Unfiltered Blogging

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly-- 2011 Ford 400

2011-11-20T18:18:00.000-08:00

This week, the Crappafoni Pictures crew is in Homestead for the final edition of The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, served south Florida style, and washed down with plenty of cold Coke. Enjoy!

THE GOOD

Tony Stewart: Smoke HAD TO win this race to win the title. And he did. He got it done. With five wins in the Chase, he earned his third title. The win tonight proved his mettle. He had to overcome some early adversity: debris from another car punctured a hole in his front grill and the 14 crew had to do repairs under multiple cautions. He passed over 70 cars on the way to the win and the title. He was simply better than Carl Edwards at the end. Although he and Edwards tied in points, Stewart wins due to more wins (5) to Edwards' lone win at Las Vegas. Congratulations Smoke!

Carl Edwards: he led the most laps but was unable to catch Stewart when it mattered. Stewart just had a car that was that much better. Edwards had a great season but lost the title due to his one win this season. Good job this season, Carl!

Martin Truex, Jr.: another strong run by Truex. He was stout all race, and led six laps en route to a third place run. This helps build momentum for next season. Now if they can start strong, they have a chance to make the Chase next year.

Matt Kenseth: he had a typical Kenseth run--strong, with little attention. He did lead 15 laps en route to a fourth-place finish. He also finished fourth in the points this season, overtaking Brad Keselowski.

Jeff Gordon: for awhile it looked like he would have something for Stewart and Edwards but faded a bit at the end. He still had enough to lead seven laps and a fifth place finish.

Kevin Harvick: Happy started 21st, and slowly moved his way towards the front. While he had a strong car, he led 11 laps through pit strategy. He was strong, but not stout. I thought he had a top 10, but not top 5, car. His 8th-place finish was about right. Harvick finished 3rd in the points, about right for the season he had.

Honorable Mention: Clint Bowyer, Kasey Kahne, Denny Hamlin, Jeff Burton, Brad Keselowski, and Kyle Busch.

THE BAD

Michael McDowell: two weeks after subbing for Kyle Busch at Texas, he draws the short stick at the start and parkers' meeting, held in the Todd Bodine Meeting Room. He runs a grand total of 14 laps before declaring his season to be over. (Hmm, I wonder if any of the start and parkers WANT to miss those meetings? I imagine they do.) He hotfooted it out of town faster than any lap he turned in the race.

Ford FR9 Engine: with Marcos Ambrose and David Ragan blowing engines, and Greg Biffle losing a cylinder (and eventually his engine), I'm sure it made Edwards quite nervous. Yes, the engine gets a lot of HP, but also there is a greater likelihood of a blown engine.

Jimmie Johnson: he had issues with the 48 early on. The hood was up, and they eventually diagnosed the problem (carburetor malfunction). JJ lost several laps as a result. This capped his worst season in the Chase era.

THE UGLY

None that I saw.

Those are my nominees for the race. Feel free to come in with yours.

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly -- 2011 Kobalt Tools 500

2011-11-13T16:00:00.000-08:00

This week, the Crappafoni Pictures crew is in the desert, the PHX, for this week's The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, southwestern-style, served with spicy BBQ beef and washed down with PLENTY of Red Bull. Enjoy!

THE GOOD

Kasey Kahne: he gets this week's top spot as the race winner. With the win, Kahne breaks an 80+ winless streak. More importantly, he gains momentum going into next season with Hendrick Motorsports. Good job Kasey!

Carl Edwards: he's becoming a regular in this neck of the woods. He led 27 laps and was pretty much in the top 3 all day. The Aflac Ford was steady, consistently fast, and experienced very little dropoff in speed after a long run. He's in the driver's seat to be the new champion. All he has to do is finish higher than Stewart, or within 3 positions of Stewart, provided Stewart does not win the race.

Tony Stewart: Smoke led the most laps, 160 in all, and it looked like he had the car to beat for much of this race. But a bad pit stop fairly late in the race doomed his chances. It wasn't bad as far as time goes, but in terms of throwing the car's balance off. He remains 3 points behind Edwards. To win the title next week, the formula is simple: win the race and lead the most laps, or finish at least four positions higher than Edwards.

Jeff Burton: another very solid run by the 31 today. He took four tires during the competition caution while everyone else took two tires. That brought the 31 car to life and he gained numerous positions during that run. He was able to gain more positions through solid pit stops, good pit strategy, and passing cars. Unfortunately for Burton, Luke Lambert, his current crew chief, will be the crew chief for Austin Dillon in the #3 Nationwide car next season. Shane Wilson, Clint Bowyer's current crew chief, will be Burton's crew chief next season.

Ryan Newman: he had a "quiet" top 5 finish. He didn't have much face time, and I'M left scratching my head at that. But Phoenix has always been a good track for Newman: he got SHR's first win in April 2009 at Phoenix driving the Tornados paint scheme. Good job Ryan!

The Veterans: to all those who have served and are currently serving in the military, a hearty THANK YOU for your service. Thank you to all the brave men and women for fighting for our freedom.

Honorable Mention: Matt Kenseth, Kurt Busch, AJ Allmendinger, Marcos Ambrose, David Reutimann, Paul Menard, and Clint Bowyer.

THE BAD

Travis Kvapil: he ran a grand total of 20 laps before declaring himself done for the day. He drew the short stick at the start and parkers' meeting in the Todd Bodine Meeting Room before the race. He hotfooted it out of town with his earnings faster than he turned laps on the track.

Hendrick Motorsports: they were uncharacteristically bad today, with the exception of Mark Martin. Jeff Gordon had brake issues, and Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr totally missed on the setups. Usually they are pretty stout at Phoenix, but not today.

ESPN's coverage: even by their standards, they were atrocious. Missed restarts. Missed cautions. Not adequate explanations as to WHY cautions came out.

THE UGLY

Brian Vickers: WHY cannot he let Martinsville go? His dumping of Matt Kenseth was TOTALLY uncalled for. A Good to Kenseth for taking the high road. (He probably knows that Vickers won't be in a Cup ride next season.) He effectively eliminated Kenseth from running for the Cup title next week. NASCAR should have parked his butt, or at least penalized him five laps for rough driving. If you're going to penalize Kyle Busch for rough driving, then do the same for Vickers. A BAD goes to NASCAR for inconsistently enforcing penalties.

Those are my nominees for the race. Feel free to come in with yours.

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly -- 2011 AAA Texas 500

2011-11-06T19:14:00.000-08:00

This week, the Crappafoni Pictures crew is deep in the heart of Texas, Texas Motor Speedway, for this week's edition of The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, served BBQ-style, with plenty of heaping helpings of beef brisket, complete with all the fixin's and washed down with the beverage of your choice. Remember, in Texas, EVERYTHING is bigger! Enjoy!

THE GOOD

Tony Stewart: Smoke is becoming a regular in this spot, at least in the Chase. Once he took the lead, he was DOMINANT, and the only time he relinquished the lead was during green flag pit stops. The 14 crew hit on the setup again, and it didn't take long for Smoke to get to the front. He's become the man to beat. He is strong at each of the final two tracks: Phoenix and Homestead. The win was his fourth of the season, all in the Chase.

Carl Edwards: try as he might, he didn't have enough to catch Stewart. His points lead is cut to three now. He was stout early, faded midway, then rebounded to a second place finish.

Kasey Kahne: he is stout on the 1.5 mile tracks, and Texas is no exception. He looked the part, even getting a lucky break on a caution when he had just exited pit road when the caution came out. Because he was still on the lead lap at the time, he didn't have to pit, and he came away with the lead at that point. If he's that stout in the #4 Red Bull Toyota, he's gotta be licking his chops when he begins driving the #5 Farmers Insurance Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports next season.

Matt Kenseth: once again, a typical Kenseth performance--steady, not spectacular. He was strong early, and pretty much stayed in the top 5 throughout the race.

Honorable Mention: Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr, Clint Bowyer, Martin Truex Jr, and AJ Allmendinger.

THE BAD

J.J. Yeley: he drew the short stick at the start and parkers' meeting in the Todd Bodine Meeting Room. He ran a total of 10 laps before declaring himself done for the day. He hotfooted it out of town faster than he actually ran on the track.

Joe Gibbs Racing: without their top driver for the weekend (more on that later), they had no input on the changing track conditions. For all his faults, Kyle Busch is excellent on providing vital information to his team and his teammates as a whole on changing track conditions. He was not racing, and the other members looked lost. Michael McDowell was never a factor and finished three laps down. Joey Logano blew an engine and finished 37th. Even Denny Hamlin was a couple of laps down at one time. Hamlin rebounded to finish 20th.

Kevin Harvick: gotta put him here. He came into the race 21 points back in third place. He's still in third place, but 33 points behind points leader Edwards. He was never a factor, and even when he was running sixth at one time, he struggled to find the handling on the 29 car. He was also the victim of bad pit strategy late when he took two tires on his final pit stop and went backwards, all the way to 13th. I always had the sense the 29 team missed on the setup, anticipating a cloudy day and evening, and when the sun came out during the race, they were toast.

THE UGLY

Kyle Busch: he was rightfully parked through the weekend for rough driving during the Craftsman Series Truck race when he put Truck Series contender Ron Hornaday into the wall DURING the caution on Lap 14. Hornaday got loose, made contact with Busch, and sent both of them into the wall. Busch was within his right to be displeased, but wrong for putting him into the wall like that. Further penalties are forthcoming. His JGR teammates missed his valuable input, as he is one of the best drivers out there when it comes to providing information about the changing track conditions. Hopefully Busch will look in the mirror, learn from this, and resolve to make himself a better man without changing his driving style too much.

The race itself: I considered it a snoozefest, as most 1.5 milers are. I found my mind wandering because of the sheer boredom. It's no fun when all four Roush drivers are in the top 5. And there's still another 1.5 miler to go! Sheesh.

Those are my nominees for the race. Feel free to come in with yours.

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly -- 2011 Tums Fast Relief 500

2011-10-30T16:01:00.000-07:00

This week, the Crappafoni Pictures crew is in southern Virginia to bring you this week's heaping helping of The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, served with PLENTY of Martinsville Hot Dogs, and washed down with copious amounts of Coca-Cola. Enjoy!

THE GOOD

Tony Stewart: he wasn't very good at the start of the race; in fact he was fighting tooth and nail with Denny Hamlin to keep from being lapped when a caution came out. But through a series of pit stops to gain track position and some great pit stops late in the race, he was able to hold off Jimmie Johnson. With the win, he moves to second in the standings, 8 points behind Carl Edwards. Chance to win the championship: VERY GOOD.

Jimmie Johnson: he held the lead on the final restart but was not able to hold off Stewart. He was strong throughout the race, and was pretty much in the top 10 the entire race. Johnson is still 43 points behind Edwards with three races left. He's still mathematically in this, but he's going to need stout runs while the five drivers above him struggle. Chance to win the championship: ALMOST NIL.

Jeff Gordon: like Johnson, he was stout throughout the race. He had a winning car early, but tapered off later in the race when he was in dirty air. He's still 76 points behind leader Edwards. Chance to win the championship: NONE, he's done.

Kevin Harvick: he didn't have a good car early, but props to the 29 crew for making the car better as the race went on. Props also for taking two left-side tires late in the race to get track position and to lead laps. He did a good job of leading for several laps, but got freight trained. He did a good job in gaining a couple of positions in that run. He was able to escape the late race melees to finish fourth and gain five points and two positions in the standings. Chance to win the championship: GOOD, but needs help.

Denny Hamlin: for much of the race, he looked like the Hamlin that dominated Martinsville. He was shuffled back late in the race, but managed to avoid trouble and finish a solid fifth. Chance to win the championship: NONE, he's done. He's almost two races behind with three to go.

Carl Edwards: he's gotta get his props. He battled back from a lap down, was fighting an ill-handling race car all race long, but managed to stay out of trouble. His ninth place finish was huge, as he was able to maintain the points lead going into tracks where he's been historically stout at. A bad finish, and his chances to win the title would have diminished drastically. Chance to win the title: EXCELLENT.

Honorable Mention: Jeff Burton, Dale Earnhardt Jr, Martin Truex Jr, and Ryan Newman.

THE BAD

ESPN: the constant lovefest with Edwards was sickening. Not even an interview with Kevin Harvick after the race! Some excuse to do SportsCenter or something like that. SHEESH!

THE UGLY

ESPN: see above.

Those are my nominees for the week. Feel free to come in with yours. Last, but not least, my condolences to the Wallace family on the loss of patriarch Russ, who passed away at the age of 77.

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly -- 2011 Good Sam 500

2011-10-23T17:47:00.000-07:00

This week, the Crappafoni Pictures crew is in the heart of Dixie, Talladega, for this week's The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, complete with BBQ and all the fixin's. Served Southern-style, of course, and wash that down with PLENTY of Coke and sweet tea! Enjoy!

THE GOOD

Clint Bowyer: he gets this week's top spot as the race winner. He had a stout car all day long, as evidenced by his last lap pass on his teammate Jeff Burton. Very rarely was he in mid-pack, where all the trouble was. (Ask Kevin Harvick about that.) For Bowyer, it was his first win of the season, it was car owner Richard Childress' 100th win as a car owner, and it breaks the tie between RCR and Hendrick Motorsports for most wins at Talladega. It was RCR's third win in the last four Talladega races. A very nice parting gift for RC, indeed. Good job Clint!

Jeff Burton: this was his best finish of the season, and it looks like things are starting to turn around on the 31 team. Try as he might, he just didn't have the juice to hold off Bowyer for the win.

Dave Blaney: the third-place run tied his career-best finish. He and Brad Keselowski worked very well together: a veteran of plate racing and a youngster. More importantly, it was HUGE for his team as they have some breathing room inside the top 35 now. A very nice birthday present, indeed. (Blaney's birthday is tomorrow.) Happy Birthday!

Brad Keselowski: he did a great job pushing Blaney to the front all day. And unlike some drivers that thought you could win the race halfway through (Allmendinger and Ambrose come to mind), Keselowski stayed patient and was rewarded with a solid fourth place finish, plus moves up three spots to third, 18 points behind leader Carl Edwards (who I think will points race his way to a championship).

Brian Vickers: another very solid Talladega run for BV. Perhaps he's auditioning for a ride next season, as Red Bull is pulling out of NASCAR at the end of the season. He led three laps en route to a top 5 finish. He has one of his two wins at this track, this same race in 2006.

Kasey Kahne: much like Vickers, he had another solid Talladega run. UNLIKE Vickers, he'll be driving the 5 car at HMS next season. (This makes it four makes in four years: Dodge in 2009, Ford in 2010, Toyota this season, and Chevrolet next season.)

Tony Stewart: Smoke led the most laps, but got shuffled back when he and Paul Menard got separated late in the race. He gains a position in the standings, but is 19 points behind Edwards.

Michael Waltrip: I've got to give a shout out to ole Mikey! He kept the car in one piece, stayed out of trouble, and was rewarded with a top 10 finish.

Denny Hamlin: he lost a lap early when he lost the main draft, got it back under caution, and kept the 11 in one piece. He eventually finished in the top 10.

Honorable Mention: Matt Kenseth, Juan Pablo Montoya, David Ragan, Jamie McMurray, Robby Gordon, Paul Menard, and Kevin Harvick.

THE BAD

Kevin Conway: he ran a grand total of two laps before declaring himself done for the day. Yeah, you guessed it: he drew the short stick at the start and parkers' meeting in the Todd Bodine Meeting Room before the race. He hotfooted it out of town with his earnings faster than the laps he turned on the track.

AJ Allmendinger/Marcos Ambrose: sorry guys, I have to put you here. Your carelessness in a crowded part of the track definitely killed Kyle Busch's chances at a title, and put a serious dent in Kevin Harvick's title chances. Harvick gave you guys PLENTY of room; I guess the WHOLE state of Alabama was too small for you guys! (Harvick and Menard had BOTH of their left side tires on the double yellow and were GIVING you the position, but you guys ****** it up!) IF Harvick wins the title (and it's looking quite remote now, thanks to you guys), it will be NO thanks to you guys. EVERY FREAKING YEAR someone has to get a LITTLE TOO RACY WHEN THEY DON'T NEED TO. SHEESH!!! Next time do us a favor: don't be so careless and reckless when you're in a pack of cars; they WERE trying to give you the position, but you decided to get racy!!

THE UGLY

AJ Allmendinger/Marcos Ambrose: see above.

Those are my nominees for the race. Feel free to come in with yours. HINT: I'm pretty upset right now, as you can tell. (The two guys I DON'T want to win the title are 1-2 in the standings and Kevin's half a race out. Thank you, AJ and Marcos for that.)

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly -- 2011 Bank of America 500

2011-10-15T21:05:00.000-07:00

This week, the Crappafoni Pictures crew is in the hub of the sport, Charlotte Motor Speedway, for this week's The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, served up BBQ-style, with a heaping side of helpings and Coke to wash it all down. Enjoy!

THE GOOD

Matt Kenseth: as the race winner, he gets first billing. He was solid all race, and got better in the closing laps, overtaking Kyle Busch for his third win of the season. More important, he gained four positions in the standings.

Kyle Busch: he led for much of the second half of the race, but Kenseth was too good late. Like Kenseth, he gained four positions in the standings.

Carl Edwards: he was stout throughout most of the race, but faded a bit late. He holds the points lead by five points over Kevin Harvick.

Kasey Kahne: had it been the 600, he might have had enough to win. He came from seventh on the final restart to finish fourth.

Marcos Ambrose: great run by the driver of the #9 Ford. He was strong from the outset and kept improving his track position. While he didn't have the car to beat, props to the crew and his crew chief for making the right adjustments.

Kevin Harvick: he was "Mr. Where Did He Come From?" again. The 29 car was plowing for most of the race, and the Pass through the Grass to avoid Kahne strangely made the car better.

Honorable Mention: Tony Stewart, AJ Allmendinger, Denny Hamlin, and Ryan Newman.

THE BAD

Joe Nemechek: he drew the short stick at the start and parkers' meeting in the Todd Bodine Meeting Room. Fortunately for him, he didn't have to hotfoot it very far.

Greg Biffle: he had a stout car that COULD have won, but penalties bit him in the rear. I think he has suffered the most penalties in NASCAR. His race went from bad to worse.

THE UGLY

Jimmie Johnson: he took a HARD hit when while racing for position with Ryan Newman, he got loose, tried to save the car, and went up the track and hit the wall HARD. He also took just as hard a hit in the points, going from 3rd to 8th, 35 points behind Edwards.

Those are my nominees for the race. Feel free to come in with yours!

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly -- 2011 AAA 400

2011-10-02T16:07:00.000-07:00

This week, the Crappafoni Pictures crew is in the lengthy shadow of Philly to bring you this week's heaping helping of The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, Philly-style, with plenty of cheesesteaks and crab cakes and washed down with PLENTY of Miller Lite (be sure to drink responsibly). Enjoy!

THE GOOD

Kurt Busch: he gets this spot as this week's winner. While he had a strong car throughout the day, it was in the second half of the race that the Double Deuce got better. Props to the crew for making the necessary adjustments to get the car better. The real key was getting past Jimmie Johnson on a late restart to take the lead. He was able to hold off JJ and Carl Edwards, who was making a late charge.

Jimmie Johnson: JJ started sixth, and was solid throughout the race weekend. He led early through a round of green flag pit stops. Solid, not spectacular. He sorely needed a top 3 run and got it at one of his favorite tracks. With the runner up finish, he moves up five spots in the standings, to fifth, 13 points behind co-leaders Kevin Harvick and Carl Edwards.

Carl Edwards: he looked like he had the car to beat throughout the race. But he got popped for speeding on pit road, and had to serve a drive through penalty that put him a lap down. He subsequently became the beneficiary of a free pass to get back on the lead lap. Then he made his charge. He was 20th on the final restart. He finished third. Good job Carl!

Kasey Kahne: he was finally able to put together a solid run from start to finish and avoid the bad racing luck that has plagued him for much of the season. Although he didn't lead a lap, he was solid throughout. Well done.

Richard Petty Motorsports: with AJ Allmendinger (7th) and Marcos Ambrose (9th) having strong runs, it was a strong team effort. Ambrose passed Kevin Harvick on the white flag lap to gain a position to finish 9th.

Honorable Mention: Matt Kenseth, Kyle Busch, Clint Bowyer, and Kevin Harvick.

THE BAD

ESPN'S coverage: normally I would put the first start and parker here, but the coverage was PUTRID. While I like the Nonstop Coverage, CUT AWAY from the commercials when a caution comes out!! Sheesh!! I'm not so sure I'm looking forward to Fox's All-Waltrip All The Time Coverage next year, though.

Travis Kvapil: he was the first start and parker. He drew the short stick at the start and parkers' meeting held in the Todd Bodine Meeting Room before the race. He ran a grand total of 12 laps before declaring himself done for the day and hotfooting it out of town with his earnings.

Stewart-Haas Racing: it was a horrid day for both Ryan Newman (p23) and Tony Stewart (p25). As bad as they were, it could have been worse had it not been for some late cautions. I'm sure THEY hotfooted it out of Dover shortly after they took the checkered flag. Stewart even lost his points lead and maybe a bit of his swagger he had built up after winning the last two races.

THE UGLY

Weather: the race was run under cloudy and occasionally rainy conditions. In fact, there were a couple of cautions for sprinkles. Hopefully the weather will be better in Kansas next week.

Those are my nominees for the race. Feel free to come in with yours.

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly -- 2011 Sylvania 300

2011-09-25T14:55:00.000-07:00

This week, the Crappafoni Pictures crew is in picturesque New Hampshire (always beautiful this time of year there) for this week's heaping helping of The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, served New England-style, with plenty of clam chowder and Coke to wash it all down. Enjoy!

THE GOOD

Tony Stewart: Smoke took the checkered for the second consecutive week, and with that, he takes the points lead as well. After having to sweat it out to make the Chase at Richmond, this team is on a roll. He was the beneficiary of Clint Bowyer running out of gas with two laps to go. He led for only the final two laps, but that was enough. Through good pit stops and pit strategy, the 14 team was able to gain track position and put him in position to win. Good job Smoke and the 14 team!

Jeff Gordon: he was battling for the race lead and the win until he was told by his crew chief Alan Gustafson to go into conserve mode, as Gustafson feared the 24 might not have enough fuel to make it to the end. He did, and ended up with a much-needed top 5 finish. Gordon led the most laps in the race, so an extra Good for that. Gordon moves up to fifth in the points standings, and is within striking distance.

Brad Keselowski: he stayed out on a caution and got track position. He was able to maintain it throughout the remainder of the race. He was running in mid-pack when he stayed out. He didn't fall back much on the subsequent run. With a solid second place run, Bad Brad moves up to third in the standings.

Greg Biffle: we haven't seen the Biff here in this neck of the woods in a VERY LONG time. He finally put together a very solid race from start to finish, and the result is a strong top 5 run. (I think he wants to climb out of the #4 spot in the pecking order at Roush Fenway, as he's fallen behind David Ragan.)

Roush Fenway Racing: led by Biffle (3rd), Matt Kenseth (6th), David Ragan (7th), and Carl Edwards (8th), RFR had a very good day at their erstwhile home track, much better than what I can say for the parent club Boston Red Sox, who are about to experience an epic, cataclysmic collapse not experienced in the history of baseball: blowing a NINE game lead in the month of September. But I digress. RFR cars were solid all day, and although they didn't contend for the win, they hung around in the top 10 for much of the day. (The Red Sox, on the other hand, are NOT hanging. They're about to get swept by the Yankees and fall into a tie with the Tampa Bay Rays for the wild card.)

Brian Vickers: even though his future is uncertain at this point, the Red Bull driver was stout throughout. For awhile it looked like he and teammate Kasey Kahne were contenders for the race win. Whoever hires him will get a solid enough driver that can put together good solid runs. He is driving for his future these last remaining races. Good run today.

Honorable Mention: Juan Pablo Montoya and Regan Smith.

THE BAD

Travis Kvapil: he drew the short stick today. He ran a total of 10 laps before declaring himself done for the day and hotfooting it out of Loudon with his earnings. (Supposedly he wanted to catch the beginning of the Packers vs. Bears game.)

ESPN's coverage: the Nonstop is a great idea, but CUT AWAY from the commercials when a caution flag comes out!! You can get back to the commercials after the pit stops!

THE UGLY

Kurt Busch: for uttering a profanity that made it on air in the pre race show, and to the 22 team for failing prerace inspection. But I'll admit, his rants to his crew chief are compelling. (Addington knows how to handle them; he handled Kyle's rants last season.)

Clint Bowyer: for running out of fuel as he took the white flag.

Gil Martin: for going with no tires on Kevin Harvick's next to last pit stop. A four tire change would have set him up PERFECTLY to go with two on the final stop. Martin didn't call his best race today. He goes here.

Those are my nominees for the race. Feel free to come in with yours.

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly -- 2011 Wonderful Pistachios 400

2011-09-10T22:14:00.000-07:00

This week, the Crappafoni Pictures crew is back in action (we had to leave due to a prior committment last week, and time was tight) in the heart of Virginia for this week's The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, complete with all the fixin's you can think of, and washed down with PLENTY of Budweiser. (Be sure to drink responsibly; we here at the crew want to see you get home in one piece.) Before I get to my nominees, I have to give a shout out to the first responders of 9/11/01. THEY are the true heroes, along with our brave servicemen and women.

THE GOOD

First Responders/Armed Forces: you all are the true heroes. You did your jobs in the wake of a terrible attack on our nation, and you did it to the very best of your ability. Great job, guys and gals. May we NEVER forget and take for granted the job you do.

Kevin Harvick: it's been awhile since we've seen you here. Normally, I put the winning driver first, but since the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks of 9/11 is tomorrow, I put the First Responders/Armed Forces first. Now back to Harvick. He had the dominant car tonight, but got caught in the pits when the caution came out midway through the race. He had to take the wave around. In the following run, he made up many positions. On the money stop, he came out first, then subsequently drove away on the restart. He had to hold off a hard-charging Carl Edwards to win his fourth race of the season and tie Kyle Busch in the points heading into the Chase. (It's too bad it's not the Chevy Rock and Roll 400 anymore; he'd have had the hot band of the moment in Victory Lane with him like he did with the Barenaked Ladies in 2006.)

Carl Edwards: he had the car to beat midway into the race. He had the best car on the longer runs, but the final run was too short a time for him to contend for the win. Had there been a few more laps to go, we'd be seeing him and not Harvick in Victory Lane.

Jeff Gordon: he took the lead from Harvick late but a subsequent caution and a less than stellar pit stop bit him. He came out fourth after the final pit stop, got shuffled back a bit on the subsequent restart, but rallied to finish third. He enters the Chase with momentum, extending a streak of top 13 finishes he started at Infineon. He'll be tough to beat in the Chase.

David Ragan: he gave a whale of an effort to win the race, and had he won, he'd have clinched a Chase berth and not Denny Hamlin. Ragan was solid all night long. Although he never led, he was consistently in the top 10 throughout the race. Unfortunately for Ragan, rumors are swirling that Clint Bowyer could be moving into the 6 car and Ragan into a third RPM car. Regardless, a very solid run by Ragan.

Kurt Busch: he had quite the adventure this evening, particularly with Jimmie Johnson. They couldn't seem to stay away from one another. This observer couldn't help but laugh when he envisioned a fight between Busch and Johnson. (Slap fight, perhaps?)

Kyle Busch: patience was the word du jour for his race. He went a lap down, rallied, and subsequently finished sixth. Patience and Kyle Busch haven't always gotten along. This should serve him well in the last 10 races. An extra Good goes to Kyle for having the best paint scheme.

Tony Stewart: he's run the best he has this season when he's needed it. He clinched a spot in the Chase with his seventh place finish, and Smoke has some momentum now. Chicagoland is a track he's always run well at. (He needed to finish 14th or better.) Good job Smoke!

Dale Earnhardt Jr.: he had some harrowing moments tonight, but righted the car, finished 14th, and clinched his Chase berth.

Denny Hamlin: he clinched the final wild-card berth when Menard found trouble, and Ragan didn't win the race.

Honorable Mention: Ryan Newman and Mark Martin.

THE BAD

Paul Menard: he needed to win to clinch a Chase berth. He had a bad run and found trouble. He finished the race, but in 34th, 81 laps down. (I normally put the first start and parker here, but the DFL driver finished last due to an accident, so that doesn't count.)

Jeff Burton: the momentum he had built up since Watkins Glen has vanished. It looked like the 31 team was heading in the right direction, but they took a giant step backwards. It didn't help that he cut a tire and slapped the wall. He was briefly in the top 10 but went backwards shortly thereafter.

THE UGLY

Jimmie Johnson: he's been on this list more times in recent weeks than in the last five years put together. Perhaps he IS feeling the pressure of defending his title yet again. Or perhaps other drivers are taking more liberties in pushing JJ around. Harvick started that at Fontana when he shoved JJ into turn 3 much harder than JJ wanted to enter the turn. (By the time JJ righted the car, Harvick drove past him for the win.) The reason he's in the Ugly category is because of his post-race whining about Kurt Busch. (I think Busch is living in JJ's head rent-free.) JJ got loose, made contact with Busch, and slapped the wall. Actually, Busch being there saved JJ from a MUCH worse situation where he could have finished in the upper 30s, so he should THANK Busch for that.

Those are my nominees for the race. Feel free to come in with yours!

The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly -- 2011 Irwin Tools Night Race

2011-08-27T22:30:00.000-07:00

This week, the Crappafoni Pictures crew is in Thunder Valley, aka Bristol, for this week's heaping helping of The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, unofficially brought to you by Hamburger Helper. Have nothing to wash down that Hamburger Helper with? NO problem--there's PLENTY of Miller Lite! Enjoy! (Please drink responsibly. We don't want to hear of you getting popped for DUI.)

THE GOOD

Brad Keselowski: he gets the top spot this week. He had a solid qualifying run (he started 8th) and worked his way to the front. It was a gamble bringing his Nationwide crew chief to the Cup side to start the season. Kansas was where it all came together. Tonight's win established him as a LEGITIMATE threat to dethrone Jimmie Johnson. This was his second win in the last four races, and fourth consecutive top 3 finish. He'll sit in the Chase NO WORSE than third place. The Blue Deuce is clicking on all cylinders (no pun intended). Keselowski climbed to 11th in points, 20 points behind Tony Stewart. With another solid finish next week at Atlanta, he should clinch a Chase berth.

Martin Truex, Jr.: he FINALLY has a stout run--easily his best run of the season. His two-tire stop on the final pit stop was a huge gamble for track position, and he made it pay off. That took some serious stones on crew chief Chad ~~Ochocinco~~ Johnson's part, especially since two tires wasn't working up to that point. (Man, that ~~Ochocinco's~~ dude's everywhere!) On the restart he was leading, and eventually finished second, holding off Jeff Gordon on those two tires (Gordon took four tires, in contrast). Good job Martin!

Jeff Gordon: he led the most laps, and had a stout car throughout the race, but the #24 faded at the end. It was too much Blue Deuce more than the 24 itself. For awhile, it looked like he would win his third race of the season, and 85th of his career, but it was not to be. Gordon needs to finish 40th or better at Atlanta to clinch a Chase spot.

Jimmie Johnson: Vader and the 48 team are showing signs of life at the right time. Although he led only a handful of laps, he was in a position to pounce. He didn't outdrive the car and was rewarded with a fourth place finish and a berth in the Chase.

Jamie McMurray: it's been awhile since I've seen you in this neck of the woods. He led a handful of laps, and was in the top 10 for pretty much the whole race. Good job Jamie!

Honorable Mention: Matt Kenseth, Carl Edwards, Denny Hamlin, Ryan Newman, and Marcos Ambrose.

THE BAD

Robby Gordon: he drew the short stick at the start and parkers' meeting, held in the Todd Bodine Meeting Room. He ran a total of 10 laps before declaring himself done for the day and hotfooting it out of town with his earnings. Hey Robby, how come you ran faster when you DID hotfoot it out of town with your earnings than on the track?

