Pull Those Belts Tight! (Richmond Preview)

Up Next: Crown Royal Presents The Dan Lowry 400, Saturday, May 3, 2008 at Richmond International Raceway, Richmond, Virginia. Green flag- 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time, 4:30 p.m. Pacific. Broadcast on FOX-TV with Mike Joy, Darrell Waltrip and Larry Mc Reynolds. Radio- MRN and Sirius Satellite Radio.

Richmond International Raceway (RIR) is NASCAR’s 3rd shortest track next to Bristol and Martinsville at .75 miles. Richmond has 14-degree banking in the turns, 8 degrees on the front stretch, and 2 degrees on the back stretch.

The first NASCAR Cup race ran here on April 19, 1953. Lee Petty won that day. In fact, 3 generations of Petty’s won here. RA young Richard Petty won on the Virginia track in 1961 and Lee’s grandson Kyle won in a Wood Brothers Ford in 1986.

Track Records: “The King” Is King. Richard Petty owns the most Richmond victories as 13 of his 200 Cup wins came here. Among active drivers, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Tony Stewart have 3 wins each. It does bear noting that Mark Martin has 5 Nationwide wins at RIR, Kevin Harvick 4- to go with his 1 Cup win.

The Pole “Cat”: Brian Vickers owns the qualifying record with a lap of 20.772 seconds in May, 2004 while driving the #25 for HMS. Richard Petty and Bobby Allison captured 8 poles apiece during their storied careers.

The fastest race? The recently retired Dale Jarrett ran the fall, 1997 race in 2 hours, 45 minutes, and 4 seconds (speed: 109.047 m.p.h.)

“Mr. September” Harry Gant was the oldest Richmond winner. He was 51 when he won here during that magical run of 4 wins in a row in September (when else?), 1991. Richard Petty owns the record for being the youngest Richmond winner. He got that win at the age of 23 years, 9 months in April of 1961. Kyle Busch turns 23 Friday. Think he’ll threaten this record?

15 Caution flags waved in the May, 2003 race for the record. Miraculously, none waved in 1976’s spring race.

Old school racing fans should love this race. They’ll be on an old, short track, racing under the lights- just like they do in the small towns. The only thing missing from this race is the dirt.

If trends from earlier races hold up here, I’d look for a good race from local boy Denny Hamlin- who showed short-track prowess at Martinsville. Jeff Burton (also a Virginian) won on the short track at Bristol. In fact, I’d say the strongest team for this place could be Richard Childress- as Clint Bowyer also seems to thrive in this environment, as does Kevin Harvick. Jimmie Johnson has a little history on his side- the #48 won both races at RIR in 2007. Jeff Gordon also has a pair of wins here and Junior got his last win at this very track in the spring of 2006.

I look for Childress, HMS and JGR to all run strong here. It doesn’t seem that among the big boys that the Roush boys do that well here. Don’t be surprised to see Kasey Kahne run well. The #9 won on this track in 2005.

By the way- Ken Schrader will sit in for the injured Dario Franchitti (ankle) in the #40 Dodge. No word on who might drive the #70 that Schrader drove at Talladega. Travis Kvapil has a sponsor for at least the next two weeks. Scott Wimmer will try to qualify in a 4th RCR car that will bear the #33.

Short tracks mean rubbin’ and racin’- so cinch those belts up good!

NASCAR Terminology- A NASCAR For Dummies Primer

Apron: Besides being what the Grillmaster wears at the infield BBQ, the apron is the “Pave portion of the trackthat seperates the racing surface from the (usually) unpaved infield.

Brake Caliper: The part of the braking system that, when applied by the driver, clamps the brake disk/rotor to slow or stop the car.

Round: Besides being Tony Stewart’s shape (more to love, right ladies?), “round” is a “Slang term for a way of making chassis adjustments utilizing the racecars springs. A wrench is inserted in a jack bolt attached to the springs and is used to tighten or loosen the amount of play in the spring. This in turn can loosen or tigthen the handling of a racecar.

That’s all for this week. Look for a Fearless Forecast Saturday morning, and I may offer up some of my thoughts on Tony Stewart’s “free agency”, Danica Patrick and Dale Earnhardt Jr. on Friday.

 

NASCAR Stocks: A New #1 Is Crowned!

This will be a more difficult group to rank as some unusual suspects had great finishes at Talladega- with many of our top 10 dropping back.

Here’s my take. I’d be interested to see what you think of my conclusions. This was a difficult top 10 to assess.

#10- Kevin Harvick (down 1 from 9th)- “Happy” is still living off of his early season work. His 24th place finish hurt him. Harvick continues a slump that has seen him not crack the top 10 in a race since Bristol. He’s got a gaggle of drivers cooling his heels, but the Californian still has a better overall “body of work” than the others who just missed the cut.

#9- Greg Biffle (up from 10th)-  The driver of the #16 Ford Fusion didn’t exactly shower himself in glory with his 18th at Talladega, but if “Biff” goes, Harvick goes too. To show you how weird Sunday’s results were, Biffle still gained two spots in the Cup standings, despite his pedestrian finish. But then again, given the kind of race you get on a restrictor plate track, it may well be argued that ANY finish in the top 30 should be viewed as a good one. The Roush veteran did make some nice runs Sunday.

#8- Tony Stewart (down 1 from 7th)- “Big Orange” deserves better than this. Stewart led for 61 laps, tops at last Sunday’s donnybrook. this is a classic case of a driver with a better performance than his numbers indicate. The good news for “The Rushville Rocket” is that the cream always rises to the top and there’s plenty ‘o’ season left.

#7- Carl Edwards (down 4 from 3rd)- Before you castigate me for this ranking, look who’s ahead of him. It just shows you the ever so slight degree of separation between the top drivers in this season where parity is the rule of the day- at least among the top racers. It’s mind-boggling in a way that the leader in wins for 2008 lands here. The Missourian’s DNF wasn’t even his fault- the result of faulty camber leading to his demise.

#6- Clint Bowyer (up 2 from 8th)- The “07″ is modeling remarkable consistency. Teammate Jeff Burton must be rubbing off on him. The driver of the Jack Daniels’ Chevy has 6 top 10s, tying him for 2nd with Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin and Jeff Burton among our power poll drivers. Bowyer has finished no worse than 10th since finishing 28th at Las Vegas. A win and some top 5s (Bowyer’s only has two compared to 4 each for messrs. Hamlin, Edwards and Jimmie Johnson. Kyle Busch has 5) would help vault the 3rd year Cup driver higher. I wouldn’t be surprised if that comes along soon.

#5- Jimmie Johnson (down 3 from 2nd)- This is no reflection on his Talladega performance of 13th. Well, maybe it is. When you look at the top 4, you’ll understand. Johnson still has an average finish of 7.6 over his last 5 races (including his Phoenix victory), only Bowyer, Burton and Hamlin are better.

#4- Dale Earnhardt Jr.- (up 1 from 5th). I came darn close to putting “Lil ‘E’” in 3rd. Having led 46 laps, we have another guy who came ooooh so close. Junior’s 7 top 10s pace all Cup drivers. He just needs a win. Ya gotta believe Earnhardt will get it soon, ending a 71-race dry spell.

#3- Jeff Burton- (down 2 from 1st). J.B. is the quietest stud on the circuit. Only Denny Hamlin has a better average finish over the last 5 races, and the Sprint Cup points leader has the best average finish overall for the 2008. So why isn’t Burton hanging on to the top spot? Permit me to explain….

#2- Denny Hamlin- (up 2 from 4th). The driver of the FedEx “11″ is NASCAR’s hottest driver. Consider these numbers, and you’ll see why the Virginian has vaulted past the likes of Johnson and Burton. Hamlin has his win at Martinsville, an average finish of 3.6 (!) over his last 5, and 6 top 10s. Remember, Hamlin started out at 28th after California. While teammate Kyle Busch is more spectacular, the numbers seem to indicate that Hamlin has been a little more consistent. Since that 41st place disaster at Fontana (caused by track moisture), Hamlin has been no worse than 15th.

#1- Kyle Busch (up 5 from 6th)- “Shrub” has a performance more uneven than the stock market. That said, you can’t ignore 2 wins and the fact that even when he finishes poorly, he’ still been a factor in every race he’s run. Add to that the fact he has 5 top 5s and 6 top 10s. Just short of his 23rd birthday, Kurt’s younger brother has led the way in a NASCAR youth movement towards domination that also includes teammate Denny Hamlin, Clint Bowyer and Carl Edwards. Of course, with youth comes inconsistency, so don’t be too alarmed if he falls to 10th next week.

This is a tight group at the top. ALL of these guys are legitimate Chase threats. To me, this is what is making 2008 a great season.

Ready to strike: Juan Pablo Montoya (his 2nd at ‘Dega may be a sign of things to come), David Ragan (he’s not going away).Ryan Newman, Matt Kenseth and Kasey Kahne have hit a patch of track debris, but they are FAR from out. Add Jeff Gordon to that list as well.

Stay tuned. Next week could be a brand new game.  

 

 

 

Race Re-Cap: Draftin’ & Dealin’ In ‘Dega

Denny Hamlin said it best- “If you didn’t like this race, you don’t like racing.” Right down to the bloody, bumping end, there were at least a dozen drivers in contention for the win. Can you believe this top 10?

