Jack Roush Racing

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. 

 

What was Humpy thinking??

I am going to assume that Humpy had a better vision than a reality after the mess that was, the Burnout Competition.

In the first annual event, drivers had to get a tire smoking, tear jerking, shredding start, make two complete 360 “donuts”, then, smoke through “Victory Lane” a little ways past the start/finish line.

Greg Biffle and Kyle Busch were the only ones who actually followed the rules.  Clint Bowyer gave an encore after completing, but he did not come to a complete stop in Victory Lane, so he got docked 5 seconds.

I am still trying to comprehend what in the world Jimmie Johnson was thinking.  He said in an “after-burnout” interview he was trying to knock down all the cones.  He did get an event-record 20 seconds in penalties.

Greg Biffle was the overall winner.  He got 10-grand donated to his foundation.

A good idea gone bad for Humpy.  The fans didn’t really enjoy it as much as thought at first.  The rules confused the fans and drivers.  If they indeed decide to have a Second Annual, I would suggest they just make it a free-style format, and let the fans decide the winner based on croud volume.

Gibbs looking for a Tony Stewart replacement

Sources tell NASCAR FanZone that Joe Gibbs Racing is now heavily pursuing a driver to replace Tony Stewart, who appears will be leaving at the end of the season.

We were told the Carl Edwards was high on their wish list, but he has since signed an extension with his current team Roush Fenway Racing. However, during Carl’s contract negotiations there was another team that placed a bid for Edwards, and it turns out that that team was indeed Joe Gibbs Racing.

When reached for comment about the Carl Edwards bid, JD repeatedly said, “We don’t discuss driver negotiations.”

Greg Biffle could be the next on JGR’s wish-list.

****CORRECTION:  I wasn’t thinking straight.  Greg Biffle isn’t 100% happy at Roush, he complained of faulty parts last weekend, which led to his 43rd place finish.  My bad.****

Last time for Jarrett

The upcoming NASCAR Sprint Cup All-Star race in Concord, NC is planned to be the career finale for Dale Jarrett. Wouldn’t it be great if he could win his first career all-star race this weekend?

Dale Jarrett will be in the race because of his 1999 Sprint Cup Series championship.

Dale Jarrett started his luxurious career in 1977. Racing at a Track his father (Ned Jarrett) owned, Hickory Motor Speedway.

“Enjoy this. We all have our time in this, and mine has been fantastic. To me, it has been an honor and a privilege to be able to race in this series and say I raced with and against and sometimes beat the best in the world. Thanks for allowing me to do that. Enjoy it. It’s a great sport, and you guys make it what it is.”

That was the quote from Dale Jarrett prior to his last points race at Bristol.

Dale Arnold Jarrett has achieved many awards and honors in his life. Including 1999 Sprint Cup champion, 2004 USG Person of the Year, and in 1998, he was named one of NASCAR’s 50 greatest drivers.

In 680 races, Jarrett has 32 wins, 163 top fives, 260 top tens, 16 poles, he has completed 185,947 laps (236,209.6 miles) - leading 6972 laps. Over 24 years of racing in NASCAR’s highest series, he has accumulated $46,725,581 in winnings.

At Lowe’s Motor Speedway, 3 wins in 42 starts.

So, this weekend, NASCAR will be saying Goodbye to a champion, and one of the greatest racers in the history of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing.

(Left to right) H.A. ‘Humpy’ Wheeler, president and general manager of Lowe’s Motor Speedway, and Dale Jarrett unveil the car that the 1999 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion will drive in his final event, the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C. on May 17. (Photo Credit: HHP / Harold Hinson)

Fearless Forecast: The Winner At Richmond Will Be….

Let’s be scientific about this. I respect all 43 guys in the field, but let’s be real- we can eliminate 15 drivers right off the top. we’re talking about the guys in the line-up who’ve never won a Cup race. That includes the likes of David Ragan, Reed Sorenson and Patrick Carpentier-who did put forward good qualifying efforts. To me, this place is just a little too tough for a guy to get his first win. This whittles the field down to 28.

Then there’s the guys, that while capable, just don’t have the equipment to win. There’s about another 4 guys here who’ve won races, but because of things like funding and equipment- they have as much chance as a kerosene cat in Hell with gasoline boxers on. Kyle Petty, Sterling Marlin, and Joe Nemechek are among the racers that fall into this category. OK- now we’re down to 24.

Among the 43 entries are guy who just don’t win at short tracks. This includes all the Roush Fenway guys. I’m not sure what’s missing in their “Car of Today” short track program, but something’s missing. The you’ve got guys like Michael Waltrip, who is to Super Speedways like Boris Said is to road courses. I find 8 drivers in this group- taking the possibilities down to 16. Hard charger Kyle Busch is also in this group. He’ too aggressive on short tracks. You need some patience to win here.

Let’s not forget about the “luck factor.” There’s always somebody out there at any given time who arejust unlucky. Tony Stewart is having a run of bad luck. Bobby Labonte is another one. Overall, this group of guys number 4, so now we have 12 drivers to pick from.

Among the drivers who are left are guys who have the best chance of winning today. Guys who are “in their element” in Richmond. I’m talking about Kevin Harvick and Clint Bowyer from RCR, Mark Martin from DEI, Kasey Kahne from Gillett Evernham, Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr. from HMS (Jeff Gordon is one of my “bad luck” guys), and Ryan Newman from Penske- as well as Denny Hamlin from Joe Gibbs.

Frankly, it comes down to two guys- Denny Hamlin and Junior. Earnhardt has won 3 races at Richmond, and he’s been good enough to win this year, even though he hasn’t broken the spell. Now, I know that Hamlin is going to try to win from the pole- which isn’t easy. I also know the the “law of averages” are against a weekend sweep and he won last night. Yet there’s an “X” factor in all of this, I think the “11′ car has it. So in light of that, I predict…

DENNY HAMLIN WILL WIN AT RICHMOND- fulfilling his dream of winning at home. The odds may be a bit long, but that’s why we call it the “fearless forecast.”

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: 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.

 

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: “Cowboy” Carl Is King In “The House of Roush”

Alright, alright! Those talking heads that predicted a Carl Edwards victory are smarter than I am. I’m o.k. with that. Today was a day of vindication for a couple of men who had taken a beating over a couple of incidents this season. A couple of good men.

Add those 100 points that Edwards got docked and he’d be 4th in the Cup standings now. Deduction or not, regardless of how of why the oil tank lid came off at Vegas to produce the deduction of points, you’d have to agree that Carl Edwards looks like no less than a top five driver in the 2008 season. The 28 year old roped the wind and held on on a day that a lot of people could not.

For a while, Junior looked like the man- the #88 looked every bit as stout at the onset as it did Friday, with Edwards and Kyle Busch giving a push. Unfortunately for Lil’ “E,” he kept fading on long runs and with the speeds at Texas that produce few cautions (I lost track but I think we had a new record for fewest cautions), Earnhardt was just cursed. The longer they’d run, the looser Junior would get- and there just didn’t seem to be an answer for it. Busch’s story wasn’t radically different. I thought Darrell Waltrip’s comment that Shrub would’ve wrecked that car last year was a keen insight. Busch fought the car, and the car won- but this time Kyle wasn’t stupid about and held on for a solid 3rd place finish.

Edwards’ teammate Matt Kenseth looked as though he might have something for the Missourian. Until a near miss with Juan Pablo Montoya, Kenseth had a good stretch of leading. I’ll bet Kenseth misses Robbie Reiser. It just seems weird to have one of the best pit bosses ever making calls for somebody other than the #17. Kenseth was strong, but like the 41 others that didn’t have the #99 painted on the car- he wasn’t quite strong enough.

Jimmie Johnson looked as good today as he has all season. Johnson took a nice long turn as leader and made some exceptional moves today. Johnson really threaded the needle on a couple of passes and did a great job of hanging onto his Chevy when it got loose. Still, in post race interviews, Johnson admitted he just didn’t have anything for Edwards.

Though Texas Motor Speedway is a track known for parity- we’ve had 13 different winners in 15 Cup races- the Fort Worth track is truly “The House of Roush.” Edwards is the only 2-time winner at TMS, joining Jeff Burton in this select company. Burton’s 1st win at Texas came while driving for “The Cat In The Hat.” Today’s win gives Jack Roush 6 wins at Texas- Kenseth, Greg Biffle, and Mark Martin have won in Roush cars here.

This give me occasion to cut Jack Roush a little slack. I know I’ve made some nasty comments about Roush over “Sway Bargate,” and “Oil Tank Lidgate,” but at the end of the day, he’s one of the savviest minds in the motor sports business. Being the son of a welder/metal fabricator, I can see how Roush might feel a little protective of his handiwork. Roush comes at this with the perspective of an engineer, and it has to be maddening when you find things that you created in somebody else’s shop. I’m not sure the sway bars have done Michael Waltrip any good, but I am growing to understand why Roush made a big deal of it.

Some other random thoughts:

It was nice to see Mark Martin run well today to remind us he’s still got it….It’s a crying shame to see 3 cars in the field with no sponsor on the hood (John Andretti, Travis Kvapil, and David Gilliland)….Nice day for Gilliland to run 15th…David Ragan’s 13th place run proves he’s learning something out there…For all of you that think Jeff Gordon whines too much, I’d say you should’ve seen his in-race interview. No pointing fingers, no whining about the “new car,” just no whining. Period……Some Young Guns sure made some noise…That was quite a dash between Denny Hamlin and Clint Bowyer at the end…What happened to Kasey Kahne????….

I don’t know this is the best race I’ve ever seen, but as a radio sports guy, I give credit to the FOX boys for some smart insights today. Today was a real education about how a fan could learn about how a car is handling by watching a driver’s hands on the steering wheel.

My “Rocky Balboa Award” goes to Junior and Kevin Harvick. Both of these guys had cars that were horrors and still finished in the top 15. Happy and Earnhardt earned their check today.

I’m not real sure I’m ready to call Edwards a front runner for the Chase this year. And while it’s true that championships aren’t won in April, they can sure be lost in April.

Carl Edwards looks like he really wants to win one.

keep looking »