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Dale Earnhardt Jr. Moves In With A Champion

By
SM Staff
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After three years in a downward spiral at Hendrick Motorsports, one might think Dale Earnhardt Jr. might want to flee the organization, but Rick Hendrick is apparently ready to do what he promised with major changes within the organization.

 

[media-credit name=”Barry Albert” align=”alignleft” width=”300″][/media-credit]Earnhardt Jr. will be moving into the Jimmie Johnson No. 48 shop with Steve Letarte becoming his crew chief.  Jeff Gordon and Mark Martin will be housed together with Alan Gustafson doing crew duties for Gordon and Lance McGrew heading Martin’s team.

The first season, 2008, held so much promise with Rick Hendrick saying he wanted to be the one to give Junior a championship.  Perhaps even the driver of the Amp Energy/National Guard No. 88 believed that to be possible.

From 2008 his stint at HMS has been on a slippery slope with McGrew coming on board as crew chief midway through the 2009 season.  The year turned out to be Earnhardt Jr‘s. worst ever.   He finished 25th in points at the end of 2009.

Along comes the 2010 season and hopes of a turnaround surfacing during Speedweeks at Daytona.  For part of the season Earnhardt Jr. was a bottom feeder of the top-12 in points, but then the ball of hope began to unravel as the season’s second half unfolded.  

Earnhardt ended this season 21st in points.  He had asked Rick Hendrick to not make any changes until the season came to an end.  It almost looked liked Junior was willing to keep McGrew and wasn’t going to request a change.  He said, “I’ve dove into those deals headfirst in the past.  I obviously haven’t had too good of an effect on the last couple changes I’ve made.”

Despite proclamations that Earnhardt Jr. and McGrew were friends, which they may be, it was obvious the communication between the two was very much lacking.

Now Junior will be living in the 48/88 garage, a place we never thought we would see him reside.  Hope will rise again, as at long last Hendrick has made the move that on the surface looks like he is serious about trying to give the driver of the No. 88 a chance at a championship.

Earnhardt has a chance to prove he can win and maybe even run for the title.  It won’t be because he doesn’t have the equipment or the right crew chief.  For Junior, the excuses will be over next season.  Junior Nation will collectively hold it’s breath until Speedweeks 2011 rolls around.

Rick Hendrick — Whatever It Takes To Win

By
SM Staff
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If there was ever any doubt as to the reason and the goal in the changes announced at Hendrick Motorsports yesterday afternoon, Rick Hendrick put them to bed today. His goal and the goal of everyone at HMS is to be the very best. Being the very best sometimes means that one must give up the comfort of the usual for the uncertainty of what is best. Mr. Hendrick stated that despite Jimmie Johnson winning the championship, the team as a whole was not where they wanted or needed to be during the 2011 season. He stated that they had gotten behind in their development of the car and then the wing to the spoiler change left them 6 to 8 weeks further behind. “It’s the nature of this business if you stub your toe or falter; the competition is all over you. The spoiler change benefited some of the teams. It really hurt us.”

[media-credit name=”CIA Stock Photo” align=”alignright” width=”300″][/media-credit]Hendrick was asked if the change was intended to help Dale Earnhardt Jr and in the process left Mark Martin holding the short end of the stick. He was emphatic in his answer that he had made a commitment to Mark Martin and he could, “have all the stick he wanted.” He explained that the changes were made to benefit everyone on the team and that the change had actually been in the works since Texas. He reaffirmed his belief in Dale Jr saying, “I still believe that if we give him what he needs he can win races and championships. Our goal is to make that happen.”

He explained that the changes were made based on personalities of the drivers and crew chiefs involved. Giving the example that Lance McGrew and Mark Martin were both very technically oriented so that they spoke the same language. With the help of Chris Heroy, who was the team engineer for Martin in 2009, he felt that this combination would benefit not only Mark but the entire organization.

Jeff and Alan Gustafson had the same laid back type of personality. Gustafson, he commented “doesn’t say much but he does what it takes to get the job done, much like Gordon.”

Letarte he said already had a relationship with Dale Jr. “Steve and Tony Jr are best friends and Steve actually brought Tony Jr in for the first tour.” He commented that several times Letarte had brought to his attention things with Dale that when corrected or implemented brought about a favorable change almost immediately. Letarte he noted had made the chase all but one year since becoming a crew chief and had been in the heat of competition every year. It was his opinion that being in the shop with Chad and Jimmie would help Dale Jr to regain his confidence which he felt had been damaged early on.

