What You Missed In Daytona

After a few years of not attending a race and over a year of sharing my rants and raves here on this blog, I returned to Daytona this past weekend for the Coke Zero 400.  For weeks, I had readied everything with anticipation of a great weekend and up-close NASCAR, and Daytona did not disappoint.

First of all, the weather was beautiful.  Yes, Florida is hot in July, but there was a decent breeze for most of the afternoon that made tailgating a blast.  I have been to a Daytona race at which a few people were injured by a lightning strike, and a Daytona race that left most people sunburned and dehydrated.  This weekend was about as good as Florida can be in July.

As we have never really done hard core tailgating at Daytona, we had planned to eat at a local restaurant prior to entering the track.  Instead, we parked next to two Firefighters from Moultrie, GA, and a retired Army veteran and his wife from the Tampa, FL area.  They made certain to show my wife and I, and our two friends, exactly how tailgating is done NASCAR style.  They had grilled burgers, hotdogs, bratwurst, and corn, along with tents, chairs, radio, etc.  The most important thing they had were welcoming attitudes and plenty of conversation.  Since me and my friend are Firefighters, we had plenty to discus with the other Firefighters and had an awesome time.

I rambled on about all that to say this: NASCAR fans are amazing.  Whether you are a Junior fan or cheer for a Busch brother, they are willing to share their food and time with you.  If you have never tailgated NASCAR style, you should give it a try!

Also, I have shared on multiple posts about how much can be learned or experienced by following NASCAR and NASCAR personalities on Twitter.  This weekend I was able to join a "TweetUp", a meeting at the track of people who follow NASCAR on Twitter, all the way up to those who write about NASCAR in print and online media.  As there are often visitors, both drivers and otherwise, I was eager to see who would show.  The coordinator of the meetings, Jeff Gluck (motorsports editor at SBNation.com), had said there would be a big guest, and he did not lie.  A few minutes into a question and answer session with some Daytona administration personnel, in walks Train, who were scheduled to sing a prerace concert.  A few minutes later, Landon Cassill, driver of the #83 Burger King car, walks up right beside me to watch.  All because I follow some NASCAR people on Twitter.

NASCAR is a great sport folks, but NASCAR Nation totally rocks.  If you haven't experienced all of it, you should!  And for those of you who make it what it is, I thank you for another great experience!

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Is Kenseth's 2012 A Replay Of Edwards In 2011?

Another Sprint Cup season for Roush Fenway Racing and again they have a couple of drivers in serious contention to win the Sprint Cup Championship.  Last year, Carl Edwards started the season strong.  He won at Las Vegas and quickly rose to the top of the Sprint Cup points standings.  This year, both Greg Biffle and Matt Kenseth have had the points lead, which is currently Kenseth's.

However, soon conversations in 2011 began to focus on the fact that Carl Edwards was a man without a contract.  His contract with RFR was to end and the finish of the 2011 season, and much speculation was given to the possibility of him leaving RFR for Joe Gibbs Racing.  For weeks reporters would ask Carl if he would be driving a orange toyota in 2012, and for weeks they would get his patented smile and a kind comment about RFR working on a contract.

The questions were soon answered as the summer began to end, and Edwards and the 99 crew were able to finish the season out with a tie for the points lead which resulted in a second place finish (due to a tie-breaker rule.)  However, Edwards did not dominate any more races and had no wins, in the Chase or otherwise, after his one early-season win at Las Vegas.  Had he won ONE more race he would have won the Championship.  Period.

Now, in 2012, rumors have been swirling around Kenseth's future.  His RFR contract is over at season's end, and many have wondered if he would leave his long-time home.  Now, this week Roush reports that defending Nationwide Series champ Ricky Stenhouse Jr. will be replacing Kenseth at RFR in the 2013 season.  Will Kenseth be driving a Toyota in 2013?  Will he bring Ford back to Penske Racing?  We will likely know by week's end.

What we do know is that for a second year in a row, Roush has a driver who is hot and contending for a championship, yet they are unsure about their future.  Yes, Edwards did have a successful year in 2011, but few would doubt that he could have won another race had contract talks been completed prior to the 2011 season, which would have led to his first championship.  Add on top of that, Kenseth will be dealing with going to a new team, who will be his crew chief, who will be his sponsor, etc, and the likelihood that the 17 will be celebrating after Homestead becomes low.

Either Roush has the worst timing and luck in the NASCAR garage, or someone seriously needs to question their wisdom about personnel management.  Had Edwards won the 2011 championship, sponsorship and money woes would have undoubtedly been less of a strain in 2012, and he may have kept the Cup another year.

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Excited, Kind, And Snide: Reactions To Junior's Michigan Win

It is always funny to me to sit back and watch the reactions after each race.  Depending on who wins and how the win occurs you will have any number of reactions from drivers, TV personalities, fans and writers.  Whether its Jimmie Johnson winning after dominating all day or David Reutimann snagging a lucky win, there are always people who will congratulate and those that will attempt to downplay the event.

This Sunday, of course, is no different.  As NASCAR's most liked driver was using up the ample amount of rubber left on his tires on the front stretch, there were all sorts of reactions taking place.  Announcers and NASCAR officials were glad, if not relieved, that the story line had ended in a way that will benefit the sport.  Drivers, for the most part, were congratulatory of a competitor who has been working hard for a win.  And fans were going crazy in the stands, infield, and at home.

Yet, at the same time, some were not so happy.  One particular driver felt the need to remind everyone that the next day was still a Monday and that God Himself had not spoken.  Tony Stewart, probably tired from racing for a few hours, was obviously short (pun intended) with reporters after the race.  His sentiment was that just because everyone wanted a win for Dale Jr. did not mean that he and the other drivers had to make it easy for him.  Good point, Tony, and one that I am sure Earnhardt Jr. would agree with.  To my knowledge, he has never asked Mr. Stewart to pull over and allow a pass.  Not only that, aside from getting around Dale Jr. on a restart during Sunday's race, Stewart did not have much opportunity to see the front of Dale Jr.'s car.  Perhaps he just enjoyed the paint scheme on the rear bumper.

Stewart was not the only person who was less than impressed with the win.  Many fans, and writers, hate the attention that Earnhardt Jr. gets, how TV analysts always mention him, and how devoted his fans are.  They see him as overrated and only in the sport because of his late father, 7 time Champ, Dale Earnhardt.  Are they right?  Not if you look at facts and numbers, but they are taking a purely emotional view, as are those that believe Dale Jr. can do no wrong.

A particular writer, Mr. Norris McDonald, a blogger for Wheels.ca whose posts appear on the Toronto Star website, is particularly unimpressed with Dale Earnhardt Jr.  He as much as said in his latest NASCAR piece, "Was Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s Win A Fluke?", that a monkey could have driven better than Junior in the past four years and that perhaps the only way to explain Earnhardt's win on Sunday is to call it a fluke.  Was it a fluke: an accident, a break, a stroke of luck or a coincidence?  Twelve top 10's and six top 5 finishes in 15 races...  Make your own decision.

Either way, Earnhardt Jr. will be taking one less question this week.

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Letarte Helping Dale Jr., From Start To Finish

With many people questioning the move by Steve Letarte, Crew Chief for the #88 Chevy driven by Dale Earnhardt Jr., late in Sunday's race at Pocono Raceway to take fuel rather than gamble for a win, I just thought I would underscore some reasons Letarte is making the right decisions for the #88 driver.  Although mistakes are made on a weekly basis by every, yes, every team, the overall direction of Letarte's team is in the right direction.  In fact, some issues Earnhardt has had for several years have been fairly well solved.

For one, Junior has had an issue with qualifying for quite some time.  I don't think it is totally because he has not had good setups, and I know it is not for lack of power.   When he began driving for Hendrick Motorsports in 2008, Earnhardt Jr. had a average starting position of 10.3, the best season average of his career.  However, after the one win that year (at Michigan, his last win, 4 years ago this week) finishes began to taper off, finishing outside the lead lap in five of the ten Chase races. 

After Earnhardt's confidence in himself and the #88 team began to go away, so did his qualifying attempts.  Over the next three years his starting average was 22.2, 19.0, and last year 19.6, which were out of character for Dale Jr., whose career average is 16.4.  This year, Dale Jr. has put up good qualifying numbers almost every week.  In fact, he has only two starts outside the top 20.  Compare that to last year when, in the first 14 races, he had only three starts inside the top 20. 

I thoroughly believe that the primary reason for the change in qualifying success has been confidence.  Confidence that his grip will hold when entering a corner at 160 mph, confidence that he has a crew chief that has listened to his feedback and adjusted accordingly, and confidence that if he gives his 100%, so will his team.

That confidence is the main reason I think Letarte chose to pit and take fuel in a late race caution on Sunday.  Dale Jr. himself pointed out to Letarte that he would not be forgiven if the #88 car ran out of fuel.  In later interviews, Earnhardt Jr. alluded to the fact that running out of gas would have ruined his confidence, the team's focus, and the upward direction of the #88 team as a whole.   I agree.

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Dale Jr. Lone Hendrick Horse In First Gatorade Duel

Of and on, during the Budweiser Shootout Saturday night and during Daytona 500 qualifying, you could hear announcers and commentators talk about how the racing for this years 500 will be different: a combination of pack and tandem racing.  Many have suggested that the change could benefit some of the more traditional restrictor plate racers, such as Dale Earnhardt Jr. who had much early career success at restrictor plate tracks.

Junior may be glad to see the change for Sunday's race, but he is likely to be relieved with the change going into Thursday's duel qualifying.  Out of the four Hendrick Motorsports cars preparing for the Daytona 500, Earnhardt Jr. is the only one that will be in the early qualifying race.  As the duel lineups are set by qualifying, odds in the early race and evens in the late race, Earnhardt entered the early lineup with a 3rd place qualifying effort.  The other Hendrick cars, Gordon 6th, Johnson 12th, and Hendrick newcomer Kahne 24th, will all be in the later duel.

One other plus this year is that Junior qualified so well.  Although Earnhardt Jr has qualified well for the Daytona 500 before (he has one pole), the stout showing by the teams with Ford engines had most people feeling as though the Fords had the pole locked up.  Apparently, the changing winds that had been pushing the cars around all afternoon worked somewhat to Earnhardt's advantage, because coming through turn 3 and 4 he began to pick up steam and rose from 5th to almost 2nd on the speed tracker.  Also I am sure Earnhardts knowledge and experience at the track helped him find a little speed.

Whether Earnhardt Jr wins the Daytona 500 or another more traditional pack racer like Gordon, it is safe to say that after the showing on Saturday night that the product of NASCAR's changes will be a wild finish.  No doubt there will be pack racing, and like it or leave it there will be small bursts of tandem racing.  I guess its a little of each and a whole lot of speed.  If you don't love Daytona, you don't love racing.

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Is Dale Earnhardt Jr. Getting Too Old To Compete?

Ok, it is just over 3 weeks to Daytona.  The NASCAR season is about to begin.  The front stretch of Daytona International Speedway is cooling down from the 24 hours of racing last weekend at the Rolex 24.  It will not be long until Speedweeks arrives, Dale Earnhardt Jr. does well in either Daytona 500 qualifying, the Gatorade qualifying races or both and Junior haters will begin saying he is overrated, incapable, in over his head or any number of other detractions. 

I never have understood why people so fervently hate Dale Earnhardt Jr.  I know he has a ton of fans that can, admittedly, become obnoxious at times.  I know he has had a ton of coverage and will continue to do so.  But just what is it that makes their blood boil?

I am sure a large part of the anger is the TV, print, and internet coverage he gets.  Let’s admit it:  programs get more views, articles get more reads, and blogs get more clicks when the name Dale Earnhardt Jr. comes into play.  But do the Jr. haters think their driver deserves more attention?  Perhaps!  However, when asked, most of them will not tell you who their favorite driver is.  Odd.

One of the main things Jr. haters throw out is that Dale Earnhardt Jr. isn’t getting any younger.  I have even seen this little thought grace the lines on ESPN, NASCAR.com, and many other blogs.  So just how hold is he and is he past his prime, which the Jr. hater would say never came?

Dale Earnhardt Jr. was born October 10, 1974.  Entering the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup season he will be a ripe old 37.  He has no Sprint Cup Championships and 18 Sprint Cup wins to show for 12 years of full time Sprint Cup racing.  Will he amass a huge sum of wins?  Can he win a championship or more than one?  Or is he just a few years away from climbing from the car, grabbing hold to his walker, and hobbling off into the sunset?

Well, let’s compare Dale Jr. to some great racers from the past.  I know most people, especially Jr. haters, will compare him to his father.  Comparing someone to the best is interesting, but not always sensible.  Let’s see how Dale Earnhardt Jr. compares to some other drivers, such as Dale Jarrett and Cale Yarborough.

I know that many fans would not consider Jarrett one of the greatest, but he is a past champion and had 32 Cup wins.  Earnhardt Jr. is entering his 13^th year in Cup and has 18 wins and 0 championships.  Entering his 13^th season, Jarrett also had 18 wins and 0 championships.  No, Dale Jarrett was not 37.  Indeed, he was 42.

So just how did Jarrett fare in the 5 years after?  Well, he had 13 wins and 1 championship, with an average season finish of 9^th.

Cale Yarborough is widely thought of as one of the toughest NASCAR drivers ever.  It is often said that he could manhandle any car in any situation.  It is no shock then that he was able to have success in his later years.  Yarborough raced in 284 races winning 31 times over a 18 year period before winning his first championship at the age of 37.  Yarborough went on to win 40 times, 3 consecutive championships, and had an average points finish of 2^nd over the next 5 years.

No, don’t blast me yet.  I am not saying that Earnhardt Jr. is on the edge of a run like Yarborough had.  Nor do I think he is as tough.  But the simple fact is that 37 is not entirely that old in NASCAR.

Yes, there have been huge gains by young drivers over the past 15 years or so.  But handfuls of wins aside, Sprint Cup Championships don’t tend to be won by the “Young Guns”.  For example, there has not been a Champion younger than 25 since Jeff Gordon did it at 23 in 1995.  On top of that, it has only been done that one time since Bill Rexford did it at 23 in NASCAR’s second year, 1950 (which was, by the way, more impressive since he did not race in 2 of the 19 races.)  There have only been 11 champions under the age of 30 since NASCAR’s inception 63 seasons ago, most recently Kurt Busch in 2004.

One other number: the average age of the Sprint Cup Champion over the last 10 years is 32.

No, Earnhardt Jr is not too old to win.  No, he is not too old to win the championship.  Debate his skills.  Hate the attention he gets.  Say he is the worst driver in the garage (stretching it quite a bit).  But he is not too old.  Let me know when he starts growing the beard solely to produce hair plugs, or his prostate will only allow him to run 200 mile races.  Then we can talk.

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NASCAR: State Of The Vvrroomin

After watching the State Of The Union address last night on TV, I began to wonder just how the state of NASCAR was.  No, I am not going to wax political and tell you all of my personal political beliefs, although, yes, I do have them.  But I just want to take a look at just how well NASCAR is doing, especially in comparison with the past few years.

Unlike in Washington where goal posts move one way or the other depending on which party is in power, lets have some clear issues that we are comparing.  First, how is NASCAR doing in popularity and following.  Second, how is NASCAR fairing in competition and in having a level playing field.  And third, how is NASCAR preparing for future seasons.

As many sports and sports venues have experienced the recession after 2008, attendance had been seriously slowed.  Part of this has been combated by the lowering of ticket prices at some of NASCAR's tracks, and attendance has somewhat recovered do to that along with a slow recovery in the economy.  NASCAR's TV ratings have also slowly been rising over the past few years, a trend that should continue over the next year after such a close points battle in 2011.

One area to look at to see if NASCAR's popularity is strong is advertising, both TV spots and sponsorship money.  Over the past few years we have seen cars with empty spaces on them indicating just how deeply the recession has affected NASCAR's ability to round up sponsorship money.  Gladly, although sponsorship is still tough to get, I believe we may have seen a "bottom".  EGR, fresh off a thoroughly disappointing season, just reported they have no primary sponsorship opportunities available for 2012.  For a second tier team that just underperformed the heck out of 2012, that is solid.  Yes, there are teams looking for sponsorship, but there always will be, however, the loud stampede of sponsors running away from teams due to tight budgets has definitely quieted.

Parity is one area where there was a definite gain for NASCAR in the 2011 season.  The Sprint Cup Series had 17 winners in 2011, four more than in 2010.  There were also 5 first time winners.  Another snapshot is how many wins came from teams with only one or two cars, this gives you an idea how level the playing field really is.  In 2011, 14 of 36 races were one by teams with only one or two teams.  Also, mostly due to NASCAR's revision of who can compete for the Nationwide Championship, there were 15 different winners in the Nationwide Series, including 5 drivers that were not Cup Series competitors.

On top of the season-long statistics being compared to prior years, one simply has to look at the 2011 points battle that came down to the last lap of the last race.  Not only were the top two battling within a couple points of each other for most of the race, but they came to the finish in the top two positions.  Ending the 2011 season with a Champion being congratulated after a tie-breaker rule was implemented is the largest reason that the 2012 season could be the most watched, most anticipated, and hardest fought season in recent years.

Finally, NASCAR's future was something that was somewhat in question several years ago.  I doubt anyone thought that NASCAR would dwindle away, but many doubted that they would continue to rise in market share and battle with the NFL for the most watched sport in the USA.  Although many of us have not liked all of the changes that NASCAR and Brian France have made over the past 10 years, not to mention those of you stuck in the '80's, we have to admit that even though most hated the look of the COT, didn't understand the Chase any better than its points system predecessor, and we absolutely dreaded a 6th Johnson championship in a row, all NASCAR fans must admit that the points system changes for 2012 and the new rule on racing in multiple series were great changes for 2012.  No, they are not perfect!  But they did produce a great season.

Changes NASCAR has on the horizon could make things very interesting.  The new car changes for the 2013 season may even make the traditionalists happy.  The ability NASCAR has given the auto makers to build car designs that more closely mimic their street cars may actually bring NASCAR closer to "stock car auto racing."  Now lets not get to excited:  the shape will be about the only thing that resembles a street car.  I seriously doubt that NASCAR will make owners install airbags, reach a certain fuel economy, or even make every driver have a wife in the passenger seat berating them for their poor driving.  That would be stock car.  But any change that more closely marries the sport to its history cannot be a bad thing.  I mean, short of moonshine...

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Hendrick Motorsports Pushing The Envelope

For several years, the Hendrick organization, especially the 48 team, has been known for preparing for the Chase and then excelling during the final 10 races of the year.  Often the Lowe’s team has sacrificed domination earlier in the year in order to have dominant cars prepared for the Chase.

This weekend at the New Hampshire International Speedway, Hendrick Motorsports will be pushing the envelope.  Often teams will debut new chassis throughout the year, but this week at least 3 of the 4 Hendrick teams will be sporting a new ride.  Johnson, Earnhardt Jr., and Martin are all listed as bringing a new chassis to the “Magic Mile”, and both the 88 and the 5 are listed as untested new chassis.   The 24 may or may not be new, but they do not generally post their chassis selection prior to the race weekend. 

One would have to wonder if the Hendrick teams have found something in particular or if it is merely coincidence that they are bringing 3 new chassis to the track this week.  Although it is quite possible that they are all non-related, it looks like they possibly have found something in their engineering that they feel comfortable will produce results, especially since they are relying mostly on their 7 post shaker and computer models, etc. for their information on the untested chassis.

Someone more experienced and knowledgeable about the engineering and fabrication that go into the chassis development could probably give more insight about how much testing is needed these days prior to the track, but from someone on the outside looking in, this seems to be an aggressive move.   Of course, Hendrick has made some aggressive moves in recent months…  After moving three of your drivers to different teams within the Hendrick stable at the end of last year, sending three new cars to the track on one weekend does seem mild.

Last weekend Hendrick drivers moved around quite a bit.  Johnson moved down 2 spots and lost 7 points, Gordon moved down 8 spots and lost 22 points, Earnhardt Jr. gained 5 spots and lost 1 point, and Martin gained 14 points on 13^th place, the consolation spot at the end of the year.  If Hendrick has found something in its chassis engineering, the teams could definitely be dominant this weekend.  Three of the four drivers have won before at Loudon: Gordon twice, Johnson three times, and Martin once.

Time has seemed to look favorably on Hendrick’s last aggressive move, and time will tell on this move as well.  (Two and a half days to be exact…) 

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Earnhardt Jr. And Letarte Return To Early Season Results

Beginning the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup season as a new driver/crew chief duo, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Steve Letarte were unsure how soon success would come, but were resolved to reach it.  Within a few weeks, the 88 team was finishing near the front week after week.  What was exciting to watch was not that they were dominating.  They weren’t.

For several years Earnhardt had been experiencing an occasional good run coupled with weeks of disappointing finishes.  In most of those races Earnhardt would race near the front until something went wrong with the handling of the car.  Soon after losing the handle on the car he would drift toward the back of the pack.

Many people supposed that Earnhardt had lost his nerve.  They thought that his inability to wrestle with ill-handling cars showed a lack of desire and hunger.  Often fans and commentators alike said that Earnhardt was done.

Others thought Dale Jr. was just distracted.  They said he was so focused on trying to appease his fans’ expectations for him to be as good as his late father that he was overwhelmed.  Or they would suppose that his bar-opening, late-sleeping, and fun loving life was not disciplined enough for him to ever meet his true potential.

All the while, Rick Hendrick, Earnhardt’s boss and owner of Hendrick Motorsports, was trying to figure out just who Earnhardt needed behind him to help him compete.  He originally tried Tony Eury Jr., Earnhardt’s cousin, with whom he had some success at DEI.  After that combo fell apart, Hendrick matched Earnhardt up with Lance McGrew, a previous winning crew chief in the Nationwide Series with multiple driver and a technical thinker who had headed up Hendrick’s R&D team.

After limited successes, disappointing progress, and too much radio traffic of short tempers, Hendrick decided to make changes at the end of the 2010 season.  Hendrick decided to pair Earnhardt up with Letarte, the crew chief of the 24 car and Jeff Gordon.  Gordon and Letarte had cooled from some earlier successes and were in need of a new spark. 

With Letarte we were told Earnhardt was getting a cheerleader.  We was to be the eternal optimist that could handle Junior’s tirades and redirect his energy into the race.  For the most part, in the first half of the season that is what happened.  Along with getting better communication and seemingly more dedication from Earnhardt, Letarte was able to make good changes to the car throughout the race and keep Junior focused on pulling out a good finish.

Monday that is what happened again.  After a summer long run of poor finishes, conservative setups, and worrying over a fleeting possibility of a Chase berth, Earnhardt and Letarte finished a race off similar to their spring finishes.  Earnhardt had a mediocre car most of the afternoon, staying in the mid teens and rarely making waves.  However, after adjusting time after time, Earnhardt looked strong in the final run of the race.  He made several passes, getting into the top 10 for the first time of the race, and then with help from cars with poor fuel mileage, Earnhardt rose to 3^rd by the checkered flag.

With their first top 5 finish since Kansas in early June, Earnhardt and Letarte also have scored his best first race finish of the Chase since he finished 3^rd at Loudon in 2004.  In 2004 Junior began the Chase with 5 wins and a favorite to win his first championship. Although he won at Talladega, he then fizzled out after wrecks in both race 6 and 7 of the ’04 Chase.

This year Earnhardt and Letarte are the underdog’s in the Chase, merely happy and relieved to have made the cut.  Perhaps their relief coupled with a change in luck from the summer could help the duo do well and end their first season with hints of a great year next year.  Or perhaps they could make this year a great year.  Either way, I guarantee Earnhardt will finish higher than 13th.

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Oh, What A Difference A Year Can Make

Last year, the talk of the garage, at times, was that the two car team of Earnhardt Ganassi Racing was on the rise and could be the next team to challenge for a spot amongst the series’ best. They won 4 races, including the Daytona 500, the Brickyard 400, the race at Watkins Glen, and the fall race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. And, although coming up short, both of their drivers, Jamie McMurray and Juan Pablo Montoya, were on the edge of a Chase berth during the summer.

Down the garage just a bit, there was another team that was struggling for its existence. Although it had the name of the other 7 time champ, Richard Petty Motorsports was being run by George Gillett, Jr. straight into the ground. The team had debt up to its eyeballs, drivers jumping ship, like Kasey Kahne, and a rumor that the doors would be closing. The drivers that currently drive for RPM, Marcos Ambrose and A.J. Allmendinger, were struggling. Ambrose finished 2010 with 2 top five’s and 4 top ten’s, while A.J. finished slightly better with 2 top five’s and 8 top ten’s.

But my, oh my, how things can change in the off season.

RPM was bought back by Richard Petty and a group of investors, placing the control of the team back under someone with proven ability to win in NASCAR. Although there was much to do in the off-season, and many unknowns for the coming year, the RPM crew worked hard, and apparently well. In the first 11 races of this season, the RPM duo has compiled a combined 2 top five’s and 5 top ten finishes. Another great stat for the RPM team is that in 2010 they had a total of 11 DNF’s. So far, for 2011, they have only 1.

Meanwhile, over at EGR, Montoya and McMurray are struggling to find their rhythm from last year. Although Montoya began the year with a head full of steam, lately he has been deflated. His average finish for the first six races was 11th, however, for the last four, his average finish has been 28.5. His teammate has had only two top ten finishes so far, and ranks a dismal 26th in laps run on the lead lap.

We all know about the wide array of changes made at RPM in the off-season to bring about their improvement in finishes. What we don’t know, and Mr. Ganassi, no doubt, will be working to find out, is what was changed at EGR to bring about their disappointing racing.


Follow Joseph Davis on Twitter @the_Bumpdrafter

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A Date With The Old Lady...

This week the boys of NASCAR head to the “Lady In Black” for their annual reunion with her unforgiving walls and difficult track. Darlington Raceway is a cheese grater of a track that chews drivers up and spits them out, hence its other nickname “To Tough To Tame.”

One definitely has to wonder what kind of fireworks we will see this weekend after the bent metal and hurt feelings that occurred last weekend at Richmond. If Richmond can be called a short track that races like a speedway, Darlington could definitely be referred to as a speedway that races like a short track. The odd shaped corners will definitely bring back some of the heat that was stirred up just seven days prior.

For instance, I am sure everyone will be watching should the 39 car of Ryan Newman come anywhere near the 42 of Juan Pablo Montoya after their back and forth last week. NASCAR no doubt will be doing the same. But Darlington does not need to borrow from last week to have some tension. This track has been the site of close races, post race shoving matches, and exhausted drivers for over sixty years.

This week, people will definitely be expecting strong showings from two drivers in particular. Denny Hamlin, after having a slow beginning of the season, is now heating up and trying to prove that he and his crew chief can perform the way they did last season. Hamlin finished second to his teammate Kyle Busch last week, is the last winner at Darlington, and no doubt is ready to return to victory lane.

Second, Jeff Gordon had quick success this season with his new crew chief, Alan Gustafson, but has since cooled with some aggravating finishes. Last week Gordon was probably the only HMS car that started the race with a chance to win, and after a disappointing wreck blew his shot, Gordon will be eager to return to victory lane at Darlington where he has won 7 times and is the active win leader.

A good dark horse pick for this week’s race would have to be Kasey Kahne. Coming off of a third place finish at Richmond, he may be hard to think of as a dark horse, however. He has never won at Darlington, yet has three poles there, so he knows how to get around the track. Also, even though his last five finishes there have all been 20th or worse, he still averages a 15th place finish.

A few facts for the race:

1. 11 of the past 25 races at Darlington have been won by Hendrick Motorsports. 7 of those were won by Jeff Gordon.

2. Only two Sprint cup races at Darlington have been won from the front row since 1996. Both of those races were won by Dale Jarrett.

3. Only 3 drivers have won multiple Darlington races from the pole: 4- David Pearson, 3-Bill Elliott, and 2-Dale Earnhardt. Jeff Gordon has never won from the pole at Darlington.


Follow Joseph Davis on Twitter @the_Bumpdrafter

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Here We Go, It's Time For The Two Car Tango...

It is Thursday night at Talladega and every driver seems to be picking out who will be on their 2 way radio dial come race time.

After watching the 2 car racing at Daytona, much of NASCAR nation remains split over the 2 car drafting technique. Most of those who don’t like it now did not like it before, and likely never will. Those who do like it say it takes more driver ability and less guessing on which line will move and when.

From NASCAR’s standpoint, there doesn’t seem to be much that they can do to change it. Not only does the current restrictor plate range help keep the cars weak enough to make tandem racing a necessity, the aero footprint of the current cars make the hookup more feasible. Even the back bumper and front bumper line up perfectly, making remaining in the 2 car draft much easier.

Of course there are those who would love to see NASCAR take the restrictor plates away and let the horses run. These people feel that enough changes have been made in driver safety that racing in excess of 200 miles an hour is not as deadly as 10 years ago. Although I do agree some great strides have been made in safety, lets face it, NASCAR is going to keep the cars under the 200 mph barrier. Period.

There are some ways of slowing the cars down or changing their aero footprint that NASCAR has chosen not to utilize. I am not certain that this is due to poor effect in testing or if NASCAR ruled them out before giving them a try. One of these changes would include bringing back the strip across the roof that was used several years ago. This strip made closing rates too fast at the time, with the old car, but one would think that a variation of this could make it much easier for cars to bunch up and overtake a two car break away. Another change would be to change the rear downforce on the cars to make it more “uncomfortable” for a driver to be pushed, especially in the corners. I am sure the latter idea would not be very popular with the drivers.

The point is that surely there is an aerodynamic change that can be made to break the cars up a little. The problem may be that the change would require too much change in the look of the cars. You can’t have a restrictor plate car that looks noticeably different than do the cars for the other tracks. Also, NASCAR has worked long and hard to develop the current design, and changing it, as we are seeing now for the 2013 season, is a long and arduous process.

The sad truth for those fans who do not enjoy the current way of plate racing, change is probably not coming for at least a few more plate races. If at all. It seems that many in the media and some fans like the fact that many restrictor plate aces are not necessarily as strong at the new form of racing. No doubt Trevor Bayne may have done well had the 2 car draft not dominated the Daytona 500, but without proving himself by pushing one or two cars relentlessly, it is likely he would have been shuffled out of contention near the end of the race.

The fun thing about watching this new form of racing technique is that all of the drivers are having to learn and adapt their own styles. Not only that, they also are having to communicate directly with other teams and drivers to set up the two car runs and to change position to prolong the run.

At any rate, two car drafting is here to stay… For now, at least…



Be sure to follow Joseph Davis on Twitter @the_Bumpdrafter

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Earnhardt Jr. Building Steam; Harvick Making A Name

This weekends race at Martinsville Speedway brought the great ending we have all become accustomed to at the half mile track. Yet again, after 500 laps, it all came down to two or three cars beating and banging for the win. It did not, however, involve the winners of 14 of the last 16 races there. Due to ill handling cars and late-race penalties, Johnson, Hamlin, and Gordon were all relegated to watching the finish by way of replay since they couldn't see it from their "seat."

Although each of the three had a good race, along with near-winner, Kyle Busch, they did not factor in to the last run after the final caution. Instead, Busch's car, sluggish on restarts, gave way to a great finish between a resurgent Dale Earnhardt Jr. and a heavy footed Kevin Harvick.

Harvick, fresh off of a win at Auto Club Speedway, is currently picking up the pace he had at the end of 2010 and gaining speed toward an eventual Chase berth. He and his team are the first out of last year's contenders to hit on all eight cylinders and is unlikely to slow down anytime soon.

Earnhardt Jr. has been running a touch slower than Harvick, but is bye many measures gaining ground. He began this season with more questions than answers, learning a new team, a new crew chief, and hopeful for a return to the success he tasted earlier in his career.

The Earnhardt-Letarte duo has taken off much quicker than anyone, possibly even Rick Hendrick himself, dreamed it would. The two are communicating well and are finishing much better than they start each weekend. If the 88 team can get a grasp on their qualifying setups and get a good start, the transformation could be closer to complete.

Coming into the final laps of the race, Earnhardt Jr. had battled from his 26th starting spot to the top five. He did so slowly, position by position, biding his time and taking care of his car. For quite a while, a race like this would have left Jr. frayed and unoptomistic, yet Sunday he was concentrated and poised. The mental recooperation is definitely coming along.

Harvick definitely had his sights set on the bumper of the 88, chasing him down from almost a straightaway back. He took little time getting around Kyle Busch, and was again set to be the “Closer.” He has definitely earned his new name, and I think he is quite comfortable coming from behind. Fitting he took over his current ride after the death of Dale Earnhardt.

To be totally honest, I am sure Earnhardt, the father, would have been just as glad to be the “bad guy” Sunday, as Harvick said he felt he was bye taking the lead from Earnhardt Jr. I highly doubt, however, that Harvick left as much paint from his bumper and fender on the 88 as his predecessor would have.


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

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Preview Of 2011's Top 5 Sprint Cup Teams: #1- Joe Gibbs Racing

The top team going into the 2011 season has to be Joe Gibbs Racing. Of course Denny Hamlin somewhat fell apart the last three races and Kyle Busch wasn't competitive in the Chase, but trust me. I'm sure Mr Gibbs knows he has some mending to do on the 11 team and needs to hit the reset button on the 18, but he is Joe Gibbs.

The driver I think Gibbs is most excited about heading into Daytona is Joey Logano. The 20 car headed into Homestead with quite a run. The 5 finishes prior to the finale were 7th, 6th, 5th, 4th then 3rd. I think the Harvicks may have awakened a new frontrunner. Look for Logano to expand on his success from the end of 2010 and even grab a couple of wins. Although I don't feel he is quite ready for a true championship run, look out in 2012.

The most disappointed driver in the Gibbs stable this December was not Hamlin, it was Kyle Busch. Besides the facts that he had the lowest average finish out of the Gibbs drivers, he never really competed for the championship in 2010. He had some great runs, including three wins, but the season was very up and down. For example, in the Chase, Busch had 3 top tens, but also had three finishes worse than 30th. Look for some new consistency from Busch in 2011. If he can combine consistency with a few wins, he could once again be a charger in the Chase.

The end of 2010 was heartbreaking for Hamlin. Hamlin only had three finishes outside the top ten in the Chase, but two of them came in the las two races, ripping the Sprint Cup from Hamlin's grasp. Many people have made much fuss over unhappiness between Hamlin and his crew chief, Mike Ford, over poor adjustments at the end of the season and some remarks he made about Jimmie Johnson. In 2011 Hamlin will come out of the gates as hard nosed and charging as ever and will come close to his eight wins in 2010. Hamlin will, however, have to focus more on Chase tracks to ensure top five finishes at the end of the season.

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Preview Of 2011's Top 5 Sprint Cup Teams: #3- Roush Fenway Racing

Roush Fenway Racing finished the 2010 season with a bang.  This team started 2010 with 19 top-10s in the first 10 races then slid quickly with only 9 top-10s in the second 10 races.  As the confusion wore off of the new Ford engine, however, RFR quickly came around and finished with 17 top-10s in the Chase, with 8 of those being top-5s and 3 being wins.

For David Ragan, 2011 has a fork in the road, one he will reach around July or August.  In 2010, Ragan had 15 finishes between 11th and 20th, yet only 3 in the top 10.  Ragan did have more consistent runs down the stretch, but not quite the caliber that Jack Roush will want from a long term investment.  If Ragan does not start breaking into the top ten and come close to qualifying for the Chase, he will be looking for a new ride come September.

Greg Biffle had a 2010 that was similar to the rest of his career: great finishes and horrible finishes.  In the final 20 races, Biffle finished 7 times in the top 5; and also finished 5 times 30th or worse.  So indicative of his hard driving style, of his 9 top 15 finishes in those 20 races, 7 were top 5's.  If Biffle could find some consistency in 2011 he could mount a championship run, but don't expect it.  Don't get me wrong, Biffle is a great driver, arguably one of the hardest chargers in the garage, but consistency just isn't his thing.

Speaking of consistency, Kenseth could be looking at another '03-like year in 2011.  His finishes of 2010 show a definite return of consistency, with 24 finishes in the top 15.  In fact, in the last 20 races, Kenseth finished outside the top 20 only twice.  However, a consistent year like '03 sadly will not achieve the same success in 2011 due to a need for dominance in the Chase, not just consistency.

No driver in the RFR stable is more ready to start 2011 than Carl Edwards.  After finishing the year with back to back wins, Edwards is eager for the opportunity to continue the streak.  2010 was a great year for Edwards, held back only by some miscues in the Chase and a poor start to the Summer.  If Edwards can start 2011 where he left 2010 and have a consistent year, he may be the best driver to compete with Jimmie Johnson next Fall, especially if he can get streaky.  His pair of wins in 2010 were the 5th time in his career that he had back to back wins.

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Preview Of 2011's Top 5 Sprint Cup Teams: #4- Richard Childress Racing

2010 had many ups and downs for the RCR stable.  They had a title contender, a driver trying to have a break through season, and a driver looking to remain relevant.

For Harvick, 2010 will leave a sour taste in his mouth for years.  Had there not been a Chase format.  Had he been given more points for winning the regular season.  Had Jimmie Johnson's hauler just not made it to the track...  Harvick did, however, have a phenomenal season.  He led the points into the Chase, had 3 wins, and had an average finish of 4.0 in the last 5 races.  Harvick will come out in 2011 with a "chip" on his shoulder, which may not bode well for those ahead of him on-track.

Bowyer had both a great and aggravating 2010.  For example, he had 2 wins and a 2nd during the chase that sandwich 4 finishes between 15th and 38th.  Bowyer had 12 finishes between 12th and 25th, 10 of which he finished on the lead lap.  If Bowyer wants to break through to the top level of Sprint Cup drivers, he will have to transform some of those mid pack finishes into top ten finishes.  The start of 2011 could go either way for Bowyer who was both hot and cold during the Chase of 2010.  Hopefully, however, his 150 point penalty toward the end of 2010 will give him some motivation.

Although most drivers would trade their season for Jeff Burton's 2010, he was one of the most disappointed at the end of 2010.  Yes, he made the Chase, but with no wins and an absolutely dismal Chase performance, Burton was glad to see 2010 end.  Burton did have some good moments, however, he had 8 out of 11 finishes in the top 12 from June through August and 2010 was much better than the 17th place points finish in 2009.  Look for Burton to break back into the win column in 2011, but possibly missing the Chase if he cannot reproduce the success he had this Summer.

A newcomer to RCR in 2011, Paul Menard, has finally got some success to build upon and something to build with.  During the Chase, Menard was constantly battling to get in the top 10, although he sometimes faded at the end.  In 2011, Menard will have tools behind him he did not have with RPM nor when he was the third car at the old DEI.  However, great support demands success, and Menard will have to improve upon the 7 top ten finishes he has in the last 4 years of racing.  I look for some initial success for Menard, due to excitement of being with RCR, but not much for 2011 as a whole.

Look for two of the four RCR drivers to make the Chase (unless it is expanded to 15).  Kevin Harvick will definitely make the Chase, so Bowyer and Burton will have to scrap it out for that other spot!

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Preview Of 2011's Top 5 Sprint Cup Teams: #5- Stewart-Haas Racing

The biggest problem that Stewart-Haas Racing had in 2010 was inconsistency.  Both Stewart and Newman had strings of good finishes but would then have 2 or 3 DNF's or poor finishes due to mechanical or handling problems.

For Stewart, the customary late-season charge never came.  That along with a poor Spring made for a so-so 2010 for the 14 team.  Stewart almost mounted a charge in the fall with a win and a 4th place finish in California and Kansas, but followed those finishes with five finishes outside the top 10.  In the nine races he in which he led laps, six of them ended with Stewart not on the lead lap.  In 2011 if Stewart can avoid the wrecks and change a few finishes, he could be once again in contention for the championship.  Who else would be a better competitor for Jimmie Johnson in the Fall?  If he can return to his hard-charging late-year racing, he can definitely give JJ a run.

Newman, however, may need a few handling repairs to break through.  With 6 finishes of 30th or worse, and 15 finishes between 15th and 29th, Newman will need both consistency and a little better late-race handling.  Too many times in 2010 the 39 team either could not compete at all or tapered off late in the race.  In the eight races in which Newman led laps he either finished in the top 12 or he wrecked.

No matter how they finished in 2010, there are not too many other drivers that are as hard-driving and strong willed as Stewart and Newman.  Look for Stewart-Haas Racing to build on a season in which both drivers had wins.  If a few breaks go their way, look for both of them in the top 10 come chase time with Stewart poised to challenge for a third championship.

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What Do Carl Edwards, Marcos Ambrose, And Dale Earnhardt Jr. Have In Common?

The 2010 season saw many surprises.  Between "Have at it boys!", return of the spoiler, and the rookie of the year driving the "Extenze" car, I'm not sure any of us have an idea what to expect from 2011!  There were, however, some changes at the end of the year that could indicate an upward trend for 3 drivers.

Edwards, Ambrose, and Earnhardt Jr. each experienced some change in direction at the end of the year and I am sure that each of them are eager to begin 2011!  For Edwards, the changes came earlier in the year, but in the last 5 races the 99 team obviously began reeping their rewards.  Edwards' average finish for the last five races was 9.2, with back to back wins to finish the season.  I am sure the 99 team is eager to see if they can continue their dominance from the last two races and compete again with Jimmie Johnson.

For Ambrose, 2010 was not a good year.  He had 6 top ten finishes this year, with none coming in the final 10 races.  To make it worse, with only 5 or so races left, he had no definite ride for next year: the team he was moving to, RPM, was possibly going out of business.  Thanks to the King, the outlook now for Ambrose in 2011 is much better.  He will be with RPM, a much better team than he was with in 2010, and will have a much better shot at winning.

Lastly, Earnhardt Jr. had much to be thankful for this past Thanksgiving!  For one, the 2010 season was over.  2010 brought nothing but confusion to Jr: he had great starts and the handling would go away, or he would unload a so so car and could not improve all weekend.  Nothing seemed to work.  Now in 2011 he will have a new Crew Chief, new team, new shop, and a new roommate, Jimmie Johnson.  I'm sure Earnhardt Jr is as eager to begin 2011 as the other two drivers, if not more so, but is also a little anxious.  If he does not perform with the changes Hendrick made in the off season, there will be no doubt where the problem is.  I for one hope that does not happen, and have a hunch that it won't.  While typing that I'm trying my best impersonation of Dale Earnhardt's trademark S--- eating grin...

Bring on 2011!!!

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Can The Dale Jr. And Kyle Busch Feud Reignite In 2011?

For years now, NASCAR has longed for some anger, discontent, envy and spite.  In short: Rivalry.  They even came out with "have at it boys" for the same reason.  The 2nd biggest sport in America that has spent the last 10 years becoming more homogenized or politically correct now wants the opposite.  What they need is a good, heated rivalry.
A few years ago, with the move of Kyle Busch from Hendrick Motorsports to make room for Dale Earnhardt Jr, many around NASCAR believed a rivalry had been born.  With Busch's front bumper laying waste to Earnhardt Jr's 88 later that year, "JR Nation" would have agreed.
Although there is no love lost between the fans of these two drivers, a true rivalry never came to fruition.  This is partly due to Jr having not been that competitive the last few years.  Now, however, both drivers desperately need a boost.
Earnhardt Jr may now have his boost, or at least Jr fans hope so, as he now has a new and proven Crew Chief.  He will also be housed in the same garage as Jimmie Johnson.  Such changes must produce at least minimal success.
Busch however is entering a new period of his career.  Although it was thought he would become the "Top Dog" at Gibbs with Stewart leaving, it seems as though he is now being eclipsed by Denny Hamlin.  As for 2010, Busch did have 3 wins, but his average finish in the last 5 races was 21st, a humbling number for Busch.  At times toward the end of the season, his frustration was palpable.
Busch does, however, have one of the greatest motivators in his corner with Joe Gibbs.  Although 2010 has been less than acceptable for Busch, rest assured he will come out fighting in 2011.  I am sure the success of his teammate Hamlin will not sit right with him and his success in 2011 would definitely create a spark in the JR. fan base.
Let's hope the two of these can bee more competitive in 2011, NASCAR has plenty to lose if they don't!

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NASCAR's Naughty And Nice From 2010

Well, Santa is making his list and as usual, there are some naughty little boys who will be getting coal this year.  Often in NASCAR there are all to many opportunities to be naughty, and every driver has been on that list at some point or another.  Who is on which list this year?  Well, I'm sure you have a few ideas of your own, but this is the list Old St. Nick faxed over to me this afternoon and these were the highlights.

Nice

• Mark Martin- Loves To Share!  Due to Mark's on-track kindness, which is a staple in NASCAR, and his willingness to share his Crew Chief, Mark is on the Nice list this year.  Little Mark will receive a new Crew Chief and a new roommate this Christmas.
• Kasey Kahne- Patient.  For his willingness to be a good boy and wait a year to drive the #5 Kasey will get a full year of free Red Bull to liven up his performance for 2011.
• Jeff Gordon- Team Player.  He was so committed to bringing the Cup back to Hendrick this year that he selflessly gave up his pit crew to the #48.  He was willing to move his stuff out of the old 24/48 garage.  For all of that he will get to once again be the youngest driver in his garage and will get a great new Crew Chief.  Gustafson is receiving a 3D decal of the front bumper of the old #3 to put in Jeff's rear view mirror for some encouragement.
• Carl Edwards- Puts Others Before Himself!  Some people are takers and some are givers.  Carl was so kind as to take damage to his own car just to give Brad Keselowski the ride of his life.  No wonder he is always smiling, he is such a giver.  For that, Carl will have his best season ever in 2011, of which I gave him a taste in the final races of 2010.

Naughty

• Kyle Busch- Does Not Play Well With Others!  He was rough with his teammates, tore up a lot of cars, and flicked off everyone while doing it, all because Joe Gibbs would not buy him the cat featured on his Toyota in his commercial.  His name is almost written in permanent ink on this list.  For his antics he will be penalized with an extra 100 lbs of steal in each car next year, which he will probably be putting in the front bumper in preparation for his spot on this list next Christmas.
• Jimmie Johnson- Will Not Share.  What a grinch!  Jimmie used to be such a good boy.  Yet again he is on this list for not sharing!  Not only will he not share the Sprint Cup trophy, but he also stole Hamlin's smile and now Happy Harvick is just Harvick.  I have no choice but to take all of Johnson's cars and for 2011 he and Knaus must use only shopping carts and used lawn mower engines.  Perhaps the others can catch up.
• Dale Earnhardt Jr- Poor Manners!  For his sailor's tongue on his radio, peeling the paint off every home that listened to it, Jr will have his mouth washed out with soap before every race by his new Crew Chief Letarte.  And for making his cousin and millions cry in July when he raced in a "pants" car and raced the pants off everyone else, he will have to make millions happy with great performances in 2011.

Merry Christmas NASCAR Nation!  May 2011 be even wilder than 2010.

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