Nascar Racing Online

Archive for November, 2009

Lest we forget, Jimmie Johnson wasn’t the only winner on Sunday night. Denny Hamlin ran away with the Ford 400, and if he hadn’t had a couple misfires earlier in the Chase, this could’ve been a lot more interesting from a championship standpoint. So before we continue with the JJ love, let’s spare a thought for Denny Hamlin:

Could Denny Hamlin take over the Memorial Carl Edwards "Dude Who’s Going To Unseat Jimmie" role for 2010? We shall see, friends, we shall see…

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“Oh yeah baby! Wahoo! What! Wahoo! Icing on the cake, whoa! I love you guys, that’s why we won.” — Kyle Busch

Kyle Busch would also get some ice cream and a candle for that cake, as he picked the perfect way to win the 2009 Nationwide Series season. With the championship clinched when he took the green flag in the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Busch would also go on to grab his ninth victory of the year, barely holding off Carl Edwards on the last lap.

Busch:
It was such a fun deal. Fun to watch and fun to be apart of at the end. Glad we were able to hold them off and come out here and win this thing. This is another race track that I can mark off my list of venues I haven’t won at. I’m really excited to be able to do that. I felt like I wasn’t the best driver here tonight but, the guys gave me a car capable enough of wining.

Now Edwards pitted under the final caution, took on four fresh tires, restarted eighth and made it a dramatic charge in the last 11 laps. But just as it has been all year long, Edwards didn’t quit have enough to beat Busch.

Carl Edwards:
I was closing at a rate that was going to take about three more laps to really get him. So there in the last corner I just drove her way down in there just to see what that looked like to see how close I could get. I couldn’t get by him without probably touching him so I didn’t have enough time but made a good charge.

Busch led 73 laps in the Ford 300, Edwards 53 and the man who came home third Jeff Burton was out front for 49 laps and at one point had the look of a winner.

Jeff Burton:
I’m really disappointed with finishing third and that’s a good thing to be. That’s good to be disappointed with third and that’s where our program has been in the past and that’s not where we’ve been lately and it’s good to be there again.

Joey Logano was forth across the stripe fifth was Denny Hamlin who made good on his promise to spin out Brad Keselowski. Which he did only 35 laps into the race.

Denny Hamlin:
I feel great right now, it was well worth it. The sun was bad at that point and I’ll use that as my catalyst or excuse but the fact is I wasn’t going to give him an inch and I thought after I went down pit road I’d won the race, I’ve never seen so many crews applaud and get the thumbs up on the way by. It just shows how many cars that he’s torn up in the past. The teams they feel a little redemption anyway.  

Keselowski who had already bounced off the wall himself downplayed Hamlin’s retaliation for their latest run in last week at Phoenix.

Brad Keselowski:
He just got me in a corner panel and I put together the spin-slash-save combination of my career … that was pretty cool. I was pretty proud of that at the time and that really didn’t hurt us that bad, we lost the track position.

But you could see it coming, couldn’t you?

Keselowski:
I don’t know if you could ever see something like that coming but it really didn’t make a difference, I had already killed my car and killed my chances of having a good run so it was my own fault.

And what did he think of Hamlin’s excuse that the sun got in his eyes?

Keselowski:

That sounds good, that’s good. I’ll remember that one, that’s good.

The six to 10 finishers at Homestead were David Reutimann, Ryan Newman, Steve Wallace, Scott Speed and Matt Kenseth. Kyle Busch wound up winning the Nationwide Series Championship by 210 points over Carl Edwards, with Brad Keselowski winding up third. Jason Leffler was fourth grabbing the fifth and final spot at the head table for the annual awards banquet was Mike Bliss. In the process of taking the title, Busch had 11 second place finishes to go along with the nine wins which added up to 25 top five and 30 top 10 finishes. Not to mention he lead 32 of 35 races for a record smashing 2,698 laps. The 24-year-old driver also set a new mark for points scored in a single season 5,682.

