Is Rubbin' Still Racin'?

Rubbing is racing.  We have all heard it and 99% of us has said it on multiple occasions.  Since NASCAR began, quarter panels and bumpers were made to take a beating.  Different from the open wheel racing of Indycar, NASCAR promotes close racing and in many cases a gentle nudge is the only way to set up a pass.

This rough-neck racing has made for driver spats, fan fights, and many trips to the NASCAR hauler.  The whole while, NASCAR has expanded its following, multiplied its marketing, and carved its place among the top sports franchises in the world.

However, over the past few years, blatant wrecking and on and off track retaliation have followed NASCAR's famous "drivers, have at it" rule.  NASCAR has clarified and penalized yet most drivers have not quite taken the point.  This past week, especially in the Nationwide Series, has been case in point.  Drivers have opted to simply wreck someone out of the way rather than loosen them up and take the spot.

Perhaps they need to be reminded of "Harry Hogge's" quote from "Days of Thunder", the WHOLE quote.  He said, "No, no, he didn't slam you, he didn't bump you, he didn't nudge you... he *rubbed* you.  And rubbin, son, is racin'."  Not slamming, rubbing.

As much as it pains me to say, the best example of "rubbin" this past week had to have been Kurt Busch.  Yes, I said it, and yes it hurt.  He rubbed the bumper of Clint Bowyer's #15 Toyota on multiple occasions coming to the end of the race.  Although I waited for it to happen on every turn, he never punted him off course.  Yes, he did lose, but he did not lose what little bit of dignity he is trying to regain.  I don't know if he gained any fans on Sunday, but Kurt Busch definitely regained some respect from drivers and fans alike. 

Perhaps Busch has remembered one of Hogge's other quotes from the movie, "Oh he can drive. He can drive beyond the limits of the tires, the engine, the car or anything else. If the sum' b___ listened to me we wouldn't hardly ever lose a race!" 

I would be remiss if I did not include a quote for Jacques Villeneuve.  I wouldn't be surprised if Danica Patrick is heard on the radio at Montreal (road course) quoting "Russ Wheeler" with a " if he comes near me I'm gonna put him in the wall. Simple as that."

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Danica Looking For Restrictor Plate Redemption

Danica Patrick's first full time season in NASCAR's Nationwide Series started out with a bang.  Literally!  Bang! Right into the wall.  She won the pole for the season opener at Daytona International Speedway and, considering her short restrictor plate resume, many people were optimistic that she could finish very high.  Everything was in place for her to become the story of the year in NASCAR.

Bang!

After leading some laps and trying to stay out of trouble she received an ill-timed, although well intentioned, push from her teammate, rookie driver of the 88, Cole Whitt.  Her damage from the turn 3 wall ended her day and put a cloud over her start to her full time NASCAR career.

Although there are many people who like Danica, many of them female fans and drooling males, there are droves who think she is overrated and not deserving of such a high profile opportunity in NASCAR, let alone all of the attention.  The never ending "Danica Watch" during the Daytona races by the sportscasters was enough to drive some detractors mad.  However, I have maintained that Patrick does have some strong tracks to make some statements at this year (nope, I'm not a female fan, and not drooling...currently).

Restrictor plate tracks are definitely a place I feel Danica can do surprisingly well.  In her two Daytona races last year she averaged a 12th place finish and even led 13 laps in the summer race.  Although many were concerned with how she would react to the close quarters racing with bumps and shoves a plenty, Patrick has adapted fairly well to NASCARS high speed tracks.  Considering how she has adapted at Daytona, February's race not withstanding, one should think she would do well at Talladega, where handling is even less of a factor and the trioval area is much easier to navigate.

One thing is for certain, a good finish this week at Talladega would help Patrick forget the beginning of this 2012 season and possibly in, if not close to, a top 10 spot in the Nationwide standings.  No doubt, she should be much closer to the top 5, which is where her teammate, Cole Whitt is (6th).  Points aside, I would love to see her finish better simply to hear those that can't stand her complain about her coverage!

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Drivers, Crew Chiefs And Job Applications, Oh My!!

Although there is generally a drop-off in the amount of NASCAR drama to comment on once the season has ended, the 2011-2012 off-season is proving to provide a wealth of material.  Yes, the off-season is known as the end of "silly season" for a reason, but usually the drivers that are looking to secure a ride in November and December are coming from mid to lower tier teams. 

This year the available driver pool is packed with 2 drivers from top tier teams, Kurt Busch from Penske and David Ragan from Roush Fenway, and 2 drivers from mid tier teams, Brian Vickers from Red Bull and David Reutimann from Michael Waltrip Racing.  While each of these drivers carry there own issues, they all have won at the highest level of stock car racing and one of them is a former Sprint Cup Champion.

Not only has their been a heavy load of drivers coming on the "market" this fall, there are also a couple of winning crew chiefs available.  After winning 5 of 10 Chase races and the 2011 Spring Cup Championship, Darian Grubb apparently was not quite achieving the level of success Tony Stewart was looking for, so he is now looking for a job.  Also, after an up and down year, mostly down, Mike Ford, crew chief for Denny Hamlin, is now out of his seat at Joe Gibbs Racing.

Although a couple of the above have just exited their positions, two of them are rumored to be close to nailing down their next gig.  David Ragan been supposedly putting on a full court press to land in the seat of the #22 Penske Racing Dodge vacated by Kurt Busch.  Ragan had been under contract with Roush Fenway Racing through 2012, even though his #6 Ford was without sponsorship next season and was unlikely to run a full schedule.  Ragan has now been released from his contract by RFR, but nothing concrete has been commented on by Penske Racing.

Darian Grubb, defending crew chief champion, has been said to be the leading candidate for the crew chief slot for the #11 FedEx Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing.  Although he has less career wins than former crew chief Mike Ford, Grubb is coming off of his championship run with Tony Stewart, so if he and Hamlin can get up to speed quickly, they could be contenders come Chase time in 2012.

One unanswered question as of yet is, with three winning drivers left available, will any top tiered teams or mid tier teams add a car to their stable?  It is not altogether likely that Vickers, Reutimann, or even Busch in his current state, could land a sponsor big enough to start a new car with a top team like JGR, RFR, Stewart Haas or RCR, but Vickers and especially Busch could definitely land a sponsor large enough for a car with Richard Petty Racing who had flirted with adding a car earlier in the year when all of the Danica craze was going on.  Either way, there will be some new looking cars on the track come January at the Daytona test prior to speedweeks.

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The Musical Chairs Of NASCAR

Every year, as the NASCAR season winds down, the Sprint Cup "silly season" begins to heat up again.  Most of the larger named drivers and teams try to have moves and plans nailed down by late summer at the latest, but most of the smaller teams have to make quick adjustments for the coming season late in the year.

This year is, of course, no different.  Most of us followed the signings of Carl Edwards and Danica Patrick as the larger ships to fall this year, but many questions are unanswered for several drivers heading into the offseason.

With the anticipated closing or reconfiguration at Red Bull Racing, Brian Vickers is currently awaiting come concrete plans for next year.  As Vickers' teammate, Kasey Kahne, is moving to the 5 car at Hendrick Motorsports, much curiousity has been given to what plans would Mark Martin have for 2012.  Now, with sources saying that Martin will be driving part time in the 00 for Michael Waltrip Racing, everyone is scrambling to see where David Reutimann will be driving.

The two current big question marks are Reutimann and David Ragan.  Roush Fenway Racing is currently saying that they are anticipating running 3 teams next year with the #6 running a partial schedule.  With that change, Reutimann and Ragan, both race winners, could be a great grab for some of the smaller NASCAR Teams.

As interesting as it is to see who is up for grabs, the possibilities of what seats may or may not come to fruition is astounding.  There with full time rides dropping at RFR, MWR, and probably at RCR with Bowyer leaving, some of the mid-tier two car teams may decide to add a seat to take advantage of a possible opening in the top 35. 

Richard Petty Motorsports has already voiced interest in the possibility of adding a 3rd team to their stable of Allmendinger and Ambrose.  Of course, they were toying with the possibility of an available Danica Patrick or Mark Martin at the time.  Also, Chip Ganassi may see an advantage to adding a car to his EGR stable as may Roger Penske with Penske Racing.

The fact is, there is a probability that going into the 2012 Sprint Cup season there will only be one 4 car team: Hendrick Motorsports.  The key reason for this is, of course, the lack of large sponsorship dollars needed to pay for a top tier team.  Will fields drop below 43, I doubt it, but there may well be a couple more start and park teams.

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Why The Dislike For Danica?

Among NASCAR faithful, there are always discussions as to who the best is, who is strongest on certain types of tracks, and who is getting close to winning. Rarely do fans and commentators alike flat out say that someone is undeserving of a ride. However, this is exactly what some people are doing/have done with the talk of Danica Patrick getting a limited ride in 2012 with Stewart Haas Racing in the Sprint Cup Series.

It is understandable that some fans and reporters would be unimpressed by her IRL career. One win in seven seasons is hardly impressive. To make it worse, she had nothing but horrible finishes in her first partial season with JR Motorsports in the Nationwide Series- all but one finish was outside the top 20.

But even so, it is unlike NASCAR to outright say someone is undeserving of the ride. That is what Kyle Petty, former Sprint Cup driver and son of the “King” Richard Petty, said as a commentator on Speed during Sprint Cup coverage on Friday. Petty inferred that there were other drivers more deserving of the ride and that she (Patrick) has not yet beaten Carl Edwards and Kyle Busch in the Nationwide series.

One might remind Mr. Petty that there were several drivers on Sunday that could not beat Edwards or Busch on Saturday. Those would include J.J. Yeley, David Stremme, Erik Darnell, Jason White, Andy Lally, Landon Cassill and others. Not to mention half of the Sprint Cup regulars for that matter. In fact, I’m not sure even Kyle Petty ever beat Kyle Busch or Carl Edwards. I’m not saying he or the others aren’t good drivers, it’s just not practical to say that unless a driver beats NASCAR’s current best in the NNS that they should not get a ride in the Cup series.

Now don’t get me wrong! I do not think Patrick is going to take NASCAR by storm, at least, not on the track. I do not discount her and say that she should do more to prove herself than say Dario Franchitti, Sam Hornish, or any others who have attempted the move to NASCAR.

In my previous posts I showed how Patrick has improved her finishes in 2011 over 2010. She has not posted a lower finish on any return trip to a track which shows she is adapting and learning. Will she be able to step into a Cup ride and immediately compete for top 10’s? There aren’t many Cup drivers that could do that if moved to another team, so how is that a sane assumption?

If anything, NASCAR fans and reporters should allow Patrick to make it or break it on her own. Don’t hold her in contempt simply because she seemingly gets some “passes” off the track due to her looks and her sex. Would Paul Menard have been given a ride at DEI if he did not come with his father’s sponsorship money? Would Kyle Petty have made it to the Winston Cup Series had his father not been the “King”? No. But that does not mean that the two could not drive, nor does it mean that they were unworthy of a ride.

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Danica Patrick: The NASCAR World Awaits!

From her courting of NASCAR in 2008 to her limited seasons in 2010 and now in 2011 with JR Motorsports, owned by Dale Earnhardt Jr. Danica Patrick has been sought after by NASCAR fans and owners alike. Her fan base, sponsor backing, and her ability to place a female in NASCAR’s Cup Series make her a worthy investment.

Now, with Carl Edwards solidly at Roush Fenway Racing, Danica is far and away the highest sought after driver in both the Sprint Cup and the Nationwide garage.

The past year and a half, rumors have run wild that she was going to move to NASCAR full time and leave her IRL career behind. Yet at the end of 2010 she resigned with Andretti Autosport to drive for owner Michael Andretti. Now rumors are spreading that she will be signing to drive full time with JR Motorsports full time in 2012 and possibly will be driving a limited Sprint Cup schedule for Stewart Haas Racing, a close ally of JR Motorsports and Hendrick Motorsports.

Many fans and commentators were very unimpressed by Patrick’s performance, both in IRL and in her first partial year in the Nationwide Series. In IRL she has only had one win in 7 years of racing and her highest season finish is 5th. In her 2010 Nationwide Series stint she had only 1 finish out of 13 inside the top 20: the last race of the season at Homestead.

Many commentators felt she would not pursue a NASCAR career due to a lack of ability to get good finishes in stock cars. Many bloggers said she was a hack and could never compete in NASCAR.

It seems as Danica Patrick was on the edge of giving up on NASCAR, something began to click. With veteran crew chief Tony Eury Jr. and driving coach Johnny Benson, former Sprint Cup driver, coaching her on NASCAR’s tracks and stock car driving styles and lingo, Danica became more and more comfortable.

With 6 races left in her 2011 season, Danica has posted 1 top 5, 3 top 10’s, and only 1 race outside the top 20. Probably more impressive is the fact that at every track Patrick has returned to in a Nationwide car, she has always finished better than the time before. At Daytona she has finished 35th, 14th, and then 10th. At Chicagoland she finished 24th then 10th when she returned. At Phoenix she finished 32nd in 2010 then finished 17th in 2011. And most impressively, at Las Vegas she finished 36th in her first year and 4th this year.

Say what you want, Patrick’s ability to settle into stock car racing is promising. Whether you like her or not, you cannot argue with the numbers. Granted, the Nationwide Series is not Cup racing, where I am sure she will have more difficulty. But the fact is that she IS competing at the Nationwide series with a short time in the car.

The next question for Patrick, who is rumored to drive an Indy car for only the Indy 500 next year, is will a full time schedule with no IRL propel her to compete at an even higher level. She will have to show a little more ability and nerve in her Sprint Cup appearances if she wants to be taken seriously at that level.

I, for one, won’t doubt that she can do it. I mean, have you ever told a woman she “can’t” do something?


Follow JD on Twitter @the_Bumpdrafter

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What Does Carl Edwards Want?

Each Summer NASCAR begins their “Silly Season” talk, filled with suspicions, rumors, and plots about who will change teams, who will reorganize, and who will be left out of the musical chairs game that is the Sprint Cup Garage. The 2011 season, of course, is no different. While I maintain that the biggest name to land for next year is Danica Patrick, Carl Edwards is, by far, the most chased driver in the Cup garage.

Edwards’ contract with Jack Roush and Roush Fenway Racing is over at the end of the 2011 season, and as he has yet to sign a new contract with RFR, suspicions and rumors are flying that he will be leaving RFR for Joe Gibbs Racing. Gibbs is the strongest team with an extra seat available to offer, so the possibility makes some sense, but would the move be anything more than a lateral move?

Although JGR has had a championship contender and multiple wins over the past few years, they have not necessarily left RFR behind. Both teams are among the top tier in NASCAR.

So then one would have to wonder what Edwards is looking for.

If it is more money, the addition of Ford in the effort with RFR to keep Edwards should help. Then again, Toyota would likely give just as much to get Edwards whose selling ability is as good as or better than that of Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, and Joey Logano combined. So if both are willing to meet what Edwards is looking for in pay, what else is there?

Perhaps Edwards is looking for a fresh start. He has not slowed on the track, but his wins the past few years have slowed from ’05, ’07, and ’08. From 2005-2008 he had 17 wins in spite of being shut out in 2006. However from 2009 to now he has only 3. Yes, the new Ford engines have given him some boost this year, but that has yet to translate into victory lane appearances.

With the current level of parity in NASCAR’s premier league, a move from one top tier team to another is not likely going to make a big difference in equipment and manpower. Even Hendrick Motorsports, once seen as head and shoulders about the other teams, has been brought back to the pack. So whatever Edwards basis his opinion on will have to give him peace of mind that the owner will not only give Edwards plenty of people, but the right people. He will have to feel that the owner is committed to putting him not just in victory lane, but at the head of the table in November at the awards ceremony.

