The Nationwide boys headed into the big track in the Irish Hills this weekend. Many of the drivers described the track as hot and slick and with multiple racing grooves.
With drivers racing side by side check out which drivers were the winners and which drivers were losers in this week’s edition were.
Winners
Brad Keselowski
You know Brad Keselowski reminds me of the youngest child, always there, always wanting to be like the older siblings. Taking advantage of when the siblings get in trouble. Keselowski though hasn’t been able to take advantage of Busch and Carl Edwards until Saturday.
With Edwards crashing out Keselowski needed to take advantage of Edwards misfortune and that he did. Quickly moving up into the top five and then getting a break when the caution came out before he made his first pit stop.
Keselowski continued to run in the top five for the rest of the day. On a late pit call Tony Eury Sr. took a gamble only two tires and came off pit road leading.Keselowski lined up in second as Justin Allgaier did not pit.
Keselowski fell back on the restarts but hung tough in third. While a very loose Brian Vickers and Kyle Busch battled in front Keselowski came from nowhere and ran the perfect lap when it counted.
Taking the outside line and using that momentum to not only take second but to take the checkered. Like every driver winning at their home track is huge, and Keselowski gets another chance tomorrow in the Cup race.
Busch said Keselowski didn’t deserve the win, but I think a few thousand fans in the stands and at home would beg to differ.
Points: Third
Brian Vickers
Brian Vickers loves Michigan. Taking two poles this weekend and dominating the Nationwide race. While he didn’t win, he made the headlines. Vickers started up front and stayed up front.
He struggled on the restarts but was able to reel in Busch after a few laps on new tires.
Vickers car was wicked loose over the final runs of the race. At times he was turning right more than left. He lost the race because in attempt to catch the car after Busch made him loose on a pass attempt.
He didn’t realize Keselowski was coming and was unable to hold off Keselowski with such a loose car.
Vickers and Busch got into a war of words on pit road and tempers heated but cooler heads prevailed. Vickers defended his actions on the track admitting he didn’t realize Keselowski was closing in.
Vickers gets to do it all again Sunday when he starts on the pole.
“I forgot it was the Kyle Busch show," Vickers said, But Vickers has put on a show all weekend long with fast race cars and finishes to back it up.
Points: 21st
Austin Dillon
Austin Dillon 19th place finish is spectacular, but for this young driver finishes like this is exactly what he needed, to not only get seat time but gain some confidence in this series.
Dillon started 37th on Saturday but quickly started moving forward and found himself within the top 15 after pit cycles. Dillon battled a loose race car but was able to maintain position late in the race.
Dillon and his crew had solid pit stops and he gave good feedback throughout the race. Michigan is a big track and if you’re not careful it can tear up your race car and Dillon left in one piece.
Dillon is the grandson of Richard Childress, looks like the driving talent continues in that family.
Points: 70th
Losers
Carl Edwards
Well Carl Edwards said that Michigan was his first race to charge Busch for the championship. Well that ended in two laps. As Edwards and Trevor Bayne got together in turn two and Edwards took the brunt of the crash.
Hitting the wall hard and all but ending his day before it even started. Edwards looked to have just gotten a bit too loose, and came down on Bayne before they cleared each other.
Edwards finished 40th.
Edwards who has won twice in the Nationwide series in 2009, but can’t seem to carry that momentum from week to week. With Kyle Busch running up front, Edwards couldn’t afford finishes like this if he really wants to be a threat for the championship.
Edwards watched the replay of his championship hopes crash in front of him.
Points: Second
Brendan Gaughan
It has been a rough couple weeks for Brendan Gaughan, after a hot start to the summer Gaughan has watched his gap between himself and the top five drivers in the standings grow each week.
Gaughan had a good run going; he was struggling with an extremely loose race car and was running in the top 20 for most of the day.
His crew battled the loose conditioned when they thought it was getting better, Gaughan blew a tire and watched his day literally fall apart. He finished 29th.
Gaughan is looking for some of his early season success that solidified his position in the top 10.
Points: Ninth
Brad Coleman
You know Brad Coleman has a lot to live up to driving the No. 20 for Joe Gibbs Racing. When Joey Logano was running that car, Logano won and ran fairly well every time. Coleman hoped to carry that success when he was driving the car.
Coleman though has not found that success. He had a strong run going today, starting fifth and ran well within the top 10-15 for most of the day.
His team really focused on getting Coleman seat time this weekend and really focusing on getting on and off pit road at the speeds they are running coming off turn four.
Coleman though hit the wall late and watched his day go from good to bad in just a few laps.
Coleman has the talent to bring the car home with good finishes but he doesn’t seem to have the luck. His finish of 23rd doesn’t really show just how good he ran.
Points: 47th
Lucky Dog…
Brian Keselowski and Michael McDowell are one of my favorite stories this year is the unlikely pairing of this race team. McDowell lost his ride at JTG Daugherty when the money ran out earlier this season.
McDowell just looking to race and Keselowski trying to save his race team, teamed up and with Keselowski as his crew chief and earned a 17th place finish on Saturday.
McDowell ran a smart race, and the team worked on the car and battled the same loose conditions that everyone else did. Keselowski called a great race from atop the box.
McDowell moved up to 10th in the drivers’ standings and Keselowski is saving his race team.
Final Lap…
Once again fans were treated to some of the best racing we have seen. The Nationwide series is living up to its reputation, week after week drivers are racing hard and for every position. The drivers are putting on a great show.
Even though Busch has all but run away from the field for the championship every driver out there is driving hard and for every point, which is what the fans pay to see.
I have to give ESPN credit, I was a bit hesitant with the trial format of “backseat drivers” but it actually turned out pretty good.
They seemed to cover the field very well, and were able to explain the racing all around the track without it becoming a battle for which announce got the final word.
Say what you want about Rusty Wallace but he is not afraid to speak his mind and he is not afraid if you don’t like what he says.
This week he has spoken out against start and parks and in the past voiced his opinion about Busch and double duty drivers.
That’s refreshing, so many drivers and crew chiefs and announcers don’t want to say the wrong thing and finally to hear a driver say what fans are thinking is great to hear.
Next up the bull ring, Bristol!
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Gas and Go--Michigan (2nd race)
The latest Gas and Go is up now. Click on the title to go there. Your comments are always welcome.
Cash For Clunkers! Thanks Obama!
This is a new , non nascar related blog. The content will include politics, family and my next quest to quit smoking.
As my online family, you guys opinions matter to me. So feel free to post and comment.
If you all would prefer I not put this post up here, thats cool, just let me know.
thanks Rob aka storkjrc
As my online family, you guys opinions matter to me. So feel free to post and comment.
If you all would prefer I not put this post up here, thats cool, just let me know.
thanks Rob aka storkjrc
WHAT IS THIS WORLD COMING TO
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GREETINGS FROM SW OKLAHOMA:
FOLKS THIS ONE IS NOT ABOUT NASCAR, OR MY FRIENDS OR ANYTHING ELSE I NORMALLY WRITE ABOUT. IT'S JUST THAT I AM MAD AND NEED TO YELL.
I READ A DAY OR SO AGO ABOUT THE EAGLES SIGNING MICHAEL VICK IN THE NFL, WELL I DAMN SURE KNOW WHY I QUIT WATCHING NFL. I TRUELY HOPE THAT THE FANS THERE RUN HIM OUT ON A RAIL BEFORE HE EVER GETS IN A BALL GAME. CAN YOU TELL TAHT I LOVE DOGS, WELL OTHER THEN SNAKES ALL ANIMALS.
THIS GUY SAYS "WELL, I SERVED MY TIME AND DESERVE A SECOND CHANCE" HORSE CRAP, WHAT HE DESERVES IS TO BE FORCED TO WORK IN AN ANIMAL SHELTER FOR THE REST OF HIS LIFE AND DO IT FOR MIN. WAGE. THIS MAN CONTRIBUTED TO THE DEATHS OF ANIMALS THAT WERE REALLY DEPENDING ON HIM AND THOSE LIKE HIM TO KEEP THEM ALIVE AND WELL. GOD, HE IS GOING TO BE SUCH A GREAT EXAMPLE FOR OUR KIDS. WHAT HE IS SAYING IS "IF YOU CAN THROW A BALL, YOU CAN GET AWAY WITH ANYTHING YOU WANT.
I JUST REALY DON'T UNDERSTAND, BASEBALL WON'T LET PETE ROSE IN THE HALL OF FAME FOR GAMBLING, BUT THE NFL WILL ALLOW A KILLER BACK IN THE GAME TO TRY AND RAISE TICKET SALES, LOR I HOPE THEY NEVER LET CHARLIE MANSON OUT OF PRISON.
WELL GUESS I HAVE SAID ENOUGH AND BETTER SHUT UP BEFORE I GET MYSELF IN TROUBLE.
THAT'S MY OPINION - WHAT'S YOURS
GUNAQUAT
GREETINGS FROM SW OKLAHOMA:
FOLKS THIS ONE IS NOT ABOUT NASCAR, OR MY FRIENDS OR ANYTHING ELSE I NORMALLY WRITE ABOUT. IT'S JUST THAT I AM MAD AND NEED TO YELL.
I READ A DAY OR SO AGO ABOUT THE EAGLES SIGNING MICHAEL VICK IN THE NFL, WELL I DAMN SURE KNOW WHY I QUIT WATCHING NFL. I TRUELY HOPE THAT THE FANS THERE RUN HIM OUT ON A RAIL BEFORE HE EVER GETS IN A BALL GAME. CAN YOU TELL TAHT I LOVE DOGS, WELL OTHER THEN SNAKES ALL ANIMALS.
THIS GUY SAYS "WELL, I SERVED MY TIME AND DESERVE A SECOND CHANCE" HORSE CRAP, WHAT HE DESERVES IS TO BE FORCED TO WORK IN AN ANIMAL SHELTER FOR THE REST OF HIS LIFE AND DO IT FOR MIN. WAGE. THIS MAN CONTRIBUTED TO THE DEATHS OF ANIMALS THAT WERE REALLY DEPENDING ON HIM AND THOSE LIKE HIM TO KEEP THEM ALIVE AND WELL. GOD, HE IS GOING TO BE SUCH A GREAT EXAMPLE FOR OUR KIDS. WHAT HE IS SAYING IS "IF YOU CAN THROW A BALL, YOU CAN GET AWAY WITH ANYTHING YOU WANT.
I JUST REALY DON'T UNDERSTAND, BASEBALL WON'T LET PETE ROSE IN THE HALL OF FAME FOR GAMBLING, BUT THE NFL WILL ALLOW A KILLER BACK IN THE GAME TO TRY AND RAISE TICKET SALES, LOR I HOPE THEY NEVER LET CHARLIE MANSON OUT OF PRISON.
WELL GUESS I HAVE SAID ENOUGH AND BETTER SHUT UP BEFORE I GET MYSELF IN TROUBLE.
THAT'S MY OPINION - WHAT'S YOURS
GUNAQUAT
Friday, August 14, 2009
There's No Place Like Home
I have a new blog post called "There's No Place Like Home."
You're my main audience because no one else I know BLOGS!!!lol
Thanks.
(I haven't added any bells and whistles yet! - I deleted the PLAYLIST and the computer goes faster. Thanks, Gene.)
You're my main audience because no one else I know BLOGS!!!lol
Thanks.
(I haven't added any bells and whistles yet! - I deleted the PLAYLIST and the computer goes faster. Thanks, Gene.)
Crunching the Chase
I’m definitely not a fan of The Chase, mainly because the dude that works hard all season to earn a points lead basically gets shafted when the final ten races arrive. Last year it was Kyle Busch, and this year Tony Stewart will probably relinquish his respectable points lead to Mark Martin (or Jimmie Johnson?) once the Chase begins because the 5 car has taken the checkers the most (so far). Every other series uses a season long points system, and it seems to provide for some fairly exciting finishes.
But in the interest of positive discussion, I won’t whine about all of that, but instead look at which teams have the best chance to (1) actually get in The Chase and (2) ultimately challenge for the Sprint Cup title.
Of course, that crucial first step is to get into The Chase. The top drivers have maneuvered themselves into solid positions, and it’s safe to say that we’ll see the 14, 48, 24, and 2 cars ready to rumble for the title. The 11 and the 99 also look to be relatively comfortable. Then it gets interesting. I’m going to throw out the prediction that the 42, 9, and 39 survive. Along with the 16 and the 5.
That leaves us with the battle between the 17 and the 18 cars for that last spot. To me, the 18 car has the ability to challenge for a race win on any given day, and I’m not sure that the 17 car can match that right now. The downside is that the 18 car has also shown the ability to crash and burn and finish last on any given day, but I believe that the 17 car drops out of 12th place and gets replaced by the 18. The 83, 33, and others join the 17 in the void reserved for non-Chasers who don't pack the gear to run for the Sprint cup title.
With my predicted Chasers lined up at the start line, who takes home the big prize? Well, my front runners become the 14 and the 48 followed by the 5 and 18 cars. Beyond that, the 2 car and the 11 car have both looked like they’re peaking at the right time, and a case might also be made for the 42. Those that like darkhorse picks might go with the Blue Deuce just for kicks.
That 14 car has been tough all season, and certainly hasn’t looked like a newly formed team. Which always makes me suspicious that a big fallout is waiting right around the corner (just like the 18 team last season). That's the curse of The Chase.
The 48 team has this whole Chase nonsense all figured out, and certainly they’ve got to be considered the favorite. Look for them to gather win number four fairly soon and have the Nascar world predicting title number four in a row. (yawn).
The 5 team is the sentimental favorite, but can they stop the 48 juggernaut? That would be fun to watch, but might be a long shot.
Then there’s the wildcard 18 car. If Kyle Busch claws his way into the Chase, look out. I’m of the opinion that if he’s alive for the title during those final ten races then he’ll be the car to watch. He’d be my pick to shock everyone and steal the title from the 48 team. Or blow up trying.
Safe bet would be the 48 team, but hell, that ain’t no fun!
p.s. Just to let ya'll know, I done started me a blog here in these parts of the interwebs. Called it "Batteries Included". So come on by and say hi if you get a chance.
But in the interest of positive discussion, I won’t whine about all of that, but instead look at which teams have the best chance to (1) actually get in The Chase and (2) ultimately challenge for the Sprint Cup title.
Of course, that crucial first step is to get into The Chase. The top drivers have maneuvered themselves into solid positions, and it’s safe to say that we’ll see the 14, 48, 24, and 2 cars ready to rumble for the title. The 11 and the 99 also look to be relatively comfortable. Then it gets interesting. I’m going to throw out the prediction that the 42, 9, and 39 survive. Along with the 16 and the 5.
That leaves us with the battle between the 17 and the 18 cars for that last spot. To me, the 18 car has the ability to challenge for a race win on any given day, and I’m not sure that the 17 car can match that right now. The downside is that the 18 car has also shown the ability to crash and burn and finish last on any given day, but I believe that the 17 car drops out of 12th place and gets replaced by the 18. The 83, 33, and others join the 17 in the void reserved for non-Chasers who don't pack the gear to run for the Sprint cup title.
With my predicted Chasers lined up at the start line, who takes home the big prize? Well, my front runners become the 14 and the 48 followed by the 5 and 18 cars. Beyond that, the 2 car and the 11 car have both looked like they’re peaking at the right time, and a case might also be made for the 42. Those that like darkhorse picks might go with the Blue Deuce just for kicks.
That 14 car has been tough all season, and certainly hasn’t looked like a newly formed team. Which always makes me suspicious that a big fallout is waiting right around the corner (just like the 18 team last season). That's the curse of The Chase.
The 48 team has this whole Chase nonsense all figured out, and certainly they’ve got to be considered the favorite. Look for them to gather win number four fairly soon and have the Nascar world predicting title number four in a row. (yawn).
The 5 team is the sentimental favorite, but can they stop the 48 juggernaut? That would be fun to watch, but might be a long shot.
Then there’s the wildcard 18 car. If Kyle Busch claws his way into the Chase, look out. I’m of the opinion that if he’s alive for the title during those final ten races then he’ll be the car to watch. He’d be my pick to shock everyone and steal the title from the 48 team. Or blow up trying.
Safe bet would be the 48 team, but hell, that ain’t no fun!
p.s. Just to let ya'll know, I done started me a blog here in these parts of the interwebs. Called it "Batteries Included". So come on by and say hi if you get a chance.
The SYMT Grid for Michigan
1,83, Brian Vickers- Klvalus
2,5, Mark Martin - YeeMum
3,42, Juan Montoya - LeCrab
4,48, Jimmie Johnson - Frevr3fan
5,1, Martin Truex - SoCal24fan
6,2, Kurt Busch - Moseby
7,39, Ryan Newman - HotfootLori
8,20, Joey Logano - Hanahan
9,21, Bill Elliott - CR Racing
10,9 Kasey Kahane - Tezgm99
11,82, Scott Speed - Gerrel
12,25, Brad Keselowski - Gunaquat
13,44, A.J. Allmendinger - Speedbeagle
14,77, Sam Hornish Jr - RG Guido
15,88, Dale Earnhardt Jr - Go-9 Car
16,11, Denny Hamlin - Storkjrc
17,16, Greg Biffle - Volfan69
18,14, Tony Stewart -Jokerswild
19,26, Jamie McMurray -Tsfanpc
20,12, David Stremme -Aero13
21,,24 Jeff Gordon- F2
Yes I get Jeff I can't win a pole Gordon.lol
2,5, Mark Martin - YeeMum
3,42, Juan Montoya - LeCrab
4,48, Jimmie Johnson - Frevr3fan
5,1, Martin Truex - SoCal24fan
6,2, Kurt Busch - Moseby
7,39, Ryan Newman - HotfootLori
8,20, Joey Logano - Hanahan
9,21, Bill Elliott - CR Racing
10,9 Kasey Kahane - Tezgm99
11,82, Scott Speed - Gerrel
12,25, Brad Keselowski - Gunaquat
13,44, A.J. Allmendinger - Speedbeagle
14,77, Sam Hornish Jr - RG Guido
15,88, Dale Earnhardt Jr - Go-9 Car
16,11, Denny Hamlin - Storkjrc
17,16, Greg Biffle - Volfan69
18,14, Tony Stewart -Jokerswild
19,26, Jamie McMurray -Tsfanpc
20,12, David Stremme -Aero13
21,,24 Jeff Gordon- F2
Yes I get Jeff I can't win a pole Gordon.lol
Thursday, August 13, 2009
The Trifecta- Returning to the Scene of the Crime Edition
Greetings race fans! This week the Trifecta returns to the scene of NASCAR's greatest crime(other than the S&P drivers, but that's another story)- Michigan International Speedway. Yes, folks, it was exactly one year ago that the priceless Maltese Lug Nut mysteriously disappeared from the garages of Roush/Fenway Racing.
Now, NASCAR has gone and thrown us a curve this week. The Camping World Truck Series will not return to the track until Wednesday, August 19, so rather than have everyone wait 3 days to finish the trifecta, I've come up with something a little different.
For this week's Trifecta:
Pick one driver for the Nationwide Race.
Pick a driver for the pole of the Sprint Cup race. This will be scored according to qualifying position(if the driver you pick wins the pole, you get 1 point; if he qualifies 10th, you get 10 points; if he qualifies last, well, you get the idea).
Finally, pick a driver for the Sprint Cup race.
NOTE: YOU DO NOT HAVE TO PICK THE SAME DRIVER FOR THE POLE AND THE SPRINT CUP RACE.
Next week at Bristol, we'll be back to the usual format(except that the Trifecta will be up on Tuesday to accommodate the Wednesday CWTS Race).
Oh, one last thing. Tell me where you think the Maltese Lug Nut is.
Good luck, and let's go racing!!!!!
Now, NASCAR has gone and thrown us a curve this week. The Camping World Truck Series will not return to the track until Wednesday, August 19, so rather than have everyone wait 3 days to finish the trifecta, I've come up with something a little different.
For this week's Trifecta:
Pick one driver for the Nationwide Race.
Pick a driver for the pole of the Sprint Cup race. This will be scored according to qualifying position(if the driver you pick wins the pole, you get 1 point; if he qualifies 10th, you get 10 points; if he qualifies last, well, you get the idea).
Finally, pick a driver for the Sprint Cup race.
NOTE: YOU DO NOT HAVE TO PICK THE SAME DRIVER FOR THE POLE AND THE SPRINT CUP RACE.
Next week at Bristol, we'll be back to the usual format(except that the Trifecta will be up on Tuesday to accommodate the Wednesday CWTS Race).
Oh, one last thing. Tell me where you think the Maltese Lug Nut is.
Good luck, and let's go racing!!!!!
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Name that Film: John Hughes; belleofsavannah Edition
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Okay everyone, our latest Name that Film is up and running. It is a tribute to the late John Hughes. Thanks to Beverly for the suggestion. I may respond late in the day tomorrow to your answers, as I have to work. If only I could get paid to do this stuff! See you there! Just click the title above.
SYMT --- Sam Hornish Jr
Yeah, Yeah, Yeah...We all know Sam is the one of the most successful drivers in recent history in open-wheel racing...
* Sam was the youngest driver ever to win an IndyCar Series race (age 21) at the time. (Thanks Tez!)
* Sam became the youngest driver to win the IndyCar Series crown at just 22 years old.
* Sam is the only driver to win back-to-back IndyCar Series championships.
* In 2006, Sam won the Indianapolis 500 for Penske in dramatic fashion passing Marco Andretti on the last lap and then went on to win the IndyCar Series championship for a third time.
So by 2007, Sam was pretty much in a "been there done that" state of mind with open wheel racing when he decided to try his hand at stock cars.
In November 2007, Sam was announced as the driver of the Penske No. 77 Mobil 1 Dodge and I was lucky enough to interview him. Some of you may have seen snippets of this video on Foxsports but this is the un-edited version.
Notice anything about Sam in the interview? I dunno...relaxed, funny, not giving the party line answers...kinda refreshing?
Ok, ok, so he didn't win Rookie of the Year in his first full season in NASCAR but I will contend he had to deal with sub par equipment at Penske last year (evidence - Kurt) and none-the-less managed to finish with several top 15's and raced his way into the All Star Race. He didn't meet his goal of finishing in the top 20 but he did keep his job. Yes, yes, he did kiss with the wall a lot but hey, he was learning!
That brings us to 2009. Sam started off the season strong contending for top 10s in the first six races only to fall victim to wrecks not of his own making. He finally got his first top 10 in NASCAR in April at Phoenix and followed that up with a sixth-place finish at Richmond. Sam got his first NASCAR victory winning the Sprint Showdown and he finally cracked the top 5 with his fourth-place finish at Pocono a few weeks ago. And then, well, there was this past week where he got his bell rung big time...
So why do I like Sam Hornish, Jr so much? Let's get the obvious out of the way --
* Cute, Cute, CUTE!
* Fellow Ohioan
* Is buds with Helio
* Has a whipper-snapper 28 year old crew chief (Travis Geisler) so they are the true Young Guns of Team Penske and I like watching the youngin's compete.
But mostly I root for Sam because he is a proven champion, who didn't rest on his laurels and went out and learned a completely different sport enduring struggles, wrecks, and very hard hits. "Quit" is not in Sam's vocabulary and he will keep at it until he is a champion again. I find that very admirable.
Oh, did I mention how cute he is??
Random Thoughts on Nascar
I just put up a new blog on The Way It Is!, not sure how you guys do those links. Check it out if you get a chance. Just me re-hashing a few things from the past couple of weeks
thanks Rob
thanks Rob
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
View From The Flagstand
Check out the Smokey View From the Flagstand.
Point your arrow thingy at the title and click.
Point your arrow thingy at the title and click.
Heluva Good at the Glen: Winners and Losers
Once again, Mother Nature affected the start time of the race. This was the Sprint cup driver’s final time to make right turns this season.
Check out the weather delayed winners and losers.
Winners
Tony Stewart
Oh, to be Tony Stewart. This year has gone exactly as no one expected, and now he has all but clinched his spot in the chase. More importantly, he picked up 10 more bonus points for the chase.
With his third win this year, Stewart didn’t dominate the race today. Instead, he quietly worked his way up front from his 14th-place starting position and worked fuel mileage perfectly.
Stewart worked traffic to perfection. He was able to build on his lead when a charging Marcos Ambrose bobbled and gave up ground to Stewart.
Stewart hasn’t hit a rough patch yet, but he hopes his good runs and success continues all the way to the seat on the stage come December.
Points: First
Marcos Ambrose
If Stewart wasn’t your pick, then Marcos Ambrose was the other top choice this weekend. Ambrose has really dominated not only the track the last two years but victory lane.
Ambrose started fourth but quickly moved to the front. Ambrose fell off sequence in pitting but worked his way back up front.
If it wasn’t for a bobble, the battle for the lead late would have been much closer. Ambrose came home second but is proving that he is a contender.
Ambrose has been flexing his own muscles this year, on the ovals and the road courses. His hardcore racing style and respect for his competitors have Ambrose quickly becoming not only a fan-favorite, but also respected throughout the garage.
The Aussie is getting it done in 2009.
Points: 17th
Casey Mears
I am a bit surprised to add him to this list, especially at a road course. But Casey Mears capped off what has been a successful weekend with a solid run on Monday, coming home in 15th.
Mears had a fast call all weekend long, he was sitting near the top in speeds and was able to adjust and really work on getting his car setup for the race. Mears started the day in 11th and quietly worked his way into the top 10.
Through pit cycles and with a strong car, this team earned their finish today.
They were unable to to get a top 10 finish, but this is something they can build on and move forward with.
Mears, who isn’t known for his road racing talent, might just wish we came to Watkins Glen more often.
Points: 21st
Losers
David Stremme
All weekend long, David Stremme credited his strong run to the Penske organization working together to help him and his team be prepared for this race. Stremme participated in a test session at Road Atlanta with Ryan Briscoe from the IRL team.
After Kurt Busch and Sam Hornish Jr. dialed in their cars, they focused on helping find Stremme the right setup for Sunday. Meanwhile, Stremme was running laps and learning the track.
Well Stremme got loose in the bump stops, and not only collected Kevin Harvick but also Jeff Gordon.
Stremme went down one lap to the leaders to fix the damage, and got the lucky dog on the Dale Earnhardt Jr. crash, and led the race before the pit cycles.
Stremme finished 26th.
Over the weekend, Stremme said that many teams couldn’t wait to leave the Glen and head to Michigan. However, Stremme was looking forward to the race.
Bet he changed his mind on that one.
Points: 31st
Kevin Harvick
This weekend started off fairly well for Kevin Harvick. He was coming off of a string of solid runs the last couple weeks and was looking to carry that momentum into the Glen.
Harvick started 21st, but soon was moving forward, to the front. After a round of pit stops under caution, he was well within the top 15. That’s when Harvick's promising day took a turn. Stremme spun out and collected Harvick.
The car badly damaged with A-frame, Harvick headed to the garage to make repairs. They returned to the track on lap 44, 21 laps down.
2009 has been a struggle for this team, and the race was a prime example that they have a strong car, only to get collected in someone else’s mess.
Harvick finished 35th
Sometimes it’s your year, and sometimes you’re Harvick.
Points: 22nd
Jeff Gordon
Jeff Gordon is one driver who is glad to see this weekend over. Gordon, who has dominated Watkins Glen at times, has seen the other side of that recently. His finish of 37th speaks volumes as to how his weekend actually was.
This weekend, the team struggled to find speed and hook up the car on the racetrack. A poor qualifying effort had Gordon sitting deep in the pack, and he was never able to get higher than 14th. He was involved with the incident with Harvick but only had minor damage.
He was moving forward when Kasey Kahne got into Hornish and sent Hornish hard into the wall, where he came across the track slamming hard into Gordon.
Gordon's day was over.
Gordon, who has been suffering from back pain, acknowledged that this hit will hurt for weeks after he left the care center.
Gordon has to wonder where the magic went not only from Watkins Glen, but his early season success.
Points: Third
Lucky dog…
Joey Logano
It has been a rough weekend for Joey Logano. This was his first trip to the Glen, and Logano was looking to learn as much as possible, so he drove in the Nationwide race where he got into a altercation with Robby Gordon.
On Monday, Logano became a ping pong ball and got damage in the big one. The team went to work and repaired the damaged, and Logano finished 16th.
That says a lot not only about this team, but about Logano. For his first time on the track, racing with guys who have much more experience, he was able to take what looked to be a disappointing day and turn it into a strong finish.
That’s why is he is leading the rookie of the year standings, because of finishes like this.
Points: 19th
Final lap…
Once again, with weather a factor, there was talk of whether or not NASCAR top series should run rain tires. We only really have this statement when we come to Watkins Glen: For the road race at Sonoma, weather is rarely a factor.
To be honest, you can’t just throw on the tires and tell these drivers to go race. It just won’t happen. NASCAR and Goodyear need to test the tires.
Also, how do you test rain tires? Look at what we have seen the last two days, NASCAR can’t really control the weather.
Then you have to look at the cost to develop a new tire.
We also can’t forget the car. With teams still learning the nuances of this car, you add on a completely different tire and teams are really back to square one.
Finally, the vision of the drivers is critical, particularly since they are running side by side. Think about in your own car, when it rains, sometimes the humidity causes the window to fog up, and you turn on the defroster and that’s that. In these cars, you don’t have that control, and NASCAR would have to adapt the car.
There is much more that will have to be done rather than just throw on rain tires and race. The drivers and crew safety is at risk, and NASCAR can’t afford to not follow the same protocol they would use for anything else.
Next up is Michigan!
Monday, August 10, 2009
Stewart Shows Why He Is A Sponsors Dream Come True
First it was Office Depot for his first win as an owner-driver back on June 7 at Pocono.
Stewart was able to conserve enough fuel to take the checkers beating out Roush Fenway driver Carl Edwards for the win.
“We went out there, it was like we had not missed a beat and just thankful we got a good group of guys like that and good partners that were willing to help out when we needed a hand.”
This was after members from Jeff Gordon’s as well as Jimmie Johnsons team, came over to help when Stewart spun during practice damaging his primary car.
“Then having to go to the backup car, it was great to see everybody just keep their heads about them, stay calm and stay cool. We made all the changes we needed to between the two cars, and I think we actually made the second car better.”
Next up, was Stewarts second win of the season on July 7 at Daytona International Speedway, with none other than Burger King on his hood.
The race in itself had to be one of Stewart’s most exciting wins, and probably Kyle Busch’s worse nightmare.
“I don’t want any part of winning a race because the guy who was leading the race got wrecked,” Stewart said.
"I don’t know that we did anything wrong. I’ve seen replays of it, and he’s protecting his position, which is what he’s got to do.”
With Old Spice on the hood this weekend, Stewart was able to give all three of his sponsors a season to remember.
Stewart has been able to take all three of his sponsors to victory lane, while at the same time continuing to establish himself as a very legitimate championship contender.
With the win on Monday, Stewart can now call himself king of Watkins Glen with his record winning fifth win.
Stewart also added win number seven on the road courses, while putting himself two wins away from tying Jeff Gordon who has a record nine of his own.
Stewart, who earlier in the year finished second behind Kasey Kahne at Infineon Raceway, would not be denied while holding off Marcos Ambrose who had just won the Nationwide race two days earlier.
With 24 laps left, Stewart was able to take the lead from Joe Gibbs Racing driver Kyle Busch and never look back for his third win of the season.
“I'm excited about it. Obviously it's a great day for Stewart-Haas Racing and an awesome day for Office Depot and Old Spice. Finally got Old Spice in Victory Lane. Office Depot, Old Spice and now Burger King.”
Stewart, who now leads the series by 260 points over HMS driver Jimmie Johnson with four races to go until the chase for the Sprint Cup Championship begins.
Talked about what it was like to win his fifth race, and make history on Monday afternoon.
“It's awesome. I mean, I think the bigger honor was last year when we got inducted into one of the drivers of the decade here. It's a track we've had a lot of success at.
"It's neat to be a guy that's won the most races here in the series. It was awesome that last -- both the restarts where we were able to stay ahead of Kyle."
"Both on the outside and inside we were able to get good jumps, beat him to turn two, up to the top of the S's."
"That was really key for us, especially when we did it the second time, the opposite side when he chose the opposite side as he did the first time, we still beat him there, I thought that was a pretty big moment in the race, showing our strength.”
Stewart also talked about what it was like to race with Marcos Ambrose the last 21 laps of the race.
“There were spots on the track he was a little stronger than us, but I thought there were equally the same amount of spots that we were a little better than he was."
"I felt like lap time-wise they pretty much evened out. It was a matter of not making mistakes, not giving him an opportunity to get there. I was pretty happy with the day.”
Darian Grubb, Stewarts’ crew chief took a page out of Chad Knaus’s playbook on lap 19, when he made some major changes to put his driver in contention for the win.
“We knew the car was off a bit based on the lap times and Tony's comments. He was struggling to get by some of the guys we thought they were faster than."
"He gave us some feedback. We knew the changes we made going into the race. We were able to back out of some of those, spring rubbers, wedge, changes along with that.”
Stewart who has had nothing but praise for his crew chief, along with all the hard work that the team puts into his car each week.
Was not short on words during the post race press conference, knowing that the changes they made are what put him in victory lane.
“I came in on the first stop and I asked for a lot of changes there. I appreciate Darian and the guys. They did an awesome job."
"There was a lot of stuff to do that was lengthy time-wise. I think we only lost six spots."
"To do what they did in that short amount of time was pretty phenomenal. That kept us up good enough in track position to where we could start working our way through there.”
So Anthony Wayne Stewart, how does it feel to get your first road course victory as a team owner?
"Ah, the same as it did when we won the All-Star race and Pocono. It's a great feeling but it's all due to these guys at SHR; you know, Bobby Hutchens and Darian and Tony Gibson and Ryan Newman and all those guys, and the Hendrick engine and chassis department."
"Rick (Hendrick) sent me a message this week and said, 'Hey, don't you think it's about time for another win?' So, this one's for you Rick, buddy."
Stewart was able to conserve enough fuel to take the checkers beating out Roush Fenway driver Carl Edwards for the win.
“We went out there, it was like we had not missed a beat and just thankful we got a good group of guys like that and good partners that were willing to help out when we needed a hand.”
This was after members from Jeff Gordon’s as well as Jimmie Johnsons team, came over to help when Stewart spun during practice damaging his primary car.
“Then having to go to the backup car, it was great to see everybody just keep their heads about them, stay calm and stay cool. We made all the changes we needed to between the two cars, and I think we actually made the second car better.”
Next up, was Stewarts second win of the season on July 7 at Daytona International Speedway, with none other than Burger King on his hood.
The race in itself had to be one of Stewart’s most exciting wins, and probably Kyle Busch’s worse nightmare.
“I don’t want any part of winning a race because the guy who was leading the race got wrecked,” Stewart said.
"I don’t know that we did anything wrong. I’ve seen replays of it, and he’s protecting his position, which is what he’s got to do.”
With Old Spice on the hood this weekend, Stewart was able to give all three of his sponsors a season to remember.
Stewart has been able to take all three of his sponsors to victory lane, while at the same time continuing to establish himself as a very legitimate championship contender.
With the win on Monday, Stewart can now call himself king of Watkins Glen with his record winning fifth win.
Stewart also added win number seven on the road courses, while putting himself two wins away from tying Jeff Gordon who has a record nine of his own.
Stewart, who earlier in the year finished second behind Kasey Kahne at Infineon Raceway, would not be denied while holding off Marcos Ambrose who had just won the Nationwide race two days earlier.
With 24 laps left, Stewart was able to take the lead from Joe Gibbs Racing driver Kyle Busch and never look back for his third win of the season.
“I'm excited about it. Obviously it's a great day for Stewart-Haas Racing and an awesome day for Office Depot and Old Spice. Finally got Old Spice in Victory Lane. Office Depot, Old Spice and now Burger King.”
Stewart, who now leads the series by 260 points over HMS driver Jimmie Johnson with four races to go until the chase for the Sprint Cup Championship begins.
Talked about what it was like to win his fifth race, and make history on Monday afternoon.
“It's awesome. I mean, I think the bigger honor was last year when we got inducted into one of the drivers of the decade here. It's a track we've had a lot of success at.
"It's neat to be a guy that's won the most races here in the series. It was awesome that last -- both the restarts where we were able to stay ahead of Kyle."
"Both on the outside and inside we were able to get good jumps, beat him to turn two, up to the top of the S's."
"That was really key for us, especially when we did it the second time, the opposite side when he chose the opposite side as he did the first time, we still beat him there, I thought that was a pretty big moment in the race, showing our strength.”
Stewart also talked about what it was like to race with Marcos Ambrose the last 21 laps of the race.
“There were spots on the track he was a little stronger than us, but I thought there were equally the same amount of spots that we were a little better than he was."
"I felt like lap time-wise they pretty much evened out. It was a matter of not making mistakes, not giving him an opportunity to get there. I was pretty happy with the day.”
Darian Grubb, Stewarts’ crew chief took a page out of Chad Knaus’s playbook on lap 19, when he made some major changes to put his driver in contention for the win.
“We knew the car was off a bit based on the lap times and Tony's comments. He was struggling to get by some of the guys we thought they were faster than."
"He gave us some feedback. We knew the changes we made going into the race. We were able to back out of some of those, spring rubbers, wedge, changes along with that.”
Stewart who has had nothing but praise for his crew chief, along with all the hard work that the team puts into his car each week.
Was not short on words during the post race press conference, knowing that the changes they made are what put him in victory lane.
“I came in on the first stop and I asked for a lot of changes there. I appreciate Darian and the guys. They did an awesome job."
"There was a lot of stuff to do that was lengthy time-wise. I think we only lost six spots."
"To do what they did in that short amount of time was pretty phenomenal. That kept us up good enough in track position to where we could start working our way through there.”
So Anthony Wayne Stewart, how does it feel to get your first road course victory as a team owner?
"Ah, the same as it did when we won the All-Star race and Pocono. It's a great feeling but it's all due to these guys at SHR; you know, Bobby Hutchens and Darian and Tony Gibson and Ryan Newman and all those guys, and the Hendrick engine and chassis department."
"Rick (Hendrick) sent me a message this week and said, 'Hey, don't you think it's about time for another win?' So, this one's for you Rick, buddy."
Knoxville Nationals
So what is going on in Iowa the second week of August?
Hmmmm.....
And, yes, there is lots of homemade pie!
THAT'S MY OPINION - WHAT'S YOURS
GREETINGS GUYS,
JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT THE HOT OR NOT IS UP ON HERE NOW.
GUNAQUAT
JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT THE HOT OR NOT IS UP ON HERE NOW.
GUNAQUAT
SYMT Watkins Glen Results are up
I do it this way so not to slow up this site with all the pictures.
Cheers2All
Cheers2All
1992: SaveMart Supermarkets 300 on ESPN CLASSIC now!
1992: SaveMart Supermarkets 300. Taped 6/7/92 in Sonoma, California.
Ricky Rudd is on the pole; Ernie Irvin row 1; row 4 Alan Kuwaki; Davey Allison row 5; Dale Earnhart row 6; Ken Schrader row 7; Dale Jarrett row 13. Benny Parsons & Ned Jarrett announcing.
Bill France had just died.
Ricky Rudd is on the pole; Ernie Irvin row 1; row 4 Alan Kuwaki; Davey Allison row 5; Dale Earnhart row 6; Ken Schrader row 7; Dale Jarrett row 13. Benny Parsons & Ned Jarrett announcing.
Bill France had just died.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Who Would You Throw Under The Bus? -- August 9, 2009
Sports fans, it's that time of week! Because of the rotten economy, we here at Who Would You Throw Under The Bus? have had to downsize, like many others. Hence, the Short Bus. However, we put a Hendrick Motorsports engine under that hood, so even though the Bus is short in stature, it's long on power. (Yeah, that last part was a little bit off; just wondering if you were paying attention). Here are a few nominees.
NBA
Mark Madsen: the Minnesota Timberwolves’ forward/domain name speculator bought the website P2P.com from Daniel Goncalves, a hacker who stole the site to Madsen for $111,000. Goncalves is the first-ever target of a criminal prosecution for domain name theft. The right thing to do would be to return the domain name to its rightful owners, investors Marc Ostrofsky and Albert and Lesli Angel. But Madsen won’t surrender the domain name. For receiving the domain name by theft and not returning it to its rightful owners, Madsen gets thrown under the Bus time and again.
Rashard Lewis: the Orlando Magic forward failed a random drug test and got himself suspended for the first ten games of the 2009-10 NBA season. To his credit, he took full responsibility. However, if you are taking supplements, and you have a question about one of them, why not ask a trainer or nutritionist about them per the NBA guidelines? If you still have questions, ask your team doctor or the NBA office. Even though you did take full responsibility, you still get thrown under the Bus.
NFL
Michael Crabtree: the 49ers' top draft pick is foolishly holding out on the advice of his agent. He wants to be paid more than Darrius Heyward-Bey, the #7 overall pick selected by the Oakland Raiders. There is a reason Crabtree fell from a top 3 pick to #10: a lingering foot injury that scared off several teams. He's even threatened to hold out the entire season. I say the Niners call him on his bluff. Mike Williams did this a few years ago, and he was out of sight, out of mind. (As an aside, the Niners have his rights until the first pick of next year's draft is announced.) I have one piece of advice: ditch the agent a la Lamar Odom and negotiate your own deal. You get thrown under the Bus for holding out, and your agent gets thrown under the Bus for giving you foolish advice.
MLB
Prince Fielder: the Milwaukee Brewers' 1B attempted to storm the Dodgers' locker room, only to be held off by security. He did this in response to being hit by a pitch from reliever Guillermo Mota. Mota hit Fielder with two outs in the top of the ninth in response to a Brewers' pitcher plunking Manny Ramirez after Ramirez singled, doubled, and homered in the game. If Fielder wanted to go after Mota, he should have done so right then and there. Storming the opponents' clubhouse is a HUGE no-no. Fielder gets thrown under the Bus for his breach of etiquette.
NASCAR
Robby Gordon: he went idiot yet again in the Nationwide Series race at the Glen, bumping and banging with Joey Logano before finishing off his day by punting him. The scary part followed: Logano's car caught on fire as he made his way around the track. Fortunately, he got out in time. This on the heels of his tete-a-tete with David Stremme at Pocono last week. Logano, to his credit, took the high road for the most part before parting with this gem: "You can't fix stupid, and stupid is forever." The quote of the year in my book! I can envision this guy (Gordon) bumping his gums trying to rationalize his actions. Where's that dreaded Rule 12-4-A, actions detrimental to NASCAR? Gordon gets thrown under the Bus for going idiot, and NASCAR gets thrown under the Bus for not cracking down on Gordon and its inconsistency in applying the rules.
Those are my nominees for the week. Feel free to come in with yours!
Mike Hanner: Private Eye VIII
Watkins Glen rainout have you feeling blue?
Check out the new Hanner for a thrill or two.
Click on the title for more Hanner.
Check out the new Hanner for a thrill or two.
Click on the title for more Hanner.
Watkins Glen Race Chat
I'll get us started today and hopefully be around to finish! ESPN has the pre-race on and so far they are not talkin' about rain but on Twitter Harvick and Mikey have both said rain is about 60 miles out. Looks like we will start the race but get interrupted...
What to watch for today...
** Strategy strategy strategy!!
** Backwards pitting!
** His name is JUAN! and Oi, Oi Ambrose are both hot...
** Will the ringers play a role...ever?
** Will the Joey/Robby playground spat continue?
** Will payback be had from the Sonoma road course incident(s)?
** Who will get the date with Vicky?!?!
Seems like folks have been scarce around here lately. Hope your all out having fun!
Enjoy the race today.
What to watch for today...
** Strategy strategy strategy!!
** Backwards pitting!
** His name is JUAN! and Oi, Oi Ambrose are both hot...
** Will the ringers play a role...ever?
** Will the Joey/Robby playground spat continue?
** Will payback be had from the Sonoma road course incident(s)?
** Who will get the date with Vicky?!?!
Seems like folks have been scarce around here lately. Hope your all out having fun!
Enjoy the race today.
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