Stay in your damn car. Jennifer Jo Cobb did not during Friday’s truck race, leaving the confines of the cab to direct a little displeasure after being wrecked. On Sunday, Trevor Bayne got wrecked and headed onto to the apron to voice his displeasure. According to NASCAR rules brought in last August, unless there is smoke or fire in the cockpit, stay in the damn car until the emergency crew arrives.
I love watching drivers venting steam, challenging those who they believe have done them wrong. Sometimes it is downright amusing, especially if the driver is much smaller than the focus of their displeasure. However, life is not a cartoon. Sometimes what might be funny can become terribly tragic in the blink of an eye.
August 9, 2014. After that date, on a dirt track in New York, with the death of 20-year old Kevin Ward Jr., we learned a very valuable yet costly lesson. Please just stay in the damn car.
Here are our Hot 20 as they take to the track at Pocono on Sunday…
1. Jimmie Johnson – 4 WINS (440 Pts)
Whenever Johnson fails to win at Dover, Miles the Monster gets a Jimmie Johnson trophy.
2. Kevin Harvick – 2 WINS (516 Pts)
Tony just called. He wants his damn car back…and pit crew…and crew chief..and lucky penny.
3. Joey Logano – 1 WIN (440 Pts)
A big believer in Loudon. Unless it is a songwriter named Wainwright, I’m not with him.
4. Dale Earnhardt Jr. – 1 WIN (432 Pts)
Never won at Pocono until last year. Now looking for his third straight.
5. Brad Keselowski – 1 WIN (414 Pts)
Giving a rival crewman a ride is fine after the race, just not during the race.
6. Matt Kenseth – 1 WIN (377 Pts)
As he prepares for Pocono, his boy Ross makes his XFINITY debut later this month.
7. Denny Hamlin – 1 WIN (345 Pts)
Bowyer’s Toyota was going places, causing Hamlin’s Toyota to go to a bad place.
8. Kurt Busch – 1 WIN (340 Pts)
On the track, he makes Gene’s gambit look pretty good.
9. Carl Edwards – 1 WIN (338 Pts)
A drag race is not what one does to a crew member in leaving the pits.
10. Martin Truex, Jr. – 472 POINTS
A 140-point bulge means winning is not everything…but it sure would be nice.
11. Jamie McMurray – 390 POINTS
Miles needs a desperate facelift. After what happened to him last year, Jamie would agree.
12. Kasey Kahne – 385 POINTS
The second best Hendrick driver at Dover? It sure in hell was not Earnhardt or Gordon.
13. Jeff Gordon – 380 POINTS
Then again, a Top Ten is not bad for an old guy…with four titles…and 92 career wins.
14. Aric Almirola – 378 POINTS
Solidly in the hunt, solidly a Top Five guy last weekend at Dover.
15. Paul Menard – 372 POINTS
If no one outside the Top 16 in points wins, he is fine. If not, he will need one of his own.
16. Ryan Newman – 369 POINTS
What goes for Menard also goes for Newman.
17. Clint Bowyer – 332 POINTS
Chasing is fine, but a win is his best bet to make the playoffs.
18. Danica Patrick – 321 POINTS
The Danica-Line used to be 25th. While not yet Chase worthy, it marks a definite improvement.
19. Greg Biffle – 311 POINTS
What’s Buggin’ Biffle? Nothing that a win would not cure.
20. Kyle Larson – 297 POINTS
At 22, elected to sit at the big boy table as a driver rep in chat with NASCAR.
