Gas and Go--Chicagoland

This week's Gas and Go comes from the heart of the Midwest, Chicago and Chicagoland Raceway. I will offer some insights and takes on this week's race.

1. Construction on the site began in August 1999. It wasn't until May 2000 that it was officially named Chicagoland Raceway.
2. The Raceway complex consists of a 1.5 mile D-shaped oval, a state of the art NHRA drag strip, and a dirt track. The complex sits on 930 acres, and provides 500 acres of free parking for more than 50,000 vehicles.
3. The first NASCAR Winston Cup race took place on July 15, 2001, the Tropicana 400. From sixth position, rookie driver Kevin Harvick won the inaugural race at Chicagoland. He would repeat the feat the following year, starting from the 32nd position.
4. Along with Harvick, Tony Stewart is the only other two-time winner (2004 and 2007).
5. Hard to believe, but no Ford driver has ever won at this track. Chevrolet has dominated, winning six of the eight races. (Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jeff Gordon are the other Chevrolet drivers that have won.) Ryan Newman (Dodge) won in 2003 and Kyle Busch (Toyota) won last year.
6. Could this be the year that Ford breaks its winless streak at the track? Look for Matt Kenseth to be strong.

Predicted Race Winner: Kurt Busch. Busch has been stout at the 1.5 milers, and this time he breaks through.

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly -- Coke Zero 400

This week, the Crappafoni Pictures crew brings you fireworks, patriotism, and lots of analysis, spaghetti-western style. This week's edition of The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly is served up Florida-style, with plenty of orange juice to wash it all down. Enjoy!

THE GOOD

Tony Stewart: as the race winner, he automatically gets first billing. Smoke dominated the race, leading the most laps, 86, and surviving a wild crash involving Kyle Busch. Busch went to block Stewart and made contact, sending him flying near the start-finish line as the race was winding down. Stewart was subdued as he celebrated in Victory Lane. He didn't like the way the race ended, with Busch flying.

Denny Hamlin: he led the second-most laps (63) en route to a third-place finish. He steadily worked his way to the front after the green flag dropped and it seemed the race turned into the Tony and Denny Show. Between Hamlin and Stewart, they led 149 of the 160 laps.

Marcos Ambrose: he's not normally known as a restrictor-plate driver. After a solid top 10 finish, we may have to rethink that notion. This comes on the heels of a top 5 at Talladega in late April. He is steadily improving, and his first Cup win could well come later this year.

Kurt Busch: the Blue Deuce led a lap and got five critical bonus points. I'm sure the Blue Crew was VERY happy to come out of Daytona with a top 5.

Jimmie Johnson: he was a beneficiary of that wild crash that ended the race. He finished second, and I'm sure the Lowe's crew breathed a HUGE sigh of relief after the race.

Matt Kenseth: he led multiple laps (3). It was critical for the Killer B's to come out of Daytona with a top 10, and they did.

Honorable Mention: Jeff Burton, Kyle Busch, Ryan Newman, Robby Gordon, John Andretti, Jeff Gordon.

THE BAD

Dave Blaney: ran an amazing TWO LAPS before he parked his rig for the day. Is he trying to outdo P.J. Jones? I'm waiting for the day when an S&P doesn't even take the green flag and is credited for zero laps run.

Patrick Carpentier: it wasn't long ago I gave him an Honorable Mention in the Good category. At least he tried, as he ran 18 laps before he was done for the day.

Richard Childress Racing: aside from Jeff Burton, they had nothing to write home about, save for Kevin Harvick barely escaping the first Big One. Clint Bowyer wasn't so lucky--he got caught up in the first Big One, and he lost a lap and never recovered. He finished 29th. Casey Mears also wrecked, causing substantial damage to his left rear quarter. He finished 16 laps down in 34th. As for Harvick, he finished on the lead lap, but in 26th.

THE UGLY

The Big One #1: that involved Kasey Kahne, David Stremme, and several other cars, most notably Dale Earnhardt Jr. The first Big One occurred on Lap 75. Earnhardt Jr's #88 had it's A-frame separated from the chassis, ending his day.

