The Final Word – Winning Talladega is fine, but I guess just not wrecking has its own rewards
The south has a reputation of being somewhat conservative, and after the weekend’s action in Talladega, Alabama, one Carl Edwards might fit in just nicely. After riding around at the back of the pack most of the day, Cousin Carl settled for just outside the Top Ten, and that suited him just fine.
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[/media-credit]You see, as long as you improve the gap between you and the next guy, especially with just four races left in the season and a championship in the balance, 11th place can work for you. Kevin Harvick started the day just five points back, but when he and Kyle Busch both got a good piece of A.J. Allmendinger’s spin they ended up outside the Top Thirty. Another Chaser, Kurt Busch, nailed the spinning Bobby Labonte to end his day with a bang. Ryan Newman was sailing along until his boss sent him sailing into the infield to tear up the front end. All finished back in Nemechek country, which is fine as long as winning is not a consideration.
Only three Chasers finished ahead of Edwards. Brad Keselowski was fourth, and is now third in the standings 18 points back. Matt Kenseth did not do well, as his 18th place finish leaves him 14 in arrears. Tony Stewart had a Top Ten, and is 19 away, as did Denny Hamlin but the damage to his hopes coming into Talladega had him already in next year country. He joins Newman and Jeff Gordon more than 80 out.
Dale Earnhardt Jr was pushing Jimmie Johnson, but in the end they discovered they had nothing for the big boys on the day, both more than twenty spots behind at the line. While Harvick is “just” 26 out of the hunt, the rest are done. If you are Kurt Busch and you see that you are next, 40 back, you are not working on that acceptance speech, at least barring some pretty bad things happening to at least one guy, maybe three or more.
Clint Bowyer is off to be part of Michael Waltrip’s group next year. However, he did manage to slip by team mate Jeff Burton at the line to give Richard Childress his 100th victory as a team owner in this, the 100th year since race car driver Louis Chevrolet started pushing his autos out the door. NASCAR tried to mess with the cars to make two-by-two driving a tougher thing to do on the superspeedway. They failed.
Junior and Jimmie were a team, but the once dominant Earnhardt only led two laps at Talladega, Johnson one as the five-time defending champ now sits 50 points out. The fat lady is now on the stage and the opening bars of her song are being played. Johnson needs more than just Edwards to falter, and it is doubtful to expect that much bad can be expected to come to that many people on the tracks at Martinsville, Texas, Phoenix, and Homestead.
We stay in the south another weekend, as they move on to Virginia. Harvick won there in the spring, Kenseth was 6th, and Edwards was 18th. That would work. Keselowski hopes to improve, as he saw Edwards finish just ahead of him at Martinsville in April. Edwards has never won on this track, was third once three years ago and had a pair of eights in 2010. It could be a track someone might make up some ground, but my conservative estimate is that time is running out for someone to show me they can make a move on the man from Missouri.
NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Talladega
Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.
1. Carl Edwards: Edwards avoided danger for the duration of the Good Sam Club 500 at Talladega, hanging back for most of the race before capturing an 11th-place finish. His finish was better than all but three Chase rivals, and left him with a 14-point lead in the Sprint Cup point standings.
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[/media-credit]“I’m still winless in the Chase,” Edwards said. “In this case, though, I ‘won’ for losing. But who says you need to win races to win the Cup? I plan to keep ‘doing what I’ve been doing.’ I feel that should be enough to keep Jimmie Johnson from doing what he’s been doing.”
2. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth moved into second place in the point standings with an 18th at Talladega. He led 21 laps early, and lost ground after the final restart with three laps remaining when he lost contact with draft partner David Ragan. Kenseth lost a bit of ground to points leader Carl Edwards, and now trails his Roush Fenway teammate by 14.
“Under most circumstances,” Kenseth said, “I would be happy with this much ‘separation’ between Edwards and myself. It takes the appeal of another Sprint Cup championship to make me want to ‘get close’ to Carl.”
3. Brad Keselowski: With a fourth-place finish at Talladega, Keselowski leaped right back into the championship conversation. He moved up three places in the point standings to third, and trails Carl Edwards by 18 with four races remaining.
“You’re darn right I’m in the conversation,” Keselowski said. “I’m being talked about as a legitimate contender for the Sprint Cup. There was a time in my career when ‘being in the conversation’ meant I was arguing with another competitor, like Carl Edwards or Kyle Busch. I may not be the most popular driver in the garage. Heck, I’m probably even less popular in my car. But I know how to win. That doesn’t necessarily give me an advantage over anyone else, because it’s surely possible to win the Cup without actually ‘winning’ anything.”
4. Tony Stewart: Stewart led 30 laps at Talladega, and was up front with victory on his mind with a restart pending with three laps remaining in the race. But Stewart’s No.14 Chevy lost the draft and was shuffled back as Jeff Burton and Clint Bowyer left the field. Stewart recovered to finish a solid seventh, and is now fourth in the point standings, 19 behind Carl Edwards.
“Much like a good day of business for the Mayfield clan,” Stewart said, “I had a lot of good pushers. I hooked up with Paul Menard late in the race, but he abandoned me due to team orders. Team orders? I thought I was done with Formula 1 after driving Lewis Hamilton’s McLaren in June. Suffice it to say I’m not happy with Menard. A little warning would have been appreciated. He’s not, and there is no, ‘Paul revere.’”
5. Kevin Harvick: After five-straight finishes of 12th or better to start the Chase, Harvick’s luck ran out when he was collected in a lap 104 crash. After a visit to the garage, Harvick eventually finished 32nd, 13 laps back, and dropped four places in the point standings to fifth, 26 out of first.
“The No. 29 Jimmy Johns Chevrolet was solid,” Harvick said. “I was leading on lap 100, than by lap 104, I was wrecked. Much like Jimmy Johns quick delivery, we were ‘on the doorstep,’ and before you could blink, we were ‘out of there.’”
6. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson finished 26th in the Good Sam Club 500 after he and Hendrick drafting partner Dale Earnhardt, Jr. found no luck making a run to the front. Johnson is now seventh in the Sprint Cup point standings, and now trails Carl Edwards by 50.
“A ‘Big One’ happened at Talladega on lap 104,” Johnson said. “The ‘Big One’ happened on October 15th at Charlotte when I slammed the wall.”
7. Kyle Busch: Busch’s No. 18 Toyota was damaged in the same lap 104 wreck that took out Kevin Harvick. Busch finished 33rd, and is now sixth in the point standings, 40 out of the lead.
“Harvick and I found ourselves in the same boat,” Busch said. “And it now appears we’re up the same creek.”
8. Kurt Busch: Busch slammed the spinning car of Bobby Labonte on lap 173, ending the day for the No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Dodge. His day was done, and his 36th-place finish dropped him one place to eighth in the point standings, 52 out of first.
“Despite such a horrible finish,” Busch said, “my language on the radio was clean and profanity-free. That’s because I didn’t even have time to curse before ramming Labonte’s car.”
9. Clint Bowyer: Bowyer dove around Richard Childress teammate Jeff Burton on the last lap to snap a 34-race winless streak in winning the Good Sam 500. Bowyer and Burton pulled away from the field on the final restart and cruised around Talladega’s 2.66 mile circuit unchallenged until Bowyer’s winning move.
“I’ve said my goodbye’s to Richard Childress Racing,” Bowyer said. “I felt it only fitting that I gave Burton a personal farewell.”
10. Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: Earnhardt, always a threat to win at Talladega, finished a disappointing 25th, as he and drafting partner Jimmie Johnson never found a groove to take them to the front. Earnhardt remained ninth in the point standings, where he is 60 out of first.
“It’s too bad I couldn’t help Jimmie,” Earnhardt said. “But I take full responsibility. With the laps winding down, Jimmie said, ‘It’s do or die time!’ Unfortunately, I thought he said, ‘It’s Diet Dew time!’”
Rockingham Speedway Hosts Toyota Test Session
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[/media-credit]Monday morning I was at home doing the usual housework when all of a sudden it hit me. Why am I in the house on such a beautiful day when I could be at ‘The Rock’? So I ditched the chores, hopped in my car and drove out to Rockingham Speedway.
I arrived around 2:30 pm and decided to check in at the office. One of the best parts of the day was the opportunity to spend a few minutes with Andy Hillenburg. His vision and perseverance combined to bring NASCAR back to this historic track.
After parking my car I walked to the grandstands, took my seat and joined the others who were there to watch the testing session. As I sat and watched, I couldn’t help but smile. ‘The Rock’ is an integral part of NASCAR history and a sense of awe immediately enveloped me.
While I was thinking about all that had come before, a father and son walked past me and caught my eye. I listened as the father patiently explained to his son what was happening. The young boy gazed into his father’s eyes, determined not to miss a single word.
That’s when it dawned on me. Maybe I had been looking at this all wrong. Maybe it’s not the past that’s important but the new memories that this young boy and others like him will make when NASCAR returns to ‘The Rock’.
That reunion will take place when Rockingham Speedway hosts the Camping World Truck Series on April 15, 2012. Tickets are available for pre-order now at www.rockinghamspeedway.com.
Drivers who participated in the test session:
NASCAR Sprint Cup – Denny Hamlin
NASCAR Nationwide – Steve Wallace, Michael Annett, Darrell Wallace Jr.
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series – Kyle Busch, Brian Ickler, Timothy Peters, David Starr
HOORAHS AND WAZZUPS: TRICK OR TREAT AT TALLADEGA
To say the least the NASCAR weekend at the Talladega Super Speedway was interesting. There was a surprise two car tandem who crossed under the checkers, there were Chase contenders who wondered if their championship run was over and there were a pair of truck drivers who reminded us that sometimes old guys rule. With those thoughts in mind, let’s begin with:
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[/media-credit]HOORAH to Clint Bowyer for a stunning final lap move that allowed him to win the Good Sam Club 500 for Richard Childress Racing, a team that he will be leaving at the end of this season.
HOORAH to RCR driver Jeff Burton for his tandem racing with team mate Bowyer that was the other half of the final lap drama. This team has been snake bit by horrible racing luck for way too long. The strong run at Talladega had to be a breath of fresh air for them. It was their first top five finish of the season and the first top five since the fall of last year.
HOORAH for the number 100 playing such a big role in the finish of this race. It was Chevrolet’s 100th anniversary which was emblazoned across the hood of Bowyer’s winning car. It was also team owner Richard Childress’ 100th Sprint Cup win.
HOORAH to driver Dave Blaney, and Tommy Baldwin Racing, for their third place finish. It really wasn’t that long ago when they had to run some start and park races due to team finances.
HOORAH to Brad Keselowski’s fourth place finish, after tandem racing with Blaney. This amazing team wasn’t supposed to make the Chase line up. Now their third in the standings only 18 points from the top.
HOORAH to Red Bull Racing drivers Brian Vickers and Kasey Kahne for their fifth and sixth place finishes. The future of this team is still very murky right now. This strong showing could help towards the efforts to secure investors for the team.
HOORAH to Carl Edwards for his 11th place finish. Never really much of a factor in this race, Edwards chose a conservative, big picture, approach to the Talladega race and wound up padding his lead in the Chase standings to 14 points.
WAZZUP with Kevin Harvick’s disappointing Talladega weekend? On lap 104 Harvick was caught up in a, no where to go, multi car accident that required lengthy repairs. The result was a 32nd place finish and a drop of three positions, to fifth, in the Chase standings. He dropped from minus five to minus 26 in the points. That’s going to be tough to make up with only four races left in the Chase schedule.
WAZZUP with Kyle Busch’s terrible Talladega weekend? It started with a practice crash that required the use of a back up car. Then Busch found himself caught up in the same crash that sidelined Harvick. The harsh result was a 33d place finish and a drop of two positions in the Chase standings. He’s now sixth and 40 points out in a Chase campaign that’s beginning to tread water.
WAZZUP with the strategy of the racing tandem of Hendrick Motorsports team mates Dale Earnhardt Jr and Jimmie Johnson? They chose to ride around the back of the field most of the race in an effort to avoid trouble. The plan was to have the tandem charge to the front in the late stages of the race. But why did they wait so long to make their move? Three caution flags, within the final 30 laps of the race, hampered their forward progress. The result was finishes of 25th and 26th. Johnson is now seventh, at minus 50 points, in the standings. His campaign for a sixth consecutive championship appears to be in trouble.
WAZZUP with Kurt Busch’s terrible Talladega weekend? On lap 175 Bobby Labonte hit the wall hard and crossed in front of Busch who had absolutely no place to go to avoid the hit. The result was a 36th place finish. Busch has now slipped to eighth in the Chase standing at minus 52. He’s yet another victim of Talladega who is watching his status as a Chase contender slip away.
WAZZUP with Jeff Gordon coming up on the short end of what he believed was a solid deal. The final caution of the race led to a two lap final shootout. Prior to that restart Gordon contacted Trevor Bayne and struck a bargain for the two of them to form a tandem and make a run to the front. Bayne agreed to push Gordon’s car. But, under the green flag, Bayne suddenly abandoned Gordon and switched lanes to push fellow Ford driver Matt Kenseth. Gordon quickly went backwards through the field and a badly needed good finish turned into 27th place. After the race, a visibly upset Gordon blamed the situation on “team orders.” He’s now a dismal tenth in the Chase standings at minus 82 points.
WAZZUP with those reports of team orders among the Ford teams? Allegedly Jack Roush, of Roush Fenway Racing, made it clear that Ford drivers were expected to be loyal to the manufacturer. The question has been raised: is there a place in NASCAR Sprint Cup racing for so called team orders? A lot of the sport’s observers are already saying no.
WAZZUP with that savage wreck suffered by Regan Smith? The lap 181 wreck was head on straight into the wall. HOORAH for the NASCAR mandated safety equipment inside of the cars as well as the SAFER barriers placed around the track. Without that equipment this would have been a very serious accident.
WAZZUP with Smith’s weekend getting even worse when he learned that the tractor, that pulls the team”s car hauler, had caught fire after the race? Crew members were dumping the contents of their fuel cans into a storage can near the front of the car hauler when a spark reportedly ignited the fuel in one of the cans. HOORAH to the crew members for quickly grabbing fire extinguishers to battle the flames. WAZZUP with the “looky Lous”, reported to hundreds of other team members, media and fans, that made it very difficult for the speedway’s fire trucks to get to the scene? HOORAH to Penske Racing who offered to loan the team a tractor so they could transport their equipment to their Denver located shop.
HOORAH to Mike Wallace for winning the Coca Cola 250, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race, at Talladega. Wallace was driving the #33 Chevrolet for Kevin Harvick Inc. HOORAH to Ron Hornaday Jr, in the KHI #2 Chevrolet, who pushed his team mate under the checkers. In his last three starts, Hornaday has two wins and a second. It wasn’t that long ago when Hornaday was 35 points out of first and his drive for a fifth series championship was beginning to dim. He’s now fourth in the standings, at minus 16 points, and once again he’s looking like a champion.
Both of these drivers, who dominated this event, are in their 50’s. HOORAH to them for reminding us that sometimes old guys still rule.
A God Bless goes to KHI driver Elliott Sadler and his wife Amanda who are waiting on the arrival of their second child. Sadler was scheduled to drive KHI’s #33 truck and it was the stork visit that placed Wallace in the ride.
A God Bless also goes out to Wallace and his wife Carla who celebrated their wedding anniversary in the Talladega victory lane. During that celebration Wallace told his wife “this is your exotic weekend honey.”
WAZZUP with fuel conservation costing Austin Dillon a win and the near loss of the series’ points lead? During the final caution flag, Dillon began turning his engine off and on in order to save enough fuel for what was going to be a two lap shootout. Unfortunately NASCAR informed the team that they had failed to maintain the minimum yellow flag speed. A livid Dillon found himself going to the end of the lead lap line, for an 18th place restart, with only two laps left in the race.
Dillon deserves the HOORAH for making chicken salad out of chicken do do. When the race restarted Dillon nailed the throttle and raced hard to a seventh place finish. It was enough for him to retain the series’ points lead, by a three point margin, over James Buescher who finished third in the race.
HOORAH to NASCAR, its race teams and ESPN for making a special effort to honor the memory of Indy Racing League champion Dan Wheldon. It’s certain that this highly charged emotional effort meant a lot to the fallen driver’s family.
HOORAH to Staff Sergeant Jerome Coleman for his outstanding performance of “The Star Spangled Banner” prior to the start of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race. The fact that he was wearing the uniform of the United States Army made the performance even more special.
WAZZUP with NASCAR confiscating the windshields of three Toyotas during a tech inspection? The windshields were taken from Michael Waltrip Racing’s #00 and #56 teams driven by David Reutimann and Martin Truex Jr. Also confiscated was the windshield of the JTG Daugherty Racing #47 Toyota, driven by Bobby Labonte, which was built and maintained at the Waltrip shops. Techinical inspectors determined that the windows had unapproved modifications which could have created an aerodynamics advantage. This is probably going to cost MWR a few bucks.
