will come out strong at Hendrick and rack up wins and title contending seasons, I wouldn't bet a nickel on it, as it's far from a guarantee.

Three cheers to the end of the Jimmie Johnson era
Every year they tried to knock him off his pedestal, and every year he shooed them aside. This year, the law of averages has caught up with Jimmie, and he will not claim a sixth straight title.

As annoying as it was to watch one team dominate in NASCAR for so long, I have to say it's a mighty tough feat to accomplish. Even if Johnson never wins another title -- and that's not necessarily going to happen; he could grab a few more before he retires -- Jimmie will always be listed with the greatest drivers of all time, whether we are listing them 10 years from now or 100 years from now. His domination, in an era that was arguably more competitive than the eras of Earnhardt and Petty, make him one of the greatest of all time.

All fans, even those who can't stand the sight of Jimmie, have to recognize that. So kudos on your run Jimmie, but I'm glad someone else will finally get a turn at the head table in Vegas.

Who's the champ?
Speaking of the new champ, who's it gonna be?
One argument is that Tony is so hot right now, he is the favorite. The other argument is that Carl is always great at Homestead, and should be able to hold off Tony.

Basicallly, whoever finishes in front of the driver will likely be your champ; this is the type of drama NASCAR envisioned when the Chase began.

It will be a thriller for the ages; and I'm going to pick Carl as the winner. Either way, I won't be upset. Both drivers would be deserving champs ... whether it's a first title for Carl or a third title for Tony.

I just don't see Tony's luck continuing the way it has the past few weeks. I predict Edwards wins at Homestead to put a capper on his championship season, with Tony a spot or two behind on the grid.

Whatever happens, it's bound to be exciting.

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M&Ms pulling sponsorship from Kyle Busch was ridiculous; sponsors shouldn't dictate driver behavior

2011-11-13T22:40:00.000-08:00

Boy, they really showed him.

They pulled their colors off the car for two weeks, but will be back for all of next year. And for those two weeks, another sponsor had stepped in.

Way to go, M&Ms. (Yes, I’m being sarcastic).

After a ridiculous flurry of rumors about Busch on the heels of his dumping of Hornaday (He’s losing his ride! He’s losing his sponsor! Blah, Blah, Blah!), M&Ms released a ridiculous statement that they did not condone his actions, but believe their pulling of sponsorship for two weeks will help keep Kyle in line in the future.

“While we do not condone Kyle’s recent actions, we do believe that he has shown remorse and has expressed a desire to change,” said Debra A. Sandler, chief consumer officer, Mars Chocolate North America. “We believe our decision will have a positive impact on Kyle and will help him return next season ready to win.”

Oh, please, get over yourself.

Kyle is a winner. If you think you’re the only company that will sponsor him, you’re wrong. Trust me, he'd have other takers if you left.
Kyle’s got a long future in the sport, and if you think you’re too good for him, feel free to leave.

There’s no denying Kyle stepped in it pretty deep with his actions against Hornaday, but this sanctimonious crap from sponsors makes me sick.

NASCAR is a rough sport; guys hit each other into the wall when they get mad. It happens. This isn’t a nice, happy family once the green flag drops. M&M’s said they’ll be back in 2012 with the expectation that “no future incident take place.”

But what does that mean? Can Kyle never hit anyone ever again? If so, he can kiss his chances to win a title goodbye. Sometimes, you do have to nudge by a guy to get a position; especially on the short tracks.

I don’t like the idea of sponsors dictating how drivers can race; and I don’t like the idea of sponsors trying to neuter someone like Kyle Busch, who is one of the more exciting drivers on the track each week.

I recognize he shouldn’t do anything stupid like he did in the Truck race, and he deserved the parking last week, his $50,000 fine and probation until the end of the year.

But the way M&M’s worded that statement really rubs me the wrong way.

Ride offer from Kyle to Hornaday?

The most interesting note to come out of the whole Busch saga is a tidbit spilled by Kevin Harvick, Hornaday’s truck owner until year’s end.
Next year, with no KHI truck team, Hornaday needs a ride, and Harvick said an offer came from Busch to drive for him.
“It’s pretty common that people know that I don’t care for Kyle regardless of whether he is in trouble or out of trouble, but that’s the guy (Hornaday) I feel like has taken the brunt of everything that happened last week. As far as the way it was handled, it’s not my situation. It’s not something that I feel like I need to weigh in my opinion on, whether it was too much or not enough; it’s just unfortunate for Ron more than for anybody. And I think as you went through the week, hearing the phone calls that were made to Ron from Kyle at the first part of the week and trying to give him the No. 18 truck ride for next year and all the things that he tried to do, he knew how wrong it was, hopefully.” “Yeah, as far as I know, (team manager) Rick Ren called Ron and offered him the No. 18 truck for next year. At first it started just with him calling Ron trying to get Ron to call NASCAR so he wouldn’t lose his job. That was how all that progressed.”

Not sure if Harvick is just making things up, but I would actually like to see Hornaday drive the #18 next year. Could be a winning combination and would help keep Kyle out of the truck races.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK
Denny Hamlin, on whether a sports psychologist – like the one he uses - would help Kyle Busch.
"Mine is a little different. We both have screws loose -- it's just that some are tighter than others. And, they're in different
places. For us, mine's more on performance and finding what the heck is going on and things like that. His is not.”

Obama, Biden coming to Homestead
No, not the president and vice president (they’ll probably show up at a race next year as the election draws closer).
This year, first lady Michele Obama and VP Joe Biden’s wife Jill will be grand marshals at Homestead. The women will “recognize service members and military families from the local community in pre-race ceremonies and at a special BBQ lunch. Mrs. Obama and Dr. Biden will also invite a military family to join them as they serve as Grand Marshals for the race and give the command to start engines.

Kid Rock To Open NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards Ceremony
For historical reference on this next item, let me just explain that I am from Michigan and first heard Kid Rock when he was a skinny rapper with a Kid and Play high-top hairdo. So when I got the news that “world renowned” artist Kid Rock would perform at NASCAR’s award ceremony this year, I chuckled a bit.

But I suppose the Kid has grown up quite a bit, and his music has grown a bit since the early 1990s, so if you’re masochistic enough to want to sit through the borefest that is the Sprint Cup awards ceremony, at least Kid Rock’s performance might liven things up a bit. The event is set for Dec. 2 in Las Vegas.

And if you’re not a Kid Rock fan and have more country sensibilities, country mainstay Reba McIntyre will also perform and host the event.

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Kyle Busch was a jackass -- but he doesn't deserve a firing squad

2011-11-07T00:42:00.001-08:00

I could write a blog about how Kyle Busch is a (fill-in-the-blank) expletive for what he did Friday night to Ron Hornaday in the Truck race ... wrecking him under caution and ruining his title hopes.

But I won't, as that's already been done a hundred times since the incident.

No, what I'm going to do is something quite different: Tell you all to calm down in the Kyle Busch-bashing that's nonstop at the moment.

I find it strange that I'm writing that sentence, as I was disgusted by the acts of Busch Friday night. I don't like him even competing in Truck races, let alone playing a role in who wins the title in that series.

But I have to say NASCAR got it right when they parked Busch for the remainder of the Truck race Friday and the Nationwide and Cup races over the weekend. I wish they had done the same in the past at times -- such as when a laps-down Carl Edwards blatantly wrecked Brad Keselowski during their recent feud. In that instance, and others like it, punishments have traditionally been weak, so it was refreshing to see a driver get parked for a Cup race after the kind of stupidity on display from Kyle Friday night.

BUT ... let's not go too crazy here. There are rumors that Kyle will remain suspended for next week or even the last two weekends. Many fans are all for this, in large part because they hate Kyle Busch, and would probably love to see him suspended forever.

I'm going to guess that the punishment is over in terms of parking Kyle (though I do foresee a large fine and some probation period coming Tuesday), and that's a good thing. As bad as Kyle's actions were, there is no precedent for such an extreme punishment as multi-week suspension, and even this incident wouldn't qualify for such measures.

What I'm saying is simple: If it wasn't Kyle Busch who did this, would the reaction from the people be as strong?

No way.

People hate Kyle Busch. I'm convinced some people think he is the Anti-Christ.
But you know what? He's one of the reasons this sport is interesting. His style of racing is exciting, and he knows how to put on a show.

He is polarizing for sure, but you can't deny his racing talent -- as his bevy of wins in all three series would indicate. He is so young, that he could go on to actually achieve his goal of 200 wins between the three series.

I'm glad he got punished with the weekend parking at Texas, and I think this will actually leave an impression on him and stop him from stooping to this level of dirty racing again. Imagine if he had been in the Chase points battle up top; this could have ruined his title hopes, and I think he recognizes that.

If NASCAR parked Kyle until the end of the year, it would be unnecessarily harsh, and show a bias against this particular driver.

Judging from the tone of some Internet comments, many fans would be happy if Kyle got the electric chair.

I say tone down the rhetoric people; Kyle screwed up and deserves the punishment he already got; but there's no need to act like he murdered someone.

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Title hopes dim for Keselowski, but he has no reason to hang his head

2011-11-07T00:37:00.001-08:00

It was a great Chase run so far for Brad Keselowski, but it appears his title hopes are over. After bad late-race luck for the second week in a row, his hopes of hoisting a Cup are pretty much slim to none.

The fact that he is upset about this shows that Brad is not going to be content with being a mid-pack car as his career progresses.

When he went to Penske, nobody thought he would advance so quickly and win as much as he has this year. He has exceeded expectations, and outraced his Cup champion teammate Kurt Busch in the second half of the season. His rise from deep in the standings to busting into the Chase mean this has been a breakout year for Keselowski.

And based on his comments after the race, it appears he will not be hanging his head over his recent struggles.
“It’s been a rewarding year and I’m proud to work with everyone on this Miller Lite Dodge team," Keselowski said. "We still have races to go and I’m positive that we will approach them with the same amount of energy we have all year. We won’t lie down. We’re going to bring fast race cars to the track the next few weeks and go after some wins.”

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Stewart would be wise to avoid being overly cocky about title hopes

2011-11-07T00:08:00.000-08:00

"Win when it counts"

That's the motto many have applied to the Chase, and it seems Tony Stewart has caught on to this strategy, winning four of eight races so far to pull within a few points of Carl Edwards.

To put things in perspective, let's look at how the Chase was viewed at the start.

The title was Jimmie Johnson's to lose. Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards and a couple others were considered favorites too.

Stewart's name was nowhere to be mentioned. He hadn't won all year, and in fact said himself that the way he was running, he didn't deserve to be in the Chase.

But once the Chase started, that all changed. He won the first two races of the Chase, reminding people he was still a threat. Then he tapered off with some bad runs, and everyone figured he was a flash in the pan. After these latest two wins at Martinsville and Texas, it is clear he is not. Stewart most definitely can win the title, and Carl Edwards needs to be aware of this fact and step up his game accordingly.

I would caution Stewart in one area though: Don't be too cocky just because you are on a hot streak -- because those streaks are known to come to an end pretty quickly.

Look back to last year when Denny Hamlin was talking smack to Jimmie Johnson when it seemed he was on his way to a title; and remember how quickly he faded and not only lost the title, but went into a yearlong slump the next year and had to see a sports head shrinker to try and get his mojo back.

Stewart most definitely WILL compete for the title, but any overly aggressive smack talk about how the title is his might come back to haunt him. He needs to remember that Carl is very good at every track, especially Homestead, and doesn't need any more bulletin board material to motivate him.

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Meth charges are latest death nail in career, legacy of Jeremy Mayfield

2011-11-03T18:38:00.000-07:00

Regarding Jeremy Mayfield, who was arrested on meth charges this week amid his battle against NASCAR over whether he is a drug addict or was framed, I am just left shaking my head.
I really wanted to believe his conspiracy theory, because I know how NASCAR treated Tim Richmond back in the day regarding a drug test. But it's now pretty clear to me: Mayfield was not a victim; he was, and is, an addict, or at least that's what the evidence would indicate.
The truth will come out in trial (and he swears he was framed), but it's clear that all is not as Mayfield would have you believe. The evidence has been there all along in my mind, especially after the wild goose chase he led the drug test givers a couple years back. (See http://bit.ly/tEcMFW for the hilarious details on that whole mess)

This is a guy who had it all; and, it appears, he gave it all up due to an addiction On one hand, I feel bad for him. On the other hand, I think he's a bit of an idiot for doing so. I recognize addiction as a disease, but at some point you have to take responsibility for your actions and figure out a way to clean up. Now, his battle with NASCAR is the least of his worries.

I once knew Mayfield as the guy who bumped Dale Earnhardt out of the way at Pocono to win the race and a lot of fans; or the guy scraped his way into the Chase on some gutsy runs late in the season.
Now I know him as a guy who threw his career away for drugs; and that's the legacy that will stick.

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Did Chad Knaus and Jimmie Johnson try to cheat again?

2011-10-26T10:39:00.000-07:00

In a week where the #00, #56 and #47 teams already got busted for cheating, and all three crew chiefs were suspended for the rest of the year, it appears more cheating might have been in the works -- at the #48 team of all places.

Based on a chat overheard prior to Sunday's Talladega race, it appears Chad Knaus was concerned about the back of his car, telling Jimmie to damage the rear end of the car if he won the race. Knaus did not deny telling Johnson to do this.

"If we win this race, you have to crack the back of the car," Knaus said on the recording. "Got it? ... You don't have to have to hit it hard, you don't have to destroy it. But you've gotta do a donut and you've gotta hit the back end, or somebody's gotta hit you in the ass-end or something. OK?"

His not-very-believable explanation is that the move would have been to "cover our bases," but I doubt it. There was no doubt some hanky-panky going on, and Chad didn't want to incur any penalties as a result.

We shouldn't be surprised by this. Chad has cheated before, and always tries to blur the lines between what's allowed and what's not allowed. All good crew chiefs do, to a point. He was just stupid enough to get caught on tape this time. (Next time, I bet he uses hand signals).

The bottom line: Johnson and Knaus are desperate, as they know they title hopes are pretty much done ... something they are not used to. Maybe this is a sign they can't handle the pressure, a la Denny Hamlin falling apart at the end of last year.

I'm not going to pretend Knaus is the only crew chief to contemplate such a move, but actions like this do somewhat lower my opinion of him as genius crew chief who's won five titles ... it makes me think: How much of it was legit, and how much was possibly cheating?

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No blame to lay for Wheldon death; just sadness for all who did (and didn't) know him

2011-10-16T17:27:00.000-07:00

I never knew Dan Wheldon.

While I covered some Indycar back in the day, I never had the pleasure of meeting the man – who by all accounts was the kind of guy you couldn’t help but like.

But his death saddens me in a way that might seem strange to some people.

On one level, it saddens me like it does anyone else with a heart. This man was 33 years old, had a wife and two children, and was just beginning his life – when you consider that people can live to be 100 or more. Sure he did a lot in that time, winning two Indy 500s and competing with the best of the auto racing world, but that should have only been Act 1 of his life.

Acts 2, 3 and beyond should have been the even more important parts of his life – growing old with his family and watching his boys become men. It’s always sad when someone goes, but if they’ve lived a full life it’s easier to accept. There’s nothing easy to accept here, and his family will never be the same without him.

But going beyond the basic human connection, I am particularly sad in this because Dan Wheldon was a racecar driver, and the racing community is one of the tightest in the world. While the world wonders why we are fans of cars going in circles, all race fans feel a connection to each other because they understand why and don’t have to ask that question.
Drivers, to us fans, are the bravest of the brave, because they are the ones capable enough of doing this daredevil activity for a living and providing us the entertainment we seek on the racetrack. Even if we never meet them in real life, we feel like we know them.

I never even had a one-on-one conversation with Dale Earnhardt Sr., but when he died I was covering the Daytona 500, and the story of his death was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to write in my life. Because the reality was that I DID know him. I watched him every week racing on TV and sometimes in person, and he was someone I had a connection to.

I was similarly upset when other NASCAR drivers I never met – such as Adam Petty and Kenny Irwin – passed away tragically due to on-track accidents. “Why would you care?” some might wonder “You didn’t know them.” … But I did care, and I care now that Dan Wheldon has died.

In Wheldon’s case, my connection is even less, as I’m not even a huge Indycar fan and usually stick to NASCAR, but I am no less sad. I watched him race regularly and recognized him as a talented driver who seemed like a decent person from his interviews.

If you had asked me Sunday morning to name my favorite Indycar drivers, he probably wouldn’t have even made the list. But that doesn’t change the sinking feeling I got when I saw that horrific accident in the Vegas Indycar race. It was the worst accident I have ever seen in motorsports (and I’ve watched a lot of it over the past 15 years or so), and my first thought was that somebody was probably dead.

The longer the wait dragged on without hearing about Wheldon’s condition, the worse the prognosis was in my mind. If he was OK, they would have said something. Silence is usually a bad thing in this situation.

At Daytona in 2001, I was in the midst of writing a cheery story about Michael Waltrip’s breakthrough win in the top NASCAR division, and the guy next to me in the media center leaned over and said: “I heard Earnhardt’s dead”. I wanted to dismiss it as rumor, but that’s not the kind of rumor that’s going to turn out to be false most of the time. Sure enough, a couple hours later, NASCAR President Mike Helton made it official, and I can still picture him up on the stage uttering the horrible words; “We’ve lost Dale Earnhardt”.

The situation today was no doubt equally terrible for the Indycar community, who had to sit around for two hours and await word on the fate of Wheldon – knowing that the worst was possible.
The emotions on their face, the tears that flowed as they did those five moving tribute laps in honor or Wheldon while Amazing Grace played, shows that amid all the bravado and smack talk of racing, these people are no different than the rest of us … with the exception of their ability to drive racecars really really fast.

There will no doubt be discussion about the accident and what could have been done to prevent it. Was the $5 million bonus offer a gimmick that turned horribly bad due to too many cars being on the track? Can anything be done to improve the safety of the walls and/or catch fences at these tracks? … etc., etc., etc.

Personally, I’m not assigning any blame, not to Indycar, not to the driver who started the initial accident, or anyone else. Racers know that anything can happen on the track, and while no one is ever prepared for death they are among the few professions who know that it’s actually possible every time they show up to work. (Though most, obviously, keep that thought far from the front of their heads while actually competing in a race.)

Ironically, Dan Wheldon had been one of the main drivers working on improving the new 2012 Indycar models, which vow to be much safer than the cars driven in 2011.

No, there is no headline here about who should be in trouble for all this. There is only sadness.

Sadness from the Wheldon family, who have lost a father, husband, child, brother at far too young of an age.

Sadness from the tight Indycar community, who will no longer have Wheldon around to enjoy their weekends with on and off the track.

And sadness from fans of motorsports around the world, who most likely never met the man, but still feel like they have lost a family member today.

R.I.P. Dan Wheldon.

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Yes folks, even Jimmie Johnson has bad luck (but he ain't dead yet))

2011-10-16T00:45:00.000-07:00

It looked like your typical good points day in the Chase for Jimmie Johnson on Saturday night at Charlotte. He was running up front, and on pace to stay near the top of the standings.

Then, disaster struck.

While racing hard against Ryan Newman, Johnson lost control and hit the wall hard -- a very un-Jimmie-like move (which, of course, led to cheers from the audience; kind of weak considering he could have been seriously injured).

The result of this wreck: he is now 8th in the standings, 35 points behind leader Carl Edwards.

The first reaction by many cheering for a non-Jimmie title this year is to declare that this is the nail in the coffin for his title hopes -- that he can't possibly pass 7 other drivers and make up that many points.

But that wouldn't be the smart thing to do, because after all, this is Jimmie Johnson. He is still the five-time defending champ and is capable of knocking off five wins to end the season. And don't forget, Talladega is one of those five races, and anything can happen there -- including big wrecks that could take out his competition and move him up in the standings.

So while there is some reason for hope in the anyone but Jimmie crowd (a crowd to which I am proud to belong; as it's simply not good for the sport to have a dominant driver) -- there is no need to go overboard.

It's true that Edwards, Harvick, Kyle Busch and a few others are much more likely at this point to win it than Johnson, but the key point to remember is we are only halfway through this very unique Chase. With no dominant driver and a bunch of weird stuff like fuel mileage races happening, there's no telling what the future holds for Jimmie and his competition.

One more bad race with a finish in the 30s, and Johnson's title hopes will be dead (which can already be said about Dale Jr., Jeff Gordon, Ryan Newman and Denny Hamlin). But until then, you can't count him out.

Kenseth a contender
Matt Kenseth is known for being consistently good, but not necessarily winning a lot of races. Well, now he's trying to do both. With his win at Charlotte, he served notice to his competition that he is definitely in the hunt for title No. 2 ... as he sits third in points, just 7 points out of the lead.

Kenseth's name is not mentioned as much as some of his higher-profile competition, but he's OK with that.

“It doesn’t really matter to me that much what everybody thinks. We’re in it or out of it or whatever," Kenseth said. "What’s important to me is trying to win races and trying to be competitive and go do the best job we can do every week. I don’t really care about Wii dance offs or how much coverage you get for doing certain things. If somebody wants to say I’m boring or whatever, I was hired to try to go win races and try to run good and that’s what I try to do every week. I take my job real serious when I’m at the race track. Jimmy and I and all the guys work as hard as we can on the common goal of trying to be the best and trying to win and trying to run for a championship and that’s who we are at the race track.”

That kind of business-like attitude is why Kenseth is a legitimate threat this year, so key an eye on him the next five weeks.

Some facts about Kenseth's win:
-- It was the 7th win of the season for Ford
-- Kenseth took the checkered flag for the 21st time in his Cup Series career
-- It was the second time at Charlotte Motor Speedway in a points event (the first came in 2000, when he won the Coke 600 as a rookie).
-- The win is the seventh of the season for Ford Racing, equaling the total of the last two years combined.
-- The win was the 125th all-time NSCS win for Roush Fenway Racing.
-- This marks the first NSCS win for Ford at Charlotte Motor Speedway since 2002, when Mark Martin won the Coca-Cola 600.

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Indycar racing returns to Detroit, with Belle Isle Grand Prix in 2012

2011-10-12T17:29:00.000-07:00

If you're in the Detroit area and like Indycar racing (and I'm sure a few of you still exist), you got some good news Wednesday.
Grand Prix racing is returning to Belle Isle.

The Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix weekend will be June 1-3, 2012 at the 2.1-mile Raceway at Belle Isle Park road course.

“Chevrolet has a long, storied history in Indy car racing,” said Mark Reuss, president, GM North America. “This year we celebrated the shared centennial of Chevrolet and the Indianapolis 500. We're excited to see that history continue with the help of Penske Corporation and INDYCAR bringing back open-wheel racing to Detroit in 2012. This city is a natural for racing – it put the world on wheels and the roar of engines is something that simply belongs here."

Combined with the two Michigan Speedway race weekends in the summer, this means even more opportunity for Motor City race fans to get their fix. I can remember hearing Formula 1 and Indycar racing downtown from miles away when I was a young boy, so it will nice to hear those sounds again in 2012 and beyond, and I hope the fans show up and enjoy it.

As is usually the case when discussing auto racing and Michigan, NASCAR team owner Roger Penske is involved, as says the return of the race is good for the city, which is on the rise after a few tough years.

“Chevrolet has been instrumental in bringing motorsports back to Detroit,” said Penske Corp. Chairman Roger Penske. “The Grand Prix will draw international attention and visitors to Belle Isle – which is one of the most-scenic race venues in the United States. We believe the Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix will be one of the most-popular races in the IZOD IndyCar Series and will play a major role in continuing the renaissance of Detroit.”

Four races will be held during the three-day event, including:
— The Chevrolet Indy Grand Prix presented by shopautoweek.com, where Chevrolet’s new twin-turbo V-6 race engines will compete in the IZOD IndyCar Series
— The Chevrolet Detroit Sports Car Challenge where Chevrolet Daytona Prototypes and Camaros will compete in the first GRAND-AM Rolex Series race held on Belle Isle
— The Cadillac V-Series Challenge at Belle Isle, where Cadillac CTS-Vs will compete in the second Pirelli World Challenge series race held on Belle Isle
— The Firestone Indy Light Series race, featuring the rising stars of open-wheel racing

The Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix was last held in 2007 and 2008. Based on estimates from the Detroit Metro Convention and Visitors Bureau, those two events combined attracted more than 200,000 visitors, and brought more than $100 million to the Detroit Metro economy.

"We are thrilled to be able to bring the Detroit Grand Prix back to Belle Isle,” said Detroit Mayor Dave Bing. "Thanks to the support of INDYCAR, Penske Corporation and Chevrolet we will once again host one of the world's most prestigious motorsports events."

For more information and to sign up for tickets to the Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix, please visit www.detroitgp.com. Learn more about the event through social media by visiting www.twitter.com/detroitgp and www.facebook.com/detroitgp.

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Don't expect much from Clint Bowyer next year at Michael Waltrip Racing

2011-10-10T00:20:00.000-07:00

The big news earlier this week was the not-so-secret announcement that Clint Bowyer will move to Michael Waltrip Racing next year, running the #15 car sponsored by 5-Hour Energy.

A few observations on the matter.
1. What I find most curious is that Bowyer first presented the 5-Hour Energy sponsorship to his current RCR team, but a deal couldn't be worked out. I'm curious what went wrong there, as teams rarely push away sponsorship. Sounds like there was some ill will between the two parties, if you ask Bowyer at least.

When asked what made him leave RCR, he said: "I'd say that day came when we went and talked to them about the 5-Hour Energy deal and they still couldn't put a deal
together, so I said, 'Well, alright we'll go somewhere else.'

2. In my view, the move is also partly about Bowyer wanting to be the big dog on his team. At RCR, Kevin Harvick is the man, and the guy who will get the best equipment. The best he can do there is be second fiddle ahead of Menard and Burton. At MWR, he can be THE man. Neither Martin Truex Jr. or David Reutimann have set the racing world on fire, so if he shows up there and starts to compete, he'll be top dog.

3. Don't expect that to happen though, at least not right away. Despite an occasional good run from Truex and Reutimann, most weeks they are far from competitive, falling far behind the competition. I don't see how a third team with Bowyer will make their cars that much better. Time will tell, but I say don't expect miracles from any MWR team in 2012.

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Keselowski continues to impress in the Chase; could contend for title

2011-10-09T23:26:00.001-07:00

I must give a nod to Rochester Hills native Brad Keselowski, who got another top-5 finish Sunday and is continuing his great run this Chase. Four races into the Chase, Keselowski is fourth in points, 11 points out of first place. Considering the amazing run that Keselowski made just to make the Chase, a lot of people thought he might end that run of luck once the Chase started.

After Sunday's race, Keselowski said his team is just a lot better than it was last year.

“It all comes back to just having a good team. Good teams have good cars; they're best at their end and fastest at their end. They use good pit strategy and stay strong through adversity. I feel like I just have a really good team. I guess it's hard to define what makes a good team and a bad team does those things.

“Last year we weren't a good team. We were always our worst at the end, and that's not what it takes. I don't know why that was, but that's just the way it kind of works out sometimes. This year, it seems like as a group, we're just clicking. Sometimes that's the way it goes, and we’re doing a good job of maximizing our day, taking care of everything that's in our control and I'm really proud of our team for doing that.“

So about that Jimmie Johnson
Remember all the talk about how Jimmie Johnson had lost his mojo this Chase and likely wouldn't compete for his sixth straight title?
Well, he killed all that talk Sunday with his dominating win at Kansas.

It just goes to prove what anyone with sense has said all year. It doesn't matter if Jimmie hasn't won since April -- he's still the man to beat for the title.

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Hornaday's truck series greatness continues with 50th win

2011-10-03T23:52:00.000-07:00

When you talk about the all-time greats in NASCAR's Truck series, one name comes to mind more than any other -- Ron Hornaday Jr.

The seemingly ageless four-time champ made history yet again this weekend with his 50th career win in the series, extending his own record.

The grit of a guy like Ron Hornaday is a perfect match for the Truck series, and I'm glad he was able to find his niche there (I doubt it would have happened in Nationwide or Cup, despite Ron's obvious driving talent).

This beating and banging series is just what the doctor ordered for an old-school racer like Hornaday, who has shown through the years that given the right equipment he can win any week.

As the only driver currently racing who was an entry in the first ever Truck race at Phoenix in 1995, Hornaday's commitment to this series has been steadfast, minus a couple brief trips to bigger series.

Some will downplay his accomplishments due to it not being Cup or Nationwide, but that's short-sighted. If you've ever watched a Truck series race, you know how hard it is to compete with those guys and win.

Driving for Dale Earnhardt Inc. at the start of his career, and later for Kevin Harvick Inc., he pulled off at least one win every year he ran a full-time ride in the series. Hornaday won championships with DEI in 1996 and 1998 and with Kevin Harvick Inc. in 2007 and 2009. He has ranked among the top five in the points standings eight times.

Hornaday holds series records for most top-five (143) and top-10 (205) finishes. by a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver age 50 years or older. Hornaday stands third all-time among series pole winners with 26.

I predict many more wins in the future ... as I don't see Hornaday stepping away from the driver's seat any time soon.

“Ron has been the heart and soul of the Truck series,” said Kevin Harvick, the owner for 24 of Hornaday’s victories. “Fifty wins is just one more incredible achievement in a career that I’m sure will one day land him in the NASCAR Hall of Fame.”

I couldn't agree more.

-----------

Below is a timeline of Hornaday’s notable victories on his way to 50:

1 – On April 8, 1995, at Tucson Raceway Park, Hornaday wins his first race, the second for the series. It is the first NASCAR national series victory for Dale Earnhardt Inc.

9 – On Aug. 25, 1996, at Watkins Glen International, Hornaday completes a sweep of all three road courses scheduled to date. He previously won at Heartland Park Topeka and Infineon Raceway.

10 – On Sept. 8, 1996, at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Hornaday goes from sixth to first on the final lap, the only lap he led.

12 – On June 21, 1997, at Bristol Motor Speedway, Hornaday becomes the final driver to lead every lap – 200 – of a NASCAR Camping World Truck race.

25 – On April 3, 1999, at Evergreen Speedway, Hornaday wins the series’ 100th race and a $100,000 bonus posted by then series sponsor Craftsman for an eligible winner having competed in all 99 previous events. The victory is his last in the series for Dale Earnhardt Inc.

27 – On March 18, at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Hornaday edges Bobby Labonte by 0.008 seconds in the series’ then-closest finish on a superspeedway.

35 – On June 6, 2008, at Texas Motor Speedway, Hornaday breaks a 10-race winless drought at the 1.5-mile superspeedway. He returns in November to complete a season sweep at the Ft. Worth track.

36 – On June 28, 2008 at Memphis Motorsports Park, Hornaday scores the first of 14 victories at the age of 50 years or older.

45 – On Aug. 1, 2009, at Nashville Superspeedway, Hornaday completes a string of five consecutive victories that began at The Milwaukee Mile and continued at Memphis Motorsports Park, Kentucky Speedway and Lucas Oil Raceway. He is the first national series driver to post such a streak since 1971.

47 – On Oct. 23, 2010, Hornaday, the series’ leading short track winner, is finally a winner in his 17th trip to Martinsville Speedway.

49 – On Sept. 2, 2011, at Atlanta Motor Speedway, wins for the 14th time past the age of 50 breaking a record he’d shared with Joe Ruttman for the most wins past 50 in a single national series.

Kurt Busch, Jimmie Johnson back in the mix

Prior to the Dover race, Jimmie Johnson and Kurt Busch were hovering near the bottom of the point standings. After Dover, that is no longer the case, and their great runs had them leapfrogging a handful of competitors and jumping right back into the title hunt.

“I feel like that we’re right in the mix. You just have to cover up those bad days," Kurt said. "Tony Stewart struggled today. He’s going to be dropping back. You just have to run consistent.”

Despite his surge, Jimmie still isn't happy, and says he should have scored more points by now, and also mentioned how easy it is for things to go bad again.

"I look at it and say we left points on the table. New Hampshire, for sure all three of them, absolutely, without a doubt. Not getting the restart I needed today at the end, that's on me and no one else," Johnson said. "This Chase is so tough to know what it's going to take, and I just we look at the 14 car, and what he did in the first two races and then the struggles they had today. I think it speaks to how tough these ten races are going to be and how you think somebody is on fire and the fire can go out.
So we'll just keep fighting hard. I hate leaving points on the table, and we have these first three."

Goodyear To Continue As Exclusive Tire Supplier Through 2017

NEW YORK – NASCAR and Goodyear announced they have signed an extended agreement for Goodyear to continue as the exclusive tire used in NASCAR’s top three racing series for the next five years.

The agreement, which extends through the 2017 season, renews Goodyear as the “Exclusive Tire Supplier” of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, the NASCAR Nationwide Series and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Goodyear has had an uninterrupted commitment to NASCAR since becoming a race tire supplier in the 1950s, making it one of the longest-running supply programs in any sport. In addition, Goodyear has been the exclusive tire supplier for all three of the circuit’s top series since 1997.

Tickets For NASCAR After The Lap Go On Sale

Tickets are officially on sale today for 2011 NASCAR After The Lap, scheduled for December 1 at The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas.

NASCAR After the Lap is one of the highlights of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion’s Week in Las Vegas, Nev. Tickets for the third-annual event are now available for purchase at NASCARafterthelap.com for $20 each, with proceeds benefitting The NASCAR Foundation, a non-profit that raises funds that support children’s charities and important causes throughout the nation.

NASCAR After The Lap features an unfiltered, “tell-all” format featuring the 2011 top 12 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers. The event is scheduled for Dec. 1 at 4:30 p.m. PT.

Fans can get a front-row seat for the conclusion of NASCAR Victory Lap at the Coca-Cola Fan Zone, which is located at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas. Beginning at noon, the Coca-Cola Fan Zone offers interactive displays from Sprint, Game Show Network, Coca-Cola and Ford, and is a prelude to NASCAR After The Lap.

For fans unable to attend NASCAR After The Lap, NASCAR.COM will offer a live web cast at NASCAR.COM. Additionally, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio will broadcast the event live on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio channel 90.

Kansas Speedway, by the numbers

History
-- Groundbreaking was held on May 25, 1999.
-- The official opening of Kansas Speedway was in 2001, with the first events being an ARCA race and a NASCAR K&N Pro Series West race on the same day – June 2.
-- The first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race was Sept. 30, 2001.

Notebook
-- There have been 11 NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Kansas since the track opened in 2001.
-- All of the races have been scheduled for 267 laps.
-- 10 drivers have competed in all 11 races at Kansas.
-- Jeff Gordon won the first two NASCAR Sprint Cup races.
-- Jason Leffler won the first pole in September 2001.
-- Eight different drivers have won poles, led by Jimmie Johnson with three.
-- Eight different drivers have posted victories, led by Greg Biffle, Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart (each with two).
-- Seven of the 11 races have been won from a top-10 starting position.
-- Two drivers have won from the pole: Joe Nemechek in 2004 and Jimmie Johnson in 2008.
-- The furthest back in the field that a race winner started was 25th, by Brad Keselowski earlier this season.
-- Three active drivers with more than one start have averaged a top-10 finish: Greg Biffle (8.3), Jeff Gordon (8.1) and Jimmie Johnson (9.1).
-- Jeff Gordon leads all drivers in top fives (eight) and top 10s (nine). Gordon’s only two non-top 10s were a 39th in 2006 and a 13th in 2004.
-- Seven of the 11 races that ended under green had a margin of victory under one second. The 2007 race ended under caution.

Kansas Speedway Data
Race #: 30 of 36 (10-9-11)
Track Size: 1.5 miles
-- Banking/Corners: 15 degrees
-- Banking/Frontstretch: 10.4 degrees
-- Banking/Backstretch: 5 degrees
-- Frontstretch: 2,685 feet
-- Backstretch: 2,207 feet

Driver Rating at Kansas
Greg Biffle 118.8
Jimmie Johnson 116.5
Jeff Gordon 107.3
Tony Stewart 105.3
Carl Edwards 98.7
Matt Kenseth 98.6
Mark Martin 92.7
Kurt Busch 91.8
Kevin Harvick 89.4
Clint Bowyer 86.5
Denny Hamlin 85.2
Brad Keselowski 84.8
Note: Driver Rating compiled from 2005-2011 races (7 total) at Kansas.

Qualifying/Race Data
2010 pole winner: Kasey Kahne (174.844 mph, 30.920 seconds)
2010 race winner: Greg Biffle, 138.077 mph, 10-03-10)
Qualifying record: Matt Kenseth (180.856 mph, 29.858 seconds, 10-08-05)
Race record: Greg Biffle (138.077 mph, 10-03-10)

NASCAR in Kansas
-- There have been 11 NASCAR Sprint Cup races in Kansas, all at Kansas Speedway. The only other Kansas track to hold a NASCAR national series race was Heartland Park in Topeka, which hosted five NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races from 1995-99.
-- 16 drivers in NASCAR’s three national series (all-time) have their home state recorded as Kansas, including Jim Roper who won the very first NASCAR Sprint Cup race – Charlotte in 1949.
-- There have been two race winners in the top three NASCAR series from Kansas:

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If Menard did bring out caution to help teammate, it wouldn't be the first time

2011-09-17T22:50:00.000-07:00

An interesting discussion was launched last week after a Paul Menard caution in part allowed teammate Kevin Harvick to win the race.

Jeff Gordon hinted something sounded fishy, and NASCAR is looking into the matter (though I doubt anything will come of it). Still, it raises an interesting point: Do teams sometimes fudge the rules to help their fellow drivers?
The answer, of course, is yes. Sometimes it is very public – as it was in the Formula 1 series a few years back when Nelson Piquet Jr. (now a NASCAR truck series driver, incidentally) was told by his team to wreck so his teammate could have a better shot at winning. In that case, a hefty punishment was handed down, but in the NASCAR ranks I’m pretty sure it’s not an uncommon occurrence.

If I would go back in time and research it, I’m guessing there’s quite a few times that a teammate has brought out a caution that has benefitted someone up front.
The rub, of course, is that you can’t really prove why someone spun, which is why the Menard incident is mostly all hype and nothing will happen to the RCR team as a result. Unless you hear the team say it, they can’t be punished.

Even Gordon was a bit cautious with his criticism a week later, but still had doubts about the incident.
“I’m not saying anything happened, I’m just saying that I was asked questions about what happened and when I heard about the radio communication, it sounded odd to me. Obviously, it did to others as well because they are looking into it. It’s just something that NASCAR can deal with and we are ready to come here and focus on this race and do everything we can to win this championship.”

Gordon said teammates should be able to help each other, but usually that’s done off the track via information gathering, not during the race – though he did admit that the line isn’t exact.
“Most of the time when we think about that, it’s trying to gather information for setups to make the car go faster. We don’t think of that as what can we do on the race track to benefit where it alters the finish of a race,” Gordon said. “Who knows what measure you’ll take. We want to win.”

Other drivers had takes on the topic, including Ryan Newman – who did not approve of such team strategy on the track that could alter race results.
“That’s putting me on the spot. But one time I had a tire that went down and the smart thing to do was to spin it out and that benefitted me at the same time but it was the safest thing to do,” Newman said. “I think everybody has always contemplated it at different times. NASCAR, at places like Richmond, you’ve seen them penalize guys for stopping on the race track; causing the caution, even if they don’t spin out. There’s times when guys spin out and just wait for the caution. So, I know the situation you’re talking about and there’s a lot of question about it. But I will definitely say that when you’re having a bad day and the way this sport works with teammates, there are times when you think about it and it’s never the right thing to do.”

So am I offended by what Menard possibly did to help his teammate? Maybe a little, but
I am also not naïve, and I can say with certainty that if he did go to some secret channel and get secret orders to bring out the caution, it wasn’t the first time such team actions have altered a race – and it won’t be the win.

Like Gordon said, you want to win.

Vegas odds
Vegas odds are out for the Chase. There’s not much respect for Denny Hamlin, who is a 25-1 longshot. That’s even worse that Dale Jr., who is 20-1. Brad Keselowski is a surprisingly impressive 7-1, and Kyle Busch and Jimmie Johnson are favorites at 3-1.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK
When asked if he’s curious about how the Kurt Busch/Jimmie Johnson battle plays out if it continues, Dale Earnhardt Jr. said:
“I have no curiosity to see how that plays out. It bores the s***t out of me to be honest. It’s probably exciting to you guys; but, I’m concerned about my championship run and what I can do to be as good as I need to be. I’ve got my own damn problems to worry about. Not very interesting. Sorry.”

You tell em, Jr.

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CHASE PREDICTION: Kyle Busch will nip Jimmie Johnson to snag 2011 Cup title

2011-09-16T00:21:00.000-07:00

The Chase has arrived, and now I must do my annual swami act and tell you all how things will go. Who's hot, who's not, and who's going to just hang around the middle? Read on to find out.

1. CHAMPION
Kyle Busch will end his run of bad run in the Chase and topple Jimmie Johnson for the crown. The rumors are true; he is a more mature driver, despite an occasional return to Old Kyle Busch form, and the undeniable fact is that Kyle is just damn fast. he's a true talent, and barring mechanical issues he should be able to take his Gibbs car to the head table at the banquet, and win a few Chase races along the way.

2. Jimmie Johnson
It won't be easy for Kyle. Jimmie Johnson will do his best to win a sixth straight title -- a feat that would be absolutely nuts if it did happen. I predict Jimmie leads going into Homestead, but Kyle beats him out in an awesome duel for the ages. Or at least I hope that's what happens for the fans' sake. It is a distinct possibility, due to the unpredictable nature of this season in NASCAR, and he should take at least 2 wins in the Chase.

3. Carl Edwards
At one point, he may have been the favorite to win the title; but Carl has lost some of the buzz he had earlier this season. Still, he's steady and strong, and the leader of the Roush brigade and their best shot to win the title. Look for him to take a couple Chase checkered flags.

4. Jeff Gordon
If you're talking about momentum, this guy's got it by the boatload. Gordon has found the fountain of youth, and has the goods to battle up front each week and almost claim a fifth title -- but he'll fall shy a few spots back.

5. Kevin Harvick
With so much swirling around him and the ending of his KHI team in the lower series (not to mention rumors of a divorce, which he and Delana adamantly deny), Harvick just wants to get to racing and put all the drama behind him. Fresh off a win, he'll have to be very consistent to compete for the title in the Chase, and I don't know if he is quite at the level where he will do that.

6. Denny Hamlin
His year hasn't been great, but he should come alive in the Chase ... just not alive enough to be a major factor up top.

7. Matt Kenseth
He's traditionally been Mr. Consistent; but the lack of contending for wins on a regular basis will hurt him in the Chase. He won't be a Chase backmarker, but keeping up with Kyle and Jimmie and the other top drivers will be a chore that Kenseth may not be able to accomplish.

8. Brad Keselowski
I really like Brad as a driver, and he's on a tear lately racking up wins and top 10s, but a hot streak like that has to come to an end at some point, and I don't see him contending this year for a title (but I hope I'm wrong, as he would be a great surprise champ.)

9. Tony Stewart
Hasn't had a great year. Barely made the Chase ... Don't expect much from Smoke.

10. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Good news is that Jr. made the Chase for the first time in a few years. Bad news is that unless he can start running better than 16th each week (a highly unlikely thing), there is almost no shot he competes for a title.

11. Kurt Busch
I was going to write a whole blog about what an ass Kurt has been lately, with his antics against reporters and genuinely annoying whining on the radio during races, but I figured it wasn't worth my time. Instead, I'll just say here that his attitude is toxic, he's likely jealous of his teammate's success this past month, and Kurt's mindset is so fragmented right now that there is no way he will be a front-runner during the Chase, especially if he continues his silly head games with Jimmie (FYI Kurt, that doesn't work on 5-time; look what happened to Denny after he and Ford talked smack to Jimmie before Homestead last year.)

12. Ryan Newman
He's not consistent enough to do anything of note. Call him an also-ran.

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ESPN's 'nonstop' commercial format should improve race-watching experience, limit commercial overload

2011-09-13T22:42:00.000-07:00

If there’s one complaint I hear more than any other about NASCAR coverage on television, it has to be: “There’s too many commercials” … and usually I agree with the complainer, and have raised the issue several times right here.
There’s nothing worse than watching a race, getting to an exciting point, and then seeing the Old Spice guy on your screen. We’re watching to see racing, not a bunch of annoying ads.

To draw a comparison, I understand that my newspaper and the paper’s website need to run ads or I wouldn’t have a job, but when they become extreme and obtrusive it still annoys the hell out of me, and probably the readers.
So getting back to the NASCAR issue, the question becomes: What can the TV networks broadcasting NASCAR do to ease this ad overload and get more of the race onto your TV screen?

While at MIS last month, I spent some time behind the scenes with ESPN producer James Shiftan, who has spent 16 years as a motorsports producer, and got some insight into the process of putting together a race broadcast, as well as a look at the upcoming “nonstop” commercials ESPN will broadcast during the Chase – a feature which should help curb some complaints about commercial overload.

Read all about it here.

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Excuses, excuses: Drivers who turned down White House invite were disrespectful

2011-09-06T00:23:00.001-07:00

Much back-and-forth was heard this week in the wake of the decision by several NASCAR drivers who made the Chase last year not to accept the invite of President Obama to the White House this upcoming Wednesday.

I don’t think politics played a role, as some had suggested, but I am in the crowd not happy that so many drivers would just say, “No thanks” when the president invites them to D.C. to celebrate NASCAR.

To be honest, I just think it’s plain rude.

Still, the no-goers were unapologetic. Kevin Harvick said: “This time of year there is just a lot going on. Most everything we do is scheduled months in advance. I have been to the White House before and it is an honor just to go to the White House and be in the oval office and on the premises at the White House. I understand the honor, just with everything we have going on right now there is no way possible to reschedule the things that we have going next week.”

When pushed for more detail about what he had to do that was more important, he replied: “I don’t think that is anyone’s business. It is just one of those things where we have so many things going on that particular week leading up to the chase. It is just a bad week for us to be committed to more than one thing to go up the day before we have to be in Richmond.”

That’s weak, Kevin. The lack of a concrete answer, in my mind, means he probably could have made it, but didn’t want to deal with the travel hassle. That’s the definition of disrespectful in my mind.

Tony Stewart was similarly inclined, not giving specifics. But at least he sounded a little more sincere about understanding the honor of being invited.

“We had an obligation that we have to fulfill. I’ve enjoyed every trip that I’ve been invited and very honored to be invited every time we’ve had that opportunity and I’m very sorry I’m going to miss the chance to go again because there’s a lot of people in this nation that would love to have that opportunity to spend time with the President and just have a couple of minutes of his time. I’m very regretful that I’m not going to be able to make it but it’s a tough schedule that we have and if I could have rescheduled and got the scheduling to work out I would have been there in a heartbeat because I’ve not missed one yet.”

Greg Biffle acted all offended, and said he had committed to a retreat event put on my his sponsor 3M (something, I believe, isn’t nearly as important, or at least is something he could have skipped out on for a few hours to go to D.C.). In fact, Biffle was downright angry at people expressing the view I am espousing right here:

“First of all, I’ll start by saying that I’m disgusted by the comments I see, that people say we rejected or I can’t believe that Biffle rejected. For one, that’s disrespectful for people not knowing why I can’t go. Number two, I’ve got a picture of myself and the President, Barack Obama, in my bookshelf in my office right behind my desk shaking hands at the White House. I’ve been there and I’ve done that and I respect that. I was very flattered to get the invitation. I got the invitation less than two weeks ago to go and I’ve got a function that I’m obligated to be at with 3M in Minnesota that they’ve had planned for basically nine months. It’s an annual thing, but they have over one hundred-and-some of their business people and customers at that I go for two days. We arrive Wednesday morning early and I don’t get to Richmond until late Thursday night. I called them and talked about the invitation and this was very important to them because the function is designed around me and they really can’t have it if I don’t go. Unfortunately, the date conflicts with the
invitation.

“If I hadn’t been and hadn’t met him and shook his hand and been in the oval office with him before, I might try to chisel my sponsor a little harder to let me go, and I don’t want to put it on them, it’s simply I have an obligation that I accepted long before this. A lot of times we can move our schedules around depending on what it might be, but when you have people coming from other countries that are planning on meeting you and being with you for a day-and-a-half, it’s really hard to change that.”

Sorry Greg, but I think you’re exaggerating a little: You can fly to the White House for a little meet and greet and get right back to your little corporate event. But hey, go ahead and be disgusted with me and my judgment.

The bottom line for me: If the president invited me to the White House, I would make sure to get there, even if it was inconvenient and some things needed to be rescheduled. And it’s disappointing that several drivers didn’t adjust their plans to attend.

And the biggest irony of all? … If the race can’t get run Tuesday, the entire White House event will be cancelled, and rescheduled for later in the year. If that does happen, let’s hope Obama gives these guys a little more time to plan so they can quit their whining and actually make it.

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If the Atlanta race ever gets run, Sprint Showdown millions will make it that much more exciting

2011-09-05T22:14:00.000-07:00

There is an old saying that ‘Money Changes Everything’
And for the drivers coming into the Atlanta race today with a shot at $3 million -- $1 million for them, $1 million for a fan and $1 million for a charity of their choice – that is most certainly the case with this race.

I’ve always liked these kind of promotions (Winston Million, No Bull 5, etc.), as they spice things up a bit.
Some of the drivers eligible weighed in on what it means to them as they prepare for the race.

Paul Menard is playing it cool, saying that the potential bonus isn’t going to change how he drives too much.
“Obviously we are trying to make the Chase, first and foremost but this definitely adds extra incentive, he said. We’ve got Habitat for Humanity is our charity and Andrea Gave from New Jersey I believe is our fan. A little extra added bonus. We’re not going to try any harder or less hard. We’re going hard. If we win this, it’s a big deal.”

Kyle Busch said he’s really hoping he can come through for his fan, who has hit a run of bad luck.
"We're obviously honored to be in the position to have the opportunity to go after the money, of course. Really looking forward to
being able to win a million dollars for the fan who -- a young lady whose been unemployed for about six months unfortunately and her husband just got laid off recently, so certainly they're looking for the most that they can in these recent troubled months that they've had. It certainly would be a fitting story to see them take home the opportunity to
win the money along with us with the 18 car here this weekend."

And the hottest shoe in the business, Rochester Hills native Brad Keselowski, said the race for the $3 million comes at the perfect time for him.

“It’s an awesome promotion and ’m proud of Sprint to put this on to give everyone an opportunity for great things, especially the fans. Obviously, there is an element for teams, which has my guys excited. Another element is for the foundations and charities that all of us drivers represent. It’s all for a great cause and I’m proud to be a part of it. I’m just excited to see which one of us can win it, if we can get it done. I think the timing is rather perfect.”

Even drivers not in the hunt for the big money recognize it might spice up the race.
Jeff Gordon is among them.
“I think that it is obvious there is a lot on the line. To me there are so many great storylines this weekend and next week, especially this week when you throw in the Sprint Showdown million. Obviously those guys that are running for that million have a lot of motivation and are going to be very eager to get themselves in position to win this race, so you know they are going to be pushing the envelope. It is just dangling a larger carrot out there for them. You can expect that to create some fireworks,” Gordon said.
“If this race comes down to a battle with one of those guys at the end. I think absolutely, we all want to be spoilers in that. We are also trying to get yourself seeded even better in the chase by getting a victory or two here before the chase starts. You have guys that are trying to maintain their place in the top ten, you have guys that are trying to get in on wild card, plus you have those that are already in the chase that want to be starting as high up in points as they possibly can when the chase starts, plus the million.

I echo Gordon’s sentiments and predict that, if this race ever gets run, the excitement will be amped up an extra notch due to this Sprint Showdown.

My prediction: No one will end up winning the million; though Busch and Keselowski are the most likely to be able to make it happen. I wish them, and their charities and fans who would also benefit, the best of luck.

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A look inside the driver intro music at Bristol; the good, bad and ugly

2011-08-27T00:22:00.001-07:00

OK. Bristol's racing may be less exciting lately, but at least we get cool driver introductions ... with the drivers picking their intro music.

Some make sense, some are silly, and some are just strange.
And, in true superstar fashion, Dale Earnhardt Jr. is keeping his pick a secret until he walks down the ramp.

Here's my favorites, and some commentary, on the ones we do know.

Carl Edwards -- "Run This Town" by Jay Z
Gotta love the hip-hop presence this year ... A little Jay-Z and Kanye never hurt anyone.

Jimmie Johnson -- "Don't Mess Around With Jim" by Jim Croce
They've been trying to mess with you for five years, Jim. It ain't worked so far.

Jeff Gordon -- "E.I." by Nelly
There's probably a secret tape somewhere of JG getting down to this song on the dance floor sometime in the 1990s.

Jeff Burton -- A combination of "Coal Keeps The Lights On" by Dolly Parton and "Welcome to the Jungle" by Guns 'n' Roses
Um ... I'm pretty sure these two things have never been combined before. I'll go out on a limb and say that.

Paul Menard -- "Gypsy Road"
Nothing like a little old-school Cinderella to kick off the night ... I wonder if Menard ever had their horrible hairdos back in the day.

Greg Biffle -- The Sanford and Son theme song
This choice alone makes Greg Biffle a man of awesomely distinguished taste. He probably called his old crew chief "you big dummy" before the change ... and on a side note, David Pearson once wore a Sanford and Son T-shirt on a TV interview, making him even cooler than he already was.

Kurt Busch -- "Baby Got Back" by Sir Mix A Lot
Kind of confusing, since he only dates skinny blondes, but whatever.

David Reutimann -- "Pretty Fly For A White Guy" by The Offspring
I agree David ... you're pretty fly; but your silly Aaron's commercials aren't

J.J. Yeley -- "I'm Sexy And I Know It" by LMFAO
Well, there's some confidence J.J. (oh wait, you didn't even qualify ... that's not too sexy)

As far as what Jr. should come out to, I'm not sure, but I'm pretty sure he should avoid "All I Do is Win"

Bristol Motor Speedway: By the Numbers

2011-08-22T21:50:00.000-07:00

History
— Groundbreaking for Bristol International Speedway, as Bristol Motor Speedway was originally known, took place in 1960. The track was an exact half-mile.
— First NASCAR Sprint Cup race was July 30, 1961.
— In the fall of 1969, the track was reshaped and re-measured to .533-miles.
— The name changed to Bristol International Raceway in 1978.
— The first night race was held in the fall of 1978.
— The surface was changed from asphalt to concrete in 1992.
— The name changed to Bristol Motor Speedway in May 1996.
— The track was resurfaced between races in 2007.

Notebook
— There have been 101 NASCAR Sprint Cup races since the first race there in 1961, two races each season.
— All races have been scheduled for 500 laps, except for both races in 1976 and the second in 1977, which were 400 laps.
— Fred Lorenzen won the first pole.
— The first NASCAR Sprint Cup race was won by Jack Smith (with relief from Johnny Allen).
— There have been 44 different pole winners, led by Cale Yarborough and Mark Martin (nine). Martin swept both poles at Bristol in 2009.
— 38 different drivers have won, led by Darrell Waltrip (12).
— Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch and Jeff Gordon each have five wins, most among active drivers.
— The race winner has started from the pole 22 times, the most productive starting position. The last driver to win from the pole was Carl Edwards, in the night race of 2008.
— 80 of 101 races have been won from a top-10 starting position, including 52 from the first four spots.
— The deepest in the field that a race winner has started is 38th, by Elliott Sadler in 2001.
— The 2009 night race had a margin of victory of .098 seconds, the second-closest MOV at Bristol since the advent of electronic scoring in May of 1993.
— The last five Bristol races had a margin of victory under one second.

NASCAR in Tennessee
— There have been 162 NASCAR Sprint Cup races in Tennessee.
— 101 drivers all-time in NASCAR’s three national series have their home state recorded as Tennessee.
— There have been 12 race winners from Tennessee in NASCAR’s three national series.
Darrell Waltrip
Sterling Marlin
Bobby Hamilton
Joe Lee Johnson
Paul Lewis
Trevor Bayne
Bobby Hamilton Jr.
Jeff Purvis
L.D. Ottinger
Mike Alexander
Casey Atwood
Brad Teague

Track Size: .533 miles
Race Length: 500 laps/266.5 miles
Banking/Corners: 26 to 30 degrees
Banking/Straights: 4 to 9 degrees

Qualifying/Race Data
2010 pole winner: Jimmie Johnson, 123.475 mph, 15.540 seconds
2010 race winner: Kyle Busch, 99.071 mph, 8-21-10
Track qualifying record: Ryan Newman (128.709 mph, 14.908 seconds, 3-21-03)
Track race record: Charlie Glotzbach (101.074 mph, 7-11-71)

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Brad Keselowski continues his hot streak; Kyle Busch establishes himself as season's best driver

2011-08-21T15:43:00.000-07:00

BROOKLYN, Mich. -- On Friday, many of the big stars of NASCAR admitted that Brad Keselowski was now a regular threat and could challenge for the title if he makes the Chase.
Sure enough, he lived up to the hype on Sunday, moving up to 12th in points after finishing third at MIS, just a stone’s throw from his hometown of Rochester Hills. This follows a 2nd place run at the Glen, and a win the week before at Pocono – just days after he broke his ankle during testing at Road Atlanta. Not too shabby, and this is from a guy who not too long away was sitting 23rd in points and hoping he could just get to the top 20 and contend for a wild card..

Asked about his incredible run, Brad said: “I wish I could bottle it up”.
I don’t think he has to worry though. With the team clicking like this, he should be able to put on a decent show in the Chase. Heck, if he keeps getting top-5 runs, he might even make the top 10 and not need to use a wild card to get into the Chase.
Brad has a very positive attitude about the whole thing, which is key to success. He’s not stressing whether he wins the title, which could be key to him possibly winning it.
“I don’t think I’ll be hearing any voices. The voices that I heard early in my career were, ‘You’re never going to make it’. Everything from here on out, you know, is peaches. It’s good,” Keselowski said Sunday following his third-place run.

Déjà vu – Biffle dominates, then fades
Just like in the June race, Greg Biffle dominated early, but he couldn’t come home with a win. It was an all too familiar story, and Biffle seemed confused as to why he fell all the way to 20th – a far too common occurrence for this team that has struggled in 2011.
“I don’t know what happened. I am not sure. I have a feeling we kinda got a bum set of tires and then we got off on our adjustments,” Biffle said. “ It was really really tight and we adjusted on it and then I think I was too loose the rest of the day but I really don’t know what happened to be honest with you. I really don’t know right now.”

His teammate Matt Kenseth also was up front most of the day, but he stayed up in the top 10, finishing 10th.
“We ran okay. Most of the day we had really good track position but we didn’t have the balance or the grip that we had here in June and we weren’t a threat to win which is disappointing. Overall we stayed up front most of the day, except the last lap,” Kenseth said.

Kyle wins, establishes himself as best driver so far this season
Up until now, I have said there is no dominant driver in NASCAR this season … with so many winners I’ve lost count.
By winning his fourth race of the year and clinching a spot in the Chase before anyone else, Kyle Busch is taking the lead in that category, and could establish himself as the man to beat if things continue this way in the next few races leading up to the Chase.
Kyle stopped short of proclaiming himself a title favorite, but said he’s happy with the team’s progress.
“We feel pretty good with where our program is heading. What Dave has been doing has been awesome. All the guys have pulled through and done a really nice job,” Kyle said. “Our intention is to win every single one of them.”

Tony not happy
Count Tony Stewart in the group of people not happy with their performance lately. He’s still in the Chase, but not contending like he wants to, so it doesn’t really mean much to him at this point.
"We just...I don’t' know what we have to do one balanced for a day but we can't. We haven't figured it out you. We were on both sides of the coin all day long. Just back and forth between tight and loose. We'll just take what we can get I guess,” Stewart said. "I will be perfectly honest, at this point of the deal, if we are going to run this bad, it really doesn't matter whether we make the Chase or not because we are going to be occupying a spot in the Chase that somebody else that actually can run for a championship is going to be trying take because our stuff is so bad right now, we're wasting one of those top-12 spots right now."

Martin happy to run fast
Mark Martin has struggled this year in comparison with his Hendrick teammates, but he had a good day at MIS – finishing fourth.
“It is an incredible privilege to drive stuff like that. Thanks to Hendrick Motorsports. Great race car and a tremendous engine,” Martin said.” They really had a fast race car all weekend. It is just a privilege to get to race at Michigan International and drive fast stuff. Had a fast truck on Saturday and a really fast car today. We were right there. Could see the lead. Anytime you can see the lead, you've got a crack at it. I feel very fortunate.”

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Toyotas sweep season at Michigan Speedway for first time; Carl Edwards, Denny Hamlin fall flat

2011-08-21T15:41:00.001-07:00

BROOKLYN, Mich. -- With Kyle Busch’s victory at MIS, Joe Gibbs has now swept the season in Brooklyn … and more importantly, Toyota has swept the season, for the first time ever.
NASCAR was once dominated by the Detroit 3 automakers, but Toyota has made itself a force in the top three NASCAR series over the past decade or so, much to the chagrin of many who favor good old American horsepower.
I fully recognize this sentiment isn’t as strong as it once was, and people nowadays do focus more on drivers than car makes, but at the same time I have to imagine the powers-that-be at Ford, Chrysler and GM aren’t too happy that their home track victories went to the overseas competition.

Carl, Denny tank it
Carl Edwards came into MIS tied for the points lead, but he dropped to fourth in the points when he finished 36th due to a failing racecar.
“I don’t know what was wrong with it. It was running on seven cylinders, it felt like it was running on seven cylinders. We changed a bunch of stuff and then it was fixed. It wasn’t something mechanical, it was probably something with some electrical connection or a coil or something,” Edwards said. “We weren’t expecting a failure like that.”

Denny Hamlin, the June winner who is clinging to a Chase spot, also struggled mightily, coming home 35th.
There was some tense talk between Hamlin and crew chief Mike Ford … (at one point, when Ford asked Denny to go to the garage, Denny said “No. Fix the f----- car.”)
After the race, a frustrated Denny admitted his hopes to make the Chase likely depend now on maintaining the wild card spot, and hoping others don’t get more wins and pass him.
“More than likely, that’s the odds for us, a wild card position. But I can’t worry about those other guys. We have to – to me , it’s not worth making the Chase if I’m not going to be effective in the Chase and right now we need to right out ship.”

Jimmie: The championship is wide open still
Jimmie Johnson had his best ever run at MIS – but he still hasn’t won – This is the only track on the NASCAR circuit where two races are run each year that Jimmie has yet to win at … an amazing statistic.
Jimmie was happy with how things ended up for the #48 car, despite not taking the checkered.
“Great finish for the Lowe's team. Very proud of the effort and can't thank the employees of Lowe's enough for their support and sticking by this race team over the years. We had a tough start to the race on pit road and on the race track but we got that stuff ironed out and had great stops from then on and got the car underneath me. It was just really loose at the start of the race and I drove up through the field and Chad (Knaus, crew chief) made a great call to get me to pit road before that caution came out,” Jimmie said. “It gave us the shot at the win but once I was up front in the clean air the balance of the car was a bit too loose. I got away from Kyle but I was loose and I knew he was going to come at some point and he showed up. Disappointed that i didn't win but a very good effort for the Lowe's team especially when you look at where we started the race and where we finished."

He also said that once Chase time comes, it’s anybody’s game.
“The guys that make the Chase, they are all very capable of winning the championship,” said the man who has taken the crown the past five seasons. “I think it’s the hardest one to predict. It’s going to be a close one. I don’t know who to make the favorite.”

Gordon falls short of big to break wins tie with DW/Allison
For a minute, Jeff Gordon was the best car out on the track, and it looked like he might take the win and break his tie with DW and Bobby Allison in wins total. He ended up falling back to sixth in the end and remaining tied with the two legends.
“We were really good in clean air and when we got our front we were able to show that. I think Kyle (Busch) was the best car and he won the race but I felt like we were the second-best car and when we got the lead we could really show that. I just didn't get clear of the No. 17 and then the No. 2 got in there and when that happened, it just killed us. We got real, real tight behind those guys and we got a bunch of debris on the grill that started messing with us and the temperature going up and we got loose, but hey all in all a solid day for our DuPont Chevrolet,” Gordon said. “You know I love the effort and what kind of race cars we are bringing to the race track right now. It's a lot of fun out there and you know I thought we were going to be a little bit better than that and at time we were but right there at the end I think we just needed a little bit better track position so I guess I didn't do a good job on the restart."
On a somewhat related note, Bobby Allison is still very connected to the NASCAR community, and was at MIS Sunday morning signing autographs for fans. He’s a class act, and I’m glad to see him still be involved. Too few people know about the great things he and others of his era did in this sport before it got big.

Jr. frustrating, but hanging on
Dale Earnhardt Jr., who still dominates in number of fans despite not winning in over three years, was not happy after the race, when he ran decent all day but ended up 14th in the final running order.
"We had a good car. We had a couple of bad sets, well, I don't know whether they are bad sets of tires, but I put them on my car and they drive like crap. Then I put on another set and it will drive good. I don't know how to explain that,” Jr. said. “I've been doing that all my life. I ain't got an explanation for it yet. I had some awesome runs where the car was really fast, then I'd put on some tires and couldn't drive the car. So, you tell me. I don't know."
“Racing is frustrating as a whole. That's a part of this sport,” he continued. “At least we run good when we had our opportunities. We had a pretty good car. We had some bad stuff happen on pit road. We got back up to 10th or ninth, drove it up there. Then, we probably shouldn't have pitted there at the end. I don't know. We took two tires like a lot of guys and just didn't have the good fortune at the end on that last green-white-checkered. We were on the bottom behind the No. 00 (David Reutimann) and some other people that were as slow as hell and just couldn't go nowhere."
Relax Jr., you’re still in the Chase. And if you get through Bristol you should be safe … maybe. (A win might make you breather easier, though.)

Lake Orion-Built Sonic paces field at MIS
A Michigan-built Chevy Sonic LTZ was the pace car for the Pure Michigan 400 Sunday at MIS.
“In keeping with the spirit of Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup race, the Pure Michigan 400, the pace car is a vehicle that was built right here in Michigan – in Lake Orion,” said Jeff Chew, Marketing Manager, Chevy Racing. “The 2012 Chevrolet Sonic LTZ is a fun-to-drive, 1.4-liter turbo 5-door with a 6-speed manual transmission.”
The 2012 Chevy Sonic, the only small car built in the United States, launches in October.

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Roush drivers sweep front row in MIS qualifying – Edwards struggles

2011-08-19T15:01:00.000-07:00

BROOKLYN, Mich. -- On one hand, it’s not strange that two Roush drivers swept the front row at MIS, and a third will start 7th.

On the other hand, it is strange, because Carl Edwards is not among those three drivers. He, the fourth Roush driver, will start 22nd.

This doesn’t mean he won’t do well in the race, which is often decided by fuel mileage and other issues unrelated to how strong you are on Friday.

But if I were Carl, I’d talk to my teammates and see what they’re doing. After all, he is the one who is supposed to be contending for a title. Bad days won’t cut it at this stage of the game.

Maybe that trip to Montreal isn’t such a good idea Carl? (I’m kidding, sorta, but Billy Johnson is fully capable of running that race if Carl needs to stick around in Michigan to improve things.)

Biffle, whose year hasn’t been the greatest, said he was happy to help Roush sweep the front row.
“I don’t think that could have gone any better. I tell you what. This team has needed it. We have great cars and I can’t say enough for Matt Puccia and this 16 team. They work really hard and I am proud of them,” Biffle said. “I am just so proud of my guys because they have been working so hard. Matt Puccia is a great crew chief and he is really focused on these cars. I can’t wait for Sunday.”

Brad Keselowski will start sixth at his home track, and he outqualified his teammate Kurt Busch by seven positions. Roger Penske, another Michigan fixture is starting to see some success again at the track he formerly owned.

Notes
-- Three Cup drivers (Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch and Mark Martin) will compete in Saturday’s Truck Series race at MIS, which starts at 12:30 p.m.
-- Kyle Busch’s truck will carry the name and picture of 7-year-old Brady Reuter, of Hudson, Michigan, who won the “Riding Shotgun with Kyle Busch Motorsports” essay contest in early August.
-- A concert featuring rock band “Rev Theory” will take place Saturday in Lot 10 after the Truck race on Saturday … previous bands who have performed include Sugarland, Montgomery Gentry, 3 Doors Down, Saving Abel and Sick Puppies
-- Jimmie Johnson still hasn’t won at MIS, in 19 starts … it’s just one of the four tracks he hasn’t won at yet in his successful career.
-- If a Jack Roush wins the race Sunday, he will become the winningest car owner of all time at MIS, breaking his tie with the Wood Brothers. He has won with Mark Martin, Matt Kenseth, Kurt Busch, and Greg Biffle
-- Brad Keselowski Racing’s Truck Series driver Parker Kligerman is a former winner at Michigan, in the ARCA series. Justin Lofton, also in the Truck race, also won an ARCA race at MIS.

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NASCAR's top stars know Brad Keselowski is a threat

2011-08-19T13:55:00.000-07:00

Fresh off a win and a second place finish, Rochester Hills native Brad Keselowski arrived at his hometrack with a good bit of wind behind his sails, as his recent boost puts in the lead in the Chase wild card standings.
Brad’s always been regarded as a talent, but he was also was seen as a brat by some who wasn’t mature enough to really succeed.
That’s all changed now, and the sport’s greatest stars are now speaking highly of Michigan’s favorite NASCAR son.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. was impressed by how Brad drove, with a broken ankle, to a win at Pocono, and gave a nod to the Keselowski family.
“I thought he was pretty tough. His old man was tough and they come from -- he doesn’t have nothing on a silver spoon when he was young. He made his own way. Obviously he was born into a racing family, but everything that he -- to get to where he got, he had to make it there and he knows how hard it was to get there,” Jr. said. “He wasn’t going to give that opportunity to anyone else that day by having a relief driver or having someone else even race the car. He loves racing. He’s passionate and a competitor. I was happy for him and thought it was really cool, but I wasn’t surprised that he was doing whatever it took.”

Jr. went on to say that Brad has gained respect even from those who once had beef with him.
“I don’t know any rookie that’s ever come in here and not ruffled some feathers. That’s just part of the process. He earned a lot of respect I’m sure from guys,” Jr. said. ”What he did was cool and I think it was good in the eyes of the sport and to the fans and endeared him to a lot of people because of his stamina and his determination, which is good for the sport. The sport needs to see, the fans need to see that we have characters like that in the sport and that there are still guys that race -- I think all the drivers are like this, but it’s not popular opinion that we are all that gritty. You don’t really get the evidence of that too often in this day and age.”

Even 5-time himself, Jimmie Johnson, was a Brad booster Friday at MIS.
“I have a lot of respect for what his part is in the growth and the speed that Penske Racing has along with Paul Wolf and (Steve) Addington. Those guys have done an awesome job as a group taking their cars from where they were to where they are now,” Johnson said. “My perspective for Brad has been more of over the course of the year rather than just the last two races. Those last two races didn’t hurt by any means, but, you can’t argue with the success they have started since late spring and early summer and they’ve been rolling.”

And 4-time champ Jeff Gordon was equally nice in his assessment of Brad.
“I think I’ve always felt like Brad’s a really good race car driver. He’s proven that in the Nationwide Series. He’s had some success in the Cup Series and now you look at Brad and you go, ‘Okay, their performance is better.’ He’s a lot tougher than I thought he was. I think that he’s definitely got -- and that can build your confidence and momentum. Your confidence as a driver, your momentum as a team and they’ve got that right now. He told me prior to the race Monday, but he told me this I think on qualifying day. He said, ‘I don’t think I’m going to make it through this weekend, it’s really hurting.’ I don’t know if that extra day helped him or what, but he made it through and he was really strong. I think Penske has really got their act together. I don’t know what they found, but they definitely went down the right path and they’ve gotten it together. I think Brad is really being recognized now as a driver that we all thought he was when he came into the Cup Series because of his Nationwide performance and now he’s backing that up.”

Kyle Busch hasn’t always been friendly with Brad, but he brought up the #2 car when asked who could surprise everyone in the Chase.
"I think we've seen that here the last couple weeks and that's the 2 (Brad Keselowski) car. He come out of nowhere,
winning that race at Pocono and surprising us all and getting two wins on the year and now getting himself as a wild card
berth and then backing it up with a strong run this past week. He's certainly had some flashes of brilliance this year where
he's run well. He can be a guy that if he comes out here and runs well again this weekend, he's going to be a guy that's
probably going to be on everybody's mind."

So what does Keselowski think about all this adulation and his prospects of making the Chase and threatening for a title? Well, he says he’s not thinking about it, and is just focusing on winning.
“I’m thinking a lot about how we can win at Michigan. When you win, you don’t have to worry about all that other stuff. It takes care of itself. That’s where our thoughts are.”

And that’s probably the best approach to take. No need to get caught up in all the fuss; just go out and perform like you've been doing.

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Danica moving to NASCAR full-time is big boost for sport, big pressure on her shoulders

2011-08-19T12:00:00.000-07:00

BROOKLYN, Mich. -- She’s coming. For real. Unofficially.

ESPN is the latest to report that sources have revealed Danica Patrick will be announcing her move to full-time NASCAR racing in 2012 … driving the #7 for JR Motorsports all season.

ESPN’s story gets specific, saying that the announcement will take place in Phoenix, and that the deal will include some Cup races with Stewart-Haas, the team that would presumably provide her ride in Cup for 2013 and beyond.
Of course, the JR Motorsports and Danica both deny it’s official, but any sane person knows it’s going to happen. The Indycar series is a mess, and she’s not doing anything great there anyway. Plus, the biggest thing: She can make a lot more money in NASCAR.

Jr. didn't confirm the move, but he did say that Danica has already been successful, by his measure.
“I think what she’s accomplished already has been success in my opinion. She obviously would want to continue to improve and compete for wins and win races. It’s tough to learn new cars, to learn a new vehicle and be able to drive it well and do well in it and adapt to it. I think she’s done that. She’s awesome about it and she’s really done a great job. I think that we look forward to the future races the rest of this season to be able to work with her,” Jr. said.

Assuming this move by Danica goes as suspected, what are the implications? … well, there are many.
1. Indycar takes a big hit; with her gone, their TV audience and attendance will continue to dwindle because she is a major draw for that series – and there aren’t many others in the field that people really care about.
2. NASCAR is a big winner here … they get another huge star, and even better she’s driving full-time for the sport’s biggest star, Dale Earnhardt Jr. They’re going to get more new fans because of Danica, ratings will rise and attendance will rise. They have to be giddy about this development.
3. This is a big test for Danica. She has been getting better in stock cars during her part-time experiment. Now she’ll have to continue that improvement. No one is expecting her to start being a dominant car right off the bat, but she can’t flounder because she will be in some of the best equipment on the track. All these years many people have doubted her ability and said she just got where she was due to marketing.

This is her chance to prove those people wrong, but there’s no guarantee that she will succeed. If she wants to move up to Cup, she has to show she can first succeed in Nationwide, or the doubters will have more of a case against her.

Whatever happens, get prepared, because unless everyone is getting bad information, DanicaMania is coming at you full steam in 2012. Enjoy the ride.

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Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin taking different engine paths at Joe Gibbs Racing

2011-08-19T07:46:00.001-07:00

BROOKLYN, Mich. -- An interesting storyline is developing at Joe Gibbs Racing, where two different paths are being taken in the engine department.
After it was announced last week that Joe Gibbs Racing and Toyota Racing Development will join forces in a single engine program to build NASCAR Toyota units in 2012, Denny Hamlin announced he would immediately move to a TRD engine, and is racing one at MIS this week.
Friday at MIS, Kyle Busch said his team is sticking with JGR engines this year, and have had only one blown engine this year. He said the merger of the engine shops is more about the fact that JGR has done no research on fuel injection, which is coming in next season, and TRD has. So it just made sense to stay with JGR engines this year.
What happens now will be interesting.
If Kyle continues to run well and Denny’s TRD engines do not perform well, what will that mean heading into 2012?
If the reverse happens (something Kyle obviously doesn’t want to happen), there will likely be more optimism heading into 2012.
This two-prong approach in the engine department at JGR is definitely unique in the sport, and I’m curious to see how it all plays out.
If one works better than the other, I’m guessing all the Gibbs teams will get on the same page before the season comes to an end, especially if engines affect how Kyle or Denny are performing in the Chase.

No more Kimis plan for Kyle
Kyle Busch said Friday that Formula 1 champ Kimi Raikonnen, who drove his truck earlier this year, has no current plans to return, though he is welcome back if he wants to do more races with Kyle’s truck team.
“There no plan for the future with Kimi” … haven’t heard from his people,” Kyle said. “We’d love to have Kimi back. If we wanted to come back and run a few races, we’d certainly put him in the right situation”

Menard not surprised by success
Many people have been surprised by the success of Paul Menard this year, but don’t count Menard in that group.
“No, I haven’t surprised myself. I’ve been racing for a long time and I know what I am capable of. I’ve just struggled being in the right situation and I feel really comfortable where I am at right now,” Menard said Friday at MIS. “I am surrounded by great people. They definitely pick me up when I am down.”

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Denny Hamlin looks to repeat at MIS; Danica Patrick goes NASCAR road racing

2011-08-19T06:06:00.000-07:00

BROOKLYN, Mich. -- Denny Hamlin pulled into Victory Lane at MIS in June, and has plans to do the same this weekend at MIS.

"We do, and at this point if we would've won (at Pocono), then I'd be real optimistic but it's so unpredictable. Some of our
best race tracks we've had the biggest amount of issues at. So, it's so tough to say what's going to be our strong suit
nowadays,” Hamlin said. “Michigan has been a good track. I don't think we've finished any worse than second over the last three races, so we need to go there and we need to perform well. The track changes quite a bit obviously in those few months -- gets a little bit warmer and it loses a small amount of grip. The setups we've run over the last few years have been pretty similar from the first race to the second."

Desmond Howard will be MIS Grand Marshall
Former Wolverine Desmond Howard will be the Grand Marshall for Sunday’s Pure Michigan 400. The current ESPN college football analyst celebrates an anniversary, as does ESPN NASCAR analyst Dale Jarrett. Their careers intertwine in a way – with Joe Gibbs as the common thread. Howard is celebrating the 20th anniversary of winning the Heisman Trophy for the University of Michigan. It’s also the 20th anniversary of Jarrett’s first career NSCS victory in 1991 for the Wood Brothers at Michigan. There’s the ESPN connection between the two, but there’s also this: Howard was selected by Joe Gibbs’ Washington Redskins in the 1992 NFL Draft and played for Gibbs in the final season of his first stint as Redskins coach. Gibbs and Jarrett would team up in 1993 for a Daytona 500 win.

Danica goes NASCAR road racing
Alert the media. Danica is back, and she’s turning right. Danica Patrick will be making her stock-car debut on a road course this weekend in Montreal. In her last start, she finished 10th in the Daytona Nationwide race.
Also, Scott Speed will make his first series start since 2009, driving the No. 33 Chevrolet for Kevin Harvick Inc.

FORD FAST FACTS FOR MIS
-- There are 14 Fords participating in the Pure Michigan 400 at Michigan International Speedway.
-- As a manufacturer, Ford has taken the checkered flag 31 times at Michigan, the most of any manufacturer.
-- The most recent Ford win at MIS came in 2008 when Carl Edwards grabbed the checkered flag at the fall race.
-- Edwards, Matt Kenseth and Greg Biffle are all two-time winners at MIS.
-- A pair of Ford owners, the Wood Brothers and Jack Roush, are tied for the most owner wins at MIS with 11 apiece.
-- Hall of Famer David Pearson piloted his Wood Brothers Mercury to the most wins in MIS track history with nine and the most poles with 10.
-- The No. 21 Wood Brothers Ford of Trevor Bayne is running a special paint scheme designed by seven-year-old Katie Hahn of Omaha, Neb., winner of the fourth-annual “JDRF Race Car Design Contest,” hosted by the Ford Customer Service Division (FCSD) and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF).

Trevor Bayne, driver of the No. 21 Wood Brothers Ford, will drive a specially designed tie-dyed No. 21 car designed by seven-year-old Katie Hahn of Omaha, Neb. Katie was winner of the fourth-annual “JDRF Race Car Design Contest,” hosted by the Ford Customer Service Division (FCSD) and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). Bayne unveiled the car Thursday at Ford World Headquarters and talked about the scheme and the upcoming weekend at MIS.

“I am really excited about the weekend, mainly because of the partnership with JDRF and Motorcraft and Quick Lane. They have done a great job of putting the program together and this paint scheme on my car looks awesome and Katie, our contest winner, did a great job of designing this crazy, colorful car with tie-dye on it. I know the Wood Brothers are excited for it and so am I. We are excited to get on the track with it.,” Bayne said.

Bayne said he enjoys racing at MIS.
“I like Michigan. You can always move around there. You aren’t boxed in and you can run the top, bottom or middle. You want your car to drive good everywhere, but you can make passes here and I am pumped about that. We ran pretty decent here last time, finished 16th, but we are looking for a top-15 or top-10 finish this time around. The Woods have always run pretty well here, so hopefully we can bring this car home to a top-10.”

Roush notes
-- Carl Edwards & Trevor Bayne will do double duty between Michigan & Montreal this weekend. Both drivers will fly to Montreal Saturday morning after Cup practice.
-- Michigan International Speedway is team owner Jack Roush’s ‘home track.’ Located about an hour’s drive away from Roush Industries in Livonia, MIS has been the most successful Sprint Cup track on the circuit for Roush Fenway Racing.
-- Roush Fenway has led over 2000 laps in Sprint Cup action at Michigan and has led over 3,000 in combined NASCAR action at MIS.-- Roush Fenway’s 21 total NASCAR wins at Michigan are the most at any track for the team. Carl Edwards earned Roush Fenway’s 21st NASCAR win at Michigan, via the NNS this spring.
-- In addition to the impressive 11 Sprint Cup Series wins at MIS, Roush Fenway has won four times in the Nationwide Series and five times in the Truck Series at Michigan. Overall Roush Fenway has collected 21 wins,82 top fives and 129 top 10s in NASCAR action at Michigan.
-- Nine different drivers have driven into victory lane at NASCAR races at MIS for Roush Fenway. Five in the Sprint Cup Series (Mark Martin, Matt Kenseth, Kurt Busch, Greg Biffle and Carl Edwards), three in the Nationwide Series (Martin, Jeff Burton and Edwards) and four in the Trucks (Biffle, Travis Kvapil, Erik Darnell and Colin Braun).

Ambrose is only fourth international winner in NASCAR
When he won Monday at Watkins Glen, Marcos Ambrose added his name to a very short list – foreign-born winners in NASCAR.
The Australian joins Italy’s Mario Andretti, Canada’s Earl Ross and Colombia’s Juan Pablo Montoya as the only drivers born outside of the United States to have won a Cup race.

-- Mario Andretti, a native of Italy and future Indianapolis 500 and Formula One World Champion, won the 1967 Daytona 500 in dominant fashion, leading 112 of 200 laps in a Ford out of the famed Holman-Moody stable. Andretti drove the race in a style previously unseen at the 2.5-mile superspeedway: His racing line used all the track, diving down to an apex and letting the car slide, tail out, up the banking on the exit of the corners.Andretti won under caution, leading teammate Fred Lorenzen by a half lap before the yellow waved with two laps remaining.
-- Canadian Earl Ross, a short track competitor, hardly carried the credentials of an Andretti. In fact, Ross in 1974 effectively bought a seat in a Chevrolet owned by NASCAR Hall of Famer Junior Johnson thanks to sponsorship of Canada’s Carling Brewery. No matter; Ross became one of just five winners during the season, joining these legends: Richard Petty, Cale Yarborough, David Pearson and Bobby Allison. He also became just the second rookie of the year to win in NASCAR’s premier series.
Ross won Martinsville Speedway’s Old Dominion 500, leading the final 79 laps after teammate and NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee Cale Yarborough’s engine expired. He won by more than a lap over Buddy Baker in a 30-car field that included NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty and Richard Childress. Unfortunately for Ross, sponsorship dried up and the Prince Edward Island native returned to Canada where he continued to race into the 1990s.
-- Juan Pablo Montoya of Bogota, Colombia, came to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series after winning the 2000 Indianapolis 500 and seven Formula One races. His first victory came at Infineon Raceway in 2007 driving for his current owner Chip Ganassi. Montoya started 32nd in the race and led just the final seven laps around the 1.99-mile road course. He enjoyed a 4.07-second margin of victory over Kevin Harvick. Montoya completed the career sweep of NASCAR Sprint Cup road courses, winning at Watkins Glen International in 2010.

Dodge Montreal notes
-- Maryeve Default will be making her first career Nationwide start this weekend driving the No. 81 Dodge Challenger.
-- Robby Gordon is making his first Nationwide start since Montreal last year. He led 17 laps and finished 14th.
-- Quebec natives Alex Tagliani and Jacques Villeneuve will be piloting Dodge Challengers prepared by Penske Racing. Villeneuve is making his second NNS start this season in No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge Challenger. He finished third at Road America.

“I'm looking forward to the NAPA Auto Parts 200 - it's always an exciting race but in addition, it obviously has special meaning for me because the Circuit (Gilles Villeneuve) holds my father's name and I'll be racing in my hometown,” Villeneuve said. “After our good showing at Elkhart Lake, I know the No. 22 Discount Tire/Ruby Tuesday Dodge will be competitive and together with the Penske team, we'll definitely be turning up with the goal of winning."

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Tons of first-time winners in 2011: But are they future stars or flashes in the pan?

2011-08-18T20:00:00.000-07:00

There have been five first-time winners in 2011: Sometimes that leads to a legendary career (Petty, Pearson), and other times it's one and done (Johnny Benson, Jerry Nadeau, Greg Sacks, Lake Speed, and many others -- though to be fair, Bill Rexford only won 1 race, and he still was able to earn the Cup championship in 1950).

Many years bring little to no first-time winners, so what does this big crop in 2011 mean? Do we have a bunch of future title contenders and regular winners in the field? Let's look at it case by case.

David Ragan
--
Ragan's career started out terrible, as he wasn't quite ready for Cup and was a wrecking ball all over the track. But Jack Roush stuck by his young driver, despite many calls to replace him, and the results are starting to pay off. He showed potential to make the Chase a couple years back, slipped backward a year ago, but has resurged this year and finally got his breakthough win at Daytona (and probably should have won the Daytona 500 too.)

Unlike some drivers, though, he's not a one-trick restrictor-plate pony, and has threatened elsewhere.

My prediction: Ragan might never win a championship, but he'll win a good number of races in his career, probably cracking double digits in win total. He'll make some Chases, and might even contend with the best in a few years.

Marco Ambrose
--
There's no doubt Marcos is a tremendous racing talent. He's arguably the best road racer in a series with at least a handful of truly talented road racers. He won his first race at the Glen, and could rattle off a string of road course wins like Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart and Mark Martin have done in the past.
Ambrose's problem is ovals. Until he starts to perform better in that arena, which makes up 90 percent of the races, he will never be a serious contender overall.

My prediction: A handful of road course wins, maybe one or two oval wins. No serious title runs, though.

Regan Smith
I like Regan Smith and know he's a great racing talent, but unless he gets into better equipment, he may fall into the one-and-done category. His win at Darlington was a great feel good story and everyone was happy, but he's struggled since and isn't looking like he'll contend for the Chase. If he gets in a better car, he'll win more. If not, this might be it for him as far as wins go.

My prediction: Just the 1 win unless a bigger, better team picks him up.
--

Paul Menard
He's running up front a lot, something many people thought would never happen. And now he's a Brickyard 400 winner (a rare club) and a legitimate Chase contender. Does the future hold great things for Menard.
Maybe, if he applies himself and continues to improve as a driver. His team, Richard Childress Racing, has the equipment to compete, as evidenced by Kevin Harvick's runs for the title, so a great career for Menard that is full of wins is not impossible to imagine.

My prediction: 7 or 8 career wins, and at least a couple Chase berths in the near future.

--
Trevor Bayne
This kid is the great unknown ... His win at Daytona showed just how masterful he was at the new 2-by-2 style of racing, and he will always be a threat to win there and should reach Victory Lane in Daytona again in his career.
But outside of there, he is hit or miss. Last year he was on fire when driving for Michael Waltrip's team, so it was a steal when Jack Roush picked him up after he got out of his Waltrip contract.

This year, though, he has had health issues, and even beyond that his on-track performance has fallen back severely from last year. This kid is young, tremendously talented and has a HUGE amount of potential. He will undoubtedly get a full-time Cup ride very soon, and have a long career in the sport due to his ability and marketability (he's seriously the most polite and media-friendly kid I've ever seen in the sport).

Will he win a bunch of races though?

My prediction: Trevor Bayne will become the most successful of this year's first-time winners, topping the 20-victory mark and contending for several titles. This won't happen instantly, but give him five years or so and the wins will start to pile up rapidly. (Not everyone can be like Kyle Busch and just win-win-win straight out the gate).

--

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Boris Said is the man; too bad he's not around every week

2011-08-18T19:48:00.000-07:00

In a day full of highlights at Watkins Glen on Monday, perhaps the most interesting was the almost fight between Greg Biffle and Boris Said, and the war of words afterward.

I freely admit that I've always been a big Boris Said fan. He's a great racer, a great personality, and well, he has really cool hair.

Anyway, Said dropped some jewels after the race, threatening to go to Biffle's house and give him "a freaking whooping" on Wednesday (though I'm not sure why Tuesday wasn't chosen, but that's beside the point.) He also called Biffle a scaredy cat, which is a word I haven't heard used since I was 10, and that made me laugh even more.

Luckily, Mrs. Biffle didn't have to call the police, as the two men spoke this week and hashed out their differences ... kind of. At the very least, there won't be any skirmishes this week.
"We had a long talk and I think we're okay. Maybe now we'll be lovers, not fighters," Said said.

But Said insisted he wasn't joking; unlike some other driver threats, he was honestly ready to put a whoopin on the Biff.
"If I could have gotten to him (after the race), I'd have beat his ass. It's a good thing I didn't get to him. I had a bunch of people text me his address, and I would probably have been over there if he hadn't called me."

That's why I like Boris ... we need that kind of attitude and spirit in Cup. He wants to do well and isn't going to take any crap from other drivers. Too bad he's never really made it too far outside of road courses, as I'd love to see him around every week.

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Special Fan Event Joins NASCAR Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony

2011-08-16T18:20:00.000-07:00

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — NASCAR announced today the addition of a new fan-friendly event – the NASCAR Preview 2012, Presented by Sprint – that will follow January’s 2012 NASCAR Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.

“NASCAR Acceleration Weekend,” scheduled for Jan. 20-22 in Charlotte, N.C., gives race fans an unprecedented, festival-like experience with a combination of events and activities featuring the legends of the sport and stars of today.

“The NASCAR Acceleration Weekend will be an unforgettable start of a special tradition centered on the NASCAR Hall of Fame,” said NASCAR President Mike Helton. “Putting the 2012 Induction Ceremony together with the NASCAR Preview 2012 makes this a must-visit event weekend for racing fans across the country.”

Kicking off the inaugural NASCAR Acceleration Weekend on Friday, Jan. 20 is the induction of the NASCAR Hall of Fame’s Class of 2012 – Richie Evans, Dale Inman, Darrell Waltrip, Glen Wood, and Cale Yarborough – at a dinner and ceremony located in the Charlotte Convention Center, which adjoins the NASCAR Hall of Fame. This revered group, comprised of three drivers, a crew chief and a team owner, marks the third class to be inducted into the Hall. Exhibits of the five-member class will be unveiled inside the NASCAR Hall of Fame on Sunday, Jan. 22.

Following the Induction Ceremony on Saturday, Jan. 21 is the NASCAR Preview 2012, Presented by Sprint, a new addition to the annual calendar reminiscent of popular season preview events of the past. The fan-focused, all-day event located inside the Charlotte Convention Center will feature driver and show car appearances, simulators, games, prizes and a host of other fan-friendly and interactive activities. The highlight of the day for many fans will be autograph and on-stage Q&A sessions with drivers from the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, plus four of the five new NASCAR Hall of Fame members inducted the previous night.

The NASCAR Preview 2012, Presented by Sprint now joins the NASCAR Preseason Thunder Fan Fest at Daytona International Speedway, held the previous week, as the two premier events for fans to meet their favorite drivers and get revved up for the start of the season at the 54th annual Daytona 500 on Feb. 26.

“Accessibility to the stars of the sport is what sets NASCAR apart from other professional sports,” said Winston Kelley, executive director of the NASCAR Hall of Fame. “Giving fans an opportunity to honor legends of the sport one day and then meet future Hall of Famers the next day is the kind of fan-focused activities that the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte is uniquely positioned to deliver.”

Tickets for the 2012 NASCAR Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and the NASCAR Preview 2012, Presented by Sprint go on sale Sept. 20. Fans can enter their e-mail address at www.nascaracceleration2012.com to receive updates and to receive a promo code for pre-sale opportunities.

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Keselowski’s four-leaf clover wears off on teammate Kurt Busch

2011-08-14T02:07:00.001-07:00

Brad Keselowski must have found the golden horseshoe and be sharing it in the Penske garage. Kurt Busch jumped into Brad’s Nationwide ride Saturday and pulled off a Nationwide win at the Glen, holding off a bevy of talented road racers in the process.
Brad was excited to see Kurt do well in his usual Nationwide ride.

“This is great. This deal with Kurt didn’t come together until Tuesday. We left our driver debrief and talked about the Cup weekend at Pocono, I walked up to Kurt and said, ‘Hey Kurt, I think it would be cool if you drove my car this weekend. I just don’t think that I can pull it off.’ He was like a kid in a candy store,” Keselowski said. “His face lit up and I knew that he wanted to drive this car. I knew how bad he wanted to win and I’m glad to see his hard work and passion for the team pay off with a victory.”

Brad also pointed out that this month has brought a steady stream of championship-caliber talent to the driver’s seat of the #22 Nationwide car.
“We’ve had four championship drivers in that car over a four week span with Sam Hornish Jr., Jacques Villeneuve, Kurt, and myself. It’s going to be really cool to watch Jacques next week in Montreal.”

Roush duo enjoys Grand-Am debut
David Ragan and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. finished 12th at the Glen in their rand-Am debut, driving the No. 11 TRN Racing/Blackforest Ford Mustang in the GT Class.

“I’ve had a great time. This is probably the most fun I’ve ever had at a road course, so thanks to Jack, Ford Racing and UPS for allowing me to do this,” Ragan said. “It was great to get seat time and another couple hours of running that I otherwise wouldn’t have gotten to go along with our best qualifying effort up here. It definitely helps a little bit. I know the cars are completely different, but just getting the mindset of turning left and turning right and getting my reactions better, it was a lot of fun.”

Stenhouse said he was pretty happy with the result of their efforts.
“I don’t know what was expected, but I feel like we did alright. David ran some really good laps, consistent laps. He was more consistent than I was and ran really strong, so when I got in it took me awhile to get going after running our Nationwide car today. Once we got going, I felt like I could run some consistent laps.”

Jimmie and Kurt banter continues
After last week’s race, Kurt Busch and Jimmie Johnson were not so friendly, and apparently that hasn’t changed.

“Bottom line, he just started running his mouth. If you look at over the years and what his mouth has done for him, it got my biggest fan Jimmie Spencer to punch him in the face. It’s led to issues with NASCAR officials on pit road,” Johnson said. “I think we all tune in weekly and wonder what’s he going to say to his crew guys. You look at what he said to Roger Penske, his car owner. So, that aspect is the part that really got me mad. At the end of the day, I’m not going to let him run his mouth at me. That is just kind of how it is.”

Kurt played it cool, saying he’s glad Jimmie is thinking about him.
“It’s great. It means that I’m in his head and if I’m in his head, he’s got to worry about us running through this Chase,” Busch said.

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Dale Earnhardt Jr. hanging on in the Chase; Joey Logano's day ruined by tire

2011-08-08T23:40:00.001-07:00

After a reasonably good day, finishing 9th, Dale Earnhardt Jr. remains 10th in points, and is one of only two drivers in the top 10 without a win. If he falls out of the top 10, he’s basically out of luck, since he has no wins and wouldn’t get a wild card.

Still, he didn’t sound too concerned after the race Sunday.
“I don’t know where we’re at (in points). I haven’t seen it. I’m comfortable though, trust me,” he said with a laugh. “I’d rather be second or first or third, whatever, but I’m good with how things are working out.”

There is a good cushion between Jr. and 11th place Denny Hamlin (23 points), but one bad day can erase that, so he needs to stay on his toes, or preferably get a win, to ensure a spot and be able to run for the title this fall.

Watkins Glen will be a big test for him, and if he can get through that without much points damage he’ll be able to breathe a lot easier.

Tire ruins Logano’s day
It was also quite a week for Joey Logano. He could breathe a little easier after Carl Edwards was staying with Roush and not moving to the Gibbs team and the 20 car as rumored. Logano responded by winning the pole, leading a lot of laps and being up front when the rain came. His luck changed once the race restarted, as he ended up 26th after a cut tire forced him to pit late in the race.

Crew chief Greg Zipadelli said there was no reason to hang his head, and that kind of stuff happens some times.
"I'm going to get on a plane and go home and get up at 4:45 tomorrow morning and go to work like I do the other 355 days a
year. What can you do? We did all we could. We sat on the pole, we led a bunch of laps, we had a very respectful top-five
car. I think one of our better performances in the last two and a half years so I'm not going to hang my head and be
miserable over something on the race track. I can't control that. If it was something that we did and made a bad call it would
be different than that. Right now, we learn and the last thing I want to do is walk out of here with a bad attitude and kill the
momentum that we've had in the last six to eight weeks."

Fans Can Enter Chevy’s “Drive It Like You Won It” contest; winner will get Silverado truck and meet Jeff Gordon, Mark Martin

Win it. Drive it. And meet Team Chevy racing legends Jeff Gordon and Mark Martin at Texas Motor Speedway later this year.
Race fans can enter Chevrolet’s “Drive It Like You Won It” by registering at www.DriveItLikeYouWonIt.com now through September 16, 2011. One Grand Prize Winner will receive a new Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Crew Cab LTZ 4x4, and an expenses-paid race weekend trip for two to Texas Motor Speedway in November to meet with racing legends Jeff Gordon and Mark Martin.

Roush happy to have Carl stay in the fold

As expected, Jack Roush is quite happy with Carl Edwards’ decision to stay at the Roush team, and he said Carl wanted some questions answered before deciding to stay.
“Words can’t describe how happy all of Roush Fenway is to be sitting here with Carl in this circumstance and having him agree for 2012 and beyond to extend his association with us. I consider it as a positive indication for the analysis that Carl did, a positive indication for
all of the personnel and the process that we have at Roush Fenway to build our cars, to build our engines and to organize ourselves and train our pit crew and do the rest of it. Carl’s evaluation and his questions were most exhaustive and certainly the most in-depth of any
that I’ve had in my 24 years and I’m glad we made it through that and he came to this determination. I can’t say how much I look forward to working with Carl in the foreseeable future and our Fords to make him a champion in the Cup Series and multiple championships hopefully and to win a lot of races.”

Watkins Glens International, by the numbers

History
-- After several events were held on the streets of Watkins Glen, a permanent facility was opened in 1956.
-- The first NASCAR Sprint Cup race was in 1957, won by Buck Baker.
-- After a six-year absence, NASCAR returned to The Glen in 1964 and 1965.
-- After a 21-year absence, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series returned to The Glen, and has run one race a year there since 1986. This weekend’s race will be the 26th running since its return in 1986.

Notebook
-- There have been 28 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Watkins Glen International since the first race there in 1957.
-- Buck Baker won the first pole and race.
-- Tim Richmond won the first pole and race upon the series’ return in 1986.
-- There have been 16 different pole winners.
-- The race winner has started first in nine of 28 races. The last race winner to start from the pole was Kyle Busch in 2008.
-- Mark Martin leads all drivers with wins from the pole with three in a row between 1993, 1994 and 1995.
-- 18 of the 28 races at Watkins Glen have been won from a top-five starting position.
-- 20 of the 28 races at Watkins Glen have been won from a top-10 starting position.
-- The deepest in the field that a Watkins Glen race winner has started was 18th by Steve Park in 2000.
-- 17 different drivers have won races, led by Tony Stewart, with five.
-- Jeff Gordon set the all-time NASCAR Sprint Cup record for road-course victories with his victory in 2001, his seventh on a road course. He has since won two more (both at Infineon Raceway), for a career total of nine.
-- Three active drivers with more than one start have an average finish in the top 10: Marcos Ambrose (2.6 in three starts), Tony Stewart (5.4 in 12 starts), Carl Edwards (8.1 in six starts), Mark Martin (8.2 in 21 starts) and AJ Allmendinger (9.3 in three starts).

Watkins Glen International Data
Race #: 22 of 36 (8-14-11)
Track Size: 2.45 miles
Race Length: 90 laps/220.5 miles

Driver Rating at Watkins Glen
Tony Stewart -- 129.6
Juan P. Montoya -- 113.5
Marcos Ambrose -- 113.5
Kyle Busch -- 102.1
Kurt Busch -- 101.9
Jimmie Johnson -- 100.0
Denny Hamlin -- 99.9
Carl Edwards -- 94.9
AJ Allmendinger -- 91.9
Kevin Harvick -- 89.6
Note: Driver Rating compiled from 2005-2010 races (6 total) at Watkins Glen.

Qualifying/Race Data
2010 pole winner: Carl Edwards
(124.432 mph, 70.882 seconds)
2010 race winner: Juan P. Montoya, (90.96 mph, 08-08-10)
Track qualifying record: Jeff Gordon (124.580 mph, 70.798 seconds, 8-8-03)
Track race record: Mark Martin (103.300 mph, 8-13-95)

NASCAR in New York
-- There have been 66 NASCAR Sprint Cup races in New York:
-- 179 drivers in NASCAR’s three national series (all-time) have their home state recorded as New York.
-- There have been 14 race winners from New York

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Brad Keselowski’s gutsy win sends a strong message to competition

2011-08-08T23:38:00.000-07:00

If I would have told you mid-week that Brad Keselowski would win at Pocono, claiming his 2nd win of 2011 and vaulting his way into the lead in the hunt for the 2 Wild Card spots in the Chase, you would have called me crazy.

He had just been in a serious accident during testing at Road Atlanta, severely damaging his ankle (he even tweeted pics of the injury, and trust me it wasn’t pretty.)

So the first thought in my head when I saw the news of his injury was: “Well, Brad needed to win another race to have a legitimate shot at the Chase, so he’s pretty much done for at this point.”

So when I saw him win on Sunday, I realized I had underestimated him. Often, when up against an injury, athletes will come through in extraordinary ways – I recall Denny Hamlin’s win fresh off his return from surgery last year, and Dale Earnhardt’s pole run at Watkins Glen despite being severely injured in a crash two weeks earlier at Talladega.

Despite his impressive win, Keselowski remained humble -- and brought up the tragedy in Afghanistan this weekend to remind us that there are much bigger heroes in the world.
“It’s not me, it’s good people. It’s having a crew chief and a team that digs. There are so many people to thank for being in victory lane. I’m no hero. The heroes are the guys that died in Afghanistan this weekend and I want to spend time thinking about them. They were my inspiration for this weekend and the things that those guys do. I’m glad that we could win today, but those are the heroes. I just drive race cars for a living.”

A lot of people talk like that because it sounds good in the media, but in my experience with Brad he’s always been a straight shooter who spoke from the heart. (and I echo his sentiments on the troop tragedy this weekend; I’ll be very happy when we finally get out troops out of that country; 10 years is enough in my book.)

Getting back to racing, I’ll admit that when Brad made the announcement he was going to Penske, I doubted he would be able to succeed on a level that might be possible if there had been a spot for him at Hendrick (and you know Rick wanted to keep a talent like Brad.) I envisioned Brad would struggle some at Penske, then probably go back to Hendrick when Jeff Gordon retires.

Now, I’m not so sure. Roger Penske and Brad Keselowski, a couple of guys with major Michigan ties, are working out quite well for each other, and the #2 team has racked up 2 wins so far in 2011 and is very likely to make the Chase if they can just stay in the top 20, due to the new wild card rule – which I really thing has spiced up the competition.

While I always respected Brad’s talent, I didn’t think he had this in him in 2011, and he is impressing the hell out of me. Last year at this point, he had zero top-10s; so the team has caught fire with its impressive run in 2011, and crew chief Paul Wolfe and the pit crew deserve their share of the credit too.

And as for the Hendrick comparison – Hendrick Motorsports has three wins this year (2-Gordon, 1-Johnson) and Penske has three wins (1-Busch, 2-Keselowski). I’d say that’s pretty impressive considering how Hendrick has dominated the sport for most of the past 15+ years.

Who knows, maybe if Hendrick ever does calling back for Brad in the future, he might have to tell Mr. H … “No thanks. I’m good where I’m at”

From the time he entered the sport, I’ve watched Brad grow from a young truck driver, to a Nationwide competitor, to a Nationwide champion, to a surprise Cup winner, and now into a legitimate contender any given week in the Cup series. His family is a line of great racers, and he might just be the best of them.

Now, as he begins to rack up wins driving for Roger Penske, the whole world is finally seeing what Brad can do, and there’s no way they can write him off as a fluke. With his gutsy win this weekend, Brad put the NASCAR world on notice, and unless he stumbles badly this month, expect him to make the Chase and perhaps spice it up with his Wild Card entry.

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Edwards makes wise move to stay at Roush, can now focus on winning Chase

2011-08-04T23:22:00.000-07:00

The whole concept didn’t sit right with me.

How could Carl Edwards, Mr. Ford, even think about going to join Joe Gibbs Racing and leave the team that made him a superstar? And while he’s standing on top of the points standings too?

Every week he was asked what he was doing, and every week he had no information, fueling speculation he would announce a move right before starting the Chase that he is more likely to win than an in his career to this point, causing potential chaos at his Roush team.

Then, of course, the money numbers started to leak. Edwards was going to, rumor had it, get $8 million salary for next year, plus a $10 million dollar signing bonus to go to Gibbs – that’s Peyton Manning type money, and would draw anyone’s attention.

If those numbers were accurate, Edwards definitely had a tough decision to make. Unless, of course, Jack Roush matched them, and that was what convinced him to stay
No one knows what went on in the negotiation rooms between Carl Edwards and his suitors over these past month, but in the end it worked out as I predicted in the beginning – Edwards stayed where he belongs, with Roush.

Just imagining Edwards getting out of his car and saying, “This was a great Camry today. I’d like to thatnk Toyota” is hard to imagine. And when you switch car makes and teams, there’s no guarantee of continued winning (just ask Dale Earnhardt Jr.)

Looking at the facts, there are just too many unknowns that would go along with a big move like this, and the decision to stay with Roush, where he may not end up staying for the rest of his career, makes far too much sense for Carl to have done anything else.

Put simply, he is top dog there. Greg Biffle, Matt Kenseth and David Ragan have good runs, but they don’t do what Carl does. Matt’s won his title, and is at best a sleeper to contend this year. Biffle is too inconsistent, and Ragan is just starting his ascent in the sport. Carl will get the best equipment at Roush and will contend for the title year after year.

Compare that to Gibbs, where he would be heads up against Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin and
Joey Logano. Good luck with that, and dealing with all the egos in the room in addition to trying to keep up on the track.

No. Roush is Carl’s home, and whether it was money or loyalty that kept him there, his career is better off in the wake of this move. While this whole debacle went on far too long for my taste and did cause distractions for the 99 team, Carl can rest easy tonight, and will be fully focused for the Chase where he (or anyone for that matter) can hopefully take away the title from five-time and breathe some freshness into the NASCAR championship battle.

And Gibbs fans can only dream of what possibly could have been if he had made the switch.

Keselowski on the mend
Rochester Hills native Brad Keselowski has pulled out of the Nationwide race this weekend due to a testing wreck at Road Atlanta, but he will compete in the Pocono Cup race. All is well, though. Despite being airlifted to the hospital, he was not seriously injured and even tweeted a photo of his swollen ankle.

That kind of interaction with fans and sense of humor is what makes so many people like Brad, and I wish him well in his recovery.

In his absence, Sam Hornish Jr. will race in the Nationwide race, with Parker Kligerman practicing the car.

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Brickyard win shows Paul Menard is more than just his daddy's money

2011-08-03T01:38:00.000-07:00

A name can mean a lot in life.
Sometimes it can bring you success you do not deserve, other times it can take away success you might have achieved.
And in the sports world, including NASCAR – a name often comes with expectations. Kyle Petty was inevitably going to be compared to King Richard, which I would argue is unfair. Same for Dale Jr.
Then there is the curious case of Paul Menard. His dad was not a 7-time Cup champ … No, he is just a billionaire. One of the richest men on the entire planet, which isn’t easy to do.
A side effect of being so rich is that you can pursue your dreams, and your children can be a part of those dreams. For John Menard, those dreams are racing glory, at Indy and elsewhere.
For many years, John’s son Paul Menard has been trying to become a Cup star, but had little success to show for it.
In the process, he has had to endure a reputation that he must have resented … as many people thought of him as someone unworthy of a ride in the Cup series, who was there only because his daddy had money.
I will admit that I made this very comment many times as he struggled throughout his Cup career, and wondered whether he could make the leap to competitive driving in the top level of NASCAR.

Move to Childress
I remember last year when Menard first announced his move to Richard Childress Racing, as the fourth team, of course bringing his father’s sponsorship money along with him.
At the press conference, many of the questions were of a nature that questioned the decision by RCR. Was Menard worthy of a ride with a top NASCAR team? Was the deal all about his dad’s money?, etc.
You could tell Menard was a little annoyed answering the same questions he’s heard for years, but at the same time he seemed eager to prove everyone wrong

Winner at last
As the early part of the season wore on, people started to notice Menard. He put together some good runs, in part because he was finally in equipment that finally could compete, and in part because he had matured as a driver over the past handful of years. People started to mention him as a possible winner, something that had never really been said about him in the past.
And that win finally came Sunday at the Brickyard – the second biggest stage on the NASCAR circuit. The win was even more special due to the fact that John Menard had tried so long to sponsor a winning driver in the Indy 500, and the Brickyard success he had so long hoped for finally came via his son and NASCAR.
Of course, the rce came down to fuel mileage, a point of contention that some fans will use to continue saying that Menard is not yet a proven winner. But the thing about fuel mileage racing is that in order to win one, you have to be up front to begin with. In his past years, Menard would have been running in 25th, not the top 10, and wouldn’t have a shot at winning, even in a fuel mileage situation. So the doubters on this point are off base I my opinion.
And beyond that, a simple look at Menard’s numbers for the year tell the tale. In 20 races so far, he has 4 top 5s and 6 top 10s, which shows he has been competitive moreso than he ever has been in his career. In 147 races prior to 2011, he had 2 top 5s and 8 top 10s. (and most of that came in 2010, with just 1 top 5 and 1 top 10 prior to last year).

Chase contender
Paul Menard, at this moment, would make the Chase. This is something almost no one would have predicted at the start of the year. I’m not saying he’s going to win a bunch more races and contend for a title, but there is no denying he is now a presence in the sport. All those who questioned whether he was worthy of a Childress ride … including myself at times … are now being shown that he is.
And good for him. Like I said, a name can mean a lot, and for Paul Menard his name has meant a lot of doubt about his worthinesss as a competitor in NASCAR. To see him succeed on such a big stage, with the promise for a bright career in the future, is something that the entire garage seems happy about, as many of his competitors have known for years that he had the potential to do very well in the right equipment.
Now, if Menard is running up front in future weeks, we won’t think it’s a fluke or a strange occurrence, and we’ll actually believe he can win.
I still doubt he’ll become a superstar and win tons of races or compete for titles with Jimmie Johnson and the like, but one thing is for sure now in my mind: Paul Menard is not just in a racecar because of his daddy’s money. The boy knows what he’s doing on the track, and everyone should recognize that by now.

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Drivers weigh in on Kentucky racetrack -- some more nicely than others

2011-07-07T21:00:00.000-07:00

A (sort of) new track, at least new to some Cup series drivers, brings new challenges, and of course everyone wants to be the one who goes down in history as the inaugural winner of a race … since new facilities rarely are introduced and it’s such a rare opportunity.

Clint Bowyer said it doesn’t matter where the track is; the fact is that it’s new and highly coveted as a result

“Anytime you can win an inaugural race, it doesn’t matter where it’s at, it will be huge,” Bowyer said. “I’m telling you, this is a huge fan base, it’s a great market to be in and to be able to win the first race here is going to be a big thing for us.”

Other drivers were a bit more critical of the new Cup track. Tony Stewart said that while it is technically new to Cup, he wishes it were more different.

“It’s another mile-and-a-half so it’s not like we’re seeing something totally new. We need less mile-and-a-halves and more tracks that have their own characteristics that are not copied off of something else,” Stewart said. “It’s still fun to be here though.”

Stewart was also critical of the safety setup at Kentucky.

“They don’t have enough SAFER barriers yet. Not near enough SAFER barriers for what we’re doing here and how close the wall is to the race track,” Stewart griped. “Hopefully, none of us will have to test that out and see anything.”

Back to the positive side, Kevin Harvick had kind words for the facility.

“This is what our sport needs, new events, not necessarily new facilities, but a new facility for us to race on. Kentucky Speedway has been a great facility over the years. I was fortunate enough to come here in 2001 and win the inaugural Nationwide race here,” Harvick said. “It is a place we have all been to and made a bunch of laps testing. A lot of us have run the Nationwide races here. It is a fun race track. The enthusiasm from the fans and the people and the sponsors is great. I’m excited about it.”

Roush at Kentucky—the numbers
A few facts about the Roush Fenway team and its history at the Kentucky track
-- Roush Fenway racing has started 41 NASCAR races at Kentucky Speedway, turning 16 top-10 finishes,10 top fives, three wins and two poles. Roush Fenway has led 519 laps of NASCAR action at Kentucky, while averaging a 15.5 finish in both the truck and NNS.

-- Roush Fenway’s Greg Biffle won the first ever NASCAR race at Kentucky in 2000, taking the checkered flag in the truck race. He finished second in the inaugural Nationwide Series race there in 2001.

-- Roush Fenway has started 16 Nationwide races at Kentucky, posting one win, four top fives and seven top 10s. Roush Fenway finished second in the first three races at Kentucky, before breaking into the win column in 2005.

Reaction to Nationwide race leaving IRP, going to Brickyard
It became official this week that the Nationwide race at Indianapolis next year and beyond will move from IRP to the Brickyard … From a short track to the biggest track of them all (prestige-wise at least).

Drivers, such as Tony Stewart, had mixed emotions.
“I think it’s cool for IMS, I’m kind of sad for ORP though because I know from my history at ORP that was a big event that we all looked forward to as USAC drivers getting to watch the Nationwide guys come,” Stewart said. “I think it’s cool, but it’s kind of mixed emotions on both sides.”

Kevin Harvick, who has won at IRP, said it’s a sign of changing times and also looked at it from an owner’s perspective also.
“I think things change. Obviously this is a huge opportunity for the Nationwide Series to go to the Brickyard. From an owner’s perspective it’s going to be a lot easier to sell than it was at the other facility. IRP has been a great part of this series and hopefully as we move forward there are some opportunities to keep the Truck Series there or maybe even the Nationwide Series on a different date,” Harvick said. “As far as that particular weekend goes, I think it’s going to be good for the Cup cars. I think the fans are going to have something else to watch on Friday and Saturday with the Rolex Series and the Nationwide Series. It just creates more of an active weekend at the big track. But from an owners perspective it’s going to be a much easier race to sell, that’s been a tough race to sell for us in the past.”

As someone who has watched races at IRP and the Brickyard, I have to say I hate this move. IRP is an awesome track, and the racing there is great and competitive every time. Short track action can't be beat, and to remove this race from the schedule is a crime, and I hope it can be rescheduled for another weekend.

As far as Nationwide racing at the Brickyard, I am afraid it will be a snoozefest, as the Cup races never excited me at the Brickyard. I hope I'm wrong, but I'm afraid I'll be right.

Congrats to David Ragan
Belated congratulations go out to David Ragan, who earned his first-ever Cup win in the Daytona race last week. He is the third first-time winner this year, after Trevor Bayne and Regan Smith.

A couple years ago, I picked Ragan to make the Chase, but that didn’t exactly pan out. Jack Roush stayed committed to Ragan though, and despite all who doubted him, he now looks like the smart one (that usually happens with Jack … he doesn’t pick too many bad ones).

Now, several years into his stint with Roush, Ragan is finally starting to show his abilities as a driver, and he picked a good time too. UPS will soon choose whether it stays with Ragan and Roush or moves to another team and driver, and this win will be a good selling point for the Ragan camp. We’ll have to stay tuned to see what happens.

Voting Opens For 2011 Most Popular Driver in Nationwide, Trucks

Fans can vote online for the 2011 Most Popular Driver in the NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (Twitter hashtags: #NNSMPD, #NCWTSMPD). Voting has begun and runs through Nov. 17.

This year, fans have dedicated sites on NASCAR.com to vote. For the NASCAR Nationwide Series, fans can go to www.NASCAR.com/nnsmpd and to www.NASCAR.com/ncwtsmpd for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Fans may vote once per day leading up to the Nov. 17 deadline.

To be eligible to receive votes, drivers must have selected either the NASCAR Nationwide Series or NASCAR Camping World Truck Series to receive 2011 driver championship points. Additionally, drivers must have attempted at least half of each series’ races this season.
The winners will be announced at the 2011 NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Awards Banquet. The combined post-season gala will again take place in South Florida at the Loews Miami Beach Hotel on Monday, Nov. 21.

With eligibility tied to their selected series for points, a new Most Popular Driver will be crowned in both series this year. Brad Keselowski, the 2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series champion, earned a record-setting third consecutive series Most Popular Driver award via fan vote following last season. Kenny Wallace also has three Most Popular Driver awards in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, though not consecutively. Narain Karthikeyan captured the most votes in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series to earn that series’ Most Popular Driver honor in 2010.

NASCAR Reinstates Two Members; Suspends Two Members

NASCAR has reinstated Jack Smith, a driver in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and Gary Frost, a crew member in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

Smith’s reinstatement comes following his Sept. 7, 2010 suspension for actions detrimental to stock car racing. Smith remains under NASCAR probation until Dec. 31. Frost has successfully completed NASCAR’s Road to Recovery Program following his May 24, 2011 suspension for violating the sanctioning body’s substance abuse policy.

Smith’s story is interesting, in that he says he became hooked on prescription drugs after a racing accident; and got busted with a phony prescription … and, furthermore, that getting busted was the best thing that could have happened to him. He went through the program, and now is off the drugs. I say way to go, Jack. The road to getting off a dependency like that isn’t easy, but now he’s back and able to compete in the sport he loves.

Perhaps if Jeremy Mayfield had followed the same path, he might still be racing instead of in an endless court battle with NASCAR.

On the opposite end of things on the substance abuse front, two crew members in Nationwide, Troy Hartman and Denise Harmon-Mixon, have been indefinitely suspended from NASCAR for violating the substance abuse policy.

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Mark Martin's 50-pole accomplishment further proof he's a Hall of Famer

2011-07-07T20:56:00.001-07:00

Mark Martin moved into elite company last week, capturing his 50th career pole.
This is no easy accomplishment, and Mark deserves a hearty round of applause for this rare accomplishment.

How rare is it? Here’s the list of all the people who have done it.

Richard Petty (123), David Pearson (113), Jeff Gordon (70), Cale Yarborough (69), Darrell Waltrip (59), Bobby Allison (58), Bill Elliott (55), Mark Martin (50).

Numbers like this are why Mark will be a guaranteed Hall of Famer, even though he’s never won a Cup title. He’s truly one of the best the sport has ever seen.

Congrats Mark.

Congrats to the Biffles
Greg Biffle and his wife Nicole are the proud parents of their first child, Emma Elizabeth, who weighed in at seven pounds and six ounces when she was born Wednesday afternoon. Congrats to the parents.

France seeks to seal divorce papers
In less pleasant family news, NASCAR chairman Brian France once again is asking a federal court to keep secret new details about his messy divorce. He has accused his former wife of tape recording telephone conversations to extort money from him, and France has asked a federal judge to seal documents surrounding those telephone conversations.

Allegedly, "sensitive personal and financial matters" are discussed. This goes against the general rule of law, as almost all divorce filings and related documents are public record under North Carolina law, but France is saying that if the information gets out that it could harm him both personally and professionally.

"If this Court were to allow the record to remain unsealed, large portions of those illegally recorded conversations and information would be filed on the record for the entire world to see," France's attorneys wrote "This case is a private matter, involving private conversations about private issues. The only interest in allowing the public access to the judicial records and documents in this action is the promotion of a divorce scandal involving a highly regarded public figure."

Attorneys for the Charlotte Observer and its news partner WCNC-TV have filed motions pposing the sealing of the documents, calling France’s claim unconstitutional.

"Mr. France is entitled to no better treatment and deserves no worse than any other litigant," the attorneys said. "If any legitimately sensitive information arises over the course of this litigation, this Court has the power to place a particular document containing such information under seal or redact it."

I have to side with the paper here. If there is sensitive information, black it out. But to seal it all is a ridiculous idea.

I just have one question: What is Mr. France trying to hide?

Auburn Hills business marks anniversary with MIS ticket giveaway

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- Quality Lube Oil Change and Auto Repair in Auburn Hills first opened for business in 1981. This July, the family-owned-and-operated business celebrates 30 years of successful operation, having served thousands of satisfied customers through the years.

In celebration, visitors to Quality Lube throughout the month of July can enter to win tickets to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Michigan International Speedway on August 21. No purchase is necessary to enter.

Quality Lube is also collecting donations for the non-profit Meadow Brook Theatre, Michigan’s largest producing professional theatre, located on the campus of Oakland University. Donations will help fund new theatre seating. Customers who donate will receive a free gift certificate or vehicle fuel system treatment compliments of Quality Lube.

Quality Lube Oil Change and Auto Repair is located at 3450 East Walton Blvd. at Squirrel Road in Auburn Hills. Call 248-373-0086 or visit www.QLautocenter.com for more information.

AFLAC No. 99 showcar coming to Southeast Michigan

Wyandotte, Mich. -- The No. 99 Aflac Ford Fusion show car is coming to the Wyandotte Street Art Fair in Downtown Wyandotte, Michigan. Fans will get an up close look at a real stock car on Friday, July 15 from 2pm-8pm and on Saturday, July 16 from 10am-4pm.

The Daly Merritt Inc. & Aflac Racing exhibit will include the following:
-- No. 99 Aflac Ford Fusion show car
-- raffle prizes; including a 2 foot quacking Aflac duck, lounger chairs, golf umbrellas, & more
-- Q & A session with Roush Fenway Racing staff
-- FREE memorable photo opportunities
-- FREE collectable NASCAR Hero Cards for fans of all ages
-- FREE Balloons for kids

“Because the Downriver community has been so loyal to us for over 80 years, we wanted to give something back in an exciting way, and what better way to do so than with a NASCAR race car at the 50th Anniversary of the Wyandotte Street Art Fair,” said Marty Daly, President and CEO, Daly Merritt Inc.

The No. 99 Aflac Ford Fusion show car is jet black, with bright green and blue accents, and is a retired version of the vehicle Carl Edwards drives throughout the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. This show car is also equipped with a replica motor like those used on the track by Roush Fenway Racing teams.

Jimmie Johnson Earns Two ESPY Nominations

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson has earned two nominations in The 2011 ESPYs. Voting has begun, and the complete list of The 2011 ESPYs nominees is available at espn.com/espys.

Johnson, who won his fifth consecutive NASCAR championship in 2010, has again been nominated in the “Best Male Athlete” category and in the “Best Driver” category. He could become the first auto racer to win “Best Male Athlete” – also nominated are tennis star Rafael Nadal, Dirk Nowitzski of the NBA champion Dallas Mavericks and Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

Joining Johnson in the “Best Driver” category are 15-time NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series Funny Car champion John Force, NHRA Pro Stock champion Greg Anderson and three-time IZOD IndyCar Series champion Dario Franchitti.

Voting will run through 11:59 p.m. ET on July 9 for most categories. The winners will be announced during The 2011 ESPYs, televised live from the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles on Wednesday, July 13, at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN. Fans will determine the winners by voting online at ESPN.com/espys

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The NASCAR free agent market is crazy!! Actually, no, it's all hype

2011-06-26T11:56:00.002-07:00

Talk exploded this week about free agency and big moves for some drivers in 2012. Clint Bowyer had really wanted to go to Red Bull, some said. Carl Edwards may go to Gibbs, replacing Logano or as a fourth car. … etc., etc. etc.

I hate to be a buzzkill, but I’m going to say it right now: Don’t expect much, if anything, of note to happen in free agency this offseason.
Let’s go case by case.

-- For starters, Carl Edwards is NOT leaving Roush for Gibbs. And you can quote me on that. I understand that Gibbs would love that (I mean, who out there is hotter as a driver than Edwards right now; any team would love to have him.).
But that doesn’t mean Edwards will take the offers coming his way. Think about it. Right now, he is the king of the Ford heap. He is a great spokesman for the Ford brand and all the sponsors that he is so quick to recite. They all love him. And because they all love him, he knows they’ll do whatever is necessary to keep him, and he knows it.

Carl Edwards is smart, and he knows that by not signing right away and letting the media speculate that he is interested in leaving, that he will get yet another swiss bank account full of money thrown his way. The longer he holds out, the richer he gets. Ford is too smart to let their star get away, as it is likely he will win a title, or many titles, for them in the future. The guy is a talent they can not afford to lose. When he says “we’re working on the contract,” he means “I’m holding out for more money”.

So mark my words, he’ll get that money, and spend the rest of his career in a Ford.

-- While we’re on the topic of drives not leaving their current rides, let’s talk about Clint Bowyer. Maybe there was some truth to the Red Bull rumor, but with that out of the mix now, where could he go that’s a better ride than Childress?

The answer is nowhere, which is why he is staying put. I don’t see Bowyer as a champion driver, and he’s probably running about as good as he ever will in these RCR cars, so going to a weaker team now would only make the end of his career come sooner. I don’t see Bowyer going anywhere else, and if he does it’s a mistake on his part, as Childress is the best fit for him and the place he can prosper the most.
-- Others: Juan Pablo Montoya and Ryan Newman are both free agents, but there are no signs they will be leaving their respective teams (Earnhardt-Ganassi and Stewart-Haas), so they’ll be staying put.

-- Finally, don’t expect a fourth Gibbs car … that’s been hyped for years and never happened. We would have seen more movement in that direction if that was going to happen (i.e. … running a fourth car in select races in 2011, to see how it went). The only guy that would make sense to add a fourth team for is Edwards, and as I’ve established, he’s not going to be driving anything but a Ford for Jack Roush.

While we’re talking about Gibbs, let me clarify that Joey Logano will NOT be let go by the team. No way, no how. Gibbs found this kid at 15 years old, he’s dedicated to him, and Logano is still VERY young. His future is still bright, he is not a bust as some people believe, and trust me he will be a championship contender in the next handful of years. Gibbs is smart enough to know this and is not about to dump his potential golden goose.

So what does it all add up to?: A lot of talk about big moves in free agency, and little to no actual action in that area. You heard it here first.

Gibbs penalty
Penalties were handed out to the Gibbs team for “oil pan gate” … with $50K fines for all three Cup crew chiefs (which I am sure the coach will pick up), and probation until year end for the crew chiefs, car chiefs and team VP JD Gibbs.
I know the money is no big deal, but JGR needs to stop this silliness with the magnets and funny oil pans. There are ways to get better that do not put the team at risk of potentially damaging points penalties (though points luckily were not deducted this time). And on top of that, you do not want to be known as a cheating team in NASCAR.

I hope the coach lets all his people know this is unacceptable, as NASCAR will likely come down harder if the team continues to break the rules.

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Red Bull exiting NASCAR won’t have a major impact

2011-06-26T11:56:00.001-07:00

In a busy news week in the NASCAR world, one of the top headlines is that Red Bull is pulling out of the sport starting next year. They will no longer field a team in NASCAR, and do not have plans to remain on as a car sponsor either.

Team manager Jay Frye told media this week that he is working on investors and hopes some sort of a team can be salvaged, but it would not be a Red Bull team regardless of what he does.

My thoughts on the whole deal?
-- First, I am not surprised at all by the departure. Red Bull has their name on almost every form of motorsport in some fashion, and eventually the money has to run out, especially considering they not only owned the team but also sponsored the cars. This is not a good business model by any means. And despite all the investment they did in NASCAR, they never really took off as a team, other than a few really good runs by Brian Vickers. If you have to pull out of one motorsport, it might as well be the one that is not doing so hot for you (NASCAR) and not the ones where you are excelling (Formula 1, for example, where Sebastian Vettel is emerging as the next Michael Schumacher). Eventually, you have to choose your priorities, and NASCAR is nowhere near the top of the list for Red Bull. There are no current or future champions in the Red Bull pipeline on the NASCAR end (though Cole Whitt is a good talent who could be successful on some level).

-- Even if Frye can get the team new investors, it will essentially be a brand new team, and the Red Bull era is over. This new team will likely be a minor player now, which it kind of already was anyway as Red Bull, and I do not expect any big-name drivers would want to get a job there.

-- Perhaps the biggest impact is on the driver end, as this pretty much kills the idea I and others had that Mark Martin and Kahne would swap rides for 2012. So now the questions become: Where does Martin end up? What about Brian Vickers? It should be interesting to see how it all shakes out.

The bottom line, though, is that while there is an initial shock from the Red Bull announcement, in the grand scheme of NASCAR it will not have a huge impact, other than on some free agent drivers.

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Dale Earnhardt Jr. blasts Mark Martin … and then they make up

2011-06-19T15:37:00.001-07:00

BROOKLYN, Mich. -- NASCAR is all about feuds lately, especially Kyle Busch vs. Kevin Harvick. That particular feud did not have any presence in the MIS race, but another emerged – albeit briefly – after the MIS race.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. was in a huff after the race and blasted Mark Martin in an interview, saying that Martin had been “careless” and pinched Jr. up into the wall.

“The defining moment probably was getting run into the wall by Mark (Martin). We had fixed the car, we were moving forward and we were doing pretty well at that point, but, you can’t do nothing about getting run over or getting run into the wall,” Jr. said. “I try really hard to take care of people and try not to be careless and I don't like putting up with carelessness and that really pissed me off what happened out there."

Jr. implied that had the situations been reversed, he would have been more polite to his teammate.

“I perceived that he didn’t know I was on outside. He come up there, he knew I was up there, but, he was just running hard. If they tables were turned, I would have been smarter and give him plenty of room than he did me. He is older me, been racing forever and knows a lot more than I’ll ever get or he has forgot more stuff than I’ll never know. Still, I take better care of people than that,” Jr. continued. “I mean, I don’t know. I don’t know. I just do a better job; I take better care of people than that. Hopefully, now that I know what to expect in a situation like that. I will still drive on the outside of him and hopefully he won’t run me in the wall.”
Martin was taken aback by Jr.’s comments and said he’s not a careless racer.

“I don’t have a history of having problems. I don’t think I have one now. I think we will get it sorted out. I feel like I give everybody on the race track respect. I made a mistake,” Martin said.

And then, as is to be expected, the two spoke, and Jr. accepted Mark’s version of what happened (that he was out of gas and lost control of the car due to air off Jr.’s car), and all is well in the Hendrick camp.

Except that 108-race winless streak for Jr., but that’s a whole ‘nother topic

Kyle Busch aching during race
Kyle Busch told the media after the race that he had “chest pain” during the race. After the race, though, it was clarified that it most likely just indigestion, so fear not KB fans. His health is not in danger.

Carl complains: Too much downforce, too hard to pass

You would think a guy who is still leading the points would be happy with the way the cars are designed, but apparently that’s not the case with Carl Edwards.

“ This is a great race track and track position is so important. Sadly, down force is such a big factor in these cars and I am really hoping that NASCAR will take the opportunity in 2013 to take down force away so the fans can see the guys race race cars and not race down force. That would be cool,” Edwards said after finishing 5th.
“All the cars are very close. So let’s say all of the cars are a tenth apart and you are behind two or three cars, your car is two-tenths of a second slow. You can’t make up. I am not whining. Denny earned this win and those are the rules we are under. Track position was huge and I just wish it wasn’t like that.”

First Carl, you are complaining, and second, I doubt many teams want to have less downforce.

But I’m not an engineer, so maybe I’m wrong. I’d be curious to hear what more mechanically inclined people would have to say about how these changes that Carl suggests would affect the cars. Or perhaps there are other ways to make track position less important and allow for more racing.

The delicate balance of creating speed and allowing for the best racing is something that should be talked about, so maybe Carl did a good thing by bringing this up. But I also think the fact that he didn’t win plays a part in his complaining.

Bayne back after illness
Daytona 500 winner Trevor Bayne returned to the Sprint Cup for the first time since his mystery illness, and he finished 16th in the Wood Brothers ride.

“I feel fine, so I’m ready and I’m back and it was good to finally get back in this Cup car. It wasn’t too bad for our first run back there, 16th-place finish. This team is doing a really great job this year. We struggled on pit road there for a little while, but we finally got that figured out at the end of the race, so that helped us. Then, the car was really tight into the center and loose off, so we fought that all day long up until the very last lap,” Bayne said.

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No Roush rout at Michigan this time

2011-06-19T14:58:00.000-07:00

BROOKLYN, Mich. -- Often, when NASCAR makes its trips to the Irish Hills, Jack Roush and his Fords dominate.

And for a little while, that looked like it would happen again. Greg Biffle and Matt Kenseth ran great early and were swapping the lead. Carl Edwards was top-5 much of the day, and another Ford – A.J. Allmendinger – also ran well most of the day.

But in the end, Toyota won the battle, with Denny Hamlin emerging as the victor.
Matt Kenseth said that despite being strong all day, he just didn’t get a good run on the final restart and Denny took advantage, leaving Kenseth in 2nd.

“I just couldn’t quite get Denny. After restarts we were kind of slow and tight in the middle which isn’t a good thing to be in a short shootout. We had a great car in the long run though. I tried what I could to get around him but I slipped on the restart. I just needed more laps to get it going.”

Still, Kenseth was happy with the car overall, and moved up a spot to 6th in the points.
Another Ford driver who was not as happy was David Ragan, who finished 20th.

“Right from the get-go, nothing was really going our way. Our UPS Ford was a top-10 car, but after our first trip into the pits, the No. 88 and No. 51 got together and ran us up the race track and we had to come back in and fix our fender,” Ragan said. “We went back out on track in the high 30s and drove back towards the front and we had the speed, but we didn't catch the cautions right. We tried short pitting to get back on the lead lap and it just didn't work out. I think we had a top 10 or top-five car; we could just never seem to get up there. It's just very disappointing. Everything that could go wrong did and we'll just have to regroup.”

Bad day for Jimmie
MIS is one of the tracks Jimmie Johnson had yet to win at coming into Sunday, and that’s still the case.

His day got off to a bad start, and didn’t improve – finishing 27th mostly dropping three spots to 5th in points.

“Yeah, tough day. We got turned around early and ground the sway bar off the right front and we lost a couple laps from that and we were just kind of in a hole at that point and couldn’t get caught back up. It’s just part of it.”

Don't get too excited, though. I'm pretty sure he'll still make the Chase and battle for the title as usual. It is nice, though, to see that he and the #48 team are human.

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Brad Keselowski struggles in his home track's Cup race

2011-06-19T14:38:00.000-07:00

BROOKLYN, Mich. -- Rochester Hills native Brad Keselowski’s weekend started with a poor qualifying effort, and raceday was not much better After a rough day that included a scrape with the wall, Keselowski could only manage a 25th place finish at his home track.
Still he focused on the positive side of his day.\

“Once the green flag flew, our Miller Lite Dodge was a rocket. We were able to make our way up the field and raced as high as 18th. I was just trying to move around on the race track, trying to get us to where we needed to be. I just pushed too hard and hit the wall and that led to a flat tire that totally changed our day. From there, our day went downhill and we just had to battle,” Brad said. “Later in the day, we started to make our car right and had an opportunity to make a good run out of it and get a good finish, but had some engine issues on the restart. It’s tough. This track and race means so much to me. I really wanted to have good run and we just didn’t make it happen today. It was just one of those days where it didn’t matter what we did, we were going to have a bad day. We’ll just keep working at it.”

As far as Brad’s efforts to make the Chase, he is still a couple spots and 12 points out of 20th in the points, but if he can get there he could qualify due to his win in Kansas.

Kurt Busch voices his opinion again
Kurt Busch is known for letting his feelings be known on the racetrack, and Sunday was no exception. Despite coming off his third straight pole position, his car was not to his liking during Sunday’s race at MIS.

At one point, Busch said: “I'm so pissed off right now I can't see straight" and he sounded like he meant it.

All is well at the Penske team, though, as Busch ended up 11th and had a solid points day, and the team is no doubt used to his outbursts, and takes them far less seriously than the media.

“A really up and down day for us. It’s always tough when you earn a pole position and can’t take advantage of it during the race. Our Shell/Pennzoil Dodge Charger was just too inconsistent today to contend for a race win. We were a solid top-10 race car, but just couldn’t get (it) dialed in enough to run with the leaders. We ran 198 laps inside the top 10, finished 11th after getting nudged out on that last restart,” Busch said. “It seemed like our car would be good for the first five laps of a green flag run, and then once the track would rubber-in, we would run tight. Our first lap was awesome; the last 199 were a challenge. You have to be rock-solid on these two-mile race tracks. You need a good race car, solid pit stops and good changes to keep up with the track and we just were too inconsistent today. A solid points day for us and that’s important in the big picture.”

Surprising runs

Several drivers ran well Sunday that don’t normally make the headlines.

Paul Menard ended up in 4th, his first top-5 at Michigan and his best run in 2011.

He said it’s welcomed after a rough few weeks coming into the MIS race.
"We've had a rough month, no doubt about that. My guys needed a good run. We've had a fast car for the most part, just been struggling to put together a ful race. Wasn't really sure what we had in practice,” Menard said. “The car drove good, it seemed like we lacked a little bit of speed. Qualified in the top 10 and that's so important at these intermediate tracks, track position. Slugger made a good call to take two tires at the end. Kind of went back and forth, two verses four. A lot of people took two, we did. A little too tight at the end but the (car) was just a really solid weekend and that's what we needed."

Perhaps the biggest surprise was the 12th place run by young Landon Cassill, who took advantage of a late race caution and a solid pit call to get the best run of his career.
“It was great and we were really fast at some parts of the race and we kept getting the balance on one side or the other and we had a little bit of racer luck there that put us in position to put us on four tires there at the end and that is what made it for us and that was awesome. Great call on Nick Harris’s part,” Cassill said.
For a young driver like Cassill, who recently had to do some start-and-park races, good finishes like this are a sign that those days should be behind him and he can focus on a fully dedicated race effort and not just showing up.

Finally, A.J. Allmendinger had a decent run in 13th, but his Ford ran great early and was a top-5 car for much of the race.
He credited his run to the manufacturer and shared information from other Ford teams.
“That run was a credit to the Ford team in general. We struggled really bad. We were okay Friday and started struggling at the end of the day and we were really bad in qualifying. We looked at some notes and went off the other Ford cars, a different direction than we had been before and the car was great all day.”

When asked about points, A.J. was very honest though – he doesn’t think the team is capable of making the Chase right now, unless things start to improve very quickly.
“Points don’t matter right now. We have to get better. We aren’t a Chase team right now. Points to me, obviously you want to score every point you can but we need to be better before we worry about making the Chase. Today was a big step. We were never really good here and we were a top-five car all day. Thirteenth sucks in the end compared to what we had, but I am proud of what we did today.”

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Scenes from Michigan Speedway on raceday

2011-06-19T09:22:00.000-07:00

Some scenes from Michigan International Speedway on the day of the race:

Can Kurt Busch convert pole to win? Or is this Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s day?

2011-06-19T06:27:00.001-07:00

BROOKLYN, Mich. -- Kurt Busch made news Saturday by winning his third straight pole position, so that means he will be a factor for the win, right?

Probably, but his last two attempts to win from the pole have come up short, with finishes of 2nd and 9th the past two weeks.

The Penske horsepower will have to be in full effect today if Busch hopes to beat the Ford brigade, which is looking very strong and coming off a Carl Edwards-Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 1-2 finish in the Nationwide race Saturday.

My pick to win – Matt Kenseth, who will have a powerful FR9 engine under the hood of his Roush machine and usually runs very well at Michigan.

Is this Jr.’s day?

Three years is a long time for a driver like Dale Jr. – who was used to winning – to not win a race, especially considering he is driving top shelf Hendrick equipment.

Still, he said he doesn’t worry about it – which is probably the best attitude when you are knocking on the door of a win like he has been recently.

“I don’t dwell on it at all really. I can’t do nothing about not winning races other than just going out every week and trying to run hard and trying to do the best you can and I was a long ways – I felt like that I wasn’t – I felt like that last year and the year before that, I wasn’t competitive enough to even worry about it. I was more concerned about trying to get right and trying to get better and trying to be more competitive even. Wasn’t even thinking about winning races. We were struggling so bad that we had so much other things to worry about.,” Jr. said. “Now this year we’re running good and I can think about wins, I can think about opportunities and missed opportunities that we’ve had a little bit more. They don’t bother me and it doesn’t upset me. I’m excited that somebody was asking me if I was upset that I hadn’t won, but I’m thrilled to be having such a good year that it’s hard to be upset. It would be nice to win a race, but I don’t know who to thank or tell me who to thank for what’s happening to me this year because I’m appreciative as hell to have this opportunity and to be running as well as I am.”

Losing streaks can be broken – drivers such as Kevin Harvick and Jeff Gordon have broken long streaks in recent years.

Harvick said he knows what Jr. is going through.

“I think when you’re running as good as those guys are running, I think you start to get a little bit antsy because you know that the win is right around the corner. You just want it to go away, honestly. And even though your car is running good every week, there is still something to be said about putting all that talk to bed because you just get tired of talking about it. And you get frustrated with not being able to just get it over with. But when you’re running that good, it gives you a lot of confidence in knowing that you’re competitive and then you can put it all into perspective. 2009 was a terrible year for us. I know he’s been through a year or two of stuff that wasn’t that much fun. So you can kind of balance the not-winning part of it when you’re running good with the running good part of it just for the fact that you’re competitive week-in and week-out and you’re in position to win races. And when you’re not in position to win and you don’t have a chance to do anything right and you’re tearing stuff up and you’re running in the middle of the pack, it’s just miserable. So you can balance the not-winning part of it somewhat, with being competitive every week.”

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Denny Hamlin, Matt Kenseth and others reflect on Father's Day

2011-06-19T06:24:00.001-07:00

BROOKLYN, Mich. -- Matt Kenseth is one father with a lot to be proud of this year. He spoke this weekend about his son Ross’s progress in both racing and education.
“Yeah, he has been doing really well and having a great season. He has won quite a few races this season and is leading the Midwest Tour points right now. He is actually racing Berlin next Tuesday,” Kenseth said. “He has had a heck of a year and I am pretty proud of him that he got in Clemson and yes it made me feel old going to freshman orientation with him on Thursday. qI got to go check that out and that was a little different. I wasn’t smart enough to go to college. It is crazy to think that he is doing all of that.”

Kyle Busch had kind words for his fathe Tom and the role his did played in his career?
"My dad was a big inspiration in both my brother’s and my career. We wouldn't be here if it wasn't for him and his passion for
motorsports and racing and him doing everything he did possible for us to have the opportunity to have race cars to go to the
race track with, and to buy tires and to buy fuel and to buy everything it took. And, then for him and mom to both make that
sacrifice for us."

Denny Hamlin said his dad is here at MIS to watch the race this weekend, which is not a common thing.

"It's awesome. He doesn't get to travel to a whole lot of races. He has an old dog that he prefers to stay with on
the weekends than fight the hustle and bustle of the races. For him to come out, it's very obviously special for me. He
made a ton of sacrifices for myself through my career. He sacrificed a lot of vacations and a lot of his savings to get me to
this point. You pretty much owe everything to your parents who helped get you to this point and I'm no different in that sense."

Congrats to Ty Dillon
At the end of an ARCA race Friday that seemed neverending, with a long stream of crashes and debris cautions, it was Ty Dillon, Richard Childress’ young grandson and brother of Truck series driver Austin Dillon, who took the checkered flag at MIS. Both of these brothers seem to have what it takes, so you can expect them to make their way through the NASCAR ranks in the coming years, mostly likely with continued support from the guy they call “pop pop”.

The mystery pit crew scenario
Heading into this year, Jimmie Johnson’s team began a scenario where team members compete to make the pit crew that goes to the track this week. This means that driver Johnson doesn’t even know who will be executing the pit stops each week.

“I have an idea, but the situation Chad (Knaus, crew chief) created is that he’s really trying not to have a first string, second string. You earn your position during the week in practices and prove that you’re the fastest guy that week and can do the best job that week going over the wall. I know every guy on the team; I train with them now and am in there on Tuesday’s working out with them so that we can form a tighter bond together. I see a lot of good things happening and I know that they’re working very hard for that coveted position to go over the wall and change or carry or jack the car.”
Interesting scenario, but I wonder if this will be the best plan come Chase time. I would think that a stable crew of the best people all year would be the best bet when the title is on the line.
But hey, I’m not supergenius crew chief Chad Knaus, so maybe he knows something I don’t.

Ryan Newman visits GM proving grounds
Prior to the race weekend, Ryan Newman – who has an engineering background -- paid a visit to the GM Proving Grounds in Milford to see the latest breakthroughs in the field.

He said he enjoyed the experience and was impressed with the facility.
It was pretty neat from a technical standpoint to see where GM is at their proving grounds. Number one – their proving grounds in Milford was amazing. The size of it and the mileage of testing tracks and courses and surfaces that they have working on ride control and stability and braking and things like that was pretty amazing. Then to get to drive the Camaro – the super-charged Camaro was pretty wild out on their skid pad. They’ve got a 67-acre skid pad and half of it has been repaved. We got to work on the grippy half so talking about the race track, I guess it’s kind of similar. We got to race on the new Michigan yesterday at the skid pad and the old Michigan was getting repaved. The way they work with their computers and the technology aspect of it to work on their stability control and they’re antilock braking and things like that. I was driving a Camaro and the engineer had a computer in the right side and he could manipulate the car and work on the traction control and things like that. It’s pretty neat to see their facilities for the first time and understand that they’re a big part of what has been very successful in the NASCAR Chevrolet program.”

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