The Big One #2: this happened as both Tony Stewart and Kyle Busch were getting ready to take the checkered flag. Busch was leading the race and was attempting to block Stewart, but Stewart had a run on him, and the two made contact. Busch went flying and Stewart took the checkered flag. There were several other cars that were involved in the carnage.

Those are my nominees for the race. Feel free to come in with yours!

Daytona qualifying rained out--a response

Qualifying was rained out for the Coke Zero 400. Per NASCAR rules, the field is set by owners' points. Tony Stewart has the pole per the rules. Currently, the NNS race is being run under scattered clouds. Here is my response to the current rules: TWEAK THEM.

IF the scheduled qualifying is rained out, NASCAR should make every effort to reschedule qualifying for 8 AM the next morning. Since there is only the Cup race in the evening, and weather won't be a factor, they COULD have fit in qualifying at 8 AM. If it's clear at 8 AM, then run qualifying as normal. However, if the weather is not cooperative, ONLY THEN do you set the field by owners' points.

This rule is one of those in pro sports (not just NASCAR) that gets under my craw. It sucks for those that are 44th or farther back in the owners' points that don't even get to qualify. Sucks for Max Papis--he doesn't fit the definition of a start-and-parker. Papis just missed a top 10 finish at Sonoma. And had he qualified for this race, Mad Max would have done his best to get a good finish. One silver lining--the #64 didn't qualify. P.J. Jones drove that car for an amazing two laps at Sonoma before his day was done.

Unfortunately, we'll probably have a couple of S&Ps. Anyone want to venture a guess as to who they will be? I'll guess the #37 of Tony Raines and the #36 of Patrick Carpentier.

Gas and Go--Daytona (Summer Race 2009)

In this week's edition of Gas and Go, I will give you some short observations and takes pertaining to the race.

1. The summer race at Daytona is synonymous with the Fourth of July, summer time, patriotism, and LOTS of bumping and banging.
2. Handling is a major issue in this race. The 2.5 mile track is very slick, and if the car is handling well, the likelihood of a good finish or even a win is greater.
3. While there is great action throughout the track, the best action is coming off Turn 2. Teams have to work on making sure the car is able to turn coming off Turn 2.
4. This race has a long, storied history. The first winner in the summer race was Fireball Roberts, in 1959. He won $7,050. Contrast that to the 2006 winner, Tony Stewart, who won $369,586 in prize money.
5. Richard Petty won for his 200th time (and it was his final win) in the 1984 Firecracker 400 with President Reagan in attendance, driving the STP Pontiac.
6. Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers with three wins in this event. He needs two wins to tie The Silver Fox, David Pearson, for most all-time wins (5) in this event.
7. Thinking of you: Richard Petty.
8. In 2007, Jamie McMurray edged Casey Mears in one of the closest finishes in NASCAR history in this race. McMurray won by .006 of a second in a photo finish.
9. Look for the usual superspeedway suspects to be running up front: Dale Earnhardt Jr, Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon, the Busch Brothers, Clint Bowyer. One dark horse to look at: AJ Allmendinger.
10. In recent years, there seems to be a surprise winner more often than not.

Predicted Race Winner: Kevin Harvick. Yes, I'm going out on a VERY thin limb. Some of you may even think of me as daft for picking Harvick to win. He's been running well lately, but has had some VERY bad racing luck this season. With any kind of racing luck, he'd be coming off consecutive top 10's. This week is the week that his luck starts to change for the better. Plus the surprise winner is a factor.

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly -- Lenox Industrial Tools 301

This week, the Crappafoni Pictures crew is in the hills of New Hampshire to bring you this week's edition of The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. Served with a side of hot, steaming New England clam chowder and iced coffee. Enjoy!

THE GOOD

Joey Logano: as the race winner, he automatically gets first billing. I knew I'd be putting him in this spot sometime! Some will say the win was tainted; I say not. A win is a win, however it comes. At 19, he becomes the youngest winner in Sprint Cup history, eclipsing teammate Kyle Busch's record. He and crew chief Greg Zipadelli took a HUGE gamble by keeping Logano out during the caution for rain. But with a steady and persistent rain, the gamble paid off. Congratulations on that first win!!

Jeff Gordon: he had a strong car throughout the race and led 65 laps. Unfortunately, he got bit by the rain.

Kurt Busch: like Gordon, he had a strong car and hung out in the top 5 for much of the race. He led 27 laps en route to a third place finish.

David Reutimann: although the Franchise didn't lead a lap, he was the beneficiary of the rain. He would have had to pit before the scheduled end of the race. Finishing fourth kept him within striking distance of Juan Pablo Montoya, who is currently 12th in the points.

Tony Stewart: it looked like Smoke was going to get his second win of the season, but a huge mistake by his front tire changer on the final pit stop doomed his chances. He led 40 laps en route to a fifth place finish.

Honorable Mention: Brad Keselowski, Kyle Busch, Sam Hornish Jr., Jimmie Johnson, Kasey Kahne, and Casey Mears.

THE BAD

TNT's Race Coverage: TOO MANY COMMERCIALS! And for too long a time! About half the race was interrupted by commercials! Seemed like every time they went to a commercial, a caution came out.

Start and Parkers: you people know who you are. It's a bane on NASCAR. I've LONG been an advocate of establishing a MINIMUM COMPLETED lap requirement of 25% of the scheduled number of laps. In this case, it's completing 75 laps. If you don't complete the minimum requirements, you don't get paid, and you don't get your points. The exception would be being involved in an accident NOT of your doing.

THE UGLY

The Big One: I thought the Big One was reserved for Talladega and Daytona. Apparently Mr. Big One decided to attend the race at the last minute. On Lap 174, he made his presence felt in the form of a multi-car wreck that took out SEVERAL good cars, among them THREE RCR cars (Kevin Harvick, Jeff Burton, and Casey Mears, although Mears only suffered cosmetic damage. Martin Truex Jr. was another of the casualties and his car suffered severe damage.)

Weather: rain halted the proceedings with 28 laps to go. One good that came out of it: Joey Logano winning his first Cup race.

Those are my nominations for the race. Feel free to come in with yours!

Gas and Go--Loudon

This week's Gas and Go comes New England-style. I give you some brief insights and takes regarding this week's race.

1. New Hampshire International Speedway was completed in 1990. At a distance of just over one mile, it has been described as "Martinsville on steroids."
2. NHIS gives the NASCAR fans in the Northeast and Canada an opportunity to root on their favorite drivers twice a year.
3. The first Cup race at NHIS took place on July 11, 1993, the Slick 50 300. Mark Martin won the pole, but Rusty Wallace won the race.
4. NHIS got its second date in 1997. Jeff Gordon won the first race held in mid-September, September 14, 1997, to be exact.
5. Jeff Burton won the fall race in 2000 and he led EVERY LAP in that race.
6. Jimmie Johnson swept both NHIS races in 2003. Not to be outdone, Kurt Busch swept both races in 2004.
7. Jeff Burton leads all drivers with four wins at the track. With a win this week, Jeff Gordon would tie Burton.
8. Because of the 9/11/01 terrorist attacks and the subsequent postponement of the fall race that year, the race was run on 11/26/01. Robby Gordon got his only career oval win driving the #31 Lowe's Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing. It was the last race for Lowe's on the #31. The next year, they would move to the #48 Chevrolet of Jimmie Johnson.
9. Look for the usual suspects to be running up front: Johnson, Burton, Denny Hamlin, Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Mark Martin, Martin Truex, Jr.
10. If not for being so snakebit this year, I'd include Kevin Harvick among the front runners.
11. There are two brother combinations that have won: Ward (fall 2002) and Jeff Burton, and Kurt and Kyle Busch.
12. Thinking of you: Jerry Nadeau.

Predicted Race Winner: Tony Stewart.

My Sonoma Weekend

This past weekend was one of the most awesome, memorable weekends I have had in a long time. I'll give you a brief synopsis of my weekend.

SATURDAY, JUNE 20, 2009

9:00 AM: left the house to pick up my rental car at the Fresno Airport. Made a detour en route.

10:45 AM: picked up rental car at the airport.

11:00 AM: left Fresno en route to Vallejo.

2:15 PM: arrived in Vallejo, ate lunch prior to checking in to The Ramada Inn.

2:45 PM: checked in, unpacked, and relaxed prior to dinner.

6:00 PM: arrived at La Strada Nostra, an Italian restaurant on Hwy. 29 in the south part of Napa, to meet my fellow Fox Sports Bloggers (above image) for dinner. A fantastic time was had by all that were present, including a blogger from Yahoo Sports (not pictured) that was in our dinner party. The food was fantastic, the drinks flowed freely, and the company was even better. We hung out at the restaurant until 8:45 PM. A few of us then hung out at the lobby of the Gaia Hotel just south of the restaurant until 10 PM.

11:30 PM: lights out.

SUNDAY, JUNE 21, 2009

5:30 AM: awoke and got ready for a VERY long day at Infineon. Made arrangements with YeeMum to pick her up at 7:00 AM.

7:00 AM: YeeMum and I left for the track, arriving at 7:45 AM. We had hit some traffic about a mile east of the track, and there was a slight delay in parking. We waited about 10 minutes for a shuttle to pick us up and transport us to the track.

8:15 AM-12:00 Noon: several of us hung out with Kristen at Kurt Busch's pit to start out. It was interesting listening to Larry, one of Kurt's crew members, explain the process of constructing and deconstructing the pit area before and after a race. I also hung out at Kevin Harvick's and Kasey Kahne's pit areas. (I must have brought Kasey some luck, as he ended up winning the race, LOL.) Jeff, Kasey's catch can man, and I had a good, but brief conversation. I ended up taking a picture with two of Kevin Harvick's crew members (below).

These guys are cool! One of them complimented my Harvick crocs that I was wearing! I couldn't resist having my picture taken with these guys. The picture was taken around 9:30 AM (approximately). I had bought a Pit Pass earlier; that's why I was down in the pit area hanging out and taking pictures of various crew members, some of the cars that were racing that day, some pit signs, and other unusual objects. I even had a few pics taken of me sitting in front of Harvick's pit.

Some unusual pics:

Lugnuts from Jeff Burton's pit (left); Kevin Harvick's pit sign (right). Could the missing Maltese Lugnut be in Burton's pit? Nah, Burton's not running well enough, LOL.

12 Noon: I decided to take my seat. I was sitting where I had a clear view of Jimmie Johnson's pit, as seen below. Chandi (Jimmie's wife) was not there at the time of the picture, but was there during the race.

2:20 PM: Green flag waves, Brian Vickers takes the green flag. He led the first few laps of the event. He was strong at the beginning but faded down the stretch.

The race was scheduled for 110 laps, but a caution with two laps to go extended the race another three laps. Had the caution come on the final lap, the race would have ended under caution. Green-White-Checkered finishes are always exciting, and especially on road courses. Everyone knew that this was the last restart of the race. Kasey Kahne was in front of Tony Stewart at that point.

5:05 PM (approx.): Kasey Kahne takes the checkered flag roughly a second and a half ahead

of Tony Stewart. Here are a couple of pics to mark the occasion:

The picture on the left is Kahne taking the checkered flag with Stewart giving chase. The picture on the right is Kahne's right arm extended as he emerges from the #9 car.

7:15 PM: after a nearly two-hour wait, YeeMum and I finally board a shuttle to take us to the parking lot. We're both exhausted, but she's a happy camper because her driver (Kasey Kahne) won the race and she was able to see him win in person. Once we got to the car, it took us an hour and a half to finally hit open traffic just west of Napa.

9:00 PM: we stop to get a burger and fries in downtown Napa. After not having eaten all afternoon, a burger and fries was a welcome sight (and taste).

10:00 PM: I drop off YeeMum at her motel. I thank her for a great time together and that I am glad that she was able to make it to Sonoma.

11:30 PM: Lights out.

MONDAY, JUNE 22, 2009

6:30 AM: awoke and decided to take my time showering, getting ready, packing for the trip home, etc.

9:00 AM: left Vallejo after a light breakfast and filling the car up with gas. Took my time getting into Fresno. Surprisingly, there was very little, if any, congested traffic.

12 Noon: pulled into Fresno.

12:45 PM: returned rental car without problem.

2:00 PM: arrived home.

That was my Sonoma weekend. I had a fantastic time, and my life is richer for not only the experience, but for the new friends that I made. Thank you all, and I'll see you down the road. Let's make this an annual event!