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2012 Season Preview: 1st-6th

2012-02-23T10:24:00.003-08:00

This is the final part of a series of articles by Brad Morgan previewing the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup season.

5. Kyle Busch

Kyle Busch seems to have conquered nearly every hurdle a professional driver faces except for one, his maturity.

Last year, the driver many fans call “Rowdy” once again failed to control his temper. The most notable incident was a Camping World Truck Series run-in with Ron Hornaday at Texas which cost Busch a start in the crucial Sprint Cup Chase race at the venue, ending his hopes of a championship.

As a result, the Las Vegas, Nevada native finished the season ranked 12^th in the standings, last amongst the Chasers. After participating in 35 of 36 races, Busch had compiled four wins, 14 top-5s, and 18 top-10s.

Over the years, NASCAR’s fines and sanctions have done little to change the driver’s on-track mentality, although Busch now sports a more understanding attitude during interviews.

While considered one of the most talented drivers on the circuit, the 2005 Rookie of the Year has encountered poor Chase results similar to last season’s fiasco throughout his career. He has been in the top three in points entering the Chase in each of his last three playoff births only to falter in one way or another down the stretch.

Winning races isn’t an issue for Busch. The 26-year-old has found victory lane 23 times over the course of his eight year Cup Series career. But, when will he take the next step towards winning a title?

The problem isn’t with the equipment or team. Crew chief Dave Rogers kept the No. 18 car at the front of the pack in 2011 (Busch led 1455 laps, the most of any driver); and with three owner’s championships in the series, Joe Gibbs Racing is considered one of Sprint Cup’s premiere organizations.

The Answer lies with Busch himself. Can he refrain from letting his emotions get the best of him during the seasons most crucial moments? Only time will tell.

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4. Kevin Harvick

Ask a NASCAR fan who they believe the best closer in the sport is. Similar to a closer in baseball, racing’s usage of the term is applied to the driver who seemingly appears out of nowhere in the final laps of a race to achieve victory.

Kevin Harvick made a strong statement for being the best driver during the closing laps in 2011. During races at Fontana (March 27), Martinsville (April 3) and Charlotte (May 29), he took the lead away with four laps remaining or less in order to win. In all, he scored four wins last year to go along with nine top-5s and 19 top-10s.

How close was Harvick to winning the Sprint Cup last season?

He finished 3^rd in the standings for the second time in a row, this year behind Tony Stewart and Carl Edwards. Normally a driver would be able to live with that sort of result. Harvick on the other hand became tired of coming up short in the title hunt and talked with team owner Richard Childress about making a change after the Kobalt Tools 500 (Nov. 13).

As a result, Gil Martin will be moved to director of team operations for Richard Childress Racing (RCR), and Shane Wilson will step in as the new crew chief of the No. 29 team beginning in 2012. Wilson was the crew chief for Harvick during the driver’s 2006 Nationwide Series championship run.

The aforementioned downsizing operation (see Jeff Burton and Paul Menard) that took place at RCR over the winter may also have a positive affect on the 2001 Rookie of the Year’s chances this season.

All of the pieces are in place for the Bakersfield, California native to make another serious run at the Sprint Cup championship. If Harvick can continue his closing laps heroics, he’ll likely have a shot to grab the title.

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3. Matt Kenseth

Matt Kenseth is a driver who has built a solid career from his ability to stay consistently fast and avoid trouble at most tracks.

In 2003, Kenseth took home the championship while managing only one victory.

Last season, wins weren’t a problem for the Cambridge, Wisconsin native. He won three races (his highest total since 2006) while collecting 12 top-5s and 20 top-10s.

On paper Kenseth’s 4^th place finish in points doesn’t look bad. But, it’s a wonder that he was able to finish that high after adding in several misfortunes that the driver encountered during the Chase. At Chicago (Sept. 19), he ran out of fuel on the final lap before coasting to a 21^st place finish. During the Tums Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville, Kenseth had run-ins with Kyle Busch and Brian Vickers, eventually finishing 31^st. Later at Phoenix (Nov. 13), he suffered a DNF after another incident with Vickers. Outside of this series of mishaps, his playoff run looks similar to that of teammate Carl Edwards.

The 14-year veteran will have a new look for 2012 after Crown Royal parted ways with the team. The No. 17 Ford Fusion will be sponsored by a variety of companies including: Best Buy, Valvoline, Zest Soap, and Ford EcoBoost.

Qualifying has never been Kenseth’s strength, but in 2011 the tides began to turn as he posted a 14.2 average starting mark, which is the best of his career. He has always been a driver who can gain and maintain position after the green flag drops, but if his qualifying speeds continue to trend upwards, the driver’s job will be much easier.

Crew chief Jimmy Fennig could be a major reason behind his driver’s recent upsurge. After taking over for Todd Parrott halfway through the 2010 season, Kenseth has once again been amongst the series best drivers on a constant basis.

If this driver-crew chief duo picks up where they left off in 2011, Kenseth will be a major contender for the Sprint Cup.

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2. Jimmie Johnson

Did "Superman" Jimmie Johnson finally lose his cape?

It’s easy to be skeptical of Johnson after 2011. The five-time champion had the worst season since his rookie year in 2002.

For a driver who’s grown accustomed to sitting onstage at the NASCAR Drivers Banquet, two wins, 14 top-5s, and 21 top-10s is way off pace. The statistics weren’t the only thing missing from a lackluster campaign.

Johnson finished 6^th in points also a career worst. Usually, the Chase is the No. 48 team’s stomping grounds (Johnson has 20 career wins during the Chase). But last season, the talented driver had no such luck during the final ten races. His hopes of an unprecedented sixth championship were dashed after a hard crash ended his night at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

What did Hendrick Motorsports do to correct last season’s letdown? Besides altering the color of the car to a dark blue and white pinstriped design, they didn’t change very much.

The pairing of the driver Johnson and crew chief Chad Knaus is perhaps the most potent matchup in the sport today on a regular basis. The two have been together since the beginning of Johnson’s career, and the offseason has given them some needed time apart.

The best thing that the 2010 Driver of the Year could have possibly done over the offseason is to learn to forget. But, the pressure of being a defending champion has now been lifted from his shoulders, meaning Johnson should be at his best.

He also has a new reason to be motivated. After failing to capture a sixth championship, the driver now wants to prove that he can win again as a driver for what is possibly Sprint Cup’s best organization.

Johnson’s first goal will be to knock off the rust that halted his run during the second half of last year’s Chase. His second goal will be to recapture the title and climb a step closer to Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt on the all-time championships list.

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1. Carl Edwards

One point is the only thing that separated Carl Edwards from being crowned the 2011 Sprint Cup champion.

Because he finished runner-up to Tony Stewart by the closest margin ever, Edwards should simply continue to take the same approach when preparing for races in 2012. After all, it couldn’t happen again right?

The 19 top-5s and 26 top-10s that the 2007 Nationwide Series champion collected are easily good enough to have won the championship any other year. Perhaps the only thing holding the No. 99 team back was its inability to win. In 2012, Edwards should attempt to be more aggressive in order to improve upon the single victory he had last season.

Winning more races wouldn’t hurt his chances, and the driver’s most successful seasons have come when he is able to take the car to victory lane more often.

From an organizational standpoint, the biggest change from last season is the downsizing operation that took place over the winter.

While there a positives to a smaller organization, a move like this also carries potentially negative consequences. RFR lost at least 100 workers, some of which have been hired by other NASCAR teams. These former employees carried the knowledge they learned about RFR to their new organizations. This leak of information could hurt Edwards during the new campaign.

Otherwise, few changes were made over the offseason, making a repeat performance from last year all the more likely for the Columbia, Missouri native.

The driver’s Roush Fenway Racing (RFR) Ford will once again feature a bevy or sponsors including: Fastenal, Best Buy, UPS, Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes, Cheez-It, Aflac, and Subway; the resulting designs will give the car a different look almost every week. Bob Osbourne will return as the crew chief for the Fusion for the ninth consecutive year.

No matter the situation at RFR, Edwards has proven that he can drive well at virtually every track. This versatility should help him in the quest for his first Cup Series championship.

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Follow me on Twitter: @BradThinking

2012 Season Preview: 6th-10th

2012-02-21T17:55:00.004-08:00

Brad Morgan previews the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Season in part three of a four part series.

10. Kasey Kahne

Expectations have never been higher for Kasey Kahne. The driver who finished 2011 with one win, five top-5s and seven top-10s over the final eight races is making the much anticipated move to Hendrick Motorsports (HMS) after a delay of almost two years.

It has been a long time coming for Kahne; in April of 2010, the announcement was made that he would be joining HMS after Mark Martin parted ways with the organization following the 2011 season.

At the time, the Enumclaw, Washington native drove for Richard Petty Motorsports, where he spent the majority of the 2010 season before being released and promptly signed by Red Bull Racing (RBR) following the Bank of America 500. After racing for RBR during the 2011 season, the time has finally arrived for the journeyman driver to take Martin’s place in the No. 5 Impala fielded by HMS.

Over the past two seasons, Kahne has compiled a total of one win, 15 top-5s and 25 top-10s. While somewhat impressive, this level of efficiency won’t cut it at HMS where drivers must produce at a high level in order to keep their rides.

Kahne has shown flashes of the driver that won six races in 2006, but has also struggled with consistency while managing two Chase appearances in eight seasons.

The 2004 Rookie of the Year now drives for a team that’s built to succeed. His car will feature Farmers Insurance, Quaker State Oil, and Hendrickcars.com as the primary sponsors, giving the Impala a new look. In a positive move, Kenny Francis will continue his duties as crew chief for Kahne after following him to HMS.

Kahne will need to closely mirror his incredible run during the 2011 Chase in order to stay off the hot seat at an organization with 10 drivers’ championships and tons of pressure.

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9. Brad Keselowski

After 2011, it’s hard not to anoint Brad Keselowski as the next big thing. Roger Penske seems to think along those same lines; the team owner offered his driver a new two-year contract extension following a season with three wins, 10 top-5s and 14 top-10s.

Following a win at Kansas Speedway on June 5, “Bad Brad” was nothing less than elite. The 2010 Nationwide Champion showed the ability to dominate at almost every track on Cup schedule during his hot streak. He caught fire over the summer months and clinched the eleventh Chase spot because of wins, after rallying from 25^th in points at the beginning of June. Keselowski would go on to finish 5^th in the final standings, a career best.

After making the Chase, Keselowski seemed primed to make a run at the championship. He came up just short, rising as high as 3^rd in the standings before slowing down over the final four races.

Despite finishing 17^th or worse in each of the last four races, Keselowski continued to turn heads during the Chase. The conclusion of 2011 gives the driver something positive to build on entering the new campaign.

Can Keselowski build on his most successful season?

The answer may be out of his control. While there’s little doubt that the driver has the skill to compete at the next level, it remains unclear whether the “Blue Deuce” can also make that move. While Penske cars haven’t suffered widespread mechanical malfunctions in recent years, they also haven’t been as consistently fast as the championship winning teams’ entries. Last year, both Keselowski and former teammate Kurt Busch finished worse than 16^th in seven races. But, the organization still managed to have its best season since 2005 by helping both drivers make the Chase.

If Penske Racing can continue to make positive strides, and Keselowski capitalizes on last season, the sky is the limit.

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8. Jeff Gordon

Jeff Gordon enters 2012 hoping that he can conclude the latest version of the “Drive for Five” campaign with the Sprint Cup Trophy in hand.

2011 resulted in three wins, 13 top-5s and 18 top-10s for the past champion, but the 8^th place finish in points that resulted isn’t enough to please a driver of Gordon’s caliber. Even though he has come up short of a championship in each of the past 10 years, the four-time Cup winner showed signs of a return to form last year.

Three victories is Gordon’s highest win total since accumulating six in 2007, a year the driver finished 2^nd in points. The arrival of crew chief Alan Gustafson prior to the 2011 season might have accounted for the improvement. Gustafson’s experience dealing with talented drivers at Hendrick Motorsports (Kyle Busch and Mark Martin) showed at times as Gordon looked strong for long stints during races at Atlanta (Sept. 6), Bristol (Aug. 27), Indianapolis (July 31), Loudon (Sept. 25), Martinsville (Oct. 30), Phoenix (Feb. 27), and Pocono (Aug. 7).

But, this new driver/crew chief tandem will need to continue to improve their race day chemistry in order to keep Gordon at his peak performance level consistently.

The 20-year veteran will be more successful this year if he can maintain the same intensity over the summer months that landed him in the Chase last season. His worst finishes occurred at the beginning of the year and near its conclusion. Including the Daytona 500, Gordon had four sub-20^th place finishes over a two-month period that contributed to a slow start. At the end of the season, he encountered a similar stretch of finishes during a nine race span from Chicago (Sept. 19) to Phoenix (Nov. 13).

This is an important season for Gordon because it will show whether he is capable of winning the Sprint Cup, or if he’ll be stuck at four championships for the foreseeable future.

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7. Denny Hamlin

Expectations were high for Denny Hamlin entering 2011 after the driver finished runner-up to Jimmie Johnson in the 2010 Chase.

Unfortunately, “Hambone” struggled to find his stride last year despite finishing 9^th in points.

If you discount Hamlin’s final position in the standings, 2011 was arguably his worst season. While managing one victory, he set career lows with only five top-5s and 14 top-10s. He concluded the season with a career worst 16^th place average finish and led only 450 laps, less than half of his 2010 total (1184).

Hamlin finished the year with five top-12 finishes over the final 10 races, somewhat salvaging an otherwise disappointing season.

As a result, Mike Ford is out as crew chief of the No. 11 car after seven seasons with the team. He will be replaced by Darian Grubb, who takes over after parting ways with three-time champion Tony Stewart following the season. Grubb has encountered a great deal of success while working with elite drivers like
Stewart and Jimmie Johnson. He helped fuel “Smoke” during a magical run in the Chase, and enters 2012 on a crew chief hot streak of sorts.

Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) has formed a partnership with Toyota Racing Development (TRD) in conjunction with its engine shop. With the switch to TRD motors, Hamlin potentially benefits from gained reliability on race day. Last season, TRD supplied engines for Micheal Waltrip Racing, Red Bull Racing, and JTG Daugherty Racing. Those teams suffered three blown engines combined in 2011 compared to JGR’s six (Hamlin accounted for one).

Everything Darian Grubb touches seems to turn to gold. If the crew chief can work his magic on Hamlin, the driver will have a chance to rise to the high-water mark he set in 2010.

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6. Tony Stewart

No driver had ever won five races in the Chase for the Sprint Cup until Tony Stewart accomplished the feat last year in route to his third championship as a driver, and first as an owner.

Already considered a top tier talent, he was able to take his skill to another level during the season finale at Homestead-Miami, coming from behind to upset pole-sitter and title runner-up Carl Edwards.

Entering the Chase, it was hard to imagine that Stewart would be in contention for the championship given that he never created the impression that he was capable of doing so. The Columbus, Indiana native didn’t lead a single lap during the final six contests before the opening race of the Chase at Chicagoland Speedway (his first victory of the year).

He finished the year with five wins, nine top-5s and 19 top-10s.

So how will "Smoke" respond during his 2012 title defense?

The answer likely lies with the freshly formed relationship between Stewart and crew chief Steve Addington. The experienced crew chief should have no problems getting along with the three-time champion (he’s the former crew chief for both Kurt Busch and Kyle Busch), but he will need to assist in igniting the type of success that Darian Grubb helped generate in last year’s playoffs. Addington has developed a reputation for having trouble during the Chase because of past collapses while leading both Busch brothers.

Stewart will also need to challenge himself to stay sharp this season. Following his previous championships, the driver/owner has answered with some of his most disappointing seasons. He finished 7^th in 2003 following his title the prior year, and 11^th in 2006 despite collecting five wins.

If Stewart can avoid a semi-usual slow start, he could cement a Chase spot earlier than usual, putting himself into a position to repeat last year’s clutch performance.

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Follow me on Twitter: @bradthinking

2012 Season Preview: 11th-15th

2012-02-13T17:03:00.001-08:00

Brad Morgan previews the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Season in part two of a four part series.

15. Clint Bowyer

NASCAR’s “king of consistency” is on the move for the first time in his seven-year Sprint Cup Series career. Clint Bowyer was not re-signed by Richard Childress Racing (RCR) over the offseason, a move that eventually resulted in a new three-year deal with Michael Waltrip Racing (MWR) for the driver.

Childress turned down a potential sponsorship from 5-hour Energy secured by Bowyer last summer. As a result, the Emporia, Kansas native brings his newfound sponsor to MWR and the No. 15 Toyota Camry for 2012.

The change of scenery for Bowyer will create three full-time teams at MWR, a first for an organization entering its eleventh season of Sprint Cup competition. The deal will also make him the highest profile full-time driver at MWR.

The three-time Chase driver accumulated one win, four top-5s, and 16 top-10s last season, but narrowly missed the playoffs because of late-season struggles at Bristol, Atlanta, and Richmond.

Bowyer has never been with another team, so it is hard to predict how he will perform this year.

Despite a new environment, the 2008 Nationwide Series champion will need to continue to run well at tracks where he has traditionally had strong results (restrictor plate tracks, road courses, and short tracks). But if the past is any indication, he may be forced to up his performance because MWR cars have had a reputation for being less reliable than those at RCR over the last few years.

Bowyer will also need to bond with new crew chief Brian Pattie and a freshly assembled pit crew that has never competed together as a unit.

MWR has only two victories in its Sprint Cup history (both recorded by David Reutimann) and no Chase births. If Bowyer can find victory lane and/or make the Chase in his first year with the No. 15 team, it would go a long way towards improving the relationship with his new boss.
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14. A.J. Allmendinger

To "the Dinger" go the spoils. A.J. Allmendinger signed a one-year deal with Penske Racing over the offseason and will drive the No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Dodge Charger in 2012. He fills the void left by Kurt Busch, whose antics led to the 2004 champion’s eventual departure from the team.

Allmendinger was chosen for the ride by team owner Roger Penske over other drivers, including David Ragan and Brian Vickers. He will transition from the No. 43 at Richard Petty Motorsports (RPM), a position held since 2009.

The former open-wheel driver has seen continued success in the Sprint Cup Series following his rookie year in 2007. He has progressively improved his average finishing position (22.4, 17.8, and 16.1) and final points rank (24, 19, and 15) in each of his first three full seasons.

Last year, Allmendinger recorded a very pedestrian one top-5, but maintained a consistent average finish in a car that many consider to be inferior when compared to his new gig at Penske.

Numbers like these suggest that Allmendinger now has an opportunity to take his career to the next level and make a serious run at the Chase. He will also be after his first victory in NASCAR, which has eluded him up to now.

Driving for a stable of this caliber also means that an increased level of expectation will be placed on the driver. He isn’t the only new member of the team that will be forced to cope with the pressure that comes with driving for an owner like Penske.

Todd Gordon will be Allmendinger’s crew chief for the new campaign. Gordon was also on the move over the offseason. Last year, he played the same role for Penske driver Brad Keselowski in the Nationwide Series (a tandem that collected five wins).

If Allmendinger manages to impress Penske, he could be looking at a long-term contract offer with an organization that appears to be on the upswing.
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13. Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Is it possible that Dale Earnhardt Jr. struggled through his best year since joining Hendrick Motorsports (HMS)?

He raced his way into the Chase, and by the end of the schedule found himself 7^th in points. On April 17, and from June 5 through June 19, Junior was 3^rd in the standings, his highest marks since being 2^nd following the Daytona 500 in 2010.

All of this was done while leading a total of fifty-two laps over the course of the season. This output was by far the driver’s lowest total since joining Sprint Cup full-time in 2000 and ranked him 22^nd in that category.

Earnhardt’s failure to run up front led to the continuation of a familiar problem for the veteran, as he was unable to break his 129-race winless streak.

When will the streak end?

