|| *Comments on the 2014 Goody's Headache Relief Shot 500:* First Page | Previous Page | Next Page | Last Page | View All On One Page View the most recent comment | Post a comment <#post> 1. RaceFanX posted: 10.24.2014 - 6:31 pm Rate this comment: (7) (6) Kyle Fowler makes his Sprint Cup debut. 2. joey2448 posted: 10.24.2014 - 6:36 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) 11th career pole for Jamie Mac, and his second of 2014. Tony Stewart rejoined twitter and posted a tweet for the first time since the Kevin Ward accident in August, and then proceeded to qualify fourth for Sunday. Perhaps the Smoke of old is back? I hope so. Some of the Chase darkhorses qualified well, guys like Denny Hamlin in fifth, Ryan Newman in ninth and Carl Edwards in 11th. However, one of the favorites -- Kevin Harvick -- had a disastrous qualifying session, scraping the outside wall twice, and will start deep in the field in 33rd for Sunday! 3. MAR posted: 10.24.2014 - 6:41 pm Rate this comment: (2) (1) 1.The crew swap will ruin Danica's Career. 2.Suprised Harvick had all those problems in qualifying. 3.There's a Tony Stewart Citing for a change. 4.And Why is Kyle Fowler in a cup race when he has accomplished absolutely nothing yet in his career. 4. Pizzaboy posted: 10.24.2014 - 6:55 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Wow, Stewart with another stro qualifying run. Maybe Stewart can win before the year is over... 5. racefangurl posted: 10.24.2014 - 7:05 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) The Penske drivers as well as Gordon and the dark horses beat Harvick in qualifying. Harvick could move up once the race starts, though. I mean, he has won at Martinsville. Well, if he does become a bubble driver this weekend, he could win at Phoenix and get in the Final Four that way. He's too streaky to be guaranteed in the Final Four without a win. Maybe someone like Edwards or Kenseth, maybe Kahne could get to the Final Four on consistency. Not sure about Newman or Keselowsi. Hamlin, like Harvick has won at Martinsville. Joey has run strong at Martinsville and Phoenix and has a Texas win in his history. 6. Feetduck posted: 10.24.2014 - 7:13 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) The 5 car got elimted 7. racefangurl posted: 10.24.2014 - 7:22 pm Rate this comment: (0) (2) Ok, this Chase is so confusing. I was trying to remember the eight and it's hard to remember who all's eliminated and who hasn't yet. 8. racefangurl posted: 10.24.2014 - 7:27 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) hasn't been yet. I can remember who won their way into the eight and things, but since I've only been able to watch one Chase race on TV, it's harder to remember the rest of them. 9. cjs3872 posted: 10.24.2014 - 7:36 pm Rate this comment: (3) (1) It shouldn't be that difficult to figure out who's eligible for the championship, racefangurl. All you have to do is to look at the page and note that any driver outlined in green is still championship eligible. That's how the webmaster separated those eligible for the title and those that aren't, even among those that made the Chase, something I think was a great idea. In any event, might we be looking at a Penske/Gibbs battle for the title, instead of a Penske/Hendrick battle for the title? And might the shenanigans after the race at Charlotte have foretold that? Of the four eligible drivers from those two teams, only Joey Logano was not involved in that mess, yet he's the only driver to have driven for both organizations, and he had his own problem earlier that night (with Danica). Now we don't know exactly what's going to happen Sunday, but I had a feeling that this race was going to trip up Kevin Harvick, and Jeff Gordon had an underwhelming qualifying run, and he wasn't very good in the spring, either. So are we being set up for a Penske/Gibbs battle for the title? It appears that we may be set up for that, though only time will tell. 10. Brad Keselowski & Bubba Wallace Fan posted: 10.24.2014 - 7:44 pm Rate this comment: (1) (1) "And Why is Kyle Fowler in a cup race when he has accomplished absolutely nothing yet in his career." Because why not. "It shouldn't be that difficult to figure out who's eligible for the championship, racefangurl. All you have to do is to look at the page and note that any driver outlined in green is still championship eligible." Kind of hard to see very, very light green against white. I have to squint, and then sometimes I still can't see it. 11. Mr X posted: 10.24.2014 - 7:52 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Kevin Harvick led 97 laps and finished 3rd from the 36th starting position in this race in 2010. I'll wait to see the practice results tomorrow before I get worried. So should you, drivers can pass at Martinsville. I had some computer troubles trying to post a long comment explaining why I disagree with you Cjs about the struggles you think Kevin Harvick will have this round, never the less I expect him to make the final four pretty easily. 12. racefangurl posted: 10.24.2014 - 7:57 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I could see Joey, Keselowski, Gordon and a Gibbs driver or Harvick as the Final Four. That's the closest I've come to considering a Penske/Gibbs battle as a possibility. 13. cjs3872 posted: 10.24.2014 - 8:00 pm Rate this comment: (0) (2) @10, it's even said above the grid in the qualifying listing that any driver outlined in green is championship eligible, so it shouldn't be hard to discern who's still eligible to win the championship, and who isn't. All that needs to be done is to match the outlined color to the driver, and you'll find out who's eligible for the championship, and who isn't. 14. Anonymous posted: 10.24.2014 - 8:02 pm Rate this comment: (2) (1) "The Penske drivers as well as Gordon and the dark horses beat Harvick in qualifying. Harvick could move up once the race starts, though. I mean, he has won at Martinsville. Well, if he does become a bubble driver this weekend, he could win at Phoenix and get in the Final Four that way. He's too streaky to be guaranteed in the Final Four without a win. Maybe someone like Edwards or Kenseth, maybe Kahne could get to the Final Four on consistency. Not sure about Newman or Keselowsi. Hamlin, like Harvick has won at Martinsville. Joey has run strong at Martinsville and Phoenix and has a Texas win in his history. " This post gave me cancer. 15. racefangurl posted: 10.24.2014 - 8:15 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Cancer's nothing to joke about. My mom had breast cancer surgery in June. She was diagnosed in spring. And many cars have had breast cancer awareness sponsorship this month. 16. 1995z71 posted: 10.24.2014 - 8:26 pm Rate this comment: (3) (3) MAR posted: "The crew swap will ruin Danica's Career." What career? 17. We need more Onion posted: 10.24.2014 - 8:39 pm Rate this comment: (1) (1) "4.And Why is Kyle Fowler in a cup race when he has accomplished absolutely nothing yet in his career." Yes, should have hired someone like Bliss instead of giving a young short tracker a chance... Probably he'll do nothing, get out of the way and finish a good 7-8 laps down. Maybe he'll show something. Who knows? I like that Stoddard is using drivers on a race-by-race basis and it's not like they are causing problems for others. GREAT run for McMurray and very good ones for Mears and Allmendinger. And expect Kurt run very well from now on. After all, he has a crew chief who could get good qualifying attempts and 4 top 10s out of Danica. 18. Hinch77 posted: 10.24.2014 - 9:10 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) I generally agree with those who think Newman could be in the final 4. He is definitely putting up his best performances of the season now. 19. Pizzaboy posted: 10.24.2014 - 9:16 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) You know, I suspect that Harvick will make the final 4 pretty easily simply by dominating at Phoenix. However, Keselowski is going to be the one to watch in this round. His Dega win was cool, but the things that happened to him at Kansas and Charlotte weren't pretty, so without the Dega win, he might've been out of the chase. And on the consistency of guys like Newman and Kenseth, and Keselowski might be eliminated if he doesn't win, especially if he loses at Martinsville. 20. Hinch77 posted: 10.24.2014 - 9:16 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) " Jeff Gordon had an underwhelming qualifying run, and he wasn't very good in the spring, either. So are we being set up for a Penske/Gibbs battle for the title? It appears that we may be set up for that, though only time will tell." Two years ago, Gordo qualified poorly after leading practice... He then proceeded to beat the sh*t out of everyone in the race, losing only thanks to Itchy Arm. Don't put too much wait into qualifying. 21. MAR posted: 10.24.2014 - 9:32 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) @Post 16 Danica actually has turned the corner and is way more competitive than she was the last couple years she actually is making strides changing her crew chief now basically she has to start from scratch. @post 17 when nascar was great owners didn't hire inexperienced drivers to finish 7-8 laps down i mean its Nothing against Kyle Fowler but i would like to see Frank Stoddard hire a lil more experienced driver so his team can make gains. 22. The Crimson King posted: 10.24.2014 - 11:02 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "Cancer's nothing to joke about. My mom had breast cancer surgery in June. She was diagnosed in spring. And many cars have had breast cancer awareness sponsorship this month." Saying "this post gave me cancer" is a really edgy, almost gallows-humor type of way of saying "this post was awful". Typically you see it from 4chan-type communities like /sp/ or reddit or whatnot. It's not a nice way of getting a point across (and I don't think your post was awful either, before you say anything my way), but I felt like explaining it anyway. 23. Brad Keselowski & Bubba Wallace Fan posted: 10.24.2014 - 11:31 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) "@10, it's even said above the grid in the qualifying listing that any driver outlined in green is championship eligible, so it shouldn't be hard to discern who's still eligible to win the championship, and who isn't. All that needs to be done is to match the outlined color to the driver, and you'll find out who's eligible for the championship, and who isn't. " Again, I can't tell which are outlined in green and which aren't. That's such a ridiculously light shade of green it blends in with the white. 24. David posted: 10.24.2014 - 11:35 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) ^I think it depends on the screen you're using. On the laptop I'm using right now, the colors are difficult to differentiate; but on my phone, it is easy to tell which is which. 25. David posted: 10.24.2014 - 11:40 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) On a more somber note... On this day ten years ago, the future of Hendrick Motorsports was changed forever. The lives of John and Ricky Hendrick were tragically lost, along with John's two daughters and six others. Jimmie Johnson won the race, but the victory lane celebrations were cancelled due to the tragedy. 26. joey2448 posted: 10.24.2014 - 11:50 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "Again, I can't tell which are outlined in green and which aren't. That's such a ridiculously light shade of green it blends in with the white." Like David said, it depends on what screen you are looking at it on. On my personal home laptop, it's a pale shade of green that is a little difficult to see, and I can see it better if I tilt my screen. But on my work computer, the green is much easier to make out. I know you can't judge speed just by qualifying results, but does anyone else get the feeling that Jimmie Johnson has the faster car this weekend over teammate Jeff Gordon. I feel like since Gordon's the only Hendrick driver left in the Chase now, he ought to get all the resources diverted his way to give him the best possible chance of winning the championship. But I get the feeling that the 48 car has a ton of speed this weekend, while the 24 is looking quite ordinary. 27. Zackary Shawn posted: 10.24.2014 - 11:54 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "Two years ago, Gordo qualified poorly after leading practice... He then proceeded to beat the sh*t out of everyone in the race, losing only thanks to Itchy Arm. Don't put too much wait into qualifying." I agree. I remember back in 2007 at New Hampshire, Dave Blaney won the pole (Toyota's first in the Cup Series) and dominated all the practices and everyone thought they had discovered something big and that we were going to have a surprise winner...SPOILER ALERT: Didn't happen. So I've never put much wait into qualifying...or weight, for that matter ;-) 28. epzik8 posted: 10.25.2014 - 12:07 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Yes, I have the impression that Jimmie is going to have a better race. 29. Eric posted: 10.25.2014 - 12:49 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) I agree about there shouldn't be a lot of stock in qualifying although 20 times a driver in the top 10 has won a cup race this season. I am willing to give examples like the case of Ryan Newman. CJS3872 claiming 13th place is a bad is underwhelming isn't a shock. CJS3872 has ignored the fact Jeff Gordon won 7 after starting 20th or worse. Jeff Gordon this year won at Kansas despite starting 13th. Jeff Gordon won 29 times after starting 10th or worse. Jeff Gordon has won 3 times at Martinsville starting 10th or worse matter of fact. CJS3872 also didn't mention Kurt Busch won the this years spring race despite starting 22nd. 30. cjs3872 posted: 10.25.2014 - 1:35 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) The reason I called Gordon's qualifying effort underwhelming is because he led practice. If he had been practicing around the bottom of the top ten, I wouldn't have that opinion. But when you consider how poorly he ran there this spring, this has to be concerning for him. And in addition, when you consider just how important pit selection is at Martinsville, qualifying 13th may mean problems regarding his pit stops because of where he pits. Certainly, it's nowhere near as bad as the predicament Kevin Harvick's gotten himself into in that regard, qualifying in the 33rd spot, but the 13th spot could mean pit road-related problems for Gordon. The one advantage Gordon gets for qualifying 13th, for whatever it's worth, is being the highest qualifier among those not running a third qualifying cycle on his tires, as well as the ability to start the race on a set of tires other than the set he qualified on, since those that start in the top ten have to start the race on the tires they qualify with. So there are advantages to not qualifying in the top ten, but given how important pit selection is at Martinsville, qualifying outside the top ten could lead to pit road problems in the race. Still, I think the race will eventually come down to the 11, 15, 24, and 48 cars, and I give the edge to the 48 car, since Jimmie Johnson and his team have nothing to lose the rest of the season. 31. Scott B posted: 10.25.2014 - 2:21 am Rate this comment: (0) (1) The #32 team kind of reminds me of Junie Donlavey`s old #90 operation. I was surprised to see Kyle Fowler making the start this week, but I don't have a problem with it. 32. Sarf52 posted: 10.25.2014 - 3:25 am Rate this comment: (1) (0) Boy, Frankie Stoddard will throw anyone in the 32 these days. A murderers row of drivers so far this year including Eddie McDonald, Joey Gase, and, now, Kyle Fowler. I guess it's cool, but do these guys really deserve cup rides? RCR cars and afiliated teams all fast at Martinsville, Mears and the Dinger have laid down fast laps all weekend, could be competing for top-15s this race. Clay Rogers is back! Wish BK would let him roll in the 83 so we can see what this fella can do in a full race. 33. The Crimson King posted: 10.25.2014 - 7:06 am Rate this comment: (1) (0) I know most of you guys don't follow F1, but it looks like Mariussa is done for the year as is possibly Caterham. Which means we won't even have a 20 car grid for the rest of the season. This is kind of big news, it'd be like if Front Row and BK both shut down with 5-6 races to go making it so there weren't enough cars to have full fields in Nascar. 34. We need more Onion posted: 10.25.2014 - 7:47 am Rate this comment: (1) (0) With that F1 is getting more and more ridiculous, the only things it has now are a good 10-12 great drivers and the 2 (Ferrari-McLaren) most well-known teams of the world. It's an organization, which is too big to fail, but it is crap now and has been for the most part since the introduction of the "ugly cars" (2009). 35. 1995 Subaru WRX STi posted: 10.25.2014 - 11:36 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) "With that F1 is getting more and more ridiculous, the only things it has now are a good 10-12 great drivers and the 2 (Ferrari-McLaren) most well-known teams of the world. It's an organization, which is too big to fail, but it is crap now and has been for the most part since the introduction of the "ugly cars" (2009)." You can thank Bernie "Bruton Smith" Eccilstone for the state of F1. 36. Anonymous posted: 10.25.2014 - 11:51 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) There's also the #09/#51 car when it was owned by James Finch that had a lot of drivers. 37. racefangurl posted: 10.25.2014 - 12:20 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) The Crimson King, I just don't like cancer jokes. Because of what I said it that post you replied to and also things I've read about it. It's serious and so I don't like that type of joke. Cancer's not funny. I'd think with all the pink stuff, people wouldn't dare joke about cancer this month, unless they're heartless. 38. Brad Keselowski & Bubba Wallace Fan posted: 10.25.2014 - 12:41 pm Rate this comment: (1) (1) Tilting my screen did indeed make the highlight easier to see. Thanks for that. "A murderers row of drivers so far this year including Eddie McDonald, Joey Gase, and, now, Kyle Fowler. I guess it's cool, but do these guys really deserve cup rides?" I think anyone that's willing to show up & race is deserving of a Cup ride. Give 'em hell, Kyle! 39. cjs3872 posted: 10.25.2014 - 1:01 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) If anyone watched Game 3 of the World Series last night, they would know just how serious a thing cancer is, because before the game, MLB paid a tribute to Tony Gwynn, probably the greatest pure hitter since Ted Williams. As we know, Gwynn died of cancer earlier this year. Then after the fifth inning, they briefly stopped the game and had everyone, including the participants and the commissioner, hold up cards and everyone had someone on those cards they were remembering, either by wishing them well or by dedicating memory to. (FOX's NASCAR host and pit reporter Steve Byrnes even got such a get well message from Harold Reynolds in the FOX booth last night, as he's battling cancer again.) Let's also not forget that the greatest baseball icon of them all, Babe Ruth, died of cancer at about the same age as Tony Gwynn died from it earlier this year (Gwynn was 54 when he died and the Babe was 53 when he succumbed to cancer in 1948). So cancer is nothing to joke about. 40. racefangurl posted: 10.25.2014 - 1:26 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Yeah, that's correct. I'd think the people here would know how serious cancer is, with the breast cancer cars and Steve Byrnes. This weekend's probably the last time we'll see pink paint schemes for breast cancer this year. The next Cup race after tomorrow's will be in November, on my birthday. I hope neither of my favorites has an accident that day. I mean, it wouldn't be much fun to see Trevor or Joey go bang on my birthday. 41. BON GORDON posted: 10.25.2014 - 1:37 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) After watching practice today I believe Gordon, his team, and his fans having nothing to worry about after qualifying 13th for the race tomorrow. He was 2nd and 5th in the two practice sessions today and also had the fastest 10 lap averages in both practices as well. Keep in mind he qualified 15th in this race in 2005 and won it. It's his race to lose tomorrow in my mind...but then again I can be quite biased. 42. DB1995 posted: 10.25.2014 - 1:41 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "Two years ago, Gordo qualified poorly after leading practice... He then proceeded to beat the sh*t out of everyone in the race, losing only thanks to Itchy Arm. Don't put too much wait into qualifying." There was no way Gordon wins that race after the Reutimann caution, even if Bowyer didnt try that, i would say he and Johnson would have finished outside the top 10 without Bowyers dive bomb, just because they had tires that were so much worse. 43. Hinch77 posted: 10.25.2014 - 2:43 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) "There was no way Gordon wins that race after the Reutimann caution, even if Bowyer didnt try that, i would say he and Johnson would have finished outside the top 10 without Bowyers dive bomb, just because they had tires that were so much worse. " The same Gordo that drove with 50 lap older tires and won a race at Darlington in 2007, y'mean? 44. DB1995 posted: 10.25.2014 - 3:14 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Yeah, i didnt watch back then so i dont know exactly how that race went down, but you will never convince me that he could have won that race with those tires on, they had what 100 some laps on their tires? 45. Anonymous posted: 10.25.2014 - 3:37 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Go Gordon! 46. Hinch77 posted: 10.25.2014 - 4:17 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) "Yeah, i didnt watch back then so i dont know exactly how that race went down, but you will never convince me that he could have won that race with those tires on, they had what 100 some laps on their tires? " Go back and watch that 2007 Darlington and come back to me. He was on 50+ lap older tires. At Darlington. BEFORE the recent repave. Trust me: if anyone in that spot would win out of the current drivers, it's Gordon. 47. Kyle Fowler buy a ride posted: 10.25.2014 - 4:41 pm Rate this comment: (3) (2) I just don't like this buy-your-way to celebrity type thing in NASCAR. NFL wont let me payoff Bill Belecheck in order to be the starting Quartback for the New England Patriots this weekend ... BECAUSE IT DOESNT MAKE SENSE!! Could you imagine Tom Brady taking a back seat in his NFL career to some untalented kid whose dad owns a major corporation? 48. joey2448 posted: 10.25.2014 - 4:54 pm Rate this comment: (1) (1) Of course, comparing racing to football is never a wise idea (but don't tell Brian France that). In racing, if you don't automatically win the race, your career is not over. Some guys go years without winning. But in football, winning is a must, because you're facing only one other team at a time, not 42 other teams. You have a .500 chance of winning, so if you don't, you'll be passed up for another quarterback. In racing, no one is expected to go .500 in a season (unless you're Kyle Busch in the Truck and Nationwide series). 49. murb posted: 10.25.2014 - 5:00 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "Go back and watch that 2007 Darlington and come back to me. He was on 50+ lap older tires. At Darlington. BEFORE the recent repave." Not only that, but he was also overheating for like the last 100 or so laps. You're right. That race is easily one of Gordon's more impressive wins. 50. David posted: 10.25.2014 - 5:18 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) "NFL wont let me payoff Bill Belecheck in order to be the starting Quartback for the New England Patriots this weekend ... BECAUSE IT DOESNT MAKE SENSE!!" Because you're not a player in the NFL (at least I don't think so). Kyle Fowler, on the other hand, makes a living as a race car driver, and race car drivers are independent contractors. Why shouldn't he be allowed to buy a ride? 51. MAR posted: 10.25.2014 - 6:18 pm Rate this comment: (3) (1) @ post 47 i agree with you a 100% i hate seeing ride buyers in cup,nationwide and trucks its growing pathetic i understand frank Stoddard has a small team and little to no sponsor but come on man really Joey Gase now Kyle Fowler and remember a couple years ago he wanted to put John wrecks weekly in a cup car at pocano so what's next milka duno is gonna getting a daytona 500 Ride because of her sponsor.Nascar is quickly becoming a joke with ride buyers i can name about 30 drivers who deserve to race this weekend who have accomplished something over their careers Than Kyle Fowler and once again its nothing against Kyle Fowler but you dont belong in a cup race if you have done nothing your entire career. 52. RaceFanX posted: 10.25.2014 - 6:43 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) Did Fowler even buy that ride. Maybe Frank sees something in him that others don't yet. You never know when the next big surprise, like Jamie McMurray, will come along. 53. David posted: 10.25.2014 - 6:51 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) "Than Kyle Fowler and once again its nothing against Kyle Fowler but you dont belong in a cup race if you have done nothing your entire career." Define "doing nothing". 54. DaleSrFanForever posted: 10.25.2014 - 7:02 pm Rate this comment: (1) (1) One thing I will be watching tomorrow from the stands is how Gordon gets off the corners compared to the other HMS cars. I remember this race in 2011, after JJ was out of championship contention following Talladega in the year of tandem racing when him and June showed their vaunted "we'll wait until they throw the checked flag then make our move" strategy. He was beat in the end cause Tony, the only person in HMS stuff that was still in title contention (unsurprisingly, Gordon failed to capitalize on the momentum of a career renaissance before the chase with 3 dramatic wins including winning the EPIC Atlanta battle), beat him off the corners. Things couldn't be any better for Jeff. He is bound to get the best from HMS with no questions asked. Also, the other HMS satellite team still in it, Harvick, drives for SHR. JJ was passively aggressive in criticizing Kurt Busch for not falling on his sword and giving up his chance to win a race to push him. Is Rick gonna punish them, put them in their "place"? Also, if Kevin wins it, that will give SHR two championships in the last 4 years ('11 and '14) as opposed to just one ('13) for The Mother Ship. Do you really want your satellite customers beating you? I think Jeff has the least amount of questions among the Final 8. Newman, Kenseth, and Edwards haven't shown a great deal of speed all year. Can they really jump up there and grab this thing by the throat? Denny is still emotionally immature and has a history of chase crumbles that are a monkey on his back. Logano is untested in these situations. Keselowski has proven to be an incredibly clutch driver, but is still wildly unpredictable. And Harvick is the most unpredictable driver ever. He could run off with this or he could completely fall apart and nobody would be surprised either way. SURGEON'S GENERAL WARNING: studies have shown reading cjs' posts are linked to an increase in likelihood to get cancer. 55. murb posted: 10.25.2014 - 7:11 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) For the people complaining about Kyle Fowler: At least he hasn't tarnished himself (so far, anyway) by having a Milka-esque career of pissing people off and tearing up equipment. So if Stoddard wants to give him a shot in one race, I'm perfectly fine with it, and see no reason to be as outraged as some are over it. Also, even if he did buy his way into the ride, do people not understand that "ride buying" has been going on for decades now? I never really chime in with my opinion on it since I couldn't care less, but I hate how people act like it's some sort of new phenomenon or something (granted, in recent years they have increased due to the horrid economic situations). If you go back and take a look, it's been happening for years now. So I don't see any reason at all to get mad about people buying rides, unless if it's someone like Milka Duno or Nur Ali who has proven that they don't belong in a race car (and like I said, so far, Fowler hasn't even come close to the ineptitude of those two, as well as others). 56. murb posted: 10.25.2014 - 7:33 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) "Newman, Kenseth, and Edwards haven't shown a great deal of speed all year. Can they really jump up there and grab this thing by the throat?" I actually think Kenseth is capable of having a good stretch here and making a run at it (he's been good here all weekend so far, and there's also Phoenix, which is the type of track his team has run best on all year), so out of those three I actually think he is in the best shape. Newman will just try to points race his way through, so even though he'll probably get some good finishes in these races, I don't see him being a legit contender. And Carl is driving one of Kevin Lepage's Roush leftovers, so I doubt it for him. He could be pretty good at Phoenix, but I just don't see him even coming close unless he wins a race. "Denny is still emotionally immature and has a history of chase crumbles that are a monkey on his back." I still don't blame him really at all for his previous two Chase "crumbles" (I blame 90% of the 2010 debacle on Mike Ford, and in 2012, he was right in the thick of it until he had those mechanical problems at Martinsville - pretty typical of JGR). If he can stay out of trouble, I actually think he'll be in pretty good shape and be one of the bubble drivers for the Final Four (he looks really good at Martinsville this weekend, and he should be really good at Phoenix too). "Logano is untested in these situations." He's still my pick to win it all. I don't think he has anything to worry about other than something crazy happening tomorrow and possible mechanical problems (which we haven't seen at all from Penske this year, so they should be fine there). If he survives Martinsville with a top five or top ten, I think he's gonna coast to it (he should hands down be the favorite for wins at Texas and Homestead). "Keselowski has proven to be an incredibly clutch driver, but is still wildly unpredictable. And Harvick is the most unpredictable driver ever." Agreed on those two. I have no idea what they will do. Right now I have Harvick making the Final Four over Brad just because Harvick has much better records at Martinsville, Texas, and Phoenix than Brad does. But yeah, who knows where they will end up. And as for Gordon, I'm gonna slot him in the "unpredictable" category too. With the way his year has gone, he can either win a couple of these races and make himself the favorite, or he can run mediocre and miss out on the Final Four altogether. So I don't know with him. Right now I have him making the Final Four, but I think it's hard to exactly put a gauge on his actual title chances at this point. 57. MAR posted: 10.25.2014 - 8:41 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) @ post 53 Kyle Fowler has never had a top 10 finish in nationwide, Arca or the Kn East series which means he hasnt accomplished anything worthy of a cup ride im just saying i rather him earn his way into a cup race even if he is ride buyer. Only thing i can say is that he was a pretty good driver on iracing.com 58. David posted: 10.25.2014 - 9:31 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) I thought about replying to these posts directly, but instead I'll just provide a driver-by-driver breakdown: Joey Logano - He's not the prohibitive favorite...yet. But he is the one driver who is a virtual lock for the Final Four. His results in the Chase speak for themselves. His only finish outside of the top ten was at Talladega, and that was eleventh. One would be pretty foolish to bet against him being out of the title hunt before Homestead. Kevin Harvick - As has been stated, he is wildly unpredictable most of the time. But I think that Charlotte win may have a positive effect on that team. If misfortune stays out of his way, he could be one to contend with. Ryan Newman - He's been sneakily consistent all year long, and he has taken it to another level in the last four races. Forget Kenseth being a winless champion; look for Newman as a dark horse for the Final Four. His only drawback may be his team--RCR hasn't won a Cup championship since 1994. Can they do it again, 20 years later? Time will yield the answer soon enough. Denny Hamlin - He has an outside shot of making it to Miami with a chance of becoming the first Cup champion in the modern era to win the championship without starting all the races. JGR's reliability is somewhat of a question mark, though. His best chance may be this weekend. Matt Kenseth - Many people seem to be talking about Kenseth's title prospects just one year removed from his seven-win season and his battle with Jimmie Johnson. Personally, I don't see it happening. He's been mediocre at best during the Chase, with a mere three top-ten finishes. He could win at Texas at make the Final Four, but I wouldn't hold my breath for a championship for the #20 car. Carl Edwards - Lame duck champion...why not? He's going to need to step up his game seriously, though, as his results have been even less rosy than his future JGR teammate's. Jeff Gordon - He's in a similar position to Logano: a near-lock to advance, especially with his practice results this weekend. He might become the first driver in Cup history to win a title in three consecutive decades, along with setting the record for the longest stretch between championships (previously held by Terry Labonte, with championships in 1984 and 1996). Don't let the #24 team's results in the Contender Round fool you; as the only HMS driver left, Gordon's sitting pretty. Brad Keselowski - One word description: mercurial. He could win the next three races in quick succession, or implode, have three pathetic runs, and be eliminated prior to Homestead. Neither one is likely, but I'd say his chances of advancing are pretty good. Penske Racing is on top of their game right now. 59. Eric posted: 10.25.2014 - 10:24 pm Rate this comment: (1) (1) Here is my own take on the 8 drivers: Joey Logano - There is no reason for him not being in the final 4 with no weakness with this team. Kevin Harvick - He may or may not make it. Where he is starting at Martinsville is a problem, but I wouldn't rule him out winning at Phoenix. The question mark is Charlotte a sign of things to come for him since the team has found ways to lose ways this year. Ryan Newman - The concern I have for him is the ability of getting a top 5. RCR doesn't have the speed on the mile and half tracks as a whole this year for top 5's. Denny Hamlin - I think Phoenix and this weekend is Denny's best chance for a win. JGR doesn't have the speed at the mile and half tracks this season for wins Although I did see some speed out of him at Charlotte and Atlanta. Matt Kenseth - I am concerned with him at Phoenix and he does has a chance getting a top 3 at Texas. Carl Edwards- He is not going to the final 4. Jeff Gordon - I see no reason for him not making it into the final 4. Brad Keselowski - the only question I have is Brad himself. Penske has the equipment to win the cup championship, but does Brad have his head on straight is my concern with his team based on how he acted at Charlotte and Richmond. 60. DaleSrFanForever posted: 10.25.2014 - 10:26 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) For the record, I'm not saying Joey is to be counted out due to inexperience in title runs. We just haven't been able to rule out that he may have the Peyton Manning Memorial Choke Gene in big situations. I'm not a believer in the "you must lose one first before you can win" theory. For the most part, people and teams are who they are. With that said, as much as I hate to say this coming to the one year anniversary of The DSFF Brad Snub, I think Brad is the favorite right now. Just because he has shown his ability in the clutch. If we knew for a fact Joey doesn't have the Peyton Manning Memorial Choke Gene, he would be the fave. 61. MAR posted: 10.25.2014 - 11:25 pm Rate this comment: (1) (1) The Final Four Will Be Brad,Joey, Harvick, and Gordon Gordon Will win sunday Joey or Brad will win in texas Harvick will continue to dominate Pheonix 62. Mr X posted: 10.26.2014 - 1:58 am Rate this comment: (1) (0) My final four are Logano, Keselowski, Gordon, and Harvick. The obvious four IMO. Keep in mind that no matter how these next three races go at least one of the final four will have made it into the final four on points. Also keep in mind that 2006 has so far been the only example of the chase in which no chase driver has managed to win two or more consecutive races, 2008 and 2012 are so far the only years in which none of the chase races were won by a non chaser, although in 2009 Jamie McMurray only won at Talladega. I know that there is now less incentive to win late in a particular round if you won early, as no bonus points are carried over to the next round, but frankly a win is a win and if the opportunity should arise for a driver to win again and potentially keep another driver out of the next round it would be stupid to not try. Lets face there are eight drivers and teams who would've much rather preferred that Brad Keselowski didn't win last week. Kyle Busch was eliminated and there are 7 others who now have to deal with the 2 team. I think there is a very real chance that more then one of the final four will have made it there on points. Especially given the strength of the recently eliminated. It's hard to count out the 48, even if they have struggled. More information that I feel is important is this, these are the points totals from the last 3 races for the top 12 drivers going in, even though one of those races was Talladega. 1. Logano-121 2. Harvick-117 Newman-117 4. Hamlin-100 5. Kenseth-99 Edwards-99 7 Gordon-93 8. Kahne-90(Eliminated) 9. Busch-86(Eliminated) 10. Keselowski-85 11. Johnson-53(Eliminated) 12. Earnhardt Jr-46(Eliminated) Joey Logano is the only driver who I think is an absolute 100% guarantee for the final four. This team has shown an excellent ability to execute and win exactly when they need to all year, and they have grown stronger all year. They are good everywhere, they make the car better as the race goes, and they don't get distracted like some other teams I could mention. Other then a lack of experience in title fights, and some less then perfect reliability this year, nothing bad can be said about the 22. I guess I have more confidence in Kevin Harvick and the four team then some others. As I have said in the past, I don't think he is streaky, RCR was. Kevin has shown that given a good car he can win anywhere. For the first time in his career he has cars capable of winning everywhere, as opposed to at best a top 5 car everywhere and an occasional winning car. The driver is as solid as they come. I'm not at all concerned with the qualifying position, as I said in post 11 that good results are commonplace at Martinsville from poor starting positions. I would deny any stats supporting the importance of qualifying in NASCAR are based off anything more then the trend of the good cars in the race qualifying well, rather then it being impossible to get through the traffic, as for pit stalls being advantageous or disadvantageous its strictly circumstances, every time you come down pit road. This team has shown huge speed everywhere and they now have the monkey off their back. They won in Charlotte, Tony's old pit crew has been a quiet but effective improvement, the 4 team has been decent on pit road since the chase started according to the data on this site. They had a strong car in the practice sessions, in the spring(drove through the field several times), and Kevin has had good results at Martinsville of late. Texas is the site of the last mechanical failure for the 4 team, but Kevin led the race after just handful of green flag laps from the 3rd starting spot, then blew up. Texas is the sister track of Charlotte and Atlanta, and similar to the other intermediates that the 4 team has dominated this year. Kevin has 3 of the last 4 at Phoenix and dominated there this spring. He's been very strong there since the repave. His Homestead results have been solid all through his career. Obviously this team has shown us how to lose, but they still get decent results, and I feel the tracks coming up play right into their wheelhouse. 63. Mr X posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:09 am Rate this comment: (0) (1) I forgot to add to Harvick that despite what went wrong in Kansas and even Talladega they still outscored everyone except Logano and Newman, had things played out different they would've outscored everyone. That has to be a favourable sign IMO. He has finished in the top 3 in points in 3 of the last 4 years. Newman is a dark horse. I don't think he'll make it to Homestead because ultimately they still haven't shown that they can do anything other then score points. Several other drivers have managed that this year in addition to winning races. The 31 team is definitely peaking at the right time, and I will be keeping an eye on them but that's all for the moment. Hamlin is like Newman. They haven't won since Talladega in May, and that's just a plate race. They haven't scored a top 5 since Atlanta, and have only led 218 laps this year. These are not typical Denny Hamlin or JGR results. His recent results at Martinsville aren't particularly amazing either, certainly not where they were from 2006-2011. The only things worthy of note are his confidence?, and his current fued with Keselowksi. This driver needs blinders. May or may not be over. My confidence in Kenseth has faded since the chase started. Before the chase started I thought the team was on the brink of getting their first win of the year but they have regressed a bit and are involved with Keselowski, which again may or may not be over. I don't think Matt wins a race this year, or gets to the final round. JGR is struggling. Edwards under no circumstances makes it to the final four. Roush racing is struggling worse then JGR is, Biffle was already eliminated, and Edwards is getting closer and closer to the end of his discontinued contract. Team appeared lost in practice today as well, to no surprise. The only surprise is that they made it this far. Stick a fork in them. I would say that Gordon has a very healthy shot at the final four. Obviously he will be the number one focus for Rick Hendrick, and we all know what Jeff Gordon is capable of when he gets on a role. Conversely we've all seen the sinking ship Jeff Gordon occasionally on restarts, and he and the 24 team haven't quite shown the win at will, improve the car during the race, and general execution abilities that the 22 has shown. I agree that this race is likely Jeff Gordon's to lose tomorrow looking at the weekend so far, and I definitely feel this is his best shot to win in this round, and I feel there is lots to be optimistic about looking at the rest of the season, but I can't help but notice the way that Jeff Gordon only scored 93 points in the last round, even if he didn't need more in Talladega, his late race Kansas restarts weren't good to watch. Not as sure as I want it to be. Keselowski is a bit like Harvick I feel. They really should've been eliminated last week, but they caught all the right breaks at Talladega. Sure they have been dominant all season, but I wasn't expecting them to ever be in the must win situation they were in after Charlotte. This team has been far from mistake free since the chase started, crashes at Loudon and Kansas, a potential rivalry started with two other drivers at Charlotte, both of whom seem to have a lot less to lose. Does something new strike this team? I find it hard to believe that the 2 team as good as they are can keep having these lucky/clutch moments that save them at the last minute if they keep making mistakes. This team wasn't immune to issues during the regular season either. If this team can control the variables, they won't need any miracles, and they should make it in easily. 64. joey2448 posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:38 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) "2008 and 2012 are so far the only years in which none of the chase races were won by a non chaser, although in 2009 Jamie McMurray only won at Talladega." So you didn't include that year because why...? 65. epzik8 posted: 10.26.2014 - 7:36 am Rate this comment: (1) (0) I'm sticking with Keselowski, Logano, Gordon and Harvick. 66. Daniel Blake Stroup posted: 10.26.2014 - 8:57 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Go Gordon! 67. Leo posted: 10.26.2014 - 9:34 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Announced during coverage of this weekends races, Marcos Ambrose will be competing in the final V8 Supercar round of the season, which will be 3 races at the Sydney Olympic Park street circuit. As a long time fan of his, I would like to see Marcos end his NASCAR career on a high-note, but I am also really looking forward to having him back. 68. The Crimson King posted: 10.26.2014 - 11:51 am Rate this comment: (1) (0) I hope no one is watching this travesty of an early NFL game. PS: The falcons will choke this one away. 69. Sector posted: 10.26.2014 - 12:03 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I love the fact that right now, the drivers of the year has only won in the chase. Brad, Kevin, Jeff and Joey has each won, and each has won at the upcoming tracks recently. This will be interesting, if this fact holds true throughout, Jeff will win today, Joey next week and Kevin following. Let's hope that doesn't mean Brad will win Homestead though lol Just pointing out how the Chase has been dominated by the top/strongest/fastest drivers/teams that showed during the regular season as well so far. 70. Chad's Hair Plugs posted: 10.26.2014 - 12:06 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Way to go chalk, everyone. I'm taking a winless Kenseth, a winless Newman, Hamlin who missed a race and penalized 1.5 races worth of points and lame duck Edwards with an organization that's probably at its worst since they started fielding multiple entries. Just to show how much of a shampionship this really is. And RIP Jack Bruce, bassist and singer of Cream. 71. David posted: 10.26.2014 - 12:37 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "Way to go chalk, everyone." You may call it "chalk", but that's just how it is in a season that's been sorely lacking competitive depth. Sean pointed this out a few weeks ago, but between Kevin Harvick's two wins at Darlington and Charlotte, Hendrick and Penske won /every/ race that wasn't at the restrictor-plate tracks or road courses. In fact, the only two races /all season/ not at those tracks that haven't been won by Hendrick, Hendrick-affiliated or Penske cars were Carl Edwards's and Kyle Busch's victories at Bristol and Fontana. 72. Zackary Shawn posted: 10.26.2014 - 12:49 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "You may call it "chalk", but that's just how it is in a season that's been sorely lacking competitive depth." And at the same time has been, in my opinion, one of the most entertaining in recent memory. Funny how that turns out. Also, I'm going with Denny, Jeff, Joey, and Kevin as my Final Four. Jeff Gordon will win it all. 73. Mr X posted: 10.26.2014 - 1:19 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) " 64. joey2448 posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:38 am Rate this comment: Like this comment (0) Dislike this comment (0) "2008 and 2012 are so far the only years in which none of the chase races were won by a non chaser, although in 2009 Jamie McMurray only won at Talladega." So you didn't include that year because why...?" I'll start out by saying that I'm not fond of plate races. A win is a win but to me there is no ignoring the fact that all the cars are made equal by the plates, you can't do anything without drafting help, and nobody in the field is even remotely immune to anything. I see them as little more then a lottery. The fall race at Talladega is the only example in the chase where winning is open to the entire field because the plates kill the straight line performance and diminish the effects of handling. This means the drafting can take place all around the lap, and the field stays together. All the cars are virtually equal, many of the drivers have similar drafting prowess and none of that will mean anything if you get wrecked or don't have drafting help. It's a lottery, not much more IMO. This race has also already happened and Keselowski won it. 74. Rockstar posted: 10.26.2014 - 1:45 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I love it when @racefangurl talks because it goes to show how much she really knows about the current championship series...what a genius. 75. Rockstar posted: 10.26.2014 - 1:45 pm Rate this comment: (0) (2) Btw, you spelled "girl" wrong. @racefangurl 76. We need more Onion posted: 10.26.2014 - 1:47 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) As a totally serious one, I would say the final 4 will be: Logano - Duh, is it a question? Gordon - Although, I don't want to see him anywhere near the cup, his experience and consistent speed is not to be overlooked. Newman - Seems to be missing out on all the fights and crashes this season, scary consistent and since Menard is his teammate he can hide and pop out at 8th-12th without being seen once in a race. Hamlin - I seriously think he'll get in with a win, probably getting it today. - Harvick will not win Phoenix, he'll run into random troubles both there and here. But if I had to swap out any of my top 4, Kevin would be in. Kenseth will finally score too few to be in and seems incapable of winning this year. Keselowski... No more Talladega for him. The car is fast. The driver is fast. Brad will find another feud or just simply overdo himself. Edwards is just a no with seeing how slow Roush is. Would be funny to see him crowned champion though, but the same goes for Hamlin and Newman, who are both likelier. 77. Schroeder51 posted: 10.26.2014 - 1:48 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) McMurray leads lap one as Kenseth moves past Logano for second. 78. Schroeder51 posted: 10.26.2014 - 1:49 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Martin Truex has a serious tire rub. 79. Schroeder51 posted: 10.26.2014 - 1:49 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) First caution already as Alex Bowman spins out in turn 1. He was trying to pass Aric Almirola. 80. Schroeder51 posted: 10.26.2014 - 1:53 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Kenseth leads a lap on the outside after the restart, but then promptly slips back a few spots. 81. David posted: 10.26.2014 - 1:55 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Kvapil spins. 82. Fireball1020 posted: 10.26.2014 - 1:55 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Caution. Kvapil spins. 83. Schroeder51 posted: 10.26.2014 - 1:55 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Travis Kvapil spins into the first turn wall and the second caution is out. 84. Dave #38 Fan-Go Gilliland! posted: 10.26.2014 - 1:57 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) two cautions so far. and that Kyle Fowler kid everybody was worried about for no reason hasn't been involved in either of them. 85. RaceFanX posted: 10.26.2014 - 1:58 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Nice to see David Ragan get some screen time early in the race today. Ragan is running Wendell Scott's blue-and-white paint job and number style on his #34 Ford as a throwback to honor Scott's induction into the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Scott's family, including former Grand National East racer Wendell Scott Jr., are in attendance today for the race. Darrell Wallace Jr. won the Truck race yesterday running a similar paint job. 86. Schroeder51 posted: 10.26.2014 - 2:01 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Keselowski sliding back in the outside lane. 87. joey2448 posted: 10.26.2014 - 2:01 pm Rate this comment: (3) (0) Austin Dillon falling back because he's not Dale Earnhardt... 88. The Crimson King posted: 10.26.2014 - 2:03 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Harvick moving up through the field. 89. Fireball1020 posted: 10.26.2014 - 2:04 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) 44 car with problems. 90. We need more Onion posted: 10.26.2014 - 2:04 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Timmy Hill blew up. XXXTreme Motorsports FTW. 91. RaceFanX posted: 10.26.2014 - 2:06 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Timmy Hill and the #44 Chevrolet are behind the wall early. The large amount of smoke coming from under the hood, and blowing onto the track, probably mean the newly renamed Team Xtreme Racing is done for the day. 92. We need more Onion posted: 10.26.2014 - 2:06 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "and that Kyle Fowler kid everybody was worried about for no reason hasn't been involved in either of them." I have no idea what people had against him. MacDonald and Gase have already shown that just because a driver is new to sprint cup or inexperienced, he won't wreak havoc like he was Newberry. 93. We need more Onion posted: 10.26.2014 - 2:07 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) They got renamed? :( Not a prober dud without the cringy team name... 94. Fireball1020 posted: 10.26.2014 - 2:08 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Gordon to second. 95. murb posted: 10.26.2014 - 2:08 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Logano has fallen back a little bit too. Looks like the Penske cars are somewhat struggling right now. 96. We need more Onion posted: 10.26.2014 - 2:09 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) JJ can just win this and we could still laugh in his face waving a Junior Johnson restrictor plate. :) #26 is a clean and neat looking ride. 97. Schroeder51 posted: 10.26.2014 - 2:15 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "I have no idea what people had against him. MacDonald and Gase have already shown that just because a driver is new to sprint cup or inexperienced, he won't wreak havoc like he was Newberry." Yeah, Fowler's done okay so far and stayed out of trouble; good for him. Speaking of Newberry, I wouldn't be shocked if he got the chance to run Cup in the future...which probably wouldn't go over very well... 98. Fireball1020 posted: 10.26.2014 - 2:17 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Fowler in trouble. 99. Chad's Hair Plugs posted: 10.26.2014 - 2:17 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Harvick can't be doing too good, he just got passed by a car without a hood. 100. Zackary Shawn posted: 10.26.2014 - 2:18 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Why is Yeley missing a hood? That seems like a big thing to miss. 101. MAR posted: 10.26.2014 - 2:18 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Fowler gets some t.v time. 102. Schroeder51 posted: 10.26.2014 - 2:18 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) ...and just like that, Fowler gets in the wall. The naysayers who predicted doomsday for him in the field are probably laughing right now... 103. Annoyed race fan posted: 10.26.2014 - 2:18 pm Rate this comment: (2) (0) Oh god! See I told ya guys, Fowler is no good! He doesn't deserve a chance! Grumble, grumble, grumble.... 104. We need more Onion posted: 10.26.2014 - 2:19 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "Speaking of Newberry, I wouldn't be shocked if he got the chance to run Cup in the future...which probably wouldn't go over very well... " He looked okay in Nationwide, but when he gets into a truck or a K&N car, he is either painfully slow or is a wrecking ball. Sometimes both. Sadly, he has the moneyz. 105. Cumulonimbus posted: 10.26.2014 - 2:20 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Did Gordon slow down on purpose coming off the pits to help JJ get 3rd in front of Stewart? 106. Schroeder51 posted: 10.26.2014 - 2:23 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Gordon goes to the lead. 107. Fireball1020 posted: 10.26.2014 - 2:23 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Gordon to the lead. 108. Fireball1020 posted: 10.26.2014 - 2:24 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Besides Gordon I'd really like McMurray to pull off the upset. 109. epzik8 posted: 10.26.2014 - 2:25 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Nice job by McMurray so far and I like to see Gordon leading. 110. Fireball1020 posted: 10.26.2014 - 2:28 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Lap 100 111. Zackary Shawn posted: 10.26.2014 - 2:30 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Johnson is making a green flag pit stop because of a vibration. 112. David posted: 10.26.2014 - 2:30 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Unscheduled stop by Johnson for a vibration. 113. Hinch77 posted: 10.26.2014 - 2:32 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) For those who were saying Gordon's 13th starting position would automatically make it impossible for him to win the race... 85 laps it took him to get the lead. 114. Chad's Hair Plugs posted: 10.26.2014 - 2:34 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) These tires wear down quick; Dos Jotas got a lap back from Gordon like he was standing still. 115. Zackary Shawn posted: 10.26.2014 - 2:36 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Jimmie Johnson is in his 13th season and having the worst of his career. Could this be the first year Johnson finishes outside the top 10 in points? Jeff Gordon also had a bad year in his 13th season, when he missed The Chase and finished 11th in points. 116. Cumulonimbus posted: 10.26.2014 - 2:36 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) While McMurray is in 2nd with what seems like one of the strongest cars on track, his teammate Larson is struggling back in 30th at the moment, close to getting lapped. I guess he really does hate Martinsville, like he says. 117. We need more Onion posted: 10.26.2014 - 2:39 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Ladies and gents, we've just seen the WORST race commercial ever. PIR didn't think that one through, I guess. 118. The Crimson King posted: 10.26.2014 - 2:40 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Jr's on a tear. Too bad he's out of the championship. 119. Hinch77 posted: 10.26.2014 - 2:40 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) We're going to have a caution in the next 10-15 laps, I'd guess. 120. Chad's Hair Plugs posted: 10.26.2014 - 2:41 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) While McMurray is in 2nd with what seems like one of the strongest cars on track, his teammate Larson is struggling back in 30th at the moment, close to getting lapped. I guess he really does hate Martinsville, like he says. Of course Larson hates Martinsville, there's no cushion. 121. Hinch77 posted: 10.26.2014 - 2:43 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Over half the field is on the lead lap, yet only 8 cars are within half a lap of Gordon and McMurray. 122. murb posted: 10.26.2014 - 2:43 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Yeah, Larson still hasn't really figured out this place yet. Logano puts the bumper to Kyle Busch. 123. murb posted: 10.26.2014 - 2:44 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Rusty thinks we're at Bristol. 124. Schroeder51 posted: 10.26.2014 - 2:45 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) McMurray is going to get the lead back from Gordon soon, it seems. 125. Schroeder51 posted: 10.26.2014 - 2:45 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "Rusty thinks we're at Bristol." "Trevor Brain" 126. numbah10hatah's Danica Patrick horse posted: 10.26.2014 - 2:46 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Danica caution approaching. 127. Schroeder51 posted: 10.26.2014 - 2:46 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Of course, we can't have Danica fall off the lead lap. Look for a Jacques caution soon... 128. murb posted: 10.26.2014 - 2:49 pm Rate this comment: (1) (2) Speaking of Danica, I saw some quote by her where she said that Logano "has to keep proving that he's sorry" about Charlotte. What a self centered idiot. 129. murb posted: 10.26.2014 - 2:50 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Old school Pinball Vickers caution. 130. Jacques posted: 10.26.2014 - 2:50 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Yo! 131. Schroeder51 posted: 10.26.2014 - 2:50 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) And sure enough Vickers spins when Danica is literally right in front of the leader. Like I said, can't have her fall off the lead lap. 132. Chad's Hair Plugs posted: 10.26.2014 - 2:50 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) A Red Bull reunion. 133. Zackary Shawn posted: 10.26.2014 - 2:50 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "Old school Pinball Vickers caution." More like pinball Kasey. 134. murb posted: 10.26.2014 - 2:51 pm Rate this comment: (2) (0) Kahne wrecked Vickers, so look for Vickers to wreck himself trying to wreck Kasey later. 135. Hinch77 posted: 10.26.2014 - 2:51 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Look for a strange increase in Brian Vicker's prize money for this race. 136. Schroeder51 posted: 10.26.2014 - 2:51 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Looks like ESPN is anticipating Vickers dumping Kahne later in the race... 137. Hinch77 posted: 10.26.2014 - 2:52 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) I know I am not the only one having flash backs here to 2011(?)... when Vickers turned this race into a demo derby as well as the Phoenix race two weeks later. 138. epzik8 posted: 10.26.2014 - 2:53 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) That's Martinsville... 139. TS1420 posted: 10.26.2014 - 2:55 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Future Cup Champion Brian Vickers doing what he does best at Martinsville. 140. Hinch77 posted: 10.26.2014 - 2:57 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "Future Cup Champion Brian Vickers doing what he does best at Martinsville. " Look out folks! Jim Carrey is in the room! 141. murb posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:00 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Jimmie with big time front end damage. 142. Schroeder51 posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:00 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) The nose of Johnson's car is severely stoved in. 143. epzik8 posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:00 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) OMG Jimmie's car 144. Zackary Shawn posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:02 pm Rate this comment: (3) (0) Johnson running into problems isn't as satisfying when you know it doesn't matter. 145. Hinch77 posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:03 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) POS Live Leaderboard skipped 15 laps and then broke on me. Thing is pathetically archaic and really a disgrace to a website run by supposed professionals. 146. MAR posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:03 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Stenhouse is 34th he's having one of the all time worst sophomore slumps of all time. 147. Hinch77 posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:04 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) ESPN is also broken at the moment so I can't get RaceCast either. 148. TS1420 posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:04 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "Johnson running into problems isn't as satisfying when you know it doesn't matter." It's still pretty satisfying though. 149. Schroeder51 posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:05 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Reed Sorenson spins out and the fifth caution is out. 150. murb posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:05 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Sorenson spins for the caution. 151. Zackary Shawn posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:06 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Jeff Gordon seems to think that Reed Sorenson's spin was questionable. 152. murb posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:06 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Gordon speeds on pit road. 153. Schroeder51 posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:06 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Jeff Gordon nabbed for speeding. Now he'll be all the way at the back of the field, and that hands the lead to Junior. 154. Fireball1020 posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:06 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Gordon caught speeding. 155. Chad's Hair Plugs posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:06 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Gordon too fast on pit road. 156. Hinch77 posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:08 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) It's obvious what happened to Reed Sorenson: he's obviously Clyde Minter reincarnated and thought he was at the old Martinsville dirt track. 157. Zackary Shawn posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:08 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) ***insert comment by DSFF expelling, expertly of course, how the calendar caused Gordon to speed entering the pits*** 158. murb posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:08 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Newman also sped on pit road. 159. Mr X posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:09 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Reed Sorenson's spin did look intentional IMO, all the tires were up, nothing looked broken, he didn't hit anything. Hmmm. 160. TS1420 posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:10 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) That fall choker Jeff Gordon! 161. joey2448 posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:10 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) I mean, is it really that hard to keep from speeding on pit road??? Just take it easy! I know it's a tough business and you gotta fight and claw for every position you can, but a penalty is much worse than losing a spot or two!! C'mon man!! 162. Fireball1020 posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:10 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) First time since 2012 that Gordon has been nabbed for speeding. 163. joey2448 posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:11 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) By the way, coming into today's race, Jeff Gordon was ranked 4th in laps led all-time at Martinsville, behind Yarborough, Rusty Wallace and Darrell Waltrip. With over 100 laps already led today, Gordon now up to 2nd all-time. Although speeding on pit road won't help him catch Yarborough...damn. 164. Fireball1020 posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:12 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Hopefully this doesn't ruin his race. 165. Hinch77 posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:13 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) 300 laps left? Gordon has plenty of time. In less than 300 laps he overcame 2+ lap deficits in both 2005 races. 166. epzik8 posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:15 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) That was unexpected. 167. TS1420 posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:16 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Why are we having a long ass caution for a simple spin? 168. Fireball1020 posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:17 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Ragan spins. 169. murb posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:17 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Ragan spins, another caution. 170. Schroeder51 posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:17 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) David Ragan spins and Alex Bowman has serious damage to the front of his car. 171. Fireball1020 posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:18 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Also, Bowman has damage. 172. We need more Onion posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:18 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) What's up with BK cars losing their hood today? The #23 looks like they will get it off from the car. 173. Mr X posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:18 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Johnson hits Mears again. 174. Schroeder51 posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:19 pm Rate this comment: (0) (4) I'm going to be VERY bold here by predicting that Gordon doesn't get back to the front. Yes, he has the car to do so, but I wouldn't be all that shocked if he got caught up in an accident back in traffic... 175. TS1420 posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:19 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Johnson with his best Brian Vickers impression. 176. Hinch77 posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:19 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Johnson is thinking he and Mears are still teammates and trying to get his attention to say "Hello." 177. Hinch77 posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:20 pm Rate this comment: (1) (1) "I'm going to be VERY bold here by predicting that Gordon doesn't get back to the front. Yes, he has the car to do so, but I wouldn't be all that shocked if he got caught up in an accident back in traffic... " Schroeder, every week you are so damned pessimistic. Quit killing August Comte! 178. murb posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:20 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Yes, Jimmie was driving a little ridiculously there. 179. racefangurl posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:21 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) What's with the Trevor Brain talk? Nobody named Trevor raced yesterday or is in it today. Save that talk for next race week. Keselowski, Logano, Gordon and Harvick are good Final Four picks. Harvick's the iffy one in my opinion. Even if he's no longer streaky, he's still had bad luck this year, bad pit stops and such. If he can avoid bad luck, he'll make it, especially if he wins here or at Phoenix. Otherwise, I'd replace him with Kenseth or Hamlin. Cjs mentioned a Penske/Gibbs final, as Gibbs has avoided the messes. Keselowski, Logano and Gordon are on the dominant teams of this year, Kenseth has a consistent reputation and Hamlin's strong at this track, currently 5th. Newman and Edwards are Chase winless and Edwards has a bad car this year. Newman is a dark horse final four pick, though I guess. He's consistent, so if the Gibbs drivers and Harvick can't make it, Newman's probably the one outside Penske/Hendrick that makes it. 180. murb posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:22 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) LOL Vickers 181. Fireball1020 posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:22 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Vickers has his hood up lol. 182. Schroeder51 posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:22 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Vickers has the hood up on his car. 183. Schroeder51 posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:24 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "What's with the Trevor Brain talk? Nobody named Trevor raced yesterday or is in it today. Save that talk for next race week." I was just bringing up the fact that Rusty Wallace has referred to Trevor as that numerous times in the past since murb mentioned that Rusty mistook this place for Bristol. No need to be harsh about that! 184. Fireball1020 posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:24 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Retaliation. 185. Zackary Shawn posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:24 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Johnson has gone to the garage. 186. David posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:24 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Vickers drives Jayne into the wall. 187. murb posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:24 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Vickers wrecks Kahne, and tears up Keselowski in the process. Here we go. 188. We need more Onion posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:24 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) lel Winball Pickers just messed up BK. This will be fun. 189. Schroeder51 posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:25 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Sure enough, just as ESPN predicted, Vickers gets vengeance on Kahne by dumping him and sending him into the turn 1 wall. 190. Chad's Hair Plugs posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:25 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Vickers wrecks Kahne and Brad almost got taken out in it. 191. TS1420 posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:25 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Vintage Pinball Vickers! 192. RaceFanX posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:25 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Vickers' team removed the hood, he went back on the track, and he spun Kasey Kahne as payback for earlier. Brad Keselowski was almost taken out in the chaos. And now Jimmie Johnson is behind the wall for repairs. 193. David posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:25 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) *Kahne. that's been saved to my AutoCorrect. 194. Schroeder51 posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:26 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Johnson's car was leaking oil. 195. murb posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:26 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I know I've been trashing Keselowski a lot lately, but that really blows for him. Complete ineptitude and zero regard for anyone else from Vickers. What a hack. 196. Mr X posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:26 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Not that Kahne didn't deserve that but, it's 2011 again. Brad didn't deserve that really. 197. racefangurl posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:27 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I just wasn't sure why somebody not racing this weekend was mentioned. 198. Chad's Hair Plugs posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:27 pm Rate this comment: (2) (0) Johnson's car was leaking oil. It's not oil, its ESPN's tears. 199. murb posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:29 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Harvick and Kenseth both hard in the wall. 200. Zackary Shawn posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:29 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "The car just went straight when I got down to 1. Be sure and check that splitter. Something has to be wrong..."-Brian Vickers 201. Fireball1020 posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:29 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Harvick and Kenseth go around while in the top ten. 202. We need more Onion posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:29 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I have foreseen this. Feel sorry for the #4. 203. RaceFanX posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:29 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Matt Kenseth and Kevin Harvick crash on the restart! They were both in the top-10. 204. Schroeder51 posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:29 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "It's not oil, its ESPN's tears." I know, it must be so depressing for ESPN to not be able to cover Jimmie Johnson winning his historic 7th championship. Harvick and Kenseth make contact going into turn 1 and both spin. Harvick hits the wall HARD and has major damage to his car. 205. David posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:29 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Harvick and Kenseth wreck. Significant damage to the #4 car. Stewart also involved. 206. murb posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:29 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) Wow, Kenseth just barreled in there and took out Harvick. 207. murb posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:30 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "Be sure and check that splitter." MWR's new code phrase. 208. The Long Shot posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:31 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) ""The car just went straight when I got down to 1. Be sure and check that splitter. Something has to be wrong..."-Brian Vickers" Michael Waltrip's crocodile tears after the 2013 Richmond debacle were less full of BS. 209. Zackary Shawn posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:31 pm Rate this comment: (2) (0) At this rate, Gordon may just get all of his spots back by everyone wrecking in front of him. 210. RaceFanX posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:31 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Kenseth's car started wheel hopping to start that. Harvick got the worse of it and one of this season's strongest title contenders is now behind the wall. 211. 1995z71 posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:31 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) No Bloomin Monday :( 212. dennyfan11 posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:31 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Harvicks chase is over! 213. racefangurl posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:31 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Joey has the lead, according to RaceTrax as I type this. Maybe he can lock himself into the final four. He just needs to be in the same position he is now when the checkered flag falls. 214. Fireball1020 posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:31 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I think it's safe to say that the caution number for this race is gonna go into double digits. 215. murb posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:32 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) That sucks for Tony too, he was having one of his better runs of the year. 216. Schroeder51 posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:32 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Harvick now basically needs to win or run REALLY well at Texas and/or Phoenix or else he'll be eliminated from the Chase. Wow. There went one of my final four picks right there... 217. racefangurl posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:32 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) @212 That's true unless he wins at, say Phoenix. 218. David posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:33 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "Harvicks chase is over!" Don't be so dramatic. He can still win at Texas or Phoenix, which are legitimate possibilities. 219. The Long Shot posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:33 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "Harvicks chase is over!" Never mind the fact that the next two races are at some of his best tracks, one of which he won at earlier this year (in dominating fashion, no less). 220. Hinch77 posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:35 pm Rate this comment: (3) (0) "I just wasn't sure why somebody not racing this weekend was mentioned. " I know you never have anything intelligent to say, but who the hell are you to tell us who we can and can't name during the race? "Joey has the lead, according to RaceTrax as I type this. Maybe he can lock himself into the final four. He just needs to be in the same position he is now when the checkered flag falls. " I can't believe a human being, never mind an adult, had to express this line of simplistic reasoning... 221. RaceFanX posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:37 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "No Bloomin Monday :(" Not this week but that promotion is in effect for every race, not just the ones where Happy has the Outback Steakhouse colors. 222. numbah10hatah's Danica Patrick horse posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:38 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Look who's in 10th! 223. Chad's Hair Plugs posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:39 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Danica just gave a slap to Martin Truex. 224. TS1420 posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:39 pm Rate this comment: (0) (3) Piss off Kenseth. 225. The Crimson King posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:40 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Danica Patrick sighting. Wasn't she lapped earlier? 226. Schroeder51 posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:41 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Johnson is coming back out onto the track, nearly 40 laps down. 227. epzik8 posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:41 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Gordon is getting back to the front. 228. Zackary Shawn posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:42 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "222. numbah10hatah's Danica Patrick horse posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:38 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Look who's in 10th!" Numbah10hatah hasn't been around in awhile, has he? 229. Fireball1020 posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:43 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Debris. 230. Schroeder51 posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:43 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Caution for a piece of debris. 231. TS1420 posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:44 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Jacques is mad, real debris. 232. Chad's Hair Plugs posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:44 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Seems like Brad knocked the Fusion grill plate off his bumper to get a caution. 233. Schroeder51 posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:47 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Allgaier will be the leader on the restart. 234. Schroeder51 posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:47 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) And Stewart goes out in front after the restart. Three-wide back in the field! 235. TS1420 posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:49 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) *does a rain dance* 236. We need more Onion posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:49 pm Rate this comment: (1) (3) The #16 looks ridiculous. Breast cancer awareness... okay, but it's not an excuse to have pathetic schemes. Run pink numbers, they might look out of place, but don't make the whole car look like unicorn-barf. Not worthy of for race car. 237. Schroeder51 posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:50 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Harvick returns to the track with no front sheet metal. 238. We need more Onion posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:50 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Allgaier and Mears are doing a good job. 239. Schroeder51 posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:52 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Stewart moves over to let Logano take the lead. 240. Chad's Hair Plugs posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:52 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) *does a rain dance* You have a better chance of calling the race for darkness. "The #16 looks ridiculous. Breast cancer awareness... okay, but it's not an excuse to have pathetic schemes. Run pink numbers, they might look out of place, but don't make the whole car look like unicorn-barf. Not worthy of for race car." Yeah, his car looks like it was thrown in the laundry with a red shirt by accident. 241. Schroeder51 posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:53 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Vickers loops it around. Did Kahne get back at him? 242. Fireball1020 posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:53 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Vickers spins again. 243. David posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:53 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Kahne repays Vickers. 244. New14 & 88Fan posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:53 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Kahne pays Vickers back for spinning him. 245. TS1420 posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:53 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Vickers/Kahne: Round III 246. Schroeder51 posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:53 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Yes, he did. I would not be shocked if Vickers attempted to wreck Kahne a SECOND time... 247. Chad's Hair Plugs posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:54 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I have Kahne 29, Vickers 28 after 3 rounds. 248. RaceFanX posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:54 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Lots of cars missing body work out on the track today, remains me of the late 1990s when that was more common. When they had the big wreck at Dover in 1995 half the field ended up looking like something from "The Road Warrior." 249. WinstonCup4Ever posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:54 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) The reunion lives on. 250. numbah10hatah's Danica Patrick horse posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:56 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I kicked numbah10hatah by mistake one day, and... 251. dennyfan11 posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:56 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Green 252. Hinch77 posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:58 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Gordon lost 8 spots thanks to an unnecessary pit stop called by the ever-retarded Alan Gustafson. If Gordon doesn't win the title, I guarantee you will be able to look an ascribe 100% of the blame to Brains on the #24's pit box. 253. Chad's Hair Plugs posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:58 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) The 5 and 55 are on double secret probation for the rest of the race. 254. Hinch77 posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:59 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Did I miss something... Kahne retaliated because Vicker's dumped Kahne after Kahne had originally dumped Vickers for no reason earlier? Shouldn't they have been "Even Steven" after Vickers dumped Kahne? 255. racefangurl posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:59 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Well, Ricky's a few cars ahead of the unicorn barf car, so enjoy that. It's ironic he who didn't make the Chase is ahead of teammates. 256. Schroeder51 posted: 10.26.2014 - 3:59 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Junior is already back up to third. 257. racefangurl posted: 10.26.2014 - 4:00 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) At least, he was before he pitted. 258. epzik8 posted: 10.26.2014 - 4:00 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Hamlin blew past Logano. 259. Schroeder51 posted: 10.26.2014 - 4:01 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Danica spins out, and the 11th caution flag comes out. I wonder if we'll hit 20 today... 260. Chad's Hair Plugs posted: 10.26.2014 - 4:01 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Truex got Danica back. 261. Hinch77 posted: 10.26.2014 - 4:01 pm Rate this comment: (2) (1) 31 cars on the lead lap at Martinsville... Am I the only one who would seriously enjoy a race that ended with top-10 cars 30-100 laps down? The thing people forget when they hate on the old days for having such results is that there was some pretty good racing and the drivers were racing for mechanical survival as well as position. 262. Fireball1020 posted: 10.26.2014 - 4:01 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Patrick goes around. 263. WinstonCup4Ever posted: 10.26.2014 - 4:01 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) Expect another BS driver rant from Danica. *sigh* 264. Zackary Shawn posted: 10.26.2014 - 4:02 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Well, if you're keeping score Vickers still owes Kahne, but apparently NASCAR doesn't see it that way. 265. Chad's Hair Plugs posted: 10.26.2014 - 4:04 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Am I the only one who would seriously enjoy a race that ended with top-10 cars 30-100 laps down? The thing people forget when they hate on the old days for having such results is that there was some pretty good racing and the drivers were racing for mechanical survival as well as position. Bring the N'wide/Xfinity series back to Martinsville. 266. dennyfan11 posted: 10.26.2014 - 4:04 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Interesting pit strategy. 267. Fireball1020 posted: 10.26.2014 - 4:05 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) And Gordon falls back :( 268. Schroeder51 posted: 10.26.2014 - 4:09 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Kurt Busch moves to the lead. 269. racefangurl posted: 10.26.2014 - 4:09 pm Rate this comment: (0) (2) I don't care too much what the Nationwide/Xfinity Series does. I won't have a strong favorite in the series after Homestead and don't know if I'll feel like watching it too close next year. A Twitter friend of mine said yesterday she misses the Nationwide. I told her to hold on until next week. Btw, I bet it's a loud crowd at Martinsville now. 270. murb posted: 10.26.2014 - 4:11 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Denny looks really fast right now. 271. Hinch77 posted: 10.26.2014 - 4:12 pm Rate this comment: (2) (0) For those who said Gordon wouldn't get back to the top-10 after the speeding penalty... 272. Schroeder51 posted: 10.26.2014 - 4:13 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) "I don't care too much what the Nationwide/Xfinity Series does. I won't have a strong favorite in the series after Homestead and don't know if I'll feel like watching it too close next year. A Twitter friend of mine said yesterday she misses the Nationwide. I told her to hold on until next week. Btw, I bet it's a loud crowd at Martinsville now." I STILL think the fact that you plan to completely boycott the Nationwide/Xfinity (that's going to take a LONG time getting used to the name change) series merely because an 18-year old rookie is about to win the championship is utterly ridiculous. Gordon proves me wrong by closing in on Kurt Busch for the lead. But Hamlin, Logano, and the others are coming on their fresher tires... 273. Jarrett88fan posted: 10.26.2014 - 4:13 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Jaws theme... 274. Mr X posted: 10.26.2014 - 4:14 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Depending on what happens, I think this race will come down to Gordon vs Hamlin. 275. Schroeder51 posted: 10.26.2014 - 4:15 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Kyle Fowler is running ahead of such distinguish drivers as Kasey Kahne, Jimmie Johnson, and Kevin Harvick. Hamlin definitely has the best car on track right now. If nothing happens to him, he's almost certainly going to win this one going away. 276. TS1420 posted: 10.26.2014 - 4:16 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "Depending on what happens, I think this race will come down to Gordon vs Hamlin." I'm thinking the same thing. Gordon & Hamlin have their Martinsville mojo in effect today. 277. Schroeder51 posted: 10.26.2014 - 4:17 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Gordon takes the lead, but Hamlin is coming, so that may not last for long... 278. Hinch77 posted: 10.26.2014 - 4:17 pm Rate this comment: (2) (0) It would be somewhat humorous if Kurt Busch couldn't do crud the whole season but swept Martinsville. 279. Hinch77 posted: 10.26.2014 - 4:18 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) If you think Gordon and Busch are just going to sit there and watch Denny go by... You don't know Gordon and Busch very well. 280. Schroeder51 posted: 10.26.2014 - 4:20 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Hamlin moves to second. Jeff better watch his rear-view mirror... 281. Hinch77 trolling as August Comte posted: 10.26.2014 - 4:20 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "Hamlin moves to second. Jeff better watch his rear-view mirror... " Please quit stabbing me! 282. dennyfan11 posted: 10.26.2014 - 4:21 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Woo! Hamlin is second! wonderful! 283. Hinch77 posted: 10.26.2014 - 4:21 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Ummmm... Schroeder? Why is Gordon pulling away? 284. racefangurl posted: 10.26.2014 - 4:23 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) The Chevy fans are happy with that top-5. Four Chevies. The only non-Chevy in that top-5 has a good history at Martinsville. Of Logano, Keselowski, Gordon and Harvick, which is least likely to win a race before Homestead? 285. Hinch77 posted: 10.26.2014 - 4:24 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) And just like that the lead shrinks... Gordon is a top-notch driver, but navigating lapped traffic is something he does at an uncomfortably slow pace. 286. dennyfan11 posted: 10.26.2014 - 4:24 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Come on Denny! 287. Schroeder51 posted: 10.26.2014 - 4:24 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Hamlin is actually starting to catch Gordon in traffic, but nonetheless, Jeff is still out in front. Stewart is up to third. I dread to see what would happen if he won this race...NASCAR.com would no doubt be full of "First win by a murderer" comments or something of that like. 288. Hinch77 posted: 10.26.2014 - 4:25 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) dennyfan11 and racefangurl need to have a contest... Which one acts stupider when they're driver's doing well. 289. Schroeder51 posted: 10.26.2014 - 4:25 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Hamlin through to the lead without a fight. 290. dennyfan11 posted: 10.26.2014 - 4:25 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) HAMLIN TO THE LEad! WOOO! 291. Fireball1020 posted: 10.26.2014 - 4:25 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Gordon loses the lead :( 292. Hinch77 posted: 10.26.2014 - 4:25 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) "Stewart is up to third. I dread to see what would happen if he won this race...NASCAR.com would no doubt be full of "First win by a murderer" comments or something of that like. " Nevermind the sociopathic comments we'd get from DSFF and Ben Lowe. 293. Hinch77 posted: 10.26.2014 - 4:30 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) There's nothing like talking to myself. My mother warned me it would come to this... 294. Fireball1020 posted: 10.26.2014 - 4:32 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) @ 293 I'm here! 295. racefangurl posted: 10.26.2014 - 4:32 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) The Chevy fans are happy with that top-5. Four Chevies. The only non-Chevy in that top-5 has a good history at Martinsville. Of Logano, Keselowski, Gordon and Harvick, which is least likely to win a race before Homestead? 296. Chad's Hair Plugs posted: 10.26.2014 - 4:32 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Sorry, there's actually green flag racing. 297. Schroeder51 posted: 10.26.2014 - 4:32 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) The next caution will come out when Danica is about to be lapped. Calling it now. 298. Hinch77 posted: 10.26.2014 - 4:33 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Gordon is not losing contact with Denny as some suspected. 299. racefangurl posted: 10.26.2014 - 4:34 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I think they'd approve, anyway. They probably liked Gordo's lead better, though. 300. murb posted: 10.26.2014 - 4:35 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Caution for Sorenson in the wall. 301. Fireball1020 posted: 10.26.2014 - 4:35 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Sorenson with problems. 302. Schroeder51 posted: 10.26.2014 - 4:35 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Or maybe not. Reed Sorenson smacks the wall and the caution comes out. 303. Fireball1020 posted: 10.26.2014 - 4:37 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Now the battle should be interesting. Everyone has equal tires. 304. Schroeder51 posted: 10.26.2014 - 4:38 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Truex is leading, ESPN? I don't think so; he just got lapped before the caution. 305. murb posted: 10.26.2014 - 4:40 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) For the second week in a row, Cowboy Hat forgets where the brake pedal is, as he speeds on pit road. 306. Schroeder51 posted: 10.26.2014 - 4:40 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Stewart to second on the restart. 307. New14 & 88Fan posted: 10.26.2014 - 4:41 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Go Dinger! 308. Schroeder51 posted: 10.26.2014 - 4:41 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Allmendinger has having an outstanding run today. He's passing Kurt Busch for sixth place. If not for that mediocre run at Dover which put him out in Round 1, I think he might still be in the Chase in Round 3... 309. Schroeder51 posted: 10.26.2014 - 4:42 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Gordon back to second, but can he get by Hamlin? 310. murb posted: 10.26.2014 - 4:42 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Yeah great run once again for AJ. He has had some impressive runs in this Chase. 311. Jarrett88fan posted: 10.26.2014 - 4:43 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Jaws theme part 2... Green initiative. 312. DB1995 posted: 10.26.2014 - 4:44 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) The 1 team has done what they do best, turned a top 5 car into a top 15 car 313. racefangurl posted: 10.26.2014 - 4:44 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Cowboy Hat's Austin Dillon, I take it. Well, that's what rookies do. So if he sped on pit road, it's understandable. Even if I kinda like him, he's still a rookie. 314. Schroeder51 posted: 10.26.2014 - 4:45 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Allmendinger is knocking on the door of the top 5; he's on the back bumper of Stewart. Logano loses a spot to Kurt Busch; his car seems to have fallen off some here late in the race as he's not as strong as he was earlier. 315. murb posted: 10.26.2014 - 4:47 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) AJ has actually always been pretty good at Martinsville. I just remembered that he finished 2nd to Newman in 2012 (and easily could have won had he used the bumper). Great race for the lead between Hamlin and Gordon. They are very evenly matched today. 316. Schroeder51 posted: 10.26.2014 - 4:48 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Debris caution. 317. Jacques posted: 10.26.2014 - 4:48 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) 'Sup! 318. murb posted: 10.26.2014 - 4:48 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Caution for someone's water bottle. 319. epzik8 posted: 10.26.2014 - 4:49 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Yay, caution. 320. Schroeder51 posted: 10.26.2014 - 4:50 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Clint Bowyer jumps to the lead out of the pits. I REALLY hope he doesn't win... 321. murb posted: 10.26.2014 - 4:51 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Bowyer wins the race off pit road. 322. Cornys posted: 10.26.2014 - 4:51 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) There's a good name for it! The water bottle caution! That's what lack of excitement cautions should be called :X 323. Schroeder51 posted: 10.26.2014 - 4:52 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) I can't wait for the day that NASCAR officially starts listing the reason for questionable debris cautions as "field too spread out" or "excitement". Most of the fans on the fan council have said they wouldn't care if NASCAR did that or not...I wouldn't be shocked if it started happening in a few years... 324. murb posted: 10.26.2014 - 4:53 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Kurt Busch just blew up. 325. Schroeder51 posted: 10.26.2014 - 4:53 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Kurt Busch blows up under caution. 326. Chad's Hair Plugs posted: 10.26.2014 - 4:53 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Kurt Busch is smoking in the garage area. And Mike Wallace is giving the 66 a respectable ride today. 327. Schroeder51 posted: 10.26.2014 - 4:54 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Prepare for a REALLY long caution flag... 328. Mr X posted: 10.26.2014 - 4:57 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) If this race goes green to the end I think Jeff may have this as I think he can beat Dale and Clint, he's on the inside, and Hamlin is restarting on the outside. 329. Mr X posted: 10.26.2014 - 4:58 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Sucks for Kurt Busch. 330. Jarrett88fan posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:01 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) The #11 had better forward drive on the previous drive. However, Jeff stalked Hamlin for many laps and likely paralyzed that information to Alan Gustafson. Well see, but hopefully it goes green. 331. Hinch77 posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:02 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Green. 332. epzik8 posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:03 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Kurt Busch will not sweep Martinsville. 333. RaceFanX posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:03 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Yellow. 334. murb posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:03 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Wow, Brad loses his transmission and causes a huge pileup. 335. Schroeder51 posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:03 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Keselowski has a problem, slows on the frontstretch, and causes a BIG crash. Mears, Kahne, and Danica are caught up in it. 336. Fireball1020 posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:03 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Pile-up. 337. Hinch77 posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:03 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) And caution again already... with Gordon stuck on the outside for the next restart. 338. David posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:03 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Brad Keselowski's problems trigger a five-car crash. 339. Chad's Hair Plugs posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:03 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) BK has transmission problems and the big one happens behind him. 340. Hinch77 posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:03 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Red flag 341. We need more Onion posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:03 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) Feel so bad for the #13. Was hang a nice run. Lel, Danica is an idiot. 342. Schroeder51 posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:03 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Truex is in the crash too, as is Edwards. Red flag is out. And another Chase driver in trouble. 343. dennyfan11 posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:04 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) red. My predictions of the final 4 are very wrong./ My predictions were Logano, Gordon, Keselowski, and Harvick. 344. murb posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:04 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Red flag here. Huge damage for both Mears and Kahne. Carl Edwards also got damage. 345. Schroeder51 posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:04 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) This would be Mears' first DNF of the season. 346. RaceFanX posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:04 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Red. Big crash, Keselowski's transmission broke on the frontstretch and it set off a chain reaction. A lot of cars are wrecked. 347. We need more Onion posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:04 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Guess what? The 5-55 are both involved again. 348. 1995z71 posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:04 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) lol @ clueless mad danica 349. Fireball1020 posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:05 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Danica is the leader per ESPN. 350. Schroeder51 posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:05 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) ESPN's ticker says Danica is leading the race. You wish, ESPN... 351. We need more Onion posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:05 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "My predictions of the final 4 are very wrong./ My predictions were Logano, Gordon, Keselowski, and Harvick." To think mine were Logano, Gordon, Newman, Hamlin... I might be on it leaving Martinsville. 352. murb posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:05 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) BSPN's scroller has Danica and Keselowski are running 1st and 2nd. lol 353. epzik8 posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:06 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Ooh. 354. TS1420 posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:06 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Brian Vickers is saddened that he didn't get to finish off Kahne. 355. Hinch77 posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:07 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) ESPN isn't the only one... Even NASCAR.com's Live Leaderboard has Danica leading. 356. We need more Onion posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:07 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Seeing that replay, Kahne and his spotter are total idiots. The brake pedal is the other one, Kandy. 357. murb posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:09 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "Seeing that replay, Kahne and his spotter are total idiots." I know. I understand Mears getting involved since he had nowhere to go, but Kahne had a considerable amount of time to react and still just plowed into those guys. 358. racefangurl posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:10 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I bet Danica's mad at Brad Keselowski, along with the others that went bang. 359. murb posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:10 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Gordon and Hamlin will both be on the outside for the restart, so that should get interesting. 360. Zackary Shawn posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:11 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Hey...that's just the nature of plate racing. 361. Jarrett88fan posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:11 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Hopefully Bowyer's arm doesn't get itchy on the restart. What a mess. 362. TS1420 posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:12 pm Rate this comment: (4) (1) NASCAR will call the race and use their live leaderboard as the official results. 363. Schroeder51 posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:15 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) "NASCAR will call the race and use their live leaderboard as the official results." LOL, I can imagine it... ESPN: And due to darkness approaching at Martinsville, the race has been called. And DANICA PATRICK is the winner! The first win by a woman in NASCAR! What a historic moment! She wasn't leading the race and was on pit road with crash damage, but the leaderboard says she was out front, so therefore she's the winner. What a great moment for the sport! 364. murb posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:16 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) That does suck for Mears. I didn't realize he was running top 15. 365. Jarrett88fan posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:17 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Classic Kasey Kahne interview. 366. murb posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:20 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Jr hangs Gordon out on the restart. Glad to see no team order bullshit there. 367. Schroeder51 posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:20 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Gordon slides to fifth on the restart. I have a feeling that Bowyer is going to hang on and win, much to our disgust... 368. TS1420 posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:21 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) Uh-oh. Jr doesn't cut Gordon any slack, Mr. Hendrick is gonna renumber his car to the #25. 369. Schroeder51 posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:22 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Junior is on Bowyer's back bumper. 370. Chad's Hair Plugs posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:23 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Denny's getting used up. Let's see if Kyle plays protector. 371. Schroeder51 posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:23 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Junior side by side with Bowyer...and through to the lead. 372. Zackary Shawn posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:23 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) A week too late, Jr. A week too late... 373. dennyfan11 posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:24 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Hamlin, after having a great car, prolly wont win :( 374. Schroeder51 posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:24 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Kyle Fowler is going to get a top 30 finish in his first career start if things stay as they are. And the naysayers predicted he'd be in half the caution flags... 375. Schroeder51 posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:27 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Gordon through to second, but does he have enough time to catch Junior? 376. Jarrett88fan posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:27 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Danna, Danna, Danna, etc... 377. MAR posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:28 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Kyle Fowler was to slow to be around any cautions 378. David posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:28 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) MRN just mistakenly stated that Gordon was leading as they went to commercials. 379. joey2448 posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:30 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) DSFF must be shitting a brick right now! 380. DB1995 posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:30 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Hendrick 1-2 with Bowyer 3rd at Martinsville hopefully we get a repeat of April 2012 381. TS1420 posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:31 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "Hendrick 1-2 with Bowyer 3rd at Martinsville hopefully we get a repeat of April 2012" With an SHR car winning ;) 382. Chad's Hair Plugs posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:32 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Moving chicanes...coming up! 383. Schroeder51 posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:32 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Junior's got this unless he gets hung up in traffic big time... 384. DB1995 posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:33 pm Rate this comment: (1) (1) NASCAR wouldnt throw a caution here if a giraffe was walking on track 385. Chad's Hair Plugs posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:35 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) There's your giraffe 386. David posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:35 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Ambrose changes everything with his spin. 387. Schroeder51 posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:35 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Larson and Ambrose spin in turn 3 and caution #15 comes out. Gordon will be restarting on the outside...so that means Junior pretty much has this in the bag. 388. DB1995 posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:35 pm Rate this comment: (2) (0) Ooh a caution Everyone from 3rd on back should pit 389. DB1995 posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:36 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Should had said kangaroo 390. Chad's Hair Plugs posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:36 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Curious how far back the 1st car that pits will be. Tires have been golden today. Red flag for Larson being stuck. 391. Schroeder51 posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:36 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Red flag again. 392. We need more Onion posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:36 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) So to haters/doubters... Fowler is in the top 30, on his way to one of the better results for the #32 this year. 393. TS1420 posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:37 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Well, there's the game changing caution. -Who pits? -Who doesn't? -Will this be the last caution or the first of many? 394. David posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:37 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Red flag. 395. Jarrett88fan posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:37 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Shades of Martinsville April 2012? We'll see how jumbled everything turns out to be. 396. dennyfan11 posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:37 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Red flag. 397. New14 & 88Fan posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:37 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) One thing for sure, this restart will be interesting. 398. 1995z71 posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:38 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) good job of Ambrose keeping it off the wall. 399. We need more Onion posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:38 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Whitt 15th Cassill 18th These are 2 great runs so far for those young guys. 400. OldSchoolNascarDude1 posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:40 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I bet the underdogs stay out, causing havoc on the restart. 401. Jarrett88fan posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:40 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I'd pit for two right side tires and no fuel as this might not be the final caution flag. 402. MAR posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:41 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Cassill and whitt should stay out if most of the leaders pit 403. Dense Drip posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:41 pm Rate this comment: (2) (0) Cole Whitt is BY FAR the best driver at BK Racing. 404. TS1420 posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:43 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Jr & Gordon playing games and trying to inch ahead of each other under the red-flag. 405. The Crimson King posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:43 pm Rate this comment: (2) (2) Who wants to bet that Itchy Arm wrecks everyone on the restart? 406. murb posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:45 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) That'd be hilarious if Newman restarts behind Bowyer and they cause a bunch of chaos on the restart, just like 2012. 407. TS1420 posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:46 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Anybody bet Alan G. has Gordon stay out? 408. murb posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:47 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Leaders pit. Tony Stewart stays out it looks like. 409. Schroeder51 posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:47 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Tony Stewart stays out. 410. murb posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:48 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Wow, Gordon had a shit pit stop I think. 411. Chad's Hair Plugs posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:48 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Tony stayed out. Those pit lane officials are brave. 412. Schroeder51 posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:48 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Stewart, Stenhouse, and Ragan are the only three cars who stay out. This could get scary... 413. epzik8 posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:49 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Let's get this over with. 414. Chad's Hair Plugs posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:49 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I'd like Tony's chances if 2nd and 3rd were better cars. Stenhouse and Ragan are gonna get shoved over in no time. 415. TS1420 posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:49 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Well looks like Alan G. was calling Smoke's pit strategy instead of Gordon. 416. RaceFanX posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:49 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Watch Stenhouse or Ragan steal it... 417. Schroeder51 posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:49 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) Bold prediction: We get a GWC. 418. Jarrett88fan posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:50 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Not a bad decision to stay out if no more cautions. 419. New14 & 88Fan posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:50 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) This is gonna be insane. 420. murb posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:50 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Stenhouse just kills that outside line. 421. Hinch77 posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:50 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "Wow, Gordon had a shit pit stop I think. " Not really... just that a few cars (including Stenhouse and Ragan) stayed out. 422. Schroeder51 posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:51 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Junior and Gordon back to first and second after a couple laps. And the field is tightly bunched behind them.... 423. New14 & 88Fan posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:51 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Junebug through to the lead with Gordon hot on his tail. 424. murb posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:52 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) LOL Newman 3rd 425. We need more Onion posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:52 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Yes, Gordon can still finish out of the top 4. RAGAN TENTH!!!! 426. DB1995 posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:52 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) Rain couldnt had been any worse, bright side is David Ragan finished 10th 427. Zackary Shawn posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:52 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Ryan Newman finished third. He's going to win this damn championship. 428. Hinch77 posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:52 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) And Junior takes his first Martinsville win. David Ragan collects FRM's first non-restrictor plate top-10. 429. RaceFanX posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:52 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Top-10 for David Reagan in the Wendell Scott Tribute car! 430. Chad's Hair Plugs posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:52 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Stewart held onto 4th and Ragan stayed in the top 10. Stenhouse on the other hand just barely stayed on the lead lap. 431. Cumulonimbus posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:52 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Newman puts himself into 2nd in the standings by finishind third here... and also a shoutout to Ragan, who gets a top 10! 432. BluesTravelerFan posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:52 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I wonder how DEFF is faring now. . 433. murb posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:52 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Great job by Jr to take the win. He was plowing through there at the end. 434. We need more Onion posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:53 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Front Row get their 1st non-plate top 10. On a very good strategy call, but still. A top 10 is a top 10. CONGRATS! 435. MAR posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:53 pm Rate this comment: (0) (3) Dale Jr wins!!!!!!!!!!!! The most meaningless win of his career. Great redemption over what happened at Talladega 436. epzik8 posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:53 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) If only this win had come last week. 437. Schroeder51 posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:54 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Gordon closes on the final lap, but Junior hangs on for the win. A little too late for him now that he's out of the Chase...but still, his first win at Martinsville. He and Gordon just POWERED through those cars on older tires on the restart. Gordon finishes second and puts himself in good shape to advance to the final round (as long as he finishes really well in the next two races, since there will now be only 2 spots open for winners to advance to the final round). David Ragan just barely manages to sneak a top 10 finish in the Wendell Scott tribute car. And Kyle Fowler gets a top 30 in his first career start...though the naysayers will still scoff at him anyways... 438. TS1420 posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:54 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) At least Junior won and not Gordon. Smoke should have got two tires. Newman sneaks home 3rd. 439. New14 & 88Fan posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:54 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Even though he's out of chase contention good to Dale Jr. get a another win. Also great job by David Ragan hanging on for a top-10 in the Wendell Scott tribute car. 440. The Crimson King posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:54 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) 23rd career win for Dale Jr. Possibly last career win as a crew chief for Letarte 441. RaceFanX posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:54 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Dale does a Polish Victory Lap. 442. NadeauFan91 posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:55 pm Rate this comment: (2) (1) YES! Jr finally gets the clock! 443. murb posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:55 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Yeah, great job by Ragan. 444. BluesTravelerFan posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:55 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) DSFF i mean.. 445. Hinch77 posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:56 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) The last time Gordon led the most laps and won was Atlanta in 2011. Since then he has led the most laps FIVE times and not won the race. 446. murb posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:56 pm Rate this comment: (1) (1) Great to see Tony get a top five too. That has to feel nice for him and that team going forward. 447. Schroeder51 posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:57 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I feel pretty confident in saying that Gordon, Logano, and Newman will be in the final four (I think Logano is going to get another win, and Gordon and Newman will probably run well enough to make it on points)...Hmm, I wonder who will get the last spot? Not sure now...Could be Harvick if he wins in the next two races (personally, I don't think Brad will get a win at Texas or Phoenix), but if he doesn't, I'll be bold and predict that Kenseth will get the last spot. 448. Zackary Shawn posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:57 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) If I'm not mistaken, this is Tony's first post-race interview since he came back. 449. Jarrett88fan posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:57 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) I'd say the Wendell Scott paint schemes this weekend were good luck charmes. Classy interview by Smoke. 450. Chad's Hair Plugs posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:58 pm Rate this comment: (5) (2) Somewhere in the reflection of a martini shaker, Brian France is writing up a loophole to get Jr back in the Chase. 451. joey2448 posted: 10.26.2014 - 5:59 pm Rate this comment: (2) (1) THE OLD JUNIOR IS BACK!!! Hell yeah! This is awesome. This is way too cool. What a great scene! 452. joey2448 posted: 10.26.2014 - 6:00 pm Rate this comment: (2) (1) What a great moment to see Dale Jr. celebrate like that with his team here at the paperclip. He's got himself a Martinsville clock! HAHAHAHA!!! "We're gonna drink a lot of beer tonight" --Junior 453. Fireball1020 posted: 10.26.2014 - 6:00 pm Rate this comment: (1) (18) Race ruined. Junior sucks. 454. Hinch77 posted: 10.26.2014 - 6:02 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) "Race ruined. Junior sucks. " This cost me some IQ points. 455. Fireball1020 posted: 10.26.2014 - 6:03 pm Rate this comment: (1) (5) Both Martinsville races ruined by the winners. :( 456. Schroeder51 posted: 10.26.2014 - 6:03 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "Race ruined. Junior sucks." Prepare for a lot of thumbs down... 457. Fireball1020 posted: 10.26.2014 - 6:04 pm Rate this comment: (1) (9) I don't care. 458. Hinch77 posted: 10.26.2014 - 6:04 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) "Both Martinsville races ruined by the winners. :(" Reading those last two posts by fireball took away my MENSA status... 459. Fireball1020 posted: 10.26.2014 - 6:05 pm Rate this comment: (1) (1) Also kudos to Ragan for a top ten. 460. We need more Onion posted: 10.26.2014 - 6:06 pm Rate this comment: (3) (0) "Race ruined. Junior sucks. " Awwww, poor Gordo fan... To think that Bubba also got a popular victory. Been a good weekend, two good guys EARNING their wins, Tifft and Ragan with top 10s. You are not welcome here dude. 461. SpeedWorld97 posted: 10.26.2014 - 6:07 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Well I said I wouldn't be back until Homestead, but this changed my mind! I apologize for my anger last weekend. I guess my emotions got the best of me. This may have been the best drive of Dale Jr's career. He drove superb all day, especially the last five laps. 462. BluesTravelerFan posted: 10.26.2014 - 6:07 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) So pleased to see Jr finally get that darn clock haha. 463. Fireball1020 posted: 10.26.2014 - 6:08 pm Rate this comment: (1) (5) @ 460 What a dumb and stupid comment. Way to kick me when I'm down. 464. Schroeder51 posted: 10.26.2014 - 6:08 pm Rate this comment: (2) (0) While I am still a Gordon fan, I'm OK with Junior winning. I don't personally have any problems with Junior (as a driver or a person)...I have a problem with a large portion of his FANBASE, but not Junior himself. 465. The Crimson King posted: 10.26.2014 - 6:08 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) That three wide pass to take the lead was pretty damn cool, even if Jr was on new tires vs. old ones 466. murb posted: 10.26.2014 - 6:09 pm Rate this comment: (2) (0) "What a dumb and stupid comment." Nice Nascar.com style rebuttal. 467. Schroeder51 posted: 10.26.2014 - 6:10 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "What a dumb and stupid comment. Way to kick me when I'm down." No offense, but comments like that are likely to not go over very well with most people here. Look at how many times racefangurl has been slammed (by me, and by other people) for some of the inane things she posts week after week... 468. Fireball1020 posted: 10.26.2014 - 6:10 pm Rate this comment: (1) (6) @ 460 So it is it illegal to be a Junior hater? I'm pretty sure I'm allowed to have my favorites and least favorites. 469. Schroeder51 posted: 10.26.2014 - 6:11 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) "Nice Nascar.com style rebuttal." Makes me wonder if he IS a NASCAR.com commenter... 470. The Crimson King posted: 10.26.2014 - 6:11 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) There's hating someone, and then being obnoxious about it. I hate Vettel in F1 but I keep my bitching to a minimum. 471. Fireball1020 posted: 10.26.2014 - 6:12 pm Rate this comment: (1) (2) I hate the nascar.com comments, thank you very much. 472. Zackary Shawn posted: 10.26.2014 - 6:13 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Kevin Harvick says he's going to make sure Matt Kenseth doesn't win the championship. So there's that... 473. 1995 Subaru WRX STi posted: 10.26.2014 - 6:16 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) "I have a problem with a large portion of his FANBASE, but not Junior himself." I think most of us do, they have a habit of making NASCAR look bad. Juniors dad won 6 Grandfather clocks; Junior has his now. 474. Peter posted: 10.26.2014 - 6:16 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Way to go David!!! Top ten 475. Fireball1020 posted: 10.26.2014 - 6:18 pm Rate this comment: (3) (1) I'm also going to thumbs-up every comment that racefangurl makes now that I know that you are thumbs-downing her comments for no good reason. If you are gonna do that, YOU don't belong here. People have a right to have to have an opinion, in case you didn't know. 476. Zackary Shawn posted: 10.26.2014 - 6:20 pm Rate this comment: (3) (0) Instead of celebrating a great race won by a likable driver, we're here bitching at each other because one person disagrees. Why even engage him the first place? 477. Fireball1020 posted: 10.26.2014 - 6:21 pm Rate this comment: (1) (2) @ 476 Because people can't accept the fact that people hate Junior. 478. Jarrett88fan posted: 10.26.2014 - 6:23 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Ricky Craven just put over Gordon big time saying the #24 team better bring their best piece for Homestead. 479. Hinch77 posted: 10.26.2014 - 6:23 pm Rate this comment: (3) (0) "I'm also going to thumbs-up every comment that racefangurl makes now that I know that you are thumbs-downing her comments for no good reason. If you are gonna do that, YOU don't belong here. People have a right to have to have an opinion, in case you didn't know. " Oh, no, we just bash asinine comments. You are literally throwing a temper tantrum because Junior won the race. Racefangurl is throwing a temper tantrum because Chase Elliott is going to win the NNS title. Frankly, you both are driving the quality of this website down. However, you in particular are annoying because you not only tell us what to do but also insult us when we tell you we're not going to cowtow to you. 480. murb posted: 10.26.2014 - 6:23 pm Rate this comment: (5) (0) "Kevin Harvick says he's going to make sure Matt Kenseth doesn't win the championship. So there's that..." Every time I think Harvick is finally starting to grow up and start focusing on the big picture, he gets distracted by stupid things like this. In 2010 he had a fantastic shot at the title, but instead he got fixated on not only roughing up Denny Hamlin in Dover practice, but also roughing up his own TEAMMATE Jeff Burton at Martinsville. And then in 2011, he started the year off as one of the favorites for the title again (he won 3 of the first 12 races), but then once again threw all his momentum away by getting involved in that idiotic year long feud with Kyle Busch. So if he is indeed talking trash on Kenseth now (I don't blame him for being mad, but it's not like Matt did it on purpose - it was clearly a racing deal where Matt just wheel hopped it into turn one), that tells me that he has virtually no shot at this now. Even though he'll probably be one of the fastest cars at Texas and Phoenix, he's most likely gonna let this stick with him, and he's probably gonna start trying to do stupid intimidation shit with Kenseth now anytime he's near him on the race track. So good job, Harvick. Way to put it behind you and focus on the big picture. 481. Schroeder51 posted: 10.26.2014 - 6:25 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "I'm also going to thumbs-up every comment that racefangurl makes now that I know that you are thumbs-downing her comments for no good reason. If you are gonna do that, YOU don't belong here. People have a right to have to have an opinion, in case you didn't know." She DOES have a right to her opinion and she is more than welcome to it. That said, a LOT of her opinions come off as irrational, biased, and/or hypocritical. (For instance, she thinks it's a travesty that Chase Elliott is going to win the Nationwide championship as an 18-year old rookie, yet she found Trevor Bayne winning the Daytona 500 back in 2011 at the age of 19 in his first start heartwarming...that's hypocritical right there). Like I said, she has a right to her opinion. We ALSO have the right to not agree with her opinions. You don't want EVERYONE to agree on everything...do you? This site would be boring as hell if we all universally agreed on everything! But go ahead, feel free to mass thumbs-down anyone disagreeing with her if you want to. It doesn't make a difference to me; I couldn't care less. 482. The Crimson King posted: 10.26.2014 - 6:26 pm Rate this comment: (2) (0) "People have a right to have to have an opinion, in case you didn't know." People have the right to an informed opinion, not to have an asinine opinion on irrelevant shit. Just because its your opinion that 2+2=5 doesn't mean you aren't going to be ridiculed for it. 483. Hinch77 posted: 10.26.2014 - 6:27 pm Rate this comment: (3) (0) "Because people can't accept the fact that people hate Junior. " There is hate, and there is irrational hate without reasons. There are plenty of drivers hate, but there's always a reason. I don't like Jimmie Johnson because I think he's a stuck-up jackass. DSFF doesn't like Gordon because he and Dale were always rivals. numbah10hatah doesn't like Danica because he thinks she's an overhyped hack. You, on the other hand, just come on here, say what has probably been the best Chase race sucks because a driver you don't like won, refuse to give people a reason for why you hate Junior, and then insult people because they call you out on your irrationality. 484. Peter posted: 10.26.2014 - 6:29 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) @ 477 You can dislike a driver we respect that, but when you say a driver you don't really like ruined your whole day by simply by doing his job; that's a little childish 485. Fireball1020 posted: 10.26.2014 - 6:29 pm Rate this comment: (1) (3) Fine, be idiots. You guys just don't believe in other people having opinions, and when someone disagrees with you, you insult him/her until they leave the site. I'm staying on this site because there is NOTHING you can do from ridding this site of me. So have fun dealing with me because I'm pretty sure that I'm going to be here for years to come. 486. Hinch77 posted: 10.26.2014 - 6:30 pm Rate this comment: (2) (0) "Instead of celebrating a great race won by a likable driver, we're here bitching at each other because one person disagrees. Why even engage him the first place? " Pretty much. I'm going to take the better way and just end it there. No use losing MY happiness because of someone else. 487. Jarrett88fan posted: 10.26.2014 - 6:31 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Ditto Zackary Shawn... By the way, with Ole Miss losing the door is still open for your Tigers to make it into the national championship discussion. I see two SEC West teams in the top four, one from Mississippi and one from Alabama. 488. Fireball1020 posted: 10.26.2014 - 6:31 pm Rate this comment: (1) (1) And if one of my favorites wins next week, prepare for the shitstorm of happiness. 489. The Long Shot posted: 10.26.2014 - 6:33 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) "I'm also going to thumbs-up every comment that racefangurl makes now that I know that you are thumbs-downing her comments for no good reason. If you are gonna do that, YOU don't belong here. People have a right to have to have an opinion, in case you didn't know." Being allowed to have an opinion does not exempt you from criticism over said opinion. I can't believe this still needs to be explained to people. Congrats to Junior. As has been echoed above, I'm not a fan of the typical "JOONYER" fanbase, but I really do like the guy himself. Very personable, and a guy who you always like to see win. 490. Schroeder51 posted: 10.26.2014 - 6:34 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) "Fine, be idiots. You guys just don't believe in other people having opinions, and when someone disagrees with you, you insult him/her until they leave the site. I'm staying on this site because there is NOTHING you can do from ridding this site of me. So have fun dealing with me because I'm pretty sure that I'm going to be here for years to come." What do you want us to do? Mindlessly agree with everybody else's opinions? Are you for real? Like I said, you have a right to an opinion, but you also have the right to DISAGREE with somebody's opinion. When somebody makes an irrational or ludicrous comment, I think people SHOULD disagree with that person's opinion. I've said what I felt needed to be said, and that's that. Like I said, if you want to be an ass and mass thumbs down all of our comments, you can do that if you want; I'm not going to stop you. Like I said, I don't care. But I'm done talking to you because it's clear you're not going to listen. I'm just going to drop this and let it go, and that'll be that. But of course, I'm already anticipating you trying to keep things going... 491. Fireball1020 posted: 10.26.2014 - 6:35 pm Rate this comment: (0) (3) I would've loved to have been a Gordon fan in the '90s. If this site came along with it...I can't express how much fun that would've been. Insulting literally everyone because they hate that Gordon wins so much. 492. Hinch77 posted: 10.26.2014 - 6:37 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) "I would've loved to have been a Gordon fan in the '90s. If this site came along with it...I can't express how much fun that would've been. Insulting literally everyone because they hate that Gordon wins so much. " Somehow I doubt anyone else here has a JEFF GORDON BED! 493. Anonymous posted: 10.26.2014 - 6:39 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Glad Jr won and solid top 10 for David Ragan. 494. The Long Shot posted: 10.26.2014 - 6:39 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "I would've loved to have been a Gordon fan in the '90s. If this site came along with it...I can't express how much fun that would've been. Insulting literally everyone because they hate that Gordon wins so much." Quit the trolling if you want people to take you seriously. I can understand you not liking Junior and thus not being happy when he wins, but getting contentious when people disagree with you is not a good way to go about backing your argument. 495. Fireball1020 posted: 10.26.2014 - 6:43 pm Rate this comment: (2) (3) Just so you know, I don't get why I never see comments (other than my own), that say, "I dislike that (Insert Driver Here) won". It's always, "GREAT JOB (Insert Driver Here) ON THE WIN!!!" Whenever someone says this, they instantly get thumbs-down unless they are a popular poster on the site. That is why I am raging and I guess you guys can't see that. 496. Anonymous posted: 10.26.2014 - 6:45 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I know he drives in the Truck series but I was wondering, did Darrel Wallace Jr choose the number 34 because it was Wendell Scott's number? Scott was a good driver as is Wallace Jr. 497. Fireball1020 posted: 10.26.2014 - 6:48 pm Rate this comment: (2) (5) @ 496 He wouldn't be good if he wasn't in Kyle Busch equipment. That's why I hate him because he has such an unfair advantage over everyone. 498. MAR posted: 10.26.2014 - 6:52 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) @Fireball 1020 your comments about jr and bubba winning has to be a joke rite. 499. Destroyahirismix666 posted: 10.26.2014 - 6:58 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I've made it a habit now to come to this site after every race just to see what problem the people on this board have decided to bicker about this week. Here's my favorite gem form today's Martinsville board. Fireball1020 posted: I would've loved to have been a Gordon fan in the '90s. If this site came along with it...I can't express how much fun that would've been. Insulting literally everyone because they hate that Gordon wins so much. As a Jimmie Johnson fan, I can tell you, it's a good feeling. Because while everyone else's world is burning, you can sit back and drink a chocolate glass of explosive chocolate rain with a chaotic smile on your face. But by the next week one doesn't really care a whole bunch anymore because the next race is what you want your guy to win. (And if anyone caught that blatantly obvious reference, thumbs up, because we don't have enough problems on this board as it is.) 500. The Crimson King posted: 10.26.2014 - 6:58 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Reminder that Ryan Newman could potentially be a winless champion. Winning is all that matters, they said. 501. Fireball1020 posted: 10.26.2014 - 7:03 pm Rate this comment: (0) (6) I'm a Junior hater, and you guys can't accept that. I'm not done posting on this site, but you guys may hinder it because now you guys hate me universally and will thumbs-down everything I post. I just want to be a regular poster, but I guess I have seriously damaged that wish. Have fun being idiots who can't accept the fact that I have opinions and I guess I will just have to write a blog explaining why you guys need to accept me as a regular poster and not thumbs-down my comments simply out of disagreement. You're gonna have to deal with me for the next several years as someone who has an unpopular opinion. Have fun being immature and goodnight. 502. Sponsor Updates posted: 10.26.2014 - 7:06 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) #47- Clorox / Hungry Jack / Scott Products #16- 3M / OfficeSupply.com/ Breast Cancer Awareness #99- Ford EcoBoost / Breast Cancer Awareness #98- Breast Cancer Awareness #7- Allstate Peterbilt / Pilot #93- Burger King / Dr. Pepper #42- Target / Cottonelle #34- 2015 NASCAR HOF Inductee Wendell Scott #27- Richmond / Menards 503. The Crimson King posted: 10.26.2014 - 7:06 pm Rate this comment: (4) (0) I think Fireball is one of those people that sees a group of people talking and having fun, and joins the conversation and makes a lot of racy and edgy jokes that make everyone uncomfortable and it's patently obvious they don't enjoy his presence. Then the group gets together to tell him that he's being a dick and everyone would be happier if he left. Then that guy makes it his sole duty to ruin that group, instead of doing something constructive instead. 504. Jarrett88fan posted: 10.26.2014 - 7:08 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) The only way Newman becomes a winless champion is if he finishes second or third at Homestead to drivers not in the final four. Personally, I want Jeff Gordon to win for the historical significance. However, Logano has certainly earned it and would be a better ambassador than Brad or Harvick. Newman is my third preference to only make a mockery of the playoff Chase. 505. DB1995 posted: 10.26.2014 - 7:12 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Eh pretty bad weekend, Predators lost to the Penguins VOLS lost to Alsbama (much more competitive thsn i thought though) Titans lost to the Texans (boy do the Titans suck) Jr. won, which will engage a week long love fest of him from Twitter, Facebook, and my newspaper. The only bright spot was Darrell Wallace Jr. Winning and Ragan P10 today. 506. Peter posted: 10.26.2014 - 7:17 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) @ Fireball1020 You keep going back to your options argument. How many times have we told you we respect people having their own opinions, it's just when people bitch and moan about drivers they don't like and don't have a coherent reason to dislike them; that pisses us all of 507. Zackary Shawn posted: 10.26.2014 - 7:17 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) I bet all the Jr. fans who said they were going to stop watching because he was eliminated from The Chase feel really stupid right about now (assuming they weren't all talk to begin with...). 508. Mr X posted: 10.26.2014 - 7:17 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "480. murb posted: 10.26.2014 - 6:23 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) "Kevin Harvick says he's going to make sure Matt Kenseth doesn't win the championship. So there's that..." Every time I think Harvick is finally starting to grow up and start focusing on the big picture, he gets distracted by stupid things like this. In 2010 he had a fantastic shot at the title, but instead he got fixated on not only roughing up Denny Hamlin in Dover practice, but also roughing up his own TEAMMATE Jeff Burton at Martinsville. And then in 2011, he started the year off as one of the favorites for the title again (he won 3 of the first 12 races), but then once again threw all his momentum away by getting involved in that idiotic year long feud with Kyle Busch. So if he is indeed talking trash on Kenseth now (I don't blame him for being mad, but it's not like Matt did it on purpose - it was clearly a racing deal where Matt just wheel hopped it into turn one), that tells me that he has virtually no shot at this now. Even though he'll probably be one of the fastest cars at Texas and Phoenix, he's most likely gonna let this stick with him, and he's probably gonna start trying to do stupid intimidation shit with Kenseth now anytime he's near him on the race track. So good job, Harvick. Way to put it behind you and focus on the big picture." This might not be popular but I'm going to play defence for Harvick again. Kevin was asked within an hour of the race ending how he felt about what happened. Unsurprisingly he didn't have kind words for Kenseth, even if it was accidental, it was still dumb. That being said to this point it hasn't gone any further then just a few words. I expect that Kenseth being the responsible driver he has always been, will probably apologize. If Kevin at any point during the remainder of the season hurts his own chances to win the title in an attempt to ruin Kenseth's miniscule chances, I'll eat my words, and admit to being wrong. If that doesn't happen, and I think there's a good chance that it won't I'll let Kevin vent. Look what happened two weeks ago in the hour after the Charlotte race between Kenseth, Keselowski, and Hamlin. Look what's happened since, Kenseth pushed Keselowski to the win in Talladega, and all three of them advanced. Remember when Harvick wrecked Hamlin out of the lead at Bristol, nothing happened afterwards, but Hamlin wasn't pleased at the time. Time heals all wounds, I'll give it more time. Congrats to Dale Jr on winning an excellent race, He's very likeable IMO. I love Martinsville, much better then Bristol or Richmond IMO. Glad to see the drivers finished where they deserved to for the most part after that last caution. I hate feeling cheated when dominant drivers are screwed by strategy they were basically forced into. Nothing against Hamlin, but I'm glad he didn't win today. Regardless of the points system, I want a deserving driver to be crowned the Champion. This year Hamlin has not been that driver. I would hate to have to explain to people why an undeserving driver might be the champion. NO MATTER HOW THESE NEXT TWO RACES PLAY OUT, TWO DRIVERS WILL MAKE IT INTO THE FINAL FOUR ON POINTS! I'm not excited, just making a point. 