Around and around we go

BACK FOR THE CHASE

2008-09-10T23:42:00.001-05:00

If I remember

STOP (please?)

2008-05-07T10:09:00.003-05:00

With the "public enemy #1" stuff. I've seen three national writers use the term over the last two days, so there's probably more that I haven't seen.

Where was the public outrage towards Kevin Harvick when he dumped Tony Stewart at Bristol?

That was a racing accident. The incident between Kyle Busch and Dale Junior was too. Let's get over it folks.

We get it, Junior's popular. But please, both drivers say it's a nonissue, and they recognize it for what it was. Why do we think "Junior Nation" can't understand that as well?

Driver Rankings

2008-05-06T09:55:00.002-05:00

In preparation to defend what I have said on TBL, if I was going to be ranking the top 20 Sprint Cup drivers, this is how I'd see it shake out.

1. Kyle Busch-- Right now, it is foolish to take anyone else
2. Tony Stewart-- Was tops in my book until he got bumped off by a teammate
3. Jeff Gordon-- Could easily be top two
4. Jimmie Johnson-- Same with this guy
5. Carl Edwards-- And this guy too. I think that you can order the top five any way amongst these five and have a solid argument
6. Denny Hamlin-- Not even Kyle Busch had this much success right away in the Cup series
7. Matt Kenseth-- He's just having some bad luck right now
8. Clint Bowyer-- Have to remember that Bowyer hasn't spent much time on pavement compared to everyone else
9. Juan Pablo Montoya-- Basically the same way with Montoya. He's here because of the sheer amount of driving talent that he possesses.
10. Dale Earnhardt Jr.-- Yes, Junior at 10. I can see him as high as maybe seventh, but that's it. He's good, but he's not one of the sport's elite.
11. Kevin Harvick-- He could be higher too
12. Kurt Busch-- Sorry bud, you're not the best driver in the family by a longshot
13. Jeff Burton-- Almost forget about how good Burton is because of how sneaky he is
14. Kasey Kahne-- He probably could be higher, but we really don't know because of the inconsistency in equipment
15. Ryan Newman-- There was a reason he hadn't won in 80some races. Newman won't win again this year
16. Greg Biffle-- In regards to car control, he's one of the best. He's probably too low here
17. Martin Truex Jr.-- Martinsville haunts him
18. Casey Mears-- The dude's got talent; but it's inexplicable what's going on with him right now
19. David Ragan-- Beating expectations already
20. Brian Vickers-- Gotta remember, he's only 25.

While you weren't caring

2008-05-06T08:11:00.002-05:00

Racing returned to the Rock.

Yes, it was an ARCA race, which are usually good for only a bunch of cautions and six or seven cars to quit after lap 1. But this time, if you were indeed watching, you got to see the hype that is Joey Logano.

And he did everything he could to live up to that hype. Logano led 257 of 312 laps in absolutely dominating fashion, coming within a few laps of lapping the field. (But again, were you expecting a bunch of long green runs? This is ARCA)

He was so good that at a track that puts a premium on tires, Logano drove right past Ken Schrader after Schrader had gotten new tires. No one had anything for Logano, who was aided by Denny Hamlin's Cup pit crew.

Logano will make his Busch* debut on May 31 at Dover. I know this sounds ridiculous, but I wouldn't be surprised if he won. That may be a little too lofty, but this kid has the potential to win five or more Sprint Cup titles.

Seriously.

Poor Denny Hamlin

2008-05-05T11:37:00.002-05:00

Fan or not, if you can't even feel a bit of sympathy for Denny Hamlin after Saturday night, then I question your passion for auto racing.

It still boggles my mind how good Hamlin's car was. 381 of 382 laps! That's just phenomenal.

Of course, if this was the 1970s, that would have been a walk in the park for Richard Petty, and you'd be wondering why Petty couldn't have led that other lap. In a way, I think I feel the same way about Hamlin. I perfectly understand why AJ Allmendinger stayed out to lead a lap, but part of me wishes that Allmendinger hadn't done that, realizing the significance of what was about to happen.

But this is 2008. If a car is dominant, it usually happens in either the first or second stage of the race. Especially in a race that starts with sunlight and ends with darkness, a complete domination is almost impossible. The crew must have a great car for the sunnier track conditions, and an even better one for when the track tightens up. With the level of competition the way it is today, rarely does a team get an opportunity to just take control like that.

I don't think that we will ever see a performance like that again, at least not this year. A dominating race car, great pit stops, a home track... it seemed too perfect.

And it was.

I promise

2008-04-29T14:23:00.001-05:00

that this will be updated from now on.

School sucks.

Random Texas Observations

2008-04-07T13:04:00.003-05:00

--OMG! Hendrick hasn't won in 2008!

--OMG! Dale Jr. hasn't won since 2006!

--(sorry, gotta get those out of the way)

--Hey! I got the race winner correct for the first time all year! Not that it was an incredibly gutsy pick, but at least I'm right once in a while. (Note: I've already made up my mind about who I'm taking next week, and it's not a Hendrick car)

-Part of me was in disbelief reading Jeff Gordon's postrace quotes. Yeah, the fact that Gordon finished last for only the second time in his career is stunning, but more stunning to me is the way that his team has never gotten a handle on Texas. He's run well at Atlanta and Charlotte, and Texas isn't too far off from those racetracks. It's not like Texas is a Rockingham type place or anything. If Gordon's recent (and past) history is any indication, we may be waiting a while for a Texas victory. (of course, he could very easily go out and win in the fall)

--Carl Edwards should be considered the early Chase favorite. Atlanta, Texas, Charlotte and Kansas are all in the Chase, as is Homestead. Uh oh.

--And while it is stupid to anoint favorites just 20% of the way into a season, there's also a high probability that the rest of the field will catch up to Carl at the intermediate tracks at some point during the year.

--Joe Gibbs Racing gets the team of the race award. Three cars in the top 7 is downright impressive.

Your Complete St. Petersburg Preview

2008-04-06T12:45:00.002-05:00

Ack! A non-NASCAR post!

I may be looking forward to this race more so than the Texas race, and I love races at Texas. This is the first chance for the former Champ Car guys to be competitive, and I don't think that you can count any of them out. Will Power starts second, and Justin Wilson is starting third.

Helio Castroneves is going for his third straight victory at St. Petersburg, and will now actually have to deal with more than 20 cars to get to victory lane. That said, I don't like his chances for a third straight win. Give me Tony Kanaan, the polesitter, who I think is going to be this year's champion.

As for everyone's favorite, Ms. Danica, she starts 19th and has virtually no shot at winning this race unless she comes up with an off the wall pit strategy that somehow works out. My guess is that Danica is going to have to get that first win on an oval this year because she's going to be overmatched on the road courses with the influx of the new guys.

Winner: Tony Kanaan

Your Complete Texas Preview

2008-04-06T12:31:00.002-05:00

On a related note, Michael McDowell has become almost a cultish figure because of his crash on Friday. I think there may be 100x the people that know his name today than on Friday morning.

The popular pick here is Dale Earnhardt Jr., and he's a tempting choice. On the pole, has won here previously (and the repeat winner jinx was broken last year by Jeff Burton.)

However, I just don't think that Junior is going to get that win today. Of course, maybe I'm being selfish because a Junior win would mean a flood of "Junior finally wins" and "Hendrick finally wins" stories. I'd rather deal with just one of those scenarios at a time instead of both at the same time.

So I'm going to avoid them both and go with an obvious pick. Carl Edwards has dominated on the track similar to Texas already this year, and oil tank lid or not, Edwards is going to be fast today. Heck, it could be Biffle or Kenseth too, but my money is on #99.

Winner: Carl Edwards

(Last week I went with Jimmie Johnson, so I'm still 0-fer on the year, even though my finishes are somewhat respectable)

(And can we get a moratorium on the "everything is bigger in Texas" shenanigans on TV? We've been to this place at least once a year since 1997, and there has been two races a year recently. This is not new.)

Michael McDowell

2008-04-04T16:29:00.002-05:00

Just made a name for himself on YouTube.

That was one of the worse single car crashes that I have ever seen. Just ridiculous.

(If qualifying ever resumes, I'll take Lamar, Andretti and Nemechek to miss the race)

The Demise of Petty Enterprises? (Pt 1)

2008-04-03T09:58:00.003-05:00

Demise may not be appropriate because Petty Enterprises truly hasn't been competitive since John Andretti won way back in 2000 at Martinsville.

Sure, Bobby Labonte has had some good runs in the 43 car, but he's a former Cup champion, and there's no sign that he's lost anything behind the wheel.

So it comes as no surprise that General Mills left Petty for Richard Childress next season, and will most likely take Labonte with it. Of course, Robbie Loomis is putting on a brave face and saying that PE is optimistic that they can re-sign Labonte. But this is the same Robbie Loomis who said that the team was capable of winning each of the first five races this season. (heck, it might have been more.)

And all of this comes on the heels of Kyle Petty failing to make the show at Martinsville and then taking himself out of the 45 car in favor of Chad McCumbee at Texas. Kyle hasn't been competitive all season, and McCumbee did well last year (all things considered) when he subbed for Kyle. But does anyone think that Chad is really the future of Petty Enterprises?

Petty just recently moved out of their shop in Randleman, a mere 10-15 years later than everyone else had moved to their Garage Mahals. The place that they moved to? The old Yates Racing shop. But even as PE attempted to join the times, they were still behind. Yates moved to an even nicer shop, where they could co-op with Roush Fenway.

Now Petty has a new shop, but no flagship sponsor. And probably no flagship driver. And a second car that can't compete on a regular basis. In a lax economy, that spells disaster.

As a 22 year old fan, I really have no conscious memory of the greatness of the 43 car. Sure, I know all about Richard Petty and how great he was. But videos and stories aren't the same as memories.

So maybe I'm a bad person for not being saddened when I see the Petty banner do so poorly. Sure, I want to see them succeed, and I feel bad for them. But part of me can't help but think that somehow these events have been brought on by PE's history. There wasn't this parity and technological advances when Richard was winning races. It wasn't a big money sport. Richard could do what he wanted to do and dominate. But as the field has caught up to the Pettys, the Pettys kept doing what they thought was successful.

Random Martinsville Observations

2008-03-31T11:17:00.002-05:00

--Jeff and Jimmie are now in the top 10. Everyone please step away from that cliff.

--Jamie McMurray came through when he needed to Sunday. His eighth place finish boosted him to 30th in the owners' points, and a guaranteed spot at Texas.

--Sam Hornish is now on the outside looking in with Dave Blaney, Dario Franchitti, David Reutimann and Kyle Petty. It's a shame that Kyle missed Sunday's race, but he hasn't been competitive all year, and it's the price you pay for being a constant backmarker.

--Speaking of Reutimann, NASCAR wouldn't let the #00 and #44 switch points over the week off. I'm normally not a fan of NASCAR's tendency to let teams swap around points, but I do think that they erred by not letting Michael Waltrip Racing swap the points. Reutimann earned those points for the #00 car, and should have been able to keep them when he replaced Jarrett in the #44. NASCAR knew that Jarrett ws going to retire after five races, so this wasn't a shock or a move made because a team was struggling.

--How could I forget about the stolen sway bar. Oh yeah, I don't think it's that big of a story. When Jack Roush mentioned a Toyota team was the culprit, I immediately thought of MWR because of last year's Daytona cheating. However, this is Jack Roush that we're talking about and he has a tendency to overstate things. Do I completely believe Michael Waltrip? No. But I don't really believe Jack Roush either.

Vindication

2008-03-31T08:59:00.004-05:00

Before Sunday's race, Denny Hamlin felt that he was cursed. He had terrible luck at Daytona, got caught a lap down in Vegas, and had a great car at Bristol and was in position to win until something happened with the fuel pickup.

But crew chief Mike Ford played their strategy perfectly, and the almost-an-afterthought third driver in the Joe Gibbs stable picked up his first win of the year at a track that Hamlin would give almost anything to win about.

For those of you keeping score at home, it's Gibbs 2, Hendrick 0. But please, don't read too much into that. The Hendrick cars have been as good as the Gibbs and Childress cars this year, they just don't have the wins to show for it.

Hendrick did what Gibbs did two weeks ago at Bristol and dominated the majority of the race, but a Hendrick car just didn't lead the last lap. But the four Hendrick cars did finish in the top 10; inevitably leading to the "Hendrick is back! Sorta" sidebars in newspapers around the country.

Don't worry. This is going to be a three or four team chase for the title this year, and it promises to be exceptional.

(photo from AP/Mark Humphrey and thatsracin.com)

Easter Weekend Power Rankings

2008-03-20T22:25:00.003-05:00

Childress strengthens its grip on the top spot while Hendrick jumps ahead of Roush-Fenway. (But wait, I thought that Hendrick was struggling this year? I swear I read that story this week...)

Childress- 5.3
Gibbs- 7.66
Hendrick- 16.25
Roush- 17.6
Penske- 17.66
DEI- 23.75
R. Gordon- 24
Evernham- 24.33
Yates- 26
Ganassi- 28
Haas- 28.5
Petty- 29.5
Waltrip- 30.33
Red Bull- 30.5
Hall of Fame- 31
Bill Davis- 37

Is this the beginning of the end?

2008-03-17T13:25:00.003-05:00

I probably am harping on this way too much, but I can't get over the fact that Jamie McMurray is outside the top 35 in points.