He did clarify the exchanges by saying that “only the drivers seats, numbers and sponsors changed” the teams would remain as they were. Including pit crews which in the case of the 24 and 48 had reverted back to their original crew chiefs. He did say however, that there would be “new faces in new places” in some cases. It is well known that HMS crew members are not guaranteed a pit crew spot from year to year and audition for those jobs, thus it will not be surprising to find new members on pit crews across the board at HMS.

When asked about the rumor that Ron Malec, car chief for the 48 was going to be moved into a crew chief position, Mr. Hendrick stated, that Ron was comfortable and content where he was, and that there was never any intention on the part of Hendrick Motorsports to move Malec into a crew chief position with anyone. If and when Ron was ready to move up the ladder certainly that opportunity would be made available to him within the organization.

He also addressed the Kasey Kahne/Kenny Francis situation stating that he felt that Jeff and Kasey would be great team mates and that Kenny Francis and Alan Gustafson would work well together.

Rick Hendrick stated that when this was announced yesterday at the shops it was intended to rekindle the competitive spark in the teams as well as in the drivers and crew chiefs. It was not announced previously to them although all involved had been asked what they felt would help the organization as a whole. He was pleased that for the first time, his announcement was not scooped by the press but was in fact a surprise to all. When asked what the drivers responses were he stated, “They are all team players and want to do what it takes to win and be competing for championships.”

A little background on the three crew chiefs involved in switch finds that Alan Gustafson has been involved in racing since age 8, turning wrenches on Casey Yunicks go karts. He is a mechanical engineer who has been with HMS for 11 years and has held positions all over the company including chassis engineer, shock specialist and lead engineer for the 5 car then driven by series champion Terry Labonte. Gustafson has worked with Kyle Busch, Terry Labonte, and Mark Martin. He is regarded highly with in the garage area as one of the most gifted crew chiefs in the business.

Steve Letarte has been with HMS for 16 years and is a Ray Evernham protégé. He has held the positions of Car Chief, tire specialist and mechanic within the organization. Since becoming a crew chief, Letarte has only missed the chase one year. His worse chase finish was 7th and his best was 2nd in 2007 with two years in the 3rd spot. Known for being a people person, Letarte’s communication and motivational skills make him a huge asset on any team.

Lance McGrew has been with HMS for 12 years. He has an extensive background in the NWS/BGN levels of competition. He also served as Ricky Hendrick’s crew chief in the then Craftsmen Truck Series. He has won in the NWS with Brian Vickers, Kyle Busch and Tony Stewart. He has one Sprint Cup win with Mark Martin in 2009. Mainly the research and development guru, McGrew helped develop the Impala SS for HMS and served as crew chief for its R&D team. In 2009 he became interim then permanent crew chief on the #88 driven by Dale Earnhardt Jr. McGrew is known for his technical expertise in the field of Research and Development.

Within the massive resource center that is Hendrick Motorsports exists the fire and the drive to be the champion. Each of the four teams works diligently to try and make that champion their team. But the big picture is never out of view. The championship stays at Hendrick Motorsports regardless of what that takes. Every member of every team knows that is the goal. The celebration will be no bigger for one bringing it home than another. Every member of the team whether driver or crew chief or mechanic is aware that the needs of the team as a whole out weigh the needs of the single team within the whole, it is that philosophy that has brought no less than 13 championships home to HMS. It is that philosophy that will continue to make HMS a dominant force for years to come.

Earnhardt Jr., Gordon and Martin Get New Crew Cheifs and Crews for 2011

By
SM Staff
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Rick Hendrick announced yesterday that he would be switching the crew chiefs up at Hendrick Motorsports to benefit all four teams.

[media-credit name=”Simon Scoggins” align=”alignleft” width=”300″][/media-credit]The championship combination of Jimmie Johnson and Chad Knaus will remain together with the No. 48 team. Also, Knaus would get his original No. 48 crew back. Though changes will be made to the team via the struggles they went through this past year.

The rest of the teams would then be swapped aroumd.

Mark Martin will work with Lance McGrew, who was crew chief for Dale Earnhardt Jr. this past year.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. will work with Steve LeTarte, who was crew chief for Jeff Gordon this past year.

Jeff Gordon will work with Alan Gustafson, who was crew chief for Mark Martin this past year.

In a sense, Hendrick is cycling the “drivers” around as he calls it to “improve the organization across the board”. Hendrick clarified today that the drivers are just moving around as each crew chief will keep their core members in place.

Basically, you’ll have the same crew chief, car chief, crew members and shop members, yet different driver, number and sponsors on each team.

With this swap, the “248″ and the “5/88″ shop will now become the “48/88″ and the “5/24″ shops via the swap of drivers within the two buildings.

Today, Hendrick held a press conference at 10a.m. EST to talk about the changes to the media.

Hendrick said that you ”never know until you try. Staying where you are is not going to make you that much better.”

When it was announced that there’d be a new crew chief for Earnhardt Jr. a couple weeks ago, some people pointed towards Ron Malec, car chief on the No. 48 team. Hendrick discounted doing that, saying Malec is helping to write history there, is happy in his current position and doesn’t want to move up at this time.

Malec and Johnson have worked together for years, before NASCAR, so it doesn’t make sense to have them seperate via their friendship. Also, Knaus has stated that he only wants to be a crew chief for five to eight more years, so he currently may be putting Malec through the training to take over his role if Johnson chooses to drive beyond that point.

Hendrick made the choice to bring LeTarte over to Earnhardt Jr. instead as LeTarte is best friends with both Earnhardt and has already brought observations to the table that he wasn’t aware of. Hendrick noted their team debriefs where LeTarte made observations about Earnhardt.

Hendrick went on to say that, “I feel like Letarte is a seasoned crew chief. He has been in every Chase, he’s never missed one.”

He also noted that “he’s got some broad shoulders. Jeff gets excited on radio, too. Stevie works through that.” in reference to the fact that Earnhardt can be a handful at times. He added that, “”Steve is a leader and he is a no nonsense guy when it comes to racing. Stevie will be the perfect person for Dale Jr.”

A lot of people have noted that Earnhardt needed someone he could connection on a “people-connection” level, and Hendrick said that “LeTarte, out of all the crew chiefs, is more of a people person. He is very smart, but has a tremendous personality.”

Though Hendrick was quick to note that the problems on the No. 24 team weren’t due to LeTarte, yet due to “being dumped by Busch & Burton & then losing a motor.”

Hendrick went on to add, with reference to the No. 88 team, that he has never had a more perplexing challenge as Dale Jr., though vows to get the team right and fulfill his promise.

“I knew when I brought Junior on that the world was watching and we needed to make it right for him.” Hendrick said.

With that extending over to Gustafson now going with Gordon, Hendrick said, “Alan with an engineering background is very technical, not a lot of talk – all business. I think that fits Jeff well.”

Fans have had numerous theories and one discussed is some people have argued that Mark Martin is getting the short end of the stick as he’s getting what some call the weakest link of the organization. Some say this is due to Mark Martin leaving at the end of the year. Hendrick countered this saying, “I talked to Mark and asked him for his help. He has one more year in our organization. We have to look down the road. I have made a commitment to Mark Martin. The make up of what he’s going to have next year is mostly what he had in 2009.

“”We’re not going to have a lame-duck situation. We’re going to go for wins and championships.

“We’re going to do whatever it takes for Mark Martin to win races and have the opportunity to go for the championship again. Mark’s not getting the short end of the stick. He’s gonna get all the stick he wants. And that comes from me.”

Hendrick also said, “Lance is a technician. Mark Martin is a guy that understands chassis as well as anyone I’ve ever listened to on the radio.

“I have total confidence in Lance and Chris (Heroy, lead engineer). With Mark’s tech expertise with those 2 guys. Will be a match that surprises a lot of ppl.”

Heroy has worked along side Martin before as he worked with Martin and Gustafson in 2009, yet was moved to the No. 88 team for 2010 to help improve them.

In looking at the changes as a whole, Hendrick is just placing those together whom he feels have the best connection to therefore create the best situation for the team overall.

Lastly, some people have questioned Hendrick bringing championship crew chief Ray Evernham back in the picture at the team now that he has no connection to Richard Petty Motorsports. Hendrick said that wasn’t the case as Evernham isn’t looking for a full-time role.

“I can see Ray being involved with us in many areas,” Hendrick said. “I’m sure Ray and I will be doing something together.”

Hendrick added that him and Evernham have been in discussions, though they center more towards maybe producing high performance parts together.

Sweeping Changes at HMS

By
SM Staff
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It seemed inevitable when 2 out of 4 teams struggled desperately and a third struggled to hold it’s own, the Rick Hendrick would not be a happy man. It is likely that many felt the changes would not come until after the Championship victory celebration. But that was not the case. Today Hendrick Motorsports announced sweeping changes within it’s organization.

[media-credit name=”CIA Stock Photo” align=”alignleft” width=”300″][/media-credit]Personnel adjustments in preparation for the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season, were made with drivers Mark Martin, Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr. being teamed with new crew chiefs.

Below are the driver-crew chief pairings for each Hendrick Motorsports car, effective immediately:

No. 5 Chevrolet

Driver: Mark Martin

Crew Chief: Lance McGrew

No. 24 Chevrolet

Driver: Jeff Gordon

Crew Chief: Alan Gustafson

No. 48 Chevrolet

Driver: Jimmie Johnson

Crew Chief: Chad Knaus

No. 88 Chevrolet

Driver: Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Crew Chief: Steve Letarte

The cars of Martin and four-time Sprint Cup champion Gordon will be fielded out of the same facility, now known as the 5/24 shop. Earnhardt Jr.’s Chevrolets will be prepared out of the renamed 48/88 shop alongside those of five-time and defending Cup champion Jimmie Johnson.

“This will improve us as an organization, across the board,” said Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports. “We had a championship season (in 2010), but we weren’t

Lose the ‘Chase’ before we lose more fans

By
SM Staff
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When Brian France first introduced the new points system after the 2003 NASCAR season my response was this, “This is not going to be a good thing for the sport because the actual champion wouldn’t win.”

I have always maintained a personal belief that the person who earns the most points over the entire 36 race schedule should be hoisting the championship trophy at the end of the season, not the guy who did the best over the final 10 races.

Congratulations to Jimmie Johnson, Chad Knaus, and everyone at Hendrick Motorsports for their five consecutive Chase titles, but in my opinion they are not 5x champions. Do not get me wrong. Jimmie Johnson is a fantastic race car driver. He has won 53 races in 9 years, but 5 championships is an over exaggeration.

It is not just the economy that is driving NASCAR fans away. A lot of fans drove away from the sport when they lost old school traditional drivers, such as Rusty Wallace and Dale Jarrett.

The new car has not made the racing anymore exciting. The cars are so identical that no team can really gain an edge unless they really come close to the boundaries. Unfortunately for drivers, like Clint Bowyer, there is a risk that comes with pushing the limits and they were caught and Bowyer received an 150 point penalty, which effectively ended his championship hopes. While NASCAR will never have attendance like the NFL, we could be doing better than we are now. The NFL has no problems putting people in the stands. You do not see Roger Goodell making a points system that gives the team with the most points scored offensively an automatic berth in the Super Bowl. The Patriots would win in that scenario with 289 points, but they have the same record as the Atlanta Falcons (8-2). Falcons have allowed 192 points on defense and the Patriots have 242. It probably won’t happen, but a system like that is similar to NASCAR.

NASCAR fans do not want to see the championship come down to a lottery, as Ryan Newman said it. NASCAR fined Ryan Newman for those comments. The old system was the way to go and NASCAR has transformed it completely backward. The only change I would make to the old system is the 10 extra bonus points for a win. This in my opinion would make the championship more exciting. Now, some of you are probably saying, “It was more exciting!! Look at the point differential!” It is not about the point differential. It is about how the points system should be! Kevin Harvick had a tremendous year and would have beaten out Jimmie Johnson by 285 points for his first title. He was four top-tens away from tying Jeff Gordon for the modern record. Consistency wins championships.

Let me just give you a glimpse on how the record book should be since the implementation of the Chase in 2004.

2004 Winner Jeff Gordon(5th Championship) Runner-Up Jimmie Johnson (-47)

2005 Winner Tony Stewart Won Either Way (2nd Championship) Runner-Up Greg Biffle (-215)

2006 Winner Jimmie Johnson Either Way (1st Championship) Runner-Up Matt Kenseth (-4)

Yes that is one position that decided the championship! Johnson deserved that title. He came from behind and his team never gave up! Congratulations to them!

2007 Winner Jeff Gordon (6th Championship) Runner-Up Jimmie Johnson (-353)

2008 Winner Carl Edwards Runner-Up Jimmie Johnson (-16)

2009 Winner Jimmie Johnson(2nd Championship) Runner-Up Jeff Gordon (-66)

2010 Winner Kevin Harvick Runner-Up Jimmie Johnson (-285)

[media-credit name=”Simon Scoggins” align=”alignleft” width=”300″][/media-credit]Jimmie Johnson has won two championships in five years! That is still good for a guy that started in 2002.

Brian France needs to step back on his Chase changes comments and just go back to the old system. I assure everyone that is reading this that it will bring the traditional fans back. They are not happy with that they see right now. Now, with a championship under his belt, Kevin Harvick is ready to defend it in 2011. Carl Edwards is coming off two consecutive wins to close out 2010 and of course you always have to watch out for Jimmie Johnson.

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!

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