Jimmie Johnson is without a doubt a great driver, but there remains the question of where Johnson ranks amongst the greatest drivers in our sport. Kyle Petty seems to think that Jimmie Johnson is "the greatest driver ever." Does Petty really mean that? His father won 200 races and 7 championships, but keep in mind that Johnson did not win his championships in the same manner than the greats that he is being compared to. Are we talking about a different ERA? I think we are in this case.
My magical weekend at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway had way more than I thought it would. For example, Sunday at the track was drastically better than I was expecting it to be. One tweet changed my day that morning. That was the tweet that gave me some unprecedented access to the garage area during the pre-race hours.
We all thought Kyle Busch had changed for the better and that he was going to be a mature man following his 2011 accident with Ron Hornaday at the Texas Motor Speedway in the Camping World Truck Series that left everyone seething. This accident with Hornaday also proceeded his speeding citation when Busch was busted going 128 mph. in a 45 mph. zone earlier in the year when he was supposedly test-driving his new Lexus LFA sports car and got "carried away."
With the Sprint Cup Series drivers and teams enjoying their final off weekend of the year before beginning the grueling 17 race stretch to end the year and the Camping World Truck Series drivers gearing up for their dirt racing debut at Eldora next week, the Nationwide Series takes center stage this weekend in Chicago.
When I left for the New Hampshire Motor Speedway last week, I had no idea what was to come. I was hoping for some good racing and to meet a few people. I really didn’t expect anything more than that, but what I ultimately left the track with were memories that would last a lifetime. These memories will forever be special to me and what’s special about them is that they all came as surprises.
On a steamy day in New England where the action on the track was just as hot, here is what was surprising and not surprising from the Camping World RV Sales 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
October 24th, 2004 - Brian Vickers ended a rough day at Martinsville in 27th position and two laps off the pace to race winner and teammate, Jimmie Johnson. Just a few miles away in the Bull Mountains that surround the legendary racetrack, a plane had crashed and sadly, there were no survivors.
