The Final Word from Texas, where Tony proved to be all fumes, no gas
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[/media-credit]So, what did we learn at Texas?
Well, we have learned that if you want to play there, you must have a fiddle in the band. Matt Kenseth apparently took no chances and brought along an entire string section. He led for over half of the contest to claim the 19th of his career, and was walking away from the boys like it was the days of old. You know, the winner about twenty laps ahead of the field and with a monkey running around inside the car. Okay, I’m kidding about the ape.
We learned that while Matt was winning for the first time in a couple of years, the real excitement at the end came from Tony Stewart. He tried to win on fuel, but was too fast in the pits and the penalty would cost him. Well, not really. We watched as Smoke ran out of gas on the final lap and watched his name dance to the right on the crawl. A Top Five? Nope. Ten? Nope. 12th, the last guy on the lead lap and with the least amount of petrol. Once again, Tony wasn’t real fussy about sharing his feelings afterward.
We learned that Dale Earnhardt Jr’s return continues. Okay, he is just one wreck, one bad engine away from having all the nay sayers return, but so far, so good. He was 24th at Daytona, but no worse than 12th in any race since. Junior was 9th Saturday night and sits sixth in the standings. I understand he kind of likes the track they are heading to this weekend.
We learned that Carl Edwards would take over the top rung, nine ahead of Kyle Busch and 13 up on Jimmie Johnson and Kenseth. Of course, first means little right now; tenth and the number of wins does. Stewart is ahead of Paul Menard by four points, but the hardware guy would still get in while Jeff Gordon’s win at Phoenix would give him a pass to the ball.
We learned that Kurt Busch, Ryan Newman, Juan Pablo Montoya, and Kevin Harvick are the others currently sitting pretty. Wins at Fontana and Martinsville leave Harvick solid at this juncture, but there is lots of time, races, and available wins up for grabs before the cut off to get too engrossed with who is where just yet. Unless you happen to be Denny Hamlin, Jamie McMurray, or Jeff Burton. Those lads can be excused for worrying a little bit.
I learned when bad bugs somehow slip by your anti-virus, you get a weekend off. When they get fixed, you are back in the saddle again. I also learned when a bad bug bites a driver, he might spent a night at hospital. Obviously, some critter had it in for Trevor Bayne, but the elbow has recovered. At least it was an elbow. I can think of worse places to get bit.
We will learn who is the king of Talladega on Sunday. Junior has won five times there, but the last time was in the fall of 2004. Jeff Gordon has six wins, the last in the fall of 2007. However, if you tally up all the points from the past six races there, the man would be David Ragan, of all people. I know!
I’ve learned that there are worse places than Okotoks, Alberta, which is where my boys will be involved in a baseball camp this weekend. That means I’ll be watching all the action when we return home. As you don’t fast forward nothing when it comes to watching Talladega, it could prove be a long Sunday evening for one baseball dad. Enjoy your week.
A Hot Texas Night
Texas Motor Speedway President, Eddie Gossage, promised that the races at the Texas Motor Speedway would light up the night. He said that Texas would do night racing bigger and better than it had ever been done. After all everything in Texas is bigger. But the results of the two first night races of the season met with mixed reviews.
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[/media-credit]The weekend began as most of the ‘new schedule’ weekends do, with the Nationwide Series taking the track first. Race fans quickly realized to follow the practice sessions at Texas they would have to do so on-line via Nascar.com or Twitter, because Speed TV, who usually broadcasts practice sessions had devoted the entire weekend to the Barrett-Jackson Auto Action. This added an element of confusion to the weekend. And a sense of disconnection to the races that would follow.
Qualifying lacked the anticipation that one would expect on Friday, and offered very few surprises. With Carl Edwards taking the pole and Brad Keselowski making up the front row in the Nationwide Series.
The first night race at Texas went off without a hitch and not a lot of excitement either. Long green flag runs lead to monotony and the appearance of follow the leader. The only surprise was the unfortunate elimination of Kyle Busch who appeared to be the only hope of catching and passing race winner Carl Edwards. The incident occurred as Busch was closing in on the rear bumper of Edwards when a lapped car driven by Tim Schendel blew a tire and went up the track leaving Busch no where to go, destroying the front end of the Z Line Toyota Camry. Although Busch was an unfortunate victim of circumstances, it ended any possibility of an actual race.
