Favorite Five: Tracks on the Cup Schedule

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August 1, 2013

BMS2_Getty — Credit: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

Each track on the NASCAR circuit is special. They all have a uniqueness to them that separates them from the rest of the pack. Some tracks produce more exciting racing then others, but all of them are special in their own way. Which track is the best? Well, NASCAR fans would give you a million answers to that question, but I give my answer to that question in this week’s Favorite Five.

5- Charlotte Motor Speedway

This track can always produce excitement. It may be a mile and a half track, but it is arguably the most entertaining one on the schedule. With the All-Star Race, Coca Cola 600, and the Chase race, it has lots of racing each year that can produce some of the best on the circuit.

Besides the racing aspect, the speedway is in the center of the NASCAR world being just outside of Charlotte, NC. That makes the track draw in lots of fans for not only the races, but for everything racing related that surrounds the area.

4- Watkins Glen International

Sure, this may be a little biased on my part since it’s a track I attend a lot for the Cup races, but it can produce some magic every August. In the last two seasons, we’ve seen wild green-white-checkered finishes that put the race amongst some of the best from the season. Road racing is always feisty and rough, but Watkins Glen has redefined road racing with the action that takes place on the famed course each year.

With the racing action on the track, some have even called The Glen the new short track. We’ve seen tempers flaring and bent up sheet-metal during numerous races. Those are two aspects short tracks usually have and now, they can describe some of the road rage inspired twisting and turning at Watkins Glen.

3-Daytona International Speedway

Three-wide, tight corridor, and fast-paced racing make up one of the most famous tracks in NASCAR. Wild racing where anything can happen at any moment leaves fans on the edge of their seats during each of their two events. There are few things more exciting than wide-open racing and Daytona has turned into a fan favorite for that very reason.

For starting off the season, the race at Daytona is always the most anticipated after coming off a long off-season. When the cars hit the track in February, they’re primed and ready to compete at the world center of racing. Drivers are always on their game at the track which always makes for incredible racing.

2- Talladega Superspeedway

This track needs no explanation. You see why every May and October when the drivers roll in for an unpredictable, wild, and just plain crazy of a race. It’s hard to take your eye off of the action on each lap since like Daytona; anything could happen at any moment.

Along with the racing being the way that it is, the opportunity for a smaller team to take the win makes it a track of magical moments. When David Ragan won in May with his teammate David Gilliland behind him, it was a great story. For a small team like Front Row to win in that fashion had everyone in awe. Talladega has the ability to make dreams come true, making it one of the best tracks on the schedule.

1-Bristol Motor Speedway

Bristol is the short track of all short tracks. The roughness of the racing makes it a fan favorite each year. It takes endurance to win the race and outlasting every other driver for 500 miles is only a thing that a true racer can accomplish.

Year after year, fans pack the world’s fastest half mile to see the action that ensues during two of the most popular events of the season. The secret to winning is to rough some drivers up to get to the front and very few drivers can win without having a mark on their car. It’s the track of all tracks and fans love it for one aspect; action.

NASCAR Champions Featuring Herb Thomas

By

Angie Campbell

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August 1, 2013

Cup Champion 1951 and 1953
Birthday: 04/06/1923
Death: 08/09/2000
Hometown: Olivia, NC

Richard Petty gave high praise to Herb Thomas upon his induction into the 2013 NASCAR Hall of Fame.

“He was as good as they come,” Petty said. “There have been very few guys who had more confidence in what he could do than Herb. He was so strong-minded that he ‘willed’ his wins and what he was doing on the track. He was going to beat the guys on the track no matter what was going on. That was his mind set.”

NASCAR historian Buz McKim echoed Petty’s sentiments saying, ‘He (Herb Thomas) might have had probably the most natural talent of nearly anyone in the early days of the sport. The minute he got behind the wheel, he was phenomenal.”

Herbert Watson Thomas was born in the small town of Olivia, North Carolina in 1923. He farmed, worked at a saw mill and eventually started racing as a hobby.

When Bill France began organizing races under the newly formed NASCAR, Thomas saw the possibilities and decided to pursue a career in racing.

Thomas raced as an owner/driver and put most of his winnings back into his cars. In his first full season of competition in 1950, Thomas captured his first victory at Martinsville Speedway.

His career took off in 1951 when he began driving what would come to be known as the “Fabulous Hudson Hornet.” Thomas also joined up with the legendary Smokey Yunick and began a legendary partnership.

Thomas was one of the most successful drivers of his era. Although he only drove for seven full seasons, his list of accomplishments speaks volumes.

Herb Thomas was the first driver to win two Cup Championships, the first owner/driver to win a championship and the first three-time winner of the historic Darlington Southern 500.

He earned two championships in 1951 and 1953, finished second in the point standings in 1952 and 1954 and finished fifth in 1955.

Thomas won 48 times in 228 starts giving him a winning percentage of 21.05. His winning percentage set a record which remains unbroken today.

He retired from racing at the end of the 1962 season and went back to tobacco farming. Thomas also owned a trucking company which he operated on a part time basis.

He passed away on August 9, 2000 after a heart attack, at the age of 77.

In racing and in life Herb Thomas always gave 100 percent. The legacy he left for his family was not all about trophies but more about life lessons.

“Most of what I know about his racing, I learned from my Grandma Helen,” his grandson, Chris, told me. “You would have never known he was a NASCAR driver simply because he just did not talk about those days much. You did know that he was a very hard working farmer who expected the best. I think he wanted to be remembered for being the best that he could be at everything he did.”

Accomplishments:
1951 Cup champion
1953 Cup champion
1957 Recipient of the Buddy Schuman Award
1965 Inducted into the National Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame
1992 Inducted into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame
1994 Inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame
1998 Named one of NASCAR’s “50 Greatest Drivers”
2010 Nominee to the NASCAR Hall of Fame
2011 Nominee to the NASCAR Hall of Fame
2012 Nominee to the NASCAR Hall of Fame
2013 Inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame

NASCAR And FOX Sports Extend And Expand Multi-Platform Rights Agreement

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SM Archive

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August 1, 2013

Goody’s 500 At Martinsville Speedway Will Provide The Only Short-Track Action In The Chase

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August 1, 2013

Fastenal To Pull Double Duty Weekend in Sprint Cup and Nationwide

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August 1, 2013

Fellows To Drive For JR Motorsports at Mid-Ohio

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August 1, 2013

HUNTER-REAY LEADS OPEN TEST AT MID-OHIO SPORTS CAR COURSE

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July 31, 2013

NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Indianapolis

By

Jeffrey Boswell

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July 31, 2013

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson controlled the Brickyard 400 until a slow pit stop late in the race likely cost him any chance at the win. He finished second behind Ryan Newman and still maintained a healthy led in the Sprint Cup point standings.

“I’m certainly disappointed in the last pit stop,” Johnson said. “But what can you do, short of reciting the Lowe’s motto to my pit crew and tell them to ‘Never stop improving.’

“They call me ‘5-Time.’ I used to think that was because of my five titles. Now, I think it’s because I’ve lost a race I should have won five times this year.

2. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth finished fifth in the Brickyard 400, posting his fifth top-5 result of the year. He is sixth in the point standings, 120 out of first.

“I’m thrilled with the result,” Kenseth said. “After a shaky start to the season, the No. 20 Toyota engines have been quite reliable. This was the 20th running of the Brickyard 400, and I’m happy my 20 was still running.”

3. Clint Bowyer: Bowyer led a lap late on Sunday but had to pit for fuel, resulting in a 20th in the Brickyard 400. He remained second in the point standings, 75 behind Jimmie Johnson.

“I’m still searching for my first win,” Bowyer said, “and I’ll do anything to win. That includes sitting on a cushion of hundreds of bottles of 5-Hour Energy at Pocono this Sunday. Maybe a ‘booster seat’ is exactly what I need to win.”

4. Kevin Harvick: Harvick finished a disappointing 19th at Indianapolis, falling victim to fuel mileage that forced a late pit stop for a splash of gas. He remained fourth in the point standings and trails Jimmie Johnson by 92.

“That may have been the most uneventful race in NASCAR history,” Harvick said. “We may only visit Indianapolis once a year, but this race sure was ‘common place.’

5. Carl Edwards: Edwards came home 13th at Indianapolis, recording the top finish for Roush Fenway Racing. He is now third in the Sprint Cup point standings, 85 behind Jimmie Johnson.

“Johnson has run away with the points lead,” Edwards said. “A lot of people call me ‘Cousin Carl.’ Not Jimmie; he calls me ‘Distant Third Cousin Carl.’”

6. Kyle Busch: One day after winning the Nationwide Indiana 250 on Saturday, Busch finished tenth in the Brickyard 400 for his 12th top 10 Sprint Cup of the year. He is seventh in the point standings, 130 out of first.

“Ryan Newman certainly made his presence known at Indianapolis,” Busch said. “You could say the Brickyard 400 was a lot like Juan Montoya’s head—-Newman put his ‘stamp’ on it.”

“NASCAR has suspended the use of aerial cameras. And speaking of faulty things in high places, Brian France is still the chairman of NASCAR.”

7. Tony Stewart: Stewart finished third at the Brickyard as Stewart-Haas teammate Ryan Newman captured his first win of the year. Stewart currently holds one of the wildcard spots in the Chase For The Cup standings.

“What a win by Ryan,” Stewart said. “As drivers with no necks go, he stands head and shoulders above the rest. If I didn’t know better, I’d say Ryan’s earned his keep. It’s too bad I can’t keep him.”

8. Kasey Kahne: Kahne finished third at Indianapolis, one spot behind Hendrick teammate Jimmie Johnson, who was searching for his fifth Brickyard win. Kahne is ninth in the point standings, 176 out of first.

“The race was Jimmie’s until that fateful final pit stop,” Kahne said. “If Kevin Harvick is the ‘Closer,’ then Jimmie must be the ‘Opener,’ because he’s left more doors open than Bruton Smith’s butler.”

9. Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: Earnhardt finished sixth at Indianapolis as Hendrick Motorsports took three of the top six spots at the Brickyard. Earnhardt is fifth in the Sprint Cup point standings, 124 behind Jimmie Johnson.

“Jimmie let another win slip through his fingers,” Earnhardt said. “That’s bad for Jimmie, but perfect for a promotional tie-in with Lowe’s. Whenever Jimmie loses a race he should have won, customers can expect ‘giveaways’ at their local Lowe’s home improvement stores.

“I’m still looking for sponsors for the last 12 races this season. Usually, it’s not hard to find people willing to pay for my name or image—they’re Junior fans in a tattoo parlor.”

10. Ryan Newman: With a speedy two-tire pit stop with 30 laps to go, Newman took the lead and held on the win the Brickyard 400. Starting on the pole, Newman won a race-long battle with Jimmie Johnson, who suffered a slow final pit stop that may have cost him the lead.

“This was a timely win,” Newman said. “I’m an Indiana native who had gone 49 races without a win, so I wanted it badly, and so did my home fans. Before the race, you could have said, ‘This native’s restless.’”

“Does Tony Stewart regret letting me go from Stewart-Hass Racing? Maybe. I don’t fault Tony. It was a business decision, one that an owner like Tony has to make sometimes. It’s like they say, ‘Where there’s Smoke, there’s fired.’”