NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Texas
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[/media-credit]Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.
1. Greg Biffle: Biffle passed Jimmie Johnson with 30 laps to go at Texas, and pulled away to win the Samsung Mobile 500, his first win in 49 races. Biffle extended his lead in the Sprint Cup point standings, and now leads Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Matt Kenseth by 19.
“That’s one winless streak over,” Biffle said. “Pity poor Jimmie Johnson. He’s got his own winless streak to contend with—he hasn’t won a championship in 43 races.
“Winning in Texas is always a thrill. It’s not often I get to put on a cowboy hat and wave guns around, while still clothed.”
2. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth finished fifth at Texas on a strong day for Roush Fenway Racing, as Greg Biffle took the victory and Carl Edwards finished eighth. Kenseth now sits in a tie for second in the point standings, 19 behind Biffle.
“That was the shortest race in Texas history,” Kenseth said, “and most boring. They say everything is bigger in Texas, and apparently, that includes fan disappointment.
“But I’m glad to see Biffle finally win one. He’s always solid at Texas, and the same goes for Kansas, where he’s won twice in his career. So it looks like we could see much of the same at Kansas Speedway—-a Biffle win, and monotony.”
3. Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: Earnhardt posted his fifth top-10 finish of the year, scoring a 10th in the Samsung Mobile 500 at Texas Motor Speedway. He is second in the Sprint Cup point standings, still looking for his first win in 136 races.
“I’m still searching for that elusive next win,” Earnhardt said. “Luckily, I have legions of Junior Nation fans supporting me. So, every week, the Nation hosts the world’s greatest ‘search’ party. Of course, they’re lucky if they can find their keys come race’s end.”
4. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson led a race-high 156 laps at Texas, but was outclassed by the Ford of Greg Biffle, who slipped by Johnson with 30 laps to go and never looked back. Johnson is now eighth in the point standings, 40 out of first.
“It was quite a windy day at Texas Motor Speedway,” Johnson said. “You could say there was more ‘drafting’ on Saturday in Texas that any day at Talladega or Daytona. Finishing second to Biffle? That blows, too. I felt good after hearing the pre-race weather forecast, which called for ‘just wind, baby.’
But when I needed a caution, NASCAR wouldn’t give me one. Normally in NASCAR races, it doesn’t take wind to make the yellow flag wave. Two cautions in a race that boring was simply not enough. It’s time for NASCAR to institute a companion rule to the ‘competition caution’ and call it the ‘repetition caution.’”
5. Martin Truex, Jr.: Truex came home sixth in the Samsung Mobile 500, posting his fifth top 10 of the year to continue his strong start to the season. He is now fourth in the point standings, 20 behind Greg Biffle.
“’Martin Truex, Jr.’ and ‘championship contender’ are not two words one would normally associate,” Truex said. “Much like ‘Michael Waltrip’ and ‘masculinity.’
“But the Truex fan base is growing in droves. My fan club, appropriately known as the ‘Soul Patch,’ is probably the 20th most-influential in NASCAR.”
6. Tony Stewart: Stewart finished a disappointing 24th at Texas, finishing two laps down for his worst result of the year. He tumbled four places in the point standings to seventh, and trails Greg Biffle by 39.
“One race I’m invincible,” Stewart said, “and the next, I’m anything but invincible. Some say there are two Tony’s. Those who claim I’m overweight say there’s enough there for two Tony’s.”
7. Kevin Harvick: Harvick finished ninth at Texas, piloting his No. 29 Budweiser Chevy to his fourth top-10 result of the year. He is now fifth in the Sprint Cup point standings, 24 out of first.
“It was a windy day at Texas Motor Speedway,” Harvick said. “You may have seen a $100 bill stuck to my car’s grill during the race. That’s a sure sign of one of two things: either one of NASCAR’s rinky-dink race teams ‘blew’ their entire budget, or Delana and I should name our son ‘Benjamin Franklin.’”
8. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin came home 12th in the Samsung Mobile 500, one spot behind Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch. Hamlin moved up one spot to sixth in the point standings, 31 out of first.
“We needed to make adjustments,” Hamlin said, “but the long green flag runs wouldn’t allow it. There were only two cautions the entire race, making it a ‘Texas two stop.’
“I spent my off-week caddying for Bubba Watson in the Masters par 3 contest. He was the only player to use a ‘driver’ on a par 3.”
9. Jeff Gordon: After a dismal qualifying effort of 34th, Gordon quickly zoomed towards the front and finished fourth, leading two laps and posting his first top-5 finish of the year. Gordon has led a lap in all seven races this year.
“All four Hendrick Motorsports cars placed in the top 10,” Gordon said, “even Kasey Kahne. That was by far Kasey’s best finish of the year. Mostly, he’s struggled. It seems Kasey’s taken the switch from a Camry to an Impala a little too seriously, because he’s been driving that Chevy ‘like a rock’ so far.
“And speaking of ‘Rock,’ Kasey won the Craftsman Truck series race at Rockingham on Sunday. Apparently, a Hendrick driver can win on a Sunday.”
10. Carl Edwards: Edwards joined Roush Fenway teammates Greg Biffle and Matt Kenseth in the top 10, posting an eighth in the Samsung Mobile 500. Edwards is now 11th in the point standings, 58 out of first.
“My former girlfriend, Amanda Beard, just released a tell-all biography,” Edwards said, “and had few good things to say about me. Apparently, she just wasn’t into the NASCAR lifestyle. I think the final straw was when I plugged a sponsor while sweet-talking her.
“Otherwise, I have no comment. I’ve been told that if you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all. That explains the silent treatment Matt Kenseth and Greg Biffle have been giving me all these years.”
Ward and Jeb Burton Continue a Family Tradition of Racing
Ward Burton has always had a special relationship with “The Rock.” His first win in the Cup Series was in 1995 at Rockingham Speedway. He has a total of nine top ten finishes at the track in the Cup Series and also scored his first Nationwide Series win there in 1992. At the time, his wife was pregnant with their son, Jeb.
Burton retired in 2007 but this past weekend, Ward was back with his son Jeb at the historic track. Jeb made his second Camping World Truck Series start Sunday at the speedway. During the race he fought his way back from a 27th starting position to score an eleventh place finish.
I talked with Ward and Jeb Burton Saturday morning to gain some insight into how the two worked together as a team. It was obvious from the start that Jeb respects his father’s driving expertise. He even watched some tapes of his Dad racing at Rockingham Speedway in preparation for his race at the track.
Jeb admits that most of the time he feels like “the best way to learn is just to do it myself.” But he’s also smart enough to take advantage of his Dad’s experience. “When I was running late models and my car wasn’t where it needed to be, I would put Dad in it to see what he thought. He would get it running right and make me look good.”
Ward is heavily involved in his son’s career and often also gives him advice during the race. Sometimes the two agree and sometimes Jeb’s crew chief Trip Bruce has to act as mediator.
“When we’re running good everything is fine,” Jeb says.
However, when they are having a bad day, his Dad can get a little intense. Jeb is quick to point out that “it’s only because he wants me to run well.”
Jeb is scheduled to run the next three races in the Camping World Truck Series. The goal is to run as many races as he can but for now, sponsorship is limited.
When I asked what he felt he needed to improve upon, the answer was simple. “I need more seat time. I need to be in a racecar every week.”
He also feels that it’s important to test, especially on the larger tracks where he has no experience. Another important factor is “understanding the vehicle and working with the crew chief. If you can get that chemistry right, it makes everything easier.”
As we ended the interview so Jeb could get ready for practice, I asked him what he would consider a good finish at the conclusion of this race. He quickly said “a top 12.” After the race ended Sunday afternoon, I congratulated Jeb on meeting his goal. But like a true racer, he wasn’t satisfied with his finish, believing he could have done more.
Jeb is currently scheduled to run the next three races in the Camping World Truck Series. While he works on getting more sponsorship, Jeb will continue to run late models.
Now it was time to hear the other side of the story as I sat down with Jeb’s dad, Ward Burton.
I asked Ward if he had encouraged or discouraged his son when it came to racing.
“I didn’t really do either,” he told me. “He came to me about wanting to start racing motorcycles. I had given him go-karts and all that when he was a lot younger but he pretty much made the decision that it was something he wanted to do. He got into motorcycles real quick, went to go-karts and pretty much progressed from there.”
The biggest challenge for Ward is learning how to be on the sidelines.
“Oh, definitely I’ve had to learn all over again. You’ve got the danger factor and you’ve got the not in control factor. You’re trying to learn how to communicate. Instead of doing, it’s how to do. It’s quite different. Having a father and son relationship while it’s going on, like any father-son relationship, can certainly add some complications,” he said, laughing.
“I did it to my Dad; my Dad probably did it to his Dad,” Ward continued. “You know when your Mom or Dad says something to you, you don’t take it the same way as when somebody else says it to you even if it’s said the same or meant the same. Sometimes it’s hard to take something that is meant as constructive criticism, constructively.”
Communications can also be tricky when it’s a father on one side and a son on the receiving end of those communications. Ward tries to let the crew chief handle that side of things.
“I try my best but sometimes it’s not possible. That is definitely the best way. It took me a while to learn that and I’m still learning. At the same time, if I see something going on with anybody on the team including Jeb, I’m not going to sit back without trying to be helpful.”
Jeb’s career is a work in progress and something that Ward works on every day. He believes in his son and what they can accomplish together.
“I’ve been working vigorously, along with others, to find opportunities for Jeb. He’s got a window in which I can possibly be productive and help him. That window is not forever. I can’t solely make it happen.”
His commitment is unwavering.
“I know that if I get the opportunity with a company I don’t feel like anybody can do a better job for that company on and off the track than Jeb and I can. I honestly believe that. But I have to have the doors open to prove it to them.”
“We certainly appreciate State Water Heaters and they’ve gotten us to this point. They’ll be an associate for the rest of the year. But I want to be racing with Jeb after Dover.”
Ward and Jeb Burton make a formidable team and are determined to add another chapter to the Burton legacy in NASCAR.