Carl Edwards dominated from green flag to checkers leading all but 31 laps. It was Edwards sixth win from the pole and gave Mustang its first victory. The win made Edwards 5th in the all team win column for the series.
Edwards was followed to the line by defending series champion Brad Keselowski who scored his best finish of the 2011 season. Keselowski was .482 seconds behind Edwards at the line.
The highest finishing series regular was Elliott Sadler in the One Main Financial Chevrolet of Kevin Harvick Inc. Sadler finished in 5th place after struggling early on.
As the season goes on in the Nationwide series it becomes more and more apparent that the possibility of crowning a winless series champion is highly likely. Keeping the Cup drivers from scoring points only skewed the appearances of the competition it did not change it. The cup drivers are winning the races. The cup drivers are dominating the races. The Nationwide regulars are getting the points and not challenging for the win.
Can we truly have a series champion without a win? It would appear so. Even though NASCAR has said that the new points system places an emphasis on winning it only does so in the upper tier Sprint Cup series.The points for the positions not taken by the visitors are not awarded, which skews the system even more.
When you add the new COT for the series into the picture and you take into consideration the decrease in the amount of the purse money for the series it is amazing that many of the teams can continue to compete. Kenny Wallace sited a minimum of 100,000 dollars per race without a driver’s salary on Twitter. Many team representatives including Greg Wallace of Rusty Wallace Inc. disagreed with the amount stating it was too low. “On what planet can you race every week for that?” The younger Wallace commented.
It’s once again time for NASCAR to look at their system and make some changes. Not only is the car more expensive. The teams are being paid less and to crown a winless champion is a humiliation to the series it’s sponsors and the drivers who compete as professionals every week.
Sunset on Saturday brought the anticipation of the Sprint Cup race. The favorites were Carl Edwards, Tony Stewart, Dale Jr. and Greg Biffle. The winner would be a surprise to all.
Again we saw long green flag runs with a follow the leader appearance. Although there was obviously side by side racing in the pack little of that was shown to the TV viewer. The car leading the race consistently would end up being the 17 Crown Royal Black Ford Fusion of Matt Kenseth. He would ultimately be the race winner.
For a second week in a row, Martin Truex Jr suffered a hard crash taking with him Mark Martin and Regan Smith. Though all walked away, Martin was obviously shaken saying, “I need to sit down here guys.” Truex attributed the wreck to an ill handling race car once again. This gave rise to social media rumors of a crew chief change coming at Michael Waltrip Racing. Although the team did not confirm that rumor it would seem to follow reason with the season that Truex has endured thus far.
Tony Stewart would stay out to lead for a significant period of time playing the card that he could go 58 laps on a tank of fuel and with his stop there were 58 laps left. The anticipation built and Smoke was calm and confident on the radio. Until the last lap when the fuel light came on. The 14 Mobil 1 Chevrolet sputtered and ran out of gas on the back stretch. Stewart would coast around to finish 12th. A very disappointed Stewart delayed his post race interview and it was not shown with the post race coverage.
Roush Fenway Racing dominated the night with 4 cars in the top 10. Kenseth snapped a 76 race losing streak. Greg Biffle turned in his best performance of the season with a 4th place finish. Carl Edwards turned in 3rd place finish although he was suffering from a severe upset stomach early in the race. David Ragan turned in a 7th place finish which placed all 4 Roush cars in the top 10.
Dale Earnhardt Jr turned in another consistent finish after a poor qualifying effort. His 9th place finish moved him to 6th in the points standings and although extending his losing streak to 100 races, the 4 laps he lead by staying out during green flag stops encouraged the anticipation and confidence of the JR Nation as the series heads into Talladega.
The biggest topic of the race was the fact that NASCAR allowed TV coverage of the computer system that monitors the pit road speed. The first appearance of the monitor featured Larry McReynolds standing in front of the monitor and explaining how the speeds were gathered and that there were no human hands involved. Behind him the lines of drivers was being highlighted one at a time and deleted from the screen, making it somewhat hard to believe that no human hands are involved in the system. The next appearance came when Tony Stewart was caught speeding on pit road. The TV camera showed the monitor which showed no red areas. Larry Mac said you can see the red area there that shows he was speeding in the first timing zone. When the camera panned back to the monitor indeed it was red. Stewart admitted to speeding on pit road, unfortunately NASCAR’s attempt to prove to fans that everything was above board only added more clouds and questions.
The question remains and has been asked by many, if you already use the transponder to determine what position the car is running on the track, if you already use it to determine a winner in a photo finish situation, why are you not using it to time the pit road speed? Fox can tell us exactly how fast the car is going on the track why can’t they tell us exactly how fast they are going on pit road?
Transparency eliminates questions and doubt. Defensiveness by NASCAR over the situation only leads to more suspicions. Jimmie Johnson stated he was mistaken and had incorrect information. It should have stopped there. He apologized to NASCAR and the fans. Leave it there. Instead NASCAR went over board trying to prove their point and trying to prove they were innocent of manipulation. The old saying of Thou doest protest too much applies here.
Once again, as with the NNS points system and the COT, NASCAR shot themselves in the foot. This is the greatest racing series in the world. Why not just raise the window shades and let the light shine on the situation as it is. Not paint a picture that you can’t defend in the end.
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Congratulations to Carl Edwards and Jack Roush Racing on their Nationwide Series Victory, and Congratulations to Ford Motorsports on the Mustangs first series victory. Congratulations also to Matt Kenseth and Roush Fenway Racing on their Sprint Cup Victory. Welcome back to Victory Lane Matt! You are only as old as you think you are.
That said, to all the competitors in all the series thanks for giving us everything you have to give, you are our heroes. Most importantly, thanks to all the families who shared their loved ones with us so we could cheer our favorite driver and favorite teams. You are the true heroes of the sport and we are forever in your debt.
NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Texas
Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.
1. Carl Edwards: Edwards took third at Texas, passing Tony Stewart’s gassed out car on the final lap, as Roush Fenway Racing placed all four cars in the top 7. Edwards battled stomach problems all day, as well as handling issues in the No. 99 Scott’s Ford, but hung in to post his fourth top-5 result of the year. He vaulted passed Kyle Busch in the point standings, and holds a nine point lead.
“We were loose all day,” Edwards said. “And when I say ‘we,’ I mean the car and me. It’s hard to find a rhythm when you’re constantly telling your car to ‘go’ and only your stomach is listening. It was a day of ‘fits and sharts.’ My teammate David Ragan may drive the UPS car, but it was me who truly found out what brown could do for me. The answer was very little.
“As you may know, I’m in the last year of my contract, and I’m currently in talks with Roush Fenway concerning a contract extension. I’m pretty confident we’ll get it done, especially after Saturday night’s performance, because I seriously doubt anyone else would want my ‘seat’ after that.”
2. Kyle Busch: Busch was running third and primed to contend for the win at Texas, but a left-rear tire vibration forced a late pit stop, putting the No. 18 Interstate Battery Toyota a lap down. Busch never got a caution to get back on the lead lap, and settled for a disappointing 16th, which knocked him from the Sprint Cup points lead. He trails Carl Edwards by nine points.
“Given the circumstances,” Busch said, “I’d rather not be behind Edwards at this point. As it stands, though, Carl’s the only driver in front of me, and that makes him the public enemy No. 1. Ironically, public enemy No. 1 faced a devious nemesis at Texas, ‘public enemy No. 2.’
“Joe Gibbs Racing is still experiencing engine problems. Luckily, we’ve identified the issues—they’re apparently called ‘Denny Hamlin’ and ‘Logano.’ I think those two have answered the age-old question: ‘What happens when a driver and car run out of talent at the same time?’
3. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth ended a 76-race winless streak with an assertive victory in the Samsung Mobil 500 at Texas, leading 169 of 334 laps and winning by over eight seconds over Clint Bowyer. Kenseth donned the ceremonial ten-gallon hat and six shooters afforded the Texas winner in victory lane, celebrating his first win since California in 2009. He leapt six places in the Sprint Cup point standings to third, 13 behind Carl Edward and four behind Kyle Busch.
“Surprise!” Kenseth said. “It’s Matt Kenseth with the ‘hat trick,’ and not Kevin Harvick. And it’s not just Carl Edwards ‘shooting blanks;’ it’s me as well.
“I’ve always ran well at Texas, and I knew we were capable of winning here. I just had to go out and do it. Much in the same way that Edwards did, I told myself, ‘I’ve got to go.’ Luckily for me, and for Carl, I did, and he didn’t.”
4. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson battled loose-handling conditions for the majority of Texas’ 334 laps on Saturday night, but still managed a solid eighth-place finish. Johnson dropped one spot in the point standings, and now trails Carl Edwards by 13 points.
“We’ve gone seven races this season without a win,” Johnson said. “I could be a whiner and blame everybody, which would be a case of a ‘critical ass’ calling out the ‘critical mass.’ But I’ve learned that criticism is a useless endeavor—it can only lead to forced, insincere apologies to NASCAR.
“But it is much too early in the season to be worrying about my deficiencies. I should know that better than anyone. I’ve made a habit of spending the first 26 races showing I’m mortal, and the last ten proving I’m immortal. I’ve spent five years perfecting the art, and it’s a cause I’m proud to champion.”
5. Kevin Harvick: Harvick’s effort to win his third-straight race was derailed early after a right-side tire violation penalty on his first pit stop. With track position compromised, he eventually fell two laps down and never returned to the lead lap, finishing 20th. He tumbled four places to ninth in the point standings, and trails Carl Edwards by 28.
“Unfortunately,” Harvick said, “I won’t be saying ‘three in a row.’ They say good things come in three’s, except for four-tire pit stops.”
6. Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: Earnhardt posted his second-straight top-10 finish, and fourth of the season, with a ninth in the Samsung Mobil 500. He moved up two places in the point standings to sixth, and trails Carl Edwards by 21.
“It’s now been 100 races since my last win,” Earnhardt said. “That’s a dry spell any member of Junior Nation could be proud of. But that’s a long time to go without a win. Now, when I see a ‘three-finger salute,’ I’ll know it means ‘three digits.’ Of course, that’s opposed to the normal ‘three-finger salute,’ in which three of my fans stand in unison and flip the bird to the driver that just passed me on the track.
“Now, that 100-race winless streak could very well come to an end at Talladega. I hear two-car tandems again will be the norm as they were at Daytona, and the multi-car draft seems to be a thing of the past. So, Sunday’s race will be a lot like a typical weekend in the Talladega infield, with multiple hookups with 10-15 partners, and the occasional threesome, with feelings of regret when it’s over.”
7. Kurt Busch: Busch led five times for 50 laps at Texas, but found himself in an off-sequence pit situation without a much-needed caution. Forced to pit late while running second, Busch settled for a 10th, and fell one spot in the point standings to fifth, 16 out of first.
“We qualified 10th and finished 10th,” Busch said. “That’s what I call ‘running in place.’ And speaking of ‘running in place,’ the No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Dodge team could use a ‘jog,’ preferably to the noggin, to rouse us from the doldrums of mediocrity. I’ve told my team the same thing I‘ve told my cosmetic surgeon: ‘You can do better than this.’”
8. Ryan Newman: Newman faced an uphill battle on Saturday night at Texas, as the No. 39 U.S. Army Chevy lacked the necessary handling and speed to be a factor in the Samsung Mobil 500. Newman salvaged a 14th-place result, scrapping until the end. He dropped one place in the point standings to seventh, 23 out of first.
“It was a tough day for Stewart-Haas Racing,” Newman said. “I struggled all day, and Tony Stewart ruined a potential race-winning fuel strategy by speeding in the pits on his final stop. So, I was ‘sorry,’ and Tony apologized. I’m sure Tony had a horrible feeling in his gut after that huge mistake. It seems that, much like Carl Edwards, Tony was suffering from his own case of ‘botch-ulism.’”
9. Clint Bowyer: Bowyer’s runner-up finish at Texas gave him three consecutive top-10’s after an early season of struggles, and solidified much-needed momentum for the No. 33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet team. Bowyer nearly wrecked while leading when contact with Brian Vickers sent him spinning, but a miraculous save kept him in the running.
“My sympathies go out to Carl Edwards,” Bowyer said. “I can certainly relate to the ordeal he experienced on Saturday, because I nearly crapped my pants too. If not for our abilities to avoid catastrophe, we both could have had a mess on our hands.”
10. Tony Stewart: Stewart’s shot at a Texas victory ended when a late pit road speeding penalty ruined what appeared to be a winning fuel strategy by the No. 14 Office Depot/Mobil 1 team. Stewart ran out of fuel on the final lap while running third, and finished 12th.
“In times like these,” Stewart said, “I must choose my words wisely. Criticizing NASCAR’s pit road speed monitoring system so soon after being penalized would be a case of bad timing. And explaining the use of sarcasm and puns right now would be a case of good timing. And you know me. If you believe overly embellished Rolling Stone accounts of my life as a playboy and hard partier, then I certainly know everything possible about ‘good time-ing.’”
