Talladega: The wildcard – the equalizer
Front Row Motorsports announced this week that David Ragan would drive the No. 34 Ford again next season. Fitting that the announcement would come heading to the track where Ragan found his way to victory lane earlier this season.
Any time teams come to Talladega the excitement level is at an all-time high. The fear of the unknown is more prominent here than at any other track on the circuit. The 2.66 mile superspeedway is commonly referred to as the “wildcard” race because anything can and seems to happen.
This moniker fits David Ragan and his Front Row Motorsports team. They are much smaller than the huge mega teams that dominate the spotlight in the Sprint Cup Series. The team is largely underfunded and piece together sponsorships in small packages in an attempt to fill the schedule.
The “wildcard”, however, is also the equalizer. It gives underfunded, smaller teams a chance. In the Aaron’s 499 this spring, Ragan found his way to the front in the closing laps with teammate, David Gilliland, in tow. Ragan talked about racing at Talladega on Friday saying, “The Talladega race is always special, I’m a NASCAR fan and at heart, I enjoy this style of racing, I enjoy coming here being part of the show.”
That is the beauty of this place – the unknown. Talladega is the only track on the schedule where literally almost every car in the field could win. Couple that fact with the two and three wide racing, ten to fifteen rows deep, and a person could not ask for more.
Additionally, there is the constant expectation of having the “big one”, that huge crash that takes out multiple cars. It provides a source of excitement that is equaled by no other track. With the large packs of cars racing so close together, one small bobble or misjudgment can have massive ramifications on, not only the race, but the championship picture.
Coming into the Camping World RV Sales 500, two drivers seemingly have a stranglehold on the points standings. Matt Kenseth leads Jimmie Johnson by four points. It is then 29 points back to third place, Kevin Harvick. Jeff Gordon and Kyle Busch are 36 and 37 points back respectively. Talladega presents the perfect opportunity to allow them to catch up and turn a two man race into a five man race for the championship.
Good News and a Good Team Await Martin Truex Jr.
The darkest period in the career of Martin Truex Jr. might soon see some light.
Fox Sports is reporting that Truex has agreed to terms with Furniture Row Racing to begin driving the No. 78 Chevrolet next season. Nothing has been made official but an announcement is expected to take place next week, nearly two months after everything was seemingly torn right out from under him.
Truex might have lived a long prosperous career with Michael Waltrip Racing, whom he signed with after leaving what had become Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing. He found a home, worked into a new comfort, finally had his own number while inheriting one of the sport’s most noticeable sponsors.
Over time, and it took time with MWR, Truex became a consistent contender and winner. Not as many as he’d like or what appeared capable, but a winner and soon Chase caliber. Before he ended up with the staring role in one of the most bizarre Chase stories in NASCAR history.
The now well-known, analyzed, criticized race manipulation by MWR to get Truex in the 2013 Chase for the Sprint Cup, backfired in harshest way. For Truex, at least, whose hands were the only ones clean. Nothing but guilt by association got him dragged through the mud, booted from the Chase, before eventually losing his sponsor and then ride at MWR.
His new ride at FRF is a classic case that good things do happen to good people. Truex has remained calm and classy during the ordeal, continuing to race his heart out with his head held high. Now, he’s bouncing back and with a team that will take good care of him.
It’s a sad case, what happened with MWR. Whether it was plotted or split second, the fact remains they made a decision. Those involved will live with it as they move forward with a reorganized stable in 2014, which now doesn’t include Truex, a driver who was becoming quite a force in the series. For their part, it’s easy to understand that NAPA wanted to protect their brand and needed to make a tough decision.
The ripple from it all, however, affected the livelihood of a driver who’s been fighting for everything he’s had since his first day in the sport. But now, he’s going to land on his feet and start all over, with the support of many who have come out since Richmond with well wishes and hopes for the best.
From Regan Smith and Kurt Busch, the 78 team has shed the also-ran tag to become weekly NSCS contenders. The car is a good car, the team is a decent team and the organization is becoming one that isn’t passed over.
Truex will continue to elevate the team who made their first career Chase this year. In return, the team will put all their focus and resources on Truex, ironically, because there will be no teammates to split that attention. And who knows, with how low profile both the driver and the team are, this could turn into a long-lasting relationship that yields great things.
In a way, things couldn’t have worked out better after how it all started. A fresh start has done many drivers some good. So Truex gets (another) fresh start in the most unlikely of places and for his sake, here’s to a couple quiet and successful seasons without having to look back.
A Life of Racing: Kyle Larson
“I’d be like, ‘Poor kid, geez. How do you tell him (about reality)?’ But he’s always had that confidence. I don’t think he’s in awe of anything.”- Mike Larson, father of Kyle Larson.
“The kid is just absolutely phenomenal, he’s a kid that I think really has a lot of potential.”- Tony Stewart
“I am blown away by this kid…… I have Kyle’s number, I text him when he wins a race,…… [I told him] “I’m getting tired of texting you every week.”- Jeff Gordon
“[He’s] very quiet, very unassuming. He’s a very level person, he doesn’t get very up or very down.”- Mike Larson
- Kyle Larson at age 15. Credit: Sports Illustrated
“[Kyle’s] a God-given talent, There are certain drivers who come along who are blessed, and that’s all you can say.”- Mike Larson
“I never saw Parnelli Jones or A.J. Foyt in their prime, but by far Kyle Larson is the most talented driver I’ve ever seen…… He’s the most versatile. What he was able to do in a sprint car from early on, it was incredible. It looked like he’d been driving his whole life.”- Brad Dooty, former Sprint Car driver.
“He’s going to go far in his racing career, and even to remotely be some part of that is really cool.”- Jimmy Elledge, #51 Sprint Cup Crew Chief
“[Our 2011 season was] pathetic….. We need to see improvement by the end of the year.”- Chip Ganassi, 2012
“I think he’s obviously ready. He certainly represents all those dirt track racers. He’s kind of a poster child for those guys. He did it on talent, he didn’t do it by buying his way up. I think there’s a lot to be said for that.”- Chip Ganassi
“When I finish in the top 10 or eight or whatever, I’m really happy with that. The few top-fives that I’ve had, they feel like wins almost. The couple of second places are really good, too. I’ve been pretty happy with how the season has gone….. I have not been disappointed at all by not winning [in Nationwide]. … I feel like we’ve been competitive all year. I’m happy with that.” – Kyle Larson
“Are we where we want to be performance-wise? No. Are we happy with the people we have and direction we’re going? Yes.”- Chip Ganassi, 2012
“I’ve made risky decisions before, I don’t think this is one of them.”- Chip Ganassi
“When you look at Kyle’s background (Sprint Cars), he’s driving cars with far more power than grip…… I think the Cup car will suit his style far better than a Nationwide car. But you do need that foundation of knowing these tracks, because when we show up, our fastest lap we’ll run all weekend will probably be our first lap right now. And if Kyle Larson wants to go to Cup next year, that’s tough to do. He’s going to need the whole session to get where he needs to, and then you’re five or six adjustments behind the fast guys.”- Jimmie Johnson
- Credit: Kevin Liles-USA TODAY Sports
“I don’t worry about who I’m racing against or the level of competition, I try not to let things get to my head.”- Kyle Larson
“He’s somebody who doesn’t get very up or very down about much of anything, he’s just not the type of person who is going to walk up to somebody and say, ‘Man, I’m excited I’m going into Cup!’ That’s not Kyle. He kind of shrugs his shoulders like he expects to be there.”- Mike Larson