Busch:
Really it’s a great accomplishment to be able to set out and get this series most points in a season. I mean that just shows you the consistency we had, the amount of wins we had, the bonus points that we had with being able to lead the most races, the most laps in some of those races. When all things fall into place and work together, it just seems like sometimes nothing can go wrong.

It was a big year on the Nationwide Series for Joe Gibbs Racing as they made a total of 14 trips to victory lane, as Joey Logano also won five times. Now team president, J.D. Gibbs, normally a very thankful guy, found himself, however, uncharacteristically greedy in the closing laps at Homestead, admitting their newest champion, might be rubbing off on him.

J.D. Gibbs:

Man at the end of this race is kind of like you’re running, how do we lock the championship down. It’s like oh my gosh we have to win, we have to win or I’m not going to be happy. Thankfully I’m happy. I felt like Kyle.

A full set of the pictures taken at the Homestead-Miami Speedway can be viewed at http://www.flickr.com/photos/nationwide/sets/72157622736752711/

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NASCAR fans have a lot to say about everything in the sport. Sometimes it’s positive, and sometimes it veers into foot-stomping, tantrum-throwing complaining. But are the fans legitimately mad, or are they just griping because it’s not their guy holding up the trophy? Tough question, and that’s where we come in. In the tradition of the great Urban Legends Reference Pages, we’ll take on some of NASCAR fandom’s most pervasive whines and decide whether there’s any merit to them. First up: one of the many knocks on the four-time champ.

The complaint: Jimmie Johnson wouldn’t have won four championships if we were under the old points system.

The reason behind the complaint: NASCAR fans worship at the altar of Earnhardt and Petty — justifiably so, I might add — but now that Jimmie Johnson is edging into their territory, many are getting nervous. The "new" championship format, with its end-of-regular-season points reset, provides an easy out. The thinking goes like this: the old guys won their championships under the equivalent of a full-season playoff, but Jimmie Johnson has won all his championships under the new, 10-race system. Therefore he only wins because of the new system, right? Not so fast.

The truth:  First off, it’s called the "old" system for a reason — it’s old and it’s done with. So on one level, the complaint is irrelevant. You race under the system you’ve got; we don’t hear many people complaining that they should take away many of Richard Petty’s wins because they came against less-than-full fields or against cars with far less technological muscle than his. Times change, like it or not.

But more importantly, this is something that can be easily disproven just by looking at statistics. Let’s illustrate, for Johnson’s four championships, the breakdown of points under both systems.

2009
Chase format: Johnson, Mark Martin (-141), Jeff Gordon (-179)
Old system: Johnson, Jeff Gordon (-66), Tony Stewart (-71)

2008
Chase format: Johnson, Carl Edwards (-69), Greg Biffle (-217)
Old system: Carl Edwards, Jimmie Johnson (-16), Kyle Busch (-252)

2007
Chase format: Johnson, Jeff Gordon (-77), Clint Bowyer (-346)
Old system: Jeff Gordon, Johnson (-353), Tony Stewart (-706)

2006
Chase format: Johnson, Matt Kenseth (-56), Denny Hamlin (-68)
Old system: Johnson, Matt Kenseth (-4), Kevin Harvick (-320)

So there you go. Johnson would have won two of his four championships outright, and he
obviously wouldn’t have raced the same way at Homestead last year (he
casually cruised to a 15th-place finish while Edwards won) had the
points been as tight under the old system. (Of course, the reverse holds true for 2006, where Kenseth was only four points back under the old system.) Only in 2007 did the Chase really benefit Johnson.

What you need to look at, though, isn’t just the numbers, it’s the names. Note that while there are twelve drivers named above, only one shows up in the top three — heck, top two — every year under both systems. After Johnson, only Gordon and Stewart even show up twice on those lists. And with the exception of this year, look how far back the third-place guy is under the old points scenario. It’s been a two-man race every year since 2005, and Johnson’s always been one of those two.

Whine verdict: Almost baseless. The Chase may have shuffled the competitors, but it doesn’t change the fact that Johnson dominates under any scenario. At least two, and probably three, of the last four championships would still have been his under the season-long system.

Okay, your turn. Post your take below. Got a whine you want us to break down? Add  it below or email me at jay.busbee@yahoo.com. 

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On Sunday night, Jimmie Johnson clinched his fourth straight Sprint Cup championship, and in so doing cemented his place among the greats of the sport. But he’s done more than that; he’s now propelled himself above and beyond NASCAR. He’s the most successful athlete currently competing right now, and it’s not even close. 

Were this Tiger Woods snagging his fourth straight Masters, or Kobe Bryant clinching his fourth straight ring, or Tom Brady capturing his fourth straight Super Bowl, you’d be getting their greatness rammed down your throat 24/7. But this is NASCAR; the sports fan public knows they can’t throw a pass 50 yards or hit a golf ball 300, but they figure they know how to drive fast and turn left. How hard could it be for Johnson to win some of those little races, huh?

Answer: plenty. Put aside the physical demands — the intense heat of the car’s interior, the physical strength needed to wheel a car for 500 miles. Even running a race — to say nothing of winning one, or winning an entire season — requires the mental discipline, ultrafast-twitch reflexes and utter, stone-cold fearlessness that only the best athletes possess. (And don’t even start the whole "the car’s the star, not the driver" nonsense. Equipment is a key element of every sport. When’s the last time you saw a baseball player succeed without a bat, or a football player succeed without pads?) 

So, with the playing field leveled, let’s break down why Johnson is the top athlete at work today. For starters, you could argue that the level of competition in every single sport right now is the highest it’s ever been. Kids train practically from birth to play one sport; sophisticated training techniques make today’s marginal athletes the equivalent of yesterday’s All-Stars.

Even so, Johnson has established a four-year gap between himself and his nearest competitors  that’s greater than any other athlete in any other sport. Nobody in any league is a prohibitive favorite; even Tiger is vulnerable these days.

Plenty of people both inside and outside NASCAR are dismissing Johnson’s accomplishments, and that’s too bad. They’re missing out on history here. Nobody else is riding as high these days, in any sport, anywhere. And anybody who thinks it’s certain to end in 2010 … well, didn’t we think that coming into 2007, 2008 and 2009?

Bandwagoners, here’s a heads-up: push aside your Yankees caps, Patriots jerseys and Cowboys jackets and make room for some of Jimmie Johnson’s gear. (He’s the 48.) If you’re the type of person who wants to jump on board a proven winning train, you’ve got one right here waiting for you, ready to roll.

For everyone else, take a moment — just a moment, that’s all — to applaud what Johnson’s doing here. You’re not going to see anything like this again anytime soon. 

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Here are some pictures of the Champions – I’ll have a full opinionated post tomorrow.

Sprint Cup Series

Jimmie Johnson holds up four fingers to signify his unprecedented four consecutive NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championships. (Photo Credit: Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR) via www.nascarmedia.com

Nationwide Series

Kyle Busch, driver of the No. 18 Z-Line Designs Toyota, celebrates in Victory Lane after winning Saturday’s NASCAR Nationwide Series and the Ford 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, his 30th win in 173 NASCAR Nationwide Series races. (Photo Credit: John Harrelson/Getty Images for NASCAR)  via www.nascarmedia.com

Camping World Truck Series

Ron Hornaday Jr. celebrates winning his fourth NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship after the Ford 200 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. (Photo Credit: Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR) via www.nascarmedia.com

Canadian Tire Series

2009 Championship NASCAR Canadian Tire Series team with Champ Andrew Ranger to the right of the trophy (Photo Credit: Getty Images for NASCAR)  via www.nascarmedia.com

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Oops, this was supposed to be posted Friday.  I must have did something wrong when I set the publish date.  Sorry. 

NASCAR’s Championship weekend is finally here. All three of NASCAR’s top series finish up this weekend.

The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series crowned Ron Hornaday as their Champ last week, but the 4-time Champ is still looking to sew-up the Owner’s Championship this weekend so if you think ol’ Ron will be strokin’ it out there Friday night you’ve got another thing coming.

As far as the NASCAR Nationwide Series goes all Kyle Busch has to do is essentially start the race and the Championship is his and don’t expect him to be strokin’ it either as that cat goes for the win all of the time. In fact he might even be more dangerous out there than usual as he’s got nothing to loose by giving it all or nothing for that final race and win of the season.

The bigger story on Saturday will be the Denny Hamlin vs. Brad Keselowski saga that reared its ugly head yet again last weekend. Hamlin bumped Keselowski to get by him and Keselowski returned the favour, but then he went and hit Hamlin a second time in the rear corner of the car instead of the middle of the bumper where it’s safer, and sent Hamlin spinning; Hamlin, who had a top 5 car all day long, finished outside the top 10 as a result.

After the race the war of words ensued with Hamlin promising that he would cash in the chips that he owes Keselowski next race, which is this Saturday.

But perhaps the biggest story this weekend will be whether Jimmie Johnson will win his record setting fourth consecutive Sprint Cup Championship. Certainly his odds are good but look at what happened to him at Texas just two weeks ago; he got taken out early in the race and eventually finished 38^{th giving up a ton of points to teammate Mark Martin.}

^{It is essentially a two man race for the Chase Championship right now as Jeff Gordon will be eliminated once the Green Flag flies. Martin needs to gain 108 points on Johnson to win his first ever Championship.}

^{So what does Martin exactly have to do to win it?}

^{Best case scenario is that he wins the race, leads the most laps to get the extra 5 points, and has Johnson finish 26th or worse without leading a lap.}

^{I know sounds impossible right? Well not quite. According to NASCAR.com Martin has gained 108 points or more on Johnson 9 times in 266 races of head to head competition. Using that stat as a benchmark would mean that Martin has a 3.3% chance of winning the Championship. Slim, but still a chance. I’m sure Martin and his team will throw everything but the kitchen sink at Johnson and not give up the fight.}

^{I guess the big picture here is not whether or not Martin or Johnson wins the Championship it is the fact that their car owner Rick Hendrick will have the top two cars in the Chase at the end it all and if Jeff Gordon holds off Tony Stewart Hendrick owned cars will sweep the top 3 spots of the Chase.}

^{That’s impressive.}

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Last week at Phoenix, Denny Hamlin promised he’d be the first one to Brad Keselowski’s "pay window," and sure enough he was. Thirty-four laps into Saturday’s Nationwide race at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Hamlin dumped Keselowski, who was running eighth at the time, as they came off Turn 4. Keselowski spun twice, but was able to save his car before hitting the wall. Take a look at what happened:

Keselowski’s crew actually got a laugh out of it. And you have to love the spotter’s take: "That boy will never learn. He didn’t do it good enough."

Hamlin is a man of his word, though in the end he actually got the worst of it. Keselowski stayed on the lead lap, while NASCAR, very aware of the growing tension between the two that stems from at least four previous incidents this season, penalized Hamlin a lap for aggressive driving.

After the race, Keselowski, who finished 12th, said he was over it, only to set the stage for a new chapter with his comments.

"I have a feeling when he wakes up in the morning he’s not going to feel any better about himself," Keselowski said. "He’s got a lot of problems – on and off the race track – and I don’t think spinning me’s gonna make him happy. So, that’s my take on it. I’ve moved on. I’m okay. I’m not going to go out and wreck him or anything like that. I’m just going to go out and do my own thing.".

When told of Keselowski’s comment, Hamlin, who rallied to finish fifth, responded, "I feel great right now. It was well worth it. … The fact is, I wasn’t going to give him an inch. After I went down pit road [for the penalty], I thought I had won the race. I’ve never seen so many crews applaud and give the thumbs up on the way by. It just shows you all the cars that he’s torn up in the past, you know. All the teams, they feel a little redemption anyway. But, we’ll never be even in that sense.

"You have to look at the stands," he continued. "I’ve never seen so much applause in my entire life. I just think everyone understands this is a self-policing sport. NASCAR did what they had to do. Spinning out someone deliberate like that, they gotta penalize me, there’s no doubt about it. So, I wasn’t mad about that at all. My objective today was to try to win the race first, take care of him second. And yeah, there’s gonna be other days when we’re racing and he’s still gonna think about it when I’m in his rearview mirror, because obviously the scales are tipped a little bit more in my favor, but still tipped a little bit too much."

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[Editor's note: Carol Fitzgerald continues her analysis of all things NASCAR. She's a fan, and she's not particularly pleased with how fans are being treated. -- JB]

That’s right, ladies and gentlemen, just when you thought the good old days of real racing were over, we learn that NASCAR is receiving not just one, but TWO awards for listening to its fans! They have won — get this — the "Forrester Groundswell Award" in the "Business-to-Consumer Listening" category, and the "Vision Critical 2009 Panel of the Year" award.

Sounds like corporate crapola appropriate recognition for the racing that I have sacrificed enjoyed the past months of my life supporting.

Anybody remember last year (yeah, I know, that was a long time ago!), hearing about a NASCAR Fan Council being created? And we all encouraged each other to join? And nobody could because it was "already full"? Well, somehow they managed to sign up some 12,000 loyal NASCAR fans before the likes of you and I even heard of the thing, and are polling them regularly for input on how to make NASCAR better! That’s right, and these lucky 12,000 are responsible for double-file restarts and more consistent start times being added to our NASCAR goodness!

And who indeed might Forrester (the guys giving out this no-doubt prestigious award) be? When you take out all the corporate-speak, they’re a company who helps its customers figure out how to talk to their own customers by "social networking" means like teh interwebs. And then they pat them on the back for doing a good job. The circle of life!

Just think of it! Brian France can walk up on that stage, and the audience can begin pelting him with random items of standard banquet dinner that haven’t been devoured yet (oops, my fantasy is showing. I personally would pay money just to see this, to say nothing of participating.) Sadly, I’m sure the reality will be much more polite. Now all we need to do is find out who the hallowed 12,000 are, and ask them to lobby NASCAR to let the boys race!

Your turn, happy peoples. Anybody on the NASCAR Fan Council? Can I get a "hell yeah"?

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We all know Kyle Busch‘s team is running with a new crew chief. Seemed the perfect time to make the swap, considering the old one, Steve Addington, had just won the Wypall Crew Chief of the Week Award by helping Kyle come from 41st to finish fourth at Martinsville.

So who’s the new kid in town, this Dave Rogers? Like most of the people working in NASCAR, Dave got stars in his eyes as a small child, going to local races with his dad and reveling in the thunder and excitement. Having worked hard most of his life without a whole lot to show for it, Dave Sr. wanted his boy to get a "real job." So Dave Jr. attended college and got himself a mechanical engineering degree.

But the "real jobs" out there just didn’t do it for him. He went back to school and got his Master’s in Mechanical Engineering from General Motors Institute in Flint, Michigan. Shortly afterward he landed a job with Joe Gibbs Racing, apprenticing under the great Greg Zipadelli. He may have taken a page or two out of Chad Knaus’ playbook as well, since it was Dave who was responsible for the truly inspired magnet-trick played with the JGR Nationwide cars last year. It almost seems like a shame that he got caught. But he ‘fessed up and took his lumps, and still managed to take the championship in owner’s points while juggling four different drivers in the #20.

Kyle and Dave made a pretty impressive showing their first week out of the box in Sprint, leading over 230 laps at Texas Motor Speedway, but ultimately falling short when Texas became a fuel-mileage race. Nascar Now did a cool interview with Dave after that race, watch it here.  And the team remained consistent at Phoenix, taking home a top 15 finish.

Maybe this will be the team that can show its heels to the 48 in 2010. Any takers?
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Mark Martin (Photo Credit: Sam Greenwood/Getty Images for NASCAR)  via www.nascarmedia.com

If I had a chance to interview Mark Martin this week the question I would love to ask him would be “If the points were a bit closer and you had to move Jimmie out of the way to win the Championship would you?”

I stress the move part and the absence of wreck.

I know if I were Mark I would say yes because he has never won a Championship and Jimmie has won 3 already.

What do you think Mark’s response would be?

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