This week, the Crappafoni Pictures crew serves up this week's The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly SoCal style, complete with a heaping helping of fish tacos and salsa. Enjoy!
THE GOOD
Jimmie Johnson: as the race winner, he gets first billing. It took him 30 laps to get to the front, but once he got there, he pretty much stayed there. Ironically, it was his 48th win of his career, but his first at Fontana in the spring. Good job Jimmie!
Kevin Harvick: finishing in second to JJ, there is no shame in that. That win will come sooner rather than later, I'd say by the spring race in Bristol. He had a stout car, and led 27 laps. He now moves to first in the points.
Jeff Burton/Richard Childress Racing: Burton and RCR are BACK, and in a big way. With Burton's third place finish, and Clint Bowyer's eighth place finish, they proved Daytona was no fluke. This was the best RCR has run at Fontana, especially considering the lack of success RCR has had in the past.
Mark Martin: he ran strong throughout the race, and led five laps en route to a fourth place finish.
Joey Logano: although he didn't lead a lap, his crew got the #20 car better and better as the race wore on. The fifth-place finish was a career best for Logano at Fontana. Good job kid!
Honorable Mention: Kurt Busch, Matt Kenseth, Tony Stewart, Greg Biffle.
THE BAD
Aric Almirola: he was the first to start and park.
Denny Hamlin: he was never really a factor, and late in the race he was black flagged by NASCAR for a pit road issue. (If someone knows what it is, please tell me!) The black flag cost him a lap. Plus, he started in the rear due to an engine change.
Richard Petty Motorsports: they only had ONE driver on the lead lap--Paul Menard. Kasey Kahne had issues and finished 29 laps down. Elliott Sadler and AJ Allmendinger finished a lap down each. (Ya think Kasey might want to go to Stewart-Haas Racing in a third SHR car?)
THE UGLY
The weather: there was one caution for rain, and it threatened to rain throughout the second half of the race. A sub-Good for the rain missing the track and allowing the race to go the distance.
Engines: there were several drivers that blew engines, most notably Juan Pablo Montoya. Montoya led the first 29 laps of the race.
Dale Earnhardt Jr: only in the sense that on his final pit stop, a rear axle broke and there was no replacement axle. OOPS. Someone's going to get either chewed out, or lose his job for not bringing a replacement axle. He finished 12 laps down in 32nd place as a result.
Those are my nominees for the race. Feel free to chime in with yours!
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11 comments:
Hey Jon, an honorable mention has to go to McMurray's crewman who made the jump over Harvick's hood.
Ambrose had another shocker...I think he got as high as 19th until his motor went back to Tasmania :(
It was funny to hear Jr's crew chief come close to firing someone. He couldn't pull the trigger though.
Jr also dogged NASCAR on his radio all day. Whining about not getting the lucky dog, and whining about his speeding on pit road penalty.
I believe Denny pitted too late - after the wave around - and thats why he got the black flag. He was pitted next to us - blew a tire big time...I was standing by the smoldering rubber to keep warm!!
Nice GBU Jon - it is awful hard to watch the race from the pits - only know what was going on with Kurt and can say they deserve a GOOD for overcoming some crap adjustments mid race...
I'll second the Bad for weather - not only was it raining it was FREEZING!!!
So glad Joey had a good run after the way Keslowski wrecked him in the NW yesterday and glad of how bad Kes did!
Just can't figure out how Kyle could win the NW and then come in 14th today.
Of course, I had no TV today so I'm just going by the leader board on FOX.lol
RA6AN, that was both sweet and necessary. He showed great athleticism and survival skills.
Tez, I'm feeling for Ambrose. Tough start to the season. Hopefully his fortunes will turn at Vegas.
Gene, I thought he was going to fire someone on the spot. As for Jr, both Harvick and Burton had speeding penalties as well, and look where they finished. So his whining holds no water with me.
Kristen, thanks. You're right--Denny did pit too late. I knew it had something to do with the pits. I bet that was a nice little heater! I put Kurt in the honorable mention Good--he deserves kudos for overcoming a bad adjustment to finish in the top 10.
Beverly, me too. Joey showed the patience of a veteran, and his crew also deserve kudos for battling and hanging in there.
It would have been nice to see Harvick or Burton win. It would have been nice to see Front Row Joe win. Any body except the Jimmie and Chad show. I still can't figure out why JJ got to go to the front after pitting when there were other cars already out on the track..
Photogr, NASCAR ruled that JJ made a green-flag pit stop prior to BK spinning out. He left the pits ahead of Harvick and Burton when the caution flew. Then when Harvick and Burton made their pit stops, JJ was in front. Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good, even though JJ had a very good car.
Great GBU as usual. There's only so much success Kasey can have at Petty...
Gonger, thanks. I don't see Kasey staying at RPM after this year, particularly if he struggles throughout the season and is barely ahead of Paul Menard in the points. I could see him in either a third Stewart-Haas team (IF Kevin Harvick re-signs with RCR), with RCR (IF Harvick leaves RCR), or even a third Red Bull team or a fourth Gibbs team.
Good stuff. I'm a little surprised that the Fords in general haven't been more of a factor so far. I thought they would have gotten their act together and would be running like the RCR cars. Can't wait for Vegas this week. I think it will be a fun one.
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