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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I Have My Tickets, How About You??

With every NASCAR season their is plenty of complaints to go around.  Some years there are complaints about one make having an advantage over another, some years there are complaints about too much domination by one team.  In 2012 there have been no shortage of complaints, by commentators, analysts, drivers, and especially fans.

People have been complaining about how long the races are, how long the season is, how uncompetitive the races have been and about knowing just what brought out the debris cautions.  One definitely concerning complaint has been where are all the fans...  I haven't seen a race this year and thought, "Wow, how did they pack all those people in there." 

Well, NASCAR fans, there is one certain way to get over the complaining about everything NASCAR: get to the track!  Yes, I said go to a race!  Nothing makes me less concerned about how crooked the cars look going down the straightaway than actually trying to see them because they are going so fast.  The best way for me to forget about how much I can't stand a particular NASCAR on air personality is to not be able to hear anything but the roar of 43 cars (at the beginning of the race, obviously) flying past me.  And the only way to care less about the semantics of the sport, how to grow the viewing audience, and what tracks need less races, is to remember first hand exactly why you fell in love with the sport.

Don't get me wrong, if you have read any of my other posts you know I love to tell my opinion about every aspect of the sport.  It just seems to me that there are too many fans today that would rather complain about NASCAR than brag about it.  Has anything changed?  Yes, of course things have, but there are still 43 drivers giving it everything while riding 200 mph a foot from a concrete wall.  There are still pit crews dodging cars driving 45 - 55 mph down pit road.  And no matter how much some of you bemoan the sport, you still get on the edge of your seat when your driver is slinging it 3 wide on a restart.

Yes, NASCAR needs to hear every point of view and should continue to find ways to keep the fans happy, but the rest of us need to take a step back and remember why we love the sport: the screaming fans, the smell of burning rubber, the car coming out of turn 4 with the right rear sliding out from under it.  I, for one, am ready for my reminder.

I will be going to the July race at Daytona International Speedway, which will be my first race in over 4 years.  It has been a long cold winter, indeed.  I will try to listen out for anyone complaining about the new points system during the race, not likely to hear them though.

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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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Which Way To Daytona??

Do you remember a certain Daytona 500 moment as your favorite?  Many people point towards such legendary moments as the fight in the grass, Dale Earnhardt's win in '98, and Darrell Waltrip's 500 win as some of their most memorable moments in the sport.  My personal Daytona 500 memory that spurred me from just a fan to a fanatic was the 1997 Daytona 500 finish.  No, not because of the 1-2-3 Hendrick Motorsports finish with Jeff Gordon winning.  At that time I couldn't stand the 24.  I loved that ending because after the big wreck that took Dale Earnhardt out of contention, sending him down the racetrack on his hood, he still had the grit to get back in the car and drive it to the finish line.

The Daytona 500 is a true roller coaster of emotions for everyone from fan to tire changer to driver.  You look forward to the race for weeks, have the build up of speedweeks, and by the time the race is over you have either dug your nails into the La-Z-Boy, yelled at the television, or totally ran your spouse out of the room.  It is a drug that we cannot do without but so long, and I need a fix.

The 2012 Daytona 500 is even more anticipated due to several reasons.  For one, we have just come off the closest points finish in NASCAR history which ended a crazy 2011 Chase to the Cup.  We are all eager to see who comes out fast, who sputters, and who downright flops.  Second, with the late Superbowl date this year, the beginning of the NASCAR season is a week late.  I know, most of you did not know we had any two sport stars driving this year, but apparently NASCAR drivers are among the few in the United States that can still afford an NFL ticket, so their presence, and money, was needed elsewhere.

For blogger, opinion-givers, Monday morning crew chiefs, and the rest, there is only so much prognosticating one can do for 3 months.  I have heard enough, and written enough (read for yourself), about Kurt Busch changing teams, all the crew chief swaps, and whether or not Dale Jr will win this year.  Lets see some green flags already!  Now don't get me wrong!  I am a NASCAR fan and as such love to make my opinion known, and will probably not slow down in doing so.  But I am more than eager to be glued to the television or standing in my seat at a racetrack.

So as you prepare for the coming week or so of speeding cars, NASCAR rule changes, grumbling about restrictor plates and the rest, just think back over the past two months and be glad that finally, yes finally, it is time for some 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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Can Kyle Busch Focus?

Over the last 10 years, no drivers have been compared to the late Dale Earnhardt more than Kyle Busch with exception of Dale Jr. and possibly Tony Stewart.  Kyle Busch has been known for his smirky grins, his dented front bumper, and his ability to let his temper both push him to win and at times push him to be called on the carpet by NASCAR.  There is probably no closer copy of Dale Earnhardt's early years in NASCAR.

Long before the black #3 had millions of fans and won 6 championships in 9 years, Dale Earnhardt drove a pink #2 followed by the yellow #3 Wrangler car.  Those cars and Earnhardt's long hair and bushy mustache were synonymous with on-track beating and banging.  Yes Earnhardt won the championship in 1980, his second year, but he did not produce consistent domination until he developed his ability for long term focus. 

There is no worker in the garage, fan in the stands, or commentator on Sunday afternoons that doubts Kyle Busch's ability for short term focus.  Every driver in NASCAR knows exactly how far Busch will go if he ends up on their rear bumper with 10 to go.  But what Kyle Busch has lacked is the ability turn winning races into winning Sprint Cups.

Part of what has been in Kyle's way of winning Cups is the fact that the season is long.  Thirty years ago when Dale Earnhardt was wrecking Waltrip and Labonte the season was 29 or 30 races long.  Today Busch is driving in 36 Sprint Cup races per season.  That is, when he can control himself.  Sure that is only 6 more races, you may say, but that is a month and a half more of a season.  Multiply on top of that the fact that Busch has been racing Nationwide races and truck series races and managing his own truck series team.  No wonder that by mid October he may not remember exactly where NASCAR's line is.  I'm sure they are more than happy to point it out for him when needed.

Some of that packed schedule may be thinned for the 2012 season.  Word out this week is that Busch will possibly run a small Nationwide schedule with little to no truck series races.  Although Busch would rather be behind the wheel than anywhere else, perhaps given some time to sit and watch could do him good, especially as the season progresses.

In the past 4 years Kyle Busch has had one of the best winning totals in NASCAR, 19 wins, just two behind Jimmie Johnson.  However, in those years when he should have contended and possibly won championships, Busch had zero wins in the final 12 races of the year.  Actually, Kyle Busch has only one Chase win in his career and that was in 2005.  Also, in 2008 when Busch dominated victory lane with 8 wins, he had no wins in the final 14 races.  All of the 8 wins came in the first 22 races.  Yes, 8 out of 22 is domination, but 0 for 14 allows championships to slip away, especially in the Chase format.

Will a thinning of his itinerary and a tight grip on the reigns by Joe and J.D. Gibbs propel Busch to contend and perhaps win the championship in 2012 or beyond?  Time will tell, but I don't foresee him wrecking any cars under caution or spinning any unmanned cars on pit road during the 2012 season.  That, of course, doesn't mean he can't "rattle their cage" every now and then...

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Tony's Tiebreaker

The close of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Season comes to an end with a bang.  I for one have never been a big fan of Homestead Miami Speedway, but the 2001 season finale left nothing to be desired.  The points battle entering the race was a mere 3 points and the top two drivers in the standings finish 1-2.  To make it more amazing, the points standing actually ended tied, with a tiebreaker giving the 2011 Sprint Cup Championship to Tony Stewart based on the most wins in the season (Stewart had 5 wins and Edwards 1).

But even more amazing than how tight the season actually finished are the many stories included in how they reached the final laps of the Ford 400.  Stewart entered the Chase as an unlikely contender who had struggled throughout the summer and had no wins.  Edwards entered as the points leader who had one win and was not dominant, but highly consistent with top 5 finishes. 

Although Edwards had no wins in the Chase, in fact, he had no wins since March at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, he seemed flawless with an average finish of 4.9 for the Chase races, even finishing with three straight runner-up finishes.  However, Stewart proved to much, overcoming his own Chase average finish of 6.3 with 5 wins, 3 of which came in the last 4 races, to win his 3rd NASCAR Sprint Cup Champtionship.

The last race itself was full of drama, seemingly start to finish, with Stewart having to restart 40th just a few laps in, as he sustained some early damage to his car.  He made his way to the front quickly, however, often threading the needle and even going 4 wide at times to make up the positions on his competitor, Edwards.  In the end, with all of the fuel mileage out the window, Edwards simply could not catch Stewart and became the closest second place Cup finisher in NASCAR history.

With the new points system put into place this year focused on both tightening the standings and placing more emphasis on winning, NASCAR has to feel the 2011 season has been a success.  The 3 point gap heading into Homestead is not mind blowing of when you extrapolate that that would be equal to about 10-11 points in the old system, but NASCAR has never had to rely on the tiebreaker to settle the series championship. 

Congratulations to NASCAR, Tony Stewart, and even Carl Edwards.  Anyone know how many days until the Daytona 500??

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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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Returning To Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s Strength, Not Plate Tracks, Short Tracks!

With last weeks disappointing 25th finish at Talladega, many Dale Jr. fans were left with not much hope for the end of the season.  They began their work week grumbling about NASCAR, Team Orders, Tandem (Two Car) racing, and dadgum "laying back."  Well, maybe I'm speaking mostly for myself, but from the replies I received from my last post I don't think I am alone.

Most Dale Earnhardt Jr. fans, and other NASCAR fans in general, don't like to see their driver falling to the back to simply ride around till the finish.  We want to see white knuckle racing, passing on the outside, and threading of needles.  We have a dry, bitter taste in our mouth that is the residue of two-car racing and we are hoping for something to wash that flavor away.

Well, help may be here.  This week NASCAR returns to Martinsville Speedway and although many people equate Dale Earnhardt Jr. with the restrictor plate tracks of Daytona and Talladega, where he has 7 wins, his real strength is on a much shorter circuit.  Yes, although he only has 4 wins at the sport's 3 short  tracks, they are 3 of his 5 best tracks for average finish; and the other two are the intermediate tracks of Atlanta and Texas.

Dale Earnhardt's top 5 tracks (in average finish) are 1 - Bristol (11.7), 2 - Atlanta (12.8), 3 - Martinsville (13.3), 4 - Richmond (14.4), and 5 - Texas (14.5).  His average finish at both Talladega and Daytona is 15.0.  Of course this is mainly due to the unpredictable nature of the plate tracks, but Dale Jr. has definitely shown an ability in the past to keep his car clean until the end of the race and apply front bumper when needed: two traits that are paramount to good finishes at short tracks.

Martinsville is a strong suit in general for Hendrick Motorsports and is also where Dale Jr. was passed late in the spring to finish runner-up to Kevin Harvick.  I'm sure if Junior can make it to 2nd with 10 laps or so to go this weekend that his fans will forget about last week, especially if he is chasing down the 29.  I am also certain that if given the chance to chase a car down for the lead late this weekend that Dale Jr. will definitely let out some aggression from his late race frustration from last week.

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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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Joe Gibbs Racing Faces Tough Four Races

Coming out of an up and down Coke 600, Joe Gibbs Racing is sitting in pretty good position for the season. Kyle Busch is 5th in the points standings and has two wins and Hamlin and Logano seem to have survived recent team issues and are beginning to be competitive again. And although Hamlin and Logano are outside the top ten, they are making ground. Hamlin is just 18 points out and Logano is 74 points out. Both still can make the Chase.

The next four races, however, pose quite a task for the team. Although there are bright spots, like Pocono for Hamlin, these next races have not been kind to the team as a whole. There will be JGR fans reading this that will scoff at this thought, since JGR has 6 combined wins at the next four tracks of Kansas, Pocono, Michigan, and Sonoma, but please, hear me out.

JGR has an average finish of 19th for the combined four tracks. That number may be decent for some teams, but for a top 5 team and two teams struggling to get in the top 10, they won’t get the job done. Not to mention, a return to aggravation for the 20 and 11 teams could very well be catastrophic right now.

Does this mean that success it out of the question for a few weeks? No! Only a fool would bet against Kyle Busch as long as there is gas in the car, Denny Hamlin is a virtual lock for a top 5 at Pocono, and Michigan is one of Logano’s best tracks in his young career.

What will be the test, however, is can all three of these teams put together the run they need over a stretch of races that are historically unkind to them. Especially the 11 and 20 teams that need to continue their march toward the top 10.

Although Logano’s average finish for the four races is the lowest at 22nd, Kyle Busch’s average finish of 20th is probably the most surprising. In fact, Busch’s best average finish out of the four tracks is his average of 18th at Michigan. At each of the other three he averages 20th or higher.

The coming race at Kansas is historically one of the most problematic for the JGR teams. The JGR average finish at Kansas is an unacceptable 23rd, with Hamlin averaging 18th, Busch 24th, and Logano 28th in his three visits to the 1.5 mile track.

Yes, the work will be difficult for the next four races, but don’t plan on seeing me bet against JGR. Each of the drivers, especially Busch and Hamlin, have proven that they are capable of winning anywhere. We will see if they can conquer the coming tracks en route to a possibly challenging for the championship again.

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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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Racing Into The All-Star Race New Territory For Earnhardt Jr.

In a few days, two weeks of racing will begin at the Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Charlotte, North Carolina. NASCAR’s Cup teams will be returning to racing at their home track (home track for most, at least) for both the Sprint All-Star Race and the Coca-Cola 600 the following weekend.

The All-Star race at Charlotte has been an event marked by wild passes, hard wrecks, and aggressive racing for 26 years and this Saturday will be held once again. It began in 1985 as “The Winston”, named for the series sponsor at the time, and quickly became a hit with NASCAR fans and drivers alike. The short length and aggressive racing being much like the feature races at local tracks, the all-star event was soon a staple in the NASCAR Cup Series season.

The storied race has had many winners, beginning with Darrell Waltrip in 1985. There was much history for the initial race, which was not preceded that year by a qualifying race for those who did not automatically qualify, like there will be this week. The pole sitter for the Winston was Terry Labonte and the race was called by Mike Joy, and the color commentator was Neil Bonnett. The race this week will be called by Mike Joy and one of the color commentators will be Darrell Waltrip. Familiar territory for both, I am sure.

One thing that will not be familiar, since 2000 at least, is that Dale Earnhardt Jr. will not be automatically in the All-Star Race. In 2000, his rookie year, he posted his first Sprint Cup Series win at Texas Motor Speedway, five races before the All-Star event, and then won again at Richmond, one race before. He then became the first rookie, and one of two total (Ryan Newman 2002), to win the event. Now, since he has not won in over 103 races and his automatic bid due to winning the All Star race has expired, Earnhardt Jr. will have to gain entry by either winning the Sprint Showdown, or, very likely, receiving enough fan votes.

One positive for having to race in the showdown before the main event is that Earnhardt and Letarte will have extra laps to dial the car in before racing with the best of the series. That has been a benefit for some drivers in past races, but rarely translates into wins.

An obvious negative is that he has much more possibility of wrecking out before reaching the end of the All-Star race. Due to the nature of the events with no championship points applied, there are always big wrecks and a good bit of beating and banging.

Either way, whether Junior reaches the end of the Saturday night thriller or not, fans can bank on the race being eventful and fun to watch as it always is!


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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Will Hendrick Motorsports Return To Domination At Martinsville?

Few tracks have been dominated by Hendrick Motorsports the past ten years like Martinsville Speedway. Out of the twenty races in the past ten years, HMS drivers have won ten. A fifty percent win percentage is not too bad. However, the only number that has dominated the past three visits to the Virginia short track has been the number eleven.

Denny Hamlin has had a firm grasp on the key to the winners circle at Martinsville Speedway the past three years, but is currently having a slow start to the 2011 season. Although he definitely knows how to win at the half mile track, one would question if his team is even on a winning path at this point in the season.

Even though the past nine races at Martinsville have been won by either Johnson or Hamlin, the current win leader there is Jeff Gordon. He may not have won there since 2005, but he does have 7 wins there and in the races since his last win there, only once did he finish outside the top five. I am certain that his new crew chief, Alan Gustafson, will be reminding him of his last second place finish to Jimmie Johnson there, in which Johnson gave him some memorable front bumper love.

Johnson may want to exact some revenge of his own. Fresh off a disappointing late race loss at Auto Club Speedway to Kevin Harvick, Johnson will undoubtedly want to return to victory lane at Martinsville. He has not won there in four races, and may be slightly remembering the view from there. I doubt that however since he has won there six times and has been quite dominant there in the past 5 years.

The other two Hendrick drivers are probably not on anyone’s favorite list this week, but should definitely be kept on any dark horse list. Mark Martin is not having a great beginning to the season, but has had some solid finishes as of late. He has not had the dominant finishes at Martinsville that Gordon and Johnson have had, but he is a two time winner there, the last win coming in 2000 while he was driving for Jack Roush.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. doesn’t top anyone’s list of Martinsville greats, nor has he won there. But at which track has he led the most laps in his NASCAR Sprint Cup career? Yep, that was an easy one, Martinsville. You read it right, he has led more at the half mile paperclip than he has led at Talladega. Of course, there are more laps in a Martinsville race than in two Talladega races, but to put it into perspective, he has led more laps there than Daytona and Richmond combined, sites of 5 of his wins. Also, the most top five finishes he has at any track is 8. He has reached that number at Talladega (5 wins), Richmond (3 wins), Daytona (2 wins), Atlanta (1 win), and, you guessed it, Martinsville.

Now, I’m definitely not making a pick for this weekend off the above paragraph alone, but I definitely think that the 48 will not be the only HMS car in the top five this weekend. The question, still, is will they again claim the Martinsville victory lane as their turf… We will know in a few days…


Follow Joseph Davis on Twitter @the_Bumpdrafter

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Harvick On The Rise...

As he completed his outside pass on Jimmie Johnson Sunday, Kevin Harvick must have felt a huge difference from the end of last year. Toward the end of the Chase, last fall, Harvick had a better finishing average than all other racers… except Jimmie Johnson. No matter how hard he charged late in the race, he always seemed to get one view at the checkered flag, the 48’s rear spoiler.

So far, this season, Harvick has had decent finishes, including a 4th and a 6th place finish. However, disappointment at Daytona where he finished 42nd, and a mediocre 17th at Phoenix had him 15th in the points heading into Auto Club Speedway in California on Sunday. He returned to form, though, bye charging from mid pack to a late race win.

His first place finish moved him to 9th in Sprint Cup points, just 30 points behind leader Carl Edwards. Although it is very early to talk about points, the fact that Harvick is beginning to place marks in his win column for the year will only help him when the Chase begins and drivers are placed by number of wins. Have no doubt, when the Chase starts this fall, Harvick will be in it, and he will be charging even harder than 2010. The only place he will be satisfied seeing Jimmie Johnson will be in his rear view mirror, growing smaller.

Of course, that is no small task. Since its inception, no driver/crew chief team has had the Chase figured out better than Johnson and Knaus. They have perfected the art of preparation during the season for winning during the final ten races. During his five championship runs, Johnson has won 13 out of 50 chase races. That is over 25% of the Chase races.

During those same years, Harvick has only 2 wins during the Chase, a stat he well definitely have to change if he wants to be the one to dethrone “Five Time” before he becomes “Six Time.” Harvick’s problem in recent years has been that he has faded late in the season, due to a mix of lack of focus and team issues. In 2010, however, he was strong during the Chase, but came up short mostly due to a couple of stumbles early in the Chase.

Another stat he will have to best is that of no stumbles in the Chase. During the past five Chases, Johnson has had two finishes of 30th or worse and four finishes of 20th or worse in 50 races. That is almost as amazing as his Chase win total. If someone wishes to beat Johnson, they will truly have to race a flawless ten races – no DNF’s, and charge back from any adversity.

It is early yet, but it seems there are more teams preparing for the Chase this year and some may have caught on to the Knaus/Johnson recipe for Chase success. If not, I am certain that they will be glad to give just one more lesson…


Follow Joseph Davis on Twitter @the_Bumpdrafter !

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Now The Season Begins!

The gates are closed, trash is being removed from the bleachers, and the cars and drivers are all gone, except one…  Now that Trevor Bayne, the Daytona Cinderella story, has won the Daytona 500, the attentions of drivers and crew chiefs alike has turned to Phoenix and the rest of the 2011 season.

NASCAR, the only pro sport to open with its largest and most coveted event, is more about handling, grip, and downforce than it is about the bumpdrafting and two car drafts that have dominated the sport for the past two weeks.  Many drivers and teams have said in the past that when you arrive at the plate tracks that you’ve got what you’ve got, whereas at the small and intermediate tracks a good team and crew chief can propel a driver toward the front or make him unable to compete.

For many teams, Phoenix holds many unknowns. How well did teams prepare and grow in the off season? How will new driver/crew chief relationships work?  How will the new noses work on downforce tracks?

I am sure that the plentitude of drivers whose hopes were wrecked at Daytona will be happy to have more of their fate in their own hands. Nobody will be shoving them around the track, not without fireworks. Also, there probably won't be any 10 car wrecks. 

Back to sanity, well, sanity for NASCAR anyway.  Let the season begin!


For more by Joseph Davis, visit http://thespotterstand.com and follow him on Twitter @the_Bumpdrafter

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