1- Kyle Busch, 2- JP Montoya, 3- Denny Hamlin, 4- David Ragan, 5- Brian Vickers, 6- Travis Kvapil, 7- Casey Mears, 8- Ryan Newman, 9- Clint Bowyer, 10- Dale Earnhardt Jr.

How crazy was this race? Tony Stewart looked like the man to beat, but wasn’t even there at the end, after trying to thread a hole between Bobby Labonte and Dale Earnhardt Jr. This screwed up Day Two of a seemingly ongoing alliance between Smoke and Junebug. Michael Waltrip looked at moments like HE would win this race! At last count this race had 17 different leaders!

I have a nickname for Denny Hamlin- “The Chauffeur.” How many times did he hook up with a driver to escort them to the front? On several occasions, the combination of two cars tail to bumper made it look like we had a limousine on on the track.

I kept hearing about ”patience” from Jeff Burton. He’s right! This race reminded me of the big local 10-mile road run (ya know the kind on two legs instead of four tires). Once the gun sounds (or the flag lowers), you find your stride, and you size up how you’re doing that day, and sizing up the field around you. Who’s going to have something for you? Who do you avoid because they’re going to be trouble? Once you ind your groove and your stride, it’s good to find a partner. Someone who’s company you can enjoy as you pass the miles away. Someone who can help you throw a rough patch if you hit one. Then one you hit the big hill in the middle you have to bear down a bit and not do anything to beat yourself in terms of expending too much energy, or getting tangled up in anyone else’s mess. THEN….as you approach the end, it’s every man for himself. Some crazy stuff can happen. Some will have enough gas in the tank to “kick” at the end. For others, it’s just a matter of trying to hang on and make it. Unfortunately, some who looked good early won’t make it. For a driver, this place keeps you on the edge of your seat at all times- perhaps the most challenging track on the circuit.

Like him or not, Kyle Busch overcame a pit mishap and numerous other challenges to come out on top. We knew it’d be a battle pitting the Gibbs Toyota’s versus the Hendrick bowties, but I’m really not sure anyone really envisioned a Shrub win here. Stewart and Earnhardt for sure. Of course Jimmie and Jeff and even denny would be in the mix. But Busch (who’s previous Talladega best was 11th) a winner and Casey Mears in the top 10? It wasn’t what I was thinking. And don’t lie to me, you didn’t either.

It was a heckuva race, maybe the best we’ve had all year, even if the wreck at the finish kind of deflated things. You can always count on soemthing wild at Talladega.

Today did not disappoint.

   

Fearless Forecast: Smoke Will Sweep at Talladega

It’s just a hunch. By now, every serious NASCAR fan knows how Tony Stewart has finished 2nd 6 times in Cup competition. He’s been knocking on the door for quite some time….and tomorrow Tony Stewart’s kicking it down.

Here’s what I’m expecting tomorrow…..the teams that have put forward the stout engines will run up front. Look for strong (and victory worthy) performances from the HMS boys: Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and Casey Mears. Remember that Junior has won at ‘Dega 5 times and Gordon 6. There’s no reason to believe they won’t be in the mix.

This assumption also bodes well for Stewart and his Gibbs’ teammates Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin. In fact, I number Hamlin, Kasey Kahne and Ryan Newman as my dark horses. Yes, I expect Dodge to be well represented tomorrow, so that means Kurt Busch could be a part of the action.

With that extra horsepower, I expect other Toyotas to run well…..you should not be shocked if Michael Waltrip (a super speedway specialist of sorts), Brian Vickers (also a former Talladega winner), or even A.J. Allmendinger make a substantial amount of noise. In fact, I considered using Mikey as my “upset special” pick. Now that’s a fearless forecast!

Of course, I wish good things for those unexpected front-runners. I mean, who here expected Joe Nemechek and Ken Shrader in the top 5? Hear that sound of silence?

All speculation aside (and Heaven knows I;ve heard more insane tea leaf reading than I care to think about this week), here’s what you need to know…..

Tony Stewart will win (again) at Talladega!!

 

 

 

Pull Your Belts Tight!- Talladega Edition

Up Next: The Aaron’s 499, Talladega Superspeedway, Talladega, AL- Sunday, April 27, 2008 at 2:00 p.m., broadcast on FOX- TV.

Bill France Sr. unveiled this track in 1969- designed to be “the world’s fastest speedway.”  Due to driver concerns regarding tires on this 2.66 mile track, many Cup drivers sat it out. France tried to prove the safety of the track by running laps himself, but the argument fell on deaf ears. A handful of Cup drivers ran with Grand National and ARCA drivers on that first race in September of 1969. Richard Brickhouse picked up his only NASCAR Cup win.

Talladega Superspeedway is a 2.66 mile ”superspeedway” with 18 degrees banking on the tri-oval, 2 degrees on the back stretch, and 33 degrees on the turns.

Track Records: While Brickhouse won the first race, Dale Earnhardt won the most at this track in the heart of the deep South. ”The Intimidator” won 10 races at Talladega. The “Pole King” here is Bill Elliott. “Awesome Bill from Dawsonville” has captured 8 poles, including  the fastest qualifying speed ever in NASCAR Cup competition, a blistering 212.809 m.p.h., making a lap time of 44.998 seconds. Mark Martin ran the fastest race in 1997, running a time of 2 hours, 39 minutes, and 18 seconds, his average speed was 188.354 m.p.h. “Mr. September,” Harry Gant, is the oldest Talladega winner- he won just 3 months after his 51st birthday in 1991. The youngest? Bobby Hillin Jr. was 22 when he won at the Alabama track in 1986. The record for the most cautions is 11- in April of 2004. No cautions waved 3 times, the most recent in October of 2002.

Some races are races, some races are events. Talladega is a NASCAR event. Talladega’s race may not occur on or near a holiday, and it may not be the “Superbowl of NASCAR” like Daytona, and it’s not the first or last race of the season- but it’s still a big deal. Dale Earnhardt Jr., a 5-time winner at Talladega, likens the infield to Mardi Gras, and from the images I’ve seen, I’d just say this may not be a race i’d take my kids to. The fact that fans threw beer cans (some full, some not) at winner Jeff Gordon this time last year says a great deal for the condition of a lot of fans by Sunday evening when it all ends. Talladega is also home to some of the most famous crashes of all time- Elliott Sadler’s spectacular wreck a few seasons back stands out. The speeds reached are just outrageous, and Elliott’s qualifying run was one of the reasons why restrictor plates were introduced to tracks like Talladega to slow things down.

Talladega may very well be the “House of Earnhardt.” Between Cup and Nationwide racing Dale and Dale Jr. have won 17 races.

This track is a “House of Champions” and a “House of Wild Cards.” Jeff Gordon, Kurt Busch and Tony Stewart boast the best driver ratings here among active drivers. This place also represents the place where Brian Vickers has his only Cup win, as well as Bobby Hillin, Richard Brickhouse, and Phil Parsons- plus Michael Waltrip, Sterling Marlin, Dave Marcis and Bobby Hamilton picked up rare career wins here as well.

With speed being the word of the day, I expect that the extra power the Toyota engines have will help Joe Gibbs, Red Bull, Bill Davis and Michael Waltrip make things interesting. By the same token- Chevy’s have dominated at Talladega, thanks to the Earnhardts, 6- time winner Jeff Gordon, Ernie Irvan, and Marlin among others. This bodes well for Richard Childress and HMS- the premier bow tie teams. Don’t count the Dodges out- Kurt Busch and Ryan Newman looked great in practice today- as did Elliott Sadler and Kasey Kahne.

Last fall’s CoT race at Talladega was a bit of a bore as it seemed racers were reluctant to let it all hang it out in the middle of Chase, but let’s see how it goes Sunday. With extra cockpit time comes greater boldness, so let’s hope for a better race this time.

Drafting will be a factor here. “Smoke” has finished 2nd 6 times at Talladega. It’s his opinion that this a place where a driver needs help in the draft to win. One thing for sure the design of the new car does allow for better bumper-to-tail contact. Stewart says this race will be a “chess match.” He says he’s better at checkers.

Due to scheduling constraints, there will be no “NASCAR Terminology” in this weeks edition. Look for that to return next week.

I gotta run. Late tomorrow night, I will give you my “Fearless Forecast” for Sunday.

Happy racing!

 

NASCAR Stocks: Who’s Contending? Who’s Pretending?

We’re coming off a Sunday break from Cup racing, so there’s no real sense in attempting to update the power poll going into Talladega. However- this break in the action allows us to assess how the field is shaping. In fact, I’ll go as far as to say how I think is contending and who is pretending.

The Gladiators: The personalities and nameplates differ, but here’s what I think ALL of the front runners have in common: they’ve got a fire in their belly and an iron will to make victory lane. Right now- I’ve got to think the most serious Cup contenders are: Carl Edwards, Kyle Busch, Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr. You have to love the diversity- we have a Toyota, a Ford and two Chevy guys. You’ve got the personable Edwards, the business-like Johnson, the bad boy Busch, and the popular Earnhardt. These guys have demonstrated the total package- equipment, funding, skill and passion.