Well, scratch that, not so much that it's Jamie McMurray, but that it's Jamie McMurray in a Roush-Fenway car in 36th place.

McMurray must have made a deal with the racing devil. He got caught up in a wreck at Daytona, spun at Vegas, wrecked at Atlanta and wrecked at Bristol. However, it wasn't like he was running exceptionally well when he had his incidents anyway.

I've always felt that McMurray was a good, but not great driver. He did come exceptionally close to making the Chase in a Ganassi car, and did win in one of his first Cup starts subbing for Sterling Marlin. (However, I think 2002 goes to show that the Ganassi cars were the class of the field that year, not Sterling Marlin and Jamie McMurray)

He did win last season, just barely beating Kyle Busch to the stripe at the last "old car" race at Daytona. But besides that win, McMurray's tenure at Roush has been nothing special.

I can't help but wonder if this is the beginning of the end for McMurray. It's long been rumored that Greg Biffle would be the driver on the chopping block when the four team limit goes into effect, but with Biffle's performance right now, it looks to me that McMurray is the one that's going to go away.

McMurray is just four points out of 35th, so if he does qualify for the show next Sunday, he's more than likely going to get back into the top 35, unless he keeps wrecking. But even if he does easily time into the field March 30th, I think the clock is counting down on McMurray's Roush-Fenway tenure.

Random Bristol Observations

2008-03-16T22:59:00.002-05:00

--Tony Stewart has led 769 of a possible 1,510 laps in the last three Bristol spring races. He's finished 12th, 35th and 15th. Seriously, is there a Cup driver with better performances but worse luck at any other track?

--Gibbs cars have led 1,064 of those laps. Is there a team with better performances but worse luck at any other track?

--Jamie McMurray is outside the top 35. Think Roush wants Kurt Busch back?

--What does it say about Kyle Petty when Casey Mears and McMurray are 42nd and 43rd, Dale Jarrett has a pitiful run, and Jeremy Mayfield isn't very good, yet Petty can't improve on his 40th position in the points standings?

--I have a feeling that we're going to see Petty Enterprises switch the points from the 43 car to the 45 car. This shouldn't be allowed to happen. Even though he is Kyle Petty, he shouldn't be guaranteed a spot in the field with how slow he's been this season.

--Slugger Labbe is rumored to take over the crew chief duties of the #96. Will we finally see what we've been waiting for from J.J. Yeley?

--OMG! Hendrick didn't win! Please, can we put that story to bed? In case you haven't noticed, Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon are now 13th and 14th in the points. They're lurking. They haven't gone anywhere.

(image from thatsracin.com)

Is this the redneck karma for switching to Toyota?

2008-03-16T16:39:00.003-05:00

Has a team ever experienced worse luck as a whole than Joe Gibbs Racing did at Bristol today?

One moment, the three Gibbs cars are leaving the pit lane 1-2-3 just inches from each other. The next, Denny Hamlin is back on pit road to fix damage that Casey Mears caused trying to get his lap back, and Kyle Busch is spinning out of control when his power steering fails.

Hamlin battled back, and got to second after Kevin Harvick pitted. And flew past Tony Stewart--who dominated the race for the third straight year--with just four laps to go.

But then Stewart collided with Harvick and went sliding into the wall. Two Gibbs cars down.

And then, to complete the trifecta, on the ensuing green-white-checkered finish, something was amiss in Hamlin's fuel pickup, and Hamlin relinquishes the lead to Jeff Burton.

Hamlin: 6th
Stewart: 15th
Busch: 17th

(And lest we forget, Richard Childress Racing went 1-2-3 after all of the Gibbs' cars' misfortunes. Not only are the JGR cars' failures remarkable, the fact that one team was the sole benefactor of all the hardships is doubly amazing)

Your Complete Food City 500 Preview

2008-03-15T22:51:00.002-05:00

With the rain wreaking havoc for the second time this season, I have a feeling that we're not going to see many comers and goers (cue Larry Mac) on Sunday. The good cars in the back may not have a chance to get up to the front before they get lapped, and the amount of cars that will fall back probably be minimal as well.

Joe Gibbs Racing dominated the spring race last year, leading almost 400 laps before parts failures. But since the banking has changed and the COT has become full time, I don't think we're going to see that type of dominance by any one team this time.

However, Gibbs DID dominate last season, and they have last year's winner now.

Hmm.......

Winner: Kyle Busch.

(Last week's pick Jimmie Johnson finished 9th. I'm now 0-4 on the season and this is the fourth time in five races I've picked a Gibbs car. Take from it what you will)

Your Complete Australian F1 Preview

2008-03-15T22:40:00.003-05:00

Ok, this isn't much of a preview because I really don't know much of Formula 1.

Drivers off the top of my head: Hamilton, Raikkonen, Massa, Alonso, Kovalakein (sp?) Schumacher (Ralf), Heidfeld, Bourdais, Barrichello. Yeah, that's it. Sad, and I probably should know more, but I don't.

I do know that Lewis Hamilton is on the pole, so I'm going to pick him to win. The best part of F1 is the standing starts and the subsequent dives into turn one. Yeah, I know, uneducated; but those grooved tires make racing the suck.

What I also know is that the F1 game for PS3 is one of the best racing games I have ever played. While the driver list is old, the graphics and gameplay are fantastic, and the racing modes are as deep or as shallow as you like.

But, I'm going to try to follow F1 this year. I'm staying up for tonight's race, and actually looking forward to it. Although, I seem to find myself watching any and all racing these days. I spent 45 minutes watching the 12 hours of Sebring today. On one of the biggest basketball Saturdays of the year.

Post Week 4 Power Rankings

2008-03-12T15:03:00.004-05:00

There's no point in starting rankings afer the first week, because what can we draw from Daytona?

Here, I'm going to use my super scientific formula to determine which teams (not individuals) are the best. Maybe this will solve that Gibbs v. Roush v. Hendrick debate. (yeah right)

All I'm going to do is take the cumulative points positions of the team's cars, and then divide them by the number of cars the team has. (Gibbs = 3, Roush = 5) Smallest number is the "strongest" and owner points are used.

That doesn't seem too complicated, does it?

Childress- 8
Gibbs- 9.3
Roush- 14.6 (penalty included)
Hendrick- 16
Penske- 16.66
DEI- 23
R. Gordon- 24
Evernham- 24.33
Red Bull- 26
Yates- 28.5
Petty- 29
Haas- 30
Waltrip- 30.66
Ganassi- 31
Hall of Fame- 35
Bill Davis- 37 (#27 not counted because it has suspended operations)

I was mildly surprised that Childress was #1, and that Evernham is so low (Carpentier helps).

I hope to do this every week.

The Balance of Power Is Shifting

2008-03-12T14:51:00.002-05:00

Well, not really, just the make up of the bottom part of the top 35 in owners' points.

28. David Gilliland 352
29. Travis Kvapil 346
30. Casey Mears 331
31. Jamie McMurray 318
32. Dale Jarrett 315
33. Michael Waltrip 303
34. Jeremy Mayfield 301
35. J.J. Yeley 298
36. Sam Hornish Jr. 280
37. Dave Blaney 273
38. Dario Franchitti 264
39. Regan Smith 232
40. Kyle Petty 217

As you all know, the top 35 are guaranteed into the field. Petty, Blaney, Franchitti and Smith (and in the case of Smith and Franchitti, their cars) were locked in last year. Hornish just has Kurt Busch's points.

Of course, this is very likely to change after next week, when this year's owner points starts to take effect. If I had to bet on one driver jumping into the top 35, I'd pick Blaney, and I wouldn't be surprised if Waltrip or Jarrett fell out.

To me, the race to get locked into the field is just as interesting as the Chase. And unlike last year, we're staring at established teams being forced to qualify on time (Ganassi, DEI, Penske, Petty). Blaney has had bad luck this year, Kyle Petty neds to hang them up and move to the television booth full time, Dario and Sam need more seasoning, and I think Regan Smith is only there because he has a contract.

So while the list is certainly different, I can't say I'm surprised.

(note: those are all just drivers that have made every race.)

Random Atlanta Observations

2008-03-10T14:13:00.005-05:00

--Of course, the one time that I don't pick a JGR car, one goes to victory lane. However, I don't think I'd have much credibility if I picked one to win every week.

--Pardon me for being thankful that Elliott Sadler wrecked his car enough not to continue after causing a third straight caution. That was getting old.

--Brian Vickers can miss the race this week and be locked into the top 35. Not too shabby.

--OMG! Hendrick didn't win again!

--This open wheel thing isn't working out too well as of now. Why do we insist that these drivers jump straight to Cup? What good is marketing if they're never on television during the race and (maybe, in a few weeks) missing the race entirely?

--Michael Waltrip Racing still needs to get their act together. None of the teams are very comfortably in the top 35; but they've at least made the show every week.

--I was wrong about Scott Riggs. Jeremy Mayfield still hasn't done much, but Riggs looks like he won't be falling outside the top 35 any time soon.

--The tires stunk. Tony Stewart said it better (and vilier) than I ever could.

Your Complete (and late) Atlanta Preview

2008-03-09T13:30:00.002-05:00

Goodyear went nuts with the tires. Why? What's the problem with a soft tire? Instead, they're running on rubber rocks. The field has already spread out 26 laps in, and I don't think that we're going to see much side-by-side racing today, which is a shame, because Atlanta is a racy track with multiple grooves.

The Hendrick cars will be good, and Edwards, Biffle and Kenseth will be at the front near the end. Hell, the Gibbs cars should be good too.

Winner: Jimmie Johnson

(0-3 on the year, with drivers picked averaging a 6th place finish)

Your Complete Atlanta Qualifying Preview

2008-03-07T18:02:00.002-06:00

Sorry for the lack of posts. I'll make that up shortly.

The cars that need to get in on time haven't gone yet, so I'm still OK.

Who's on the bubble:

Reutimann
Lamar
Busch
Carpentier
Elliott
Benson
Andretti
Jarrett
Schrader
Waltrip
Nemechek
Vickers
Skinner

Busch (1) is in and will sneak in by speed, leaving the door open for Elliott (2) because Jarrett (3) gets in on speed as well. Skinner (4) gets the #84 in for the first time and Vickers (5) qualifies too. Waltrip (6) and Reutimann (7) get in and Carpentier (8) gets the last spot.

OUT: Nemechek, Schrader, Andretti, Lamar, Benson.

(6-8 last week as well.)

Penalty Day

2008-03-05T12:07:00.002-06:00

We'll find out today how much Carl Edwards will be docked after he failed post race inspection after Vegas, and we'll also hopefully know the result of Robby Gordon's appeal.

All signs point to Edwards losing 25 points and Bob Osborne for six weeks, and I think that we will also see Gordon's penalty reduced to that as well (from 100 points)

Edwards will lose the points lead--he'll trail Kyle Busch by four--and Gordon will go from being on the top 35 bubble to being solidly in. A great victory for his team.

Of course, this is NASCAR, so this could all change, but that's what it looks like things are shaping up to be.

Random Las Vegas Observations

2008-03-03T11:39:00.003-06:00

--Wasn't I just using that picture last week?

--Carl Edwards now has to be considered the favorite at Atlanta as well. Another 1.5 mile track, he's won there previously, and duh, he's rolling right now. I am afraid that he may not be able to keep it up for the whole season, but it would be fun as hell if he could have Jeff and Jimmie chasing him come October.

--The news that Red Bull is debating pulling AJ Allmendinger from the 84 shouldn't be any surprise. Allmendinger should have been started on an ABC schedule of some sort to ease the transition to stock cars, but was instead thrust into a fulltime Sprint Cup ride because Red Bull wanted to have two teams. He can turn it around, especially with Jay Frye overseeing the whole operation, but he's got to figure out how to qualify for the race first. At this point, taking him out of his ride is nothing different than leaving him in because he's not making the races anyway.

--If Darrell Waltrip hadn't kept mentioning Mike Skinner and Bad Boy Mowers, I would have had no idea that Bad Boy was sponsoring him this week. Of course, our Fox affiliate doesn't have an over the air HD feed, but I couldn't tell who was sponsoring that car. Word to Bill Davis: get some bolder decals.

--Elliott Sadler is 12th in points? Really?

--I'm going to have to disagree with David Poole, who is not happy that NASCAR is pushing a new statistic called Driver Rating instead of putting the money won in the agate box scores. At least driver rating--however the heck it's figured out--gives us a better idea of how a driver did. Tony Stewart made more money for finishing last than David Ragan made for finishing 6th. I know that Stewart's prominence and success and sponsor money has a lot to do with it, but can we at least agree that the money outside of what the winner receives is largely irrelevant?

Your Complete UAW-Dodge 400 Preview

2008-03-02T13:25:00.002-06:00

Before I talk about the race, I would like to point out that I really don't like the late race starts. Sure, I realize that Las Vegas is in the Pacific Time Zone, but is it really necessary to start the race at 1:30 local time? Can't we start the race at noon their time, which is only 3pm on the east coast? I think making east coast fans wait until 4:30 to watch the race is ridiculous. (Yes, I realize that there are 10 night races a year. I like night racing. However, I don't like the tweener racing like is what is going on today. Either start the race in the early afternoon, or start it in the evening for most of the country. Especially when the race is going to be strictly a daylight race, like this one will be.)

And I have yet to understand why qualifying was held in the late afternoon in Vegas when the track was slowly becoming more and more shade covered. If the race is going to be run in the middle of the day, why do we have to qualify in changing conditions? I get night and twilight qualifying sessions for races that are being run at that time. But why did we have to give the go or go home cars the advantage of a cooler track Friday?

Anyway, let's talk about the actual race. It's hard to ignore Jimmie Johnson as he goes for four in a row, and yes, it's hard not to notice that he qualified 33rd. But you're out of your mind if you think he's going to finish anywhere near there. (Unless he gets caught up in a wreck while he is back in the pack. That's possible)

The Hendrick and Roush cars are going to be factors here. Obviously they are going to be factors anywhere, but I really think that today is going to be the first Toyota points victory. And it's going to be the hometown boy who is starting on the pole.

Winner: Kyle Busch.

(for the record, I didn't post a prediction because of the rain, but last week I picked Kyle too. So I'm 0-2 on the year. And yes, I realize I have picked Gibbs cars all three times)

Your Complete Las Vegas Qualifying Preview

2008-02-28T14:21:00.002-06:00

David Reutimann
Burney Lamar
Kurt Busch
Patrick Carpentier
Johnny Sauter
Mike Skinner
John Andretti
Dale Jarrett
Ken Schrader
Michael Waltrip
Joe Nemechek
Brian Vickers
AJ Allmendinger

Eight cars get in, five cars go home.

Busch (1) is automatically in as always, but he gets in on speed again, locking Jarrett (2) in the field. Reutimann (3) gets in on time, as does Vickers (4). Carpentier (5) finally qualifies and so does Allmendinger (6). Nemechek (7)gets in thanks to the Hendrick engines, and Michael Waltrip takes the final spot (8).

Who's Out: Lamar, Skinner, Andretti, Schrader, Sauter.

Restrictor Plates and California

2008-02-27T20:28:00.002-06:00

Why?

I know I've already stated my feelings about how crappy the state of NASCAR in SoCal is. But when the track president is endorsing the idea of making the track a restrictor plate track, you know things aren't well.

We all know that the drivers hate plate racing. The fans love it. I love it. But I also know that plate racing isn't real racing. 1/9th of the schedule is already made up of plate racing, and that seems sufficient. Adding another plate race, or G-d forbid, a second one, isn't going to make many friends in the garage.

However, Gillian Zucker knows that California Speedway needs fannies in the seats, and nothing plays better amongst the NASCAR crowd than plate racing. Sure, there's the whole issue of moving the California race dates--which needs to happen anyway--and the millions of dollars to redo the track. But hey, the track looks like it's going to have to be redone anyway because of the weepers, so they might as well go for it all.

My idea: Turn California into a Daytona road course prototype. Keep the frontstretch, turns one and two, and part of the backstretch. Eliminate turn three and most of turn four, and add in six turns between the backstretch and where turn four currently sits. None of the grandstand seating would have to be moved, and it could lure the IRL back to the speedway, and host some sports car events. And, if they're really ambitious, track officials could try to lure Formula 1 back to the states. You think Bernie Ecclestone would want to race near LA and Vegas?

Random California Observations

2008-02-25T20:10:00.004-06:00

--If there was any doubt that Roush-Fenway was up to speed on their COT program, it's gone now. If the race would have actually been run on Sunday night, Biffle would have been a strong contender as well.

--It's officially a three team race. If we were to make tiers, this is how it would stack up

Tier 1:
Hendrick
Gibbs
Roush

Tier 2:
Penske
Childress
Evernham

Tier 3:
Ganassi
DEI

Tier 4:
Everyone else

--Brian Vickers is a legitimate top 20 threat. Heck, he may even contend for a Chase spot.

--Is this deja vu for Casey Mears? Last year he almost was outside the top 35 after the first five races, and the way he's going, he may be in the same situation this year. Tough luck.

--Robby Gordon is in 12th without that penalty. Not like he's going to stay there if the penalty is overturned, but that's still pretty impressive, even though it's only been two races.

--If Tony Stewart ran a full Busch* schedule, would he have the championship locked up by September?

(I completely forgot Penske at first. Maybe it's my compensation for what happened on the last lap at Daytona.)

The day that NASCAR lost its mind

2008-02-25T00:11:00.002-06:00

Who decided that the best time for racing was in the middle of the night?

I don't care what time zone NASCAR is in (Australia would be an exception), how in the world is this acceptable.

In a season that started off with Brian France preaching that NASCAR was getting back to its roots, it's already derailed in the second race of the year.

What person in their right minds anywhere not on the west coast (myself excluded) would stay up to watch this? Why? Why can't we just race on Monday, where ratings will be low--but higher than they would be right now--and people stuck at work could pop up the trackpass leaderboard?

Instead, NASCAR tries to save face in a market where their share sucks, and tries to run the race on the day it was scheduled when Mother Nature has other ideas. Yes NASCAR, we realize that the stands are going to be half full for this race. Yes, we realize that they will be 10% full if they raced tomorrow. But who stuck around through the rain for the midnight matinee?

If NASCAR can somehow explain this decision making process to myself and NASCAR Nation, I will gladly listen. While I fill out the asylum papers for the sport's decision makers.

Blame It On The Rain

2008-02-24T13:28:00.002-06:00

I'm going to use my best meteorological senses and say that the Cup race isn't going to happen today.

Maybe that's why NASCAR made the inexplicable decision to have the Busch* race an hour after the Cup race. They knew that the Cup race wasn't going to start, so the Busch* race will be run Sunday night (after the Cup race is postponed) and the Cup race will start Monday.

Hopefully I'm wrong, I really want to see some racing today. But I'm not optimistic.

I'm Demanding A Free Pass

2008-02-22T21:01:00.001-06:00

Because I didn't know that qualifying would be rained out.

(although six of eight isn't terrible)

Your complete California Qualifying Preview

2008-02-22T11:20:00.006-06:00

First of all, was it really that necessary to sell the naming rights to the speedway? I think it's another sign that the speedway wasn't being financially viable. They can't sell out, they drag all of this Hollywood talent to the track to no avail, they have a SECOND race date they can't sell out, and now this?

Anyway, California qualifying should be fascinating because it's the first time that the cars that have to qualify on time will qualify together because of the new rules. It's a great rule that should have been in place a while back, but--conspiracy theory alert--probably became a reality because NASCAR realized that they couldn't have NAPA missing the race because Michael Waltrip got beat out by a guy who went out on a cooler track.

49 cars are attempting to qualify, so six of the following will go home:
David Reutimann
Burney Lamar
Kurt Busch
Patrick Carpentier
Bill Elliott
Mike Skinner
John Andretti
Kevin Lepage
Dale Jarrett
Ken Schrader
Michael Waltrip
Joe Nemechek
Brian Vickers
AJ Allmendinger

Once again, Busch is guaranteed into the field, and if he qualifies on time, Jarrett is next in line.

To help make this easy, I'm going to automatically eliminate Lamar, Andretti and Lepage. They're not getting in.

Busch gets in on time. (1) Michael Waltrip (2) and David Reutimann (3) do too, as does Brian Vickers (4). Patrick Carpentier (5) is in as well, and AJ Allmendinger makes his first start of the year (6). Dale Jarrett (7) barely beats out Mike Skinner for the last spot based on qualifying time, handing the past champion's provisional to Bill Elliott.

Who's out: Lamar, Lepage, Andretti, Schrader, Skinner, Nemechek.

Who's on the pole: Kyle Busch. Just a hunch.

The merger to save open wheel racing

2008-02-20T13:27:00.005-06:00

It could be off at the moment. That's how finicky this thing is.

Yes, I used this picture on purpose. That's Sam Hornish on the high side and Dario Franchitti on the low side. They were two of the IRL's best drivers. They're in the Sprint Cup now.

Champ Car needed this, and IndyCar needed this. The fans needed this, and it looks like we're finally going to see it.

Both series were going to have car counts that were going to be closer to 15 than to 20. Both series still had names (Paul Tracy, Graham Rahal, Will Power in Champ Car; Danica, Helio, Dan Wheldon in IRL) but weren't deep. Once you got past the five most recognizable drivers in the series, there was a serious drop off.

There should be 25 cars in the series every week. There's going to be a more equivalent road/oval split amongst the series' schedule. There's going to be more competition. There's going to be better television ratings. There's going to be a greater field for the Indianapolis 500. What's not to like?

Sure, some races will cease to exist (I hope that they keep the airport race at Cleveland. That has always been one of my favorites. Turn 1 on the first lap was always exciting) and some drivers will not have rides. Only about half of Champ Car's teams are expected to join the new series, and some IRL drivers may be left without rides. But I think the fans are willing to trade A.J. Foyt IV and Buddy Rice for Graham Rahal and Paul Tracy if necessary. (nothing against the former two drivers, and I hope that they are able to keep their rides)

This is a great step in the right direction for open wheel racing. This doesn't even come close to putting it on the same level as Sprint Cup, but they're now closer to the Busch* Series than they were before.

Random Day After the Daytona 500 Thoughts

2008-02-18T13:04:00.002-06:00

--Congratulations to Roger Penske for grabbing one of the last auto racing crown jewels that has eluded him. Now, all he needs is a Cup championship, and he can have it all. Still, I don't think there's any doubt that he's the king of auto racing.

--Speaking of Penske, Sam Hornish made him look smart yesterday. I still think that the verdict is out on Hornish--one race does not a season make--and I look forward to seeing how he does at California and Vegas. I think if you told Sam that Speedweeks would start with the birth of his daughter and end with a 15th place finish in the Daytona 500, he would have taken it in a heartbeat.

--Hendrick looked beatable. Sort of. Jeff Gordon said that he was proud to just hang with the Toyotas during the middle of the race, but wasn't around for the end thanks to a broken shock. Jimmie Johnson had the rare race in which he finished worse than he started thanks to a crash on the backstretch, but even before the crash he really wasn't a factor. Casey Mears looked good and he and crew chief Alan Gustafson sure looked like they had things figured out at the end, but Casey was a split second too late trying to block Tony Stewart, and paid the price. And since he had no one around late to help him, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. was lucky to salvage a ninth place finish after not pitting twice when everyone else did; and when he had the track position, the rest of the field just freight trained around him.

--Toyota looked awesome, but again, the season really starts next week. If Toyota looks that good at California, the Hendrick dominance story lines are officially over.

--Dario Franchitti is going to have a hard time staying in the top 35 in owner's points.

--Red Bull has their act together with Brian Vickers' team.

--Dodge will not take six of the top eight positions again this season.

Many Thanks

2008-02-18T12:21:00.001-06:00

To The Big Lead for allowing me to post about NASCAR over the course of the last week.

I'm sure that 95% of my five readers are from TBL, and I hope that you'll stick around. I love this sport way too much.

Wrong Lane

2008-02-17T20:13:00.003-06:00

An incredible--but crash filled--last 25 laps worked out for Ryan Newman, who, with help from teammate Kurt Busch--flew by Tony Stewart on the last lap.

Stewart lost the race, and even admitted as much. If he stays high to block Newman, we may be talking about Stewart as the 500's champion. Instead, Stewart went down to try to help teammate Kyle Busch--the teammate theme was supposed to be what was going to win the race for Joe Gibbs Racing--and paid the price for it.

The Toyotas were great today, and had the race been about overall performance, a Toyota would be sitting in victory lane. But they didn't get the best run on the final lap, and that's what matters.

Your Complete Daytona 500 Preview

2008-02-17T13:31:00.002-06:00

Winner: Tony Stewart. It's tradition. I've picked Stewart to win the 500 the last five years, with no success, so I figure that eventually, the law of averages has to catch up. I'm not entirely optimistic that Stewart will win, because I think that the Hendrick cars are going to be ridiculously strong. However, the Gibbs cars are turning 15 more relative horsepower than the Hendrick cars (more specifically, Stewart v. Junior) and 30 more horsepower than the Childress cars (Harvick). That, and the fact that Harvick won both last year, makes me once again take Stewart. However, I am more than ready to be wrong.

Highest finishing rookie: Boy, this is a tough one, because I have no idea how aggressive these open whelers are going to be in the draft. Franchitti just hung out yesterday, while Hornish quietly got a decent finish in his duel race. I'll go with Franchitti, with the provision that I fully expect both of them to crash during the race.

What's going to happen: I expect the flow of this race to mimic the Busch* race yesterday. The cars will go at it for about 20 laps, then string out for the middle portion of the race, unless there is an exceptional number of cautions. The last 50 laps or so will be utter chaos and caution filled because of the fresh tires and cooler temperatures thanks to the darkness.

Porn Row Joe?

2008-02-16T17:38:00.001-06:00

That's the best NASCAR mustache in recent memory.

Busch* Wrap Up

2008-02-16T17:34:00.001-06:00

Nailed that prediction; as the Joe Gibbs Toyotas were extremely dominant today. Bryan Clauson surprised me though. He kept that car out of trouble and got a great sixth place finish. He could be making a case for a fourth Ganassi Cup car by the end of the season.

The race did string out for a bit during the middle like it had last year. However, once cars started wrecking and pit stops became more frequent, the side by side racing increased dramatically, and the fact that the "big one" was only six cars is shocking.

Overall, the race was just as entertaining as last night's truck race, despite no Busch* car catching on fire.

Your Complete Daytona Busch* Series Preview

2008-02-15T23:44:00.000-06:00

Winner: Tony Stewart, because that car was two tenths of a second faster than anyone else in qualifying. Yes, qualifying doesn't mean much at restrictor plate tracks, but this almost automatically ensures that this Stewart won't get shuffled to the back and will have the horsepower to make a late race run to the front if he's not already in the lead.

Highest finishing Busch regular*: Brad Keselowski. I'm tempted to go with Jason Leffler, but I can't help but think that he's going to be involved in the big one.

Why you should watch: Because these cars have a wicker on the top of the roof, the closing speeds are very fast, which makes for some fun passing. However, if the conditions are similar to last year's race, the cars will be sliding around a bit, making three wide racing a rarity. Plus, you know there's going to be a big wreck. The question is whether there will be five or 15 cars involved.

*Yes I realize that it is now the Nationwide Series, but I don't think I have said "Nationwide" more than three times in my life. I still continue to refer to Busch because of the familiarity, and I like the fact that it's one syllable.

Driver Change #1

2008-02-15T23:36:00.001-06:00

And we haven't even raced the 500 yet.

Jacques Villenueve will apparently be replaced by Mike Skinner because, well, Villenueve still can't drive a stock car and doesn't have a sponsor. From the way Mike Brown's quote reads, it sounds like driving ability is a distant second to having a sponsor.

Sure, that's the way it is and the way it has been in all levels of major racing (like the way Willie Allen got booted out of the Thorsport ride in the Truck Series), but to have a team general manager basically admit the actual reason is eye opening.

Why can't Toyota slap some dealership logos on it like they do for Skinner's truck. Is it really that hard? With all of the support that Bill Davis is getting from Toyota, I can't imagine that he's losing that much money on that second car anyway.

Duel!

2008-02-15T11:10:00.000-06:00

Well, I didn't do too badly with my predictions.

In the first duel, I nailed my Junior pick (Hello, Captain Obvious) and got the Vickers pick. But Kurt Busch broke and had to use the past champions' provisional, so saying that I picked him to get in isn't correct because he was in the show no matter what. However, I did get Boris Said just missing a transfer spot right, but he didn't make the field on speed. Completely whiffed on the Kenny Wallace pick; I thought he wouldn't be a factor.

In the second one, I thought I was going to go 2-for-2 on winners with two laps to go, but having your predicted winner (Tony Stewart) finish second isn't too bad. But in regards to the transfer spots, I missed badly. I figured that John Andretti would wreck or break, and I thought that Jarrett would take it easy because he knew he'd be in. However, since Busch broke, Jarrett had to hustle his tail off, and get some team help from Michael Waltrip and David Reutimann.

I feel sorry for Boris, because I really wanted to see him in the race, but at the same time, he did nothing Thursday to show that he'd be a factor on Sunday.

And Kenny's euphoric diatribe on Speed? Give me a break. There's a reason that no one was giving you or your brother Mike rides at Daytona.

Don't pick Junior to win the 500

2008-02-14T12:54:00.000-06:00

JINX!

Your comprehensive Gatorade Duels Preview

2008-02-13T21:52:00.000-06:00

Duel #1

Winner: Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Does anyone really expect that going to the back is going to affect Junior all that much? He's going to have two dance partners in Jimmie Johnson and Casey Mears, and he's got the added benefit of Johnson being already locked into the pole position.

Who's in: Kurt Busch's presence makes this extremely difficult to predict. Busch is guaranteed a spot in the race with the past champions' provisional, but is still considered an outside-the-top-35 car, and would open up that provisional if he was to snag one of the first duel's two transfer spots. That's a given. Therefore, that leaves one transfer spot, which I think goes to Brian Vickers. Joe Nemechek is already locked in, and since Busch takes the first transfer spot, Boris Said is the beneficiary because of his qualifying time.

Heartbreak Hotel: AJ Allmendinger, Bill Elliott, Carl Long, Sterling Marlin, Kenny Wallace. Allmendinger and Elliott start the season behind the 8 ball in the top 35, as the other three aren't running a full season. Elliott is third in line for the past champion's provisional, and while it is feasible that he could get in because Busch and Dale Jarrett have been pretty quick, I don't think that it's going to happen.

Duel #2 Winner: Tony Stewart. Much like Dale Jr., Stewart's move to the back of the line won't be an issue. Stewart has been ridiculously successful in the duel races, and with both his teammates in the second duel with him, this race should be no different. Barring a catastrophe, look for all three Gibbs cars to finish in the top 5.

Who's in: Michael Waltrip and David Reutimann start first and second, and are already guaranteed positions based on Sunday. Since Boris Said will lock himself into the show in the first race, Patrick Carpentier will be automatically locked in before this race starts, but will still get one of the transfer spots. But Reutimann will be in one of those transfer spots, and Dale Jarrett uses the past champion's provisional.

Heartbreak Hotel: Jacques Villenueve, Ken Schrader, Stanton Barrett, Eric McClure, John Andretti. Villenueve makes a silly mistake and will scrape the wall, and while Schrader will get up on the wheel, his equipment won't be good enough to get him in the field.

Dem dere engines blowed up!

2008-02-13T21:29:00.000-06:00

Well, looks like we've found the chink in the Hendrick armor.

All four cars replaced their engines today after a problem was found with the lifters. Dale Jr.'s actually blowed up real good, prompting the mass change.

Tony Stewart changed engines, as did J.J. Yeley (both engines are from the same shop) and Greg Zipadelli didn't sound too confident in the reliability on Speed when he said that the team would change the engines as many times as possible if needed before the 500.

Clint Bowyer also lost an engine.

All of the cars that made post qualifying engine changes will have to start at the back of their respective duels.

Why?

2008-02-13T14:11:00.001-06:00

I don't understand Danica Patrick's decision to pose for the swimsuit issue.

Was her profile not high enough? Hasn't she repeated ad nauseum that all she wants to be known for is a racer?

First of all, I'd understand Danica's decision if there were other female athletes posing. (athletes' wives don't count) But she's the only one. And then, plastered across the front of SI.com next to Marisa Miller and another model. Danica is attractive, make no mistake, but does she really belong together with supermodels?

She's also running the severe risk of becoming "that girl" much like Anna Kournikova has become. She's got driving talent, there's no doubt about that, and as a staunch defender of Danica, I've contended for the last two years that it's just a matter of time before she wins a race, and last year was one giant round of bad luck after another.

But it's now put up or shut up time. In a depleted field with no Dario or Sam and another year in top notch equipment, Danica HAS to win a race this year. No buts about it. She doesn't win, her critics have every right to call her auto racing's Kournikova.

Of course, defenders may retort back with the stat that it takes the average IRL driver 30some races to win a race. Sorry, Danica should be better than average.

I don't care if it's about fuel strategy or if the leader wrecks on the last lap. She has to win. Plain and simple.

The decision to pose for FHM in 2002 makes sense. She was looking to be recognized, and certainly got that with the photo spread. But now, with this decision, she's established herself as a woman who poses in skimpy clothing who also drives fast cars. Not a race car driver who moonlights as a model.

Unless, of course, that's what she wants.

What 2008 is going to look like

2008-02-12T23:32:00.000-06:00

Chase qualifiers (where they will start the Chase)
1. Jeff Gordon-- I wouldn't be surprised to see Gordon run away with the regular season title. Every preseason magazine is picking Gordon to win the Sprint Cup Championship, but I don't see that happening. By that time, Joe Gibbs Racing is rolling, or Jimmie Johnson goes on a ridiculous late season tear again. I will say this right now--a Hendrick or a Gibbs car is going to win the title. No doubt about it.

2. Jimmie Johnson--A three peat in this format would be the sport's biggest accomplishment ever. Hyperbole? Probably not, especially when you've got the best crew chief and equipment in the sport. Johnson's going to be there. A down year for Johnson is a fifth place finish. That's pretty damn good.

3. Tony Stewart--There is going to be no adjustment period for JGR. None. They were strong as soon as testing started, and I can't see any way that this team doesn't make the Chase a la 2006, or even struggles for an extended period of time. Sure, the JGR camp may have the sporadic parts failure at the beginning of the year, but it's going to be nothing major. This team is going to be a serious contender.

4. Matt Kenseth--Why do I feel that Matt Kenseth is a lock for the Chase and a top five but not the championship? Maybe because he's so quiet, doesn't garner the spotlight, and doesn't reel off wins at a crazy rate. The crew chief switch to Chip Bolin will be a non issue, and this team will be there at the end, they just won't be that close.

5. Denny Hamlin--One of the preseason favorites to miss the Chase, Hamlin will easily make it. Top notch equipment, solid pit calls and a consistent driver are a heck of a combination. Will Hamlin win enough to win the Chase? Probably not, but I wouldn't be surprised if he won multiple races in 2008.

6. Carl Edwards--If a non Hendrick or Gibbs car is going to win the Chase, this is the team to do it. Carl really made strides at the end of the year in the COT when Roush finally got everything figured out. He'll win three races, if not more, and if he can be exceptionally consistent, will be a Sprint Cup Champ.

7. Kyle Busch--Year one of the Tony-Denny-Kyle experiment should be a winner, with all three drivers getting into the Chase. Kyle will win three races this year, but also may wreck three cars as well trying to show that he was the gem of the free agent class. And I know this may seem like a non-issue, but don't be surprised if he gives Dale Jr. a lovetap sometime as payback for the end of last season.

8. Dale Earnhardt, Jr.--That car sure looked good in the Shootout, didn't it? Junior will finally get back into the Chase and get back into victory lane when it counts, but will be the third fiddle at Hendrick when it comes to on track results. Junior's going to someday win a title, just not in 2008.

9. Clint Bowyer--the sudden notice of Bowyer's ability when he won at New Hampshire really annoyed the crap out of me. The dude can drive. He's won in every series he's been in. Just because he solidly cranked out top 15 finishes, but didn't get a win before the Chase started didn't mean he didn't belong. It just meant that he could get to the end of races; a main component in the NASCAR points system. That says a lot.

10. Martin Truex, Jr.--DEI's new flagship driver will make the Chase, but won't have any impact. Truex may win a race or two, but that will be it, and solidly establish himself as far and away the best driver of DEI's three fulltime drivers. Heck, the other two may not be making the show on a consistent basis come August.

11. Kurt Busch--He's going to get in the Chase even if he has to break out the past champion's provisional a couple of times in the first five races because of the points swap. And he's going to make the Chase as long as he doesn't get suspended for doing something stupid. While that can't be counted out, given the way that he likes to throw his car into Tony Stewart's, Busch is a good enough driver to get in the playoff.

12. Ryan Newman--Newman will be good for a handful of poles as always, but will struggle trying to reach the winner's circle. Newman may win a race, but will get enough top 10s to just sneak into the Chase ahead of Hendrick's fourth driver, Casey Mears.
---------
13. Casey Mears
14. Kevin Harvick
15. Jeff Burton
16. Greg Biffle
17. Kasey Kahne
18. Brian Vickers
19. Juan Pablo Montoya
20. Brian Vickers
21. Jamie McMurray
22. Elliott Sadler
23. Bobby Labonte
24. J.J. Yeley
25. Mark Martin (24 races)
26. David Ragan
27. David Reutimann
28. Dave Blaney
29. Reed Sorenson
30. Paul Menard
31. Michael Waltrip
32. Robby Gordon
33. Kyle Petty
34. Dario Franchitti
35. Patrick Carpentier
36. Regan Smith
37. Travis Kvapil
38. David Gilliland
39. Sam Hornish, Jr.
40. Jacques Villenueve
41. A.J. Allmendinger
42. Scott Riggs
43. Jeremy Mayfield

The Gatorade Duel Lineups

2008-02-11T23:31:00.001-06:00

In what only must be considered an attempt to show the western world that the people who run NASCAR's Sprint Cup Series are really smart, NASCAR has outdone themselves with the qualifying procedures for the Daytona 500.

I understand that we have the Duels. I love the Duel 150s. It's 300 miles more of racing that I get to see to get ready for the season.

I understand pole day. I understand that the top two cars are locked into positions 1 and 2. (JJ and Waltrip)

I understand that the cars in the top 35 in owners' points are locked in and I understand that since Kurt Busch switched owners' points with Sam Hornish that Busch is eligible for the past champion's provisional; therefore essentially leaving 7 other spots remaining amongst the 17 other teams outside the top 35.

What I don't understand is the qualifying procedure to set the field for the duels. I understand that because of the top 35 rule that it needs to be done to make even the number of teams that aren't locked in into each duel. That makes sense.

But NASCAR took it a step further, and locked the top 35 into each duel as soon as the season was over. For example, since Tony Stewart finished 6th in the owners' points in 2007, he's in the second duel. Since Dale Jr's team finished 15th, he's in the first duel. Sounds simple enough, right?

Ahh, but here's the problem. Stewart qualified 12th on Sunday. Junior 15th. But since most of the teams that were ahead of both drivers were even numbers in the owner points, like Stewart, Stewart starts further back in his duel than Junior does. (8th; Junior starts 5th). The pattern doesn't get much better either, because the driver starting 19th in the second duel actually qualified faster than the driver in 12th in the first duel.

I know, starting positions at Daytona aren't much, but is it that hard to be fair? Go back to the way it used to be, NASCAR. Just alternate. If you qualified 3rd, 5th or 7th, you were in the first duel. 2-4-6 in the second and so on.

Do the owner's points thing with the non-top 35 cars. Don't try to get too smart.