After tackling "The Lady in Black" at Darlington last weekend, NASCAR heads home for a two week home stand at Charlotte Motor Speedway, with the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series taking center stage during All Star Weekend.
When you drive for a family owned team, everyone has to do their part. Each week is a struggle. Winnings are usually poured right back into the car in a never ending battle to keep the car on the track every week.
On what has become a Mother’s day weekend tradition at the historic Darlington Raceway, here is what was surprising and not surprising in the 64th annual Bojangles’ Southern 500.
What a difference a couple of weeks can make. Matt Kenseth had just won at Kansas, only to be docked 50 points, among other team fines, penalties, and suspensions. Not good. After taking it in the teeth he rebounded to finish seventh at Richmond, eighth at Talladega, and then things really perked up. NASCAR gave him back all his points from Kansas, except for a 12 point slap, and they reduced his crew chief's suspension to just one race. The last one he ran.
Johnson finished fourth in the Bojangles’ Southern 500 at Darlington, posting his sixth top 5 of the year and increasing his points lead. He now leads Carl Edwards by 44.
Yes, Jimmie Johnson has a considerable margin over the field right now (44pts) but Matt Kenseth who sits 3rd in the standings has put up performances as good as if not better than the 5-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion. Through just 11 races, he's led 781 laps which is already more than 9 of his 13 previous Cup seasons including his 2003 championship run.
A few times a year, I’m privileged to be able to go to a NASCAR race as part of the media. It’s a unique experience that allows me to be a small part of something that has an enormous impact on so many. What may surprise you is that it is often the little things that make it so special.
Matt Kenseth is a man of history. Rarely have we seen anyone more excited than Matt Kenseth for winning Darlington’s Southern 500. In my youth, this was one of the sacred crowns of the NASCAR Sprint Cup circuit until the powers that be decided that the old track was not worthy of two races a few years ago. The track is tough and it takes a special talent to win at the egg-shaped track, but few had as much fun winning a race here than Matt Kenseth.
NASCAR is that one sport we have in America that has just as many pros as it has cons, but the cons unfortunately outweigh the pros. What it is going to take for NASCAR to grow a pair and make the right calls? What is it going to take for NASCAR to realize that their stupidity doesn't bring more fans to the track?
Jeff Gordon’s never had a problem racking up impressive statistics. He’s a four-time Sprint Cup champion, has 87 career wins and 72 poles.
But Saturday...
The NASCAR Cup Series and the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series are at Indianapolis Motor Speedway this weekend while the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series is at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.
Hendrick Motorsports has piled up more than twice as many wins as any other organization (11) in the crown jewel event and also leads in top fives (29), top 10s (46) and laps led (1,101).
Funny Car driver Daniel Wilkerson was .042 of a second away from securing his first NHRA win on Sunday in Sonoma and he will have another opportunity for redemption at this weekend’s 37th annual Muckleshoot Casino Resort NHRA Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceways.