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NASCAR Camping World Truck Series 2010 Year in Quotes Review

By
SM Staff
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It started two years ago, at the conclusion of the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season when Carl Edwards bluntly stated in victory lane at Atlanta, “Are you kidding me?”

Edwards had just been made aware that the man he was chasing for the championship, Jimmie Johnson, had rallied back to finish second and extend his point lead over Edwards heading into the final three weeks of the season. His exclamation summed up what that day in Atlanta was like and it made one wonder what the other 35 races would be remembered for if they had to be described in just a few words.

It led to a year in review of sorts, quotes that stood out from the drivers who participated in another memorable racing season.

This year though, they’re being split into three sections for each series, the first debuting this week with the Camping World Truck Series. Here’s a look back on the 2010 season which saw Todd Bodine win his second championship.

Daytona: “I can’t believe it – this thing drove like a Lexus tonight. I can’t believe it – I’m going to Disney World!” —- Timothy Peters

Winning at the Daytona International Speedway can bring even the toughest of men to their knees and Peters experienced it first hand back in February. On the last lap he roared past friend Todd Bodine for the win thanks to a push from Jason White. It was the second of Peters career.

Atlanta: “We probably have a third of the field out on the race track … if they want this one [truck] they can come have this one too.” — Kevin Harvick

New race trucks are the fast race trucks and Harvick and his company, KHI, have built their reputation on that motto. It’s why as he stated, many of the trucks racing have been bought by other teams from his company. After winning at Atlanta, Harvick said they could buy that truck from him too.

Martinsville: “Fifth, I’m not going to complain. Except for spinning out maybe.” —Johnny Benson

After winning the 2008 NWTS championship, Benson never got to defend his title, only competing in eight events in 2009. Late that season he was injured while racing in a SuperModified race at Berlin Raceway and for a while was in serious but stable condition. He recovered well but still didn’t get a ride to come back into the series full time for 2010, however Billy Ballew let Benson drive his truck at Martinsville where he earned a top five finish.

Nashville: “I gave the guitar to Sam [Bass] and told Sam if he wanted to do any damage to my truck, he could have it.” — Kyle Busch

After winning his first race in his own equipment Busch went to victory lane to receive the winner’s trophy, a custom made guitar from artist Sam Bass. The world watched to see what Busch would do with the guitar since the last time he was in Nashville’s victory lane he smashed it to pieces in front of Bass. This time around it stayed in one piece even though Busch offered Bass a chance to make things even.

Kansas: “I couldn’t help but sit there and think as I was trying to save it … that darn [Ron] Hornaday got me again within a month’s time.” — Johnny Sauter

They are two of the fiercest drivers on the circuit and when they get together the fans get a show. In Martinsville, Hornaday spun out Sauter and the two got into an argument on pit road. At Kansas while racing for the lead the two again tangled and did a synchronized spin that somehow didn’t produce any damage and they were able to race to the finish with Sauter getting the win.

Dover: “Put it this way, that trophy is not at my house on a mantle.” — Aric Almirola

Finally Almirola was able to do the burnout and take home the trophy. Whiling driving for Joe Gibbs Racing back in 2007, Almirola played substitute driver for Denny Hamlin on the weekends that Hamlin went back and forth between Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series tracks. Such was the case at Milwaukee where Almirola practice and qualified the car and then started the race. Even while dominating the call was made for Hamlin to get in the car and he eventually went on to win. Almirola got credit in the history books, however he was already long gone from the track after dealing with the frustration of being taken out of the car.

Charlotte: “Yeah, it gets a little old, getting on TV for wrecking or doing whatever.” — Brent Raymer

It’s very rare to see a racecar or truck just burst into flames, but as Raymer discovered, it does happen. While coming down the frontstretch his No. 85 became a giant fireball under the hood and fortunately Raymer was able to get stopped and get out. It was not a highlight reel that Raymer wants to become accustomed to making.

Texas: “I wasn’t going to wreck the whole truck because of that one problem.” — Ken Schrader

Running for Kevin Harvick Inc. has given many drivers the best opportunities to get themselves in victory lane and if Schrader had a few more laps in the Winstar World Casino 400k, he could have been the next driver to do so and not finish fifth. That came after fighting back from two laps down when he had a tire go flat under the green flag.

Michigan: “Just suck at Michigan.” — Kyle Busch

Never at a loss for words, Busch said what he felt was the deciding factor during the final few laps at Michigan where Aric Almirola beat Busch and Todd Bodine for the win.

Iowa: “Like I’ve said from the beginning of the year, I wanted to do it for the fans too.” — Austin Dillon

Winning your first career race already brings questions, but when you win a race driving a black No. 3 it brings more questions about winning in that number. For Dillon, the grandson of Richard Childress, he accomplished both and wants to be able to use the number for many years to come.

Gateway: “Man, I burned my butt bad and my back even got burnt. That’s why I lay down in here [media center] on the cold floor.” — Todd Bodine

Driving race trucks can be a difficult job and as Bodine found out, it can be even more difficult when your truck starts to fry you. The heat inside his No. 30 Toyota was so bad that he started to get burned through his firesuit but still finished fourth.

Indianapolis: “I changed my tennis shoes, changed all my luck stuff.” — Ron Hornaday

Coming off his fourth championship in 2009 it was expected that Hornaday would pick up right where he left off this season. But numerous crew chief changes and crashes made that difficult to do and soon he was out of the 2010 championship fight. More importantly, he was still winless heading into the 12th race of the year, the longest he’s ever gone into a season. Finally his luck changed in Indianapolis.

Pocono: “You sit at home a lot, wondering if you’re ever going to make it back to victory lane.” — Elliott Sadler

His Sprint Cup Series career hasn’t been anything to brag about lately so Sadler knew that he needed to do something to get his confidence back. When Kevin Harvick asked him to drive his No. 2 truck for the first ever run at Pocono, Sadler jumped at the chance and made sure that he took full advantage.

Nashville: “We did it in style of Germain Racing: We went out and just stomped on them.” — Todd Bodine

When it’s your year, it’s your year. For Bodine that was the case in 2010 as he began to break all the records he set in his championship season of 2006. At Nashville he led 91 of 150 laps on his way to his second win of the season.

Darlington: “That’s typical RC luck right there.” — Ricky Carmichael

On the opposite end of the spectrum, when it’s not your year, it’s not your year and Carmichael was finding that out the hard way. On a hot Saturday night in Darlington, the Lady in Black feasted on his. No. 4 Chevrolet after Mario Gosselin sent him head on into the turn four wall.

Bristol: “This thing deserves to be in victory lane, it looks pretty cool. I don’t know how to do the Ickey Shuffle but I would have tried.” — Ron Hornaday

Driving a No. 33 Tide machine didn’t bring Hornaday the same luck it brought Darrell Waltrip in the Daytona 500 back in 1989. After winning, Waltrip got out in victory lane and performed Ickey Shuffle dance and Hornaday was ready to perform his version had he won Bristol instead of finishing third after coming back from spinning.

Chicago: “You hate to run second, especially to Kyle [Busch].” — Todd Bodine

If the 2010 is remembered for anything it’ll most likely be the numerous battles between Bodine and Busch, more than just for the owners championship. The two found themselves racing each other for wins nearly every weekend and in Chicago it ended better than what it would the next week.

Kentucky: “It’s not just the Truck Series, it’s every division he races. He’s so good. He’s without a doubt one of the best drivers NASCAR has ever seen … he doesn’t have to drive like that to win races but he does and he’s getting away with it because NASCAR won’t do anything about it. He was mad because I called him out on it.”— Todd Bodine

While racing for the lead Bodine spun while on the inside of Busch’s No. 18 Toyota and had to fight his way from the back of the pack. In doing so it allowed Bodine to go into fuel conservation mode, which won him the race and in victory lane he called Busch’s driving dirty. Busch confronted Bodine who said that Shrub didn’t like being called out on TV.

Loudon: “He just drove us dirty and got the win.” — James Buescher

He was just a few laps away from his first career win when the caution came out and it put Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick on his rear bumper. That’s when Busch drove Buescher all the way up into the wall coming off turn two, cleared him and won the race. Afterwards he gave Buescher the middle finger on the cool down lap before saying he did what he had to do. Buescher was none too pleased and felt Busch had crossed a line.

Las Vegas: “This guys are the shh … bomb.” — Austin Dillon

After winning his second career race, Dillon went to thank his team for the great truck they put underneath him, and he nearly utter a four-letter word that would have resulted in a fine.

Martinsville: “I won Martinsville!” — Ron Hornaday

After getting off to a tough start to the season, Hornaday and his team finally found their rhythm. It was good timing to as Martinsville started the tradition of giving away Grandfather clocks to the winners as they do in the Sprint Cup Series and Hornaday was the first to collect. According to him though, had they given them out sooner he may have had more incentive to win at the paperclip.

Talladega: “I probably shouldn’t even be doing interview right now because I’m obviously biased because I finished second … A part of me feels like I let my guys down, we didn’t win, but a part of me feels like I got robbed.” — Aric Almirola

It was the closest finish in NASCAR history but not everyone was happy, certainly not the guy that finished second. When Kyle Busch pulled out to pass Almirola coming to the finish line he got sideway and went below the yellow line, to which Almirola cried foul. NASCAR said that since Busch was trying to control his truck and because he was already ahead of Almirola, there would be no penalty.

Texas: “You’ve got nothing good to say you probably shouldn’t say anything at all.” — Johnny Sauter

Finishing second doesn’t make losing feel any better and when you have a truck as strong as Sauter did, it makes you feel that much worse. Sauter led 31 laps and was leading during the final half of the race when he ran out of fuel on a green flag run. After limping back to pit road he would rally to finish second but it wasn’t where he expected to finish.

Phoenix: “They [crew] were excited about it before we came down here, and any time these guys get excited about building a truck back at the shop, you know as a racecar driver that you’re going to have a good hot rod, and we certainly did.” — Clint Bowyer

He hadn’t raced in the NCWTS in three years but when climbing aboard a truck from KHI it doesn’t take long to become reacquainted with it. Bowyer dominated the race by leading 80 of 150 laps for his second career truck win.

Homestead: “Thank you ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, that right there is the KB show. Woot!” — Kyle Busch

Kyle Busch just knows how to win and does so in dramatic fashion. Friday night he won for the eighth time in 2010 and 24th of his career, after rubbing the wall after contact with Johnny Sauter. The win also helped Busch clinched the owners championship for his first year team, Kyle Busch Motorsports. Todd Bodine was officially crown the 2010 series champion.

Be on the lookout next week for the review of the 2010 Nationwide Series season.

NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Homestead

By
Jeffrey Boswell
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Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson finished second at Homestead, easily overcoming Denny Hamlin’s 15-point lead entering the race, to capture his fifth-straight Sprint Cup title. Johnson handily outdistanced Hamlin, who finish 14th, by 39 points, and Kevin Harvick, who finished third, by 41.

“It’s ‘one for the middle finger,’” Johnson said, “as opposed to Kyle Busch’s ‘25,000 for the middle finger.’

But my fifth title is one I’ll certainly remember, as well as one that others will find it hard to forget. Five championships is a lot, but I want to remain humble, as well as hungry. Therefore, when people ask me how many Cups I’ve won, I’ll simply say a ‘handful.’”

2. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin found trouble early at Homestead, making contact with Greg Biffle on lap 23 and sliding through the infield grass. With his splitter damaged, Hamlin was forced to make numerous pit stops for repairs, and never completely recovered. He finished 14th, and ended the season second in the points, 39 behind Jimmie Johnson.

“I wasn’t the only Joe Gibbs driver to slide through the infield grass,” Hamlin said, “and see his hopes go up in flames.

But there’s always next year. Unfortunately, Johnson says the same thing, and as we know, with five titles under his belt, he’s always next year.”

3. Kevin Harvick: Harvick appeared to have the race lead after pit stops during a lap 187 caution, but NASCAR officials nabbed him for speeding on the entry to pit road. He was sent to the back of the field, but quickly made his way back to the front. However, with Jimmie Johnson’s second-place finish, Harvick’s third was little to no consolation. Harvick ended the year third in the points, 41 out of first.

“I sent one Joe Gibbs driver and one Kasey Kahne crewman to the infield care center,” Harvick said, “and barely turned heads. Yet I’m penalized for exceeding a snail’s pace entering the pits. Sounds like I wasn’t the only one who got screwed.”

4. Carl Edwards: Edwards won the Ford 400 at Homestead, dominating with 190 laps lead on the way to his second straight win. He finished fourth in the Sprint Cup point standings, 229 behind Jimmie Johnson.

“That’s what I call ending the season on a high note,” Edwards said. “The high note, that is, of the fat lady singing, because as soon as I crossed the line, it was ‘over’ for everyone but Jimmie Johnson.

Now, I hesitate to call myself the favorite to challenge Johnson for next year’s Cup. That was the consensus in 2008, when I won nine races and was annointed the next Cup champion. I followed that with a winless 2009 with Aflac as my primary sponsor. Maybe the duck on the hood of my car explains the egg laying.”

5. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth finished ninth in the Ford 400, his 15th top-10 result of the year. He finished fifth in the point standings, 328 behind Jimmie Johnson.

“Congratulations to Johnson,” Kenseth said. “The ‘Drive For Five’ is complete. And for all those conspiracy theorists who think NASCAR favoritism helped Johnson to the Cup title, they’ll be saddened to know that Johnson’s quest in 2011 has unofficially been titled ‘The Fix For Six.’”

6. Greg Biffle: Biffle finished 10th at Homestead, posting his 19th top-10 finish of the year. Biffle and Denny Hamlin made contact on lap 23, sending Hamlin’s No. 11 Fed Ex Toyota spinning through the infield grass.

“I vowed at the beginning of the year that I would have an impact in the Chase,” Biffle said. “Well, Jimmie Johnson isn’t the only one who can say ‘mission accomplished.’”

7. Kyle Busch: Busch, seeking his second consecutive weekend sweep of winning all three series races, came up short at Homestead, crashing when Kevin Harvick bumped him into the wall on lap 243. Busch’s No. 18 M&M’s Toyota burst into flames, and Busch directed some heated words towards Harvick afterwards.

“Harvick is a reckless buffoon,” Busch said. “He’s a menace to notoriety. We all know M&M’s melt in your mouth, but it’s obvious he wanted to find out if Kyle Busch melts in the M&M’s car. I don’t. I just boil.”

8. Tony Stewart: Stewart scored his first top 10 since winning at California on October 10th with an eighth in the Ford 400. He improved two places in the points to seventh, and completes the season a distant 401 behind Johnson.

“Congratulations to Jimmie Johnson,” Stewart said. “He may deserve a hand, but he’ll probably need two to indicate Cup titles 6 through 10.”

9. Jeff Gordon: Gordon blew his engine on lap 199, ending a disappointing 2010 season with even more disappointment. He was winless this year, his second winless season in the last three, and tumbled three places in the points to ninth.

“Last week,” said Gordon, “my attack on Jeff Burton showed just one of the many ways I can ‘lose it.’ This week, I lost an engine, and another race. But, there’s a silver lining to Jimmie Johnson’s fifth Sprint Cup title. His championship allowed me to reach a milestone, as now I’ve become the only active four-time Cup champion. Thanks Jimmie!”

10. Clint Bowyer: Bowyer came home 12th at Homestead, finishing the season tenth in the Sprint Cup point standings, 467 out of first.

“I can certainly share in the disappointment that my teammate Kevin Harvick must be feeling,” said Bowyer. “NASCAR obviously has it out for Richard Childress Racing. First, I win in New Hampshire, and the next thing you know, my car has failed inspection. At Homestead, Harvick takes the lead, and boom! Here comes a penalty for speeding. Jimmie Johnson may not, but at least NASCAR recognizes us as a threat to his reign.”

HOORAHS AND WAZZUPS: The final acclaim

By
SM Staff
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There was no question that the NASCAR Sprint Cup championship weekend was going to be loaded with story lines before and after Sunday’s running of the Ford 400 at the Homestead-Miami Speedway. Fortunately for race fans the level of entertainment exceeded any and all anticipations. By the time the weekend was over we witnessed the saga of “Jimmie five-time,” “Carl two time” and we learned the true meaning of an old racing term that says “to win a championship you must first lose one.” With those thoughts in mind let’s begin with:

HOORAH to Jimmie “Five Time” Johnson, and the entire #48 Hendrick Motorsports team. Winning just one NASCAR Sprint Cup championship is difficult. To win five consecutive titles is just simply amazing. There are already comparisons of this team to other major league sports dynasties such as Major League Baseball’s New York Yankees and the National Basketball Association’s Boston Celtics. There’s already talk about Johnson and company making quick work of topping the nearly impossible seven NASCAR championships held by Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt.

There’s also grumbling among NASCAR fans regarding the same driver and team winning the Chase five years in a row. But the fact of the matter is: when the green fell on the final acclaim of the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup season the best driver, team and race car, among the final three Chase contenders rose to the occasion.

HOORAH to team owner Rick Hendrick for winning his tenth championship which now puts him ahead of Petty Enterprises making him tops in the category. HOORAH to Chevrolet, the bow tie brigade won their 34th team championship last Sunday.

However WAZZUP with some of the pit stops Johnson received from Jeff Gordon’s crew? At least two of those stops were close to 16 seconds and cost the driver valuable track position. This is the same crew, on loan to Johnson for the final races of the Chase, who performed flawlessly at Texas and Phoenix.

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A combo WAZZUP-HOORAH goes out to Denny Hamlin. The WAZZUP portion is for the frustration Hamlin and company went through last Sunday while trying to win their first championship. The process started on qualifying day when the best Hamlin could do was a 37th place start for the race. The next major setback came on lap 24 of the race when Hamlin, following contact with Greg Biffle, found himself spinning wildly across the infield grass. There was damage to the right front splitter that resulted in some lengthy pit stops for repairs. That included trying to get the handling right on their Toyota again. Hamlin later explained that the toe out was impacted by the spin and the car was a handful to drive all day long.

The HOORAH for Hamlin is for the wonderful season, and the impressive effort it took to create it, this Joe Gibbs Racing team had. It’s been often said in racing that to win a championship you must first lose one. The final results of the Chase may have been a bitter disappointment for Hamlin but, looking on the bright side, this team won a series high eight races and that’s a sign of strength that will make them championship contenders next year.

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Another WAZZUP-HOORAH combo also goes out to Kevin Harvick. Starting the race third in the Chase standings, Harvick had nothing to lose and everything to gain. He raced with the heart of a champion and he deserves a HOORAH for that. So does his pit crew who were actually on loan from team mate Clint Bowyer. These guys put on a stellar performance and more than earned their HOORAH.

The Harvick WAZZUP elements centers around a trio of bizarre incidents during the course of Sunday’s race. With 81 laps left in the race, a yellow flag came out for debris and Harvick joined a procession down pit road for fuel and tires. His crew pulled another stellar pit stop and got him back on the track in the lead. Unfortunately the effort unraveled when NASCAR officials determined that he was speeding during the entry to pit road.

Harvick was livid over the penalty but presented an interesting point after the race. He wondered how he could be speeding when he was literally glued to the bumper of Martin Truex Jr’s car yet Truex was not judged to be speeding. “I don’t think that penalty will ever settle in my stomach,” he said adding “only a handful of people get to see the pit road speeds. I won’t ever settle for that.”

Making the situation worse was the fact that Harvick, exiting his pit stall, accidentally hit the right rear tire changer from Kasey Kahne’s crew. The Red Bull Racing crew member was transported to an area hospital for treatment for an injury to his lower right leg and ankle area.

The other Harvick related highlight involved contact with Kyle Busch with 25 laps remaining in the race. Busch went spinning nose first into the wall. In an effort to drive his wrecked Toyota to pit road, the rear of the car burst into flames. The driver escaped quickly but clearly was upset over the incident. He later said that Harvick “didn’t have his head on straight.”

Afterwards there was a post Chase press conference and it was inevitable that Harvick would receive questions regarding the Busch incident. It spurred a lively exchange between Harvick and Denny Hamlin, Busch’s team mate: (Harvick), “he raced me like a clown all day, three wide, on the back bumper, running into me and I just had enough.” (Hamlin), Sounds like the way your team mates raced me all day.” (Harvick) “I just parked yours.” (Hamlin), “God it’s never ending.”

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While the Chase was the focal point last Sunday, we cannot overlook the HOORAH to Carl Edwards for winning the Ford 400 in a Ford Fusion. Edwards won his second, consecutive, Sprint Cup race as well as his 18th career win. He also served notice that the #99 Roush Fenway Racing team is back on track and will be a force to be reckoned with next year.

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WAZZUP with the harsh, not to mention expensive, racing luck that plagued Joe Gibbs Racing last Sunday? It’s bad enough that unexpected circumstances cost Hamlin a $5 million plus championship not to mention that Busch’s Toyota sustained extreme fire damage. But the bad luck continued with the team’s third car: Joey Logano’s #20 Toyota.

On lap 140 Logano received some contact from the Chevrolet of Juan Pablo Montoya and went spinning into the wall. While driving his badly damaged car to the garage area, Logano came over his radio and said “that’s twice with him, (Montoya), and I’m sick of that.” Logano spent the next 40 laps of the race watching the repairs being made. He returned to the track apparently with one thought in mind: revenge. With 64 laps remaining, and the race under the yellow caution flag, Logano found Montoya and crashed him. A lot of observers have been saying it’s past time for this driver to stand up for himself. Apparently he’s learned how to accomplish that.

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Finally this week we have a GOD BLESS that goes out to Mr and Mrs Ryan Newman. Krissie Newman delivered a beautiful baby girl, the couple’s first child, November 18th. The newest member of the NASCAR nation was named Brooklyn Paige Newman. The proud papa sent a “Twitter” message reporting that “mom and the baby are doing terrific.”

Jimmie Johnson’s Drive for Five Secures Legacy

By
SM Staff
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On Sunday at Homestead, Jimmie Johnson became Captain Kirk again, boldly going where no man has gone before.

[media-credit name=”CIA Stock Photo” align=”alignleft” width=”300″][/media-credit]He’s passed Cale Yarborough for consecutive titles, passed Hall of Famers Ned Jarrett and Junior Johnson on the win list and is one win away from catching another in Lee Petty.

He’s passed his teammate Jeff Gordon for titles, and now he’s the only driver at the top of the heap looking up at Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt.

To the delight of some, and the dismay of more, Jimmie Johnson has one for the thumb, a fifth straight Sprint Cup championship.

Observers of the sport say Johnson fatigue may be setting in, and fans may be tuning out because of the dominance of the No. 48 team. Sure it disgusts some, that’ll happen if you win too much.

“People tell me they hate me but they respect me,” Johnson revealed Sunday night.

“In the moment I think it’s tough for fans to maybe look at what we’ve accomplished because they want their guy to win.”

No matter what your position is on Double J, he’s history alive and racing in NASCAR.

The 48 team is the Yankees, the Celtics, and the Canadiens in firesuits.

They’re the guys your grandfather bores you to tears with as he brags about their dominance with a story that begins with “Back in the Day.”

Today, this year and this time, is the day.

Johnson is the dynasty you’ll bore the kids to death with.

Jimmie Johnson will never be confused with the most charismatic guy. He’ll never be accused of being the most controversial guy, but when the rubber hits the road, he’s unmatched.

Even Johnson will acknowledge that the dynasty of the 48 team will be seen through history’s larger prism.

“I know what we’ve done today is respected sports-wide. Not just our little bubble that we live in, but sports-wide.”

Five titles in five years, and they keep figuring out how to do it. They cruise to them, they come from behind and take them, and they squirm and find a way to escape when the boot is on their collective neck.

Just like everyone you heard about from “back in the day,” they just keep winning.

Someday, they’ll stop winning titles. Johnson and the 48 team can’t keep this up forever. Father time and emerging talent or the efforts of another team will undo them.

Astronaut Gordon Cooper used to ask people “who was the best pilot you ever saw?”

He would then smile and say “You’re looking at him.”

Today, before this time becomes back in the day, Jimmie Johnson is the best driver anybody ever saw.

Why?

Because you’re looking at him.

Surprising and Not Surprising: Homestead-Miami Ford 400

By
SM Staff
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The final showdown, Ford Championship weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway, lived up to the hype and finally determined the 2010 Sprint Cup Champion.   Here are the surprising and not surprising moments from this year’s last race of the season:

[media-credit name=”CIA Stock Photo” align=”alignleft” width=”300″][/media-credit]Surprising:  The most surprising aspect of this final showdown, with three viable championship contenders, was the up and down nature of the race for all of them.  Even with the best qualifying lap of the three contenders, there were times when Jimmie Johnson struggled, especially during a few fateful pit stops.  Denny Hamlin had trouble early in the race, with a spin that damaged the splitter and hurt the handling of his race car.  After a particularly stellar pit stop, Kevin Harvick was ready to lead and collect his five bonus points, until being pulled back in by the NASCAR officials for a pit road speeding penalty.  The 2010 Sprint Cup championship truly was up for grabs until the final laps of the race concluded.

Not Surprising:  In spite of the drama, the pit crew swap with Jeff Gordon’s crew, and the fact that he arrived in Homestead-Miami behind in the points, Jimmie Johnson made history yet again with his fifth consecutive Sprint Cup Championship.  With his wife Chandra and four month old daughter Genevieve, sporting her own pink “48 Kid” headset to protect her tender ears, Johnson celebrated yet again, emotionally but proudly hoisting the coveted Cup above his head, surrounded by his extended Hendrick Motorsports team.  Johnson finished the Ford 400 in the second position, securing the championship by just 39 points over Hamlin and 41 points ahead of Kevin Harvick.

Surprising:  While Johnson secured the Cup for Hendrick Motorsports, it was surprising how poorly the rest of his teammates fared in the last race of the season.  Mark Martin finished 16th after starting in the eighth position.  Dale Earnhardt, Jr., battling his car and seemingly his crew chief as well, finished in the 27th spot.  Worst of all, Jeff Gordon lost a cylinder and then eventually blew his engine, finishing 37th and falling from sixth to ninth in the point standings.

Not Surprising:  A Ford prevailed for Ford Championship weekend and Roush Fenway Ford driver Carl Edwards was able to back flip his way into Victory Lane for the second time in as many races.  Edwards thrilled the crowd, with whom he celebrated as is his newest tradition, as well as his wife Kate and baby daughter Annie who were also on hand for the festivities.  Edwards described his race win, the 18th of his career, as “pretty damn awesome.”

Surprising:   It was surprising that the battle between Joey Logano and Juan Pablo Montoya, both of whom crashed into each other on the track right in front of then point leader Denny Hamlin, spilled over vociferously into the garage area, at least if Twitter chatter is to be believed.  Logano definitely said that he was “sick of it” and apparently of Montoya, who he accused of crashing him “twice now this season.”  Logano finished 39th and Montoya finished 35th as a result of their on and off track disagreements.

Not Surprising:  Kyle Busch, fresh off his prediction that he would be assisting his JGR teammate as best he could, got into it with Kevin Harvick late in the race.  Busch got the worst of the deal, however, when Harvick refused to lift, hooked Busch and sent him crashing.   Busch’s car burst into flames, with the driver thankfully making a quick exit with an assist from the emergency personnel.  After the race, Harvick had some unkind words to share about Busch, saying that Busch raced him “like a clown” all day.  As for Busch, he finished 32nd to Harvick’s third place finish, as well as losing one spot in the point standings, falling to the eighth position.

Surprising:   In the midst of the most tumultuous times at Richard Petty Motorsports, with the drivers and teams set to learn their fate and future in the upcoming week, two drivers shone in the 2010 finale.  A.J. Allmendinger, who qualified fifth, spent much of the race at the front of the pack, finishing in the fifth position.  Better yet, Aric Almirola, behind the wheel of the No. 9 car recently vacated by Kasey Kahne, rallied from his 24th starting spot to finish fourth, one of the best finishes to date for the young driver.

Not Surprising:   Kasey Kahne, now driving the No. 83 Red Bull Toyota, started from the pole position and finished well, securing a sixth place finish.  Kahne and crew both, however, will have to face medical procedures after this race finale.  Kahne is scheduled to have both knees operated on in the off season and one of Kahne’s crew members, the rear tire carrier, was hit by Harvick during one of the pit stops, sending him to the hospital for a leg injury as well.

Surprising:  Stewart Haas Racing overcame adversity in a surprising way in this season’s finale, with both Newman and Stewart both finishing in the top ten at Homestead-Miami Speedway, seventh and eighth respectively.  This was especially significant for Stewart, who was a lap down and had to claim the ‘lucky dog’ at one point in the race.  The last time that both SHR cars finished in the top ten together was in October at Auto Club Speedway when Smoke won and Newman finished fifth.  Stewart also gained two positions in the point standings, climbing to seventh, while Newman finished 15th in the point standings.

Not Surprising:  Matt Kenseth, behind the wheel of his No. 17 Crown Royal Ford Fusion, had a top ten finish to show for his 400th career start.  Kenseth finished his 2010 season locking up the fifth spot in the point standings.

While Johnson hoisted his championship flag yet again with the Florida sunset in the background, the rest of the drivers, crews, and teams were packing up their cars and haulers for the last time this season.  Racers and fans alike will now look forward to the 2011 season and the next race, the Daytona 500, on February 20th, 2011.  Until then, have a blessed Thanksgiving and a wonderful holiday season!

5 Most Disapointing Drivers in 2010

By
SM Staff
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Every year it seems there are a few drivers who fans think will have a better year than they do. Drivers who seem to have a championship contending year right in the grasp and then fall flat on their face. Those drivers are called disappointing, and here are the top 5 disappointing drivers from 2010.

First your Honorable Mentions:

Martin Truex Jr’s 22nd place points finish is something he would like to forget. He came over to Michael Waltrip Racing with high expectations and a new crew chief in Pat Tryson. However, Truex really struggled all season. A rare bright spot with a victory in the Sprint Showdown may have kept the New Jersey native off this list.

Marcos Ambrose– His 18th place point’s finish and 3rd place run at Bristol in 2009 seem like ages ago. Ambrose really really struggled in his sophomore season on the circuit, in a season that saw a lot of DNF’s (8) and a devastating lack in judgment at Sonoma, had seen the once promising young star go from that to a guy who finished a dismal 26th in the standings. It seemed like every other race Ambrose was either crashing or having some sort of trouble. Now for the list.

#5- Juan Pablo Montoya– Montoya may be a surprise to some people that he is on this list. However, heading into the 2010 season Montoya was one of the favorites to win the championship. With an extremely impressive 2009 chase run and a nice beginning of the chase, fans of the Columbian thought a championship was in reach. However, it did not turn out that way. Montoya had eight DNF’s in 2010 making him one of the highest in that category. It seemed that every other week he would find some sort of trouble. He did have a nice month of August but by that time the chase was long gone for Montoya and left he and his team wondering what might have been. He went from finishing 8th in the standings to a disappointing 17th.

#4- Mark Martin– The 51 year old Batesville, Arkansas native had a really up and down year. A season ago Mark Martin had looked like the Mark Martin of old. He won five races, and finished runner-up in the point standings. He and crew chief Alan Gustafson had seemed to be clicking on all cylinders. He made that seem a reality even more when he sat on the pole for the Daytona 500. Then his season started. He would have a rocky season, including a stretch of eight races where Mr. Consistency didn’t have a top ten finish. Mark Martin would miss the chase for the first time in his career when running a full season.  He would go winless in 2010, although a strong finish to the season points toward a promising 2011 for Martin. However, whenever you go from winning five races and finishing second in the standings, to missing the chase and not winning a race, it is an extremely disappointing season.

#3- Brad Keselowski– The 2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series champion had plenty to cheer about on that side of things. However, on the Cup side Brad Keselowski’s first full season in Sprint Cup was disappointing. Roger Penske let go of crew chief Roy McCauley and brought in Jay Guy to work with Keselowski. Everyone thought that this team, with the financial power of Roger Penske, the talent of Brad Keselowski and a new crew chief, would contend for the chase. Keselowski didn’t come close. He wouldn’t register a top ten run until Martinsville in October and would not get a top five finish at all. Some people say well it’s his first season, but still when you finish behind drivers like Paul Menard and David Ragan, that is something no one expected. His 25th in the standings has to be a disappointment.

#2- Dale Earnhardt, Jr– Much like Ragan, Earnhardt has found himself on this list before. What else can you say about the Kannapolis, North Carolina native, but “Wow!” His 2010 season looked to be great. He had a new crew chief, with Lance McGrew and new life in his step. When the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series headed to Chicagoland in July, Dale Earnhardt Jr found himself a respectful 11th place in the standings. Yet, just four weeks later Dale Earnhardt’s chase hopes were cloudy. After four consecutive finishes of 23rd or worse, Junebug was now 16th and looking to rebound. However, four more weeks without a top ten finish gave JR Nation that disgusting feeling in their stomach that Earnhardt was yet again going to miss the chase for the 4th time in 6 years. From Richmond it did not get any better. He had two top tens in the last ten races, but also had 6 finishes of 22nd or worse. He ended up 21st in the standings and the one time up and coming star, has seemed to fade really quickly.  

[media-credit name=”Barry Albert” align=”alignleft” width=”300″][/media-credit]#1- Kasey Kahne– You can say all you want about Richard Petty Motorsports, but much of Kahne’s struggles were brought on by himself. Six weeks into the season, Kahne and Rich Hendrick announced that he would drive Hendrick’s No. 5 Chevrolet in 2012. That gave a distraction to his team and organization. He also had a rocky season. He had a streak of four of five races in the top 6. Also fluttered into his season was a streak of five of six races with finishes of 20th or worse. I can’t kill the guy for leaving Richard Petty Motorsports but I can kill the guy for making his season worse than it should have been. Kahne did not win a race in 2010, coming off a season where he won two races and in the chase. Kahne’s rocky season came to a standstill after an altercation with his team at Charlotte in October, left him headed for Red Bull Racing six races early. His winless season and his early season distraction made 2010 a disappointing year for the Enumclaw, Washington native. Those are your top 5 most disappointing drivers for 2010. Let the debating begin!

Five Things To Take From NASCAR’s Season Finale

By
SM Staff
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Heading into Homestead Sunday, the six-year Chase carried with it one dubious statistic: no point leader heading into the season finale had lost the championship.

Harvick takes on both NASCAR and Busch in season ending Ford 400 at Homestead

By
SM Staff
-

In Texas it was Kyle Busch who took on NASCAR and lost. Sunday in Homestead-Miami it was Kevin Harvick in the same position with the same result.

Coming off pit road lap 187 in the Ford 400, Harvick would have had the race lead and those five valuable championship points. But just moments later he was informed that NASCAR busted him for speeding when he was coming onto pit road.

Harvick began to melt on the radio, saying that NASCAR and their pit road timing and scoring made a mistake.

“That’s just them doing what they do best,” Harvick radioed in reference to NASCAR.

His No. 29 pleaded their case to NASCAR officials and lost, Harvick had restart at the rear of the field.

“I don’t think that penalty will ever settle in my stomach,” said Harvick.

“When you read me off of my pit road times of 49.6, 49.4 50.8 and then 49.6; and there’s only a handful people that get to see them, I won’t ever settle for that. I don’t know how you can be speeding when you’re on the bumper in front of you if the other guy is not speeding. So that’s about it.”

This was not just any speeding penalty.

It was a penalty that had huge implications on the Chase for the Championship and Harvick trying to win his first title. The fans immediately started screaming that NASCAR was attempting to help Jimmie Johnson win his fifth straight championship, which he went on to do.

Harvick had fans rooting him on to dethrone Johnson, they were sick of the same old story year after year. For a little bit on Sunday afternoon, it looked like he could actually do it. There were also the fans that wanted to see Richard Childress Racing win a championship for the first time since 1994. And of course, all the Dale Earnhardt Sr. fans just wanted to see his old car rise back to the top.

Other fans started to scream that NASCAR’s pit road timing and scoring malfunction, much like Carl Edwards claimed last year when he and many others were busted on pit road during a Nationwide Series race.

In the end the penalty didn’t matter because Johnson finished second to race winner Edwards as Harvick came home in third place. The final point standings list Harvick in third position and 41 markers behind Johnson.

That’s how close things were because even if Harvick had gone up and led the most laps and won the race, it wasn’t a guarantee that he was going to win the title. That didn’t stop the emotions from flowing though and feeling as though they had been done wrong.

Except, it wasn’t the only highlight of his day.

After the speeding penalty and having to work his way through the field, Harvick came across Kyle Busch and the two made contact on the frontstretch. Harvick sent the young driver spinning and out of his way.

Busch hit the wall hard and his No. 18 M&M’s Toyota then burst into flames. In his interview Busch called Harvick two-faced, saying that when they talked earlier in the day about how they were racing each other, everything was fine.

“We just got dumped by a dumb bonehead move,” Busch said. “It’s very unfortunate. I hate it for my guys. We don’t have next week to come back to. Now we have next year to come back to.

“I guess it’s that time in the race to put your bonehead cap [on] and do that. I talked to him this morning at the drivers meeting about last night [in Nationwide] and how we raced and everything was good. He’s such a two-faced guy that you can never trust that guy.”

According to Harvick however, things were a little different.

“As far as the 18 incident, he raced me like a clown all day,” he said a few times after the race. “Three-wide, on the back bumper, running into me, and I just had enough.”

When Denny Hamlin, Busch’s teammates at Joe Gibbs Racing, chimed in that Harvick’s teammates raced him the same way throughout the race Harvick simply replied, “I just parked yours.”

Take a good look at the first glimpse of a could-be rivalry in 2011.

Both Harvick and Busch are hard-nosed racers who speak their minds. Both love to win and they do it often, competing in all three series: Camping World Trucks, Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series and always coming out on top.

With NASCAR’s new “Boys, have at it” policy, which got a workout this season, time will tell if these two see each other again. Will Busch spend the nearly two and a half months leading up to the 2011 Daytona 500 thinking about how his 2010 season ended?

Harvick will, but for different reasons. He’ll be reflecting what could have been in the championship battle. As for Sunday, it just looked like Kevin Harvick couldn’t win no matter what he did.

Fourth Turn … A Fan’s Perspect – Heart Soul and Determination

By
SM Staff
-

In the beginning, there was Chad Knaus and his orchestration of the championships. His design took a young driver to 4 in a row. But then the pack began to catch up and catch on. Making the drive for 5 littered with miscalculations and miscues. A mid race crew change during the chase, lack luster finishes and the closest points battle in chase history would bring the 48 into Homestead. The Chad Knaus lead crew would stumble, not once, not twice, but three times. It would very quickly become evident the championship hopes of the 48 team rested with the man behind the wheel. Could Jimmie do it? Could he drive his way to his 5th championship despite the struggles? Jimmie Johnson answered that question with a very decisive YES I CAN! And he did.

[media-credit name=”CIA Stock Photo” align=”alignleft” width=”300″][/media-credit]But the race was not without questions and incidents that will raise eyebrows forever. The final race of the year began with inconsistencies, with Brian France stating on Friday that NASCAR was a full contact sport and then Robin Pemberton ending the driver’s meeting with the statement that, “‘Have it’ has it’s limits.” The final statement being made in an attempt to detour team mates of the top three competitors from playing a part in the out come of the championship. Something that it appeared did not apply to NASCAR themselves.

A speeding penalty coming on to pit road was handed out to Kevin Harvick who,as evidenced by the video replay, was clearly sandwiched between two cars coming on to pit road, though neither the car behind or in front was found to be speeding. Oddly, the penalty came after the 29 had taken the lead off pit road and would have garnered 5 bonus points that would have been permanent points not effected by positions on the track. “There is no way I was between two cars. You can’t go from 49.1, 49.4, to 50 something between two cars.” Ranted an angry Kevin Harvick. Harvick also commented, “That NASCAR was doing what they do best.” His statement did not go further than that. But the televised broadcast featured a ghost voice that when the penalty was announced, stated,”You are surprised?”

This is not the first time a speeding penalty has altered the out come of a race. But it is the first time that it has played a role in the championship. Part of the issue is that the speed on pit road is determined by gun time, not transponder time. Indy Car, F1 all use transponder time to determine speed. NASCAR continues to hold on the antique method of using a radar gun and the time for sections of pit road. This method increases the chance for human error. Errors that numerous drivers have sworn have cost them positions and races. Speeding penalties are not appeal-able, and NASCAR does not enter into discussion with teams over them. They are blanket penalties handed out immediately after the infraction. This one came two caution laps after the fact.

In fairness, to the champion, the 5 points would not have changed the out come for the championship. Harvick finished 3rd 41 points back. But he would have finished 2nd with those 5 points 37 points down to champion Johnson.

Denny Hamlin all year long has predicted his success with uncanny accuracy. At times it seemed that he was reading it from a script. His confidence took a blow in Phoenix when he had to pit for fuel late in the race and Johnson and Harvick did not. However, coming into Homestead his confidence was again high.

It’s ironic that it would be a poor qualifying spot that would ultimately cost him the championship. Hamlin known for being a strong qualifier and starting in the top half of the field most every race, qualified a deep 33. Coming up through the field he would tangle with Greg Biffle and spin down across the grass. Minimal damage would prove crucial to the performance of the car with the front splitter being bent up. Mike Ford and his crew would make minimum repairs never fully repairing the damage. The car, according to Hamlin “was never right after that.” Hamlin said the incident was no one’s fault just that there wasn’t room for 3 abreast at that time on the track.

At one point Hamlin was caught a lap down when a caution flew shortly after pit stops, forcing him to take the wave around and not pit. It would be a caution brought on by Kevin Harvick and Hamlin’s team mate Kyle Busch that would give Hamlin the chance to pit and regain lost track position. Hamlin would finish 14th without ever being a factor in the race.

The race was dominated by Carl Edwards. Edwards who lead the most laps and won the race never really struggled. The television audience saw little of the racing besides the three championship contenders so how hard fought that win was is only known by those who actually attended.

There is no question, however as to how hard fought Johnson’s 5th championship was. Johnson at one time in the flow of points was 3rd with Hamlin leading by 34. This year Johnson and his 48 team had to work for it. It came down to not the crack crew of HMS or the brilliance of Chad Knaus. Instead it came down to the skills and determination of the driver behind the wheel. Skills that many of his detractors had claimed were substandard and lacking over the last few years. But this year in his drive for 5 Jimmie Johnson showed the world that he is a 5 time champion for a reason. His desire, determination and heart and soul truly do drive the 48 team to the excellence they have displayed on the track over the last 5 years. His place in NASCAR history is sealed. The HMS dynasty of 10 championships is unequalled. And there is no sign that they are looking backwards.

Perhaps however, the most telling part of the celebration came when during the presentation of the cup and the check Jimmie Johnson took the microphone from Alan Bestwick and said, “I got the most important trophy of my life earlier this year when my daughter was born. This is just icing on the cake.” For the first time in his career perhaps, Jimmie Johnson peeled away his vanilla image and showed the world who he is as a man. It was a great view of a great and deserving champion who earned his seat at the head table with the same dignity and honor that he has represented the sport with for the last 4 years.

Many claim that by winning for the 5th time he has, “destroyed all interest in NASCAR.” If that is the case the individuals that will walk away from the sport had little interest in anything but the rock star images in the first place. Those who claim they will never again watch NASCAR because Jimmie Johnson won again and he is a cheater. We will miss you. But more importantly, you will miss the sport as it goes into what could be the most exciting next phase of it’s evolution. For those who claim the script was written before the year even started, I would say if that is so, Jimmie Johnson and HMS got a different one than the one Denny Hamlin quoted line and verse from every week.

To Jimmie and Chad and all the 48 team past and current, and of course Rick Hendrick, Congratulations on adding a new aspect to who you are by being the underdog and pulling it out anyway. You truly are representative of the classic phrase on Any Given Day.

~~~~~****~~~~~

Congratulations to Todd Bodine and Germain Racing on the Camping World Truck Series Championship. To Kyle Busch Motorsports on it’s first Truck owners championship in it’s inaugural year. Congratulations to Brad Keselowski and Penske Racing on their first Nationwide Series Championship and to Joe Gibbs Racing on it’s first Car Owners Championship in the Nationwide Series. Congratulations to Jimmie Johnson and Hendrick Motorsports on it’s fifth Sprint Cup Series Championship and to Hendrick Motorsports on it’s record setting 10th championship.

That said, to all the competitors in all the series thanks for giving us everything you had to give every single week, 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.

Johnson’s 5th Championship Was Inevitable

By
SM Staff
-

Jimmie Johnson won his fifth straight championship on Sunday. Just like I wrote last week, his main competition, Denny Hamlin, and Kevin Harvick, made mistakes and had back luck back in the pack. In the meantime, Johnson stayed up front and out of trouble. Qualifying was the key.

[media-credit name=”CIA Stock Photo” align=”alignleft” width=”300″][/media-credit]On Friday, Hamlin, at that time leading by 15 points going into the race, tried teammate Kyle Busch’s qualifying setup. The result was a 37th place starting position. Harvick started 28th, but unlike Hamlin, was able to work his way to the front, but that happened late in the race and wasn’t enough to overtake Johnson and Hamlin.

The question that now will be asked over and over is will anyone else be able to take the championship again. Although Hamlin and Harvick made it close, there was never any doubt in this writer’s mind that Johnson would come out on top from the first race of the season. Rick Hendrick has assembled a crew that has become a dynasty. It’s helped that the tracks chosen for the final ten-race chase are well suited for Johnson’s driving style, but one cannot deny that Johnson has been good almost everywhere. Those with a “glass half full” disposition continue to cry that the other teams just have to get better and beat him is a solution that is not holding water. All the resources of Ford Motor Company, Toyota Motorsports, Chrysler, and other Chevrolet teams had not been enough. Some of the greatest minds in this sport have tried and failed. The No. 48 team will have to make a mistake for anyone else to have a chance, and that’s something that is not likely.

In the seven years that NASCAR has used this Chase format, Johnson has won five times (only Kurt Busch with Roush-Fenway Racing and Tony Stewart with Joe Gibbs Racing have won the championship, and that was in the first two years). Many point to the introduction of the Car of Tomorrow as a leading factor. The much maligned spec car was introduced in 2007 and used full time in 2008. Johnson has won every championship since its introduction. Compounding that was a ban on testing instituted by NASCAR in 2009 which saw the performance of some teams suffer. Johnson’s team and the rest of the Hendrick Motorsports organization never missed a beat during that time, leaving the rest of the field behind. It wasn’t until this season that Roush-Fenway and Richard Childress Racing became competitive again. Could that have been a reason the championship was so close?

Regardless, the accomplishments of the Hendrick Motorsports racing team and Jimmie Johnson cannot be ignored. Congratulations to all involved. But for the good of the sport, let’s hope it’s someone else next year, but if not, you have to admire what has been done by that organization. To the victor go the spoils and that’s only fair.

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