Ready to pounce. There’s a second group of drivers close behind that stand poised to capitalize on any mistake by the first group, and frankly they’re no less contenders. Jeff Burton, Tony Stewart, and Denny Hamlin are all right there- and Burton and Hamlin havewins to boot. Stewart is a notorious second half runner, Burton is a savvy driver (and also solid first-half guy) and Hamlin has charged hard as of late.  

Still on the lead lap: Just a little further back are guys who shouldn’t be counted out, because they know how to win and they’re due for some good luck. Kasey Kahne, Jeff Gordon, Ryan Newman, Greg Biffle, Clint Bowyer, and Kevin Harvick need to put something together and they have the teams to do it.

Lucky dogs: These guys could all make runs and make it interesting. At times, they’ve all looked very promising but can’t seem to close the deal. Martin Truex Jr., David Ragan, Kurt Busch, Jamie Mc Murray and maybe even Bobby Labonte or Brian Vickers still have a small chance. I never really imagined the elder Busch on the outside looking in, but he’s been invisible since Daytona. Mc Murray and Ragan look determined in the chase not to be cut by Jack Roush, Ragan may have more upside. Tuex may break the top 12 yet. Sentimentally, I’d love to see Labonte get in, but there are doubts about the equipment he’s got.

So there you are- there’s 18 drivers who are at least somewhat in the mix. The field may be even deeper than that if Juan Pablo Montoya, Elliott Sadler and Paul Menard can put something together.

What you have is a season with more twists and turns so far than Watkins Glen. Here’s hoping we still have something to talk about by the final turn.

 

“Finish Line Throwdown” Re-Buttal: Lighten Up!

Now that I’ve made sure that my health coverage is in place (you tread lightly in the presence of Tagoo48), I have a few things to say amount the comments seen in Thursday night’s post.

Car of Tomorrow: The “Car of Tomorrow” addresses not only addresses safety concerns, it also addresses cost reduction and performance upgrades as well. Tagoo, I think even you’d agree that you can never be TOO safe. Yes, the old cars were not suicide machines. Well, actually, I’d say the HANS device has had as much to do with the absence of driver deaths since that fateful day in Feburary, 2001 as anything else. By the same token, if you can make a car safer, should you not do it? I thank God today I did not have to write a memorial post for Michael Mc Dowell two weeks ago. As far as I’m concerned the safety features did much to enable able the rookie to sit behind the wheel in a back-up car the following Sunday instead of watching the race from a hospital room. That wing on the back has also done a lot of good as a safety feature in spinning crashes. The new car is a safer car. Period.

I’m far from an authority on the cost of putting (and keeping) a car together, but I do know that cost reducation has also factored into the this car’s creation. There are now fewer cars in a team’s fleet than there once were. This car is a tank. More cars are finishing races, and more cars make for better racing.

The new car is still a work in progress. The lack of testing at Texas in the new car was evident by the race we saw, but I think we saw last weekend how the experience was shown by the quality  of race seen in Phoenix where the new car ran twice in 2007. There’s only one way to develop the “new” car into a better racing car- and that’s to get it out there to run races!

That brings me to my next point. To say that this season has been boring is to say that the races at Martinsville, Bristol and Phoenix were not good. I beg to differ! These were good races filled with lead changes, bumper bangin’, dangerous passes and the whole 9 yards! For the love of Mike- can someone please tell me why NASCAR fans are so quick to complain about races and tires when things go wrong and yet they say nothing when things go well??? Has anybody besides the media made comment how we’ve had no tire manufacturer issues since Atlanta? Shouldn’t Goodyear be commended for getting it right the VAST majority of the time? Concerning Texas- have we ever really had a great race there? I haven’t seen one. Is it not a little too simplistic to blame it on the car? Jimmie Johnson complained about the car after that race. Funny- where was this complaining about the “new” car when he was winning the Chase last year in it? Hmm. Interesting.  

Fundamentally, I think the fan base of NASCAR has an attitude problem. If you watch other sports, you see games that aren’t good. Heck, we’ve had boring Super Bowls. Does that mean the NFL should change their qualifying rules? Should baseball change it’s rules because of the 22-inning snooze fest that was the Rockies-Padres game this week? No!

Having said that- NASCAR should allow for change if over the course of time it’s PROVEN that the car in it’s present state is not a good racing machine on the intermediate tracks- the places where the races have not been up to par. But again- I think we need to give racing teams time to get it right. Testing won’t do it. We’ve got to race the doggone thing out there to really get a handle on it. Changes now would create a moving target nobody could hit.

As for race coverage quality, the smart network is the one who gives race fans what they want. I’ll tell you why we know about Junior every time he so much as breaks wins- because the overwhelming number of race fans LOVE Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Junior is the most popular driver in NASCAR- BY A MILE! FOX, TNT and ABC/ESPN would be stupid to ignore him. I actually watched last Saturday’s race with a VERY critical eye, and I thought FOX did a good job of filling me in on the drivers fighting to get in or stay in the top 35. I saw passes deeper in the field…but let’s be honest. Most people really want to know what’s going on up front. 99% of the audience doesn’t care one whit about the battle for 40th between Joe Nemechek and Robby Gordon.

You mentioned Kyle Busch Tagoo, maybe he’d get his own “personal” camera man if he didn’t act like a butt-munch towards the camera anytime he has a bad race. Carl Edwards, Junior, Jeff Gordon and even Michael Waltrip get the coverage they do because these drivers get it. They know that you have to take the good with the bad.

As for victory celebrations- I’m sorry you hate the backflip. It demonstrates orginality. Something that I will agree is seriosuly lacking in NASCAR, but I’m not sure you’re proposed solution will cut it. The best I’d ever seen was Dale Earnhardt’s celebration after he’d finally won the Daytona 500. Now that was cool!

Overall, I think this has been a good season. NASCAR is as competitive as it’s ever been- even though the most serious contenders come from the top 4 or 5 teams. Still, we really have no idea who’s going win it all this year, and that’s good for racing.

We’re going to have good races, we’re going to have bad ones. This is no different than any other sport. I think the sooner we have the attitude of looking for the good in something, rather than getting all bunged up over the bad, the better off we’ll be.

So- be patient. We’re not even out of turn one for the 2008, and a lot of what we’ve seen so far has actually been pretty interesting. I don’t think anyone could have predicted some of the story lines we’ve had so far- whether it be Ryan Newman’s victory at Daytona, HMS only having ONE victory out of 8 races so far, or whether it’s the performance of Richard Childress, Carl Edwards or veteran Jeff Burton.

There’s a lot of season left. As of right now, I wouldn’t change a doggone thing.

A “Finish Line Throwdown”- 2008: NASCAR or “NAP”CAR?

 Welcome race fans to our first “Finish Line Throwdown.” This little debate was borne from a post I saw on one of the message boards I belong to. Actually, today’s “guest poster” belongs to two of the same NASCAR fan communities that I belong to.

I introduce you to “Tagoo48″- a Jimmie Johnson fan from the heart of the South- traditional NASCAR fan country. For several reasons I will not disclose her real identity or her career. Tagoo48 is married to a dyed-in-the-wool Jeff Gordon fan, so you know she knows how to hold her own in a “throw down.” She is quick with an opinion and expresses them well. I also think today’s guest post is reflective of how many traditional NASCAR fans think. She posted the following piece in both communities and got quite a favorable response. I’ll be curious to see what you think.

I respectfully disagree with virtually all of it.

Today, I want you to read Tagoo48’s opinions. Tomorrow- I will post a rebuttal. Then- I want to hear what you think.

Regardless of your opinion, be respectful. Regardless of how we feel about our drivers, nameplates, the Car of Tomorrow and NASCAR’s leadership- I think we can all agree on our passion for auto racing. That is to say, that what unites us is greater than that which divides us.

READ ON:

“What do you think ??

Just eight weeks  NASCAR season multiple stories erupted .  Dale Earnhardt Jr.  his move to Hendrick Motorsports, Kyle Busch and Toyota’s rise to prominence, Carl Edwards’s loose oil tank cover and malleable fenders and Tony Stewart’s hair. Where does one begin to delve into the gripping issues of the day? While all of these are legitimate topics to cover (with the exception of Tony’s coif), there are a few things that have become hot-button issues.

Car of Tomorrow  McDowell’s crash last weekend during qualifying  was horrific looking to be sure. However, is it possible that many are making a little too much of the Car of Tomorrow and its role in the impact?

Yes, the new car is certainly safe, but the previous car wasn’t exactly a suicide machine, either.

Added safety of the new car is admirable, much of this could have been achieved with modifications to the existing machine. The cynic in me sees this as a cover for something that has become all too apparent with this car…

A Poor Product on The Track I’ll be honest, the last few weekends some of us have caught up on  sleep big time come Sunday afternoons,  Thank goodness for the green-white-checker finishes, otherwise we’d really have nothing much to talk about this season. Not only are the cars repulsive aesthetically, they cannot drive properly in their current configuration. The teams have begged for minor concessions in front end travel and downforce to get them to drive properly, but NASCAR, as it has done repeatedly with this exercise in futility, has turned a deaf ear to the avowed experts in their field.

