|| *Comments on the 2011 Samsung Mobile 500:* View the most recent comment <#113> | Post a comment <#post> 1. Schroeder51 posted: 04.10.2011 - 12:02 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) After tonight, I'm pretty well convinced that this will be the worst season of Jeff Gordon's career. 2. Anonymous posted: 04.10.2011 - 12:02 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) People are probably going to gripe about this being a boring race, but I found it interesting. A lot of long green flag runs and a lot of different strategies played out. Unfortunately none of them worked at Kenseth, who dominated, won the race. 3. Schroeder51 posted: 04.10.2011 - 12:04 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Martin Truex, Jr. had a hard crash for the second week in a row, after Kevin Harvick got into the back of him off turn 2 and turned him into the wall. He got T-boned by Mark Martin and Regan Smith was caught up as well. 4. potatosalad48 posted: 04.10.2011 - 12:09 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Matt Kenseth ends a 76 race losing streak with a dominating win at Texas. 5. Rusty posted: 04.10.2011 - 12:10 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) No question about this one. Matt Kenseth flat out handed everyone their butts in this one. Clint Bowyer looked to challenge him at one point, but while leading late he nearly got into the lap traffic of Brian Vickers and allowed Kenseth to retake the lead. Kurt Busch had a horribly loose car all night but tried to steal one using pit strategy and stay out later than everyone else, but he didn't have enough fuel and couldn't catch a caution. His strategy did help him get a top 10 in a bad race car while leading the most laps of anyone not named Matt Kenseth. Notes: -Cup debut for David Starr in 38th -First career Cup pole for David Ragan, who got his 2nd straight top 10 finish. -Brad Keselowski led a career high 32 laps in this race but still ended up 18th. 6. Anonymous posted: 04.10.2011 - 12:12 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) If Ryan doesn't claim Matt wasn't wearing out his equipment by leading a lot of laps despite wining the race, he is very biased since he claims when ever Kyle wears out his equipment when he leads a lot of laps. Matt had a car that would have led over 200 laps if it wasn't for strategy by Tony Stewart and Kyle Busch. According to Ryan, lead over 200 laps is wearing out your race car like Kyle Busch does if if the driver wins the race. 7. Anonymous posted: 04.10.2011 - 12:14 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) I thought this was a really good race and was glad to see Kenseth win. Only one fake caution, which unfortunately resulted in the Truex/Martin/Smith wreck. Marcos Ambrose comes home in sixth, his second top-10 in two intermediate starts this year. It looks like they've got their program worked out, he was in the top-10 all night. Tony Stewart through a win away. 8. Eric posted: 04.10.2011 - 12:16 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Matt is now getting closer to having a Nascar Hall of Fame Resume. Matt is a handful of cup wins away from not going into the Nascar Hall of Fame based on his cup career. Matt is only 2 wins away from tying Bobby Labonte in career cup wins 3 cup wins away from tying Terry Labonte. Matt is now tied with Fronty Flack, Carl Edwards, Buddy Baker and Davey Allison with 19 career cup wins. 9. Argent posted: 04.10.2011 - 12:19 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Biggest snoozer of the year (fitting that the most boring driver on the tour wins the most boring race, though) unless you're a Rou$$$h fan or you enjoy other activites such as watching paint dry or grass grow. And what the hell is wrong with the 24? At least last year Gordon was coming close but getting screwed. This year he finally managed a win -- which looks now like a total fluke by an incompetent team, a clueless crew chief and an apathetic driver. I expect a lot better from these guys. Who'd have thought they'd miss Steve Letarte??? Sheesh Gordo, why not just hang it up now and give the ride to Danica? Barf. 10. Rusty posted: 04.10.2011 - 12:26 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) I've been a big critic of Paul Menard, and still don't think he's really all that talented. But his move to RCR is giving him respectable results on the track for sure. He came into this season with only 2 career top 5s, and he has 2 in the first seven races of 2011. He could make the chase this year. 11. Eric posted: 04.10.2011 - 12:32 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) The 24 teams best finish on mile and half or 2 mile tracks this year is 18th. Jeff Gordon seems to be repeating his 2005 season. That is Jeff is good on tracks that are not 2 mile or a mile and half oval tracks. Dale Jr. is the winner out of the crew chief swap between the 5, 24 and the 88 so far this year. The 88 team has been steady and consistent around the top 10 starting at Phoenix. He already is halfway to his amount of top 10's he had in 2010. The only problem with the 88 team is the fact they can't qualify in the top 20 after winning the Daytona 500 pole. 12. Anonymous posted: 04.10.2011 - 12:33 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Great run by Marcos Ambrose tonight and a solid night for Trevor Bayne getting his second 17th place finish at Texas. 13. Anonymous posted: 04.10.2011 - 12:35 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) "Tony Stewart through a win away." How did he throw a win away when he didn't have enough fuel to make it regardless? And if anything, having to do that pass-through penalty *saved* him more gas than he would have had otherwise. Not to mention the fact that the only reason he was going to maaaaaybe have a shot at winning, was because they tried a risky strategy that would have left them on much older tires than everyone else at the end of the race if there was a caution, and the chances of that not happening were incredibly slim considering how often there is a caution in the final 50 laps at Texas in almost every race held there. And on top of that, he damaged the front right of his car early on in the race, so he probably wasn't even as aerodynamic or fast as the rest of the leaders, and he had to pit off sequence to even smell the lead. And even before he wrecked, he was further behind Kenseth than the amount of time it cost him to serve his penalty, meaning Kenseth was almost certainly going to win anyway, even if Stewart had the gas, which as we already discussed, he didn't! Seriously, is your mind not all there? You can see things that happen with your eyes, right? Did you even watch the race? 14. The Paul Menard Empire posted: 04.10.2011 - 12:49 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) The Empire approves of it's performance in tonight's race 15. 18fan posted: 04.10.2011 - 12:49 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) I thought Biffle and Edwards would be serious contenders but they didn't really have enough to challenge Matt. David Ragan's first pole in his 153rd start makes Regan Smith the active driver with the most starts and no poles. For all the passing there was in this race, only Paul Menard and Dale Jr. started outside the top 10 and finished in the top 10. Disappointing runs for both Red Bull cars and Jaime McMurray. Kyle Busch and Clint Bowyer were the only real contenders to win from outside the Ford camp but Kyle had multiple loose wheels and finished 16th with a better car and Bowyer made one run at Kenseth and took the lead but got tangled up with Vickers and lost the lead he could never get back. I know Stewart, Keselowski, and Kurt Busch led significant laps but Keselowski's came early after a strategy call and Stewart and Kurt were only up front when they were stretching their fuel and hoping for a caution. Regan Smith's average start this year is an astonishing 6.3 but his average finish is a pretty dismal 28.1 and he's 30th in points. Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards are the only others to average a top 10 start with Kyle at 8.7 and Carl at 10.0 and they are 1-2 in points with Carl's average finish at 8.6 and Kyle's at 10.1. 16. irony posted: 04.10.2011 - 1:01 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Stewart had the winning strategy but threw it away by speeding in the pits. He may of had a big enough lead to coast to win like he did at Kansas a few years ago, but I doubt it. I'm really tired of races at these big wide tracks where the field gets separated so quickly, but some people like them so great. At least the races have been authentic this year. NASCAR is only throwing fake cautions in the middle of the race. Also not a fan of making this a night race. At least Phoenix looked glamorous under the lights, but really the only day-into-night race should be the Coke 600. Good job by David Starr and his team getting into the race. 17. Anonymous posted: 04.10.2011 - 1:08 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Denny Hamlin can probably hit the panic button on his season now, he was not even remotely competitive at the track he swept last season, and didn't get a good finish at Martinsville either. Even making the chase seems like a longshot now. I don't know if its because of the new points system or if this season is more competitive, but every race this season has produced a different points leader than the previous week. No driver has led it for two straight weeks. Dale Jr seems to have become to worst qualifier in Cup, yet he has 6 straight top 12's and improves his finish by 15 positions on average in every race. For that matter, Jimmie's qualifying has been poor this year despite having the best average start the last four years. He is in a bit of a dry spell in terms of wins though. Gordon's Phoenix win looks like a fluke when compared to the rest of his season. I can't remember the last time he ran this poorly in a race. Mark was running about where a Lance McGrew led team runs before he wrecked. Good job to FOX for taking the time to explain how speeding on pit road is measured and even showing the 14 highlighted in red after it was busted. 18. Anonymous posted: 04.10.2011 - 1:14 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) "Good job to FOX for taking the time to explain how speeding on pit road is measured and even showing the 14 highlighted in red after it was busted." Although NASCAR should completely change the whole system. Ditch the 5mph buffer, and get rid of the "average speed over segments" deal. It's supposed to be about safety, not competition. 19. Smokefan05 posted: 04.10.2011 - 1:25 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) "People are probably going to gripe about this being a boring race, but I found it interesting. A lot of long green flag runs and a lot of different strategies played out. Unfortunately none of them worked at Kenseth, who dominated, won the race." Agree 100%. I enjoy races that have long green runs and that envolve pit strategies. I said this on the Datyona 500 page "Tony, what where you doing?" It holds true again, Tony what where you doing? Glad to see Matt "the brat" win and end his losing streak. Jr. seems to have gotten the better end of the deal with the CC swap. Mr. Menards move to RCR has been nothing but good this year but lets see if he can't keep it up. Does anybody know the last time David Ragen pulled back to back top 10s? I can't recall any on the Cup side. 20. Smokefan05 posted: 04.10.2011 - 1:26 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) ^ can keep it up. 21. BLabonte47 posted: 04.10.2011 - 1:28 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) David Ragan got his first pole and led the first 11 laps of the race. That ties for the most laps he's ever led in a race with the fall Talladega race in 2008 where he also led 11 laps. Which is kinda sad. 22. Mike posted: 04.10.2011 - 1:30 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Both Jeff Gordon and Mark Martin are in huge trouble. I'm not surprised about Mark since he's driving for what used to be the #88 team, but I am surprised about Jeff. I thought him and Alan would do great this year but right now they are out to lunch on the 1.5 mile tracks. Oh, and isn't it amazing what Dale Jr can do when given good cars? He's on pace to match his top 10 total from the last 2 years combined. I think a win is just around the corner. 23. Anonymous posted: 04.10.2011 - 1:35 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) "I said this on the Datyona 500 page "Tony, what where you doing?" It holds true again, Tony what where you doing?" He would have won, were it not for that speeding penalty. They made the winning call, but the driver threw it away. 24. Watto posted: 04.10.2011 - 2:00 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) "He would have won, were it not for that speeding penalty. They made the winning call, but the driver threw it away." Good chance that Kenseth would've still won the race though, especially if Stewart started running dry on the final lap like he ended up doing. Sucks for Stewart, but Kenseth was the class of the field so I was happy to see him win. Happy to see Menard and Jr post solid runs. I really would like to see Jr win some races this year and throw that winless streak out the window. Of course, some people disagree with that because we're supposed to root against whoever is popular, but Jr is a good dude and I learned a few years ago to put the drivers' fans aside and root for the driver based on who the driver actually is. The amount of fans who want him to do poorly just to show that he's overrated is unreal, especially considering not many of them realize that "overrated" is very different from "more popular than drivers who accomplish more". 25. Anonymous posted: 04.10.2011 - 2:10 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) "Good chance that Kenseth would've still won the race though, especially if Stewart started running dry on the final lap like he ended up doing. Sucks for Stewart, but Kenseth was the class of the field so I was happy to see him win. " I think that the time that he would have had by not getting a pass through penalty would have made enough of a difference. Also, he may have burnt up a some fuel in frustration after being penalized. Stewart was the last car on the lead lap, and I'm pretty sure I remember the live leaderboard showing him as 29-30 seconds behind the leader...so I reckon he might have been ok were it not for the pass through. Although on that, I'm glad Kenseth won and would rather he won that Stewart. 26. 18fan posted: 04.10.2011 - 2:25 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Pretty much any drama this race could've had ended when Stewart sped on pit road because it was obvious Kurt Busch could not make it on fuel and if he did there was no way he was going to beat Kenseth. 27. 00andJoe posted: 04.10.2011 - 2:58 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) The #13 moves into the top 35 in owners' points. The #37 drops out (and to 37th), while the formerly-tied-for-35th #71 is now 36th, 4 points back. 28. 00andJoe posted: 04.10.2011 - 2:58 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Owners' points counting only each team's highest-finishing car: 1. Roush, 291 2. Childress, 287 3. Hendrick, 283 4. Gibbs, 279 5. Stewart-Haas, 248 6. Penske, 240 7. Petty, 239 8. Earnhardt-Ganassi, 235 9. Red Bull, 212 10. Waltrip, 192 11. JTG-Daughtery, 157 12. Phoenix, 136 13. Wood Brothers, 132 14. Furniture Row, 112 15. Front Row, 118 16. FAS Lane, 110 17. Robby Gordon, 104 18. Germain, 93 19. TRG, 89 20. Baldwin, 87 21. Max Q, 73 (nb: took over the #37 after Daytona, it was only a FRR car there) 22. Whitney, 26 23. HP, 25 24. Rusty Wallace, 24 25. NEMCO, 19 26. K-Automotive, 9 27. Leavine-Fenton, 6 29. 00andJoe posted: 04.10.2011 - 3:01 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) er, the #37 was meant to be said as being FRM at Daytona, not FRR. It is almost 3am.... 30. Kit posted: 04.10.2011 - 3:36 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Wow, Jr. is starting to show a pulse this year, after being in cold-pac the past several seasons. 31. AlmirolaFan88 posted: 04.10.2011 - 4:30 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Another solid Twenty-something'th finish for Landon Cassill, expect him to be a sleeper pick in #09 at Talladega. 32. AlmirolaFan88 posted: 04.10.2011 - 4:36 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Also the first time Paul Menard has finished in the Top 5 in both races of a Nationwide/Cup weekend. 33. Brad posted: 04.10.2011 - 8:30 am Rate this comment: (0) (1) Possibly the most boring race I have ever seen... 34. DaleSrFanForever posted: 04.10.2011 - 10:05 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Congrats to Matt and Jimmy Fennig for administering a first class ass whipping to the field. Glad to see him win again. He is a winner and deserves it. Hopefully he can really make it work with him and Jimmy. Ever since Robbie left the pit box, the ghost of the incredible chemistry those two had has seemed to have haunted Matt. Hopefully he has found a long term solution to that and go back to contending for championships like him and Robbie used to do. Remember, only two drivers and two crew chiefs have won championships for Roush. Matt, Jimmy, Robbie (who has taken a front office job), and Kurt Busch who immediately bolted for Penske so he can win half the races per year he used to win with Roush and finish 3 spots lower in points per year. This could be a potent combination. I'm glad the race had so much green flag racing. That is what intermediates need. The racing simply isn't good, so they need the different strategies to keep things exciting. Texas puts on better racing in the daytime when the track is hot and slick and the cars go slower. I agree with irony, I think night racing is overrated. The cooler air makes the cars go faster, slide around less, which hurts the racing. The only night races should be the Bud Shootout, The Winston, the Fall Bristol race, the Fall Richmond race, and the Coke 600 should end at night. All others should be run entirely in daylight unless rain pushes back the start or halts the race at some point. "Wow, Jr. is starting to show a pulse this year, after being in cold-pac the past several seasons." I guess it finally dawned on him "Hmmmm, I have championship caliber talent, am on the best team in NASCAR, and have been moved in the same shop as Five Time, maybe I should start giving a shit again". I really think moving him in with the #48 team woke him up. I think he realizes he didn't deserve that. I think he knows it only happened because of his popularity due to his last name, and because of the father/son relationship him and Rick have, with each filling a void tragically left in each other's lives. I think he realizes he needs to take advantage of this. "The Empire approves of it's performance in tonight's race" lol "Sheesh Gordo, why not just hang it up now and give the ride to Danica? Barf." That also made me laugh. Actually, if Danica replaced Jeff, would anyone notice? They are the same height, have the same voice pitch, whine a lot, and both pee sitting down. If she cut her hair they would be indistinguishable. 35. DaleSrFanForever posted: 04.10.2011 - 10:15 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) One last thing, Denny is the latest victim of the "Johnson Effect" (I love that term cause it sounds like the name of a 70s XXX movie). Ever since 2004, people who battle JJ for the title (even those who won) have disappointing follow ups. The list: Kurt Busch, Jeff Gordon, June (2005); Smoke, Edwards, Biff (2006); Denny, Harvick, June, Kenseth (2007); Gordon (2008); Edwards and Biff (2009); Mark (2010); Denny (2011). It'll be interesting to see how Harvick holds up over the course of this season. 36. Matthew Tesfaye posted: 04.10.2011 - 10:18 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Great Finishes for Ragan, Amborse, and Menard. Dissapointing Finishes for Harvick, J. Gordon, Kahne, McMurray, Logano, and Reutimann. These drivers must step up through the season, otherwise they will have a bad season 37. Android posted: 04.10.2011 - 10:40 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Kyle Busch had a left rear wheel assembly mechanical issue, thus getting the multiple loose wheels throughout the race. If not for that I think he would've challenged for the win. 38. Jarrett88fan posted: 04.10.2011 - 11:03 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Larry Mac and DW are still waiting for a caution... somehow I knew unless a driver scrapped the wall or spun out by themselves, NO caution would fall after the Truex/Martin/Smith wreck on the backstretch. The late-race phantom debris cautions tend to fall when you don't expect them. Kurt Busch provided the soundbite of the race: "I'm driving over my head!" What a microcosm of the #22 team's season. The FOX crew were awkwardly silent for a few seconds. "One last thing, Denny is the latest victim of the "Johnson Effect" (I love that term cause it sounds like the name of a 70s XXX movie). Ever since 2004, people who battle JJ for the title (even those who won) have disappointing follow ups." I've thought long and hard... The "Johnson Effect" would make for a cheesy XXX movie in any decade. I'm willing to wait until Dover to proclaim Hamlin a victim of JJ's effect. As for Harvick, he seemed to struggle at Vegas and Texas this year more so than in 2010. The #29 team's weakness is intermediates and it is a matter of degree compared to Gordon's and Mark Martin's struggles on intermediate speedways. 39. Jarrett88fan posted: 04.10.2011 - 11:10 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) This is true, but I would return Atlanta to a daytime race DSSF. The first Richmond race definitely needs to revert back to being a daytime race, except when rain delays the start or postponement to Monday afternoon. "I agree with irony, I think night racing is overrated. The cooler air makes the cars go faster, slide around less, which hurts the racing. The only night races should be the Bud Shootout, The Winston, the Fall Bristol race, the Fall Richmond race, and the Coke 600 should end at night. All others should be run entirely in daylight unless rain pushes back the start or halts the race at some point." 40. RaceFanX posted: 04.10.2011 - 11:22 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Kevin Buckler and the Racer's Group team switched their #71 from Chevrolets to Fords leading up to this race. Driver Andy Lally actually had a pretty rough night in his debut for the Blue Oval Boys, he hit the wall early and wasw behind all night in the pastel teal Interstate Moving Services car. 41. 18fan posted: 04.10.2011 - 11:38 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) I agree with everybody who says night races are overrated. I would like to see Richmond and Darlington in the daytime. 42. Matthew Tesfaye posted: 04.10.2011 - 11:58 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) JEFF GORDON WILL BE BACK! 43. RacingRocks57 posted: 04.10.2011 - 1:19 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Nice finish for Kenseth. Just what he needed. Finally beating a 76 race winless streak. Anyone think Jr. will be aggressive? Next week is his 100th cup start since he got a win. 44. Cooper posted: 04.10.2011 - 1:28 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Anybody headed to North Wilkesboro today? $75000 to the winner, 44 car field. The late model race will feature some NASCAR names like Brian Ickler, Cale Gale, Ross Kenseth, Ryan Blaney, Mario Gosselin, Erik Darnell, Geoff Bodine and my driver Sterling Marlin. It was supposed to run yesterday night but it got postponed due to rain. If anyone is going, keep an eye on Sterling for me. According to wikipedia Ross Kenseth, is Matt's son. I've been watching NASCAR since 2001 and I never knew that. Anyway here is the starting lineup... 1st 54 Johnny Clark 2nd 4 Jay Fogleman 3rd 53 Pat Kelly 4th 29 Andy Loden 5th 112 Augie Grill 6th 18 Bubba Pollard 7th 98 Justin Wakefield 8th 74 Ryan Moore 9th 154 Brian Ickler 10th 51 Stephen Nasse 11th 83 Cale Gale 12th 39 Kenzie Ruston 13th 29s Trevor Sanborn 14th 51 TJ Reaid 15th 08 Chris Eggleston 16th 91l Patrick Laperle 17th 25 Ross Kenseth 18th 10 Ryan Blaney 19th 129 Jeff Choquette 20th 26 Preston Peltier 21st 115 Jody Lavender 22nd 51k Rebecca Kasten 23rd 61 Mario Gosslin 24th 62 Brandon Ward 25th 7 Erik Darnell 26th 91 Heath Hindman 27th 47s Corey Williams 28th 24n Mike Rowe 29th 64 Garrett Evans 30th 84 Scott Mulkern 31st 47 Trey Mitchell 32nd 05 Alex Fleming 33rd 4n Ben Rowe 34th 73 Joey Doiron 35th 20 Steve Legendre 36th 8 Cassius Clark 37th 75 Gary Smith 38th 48 John Batten 39th 23 Jimmy Weller 40th 17a Scott Alexander 41st 1n Randy Turner 42nd 2 Gray Gaulding 43rd 10b Geoff Bodine 44th 40 Sterling Marlin 45. Ryan posted: 04.10.2011 - 1:32 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "If Ryan doesn't claim Matt wasn't wearing out his equipment by leading a lot of laps despite wining the race, he is very biased since he claims when ever Kyle wears out his equipment when he leads a lot of laps. Matt had a car that would have led over 200 laps if it wasn't for strategy by Tony Stewart and Kyle Busch. According to Ryan, lead over 200 laps is wearing out your race car like Kyle Busch does if if the driver wins the race." Never said leading laps was bad, but it seems it always is for Kyle because he drives every lap like it's the last. It's a 500 mile race, you can't win it on the first 50 laps. Other drivers like Kenseth and Johnson who know what their car can do and no not to run it too hard when they get a lead are just more experienced. You're taking it the wrong way and missing the point, leading a lot of laps is fine as long as you take care of your car. Like tonight for instance, Kyle late in the race had a tire vibration. Hmmmm.... What can cause that? Over driving the car! Even when he is in the top five he wears out his car. He doesn't save his tires and/or is too hard on his equipment throughout a race. And come out of your closet Anonymous 46. Evan posted: 04.10.2011 - 1:33 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Was a pretty snoozer of a race, Matt Kenseth did end his losing streak but there wasn't much action except Mark Martin and Martin Truex's crash that was a hard one for Mark. Just a brisk Saturday night drive was all this was. Key Kenseth Factoids(alliteration) * Kenseth's first win not with DEWALT Power Tools or Carhardt. * And first win not with Robbie Reiser or Drew Blickensderfer. * Matt's first win with the new COT spoiler, his '09 wins were with the rear wing. * Matt Kenseth's first win since both his daughters were born. * 2nd driver to win at Texas in the Ford Taurus and new Ford Fusion, Carl Edwards was the first. * Third repeat winner of Texas, Jeff Burton, Carl Edwards...his former Roush teammates. * 8th win for Roush Racing at Texas(most all time) 47. Ryan posted: 04.10.2011 - 1:38 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "Kyle Busch had a left rear wheel assembly mechanical issue, thus getting the multiple loose wheels throughout the race. If not for that I think he would've challenged for the win." That's what I would say too if I loved playing with Busch's sack 48. Ryan posted: 04.10.2011 - 1:43 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) It's obvious the new Ford motor is helping a lot. If we see even more success out of them expect a rule change of some type sonn. 49. Android posted: 04.10.2011 - 1:52 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Ryan why do you act so childish? I was just stating a fact. ??This Interstate Batteries pit crew is the fastest pit crew on pit road, and whenever you??re pushing the limits in a performance-based sport, you??re going to make a mistake,? said Rogers. ??Unfortunately, we left a left-rear wheel loose and after you do that, it just kills all the threads and the studs and from that point forward, you cannot get the wheel tight. We had one error, it looked like we had two to three errors, but it was really one error that caused the mechanical damage that we were stuck with for the rest of the race. I stand behind these guys. I??m going to encourage them to go to Talladega and be even faster. They??re fast every week and they make very few mistakes. I??m proud of them and I??m not going to knock them down tonight." -Dave Rogers, Crew Chief Continue to be objective Ryan! 50. Smokefan05 posted: 04.10.2011 - 1:57 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "The amount of fans who want him to do poorly just to show that he's overrated is unreal, especially considering not many of them realize that "overrated" is very different from "more popular than drivers who accomplish more"." I agree 100%. I may not like Jr. but i was hoping he'd end his streak last race but it didn't happen. A true fan would root for guy to end a losing streak, even if they don't like him. I'm neutral on Matt "the brat" but i'm glad he won and ended his streak. I'm getting the feeling that so many people are sick of seeing JJ win that they are projecting their hate on guys who don't really deserve it. You hate one, you hate them all (minus the drivers you like) 51. Android posted: 04.10.2011 - 1:58 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) What did you think of Stewart costing himself another potential win last night SmokeFan? 52. Smokefan05 posted: 04.10.2011 - 3:12 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) ^ Atleast he admitted he sped on pit road but for the love of everything that is blue and green on this planet to the WHOLE #14 team, QUIT SCREWING UP!!!!!!!!!! -_- 53. Rusty posted: 04.10.2011 - 3:59 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "I'm glad the race had so much green flag racing. That is what intermediates need. The racing simply isn't good, so they need the different strategies to keep things exciting. Texas puts on better racing in the daytime when the track is hot and slick and the cars go slower. I agree with irony, I think night racing is overrated. The cooler air makes the cars go faster, slide around less, which hurts the racing. The only night races should be the Bud Shootout, The Winston, the Fall Bristol race, the Fall Richmond race, and the Coke 600 should end at night. All others should be run entirely in daylight unless rain pushes back the start or halts the race at some point." I agree 100% and add in the July Daytona race. All other races should be in the day. Tracks like Texas, Homestead, and Chicagoland have made their events night races and it's totally lame. I do love night races though, I actually can watch the whole thing and I'm more relaxed. But we don't need so many of them at tracks that don't deserve them. 54. JimmieJohnsonsNeatlyTrimmedBeard posted: 04.10.2011 - 4:21 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "Like tonight for instance, Kyle late in the race had a tire vibration. Hmmmm.... What can cause that? Over driving the car!" Last week you lost my respect with your childish "FACT" rant that you weren't willing to back up and made no sense, and now I see you're back saying more dumb stuff. I can't stand when people make up stuff in their head just to have an excuse to hate on a driver. Even though Kyle Busch rubs me the wrong way as a person, I almost want to see him win just to shut people like you up. Leave your personal feelings out of it if you want to contribute objective analysis to the discussion. 55. DaleSrFanForever posted: 04.10.2011 - 4:27 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "Larry Mac and DW are still waiting for a caution" Ha! They were wanting a caution so bad there at the end. You could see it in there face once the race was over: "Thank God this snoozefest is done and we don't have to pretend to be excited anymore". "I've thought long and hard... The "Johnson Effect" would make for a cheesy XXX movie in any decade." Lol. True. "but I would return Atlanta to a daytime race DSSF" I would too. The races I listed are the only ones I think should be run at night. I probably should have made that clearer. Luckily Atlanta is a tire chewer, kinda like the old Darlington. Day or night, the racing will still be good. But I would prefer to see both run during the day. "Anybody headed to North Wilkesboro today?" Unfortunately no. I would love to, but tickets are too much. Until I finish medic school and get a real job, I need to cut back. I hope to catch all the September and October races there. I just love that racetrack. 56. 00andJoe posted: 04.10.2011 - 5:30 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) #31 - I agree. I wonder why Cassill hasn't switched over to run for Cup points yet? Or maybe that was a "you have to do it after the first race" (or, less charitably, a "Daytona 500 winners only") thing? Following his third-place finish in the Daytona 500, David Gilliland's season has changed to the "if it weren't for bad luck he'd have no luck at all" side. Ouch. Why is the #37 still being shown as a Bob Jenkins car in the R-R results? Larry Gunselman's team has been running the car, leasing the equipment (and number) from Front Row, for at least the last few races, and I think since Phoenix, since at Daytona it was said that was the only race FRM would be running the car at. My personal David Ragan-getting-firedwatch has been pushed back a bit by his showing some more signs of life. But he's still on the hot seat if his performance drops off again, especially if Stenhouse's BGN ride continues in a not-entirely-sponsored state... 57. Anonymous posted: 04.10.2011 - 6:16 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) What's with everyone saying this was a snoozer with no action? Were we watching the same race? The terrible coverage will always make it look bad, but if you were following on the nascar.com leaderboard, it completely changes your perspective on what's going on. Much the same as you would get if you were at the race. But yeah, I thought this race was fantastic, due to the natural flow of the race. If that's not enough for you, then what do you want? I know the answer that most will say, and that's "Talladega". But here's something for you. I thought the finish of this race was more entertaining than the predictable and constructed finish at last years 'dega race. I actually prefer to see a race, not an act. 58. RCRandPenskeGuy posted: 04.10.2011 - 6:43 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) It was nice to see Brad K get up front and lead a good portion of laps (even if the only reason he got there was pit strategy), holding off his teammate and Kenseth until the next caution flew. Matt ends a 2+ year winless streak with a win on a track that he has run very well at throughout his career. Don't care for Kenseth, but I have nothing bad to say about him either. I thought Dale Jr was done as far as being a competitive driver goes considering how his past couple of years went, but he just may have something left for his fellow competitors judging by his strong runs this year. We'll have to wait and see. 59. Ryan posted: 04.10.2011 - 6:54 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) ??This Interstate Batteries pit crew is the fastest pit crew on pit road, and whenever you??re pushing the limits in a performance-based sport, you??re going to make a mistake,? said Rogers. ??Unfortunately, we left a left-rear wheel loose and after you do that, it just kills all the threads and the studs and from that point forward, you cannot get the wheel tight. We had one error, it looked like we had two to three errors, but it was really one error that caused the mechanical damage that we were stuck with for the rest of the race. I stand behind these guys. I??m going to encourage them to go to Talladega and be even faster. They??re fast every week and they make very few mistakes. I??m proud of them and I??m not going to knock them down tonight." -Dave Rogers, Crew Chief That's what I would say too if I was the crew-chief. I've never seen where Kyle Busch lost a race where either he or someone off his team gave an sorry excuse. And then his fans even give bigger excuses. "Last week you lost my respect with your childish "FACT" rant that you weren't willing to back up and made no sense, and now I see you're back saying more dumb stuff. I can't stand when people make up stuff in their head just to have an excuse to hate on a driver. Even though Kyle Busch rubs me the wrong way as a person, I almost want to see him win just to shut people like you up. Leave your personal feelings out of it if you want to contribute objective analysis to the discussion." Jimmie Johnson beard trimmer, I don't care about your respect Whether you respect me or not, which I really don't care, Kyle runs his stuff too hard. Tony Stewart did the same thing when he came in. He used to talk about how Dale Earnhardt would talk to him about how to save his tires at tracks like Rockingham and Richmond. Like in the second race of the season at Rockingham in 2000, in the last run of the race Stewart passed Earnhardt in the early get go then Earnhardt came back and passed Stewart and almost caught Labonte at the end for the win. Then when Stewart won at Richmond in 2001 and thanked Dale in victory lane for his talk with him about it. I know that vets have tried to talk to Kyle about this and he doesn't listen. He proves he is unclutch in the Chase as well. Trust me he has lost a lot of races that he should have won. I don't have to "back" it up either, Kyle's mistakes does it for me. 60. Eric posted: 04.10.2011 - 6:55 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) DaleSrFanForever, Chicagoland was turned into night race because the temperatures in the Day for July. Fans and Drivers probably complained to Nascar about racing in the Day for Chicagoland in July. It is the same reason why the Milwaukee Mile was turned into a night time race when it Nascar races back in early July. July can be brutal month for Midwestern people because that month is prone to temperatures in the 90's or even over 100 degrees outside in the day. People from upper Midwest are prone to have problems handling temperatures in the 90's or higher because the region don't get those type of temperatures most of the year. I live in Wisconsin all my life and I can tell you Wisconsin can get into the 90's or higher, but it might not happen before late June or early July in some years. Wisconsin gets out the capabilities of hitting over 90 degrees after mid September. That means our bodies are not designed extremely hot weather unlike people from southern states like Florida. 61. CFob posted: 04.10.2011 - 7:57 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Nice to see Brad make it up front and lead some laps. Ultimately it didn't all work out in his favor, but it's a small step in the right direction. 62. JimmieJohnsonsNeatlyTrimmedBeard posted: 04.10.2011 - 8:20 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "Whether you respect me or not, which I really don't care, Kyle runs his stuff too hard. Tony Stewart did the same thing when he came in. He used to talk about how Dale Earnhardt would talk to him about how to save his tires at tracks like Rockingham and Richmond. Like in the second race of the season at Rockingham in 2000, in the last run of the race Stewart passed Earnhardt in the early get go then Earnhardt came back and passed Stewart and almost caught Labonte at the end for the win. Then when Stewart won at Richmond in 2001 and thanked Dale in victory lane for his talk with him about it. I know that vets have tried to talk to Kyle about this and he doesn't listen.'" Well then it's a good thing I already addressed the tire issue last week. Remember? "There are only a few tracks where wearing out brakes is going to be an issue at all. And neither California and Phoenix are one of them. Tires are a different story. If Busch wants to run hard on a set of tires to take the lead, because his team expects a late caution, that's just strategy. If Johnson's team didn't plan on a late caution and decided to stay back and let Busch wear his tires down before he makes his move, that's also just strategy. Both strategies work as much as they don't, and since no one can plan on when the last caution is during a race, you can't hardly place the blame on any driver for trying to go as fast as they can with what they have to work with (isn't that the whole point?)." And this other stuff that you claim is being wore out? Prove it. Are you personally looking at all the brakes from every car after a race to compare the wear between Busch and others? What about all the other parts he's wearing out? Let me know where you're getting all this data from all the cars, and then show me on it, with those FACTs you so love, that Busch is statistically "wearing his equipment out" more than his competitors. Do that, or shut up about it. Look what you made me do, I'm defending Kyle Busch. Now I have to go take a shower. 63. JimmieJohnsonsNeatlyTrimmedBeard posted: 04.10.2011 - 8:44 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "Nice to see Brad make it up front and lead some laps. Ultimately it didn't all work out in his favor, but it's a small step in the right direction." It feels like its been awhile since we've seen Brad run anywhere near the front, so it was a welcome change. After he won Talladega, I would have bet money that Keselowski would be lighting up the track by now. But maybe the last 10 or 11 years of new drivers achieving almost instant success has spoiled me. He's not doing any worse than most drivers do in their first 2 years, historically. And I know this is ridiculous to even think about, but it's been awhile since Jimmie Johnson has won, for him. He hasn't won since the 2nd Dover race last year, a span of 15 races. That ties the 2nd longest streak he's gone in his career without winning (although someone might want to check those numbers, I counted it up hastily). The longest he's ever gone without winning was 19 races back at the end of 2002 into 2003. So if he doesn't win at Dover or before, he'll set a new career mark of futility at an astonishing 20 consecutive races without a win. I know, it must be tough to be Jimmie Johnson, right? If that happens, I guess he'll just have to make up for it by winning a 6th title ;) 64. Anonymous posted: 04.10.2011 - 8:50 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Marcos Ambrose gets his second top-10 in two intermediate starts with RPM. The whole time he spent at JTG, he only had one. I suspect that the #9 team is planning on making a serious run for the Chase, by putting a lot of effort into their intermediate program and being outright contenders for the win at the road courses. With the way Ambrose has run in both the intermediates so far, with some luck, he may even snatch a win on a mile and half later in the year. 65. Charlie posted: 04.10.2011 - 9:27 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Surprising to see Travis Kvapil DNQ for this race. He is having a rough year in both series. 66. joey2448 posted: 04.10.2011 - 9:38 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) It was frustrating to hear the media call this the "first night race" at Texas Motor Speedway......They've been racing here under the lights since 2005! Oh wait, those weren't night races because the race started in the daytime, my bad.... Anyways, good to see Kenseth snap his winless streak, and it's good because I picked him to win :) Junebug seems to finally be righting a sinking ship, while Jeff Gordon has really lost the handle on the intermediates this year. 67. Cooper posted: 04.10.2011 - 9:41 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Yeah, I always thought Travis was a decent driver. He just doesn't seem to have the luck or speed this year. Chris Eggleston won $75000 at North Wilkesboro today. He is a really good driver, that showed some ability in the trucks last year. Some Notable finishes include: 7 Ryan Blaney 300 Laps 8 Ross Kenseth 300 9 Mario Gosselin 299 13 Cale Gale 299 19 Erik Darnell 298 37 Geoff Bodine 84 42 Brian Ickler 61 44 Sterling Marlin 25 (He broke something, story of Sterling's career) Can't wait for Talladega next week. If you don't like pit strategy, long green flag runs and you like cautions and wrecks, this will be a race for you... 68. joey2448 posted: 04.10.2011 - 9:48 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Also, there was some good racing early on, when Keselowski, Kenseth and Kurt Busch were battling for the lead. It was surprising to see Brad hold the lead for so long after taking two tires. I thought he was going to end up with a top-10 or something.... 69. I Love Japan posted: 04.10.2011 - 11:19 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Ragan has been decent this year. Hopefully he'll keep his ride. I'm anti-Bayne because Bayne won the 500 and everyone loved him, so his mediocrity is proving that a 500 win means nothing when it comes to talent. And people please stop being surprised by Menard having good runs. He has been having them all year. He is coming into his own. So stop branding him a surprise. And will Vickers finally admit he can't drive? Dear gawd he is the most annoying driver. Ever. 70. 18fan posted: 04.10.2011 - 11:52 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I never thought Menard had much talent, but this year he is proving me and all of his doubters wrong by being consistent and very strong. 71. Ryan posted: 04.10.2011 - 11:53 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "There are only a few tracks where wearing out brakes is going to be an issue at all. And neither California and Phoenix are one of them. Tires are a different story. If Busch wants to run hard on a set of tires to take the lead, because his team expects a late caution, that's just strategy. If Johnson's team didn't plan on a late caution and decided to stay back and let Busch wear his tires down before he makes his move, that's also just strategy. Both strategies work as much as they don't, and since no one can plan on when the last caution is during a race, you can't hardly place the blame on any driver for trying to go as fast as they can with what they have to work with (isn't that the whole point?)." You are crazy if you think you don't have to breaks at Phoenix. I'm not arguing with you about anything dude. All I have said is that Busch wears out his car and he does, he has since he has been in the series. Whether it be tires, hitting other competitors, engine, etc. Sorry to disagree with you, but you need to lighten up a little bit and don't get so upset when someone disagrees with you. It's a part a life, sorry to disagree with the great Jimmie Johnson fan. And him wearing his stuff out this time had nothing to do with strategy. He loses his head when any type of adversity hits him, whether it's a problem with his car, competition in the late going, weather, track temps, lap cars, causing his car to have tire vibrations. A lot of the time he can't tell the crew what his car needs and that's what separates him from your boy and Harvick and Kenseth. 72. 18fan posted: 04.11.2011 - 12:35 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Ryan, we get it. You think Kyle runs his car too hard, and truly the only way to know would be to look at the mechanical aspects of his car compared to that of others. Until one of us can see that, this debate will most likely continue as only the mechanics from JGR actually see what the machine looks like post-race. Although Kyle is my #1 driver, I won't get involved in this debate other than this post because it is very possible that he does run too hard or he doesn't. You made an interesting point about Kyle's feedback. Although it is impossible to know how his feedback is due to the extreme bias shown by FOX, I seem to support your point because it is a common theme that he fades at the end of races. Not as bad as Junior did with Tony Jr or McGrew, but still noticeably. Again, the best way to tell would be to listen to Kyle's radio communications for a whole race and compare what he gives to Dave Rogers to what other drivers give, like Jimmie Johnson. My last thing is that I have to disagree with Ryan on the fact that loose lugnuts damaging a wheel stud was a result of Kyle running too hard. 73. Anonymous85 posted: 04.11.2011 - 2:00 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) well its on to Talladega with it's million billion trillion zillion Lead Changes 74. 18fan posted: 04.11.2011 - 2:04 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Talladega=overrated. It's going to be just like Daytona and there will be 90+ lead changes and we'll have to hear the stupid "most competitive race in NASCAR history" crap. Too bad ESPN is showing the race that could make "history". 75. 18fan posted: 04.11.2011 - 2:05 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) ^Too bad ESPN isn't showing the race that could make "history". 76. Rusty posted: 04.11.2011 - 2:32 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) I still don't think Paul Menard has much talent, but he's at least doing something in RCR equipment. I thought he'd be their new Casey Mears/Dave Blaney. 77. Anonymous posted: 04.11.2011 - 3:05 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) "Talladega=overrated." I believe that this is a product of the tracks own immense success. With Talladega, a good race just isn't good enough any more...at least that's what NASCAR thinks. So they try the hardest they can to turn a good race into an amazing race...and end up something controversial, disappointing or predictable. I'm eagerly anticipating next weeks race...and hoping that it will just be good. 78. JimmieJohnsonsNeatlyTrimmedBeard posted: 04.11.2011 - 5:34 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) "You are crazy if you think you don't have to breaks at Phoenix. " You don't have to.... what? Also, it's brakes. For the love of god, it's BRAKES. This is at least the 2nd week in a row (but it's probably been going on for longer) you've been using the word incorrectly all over the place, and frankly I'm a bit hesitant to even consider the opinion of someone that claims to be a racing fan, and *doesn't* know it's brakes. Heck, anyone who has ever driven a car should know its brakes. And it's not that you don't have to use them Phoenix, it's just not a major issue there. Drivers aren't wearing out brakes at Phoenix. And I think you're crazy to think they are an issue there. But you know how you could prove me wrong? With proof. But that's not exactly your strong suit, it seems. "All I have said is that Busch wears out his car and he does, he has since he has been in the series. Whether it be tires," You're right, he's the only one that wears out tires. Everybody else's tires just magically stay the same throughout an entire race. That's also why you always seem him pitting before everyone else, right, because he's going through a set of tires faster than everyone else? What? You don't see that? You don't have any evidence of his tire wear being any more than what's normal? Well, I never! "hitting other competitors," What happened to, "rubbin' is racing"? But I guess you're also right, nobody else in NASCAR has ever been involved in an accident before! "engine," Got it, you think Busch builds his own engine personally, in fact he must build ALL of the JGR engines himself, that's why they've had so much trouble lately! Man, you're a modern day genius, Ryan, and everything you say is fact-based and not at all dumb. "He loses his head when any type of adversity hits him, " No wonder he has the 2nd most wins since he entered the sport. It's all starting to make sense! I really hope he never figures out how to overcome adversity, I wouldn't want him to start winning more than *everybody*! (I really don't, but that's besides the point, I'm just letting you know through sarcasm that I think you're an idiot.) "A lot of the time he can't tell the crew what his car needs and that's what separates him from your boy and Harvick and Kenseth." Not much of a reader, are you? Check this article out: http://www.nascar.com/news/110407/kybusch-mechanical-savvy-drivers/index.html ---- "My last thing is that I have to disagree with Ryan on the fact that loose lugnuts damaging a wheel stud was a result of Kyle running too hard." I wouldn't bother wasting your energy trying to argue that. If anything, these last 2 weeks have shown that Ryan knows very little about cars, and even less about racing. ----- Also, my apologies for de-railing the comments. But hey, I'm the guy who kicked off the Hall of Fame discussion the other week, remember? So I should get one "take that, you stupid troll!" rant freebie. 79. joey2448 posted: 04.11.2011 - 5:52 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) What's the deal with Regan Smith? Every week he qualifies well, but falls back at the drop of the green flag. I'd like to see him have success, maybe win a race or two... 80. Smiff_99 posted: 04.11.2011 - 7:10 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Smith already has a win......Talladega, 2008. Sorry, Smokefan......beat ya to it :P 81. DaleSrFanForever posted: 04.11.2011 - 12:50 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "It feels like its been awhile since we've seen Brad run anywhere near the front, so it was a welcome change. After he won Talladega, I would have bet money that Keselowski would be lighting up the track by now. But maybe the last 10 or 11 years of new drivers achieving almost instant success has spoiled me. He's not doing any worse than most drivers do in their first 2 years, historically." That's true. The situation there is Brad had instant chemistry with the guys at HMS, but has struggled to find it with Penske Racing. But they seem to be making strides towards it. They are still finishing about the same, but last year they would finish 19th with a 27th place car, this year they are finishing 19th with 12th place cars. They'll get it turned around. And the drivers with "instant success" also had instant chemistry (Chad and JJ, Newman and Borland, Edwards and Osborne etc). "Too bad ESPN isn't showing the race that could make "history"." I know, really. It will 4 months until ESPN takes over Cup coverage, and I'm already dreading it. And although I enjoy watching Dega races, I agree it is overrated. Honestly, for the first 178 laps, I'm just watching to see who gets wrecked out and won't make it to the end in one piece. Only in the last 10 laps do I start to focus on who might actually win the race. But it is a fun diversion twice a year. Wouldn't want any more though. "I never thought Menard had much talent, but this year he is proving me and all of his doubters wrong by being consistent and very strong." Watching Paul Menard this year makes me wonder how many "busts" would have eventually made good drivers if they were given enough time. Let's face it, when Paul started out, he wasn't good at all. He was almost always way behind his teammates. But now, in his 5th season, he is starting to get it. While other drivers would have been driven out of the sport after Paul's first 3 years (if not sooner), due to his guaranteed sponsorship, he got to hang around, and seems to have finally picked it up. Watching Johnny Sauter's incredible performance in the Trucks at Martinsville, showing poise and maturity, after struggling like hell in Cup also made me wonder this (although, unlike Menard, Sauter tore a lot of shit up). Drivers just aren't given time anymore. "The longest he's ever gone without winning was 19 races back at the end of 2002 into 2003." That is absolutely incredible. That is the thing about him I might be the most impressed with: his ability to never go cold and always be in the mix. 9 seasons, all top 5 points finishes, no long winless streaks. Has anyone else had THREE consecutive Top 5 points seasons since 2002? Even the top drivers have trouble nowadays having TWO "good" seasons in a row. JJ has had 9 consecutive "great" seasons. It is amazing. Although the five (and counting) straight titles do impress me more. 82. Smokefan05 posted: 04.11.2011 - 12:51 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "Smith already has a win......Talladega, 2008. Sorry, Smokefan......beat ya to it :P" *shakes fist* Paul Menard still won tho. ;-) 83. DaleSrFanForever posted: 04.11.2011 - 12:52 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "but if you were following on the nascar.com leaderboard, it completely changes your perspective on what's going on. I like your post, but I respectfully disagree with this. I go by what my eyes tell me. And my eyes tell me it hasn't been pretty lately at the intermediates. Even going to Charlotte in person doesn't help the experience for me. I quit going there because it wasn't any fun once the race started. 84. Cooper posted: 04.11.2011 - 2:45 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) The leaderboard becomes mandatory when you get to places like Pocono, where the field gets so spread out, you don't who is running where, how fast or how slow. I can't watch the television when they race their. I'd rather have the leaderboard open. 85. 00andJoe posted: 04.11.2011 - 4:12 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) #69 - if Ragan was to be replaced, I'd expect Stenhouse to be the one moving into the 6 car, not Bayne. 86. Talon64 posted: 04.11.2011 - 5:02 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "#69 - if Ragan was to be replaced, I'd expect Stenhouse to be the one moving into the 6 car, not Bayne." And with some help from Roush the #21 Wood Brothers car could go back to running full time with Bayne behind the wheel. Matt Kenseth wins his 19th career Cup race, tying 4 other drivers (Carl Edwards, Fonty Flock, Buddy Baker and Davey Allison) for 35th on the all time list, tied with Carl for 11th among active drivers. He's T-6th in wins since moving to Cup full time in 2000. Doing that for Kevin Harvick who won the last two races, he's tied with 3 other guys for 8th in wins since 2001. Matt's won at least one race in 9 of his 12 full seasons in Cup. It's Matt's 2nd win at Texas, first since 2002 (9 top 5's in 18 starts, 9.0 average finish is his best at any track). It's Roush's 8th win at Texas, most of any team, and 122nd win overall. Clint Bowyer gets his 3rd straight top 10 and best finish of 2011 in 2nd, his 6th career runner-up finish. He's gone from 24th to 12th in points over the last 3 races. It's his best finish in 11 starts at Texas (3 top 5's, 6 top 10's). Carl Edwards gets his 4th top 3 finish of the season, tied with Kyle for the most which is why they're 1-2 in points. Carl gets his 1st top 5 at Texas that isn't a win (3 wins, 4 top 5's, 5 top 10's in 13 starts with a 16.5 avg fin). Greg Biffle gets his 1st top 5 of 2011, and 5th in 15 Texas Cup starts; he's got a 6 race top 10 streak at Texas with 4 top 5's and a 5.8 avg fin. After just 2 top 5's in his first 147 Cup starts, Paul Menard has 2 in 7 races this season. Menard has back-to-back top 10's at Texas, just the 2nd track where he has 2 top 10's at. Marcos Ambrose had only 1 top 10 in 40 starts on tracks 1-2 miles long coming into 2011 but has 1 top 5 and 2 top 10's in 3 starts at those tracks this season. It's his 1st top 10 in 6 Texas starts (18.4 avg fin). David Ragan won his 1st career Cup pole in 153 starts (just his 20th top 10 start). Ragan has back-to-back top 10's for the 1st time since he had 3 in a row back in September/October of 2008, a span of 82 races without doing so. It's also back-to-back top 10's at Texas for Ragan (2 in 9 starts with a 20.4 avg fin). Jimmie Johnson gets his 1st stand-alone top 10 of 2011, his 12th in 16 starts at Texas. Except for after he finished 2nd in the 2010 Daytona 500 and was, obviously, 2nd in points, 6th is the highest Dale Jr.'s been in the standings since he was 4th after the 1st Chase race of 2008 (88 races ago). Must say, love having drivers' points standing after every race in their results now. It's Dale Jr.'s 9th top 10 in 18 starts at Texas (14.5 avg fin). Kurt Busch gets his 11th top ten in 17 Texas starts. Jeff Burton gets his best finish of the season in 11th but is still mired in 25th in the standings after 7 races, the worst he's been at this point in a season since he was 30th in 2004, his last (half) season with Roush. Trevor Bayne gets just his 2nd top 20 finish in 6 races since he won the Daytona 500 (4 finishes of 30th or worse), but his 2nd finish of 17th in 2 career Texas starts. It should be noted that Bill Elliott had only 3 top 20 finishes in 12 starts last season in the #21 with a 26.1 avg fin; 3 top 20's in 7 starts with a 25.3 avg fin in 7 starts for Bayne in 2011 (avg fin looks a lot better thanks to the D500 win). A terrible weekend for Front Row Motorsports; #38 missed the race, #47 had some kind of engine problem early in the race, still finished but ended up 15 laps down in 34th, and the #34 blew a tire and smashed the wall to finish 42nd. FRM cars are now 31st, 37th and 39th in the owners standings. 87. 00andJoe posted: 04.11.2011 - 5:07 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Talon - the #37 is a Larry Gunselman car now. Doesn't change the point though. Ouch. ------------- Talladega entry list is up. 46 cars. Texas Terry is in the #32 this week. The Onion in the #60 Michael Waltrip is entered in the #15. Steve Park in a second Tommy Baldwin car, #35. Kevin Conway is in the NEMCO #97. 88. Smokefan05 posted: 04.11.2011 - 5:16 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "Kevin Conway is in the NEMCO #97." Hm, i wounder if the driver of the #7 well make Conman 'pay' some how. :-P 89. Bronco posted: 04.11.2011 - 10:31 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "I guess it finally dawned on him "Hmmmm, I have championship caliber talent, am on the best team in NASCAR, and have been moved in the same shop as Five Time, maybe I should start giving a shit again" Lol. Clearly the reason why he is firmly in the top 10 in points is because he now has a good enough crew chief and proper cars to match that championship caliber talent. Are you really that dense to think he quit caring for the last two years and let his career go down the crapper on purpose? The reason '09 and '10 were such shitty years were due to the #88 team (now the #5 team) not being able to put quality race cars on the track, and Lance McGrew not being a Cup level crew chief. The fact that Mark hasn't yet led a lap or recorded a single digit finish this year proves that the former #88 team was crap. "Watching Paul Menard this year makes me wonder how many "busts" would have eventually made good drivers if they were given enough time. Let's face it, when Paul started out, he wasn't good at all. He was almost always way behind his teammates" Paul always had talent (when was the last time you saw him wreck a car) but was held back by his equipment. The #1 and #8 were always the main focus at DEI, the Yates ride he had in '09 was crap, and last year he came back to respectability with Slugger as his CC. Also hard to believe that TMS still doesn't have a SAFER barrier on the inside wall on the backstretch, given some of the hard wrecks in recent years. 90. Ivan Balakhonov posted: 04.12.2011 - 1:23 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) 7. Anonymous posted: 04.10.11 - 12:14 am "Only one fake caution" Since when one fake caution is treated as 'only' and btw I have no clue why after race control throws it, race can be regarded as a 'really good one'? Just curious. Who thinks this was a really good race or 'authentic' one can go watch intermediate-ovals' racing back in the second half of the 90s, for example. Without fake cautions there was plenty of fighting for position throughout the races. 'Clean air' factor added a pinch of bore to the race it seems. 91. Cooper posted: 04.12.2011 - 6:42 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Cooper's interesting fact of the race: --8 of the top 10 finishers qualified in the top 10. The most since the 2000 Pocono 500. You don't have to look this up because I already did. 92. Anonymous posted: 04.12.2011 - 6:45 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "I like your post, but I respectfully disagree with this." - RE: online leaderboard I can certainly see what you mean. But the leaderboard showed so much that the TV never mentioned. Such as the way Biffle, Menard and Edwards all came on strong at the end. Watching them charge through the pack in the dying stages was great. Post #90: Everybody claims that intermediates are boring. But I think a big cause for this is the fake cautions. Let's put it this way: the guys race around the track for 2 hours and then NASCAR throws a fake one. All of a sudden, the first 400 miles have been for naught. Might as well just tune in to watch the last 50 laps, because that's where it actually starts. But races like this one are the exact opposite. We had a beggining, a middle and an end, and each interesting and exciting in their own way came together to make a genuinely entertaining 500-mile race. Not a 450-mile prelude to a 50-mile race. 93. Smokefan05 posted: 04.12.2011 - 7:13 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Post #91 Ok Bill Weber. :-P 94. Matthew Tesfaye posted: 04.12.2011 - 7:53 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Terrible weekend also for Jeff Gordon Stuggled in practice Qualified 32nd Struggled throughout the race 40 laps in the top 15 Ran out of fuel on the last lap 60.3 driver rating 95. RCRandPenskeGuy posted: 04.12.2011 - 11:46 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "his mediocrity is proving that a 500 win means nothing when it comes to talent." Considering the Wood Brothers are a team trying to build back up to full-time status, his top 20 finishes this year haven't been bad for them at all. On the Daytona 500 page, I said that Trevor would likely provide enough stability for the Woods to reach their goal of getting back to full-time status, and if they can get a sponsor willing to back them for more races, I can still see that happening. Of course Trevor will likely end up with Roush when he does race full-time in Cup. "I always thought Travis was a decent driver. He just doesn't seem to have the luck or speed this year." Kvapil's a pretty good little driver. Too bad he's never had a shot in good equipment in Cup because I think he could do well. "Talladega=overrated. It's going to be just like Daytona and there will be 90+ lead changes and we'll have to hear the stupid "most competitive race in NASCAR history" crap." As long as the plate races this year won't be like the 1998 or 2000 Daytona 500's or the 2009 AMP Energy 500, I'll enjoy watching them. A lot of people hate the 2-car drafts, but I think they make the race a little more interesting. I do agree about how they pump up the hype when a Daytona or Talladega race has a lot of lead changes, though. "Too bad ESPN isn't showing the race that could make "history"." LOL, so true. To them, every time a driver accomplishes something it's "history making". "What's the deal with Regan Smith? Every week he qualifies well, but falls back at the drop of the green flag." That's kind of odd to me too. He has such a good average start, but his average finish is 20 spots lower. At the very least, I'd expect him to have top 20 runs with a few top 15's sprinkled in here and there. Regan and that team have been able to do that before, so hopefully they can do it this year. 96. 00andJoe posted: 04.13.2011 - 1:44 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I think the main problem with the 78 is that they run it out of Colorado - note that all the other teams (Woods, Morgan-McClure) eventually gave up and moved to the Carolinas even as NASCAR ran fewer races there. They're able to get one-lap speed (Childress horsepower doesn't hurt) but they simply don't have the tools to be good in the race itself (except at restrictor-plate tracks...). Being essentially 'self-sponsored' probably doesn't help. 97. Smokefan05 posted: 04.13.2011 - 4:25 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) ^ Agreed. They need to do 3 things: 1. Move east. 2. Find sponsership (even for a few races would help) 3. Get a better driver. (Regan isn't horrible but isn't going to win you any races unless it's fuel, rain or a plate race.) 98. 00andJoe posted: 04.13.2011 - 7:17 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I'd agree with 1 and 2. 3, I'd reserve judgement on until 1 and 2 are performed - Smith certainly seems to have qualifying down pat, and might prove to be a la Menard (= held back by equipment) as far as racing goes. The 01, after all, was no great shakes either. 99. Talon64 posted: 04.13.2011 - 8:20 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Greg Biffle's re-upped his contract with Roush. Funny fact about Biffle, since moving to Cup full time in 2003 he's 9th in wins (16), 9th in top 5's (67), T-9th in top 10's (115) and 9th in laps led (4474). So he's been exactly the 9th best driver in Cup. 100. RCRandPenskeGuy posted: 04.13.2011 - 11:15 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "I think the main problem with the 78 is that they run it out of Colorado - note that all the other teams (Woods, Morgan-McClure) eventually gave up and moved to the Carolinas even as NASCAR ran fewer races there. They're able to get one-lap speed (Childress horsepower doesn't hurt) but they simply don't have the tools to be good in the race itself (except at restrictor-plate tracks...). Being essentially 'self-sponsored' probably doesn't help." Still, I would expect them to be able to run in the top 20 and finish there every now and then like they were able to last year. You are right about them needing to move, though. I'm surprised we haven't seen any different decals on that car besides "Furniture Row" and "Denver Mattress". 101. lugnut posted: 04.14.2011 - 2:00 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) @100...Farm American / Agro-Culture Fertilizers were on the car last race. 102. RR posted: 04.14.2011 - 2:33 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I'll cut and paste what I said about Smith from the race thread two weeks ago... Regan Smith seems to be the type of driver that can qualify well, keep a car in the top 35, and not tear up equipment. While he hasn't driven in any top-notch equipment, he's never really stood out in any ride he's had. He was throughly mid pack in the Rensi car in which Jason Keller had sixth top tens the year before. He did little in the #01; not the best ride by any means, but a ride capable of more than a 28th place average finish. He's had decent runs in the #78, but he's never had a run that's really been impressive. And yes, I know he should have won Talladega, but... it's Talladega. His fortunes could improve with his team's, but I don't really think he's a great talent that's hindered only by sub-par equipment. 103. CFob posted: 04.15.2011 - 5:16 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I gotta agree. I think Regan is a great driver, he wouldn't bring the car home in one piece so often if he didn't. I just think he needs a better car underneath him. 104. the_man posted: 04.18.2011 - 6:01 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) David Ragan on a 7th place finish: ??I felt like we had a top five car the entire race. On one of those restarts, we stayed out and some of the other guys took four tires and we lost a couple of spots. We were able to then leapfrog back up there. Our UPS Freight team did a nice job. A solid top 10 and we ran there all day. That??s a step in the right direction, but we??ve still just got to get a little better on race day.? 105. Daniel posted: 05.21.2012 - 3:02 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) In using fastest 43: #38 Travis Kvapil Out using fastest 43: #37 Tony Raines 106. Robert Nelson posted: 07.12.2012 - 8:22 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) F1 points: Carl Edwards 84 Kyle Busch 77 Kevin Harvick 70 107. Nascar Lead Lap Points posted: 04.24.2014 - 12:42 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Withdrew 92 Brian Keselowski Dodge K-Automotive Motorsports Brian Keselowski 108. Nascar Lead Lap Points posted: 04.24.2014 - 12:47 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) *Bob Keselowski Owner 109. Maverick11 posted: 03.08.2016 - 11:04 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) First Cup race I ever attended. All I remember is that Matt Kenseth destroyed everyone and that I ate wayyy too many corn dogs. 110. Altracing posted: 01.07.2018 - 11:38 am Rate this comment: (0) (1) Dave Blaney got spun out on pit road by Tony Stewart during the first pit stops of the race, caused a good amount of damage to both cars. 111. Altracing posted: 01.07.2018 - 11:56 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Joey Logano also got into David Reutimann on another pit stop and caused a lot of fender damage to that car 112. TheDewCrew posted: 08.04.2020 - 4:39 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) First race for Leavine Family Racing 113. Rich posted: 08.04.2020 - 8:56 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) The commentators were Mike Joy, Larry McReynolds and Darrell Waltrip. The pit road reporters were Dr. Dick Berggren, Steve Byrnes, Matt Yocum and Krista Voda. And in the Hollywood hotel were Chris Myers and Jeff Hammond. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *Post a comment:* Your comment may not appear immediately - all comments must be approved by the moderator. Name: Comment: