What if the Championship were determined by race wins?

What if NASCAR's schedule and Cup Championship consisted of thirty-six races where winning the race is the only way to gain Championship points? This suggestion has been discussed on the Internet since the season began this year, and has been taken up by some on-line journalists, such as ESPN.com's Terry Blount. The idea is that if winning was all that counted, the racing would be more intense, and there would be no reason to hang back to protect points standings.

But would the racing be better? How many teams that are presently participating at the Cup level afford to participate in an entire season of "Checkers or Wreckers?" Who would want to be in the lead on the last lap with a pack of hungry racers on his rear bumper? More importantly, how often would the winner of the race be determined by a penalty based on a judgement call by a race official?

The problem of teams entering just for the prize money would not be solved, unless the purse was "winner take all." If that were the case, there would be few teams willing to participate. The number of regulars in the field would likely shrink from the thirty-nine Cup regulars we have now, to twenty or fewer. The teams that are underfunded now, relative to "the big four," would be even more underfunded, and there would be no reason for them to compete if they don't have the equipment to win.

In NASCAR, part of the challenge to the driver in any race is in negotiating lapped traffic, and, with a field of twenty or so, the lapped traffic would be sparse, if not absent. The purse in a checkers or wreckers type race would have to be disbursed pretty much the same as it is now, if there was to be a full field.

There would be no guarantee of better racing in a checkers or wreckers race. In a 334 lap race, the first 270 laps would be the same chess game it is now, with the drivers and teams testing their cars, saving their engines and brakes, and finding the best set up for the final sprint to the finish. There would be no point in going all out in the early part of the race, and risking a blown engine, worn out brakes, or a broken gear box. We would likely see one car pulling an eight to ten second lead for most of the early race while the other teams half-heartedly battle for position, hoping for a caution, or maybe hoping that a team mate, with nothing to lose, will take out the leader while racing to stay on the lead lap. With no points at stake, lapped traffic would have no reason to continue in the race as the laps wind down, unless there is the chance that all the cars on the lead lap will wreck, of course.

That is one reason why a checkers or wreckers series would be more expensive for participants than it is now. Repairing a NASCAR racing car after a wreck is very expensive, and one thing an all or nothing situation will produce is plenty of wrecks. It would be safe to say that we would see plenty of situations in the final laps as we did at this year's All Star Challenge--where, with eight laps to go, Ryan Newman, Kyle Busch, and Jeff Gordon all went into a turn three abreast, and none came out with a car capable of winning the race. All three of them went into that turn with nothing to lose, and everything to gain. It was exciting, for sure, but it really wasn't great racing. It was, however, great and expensive demolition derby.

The leader with five laps to go would be very lucky to be the winner of the race, unless he was so far ahead of the field that nobody could reach him. That would be unlikely, as the cautions and restarts would be frequent, as drivers back in the field give it their all to get into a position where they, theoretically, at least, could catch the leader. That leader would have a big target on his rear bumper, and no driver will have second thoughts about using the chrome horn to get him loose, or move him up the track a little, when winning is all that matters. Of course, there is always the chance that the first car to cross the finish line will be black flagged for rough driving.

So where is the fine line between a legitimate bump and run and a bump and dump that earns a black flag? Any driver will tell the press and the race officials, "I didn't mean to wreck him," after he makes contact and takes the lead. When the winner of the race is determined by a judgement call by a race official, that is not better racing. If no contact at all is allowed, then we are back to the follow-the-leader type race that so many race fans claim to find "boring."

Another situation that would come out of a checkers or wreckers series would be that many top drivers would be absent from some of the races. In 1974, David Pearson only ran in nineteen of the thirty races, and finished the season third in points. He participated only in races where he knew he would have a good chance to win. We would see the same thing in a checkers or wreckers championship. Why risk a season or career ending injury at a track where the driver has had no success, when that driver knows he could win races at tracks at which he has excelled in the past? A driver who has a two or three race lead early in the season would be likely to skip a few races during the remainder of the season, racing only at those tracks where he feels he has a good chance of winning.

Aside from that, there is the possibility that the championship could be determined with several races left on the schedule. There would be no need for the champion who is six races ahead of everyone else to finish the season with five races to go. The rest of the field would be racing for a top ten position in the final standings, and drivers and teams who have no wins would only be there to act as blockers for a team mate, perhaps. For most race fans, the novelty of a demolition derby wore off by the time we graduated from high school, so, instead of an exciting finish to a season, we would likely see a big fizzle.

As with most of these bright ideas that get thrown around in cyberspace, it would be unlikely that such a series would be a success. In forums, blogs, and sports network sites, fans and journalists bemoaned the fact that Rockingham no longer had racing, but when ARCA brought a race to Rockingham, only about three thousand fans showed up initially, and then only 300 fans showed up for the second ARCA race there. And then there are the calls for NASCAR to make the Nationwide Series a replication of the ARCA Series, by banning Cup drivers from racing in that series, and re-defining the Nationwide Series as a ladder series for novice drivers only. We could see that as being a huge success among race fans.....yeah, right!

NASCAR Cup racing is a championship series that requires a test of both drivers and teams, in races of marathon proportion. In other words, the championship not only depends on a driver's skill, but on the skills of the mechanics, engineers, and pit crews on the team. Winning a race is not the only measure of these skills, though it is important. Winning could be, as Terry Blount suggests, be made more important by adding more points to the race winner's score, rather than creating an all or nothing competition. It might make for better competition if the award for winning were raised to 200 points, while keeping the remainder of the points awards the same as they are now. In addition, NASCAR could add an extra ten bonus points to the Chase standings, beyond the bonus points that are already in place for each regular season win. This would make it more difficult to protect points by settling for a top ten finish,and should create a more aggressive form of racing among the top teams. But it would still award consistency to a point, and still give an opportunity for the championship to be determined at the very end of the season. Most importantly, we would still see racing, rather than a series of wreckfests. If we want to see a wreckfest, we can always go to the demolition derby at our local track.

'09 should be a wild ride

Rev' Jim's RantsnRaves always tends to be late for the party at the beginning of each season, and we have yet to change that habit. However, rather than missing the pre-season picks party altogether this year, we decided that we will be fashionably late.

2009 will bring many surprises to those who expect the expected. With all the team mergers and partnerships, and with some of the driver changes, more drivers and teams are actually in a position to win races than before. And, because of the heightened level of competition, some drivers and teams who are expected to have a successful season, may not even make the Chase for the Championship.

This year, we may see as many as 23 different race winners over the entire season, so consistency will be more important than ever in making the Chase. Though the ban on testing at NASCAR sanctioned tracks will not improve the racing at the 1.5 mile venues, there will be no one team that dominates at the type of track that makes up the majority of venues on the schedule. This will hurt some teams that have been powerful on the intermediate class tracks, and will help others.

Scott Speed should take Rookie of The Year honors, hands down this year. He not only has a year and a half of ARCA experience, but made a respectable showing in the Truck Series last year with one win, four top fives and nine top tens in sixteen starts. He should be a quick study in the Sprint Cup Series, with more previous racing experience than some two or three year drivers in that series. We may even expect him to win a race or two during the regular season, and may even make the Chase for the Championship. He should also replace Kyle Busch as "The Most Hated Driver" in NASCAR.

Joey "Sliced Bread" Logano, on the other hand, will falter. He may get some top tens, and some top fives, but the Joe Gibbs Racing wonder boy has been moved up way too quickly, with little experience in NASCAR. That will lead to some anxiety, and some frustration. Logano may earn some respect from other drivers, but he will end the season knowing that he will still have a lot of work to do.

Other Surprises

Bobby Labonte, in the #96 Hall of Fame Racing entry under the Yates Racing banner, will be the comeback story of the year. Driving in substandard equipment for the past few years does not mean he is not a top-notch driver. The 2000 Winston Cup Champion will be the same kind of "Kick in the Behind" for Yates Racing that Jeff Burton was for Childress in 2006. He will get a win or two, and with Roush-Yates Ford power, he will be able to show the same consistency that awarded him his first Championship. Expect Labonte to make the Chase.

An early season surprise will be Tony Stewart. Many writers, including the one writing this post, expressed strong doubts of the wisdom of Stewart leaving Gibbs at this point in his career. We doubted that he could be successful, at least in the near future, as an owner-driver. Smoke took that as a challenge, and, as is usually the case when Stewart accepts a challenge, seems to be up to it. Assailing Daytona Speed Weeks with a brand new car and a brand new team, Smoke showed us all that his Stewart Haas Racing team is ready to run for the lead right out of the box. This should also mean a good season for his team mate, Ryan Newman. We gladly eat our earlier words of doom and gloom for NASCAR's newest owner-driver.

David Stremme is back. He was showing some remarkable improvement during the last full Sprint Cup season he ran in 2007. In spite of his reputation for crashing, he was involved in only four wrecks that year, and could not be faulted for three of those. He will be Penske Racing's Ace in the Hole this year, coming back to show that he is, indeed Championship material.

Who won't make the Chase?

Thirty-one drivers won't make the Chase for the Championship, but under this banner, here are a few who may be expected to make the cut-off, but probably won't.

If reigning three-time champion Jimmie Johnson's team follows the same path that has been successful, the #48 team will not even make the Chase. "Peaking at the right time" may be peaking too late for "Knaus and Kompany" and they will fail to make the Chase by just a few points.

As much as we love Matt Kenseth, it will be a stretch to expect him to make the Chase this year. In the era of heightened competition, he will have to be more aggressive than we are used to seeing him to make the cut to the final twelve. Though he did show some uncharacteristic aggression last year, he would have to sustain that level, something he may not have the heart to do.

Denny Hamlin's lack of self confidence will plague him this season, and he won't even be an also-ran when it comes down to race 26. It isn't that he isn't a great driver, because he is. Rather his penchant for folding under pressure will bite him this season.

Others we may expect to see in the Chase

Mark Martin, now driving the #5 car for Hendrick Motorsports, should be able to take advantage of this opportunity by winning at least one race, and perhaps even making the Chase. He has always been a skilled driver, and is one of the most dangerous to pass, in spite of his reputation for being a "clean" driver. He will win some races at intermediate tracks, most likely Charlotte (Lowe's) and Texas, and may even get a win at Richmond or Darlington. He will be one of the top contenders for the Championship this year.

Dale Earnhardt, Jr will make the Chase this year, by sheer will and determination on his own part, not on the part of his fans. He is a racer, and he will use his equipment to the maximum of its endurance. Hopefully, the Hendrick shop has figured out how to build a car that will stand up to his abuse, and he will have his best season yet.

Kyle Busch will once again be the top winner during the regular season. When he is on, he is unbeatable, and his ability to drive a car that doesn't feel or look right, will remain his signature, even as he matures. He will again be the points leader entering the Chase, but will once again fade towards the end of the season.

Carl Edwards will continue to show off his exceptional talent, as well as his driving skills. He will enter the Chase right behind Kyle Busch in the points standings.

It has to be Kevin Harvick's turn. Things are going well for him--with some very strong showings in '08, and a hard fought Bud Shootout victory--and he seems to be poised to be a multiple race winner this year. His team is known for its consistency, and, as noted earlier, consistency will be very important in 2009.

In spite of appearances, those of us who follow the drama of The House That Jack Built, know that Jamie McMurray is not the proverbial "red-headed step child." of the Roush-Fenway organization. That honor falls to Greg Biffle. If Da Biff can overcome the handicap of driving Roush's second rate equipment--something he did with authority toward the end of the '08 season--he will be in the Chase. This could very well be his final year with Roush, but there will be no problem for him in getting a ride for 2010, especially if he finishes the season in the top ten.

And your 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion

That would be no other than Jeff Gordon. He will not only make up for his unproductive season last year, but will be out to kick the proverbial donkey this year. We know he is not letting '08 get him down, and will use that as a learning experience. Remember, the greatest drivers never stop learning, and we will not see Gordon stagnate. During last Saturday's Bud Shootout, he seemed to have the COT--that has caused him problems up to now--under control. He not only expertly threaded his way through a mess of spinning and wrecking cars untouched--a feat that required pure instinct--but controlled what other drivers on the track did. He put at least three drivers into the wall, for example, and it was the other drivers' fault that they ended up there.

This is the Jeff Gordon of the old days, the one we haven't seen since 2001. If he can continue to drive like he did Saturday, for the entire season, he will be a Jeff Gordon to fear. The drive for five is definitely still alive.

In recap, our picks for the Chase drivers at the end of the season are, in no particular order:

Tony Stewart
Ryan Newman
Scott Speed
Kevin Harvick
Mark Martin
Dale Earnhardt, Jr
Bobby Labonte
Greg Biffle
Carl Edwards
Kyle Busch
David Stremme
Jeff Gordon*

*Projected Champion.

Live on Type Delay: The O'Reilly Auto Parts 500 KM(Phoenix)

Pre-race thoughts: Dale Jr is sporting a nice beard. Although it is neatly trimmed, it doesn't seem to fit the Hendrick dress code. I wonder if Rick is going to make Junior hit the floor and give him fifty for appearing on television like that.

Not to belittle Jimmie Johnson's racing skills--he is a very good driver--but why haven't we heard Carl Edwards say, "A monkey could win in that (#48) car?"

I have a lot of respect for Jimmie Johnson, but what if he didn't have Chad Knaus as his crew chief? He makes a lot of mistakes, and often gets himself into accidents, penalties, and other situations that would keep other drivers out of a good finish. Knaus and the team 48 pit crew invariably make up for those mistakes. My guess is that Hideo Fukyama would be a household name if he had had Knaus as a crew chief.

Eddie Haskell Mr. Phony Carl Edwards is an exceptional driver, whether he's driving a Sprint Cup car, a Nationwide Series car, or a CTS truck. He's old school in the way he man-handles a car throughout the entire race, and he apparently is very good at saving fuel. Obviously, he is not one of my favorite drivers, but I hope the points race between between him and Jimmie Johnson tightens up after this race. I would rather see Johnson as the champion than Edwards, but what I'm really hoping for is that both of them have bad finishes this race, and Greg Biffle gets into the mix at Homestead, making it a three-way race for the Championship.

Just my thoughts, as deranged as they might be.

Jimmie Johnson drops to the bottom at the wave of the green flag, but Jamie McMurray gets around in turns three and four and leads the first lap. There is already a lot of action this early in the race, as Carl Edwards tries to advance his position from his fifteenth place start. But the cars are bunched up three-wide back there, and Edwards has to let up some.

Kevin Harvick and Martin Truex, Jr make contact with each other and the wall on lap sixteen, but there doesn't seem to be a lot of damage, and there is no caution, then, on lap twenty, Sam Hornish Jr and Elliott Sadler get into each other, causing minimal damage to the cars, but their spinning causes enough of a potential hazard that the first caution flag flies. Everyone pits.

Restart on lap 26, with Kurt Busch first, and the top five positions immediately get mixed up as everybody tries to gain the lead. Martin Truex, Jr's engine is seriously overheating and he has to go back into the pits, with a stalled engine. Truex seems to be out of the race as they take the car to the garage.

On lap thirty, Brian Vickers has the right front tire go down, and slams into the wall, bringing out the second caution. Kurt Busch was in the lead, Jimmie Johnson second, Ryan Newman third, Jamie McMurray fourth, and Dale Earnhardt, Jr is fifth. Nobody in the front of the field pits.

Restart on lap 36 and an immediate caution for debris. Then it starts raining, but just a sprinkling of drops. The race remains under caution, but the cars stay on the track and count off laps. Jet driers are also making laps. Now, on lap 43 we get a red flag.

If you have ever lived in the Southwest United States, especially the dryer areas, you would know that "20% chance of rain" means that it's going to rain.

Only Matt Kenseth has the kind of luck that would get him a flat tire under a red flag. He was in twentieth, but will have to restart in the back, after he pits under caution to change the tires.

The race restarts on lap 46. Johnson quickly tries to take the lead, but Dirty Kurty holds the top position. Again, lots of hard racing all around the track. Kyle Busch uses the top line to move into the top seven. Hamlin is racing Earnhardt hard to get into the top five, but Earnhardt is also moving up. Edwards is still trying to make progress, but the traffic is terrible. Kevin Harvick, Juan Pablo Montoya, and Tony Stewart are all up there around the 99 car.

Meanwhile, the relative positions in the top five are changing constantly. Earnhardt, Jr moves up into fourth, Newman falls back, as Hamlin also gains position. But Jeff Gordon is in the mix, and he ends up in fifth, as Newman drops to sixth. On lap 75, the running order is Kurt Busch, Jimmie Johnson, Jamie McMurray, Dale Earnhardt, Jr, and Jeff Gordon in that order in the top five. Newman falls way back as he has a tire going down, or suspension problems, or both.

On lap 79, Johnson is able to catch Dirty Kurty Busch and is challenging for the lead. As we know, Dirty Kurty is very hard to pass, especially while he is in the lead. Johnson tries the inside, but can't get by. He tries the outside, and can't make it stick. Finally, on lap 82, he gets around the outside and takes the lead. McMurray has caught up to the front two and is looking to take second place. Dirty Kurty won't give up second very easily, either. There should be green flag pit stops coming up soon. That is always fun at Phoenix.

McMurray moved into second during the commercial. I had to turn off the radio, because the interference was really bad. I wish we had an FM station here to pick up the MRN and PRN broadcasts. One of our local Classic Rock stations has a big sponsorship from a NASCAR sports bar, and does a lot of NASCAR promotion, so I would hope they get the MRN/PRN contracts soon. I know a music station wouldn't normally carry sports, but this one is already carrying the Colorado College Hockey radio broadcasts, so a NASCAR race every week wouldn't hurt.

Green flag pit stops begin on lap 98. The top five are pitting on laps 100 through 103. Everyone is taking four tires. Travis Kvapil leads a lap while the leaders pit. Mark Martin has to come back into the pits for a missing lug nut. Remember, this is under green, so that has to hurt. Greg Biffle, who started in the back for a transmission change, leads a lap while pit stops continue. Biffle is out of sequence from the other leaders, as he pitted on lap 44. He pits on lap 109. Johnson retains the lead. Newman ground down the front sway bar, while he was making laps on a left front tire that was very low in air pressure, so he is back in the pits while his team tries to repair the damage.

After the green flag pit stops cycle through, it's Johnson, McMurray, Earnhardt, Jr, Jeff Gordon, and Kurt Busch in the top five. Carl Edwards has made it into tenth place. All the Hendrick cars are in the top six, as Casey Mears is running in sixth. Hamlin is still in seventh. There are 21 cars on the lead lap.

On lap 126, Kevin Harvick is running in eighth, and Carl Edwards has moved up to ninth, while Kasey Kahne fills out the top ten. Now Kyle Busch moves into tenth.

Caution on lap 141 for debris. The leaders all pit on lap 143, and Johnson leads, Dale Jr is second, Jeff Gordon is third, Jamie McMurray is fourth, and Dirty Kurty is fifth. The rest of the top ten is as last reported. Kyle Busch passes Edwards for ninth, shortly after the restart on lap 153. Greg Biffle is running twelfth, Tony Stewart is thirteenth, and Jeff Burton is fourteenth.

On lap 160, they are showing the view through the windshield of Jeff Burton's #31 car, and it looks just like Martinsville. That is how rough the racing is between tenth and fourteenth positions. We have a good race going between Carl and Kyle, and should we expect less? That would be a fun one to watch.

I'm getting a kick out of that new NAPA commercial with Michael Waltrip and Ron Capps. Capps isn't used to having to work for fifteen seconds. That, according to the commercial, is three times as long as his normal "five second work day." Funny! Ron Capps is one of the superstars of the NHRA drag racing series, for those who don't know.

Jeff Gordon reported something wrong with his engine earlier in the race, and on lap 173, he starts dropping back, as he has lost a cylinder. Tim Brewer gets to talk about broken valve springs for the first time since last year. I bet he is having a flashback. Last year, he got to talk about broken valve springs and bent valves every ten minutes.

Things have finally settled down back beyond ninth place, by lap 190. Tony Stewart is in tenth, Kyle Busch in eleventh, and Jeff Burton is in twelfth. Jeff Gordon has fallen back to seventeenth. Casey Mears is now in fifth place, Denny Hamlin is sixth, Kevin Harvick is seventh, Edwards is eighth, and Biffle is ninth.

Edwards finally gets around Kevin Harvick on lap 220, for seventh, just before a caution comes out for debris. All the lead lap cars pit. In Jimmie Johnson's pit, a tire carrier fumbles with tape he was going to add to the grill of Johnson's car, and the 48 team loses first place to Jamie McMurray, who beats Johnson out of the pits. Restart with 94 laps to go, and McMurray does not hold on to first place long at all. Johnson takes that position almost immediately. That was a pretty move. This time the driver saved the pit crew, rather than the usual other way around.

Uh-oh, Steve Letarte said "valve train." I guess that means we have to hear from Tim Brewer again? Maybe not. ESPN/ABC has shown some improvement over last year.

Jamie Little reports that Tony Stewart said he would vote for David Ragan as Driver of the Year, if he had a vote. Last year, Stewart accurately called Ragan "a dart without feathers." Driver of the Year would be a good call as well, because David Ragan has made that much improvement in one year.

I missed it somewhere, but McMurray lost second to Dirty Kurty somewhere, and now Dale Earnhardt, Jr is taking third from McMurray. Caution for debris with 51 laps to go and this will be the money stop. I actually wrote that before the guys on TV said it.

Johnson maintains the lead, coming off of pit road, and Carl Edwards moves up three positions into fourth place. I think Dirty Kurty is back in second place. Jamie McMurray is third, and Harvick will restart in fifth. Earnhardt, Jr lost several positions in the pits and will restart in sixth. Great save by Casey Mears in ninth position, as he nearly hits the wall. Hamlin makes a great move and gets into sixth, and Earnhardt gets to fifth. Harvick falls back to seventh. Jeff Gordon's engine lets go with 42 laps to go, and though there is a lot of smoke, the race stays green.

Big wreck. Casey Mears goes around, and all these other cars get involved, in the dog-leg on the back stretch. Johnny Sauter, Scott Speed. Scott Riggs, and David Gilliland are some of the other cars involved. The rear wheels of Gilliland's car ended up on the hood of Scott Speed's car. I want a picture of that. Marcos Ambrose was also involved while the traffic was trying to slow down. Red flag to clear up the wreckage. 39 laps to go in the race.

Maybe the Awesome Wreckage blog will have some good video of that wreck.

As the cars restart, Tony Stewart's #20 car had trouble starting. His fellow Hoosier and next year's team mate, Ryan Newman, gives him a push start, but he will restart in 17th. Caution with 28 laps to go, and Johnson stays out, but several cars pit for tires. The restart will see Johnson in first Kurt Busch in second, Jamie McMurray in third, Edwards in fourth, and Earnhardt Jr in fifth. Restart with 24 laps to go.

Kurt Busch gets right on the bumper of the 48 car at the restart, and Mark Martin looks like he is racing to get back on the lead lap. Another caution for debris with 21 laps to go.

It looks like everyone will stay out this time. They are showing videos of some of the action just before the caution, and I have to say, if anyone could get Jeff Burton mad, other than Kyle Busch, it would have to be Paul Menard. Yup.

Restart with fifteen laps to go, and Jimmie Johnson just takes off, and makes a big cushion between himself and second place Dirty Kurty Busch. McMurray is still in third, with Carl Edwards on his bumper, Dale Earnhardt, Jr is hanging in there in fifth. Now Harvick is racing The Bearded One for fifth, and he is going into the turns hot. So has Tony Stewart, and Allmendinger tries to get under Matt Kenseth, as Stewart is trying to get around the #17 on the outside. There is no room inside of Kenseth, so Allmendinger hits Kenseth, who hits Stewart, who spins and stalls. Stewart can't get his car restarted and goes a lap down. Allmendinger takes responsibility and feels terrible, according to his radio chatter. He ought to feel bad.

After all that mess It will be a green/white/checkered restart. Johnson is first, Kurt Busch second, McMurray third. After all that hard racing for fifth, Carl Edwards comes out of the mess in fourth, and Dale Jr is still fifth. Kevin Harvick is sixth. Kurt Busch makes a move to the inside of Johnson at the restart, but doesn't quite make it. Still racing hard on the white flag lap. He tries the outside and misses, but this race is going right down to the finish line. Johnson wins, Busch is second, McMurray third, Edwards fourth, Hamlin fifth, Earnhardt, Jr six, and it seems that everybody behind them wrecks. Matt Kenseth got some payback against the #10 car to remind AJ Allmendinger that he should feel terrible, and everyone gets caught up in the wreck.

This was another fun race, even though Johnson dominated. Dirty Kurty always throws some excitement into the mix when he is racing for first, or any position for that matter. There was no lack of action, except during the red flag. Although I feel bad for Matt Kenseth and my favorite driver, who has now fallen back to twelfth in points, I feel bad for AJ Allmendinger as well, because he knew it was a boneheaded move, but every driver out there has made that same mistake at one time or another.

Still one race to go, and I already know my NASCAR withdrawal this off-season is going to make for a difficult winter.

Down to the Nitty Gritty

Richmond is arguably my favorite track currently on the NASCAR Sprint Cup circuit. It is a short track with enough room for the cars to move around. It isn't the high speed of Bristol, but it isn't the traffic jam of Martinsville, another favorite track. Richmond is an appropriate venue for the final race of the "regular" NASCAR season.

As NASCAR fans know, the ten race Chase for the Championsip begins after Richmond. For at least four teams, it is do or die time, and, for other teams in the top twelve, it is the last chance to get those ten Chase bonus points for a regular season win. It doesn't matter how far ahead in points anyone is, the points reset to even except for those bonus points.

David Ragan, currently in thirteenth position in points, has the best chance to make the Chase of those drivers who are outside the top twelve. Clint Bowyer, in twelfth, has the best chance of losing his position. Pundits claim that Jeff Gordon is in danger of losing his position, which is theoretically and numerically true, but he is 103 points ahead of Ragan, and it would take a catastrophy for him to be knocked out. That isn't likely, as the #24 team is on a mission to prove that The Gordon has not lost one bit of his on-track prowess.

A run down of the seven "bubble" drivers and a better explanation of who needs to do what than we can present is available at NASCAR.com

We may remember, however, that Tony Stewart, the defending champion in 2006, did not make the Chase that year after being in the top ten in points nearly the entire season. Handling problems at Richmond in the final regular season race knocked him out of eligibility for the Chase. This just goes to show, anything can happen.

As Hurricane Hannah moves up the east coast this weekend, there is a good chance the race may be rain delayed. However, if it does rain Saturday, the storm may move out before race time. We are hoping that is the case, because we are so fired up for this race that a delay until Sunday would be a letdown.

On To Texas

My little sister, who was born in Fort Worth and lives in TexArkana, pronounces it "Teyaxes," which gives her a really cute drawl indiginous to that part of the country. I just thought I'd say that because it has nothing to do with Sunday's Dickies 500.
Nor does the fact that Bruton Smith has purchased New Hampshire International Speedway have anything to do with Sunday's race. Burton owns TMS, AMS, LVMS, LMS, Bristol, and one or two others I can't think of right now, and he wants to add a second race to Vegas. Personally, I don't think that Smith will pull a race from New Hampshire to move to Vegas, as long as that race sells out. With the races at Atlanta and Texas failing to sell out, he may try to move either the second race at Atlanta or Texas to Las Vegas in 2009.
As far as Loudon (NHIS) goes, we know he is going to reconfigure it. Which is fine by me, because, as much as I like the tracks that are 1 mile or less, NHIS has the worst racing of these. It is like two 1/4 mile drag strips with turnarounds at each end. Not that we would want to see him configure it to another 1.5 mile tri- or quad-oval, but maybe shorten the straightaways and widen the turns so it would be more like Milwaukee or Nashville. Mr Smith, if you are reading this (fat chance!) please consider my suggestion.
That being said, the closest I have come to accuracy in my predictions was at Kansas, after I picked Greg Biffle to be the non-chaser most likely to win the race, and he did. In one of the strangest finishes ever. Otherwise, everything I have predicted results in the opposite taking place.
Since my favorite driver can not logically be considered to be "in the Chase," we could say that the pressure is off, and he can get back to having fun, and maybe even throw a wrench into the works and win one. But that is not my pick.
With my terrible record of picking the winner, I will predict that Jimmie Johnson will win the race with Jeff Gordon close on his bumper. In fact, it should be a near tie. Of course, this is just in hopes that the points between the top three stay close until the very last race at Homestead.
So here's looking forward to a wild, entertaining, and, possibly, very wierd race at TMS. Yeehaw!

Practical Optimism

When it gets to the point in a race where it looks like my favorite driver isn't going to win, it really doesn't matter to me which driver goes to Victory Lane. I just want to see a good race.
So, when the #20 team tried a quicky fuel stop and ended up playing bumper pool trying to get out of the pits, this Tony Stewart fan felt very disappointed and frustrated, but thinking, "it could be worse."
Kevin Harvick was one of the drivers I picked to watch toward the end of the race, but a huge mistake involving a tire going flat and a misdiagnosis in the pit, put him three laps down early in the race. But Harvick still finished the race, and we know that it could be worse.
Early in the Chase, I wondered in print if Matt Kenseth wouldn't be the surprise contender. Since then, he has had some very bad luck. I fear that I may have jinxed the Cool One, but it seems that he was destined for bad luck no matter what anybody wrote. So far in the Chase, Kenseth has started each race with a top notch car. But, that has caused him to be uncharacteristically aggressive at the beginning of the race. Not that he can't handle that, for he is one of the best drivers in the sport, but, to date, it hasn't worked out for him. Bad luck seems to find him very easily when he is running at the front of the pack early in the race. Twice, since the Chase began, his car has developed electrical problems early. This has resulted in putting him deep in traffic, where his car has often become a pinball. That is how his night turned out. Maybe Jack and Robby should think about giving him a car that can be improved during the race, rather than being so good right off the hauler.
It could be worse. There is not one Dodge in the Chase for the Championship this year. The Dodges, however did look very good during the race at Charlotte. Ryan Newman got the pole position in qualifying, and for a large portion of the race, Dodge pilots Bobby Labonte and Scott Riggs were racing very well, with Riggs even leading a lap. Near the very end of the race, with eleven laps to go, Ryan Newman took a very exciting lead after the restart and got everybody up on their feet as he sped around the track--and cut a tire, running into the wall. That was after Scott Riggs got caught up in a wreck with Johnny Paul Montoya, who was also in a Dodge. This was not Dodge's year. It seemed that nearly every Dodge on the track wrecked at one point or another during Saturday's race.
Jeff Gordon's restart tactics at the green flag of the green/white/checkered finish were brilliant, which is what is to be expected of a great driver. He waited until his car was almost on the start/finish line before he began accelerating, robbing second place Clint Bowyer of the chance to get a run on him. I'm not a fan of The Gordon, but I do believe that a Jeff Gordon who races well means a good race. I am happy that the Drive for Five is alive, and I'm looking forward to seeing it stay alive for the remainder of the season, and next season, and every season until The Gordon decides to retire. Mostly because there is nothing that rhymes with "six" that is appropriate.
It could be worse--you could be the rear axle guy in Rusty Wallace's shop.
Or, worse, you could be David Stremme.

"It could be worse," Stremme said. "I could be out digging ditches or doing something else. You can always say, 'This could be better' or 'that could be better' but it could be a lot worse, too. At least I'm able to walk around. I'm healthy. And I feel that I have enough talent to be at this level."

Lowe's preview--my "Do-over"

Those of us who watched the Busch series race at Lowe's, Friday night witnessed impending doom. ESPN color commentantor Rusty Wallace watched with dismay as the rear axle fell out of his #66 car, driven by Reed Sorenson.
"These things don't happen by themselves," declared a dissappointed Wallace, "Somebody left something loose on that car."
What we really heard was, "Some heads are going to roll."
Lauren (I swear he says his name is "Warren") Wallace was nowhere to be seen, nor was Teresa Earnhardt.
But that wasn't all the doom Rusty foretold. He found his catchphrase during Cup qualifying and dubbed turn 3-4, "Calamity Corner."
Of course, it being ESPN, who thrives on catchphrases, we heard "Calamity Corner" several times, during the Busch Series race, not only referring to the race itself, but in anticipation to Saturday night's Cup race.
So, in anticipation of Saturday's Cup race, I bring you part two of my race preview.
The tires are a slightly softer compound than we have seen in the last two races at Lowe's Motor Speedway, but we still heard drivers who were having trouble place the blame on "hard tires." It actually still has a lot to do with the new pavement, coupled with a refusal on the part of the drivers to "go slow to go fast (another catchphrase)." As much as the drivers want there to be two grooves, they aren't really there. It should be noted that Tony Stewart, who has been notorious for complaining about the tires at Lowe's, has said nothing about the tires. In fact he's said very little about anything. Hmmm.
Still, it is hard not to pick Jimmie Johnson to win. He is on a roll, and this time last year was the peak of the season for him, a peak that he maintained all the way to the last race. Any problem he had with the tires or the track during the Busch race will be rectified by Saturday night. That is just the way the #48 team operates. It pains me to be rational, but I have to be that way sometimes.
Still, there are no sure things in the Chase for the Championship at this point. We still have to believe that anything can happen. Otherwise, there would be no point in watching.
We should watch the RCR cars. Clint Bowyer is the only driver on that team who isn't yet under the "must win" pressure. That may work out good for him, and his participation in the Busch race gave him plenty of information about the track. Not being pressured may help him in getting a good finish. By the same token, Kevin Harvick has been known to work well under pressure. He is by no means out of the Chase--with six races to go, 202 points is not insurmountable odds. We will see him being careful during most of the race, but he will definitely want to lead some laps. Hunger for a win helps in some drivers, and, in the past, when "Happy" is hungry for a win, he can devour it.
The major prediction I would like to make, concerning Saturday night's Cup race, is that we will see some good racing. Whether that prediction comes true or not depends on smart racing. Green flag pit stops will be very important, as will over all pit strategy. Racing smart also means that the driver uses the right tactics in taking the treacherous turns Lowe's offers. We can't keep hoping that the strangeness that has characterized the Chase thus far will continue, but we can hope that smart racing will keep the Chase close.
Update: Jeff Gordon picks Tony Stewart to win the Chase. Not really, but he had some very flattering words to say about Smoke here.

Back to normal? I hope not!

So far, the Chase for the Championship this year has been full of unusual events and twists of fate. With Ryan Newman taking the pole at Lowe's, and Jimmie Johnson has been, for all practical purposes, already been credited with the win at his "home" track Saturday night. Yes, NASCAR may be going back to "normal."
Do we really want normal? Normal is for Formula 1, where, normally the race is over after the first or second lap, and the rest of the event is only to see if the leader can stay on the track. Normal, in racing, is the Open Wheel Champ Car World Series (Champcar) shooting itself in the foot.
We are NASCAR fans because we don't want normal. We want the surprise endings we get to the races. We are not ready to give Jimmie Johnson the Championship.
We're not ready to give up on our drivers who do not drive for HMS.
Normal would mean that, with its typical military-like precision, Hendrick Motorsports would make no mistakes, that the race at Lowe's will go perfectly for the #48 team even if they get in a wreck early in the race. Normal would be boring for most of us.
Nobody is mathematically out of the Chase, yet. Kevin Harvick, 202 points out of the lead with six races left, is still a very viable candidate to win the Championship. And, we know, Tony Stewart isn't about to give up.
If I were to make my picks for Saturday's race, they would be based on my emotional feelings, not on facts or statistics. I would pick Tony Stewart to win and Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon to take each other out of the race. That is not likely to happen, and is rather fantasimal thinking. It is not normal, and I like it that way.

Kansas: Whattha...?!?

Photo Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-US PRESSWIRE

We have to say that the Life Lock 400 turned out to be one of the most unique and, well, bizarre races we have ever seen. Even our ruby slippers wore out. And Greg Biffle finally ended up in Victory Lane. One can't help but to think that a mere thirty minutes more of rain would have resulted in a win for Tony Stewart, or even if the NASCAR officials suddenly became rational, Smoke would have won a called race. But, as most of us should know by now, NASCAR is anything but rational.
I will interject here that this isn't a report of the race, but a reaction to the event. If the reader didn't seen the race, I urge them to find somebody who TiVoed it, or at least to read an account of the race.
We wanted to see Da Biff win one. He is, after all one of the top drivers in the sport, and even if we aren't all that fond of him, it seemed frustrating to have to wait so long for him to win one.
The attrition rate among the Chasers was heavy, with seven of the twelve Chase drivers being involved in accidents. The entire Chase for the Championship has brought about moments of intensity that haven't been matched during the short history of the Chase. These guys are racing at a level we have never before seen. Amid all the carnage, we have seen some amazing and superior racing in Dover and Kansas. As dull as Loudon was--excepting Clint Bowyer's first victory--we knew the Chase had to get better, but never would we have expected this.
Who woulda thunk that Dale Earnhardt, Jr. would be the first non-chaser to carry the onus of taking out a championship contender? It was a rare misjudgement on the part of Driver #8, who is among the best drivers when it comes to car control. Running into the back of The Schrub's (Kyle Busch's) car changed the playoff picture quite drastically. But then, so did several other incidents during the race. For instance, Greg Zippadeli and the #20 team should not have waited to look at the decision to gamble in retrospect. We knew that the correct strategy should have been to pit and repair, and we could all foresee that the tire would deflate. This is yet another what if--Tony would have been much closer to the points lead if his team had made the rational decision. My question is, after the gamble to stay out just before the rain hit turned out a winner, did Zippy develop a temporary gambling addiction?
At both Dover and Kansas, Matt Kenseth seemed uncharacteristically aggressive. He had every right to be so, because in both races, he had an exceptional car. However, Dover ended in disaster for him, and he narrowly escaped disaster at Kansas. One should wonder, if Kenseth had stuck to his accustomed driving style, would he have won both races? We'll never know.
After Johnny Paul Montoya cut a tire, and shed debris all over the track with four laps to go, the race should have ended with a green-white-checker shootout. However, darkness fell, and the race ended under a bizarre caution. Bizarre because the race leader, Greg Biffle, ran out of fuel in the final turn and had to coast across the finish line. Now, I may be wrong, but it seems to me that the rules in this case are that the car must cross the finish line under its own momentum, which it did. Nobody pushed the car across the line, and the speed was reasonable in that nobody had to stop to avoid passing it. That is the other applicable rule, that the field is frozen at the time of the caution and that there is no passing under the caution. The Hendrick Motorsports drivers, namely The Gordon and Jimmie Johnson, decided to make their own interpretation of the rule, which, if allowed, would have created a paradoxical situation in which fifth place Casey Mears would have been the winner. For once, probably for the first time in the history of the organization, NASCAR made a rational decision and avoided the paradox, giving Greg Biffle the victory.
Something else that had nothing to do with the race seemed just as bizarre as the race itself. ABC/ESPN ran out of commercials to air. They must have. I don't think there were more than one or two of the annoying interruptions for the entire period after the coverage switched from ABC to ESPN2 due to time constraints. How unusual. once again, it would be a good idea to check CawsnJaws for details.
If it had rained for another thirty minutes, think what we would have missed.

My pick for the best quote of the weekend: Saturday, in the closing laps of the Busch Series race, Kyle Busch was running behind Matt Kenseth before a restart. On the back of Kenseth's Arby's sponsored car are the words "Free fries on Monday if I win."
Kyle radioed his Crew Chief, and asked,"Do I want free fries or radio call-in on Monday?" He chose the media hastle of the radio call-in by beating Kenseth to the checkers.
The best interview is a toss-up between the very informative one with Ray Everham, during the rain delay, and Clint Bowyer's post race interview in which he displayed profound sportsmanship.

Other news:
Stewart will not be penalized for expletive Told ya so. It turns out that it was not the same as it would have been had it been an interview. Though the audio was on with the camera, the commentators were talking over it, and it could not be heard clearly. Besides, no one was watching, anyway.

Motorsports icon Wally Parks dies at 94
Parks founded the NHRA in 1950, and is every bit as much a household word among race fans as Bill France. Drag racing as we know it was practically invented by the man. He served on the Board of Directors of the NHRA until his death last Friday.

How quickly things change.

Photo Credit: Jeff Roberson / The Associated Press


What an exciting finish to the Busch Series race at Kansas on Saturday. Matt Kenseth and Kyle "The Schrub" Busch battled it out for six laps to the finish, bringing back memories of "back in the day," when Petty and Pearson, or Pearson and Bobby Allison or (name your favorite rivalry) raced hard for the checkers. It was one great race.
Unfortunately for The Schrub, his team will be penalized for failing post race inspection. His intake manifold was confiscated, and we will likely hear about a penalty sometime next week.
Speaking about penalties, my favorite bad boy Tony Stewart will most likely get one for using inappropriate language on the air. It doesn't matter that it wasn't during an interview, but, rather, during a random, candid shot by the photographer, he will still get penalized, and likely get a heavy one since he is on probation. I think the ESPN director who switched to that camera and had the audio on should be fined as well. I am hoping that the penalty won't hurt Tony's chances for winning the Championship.
And, this has changed since my previous post: Jimmie Johnson will start at the rear of the field after crashing in Happy Hour practice, and going to a back up car. I'm not saying that the Johnson/Knaus team won't find their way toward the front, because they have demonstrated that they can, but it still changes the complexion of the race's early laps. Scott Riggs will be starting from the pole, as the inside line all moves up one row, so it will be a Ford vs Dodge start.
If Saturday is any indication of what we will see Sunday, we are in for a grand time.

So much determination

Ask any driver if he has the determination to win, and the answer will be an emphatic "yes," or at least, "du-uh!"
The determination to win exists not only among the Chase drivers, but also among all the others. It is as important for the driver who is driving a car that is forty-third in owners points to win as it is for the driver who is first in championship points. That is why the same edge that existed at Dover will be there, Sunday at Kansas. The question of who wins Sunday is not answered by who has the most determination--that is impossible to tell, but by who has the correct formula to win.
Once again, we can't expect a Chase driver to win the race, but it could and likely will happen. The non-Chasers best poised to take the checkered flag would be Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Greg Biffle, Scott Riggs, Greg Biffle, and Ryan Newman.
Newman qualified on the outside of the front row, but an infraction at post-qualifying inspection sent him to the back of the field. Still, Penske and Dodge are ready for a win, and Newman can negotiate traffic well. The fact that he is a non-Chaser means that he can take chances. A good setup and a few gutsy calls could bring Flyin' Ryan back to the front by the end of the race.
Scott Riggs has missed races in qualifying four times this year, but once he gets into a race, the former motocross star can show some top racing qualities. Unfortunately, his races have often been cut short with his being in the wrong place at the wrong time, or by one type of mechanical failure or another. These misfortunes are by no means the fault of the driver, and with a third-place starting position, Riggs just may avoid some of the obstacles that have plagued him in the past.
Of course, it doesn't matter where Dale Earnhardt, Jr. starts--he will always make his way toward the front. He starts 6th Sunday, and that should make an exciting race for him. Again, a driver with nothing to lose, Jr. exhibits great car control, so even if his setup is missed, he will make a go of it.
Greg Biffle expects to win. He could smell victory at Dover, only to be accused of following team orders to let Carl Edwards win. The truth is, he just didn't have quite enough car to catch Edwards win. Da Biff is very hungry for a win, and with the top ten and top five finishes he's been having lately, victory is just around the turn. Da Biff starts the race in seventh position.
Of the Chasers, the number 17 team of Matt Kenseth seems to be the strongest. Mighty Matt isn't known to be a great qualifier, yet he qualified third, and will start second due to the disallowance of Newman's time. Now, we know that Kenseth is an exceptional racer, and it seems that he will dominate the field much as he did at Dover, preferably without the engine problems.
Jimmie Johnson starts at the pole, but the #48 team seems to be fading during the races, and Kansas is a track at which he has yet to win, though he has a finishing average of sixth place. Kenseth is the more experienced, and frankly, more skilled of the drivers starting in the front, and, even if they race door to door for 267 laps, Kenseth should prevail.
But then there is Tony Stewart, who starts in 20th position. You don't have to be a Tony Stewart fan--like the author of this blog--to know that he is very capable of improving his position in a race. Smoke is on a hot streak, his finishing average of 6.7 is the best of all the drivers. We can't forget that he won at Chicagoland earlier this year, and that track is very similar to Kansas. We could, however, forget that he is the reigning champion at Kansas, because we know that he and the #20 team will not be using the same strategy they used last year to win.
In the final laps, barring bad luck, etc, the race among the Chasers should come down to Stewart, Kenseth, and Gordon. If these three are physically racing each other nose to tail and side by side, it should make a very interesting event. Throw Earnhardt, Jr. and/or Da Biff into the mix and we could see a downright exciting finish.
Time to quit being a chicken--my picks for the top five finishers in Sunday's race are: Greg Biffle, Dale Earnhardt, Jr, Tony Stewart, Matt Kenseth, and Jeff Gordon.

Wrong

My regular reader knows that I am a Tony Stewart fan. Stewart, who finished third at Loudon, last week failed post race inspection for his car being too low at one fender. Under the watchful eyes of top NASCAR officials John Darby and Jim Hunter, the team was allowed to repair the race damage, and the car was reinspected, passing the inspection and resulting in no penalty.
Something similar went on in post-race inspection at Dover with the 99 team of Carl Edwards. His right rear fender was found to be too low, and, even though NASCAR officials found that the infraction was unintentional and not a CoT violation, Edwards was docked 25 championship points, and the team docked 25 owners points. We must be missing something here.
First of all, a low right rear fender would seriously effect the handling of the car, the wrong way. The car would push, meaning it would be difficult to turn in the corners, and would lose rear bite on the straightaways, making it very difficult to pass or avoid hazards. The penalty makes even less sense when considering this.
Right now, it seems like no biggy. It knocks Edwards from third in points to sixth, but still only 28 points behind championship leader The Gordon. As we have seen in the past, 25 points can be huge in the Championship Chase. In 2004, Jimmie Johnson lost the championship by to Kurt Busch by eight points. In 2005, Smoke won the championship by a mere 35 points over the tied second place of Carl Edwards and Greg Biffle.
I have read some comments claiming that the Edwards penalty shows that NASCAR is becoming more consistant, but how is that so? Where do you draw the line between unavoidable race damage and unintentional spec infractions? It now seems possible that NASCAR could use penalties to keep the points chase close, which would seriously compromise the value of the championship. We can only hope that this penalty is overruled by the appeals board. Otherwise, it is very wrong.

Our sensors are reading an anomaly

After around forty-five laps in the race, the ESPN on ABC race coverage broke for a commercial. I went to use the facilities, and, when I returned, the pre-race show was on. The drivers were just going to the introductions, and then there was a caution on lap 54. My question is, did this happen on everybody's television, or have I really gone nuts? As one who has spent a lifetime studying and experimenting with the Spiritual side of existence, I understand that, in the realms of Spiritual consciousness, there is no such thing as linear time. I wonder, have I transcended into that reality?
Cawsnjaws, an off-beat NASCAR blog, presents excellent stats on the coverage/advertising ratio of the broadcasts. There may be some sort of explanation there. For now, I will proceed as if I have, indeed, left the physical plane, and there is no such thing as linear time, so this post may be difficult for some to read.
The best interview during the race was the one with Jeff Green, after the "Big One," with fourteen laps to go. Green explained that there were many different races going on, which most fans realize, but don't really pay much attention to. We should appreciate his composure, his sportsmanship, and his reluctance to place blame on any single driver or incident. The Green interview was probably the most rational part of the entire broadcast. A close second was the interview following the Big One, during the red flag period, between Rusty Wallace and Carl Edwards. Rusty asked Carl if he was concerned about the tires, with all the debris on the track, and if he would pit to get new tires. Carl started to answer, then, realizing who he was talking to, asked with genuine curiosity and respect, "What would you do?"
I liked that.
The Monster Mile had claws and teeth, Sunday. There were thirteen or fourteen cautions and over 66 caution laps. During the last half of the race, there were as few as seven cars on the lead lap. The separation between the cars that were running well and the cars that weren't was huge and well-defined. The Monster didn't care who was running well and who wasn't--attrition came indiscriminately. Most notable was Denny Hamlin, who got himself into trouble several times, ultimately destroying his car and moving himself to the tail end of the top twelve in points. Kyle Petty, angry because he was one of Hamlin's victims, suggested that considering Hamlin's illness, he shouldn't have tried to race both the Busch and the Cup series. By putting himself through such a grueling test, Kyle said, he had "lost his focus."
Petty, always rational, was probably right, which makes NASCAR From The Bleachers right, and me wrong. Until somebody tells me that ABC's temporal glitch happened on their TV as well as mine, I will maintain that I am irrational anyway.
Matt Kenseth had a good car that allowed him to race Denny Hamlin for the lead, early in the race. When Denny started having problems, it looked as though Kenseth had the car to beat. Electrical problems threatened, but Kenseth ran well for most of the race. Then, toward the end of the race, the engine expired. Teresa Earnhardt, the one who exists in the fantasies of Junior Fanatics--not you, Antonette, the real "out there" fanatics--apparently thought she could give her favorite driver, Martin Truex, Jr., an edge by sabotaging the other Chasers, because the problem was--all together now--a BENT VALVE. Truex, however, was one of the twelve drivers involved in the Big One, and his car quickly disintegrated after that.
So, Evil--not the real one--Teresa's plot was foiled, much to the delight of the foil-hatted ones.
Jr., himself ran well, and I once again became appreciative of his ability to handle a car that was less than perfect.
Did you know that I've been labeled a "Jr. Basher," in the That's Racin'.com forums? Apparently, you're not supposed to start a sentence with "If he doesn't win," when referring to the move to Hendrick Motorsports.
So, for those who don't believe that I believe in Jr, I will write this:

If the magical power of HMS is great enough to turn less-than-mediocre drivers, like Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson, into champions, think what it can do with Dale Earnhardt, Jr, the greatest driver in all the many Universes. In fact, Jr. will be so good that NASCAR will make a new rule that says that once a car is twenty laps ahead of all the others, every lap until the end of the race will be counted as a victory. Therefore, it won't just be thirty-six Cup races Jr. wins next year, he'll be awarded with 112 victories, the most ever in one season. And, he won't ever have to worry about sponsorship again, because he'll be sponsored by God.

That should make up for my version of ABC's commercial interruptions.
I was pleased to hear the comparison of the Busch Series and the Cup Series to the American and National leagues in baseball, rather than the minor and major leagues. I've been implying that comparison for some time now, except I didn't put it that way because I don't watch much baseball. I like the Colorado Rockies, so I'm not a baseball fan.
Anyway, back to the race. It was a thrill to watch Mark Martin racing for the lead--it always is, because his racing style is so unique. It was also interesting to see "Bad Luck" Biffle do so well. Can he finally put that bad luck behind him? A good racing Biff makes for good racing.
After all the smoke cleared, Smoke, who had been running most of the race around p-20 and a lap down, finished in the top ten. That's what patience can do for my favorite driver. Tony Stewart used every bit of his skill to thread through the wreckage of lap 386, and it paid off. Friday, he had stated that his goal in this race would be to close the gap between his points and those of the championship leader. Now, in second place, three points behind Jeff Gordon, we can say he met that goal.
After Carl Edwards scored a 9.8 out of a perfect ten on his Victory Backflip, I must admit that the race was, overall, pretty good. I just wish somebody could figure out a better way to cover it on television.

One down, nine to go.

The Sylvania 300 at Loudon, New Hampshire was unremarkable, except for four things:
It was the first race of the Chase for the Championship.
Seven of the twelve Chase drivers finished in the top seven positions.
Clint Bowyer won his first NASCAR Cup race, making him the fourth driver this year to celebrate a first victory in the series.
The HMS advantage in the Formula N (CoT) cars seems to have diminished lately.
One more thing: Richard and Kyle Petty, Robin Miller, and Dave Despain all seem to have forgotten that Tony Stewart entered his NASCAR career while holding the IRL championship.
And another: People who think Stewart may defect from Joe Gibbs Racing after his contract expires in 2009 haven't been paying attention to him. He will either get a career contract or retire from NASCAR.
I have been preoccupied by some bad news I received yesterday morning--news that has affected me more profoundly than I would have expected or that it should, so please excuse the brevity and terseness of this post.

The emotional drivel of this fan watching the race

Note: That's Racing.com no longer allows users to publish their photos with credit like they used to. Bah to them. Their slideshow does however have some excellent pictures of the race. To view, click here.
After 161 laps at Richmond, I find myself with mixed feelings. The AM radio station that carries MRN/PRN doesn't come in well on Saturday nights--I can't hear it over the interference and squealing--so I'm not getting the full track play-by-play I like to listen to while watching the race.
For me, a Hendrick car leading the race is boring. I like to see The Gordon running back in the pack and racing, not just cruising around the track in the lead. Those who read this blog regularly know that, while I respect The Gordon's talent, I'm a Jeff Gordon Anti-Fan.
Dale Jr. is driving his heart out, and I find myself cheering for him. I don't consider myself a member of the "Junior Nation"--though I was part of the "Earnhardt Nation" until his father died--but I want to see him in the chase. I also want a die cast of the Budweiser Elvis car, and my birthday is in the middle of November, hint, hint.
If Dale Earnhardt was NASCAR's John Wayne, then Junior is definitely NASCAR's Elvis.
I also want to see Harvick make the chase, so I'm rooting for Kurt Busch to have some big problems.
Bad luck for Carl Edwards--just as he's leading the race and looking good, he loses an engine. I'm not an Edwards fan, but I like him. He's locked into the Chase, but he won't be getting any more of those important Chase bonus points.
Clint Bowyer is also locked into the Chase, but he'll be going in with no bonus points. It was his own fault. Great driving in that incident by Denny Hamlin, but we all know that he is a highly skilled driver.
I have mentioned before that the Formula NASCAR cars (eff-en cars, get it?) are hard to spin, but a lot of cars have spun in this race. The cars are top heavy, and have a lot of roll in the turns, so driver error will spin them, but they don't get aero-loose as easily as the conventional NASCARs, so I stand by that statement. The little grudge match between Johnny Paul Montoya and The Other Gordon proves my point, but those are also very talented drivers.
Millions of Junior fans can be heard cheering as Kurt Busch is involved in a wreck and Harvick picks up grass in the grill while avoiding the same wreck, and his engine overheats. Junior has been running in the top five, where he needs to run, and the fans are ecstatic.
I can't imagine Jeff Burton as a Black Sabbath fan at any point in his life, but there he is talking about his first concert at the age of fifteen, in a feature run during the red flag period. But Mark Martin and Dale Jarrett both like hip-hop, so you never can tell.
Fast forward to lap 267--the real race is going on up front between the two greatest active drivers in NASCAR! Smoke (my favorite driver, in case you didn't know) and The Gordon are racing hard for the lead. (Of course, I'm writing this during the red flag period after the Big One in lap 296, because I can't type while I'm on my feet, dancing, yelling, applauding, and scaring the heck out of my cats). DON'T WRECK EACH OTHER, GUYS! They won't, because they are excellent drivers and it's an excellent race. SMOKE TAKES THE LEAD!!! YEEE-AAAAAH!!!! Now I'm nervous, because there are still 131 laps to go, and I'm hoping, nervously, that nothing bad happens to Stewart while he's leading. So I'm still scaring the cats, and I still can't type because of all the pacing and dancing.
At the restart, Jimmy Johnson has taken the lead in the pits, but Smoke is in second, and we have confidence that if it stays that way, Tony will take the lead before the race is over. Still, the nervous factor is high.
Now it's getting bad, almost frustrating, as Robby Gordon blows a tire and brings out another caution, then, just as the green flag is waved, John Andretti blows an engine, spreading oil on the track and there is an immediate yellow flag.
Now, 45 laps to go and Junior is still racing hard, showing that he should, indeed be considered as one of the best, as he races The Gordon for second place. It seems that Smoke is laying back a bit, perhaps giving his good friend Junior a chance to gain the lead and some points. But, if he has to get to Johnson, he has to make his move, soon. With 33 laps to go he joins the fray, making it a three way battle between three of the best of the best. It is a thrill to watch, hitting a 98 out of 100 on the WOW meter. This battle has gone on for nearly twenty laps, and all of these guys are driving the wheels off their cars. The Gordon fades with 20 laps to go, but Junior and Smoke are racing each other at speeds faster than that of the leader. Also, with 20 laps to go, Kevin Harvick has clinched his spot in the Chase, and Junior is out. Then with about 8 laps to go, Junior has used his car up, and the engine gave up. David Regan, of whom I had serious doubts at the beginning of the season, briefly enters a battle with Smoke for second, but experience prevailed and Smoke pulled away through lapped traffic. But Stewart had begun his move to the front too late, and Jimmie Johnson wins the race. I have to admit, Johnson's victory celebration is awesome--with lots of smoke and burning rubber.
Smoke, himself is characteristically disappointed in his second place finish. This is a man who exists to race and win races, and he knows he had a car that could win, and in his words, he "let one get away."
So Johnson enters the Chase with a twenty point advantage over The Gordon, and a thirty point advantage over Smoke.
The storm that was predicted to reach the East Coast this weekend never materialized, and we were treated to one of the best races of the season. We can look forward to ten more great races. This race more than lived up to my high expectations.