Hot 20 over the past 10 – Reutimann isn’t hot, but a few other guys are…at him
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[/media-credit]He isn’t on this list, but after Martinsville just about everyone was a little hot at David Reutimann for his keeping his dying car on the track and forcing a caution rather than hitting the pits. It changed the outcome of the event, but in Reutimann’s defense they did have a slim shot at making three more laps, which would have given them one more point in the race and a tie for 35th in owner’s points.
Hoping they were under a cloak of invisibility, they tried to crawl around the half mile track at half speed. By the time NASCAR noticed three penguins and an old guy in a walker blazing by Reutimann, and threw the black flag, it was too late. The engine died, and so did the hopes of Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson. Well, I guess that is one way to make headlines.
After the rather surprising conclusion to Martinsville, a few of the boys managed to heat up even more so over the past ten events. Martin Truex Jr finished 5th on Sunday, which jumped him six spots on our board to be Tony Stewart’s runner-up. He has not finished outside the Top 20 over that time, with 17th at Las Vegas his worse finish of this season.
Others with a warming trend include Dale Earnhardt Jr, Ryan Newman, and A.J. Allmendinger, with the Dinger needing to move up from his 20th place position in the official rankings. It is usually hot in Texas, but the extreme weather experienced there this week has them in our thoughts and prayers.
( ) = Official ranking this season
Hot 20 over the past 10 events…
1 (3) Tony Stewart – 399 pts (5 Wins -6 Top Fives -7 Top Tens)
We just thank God he hasn’t tried any Carl-like backflips after his wins.
2 (4) Martin Truex Jr – 352 pts (0-3-7)
Worst finish? 20th, at Phoenix, last November.
3 (2) Dale Earnhardt Jr – 347 pts (0-3-6)
Happy days are here again…
4 (6) Kevin Harvick – 347 pts (0-3-5)
Easter Bunny is nice, but the stork is what the Harvicks are waiting for.
5 (11) Carl Edwards – 345 pts (0-5-7)
Trying to convince Tony to try a backflip…just one.
6 (7) Denny Hamlin – 341 pts (1-3-5)
What I love about Denny Hamlin is… [this site under construction]
7 (8) Ryan Newman – 337 pts (1-3-5)
Win and you make your team mate happy…the one who can fire your arse.
8 (1) Greg Biffle – 336 pts (0-4-5)
In 2012 has been either 3rd, 6th, or 13th.
9 (9) Clint Bowyer – 325 pts (0-1-6)
Almost stole a win on Sunday, but Mr. Gordon said “no.”
10 (5) Matt Kenseth – 321 pts (1-5-5)
Things could be even sweeter after he exorcises the fall races at Martinsville and Phoenix.
11 (10) Jimmie Johnson – 306 pts (0-2-5)
I wonder if he thinks Reutimann should get slapped with a 25 point penalty?
12 (15) Jeff Burton – 295 pts (0-2-5)
Back-to-back 22nd place finishes cools his jets.
13 (14) Paul Menard – 279 pts (0-0-4)
Discovered last month it is more dangerous to ride with Regan Smith than in his Cup car.
14 (20) A.J. Allmendinger – 278 pts (0-1-3)
A visit to the infield care center, second place finish, and a week off just what the doctor ordered.
15 (12) Brad Keselowski – 275 pts (1-2-3)
Can be great, good, all right, or just plain lousy. Welcome to Brad’s world.
16 (21) Jeff Gordon – 268 pts (0-2-4)
First there was the bogeyman, then came the Reutimann.
17 (13) Joey Logano – 258 pts (0-0-2)
Two Top Tens to start the season, not much since.
18 (31) Kasey Kahne – 238 pts (1-2-3)
If this keeps up, he’ll soon be the new Jamie McMurray.
19 (18) Juan Pablo Montoya – 237 pts (0-0-1)
Finished 8th at Bristol, hit a dryer at Daytona, not much else to report.
20 (17) Regan Smith – 235 pts (0-0-0)
The Jeremiah Johnsons are on the map.
25 (16) Kyle Busch – 200 pts (0-1-2)
It could be worse. He could be Kurt.
32 (19) Aric Almirola – 144 pts (0-0-1)
If only we showcased the Top 20 over the past 6.
NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Martinsville
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[/media-credit]Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.
1. Tony Stewart: Stewart salvaged a solid seventh-place finish at Martinsville after a wild finish scrambled the finishing order and gave Stewart’s teammate Ryan Newman the win. Stewart moved up one place into a tie for third in the Sprint Cup point standings, and trails Greg Biffle by 12.
“Some people would say Ryan ‘bullied’ his way to the win,” Stewart said. “Those people would all share the last name ‘Logano.’
“I guess you could say Ryan stole the win. He took the win right out from under the noses of Hendrick Motorsports. As a result of Ryan’s win, Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson should visit Outback Steakhouse, Ryan’s sponsor, and get a free Bloomin’ Onion. Let me reiterate: it’s free, so they won’t have to steal it.”
2. Dale Earnhardt, Jr: Earnhardt made a risky move to pit during a caution with three laps to go, but the move paid off after a disastrous restart for Hendrick teammates Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson. When the dust settled, Ryan Newman had stolen the win, and Earnhardt had a third, his third top-5 finish of the year.
“Hendrick cars were running 1-2-3 with two laps to go,” Earnhardt said. “Hendrick’s 200th victory was so close, we could smell it. Oddly enough, it smelled like a Bloomin’ Onion from Outback Steakhouse.
3. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth posted his third top-5 finish of the year with a fourth in the Goody’s Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville. He is now tied for third in the point standings, 12 behind Roush Fenway Racing teammate Greg Biffle.
“Recklessness caused pure chaos at Martinsville,” Kenseth said, “which led to an amazing finish. What’s more amazing? The fact that I used ‘recklessness,’ ‘chaos,’ and ‘Martinsville’ in a sentence, and didn’t mention Brian Vickers.”
4. Greg Biffle: Biffle maintained the Sprint Cup points lead with a 13th-place finish at Martinsville, one lap down. He holds a six-point lead over the hard-charging Dale Earnhardt, Jr., who finished third.
“David Reutimann was clearly driving the ‘Car Of Tomorrow,’” Biffle said, “because at that rate of speed, it would have been Monday before he completed 500 laps.”
5. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson’s epic duel with Hendrick teammate Jeff Gordon was interrupted two laps from the end by the stalled No. 10 car of David Reutimann, which forced the race’s penultimate caution. On the ensuing restart, Johnson and Gordon spun after Clint Bowyer’s dive to the bottom, assisted by a bump from Ryan Newman, caused short-track chaos. Johnson limped home with a 12th-place finish.
“Newman got lucky,” Johnson said, “and I can live with that. As my five Sprint Cup titles can attest, I’d rather be good than lucky. But give Newman credit. For someone with no neck, he sure did stick his out.”
6. Kevin Harvick: Harvick started second on the grid at Martinsville and led 21 early laps before his day went sour. He finished 19th, two laps down, and tumbled one spot in the point standings into a tie for third.
“We totally missed the setup on the No. 29 ‘Budweiser Is Back’ Chevrolet,” Harvick said. “As a result, my pit crew sent me out on the track with half-hearted encouragement, saying ‘This Dud’s For You.’ I can’t thank them enough, so I won’t thank them at all.”
7. Martin Truex, Jr.: Truex posted his fourth top-10 finish of the year with a fifth in the Goody’s Fast Relief 500. He jumped two places in the point standings into a tie for third, 12 behind Greg Biffle.
“Between David Reutimann, Clint Bowyer, and Ryan Newman,” Truex said, “it was an April fools day to remember. Apparently, Auto Club Speedway wasn’t the only appearance the Three Stooges made.”
8. Clint Bowyer: Bowyer’s dash to the inside on a late restart, helped by a bump from Ryan Newman, initiated a crash that wiped out Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon from contention. Bowyer spun as well in the melee, but recovered to finish 10th, and now sits ninth in the point standings, 34 out of first.
“I had fresh tires,” Bowyer said, “so I knew I could get a good jump on Gordon and Johnson on the restart. I had ‘grip;’ they had ‘gripes.’ But don’t blame me. I was trying to win. David Reutimann? I’m not sure what he was doing? I don’t know why he chose to park on the track. My guess? It’s Martinsville, and that was the only spot available.”
9. Jeff Gordon: Looking for a win to boost a lackluster season, Gordon saw a near-victory ripped from his grasp after a caution for David Reutimann’s stalled car led to the restart that wrecked Gordon. Gordon took the lead after stalking Jimmie Johnson for 50 laps, and was poised to give Hendrick Motorsports its 200th win.
“Obviously,” Gordon said, “Reutimann has a mistaken idea of ‘start and park.’ He was, quite literally, out for a Sunday drive.
“I understand Reutimann was trying to score as many points as possible to keep that No. 10 car in the top 35, so Danica Patrick can run her allotted races. Heck, why not just let Patrick race at Martinsville. That way, we know any caution caused by the No. 10 would have been a legitimate one.”
10. Ryan Newman: Newman plowed his way to the front on a restart with two laps to go, leaving the Hendrick Motorsports duo of Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson in his wake. Newman held off A.J. Allmendinger on the final green-white-checkered finish to secure his first win of the season, and Stewart-Haas Racing’s third.
“Hopefully,” Newman said, “I haven’t burned any bridges with the Hendrick camp. After all, they do provide us with engines. So, I don’t mind them giving me horsepower, but I do mind them giving me grief. Joke of the day: How is Stewart Haas Racing different from Hendrick Motorsports? Stewart Haas can win with Hendrick engines.”