That’s hard to say, but the Kannapolis, North Carolina native’s chances to reach victory lane could be determined by how he begins the season. Junior’s best seasons with HMS have come when he gets off to a fast start. For instance, last year he was 8^th in the standings following the April 3 race at Martinsville and never fell below 10^th afterwards. Meanwhile, his worst seasons have occurred when he gets off to a slow start and never recovers.

Perhaps the inclusion of Steve Letarte was a reason behind a more consistent Earnhardt. Letarte replaced Lance McGrew as crew chief for the No. 88 following a sub-par year in 2010.

Diet Mountain Dew will replace AMP Energy Drink and appear alongside Army National Guard as a primary sponsor on the HMS machine.

Earnhardt will push for a win early in 2012, but he can’t get stressed if it doesn’t happen. The key for Junior this season is to replicate the sort of cool consistency he displayed last year.
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12. Ryan Newman

Newman was a model of consistency in 2011. He was able to run with the leaders and compete for wins on the way to a 10^th place finish in points. The veteran was able to finish in the top-20 in 27 races and finished worse then 25^th only twice.

As in past seasons, the “Rocket Man” was extremely fast in qualifying. He won the Coors Light Pole Award on three separate occasions, while collecting one win, nine top-5s, and 17 top-10s.

Because the 2002 Rookie of the Year was so reliable over the course of the season, his slight dip in production during the Chase was only noticeable after a second look. He encountered five sub-16^th place finishes during a seven race stretch from Loudon (Sept. 25) to Fort Worth (Nov. 6) that ended his chances for a championship.

He has usually been dependable on short tracks and at venues such as New Hampshire, Phoenix, and Pocono, but last season Newman was also able to avoid any major letdowns on tracks deemed “cookie cutters”. In order for the South Bend, Indiana native to see the same type of success in 2012, the driver will need to avoid mistakes and intelligently manage fuel mileage on the intermediate tracks that make up the bulk of the Sprint Cup schedule.

Newman’s chances this season will also depend on his team, which remains largely unchanged. Tony Gibson will return as the crew chief for the No. 39, in addition to many of the primary sponsors from last year.

The only major alteration that could have an impact on Newman is the addition of former championship crew chief Greg Zipadelli as Competition Director for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR).

2012 is a contract year for Newman, who will need to impress after SHR celebrated its first ever championship last season.
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11. Greg Biffle

Greg Biffle suffered through a disappointing season in 2011. For a driver who is used to competing for wins and a Chase birth, three top-5s and ten top-10s isn’t cutting it. To make matters worse, Biffle finished 16^th in points and missed the Chase for the first time since 2007.

The driver’s misfortune arguably stretched from a crash in the Daytona 500 all they way through a blown engine in the final race at Homestead. The 2002 Busch Series champion never reached the top-10 in points.

Perhaps the only bright spot for Biffle was a career high three Coors Light Pole Awards.

The Roush Fenway driver could however benefit from the organization downsizing to three cars over the winter. This might bring about a return to form for a veteran, who has always shown a certain level of regularity in results.

Although the Vancouver, Washington native didn’t win in 2011, he has been to victory lane on 16 different occasions over the span of his career. At a time when many of the sports top flight teams are on the rise, Biffle might to scrape together a few wins to insure a spot in the 2012 Chase.

His best shots will come at short tracks and flat tracks, types of venues where he has been highly competitive over the years.

The return of crew chief Matt Puccia may assist Biffle in making a return to the front of the pack. Strangely, the driver collected all three of his poles after Puccia took over following Greg Erwin’s departure after the July 9 race at Kentucky. Other then that, there were no major changes for the No. 16 team over the offseason.

Biffle’s new contract could take pressure off the driver as he prepares for another run at the Chase.

2012 Season Preview: 16th-20th

2012-02-02T19:55:00.001-08:00

Note: To countdown the start of the 2012 season, Brad Morgan will tell you what this year's top 20 drivers will look like after the checkered flag in Homestead. In this four part series, we start off with looking at the 16th-20th spots and will have 11th-15th next week.

20. Paul Menard

In many ways, 2011 was a career year for Paul Menard. After signing with Richard Childress Racing following the 2010 season, he finished 17th in points. He also won his first Sprint Cup Series race at the Brickyard.

Last year showed that Menard was able to run with the leaders at several tracks and he ended the season with highs in average starting position (12.0) and average finish (18.0).

Richard Childress drivers aren’t strangers to success at Daytona and Talladega, and Menard was no exception. He led all drivers with a 10th place average finish in restrictor plate races.

Menard was also able to take advantage of his new equipment on flat tracks such as Indianapolis and Pocono, a surface type that Childress cars have had success on in recent years.

Despite a solid campaign in 2011, some of his on track performance would suggest that Menard will have a hard time improving on what he did last year. While he showed potential on short tracks last season (5th at Bristol), he has traditionally struggled in this area over the course of his career. He also has mediocre average finishes at the road courses Infineon (23.5) and Watkins Glen (24.9).

Despite his downfalls, he flirted with the Chase contenders for most of the 2011 season before finally fading.

Shifts within RCR may help him improve even more in 2012. Over the off season, Childress cut ties with Clint Bowyer and announced that the #33 team will no longer run a full-time schedule. This is beneficial to Menard because Childress teams have traditionally improved after the organization has made the move from four cars down to three. This move should give No. 27 team even more attention and resources.

If an upswing occurs at RCR and Menard can improve upon his average finishing position, a spot in the Chase isn’t out of the question.

19. Martin Truex Jr.

2012 is a contract year for Martin Truex Jr., a driver whose career has had all of the highs and lows of a rollercoaster ride.

In his second year with Michael Waltrip Racing, he was able to make positive strides in the form of three top-5s and 12 top-10s on the way to a 18^th place finish in points. Despite failing to pick up a second career win, last year was, statistically speaking, the driver’s best season since his 2007 campaign with Dale Earnhardt Incorporated.

The two-time Nationwide champ ended the year on a high note, posting top-10 finishes in four of the final five races.

In 2012, Chad Johnston will return as crew chief for the No. 56 Camry after partnering with Truex for 19 races last season. The driver performed marginally better after Johnston replaced Pat Tryson following the June 5 race at Kansas Speedway.

NAPA is returning to the car as the primary sponsor and will be entering its final year with the team under the current contract. Needless to say, this will be a make or break year for the New Jersey native.

The arrival of Clint Bowyer is a double edged sword for the inconsistent Truex. Bowyer proved to be an excellent drafter during his time at RCR and could benefit Truex at tracks like Talladega and Daytona, where the NAPA driver has seen mixed results. On the flip side, he could be under more pressure with a driver of Bowyer’s skill level now a member of the organization.

After being signed by MWR following the 2009 season, Truex has been largely unable to live up to the expectations that made him a top free agent. However, with two new teammates in Bowyer and the respected veteran Mark Martin, things could improve in a hurry.

18. Marcos Ambrose

Marcos Ambrose was no stranger to victory lane in his time as a competitor in V8 Supercars Australia, so it came as a surprise when the Aussie was unable to take first in a race during his first two full seasons of Sprint Cup action. Last August, however, he was finally able to enjoy a win after getting past Kyle Busch and Brad Keselowski with two laps remaining at Watkins Glen. Ambrose went on to post career marks in both top-5s (5) and top-10s(12) before finishing 19th in the final point standings.

Todd Parrot is expected to be back on top of the box for the No. 9 Ford Fusion in 2012.

Stanley Black & Decker will also return as a primary sponsor following his best year in Sprint cup, which could make things for the driver feel largely unchanged. Only this season, the Richard Petty Motorsports stable consists of Ambrose and Aric Almirola following the departure of A.J. Allmendinger to Penske Racing.

In order to be a threat for the top-12 in 2012, Ambrose must show that he is capable of being a lead driver at RPM while becoming more consistent overall.

Ambrose, already an accomplished driver on road courses, showed improvement on ovals as well. Despite finishing worse than 20th in 15 races last year, his stats have been gradually trending upwards on tracks that make up the majority of the schedule. He showed he is capable of improving upon those numbers by finishing 11th at Texas and posting top-10 finishes at Dover, Kansas, Charlotte, and Phoenix all during the Chase.

If he is able to duplicate those types of finishes consistently in 2012, it’s likely that he will be in the hunt for a Chase spot going into September.

17. Kurt Busch

Kurt Busch finds himself driving for Phoenix Racing in 2012 after being released from No. 22 Penske ride. His new, unexpected, ride comes after a series of outbursts with the media, competitors, and even his own team became too much for the organization.

Phoenix Racing’s single car team is definitely a low profile operation when compared to what’s going on at his former home. However, James Finch’s car should give the 2004 Sprint Cup champion a fighting chance at some tracks. Last season Finch entered his car in all 36 races and averaged a 26th place finish thanks to drivers Landon Cassil, Mike Bliss, Boris Said, and Bill Elliott.

Reliability shouldn’t be huge concern for Busch in this new partnership. Despite being a one car team, Phoenix Racing buys its engines from Hendrick Motorsports and finished 33 of 36 races last year. Meanwhile, Busch has completed all but five races over the past two seasons.

With a championship and six previous Chase births under his belt, Busch will bring valuable experience to a team that has only one win in its history (Brad Keselowski at Talladega in 2009).

His resume makes it seem possible that Busch could finish in the top-20 in points, despite the fact Finch's team has yet to do so. If he can get a win at a restrictor plate track or a road course, all places that have treated him well, he could be in line to clinch one of the final two spots in the Chase.

Busch’s one year deal might serve as a springboard back to more elite organizations if the driver
puts together some impressive finishes and controls his temper.

16. Jeff Burton

Jeff Burton’s experience during the 2011 season was anything but stellar. The veteran posted his worst numbers since 1995 with two top-5s and five top-10s, on the way to a 20^th place finish in points.
Burton hasn’t looked like his typical self for the past three seasons after making the Chase three years in a row from 2006-2008. His recent history suggests that he will have a hard time rounding back into form. His age could also become a factor. Burton turns 45 in June and many drivers see a decline in ability during their late 40’s.

On a positive note, he saw more consistent results after Lucas Lambert replaced Todd Barrier following a stretch of sub-20th place finishes midseason. In 2012, Drew Blickensderfer will call the shots for Burton. Blickensderfer is known for winning the first two races of the 2009 season as the crew chief for Matt Kenseth.

Few drivers ended 2011 with more momentum than Burton. Of his five top-10s, four came during the seasons last five races. That sort of success could propel him to a fast start in 2012, which is what he lacked last year.

Like his teammate Menard, Burton may also benefit from the downsizing that took place at Richard Childress Racing over the off season.

Since Burton joined RCR in 2005, his worst finishes in the final standings have been in 2005 (18th), 2009 (17th), and 2011 (20th). Burton made the Chase in each of his other seasons as a driver for the organization.
In 2009 and 2011 an argument could be made that his struggles were because resources and personnel were over stretched due to an expansion from three to four cars (in 2010 RCR returned to three cars).

To achieve a 5th career Chase birth, Burton will need to pick up right where he left off last season.

Goodbye Dan Wheldon

2011-10-17T07:48:00.000-07:00

Like many of you, I was shocked and sadden to hear of Dan Wheldon’s passing yesterday. I had just made it home from a wonderful weekend camping out at Charlotte when I went to check the NFL scores on espn.com. One of the side headlines said something about Wheldon being injured in a crash. With how safe racing has become, I didn’t think much of it, assuming it he might have broken a hand or something. I put off reading it until I checked all the scores. Minutes later, the websites homepage had updated their main picture to show the horrific wreck with the headline, “Dan Wheldon Dies.” I kept saying to myself, “No, no, no,” and immediately clicked on the link to read about it. The story had not been updated to say he died, rather it was still saying how he had been hurt in the wreck. For a brief second, I remained optimistic that it was an error and the website, and that he was still alive. I went to Twitter to confirm the news I was hoping was not true – Dan Wheldon, age 33, had died.

I don’t follow IndyCar the way I do NASCAR. There are few drivers in that series that I actually hold an opinion and Wheldon was one of them. From his early days at Andretti, where he came off as a brash, young driver from England, to this year, a veteran of the sport who had matured and learned not to take anything for granted. It was especially evident when he won his second Indy 500 this May, as it was easy to tell how much more humbling this one was for him than his first back in 2005. He had gained my respect through the years to become one of my favorite drivers.

My favorite memory of Dan is last April at Barber Motorsports Park shortly after the IndyCar race. Keep in mind that there is much more access to get close to the drivers here as opposed to a Cup race. It was not even an hour after the race had ended and I was on the tram headed back to my car. As we made our way to the backside of the track near the driver motor homes, I saw Wheldon walking down the paddock, with his wife by his side, holding her hand. That’s all there was to it. What made it so cool was at that moment, I didn’t see him as a driver, but as a person. The world lost a fantastic racer in Dan Wheldon yesterday, but his two sons have lost their father, and his wife Suzie, has lost her husband.

Rest in peace Dan, you will be greatly missed.

Renewed rivalry shouldn’t affect Chase

2011-09-16T06:13:00.000-07:00

By Brad Morgan

One of Sprint Cup’s most notable rivalries caught fire again at Richmond International Raceway. Jimmie Johnson and Kurt Busch tangled twice during the final race before the Chase.

The five-time champ found the wall on lap 186 after Busch locked up his brakes and slid up into Johnson going into turn one. Later on lap 246, Johnson retaliated by sending his damaged Lowe’s Chevy careening into Busch, spinning both cars.

After the race, Johnson and Busch continued the rekindled feud by taking verbal shots at one another during post-race interviews and the press conference.

While Busch claims to have gotten into Johnson’s head following their on track mishaps, he also remains optimistic heading into the championship stretch.

“[Jimmie Johnson] has got to learn to race,” said Busch. “I’m going to beat him fair and square with my Penske Dodge.”

Johnson realizes that on-track issues must remain in the rearview mirror entering the Chase in order to accomplish his goal of an unprecedented sixth consecutive Sprint Cup title.

“We can do it. It can be done. We had eight, nine years before that where everything was fine. It’s possible, and I think it’s in both of our best interests to get it behind us and go forward,” said Johnson while discussing his past history with Busch.

It seems that Busch might also be ready to move on. According to ESPN’s David Newton, the Pennzoil Charger driver has apologized to two reporters that he aggressively confronted after the race when they asked him questions about the rivalry.

By continuing their race day antics, Johnson and Busch would endanger their own championship hopes, not to mention those of the other title contenders. Considering Johnson’s prior success and average finish of 8th in all Chase events, every race is now important. One mix-up could be the difference between a top 10 finish and the end of a driver’s championship dreams.

Both drivers have experience in the Chase and know what it takes to win a championship. While there is no doubt the racers will keep eyes on one another over the last 10 races, it would be foolish to seek revenge during such a crucial stretch because of the risk involved.

Follow me on Twitter @BradThinking

Last time Dale Earnhardt Jr. won a race

2011-04-12T16:44:00.000-07:00

I did a piece similar to this with Bobby Labonte last year. Now that Dale Earnhardt’s winless streak has hit 100 races, it appeared to be the right time to see what has changed since he last won at Michigan in the summer of 2008.

-Denny Hamlin had only four career Sprint Cup wins.

-Jimmie Johnson was a two time defending champion.

-Tony Stewart was driving a Toyota. This was the only year in Stewart's 13 year Cup career he didn't drive for GM.

-George W. Bush was President. In other words, Junior hasn’t won since Obama has been in the Oval Office.

-Joey Logano became the youngest winner in NASCAR history the night before, winning the Nationwide race at Kentucky. Logano turned 18 just three weeks earlier.

-Surprisingly, the price of gas was more than it is now. In June 2008, the average national gas price was over four dollars a gallon.
-Kyle Busch had 15 wins in the Nationwide Series - he has scored 31 more since as he closes in on Mark Martin's record of 49.

Some of these facts make it seem like a long time ago whereas others make it not seem so bad. Either way, these next two races at Talladega and Richmond are Earnhardt's best chance to end the drought.

Fantasy Race League

2011-04-11T15:46:00.000-07:00

It's not too late to join the Predictor Cup. The year end winner will receive a NASCAR T-Shirt of their favorite driver. It's easy to join and the rules are simple - pick 10 drivers you think will finish in the top 10 in the upcoming race. Of those 10, label which five you think will finish in the top five, and of course, who the winner will be. Each driver you pick to finish top 10 will earn you one point, a top five finish gets you three, and if you correctly guess the winner, it earns you 13 points! All you have to do is go over to racing-reference.info and click on G14's blog titled "Top 10 Predictions - (Name of Upcoming Race)." Come up with a catchy user name and you are set. Even though the season is already seven weeks in, good picks will put you right into contention.

Three drivers who could pick up first win in 2011

2011-01-17T09:14:00.000-08:00

Greetings race fans, welcome to my first blog of the year. A great season is in the rear view mirror, and another is right on the horizon. One thing I know I am hoping for is some first time winners. With the lack of development in NASCAR’s lower tier series, we have been limited to seeing the same group of guys winning each week. While I don’t expect this upcoming year to produce the next Jeff Gordon, I believe to see some first time winners again. After having none in two of the past three seasons, here are the candidates most likely to put a different face in victory lane.

AJ Allmendinger – In today’s NASCAR, if you aren’t having success in your first couple of years, you might as well start looking for new work. Allmendinger, who was a victim of this in 2008 at Red Bull Racing, was able to get a second chance at Richard Petty Motorsports. He has made the most of his opportunity, and has steadily improved each season. His career race came in last year’s fall event at Dover, leading 143 laps before a speeding penalty on pit road eliminated his chances of winning. Still, Allmendinger proved he can compete with the best and that a trip to the winner’s circle is near.

Marcos Ambrose –With his undeniable talent on the road courses, Ambrose will continue to be on this list (and everyone else’s) every year until he finally wins a race. Last year at Infineon, he was well on his was to victory number one until he thought it would be a good idea to turn off his fuel thirsty engine going up a hill. Despite being known for his road racing prowess, he has been competitive on the short tracks as well, having a finished in the top 10 in half of his Bristol and Richmond races. Like his new teammate Allmendinger, Ambrose is still looking for that first win. Now that he is driving for a team that has proven capable of winning, 2011 just might be the year the Aussie seals the deal.

Paul Menard – I admit, this one is a bit of a stretch. However, as long as restrictor plate racing is around, anything is possible. Despite having no top-10’s in any restrictor plate race last year, Menard’s career best finish came at Talladega in 2008, finishing runner up to Tony Stewart. Going back to his Nationwide days Menard always proved to be a threat at Daytona and Talladega. There was also vast improvement on the intermediate tracks last year, where five of his six top 10’s came on the 1.5 mile venues. Now that he is with Richard Childress Racing, expect more top 10’s and maybe a surprise trip to victory lane.

5 Best Finishes of 2010

2010-12-28T08:55:00.000-08:00

As 2010 comes to a close, let’s take a look at the five best races from the past Sprint Cup season.

5. Daytona 500 – The only reason this race wasn’t the best of the year is because of the infamous pot hole incident. If you get past that, however, then you have one of the best Daytona 500’s in a long time. The 52 lead changes were the most for the track in 17 years, and your race winner, Jamie McMurray, led only the final two laps – the fewest for a 500 winner. McMurray’s off-season story added to the drama of the race as well. Unsure he would even have a ride after being the odd man out at Roush-Fenway Racing, the 2003 rookie of the year was reunited with former owner Chip Ganassi shortly before the season started. The emotional McMurray was a perfect example of a storybook ending in NASCAR.

4. Sylvania 300 (Loudon II) – Round one of the 2010 Chase certainly provided us with a nice precursor for the final nine races. Chase favorite Denny Hamlin overcame a late race spin to finish second, and Mr. Four-Time Jimmie Johnson, had a rare mistake in a Chase race, finishing 25^th. The race was dominated by two Chase underdogs, Clint Bowyer and Tony Stewart who led all but 23 of the races 300 laps. Stewart, who was leading with less than two to go, ran out of gas coming off of turn 4, giving the lead and win to Clint Bowyer for his first victory in over two years.

3. AAA Texas 500 (Texas II) – This race had it all – a one finger salute by Kyle Busch, two veterans scuffling on the backstretch, a close championship battle, and a thrilling finish. I know I jumped out of my seat on two separate occasions during this event when normally I don’t even jump once. Matt Kenseth, who finished second at Texas yet again, overcame a one lap deficit to put a on a thrilling two lap duel with race winner Denny Hamlin for one of the best finishes since, well, our next two races on the list.

2. Goody’s Fast Pain Relief 500 (Martinsville I) – The only time I miss a race is the rare occurrence my DVR fails me on a rain delayed Monday race. Of course it had to fail me for this race. Still to this day, I don’t know how in the world Denny Hamlin went from ninth to the lead in such short time. I know he was aided with four fresh tires and a couple of green-white-checkered finishes, but it was purely amazing what he was able to do. I have yet to get tired of watching this finish on Youtube, as he, Jeff Gordon, Matt Kenseth, make it three wide with a lap and a half to go.

1. Aarons 499 (Talladega I) – After such a successful Daytona 500, there was some speculation that NASCAR may leave the wings on for restrictor plate races. Luckily, they went with the spoiler, and allowed drivers to bump draft in the turns. This was something there were not allowed to in the previous Talladega race and it was met with harsh criticism from both drivers and fans. With the new rules for the April race, the end result was the most lead changes in NASCAR history, including a last lap, last second pass by Kevin Harvick over defending Talladega race winner and Daytona 500 champion Jamie McMurray. The 0.011 margin of victory was the eighth closest finish in NASCAR history. And to the delight of the drivers and safety gurus, no cars went airborne.

Winners and losers in Hendrick crew swap

2010-11-23T15:03:00.001-08:00

Well, who saw this coming? Rick Hendrick has announced significant changes within the organization that involves a trade of crew chiefs between Jeff Gordon, Mark Martin, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. Gordon will get Mark Martin's former crew chief, Alan Gustafson, while Gordon’s crew chief Steve Letarte will go over to Junior’s team. Martin will get Junior's old crew chief Lance McGrew. In addition, and perhaps most notable, the 24 and 88 will switch shops, meaning Earnhardt will be working more closely with Jimmie Johnson in 2011.

Who benefits the most from all this? Without a doubt it has to be Gordon, who will get one of the younger, yet accomplished crew chief in Gustafson. He will also no longer be in the shadow of Johnson’s team, which should benefit him. With just one win in the past three seasons, Gordon was in dire need of a change and expect the results to improve dramatically.

On paper, it sounds like Junior got a really good deal. He will be in the same shop as Johnson now, and Steve Letarte will be an upgrade at crew chief. If you look more closely, however, Earnhardt will essentially be driving Gordon’s equipment from this year. It certainly gives Junior Nation hope for 2011, but Letarte didn’t do much with one of the best drivers of all time. With that said, what will he do for the third generation driver?

Mark Martin clearly got the worst end of the deal. He stays in the “second string” shop and gets the worst crew chief in the organization. The way I see it, McGrew and Martin are just keeping the seat warm for Kasey Kahne and Kenny Francis when the join the organization in 2012. The 5 team will be in for the longest year out of the Hendrick cars.

Great points battle, but where does it rank over the past decade?

2010-11-16T14:17:00.000-08:00

Whether you like the Chase or not, you can’t deny that we are in store for one exciting championship battle going into Homestead. If you are not pumped up for the race this Sunday, then you don’t need to be watching (and according to the television ratings, many of you are not). Is this the best points race in recent memory though? Lets take a look at the final point differentials since 2000.

Year     Over 2nd   Over 3rd    Champion
2000      -265        -289         Bobby Labonte
2001      -349        -371         Jeff Gordon
2002      -38          -159         Tony Stewart
2003      -90          -207         Matt Kenseth
2004*    -8            -16           Kurt Busch
2005*    -35    -35           Tony Stewart
2006*    -56          -68           Jimmie Johnson
2007*    -77          -346         Jimmie Johnson
2008*    -69          -217         Jimmie Johnson
2009*    -141        -179         Jimmie Johnson
2010*    -15          -46 (After 35 races) ???

*Indicates Chase year

If you go strictly by numbers, this is the best points race since 2004. Of course, these numbers can be misleading. As we all know, the Chase was designed to produce closer points finishes, although many will claim it has hurt the product. As an example, if the 06 season did not have the Chase, Jimmie Johnson would have won by only four points over runner up Matt Kenseth. Prior to the Chase however, the final point differential did not always indicate how close it really was. In 2003, the roles were reversed, with Kenseth winning the title by just 90 over Johnson. A reasonably small margin given it was over an entire season instead of ten races, but it was really never in doubt that Kenseth was going to win that year, having over a 400 point lead on second place with just ten races left. On the other hand, while Jeff Gordon won his 2001 championship by a landslide over second place Tony Stewart, it wasn’t indicative of how close it was for most of the season – the top three were separated by just 28 points midway through with Gordon and Dale Jarrett tied for first. The end result wasn’t Hollywood, but that doesn’t mean it was an uneventful points battle.

What has been your favorite points race and why? Do you prefer the championship to be decided in the last race, even if it means resetting the points with ten races left? Now that we have a Chase that is close, has it changed your view of NASCAR’s playoff system?

Time for Busch to be suspended

2010-11-09T14:44:00.001-08:00

Good day race fans! Welcome back to Puttyracing. I know it has been a while, but it’s not because I have lost interest in our sport. Quite the opposite actually, as I have been writing a weekly column over at the Frontstretch (this week I wrote of all things, about Greg Biffle and Matt Kenseth).

So much happened this past week at Texas that I had to get a blog in about one thing in particular; Kyle Busch. As the title indicates, it is time for Kyle Busch to be suspended. No, I am not talking about NASCAR suspending him. After his most recent weekend filled with “Buschisms” that involved flipping off a NASCAR official and a profanity laced tirade to the folks at PRN, it would be wise for Joe Gibbs to think about parking NASCAR’s biggest villain. At this point it looks like a suspension from the car owner will not happen, but it really needs to (So I don’t come off as a Busch hater, let me say that I love Kyle the driver. His talent continues to amaze me and I think he is great for our sport. He is outspoken, aggressive, and exciting. Unfortunately, he takes it to the extreme all too often and he needs to learn how to tone it down just a little bit).

On Tuesday, NASCAR announced their penalties - probation (ooooo probation!) until December 31st and a fine of $25,000 but quite frankly, I thought the two lap penalty during the race was enough. Probations and fines aren’t going to change a driver, but when you affect the outcome of their race, it should be an eye opener. Look at Kevin Harvick, who was parked for a race in 2002 for wrecking Coy Gibbs after admitting on the radio his intent to do so. He certainly continues to makes enemies each year, but he is clearly aware of the consequences of what getting carried away are.

If any driver should know the consequences of getting suspended by his team, it is Kyle’s older brother Kurt. Technically, Kurt was relieved of his driving duties by Roush with two races left in the season, but it is the same concept. Kurt was let go with two races left in his disappointing championship defense in 2005 after an altercation with a Phoenix police officer that involved alcohol. At the time, Kurt was what his younger brother is now – arrogant, immature, and in the basement in popularity polls. Now the lead driver at Penske Racing, Kurt’s imaged has improved dramatically, minus the entertaining outbursts he will have during a race.

My point is, lets see what benching Kyle for a race or two will do for him. It is obvious he is obsessed with winning, and if you are not in the race, you are not going to win. Gibbs has gone through this before with Tony Stewart, but Busch’s temper tantrums have made even Stewart seem like the most obedient kid in the world. Tony never really got a wake up call and it wasn’t until he became an owner that he mellowed out. Busch, who already is an owner in the Truck Series, is showing no signs of mellowing out anytime soon, even after his most likely scripted apology. The only thing that may possibly give us the “new Kyle” (why did anyone think there was a new Kyle to begin with?) is to sit him out a race. As much as I enjoy watching Kyle wheel a race car, I desperately want to see the look on his face when he has to sit out a race. These next two races would be the perfect opportunity as well since he is already out of the championship hunt.

Do the right thing Joe. Pull a Chad Knaus on Kyle and bench him!

Reviewing my pre-season picks

2010-09-17T10:01:00.001-07:00

This weekend not only marks the start of the Chase, but it is also that time of year to look back to February and see how I have done with my preseason picks. Shortly before the season opening Daytona 500, I predicted who the Chasers would be and where they would finish in the final standings. And to top it off, I also included who I expected to make their first trip in victory lane in 2010. Without further adieu, lets view my pre-season picks.

1. Jimmie Johnson – One for one so far, but lets face it – this pick was a freebie. Even my dog knew Jimmie was making the Chase this year.
2. Denny Hamlin – A popular pre-season pick by many to win it all this year, Hamlin has been Johnson’s toughest competitor this season as far as victories go.
3. Kyle Busch – In February, I documented my approval of the crew chief change with Dave Rogers. The change appears to be paying off – not because of the consistency or the 3 wins, but it looks like the 18 team is getting stronger going into the final 10 races, something they did not do with Steve Addington as crew chief the last two seasons. (Note: Kyle’s brother Kurt appears to be suffering the same fate with Addington. They started the season off wicked strong, but have faded since the summer months.)
4. Tony Stewart – I was right predicting Tony to make the Chase. However, if you have read any of my blogs, you will know I started to change my stance back in May. When he was sitting 18th in the points with only one top 5 and 3 top 10’s, I was convinced Tony was not going to make it. Of course, Tony went on his typical hot streak, and no driver has scored more points since than Smoke himself.
5. Carl Edwards – Like Stewart, it almost seemed like Edwards was going to miss the Chase this season. But, also like Stewart, Edwards has picked it up over the past nine races, having not finished worse than 12th in that stretch.
6. Jeff Gordon – Half way there, 6 for 6! Despite being shut out of victory lane, Gordon is tied for second most top 5’s with 10 along with 13 top 10 finishes.
7. Mark Martin – My first miss. Prior to this season, Martin had made every Chase in which he was running full time. Mark was looking pretty good up until Charlotte, but since then his best finish has been 7th with NO other top 10’s.
8. Clint Bowyer – The last driver to make in the 2010 Chase. Don’t expect him to finish last, though, as Bowyer has shown enough consistency to possible be top 5 at season’s end.
9. Greg Biffle – I noted before the start of the season I would be surprised to see him shut out of victory lane this year. And thanks to his Pocono win, Biffle’s season has been about what I expected.
10. Matt Kenseth – Kenseth is quietly in the Chase once again for his sixth career playoff appearance. Although he isn’t tearing it up with a bunch of top 10 finishes, he has only finished outside the top 20 TWICE this year. Impressive, but it won’t win you anything.
11. Brad Keselowski – Yuck. I really whiffed on this one. Go ahead and make fun of me for it. Brad hasn’t managed a single top 10 finish this year (he would have had one at Atlanta if not for Carl Edwards. But even one top 10 finish is pretty said given the expectations I had for Keselowski).
12. Jeff Burton – This will mark Burton’s 4th career Chase appearance. The hot streak he had to end last year definitely carried over into 2010, just like I thought. Ten of twelve isn’t too bad, is it?

Drivers I didn’t expect to make the Chase that did

Kevin Harvick – Many thought Harvick would rebound from a disastrous 09 season to make the Chase this year. For whatever reason, I was not one of those many. Despite Harvick’s resurgence, few expected him to be so dominant. Not only did he make the Chase, he was the first one locked in as he led the points standing for most of the year.

Kurt Busch – I like Steve Addington, I really do, but I believe he is overrated as a crew chief. That was exactly why I had Busch missing the Chase this year. Luckily, Addington proved me wrong, but at the same time, Kurt Busch and the Blue Deuce look to have lost their early season swagger.

First time winners

I expected Marcos Ambrose to be the lone first time winner this year, and I expected it to be at a road course. Well, Ambrose still does not have a Cup win and there are no more road courses left this year. Really though, he had Sonoma in the bag until he and his fuel system choked it away.

Assessing the HOF and race shops

2010-08-31T09:24:00.001-07:00

This past weekend, I made the six hour voyage to what I like to call Heaven – but most people call it Charlotte. The point of the trip was to see what the new NASCAR Hall of Fame was all about. And while I was there I figured it would be prudent to check out the shops of all the race teams. All in all, it was a wonderful trip – I enjoyed every minute of it. Each time I have been to the Charlotte area it has always been great experience as it THE spot for a NASCAR fan. However, some of you are either a.) Not within driving distance to North Carolina (some might say Birmingham isn’t driving distance) or b.) Have not yet had the opportunity to visit these places. After reading my reviews of the race shops and Hall of Fame, you will have a better understanding of what to look for and expect at NASCAR’s capital city.

Roush – Roush was the very first shop I went to. It was located off the same exit as Charlotte Motor Speedway so it wasn’t very difficult to find. The shop and the museum were in two separate buildings. The museum was great; it had all sorts of souvenirs ranging from used crew member uniforms to lug nuts to race used sheet metal. I got an up close view of Matt Kenseth’s winning car from the 2009 Daytona 500 as well as Todd Kluever’s torn up ARCA car from a few years ago in a vicious Daytona wreck. The museum even had a small movie theater (NOTE: I didn’t go in to this, so I’m not sure if it was on the team history or something else). The staff was real friendly, but I got a chuckle out of one guy in the museum who was a crew member for one of the teams – he was giving his buddies a tour of the place, and made it well known to everyone else he was a pit guy. Nothing wrong in having pride for your job.

While the museum was really cool, the shop itself was a bitter disappointment. And by that, I mean it wasn’t fan friendly. There was only a small viewing window by the entrance that allowed me to hardly see any of the cars. I saw three of David Ragan’s cars and maybe one of Greg Biffle’s, but that was it. The coolest part of the shop was when I entered and looked to the right, Robbie Reiser’s office was sitting right there. Unfortunately he was busy talking to someone so I did not get to say hello.

Richard Petty Motorsports – There is really not much to say here. It was in the same parking lot as Roush’s, but WAY smaller. It was one building, and this was definitely the worst of the shops I went to. I walked in and there was a receptionist and an Elliot Sadler show car, but there was no window to view the garage. As a matter of fact, they weren’t even selling any RPM products. Needless to say, I was in and out of this one. In fairness, I know this is a struggling organization and they can’t afford to build the mega shops like Hendrick and Roush.

Earnhardt Ganassi Racing- EGR was stop number three, and it was just 1/2 mile down the road from Roush. Overall, Ganassi had a very impressive place. His museum was in the same building as his shop, but his “museum” was a collection of the team’s trophies which were in the main lobby. The souvenir store sold interesting items such as lug nuts, sheet metal, and race used tires. The best part of this visit was the fan friendly access to the shop. There was a viewing platform that actually allowed you to be in the garage and hear the sounds of the work being to done to the race cars. I was very satisfied going here.

Stewart Haas Racing- Stewart Haas was next on my list, and it was just a few miles down the highway from the speedway. It had a very similar setup to EGR, with its souvenir store on the right and the shop in the back. Unlike Ganassi, however, it did not have a viewing platform. You were able to view the shop from the main room which was separated by a large window. The window picked up lots of glare from the lights, and therefore was somewhat difficult to view the work being done. What separated Stewart’s shop from the rest was how you were able to view the fabrication room, which was on the left side of the building. This gave SHR a nice distinction from the other teams. As for the store, they did not have the race used items like the other teams had, which was a disappointment. Like all the other places, the staff was friendly and they gave me directions to my next stop, Joe Gibbs Racing (jokingly, they were hesitant to give me directions to another team).

Joe Gibbs Racing- Joe Gibbs Racing was the only shop I had been to previously. It was several years ago, though, so I needed another visit to refresh my memory. One of things that make the JGR shop so nice is that you view the shop from above. You have a glass window separating you and the shop, but seeing it from an elevated view definitely enhances the viewing experience. The store was on par with Roush and Ganassi – used sheet metal, lug nuts and the like. One side note here: this was the fourth shop I had been to, and I ran into the same couple at every stop. The first three stops were on the same road so it made sense, but I found it funny at this point as the Gibbs shop was a good 25 minute drive from the other shops.

Michael Waltrip Racing- They sure do make you feel welcome here – a kind, elderly man held the door open for me along with a kind greeting. But, here is what is just terrible about this place- THEY CHARGE YOU $10 TO VIEW THE GARAGE! I saw Waltrip promoting the place on Race Hub a few months back, so I was really excited to check his place out. But when none of the other places charge you anything, I certainly wasn’t going to pay for something I had been looking at all day for free. Considering the fans play a big part in the success of owners and drivers, it’s not right for a team to charge them to see their garage. On the other hand, the souvenir shop was excellent; it had more race used parts than any other team, including splitters and transmission parts. The store also had David Reuitimann’s wrecked car from the 2007 California race. As torn up as that car was, you wouldn’t know it was in a wreck by looking inside. It really goes to show you how safe these cars are.

Penske Racing – About ten miles down the road from Waltrip’s shop was Penske Racing. This was easily the surprise of the trip. As far as viewing the shop goes, this was clearly the most fan friendly. It contained a “fan walk” where you walked above the cars and crew members. It was like looking out on your back deck and seeing a race shop. I was very satisfied that I made the trip to Penske. Not much to the souvenir store, though, as it was just t-shirts and a few die-casts. But I didn’t drive all the way to North Carolina to see the stores - I wanted to see a good race shop. And with that said, Penske’s was my surprise favorite.

Hendrick- This was my last stop of the day. It was on the way back in town (located literally 1 mile away from the track) so I saved it for last. As I was entering the building, there was a sign that said turn to 92.1 (I believe that was the station) for more info. There is a whole radio station devoted to Hendrick’s shop! I thought that was pretty cool. Anyway, like Roush, Hendricks place was divided up. I went to the museum first, which was pretty impressive. It had Cole Trickle’s car from Days of Thunder, along with many other cars from Hendrick’s storied career. I had to rush through most of it as it was nearing closing time by this point. Fortunately and unfortunately, it didn’t take long for me to see the shops. There were two shops right next to each other with Gordon and Johnson’s in one, and Junior and Martin’s in the other. Like I said though, it took me just a few minutes to see both of them. This is because it was very difficult to see the cars being worked on. Considering that Hendrick has the most money, I was expecting a much better viewing experience than this. Pretty disappointing, but at the same time its amazing how big his place was.

Two big races teams not on this list are Red Bull Racing and Richard Childress Racing. I did not visit Childress because it was about 50 miles away from the city and there was not enough time to go see his place. Red Bull wasn’t too far away – it simply didn’t make my list of shops to visit. Sorry Red Bull!

Hall of Fame – I don’t think I have any better way of explaining the Hall of Fame than by saying it met my expectations. That isn’t necessarily a good or bad thing, as I had both positive and negative things to say about the experience. I was fine with the $20 admission, but anything more would be too much. The first thing I did at the HOF was go see a movie they played every 30 minutes. They movie lasted about 15 minutes and it pretty much recapped the 60 year history of the sport. Since it took me a good 3 hours to see everything, I can’t get into everything so I will just say what I had problems with.

My first issue came when I was looking at Kurt Busch’s 2004 championship car. Right by the show car was a picture of Kurt's machine during a race that year. Next to the picture had a caption which stated Kurt Busch and Juan Montoya were racing at Daytona. That is all fine and dandy, but Montoya was still racing in F1 during the 04 season (McMurray was driving the No. 42 Texaco Dodge that year). Maybe it isn’t a huge deal, but inaccuracies like that really get my blood pressure boiling.

There was a really awesome feature at the Hall where you could broadcast a clip from an old race (you could do a television or radio broadcast). Since the line was long for the radio, I chose television which had no line at all. The race clip they had was the infamous race at Richmond in 2008 where Kyle Busch and Dale Junior crashed battling for the lead with 2 laps to go. I had a great time being the play by play announcer for it, but when it went to replay my broadcast, there was no audio. Now I know why there was no line for this.

After my tour was over, I was looking forward to eating at the café they had. I was expecting televisions featuring old and current races, NASCAR décor on the wall, and more racing themed items. However there was none of that. The café was more of a concession stand that offered hot dogs and bratwursts. Nothing was on the walls, just plain white paint and no televisions. After you finish your visit at the Hall, do yourself a favor and go eat at Buffalo Wild Wings (right next to the HOF) instead.

So to sum it all up, most of the fun came on Friday when I visited the race shops. Penske was my surprise favorite and would definitely recommend you visit it if you are in the area. The Hall of Fame was enjoyable as well. I know I highlighted more of the cons than pros, but do not let that discourage you from visiting. There are so many great things to see there and it will definitely be worth your time. You can find out how quick you can change a tire and figure out what walking on 33 degree banking feels like. The artifacts in there are certainly spectacular, especially the 76 ball. And hopefully the problems I pointed out will be fixed by the time you get up there.

Stewart in danger of a winless season

2010-08-11T20:27:00.001-07:00

As I was watching the race at Watkins Glen on Sunday, I realized how important of a race it was for Tony Stewart. Not to solidify his standing in the points, but simply to win. After 22 races into the season, the two-time Sprint Cup Champ has yet finish first. Of course, this is nothing new; Stewart has gone this far before without a win in1999 and 2008, his first and last years at Joe Gibbs Racing. Still, the fact remains that Stewart is now in danger of having his first winless season in his twelve year Cup career. And should he not win, it would end the longest active streak with most consecutive winning seasons.

Stewart is on his typical summer hot streak, but usually he wins a race or two during it. While Smoke has been consistent, he hasn’t been much of a threat. His 119 laps lead for the season is on a pace to be a career low. And back to Watkins Glen, a track that has become Stewart’s own personal playground, he was a non-factor and finished 7th. A good points day, but the fact that he wasn’t even contending at his best track is a troubling sign. Unless they get lucky with some fuel strategy, I see a team that won’t be winning a race anytime soon.

While I think it is time to panic in the 14 camp, Stewart doesn’t seemed bothered.

"This is my 30th year in racing,” he said. “You take one weekend at a time and you don't think about the numbers as to how long it's been since the last time you've won. You just go with the same attitude you do every weekend, and that's to try and win the race. You go through the steps of trying to put yourself in that position to be there at the end of the day. You focus on what you need to do to win the race you're in."

Earlier in the year, I had my doubts about Tony even making the Chase. Going a career worst six straight finishes outside the top 15 will endanger anyone’s Chase chances. But he has responded quite well since then, with nine top 10’s in the past eleven races. With fourteen races left, there are still plenty of opportunities for a win. But after what I saw at Watkins Glen, I just don’t see a win for Stewart in 2010.

The 5 best tracks in NASCAR

2010-08-11T13:42:00.001-07:00

The hot topic the past couple of weeks has been the schedule realignment for the 2011 season. Some tracks have lost a race while others have gained one. According to my last poll on what your least favorite track is, many of you (at least 32 percent) should be pretty happy about Fontana losing race. Today, I thought I would turn the tables and share my five favorite tracks and let you guys vote on this as well.

-Talladega/Daytona – Yes, I enjoy restrictor plate racing. And yes, I am counting these two tracks as one. Some say the racing is dangerous and a recipe for disaster. I have never understood that as danger is at every track, not just these two. Even though cars going airborne look violent, it is a safer wreck than something like a t-bone because of the impact absorbed. As for the action, it doesn’t get any better than Talladega and Daytona. More drivers have a shot at victory here than any other track, and that’s what I love about it. The margin of victory is always slim, and lead changes are season highs.

-Bristol- I know many don’t like the new pavement and the track is not as popular because of it. Quite frankly I love the new pavement. Cars can race side by side the entire race and therefore, we are provided with some exciting racing. It also means more green flag racing and the momentum of the race is no longer slowed by 15 plus cautions.

-Atlanta – I have said this on numerous occasions; Atlanta is the new Darlington. The pavement has aged to where the track characteristics are similar to the Old Darlington. The tires were off so quick that you will see drivers come through the field and others fade to the back. This provides another element to racing, and in today’s NASCAR, where equipment doesn’t fail as much as it used to, worn tires are something that keep you on edge. But of course, NASCAR had to get rid of one their race dates, just like they did with Darlington.

-Homestead – Just like Bristol, Homestead has progressive banking. This is something all tracks need to strongly consider once they need to repave the track surface. There is more side-by-side racing here than any other mile and a half track, and has had some very exciting finishes (see: Greg Biffle-Mark Martin 2005) in its short history.

-Richmond – Saturday night short track race. Enough said. Part of what makes Richmond so awesome is the fact that it is run on Saturday nights. What I like most about it, however, is the fact that there is really no other track like it. It shares one key trait with Bristol though - it is a short track the produces side-by-side racing, always a plus.

I am sure a lot of traditionalists are going crazy right now wondering why no Darlington. My answer for that is it’s not the same anymore. Part of what made Darlington so great was how the tires would fall off, and with the new pavement, you just don’t see that anymore. With that said it is still one of my favorite tracks and just missed the cut. Now is your chance to share your favorite tracks.

Could Tony Eury Sr. be the key to the resurgence of Dale Earnhardt Jr. (NASCAR too)?

2010-08-09T17:24:00.000-07:00

With the recent downward spiral of attendance and television ratings, one cannot help but think the poor performance of Dale Earnhardt Jr. is a factor. His peak years came when NASCAR was most popular, 2001-2004. Since his last top ten points finish in 2006, ratings and attendance have also sputtered. Now, there are plenty of factors that have hurt NASCAR recently, its safe to assume more people would be watching if Junior was winning again.

But the question is can Earnhardt contend again? To answer that, you must first break down where it went wrong for Junior. There is no one set answer, but we can look at the following things:

Crew chief – To this day, I still don’t understand why Tony Eury Sr. was let go as Earnhardt’s crew chief. In a little more than five seasons these two worked together, they amassed 15 wins. The duo also had three consecutive 1000-plus laps led seasons, quite an impressive feat considering Jimmie Johnson is the only other driver in the past ten years to do this. Since 2005 Earnhardt has gone through more crew chiefs than wins, with only three trips to victory lane. Put Eury Sr. back in the pit box and let’s see if the magic can return.

COT- Perhaps Eury Sr. doesn’t have everything to do with it. With the new car, Junior has won only once, with just eighteen top 5’s and a lone Chase appearance that saw him finish 12th out of 12 drivers.

Owner – Many thought when Rick Hendrick signed Earnhardt back in 2007 that great things were going to come. After all, he won his very first race in HMS car at the 2008 Bud Shootout. And it took just a few races before he got a points paying win at Michigan International Speedway. Indeed, it looked like the right move for Junior. But since then, it has been a disaster; another crew chief change, 25th in the points last year, and just four top 5’s in the past two seasons. Three of those four finishes have come on the restrictor plate tracks of Talladega and Daytona, The problem with that isn’t the equipment; teammates Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, and Mark Martin all had terrific years last year, and even though Martin is a little off this year, 2010 is again a good season for HMS. So why is Junior so far off? Well, at DEI he was the number one guy with the most resources, and now he is the fourth stringer at HMS. That right there could lead to self defeat, which leads me to…

Driver- Listen, I don’t know the guy personally, so it would be ignorant of me to say Earnhardt doesn’t have the desire to compete anymore. Listening to him on his radio during the races would seem to be quite the opposite. But it does seem weird how he could have some amazing years with lesser equipment and then struggle with the best cars in the garage.

While it looks to be a combination of everything, I firmly believe if Eury Sr. is put back on the pit box good things will happen. He has that “shut up and drive” attitude that can keep Earnhardt focused. Unfortunately, I don’t see this change happening at all, and if this problem doesn’t get fixed, Dale Earnhardt Jr. won't be winning races. And if he isn’t winning races, NASCAR will lose more fans.

Start and Parks Might Make a Difference For Some Chasers

2010-08-04T14:47:00.000-07:00

One-hundred and sixty-one. That’s the magic number, the amount of points any driver can make up in a race. The number inflates to 195 if a driver gets injured or fails to qualify (in this case, we aren’t talking about guys outside the top 35). I am talking about Chase contenders, those barely in and out of the top 12. Matt Kenseth, currently 9th in points, stands 152 ahead of 13th place Mark Martin, barely less than a race ahead.

So, theoretically Mark Martin could leapfrog Matt Kenseth this weekend if Kenseth were to finish last and Martin wins. Well, Martin could win – after all, he has a very impressive resume at the 2.45 mile road course. But, with the recent trend of start and parks, Kenseth is not finishing last. Even if he finds himself in a first lap wreck, his team is going to get back out on the track knowing several cars are about to retire.

We saw it get real nasty this past week at Pocono. There were at least seven legit start and parkers, which equates to twenty-one points that could be made up. That does not sound like an enormous amount, but as the Kenseth-Martin differential shows, it’s enough to make the difference as to who is in and out of the Chase going into Richmond.

Sometimes it is said all a driver has to do is start and he will clinch a spot in the Chase. This year we might be hearing that all one guy has to do is beat the start and parks and he is in. So I don’t know about you, but the magic number for me is 140.

Expect Vegas, Homestead to have much different slots on the schedule next year

2010-07-26T20:43:00.000-07:00

It looks that after years of speculation, the Sprint Cup series will be getting a scheduling makeover for the 2011 season. Atlanta, Fontana, and Loudon all appear to be losing dates in favor of Kansas, Kentucky, and Las Vegas. Of course, this is not yet set in stone, but losing an Atlanta (has become the new Darlington) race and a short track date in New Hampshire is not what the series needs. Many fans wouldn’t mind seeing Fontana lose a race, but I am getting off the subject.

Anyway, we know SMI’s CEO Bruton Smith has long wanted several of his track’s to have another race (in Kentucky’s case, one race) in the Sprint Cup schedule. Of all the tracks mentioned, Las Vegas is the most interesting. With each passing day, I hear more about Vegas hosting the season finale. It makes sense, if you think about it. With the season ending banquet held there anyway, why not have the last race of the year in the same place? You could make a whole other week out of it.

I know Las Vegas isn’t where most fans would like the season to end. It is just another 1.5 mile cookie cutter track that doesn’t need more than one race. In the track’s defense, though, it certainly is a much more appealing race now that they have added some banking to it. I am feeling nice, so I am not going to bash any tracks right now and say Vegas would better than (insert track you hate here). Point being, there are plenty tracks that would be worse to host the finale, whether it’s racing or seasonal weather.

Personally, I enjoy Homestead hosting the last race of the year. But, say Vegas does indeed replace the south Florida track for the last race of the year. Where will its new date go? I have heard speculation that it would go to the second race of the season, right after Daytona. This would be great for everyone. With it still being cold in February, Homestead would be the best fit for a race this time of year. And no one would love it more than the team truck drivers, as they would only have to go 200 something miles south for the next race. It sure beats the current 3,000 they have to drive all the way to California.

So, yes, we all shouldn’t be surprised with a major schedule overhaul in the schedule for next year. But if you are a betting man, you can’t go wrong gambling on Las Vegas to host the season finale starting in 2011. Now lets just hope we don’t watch 5 drivers shoot for the Cup in an elimination style Chase while we are out there.

Strong run for Bayne overshadowed by Keselowski-Edwards incident

2010-07-19T20:31:00.000-07:00

All the talk this week will be about yet another Carl Edwards Brad Keselowski run in. While I have an opinion on this, I have decided to stop talking about their feud because they don’t deserve the attention. Sure, it’s worth talking about if it happens in the Cup Series, but for it to happen in the minor leagues is just ridiculous. I don’t care who you think is right and wrong. Brad and Carl need to be doing this on Sunday afternoon’s while racing for the win. Having said that, lets move on.

We need to give Trevor Bayne a thumbs up for his third place run Saturday night. After winning the pole earlier in the day, Bayne led a total of 19 laps at Gateway – his first laps led of the year. Even after losing the lead, he managed to stay in the top 10 for the majority of the race. His third place finish also was a career best for the 19 year old Tennessean. A few weeks removed from recording his first career top 5 at New Hampshire, Trevor appears to have turned the corner and more finishes like this past weekend seem forthcoming.

Forget fixing the Chase, lets focus on the actual racing

2010-07-12T20:54:00.000-07:00

With rumors swirling that there will be changes made to the Chase in 2011, I realized how apathetic I am towards the situation. While it would be an exciting concept to have elimination races, (the rumors that I have been hearing) I feel it would sizzle out after a year or two, just like the Chase. Any which way NASCAR determines the champion, it is now permanently damaged. We aren’t going back to the old system, and even if we did, it wouldn’t bring back the loyal fans we have lost. From now on, more and more changes to the points will just flush out more fans.

I give NASCAR credit for trying to right their wrongs. They got rid of the spoiler and have now realized the Chase isn’t working. But they need to go after the biggest issue – the racing itself. Personally, I have no problems with how the races are now. I enjoy every single race and nothing irritates me more than hearing a fellow NASCAR "fan" say a race is boring (it is cars going around in circles, after all). However, I believe if NASCAR made two changes to the way races are run, fans would stop complaining about the racing.

I’ll get the minor and simple change out of the way first. I have said it before, and I’ll say it again. Get rid of the wave-around rule. Seriously, nothing good comes from this. It only makes the drivers run at their own rate the first 80 percent of the race. Go a lap down? No problem, take the wave around after a competition caution. The leader loses motivation to lap, and the 25th place guy doesn’t care if he gets lapped. But the other problem with the wave around that bothers me the most is going from 10 cars on the lead lap to 30 in the blink of an eye. This destroys any late race pit strategy the leaders may have due to the importance of track position. NASCAR, you need to admit this rule was a mistake (on that note, I think we are stuck with this rule for a while. NASCAR seems to like it, and so do the announcers).

My next proposal for more drama filled racing will probably get some of you wound up. NASCAR needs to eliminate qualifying and determine the starting order by inverting the finishing order of the previous race. Just think about that for a second. Obviously, we don’t want start and parks taking the green up front every week, so the rule would only apply to the top 35 in points. Which means Kevin Conway would likely be on the pole for most races. And look at this past weekend’s race. You would have guys like Gordon, Stewart, and Hamlin starting in the back. Even Jimmie Johnson, who had a mediocre finish, would still be starting mid pack. My biggest concern with this idea is whether the first few laps would be a crash fest or not. These are supposed to be the 43 best drivers in the world, so they should be able to handle it. If not, we need some new drivers.

All you need to do is look at is this past weekend’s race when Jimmie Johnson led almost the first hundred laps after starting on the front row. Had it not been for a rare (yet more common this year it seems) driver error from the 48 who knows how much of the race he would have led. By inverting the field, you are going to see many different drivers lead instead of the same 7 or 8 each week. Some may call it a gimmick, but I like to think of it as giving more guys a chance.

Things to expect if you go to Daytona...

2010-07-06T18:02:00.000-07:00

I just got back from Daytona for the first time. Whenever I go to a new track, I like jotting down some notes and analyze whats good and whats bad about the track itself. By doing this I hope I can help out a fellow fan who is looking to go a race and wants to know what to expect. Here are some some items to take note of if you plan on going to the 500 or Firecracker in the near future.

Plan on bringing up to $60 for parking. Daytona offers free parking, however it is almost a mile away from the track. There is a shuttle, but if your like me waiting for a shuttle is an inconvenience. Parking closer to the track will cost you at least $10, but still expect to walk a ways if you only pay this much.

Make sure you have a place to stay. This past weekend, hotels were sold out all the way up to Jacksonville. So book in advance, but remember the closer to the track, the more expensive a room will be. If you don't mind the heat or a potential rainout (wish is common in Daytona, especially this time of year) look into camping out.

Visit the Daytona Experience, located right outside turn 4. I thought I had died and gone to Heaven in there. I did not get to tour the museum (I won't get into those reasons) but I recommend doing so. It costs only $25.

While at the DE, I ate at the Turn 4 Grill. Sounds pretty good, right? Well it turned out to be nothing more than your typical track concession stand. However, I was pleasantly surprised with the hot dogs. Defintely the best track dog I've had, and it was "only" $3.

No matter the size of the track, I appreciate having a big screen TV on pit road so I can see anything I might have missed. Daytona and Talladega are the only tracks I have been to that have them, and that's because of the size of these tracks (I am sure road courses would have them too for this reason, but I have yet to attend Sonoma or the Glen). Point being, if your thinking about sitting closer to the track, you can still follow the action on the big screen.

If you missed it, Darius Rucker (from Hootie and the Blowfish) played a pre-race concert on the Tri-Oval grass. I would like more tracks to do this as it makes the wait for the race more enjoyable.

One of the best crowds I have ever seen. The fans were really into the racing and I was surprised by the lack of drunk people. Don't get me wrong, many were drinking and having a great time, but it was nice not see anyone passed out hours before the race started.

I was expecting really bad traffic after the race. Several people told me to enjoy a three hour wait stuck in the parking lot before I reached the highway. Fortunately, for whatever reason, this did not happen. I spent 15 minutes stuck at a red light before I was back on I-95.

In conclusion, put Daytona next on your racing checklist . It has somewhat of a Disney World feel to it. There is much more to do during your stay there than any other track, and, lets face it, it's the most famous track in the world. Getting to see inside the stands for the first time is an amazing feeling. And I plan on being back next February for the 500.

Could Labonte go to the 83?

2010-06-22T18:18:00.000-07:00

After we witnessed 2000 Cup Champ Bobby Labonte start and park in a few races this year, many fans either called for his retirement or leave TRG Motorsports and find a more competitive ride. Well according to SceneDaily, Labonte is expected to announce on Wednesday he is parting ways with TRG. We all know Red Bull is looking for a driver with Brian Vickers out for the year. Reed Sorenson is in for 3 races, but what about after that? This may be Bobby's last chance racing for a competitive team.

Putty's driver rankings

2010-06-01T20:13:00.000-07:00

This is new to the blog, untested, so after a few weeks I may tweak it a little bit. The way I have created the system is to give points to each top ten driver over the past three races. I also give bonus points to the top three drivers in laps led over the same span. The system is big on wins; the top three drivers in this week’s rankings are also the three most recent winners. Anyway, here we go.

1. Kyle Busch – Seventh, a win, and third. Hard to be beat that right now, and Kyle isn’t just lucking into these finishes – he has led laps in his last three races.
2. Kurt Busch – The older Busch is running just as a good as Kyle right now. If I had factored in the All-Star race, Kurt might have been number one.
3. Denny Hamlin – Was running fifth before he broke his splitter at Charlotte. Hamlin is definitely back on track though after a rough start to the 2010 season.
4. Jamie McMurray – Second in two of his past three races, Jamie Mac is possibly having his best season ever.
5. David Reuitimann- David has two consecutive fifth place finishes and is reminding everyone he is still the man at MWR. Engines are starting to hold up.
6. Jeff Burton – I found something a little ironic in looking at Jeff’s past three finishes. We all know he was furious with Kyle this past weekend. Maybe its because he finished one spot behind him at Darlington, then again as a runner up at Dover?
7. Jeff Gordon – He hasn’t been as strong since Darlington, but is still running near the front. The wins will come soon.
8. Matt Kenseth – I feel like Matt has been off the radar since Martinsville. But in typical Kenseth fashion, he sits a third in the points and eight in my rankings.
9. Kevin Harvick – Like Kenseth, Kevin isn’t making much noise, yet he is leading the points. He will have to get more top 5’s and a couple more wins if he wants to win this championship.
10. Mark Martin – Has run terrible lately, but this team somehow manages to find their way into the top 5. If they start running better, watch out!