Tony Stewart: Smoke was UNUSUALLY bad. Even though he has struggled at this track, that term took on a WHOLE NEW MEANING. He fought an ill-handling race car all evening. It was way too loose, then it got way too tight. The 14 team struggled with the balance of the car. The end result was a 28th place finish, three laps down. Fortunately for him, he is still in 10th place and miraculously still has a chance to clinch a Chase berth after Atlanta. That's because:

Clint Bowyer: he was just as bad as Stewart. Like Stewart, he fought an ill-handling race car. But through pit strategy, he actually finished two spots better than Stewart, finishing 26th. He STILL has a chance to make the Chase, albeit as a wild card, with a win at either Atlanta or Richmond. But with no contract extension with RCR, he may be looking elsewhere, like RPM. (I'm guessing that if he DOESN'T make the Chase, he's bolting after the season to RPM.)

Greg Biffle: he was ca-ca. He got popped more than once for speeding penalties on pit road, once during a round of green flag pit stops. He actually had a pretty solid qualifying run and was solid in all the practices leading up to the race. For the race itself, he finishes 31st, four laps down.

Kevin Harvick: another driver that wasted a pretty good qualifying run (he started 15th) with a bad race car. It was loose from the drop of the green flag to the drop of the checkers. No matter what the 29 crew did to try to tighten the car up, it was stuck on loose. Time to stop sniping at Kyle Busch and focus on what is wrong with this car and the setups, Happy. He last pitted with 130 laps to go and was just about to go a lap down when the final caution came out. He stayed out and took the wave around, putting him on the lead lap for the first time since early in the race. Alas, he got lapped AGAIN. IS IT TOO MUCH TO ASK TO HAVE A CAR THAT'S AT LEAST COMPETITIVE AND CAN STAY ON THE LEAD LAP??? HMMMM? When you're outrun by Mike Bliss and David Starr at one point in the race, you have a (excuse my French) SHITTY car. JUNK THAT PARTICULAR CAR YOU RAN TONIGHT!

THE UGLY

Greg Biffle: see above.

Those are my nominees for the race. Feel free to come in with yours.

The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly -- 2011 Pure Michigan 400

2011-08-21T14:33:00.000-07:00

This week, the Crappafoni Pictures crew is in the Irish Hills of Michigan after a one-week hiatus for this week's The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly, served with Michigan-style corn dogs and hot dogs, cheese fries, and washed down with NOS energy drink. Enjoy!

THE GOOD

Kyle Busch: he gets this spot as this week's race winner. Even though he didn't lead the most laps, he had the best car in the race. He was able to turn in the corners better than any other driver, and he had enough to survive a GWC finish. With the win, he would take the lead in the points in the Chase, breaking a tie with Kevin Harvick. This team has momentum, and could be the front runner to dethrone Jimmie Johnson at season's end. Good job Kyle!

Jimmie Johnson: he ALMOST got that first career win at MIS. He greatly benefitted from a caution right after he had pitted, giving him the lead for the first time in the race. That was how he was able to gain all that track position. Could this be the turning point in the season for the 48 team? He seemed to get some of that racing luck back.

Brad Keselowski: Bad Brad should be renamed Gritty Gutty Brad. He raced without a brace, gritted through the pain, and finished third with a very strong run, pleasing the home crowd. It helped that he qualified second. He further solidifies his hold on the first wild card in the Chase. (He may just finish in the top 10 after all!)

Mark Martin: he showed why he's so formidable at Michigan. He took two tires to gain track position on a very early pit stop, and came out in the lead. He was able to hold the lead for a long time and when he lost the lead, he didn't drop off that much. Because of all that track position gained, he was able to come away with a top 5 finish.

Clint Bowyer: despite all the distractions of his contract status with RCR, and a bad starting position (p35), he has a solid top 10 run, finishing 8th, but is still 24 points behind Tony Stewart, who sits in 10th place in the standings. Bowyer was definitely the mover of the race, gaining 27 positions since the drop of the green flag.

Matt Kenseth: he was in the top 5 for a great majority of the race, but on the final restart, he got shuffled back to 11th. He was able to make up one position to finish 10th.

Greg Biffle: he looked like he had the car to beat for most of the race, as he led the most laps, but got shuffled back due to bad pit stops late and bad pit strategy. Although he sits in 13th in the standings, he has no wins, and in order to make the Chase, he needs two wins in the final three races before the Chase. Fortunately, all three tracks are favorable to him.

Honorable Mention: Ryan Newman, Jeff Gordon, Kasey Kahne, and Tony Stewart.

THE BAD

JJ Yeley: he was the first start and parker. He drew the short stick at the start and parkers' meeting in the Todd Bodine Meeting Room. He ran a total of 11 laps before declaring himself done for the day and hotfooting it out of town with his earnings.

Kevin Harvick/Gil Martin: Harvick's crew chief was definitely not on his game. He should have borrowed some Wheaties Fuel from Clint Bowyer this morning. (I think Bowyer ate the whole box; that explains the huge improvement from starting position!) Harvick was running well and at the first pit stop, the crew made adjustments to the 29 car and whatever they did, they pissed the car off. At one point, the 51 car was running better than the 29! Even Andy Lally was leading laps!! On the final caution that brought out the GWC, they could have made it on fuel. They had the PERFECT opportunity to steal at least A DOZEN positions on the track, perhaps even steal a top 5 finish, but they pitted instead. They were losing positions in the pits every time they pitted! Harvick was horrible on restarts, going backwards (by MULTIPLE POSITIONS) each time, so I don't think it would have mattered a hill of beans. Richard Childress will be addressing this issue tomorrow morning. Sounds very ominous.

THE UGLY

Kevin Harvick: losing positions on pit road + bad restarts = NOT being a factor in the race = UGLY. I'm not picking on Harvick; I'm calling them like I see them, and he had a HORRIBLE race; hence being in the Ugly category.

Those are my nominees for the race. Feel free to comment, or to submit different nominees.

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly -- Good Sam RV 500

2011-08-07T16:26:00.001-07:00

This week, the Crappafoni Pictures crew is in the rolling hills of eastern Pennsylvania for this week's The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, served up on a platter of Pennsylvania-style sandwiches, and washed down with PLENTY of Miller Lite. (Drink responsibly. And have a designated driver.) Enjoy!

THE GOOD

Brad Keselowski: he gets this slot as the race winner. Bad Brad did a masterful job just a few days after sustaining a broken ankle in a crash at Road Atlanta while testing for the Watkins Glen race. He took the lead for the first time on a daring three-wide pass in which he had a tremendous run. He held off Kyle Busch from that point on. With the win, Keselowski becomes the first wild card, as he has two wins on the season and is in the top 20 in points. Good job Brad!

Kyle Busch: he was the class of the field for the middle third of the race, and at one point he had a nearly 4 second lead on his brother Kurt before a late race caution wiped that out. He got shuffled back on the subsequent restart, losing the lead to Keselowski.

Kurt Busch: he was on the point for 38 laps and was stout throughout. He even survived a late-race skirmish with Jimmie Johnson. (More on that later.) But at one point, he berated his crew after he got shuffled back to mid-pack. Great job in fighting his way through that mess to finish third.

Jimmie Johnson: while he didn't lead a lap, he was able to drive his way towards the front, and if not for the great final restart by Keselowski, we might have been seeing JJ in Victory Lane instead.

Ryan Newman: must be the Tornados paint scheme. Or the driver. He, and not Smoke, have been heating it up this summer. Seems like every time he drives the Tornados scheme, he finishes in the top 5! (I think he's only finished outside the top 5 ONCE driving that scheme; that came as a result of a crash.) Whenever the 39 is in that scheme, it agrees with the car. Just sayin'. Newman was able to drive towards the front, even leading a lap during a round of green flag pit stops.

Denny Hamlin: he led the most laps in the race, but on the final pit stop, they made several key mistakes and lost 14 positions. They came in fifth; they came out 19th on the final pit stop. He's now in the second wild card position (he is currently 11th in the standings).

Honorable Mention: Joey Logano, Jeff Gordon, Carl Edwards, Greg Biffle, Dale Earnhardt Jr, and Paul Menard.

THE BAD

JJ Yeley: he was the first start and parker. He ran a grand total of seven laps before declaring himself done for the day and hotfooting it out of town with his earnings. He drew the short stick at the start and parkers' meeting, held in the Todd Bodine Meeting Room.

The race itself: now you know why Pocono is a snoozefest. Dull, boring action. LONG green flag runs. A VERY LONG racetrack and race. If you reduced the mileage to 400 miles I think it would be better. Still, it's better than soccer.

THE UGLY

Jimmie Johnson: it's not often that I put a driver in both the Good and Ugly categories. While Johnson WAS very solid today, it's his very late race and post-race antics that also put him here. On the final lap, he went down and made contact with Kurt Busch as he was trying to pass him. Busch didn't appreciate that and hit him back, causing a tire rub on the 48 car. (These two have a LONG history; the most memorable being Sonoma in 2009, when Johnson flat-out PUNTED Busch late in the race, costing him a top 5 finish.) AFTER the race, Johnson ~~confronted~~ cried to Busch to show his displeasure. Busch was like, "What the hell are you talking about?" As Johnson was ranting on, Busch's look turned from quizzical to getting pissed off. Then in the subsequent post-race interview, HE TRIED TO BLAME BUSCH!! I CALL BS ON THAT! (He was clearly trying to hide behind the safety of the TV cameras, probably to keep from getting his @$$ kicked by Busch.) The replays CLEARLY showed that Johnson made contact with the 22 FIRST. Man up JJ, and admit that you were wrong!! (IF I'm Kurt, I wait until late in the Chase, Phoenix perhaps, and exact my payback on the 48.)

Denny Hamlin's crew: they TOTALLY screwed up Hamlin's final pit stop, costing him 14 positions on the track. He might have made it up if there were 30 laps to go, but there were half that many.

Those are my nominees for the race. Feel free to come in with yours!

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly -- 2011 Brickyard 400

2011-07-31T14:58:00.000-07:00

This week, the Crappafoni Pictures crew is at the World Center of Racing, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, to bring you this week's edition of The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, Brickyard-style, washed down with plenty of milk from Indiana's dairy farmers. Enjoy!

THE GOOD

Paul Menard: as the race winner, he gets the top slot. He was at or near the front pretty much the whole race. He was no slouch, no lucking into this win; he led 21 laps on several different occasions en route to the win. The win puts him in a wild-card position to make the Chase, along with Denny Hamlin. (Hamlin is currently in 11th in the standings; Menard 14th.) There's bound to be some drivers having a LOT of sleepless nights between now and the end of the Richmond race. With another win, he could pretty much lock himself into the Chase. He and crew chief Slugger Labbe played the fuel mileage strategy to perfection, as Menard saved enough fuel on the final run to hold off a hard-charging Jeff Gordon. A well-earned win for a driver that has paid his dues by being on some bad teams in the past but is now on one of the sport's elite teams. Menard also achieved an Indy first: he became the first driver to get his first Cup win at Indy. For car owner Richard Childress, it's his third win at Indy with three different drivers (Dale Earnhardt, Kevin Harvick, and now Paul Menard). Great job Paul!

Jeff Gordon: for most of the day, the 24 car looked like it was the one to beat, and had Menard not played his strategy perfectly, Gordon would have been kissing the bricks for the fifth time in his career. Gordon absolutely loved his car today, especially the way it handled. The 24 team hit on the setup big time.

Matt Kenseth: he also had a stout car. He led 10 laps and was consistently lurking but poor fuel mileage did him in. (Seems to me the Fords get great horsepower but lack in fuel mileage.) He had a typical Kenseth race: quiet, steady, and patient. He looked like he was going to get Jack Roush's first Indy win as an owner except for that fuel mileage.

Kasey Kahne: he led the most laps and early on in the race, he looked like he was going to run and hide from the field. At one point he had a 12-second lead before a debris caution came out. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time in the Big One, caused when Landon Cassill and David Ragan made contact. Kahne did an impromptu pass through the grass and busted up his front splitter. His car was never the same after that. IMO he may have had the best car overall up to that point.

Tony Stewart: Smoke was in the lead for 10 laps, and it looked like he was going to steal a Brickyard 400 win. But the earlier pit strategy he used bit him in the rear when he had to pit late. He did a great job in overcoming speeding penalties, mistakes on pit road, and bad strategy to finish sixth. With that sixth place finish, he moves into ninth place in the standings.

Brad Keselowski: he led 17 laps because of strategy and a strong car. Plus he had some fortune on his side: he was about to go a lap down when a caution came out and he needed to pit at the same time. His ninth place finish put him in 21st place in the standings, 16 points behind Juan Pablo Montoya. He still has some work to do, though.

Honorable Mention: Regan Smith, Jamie McMurray, Greg Biffle, Mark Martin, and Kyle Busch.

THE BAD

Robby Gordon: don't even get me started on this guy. In one of the biggest races of the NASCAR season, he runs a grand total of FIVE LAPS. FIVE. FREAKING. LAPS. He rigged the straws at the start and parkers meeting to ensure he'd be the one drawing the shortest straw. You want to start and park, fine. BUT GIVE AN HONEST EFFORT AND DON'T BE STEALING MONEY FROM NASCAR. We're ALL hurting in this bad economy. He completed JUST OVER 3% of the total laps required to finish on the lead lap. Dude, sell your team and focus on off-road racing; you're a champion there and that's where your heart is. Why beat your head against a wall in NASCAR?

Jeff Burton: not so much bad, but unlucky. He was running very solid early in the race. He overcame driving past his pit box on his first pit stop. He also got caught in the Big One and sustained significant damage. With a new, first-time crew chief (Luke Lambert) there are bound to be some major kinks. He's mired in 25th in the standings. Better work on some things for next year, because you're not making the Chase. I wonder if he's lost it, or if most of the year has just been bad luck? I hope it's the latter and the 31 team can run better the rest of the season.

THE UGLY

Gil Martin: Kevin Harvick's crew chief was NOT on his game, to put it mildly. Kevin tells you the condition of his car; it's up to you to adjust the car accordingly. Since Sonoma, they haven't been able to do that. It's a good thing Harvick has three wins and is pretty much locked into the Chase; otherwise he'd be in a world of hurt right now. Plus Martin's strategy was dubious at best, awful at worst. It wasn't until the final pit stop that they hit the setup; by then it was too late for a top 10 or even top 5 finish. This team is NOT a championship caliber team right now; it's a sixth place team at best, 12th at worst. (I just had to rant about Harvick's lack of top 10's lately.)

Those are my nominees for the week. Feel free to come in with yours.

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly -- 2011 Lenox Industrial Tools 301

2011-07-17T15:28:00.000-07:00

This week, the Crappafoni Pictures crew is in the picturesque hamlet of Loudon, NH, for this week's The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, served up New England-style, with clam chowder, lobster chowder, and any kind of chowder you can think of, and washed down with PLENTY of Coke. Enjoy!

THE GOOD

Ryan Newman/Tony Stewart/Stewart-Haas Racing: Newman gets first mention, and Smoke goes in here as well because Newman and Stewart qualified 1-2 and finished 1-2. Both drivers worked on long runs in practice, and when they unloaded, they were stout. Newman set a track record in winning the pole. An extra Good goes to Newman for winning the Modified race (from where else, the pole) yesterday. SHR became the first team to qualify AND finish in the front row since the 1989 Daytona 500, when Darrell Waltrip (qualified 2nd, won race) and Ken Schrader (qualified 1st, finished 2nd) accomplished the feat for Hendrick Motorsports. With the win, Newman now has a win in hand, and that helps his Chase chances. GREAT job SHR!

Denny Hamlin: the victim of a spinout, the 11 team fought back and through sound pit strategy and timely cautions (more on those later) put themselves in contention to possibly steal a win. That didn't happen, but Hamlin goes here because the crew did a great job in the pits and Hamlin did the rest.

Joey Logano: did he steal Kevin Harvick's playbook? Because he was a nonfactor until very late in the race. He gets a much-needed top 5 run.

Jimmie Johnson: he still has that lucky horseshoe, because he was a nonfactor for about 250 of the 301 laps of the race. He took advantage of Kyle Busch's early accident, Kevin Harvick's troubles, and Carl Edwards' fade to take over the points lead.

Bobby Labonte: he was solid today, and came away with a much-needed top 10 finish. For Labonte, it was his first top 10 finish since the Daytona 500.

Kasey Kahne: the driver of the #4 Red Bull Toyota was racy today. He was in the top 10 for a good portion of the race, even leading for a time. A good solid run.

Honorable Mention: Martin Truex, Jr, Marcos Ambrose, and Kurt Busch.

THE BAD

Jeff Green: he drew the short stick at today's start and parker meeting in the Todd Bodine Meeting Room. He ran a total of 11 laps before declaring himself done for the day and hotfooting it out of town with his earnings.

Debris cautions: EXACTLY one was warranted--when a piece of metal came onto the track and lay in one of the grooves. The one on lap 216 I did not see debris ANYWHERE. NASCAR, STOP throwing phantom cautions when green flag pit stops are coming up! (Had there been NO caution, and green flag pit stops, JJ would have lost AT LEAST two laps, if not more, because of a missing lugnut. This is a case of a favor being called in; JJ was struggling the whole race and NASCAR saved his bacon with that phantom caution. Just sayin'.)

THE UGLY

The race itself: there was no rhythm to the race; it kept getting interrupted by cautions.

TNT: we bid adieu to them for another season. Until they run the split screen on a consistent basis and get new announcers (Carl Edwards, please retire and join the TNT crew; you're better than what they have now!) they'll continue to be in the Ugly category. After a week break, ABC/ESPN will take over for the remainder of the season.

Those are my nominees for the race. Feel free to come in with yours.

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly -- 2011 Quaker State 400

2011-07-10T00:00:00.000-07:00

This week, the Crappafoni Pictures crew is somewhere between Louisville and The Natti aka Cincinnati for this week's The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, thoroughbred-style, complete with all the food you can eat, and mint juleps to wash them down. (Be responsible when partaking of the juleps.) Enjoy the inaugural GBU from Kentucky!

THE GOOD

Kyle Busch: stout. That's one way to describe him. Dominant. The BEST way to describe him. The 18 crew NAILED the setup and I got the feeling about 30 laps in that everyone else was running for second place. I remember reading a piece by Larry McReynolds and he stated that the team that hits the setup right will look like King Kong. Kyle Busch WAS King Kong tonight. It didn't matter which line he was running; he was stout wherever he was running. At times his lead was 10+ seconds over second place. He got away with one bad restart when Dale Earnhardt Jr cut a tire shortly after that restart and brought out a caution. It was his night.

Brad Keselowski: he was the best of the rest, even though he got shuffled back on the final restart. He led 79 laps but finished seventh.

David Reutimann: he was strong, stayed in the top 10 for pretty much the entire race, and kept his nose clean. Kentucky is very similar to Chicagoland, where Reutimann won last season. Had the final caution not come out, he may have stole this one, as Busch was low on gas. With good pit stops and strategy, he was in a position to win or get a strong top 5.

Kurt Busch: he was strong early in the race, being at the point up to the competition caution at Lap 30. He never really dropped out of the top 10, but got shuffled back late. He led 41 laps en route to a ninth place finish.

Denny Hamlin: he started at the rear of the field due to an engine change. Must have worked, because he charged towards the front in a hurry. He even led five laps during a round of green flag pit stops.

Jimmie Johnson: it's been awhile since we've seen you here, JJ. Although he didn't lead a lap, he was strong and stayed within striking distance.

Ryan Newman: he was the beneficiary of good (and lucky) pit strategy, as he at one point pitted out of sequence. But it worked to his favor late in the race. He got a MUCH needed top 5, finishing fourth.

Honorable Mention: Carl Edwards, Matt Kenseth, and David Ragan.

THE BAD

Big Red: they sponsored three different makes of cars--Dave Blaney (Chevrolet), Mike Bliss (Ford), and Mike Skinner (Toyota). Skinner was a start and parker and finished DFL. Bliss did a LITTLE better, finishing 34th, three laps down. Blaney did the best, relatively speaking, finishing one position ahead of Bliss. He also finished three laps down. They'd have done better with JJ YELEY, had he run!

Mike Skinner: start and parker. He hotfooted it out of town with his earnings before the traffic got too bad.

TNT: TOO MANY COMMERCIALS. A sub-Good for the enhanced coverage, though.

Kevin Harvick: as big a Harvick fan as I am, I've got to put him here. The 29 crew missed the setup, making for a LONG night. The car started loose and finished loose. No matter what kind of adjustments they made to the car, it would not respond. They would have done well to read the notes from previous Chicagoland races, where they have run well. He was never a factor, and as a result, he drops to third in points, with Kurt Busch looming large in his rear view mirror.

THE UGLY

The race itself: it was a SNOOZEFEST, as most 1.5 mile races are. WHY does NASCAR INSIST on having 1.5 mile races when they KNOW most fans check out before halfway through the race? I'd be in favor of having FIVE races at most on 1.5 mile tracks. I even fell asleep!

Those are my nominees for the race. Feel free to come in with yours!

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly -- 2011 Coke Zero 400

2011-07-02T20:52:00.000-07:00

This week, the Crappafoni Pictures crew is at one of NASCAR's crown jewel tracks, Daytona, for the Dancing with the Stars version of The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, minus the hosts of that show. You'll have to put up with me! Actually, it's Florida BBQ-style, washed down with (what else?) PLENTY of Coke Zero. Enjoy!

THE GOOD

David Ragan: he FINALLY gets to take home the trophy! And the first slot in the GBU for the first time in his career! Because it's his first win, I decided to put him ALONE in this spot. He had a stout car from the time it was unloaded all the way to the checkered flag. It's only fitting that a Coca-Cola driver (he replaced Kevin Harvick when Budweiser became Harvick's sponsor) gets into Victory Lane. Congratulations David, you earned this one! GREAT JOB!

Matt Kenseth: he also was stout, and decided that he was better pushing Ragan home. Wise move by a crafty veteran. He was at point for a number of laps.

Kevin Harvick/Paul Menard: they were stout together. They were by far the smoothest of the tandems; it seems that no matter which one was in front with the other pushing, they were smooth in their hookups. Both drivers led laps and it seemed like when Menard was pushing, they went to the front at will. They ran both lines equally well, but got bit by the last restart when they were shuffled back and could never regain their position. Because of Carl Edwards' poor finish (as a result of a wreck), Harvick gains the points lead going into Kentucky.

Joey Logano: no matter who he drafted with, whether it was Kyle Busch or someone else, he was able to get to the front. Although he didn't lead a lap, he put himself in position to win.

Kasey Kahne/Brian Vickers: the Red Bull duo ran at or near the front for much of the race, until Vickers was taken out in the Big One. No problem. Kahne and Logano hooked up and Logano very nearly stole the race.

Kyle Busch: see Joey Logano. The one difference, Kyle Busch led a lap.

Joe Nemechek/Travis Kvapil: gotta give a shoutout to ole Front Row Joe. Because of last-minute sponsorship, Nemechek was able to run the whole race. And he did well, even leading for a time. He got caught in a late race accident (The Big One) that caused him to lose a lap due to repairs.

Honorable Mention: Jeff Burton/Clint Bowyer , Landon Cassill/Casey Mears, and Kurt Busch/Regan Smith.

THE BAD

TNT's coverage: WTH are you guys doing going to commercial breaks when there's 10 laps to go?? Gotta give you guys a Bad for that.

THE UGLY

Brad Keselowski/Greg Biffle: Biffle first. He needs to take lessons in bump drafting from Kevin Harvick. His attempt at bump drafting sent his teammate Carl Edwards into a spin. The subsequent damage to the 99 car later caused Edwards to be sick in the car due to the fumes entering the car and not coming out of the exhaust pipes. Edwards is more sick after losing the points lead to Harvick. Now Keselowski. Line up behind Biffle for your lesson in bump drafting from Harvick. Instead of being on Trevor Bayne's right rear bumper, he went to Bayne's LEFT rear bumper. You know what happens next. Bayne gets turned into the wall, and his night ends much earlier than he expected. A sub-Good for Kes and Da Biff for finding each other and being competitive. They actually worked quite well together.

Those are my nominees for the race. Feel free to come in with yours!

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly -- 2011 Toyota Save Mart 350

2011-06-26T15:18:00.001-07:00

This week, the Crappafoni Pictures crew is in Wine Country for NASCAR's lone visit to NoCal. This week's The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly is served up with dungeness crab, clam chowder in bread bowls, and washed down with the wine country's finest wine. Enjoy!

THE GOOD

Kurt Busch: the Double Deuce has gotten better and better since his on-race rant a couple of months ago. He's looking like the Busch of 2004, when he won his only Cup championship while driving for Jack Roush. Kristen, I know you must be a happy camper--I can picture your smile from here in Victory Lane! Wish I were there to experience it, but I plan on being there next year. For Busch, this is his first win of the season, and his first Cup win on a road course. It is kind of unusual for him to get his first win of the season this late in the season. He is definitely gaining momentum as the Chase nears. The car was stout all day long, and he dominated the race. He could pick any groove and the car would run perfectly. He easily led the most laps, with 75. A shout out also goes to Steve Addington, his crew chief, and the crew members of the Double Deuce!! GOOD JOB GUYS!!

Jeff Gordon: the Vallejo native had a junk car to start with, but through a combination of pit strategy, good pit calls by Alan Gustafson, and good pit stops, the #24 car got better as the race went on. He had something for the elder Busch brother, but it was too little, too late, as he was gaining a second a lap on him.

Carl Edwards: if there's one thing I learned about him, it's that he's a vastly UNDERRATED road racer. While he's not won a road course race at the Cup level, he's won at the Nationwide level, so he knows how to get it done. The 99 team struggled all weekend to get speed and grip. He started mid-pack (23rd, to be exact) and quickly worked his way to the front. While he didn't lead a lap, he still keeps the points lead going into Daytona. Very solid third place run today.

Clint Bowyer: he has struggled on road courses in the past, but he's getting better. Today and throughout the weekend, he was strong. He had a good qualifying run (he started 9th) and was in the top 10 for pretty much the whole race. Could this be the race that the 33 team turns its season around on? It remains to be seen, but today is a good start.

Marcos Ambrose: he'd run strong, then get shuffled back, then run strong again. To finish in the top 5 is a testament to the stout car (and driver) he had today. He was patient, didn't panic, and took what the car gave him. He didn't try to overdrive the car, and the result was a top 5 finish, even though he didn't lead a lap.

Kevin Harvick: Mr. Where Did He Come From? strikes again. He started somewhere around San Rafael (actually, 26th, but it seemed like he started from there). He was hanging around mid-pack throughout the race until very late. With Happy's pit strategy, he was banking on a late caution, which happened when Brian Vickers exacted payback on Tony Stewart after an earlier incident between the two drivers. Harvick pitted, took four fresh tires and fuel, and was the first one out with those four fresh tires. He started 13th, and finished 9th after that run to the checkered flag. Great job by the 29 crew for turning a marginal top 20 car into a top 10 car. Harvick finished 9th and led six laps in the process. (This was prior to the final caution.)

Joey Logano: good job by the kid in getting his first career pole, and when you run JPM off the course, you earn your spot here. I'll say this: he's got spunk, and when he stood up to Harvick last year, he gained a lot of respect in my book, and I'm a Harvick fan.

Honorable Mention: Jimmie Johnson, Martin Truex, Jr., Brad Keselowski, and David Gilliland.

THE BAD

P.J. Jones: he was the first start and parker. He drew the short stick today at the start and parkers' meeting, held in the Todd Bodine Meeting Room. Jones ran a grand total of FIVE LAPS (at least he beat his two-lap effort of a couple of years ago) before declaring himself done for the day and hotfooting it out of town with his prize money.

Casey Mears: it's pretty bad when your only mention is for running out of gas and stalling at the entrance to pit road, and you bring out the first caution. I think he thought he might lead a lap by being the last driver to pit during a round of green flag pit stops. I don't think the Geico gecko likes THAT kind of publicity. Casey Mears' Great Adventure ended up putting him two laps down, and he never recovered. He actually had a pretty good car, and had he pitted one lap earlier, would have been in contention for a good finish. A bad also goes out to his crew chief, whose name escapes me at the moment. He would finish 34th, with those two laps down. (Thirty-three cars finished on the lead lap.)

TNT'S coverage: while it was better than last week, I never got the explanation or the replay of Dale Earnhardt Jr's mishap that ended up with a hole in the side of the engine of the 88 car. I'd have liked to know HOW that happened!!

THE UGLY

Juan Pablo Montoya: he was this year's Jeff Gordon, in the sense that he had several drivers mad at him during the race, most notably David Gilliland and Kasey Kahne. JPM punted Kahne for NO reason other than being impatient. Late in the race, HE got spun out and dropped from a sure top 10 to end up finishing 22nd.

Those are my nominees for the race. Feel free to come in with yours!

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly -- 2011 Heluva Good! Sour Dips 400

2011-06-19T15:41:00.000-07:00

This week, the Crappafoni Pictures crew is in the Irish Hills region of Michigan for this week's The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, complete with lots of snack foods and washed down with plenty of Coke. Enjoy!

THE GOOD

Denny Hamlin: he gets this week's top spot as the race winner. Despite starting 10th, he fell backwards early. But the 11 got stronger as the race went on, and a great final pit stop put him out in front, and he led the final 8 laps. He must have got advice from Kevin Harvick this week on how to close, and paid attention. In times past, he would have settled for a top 10, but he was in desperate straits entering the race. Now he's in ninth place in the standings with a win in hand. It's still tenuous, but aside from the road courses, he's entering a favorable stretch of the season for him. Good job Denny!

Matt Kenseth: he had one of the best cars today, leading 16 laps. He spun the tires on the final restart, and had a self-imposed bobble on the final lap, costing him any shot at a win. A win would have tied him with Kevin Harvick for most wins this season. Next up is serpentine Sonoma, a track that has NOT been kind to him. Plus, he got bit by small mistakes on pit stops.

Kyle Busch: he was stout, leading 60 laps, and looked like he had the car to beat in the second third of the race. But on the final restart, he got shuffled back. He rebounded well enough to finish third.

Paul Menard: haven't seen you in awhile in this neck of the woods, Paul! He was strong in practice, had a good qualifying run (he started 9th), and spent a good part of the race in the top 10. He was bit by the last caution because had it been a fuel mileage race, he had enough to go the distance and the top 3 didn't. (Hamlin and Busch were a half-lap short, and Kenseth was a lap short.) A very solid run to go with strong practice and qualifying efforts.

Carl Edwards: he led a good portion of the first thirds of the race, leading 30 laps, and was always lurking. Although he started 23rd, he greatly benefitted from a lightning-fast first pit stop. (Maybe the fastest pit stop of the season so far.) That put him near the front, and he did the rest.

Greg Biffle: Biff led the most laps (68) but was shuffled back on the final restart. For awhile it looked like he was on a Sunday afternoon drive, with clean air and the field in the distance. A very solid all around run--good pit stops, no major issues in the pits, and a strong car added up to a very good run, save for the final five laps.

Kurt Busch: he was stout from the time the Double Deuce was unloaded. He won his third straight pole and led nine laps and might have had a chance to win if not for the final caution.

Honorable Mention: Ryan Newman, Tony Stewart, Clint Bowyer, Mark Martin, and Brian Vickers.

THE BAD

Michael McDowell: he ran a grand total of 28 laps before declaring himself done for the day. The official cause listed was "electrical." ME: Start and Park. He drew the short stick at the start and parkers' meeting held in the Todd Bodine Meeting Room prior to the race.

The race itself: it was a FREAKING SNOOZEFEST. It was between the U.S. Open golf tournament or this race. The Open won out more often than not. I should have recorded it to play it back every time I have trouble sleeping. If you're a smart doctor out there who has a patient or two that has trouble sleeping, get a tape of this race and GIVE it to your patients. They'll LOVE you for it. When you have GOLF winning out over a NASCAR race, it shows you how bad a snoozefest the race ACTUALLY was.

TNT (NOT dynamite): their race coverage was HORRENDOUS. Lindsay Czarniak is the one oasis in the desert that is TNT. Hopefully they'll get better for the Coke Zero 400.

