This week, the Crappafoni Pictures crew is deep in the heart of Dixie, Big Bad Talladega, served with chicken-fried steak, veggies, and washed down with copious amounts of Coca-Cola. Enjoy!
THE GOOD
Kevin Harvick: as the race winner, he gets first billing. He started fourth due to qualifying being rained out. He led a lap early and held back for much of the race. At the end, he put a SWEEEET move on Jamie McMurray in the tri-oval area about 200 yards from the finish line. With that move he nosed out McMurray by .011 seconds, or about a foot and a half. It was the eighth closest finish in NASCAR history. Harvick has been involved in three of the ten closest finishes in history, and he's 3-0 in those finishes. The win was Harvick's first in a points race since the 2007 Daytona 500, and RCR's first win at Talladega since the late Dale Earnhardt won the fall race in 2000. The win broke a 115-race winless streak, and with Jimmie Johnson and Matt Kenseth in accidents, and Greg Biffle having to pit because he ran out of gas on the final caution, it was a HUGE points day for Happy. He moves up two positions to second, 26 points behind Johnson. Also a great job in stretching out his gas mileage, as he was able to stay out for 54 laps, well beyond the pit window.
Jamie McMurray: he had a stout car throughout the race. Even when he was in the back, he was able to make his way to the front at will. With Harvick's move, Cupcake would have held off most any other driver for the win.
Juan Pablo Montoya: he's getting closer to that first Cup win on an oval. Like his teammate McMurray, he was stout. As a result of his third-place finish, he moves up a position in the standings. He needs to keep moving up at least one position per race between now and the summer Richmond race if he is to make the Chase.
Denny Hamlin: he was really stout, and is looking like a legitimate championship contender. He ran consistently in the top 10 en route to his fourth place finish.
Mark Martin: you didn't hear much from him until late in the race. He was able to escape several crashes unscathed. Although he didn't lead a lap, he got stronger as the race went on.
Mike Bliss: I have to give a shout out to him. Driving for basically a part-time, underfunded team, he had a very good top 10 finish. (He finished 10th.) That finish was huge for the 09 team in the owners' points, as James Finch could sell the team.
The race itself: there were a Cup series-record 88 lead changes among a series record 29 drivers. The Aaron's 499 became the Aaron's 532, as the race went an additional 33 miles because of THREE green-white-checkered finishes.
Honorable Mention: the rest of the drivers that led at least one lap.
THE BAD
Dave Blaney: as the first start and parker, he gets first billing here. Is it his bad luck, or is the drawing of the straws rigged as to Blaney always drawing the short straw? Because he seems to be always the first one to start and park.
THE UGLY
Jimmie Johnson: he drove recklessly throughout the race, often looking more like a rookie making his first start rather than a four-time champion. He got his teammate and car owner Jeff Gordon out of sorts late in the race, forcing him below the yellow line as Gordon was making a HUGE run on the inside. Gordon got freight trained, and that led to him wrecking later in the lap, costing him a chance to win. Then later on, he cuts off Greg Biffle, leading to his own wreck and a 31st place finish. Serves him right. He also took a HUGE hit in his lead, now leading Harvick by only 26 points.
Those are my nominees for the race. Feel free to come in with yours!
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11 comments:
I'll throw out a good to all those drivers who pulled double duty today....massive effort, boys!
Hear hear, Tez!! Nearly 900 miles of racing today for those guys!
Great racing at Dega - bummed I missed it live and couldnt chat with you all!
Congrats to Harvick - that was a heck of a move and loved how he slammed Penzoil in VL. Super bummed Kurt got tagged in the first wreck and ruined his car for a win but salvaged at good finish. I had higher hopes for Junebug - top 5 at least. Sigh.
JON,
EXCELLENT POST AND VERY GOOD POINTS.
KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK ALWAYS A JOY TO READ WHAT YOU THINK.
GUNAQUAT
I'd bet you were a happy camper after the win! :) I'd add an ugly to the fact that by lap 16, the announcers were saying things like "if so and so continues to lead, it will be his first win in X races" or "if he holds the lead, then he'll lead X laps." It is a bit too early to be calling those kind of things, especially at Talladega,
Congrats to your boy, Jon. He came very close to pulling the double.
Both races were highly entertaining with great finishes.
Kristen, awesome doesn't even begin to describe it! That scream of joy you heard was from me! Kurt did well in salvaging a decent finish. It was unfortunate he was tagged in the first wreck of the day.
Gunaquat, thanks.
Annette, I was! It was a LONG time coming!! Good point in putting the announcers in the Ugly category.
Congratulations! I know it has been a long time coming for Harvick. The joy that team showed was fun to watch.
Gene, thanks! If Cupcake had been able to tuck in behind Harvick in the Nationwide race, he may have pulled off the Daily Double.
jmayer, thanks! To say I was excited is an understatement! How ironic that Harvick won in the same week that Shell-Pennzoil left the #29 for the new #22 of Kurt Busch next year.
You nailed it jon. Now lets see if Jef does payback
Photogr, thanks. Richmond would be the time for payback, particularly around the middle part of the race. If Jeff (or someone else) exacts his payback then, it wouldn't leave Jimmie's crew a lot of time to fix the car and gain spots through attrition. A potential great run would turn into a 35th place finish. (You have to figure there will be at least four teams that will start and park.)
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