NOTES FROM THE NASCAR NATION: THE NATIONWIDE SERIES AT ATLANTA
NASCAR’s Nationwide Series will play a major role in the big weekend at the Atlanta Motor Speedway with Saturday’s running of the Great Clips 300. With this race comes a very tight battle for the series’ championship that could go down to the final race of the season. There is also the presence of NASCAR Sprint Cup double duty drivers in this race that will likely make their presence felt.
THE STORY BREAKDOWN.
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[/media-credit]The direction of the Nationwide Series’ championship profile seems to be focused on three drivers. Roush Fenway Racing’s Ricky Stenhouse Jr continues to lead the points standings and has been there for the past four weeks. However veteran driver Elliott Sadler, representing Kevin Harvick Inc, has used some very consistent performances as of late and has whittled the Stenhouse lead to a mere five points. Still very much a major player in this championship battle is Turner Motorsports driver Reed Sorenson who is only ten points away from the top.
The big difference maker in the final resolution of the Nationwide Series championship could very well be based on the bonus points system that comes with winning a race, leading a lap or leading the most laps in a race. This is an area where Stenhouse has excelled so far this season. He has already accumulated 21 bonus points while Sadler has nine and Sorenson has eight.
The other Nationwide Series championship, the owner’s points, seems to be well settled. Joe Gibbs Racing, and their #18 Toyota team, currently holds a 50 points advantage over Roush Fenway Racing’s #60 Ford team. The Gibbs success, needless to say, has been based on the phenomenal series success of driver Kyle Busch. Joe Gibbs Racing is currently seeking their fourth, consecutive, owner’s title in the Nationwide Series. If they’re successful, and it certainly looks like it, it will be a new series record.
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What would a Nationwide Series event be without the presence of Sprint Cup double duty drivers? The Great Clips 300 has a pretty impressive collection of Cup drivers who will be looking to gain some information, regarding track and tire conditions, that can be used for Sunday’s race. The truth be known, these drivers will largely be looking to just have some Saturday night fun.
Kevin Harvick will be in his self owned KHI #33 Chevrolet but will be running this race with a brand new crew chief. On Tuesday KHI announced that Chris Carrier has been named as the new head man on the pit box. Carrier will be very busy at Atlanta doing some double duty himself. He’s also the crew chief for KHI’s #8 Chevrolet, driven by Nelson Piquet Jr, in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Carrier will be on the pit box for both races this weekend. Eventually KHI plans to name a new crew chief for their truck team.
Joe Gibbs Racing will also be well represented in Saturday night’s race. The always formidable Kyle Busch will behind the wheel of their #18 Toyota. Making his official debut, as the new JGR development driver, will be Ryan Truex who will drive the team’s #20 Toyota.
Other double duty drivers include Kasey Kahne who will be behind the wheel of the #38 Chevrolet for Turner Motorsports. Meanwhile JR Motorsports has named Jamie McMurray to drive their #7 Chevrolet at Atlanta.
But the one surprise on the double duty list is the name Brad Keselowski. The Penske Racing driver returns to his Nationwide Series duties for the first time in four weeks following an August 3d test session accident on a road course that left him with a very painful fractured left ankle. All season long Keselowski has been running the full schedule in both the Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series. That, of course, was deterred after the accident.
Penske Racing lined up some high quality replacement from their talent pool to fill the seat for Keselowski’s Nationwide Series Dodge. That talent roster included Kurt Busch, Sam Hornish Jr, Jacques Villeneuve and Parker Kligerman. During the short fill in time this quartet of drivers turned in one win, two top ten finishes and two poles.
On the Sprint Cup side, Keselowski has been red hot. He’s currently in 11th in the points, with three wins, and that guarantees him at least a wild card berth in the series’ Chase For The Championship. With two races left, before the Chase line up is officially set, Keselowski could possibly get into the top ten which means he would be eligible for the bonus points for his wins and that would guarantee a high seed position in the Chase.
While the healing process for his fractured ankle is on track, one has to wonder if this is a good time for Penske Racing to put Keselowski back into their Nationwide Series car. With his Chase status now a certainty, why take the chance of something happening Saturday night that could re injure his foot? It just makes more sense to keep this driver out of the Nationwide car until it’s time for the Chase to start.
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THE RACE BREAKDOWN
The Great Clips 300 is 195 laps/300miles around the Atlanta Motor Speedway’s 1.54 mile, very fast, quad oval.
The race has 45 entries vying for the 43 starting berths and the winner’s share of the $942,000 plus race purse.
15 of those entries are on the go or go home list meaning they are not guaranteed a starting berth in the race because they are currently outside of the top 30 in the series’ owner’s points. These teams will have to rely on qualifying speeds to make the race. The lone exception here is driver Jeff Green who has the option of using a past champion’s provisional.
Saturday’s Great Clips 300 will be broadcast live by the ESPN2 Network with the “NASCAR Countdown” show beginning at 7 pm eastern time.
The hot 20 over the past 10 – If Tony is upset with his performance, imagine what he thinks of Junior’s
Tony Stewart feels his team is running so bad that if they make the Chase they will just be taking a spot away from someone more deserving. That might be how he really feels, but if he isn’t deserving, then what can you say about Dale Earnhardt Jr?
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[/media-credit]Hey, Junior’s my guy, but we have to face facts here. He might be 9th in the standings, but over the past ten events the #88 crew has not exactly been charging up the ladder. If you want to feel sorry for a guy, how about Joey Logano. He has the 7th best record in recent weeks, but those first five races of the year, when he could not even bust a Top Twenty, keeps him from contending now.
I love my mother, but I’m pretty sure I won’t ever see her on Dancing With the Stars. I’m sure my eyes will never glimpse her bungee jumping, walking a tightrope, or winning a Sprint Cup title this fall. I don’t see that last one coming to fruition for Junior either. Over the last ten events, driving to make the Chase, with everything on the line, he is 24th. That does not exactly instill one with the confidence to slap down a wager.
Junior missed the Top Twenty at Daytona in February, but it wasn’t until June when he suffered that same fate again. At the time, he was third in the standings, but slipped after his 41st place the next outing at Sonoma. Before Michigan he had eight Top Tens; since he has just one. In those past ten events Junior’s average finish has been 19th. If Tony Stewart is not good enough to be in the Chase, then I would expect Dale Earnhardt Jr to slide out of contention for the crown quickly, and quietly.
Here is a look at our hot 20 over the past ten, along with where they are currently ranked in the official standings…
1 (5) Jeff Gordon – 371 pts (0-3-7)
Jimmie has five, Jeff wants five.
2 (1) Kyle Busch – 369 pts (2-6-7)
Thirteen Top Fives. 13!!
3 (3) Matt Kenseth – 350 pts (0-3-6)
Might not be Mr. Excitement, but still on track to become Mr. Two-time.
4 (7) Ryan Newman – 345 pts (1-4-6)
Oh boo-hoo, it has to be tough to be with Stewart-Haas.
5 (11) Brad Keselowski – 344 pts (2-4-7)
Wins will get him in, but this boy has a few points to make.
6 (2) Jimmie Johnson – 344 pts (0-5-7)
Two more races to tinker, then it is back to business
7 (18) Joey Logano – 309 pts (0-3-4)
Maybe too late for this year, but good signs for the season ahead.
8 (4) Carl Edwards – 303 pts (0-3-5)
Is this the year?
9 (6) Kevin Harvick – 301 pts (0-0-3)
Like Jimmie, like Carl, the real deal will be at Chicago and beyond.
10 (10) Tony Stewart – 293 pts (0-1-4)
If this is bad, imagine what good would be like.
11 (14) A.J. Allmendinger – 293 pts (0-0-1)
Out of a Chase place since the Bristol disaster last March.
12 (8) Kurt Busch – 292 pts (1-2-4)
It was not good, but at least Bristol was better than Pocono and the Glen.
13 (17) Martin Truex Jr – 287 pts (0-2-4)
A pair of Top Fives in last three beats memories of Martinsville, Texas, Daytona…
14 (15) Kasey Kahne – 285 pts (0-1-3)
Easy to move to where the grass is greener when they sell the farm.
15 (22) Marcos Ambrose – 279 pts (1-2-4)
Can a win at Atlanta mean a million bucks AND a place in the Chase?
16 (20) Paul Menard – 270 pts (1-2-4)
Things were looking up until they went down the hole the past three weeks.
17 (12) Clint Bowyer – 269 pts (0-1-3)
Seeking a new deal, but what he really needs are two great starts.
18 (13) Denny Hamlin – 264 pts (1-2-3)
Needs a win.
19 (21) David Ragan – 257 pts (1-1-2)
See above.
20 (16) Greg Biffle – 255 pts (0-0-2)
You run 20th or worse ten times, including the past three, and you get this.
22 (19) Mark Martin – 250 pts (0-1-3)
Of course, in Hollywood, a writer has Mark winning the next two.
24 (9) Dale Earnhardt Jr – 246 pts (0-0-1)
Got a new contract, but we want the old Junior back (circa 2008)
25 (25) Regan Smith – 241 pts (0-0-1)
Winning is now the only thing, and he might need two.
NOTES FROM THE NASCAR NATION: A TAILGATE PARTY AT HOT ‘LANTA
The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will be bringing their high energy brand of tailgate party to the Atlanta Motor Speedway for Friday night’s running of the Good Sam Club 200. The truck series will join their Nationwide and Sprint Cup counterparts for the massive NASCAR weekend at Atlanta. Don’t be too surprised if the truck brigade turns out to be the class act of the entire weekend. It certainly wouldn’t be the first time that happened.
THE STORY BREAKDOWN
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[/media-credit]During the SPEED Channel coverage of the NASCAR Camping Word Truck Series event at Atlanta, you will hear a lot of speculation regarding Kevin Harvick Inc and their future in the truck series. The speculation says they may be severely limiting, if not even completing shutting down, the truck side of their operation and, yes, that could mean four time series champion Ron Hornaday Jr could be looking for a ride next year. Remember this is only speculation and nothing is official until we hear a formal announcement from Kevin and DeLana Harvick which could be coming next week. As far as the Atlanta race goes KHI will field three trucks with Sprint Cup driver Clint Bowyer in their number 2 truck. Nelson Piquet Jr will be in his #8 with Hornaday in his traditional #33 business as usual.
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The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will be bringing a very tight points battle to Atlanta featuring a series veteran and two young hopefuls who seeking NASCAR gold at the end of the season. Thorsport Racing veteran Johnny Sauter leads the current standings with 61 points. However, that lead is only seven markers ahead of Turner Motorsports’ James Buescher. The presence of this young driver in the championship profile is especially impressive because he missed the series’ race at Phoenix and had to work hard all season to eradicate that deficit. Third in the standings is Red Horse Racing’s Timothy Peters who is only 15 points out of first.
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There are four previous Atlanta winners entered in Friday night’s race: Todd Bodine, Kyle Busch, Ryan Newman and Ron Hornaday Jr. From this group, only Busch is a multiple Atlanta winner having won there four times with the last trip to victory lane dating back to 2009.
Over the years the truck series at Atlanta has displayed a tendency to create some very close finishes. Nine of the last 11 events has featured margin of victories of 0.971 seconds or less. The closest ever Atlanta truck finish came in March of 2005 when Ron Hornaday Jr led Bobby Labonte under the checkers with a margin of 0.008 seconds. It remains as the fifth closest decision in series history.
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Sprint Cup Chase contender Ryan Newman will be making a guest appearance in Friday night’s truck behind the wheel of the #08 Realtree/Brandt Chevrolet for Turner Motorsports. This race entry is a celebration of life in honor of Beau Slocumb, an employee of Turner Motorsports and former driver, who tragically passed away due to cancer at the age of 26. Newman first met Slocumb while on a fishing trip at his house. The pair quickly became lifelong friends. Slocumb’s passion, beyond racing, was hunting and fishing. Turner Motorsports and Realtree had the Chevrolet truck wrapped with a camouflage design in his honor and stenciled his name above the passenger window. In recent days it was announced by the team that any purse money won from the Atlanta race will be donated to Mrs Slocumb.
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Driver Johanna Long will be making her truck series debut at Atlanta Friday night. Her #20 Panhandle Motorsports Toyota will be “Paw Paw Powered.” That phrase will be turned into a decal and placed on her truck in honor of her “Paw Paw”,(Grandfather). Explaining the special tribute, Long said “I’m racing in honor of my Paw Paw this weekend. He’s been battling liver disease for awhile and is still staying strong, so I want this race to be for him. He’s the one who has given me the opportunity to do what I love from the beginning of my career, and he has been my biggest supporter. Every lap I take around the Atlanta Motor Speedway will be for him.”
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THE RACE BREAKDOWN
The Good Sam Club 200 is 130 laps/200.2 miles around the Atlanta Motor Speedway’s massive 1.54 mile quad oval.
The race has 37 entries vying for the 36 starting berths. Ten of those entries are on the go or go home list meaning they are not guaranteed a start in the race because they are currently outside of the series’ top 25 in owner’s points. These teams will have to rely on qualifying speed to make the race.
Friday’s Good Sam Club 200 will be broadcast live by the SPEED Channel beginning with qualifying at 5 pm eastern time. The pre race show will be aired at 730 pm eastern.
