HOT

1.   Kyle Busch – Rowdy just cannot be stopped.  Not by angry Junior Nation, glowing brake rotors, the most “pathetic race car”, bad glue on the lug nuts resulting in bad pit stops and especially not by the wall!   He came from 23rd to take the lead for good on lap 304 despite many of the drivers saying it was “impossible to pass” at Darlington.  He led the most laps on his way to victory and extended his points lead.  He is Hot.  Period.

2.   Roush Fenway Racing- Carl Edwards came from 36th to finish second Saturday at Darlington, David Ragan finished fifth and broke into the Top 12 in points for the first time ever.  Finally, Matt Kenseth had a good run and came home sixth and Jamie McMurray, one of the few without a Darlington stripe, brought it home 11th.  They all reported front end vibrations but they must have been good, good, good…good vibrations!

3.  Half of Hendrick Motorsports- Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. both led laps and struggled with tight race cars, but used  good pit strategy and clean racing to finish third and fourth, respectively.  Junior retained third place in the point standings while Gordon moved to 10th overall.   Both drivers were clearly frustrated with top-five finishes and that is a good sign for fans of the No. 24 and No. 88.  Can they revert The Chase strategy again and get the Championship with consistency alone?  Stay tuned...

4.  Travis Kvapil- Racing a retro No. 28 LaFayette Ford paint scheme made famous by Fred Lorenzen in the 1960’s, Kvapil kept it up front Saturday, got his Darlington stripe, and finished an impressive eighth.  This talented young driver is less than 100 points out of 12th in the standings and the lone hope for Yates Racing.

5.  Dave Blaney- The driver of the No. 22 Caterpillar Toyota missed the Talladega Cup race just 2 weeks ago, had a strong top 20 run last weekend at Richmond and improved even more as he finished in the top 10 under the lights at Darlington.  With weekly improvements like these, he might just pull it into Victory Lane one of these races.

NOT

1.   Elliott Sadler – Took out fan favorite Tony Stewart on lap 2with an uncharacteristic rookie mistake, but at least he took responsibility for it.  Sadler finished 42nd and is mired way back in 28th in the point standings.   His McDonald’s sponsor can’t be loving it.  

2.   Greg Biffle – The record-breaking polesitter led early and even went for a long, exciting slide thanks to Kyle Busch—leading him to predict that Shrub wouldn’t be there in the end.  Alas, it was Biffle who wouldn’t make it all the way as his engine expired on lap 235.  He finished the day in last place, the only Roush Fenway driver to not finish in the top 12 at Darlington. 

3.  Part of Penske- Ryan Newman had pit road problems all night.  First, a tire violation, then he missed pit road, and finally, got nailed by Brian Vickers entering pit road. He finished 37th and fell out of the Top 12 in points.  Sam Hornish Jr. got heavy right side damage on lap 12 after he blew a right front tire.   He gave the Lady in Black more kisses than any other driver out there and finished 38th.  One bright spot – Kurt Busch was the highest finishing Dodge on Saturday (12th ).   

4.  Kyle Petty – No argument here that Kyle Petty is the most charitable driver in NASCAR, but he is quickly becoming a charity case in the races.  On Saturday night, Petty hit the wall on lap 9, was in the garage by lap 16, and finished 41st.  He is well outside the Top 35 in points, and needs to take a good hard look at his decision to continue racing.

5.  Kevin Harvick – Happy took one of the hardest licks on Saturday night as his No. 29 Shell Chevy snapped loose on lap 46, and he spent the rest of the race in and out of the garage to finish 39th.   He dropped four spots in the standings to ninth and increased his winless streak to 46 races.  

Check out the Hot or Not photo gallery here:
http://msn.foxsports.com/nascar/pgStory?contentId
=8132468

 

 My weekly picks are dedicated to the memory of Cindi Redding who was respected and loved by all who knew her, especially her friends in the FOXSports.com community.

