Matt Kenseth

NASCAR Stocks (Power Rankings): Sadler Shakes It Up

I’m quite sure this is notoriety that Elliott Sadler would rather live without. Without meaning to, the driver for Gillett Evernham has muddled our “Top 10″ by initiating a crash at Dover that wadded up 6 of the top 12 point getters in the 2008.

For my part, it will be hard to hold that against the drivers involved. However, there’s no denying that the race to some degree altered the outcome and opened the door for the likes of Greg Biffle, Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon to move up.

Here’s how things shake out today:

#10- Kasey Kahne- (unchanged from last week)- of all the top runners collected in the lap 18 wreck, Kahne had the best finish at 31st. I guess he can take comfort that in the old car, his day would have likely been done. I don’t think this is the follow up that Kasey had in mind to his win at Lowe’s.

#9- Denny Hamlin- (down 3 from 6th)- Denny came darn close to falling out with his last place finish, the result of the “big one” at the “Monster Mile.” What helps Hamlin is 9th place standing in terms of average finish with a 15.2 for the season. Weird to think he was the “hot one” just a few weeks back.

#8- Jimmie Johnson- (unranked last week)- Good “comeback week” for Jimmie. The defending champ never really challenged for the win,  yet a 7th place finish cannot be ignored.

#7- Clint Bowyer- (down 2 spots from 5th)- It’s been a rough “go” for Bowyer since his win at Richmond. What helps his standing now is that win, as well as his 3 tops 5’s, and 7 top 10’s.

#6- Greg Biffle- (unranked last week)- What a run for Biffle! Not only did he dominate the front end of the race at Dover, he also had a strong effort at Lowe’s, leading us to believe is he is the “real deal” for breaking into the Chase this year, after an up-and-down 2007.

#5- Jeff Gordon- (up 2 spots from 7th)- He may not have broke into the win column yet for 2008, but let there be no doubt that the “Rainbow Warrior” has it going in the right direction as of late with an average finish of 8.0 over his last 5 races- 2nd among our top 10.

#4- Dale Earnhardt Jr.- (down 2 from 2nd)-  Like his teammate Gordon, Earnhardt is one of the top drivers without a win. Junebug’s 9 top 10’s ties him for second with Jeff Burton and Carl Edwards. Junebug’s 5 top 5’s puts him 4th behind Kyle Busch, Edwards and Gordon. The naysayers are silenced, let it be known that Junior belongs!

#3- Jeff Burton- (up 1 spot from 4th)- “Mr. Consistency” comes through once again with his 8th place finish at Dover. Thi guy knows how to finish a race, even if his is not the best one out there. Finishing matters, and there’s no one better at it than Burton.

#2- Carl Edwards- (up 1 spot from 3rd)- He’d be in 2nd in the points, were it not for the penalty at Las Vegas. “Cousin Carl” solidifies his place near the top with his 2nd place run Sunday. Look for the Busch- Edwards rivalry to last for years to come. These guys ain’t going anywhere.

#1- Kyle Busch- (unchanged)- Busch is starting to get a little separation from the field. With his Dover victory, “Shrub” is the undisputed leader in wins and holds a 142 point lead over Burton in the Sprint Cup standings. What’s weird is to think that his Sprint Cup car was not as good last weekend as his Nationwide car or his truck. Busch gave credit to the shop and the crew, reminding us that even in this sport, where the driver gets all the glory, teamwork still matters.

Falling out: Tony Stewart becomes a hard-luck casualty after finishing 41st.

Knocking On The Door: David Ragan is still contending with an average finish of 10.6 over his last 5 races…For all the talk of bad luck, Matt Kenseth still has 7 top 10’s to his credit…Don’t discount Ryan Newman, especially if he can put a streak together…Kevin Harvick is a survivor. He could use a hot streak right about now.

Dark horses: If Brian Vickers could avoid the errors, and if Jamie McMurray and Dave Blaney can keep it up, they just might find their stock rising all the way into the top 10.

We’re heading down the straights coming out of the first turn, a lot can happen between now and the finish line.

 

Race Re-Cap: Muscle On The Monster Mile

I’m honestly not sure that big wreck on lap 18 really did much to affect the outcome of today’s race. Today’s real contenders were nowhere near this mess as it seemed that before we even got here, the race at Dover was about the Roush-Fenway Racing team, the old guard at Hendrick Motorsports, and the ever-present Kyle Busch. He wrestled the Monster Mile and made it cry “Uncle.”

Did you ever have a premonition? I swear when they went to Elliott Sadler’s on-board camera, I was thinking “Watch- he’s gonna wreck.” Sure enough, ol’ “Rabbit Release” moves down on David Gilliland, goes sideways on the track- and next thing you know, a collection of racers- including top runners like Kevin Harvick, Junior, Tony Stewart, Denny Hamlin, Kasey Kahne and Clint Bowyer are all wadded up. Could this change the outcome? Note the absence of Greg Biffle, Kyle Busch, Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon and Jamie Mc Murray from this mishap.

Did you catch Tony’s interview? Some fans were saying, “Wow, this is a different side of Tony. He’s taking responsibility for the mess. Why?” I think they missed the sarcasm. Basically, Tony was so much as saying that it’s his fault for being anywhere near Elliott Sadler. That’s the second time in the last few weeks the two have gotten together. I also got a kick out of Smoke’s “dune buggy” line. I appreciate his sense of humor about the whole thing.

By the time the smoke cleared, and Smoke was cleared, it was obvious that there was really only three serious contenders for the win at Dover. Greg Biffle put together another fine effort before mechanical problems set him back. Teammate Carl Edwards once again showed himself to be light on his wheels on concrete. The Roush Gang sure got it done today. Not only did Biffle and Edwards shine, but Matt Kenseth is becoming the 2008 edition of Lazarus as he seems to be bringing his Chase hopes back from the dead. Jamie Mc Murray is running like a guy who wants to stay with the team. But really, but late race, it was obvious that barring a catastrophe, there would be only one real serious contender.

Kyle Busch is just on one of those runs that drivers have from time to time. Don’t get me wrong, you have to be talented and have good equipment to do it, but it also helps to have Lady Luck in your corner. She’s got a real affinity for “Wild Thing” right now. But again, remember that “Luck is where preparation meets opportunity.”

If you don’t like him, give him credit for this much: he spread the love around. Busch was quick to credit his crew for good stops, to Joe Gibbs for their top flight organization, and for all his fans and all NASCAR fans.

Maybe’s he’s learning something. Nobody likes a champion who is not gracious.

The way he’s going right now, I wouldn’t bet against him. All the ingredients are there to take it all in 2008. I still think Edwards, Junior, Jimmie and maybe even the old guard like Gordon, Smoke, JB or even Biffle may have something to say about that- right now, it’s “Rowdy’s World” and we’re living in it. 

Other random thoughts…

Brian Vickers’ pit penalties sure screwed up a good opportunity to have an awesome finish….did you see Paul Menard weave through that big wreck? Dinging the inside barrier looked like a better altnernative than getting crumpled up in the middle of the crash….FOX reported their NASCAR ratings were up this year, so much for the death of NASCAR, huh?….Jeff Hammond made a good point and I must concede that I agree. Unlike free-agent-to-be Greg Biffle, who’s stated he’d prefer to stay at Roush, you don’t hear how Smoke want to stay at Gibbs. He may be gone- or he’s screwing with the media big-time…The speculation that Franchitti will give up NASCAR was something I foudn interesting. There seems to be a school of thought that this “stock car thing” is harder than it looks…According to Darrell Waltrip, even Sam Hornish is not sure a sure bet to stick around.

It’s all the drama that keeps us watching, and helps us endure a race like today.

 

Fearless Forecast: Empire Strikes Back

It just seems like certain TEAMS own certain race tracks. It’s kind of odd how it works that way. I mean you expect certain drivers to have a particularly good feel for certain surfaces and distances. Jeff Gordon does very well on the short tracks and road courses. Bobby Labonte has 6 of his 21 career wins at Atlanta. You may not be able to count on Michael Waltrip to win too many races, but he’s a darn good bet on super speedways, as well as his former teammate- Dale Earnhardt Jr. Kasey Kahne rules on the intermediates, as does fellow young gun Carl Edwards. Speaking of Edwards, he’s known as the “King of Concrete.”

Dover is a concrete track, a one miler with a short track feel, loads of banking and changing elevations, giving it a roller coaster ride effect. It’s interesting to know then, that while Edwards is ordinarily awesome on concrete tracks (Nashville, for example), Edwards is just well,, ordinary at Dover. His driver rating of just over 98 puts him at #8 among active drivers. His starting position of 14th is not something get all tingly over either. At the same time, this is a track where Roush-Fenway has a solid track record. For tomorrow’s race, Roush driver Greg Biffle is one the pole and Jamie Mc Murray is in the #5 spot. Biffle has the best driver rating here at 113, while another Roush veteran, Matt Kenseth is second with a rating of 111.  Just about the only driver that’s an unknown quantity at Dover is David Ragan- who’s been on a roll lately.

Speaking of drivers on a roll, Kasey Kahne is coming on an all-star win and a trip to Victory Lane at the Coca-Cola 600. Kahnehas a poor track record at Dover, with a driver rating of 86. His starting position of 15th is nothing to write home about.

As far as driver ratings go, the top 5 at Dover are Biffle, Kenseth, Mark Martin, Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Busch. Something tells me “Rowdy” won’t be that great this week. Just a feeling.

Bringing up Johnson’s name reminds us that “Team Hendrick” is strong here too. You don’t see Jeff Gordon’s name on that top 5 list, but the veteran leads active drivers at Dover with 4 wins (Gordon is joined at the top by Bill Elliott and Mark Martin). Johnson has 3 wins here, and the newest addition to the HMS stable, Dale Jr. has one of his 17 career wins on this track (the MBNA Cal Ripken 400 in 2001).

In fact, I’m going to say that a Hendrick driver is going to pull off the win. A driver ready to bounce back. It’s tempting to go with Jeff Gordon, but I’m going to say that….

Jimmie Johnson will win tomorrow’s race.

The Lowe’s “48″ will start out of the #4 hole, and all the adjustments being made seem to be working for Johnson and crew chief Chad Knaus. Johnson, a two-time defending champion is hungry after some less-than-satisfying recent runs. Johnson has a way of doing constructive things with that kind of hunger. Hendrick has only one victory in 2008 after owning the NASCAR schedule in 2007, but I think they’ll add another win tomorrow- whether it’s Johnson or Gordon.

I also look for other drivers to bounce back tomorrow. Kurt Busch ran some great laps last week and Matt Kenseth isn’t giving up. Never give up on Tony Stewart, who has two wins at DIS.    

Now a sure sign of a Kahne resurgence would be a win here.

Other young guns that bear watching include the ubiquitous Kyle Busch, A.J. Allmendinger- who qualified in the 8th spot, and A.J.’s Red Bull teammate Brian Vickers. The North Carolinian qualified 6th and was wicked fast at Lowe’s before the infamous “wheel incident.” Ryan Newman’s looking good, in spite of all the complaint he’s recently logged in his Yahoo! blog.

Drivers seem to have a lot of fun at this track. It also seems that the shorter the distance with the new car, the better the racing.

I can’t wait. 

 

“Pull Those Belts Tight!”- The “Monster Mile” Edition

Up Next: The Autism Speaks 400 presented by Best Buy, Dover International Speedway- Sunday June 1, 2008. Green flag start- 2 p.m. EDT, 11 a.m. PDT. Broadcast on FOX-TV network with Mike Joy, Larry Mc Reynolds and Darrell Waltrip. Radio broadcast- MRN, Sirius Satellite Network.

Track Facts- The first race ran at the Deleware track on July 6, 1969 as the Mason- Dixon 300. “The King”, Richard Petty won that race, the first of his 7 victories on the “Monster Mile.”

Dover International Speedway is a one mile track with 24 degrees of banking in the turns and 9 on the straights.  With the banks and changing elevation on the track, drivers liken the ride on the concrete track to riding on a roller coaster. Another interesting fact: there are only 42 pit stalls for the 43 drivers. Two of them will have to be nice and share.

Track Records: Richard Petty and Bobby Allison are the all-time leading winners with 7 victories at Dover. Jeff Gordon and Mark Martin are the leading winners here among active drivers with 4 each in Cup competition.

Last year- Martin Truex Jr. and Carl Edwards won the Spring and Fall events respectively. For the New Jersey born Truex it was his first and so far, only career victory at the Cup level.

The qualifying record is held by Jeremy Mayfield, who did it in a Dodge for Ray Evernham on June 4, 2004 with a speed of 161.522 m.p.h., for a lap time of 22.288 sec. David Pearson, who won 105 NASCAR Cup races, holds the record for poles at Dover with 5. Ryan Newman and Jimmie Johnson started out front in the Spring and Fall of 2007.

Who’s the fastest at Dover? Mark “The Kid” Martin finished the MBNA 400 in a time of 3 hours and 50 seconds with an average of 132.719 m.p.h. on Sept. 21, 1997 driving a Roush Racing Ford. 

The oldest race winner at “DIS” was Harry Gant won the race the age of 52 years, 4 months and 21 days on May 31, 1992. The youngest? Jeff Gordon at 24 years, 1 month and 13 days on Sept. 17, 1995. Ever hotice how these guys always show up on this one?

The yellow flag waved a record 16 times on Sept. 16, 1993. There were NO cautions waved at the June 6, 1971 edition of the Mason- Dixon 500.

When fans think of Dover, they think of crab cakes and concrete. Given his record of excellence on concrete tracks, be on the look-out for “Cousin Carl.” Because the surface is concrete, there will be no need to worry about changing track conditions like we had at Lowe’s.  With it’s positioning in the Northeast United States, this is the closest thing to a home track for Martin Truex Jr. and Todd Bodine. Don’t think being close to home matters? “The Onion” (Bodine) has won 3 Nationwide races at Dover, Randy Lajoie 2 in the “second series.” Martin Truex has won a Cup race and 2 Nationwides at DIS.

Some other active winners here include- Jimmie Johnson and Ryan Newman have 3 wins at Dover, Tony Stewart has climbed the fence in Delaware twice. Greg Biffle, Jeff Burton, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Bobby Labonte, Matt Kenseth, Kyle Petty, and Ken Schrader all have a single win at Dover.

We’ll be keeping all these things in mind as we prepare for the “Fearless Forecast” this Saturday. Hopefully, rain won’t be the factor it was last year, though I should warn you the long range forecasts call for a significant chance of rain Sunday. Thankfully, if that be the case, by virtue of being a radio sports guy I have to (oh darn) watch the race at work!

Like that little dog in the Disney movie that Cheech Marin did the voice for said: “If this is torture, chain me to the wall.”

NASCAR Terminology- A NASCAR For Dummies Primer

Fire extinguisher switch- Did you know that the cars had one of these? All you do is pull the switch and fire-suppressing chemicals are released into the driving compartment. How cool is that?

 Axle- (Not to be confused with Axel, as in Rose)- Rotating shafts connecting the rear differential gears to the rear wheels.

Gears- Circular, wheel-shaped parts with teeth along the edges. The interlocking of these two mechanisms enables one to turn the other.

That’s all for now! Until we meet again, “Keep It Off The Walls.”

 

 

NASCAR Stocks (Top 10 Rankings): Movin’ Up, Goin’ Down

It’s a tight field in the top ten, and the ranks keep shifting. What I like about this season, is you never really know what’s going to happen. I was lucky enough to predict Kasey Kahne’s victory, but the truth is that there’s very little separation from driver to driver. Things are a little different this week, and I think you’ll be surprised where some guy landed.

#10- Kasey Kahne- (unranked last week)- Can a little confidence make that much difference? Apart of the reason, I predicted a Kahne win was the way he carried himself during his press conference after the All-Star win. He’s gone from acting like a top 15 driver to acting like a champion. Gillett Evernham has benefited greatly on Ray Evernham’s emphasis on the racing side of things. They keep this up, and we’ll see Elliott Sadler in the chase!

#9- Greg Biffle- (unranked last week)- The two week run at Lowe’s has been good for “The Biff” too. Except for Kahne’s Coca-Cola 600 win, Biffle is better across the board than the “9.”

#8- Tony Stewart- (unchanged from last week)- A flat tire was all that kept him from winning at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. But have no fear Smoke fans, it ain’t July yet, and history tells us that Stewart heats up with the weather. Statistically, the “Big Orange” is just ahead of Biffle in terms of average finish, 14.7 to 15.1.

#7- Jeff Gordon- (up 2 spots from 9th last week)- Based on the way he ran most of the race, I never would have imagined him here. The way Gordon’s talking right now, he’s the “anti-Kahne.” Take it easy Jeff, you’re getting better. Your average finish of 9.6 is 4th behind Kyle Busch, Junior, and Jeff Burton.

#6- Denny Hamlin- (down 3 spots from 3rd last week)- I’m quite sure some members of Junior Nation feel like Denny’s 24th place finish was just desserts after Hamlin swatted JRM driver Brad Keselowski in the Nationwide Series Saturday night. Hamlin’s starting to fade, but his 4th place standing in the points reminds us of what he’s accomplished up until recently.

#5- Clint Bowyer- (up 1 spot from 6th last week)- Bowyer’s been kind of quiet since the traveling NASCAR circus came to Concord, but 1 win, 3 top 5s, and 7 top 10s cannot be ignored.

#4- Jeff Burton- (up 1 spot from 5th last week)- “Mr. Consistency” racked up another top 10, 6th in Sunday’s marathon race. All race long, you kind of forget he’s around, then, the checkered flag drops, and by golly, there he is. Burton is 2nd in the points, and tied for 3rd in top 10s with Carl Edwards- both racers have 8.

#3- Carl Edwards- (down from 2nd last week)- Did Edwards really race Sunday? I gotta say that’s just about the quietest top 10 anyone’s ever run. I think Carl lucked up on attrition, but hey, it’s all about where you are at the end, and the Missourian managed to miss all the mid-race fireworks and kept gas in his car.

#2- Dale Earnhardt Jr.- (up 2 from 4th last week)- Give Junior props for not quitting on his team Sunday. It would have been a legendary finish if he could have come back from the wreck with J.J. Yeley to take the checkered. Kinda makes you think of Earnhardt’s old man, doesn’t it? The only drivers more consistent than Lil “E” have been Kyle Busch and Burton.

#1- Kyle Busch- (unchanged from last week)- Love him or hate him, you can’t ignore him. Give “Rowdy” props for fighting through mechanical problems to finish 3rd at Lowe’s behind Kahne and Biffle. I thought the altercation with Gordon was childish, but that doens’t affect the points, it just solidifies his standing as “NASCAR’s resident bad boy.” Still, Busch keeps running like a scared jackrabbit.

Falling Out- Sorry Johnson fans, Jimmie’s 38th place finish hurt him this week. He’ll be back. David Ragan didn’t last long in the top 10, BUT  Ragan’s 12th place run Sunday reinforces the idea he’s capable of running up front and staying there.

Ready to Strike- Kevin Harvick is actually 7th in points, a couple of good races and he’ll be back. I’d also keep my eyes open for runs by Matt Kenseth, and maybe even Juan Montoya.

Up next is the “Monster Mile”- Dover. Check out tomorrow’s preview as we bring you another edition of “Pull Those Belts Tight!”

    

 

Fearless Forecast: Deja Vu at Charlotte?

It has to be a match made in Heaven when a driver rocks at his sponsor’s track. Of course, conspiracy theorists who say NASCAR is rigged have a field day with the fact that Jimmie Johnson has 5 victories at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. It would also be too easy to predict the “48″ as the winner of the Coca-Cola 600, especially given that he’s won the holiday marathon race 3 times.

But I’m not going to….

Don’t get me wrong, Jimmie is in the mix big time. I, for one, do not think his mojo is completely gone, and I believe he will be top 5 for the 2008 season. By the same token, something in my gut tells me he’s not winning this one. As a matter of fact, I’m going to go out on a limb and say that the best Hendrick performance will come from Jeff Gordon. Johnson still has some bouts of inconsistency with getting the car set up just right for him. In fact, I’ll go as far as to say that Johnson may be the surest evidence how difficult this car is to get a handle on for driving. By the same token, it’s like Jeff Burton said on “NASCAR Confidential” yesterday- it’s still way early yet, and in due time, teams will get it figured out. As for Dale Jr., my opinion is that he’s pressing and still over-driving his cars, something that does not bode well for a 600-mile race.

Speaking of people who over-drive their cars, I will go on record once again this week by saying Kyle Busch will NOT win. Granted, it wasn’t his fault that Joe Gibbs’ experimental engine bailed on him and cost him the win in the All-Star race. I am also aware that “Shrub” said he would work to not push his car over the line. Saying it and doing it are two different things however.

I expect that Roush will be represented at or near the front. Matt Kenseth is too good to stay down long. Greg Biffle is coming off a good week. Carl Edwards is well, Carl Edwards- and he has a mastery of the mile and a half’s. David Ragan may also continue his unlikely run of looking good and running strong. This is, after all, a race known for producing first victories (such as last year’s Coke 600 winner Casey Mears).

Keep your eyes open for Childress boys. I’m not sure which one, if not all three drivers between Kevin Harvick, Jeff Burton and Clint Bowyer will run well. I actually think this race favors Burton’s conservative approach. One if not all of these guys will run well.

But my pick does not come from this team…

My pick is a guy who’s running with a high level of confidence right now. He’s also a good one for not wearing out his equipment. He’s also been a multiple race winner here, sweeping the 2006 schedule at Lowe’s, and he was also last week’s All-Star race winner.

I’m going to go with Kasey Kahne.

Kahne’s had SOME good runs, though he’s had a hard time getting to the top five or victory lane. But just listen to his interviews, and you can tell he’s there in terms of his confidence. Your crew chief is important in a distance race like this, and I think the Enumclaw, Washington native’s pit boss, Kenny Francis has the perfect working relationship with his driver. The gutsy call from last week only enhances that relationship.

Of course, having former race strategist extrodinaire Ray Evernham as your owner certainly doesn’t hurt.

 

 

 

Pull Those Belts Tight!- The Coca- Cola 600 Edition

Up Next: The Coca-Cola 600, Lowe’s Motor Speedway, Concord, North Carolina, May 26, 2008. Green flag- 5:30 p.m. EDT, 2:30 p.m. PDT. Broadcast on FOX-TV with Mike Joy, Darrell Waltrip and Larry Mc Reynolds. Radio broadcast on MRN and Sirius Satellite Network.

Track Facts: The First green flag waved for a Cup race here on June 19, 1960. Joe Lee Johnson was the first to see the checkered flag.

Lowe’s Motor Speedway is a mile-and-a-half oval track with 24-degrees of banking in the turns, and 5 degrees on the straights. Track conditions will change considerably mid-race as the race goes from day to night.

The Sprint Cup record for wins at LMS is shared by Darrell Waltrip and Bobby Allison who each won 6. Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon lead active drivers with 5 apiece. Mark Martin has won 6 races at this track in a Nationwide car.

Casey Mears won last year’s Coca-Cola 600, Jeff Gordon won the Bank of America 500 in October, 2007.

Other Track Records: The qualifying record is held by Elliott Sadler with a time of 27.948 seconds at a speed of 193.216 m.p.h. on October 15, 2005. The “King Of Qualifying” is David Pearson, who captured 14 during his lengthy career.

The fastest race? That was run by Jeff Gordon with a speed of 160.306 m.p.h., running the October 11, 1999 race in a time of 3 hours, 7 minutes, and 31 seconds. Fred Lorenzen has the record for a 400 mile race (1964), and Bobby Labonte has the record for a 600 mile event (1995), but their speeds (134.559 m.p.h. and 151.952 m.p.h. respectively) do not approach Gordon’s.

The oldest winner at Lowe’sis  Cale Yarborough, winning the 1985 Miller 500 at age 46 years, 6 months, and 9 days. The youngest? Jeff Gordon, who at age 22 years, 9 months and 25 days won the 1994 Coca- Cola 600.

A record number of yellow flags waved here 22 times on May 29, 2005. 0 cautions flew on May 21, 1961.

“The 600″ is NASCAR’s answer to a marathon event. Fuel mileage smarts helped pave the way to Casey Mear’s maiden victory last year. The fact the J.J. Yeley and Kyle Petty finished second and third tells yo this race’s outcome can be a little different.

As I mentioned earlier, drivers and crews have to be prepared for changing conditions as the race goes on. You can figure that about the first 2 and a half hours will be in dwindling daylight, and could go as late as another hour to an hour and half under the lights. A driver’s endurance will also be tested. I don’t know how you’d measure a driver’s ability to focus long-term, but it’s not hard to imagine you will need plenty of mental and physical fuel in the tank to take the checkered flag at about 10 p.m.

No doubt Kasey Kahne (who for those of you in Rio Linda won last week’s all-star race at LMS) also has demonstrated mastery of the speedway by sweeping the 2006 races,  will be poised for victory. The aforementioned Gordon and Johnson have their record of success, plus Ryan Newman has a pile of poles. Some other racers to keep your eye on who’ve run well here are Dale Earnhardt Jr., Matt Kenseth, Bobby Labonte, and Mark Martin.

Saturday- I’ll offer up my predicted winner in the “Fearless Forecast.”

NASCAR Terminology- A NASCAR For Dummies Primer

Bite: We have two definitions for this term. (1) “Round of bite” describes the turning or adjusting of a car’s jacking screws found at each wheel. “Weight jacking” distributes the car’s weight at each wheel. (2) Adhesion of a tire to the track surface.

Tri-oval: A racetrack that has a “hump” or “fifth turn” in addition to the standard four corners. Not to be confused with a triangle shaped speedway, which has only three distinct corners.

Stagger: The difference in size between the tires on the left and right sides of a car. Because of a tire’s makeup, slight variations in circumference result. Stagger between right-side and left-side tires may range from less than a half inch to more than an inch. Stagger only applies to bias-ply tires and not radials.   

That’s all for this week. Be sure to thank a vet as we celebrate their sacrifices this weekend. Until race day, be sure to take it easy in the turns and keep it off the wall!

NASCAR Stocks: Headed for Turn Two

Let’s re-visit for a moment my Top Ten Power Poll from last week. Once again, here are the top drivers, in my not-so humble opinion (All-Star race- a non-points race is not factored in):

#1- Kyle Busch- Can’t argue with the wins and being a factor in EVERY race this season.

#2- Carl Edwards- He’d easily be #1 if not for Busch. A kinder, gentler Shrub.

#3- Denny Hamlin- Overshadowed by teammate Busch, he’s charging hard as of late.

#4- Dale Earnhardt Jr.- Only needs the wins to vault towards the top. Is not running bad races.

#5- Jeff Burton- Putting together his typical quietly solid season.

#6- Clint Bowyer- He’s on the verge of really breaking out. He’ll be here at the end of the day.

#7- Jimmie Johnson- This isn’t a bad position for the “sneaky fast” David Pearson-style.

#8- Tony Stewart- Like Johnson, he may only go upward. Look for upward movement in July.

#9- Jeff Gordon- Wow. I’m not sure he stays up here. He and his team just look out of sorts.

#10- David Ragan- “David Wreck-Um” has evolved. It’s gotta help he has good mentors at Roush.

 

Ready to Strike:

The wily vets (they run well, their equipment questionable)- Matt Kenseth (mainly a victime of bad luck),  Greg Biffle (like teammate Kenseth, the Edwards mojo hasn’t rubbed off), Bobby Labonte (he and Robbie Loomis have upgraded Petty’s team, but they’re not quite there yet), Dave Blaney (put him with an organization that’s not strapped for cash and he’s a top 15 easy), Kevin Harvick (his struggles are a mystery to me).

The young dudes: Ryan Newman (has real moments of brilliance, and others not-so), Kasey Kahne (he’ll get a lift from the All-Star win), Brian Vickers (can be really fantastic, and at other times as consistent as a paer cup in a wind storm), Juan Pablo Montoya (gives us some foreign intrigue), Martin Truex Jr. (just needs a little luck).

Up Next: “Pull Those Belts Tight!” Race Preview  (tomorrow), “Fearless Forecast” (Saturday), “Race Re-Cap” (Sunday), “Road To Glory” *Premier* (Monday).

 

Race Re-Cap: “The People’s Choice” Is All-Star Winner

What a breakthrough for Kasey Kahne. The last time the Enumclaw, Washington native visited Victory Lane was at this very same track in a sweep of Charlotte in 2006. If LMS is the “house that Jimmie built,” then Kasey must be the guy who bought it!

How fitting that the winner is the guy the fans voted in. The favorite of nutty soccer moms everywhere wouldn’t been here otherwise, but he fought, clawed from the back of the field and otherwise hung around and put himself in a position to be there when it counted- outlasting Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Denny Hamlin and Greg Biffle.

A big assist goes out toe crew chief Kenny Francis. Commentators could not believe that Kahne and a handful of other drivers would pass up tire changes on the final pit stop before the 4th and final segment. In fact, Darrell Waltrip was JUST POSITIVE that “The Biff” would catch Kahne on the final green, but it was nothing doing for the #16 Ford.

Random Notes-

I want ya’ll to know I heard that snickering when Kyle’s car gave up. Love or hate him, he ain’t going away…What a bummer for Elliott Sadler. I think he had a car that could have made a good showing before he got hosed by A.J. Allmendinger in the “Showdown.”….I’ll be curious to see if there’s any truth to this idea that JGR experimented with an old engine tonight that had given them problems before. Here’s some free advice guys. If that was case, blow that mother up!….It will be interesting to see if there’s anything drivers can use from this experience to try to win at the Coca- Cola 600.

COMING SOON: “Everyone has a dream. Only a few get to live it.” Coming soon to the “Finish Line”- a weekly feature called “Road To Glory”where race fans will have the chance to follow a young racer who may one day be NASCAR’s “Next Big Thing”- Preston Jones, a 17 year old “Super 4″ racer from Central Point, Oregon.

Jones is already wracking up wins in the young season at Southern Oregon Speedway- a 1/3 mile dirt track near Medford, Oregon- including a dash from last to first. The high school junior aspires to NASCAR glory, one way or another. With a little help from me, Jones will chronicle his successes and failures as the 2008 season unfolds.

If you’ve ever wondered what it was like for a promising, young driver at the green flag of his career, you won’t want to miss this. That’s “Glory Road”- coming soon on Mondays at “The Finish Line.”

 

 

 

Race Re-Cap: Busch Dominant In Darlington

This weekend at Darlington broke the mold in so many ways. On the re-paved surface, we got a new qualifying record, a surprisingly low number of cautions and DNFs, and a new race speed record.

I couldn’t have been more off the mark. I picked the wrong Busch brother (Kurt) to win, and in a message board pool, I picked Kyle to finish dead last. I also figured that a lower division nameplate to do well here, I just didn’t expect it to be Ford instead of Dodge. I also said that the kids wouldn’t run well tonight. David Ragan and race winner Kyle Busch proved me wrong.

I was with Greg Biffle’s spotter. He suggested Biffle give up the lead early in the race to “Wild Thing” because there was no way he’d finish it. Once again, the guy who wouldn’t finish it was The #16 3-M Ford. The younger Busch, coming off a controversial 2ndplace finish in Richmond, looked like he was going to use his car up before he ever got to the final lap.

It’s weird to think that the guy with the most wins here (David Pearson) was known for conservation and cunning. The 23 year old from Las Vegas runs more in the tradition of Fireball Roberts (notorious for using up his cars) and Junior Johnson (his racing philosophy was to get up front as quickly as possible…and stay there).

We may be witnessing a driver re-writing the rulebook for how races are won in the new car. Lord knows Busch broke all the old ones. Did you see all that brake dust coming out of his right front? And how about the way he was brushing the wall? I was expecting “Shrub” to bust into a chorus of the Johnny Cash tune “I Got Stripes” at any time. It just didn’t seem like he should win when you also throw in the pit violation and his complaints about his “pathetic” car. Oh, that Dave Blaney’s car could be that pathetic.

Besides Busch, a lot of guys we don’t talk much about should get some credit for a good race. Though the Roush team was plagued with wheel problems, upstart David Ragan finished 5th in addition to Edwards in 2nd. Teammate Matt Kenseth shook loose of a few demons and ended up 6th. Journeyman Dave Blaney ran his best race of the year in crossing the line 9th. Travis Kvapil, who’s making a Cup comeback this year after a solid career in the Craftsman Truck Series finished 8th on a fitting night where he was sponsored by Lafayette Ford, sponsor the #28 back in the Freddy Lorenzen days.

Some the other name drivers deserve a shout out for their performances. Carl Edwards’ finish is amazing when you consider he started at near the back of the field. Jeff Gordon has a great race to vault himself into the top 10 for the point standings. And Dale Jr.? Well, he was consistent again, racking up another top five and ready to strike if anyone faltered.

But above all else, Tony Stewart gets the “Rocky Balboa” Award- fighting, gouging and clawing his way to a respectable 21st after tangling with Elliott Sadler on the 3rd lap.

No- this race was definitely NOT what I expected- however, I was not disappointed with the racing and the thrill of a Saturday race under the lights.

 By the way- Happy Mother’s Day to the two best Moms in the world- my mom, Lenore Pittock of Keizer, Oregon. Thanks for believing in me, and letting me test out my ever-running mouthon your longsuffering ears. Then of course, there’s my lovely wife Lynnae, without whom I would not be a dad to the cutest kids in the world.

To all you Moms- HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY FROM THE BOYS AT ‘THE FINISH LINE.”Zooooom…

 

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