For most of the day, it was a follow Kyle Busch parade. Now, a lot of folks will say it was a boring race because there were few cautions and most of [...]]]>

Kevin Harvick made what was an otherwise uneventful race into something much more dramatic with a last-lap win over Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Busch.

For most of the day, it was a follow Kyle Busch parade. Now, a lot of folks will say it was a boring race because there were few cautions and most of those were for debris. But there was actually a lot of racing and passing going on, even if not for the lead. Fontana may be great for Indy cars, but it is less so for fans of stock cars. A wide track with sweeping turns, it often produces less than thrilling racing. But like I said, if you were really into the race, you got to see quite a bit going on. For example, Brian Vickers started in 19th and finished 8th. For most of the day he was charging through the field, making some interesting 3-wide racing (at times it was 4-wide). For Vickers fans who have not had a lot to cheer for this year, it was gratifying to see him back on his game.

Dale Jr. and Greg Biffle also started deep in the field and made a run for the top 10, finishing in 12th and 11th place respectively. Jeff Burton fans saw him run with the leaders before he finished a disappointing 15th. Martin Truex, Jr. flexed some early muscle once again before fading horribly. Ken Schrader did not have the best day, but heck, it was Ken Schrader racing again! No start and park for that boy.

But for the most part, it was follow Kyle.

A late caution saw many of those on the lead lap from about 7th on back pit for tires. With tires giving up after about 15 laps, they all thought that new tires would help propel them to a win, or at least a better finish. But it didn’t really work out that way.

Staying on the track for position was obviously the right choice for those who did not pit. Johnson had been running so-so all day and suddenly found himself next to Kyle on the restart. Busch apparently had everything in hand as he went to the lead but a bobble allowed Johnson to pass him for the lead and what appeared to be a win. But not so fast. As Busch and Johnson raced each other, Kevin Harvick suddenly appeared and had what was the fastest car – on old tires.

Harvick caught Johnson, ran up on his bumper just to let him know who was there and then passed him for the win as they approached the checkers, making most folks who were still awake suddenly stand up and cheer.

You had to love it. While California may not produce the most exciting racing for 399 miles, it certainly provided a great finish and one that we may be pointing to in about another 10 races as the one that got Harvick back into contention.

Five races, five different winners and on to Martinsville for what will probably be different winner number 6.

I think Denny Hamlin has something to prove….

With that in mind, let’s take a look to see where your [...]]]>

After 4 races, it is kind of hard to tell just what the new point system will mean to our beloved sport, but we do know one thing: a bad finish is harder to overcome than under the past scoring system.

With that in mind, let’s take a look to see where your favorite driver stands now and just where they were at this time last year.

I have ordered drivers by how they finished the 2010 season. I will use red for a driver in a worse position than 2010 and green for a driver doing better.

1. Jimmie Johnson: After a dismal start to the season, Johnson has climbed steadily and is in 7^th place. A strong run at Califonia where he is by far and away a dominant driver, he could be in the top 5.

Last year, Johnson was in 4^th place after 4 races.

2. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin has had a rocky start as well and fell 9 places to 17^th after Bristol.

Last year, Hamlin was in 22^nd place.

3. Kevin Harvick: Harvick has avoided total disaster this year but has flirted with it plenty. He again avoided disaster at Bristol and rallied for a top 10. He is in 15^th place.

Last year, Harvick the points leader.

4. Carl Edwards: Carl has made a strong finish to 2010 carry over to 2011. He is 2^nd place and could easily take over the lead form Kurt Busch at California.

Last year, Carl was in 20^th place.

5. Matt Kenseth: A strong run at Bristol has helped Kenseth climb to 13^th place. He is traditionally good at California but he will have to outrace a few other guys to rise higher.

Lat year at this time, Matt was enjoying life at the top in 2^nd place.

6. Greg Biffle: Thanks goodness for Bristol. Biffle is in 23^rd but a strong Bristol run gained him 8 places.

Last year, he was in 3^rd place.

7. Tony Stewart: He may only have two top 10 finishes, but he is still in 3^rd place.

Last year he was in 8^th place.

8. Kyle Busch: Like Harvick, he has had his struggles this year but his win at Bristol was just what the doctor ordered. He is back in the Chase group in 8^th place.

Last year, he was in 15^th.

9. Jeff Gordon: Gordon has yet to take off with his new team. He has one win but its mired in 19^th place. He is the only driver outside the Chase cut off with a win.

Last year he was in 11^th place with no wins and one top 10.

10. Clint Bowyer: What a difference a year makes. No top 10 finishes and stuck back in 23^rd place. A good run at Cali could make him look much better.

Last year he was in 5^th place.

11. Kurt Busch: Sitting at the top of the charts in 2011 with 4 top 10 runs, but could get knocked off at Cali if he does not have a strong run.

Last year, he already had a win and was in 9^th place.

12. Jeff Burton: Burton has had a horrible start to the year and is mired in 29^th place. The wheels have not fallen off but the lug nuts sure are loose.

Last year he was in 6^th place.

13. Mark Martin: Sitting in 11^th place and has just a single top 10.

Last year, 7^th place and two top 10 finishes.

14. Jamie McMurray: The belle of the ball last year, Jamie Mac has had a tough year. He sits deep in 26^th place and needs a strong showing at Cali.

Last year, he was in 19^th place with his Daytona win his only shining moment.

15. Ryan Newman: he and Stewart have had a quiet but consistent year. He is in 4^th place tied with Stewart at 138 points and one more top 10.

Last year, he was in 29^th place.

16. Joey Logano: He ran better than nearly anyone else at the end of 2010 but that hasn’t served him well in 2011. He is struggling in 30^th place.

Last year he was in 14^th place.

17. Juan Montoya: Two top 10 finishes have fueled him to 8^th place.

Last year he was in 21^st place with two top 10s.

18. David Reutimann: In 28^th place, he is not the Reutimann we saw last year.

Last year, he was in 19^th place after a bad run at Atlanta.

19. A.J. Allmendinger: AJ seems to have lost some of the luster he gathered late last year but isn’t too far out at 16^th place.

Last year, he was in 23^rd with a similar single top 10.

20. Kasey Kahne: Kasey seems rejuvenated this year and is currently 12^th. Last year he was in 17^th before the wheels fell off.

21. Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: Hope springs eternal for Jr. Nation with Dale in 9^th place and two top 10 finishes.

Last year, he was in 12^th with only his Daytona top 10.

22. Martin Truex, Jr.: Up and down this year, Truex is in 10^th but could be better had he not faded at Bristol.

Last year, he was in 24^th.

23. Paul Menard: The new boy at RCR is in 5th, the highest rated RCR driver. Unless disaster hits, he will be the same thing after Cali.

Last year at this time, believe it or not, Menard was in 8^th place.

26. Marcos Ambrose: Sitting in 18^th place but steadily rising as the underfunded team makes sense of the new driver.

Last year he was in 28^th place.

31. Bobby Labonte: Sitting in 14^th place after another decent run makes you wonder just how much is left in the tank with the former champ.

Last year, he was in 30^th place.

In doing that, he wound up being parked for [...]]]>

Photo/editing by Steve Langley
Since he was not going to do his own backflip at Atlanta, Carl Edwards decided to flip Brad Keselowski instead. The dramatic flip that nearly landed Keselowski in the grandstand fence was a purposeful payback for wrongs Carl felt needed to be righted.

In doing that, he wound up being parked for the rest of the race (it was nearly over) and called to the NASCAR hauler for a talking to.

Today, Mike Helton announced the further punishment: a 3-race probation. “And Carl knows what that means”.

Carl knows that he got a slap on the wrist.

Jimmy Spencer got a larger punishment for punching Kurt Busch in the noggin after a race. Carl dang near hurt someone with a 3400 lb 800 hp car, possibly changed the winner of the race and caused another driver to lose one of the best finishes he has had in his young career.

While I am all for NASCAR loosening its grip on the teams in an effort to spur competition, rivalries and fan interest, this is ludicrous. As Keselowski said after the wreck, if NASCAR lets this go, someone will eventually get seriously hurt or killed at 195 mph.

In my opinion, Carl Edwards is an arrogant driver and expresses a lot of anger when other drivers don’t let him do what he wants or they don’t do what he wants them to do. He wanted Brad to slow way down and let him in after he got caught out of position early in the race. At Talladega, he wanted Keselowski to yield to his high-risk, poorly executed blocking move.

Brad did neither and Carl took matters into his own hands. And now NASCAR has basically vindicated Carl and set the bar pretty high for what kind of retaliation will be tolerated this year.

Helton said today, “…But as a reminder, once the incident occurred, we did park the 99 car for the remainder of the race and did not allow him to continue the event.”

So that was punishment? The race was nearly over and he was not going to gain any positions since he was 150 laps down.

Here are the facts: 1) Carl purposely wrecked (not spun out) Brad and Brand went airborne in a pretty bad crash. 2) Brad was shaken up but not seriously injured. 3) The 12 car was basically destroyed. 4) No fans were hurt but that is about as close as one can get without sending a car into the catch fence. 5) Carl admitted he took Brad out. 6) Brad lost a lot of points due to the wreck and Penske has to pay for a new car. 7) The complexion of the race changed because of the wreck and the outcome of the race may have been changed.

At least we all know the level of payback and what level of punishment NASCAR will mete out for other incidents. The benchmark has been set. All we can do is sit back, watch the fun and hope NASCAR is consistent in future punishments. Because unless someone is seriously injured, I don’t see how NASCAR can fine or suspend another driver for anything less.

Let me know your thoughts.

Drive fast, turn left and keep the shiny side up.

We [...]]]>

After the latest edition of the Brad and Carl Show at Atlanta on Sunday, it became even clearer to me that the wing allows the cars to get airborne more easily. I have been touting that line since last year. During the broadcast, even DW and his booth partners discussed the issue with the wing.

We all know that cars have been getting airborne in NASCAR for years, but with the advent of roof flaps, that had had been reduced. What few anticipated was the new air flow over the wing once the cars got turned. The roof flaps still deploy, but with little effect.

Later that night, Michael Waltrip started tweeting about the wing on Twitter.

I have been a fan of MW, but he is one of the biggest rubes in NASCAR. NASCAR does everything right and the racing is always great. He has never been involved in a boring race.

Michael tweeted:

“i believe if the world ends tomorrow, the ‘Wing’ will be blamed.

“im checking to see if all the flips in #nascar prior to the ‘Wing’ were due to nascar considering going to the ‘Wing’.”

“Al Gore will be on Good Morning America tomorrow with new information linking the ‘Wing’ to global warming.”

“goin to bed. got a headache. F#&** ‘Wing’”

And then with Kenny Wallace (Hope and Crosby, those two):

Kenny: “people are now going to become a ‘pain in the Wing’”

MW: “or i gota go take a ‘Wing’”

OK, so it’s all fun and games. Until someone gets hurt, which is exactly what happened at Talladega and was a whisker away from happening at Atlanta.

To say the wing has no culpability in the recent crashes is ludicrous since NASCAR has not presented any evidence one way or the other. And I am sure no one is 100% sure what will happen with the new spoiler. After all, these are not the same cars as that used to race, spoiler or not. What we knew is not what we will know. It’s all new ground to cover, folks.

I like you MW – but I think it is unwise to make fun of those asking about the wing and its effects during a wreck when people’s lives are at stake. If someone is seriously injured or killed, how will you tweet then?

Michael says he will make his thoughts on the wing controversy known on the Showtime NASCAR program.

Aw darn, I don’t have Showtime.

Let me know your thoughts.

Drive fast, turn left and keep the shiny side up.

We start off with regular contributing writer Chuck Abrams:

Elliott Sadler

RPM and Yates merged and Elliott Sadler has high [...]]]>

A few of our staff members took a pick of five Sprint Cup drivers/teams for the 2010 season, and did an evaluation of their off-season changes (if any) and their opinion of the drivers’ chances in the Daytona 500.

We start off with regular contributing writer Chuck Abrams:

Elliott Sadler

RPM and Yates merged and Elliott Sadler has high hopes for himself and the organization. He is returning to Ford he drove to 2 of his 3 victories. His crew chief returns and he has his sights set on the Daytona 500 where he led in 2009 but lost to Kenseth and the rain. I don’t know if he would have won even without the rain, but Sadler seems to think so. Let’s face it, RPM has not performed very well in the past few years, nor has the Yates organization. Will putting two mediocre organizations together equate to more wins? Kasey Kahne is the best they have and that may not be enough to elevate the organization to where it needs to be. Maybe some of Kasey’s winning will rub off on Sadler, but I have my doubts. Perhaps changing to a Ford will gain him another top 10, but not much more than that. Expecting more of the same, I will grade him for a C -.

Chance to win the Daytona 500 – slim. But anyone can win this race.

Dale Eanhardt. Jr.

If any driver has fans expecting more, I don’t know who it would be. After another disappointing (to say the least) season, owner Rick Hendrick has promised that he would do whatever possible to get Earnhardt back on track. Earnhardt certainly has the talent and the pedigree, but has his time passed him by? Millions of 88 fans are hoping not – as is NASCAR. One of the best things for NASCAR in 2010 would be a resurgent 88 team. I am going to trust in Rick Hendrick and turn a blind eye to the voodoo that has affected many 3rd teams at Hendrick. This may be a bit on the wishful side, but I am going to go out on a limb and grade Jr. a preseason B+. He needs it and NASCAR needs it.

Chance to win the Daytona 500 – better than average.

Marco Ambrose

How they did what they did on a small team is definitely due to the driver they chose. Ambrose knows how to get it done and did a great job with a small team last year. He has shown continued improvement every year he has been racing in the Cup series and I think 2010 will be another move forward. While he may not be in the Chase, I think he has a great shot to get his first win. Even if he only improves by 1 or 2 positions, that would still be forward, especially if they improve on top 10 finishes. I also expect him to I will give him a B.

Chance to win the Daytona 500 – slim.

Martin Truex, Jr.

Martin makes the big move to Michael Waltrip Racing this year and to a strong Toyota powerplant. Martin a pretty god driver and I expect more from him this year, even though it is a new team. I expect him to be a top 20 driver this year and would not be surprised if were to win a race. I grade him a B for the year.

Chance to win the Daytona 500 – decent. But there have been no Toyota’s in the top 10 last several years.

Kurt Busch

Pick your petulant Busch brother, but I think Kurt has risen back to the top of being the biggest jerk in the garage. While he made the Chase again and ran to a 4th place finish, he was most unhappy throughout the year if you listen to his radio. No doubt, Kurt is one driven son-of-a-gun. He has tasted the champagne and wants to do it again…and soon. And while Roger Penske has given him a new crew chief and said Kurt is his guy, I have to wonder how liked he is on the team. I have nothing to back this up – it is just my opinion. Sometimes a new crew chief can work wonders, other times not so much. Addington will have worked for both Busch brothers and is a great crew chief. I wonder if Kurt will get in his own way on the path to a title in 2010 in spite of Addington. If not, look out for the Blue Deuce. Another driver I might give an A or a B+. I will give Kurt a B- (just for being Kurt Busch).

Chance to win the Daytona 500 – very good. He runs well and might have won it already if not for some bad luck and being Kurt.

Site owner/webmaster Mike Irwin weighs in with his thoughts next….

David Reutimann

The #00 team has shown brief flashes of brilliance, but just haven’t seemed to get it all together on a consistent basis. Anyone can win Daytona, so it is possible, but David is just not known as much for being a Daytona contender as some other drivers. I do believe the team is going to contend for wins throughout the year.

Tony Stewart

An extremely strong out-of-the-box run for Tony caught a lot of people off-guard in 2009. The top-dollar sponsors Tony has will allow him to continue to perform at the top level of his sport. Look for Tony to be a factor in Daytona, and througout the season. If anyone is going to knock Jimmie Johnson off that champion platform in 2010, I think Tony has a better-than-average chance.

Carl Edwards

After a stunning 2008 season, Flip flopped in 2009, with no real strong runs to speak of. I haven’t seen anything to indicate that 2010 will be much different, other than sponsor Kellog’s moving over for 2 races as primary sponsor and the rest of the season as associate. Carl and the #99 team need to step it up this year.

Mark Martin

What can you say about a guy who just keeps getting better with age? I’d like to be able to say that about myself sometimes. He’s repeatedly said that his racing career is complete, whether he wins a Sprint Cup championship or not. I don’t know of anyone who doesn’t want to see Mark get one before he retires. An extremely consistent 2009 can only mean good things for Mark and the #5 team in 2010.

Boris Said

Boris is driving for a new team for owner Bill Jenkins, Latitude 43 Motor Sports. Perennial Said crew chief Frank Stoddard is also on board. The team has Yates/Roush engines for their Fords. Without adequate funding, it’s doubtful this team will be much more than part-time after the first five races of 2010. Boris has been a contender at Daytona, and just about picked up a win there, stealing one from the mulit-car teams. So don’t be surprised if the #26 (number and 2009 points purchased from Roush Racing) is running in the top 10 when the last few laps of the 2010 Daytona 500 come. The Said-Heads will be goin’ crazy!

We’ll wrap up with the site’s photographer and contributing writer, Steve Langley:

Tony Stewart

2010 is the second year for this new team and it couldn’t look brighter for them. Darrian Grub was a perfect match for Tony with his style of driving and things just seemed to click with the pair. But like Tony said, last year, as a new owner, he wasn’t sure what to do and he was scared to death at the beginning of the year not knowing what it took to direct a new team out of the gate. To everyones surprise, both Stewart-Haas cars made the chase but Tony’s four wins, fifteen top fives, and twenty-three top tens were way more than anyone expected. Tony is one of my favorites to win the 500 this year.

Kurt Busch

Kurt has always been a competitor with drive. But this year he’ll start with his new crew chief Steve Addington and I predict either a big hit or a big miss. Reason why, Kurt is very head strong and when things don’t go his way, he’ll throw a temper tantrum like the biggest kid out there. We heard the radio communications last year, he’s not afraid to throw anyone on the team under the bus when things are bad. He is a proven champ and I predict him and Addington will have a great year. I give him a one in ten chance of winning the 500.

Jamie McMurray

So Jamie’s gone off to the #1 Bass Pro Shops Earnhardt-Ganassi team this year. I just don’t know if this change will be good for him or not. He was team-mate to Roush Fenway Racing’s Carl Edwards who had a poor year as well, but it seems Jamie’s problem is qualifying. He just doesn’t start up front and ends up in the back which results in a wreck or getting too far behind to catch up. Sometimes change is good but in this case, I think it’s a change he may regret someday. I look for him to end up in the back of the field for the 500 when the finish comes along.

Brad Keselowski

Not wanting to wait for Mark Martin to retire, Brad jumped at the chance to join a Cup team and Penske was where he signed. One more year in the Nationwide Series would not have hurt this driver who came off a stellar year finishing third in the Series point standings who had four wins, twenty-two top fives, and twenty-eight top tens with two poles. Staying one more year could have given him a championship, who knows. But one thing for sure, this driver gives 110% and will push his way through the field and do what ever it takes to get the job done. I predict he has a fairly good year, but he’ll not make very many friends this first year in the Cup Series. Look for him to finish in the mid-teens for the 500.

Michael Waltrip

This driver, who’s one of Twitters most active members, is racing a part time deal this year and has great experience when it come to the Daytona 500. Running the #51 car for the first race of the season, had a good year last year as a team owner and the funding to make it all happen. I look for this team to do better this year and having Reutiman and Ambrose on the roster makes for something to watch as they both improved over the coarse of the year. If Michael gets connected with the right driver during the 500, he has as good of a chance winning as anyone else. I predict though, he crashes by lap 50 and watches and Tweets the rest of the race on his way back to his new home in Nashville.

It was a pretty subdued ceremony compared to, say, the NFL inductions. Nice video compilations of the inductees and no speeches by anyone getting in (although 4 of the 5 are deceased) or [...]]]>

I am sure by now that all of you fans have heard about the NASCAR hall of Fame selections for the first inductees.

It was a pretty subdued ceremony compared to, say, the NFL inductions. Nice video compilations of the inductees and no speeches by anyone getting in (although 4 of the 5 are deceased) or by family members.

One of the big questions was how were people going to vote? Would they vote for the older, historical side of NASCAR (Red Byron, Buck Baker, Fireball Roberts) or would they go to make a splash with the King, Earnhardt and others?

When the names of both Bill France Sr. AND Jr. were announced, it was pretty clear that NASCAR would only be inducting three drivers at the most. AND THERE is where the controversy lies.

There is little doubt that the King should be one of the first. He was a second generation racer and crossed over from the old NASCAR to the “new” NASCAR.

There is also little disagreement over Junior Johnson. The man epitomizes the roots of NASCAR and won as a driver and a car owner, leaving the sport in his prime, as many of his day did.

Eanhardt was a huge sentimental favorite and a deserved inductee with his record-tying seven championships. But he also brought about the modern era in NASCAR almost single-handedly. His era was Bill France, Jr.’s era. And while many fans hated Earnhardt (and still do), there is no doubt that people came to see others best him.

But to leave out David Pearson? Would there have been a Richard Petty without David Pearson? Their rivalry defined the sport for years.

NASCAR is about the drivers. No one pays to see a member of the France family at the track. The drivers are the stars, rightfully so.

While many think that honoring Bill France, Sr. was the right thing to do, one could also argue that the first five inductees should have all been drivers. The drivers sacrificed the most and sometimes made the ultimate sacrifice for the sport.

Personally, I would have liked to see David Pearson in place of Bill Sr. and, well heck, pick another. Bobby Allison. Red Byron. Ned Jarrett. Lee Petty. Cale Yarborough. Tim Flock.

I am sure all of these drivers will get in eventually. And car owners like Bud Moore and Hendrick. Even legendary sportscasters such as Chris Economaki and Ken Squier will make the HOF.

Personally, I could have seen the France’s be inducted in round two. While I do not doubt Big Bill’s determination to sanction racing and give birth to the sport, he could not have done it without the drivers. Nor do I doubt Bill Jr.’s oversight of the sport during its transformational years. But this is the National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing, not the National Association of Stock Car Owners or Stock Car Management.

Saving the first class of inductees for all drivers would have been, well, first class.

But all in all, it is a decent class of inductees. It just might have been different had I been in charge.

That’s all for now. Let me know your thoughts.

Drive fast, turn left and keep the shiny side up.