This week, the Crappafoni Pictures crew is in the desert this week (drying out from Daytona, no doubt) for this week's The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, southwestern-style.
THE GOOD:
Denny Hamlin: he gets first billing as this week's race winner. He redeemed himself after dominating the fall 2010 race there but ran out of gas late. He is now the points leader. Good job Denny!
Kevin Harvick: he led the most laps in the race and had a stout car. David Reutimann bringing out the caution for blowing an engine did not help, as Harvick had to pit just outside his pit window. He ran out of gas as he was taking the white flag and was on Hamlin's rear bumper. Still, he has a good start to the season.
Greg Biffle: he had a strong car early in the race, faded a bit, then came on strong at the end. He was running some of his best lap times late in the race. He's looking like the Biffle of a few years ago when he was a consistent finisher in the top 10, mixed in with winning a few races each season.
Jimmie Johnson: he came into Phoenix on a mission after his awful Daytona. He was in the top ten for pretty much the whole race, and it looked like he had the car to beat early on. But as the track got hotter, he couldn't run on the bottom as well as he did early in the race. Still, the fourth place finish gets him out of negative territory.
Brad Keselowski: not bad for starting 28th at a track where you need a good starting position. Through good pit strategy and smart adjustments, the Blue Deuce got better as the race went on. Good job BK!
Honorable Mention: Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr., Jeff Gordon, Mark Martin, and Joey Logano.
THE BAD:
Michael McDowell: the Phoenix native drew the short stick at the start and parkers' meeting held in the Todd Bodine Meeting Room. Too bad for the hometown fans. He ran a total of eight (out of 312) laps before declaring himself done for the day.
THE UGLY:
Clint Bowyer: not so much for him, but for the tire issues he had early in the race. He cut the right front tire twice within the first 30 laps. He found himself several laps down and never recovered.
ECR Engines: three cars that had ECR horsepower had engine issues: Jamie McMurray, David Reutimann, and Jeff Burton. McMurray and Reutimann blew engines, and Burton finished the race on seven cylinders. Burton was having a stout top 5 run when he lost a cylinder.
Those are my nominees for the week. Feel free to come in with yours!
Showing posts with label Phoenix. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Phoenix. Show all posts
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Sunday, November 13, 2011
The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly -- 2011 Kobalt Tools 500
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
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.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly -- 2011 Subway Fresh Fit 500
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
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!
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!
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Phoenix Pit Selections
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.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly -- Subway Fresh Fit 600
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.
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.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Gas and Go--Phoenix (Spring Race 2010)
This week's Gas and Go comes from the Oasis in the Desert, Phoenix. Here are my short insights and takes leading into the race.
- Jimmie Johnson is on a roll. In spite of his ninth place finish at Martinsville, he has taken over the points lead. Here comes championship #5. Everyone else is fighting for the table scraps from the champion's table.
- As good as Johnson is at Martinsville, he's even better at Phoenix. He's NEVER finished worse than 15th at the track, and has won four of the last five races, including three in a row.
- Mark Martin has won twice, 16 years apart (1993, spring 2009). Other active drivers that have two wins: Jeff Burton, Kevin Harvick, and Dale Earnhardt Jr.
- Chevy has been dominant in recent years, but it wasn't always that way. In the early years, Ford was dominant, particularly Roush Fords. However, the last Ford driver to win at Phoenix: Kurt Busch.
- Johnson needs to lead 115 laps in order to reach 10,000 laps led in a career. He would become the fourth active driver to reach this milestone. The others: Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Bill Elliott, and Mark Martin
- In the last 10 races at Phoenix, Johnson has accumulated 1,685 points. That's 168.5 points per race! (Is there a track this guy DOESN'T run well at??)
- Thinking of you: Ernie Irvan.
- It's going to be all about Hendrick Horsepower on Saturday, with a bit of the Busch Brothers and RCR thrown in as appetizers.
Predicted Race Winner: Jimmie Johnson. Who else did you expect? JJ continues his mastery of PIR, leads the most laps, and wins in dominating fashion. Rest of the top 5: Jeff Gordon, Mark Martin, Kevin Harvick, and Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Dark horse top 10 finisher: Regan Smith. The driver of the #78 has Earnhardt-Childress horsepower under the hood, and he will show it off impressively en route to a top 10 finish.
That's Gas and Go for this week! Your comments and insights are welcome.
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