Either way, I can only say one thing to him… Carl, while you’re thinking about this future altering decision….remember to turn left…

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Danica To The Lead, In Silly Season

While the 2011-2012 Silly Season is in full swing, it has, to this point, been less than dramatic. The main players (Carl Edwards, Greg Biffle, Juan Pablo Montoya, Brian Vickers, and Mark Martin) have either already signed with their current team or aren’t generating much buzz. That is, with exception to Carl Edwards.

Edwards’ contract with Jack Roush and Roush Fenway Racing comes to a close at the end of 2011, and although most people have all but signed the contract for him, Edwards is still a free agent…kind of. He is weighing his options, yet few people think he would leave a team that has made him a contender for a few years now. Be that as it may, his top suitor, Joe Gibbs Racing according to rumors, will continue to gain his attention.

While all of this has been slowly developing, Danica Patrick has been fulfilling her obligations to Andretti Autosport in the Indy Car series, until Friday night. She returned Friday to race in the Nationwide Series race at Daytona International speedway for JRMotorsports.

When she raced there in February, Patrick was timid at best in the two car packs. Although she managed a respectable 14th place finish there, she wowed few. However, in this week’s race Patrick seemed aggressive and comfortable. She was even more comfortable for all of the off-track conversation.

Patrick has been asked before whether she will move from Indy Car to a full time NASCAR ride, a topic she has kept at arms length. This week, though, she simply reacted as if the intention is there but the deal just has not been signed. If she is truly interested in a 2012 ride, the season will definitely get silly.

Danica is no doubt one of the best marketing opportunities that has come to NASCAR in quite a while, but to this point had not proven herself worthy of a full time ride and a shot at a Sprint Cup ride in the future. Although I am sure any team would have jumped at signing her, she is much more profitable to them if she is contending for wins.

In 2010 she had only one finish inside the top 20, often finishing several laps behind the leaders. Yet in 2011, it seems as though Patrick has gotten more comfortable with both the different car and the different style of racing. In only 6 races she has posted 3 top 10 finishes and has only one finish outside the top 20. That is definitely a turnaround from a year ago.

The main question that will have to be answered is where will she go? JRMotorsports would surely be glad to sign her for a full season in the Nationwide Series for 2012, but they do not have a Sprint Cup team, which she will probably want for at least a few races in 2012. No matter where she goes, plan on hearing about it for the rest of this year.

Oh yea, has Carl Edwards signed yet??

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What Do Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick, And Charlie Sheen Have In Common?

For many NASCAR fans, the closest they get to know their favorite driver is to see them race, hear their interviews, and maybe someday get an autograph.  What a sad thing for those fans!  You cannot really get to know someone until you have heard how funny they can be or how well they actually engage fans.

A few weeks ago, I became a twit, tweep, whatever you want to call it.  Believe me, I was very reluctant, but wanted to see if it might help me gain insights into the world of NASCAR and help me to better enjoy the sport I love.  Thank God I did.  Every day I laugh at least once at something a NASCAR personality, driver and media alike, has said.

Although the drivers I mentioned in the title are nowhere near as off the wall as Charlie Sheen, what they have in common is that they have embraced the new “Social Media” and are using it to communicate, both with their fans and with each other.  Of course, Sheen’s following on twitter, currently 2.9 million and counting, dwarfs the following of the NASCAR drivers and personalities, their numbers are nothing to discount.

Recently, Jimmie Johnson, “Five Time” himself, joined Twitter, and has quickly grown a following by simply communicating with his fans.  Some drivers, such as Brian Vickers, even ask their fans trivia questions and give away items to correct answerers, sometimes even tickets to the next race!  Kevin Harvick is especially entertaining to follow.  This guy is constantly tweeting comical things about his day and his continuous pranks.

The long list of drivers on Twitter also include Martin Truex, Danica Patrick, Trevor Bayne, Ryan Newman, Michael Waltrip, Juan Pablo Montoya, Elliot Sadler, Kasey Kahne, Jamie McMurray, Travis Pastrana, Ricky Carmichael and more!  Also, almost every personality on ESPN and Fox Sports are on Twitter.

Even some of the NASCAR media and the team members have large followings.  T.J. Majors, spotter for Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Danica Patrick, is definitely one of my favorites to follow on Twitter.  He gives a peak into the NASCAR live and tweets info before and after the races, while also showing the human side of the NASCAR personalities by tweeting about his family life.

Other favorites of mine are Brad Keselowski, who is just as brash on Twitter as you’d imagine, Darrell Waltrip, who tweets as much as he talks, and even Kyle Busch, yes, I said it and I feel better for it.  Any fan who wishes to get the most out of following NASCAR should definitely consider getting a Twitter account and following their favorite drivers and media, you definitely won’t regret it.

For those of you who do follow some drivers and personalities on Twitter, leave me a comment as to who your favorite NASCAR “twit” is.  Oh..  and did I mention you can also follow me on Twitter?  Its @The_Bumpdrafter


Some of the Twitter names I follow:

@danicaracing @JimmieJohnson @JeffGordonWeb @Tbayne21 @Tjmajors @MattYocum @RyanNewman39 @JennaFryer @WendyVenturini @MartySmithESPN @bobpockrass @MikeDavis88 @MW55 @KevinHarvick @Elliott_Sadler @jpmontoya @kaseykahne @dennyhamlin @HermieSadler @RutledgeWood @BrianLVickers @keselowski @bobdillner @TravisPastrana @jeff_gluck @AllWaltrip @DanicaPatrick    

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Danica, What Are You Waiting For?

Rest assured, NASCAR fans, what I say in the next few paragraphs is wholeheartedly out of respect to a great driver.  I’m sure there are fans who saw this title and either wanted to jump on me for questioning their favorite female driver, or wanted to jump on me for encouraging their favorite female target.  There are only a few personalities in the garage that are as polarizing as Danica Patrick these days, and they are all on the Cup side.

Some of the criticizing has slowed in recent days, however, due to a great finish at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, preceded by solid finishes at Daytona and Phoenix.  The detractors are still being heard, though, stating that her 4th place finish at LVMS was just a fluke that would never have happened if the race had not become a fuel mileage competition.  Those folks should be reminded that there are no asterisks next to the winners’ names, and neither should there be for Patrick’s.

My main contention for Danica Patrick right now is that she needs to quit wading into the waters of NASCAR and dive in head first.  Patrick raced a limited schedule last year, and will do the same in 2011.  After racing at Bristol next weekend, a race that, no doubt will be one of her toughest, she will not return until Chicagoland this summer.  These brief forays into the world of NASCAR will not allow Patrick to fully mature in NASCAR, causing her, rather, to readjust to the cars and tracks each time she comes back to the schedule.

The likelihood that she will leave IndyCar soon to drive full time in NASCAR is doubtful.  Patrick has a contract to race for her IndyCar team through 2012, so no switch this next off season is expected.

However, one has to wonder, what, exactly, is Danica waiting for?  Does she want to wait for her contract to run out?  Is she holding on to IndyCar because she, deep down, feels it is the path for her to win her most coveted goal: the Indy 500?  Or is she hoping for some success in NASCAR before she will fully commit?  If so, one would think that LVMS would serve to entice her to dive in to NASCAR.

It is possible that if Patrick meets more success similar to last Sunday’s 4th place, that she may consider a move after 2011.  Of course, JR Motorsports or whomever would have to offer up some dough to buy out her final year of her current Indy Car contract.  I’m sure someone could come up with the money.  It is, sadly, far more likely that when Patrick returns this summer, she will not compete as well, again reacquainting herself to the Nationwide cars.

I just wish someone would get in her ear and point out to her that she is currently 4th in the points standings.  There is no fan out there that would seriously contend that she could not compete for the championship with Sorrenson, Stenhouse Jr., or Jason Leffler.  If Patrick honestly feels like she could come back in 2012 to compete for a championship that would propel her to the Sprint Cup Series, she may, in fact, visit Dale Earnhardt Jr. at Whiskey River to mull over how much he could kick in to buy out her IndyCar contract.

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Dale Jr.: Gaining Confidence And Momentum In Vegas

Going into the Kobalt Tools 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway this Sunday, Dale Earnhardt Jr. had two “possibly” good races. At the Daytona 500, Earnhardt Jr.’s team propelled him to the pole position for the largest race of the year. Although he suffered a wreck in practice and was relegated to a back up car, Junior still was able to run up front after starting last. However, even though he had a better showing than his finish indicated, many discounted his strong run as typical Dale Jr., does well on plate tracks, not anywhere else.

The next weekend, at Phoenix International Raceway, Earnhardt Jr. raced from a poor start again and finished 10th, even after going down a lap late in the race. During this race, Junior never gave up, bought into his crew chief’s strategy, and made the best of it. Still, there were those who said that had it not been for some fuel mileage issues and late pit stops that his good finish would not have happened.

This week, Dale Earnhardt Jr. would go to Las Vegas. As ESPN’s Marty Smith would tweet during the race, Vegas is statistically Junior’s worst race track. He had raced to four top tens in the previous eleven races there, but still had an abysmal average finish and has rarely been competitive there. Most of those who follow Junior, which includes most of NASCAR, would have agreed before this weekend that coming out of Vegas with a decent finish would be great.

That sentiment was compounded on Friday and Saturday. The 88 team unloaded a “slow” car that did not like the bumps in the low groove through the corners. Neither did the car like to put out a fast lap for qualifying. Again, for the third week in a row, Junior would take the green flag from a position worse than 30th; he started Daytona 43rd, Phoenix 35th, and now Las Vegas 33rd. There was not much optimism going into Sunday that Earnhardt Jr. would run any differently than he had the rest of the weekend.

However, race results are never decided due to how the race fans and media feel the drivers will perform. Earnhardt Jr. and the 88 team fought their way, position by position, into the top ten. Near the end of the race, Junior was even competing inside the top five, and would have finished there had most of the teams not have gone with two tires rather than four during the last pit stops. Earnhardt Jr. finished 8th; much better than was expected, yet it still does not indicate just how strong of a run he had.

Perhaps the most important thing that happened today was not that Junior finished 8th, but that he and his team, from Saturday night through the end of Sunday’s race, never stopped adjusting AND that the adjustments were working! I said last fall that what Earnhardt Jr. needed most was a crew chief and a crew that he could believe in and would give him confidence. Lo and behold, Junior stated Sunday that his team was helping him regain his confidence.

In a post race interview, Earnhardt Jr. stated that they have a long way to go, and he is right. The 88 must be able to consistently race in and around the top five for them to be taken seriously, but regaining confidence is an obvious excellent start. I think that there is a possibility that two drivers found something they needed in Las Vegas: Dale Earnhardt Jr. may have found the confidence he lost a few years ago, and maybe – just maybe, Danica Patrick possibly found some success on which she can begin to build a career in NASCAR.


For more by Joseph Davis, visit The Spotter Stand and follow him on Twitter @the_Bumpdrafter

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Danica Silences Critics, For The Moment

Danica Patrick entered the Sam's Town 300 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway looking for a taste of success. A little luck on top of a solid run would give her an idea if this whole "NASCAR" thing would work out.

Patrick has two decent finishes of 14th and 17th already this year, but after a hard-to-swallow partial season last year, Patrick needs to feel like she belongs in NASCAR to stay in NASCAR.

For the past six months or more, most NASCAR articles written about Danica Patrick have been mostly negative. Due to the nature of her current contract with JR Motorsports, much speculation has been given as to whether Patrick will ever fully move over to NASCAR from open wheel racing. With that speculation comes the opinions by many that Patrick is not worthy of a seat in NASCAR.

For the most part, Danica's record in the Indycar series has been mostly unimpressive. She has only one win, at Motegi, Japan, and has never finished in the top three in the championship standings. Patrick only has six podium (top three) finishes in six years on the Indycar circuit. Hardly dominating.

Danica Patrick's poor finishes seemed to follow her to the NASCAR Nationwide Series in 2010 while driving a limited schedule for JR Motorsports. Patrick had an average finish of 28th during the 2010 season, leaving little hope that Patrick would find success in NASCAR and opening the door to many critics who point at Patrick's past results as what to expect.

What many of those critics will not tell you is how Patrick has done in the Indianapolis 500. Patrick has raced in the premier open wheel race six times and although she has yet to win, she has consistently finished well. Patrick's best finish in the Indy 500 came in '09 when she finished 3rd to Helio Castroneves. Danica's average finish over the six years is a solid 8.5, which includes top ten finishes in five out of six races.

On Saturday, Patrick began the race in Las Vegas in 22nd. Midfield. Toward the end of the race, Patrick was caught a lap down, in 17th, with little hope of a good finish. Then came that lady who occaisionally visits Las Vegas. Lady Luck. Due to a late race caution, Patrick was able to get her lap back and with a few pitstops by lead lap teams and a car in the wall, Patrick was able to snatch up her first top five finish in NASCAR.

After the race, Patrick was asked how she felt about being the first woman to get a top five in the Nationwide series. Patrick seemed like she was fighting to contain her elation. She had few words. She was possibly just relieved that her critics would be quiet for a bit. Maybe she was surprised. Either way, she probably was just glad to feel like she belonged.


For more by Joseph Davis, visit The Spotter Stand and follow him on Twitter @the_Bumpdrafter

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Can Danica Patrick Produce In NASCAR?

The only person in the NASCAR garages who can understand the scrutiny Dale Earnhardt Jr. feels, sadly, is not there every week.  Granted the focus on Junior is massive in comparison, but the main other name you see in NASCAR news attached, fairly or not, to the term "overrated" or "under producing" is Danica Patrick.  After one partial season in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, consisting of  13 races, Patrick has no top 10 finishes, and only one top 20 finish.

To take an honest look at her finishes and her possibilities, you should first look at the case of Ricky Carmichael.  In 2009, Carmichael began racing in the Camping World Truck Series, racing a total of 18 races.  During those 18 races, Carmichael finished only twice in the top 10 and led 0 laps.  Another telling stat is that he only finished on the lead lap in 5 of 18 races.  His season was full of wrecks, unsure driving, and disheartening finishes.

In 2010, however, Carmichael had 3 top 5's and 9 top 10's in 25 races.  He finished on the lead lap in 14 of those races and led in one of them.  With a 13th place finish in the points, Carmichael has shown he is a worthwhile investment and could possibly see more success in 2011.  He has also shown it is not an easy task to move to stock car racing from other forms of racing.  It takes time to learn, adjust, and hopefully become competitive.

One large difference between Patrick and Carmichael is that Carmichael has given his whole year to pursuing NASCAR.  Although he still makes motocross appearances, he spends a great deal of time testing, racing, and learning.  After having strung together 4 straight top 10's a race prior to the end of 2010, be prepared to see Carmichael play an outside roll in competing for the CWTS championship this year.

If Patrick wants to have any lasting success in NASCAR, she will obviously need to race the full season.  Sadly it will take success to pull her from Indy racing.  In recent interviews, Patrick has seemed indifferent to her future with NASCAR, so if success does not come soon, her relationship with JR Motorsports could grow cold.  Patrick likes the limelight, and no doubt enjoys the added attention she gets at NASCAR venues.  But, at her heart she is a very competitive racer and if she ever feels she cannot win in NASCAR, she will be gone. 

The silver lining for Danica is that in 2010 she did show some, however gradual, improvement.  Her average finish slowly tapered up as you look more toward the end of 2010, and in her last race, Homestead, she actually led and finished on the lead lap.  If she can grow comfortable enough with the NNS car and her abilities to drive that car, she could possibly show some marked improvement from 2011. 

Some race fans have questioned her tenacity and whether she has the grit to truly compete in NASCAR at any level.  For those of you who feel this way, I will refer you to her shoving Indy driver Dan Wheldon.  The case could be made, though, that Patrick needs seat time whether she stays in NASCAR or not.  Her finishes in Indy at NASCAR tracks last fall were improved.  Another idea would have been to have her start in the Camping World Truck Series, but most would believe that to be "beneath" her.  Either way, for NASCAR to get a competitive female driver in its Cup or Nationwide series', some work is yet to be done.


Read more by Joseph Davis at The Spotter Stand and follow him on Twitter @the_Bumpdrafter

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