THE UGLY

Jimmie Johnson: JJ was involved in an early crash, and by the time the damage was fixed, he was two laps down. A sub-Good to him for gaining spots through attrition. But he lost a few spots in the standings and is now fifth. While he'll still make the Chase, it's going to be harder for wins to come by. Every driver save the start and parkers is gunning for Five-Time, no one more so than Kevin Harvick.

Juan Pablo Montoya: he made a MAJOR tactical mistake when he realized that he was about to run out of gas and made a hard left turn right into Andy Lally. The subsequent damage put JPM two laps down and he never recovered. A shame, really, because that "Cars 2" scheme was SWEET.

Those are my nominees for the race. Feel free to come in and post your comments.

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly -- 2011 5-Hour Energy 500

2011-06-12T14:13:00.000-07:00

This week, the Crappafoni Pictures crew is in the picturesque Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania for this week's The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, complete with plenty of BBQ, and washed down with plenty of Pepsi. Enjoy!

THE GOOD

Jeff Gordon: he looked like the Gordon of old in the last half of the race. He had a strong car to begin with, and got better as the race went on. When the 24 was in clean air, he consistently kept a 1-2 second lead over Kurt Busch (or whoever was running in second at the time). The win was Gordon's second of the season, and the 84th of his stellar Sprint Cup career. (He moves into a tie for third in all-time wins with Darrell Waltrip and Bobby Allison.) Not only that, he all but locks himself into the Chase as one of the wild cards with that second win. Good job Jeff!

The Busch Brothers: with Kurt (2nd) and Kyle (3rd) finishing so strong, I put them together. Kurt: strong from the time the Double Deuce was unloaded to the checkered flag. Won his second straight pole. Led 37 laps en route to his second place finish. Had consistently good pit stops. Kyle: started somewhere around Philadelphia (just kidding; he actually started 34th), finished 3rd. He received good input and communication from the 11 team and credited them in the post race interview. The 18 crew got the car stronger as the race went on. Led 2 laps and also turned in the fastest lap of the entire race (158.999 mph).

Jimmie Johnson: JJ was strong, and led a lap during a round of green flag pit stops. Otherwise it was a ho-hum race for the 48 team. He maintains second place in the points behind Carl Edwards.

Kevin Harvick: this is the third straight top 5 at Pocono for Happy. (He finished 4th in each of the Pocono races last season.) He also started towards the back of the field in 32nd starting position and it wasn't long before he was in the top 10, thanks to a 2-tire stop on his first pit stop of the day. As long as it was cloudy, 2-tire stops worked. He fell back a bit when he had to pit early on a round of green flag stops but when they cycled through he was back in position. (He was fortunate a caution flag didn't fly.) It says something when on the final run, the car was the best it has been all day.

Juan Pablo Montoya: he was stout throughout the race. Had it not been for a questionable call for two tires instead of four, he may have been in a position to get that first non-road course win. Crew chief Brian Pattie went to the well one too many times. He saw that two tires was working, and late in the race, decided to gamble and go for two instead of four when it was sunny. The two tire strategy didn't agree with the 42 car, and he fell backwards in a hurry. He was able to hold off Matt Kenseth for seventh. Montoya led 38 laps after inheriting the lead from Denny Hamlin.

Denny Hamlin: he led the most laps in the race (76) and it looked like he was going to run and hide from the rest of the field. But tire issues later in the race relegated him to a 19th place finish, something he did not need. He had to come in TWICE in a three lap period because he cut a left rear tire, once under caution and once shortly after taking the subsequent green flag. With each run like that, the pressure on the 11 team increases exponentially.

Landon Cassill: I've got to give a shout out to the Iowa driver. He led four laps late in the race, and even was the beneficiary of the free pass. He could have used the late caution to get gas and tires. He finished 24th, the last car on the lead lap.

Honorable Mention: Dale Earnhardt Jr, Matt Kenseth, Ryan Newman, and Martin Truex, Jr.

THE BAD

Scott Riggs: he drew the short stick at the start and parkers' meeting in the Todd Bodine Meeting Room. He turned a few laps, then hotfooted it out of town with his earnings.

Greg Biffle: what exactly is going on with the 16 team? Lots of little mistakes that add up during the course of the race and put him in a bad position. Then when he tries to make it up on the track, he gets loose coming out of turn 3 and skids sideways past the committment line and has to pit under green. Because of that, he has to make one more pit stop while the rest of the field doesn't have to stop anymore. And the race stayed green for the duration.

THE UGLY

TNT's coverage: TOO MANY COMMERCIALS!!! There were more commercials than racing action!! Seems like every five laps they went to a commercial!!

Transmission issues: they affected a number of drivers, most notably Carl Edwards. To give you an idea of how long he was behind the wall, Edwards was listed in 34th when he came in. He finished 37th. He finally came back to the track, but only ran one lap before the issue flared up again. His lap speed? I don't know for sure, but it was VERY SLOW. Put it this way, he was actually very good as an analyst.

Gear issues: they affected Tony Stewart and Ryan Newman. (Both drivers lost third gear; Stewart about 2/3 into the race, and Newman very late in the race. That's something the engineers at SHR have to figure out before the next Pocono race.

Those are my nominees for the race. Feel free to read and comment from your perspective!

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly -- 2011 STP 400

2011-06-05T20:29:00.001-07:00

This week, the Crappafoni Pictures crew is in the nation's heartland, Kansas, for this week's steamy The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, Kansas City BBQ-style, complete with ribs and beef as far as the eye can see, all the fixin's you can eat, and washed down with PLENTY of Miller Lite. (Drink responsibly.)

THE GOOD

Brad Keselowski: as this week's winner, he gets this spot. Like last week with Kevin Harvick winning a fuel mileage race, this week's race came down to fuel mileage. Kes began conserving fuel towards the end of the race when his spotter told him Dale Earnhardt Jr's lap times were falling off. He conserved enough to do a burnout! He now sits 21st in the standings. Good job Bad Brad!!!

Dale Earnhardt Jr: THIS time he DIDN'T run out of gas! But he was also in fuel conservation mode. (I'd have LOVED to see a caution come out with three laps to go or so, and have a green-white-checkered finish.) For the second straight week, he finishes second, continuing his streak of solid runs. Had he led a lap, you'd have heard the crowd!

Denny Hamlin: the 11 team is finally starting to put together a series of solid runs. After an early season slump, Hamlin is edging closer to that first win of the season. He'll get a win or two to quiet the doubters. He led 34 laps en route to a solid third place run.

Jeff Gordon: Big Daddy has had good, solid cars this year, like he did today, but only one win to show for it. He was in the top 10 for pretty much the whole race. A very solid, workmanlike run. But IMO he needs at least one more win to lock up a wild-card spot in the Chase.

Carl Edwards: early on, he had a stout car. But midway, he fell back, almost out of the top 20. But towards the end of the race, the 99 car came to life. Kudos also go out to the Aflac crew for consistently good pit stops that gained him track position. He led 29 laps en route to finishing fourth and keeping his points lead. (Could he be this year's Kevin Harvick, where he keeps the points lead all the way through to the Chase but loses it then and doesn't get it back?)

Kurt Busch: the Double Deuce led the most laps in the race but was the victim of a bad pit stop towards the end of the race. On the next to last green flag stop, the gas man did not completely fill up the tank, forcing him to come in earlier than planned, costing him track position. He did have a stout car and I can see him in Victory Lane sooner rather than later.

Tony Stewart: this is the time of year when Smoke heats up. And he's starting to. He led 20 laps in the race en route to finishing 8th. He'll be good for a couple of wins prior to the Chase.

Honorable Mention: Matt Kenseth, Jimmie Johnson, and Greg Biffle.

THE BAD

Joe Nemechek: he is a former winner at Kansas. Unfortunately for Joe, he drew the short stick at the start and parkers' meeting in the Todd Bodine Meeting Room.

AJ Allmendinger: he was running the iconic STP paint scheme for today's race. Where was AJ? He was a lap down for much of the race and got very little face time, considering the strong runs he and teammate Marcos Ambrose had last week.

Jeff Burton: IMO the pressure is growing on the 31 team to perform. With Harvick running like a championship caliber driver, Bowyer being strong, and Menard improving week by week, he's really feeling the pressure. He has good runs but little mistakes or getting caught up in someone else's mess late in races end up costing him. Today, the 31 team missed on the setup and played catch-up the whole race.

NASCAR: for threatening to throw the book at Richard Childress for his altercation with Kyle Busch after the Truck Series race yesterday. Kyle started the whole mess when he bumped RCR driver Joey Coulter (he drives the #22 RCR Chevrolet Silverado) AFTER THE CHECKERED FLAG. Coulter was minding his own business, and since NASCAR won't DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT, except LOOK THE OTHER WAY, RC took matters into his own hands. I am frustrated at the fact NASCAR looked the other way on something as egregious as one driver nearly punting another driver AFTER the checkered flag. Yes, it's "boys have at it" but NOT at the expense of endangering another driver and adding an undue expense of repairing the truck to another team. Should a penalty be imposed on Childress? A minimal one, perhaps a fine but no points taken away.

Fox Sports' coverage: this merits a Bad because they asked Kyle Busch puffball questions. MY first question would have been: WHAT WERE YOU THINKING AFTER THE CHECKERED FLAG IN YESTERDAY'S RACE?

THE UGLY

None this week.

Those are my nominees for the race. Feel free to come in with yours!

Childress/Busch altercation

2011-06-04T17:06:00.000-07:00

According to NASCAR.COM and Sporting News wire services, Richard Childress and Kyle Busch got into an altercation after the CWTS race at Kansas. The altercation came as a result of Busch bumping Joey Coulter, driver of the #22 RCR Chevrolet. Coulter had overtaken Busch for fifth place after a spirited battle for the position with one lap to go. Coulter would finish fifth, Busch in sixth.

Apparently Busch didn't take too kindly to Coulter's style of racing, and he expressed his disagreement via the #18 Toyota AFTER THE RACE. Childress saw that, and he confronted Busch old-school style. After punching Busch in the face, he had him in a choke hold until they were separated.

Busch is on probation for ALL NASCAR-related matters until June 15th because of an incident between him and Kevin Harvick after the Southern 500 at Darlington. (Busch punted a driverless #29 Chevrolet as one of Harvick's crewmen was approaching the scene. Harvick threw a punch at Busch through the driver's side net; he is on probation as well.) This qualifies as a NASCAR-related matter. Should a suspension of Kyle Busch be in order for violating his probation? What say you? (ME: I say a TWO race suspension would be in order from ALL NASCAR races as a driver, a two-race suspension of the ENTIRE #18 Truck Series team, a loss of 25 points EACH in ALL NASCAR series, and a loss of 25 owners' points for the #18 Cup Series team. A message needs to be sent, and GOTTEN. But in reality, he'll get his probation extended until the end of the calendar year, and maybe a loss of points.)

Information can be found here.

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly -- 2011 Coca-Cola 600

2011-05-29T20:28:00.000-07:00

This week, the Crappafoni Pictures crew is at the home of NASCAR, Concord, NC, for this week's The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. This week's serving is BBQ-flavored, complete with all the fixin's and washed down with PLENTY of Budweiser. (Remember, drink responsibly!) Enjoy!

THE GOOD

Kevin Harvick: he gets first billing as the race winner. Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good. For the first 100 miles of the race, he may as well have been driving a dump truck. But crew chief Gil Martin reassured him that it would get better as the race went on. And it did. But Harvick wasn't consistently in the top 10 until the LAST 100 miles of the race. TWICE, he got bit with a caution while a lap down (he had just pitted under green on two occasions when the caution flag flew). Without the wave around rule, he wouldn't be here, and he certainly wouldn't be celebrating in Victory Lane with DeLana, Gil Martin, Richard Childress, and the rest of the 29 crew. A shout out also goes to Paul Menard for pushing Harvick around the track during the final caution, allowing Harvick to conserve fuel by shutting off the engine. The win was Harvick's third this season, and he becomes the first driver to reach the three-win mark this season. It was also his first Coca-Cola 600 win, and only his second top 10 finish in the race. (He finished 2nd in his rookie season of 2001.) In the three wins, he has led a grand total of--wait for it--NINE laps. He led two laps tonight, six at Martinsville, and the final lap at Fontana. He all but locks himself into the Chase now, and with 10 bonus points per win, that's going to be HUGE. GOOD JOB HAPPY!! WOOHOO!

David Ragan: he was stout all evening, and was hanging around the top 5 pretty much the whole race. He was actually the fourth best Roush driver at the first 100 miles of the race, but as the other three Roush drivers faded, Ragan stayed strong. Congratulations on a career-best second place finish. Your first win will come sooner rather than later.

Joey Logano: like Harvick, he battled a car that was plowing. Like Harvick, he benefitted from pit strategy (staying out and conserving fuel). Logano battled his car and the heat and persevered to a third place finish. He was there at the end because he ran a smart, sound race.

Kurt Busch: another strong top 5 finish and another round of giving his crew hell. I imagine they probably shrug their shoulders and say, "That's Kurt being Kurt. We expect nothing less." Major props go out to the crew for staying on their games for the 610 miles the race ended up going, and for pumping up Kurt when he needed it. When it was Go time, Kurt went. Good job Double Deuce and the crew!

Richard Petty Motorsports: with AJ Allmendinger (5th) and Marcos Ambrose (6th) being strong, both drivers deserve this spot TOGETHER.

Dale Earnhardt Jr: he was strong throughout, even leading late in the race and looking like he was on his way to breaking a long winless streak, but he ran out of gas in the middle of turn 4. Dale Jr will win at a track very few expect him to win at (a road course, perhaps).

Honorable Mention: Matt Kenseth, Carl Edwards, Greg Biffle, Kasey Kahne, and Kyle Busch.

THE BAD

Mike Skinner: he ran a total of four laps before hotfooting it home to watch the rest of the race on TV like the rest of us. He drew the short stick today at the start and parkers' meeting in the Todd Bodine Meeting Room. Not a bad gig in this horrible economy if you can get it.

Debris cautions: the first three cautions were for debris, with ONE legitimate debris caution--when Casey Mears' car was spewing parts all over the track after Landon Cassill made contact after Mears checked up.

THE UGLY

The first 100 laps: there was a VERY LONG green flag run to start the race, and the Roushkateers basically checked out. It was about to turn into a snoozefest until day transistioned into night. Once night time came, the Roush cars suddenly looked very ordinary, save for Ragan's car.

Those are my nominees for the race. Feel free to come in with yours!

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly -- 2011 FedEx 400 benefitting Autism Speaks

2011-05-15T16:00:00.000-07:00

This week, the Crappafoni Pictures crew is in Dover for this week's serving of The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, served up with crab cakes and a seafood medley, and washed down with copious amounts of Coke. Enjoy!

THE GOOD

Matt Kenseth: he gets this week's top slot as the race winner. Kenseth was stout throughout the race, spending much of the time in the top 10. He led a total of 33 laps en route to his second win of the season, and 20th of his career. He took two right side tires on the final stop and they held up. The track position gamble paid off. An extra Good for Kenseth for posting the fastest lap of the entire race.

Mark Martin: while he didn't have a particularly strong car, it wasn't weak, either. He was in the mid-teens for much of the race. He stayed out to get track position on the final caution, as he had enough fuel to make it to the end. He was shown to be the leader on the final restart. Kenseth quickly caught his old mentor at Roush Racing and took the lead, but Martin was strong enough on old tires to hold off spirited challenges from Marcos Ambrose and Kyle Busch to finish second. He gambled and it paid off.

Marcos Ambrose: he's getting closer and closer to that first win, period. (Will it come on a road course, or an oval? And will he be the next member of the First Win Club?) While he didn't lead a lap, he was strong throughout the race, spending much of the time in the top 10. A very good run by Ambrose, and that should set the table for him to get better as the season rolls on.

Kyle Busch: he was a beneficiary of that final caution, as he was struggling up to that point. He gambled on track position and won by taking two right sides only. Plus he made up several spots on the track. Today was a day where you could gamble, like the top 5 did, or hope that four fresh tires would work. Today, the two tire stop worked.

Brian Vickers: this was his first top 5 finish of the season. Like the others, he gambled on track position (is this sounding like a broken record?) and won.

Jimmie Johnson: JJ led the most laps of the entire race, but was bit in the rear when he took four tires and the #48 did not respond to the tires on that final pit stop. (For the record, with the car running as well as it was, I'd have taken four tires myself and worked my way through the field.)

Carl Edwards: he, too, was bit in the rear by taking four tires. He and crew chief Bob Osborne were banking on the track getting slick and with the four fresh tires, he'd have more grip than those with two tires. But there was just enough cloud cover for that strategy to backfire.

Honorable Mention: Clint Bowyer, Martin Truex, Jr., and Kevin Harvick.

THE BAD

Michael McDowell: he was already out of the race by 10:45 AM Pacific time. You blinked and you missed him. He was the first start and parker that hotfooted it out of town with his prize winnings.

Tony Stewart: Smoke was uncharacteristically bad today. The 14 team totally missed on the setup and that made for a VERY long day. He usually does quite well at the Monster Mile. All race long he was fighting with a very loose car and no matter what kind of adjustments they made, it wouldn't tighten. Then on the final pit stop, he gets popped for going too fast entering pit road. Just one of those days that he'd like to toss back into the lake.

THE UGLY

Engine issues: Kasey Kahne was most notably affected, as he was running in the top 5 for much of the race and he had a stout car up to that point. Regan Smith had an electrical issue that caused all his telemetry to go dark. That put him behind the wall for a number of laps. He returned, but then his car suddenly and inexplicably lost power. Back behind the wall he went. AJ Allmendinger also had engine issues (he was running in the top 10 at the time).

Those are my nominees for the race. Feel free to come in with yours!

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly -- 2011 Showtime Southern 500

2011-05-07T21:15:00.000-07:00

This week, the Crappafoni Pictures crew goes old-school for this week's The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, Southern-style, and you're seated on the newest furniture, courtesy of Furniture Row! Enjoy!

THE GOOD

Regan Smith: he gets this spot as the race winner. First it was Trevor Bayne getting his first Cup win at the sport's most prestigious race. Now it's Smith getting his at one of NASCAR's crown jewels, the Southern 500. Smith didn't take the lead until very late in the race when he stayed out after a late caution while the leaders pitted. Smith ran the fastest lap of the ENTIRE race on the white flag lap. All on old tires. That will get it done. GREAT JOB REGAN AND THE #78 CREW!!

Kasey Kahne: he led the most laps but was shuffled back a bit on the final restart. He recovered in time to a fourth place finish. He looked like he had the car to beat throughout the week: he won the pole, and was fast in a brief practice.

Carl Edwards: he was stout throughout the evening. He looked like he had the car to beat in the second half of the race, as he checked out on the field. But a caution with 10 laps to go bit him in the rear. He took two tires and it appeared it would pay off. Then another caution with three laps to go for Kyle Busch wrecking, er, making contact with RCR teammates Kevin Harvick and Clint Bowyer appeared to favor Edwards. But he didn't count on Brad Keselowski (his old rival) giving Smith a great push to clear him. Congratulations to Carl and Kate on the birth of their first son, Michael!

Brad Keselowski: he'd been hanging out mid-pack until the latter half of the race. Then the Blue Deuce crew got the car better and better. He gave Smith that shove that catapulted him to the lead. The third place finish was by far his best finish of the season.

Ryan Newman: Rocketman was racing in the Tornados paint scheme. That usually means a very strong run and a spot in this section. I'll be sure to save Newman a spot in this section next time he runs in the Tornados paint scheme! He was stout, and led early. He fell back mid-race but rebounded to a strong top 10 finish.

Kevin Harvick: Happy led 47 laps, by far the most he's led at Darlington in his career, and it looked like he was a certain top 3 finisher until Kyle Busch got loose and made contact with Happy, who in turn took out Clint Bowyer. (Busch was trying to make it three-wide on the outside and he had no room. Not a smart decision.) He and Kyle Busch had some post-race fireworks of their own as they had a staredown with their cars. Then as Harvick got out of his car, Busch wrecked the 29, Harvick threw a punch at Busch but missed, and the crews nearly engaged in an all-out brawl in the garage area. You can bet there WILL be payback, as Busch would be wise to keep his head on a swivel. The reckless move by Busch cost Harvick a sure top 3 finish. (Harvick finished 17th.)

Honorable Mention: Tony Stewart, Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Greg Biffle, Jamie McMurray, and Martin Truex, Jr.

THE BAD

Kurt Busch: normally I would put the first start and parker here, but he was REALLY bad tonight. It appeared they missed on the setup and the Double Deuce kept getting Darlington Stripes. Kurt finished six laps down.

Matt Kenseth: as good as his Roush Fenway teammates were, he was almost as bad. He and Marcos Ambrose made contact in lap 2; when Kenseth went to pit, he missed the committment cone, costing him a violation (he pitted after passing the committment cone on the outside). He was never a factor, finishing 25th, 4 laps down.

THE UGLY

Kyle Busch: he caused two wrecks in the closing laps of the race trying to improve his position: the one where he wrecked Kevin Harvick and Clint Bowyer, and where he wrecked Marcos Ambrose after that. In the first wreck, he had a run on the outside and tried to make it three wide, but got loose. I partly blame Harvick's spotter for not seeing Busch coming on the outside of Harvick and alerting his driver. Because Busch was driving so hard, he got loose, made contact with Harvick, who in turn made contact with Bowyer, putting his RCR teammate into the wall. Then shortly after the final restart, he flat out tried to wreck Ambrose for no apparent reason. He was fortunate Ambrose held his line. (Ambrose finished 13th.) Yes, I get that you're trying to get as many positions as possible, but you're trying to pass guys in areas of the track where it's simply NOT possible to pass.

Those are my nominees for the race. Feel free to come in with yours!

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly -- Crown Royal presents the Matthew & Daniel Hansen 400

2011-04-30T20:02:00.000-07:00

This week, the Crappafoni Pictures crew is in Richmond to bring you this week's The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, mid-South style, complete with BBQ and washed down with NOS Energy drink. Enjoy!

THE GOOD

Kyle Busch: he gets first billing as the race winner. He was stout, leading 235 laps and was stellar on the restarts. With the win, he puts himself in position to make the Chase, as he won his second race of the season. Good job Kyle!

Denny Hamlin: he sorely needed this good run. He led 33 laps en route to the runner up finish. Home cooking is what he needed and it tasted sweet.

Kasey Kahne: like Hamlin, he sorely needed a good run, and he got it. Now if he can put together a couple of wins, he could make the Chase as a wild-card.

David Ragan: great run by the UPS Ford tonight. The fourth place finish was his first top 5 finish in 2 1/2 years. I think he's putting together a very good season and a win isn't too far away.

Carl Edwards: he leaves Richmond still in the points lead as a result of his top 5 finish.

Honorable Mention: the rest of the lead lap finishers.

THE BAD

JJ Yeley: he was the first start and parker, running 38 laps and declaring himself done for the day.

THE UGLY

Juan Pablo Montoya/Ryan Newman: they met up on more than one occasion. Newman got loose and got into him the first time, and Montoya got payback.

Those are my nominees for the race. Feel free to come in with yours!

2011 Mock Draft

2011-04-28T11:59:00.000-07:00

Here is my 2011 Mock Draft:

Carolina: Cam Newton, QB, Auburn.

Denver: Marcell Dareus, DT, Alabama.

Buffalo: Von Miller, DE/LB, Texas A & M.

Cincinnati: A.J. Green, WR, Georgia.

Arizona: Patrick Peterson, CB, LSU.

Cleveland: Julio Jones, WR, Alabama.

San Francisco: Robert Quinn, DE/LB, North Carolina.

Tennessee: Blaine Gabbert, QB, Missouri.

Dallas: Tyron Smith, OT, USC.

Washington: Nick Fairley, DT, Auburn.

Houston, Prince Amukumara, CB, Nebraska.

Minnesota: Aldon Smith, DE, Missouri.

Detroit: Anthony Castonzo, OT, Boston College.

St. Louis: Corey Liuget, DT, Illinois.

Miami: Mike Pouncey, C-G, Florida.

Jacksonville: DaQuan Bowers, DE, Clemson.

New England (from Oakland): J.J. Watt, DE, Wisconsin.

San Diego: Cameron Jordan, DE, California.

N.Y. Giants: Gabe Carimi, OT, Wisconsin.

Tampa Bay: Ryan Kerrigan, DE, Purdue.

Kansas City Chiefs: Nate Solder, OT, Colorado.

Indianapolis: Danny Watkins, G/T, Baylor.

Philadelphia: Jimmy Smith, CB, Colorado.

New Orleans Saints: Cameron Heyward, DE, Ohio State.

Seattle Seahawks: Jake Locker, QB, Washington.

Baltimore Ravens: Muhammad Wilkerson, DT, Temple.

Atlanta Falcons: Adrian Clayborn, DE, Iowa.

New England: Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama.

Chicago Bears: Derek Sherrod, OT, Mississippi State.

N.Y. Jets: Phil Taylor, DT, Baylor.

Pittsburgh Steelers: Aaron Williams, CB, Texas.

Green Bay Packers: Martez Wilson, LB, Illinois.

Less than four hours before the draft! Have at it!

The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly -- 2011 Aaron's 499

2011-04-17T14:01:00.000-07:00

This week, the Crappafoni Pictures crew is in the Heart of Dixie, Talladega, Alabama, for this week's The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly, complete with all the fixin's you can muster, and washed down with plenty of your choice of beverages! Enjoy!

THE GOOD

Jimmie Johnson: this wasn't a typical, JJ-dominated victory. Yes, he did lead a total of 11 laps, but he ran the smartest race, hanging back and giving himself a chance to be there at the end. Good strategy, as he was able to avoid two Big Ones. And he was there at the end, beating Clint Bowyer by .002 of a second, tied for the closest finish in NASCAR history.

Clint Bowyer: he was the victim of that dreaded aero push coming out of Turn 4, allowing Johnson to catch up and eventually overtaking him. Otherwise, he was stout. He led the most laps in the race (38), gaining an additional point.

Jeff Gordon: for awhile, it looked like HE was going to take the checkered flag, with Mark Martin giving him a push, but he and Martin got separated close to the finish line.

Dave Blaney: he was STOUT, giving Blaniacs around the world hope that he would get his first Cup win, particularly with Kevin Harvick pushing him for most of the race. Kurt Busch changed all that when he punted him. More on Busch later. (I'm saving my ire for that.) Blaney led 21 laps and was en route to a strong finish when he was punted. An extra Good goes for the subsequent save he made. He finished 27th, the last car on the lead lap.

Kevin Harvick: no matter who he pushed, whether it was Blaney or Bowyer, they charged into the lead. His car was much better when he was doing the pushing than when he was being pushed. He started deep in the field and charged to a fifth place finish.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.: he was in a similar boat as Harvick, as he was better when he was pushing JJ. He gave JJ that final shove into the win. You could tell WHO was in the lead with the roar of the crowd being louder than the roar of the cars. Jr led 11 laps en route to a fourth place finish, further solidifying his place in the top 10 in points.

Honorable Mention: Jeff Burton, Mark Martin, David Gilliland, Joey Logano, Carl Edwards, and Greg Biffle.

THE BAD

Kevin Conway: he ran a total of TWO laps before parking and hotfooting it out of town with his winnings. (He probably was faster hotfooting it out of town than actually on the track!)

Kurt Busch: this is going to take ALL I have as an honest, semi-professional, semi-amateur writer to keep from going off on him. Here goes. Was this Talladega, or was this bumper cars at the local amusement park, Busch? You kept punting several good cars and putting them into walls, or causing Big Ones. Let's see: do the names Brad Keselowski (YOUR OWN TEAMMATE!), Trevor Bayne, and Dave Blaney ring a FRIGGING BELL? The Blaney incident in particular was what fired me up, because he HAD A CHANCE TO WIN, BUT YOU EFFED IT ALL UP!!! Remember what they say, PAYBACK'S A REAL BIATCH, and you just drew a HUGE bulls-eye on yourself. You were good enough with the right drafting partner to win the race, but you kept punting them into the wall!!!

THE UGLY

Kurt Busch: see above.

Those are my nominees for the race. Feel free to come in with yours!

The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly -- 2011 Samsung Mobile 500

2011-04-09T20:47:00.000-07:00

This week, the Crappafoni Pictures crew is deep in the heart of Texas to serve you a heapin' helpin' of The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, complete with Texas-style BBQ, all the fixin's, and washed down with plenty of Crown and Coke. Enjoy!

THE GOOD

Matt Kenseth: as the race winner, he gets first billing. He was so dominant it looked like he was going to lap the entire field. (I think had there been fewer cautions, or a 120+ lap green flag run, Kenseth WOULD have lapped the field; he was THAT good.) Everyone else was battling for second place. Kenseth led 169 of 334 laps, or just over 50% of the race. You want to know if it's your day? He was trailing leader Clint Bowyer by about a second when Brian Vickers made contact with Bowyer and nearly spun him out. While Bowyer made a great save of the #33 Cheerios Chevrolet, he lost the lead to Kenseth, who promptly checked out. The win was Kenseth's first since the spring 2009 race at Fontana. Props also go out to the Killer B's, who kept increasing Kenseth's lead with every pit stop. Good job #17 team!

Clint Bowyer: he led 44 laps and was strong all race long. But as said earlier, drivers not named Matt Kenseth were battling for second place. Bowyer ended up being the best of those drivers.

Roush-Fenway Racing: with Kenseth (winner), Carl Edwards (3rd), Greg Biffle (4th), and David Ragan (1st career pole, 7th place finish), all four RFR drivers had stout runs. When your lowest finishing driver finishes 7th, that's pretty darn stout. At least this week, they seemed to have it together.

Paul Menard: he continues to impress with strong runs. You cannot overlook the connection he has with Slugger Labbe as his crew chief. They united in the second half of last season when both were with Petty Enterprises. Although Menard never led tonight, he was in the top 10 pretty much the whole evening.

Marcos Ambrose: he deserves props for having a strong car that stayed on the lead lap the entire race, and staying in the top 10 for pretty much the entire race. Ambrose even led a lap under green flag pit stops.

Kurt Busch: he goes in this category for leading 50 laps, mainly in the last third of the race. He rolled the dice on pit strategy, hoping for a caution to extend his fuel mileage near the end, but it stayed green.

Honorable Mention: Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr and everyone else that finished on the lead lap.

THE BAD

Mike Skinner: he was the first start and parker, running a grand total of 36 laps before declaring himself done for the day and hotfooting it out of town with his prize money. Word has it the start and parkers meet in the Todd Bodine Meeting Room to pick numbers to see who draws the sticks first. Skinner drew first, and drew the short stick tonight.

Kevin Harvick: he was uncharacteristically bad tonight. He had a poor qualifying showing (29th) and even though he finished in the top 20, he was never a factor. He was consistently 3-5 mph slower than Kenseth. Only on occasion (and it was usually on a short run) was he either even with or slightly faster than Kenseth. The 29 crew did everything they could to try to tighten up the car, but it wouldn't tighten. It stayed loose throughout the race. Just one of those days when nothing worked. To his credit, the 29 team stayed focused and determined and were able to salvage a 20th place finish.

David Reutimann: a bad season got that much worse. He couldn't seem to stay out of anyone's way on pit road. That, and he blocked in his fellow competitors. He blocked in Kevin Harvick right after Harvick's crew gave him his best pit stop of the night. Reutimann made contact with Joey Logano as he was exiting his pit and ended up blocking Harvick's exit from his pit. That cost Harvick about 10 seconds on pit road, dropping him from potentially in the top 15 to 28th. Harvick never recovered, eventually finishing two laps down. Needless to say, Happy wasn't too happy. Reutimann finished 29th, five laps down.

THE UGLY

Brian Vickers: hate to do this to BV, but his contact with Bowyer cost Bowyer a shot at a win. At that point, Bowyer HAD the car that could go toe to toe with Kenseth. WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU DOING RACING WITH BOWYER? You were already a lap down, and Bowyer gave you room to pass him because you were faster at the time. If you had been a little more patient, BV, you'd have made up your lap the hard way!

Those are my nominees for the race. Feel free to come in with yours!

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly -- 2011 Goody's Fast Relief 500

2011-04-03T16:40:00.000-07:00

This week, the Crappafoni Pictures crew is in southern Virginia for this week's The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, served up with a Martinsville Hot Dog (or as many as your heart desires) and washed down with PLENTY of Budweiser! (But be sure to have a designated driver beforehand!) Enjoy!

THE GOOD

Kevin Harvick: he snags this spot as this week's race winner. He qualified ninth but fell backwards early. Not until about halfway into the race did he start coming to the front. He was 17th at the red flag on Lap 226. From that point on, he started moving to the front, benefitted by a very long green flag run in which he led a lap, then two very quick cautions that allowed him to take the wave around and pit again. The pit strategy proved to be very beneficial, as on the penultimate pit stop he took two tires and moved towards the front, then on the final stop, he went with four tires and came out third. (He subsequently moved to second when Jimmie Johnson was busted for speeding entering pit road.) After a slow restart in which he was shuffled to fourth, Happy made his move. He passed Dale Earnhardt Jr for the lead with five laps to go and was able to pull away for his second consecutive win. With the win (his first in Cup at Martinsville), he moves to sixth in the points, and now has won in all three NASCAR divisions at Martinsville. Somehow that blown engine at Daytona now seems like years ago. Could Harvick make it three in a row at Texas on Saturday night? He runs very well there. We shall see. Great job Happy!!

Dale Earnhardt Jr: he may have thought he didn't have a great car. He was strong all day. He was in the top 15 for pretty much the whole race. And his pit crew was on top of its game, as Jr often gained spots on pit road. For awhile it looked like he was going to win, as he passed Kyle Busch late. But he knew the 29 was gaining 0.5 seconds a lap. He made one bobble too many and Harvick took advantage of it. Seeing the 29 right behind you late in the race WILL cause a driver to bobble. Ask Jimmie Johnson. That win is coming sooner rather than later, as the 88 team is running very well. Jr is now eighth in the points.

Kyle Busch: he led the most laps but faded late. IMO he used up all his equipment earlier and had nothing left at the end. He can win, he knows how to win, and a win is coming soon.

Juan Pablo Montoya: although he never led a lap, he was strong at the Big Paper Clip again, with another top 5 finish. He was in the top 10 for much of the race, and that fourth place finish is what this team needed. He stays in seventh place in the points.

Jeff Gordon: he checked out when he was leading, and was strong on long runs. But he struggled on restarts and short runs. Still, he merits a place here because he was strong overall, leading 37 laps en route to a fifth place finish.

Clint Bowyer: Harvick's RCR teammate led 91 laps and got plenty of face time for BB&T. However he faded very late, and held on for a top 10 finish.

Jamie McMurray: he won the pole in Saturday morning qualifying and led 31 laps. He faded for awhile, but rallied for a solid top 10 finish.

Honorable Mention: Matt Kenseth, David Ragan, and Mark Martin.

THE BAD

Joe Nemechek: he was the first start and parker. He had the misfortune to draw the short stick at the prerace start and parkers meeting in the Todd Bodine Meeting Room. He declared himself done after 25 laps.

Tony Stewart: he uncharacteristically struggled today. Even though it's well-known he starts the season slow and picks up, he's usually in the top 25 at the end of a race. If it wasn't pit road penalties, it was something else. Smoke was even caught up in a wreck. He limped home in 34th, nearly 40 laps down. (Smoke, it's not often that I put you here, but I must today.)

THE UGLY

Dave Blaney: is he STILL causing an accident? He DID have a car that WAS competitive, and even after his first two accidents was still on the lead lap. The third accident doomed his chances of a strong finish. He did finish, but was 14 laps down at the end. And this relates to:

Tires: there were issues with the tires DURING the race. Blaney had three different incidents, and several other drivers cut tires and had to pit during green flag runs.

Martin Truex Jr/Kasey Kahne: these two were involved in a horrific crash on Lap 223 when Truex cut a tire and his throttle stuck. Kahne was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Truex hit the wall HARD and if it hadn't been for Kahne being a cushion, Truex would have hit the wall a second time. No matter what Truex tried to do to avoid Kahne, he couldn't. Truex even hit the kill switch on the #56 Toyota but THAT didn't work. Glad that both drivers are fine and will race again next week. A sub-Good to NASCAR for their improvements in safety.

Those are my nominees for the race. Feel free to chime in!

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly -- 2011 Auto Club 400

2011-03-27T15:35:00.000-07:00

We are California Dreamin' for this week's The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, brought to you by Crappafoni Pictures. Help yourselves to plenty of SoCal-style cuisine, and Grab Some Buds to wash it down along the way. (But be sure to have a designated driver BEFORE partaking!) Enjoy! THE GOOD Kevin Harvick: as this week's winner, he gets first billing. He started from fairly deep in the field (24th, to be exact). By Lap 55, he was in the top 10 at tenth, as he was a beneficiary of the longest green flag run to start a race in the track's history. The 29 was stout on the long runs, and he was able to make up ground on those long runs. You knew late in the race he was coming, especially when Kyle Busch started fading and dropping off speedwise. Happy benefitted from Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Busch racing each other late. Harvick passed Jimmie Johnson on the final lap coming out of turn 4 and took the checkered flag for his and Richard Childress Racing's first Cup win at the track he considers his home track, as Bakersfield is two hours north. (Harvick has won there in the Busch Series for RCR.) With the win, Harvick moves from 15th to 9th in points, and in the last two weeks, he has gained 11 spots in the points. Apparently, the engine woes at Daytona were an aberration. When he took the checkered flag, that was the ONLY lap Harvick led in the entire race. He gets 43 points for winning, plus the three bonus points for the win, plus one point for leading a lap. Way to go Happy!! Jimmie Johnson: like Harvick, he got stronger later in the race, but he wasn't as strong coming out of Turns 3 & 4 as Harvick. He was able to hold off Harvick until Turn 4. He was able to track down Kyle Busch with two laps to go. Kyle Busch: he led the most laps by far but faded at the end, being passed by both Harvick and Johnson. It looked like he was going to run and hide from the field, but on the last long run of the race, his speeds dropped off drastically, while Johnson and Harvick were the fastest cars on the track. Matt Kenseth: he took a page out of Harvick's book as he started 11th but went backwards, then his crew righted the car and in the second half of the race the 17 ran much better. Ryan Newman: he was solid all day, even leading a couple of laps during green flag pit stops. He drove a smart race, took what the car gave him, and rode it to a very solid fifth place finish. The race itself: you had the funny feeling that even though Kyle Busch led nearly every lap run, he would either a) barely hang on to win; or b) Johnson and Harvick would run him down. With three laps to go, Johnson caught him, and they were racing each other, which allowed Harvick to catch and ultimately overcome both Busch and Johnson. SWEET crossover move by Harvick! (Johnson thought Harvick was going to pass on the outside and Harvick dove inside, aided by a tremendous run coming off turn 4; Johnson was a sitting duck at that point.) Best finish at ACS ever! Honorable Mention: Carl Edwards, Clint Bowyer, Kasey Kahne, Brian Vickers, Juan Pablo Montoya (a sub-Good for winning the pole). THE BAD JGR engines: the JGR engineers HAD to be on pins and needles all day when Joey Logano had a previously undiagnosed engine problem this morning and they had to go to the rear of the field due to the ensuing engine change. That cost him the third starting position. Then Denny Hamlin's engine went away. Then Kyle Busch faded at the end. Logano ended up finishing 25th, the last driver on the lead lap. Phantom cautions: the first two cautions were for "debris" that WASN'T EVEN THERE or didn't affect the flow of the race. I can see debris cautions if an ACTUAL piece of debris came off one of the cars and affected the flow and integrity of the race; THEN you throw a debris caution. One of the three debris cautions WAS correct, when an axle came off the 78 car and shot across the track. Otherwise there would have been only THREE cautions, the other two being for both Bobby Labonte and Andy Lally slapping the wall in separate incidents. (Both Labonte and Lally cut tires and they led to the cautions.) This writer: I HAD changed from JJ to Happy in the Trifecta, then did ANOTHER change, to Carl Edwards. Should have stuck with Happy, as I would have had a chance to win. Oh well, it is what it is. I give myself a bad for changing from Happy to Cousin Carl. THE UGLY Tony Stewart: what happened Smoke? You were third going into the final restart and had a chance to win but dropped back like a stone and finished 13th. THAT in itself merited an Ugly. And you wouldn't explain WHY you dropped back, instead leaving without answering questions--ANOTHER Ugly for that! We get you want to win, but at least I'd have wanted an explanation WHY you dropped off the pace on the last restart. Those are my nominees for the race. Feel free to come in with yours (and razz me in the process for my picking Edwards).

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly -- 2011 Jeff Byrd 500

2011-03-20T17:06:00.000-07:00

This week, the Crappafoni Pictures crew is in Thunder Valley at the Bullring, aka Bristol Motor Speedway for this week's serving of The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, southern BBQ-style, and washed down with plenty of NOS Energy Drink. Enjoy!

THE GOOD

Kyle Busch: as the race winner, he gets first billing. He was dominant when he needed to be. He led the last 25 laps of the race in becoming the new master of Bristol, sweeping the NNS and Sprint Cup races. He becomes the fourth different winner of the season. Good job Kyle!

Carl Edwards: he won the pole and looked strong throughout the race, and for awhile it appeared he would get his second win this season, and fourth in the last six races. He gains a spot in the standings, going from third to second. An extra Good for running the fastest lap of the entire race.

Jimmie Johnson: he led the most laps in the race, and was in position to win his second consecutive spring race, but a bad final pit stop put him in the bottom half of the top 10. That bad stop cost him any chance to win. One small consolation, he's going home next week to Fontana, where he is dominant.

Matt Kenseth: he took a page out of Kevin Harvick's book as the field asked, "Where did HE come from?" Although he was in the top 15 for much of the race, he wasn't a factor until the end, when he came from seemingly nowhere to finish fourth. He never led, but the 17 crew made his car better as the race went on. Kudos to the crew for getting the job done.

Paul Menard: at the Chase, he finally began to show his potential as a driver, and had good results despite less than stellar equipment. Since joining RCR, he's finally starting to put it together with stellar equipment and getting good runs on a consistent basis. The Menard/Slugger Labbe pairing of driver and crew chief is really paying dividends this year. For the first time in his career, he LOOKED like a front-running driver. He led very early in the race and was in the top 10 for pretty much the whole race. He's currently carrying the banner for RCR at sixth place in the points standings. Good run Paul!

Kevin Harvick: he looked like he had a car that could contend for the win, as he was especially good on short runs, and Bristol always seems to have a late race caution to set up a short run. Happy wasn't so happy late in the race when he checked up to avoid a loose Kasey Kahne and Mark Martin plowed into his left rear quarter panel, spinning out Harvick. He restarted 17th and fought all the way back to finish sixth, just behind his teammate Paul Menard. He moves up five spots in the standings, from 20th to 15th. After a very slow start at Daytona, where he blew an engine early and finished 42nd, he's looking like the Happy of last season, when he was consistently ripping off top 5's and top 10's.

Honorable Mention: Kurt Busch, Kasey Kahne, Greg Biffle, and Ryan Newman. (ANOTHER top 10 in the Tornados Chevrolet for Newman!)

Honorable Mention #2: Jon Jones (UFC fighter)--he foiled a robbery several hours before his championship fight in UFC 127. This has nothing to do with NASCAR, but Mr. Jones deserves kudos for foiling a robbery. (It did have a chase, where Jones chased down the robber on foot and held him down until police arrived.)

THE BAD

Michael McDowell: he was the first to start and park, running 35 laps and declaring himself done for the day. He drew the short stick this week at the start and parkers' meeting in the Todd Bodine Meeting Room.

Jimmie Johnson's crew: they cost him a win, plain and simple, with that horrible final pit stop. Although Johnson made up a spot on the track, it wasn't enough. Give Kyle Busch a lead of that size and he'll take advantage of it. One of his crew members slipped on that final stop, costing him a few spots.

THE UGLY

Clint Bowyer: he must have felt like a ping-pong ball today, with him slapping the wall a couple of times. He was put out of his misery late in the race when his engine blew as a result of the nose of his car blocking the radiator and preventing air from getting in and cooling the engine.

Ol' DW: shillin' for Toyota again!!! DW, you seem like a good person at heart, and you're very likeable, but your shilling for Toyota is growing tiresome. I know your brother owns a couple of Cup teams and they run Toyotas, but enough already!

Those are my nominees for the race. Feel free to come in with yours!

NASCAR off-week

2011-03-13T23:54:00.000-07:00

This weekend was the first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series off-week. So what did yours truly do in NASCAR's absence? Went to church and puttered around the house afterwards, bemoaning the fact that there was no Sprint Cup this weekend. There was a truck race yesterday but yours truly was very busy cleaning up the yard at the new house. (With much higher than normal rainfall weeds crop up all over the place!). Kasey Kahne, driving for Kyle Busch, won the Too Tough To Tame 200 at Darlington. Matt Crafton (whose hometown, Tulare, CA, is half an hour away from me) extended his points lead with a solid top 5 finish.

With no Nationwide Series or Cup Series, I got down and dirty yesterday, tackling weeds, draining out murky water from the koi pond in the back yard, and planting new flowers. There's nothing like tackling yard work on a sunny and cool day; you could be outside for hours on end and not complain about it. Despite all that was accomplished, not everything is finished. But it's getting closer. Needless to say, I was exhausted, but exhilarated at the same time. It was close to 5 pm when I called it a day and sat outside enjoying a beer or two. (I drink just enough to enjoy the beer without getting a buzz.) Dinner consisted of BBQ chicken breasts, mixed veggies, rice, and garlic bread. (Yummy!) The time change really screwed up my sleep pattern, though.

Today consisted of church in the morning. (I go to the first service--early bird gets the Word!) The associate pastor challenged us and exhorted us at the same time. Then I got some cupcakes at a nearby cupcake shop prior to returning home. I puttered around most of the day and squeezed in a nap as well.

Next week, the crew will be refreshed and ready to go from Bristol aka The Bullring. (Picture the Roman Colosseum on steroids and you have Bristol.) Ya think there will be some short tempers, especially with the new points system and EVERY point at a premium? I look for some guys to be called out, other guys to be called idiots, morons, etc., and the puntees into the wall to call the punters idiots, morons, etc. I'll even go out on a limb and predict the winner at Bristol: Juan Pablo Montoya. JPM gets his first NASCAR win on an oval at an unlikely venue by holding off a hard-charging Carl Edwards. (I may well be wrong, but I can dream. He won at Sonoma in 2007 and at the Glen last season.) While he's done well at Martinsville, he's not done well at Bristol, but this is where he changes his luck.

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly -- 2011 Kobalt Tools 400

2011-03-06T16:59:00.000-08:00

This week the Crappafoni Pictures crew is in Sin City for this week's The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, served buffet-style with any kind of food you want to eat, and any kind of beverage you want to drink. Gamblers especially welcome.

THE GOOD

Carl Edwards: this is his third win in the last five races, dating back to last season. (He was also second at Daytona and had the car to beat at Phoenix, but was in the wrong place at the wrong time.) As such, he gets first billing. He was stout, and was up front pretty much the whole race. (He was second in laps led.) He's looking more and more like the Edwards of 2008, when he was ripping off wins in bunches.

Tony Stewart: Smoke led the most laps in the race (163), but when he took four tires on the final pit stop, he lost his track position. But what was his ultimate undoing was a speeding penalty on pit road. He tipped his hand too early in the race when he took two tires to gain track position; the rest of the field saw that it worked and later on Stewart was cooked. He did real well in finishing second. Stewart felt that he gave the race away. I disagree. Edwards was too strong for the field.

Juan Pablo Montoya: he was unusually strong (by Vegas standards). LVMS has been a graveyard for the Colombian driver; usually this is one of his worst tracks. Not today. He was strong throughout, even leading seven laps en route to his third place finish. He's a legitimate threat to make the Chase this year IF he's consistent. An oval win is coming in the not too distant future. (Perhaps at Bristol?)

Marcos Ambrose: "Kangaroo Meat" (as Kevin Harvick nicknamed him when Ambrose broke into NASCAR) took advantage of a strong qualifying effort (2nd) and ran up front most of the race. Looks like the decision to drive for Richard Petty is paying off. Good job Marcos! Hope we see you in this category more often!

Ryan Newman: back to back top 5s! He followed up his fifth place effort in the desert with another fifth place finish in Sin City. Props also go out to his pit crew for consistently fast pit stops and more often than not gaining ground through pit stops.

Brian Vickers: in his third race back from battling blood clots and missing most of last year, he scores a top 10 finish, and has shown no ill effects from surgery last year to repair a hole in his heart and the medication he took for the clots. Good job Brian!

Sub-Good: Paul Menard, for running the fastest lap of the race, 176.039 MPH.

Honorable Mention: Dale Earnhardt Jr, Denny Hamlin, Martin Truex Jr, and Kurt Busch.

THE BAD

Greg Biffle: or more specifically, his pit crew. On more than one occasion, the gas man didn't put enough gas in the tank. Biff had to return the first time because it was under caution, and the second time it was during a green flag pit stop that cost him THREE LAPS. I'm sure that had one of the RFR cars been out of the race, Greg Erwin would have swapped crews a la Chad Knaus. Better to get the kinks out now rather than near the Chase. Biffle had a car that was capable of winning the race, but he had a ten cent pit crew, at least for today.

The race itself: BORING. Long green flag runs on a mile and a half track do not make for good racing. The Fox crew had to describe it somehow. The next guy that can comment with excitement on watching paint dry will be the first. That's how the racing was--like watching paint dry. Can we just have two 1.5 mile tracks, Charlotte and Atlanta, and either blow the rest of them up or shutter them?

Landon Cassill: he was the first start and parker. He was the unfortunate soul that drew the short stick at the Start and Parkers' meeting in the Todd Bodine Meeting Room. At least he went longer than the typical start and parker--he went 33 laps!!

THE UGLY

The race itself: see above.

Those are my nominees for the race. Feel free to come in and comment.

The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly -- 2011 Subway Fresh Fit 500

2011-02-27T16:04:00.000-08:00

This week's edition of The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly comes right at you from the Valley of the Sun. GBU is served up desert-style, with plenty of southwestern spicy flavor, washed down with plenty of Pepsi and Pepsi Max. Enjoy!

THE GOOD

Jeff Gordon: he gets first slot as this week's race winner. What a way to break a 66-race winless streak! Gordon led the most laps, even after suffering damage due to a wreck on lap 60. He passed Kyle Busch with eight laps to go and cruised to his 83rd career win, tying Cale Yarborough on the all-time wins list. With Alan Gustafson as his crew chief, I can see a few more wins in Gordon's season, maybe another championship before he retires. Good job Jeff!

Kyle Busch: he had a GREAT weekend. Winner of the truck race on Friday night. Led EVERY lap in the Nationwide Series race last night. Finished second today. He leaves Phoenix with a three-point lead over older brother Kurt. It's the first time family has been 1-2 in the points standings since after the 1988 Daytona 500, when Davey (son) and Bobby Allison (father) were in the top 2 in the points.

Jimmie Johnson: he basically made chicken salad out of chicken(bleep). He had a HORRIBLE car all throughout the weekend. He struggled to get any speed in qualifying, struggled with it in practice, and struggled at the beginning of the race. But what helped is that he was able to escape two major crashes that affected over half the field. Today, he was more lucky than good, but his car got better as the race went on. After crashing at Daytona and leaving there with a bad finish, he gets a much-needed top 3 finish. Phoenix was the medicine the 48 team needed.

Kevin Harvick: he got affected by the first big wreck on lap 60 when Carl Edwards and Kyle Busch made contact. Harvick checked up to avoid the carnage when he was bumped from behind by Mark Martin, sending Harvick spinning. There was some damage to Harvick's rear bumpers, but not enough to adversely affect the car and he was able to stay on the lead lap. Then right after the restart, The Big One hit when Matt Kenseth flat-out wrecked Brian Vickers, sending him sideways. (Ya think there's going to be payback down the road? I think so.) Harvick avoided the carnage by stopping while the carnage was taking place. (He was at the rear of the field at the time.) Happy rallied to a fourth-place finish, a MUCH needed top 5 after the worst showing of his career last week.

Ryan Newman: he was strong in the Tornados paint scheme again at Phoenix. (Yaaay Dinuba, CA--where the parent company of Tornados is located!) Newman led seven laps en route to a fifth-place finish.

Tony Stewart: Smoke was stout for most of the race, and for awhile, he was the car to beat. But on the final pit stop he took on two tires and gambled on track position. Two tires wasn't the way to go, unlike last year, when Newman gambled and won. Smoke went backwards in a hurry. It's easy to second guess him now, but it's better to roll the dice now and fail than to roll the dice at Richmond and miss out on the Chase entirely as a result of a failed gamble. I thought it was a gutsy call myself. He gambled and lost. Simple as that. Still, a top 10 is good.

Kurt Busch: like Smoke, the Double Deuce was stout, particularly in the first half of the race. He was on the point for 31 laps total. Although he fell off a bit late, he was still strong enough to finish in the top 10.

Honorable Mention: Kasey Kahne, AJ Allmendinger, and Dale Earnhardt Jr.

THE BAD

Joe Nemechek: he was the first start and parker, declaring himself done after running just 22 laps.

Dave Blaney: he was the second start and parker, turning five more laps than Nemechek.

Matt Kenseth: it isn't often that I put a lead lap car in this category. But he goes here because he caused the Big One by wrecking Brian Vickers and cutting his tire in the process. As soon as he did his damage to Vickers' #83 Red Bull Toyota, he drove off while cars were wrecking behind him. Understandably, Vickers wasn't too happy with Kenseth and hinted at payback down the road.

THE UGLY

The two wrecks: these two wrecks affected more than half the field, with the Big One causing a red flag to be thrown for 15 minutes for track cleanup. Carl Edwards was affected the most, because he had to go behind the wall for a whole new front end. A sub-Good goes to Edwards for returning to the track in 39th position and gaining 11 positions to finish 28th. (IF Edwards does win the championship, he can point to this race where he won it by gaining all those positions.)

Those are my nominees for the week. Feel free to come in with yours!

The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly -- 2011 Daytona 500

2011-02-20T16:50:00.000-08:00

Howdy race fans! This week's serving of The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly by Crappafoni Pictures is a good mix of youth and experience, with a twist of flair and a dash of drama. Served with new dinnerware and flatware. Enjoy!

THE GOOD

Trevor Bayne: as the race winner, he gets first billing. He is the youth in the recipe. At 20 years one day, he becomes the youngest winner of the 500 and the second youngest winner in Sprint Cup history. He also ties a record in winning in just his second Cup start, joining Jamie McMurray, who accomplished the feat at Charlotte in October 2002. He also joins Lee Petty as the only drivers to win the Daytona 500 in their first start in the Great American Race. (Lee Petty won the inaugural Daytona 500.) For the first time since David Pearson in 1976, the Wood Brothers are back in Victory Lane in the Great American Race. It's also the first time the Wood Brothers 21 car has won since Elliott Sadler's first Cup win in 2001. And also he joins six other drivers to have their first Cup win be the Daytona 500. What cannot be overlooked is the block Bayne put on Carl Edwards coming out of turn 4 for the final time. He looked like a 10-year veteran that's won a few titles rather than a rookie in just his second start. Great block! Congratulations Trevor!

Carl Edwards: he very nearly won his third straight points race, but the aforementioned block by Bayne put the kibosh on that. He ran a smart, sound race, and was PATIENT, something he's had a short supply of in the past. Although he never led, he put himself in a position to possibly win the 500. He now leads the points standings by one over Bobby Labonte and David Gilliland.

David Gilliland: like Edwards, he ran a smart, sound race, and slowly crept his way towards the front. He managed to stay out of trouble when the leading contenders FOUND trouble. And like Edwards, he never led, but put himself in position for a very good finish.

Kurt Busch: he had an amazing Speedweeks. He won the Bud Shootout, one of the two twin 125s, and was stout in the 500. It looked like he was going to be the first driver to win the Speedweeks Trifecta (Shootout, 125s, and 500). When he lost his draft partner Regan Smith, he paired with younger brother Kyle, but Kyle didn't have the juice Regan had. Still, Kurt had a Speedweeks to remember.

Regan Smith: he had an AWESOME Speedweeks. He and Kurt Busch did a LOT of dancing together during Speedweeks and the 500. But late in the race, he and Busch got separated, Tony Stewart tried to bump Busch into Smith, but bumped too hard. That led to the wreck that ended Smith's chances to win the 500. A great bounce back to finish seventh, easily his best Daytona result.

Juan Pablo Montoya: he was strongest in the middle of the race, when he and Jamie McMurray swapped the lead. The Ganassi teammates ran well together, but when McMurray lost a cylinder and dropped off the pace, Montoya had to find a new partner. He was in a late race crash that could have killed his chances for a strong finish, but he dug in for a sixth place finish.

David Ragan: he was in prime position to get his first Cup win until he got black flagged for leaving his lane prior to passing the start/finish line. He had to start at the tail end of the lead lap and that was too many positions to make up. But he gets a Good for running up front for most of the race.

Brian Vickers: his first race in nine months after battling life-threatening blood clots. The long-term prognosis for Vickers is good. Unfortunately he got caught up in a crash. Welcome back to Cup, Brian!

THE BAD

J.J. Yeley: he was the first car out with engine trouble at lap 10.

Michael Waltrip: in possibly his final 500, he causes the Big One on lap 29 that took out A LOT of good cars, including 3/4 of Hendrick Motorsports' lineup. (Can you guess which HMS driver was NOT involved?)

THE UGLY

Kevin Harvick: for the first time in nearly 160 races, he blows an engine, and blows it early. The ECR engine packages are usually some of the most reliable engines on the circuit, and for Harvick to blow the engine early was an anomaly, to put it mildly. A sub-Good to Harvick for leading a lap early.

Jeff Burton: Harvick's RCR teammate also blew an engine, but his lasted 72 laps longer than Harvick's. A sub-Good to Burton for leading laps and running a sound race up to that point.

Those are my nominees for the race. Feel free to come in with yours!

The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly -- 2011 Budweiser Shootout

2011-02-12T19:12:00.000-08:00

Race fans! Let us here at Crappafoni Pictures be the first to welcome you back to a new season of NASCAR, which means a new series of The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. We bring you this served with the local flavor of the track. For Daytona, it's served fried-fish style, and washed down with PLENTY of Budweiser. Because of the small field of the Shootout, there will be fewer entries in each category. Enjoy!

THE GOOD

Kurt Busch: as the race winner, he gets first billing. He had the best car when it counted. He was also fortunate when Denny Hamlin advanced his position below the double yellow line. In NASCAR, that's a no-no. This is Busch's first restrictor plate win in any race. A good start for the Double Deuce as they embark on their relationship with their new sponsor, Pennzoil.

Jamie McMurray: he was content to be tethered to the Double Deuce's rear end. While he didn't lead a lap, he was strong throughout on his own merit.

Ryan Newman: Rocketman was just that, a rocket. He led a good part of the final portion of the Shootout before being passed by Busch and McMurray. This bodes well for him at the 500.

The racing itself: in a short segment, no one really checked out. It wasn't until near the end of the race that you had drafting partners checking out.

RCR Racing: Jeff Burton and Kevin Harvick were drafting partners for the first segment, and Burton led more than half the laps in that segment. When Burton was drafting with Clint Bowyer in the second segment, they fell off a bit. Jeff Gordon, who had a bit of a slow car, paired up with Harvick and almost immediately they went to the front. At one point, Gordon was leading, followed by the three RCR cars. An extra Good goes out to Harvick, who had a stout car, as evidenced by his pushing the Jeffs to the front.

THE BAD

None: there were no start and parkers in the Shootout.

THE UGLY

Regan Smith: he brought out the first in-race caution on Lap 28, shortly after the 50-lap segment began by making contact with Carl Edwards and causing a multi-car accident.

Kasey Kahne: his Shootout was over almost as soon as it started. Not a good start for the #4 Red Bull Toyota. His luck's GOTTA change soon!

Those are my nominees for the Shootout. Feel free to come in with yours!

The 12 Chase Drivers for 2011

2011-02-12T10:39:00.000-08:00

Greetings my fellow NASCAR fans! A new season is upon us. This is where you hope SOMEONE will be able to dethrone Jimmie Johnson THIS season. Having said that, here are my 12 drivers that will make the Chase this season, in predicted order of finish, starting with 12th. (An asterisk next to their name denotes wild card.)

Jeff Burton*: he'll finish just outside the top 10, but will make it based on his three wins going into the Chase. But there are too many other good drivers ahead of him for him to make serious noise in the Chase. Predicted finish: 12th.
Clint Bowyer: he'll be more consistent than last season. Predicted finish: 11th.
Tony Stewart: I'm probably going to catch some flak from Smoke fans, but I see him having one bad race early in the Chase that will have him trailing the field. That one bad race will cost him a chance to win his third title. He'll do his best to catch up, but I only see him gaining three spots. But, if he avoids that, he'll be in contention. (I hope he's consistent, and he's in contention heading into Homestead.) Predicted finish: 10th.
Jeff Gordon: we'll see him in Victory Lane this season. Paired with Alan Gustafson, I won't be surprised to see him contend for the title. However, I see him falling a bit short. Predicted finish: 9th.
Kyle Busch: he'll be the only Busch Brother in the Chase. It's either going to be hit or miss. He'll have a few misses along with a lot of hits. He'll run better than last year, but the competition is very intense, and he'll fall short. Predicted finish: 8th.
Greg Biffle: we'll see Biff in Victory Lane a few times this season, and he'll be strong heading into the Chase. But I see a late season fade. Predicted finish: 7th.
Denny Hamlin: last year had to be demoralizing, when he had the championship lead going into Homestead, but made that crucial error allowing Jimmie Johnson to overtake him. I see some hangover this year. Predicted finish: 6th.
Matt Kenseth: he'll be his usual consistent self in the Chase. He'll finish where he started in the Chase. Predicted finish: 5th.
Jamie McMurray*: he'll finish behind Burton in the regular season standings, but get in based on his three wins going into the Chase. I see him getting on a roll and winning a couple more races in the Chase. He'll be in contention heading into Homestead, but struggles at Homestead will cost him a chance at a championship. He'll learn and grow from this. Predicted finish: 4th.
Carl Edwards: he ended last season on a roll, winning the final two races and establishing himself as a contender. IF he finishes as strong as he starts, he COULD end up dethroning JJ. But I don't see it happening, at least not this year. He'll be stout, but fall just short. Predicted finish: 3rd.
Kevin Harvick: he had arguably the best season of his Cup career. He led the points for much of the season. Due to the bonuses in the Chase, he started in third and finished there. He'll start in third and improve a position. Predicted finish: 2nd.
Jimmie Johnson: he'll be here until someone dethrones him. I look for him to win a very tight battle between him, Harvick, and Edwards. Your 2011 Sprint Cup Champion: JIMMIE JOHNSON. Predicted finish: 1st and still Champion.

Those are my 12 Chase drivers for this year. It was very hard deciding on WHO was going to make the Chase, as I think 15 drivers could be Chase contenders. Just as I see these drivers I think could win it all: Johnson, Harvick, Edwards, McMurray, Stewart, Gordon, Kyle Busch, and Hamlin. LET'S GO RACIN' BOYS!

New Pitt football coach jailed

2011-01-01T13:53:00.000-08:00

Let me start this with this disclaimer: I am NOT an expert on Pitt Panthers football, or college football for that matter. I will say this, though: I do have a take on this matter.

As many of you may know, new Pitt Panthers football coach Mike Haywood was jailed on domestic violence charges in South Bend, Indiana yesterday. Haywood succeeded Dave Wannstedt, who was either fired or forced to resign, depending on your perspective. Regardless, Wannstedt was out, and Haywood is in, at least for the time being.

According to Assistant St. Joseph County Police Chief Bill Redman, Haywood was arrested around 3 PM local time yesterday after an incident involving child custody. The woman with whom Haywood has a child told police that Haywood grabbed her by the arm and neck and pushed her as she was trying to leave. Haywood will be held without bond in St. Joseph's County Jail until he appears before a judge, possibly by Monday.

This is NOT a good way to start the New Year, and especially NOT a good way to start your tenure at a major Division 1 program. The University of Pittsburgh athletic department will decline further comment until more complete information is available. HUH?? HOW ABOUT FIRING THE GUY!!! He obviously has character issues that affect how he's going to coach! And how about firing the Pittsburgh AD while you're at it?? Coaches SHOULD be held to a different (how about higher?) standard than most professions.

Regardless, this is a HUGE black eye on the University of Pittsburgh. Do something right. Cut your losses and fire Haywood and AD Pederson.

UPDATE: Per several Pitt Panther players, Haywood will be fired, perhaps as soon as tomorrow.

Additional information courtesy of Yahoo! Sports.

Merry Christmas

2010-12-25T11:16:00.001-08:00

To all of my friends and fellow Lug Nutters, may you all have a blessed and Merry Christmas and have a WONDERFUL day!

Carolina Panthers--Week 16

2010-12-24T00:13:00.000-08:00

Being a Panthers fan out on the west coast, I don't get to see many of their games, unless they're playing the 49ers or Raiders, and that's a rarity. (They did get one of their two wins against the Niners this year.) The NFL-N offered me as a fan a RARE treat: a nationally televised game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Perhaps it's time to stuff the Panthers back into obscurity after this game.

OH the horrah!! After a pretty decent start in which they moved the ball, the Steelers adjusted and the Panthers didn't. Therein lies the problem. Coaching, or lack thereof. The Panthers DO have talent on both sides of the ball, but they're not well-coached. Too many mental errors, breakdowns in coverages, poor tackling--they can be attributed to poor coaching. The players DO play hard and have no quit in them--that is a testament to John Fox.

Offensively, the Panthers have the WORST offensive coordinator in Jeff Davidson. No imagination, doesn't make adjustments, and doesn't put his players in a position to succeed. Plus no quarterback stability doesn't help. I'm ready for the Panthers to draft Andrew Luck IF he comes out. (Rumor has it IF Jim Harbaugh stays at Stanford, Luck will stay also.) Jimmy Clausen is NOT cutting it. The Panthers could very well be the first team since the 1992 Seattle Seahawks to NOT score multiple touchdowns in ANY game in a season, as they (mercifully) finish their season against Atlanta. One good thing, though: they ALWAYS give Atlanta a hard time. This is embarrassing: finishing up against two Super Bowl-caliber teams and not even showing up.

Defensively, they have an emerging stud in DE Charles Johnson. He has six consecutive games with a QB sack, tying the franchise record set by Kevin Greene WAY back in 1996. (He sacked Big Ben TWICE.) Now they need a BIG run-stuffer, a big oak tree in the middle that stops opposing runners in their tracks. I like how DC Ron Meeks makes adjustments, but sometimes he overthinks himself. The linebacking corps that was in there wasn't bad--Beason is a stud, but he had a couple of guys off the street alongside him. The secondary is PUTRID. THEY CAN'T COVER ANYONE!! Any one of the Lug Nuts could have made a big play on that secondary with Big Ben throwing to us!! GET RID OF THE WHOLE SECONDARY EXCEPT FOR CHRIS GAMBLE (He was out with an injury.)

As far as special teams, they have a good punt returner in Captain Munnerlyn. But they need someone that is a threat to make a house call on kickoff returns. A Devin Hester-type, if you will. Someone that strikes abject fear into the hearts of their opponents. The guys we have don't do that. Steve Smith USED to do that when he returned punts and kickoffs way back in the day. Kicking wise, John Kasay is old, not as accurate as he used to be, and doesn't kickoff any more due to his decreased length on kickoffs. Jason Baker is atrocious as a punter. Granted, the wind was swirling and was consistently between 15-20 MPH. It even knocked down the Steelers' punter's punts.

Overall, the game was unwatchable. What made it unwatchable was how atrocious the Panthers' offense is, aside from Jonathan Stewart. Even Smith dropped a few balls, which is uncharacteristic of him.

My take on the Panthers is this: they need an identity. Mr. Richardson needs to hire someone to handle ALL the football operations and pay him HUGE jack. John Fox won't return; that's pretty much the worst-kept secret in the league. I'm torn about whether or not hiring Bill Cowher is a good move. On the surface it is. But does HE want to subject himself to the grind of coaching again? AND would he want total control of the operations? What about his emotions in dealing with his late wife's passing over the summer? Those are questions that Mr. Richardson and Cowher would have to answer. IF Mr. Richardson is going to hire someone to control the football operations, he NEEDS to trust him and let him do his job.

As the GM, I'd be inclined to hire a coach that stresses discipline and character, and who would want to bring in good character players. Then let him hire his own coaching staff. (But getting rid of Davidson is A MUST.) I'd make recommendations and suggestions, but the final decision would be the head coach's to make. If the new coach requests, I'd draft Andrew Luck (if he comes out) first overall and bring Jake Delhomme back as that veteran QB and mentor to Luck. I'd dangle Clausen as trade bait. A functional movement coach would be hired to reduce the amount of injuries to the players. NO detail would be unattended.

The Panthers DO have talent, they just need an overhaul of the coaching staff, plus an identity.

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly -- 2010 Ford 400

2010-11-21T13:51:00.000-08:00

For the final time this season, the Crappafoni Pictures crew is in South Beach (actually a few miles inland) for this week's serving of The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, complete with Cuban sandwiches, paella, and washed down with plenty of drinks of your choice. Enjoy!

THE GOOD

Jimmie Johnson: I put him here because he won his fifth championship in a row. And he finished second in the race to Carl Edwards. He becomes the first driver since the late Alan Kulwicki in 1992 to win the championship on the final race when trailing in the points going into the race. (Kulwicki was about the same number of markers behind Bill Elliott as Johnson was today.)

Carl Edwards: as the race winner, he would normally get first billing, but the championship winner does in this case. He earns an extra Good for winning the final two races of the season and stamps himself as a legitimate championship contender next season. And an EXTRA Good for this race for leading the most laps and being dominant.

Kevin Harvick: although he didn't lead a lap, he ran the wheels off the 29 in a desperate attempt to win the title and the race. He came up short on both accounts. He also suffered a speeding penalty coming onto pit road with less than 100 laps to go, wiping out his exiting pit road in first place and taking five bonus points off the board. He was able to overcome that with timely cautions falling into place and coming in for four tires and fuel with every stop. (Harvick was using tires allotted to Jeff Burton, as he had crashed earlier and was many laps down.) He finished third in this race, and third for the season. (He wins the points under the pre-Chase scenario, though!) He'll also be a legitimate title contender next season.

Aric Almirola: his best run by FAR in the #9. He was in the top 10 all afternoon, thrilling the home-state crowd. My question is: why isn't this guy in a full-time ride in Cup?? He's shown in limited opportunities he CAN get the job done. He'll be in the 88 full-time in the Nationwide Series next year.

AJ Allmendinger: way to finish strong AJ! He'll know tomorrow if he even has a ride next year with Richard Petty Motorsports, as that whole enterprise may be shuttered due to circumstances beyond his control. He's shown he has earned a ride in Cup. Let's hope he does have a ride in Cup next year.

Kasey Kahne: his sixth place finish bodes well for him and Red Bull as he steps into the 82 car vacated by Scott Speed. (Brian Vickers will return to the 83 next year.) Kahne and his crew seemed to be clicking as the season ended.

Stewart-Haas Racing: Tony Stewart (7th) and Ryan Newman (8th) finished strong, which bodes well for them next season. Newman, in particular, looks like a legitimate Chase contender next year. (I'll have my predictions in late January.)

Bill Elliott: Awesome Bill from Dawsonville was stout in qualifying, and was in the top 10 late in the race before fading and finishing 15th. Even as a part-time driver, he's still competitive. Still a good run from one of NASCAR's all-time good guys. Great job!

THE BAD

Mike Ford: Denny Hamlin's crew chief made some bad decisions in the last two races that cost his driver the championship. At Phoenix, it was bad fuel strategy. Today, it was a missed pit stop. He had Hamlin stay out while a lot of other drivers pitted. It backfired as Hamlin went backwards in a hurry. Ford will learn from his mistakes and he'll be a better crew chief for it. He is fortunate that Hamlin is ultra competitive and can drive the wheels off the car.

THE UGLY

Kyle Busch: he made contact with Harvick coming out of Turn 4, spun out, and crashed into the inside wall right in front of the start/finish line. Replays clearly showed Busch sliding in front of Harvick, who had NO WAY of avoiding him. He blamed Harvick for the crash, calling him among other things, "two-faced." Busch will see things differently when he sees the replay. Harvick had a tremendous run coming off the turn and if he slows down, both he and Busch crash. That's why Harvick stayed on the gas. Just a racing incident. If anything, it was Kyle's fault for being reckless.

Jeff Gordon: what a way to end the season--a blown engine. It was a snapshot of Gordon's season: runs strong, then something unforeseen pops up. He's still 0-for-Homestead.

My final thoughts on the season: it was a very interesting one, to say the least. Gotta thank the crew for a fantastic season. Most of all, I thank the fans for making NASCAR the great sport that it is. Hope you all have very great and blessed Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons. We'll see you all at Daytona next season!! Congratulations again to Jimmie Johnson for making it five in a row!!

Reflections on the 2010 NASCAR season

2010-11-16T23:06:00.000-08:00

We have one race to go before a bow is put on the 2010 season in NASCAR. One race. Four hundred miles. Three drivers within 46 points of each other. All that work from January to this point comes down to this, and possibly the final pit stop of the season. But before I get to the drama, I want to reflect on this season as not only a NASCAR fan, but as a Kevin Harvick fan.

Coming into this season, I had hopes that Harvick would bounce back and make the Chase. At the very least break his long winless streak. He finished the 2009 season strong, giving me and many other Harvick fans hope. Happy started strong and I was hoping Daytona would be where he would break his streak. He got bit by the new three G-W-C rule. Then consecutive second place finishes to Jimmie Johnson at California and Las Vegas and the lucky horseshoe quote after California.

Harvick took the points lead early in the season and held it for 20 consecutive weeks. FINALLY, that elusive win came at Talladega when he edged Jamie McMurray in a photo finish, making a gutsy pass with roughly a quarter mile to go. The pass was perfect; if Harvick passed too soon, McMurray could respond. If it was too late, he wouldn't have enough room to pass McMurray.

Happy would follow up with wins at Daytona and Michigan. The win at Michigan totally floored and surprised me. He not only won, he led the most laps en route to the win. He was STOUT. The late Dale Earnhardt won at Michigan ONE TIME, in 1990. Up to that point, it was RCR's only win at Michigan. If a Chevy won, it was usually from Hendrick Motorsports. But Michigan is where Roush Fenway Racing is usually dominant. I'd have been happy with a top 10!

Going into the Chase, Harvick lost his points lead to Denny Hamlin. He was 40 points behind Hamlin at Loudon. He's lost six points since. Now he has to make up all 46 points. It doesn't look good for Harvick, but 46 points is not a lot of ground to make up, particularly if Hamlin struggles and Harvick has a strong run. And Homestead may be Harvick's strongest track. He's completed every lap of every race, and has a slew of top 10's. In fact, in his last five Homestead starts, Harvick has four top 5's.

NOW the drama. As mentioned earlier, the top three drivers (Hamlin, Johnson, and Harvick) are within 46 points of each other. NONE of these drivers can afford even a minor slip up. A mistake or penalty can cost a driver a championship. Although Hamlin leads Johnson by 15 points, he's feeling the pressure of being the hunted. Johnson has not trailed going into the final race since 2005. Normally this race is a coronation for Johnson.

The scenarios.

Hamlin: if he finishes ahead of Johnson and Harvick, he wins the title. Hamlin can still win the title if: 1) he wins the race and Johnson finishes second and leads the most laps; 2) he finishes second to Johnson AND leads the most laps.
Johnson: HE wins IF he wins the race, leads the most laps, and Hamlin finishes fourth or worse; or he finishes four positions AHEAD of Hamlin and ahead of Harvick.
Harvick: HE wins the title IF 1) he wins the race and leads the most laps AND Johnson finishes fourth or worse AND Hamlin finishes 8th or worse. But assuming none of the three wins the race but each leads laps, Harvick wins the title if he finishes six positions AHEAD of Johnson and ten positions ahead of Hamlin.

While Harvick has the toughest road to climb, he does have the experience of winning two Busch Series titles, so he knows how to win a championship. Obviously Johnson is Four-Time, and the record speaks for itself. While I'd love for Harvick to win, my head says Johnson is Five-Time, with Harvick finishing second in the points and Hamlin third. Something tells me Hamlin is going to struggle big time, and Johnson and Harvick will fight it out for the title.

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly -- 2010 Kobalt Tools 500

2010-11-14T15:11:00.001-08:00

This week, the Crappafoni Pictures crew is in the Valley of the Sun to bring you this week's desert heat version of The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, spiced up with plenty of intrigue, served with salsa and guacamole dip, and washed down with plenty of Mountain Dew. Enjoy!

THE GOOD

Carl Edwards: he gets first billing as the race winner. He benefitted from saving fuel on the final green flag run and getting great fuel mileage (around 5 MPG, as compared to 3.8-4 MPG under normal green flag conditions). He also benefitted when his main rival, Denny Hamlin, had to pit with 14 laps to go. Edwards is one of the best, if not the best, at saving fuel. The Quack Attack was stout from the time the 99 was unloaded to the checkers. He would be on here regardless if he won or not. With the win, Edwards breaks a 70-race winless streak, dating to Homestead in 2008. This can be a springboard to him being the Edwards of 2008 and being a threat to win every race.

Ryan Newman: although he didn't lead a lap, it didn't take the Rocket Man to work his way to the front. He pretty much stayed in the top 10-15 throughout the race. He also got great fuel mileage and benefitted from that final run.

Joey Logano: how's this for finishes--in five consecutive races, Logano has finished seventh, sixth, fifth, fourth, and now third. At this pace, he'll finish second at Homestead, then be your 2011 Daytona 500 champion!

Greg Biffle: had his typical Biffle run--hanging around the latter half of the top 10 and being there at the end.

Jimmie Johnson: he started in the middle of the field and worked his way towards the front. For the first time in the last 10 Phoenix races, he did not lead a lap. He did an excellent job in saving fuel to finish fifth and gain ground on Denny Hamlin. Johnson is now 15 points behind Hamlin in the closest Chase in history.

Kevin Harvick: he started somewhere around Tempe (actually, 29th) and quickly worked his way up the field, all the way to fourth at one point. The 29 crew committed a very costly penalty in forgetting a lug nut late in the race. Fortunately, a caution flag came out 10 laps later, and Harvick came in for four tires and fuel (he was mired in 19th at the time, the last car on the lead lap). What could have been lethal actually worked to his benefit, as both he and Johnson finished ahead of Hamlin, who finished 12th. Harvick is now 46 points behind Hamlin and 31 behind Johnson.

Denny Hamlin: he was STOUT in the early part of the race. By lap 200 he had already clinched the 10 bonus points for leading the most laps in the race. But a long green flag run was his undoing. He did well in rebounding to a 12th place finish.

Bobby Labonte: I hardly ever put a driver that finishes a lap down in here, but with Edwards and Hamlin being so stout, I will. Labonte piloted the 09 to a top 20 finish, huge for that team. With him going to the 47 next season, I look for him to be competitive.

Sebastian Vettel: no, he's not a NASCAR driver. But he deserves a mention because he became the youngest driver to win a Formula One drivers' championship by winning the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix along with Fernando Alonso faltering. Vettel is six months younger than the previous youngest champion, Lewis Hamilton. Congratulations Sebastian from the folks here at Crappafoni Pictures and The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly!

Honorable Mention: Matt Kenseth, Mark Martin, Kurt Busch, Jamie McMurray.

THE BAD

David Reutimann: whatever it was, the 00 team missed on the setup and he struggled. He went backwards at the drop of the green flag. Up to today, he's been running as well as any of the Chasers. Perhaps some home cooking next week will do the trick.

Kasey Kahne: he got nary a mention until somehow his fuel can got stuck on his spoiler after a pit stop under caution. A bad day got worse.

THE UGLY

Kasey Kahne: see above.

Those are my nominees for the race. Feel free to come in with yours!

Phoenix Pit Selections

2010-11-13T11:15:00.000-08:00

I never thought in a million years I'd be talking pit stall selections. But after last week's wild and crazy race, pit stall selections have come to the forefront of a hotly-contested Chase race. I will break down the stall selections of the three contenders for the title, starting with the leader, Denny Hamlin.

Denny Hamlin: the points leader selected stall #18, behind the 88 team of Dale Earnhardt Jr, and ahead of the 31 team of Jeff Burton. This selection is a crapshoot, particularly if both Jr and Burton are running well. Hamlin could potentially have problems either coming into or going out of the pits, or both. Then again, Hamlin could have clear sailing later in the race, saving precious seconds.
Jimmie Johnson: the 48 team selected stall #39, behind the 09 team and ahead of the 98 team of Paul Menard. This is less dangerous than the 11's selection for two reasons: 1) the 09 team is typically a start and park team and Johnson would have clear sailing going OUT of the pits; 2) it's one of the first stalls coming into pit road. Based on this, Johnson has a slight advantage over Hamlin to start, but could be neutralized if Burton and Earnhardt Jr. are off the lead lap.
Kevin Harvick: he ended up with a GREAT selection. Here's why: he is behind the #36 and ahead of the #09, both start and park teams. By mid-race, he'll have clear sailing into and out of stall #37. Plus he's two stalls ahead of Johnson, so the #29 crew can play Jedi mind tricks on the #48 crew!

Based on the circumstances, Kevin Harvick has a clear advantage over both Johnson and Hamlin. Of course, things can change in an instant. Harvick could have clear sailing as soon as the first pit stop. This irony cannot be lost: Menard was also behind Johnson at Texas. Something to think about.

The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly -- 2010 AAA Texas 500

2010-11-07T17:17:00.000-08:00

This week, the Crappafoni Pictures crew is deep in the heart of Texas to bring you this week's The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. This week's dish is a heapin' helpin' of Texas-style BBQ, complete with all the fixin's one could ever want to have, and washed down with plenty of Coke. Enjoy!

THE GOOD

Denny Hamlin: this week's winner gets to be first in line. I think he started somewhere around Irving and worked his way to the front. (Actually, he started 30th.) Give credit to Mike Ford and the rest of the 11 crew in making the car better as the race went on. He takes the points lead over Jimmie Johnson with two races left. But it's far from over.

Roush Fenway Racing: led by Matt Kenseth (2nd), they had two other drivers in the top 10: Greg Biffle (5th) and David Ragan (8th). Even Carl Edwards ran well until fading to 19th. They were strong when they unloaded and stayed strong throughout the race weekend.

Mark Martin: he's running like the Martin of last year--being there at the end and giving himself a chance to win the race. Since Dover, the 5 team has turned the corner, giving them optimism going into next year.

Joey Logano: easily his best career finish at Texas. He ran strong all race long and even led late. Good job kid!

Paul Menard: another strong effort from the #98 driver. I'm looking forward to seeing him run in an RCR car next season.

Kevin Harvick: he started 26th but as is his MO, he worked his way to the front. Was about to fade into oblivion until a very late caution came out and he pitted. Benefitted from being on the opposite side of Greg Biffle and JJ being behind Biff. (Biffle had no second gear and had to lay back on restarts.)

Jeff Gordon/Jeff Burton: I'm only putting these two in here for what happened after a caution. Burton wrecked Gordon under caution, Gordon was none too happy (and I don't blame him ONE BIT) and brawled with Burton on the backstretch. Gordon threw a punch that grazed Burton in the ear. In the words of my fellow blogger YeeMum, HE (Gordon) HITS LIKE A GIRL! THOSE ARE NOT MY WORDS! It looked like Gordon confronted Burton with bad intentions and was ready to kick some serious ass. GOOD FOR HIM! I'm an RCR fan (Harvick being my favorite RCR driver) and that was totally unnecessary by Burton. Needless to say, it ruined a strong run by Gordon.

Honorable Mention: Clint Bowyer, Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart, and Marcos Ambrose.

THE BAD

The 48 pit crew: to put it mildly, they were PUTRID. In fact, they were so bad they were replaced IN MID-RACE by the 24 crew after Gordon and Burton's wreck. Prior to the mid-race yanking, the 48 crew was consistently costing JJ positions on pit road. The 24 crew did a much better job and put JJ in a position to steal a win. Could a crew swap be in the works? It worked for the 29.

THE UGLY

Martin Truex Jr.: he brought out multiple cautions for accidents. No matter what the 56 crew tried to do to the car to tighten it up, it wouldn't tighten. The final caution he caused finished off the 56, bringing an end to a VERY ugly day.

Those are my nominees for the race. Feel free to come in with yours!

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly -- Amp Energy 500

2010-10-31T13:33:00.000-07:00

This week, the Crappafoni Pictures crew is deep in the heart of Dixie, Big Bad Dega, to bring you this week's version of The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, complete with all the fixin's you could ever want, and washed down with plenty of Amp Energy drink. Enjoy!

THE GOOD

Clint Bowyer: as the race winner, he gets first billing. He had a stout car all day long, and got a final push from Juan Pablo Montoya right before the caution came out on the final lap. (IMO, Bowyer owes Montoya a favor, but that's just me.) The 33 and 42 were strong drafting partners all day, much like the 1 and 29 in the spring.

Kevin Harvick: he was edged out at the end. But the real story is Harvick taking a beat-up race car and finishing second. It was beat up when Marcos Ambrose was tagged and collected Harvick, causing significant damage to the nose of the #29. After patchwork repair, Harvick moved up 12 spots right after the restart. And from sixth place on the final restart, Harvick led going into the final lap, but was passed by Bowyer. Harvick gained 24 points on the points leader, Jimmie Johnson. Now he's 37 points behind with three races to go.

David Reutimann: a HUGE shout out (and a lot of love) goes to Reuty for helping Harvick!! THANK YOU DAVID! Reutimann had a stout car, and it didn't matter who was his drafting partner, they quickly moved to the front. Good job Reuty!!

Juan Pablo Montoya: he was on Target today, being at the point for 17 laps. Although he hasn't won on an oval, he's proven to be strong on the superspeedways. He made his Cup debut at this speedway four years ago, and ran strong then. A win is coming if the team stays in the Chevy camp and with the ECR engine program.

Joey Logano: he was very strong, leading for five laps. He ran a smart, patient race, stayed out of trouble, and was rewarded with a fifth place finish.

Honorable Mention: Jimmie Johnson, Denny Hamlin, Martin Truex Jr., Jeff Gordon, and Brad Keselowski.

THE BAD

Jeff Fuller: he was the first start and parker. He drew the short stick at the start and parkers' meeting in the Todd Bodine Meeting Room. He ran a total of TWO LAPS before declaring himself done for the day and collecting NASCAR welfare.

Dave Blaney: despite securing sponsorship for this race, he was the second car to start and park. He obviously said, "TRICK OR TREAT" en route to parking the #36 12 laps into the race.

THE UGLY

Jeff Burton/Dale Earnhardt Jr: they got tangled up in a wreck that ended Burton's day and affected Jr's day. A sub-Good to Jr for leading the most laps.

The Mini-Big One: this happened on the final lap. AJ Allmendinger got the worst of it, and with the possibility of RPM shuttering its operations altogether, it wasn't good for the Dinger.

Those are my nominees for the race. Feel free to come in with yours.

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly -- 2010 Tums Fast Relief 500

2010-10-24T15:38:00.000-07:00

This week, the Crappafoni Pictures crew is doing a rapid-fire The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, in honor of NASCAR's shortest track. Plenty of Martinsville Hot Dogs were consumed, washed down with lots of Coke. Enjoy!

THE GOOD

Denny Hamlin: he won the race. Best car at the end. Cuts points lead to six in arrears. Popular win at M'ville.

Mark Martin: where did he come from? Great rally by the Old Man. Still very competitive.

Kevin Harvick: best career finish at the Big Paper Clip. Also gained some points going into Talladega. Great rally from 36th starting position!

Kyle Busch: another superb rally from deep in the field. Ran a smart race. Avoided brake issues. Was good on long runs.

Jimmie Johnson: always runs well at the Big Paper Clip. But he did have his points lead over Hamlin and Harvick cut.

Dale Earnhardt Jr: used sound strategy in staying out during a caution to get track position. Led at one point in the race, making Jr Nation very happy. Faded a bit at the end, but was still strong.

Jeff Burton: led the most laps and got the additional five bonus points.

Honorable Mention: Joey Logano, Carl Edwards, Jeff Burton, Brad Keselowski.

THE BAD

Greg Biffle: had all kinds of issues. Stick a fork in him, he's done.

Sam Hornish Jr: tete-a-tete with Scott Speed sent Regan Smith behind the wall when Smith was punted into the wall. It was a blatant punt of Speed. Hornish should have been parked for the rest of the race.

Jeff Burton: gotta put him in here because so many drivers were complaining that he was brake checking on restarts. NASCAR warned him on that. Later he and teammate Kevin Harvick had a brush-up on track. Should make for an interesting drivers' meeting at the RCR camp this week.

THE UGLY

Tire issues: there were a multitude of drivers that cut tires in the last few laps of the race. The last run was the longest of the race, and it was nearly 100 degrees on the track.

That's it from Martinsville. See you all at Talladega!

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly -- 2010 Bank of America 500

2010-10-16T20:45:00.000-07:00

This week, the Crappafoni Pictures crew is in the capital of NASCAR, Charlotte, for this week's serving of The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, complete with Carolina-style ribs, plenty of corn on the cob and fried taters, and washed down with the beverage of your choice. Enjoy!

THE GOOD

Jamie McMurray: as the race winner, he gets first billing. Great job by the 1 crew in getting him to the front, as he started WAY back in the pack. Did you see that final restart? McMurray was shot out of a cannon! I bet he was singing "Blue Bayou" to Kyle as he sped by the #18! He led 65 laps in getting his third win at the third different crown jewel track this season. (He also won the Daytona 500 and the Brickyard 400.) Good job Jamie!

Kyle Busch: he led the most laps but McMurray sung his own version of the Linda Ronstadt hit "Blue Bayou" on the final restart. Then he had his hands full with Jimmie Johnson, but was able to hold him off for second.

Jimmie Johnson: this is the reason why he's Four-Time. He had a wicked loose car at the start of the race, spun out early and dropped way back in the pack, and spent the rest of the race playing catch up. And he very nearly did. Most other drivers would have finished in the 20s. If he does win the title this year, he can point to this race as the reason why. He gains another five points on Denny Hamlin and more than doubles his lead on Kevin Harvick, even though Harvick had a top 10 finish.

Denny Hamlin: for awhile, it looked like the Hamster was going to get his first win at Charlotte. He had a solid car that was in the top 5 for much of the race, and even when he started outside the top 5 on restarts, he was quickly in the top 5. But he's got to start getting wins and finishing ahead of Johnson if he's to win the title.

Matt Kenseth/Roush Fenway Racing: he led a contingent of Roushkateers in the top 12. Kenseth started 24th and slowly worked his way into the top 10. His car was the best and fastest in the last 50 laps of the race. It looked like he was on a rail, as he was passing other cars effortlessly. Greg Biffle was solid all race, had good pit stops, and finished right behind Kenseth. Props also to David Ragan for finishing in the top 10, in tenth. Carl Edwards brought up the rear in 12th, and even he had a solid race after falling backwards early. Props go to his crew chief Bob Osborne and the Quack Quew (crew) for battling back. Good job to the Roushkateers!

Joey Logano/Joe Gibbs Racing: in addition to Kyle Busch and Hamlin, I give JGR props for having all three of its drivers in the top 10 with Logano's seventh place finish. Logano ran a quiet race, but was there at the end. He kept his nose clean, stayed out of trouble, and ran a smart race. Good job to all the JGR drivers!

Honorable Mention: Kevin Harvick, David Reutimann, and Juan Pablo Montoya.

THE BAD

J.J. Yeley: he was the first start and parker of the night. He drew the short straw at the start and parkers' meeting in the Todd Bodine Meeting Room. Reportedly Dave Blaney told Yeley, "You drew the short stick. You lost. What's fair is fair."

Dale Earnhardt Jr: this was a prime opportunity for him to get a solid finish and prove that the 88 team is on the right track. But he finishes in 29th, three laps down. At least he passed Kurt Busch late in the race, as he was running in 30th for much of the second half of the race. The honorable thing for Jr to do is step out of the seat, and have Rick Hendrick put Aric Almirola in there and see what he can do. He's lost it, and once you lose it, you can't get it back. At the very least, he needs to have a heart to heart with Mr. Hendrick at the end of the season.

Kurt Busch: gotta put him here. The Blue Deuce crew swapped out EVERYTHING in the car but the engine, the decals, and the sponsor and NOTHING worked. They even swapped the kitchen sink at their shop, from what I've heard, and even THAT didn't work. You could have put David Pearson in his prime in that car and it still would have finished 30th. The Blue Deuce was THAT BAD. You can now officially kiss Kurt Busch's chances to win the title goodbye.

THE UGLY

Kasey Kahne/Sam Hornish: Kahne got wickedly loose and Hornish was in the wrong place at the wrong time and got collected in Kahne's mess. It would have been very easy for Hornish to throw Kahne under the bus in the post accident interview afterwards but kudos to Hornish for not doing so. But you could hear the disappointment in Hornish's voice, more so at being in the wrong place at the wrong time, as he was trying to avoid Kahne. For Kahne, it was the icing on the cake, so to speak. He was battling a wickedly loose race car, and no matter what kind of adjustments he and the 9 crew tried to make, it got looser as the race went on. The accident was the end result.

Those are my nominees for the race. Feel free to come in with yours.

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly -- 2010 Pepsi Max 400

2010-10-10T15:37:00.000-07:00

This week, the Crappafoni Pictures crew is California Dreamin' at Fontana (insert bad Mamas and Papas joke here) for this week's serving of The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, with fish tacos (we're close enough to San Diego), salsa, and the toppings of your choice, washed down with Pepsi Max, of course! Enjoy!

THE GOOD

Tony Stewart: he gets first billing as the race winner. Smoke pulled ahead of Clint Bowyer on the final restart and had enough juice to hold off Bowyer and Jimmie Johnson for his first win at Fontana. With the win, Smoke bolsters his chances of a third championship. He has matured into a solid leader and that has helped him immensely in his racing. Could he be the modern-day A.J. Foyt? (Smoke was a former pole-sitter at the Indy 500.)

Clint Bowyer: he had a stout car from the time it was unloaded until the checkered flag, and it looked like he was going to win his second Chase race of the season. But Stewart overtook him on that last restart. What DOESN'T help Bowyer is that Jimmie Johnson finished right behind him, and he was only able to gain five points on Johnson. Bowyer could win the rest of the Chase races and if Johnson keeps ripping off top 3 finishes, Bowyer won't win the title.

Jimmie Johnson: this guy keeps ripping off top 3 finish after top 3 finish. Maybe there was something to what Kevin Harvick said early in the season about JJ and the lucky horseshoe. (Perhaps JJ played Frontierville on Facebook earlier in the season and got the horseshoe that way...just a thought.) And with Jimmie's House aka Charlotte looming, don't expect things to change anytime soon.

Kasey Kahne: where have you been Kasey? Long time no see in this category! Although he didn't lead a lap (he got as high as second position), he hung around in the top 10 for pretty much the whole race.

Ryan Newman: he capped off a great day for Stewart-Haas Racing by finishing fifth. He started 14th and quickly worked his way into the top 10. Great way to rep Tornados (a frozen Mexican-style wrap made in the central California town of Dinuba) in its home state by finishing in the top 5! Newman seems to run his best when Tornados is on the hood: a win and a fifth place finish.

Kevin Harvick: he started 21st, then had to overcome a speeding penalty exiting pit road during a round of green flag pit stops to finish seventh. The penalty dropped him to 28th, the last car on the lead lap. He was about to get lapped when a caution came out. A sub-Bad to his crew for NOT helping him gain spots on pit road. He made up all those spots on the track.

Denny Hamlin: I had to include the Hamster in here because he started in the back of the pack due to a transmission change. He charged his way up the field, eventually finishing eighth. But when you have the leader ripping off top 3s, it's impossible to catch him.

Honorable Mention: Mark Martin, Jeff Gordon, David Reutimann, Joey Logano, Regan Smith.

THE BAD

Roush-Fenway Racing: it was a BAD day for them. Greg Biffle blows an engine and finishes 41st. Carl Edwards has ignition issues and finishes 34th. Then David Ragan, who was running solidly in the top 15 late in the race, triggers an accident that delivers a serious blow to Kurt Busch's title hopes. (Busch would finish 21st.) Matt Kenseth limped home in 30th, the last car on the lead lap and RFR's best finisher. Biffle's done, Edwards and Kenseth's title hopes are in serious jeopardy. They're THAT close to being done.

THE UGLY

Issues: many of the Chasers had them. Biffle and Kyle Busch blew engines. Edwards had ignition issues. Kurt Busch was collected in an accident not of his doing. Harvick and Jeff Gordon had speeding penalties. Kenseth limped home in 30th. Jeff Burton finished 23rd and is pretty close to being done. Hamlin had to have a transmission changed and started at the rear of the field.

Those are my nominees for the week. Feel free to come in with yours.

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly -- Price Chopper 400

2010-10-03T13:24:00.000-07:00

This week, after a two-week absence due to moving into smaller, more cramped quarters, the Crappafoni Pictures crew is back at it with Toto in the land of Oz to bring you this week's version of The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, complete with BBQ ribs, grilled corn, and all the rest of the fixin's. Enjoy!

THE GOOD

Greg Biffle: as the race winner, he gets first billing. He was especially dominant in the second half of the race and he checked out with 50 laps to go. The race was for second place. He was that dominant. For awhile, I've been saying that Carl Edwards would be in the thick of the title hunt. After today, I substitute Biff for Edwards as the triumvirate that will fight it out for the title, along with Jimmie Johnson and Kevin Harvick.

Jimmie Johnson: he was mired in the middle of the field most of the race. It's a testament to the 48 crew that Johnson finished second when he easily could have finished 20th. They made the car better and better as the race went on. An added plus: he leads by three points over Denny Hamlin, and it's good to lead after the third race of the Chase, as four of the last six years, the champion has led after the third race of the Chase.

Kevin Harvick: he led 16 laps after starting mid-pack. Once again, the master of "where'd he come from?" strikes again en route to a third place finish. He also moves up two positions in the points standings, 30 behind Johnson. But at this point he needs WINS, not top 5 finishes. Top 5s won't cut it this year.

Tony Stewart: he led the most laps, but didn't have enough for the Biff's onslaught. Still, it was a sorely needed good run for Smoke, and it puts him in striking distance of Johnson.

Jeff Gordon: HE needed a good run, and got it. This sets him up nicely for Fontana next week. Now if he can only cash one or two wins in, he'd be in great shape!

Paul Menard: he led the most laps in one race, careerwise. The 98 team was strong when they unloaded, strong in qualifying, and strong in the race. He was able to make two tires work when he took two tires for track position late in the race. I have blasted him in the past NUMEROUS times, but today I'm giving him his props. He's earned his place in Cup. He'll be a winner at RCR next season.

Honorable Mention: Carl Edwards, Matt Kenseth, Ryan Newman, AJ Allmendinger, and Jamie McMurray.

THE BAD

Landon Cassill: he drew the short straw at this week's Start and Parkers' meeting in the Todd Bodine Meeting Room. According to NASCAR.COM, it was a "Rear Gear" issue. Let's face it: he PARKED IT. Who are we bullshitting here? We the People AREN'T STUPID. And if I'm wrong, I'll admit it.

THE UGLY

Kasey Kahne: he was running pretty decently until he got loose and slapped the wall. Then as he was making his way around the track, he cut a left front tire and tore up the #9. Needless to say, his day was ruined.

Those are my picks for the week. Feel free to come in with yours!

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly -- 2010 Air Guard 400

2010-09-11T19:49:00.000-07:00

This week, the Crappafoni Pictures crew is in the mid-South for this week's The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, complete with crab cakes from neighboring Maryland and washed down with copious amounts of Coke Zero. Enjoy!

THE GOOD

Denny Hamlin/Joe Gibbs Racing: as the race winner, the Hamster gets first billing. He led the most laps en route to the win. As good as the Hamster is at Pocono, he's even better at Richmond. He's already led over 1,000 laps at RIR. With the win, he clinches the first seed in the Chase. Not to be outdone, Kyle Busch started 32nd and finished second. Busch gave it all he had in the closing laps but didn't have enough for Hamlin. And what about Joey Logano finishing a very solid fourth? Logano, in fact, had the best car and might have won had a late caution came out. For one organization to finish 1-2-4 is OUTSTANDING.

Jimmie Johnson: it's been awhile since he's been in this category. He was at the point for awhile and had a stout car on short runs, but faded a bit on long runs. A much-needed third place finish was what the 48 needed going into the Chase.

Marcos Ambrose: gotta give props to him. He started 13th and started moving towards the front in the second half of the race to a fifth place finish.

Clint Bowyer: with a solid sixth place finish, he was able to clinch the final Chase spot. He got five bonus points for leading a lap, which was HUGE.

Kevin Harvick: he started somewhere around downtown Richmond. (Actually, he started 20th, not conducive to a potential race winner.) He dropped back to 26th at one point before he slowly started working his way towards the front, moving up to sixth at one point. While he had a solid car, nobody was going to beat the Gibbs cars tonight.

Carl Edwards: he started from the pole and led the most laps in a race in two years. He was stout at the beginning, but he began to fade in the second half of the race, eventually finishing tenth.

Honorable Mention: Juan Pablo Montoya, AJ Allmendinger, and Ryan Newman.

THE BAD

Dale Earnhardt Jr: I normally put the first start and parker in this spot, but I'm making an exception tonight. He started towards the front and quickly went backwards. And kept going backwards. And kept going backwards. You get my point. I think it was when he realized he had a bad car, he got discouraged and his driving showed it. Normally, when a driver has a bad car, he usually finishes a couple of laps down. He finished SIX LAPS DOWN. It's partly due to Hamlin having a stout car and very few cautions (three, to be exact) coming out.

Greg Biffle: he was like Dale Jr--once the green flag dropped, he went backwards. He finished five laps down, not what you want going into the Chase.

THE UGLY

ABC's coverage: enough said. And we have TEN more races of this?

Those are my nominees for the week. Feel free to come in with yours!

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly -- 2010 Emory Healthcare 500

2010-09-05T20:47:00.000-07:00

This week, the Crappafoni Pictures crew is deep in the heart of the South, the ATL, for this week's The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, complete with PLENTY of Southern hospitality and barbecue, and washed down with copious amounts of Coke Zero. Enjoy!

THE GOOD

Tony Stewart: Smoke led the most laps, he was stout from the start, and he was able to solve his restart problem just in time. Early on it was Smoke and his ex-teammate at Gibbs, Denny Hamlin, swapping the lead. Then Carl Edwards entered the picture. Smoke was able to check out shortly after the final restart and win comfortably.

Carl Edwards: this team is getting closer and closer to that win. He ACTUALLY led laps; in fact, he led more laps THIS race than in the previous 46 RACES put together! I think he surpassed Mattias Eckstrom in total laps led this year. Sarcasm aside, the 99 team is peaking at the right time. Edwards WILL be a factor in the Chase.

Jimmie Johnson: he bounced off the schneid at the right time. He was at the point for a short time en route to a third place finish and a berth in the Chase. He had been in a funk since winning at Sonoma. Perhaps this will right his ship.

Jeff Burton: he pitted for four fresh tires on the final caution. Smart move. He picked his way through the field as a result. He took advantage of a contretemps between Ryan Newman and Kasey Kahne in the process to finish fourth.

The Busch Brothers: when you have both brothers finishing this well (Kyle, 5th; Kurt, 6th), they've earned a spot together in the Good category. Kurt in particular battled back from a lap down to lead at one point. Kyle managed to avoid the engine issues that plagued his other teammates and was strong all race, even leading at one point.

Denny Hamlin: he was stout at the beginning, and was leading the most laps in the race when his engine blew without warning, bringing out a caution.

Honorable Mention: Clint Bowyer, Ryan Newman, Juan Pablo Montoya, and Marcos Ambrose.

THE BAD

ESPN: or more specifically, the coverage. WTH was that, cutting away from Smoke's moment in the sun (or in this instance, the moon) to go to SportsCenter? Here's what SC's covering: Tiger, Yankees, Red Sox, and THAT'S IT. NASCAR on ESPN gets shuffled away like a second-class citizen. Thankfully that was the last race ESPN broadcast. Starting on Saturday, the remainder of the races will be covered by ABC.

Kevin Harvick's Pit Crew: Harvick LOST positions in the pits consistently. He was able to overcome that on the track because he had such a stout car, not unlike Michigan. A Bad goes to Harvick himself for missing the committment cone on a pit stop and going from the top 10 to the 30's because of that one mistake. (He cut the left front tire and tore up the bumper in the process and finished the race in the pit.)

THE UGLY

Engine issues: several drivers had them, most notably Denny Hamlin. Because of Hamlin's blown engine, the guys that would normally start and park stayed out a LOT longer than usual, relegating Hamlin to DFL status. The normal start and parkers saw their opportunity to finish a lot higher than usual due to the regulars having issues.

Those are my nominees for the week. Feel free to come in and comment!

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly -- 2010 Irwin Tools 500

2010-08-21T19:34:00.000-07:00

This week, the Crappafoni Pictures crew is in Thunder Valley for one of NASCAR's crown jewel races, the Bristol night race from the Bullring, for this week's The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, complete with plenty of BBQ and washed down with plenty of NOS Energy Drink. Enjoy!

THE GOOD

Kyle Busch: as the race winner, he gets first billing. WOW. What a weekend! To say that he was awesome is an understatement. He won EVERY race in dominating fashion. He became the first driver to win all three of NASCAR's touring division races on the same weekend. That may well be the good of the year. And an extra good goes to Hanny for winning the Kylefecta! Regardless of whether or not you like Kyle, you have to admit he is an amazing talent. One year, he's going to be the first driver to win both the Cup and Nationwide championships in the same year. Busch has won three of the last four Bristol races.

David Reutimann: he led a number of laps, and hung out in the top 5 all race long. He was strong, but was racing for second, as it was all about Kyle.

Jamie McMurray: he had a strong car and it looked like he had something for Kyle. But on the last pit stop, he felt like the left front was flat and was not able to catch Kyle.

Clint Bowyer: he had a GREAT run at the most crucial time. He was on the Chase bubble and came through with a solid fourth place finish. Even more important, he's 100 points ahead of 13th place, so he has a bit of breathing room.

Kasey Kahne: a very strong run by the #9 Ford. He was in the top 10 for much of the race. Unfortunately, it was too little too late, as his chances of making the Chase got dimmer.

Jimmie Johnson: he was stout at the beginning, and it looked like he was going to run away with the race if not for JPM spinning him out. He was the best car in the first half of the race.

Honorable Mention: Ryan Newman, Dale Earnhardt Jr, Jeff Gordon, Kurt Busch, Juan Pablo Montoya, and Greg Biffle.

THE BAD

Michael McDowell: he ran a grand total of 16 laps before declaring himself done for the day. NASCAR stated it was due to an "engine". But in reality, he drew the short stick at the Start and Parkers meeting held in the Todd Bodine Meeting Room before the race.

Jamie McMurray's crew: they certainly did him no favors by making small mistakes on EACH pit stop, causing him to lose positions on each stop. A sub-Good to Jamie for making up positions on the track. If they were HALF as good as Kyle Busch's crew, Jamie Mac would be celebrating in Victory Lane with his crew.

Juan Pablo Montoya: I've gotta call him out for turning Jimmie Johnson when there was room for JPM to check up and let Johnson go. But from JPM's perspective, perhaps there was some bad blood from a previous race and he decided to take matters into his own hands.

ESPN's coverage: TOO MANY DAMN COMMERCIALS! Enough said.

THE UGLY

ESPN: I'm already longing for DW and Company's coverage next season! Yeah, DW may be a bit bombastic, but he has a certain charm to him. Rusty's got the charm of a pissed-off rattlesnake.

Those are my nominees for the race. Feel free to chime in!

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly -- 2010 Carfax 400

2010-08-15T13:29:00.000-07:00

This week, the Crappafoni Pictures crew is in the Irish Hills of Michigan for this week's The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, BBQ-style, with all the fixin's and washed down with PLENTY of Coke Zero. Enjoy!

THE GOOD

Kevin Harvick: he gets first billing as the race winner. He had the strongest car and led 59 laps en route to the win. With the win, he clinches a spot in the Chase and becomes the first RCR driver to win a Cup race at Michigan since the late Dale Earnhardt won in June 1990. To give you an idea of how strong a car the 29 was, he was able to pass cars on OLD TIRES.

Denny Hamlin: he started way back in the pack (33rd, to be exact), and methodically worked his way towards the front. He led late in the race, but Harvick was too strong, and was sent a message by the #29 on a bump while Hamlin was leading. The message was (IMO): You're going to have to beat me and I don't think you can. Still, a second place finish worked to his favor, and Hamlin moved up three spots in the standings.

Roush-Fenway Racing: Carl Edwards (3rd), Greg Biffle (4th), and Matt Kenseth (5th) rounded out the top 5. David Ragan just missed a top 10, finishing 11th. This was huge for the organization overall, Kenseth in particular. Kenseth's hold on the Chase was tenuous coming into the race, but with other drivers in a similar position having issues, he was able to improve a position and solidify his hold on making the Chase.

Elliott Sadler: ESad started in the middle of the pack (23rd to be exact) and stayed in that area until later in the race. His car came to life at that point, and he benefitted from good pit strategy in the last third of the race. He even led a couple of laps at one point before finishing 9th. Good job ESad!!

Joey Logano: this was his third top 10 finish at Michigan in his young career. He started 27th and showed great patience in finishing 10th. He and Ryan Newman made contact, sending Newman's car around and bringing out a caution. Needless to say, Newman wasn't happy. Logano showed maturity and as always, his sense of humor in the postrace interview.

Honorable Mention: Tony Stewart, Juan Pablo Montoya, and Martin Truex, Jr.

THE BAD

Joe Nemechek: Front Row Joe has evolved into Field Filler Joe into Start and Park Joe. He ran a grand total of 14 laps before he declared himself done for the day.

Kurt Busch: it didn't help that his engine blew on Lap 32. The blown engine early on cost him six spots in the standings. He's now in 10th.

THE UGLY

Mark Martin: he and David Reutimann made contact on Lap 4 and his day was never the same after that. For a time it looked like he was going to be nearly 100 points behind Clint Bowyer for 12th place. But Bowyer had issues, and Martin had his strongest run of the race in the final 40 laps, keeping pace with the leaders and passing several cars. A sub-Good to Martin for minimizing the damage.

Dale Earnhardt Jr: it seemed like he was merely posting laps rather than make a serious run at a good finish. He offered NO resistance when Harvick put him a lap down. The postrace interview said it all: he didn't give a **** about his Chase chances. Which begs the question: does he REALLY want to race?

Those are my nominees for the race. Feel free to come in with yours!

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly -- 2010 Heluva Good! Snacks 400

2010-08-08T12:52:00.000-07:00

This week, the Crappafoni Pictures crew is in the rolling hills of Upstate New York for this week's version of The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, complete with LOTS of snacks from the race sponsor, washed down with plenty of Coke Zero. Enjoy!

THE GOOD

Juan Pablo Montoya: dominant doesn't even begin to describe his performance today. Every time he got in front he checked out on the field. He took the lead at Lap 5 and dominated from there, leading 78 of the final 86 laps. Everyone else was racing for second place today. This was one of the most dominant performances this year. He becomes the first foreign-born driver with multiple Sprint Cup wins. (He also won at Sonoma in 2007.)

Kurt Busch: he was strong all day, and the Blue Deuce got stronger as the day went on. Although he didn't lead a lap, he finished a career-best second place on a road course. He improved in the standings for the Chase.

Marcos Ambrose: it looked like he had something for Montoya, as he took the lead at one point and led for eight laps in the race. He faded near the end and lost second place to Kurt Busch due to a tire going down in the final lap.

AJ Allmendinger: he was in the top 10 pretty much the whole day. The 43 car was strong when they unloaded, strong in practice and qualifying, and strong on race day. This on the heels of the Dinger signing a multi-year extension with RPM. All in all, a great week for AJ.

Carl Edwards: he won his first career pole on a road course. Although he never led, he was in the top 10 for pretty much the entire race. Don't look now, but I think this team is starting to find its groove. I think a win is in the not too distant future.

Kyle Busch: although he was listed starting 10th, he had to drop to the rear of the field due to a loose part near the gear box. The 18 crew was able to tighten it through some improvisation just before the green flag dropped. He was able to make his way through the field all the way to an 8th place finish. (He ended up starting 42nd.)

Honorable Mention: Jamie McMurray, Tony Stewart, Jeff Burton, Jeff Gordon, and Kevin Harvick.

THE BAD

Greg Biffle: although he started seventh, he quickly moved backwards and was never a factor. DISCLAIMER: Road courses are not one of Biffle's strengths. He'll be at a track much more friendly to him and his Roush teammates next week.

Jimmie Johnson: he started ninth but like Biffle, was never a factor. Since winning at Sonoma, this team is in the throes of a horrible slump, with just one top 10 since, last week at Pocono, where Johnson finished 10th. He did get mentioned once, when he crashed and collected Denny Hamlin in the process, ruining a possible top 10 for Hamlin.

THE UGLY

None. By all standards, this was a pretty tame race at the Glen this year. Actually I do have to give an Ugly to ESPN for its coverage and giving Carl Edwards more face time.

Those are my nominees for the week. Feel free to come in with yours.

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly -- Pennsylvania 500

2010-08-01T15:40:00.000-07:00

For the monumental 100th post on Blogspot, the Crappafoni Pictures crew is in the mountains of eastern Pennsylvania to bring you this week's edition of The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, served up with Philly cheesesteaks and fries and washed down with copious amounts of Coke Zero. Enjoy!

THE GOOD

Greg Biffle: as the race winner, he gets first billing. At the beginning of the race, he looked like he had a 20th-place car at best. But as the race went on, the 16 crew kept getting the car better and better. Kudos to Biff for making two-tire stops work, as they usually don't. What really helped him was the last red flag for rain, cooling down the track. The 16 car came to life after that. He took two tires on the last pit stop, and checked out after passing Sam Hornish Jr on the last restart. Props to Biff for breaking a 65-race winless streak dating back to September 2008, when he won at Dover. The win was Ford's first of the season.

Tony Stewart: he won the pole but was immediately passed by Jeff Gordon at the start of the race. He did lead a lap under the first round of green flag pit stops. Like Biffle, he was better as the track got cooler. He took four tires on the last pit stop and made up eight positions on the track, but Biffle was so much better.

Carl Edwards: he could be the next Ford driver to win, as he's been showing the form that made him a threat to win every week in 2008, regardless of the track. He led a lap under the second round of green flag pit stops (he has led six laps so far this year, and still trails Mattias Eckstrom, who led once for eight laps in Sonoma, and he led as many laps as JJ Yeley today). He started way back in 25th, and immediately worked his way towards the front, eventually finishing third, and able to hold off Kevin Harvick at the end. (Note to Carl: Kevin could have EASILY dumped you at ANY time, but didn't. That should show you he's a CLEAN driver.)

Kevin Harvick: the points leader had a pretty decent qualifying run (he qualified 14th). For the first half of the race, he was hanging from positions 12-16. But once he moved into the top 10, he stayed there. He was running as high as third at one point. His fourth place finish marked his fourth top 10 finish at the track, and his second straight fourth place finish there. (He also finished in the top 10 in both Pocono races in his rookie season of 2001.) Harvick actually increased his points lead by five; he now leads Jeff Gordon by 189 points.

Denny Hamlin: the modern-day Master of Pocono at one point looked like he was going to win his FIFTH Pocono race in his last 10. I bet he wishes Pocono was on the schedule every week! He actually increased his points margin over fourth place Jimmie Johnson to 17 points.

Jimmie Johnson: he was stout enough to lead the most laps in the race (98). He qualified sixth and it took him no time to get to the front. He stayed there for the first half of the race. It's the second half that bit him in the butt.

Honorable Mention: Jeff Gordon, Mark Martin, Jeff Burton, Martin Truex, Jr., and Sam Hornish, Jr.

THE BAD

Michael McDowell: he was the first of the start and parkers, declaring himself done after completing 23 laps. (Dave Blaney went out a lap later.)

Marcos Ambrose: I hate putting the likeable Aussie in here, but today I must. He qualified 19th, a decent starting position, but quickly went backwards. The news that he was leaving JTG-Daugherty Racing for RPM could have had an effect on the team. Was it coincidence that Ambrose's engine expired early because of his imminent departure? I'm just saying.

P.J. Jones: he was parked by NASCAR for going too slow after 63 laps. At least he completed a quarter of the race! (At Sonoma in 2009, he parked it after TWO laps!) Had Robby Gordon been behind the wheel, he'd have given it an HONEST effort. If you look in the dictionary under "start and parker", P.J. Jones' face can be seen. I cringe when he's in the field because I know he'll beat everyone to the post-race Cupcake display.

THE UGLY

Elliott Sadler: he was involved in one of the most horrific crashes I've seen in quite awhile. The only angle that showed was Sadler's car slamming into a grass berm before the entrance to Turn 3. The crash was so brutal, the engine was ripped from the car like a piece of paper. A Good to NASCAR for its implementation of safety innovations in the new car, and for Sadler escaping with only bruises.

Jimmie Johnson: I've got to put him in this category for starting a crash that took out a good car in Kurt Busch's and in the ensuing melee, for putting Sadler's car into that grass berm. What was he doing trying to draft bump Busch with Clint Bowyer to Busch's right? He flat out wrecked Kurt AGAIN. Plain and simple.

ESPN: MUST we be subject to their blathering on during a rain delay? And do us a favor: institute the split-screen during commercials, like you do during the Indy 500! And STOP with the overhyping of Chris Berman getting the Pete Rozelle Award! His act is old and tired anyway! (Rant over.)

Those are my nominees for the race. Feel free to come in with yours!

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly -- Brickyard 400

2010-07-25T13:22:00.000-07:00

This week, the Crappafoni Pictures crew is in the mecca of American auto racing, Indianapolis, for this week's serving of The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, BBQ-style, complete with grilled corn, plenty of Coke to wash it all down, and Cupcakes for dessert. Enjoy!

THE GOOD

Jamie McMurray: as the race winner, he gets first billing. He passed race leader Kevin Harvick on a restart with 10 laps to go, then held off Harvick and Greg Biffle over those last 10 laps. Jamie Mac was strong throughout the race, being in the top 10 more often than not. He benefitted from a gutsy call by crew chief Kevin "Bono" Manion in taking two tires on the last caution. History was made in two ways: with the win, McMurray becomes the third driver to win Daytona and the Brickyard in the same season, and car owner Chip Ganassi becomes the first owner to win the Daytona 500, Indy 500, and Brickyard 400 in the same season. Good job Cupcake!

Kevin Harvick: he had a strong car throughout the race and it looked like he was going to win his second Brickyard 400. A late caution bit him in the butt, as he was passed by McMurray on the ensuing restart. He did well to hold off Biffle, who was on four tires. (Harvick took two tires on the last pit stop.) It was a good points day for Harvick, as Jeff Gordon had issues late in the race and finished 23rd.

Greg Biffle: he was stout, especially in the middle part of the race in which he led. He did a good job in rallying late after a four tire pit stop on the final caution.

Clint Bowyer: while he wasn't a factor to win, he stayed in the top 5 for most of the race. He was strong, and did a good job in avoiding trouble.

Tony Stewart: Smoke did a great job in turning a marginal top 20 car into a fifth place car.

Joey Logano: he started in DFLville due to an engine change. He exhibited great patience in moving his way up and finishing in the top 10. (He finished 9th.) The top 10 finish was his first at Indy.

Juan Pablo Montoya: he led the most laps in the race, but an accident on Lap 145 ended his day.

Honorable Mention: Jeff Burton, Carl Edwards, Kyle Busch, Kurt Busch, Landon Cassill (he led a lap, one more than Edwards) and Bill Elliott.

THE BAD

Dave Blaney: he parked his car ON THE FIRST LAP. He would return and run 19 more laps before declaring himself done for the day. He was the first start and parker today.

Hendrick Motorsports: both Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon had MAJOR issues. It was one of those kinds of races that tests men's souls to the core. Dale Earnhardt Jr was involved in a crash with Juan Pablo Montoya through no fault of his own; Jr had no room to move and plowed into Montoya. The only bright spot was Mark Martin, who led a couple of laps and finished 11th.

THE UGLY

The race itself: One hundred sixty laps of single file racing. A driver couldn't get into the outside groove without getting loose. Add to that ESPN's coverage and you REALLY get ugly. And the WORST track on the circuit looms next week: Pocono. I HATE THAT TRACK! CAN WE LOSE POCONO FOR GOOD???

Those are my nominees for the race. Feel free to come in with yours.

Some Observations About Carl Edwards' Win

2010-07-18T14:09:00.000-07:00

Last night, the Nationwide Series put on a show at Gateway, just outside of St. Louis. Early on, Brad Keselowski, the Series points leader, was dominant, then Carl Edwards became stout. A late caution bunched up the field for one final restart. Then the fireworks went off. Bad Brad got Edwards loose in Turn 1, but Edwards held his line. No problem there; good job by Edwards in holding his line. Then with 300 yards or so to go, Edwards punted Keselowski, who was leading at the time, into the wall. Huge problem there. Edwards took the checkered flag, while Keselowski finished 14th. The problem is two-fold: Keselowski was intentionally punted by Edwards, knowing the field was behind them, and Edwards pulled a chickenshit maneuver to win the race. I'd have had NO problem with Edwards winning had he outsprinted Keselowski to the finish line.

Here are some observations:

Edwards should have been stripped of his win IMMEDIATELY, then placed as the last driver on the lead lap. Reed Sorenson would have then been given the win, as he was in second at the time.
Google "Carl Edwards anger issues" and you'll find 18,400 matches about Edwards, his conflicts with Cup teammate Matt Kenseth, and other Cup drivers besides Keselowski.
The postrace interview with ESPN was telling. Edwards didn't exactly deny he did it deliberately. He was unapologetic as to how he won. It's like the fox being queried by the farmer about the chickens and the fox saying the coop door was open when he got there.
Edwards is/will be a marked man for the rest of the season. Not only by Keselowski, but Kurt Busch and possibly Kevin Harvick, other drivers that Edwards has had issues with.
Could this go much deeper? Meaning a Jack Roush vs. Roger Penske feud? Kurt Busch (Penske driver) used to drive for Roush back in the day, even winning a Cup title for him back in 2004. But he was run from Roush unceremoniously. Just saying.

Chickenshit Carl, hope you're happy with the win. If things balance out, it'll be your last win for awhile.

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly -- 2010 LifeLock.com 400

2010-07-10T21:57:00.000-07:00

This week, the Crappafoni Pictures crew is on hand in the heart of the Midwest, Chicagoland, for this week's edition of The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, complete with Chicago-style hot dogs and pizza, washed down with copious amounts of the beverage of your choice. Enjoy!

THE GOOD

David Reutimann: as the race winner, he gets first billing. He was strong in practice, strong in qualifying, and got stronger as the race went on. He FINALLY won one that went the distance! Night time was obviously the right time for Reuty, as once he overtook Jeff Gordon for the lead, he checked out on the field. Good job Reuty!

Carl Edwards: like Reutimann, he got stronger as the race went on. He even led a lap during a round of green flag pit stops, gaining the five bonus points he sorely needed. This run is what he sorely needed in order to improve his tenuous chances of making the Chase.

Jeff Gordon: he was at the point until late in the race, when Reutimann took over the lead. He took advantage of points leader Kevin Harvick's misfortune (more on that later) and cut Harvick's lead to 103 points.

Clint Bowyer: after his misfortune at Daytona last week, he came into the race sorely needing a good run. He got it. He now sits in 12th place, 15 points ahead of Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Jamie McMurray: Cupcake started on the pole and stayed in the top 5 for the whole race. The McDonald's Chevrolet got a LOT of face time during the race, bringing cha-ching to McDonald's franchises throughout.

Jimmie Johnson: he led the first 93 laps of the race and ended up leading the most laps.

Honorable Mention: Kasey Kahne, Jeff Burton, Tony Stewart, Denny Hamlin, and Paul Menard.

THE BAD

Joe Nemechek: he drew the short stick this week at the start and parkers' meeting in the Todd Bodine Meeting Room. He ran a grand total of 20 laps before declaring himself done for the day.

Kevin Harvick: as good as he was at Daytona, he was equally as bad at Chicagoland. The 29 crew totally missed on the setup and no matter how hard they tried to adjust, the 29 car got worse as the race went on. At one point, the car lost significant fuel pressure and had to go to the garage to replace the entire fuel system. But once Harvick got back out, he was as fast as the leaders--too bad he was 16 laps down when he returned to the track. A sub-Good for gaining two positions through attrition.

THE UGLY

Jimmie Johnson: it's not common I put a guy in both the Good and Ugly categories, but tonight I must. His race went downhill after Lap 93, when he missed the committment line and lost the lead to McMurray. Then on Lap 138, he takes a slide through the grass when he got loose coming out of Turn 2. At the ensuing green flag, he restarts 24th. Then on Lap 174, he slapped the wall and had to pit, going three laps down.

Robby Gordon/Bill Elliott: Elliott cut a tire on Lap 180, hit the wall, and stopped into oncoming traffic. Gordon hit the brakes as hard as he could, but was unable to stop in time and T-boned Elliott. Fortunately both Gordon and Elliott were okay, but both drivers' days were ruined.

The race itself: it was a snoozefest, particuarly for the first 93 laps, when JJ threatened to run and hide from the field.

Those are my nominees for the race. Feel free to come in with yours!

The LeBron Hype In One Word: NAUSEATING

2010-07-08T19:17:00.000-07:00

Consider me guilty.

Why, pray tell?

I didn't drink the LeBron James flavor Kool-Aid.

And so it goes. The hype surrounding James' free agency was WAY overdone, to the point of being nauseating. Instead of a breakdown of Lakers-Celtics in the Finals, we were subjected to LeBron's incessant mugging for ESPN. Once the Lakers defeated the Celtics in seven games, it became the LeBron Watch 24/7. WHO GIVES A RAT'S ASS?? LeBron hasn't won SHIT in the NBA. How many Finals has he played in? ONE?? Even then, the Cavs were made into a speed bump along the San Antonio Spurs' destination to the NBA title.

Then we sports fans were subjected to an entire ONE HOUR special on the Four Letter. A one hour special on one of the most pampered, egotistical, selfish players on the planet! He singlehandedly prostituted the free agent process by having several teams come into Akron, Ohio, to meet with him and wine and dine him. I always thought that if a prominent player becomes a free agent, he GOES to potential teams to meet with them and to get an idea of what he may be getting into. Oh, that's right. He bastardized the process.

You want to know what I did instead? I had a doctor's appointment, then WENT SHOPPING. That's how NOT interested I was in The LeBron Show. Then on the way home, I listened to Michael Savage. Had I been home, I'd have probably watched Lifetime instead of The LeBron Show.

Now it's time to go both barrels and empty my magazine, so to speak. While LeBron deserves his share of blame, I blame his handlers, ESPN, and the sports media for overhyping a player that has never won a championship. Guess what? Adam Morrison has MORE rings than LeBron. So does DJ Mbenga, the 13th player on a 14-player rotation. Morrison has two rings with the Lakers and he's the 15th player on a 14-player rotation. For the record, LeBron signed with the Miami Heat.

I wonder how many Cavs fans will now become Heat fans because those fans drink the LeBron flavored Kool-Aid? I don't know for sure, but I think there will be MANY. And how will LeBron, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh share the ball? You can't split a ball into three! I, for one, am DAMN GLAD this hype is OVER. Now let's focus on the real sports: NFL, NASCAR, and baseball.

Note: this is a radical departure from my usual NASCAR-themed posts.

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly -- 2010 Coke Zero 400

2010-07-03T23:08:00.000-07:00

This week, the Crappafoni Pictures crew is at the crown jewel of NASCAR, Daytona International Speedway, for this week's edition of The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, served up with copious amounts of BBQ meats of your choice, grilled corn on the cob, and tossed salad, washed down with, what else? Coke Zero! Enjoy!

THE GOOD

Kevin Harvick: as the race winner, he gets first billing. He led the most laps in the race, and it seemed he was able to move to the front at will, even when he was as far back as 16th. He had a stout car tonight and earned a hard-fought victory. He was also lucky in that he escaped the Big One that involved 18 cars with 12 laps to go. He was the last winner on Daytona's old pavement, as on Monday, the track will be repaved and ready to go for next year's 500.

Kasey Kahne: he was able to escape the Big One and kept his nose clean. His runner up finish was HUGE, as he moved up four positions in the standings. Although he never led a lap, he kept working his way towards the front. With the runner up finish, he keeps his Chase chances alive, as several drivers above him got caught up in earlier wrecks.

Jeff Gordon: he led some laps and escaped the Big One. He also moved up to second place in the standings, 212 points behind Harvick.

Dale Earnhardt Jr: another driver that escaped the Big One. Because of that, he finished fourth and improved two spots in the standings to 11th.

Steve Park: what else can you say about this man's perseverance? He was injured in a FREAK accident in a Busch Series (now Nationwide Series) race MANY years ago when his steering wheel column broke off in his hands during a caution and he veered into the path of an oncoming Larry Foyt. Park suffered a severe brain injury and it looked like his career was over. It wasn't until this year that he was given a clean bill of health to race in NASCAR again. Not only did he race tonight, he was in the top 10 late in the race driving for an underfunded team! Unfortunately, he faded late and finished 13th. If anyone deserves a Good, it's Steve Park. He'd have got a good just for starting the race. I think Park showed he can still get the job done.

Red Bull Racing: with Reed Sorenson (8th) and Scott Speed (10th), they finished strong. Neither driver led a lap, but both escaped the Big One.

Mike Bliss: he gets put in the #71 car right after Bobby Labonte left and scores a top 10. Go figure. Either Bliss has what it takes to get the job done, or Labonte's done. I say the latter, with some of the former.

Kurt Busch: he did a great job in coming back from the Big One to finish in the top 10, seventh, to be exact. He led a number of laps and was stout, particularly at the beginning of the race.

Honorable Mention: Jeff Burton, Carl Edwards, David Reutimann.

THE BAD

Weather: rain delayed the race for close to an hour. Fortunately, the weather cleared long enough for the race to be run.

THE UGLY

The Big One: the carnage involved 18 cars and started when Jeff Burton got loose. Burton was running in the top 5 at the time. There were several good cars that got caught up in the carnage, most notably Jimmie Johnson and Ryan Newman. Mark Martin's #5 car caught fire in the pits as the crew was attempting to repair the car. Martin had to be pulled from the car by two members of Johnson's crew and a NASCAR official. By the time he was pulled from the car, it was fully engulfed in flames. Fortunately, Martin is okay. But he had a harrowing few moments in the pits.

Those are my nominees for the race. Feel free to come in with yours!

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly -- 2010 Lenox Industrial Tools 301

2010-06-27T13:10:00.000-07:00

This week, the Crappafoni pictures crew is in the mountains of New Hampshire to bring you this week's version of The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, complete with New England Clam Chowder as the main course, washed down with copious amounts of Samuel Adams. Enjoy!

THE GOOD

Jimmie Johnson: as the race winner, he gets first billing. He was strong in practice, strong in qualifying, and strong in the race. While he only led 8 laps in the race, he led the most important lap.

Tony Stewart: Smoke overcame a bad pit stop early in the race when his gas man didn't completely fill up the tank and had to pit off sequence the remainder of the race. But in the end it paid off as he was able to take the wave around on a late caution. Great job by Smoke in fighting through heavy traffic to finish second. He led two laps through two rounds of green flag pit stops.

Kurt Busch: like Johnson, he was strong in practice, strong in qualifying, strong in the race, and led 8 laps. Only difference is in the finish. For a moment, it looked like the Blue Deuce WAS going to win. But he didn't get a far enough lead and Johnson applied the chrome horn in kind.

Jeff Gordon: he was mired in the lower half of the top 10 on the final restart, but got a GREAT run and passed a bunch of cars in Turn 1 to vault into fourth, where he eventually finished. While he didn't lead a lap, he was strong throughout.

Kevin Harvick: Happy did a great job in climbing from 24th starting position. At one point he was third, but got shuffled to fifth on the final restart. He didn't lead a lap, but was very patient in picking his way through the field. A solid points day for Happy as he is 105 points ahead of Johnson. As the races wind down to the Chase, he could clinch a spot by the time the Bristol night race.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.: he started even farther back than Harvick, starting 31st. Like Happy, he showed great patience in picking his way through the field. Even though he's 13th in the points, he's only three points back of Carl Edwards for the final Chase spot. Junior's GOTTA be salivating because guess what's next: Daytona! I wouldn't rule out a Jr victory at Daytona. The 88 team is putting it together at the right time and they are gaining momentum as the races wind down.

Ryan Newman: Flyin' Ryan was solid all day. He kept the 39's nose clean and was in the top 10 for much of the race. He led a lap in an early round of green flag pit stops. That one lap led gave him the five bonus points he sorely needed to gain one position in the points and is only 15 points behind Edwards for 12th. He's ONE point ahead of Clint Bowyer.

Honorable Mention: Clint Bowyer, Joey Logano, Jeff Burton, AJ Allmendinger, Kyle Busch, and Marcos Ambrose.

THE BAD

Max Papis: he drew the short stick at this week's start and parkers meeting in the Todd Bodine Meeting Room. Mad Max ran a grand total of 11 laps before calling it a day.

Reed Sorenson: WHY were you racing a lead-lap car like you were trying to get your lap back. I'd totally understand IF JPM was leading the race and you were trying to get your lap back. He was faster than you; you should have let him go. You just PLAIN DUMPED HIM. You have talent, but ZERO track sense. Relinquish the ride and give it to Mattias Eckstrom.

THE UGLY

Reed Sorenson: see above.

Kasey Kahne: he's not so much Ugly as Unlucky. He led the most laps before he blew an engine. A sub-Good for that.

Those are my nominees for the race. Feel free to come in with yours!

Sonoma Weekend

2010-06-23T21:13:00.000-07:00

It's been a few days now since the race at Sonoma. You saw and/or heard the usual post-race posturing. Jeff Gordon mad at half the field. Martin Truex Jr. vowing retaliation against Gordon. Jimmie Johnson winning (again). Looking back, it was an awesome weekend.

Saturday: I picked up my rental car at FYI late in the morning (NO, not for your information; it's the code for the Fresno-Yosemite International Airport), a white Toyota Camry that was faster than the Joe Gibbs Toyotas they fielded at Sonoma. (Hell, I could have qualified in the 20's at Sonoma; the car was THAT fast and powerful.) I stopped outside of Fresno to get a bite to eat prior to setting off for the Ramada Inn in Vallejo. I left around noon, arriving in Vallejo approximately three hours later. The car was equipped with XM Radio (unfortunately, I couldn't get the NASCAR channel). I was about 10 minutes away from the hotel when Kristen called. I called her upon settling into my room and hung out with her, RA6AN, and Tez for a bit before we walked to Applebee's to catch the last part of the Nationwide Series race from Road America. Very interesting course. After the race, we momentarily parted ways to get ready for dinner at La Strada Nostra in American Canyon.

Sunday: I had initially planned to leave at 6:30 AM, but changed my mind and left at 6 AM. Good thing I did because traffic started backing up shortly after I arrived at the track. To give you an idea of early morning at Infineon, here are a couple of shots.

A couple of random shots around pit road:

Notice that on the right, each member of Clint Bowyer's crew has a helmet with the Hamburger Helper hand holding a different tool. The tool corresponds to each member; the jackman has a hand holding a jack, the gas man has the hand holding a gas can, etc. It's the same way with the crew's firesuits.

My long-time friend Leon and I reuniting:

Leon, good to see you again my friend!!

The best parts of the race: the National Anthem/Flyover and Kasey Kahne taking the green flag to start the event.

The first half of the race looked like it was going to be a snoozefest, as Jimmie Johnson led the entire first half of the race. I thought to myself, IS HE GOING TO LEAD THIS ENTIRE RACE, BECAUSE IF HE IS, I'M OUTTA HERE. Thankfully, he didn't, as Marcos Ambrose took control of the second half of the race. Even Mattias Eckstrom led 8 laps! (I believe he was the first debut driver to lead laps since Matt Kenseth in 1998.) Smoke led a couple of laps during green flag pit stops.

Then it got VERY interesting. On the restart on Lap 67, Boris Said was slow on the restart, backing up a BUNCH of drivers, eventually leading to a huge crash. There were tires screeching, brakes locking up, and cars slamming into each other like bumper cars. (Thanks a lot, Boris!) Here's how the carnage looked in part:

The huge wreck ruined what was looking to be a huge points day for Martin Truex, Jr., as he was in the top 10 for much of the race and was stout. At right, Truex looks dejectedly at the damage his car sustained. If you could have seen him up close, he was like, UN-FREAKING-BELIEVABLE. He was an innocent victim, in the wrong place at the wrong time.

After a 20 minute red flag period, the race resumed with Marcos Ambrose in the lead. Ambrose was THIS close to snagging his first Cup win except for his idiot crew chief telling him to kill the ignition when Ambrose didn't have to; he had enough fuel to go the distance.

Here's the fateful shot of JJ about to take the checkered flag:

I was very upset initially, then when I saw the replay of Ambrose stalling later in the evening, I calmed down and realized that NASCAR did the right thing in handing Ambrose his penalty. That was a gift-wrapped win for Johnson. With Kevin Harvick's third place finish, it was a HUGE points day for Happy, as he leads Johnson by 110 points.

Then we waited awhile for Kristen to emerge from the #2's post-race inspection. She emerged and we chatted about the race, Kurt Busch and his near run-in with an obnoxious fan, Busch's post-race meltdown, etc. We met a couple from Kansas that made the trek to Infineon. Then later we posed for a group pic:

As Tez and I were waiting for the shuttle to take us back to my car, I espied the Infineon Girls coming my way. (Do I still have the touch or what?) Here's two of my favorite pics:

Tez and I finally arrived at the car around 5:00 PM, roughly 2 1/2 hours AFTER the race ended. Because of the enormous amount of traffic, we didn't return to the hotel until 6:45 PM. I called a friend of mine prior to meeting Tez for dinner at Applebee's. I have to give a shout-out to Brett, one of the servers that took care of us both Saturday and Sunday. Great job Brett! Good luck and God speed in your new position! Another shout out goes to Kate (Ekaterina), who wryfully said, "See you next year." She's cool. The weekend ended on Monday with me giving Tez a ride to SFO to catch his flight and returning to Fresno at 5:45 PM. I arrived home approximately 7 PM. Let's plan this next year!

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly -- 2010 Toyota/Save Mart 350

2010-06-20T22:00:00.000-07:00

This week, the Crappafoni Pictures crew is IN Sonoma, bolstered by a visit from the blogger jon_464 and various friends, to bring you this week's version of The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, served up on a silver platter with Dungeness crab, and washed down with plenty of NoCal's finest wines. Enjoy!

THE GOOD

Jimmie Johnson: after much debate between this blogger and friends, this blogger wasn't even going to put JJ in this category. But after seeing the highlights, this blogger relented. He led the most laps, most of which came early on. He was the beneficiary of Marcos Ambrose's stall on a late caution, giving credence to Kevin Harvick's theory that JJ has a golden horseshoe stuck up his @$$. He should also be put in The Lucky category, as he was the beneficiary of several late cautions.

Robby Gordon: this was the smartest race he ran in a LONG time. Like Johnson, he was the beneficiary of late cautions, as this extended his fuel mileage. He kept the #7's nose clean and was rewarded with a runner up finish. This was ENORMOUS for the team, as he is safely in the top 35 now.

Kevin Harvick: he was strong all weekend, and was consistently in the top 5 for much of the race. Although he didn't lead a lap, he stayed out of trouble and even escaped two big skirmishes. It was a HUGE points day for Happy, as he is now over 100 markers ahead of Johnson.

Mattias Eckstrom: the Swede made his Cup debut and was stout. If not for Jeff Gordon going idiot and punting him, Eck would have certainly had a top 10, maybe a top 5. Perhaps Red Bull should put him in the 82 next year, replacing Scott Speed.

Marcos Ambrose: for the second half of the race it looked like the affable Aussie was about to get his first Cup win, as he had the best car at that point. But due to a bonehead decision by his crew chief to cut the ignition to save gas, Ambrose stalled the car and by the time he got it refired, several drivers had passed him under caution. Good rally by Ambrose to finish sixth.

Honorable Mention: Jeff Gordon, Jan Magnussen, Greg Biffle, Dale Earnhardt Jr, Tony Stewart, Boris Said, Juan Pablo Montoya.

THE BAD

Frank Kerr: he's the genius crew chief that told Ambrose to shut off the ignition. BAD decision Kerr; you cost your driver the race.

Joe Gibbs Racing: between Joey Logano (33rd), Denny Hamlin (34th), and Kyle Busch (38th), I think it's a weekend they don't want to hit "rewind" any time soon. It's even worse when the Kid finishes the best of the three! I think they want to hit the Fast Forward button at the start of the race and hold it until it's over. At least Hamlin didn't have to worry about overheating issues.

THE UGLY

Joe Gibbs Racing: see above.

Jeff Gordon: he was seemingly involved in EVERY dustup; actually, he was involved in three cautions, including punting Eckstrom for no apparent reason when the Swede was in the top 10 at the time. Jeff, you know better than that, especially coming from NASCAR's elder statesman. You looked like an impatient rookie in his first Infineon start at times.

Those are my nominees for the race. Tez and I are at the hotel bouncing ideas off each other as I write this.

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly -- Heluva Good! Snacks 400

2010-06-13T12:58:00.000-07:00

This week, the Crappafoni Pictures crew is in the backyard of the Big 3, Michigan, to bring you this week's The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, midwestern-style, complete with BBQ beef and all the fixin's, washed down with plenty of Captain and Coke. Enjoy!

THE GOOD

Denny Hamlin: as race winner, he gets first billing. He was stout, and it didn't take him long to get to the point. Once at the point, he pretty much stayed there the rest of the race. Everyone else was battling for second place.

Kasey Kahne: he was at the point for a little while. He was strong throughout, but like everyone else, he had nothing for Hamlin. Now he heads to the track where he won at last year.

Kurt Busch: he had one of the three best cars but it was all about Hamlin.

Jeff Gordon: steady and consistent. He gained a little ground on Four-Time aka Jimmie Johnson in the points.

Tony Stewart: this is Smoke's time of year. All but four of his career wins have come after the Coca-Cola 600. As the weather heats up, so does Smoke. He is now in the top 12 in the points, moving Clint Bowyer to 13th.

Dale Earnhardt Jr: this was his best run in some time. He moved up two positions in the standings, and making the Chase is a realistic possibility now.

Honorable Mention: Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Burton, Greg Biffle, Joey Logano.

THE BAD

Max Papis: he drew the short stick at the start and parkers' meeting and ran a grand total of eight laps before declaring himself done for the day.

Casey Mears: it was bad enough that he wrecked his teammate Scott Speed, but on pit road, he wrecked David Ragan, ending Ragan's chances of a top 10 finish.

THE UGLY

Casey Mears: see above.

Those are my nominees for the race. Feel free to come in with yours!

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly -- Gillette Fusion ProGlide 500

2010-06-06T15:56:00.000-07:00

This week, the Crappafoni Pictures crew is in the mountains of northeast Pennsylvania to bring you The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, complete with Philly cheesesteaks (GO FLYERS!), and Tasty Cakes, washed down with copious amounts of Coke Zero. Enjoy!

Denny Hamlin/Joe Gibbs Racing: as the race winner, Hamlin gets first billing. He had a very stout car and led the most laps. Kyle Busch, Hamlin's teammate, led early and often. Busch was very rarely out of the top 5 as he started from the pole, eventually finishing second. And even Joey Logano was having a very strong run late when he and Kevin Harvick made contact, ending any chance of Logano finishing in the top 5.

Tony Stewart: Smoke was not a factor for three quarters of the race. It wasn't until successive cautions came out with around 40 laps to go that he found himself in the top 3. He pretty much hung out in that position for the remainder of the race. It was one of those "better to be lucky than good" races that he needs if he is to make the Chase. An extra Good for gaining four spots to 12th and being in a position to make the Chase. Here we go, Smoke's about to get blistering hot now.

Kevin Harvick: Happy started 22nd and slowly worked his way towards the front. Once he got into the top 10 he stayed there pretty much for the remainder of the race. He and Logano made contact late, ensuring Harvick of a fourth place finish and Logano a frustrated and angry driver. He and Logano have a history dating back to Bristol earlier this year. Although Kyle Busch finished two positions ahead of him, Happy still maintains the points lead.

Jimmie Johnson: JJ started 25th and was about to turn into Mr. Where-did-he-come-from? Unlike at Charlotte, the 48 crew was at the top of its game, consistently gaining positions after pit stops and making good adjustments to the changing track conditions.

Clint Bowyer: he was stout in the middle of the race, leading all his laps (59) in that part of the race. He slapped the wall coming out of Turn 3 and the 33 crew had to make lengthy repairs to the car under caution. He did well in finishing 9th. At least for today, he showed what he's capable of doing.

Honorable Mention: Kurt Busch, Jeff Burton, Juan Pablo Montoya, AJ Allmendinger.

THE BAD

Joe Nemechek: he drew the short stick at the start and parkers' meeting, also drawing the envy of the other S & P's. You could ALMOST hear him teeheeing to the others after he left the meeting. He ran a grand total of--wait for it--SEVEN LAPS.

The race coverage: particularly during the prerace. Every time one of the commentators was about to make a point, sound troubles popped up. It got better as the race went on, though. Good effort.

THE UGLY

The Big One: it happened on the last lap of the race, in the backstretch. Kasey Kahne had a run on his teammate AJ Allmendinger, who went to block him. Kahne ended up cutting the grass and lost control of the car. He then went up the track in front of several other cars, most notably Mark Martin and Greg Biffle. Kahne had such momentum that he plowed into Martin and Biffle and nearly went OVER the fence. If not for the trees above and behind the fence, Kahne WOULD have jumped the fence. Several other good cars were torn up as well, most notably Jeff Gordon's and Marcos Ambrose's cars.

Joey Logano: it's not often that I put a driver in the Good and Ugly categories, but I must. It's understandable to be frustrated and angry after having a good run ripped from you. But he parked right beside Kevin Harvick's car on pit road, spoiling for a fight. Joey, HUGE NO-NO. Don't start what you can't finish. Harvick took care of Carl Edwards with NO problem in October 2008, after Talladega. It's understandable that you want to go, but Harvick is NOT one guy you want to throw down with. If he can whip Edwards with relative ease, you'd be NO problem for him. Harvick had that look of "let him come to me, we'll settle this here and now, and it's not going to be pretty." Take a night to think this over and talk it out with Harvick in the next day or two. Logano then upped the ante, insinuating that Harvick was hiding behind (wife) DeLana's racing suit. Again Joey, you're making a HUGE mistake trying to take on Harvick. He's trying to downplay the incident as a racing incident (which it was) while you're running your yap making personal attacks.

Those are my nominees for the race. Feel free to come in with yours!

NASCAR at the halfway point

2010-06-01T21:06:00.000-07:00

So far this season, we are at the halfway point. This is the time when drivers on the Chase bubble become desperate. There's little, if any, room for error. This is when they need to be consistent, and finish consistently high. For those that are safely in the top 12, it's points racing time until that Chase spot is locked up, then if there are still a couple of races before the Chase, they can and typically do race for wins. That being said, I will analyze the top 20 in the points standings, and give their chances to make the Chase.

Kevin Harvick: he's been at or near the top of the points since California, where he finished second to Jimmie Johnson. The 29 team's turnaround actually began at Atlanta last season, where Harvick finished second to Kasey Kahne. The spoiler has actually helped the 29 team, and the car seems to be dialed in every week. He has won once, at Talladega in a thriller over Jamie McMurray. After Pocono, the circuit comes to tracks that favor Harvick. Chance to make Chase: highly likely.
Kyle Busch: he's coming off a terrific and dominant May, winning in all three series. With two wins (at Richmond and Dover), he would actually be ahead of Harvick if the Chase started Sunday. He's a threat to win every week. He could also finish 30th in any given race. This is what makes him must-see TV. Chance to make Chase: highly likely.
Matt Kenseth: he has run much more consistent and Kenseth-like than he did this time last year. Major props for blowing out his crew chief after Daytona in favor of Todd Parrott. The move immediately paid dividends. Although he hasn't won yet this year, I don't think it will be long before he visits Vicky in her Lane lair. Although he's 117 points in arrears, a consistent second half of the season and he's back in the Chase. Chance to make Chase: very likely.
Jeff Gordon: NASCAR's elder statesman has that fire in his belly again. Although he hasn't won yet, it's not going to be long before he wins. An early-season tiff with Jimmie Johnson has helped stoke those fires. He gained two positions in the standings after Charlotte, and he's capable of moving up even more, especially with a trip back home to Sonoma on the horizon. I would not be surprised to see him return to Victory Lane at his home track in Sonoma. Chance to make Chase: very likely.
Denny Hamlin: with three wins, he's tied with Johnson for the most on the circuit. If the Chase started Sunday, he would actually be considered in first place because of more points going in. He does have a maddening tendency to put himself in the wrong place at the wrong time, and in the worst spots. Still, he's been stout all season, and I expect him to keep it up. Chance to make Chase: very likely.
Kurt Busch: like younger brother Kyle, he capped off a great May by winning at Charlotte. Prior to the win, Kurt had NEVER had as much a top 10 in the 600. He has had the 1.5 mile tracks mastered, at least this year. Pocono is also a very strong track for Busch. He is running like the 2004 version that won the championship driving for Jack Roush. Chance to make Chase: very likely.
Jimmie Johnson: he has been in a freefall since the tiff with Gordon. Since NASCAR went with the spoiler, Johnson and the 48 team have not been sharp, often running like a non-Chase team. He has more DNFs this season than the last three seasons COMBINED. (He has 3 this year; from 2007-09 he had two.) With tracks not favorable to JJ coming up, he'll have to scramble to make the Chase. While he's capable of multiple wins, he also is capable of some bad finishes. Could this be the year he misses the Chase? Chance to make Chase: likely.
Jeff Burton: like his teammate Harvick, he has run more consistently. But can he put it together to win a race? Only time will tell. His blow up with Kyle Busch after Charlotte was very uncharacteristic. In my opinion, it reflected the frustration of not winning. Chance to make Chase: likely.
Greg Biffle: he's been a consistent top 10 finisher, racking up eight such finishes. He'll need to be more consistent and win a few races to make the Chase. Most of the remaining tracks favor Biffle. Chance to make Chase: likely.
Mark Martin: he put it together at this time last year to make the Chase after being in 35th place going into Bristol's spring race. He was the hottest driver not named Jimmie Johnson. He is certainly capable of doing it again, and I wouldn't put it past him to rip off a few wins. Chance to make Chase: likely.
Carl Edwards: he's been spotty at best. Although he has six top 10s, he also has two DNFs and some other bad results. A few bad results could cause him to miss the Chase; consequently, some good results (along with some wins) will greatly boost his chances. At this point, I see him doing just enough to make the Chase. Chance to make Chase: not likely.
Ryan Newman: he's on the proverbial hot seat, just four points ahead of 13th. From this point on, it's a crapshoot. While he does have one win this year, I don't see the consistency needed for him to make the Chase. Chance to make Chase: not likely.
Clint Bowyer: he's only four points behind Newman as Pocono nears. I just don't see that high-level consistency needed to make the Chase. Perhaps Bowyer can turn it around, but I don't see that happening, at least not this year. Chance to make Chase: not likely.
Martin Truex, Jr.: this team is starting to put it together at the right time. It's important to go into the Chase with Big Mo on your side, and if Truex does make the Chase, he'll have that Big Mo. But they have to keep it up for the last half of the season, through the dog days of summer. It's possible, but I think they come up just short. Chance to make Chase: not likely.
Jamie McMurray: this is a team that CAN put it together. And I can see it happening. I think the 1 team gets at least one more win, if not more. I'll go out on a limb and say, Cupcake makes the Chase, and even wins a Chase race. Chance to make Chase: likely.
Tony Stewart: Smoke hasn't been nearly as consistent this year as last year. But the summer is coming, and Smoke historically is much better. Could he make the Chase? It's possible, considering his history. I say he does. Chance to make Chase: likely.
Dale Earnhardt Jr: maddeningly inconsistent. With only three top 10s, he better get on his horse if he's going to make the Chase. He cannot afford any more mulligans. One more finish in the 30s and he can kiss his Chase chances goodbye. Chance to make Chase: not likely.
Joey Logano: one thing I like about this kid is he's always battling for the best possible result, always striving to move up one position. Underneath that calm, easygoing exterior is the heart of a true competitor. That will serve him well now and in the future. If he doesn't make the Chase, it won't be because of a lack of effort. I wouldn't rule out his chances, but it's a long shot. Chance to make Chase: not likely.
David Reutimann: the 00 Dream Team is finally starting to make noise. But with only 13 races left before the Chase, I think it's too little, too late. He can use the remainder of the season as a tuneup for next season. Chance to make Chase: remote.
Juan Pablo Montoya: hard to believe that at this time last year we were mentioning him as a possible Chase contender. He eventually made the Chase and did halfway decently in his first Chase. This year is another story. Although he has six top 10s, he also has four DNFs. He's more than one whole race behind Ryan Newman, meaning he has to make up an average of 12 points per race, a very difficult feat to do. I don't see it happening for JPM, at least not this year. Chance to make Chase: no chance.

That's how I see the second half of the regular season shaping up. Carl Edwards and Ryan Newman are out, and Jamie McMurray and Tony Stewart are in. As for the Chase itself, I see a three-man battle for the title: Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch, and Jeff Gordon. Those three drivers are focused on the big picture, not getting involved in petty battles. I see Gordon emerging with his fifth Cup title, narrowly edging Harvick and Busch.

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly -- 2010 Coca-Cola 600

2010-05-30T19:40:00.000-07:00

This week, the Crappafoni Pictures crew is in the capital of NASCAR, Charlotte, NC, for this week's The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, complete with Carolina-style BBQ, a side of Cupcakes for dessert, and to wash it all down with Miller Lite beer, of course!

THE GOOD

Kurt Busch: as the race winner, he gets first billing. He had the dominant car of the race, leading over 200 laps. Props to crew chief Steve Addington and the Brew Crew for putting Busch in a position to win. Next stop is Pocono, where he's even more dominant.

Jamie McMurray: he had a strong car, and led several laps, but when it was money time, the 1 crew had a bad pit stop that cost him five positions. Good job Cupcake!

Kyle Busch: early on it looked like he had the car to beat. At every 100 mile interval it was either he or brother Kurt that was leading; that's how dominant the Busch Brothers were. This caps an amazing month in which a Busch Brother won every race at either the Nationwide or Sprint Cup level.

Mark Martin: he was the beneficiary of a gutsy call by crew chief Alan Gustafson to stay out on the final caution. He made the track position stand up for a fourth place finish. This was a case in which he turned a 15th place car into a fourth place car.

David Reutimann: the defending race winner was stout throughout, rarely staying outside of the top 5. He led a few laps during green flag pit stops. Good job David!

Honorable Mention: Jeff Gordon, Clint Bowyer, Ryan Newman, Paul Menard, Matt Kenseth, and Kevin Harvick.

THE BAD

Dave Blaney: he drew the short stick at the start and parkers' meeting in the Todd Bodine Meeting Room. He was the first to start and park, turning in a cool 25 laps before calling it a night.

Kyle Busch: on the final restart, he turned right into Jeff Burton, cutting his left rear tire and costing Burton a shot at winning. Burton wasn't pleased, and he let Busch have it after the race. Good for Jeff!

THE UGLY

Kyle Busch: rarely do I put a driver in all three slots, but Busch deserves all three today.

Those are my nominees for the race. Feel free to chime in.

Gas and Go--Charlotte (Spring Race 2010)

2010-05-27T23:58:00.000-07:00

This week's Gas and Go is a home game--Charlotte, NC. I will offer some short takes and maybe an unusual fact or two leading into the race, and pick a winner.

Kurt Busch has momentum going into the 600, coming off his win at the All-Star Race last weekend. However, he has never had a top 10 finish in the 600. This track is not one of his better tracks.
On the other hand, Jimmie Johnson practically OWNS this track. He should have had one more win in 2002, but he overshot his pit on the final pit stop of the 2002 race, giving the victory to his future Hendrick Motorsports teammate Mark Martin. In that race, it was Martin's superior conditioning that enabled him to stay alert those last 100 miles.
Johnson is the only driver to ever win at Charlotte on a last-lap pass, passing Bobby Labonte with 100 yards to go in the 2005 Coca-Cola 600.
Hendrick Motorsports has won 8 of the past 14 races overall at Charlotte, four in the 600: Johnson from 2003-2005 (3 in a row) and Casey Mears in 2007 for his only Cup win.
I'll stop blathering on about Hendrick Motorsports/Jimmie Johnson, and go a different direction. David Reutimann's first career victory last year made him the sixth driver to get his first win in the 600-mile race: David Pearson (1961), Jeff Gordon (1994), Bobby Labonte (1995), Matt Kenseth (2000), and Casey Mears (2007) were the others.
Thinking of you: Bill Frances Sr and Jr, Richard Petty, Junior Johnson, and the late Dale Earnhardt. (The five charter NASCAR Hall of Fame inductees.)
Look for the usual suspects to run up front: Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, Jeff Burton, and Matt Kenseth.

Predicted Race Winner: Denny Hamlin. This guy is a threat to win every week; it doesn't matter the kind of track or the track conditions. He's finally learning how to be consistent, and not overdrive the car. He's always had the talent, but not always the consistency. He leads a JGR 1-2 finish with Kyle Busch finishing second. The rest of the top 5: 3) Johnson; 4) Kenseth; 5) David Reutimann.

That's my Gas and Go for Charlotte. Feel free to read and comment.

Information courtesy of www.nascar.com and www.racing-reference.info.

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly -- All-Star Race 2010

2010-05-22T20:30:00.000-07:00

This week, the Crappafoni Pictures crew is in the cradle of NASCAR, Charlotte, NC, to bring you this week's The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly in high-def crystal clarity (We're too cheap for this trendy 3-D stuff; hey, I'm just telling it like it is!), complete with a North Carolina-style BBQ, grilled corn, and all the fixin's. Enjoy!

THE GOOD

Kurt Busch: as the race winner, he gets first billing. He did win the first segment of the Challenge, and was near the front for the whole 100 laps. Props go out to the Brew Crew(looking forward to seeing you guys at Sonoma) for doing a GREAT job in fixing the Blue Deuce during the 10 minute break after he slapped the wall hard. The Deuce may not have been a thing of beauty to look at, but for Roger Penske, it was the most beautiful sight in the world when the Deuce took the checkered flag. Good job Kurt and Crew!!

Martin Truex, Jr.: he was the winner of the transition race. That alone deserves a Good slot. While he hung out at the back in the Challenge, that strategy kept him in good stead, particularly when the Big One hit very early in the final segment of the race. Had there been one more lap to go, I think Truex could have pulled it out. This bodes well for Truex and the NAPA crew as the Chase nears. Another Good goes out to Truex for having the fastest lap of the race.

Joey Logano: although he didn't lead a lap, he managed to pick his way and did a great job in not being a part of the Big One. That alone put him in a position to win, and although he didn't win, he learned a lot about the race and what he can do in the future. Good job Joey!

Denny Hamlin: he led two laps and was in a position to win it, but he slapped the wall late and lost his momentum. He got into an on-track tiff with his teammate Kyle Busch when Busch had a run on him and Hamlin cut him off. I don't blame Hamlin; he's trying to win the race, and there was no contact made.

Greg Biffle: he raced his way into the Challenge with a second-place finish in the transition race. For awhile, it looked like he had a car that could win the All-Star Race. He avoided trouble for the most part and had a solid finish. Good job Biff!

THE BAD

Joe Nemechek: he was the first to start and park in the Showdown. You're beyond Field Filler Joe now; you're Start and Park Joe. You went from Front Row Joe to Field Filler Joe to Start and Park Joe. IT'S A FREAKING DISGRACE THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE START AND PARKERS IN THE ALL-STAR RACE!! AT LEAST GIVE AN HONEST EFFORT!! NASCAR SHOULD WITHHOLD YOUR EARNINGS FROM THE RACE; YOU STOLE MONEY FROM THEM YOU BASTARD!! AT LEAST NORM BENNING PUT FORTH AN HONEST EFFORT WITH AN UNDERFUNDED TEAM AND RAN ALL 40 LAPS OF THE RACE!!

THE UGLY

Start and Parkers: WHY do we have to have these guys in the All-Star Race? If you can't run a full race, THEN DON'T RUN THE RACE AT ALL!!!

Those are my nominees for the race. Feel free to come in with yours.

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly -- Autism Speaks 400 (2010)

2010-05-16T13:25:00.000-07:00

This week, the Crappafoni Pictures crew is in Dover to bring you this week's The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, complete with crab cakes, Philly cheese steaks (GO FLYERS!) all the fixin's, and plenty of beverages of your choice to wash them down with. Enjoy!

THE GOOD

Kyle Busch: as the race winner, he gets first billing. He had a dominant car the second half of the race, and overcame radio issues early. He became the first driver to sweep Dover since September 1991, when Harry Gant did it at age 51. He now is second in the points, 69 points behind Kevin Harvick. Good job Kyle!

Jeff Burton: he led one lap during a round of green flag pit stops. The 31 car got better as the race went on. He ran a typical Burton race: quietly moving forward without much fanfare, but was there at the end. No shame in being runner up to Kyle Busch, especially today.

Roush Fenway Racing: I have to put this group here because three of their drivers all having strong races--Matt Kenseth (3rd); Greg Biffle (6th); and Carl Edwards (8th). This is the best they have run in quite some time. Could a victory be in the not too distant future?

Joe Gibbs Racing: in addition to Kyle Busch (winner), JGR's other two drivers (Denny Hamlin (4th) and Joey Logano (10th)) also had strong races. Hamlin matches his career-best finish at Dover, and Logano's top 10 was huge for that team, particularly with the problems besetting Juan Pablo Montoya and Jamie McMurray.

David Reutimann: he was strong throughout the race, and for once he wasn't snakebit. He even led a lap during a round of green flag pit stops. He was in the top 10 for much of the race, eventually finishing 5th. Good top 5 run by the Aaron's Dream Team!

Kevin Harvick: the points leader was ALMOST lapped by Jimmie Johnson early in the race. A timely caution caused by Marcos Ambrose cutting a tire and hitting the wall kept Happy from going a lap down. Kudos to the crew for keeping up with the changing track conditions and not only making the right adjustments, but in consistently gaining ground on the stops. Dover is one of Harvick's worst tracks, and to come away with a top 10 is HUGE. If he has the points lead after Indianapolis, look for him to start racing for wins.

Tony Stewart: Smoke got better as the race went on. This was his best finish in quite awhile. He slowly climbed into the top 10, finishing 9th. Good job Smoke!

Honorable Mention: Jeff Gordon, Martin Truex Jr., Ryan Newman.

THE BAD

Johnny Sauter: he drew the short stick at the Start and Parkers meeting and was the first to park.

Sam Hornish Jr: he was the cause of TWO cautions for spinning out. C'mon Spinning Sam, you can do better than that!

David Ragan: sorry Melissa, gotta call your driver out this time. As good as his Roush Fenway teammates were, he was about equally as bad. UPS isn't paying all that jack to see its car finish consistently near the back of the pack!

Dale Earnhardt Jr: your sponsors aren't paying all that bank to see you finish in the 30s due to mechanical problems or other issues. They want to see you in the top 15 at least.

THE UGLY

Marcos Ambrose: twice he cut tires to bring out cautions. On one of them I was thankful because Harvick was about to go a lap down. Here's hoping you find more consistency.

Those are my nominees for the race. Feel free to come in with yours.

Gas and Go--Dover (Spring Race 2010)

2010-05-13T23:16:00.000-07:00

This week's Gas and Go comes from our Vice-President's home state of Delaware. (You can always count on ole Joe for comic relief! And on a more serious note, get well wishes go out to his son Beau as he recovers from a mild stroke suffered earlier in the week.) And away we go!

More get well wishes go out to Brian Vickers as he recovers from an unspecified illness. Casey Mears will step in for Vickers in the #83 Red Bull Toyota. Get well soon Brian!
Kevin Harvick comes into the week with a 110-point lead over Jimmie Johnson. This would be a great opportunity for Johnson to cut into that lead, as this is one of Johnson's very best tracks. However, Harvick posted top 10s in both races in his rookie season of 2001. Johnson won both Dover races last season, as he did in his rookie season of 2002.
Johnson leads active drivers in Dover wins, with 5. (He also won the fall race in 2005.)
Although Juan Pablo Montoya is in 17th place in the standings, he's only 54 points behind Dale Earnhardt Jr for the final Chase spot. Montoya has been stout in the past month, pretty much duplicating what Mark Martin did last year, minus the wins. If not for Montoya's slow start, he'd be up there dueling with Harvick and Johnson.
The spoiler has greatly benefitted Gibbs, RCR and EGR. Those drivers have been very strong since the spoiler made its debut. Consequently, Hendrick Motorsports has been a little off, with the exception of Jeff Gordon.
Thinking of you: Jody Ridley (surprise winner at Dover in 1981). Whatever happened to him?
Dover has three firsts for Matt Kenseth: 1) Start (September 1998); 2) top 10 (he finished sixth in that first start subbing for Bill Elliott); 3) Pole (June 2002). Kenseth has eight top 10s in his last 10 starts.
Look for the usual suspects to run strong: Johnson, Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, Kenseth, Carl Edwards, Gordon, and Mark Martin. Which brings me to:

Predicted Race Winner: Jimmie Johnson. He breaks out of his funk and gains ground on Harvick. The rest of the top 5: 2) Hamlin; 3) Kenseth; 4) Kyle Busch; 5) J. Gordon.

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly -- Showtime Southern 500

2010-05-08T20:49:00.001-07:00

This week, the Crappafoni Picture crew brings to you, in High Def, this week's The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, complete with a Hollywood flair fused with a Deep South flavor. Enjoy!

THE GOOD

Denny Hamlin: as the race winner, he gets first billing. He had a stout car throughout the weekend. He was strong in practice, strong in qualifying, and strong in the race. So much for ACL surgery. He LOOKS like a championship contender. A Darlington Sweep is something he can hang his hat on. Now he's tied with Jimmie Johnson for the most wins this season. (Hopefully there will be beautiful weather next week in Dover, as Hamlin has won on either a Saturday or Monday.)

Jamie McMurray: he started on the pole and led many laps throughout the race. Finishing second to Hamlin at Darlington, there is no shame in that. Cupcake was stout in qualifying, strong in practice, and strong in the race. Being back with Chip Ganassi seems to agree with Cupcake.

Kurt Busch: he started 14th and quickly worked his way towards the front. Although he didn't lead a lap, he put himself in a position to have a strong finish. All in all, a good job by the Blue Deuce and his crew. Good job guys!

Jeff Gordon: he led the most laps in the race but was snakebit (again!) on the final caution. He lined up as the final car on the lead lap. He did a great job in finishing fourth. I was convinced that this was the weekend he would win.

Juan Pablo Montoya: he's been a regular here in recent weeks. He drove the wheels off the Target Chevrolet to a fifth place finish. I wouldn't count him out of Chase contention yet. He gained another spot in the standings. One thing that helps him immensely: Richmond is the final race before the Chase, and he runs very strong there. He was stout, and this was easily his best run at Darlington. This bodes well for him in the future. He'll get that win in the not too distant future.

Kevin Harvick: he was buried deep in the field, starting 35th. Happy slowly worked his way to the front, and even led a lap through green flag pit stops, getting the five bonus points. That was HUGE. He also took advantage of Jimmie Johnson's misfortune when Johnson was in the wrong place at the wrong time and got plowed into by AJ Allmendinger. With his sixth place finish, he has opened up a 110-point lead in the standings, the largest margin in Cup this year, and the largest of Harvick's Cup career. (In 2006, he won the Busch Series by nearly 1,000 points.)

Regan Smith: despite driving for an underfunded team, he managed a top 20 finish at FREAKING Darlington, NOT an easy track to do well at. (He finished 17th.) For a time, he was running in the TOP TEN, before fading. He was running as high as sixth. He was very strong throughout the race and kept the 78's nose clean. Kudos to him for running a smart, efficient race. What helped was that he had the ECR engine package underneath the hood. The top 20 finish was HUGE for that team. Good job Regan!

Honorable Mention: Kyle Busch, Jeff Burton, Ryan Newman, and Brian Vickers.

THE BAD

Dave Blaney: he was the first one to start and park. Poor guy, ended up drawing the short stick in the Todd Bodine Meeting Room. He deserves better. I would have put Reed Sorenson here, but his day ended due to an early accident.

Sam Hornish Jr: Darlington wasn't too kind to him, as he was the cause of multiple cautions. I think he wanted to stay in bed and skip Darlington altogether, as he looked like someone on his fifth Jack and Coke.

THE UGLY

Sam Hornish Jr: see above.

Bobby Labonte: he also was the cause of multiple cautions. As much as I've always liked Labonte, could the end of his career be near? He's been a great champion, but IMO this is a case of hanging on too long. It's kind of like Willie Mays playing center field for the New York Mets. (That visual is BRUTAL, as Mays hung on for FAR too long; he should have retired after the 1971 season, his last good season.)

Those are my nominees. Feel free to come in with yours.

Gas and Go--Darlington

2010-05-06T22:48:00.000-07:00

This week's Gas and Go comes from The Track Too Tough to Tame, aka Darlington Speedway. I will give some short insights and takes leading into the race, and offer up some unusual facts, along with predicting my winner for the race.

Kyle Busch comes into Darlington on a roll. He showed his mettle and patience last week in winning at Richmond. Could this be the beginning of a newer, more patient KB? If so, he'll be a threat to JJ's dominance.
Mark Martin comes in as the defending race winner. Although he's just won twice, in over 50% of his starts at Darlington he has finished in the top 10 (26 top 10's in 43 races). This track is ideal for his patient, methodical approach.
Jeff Gordon is the current master of The Lady in Black with seven wins. He is the only driver ever to win four consecutive Southern 500s, 1995 to 1998. In that span he won five times at the track. To give you an idea of how dominant he was in that stretch, no one has even won the Southern 500 three times in a row. He also won the Southern 500 in 2002, and this race in 2007. Don't be surprised if he wins his eighth Darlington race. He's coming closer to that win.
Although Martin won last year at age 50, he's not the oldest winner at Darlington. Harry Gant won the 1991 Southern 500 at age 51. If you thought Martin had an amazing year at 50 (which he did), Gant won five races in 1991, including a record-tying four STRAIGHT races, which started at the Southern 500. At 51!
The all-time master of Darlington is David Pearson, with 10 wins. The Silver Fox often dominated; in one of his wins, the runner-up was 13 laps DOWN. Which brings me to:
Thinking of you: David Pearson.
Kevin Harvick comes in as the points leader. However, he has struggled at Darlington in recent years. In his first six starts, he had four top 10 finishes, including a second place finish in the 2003 Southern 500. He hasn't had a top 10 finish since.
Terry Labonte got his first Cup win at the 1980 Southern 500. He got his final Cup win at the 2003 Southern 500 as his career was winding down and a young buck named Kyle Busch was waiting in the wings. The 2003 Southern 500 would be the last race run at Darlington on Labor Day weekend.
Look for the usual suspects to run up front: Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Martin, Greg Biffle, Kyle Busch, and Denny Hamlin.

Predicted Race Winner: Jeff Gordon. He breaks his winless streak and shows the young studs how to tame the Lady in Black. With his eighth win at Darlington, he moves to within two of Pearson. The rest of the top 5: 2) Martin; 3) Biffle; 4) Harvick (he's running very well and continues the momentum); 5) Kyle Busch.

Darkhorse top 10 finisher: Marcos Ambrose. He noses out Carl Edwards for the final spot in the top 10.

Those are my observations. Feel free to leave your insights and takes.

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly -- Heath Calhoun 400

2010-05-01T19:50:00.000-07:00

This week, the Crappafoni Pictures crew presents this week's The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, BBQ-style, complete with all the fixin's that only Saturday night racing can deliver. Enjoy!

THE GOOD

Kyle Busch: as the race winner, he gets first billing. He had the dominant car for the first half of the race; at one point, only nine cars were on the lead lap. He led the entire first half of the race, but had to scramble late in the race and beat Jeff Gordon on the final restart. He led a total of 226 laps. Good job Kyle!

Jeff Gordon: he had a stout car in the second half of the race but was snakebit yet again. He was the victim of a great Kyle Busch restart. He'll get that win soon--I'm predicting at Sonoma.

Kevin Harvick: he started sixth and quickly moved his way forwards. He was in the top 5 for much of the race, and overcame a bad pit stop. He led a couple of laps during green flag pit stops. With his third place finish, and Jimmie Johnson's 10th place finish, Harvick takes over the points lead by 10 points over Johnson.

Jeff Burton: not to be outdone, Harvick's RCR teammate got stronger as the race went on. The #31 crew was on top of the changing track conditions, and made the correct adjustments. He led a few laps, which was popular among the fans.

Carl Edwards: I think this is the first time I've put Cousin Carl in this category this year. He started way back in the pack (28th) and slowly worked his way towards the front. He led his first laps OF THE SEASON. Hopefully for Edwards and the #99 crew, this race will turn around their season.

Honorable Mention: Juan Pablo Montoya, Martin Truex Jr., Ryan Newman, Marcos Ambrose, and Jimmie Johnson.

THE BAD

Tony Raines: normally, I would put the last place driver (READ: start and parker) in this position, but Joe Nemechek's day ended due to an accident before he started and parked. Raines was officially the first start and parker.

Scott Speed: he went backwards from the drop of the green flag. If not for the wave around, he'd have finished double digit laps down.

Tony Stewart: he was another beneficiary of the wave around rule. His finishing position isn't an indicator of how bad he really was tonight. It was a very un-Smoke like performance. He missed big-time on the setup and had his hands full. A sub-Good FOR finishing on the lead lap.

THE UGLY

Dale Earnhardt Jr: he cut a tire under green and had to pit, going several laps down in the process. Then he had a speeding penalty on pit road. All in all, a bad day for Jr. He drops five positions in the standings, to 13th, out of Chase contention for now.

Those are my nominees for the race. Feel free to come in with yours!

Gas and Go--Richmond (Spring Race 2010)

2010-04-28T23:54:00.000-07:00

This week's Gas and Go comes from the racing capital of Virginia, Richmond. As usual, I will offer short insights and takes leading up to the race, and pick my winner.

Fresh off breaking his 115-race winless streak, Kevin Harvick is looking to make it two in a row. Richmond is also the track where he started his only two-race win streak of his Cup career, in 2006. He would win the summer race at Richmond, then start the Chase by winning at Loudon, NH. Could he make it two in a row? Only time will tell.
Richmond is the kind of track that RCR could dominate at. All three RCR drivers have won at RIR: Harvick, Clint Bowyer (spring 2008), and Jeff Burton (he won in 1998 when driving for Jack Roush).
Not to be outdone, Denny Hamlin would like to turn his hometown track into his own playground and win in dominating fashion. He's certainly capable. Nothing like home cooking. He's won twice this year and in my opinion he's looking at it this way: another win and he's tied with Jimmie Johnson for the Chase lead.
Winning at Talladega will make it easier on Harvick for three reasons: 1) attracting sponsors; 2) re-signing with RCR as a result of getting new sponsorship; 3) getting that 800-lb gorilla off his back and not having to answer questions about the winless streak. Speaking of sponsors, Reese's will be sponsoring the #29 car this weekend. Reese's has been with Harvick since his rookie season in 2001.
The track was first built in 1946. At first it was a 1/2 mile dirt track, hosting its first NASCAR Grand National event on April 19, 1953. Since then, the track has undergone four additional configurations, the most recent being the 3/4 mile configuration after the spring 1988 race.
Lee Petty was the first winner at RIR. Denny Hamlin is the most recent winner, winning last season's Chevy Rock & Roll 400.
Jimmie Johnson, the active leader with three wins, has quite a ways to go to catch Richard Petty's all-time record of 11 wins at Richmond. Petty won under three different configurations of the track.
Johnson was the last driver to win from the pole, in the summer 2007 race.
Back to the burning question: who will win at Richmond? Look for the usual suspects to run strong: Hamlin, Harvick, Johnson, Kurt Busch, Kasey Kahne, Jeff Gordon, Jeff Burton, Clint Bowyer, and Kyle Busch. Any one of these guys could win the race.

Predicted Race Winner: Kevin Harvick. He makes it two wins in a row, narrowly edging Denny Hamlin. (I predicted once he gets that first win, he'll reel off several afterwards.) The rest of the top 5: 3) Burton; 4) Bowyer; 5) Gordon.

Darkhorse top 10 finisher: there won't be an unlikely top 10 finisher--Richmond isn't conducive to an unlikely top 10 finisher. There aren't the variables at Richmond that there are at Talladega. Put another way, all the top 10 will be occupied by those in the top 20 in points.

Your insights are always welcome.

Information courtesy of www.rir.com.

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly -- Aaron's 499 (2010)

2010-04-25T14:04:00.000-07:00

This week, the Crappafoni Pictures crew is deep in the heart of Dixie, Big Bad Talladega, served with chicken-fried steak, veggies, and washed down with copious amounts of Coca-Cola. Enjoy!

THE GOOD

Kevin Harvick: as the race winner, he gets first billing. He started fourth due to qualifying being rained out. He led a lap early and held back for much of the race. At the end, he put a SWEEEET move on Jamie McMurray in the tri-oval area about 200 yards from the finish line. With that move he nosed out McMurray by .011 seconds, or about a foot and a half. It was the eighth closest finish in NASCAR history. Harvick has been involved in three of the ten closest finishes in history, and he's 3-0 in those finishes. The win was Harvick's first in a points race since the 2007 Daytona 500, and RCR's first win at Talladega since the late Dale Earnhardt won the fall race in 2000. The win broke a 115-race winless streak, and with Jimmie Johnson and Matt Kenseth in accidents, and Greg Biffle having to pit because he ran out of gas on the final caution, it was a HUGE points day for Happy. He moves up two positions to second, 26 points behind Johnson. Also a great job in stretching out his gas mileage, as he was able to stay out for 54 laps, well beyond the pit window.

Jamie McMurray: he had a stout car throughout the race. Even when he was in the back, he was able to make his way to the front at will. With Harvick's move, Cupcake would have held off most any other driver for the win.

Juan Pablo Montoya: he's getting closer to that first Cup win on an oval. Like his teammate McMurray, he was stout. As a result of his third-place finish, he moves up a position in the standings. He needs to keep moving up at least one position per race between now and the summer Richmond race if he is to make the Chase.

Denny Hamlin: he was really stout, and is looking like a legitimate championship contender. He ran consistently in the top 10 en route to his fourth place finish.

Mark Martin: you didn't hear much from him until late in the race. He was able to escape several crashes unscathed. Although he didn't lead a lap, he got stronger as the race went on.

Mike Bliss: I have to give a shout out to him. Driving for basically a part-time, underfunded team, he had a very good top 10 finish. (He finished 10th.) That finish was huge for the 09 team in the owners' points, as James Finch could sell the team.

The race itself: there were a Cup series-record 88 lead changes among a series record 29 drivers. The Aaron's 499 became the Aaron's 532, as the race went an additional 33 miles because of THREE green-white-checkered finishes.

Honorable Mention: the rest of the drivers that led at least one lap.

THE BAD

Dave Blaney: as the first start and parker, he gets first billing here. Is it his bad luck, or is the drawing of the straws rigged as to Blaney always drawing the short straw? Because he seems to be always the first one to start and park.

THE UGLY

Jimmie Johnson: he drove recklessly throughout the race, often looking more like a rookie making his first start rather than a four-time champion. He got his teammate and car owner Jeff Gordon out of sorts late in the race, forcing him below the yellow line as Gordon was making a HUGE run on the inside. Gordon got freight trained, and that led to him wrecking later in the lap, costing him a chance to win. Then later on, he cuts off Greg Biffle, leading to his own wreck and a 31st place finish. Serves him right. He also took a HUGE hit in his lead, now leading Harvick by only 26 points.

Those are my nominees for the race. Feel free to come in with yours!

Gas and Go--Talladega (Spring Race 2010)

2010-04-22T21:45:00.000-07:00

This week's Gas and Go comes from the Heart of Dixie, Talladega. Being that Dega is the longest superspeedway on the circuit, Gas and Go takes a little longer than usual. I will give you my insights and takes leading up to the race, and predict the race winner.

I've been ruminating on this since it came out a couple of days ago. Shell-Pennzoil is leaving the #29 car of Kevin Harvick at the end of the season, and Kurt Busch will be driving the #22 Shell-Pennzoil Dodge. I understand that this is a business decision, and Harvick hasn't won a points race since the 2007 Daytona 500. Let's see: Kurt Busch won three times last year, and once already this year. Hmmm, do I stay with someone that hasn't won in over three years, or go with someone that has won four races in a 40-race span? I go with the latter. Pretty clear no-brainer there.
Not to be outdone, it's now very likely that Harvick will be a free agent after this season. He wanted to leave RCR after last season, but Richard Childress held him to his contract. With the departure of Shell-Pennzoil to Penske, Harvick's gone after Homestead. It's a good possibility he'll be at Stewart-Haas Racing in a third SHR car. Say what you will about Kasey Kahne, but Harvick would be a MUCH better fit at SHR than Kahne. Harvick is tight with both Tony Stewart and Ryan Newman. There are even rumblings that SHR will have four teams, with the additions of Kahne and Harvick. Regardless, welcome to the Bowtie Brigade, Kasey!
In spite of Harvick's impending departure from RCR, he's going to bust his butt all season to win a race, and he'll get a win before his departure.
Dale Jr. to run the #3 Wrangler Chevrolet? It appears it's a done deal that Jr will run the #3 in the Nationwide Series race at Daytona in July in a combined effort with JR Motorsports and Richard Childress Racing. I LOVE IT! GO DALE JR!
With the start at Talladega, it will be Jimmie Johnson's 300th Cup start. He's AVERAGED one win every six starts.
Big Bad Dega is looming for some nervous competitors, namely Jimmie Johnson. So far, JJ has been able to avoid the Big One in recent years. Johnson has won once at Talladega, in the spring of 2006. Dale Earnhardt Jr leads all active drivers in wins, with five, including four in a row at one stretch.
Thinking of you: Cale Gale (former KHI Nationwide Series driver from Mobile, Alabama).
Look for the usual suspects to run strong: Jr, Jamie McMurray, Kurt Busch, Denny Hamlin, Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Jimmie Johnson, and Kevin Harvick.
This is the track where ANYTHING can happen, and unlikely winners visit Victory Lane (see: Bobby Hamilton, Spring race 2001)
The 2001 spring race was run caution-free. The late Bobby Hamilton won despite leading only three laps for the entire race.
Jimmie Johnson's second career pole came in the spring 2002 race.

Predicted Race Winner: Jamie McMurray. Jamie Mac continues his modern-day mastery of the restrictor plate tracks. The rest of the top 5: 2) Kurt Busch; 3) Juan Pablo Montoya; 4) Tony Stewart; 5) Paul Menard (he comes out of NOWHERE to finish in the top 5). My darkhorse top 10 finisher is Regan Smith.

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly -- Samsung Mobile 500

2010-04-19T19:49:00.000-07:00

This week's delayed version of The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly comes from deep in the heart of Texas and served Texas BBQ-style, with beef brisket and hot chili. Enjoy!

THE GOOD

Denny Hamlin: as the race winner, he gets first billing. So much for that ACL tear. He's been on a tear of a different sort, winning two of the last three races and showing why he's a threat to Jimmie Johnson's reign of championships.

Jimmie Johnson: stout as usual. He was bearing down on Hamlin and nearly stole one. He takes advantage of Kenseth's and Biffle's tire issues and increases his lead to 108 over Kenseth and 128 over Biffle.

The Busch Brothers: Kyle finished third and Kurt finished fourth. Both brothers had strong runs throughout the race.

Dale Earnhardt Jr: I have questioned his desire and committment on more than one occasion, often falling back to the reasoning of "he has a new crew chief." He looked like the Dale Jr of old, a Dale Jr his fans have been yearning for for a LONG time. He started fifth and very rarely was out of the top 10. He either stayed put or moved forward. Good job Jr!!

Kasey Kahne: he was strong throughout the weekend, giving Rick Hendrick a sneak preview of what may be to come in 2012. He was strong in qualifying, strong in the one practice, and strong in the race.

Honorable Mention: Mark Martin, Kevin Harvick, Martin Truex, Jr., and Greg Biffle.

THE BAD

Dave Blaney: he drew the short stick in the Todd Bodine Meeting Room before the race, as he was the first to park it for the day. He ran a grand total of--wait for it--20 laps before he declared himself done for the day.

Brian Vickers: he brought out TWO cautions for tires going down. All in all, not a good day for the Red Racer.

THE UGLY

The mini-Big One: this happened on Lap 317, and took out a number of good cars. Six drivers ended up taking their cars to the garage: Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Juan Pablo Montoya, Clint Bowyer, Paul Menard, and Carl Edwards. Could this be a preview of things to come at Big Bad Talladega?

Weather: a persistent, misty shower yesterday was the cause of both the Nationwide and Cup races being postponed until today.

Those are my nominees for the race. Feel free to come in with yours!

Gas and Go--Texas (Spring Race 2010)

2010-04-15T22:37:00.000-07:00

This week's Gas and Go comes from deep in the heart of Texas. As always, I will offer some short insights and takes leading up to the race.

I have to give Jeff Gordon thanks for making me look like a freaking genius last year. I picked him to win the race, even though he had never won at Texas. Gordon added Texas to the list of tracks he's won at.
Back to this year. I look for the Roushkateers to bounce back and have strong runs. Matt Kenseth is showing signs of being the 2003 version of Kenseth. Very strong and consistent. He is a worthy rival to Jimmie Johnson.
Conversely, Kevin Harvick has gone backwards, in spite of his 12th place finish at Phoenix. This is reminding me of when the COT first came out. Harvick and the #29 team ended 2006 and began 2007 strongly. Then the COT came out and they struggled to adapt to the nuances of the car. Once NASCAR came out with the new spoiler, the #29 team is struggling again. Harvick is too good to struggle for very long. He has 'Dega, Darlington, and Richmond awaiting, tracks he has run well at.
With Kasey Kahne moving to Hendrick Motorsports in '12, will that light a fire under him, or will he continue to struggle at RPM? And will he be out of the #9 car before the end of the year and RPM shuttering the #9 team if he doesn't make the Chase?
Thinking of you: Terry Labonte.
In 2007, Jeff Burton became the first repeat winner at Texas when he won the spring race. Carl Edwards leads all drivers in wins at the track, with three. He'll certainly be a factor on Sunday.
Ford leads all manufacturers in wins at the track, with nine. Conversely, Toyota has never won a Cup race at the track.
Speaking of Kenseth, his win in April 2002 came from the lowest starting position (31st) for a race winner. Edwards has the second lowest position, 30th, when he won the first fall race in 2005.
Look for the usual suspects to run strong: Johnson, Kenseth, Edwards, Burton, Gordon, Greg Biffle, Tony Stewart, and Kurt Busch.

Predicted Race Winner: Matt Kenseth. He's been stout all season, but without a win to show for it. He takes advantage of a struggling Jimmie Johnson, wins the race, and takes over the points lead. Rest of the top 5: 2) Edwards; 3) Biffle; 4) Smoke; 5) Burton.

Darkhorse top 10 finisher: David Ragan. He narrowly misses making it four Roushkateers in the top 5.

That is my Gas and Go for the week. Feel free to offer your insights.

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly -- Subway Fresh Fit 600

2010-04-10T20:39:00.000-07:00

After an unexpected week hiatus, the Crappafoni Pictures crew brings you this week's The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, southwestern-style, complete with hot and spicy snacks provided by Tornados. Enjoy!

THE GOOD

Ryan Newman: as the race winner, he gets first billing. He was the beneficiary of a very late caution caused when Scott Riggs slapped the wall. Crew chief Tony Gibson gambled by taking two right side tires and the #39 driver came out second, behind Jeff Gordon. He took the lead shortly after the restart and made it hold up. Newman's win was his first since the 2008 Daytona 500, and the first-ever win by a driver with the number 39. Those two laps were the only two laps Newman led the entire race. What makes this win sweet for this blogger is that Tornados snacks are manufactured in Central California. Good job Ryan!!

Jeff Gordon: try as he might, he wasn't able to overtake Newman for the win. I could say this as well for everyone NOT named Kyle Busch: he was the beneficiary of that late caution flag. Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good; he turned a marginal top 10 car into a second-place car.

Jimmie Johnson: as usual, he was stout. Even though he started 16th, it didn't take him long to march to the front. He led the most laps in the race and got the extra five bonus points. But as the race wore on, the #48 car tailed off a bit. He actually increased his points lead a bit over Matt Kenseth and Greg Biffle.

Mark Martin: night time was the right time for the driver of the 5 car. For much of the race, he was hanging out in low-2o'sville. But as day transitioned into night, the 5 car got stronger. He didn't have a car that could win, but he got the most out of the car en route to a fourth place finish.

Juan Pablo Montoya: he was at his best in the twilight part of the race, just before dusk. He led over 100 laps, but got bottled up on the last restart, running in seventh with two laps to go. He had a good rally to finish fifth. For the 42 team, that was huge. They needed a top 5 finish and got it.

Robby Gordon: I've gotta put him here. I've bagged on him many a time through the years, but not today. He was barely in the top 35 coming into the race. (He was 35th in points coming in.) But with Travis Kvapil losing his engine on Lap 314, that was the break he needed. He finished 14th, and was strong throughout. He's now 34th in points, and he's automatically qualified for Texas next week.

Honorable Mention: Matt Kenseth, Carl Edwards, Clint Bowyer, Kyle Busch, Joey Logano.

THE BAD

The Fox announcing crew: Kyle Busch was within seven laps of taking the checkered flag when they said that Kyle Busch is the one guy that doesn't want to see a caution. Guess what? The caution flag flies!! DON'T JINX IT by saying that Kyle Busch (or whoever's leading late in the race, except for Jimmie Johnson--you can do THAT to him!) doesn't want to see a caution!! WHY do Fox, or ESPN, or ABC, or TNT's announcers DO this?? ESPN did the SAME thing last summer at Atlanta when they said the last thing Kevin Harvick wants to see is a caution. And guess what happened? Caution for Clint Bowyer spinning out. They get another bad for turning the race into a snoozefest.

THE UGLY

The race format: by extending the race another 100 km, it meant more face time for Fox's crew. The race could have started a half hour later, and under the old format, it would have still ended at night.

Those are my nominees for the race. Feel free to come in with yours.