Sorry for the break in postrace review yesterday. I was planning to cover many more drivers and notable events, but my connection has been going in and out. Look for posts to continue tomorrow if everything is working for me.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Busch is incredible
How amazing is this kid Kyle Busch? If you haven't heard, he got his fifth victory of the season tonight after winning at Infineon Raceway. We knew that he could win on ovals, but at a road-course, where he's had no prior success? How?
Nothing that he does is going to be surprising anymore. Call him a bad guy, call him wreck less, but this guy is one heck of a driver. And he's still very young. I'm just blown away.
He had a few bad weeks, and I thought he might finally be slowing down. But obviously, I was wrong, and I'm not sure if he'll ever find hard times this season.
Skipping the Nationwide race might have really helped. If I were him, I would consider doing it more often than he already plans to. It just seems like the smart option.
Anyway, his lead has increased to 103 points. That's a lot, but he still has work to do. I have no doubt that he can do it, and I'm not sure if someone else will make a run at him. We'll see, and it'll be fun to watch. The one thing I do know is that this guy has a very bright future.
Toyota/Save Mart 350 Recap
In a very unusual race, although that's what is expected at Sonoma, Kyle Busch won the Toyota/Save Mart 350, his fifth of the year.
Kasey Kahne, the polesitter, barely led any laps and then handed the lead to Jimmie Johnson, falling way back into the field. Johnson looked to have a pretty good car, as he had a pretty big lead.
On lap 26, Greg Biffle made a green flag pit stop, starting the cycle of drivers attempting to use strategy to win the race. A few more drivers came in before lap 29, when David Ragan and Joe Nemechek got together in the paper clip turn, dismantling a set of tires used as walls and bringing out the caution.
This meant that good cars that had been up front and pitted, most notably Kevin Harvick and Tony Stewart, two drivers great at road-racing that qualified poorly and needed to gain track-position, Kyle Busch, and Juan Montoya were now the leaders along with Biffle.
On the restart, Biffle put his right tires over the first two turns, spinning the car and going to the back, showing us how one small mistake can lead to a very bad result.
Busch then gained the lead, passing Montoya after he had to check up to see where Biffle was going. Form there, he proved that he had the best car, and kept on hitting his marks. It might not have had the top lap times, but it didn't really have any bad ones.
Things then got messed up again when green flag pit stops were made on lap 65+, with drivers such as Tony Stewart, who stalled his car but ended up OK, Jamie McMurray, Harvick, and Busch pitting. Caution came out yet again, disrupting the stops, as Robby Gordon and Kurt Busch made contact and spun.
Carl Edwards, who had a good car all day, was put back in the pack because of the cars that already pitted being on the lead-lap.
From there it was pretty much Kyle Busch leading the way, with many cautions coming out.
The top ten(scenedaily.com full results):
- Kyle Busch
- David Gilliland
- Jeff Gordon
- Clint Bowyer
- Casey Mears
- Juan Montoya
- Ryan Newman
- Matt Kenseth
- Carl Edwards
- Tony Stewart
- Road-course ace Boris Said had some brake and shock issues and ended up finishing forty-first. That's too bad, as this is probably the first of only two or three races he'll run this season.
- A week effort by Kahne today. I'm not sure why, but his car was just much, much worse than it was in qualifying and practice. This is definitely a setback, and might just end his hot streak.
- When contact is made at Infineon, there's a good chance some driver will start spinning. It's kind of ridiculous.
- A great run by David Gilliland, even if he got kind of lucky to get up that high and finish second. He has some experience at this track, and used it to drive with the best Cup drivers.
- Robby Gordon had a very bad day. At the start, it looked like he might contend for the win, but his car was very bad towards the middle of the race. He ran out of fuel after spinning in the incident with Kurt Busch, and had trouble getting to pit-road, making for some very frustrating moments.
- Kevin Harvick was up there until the end, but was involved in an incident that made him finish thirtieth. He might be in some trouble now.
- Scott Pruett didn't have a good race, getting together with Denny Hamlin and finishing thirty-eighth. Definitely not what the forty-one team had in mind.
- A good race for Dale Earnhardt Jr., who finished twelfth. He hates this track, and wanted to just get out with a decent finish. He did lose significant ground to Kyle Busch, though.
- Jamie McMurray had a good car all race, but feel to eighteenth after getting together with Harvick.
- Juan Montoya was spun by Marcos Ambrose, but battled back to finish sixth. This was a very good job by him, and maybe he can use the confidence to run well in upcoming races.
- Elliot Sadler had a very good race, running in the top five up until the end. He had a flat tire for the GWC finished though, and ended up finishing eighteenth. That's very unfortunate for him, as he was having his best race of the season.
- Jeff Burton finished thirteenth, his first finish outside of the top ten this season. He wasn't going to do it all year, and he's still in second place.
- So much for ringers. Ron Fellows was the best one in the race, finishing twenty-ninth. Now granted, he had a much better car and was involved in a crash, but that is kind of pathetic.
- It was a bad day for Kurt Busch, who finished thirty-second after being involved in multiple wrecks. His Chase hopes are starting to fade
Roush almost done with deals
Scenedaily.com reports that Roush Fenway Racing is trying to keep their lineup the same for 2009.
The team has two free agents, Greg Biffle and David Ragan.
Biffle is very close to a deal, with reports coming out a few days ago that they had pretty much agreed on one.
They're just trying to get a sponsor for Ragan, and then he's expected to be back. I like both of these guys, as they're young and have shown talent. Roush is smart to bring them back.
In 2010, they'll have to cut down to four teams, but they plan to have five next year.
Final Sonoma Thoughts
The Cup race at Sonoma is going to begin in about an hour, so I though I would give some final thoughts on how to have a good race at Infineon Raceway.
Basically, for the guys up front, it's just follow the leader. Don't make any mistakes, keep four wheels on the track, and keep the car on the pavement. If you can do this, you'll be in good shape, possibly contending for the win with a few late passes. Don't be overaggressive, just follow the leader's pace and drive cautiously.
For the guy's up back, you have to use some strategy, because you're not going to make up a ton of positions throughout the race. This track just doesn't allow it. Use pit strategy and gas mileage to gain some track position and get up front. That's really the only way to do it. One would want to do this as quickly as possible, as cars in the back have a good chance to hit the many drivers who will be spinning out of control in the race.
Like I said yesterday, I'm just not sure if Tony Stewart and Kevin Harvick can make their way back up. You should see both guys use strategy to do it.
Anything less than a win today for Jeff Gordon is really not acceptable. He has a good car, is starting in the top ten, and knows this track better than just about anyone else. Plus, he was my pick.
Watch out for Marcos Ambrose. His car has been fast all week, and he is good on road-courses. How about a win or top-five for the guy's first ever Cup race? That would be just awesome.
It'll be very interesting to see if Kasey Kahne and Jimmie Johnson, the first row of the starting lineup, can have a race as good as their qualifying efforts. Both of these guys have not found prior success at Infineon.
Another thing I'll be looking out for is if Jeff Burton, who's starting twentieth, can get another top ten. Remember, he hasn't gotten anything else this season.
How many specialists will be in the top ten at the end of the race? It should be more, but I'll guess two, Boris Said and Ron Fellows.
Some guys who would normally not be in contention for a Cup race, Bobby Labonte, Terry Labonte, Robby Gordon, and I don't know, Dave Blaney, could get the win in this one. That's what I love about road-course racing, everyone has a chance regardless of their equipment.
So, there you go. Even though Sonoma doesn't exactly offer the thrills of a normal race, make sure to tune in on TNT. It's a fun race to watch, and I'm sure that you'll find it enjoyable to watch.
DEI Update
SPEED's Tom Jensen has written a nice roundup of all the problems and news surrounding DEI.
There a few situations brewing right now. The first is one that has been widely publicized, that is Mark Martin's contract being up at the end of this year. Right now, Martin is driving most races in the number eight car for them, and has done a very good job. However, he might want to look for a new team to help a young driver along, or might even want a full time gig. The five car, controlled by Hendrick's, comes to mind.
Retaining him is their goal. However, if they don't agree with what he wants to do, he won't come back for one more season. It's that simple. I imagine he'll have at least a few offers from teams looking to have veteran leadership after the season is over, so he'll have some options and flexibility. Right now, it doesn't look like he plans to come back. Aric Almirola is expected to take over for him, as he is running the races that Martin isn't in, although DEI doesn't appear to think he's fully ready.
The second issue is the eight car's sponsor. The US Army has been on the car for the last two seasons, but gets to decide if they want to move elsewhere in the offseason. If Martin is gone, the car may not be noticed enough.
Jensen claims that some sources say the Army could move to Bill Davis Racing and Dave Blaney's car, as they're looking for a new sponsor. However, nothing is completely known.
So like Martin, the Army seems to be gone from DEI.
The third and final issue is the zero-one car that Regan Smith drives. Even though Smith is a top contender for rookie of the year, the car isn't sponsored. Officials are currently looking for one, but a company is yet to step forward. If they are unsuccessful in finding one, the team will be forced to put just three cars out there in 2009. This is obviously something that they don't want to do.
So, it looks like a busy offseason for the people at DEI. Ever since Dale Earnhardt Jr. left, this team has really been falling apart. Assuming Martin leaves, the team will only have Martin Truex Jr. to really count on. Unfortunately, he could leave after the 2009 season. I don't know, it might be time to sell the company to the Earnhardt children, including Junior. It really seems like the best for the company, as it's tanking right now.
Gordon gets sponsors
For the last few days, I've talked about my query as to why Robby Gordon, a road-coursing ace who'll get on TV plenty of times today, hasn't been able to find a sponsor, even with his sub par season to this point.
Well, according to scenedaily.com, he finally has, just a little later than expected.
Camping World has elected to put their logos on his car. This is rather odd, as Gordon's team has a lawsuit filed against the company for failing to honor a deal that they thought they signed. I guess both sides were just desperate, and made a last-minute deal despite the bad blood.
In addition to Camping World, DLP and King Taco are sponsoring Gordon's car.
DLP is the usual sponsor for JJ Yeley's number ninety-six car, but he failed to qualify for this race. Therefore, DLP decided to sign a one-race deal with the number seven car.
Even though he's a bit of a jerk, I'm glad that Gordon got some sponsors. It's been a tough season for him so far, but he deserves it considering his stellar results at this track.
Nationwide Standings Report
Here is the top ten Nationwide standings(full ones on scenedaily.com)
- Clint Bowyer 2506
- Brad Keselowski -188
- David Reutimann-190
- Carl Edwards -205
- Ravid Ragan -305
- Mike Bliss -314
- Kyle Busch -413
- Mike Wallace -553
- David Stremme -529
- Jason Leffler -538
Edwards has a lot of confidence after last night's win and is with a crew chief that appears to be better for him, but I'm not sure if that deficit is manageable. It certainly won't be easy.
Therefore, Bowyer pretty much just has to run every race from here on out, in my opinion. He knows how to get results in the Nationwide.
The biggest loser for this week was Kyle Busch, dropping two spots, but that doesn't matter anymore, as he's decided to not run all of the races.
I really thought that Stremme could make a run, possibly looking to go into the top five in a few weeks, but last night's race was a huge setback. He'll just have to focus on the next one, still in the ninth spot.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Toyota/Save Mart 350 Preview
I've given you the lineup numerous times for the Toyota/Save Mart 350, so here it is on NASCAR.com.
I know most people don't like it, but I love watching a Cup race at Sonoma. The specialist, who haven't done too well this week, the good road-course racers in the series, and the bad/inexperienced ones mesh in to create an entertaining race.
Qualifying is very important at Infineon Raceway. Passing is almost impossible, with only two or three corners that really offer an opportunity. Therefore, those starting at the back, ala Kevin Harvick and Tony Stewart, will have a difficult time coming to the front.
Therefore, strategy will be very important tomorrow. You'll see many crew chiefs gamble to get track position, which you need at this track. As we saw last week at Michigan, this can sometimes lead to a win. Whoever uses the best strategy may well be the winner.
Another thing I love about this race is the fact that drivers can't make a mistake. One bad turn on a slippery surface usually means a car spinning out, which puts them in the back. And, we all know that you can't really come to the front from there. Therefore, drivers will try as hard as they can to not make one single mistake. Their full concentration is needed for this hard task.
So when you look at the contenders, you'd think of the specialists, Jeff Gordon, Robby Gordon, Clint Bowyer, Kasey Kahne, and even Stewart and Harvick, even if they're starting in the back.
For my prediction, I'll go with Jeff Gordon. He's just so good on this track, and needs a win badly. Enjoy the race everyone!
Awful night for Stremme
Tonight was a very disappointing one for David Stremme.
At the beginning of the day, Stremme thought he had the car to finally win a race, being the fastest in the final practice. Combine that with the fact that he always runs very well at Milwaukee, and I thought he had the best chance to win.
It all went down in qualifying though, as Stremme's car wasn't handling well, and he started seventeenth.
The race was ugly as well, as Stremme never really did much. Towards the end, he was wrecked while at the back of the pack, ending an awful day that he thought could be good.
After the incident, when he was understandably angry, he called out the drivers in the back, saying that they were awful and didn't know how to race. Now, this was a little out of line, as everyone in the race knows how to drive a car. Granted, some of them are still learning.
He probably didn't mean those comments, and was just upset at his poor finish at thirty-four. He just needs to put this race behind him and look towards the next one, as difficult as that might be.
Logano Update
Another race, another great finish for Joey Logano, this time second.
I'm sure he's disappointed that he didn't win the race, as he had the opportunity to, but he'll take this. If his pit crew would have been a little bit faster and the pit road a little more wider, he might have taken the checkered flag.
Even with Logano's stellar start to his Nationwide career, Joe Gibbs Racing is not going to have him run the next two races, the latter being at Daytona. Instead, they'll put either Tony Stewart or Denny Hamlins in the twenty car.
This is odd to some fans, as Logano has been so good. However, they don't want to rush him too much, and could use him to test some cars for the team. Plus, one has to prove that they can run a race at Daytona before they're just put into a car. It's tough to do this, but I agree with the move.
And to all of you people who think Logano can do no wrong and is completely ready for Cup action, he showed why he's a rookie tonight. He made contact numerous times, and gave Brad Keselowski just a top-ten finish instead of a well-deserved win. I know he has all the talent in the world, but he still has plenty to learn.
Nice night for Edwards
What a sweet win for Carl Edwards tonight, in many ways.
First of all, it snapped the defending Nationwide champion's thirty-six race winless streak. It was incredibly odd that a man of Carl's skill, who does so well in Nationwide races, hasn't won yet.
Also, it showed that Edwards can work very well with his new crew-chief, Drew Blickensderfer, who came in just this week. It's amazing that it only took one week for these two to win a race.
This was easily Edward's best car and race in the entire year, and the result luckily came out that way. He can now use this win and newfound confidence in his team and crew chief to make a little bit of a run in the standings. He's sitting in fourth right now, and is a long ways away from Clint Bowyer, but he can do it.
In addition to these Nationwide things, it must feel great for Edwards that the long trip he made from Sonoma to Milwaukee was worth it. It was questionable to being with, and I'm sure that Edwards is tired tonight and doesn't feel like racing on a road-course tomorrow, but he'll be going back to Infineon happy.
Camping World RV REntal 250 Recap
In a race that was close up to the final twenty laps, Carl Edwards won at Milwaukee in the Camping World RV Rental 250.
Brad Keselowski dominated the first half of the race, leading one hundred forty-five of the first one hundred and seventy laps. The polesitter clearly had the best car, at least before night came over Wisconsin, and looked to be on his way to at least a top three finish, probably his second victory of the season.
Clint Bowyer, Carl Edwards, and David Ragan, three Cup drivers who had to start at the back because of not being at qualifying, made their way up quickly despite the Mile being very flat. This was pretty much expected, as these guys had pretty good cars and are much better than the rest of the competition.
At lap one hundred seventy, Joey Logano challenged Zeselowski for the lead. Logano got loose in the corner, and nearly spun him out. The damage was still done however, as Zeselowski's right front fender was scraping the tire, making the car worse, and taking him out of the picture for the race lead.
On lap two hundred and six, caution came out and the leaders pitted. Logano came out fourth in the pits, and made contact with Bowyer coming out.
After the restart, Carl Edwards got past Steve Wallace, who only took two tires and immediately went to the back, for the lead. Clint Bowyer passed Edwards up shortly.
Caution then came out, and shortly after the restart, Edwards passed Bowyer for good, making some contact along the way. Logano then got past Bowyer.
When he got the lead, no one could catch up to Edwards, not even Logano, who had a good car. He got the fairly commanding win.
In the end, there were eight cautions, with twenty-two drivers on the lead lap.
Here's the top ten:
- Carl Edwards
- Joey Logano
- Clint Bowyer
- David Ragan
- David Reutimann
- Scott Wimmer
- Mike Bliss
- Brad Keselowski
- Jason Keller
- Jason Leffler
A very notes, thoughts, and observations:
- The Cup boys did much better than I thought they would. As you can see, four of the five finished in the top five despite them being commandingly outmatched. I guess that shows their dominance in these Nationwide races.
- It was a frustrating night for Mike Wallace, who finished eighteenth. He wrecked a few times, both not really his fault, and will take a small hit in the standings.
- Milwaukee is a very physical racetrack, as we saw a ton of small bumps and taps tonight that led to cars spinning out of control.
- Wimmer had a very good car in the early-goings of this race, and I'm surprised that he didn't finish in the top five.
- It's just a shame that Keselowski was wrecked by Logano. He should be very mad, as it wasn't his fault and it cost him a win. He'll still be fine in terms of the standings, though, although he did lose some ground to Bowyer.
- Congratulations to Chase Miller, who had his best ever Nationwide finish at twenty-third.
Ambrose crashed in practice
I just wanted to get a quick note from foxsports.com in. Marcos Ambrose, who had the top Happy Hour time, actually lost control of his car in turn eleven and hit the tires lined up as the wall. As a result, there is some damage to the left side. It should be fine, though, as his team repaired it while he was in route to Milwaukee to the Nationwide race. This is yet another example of how difficult Sonoma is, and even the best can lose control of their cars.
Camping World RV Rental 250 Lineup, Prediction
The race is starting soon, so I don't have time to bring you the whole starting lineup. Here is the one from foxsports.com.
- Brad Keselowski
- Mike Bliss
- Landon Cassill
- Jason Keller
- Mike Reutimann
- Stephen Leicht
- Joey Logano
- Kelly Bires
- Jason Leffler
- Colin Braun
Most Cup drivers didn't qualify their cars, including Clint Bowyer and Carl Edwards, so they'll need to start at the back. I have complete confidence that they'll make their way up to the top ten, though.
Logano will start at a meager seventh place. How bad is that?
David Stremme, who had the best car in practice, will start sixteenth.
For my prediction of tonight's race, I'll pick Cassill. Ya, that's right, a bit of a surprise pick. He looked good in the truck race last night, and I feel his crew will get him the lead at the end. Choosing the polesitter two races in a row wouldn't be too fun, would it?
Should be a great race, and I'll start in about thirty minutes. Remember, because this is a short track, the standings could look much different after its completion. Enjoy!
Toyota/Save Mart 250 One Liners
For each race, I like to do one-liners about each driver, going over how hot/cold they are, how they'll do in this race, etc. This week is no different.
1. Kasey Kahne #9- Driver with most momentum, won second pole in three weeks. Hasn't done well on road-courses in past, but looks to know way around.
2. Jimmie Johnson #48- Johnson is coming off a few good weeks, but hasn't done well at Sonoma in his past.
3. Kurt Busch #2- Needs to continue to climb in standings, good week to gain momentum. Has three top-fives at Infineon.
4. Bobby Labonte #42- Has experience at road-courses, can use it to have good week and possibly make a tiny run.
5. Jeff Gordon #24- Has five wins at Sonoma, is good bet to win again starting high up. Could really use a good race.
6. Elliot Sadler #19- Has never finished in top-five at Sonoma, thinks team is better than 26th in standings.
7. Marcos Ambrose #21- Making first start, knows way around road-courses. Has been one of the best cars all weekend, should be able to have good finish.
8. Robby Gordon #7- Unsponsored for this week, but has won once at Sonoma and is one of best road-course drivers. Isn't afraid to pass on short turns.
9. Ryan Newman #12- Has done well on road-courses in the past, needs a good run to get back into Chase picture, or he'll leave Penske.
10. Greg Biffle #16- Coming off bad week, almost has new contract. Has some good finishes at Sonoma, but isn't very good on road-courses.
11. Terry Labonte #45- Filling in for Kyle Petty, has lots of experience at track. Could be up there at the end, as he knows the track well.
12. Carl Edwards #99- Doing double-duty this weekend. Hasn't been good at road-courses, and wants to get out with decent finish.
13. Denny Hamlin #11- Starting to slip a little, has done well in small sample size on road-courses.
14. Boris Said #80- Specialist making first Cup start of year, has had good car all weekend. Should be able to have top-ten finish.
15. Dale Earndhardt Jr. #88- Coming off big win with momentum, hates this track. Just wants to keep point position and get to next race.
16. Dave Blaney #22- Is horrendous at road-courses, having awful season despite new contract being given to him.
17. Sam Hornish Jr. #77- Spun out in practice, has experience at road-courses in IRL, but not with heavy cars. Coming off good week, might be rookie of year.
18. Jamie McMurray #26- Not very good at Sonoma, but has looked good in practice. Needs a good race to get out of the twenties.
19. Clint Bowyer #07- Doing double-duty, has been good at road-courses in past. Starting to slide, needs race to get back on track.
20. Jeff Burton #31- Mr. Consistent has finished in top-ten in each race in 2008, hasn't made much noise at Infineon, but has five top-ten's.
21. Juan Montoya #42- Won race last year in rookie season, knows track very well. Absolutely needs race to try to get his team back and get back into contention.
22. Ron Fellows #00- Specialist filling in for Regan Smith, good in practice. Team wants him to get car into top thirty owner-points.
23. Casey Mears #5- Whispers starting to come up about him being ousted at Hendrick, hasn't done much at Sonoma in career.
24. Joe Nemechek #78- Hasn't done well at road-courses in his career.
25. Martin Truex Jr #1- Hasn't won in a while now, and needs to do a little more to make the Chase. He's inexperienced on road-courses.
26. Brian Vickers #83- Has been having better runs lately, including last week. Hasn't done anything at this track.
27. Scott Pruett #41- Specialist filing in for Reed Sorenson to get the team in a better position to make each race. Car doesn't look too good.
28. Max Papis #66- Specialist filling in at Haas CNC Racing.
29. Paul Menard #15- Making first start at track, doesn't even have top ten in season yet.
30. Kyle Busch #18- Point's leader rightfully skipped Nationwide race to focus on this one. Has top ten at Sonoma, looked pretty good in practice.
31. David Gilliland #38- Has been consistent in middle-pack all year. Has done poorly at track, but was third fastest in Happy Hour.
32. Kevin Harvick #29- Is yet to win this season. One of best NASCAR regulars on road-courses, car looked better in practice today. Surprising that he's back so far, might not be able to come back from it.
33. Matt Kenseth #17- Has momentum coming into this week and is making a bit of a run. This race could stop that, he isn't good at road-courses and qualified poorly.
34. Michael McDowell #00- Getting chance with NAPA sponsoring him. Making first career run on road-course.
35. Michael Waltrip(will start in back) #55- Looking for anything positive in this season, hasn't had a top ten. Lots of experience on road-courses, one top five at this track.
36. AJ Allmendinger(will start in back) #84- Has run much better in the last few races, making his eighth start, first at a road-course. Shouldn't go much past his starting spot at rear of field.
37. Patrick Carpentier #10- Rookie has experience on road-courses in other series.
38. David Ragan #6- Only ten points away from getting into top twelve. Doesn't have much road-course experience, has looked very bad this weekend.
39. Tony Stewart #20- Still looking for first win. Has won twice at track, six at road-courses. Usually very good, but was awful in qualifying. Looked better in practice, could move through field quickly.
40. Aric Almirola #8- Needs to show DEI that he's a long-term answer. Making first start at road-course.
41. Travis Kvapil #28- Having a good season, eighteenth in points. Could actually sniff the Chase. Not much experience on road-courses.
42. David Reutimann #44- Slipping in standings. Making first start at road-course.
43. Brian Simo #34- Specialist who has a top ten at this track.
Looking at Infineon Raceway
Because of the unusual track that the Cup is running at tomorrow, Infineon Raceway, I thought I would post a little bit about how the drivers plan to get through it.
They start with a small turn one, then go up a steep hill that's very slippery. Many cars wreck in this area.
Then they go into the S's from there. Turn three goes downhill, and turn four is a slippery part where cars can get off balance and possibly move their wheels up. Keep in mind, none of these turns are really good for passing.
Turn five is a rare place where passing is possible.
Coming out of it is a straightaway that goes into a very tricky turn six. It's a narrow corner, so drivers have to be fully concentrated in order to stay on the track.
Then until turn ten the track is actually fairly fast with the cars just maneuvering some small turns. Again, not the best place to pass.
Coming out of turn ten is a small straightaway where drivers get their final positions for the last corner.
Turn eleven is the spot that drivers do almost all of their passing. It's a very difficult paper clip that requires drivers to stay on the bottom, or else they'll be passed by multiple cars. If someone needs to make a pass on the final lap or gain positions, this is the spot to do it.
Turn twelve is a fast corner which is pretty easy to coordinate.
So, as you can see, Sonoma doesn't offer many opportunities to pass cars up, making one's starting position very important. Boy, I'm kind of happy that I don't have to go around this course for three hundred and fifty miles tomorrow. I can see how they're unhappy about having to do this, with the slipper conditions and lack of turns that are decent for passing. Whatever, they're making enough money.
Camping World RV Rental 250 Preview
Tonight, the Nationwide Series goes to Milwaukee for the Camping World RV Rental 250 in what promises to be an entertaining race to get us ready for Infineon.
Obviously, the biggest storyline will be eighteen-year old sensation Joey Logano, who will go for his second win in just his fourth race. He can also get his third pole, as qualifying is set to begin very shortly. It is shocking how well he's been able to do in such a short time, so nothing that he does tonight would be unexpected. He just needs to qualify well, run a clean race, and then do his thing at the end. If he can get a victory, he will have won half of his first four races. That's pretty special. It'll be interesting to see if he finally struggles, although it seems as if he'll never make a mistake.
There are plenty other drivers to watch out for, though.
David Stremme, who has been very consistent this season, has three top-fives at the Mile and is always in the hunt at this track. In today's last practice, he was the fastest driver. He's still looking for his first win of 2008.
Clint Bowyer, the series' points leader, is always a contender for the race. He is making the long trip from Sonoma to Milwaukee, so he might not have all his energy available.
Carl Edwards, David Ragan, Marcos Ambrose, and David Reutimann are also doing double-duty. Even though these guys usually seem to have the advantage, keep in mind that they weren't able to practice their cars today because of them being in Sonoma.
Also, watch out for the guys who ran in the truck race last night. It was a physical, intense battle, so they should be ready for this one. Erik Darnell seems to have a fast car.
We should always remember Brad Keselowski, as he's been pretty consistent this year.
Like I've said the past two days, qualifying isn't terribly important at Milwaukee. The straightaways are long, and the turns are pretty good for passing. A driver can get a lot of spots throughout the race.
However, like we saw last night, the leader can pull away rather easily with the rest of the field getting congested by cars off the lead-lap and other traffic. There will be many lapped cars, as this is a short track with lots of passing and wrecking.
Therefore, the polesitter will have a big advantage, and pit crew will be of great importance with all the cautions. The best car doesn't always win at these types of tracks.
Qualifying is just about set to get under way, so I'll get the starting lineup and my prediction out to you once it is completed.
Waltrip, Allmendinger change engines
Scenedaily.com reports that both Michael Waltrip and AJ Allmendinger made engine changes today, forcing them to go to the back of the field for tomorrow's Cup race.
Both qualified thirty-fifth and thirty-sixth, so this isn't that big of a deal, although it will be even more difficult to pass anyone, and they might see more spin outs.
David Reutimann wrecked in practice and will have to go to a back-up car. He was starting forty-second though, so it won't make any difference.
Will Bowyer win NS?
Right now, Clint Bowyer is on top of the Nationwide standings, leading Brad Keselowski by one hundred seventy points. Obviously, that's a commanding lead that would be difficult for Bowyer, a Cup driver, to give up. However, I'm not sure if he can do it.
So far, he's ran all sixteen races in addition to all the Cup ones. I'm just not convinced that he can run all of them in the season while putting enough focus onto his Cup car. I know that it's doable, but it just seems like too much, especially considering the fact that he is currently in a drastic slide in the Cup. Eventually, he may have to sit out one or two of these Nationwide races to get back on track in the series that actually matters.
Would you risk poor performance in the top level to win the Nationwide? I would love to win that title, but it just seems to me that it isn't worth it.
Wallace to make 400th start
I just wanted to take a post to offer my congratulations to Kenny Wallace, who will be making his four hundredth Nationwide start tonight at Milwaukee, joining only Tommy Houston and Jason Keller. He seems like a very good guy, and even though he has struggled lately, he's also a very good driver.
Hapy Hour Times
Happy Hour for the Cup race at Sonoma was completed about an hour ago. If I'm a driver, I would want to get as much practice as I could. The race really is about following the leader and just not spinning, so these times aren't exactly the most useful information to use to predict the finish of tomorrow's race.
Marcos Ambrose, making his first Cup start, got the top time. He's been good all weekend, so I expect him to have a very good race tomorrow. I know he's kind of a road-course ace, but this is still very impressive.
Here's the rest of the top ten, with the full times on NASCAR.com.
- Marcos Ambrose
- Ron Fellows
- David Gilliland
- Denny Hamlins
- Martin Truex Jr.
- Juan Montoya
- Brian Vickers
- Dale Earnhardt Jr.
- Kevin Harvick
- Tony Stewart
I'm not exactly sure how, but Scott Pruett had the worst time. Keep in mind that he's a road-course specialist.
Opinion's on RC racing
With the Sprint Cup race at Sonoma being tomorrow, I've started to think about road-course racing in general. Some people like it. Most, though, appear to hate it.
From a driver's perspective, it would be mixed feelings, as some are just good at it and some plain suck, trying to just hang on and get out with a halfway decent finish. If they took a vote, it would probably be taken away, as only a handful really know what they're doing twice a year.
For the fans, it's understandable why most hate it. First of all, the people in the actual stands can't see much of the race, as there are many turns(12 at Infineon) and the track is spread out. I really wouldn't want to spend the money on a ticket because of that.
And, the races aren't too exciting. Sure, you get spin outs and drivers trying to hold on for dear life, but it's really just guys following the leader. At Sonoma in particular, passing is scarce, as the turns really aren't meant for passing, being too small.
I tend to like the races because I enjoy seeing how drivers adapt to the odd circumstances and how the specialists blend in with the regulars. However, I can certainly see why the normal fan would not.
What's you opinion of this? Would there still be two road-course races left in a season if you could make the decision?
It would be yes for me. Both of the races are just two of thirty-six, and I find the type of racing a nice change of pace.
1st Cup Practice Results
Speedtv.com has the results of the first practice earlier today at Sonoma for the Cup series.
Here's the top ten:
- Robby Gordon
- Jamie McMurray
- Denny Hamlin
- Carl Edwards
- Kevin Harvick
- Kasey Kahne
- Marcos Ambrose
- Juan Montoya
- Patrick Carpentier
- Boris Said
Again, not too many specialists in the top-ten. I'm not sure why this is happening so far, but I still think they'll be fine1 for the race. Said appears to be in pretty good shape.
The final practice is currently taking place.
Final Nationwide Practice
The final practice for the Nationwide series at Milwaukee took place today, and here are the top ten times:
- David Stremme
- Erik Darnell
- Mike Skinner
- Mike Bliss
- Landon Cassill
- Colin Braun
- Jason Leffler
- Joey Logano
- Cale Gale
- Auggie Vidovich
What, only eighth for Logano? How awful. The funny thing is, some people might actually be saying this.
Stremme has had prior success at Milwaukee, so I'm not surprised he has a good car. Like Benson last night, he's probably the best bet to win, even if Logano is a more popular choice.
Qualifying will take place at 5:35 ET., and the Camping World 250 will be at 8 ET. As I said last night, qualifying isn't exactly the of dire importance at this track, because passing is pretty easy.
Will Said retaliate?
The Boston Globe brings up a very interesting storyline for tomorrow's race at Sonoma. If you can remember back to April 20th, Marcos Ambrose spun out Boris Said in a Nationwide race in Mexico. While Ambrose went on to finish second, Said ended up thirty-fifth, which is a pretty big deal to him considering he only runs a handful of races.
Later, Said swore that he would get revenge on Ambrose for wrecking him. He hasn't had an opportunity to yet. Well, he obviously will tomorrow, and is pretty close to him in the lineup.
I've always viewed Said as a nice guy and smart driver, so I don't think he'll do anything tomorrow. However, I wouldn't be completely shocked if he did. It's been a frustrating season, and he was looking pretty good in that race.
Just another thing to look out for, as if we really needed anything else.
CTS Standing's Report
After last night's eventful Craftsman Truck race at Milwaukee, the standings have been shuffled a little bit.
Johnny Benson remains the leader, but now has a fifty point advantage over Todd Bodine. He gained thirty-five points on him because, 1)He won the race, and 2)He easily led the most laps.
Benson must be very happy to finally have some room to breath, creating some separation. Before the race, one mediocre night could have put him all the way back to fifth.
Here are the standings of the top-ten:
1. Johnny Benson 1617
2. Todd Bodine -50
3. Matt Crafton -67
4. Ron Hornaday -70
5. Rick Crawford -109
6. Mike Skinner -134
7. Terry Cook -176
8. Erik Darnell -182
9. Jack Sprague -189
10. Chad McCumbee -221
You can view the full standings here at NASCAR.com.
So, Crafton moves into third place, taking advantage of Hornaday getting into a wreck, and McCumbee falls all the way back to tenth after being in seventh at the beginning of the race.
There you go. Things are still fairly tight, especially in the lower-middle, but Benson can take advantage of his lead. He's been the most consistent driver this year, and despite him not completely dominating, he could run away with this thing. I still view Hornaday as the driver who could give him the biggest challenge.
Friday, June 20, 2008
Benson wins again at Milwaukee
It was a pretty odd, rainy race tonight as Johnny Benson won the Camping World RV Sales 200.
For Benson, this is his third consecutive win in as many years at Milwaukee, obviously very impressive. Part of it is him, as he clearly knows his way around the track and can drive well on the straight surface. However, a lot of the success also goes with his crew, as they know how to put a good car for the race together.
Benson led for most of the race, getting a commanding lead right out of the gate, and led all but three of the first fifty laps. That is pretty dominating.
On lap seventy-seven, just seven cars were on the lead-lap after Paul Poutler brought out the caution flag. This happened while green-flag pit stops were being made, which explains why so many cars were lapped.
On lap one hundred, a huge wreck was started when Jack Sprague's car was spun by Brendan Gaughan, collecting many drivers, including Ron Hornaday, Mike Skinner, and Ted Musgrave.
After the clean-up with barely any cars in contention for the lead, Erik Darnell, last week's winner, jumped out to the lead, but was eventually passed by Rick Crawford. Benson was just hanging out in third and fourth place.
Caution then came out for light rain on lap one hundred forty-six, prompting all the cars to come in for pit stops. Benson's crew got him out first, which makes them a key part of his win tonight. He couldn't say enough about them after the race as a reusult. Matt Crafton followed in second, and Crawford came out third. However, he had to go to the tail end of the line because he was speeding down pit road. That's unfortunate, as he really had the only car that could challenge Benson's.
After that, the red flag came out because of violent thunderstorms, making all the fans get out of the stands. That was over fairly quickly, and the cars went back out to race.
With about fifty laps left, Benson simply pulled away from the field and embarrassed the competition. There was no question that he had the best car by far in the field. Again, the pit crew getting him out first really helped, as clean air and space is big at Milwaukee.
So in the end, this was the top ten:
- Johnny Benson
- Matt Crafton
- Landon Cassill
- Erik Darnell
- Todd Bodine
- Michael Annett
- Ron Hornaday
- Rick Crawford
- Terry Cook
- Mike Skinner
So, a dominating performance from Benson, getting him his first victory of this season and increasing his lead in the standings. The next stop on the schedule is next week in Memphis.
I'll do a CTS standings report either later tonight or early next morning, so look for that.
3 RC groups in contention
In Sunday's Cup race at Sonoma, there will be three types of drivers who will be in the hunt for the win. Here, I'll take a look at what types those are, which drivers go where, and which one has the best chance of winning:
Cup regulars good at RC: There are some Cup regulars that are very good at road-courses, all with prior success. This one usually seems to prevail because of the fact that these are the guys who have been driving these cars all year long. Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick, Robby Gordon, Tony Stewart
RC Specialists: We've talked about these all week long. These are the drivers who focus primarily on these events, even if they do run others throughout the year. They know these tracks better than anyone else, and can control these cars very well on slippery surfaces. You would think that these would be the drivers that would usually win, but history says otherwise. Boris Said, Ron Fellows, Scott Pruett, Max Papis, Brian Simo
RC experience: These rare drivers have good experience at road-courses in other series, knowing how to maneuver around the track. Their job is rather tough though, as they didn't do it with cars as heavy as the NASCAR ones. Both of these men have experience in either Formula one or Indycar. Juan Montoya, Sam Hornish Jr.
So, the regulars that are just good at these tracks are probably the best bet, but don't ever throw out the specialists. The reason why watching this race is so interesting to me(besides all the cars slipping and sliding their way around the track) is the blend between these groups and the drivers that are either bad on road-courses or have little experience.
Toyota/Save Mart 350 Qualifying
Qualifying for the Toyota/Save Mart 350 was completed today with Kasey Kahne winning the pole at Sonoma. Wow, what a tear this man is on, this just continuing it. He really appears to be a serious contender for the championship. This is Kahne's best start at a road-course, and puts him in a very good position to do well in Sunday's race.
Jimmy Johnson, who isn't thought of has that great of a road-course racer, Kurt Busch, who needs something to get going, Bobby Labonte, and Jeff Gordon round out the top five.
The field better watch out, as it looks like Gordon has a great car, and we all know what he can do on road-courses.
Here is how they'll line up on Sunday:
| 1 | 9 | Kasey Kahne | ||
| 2 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson | ||
| 3 | 2 | Kurt Busch | ||
| 4 | 43 | Bobby Labonte | ||
| 5 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | ||
| 6 | 19 | Elliot Sadler | ||
| 7 | 21 | Marcus Ambrose | ||
| 8 | 7 | Robby Gordon | ||
| 9 | 12 | Ryan Newman | ||
| 10 | 16 | Greg Biffle | ||
| 11 | 45 | Terry Labonte | ||
| 12 | 99 | Carl Edwards | ||
| 13 | 11 | Denny Hamlin | ||
| 14 | 60 | Boris Said | ||
| 15 | 88 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | ||
| 16 | 22 | Dave Blaney | ||
| 17 | 77 | Sam Hornish Jr. | ||
| 18 | 26 | Jamie McMurray | ||
| 19 | 7 | Clint Bowyer | ||
| 20 | 31 | Jeff Burton | ||
| 21 | 42 | Juan Montoya | ||
| 22 | 1 | Ron Fellows | ||
| 23 | 5 | Casey Mears | ||
| 24 | 78 | Joe Nemechek | ||
| 25 | 1 | Martin Truex Jr. | ||
| 26 | 83 | Brian Vickers | ||
| 27 | 41 | Scott Pruett | ||
| 28 | 66 | Max Papis | ||
| 29 | 15 | Paul Menard | ||
| 30 | 18 | Kyle Busch | ||
| 31 | 38 | David Gilliland | ||
| 32 | 29 | Kevin Harvick | ||
| 33 | 17 | Matt Kenseth | ||
| 34 | 0 | Michael McDowell | ||
| 35 | 55 | Michael Waltrip | ||
| 36 | 84 | AJ Allmendinger | ||
| 37 | 10 | Patrick Carpentier | ||
| 38 | 6 | David Ragan | ||
| 39 | 20 | Tony Stewart | ||
| 40 | 8 | Aric Almirola | ||
| 41 | 34 | Brian Simo | ||
| 42 | 96 | JJ Yeley | ||
| 43 | 48 Travis Kvapil | |||
A few notes/observations/thoughts about qualifying:
- Kyle Busch needed to make two runs after some tape was on his car in the first one. He ended up qualifying thirtieth, his worst of the season.
- Marcos Ambrose got seventh. He's looked very good, leading the earlier practice session. Remember, this is his first race of the season.
- Robby Gordon, who is fantastic on road-courses and has won at Sonoma before, will start eight, not bad for driving in an unsponsored car.
- Watch out for Terry Labonte, who'll start eleventh. The veteran who is running some races for Petty Racing knows his way around Infineon, which is what it takes to win.
- The road-racing specialist weren't so special in qualifying. Boris Said was the highest one, starting fourteenth. Ron Fellows was next at twenty-two. That is kind of odd considering all their experience on this track, but they can still come back. If I were them, I would feel kind of embarrassed, as most only focus on a few Cup races, this being a main one.
- Dale Earnhardt Jr., who hates racing at this track, qualified fifteenth, not bad considering his bad history and displeasure with the track. His job for this weekend is to just survive and get a top twenty finish, maybe taking a gamble again to get more spots.
- Juan Montoya, the defending champion of this race, will start twenty-first. As I mentioned earlier, he is desperate for a good race.
- Kevin Harvick and Tony Stewart, two NASCAR stars who are usually very good on road-courses, qualified thirty-second and thirty-ninth. That is pretty odd, as these two are probably behind only both Gordon's for top NASCAR regulars on Infineon.
- Dario Franchitti just keep piling up his disappointing rookie season, failing to qualify for this race. I actually expected a good showing out of him because of his IRL experience at this track, but I guess not. That's really a shame.
Starting lineup for Camping World RV Sales 200
Here is the starting lineup of tonight's Craftsman Truck race, the Camping World RV Sales 200:
- #23 Johnny Benson
- #14 Rick Crawford
- #5 Mike Skinner
- #6 Colin Braun
- #2 Jack Sprague
- #33 Ron Hornaday Jr.
- #10 Brendan Gaughan
- #13 Shelby Howard
- #15 Marc Mitchell
- #88 Matt Crafton
- #09 John West Townley
- #60 Terry Cook
- #99 Erik Darnell
- #22 Michael Annett
- #18 Dennis Setzer
- #8 Chad McCumbee
- #30 Todd Bodine
- #7 TJ Bell
- #51 Mike Bliss
- #59 Ted Musgrave
- #16 Brian Scott
- #11 David Starr
- #46 Landon Cassell
- #9 Justin Marks
- #4 Stacy Compton
- #08 Jason White
- #07 Sean Murphy
- #21 Kevin Wood
- #03 Chrissy Wallace
- #71 Donny Lia
- #85 Brent Raymer
- #74 Nick Tucker
- #0 Johnny Chapman
- #89 Ryan Seaman
- #73 Larry Gunselman
- #40 Paul Poulter
Benson is the obvious favorite for this race, as he's won the last two and now sits atop the field. It's tough to see anyone else taking the checkered flag, so he is my pick. Man, if he can win this race, it would be huge. It's very tight in the first ten spots in the standings, and it would be big for him if he could separate himself from the field.
There are some very talented drivers behind him though, so it won't be an easy win.
I really think that most drivers in the series are pleased and relaxed with Kyle Busch out of the race, at least for this week. Even if he does get higher ratings for the races, he is very wreck less, especially when not in his Cup car. We saw how mad Hornaday got last week when he was wrecked by him. These drivers can now go back to battling with themselves.
Anyway, enjoy the race at Milwaukee, it should be a good one.
BDR to have 2 teams in '09
Tom Jensen of SPEED reports that Bill Davis Racing will be back with two cars next year despite multiple setbacks.
It's main car, the only one currently running in the Cup series, is Dave Blaney's number twenty-two Toyota. Yesterday, its primary sponsor, Caterpillar, was lost to RCR and Jeff Burton. The team is actively looking for another sponsor to replace Cat, which had been with them for a long time.
The second car will be the number twenty-three Chevy next season. Earlier this season, Jacques Villeneuve attempted to give BDR a second car in the twenty-seven, but failed to qualify for any race and was released. It's unclear if he'll be back, but someone will have to drive the other car.
It's not a bad idea for BDR to add another one. Hopefully for them, a good sponsor will come on board, because it would be difficult to have two teams without one. I'm not sure if one will for the twenty-three car however, as it will almost certainly be an unproven rookie.
RCR's 4th driver coming soon
According to ESPN's David Newton, Richard Childress Racing will announce who will drive their new fourth team in the Cup in 2009 by August 15th.
Owner Richard Childress reportedly has a list of three to four drivers, some in the Cup series and some in lower ones.
Newton lists Ryan Newman, Martin Truex Jr., and Scott Wimmer as potential candidates.
Newman recently called out Penske Racing, being unhappy with the team's low performance. He probably won't resign with them unless something changes, so he should be available. However, he probably won't be the man due to his low results the past few seasons.
Truex is unlikely as well, as DEI has picked up his 2009 option, and he probably won't be able to get out of it.
Wimmer is a veteran but might not have enough talent to get the gig.
Childress may elect to go with a younger driver, one with more potential than these three candidates. Because of the fact that two of his three drivers are established veterans(Harvick and Burton) this is the way to go, in my opinion.
We'll see who it ends up being. This will be a very important decision, as RCR is one of NASCAR's best teams, and a fourth car could make it contend with Hendrick.
Biffle, Roush agree to extension
ESPN's David Newton reports that Greg Biffle has agreed to a three-year extension with Roush Fenway Racing.
There are still some details to be worked out, but a new deal should be made official by the time the series goes to the New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
Right now, Biffle is eighth in the standings and looking pretty good. It's definetely smart for Roush to lock him up, as he seems to have come back from a shaky 2006 and 2007. With the talent he has, he should contend each year.
If he wasn't having a good year, though, he probably wouldn't have come back. It looks like any pressure on Biffle is pretty much gone now, so it's good that this is almost out of the way.
Next Up: Qualifying
At 7 ET tonight, qualifying will take place for the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma. As you read in the last post, practice has just come to an end and drivers are looking towards having a good lap.
Qualifying at the Infineon Raceway is very important, in my opinion. It isn't that easy to pass on road-courses, and track position is a very key component of winning a race. Sure, getting the pole won't guarantee a driver a top ten finish, but it will help a lot.
Plus, drivers don't want to start with a ton of cars ahead of them, as spinning is very common at road-courses. Being near the front would obviously drastically decrease the chance of getting caught up in a wreck because of drivers not being able to handle their cars.
You should see the experienced road-course drivers(Gordon, Harvick, Stewart, specialists) get the top spots in qualifying, but it wouldn't be unexpected if someone else got up at the top of the board.
Cup Practice Results
The first practice for the Cup race at Sonoma has just been completed. Marcos Ambrose led it, which is pretty impressive considering he's trying to qualify for his first race. There are many practices at Infineon, so there is still a lot of time left to make adjustments.
Here's the top ten for today:
1. Ambrose
2. Jeff Gordon
3. Jimmy Johnson
4. Kevin Harvick
5. Michael McDowell
6. Jamie McMurray
7. Ron Fellows
8. Ryan Newman
9. Clint Bowyer
10. Kasey Kahne
If you didn't notice, three of the drivers that I think need to have a good race on Sunday are on the list. Again, this will change come raceday, but since qualifying is later today, these results are pretty important. It's pretty interesting that only one road-course specialist is in the top ten. It might just be that they didn't want to run many laps because they don't need to.
Still hope for Denver track
The Rocky Mountain News reports that the International Speedway Corporation is still interested in building a track in Denver that would host a Sprint Cup race, with Wes Harris, a director of the ISC, saying this:
"The process itself is slow but we have not lost interest from ourselves or the people in the market. The key is getting something done with a public/private partnership rather than finding land. We need a public/private partnership. The market is very important. We want to be in that market. We want to be racing there in the future but we are going to take our time."So, it appears that there will be a long time before anything can happen in Denver. It is just so hard to build a new track, as many people have to approve of it and a good amount of space has to be made or found. I think it would be great to build a track up in Colorado, as there are many people in the area who have not yet found an interest in NASCAR.
Camping World RV Sales 200 Preview
Tonight at 8:30 ET on SPEED, the Camping World RV Sales 200 will take place in Milwaukee. This Craftsman Truck event will kick off the exciting week in NASCAR.
The drivers have not qualified yet, so I'll get you the results when they do.
Milwaukee is a track with a lot of history, being the oldest in the USA. Milwaukee is a short oval that is mostly straight, making it a pretty fun place to race. The straightaways are long, making it easier for drivers to recover coming off the tricky turns. The key to this race is to stay focused and patient, as wrecking can come easily. The drivers with the good cars will be the ones at the top, as passing isn't too difficult.
Even though he hasn't won yet this season, Johnny Benson currently sits atop the standings, just ahead of Todd Bodine. However, six other drivers could be leading the series after tonight. That's how tight it is.
Ron Hornaday has found some success here and has a good car in practice, so he should be considered a favorite. Benson is probably the heavy one, though, with the status of being the two-time defending champion at the Milwaukee Mile.
Kyle Busch is not in this race as he focuses on running well at Sonoma, with Mike Bliss taking his place.
The most likely drivers to win in this race, in my opinion, are Hornaday, Benson, Erik Darnell, who has a lot of confidence after last week's win at Michigan, and Todd Bodine, a veteran who has done well at Milwaukee in the past.
2 regulars sitting Cup race out
Because of this week's Cup race being a road-course event, many specialists are coming out to show off their skills and run well. Two teams have elected to put specialists in their cars instead of the regular drivers.
The zero-one car is the first, with Ron Fellows coming in for Regan Smith. While Fellows has never won, he did get a top five finish at Watkins Glen last season. DEI put Fellows in the car for a couple of reasons. The first is that Smith, being a rookie, doesn't have a lot of experience on road-courses. They have high hopes for him being rookie of the year, and wanted a specialist to handle the load for this week. The second is that the zero-one car is thirtieth in points, not too far ahead of the thirty-fifth spot break off. Fellows coming in could boost the points for the team.
The second example of this is Scott Pruett coming in for Reed Sorenson in the forty-one car. Again, this is just a case of the Target-sponsored vehicle not being in a comfortable position in the standings at thirty-two, just twenty-nine points ahead of thirty-fifth place. Sorenson has been a huge disappointment fifteen races in, and the team doesn't want him to sit out any races besides this one.
So, do you agree with these two team's choices to replace their drivers for this race? I would have to say I do considering the circumstances for both teams.
Teams that need good race
As I mentioned last night, Sunday's race at Sonoma is one of great importance, as teams need to start getting serious about making the Chase and running well. Here are the drivers who are in dire need, or at least could use, a good, clean race:
- Jeff Gordon- An entire article was dedicated to him yesterday. Like I said, he hasn't been doing too poorly, but ninth place isn't good enough for how much talent him and his team have. His car has looked good so far, and he's had great success at Infineon in the past, so anything less than a top five finish is a disappointment.
- Kevin Harvick- Harvick hasn't been talked about much this year. He has been struggling, explaining why he's gone so unnoticed. Infineon is a track where he can run well, so this can be a week to gain some momentum.
- Clint Bowyer- Bowyer is currently on a five-race skid in which he hasn't gotten a top ten finish, putting him on the brink of being out of the Chase(even though he could easily get back in). He needs a good race, or he could fall all the way out of contention, continuing the slide.
- Juan Montoya- This is pretty much the most obvious one. After a fairly promising rookie season last year, Montoya has been awful in 2008, with just one top ten, leaving him twenty-second in the standings. He won last year at Sonoma, so he can run well this race to get some confidence back.
- Boris Said- It feels kind of odd saying a road-course specialist needs a good race. But, Said really does. He has yet to make a Cup event this season, and got just one top ten in five starts last year. He obviously knows this track better than pretty much anyone else, so anything less than a top ten is not good enough.
- Scott Pruett- Pruett, the road-coursing ace, is filling in for Reed Sorenson this week. He needs a good run mainly for the forty-one car, as it is just twenty-nine points ahead of thirty-fifth place in the standings, which guarantees qualification for each race.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Jr. is looking good
After last Sunday's win at Michigan, I really feel that Dale Earnhardt Jr. will take off. Now, it's not like he hadn't been doing very well before the win, getting six top fives.
However, this win should give him tons of confidence. Even though he says that he wasn't worried about not winning, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer, it had to have had some effect, on him even if is wasn't as big as we all thought.
To get that 0-76 monkey off his back must of felt good, and now he can just race without worrying about the pressure to finally win an event.
Right now, Junior is third in the standings, eighty-four points behind Kyle Busch. I'm not making any predictions, but he seems to be in the driver's seat right now. He has momentum on his side, and can continue to gain ground in the standings and make a run with a good race at Sonoma on Sunday.
Why do double-duty this weekend?
This weekend, five drivers will attempt to run in both the Nationwide(Milwaukee) and Sprint Cup(Infineon) Series. This is not very unusual, as many drivers like to use the races to warm-up and practice for the main event the following day, and well, just love to race. However, certain circumstances this weekend make me wonder why any Sprint regular would want to run in both series for this particular mark on the schedule.
Consider how difficult it would be. First, it's not easy to coordinate geographically. We all know that it's a rather long way from Southern California to Milwaukee, which can make it difficult for drivers to race in the Nationwide while still focusing on getting their cup car ready for the race on Sunday. This can lead to some adjustments not being made because drivers are preoccupied with the short-track in Wisconsin.
Besides from this challenge, which should keep a cup driver out of the Nationwide race alone, there is also the daunting task of taming the Infineon Raceway. With the exception of the specialists and the drivers who have found success at road courses, not many drivers are completely confident in their ability to maneuver their way around ten turns, going left and right. It's a task that most cannot do well, and takes a lot out of them. I just don't understand the point of taking anything out of one's body when a lot has to come out the following day.
So, what is your opinion on this issue. I would be fine with it if it was just another race weekend, but it's not. Sonoma is a very rare track that requires the uttermost focus and physical ability. Those five drivers who will race at Milwaukee on Saturday could be at a disadvantage.
Therefore, it was very smart for Kyle Busch to finally wise up and give up on winning the Nationwide series, taking this weekend off. Here are the five that choose to do double-duty Saturday and Sunday:
- David Ragan
- Clint Bowyer
- Marcos Ambrose
- David Reutimann
- Carl Edwards
Biggest Surprises/Disappointments
With fifteen races now being history in this 2008 NASCAR season, it's time for teams that started out slow to start kicking it into gear. If they don't, they may find themselves out of the Chase. Let's look at who has surprised this year, pleasurably and badly:
Biggest Pleasant Surprises:
1. Kyle Busch(1st in standings)
Say all you want about his wreck less driving style and fiery personality, but you can't deny how well Busch has done so far. He is the leader by thirty-two points with a series' high four wins and nine top fives. The move to Joe Gibbs Racing has changed Busch's status from Kurt's younger brother to one of NASCAR's youngest, brightest stars.
2. Greg Biffle(8th in standings)
Biffle had been a pretty big disappointment since his breakout season in 2005. He hasn't been too bad, finishing in the top spots after the Chase drivers, but it hasn't been what was expected of him. He appears to have picked up where he left off in 2005 this year. No, he hasn't won any races or been dominant, but he just seems to be back among NASCAR's elite with seven top tens, and is poised to make a run in the standings.
3. David Ragan(13th in standings)
In just his second season taking over Mark Martin's ride, Ragan has flourished with four top tens and two top fives. I'm not saying he'll flirt with the top five standing spots this year, but he has made a huge leap from his 2007 rookie season and given Roush another car that will compete each Sunday.
Others: Carl Edwards(4th), Kasey Kahne(7th), Brian Vickers(16th)
Biggest Disappointments:
1. Kurt Busch(19th in standings)
Busch has barely even been noticed so far, with just two top tens and three DNF's. He better get it going quickly, or his season will go to waste.
2. Casey Mears(27th in standings)
At this point, it's tough to even call Mears a disappointment, as one kind of comes to expect it. I just can't get over the fact that a driver at Hendrick Motor Sports, a place that most guys in NASCAR would kill to get a gig at, can't do better than he's doing. Just astonishing.
3. Ryan Newman(17th in standings)
Not many people, including myself, expected much out of Newman this season after 2007. However, a win at the Daytona 500 quickly changed that, with some thinking that Newman was back to winning a ton of races. That thought is unheard of fifteen races in with Newman getting just one other top five finish. Because of this huge disappointment following an extreme high in February, Newman's future with Penske is in question.
Others: Jeff Gordon(9th), Tony Stewart(11th), Juan Montoya(22nd)
Dreaming on Logano
It is nearly impossible for one to not look at Joey Logano and think ahead.
Unless you have been living under a rock, you have heard and possibly seen all the hype that Logano provides. All of that hype is certainly warranted, with Logano needing just three Nationwide starts to become the youngest driver ever at eighteen to win a Nationwide race.
Therefore, most of us are thinking the same thing when we see him win a pole or dominate the field: just how good is this kid going to be?
As you can see, it's easy to dream with a guy as talented as he is. Calling him the next Jeff Gordon or Richard Petty may be a bit premature. But, it takes a special driver to come in and make as big of an impact as Logano has. Sure, he has a great crew chief in Dave Rogers and very good equipment to help him along. But, the courage and great racing skills he has shown in just three races is certainly not a fluke.
It will be important for the Gibbs racing team to not rush him. As tempting as it will be to just put him into a cup car and see what he can do, they can't move him faster than he's learning. There is no reason to push him ahead of schedule and possibly damage some of his talents.
That is why I tend to worry when I hear Joe Gibbs may have him run a Sprint Cup race this season. Hopefully, nothing is tampered with.
So, it'll be very fun and entertaining to see Logano's progress in NASCAR. Make sure to watch him in a few Nationwide races, because we could all be witnessing the thrilling beginning to NASCAR's next great star.
Big race for Gordon
How big will Sunday's race at Infineon Raceway be for Jeff Gordon?
Gordon is currently in ninth place, three hundred and thirty-seven points behind Kyle Busch. Sure, those are not bad numbers for most drivers in NASCAR. But for Gordon, a man who has won the championship four times and won six races in 2007, it has been a huge disappointment. After all, he was expected to once again contend at the top this year after last year's stellar showing, his overall skills, and the fact that he has some of the best equipment in all of racing.
Why has he had sub par results(at least for him)? Well, that is a very debatable topic. The bottom line is that the number twenty-four team hasn't done as well as they're capable of doing, which makes this race at Sonoma one of high importance.
Gordon has been phenomenal at the track, winning five times, and is regarded as a top NASCAR regular on road courses. It is tough to think of a better place for Gordon to get back on track than deep in wine country because of this. Whether he can do that, though, is questionable with how unpredictable road courses are.
Still, I believe he'll have a strong race, possibly winning it. He's just done it so well for so long, and seems to be incredibly focused. Plus, maybe Dale Earnhardt Jr winning will get some momentum going Hendrick's way.
If he has a bad race, however, look out, because Gordon's season-long slump may turn even worse. The veteran hasn't experienced this type of failure in a long time.
McDowell gets NAPA
Scenedaily.com is reporting that NAPA has agreed to put their logos on the double-zero car of Michael McDowell. They have sponsored Michael Waltrip, who is the team owner, as well.
McDowell is pretty good on road courses, knowing the way around them better than the traditional oval tracks. With Sonoma coming up this weekend, it is not surprising that NAPA would want to be on an additional car with this guy driving. This will be the rookie's eleventh race this season.
He has struggled, though, not even getting a top ten yet. He is pretty desperate for a good race on Sunday, as NAPA may be on board a little bit longer, which is Waltrip's plan for his team. It would be big for them to get two well-sponsored cars out each race.
CAT comes to RCR
According to rcrracing.com, Jeff Burton will be getting a new sponsor in 2009. Richard Childress Racing has made an agreement with Caterpillar, putting the construction company's logo on the thirty-one car for multiple years.
Caterpillar has been with Bill Davis Racing and Dave Blaney for a while now, so this is a fairly major change. RCR seems to like Caterpillar, and might want to avoid the controversy that comes with having AT&T, a rival of Sprint, on the car.
Burton is one of the best, most consistent drivers in the series, being the only one to have all top ten finishes so far this season. This seems to be a good marriage between a great company and team that should last for years to come.
Gordon still without sponsor
robbygordon.com reports that Robby Gordon will once again be without a sponsor for this weekend's Sprint Cup race in Sonoma. Instead, Gordon's car will be all black.
Gordon has lost his sponsorships after his poor start to this season in the number seven car, getting just one top ten despite competing in all fifteen races.
However, this does surprise me a little bit, as Gordon is a road-course ace, winning twice on the two tracks, once at Sonoma. Plus, even though most tend to hate him, he is a colorful character who will get noticed. A good weekend for Gordon, which I expect he'll have, should get him a sponsor for at least a few of the upcoming events.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Welcome
Hello, and welcome to the NASCAR Source. The Source is a new blog that will be covering NASCAR's three primary series, the Craftsmen Truck, Nationwide, and Sprint. We will give you all the latest news and rumors in racing, as well as entertaining opinions on the goings on in NASCAR. Thanks for reading, and posts should start very soon.
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