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.
Showing posts with label Michigan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Michigan. Show all posts
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Sunday, June 19, 2011
The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly -- 2011 Heluva Good! Sour Dips 400
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
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.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly -- 2010 Carfax 400
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
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!
Sunday, June 13, 2010
The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly -- Heluva Good! Snacks 400
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
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!
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