|| *Comments on the 2012 Toyota / Save Mart 350:* View the most recent comment <#320> | Post a comment <#post> 1. 18fan posted: 06.22.2012 - 9:01 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Marcos Ambrose becomes the third driver to win his first two career poles in consecutive races, joining Billy Wade in 1964 and Casey Mears in 2004. 2. Smiff_99 posted: 06.22.2012 - 9:13 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I know a lot can happen, but....this race is Ambrose's to lose....period. Yes, Johnson, Gordon and Montoya will all be strong, but STILL....Ambrose is a BEAST on the road courses....and fun to watch, too. 3. cjs3872 posted: 06.22.2012 - 10:39 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Well, like I said, Marcos Ambrose would be the guy to beat, but the two I figured he would be battling, Juan Montoya and A.J. Allmendinger, will have a little catching up to do. Montoya should factor at some point, but Allmendinger's run was a disappointment at 17th. He should do much better than that at a road course, especially in the car that won this race last year with Kurt Busch. The one thing that might hold Ambrose back is that he often drives too hard, and that will get you into trouble at Sonoma much easier than it will at Watkins Glen. If that happens and none of the other three road course experts that are in competitve cars are in the hunt for the lead, Jimmie Johnson becomes the favorite. Sure, five-time Sonoma winner Jeff Gordon will start beside Ambrose in the first row, but his crew chief is an albatross that hangs over him at the races where tactics are important. But the biggest surprise in qualifying came from a driver that self-admittedly hates road courses, and that's Matt Kenseth, who qualified ninth, which may be his best ever at a road course. If he can just hold position, that could be some REALLY bad news for his competition. Also, the man whom Kenseth tangled with at the end of last season, has some big-time adjusting to do (in more ways than one), and that would be Brian Vickers. After all, Vickers was in LeMans last week, and the car he co-drove finished sixth in the 24-Hour race there. He'll have his work cut out to finish there this week, but starting 21st, it's more than possible. But if Ambrose falters, possibly by running too hard, and Montoya and Allmendinger don't factor, lookk for Jimmie Johnson to quite possibly win this race for the secoind time in three years, and hopefully earn it this time. After all, his 2010 win at Sonoma was about as big a gift as any win has been in recent NASCAR memory, including Trevor Bayne in last year's Daytona 500. 4. DaleSrFanForever posted: 06.22.2012 - 10:39 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Damnit, I picked Ambrose at Watkins Glen instead of Sears Point in my race pool. Hopefully he'll do just as good there. Problem is I have Smoke here. Damn. Oh well, really looking forward to the race. 5. 10andJoe posted: 06.22.2012 - 10:41 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Apparently the racetrack is no longer Infineon Raceway, but Sonoma Raceway, as the naming rights deal expired in May? 6. Daniel posted: 06.23.2012 - 1:03 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) In using fastest 43: #30 Brian Simo Out using fastest 43: #83 Landon Cassill 7. myothercarisanM535i posted: 06.23.2012 - 4:22 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Here's why I love road racing so much: On the front row of the grid are two of the most talented road racers in the entire field, but their methods are in complete polar opposites to each other - yet they're still just was fast as each other. When talking about Sonoma, Jeff Gordon often talks about how smooth and precise you need to be, whilst Marcos Ambrose says the exact opposite, that he's see it as a track that you need to really man-handle and be super aggressive at. But then we have the other road course, Watkins Glen, where once again, their methods are reversed - Ambrose says that the Glen rewards finesse, while Gordon says that your best choice of action is to attack the course with as much aggression as you can muster up. Two completely different ways of doing it and they're both just as fast as the other. Is there a "right" or "wrong" way here? Of course not! And that's what so bloody good about it. 8. Anonymous posted: 06.23.2012 - 8:08 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) When asked about Richard Petty in the media center, Jeff Gordon mentioned calmly that nobody could catch 200 wins or other records? but he did say..Jimmie Johnson could get 7 titles. Why didnt he say he could too maybe? He is just a really humble guy. 9. Anonymous posted: 06.23.2012 - 9:49 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Given Cassill is point racing and Simon, though talented, would have start-and-parked let's be gla this week they don't have a fastest 43. 10. Eric posted: 06.23.2012 - 11:38 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) 9.) Anonymous, Cassill really isn't points racing. He qualified so poorly for a number of reasons. The first reason is BK Racing. BK Racing is a start up cup organization and that means they are going to struggle or have problems for their first year. BK racing is only good enough for a top 20 finish at best for tracks that doesn't require restrictor plate. The 2nd reason is Landon Cassill himself. His road course experience is very limited. Based on what I read this week online, Landon was not that confident at Sonoma because it is his first time there. The 3rd reason is Travis Kvapil can't help Landon a lot at this track despite being a teammate. Travis isn't a good racer. 11. Dave#38Fan posted: 06.23.2012 - 11:45 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) yeah right eric. travis kvapil isn't a good racer, lol. i guess winning a truck series championship doesn't take any talent. 12. Eric posted: 06.23.2012 - 11:51 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) 8.) Anonymous, Jeff made his comment for multiple reasons. Jeff Gordon hasn't won a cup championship since 2001. He knows how tough it to get a cup championship. The 2nd reason is getting more 3 cup championship in your 40's isn't a given. Matter of fact Lee Petty and Dale Earnhardt are the only 2 drivers that got 3 cup championships in their 40's. Joe Weatherly has the 2nd highest total with 2 cup championships in his 40's. Rest of the cup drivers that I didn't mention only had 1 cup championship won in their 40's with Tony Stewart being the last one to do that last year when Tony was 40 years old. The 3rd reason is in the past, Jeff never seemed to be that driver that wants to race past his mid 40's in cup. The 4th reason is Jimmie's the top dog at Hendrick and is only 2 titles away from accomplishing that. Jimmie is 4 years younger than Jeff also. 13. Eric posted: 06.23.2012 - 11:56 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Dave#38Fan, I thought I typed Travis Kvapil is not a good road racer and that is the truth. The only thing I don't do is double check what I type. 14. ch posted: 06.23.2012 - 12:52 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Yeah, Travis is not a great road racer at all. But the real reason the #83 is struggling is that it is Cassill's first time at Sonoma or any cup road course, and of course that BK is a new team. 15. Destroyahirismix666 posted: 06.23.2012 - 1:01 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Coming up on the screwball fest that will be Road America in just a few hours. I'm going to make a rant about it. Road America is NOT FOR THE CURRENT NASCAR! The track it to large. It only takes 10 laps to make a fuel cell run dry, if memory serves right. I like Fuel Mileage races myself, but when they become predictable at which track they will appear at, they will become boring. I think that if NASCAR is going to keep racing at Road America in the lower levels, that they should raise the fuel-cell back to 22 gallons. *It was 22 gallons, right?* And make the Tire Compounds harder. Much harder. That way the tires and Fuel end at about the same time. It allows the feild to really race more. However, I also think that Road America just seems to narrow for Stock Cars. And there are way to many sand-traps to close to the track. That calls for WAY to many laps under yellow because Car #XX got stuck in the sand. 16. AnonymousEFR posted: 06.23.2012 - 2:08 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Did I mention a flip in qualifying? AND IT WAS THE SAFETY TRUCK!? 17. DaleSrFanForever posted: 06.23.2012 - 3:22 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) RUSTYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!! He has come alive. 18. murb posted: 06.23.2012 - 3:38 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) So, do any of you guys want to take a pool on how many cars Villeneuve is gonna tear up today? 19. Mr X posted: 06.23.2012 - 3:53 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) To me one of Road America's biggest problems is the rumble strips, they are far too aggressive, the dips in them are so deep that the car can barely stay on the ground when it touches them, and if a race car can't stay on the ground on what is supposed to be a tiny runoff area, there is no way the driver can keep the car out of the kitty litter. The general layout of the track isn't that great either, I love road racing, but IMO a road course needs everything, slow corners, fast sweeping corners, blind corners, crests and dips, a heavy braking area, and a fast long straight. Road America has most of that but if you watched cup qualifying yesterday, you can see that at Sonoma there are multiple areas where corners flow directly into another one. Other then the carousel, most of the remaining corners are a simple 90* turn, and all of them have a considerable straight between them. 20. jabber1990 posted: 06.23.2012 - 4:38 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Austin Dillon doesn't have third gear? well, thats a minor inconvience 21. DaleSrFanForever posted: 06.23.2012 - 4:45 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) This is probably the best race Danica has run yet. Too bad Villeneuve is gonna take her out. 22. RCRandPenskeGuy posted: 06.23.2012 - 4:46 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I think Marcos will be the guy to beat this weekend. So long as he doesn't make a similar mistake as he did in 2010 (hopefully he learned from that day). Possible sleeper: Truex since Biffle has never been that good on road courses. 23. jabber1990 posted: 06.23.2012 - 4:59 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) didn't Truex win at Mexico once? 24. RCRandPenskeGuy posted: 06.23.2012 - 5:09 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Yep, he won the Nationwide race at Mexico City in 2005. 25. murb posted: 06.23.2012 - 5:11 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Yep, Truex won the first ever Busch race at Mexico City back in 2005. He has looked really good. Honestly, I think all of the MWR cars look really good this weekend. Bowyer has looked good, and Vickers can contend just as long as he doesn't decide to put his head up his ass. 26. murb posted: 06.23.2012 - 5:18 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I hope Fellows takes this NNS race. Villeneuve doesn't deserve it just because he has driven like a complete moron in every NNS race he's run. Danica is having a great race, but I couldn't help but crack up when she went off just after taking the lead. I just thought it was funny after she was criticizing Allgaier on the radio saying he was making mistakes. But at least she owned up to her own mistake after it happened. 27. jabber1990 posted: 06.23.2012 - 5:27 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) somebody just spun villenueve? I wonder if somebody is going to die 28. TeamPlayersBlue posted: 06.23.2012 - 5:31 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Captain Jesus spun Villenueve? Wow 29. DaleSrFanForever posted: 06.23.2012 - 5:31 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) JV that far back? This race may never end now that he is gonna try passing a lot of cars. Good thing they have a limit on GWCs. Otherwise they may have to shorten the race due to darkness lol. 30. murb posted: 06.23.2012 - 5:33 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) lol, Captain Jesus 31. DaleSrFanForever posted: 06.23.2012 - 5:44 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) You realize that if Danica can avoid the wreck that Captain Jesus (love it!) Is going to cause she might win. 32. jabber1990 posted: 06.23.2012 - 5:49 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) who is Captain Jesus? 33. murb posted: 06.23.2012 - 5:52 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Villeneuve Mode = Engaged Elliott just got turned around. 34. DaleSrFanForever posted: 06.23.2012 - 5:53 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) What did I tell you about JV? And Captain Jesus is Michael McDowell. He causes tons off dangerous wrecks, then always praises Jesus in his interviews. As a Christian, it makes me uncomfortable to see somebody praise our Lord and Savior after being so dangerous out there. 35. joey2448 posted: 06.23.2012 - 5:54 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Man, imagine if Danica wins! On another note, Elliott Sadler just got spun. Reminds me of Darlington. Just can't catch a break. And I don't think you can blame Villeneuve on that. Everyone was just getting jammed up and Jacques also got tapped from Stenhouse. I love that in-car camera on McDowell's car, right behind his head. 36. murb posted: 06.23.2012 - 5:59 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) McDowell is in second now. I can totally see him just taking himself and Piquet out, and then Fellows just cruising to the win. That would be vintage Captain Jesus. 37. Mr X posted: 06.23.2012 - 6:06 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) It's nice to see a race where Danica deserves the press she is getting, and we don't have to hear what a great driver she is for being 3 seconds off pace and not crashing, she is competitive today. Good for her. If only I could say the same on ovals. I hope Piquet Jr. wins, can't stand McDowell. 38. Schroeder51 posted: 06.23.2012 - 6:17 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Danica gets spun by Jacques. Not that I like Danica, but damn, Jacques REALLY drives like a dumbass. Congratulations to Nelson! 39. DaleSrFanForever posted: 06.23.2012 - 6:20 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I don't mean to toot my own horn, but TOOT TOOT! I had a feeling JV would eventually take Danica out. She ran an outstanding race, by far her best stock car effort. And congrats to Nelson and Turner Motorsports. They had the car all day. 40. Spen posted: 06.23.2012 - 6:21 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) DSFF called it! 41. murb posted: 06.23.2012 - 6:21 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Classic Villeneuve. Great job by Piquet. He runs really good every where, so once Turner moves up to Cup in a couple years, I'm sure he's gonna be apart of their extremely stacked team. Hopefully now we'll see a Villeneuve-Danica slap fight or something. I was hoping Fellows would pull it out, since I really don't like Captain Jesus (lol), but it's cool to see Piquet win. 42. murb posted: 06.23.2012 - 6:25 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Whoa!!! When did Villeneuve become a skin head? 43. jabber1990 posted: 06.23.2012 - 6:28 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) what did Villeneuve just say? what an ass 44. OldSchoolNascarDude1 posted: 06.23.2012 - 6:28 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) You have to be proud of Nelson Piquet. He deserves this win. 45. 1995 Subaru WRX STi posted: 06.23.2012 - 6:29 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Roger, put Robby or someone else in the car next time. JV is weapon out there. Nelson, you got yourself a bright future. Your daddy is certainly proud of you. (your dad was a legend after all). I honestly wounder tho, will some NASCAR fan have a problem with Nelson flying the Brazilian flag in VL, cuz i'm sure someone will have a problem with it. One more thing: JV your dad was a legend, a great man. You are not. 46. jabber1990 posted: 06.23.2012 - 6:30 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) no Robby would be just as bad. dont forget his little stunt at Montreal in 2007, although I believe Robby was in the right 47. murb posted: 06.23.2012 - 6:33 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) That was a good interview Danica just gave. I haven't respected her a whole lot this year, but she handled that perfectly. I gained some respect for her today. Rusty's comment after it was perfect. "I wish I could have been humble like that." 48. jabber1990 posted: 06.23.2012 - 6:40 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) oh my God, either Papis is a big guy or Danica is really small 49. 18fan posted: 06.23.2012 - 6:41 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Piquet will win a oval race in the Truck Series before the year's over I think. 50. DaleSrFanForever posted: 06.23.2012 - 6:53 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Most Americans think Brazil is cool. Or at least I do. They have that festival that is basically Mardi Gras x 100. And their women are HOT!!! 51. TeamPlayersBlue posted: 06.23.2012 - 6:57 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Lol at JV's skinhead haircut. 52. Eric posted: 06.23.2012 - 6:59 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) jabber1990, It is a combination of both. Danica Patrick is short. She is 5 foot 2 inches and I think she weights around 100 pounds. Max Papis is tall with him being 6 6 feet tall, but that shorter than Elliott Sadler. 53. TeamPlayersBlue posted: 06.23.2012 - 6:59 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Can't wait for the ALMS race here later in the summer, that series always produces incredible racing around this circuit. 54. RCRandPenskeGuy posted: 06.23.2012 - 7:05 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Roger, please do not put Villenueve in the car for any more races. He causes ENTIRELY too many wrecks that should easily be prevented. Congrats to Piquet on winning the Nationwide race. I too think he could win on an oval soon enough as well. 55. myothercarisanM535i posted: 06.23.2012 - 7:08 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Congratulations to Nelson Piquet Jr, awesome run buddy and a well deserved win. Turner Motorsports is really impressing me with the way they run their operation. Hopefully they can keep working the way they are and eventually move up to the Cup level with a solid group of drivers and crews. Definitely looking forward to seeing how that plays out. I also must add, that was a really good race today by Danica Patrick. The hype and hate doesn't interest me at all, but she drove very well today, better than quite a few others out there.... "what did Villeneuve just say? what an ass" I don't believe the contact was intentional at all and from the sounds of it, JV knew that there wasn't really anything that could be said or done to change that. Wrong place, wrong time for the 7 car. And apology would have been nice, but at the same time, he was also quite obviously disappointed to see his own good run end in frustration. Anyway, Villeneuve has shown time and time again that he doesn't have the patience or self control to go with his obvious talent, but in this situation, it's quite clear that there was no intentional contact between the 22 and the 7. In fact, I'd go as far as to say that he did a good job to not make it any worse and that plenty of other drivers would not have handled the situation as calmly as he did. It sucks for Patrick and it was also something that you could see coming a mile away, but that's racing. 56. 10andJoe posted: 06.23.2012 - 7:08 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) >This is probably the best race Danica has run yet. Too bad Villeneuve is gonna take her out. DSFF, what's the Florida Lottery jackpot number for tomorrow?! 57. 10andJoe posted: 06.23.2012 - 7:11 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) >Can't wait for the ALMS race here later in the summer, that series always produces incredible racing around [Road America]. About a 60% chance we'll have the IndyCars there too, filling in the open slot on their calendar after the Chinese bailed out of their race. 58. TeamPlayersBlue posted: 06.23.2012 - 7:15 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) ALMS and Indycar on the same weekend at Road America? Epic Win. 59. murb posted: 06.23.2012 - 7:25 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Villeneuve should just stick to his singing career. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXbiBdWLoDg 60. LordLowe posted: 06.23.2012 - 7:57 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Now if all goes according to plan Tomorrow Jeff Gordon will dominate the race only to get snakebit by his crew chief's ill fated and ill advised strategy. 61. Japan posted: 06.23.2012 - 9:27 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) just finished watching the 1995 sonoma race end ,with the legendary Dale Earnhardt, besting Mark Martin and Jeff Gordon in 3rd. Those cars look SO COOL!!!! and drive really fun looking, Jeff Gordon, get Number 86 tomarrow ! 62. DaleSrFanForever posted: 06.24.2012 - 12:27 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Lol, I wish I were a psychic. The fact is JV has a history of dumping the front runners in road races, and Danica was Top 5 all day in what was her best stock car effort to date by a mile. So the odds of her spinning off the bumper of the 22 at some point were pretty good. 63. Destroyahirismix666 posted: 06.24.2012 - 12:33 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Commenter 16: That has to be a really screwed up joke. - Hmm. So another Road America race comes and goes. Amazingly, Danica ran up front most of the time. I'm going to have to eat my words, she does have some sort of talent, even if it's only at Road Courses. That is still talent, and good talent at that! Does that mean I'm going to start liking her...maybe. It may take me a year or two to even warm up to her though. Anyways, Ambrose wins two straight poles! Whoot! Now, I myself hope that he DOES NOT win. I would prefer JPM to get up there and win it! And win it big! If Montoya can't get it, then please someone from the Hendrick stable or Kenseth. *Read prior paragraph* Gosh, I have a strange list of drivers I like. Oh well. I'm betting on another wreck-filled Infenion race tomorrow. Guys will be driving INTENSE! It will be fun to watch I bet! 64. Dave#38Fan posted: 06.24.2012 - 12:37 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) man, so close for mcdowell, at least doug harrington wasn't here to screw him out of a win this year. if ambrose doesn't run at montreal i hope he can get the win there, he was third last year behind ambrose and tagliani. 65. 1995 Subaru WRX STi posted: 06.24.2012 - 1:12 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) "no Robby would be just as bad. dont forget his little stunt at Montreal in 2007, although I believe Robby was in the right" I highly doubt Robby would screw up such a great opportuity with race winning equipment. JV has shown to screw up such great opportuities in race winning equipment FREQUENTLY. Robby won the CVS race in 2007, I DO NOT CARE WHAT PEOPLE SAY!!!!!!!!! Also this race (Cup race) might be his last race this year for him. He only has enough money for 2 races (basically). He'll do 2 race 2013 and 2014. he really wants to do 10 races a year. He likes racing in NASCAR and wants to stay (and if i had it my way, you'd welcomed to stay as long he wants). 66. TaterRacing posted: 06.24.2012 - 10:29 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) 65 comments (now 66) here hours before the race has even started. It would be nice if people couldn't comment until the race was actually over, at least the comments here would actually be about this race. 67. 10andJoe posted: 06.24.2012 - 11:27 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) ^ It would be nice if people joined the NASCAR conversation instead of dissing it. 68. Destroyahirismix666 posted: 06.24.2012 - 1:55 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) ^ I agree with 10andJoe. 69. myothercarisanM535i posted: 06.24.2012 - 3:08 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Good morning gents! So excited for this race...bring it on! 70. OldSchoolNascarDude1 posted: 06.24.2012 - 3:16 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I hope tires end up meaning something today. 71. Schroeder51 posted: 06.24.2012 - 3:53 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Clint Bowyer has the fastest car out there today, it seems. Looks like everyone's going to have to try to beat him today. 72. Sean posted: 06.24.2012 - 3:55 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) MWR in general. Look at how many cars Brian Vickers has passed (even though they're not showing many of them...) I can't believe he passed Stewart... 73. joey2448 posted: 06.24.2012 - 4:04 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Apparently (30 laps in) there's been a few spins and such, but it seems that TNT isn't showing any replays of them. Even when Bowyer passed Gordon for the lead, they were busy with Larry Mac showing viewers how a tachometer works. C'mon show the action! 74. Schroeder51 posted: 06.24.2012 - 4:22 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Am I the only one who thinks we might go caution free today? 75. DaleSrFanForever posted: 06.24.2012 - 4:24 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Kinda sad to see Kurt running so good and not a single sponsor on that car and knowing and completely understanding the reasons why. 76. JRacingFast posted: 06.24.2012 - 4:25 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) TNTs broadcast is missing alot of action today including lead changes....and for #74 I also agree unless NASCAR throws some B.S caution....and if that happens thats when the Crazyness of Sanoma will hit 77. Schroeder51 posted: 06.24.2012 - 4:35 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) What if Kurt Busch wins this race? 78. TeamPlayersBlue posted: 06.24.2012 - 4:35 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Coverage is an abortion, not showing Edwards and Newman's spin, fire in the pits and cut the camera away, imporant passes in the making and cut away to the leader circling around. All on top of the commercials. 79. Schroeder51 posted: 06.24.2012 - 4:38 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) TNT usually has better coverage than this...what the hell is wrong with them today? 80. TeamPlayersBlue posted: 06.24.2012 - 4:42 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Labonte spun in turn 11, but of course ZZZNT won't show it. 81. TeamPlayersBlue posted: 06.24.2012 - 4:44 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Busch overtakes Johnson for second, but a drive shaft is more important. 82. TeamPlayersBlue posted: 06.24.2012 - 4:50 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Stewart makes a great save in the grass, far too exciting for TNT to show. 83. DaleSrFanForever posted: 06.24.2012 - 4:52 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I was wondering, I have TrackPass on NASCAR's site and suddenly Stewart was in the grass (I have him in my race pool so I am following him). I wondered if it was just a GPS tracking issue or what. 84. Smiff_99 posted: 06.24.2012 - 4:54 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Yaeh, TNT's seriously 'mailing it in' today. Not impressed at all. Plus, Ambrose has been a complete non-threat.....wow. Guess they should've worked on longer runs yesterday. Trivia Question: When was the last time I completely blank car won a Cup race? (I don't knwo the answer, I'm asking *you* guys.....lol) 85. jabber1990 posted: 06.24.2012 - 4:55 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I think the last time a blank car won a cup race was in the 70's or 80's 86. Destroyahirismix666 posted: 06.24.2012 - 4:57 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Fact: If this race finishes Caution-Free, it will STILL NOT set a record for 2012 on most consecutive green-flag laps. That record would still be held by California's other track, Fontana. 126 Consecutive Green Flag laps. And Jeff Gordon is out of fuel. Ouch. 87. JRacingFast posted: 06.24.2012 - 4:57 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) And the Jeff Gordon Bad luck saga of 2012 continues..... 88. 1995 Subaru WRX STi posted: 06.24.2012 - 4:58 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Jeff Gordon has ZERO luck this year. 89. Schroeder51 posted: 06.24.2012 - 5:00 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) The monkey has declared permanent residency on Jeff Gordon's back. 90. Smiff_99 posted: 06.24.2012 - 5:02 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) You're right Jabber1990, I'm thinkin' maybe it was Sacks at Daytona in '85. 91. Schroeder51 posted: 06.24.2012 - 5:04 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Prediction: Jeff Gordon will run out of gas again on the last lap and finish somewhere in the 30s, dropping him back outside the top 20 in points. Jeff might not even make the top 20 in points this year. 92. Jason posted: 06.24.2012 - 5:05 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I think it was Morgan Shepherd in the 80's. I remember a few years back Elliot dominated in an unsponsered R&D for Everham and FOX said Shepherd was the last. Of course the R&D didnt survive to the finish. 93. 18fan posted: 06.24.2012 - 5:05 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) This has been the worst coverage all year by far. 94. JRacingFast posted: 06.24.2012 - 5:06 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Breakdown of TNTs last coverage run between commericals Commerical Come back Ride along with a car running outside the top 15 for a lap are so Commerical ......Boy this is some great coverage today 95. Destroyahirismix666 posted: 06.24.2012 - 5:06 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) 60. LordLowe posted: 06.23.12 - 7:57 pm Now if all goes according to plan Tomorrow Jeff Gordon will dominate the race only to get snakebit by his crew chief's ill fated and ill advised strategy. Lord Lowe, You and I may not see eye to eye on alot, but can you let me borrow your magic ball? 96. 1995 Subaru WRX STi posted: 06.24.2012 - 5:07 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) not even FOX or ESPN are this bad. And that is saying something. There is always something going on at ANY racetrack yet the TV people can't find it. Wounder why.............-_- 97. LordLowe posted: 06.24.2012 - 5:08 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Jeff Gordon should just scrap the 2012 season as a lost cause and hope for better things in 2013 98. cjs3872 posted: 06.24.2012 - 5:08 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) That's Alan Gustafson for you. If there's a race where strategy calls are important, Gordon has no chance because of who his crew chief is. He was running the leaders down and his crew chief runs him out of fuel. Speaking of tactical bluneders, it appears that Martin Truex, Jr.'s team made one by pitting him for the third time when he did, because they're asking him to go 36 laps when he hasn't gone more than 26 all day, so if the green remains out, Truex may need a fourth stop fo gas. 99. Schroeder51 posted: 06.24.2012 - 5:09 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) There goes our caution free race. HARD crash for Tomy Drissi. 100. 1995 Subaru WRX STi posted: 06.24.2012 - 5:10 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) 1st caution. Now the "fun" starts. 101. Schroeder51 posted: 06.24.2012 - 5:10 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) And we have no replays, either! 102. Schroeder51 posted: 06.24.2012 - 5:11 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Gordon might still have a chance to make his way at least back into the top 10. Watch him get wrecked out, though. I'm calling it. 103. Destroyahirismix666 posted: 06.24.2012 - 5:12 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) First Caution of the day! Hell's bells, that have slightly frozen over recently here, are about to go ringing again. If we don't have a crazy crash on this restart, I will be Stupefied. 104. cjs3872 posted: 06.24.2012 - 5:13 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) This caution is the break that Truex neded, because there stood a good chance that he was going to have to pit in the last three laps for fuel because his crew chief brought him in too early. This also catches thoseup that had problems, such as Jeff Gordon, who ran out of fuel. 105. TeamPlayersBlue posted: 06.24.2012 - 5:13 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Hard crash, so lets not show a replay and instead go straight to commercials! 106. 1995 Subaru WRX STi posted: 06.24.2012 - 5:15 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Since DSFF and LordLowe are people with ESP and can see into the future, i think i'll try my hand: Someone (insert driver name here) will divebomb into either turn 7 or turn 11 and wreck 5 cars. 107. Smiff_99 posted: 06.24.2012 - 5:18 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) The commercial frequency today....WOW. This may be the worst I've ever seen.... 108. joey2448 posted: 06.24.2012 - 5:19 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Schroeder51, I think your predictions may come true, similar to DSFF predicting Villeneuve wrecking Danica in yesterday's Nationwide race. Well this day has quickly gone down the toilet for me, as Jeff Gordon has run out of fuel to lose valuable track position, and TNT's usually great coverage is really, really bad. Nothing but commercials, and almost no replays of spins or wrecks. Other than that, it actually seems like an interesting race, but hard to get past those two things mentioned. 109. Schroeder51 posted: 06.24.2012 - 5:22 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) #106 Looks like you may not have psychic powers...then again I don't claim to have them, myself. 110. Destroyahirismix666 posted: 06.24.2012 - 5:25 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I'm only watching this through NASCAR*dot*com's race buddy. But if TNT's race coverage is that bad...well, sorry for you guys. Hmmm. No real incident on the restart. I'm still shocked. Also, I am finding this race very exciting. Just look at that crazy lead battle. Bowyer Vs. Busch. I don't like Ku Busch, but for Finch, I want Ku Busch to win it. 111. LordLowe posted: 06.24.2012 - 5:27 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) TNT: Terrible National Television 112. LordLowe posted: 06.24.2012 - 5:27 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Gordon has been gotten GORED by bad luck all year. P. S. If you want to find Gordon after the race go to the Golden Gate Bridge 113. JRacingFast posted: 06.24.2012 - 5:28 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) The sad part is.....I think next weeks race at Kentucky will have MORE commericals since the race is in primetime....i can only hope that im wrong 114. Schroeder51 posted: 06.24.2012 - 5:30 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) What would happen if Kurt won the race? Would someone actually be willing to step up and sponsor him after all he's done wrong? 115. cjs3872 posted: 06.24.2012 - 5:32 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) LordLowe, it's not bad luck this time, but rather a crew chief that can't call a race. How do you run your driver out of fuel when he's gaining on the leaders and running in the top five in the mid-stages of the race he was third at the time). At the end of the race, I can see chancing it on fuel, but not during the mid-stages of the race. 116. Baker posted: 06.24.2012 - 5:34 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Vickers is impressive 117. Baker posted: 06.24.2012 - 5:35 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Logano too. Think he's finally growing up as a racer. 118. Destroyahirismix666 posted: 06.24.2012 - 5:46 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) AGGGHHH! NOT STEWART! PLEASE TELL ME HE ISN'T CLOSING! I wanted Kurt Busch to win for Finch's sake! Dang it! Everything goes to *** for me just 9 laps from the end! 119. Destroyahirismix666 posted: 06.24.2012 - 5:48 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) PRN annoucnes, please stop making jokes at Kurt's expense! Come on Bowyer, Blow it up! Or at least end up in the dirt for 5 seconds! YES! KYLE, MENARD! CRASH! PLEASE CAUTION! 120. OldSchoolNascarDude1 posted: 06.24.2012 - 5:49 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I'm not sure that a caution was very deserving on that. Paul Menard never really had an opporunity to crank the car up. 121. New 14&88 Fan posted: 06.24.2012 - 5:49 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Caution for Menard, Ky. Busch and McMurray getting together. This changes everything. 122. Destroyahirismix666 posted: 06.24.2012 - 5:49 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) YES GWC! GET 'EM KU BUSCH! *Pauses, looks at last two comments* What the heck? I'm cheering for Kurt Busch? 123. Schroeder51 posted: 06.24.2012 - 5:49 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Oh God. This might get frightening. 124. joey2448 posted: 06.24.2012 - 5:50 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I think these last four laps are going to take longer than the previous 106 laps, haha! 125. New 14&88 Fan posted: 06.24.2012 - 5:51 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) This race may have just played right into Smoke's hands. He's got fresher tires than both Clint and Kurt and wither they take each other out or he just drives by them Tony will surly drive off into the sunset. 126. Destroyahirismix666 posted: 06.24.2012 - 5:52 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I'll make a prediction now. After the finishes of the Indy 500 and Pocono event, I can guess that the guy I want to win won't. Let's see if I'm Psychic. 1st: Bowyer 2nd: Stewart 3rd: Ku Busch. I still hope that Kurt Busch will win it! 127. New 14&88 Fan posted: 06.24.2012 - 5:53 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Hang in there Kurt, don't over drive it and implode. 128. joey2448 posted: 06.24.2012 - 5:54 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) This seems like a good time for the 24 to pit...(sarcasm) 129. Schroeder51 posted: 06.24.2012 - 5:56 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Why the hell are they taking so long on this caution? 130. Schroeder51 posted: 06.24.2012 - 6:00 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Jr. has one of his first bad races all year. 131. Schroeder51 posted: 06.24.2012 - 6:01 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) They kept it green with Regan Smith's car stalled on the track? Huh. Jeff Gordon has back to back 6th place finishes. 132. Baker posted: 06.24.2012 - 6:02 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Nice drive for Stewart. Just ran out of laps. Still the best on the road though. 133. New 14&88 Fan posted: 06.24.2012 - 6:05 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Only a matter of time till a MWR car won, good job Clint Bowyer. Well earned top-5s by Kurt and the 51 team and Brian Vickers and the 55 team. Though break for Truex though, this is the second time he's been spun out of a good run at Sonoma. 134. cjs3872 posted: 06.24.2012 - 6:05 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I see I'm not the only one that saw Smith's stalled car just barely off the racing groove. If another car had, for some reason, run into it, who knows what kind of backlash might have resulted. And Smith's car was crunched and stopped before the white flag came out, so why another caution wasn't thrown is beyond me. And by the way, Bowyer's win marks the #15 car's first win on a non-restrictor plate track since Geoff Bodine's win in this very race in 1993, which was Bud Moore's final victory as a car owner. 135. Baker posted: 06.24.2012 - 6:06 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Congrats to Clint too 136. joey2448 posted: 06.24.2012 - 6:06 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I can't believe they went to a replay of the Junior wreck when the leaders were battling to the white flag! I mean, show the replay after the race is over! Good job for Bowyer. I was thinking about picking him to win in the prediction contest. Oh well. Good race overall, even though the TV coverage was turrible. 137. Destroyahirismix666 posted: 06.24.2012 - 6:09 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Personal wants: Race could of been better. But as a race-fan, This race was great, and one of the year's best! I loved virtually every bit of it! 138. 1995 Subaru WRX STi posted: 06.24.2012 - 6:10 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Bowyer has a habit of toasting cars during burnouts. Add another one to the list. Busch WILLED that car home to 3rd. Made a statement. I guess DSFF has to be on drinking watch because an MWR car won a race. Good race and the best car won. Vickers, i'm starting to respect you again. Keep up the good work. 139. Rusty posted: 06.24.2012 - 6:13 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) As a Kurt Busch fan, it has been an awful year and this almost feels like a win. He drove his heart out and was great. I really thought he was going to actually pull it off when he was on Bowyer's ass with 10 to go. Great drive by Kurt. He still can drive as well as anyone. Also, Brian Vickers needs a ride. I know he gets a lot of crap because of his disaster race at Martinsville, but 2 top 5s in 3 starts this year which were at Bristol and Sonoma. Dude can drive. He deserves a ride more than some of the guys out there. 140. Schroeder51 posted: 06.24.2012 - 6:16 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Jeff Gordon has back to back top 10 finishes...for the first time all year. Maybe the worst of his bad luck is behind him? 141. Anonymous posted: 06.24.2012 - 6:17 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I am a bit shocked that cjs3872 isn't comparing Clint Bowyer to Terry Labonte and Ricky Rudd yet in terms of what type of tracks he they won at since Clint's cup wins have been at driver tracks. Now granted Clint has won at Talladega 2 times, but all the non plate wins Clint has are on driver tracks. 142. Schroeder51 posted: 06.24.2012 - 6:20 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) There's a good reason they showed the replay of Jr.'s accident-because he's NASCAR's most popular driver. If he's involved in an accident, you had better believe they will be showing replays of it. Also, I must agree with the Anonymous poster...Clint Bowyer does remind me somewhat of Terry Labonte...winning on the tougher race tracks and finishing consistently without usually having many flashy runs. 143. Spen posted: 06.24.2012 - 6:26 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) If my math is right, this was the 1000th time that the #5 car has run as a Chevrolet. Only the #21 with Ford has more starts with a single manufacturer. 144. myothercarisanM535i posted: 06.24.2012 - 6:34 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Ambrosed went from 16th to 8th on that GWC, well done mate. Still a disappointing day for him, but it was looking like it was going to be a hell of a lot worse. Awesome drives by Kurt Busch, Tony Stewart and Brian Vickers and congratulations to Clint Bowyer. Not a fan of his by any stretch, but he ran a superb race all day long. The battle between the 15 and 51 was awesome stuff to watch and it was really good to see that they were able to push each other hard, but remain clean and fair. Now that is good racing to me! And yeah, CJS, I noticed that too and should also point out that they did the exact same thing in the Nationwide race yesterday with the 43 parked in the run off of turn 5. I am happy to see NASCAR being less impulsive with their cautions (there were plenty of spins today that would've been cautions a few years back) and I don't have a problem with them leaving cars in the run off zones for the last few laps - BUT - and this is where they did mess up, why were those corners not given a local yellow situation? If they're going to start leaving cars in the run off zones, good - I think that's a positive move for sure - but they need to do things properly, rather than only doing half of the job. Roll on Kentucky! 145. 1995z71 posted: 06.24.2012 - 6:54 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Regan Smith: DNF crash 146. Rusty posted: 06.24.2012 - 6:59 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) This is the first top 5 for Phoenix Racing that didn't come on a restrictor plate track. The previous best was 6th at Loudon by Brad Keselowski in 2009. 147. Schroeder51 posted: 06.24.2012 - 7:05 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I think Aric Almirola might have DNFed from crash damage from getting tangled up with Jr. as well. He took some pretty serious damage as well. 148. 10andJoe posted: 06.24.2012 - 7:23 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) >BUT - and this is where they did mess up, why were those corners not given a local yellow situation? If they're going to start leaving cars in the run off zones, good - I think that's a positive move for sure - but they need to do things properly, rather than only doing half of the job. At least they did better than the marshals at the European Grand Prix did. They had five guys pushing Sebastien Vettel's stalled car off the track...at a narrow point on the track...as the leaders came screaming down on and past them them...PAST A WAVING GREEN FLAG. 149. 10andJoe posted: 06.24.2012 - 7:25 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) #34 sponsor: Green1 Environmental #95 sponsor: Leavine Family Racing (car hood and quarter panels were blank) 150. ch posted: 06.24.2012 - 7:27 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Sponsor Changes: 33 - Circle Sport (Absolutely zero logos on the car) 49 - Robinson-Blakeney Racing (Absolutely zero logos on the car) 151. cjs3872 posted: 06.24.2012 - 7:29 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) MyothercarisanM535i, I think a major difference between the situations in today's Cup race at Sonoma regarding Regan Smith's wrecked car and yesterday's race with Michael Annett's car has to do with the fact that the incident today happened on the next-to-last lap, so Smith's car had been there for some time, while Annett simply drove his car there, and was behind that incident, and that it happened about halfway through the final lap, so NASCAR was right to let that race finish under green, while today, they should have thrown the caution and lined them up again, which they can do until the leader gets the white flag, and that incident happened in turn three, and it was obvious that not every car was going to make it back. And for those comparing Clint Bowyer to the like of Terry Labonte, Ricky Rudd, and Benny Parsons in the way they raced, I've made that comparison before numerous times. I was out and couldn't comment on it immediately, but I have made that comment before. And Schroeder51, you say that Jeff Gordon's luck is improving. But what happened to him today had nothing to do with luck. It had everything to do with having a crew chief that can't call a race if his life depended on it. And how many times have I said that Alan Gustafson is the worst crew chief, or at least one of the worst crew chiefs at calling a race, and it struck them again today. A man that's competent at calling a race would never have run his driver out of fuel in the mid-stages of a race running in the top five when he had a car capable of contending. And A.J. Allmendinger was a big disappointment today. Sure he finished ninth, but that was not indicative of how poorly he ran. The only reason he finished there was the three-stop strategy his team employed that got him closer to the front than that car deserved to be. But the biggest dsappointment of all was the driver that finished directly ahead of him, Marcos Ambrose. Ambrose, the unquestioned favorite in this race, did only one thing all day that could have been predicted, and that was the mistake that Jeff Gordon pressured him into. Other than that, it was a mini-disaster, as this was, by far, the worst Ambrose has run on a road course. He even contended for the win when he drove for the Wood Brothers (which was a bigger feat than winning last year at Watkins Glen), but was never a factor after Gordon presured him into that mistake. And finally, what was Joey Logano doing? The one thing you never, ever do is run over your teammates, and in the incident in which he spun out Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, who was fading and being passed by Hamlin, was lucky not to get spun himself. Whatever Logano gained within the Joe Gibbs Racing organization by winning at Pocono, he lost with that boneheaded move, and he may have lost more within Joe Gibbs Racing with that mistake than he gained by winning at Pocono. With that move, which put Denny Hamlin closer to the Chase bubble (though he should be safe with two wins), Joey Logano's time at JGR may be beginning to run out, and will run out fast with any more colossal blunders like that. 152. myothercarisanM535i posted: 06.24.2012 - 7:33 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) >At least they did better than the marshals at the European Grand Prix did. They had five guys pushing Sebastien Vettel's stalled car off the track...at a narrow point on the track...as the leaders came screaming down on and past them them...PAST A WAVING GREEN FLAG. I have two things to say to this, one good, the other bad. First, the bad. I haven't watched the Grand Prix yet! I had the option of staying up late to watch that, or getting up early to watch Sonoma. I chose the latter. But the good thing is, at least that's a positive spoiler! (Not really a Vettel fan). I'll keep an eye out for that when I watch the race tonight. The green flag was definitely in the sector that the marshals were working, not immediately after? The FIA track workers are true professionals and are amazing at what they do, but that doesn't sound like a pretty picture at all. Mind you, going back the NASCAR example, is it just me or did the drivers seem completely surprised to see the #78 parked at turn 4? It was strange when they got to the corner, as they all seemed to scatter everywhere and climb all over each other. I reckon that the lead cars of the group saw the #78 and backed off a little, whilst the cars behind - who would've had their vision obscured - initially saw that as a chance to make a move and drive hard into the corner, but once they realized there was a parked car, they had to back it off to make sure they made it rhough safely. I don't have a problem with them leaving the car there, but I would've preferred to have seen a yellow flag waving a the top of the hill, giving the drivers plenty of time to get single file for the corner. 153. Rusty posted: 06.24.2012 - 7:33 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) AJ Allmendinger got his first top 10 finish outside of his 2nd place run at Martinsville. His stats are pretty similar to the former driver of that #22 car. They both have a top 5 ad 2 top 10s. Marcos Ambrose and Jeff were two major disappointments despite their 6th and 8th place finishes. Everyone expected them to be the favorites but Ambrose struggled and ran 12th-15th most of the day and while Jeff had a solid run, he didn't appear to be as good as Clint Bowyer, Kurt Busch, Jimmie Johnson and possibly Martin Truex Jr. 154. 18fan posted: 06.24.2012 - 7:48 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) While Bowyer, Kurt, and Jimmie didn't really struggle on old tires when the first caution came out, Kyle Busch and Kasey Kahne went straight backwards on the restart. Once I realized that most of the field pitted under that caution, I knew Kyle was going to go backwards because his car was not great at that stage. 155. 10andJoe posted: 06.24.2012 - 7:50 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) >The green flag was definitely in the sector that the marshals were working, not immediately after? The FIA track workers are true professionals and are amazing at what they do, but that doesn't sound like a pretty picture at all. Not just in the sector. The marshals had already pushed the car /beyond/ the green flag which was still being enthuiastically waved. They weren't yet to the big green flashing panel, but distinctly past the flag. 156. cjs3872 posted: 06.24.2012 - 7:56 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I was just on Jayski's website, and I saw something that may give Roush and Ford fans a major case of Deja vu. Remember last year when there was a big thing brewing with Carl Edwards' contract situation while he was leading the championship standings. Well, if what I saw is true (and it came from ESPN), the same thing may be starting again with another Roush driver that's leading the points, as Matt Kenseth's future is very much in doubt, and both Gibbs and Penske may be possible destinations for Kenseth after this year, again quite possibly for sponsorship reasons. According to what I saw, speculation about who Kenseth may be driving for next year has begun, and Joe Gibbs and, most significantly, Roger Penske have been mentioned. As I said in post #151, Joey Logano made THE cardinal sin of spinning out one, and nearly two teammates, and A.J. Allmendniger has been an enormous disappointment this year, and now this, which can't posibly make their lives any easier, to have a past series champion and two-time Daytona 500 winner being rumored to possibly replace you. But what makes this even more unsettling is the fact that Roush could lose the most accomplished big situation driver he's ever had due to lack of sponsorship. After all, Kenseth was Roush's first Cup champion and his only Daytona 500 winner, and to lose him to sponsorship issues would raise the possibility of his Cup team possibly being downsized again to just two cars for 2013. After all, Ricky Stenhouse has been guaranteed the #6 car, if sponsorship arrives, but if Roush can't even keep Kenseth, what chance does he have of reviving the #6 car. Then there's Trevor Bayne, who may be left in the cold again. It was rumored that Roush would put Bayne in his Nationwide car full-time if he could move Stenhouse up to the Cup series, but with this news, Roush may have to shut down his Nationwide team completely at season's end. This situation and rumor about Kenseth's future with Roush again raises the question of how much Roush's assocation with the Boston Red Sox is adversely affecting the long-term future of his team. When that association started, Roush had 11 NASCAR teams across all three major NASCAR series. At the beginning of next season, if nothing changes, he could be down to just two Cup teams, which means that within three or four years, Roush may be forced out of NASCAR if he doesn't end his association with the Red Sox soon. 157. myothercarisanM535i posted: 06.24.2012 - 8:12 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) >Not just in the sector. The marshals had already pushed the car /beyond/ the green flag which was still being enthuiastically waved. They weren't yet to the big green flashing panel, but distinctly past the flag. Wow. Sounds ugly indeed. 158. Brad24 posted: 06.24.2012 - 8:39 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) If I'm not mistaken, this is the first win for the #15 since Mikey's win at the 2003 Talladega fall race. 159. cjs3872 posted: 06.24.2012 - 9:01 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Right Brad24, and as I mentioned, the first win for the #15 in a non-restrictor plate race since Geoff Bodine's win in this very event in 1993, which was Bud Moore's final win as a car owner. 160. Rocky Lore posted: 06.24.2012 - 9:13 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Here's a first this season: Josh Wise actually FINISHING a race...on the lead lap! 161. rtcrules posted: 06.24.2012 - 9:16 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) cjs3872, I think one of the major problems Roush has when it comes to sponsorship is they take too many of these 2-4 race deals from major companies to pay the bills now. It's not a good long term strategy for either the sponsor or the team. As a sponsor, I feel it is far more profitable to sponsor a mid-level driver for the whole season and build brand recognition with a driver then sponsor a top name for 2 races hoping they either win or crash spectacularly and end up on SportsCenter. Once top level driver fails to do either and sponsor A realizes it isn't worth the $$$ they're out of racing for 5+ years. Then the team is again without sponsorship with one less company to go to. 162. sluvender posted: 06.24.2012 - 9:20 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) @Rocky Lore - Josh Wise finished two laps down in 30th. 163. cjs3872 posted: 06.24.2012 - 9:21 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Actually Rocky Lore, Wise was two laps down, but this is the first race other than the Daytona 500 the #26 team has tried to run the full distance in. There were four start-and-parks in this race, though one of them, David Mayhew, who drove Phil Parsons' #98 this weekend (Michael McDowell drove JGR's #18 Nationwide car at Road Ameirca), went a little longer than expected, especially considering the fact that he was the driver that would have gotten in Kevin Harvick's car, if Harvick had to get out early to be with his wife, who's expecting a baby at any time. 164. Peter posted: 06.24.2012 - 9:33 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Congrats to Clint, the way he held a much better Kurt Busch off for 10+ laps at the end shows what a wheelman he really is Just a boring race, not the typical beatin' and bangin', paint swappin' road course racing we're all used too 165. DaleSrFanForever posted: 06.24.2012 - 9:34 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Congrats to Bowyer. He whipped 'em all day. I thought their strategy in the end was great, then I thought it was horrible with the last caution, but Tony and Kurt got to racing and that was it. The right car won. Kurt Busch showed why the sport just won't give up on him no matter how much self inflicted shit he gets himself in. He can wheel the piss out of a race car. Kyle Busch may be in trouble this year. He has done an outstanding job of controlling his emotions. I really didn't think he had it in him. But does he need that rage to be successful? If so, then it is Catch 22. I kinda hope Matt gets the #20 car. First off, I don't want to see another sports team suckered by a contract run, and secondly it will be better for Matt. Roush can't market him for nothing. It would be a good career move. Besides, with all those years with DeWalt he knows all about catering to a hardware sponsor. 166. cjs3872 posted: 06.24.2012 - 9:36 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) But rtcrules, Roush has had this problem for a number of years now, ever since he teamed up with the Red Sox, and no affiliation with a franchise from another sport, or someone that doesn't know much about racing, has ever worked well. Richard Petty could tell you that, and what is now a two-car Earnhardt-Ganassi team once ran a total of eight cars (1, 8, 15 with Dale Earnhardt, Inc., 01, 13, 14 with Bobby Ginn, and 40, 41, 42 with Chip Ganassi), and what is now Richard Petty Motorsports once ran a total of eight cars (9, 10, 19 with Ray Evernham, 43 and 45 with Petty Enterprises, 28/38 and 88 with Robert Yates Racing, and 96 with Hall of Fame Racing). Each is now just a two-car team, so those team-ups have resulted in 17 cars going down to four, all because some or all of those organizations teamed up with someone from a different sport, or a businessman who didn't know or care about racing. And you wonder why there are so many start-and-parks today? 167. Schroeder51 posted: 06.24.2012 - 9:44 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Do correct me if I'm wrong but isn't this the first time Wise has ever reached the finish of a Cup race? 168. myothercarisanM535i posted: 06.24.2012 - 9:56 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Now, this is purely wild speculation and wishful thinking, but another potential candidate for the 17 seat....Marcos Ambrose? Marcos has had extremely strong ties with Ford for his entire career and has what seems to be a good relationship with Roush (setting up road course cars for the 99 team, that Grand-Am drive with Carl Edwards that ended prematurely). Most importantly, he has never had a even the slightest problem with attracting sponsors. With Petty rumoured to be switching to Dodge and Roush needing a driver who appeals to the sponsors, does anyone think that this is a possibility? As I said, wild, wild speculation and I have absolutely nothing to back this talk up. But as a huge fan of his, I would love to see Marcos in a top-level car some day. 169. 1995z71 posted: 06.24.2012 - 10:10 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) The average speed was 83.624mph, a new track record for the race. 170. ch posted: 06.24.2012 - 10:15 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Yep, Wise's first full cup race. 171. TheTruthâ?¢ posted: 06.24.2012 - 10:35 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) It should be pointed out that, aside from Logano screwing up his two teammates in T11, he also is the one who spun out Truex after overshooting the braking point while defending a car that was looking low on him. 172. rtcrules posted: 06.24.2012 - 10:38 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I agree with the time frame when Roush's problems started to come to the surface but the question is, is the Fenway group the problem or did they simply prolong it. If I remember correctly Fenway got involved because Roush needed more capitol to run the team. And I guess the follow up question is, is the Fenway group now making more of the business decessions that are negativly effecting the team or keeping it from going under sooner by running unsponsored cars? That may never be known. As far as S&P'ing, I blame the top 35 rule the most. But you can't knock the teams that do it. Its easy money. I think all non 4 car teams sould be throwing cars out there for qualifying and take the easy money to use on the cars you are running full time. Plus they could maybe find sponsorship for the weekend if they get in and nothing else youd get owners points for future sponsorship oportunities, getting a future R&D car in the field or getting a developmental driver some valuable seat time. Now drivers S&P'ing I do have a problem with cause your really nothing more then a scab driver... Unless the driver has no intentions of ever trying to make it cause this guarentees you wont and your getting a decent pay for really doing nothing. 173. 18fan posted: 06.24.2012 - 10:43 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Kyle's team has been fine beginning in Richmond in terms of performance. They were running well in all three races they blew up in and today Kyle ran top 5 all day until the last run when he got passed by a bunch of guys who had fresher tires. 174. TheTruthâ?¢ posted: 06.24.2012 - 10:59 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) 18fan, a lot of Kyle's problems came from Joey spinning Denny into him. It messed up his car big time, he was complaining about it on the radio. 175. 10andJoe posted: 06.24.2012 - 11:02 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) #33 should be 'Circle Sport Racing' (full team name) 176. Japan posted: 06.24.2012 - 11:11 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Would be so Cool to see Matt Kenseth in the 20 car !!! 177. cjs3872 posted: 06.24.2012 - 11:58 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) TheTruth, Kyle Busch may or may not have had problems from the JGR get together in turn 11, but he was backsliding prior to that, as well. And while JGR has said publicly that they want to re-sign Joey Logano, I think the brass there are steaming mad at him for spinning Hamlin out, and possibly, if you're correct TheTruth, ruining Kyle Busch's day, as well. And now with this thing with Matt Kenseth possibly looking at Gibbs for next year being leaked, you have to wonder whether Logano's on thin ice with Gibbs after today's little escapade. 178. 10andJoe posted: 06.25.2012 - 12:20 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) rtcrules - S&Ping is even more important for the drivers than it is for the teams, because for drivers, if you aren't Out There Every Week, you are /nothing/. Landon Cassill bit the bullet and S&P'd. He managed to catch on with Phoenix Racing for full races and now not only is on a multi-car full-season full-race team, but is Team Leader. Steven Leicht, up 'till this year, didn't. And he quickly became Steven Who? Despite arguably having the better Busch career... S&Ping brings in a paycheck and keeps your name in the hat, because when a seat opens up and you have a choice of somebody you know can get your car in the show and somebody who hasn't raced in a couple of years...who ya gonna call? 179. 10andJoe posted: 06.25.2012 - 12:46 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) #87 sponsor: AM FM Energy / Pellet & Wood Stoves (typo) 180. Breaker posted: 06.25.2012 - 1:20 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) To add more to the Gustafson call. He ran the 24 out of gas for a different reason than just miscalculating fuel. He didn't tell Jeff to pit until it was too late for Jeff to go down pit road. That to me is even worse than messing up the fuel mileage. The crew chiefs usually mention that they will pit in X laps, and then as they pass pit road the lap before the stop they say "pit next time ... pit next time." They wouldn't have missed pitting if the crew chief had stressed that they needed to pit. That's probably like the 5th or 6th time Gustafson has run the 24 out of gas in 52 races together. I imagine the next time Gordon runs out of gas Gustafson will come over the radio and say "Oh, man, sorry dude, I forgot to tell you, you were supposed to pit last lap ... "I still think Gustafson brings great cars to the tracks but he makes some idiotic calls. I don't think he's good at handling the pressure. 181. Talk4Tar posted: 06.25.2012 - 1:53 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Man, was I pulling for Kurt those last few laps. The road courses show driving ability more so than most other tracks, in my opinion. And It really hit me today, just how much I want to see Kurt succeed. He's a hot head, he has his issues, but I so badly want to see him do well, because I like his personality, when he isn't flipping out. I like him enough under control, I want to see him get back to where a driver of his skill deserves to be. Super proud of his drive today. 182. cjs3872 posted: 06.25.2012 - 2:06 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) 10andJoe, there's another reason teams outside the top 35 start-and-park, and that's to build up attempts in case of a qualifying rainout. In the event the first practice and qualifying are rained out, NASCAR goes by the rule book to set the field. After the top 35 are set by owner's points, the next criteria are owner wins (if any), driver wins (if any), which is how Trevor Bayne and the Wood Brothers would get in if practice and qualifying get rained ot. After that, any past champion not in would make the field. Turner Motorsports is smart in this regard, because by hiring Bill Elliott for the Firecracker 400, not only would Elliott get the champion's provisional, but they would also get in if practice and qualifying are rained out because of Elliott's status as a past series champion. If there are any other spots in the field open, the next criteria would be qualifying attempts, and teams will start-and-park to build those attempts up in case of a qualifying rainout. In the event of a tie, it would go back to owner points. And Breaker, I see that I'm not the only one that has figured out that Alan Gustafson can't call a race to save his life, because you've apparently figured that out, as well. I can't remember, but he probably cost Kyle Busch some wins in the three years they were paired together, and now is doing the same with Jeff Gordon. If the races Gordon won last year had come down to a late caution and a decision whether or not to pit, or what to do on the pit stop, Gordon might very well be in the same position that Dale, Jr. was until last week's race at Michigan, and that's having a multi-year winless drought hanging over him. There's no doubt that Gustafson builds fast cars, but he may be the worst race day strategist in years, and as you said, this isn't the first time he's run Gordon, or any of his other drivers out of fuel needlessly. The only race he (Gustafson) ever won on strategy was at Michigan with Mark Martin, but when the series came back to Michigan later that year, Martin had a top five car and Gustafson turned it into a 32nd place finish by making one of the worst pit calls I've seen in 23 years of watching the sport, if not the absolute worst. Gustafson kept Martin out to try to stretch the fuel, telling Martin to run a slower pace to make it to the finish, which resulted in him dropping back outside the top 20, and he didn't come close to making it on fuel anyway. That nearly cost Martin the top seed in the Chase, because it almost caused Martin to miss the Chase all together. 183. 10andJoe posted: 06.25.2012 - 2:35 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Something that occured to me during the race: the top 35 rule has pretty much killed the Road Course Ringer in Cup. The top-ranked teams have full-season drivers, while teams outside the top 35 struggle even with ringers (Boris Said two laps down in the 32, I'm looking at you), and with only eight spots available on time and ~43 full-time teams already running, there's little to no point in teams running a competitive one-off race like they used to do. 184. Schroeder51 posted: 06.25.2012 - 2:40 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) I personally think they should fire Alan Gustafson as Jeff Gordon's crew chief after this year. I highly doubt that'll happen, though, and more likely he'll be his crew chief for the remainder of his Cup career. 185. Paul posted: 06.25.2012 - 4:48 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) I don't think Matt Kenseth would fit in well with Joe Gibbs Racing. Gibbs seems to prefer drivers with huge egos, bad attitudes, and zero championships (I don't count Busch's Nationwide championship). Plus, as a Ford guy, I wouldn't want Kenseth to jump over to a Toyota. Therefore, I would rather he went to Penske next season as they transfer back to Ford. I too am very disappointed in how A.J.'s performed this season. After 10 top tens and finishing 15th in the standings last year for RPM, I expected nothing less than a win and a Chase berth. To be fair, not all of his poor results have been his fault, such as him damaging his radiator at Daytona as he ran into the back of a 3-wheeled Ryan Newman and Penske's team troubles with the EFI at Las Vegas. Still, there have been about 10 races this year where A.J. was completely invisible. The fact that he and his predecessor, Kurt Busch, have identical top 5s (1) and top 10s (2) in far different tiered equipment is inexcusable. I'm not sure if it's all driver, bad setups, or poor chemistry (perhaps all three), but something needs to change with that No. 22 team. Adding a former series champion and 2x Daytona 500 winner wouldn't be a bad change either. @168, I like the idea of Marcos moving up to Roush's main team for next season, especially with his great relationship with Ford, sponsors, and team owners. One of his sponsors, DeWalt sponsored the No. 17 car for 10 seasons, winning the championship in '03 and Daytona 500 in '09; so I would think that they would be happy to jump ship with him (unless it was the merger with Fenway Sports that caused them to leave Roush in the first place). I think of Roush-Fenway as the Ford1 team, RPM as Ford2, and Front Row as Ford3. If you do well enough with the 2nd or 3rd-tier team, you should get bumped up. Likewise, if you don't do well, you get bumped down (see David Ragan). And if you can't move up your manufacturer's ladder, then you should switch manufacturers. I feel bad for Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. and Trevor Bayne. Both of these guys are the future of NASCAR, already having a Nationwide championship and a Daytona 500 win between them, and are struggling mightily this season. Bayne loses his Nationwide ride after just 5 races do to lack of sponsorship (the same car which won the Owner's championship in 2011, and always had sponsorship with Carl Edwards), and only has a part-time Cup schedule to fall back on. Stenhouse, despite winning the championship last year and winning twice already this season, is struggling w/o another top Ford team to compare data with (as RPM is in their 1st Nationwide season). With Roush's No. 17 team struggling for sponsorship and its No. 6 Cup team shut down, the best thing these guys can do is jump ship to another team. Should Ambrose go to Roush after this season, RPM would have an open slot in its Cup team. Plus if RPM expands its Nationwide program to 2 teams, one of them could go there as well. With Roush struggling for sponsorship and Petty having good luck with sponsorship, the best way to handle things is for Roush to focus strictly on his Cup team and to use Petty's team to further develop his younger drivers in Stenhouse and Bayne. I think both are ready for Cup, but if I had to choose, I would move Stenhouse up to Cup and have Bayne try to win the Nationwide championship in 2013 while racing part-time for the Wood Brothers in Cup. One more thing. I find it odd how JGR wouldn't comment on Joey Logano's contract prior to his win at Pocono. In the week following his Pocono win, it sounded as if they were excited to have him back for future years. Now after wrecking himself at Michigan and taking out three fellow Toyota drivers yesterday at Sonoma (including two teammates), JGR hasn't commented on his status. It's almost as if they were on a high following his Pocono win that they forgot that this is the same guy who hadn't won a race in three years in the same car that won 2 championships and had zero winless seasons prior to Logano stepping in. If Michael Waltrip can't find a way to put Brian Vickers in a full-time ride for next season in a 4th MWR car, there's a fellow Toyota team who could use a driver next season. Say what you want about Vickers, but he's earned the right to have another chance after his performances in 3 starts this season. These are just my thoughts on previously stated speculations. Nothing mentioned above should be taken seriously. However, they don't seem too out of reach either. 186. Rocky Lore posted: 06.25.2012 - 6:12 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Actually 10andJoe, the 32 of FASLane Racing is in the Top 35. They just use different drivers. 187. Cooper posted: 06.25.2012 - 8:58 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Kurt Busch is a better race car driver than his brother will ever be. More natural talent, better skills. Which is surprising to say the least, as at one time I thought Kyle Busch was the next Jeff Gordon. Basically my statement is I'd rather have Kurt Busch as my driver than Kyle. 188. I love Japan posted: 06.25.2012 - 10:29 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Good gawd this race made me vomit -_-. No, Vickers does not deserve another ride. He is only running well because his career is on the line. Week in, week out he sucks. Vickers always has and always will be a total failure. 2 top 5s in a good car will not change that. 189. Ed posted: 06.25.2012 - 11:02 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Robbie Loomis needs to be back on the 24's pit box. NOW. 190. BON GORDON posted: 06.25.2012 - 11:07 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) I also remember Roobie Loomis being a bad strategist. While he built Gordon great cars and won him a championship, he ran Gordon out of gas a lot. But its not all the crew chiefs fault. Gordon has been in this sport a long time. He can make smarter decisions as well and pit when he wants and save gas, especially at a road course. 191. Rusty posted: 06.25.2012 - 11:08 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Also, I think a lot of crow needs to be eaten (including myself) on Bowyer's decision to go to MWR. We all thought it would ruin his career, but instead it looks like Clint jumped ship at the right time. RCR has been awful this year while all of MWR's cars are performing well. 192. BON GORDON posted: 06.25.2012 - 11:10 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) I did like Roobie Loomis though. And if Gordon finishes 20th or worse in points I dont see Alan returning as crew chief. 193. cjs3872 posted: 06.25.2012 - 11:11 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Paul, you put Roush-Fenway as Ford1, Richard Petty Motorsports as Ford2, and Front Row Motorsports as Ford3. I wonder where you slot the Wood Brothers in all that, because in the four races in which they've actually had a chance to race, they've finished in the top ten in half of them. They've made six starts, but ran a total of eight competitive laps in two of them (one at Daytona and seven at Michigan), but finished in the top ten in two of the other four. And I Love Japan, I strongly disagree with what yo said about Brian Vickers. Sure he's taking full advantage of his time in the #55 car subbing for Mark Martin, but those two top five finishes have come at extemely difficult race tracks. This race, where he was fourth, his best finish since winning at Michigan in 2009, was on a road course, where even the best make mistakes, and he made none, and he finished fifth at Bristol, where he led a quarter of the race. What I think has happened with Vickers is that he's finally with a team with the ability that equals his, as well as a team that firmly believes in him, something he's never had before. Combine that with the fact that he knows his career is on the line, and you see what you get. If Vickers keeps up these good runs when Martin is not driving the $55 car, the possibility exists that you could have a different driver Chase field than you would an owner Chase field, because if the #55 is in the top ten in owner points, or wins the Wild Card by winning a race, which it could have already this year, it would qualify for the Chase in the owners' standings, which could realy confuse things, and could even win the owner's championship for Michael Waltrip. And that might very well be NASCAR's worst possible nightmare regarding the Chase this year, because there's a possibility that it could have a team in Cup that does not have a driver competing for a championship in the Cup series winning the owner's championship. 194. cjs3872 posted: 06.25.2012 - 11:20 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Robbie Loomis' curse at Hendrick Motorsports was Chad Knaus. Knaus was the reason Gordon became uncompetitve in 2005 and was probably the reason Loomis left to rejoin Richard Petty, but I don't remember him being a bad race strategist. In fact, strategy calls won them more than one race, including the 2001 Brickyard 400, where Loomis decided to skip a pit stop around mid-race, and put Gordon from the middle of the pack to the front, and we know what happened from there. But Chad Knaus was the root of Loomis' problems there. Now there were races that Gordon dominated and didn't win because he has never been that good at saving fuel. (I remember such a race at Loudon, NH where he dominated but had to make a late pit stop, simply because they knew he couldn't make it to the end, and Loomis was not going to run him out of fuel.) But another chronic problem Gordon has always had is, when he's dominating a race and then gets stuck in traffic, due to pit strategy or the timing of caution flags, that he can't get out of that traffic because he's not aggressive enough in traffic. That's always been a problem of his. 195. NicoRosbergFan posted: 06.25.2012 - 11:29 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Cjs, the owner's chase thing came up in 07 with Mark in the #01. They said that they would just slot the car in the Chase even if the owner points is different. So even if the #55 qualifies, they will throw it out. 196. cjs3872 posted: 06.25.2012 - 12:41 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I'm not sure NASCAR can do that, even if they wanted to, because the #55 will have earned their way into a Chase-eligible position. But that's also why there are two different points standings, one for drivers, and one for car owners/teams. If the #55 got into the top ten, they would have to let the team race for the owners' championship, which it would be eligible for. Now NASCAR might add an extra car for the owners' Chase, making it 13 for the owners' Chase if the #55 gets in, while having the 12 eligible drivers and teams also battle it out. One major difference between this season and 2007 is the fact that in 2007 and 2008, the driver that replaced Martin in the races Martin didn't run (Regan Smith in 2007 and Aric Almirola in 2008) was not capable of contending and running with the leaders. This year, Martin's replacement, Brian Vickers, a two-time Cup series winner and one-time Chase participant, is capable of running with the leaders, and that makes a BIG difference, so NASCAR could be faced with that possibility this year, where it didn't face that possibility in either 2007 or 2008. But I did hear that if this were to happen, a team with multiple drivers that works their way into Chase contention for the team championship would be eligible to run for it, but I could be wrong about that. 197. 1995 Subaru WRX STi posted: 06.25.2012 - 12:46 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "Just a boring race, not the typical beatin' and bangin', paint swappin' road course racing we're all used too" "Good gawd this race made me vomit -_-." Yeah it was "boring" because it lacked the demo derby crash of 2 years ago. -_- Seriously, if the 10 didn't wreck, it would have went caution free, then i would have laughed at everyone who said it was "boring". Anyway i asked this question on the last thread and didn't get answered, so i'll ask it again: what do you want, more or less downforce? Take away downforce, increase of races becoming a "bore fest." Increase it, take a chance of it becoming "IROC" (i think that *some* fans would like that most because that is what they seem to want now a days). They take away downforce, increase mechanical grip (seems logical to me), increase downforce, take away mechanical grip. Both go hand in hand for racing. 198. NicoRosbergFan posted: 06.25.2012 - 12:57 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Take it away. It takes a lot more talent to drive a car with little downforce. That's why we have seen the winners we have in the last 3 IndyCar races. 199. Paul posted: 06.25.2012 - 1:40 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Cjs3872, I was just listing three full-time Ford teams as examples of my tier system. I would put the Wood Brothers at Ford2 along with RPM. They're capable of having great runs, but just like RPM, those great runs don't come as often as it does for Roush. 200. Anonymous posted: 06.25.2012 - 1:44 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) cjs3872, It is true that Jeff never has been great at saving fuel, but at the same time you can say the same thing about Jimmie Johnson. Take away Phoenix and another race, Jimmie is like Jeff Gordon in that regard. Michigan last week as a prime example. Jimmie ran out of gas at Turn 3 on the final lap and is one of the big reasons Jimmie has never won at Michigan. 201. cjs3872 posted: 06.25.2012 - 2:40 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Anonymous (#200), Jimmie Johnson getting poor fuel mileage is not one of the big reasons he's never won at Michigan, it is THE ONLY reason he's never won there, because if it weren't for that, he'd have swept the races there in 2009, and might have a couple more Michigan wins, as well. Paul, you should have clarified what you were saying about the Ford teams in the first post about that. Had you mentioned that you were ranking just the three full-time Ford teams, I might not have asked you where the Wood Brothers stood among the Ford teams. And NicoRosbergFan, it has been proven time and time again that when downforce is taken away, the quality of the racing suffers as a result. The most infaous case was in 1998, but there have been other cases of that, as well. The reason is that, except for the slowest tracks, no amount of mechanical grip can replace any real loss of aerodynamic grip. That's been proven, and that's the reason that the only way to get the cars to run closer together is to ADD downforce, not take more away. But you are right in saying that taking downforce away will separate the drivers and teams. That has been proven over time and can not be disputed. A prime example is what happened at Indy in the early 1970s. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway went from being one of the most difficult tracks to run at in 1970 to one of the easiest to run at in 1972, the year bolt-on aerodynamic devices were allowed for the first time. 202. Daniel posted: 06.25.2012 - 3:13 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Kentucky entry list: -David Reutimann back in the #10 -Mike Bliss back in the #19 -#23 returns with Scott Riggs -David Stremme back in the #30 -Ken Schrader in the #32 -Mike Skinner in the #52 -Michael Waltrip in the #55 -#74 returns with Stacy Compton -Scott Speed in the #95 -Michael McDowell back in the #98 203. Talon64 posted: 06.25.2012 - 5:14 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Clint Bowyer picks up his 6th career Sprint Cup Series win, and now has a win in 5 of his 7 full seasons in Cup. It's his 4th consecutive top 10 finish, the 3rd longest streak of his career (5 straight in 2011, 7 straight in 2008), and his 6th top 10 in the last 8 races (7.0 avg fin) to go from 11th to 7th in the standings. It's his first career road course win, his previous best being 4th three times at Sonoma. Sonoma is now the track where he has his best average finish, 9.7 in 7 starts (4 top 5's). Michael Waltrip Racing get their 3rd career Sprint Cup Series win, and first win by someone other than David Reutimann. But it makes it 3 of the last 4 seasons for MWR with a win. Tony Stewart picks up his series-leading 7th top 3 finish of 2012; nobody else has more than 5. It's his 3rd straight top 3 finish, during which he's gone from 8th to 5th in the standings, and the first time he's had back-to-back runner-up finishes since Pocono and Watkins Glen in 2008. It's Stewart's 5th top 5 in 14 Sonoma starts, all of them top 2 finishes (two wins, three 2nd's). And it's his 5th top 10 in the last 6 races there. Kurt Busch finishes a season-best 3rd, his first top 5 of 2012 and first in 22 races dating back to last season; his previous top 5 was his win at Dover. It's Kurt's 2nd straight top 3 finish at Sonoma and 5th top 5 in 12 starts overall (17.0 avg fin, due to 6 finishes of 22nd or worse). Phoenix Racing get just their 4th top 5 in 207 career Cup starts, and their first that's not on a plate track. Brian Vickers gets his 2nd top 5 in just 3 starts this season; he had 3 top 5's total in 2011, running the full season. And both of those top 5's have come at tracks where he'd never finished in the top 10 before, Bristol (24.6 avg fin in prior 14 races) and Sonoma (22.7 in 6 prior, 1 pole). Jimmie Johnson's 4th consecutive top 5 finish, and 5th in the last 6 races (2 wins, 4.5 avg fin) now has him tied for the series lead in top 5's with 9 and top 10's with 12. 1 more top 5 would give him his 10th consecutive season with 10+ top 5's; his fewest over the previous 9 is 13. It's Johnson's 4th consecutive top 10 at Sonoma, which includes 3 top 5's. It's his 6th top 10 in 11 Sonoma starts overall (13.8 avg fin). Jeff Gordon's 13 laps led in the race gives him exactly 23,000 laps led in his career. That ranks him 7th all time, 4th in the modern era. Gordon has back-to-back top 10's for the first time this season, and has 3 in the last 5 races (10.2 avg fin, 22.9 in the first 11 races of the year) to move from 24th to 18th in the standings. Gordon extended his top 10 streak at Sonoma to 7 races, and it's his 16th top 10 in 20 career starts there (5 wins, 12 top 5's, 8.6 avg fin). Greg Biffle's 10th top 10 of the season gives him 8 consecutive season with 10+, and equals his top 10's from all of 2011. But it's the first time he's had back-to-back top 10's since April. It's his 2nd finish of 7th in the last 3 races at Sonoma, and his 4th top 10 in 10 career starts there (14.9 avg fin). Marcos Ambrose earned his 2nd straight and career Sprint Cup Series pole, breaking track records at Michigan and Sonoma. Ambrose had to settle for 8th, his 8th straight top 10 on a road course (dates back to Watkins Glen in 2008). It's the first time he's had back-to-back top 10's this season and it's his 4th in the last 6 races. AJ Allmendinger picks up his first top 10 in 10 races, and 2nd top 10 in 5 Sonoma starts (15.8 avg fin). Joey Logano gets his 6th top 10 of the season, equaling his total from all of 2011 (4 in the last 6 races). It's his 2nd straight top 10 at Sonoma (4 starts, 17.0 avg fin), and 3rd straight top 10 on road courses. Casey Mears finishes a season-best 15th, his 2nd straight top 20 finish and 3rd of the season. Dale Earnhardt Jr. finishes outside of the top 20 for the first time in 2012; his previous worst finish this year was 17th at Darlington. He now has no top 10's in 13 Sonoma starts (22.2 avg fin). 204. Talon64 posted: 06.25.2012 - 5:25 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Also, Bowyer's choice to go to MWR has clearly been a good one. At least so far this season: RCR's 2012 numbers (3 full time teams): 48 starts, 3 top 5's, 15 top 10's, 175 laps led, 15.4 avg fin. MWR's 2012 numbers: 48 starts, 1 win, 11 top 5's, 24 top 10's, 620 laps led, 12.8 avg fin. RCR teams sit 6th, 15th and 20th in owners points, versus 7th, 9th and 12th for MWR. Sorry Reutimann, but MWR also made the right choice in getting Mark Martin and Bowyer. 205. Eric posted: 06.25.2012 - 5:35 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Talon64, It is more than Bowyer going to MWR on why MWR is doing better than this year. Scott Miller left his position of Competition directer at RCR in late September last year to be executive vice president of competition for MWR. Scott started to work for MWR once the 2011 season was over. Many media people pointed the improvement of MWR to Scott Miller and pointed to the loss Scott Miller on why RCR isn't doing as well as it did last year. 206. Eric posted: 06.25.2012 - 5:42 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Clint Bowyer and Scott Miller signed with MWR within days of each other. That has hurt RCR besides the amount of times RCR now has from buying KHI's nationwide teams. It is possible that RCR has spread itself too thin besides key people leaving RCR. 207. Mr X posted: 06.25.2012 - 7:35 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I wouldn't say that taking downforce away make racing worse, not having the appropriate amount of downforce makes the racing worse. Right now these stock cars have way too much downforce, they are way too planted at higher speeds. Taking away downforce at this point is definitely the right thing to do. The cars are too aero dependent which means that clean air and track position play way too huge a role in the race from start to finish. In 1997 the amount of downforce the cars had much less downforce then they do now, then NASCAR removed some for the 1998, and as a result the cars were completely on top of the track at speed, meaning only the best drivers were able to predict the way the car would slide at the limit. Look at almost any racing series and look at the way that having too much downforce takes away from the drivers ability to pass, and for the better drivers to be able to seperate themselves. 208. Destroyahirismix666 posted: 06.25.2012 - 8:58 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) 181. Talk4Tar posted: 06.25.12 - 1:53 am Man, was I pulling for Kurt those last few laps. The road courses show driving ability more so than most other tracks, in my opinion. And It really hit me today, just how much I want to see Kurt succeed. He's a hot head, he has his issues, but I so badly want to see him do well, because I like his personality, when he isn't flipping out. I like him enough under control, I want to see him get back to where a driver of his skill deserves to be. Super proud of his drive today. That was me the night after the race. I realized 'Oh my god, I do want Kurt Busch to do good!'. I don't know why, I seem to be becoming more and more passive about anything in NASCAR that seems bad. Kentucky. *Yawn, stretch*. Wake me when it ends. That track will lose it's date in a few years. 209. 1995 Subaru WRX STi posted: 06.25.2012 - 9:43 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "Kentucky. *Yawn, stretch*. Wake me when it ends. That track will lose it's date in a few years." Bruton got that date because he endlessly whined and complained about it. And to boot, the track wasn't even ready for it. I can think of 5 other tracks that deserve a Cup date more then Kentucky. "then NASCAR removed some for the 1998, and as a result the cars were completely on top of the track at speed," That year racing was a complete bore, even plate races stunk. The new bodies are SUPPOSED to help with this issue. For some reason i can't see it. Getting rid of downforce in small amounts (which is what NASCAR is doing) is the right thing to do. But i still say they should incrase mechanical grip alittle also. Ya take alittle, give alittle back. 210. DaleSrFanForever posted: 06.25.2012 - 9:59 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Robbie Loomis = severly underrated. 211. Schroeder51 posted: 06.25.2012 - 10:16 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Kentucky doesn't really deserve a Cup date, but you can be sure it'll stay on the schedule for many years to come. 212. MStall41 posted: 06.25.2012 - 11:27 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) They need MORE downforce, MUCH more downforce. More downforce means they can stay in the throttle longer which means they can catch better drafts off of one another. This leads to more passing. If you pair this with a tire that has good fall off, you have the perfect recipe for racing. 213. cjs3872 posted: 06.26.2012 - 12:07 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) You're right, DSFF, Robbie Loomis is one of the more underrated crew chiefs in the last 15 years, and I was one of those hard on him. In 2000, Loomis took over a team that had lost it's future Hall of Fame crew chief AND it's entire pit crew, which left for Dale Jarrett's team, and in just two years, joined his mentor Dale Inman as a champion crew chief. Not just that, but among Loomis' accomplishments as Jeff Gordon's crew chief at Hendrick Motorsports are that fourth championship for Gordon in 2001, a win in the All-Star Race in 2001 with a back-up car, and also wins in the Southern 500 (2002), Firecracker 400 (2004), Daytona 500 (2005), Hendrick Motorsports' 100th win (the spring race at Michigan in 2001), and two wins in the Brickyard 400 (2001, 2004). But more impressive that anything he ever did at Hendrick Motorsports was the way he rebuilt Petty Enterprises into a legitimate contender in the mid 90s, putting the #43 back where it belongs, the front of the field, as it won three times in four years (twice with Bobby Hamilton and once with John Andretti), and should have won more. The legendary #43 car has not been to victory lane since Loomis left for Hendrick Motorsports after the 1999 season. Loomis is a lot like Andy Petree in terms of being an underrated crew chief, and one the things he got from working with the Pettys is the fact that he would not bring cheated-up cars to the track. A classic case of this came at Las Vegas in 2005, when three Hendrick cars finished in the top five, and thus all were inspected after the race. The others were the winning car of Jimmie Johnson (with Chad Knaus as crew chief) and the second place car of Kyle Busch (with Alan Gustafson as crew chief). Of those three, Loomis' car was the only one to actually conform to the rules regarding rear springs. The other two cars had illegally high rear springs, which increased rear downforce by getting the rear spoiler into the air, but Loomis wouldn't go there. 214. JRacingFast posted: 06.26.2012 - 1:24 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) i can name some tracks that deserve cup dates over Kentucky....Now i know some of them arent 100% possable unless they add seats but it would still be awsome 1. Iowa Speedway 2. Rockingham! 3. Road America 4. A second darlington date anyone? 5. Montrial 215. Rusty posted: 06.26.2012 - 6:09 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) I remember most fans wanted Kentucky on the schedule for years when the track was trying hard to get on. Now they realize it is just a typical 1.5 miler with mediocre racing. 216. NicoRosbergFan posted: 06.26.2012 - 6:46 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) If I could have a pipedream, then the Southern 500 would be ON Labor Day. The NNS would go to Hickory and WS 2x a year. Iowa would have one Cup race; NWS 2; the Rock 1. No Fontana or Homestead- crummy racing. Bring back the Trucks being mainly a Saturday afternoon West coast series. I'd have about 16 short track races, 13 intermediates, 4 plate races, 3 road courses. Etc, etc, etc. But it's all a pipedream and won't happen. Sounds like a blog plan... 217. David posted: 06.26.2012 - 11:10 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Matt Kenseth, according to FOXSports.com, is leaving Roush Fenway at season's end. 218. Dave#38Fan posted: 06.26.2012 - 11:18 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) i hope kenseth gets the #20 cup car. then, since logano likes being an asshole and taking nationwide wins away from elliott sadler, ryan truex, and james buescher, he can run the nationwide series full-time where he belongs. 219. Anonymous posted: 06.26.2012 - 11:20 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Jack Roush has announced that Matt Kenseth is leaving Roush at the end of the season and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. will be taking over Matt's ride next year. According Jenna Fryer, Matt is headed to Gibbs for the 20 car or for a 4th JGR race team. 220. Captain77 posted: 06.26.2012 - 11:27 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Am I the only one who has been noticing Casey Mears and the 13 team starting to put together some really solid finishes? Granted its not every single week.. but its definitely nice to see Casey have a nice run every now and then 221. ch posted: 06.26.2012 - 12:02 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) My question about the entire RFR team is will Bayne get the 6 nationwide ride next year? And will Roush switch the 17 cup car to the 6. 222. 1995 Subaru WRX STi posted: 06.26.2012 - 1:04 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "1. Iowa Speedway 2. Rockingham! 3. Road America 4. A second darlington date anyone? 5. Montrial" Yes to Iowa, Rusty built a great racetrack there. NO to Rockingham.....atleast not yet. 6 years from now, maybe. But now, NO. Road America is an option but they will have to update the track for Cup series standards. yes to a second Darlington date and yes to Montreal (a place that deserves a Cup date more then anyother track NASCAR goes too) Might as well name mine: 1. Portland road course that the trucks used to race at. 2. Iowa 3. Montreal 4. Darlington 5. A second Homestead date Jack Roush, you have no idea on how to run a race team. Good for you Matt on leaving that crap hole. 223. Smiff_99 posted: 06.26.2012 - 1:43 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Alright, this doesn't make any sense....Roush can't even find full sponsorship for Stenhouse (or Kenseth, obviously) but he's bumping Stenhouse to Cup? I don't get it. Did he magically find a sponsor for Stenhouse (that wants to be in Cup?) Wherever Kenseth goes, I'm hoping he somehow brings Fennig with him, although I doubt Roush would let that happen. 224. Eric posted: 06.26.2012 - 2:07 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) This changes the cup championship picture. The rule of thumb is cup teams falter during a season when the driver announced he or she is leaving their current team after the season. I do not blame Matt for leaving. Jack has problems finding sponsors and my theory for while is Jack asks too much money for sponsoring once of his cars. Roush teamed up with Fenway because Jack already was having problems finding sponsors. There is going to a drop off from Kenseth to Ricky Stenhouse jr for the 17 team next year due to the fact the team has to get adjusted to a driver that is more aggressive than Matt. Ricky is a great short track driver in the Nationwide series. Once he gets experience in cup, he will be a threat to win on those type of tracks. What Matt brings to Gibbs is a leader they haven't had since Stewart left and have a driver that knows how to win a cup championship. I question Kenseth going to Gibbs. It is the fact Matt has a driving style that is different than Denny Hamlin or Kyle Busch. Denny and Kyle are drivers that are more aggressive than Matt is. 225. Eric posted: 06.26.2012 - 2:11 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I meant to type The rule of thumb is cup teams falter during a season when the driver announces he or she is leaving their current team once the season is despite the current season is still going on. That means teams decline once it is found out the current driver is a lame duck during the season. 226. cjs3872 posted: 06.26.2012 - 2:16 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) It this is true about Kenseth effectively being fired by Roush at season's end and being replaced by Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., we know that Roush will have three teams next year. It's also obvious what lengths Roush would go to find Stenhouse a ride in Cup. What's likely to happen next is that Roush is probably going to close up shop on his Nationwide team after this year, since he can't find sponsorship for his Nationwide team (and hasn't really tried), which may leave Trevor Bayne looking for a ride, though I suspect the Wood Brothers will still offer him their car for 12-16 races next year, unless Bayne can find a full-time ride elsewhere in Cup (Nationwide is probably out of the question at this stage). If that happens, if I know anything about the Wood Brothers, they'll release him to go to that full-time ride in Cup, assuming it's with a better team. And I still think, desite what anyone over there is saying, A.J. Allmendinger is still on the hot seat at Penske Racing, his his performance last week, while steady for a change, didn't improve his prospects. Sonoma was a place he should have run much better at that he did, because his his vast road racing experience, and if he can't see the front there, he could be in bigger trouble than even I thought. 227. LordLowe posted: 06.26.2012 - 2:22 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Speaking of leaving I don't think that Alan goofaston will be Gordon's crew chief after this season. 228. cjs3872 posted: 06.26.2012 - 2:39 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Well, I don't see Jimmy Fennig being the crew chief on the #17 car next year, either. First, I'm not sure Fennig, who's used to being the crew chief for drivers that don't crash (Bobby Allison, Mark Martin, Kurt Busch, and Matt Kenseth) will operate with a driver that, although incredibly fast, is sometimes prone to crashing. Fennig's not had a crash-prone driver since he worked with Bobby Allison's team and had drivers such as Jimmy Spencer, Hut Stricklin, and Derrike Cope (and nearly won with all three). So while the focus is going to be on where Kenseth will be next year (I suspect Gibbs), we may also want to look at what will happen to Fennig, who's a borderline Hall of Fame crew chief. There's only four or five crew chiefs in the sprt today that should even be considered for future Hall of Fame candidacy, Aand Fennig is one of them. If Hendrick does release Gustafson at season's end, which I very much doubt, he should take a look at Fennig. After all, he revived Kenseth's career, which seemed to be heading on a fast track to nowhere in 2010, he might be the ne crew chief that could bring Gordon back to championship form, and for more years than one. 229. Eric posted: 06.26.2012 - 2:44 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) cjs3872, You really can't say Roush fired Matt because Matt's contract was up after this season is over. I found out last week or the week prior matter of fact that Matt's contract expires after this season is over by what I read on line. What happened here is a lot of people including the media assumed Matt is going to resign with Roush. Matt acts as his own agent and he has been talking to other teams. 230. Eric posted: 06.26.2012 - 2:46 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I am guessing it is either Matt's asking price or he got sick not having his team to be fully sponsored is why Matt decided to leave Roush. 231. Rusty posted: 06.26.2012 - 3:07 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I think Kenseth ends up replacing Allmendinger at Penske. I hope this means Bayne gets to run full time in Nationwide next year, but I doubt it. Stenhouse appears to be the only driver Roush is willing to run out of pocket 232. Eric posted: 06.26.2012 - 3:08 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) cjs3872, You forgot that Jimmy Fennig had to work with David Ragan. Jimmy had a lot of work to do with David Ragan because of what David did at MArtinsiville the year prior. Before David Ragan had Jimmy Fenning, David was basically a pinball machine at his first Martinsville cup race in 2006. NASCAR matter of fact didn't allow David to run a cup race at Atlanta in 2006 because what he did at Martinsville. 233. 10andJoe posted: 06.26.2012 - 3:20 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Now the question is will Roush ruin Stenhouse's ROTY candidacy this year... 234. 18fan posted: 06.26.2012 - 3:27 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I hope Matt finds a way to win the championship this year (which is unlikely given the lame-duck status he now has) and then blows all of the Roush-Fenway cars, especially Stenhouse (who I like) out of the water wherever Matt ends up. It's going to be very strange to see that 17 car and have it be driven by someone other than Matt. 235. ch posted: 06.26.2012 - 4:03 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I doubt that his ROTY chance will be wasted. But now we actually have a ROTY "battle" shapping up next year between Ricky and Danica. At least now Danica won't win the ROTY automatically (*cough* or at all *cough*) like Conway and Lally... 236. joey2448 posted: 06.26.2012 - 4:07 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Man, I can't believe Roush is giving up Kenseth for Stenhouse! Kenseth has been the face of Roush Racing for years! It seems to me that Roush is very stingy when it comes to attracting sponsors, and that's why he has the trouble he has. I hope Kenseth does well next year competing against the Roush teams. Btw, lol at post 233. Roush will probably run Stenhouse in 10 or more cup races this year, ruining his ROTY status. I just don't get why owners do that... 237. Woodbridge posted: 06.26.2012 - 4:18 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) So weird that Kenseth will no longer be in the 17. So, so weird. 238. cjs3872 posted: 06.26.2012 - 4:26 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Eric, the way I understand it, Roush just basically told Kenseth that he would not return next year so that Stenhouse would drive the #17 car (or will it be the #6?) next year, and that sure sounds like a firing to me. And about the Rookie of the Year, I brought this up last year, but when NASCAR changed the rules about points eligibility in trheir top series last year, they also changed the rules regarding eligibility for Rookie of the Year. A driver can now be eligible for Rookie of the Year if he elects to run Cup for the first time, now matter how many Cup races he had run previously, because he was not eligible to earn points in any of those Cup races. The old seven race per year limit no longer applies, so Stenhouse would eligible for rookie honors next year, even if he ran every Cup race in the second half of this season, because he's not eligible to earn points of any kind in any of them, and that would include RotY points. The thing about this move is that we can now officially count Roush out of the running for any of the big races, or the series championship in the future, because Kenseth was the only driver Roush had that could win any of the big races, and the only driver Roush had that could win a championship, because he would not fold under the pressure. On the other hand, Biffle, Edwards, and Stenhouse all drive to hard, and are too prone to mistakes, and Biffle and Edwards have also shown the propensity to shrink under the pressure. And as for Jimmy Fennig not having to deal with his drivers crashing, the frequency of crashes that David Ragan had went down in his time with Fennig as his crew chief. In fact, Fennig was Ragan's crew chief when he nearly made the Chase in 2008. 239. DaleSrFanForever posted: 06.26.2012 - 5:14 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I am surprised how fast this went down. But Roush will miss Kenseth in so many ways they will benhard to count. He is truly the cornerstone of that organization since Mark left and has always been a reliable steady consistent force. He also was willing to tuck his ego away and not complain about his severe way he has been underappreciated by the general racing public, most of whom think Carl Edwards is not only Roush's best driver (wrong) but by far the best and leader of that organization (wrong, wrong, and WRONG!). As much as I like Stenhouse, he isn't gonna be as willing to not be recognized for his accomplishments. He needs a teammate like Kenseth. Carl and Biff are not the type to mentor a young kid. Roush has lost their backbone for 2013. As a Brad fan, now I am really feeling bad about Penske's move next year. Ford Racing just took a huge step back. It should also be noted that Ford Racing released a statement saying goodbye. So that eliminates the #22 car for him. Hello Home Depot? Looks that way. JGR will try to create a 4th team for Logano, and that is a mistake. Hopefully it will fall through. They don't need to overtax their resources. But he will provide JGR the stability that they DESPERATELY need, that Roush will miss so dearly. Kyle Bush and Denny Hamlin, neither of which have any leadership ability, will benefit greatly from Matt. One last thought, will we see Matt in victory lane at Martinsville at some point now? How bizarre will that be? 240. 1995 Subaru WRX STi posted: 06.26.2012 - 5:24 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I really do not want to see Matt going to JGR. Yes, he *seems* like a Gibbs kinda guy but can he deal with guys like Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin when he has already dealt with Carl Edwards? Doesn't make sense too me. Matt going to Penske would be a VAST upgrade over AJA. I think Brad and Matt would get along great and make Penske Racing better. But Penske isn't a championship team *yet*. Matt isn't going to RCR or HMS. Jack Roush has (for now) put all his eggs in Carl Edwards basket. And Carl has come up short for a championship twice (2008, 2011). not saying Carl can't win one but just saying. 241. joey2448 posted: 06.26.2012 - 6:11 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I think the best option would be for Kenseth to drive a 3rd car for Penske, to go along with the 22 and 2. Perhaps bring back the 12 car? Besides, Penske's switching back to Ford next year, and Penske's not as stingy with sponsors as Roush is. 242. Japan posted: 06.26.2012 - 6:53 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Going to Penske would be a Downgrade from Roush. Penske isnt That Great, maybe the 5th best team in the garage right now behind HMS, Gibbs, Stewart-Haas, and Roush. Its really close with MWR right now, but Penske gets the edge for Special K having 2 wins on the season so far. Although recently, Brad is struggling it appears. Hopefully, Matt gets the 20 car, and Logano heads Out. Losing Kenseth is a huge blow for Roush, Ford, and the 17 team. However, this will give Stenhouse Jr his chance to shine, if he can make the most of his opportunity. Bet Carl Edwards wishes he took that 20 car now... Roush appears to be struggling and is looking like its falling apart. Sponsorship problems costing the 6 team to go, and not full funding for the 17 or 99, or for Bayne in nationwide, who knows, maybe Roush will be out of the sport sooner rather than later? And for other drivers, whats going to happen with Newman? and Kurt Busch? and McMurray? maybe McMurray goes to a third Penske team. Truex resigns, Newman cant really find greener grass than where he is now. 243. JG24FanForever posted: 06.26.2012 - 8:04 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) #1 most overlooked accomplishment of the race? 2 way tie for best ever average finish at Sonoma Jeff Gordon 8.6 avg. finish Dale Earnhardt 8.6 avg. finish #2 Most consecutive Top 10's Mark Martin 7 straight Jeff Gordon 7 straight Jeff Gordon 7 straight again! Dale Earnhardt 6 straight and all-time Top 6 finishes Jeff Gordon 14 Ricky Rudd 10 Rusty Wallace 9 Mark Martin 8 Dale Earnahardt 7 Terry LTony Stewart 6 Matt Kenseth 0(this guy couldn't possibly like this track) Laps Led Jeff Gordon 450 Rusty Wallace 171 Mark Martin 161 Robby Gordon 158 Kurt Busch 139 Ricky Rudd 134 Kyle Busch 88 Ernie Irvan 85 Jimmie Johnson 85 Tony Stewart 82(Behind Johnson at a Road Course?) Clint Bowyer 73(71 in this event) Denny Hamlin 48 Terry Labonte 46 Marcos Ambrose 46 Dale Earnhardt 44 Ron Fellows 44 Matt Kenseth 0(zero) 244. Red posted: 06.26.2012 - 8:31 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) When was the last time the points leader announced he was switching teams in mid-season? I don't know if this has ever happened before. 245. Japan posted: 06.26.2012 - 8:51 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Anyone think Matt Kenseth will reach 50 wins before the end of his career? 246. LordLowe posted: 06.26.2012 - 8:58 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I had a weird dream last night that Ricky Rudd came out of retirement and Cost Dale Jr the Championship 247. Dave#38Fan posted: 06.26.2012 - 9:24 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) kenseth isn't going to penske, ford released a statement basically wishing him goodbye, plus, it would make penske look like they're getting roush's rejects, probably for that same reason they won't hire bayne for the #22, plus penske said they expect allmendinger to remain in the #22 next season. if penske does start a third team it will be for sam hornish jr, and there's no way they can go from two teams to four teams in one year, so kenseth is out of the picture there. hopefully kenseth gets the #20 and logano is either in nationwide full-time or running for a team like front row or tommy baldwin, or start and parking. 248. JG24FanForever posted: 06.26.2012 - 9:53 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) It's worth noting that Jeff Gordon surpassed Bobby Allison in all-time races led at this event. 1. Richard Petty 599 2. Jeff Gordon 416 3. Bobby Allison 415 4. Dale Earnhardt 406 5. Darrell Waltrip 403 249. Spen posted: 06.26.2012 - 10:14 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I did predict last year that Stenhouse would replace one of the current drivers at Roush next year, but my money had been on Biffle, not Kenseth. Carl Edwards probably benefits the most from this whole deal. With the only championship calliber driver on the team gone, his posistion as team leader is totally secured. This will likely increase his confidence, and allow him to make a comeback next year. (He'll still never win a title, though.) I can't see Matt going to Penske. Allmendinger will probably be replaced next year, but it'll be Sam Hornish who gets the #22. I don't see them expanding to three cars again until Kligerman's ready for Cup. I don't have a very good feeling about Matt going to Gibbs. Logano's not going to leave the #20. *If* Matt goes to Gibbs at all, it will be with a fourth car. And fourth cars traditionally don't keep up well with the other three. I expect that Matt will basically be treated as a seat warmer to get the fourth car ready for Darrell Wallace. For the short-term, this pretty much hands Johnson the title, as Hamlin is really his only serious competition left. Japan: Matt probably won't even reach 25 wins now, let alone 50. I highly doubt that his car will be up to snuff the rest of this year, so he probably won't win again this season. And if he wins more than once at Gibbs (if even that much) I'll be surprised. 250. Eric posted: 06.26.2012 - 10:34 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Japan, I don't think Matt will have 50 cup wins by the end of his cup Career based on 2 even if Rockingham was still on the cup schedule with 2 cup dates. My reasoning is Matt is good for anywhere from 1 to 3 cup wins a year. Although Matt will be with Gibbs, it wouldn't make a difference due to his nature as a driver. I bring this up because Mark Martin was the driver who taught Matt the ropes as a driver in cup like he did for Jeff Burton as a mentor to speak. For a time matter of fact Matt was compared to Mark. The style of driving Mark does is not make for having over 5 wins a season usually. Matt is already 40 years old and has 22 wins. Asking for 28 more wins at his age and stage of his career is tough due to his nature as a driver and the fact he already has 452 cup starts. I think matter Matt has 3 prime years as a cup driver left unless he pulls a Mark Martin. It is likely that Matt will finish his cup career anywhere from 30 to 40 cup wins and go to the NASCAR Hall of Fame once he retires. 251. cjs3872 posted: 06.26.2012 - 11:36 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I don't know about that, Eric. Mark won five races in a year more than once, and bagged seven wins in 1998. Sure Matt, like Mark, is one of those consistent finishers, but given an opportunity to win, he'll do what he can to win races. But the two share a similar trait, in that they won't take unnecessary chances to do so. They'll take third if that's what the car has. Actually, Kenseth may be exactly what Kyle Busch needs, if he does indeed go to JGR. And if he does, that's bad news for Denny Hamlin, since when Joe Gibbs adds a driver to his team, or makes a change, another of his teams suffer. For instance, when Denny Hamlin was put in the #11 car, the #18 suffered. Granted, they had a terrible driver (J.J.Yeley) in the #18 in 2006-'07, but little attention was paid to the #18 car. Then when Kyle Busch replaced Yeley in the #18 car, the #20 suffered, as Gibbs paid virtually no attention to the fortunes of the #20 car, which continues to be the case. That's one of the reasons Tony Stewart left when he did. And now that Kenseth is apparently going to Gibbs in 2013, either in the #20 car, or a fourth car (maybe he'll take the #17 with him since all of Gibbs' cars carry low numbers), look for Denny Hamlin to struggle mightily in 2013, because whenever Joe Gibbs has added one driver, another suffers. 252. DaleSrFanForever posted: 06.27.2012 - 12:11 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) LordLowe, that wasn't a dream. Oh wait, you said Dale Jr. Nevermind. 253. Eric posted: 06.27.2012 - 1:02 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) cjs3872, I typed on post 250 "not make for having over 5 wins a season usually" and that means your mentioning of Mark winning 5 times a season actually is not a point to prove me wrong. When I type more than 5 that means higher having at least 6 wins a season and I typed usually because Mark's 1998 season and Jeff Burton's 1999 season. Those two seasons were career years in wins for them. The 1998 season is out of Mark was caused by a couple factors that I rather no mention at this time. 254. cjs3872 posted: 06.27.2012 - 1:34 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) But Eric, when has it been normal for any Roush driver to dominate like that? Only three times, when Carl Edwards won nine times in 2008, when Greg Biffle won six times in 2005, and when Matt Kenseth won five times in 2002, has any Roush driver led the series in wins alone. Usually when Roush has a dominiant year, more than one of his drivers do a lot of winning. 2002 was a case of this, as Kenseth won five times, Kurt Busch won four times, and Mark Martin won once (an epic battle in the Coca-Cola 600 with Kenseth) for a total of ten. And in 2005, no Roush driver really dominated because all five of them won, claiming 15 wins between them. But now with Matt Kenseth leaving, it will really be feast or famine for the three-car Roush team, because they'll have three drivers who drive the same way, and the way Biffle, Edwards, and Stenhouse drive, they're all prone to making big mistakes because they're driving too hard, which would cost them in the end. how many times have we seen Greg Biffle, and to a lesser extent, Carl Edwards, throw good races away by driving their cars too hard and crashing, or at least hitting the wall? And Stenhouse is the exact same way, if not worse than either of them in the same way. If their cars are right, they're as fast as anyone, but if they're not, they end up wrecking because they're driving it too hard. If anyone can remember a time when Matt Kenseth crashed by driving too hard, I'd like someone to mention it, because I can't remember him ever crashing because he drove too hard with a car that wasn't handling right. 255. Bronco posted: 06.27.2012 - 2:52 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) " If anyone can remember a time when Matt Kenseth crashed by driving too hard, I'd like someone to mention it, because I can't remember him ever crashing because he drove too hard with a car that wasn't handling right." I'd argue his infamous 2004 Dover pit road incident was an example of driving too hard - and what magnified it was that it damaged his championship hopes at that time. 256. LordLowe posted: 06.27.2012 - 7:01 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) A look into My Crystal Ball Tells Me that the Roush Organization will be out of Business within 5 years. My Crystal Ball also tells me that CJS will manage to do a backflip before the end of the year. 257. cjs3872 posted: 06.27.2012 - 9:24 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Bronco, I was referring to Kenseth crashing because of running too hard ON the track. We all know he crashed at Dover trying to get into the pits in 2004, but many drivers have done that over the years. But even that was eight years ago, and if that's the best anyone can answer the question I posed about Kenseth crashing because he was running too hard with a car that wasn't handling right (and that had nothing to do with his car not handling right), that illustrates my point right there about the difference between Kenseth and the other current Cup drivers at Roush, as well as Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., Kenseth's imminent replacement. Kenseth takes whatever the track and the car gives him, and doesn't try to get more than what the car is capable of, and doesn't have a self-inflicted crash as a result. The people at Roush will have a much hardertask next year fixing cars, because they'll have to fix cars from all three teams. Kenseth gave their fab shop a break the last 12, going on 13 years, because he didn't tear up eqiupment. Certainkly not at the rate his teammates have done. In fact, I think Ricky Stenhouse tore up more stuff in the Nationwide Series in 2010 than Kenseth has in his entire 13-year stint in Cup at Roush. (I know that's an exaggeration, but it isn't all that far from being true.) 258. Michael S. posted: 06.27.2012 - 1:52 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) CJS, Ricky Stenhouse was a rookie in Nationwide in 2010, of course he's going to tear stuff up. Jeff Gordon was no different in his rookie year either. How much equipment did Ricky Stenhouse tear up in 2011, oh that's right next to none which is why he won the Nationwide championship that year. Carl Edwards and Greg Biffle don't tear up equipment all that often either. No doubt the fab shop will be busy repairing cars belonging to Stenhouse, but that's part of his learning curve. I would expect to see Ricky finish around the top 15 in points for 2013, with a potential to clinch a wild card chase berth if circumstances come together. He undoubtedly has the talent to be a contender. 259. murb posted: 06.27.2012 - 2:38 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I haven't had internet for the past few days, so now that I finally do, I'll give my thoughts on some stuff. First of all, I thought that this was a great race. Definitely not what you would expect from Sonoma, but some fantastic racing towards the end. As for the Kenseth-Roush situation, I was completely shocked when I heard about this. But when you think about it more and more, it becomes not as shocking. This was a VINTAGE Jack Roush move. It's the same thing that happened with Jeff Burton in 2004. Veteran team leader (Kenseth/Burton) kicked to the side for young hot shot (Stenhouse/Edwards). The only difference of course is that Burton had not been running well for a couple of years, while Kenseth is the current points leader. But if I was Matt Kenseth right now, I would be ecstatic. As we've all seemed to document on here several times, Jack Roush has to be the worst owner in the garage to drive for when it comes to sponsorship. He can't even give Carl Edwards, one of the most recognizable drivers in the garage, full sponsorship. Matt to JGR seems like the most logical deal. He'll probably go to the 20 car. He totally fits everything Home Depot wants in a driver right now (Way more of a home improvement type of guy than a 22 year old kid, and also has success which can rival Jimmie in the Lowe's car.) Plus, he can go over there and take advantage of some cars that are probably equally as good as Roush's. (You know, when they're not blowing up.) So like I said, I think Matt is in a great spot in his career. Instead of being mad about being canned for Stenhouse, he should just be like, "See ya, Jack!!! Thanks for the championship!!! Don't run out of money!!!" 260. 10andJoe posted: 06.27.2012 - 3:21 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Word from the herd is that Bayne /will/ be taking Stenhouse's place in the NNS 6 next year, according to Roush's current plans. Also, Michael Andretti has confirmed he's looking at starting a NASCAR team, most likely with Dodge. 261. cjs3872 posted: 06.27.2012 - 3:28 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Michael S., I know that young drivers, especially rookie drivers, do crash more often than expericened drivers. As you mentioned, that's part of the learning curve, but Stenhouse did an excessive amount of crashing in 2010, even for a rookie. If Stenhouse can keep his crashes to an average level, he could challenge for a top 12-15 position, though the Chase may be out of reach next year, but is not out of the realm of possibility for 2014. And murb, Roush may not be the worst owner to driver for just from a sponsorship point of view, but also from a personality point of view. Remember what Jamie McMurray, who drove for Roush for four years (2006-'09) said about him last year? He called him a "cold person" on one of ESPN's interview shows. But Roush didn't start running into these sponsorship problems until he partnered with the Red Sox. Prior to that, he had 11 full-time teams across NASCAR's top thre series, with eight or nine of them fully sponsored if I remember right, but look at what's happened since he got hooked up with the Red Sox. He's gone from 11 teams, with 8 or 9 being sponsored, including all five of his Cup teams, down to just four teams, with only one of them (Greg Biffle's Cup team) being fully sponsored. The other three are just partially sponsored. And even though it's being said that Roush is going to run Trevor Bayne in the Nationwide Series full-time next year, I remain unconvinced. I thknk there's an equal chance of Roush shutting down his Nationwide team, especially if no sponsor is found. 262. cjs3872 posted: 06.27.2012 - 3:37 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) 10andJoe, Michael Andretti's sure got connections if he wants to start a Cup team with Dodge. First, he can acquire Roger Penske's fleet of Dodges. But there's another connection, especially if Richard Petty decides to return to Dodge. Remember that what's now Andretti Autosport and Richard Petty Motorsports had an alliance in recent years to put Michael's cousin, John Andretti, into the Indianapolis 500. The cars were run out of Andretti's shop, but were officially entered by Richard Petty Motorsports, and even had the classic Petty color scheme and famous #43 on them. So if Michael Andreti did decide to give NASCAR a try, an alliance with Richard Petty' team would be the most natural way to go. Remember he was talking last year about heading to NASCAR, but running Fords, again possibly aligning himself with Petty's team, but it fell through. 263. DaleSrFanForever posted: 06.27.2012 - 3:52 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) A guy named Osterlund once bought Penske's cars. 3 years later he was the championship car owner with the hottest young shoe in NASCAR history named Earnhardt. Did he sell his team and bail on NASCAR the very next year? Of course he did. Moron. Glad to see I'm not the only one who fondly remembers the final laps of the 2002 World 600. 264. Frank posted: 06.27.2012 - 4:00 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Well, in my opinion Roush destroying his next famous number. In 2005 he destroyed #97 - maybe not legendary but still the last Cup title for him. In 2006 he destroyed #6 - the iconic one - because Ragan never belonged here, was evident from first races. Now it's time for #17 - hard to believe Stenhouse will be significantly better that Ragan. Also there was too much money wasted on making champion from Carl Edwards - all that Roush has is the most famous loss of Cup championship. RFR is falling down. As my friend noticed, since letter F appeared. 265. murb posted: 06.27.2012 - 4:03 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I think it would be great if Andretti Autosport came into the Cup series. Think about it. Dodge would likely be putting a ton of emphasis and effort into the team, and that would be a good recipe for being competitive. And I'm sure that if they came in, it would be at least a two car team. So then, that opens up at least two semi high profile rides. I could see a guy like Kurt Busch winding up there. (It would actually be perfect because I don't see Michael putting up with Kurt's B.S. at all.) And maybe Logano if JGR doesn't keep him (and hopefully, they won't.) 266. Eric posted: 06.27.2012 - 4:32 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Frank, The 97 car was different than the 6. Jamie Mcmurray when he signed with Roush was looked upon as a promising cup driver. Jamie had a good 2004 season that if his team didn't a points penalty, he would have made the chase since he finished 11th in points. Jamie finished 12th in points in 2005. It was thought at the time if Jamie had better equipment, he would be winning a lot of races because Chip's equipment was not that great in 2005 for cup. That didn't happen with Roush. David Ragan on the other handle had problems from the time he attempted cup races in 2006 for preparing for his 2007 rookie year. David matter of fact was not allowed to race at Atlanta in 2006 after all the cup drivers complained about him being a pinball machine at Martinsville. 267. Eric posted: 06.27.2012 - 4:43 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Frank, Jamie Mcmurray was a bust at Roush, but he had confidence problems besides the fact he was not a good fit there. The Jamie Mcmurray we say in 2010 was the Jamie people expected at Roush. Jack couldn't be blamed for the 97 car in terms of who the driver was. All he can be blamed for is keeping David Ragan instead of Jamie. The problem with that is would Jamie been to get his EGR 2010 season at Roush. I don't think he would have. David Ragan was rushed into cup like I mention the post prior and he regressed from a 2008 that showed David was getting better. 268. Eric posted: 06.27.2012 - 4:59 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) murb, I mentioned last month about a rumor on the Race Hub about Andretti Autosport looking at Ryan Newman and Kurt Busch. Ryan Newman makes sense because he could be forced to go to another team because of the question of the Army Sponsorship since politicians in Washington, DC are trying to end in military sponsorships in racing including NASCAR by having to vote on a bill on it. Ryan couldn't go to Penske because of he left there and that means Ryan's options would be limited if he has to leave Stewart-Haas. The politicians over there tried to kill Military sponsorships in racing last year, so this isn't something new. 269. murb posted: 06.27.2012 - 5:18 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Yeah Eric, I completely forgot about Newman's eligibility as a free agent. You certainly have to throw him in the running for any of these open rides. It would also be really interesting to see what SHR would do if Newman left. Would they replace him? Or would they just field two full time teams with Tony and Danica? There's no doubt about it, there are a lot of unanswered questions when it comes to who will be driving where next year. I think we can all pretty much assume that Kenseth is going to JGR, whether it is in the 20 car or a fourth car. A while ago I read a quote from Denny Hamlin, where he said Kenseth was "a good asset" and "he brings a lot." So I think that kind of gives it away. Now we just need to figure out what is going to happen with Logano, Busch, Newman, and whether or not Andretti Autosport starts a Cup team... 270. cjs3872 posted: 06.27.2012 - 5:20 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Actually DSFF, that's not entirely true about Osterlund and Penske in 1977. It's true that Osterlund bought the Penske team in 1977, and Dave Marcis and the #2 came wth the purchase, but Osterlund did NOT buy Penske's cars. George Elliott, Bill's father, did. The reason is that Penske ran Mercurys in 1976 and '77 and sold them to Elliott, since he wanted to run Fords and Osterlund intended to run GM cars (Oldsmobiles and Chevrolets). Of course, as we all know, that ended up working out greatly for both Osterlund and the Elliotts as both ended up building championship teams. George Elliott did so with the help of Harry Melling, who bought the team from Elliott, but was wise enough to leave the Elliotts in charge of the race car end of it, and we all know that Osterlund inherited a championship-caliber team that only needed an aggressive driver, which Osterlund himself hired when he hired Dale Earnhardt in 1978. Also remember that one of Jamie McMurray's problems at Roush was that he was never comfortable over there. That, plus the fact the Roush was, his McMurray's words, a cold person, may have contributed to the fact that McMurray was never comfortable there. Another reason was that McMurray was never comfortable with the cars at Roush, which were always set up loose, which has never ben to his liking. Of the drivers McMurray had as teammates during his stint there, the one that he seemingly got along with the best was Matt Kenseth, mainly because their driving styles and what they liked in their cars were simlilar. I think that's one thing McMurray's found out and that Matt Kenseth will find out, either at Joe Gibbs Racing (his likely destination) or Penske Racing. Both Gibbs and Penske are known for treating their drivers as people, while Roush is known for treating his drivers like tools. A prime example of this occurred in the 1972 IndyCar race at Michigan when Merle Bettenhausen had the crash that cost him his left arm. His brother Gary was drivng for Penske then, and when Penske learned of the seriousness of the nature of Merle's crash exitinmg turn two, he withdrew Gary from the race, just so he could be with Merle in the hospital. Men like Penske, Gibbs, Chip Ganassi, and Rick Hendrick are all prime examples of car owners treating drivers like human beings, while roush seems to have the reputation of treating his drivers like tools, and his handling of the Kenseth situation seems to fit that. 271. Talon64 posted: 06.27.2012 - 5:21 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Newman and Kurt aren't exactly the best of the buddies, so I doubt you'll see them team up anywhere. Let alone an Andretti Autosport start-up Cup operation. news: Kenseth said today that he already has a signed deal for 2013, but hasn't announced with whom yet. JGR? SHR? Hell, MWR? Michael may be a bit of a clown but the guy's a master at attracting sponsorship, so if anyone could get a 4th car just for Matt it'd be them. To me, this is a win-win-win-win-lose for the parties involved. Matt Kenseth: Win. Leaves Roush's spotty sponsorship situation to make a lateral move to a team whose future is much more secure. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.: Win. What he's doing right now in Nationwide is on the same level as Brad Keselowski did in 2008-09. Except Stenhouse actually got at least one championship out of it. The guy deserves to be in Cup, and this opens the door for him. Trevor Bayne: Win. This opens the door for him to finally have a full time ride in Nationwide while continuing to run part time for the Wood Brothers. Plus, this opens the door for him to drive a 4th Roush car if their sponsorship issues ever gets resolved. Whichever team lands Matt Kenseth: Win. Championship driver and consummate professional who's freaking leading the standings right now. Does anything else need to be said? Roush Fenway Racing: Lose. Matt Kenseth was the backbone of Roush, and they'll be sorely missing him. Could end up at even par if they can get back up to 4 cars with Biffle, Edwards, Stenhouse and Bayne though. 272. Baker posted: 06.27.2012 - 6:14 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Hoping Stewart somehow managed to land Kenseth and a sponser then lets Newman walk. As talented as Tony is he would still surely suffer if his only teammate next season were Danica Patrick. No matter how skilled you are you still need teammates to bounce ideas off of when you're car doesn't roll off the truck perfect. 273. Eric posted: 06.27.2012 - 6:18 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Talon64, It is true that Newman and Kurt aren't exactly the best of the buddies,but remember those drivers are only on Andretti Autosport wishlist if they start a cup organization based what a person from that organization said. Being on a teams withlist means it is a person that the race organization wants, but actually that person is a different animal 274. 1995 Subaru WRX STi posted: 06.27.2012 - 7:50 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Jack Roush treated Jeff Burton like junk (i agree Jeff wasn't cutting the musturd but still, he almost won you a championship Jack!!!!). Burton got so sick of it, he left for RCR and made it there. I agree with CJS, RCR, HMS, JGR, PR treat their drivers like human beings and care about them. Jack Roush could honestly care less about his drivers, just how much $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ he'll make. 275. DaleSrFanForever posted: 06.27.2012 - 7:50 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Thats right cjs. I forgot about Bill and his family buying Penske's stuff. Ha, The Captain launched 2 legendary careers by folding up shop. Kurt is frankly screwed. JGR was his only possible top notch destination. 276. Talon64 posted: 06.27.2012 - 8:49 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Kenseth would be a huge upgrade over Newman. I mean, Newman's about as big as an enigma as there is in NASCAR. Fantastic his first two seasons, averages out to great over his first 4, but then he's done absolutely nothing over the last 7. And he's never finished higher than 6th in the standings, so he's never been a championship-caliber driver at any point in his career. But he wins a lot of poles and qualifies well. Tony Stewart has 7 top 3 finishes this year, most of anyone this year and two more than the next driver. Newman has 3 top 10's. In 16 races. None in the 10 races since his rather fluky Martinsville win. I think there's a good chance SHR and JGR will have either Kenseth or Newman. One of them will be a huge winner in that deal, the other not so much. 277. cjs3872 posted: 06.27.2012 - 9:12 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Exactly 1995 Subaru WRX STi, and that example I cited in 1972 when Penske withdrew Gary Bettenhausen from that Michigan race to be with his brother Merle was just one example. Realizing that, it's somewhat ironic that before driving for Penske, who did three-time Indy winner Helio Castroneves drive for? Tony Bettenhausen, Jr., the youngest of the three brothers, and a man who actually raced against his brother Gary while Gary was still driving Penske's Matador in 1974 before Gary's sprint car crash later that year that led to his firing from Penske. (Tony Bettenhausen, Jr. drove the entire NASCAR schedule in 1974, seven years before he ever started the Indianapolis 500.) Matt Kenseth is about to find out what it's like to have a car owner actually care about him, and not just what he does on track. And I hate to say it, but with Trevor Bayne still under contract there, Roush doesn't deserve a guy like him, because he appears to be the opposite of everything Roush is. 278. Red posted: 06.28.2012 - 2:37 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) "Fantastic his first two seasons, averages out to great over his first 4, but then he's done absolutely nothing over the last 7." That's actually being too generous. Newman has had only one "great" season in his career, which came in 2003. However, at least four of his eight wins that year came via fuel mileage, and he was so wildly inconsistent that he never even sniffed the title despite the eight victories. He was pretty good but not great in 2002 and 2004, and decent in 2005, 2009, and 2011. His 2006-2008 run was hideous even including a Daytona 500 win, and in 2010 he was similarly invisible. Ryan Newman is a slightly above average driver, but nothing more. He also owns the dubious distinction of having the highest percentage of fluky wins among all drivers with at least 10 trophies: Chicago 2003 - Stayed out on rock hard tires and miraculously (read: Penske cheating) stretched his fuel over 100 miles to win Michigan Fall 2003 - Again stretched his fuel about 100 miles to hold on while half the field ran out of gas Dover Fall 2003 - Abused the newly implemented lucky dog rule by pitting repeatedly to top off his tank after getting his lap back, then stretched his fuel on the final run to win Kansas 2003 - Yet another Penske fuel mileage special, almost indentical to his Chicago win Daytona 2008 - Had maybe a 10th place car, but found himself up front at the right time and literally needed to be shoved into the lead by his teammate to score the win Phoenix 2010 - Never ran higher than 5th all night, but a GWC shuffled the running order and he came out of the pits in the lead and stole an undeserved win Martinsville 2012 - One of the most ludicrous race endings in NASCAR history; the leaders wrecked in front of Newman yet he managed to slip through the carnage and inherit the lead and luck into the win, this after he was slow enough to get lapped on the track and needed a lucky dog to catch up That's right, 7/16 of Ryan's wins have been fluky. That's 44%. The guy is nothing but smoke and mirrors, and whoever hires him going forward will be disappointed. His success with Penske can be attributed to their fuel mileage trickery and Matt Borland's computer whiz approach that was ahead of its time. At SHR, he's been bailed out repeatedly by Tony Gibson's strategy calls, turning many top 20's into top 10's. Ryan Newman = mediocre. 279. DaleSrFanForever posted: 06.28.2012 - 5:43 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Newman also thinks he is a lot smarter than he really is. Not exactly a sponsor's dream. Suffers from Bodineitis.- 280. murb posted: 06.28.2012 - 3:19 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) lol, DSFF, I love how you just trash Geoff Bodine every chance you get... It's so funny, I used to love Newman when I was a little kid. I remember when I was about 9 I got the 2003 Year In Review dvd, and I saw him winning all these races. I thought he was far and away better than Jimmie Johnson, Kurt Busch, and even Matt Kenseth who was the champion that year. But as I've gotten older, I've gained more knowledge of the sport, and I've realized that Newman has totally lucked into most of his career, just as Red stated. Honestly, I think the only reason he got the SHR ride was because he was friends and had a past history with Tony. And if you think about it, that move kind of hampered Tony's ability to scout people as an owner. At the time he could have put a guy like Martin Truex in that car, who I'm sure by now would have more wins in that car than Newman does. 281. Spen posted: 06.28.2012 - 4:04 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I can give Newman this much credit. If you put him in a posistion to win at the end of a race, he does tend to bring home the goods more often than not. Off the top of my head, the only time he's thrown away a win in the last ten laps was at the fall Charlotte race in '07. And Truex's record at deal-sealing isn't particularly stellar. I doubt he'd have done any better than Newman has. That being said, after starting to look vaguely relevent again last year, he's basically fallen off the face of the earth ever since his disastrous chase run. I'd get rid of him if I were Tony. 282. cjs3872 posted: 06.28.2012 - 4:10 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) But murb, at least Ryan Newman has shown that he knows how to win at the Cup level (you don't win the Daytona 500, or eight races in one season by not knowing how to win). To me, that's Martin Truex, Jr.'s big problem. He doesn't know how to win at the Cup level, which is why he can't break through. One win in seven years at the Cup level pretty much is evidence of that. And let's not forget that Newman has won at a wide variety of tracks. He's won at flat tracks, such as Martinsville this year, and three times at Loudon, twice at Tony Stewart's expense. He's dominated at Dover, which is one of the most demanding tracks on the circuit, and has more than once been a main contender at the Southern 500, finishing second to Jeff Gordon as a rookie in 2002, dominating the 2003 race until hitting the kill switch on his steering wheel during a pit stop, and having the 2005 race won until it was ripped from him at the last moment. And let's not forget that he has finished second once at each of he road courses, proving his underrated versatility. Sure, he's not one of the top-tier drivers, but I put him in the second-tier of drivers, and I honestly can't say that about Truex. Among the top 30 drivers, I would rank Truex somewhere around 15th-20th, and no higher. It seems that any time he has victory in sight, he always finds a way to blow it. In fact, had it been Truex leading late Sunday, and not Clint Bowyer, Kurt Busch, or even Tony Stewart would have been the one celebrating in victory lane, and not the Michael Waltrip Racing team. Truex is another prime case of Jackie Stewart's theory of drivers knowing how to win, winning, and those that don't know how to win, not getting over the hump and finding a way to lose. 283. cjs3872 posted: 06.28.2012 - 4:13 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) And Spen, what happened to Newman in that fall race at Charlotte in 2007 wasn't his fault. He cut a left rear tire in turn two and crashed. And he should never have been in that position to begin with. The only reason he was in that position was because Jeff Gordon's car stumbled on that restart, and Kyle Busch, then a teammate of Gordon's, didn't run over him, and Clint Bowyer was too close to react fact enough. That allowed Newman, who was fourth on that restart, to take the lead, and was headed for victory until his tire failure. 284. 1995 Subaru WRX STi posted: 06.28.2012 - 4:32 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Newman knows how to seal the deal when the chips are down (to use a Skip Bias term 'clutch gene'). Too me, Newmans 500 win isn't disputeable. Before NASCAR 'manufactered' plate racing to todays form, racing at Daytona and Talladega you needed help to win. It was still a lottery but you still had to be in postion to win. Newman may have been a Top 10 car but a top 10 car can win a plate race (this was before the repave of Daytona and tandem drafting). Newman and Kurt had a full head of steam, even if Tony didn't move to find Kyle Busch (why tony why) Newman would have either gone through Tony (and wrecked him) or would have found a way around him by turn 3. Newmans win is legit because you HAD to have had help to win back then. Newman is "Mr. Where Did He Come From", not Kevin Harvick. IMHO Newman is more of a closer then Harvick (Sorry FOX, you are wrong.............AGAIN) Dispite all that, he still a jerk and whiner. I hope Tony dumps him. 285. Anonymous posted: 06.28.2012 - 4:43 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) cjs3872, You said Michael Waltrip Racing doesn't have a driver that knows to win a few months ago and claimed Clint doesn't know how to win a race. Are willing to admit you are wrong about MWR and Clint Bowyer? Clint hasn't changed from that time you said that. Clint always knew how to win, but he has two sides of him as a driver on the track with one side getting him in trouble. Clint has shown that he has a Jimmy Spencer type side to him on the track by the moves he can make like he did at Martinsville earlier this year or at Nashville when he gave Michael Waltrip his final Nationwide win in 2004. I call it a Jimmy Spencer side to Clint because Jimmy did stupid stuff like taking them multiple wide at places on a track that you shouldn't and can cause a wreck as a result. Clint Bowyer always had a Terry Labonte side to him as a driver too. Clint know how to win by what he did in the Nationwide series at places like Daytona, Bristol, Richmond, as examples despite only winning 8 times there. Clint in his cup wins even before Sears point shows he knows how to close a race. The problem is Clint doesn't always show that side to him on the track. That is a problem with him because if he becomes aggressive he makes moves he shouldn't be making and causes wrecks as a result. 286. murb posted: 06.28.2012 - 4:53 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Yes, I understand that Truex only has one win in seven years of Cup, but look at the teams he's been with. I do agree that he isn't that much of a closer, but I still believe if he had been in the 39 car the past few years, he could have done way better than Newman. You also have to look at the teams Truex has been with his entire career. He was a rookie with DEI just when they were starting their crash landing. And then they went through TWO mergers, all while holding Martin hostage over there. And then, he went to MWR which hasn't been relevant at all until this year (thanks to Mark Martin, Scott Miller, and to a lesser extent, Clint Bowyer). Give him four years at a stable team like SHR, with a champion like Tony Stewart as his mentor of sorts, and yes, I believe he could do way better than Newman. But that's just my opinion. 287. cjs3872 posted: 06.28.2012 - 5:28 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) To me, one of the reasons that Michael Waltrip signed Clint Bowyer is because Waltrip, a two-time Daytona 500 winner himself, knows Bowyer can get it done when it matters, and that he wasn't sure that Truex could. Remember that Waltrip and Treux were teammates at DEI in 2005, in the limited number of races Truex ran for DEI in 2005. And though he knows Truex can get a car to the front, I don't think Waltrip even knows whether or not Truex can get it done when it counts at the Cup level. He needed a driver he knew could get the job done late in races, and Bowyer was the guy. And Anonymous (#285), as for Truex being stuck in a situation with two mergers. Well, if I remember right, Jamie McMurray took that exact team that Truex couldn't do anything with and won three times with it the year after Truex left, which included becoming just the third driver to win both the Daytona 500 and Brickyard 400 in the same year (Dale Jarrett and Jimmie Johnson are the other two), not to mention second places in the Coca-Cola 600, Southern 500, and the spring Talladega race, and should have won two of those three. So that kind of blows that theory right out of the water, doesn't it? I think that, as shaky and inconsistent the #39 team is with Ryan Newman, at least he's won three times, all on tracks one mile or shorter in length. I doubt that Truex would be as successful in that car as Newman has been, but he wouldn't crash as often, either, so he would be a more consistent finisher. 288. DaleSrFanForever posted: 06.28.2012 - 5:31 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Murb, old rivalries die hard. For the record, I have the utmost respect for Geoff Bodine's talents on track. Had he not peaked during NASCAR's toughest era, during the primes of drivers lke Rusty Wallace, Darrell Waltrip, Bill Elliott, Mark Martin, and oh yeah that guy from Kannapolis he never liked and the feeling was VERY mutual, not to mention peaking during the shortened primes of people like Davey Allison, Tim Richmond, and Ernie Irvan, Geoff would have HOF caliber numbers in Cup (a big reason I say Rusty undoubtably deserved to be in the HOF this year, not just his numbers but when he established his numbers). Had he come along today he would be a championship threat. Plus he had stunnning versatility. Great race car driver. But Holy shit was he annoying to listen to! Like Newman, tried to sound smart by using big words and trying to sound like a college professor. If he were only half as smart as he thought he was, he would be the one with 7 championships. Smart mouth yankee bastard. 289. DaleSrFanForever posted: 06.28.2012 - 5:34 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Btw, did you guys see where Jack wouldn't let Matt be the one to tell the team he was leaving. He didn't even tell Matt about it, he just walked in the shop and told everyone. Pretty shitty IMO. 290. murb posted: 06.28.2012 - 6:03 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Like I said earlier DSFF, this was a classic Jack Roush decision. I'm not surprised in the least bit. I really like Stenhouse. I think he has a ton of potential. He has some fire in him, but at the same time he isn't a whiney bastard like some other people currently in the sport. And he obviously has the talent. But if he wants to achieve Kenseth-like numbers in that car, he has a ways to go. Plus, as someone mentioned earlier, Biffle and Edwards really don't seem like guys who can mentor younger drivers. Hell, it's even been documented that Carl and Ricky don't even really like each other that much (Iowa last year, anyone?) So, I have no idea why Jack let Matt walk like that. Why not try your hardest to keep him around to mentor your young firecracker in Stenhouse? Matt has the perfect style of doing things that could rub off on Stenhouse in a great way. But whatever. Matt has to be smiling deep down that he is getting out of that cluster of a team. As for the whole "What it Truex had been in the 39?" thing cjs, we are just going to have to agree to disagree. You made a good point about McMurray taking that team and winning several races in 2010 with it. But I still think Martin Truex is an underrated driver. And I think he could have done just as good as Newman has at SHR. 291. Anonymous posted: 06.28.2012 - 6:18 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) cjs3872, I did not mention anything Truex being stuck in a situation with two mergers on post 285. murb was the one who talked about Truex being stuck in a situation with two mergers on post 286. 292. Anonymous posted: 06.28.2012 - 6:39 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Wonder if Ryan Truex cost himself races with JGR after calling Logano a Tool" on twitter after he wrecked Truex Jr at sonoma. 293. 18fan posted: 06.28.2012 - 8:38 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Watching the Truck race I'm already tired of Michael Waltrip's announcing. Actually, I was tired of Michael Waltrip's announcing before the race even started. 294. NicoRosbergFan posted: 06.28.2012 - 9:00 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) 18fan, you have a lot of guts. Not only did you last that far into the race before getting sick of MW's announcing, but you also have the guts to actually have the volume on. Someone give this kid a dollar! 295. cjs3872 posted: 06.28.2012 - 9:54 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Yes, I double checked, Anonymous (#285, 291), and you're right. Because the comments I responded to were consecutive, it's understandable for me to make that error, and I apologize for the error. And murb, one reason Roush had to let Kenseth go has to do with sponsorship. In a perfect world, Roush would have been able to keep Kenseth AND move Stenhouse up. In fact, that was his original plan, as he had stated that if sponsorship arrived, the #6 was Stenhouse's next year. But sponsorship is so lean over at Roush, and because Roush wanted to move Stenhouse up and not let him get away, that someone had to go, and Kenseth was it. But another reason Jack let Kenseth go to make room for Stenhouse has to with driving style. Think about it. Stenhouse likes loose race cars, as do Greg Biffle and Carl Edwards, so his style would fit in perfectly. Kenseth, on the other hand, prefers tight race cars. With Kenseth out at year's end, Roush and his team only have to build one type of car, because it fits all three of his drivers, because all three of Roush's drivers next year like the same feel in their cars. Where this leaves Trevor Bayne in the future is beyond me, because he prefers the same feel to what Matt Kenseth likes. That is why Kenseth would have been a better mentor to Bayne than he ever would have been to Stenhouse. 296. LordLowe posted: 06.28.2012 - 10:48 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Lets Bury Michael Waltrip ALIVE 297. murb posted: 06.28.2012 - 11:36 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) cjs, I realize that Roush had to let Kenseth go due to sponsorship. Again, what I meant was that if I were Jack Roush in this position, I would have tried my damnedest to keep the guy that won me my first championship, my first Daytona 500, and the guy who is currently leading the points for me right now. And who knows? Maybe Jack did try to keep Matt. None of us have any idea as to what went on behind closed doors. I was just reacting to what DSFF said about Jack's way of telling the team about Matt leaving. I do agree with you though on the driving styles thing. That was a good point. That sort of thing never really dawned on me... As for Trevor Bayne, I've said this before, but I am DYING to see him get out from under that Roush umbrella. It's an absolute tragedy that he is not full time in either series right now. Fortunately though, he's still young, so he's got a ton of years left. Random thought about MW's commentary: Does anyone remember the Truck race at Atlanta in 2004? At that time, Michael was trying to come up with a catchphrase to go along with DW's "Boogity, Boogity" thing (You know, because who doesn't love to hear a race start like that?). So when the race went green, this fool started yelling "She Bang! She Bang!" just like that one guy on American Idol at around the same time. That right there tells you all you need to know about Michael as a commentator... 298. myothercarisanM535i posted: 06.28.2012 - 11:54 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "(You know, because who doesn't love to hear a race start like that?)." *Raises hand* 299. 18fan posted: 06.29.2012 - 12:29 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) I remember that awful race start call by Michael. It made me want to puke. 300. Spen posted: 06.29.2012 - 5:35 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Speaking of Mikey, am I the only one here who thinks he's going to do much better than usual this week? After all, if that car's good enough to make Brian Vickers look good on driver's tracks, it should be good enough for Mikey to look decent on an engineering track. That is, until he wrecks himself, of course. But hey, he might even snag his fifth career pole in that car. 301. DaleSrFanForever posted: 06.29.2012 - 7:43 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) I couldn't stand Mikey announcing last night and I couldn't watch a second of it due to work. I quite simply think Newman is just a 12th place driver. If strategy works out, enough shit happens, or iif his car is dominant enough he can win, but that is hard to do. Had he come along when Bodine did he might have 2 fluke wins. But they are both smart mouth yankee bastards. 302. NicoRosbergFan posted: 06.29.2012 - 12:19 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) DSFF, shut up about the Bodines. Their name cracks my glasses. Newman is as good as his car. No more, mostly less. 303. DaleSrFanForever posted: 06.29.2012 - 3:41 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Sorry Nico :) Frustration is definitely setting in for Brad. Getting into with an also ran like JPM in practice shows that. Maybe that will light a fire under him, he seems to do best with a bit of a chip on his shoulder, but overall not what you wanna do. Don't worry about the mid packers. Of course in recent weeks he has been a mid packer. 304. Talon64 posted: 06.29.2012 - 5:56 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Scott Speed's on pole after 18 cars have qualified. All the GOGH cars have qualified so the #52 and #49 are heading home on times, but the #95 could be heading home if qualifying gets cancelled. And it probably will because it's windy as hell, rains probably coming and a tornado could be coming! 305. Talon64 posted: 06.29.2012 - 6:03 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Well it looks like Kentucky missed the storm that passed through. Should get qualifying finishes and the NNS race in tonight. Nobody's happier about that than Scott Speed. 306. cjs3872 posted: 06.29.2012 - 6:30 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Well, Jack Roush has done it again. He said that Matt Kenseth is going to the "dark side" next year. It he's insinuating that Kenseth is going to Joe Gibbs Racing, and thus Toyota, who Roush seems to have a personal beef with, then I say the exact opposite is true, because as I had stated earlier, Joe Gibs is a car owner that actually treats his drivers like human beings, as does Rick Hendrick, Roger Penske, Chip Ganassi, and even Richard Childress, while Roush treats his drivers like tools. If anything, Kenseth is leaving the "dark side", which itself is an unfair comment. And if what Jack Roush is insinuating is true, Kenseth is about to feel what it's liked to be treated like an actual person, not a part of a machine. If there's any car owner, or future car owner in NASCAR that would be anything like Roush, it would be Michael Andretti, were he to join the NASCAR ranks next year, and rumor has it that he's already bought Penske's engine shop where his Dodge engines are made. If that's true, Michael Andretti and Andretti Autosport is coming to NASCAR next year. Ironically, Andretti never once started a NASCAR race on any level, like many of his rivals, including Bobby Rahal (at Riverside in 1984 with the Wood Brothers) and the driver to whom he is most linked, Al Unser, Jr. (the 1993 Daytona 500 with Hendrick Motorsports), while both his father Mario and cousin John won at Daytona (John also won at Martinsville in the #43 car's final victory to date). 307. murb posted: 06.29.2012 - 7:05 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Also, it sounds like RPM is going to go over to Dodge to form an alliance with the Andretti team. If this is true, it will be really cool to see the Pettys back with Dodge. Although I bet Marcos wouldn't be that thrilled about it, because apparently he has been a diehard Ford guy ever since his V8 Supercar days. I'm glad that it looks like Dodge is going to wind up being okay. In my opinion, the sport is way better when there are more manufactures involved. I think Jack Roush has held a grudge against Toyota ever since one of their teams (I think it was MWR, but it might have been Red Bull or something) supposedly stole one of Roush Fenway's parts a few years back at Daytona. But yeah, that little comment that cjs mentioned now completely convinces me that Matt is going to JGR. I will be shocked if he doesn't. 308. murb posted: 06.29.2012 - 7:09 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) My mistake. I just looked up that Toyota "parts theft" and it happened at Dover, not Daytona. 309. NicoRosbergFan posted: 06.29.2012 - 8:05 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) DSFF, we all thank you. The only thing more disgusting than a Bodine is an Earnhardt or Keselowski ;) 310. Red posted: 07.04.2012 - 7:40 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Jack Roush declared a "war on Toyota" from the moment they entered the Cup Series. He's probably xenophobic, not unlike many older men who grew up associating the Japanese as enemies from WWII. I remember Jimmy Spencer making similar anti-Japanese comments upon the arrival of Toyota, so unfortunately it's just part of the American racing culture. 311. Anonymous posted: 03.07.2015 - 1:59 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Possibly Robby Gordon's final race. 312. RaceFanX posted: 04.15.2015 - 8:29 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Kurt Busch picks up what was ultimately his only top-5 of the 2012 season. 313. Nascar Lead Lap Points posted: 08.17.2015 - 7:43 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Sponsor Update #49 Jay Robinson Inc. 314. Nascar Lead Lap Points posted: 03.30.2016 - 10:45 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Sponsor Update #95 Leavine Family Racing (Same at Kentucky and Watkins Glen) 315. Foote posted: 05.15.2020 - 9:07 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Comparing the speed Kurt Busch showed for James Finch compared to what Clint Bowyer did for HScott Motorsports is the difference between a transcendent driver and merely a good one. Busch transcended his equipment in this race, a year after winning it for Penske. Of course, it's still hard to call the Kurt Busch/Finch partnership successful, because Kurt wrecked all Finch's cars and basically drove him out of business. 316. BOBO83329521 posted: 05.15.2020 - 10:52 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) @315 Kurt actually did modestly well in Finch's 51 in 2012. He could always be counted on to be running within the top 15-20 within a race and even on occasion contend for the top 10... that is, until the inevitable crash occurred. If he hadn't crashed so many times that season I'm sure more people would say that that was a great season by Finch standards. 317. Foote posted: 05.16.2020 - 2:05 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) @316 That's the frustrating thing about Kurt's 2012, he was running so well at Vegas and Darlington in the spring before just wrecking by himself both times. And both times, he blamed blown tires and had an absolute meltdown on the radio (esp at Darlington). RIP to his crew chief Nick Harrison who did a decent job IMO containing him. 318. SweetRich posted: 07.07.2020 - 3:01 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) The final career race for owner / driver Robby Gordon. 319. ScottB posted: 07.07.2020 - 3:30 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Final Cup race for Robby Gordon, but he did continue in other racing ventures, notably the USAC Stadium Truck Series. 320. Rich posted: 12.15.2020 - 7:26 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Adam Alexander, Wally Dallenbach and Kyle Petty were the commentators. Marty Snider, Matt Yocum, Chris Neville and Ralph Sheheen were the pit road reporters. Larry McReynolds was the in-race analyst. Lindsay Czarniak was the studio host. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *Post a comment:* Your comment may not appear immediately - all comments must be approved by the moderator. Name: Comment: