Hot 20 – If Sweetness and Loveliness is What you are After, Texas Might not be the Place to Find It
So, Danica Patrick is not all sweetness and loveliness. Okay, she is the latter, but the fact she is a little ticked or not going along with the company line, has some folks talking. She is upset with Joey Logano, she had a bit of a run in with Martin Truex Jr. at Martinsville and she thinks qualifying at Talladega stinks after her boyfriend got left in the cold. She even is not a fan of NASCAR’s diversity program.
To start with, if we were talking about Kurt Busch here, nobody would care less. Okay, his having a boyfriend might come as a surprise, but that is about it. As for the diversity program, it either works or it does not. To be honest, graduates such as Darrell “Bubba” Wallace and Kyle Larson might have gotten there based on their talent, looks, character and some marketing in the same fashion Patrick emerged. Did the program remove any barriers that would have prevented them from otherwise rising to the top? I know many would say so, whether that be true or not. My reaction to her questioning its validity would be the same whether Danica said it, or Richard Petty, or Dale Earnhardt Jr. Then again, I am one of those guys who sees nothing wrong in questioning even sacred cows. It causes conversation and that is never a bad thing.
As Danica and the boys head to Texas, the only thing critical I have in regards to her is that she is the 28th best driver in Cup. She is the dividing line between those who matter and those who continue to strive for respectability each week. What she says or does should carry about as much weight as, say, Aric Almirola or Casey Mears. However, that is not the reality of things.
What is real is that Jeff Gordon remains the best driver so far this season, though Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski are right there, according to these standings. However, after the issues last week Keselowski’s Chase dreams are about to go the way of the dodo, or the Earnhardt and the Johnson, unless fortune smiles down in Texas. It won’t. Matt Kenseth goes in as the race favorite and Matt loves everybody.
Except Keselowski, but everybody loves Matt. Except Kevin Harvick. Something tells me these boys are not exactly all sweetness and loveliness either.
*Drivers awarded a 25 (rather than a 3) point winner’s bonus
BOLD = Currently in the Chase
Hot 20
1 – Jeff Gordon – 4 Wins – 1247 POINTS
2 – Joey Logano – 5 – 1227
3 – Brad Keselowski – 5 – 1188
4 – Dale Earnhardt Jr – 4 – 1158
5 – Kevin Harvick – 3 – 1088
6 – Jimmie Johnson – 3 – 1045
7 – Matt Kenseth – 0 – 1032
8 – Ryan Newman – 0 – 1031
9 – Carl Edwards – 2 – 1029
10 – Kyle Larson – 0 – 981
11 – Kyle Busch – 1 – 969
12 – Greg Biffle – 0 – 931
13 – Kasey Kahne – 1 – 927
14 – Clint Bowyer – 0 – 923
15 – Austin Dillon – 0 – 910
16 – Jamie McMurray – 0 – 906
17 – Denny Hamlin – 1 – 896
18 – Paul Menard – 0 – 856
19 – Brian Vickers – 0 – 847
20 – A.J. Allmendinger – 1 – 828
IndyCar reveals the 2015 Verizon IndyCar Series Schedule
On Thursday Oct. 30th, INDYCAR officials unveiled the 2015 Verizon IndyCar Series schedule, that will see the open-wheel cars race a diverse set of tracks from March to August.
“The Verizon IndyCar Series calendar represents another step forward in our strategy to grow the series,” Mark Miles, CEO of Hulman & Co., the parent of INDYCAR and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, said. “There were several factors that led to the positive momentum we experienced in 2014 and we will continue to execute on those initiatives – continuity in our broadcast schedule, strategic growth of our schedule and improvements to how we promote our events. The continued support from our television partners at ABC and NBCSN, and the ongoing collaboration with promoters, teams and sponsor partners gives us a lot of confidence about our future.”
The season will begin with the series’ first visit to Autódromo Internacional Nelson Piquet in Brasília, Brazil (March 8, NBCSN). IndyCar has gone to Brazil over the years, however did not make their annual trip south of the North American border in 2014. Brazil fans are passionate about open-wheel racing as both Tony Kanaan and Helio Castroneves come from Brazil.
“It’s great to see the Verizon IndyCar Series going back to Brazil and expanding internationally,” Andretti Autosport team owner Michael Andretti said. “Having a presence outside of the U.S. is important for the health of the series and a necessary part of growing the visibility and awareness opportunities in our industry.”
The Streets of St. Petersburg will slot in as the second race on the schedule, with the race still hosted on it’s usual weekend at the end of March (March 29th).
April will begin with the series’ debut trip to New Orleans’ NOLA Motorsports Park on the 12th, which was announced earlier this year in April. The state committed to making advancements to the track, worth $4.5 million, over the course of this year to have the newly-configured 13-turn, 2.67-mile road course ready. The race will be featured among a festival that includes food, music and other forms of entertainment. April will then end with Long Beach (April 19th) and Barber Motorsports Park (April 26), as the same with the season prior.
For the second straight year, the Month of May at Indianapolis Motor Speedway will kick-off with the Angie’s List Grand Prix of Indianapolis (May 9) and will be followed by Indy 500 qualifications (May 16-17) before ending the month of racing on Memorial Day weekend with the 99th Running of the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race (May 24) on the famed 2.5-mile oval.
The Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix returns as a doubleheader event (May 30-31) and is followed on the calendar by a night race at Texas Motor Speedway (June 6). The race on Streets of Toronto has moved (June 14) to accommodate the Pan American Games that are taking place throughout July and August. Notably, the streets of Houston will not return to the 2015 schedule.
Following Toronto, the series will head to the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course (Aug. 2) as it returns to its familiar date on the calendar.
While Auto Club Speedway hosted the season finale this past season, it will now be moved to June 27th, kicking off a four-race oval swing that includes the Milwaukee Mile (July 12) and Iowa Speedway (July 18) before heading to Pocono Raceway on August 23rd. There were concerns as to whether the series would return to Pocono Raceway in 2015 after discussions surrounding poor attendance, however the track remains on the 2014 schedule.
“Returning to Pocono in 2015 is great news,” Tony Kanaan, 2004 Verizon IndyCar Series champion and former Indianapolis 500 winner, said. “The ‘Tricky Triangle’ is a very challenging racetrack for us and it provides great racing and excitement for the fans. Continuity is the key word to rebuild our fan base for that region and INDYCAR and Pocono are working very hard and thankfully making it happen. I’m obviously happy to be able to return in 2015 and finish the strong race we had in 2014.”
The season will end with a trip to Sonoma Raceway on August 30th to crown the series’ champion, marking the first time an IndyCar Championship will end the season on a road course, versus ending at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Fontana Speedway in seasons prior.
“Sonoma has always been a great circuit for the Verizon IndyCar Series,” Scott Dixon, a three-time Verizon IndyCar Series champion and Indianapolis 500 winner, said. “People always ask what my favorite track is and I often say ‘the last one I won at’ so it’s perfect for me and Team Target. It’s a very technical and challenging track and the site of the biggest Target weekend each season from a partnership perspective.”
2015 Verizon IndyCar Series Schedule
| Date | Race/Track | City | Venue | Network |
| March 8 | Autódromo Internacional Nelson Piquet | Brasília, Brazil | 3.4-mile road course | NBCSN |
| March 29 | Streets of St. Petersburg | St. Petersburg, FL | 1.8-mile street course | ABC |
| April 12 | NOLA Motorsports Park | Avondale, LA | 2.7-mile road course | NBCSN |
| April 19 | Streets of Long Beach | Long Beach, CA | 1.968-mile street course | NBCSN |
| April 26 | Barber Motorsports Park | Birmingham, AL | 2.38-mile road course | NBCSN |
| May 9 | Grand Prix of Indianapolis | Indianapolis, IN | 2.4346-mile road course | ABC |
| May 16-17 | Indianapolis 500 Qualifying | Indianapolis, IN | 2.5-mile oval | ABC |
| May 22 | Carb Day | Indianapolis, IN | 2.5-mile oval | NBCSN |
| May 24 | Indianapolis 500 | Indianapolis, IN | 2.5-mile oval | ABC |
| May 30 | Raceway at Belle Isle Park | Detroit, MI | 2.35-mile street course | ABC |
| May 31 | Raceway at Belle Isle Park | Detroit, MI | 2.35-mile street course | ABC |
| June 6 | Texas Motor Speedway | Fort Worth, TX | 1.5-mile oval | NBCSN |
| June 14 | Streets of Toronto | Toronto, Canada | 1.75-mile street course | NBCSN |
| June 27 | Auto Club Speedway | Fontana, CA | 2-mile oval | NBCSN |
| July 12 | The Milwaukee Mile | Milwaukee, WI | 1-mile oval | NBCSN |
| July 18 | Iowa Speedway | Newton, IA | .875-mile oval | NBCSN |
| Aug. 2 | Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course | Lexington, OH | 2.258-mile road course | NBCSN |
| Aug. 23 | Pocono Raceway | Long Pond, PA | 2.5-mile oval | NBCSN |
| Aug. 30 | Sonoma Raceway | Sonoma, CA | 2.385-mile road course | NBCSN |
Schedule subject to change
NASCAR Racing Schedule for Texas Motor Speedway
This week NASCAR travels to Texas Motor Speedway for a tripleheader action packed weekend.
All times ET.
Thursday – October 30:
2:00 – 3:00 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series practice
3:30 – 5:00 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series final practice
Friday – October 31:
Noon-12:50 p.m.: NASCAR Nationwide Series practice – FOX Sports 1
1-2:30 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice – FOX Sports 1
3:15 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Keystone Light Pole Qualifying – FOX Sports 1
4:30-6 p.m.: NASCAR Nationwide Series final practice – ESPN2
6:45 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying – ESPN2
8:30 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series WinStar World Casino and Resort 350 (147 laps – 220.5 miles) – FOX Sports 1
Saturday – November 1:
11-11:50 a.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice – FOX Sports 1
12:15 p.m.: NASCAR Nationwide Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying – FOX Sports 2
2-2:50 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series final practice – FOX Sports 2
3:30 p.m.: NASCAR Nationwide Series O’Reilly Auto Parts Challenge (200 laps – 300 miles) – ESPN2
Sunday – November 2:
3 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series AAA Texas 500 (334 laps – 501 miles) – ESPN
PRESS CONFERENCE Schedule: (Watch live) on Nascar.com (Post race times approx.)
Friday – October 31
11:00 a.m.: Joey Logano
11:30 a.m.: Elliott Sadler
Noon: Ryan Newman
12:15 p.m.: Jimmie Johnson
2:45 p.m.: Chase Elliott
3:00 p.m.: Denny Hamlin
7:45 p.m.: NSCS Post Qualifying
10:45 p.m.: NCWTS Post Race
Saturday – November 1
10:30 a.m.: James Buescher
5:45 p.m.: NNS Post Race
Sunday – November 2
1:45 p.m.: Harlem Globetrotters (Grand Marshals) and Texas Rangers pitcher Derek Holland (Honorary Pace Car Driver)
6:45 p.m.: NSCS Post Race
Thought This Season Was About Winning
A lot of things have happened since I last posted here. Brad Keselowski did the impossible and won at Talladega while Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jimmie Johnson were eliminated from the almighty Chase. Almost forgot the elimination included Kyle Busch. After Charlotte, maybe Brad can replace Kyle as NASCAR fans’ most hated driver. The jury is still out on that.
Talladega saw Hendrick Motorsports have only one driver in the hunt for the championship or 25%. Penske has 100% of their team and Gibbs has 67%, so why does media continue to feed us that the best organization in the sport is HMS? I’ll let you chew on that for now.
Then came Martinsville. If you’ve followed my writing here, you know that my affection for that track is off the boards. I love the place. No track has action that leaves you on the seat of your pants lap after lap but Martinsville. I wrote a few years ago that Martinsville had become the new Bristol and nothing has happened since to change my mind. The action is fast and furious and you never know who is going to win…well, almost. Over the last decade it has been pretty much Jimmie Johnson or Jeff Gordon or Denny Hamlin. When watching a race from start to finish, there is enough action and enough leaders to make you forget that as you watch. The place is NASCAR’s roots.
On Sunday, the usual suspects were at the front. Johnson was racy, Gordon, who was everyone’s favorite going in if it wasn’t Johnson, was up front. A newly fast Joey Logano (at this track, anyway) was challenging for the lead and Denny Hamlin looked strong. What happened during the race might raise an eyebrow. Junior Earnhardt won and Gordon was second. Brad Keselowski, having freshly saved himself from being eliminated had a mechanical problem and finished 31st. Kevin Harvick who messed up in qualifying and had a bad day joined JJ as an also ran. Ryan Newman continued his consistency streak and left everyone to wonder if he might be a Chase finalist with no wins. Matt Kenseth smiles because it was a big deal when he won one race and the championship and NASCAR came up with the Chase. It’s ironic that both are presently on the fast track to going head to head at Homestead to win the big trophy. Irony? You betcha. I thought this season was about winning. At least it was for one driver.
The ovation that Earnhardt got at Martinsville was louder than anything I’ve ever heard at the paper clip-shaped track in central Virginia. It drowned out the noise of engines and the crowd stayed long after the race was over, an unusual event at this venue. It was obvious who the crowd favorite happened to be on that day. In the end, though, Keselowski found himself with his back against the wall as well as Harvick and others. The three biggest winners of 2014—Keselowski, Earnhardt, and Harvick—could be replaced by drivers without wins, one win drivers, and Joey Logano, who happens to have five wins, the second most this year. Get my drift? Isn’t it amazing in a year where wins were supposed to be so precious and the defining attribute of the Chase, there are so many who won and dominated so much in danger of being eliminated? Think about that.
Regardless, it is what it is, but my gut still tells me that in the end, the winners will prevail, but my gut is big these days and hasn’t been right for a long time. We soon shall see.
