The Final Word – Dover is over, but can some shake off their troubles in time for Kansas?

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October 4, 2011

Tony Stewart. Bam! Ryan Newman. Pow! Brad Keselowski. Biff! Denny Hamlin. Ouch! Dale Earnhardt Jr. Sock, Ooof! No doubt these boys are thanking the Lord Dover is over, but at least two or three have to be wondering if their title hopes might also be done like dinner.

[media-credit id=26 align=”alignright” width=”242″][/media-credit]Stewart and Newman had cars that were so ill handling that they turned out just as fine as David Stremme’s vibrating piece of machinery. Newman can complain to the boss about having to drive crap, but who does Tony go to? Maybe the mirror. In short, the pair were back there fighting it out a couple laps down with Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Junior, Junior, Junior. Just when you think he has started to get it back together, a part breaks early and then somebody allows him to leave the pits with a loose wheel. Thanks for nothing, chums. It was a good thing AAA was sponsoring this thing.

Keselowski found himself driving without assistance when the power steering belt got knocked askew. The time it took to fix the problem ended his hopes for last Sunday. So, while Tony is now 9 back, Brad is 14 away, Earnhardt has faded to 34 and Newman to 41 off the pace, things could be worse.

That brings us to Hamlin. The good news is that he has been consistent. The bad news is that 18th at Dover was the best of the lot thus far in the Chase. Hamlin does have a better chance of taking it all than, say, my grandmother, but Viola Schulz was 93 when she passed away three years ago.

No, Dover would go to the King of Bitching, Kurt Busch, who for once had nothing but laudable things to say about his crew chief, crewmen, and that attractive blonde who gave him a hug in Victory Lane. Okay, I have good things to say about her, but that does not take away from the spirit of what I’m trying to say here. Jimmie Johnson ran second, Carl Edwards third, and tenth was good enough for Kevin Harvick.

Happy and Cousin Carl are tied on top of the heap, with Kurt and Tony nine back, and Jimmie just 14 in arrears. In fact, just 19 points separates the ninth place Jeff Gordon from the duo in first, so for most it still is a tight race.

Kansas should bring interesting news, including some regarding Clint Bowyer, who is expected to be named as Michael Waltrip’s latest employee. Of the eleven races held at this speedway, only four were won by those not currently in the Chase, two of those by Greg Biffle. Keselowski won there in June, Stewart and Gordon each have a pair, while Newman and Johnson also know where Victory Lane is. Victory would come in handy for someone’s Chase hopes, and for three it could mean the difference between Chasing and just plain racing. Enjoy the week!

Johnson Inches Closer With Just a Little Help

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SM Staff

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October 4, 2011

Dover International offered a nice respite from the cookie cutter mile and a half tracks, but the winner was a surprise, at least to me. You just can’t count anyone out this year. Many had Jimmie Johnson left for dead and had already crowned Tony Stewart, but Stewart returned to his 2011 form and Johnson finished second. Carl Edwards had the fastest car, and but for a driver mistake, might be leading the pack. Such is the 2011 Chase. It’s unpredictable.

[media-credit id=26 align=”alignright” width=”238″][/media-credit]Still, I feel Johnson is in the driver’s seat. Johnson, after a couple of bad performances coupled with the leaders falling back to the norm, is back in the race. That’s bad news for the rest of the field. You might blame Edwards for this turn of events. Edwards dominated the Nationwide Series race on Saturday and appeared to be doing the same on Sunday, but a mental mistake cost him the win and left him third in the race. Champions rarely make these kinds of mistakes. In an earlier column, I asked if the No. 99 team was ready to be Sprint Cup champions. I stand by my conclusion then. The mistake cost Edwards two positions and the point lead and allowed Johnson to close in on a sixth straight championship.

Kurt Busch spoiled the party. The former champ took the ball and ran with the Edwards mistake. He was able to win and keep Johnson behind him. Matt Kenseth’s team made an error by taking on four tires when everyone else took two. Kenseth probably had the second best car, but that call from the crew chief once again allowed Johnson to gain another position. This is how championships are won. Putting space between themselves and Johnson is all important. Those two teams didn’t do that and allowed the five-time champion to inch closer to another title. It was almost scripted.

Of course, there are the wild cards in the final seven races. Talladega is one place where any one of the nine leaders can have a bad race (I’ve already written off Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Ryan Newman, and Denny Hamlin). I would consider the short track at Martinsville a wild card, but Johnson’s track record there, as well as the fact that Kenseth and Edwards don’t run well there, tends to be in his favor.

Unless the Roush-Fenway teams of Edwards and Kenseth get their act together, the champion will be a battle between Kevin Harvick, Johnson, and Kurt Busch, but you just never know, as we’ve seen this year. Brad Keselowski could return to his latter season hotness, Jeff Gordon could go on a win streak (which I really doubt),Kyle Busch could revert back to his mid-season form, or Edwards and Kenseth could surprise, but I doubt it. It’s down to Harvick, Johnson, and Kurt Busch, and you know who my money’s on.

Johnson chided the media after Dover with marked comments. He is a confident fellow. It would be good for the sport if someone else won the Cup, but you can’t argue with performance. The thing that bothers me is that’s it’s almost like other drivers are helping “Old Five Time” to another championship. Sure, they don’t mean to, but the result is the same. Give the trophy to Johnson and let’s race the rest of the season.

The Slow Death of the Nationwide Series

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SM Staff

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October 4, 2011

There was an alarming sight while watching the Nationwide race on Saturday. It’s a sight that’s become all too familiar with the series and no one is at more fault than NASCAR and Joe Balash the Nationwide Series director.

[media-credit name=”nascar.com” align=”alignright” width=”255″][/media-credit]At first I thought I was the only one who noticed it. Then I heard someone say “Wow, there are 13 cars out already?”

I shook my head, looked at the cars and realized all the cars that were listed as “out,” were what the NASCAR world knows as “start and park” teams.

I then thought about the Nationwide Series from 2 years ago. Since Homestead 2009, the Nationwide Series has lost several full time teams, including: Baker-Curb Racing, Rensi Racing, Richard Childress Racing, Michael Waltrip Racing, Phoenix Racing, Germain Racing, Specialty Racing, JTG- Daugherty Racing, K-Automotive Motorsports and Wayne Day Racing.

Several things have affected why most of these teams have left. One of the major reasons is the economy. Sponsorships have left the smaller organizations to go to bigger, powerful organizations in a minority role to get more recognition for a similar price. The economy is a good excuse but it’s only part of the problem.

One thing that hurt the series was NASCAR decided run the Nationwide Series new C.O.T. full time in 2011, forcing teams to spend a lot of money building new race cars. Many people felt this was a good idea for the series because in the long run it will cost less to make the cars. The C.O.T. is also a safer car as well and that is always a good thing.

But then NASCAR got the brilliant idea that hurt many NASCAR Nationwide teams the most. They cut the purses by 20% effective for the 2011 season.

Huh? Teams have to build several new race cars, in a rough economy, and NASCAR cuts the purses? And that’s looking out for the “best interest of the sport.” NASCAR still makes money and yet they cut the purse?

And yet the so called “start and park” teams constantly get ripped apart for starting and parking. Maybe the teams are not the problem after all. Maybe the Rick Ware and the Curtis Key’s of the world are hanging on for dear life after a horrible call by the the Sanctioning Body.

Maybe NASCAR should put some more money back into the Nationwide Series.

I mean they are here for the best interest of the sport? Aren’t they?