Archive for the ‘Featured’ Category

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

I finally agree with Chad Knaus.

Chad Knaus sat in the office of the No. 48 hauler, shredding documents, guarding what few secrets he is still allowed to keep.

He is Jimmie Johnson’s crew chief — whatever there is left of the job description of a crew chief.

…

Now he works in a technological straitjacket introduced as the Car of Tomorrow and, now that it’s mandatory everywhere, called “the new car.”

I bet it’s just a matter of time before more and more people (drivers and crew chiefs alike) come forward and tell the truth about the worst decision NASCAR ever made.

Jimmie Johnson has had some trouble lately. Not as much as his teammate Jeff Gordon, but trouble nonetheless. Maybe this is just the thing he needs to kick it into high gear.

Reigning champion Jimmie Johnson is in a perfect spot to continue his success at Auto Club Speedway.

With one victory and three top-three finishes here in his last three starts, Johnson on Friday captured the pole for Sunday’s Sprint Cup Series Pepsi 500.

Despite his recent success, Johnson has just two wins at this two-mile oval. But he put himself in good position to make it three, turning in a lap of 180.397 miles per hour in 39.912 seconds in a Chevrolet to claim the pole for the next-to-last race before the “Chase for the Championship” begins.

These guys use their vehicles to smash into each other after the race. If you were watching the race at the track, and then left in your car, and smashed the guy pulling out in front of you, you could be charged with a crime. Assault with a deadly weapon.

NASCAR announced on Wednesday that it has placed Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards on probation for the next six races in the Sprint Cup Series, as a result of their on-track incident Saturday night at the conclusion of the race at Bristol.

Busch and Edwards violated Section 12-4-A (actions detrimental to stock car racing; hitting another competitor’s car after the race had concluded) of the 2008 NASCAR rule book.

Of course, the way they build these cars, neither one of them was in any real danger, and apparently either are their checkbooks. No fines. No suspensions. Just “probation” again.

Wow.

It was a typical Bristol race. Good drivers got caught up in bad wrecks, someone got bumped towards the end, and tempers flared. I love races at Bristol.

Edwards saw Busch lead 415 consecutive laps Saturday night at Bristol Motor Speedway, then used his bumper to nudge Busch in the first turn on lap 470. That move caused Busch’s car to wiggle just enough so that Edwards could drive by for his second consecutive victory on the NASCAR Spring Cup Series.

Poor Kyle Busch was so upset he tried to smash Edwards from the side and Edwards showed him who was boss. Again. For someone leading the points race and a contender for the championship, he’s not acting very champion like.

After taking the checkered flag, Edwards was making his cool-down lap around the track when Busch drove up and bumped his car. Edwards clearly wasn’t amused, and when he responded by driving the nose of his car into the right side of Busch’s, the fans cheered wildly.

Let’s see NASCAR be consistent with this one.

Sometimes I wonder why they wait for weeks to announce something most people already knew.

As expected, Casey Mears was named the fourth driver of the growing RCR stable prior to Saturday’s Sharpie 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway. Beginning in 2009, Mears will drive the No. 07 car sponsored by Jack Daniel’s that currently is being piloted by Clint Bowyer. Bowyer will move to the No. 33 car sponsored by General Mills that technically will be the new fourth car.

Why not just announce it and get it over with? It’s not like they are running for President of the United States or anything. Next thing you know, NASCAR will be asking you to text something to them so they can announce driver contracts via txt messages. Sheesh.

I’m glad Casey landed with RCR though.

Carl Edwards made it a sweep this weekend at Michigan.

Carl Edwards finally beat Kyle Busch.

Edwards, who has finished runner-up to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series leader three times this season, won Sunday’s 3M Performance 400 at Michigan International Speedway.

In a Ford, Edwards beat Busch off pit road during the fifth caution and took the lead for good with 18 laps remaining to win his fifth race of the season and 12th career.

I bet it felt good finishing with that #18 car behind him. I have a feeling the Chase is going to be pretty good this year. I still can’t say that I am completely satisfied with NASCAR lately, as I feel like I spend an awful lot of time wondering when there is going to be “good racing”.

Winning on fuel is good. Winning with pit strategy is good. Winning when you’re racing neck and neck to the finish, that’s great. And that’s what I want to see again.

NASCAR is facing another test. Will they hand down penalties that are consistent? Here’s their chance to prove they are tough will all forms of cheating no matter the team doing it.

Joe Gibbs is one of the most respected people in sports. All sports. He personally apologized for the incident, and it will be interesting to see whose idea it was to do this.

NASCAR inspectors, preparing to do tests on horsepower numbers following Saturday’s Nationwide race found magnets under the gas pedals on the No. 18 and No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyotas.

The teams will likely face big penalties after their efforts to alter the results of the chassis dyno test.

“If this alleged incident proves true, it goes against everything we stand for as an organization,” Gibbs said in a statement. “We will take full responsibility and accept any penalties NASCAR levies against us. We will also investigate internally how this incident took place and who was involved and make whatever decisions are necessary to ensure that this kind of situation never happens again.

Now we wait til Tuesday.

Wow… Brian Vickers won the pole for Sunday’s 3M Performance 400 at Michigan International Speedway.

“It was there from the first lap, the first turn,” Vickers said after his lap of 188.536 mph put the Red Bull Racing driver on the pole for Sunday’s 3M Performance 400.

After he left Hendrick Motorsports, I never thought we’d see him start from the pole again. Great job Brian!

In other not surprising news…

Tony Stewart officially announced that Ryan Newman will drive the second car for his newly formed NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team during a news conference Friday at Michigan International Speedway.

The addition of Newman gives Stewart-Haas a pair of drivers with a combined 45 victories and 53 poles in NASCAR’s premier series.

Wow. Oooh. Oh my gosh. Yeah, like that news is so last week. Welcome aboard, Ryan. You better have a cool sponsor, and nice lookin hat. Just saying.

Is an announcement any more exciting once it becomes official? I think it was pretty much a given that he was moving to Stewart-Haas Racing, but it’s still pretty cool that they are going to make it official tomorrow.

Ryan Newman’s long-anticipated move to Tony Stewart’s new race team will become reality at Michigan International Speedway, NASCAR.com has learned. The announcement is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. ET Friday.

Newman has been seen for some time as the leading candidate to fill the second seat at Stewart-Haas Racing, formed when the two-time NASCAR champion received half of the Haas CNC operation currently competing on the Sprint Cup tour. Stewart, in addition to becoming co-owner, will drive a No. 14 car backed by Office Depot and Old Spice. Newman will drive a No. 4, although the sponsorship is unclear.

Now I have to decide on a new hat for next season. That, my friends, will be tougher than figuring out where Newman was going to land.