Another Great Weekend!

I hope everybody had a great weekend. Matt Kenseth sure did. If there is any track on the NASCAR Nextel Cup circuit where a driver may prove his mettle, "it's Bristol, Baby!"
Kenseth didn't exactly dominate the race. Jeff Burton did a pretty good job at that. It was, as expected some real racing. Lots of passing went on, and, for Bristol at least, it was a clean race. But in the end, Matt Kenseth had the car and the cajones to take the checkers.
Some of the drivers who were expected to do well didn't--happy as I was to see Matt and his "Killer Bees" win, I wasn't happy that my favorite driver, Tony Stewart, didn't have a good night. Try as they might, the number 20 crew could not find the all-important set up that is so necessary to do well at Bristol. If you don't have a fast car, you are in for a long night.

For those who are not familiar with the "Killer Bees," that is the nickname for crew chief Robby Reiser and the #17 pit crew for Matt Kenseth, due to the yellow and black uniforms they wear.

Elliott Sadler also had a disappointing night. It wasn't really expected for Sadler, or "Esad," to do well his first few times in the #19 Dodge Charger, but he finished tenth at Michigan, and started out real well in the Bristol race. But the Bristol finger of fate picked on Esad, and he had two run-ins with the wall--accidents not of his doing.
But, to take a look at all the good stuff that went down, there was plenty of excitement and great racing. Dale Earnhardt, Jr, whose first race at Bristol was probably one of the worst experiences of his life, can usually be expected to do well at that track lately, and he did. He led some laps early in the race, much to the delight of the crowd, and he got a much needed third place finish. Jeff "Darth Vader" Gordon, also was the focus of much excitement. With seventeen laps to go, running in fourth place, he was being seriously challenged by Scott Riggs in a very fast #10 Dodge Charger. Now, Riggs is another of my other favorites, and I was yelling, "go get him, Scotty!"
Of course, Gordon wasn't about to let Scotty by, even though the Everham Dodge was clearly the faster car. If the situation had been reversed, Gordon would not have thought twice about spinning Riggs for the win. As the laps ticked down, time and time again Matt tried to pass Gordon, but Jeffy is a master at blocking, and protected his position well. Finally, in the last lap of the race, Scott got inside of Jeff and completed his pass. It wasn't exactly clean, but it was done, and nobody wrecked.
Denny Hamlin was amazing. Never underestimate Denny Hamlin. This is his first year in Nextel Cup cars, and he drove Bristol like an old pro. He was also charging on Gordon in the last turn of the last lap. He didn't make the pass, but he did finish in sixth place, an excellent finish at Bristol for a rookie.
This was Matt Kenseth's second win in a row, his third if you count Friday night's Busch race. He is also the first driver since Dale Earnhardt (Sr) to win two consecutive night races at Bristol.
Matt is on a roll, with another well deserved win, and, although my man Smoke finished 22nd, two laps down, I saw some real racing, and it was good.

Buchwhacking Bristol

If you missed the Food City 250 at Bristol, Friday night, you missed one of the greatest pass moves in racing history. Near the end of the race, Busch Series points leader Kevin Harvick and Matt Kenseth were racing for the lead. Harvick was in front, protecting his lead by staying close to the bottom of the track, which, at Bristol, is a good strategy, the bottom being not only where the traction is, but also the shortest route around the turns. Kenseth went up on the high side, and drew up beside Harvick going into the turn. Normally, for Harvick, this would be no problem. Usually, the car on the outside would have to fall back at this point, having to slow for the turn and having a longer distance to traverse. This didn't happen. Kenseth held his line, exhibiting excellent car handling, and passed Harvick on the exit. A few laps later, which included several caution laps, Kenseth won the race. It was clean racing, no bumping or getting lose, and was the ideal pass in any race. But, at Bristol, clean racing is nearly impossible, which makes Kenseth's move extrordinary.

It wasn't as if Kenseth was passing a slower car. Harvick and the #21 team proved, as they often do, that they were the car to beat, as Harvick made his way from the rear of the field to the front not once, but twice--no mean feat, as the traffic between the rear and the front is absolutely terrible at Bristol, as was illustrated by the number of cars spinning and crashing.To get through the melee unscathed is quite an accomplishment.

To those of you who are perpetually complaining about the presence of large numbers of "Buschwhackers" in the races I ask, "When was the last time racing was this good?"
Think about the experience the development drivers are getting racing the top notch drivers. Think about the revenues the Busch series is getting from the increased exposure precipetated by the presence of these drivers. Because of this, Busch series regulars, both owners and drivers, will have better equipment to work with in the future. The level of competition raises the level of experience in the development drivers. The Busch series lifers, such as David Green, Stacy Compton, or Kevin LePage, get to hone their own skills while racing these guys, and the only result in the future is that the racing will be better and the prize and sponsorship money will be greater. Even the independent team owners who felt left out from the benefits of higher quality racing will profit from it in the future, because it makes the series more popular, which means more sponsors for everyone.
Now, I'm really looking forward to tonight's Cup race. It should be absolutely thrilling.

Tennessee Tiltin'

One could say that Mark Martin is the most underrated driver in NASCAR. We may ask how he could be underrated when he is quite possibly one of the most popular drivers in the sport, has a total NASCAR win record of 85 wins--placing him fifth on the all time wins list--and has peranually been a strong contender for the Cup Championship? The thing is, he has never won a championship, in Trucks, Busch, or Cup Series. Yet, he has won more races than any other currently active driver.
Wednesday night, at Bristol, he won his fourth Craftsman Truck Series race this season. It was only his seventh race in that series this season, so you can see his percentage is pretty high. Martin says that he will be racing full time in CTS next year, that is, if he isn't needed in the Cup Series to drive for his boss and friend Jack Roush. I believe we can look forward to some very good racing in the Truck Series next year.
Bristol is a great track, an oval short track with high banking all around. It is by far the most popular venue on the NASCAR circuit, and, for the Cup Series, nearly impossible to get tickets for. The high banks account for higher than usual speeds for a short track, and the close proximity of other cars ensures that there will be plenty of contact. The key to winning will be driver skill and temper control. Aerodynamics will not be a factor, which doesn't matter, because the cars will be very beat up anyway. There may be some tire issues, but whatever happens in the pits has to be flawless. It is very easy to go one or two laps down at Bristol.
There should, however, be plenty of cautions. The race at Bristol earlier this year had 18 of them. Cautoins mean that the first car not on the lead lap is allowed to gain one lap. This is for good reason; not so long ago when there was a caution flag due to an incident, debris, or TV commercial, the drivers could still race for position to the end of the lap. This was extremely dangerous, as any car stopped on the track could be hit at full speed by cars racing to the start/finish line. That practice was stopped by "freezing the field" at the time of caution, meaning that no one could gain position once the yellow caution flag was out. This also prevented drivers who could race their way back to the lead lap, by passing the car leading the race, from doing so. The free pass, or "lucky dog," came about as compensation.
Still, I don't care much for a race that has more laps under caution than actual racing laps, though it does make pit strategy a factor. Pitting for position, as in refueling or fresh tire change in a different sequence than the rest of the at Bristol is not a good idea anyway, as any advantage would be negated by the next caution. If the drivers are as skilled as they appear to be, and tempers are held under control, there don't necessarily need to be so many cautions.
The driver does, however, have to be agressive enough to take advantage of any situtation. Reflexes have to be even faster than usual. Because anything can happen on any lap at Bristol, the race has the potential of producing a surprise winner. But often, it is as specialized a race as the road races are, and only the drivers with the most adabtable skills are usually consistant here. There are the usual suspects--Stewart, The Gordon, Elliott Sadler, Robby Gordon, Martin, Jeff Burton, either one of the Busch brothers, Matt Kenseth, and Kevin Harvick--who can be expected to come out in front of the field. Dale Earnhardt, Jr has also been competitive at Bristol, as has Kasey Kahne. But, there are also other drivers who may "guts" their car through the field, such as Scott Riggs or Dale Jarrett, who could be a surprise winner. Thus, I have a ghood excuse for not picking a winner for this race.
All in all, it should be a good race, a blood and guts Saturday night free for all. I'm sure we'll have a good time watching.

Congratulations Matt

Matt Kenseth solidifies his place in the top ten of the championship points. The GFS 400 was a perfect race for him and his team, and he deserves it.

Another Reason To Love NASCAR Racing

Is it just me, or is the racing this year frakking excellent? The GFS 400 at Michigan started off with a bang. At the start, many of the race drivers drove as if they were in the final lap. It seems as if each week, the competition is even more intense than it was the week before. This is understandable, partly because the cutoff for the championship chase is only four races away, and there are still a few drivers who can make it into the top ten. Only two drivers, Sunday's race winner, Matt Kenseth, and points championship leader, Jimmie "Lucky" Johnson, are mathematically locked into the top ten. Positions three through ten are still up for grabs, and five through ten could all change in the course of one race. So the points race is tight, and that makes the racing exciting.
Another reason is that, with the veterans finally getting a handle on the new aero package--and I'm including the #8 team as one of the veterans--and the rookies and younger racers gaining experience, the competition level is high. Kasey Kahne, for example, has finally gotten a taste of what it is like to be a winner this year. If he could hold the edge he has at the beginning of a race throughout the entire event, he could be unbeatable. Drivers who have recently made changes--or, more accurately, teams that have changed drivers--seem to be justifying the changes. For instance, Elliott Sadler, having switched from the Yates Racing #38 to the Everham Racing #19 team, finished in the top ten in his first race with his new team. Consider this: Sadler has never driven a Dodge in a NASCAR race. The aerodynamics and handling characteristics are different from the Fords he has been in his entire career. You wouldn't have been able to tell that from his performance Sunday.
Jeff Burton's switch from Roush Racing to Childress Racing has also been very lucrative. Childress didn't even have a team that could make the top ten for the championship chase last year or the year before, but just the presence of Burton on the team not only improved the performance of the driver and the #31 team, but Kevin Harvick in the #29 has been inspired and is also pretty much in the top ten. Coattails can be long in NASCAR--by that I mean that, though Harvick doesn't lack talent, he needed inspiration, and Burton's inspiration definitely took hold. Credit should also be given to team owner Richard Childress, who made the decision to step up his program and become more competitive.
Other owners have stepped up their programs successfully. Team Ganassi, the partnership which once featured Sterling Marlin as the lead driver, has long had a policy of blaming the driver, not the equipment. Felix Sebates, the original owner of the team, and still the car owner, held the range until just over a month ago, when Chip Ganassi announced the signing of Formula One driver and living legend Juan Puablo Montoya. As Ganassi stepped in, an immediate improvement in the team could be seen. The highly talented Reid Sorenson has suddenly become a strong contender in several races this year. Though we won't see real results until next season, the level of competition in the Ganassi drivers has increased noticeably.
Michigan International Speedway is one of the great fan-friendly venues on the Cup Series circuit. Three and four-wide racing is enabled all around the track, even in the turns. Side by side, wheel-to-wheel racing always makes the race more exciting, and nobody I know was disappointed by the constant racing action that took place in Sunday's race. We all got what we wanted--Earnhardt, Jr racing Jeff Gordon, who raced Jimmie Johnson, among others. We got to see the #48 team do what they do--that is, overcome an early race set back to finish in the top ten. Tony Stewart and the #20 team also reminded us that what they do is come from a start deep in the field and finish in the top five. We witnessed the genius of Mark Martin, and Matt Kenseth as they did what they do best.
Even though there was attrition early in the race, due to mechanical problems and tire issues, it was entirely a clean race. Threatened retribution did not materialize. The tire issue spoiled any plans to make it a fuel mileage race. Spontaneous changes in pit strategy are another element of racing that makes it exciting. This is the "chess match" element of NASCAR racing, where the crew chief has to outthink the other crew chiefs, while the driver is trying to out-drive the other drivers. Yes, racing is exciting in every aspect.
Even though, on television, we saw more commercials than racing, I have to congratulate the TNT/NBC crew on their excellent camera coverage. For once, we can tell the race we are watching on TV is the same race to which we are listening on the radio. The camera coverage is showing racing everywhere on the track, and a serious attempt is being made to deliver the feeling of the speeds at which the cars are racing.
Racing is good.

Why We Love Controversy

Controversy is a big part of any sport, and we NASCAR fans seem to love it in ours. In football, baseball, basketball and other sports, the controversy may be either an officiating call that changes the outcome of the game, or something that happens away from the field, such as a player's personal life, player trades, and player rivalries. In NASCAR, it all happens right there in front of us. Controversy is a large part of what drives us to talk about our sport, it gives us something to get fired up about, aside from the racing itself, and to post articles such as this one.
Take, for example, the closing laps of the Buch Series race at Michigan on Saturday. Dale Earnhardt, Jr wants to win races, but he also wants to live up to the "Good-guy" image his fans have of him. It wasn't as if Earnhardt was going to give up a victory for the sake of a clean image, however, because he is, foremost, a race car driver. At any rate, his act of moving the slower car of Carl Edwards out of the way, would have been just racing to most of us fans. It came, however, as a shock to many Earnhardt, Jr fans, simply for the fact that their perception is that Jr doesn't do that. Controversy! Carl Edwards is also perceived by his fans as one of the "good-guys," and those fans were appalled and outraged. It doesn't matter that their driver has done the same thing in similar circumstances. It doesn't even cross their mind that Edwards more than likely would have done the same thing if the situation were reversed. It doesn't even matter that that is how racing is done in NASCAR. What matters is that their driver was wronged, that Edwards' victory was stolen from him by a driver who is supposed to be another one of the "good-guys." And that was only the beginning, for after the Checkers flew, and Jr was declared the winner, "Cousin" Carl came out of the pits on four flat tires, and expressed his displeasure with Earnhardt, slamming his car into the side panel of Junior's during the cool down lap. That still wasn't enough. Edwards actually walked into Victory Lane, and confronted Junior while he was celebrating his victory. Controversy!
We know that we haven't heard the last of this--NASCAR will definately hand some kind of penalty to Cousin Carl, and conversations will continue as to the severity of the penalty and whether it was fair or not. But that will be anti-climatic compared to what we saw in front of us, and there is also the anticipation that Edwards will retaliate in some future race. This is NASCAR and we love it!
This is the good stuff that not only keeps us going between races, but keeps us going even during the off season. We'll all be talking a long time about this incident, about Kyle "The Schrub" Busch's record number of "Lucky Dog" passes, about Kurt Busch's hard luck penalty at Watkins Glen, who Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon, Robby Gordon or someone else booted to win the race, and countless other issues that have developed over the season. Controversy is fuel for our love of the sport.
When you wrap it all together--the drama of racing, the drama of rivalries, the individual battles and arguments--it is all about one thing to the average NASCAR fan--"That's racin'!"

Another F1 Driver Talks NASCAR

I wanted to do something special for my 100th post on this blog, but, it didn't work out that way. Instead, I'll just pass along some news I found.
JV: NASCAR a Viable Option
Jaques Villeneuve is the son of the late Gills Villeneuve, Canada's most famous Formula One, Indy, and Champ car driver. In this article Jaques says, not only that he thinks NASCAR is his best option, but that NASCAR is not a step down from F1. Very interesting, imformative read.