Broadcasts Boarding on Torture  Forget waterboarding – strap a Guantanamo Bay detainee down in front of FOX or ESPN on the weekend and prepare to receive a windfall of actionable intelligence. Rowdy was not too far off when he made the assertion that he, “does not have his own personal cameraman like Dale Earnhardt Jr.”

whoever has acquired a second of a  lead has one as well. Meanwhile, there is rubbing, gouging, scrapping and fighting going on throughout the field, Sure that might not be the most prestigious position to be in during a race, but it is worlds more entertaining than watching uncle Edwards cruising around uncontested for 30 minutes

Victory Celebrations Donuts. Burnouts. Yawn. Peeling out in a car with nearly 900 hp is not that impressive to me . Stewart’s fence crawl is pretty cool, Edwards’ back flips are as irritating as ants at a picnic . I want to see  a  victory celebration were the crew run’s out onto the track after the winner has completed  donuts, flip the car over on its roof and spins it around. Sadly, NASCAR won’t allow the team onto the track. Can you imagine  flipping the car on it’s roof after a win, spinning it around and maybe setting it on fire while they kneel in front of it like Jimi Hendrix? Tell me that wouldn’t help spark up the ratings a bit. ( I’d even stay awake)

I guess its quite a bit for the season, two months along. I can only imagine what  our mental state will be come the halfway point. It was reported that the walls for the All-Star race at Lowe’s in May will again be painted yellow. If that is any indication of how things are going to go, I should have another laundry list of complaints in  the future.

 

 JIMMIE JOHNSON STILL RULES !!!!” (Her words)

Editor’s Note: Tagoo48 is a die-hard NASCAR fan who lives in the Southern United States. As you will see tomorrow the opinions expressed here do not necessarily reflect mine.

 

 

NASCAR Stocks: Moving Up, Going Down (Top 10 Drivers)

If the top driver rankings were a race it would look like this: there’s a pack of drivers shifting spots like a draft pack on a super speedway. While they shift a little, it’s still the same group of guys. Then there’s a driver in between packs, followed by another group of drivers fading back, but ahead of the rest of the field.

As we make our way deeper in to Turn One of the 2008 season, we may be able to identify trends that will set the stage for the remainder of the season. A driver can always zig-zag his way from the back a la Dale Earnhardt, but I think we have a pretty good idea who the top contenders are.

Here’s how my Top 10 shapes up this week:

#10- Greg Biffle (down from 9th)- I must admit that I’m surprised to re-discover that Biffle finished 9th at Phoenix. That has to be about the quietest top 10 there is. You may take out of this that the Vancouver, Washington native is still very solid, but there are others moving past him. Still, Biff is having a much better season than 2008 as he and his Roush teammates log one solid finish after another. He may not be a front-runner right now, but he’s looking like a Jeff Burton-type, hanging around, in position to win should somebody up front mess up.

#9- Kevin Harvick (down from 8th)- After a run of 4 top 10s and a 2nd place finish at Bristol, “Happy” hasn’t been so joyful over the last 3 events. His 19th place in the Subway Fresh Fit 500 is once again testament to his ability to overcome challenges, but Harvick’s got a group ahead of him getting better results.

#8- Clint Bowyer (up from 10th)- Bowyer snuck his way up front to a 2nd place finish Saturday- his 5th straight Top 10, and the closest the Kansan has come to victory lane in 2008. His recent average finish over the last 5 races of 6.2 is quite impressive and gives one the impression he may kick the door down soon.

#7- Tony Stewart (down from 4th)- Though the 3 place drop may seem dramatic, the fact is “Smoke” is just getting warmed up for his second half run. After the Atlanta debacle, Stewart has put forward a yeoman’s effort with an average finish of 8th over the last 5 races. Nothing to get real excited about, but 7th is still a very good place to be at this juncture of the season.

#6- Kyle Busch (down from 3rd)- Joe Gibbs’ newest addition hasn’t quite attained the same lofty results he’s had in the other series, as “Shrub” is fighting off a bit of inconsistency. He can be great one race, and pretty ordinary by Busch standards the next. By the same token, I’m sure there are 50 other NASCAR drivers who’d love to be 2nd in the point standings.

#5- Dale Earnhardt Jr. (no change)- I was just sure “Junebug” had a win in the bag Saturday. Earnhardt led for 87 laps before giving way to Mark Martin, and eventual winner Jimmie Johnson. Junior hasn’t closed the deal yet, but Talladega is in his “wheelhouse”, so look for #88 to keep building on a good start in 2008.

#4- Denny Hamlin (up from 6th)- I really like what Hamlin is doing right now. He’s reminding me why there was so much hype over he and Clint Bowyer at the beginning of 2006. Denny has 3 top 5s in a row, including the win at Martinsville. So….who thought #11 would be Joe Gibbs hottest driver at this point in the season? Hey- don’t lie to me! I’ll watch with interest how he handles the high speeds and wide open racing at Talladega.

#3- Carl Edwards (down from #2)- He may have never led at Phoenix, but he fought his to 4th, another nice finish after the 42nd place debacle at Atlanta. If not for the 100 point penakty resulting from the loose oil tank lid at Las Vegas, 2008’s leader in wins would be 2nd in points.

#2- Jimmie Johnson (up from 7th)- Johnson’s performance is becoming too difficult to ignore. While a “3-peat” may be asking too much of ANY driver, no matter how GOOD he is, there can be no question that the Lowe’s/Kobalt Chevrolet will be a factor. In fact, I’ll go as far as to predict that the final top five (not necessarily in order) will be Johnson, Edwards, Earnhardt, Kyle Busch and Tony Stewart.

#1- Jeff Burton (no change)- I came very close to giving this spot to Johnson, BUT you have to give J.B. props for being the most consistent driver of 2008. This is what sets Burton apart from upstarts like Edwards and Busch, who may be more spectacular. The 40-year-old just doesn’t drive himself into trouble. that can work two ways though, and if the aforementioned youngsters keep piling up the wins, Burton will eventually fade.

Ready to Strike: Martin Truex, Kasey Kahne, Matt Kenseth and Ryan Newman are all poised to move up. Truexmay be the guy to really watch in this mix with some good recent runs. Kahne, Newman and Kenseth have been snake bit of late. But as Frankie Stallone used to sing “I am down, but far from over.” (Pop culture reference of the day). 

We may have had some races that haven’t been that thrilling, but you must admit- there’s a lot more suspense in the driver’s standings than we’ve had in some time. You can’t get around the fact that the drivers at Roush, Childress, Hendrick and Gibbs are head and shoulders above the rest, but I still see Penske, Evernham and maybe even Ganassi, or Red Bull or perhaps even Michael Waltrip pulling off wins in 2008.  

 

 

Race Re-Cap: They’re Baaaack…..

Well, to be totally honest with you, I never thought Jimmie Johnson went anywhere. The driver of the Lowe’s #48 Chevrolet has the total package- the team, the crew chief, the driver. You may keep a man like Jimmie Johnson down for a little while, but you won’t do it for long.

Phoenix was a war of attrition. While we didn’t TOTALLY lose many cars, several good drivers were knocked out of contention for one reason or another. Guys that we’re accustomed to seeing towards the front. Matt Kenseth missed an extended stretch after bending the wall, Ryan Newman’s power steering squandered his pole position, and Kasey Kahne was victimized by late race troubles.

For a while, I was just sure we would see a Victory Lane visitor who hadn’t been there in a while. I haven’t seen ol’ Mark Martin run like that in a long time. It’s just my opinion (and one of many unpopular ones I hold- but you know me), but I think you can put away your DEI obituary and save it for another decade. Not only did Martin’s 5th place finish impress, but Martin Truex Jr. put together a solid performance. Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, Clint Bowyer, and Kyle Busch looked like contenders at times too.

Ol’ “Junebug” just missed it. Junior, Newman, Martin, Carl Edwards, Johnson all had their runs and the good news for Earnhardt was that he finished with a car that was NOT 100 times worse than what he started with.

There was some good battling going one, and it seemed like there a boatload of cautions, but the real story was a gas- and no, I’m not talking about Tony Stewart’s pre-race Subway sandwich. I’m talking about the drama over fuel mileage and who had enough to finish, and how much drivers coming in would need.

Let’s just say it right now- Jimmie Johnson and Chad Knaus are the smartest driver/crew chief combo in NASCAR, unlike any other I’ve ever seen. The #48 team looked like they were taking a chance, but Knaus guided Johnson through those final laps with juts enough to cross the finish line ahead everybody else. It was so reminiscent of Johnson’s late 2007 run when he won 4 races in a row.

This team always finds a way to win and overcome mistakes. In a post-race interview, Knaus admitted that keeping the El Cajon, California native out on the caution at lap 129 was a mistake, but they found a way to recover.

That’s what champions do.

 I’m outta here. I”ve run a 10-mile race today, watched my daughter’s soccer game, helped coach my son’s soccer team, spent two hours working on my weekend job and tended to a sick wife (flu).

Keep it tuned right here. during the offweek, I’m cooking up a spirited debate with a couple of people whom I greatly respect, but profoundly disagree with.

Good night.

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