509. DaleSrFanForever posted: 10.26.2014 - 7:18 pm Rate this comment: (1) (2) Is my curse of having to watch Jimmie Johnson have great performances at every race I go to finally broken? Can't believe the way Junior just outdrove Jeff in the end. His restarts were shit all day, but in the end he did it. That was a race Jeff really needed to win. He had the best car all day. He needed to go ahead and lock himself in at Homestead. He can make it on points since, at the very most, only two cars will lock themselves in. But if he has one bad race, the The Drive For Five will have to be extended for a 14th year. Say what you will about my rants on Jeff after September when in title contention, it is true. Two of the "no brainers" for the final four, Brad and Harvick, will most likely need a win to make it. Although Brad is a good bet for Texas and Harvick is a great pick for Phoenix, it is unlikely both will happen. Here is my bold Harvick prediction: he either wins Texas or misses the final four. Yeah, I said Texas. I know he has won the last two at Phoenix, but in NASCAR, 3peats at tracks are very hard to come by. Joey did what he needed to do at an unkind track. He positioned himself solidly in points and ran a lot better than his teammate. Wirh at least two spots up for grabs, and their speed everywhere this year, I think he will make it. Of the final 8, he has to be the happiest with his finish. A beautiful day in the Commonwealth. The last beautiful day here was all about the tank tops. Today it was the short shorts. Man those are sexy on girls with those slightly cbubby legs. And the weather helped the crowd. That was the biggest crowd I've seen here in a long time. I wanna know how much of my life has been wasted watching cars putter around under caution in Martinsville, VA because Brian Vickers decided to act a fool. Can I sue him for wasted time? The crowd response to June's win wasn't what I thought it would be. The crowds were way more off the hook when his Dad won North Wilkesboro in '91 with a late race pass, and in the '93 Coke 600 when he came back from two late penalties. For the one in Charlotte, the stands were shaking. But of course the crowds were a whole lot rowdier back then. 510. Zackary Shawn posted: 10.26.2014 - 7:20 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Fireball1020, like The Long Shot said, you are entitled to your opinion. You are NOT, however, entitled from criticism of that opinion, or from having it challenged. If people don't like it, they are entitled to call you out. 511. DB1995 posted: 10.26.2014 - 7:20 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Brad should be a favorite at both Texas and Phoenix, he had the 2nd best car at Texas this April before speeding on pit road, finished 3rd with a 4th place car at Phoenix from the pole. By the way that was his only good finish with the Alliance Trucks Parts car, his luck has been horrendous with that thing 512. Peter posted: 10.26.2014 - 7:21 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) 506 *off 513. Fireball1020 posted: 10.26.2014 - 7:28 pm Rate this comment: (0) (3) I like posting here. And I'd like to joke around and have a fun time in the race threads and in my blogs. But, I guess I have just completely ruined a shot at that. Guess I'm just gonna go sulk now that no one here likes me now and I'm not allowed to say that I dislike when a driver I don't like wins. I laugh out loud at some of the posts you guys make. But I guess no one is gonna laugh at my jokes :/ 514. murb posted: 10.26.2014 - 7:30 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "Time heals all wounds, I'll give it more time." True. I'm just thinking that based on past history, Harvick won't let this go. I don't think he'll do something stupid and take himself out of it, but I do think he won't exactly be 100% focused on the task at hand, which is obviously trying to advance to the Final Four. "I wanna know how much of my life has been wasted watching cars putter around under caution in Martinsville, VA because Brian Vickers decided to act a fool." Today wasn't nearly as bad as the 2011 Pinball Vickers Invitational, but yeah, he was ridiculous once again today. He and Kahne were the co-winners of the Rubberhead award today. 515. Nascar Lead Lap Points posted: 10.26.2014 - 7:51 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Few More Sponsor Updates #34 2015 NASCAR HOF Inductee Wendell Scott #32 Keen Parts/corvetteparts.net #33 Precon Marine #17 Pit for a Pair 516. racefangurl posted: 10.26.2014 - 7:59 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Trevor Bayne was 20 when he ran in and won his first Daytona 500. I had no favorites in NASCAR until that year. Since I had been only a casual NASCAR fan when I could watch as a kid, I was more open to things then. Once I had favorite drivers, I was more closed, in a way. Chase Elliott seems like a decent person, based on what I know, but I know little about him. Trevor, I know more about, so I have to like him. There's so little about him not to like. No one's perfect, but he's a good guy. I think Trevor's story could make a good movie basis. His career's been so dramatic. 517. Seagal posted: 10.26.2014 - 8:09 pm Rate this comment: (2) (0) "Kevin Harvick says he's going to make sure Matt Kenseth doesn't win the championship. So there's that..." Spoken like a true champion... His crew chief is a piece of work as well. Losing respect for a clean, veteran driver because of an accident sounds reasonable to me. Kenseth should try harder to race like Harvick, who never makes mistakes. 518. racefangurl posted: 10.26.2014 - 8:18 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) All I care about in regard to the Chase is Joey making the Final Four. Maybe he can sweep Texas this year. I wonder if Texas will have a REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAALY low attendance. People have been scared of Dallas lately. 519. Evan posted: 10.26.2014 - 8:20 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) * Kevin Harvick's luck has just been terrible this year, if he did not have bad luck, he'd have none at all. The contact with Kenseth was purely incidental and Kevin got caught up somebody else's wreck, he was minding his own business and gets caught from behind. Harvick has good right to be upset but the incident hurt the car under the hood and once again he gets bid a bad hand by Lady Luck. Harvick has had fast cars all year, and he's lost a race about every which way you can, if he had some luck, Harvick would have more trophies this year, but what ifs don't count in this game. Still, Harvick's chances to make it mean he has to try to win Phoenix or Texas to even advance. * Brian Vickers and Kasey Kahne had a few on-track collisions today and the final one brought out the caution and sent both of their crew chiefs to an early shower and to the big yellow trailer to talk about their driver's actions. A lot of angry drivers. * Most Puzzling Incident I:Kurt Busch's oil line or whatever severed on the pace laps and cooked the engine on the #41 Haas Automation Chevy. Not sure what happened and I am not sure Kurt was either because for a while, Kurt looked like he was going to sweep the races at Martinsville. * Most Puzzling Incident II:Brad Keselowski gets run in the back of, causing a chain reaction, Casey Mears, Danica Patrick, Kasey Kahne(again), Martin Truex, all get tangled up in the aftermath, I never saw the incident but I heard about it on the radio. * Tony Stewart gets a top 5 by staying out, it was not a race winning move but he managed to get his FIRST top five of the year. Tony Stewart was cool in his interview and showed a lot of humility but it was justified, Tony's had a rough couple of years and here's hoping for a better year in 2015. * Dale Earnhardt Jr. finally getting that Martinsville win was very well-deserved on a personal note for Junior and he about near celebrated with everybody on that team and got his grandfather clock. I know Junior remembers how much his dad won here, and it will probably feel pretty good to look at that clock on any given day as he conquered one of the toughest tracks on the circuit. I remember how bad he was when he first came to Martinsville in 2000 and hit about everything on the track, but as he continued to improve on his on-track performance he was going to get one. Jeff Gordon finishes 2nd and I am okay with that, he's got some tracks coming up. A big hearty congratulations to Dale Jr. and the entire National Guard team, and may your Cup be full of beer tonight, Junior! * Also, Junior's first win at 40 years of age. * My opinion of the champion is that it really doesn't matter how many wins a champion has, if they won it with 0 or 10, it's more the fact that they were in contention all year. I believe that every team goes out there to try to win but it's hard to run up front every given race. It's hard for me to knock Newman's run as he's been smooth and consistent every place they've gone this year and he even has some good tracks coming up as does Hamlin. All of the remaining Chasers run pretty well as the next two venues. Still, the best part of this system is that these last couple of races are important and Homestead is not such an afterthought like it was in the past. There is no "keep it between the walls and you got it made" this time around, it's "go flat out and win the championship". 520. Cornys posted: 10.26.2014 - 8:41 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "I wonder if Texas will have a REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAALY low attendance. People have been scared of Dallas lately." The Formula 1 race is in Austin at the same time as the Cup race next Sunday. This fact interests me. :) 521. 1995 Subaru WRX STi posted: 10.26.2014 - 8:47 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "* My opinion of the champion is that it really doesn't matter how many wins a champion has, if they won it with 0 or 10, it's more the fact that they were in contention all year. I believe that every team goes out there to try to win but it's hard to run up front every given race. It's hard for me to knock Newman's run as he's been smooth and consistent every place they've gone this year and he even has some good tracks coming up as does Hamlin. All of the remaining Chasers run pretty well as the next two venues. Still, the best part of this system is that these last couple of races are important and Homestead is not such an afterthought like it was in the past. There is no "keep it between the walls and you got it made" this time around, it's "go flat out and win the championship"." You have the right too your view Evan and i personally do not have a problem with it. Ryan Newman and Matt Kenseth are still in it because everyone else is f***ing up somehow some way. Far as i see it, Jeff and Joey are the favs going too Homestead. Ryan Newman does not have the speed of Jeff and Joey, Kenseth just does not have the luck. Does anyone here REALLY think Ryan Newman *should he make it too Homestead* be faster then Jeff or Joey? If i had too give a final 4: #24 (based on speed) #22 (based on speed) #11 (yeah, sue me. Redeeming himself from the 2010 f**k up) #4 (he'll win 1 of the next 2 races) 522. The Crimson King posted: 10.26.2014 - 9:06 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) I'm only knocking Newman because Nascar kept shoving down our throats how this system will encourage winning. He's having a good year, but if anyone other than Gordon wins it I'm going to be disappointed. 523. racefangurl posted: 10.26.2014 - 9:22 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Maybe the race fans that like both series will pick the F1 race, the Dallasphobes of these sort, anyway. I like NASCAR and F1, but Texas is far for me to go. The closest tracks to me are Watkins Glen, New Hampshire, Pocono and Dover or even Richmond, Martinsville and Bristol wouldn't be horribly far from me. Charlotte's a bit far. The last bit's to show how far I am from Texas. 524. Cooper posted: 10.26.2014 - 9:26 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Ryan Newman having a great season. He could win this thing. Just get to Homestead and anything could happen. Fuel Mileage anyone? Were due for a fuel mileage race. 525. joey2448 posted: 10.26.2014 - 9:27 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Fireball1020, the only problem I think most people had with you was that you automatically decided today's race was awful based purely on the fact that Junior won. I mean, it really was a great, exciting race. I don't immediately think any race Jimmie Johnson wins is bad, even though I don't like him. When Jimmie won the 2011 Aaron's 499 at Talladega, I was disappointed to see him win, but man, you gotta love that finish! Point is, go ahead and hate on Junebug, but don't come on here and declare this a bad race. Also, regarding the points situation, with Harvick and Kez sitting 20+ points behind the cutoff point, they'll likely close that gap up a bit in the next two races, which will make it a reaaaalllll tight race getting into the Homestead Final Four. Gonna be awesome. 526. Fireball1020 posted: 10.26.2014 - 9:38 pm Rate this comment: (0) (2) @ 525 The first thing you said about me isn't true. The race was a joy to watch. Except Junior ruined the finish by winning. I had no problem with the race. It was Junior winning that totally killed my mood. 527. MarkMartinFan posted: 10.26.2014 - 9:39 pm Rate this comment: (8) (0) I try not to bitch and moan about other people commenting. However, Fireball1020, you're being ridiculous bro. How old are you? You have sounded like a 7 year old who got his candy taken away. Then, when people make fun of you for this, you sound like an unintelligent person when you repeat yourself over and over about how you are entitled to your opinion. So is everyone else man! Darrell Wallace Jr. is a fan favorite, you're gonna get some comments when you bitch about him winning. Especially when he has won 3 times in a division dominated by Cup drivers. Then you wanna bitch about Earnhardt Jr. winning. Did you really think you wouldn't get some heat for that? I can't stand Jimmie Johnson, but you don't see me throwing a hissy fit when he wins. In my opinion, you should grow up. Thank you, goodnight. 528. Fireball1020 posted: 10.26.2014 - 9:41 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) @ 527 I'm 15, thank you very much. 529. Feetduck posted: 10.26.2014 - 9:42 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) The 2 car has only one top 10 with the yellow car a third at the second race and no top 10's since or top 15's. 530. MarkMartinFan posted: 10.26.2014 - 9:43 pm Rate this comment: (4) (0) That actually explains everything to me. 531. Db1995 posted: 10.26.2014 - 9:56 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "The 2 car has only one top 10 with the yellow car a third at the second race and no top 10's since or top 15's." He has either wrecked with it or it has just been slow. 532. Dense Drip posted: 10.26.2014 - 10:28 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Wow Landon Cassill has been doing incredible the last couple of races. 4 weeks in a row with a top 25 finish. Not to mention, in 3 of those 4 races, he finished on the lead lap. It's amazing he's doing so well in such poor equipment. Hopefully he'll have a bright future in racing, because he deserves one. 533. The Crimson King posted: 10.26.2014 - 10:46 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) If I have to pick between the Nascar and F1 race I'd pick the F1 just because there's fewer F1 races to watch in a season. (That and if Mercedes has failures all kinds of shenanigans could happen and that's always fun). Isn't the Cup race at night? I don't think I'd have to choose between them anyway. *Checks* Nope. Well then, I guess I'll pick F1 over Nascar then. F1 races are shorter than Nascar races though so I'll tune back in once the case of Mercedeswinslol is over and done with. 534. Db1995 posted: 10.26.2014 - 10:55 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Whats the record for top 5's in the chase? 535. Zackary Shawn posted: 10.26.2014 - 11:28 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Let's keep in mind that if the full season points were being use, Ryan Newman would only be 2 points out of 5th (assuming everything remained constant, which often isn't the case), so it's not like he's having an awful year anyway. 536. WinstonCupStandings posted: 10.26.2014 - 11:33 pm Rate this comment: (2) (0) Top 10 1) Jeff Gordon (4714) -Leader 2) Joey Logano (4568) -146 3) Brad Keselowski (4391) -323 4) Dale Earnhardt, Jr. (4388) -326 5) Kevin Harvick (4317) -397 6) Matt Kenseth (4301) -413 7) Ryan Newman (4203) -511 -Out 8) Jimmie Johnson (4114) -600 -Out 9) Kyle Larson (4088) -626 -Out 10) Carl Edwards (4067) -647 -Out 537. Zackary Shawn posted: 10.26.2014 - 11:35 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Also, I'm willing to bet Tony wins a race before the end of the year, sort of like Hamlin at Homestead last year. 538. 23andJoe posted: 10.27.2014 - 12:31 am Rate this comment: (1) (1) >My opinion of the champion is that it really doesn't matter how many wins a champion has, if they won it with 0 or 10, it's more the fact that they were in contention all year. I believe that every team goes out there to try to win but it's hard to run up front every given race. Were it that more people had felt that way in 2003. 539. cjs3872 posted: 10.27.2014 - 12:38 am Rate this comment: (1) (0) Well, last week when I was making predictions on who I thought would be the final four drivers eligible for the championship, the two favorites in the eyes of many that I didn't include were Kevin Harvick and Brad Keselowski, mainly because I thought this race would trip at least one of those two up, and I felt that Harvick would be done in by his own team. Well, Harvick may still be done in by his own team, but the other prediction I made, the one about this race tripping at least one of those two up, proved more prophetic than I thought it would be, because this race was a disaster for both of those drivers. Harvick did himself in by qualifying 33rd, and although he was a victim of Matt Kenseth's wheel hopping in turn one, he put himself in position for something like that to happen with his poor qualifying effort. And Keselowski had just as bad a day, starting with his speeding penalty. Then he became a victim of the whole Kahne/Vickers mess, and then his lousy day was topped off by that mechanical problem that caused a mess that also proved to be a mercy killing for Kahne, and that has put him out of contention, barring a repeat of Talladega, and Harvick's day has done the same thing to him, as both are out of contention if they don't win one of the next two races. And while Carl Edwards also had a miserable day, which was somewhat surprising considering how well Roush has run on such tracks the last two years, he's still close enough to second place in points that he could still sneak in that way. Remember with Dale, Jr.'s win, two drivers now will get in via points, since he's no longer eligible for the title, and my picks for that involve Ryan Newman, since RCR is again proving that no team can points race like they can. Newman, who like Keselowski and Jeff Gordon, was also hit with a speeding penalty during the race, somehow rallied to finish third, though you'd never notice it by the TV coverage, because not only was he almost never mentioned, even after his rally, but for some reason, ESPN interviewed Tony Stewart, a non-championship eligible driver who finished fourth, which I have no problem with, but then they went off the air having never interviewed Newman, who is eligible to win the championship and finished third, one spot ahead of Tony. And this was a great week for the two drivers running the Wendell Scott tribute paint schemes, as Darrell Wallace, Jr. won the Truck Series race and David Ragan scored a top ten finish for Front Row Motorsports in the #34 car. There's a reason why I think Ragan would have been better than Sam Hornish, Jr. in the #9 car, and that's because he's actually done well at some of the non-RP tracks, and today was another example of that. He's finished in the top five at Richmond, did well today at Martinsville, which has to be a moral victory for him, considering it was at this race in 2006 that Tony Stewart referred to Ragan as a "dart without feathers", and has had great finishes at other tracks. Sure, pit strategy got him up there at the end, but for that to have even been possible, he had to survive all the wrecks and stay on the lead lap, which he did. And as for the championship battle, barring wins by Keselowski and/or Harvick, it's really five drivers battling for four spots (including the two winless drivers remaining in the Chase), although Carl Edwards is still a long shot to get up there. And somehow, I don't think this will be the only time a non-championship eligible driver wins in this round. With the drivers who have already been eliminated (Dale, Jr., Jimmie Johnson, and Kyle Busch among them), I think a driver not eligible for the title may win again in this round, which would open up another spot for a driver trying to get into that final four on points. And I think it's ironic and somehow appropriate if this ends up being Steve Letarte's final win as a crew chief before going into the booth next year. After all, Letarte's first win as a crew chief was in this very race in 2005, so if this is his last win as a crew chief, it can be said that his career came full-circle. and if it did, Letarte's win in this race today, as it did nine years ago when he won this race as Jeff Gordon's crew chief, was the fourth win of the season for the team that won the Daytona 500, since Gordon won that race in 2005, and Dale, Jr. won it in 2014. And lastly, there was tragic news from the sporting world tonight (10/26/14) as Cardinals rookie OF Oscar Taveras, who hit a clutch HR in Game 2 of the NLCS against the Giants in St. Louis in the only game of that series won by the Cardinals, was killed in an automobile crash in the Dominican Republic, the announcement for which came during Game 5 of the World Series between the Giants and the Royals. So there was also tragic news from the sporting world that puts everything that happened in both Martinsville and San Francisco in proper perspective. 540. Mr X posted: 10.27.2014 - 1:58 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) "539. cjs3872 posted: Harvick did himself in by qualifying 33rd, and although he was a victim of Matt Kenseth's wheel hopping in turn one, he put himself in position for something like that to happen with his poor qualifying effort." That's pretty bold to claim that you were right. I'm not going to deny that the front of the pack is a safer place to be then the middle or back, but the beginning of a race is generally a safe time to make up the ground. Kevin Harvick was wrecked out of 6th position, by the 7th place car. At the time it was as far up running order Harvick had been all day, which can be traced to qualifying 33rd, but does this mean that anyone running 6th or worse during the day is in grave danger of being wrecked? I would say no, as according to the loop data, not a single driver managed to keep it in the top 5 all day. According to the caution rundown 17 different drivers were involved in today's 15 cautions, and their starting positions were all over the map, Tony Stewart qualified 4th, Keselowski was 6th, JJ's 7th place effort didn't help him today, Edwards was 11th, Kahne started 9 spots better then Harvick, and was involved in 4 separate cautions, and the pole sitter finished 16th. Meanwhile Jr won today from 23rd, he was on the same row as Kahne, Gordon started 13th, got a speeding penalty, still led the most laps and finished 2nd, I could go on and on. In this race four years ago the average starting position of the top 10 finishers was 20.3, and only two of the top 10 starters finished there. 541. Mr X posted: 10.27.2014 - 2:24 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Here is some damning evidence to show how little qualifying matters at Martinsville, sorry for all the double posts btw. Martinsville has hosted 21 races since the repave in summer 2004. 210 top ten finishes have been handed out to many different drivers. 117 of those top 10's(55.7%) went to drivers who started outside the top 10 in that race. 7 of the top 10 starters finished there in this race last year, which is the most of any individual race, conversely both 2010 races and the spring 2011 race had only 2 of the top 10 starters finish there. In fairness I didn't omit the 4 races for which qualifying was rained out but still the point stands. The average for the winner has been just 9.9 during that span. In this race five years ago Kyle Busch finished 4th from 41st. I bet that this little short track puts less emphasis on qualifying then virtually all the other tracks save for Daytona, and Talladega, where it means nothing. POINT MADE. 542. Aaron posted: 10.27.2014 - 10:18 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) AHH THAT WAS THE BEST RACE EVER! First time I've seen Dale Jr. win in person since 2004. Those stands went absolutely crazy after he passed Stewart for the lead. 543. Daniel posted: 10.27.2014 - 10:55 am Rate this comment: (3) (1) Go Gordon! 544. racefangurl posted: 10.27.2014 - 1:30 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) Junior leads, loud crowd. Junior wins, LOUD CROWD. His fans wish it had been one week sooner, I bet. Well, I'm better off than the Jr. fans, at least until after Phoenix. I wish Joey would sweep Texas. Then, no worries until Homestead, in regard to Cup. 545. Walter White posted: 10.27.2014 - 3:56 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I really do not hate this Chase format tbf, but if Newman does win the championship without winning a race it would be hilarious. The thing is though I could see him winning a race. That #31 car has never even finished as the highest in points for RCR before this season. Just very funny circumstances. Who knows who the champion will be. Perhaps this year the championship itself is a meaningless accomplishment. Not advocating that line of thought, just throwing it out there. 546. Brad Keselowski & Bubba Wallace Fan posted: 10.27.2014 - 5:31 pm Rate this comment: (1) (1) "I have a problem with a large portion of his FANBASE, but not Junior himself." Pretty much how I feel about Dale Jr. I tend to root against him, not so much because of him but because of his fans. Same goes for the Pittsburgh Steelers. And for those of you hating on Fireball1020, some of you same people would say a Nationwide race was ruined by Kyle Busch winning in a heartbeat. He has the right to his opinion, though he is being a bit childish & whiny about it. "I really do not hate this Chase format tbf, but if Newman does win the championship without winning a race it would be hilarious." Agreed. 547. Brad Keselowski & Bubba Wallace Fan posted: 10.27.2014 - 5:35 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) Texas entry list is out. 43 cars for 43 positions, including: #21 Trevor Bayne #32 Joey Gase #33 David Stremme #66 Brett Moffitt #83 J.J. Yeley #95 Michael McDowell 548. JG24FanForever posted: 10.27.2014 - 5:35 pm Rate this comment: (2) (0) Great race, even if Gordon didn't win. 74th Time Gordon has finished 2nd and 93rd time he's led the most laps. I don't know what is is wrong with some of the posters on here saying: "the most meaningless win in Jr's career". The Championship is overrated and people, stupidly, believe winning races doesn't mean anything. Winning is everything. 549. The Crimson King posted: 10.27.2014 - 6:16 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Winning matters, but I look at it like this. There are 36 race winners trophies handed out throughout the year (not counting exhibition races) There's only one championship trophy handed out. I'd say the championship trophy matters more than a couple of race trophies, but that's just me. 550. cjs3872 posted: 10.27.2014 - 7:45 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Would the same be true regarding Matt Kenseth if he won the championship without winning a race, @545? Remember that while everyone points to Ryan Newman being in championship contention without a win, the same is true regarding Kenseth, as he is also yet to win in 2014, yet is currently in a great position to advance to be one of those final four battling for the title at Homestead. Keep in mind that, unless either Kevin Harvick and/or Brad Keselowski win one of the next two races, the battle to get into that final four figures to be among five drivers, Jeff Gordon, Ryan Newman, Joey Logano, Denny Hamlin, and Matt Kenseth, two of whom are winless this season, and for that matter, Hamlin has only one win himself, the spring race at Talladega, and even sat out a race due to injury. Of course, Carl Edwards is still close enough that he could also sneak in on points, but unless he gets in or Keselowski and/or Harvick win in the next two races, there stands a possibility that as many as three of the final four battling for the championship could enter that final race with a grand total of one win between them, and there could be two winless drivers among those four. That wouldn't put an egg on NASCAR's face, even a giant one. That would put a full-sized giant omelette on NASCAR's face, because the system of "win and in" was constructed to eliminate this very possibility, but instead of eliminate it, it seems to have actually increased the possibility of a winless driver taking the title, and even more than one battling for the title. 551. JG24FanForever posted: 10.27.2014 - 7:59 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "I'd say the championship trophy matters more than a couple of race trophies, but that's just me." I agree. But I also appreciate Dale Jr. winning the Fall Martinsville event over Jeff Gordon. It was one of his all-time greatest wins, and people want to downplay it like it doesn't matter. 552. Eric posted: 10.27.2014 - 8:14 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) The Crimson King, I agree that a Cup championship means more than race trophies, but some race trophies outside of the championship actually tells more about the skill set and the talent of the driver than the equipment. The mile and a half, 2 mile and 2 Pocono races really don't say a lot about a driver's skill set or winning majors for that matter. Those tracks tell you more about the aerodynamics of the car and the horsepower except for Atlanta. Drivers that win races on the 3 short tracks, 1 mile tracks, Darlington, and the 2 Road Course Races actually showcases more of the driver's talent than the equipment. 553. The Crimson King posted: 10.27.2014 - 8:24 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "I agree. But I also appreciate Dale Jr. winning the Fall Martinsville event over Jeff Gordon. It was one of his all-time greatest wins, and people want to downplay it like it doesn't matter." One of his greatest? That might be stretching it a bit. Martinsville's a historic track and any win there is fantastic but at the same time, I think his 2004 Daytona 500 and 2003 Aaron's 499 wins were a bit more impressive. 554. Eric posted: 10.27.2014 - 8:25 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) The Martinsville win for Dale Jr. actually helps out his legacy like it or not. Dale Jr. now has wins on all 3 short track tracks on the cup series schedule for a combined 5 times. That is more career short track wins on the cup level than the retired or part time drivers with 20 or more wins in terms of Jeff Burton, Bobby Labonte, and Dale Jarrett. Dale Jr. has as many short track wins as Ricky Rudd. Dale Jr's legacy as a driver is first is looked at who he's a son of and the fact he won 8 plate races in the cup series including 2 Daytona 500 wins. His resume now 8 career cup wins that aren't on 1 and half mile tracks, plate tracks, Michigan and Pocono. The fact is Dale Jr. has more driver track wins than Bobby Labonte does. 555. JG24FanForever posted: 10.27.2014 - 8:32 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Tony Stewart ended an epic streak of 24 consecutive races outside of the Top 5. Jeff had a similar streak of 21 that ended in this very race, in 2005. Gordon got his 13th finish of 1st or 2nd at Martinsville and led the most laps for the 7th time there, too. It was also his 32nd Top 2 finish on a short-track. And, it was also his 39th Top 12 finish in 44 Martinsville starts. 21st time he's led the most laps at a short-track event, too. And since no-one seems to realize, Jimmie Johnson had a streak of 12 consecutive Top 6 finishes in the Fall event and a streak of 11 straight Top 5's, too. His lowest finish was 6th, in his first race, until now. 556. JG24FanForever posted: 10.27.2014 - 8:39 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) "One of his greatest? That might be stretching it a bit. Martinsville's a historic track and any win there is fantastic but at the same time, I think his 2004 Daytona 500 and 2003 Aaron's 499 wins were a bit more impressive." I'm not trying to be a smartass by what i'm about to post, so don't get upset. A.) He beat Jeff Gordon B.) This event has been running non-stop for 66 consective seasons C.) This is the only original race that was on the 1949 calendar D.) Martinsville gives out the best trophy and has the best victory lane E.) Jr. probably would agree that it is one of his greatest 557. Eric posted: 10.27.2014 - 8:44 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) A Cup series trophy to me doesn't always tell the whole picture of the driver. Sean on this site has mentioned in the past about that and is views a driver similar to what I do from a talent and skill set. I am saying championships because Bobby Labonte is a great example although he is a class act like his brother Terry. Bobby had a great 2000 season, but only 4 out of his 21 career cup wins were on driver tracks including 1 short track. Terry Labonte on the other hand has a 16 out of his 22 career cup wins on driver tracks besides his 2 championships. When I talk about Driver tracks, I talk about tracks less than a mile, 1 mile tracks, Darlington, and the 2 road course tracks. When you talk about Bobby Labonte, you think of intermediate tracks right away. When Dale Jr. won at Martinsville, it actually strengthens the talent of Dale Jr. actually has. 558. Eric posted: 10.27.2014 - 8:49 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I also want to correct myself since I forgot about Dale Jr. actually has more career cup wins on short tracks than Bill Elliott. The thing about Bill Elliott though is he does have a good driver track record outside of Short tracks. Bill has 4 Rockingham wins, 5 Darlington wins, 4 Dover Wins, 1 riverside win, and 1 Phoenix win. Bill having 17 career driver track wins isn't a bad total. 559. Eric posted: 10.27.2014 - 8:57 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Dale Jr.'s Martinsville win to me is one of the biggest wins a cup driver ever can get. Here is my reasons. 1.) Dale Jr. beaten Jeff Gordon at the track. Jeff Gordon is one of the best Martinsville drivers of all time. 2.) It is the oldest track on the cup schedule with Darlington being the 2nd oldest. 3.) Cup drivers said it many times that a win at Martinsville means a lot to them and the trophy for that matter. 4.) Outside of the Majors in the cup series, Martinsville is the most important win track to win at. 5.) This track really showcases the skill of a driver and you don't see fluke wins here as a result. 560. DaleSrFanForever posted: 10.27.2014 - 11:01 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) BREAKING NEWS: Tony Romo leaves the Redskins game after getting Ebola 561. Spen posted: 10.27.2014 - 11:05 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "and you don't see fluke wins here as a result" Ryan Newman 2012? 562. DaleSrFanForever posted: 10.27.2014 - 11:16 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) OMG. Is Tony Romo gonna return with 2 minures left in a tie game? Perfect chance to throw a Romo. And man, with all the years of mediocrity, i've forgotten how much I hate Jerry Jones. Watching him on the sidelines, I wanna punch him. 563. DaleSrFanForever posted: 10.27.2014 - 11:19 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Vintage Romo. 564. DaleSrFanForever posted: 10.27.2014 - 11:21 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Jeez almighty Redskins. How many gifts from Romo are you gonna let go? 565. Eric posted: 10.27.2014 - 11:24 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Sphen, How Ryan won it was a fluke, but Ryan isn't bad here with 7 career top 5's in 25 races and 12 top 10's without that win. He had a 2nd place finish here in 2007 matter of fact. His win isn't out of the ordinary based on a similar track in New Hampshire. Ryan has a good record at New Hampshire with 3 cup wins with 7 top 5's and 16 top 10's in 26 starts. Ryan's stats at New Hampshire does mean something in terms of relation to Martinsville. Martinsville and New Hampshire are similar tracks and you can called New Hampshire an oversize Martinsville. A win by Ryan at Martinsville isn't really out of nature for Ryan based on his New Hampshire Results. Cup drivers that usually win at Martinsville do at New Hampshire at some point. 566. Eric posted: 10.27.2014 - 11:32 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Don't mention Ricky Craven win as a fluke over Dale Jarrett in terms of Martinsville Wins. While Dale Jarrett was not one of the drivers I would consider a master at Martinsville, beating him in prime in the final laps of a race was a big deal. Dale Jarrett from 1996 to 2001 was a top 3 cup driver. There is a couple things to look at for Ricky Craven. Ricky as cup driver in his prime was very good at tough tracks and does explain his Darlington win. The other thing is Carl Wells was not a top notch team, but the skill of a driver matter at some places like Rockingham, Darlington, and Bristol as an Example. Craven was a driver who didn't live up to hill potential as a cup driver due to concussions. That meant the talent was there, but there has been drivers that had that didn't live up to the talent level due to injuries like what happened to Steve Park. 567. DaleSrFanForever posted: 10.27.2014 - 11:46 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) The fans of America's Team deserve a team with a real GM. 568. Eric posted: 10.28.2014 - 12:03 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Late Bobby Hamilton Sr.'s win at Martinsville isn't what I call a fluke either. He could've won there another 2 to 3 times there. Bobby was what I call a great driver that was with average or subpar teams. John Andretti win wasn't quite a fluke in 1999. While he did not have a great record at Martinsville, he was in bad career for a majority of his cup career. John actually was a talented driver. Earl Ross is hard to say as a fluke win since Junior Johnson had great cars at the time. 569. cjs3872 posted: 10.28.2014 - 2:08 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Maybe DSFF, but despite last night's shocking loss to the rival Redskins, they're as good as anyone in the NFC this year, as only the Cardinals have a better record, and I don't see them staying up there all year, either. In fact, you even have to wonder if they were looking past the Redskins to their game this week against those Cardinals, because even though it was a division game, it was also the classic "trap game". And they're a better team than the Eagles are, and the Eagles are their only real competition in the NFC East, because the Giants and Redskins, despite their win last night, are going nowhere this season. That is, if they can keep Tony Romo and upright, which they were unable to do last night. If they lose either Romo or DeMarco Murray (who's making a serious run at the single-season rushing record of 2,105 years, set by Eric Dickerson 30 years ago) for any prolonged stretch of time, it's curtains for the Cowboys. And by the way, let's give the Redskins credit for playing nearly a perfect game, because they had to play virtually a perfect game to beat the Cowboys, and they did. And also, let's give credit to Redskins' QB Colt McCoy, a Texan who finally played in, and won a game in the Cowboys stadium. I'm not sure they win that game if RG III is playing at the QB position. This game was bigger for Colt McCoy than it was for anyone else, because of his Texas roots, and he played practically a perfect game. But one also has to wonder if the Cowboys, much like the Raiders did when they moved to Los Angeles in 1982, actually have a stadium so big that what should be an advantage is actually a disadvantage because their stadium is actually too big, and has such a seating capacity that fans of the visiting team can support their team and drown out the fans rooting for the home team. Remember this happened in earlier games this season, most notably in the opener against the 49ers, who seemed to have more fans in the stadium than the Cowboys did for that game. Keep in mind that the only two losses the Cowboys have suffered so far this season have been at home, and they've played much better on the road, possibly because like the San Diego Chargers, the Dallas Cowboys' home games have actually turned into neutral site games, simply because of the oversized nature of the stadium in which they play, because they seem to have virtually no advantage in terms of the crowd any more, even in divisional rivalry games. 570. racefangurl posted: 10.28.2014 - 2:37 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) I live with a Jr. fan and I'm a Joey fan, so I come off better in the long run than the other race fan in the house, though he came off better Sunday. Could Joey lock into the Final Four this weekend? He won at Texas in April. 571. David posted: 10.28.2014 - 2:40 pm Rate this comment: (14) (0) "Could Joey lock into the Final Four this weekend? He won at Texas in April." You know you've brought up this subject about 1,674 times; maybe wait and see? 572. Hinch77 posted: 10.28.2014 - 6:38 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) "You know you've brought up this subject about 1,674 times; maybe wait and see? " 1,713 times to be exact, but I haven't been keeping count. *Dodges tomatoes* 573. The Crimson King posted: 10.28.2014 - 7:55 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Unless Joey gets caught up in some bad wreck, he'll probably make the top 4 without even needing to win. But he does well on big tracks like Texas, so a sweep isn't out of the question. Of course, Texas is one of the tracks where Gordon notoriously has the worst luck at. It'll be interesting to see if he can avoid his bad luck at that track (even moreso if he won and locked up a spot!). Early pick for Texas, I'm going to say Brad. He's in a tough spot already and he seems to be really clutch when it comes to these moments. 574. Walter White posted: 10.28.2014 - 8:33 pm Rate this comment: (2) (0) Dude Eric keep at it man your analysis is refreshing to read. I agree with Hamilton. He really was a great driver. He got Petty their first win since 1983 and their first Top 10 in points since 1987 during the 1996 season. The year before that he had gotten the 43 back into the Top 20 for the first time since 1987. He gave Morgan-McClure their last win and last top 10 in points in 1998. The next season, he got them their final Top 20 in points. In 2001, he gave the Petree #55 it's only win and Top 20 in points. If he had been given a great car, I think he could have at least matched a Jeff Burton. The guy was a talent and a class act. Miss seeing him on Sundays. 575. Sponsor Updates posted: 10.28.2014 - 9:54 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) #14- Bass Pro Shops / Tracker Boats (first time in a while Tracker was on the QPs) 576. DaleSrFanForever posted: 10.28.2014 - 10:07 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) One thing I noticed at Martinsville that I hadn't noticed before since I have spent the year either completely skipping the races or just watching the end. Just how watered down the fields are. I barely knew the drivers at the back of the field. After the Top 25 it is small budget town. Starting to feel like the Busch Series. Top heavy fields, a few drivers getting most of the wins, and bottom tier drivers interchangeably in small budget cars. And this is why I want to take the Rookie Class of '13 to task, the happy couple. Their is no excuse for them being 27th and 28th in points. Other than they just suck. Which they do. Being on high budget teams and running that bad is just pathetic. I keep hearing that "Danica has improved". No she hasn't. The fields have just thinned out badly. And this crew chief change is a horrible idea. She needs an old school guy like Gibson to just tell her what to do. Getting Kurt's crew chief, an engineer, he needs specific info from the driver. That's gonna be a disaster. Of course it can't be much worse I guess. And Stenhouse is just lost out there. I know Roush is struggling. But to be as bad as he is is just low. And yes, I know the "competitive peak" of NASCAR that I often speak of, '85-'95, was VERY top heavy. But those at the top were no joke. Dale, Rusty, Darrell, Mark, Bill, Tim, Davey, Terryb and eventually Gordon. But even the "second tier" drivers of that generation would be year in, year out contenders nowadays. Despite my constant ragging of his grating personality, if Geoff Bodine were driving Hendrick stuff starting in '04 instead of '84 (at the same age of course) he would have at least 3 championships by now. He was a wheelman, no doubt. Ernie Irvan is another one. In that 2/3 of a season in '94 when he finally found that line between Swervin Irvan and fast but smart, he was giving Dale all he wanted, trailing by only 20 points at the time of his near fatal wreck. Ricky Rudd could win anywhere, Harry could win anywhere, Neil could win anywhere. And the sheer number of teams that could win was staggering. Childress, Beadle, Melling, Junior, Hogdon, RahMoc, MMM, Hendrick, Bernstein, Bud, Ranier, then later Roush, Penske, Yates, Rudd, and Gibbs. That is what set that era apart. Didn't fit in with your team? No problem. Drivers in that era won with multiple teams like Bodine, Bill, Ricky, Darrell, Neil, Ernie, Kyle Petty (I didn't even mention the Woods and Sabates earlier), Morgan, Tim, and Sterling (I didn't include Davey or Rusty since they were on teams that were just bought out). 577. cjs3872 posted: 10.28.2014 - 10:56 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) The watered-down fields you see today is largely due to the mergers that took place at the end of the last decade, DSFF. A good 6-9 quality cars were wiped out as a result of the mergers. Certainly, that's not the only reason, but I think the mergers are a big reason why the number of quality cars are down. And I think you're being a bit generous saying that there are 25 quality cars and teams, because I think that number's more like 20, and with the Roush cars falling off the last two years, that's even more noticeable. The rash of superteams over the last 12-15 years is another reason why the number of quality cars is down. There just isn't enough room on the grid to have more quality organizations, given that not much more than a handful of teams have all the quality cars. What made the time from the mid-80s through the mid-90s so great for the sport was the number of organizations that were capable of running up front, because half the field was capable of winning, but that encapsulated 15 or more different organizations, instead of seven or eight. Part of that was the fact that there were more engine builders back then, because the same manufacturer had multiple engine builders. For Ford, you had Jack Roush, Robert Yates, Roger Penske (when he went to Ford), Junior Johnson, Bud Moore, Leonard Wood, and Ernie Elliott. For Chevrolet (or GM, for that matter), you had RCR building their engines, Keith and Randy Dorton for Hendrick Motorsports, Waddell Wilson for Ranier Racing and then was part of the HMS engine team when he joined them in 1987, and Bob Rahilly for RahMoc Racing (Rahilly was the "Rah" in RahMoc). Harold Elliott (no relation to the Elliotts from Dawsonville) built engines for Blue Max Racing when Rusty won the championship in 1989. And because of all that, you had a great deal of diversity, but now there are only four engine builders in the sport that builds engine for all the major teams. Roush-Yates does the engines for all the Ford teams (Penske, Roush, RPM, the Wood Brothers, and Front Row Motorsports), TRG does the engines for the only competitive Toyota teams (JGR and MWR), and there are two engine building conglomerates for Chevrolet, ECR, which does the engines for RCR, as well as their satellite teams (Furniture Row Racing, Germain Racing, and JTG-Daugherty Racing), and HMS' engine department, which does the engines for all the other Chevrolet teams (Hendrick Motorsports, Stewart-Haas Racing, Chip Ganassi Racing, and Turner-Scott Racing). With only four engine building teams for virtually every competitive car in the field, one each for two different manufacturers, that doesn't leave a lot of room for diversity, and that's one thing I think the sport can use, both in terms of teams and engine builders, because that's been lost. 578. DaleSrFanForever posted: 10.29.2014 - 7:48 am Rate this comment: (1) (0) And that is one thing that helped that era was the number of teams. Drivers could be themselves and if they didn't fit in with their team, there were plenty of places to go. Hell, look at Dale. He wasn't feeling it at Bud Moore (of course having mechanical failures in over HALF their races didn't help), so he left for Richard Childress, a former independent that was just starting to gain respect as a big time team with two wins in '83 with Rudd (and helped Dale finish the season in '81 after Osterlund bailed and JD Stacy brilliantly decided Dale wasn't an asset). Two years later, they kicked off one of, if not the greatest single car dynasty ever, headed by two high school drop outs and a computer salesman from Pennsylvania (Shelmerdine). Now? A story like Joey Logano's is a rare exception. 579. racefangurl posted: 10.29.2014 - 10:52 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Bobby Hamilton sounds a little like Landon Cassill. Landon's thought to be better than his equipment, so based on what someone said in an earlier post, we could compare them. How does the next Bobby Hamilton sound as a Cassill nickname? The only Landon nicknames I've ever heard are put-downs, which I don't approve of. Like Lowly Landon and Landon SandCastle. He's still young, so maybe he can get a better ride than he has, since he's finished good, got his first top-5 and top-10. Even if it was his only one ever in the Cup and it was 'Dega, he still did it. Speaking of young drivers, maybe Joey got a break because he's young, btw. 580. dennyfan11 posted: 10.29.2014 - 11:27 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) But the fact there are so few engine builders is making it more competitive. In racing, equality means excitement. Just look it IROC! all the cars were the same, and from watching some parts of old races, the racing was HUGELY competitive. On the other hand, in F1, all teams have a different car, and it is VERY uncompetitive. And look at NASCAR. in 1974, when it mattered what make you had, there were only FIVE different winners, and 3 of them won all but 3 races. This year, when the only things that matter towards competitively are driver skill and team, we have had over a dozen different winners, and several more contenders. And in Indycar, back when everyone had a different kind of car, there were only around 5 or 6 contenders. Today, there are many more. this is true for limitless amounts of racing series. I'll say it again, Equality means excitement. 581. dennyfan11 posted: 10.29.2014 - 11:29 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) There still are a couple of engine builders, but they mostly perform exactly the same, except for the really bad ones. 582. dennyfan11 posted: 10.29.2014 - 11:34 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) And, there are a lot of great teams. 583. Scott B posted: 10.29.2014 - 12:14 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I agree Landon Cassill deserves a shot in better equipment, but there really are no good rides open for 2015. Maybe Circle Sport can at least attract a little more sponsorship for him if he returns there for another season. 584. racefangurl posted: 10.29.2014 - 1:37 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Maybe a good ride will open some time down the road. If that happens, they should at least consider Landon. For now, maybe his recent runs will open sponsorship doors. I kinda like Landon and I think he needs a better ride somewhere down the road. Maybe 2016. Like if one of the old guys is done, at least with full-time after 2015. 585. cjs3872 posted: 10.29.2014 - 1:42 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) There aren't nearly as many good teams as there were in the past, dennyfan11, simply because there isn't room on the grid for more teams to blossom, because of how the seven or eight superteams that exist today have devoured most of the grid. In fact, how Roger Penske's doing it this with just a 2-car team against 3 and 4-car teams is puzzling, because that's usually a disadvantage, especially since with Roush falling off the map the last two years, there's no other Ford organization of that caliber with whom to pool information. But I'm not sure I totally agree with you on diversity meaning less competition. First of all, in 1974, when there were only five winners, there was incredible competition. But often what happened was that attrition widdled down the field to those few contenders. Also, the teams were still racing in the shadow of the energy crisis, which shortened half the races that year by 10%, as well as the fact that the sport hadn't yet recovered from the pullout of the factories in 1970-'71. Those two things combined resulted in the low number of winners in 1974, and the relative lack of competition, even compared to what it would be in 1977. I do agree with your point regarding F1, but there the enforcement of the rules is liberal, to put it mildly, and often the sanctioning body chooses who it wants to see up front, so it will let the teams get away with a little more than they should. I don't agree with you regarding IndyCar racing in the '70s, because that was considered the highest form of the sport in this country at that time, and the racing was very competitive. It wasn't as competitive at Indy because the rules made it so that the racing wasn't competitive (no bunching up under caution), but the diversity of the teams, engine builders, and even the chassis later in the decade made for some great racing. I will say that the rulebook was lighter than it became in the 80s, and there was some liberal enforcement of the rules then, as well, though not to the extent of how F1 polices, or doesn't police the rules. Among the many things I would change if someone put me in charge of NASCAR, which as I said before, you couldn't pay me enough money to do, one thing I would do is break up the engine-building monopolies, which I think are driven by the manufacturers, because I think it was much better when you had different engine builders, men who had their own ideas about how to build racing engines. I think that's one reason why there's almost no engine attrition today, and why the competition has, to some degree, been managed by NASCAR and the manufacturers. I think great competition is always great for any sport, but I think there should be more diversity to certain parts of the sport, and engine building is two place where there should be more diversity, not less. 586. racefangurl posted: 10.29.2014 - 3:38 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I saw something on jayski.com article links about Martin Truex, Jr.'s girlfriend. One of my grammas had ovarian cancer and it killed her because they found it too late. 587. DaleSrFanForever posted: 10.29.2014 - 3:50 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) My Mom's best friend, who I look at like a second mother, has ovarian cancer. Looks like they caught it in time, but she is doing radiation now. Making her pretty sick. 588. dennyfan11 posted: 10.29.2014 - 4:30 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) But the cars were much more spread out back then, CJS. Back in the 70s, drivers lapping the field was the rule, not the exception. In 1978, 19 out of 30 races ended with only 1 or 2 cars on the lead lap, and no race had more than 6. Once the rules changed and all makes became equal, there were only 16 times were drivers lapped the field in the 80s, 2 in to 90s, and none since 1994. Also, one of the reasons i say diversity makes less excitement is that with more equal equipment, more teams can compete for wins. 589. Ryan posted: 10.29.2014 - 4:51 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Krista Voda is leaving FOX to be NBC's pre and post race host for Cup and Xfinity races 590. Hinch77 posted: 10.29.2014 - 5:11 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "But the cars were much more spread out back then, CJS. Back in the 70s, drivers lapping the field was the rule, not the exception. In 1978, 19 out of 30 races ended with only 1 or 2 cars on the lead lap, and no race had more than 6. Once the rules changed and all makes became equal, there were only 16 times were drivers lapped the field in the 80s, 2 in to 90s, and none since 1994. Also, one of the reasons i say diversity makes less excitement is that with more equal equipment, more teams can compete for wins. " Go watch the '71 Greenville 200. That race was more interesting and the field was lapped TWICE. As much passing was in that race as there was this past Sunday. People get this deluded idea that just because there was higher attrition and lapped fields that the racing was better. Pretty much every driver who ever raced in the 60s (even the ones who raced in the 50s) say/said that that was the best racing they ever partook in. 591. cjs3872 posted: 10.29.2014 - 5:16 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) And much of that had to do with high attrition races. And it was actually worse from 1971-'73 than it was in '74. But there were races in which 40 cars started and 10-12 finished. That's one reason why cars were often separated by laps, instead of seconds. Another reason was that there weren't that many good cars back then, a product of the sport getting back on it's feet after the factories pulled out after 1970. And while the lower amount of diversity does make for better racing, it also makes for what I would call "managed racing". The reason I call it that is because, since there are only four engine manufacturers and very little innovation allowed, nobody can come up with something that can get them ahead. Now I'm not a supporter of anything radical, such as the turbine car Andy Granatelli ran at Indy in 1967, which gave he and Parnelli Jones an outrageous advantage on the rest of the field, but there does need to be room for innovations that are within the rules, in terms of chassis and engines, and one way to accomplish that is to have more chassis designers and more engine builders, because if someone comes up with something within the rules that gives them an edge, I have no problem with everyone else having to discover what they came up with, as long as it isn't for an extended period of time. But another reason why competition is "managed", as I put it, has to do with the small number of organizations that dominate the sport. If you look at the top 25 cars, you'll find that those cars are run by a single-digit number of organizations. One thing that DSFF harkens on, and that I totally agree with him with, is the incredibly diverse number of teams that ran up front from the mid-80s to the mid-90s, but not only did you have that incredibly deep pool of teams and drivers, but you had a nearly identically deep pool of engine builders during that period, which made for incredible competition. However, one area where there should never be competition is tires, because that affects the safety of the competitors, as well as the competition. Another big reason you had races in which there were so few cars on the lead lap was the fact that it was a rare instance that a driver that got lapped got that lap back, so what would happen was, as cars fell off the lead lap, there became just as much competition among lapped cars as there were cars battling on the same lap as the leader, but they would do so for a higher position in the race, because there was no free pass or wave-around to allow lapped cars to get laps back, and because of that, fewer cars finished on the lead lap, but in no way was the competition diluted, unless a race had high attrition, either due to mechanical failures or huge crashes. 592. murb posted: 10.29.2014 - 5:27 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) In regards to the current competition and the somewhat lack of competitive cars, one thing I've been thinking about lately is the team limit. What would happen if they reduced the team limit to three cars per organization? It obviously wouldn't affect that many teams right now (Hendrick, SHR, and JGR next year are the only ones that have or are about to have four cars), but in the long run, wouldn't it somewhat balance things out between the powerhouses and the smaller teams? It wouldn't necessarily create more cars capable of winning races right off the bat (I guess it would actually be taking away, for the time being), but like I said, eventually, this would certainly allow for the smaller teams to have more opportunities with sponsorship and whatnot. So if we're talking about balancing things out between the big and small teams (not necessarily about creating race winning cars right away), I think this could be a good option worth considering (not that the incompetent tools in the Big Yellow Truck are considering anything whatsoever though). Another thing too with this: With only a three car limit, we'd almost certainly see more of these bigger teams kind of take the RCR method and actually start legitimately helping out multiple smaller teams. Maybe teams like HScott (Hendrick), Leavine (Penske), and BK (since they're the only real low level Toyota team, I guess they would be JGR's satellite operation in this situation) would end up making widespread improvements like Furniture Row, Germain, and JTG all have with RCR's help. I think that could possibly end up being a good thing too. But I don't know. It's just kind of a random thought I had recently. I do agree that despite some really good on track racing this year, the stagnation with the teams is getting kind of tiresome. I also agree with CJS's thoughts on the engine builders. Ever since these engine "monopolies" like Roush/Yates started happening, we really have been seeing a lot less engine attrition and challenges in that department. So I too think it would be cool to see something done there to make things a lot more interesting. Maybe force all the big teams to have build their own engines or something? I don't know. 593. cjs3872 posted: 10.29.2014 - 5:39 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) And that race (the '71 race at Greenville-Pickens) is a good example of not having to have wrecks to have an entertaining race, even if the winner was never seriously in doubt, Hinch77. Bobby Isaac lapped the field twice, Richard Petty had an off day, and the only caution of that perfectly driven race was for the stalled car of Wendell Scott. There were no wrecks, and yet the event seemed fairly entertaining, though the commentary might have had something to do with that, since Jim McKay and Chris Economaki (with Ken Squier as the pit road reporter) could make just about anything sound exciting. But it was entertaining to watch, possibly because it was so short (that race didn't last much more than an hour). Had that race gone on for three or four hours, I'm not sure it would have been that entertaining. 594. cjs3872 posted: 10.29.2014 - 5:53 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I don't agree with cutting the limit of teams an owner can have from four to three, murb, and the reason is simple. If you institute such a rule, the only thing that would happen is more drivers and teams would be taken off the track, and the competition would be diluted even more, because it's too expensive to start a team with a quality driver, and the only thing that would happen is that you would add more start-and-park level teams at the back of the field. If you cut that team limit from four to three, HMS, SHR, and JGR (as of 2015) would have to drop a team, and no other smaller team can fiscally afford to pick up the slack. The other smaller teams can not afford to take on another team, or it could be put out of business. Plus, I suspect other smaller teams currently running, such as FAS Lane and BK Racing, won't be around in 2015, and taking on a second team has taken a toll on Tommy Baldwin's team, and BK Racing expanded as a result of what happened with SWAN Racing earlier in the year, so that idea is simply not practical. If NASCAR had instated team limits when teams were building up to three and four cars about 15-20 years ago, then I think that could have worked, but putting a more stringent limit on how many cars a team can field simply won't work now. Car count is enough of a problem right now (they're just barely filling out field for the Cup races and one Cup race has been run with a short field this year), it doesn't need to get any worse, and further cutting the number of cars a team can run will only make it worse, either by cutting the car count or by putting more field-fillers and start-and-parks in the races. 595. 1995 Subaru WRX STi posted: 10.29.2014 - 7:56 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "I do agree with your point regarding F1, but there the enforcement of the rules is liberal, to put it mildly, and often the sanctioning body chooses who it wants to see up front, so it will let the teams get away with a little more than they should." F1s rule book is more open then NASCARs is. Yes, they can get away with more but that is because the rule book is more open. However the tolerences are MUCH smaller in F1 then NASCAR. Teams do alot of stuff just too maintain minimium weight allowence. However NASCARs is still too tightly enforced (thank you NASCAR fans) that no one gain an advantage, in F1 a advantage can be gained and it not be concidered cheating. "On the other hand, in F1, all teams have a different car, and it is VERY uncompetitive." If you ask F1 fans (including so called 'NASCAR fans') they will disagree. But F1 has been KERS, DRSsed up too the of it being comical and "gimmicky." NASCARs "gimmicks" have been around a while, so you can ignore them (if you chose too, which most do not). F1s have only been around recently and it is sickening. Thanks Bernie Eccilstone. 596. An Aussie Commentator posted: 10.29.2014 - 8:12 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) It's not just GO FAS and BK Racing that I think won't be returning next year cjs3872, because it is looking more and more likely that Identity Ventures Racing (#66) may not return in 2015 either. So with potentially 6 cars out of the grid next year prepare to see short field all the time in 2015. 597. Benjamin Lowe posted: 10.29.2014 - 8:57 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) One of the things that needs to be done in order to make NASCAR interesting again is to have mandatory test sessions at the big tracks in the form of several 20-25 lap heat races which will take place after the end of this season and will involve numerous aero packages & tire combinations and we will use each 20-25 lap heat race to determine which aero package/tire combination will produce the best racing on the 1.5-2.5 mile tracks 598. DaleSrFanForever posted: 10.29.2014 - 11:25 pm Rate this comment: (3) (0) Madison Bumgarner is as clutch as it gets. Fitting he plays in San Fran, Montana's city. He pitches in the World Series with a Coolness that would make Joe proud. 3-0 in this Series, and a 0.2 ERA in 3 World Series. Damn! 599. joey2448 posted: 10.29.2014 - 11:46 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Can't wait to hear cjs explain once again how good a manager Bruce Bochy is in the postseason. I also can't wait to hear racefangurl explain what might happen this weekend at Texas regarding her favorite driver, JoLo. 600. Benjamin Lowe posted: 10.30.2014 - 7:29 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Hey DSFF are you ready for yet another classic confrontation between the two greatest (at least in the eyes of the media) & most overrated Quarterbacks of all time this Sunday. 601. dennyfan11 posted: 10.30.2014 - 11:30 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Here is why i think diversity in equipment would be bad. If they made Nascar more diverse, teams can create a dominating advantage and lay waste to the competition, like Mercedes in F1 this year. Or Team Penske in CART in 1994. It would also decrease the amount of teams that can compete for wins,top 5s, and top 10s, because some good teams might not switch to better equipment, like what penske did in Indycar in the late 90s. Another thing it would do is it would make driving skill matter less in favor of team skill. For instance, do you think Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg are REALLY the best drivers this year? It would no longer be a competition of "Who is the best driver?" and change to "Who has the best car?", Further alienating fans who would switch to Indycar, which would become the #1 US racing series again. I really don't want diverse equipment in Nascar, because it would make it a lot less competitive because of the reasons above, and many more. I see why all of you disagree with me, but this is my opinion, and i'm sticking to it. 602. dennyfan11 posted: 10.30.2014 - 11:35 am Rate this comment: (0) (1) I also see how you think there are not much good teams, but I disagree. Although Hendrick and Penske have been the best teams this year, so many other teams have done well this year. Listen to me. Do you REALLY want to see ONE team dominating EVERYTHING? that is what will happen with diversity with equipment. I am glad as can be that it does not matter what make you drive,and that the Chevys, Fords, and Toyotas perform equally well. Otherwise, i would like Indycar much more. 603. dennyfan11 posted: 10.30.2014 - 11:38 am Rate this comment: (1) (2) I watched F1 a couple times, and the racing is so boring it makes NASCAR at texas look like Talladega. 604. dennyfan11 posted: 10.30.2014 - 11:45 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) I do agree with you in that the competition has been kind of thin, considering that Hendrick and Penske have won so much, but tons other drivers have been competing for wins and leading lots of laps, but are not usually in front when it counts. I would prefer if Hendrick and Penske were not winning so much, however. 605. racefangurl posted: 10.30.2014 - 12:05 pm Rate this comment: (0) (2) Martinsville was a bit of a spoiler race, as an eliminated driver won. Maybe this week will have a driver locked into the Final Four. There could be a redemption, someone that needs to win to have a shot at the Final Four in Victory Lane or we could see someone in the top-4 take the win. Or maybe someone like Kyle Larson, who didn't make the Chase will play spoiler. I'm not worried this week and whether or not I am at Phoenix race time will depend on how the rest of the Eliminator Round, which is Texas and Phoenix goes. I wonder if Homestead will have a Game 7 feel or if it'll be more like the NCAA basketball Final Four. I'm not a big baseball fan, so even though Game 7 was on last night in the living room, as someone I live with wanted to watch it, I read at the time. 606. Hinch77 posted: 10.30.2014 - 2:48 pm Rate this comment: (2) (0) I just threw up on the IndyCar schedule. 607. Anonymous posted: 10.30.2014 - 3:04 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Disgusted with Indy? 608. 1995 Subaru WRX STi posted: 10.30.2014 - 3:49 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "Hey DSFF are you ready for yet another classic confrontation between the two greatest (at least in the eyes of the media) & most overrated Quarterbacks of all time this Sunday." Tom Brady is a much better POST-SEASON QB then Peyton Manning is. DSFF once made the statement between Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon that "6 is more then 4." Well 3 is more then 1. 609. Rob McKeever posted: 10.30.2014 - 6:00 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Chase without elimination/resets: (I.e. where they might stand in the race for 5th) 2297 Logano 2256 Gordon 2251 Harvick 2249 Newman 2238 Keselowski 2235 Kenseth 2230 Kyle Busch 2218 Hamlin 2214 Edwards 2198 Allmendinger 2196 Earnhardt 2186 Johnson 610. DaleSrFanForever posted: 10.30.2014 - 7:54 pm Rate this comment: (0) (2) 3 is more than 1, but those 3 came with the help of major cheating. Goodell, who has shown how untrustworthy he is with the Ray Rice tape debacle, destroyed the Spygate footage and said "nothing to see here". Bullshit. As far as I'm concerned, Brady is a zero time champ. He had to quit having somebody steal the defensive signals and turned into Peyton Manning. Dominant regular seasons, big stats, a ton of disappointing playoff exits. And for those saying "what about all the cheating the 48 has done?" I can compare Jimmie to Jeff because they both won their titles with the same organization. Anyone who thinks any of Jeff's 4 Winston Cups were won on the level is crazy. There was HubGate in '95, TRexGate in '97 (anyone gullible enough to believe the official "nothing was illegal, it was all in the gray areas" bullshit line, I have some beachfront property in Colorado I'd like to sell you), TireGate in '98, and the illegal carburetor in 2000 at Richmond showed Robbie Loomis wasn't above cheating. But back to the Greatest Ever Bowl this weekend, the winner has the inside track to getting blown out in this year's Super Bowl by the Packers. 611. The Crimson King posted: 10.30.2014 - 10:35 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) "I watched F1 a couple times, and the racing is so boring it makes NASCAR at texas look like Talladega." If we're going to use sports analogies, expecting an F1 race to play out like a Nascar race is expecting an NBA game when you're watching Baseball. They operate on totally different levels. F1 is more quality over quantity when it comes to passes. There's fewer of them, but when it does happen its a lot more important. Does a pass for the lead at Talladega REALLY matter on lap 56 when he's just going to get passed again 2 laps later? I say it doesn't, due to the high number of lead changes. Someone makes a pass for the lead at about the 60% mark of the F1 race, that's probably the winning pass. Some say that's boring, but there's a lot of subtle tension that goes into that winning pass. You know "Will he or won't he?". That tension is very entertaining even if the pass is never pulled off. I like both series for what they are, but F1 is only boring so much as Baseball is boring. If you expect 50 passes for the lead within each race, you're watching it for the wrong reasons. 612. cjs3872 posted: 10.30.2014 - 11:35 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) DSFF, there's no guarantee that the Packers are even going to win the NFC North, and thus no guarantee they're even going to make the playoffs. There happens to be a little unit called the Detroit Lions who are going to have a lot to say about that. And here's something to throw into that mix. The Lions' offensive coordinator is Joe Lombardi, who happens to be the grandson of none other than Vince Lombardi, the very man the Super Bowl trophy's named after. Certainly, I give the Packers the edge over the Lions as long as Aaron Rodgers is the QB (and as long as the Lions continue to have king-sized kicking problems), but one has to wonder if the Lions aren't a team of destiny themselves, given that they've had miracle wins of their own over the Saints and Falcons the last two weeks. And I disagree with you about Tom Brady, as far as being a "zero-time" champion, in your estimation. After all, there has never been any documented evidence regarding the Patriots spying in regards to those Super Bowl runs. And no team was victimized by the Patriots more during that period than the Pittsburgh Steelers were (the Pats beat them twice in the AFC Championship Game), and I don't remember ever hearing a word from them about any of that. And I also happen to remember that the Patriots accused the Dolphins of doing the same thing to them in 2006 in a game in Miami, so that works both way. Frankly, I think that kind of thing is wide-spread around the NFL. The Patriots happen to be the only team ever caught doing it. I think one key thing that is overlooked regarding the Patriots' not having won a Super Bowl over the last decade is this. The Patriots have not won a Super Bowl since they let Adam Vinatieri go after the 2005 season, and where does he wind up, but Indianapolis, where they win the Super Bowl the very next year after coming back from a 21-3 deficit to those same Patriots in the AFC Championship Game, which followed a game in the Colts' old home in Baltoimore where every point the Colts scored came on five Vinatieri field goals. And remember that the margin of victory in all three of the Patriots' Super Bowl wins (36, 38, and 39) came from the swing of Vinatieri's leg, which also was the reason they were even in the AFC Championship Game following the 2001 season to begin with. If not for the "Tuck Rule" play and two miracle Vinatieri kicks in the snow in Foxboro, there may never have even been a Patriots' dynasty, and the Steelers might have seven or eight Super Bowl titles (because the Pats beat them twice in the AFC Championship Game in Pittsburgh), instead of the six they now have, and Ton Brady would not be among the top five QBs of all-time, in the estimation of most people, myself included (I have him #4 behind Montana, Unitas, and Elway). And as for Gordon's championships not being on the level. Can we really say that about any dominant NASCAR team, going all the way back to the days of Carl Kiekhafer in the mid-50s? Except for the Wood Brothers, who never tried for the championship in their heyday, every major run in the history of the sport involved cheating. What happened at Charlotte in May of 1995 was as clear as night and day, which was unintentionally exposed in the Coca-Cola 600. However, I do believe that the "T-Rex" car was a legal car when they ran it, but it was soon outlawed by the rules makers. To me, the more questionable thing there was the fact that only one team from HMS got to run the car. The whole thing regarding the tires at Loudon in 1998 masked two things, in my opinion. First, I suspect that they were doing something else, like possibly traction control. Secondly, I think NASCAR purposely let them get away with what they were doing because if they didn't, Ford would have won every single race run that season after June because they had such an outrageous advantage on the GM teams, and that's something that would have been totally unacceptable to NASCAR. And I still believe what happened at Richmond in 2000 was fishy, because Rick Hendrick even said that they had run that same carburetor much of the year and nothing had been said about it. But Gordon was among those that made comments critical of NASCAR at Loudon, and NASCAR didn't take too kind to that, so they decided to make an example of Gordon after his win at Richmond, which is his last at that track to this day. Loomis also got hit in early 2001 with a penalty for being too low during post-race tech following the race at Rockingham the week after Dale, Sr.'s death. But every team that has had huge success in NASCAR has cheated in some way, shape, or form. The only exceptions to that being the Wood Brothers and Richard Childress Racing, where Dale did all the cheating from behind the wheel with all the wrecks he caused. But Kiekhafer, Holman-Moody, Petty Enterprises, Junior Johnson (the biggest cheater of all), Melling Racing when they dominated in the mid 80s (with the pressurization of the air and fuel into the engine), Hendrick Motorsports (going all the way back to when they were accused of having oversized fuel cells when Gary Nelson was Geoff Bodine's crew chief), Joe Gibbs Racing, Roush, Yates, and even Childress in the post-Earnhardt years have all been guilty of cheating at some point or another. They just weren't always caught. And that's just the teams that had big success, because there have been others that have cheated and got caught that weren't overly successful. 613. Sector posted: 10.31.2014 - 12:22 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) So has Penske since Paul & Brad came along, @cjs 614. DaleSrFanForever posted: 10.31.2014 - 1:17 am Rate this comment: (1) (0) And here is my counter point cjs: they are the Detroit Lions. They'll screw it up somehow. As for no "documented evidence" against the Pats, there is also no documented evidence saying JFK wasn't assassinated by a lone gunman named Lee Harvey Oswald. Why would they destroy the tapes? With the Ray Rice "we knew nothing" debacle we have seen how the NFL of Goodell will gladly try to cover stuff up. But I agree letting Viniteri go was a huge error. As for Dale's "cheating behind the wheel", if that is truly cheating, then Jeff's 4 titles are even more illegal. Jeff plays it down, and Dale played it up with his Intimidator image and merchandise mother lode, but those two are very similar. Hell, even Dale never puttered around the track after putting himself in the wall failing to put somebody else in the wall just to wreck somebody like Jeff at Phoenix. 615. Hinch77 posted: 10.31.2014 - 5:02 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Wow! DSFF is so desperate to start a fight you can hear the cracking in his voice. "But every team that has had huge success in NASCAR has cheated in some way, shape, or form. The only exceptions to that being the Wood Brothers and Richard Childress Racing, where Dale did all the cheating from behind the wheel with all the wrecks he caused. But Kiekhafer, Holman-Moody, Petty Enterprises, Junior Johnson (the biggest cheater of all), Melling Racing when they dominated in the mid 80s (with the pressurization of the air and fuel into the engine), Hendrick Motorsports (going all the way back to when they were accused of having oversized fuel cells when Gary Nelson was Geoff Bodine's crew chief), Joe Gibbs Racing, Roush, Yates, and even Childress in the post-Earnhardt years have all been guilty of cheating at some point or another. They just weren't always caught. And that's just the teams that had big success, because there have been others that have cheated and got caught that weren't overly successful. " Do some reading: Kiekhaefer and cheating are interesting, and you should King Richard I to find out more. Holman-Moody? I have never heard of them cheating... 616. racefangurl posted: 10.31.2014 - 8:39 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Penske cheated last year and Keselowski had a car with a flared skirt this year. Chad Knaus gets accused of cheating. Two years ago, I seem to remember, Jimmie Johnson's car had cheat C-posts, but they got the penalty reduced. 617. Zackary Shawn posted: 10.31.2014 - 9:25 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) In a somewhat surprising announcement, Elliot Sadler will move to a #1 Roush-Fenway Racing Ford Mustang in the Xfinity Series next year and bring One Main Financial, his sponsor since 2011, with him. This will make the fourth team in five years Sadler has driven for: 2011: Kevin Harvick Inc. 2012: Richard Childress Racing 2013-2014: Joe Gibbs Racing 2015: Roush-Fenway Racing 618. TS1420 posted: 10.31.2014 - 9:57 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) "I just threw up on the IndyCar schedule." Brian France wishes he could be as stupid as Hulman-George geniuses. 619. We need more Onion posted: 10.31.2014 - 11:28 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Totally. I like Sonoma, but seriously? As a FINAL RACE?? FFS, one more oval race couldn't hurt and again August 30th to end the season. Disappointed, but convinced that racing will make up for the defects of the calendar. 620. The Long Shot posted: 10.31.2014 - 1:24 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Expect Bubba to be announced as Sadler's replacement in the #11 within the coming weeks. 621. murb posted: 10.31.2014 - 3:49 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) I'm psyched on Sadler going to Roush, mainly because this now almost surely guarantees that Bubba will be full time in NXS. 622. Hinch77 posted: 10.31.2014 - 7:06 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Holy sh*t! Jimmie Johnson's fastest lap thus far is 199.734 mph! 623. New14 & 88Fan posted: 10.31.2014 - 7:24 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Smoke just went 200.101 mph! 624. New14 & 88Fan posted: 10.31.2014 - 7:25 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) *200.111 mph 625. Hinch77 posted: 10.31.2014 - 7:26 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I was just about to say that. That's a NASCAR 1.5 mile track record! 626. Walter White posted: 10.31.2014 - 11:09 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Considering Sadler drove for the Wood Brothers #21 and the Yates #38 and got his only wins driving those Fords, it really is neat to see him in a Roush Ford in the Xfinity Series next season. Sadler and Ford is a nostalgic combo for me in my journey of watching NASCAR. Sadler really was a puzzling driver to figure out. He showed flashes, but never reached his true potential. I believe being a part of 2 unstable organizations in Yates and Evernham/RPM really did not help him. But he at least made a Chase and won 3 races including a win with the Wood Brothers so he didn't do too bad for himself. But just 3 Top 20 finishes in points? Yikes. He could have done so much better. But he is smart to take a Top Xfinity ride over a lower Cup organization. Though how "Top" Roush is in that series even is up for debate. But anyways, it will be nice to not only see Bubba get a full Xfinity ride, but also KBM can focus on Eric Jones in Trucks. Jones has greatly impressed me with his driving. And Sadler does give Roush a steady veteran hand who can mentor the young drivers there. I just like that move on so many levels. 627. racefangurl posted: 11.01.2014 - 9:32 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) I don't know how much I care about Sadler's team change. Not a real fan of his, just more or less neutral on him. I mean, I don't care about him one way or the other. He's just there, as are all drivers not ranked in my top-6. However, I do wonder, is he kind of a Trevor Bayne replacement in Nationwide/Xfinity? With Trevor's move up to the Cup, I won't have a strong favorite in the Nationwide/Xfinity series after this year, so I may not care about the series so much. I'll see how November goes for the series and decide from that. 628. Scott B posted: 09.25.2017 - 7:32 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Jamie Mac's pole speed in this race is still the closest anyone has come to the 100mph mark at Martinsville's long history (as of 9-25-15). 629. Sandy posted: 05.22.2020 - 11:26 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Steve Letarte's last win as a crew chief 630. Indycar1 posted: 07.31.2020 - 10:04 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) The lap 438-442 caution had a red flag of 11 minutes The lap 490-195 caution had a red flag of 9 minutes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *Post a comment:* Your comment may not appear immediately - all comments must be approved by the moderator. Name: Comment: