The Final Word – Homestead, where NASCAR meets American Gladiators to decide a new champion

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November 14, 2011

Welcome to Homestead, Florida, and the championship edition of NASCAR’s American Gladiators. With a slim three point advantage going into the final round we have from Columbia, Missouri 32-year old Carl Edwards. His opponent is the two-time former champion, from Columbus, Indiana, 40-year old Tony Stewart.

[media-credit id=40 align=”alignright” width=”230″][/media-credit]Like American Gladiators, we have our two contenders and 41 gladiators who will be out to upset, run into, and out pace the principles in this action. There is Nitro Kyle Busch, who can go off at any moment, having already taken one series title contender to the wall this season. Titan Jimmie Johnson has already claimed five trophies for his own case and might be forgiven for making things a little tough on his successor. I’m sure Thunder, Turbo, Tower, Hawk, Tank and the rest of the gang have their own plans to bring the heat to Miami. No, I’m not talking about those big guys with the big balls and the leaky nets who are well on their way to a non-existent season to call their own.

While everybody else is either hoping to end the NASCAR season strong so they might have something to hang their helmet on heading into 2012, or maybe to earn a job or to keep a job, this Sunday at Homestead will be all about two drivers and only two drivers. With this one going down to the wire, who should be considered the favorite?

Stewart has won two at Homestead, the opening pair in 1999 and 2000. He has six Top Tens in a dozen starts, with an average finish of 12.4. Good, but there is better. Edwards has won two of the past three run in Miami, has four Top Fives and a half dozen Top Tens in just seven starts. His average finish is 5.7. When you hear that this is a track Cousin Carl loves, they are not just whistling in the dark. In a season where the Chase has left us with two guys with identical points over nine races, the venue might make a difference. Now if you can only ignore those four Chase wins for that other guy. Like a fine coffee, this one should be good to the last drop. Enjoy the week.

One to Go…What’s the Difference?

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SM Staff

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November 14, 2011

One to go and we have a horse race, ladies and gentlemen! Despite all the mind games being played by Tony Stewart, Carl Edwards was able to stay even with Stewart by virtue of finishing one place in front of the former champion, even if he did lead the most laps. The question many have these days is why did the Stewart-Haas team get so good so fast? Spending an entire season and being almost a non-factor, what happened?

[media-credit id=40 align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]Fans have some interesting theories on this and some of it involves Jimmie Johnson, the five-time champ who isn’t in the running this year. Many have told me that since Hendrick Motorsports and Stewart-Haas are joined at the hip, all the technology and good stuff is going to Tony. The theory continues that since Jimmie and Chad are being watched very closely, the No. 48 is being very conservative, as witnessed by their lackluster performances lately, and all the good stuff is going to Tony and Ryan. Black helicopters everywhere.

I don’t know about any of that, but Stewart’s performance has been a real turnaround. He’s gone from a guy who admitted he had little chance or even didn’t deserve to be in the Chase to a guy who can win the thing next week. IN the meantime, Carl Edwards has been doing what he always does—finishing in the top 5 and occasionally the top 10.

So who is going to win? I am not physic, but if I had to bet the family home, I’d go with Stewart. Why? Mainly because the lineage that goes from the last five championships is not that far from his team. Add to that the fact that the driver is pretty talented. All it takes is a little slip from Cousin Carl and the thing is over. Add to that the theory above—that Hendrick has a team to work on those cars. Also in consideration is that Edwards is ripe for a mistake and that the No. 99 team is not quite ready to win a championship—and I see the handwriting on the wall. I just wonder if Mr. Rick will claim it’s six in a row or if he’ll be more diplomatic. I think you know the answer.

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I had to wonder, as I watched Brian Vickers deliberately wreck Matt Kenseth on Sunday, if NASCAR would say anything. The silence has been deafening. According to many, Vickers has been planning this since Martinsville. Vickers hit everything but the pace car at Martinsville. At one time, he had caused several cautions with reckless driving. Normally mild-mannered Kenseth had had enough and Vickers was sent into the wall. That’s not anything to be proud of and Kenseth agrees. The trouble is I don’t see anything in what Vickers did that makes it any different than what Kyle Busch did in the truck race at Texas. Vickers had little to lose. He’s not running for a championship, much like Busch at Texas, and payback was easy for him. In this case, Kenseth was still in the hunt, though a long shot, and it was obvious that Vickers intentionally wrecked him. So what’s the difference? History? A long rap sheet of problems? Regardless, it would appear that something should be said about this incident.

I may be surprised if we get a communication from NASCAR this week, but it appears that this will be considered, “just racing.” It was not just like Carl Edwards hunting down Brad Keselowski so many races ago. And it was no different than what Kyle did to Ron Hornaday, Jr. last week. I think we need a little consistency in what is going on, but I’ve been saying that for about 30 years.