|| *Comments on the 2013 Irwin Tools Night Race:* First Page | Previous Page | Next Page | Last Page | View All On One Page View the most recent comment | Post a comment <#post> 1. Archie posted: 08.23.2013 - 7:05 pm Rate this comment: (7) (3) Memo to Jeff Gordon: your frustrated fans (such as myself) would appreciate it if you'd actually TRY. What happened to that great car you had in both practices today? Starting back in the pack among unstable mediocrities and probably getting crashed out early is exactly what the doctor did NOT order, in terms of your rapidly vanishing chances of making the chase. 2. 83andJoe posted: 08.23.2013 - 7:05 pm Rate this comment: (2) (0) It's a NEWWW TRAA....wait...no, it's not. Carry on. 3. Daniel posted: 08.23.2013 - 7:06 pm Rate this comment: (5) (1) In using fastest 43: #19 Mike Bliss Out using fastest 43: #18 Kyle Busch I know Bliss would've been an S&P, but it would've been amusing to see Kyle DNQ 4. Schroeder51 posted: 08.23.2013 - 7:06 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) Is it safe to stick a fork in Jeff Gordon's competitive Cup career? It's looking more and more to me that he's so down and out he's just given up. 5. Dense Drip posted: 08.23.2013 - 7:06 pm Rate this comment: (0) (9) I'm very angry right now. Kyle Busch doesn't deserve to race because Landon Cassil was the lowest in owner points and he qualified in the top 36, but somehow Mike Bliss goes home even though he's in higher owner points than Landon Cassil. Kyle Busch was last and he should've gone home because Landon Cassil got in the top 36. 6. 83andJoe posted: 08.23.2013 - 7:06 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Kyle Busch, Travis Kvapil and Jimmie Johnson all pulled the "go back and try again" trick, Johnson before he had even taken the green flag. For Johnson it turned out alright, Kvapil probably came out even. Kyle chose...poorly. 7. 83andJoe posted: 08.23.2013 - 7:07 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Dense Drip: Um, why? This is why provisionals exist: so if you have a bad week you have a mulligan. Bliss goes home because he didn't make the field on time. Cassill races because he did. That's Racin'. 8. joey2448 posted: 08.23.2013 - 7:08 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Early in the qualifying broadcast, Brad Keselowski said that turning a fast lap at Bristol today is similar to Darlington, meaning that if a driver goes over the edge of what his car is capable of, he will hit the wall, but if he doesn't then he'll be slow. When I heard Brad say that, I thought of what cjs3872 said about Jeff Gordon qualifying at fast tracks like Michigan, and how he's not comfortable with his cars anymore in qualifying, and I just knew he was going to be slow. Sure enough, he qualified like ass. Just awful. Ugh. But really good to see Denny start on pole! That's gotta be a confidence booster! 9. Schroeder51 posted: 08.23.2013 - 7:08 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) If Kyle Busch somehow DID actually DNQ for the race, I don't doubt he'd probably buy his way into the field anyways. 10. Dense Drip posted: 08.23.2013 - 7:09 pm Rate this comment: (0) (5) How does Busch get a provisional? I thought NASCAR did away with that rule? 11. Benjamin Lowe posted: 08.23.2013 - 7:11 pm Rate this comment: (9) (0) I'm starting to think the problem is not with Jeff Gordon's car, crew or owner I believe the problem might be Jeff Gordon himself. 12. murb posted: 08.23.2013 - 7:11 pm Rate this comment: (2) (0) It's gonna be a lot of fun watching Kyle come from the back. 13. Daniel posted: 08.23.2013 - 7:13 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) They got rid of the top 35 in owner's points rule. Now the top 36 in speed make it period. Then 37-43 are set by owner's points. 14. SpeedWorld97 posted: 08.23.2013 - 7:16 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I am looking forward to this race! Definitely one of my favorite races of the year. 15. cjs3872 posted: 08.23.2013 - 7:25 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) He admitted that he is part of the problem in that interview on Race Hub earlier this week, Ben. He said that he just can't get comfortable with running a fast qualifying lap these days, though the 32nd position was a surprise. But at least, he's got company back there in past Bristol winners Jeff Burton and Kyle Busch. Still, I believe something's going on there that we don't know about. After all, how can one of the greatest qualifiers in history all of a sudden turn into a slug, even at Bristol? But then, when you look at the possibilities for something happening up front, it might not be the worst thing for Gordon, Kyle Busch, and Burton to be starting back there, because you have the situation with Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano, which I think is far from over, Kasey Kahne and JGR (he's starting directly behind Matt Kenseth), and Harvick and Ambrose starting together (remember Loudon and Harvick's radio communication about Ambrose), something could ignite, and being as far back as they are night be beneficial to those starting the back if it does, and if it does, their poor qualifying runs may end up being a blessing in disguise. 16. DaleSrFanForever posted: 08.23.2013 - 7:38 pm Rate this comment: (2) (0) Somebody needs to tell Jeff it isn't autumn yet, he can still go fast if he wants. 17. Mr X posted: 08.23.2013 - 7:41 pm Rate this comment: (2) (0) I'll wait to see the race before I call out Jeff Gordon, his car did look much better in practice, there is such a thing as just having a bad qualifying run, just look at Kyle Busch. 18. NoLongerAnonymous posted: 08.23.2013 - 7:51 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I've never been a Denny Hamlin fan but I'm happy to see him accomplish something somewhat meaningful, I hope he has a great Chase and comes back as competitive as ever next year. I always laugh when I see those terrible times due to turn around *after passing the start finish line* and try again trick. Epic fail, Kyle. At least you still have the minor league race to dominate. Even though Mike Bliss was much faster than Scott Speed, I am happy the system worked out to put Speed in the race. He may not run the entire race, but he'll run a lot more of it than Bliss would have. Landon Cassill is easily the class of the backmarker drivers. He's made every one of his race attempts with Circle Sport, even though he is without meaningful owner's points now. Jeff Gordon has had some abysmal qualifying runs lately, with this one probably being the worst. I really hope they serve as a wake-up call, he's obviously off his game and there's not much time left for him to qualify for the Chase. 19. 12345Dude posted: 08.23.2013 - 7:58 pm Rate this comment: (2) (5) As you can tell from this post and my others about this subject that I get somewhat angry about this subject. It just bothers me that Jimmie doesn't get the respect he deserves. And that so many people still think Jeff is better than Jimmie. NoLongerAnonymous you made a great point about 2002 & 2003 Gordon suffered because of his divorce. It also probably effected his 2001 performance, and he won the title by 349 points. And DSFF you mention Jeff's late season struggles and Jimmie's late season success at the end of the season. But you have also said a lot of times in the past that it doesn't matter if you only have to be good in the last 10 races of the season. Everyone knows that the last 10 races are the only ones that matter. That the last 10 races are the ones that determine the championship. And that everyone knows that going into the season. And you mention Petty 1974 championship. You have also said Jimmie's titles aren't any less meaningful because of the chase. Well DSFF it's either all or nothing. You can't say to all the drivers know the Chase determines the success of drivers, and that you can't criticize former champions because they won in the Chase. Yet your giving Jeff Gordon an free pass on it. Justifying his failure against Jimmie Johnson because of the Chase. It's either all or nothing DSFF. DSFF you talk about Jeff's fall struggles. I looked up when fall officially started ever since 2002. And then came up with the stats below. Most Wins Before Fall Season 2002: Jimmie Johnson 2 Wins Jeff Gordon 2 Wins 2003: Jimmie Johnson 2 Wins Jeff Gordon 1 Win 2004: Jimmie Johnson 4 Wins Jeff Gordon 5 Wins 2005: Jimmie Johnson 2 Wins Jeff Gordon 3 Wins 2006: Jimmie Johnson 4 Wins Jeff Gordon 2 Wins 2007: Jimmie Johnson 6 Wins Jeff Gordon 4 Wins 2008: Jimmie Johnson 4 Wins Jeff Gordon 0 Wins 2009: Jimmie Johnson 3 Wins Jeff Gordon 1 Win 2010: Jimmie Johnson 5 Wins Jeff Gordon 0 Wins 2011: Jimmie Johnson 1 Win Jeff Gordon 3 Wins 2012: Jimmie Johnson 3 Wins Jeff Gordon 1 Win 2013: Jimmie Johnson 4 Wins Jeff Gordon 0 Wins (2013 there are only 4 races left before fall, and I don't see Jeff winning all 4) So Jimmie has had more wins that Jeff before fall 8/12 seasons. Jeff has had more wins 3/12 seasons. And 1/12 seasons there was a tie. I know it's hard for you guys to admit it but Jimmie Johnson is a far better driver than Jeff Gordon. Sorry, but it's the truth. 20. Ched Little posted: 08.23.2013 - 8:01 pm Rate this comment: (1) (1) " I know it's hard for you guys to admit it but Jimmie Johnson is a far better driver than Jeff Gordon. Sorry, but it's the truth. " That's dumbass statement to make. Compare Jeff's first 11 winning seasons to Johnson's first 11 and MAYBE make a statistical comparison. Damn, you don't need a college stats class to know THAT. 21. Dodge posted: 08.23.2013 - 8:10 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Since the 95 has not attempted as many of the races as the 19 and the 19 was faster, I think the 95 should of been going home. 22. RaceFanX posted: 08.23.2013 - 8:18 pm Rate this comment: (2) (0) Ryan Truex finally gets to make his Cup debut. Martin Jr's younger brother was suppose to debut in the spring but an off-track injury sidelined him for several months. Good to see him back and hopefully his first Cup race goes well. 23. Loose Lugnuts posted: 08.23.2013 - 8:19 pm Rate this comment: (3) (0) I see that the media is starting with that "wins across all three series" crap for Kyle Busch's benefit again. This time it pertains only to Bristol and not to his entire career. It's still crap, though. Nobody else gets their truck and Nationwide wins added up when the media talks about them. And while we're at it, why not include IROC wins, or wins in IRL or F1 for those drivers who participated in those series? It's freaking ridiculous. I have another Kyle Busch statistic, one that is not terribly flattering but is more relevant to his Cup career: in the five years he has made the Chase, he has a stellar 0-49 record during the Chase races (remembering that he was suspended one Chase race in 2011). If I was Kyle, I'd be more concerned about rectifying that stat than worrying about how many total wins I have across all three series. 24. NoLongerAnonymous posted: 08.23.2013 - 8:41 pm Rate this comment: (3) (0) "I know it's hard for you guys to admit it but Jimmie Johnson is a far better driver than Jeff Gordon. Sorry, but it's the truth." I wouldn't say overall that Johnson is better than Gordon, but Johnson at this stage in his career is far better than Gordon at this stage in his career. "I see that the media is starting with that "wins across all three series" crap for Kyle Busch's benefit again." Similarly, baseball media made a big deal this past week about Ichiro Suzuki hitting his 4,000th career professional hit between the MLB and Nippon Professional Baseball. A lot of fans downplayed this, but I think this is a case where adding stats across multiple leagues is valid. Both are professional baseball leagues (the NPB is probably the second best league in the world) and Ichiro averages more hits per season in the MLB than his best hitting season in NPB (mostly because they play more games in the MLB). He almost certainly would have 4,000 hits or be very close if he had played his entire career in the MLB. As for Kyle Busch, Nationwide and Trucks are the NASCAR equivalent of AAA and AA baseball. I don't think anyone's ever added a baseball player's MLB stats to their minor league stats and with very good reason. I wish outlets like ESPN would stop trying to manufacture BS statistical comparisons. 25. 12345Dude posted: 08.23.2013 - 9:02 pm Rate this comment: (2) (0) "That's dumbass statement to make. Compare Jeff's first 11 winning seasons to Johnson's first 11 and MAYBE make a statistical comparison." Sure I can. Jeff Gordon: 4 championships 4.72 average finish in the final standings Jimmie Johnson: 5 championships 2.36 average finish in the final standings. You can't count wins top 5s or top 10s and average finish. And I'll tell you why. Every driver in "the regular seasons" is testing like crazy. They don't even put their full effort sometimes during "regular season races". They know that the first 26 races don't mean anything. And there whole season is focused around the final 10 races. And it's not an excuse it's the truth. I'll show you. Average statistics for number of races, wins, top 5s, top 10s, and average finish for the champions between 1949-2003 (non-chase era) 35.52 Races 8.12 Wins 22.69 Top 5s 27.87 Top 10s 7.36 Average Finish Average statistics for number or races, wins, top 5s, top 10s , and average finish for the champions between 1949-2003 (chase era) 36.00 Races 5.88 Wins 14.44 Top 5s 22.77 Top 10s 10.97 Average Finish Now the next excuse will be "well it's Jimmie Johnson's fault that his wins, top 5s, and top 10s don't match up to others. He shouldn't be taking races off. Well here's proof that everyone does it now. You have to in order to succeed. Most Wins by a Champion in Chase Error: (2004-2012) 1st Jimmie Johnson 10 Wins (2004) *** T2nd Jimmie Johnson 7 Wins (2008) *** T2nd Jimmie Johnson 7 Wins (2009) *** 4th Jimmie Johnson 6 Wins (2010) *** T5th Jimmie Johnson 5 Wins (2006) *** T5th Tony Stewart 5 Wins (2005) T5th Tony Stewart 5 Wins (2011) T5th Brad Keselowski 5 Wins (2012) 9th Kurt Busch 3 Wins (2004) Most Top 5s by a Champion in Chase Error: (2004-2012) 1st Jimmie Johnson 20 Top 5s (2007) *** T2nd Jimmie Johnson 17 Top 5s (2010) *** T2nd Tony Stewart 17 Top 5s (2005) 4th Jimmie Johnson 16 Top 5s (2009) *** 5th Jimmie Johnson 15 Top 5s (2008) *** T6th Jimmie Johnson 13 Top 5s (2006) *** T6th Brad Keselowski 13 Top 5s (2012) 8th Kurt Busch 10 Top 5s (2004) 9th Tony Stewart 9 Top 5s (2011) Most Top 10s by a Champion in Chase Error: (2004-2012) 1st Tony Stewart 25 Top 10s (2005) T2nd Jimmie Johnson 24 Top 10s (2006) *** T2nd Jimmie Johnson 24 Top 10s (2007) *** T2nd Jimmie Johnson 24 Top 10s (2009) *** T5th Jimmie Johnson 23 Top 10s (2010) *** T5th Brad Keselowski 23 Top 10s 7th Jimmie Johnson 22 Top 10s (2008) *** 8th Kurt Busch 21 Top 10s (2004) 9th Brad Keselowski 19 Top 10s (2011) Best Average Finish by a Champion in Chase Error: (2004-2012) 1. Jimmie Johnson 9.7 Average Finish (2006) *** 2. Tony Stewart 9.9 Average Finish (2005) 3. Brad Keselowski 10.1 Average Finish (2012) 4. Jimmie Johnson 10.5 Average Finish (2008) *** 5. Jimmie Johnson 10.8 Average Finish (2007) *** 6. Jimmie Johnson 11.1 Average Finish (2009) *** 7. Tony Stewart 12.0 Average Finish (2011) 8. Jimmie Johnson 12.2 Average Finish (2010) *** 9. Kurt Busch 12.5 Average Finish (2004) 26. 12345Dude posted: 08.23.2013 - 9:04 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) That's a fair point nolonganonymous. But in their first 11 years (First 11 where Gordon's best years) Jeff Gordon: 4 championships 4.72 average finish in the final standings Jimmie Johnson: 5 championships 2.36 average finish in the final standings 27. 12345Dude posted: 08.23.2013 - 9:05 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Average statistics for number or races, wins, top 5s, top 10s , and average finish for the champions between 1949-2003 (chase era) That should say Average statistics for number or races, wins, top 5s, top 10s , and average finish for the champions between 2004-2012 (chase era) I wish racing-reference would let you edit posts. Oh well still an awesome site. 28. Loose Lugnuts posted: 08.23.2013 - 9:26 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) NLA (#24): Another analogy to the "across all three series" stats for Kyle and the addition of minor league stats to a major leaguer's totals: why don't we go ahead and add Peyton Manning's stats at Tennessee to his NFL numbers...and while we're at it, we might as well throw in his high school numbers, too. Yep, now it's even easier to see how ridiculous the whole concept is. We can see it, but obviously the media can't. Or won't. 29. DaleSrFanForever posted: 08.23.2013 - 9:30 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) 12345Dude, I don't think I'm giving Jeff a pass on this. Everytime I break down and give my Top 10 historical standings, I put Jimmie ahead of Jeff and put Jeff 10th and the board blows up. Then cjs ranks Pearson 7th all time and Earnhardt 4th and blood vessels start popping in my head. 30. Ched Little posted: 08.23.2013 - 9:38 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I really don't know why 12345Dude is trying to start fights with the ancient conversation, especially since against his own argument about "testing crazy" Jeff in 2004, 2007, and 2009 had some of the most consistent seasons in all of NASCAR history. 31. 83andJoe posted: 08.23.2013 - 9:45 pm Rate this comment: (1) (1) >I always laugh when I see those terrible times due to turn around *after passing the start finish line* and try again trick. Epic fail, Kyle. At least you still have the minor league race to dominate. To be fair, he would have posted a much better time had he not entered the spin cycle on lap #2. 32. Schroeder51 posted: 08.23.2013 - 10:06 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) How is the #95 team ahead of the #19 in owner points? They've made far fewer attempts than the #19...Is it because the #95 has a few decent finishes on plate tracks? 33. Baker posted: 08.23.2013 - 10:26 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I want to see Kurt Busch win this race and all but lock himself in the chase. 34. cjs3872 posted: 08.23.2013 - 10:30 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) That one race at Talladega where Scott Speed finished ninth he #95 made a big difference, Schroeder51. His team got 35 points in that one race, so that was a major help to that team where owner's points are concerned, especially competing against teams that usually start-and-park. Actually, when you think about it, a number of teams have gotten boosts like that in the plate races this year. For instance, the 98 and 36 teams both had top tens in the Daytona 500 this year, and the #13 team was ninth in the Firecracker 400, though that really hasn't affected their status, and the race at Talladega saw the 30, 34, 38, and 95 cars all finish in the top 12, with two of those cars, the 34 and 38 finishing first and second. The restrictor plate races cancel out the big disadvantages teams like the #95 team experience because the field is all in one bunch, and if thy run the full races and play their cards right, they can get god, if not great finishes out of those races and really build up a lead over those that just start-and-park, and the 35 points the #95 got in just that one race at Talladega would take seven 39th place finishes just to match. 35. David posted: 08.23.2013 - 10:36 pm Rate this comment: (2) (2) "Then cjs ranks Pearson 7th all time and Earnhardt 4th and blood vessels start popping in my head." Don't worry DSFF, I think that's a huge travesty. Almost as big a travesty as you ranking Johnson ahead of Gordon (kidding, just kidding, obviously it's much bigger). But seriously, about this Gordon vs. Johnson debate, it is leading nowhere. No one's going to change anyone else's opinions. As DSFF said, the winner in a Gordon vs. Johnson head-to-head race would be Dale Earnhardt. 36. The Long Shot posted: 08.23.2013 - 11:10 pm Rate this comment: (2) (0) "As DSFF said, the winner in a Gordon vs. Johnson head-to-head race would be Dale Earnhardt." Awesome, but wrong. The real winner in a Gordon vs. Johnson head-to-head race would be Rick Hendrick, because no matter what, it'll be his car going to victory lane. The same can be said for most normal Cup events, as a matter of fact. 37. DaleSrFanForever posted: 08.23.2013 - 11:32 pm Rate this comment: (2) (0) I try to respect people's opinions on driver rankings. But David Pearson 7th? I can't accept that. Hell, those who say he is better than Earnhardt I can't really argue with. I think Dale is the best, but damn The Fox kicked ass. His nickname alone puts him in the Top 3. But Dale using cardboard cutouts of Geoff Bodine for bow hunting practice puts him over the top :) 38. David posted: 08.23.2013 - 11:41 pm Rate this comment: (2) (0) "But Dale using cardboard cutouts of Geoff Bodine for bow hunting practice puts him over the top :)" Not to mention blasting away at Dale Jr.'s Geoff Bodine RC car with a handgun. 39. JG24FanForever posted: 08.23.2013 - 11:48 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "I think Dale is the best, but damn The Fox kicked ass. His nickname alone puts him in the Top 3." Pearson gets points for never making a trip to the hospital in his career too. 40. JRacingFast posted: 08.23.2013 - 11:56 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) My room mate walks into the room while im watching this race on the NBC Sportnetwork and goes "what are you watching....the dirt tack 50?" And i go "No its ARCA....They can do things NASCAR cup "drivers" cant even do on dirt"....It gave him a good laugh 41. cjs3872 posted: 08.24.2013 - 12:10 am Rate this comment: (1) (0) As I've said before, lack of overall competition is the only significant reason I rank Pearson where I do, because he often faced little to no competition at all in many of his wins. In fact, if not for his overwhelming stats, I'm not sure I would have Richard Petty #1 for the exact same reason, but Petty's stats are so overwhelming, that I can't help but rank him #1. But if anyone ever gets to 100 wins, I'd rank him over Petty because of the level of competition, because 100 wins today would be a far more significant accomplishment than Petty's 200 wins. But after Petty, I think you can put the other six in the top seven, Allison, Earnhardt, Gordon, Pearson, Waltrip, Yarborough, put their names in a hat, have a blind drawing, and list them in the order you draw them out of the hat, and not be wrong regardless of the order you put them in, because I honestly don't think you can be wrong with having those six 2-7 in any order. I just have my reasons for ranking them as I do, but truthfully, you can't really go wrong regardless of what order you put them in. I just have Gordon ahead of Allison because of the steeper level of competition Gordon had to face, I have both of them ahead of Dale Earnhardt because I feel that both Allison and Gordon were more versatile racers than Earnhardt was. I have Earnhardt ahead of Cale Yarborough because while he was as dominant a driver as Earnhardt, he only raced 8 full seasons, and then I have Waltrip and Pearson next, and I rate Waltrip ahead of Pearson, only because of the level of competition Waltrip had to face, though Pearson was more versatile than Waltrip. When the competition got tougher in the late 70s, that's when Pearson began to fade because his style of laying back just didn't work against the tougher competition of the late 70s, when compared to the rest of his career, and got him in trouble he should never have been in. But as I said, you can put those six names in a hat, draw them out blindly, put them in the order you drew them out, regardless of what it was, and never truly be wrong. 42. SpeedWorld97 posted: 08.24.2013 - 12:48 am Rate this comment: (2) (0) That ARCA finish was crazy! 43. DaleSrFanForever posted: 08.24.2013 - 1:04 am Rate this comment: (0) (1) truthfully, you can't really go wrong regardless of what order you put them in. Unless you have Pearson ranked SEVENTH! As for the "no competition" argument, Richard Petty, your #1 (one of three acceptable #1s along with Dale and Pearson) was in every single race David won save maybe for one or two when Richard was injured. That makes no sense. And make no mistake, Pearson was DOMINANT. I don't where this perception came from that David won most of his races by only leading the last few laps. The stats are right here. It is plain false. To put it in perspective Pearson made right at 100 less starts than Dale and led almost as many career laps as Dale. 44. DaleSrFanForever posted: 08.24.2013 - 1:08 am Rate this comment: (0) (5) As for Dale shooting Joonyerr's RC car he painted up like Bodine's, why would Joon paint the car like his Dad's most bitter rival? I know his maternal grandfather co owned his Busch car, but that is just truing to make Big E mad. Not only was he Dale's most hated rival, he was a smart mouthed know it all condescending dumbass yankee bastard. No wonder Dale sent him to military school. I'm surprised he give him up for adoption like he did with Kerry. 45. JRacingFast posted: 08.24.2013 - 1:18 am Rate this comment: (2) (0) For those watching the F1 practice on NBCSN and hearing Bob Varshas voice doing F1 again.....It almost feels right 46. JG24FanForever posted: 08.24.2013 - 7:20 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Folks, this is what the definition of wheelMan looks like: 1999 Sonoma Cup race finish http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ki3GfwEyIfw 47. NicoRosbergFan posted: 08.24.2013 - 7:40 am Rate this comment: (0) (1) Get the hell over yourselves! 48. Anthony posted: 08.24.2013 - 8:14 am Rate this comment: (1) (3) Which reminds me. Jeff Gordon people is 42 years old. Yes we all know that. In 1999 Dale Jarrett Won the Championship with the best success of having more top10s then Gordon's 28 in 1998. Jarrett had 29 Top10s. Jeff Gordon in 2007 21 Top5s 30 Top10s I think he would've been the champion. However that year Jeff Gordon & Jimmie Johnson were equal cars in the chase. Jimmie Johnson Average Finish is 5th & Jeff Gordon 5.1. Johnson won it because he won 4 races in a row. Honestly Jeff Gordon would be the Top of his game if there was no Jimmie Johnson. Besides Bobby Allison 45 years old in 1983 won the championship. Sterling Marlin 45 years old also was a force to win the championship. Mark Martin 50 years & 42 Years old in 2009 & 2002 respectively was old enough to still win a championship. Jeff Gordon has had pretty much success in past years but the truth is Jeff Gordon might be having some trouble with himself either his body is not doing so well. Because someone said that its Jeff himself. I keep blaming the crew chief crew members Rick Hendrick because how can you have 3 Hendrick Cars in the chase & not Jeff Gordon. Oh and BTW Jeff Gordon could miss his 1st EVER Awards Ceremoney. NASCAR will have Heavy Heavy Hearts to not see Jeff Gordon at the Awards Ceremoney. Sad just crying shame. 49. Anthony posted: 08.24.2013 - 8:14 am Rate this comment: (1) (3) Sprint Cup Fact for those of you who think Jimmie is better than Jeff Gordon: in 1998 Jeff Gordon won 13 races 26 Top5s 28 Top10s Average Finish 5.7. I'll bet most of his races he had a 150 rating especially in past years if the rating was invented. Jimmie has never won 13 races in a season his highest is 10 in 2007. Jeff Gordon won 64 races in 352 starts that's better than Jimmie. 18% compare to Jimmies 15%! At Bristol: Jeff Gordon won 4 straight in the spring race 1 night race win in 2002. Jimmie has 1 win in 2010. Jeff Gordon 1995-2001 Win % 24 Percent Jimmie Johnson 2006-2010 Win % 19 Percent 2002 Sharpie 500: 11 years ago today Jeff Gordon started on Pole led 47% of the race. Jimmie Johnson ran below in the Top15 all night & got crash & gave Robby Gordon the finger & Jimmie finish 34th after starting 32nd. Jeff Gordon won that race! Jimmie Johnson never won the night race at Bristol since 2002. 50. Anonymous posted: 08.24.2013 - 8:30 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Just wondering, does anyone think Dale Jr has even the smallest chance to win a race again or is he never going to win again? I'm just wondering. 51. We need more Onion posted: 08.24.2013 - 8:49 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) If Kyle can pull out a win, then yea it'll be a big deal and Ill be happy for him. But if he blew it with this qualifying, I can only say that its karma for messing up the NW race. Great effort from Ragan and Gilliland, males me think that FRM's CARS are good, their engins aren't. Also Danica did quite well so far. 52. We need more Onion posted: 08.24.2013 - 8:53 am Rate this comment: (1) (0) *engines, I mean of course. Also if you plan to write something on the ARCA finish please indicate it with something like a spoiler warning, have not seen it yet :) 53. Peter posted: 08.24.2013 - 9:11 am Rate this comment: (0) (2) Danica getting 300-1 odds....Bwahahahaha 54. Smiff_2 posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:04 am Rate this comment: (6) (3) I can't believe I have to miss this race because of a wedding. I don't CARE if it's my own! lol 55. Kubica fan Ireland posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:22 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) webmaster could you just let me know if you got my blog entry thanks.Guys assuming I did it right I have posted a blog on some of the silly season happenings for next year.Any feedback is welcome 56. AveryNH posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:26 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) "I can't believe I have to miss this race because of a wedding. I don't CARE if it's my own! lol" That right there ^ is a true race fan. Good luck on your big day Smiff! 57. webmaster posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:36 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) @55: I haven't received your blog; it's not in the database. 58. Bro Jackson posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:37 am Rate this comment: (2) (5) Prediction: Another "what'd I tell ya!" at about midnight tonight 59. David posted: 08.24.2013 - 11:06 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) "I can't believe I have to miss this race because of a wedding. I don't CARE if it's my own! lol" Hahaha! Good luck Smiff. Best of luck to the two of you. I hope you are happy together. Maybe Brad Keselowski will pitch in and give you a nice wedding present by winning tonight. "why would Joon paint the car like his Dad's most bitter rival?" He bought it painted like that from cousin Tony Eury, Jr. After which he decided to repaint it like like the #71 K&K Insurance car. 60. SpeedWorld97 posted: 08.24.2013 - 11:38 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) "For those watching the F1 practice on NBCSN and hearing Bob Varshas voice doing F1 again.....It almost feels right" Unfortunately, according to Bob's Twitter page, he will only do this race and the South Korea race in October. He is only a fill-in for Leigh Diffey, who will cover he IndyCar events both weekends. 61. cjs3872 posted: 08.24.2013 - 11:53 am Rate this comment: (5) (0) @58, if you're talking about Dale Earnhardt, Jr., the only reason he's in any kind of danger of missing the Chase is just plain rotten luck. He got caught in a wreck at Watkins Glen, which was a result of the rear suspension part failing on the #9 car, causing him to dart in front of Matt Kenseth, who had nowhere to go, and at Michigan, he had a car capable of winning, but had a blown right front tire, something teammates Jimmie Johnson and Kasey Kahne both suffered in the June race there. He's be safe in only one of those things happened, and would be solidly fifth in points if neither of those things had happened. And both of those things were the result of rotten luck, and nothing else. 62. The Long Shot posted: 08.24.2013 - 12:09 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "I can't believe I have to miss this race because of a wedding. I don't CARE if it's my own! lol" Ha ha, congrats, Smiff. And hey, if you can get her into NASCAR, try and get her on to this board. It would be nice to have a little gender diversity on here. 63. SpeedWorld97 posted: 08.24.2013 - 1:12 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Cjs3872, that's exactly it. If not for bad luck, Jr. probably would have finished somewhere 10th-15th at Watkins Glen and a sure top ten at Michigan last week. I think he put it best after last week's race when he said, "We're a top 5 team, but bad luck has kept us from finishing there." That's why if he can avoid bad luck, then he will surely make the chase. And after reading the comments on Wednesday's Truck race, I easily found out why Bro Jackson wants Jr. to miss the chase. The reason is because he wants Jr. to put 2009-2010 results the next few seasons so that Chase Elliott can take over the 88 ride from Jr. 64. MStall41 posted: 08.24.2013 - 1:30 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Does anyone know of any websites that will provide a good live stream of tonight's race? I am getting settled back in here at college and our cable isn't quite working yet and as such I need a place to watch the race. 65. Danica Patrick posted: 08.24.2013 - 1:53 pm Rate this comment: (2) (5) "Ha ha, congrats, Smiff. And hey, if you can get her into NASCAR, try and get her on to this board. It would be nice to have a little gender diversity on here." Guys, I would be happy to provide that when I am not busy driving my billboard... um, CAR... around the racetrack. By the way, check out GoDaddy.com for all your domain needs. 66. Kubica fan Ireland posted: 08.24.2013 - 1:57 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I think my blog on some of the team driver changes for next year will be posted soon.It is waiting on moderation you are more than welcome to read it and comment. 67. JG24FanForever posted: 08.24.2013 - 2:24 pm Rate this comment: (6) (1) "Everyone knows that the last 10 races are the only ones that matter. That the last 10 races are the ones that determine the championship. And that everyone knows that going into the season." The great sir Stirling Moss once said that the World Championship didn't really matter if it meant not going for the win in each and every race. And he also said that a driver isn't worth his salt if he doesn't go for the win in each and every race. Winning races means WAY more than collecting points. The Championship is too unrealistic of a goal for it to be the main priority of every team anyway. Just because Michael Waltrip won the 2003 Daytona 500, doesn't detract from the importance of Jeff Gordon's set of 3 epic wins in the 500. Do you guy's really believe the Chase Kansas race is more important that a win at Sonoma or Darlington? The Chase is the worst thing that ever happened to Nascar. 68. SpeedWorld97 posted: 08.24.2013 - 2:25 pm Rate this comment: (2) (0) Interestingly, Dale Jarrett has suggested that the All Star Race should be moved to Bristol. In all honesty, I wouldn't mind that at all. 69. Loose Lugnuts posted: 08.24.2013 - 3:21 pm Rate this comment: (1) (2) On the subject of the Chase, the one driver that I hope makes it in is Ryan Newman. And then, even though I wouldn't consider him to be one of my favorite drivers, I'd be rooting for him to win the title, so that at Homestead he could stand on the stage after the race, holding the Sprint Cup in one hand and flipping off Tony Stewart and the rest of the SHR organization with the other, all the while telling them "good luck with the Princess". It would be priceless. 70. murb posted: 08.24.2013 - 3:37 pm Rate this comment: (3) (1) With Kyle going for the "trifecta" and BoB breaking the tie for "Most Cup Starts By A Woman", it looks like we're in for a "KYLE DANICA KYLE DANICA so and so is leading KYLE DANICA KYLE KYLE KYLE" kind of night from BSPN. Ugh. I have a good feeling about the race itself though. The Gen 6 performs really well on the short tracks (I enjoyed the Spring race quite a bit), and it will also be fun watching Kyle and Gordon (24 was fast in the Spring until his tire blew) come from the back. 71. TS1420 posted: 08.24.2013 - 3:46 pm Rate this comment: (2) (0) "Interestingly, Dale Jarrett has suggested that the All Star Race should be moved to Bristol. In all honesty, I wouldn't mind that at all." The All-Star Race needs to be at a place like Bristol, Martinsville, Richmond or even Eldora & Iowa. No stupid gimmicks to make up for the aero-fest nature of the track. Just put up a million dollar prize and tell the boys and the recipient of the fan-vote to "have at it". Hell, I'd just be happy if the All-Star Race and The Sprint Unlimited switched venues. 72. epzik8 posted: 08.24.2013 - 4:58 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Anyone want to bet that the first thing ESPN will say in their telecast tonight will be "Will Kyle Busch complete another Bristol sweep?" 73. DaleSrFanForever posted: 08.24.2013 - 6:14 pm Rate this comment: (1) (1) I'll say it again, the All Star race needs to be at Atlanta (until they repave it, then move it to another tire grinder) with the final segment being the length of a full fuel run with any tire changes in that segment resulting in a DQ. WE WANT SLIPPING AND SLIDING! 74. Chad's Hair Plugs posted: 08.24.2013 - 6:20 pm Rate this comment: (3) (2) (until they repave it, then move it to another tire grinder) Rockingham...Rockingham! 75. RaceFanX posted: 08.24.2013 - 6:53 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Isn't Varsha still under contract to FOX for the Barrett-Jackson auctions (which they are admittedly working to get off FS1 and even FS2 because they don't fit the format) 76. SpeedWorld97 posted: 08.24.2013 - 7:02 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) RaceFanX, yes he is. In fact, he will continue to call Grand Am and the 24 Hours of LeMans for the network. But his contract also allows him to serve as a backup for Leigh Diffey during F1 races for NBC. 77. Anonymous posted: 08.24.2013 - 7:04 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) @72 That's exactly what they did! 78. Schroeder51 posted: 08.24.2013 - 7:28 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Again, I've been neglecting to predict the number of cautions for each race (sorry, I keep forgetting!), so I'll go ahead and give my prediction for how many yellow flags we will see tonight. I'm predicting 10 yellow flags tonight (same number as the spring race had), most of them for accidents, but a few for "debris". 79. John Royal posted: 08.24.2013 - 7:34 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Man these opening ceremonies are cheesy. 80. DaleSrFanForever posted: 08.24.2013 - 7:37 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) Has the race started yet? I am across the street playing Wall Ball with a bunch of 13 year olds (I'm sitting out right now cause I got 3 outs goddamnit). This is fun. Racing at Bristol can wait. 81. John Royal posted: 08.24.2013 - 7:38 pm Rate this comment: (2) (0) Those 13 y'olds oughta watch NASCAR 82. joey2448 posted: 08.24.2013 - 7:51 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) Man, that would be so awesome to be there right now!!! I promise, someday I WILL be at a Bristol race! 83. murb posted: 08.24.2013 - 7:53 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "Racing at Bristol can wait." Unbelievable to think that only about 7 years ago those words were impossible. 84. AveryNH posted: 08.24.2013 - 7:54 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Ahh the color coded ticker. Missed that thing. 85. jabber1990 posted: 08.24.2013 - 7:55 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I don't know how to say this, but I think Mark Martin looks good in black "I hate to miss this race because of my wedding" yea, that's one reason (of many) I don't want to get married 86. DaleSrFanForever posted: 08.24.2013 - 8:02 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Now we are having tacos! Bristol? Psh! 87. murb posted: 08.24.2013 - 8:06 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) This is a cool race so far. It may not be the old Bristol (the REAL Bristol that Bruton tore up in 2007), but it's still pretty exciting to see these guys trying to slice through lapped traffic. The new Bristol is a hell of a lot better than 90% of the other tracks they race at. Ryan Truex hits the wall. He had been sinking like a stone since the start, so that's really no surprise. 88. murb posted: 08.24.2013 - 8:06 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Brad hits and spins Reutimann on pit road. 89. Chad's Hair Plugs posted: 08.24.2013 - 8:06 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) BK hits Reutimann on pit road. 90. Anonymous posted: 08.24.2013 - 8:07 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Jeff is not pitting this time. Plus, Keslowski got into Reuttiman on pit road. 91. Anonymous posted: 08.24.2013 - 8:09 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) ^ Sorry if I got David's last name wrong. 92. joey2448 posted: 08.24.2013 - 8:09 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Jeff Gordon was really moving through the field before that caution came out...up to 20th, and now 8th after the caution pit stops! 93. joey2448 posted: 08.24.2013 - 8:11 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) HELL YEAH JEFF GORDON!!! 94. murb posted: 08.24.2013 - 8:11 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Gordon just passed on the inside. Holy hell. 95. Chad's Hair Plugs posted: 08.24.2013 - 8:18 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) So is every on track lead change gonna happen during commercial? 96. murb posted: 08.24.2013 - 8:18 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Kurt Busch drops the lead because of a problem. 97. Mr X posted: 08.24.2013 - 8:19 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Damn that sucks for Kurt Busch, and speeding now. 98. New14 & 88Fan posted: 08.24.2013 - 8:19 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Loose wheel on Kurt, everytime he runs good something happens. And now he's been posted for speeding. 99. murb posted: 08.24.2013 - 8:21 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Tough break for Josh Wise, who was running in the top ten. Caution. 100. DaleSrFanForever posted: 08.24.2013 - 8:21 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Homemade ice cream on the way! I might catch the last 50 laps. 101. joey2448 posted: 08.24.2013 - 8:24 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Clint Bowyer's spotter: Get low, get low low low low! She hit the floor (she hit the floor!) Next thing you know, shawty got low low low low low low low low! 102. murb posted: 08.24.2013 - 8:29 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Kyle and Logano get into the wall together. Caution again. 103. joey2448 posted: 08.24.2013 - 8:29 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) There's the 11 and 20 racing each other! And now Joey Logano is in the wall with Kyle Busch! 104. New14 & 88Fan posted: 08.24.2013 - 8:29 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) That three wide is gonna bit someone sooner or later. Contact between Kyle Busch and Logano. 105. Chad's Hair Plugs posted: 08.24.2013 - 8:29 pm Rate this comment: (2) (0) The Nationwide All-Stars make contact, 18's left rear, 22's front right. 106. Mr X posted: 08.24.2013 - 8:30 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Just at a glance the 20 that looks very strong on the bottom, as the 18 and 22 wreck. 107. John Royal posted: 08.24.2013 - 8:30 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) This is already pretty darn good race. 108. Paul posted: 08.24.2013 - 8:34 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Go Bobby Labonte! 109. epzik8 posted: 08.24.2013 - 8:35 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) ESPN missed the restart! 110. New14 & 88Fan posted: 08.24.2013 - 8:36 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Bobby Labonte is doing a good job in third so far. Meanwhile Danica has been causing cars to logjam as they try and go by her. 111. murb posted: 08.24.2013 - 8:38 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Mark Martin sure is running terrible. Last I saw, he was 27th. 112. TS1420 posted: 08.24.2013 - 8:39 pm Rate this comment: (2) (0) The 78 car having race killing issues with a potential race winning car??? Why I never.... Pretty good race so far. Proof that we need more short tracks and less aero-festivals. 113. Paul posted: 08.24.2013 - 8:41 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) I read that Furniture Row Racing offered Kurt Busch an extension earlier this week to return to the #78 car next season. If I'm Kurt, I'm not re-signing and am focusing on working out a deal to drive a 4th SHR car instead. He had a winnable car (again), and his car failed on him (again). Why go through another season of this when there are greener pastures in another Chevrolet camp? 114. Mr X posted: 08.24.2013 - 8:41 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Go Bobby Labonte! 115. NoLongerAnonymous posted: 08.24.2013 - 8:47 pm Rate this comment: (2) (0) "I read that Furniture Row Racing offered Kurt Busch an extension earlier this week to return to the #78 car next season. If I'm Kurt, I'm not re-signing and am focusing on working out a deal to drive a 4th SHR car instead. He had a winnable car (again), and his car failed on him (again). Why go through another season of this when there are greener pastures in another Chevrolet camp?" He's probably had more winnable cars with Furniture Row than SHR has across all three teams combined though. I can only think of 4: Danica at Daytona, Newman at Indy, and Stewart at Dover and Loudon. He might be in a better situation now as he's pretty much driving Childress cars but his team is totally focused on him. SHR has struggled expanding to three cars and they will struggle even more if they expand to four. 116. murb posted: 08.24.2013 - 8:49 pm Rate this comment: (2) (0) I think if SHR expands, they will be an even worse train wreck than they were this year. I don't think they've fully gotten their shit together with three cars, so I doubt adding one more would help matters. I certainly don't blame them for wanting Kurt, as he is a hell of a driver, and I don't blame Kurt either for wanting to be a part of an organization with Tony Stewart. But if I was him, I would NOT go there. The 78 certainly isn't the best team out there, but I definitely think it would be better than a fourth car over at SHR, which, again, is making an asinine decision by trying to double in size within the span of two years. 117. murb posted: 08.24.2013 - 8:50 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Race leader Bowyer gets spun by a lapped car. Wow. 118. Chad's Hair Plugs posted: 08.24.2013 - 8:51 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Kvapil spins out Bowyer the leader then gets hit by a spun Labonte. There's Bristol for ya. 119. TS1420 posted: 08.24.2013 - 8:51 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) *Bryan Daniel Mode Activated* NO! NO! NO! 120. New14 & 88Fan posted: 08.24.2013 - 8:52 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) DAMN IT!! 121. AveryNH posted: 08.24.2013 - 8:52 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) In the words of Mike Stefanik, that was bullshit. Piss off travis 122. epzik8 posted: 08.24.2013 - 8:52 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Not Bobby Labonte!!!!!!!!!!! At least Martin Truex and Jeff Gordon and fourth and fifth now... 123. NoLongerAnonymous posted: 08.24.2013 - 8:52 pm Rate this comment: (1) (1) Hate that for Bowyer, but I hate it even more for Labonte. Ouch. I'm really starting to wonder if some of the backmarkers aren't intentionally causing cautions to get more TV time for their sponsors... 124. Mr X posted: 08.24.2013 - 8:52 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) That f**king sucks. Damn. 125. John Royal posted: 08.24.2013 - 8:55 pm Rate this comment: (0) (3) Kurt Busch "out", Labonte "out" Next it is Gordon's turn 126. numbah48n10hatah posted: 08.24.2013 - 8:55 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Just wanna get this out of my head: WHAT THE HELL WAS TRAVIS KVAPIL DOING???? 127. AveryNH posted: 08.24.2013 - 8:57 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I'm more aggravated that Labonte got turned there. Oh well. RESTART. 128. Paul posted: 08.24.2013 - 8:57 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) @115: As Philadelphia Eagles fans will tell you, sometimes it's better to never contend than to contend all the time and never seal the deal. But as Stewart-Haas Racing has proven this year, even though they're not all that competitive, they are still capable of winning when the team puts together a perfect race, which they have done twice this season. The #78 team on the other hand seems incapable of putting together a perfect race, and thus they have 0 wins with one of the top five most talented Cup drivers behind the wheel. 129. SpeedWorld97 posted: 08.24.2013 - 9:02 pm Rate this comment: (2) (1) Doesn't it seem like the only times the lapped cars actually move over for the leader are when Kyle Busch is leading a Nationwide race and Jimmie Johnson a Cup race? 130. Jim Davis posted: 08.24.2013 - 9:03 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "...and thus they have 0 wins with one of the top five most talented Cup drivers behind the wheel." Personally, I couldn't rate Patrick quite that highly. 131. Chad's Hair Plugs posted: 08.24.2013 - 9:04 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Dos Jotas getting all the bad luck out in August...ugh. 132. murb posted: 08.24.2013 - 9:05 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Tony Raines got into the wall and the 48 got a small piece of it. Caution. 133. Paul posted: 08.24.2013 - 9:06 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I'll bet David Smith is gonna have a field day with Tony Raines having a problem and possibly damaging the points leader's car (His Twitter followers will understand.). 134. jabber1990 posted: 08.24.2013 - 9:06 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) what the hell just happened? I go from watching a "no smoking Idaho" commercial and then it shows the 33 in the wall and them reviewing 135. JG24FanForever posted: 08.24.2013 - 9:07 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) When will things go Gordon's way again? 136. murb posted: 08.24.2013 - 9:09 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "what the hell just happened? I go from watching a "no smoking Idaho" commercial and then it shows the 33 in the wall and them reviewing" Because in Idaho they have no idea how to run networks. My local ABC station has been garbage all night with bad commercial timings too. 137. murb posted: 08.24.2013 - 9:13 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Kenseth looks fast. 138. Paul posted: 08.24.2013 - 9:17 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Montoya has run in the top five for most of this race, currently sitting in 3rd place. Something tells me he's auditioning for a good Cup ride next season. If that's the case, good for him not throwing in the towel now that his status is "lame duck." 139. New14 & 88Fan posted: 08.24.2013 - 9:18 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Am I'm the only one surprised with how poorly Mark Martin is doing? Granted age is catching up with him and he just stepped into the #14 after driving MWR's Toyotas for almost two years but I expected him to at least run in the top twenty. 140. Paul posted: 08.24.2013 - 9:19 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Gordon has certainly perfected the slide job in these Gen6 cars. 141. Quasar posted: 08.24.2013 - 9:19 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Not surprised at all. 142. murb posted: 08.24.2013 - 9:20 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Debris caution. 143. New14 & 88Fan posted: 08.24.2013 - 9:21 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Looks like Vickers cut a tire, caution for debris. 144. jabber1990 posted: 08.24.2013 - 9:22 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) has Kyle thrown in the towel? or does he just have a lot of damage? 145. TS1420 posted: 08.24.2013 - 9:22 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Jimmie helping, I mean "debris" caution. 146. NoLongerAnonymous posted: 08.24.2013 - 9:24 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "Jimmie helping, I mean "debris" caution." I'm sure Vickers cut a tire and dropped debris on the track on purpose too. 147. John Royal posted: 08.24.2013 - 9:25 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) #144 I would like to know as well, Kyle seems to be complete non factor. 148. murb posted: 08.24.2013 - 9:25 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Kenseth sped on pit road. 149. JG24FanForever posted: 08.24.2013 - 9:25 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Healthiest Bristol crowd in many years. 150. JG24FanForever posted: 08.24.2013 - 9:26 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) And nothing is going right for Gordon again and again and again. 151. Paul posted: 08.24.2013 - 9:26 pm Rate this comment: (3) (0) Denny Hamlin was told by crew chief Darian Grubb to let Junior pass him on pit road exit so that he would restart on the preferred outside lane. Problem is: His teammate Matt Kenseth, who would have restarted in front of Hamlin, was penalized (I think for speeding on pit road), so Hamlin will restart in the inside lane anyways. 152. joey2448 posted: 08.24.2013 - 9:26 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Hahahaha, Denny Hamlin slowed down on pit road enough to let one car pass him, just so he could restart on the outside! That's how much an advantage that outside line is! They need to go back to single-file restarts for the final 10% of races. 153. Ched Little posted: 08.24.2013 - 9:28 pm Rate this comment: (2) (1) "And nothing is going right for Gordon again and again and again. " How the f--- is he sixth then? 154. JG24FanForever posted: 08.24.2013 - 9:29 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) "How the f--- is he sixth then" Hard f-cking work. 155. Paul posted: 08.24.2013 - 9:29 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Whoa, Paul Menard is leading? That's a pleasant surprise. 156. NoLongerAnonymous posted: 08.24.2013 - 9:30 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "@115: As Philadelphia Eagles fans will tell you, sometimes it's better to never contend than to contend all the time and never seal the deal. But as Stewart-Haas Racing has proven this year, even though they're not all that competitive, they are still capable of winning when the team puts together a perfect race, which they have done twice this season. The #78 team on the other hand seems incapable of putting together a perfect race, and thus they have 0 wins with one of the top five most talented Cup drivers behind the wheel." At the same time, there are more Eagles fans for the team to disappoint than Jacksonville Jaguars fans. The worst feeling for a football fan other than losing the Super Bowl is for your team to be out of contention by mid-November. Furniture Row has had some bad luck (and at times incompetent crew chiefing) but they've also had speed, something SHR doesn't seem to have most weekends. Kurt may get more top 10s with SHR, but I think he has a better chance of contending for race wins with Furniture Row 157. murb posted: 08.24.2013 - 9:30 pm Rate this comment: (6) (0) Even when Paul Menard is leading they don't talk about him, lol 158. Paul posted: 08.24.2013 - 9:32 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) It took ESPN about 20 laps before they mentioned that Menard was the leader. Considering how he was penalized for speeding on pit road a couple cautions ago, this is a pretty nice comeback. 159. murb posted: 08.24.2013 - 9:34 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) 48 just got put in the wall again. He's having a rough night. 160. Paul posted: 08.24.2013 - 9:35 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) No love for "Five-Time" that lap. First Matt Kenseth performed a less-than successful slide job on Johnson that put him in the wall, then the cars of David Stremme and Travis Kvapil made a 3-wide pass on JJ that caused him to scrape the wall. 161. NoLongerAnonymous posted: 08.24.2013 - 9:36 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) NASCAR is all about track position now. Menard gets to the lead through strategy, and no one can do anything with him. Johnson goes to the back due to an incident and Kenseth (fastest car) goes to the back due to speeding, and they struggle to pass much slower cars. 162. Paul posted: 08.24.2013 - 9:37 pm Rate this comment: (2) (0) Nice slide job by Montoya on Kyle to take over 3rd place. He drove that car HARD on the exit of the previous turn in order to set up that pass. 163. JG24FanForever posted: 08.24.2013 - 9:39 pm Rate this comment: (3) (0) "NASCAR is all about track position now. Menard gets to the lead through strategy, and no one can do anything with him. Johnson goes to the back due to an incident and Kenseth (fastest car) goes to the back due to speeding, and they struggle to pass much slower cars." How come Gordon has come through the field twice? 164. luigistarted06 posted: 08.24.2013 - 9:41 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) By far the most laps Menard has ever led in a race 165. The Long Shot posted: 08.24.2013 - 9:41 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) David Reutimann is having a solid run in 14th, as is Ricky Stenhouse in 15th. 166. DaleSrFanForever posted: 08.24.2013 - 9:42 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Just now in front of a TV. The ice cream was feaking outstanding. Got to see The New And Improved Jeff Gordon (KyBu) get a picture perfect pick placed on him by The Old Jeff Gordon. 167. Paul posted: 08.24.2013 - 9:45 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) "By far the most laps Menard has ever led in a race" Not only that, but Menard has led more laps in this race (63) than he has led in 9 of his 10 seasons competing in some fashion on the Sprint Cup circuit (He led 82 laps in 2011, with 35 of those laps led coming at--you guessed it--Bristol.). 168. murb posted: 08.24.2013 - 9:46 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Montoya has been flying. Could this FINALLY be his first oval win? 169. The Long Shot posted: 08.24.2013 - 9:47 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Debris caution, how we have missed thee. 170. Ched Little posted: 08.24.2013 - 9:49 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Montoya has been flying. Could this FINALLY be his first oval win? Fink jinx 171. DaleSrFanForever posted: 08.24.2013 - 9:51 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Does anybody beat themselves more than JPM? 172. The Long Shot posted: 08.24.2013 - 9:51 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Speeding penalty for Montoya on pit road. 173. Paul posted: 08.24.2013 - 9:51 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I forgot to mention that this was the first time all season that Paul Menard has led multiple laps in a race (He had previously led five laps, all in different races.). Meanwhile, Menard's teammate Kevin Harvick assumes the lead by changing just two tires, while Martin Truex, Jr. gains nine positions to take over 2nd place after his team didn't change any tires. Since Truex will be restarting on the inside lane, I'd be willing to bet that he drops like a rock on this restart. Damn, Montoya got busted for speeding on pit exit. The frustrating thing is that he didn't gain anything by speeding. Although he did have a positive attitude on the radio afterwards, which is refreshing. 174. murb posted: 08.24.2013 - 9:51 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "Thank you Nascar for screwing my day." 175. NoLongerAnonymous posted: 08.24.2013 - 9:52 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "How come Gordon has come through the field twice?" He's one of the best short track drivers technique-wise and the pit crew helped a lot on his first run to the top 10. 176. murb posted: 08.24.2013 - 9:53 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Seriously though, tough break for JPM. Maybe he'll go aggro and just plow through everyone. He's got a fast enough car to do it. Overall, the 99 seems to be the car to beat tonight. 177. murb posted: 08.24.2013 - 9:53 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Insane save by Kyle. 178. Paul posted: 08.24.2013 - 9:54 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Amazing save by Kyle Busch. 179. joey2448 posted: 08.24.2013 - 9:54 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Wow what a save by Kyle Busch... 180. JG24FanForever posted: 08.24.2013 - 9:54 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "Does anybody beat themselves more than JPM?" Kyle Busch. Only because he's had more opportunities. 181. Mr X posted: 08.24.2013 - 9:54 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) Nice save from Kyle after a tap from "The Ogre." 182. Paul posted: 08.24.2013 - 9:55 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) I was wrong about Truex. He's holding on quite nicely in 3rd place after not changing tires. 183. NicoRosbergFan posted: 08.24.2013 - 9:56 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Cue the Jaws music 184. murb posted: 08.24.2013 - 9:56 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) 48 again. 185. NoLongerAnonymous posted: 08.24.2013 - 9:57 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Johnson's refilling his luck bank tonight. 186. TS1420 posted: 08.24.2013 - 9:57 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Nap-Time to the garage! *Daniel Bryan Mode Re-Activated* YES! YES! YES! 187. joey2448 posted: 08.24.2013 - 9:57 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) And Jimmie Johnson continues to get all his bad luck out of the way early... 188. Paul posted: 08.24.2013 - 9:58 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Contact between Vickers and Reutimann causes Reuti to spin out, which collected Johnson in the process. The #48 has gone behind the wall. 189. jabber1990 posted: 08.24.2013 - 9:58 pm Rate this comment: (0) (2) well, Chad will cheat the car while he rebuilds it they wont check it... 190. New14 & 88Fan posted: 08.24.2013 - 9:58 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Vickers got into Reutimann and turned him, who collected JJ when he slid back down the track. 191. luigistarted06 posted: 08.24.2013 - 9:58 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) BKR is cursed... 192. DaleSrFanForever posted: 08.24.2013 - 9:59 pm Rate this comment: (6) (0) Vickers driving like it is Martinsville 2011. I will be interested to see how he drives now that he has a contract. He does his best work when he has to drive for his job ('06, '09). 193. JRacingFast posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:00 pm Rate this comment: (3) (4) Weeks like the 48 have had the past 3 weeks show that when it comes to needing to be an actual driver Bristol,Michigan,And The Glen.....Hes just not that good 194. Schroeder51 posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:01 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Haven't been able to comment on this race so far as I've been busy watching it with my family for the night. I like this race so far, although it looks like Edwards has the car to beat. Gordon is running rather nicely as well. Shame to see drivers like Kurt Busch and Bobby Labonte have good runs ended early, though, but it's always nice to see the #48 having trouble! 195. JG24FanForever posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:01 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Does Austin Dillon know the definition of outlaw? Answer: Big E! 196. murb posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:06 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Damn it. 31 spins. 197. David posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:06 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Burton spins. Tough luck for him. 198. AveryNH posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:06 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I thought Burton had an issue. He was way slow the last time off two. 199. murb posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:06 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I was right. Montoya is starting to make some bold moves out there. 200. New14 & 88Fan posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:06 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Though break for Jeff Burton. 201. AveryNH posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:07 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Never mind. Got dumped by he 30 who got dumped by the 42. Ohh Juan 202. NoLongerAnonymous posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:07 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) "Weeks like the 48 have had the past 3 weeks show that when it comes to needing to be an actual driver Bristol,Michigan,And The Glen.....Hes just not that good" A top 10, a blown motor, and being caught up in a crash that he had nothing to do with say nothing about his driving abilities. Bet you wouldn't say Gordon is "just not that good" based on his Glen wreck. 203. DaleSrFanForever posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:08 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Jeff brought his A game tonight. It'll be fun to see if he gets the chance to use his bumper in the end. See if he still has that willingness to "go there" to win. 204. Mr X posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:08 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I'm not going to blame that on Montoya, Stremme definitely had room to go up. 205. Schroeder51 posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:10 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Something is wrong with Carl Edwards' car. 206. murb posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:10 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Ignition problems for Carl Edwards. There goes the dominant car. 207. DaleSrFanForever posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:10 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Jaws music. 208. TS1420 posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:10 pm Rate this comment: (5) (0) Jack Roush and his cheap-ass cars.... 209. David posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:11 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I would have been here sooner, but we were caught in a STUPID FREAKING MORONIC IDIOTIC SON OF A JACKAL TRAFFIC JAM in Chicago (I'm in Mequon, WI right now). Tough luck for Edwards. Ignition troubles. 210. Schroeder51 posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:11 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Edwards' engine is dying. 211. murb posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:11 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) "Jack Roush and his cheap-ass cars...." lol, This made me laugh. 212. Schroeder51 posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:14 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) First DNF for a Jack Roush car all season. 213. DaleSrFanForever posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:14 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Edwards out, Kenseth leading. Cue up the epic Jack Roush face palm. Speaking of Kenseth, he needs to be afraid. 214. NoLongerAnonymous posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:14 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "Jack Roush and his cheap-ass cars...." I laughed, but RFR hasn't had a DNF yet this season. Until tonight, at least. 215. New14 & 88Fan posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:14 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Carl's done for the night, that's a though break for him. 216. The Long Shot posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:16 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Whoever wins this race will win by process of elimination. 217. David posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:17 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) I hate that for Edwards. Sounded like he really had the dominant car tonight. Only to be done in by a valve spring. 218. DaleSrFanForever posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:17 pm Rate this comment: (0) (2) The Baroness is getting lapped every 10 minutes. 219. murb posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:19 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) This Logano/Hamlin coverage is making me sick. Every time they're next to each other they have to show it. 220. JRacingFast posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:20 pm Rate this comment: (3) (2) 216. The Long Shot posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:16 "Whoever wins this race will win by process of elimination. " well lets all hope that kenseth is next on that list then 221. NoLongerAnonymous posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:20 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "The Baroness is getting lapped every 10 minutes." You don't have to exaggerate, it's bad enough to get lapped every 30 minutes. She made some comment to the crew like "this isn't fun." 222. The Long Shot posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:23 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "She made some comment to the crew like "this isn't fun."" If racing at Bristol isn't fun, I don't know what is. 223. Chad's Hair Plugs posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:24 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Montoya either just got married or some duct tape has come loose. 224. Schroeder51 posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:25 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Stremme is still displeased with Montoya. 225. TS1420 posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:25 pm Rate this comment: (2) (1) "I laughed, but RFR hasn't had a DNF yet this season. Until tonight, at least." I called Jack Roush's cars cheap-ass because he is a frugal tightwad that doesn't give his drivers the tools to win and when he finally does, those tools usually don't last the whole race. 226. murb posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:26 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Debris. 227. Schroeder51 posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:26 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) And the 10th caution flag is now out. Hey, 10 was a good guess for this race! 228. David posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:27 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Phantom deb...oh, wait. 229. DaleSrFanForever posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:27 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) That debris was legit lol 230. AveryNH posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:28 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Mixed bag there on pit stops. Gordon, Montoya, Kyle all stayed out 231. TS1420 posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:28 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Don't Kenseth, Gordon, Junior, Ect all need to pit yet or did I miss something? 232. Zackary Shawn posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:31 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Does anyone notice the Bass Pro Shops decals on Truex's car. I'm pretty certain they haven't been there before. I wonder if it has something to do with the Martin/Stewart MWR/SHR deal. 233. David posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:32 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Big crash. Lots of cars. 234. murb posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:32 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Big wreck with a lot of big names. 235. murb posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:32 pm Rate this comment: (2) (0) "Does anyone notice the Bass Pro Shops decals on Truex's car. I'm pretty certain they haven't been there before. I wonder if it has something to do with the Martin/Stewart MWR/SHR deal." They've always been there. 236. Schroeder51 posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:32 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Massive crash on the restart. Truex, Hamlin, and Harvick are among the drivers involved. Huge hit for Truex in the points. 237. New14 & 88Fan posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:33 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) HArvick, Truex, Keselowski, Schrader, and Newman all wreck. 238. murb posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:33 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Truex looks pissed at someone. 239. David posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:33 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Red flag. 240. SpeedWorld97 posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:33 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) "Don't Kenseth, Gordon, Junior, Ect all need to pit yet or did I miss something?" Good thing they didn't. They would've been involved in that. 241. New14 & 88Fan posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:34 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) And Hamlin also. Typical Harvick trying to start mess. 242. David posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:34 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Harvick is discussing something with Hamlin. 243. Schroeder51 posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:35 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Curious to see just what the hell happened up there. 244. David posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:35 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I wonder of Harvick will be fined by NASCAR and/or BMS for that remark. 245. Mr X posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:36 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) RF tire down, #11. 246. New14 & 88Fan posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:36 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Nevermind, looks like Hamlin had a flat tire and slid up in front of Harvick and everyone piled in behind 'em. 247. Chad's Hair Plugs posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:36 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) NASCAR won't fine Harvick, its not an ISC track. 248. murb posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:36 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) It looked like Vickers idiotically came down on Denny and cut down the 11's right front, causing the 11 to shoot up in front of everyone. 249. Chad's Hair Plugs posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:37 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) This wreck may get Kurt Busch up to 10 more points. 250. David posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:37 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) That was just a racing deal. Hamlin's tire was flat, he couldn't do much. 251. DaleSrFanForever posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:37 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I think the 55 cut the 11's tire. 252. murb posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:39 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) I have no idea what the hell Vickers was doing. He just turned down left on the 11. 253. TS1420 posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:39 pm Rate this comment: (2) (1) "He's a Pinball Vickers, there has to be a twist(ed up valley of sheet metal)" 254. Schroeder51 posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:39 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Keselowski is going to the garage. Wow, this is REALLY going to shake up the points. 255. David posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:39 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Points-wise, that hurt Keselowski the most. 256. AveryNH posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:39 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) At least ol Happy waited to hear the whole story there before he did something Stupid 257. murb posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:40 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) LOL at Gordon almost top ten in points. 258. DaleSrFanForever posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:40 pm Rate this comment: (11) (2) Brad's chase is done. Hope he is enjoying his NWide success, cause I'm sure not. And yeah, typical Harvick. Gotta start something at every chance. 259. Chad's Hair Plugs posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:42 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Another restart missed by NESPN 260. Jorge posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:43 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Wow basically all of those barely making the chase drivers got eliminated in that wreck, and oh Danica as well got involved, and Ken Schrader. 261. epzik8 posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:43 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Martin Truex was really mad! 262. TS1420 posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:43 pm Rate this comment: (0) (2) "Brad's chase is done. Hope he is enjoying his NWide success, cause I'm sure not." Hey! Brad's Nationwide runs are for a very good cause. Roger Penske needs to get the coveted Nationwide Series Owners Championship or his career as a car owner is a bust.... 263. DaleSrFanForever posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:43 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Another garbage restart by Gordon. 264. Mr X posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:47 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Really another commercial? 265. murb posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:50 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Kenseth vs Kahne Round 3 266. David posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:50 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Here comes another Kenseth/Kahne battle. 267. TS1420 posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:50 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Kenseth vs Kahne: Round III 268. JRacingFast posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:51 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Theyll both wreck and JPM is gonna somehow win this race.....What a story book ending that would be 269. Schroeder51 posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:51 pm Rate this comment: (0) (2) Another win for the Android? 270. New14 & 88Fan posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:51 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Ambrose is holding his own in sixth, then again he's always run well at Bristol. Kenseth vs. Kahne for the win again. 271. murb posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:52 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Man they made a lot of contact right there. 272. joey2448 posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:52 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Whattya know??? Kahne chasing Kenseth AGAIN! 273. Mr X posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:52 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) This may get physical. 274. Schroeder51 posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:53 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Damn, this is some good racing for the lead. 275. New14 & 88Fan posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:53 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Are we gonna see the bump-in-run? 276. David posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:53 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) This is getting GOOD! 277. murb posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:54 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Kenseth wins. 278. David posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:54 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Kenseth beats Kahne again. 279. TS1420 posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:55 pm Rate this comment: (2) (2) Damn you Kasey you spineless bastard! 280. New14 & 88Fan posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:55 pm Rate this comment: (2) (0) KENSETH!!! 281. Schroeder51 posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:55 pm Rate this comment: (1) (1) Kenseth shuts down the Android yet again. Gordon comes home seventh, and suddenly, his chances of making the Chase look considerably better. 282. Bronco posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:55 pm Rate this comment: (3) (2) Kahne is such a wuss. Disappointed in him. 283. John Royal posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:55 pm Rate this comment: (2) (1) Kahne is not built to win. 284. David posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:56 pm Rate this comment: (4) (0) Kenseth: 3 Kahne: 0 David Ragan finishes twelfth. 285. SpeedWorld97 posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:56 pm Rate this comment: (1) (1) What a race! 286. DaleSrFanForever posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:56 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Hell of a finish. Kasey isn't mean enough to win a race like that. Gordon would've won in the same situation. 287. JRacingFast posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:56 pm Rate this comment: (1) (1) .....I kinda wanna applad Kahne for racing him clean.....but at the sametime i wanna call him a pussy for not trying a "bump n run" 288. Paul posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:56 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Clint Bowyer ran out of fuel on the final lap. Great 12th place finish for David Ragan. 289. AveryNH posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:57 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Kenseth v. Kahne. 3-0 in favor of Matt. Good clean finish. Great race! 290. epzik8 posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:57 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Kasey Kahne: the king of second-place finishes! 291. murb posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:57 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Kasey should have just done it when he had the chance with like 6 to go or whatever it was. He was right there and could have put the bumper to him but he just waited to long. It's always cool to see Matt win though, so congrats to him. 292. Kenny posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:58 pm Rate this comment: (2) (6) It's bullshit I thank kasey should have spun out Matt it's f**king bullshit 293. murb posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:58 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) *too long 294. Schroeder51 posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:58 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Nice top-20s for Kvapil and Stremme as well. Really loved this race! 295. New14 & 88Fan posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:59 pm Rate this comment: (2) (0) How was Kahne spineless, he was slipping and sliding all over trying to get by Kenseth. Matt just had the better car. 296. NoLongerAnonymous posted: 08.24.2013 - 10:59 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) I don't see how Kahne could call himself a race car driver when he won't even turn a guy from a team that has been getting into him right and left lately to win a race. 297. Sector posted: 08.24.2013 - 11:00 pm Rate this comment: (3) (0) Please note this: Matt Kenseth has won the Bristol Night race in each of the 3 season in which he has led 1,000+ laps led. 2005-2006 being the first two. Go Matt Kenseth! He also ties his career most wins in a single season, first achieved in 2002 which he won the most of all drivers. Can Matt get his 2006 revenge on Jimmie Johnson this year? 298. BluesTravelerFan posted: 08.24.2013 - 11:00 pm Rate this comment: (5) (0) What a great race from start to finish, full of action and surprises throughout, and an exciting finish to boot. Matt just straight up outdrove Kasey, held him off for basically 20 laps on much older tires. Best race of the season. 299. Loose Lugnuts posted: 08.24.2013 - 11:01 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Before the season I predicted that Kenseth would win at least 5 races and the championship. Well, the first part is taken care of. 300. AveryNH posted: 08.24.2013 - 11:01 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Matt's third Bristol night race win. Theme of threes tonight. 301. Paul posted: 08.24.2013 - 11:03 pm Rate this comment: (6) (0) "Matt just had the better car." Kasey had the better car. Matt's just a better driver who wanted it more. That's why he's successfully held off Kasey in all three of their duels this season. 302. Chad's Hair Plugs posted: 08.24.2013 - 11:07 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) How come we have to see Dos Jotas who finished 35th? What's next, Danica's rally to finish 26th? 303. Mr X posted: 08.24.2013 - 11:08 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) It's still to hard to pass here but a great race overall, before anyone tears Jeff apart over that restart, he wasn't that great on restarts all night, he was lucky, as he was on the outside for most of them, but even still he just rarely was as strong as some other leaders on the restarts. That last one was particularly bad but keep in mind he lost a few spots when the 9 of Ambrose and Jeff nearly wrecked, also keep in mind Jeff's fuel and tire situation, once he lost those spots, they were gone. Jeff did beat all but Logano tonight, and did nearly all of what he needed to do. 304. The Long Shot posted: 08.24.2013 - 11:08 pm Rate this comment: (1) (1) The best part of that JJ interview was the two people who "interview-bombed" Jimmie. 305. JG24shouldbe5time posted: 08.24.2013 - 11:09 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I would've rather seen Kahne win or at least pull off a classic Bristol move. I mean, c'mon dude, you're driving the #5 car, a car that was involved in two of the most memorable finishes at Bristol. Kenseth wanted it more, congrats to him. Good for Gordon. He had some solid runs, was able to over come some bad luck and finished 7th. Looking forward to Atlanta and Richmond in the coming weeks. I really can't stand the concept of the Chase, but at least it's creating a "story line" worth following over the last few weeks. 306. cjs3872 posted: 08.24.2013 - 11:09 pm Rate this comment: (4) (3) Correct, DSFF. I guarantee that Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Carl Edwards, Kyle and/or Kurt Busch, or a number of others would have moved Kenseth in that situation. I said months ago that Kasey Kahne is a driver unable to win from behind because he lacks the killer instinct to do what it takes to get the job done. Bascially, Kahne is too soft, and he always has been. How many times has he been close through the years, going back to the final race at Rockingham in 2004 when Kahne waited to long to make his move on Kenseth. The same thing happened at Texas later that year when he had the best car and settled for second behind Elliott Sadler. He just settles for something less than he should rather than go for it. If has a fast car that leads, he can win, but when he's behind, he just doesn't have the killer instinct to do what it takes, and he's been that way his entire career. And Kahne's lack of willingness to move Kenseth can't be making Rick Hendrck any happier for more reasons than that. Remember that also affects Jimmie Johnson since Kenseth now has ore wins than Johnson and would be in front of Jimmie wen the Chase starts. Kahne's had the dominant car in almost all of the races he's won. And Kahne's certainly not like any of the others who have driven that #5 car over the years. And does anyone else seriously think that Geoff Bodine, Ricky Rudd, Terry Labonte, or Kyle Busch, all of whom drove that #5 car over the years, simply let Kenseth have that race? I think not. Mark Martin also wins this race, but not in the same fashion, because he would have driven by Kenseth. I think Kahne embarrassed the legacy of that flagship HMS car tonight. Put Gordon in one of those fast cars with a reliable crew chief again, and I think he'd win races again, especially against this group of drivers, especially since arguably the softest driver of them all happens to be in the same shop as he's in. 307. SpeedWorld97 posted: 08.24.2013 - 11:10 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) "How come we have to see Dos Jotas who finished 35th? What's next, Danica's rally to finish 26th?" I know. I would have rather heard from David Ragan, who had a great run to finish 12th. 308. AveryNH posted: 08.24.2013 - 11:15 pm Rate this comment: (2) (0) You know, Kasey had every excuse to dump Matt, rough him up, or whatever, to try and get the win. He didn't. He raced him clean. Sure he finished second because of it. But I have a lot more respect after this for Kasey because of the choice he made. Rag on him all you want, spineless, wuss, anything. I would've had more of an issue if he did decide to dump Kenseth to win. That being said I'm glad Matt hung on there. He was the best out there after halfway maybe next to Carl. 309. DaleSrFanForever posted: 08.24.2013 - 11:22 pm Rate this comment: (3) (1) Paul is right, that 5 car was in its own zip code in the end, but just like Vegas and Kansas, Matt kept his cool, drove hard but steady and flat out beat Kahne. And yes, the PC side of us wants to applaud Kasey for not roughing Matt up, for being more content finishing second clean than first with contact. But C'Mon, this is NASCAR, and that is Bristol. Assholes finish first. Bristol has proved this in 1985 (both races), 1997 Day, 1999 Night, and 2002 Night. You know those stupid ass NAPA can commercials? Then they have that one where, out of nowhere, that guy from The Karate Kid shows up with his epic "Sweep The Leg" comment? Makes no sense for the commercial, but for people like me that grew up loving that movie, it is cool to see. And it is pertinant to NASCAR. Jeff Gordon would sweep the leg. Earnhardt would sweep the leg, give that "I got you" smirk, then say "that's racin, if ya can't handle it tie a kerosene rag around your ankles so the ants won't crawl up and eat your candy ass", then smirk some more. Kasey wouldn't sweep the leg in a million years. 310. murb posted: 08.24.2013 - 11:22 pm Rate this comment: (1) (1) I do have respect for Kasey's intention to race him clean, but on the same token, when it's someone from a team that has supposedly been roughing you up all year, you should race them a little bit harder. If I was Kasey, I would have moved him. Matt would have been initially upset, but he also would have understood that it is short track racing (also, don't forget that Matt won his first Busch race by knocking Tony Stewart out of the way at Rockingham - so it's not like Matt hasn't done it before either). 311. Mr X posted: 08.24.2013 - 11:24 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) And by the way congrats to Matt Kenseth, he is quickly becoming one of my favourite drivers, and is certainly my favourite Toyota drivers, how does anyone not like him, he's very funny, I love his quiet sarcasm style humour, he's extremely talented, humble, and very mature at just 29 years of age. He's certainly a perennial winner in my eyes. He's got everything I look for in a driver. On to Spa and Atlanta and after this week, 2 weeks of vacation. 312. Anthony posted: 08.24.2013 - 11:28 pm Rate this comment: (0) (7) Jeff Gordon got his ass kicked tonight. If it weren't for that inside we had the race won. And Alan Gustafson can kiss my ass. Well 9 points out of 10th still in reach. Must get our 2012 revenge from Atlanta the one that got away from us last year. 2011 Atlanta Magic here we go. Jeff Gordon must win Jeff Gordon must win Jeff Gordon must win Jeff Gordon must win!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 313. DaleSrFanForever posted: 08.24.2013 - 11:28 pm Rate this comment: (0) (2) Cjs, Terry Labonte wouldn't have hit Matt. But all the others would have. Hell, in the 1988 Bristol Day race, Bodine, driving that #5 car, had the race won as he was flying around Bill Elliott, but he spun Bill out. Bill didn't hit anything, got fresh tires, and blew back by Geoff for his first (of only 2) career short track win. Btw, in the same race one year earlier, Schrader spun Bodine out. Afterwards Bodine famously said "I don't know who hit me, but that was an Earnhardt move. There is only one Earnhardt, we don't need another one". The lesson, as always, Geoff Bodine is a smart mouthed yankee bastard. 314. Schroeder51 posted: 08.24.2013 - 11:31 pm Rate this comment: (4) (0) Mr. X, Kenseth is 41, not 29. 315. cjs3872 posted: 08.24.2013 - 11:32 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) The fact remains that the other drivers know how soft Kasey Kahne is. In fact, with five laps to go, Dale Jarrett even brought it up on the broadcast whether or not Kasey had the toughness to do what he needed in order to win, so even the commentators have figured that out. He could have tried the slide job Jeff Gordon was using most of the race to, at the very least, get beside Kenseth with a lap or two to go, but he wouldn't even use that. The other drivers know that if they get in front of Kahne late in a race, that they pretty much have him beat, even if he has a better car because they know he won't do what's necessary. And when that's brought up in a broadcast of a race, everyone watching knows it. And speaking of Gordon, add this race to the list of those that Alan Gustafson blew with yet another questionable pit call, this one not to pit Gordon on the final caution after that huge wreck, because back where he was inevitably going to be, the fact that his tires were so much older than anyone else around him, it was obvious that he was going to drop back, and he fell like a rock on that final restart from third to ninth, just because he was on the inside (which brings up the issue of double-file restarts. They had to try to win the race, not run for points, and after that final wreck, it looked to me that they were just trying to salvage a top ten, possibly a top five run with a car that ran 3rd-5th for much of the race, and only when things happened on that final lap did they get back up to seventh, because they had been ninth prior to that, and behind cars he had no business behind. They may not have won the race had they stopped, but they would have finished better than they did, in my opinion. 316. Mr X posted: 08.24.2013 - 11:34 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I know, I was being sarcastic like Kenseth was after winning Las Vegas. 317. Schroeder51 posted: 08.24.2013 - 11:34 pm Rate this comment: (4) (1) Anthony...grow the hell up, man. 318. TS1420 posted: 08.24.2013 - 11:34 pm Rate this comment: (2) (0) Good race, one of the best of the season, but Kenseth wins are always a massive letdown for me. Why couldn't Clint Bowyer have been the race leading Toyota to come back from adversity to win? Kahne was bitching about JGR cars always taking him out, he had the perfect opportunity to even up the score a bit, and he proceeds to do nothing about it. This is why he will never win a championship or even be a legit threat for one. I would have liked to have seen Juan challenge Kenseth for win... But he probably would have been the extreme opposite of Kahne and both his & Kenseth's cars would have been obliterated. Newman in a wreck, Danica doing what she does best & Mark Martin just having fun... Horrible night for SHR. I love how BSPN kept hyping up the "Kyle Busch Sweep" even though he had no realistic chance at winning after his incident. I originally was happy when Johnson went to garage, but as it was pointed out, he is probably just paying back dues he owes the luck bank so he can make another big withdraw of good luck when the chase starts. Our only hope will probably be his wife going into labor 11:00am, 9/15/2012 (of course that probably wont happen either. Fuhrer Knaus will probably force them to induce the labor the day after the Richmond race. I give the race a 9/10. 319. cjs3872 posted: 08.24.2013 - 11:39 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I'm not entirely sure about that, DSFF. Terry would have tried to move him, but certainly would not have tried to wreck him, and there's a difference in trying to move a guy and trying to wreck a guy. And even then, I think Terry would still have tried to drive inside Matt more often than Kasey did. And I think Terry would have won the race, probably by driving by Matt, a lot like I think Mark would have. Some drivers pressure others in different ways, and the way Terry would pressure a driver is that they knew with Terry, you would have to drive a perfect race, because Terry was not going to make a mistake, and I think Terry, by his mere presence and reputation, might have forced a mistake out of Matt that would have made it much easier for him to pass Matt. But I think Terry would have tried to move him without wrecking him if it came to that. 320. Unser1 posted: 08.24.2013 - 11:42 pm Rate this comment: (6) (1) DSFF, it's 2013. Why are you still using "Yankee" as an insult for people who aren't New York baseball players? 321. TS1420 posted: 08.24.2013 - 11:47 pm Rate this comment: (0) (4) "DSFF, it's 2013. Why are you still using "Yankee" as an insult for people who aren't New York baseball players?" I like it. Yankee is such a fitting term for one of the Bodine bozo's. 322. 12345Dude posted: 08.24.2013 - 11:48 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) @DSFF Thanks for the reply. I had actually forgotten you ranked Jimmie ahead of Jeff. The reason the first post about the topic was responded to you was because you called Jimmie a wheel holder which sounded to me at face value as someone who was just holding a wheel and letting the car win the races. And that anyone could have the success of Jimmie in the 48. Very silly now that I look at it again. You mention how everyone got upset when you ranked Jimmie ahead of Jeff. Those were the people (and I've seen same responses to not only this site) that I was trying to show that Jimmie was better on the later posts. @ChedLittle I did get a little rilled up Ched but I never name called anyone. So I don't understand how that was starting a fight. I was just having a racing discussion. And about your 30th post Ched if the posts I wrote before don't convince you that Jimmie is better than Jeff than nothing will. Your just grasping at straws on that post. Look at the chase history champions, It's what people do. If the first 26 races are meaningless whats the point on going full out, if your Jimmie and you know you will be in the Chase. I'm sorry if this sounds harsh but that's just commen sense. 323. DaleSrFanForever posted: 08.24.2013 - 11:55 pm Rate this comment: (3) (4) What else am I gonna call him? Geographically challenged? A Northeastern American? Or a smart mouthed yankee bastard? See, here in the South, we have a lot of Northeastern transplants (like my Mom). They are mostly cool. But out of the group, you will always come across one or two that are so damn obnoxious and think they are so much smarter than us. They assume we are all inbred morons like the guys from Deliverance. Bodine is one of them. Hell, my Dad went to high school and played football with one in the late 60s and early 70s who, like Bodine, ran his mouth constantly and annoyed the shit out of everyone insulting them. So they just called him "Yankee" and made his life miserable. My Dad, who is very even tempered, was so annoued by him he stuffed him into lockers, climbed up the goalposts to put his shoes there knowing Yankee wasn't strong enough to climb up himself to get them down, and their crowning achievement was the time after practice Dad and a few other guys on the team held him down as he was leaving the shower and put IcyHot on his balls. God bless the days when you could still haze people. 324. 12345Dude posted: 08.25.2013 - 12:01 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) @JG24 post 524 on Michigan page Sorry for such a long time in between the post. I forgot the post and was just re-reading the comments. You make a good point but Jimmie won back to back races at Dover. That track is pretty hard too. Maybe not as hard but still it was his rookie year. And he lead the points standings! Jeff finished 14th and 8th his first 2 years. It took Jeff 42 races to get his first win. It took Jimmie 13 Races. It took Jeff 70 races to first lead the standings. It took Jimmie 29 and he did it in his first year. So because if in-experience and the success he had in his rookie year I had to give the nod to Jimmie for the better year. @Anthony Anthony there is a reason Jimmie isn't getting 13 wins. Because for a chase lock like him he's not going to worry about the final 10. 325. NoLongerAnonymous posted: 08.25.2013 - 12:05 am Rate this comment: (1) (0) "I do have respect for Kasey's intention to race him clean, but on the same token, when it's someone from a team that has supposedly been roughing you up all year, you should race them a little bit harder. If I was Kasey, I would have moved him. Matt would have been initially upset, but he also would have understood that it is short track racing (also, don't forget that Matt won his first Busch race by knocking Tony Stewart out of the way at Rockingham - so it's not like Matt hasn't done it before either)." Agreed 100%. Normally I would applaud a driver for clean racing, but when drivers from the team of the leader have been wrecking you all over the place lately, you really have no excuse not to dump him. It shows that winning isn't everything to Kasey, and I bet he will remember giving this one away if he happens to lose the championship by 1 or 2 points. I think this is very similar to how people were saying Joey Logano needed to stand up for himself and be a man early in the season. He may not have won that California race, but he sure wasn't letting Hamlin win it. Kahne just sat there and watched a Gibbs car take the checkered without doing a thing about it. 326. VoteGillilandNotDanica2014 posted: 08.25.2013 - 12:06 am Rate this comment: (2) (0) Glad they fixed Bristol. When the drivers aren't happy, I am! Not quite the way it was in its glory days, but it's back to at least being a tough track that challenges the drivers & teams, instead of a shorter concrete Homestead. (I actually like Homestead, but it's no Bristol!) 327. cjs3872 posted: 08.25.2013 - 12:10 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) You're forgetting one important thing, 12345Dude. When Jimmie came onto the scene in 2002, aside from Gordon, there was a power vacuum in NASCAR. The mere fact that Sterling Marlin led the points as long as he did that year says more about that than anything else. But when Gordon came onto the scene in 1993, Dale Earnhardt and Rusty Wallace were both at the top of their game, and the same could have been said about Davey Allison, had he not been killed in that helicopter crash at Talladega, HMS was not very good, and it was still an unknown if a multi-car team could even make it in NASCAR. Also, Earnhardt, Wallace, Mark Martin, and Ernie Irvan (in two different cars) combined to win 24 out of the 30 races in 1993, or 80% of the races run that year. And that doesn't even count drivers like Bill Elliott, Darrell Waltrip, who was still competitive, Harry Gant, as well as Morgan Shepherd and Geoff Bodine, who won that year for the Wood Brothers and Bud Moore respectively. It was a very different sport with a very definitive power structure in 1993, where as in 2002, there was a power vacuum in the sport that really wasn't filled until Johnson filled it in 2004. 328. AveryNH posted: 08.25.2013 - 12:21 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Welp as the the only yankee on here I'll proudly state I was born in Virginia and migrated north when I was about six so I suppose I'm a transplant yankee. Anyways looking back on on tonight's race the finish reminded me of the Kyle Busch/ Jeff Burton battle in the spring of 07, just minus the side by side. And after all the stuff I said defending Kahne DSFF finally got to me. It's Bristol at night! There needs to be some sparks! 329. 83andJoe posted: 08.25.2013 - 12:22 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) "Yankees" are anybody from north of the Mason-Dixon Line and/or the Ohio River.* Anybody from south of it knows that. ;) * This includes West Virginia. 330. 83andJoe posted: 08.25.2013 - 12:24 am Rate this comment: (5) (0) It should be noted that Nemechek's engine failure was legit - he exterminated every mosquito in Thunder Valley on the first lap and a half. 331. David posted: 08.25.2013 - 12:26 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Wasn't The Long Shot's birthday yesterday? Or am I thinking of someone else? 332. David posted: 08.25.2013 - 12:31 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) I actually mean the 23rd. It's still the 24th where I am. 333. Watto posted: 08.25.2013 - 12:36 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) "Memo to Jeff Gordon: your frustrated fans (such as myself) would appreciate it if you'd actually TRY. What happened to that great car you had in both practices today?" Memo to Jeff Gordon fans: watch the qualifying run before claiming your favorite driver didn't try. He overdrove the car. That's called TRYING TOO HARD. Maybe you should've wrote "Hey Jeff, back it down, don't miss your marks." 334. The Long Shot posted: 08.25.2013 - 12:37 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Indeed it was, David. And while I'm at it, a slightly early happy birthday to you, my friend. 335. SpeedWorld97 posted: 08.25.2013 - 12:41 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) In that case, happy belated birthday to The Long Shot and happy birthday to David (on the east coast, at least). 336. OldSchoolNascarDude1 posted: 08.25.2013 - 12:48 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) As usual, Kasey Kahne ends the race with the fastest car, but finds a way to not get the job done. Most of us have been calling Kahne out for his mentally weak approach for years now, but this season has just confirmed it. He's been wrecked out of contention three times, wrecked at Watkins Glen and according to his count, his 11 times total. I don't think any of those crashes were intended for him, but more of the "racin' deal" things we see in NASCAR. However, if you're going to call the team out through social media and press conferences, then it would be good for you to carry through with your promise. Am I saying he should have hooked Kenseth like Dale did DW or Carl did Brad? No. However, he sure could have bumped him or at least make Matt "get up on the wheel" a little bit. Other than the attempt with around 11 to go, Kasey made little to no contact with Kenseth at all. The 5 team may be one of the fastest three teams in terms of raw speed in the field, but Kasey's mentally weak approach has cost them multiple wins this season. I guarantee that every driver in the field knows Kasey's approach and will walk over him at any given opportunity. As a competitor, it's important to find flaws of your rivals. In Kasey's problem, everyone knows that he doesn't want to fight back on the race track. Once again, I'm not saying he should be the dirtiest driver in racing when it comes to the old "give and take" phrase, but he needs to start doing a lot more taking. There's a fine line between being a hard racer and a jerk. Kasey needs to be a little more aggressive on the track. He certainly has room to be. 337. ch posted: 08.25.2013 - 12:54 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Sponsor Changes: 16 - Bondo / 3M 30 - Lean 1 / Food City 33 - Circle Sport 40 - Moon Shine Attitude Attire 43 - RainEater Wiper Blades / Charter 87 - England's Stove Works 98 - Victory Junction Gang Camp 338. David posted: 08.25.2013 - 12:56 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Thank you both. I'm not there quite yet. SpeedWorld, isn't your birthday coming up soon as well? 339. David posted: 08.25.2013 - 1:00 am Rate this comment: (3) (1) Aaaand...there it is. I'm officially sweet sixteen. 340. Mr X posted: 08.25.2013 - 1:04 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Happy Birthday David. 341. SpeedWorld97 posted: 08.25.2013 - 1:10 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) David, yes it is. My 16th birthday is this upcoming Thursday. 342. Jarrett88fan posted: 08.25.2013 - 1:15 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Happy Sweet Sixteen David and Happy Birthday Long Shot!!! 343. murb posted: 08.25.2013 - 1:16 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Happy birthday David and happy late birthday Long Shot!!! OldSchoolNascarDude, you are spot on in your assessment of Kahne. If he wants to fully utilize his team's speed and legitimately contend for the championship, he's gonna have to race a lot harder and get more aggressive. 344. Sky Warrior posted: 08.25.2013 - 1:54 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Welp, had to DVR this one, as I was out hitting the town tonight. Took a pretty little gal out to a baseball game tonight. Great seats, 7-2 win, great food, great fireworks show, and despite how great the racing was tonight, I wouldn't have missed the night I did have for anything. Nice runs for Montoya, Menard, Ambrose, Ragan, Burton, Kvapil, Stremme, Blaney, Cassill, Yeley and Gilliland. Great to come home and see Gordon got a top 10 and almost every other wild card contender picked up his luck for the weekend. Yet another Kenseth win puts a bit of "ho hum" into this one, but every race is perfect for someone, and it's almost never perfect for you. The talk about the All-Star Race earlier sparked by DJ saying the race should be moved to Bristol gave me a thought. Instead of making it a night of free testing for the best teams and the rich get richer while the fans suffer through a frontal lobotomy, move the ASR to a track that doesn't host a Top 3 series race, as long as it's up to safety standards and whatnot. Now THAT would give the fans a show, in my opinion. It was too bad to see the teams known for start and parking get sponsorship and then have something break and end their races right where they normally would finish anyway. "He's a Pinball Vickers, there has to be a twist(ed up valley of sheet metal)" I haven't laughed so hard in a long time 345. 83andJoe posted: 08.25.2013 - 2:30 am Rate this comment: (4) (1) You know, I suppose it might be too much to hope for for GoDaddy to decide Danica isn't working out for them and for Landon Cassill to wind up in the 10 car next year... 346. David posted: 08.25.2013 - 3:01 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Thanks for all the birthday wishes so far. A few observations I have about the points standings before I turn in for the night: - Jimmie Johnson's once-insurmountable points lead has now dwindled to a mere 18 points over Clint Bowyer. It would have been much less had the latter not run out of gas on the final lap tonight. For it being such a terrible year otherwise, I am really interested and excited to see what the Chase will bring. Will Johnson fall after having such a great regular season? Can Matt Kenseth make a serious run for the title? These questions and more will be answered during the ten-race showdown. - Kasey Kahne and Joey Logano have jumped into the top ten at the expense of Brad Keselowski and Kurt Busch. This leaves Keselowski, Busch, and Jeff Gordon as the primary three drivers currently on the outside looking in. If none of them wins one of the remaining two races, my money is still on Gordon to be the one who battles his way into the Chase. Of course, there's every possibility that none of them make it. We shall see. - The two wild cards are, at the moment, Martin Truex, Jr. and Ryan Newman, and unless one of the aforementioned winless bubble drivers wins a race or leapfrogs into the top ten and knocks out a driver with a win (which is entirely possible), it's likely to stay that way. 347. Sky Warrior posted: 08.25.2013 - 3:02 am Rate this comment: (1) (0) On BSPN's "Vaguely Sports" Center, preseason football coverage of Tony Romo comes before highlights of Sprint Cup racing. Thank the racing gods these clowns are losing their coverage rights 348. Watto posted: 08.25.2013 - 3:13 am Rate this comment: (3) (0) "Brad's chase is done. Hope he is enjoying his NWide success, cause I'm sure not." Repeatedly, I've seen people use his Nationwide races as a scapegoat for the reason this Cup season has been disappointing for the 2 bunch. I really don't think Brad running 11 NW races this year is the culprit. The guy ran 21 last year and won the Cup title. The Cup car is Brad's #1 priority. There are no two ways about it. Arguing otherwise is ridiculous. If he misses the Chase, we can point to a number of reasons why and the Nationwide car simply isn't one of them. Here might be some reasons (if they don't recover in these final two races): -31 points thrown away in penalties -Darlington - top 3 quality car with KEVIN BUSKIRK, green flag pit stop for loose wheel, eventually get back on lead lap, get immediately wrecked because of poor track position. (32nd) -Charlotte - wreck throws away a likely 15th-18th place run (36th) -Kentucky - wrecked by Kurt Busch on the frontstretch (33rd) -Bristol - wrecked in an incident triggered by Brian Vickers (30th) -Indianapolis - simply poor strategy with a decent car (21st) -Fontana - late race engine issues (23rd) -Richmond - after a flat tire sends him hard into the outside wall, he drives through much of the field to get back up to about 8th only to have the engine fail just before the finish (33rd) So can we look at the circumstances, some self inflicted, many not, or do we just have to blame 11 Nationwide races? You can do what you like, but I'm going to stick with looking at the honest picture. 349. Paul posted: 08.25.2013 - 3:51 am Rate this comment: (3) (0) I think Landon Cassill would be a solid upgrade for the #10 team, as unlikely of a transition that that would be. He's a pretty good qualifier (Only 2 DNQs in 107 attempts, with Phoenix Racing being the best team he's driven for.), a good wheelman (His save at Kansas last fall after Danica's miserable failed attempt to wreck him.), has a pretty marketable look, and has a more vibrant personality than he's been given credit for (His JPM impression on Trackside last year was one of the best impersonations I've ever seen.). Cassill's got the ability and he has the look, but the fact that he isn't a big name while Danica Patrick is will probably be the deciding factor if GoDaddy ever had to make a choice between the two. I would hope they went with Cassill simply because he's better, but that's not always the case with sponsorship. 350. joey2448 posted: 08.25.2013 - 6:00 am Rate this comment: (3) (0) My only thought (and I have a few) that I wanna post here is that I am satisfied with the racing we now have at Bristol. It's not as exciting as the racing we saw at the old Bristol (92-07), but I think the grinding of the top groove made it better. It's fun watching the cars ride riiiiight at the edge of the track just inches from the wall, like Darlington, and honestly, it's almost like a one-groove track again. The best way to pass a guy is to give him the ol' bump and run. And really, the only way to pass a guy on the bottom is to put the slide job on him, much like Jeff Gordon was doing tonight. Kept me hooked tonight. 351. 12345Dude posted: 08.25.2013 - 6:52 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Also I didn't watch the Brstol race except for the last 20 laps which were great. I was really impressed by Montoya. He and McMurry have been criticized behind the seasons for a few seasons about their lack of efforts. Maybe Montoya has finally woken up. Of course all of that could just be rumors that's just what I have heard for a few people. 352. NicoRosbergFan posted: 08.25.2013 - 6:57 am Rate this comment: (1) (1) Happy birthday, David! We've got two more on this site in the next 4 days! 353. The Great Dave posted: 08.25.2013 - 8:33 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Sponsor: #43 Rain Eater Wiper Blades / Charter #51 Seawatch / Got Clams? 354. cjs3872 posted: 08.25.2013 - 8:35 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) In that case, NicoRosbergFan, make it three in seven days, as mine is this coming Saturday, August 31. And OldSchoolNascarDude1 (#336), Kasey Kahne has never been that aggressive on the track. Actually, Darrell Waltrip said that all the way back in 2004 during a rain delay in that year's Firecracker 400, so it's been known for years that he's not aggressive. And when other drivers spot that, they're going to take advantage of it in some way, shape, or form. And David (#346), there's still the race in Atlanta, which at 500 miles, is the longest race since May, and as I always say, anything can happen in a 500-mile race, especially since there's been no race over 400 miles for such a long time. And with that in mind, everyone's going to be on pins and needles there, because there could be engine or other mechanical problems due to the length of the race that nobody expects that could really change things where the Chase is concerned. But looking at the points, the one driver the heat's going to be on is Joey Logano, because he's never been under such pressure before. I doubt Kurt Busch is going to be a problem due to their team's constant problems regarding pit stops and preparation. Jeff Gordon could be a problem, because they've essentially let him back in it, and he's the one driver that seemed on the outside looking in that nobody wanted to let back in it, but they've done just that. Getting into the to ten is his only chance, and his competitors have left he door wide open for him to have that opportunity. But wouldn't it be ironic if Brad Keselowski is knocked out of the Chase by the very driver he recommended to Penske for this season. It was Keselowski that recommended that Penske hire Logano, and it's Logano that may stand in the way of Keselowski making the Chase. But if Kasey Kahne doesn't have another problem that knocks him out of the top ten, Keselowski is the only driver I see that can knock Logano out of the Chase, because I don't see Busch or Gordon winning a race in the next two weeks, meaning they can't knock Logano out, and Logano is far enough in front of 14th and 15th place, where the two Wild Cards are, that he can just run 10th-15th at Bristol and Richmond, and not be threatened less either Truex or Newman win, and I think that's highly improbable. 355. Peter posted: 08.25.2013 - 9:18 am Rate this comment: (4) (0) Congrats to Matt-e-Matt on nabbing #5, but I'm more excited that David Ragan had a great run on a non-restrictor plate track. He's always been a favorite of mine and seeing him run like that when I expected another ride-around performance almost brought me to tears. Also another stellar run for Brian Vickers, it seems like he can do no wrong lately and I am already eagerly awaiting next year; he's going to revive his cup career in the 'dream machine' 356. Chad's Hair Plugs posted: 08.25.2013 - 9:39 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) "Welp as the the only yankee on here I'll proudly state I was born in Virginia and migrated north when I was about six so I suppose I'm a transplant yankee." No, you're not. I was born, raised, and live in Steve Park's neck of the woods save for college. Has anyone seen the owners standings yet? I'm curious to see where the 14 and 55 stand as far as the wild card positions go. 357. Chad's Hair Plugs posted: 08.25.2013 - 9:42 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Just found them. The 14 has the first wild card spot, 14 points in front of the #56. 358. Anonymous posted: 08.25.2013 - 10:52 am Rate this comment: (1) (0) Front Row nearly gets their first non-plate top ten as Ragan finishes 12th 359. SpeedWorld97 posted: 08.25.2013 - 12:18 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Some thoughts I have on this race: -Overall a good race from start to finish. It kind of seems like the old Bristol with the exception of the top lane being the advantage. -I'm almost afraid to say this but I think Jimmie Johnson is getting all of his bad luck out now. In the past few weeks he has lost over 45 points on Clint Bowyer. I'm seriously hoping Matt Kenseth can put up a fight to Johnson for the title. -With the exception of that final restart, Jeff Gordon drove a near-flawless race. Maybe I've given up on his chase chances too early... -Glad to see Dale Jr. finally go an entire race without any bad luck. He ran top ten pretty much all night and played it safe by pitting under that final caution. Apparently he had the choice of either staying out and taking the risk of running out of fuel for a top 5 or play it safe to pit and lose about ten spots. He played it safe, still got a top ten, and gained points ahead of 11th. -Did anyone else notice that as soon as Brian Vickers signs a contract for a full time ride, he drives like a reckless maniac? When he's driving only part time and auditioning for a ride, he runs well. -I know some people (including DSFF) have already counted out Brad. But for some reason I still feel like he can make it. He's just had bad luck that has kept him out of the top ten. 360. NoLongerAnonymous posted: 08.25.2013 - 12:22 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Just did a little research and this was Kahne's 5th second place finish to Matt Kenseth, including the three instances this year and his second and third career starts back in 2004. Kahne has only once beat Kenseth in a 1-2 finish, back at Texas in 2006. Also, for what it's worth, Kahne finished second to the great Elliott Sadler in both of his two wins since Kahne began participating in Cup, both of which were close finishes that Sadler just wanted more than Kahne. I think comparing a driver's number of wins to their number of second place finishes says a lot about their driving style. Kahne has 16 wins, but he has several more second place finishes than wins (21). I would think more aggressive drivers who care more about winning would have more wins than seconds. I might try to do this comparison for other drivers 361. 83andJoe posted: 08.25.2013 - 12:23 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) #51 sponsor: SeaWatch International/1-800-SEA-CLAMS 362. TS1420 posted: 08.25.2013 - 12:24 pm Rate this comment: (3) (0) "-Did anyone else notice that as soon as Brian Vickers signs a contract for a full time ride, he drives like a reckless maniac? When he's driving only part time and auditioning for a ride, he runs well." Yes. It's been well discussed that Vickers drives like "a future cup champion" when his job is on the line, then goes back to being a "Pinball Vickers" when he secures a full-time ride. They need to only sign him to bi-monthly or bi-weekly contracts or something. 363. 83andJoe posted: 08.25.2013 - 12:25 pm Rate this comment: (3) (0) Meanwhile, more news on "Gene Haas wants Kurt Busch to drive for SHR": Apparently, the reason he wants Busch to drive for the team is so that he can have "Haas Automation" on a car in Victory Lane. This is, essentially, the only reason. No, I am not making this up. 364. NicoRosbergFan posted: 08.25.2013 - 12:28 pm Rate this comment: (7) (0) Joe Nemechek has tied J.D. McDuffie's (God rest his soul) record for... Most LAST-PLACE finishes... There's a new King Flopper in town. 365. AveryNH posted: 08.25.2013 - 12:49 pm Rate this comment: (2) (0) Gene Haas, the most interesting man in the world. 366. TS1420 posted: 08.25.2013 - 12:52 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "Meanwhile, more news on "Gene Haas wants Kurt Busch to drive for SHR": Apparently, the reason he wants Busch to drive for the team is so that he can have "Haas Automation" on a car in Victory Lane. This is, essentially, the only reason. No, I am not making this up." I think that statement proves that Gene Haas is the moron behind all the stupid decisions at SHR. The only reason he even has a championship winning team is because Stewart, Hendrick & GM built one for him. 367. RCRandPenskeGuy posted: 08.25.2013 - 1:09 pm Rate this comment: (2) (0) Now I can start worrying about Brad's season. At one of his best tracks, he really didn't run any better than 8th all night, and hovered around 15th before he got caught up in the Hamlin/Harvick/Truex wreck. Hopefully they can use these final races to focus on a return to contention next season. And also, I now look at Brad's last lap driving at The Glen as more conservative after seeing last night that that type of driving came right out of the playbook of one of the most conservative drivers on the circuit. Kasey should definitely have more wins than he does, he reminds me of Mark Martin. He's too nice on the track. 368. cjs3872 posted: 08.25.2013 - 1:49 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) SpeedWorld97, Jeff Gordon had no chance on that last restart, as he was second on the much slower inside line, as those on the outside were almost certainly going to zoom past him. The one restart that for Gordon was unforgiveable was that one in the middle stages of the race when he started directly behind Carl Edwards on the much faster outside line and let Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. get in front of him. That was far more unforgiveable than the last restart, when he was essentially a sitting duck for those cars on the outside. In fact, much earlier in the race, Denny Hamlin intentionally slowed up leaving he pits, trying to lose a position to get better position for the ensuing restart. It would have worked perfectly for Hamlin, except for the speeding penalty Matt Kenseth got. Frankly, I'm surprised nobody else has ever tried intentionally losing a position to get better position for a restart before. And NLA (#360), you bring up Kasey Kahne being a lot like Mark Martin in how he won't ruffle anyone's feathers. I'll the name of another driver like that, because he was Kasey's mentor when he came into the Cup Series in 2004. That other driver's name is Bill Elliott. Elliott wouldn't rough anybody up to win a race, either. The '87 All-Star Race is a perfect example, but there are others. And there's a reason why Elliott never won at Daytona or Talladega when the fields got tighter in 1993, and there's a reason why Kahne's ever won a race at either one of those tracks. Neither Elliott or Kahne are, or ever were comfortable racing in tight quarters. Put them in wide open spaces and they're as fast as anyone, but put them in tight quarters, and they won't do what it takes to win races. That was Elliott's greatest weakness as a driver, one Darrell Waltrip used to steal the '85 championship away from him, and that's always been Kahne's greatest weakness as a driver. It's no surprise to me that Kahne has all of Bill Elliott's traits, both good and bad, because he learned from him when both drove for Ray Evernham, and when you're mentored by a certain driver, as Kahne was mentored by Elliott, you tend to take on their characteristics, and Elliott's characteristics as a driver were always that he was extremely fast open tracks and he was conservative, especially in traffic. Those were Elliott's traits and Kahne has those very traits. 369. cjs3872 posted: 08.25.2013 - 2:01 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) By the way, it looks like it might be Greg Biffle's turn to be concerned about points heading to Atlanta. That's because it apparently is Roush's turn to be having engine problems. We know Carl Edwards lost an engine during last night's race, and the reason Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. dropped from his potential first top ten finish to 18th, 1 lap behind, was that he had the exact same problem as Edwards, but Stenhouse's situation was late enough that he could ride it out to the finish, but a few more laps and his engine would probably have blown. You have to wonder that, with a 500-mile race coming up, there's isn't concern with the crew at Roush, especially on the #16 car, because an engine failure, while it by itself wouldn't be catastrophic to his Chase chances, since he is well ahead of both current Wild Card drivers, it certainly would hut his chances at getting one of the two Wild Cards for the Chase, especially if Kahne falls out of the top ten again with his two wins. 370. Sky Warrior posted: 08.25.2013 - 3:42 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Happy birthday to everyone who has one coming up. Too many to keep track of for someone still new like me. Where is Bro Jackson at? 371. murb posted: 08.25.2013 - 3:44 pm Rate this comment: (3) (0) About Landon Cassill, I was actually hoping he would get some consideration for the 14 car fill in job. It would have been cool to see him finally get a shot in equipment like that. Unfortunately it was not to be. 372. Zackary Shawn posted: 08.25.2013 - 5:03 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Really enjoyed this race. One of the best all seasons. Found another Kenseth/Kahne battle to be kind of boring, but even that won't stop me from giving this race a 5 star rating. Next week is Atlanta and I will personally be in attendance at that race. A few things I'm looking forward to next weekend: 1) First race at a non-restirctor plate track. 2) First night race. 3) First race where I'll be able to see pit road from my seats and the pit stops that take place within. 4) Good seats from which to view driver intros. 5) Hopefully getting a picture with one of the Miss Sprint Cups (preferably Kim, but Brooke and Jaclyn are pretty too). 373. DaleSrFanForever posted: 08.25.2013 - 5:40 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) "and when you're mentored by a certain driver, as Kahne was mentored by Elliott, you tend to take on their characteristics" Underrated example of this: Gordon and Earnhardt. Don't let their polar opposite outward projections fool you. Each would gladly "sweep the leg" for a win. 374. cjs3872 posted: 08.25.2013 - 6:16 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) And both did it to major rivals at Bristol, DSFF. The only difference is that Gordon didn't wreck the guy he stole two wins from with his bumper, while Earnhardt did. Of course, Gordon DID wreck Matt Kenseth at Chicago in 2006 for his only win there, but since Kenseth soon ran out of fuel, Gordon was probably going to win that one anyway. 375. Paul posted: 08.25.2013 - 6:30 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I still think that the lapped car of Casey Mears contributed to Gordon getting into Kenseth at Chicago in 2006. Kenseth likely had a tighter setup on his car than Gordon did, meaning that he couldn't get back in the gas as quickly as Gordon, and having Mears on his outside on corner exit meant that Kenseth really couldn't get back into the gas quickly since there was now less room for his car to drift up the race track safely. Gordon's mindset at the time was probably "I'm gonna win this race no matter what" (a la Dale Earnhardt), and so while I don't think he meant to dump Kenseth and take the lead (and win) away, I do think that he was prepared to race Kenseth as aggressively as possible because of what happened between the two of them at Bristol earlier that season, and it just so happens that he wound up taking Kenseth out in the process. 376. cjs3872 posted: 08.25.2013 - 7:58 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Well, on Tuesday, I'll post my Chase reset standings based off my formula, and Saturday night's race seemed to put things in better focus, though it also shook up the standings from 8th-15th, as expected. I can tell you that two drivers who were in the Chase, ex-Penske teammates Kurt Busch and Brad Keselowski, would be in, and drivers who are/were teammates of each of those drivers at Penske, Ryan Newman and Joey Logano, would be back in. Mathematically, no driver inside the top 20 has been eliminated, except Tony Stewart due to his injury, but that's likely to change at Atlanta, because we could see a number of those drivers from 16th-20th knocked out at Atlanta. Also, here's a statistical nugget that came out of Saturday night's race. With the laps he led in Saturday night's race, Paul Menard has now led more laps this season than the other Richard Childress Racing drivers have put together, despite the fact that Kevin Harvick has won twice this season. Menard has led 69 laps this season (64 last night), while Harvick and Jeff Burton have combined to lead 60, 51 for Harvick and nine for Burton. 377. DaleSrFanForever posted: 08.25.2013 - 8:10 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Oh trust me, Gordon meant to spin Kenseth at Chicago. That was a classic "don't ever f*** with me likethat again" for the Bristol incident. Gordon's car control is legendary. He could have eased him out of the way. But he had a point to make. Kenseth has been Jeff's whipping boy anyways. Remember that Martinsville race when Denny moved Jeff out of the way and Kenseth followed him through, so Jeff punted MATT. I promise had Jeff been in Kasey's position last night, Jeff would be a 6 time Bristol winner. 378. cjs3872 posted: 08.25.2013 - 8:15 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Either Jeff would be a 6-time Bristol winner or Juan Montoya would have gotten his first NASCAR win on an oval, because it might have been a case where Gordon spun both himself and Kenseth out, which would have won the race for Montoya. And if you're talking about the race I think you're talking about at Martinsville, Denny Hamlin did not move Gordon out of the way. Matt Kenseth moved Gordon out of the way, and Gordon retaliated in turn three, moving Kenseth out of the way, allowing Hamlin to get the lead and the win. 379. Baker posted: 08.25.2013 - 8:16 pm Rate this comment: (1) (1) Joey Logano in the Top 10 with a victory? Despite a bogus 25 point penalty? Awesome. If Logano can do it with Penske equipment then why can't Brad get things going? 380. cjs3872 posted: 08.25.2013 - 8:26 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Here's something, Baker. If not for the penalties, Brad Keselowski would actually be two points ahead of Logano, because not only did both he and Logano each suffer that 25-point penalty from the situation at Texas, but Keselowski was later docked six more points for a post-race tech infraction (car was too low), so Brad's actually lost 31 points as a result of penalties to Logano's 25, and the difference between Brad getting in the Chase at this point and not getting in is that second penalty. 381. TS1420 posted: 08.25.2013 - 8:30 pm Rate this comment: (2) (0) "Joey Logano in the Top 10 with a victory? Despite a bogus 25 point penalty? Awesome. If Logano can do it with Penske equipment then why can't Brad get things going?" I think Brad spent too much time earlier in the season trying to play a victim/martyr role rather than putting the "injustices" behind him and focusing on what really matters, getting wins and defending the championship. 382. DaleSrFanForever posted: 08.25.2013 - 8:42 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Really cjs? You don't have enough faith in Jeff to get around Kenseth with a blatently superior car witjout wrecking himself too? First off, if he were in Kasey's position, he could have got around Kenseth without touching him, that 5 car was just that much better. But I think he would have wanted to send a message and popped him. A message to the rest of the garage. That is what Dale was doing in 1999. That was a "I ain't dead yet" message to everyone else. But in that instant Terry had the much better car so Dale's only choice was to spin him. Well, either that or gracefully accept second. He didn't win a record tying 7 championships, 6 in NASCAR's most stacked era, by gracefully accepting second. 383. cjs3872 posted: 08.25.2013 - 8:57 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) DSFF, when you spin someone out, you have no control of where that guy's going, and that guy could go straight into you, either by accident or design. He could actually have spun Kenseth and gotten trapped into the wall by that maneuver, or gotten tipped by the spinning car. That's one reason why Brad Keselowski didn't spin Kyle Busch at the end of the race at Watkins Glen. Had he spun out Busch, Busch's car could easily have come around and pinned Keselowski's car into the barrier. Or they could have both spun, such as what happened at North Wilkesboro in 1989 when Ricky Rudd took both himself and Earnhardt out in the same maneuver. Once you spin another competitor's car out, you then have no control over what that other car's going to do, and anything could happen from there. 384. DaleSrFanForever posted: 08.25.2013 - 9:57 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) You really have no confidence in Jeff, do you? 385. Baker posted: 08.25.2013 - 10:10 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) Donny Schatz is on another level right now. 14 straight podium finished winning 8 of those races. The fact that he is still behind Darryn Pittman in points is just making a mockery of the point system. He has 9 more wins the same amount of Top 5s and 2 more Top 10s. The only difference is Pittman has been a better qualifier with 11 quick times to Schatz 2. In World of Outlaws you get 5 point for a quick time then 4-3-2-1 for the rest of the Top 5. That my friends is the only reason Pittman clings to a 24 point lead. 386. Jim Davis posted: 08.25.2013 - 10:20 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) "About Landon Cassill, I was actually hoping he would get some consideration for the 14 car fill in job." Neither Bass Pro Shops nor Mobil 1 would ever approve a relative unknown like Cassill filling in for a dozen or more races for a high profile driver like Stewart unless there was literally no better choice. The 48 team has lined up either Regan Smith or James Buescher to fill in for Johnson if necessary. And of course Max Papis drove the 14 at Watkins Glen. But teams have more flexibility for a one race emergency. 387. Paul posted: 08.25.2013 - 10:22 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "Remember that Martinsville race when Denny moved Jeff out of the way and Kenseth followed him through, so Jeff punted MATT." It was the other way around. Matt moved Jeff out of the way, and Denny followed through and assumed the lead when Jeff repaid the favor on Matt. "Really cjs? You don't have enough faith in Jeff to get around Kenseth with a blatantly superior car without wrecking himself too?" cjs has no faith in Jeff Gordon; or if he does, he covers it up by obnoxiously putting Gordon down day-after-day in order to hide his own secret fandom. He proclaimed that Jeff wouldn't win a race or make the Chase at various points the past two seasons. He was wrong on both accounts last season, and could very well be wrong this season as well. Gordon has been the 2nd most productive driver out of the Hendrick Motorsports stable this season, and has the 2nd highest "Clutch" rating this season (Clutch = total positions gained, held, or lost on G-W-C finishes). At the same time, his team-dependent statistics aren't all that great, as he and Alan Gustafson rank in the bottom 12 in both Base Retainment Percentage and Positional Retainment Difference categories, which basically means that the #24 team loses more positions over the final 10% of a race more often than most other teams. (It should be noted that Brad Keselowski/Paul Wolfe are ranked in the bottom five in both categories.) The way I see it, Gordon has overachieved this season with a team that lacks direction and on-track chemistry. When Gordon has to rely on his team to come through for him, he generally doesn't finish where he runs. But when he's given the ball, he generally carries it without dropping it or losing ground. If he had as strong a team that Kasey or Jimmie have, I think he'd be a weekly contender for wins and would be near the top of the points. And since he's a better wheelman than either of those two drivers, Gordon would be more reliable to gain positions and finish near the front on days where he doesn't have the best car than Kasey or Jimmie would be. Jeff had a good, but not great car at Bristol, and he ran top five all race. Kasey had the best car at the very end, but hesitated one too many times to make an aggressive pass on Matt Kenseth. Jimmie had a bad race car all race, and the points leader managed to run up to par with his equipment. Basically what I'm saying is that last night, Gordon overachieved while Johnson and Kahne merely achieved/slightly underachieved. Put Gordon in the #48 or #5 cars for a full season and he'd at least be top five in points. 388. Baker posted: 08.25.2013 - 10:25 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) Paul, I think you could put almost anyone in the 48 car with that team and they would be Top 5 in points. 389. 83andJoe posted: 08.25.2013 - 10:28 pm Rate this comment: (5) (0) >Neither Bass Pro Shops nor Mobil 1 would ever approve a relative unknown like Cassill filling in for a dozen or more races for a high profile driver like Stewart unless there was literally no better choice. The interesting thing is, Moon Shine Attitude Attire, which sponsored Cassill this weekend and has sponsored him in the 33 earlier this year (that all-camo no-visible-logo car ws theirs) is partnered with Stahl Cross, whose products are sold at...Bass Pro Shops. 390. David posted: 08.25.2013 - 10:37 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Paul, David Smith would be proud of you. 391. Paul posted: 08.25.2013 - 10:39 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Baker (#385), it sounds like the World of Outlaws points battle is very reminiscent of the 1996 Winston Cup points battle. As most of you probably already know, Jeff Gordon had 8 more wins, the same number of top fives and top tens, and led over 1,300 more laps than teammate Terry Labonte, but wound up losing the championship by 37 points in large part because he had more finishes of 26th or worse than his Hendrick Motorsports confidant. And as I've pointed out in the past, the fact that the interval in points from 1st place to 2nd place was the exact that interval from 5th place to 6th place (5 points) also contributed to Gordon losing the title. Had the 2004 points system been in place in 1996, where the winner receives 10 more points than the 2nd place driver, Gordon would have won the title by just three points. I don't know whether or not you're a Donny Schatz fan, Baker, but if you are, I have empathy for you since it sounds like the dominant WoO driver this season might just lose the championship due to a flawed points system. 392. Paul posted: 08.25.2013 - 11:02 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "Moon Shine Attitude Attire...(that all-camo, no-visible-logo car was theirs)" I kind of like that paint scheme. It's very easy to spot, which is usually a good thing for backmarker teams, and the paint scheme is an original concept (I haven't seen anything like it anyways.). Also, I think the fact that Circle Sport has put Cassill in their 2nd car (The car with a sponsor!) that has hardly any owner's points in all four races that they've fielded two cars speaks volumes for how much they trust him to put the car in the show. I've said it before and I'll say it again: I think Landon Cassill was the dark horse signing of the year in all of NASCAR this past silly season. Before Cassill, Circle Sport was a 1-car team that mostly start-and-parked. With Cassill, Circle Sport is becoming a 2-car team that now attempts the full distance on a regular basis. I don't think that's a coincidence. "Paul, David Smith would be proud of you." It just annoys me when some people make the same talking points over and over, even when facts don't support their claims. I think I do a pretty good job of altering my views whenever evidence no longer supports them (For example, I used to think highly of Trevor Bayne as a driver, but other than his ironic victory at Iowa by beating up the #3 car while driving the #6 car, I've been largely unimpressed by him this season.), so it's safe to say I get frustrated when certain talking points are constantly being brought up, whether or not they're factually accurate. 393. cjs3872 posted: 08.25.2013 - 11:17 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Paul, the problem with Trevor Bayne in the Nationwide series this year is twofold. First, there is the fact that Matt Kenseth's departure left a huge void in that organization when it came to setting up the cars. As a result, that team's behind almost everywhere they go right from the very beginning. Secondly, they're down on horsepower because of how conservative the engines are always set up at Roush's. They've always run some of the most conservative engine setups, but that didn't get exposed again until Penske returned to Ford this year, and that's true in both the Cup and Nationwide Series. That was always a problem for them back in the 90s when they had to run against both Penske and Robert Yates with Ford, both of whom destroyed Roush when it came to horsepower, but Roush's cars always handled better, which made up for the power disadvantage Roush always put his drivers in. But without a driver that can help set up a car for the first time in his organization's history, Roush is suffering across the board this year because his horsepower deficit has really shown up because the cars are not set up properly to make up for the difference. Kyle Petty said it best earlier this year when he said that Roush doesn't give his drivers everything they need to be successful. And as far as his engines go, there's a reason he's never won and rarely challenged at Indy and it took him 22 years to win the Daytona 500 and 14 years to win at Pocono. It's because his cars are always underpowered, but when he was the only competitive Ford team, it didn't show up, but with Penske back in the Ford fold, it really shows up now. 394. SpeedWorld97 posted: 08.26.2013 - 12:23 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) "Moon Shine Attitude Attire...(that all-camo, no-visible-logo car was theirs)' 'I kind of like that paint scheme. It's very easy to spot, which is usually a good thing for backmarker teams, and the paint scheme is an original concept (I haven't seen anything like it anyways.)." I agree. When I first saw it at Phoenix back in March, I originally thought it was a paint scheme dedicated to the famous artist Jackson Pollock, whose artwork looked much like the paint scheme. Then I went on Jayski and saw that it was realtree camo. 395. 83andJoe posted: 08.26.2013 - 12:41 am Rate this comment: (2) (0) > and the paint scheme is an original concept (I haven't seen anything like it anyways.). Apparently it's a "full-car wrap", which is something NASCAR didn't previously allow, but now does. >I've said it before and I'll say it again: I think Landon Cassill was the dark horse signing of the year in all of NASCAR this past silly season. I 100% agree. >Before Cassill, Circle Sport was a 1-car team that mostly start-and-parked. With Cassill, Circle Sport is becoming a 2-car team that now attempts the full distance on a regular basis. I don't think that's a coincidence. Apparently the #40 car is a collaboration with Mike Hillman's team, but yeah, the fact that Cassill pretty much guarantees them making the show with the second car, and the 33 is high enough in points to be near-locked, they can afford to do that - and they're proving once again why S&P is Not A Bad Thing as they graduate from it. One thing I've noticed is that Cassill, in addition to being a very reliable qualifier, doesn't push his equipment one bit more than is necessary to make the show despite that - which is another good thing for a low-budget team. In the races where there's only 43 cars entered, he's usually at the back - because they're in. In the races where there's an oversubscribed field, though, he steps it up - and makes it in, but still doesn't overdrive it, going just fast enough to trip the clocks with what he needs. 396. TeamPlayersBlue posted: 08.26.2013 - 2:23 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) I was there and it was amazing how much the drivers were struggling at the end of the long runs off turns 2 and 4, Kyle Busch nearly lost it about 20 times during one of the runs. Almost like a dirt track where you have to hug the cushion. Montoya was amazing, not sure ESPN showed it but at one point he was driving sideways just about every lap, and it cost him quite a bit of spots carving up through the field. Probably could of won if not for that penalty. 397. NicoRosbergFan posted: 08.26.2013 - 6:35 am Rate this comment: (2) (0) Cassill has always looked better than his equipment. 398. cjs3872 posted: 08.26.2013 - 9:54 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Montoya might still have won if there was a more aggressive driver behind Kenseth in the closing laps, TeamPlayersBlue, because what might have happened was that a more aggressive driver might very well have gotten into Kenseth, wrecking both cars, and Montoya might very well have inherited the win that way. 399. Rexrobe posted: 08.26.2013 - 10:34 am Rate this comment: (1) (0) It's also worth noting that BK Racing seems to have stepped back this year without Cassil. Last year they were of course a back of the pack team, but more and more this year they just seem like they are in the way. 400. Baker posted: 08.26.2013 - 10:39 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Paul, Not necessarily a Schatz fan just respect how good he is right now. My favorites have always been Jac Haundschild, Steve Kinser and Jason Meyer. Meyer was even better than Schatz and just as young, but has retired from full time racing to be a family man. 401. Zackary Shawn posted: 08.26.2013 - 12:05 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I'm not one to feel sorry for professional athletes, but what Stewart-Haas did to Newman was wrong! 402. Paul posted: 08.26.2013 - 12:23 pm Rate this comment: (3) (0) It's official, Kurt Busch has signed a multi-year deal with Stewart-Haas Racing. I might just have to purchase a NASCAR radio scanner, since SHR will likely have the most entertaining radio chatter out of all teams in 2014, haha. Baker, Jason Meyer sounds a lot like Cale Yarborough as far as stepping down from full-time driving in order to spend more time goes. Cale of course stepped down as a full-time driver after his runner-up season in 1980 because he didn't want to be on the road all year long anymore, and would ultimately retire in 1988 in exchange for being a full-time husband and father instead. 403. Paul posted: 08.26.2013 - 12:32 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) ESPN and TNT are reportedly in talks with NASCAR about getting out of their respective TV contracts a year early (at the end of this season). I'm not sure how NBS Sports Network feels about this, since they would have a year less to prepare their TV lineups for NASCAR, but I'd love to see the new TV deals take place a year early. I was really impressed by NBCSN's coverage of the ARCA race at Springfield on Friday, and I'm anxious to see how they present the Nationwide and Cup Series when they inevitably join the network's TV schedule. 404. Scott B posted: 08.26.2013 - 12:32 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Never mind the leg, Smoke is going to have ulcers after a season with Kurt, Happy, and the BoB on his team. And of course Gene Haas as his business partner, a true man of convictions. 405. Scott B posted: 08.26.2013 - 12:53 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Assuming Ryan Newman is headed to Childress, who takes over the #78 ride now? I think they'd be smart to make a play for Allmendinger, before he signs with someone else. JPM is out there now, too, but I don't know if he'd consider FRR to be at a high enough level to make him want to stay in NASCAR. Of course, how well Furniture Row performs next year also depends on what kind of offer they get to switch to Toyota, or continue a relationship with Childress. It will be a year of big change for them, but they expected to only have Kurt for one season when they signed him. 406. Scott B posted: 08.26.2013 - 12:57 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Or, does the #78 still have a shot at Newman for 2014? Ryan seems a little lukewarm on Childress, maybe because he knows the Dillon brothers will be a priority there. At Furniture Row, he'd finally be "the franchise," which may be what he's looking for in his next move. 407. Zackary Shawn posted: 08.26.2013 - 1:09 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Kurt Busch officially signed with Stewart-Haas. http://msn.foxsports.com/nascar/story/kurt-busch-signs-stewart-haas-racing-multi-year-deal-sprint-cup-082613#!hSVnq 408. murb posted: 08.26.2013 - 2:05 pm Rate this comment: (1) (1) Like I've been saying, I don't blame Kurt for wanting to get back into a big organization like that. But in my opinion, it's a hugely dumb move for SHR to expand again. I don't see them being competitive at all next year. And with all of the fiery personalities on that team, that probably won't be a good thing for team morale. On the bright side, hopefully Allmendinger will end up in the 78. I've already heard rumors that Newman is a done deal for the 47 car (partnered up as basically a fourth RCR car). Man. What a silly season. 409. NoLongerAnonymous posted: 08.26.2013 - 2:07 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Gene Haas is a bonehead. 410. cjs3872 posted: 08.26.2013 - 2:22 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Paul, another reason why Cale Yarborough retired when he did was that no fewer than three of his contemporaries, Richard Petty, Buddy Baker, and Bobby Allison all had horrifying crashes that year (1988), and Baker and Allison suffered head injuries as a result of their crashes. Cale also didn't want to end up like Petty, and be so non-competitive that many who watched never knew or forgot about their careers. So Cale decided to retire after the '88 season when he could still be competitive (he finished in the top ten in his final race). Also remember there was a tire war going on at that time, so the chances of injury were higher than normal, as was proven with Bill Elliott's crash in practice during SpeedWeeks 1989 that kept him from being able to defend his championship. So with all that in mind, Cale hung it up while he was still a competitive driver. 411. cjs3872 posted: 08.26.2013 - 2:27 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Nor do I, murb. I think Kurt came to the realization that his team was incapable of winning after what happened in the All-Star Race, when he had the dominant car, but got beat by four or five bigger teams on that last pit stop. Right then and there is where Kurt knew he wasn't going to be able to win races as long as he was with Furniture Row Racing. They just don't have the people that the bigger teams have, even with their alliance with Richard Childress Racing, and the pit crew is where that shows up more than anywhere else. 412. Baker posted: 08.26.2013 - 2:46 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) So does that knock Harvick down the pecking order at SHR? If the team was smart Kurt would be getting the better crew and cars than Harvick as he is the much more skilled driver and gives them the best chance for wins. 413. Mr X posted: 08.26.2013 - 2:52 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I wonder where the 78 team will end up from a competition standpoint, this year the 78 team has benefited much from Kurt Busch but also from a large RCR affiliation, being as Kurt is leaving for SHR, what will happen to the affiliation between RCR and the 78, because from my understanding Richard Childress wanted Kurt once his contract for the 78 team was up. 414. murb posted: 08.26.2013 - 4:23 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) MWR has already let Rodney Childers go, apparently. Scott Miller will be the crew chief for the 55 for the remainder of the year. 415. 83andJoe posted: 08.26.2013 - 4:32 pm Rate this comment: (5) (0) The play's the thing... STEWART: Sorry, Ryan, but we can't afford to keep fielding an extra car without proper sponsorship, it's not paying off to put 'Haas Automation' on the car even though you can win with it, so we have to let you go. ZIPADELLI: Nothing personal, just business. -NEWMAN exunt statge left- -HAAS enters stage right- HAAS: Hey, guys, I have a great idea! We're going to hire Kurt Busch to drive an extra car for our team, and I'm going to sponsor it with my own company so I can see 'Haas Automation' in victory lane! STEWART and ZIPADELLI: OMGWTFBBQ?! ...this is about how I expect things went down. 416. joey2448 posted: 08.26.2013 - 4:33 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Three hotheads like Tony Stewart, Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch on the same team? Yeesh...This is gonna be a fun team to watch next year! 417. TS1420 posted: 08.26.2013 - 4:48 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Dammit Tony! You just had to get injured and let the inmate in control of the asylum! 418. Jim Davis posted: 08.26.2013 - 4:52 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "Gene Haas is a bonehead." Can we conclude from this whole affair that Haas ultimately calls the shots at Stewart-Haas Racing and that Stewart is just a figurehead like Waltrip? Or could it be more complicated? Perhaps, due to his injury, Stewart signed over executive authority to Haas while he recovers and Haas is going crazy with it? 419. DB1995 posted: 08.26.2013 - 4:55 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Stewart-Haas racing next year will have a lot of talent, but i think theres to much drama will be going on with the team, Danica cant keep away from the BK cars,Kevin we saw 2 days ago can get mad for really no good reason, Kurt everyone knows can get angry for no reason and i've noticed he gets alot of speeding penalties while running up front, and Tony is a hot head to. It will be fun to watch them next year, but i think they have expanded to much to soon they all struggled at the first half of this season expanding to 3 cars and next year will be another expansion. 420. DaleSrFanForever posted: 08.26.2013 - 5:12 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Everyone has said it for me. SHR next year will be a never ending soap opera. 421. DaleSrFanForever posted: 08.26.2013 - 5:18 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Also, MWR has gone ahead and removed Rodney Childers as crew chief of the 55. I don't think that is smart. 422. Daniel posted: 08.26.2013 - 5:48 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) 44 entered at Atlanta: -Timmy Hill in the #32 -Austin Dillon in the #33 -A.J. Allmendinger in the #47 -Bobby Labonte in the #51 423. TS1420 posted: 08.26.2013 - 6:27 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Looks like BSPN & The KFC/Geico Infomercial Center are wanting out of their contracts a year early. http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2013/08/26/Media/NASCAR-TV.aspx All I can say is good riddance! "Can we conclude from this whole affair that Haas ultimately calls the shots at Stewart-Haas Racing and that Stewart is just a figurehead like Waltrip? Or could it be more complicated? Perhaps, due to his injury, Stewart signed over executive authority to Haas while he recovers and Haas is going crazy with it?" I say Gene is 100% in control of things now that Smoke has a injury recovery to focus on and is going nuts with it. 424. Rexrobe posted: 08.26.2013 - 6:30 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I'm still not convinced SHR hasn't hired Kurt as a replacement for Tony and not as a new team. The rumors I have been hearing are that Tony is hurt much worse than he is letting on to be. I think everyone wants to see him back, but it may not happen... lots of good drivers took a tumble and didn't return. Also, I think it is absolutely ridiculous that Denny Hamlin is still driving with spinal injuries. A hurt foot or wrist is one thing, but racing with a hurt spine is just asking for it. I am surprised Coach Gibbs is allowing it to go on, tbh. 425. cjs3872 posted: 08.26.2013 - 6:40 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) Well Rexrobe, if Hamlin got out of the #11 car now, who would Gibbs replace him with? After all, with Brian Vickers now in the #55 car and Mark Martin in the #14 car, and with Elliott Sadler performing far below expectations n he Nationwide Series, Gibbs wouldn't have anyone to replace him that's nearly of that quality, although Bobby Labonte turned back the clock Saturday night and showed exactly why he's a champion in this sport before he got caught in that wreck with Clint Bowyer. After all, that looked like the Bobby Labonte that was winning races in Gibbs' #18 car for almost a decade, and it was good to see that out of the 2000 NASCAR champion. I mean, how long did it take Carl Edwards to get by Labonte, and Edwards had either the best car, or the second-best to Kenseth, and he had a hard time getting by Labonte. But even so, if Hamlin got out of the car, and he's still complaining about his back, who would Gibbs replace him with? Right now, there's nobody available that's capable of filling a seat of that quality. I think he should get out, but there isn't anyone Gibbs could turn to right now that would be an adequate replacement. 426. 83andJoe posted: 08.26.2013 - 6:47 pm Rate this comment: (6) (0) Interesting fact: in four races, Landon Cassill has gotten the #40 car ahead of the #19 in owner points. 427. AveryNH posted: 08.26.2013 - 6:51 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Some sad local race track news from my region. Canaan Fair Speedway in Canaan NH is shuttering this year after being sold to a new owner. There won't be any racing there for 2014 and restructuring may be done to possibly return in time for 2015. This is painful for me because its my home track. Sitting just 30 minutes down the road, two towns over. My grandfather raced there way back in the 50s and 60s until a nasty wreck made him hang it up for good. Not only does this stink on a personal level but on a more substantial level this is the second track in two years locally to shut racing activities down. The second was Twin State Speedway down in Claremont, which is actually listed on this site. The memories I have of Canaan are unforgettable. I met countless Nascar drivers, Steve Park, and DSFF's favorite two people Geoff Bodine and Michael Waltrip to name a few. I even met the entire Fox sports broadcast team back in 2002 when they where in town covering the busch race that mother's day weekend. They had their own feature on friday night and Mike joy came out the winner! Hammond, Joy, Larry Mac, Berggren and a few others. I can't recall if D.W. was there or not. Anyways, it's a huge blow to race fans here in the region. I've got friends who race there currently and will now have to travel to tracks over a hour away like Bear Ridge and Thunder road. They now have to stretch shoe string budgets even tighter just because of their desire and will to race. The asphalt track sets to board up after Saturday night's feature. The dirt track will close some time in September. I wouldn't dream of missing either one. 428. DB1995 posted: 08.26.2013 - 6:59 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) To the webmaster i saw you didnt have the latest X-1R pro cup series race at Kingsport up yet, i have the qualifying results Qualifying 1. Eric Gerchak No.21 15.398 2. Gus Dean No.56 15.437 3. Coleman Pressley No.59 15.457 4. Clay Rogers No.16 15.484 5. J.P. Morgan No.23 15.501 6. Blake Jones No.80 15.582 7. Brady Boswell No.2 15.582 8. Dalton Hopkins No.1 15.592 9. Cody Rohrbaugh No.05 15.598 10. Reid Wilson No.66 15.611 11. Caleb Holman No.75 15.665 429. DB1995 posted: 08.26.2013 - 7:29 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) My picks for Atlanta and canada Cup: Brad keselowski, will get determined after so much bad luck this season and get a win at a place he has ran well at before Nationwide: Trevor Bayne (hopefully) but in reality we will have another boring Kyle dominated history making race Trucks: Paludo, i think hes the best regular on road courses, but from his ARCA starts Chase Elliott seems to be pretty good. 430. webmaster posted: 08.26.2013 - 7:41 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) @428: Thanks for the qualifying info; results are up now. 431. Rexrobe posted: 08.26.2013 - 7:47 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) Well, cjs, in the last ten races Hamlin is averaging a 27.3 finish. Just about anyone who has a decent amount of NASCAR experience can at least match that, which isn't much more than beating the start and parks, FasLane, and the BK cars. I'm assuming that they want to keep a Toyota driver, and it's generally agreed that it would just be a temporary ride until Denny can have the surgery and recover. It would be up to Gibbs whether they want a veteran that can bring the car home or a rookie driver to evaluate. Looking through the Nationwide results, for veterans you have Elliott Sadler who already drives for Gibbs and has loads of Cup experience - and I wouldn't exactly call third in points disappointing, either. Michael McDowell is a part-time Gibbs NW driver with Cup experience and has done well with what he has been given. Jeff Green and Mike Bliss are longer shots, but past champions and winners who have done very well considering they are in Tri-Star equipment. As for rookies, you have Cole Whitt who is generally well regarded and had his one full time season in NW marred by having to be Danica's teammate. Alex Bowman is a true rookie, but has done well in the Ricky Benton car and is by all accounts a quick learner and could be mentored by Kenseth. Finally, Parker Kligerman is in the KBM ride (you know, the one that Kyle himself couldn't win in) and did well driving for Penske and is a nine-time ARCA winner who lost the championship by 5 points. All of the above drivers have pros and cons but there are seven drivers who at least merit consideration as a fill in, two of whom already are Gibbs drivers. That wasn't that hard, was it? 432. David posted: 08.26.2013 - 8:32 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) A day on the road and I miss two BIG pieces of news, and both of them idiotic decisions (well, I can understand the Childers move, but I still think it wasn't very smart). According to Jayski (who turns 17 today), SHR is trying to acquire the #00 for Kurt Busch to use next season. 433. 12345Dude posted: 08.26.2013 - 9:00 pm Rate this comment: (0) (3) @ JG24 "The great sir Stirling Moss once said that the World Championship didn't really matter if it meant not going for the win in each and every race. And he also said that a driver isn't worth his salt if he doesn't go for the win in each and every race. Winning races means WAY more than collecting points." JG24 my stats earlier proved that drivers care about one thing. The championship and points. The stats earlier prove it. If what you say is true those stats would look a lot better for former champions. You make a great point about the championship is out of a lot of drivers way. But those stats prove its what everyone wants. Kyle Busch, Kurt Busch, & Carl Edwards I have read say there goal is top 5s and top 10s. They want to make the Chase. Kyle said before Sonoma that he would take a top 10 for the rest of the regular season, so that he could make the Chase. And yes the Chase is awful how it is currently run. If it was run correctly it could be amazing. But it's far from being run amazingly. @CJS You mention that Jeff has such harder competition than Jimmie. And that might be true. But don't you think he could have 1 better season than Jimmie? If he is better than don't you think he could be better for one season? People mention the Hendrick sabotage, equipment, cheating Chad, the Chase etc. But if Jeff is so much better couldn't he have one better season? Also I think the Kurt Busch Stewart Haas situation might work out. Sometimes drivers "in the know" know better than us fans. Remember when Martin Truex Jr. (big free agent at the time) and Clint Bowyer joined Michael Waltrip Racing? Remember how crazy we thought they were. And look what happened. Now Kevin Harvick left Richard Childress Racing to join Stewart-Haas racing a year early. And don't forget guys Kurt Busch was given a great offer by Joe Gibbs Racing to join his team. But he choose Stewart Haas Racing. Rick Hendrick is going to make sure this team is great. And with Kurt, Kevin, Tony, Dale, Jeff, Jimmie, & Kasey sharing notes I think that could be huge for all of them. 434. cjs3872 posted: 08.26.2013 - 9:55 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) Rexrobe, you just made my point for me. None of the drivers you just listed would be worthy of such a good car. Sadler might be third in points in the Nationwide Series, but it's not because of performance, because his performance level has tanked this year. Bliss drove for Gibbs previously and Gibbs didn't keep him then, Michael McDowell's one start for Gibbs in the Cup Series (the race at Texas for which Kyle Busch was suspended) was an utter disaster, and Jeff Green was a disaster in the Cup Series for every team he drove for. And none of the other drivers you listed, Alex Bowman, Cole Whitt, and Parker Kligerman are ready to handle the pressure of such a prestigious ride. There's nobody out there that can handle such a significant ride if Hamlin had to get back out of the car, and the #11 FedEx car is one of the most prestigious rides on the circuit today. And 12345Dude, the reason I don't think Jeff has that big season left in him any more has to do with the fact that Jeff's team is at the bottom of the totem pole at Hendrick Motorsports, and Rick might even be trying to nudge Jeff out the door as a driver by 2016, though I can't be certain of that. After all, Jeff's got the slowest car, the worst crew chief, and the worst pit crew at HMS, and nothing has been done to try to change any of that for nearly two years now, which is a sure sign that Rick Hendrick believes that Gordon's days as a championship-caliber driver are, for all intents and purposes, over. If Hendrick believed that Gordon had another big season or two left in him, he'd try to help the structure of the #24 team, but he's done nothing, and I don't think he'll try to do anything substantial until Gordon retires, whenever that is. I believe Gordon's in the same situation at Hendrick Motorsports that Al Unser was at Penske Racing in 1986, and Penske released Unser because, at 47, he believed Unser could not get it done any more. Of course, history later showed him to be wrong on the biggest stage of all, the Indianapolis 500, on more than one occasion. Gordon's at that stage now. I think Gordon may have one or two magical moments left in him on a big stage, but that's about it, and I think Hendrick believes that, as well. It appears that the time in Gordon's hourglass has just about run out. There may be one or two wins left in him, but I doubt there will be more than that, if there are that many left. 435. JG24FanForever posted: 08.26.2013 - 9:59 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) "You mention that Jeff has such harder competition than Jimmie. And that might be true. But don't you think he could have 1 better season than Jimmie? If he is better than don't you think he could be better for one season? People mention the Hendrick sabotage, equipment, cheating Chad, the Chase etc. But if Jeff is so much better couldn't he have one better season?" Gordon has had three seasons better than Jimmie Johnson. 2002: His wins in the Southern 500 and the Bristol Night race automatically make his season better than Johnson's. 2007: His 7.3 average finish for 36 races is enough. 2011: Epic wins at Phoenix,Pocono and one of the all-time greatest duels in Atlanta,secure this season for Gordon. 436. The Long Shot posted: 08.26.2013 - 10:08 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) "SHR is trying to acquire the #00 for Kurt Busch to use next season." That's a fitting number to use. It's the amount of races in Kurt's career that he's gone without cussing. *rimshot* It's also the amount of races that Stewart-Haas Racing will win next year. *rimshot* It's also the number of excuses left in DSFF's "Danica Excuse Generator 5000"...oh wait, here come some more. *double rimshot* 437. cjs3872 posted: 08.26.2013 - 10:38 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Not only that JG24FF, but what a lot of people forget is that Gordon actually won more races than did Johnson in 2011, 3 to 2, with the difference being that epic duel at Atlanta. Gordon was poised for that second successful portion part of his career, such as what those like Bobby Allison and A.J. Foyt experienced, but then Kasey Kahne and Kenny Francis got to HMS in 2012, and everything changed. Jeff Gordon and Mark Martin, with whom he shared a shop in 2011, have always had a mutual respect for each other, as did their teams, but Kahne and especially Francis have never had that with anyone they were teammates with, going all the way back to when they were teamed with Jeremy Mayfield at Evernham Motorsports in 2006, and everyone they've been partnered with has struggled badly. Remember that prior to the teaming of Kahne and Francis, Mayfield was a Chase-caliber driver capable of winning races. (His win in the 2004 fall race at Richmond to get into the Chase that year is still one of the biggest clutch performances in NASCAR's top series over the last 15 years.) But Mayfield, as well as Elliott Sadler, Brian Vickers, and now Gordon have all experienced a significant downturn in their fortunes after being paired with Kahne and Francis. Certainly there were other reasons for the downfalls of Mayfield and Sadler, but for Vickers to do as badly as he did when paired with Kahne and Francis, and given what he's done the last two years, and now what's happened to Gordon the last two years after being teamed with Kahne and Francis, which have been the two worst years of Gordon's career, performance-wise, it's obvious to me that if there are no changes made, then Hendrick is just willing to let the clock run out on Gordon's career, and I think that may be sooner than anyone realizes. 438. JG24FanForever posted: 08.26.2013 - 10:51 pm Rate this comment: (1) (1) Stats from this event: Jeff Gordon's 23rd career 7th place finish and first ever at Bristol. Denny Hamlin has finished an astonishing 10 straight races outside the Top 15. Jimmie Johnson's 10th career 36th place finish and 7th finish outside the Top 30 at Bristol. Jeff Gordon's 12th finish of 7th or better in 21 Bristol Night race starts. 439. JG24FanForever posted: 08.26.2013 - 11:27 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) "I think comparing a driver's number of wins to their number of second place finishes says a lot about their driving style. Kahne has 16 wins, but he has several more second place finishes than wins (21). I would think more aggressive drivers who care more about winning would have more wins than seconds. I might try to do this comparison for other drivers" Richard Petty: 200 wins and 157 second place +43 (Fitting he would have 43 more wins.) Jeff Gordon: 87 wins and 67 second place +20 Mark Martin: 40 wins and 61 second place -21 Dale Earnhardt: 76 wins 70 second place +6 Tony Stewart: 48 wins 43 second place +5 Jimmie Johnson: 64 wins 42 second place +22 Harry Gant: 18 wins and 35 second place -17 Buddy Baker: 19 wins and 42 second place -23 (Conservative?) Terry Labonte: 22 wins and 42 second place -20 Dale Jarrett: 32 wins and 32 second place = 440. 12345Dude posted: 08.26.2013 - 11:58 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) JG 2002 was Jimmie's rookie year. Compare Jimmie's rookie stats vs. Gordon's. But I guess you can give that to him. 2007, who won the title JG? I don't want this "better average finish" "or better top 5s, top 10s etc." that a lot of people do. IT's ALL ABOUT THE CHASE. Yeah Gordon had that great 7.3 finish. But everyone going into the season knows that the last 10 races are the only ones that matter. It's Gordon's fault for not capitalizing on that. And who won the title? 2007 definitely belongs to Jimmie. If there wasn't a chase how do you know Jimmie doesn't get a 7.0 average finish? He obviously uses the regular season mostly as a testing session. 2011 Who finished higher in the standings JG? Those wins are nice but Jimmie had the better overall season. Not just 3 remarkable races. (Pocono wasn't a really remarkable win) You also forgot Jimmie's pretty remarkable Talladega win. Especially considering his history there. 441. 12345Dude posted: 08.27.2013 - 12:02 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) CJS first I would like to say your are the best at replying to other people's post on the site. And usually they are long responses too. The typos kind of made the last post kind of weird. What I meant to say was you have Gordon 2nd all time (I know people have been ripping on you about your list lately, sorry I'm pilling on). Yet Jimmie has beaten him every year he has raced against him. Except maybe 2002 Jimmie's rookie year. How can Jimmie be behind Jeff? And how can Jeff be so high? Even if Hendrick is sabotaging him, it's Jeff's fault then. Grow a backbone! (ala DSFF) 442. Schroeder51 posted: 08.27.2013 - 12:11 am Rate this comment: (7) (0) Seriously, can we just drop the Gordon vs. Johnson argument already? It's the same thing over and over again. People on either side have made their voices abundantly clear and no one on either side is really budging on their opinions-and thus, it's a very repetitive argument. I just get tired of seeing the same points being argued over and over again. Of course, I fully expect people to ignore me and continue debating whether Gordon or Johnson is the superior driver...so this post was probably pointless on my part! 443. Rexrobe posted: 08.27.2013 - 12:12 am Rate this comment: (0) (1) Cjs, you do understand that I am talking about a fill-in driver for Hamlin for ten to twelve races, and not a full time replacement, yes? You also have your facts wrong in regards to Big Al. He was not fired from Penske. He won the championship in 1985, and because of the circumstances in conjunction with his age, he didn't have the desire to race full time again. He was the one who asked for a limited schedule and Roger granted it to him. I last spoke with Big Al in 2011, and he certainly had no regrets and nothing for respect for Roger. (Now Bobby, on the other hand...) 444. 12345Dude posted: 08.27.2013 - 12:51 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Fine point Schroder I'll let it go, I've already said everything I could and your right I am just repeating stuff. 445. Zackary Shawn posted: 08.27.2013 - 2:27 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) "The rumors I have been hearing are that Tony is hurt much worse than he is letting on to be." Just out of curiosity, where do you (or anyone else for that matter) hear these rumors? 446. 12345Dude posted: 08.27.2013 - 3:01 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Yeah I always wonder the same thing. I don't hear a lot of the rumors people talk about. 447. joey2448 posted: 08.27.2013 - 3:59 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) "2011 Who finished higher in the standings JG? Those wins are nice but Jimmie had the better overall season. Not just 3 remarkable races. (Pocono wasn't a really remarkable win)" I have to disagree with this. Jimmie was flat out uncompetitive at times during the 2011 season, while Jeff looked poised to win the championship that year when the Chase started (of course, his usual Chase luck hit him right off the bat, but people were tabbing him as the favorite going into Chicago in September that year). Jimmie had the Dega win in the spring, and the only time he actually looked like he might win the title was when he won at Kansas in the fall, leaving everyone thinking, "Oh boy here we go again!" But then he crashed at Charlotte, and from there on out, he was just plain slow... Sometimes, stats don't always tell the whole story. Sometimes it's just something you "feel", and just be watching the races that year, you know who is having a better season. 448. NicoRosbergFan posted: 08.27.2013 - 5:30 am Rate this comment: (1) (1) Schroeder, the best thing you can do is refuse to acknowledge their posts. I place blame on JG24FF this time though. From Jayski: "Jason Leffler Memorial race on Wednesday (Aug 28th): Wayne County Speedway is announced the Jason Leffler Memorial race sponsored by Great Clips on Wednesday August 28th at 7:00pm/et. The event is a $5000 to win Midget race sanctioned by POWRI in which 100% of the front entrance and 50% of the back entrance will go to the Charlie Dean Leffler Discretionary Fund (c/o SunTrust Bank, 232 Williamson Road, Mooresville, NC 28117). Track owner Doug Stringer, a Mcleansboro, Ill. resident and former owner of Akins Motorsports, decided to run this event after the tragic passing of his long-time friend. Leffler left behind a son, Charlie Dean. Stringers company, Stringer Holdings, manages the NASCAR and World of Outlaws race sponsorships for Great Clips. Leffler represented the worlds largest salon brand in the NASCAR Nationwide Series from 2006-2011. As a tribute to him, Great Clips is proudly serving as title sponsor of the Jason Leffler Memorial race. The company will also sponsor Shane Hmiel Racing for the event, which will field two drivers including Darren Hagan and Justin Grant.(Wayne County Speedway)(8-27-2013)" I almost want to cry with both happiness and sadness that this race is being run to honor my favorite NNS driver on my birthday. 449. Rexrobe posted: 08.27.2013 - 7:27 am Rate this comment: (2) (0) Zachary Shawn, I used to work in the motorsports industry. Although I started with some Busch series teams in the 1980's, I worked in Indycar racing most of my life starting in 1991, including a number of years in the IRL league office. I left there in 2007 and came home to North Carolina where I put in a few more seasons with some N'Wide and Truck teams before I called it quits in motorsports for good after 25 years in 2011. (I build custom furniture and cabinetry now, just fyi.) I have made a number of good friends over the years - my best friend works for Penske's NW team - and I still live in the Concord area, so it's not uncommon for people who are in the know to call and talk shop or drop by and hang out after work. I don't claim to be some sort of super insider or have all of these connections but NASCAR - and all of motorsports, really - is a small world once you get into it and big things happen faster and with much less thought than you might imagine. I just figured that the folks here would appreciate hearing some things that people say that don't make it to Jayski or the Twitter. 450. Benjamin Lowe posted: 08.27.2013 - 7:34 am Rate this comment: (0) (1) For some reason I see Gordon getting into politics when he retires from NASCAR. 451. DaleSrFanForever posted: 08.27.2013 - 7:48 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Gordon the politician? He better get more aggressive behind closed doors. I think he'll spend his retirement in third world countries helping build hospitals. 452. cjs3872 posted: 08.27.2013 - 8:08 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Rexrobe, If Al Unser wasn't released by Penske after the 1986 season, then explain how Danny Ongais got the ride in Penske's third car at Indianapolis in 1987 with the exact same sponsor? Certainly the relationship between Penske and the Unser family has always been good, as far as I know, but Penske felt that Al was done being a driver that could win at the age of 47 (Al's brother Bobby even believed that), something that may be backed up by the fact that he won just twice in his four seasons at Penske (once each in the two championship seasons for Roger). Al's age, combined with the youth of Danny Sullivan and the rock solid relationship Roger had with Rick Mears, and Penske's unwillingness to run three cars full-time, were what led to Penske releasing Al Unser after the 1986 season. 453. Rexrobe posted: 08.27.2013 - 8:22 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) The reason Danny got the ride was because Ted Field paid for it - it being a 1987 March, and Ted Field being the Interscope in Interscope racing. When Danny wrecked in practice, the new March was gone and so was Danny for health reasons. But the car was entered and you know the rest of the story: Roger got an 86 March out of storage and put Big Al in. The 1987 Marches were just not suited for Indy because of the tires and such a narrow sweet spot in the setup. The sponsor that was on the car, Cummins, was a B2B deal with Penske to supplement Field's money. 454. cjs3872 posted: 08.27.2013 - 8:24 am Rate this comment: (0) (1) And joey2448, what happened was that, after Tony Stewart outgunned Jimmie on the outside on that final restart at the fall race at Martinsville in 2011 (which was two weeks after Jimmie's Charlotte wreck), Hendrick Motorsports decided to put all its focus on the #14 team, since Hendrick basically gives them much, if not all of their equipment, and focus entirely on Tony Stewart's quest to catch Carl Edwards for the championship. As a result, none of the Hendrick Motorsports cars were very good in the final three races that season, because all the focus from HMS was put into the #14 car, which they had (and still have) a vested interest in. But in doing so, all four of the HMS team cars struggled in the final three races. And let's not forget this. All three of Jeff Gordon's wins in 2011 came on tracks with very old track surfaces. His win at Phoenix came in the final race after that track was repaved (and reconfigured), his win at Pocono came in the next-to-last race before it was repaved (and the first race there in years where shifting returned to being a major factor there), and of course, at Atlanta with it's old and worn out pavement. Even the first race that season at Kansas, when he was a serious factor to win, even though he never led, came on the old surface. Of those three tracks I mentioned that have since been repaved, Gordon's only been a factor at one of them since, Pocono, and I don't think that's that big of a surprise, because he's at that point in his career where the faster the track, the worse he figures to do, and I suspect he won't be much of a factor at Atlanta when that track's repaved in a couple of years for the exact same reason. He's spooked by the extreme speeds, and his cars are no as competitive, speed-wise with the other HMS cars, with that being one of the reasons why. 455. cjs3872 posted: 08.27.2013 - 8:33 am Rate this comment: (1) (1) So what you're saying Rexrobe, was that Interscope Racing effectively merged with Penske Racing in 1987, resulting in Danny Ongais being in that car. And that was a terrible combination, a chassis/tire combination that was extremely unstable, and a driver that couldn't keep his car out of the wall, because Ongais was the most notorious crasher in IndyCar racing when he raced in the late 70s and early-to-mid 80s. Danny Ongais may have been the worst possible driver to put in such a car, because a heavy crash was virtually inevitable. And it happened, resulting in the head injury that kept him out of that race. And trust me, even though Al said in victory lane that his win should have been Danny Ongais', Ongais would not have lasted half the race before crashing, had he been in the car. 456. Rexrobe posted: 08.27.2013 - 12:24 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) That's not at all what I am saying - I have had things I said taken out of context before but this beats all I have seen. I said nothing slanderous about Ongais' driving ability and your attempt to put than on me is pathetic. You should be ashamed. I don't think Interscope Racing was around anymore by 1987, but Ted Field, the guy behind Interscope, had a personal relationship with Danny Ongais. Field's money bought the 1987 chassis and paid for some of the crew with the understanding that it was to be run as a third Penske team car. It was an extra car for the 500, the exact same deal that happens each year. The March 87C was just a poor car for Indianapolis because it did not like the tires. Ongais was not the only one injured that month, Jim Crawford was also, and over twenty different drivers crashed that month in practice.I don't think there was anything that contributed to his crash other than 33+ drivers trying to get the most out of a new car that was not well sorted for the speedway. But your original assertion was that Big Al was fired from Penske, and that's just not true - especially because Al drove for Penske on a limited basis all the way until 1992. The decision to step back was his own as he wanted to support Al Jr. 457. Rexrobe posted: 08.27.2013 - 12:43 pm Rate this comment: (1) (1) I came to this website to have fun reading the background information and contribute where I could to the results archives. I didn't come here to argue, or be told that things I encountered first hand are wrong. I especially didn't come to be accused of slandering the ability of a great driver or chase the goalposts of someone who can't accept either correction, or even a difference of opinion without getting mad. If you want to know more about Indycar racing in the 90's and 2000's when I was involved, or just talk about the good old days, I will be posting my stories on those race's pages. But I am done arguing with people. 458. cjs3872 posted: 08.27.2013 - 1:29 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Ongais was, in his day, about as fast and as fearless a driver as anyone else. Nobody disputes that, nor do I. After all, he was just the third driver ever to qualify at Indy at over 200 MPH, and the first to do so for a team other than Penske's. As a drag racing legend, his ability to get the most speed out of a car was never in question. Ongais was a guy that, if he was guilty of anything, was guilty of trying too hard, which is why he crashed as often as he did. And Ongais certainly wasn't alone in crashing at Indy in 1987. In fact, Tom Sneva, who was as fast as anyone, crashed three times himself at Indy that year, twice in practice and once more in the race, and A.J. Foyt, Emerson Fittipaldi, and Pancho Carter were also among those that crashed in practice there in '87. Ongais was also the first guy I know of to drive a black car on a regular basis, something Dale Earnhardt became famous for in the late 80s and throughout the 90s. (Ongais was even sponsored by GM Goodwrench in 1986, I believe.) And the way he handled his disappointment in the 1978 Indianapolis 500 (he was the only one capable of beating Al Unser that day) is something everyone should try to learn from. 459. DaleSrFanForever posted: 08.27.2013 - 1:32 pm Rate this comment: (1) (1) I just don't buy the "Jeff is spooked by high speeds" deal. The sensation of speed is relative. Although they were turning laps of 200+ at Michigan, I can guarantee you those laps at Bristol FELT faster. Yet Jeff ran great all night until restarts happened and Alan Gustafson happened. An how do you explain his recent good runs at Dover? Every driver says you feel the sensation of speed at Dover more than anywhere. Yet he has been really good there lately including in the Spring of 2012 when NASCAR screwed Jeff and screwed the fans out of Epic Gordon/Johnson Duel III. And while he certainly does better at worn out tracks, what does that tell you? Again I go back to Atlanta 2011. What is more uncomfortable and spooky? 200 mph in the corners at Michigan or 160 mph in the corners at Atlanta while DEAD ASS SIDEWAYS? Of course the worn out pavement allowed Wheelman Jeff to beat Wheel Holder Jimmie that day when JJ caught him before pulling a Kasey Kahne (for the record, from here on out, anytime a driver catches the leader with a blatantly faster car yet can't find a way around them, that will be referred to as a "Kasey Kahne", example: at the end of the '97 Southern 500, Jeff Burton caught Jeff Gordon before pulling a Kasey Kahne). 460. cjs3872 posted: 08.27.2013 - 1:40 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) And also, the reason I did not say Al, Sr. was fired was because he wasn't. Penske just decided to let Al's contract expire after the 1986 season and not renew it because he only wanted to run two cars in 1987, and the decision to run a third car was only for the 500-mile races, as it would be for 1988 and '89, because those were the only races in which Penske ran three cars. But it's also true that he wanted to look after his son's burgeoning career. In fact, if Al, Jr. had qualified on the first weekend, Al, Sr. would not have been in the '87 race at Indy. 461. cjs3872 posted: 08.27.2013 - 1:49 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) DSFF, why do you say that NASCAR ruined another "epic Gordon/Johnson duel" when they threw that one caution in the 2012 spring race at Dover? If that race had run green to the finish, Gordon would have won by half a lap (about 10-12 seconds) over Johnson because that's the advantage he would have had if the race had run green to the finish. There wouldn't have been a duel. And at Bristol and Dover, you can scrub off speed, which you also do at Atlanta and Texas, where his was the only Chevrolet capable of winning the race there earlier this year. But at Michigan, you really don't slow down now because of the new pavement. That's where race pace comes in. The race pace doesn't slow down at Michigan, while it does at the other tracks mentioned. He does so well at Atlanta because the pace slows down about 15 MPH throughout a fuel run. But when that place is repaved, I don't think he'll be a factor there any more because of the constant speed. It's the places where the race pace doesn't slow down that he's not that big a factor at any more, especially the big tracks where that's the case. 462. DaleSrFanForever posted: 08.27.2013 - 2:22 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Again, while the actual mph may slow down, cars on worn out tires have a much greater sensation of speed. The cars start slipping and sliding and you are still going really damn fast. Seems like that would be scarier than going 20mph faster on tires that are gripping. And it would have been Epic Duel III for two reasons. First off, NASCAR never would have let the race go the distance without a yellow. Why they decided to throw it when it would take Gordon oit of the running is beyond me. They eventually would have bunched Jeff and Jimmie up. And secondly is Chad's "magic wand". The 48 only goes as fast as it needs to go. Jimmie even admitted it in the broadcast booth at the NWide race at Indy when noting Kyle would jump to a quick 3 second lead then just stay at that lead for the rest of the run. With Jeff out of the picture that day, there was no need to adjust the 48. So they didn't. They knew they'd get their shot and adjust the car if need be. Thanks to NASCAR there was no need. I'm not saying Jimmie would have beaten Jeff. In fact, I think the opposite. But it would have been a fun duel. NASCAR robbed us in their haste to bunch up the field. 463. Zackary Shawn posted: 08.27.2013 - 2:22 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Gene Haas said he made the decision to hire Kurt Busch on his own. Admits Smoke was a bit upset. 464. Zackary Shawn posted: 08.27.2013 - 2:25 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) So, in other words, all the speculation was correct...Gene Haas did this behind everyone's back. 465. murb posted: 08.27.2013 - 2:40 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) EGR will announce the new driver of the 42 on Friday at Atlanta, and if I remember correctly Phoenix Racing is supposed to announce their new ownership situation this weekend too. So it looks like we've got a bunch more silly season stuff going on in the next few days. As for the Kurt Busch announcement, it's going to be interesting how this whole "Haas picked Kurt behind Tony's back" thing works out. Hopefully it won't completely obliterate team chemistry like I think it will. 466. cjs3872 posted: 08.27.2013 - 2:54 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) If what you say is true Zack, it makes me wonder who's actually running things at Stewart-Haas Racing. And I don't think Tony Stewart's a man that he, or anyone else would want to cross like that. It seemed like Stewart had a plan for his organization, and Haas decided to go another direction. I also wonder if this is some kind of rebuke against Stewart for his stubbornness about running sprint cars and getting hurt driving them. I also wonder if this is Gene Haas' way of telling Stewart he wanted three competitive cars, in other words, I wonder if this is also a shot across the bow of Danica Patrick, the slowest driver in NASCAR. At any rate, something sure doesn't add up here. And speaking of driver signings, Chip Ganassi's going to announce later this week the driver of the #42 car next year. I just hope for his sake it isn't Kyle Larson, because if it is, Larson's promising career could go down in flames by 2016, judging by Ganassi's history. The best hire for him would be Ryan Newman, especially since Newman's engineering background would be a big plus to whatever team hires him, and Ganassi badly needs that kind of help for his organization. Plus, if Ganassi hires Newman, that means that both of his drivers would wins in both the Daytona 500 and Brickyard 400, the two biggest races in the circuit, since Jamie McMurray also has wins in both events. 467. Paul posted: 08.27.2013 - 3:28 pm Rate this comment: (1) (1) I say Kyle Larson should get the #42 Cup car next season. Without boring some of you with numbers (especially since that tends to lead to Joey Logano comparisons for some reason, even though Larson is more talented and wasn't given the best Nationwide ride at age 18), he passes the eye test with me. He gets more out of that Turner Nationwide equipment than any of his teammates (side-by-side battle for the win at Bristol against Kyle Busch in elite JGR equipment), able to overcome adversity in spite of his inexperience (almost finished top five at Mid-Ohio after losing three laps due to crash damage), has a "never say die" attitude on the race track (gained 3-5 positions over the final 10-15 laps to finish top five at Iowa, including passing then-points leader Regan Smith), and has shown great improvements as far as being patient during certain stages of a race as the season has gone on (he used to hold a 1.00 crash frequency rating, now it's down to a 0.43). Plus, he leads all full-time Nationwide drivers in pass efficiency, and is ranked 6th in the entire series. Also, I would think that EGR would be better off going after a driver who could be a significant upgrade over Jamie McMurray. I do think Ryan Newman is better than Jamie Mac, but not by much. From what I've seen, Larson has the potential to be an elite Cup driver, and should perform at or above McMurray's level in year one, and will only continue to improve. Plus, he'd have a teammate with a calm, focused attitude that could teach Larson a thing or two about these race cars and the pros and cons of driving them too hard and what not. If a driver is hot and has very little skills that need further developing in a lower series, they should be promoted to a high series where they can not only further develop their skills, but also learn a few more since the competition level would be much higher. And as far as young driver prospects go, none of them are as hot a commodity as Kyle Larson. 468. murb posted: 08.27.2013 - 3:51 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) The Larson to the 42 idea has been growing on me more and more lately. He's adapted well to every car he's driven so far, so I don't see why he wouldn't adapt to the Cup cars relatively quickly (Jimmie Johnson actually had a pretty interesting theory when he was asked about Larson moving up - he said that Larson will probably run even better in Cup because he's used to driving sprint cars that have monster power and no grip, which is basically how the Cup cars are). So even though I'm still a bit wishy washy on Larson personality wise (though he's starting to grow on me more and more), I would agree that he is probably best for the 42 car. I just hope that Chip doesn't Leffler him if it doesn't work out all that well in his first year. I still think a really good idea though would be to get Mark Martin to come over and help out with Larson's development. Even if it's just as a driving coach or whatever. Larson's got immense talent, but I don't think it would hurt at all if he had someone like Mark Martin to help guide him even further. 469. cjs3872 posted: 08.27.2013 - 3:54 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Paul, the one thing about Larson that a lot of people have overlooked is that he's become a more conservative driver in the early stages of the race, and that's a key ingredient, especially in the longer races the Cup Series runs. Jeff Gordon, who came from the same racing background as does Larson, struggled with that for about three or four years (I'm including his two full seasons in the Nationwide Series), but once he discovered that he didn't have to run as hard as he could for the entire race, that's when his career took off. Larson was that way earlier this season (the incident with Trevor Bayne at Las Vegas was a test case of this), but now he waits for the race to come to him and doesn't make his moves until later in the race. But I still think it's at least a year too early for him to be rushed into the Cup Series. If they want to run him in a third car every now and then next season, that's something I don't have a problem with, but putting him in the car full time would be a terrible idea that could ruin his career, as it did with other young drivers, such as the late Jason Leffler, Casey Atwood, and Reed Sorenson, two of those being Ganassi's mistakes. I don't think he wants to risk striking out on young drivers. And Ganassi needs someone that can help with the setup of the car, and who better than Ryan Newman, who has an engineering background that whatever team hires him for next year is going to benefit from. Larson, on the other hand, has readily admitted that he knows next-to-nothing about how to set up a stock car, which is another reason I think it would be a big mistake for Ganassi put him in the #42 car at this time. And besides, Newman is better than a lot of people give him credit for. You don't win on the flat tracks he's won at (Phoenix, Loudon, Pocono, IMS) without being a good driver, and I think he's an underrated driver. 470. Anonymous posted: 08.27.2013 - 4:36 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Truex has a broken wrist but will still race 471. SpeedWorld97 posted: 08.27.2013 - 4:40 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Wow, Martin Truex Jr. suffered a broken wrist in the huge crash Saturday night. He will try to race, considering he's so close to falling out of the chase at the moment. 472. 83andJoe posted: 08.27.2013 - 4:41 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) The counterpoint to the possibility of Kyle Larson getting Kenny Irwin-ed or Casey Atwood-ed is: Denny Hamlin. Busch+Truck starts combined for Hamlin at start of first full Cup season: 6. I certainly think Larson could use a second year in Busch, and the odds based on history are for the "Kenny Irwin" result instead of the "Denny Hamlin". But the more I look at it the less I worry about Larson to the 42 being a disaster. That said, I agree that having Newman in the 42 would be a good move for Ganassi, and it would be good for Newman, too, as it would put him in a team-leader position (McMurray is a nice guy but a top team dog he ain't), plus it would give you the chance to expand to three teams with Larson next year with Newman mentoring him between then and now. 473. SpeedWorld97 posted: 08.27.2013 - 4:58 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I just read that it was a scaphoid fracture in his right wrist. I broke that same exact bone on my left wrist a few years ago, and I remember how it took about three months to fully heal. If that's the case, then Truex will have to race the rest of the season with that broken wrist, unless he seeks surgery. What I'm wondering is how he broke it during the accident. I would have to believe that the steering wheel caused it, especially since they can make sudden jerks during accidents. And isn't it quite ironic that it would happen now, especially since there have been many wrist injuries in IndyCar this year caused by jerking steering wheels? I remember James Hinchcliffe saying earlier this year about how that has commonly happened this year, especially at the street courses like Belle Isle and Toronto. After all, Ryan Briscoe broke his wrist at Toronto in what appeared to be a minor incident, but was much worse because of the steering wheel. I just wonder how a problem like that can be solved. 474. kup posted: 08.27.2013 - 5:02 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Now after 24 races and just 2 before the Chase. Best average finish is 11 for #48 and #15. 11th in a race equal to 33 points. For 2 races it is 66 pts. Anyone with 66+ pts more than 10th is locked by pts: #48 has 821 pts - OK #15 _ -18 - OK #99 _ -53 - OK #29 _ -61 - OK Now 4 drivers are locked by pts. #18 _ -82 - 3 wins #20 _ -85 - 5 wins And 2 drivers have 3+ wins and are locked by wins: #88 _ -107 - n0 wins #5 _ -120 - 2 wins #16 _ -123 - 1 win #22 _ -136 - 1 win * Locked: -136+66 = 70 All in all 4+2 = 6 drivers are now locked. #5 has 2 wins and most chances to be 7th locked. Anyone with 66- pts less than 10th is out by pts: OUT: -136-66 = -202, and 18th #43 is -205, 19th Tony out, 20th #31 -229. Others: 17-6 = 10+1 drivers are not known yet. We have 2 races = 2 wins before the Chase. #16, #22, #56, #39 = 4 have 1 win each. #88, #2, #78, #24, #1, #27 = 6 have 0 wins each. So 4+6 = 10 drivers for 5 last Chase spots. 475. Dave #38 Fan-Go Gilliland! posted: 08.27.2013 - 5:31 pm Rate this comment: (3) (0) "Busch+Truck starts combined for Hamlin at start of first full Cup season: 6." Wrong, he ran the full 2005 Busch season before moving to cup and had 41 career starts before moving to cup full-time, not 6. 476. The Long Shot posted: 08.27.2013 - 5:39 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Perhaps some sort of a wrist brace would work, SpeedWorld. I'm not sure they can do anything to stop the wheel from suddenly jerking (unless they were to put some sort of a maximum turning amount on it, which makes absolutely no sense), but they can minimize the effects of the jerking. 477. Sky Warrior posted: 08.27.2013 - 5:44 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Just read that Jayski reported on Martin Truex Jr. having a broken wrist from his wreck this weekend. Just like Denny Hamlin, he's going to try and race through it. Is it mathematically possible for him to fall outside the top 20 before the Chase? Because that's what a marginally competitive driver who specializes in blowing opportunity will do driving with one good arm. And even if he makes the Chase, he would be competing for last place, not first, realistically. Also saw that Hamlin admitted his back is still injured. 2 drivers right there who would be smart to focus on next year but either sponsors, owners, or plain boneheaded stubbornness will probably keep them in their cars for the rest of the year, playing Russian roulette with their careers 478. cjs3872 posted: 08.27.2013 - 6:06 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) It's possible, but extremely unlikely for Truex to drop out of the top 20 over he next two races, Sky Warrior. But he's only 12 points ahead of Newman for what is currently the first Wild Card, and if one other driver currently in the top ten with a win drops out, or one of those from 11th-13th wins a race, or even someone like McMurray wins and nobody else moves into or out of the top ten, Truex can still be knocked out of the Chase if he sits out any races. What could happen is that Truex makes the Chase, and then if he falls like an anvil once the Chase begins, he could exit the car, knowing that the worst he can finish would then be 12th, as was the case with Dale, Jr. last year, where if he gets out now, he could drop out of the top 25 by season's end. Right now, the risk for Truex may be worth it, but in three to five weeks, it may not be. For now, Truex has to try to gut it out, but if he misses the Chase, then it might be a good idea for him to get out. But then MWR would be in the same fix as JGR would be in if they took Denny Hamlin out of the car, and that's finding a replacement for Truex without anyone good available. The difference here might be that Michael Waltrip himself could take over for the rest of the season in the #56 car while Truex mends, which would allow Brian Vickers to pilot the #55 car at Talladega. 479. NoLongerAnonymous posted: 08.27.2013 - 6:40 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) That really sucks for Truex, and given this point in the season you know he's not going to want to miss any starts. I can't imagine him trying to race an entire race with a broken wrist though. If I was in charge over there I'd have Michael Waltrip drive the #55 for the next two races and have Brian Vickers relieve Truex after starting the races as Vickers is competent enough to keep the car/Truex in line for the Chase, and Michael probably wouldn't since the next two races aren't at Daytona and Talladega. Of course, I'm sure NAPA would make sure it was Waltrip relieving Truex if anyone. 480. 83andJoe posted: 08.27.2013 - 6:47 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) #475: That's true, I misread. Still comparable, though. 481. DaleSrFanForever posted: 08.27.2013 - 6:51 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I thought Truex was favoring his right hand after that wreck. I figured he banged his hand or jammed a finger. 482. DaleSrFanForever posted: 08.27.2013 - 6:57 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Somebody needs to hand Truex a picture of Terry Labonte from 1996. 483. cjs3872 posted: 08.27.2013 - 7:03 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Well as promised, here's my weekly look at how the Chase reset would look like using my weighted system. As a result of the race at Bristol, there was a significant shake-up, and now the possibility even exists that the points lead could change hands this week with Jimmie Johnson's lead having dropped to 18 points, and with my system, that's important since there is a 3-point separation between first and second going in. And of course, there was a major shuffle, as with Matt Kenseth's win, #5 on the season, he moves up, and the deck from 8th-14th got shuffled again. Here's how my standings would look with all ties broken by points standings: 1. Jimmie Johnson (points leader, 4 wins) 2042 (2030+12) 2. Matt Kenseth (sixth place, 5 wins) 2030 (2015+15) 3. Clint Bowyer (second place, 0 wins) 2027 4. Carl Edwards (third place, 1 win) 2027 (2024+3) 5. Kevin Harvick (fourth place, 2 wins) 2027 (2021+6) 6. Kyle Busch (fifth place, 3 wins) 2027 (2018+9) 7. Kasey Kahne (eighth place, 2 wins) 2015 (2009+6) 8. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. (seventh place, 0 wins) 2012 9. Greg Biffle (ninth place, 1 win) 2009 (2006+3) 10. Joey Logano (tenth place, 1 win) 2006 (2003+3) 11. Martin Truex, Jr. (14th, 1 win banked) 2000 12. Ryan Newman (15th, 1 win banked) 2000 NOTE: There was another near-wholesale shake-up, as two drivers who were in the to ten, and thereby in the Chase despite not having a win, Kurt Busch and Brad Keselowski, would now be out, and would be replaced by Kasey Kahne and Joey Logano. Another significant happening that cold affect this picture is the revelation that Martin Truex, Jr., who holds the first Wild Card spot, and is only 4 points ahead of Ryan Newman, suffered a broken wrist as a result of his crash at Bristol, and how that affects him and his chances at making the Chase, are currently unknown. Another thing that cane out of the race at Bristol is that Jeff Gordon, who seemed out of it after Michigan, gained 15 points on tenth place (he went from 26 behind tenth to 11 behind tenth), and can still make it on points if he gets into the top ten, or even 11th if just one driver is between 11th-20th that have any wins. Also, it's impossible for Jeff Burton, currently 20th in points, to get into the top ten. He's 93 back, but with start-and-parks, he can't make it into the top ten, even if he wins the final two races before the Chase, and Tony Stewart, currently 19th in points, but only four points ahead of 21st, is also officially out of the mix now, and those from 21st on back can not mathematically enter the top ten now. Not currently in the Chase, but still in Wild Card contention: Brad Keselowski (11th in points), Kurt Busch (12th in points), Jeff Gordon (13th in points), Jamie McMurray (16th in points), Paul Menard (17th in points), Aric Almirola (18th in points), and Jeff Burton (20th in points). If any of the above drivers enter Richmond 48+ points behind the lowest eligible Wild Card driver, they will be officially eliminated from Chase contention, since none of them have any wins this season. Now for the "bubble board", which this week, will start with seventh-place Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Matt Kenseth's win at Bristol gets him off this board. Any drivers on this list that are 48+ points behind the lowest ranked Wild Card driver after this coming race will be eliminated from Wild card contention. 7. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. +29 points 8. Kasey Kahne (2 wins) +16 points 9. Greg Biffle (1 win) +13 points 10. Joey Logano (1 win) +/- 0 points 11. Brad Keselowski -4 points 12. Kurt Busch -6 points 13. Jeff Gordon -11 points 14. Martin Truex, Jr. (1 win) -22 points (1st Wild Card) 15. Ryan Newman (1 win) -26 points (2nd Wild Card) 16. Jamie McMurray -38 points (-12 points to 2nd Wild Card) 17. Paul Menard -47 points (-21 points to 2nd Wild Card) 18. Aric Almirola -69 points (-43 points to 2nd Wild Card) 19. x-Tony Stewart (1) -91 points 20. Jeff Burton -93 points (-67 points to 2nd Wild Card, can not enter top 10) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 21. Juan Montoya -95 points (-69 points to 2nd Wild Card, 2 points behind 20th, can not enter top 10) 22. Marcos Ambrose -95 points (-69 points to 2nd Wild Card, 2 points behind 20th, can not enter top 10) 23. Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. -103 points (-77 points to 2nd Wild Card, 10 points behind 20th, can not enter top 10) x-out for season with an injury 484. 12345Dude posted: 08.27.2013 - 8:23 pm Rate this comment: (1) (2) @ #448 NicoRosbergFan Nico I'm letting it go but why are you upset at JG? I acknowledge that it must get annoying but this is a racing discussion forum. Were talking about racing, and no-one is attacking anyone. @CJS CJS I still don't know if your points system rewards enough "regular season" success. It's a billion times better than real life but I don't know. I wonder if drivers would still be "taking off weeks" in the regular season with that system. Maybe not. The other problem with the Chase is the tracks. You only need to be good at 10 tracks in order to win the title.. And no Road Courses isn't the only problem. There are tons of intermediate tracks, but a lot of drivers are good at certain intermediate tracks compared to others. It's not just no Road Courses that's the problem. Just ask Jeff Gordon. Jeff Gordon completely agrees with what I posted above. 485. 12345Dude posted: 08.27.2013 - 8:28 pm Rate this comment: (1) (2) I think Kyle Larson would be fine, if he isn't racing 90 dirt races a year. That's going to take away from his learning of the cup Series. And Jamie McMurray is the laziest driver in NASCAR. He only tries when he feels like it (which isn't often). He could be great, but isn't. So if Jamie feels like working hard to help Kyle he will. If not then he won't. And I'm not making this up off the top of my head. I have proof if anyone is interested. 486. DB1995 posted: 08.27.2013 - 8:33 pm Rate this comment: (0) (2) Im a Jamie Mac fan i want proof he is lazy 487. NicoRosbergFan posted: 08.27.2013 - 8:40 pm Rate this comment: (1) (1) "Im a Jamie Mac fan i want proof he is lazy " It's located in the same closet as the Danica-Excuse-Generator-5000 and the proof that Dale Sr is the greatest driver ever. 488. DaleSrFanForever posted: 08.27.2013 - 8:57 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I don't think Jamie Mac is lazy. I think he is VERY confidence sensitive. But not lazy. 489. Baker posted: 08.27.2013 - 9:27 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Kyle Larson has the talent but him in the 42 is going to hold his career back until 3 or 4 years down the road when he is able to upgrade teams to Gibbs, Hendricks, SHR or Penske the only teams a driver has a legit chance to win with. Maybe MWR by that point too. 490. cjs3872 posted: 08.27.2013 - 9:29 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) 12345Dude, I don't think there's any question that there needs to be more variety in the Chase, and they need to have one of the crown jewels in the chase as well, which may be why NASCAR may want to move the Brickyard 400 to the start of the Chase. And certainly having a Chase race at IMS will bring a brand new style of track to the Chase, as would adding a road course event. To me, that's one thing that made the inaugural Chase so much better than the rest of he have been. Let's not forget what the next-to-last race of the inaugural Chase in 2004 was. The Southern 500 at Darlington, the toughest race of all, in my book. 367 laps riding next to the wall at over 150 MPH. That's one thing that separated the first Chase from the rest of them that have happened since. However, my system, while it doesn't reward regular season success the way you might like, what it does is weigh regular season success and consistency equal to winning, if not slightly more by awarding the bonus points for points standings position first. But if you win enough races, somewhat of a points deficit can be overcome, as noted by were Matt Kenseth would be as a result of winning five times. But also, if Jimmie Johnson were to lose the point lead, which has dropped like an anvil over the last two races, to Clint Bowyer, he would lose three points in my system by merely dropping to second, and Bowyer would gain them by moving up to the point lead, something he's never enjoyed at any point in his career. As a result, point standing position does matter in equal portions when compared to winning. But I didn't want to give too much weight to winning or consistency, which is why I used the 3 points per point standing position, combined with 3 points per win for those in the top ten that NASCAR currently uses, with a 48 point max for winning and getting all the lap leader bonus points. 491. Baker posted: 08.27.2013 - 9:48 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) The need to move the Southern 500 back to Labor Day Sunday day race and reschedule the season so it is the start of the chase. They also need to move Sonoma to the 2nd race in the chase with both those tracks replacing Kansas and Texas. Also move Chicago for Richmond or Bristol so it evens out the types of tracks. Having half the chase as 1.5 miles is a joke. Moving the Brickyard would be a joke. It would give Jimmie Johnson his 3 best tracks all in the chase. If you did that for any of the top 10 drivers in cup they would win the championship too. Add that with none of Jimmie's worst tracks have ever been a part of the chase and its a no wonder he is always in contention. 492. cjs3872 posted: 08.27.2013 - 11:28 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) They can't do that, Baker. It's too far from the end of the season. But you say that moving the Brickyard 400 to the Chase opener would help Jimmie too much. That's not the point. Moving the Brickyard to the Chase opener would accomplish two things. First it would put a crown jewel in the Chase. Secondly, it would add a one-of-a-kind track to the Chase line-up, which is what made having Darlington in the Chase in 2004 so good. I would like your idea of having a race at Sonoma in the Chase, possibly the second race of the Chase, but what's going on right now in that part of California with that huge wildfire is also proof of why that's a bad idea. If they were going to put a race at Sonoma in the Chase, make it closer to the end, when the series is already racing out in that part of the country, and the weather's somewhat cooler. And let's not forget how long the season finale was in Southern California, either at Riverside or Ontario, so putting the Chase finale in California might not be a bad idea, either. In fact, if it can't be at Homestead, Auto Club Speedway or even Las Vegas, were the banquet is held, wouldn't be a bad idea either, as long as it's a 500-mile race, because I think having the finale at 400 miles is too short, especially for a track with 170 MPH lap speeds. 493. 83andJoe posted: 08.28.2013 - 12:02 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) The Charlotte Observer is reporting that Kyle Larson to the 42 is a done deal. 494. Scott B posted: 08.28.2013 - 12:27 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) The Truex injury isn't likely to be career-threatening if he continues to race, where Hamlin's could be if he further injures his back. Been a long time since we've seen this many top drivers nursing injuries at the same time, though. Hope it's just coincidence and not a trend. Depending on how bad Truex's injury is (I haven't read up on it yet), another option might be to have him start races, but keep a relief driver on standby. I suspect Mikey would be take that duty on himself. As far as Kyle Larson, I don't like the idea of putting him in a full time Cup ride this soon, but we'll see. It's a key hire for EGR, if he struggles they will continue to lose ground to other teams like MWR that have leapfrogged them in the last few seasons. 495. kup posted: 08.28.2013 - 12:38 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) UPS - Universal Points System. Drivers Pts = His-Her Distance /divide/ Average Finish Pos. 2013 after 24 of 36 races - exact 2/3 of the season 856 Clint Bowyer 9157 / 10,7 - Yep! 798 Jimmie Johnson 8857 / 11,1 - 2nd or runner-up 722 Carl Edwards 9029 / 12,5 651 Kevin Harvick 8397 / 12,9 612 Matt Kenseth 8745 / 14,3 - 5th 604 Dale Earnhardt,Jr 8761 / 14,5 595 Kyle Busch 8456 / 14,2 - 7th 595 Brad Keselowski 8867 / 14,9 - 8th 577 Greg Biffle 8772 15,2 575 Joey Logano 8574 14,9 559 Kurt Busch 9054 16,2 - 11th, better than: #5, #24, all SHR! 545 Kasey Kahne 8388 15,4 - 12th 530 Jeff Gordon 8594 16,2 - 13th 530 Martin Truex, Jr, 8790 16,6 - 14th 521 Jamie McMurray 9058 17,4 515 Ryan Newman 8748 17 - 16th 501 Tony Stewart 8065 16,1 - 17th 494 Paul Menard 8740 17,7 477 Aric Almirola 8776 18,4 453 Jeff Burton 8837 19,5 453 Marcos Ambrose 8876 19,6 - 21th 452 Juan Montoya 8868 19,6 - 22th 451 Ricky Stenhouse 8971 19,9 - 23th 428 QUALITY DRV 4579 21 = Virtual water-line 384 Casey Mears 8901 23,2 326 Mark Martin 6646 20,4 - 25th 321 Denny Hamlin 6999 21,8 - 26th 496. murb posted: 08.28.2013 - 1:49 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Not surprised about Larson to the 42. I have faith that one day he will be a Cup superstar. It should be interesting to see how he runs next year. One thing I was very surprised to see though was Scott Dixon listed as one of the potential candidates for the 42 car on Jayski's 2014 team chart. Is Dixon legitimately looking to make a move to Nascar or was that just some fantasy idea someone worked up? I haven't heard anything about this. 497. IndyRed posted: 08.28.2013 - 2:04 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) I guess I fall in the minority of not wanting Larson in the 42. He's just too young, and we have so many examples of what happens when young drivers move up too soon. Even though they have the talent behind the wheel, I think it is the constant spotlight and pressure to perform that gets them. Wreck in a lower series one week and people just say that your learning, wreck in the Cup series and people start questioning your driving ability. And it just has to be weird to have spent your whole life as the "next big thing" and then in one or two years the next big things are nipping at your heels... 498. 83andJoe posted: 08.28.2013 - 4:01 am Rate this comment: (1) (0) "I don't think Tony was exactly enthralled with what I did, But I think he saw it my way, you know? Either that or get out of the building." - Gene Haas. Well, then. 499. NicoRosbergFan posted: 08.28.2013 - 5:54 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Now, now people... it's not nice to talk about the mentally ill [Gene Haas]. 500. Anonymous posted: 08.28.2013 - 5:55 am Rate this comment: (0) (1) 500! You goin' down n' wrong Bro Jackson! 501. NicoRosbergFan posted: 08.28.2013 - 7:43 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) I will have the IndyCar standings and this week's predictions up by this afternoon. My class schedule is hectic right now. 502. Smiff_2 posted: 08.28.2013 - 10:02 am Rate this comment: (3) (0) Wow, I've missed a lot! lol Not that any of you are particularly interested, but the wedding went off without a hitch and I am now blissfully married! Not to mention, the Misses even let me watch the last 30 laps in our hotel room! (Hey, I wouldn't marry just ANY woman....lol) And now, because I post entirely too little, my thoughts on some of this week's hot topics: -Kyle Larson: If you'd asked me in April, I'd have said NO WAY should he be in Cup in 2014. But now? I've seen enough out of him to know he will NOT be the next Atwood or Sorenson. I've had this opinion for the last few weeks, but I really felt validated when Johnson explained *his* view on it (he nailed it, btw). Larson may not have breached Victory Lane yet, but I'm confident the more powerful Cup cars will suit his style quite well much better than the power-challenged Natiowide cars. -Kurt Busch to SHR: I was disappointed with this. Aside from pit crew performance issues, that 78 car has been FAST this year and Kurt's kept himself (relatively) calm. I was *really* hoping he'd stay there and make it his own, but ultimately, money talks. (Honestly, I think he'd have been more effective in the 42 than in a start-up 4th team at SHR, but whatever. It's his decision) -Gene Haas: Seriously, dude? I know you're bitter with Smoke for refusing to give up the dirt racing, but c'mon, man! If it wasn't for Stewart, your operation would still be floundering in relative obscurity! I know you're the founder (and that you essentially GAVE Tony half of the team), but still, you don't bite the hand that feeds you. And as far as I can tell, you've been "eating" pretty good since '09, bro. -Injuries: 2012 and 2013...wtf is going on? McClure, Annett, Hamlin, Stewart, and now Truex. I know there's no real underlying cause for them, but it's just weird. I can't remember the last time we had so many guys runnin' hurt (or in Stewart's case, sitting on the sidelines). As someone said earlier, hopefully it's just coincidence and not a ongoing trend. -Newman: If he doesn't end up at Childress, where does he go?? .........aaaaaand I'm spent. 503. The Long Shot posted: 08.28.2013 - 10:32 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Happy birthday, NicoRosbergFan! 504. cjs3872 posted: 08.28.2013 - 10:50 am Rate this comment: (0) (1) Smiff_2, I wouldn't include Tony Stewart in that list of NASCAR drivers that were injured, because his injuries did not even come in a NASCAR event, but rather his sprint car crash. And Truex's broken wrist is certainly unrelated to the others, since that had very little to do with the car itself. his situation was just a case of bad luck, but it's also why drivers such as Danica Patrick adopted the idea of taking their hands off the wheel when they know a crash is inevitable. Obviously, Truex did not have that particular option Saturday night, but his particular injury is why Danica and a few others have adopted that for single-car incidents. And although people have gotten on Gene Haas for his handling of the Kurt Busch situation, going behind Tony's back to do it, his being upset at Tony is certainly understandable, because he got hurt in a race he shouldn't have even been in. We all know why Stewart does it, and his devotion to sprint car racing in all capacities, from driving to owning teams to owning a track, should be commended, but that was not the right time to have been running such a race. 505. David posted: 08.28.2013 - 11:03 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) I'll bet Smiff's new bride was pretty happy that Matt Kenseth won. And yes, happy birthday to "Old Man Alex" NicoRosbergFan. 506. Smiff_2 posted: 08.28.2013 - 11:15 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Yes, David, she was quite pleased Kenseth took it....lol. And although Keselowski had a rough night, Johnson had an even WORSE night, so I can't complain about the outcome (although I really am starting to sweat it in regards to Brad. He needs a win, BAD) And YES, cjs, I'm well aware of Stewart's injury being the result of a non-NASCAR event. I was simply remarking on the currently high number of injured NASCAR drivers lately (regardless of the source of injury). 507. Paul posted: 08.28.2013 - 11:37 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Harry Scott, Jr. (co-owner of Turner Scott Motorsports) has now officially purchased Phoenix Racing from James Finch. Veteran TSM Nationwide driver Justin Allgaier will drive the Cup car for three races this season with Brandt as the primary sponsor, and will likely race full-time in Cup next season. 508. Paul posted: 08.28.2013 - 11:46 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) The three races at which Allgaier will drive the #51 Brandt Cup car will be Chicago (his home track), Charlotte, and Talladega. Ryan Truex still has two races left in the #51 car. Not sure who will drive the car in the remaining seven races, but my guess is that AJ Allmendinger will get a few more opportunities. 509. The Long Shot posted: 08.28.2013 - 12:06 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I would not be surprised if Kyle Larson got most, if not all of those remaining seven races. I don't agree with the decision to move him up to Cup so early, but if Ganassi is planning on giving him a Cup ride next year, I could see him working out a deal with Turner-Scott to give Larson those seven races for developmental purposes. If not Larson, then I agree that A.J. Allmendinger will probably get the majority of those races, although I could also see TSM giving one of their other drivers a chance at one or two Cup races. James Buescher is probably the likeliest candidate for the ride if that were to happen. 510. Paul posted: 08.28.2013 - 12:53 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) One more thing on the Gene Haas/Kurt Busch/SHR saga: I've heard that competition director Greg Zipadelli originally wanted to start up a Nationwide team (Not sure whether it would be used as a farm system or to give their Cup drivers additional seat time.), but Gene Haas overruled Zipadelli, saying that he would rather have a bad 4th Cup team than to start up a Nationwide team (presumably because there's more money to be made in Cup than in Nationwide). I think it's clear that with Tony Stewart incapacitated, there's a new sheriff running the town known as Stewart-Haas Racing. 511. 83andJoe posted: 08.28.2013 - 12:54 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) >I could see him working out a deal with Turner-Scott to give Larson those seven races for developmental purposes. Point of order: from what I can tell, /Turner-Scott/ has NOT bought Phoenix Racing, /Harry Scott/ has. Somewhat like how Mark Smith owns the Tri-Star NNS team and part of the #19 Cup team but the Cup team is Humphrey Smith Racing, not Tri-Star. 512. NicoRosbergFan posted: 08.28.2013 - 1:07 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Thanks, guys! :) 513. jabber1990 posted: 08.28.2013 - 1:08 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) 450. Benjamin Lowe posted: 08.27.2013 - 7:34 am Rate this comment: For some reason I see Gordon getting into politics when he retires from NASCAR. my mom and I have talked about that too, she was kinda sad that he didn't take over the co-host chair of the Kelly Ripa show but she'd love to see him in television, Hollywood, and yes, possibly politics. somebody once told me "Jeff Gordon is too politically correct" so, maybe that wont happen 514. jabber1990 posted: 08.28.2013 - 1:12 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Tony Stewart said on "Tony Stewart Live" that he'd like to see Larson in the cup series because he'd probably have more success, the car has more power and its more like something he'd be used to. if anyone is qualified to say that I belive its him look at Tony's last 3 predictions, 2 of them were true "this will work I know it" (about SHR) "we don't deserve to be in the chase this year" (keep reading) "Told ya!" (2011) 515. cjs3872 posted: 08.28.2013 - 1:18 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Smiff_2, Brad doesn't need a win to make the Chase, but he needs to avoid runs like he had at Bristol. Getting in a crash is one thing, because sometimes, especially at a place like Bristol, that's unavoidable (even the leader got spun by a lapped car), but he never ran that well the entire night. As Tony Stewart famously said two years ago, what good is being in the Chase when you're not running that well. Brad's in that predicament now. If he did sneak into the chase, all he would be doing is taking up a spot that may belong to someone that's running better. If you look at those in the top 15 in points, nobody's run poorly more often than Keselowski has (yes, even more often than Jeff Gordon), which is made even worse by the fact that I think his teammate Joey Logano may be Ford's best shot at the title this year if he gets in the Chase, which is far from a certainty. And even though the "Scott" in Turner-Scott Motorsports has purchased the #51 team, Bobby Labonte will be in the car at Atlanta, but I do expect Justin Allgaier to be the driver next year, and despite what many, myself included, have said about him, I think he deserves a shot in the Cup Series. You don't win at places like Bristol and Montreal, as Allgaier has done in the Nationwide Series, without having some ability, and I think he deserves a shot. And I'm not sure how much longer Ford would even allow Ryan Truex in the #51 car, since he's now a Ford development driver (Richard Petty Motorsports IS a Ford team, after all), so there might be someone else in that car for those races, as well. We might see Allmendinger, Labonte, Regan Smith, Allgaier, or even Kyle Larson in that car for the other races, possibly even those Truex was supposed to be in if Ford doesn't allow him to be in that car any more. Especially Larson, if he is, indeed named the driver of the #42 car for next year to get some Cup experience. After all, Ganassi now uses HMS engines, as does the #51 car, so there might be a deal made between Scott and Ganassi to have Larson run that car in a few races. It would be a bad idea for Larson to go into the Cup Series full-time cold turkey, so we'll probably se Larson in the car some if he's signed by Ganassi to drive the #42 car next year. 516. 83andJoe posted: 08.28.2013 - 1:28 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Phoenix Racing already had pre-existing committments to run Bobby at Atlanta, and Ryan Truex at Richmond, it would appear; Scott's assuming ownership will take effect after the Richmond race. 517. The Long Shot posted: 08.28.2013 - 1:32 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "Point of order: from what I can tell, /Turner-Scott/ has NOT bought Phoenix Racing, /Harry Scott/ has. Somewhat like how Mark Smith owns the Tri-Star NNS team and part of the #19 Cup team but the Cup team is Humphrey Smith Racing, not Tri-Star." True, but Humphrey-Smith Racing uses Tri-Star Motorsports drivers for the most part, so I would expect the same to be true for Phoenix Racing/Harry Scott and Turner-Scott Motorsports. "And I'm not sure how much longer Ford would even allow Ryan Truex in the #51 car, since he's now a Ford development driver" He's been a Ford development driver for months now, and yet he still drove that #51 at Bristol last week. He won't be driving for Phoenix Racing next year, but there shouldn't be any problems this year. 518. DaleSrFanForever posted: 08.28.2013 - 2:14 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) The worry with Larson in the 42 is that it simply isn't a good car. Will running his ass off week after week for 18th place ruin his confidence? Did Gene Haas really make the "get out of the building" comment? I'm sure he's pissed, he gave Tony half that organization for free and now he has just pissed a season away, but that shouldn't be said publically. 519. murb posted: 08.28.2013 - 2:15 pm Rate this comment: (2) (0) Man, and we thought Danica was the team obliterator over there at SHR. Gene Haas is just killing the team chemistry over there. Throwing your co-owner and star driver under the bus like that? Wow, what a moron. Glad to see Allgaier get a Cup shot with this Scott deal. I don't know if he can turn into a good Cup driver or not, but he at least deserves a shot at it. 520. 83andJoe posted: 08.28.2013 - 2:32 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) >Did Gene Haas really make the "get out of the building" comment? Quoted on Jayski from an ESPN/AP article, apparently laughing as he did so. 521. cjs3872 posted: 08.28.2013 - 2:35 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Exactly right about Allgaier, murb. His personality might turn people off, but the fact remains that, even though he's only won three times in the Nationwide Series, it's where he's won that has impressed people like me. You don't win at Bristol and Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal (and should have won at Road America in 2011) by being a hack. You win at those particular places by being a talented (and versatile) driver, and I'm glad he's finally going to get his shot at the Cup Series. He might not be able to produce at the Cup level, but we'll never know unless he gets a chance. I said that about Travis Pastrana in regards to the Nationwide Series earlier this year, and he's proven that he can't cut it. But we wouldn't have known that if he hadn't gotten the chance in a good car. Now granted the #51 car isn't what I would call a good car (top 20 at the very best), but if Allgaier can approach what the other drivers have done in that car for the races he'll drive it, bad luck not withstanding, then I would say he might have a future in the Cup Series. Smith and Allmendinger have been competitive in that car, while Austin Dillon was able to finish races in it, which was his main goal, regardless of where he ran. I think Bobby Labonte could be competitive in that car this week, especially if he shows the fire he showed at Bristol, when he finally looked like the champion he is. And The Long Shot, I think the reason Ford is letting him run these races is twofold. First, they'd like for him to get more seat time before jumping in the waters with RPM's Nationwide team next year. Secondly, he had signed with Phoenix Racing to run those races before he signed with RPM and became a Ford development driver. As a result, Ford and RPM may also benefit from Ryan Truex getting seat time in the Cup Series, although Bristol was far from what he wanted. However, his being in the Richmond race could get interesting because of how he might try to help his older brother Martin, Jr. get into the Chase if he's not already locked in. That could be an interesting situation to watch, if it unfolds. 522. SpeedWorld97 posted: 08.28.2013 - 3:04 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I know I'm a bit late since I haven't been near a computer all day but happy birthday NicoRosbergFan. Also, I just found out about Kyle Larson taking over the 42 ride. I have a few thoughts: -Is this the week of "Idiotic Car Owner Decisions" or something? First, Gene Haas signs Kurt Busch behind Stewart's back, then Ganassi does this? -I hate to say this, because I've really come to like Kyle as a racecar driver, but Chip Ganassi might have just ruined Kyle's racing career. We've seen this stunt pulled too many times before by owners like Evernham, Gibbs, etc. and what has happened to who they hired? Casey Atwood has fallen off the face of the earth and Joey Logano took a few years until he finally began running well, but that's only because Gibbs and Penske never gave up on him, which Evernham did to Atwood. -What I want to know is if Ryan Newman was ever even considered for the ride. I guess Chip Ganassi would rather give a rookie the opportunity than an experienced veteran. 523. Hoodpins posted: 08.28.2013 - 3:16 pm Rate this comment: (2) (0) Looks like the RotY battle next year will be good for the first time in a while 524. murb posted: 08.28.2013 - 3:21 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "but Chip Ganassi might have just ruined Kyle's racing career." Again, Larson has adapted to every situation that has been thrown at him thus far. I thought he should have run a year in Trucks before NNS, but he's proved me wrong in NNS this year. And I actually agree with what Jimmie Johnson said (I know, shocker) about him. He said that Kyle will probably run better in Cup than NNS because he's used to having a lot of power and no grip in sprint cars. So while I was criticizing this news when it initially came out, the more I've thought about it, maybe Kyle is ready for Cup. More experience in a lower series certainly wouldn't have hurt, but at the same time, the only way to get experience for Cup is to actually be in the Cup Series. So I wouldn't be calling Larson's career dead yet. The key will be how they manage him. If Ganassi gives him time and lets him develop (the opposite of what he did to Jason Leffler), Larson will be totally fine. And with all the hype around Larson, I gotta believe that Ganassi will be at least smart enough to give him time. 525. murb posted: 08.28.2013 - 3:24 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "Looks like the RotY battle next year will be good for the first time in a while" Yep. This year's battle has been intriguing, but mainly because it's basically been a contest to see who can have the most pathetic rookie season (and the fact that they're boyfriend and girlfriend is intriguing too, I guess). But yeah, Larson, Allgaier, and Dillon should actually make for the best real battle we've had in years. 526. David posted: 08.28.2013 - 3:55 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) 2014 is going to be a fun year. 527. NicoRosbergFan posted: 08.28.2013 - 4:42 pm Rate this comment: (0) (2) Remember that Bryan Clauson beat the living crap out of Larson in USAC, and Larson got thrown straight into an NNS car with about five stock car races under his belt, and then threw Clauson under the bus when he didn't succeed immediately at a time where Ganassi's Cup team was lucky to run in the top-15. 528. 18fan posted: 08.28.2013 - 5:19 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Bobby Labonte suffered broken ribs in a cycling accident and will be unable to race at Atlanta. Mike Bliss will drive the #51 car. 529. The Long Shot posted: 08.28.2013 - 5:26 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Wow. What an insane week this has been. Hate that for Bobby Labonte, but it's great to see Mike Bliss getting a chance to drive a fully-funded Cup car for once. 530. Dave #38 Fan-Go Gilliland! posted: 08.28.2013 - 5:28 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "One more thing on the Gene Haas/Kurt Busch/SHR saga: I've heard that competition director Greg Zipadelli originally wanted to start up a Nationwide team (Not sure whether it would be used as a farm system or to give their Cup drivers additional seat time.)" Don't believe what the Nascar media says, after a drivers rookie season in cup, the "seat time" excuse for running NNS doens't hold water. 531. Schroeder51 posted: 08.28.2013 - 5:34 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Sheesh, Bobby Labonte is out with injuries now as well? 2013: The Year of the Injured Driver. 532. DaleSrFanForever posted: 08.28.2013 - 5:55 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Good gosh, if I were a driver I'd be staying in a bubble right now. This is insane. 533. 83andJoe posted: 08.28.2013 - 6:24 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) *removes (non-existiant) glasses, polishes them furiously* Dear Lord. 534. murb posted: 08.28.2013 - 6:25 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Damn, speedy recovery for Bobby. This is the year of the injured driver. 535. NoLongerAnonymous posted: 08.28.2013 - 7:41 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Sucks for Bobby Labonte, especially given the already rough season he's had. I hope this is a one-race thing and he can return at Richmond. "it's great to see Mike Bliss getting a chance to drive a fully-funded Cup car for once." I wouldn't call a car that carries the Phoenix Construction eagle on the car for half the races fully-funded, but it sure beats the crap out of valeting. It will be good to see Bliss have a chance to actually finish a race, but it will take a great drive from him to even have a chance at the top 20, as this team hasn't had one since Charlotte in May. I called it a few races ago, and now Ganassi is prepared to announce that Kyle Larson will be driving the #42 next season. Given Ganassi's cup history, this is a pretty typical move. I don't expect Larson to set the world on fire right away, but I do expect he'll be in the top 20 in points with multiple top 5s before becoming a solid Chase contender and race winner in subsequent seasons. I really hope being promoted too soon isn't detrimental to his career as I haven't been this excited about a young driver in a long time. 536. JG24FanForever posted: 08.28.2013 - 8:29 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "2007 definitely belongs to Jimmie. If there wasn't a chase how do you know Jimmie doesn't get a 7.0 average finish? He obviously uses the regular season mostly as a testing session." Johnson isn't good enough to get a 7.0 average finish over 36 races. I give 2007 to Gordon for notching a Top 10 finish at every race-track!! On top of dominating the most races, and winning the most poles, and leading the most laps, and finishing in the Top 4 in 7 straight races, and another stretch of 10 straight finishes of ninth or better, and finishing in the Top 10 in the last 8 races of the year. Mind you, I only give Gordon the season by a whisker. 537. joey2448 posted: 08.28.2013 - 9:35 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I think we're right in the middle of another big transitional period for NASCAR, as it appears the old guard is on the way out (guys like Gordon, Martin, Junior, Labonte, even Jimmie Johnson), and the new guard is coming in (Larson, Allgaier, Dillon, Keselowski, Stenhouse, Bayne, Kligerman, Bubba...etc). If you look back at NASCAR's history, you can see other times of transition, such as: -Richard Petty's rise to dominance in the mid-60's -Guys like Waltrip, Elliott and Earnhardt entering the sport in the early 80's -1992. This year in particular was huge (Petty retiring, Gordon entering, the 90's boom starting with younger drivers and the technology of the sport changing drastically) -Early 2000's with guys like Stewart, Junior, Kenseth, Newman, Johnson, Biffle, McMurray and Kahne making their entrances. I think some of those drivers I just mentioned are still competitive, but will have trouble keeping up with both the changing technology and the influx of young, fast drivers. Oh, and now we have Bobby Labonte out with an injury??? That makes McClure, Annett, Hamlin, Stewart, Truex and Labonte that have suffered injuries! (Took this list from Smiff_2) 538. The Long Shot posted: 08.28.2013 - 9:53 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Don't forget Dexter Stacey, Smiff_2 and joey. He suffered a concussion in a wreck at the Richmond Nationwide race and was forced to miss the next race at Talladega. And NLA, I said in my silly season predictions that Larson would be moving up to Cup full-time with EGR, although I predicted him to replace Jamie McMurray instead of Juan Montoya. As I've said about a hundred times, I think they're rushing him in a year too early, but I will go back on my statement a bit and reiterate what Paul, murb, and others have said: if there was ever a driver who was ready for Cup after just 1 full-time season in Nationwide, it would be Larson. He seems to have matured a lot as a person and as a driver as the season has gone along. 539. David posted: 08.28.2013 - 10:25 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "-Guys like Waltrip, Elliott and Earnhardt entering the sport in the early 80's" Well, they actually hit their peak in the '80s. All three of them entered the sport in the '70s. And let's add Ryan Truex to the list of injured, as he was set to drive the Cup races at Richmond and Dover in the spring, but was sidelined by a broken collarbone. 540. JG24FanForever posted: 08.28.2013 - 10:38 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) This weekend marks the 64th consecutive season that a 500 mile race has been held on Labor Day weekend, with a lot of those being held on Labor day Monday. This event can be traced all the way back to 1941 when they held a 250 mile stock-car race at the legendary Lakewood raceway in Atlanta. This race turned out to be the last before World War II. The next stock-car event wouldn't be held until 1946 at Greenville-Pickens speedway, a track that iv'e frequented so much that I don't even want to go to anymore. Jeff Gordon broke the all-time record for Labor Day event wins with his 6th, on the 70th anniversary of the last stock-car race held before World War II, at Atlanta in 2011. All-time Labor Day event winners: 1. Jeff Gordon//////6 (5 Darlington, 1 Atlanta) 2. Cale Yarborough/////5 (All at Darlington) 3. Bobby Allison////4 (All at Darlington) 4. Herb Thomas///3 (All at Darlington 5. David Pearson///3 (All at Darlington) 6. Buck Baker///3 (All at Darlington) 7. Dale Earnhardt///3 (All at Darlington) 8. Bill Elliott///3 (All at Darlington) 9. Richard Petty+Darrell Waltrip+Tony Stewart+Lee Petty+Rusty Wallace///3 (2 Darlington, 1 Atlanta) 541. Baker posted: 08.28.2013 - 10:43 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Stewart's own boss doesn't even respect him. I hope Tony does leave the building and move on from the hell hole that is NASCAR. 542. RCRandPenskeGuy posted: 08.29.2013 - 12:02 am Rate this comment: (2) (1) Lol, if Tony got out of the building, Gene Haas' team would be right back to running midpack. His team didn't do shit before Tony came along. 543. 83andJoe posted: 08.29.2013 - 2:00 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Meanwhile, Henry Scott peeks behind the curtain at Phoenix: he says all they've really needed is sponsorship - and he already has some. So much for Finch's can't-find-sponsors spiel. 544. OldSchoolNascarDude1 posted: 08.29.2013 - 2:35 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) How fitting that Mike Bliss may be the last driver to race for James Finch in Cup competition. I'll never forget a few years ago when Finch fired Bliss in the Nationwide Series, but then called him up to park his Cup car the following weekend. It's an odd relationship, but they must have a lot of respect for each other. 545. 83andJoe posted: 08.29.2013 - 3:07 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) >How fitting that Mike Bliss may be the last driver to race for James Finch in Cup competition. Actually, Ryan Truex is supposed to run the car at Richmond next week before he hands the keys over to Scott, but yeah, it's danged appropriate he's one of the last. 546. Daniel posted: 08.29.2013 - 10:21 am Rate this comment: (1) (0) A.J. Allmendinger has been offered a full-time ride with JTG-Daugherty Racing. 547. Scott B posted: 08.29.2013 - 10:30 am Rate this comment: (1) (2) Nice timimg on the announcement that Allmendinger's been offered the #47 ride for next season. Stay classy, JTG-Daugherty. 548. Paul posted: 08.29.2013 - 10:47 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Bobby Labonte was also offered a position within JTG Daugherty Racing, but has yet to indicate what his 2014 plans will look like (i.e full-time driver, part-time driver, retirement, etc.). 549. cjs3872 posted: 08.29.2013 - 11:11 am Rate this comment: (1) (0) Classy, Scott B? Remember that this team (JTG-Daugherty) is owned by the same individual that about destroyed the Wood Brothers Racing team about seven or eight years ago, Tad Geschickter. The irony in all that is that it was the JTG-Daugherty car that pushed the Wood Brothers car to victory in the 2011 Daytona 500. But lets not forget that the primary owner of JTG-Daugherty Racing is the same man that put the Wood Brothers in such a bad condition that they were failing to qualify for races they were contenders in just a few short years earlier, so there's a character issue regarding the man heading up that operation and class has never been his strong suit, so why would it change now? 550. The Sound posted: 08.29.2013 - 11:46 am Rate this comment: (0) (1) Sounds like the tire compound at Atlanta will theoretically produce better wear. So much for Jeff's advantage. Ha. Not that I was expecting a win regardless. 551. Bro Jackson posted: 08.29.2013 - 11:57 am Rate this comment: (1) (2) Wow have I been out of the loop. Congrats, I guess, to Kyle Larson. Definitely a step up for Kurt. As far as my prediction, I said the 88 would get 1 top-10 in the last 3 races. That was the one. Now I'm still sticking with the prediction he blows a tire, wrecks, gets a penalty, runs poorly, has a part or engine failure or runs over something, or some other random thing happens keeping the team out of the Chase. I gotta stick to my gut feeling on this one. However, if he gets a top-five I might have egg on my face after Richmond, though I'm not expecting it. 552. DaleSrFanForever posted: 08.29.2013 - 1:20 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Cjs, Scott B was being facetious. Also the Drive To End Hunger motorhome caught fire. So all the bad luck from everything surrounding Gordon cannot possibly get any worse. 553. cjs3872 posted: 08.29.2013 - 1:30 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I hope he was being facetious, DSFF, because effectively dismantling arguably the proudest team in the history of the sport is about as low as it gets. Now was that the #24 team's motorhome you were referring to? If it was, maybe Jeff's bad luck is out of the way for this week, because it can't get any worse that having much of what you're bringing catch fire on the way to the track. And The Sound, just because the tire for Atlanta is having "better wear", that doesn't mean it's not going to wear. The hardest tire Goodyear can bring is going to wear at Atlanta because of the age of the track surface, and there's nothing Goodyear, or any other tire company can do about it. As long as it wears to the point where the teams have to change all four tires on each put stop, and it lasts a full 70-80 mile fuel run is all that can be asked for. 554. murb posted: 08.29.2013 - 1:36 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I read that it was Gordon's souvenir trailer that caught on fire, not his motorhome. 555. 18fan posted: 08.29.2013 - 2:12 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Brad thinks that the Atlanta tire is great because it combines grip, fall off, and safety that they won't blow. 556. cjs3872 posted: 08.29.2013 - 2:37 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Of course 18fan, it's extremely difficult, if not impossible a tire of any compound to grip a 16-year old track surface that peels rubber from the tires like a cheese grader. I just hope they're not trying to make NASCAR like IndyCar racing, which seems to have happened in recent years, from the diminishing of the length of the fuel runs to making the cars lighter, and even to the 200 MPH lap speeds at Michigan. But Brad's right. There needs to be a balance between wear and grip, because they don't need to be running the same speeds through a fuel run, nor be able to use one set of tires for close to half the race, but at the same time, make a tire that will wear and slow down, and have a safe tire. And murb, regardless of what caught fire, Gordon and his fans have to hope that their bad luck is out of the way for this weekend with this little episode, AND that they run well. They don't have to win. The events at Bristol made it so that they can do close to what they did last year (finish in the top 5 and still make it, even without winning) and still make it, but they have to run well. One bad finish, and Gordon may be out of it, even if he wins the other one of the two races, due to points position. 557. Dave #38 Fan-Go Gilliland! posted: 08.29.2013 - 3:11 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) A.J. to the #47 is a very bad move. Roger Penske struck with A.J. through something that every other owner in the sport would have thrown him under the bus for. Brad Dautherty and JTG are the owners who on multiple occasions have said that they and there sponsors are in the sport for marketing purposes, and that winning races is not something they're concerned with, and as CJS said, have bene involved in many shady deals in past, including nearly driving the Wood Brothers to shut down. Which team would you drive for, if given the chance? If A.J. signs with the #47 team to run full-time next year, all the hard work he's done over the last year and a half to rebuild his reputation and career goes down the toilet. 558. murb posted: 08.29.2013 - 4:18 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Fox Sports is reporting that this AJ to the 47 deal has been agreed to. Not sure how I feel about this. I'm happy to see AJ finally get a full time ride, but I just hope that the idiots that run that team don't screw him over. 559. Scott B posted: 08.29.2013 - 4:27 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Yeah, I'm not usually sarcastic, but I was being snarky about JTG-Daugherty. Anyone with a sense of decency would delay their press conference instead of holding it while the guy they're replacing is in the hospital with broken ribs from a cycling accident. I don't know what they offered Bobby, but I'm sure they're just throwing him a bone to save face from saying he's fired. It could be part-time with a second car (which they've talked about forever), or a non-driving job like spotting. I would hope Bobby would be wise enough not to be the flunkie who gets stuck driving their second team car, as they clearly are doing the bare minimum to keep a single car team on the track. Look at how far other teams like Furniture Row or Front Row Racing have progressed in a few seasons, in contrast to JTG-Daugherty being stuck in second gear. The problem starts at the top. 560. cjs3872 posted: 08.29.2013 - 4:31 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Not necessarily so, @557. Sure, there's a good likelihood that might happen. But if the rumors are true about them (JTG-Daugherty) switching to Chevrolet and aligning themselves with Richard Childress Racing, it might b a good thing for Allmendinger and JTG-Daugherty. Just look at what's happened with Furniture Row Racing with their alliance with RCR. They won the Southern 500 with Regan Smith in 2011 and was able to sign a champion in his prime like Kurt Busch, and Furniture Row still has a definite chance at making the Chase. And that opportunity has given Busch another chance to show what he can do. Despite winning a championship and 24 races, you can legitimately say this has been his greatest year, despite not winning a race to this point. And what Busch has done is to allow Furniture Row to go after someone like Ryan Newman, who has victories in NASCAR's two biggest events, or Juan Montoya, who has wins in arguably the two biggest races a non-NASCAR driver can win without assistance. They would not have this opportunity if not for their alliance with RCR, and if the rumors are true regarding the alliance with Childress, JTG-Daugherty may get this same chance, as will driver A.J Allmendinger. Let's also not forget that JTG-Daugherty actually was pretty competitive with drier Marcos Ambrose when they were aligned with Michael Waltrip Racing. In fact, MWR's drivers will tell you that it was that alliance that was a big reason they're as successful on the road courses as they are now. Trying to go it alone was their biggest mistake, and I think they have realized that. Remember the big thing that caused the situation with the Wood Brothers was that the alliance with Jack Roush that the Woods had was broken by the time Tad Geschickter partnered in, and his mismanagement was what nearly destroyed the Wood Brothers. And that's why the mere fact that it was the JTG-Daugherty car that pushed the Wood Brothers to the win in the 2011 Daytona 500 couldn't have been a more ironic twist, given what happened between Geschickter and the Woods several years earlier. 561. cjs3872 posted: 08.29.2013 - 4:40 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) Scott B, did I not mention when Labonte was first taken out of the car prior to the June race at Michigan that it was a sure sign that Labonte and the #47 team were parting company. I said then that you don't treat a champion like that indiscriminately. And actually, I believe that this has been in the works almost since then, and I believe that they had always wanted to make the announcement this weekend. (Just look at the other announcements that have been made, or are giung to be made this week.) The fact that Labonte got hurt on the weekend of the announcement, which also comes at his best track, was simply a case of bizarre timing. And JTG-Daugherty's biggest mistake is being a single-car team with no affiliations, but if they're going to Chevrolet and partnering with Childress, as rumors say they are, then they should be more competitive next year. And this is no slight on the much-respected Labonte, but having a younger driver like Almendinger helps as well, and I think the higher-ups at JTG-Daugherty also knew that. Let's hope Labonte lands on his feet someplace he can be competitive, because Bristol showed that, under the right conditions, he still has it. 562. Uninformed posted: 08.29.2013 - 5:27 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) What exactly did Geschickter do to the Wood Brothers? 563. Benjamin Lowe posted: 08.29.2013 - 5:27 pm Rate this comment: (3) (0) What a year this has been for NASCAR multiple lead changes, side by side racing, fender banging, tire bashing mayhem, Numerous first time winners with photo finishes and fist fights galore The 2013 NASCAR season will be year that none of us will never ever forget (BTW this whole post is completely fictitious) 564. Anonymous posted: 08.29.2013 - 5:36 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I agree this has been an underwhelming season 565. The Long Shot posted: 08.29.2013 - 5:49 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) While I'm here, a very happy "Sweet 16" to SpeedWorld97! 566. cjs3872 posted: 08.29.2013 - 5:56 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) #562, just look at what happened to their team in the two or three years he ran it. In 2005-'06, they were a team still capable of running in the top ten on a good weekend. In 2008, the couldn't even qualify for events that they used to own, including the Daytona 500 and the Coca-Cola 600, among others, and I remember one race at Talladega where they qualified, but immediately went to the garage within a few laps because they had to change their complete set-up because they had to run a set-up that could qualify, but they couldn't race with, and Talladega's an impound race, so they couldn't change it prior to the start. That was an example of what happened to the Wood Brothers from the time Tad Geschickter got there to the time he left. He basically left that team in shambles, and they had to ask, or even beg Ford to help pick up the pieces in 2009, with Roush coming in to help in 2010. That's how bad it got for the Wood Brothers. 567. 83andJoe posted: 08.29.2013 - 6:34 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) According to ESPN, Allmendinger to the 47 is a done deal, three year contract. 568. SpeedWorld97 posted: 08.29.2013 - 6:38 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Thank you very much, The Long Shot. And cjs3872, the Talladega race you refer to in post #566 was the 2008 Aaron's 499, in which Jon Wood, driving the 21 car, went immediately to the garage to change setups less than ten laps into the race, then spent the rest of the race 20 laps down. I remember thinking at the time that that was one of the dumbest things a team has ever done. 569. Dave #38 Fan-Go Gilliland! posted: 08.29.2013 - 6:41 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) cjs3872, you make some good points about the wood brothers decline, but not all of the blame can be placed on Tad Geschickter. Several other factors including focusing on running Nationwide and Truck series teams at the expense of their cup program, trying to keep a single car cup team competitive (which takes a driver of Kurt Busch's caliber, not a past their prime Ricky Rudd, Ken Schrader or Bil Elliott) and there's also the fact that the Wood Brothers / JTG were banking on Jon Wood being the future of the team. Big mistake. 570. cjs3872 posted: 08.29.2013 - 6:50 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) But Dave, they were very competitive with Ricky Rudd driving from 2003-'05, even though they didn't win. The downturn started in 2006, and the teams that were run in the Nationwide and Truck Series were basically run by the JTG side of the operation, as they were veterans of those series. And it certainly was a mistake banking on Jon Wood to be the future, but let's not forget that just as his Cup career was about to begin, he ran into a pretty serious illness, so bad luck also played a part. The intention was to have a two-car team with Jon Wood and Marcos Ambrose, but Jon Wood's illness pretty much derailed those plans. Remember that Jon won twice in 2004 for Jack Roush in the Truck Series, so he had potential, but we'll never know how far he might have gone, because he never really got the chance. The irony of Wood's illness was that he was running a car in the Nationwide Series sponsored by Armor All, one of the first sponsors for the most successful driver of the post-Pearson era for the Wood Brothers, Neil Bonnett. Bonnett was sponsored by Armor All when he drove for Jim Stacy in 1978, and the car Wood drove for JTG's Nationwide team was painted similar to Bonnett's 1978 car. 571. David posted: 08.29.2013 - 7:04 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Happy birthday to the guy with quite possibly the most awesome username on the site, SpeedWorld97! 572. SpeedWorld97 posted: 08.29.2013 - 7:15 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Thank you, David. I chose the name after my favorite tv coverage in auto racing history: ESPN SpeedWorld (which lasted from 1979-2006). 573. NicoRosbergFan posted: 08.29.2013 - 8:24 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) I hope Bobby Labonte retires after this year if he can't get at least a mid-10s ride because I want the newer fans to remember him as that old guy from the 1990s/early 2000s who had several should-have-been-top-5s this instead of a backmarker. Likewise, I myself will always cherish watching Bobby stand with the Winston Cup. 574. cjs3872 posted: 08.29.2013 - 8:46 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) NicoRosbergFan, it might be a case of Bobby Labonte having his last great moment at the biggest race on the circuit. It always seems that, for whatever reason, the champions usually have their last great moments on the sport's biggest stages, and for Bobby, that might just be his near-miss at the 2011 Daytona 500, when he pushed Trevor Bayne to the win off that final restart. Bobby was in position to win that race himself until the Fords of Carl Edwards and David Gilliland split him and Bayne and battled it out on the final stretch for second place, with Edwards getting the nod. Had that not happened, Bobby Labonte might have won the biggest race on the circuit. As with all the champions, the best image of him is to see him at his greatest moment, which on Bobby's case, was winning the 2000 NASCAR championship, or at least in similar moments, such as when Bobby passed and ran away from Rusty Wallace at the 2000 Brickyard 400 to complete the greatest four-year stretch anyone's ever put together in that race. His finishes at Indy from 1997-2000 were second, third, second, and first. No other driver has ever finished in the top four in the Brickyard 400 four consecutive years. I'm not even sure anyone else has ever done it in three consecutive years, but Bobby did it four years in a row. To me, Bobby's win in the 2000 Brickyard 400 was his finest hour, not winning the championship later that season. The great ones perform on the biggest stages, and back then, Indy had the biggest crowds in the sport, and nobody performed there as consistently well as Bobby Labonte did in those four years. The only thing that may compare would be Benny Parsons finishing in the top three in four consecutive Daytona 500s from 1975-'78 (first, third, second, third), which is fitting because Benny and Bobby were similar drivers who knew how to get the most out of their cars when they actually needed it. 575. The Sound posted: 08.29.2013 - 8:51 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) So now Hamlin has a sprained hand from Truex's wreck? What a year. 576. New14 & 88Fan posted: 08.29.2013 - 11:13 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) A sprained hand is better than a permanently broken back, but seriously though what a year. 577. 12345Dude posted: 08.30.2013 - 7:09 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) AJ Allmendinger signs 3 year deal with JTG Daughtry Racing. I don't understand it. Even though Kurt Busch has had so much speed this year, look at all the troubles he has had. And JTG Daughtry Racing is a worse run team than Furniture Row. http://espn.go.com/racing/nascar/story/_/id/9612685/aj-allmendinger-accepts-three-year-deal-jtg-daugherty-racing 578. startandparkfan posted: 08.30.2013 - 7:40 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) A sprained hand is no big deal, I had one once. 579. David posted: 08.30.2013 - 8:48 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) What happened to Bobby Labonte this week was literally insult to injury. Oh well... 580. Rumor Miller posted: 08.30.2013 - 9:11 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) The word making the rounds this morning is that JTG may be working on a deal with Penske Racing to run as a satellite team next year. They would switch to Fords as part of the deal. No announcement expected soon but something to keep your eyes on. 581. 12345Dude posted: 08.30.2013 - 9:16 am Rate this comment: (1) (0) Here's some more stuff. I think a lot of you guys are going to be upset about this. Maybe you've heard it before: This is a quote from my NASCAR Illustrated Magazine From Danica Patrick on whether she'll ever pose nude in the "Body Issue" of ESPN The Magazine "I'm not saying there never will be a day. When I speak to them and they ask me each time I say, Don't stop asking. I don't know. I might change my mind one year and it might be something that parallels something else I'm doing or where I'm at". Wow! I think we all know he stance or racing in NASCAR now. I think this confirmed it. She's using it to help her brand obviously. I'm so happy she's breaking all these records for female drivers in NASCAR. 582. 12345Dude posted: 08.30.2013 - 9:18 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Going to respond to the posts directly at me in an hour. And DSFF you might be right about Jamie McMurray. From the re-search I have done it's obviously on or the other. I'll post all the information I have learned. In an hour/2 hours...... . THE SUSPENSE 583. 12345Dude posted: 08.30.2013 - 9:19 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) *one or the other 584. cjs3872 posted: 08.30.2013 - 9:47 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Well, that also possibility, @580. Remember that Tad Geschickter does have a part with Ford, albeit not a very good one, so that's also a possibility. But I do notice that some of the Ford teams are now beginning to partner with Penske instead of Roush. Germain Racing has partnered with Penske this year, and they've done better, and now if JTG-Daugherty partners with Penske if they go to Ford, that tells me that some of these teams are siding with Penske, as there do now appear to be two factions within Ford. It also tells me that these teams believe that partnering with Penske gives them a better chance that partnering with Roush. And given their respective histories, I think those that side with Penske may be on to something. If someone like the Wood Brothers or Front Row Motorsports ever partner with Penske, that would really be telling, especially the Wood Brothers, since they've basically become an R&D team for Roush when they run, since their driver currently is a Roush driver and their crew chef moved to the Wood Brothers from Roush. Remember that the Wood Brothers were the team that developed the FR9 engine for Roush and Richard Petty Motorsports a few years ago. 585. Scott B posted: 08.30.2013 - 10:30 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) It appears the #19 team has withdrawn from Atlanta, so it'll be 43 entries for 43 spots. The #19 has DNQ'ed several times since Landon Cassill started running in the #40, that may have influenced the decision (just a guess on that, haven't heard an official reason). 586. Smiff_2 posted: 08.30.2013 - 10:34 am Rate this comment: (1) (0) Wow, with that little nugget about JTG possibly switching to Ford, I'm now starting to understand *why* AJ signed with them. Because the deal with Penske was probably part of it from the get-go! Genius! lol 587. Anonymous posted: 08.30.2013 - 10:43 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) #585, Doh! As soon as I posted, I remembered that Mike Bliss is now in the #51 this week for Bobby Labonte... so no #19 this week. 588. Anonymous posted: 08.30.2013 - 10:51 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) I had not heard the JTG/Penske/Ford rumor, but that does make sense as a way for Roger to support AJ short of running a third team out of the Penske shop(which Sam Hormish, Jr. would be first in line for). They're certainly capable of supplying equipment, if they don't have to go out and sell the sponsorship. Win/Win. 589. Scott B posted: 08.30.2013 - 10:52 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) #587 & #588 is me. Had to reboot & came up as Anon. 590. OldSchoolNascarDude1 posted: 08.30.2013 - 12:44 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) For those that have Comcast, you may be missing out on some practice and qualifying sessions for the next two weeks for all three of the top series. According to the television schedule, FS2 is set to broadcast a bulk of the material for these next two weeks. 591. Rexrobe posted: 08.30.2013 - 3:13 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I don't know if anyone caught Kyle Petty's speech on the practice coverage just now, but that was fantastic. 592. Rexrobe posted: 08.30.2013 - 3:15 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) And let me just say that Bob Varsha is my favorite PxP guy in television right now, and it is a treat to hear him call practice. Larry Mac and KP already seem more intelligent than usual. 593. murb posted: 08.30.2013 - 3:23 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) It was an epic rant by Kyle Petty, even though I personally think Larson will be just fine. But yeah, he tore Ganassi a new one. 594. The Long Shot posted: 08.30.2013 - 3:25 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Could somebody please sum up Petty's rant for me? I unfortunately didn't see it. 595. DB1995 posted: 08.30.2013 - 3:25 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Kyle Petty just perfectly explained the Larson to Ganassi thing 596. cjs3872 posted: 08.30.2013 - 3:33 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I didn't catch it Rexrobe, but if I know Kyle Petty the way I think I do, it wouldn't surprise me, because anything could come out of his mouth at any time. And that's what makes him such a good analyst, because he's no afraid to mince words, and if criticism is to be given, he's not afraid to give it. Also, let's not forget that Kyle had most of his NASCAR success for hat organization from 1989-'96, scoring six of his eight career victories for that team when it was known as SabCo Racing. 597. 83andJoe posted: 08.30.2013 - 4:04 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Strictly speaking it was Team SABCO, but good point. Also, Ken Butler's Nationwide car (#24) will be sponsored by Re/MAX this weekend, while Nelson Piquet Jr. will be driving a Hooters car. Can we get some nostiaglia over here? Wow. 598. DaleSrFanForever posted: 08.30.2013 - 5:02 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I caught Kyle's rant about Chip's announcement and, as usual, I agree with what he said. Chip's body language and tone of voice was awful. I know he recently lost his Dad and has to be devastated by that, but he sounded like a death row inmate announcing "I will be going to The Chair in 2014". He hired Kyle Larson, considered by many to be the next big thing in the sport, developed him, amd now is making a monumental announcement in that kid's life: he is getting a full time Cup ride fully sponsored by a major company, and Chip looked and sounded like THAT. Obviously most people agree that another year of NWide would be preferable. And Chip knows better than anyone that his cars are mid pack equipment. But C'Mon! He called Kyle "the future of the sport" with all the conviction of a jacked up baseball player denying ever taking steroids. This is looking so much like Joey Lozano Part II it is disorienting. Hyped like crazy, brought up very quick to the point even the organization is obviously second guessing themselves, and as an added bonus Kyle is stepping into a second rate organization. He looks to be the next to be thrown in the NASCAR Confidence Shredding Machine (not to be confused with the Danica Excuse Generator 5000). Kyle deserves better, and it looks to be another bright young flame extinguished. Just look at Joey. As of the start of 2009 he was almost unanimously considered the next young star. Only now, over 4 uears later, he is getting his confidence back. And that is only coming after the defending Cup champ made a surprising power play demanding he be his teammate when everyone else wanted Sam in that car. 599. DaleSrFanForever posted: 08.30.2013 - 5:23 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) One thing I meant to add: compare Chip's bounding enthusiasm when he announced JPM in the 42 back in '06 to his announcement today. 600. NicoRosbergFan posted: 08.30.2013 - 8:13 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Ricky Stenhouse on the pole. 601. DB1995 posted: 08.30.2013 - 8:19 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) In sad news, Scott Speed will start and park as it has been said that he will be on standby for truex 602. RCRandPenskeGuy posted: 08.31.2013 - 2:34 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Sounds like Kyle Petty had another moment of genius and brilliance. I wish I hadn't missed it. 603. Nu3clear Wa4le posted: 10.02.2015 - 11:34 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Sponsor update #35 - Carson-Newman Univ. / Ted Russell Ford-Lincoln 604. Sandy posted: 07.17.2020 - 3:38 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) If not for engine problems for Carl Edwards all 3 roush would have accomplished the feat finishing all 36 races ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *Post a comment:* Your comment may not appear immediately - all comments must be approved by the moderator. Name: Comment: