12:28 AM
JD
For those who love road course racing and do very well at it, excitement abounds. Marcos Ambrose is probably lying awake in bed as I am typing this, constantly looking at the clock to see if it’s time to leave yet. Last year he lost due to a late race fuel concern, and I am sure he is eager to return. Also, Jeff Gordon simply loves the track. He should. He has won the race at the Infineon Raceway at Sears Point 5 times, including 3 in a row from 1998-2000.
A few others are excited about this week’s race, but less out of love for the track and more out of a need for a change of pace. Juan Pablo Montoya has one win at the road course, but will be relieved just to be away from an oval. Over the past few weeks Montoya has been on probation and shoved around quite regularly on track. This past week he had a fuel issue was run over from behind by Andy Lally. Montoya knows that this week, the only way someone like Mr. Lally will see the rear of the 42 car is if they are lapped.
I am sure this week will also bring its normal amount of road course ringers. These racers, like Boris Said and Ron Fellows, see very little NASCAR Sprint Cup driving time, but always get plenty of press heading into the road course races. Of course, all that hubbub dies down as they usually do well just to finish in the top ten.
Last, but not least, there is Dale Earnhardt Jr. Most people think that Sonoma is Junior’s worst track, as he has an average finish there of 20th and has no top 10 finishes there. However, he has worse average finishes at Fontana, Watkins Glen, Indianapolis and Homestead. Part of the reason is that Earnhardt Jr. has had 5 finishes between 11th and 13th.
Although Earnhardt has made an extra effort to be competitive at Sonoma, it always seems to not work out for him. His performance there has definitely improved, though, from when he began in the Sprint Cup Series in 2000. During Junior’s first race there he apparently made contact with quite a few competitors. He had such a rough day, in fact, that his father, the legendary driver of the #3, suggested on the radio that someone should tell Junior to hit the pace car because he had already hit everything else.
In January of 2007, as most fans remember, he had a fiery wreck in a Corvette road course car at Sonoma while practicing for an American Lemans Series race. He had entered the race in order to boost his road course driving ability. Instead he narrowly escaped the wreck and entered into the roughest four years of his driving career.
This week’s race at Sonoma definitely will bring emotions of all types. Some will be eager to get there, others eager to get home. And others will be looking for something specific. Jeff Gordon will be looking to solidify his return to dominance. Ambrose will be looking for his first win. Montoya will be looking for some comfort in turning right. And Earnhardt Jr. will be looking for a first top 10.
Here’s hoping they all get what they’re looking for…
Follow JD on Twitter @the_Bumpdrafter
Posted in: Dale Earnhardt Jr,Jeff Gordon,Juan Pablo Montoya,Marcos Ambrose,Nascar,Nascar Blog,Sprint Cup
1 comments:
Hey J.D.!
It's a question of desire. Jr. hates road courses and has said so one way or another many times. I recall him saying just last year that he'd like to see the road courses removed from the schedule. The man's mind is closed on the subject.
He needs to get his head on straight. It's an attitude like that that'll keep him from ever winning the Cup Championship. JJ didn't like the road courses either but he went out of his way to take lessons and learn how to drive them... A true champion and he's got five Cups to prove it.
Personally I'd like to see two more road course races added to the schedule. That new F1 track that'll go online next season in Austin Texas would be a natural in a NASCAR hotbed. Get rid of two cookie cutter venues and put these drivers and teams to the test! Enough of these snoozefest races!
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