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.
Showing posts with label Carl Edwards. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Carl Edwards. Show all posts
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Sunday, March 6, 2011
The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly -- 2011 Kobalt Tools 400
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
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.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
The 12 Chase Drivers for 2011
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!
Sunday, November 21, 2010
The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly -- 2010 Ford 400
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!!
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!!
Sunday, November 14, 2010
The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly -- 2010 Kobalt Tools 500
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!
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!
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Some Observations About Carl Edwards' Win
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:
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.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
NASCAR musings in the offseason
Although the NASCAR season has been over for a few weeks now, I do have some ideas on how NASCAR can be improved.
- Get rid of Brian France. Enough said. Unfortunately, that won't happen.
- Don't sissify the drivers by emasculating them. Let them be men. If Hamlin and Keselowski (or Harvick and ______) want to fight, let them fight without repercussions. Let them settle their differences under the grandstands, and if they want to have a beer afterwards, they should.
- Lose the Chase. The Chase has jumped the shark.
- Lose each of the following races: Pocono, Michigan, California, and Loudon. Each of these tracks should have ONLY one race per season.
- Reduce the schedule to 30 races or so. This will allow more free time for NASCAR personnel to be with their families, and to recharge their batteries. No races on Easter and Mother's Day weekends. (Remember the Darlington race that was rained out and was subsequently ran on Mother's Day a few years ago?)
- Montreal should be a prime candidate for an additional road course race. That is a SWEET track! (Ask Carl Edwards; he'll tell you.) Lacking that, Sonoma should get a second race, preferably in late September or early October, putting it squarely in the Chase (since the Chase won't be eliminated).
- Place more emphasis on wins. Give the winner of a race an additional 50 bonus points.
These are but a few ideas I have. Your suggestions are very much welcomed.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
