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!
Showing posts with label Charlotte. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Charlotte. Show all posts
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Sunday, May 29, 2011
The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly -- 2011 Coca-Cola 600
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
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!
Saturday, October 16, 2010
The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly -- 2010 Bank of America 500
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
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.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly -- 2010 Coca-Cola 600
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.
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.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Gas and Go--Charlotte (Spring Race 2010)
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.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly -- All-Star Race 2010
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
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.
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