 

 

HOT

1. Clint Bowyer- Took the lead in his No. 07 BB&T Chevy just before the yellow flag with two laps left in “regulation” and survived the green-white-checker finish score his second career Sprint Cup Series victory Saturday night at Richmond.   As a result, Bowyer is up to fourth in the point standings and his Richard Childress Racing teammates are right there with him in the Top 5.  Championship contenders? You can bank on it. 

2. The Rivalry- Kyle Busch v. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. – With a breathtaking move, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kyle Busch split Denny Hamlin late in the race as they both caught a glimmer of hope for victory.   Junior and Rowdy were racing hard and clean until one Big Mo’ with three laps to go when the No 18 slid into and turned the No 88 ending Junior’s hopes for a win and drawing the wrath of Jr. Nation.   This rivalry is now boiling, look for payback, and remember that AMP and M&M’s don’t go all that well together. 

3. Denny Hamlin- Was putting on a clinic at his hometown track Saturday night as he set a track record for most laps ever led at Richmond (381) until a slow leak in his right front tire ruined his night.  Hamlin clearly tried for a caution to avoid going a lap down but NASCAR was hip to his plan and parked him for a two lap penalty.   Hamlin finished 24th , but to dominate an impound race like he did was impressive.  A nod must go to his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate, Tony Stewart who quietly finished fourth. 

4. Mark Martin- Driving the same No 8 Army Chevy he drove at Phoenix, Martin ran second much of the night and raced hard at the end to finish third.  With the success he has been enjoying driving part time, I think Martin has paved the way for a new kind of “retirement” for drivers.  Another nod must also go to his Dale Earnhardt Inc. teammate, Martin Truex, Jr. who had a strong run and finished fifth. 

5. Jeff Gordon – Started dead last and was lapped early, but Gordon and his No 24 Dupont Chevy team showed tremendous perseverance throughout the night and ended up with a ninth place finish.  Even with all his struggles this year, Gordon sits only six points out of 12th in the Sprint Cup standings.  That is not a good sign for the competition.

NOT 

1.   Jimmie Johnson- The Sprint Cup Champion is still not in good form as he ran mid-pack most of the race, was lapped halfway through and then got  wrecked “pretty damn bad” in the “big one” according to his crew chief, Chad Knaus.   Johnson finished 10 laps down in 30th and fell two spots in the points to seventh.  If this is the best they’ve got, there will be no three-peat. 

2. Michael Waltrip – Spent much of the race kissing the outside wall until he finally knocked a screw loose, wrecked Casey Mears, and then proceeded to ram the No 5 car all the way down the backstretch in a fit of insanity.  NASCAR parked Waltrip for the rest of the race. I would expect penalties and a trip to his anger management consultant later this week. 

3.  Patrick Carpentier – The former open-wheel star had a promising start from the fourth spot but couldn’t hang with the leaders.  Carpentier was holding his own until he became the ping-pong ball portion of the wreck started by JJ Yeley on lap 230.  Carpentier took several hard licks as he got hit on all sides but also had to put up with DW calling him “Pat”…if that’s not a bad day, I don’t know what is. 

4.  Kurt Busch – The No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge left the track on the back of a wrecker after more bad luck.  Kurt Busch had worked his way up to 12th before getting caught in the “big wreck” resulting in his second DNF and falling to 24th in the point standings.   Saturday’s finish had to Taste Awful and was certainly Less (ful) Filling. 

5. Matt Kenseth – Another driver sorely in need of some good racing luck, Kenseth was also caught up in the “big wreck” Saturday night at Richmond.  He avoided a DNF but ended up 65 laps down in 38th and fell to 22nd in points.  Now that Robbie Reiser got Carl Edwards solidly in the Top 12 its time to come save his little buddy.   

 

Check out the Hot or Not photo gallery here:  http://msn.foxsports.com/nascar/story/8110066/Kl
valus'-Hot-or-Not:-Richmond

 My weekly picks are dedicated to the memory of Cindi Redding who was respected and loved by all who knew her, especially her friends in the FOXSports.com community.

HOT 

1.  Kyle Busch- Even Rowdy thought he was out of it early in the Aaron's 499 as he radioed, "We are in trouble." That was way before he missed his pit stall and went one lap down thanks to a block on pit road by teammate Denny Hamlin. Busch still had to tangle with Jamie McMurray in a 200 mph grudge match before he finally took the lead with 10 to go and never looked back until he got one sweet victory. 

2.  Denny Hamlin – The most aggressive driver on Sunday, Denny Hamlin spent most of the day teaming up and pushing his competitors to the lead in a brilliant show of "co-opitition." The driver of the No 11 FedEx Toyota did, however, annoy his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch on several occasions and made a bad move at the end. Still, he finished third and moved up two spots in the point standings to fourth with his performance. 

3.  Juan Pablo Montoya- The former Formula One driver had a "Juanderful" day with new crew chief, Jimmy Elledge, as they adjusted his No. 42 Juicy Fruit Dodge throughout the race and got it best at the end. Montoya raced clean, chewing up his rivals and spitting them out to finish second. He moved into the coveted 12th spot in the standings and was named a beautiful person in People en Espanol's Top 50. Caliente! 

4.   David Ragan – Continues to make a name for himself at Roush Fenway Racing as he kept his No. 6 AAA Ford up front all day long and finished an impressive fourth. He is up to 15th in the point standings and didn't even need to call on his sponsor to fix up a broken car. 

5.  The Car- After the über-boring COT debut at Talladega Superspeedway last October which showcased follow-the-leader racing, I was very worried Sunday was going to be no different. Thankfully, I was thrilled by how racy the car was, allowing for two-, three- and often times four-wide racing safely. The car also seemed to be easier to get control of when it did get bent out of shape – allowing for several big wrecks to be avoided. Clearly the best new maneuver is the two car draft breakaway that could blow by the rest of the field. As Dale Earnhardt Jr. said "Rude!" but in a good way...  

NOT 

1.  Unhappy Cambers- Roush Fenway Racing teammates Matt Kenseth and Carl Edwards both had too much camber in the right front causing them both to blow tires and wreck. Kenseth ended up 38 laps down in 41st place while Edwards, who incurred his second hard lick in two days, finished 40th. 

2.  Dale Earnhardt Jr. – The "Pied Piper" of Talladega Superspeedway has now gone two full years since winning a points race to the dismay of Junior Nation. While he looked poised to contend for the win Sunday, Dale Jr. got sloppy and had a hand in both of the "big wrecks" late in the race, damaging his own car in the process. Earnhardt did manage to finish 10th and remains third in points, but definitely did not live up to the AMP'ed up hype late in the 188-lap event. 

3.  Tony Stewart – Tony Stewart had probably the strongest Toyota in the field Sunday as he led the most laps at Talladega, but a cut right front tire on his No. 20 Home Depot Toyota brought out the third caution. Later, Stewart battled back and tried a "Digger" impersonation during the "mini-big one," but his hole closed squeezing him into several other cars and sending him to the garage with a 38th place finish. Watching his teammates finish well has to irritate the veteran and may be more ammo to leave Joe Gibbs Racing at the end of his contract... 

4.  Kurt Busch- The No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge lost the draft early and ran one lap down much of the race. Busch finally got back on the lead lap courtesy of the "Lucky Dog" and was running with the leaders when he ended up wrecked with no where to go 15 laps from the finish. With a frustrating 39th place finish, Busch fell four spots to 20th in the point standings. This Penske team needs it to be Miller Time real soon.  

5.  Jeff Burton’s Pit Crew – First, the Sprint Cup Series points leader was sent to the back at the start of the race for a wiring problem. Then, several of his crew were hit by the No. 9 Bud car because they were standing in Kasey Kahne's pit stall during pit stops! Finally, his gasman didn't get the fuel tank full during one of the pit stops, causing Burton to have to return for service early. The driver of the No. 31 ABLEEPmp;T Chevrolet was hampered by his pit crew's mistakes but overcame them to finish 12th, allowing him to barely hang onto the points lead. The crew needs to put down those iPhones and pay attention! 

Check out the Hot or Not photo gallery here:  http://msn.foxsports.com/nascar/pgStory?contentI
d=8086330

 

My weekly picks are dedicated to the memory of Cindi Redding who was respected and loved by all who knew her, especially her friends in the FOXSports.com community.

 

This edition of what the heck is going on in these photos from the Phoenix garage focuses on interesting pairs of people...without further delay...here are the next set of pictures to caption!

(Ray Evernham and Martin Truex, Jr....hmmmmm)

(Mark Martin's crew chief ,Tony Gibson, and Dale Jr's crew chief Tony Eury, Jr.)

(Hollywood Hammond and David Ragan)

(Landon Cassill and unidentified person...)

You guys have been on fire with these, I expect great things again!  Have fun!  Oh, and I just updated the last blog with pictures to give you the real scoop.

Here are two more pictures from the garage area at Phoenix for you to guess what the heck is going on...I have edited the first blog to tell you what was really going on with Kurt and Tony.   Give these a try!

(In case you cannot tell...this is Kasey Kahne)

(here you find Dale Jr in the back, and Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin talking)

Give it your best shot!  Have fun! 

WHAT WAS REALLY GOING ON...

So the first shot was of Kasey talking on his cell phone outside his hauler about 2 hours before the race.  He sat out there for easily an hour on his phone flanked by two young girls who did not leave his side.  I didn't see him touch either of them in a GF kinda way (things still looking up for you YeeMum!).  More amazing, no one in the garages bothered him at all, it was a cold garage at the time so plenty of fans in there...

The second shot of Dale Jr, Kyle and Denny was taken in between practices on Friday.  Jr was engrossed in conversation with that crew member of Kyle's for a long time and he never acknowledged Kyle or Denny's presence.  Kyle and Denny definitely appeared to be comparing notes on setups and how their cars drove in practice.  Very unusual to get 3 drivers in one picture...there were cameramen and fans 5 people deep watching them like they were in a zoo.  I of course ducked down and crawled between 2 Fox camera guys to get the shot!

In an effort to keep us all entertained in the off weekend, I figured I would post a few pictures from my time in the garage at Phoenix and have you all use your creative minds to guess what is going on and caption it.   A big thanks to Miller Lite Racing for getting me those hot passes!!   So without further delay, I will start off with some easy ones!  Here are the first two:

I'll tell you what was really going on after you all have had a chance to chime in...I have enough pictures for lots of posts so hopefully I will get your favorite driver up here soon.  Have fun!

WHAT THE PICTURES REALLY ARE...

So the first one is of Kurt Busch with Sammy Hagar in between practice on Friday.  Kurt drove Sammy around the track in a pace car as he is apparently on a quest to scare all the members of Van Halen.  (He drove drove Eddie Van Halen around last year at PIR).   The shot is in Victory Lane, the bleachers are usually full of photographers.

The second picture is of Tony Stewart after the race with a couple of fans in front of the #20 team hauler in the garage area.  Tony was in the process of  signing the guy's orange shirt at the time.   Tony proceeded to walk right past me and I wanted to ask him to see his waxed back but since I was decked out in all Miller Lite garb I thought better of it!

This edition of Hot or Not is coming to you live from the pits courtesy of the Miller Lite Racing team!  A special thank you goes out to the #2 Brew Crew for hosting me again this weekend.

HOT

1.  Jimmie Johnson- A contender all night long who made the call himself to stay out and gamble on gas as he coasted all the way to Victory Lane.  The Lowes team is finally firing on all cylinders and might be on the verge of getting hotter than a jalapeno. 

2.  Richard Childress Racing – Jeff Burton started 39th and was collected in Newman’s oil spill but still managed to stay on the lead lap.  He and teammate Clint Bowyer both gambled on fuel and hit pay dirt with a second place finish for the No. 07 team and another sixth place finish for the No. 31 team as they leave the desert still leading the points.  

3.  Carl Edwards – Raced early for the lead but got caught a lap down mid-race and had a pit road violation when his team jumped off the wall too soon- they must have seen a rattlesnake!  Edwards was back in the Top 10 with 50 laps to go and brought it home an impressive fourth…told ya he would be riding high into the sunset. 

4.  Mark Martin – The wily veteran did his best roadrunner impression when he took the lead on lap 272 and looked to be in position to win but ended up fifth because they were one lap short on fuel.  Beep, Beep!

5.  Dale Earnhardt Jr. – Jr. led throughout and looked poised to finally end his winless streak but a tight race car and the need for fuel left him with a 7th place finish.  Jr. Nation looked like leapin’ lizards in the stands as he raced his old No. 8 car late in the running of the Subway Fit 500 and provided some of the most exciting racing on Saturday night. 

NOT 

1.  Matt Kenseth – Went one lap down 37 laps into the race and 5 laps later smacked the wall causing serious damage to the right front suspension.  The No. 17 DeWalt team missed the set up big time and Kenseth’s 300th start was snake bit. 

2.  Ryan Newman – The pole sitter went from first to worst (43rd) during the 312 lap Sprint Cup race Saturday night.  They could have filled the Grand Canyon with all the oil that spilled out of the No. 12 Alltel Dodge when Newman’s engine blew on lap 133.  Newman fell two more spots to 12th in the point standings. 

3.  Gillette Evernham Motorsports – The Valley of the Sun wasn’t much fun for GEM.  Elliott Sadler’s day started off promising from the outside pole but a blown engine gave him a 41st place finish.  His teammate Kasey Kahne fought a loose race car all day and brought out the 8th caution after he blew a tire, slapped the wall, and eventually finished 36th.    

4.  Joe Nemechek – Front Row Joe managed to qualify but didn’t race much as he blew a right front tire early and finished 40th.   The Furniture Row racing team is way outside the Top 35 in points and is feeling the heat….but at least it’s a dry heat! 

5.  Dodge- Of the eleven Dodge machines in the race, only Bobby Labonte finished inside the Top 15 on Saturday night.   Nine Dodges finished 20th or worse and three of those were in positions 41-43.  The manufacturers teams combined to experience two engine failures in cars that started on the front row, a brake problem and several wrecks.  Dodge started the year winning the Daytona 500 but they seem to be the weakest manufacturer in NASCAR now, even though they had two cars on the front row at Phoenix International Raceway.  Let’s hope as Dodge leaves Phoenix, they too can rise from the ashes. 

Check out the Hot or Not photo gallery here:  http://msn.foxsports.com/nascar/pgStory?contentId
=8035960

 My weekly picks are dedicated to the memory of Cindi Redding who was respected and loved by all who knew her, especially her friends in the FOXSports.com community.

Mysteriously one of my NOT awards has gone missing from this weekend's Subway Fit 500 Hot or Not article...luckily I have the original copy!  LOL    Here's what you would have missed...

FOX – The network’s commitment to show the end of the Yankee’s v. Red Sox’s game making NASCAR fans sit through endless foul balls and missing the promised green flag had fans howling like a pack of rabid coyotes. Yet more evidence the broadcasts need to use split screen technology on race day.  

 

Stay tuned Tuesday morning for the rest of Hot or Not from Phoenix!

Sorry for the delay updating you all from the garage on race day in Phoenix.  As many of you know, my family resides in Phoenix and after two long days at the track I finally got to see them! 

I arrived at the track around noon on Saturday and you could tell it was going to be a hot one.   The Miller Lite water cooler was being raided frequently not only by our crew but many of the neighboring ones as well.   Today our goal was to test the quality of the small video camera and shoot some interviews with the over the wall guys.   Last year I didn’t really have the opportunity to talk to them because they only fly in on race day and are usually quite busy.   The long day before the race provided a perfect opportunity to catch them this time around.

My Miller Lite boss and I headed out to pit road where the crew was setting up the pit box.  Lots of pit tours were happening and we talked tires with some fans from the Bay Area…hope you guys enjoyed the race!   We did an on camera interview with Travis, the newest member of the Miller Lite pit crew.  He is the rear tire changer and joined the team last July.   He told us about his schedule and the try out process at Penske as well as how he preps for pit stops.  We also got some great information from Larry, the rear tire carrier on little tricks they use on the tires to help them during the pit stops.  We did another video with Dave, the front tire carrier and the senior member on the crew.  He has been on the #2 pit crew for 7 years!   He had lots of insights and gave us a tour of the pit box and is going to help us create a “name that car part/equipment” game that we want to do for the Miller Lite website.   I will be doing more in depth blogs on the pit crew when the video comes out. 

Afterwards, we headed back to the garage and caught up with the crew working on the car.  I got a few more details and they let me take some pics that I had not had before like the chassis number on the inside roll bar.   I promise to get some pics up mid week!    

I also asked a veteran employee of Penske racing who has worked in NASCAR for many MANY years about the “Move Over” flag.  This blue with yellow stripped flag came into play several weeks ago when McDowell was in the way of the leaders.  NASCAR displays this flag when they want a car to “move over” and let the cars on the lead lap through, but it is not a mandatory flag.   The Penske employee said that NASCAR racing has always been based on respect and really it is up to the drivers to respect the leaders.   He said NASCAR will display the flag as a courtesy or a suggestion to “move over” and if that flag is ignored for too long, NASCAR will throw the Black Flag and it will result in some sort of penalty.  NASCAR is already accused of controlling the outcome of the races and they do not want to police how they race, so it is unlikely that the Move Over flag will ever come with a penalty.   If that is not a good enough answer, let me know and I will ask a NASCAR official next time! 

While hanging out by the Miller Lite Hauler I also was finally formally introduced to Eva, Kurt’s wife.  She was very nice and we have a love of horses in common.  I enjoyed hearing about her riding exploits and the story of how she met Kurt.  For those of you who don’t know…Kurt’s friends, who set them up, told her he was a veterinarian. (Too funny!)  So she was telling him all about her cats and horses and he was looking at her with a blank face (and he admitted he was pretty worried about how he was going to get outta that one).  They were in a restaurant and his face came on the TV and his bluff was up.  I asked if she was mad at them for lying to her and she laughed and said she was sorta bummed he wasn’t really a vet!  

The drivers seemed to be hanging in their street clothes outside their haulers a bit more during the day.  Kasey Kahne was outside his hauler most of the day lounging with Ray Evernham and a couple of cutie girls.  I also caught Ray Evernham talking at length with Martin Truex, Jr….HMMMmmmm.  Clint Bowyer was walking around the garage and no one really even recognized him.   

The pre-race activities seemed to last forever and now I know why…I wasn’t anywhere near a TV with sound so didn’t hear about the delay from the baseball game until later.   Felt bad for the crews in the fire suits, they were sweating bullets by then.   We knew the Miller Lite team had a lot to overcome as they were first too loose and then too tight.  Seemed most of the teams were struggling with the right front suspension and tires, and the #2 was no different.   Kurt passed a ton of cars on the track and used pit strategy to get all the way up to 3rd but really had a 20-something place car all night.  Still a huge improvement from 39th!   The team is working very, very hard to figure out the car and I am confident they will soon. 

Kurt’s pit was across from the start/finish line again so I had a great view (unfortunately! LOL) of Jimmie winning AGAIN.  I have more pictures of him in Victory Lane from behind the cactus!    On my way through the garage after the race I walked with Tony Eury, Jr. and kidded with him about getting Jr into Victory Lane next week for us.  In the dark garage, there were drivers and cars everywhere! I saw Jr out of his hauler and NOT mobbed but was too slow with the camera to catch him…and for all the Tony fans (ah, that’s YOU Lori!) I spied him talking to a fan not 5 feet from me and then he walked right by me.  He looked a bit peeved so I didn’t ask him to show me his sweaty waxed back!  I promise to get all the pictures up soon. 

Hot or Not will be coming to you live this week from the pits, I will say it was much harder to write from the race but I wouldn’t trade it for the world!  

Greetings from the garage at Phoenix!  As many of you know, Miller Lite has decided to send me to several races this year to do some more behind the scenes reporting on the Miller Lite Racing team.   It sounds like I will be doing blogs as well as some video interviews focusing on the team and their new slogan "More 2 It".  I should also have some time tomorrow to get the answer about the "move over flag" and follow up on some of the current issues with the crew like tires, substance abuse policy, and "Parts-gate".

Unfortunately, I missed qualifying day but was at the track as soon as the credentials truck opened today.   It was so great to be remembered and welcomed by the crew, all of which are the same guys from last year except for the tire guy.    I even got a hug from Kurt who chatted with me about his live SPEED interview just minutes before about his first trip to PIR and this great picture of him in Rusty Wallace's pit (see it here:  www.trpr.com).  

I took tons of pictures of the new teams, colors, sponsors and manufacturers and will share them with you in upcoming blogs.  Jr was mobbed like never before and Stewart was looking "fit" in his new Subway ride.  LOL   I found Landon and introduced myself and said hi from all of us here at FOXsports.  He autographed my hot pass for me too.   It was great to see the FOX broadcast team in action but saw surprisingly few Digger shirts! 

It was a tough day for the Miller Lite team as they struggled to set up the car.  Most of the teams were making a lot of adjustments, all of the cars seemed to be in the garages more than on the track during both practices today.   With the high temps expected tomorrow and the changing track from day to night it will be even more difficult for the teams to hit the setups.  Should make for some interesting racing.

Just before Happy Hour, Kurt met with Sammy Hagar and took him for some hot laps around the track in the pace car.  I was invited to tag along (not in the car...) to take some pictures and was shocked when they let Sammy drive Kurt around!   My guess is they will show this on the pre-race or on SPEED at some point this weekend.   Sammy seemed pretty impressed and said he was surprised at how hard it was to drive at speed.    I will get these pictures up soon too!

I will do my best to to check in tomorrow...Enjoy the race everyone! 

HOT

1.  Carl Edwards- The “King of the Road” on 1.5 mile tracks, Edwards dominated the Texas race weekend to get his third victory of the season and his second win at Texas. He is back in the Top 10 in points and will be riding high into the sunset next week at Phoenix.    

2.  Jimmie Johnson- Unbelievably was the only Hendrick car to finish on lead lap at Texas.  Johnson made some great moves and drove confidently but couldn’t lasso in the leader at the end.  His second-place finish moved him up four spots to sixth in the point standings.   Yeehaw!

3.  Joe Gibbs Racing – Kyle Busch (3rd), Denny Hamlin (5th), and Tony Stewart (7th) did the Texas two-step all over the competition on Sunday as they continue to be one of the most consistent teams on the track.  If they keep it up, Toyota just might have a championship this year.

4.  Jeff Burton – The championship leader qualified 35th but was impressive as he worked his way through the herd to finish sixth in Sunday’s Cup race.   This cowboy is always a good bet to strut his stuff at Texas. 

5.  Michael McDowell – McDowell tested the theory that everything is bigger in Texas as he went for a wild ride on Friday in his Aarons Dream Machine in what some call NASCAR’s biggest wreck.  The Michael Waltrip Racing rookie climbed out with no serious injuries and went on to finish 33rd on Sunday.  The fact that he was able to  race at all gets him on the Hot List.  

NOT

1.   Jeff Gordon- Missed the setup from the get-go and was lapped early.  Then Big Daddy spun himself and turned the race into a test session for the no. 24 DuPont Crew.   Gordon has finished 43rd only twice in his entire racing career and they were both at Texas.   Want some friendly advice Jeff?  Don’t mess with Texas.

2.  Kasey Kahne- Budweiser did not strike oil this week with the amount of airtime they got at Texas.  Kahne’s performance barely warranted mention as he finished an unimpressive 25th and fell five spots in points to 12th.   

3.  J.J. Yeley – The no. 96 DLP Toyota brought out the fourth caution with a hard lick to the inside wall.  With his 42nd place finish on Sunday, Yeley is dangerously close to falling out of the Top 35 in owners points.  Time to play a little Texas Hold ‘Em. 

4.  Greg Biffle- Biffle simply couldn’t compete with Roush Fenway Racing teammates Carl Edwards or Matt Kenseth, but had a decent car until an engine problem hog tied him.  The Biff finished 39th on Sunday and fell six spots in the point standings to ninth.     Better Giddy-up!

5.  Petty Enterprises – Kyle Petty actually said he would drive for another team after he was replaced by Chad McCumbee for the Texas weekend and then no. 45 didn’t even make the race.  Bobby Labonte, who finished 20th on Sunday, is mulling over a lifetime contract with Petty but Richard Childress Racing stole his primary sponsor and might steal him away, too.   Soon, Richard Petty could be all hat and no cattle.

Check out the Hot or Not photo gallery here:
http://msn.foxsports.com/nascar/pgStory?contentId
=7999608

My weekly picks are dedicated to the memory of Cindi Redding who was respected and loved by all who knew her, especially her friends in the FOXSports.com community.

HOT

1.  Denny Hamlin- The Virginia native led the first lap and, more importantly, the last lap.  Hamlin overcame a miscommunication mid-race in the pits and gave Toyota Sprint Cup victory number two.   Wonder how much FedEx is going to charge him to ship that grandfather clock home?  

2.  Hendrick Motorsports- Early on it looked like Team Hendrick would dominate as Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jimmie Johnson all took turns leading with Casey Mears playing wing man.  Much of the race they were running nose to tail inside the Top 10 but pit strategy, adjustments, and a few minor setbacks ultimately took its toll.  They all had Top 10 finishes and are moving up in the points but it is AMP that’s driving this camp.  

3.  Jeff Burton- The veteran was involved in an early mishap on pit road with Matt Kenseth but was persistent and ran a smart race.  He stayed out late for track position and held on for a 3rd place finish.  The new points leader took his leadership role seriously and had some strong words for rookie Michael McDowell about respect after the race.  Sing it Aretha!  

4.  Jamie McMurray – Finally off the “Not” list with an impressive qualifying run and race last weekend at Martinsville.  There was not a mark on the No. 26 Irwin Tools Ford on Sunday as McMurray drove it home to an 8th  place finish.  He is now solidly in the Top 35 in owners points for Texas and should treat himself to a famous Martinsville hotdog for that effort.  A nod to his Roush teammates Carl Edwards and David Ragan for solid runs as well.

5.  Team Ibuprofen – Elliott Sadler wrenched his back working out (wink, wink)  and had Dennis Setzer ready to get in the car but he toughed it out for a solid 15th place finish on Sunday.  Speaking of backs…Tony Stewart had an uneventful race and quietly finished 5th.   Could it be that waxing his back was enough excitement for Smoke this week? 

NOT

1.   Kurt Busch- Started off on the wrong foot by sharing some brotherly love with Kyle, and then had a fender feud with Michael Waltrip.  Busch was involved in several other wrecks as the Blue Deuce took a beating.  His 33rd place finish dropped him out of the Top 12 in points.   Some good news…at least probation is over.  

2.   Matt Kenseth -  May well have switched personalities with Tony Stewart this week as the normally stable driver was involved in numerous wrecks, was penalized twice (once for going all ‘agro’ on David Gilliland in a payback maneuver).   He battered his way to finish 30th and is now 15th in points.  Maybe he just gets cranky when the race temperature is colder than Wisconsin.

3.  Aric Almirola- Had a promising start as he qualified in 3rd but wrecked his way through the race and damaged his teammates’ cars (Martin Truex Jr. and Paul Menard) in the process.  Almirola’s race finally went up in smoke on lap 121 and dropping him to a 42nd place finish.  Clearly, the rookie still has much to learn about short track racing.

4.  Michael Waltrip- Apparently didn’t gain much helpful information from Roush’s proprietary sway bar as he swayed all over the track hitting everyone in sight until he finally got stuck on the curb.  Waltrip ended up finishing 35th giving Roush a good reason not to sue him.

5.  Bill Elliott- Continues to be a field-filler with a championship provisional.  Awesome Bill was penalized early for a cone violation, and brought out the eigth caution as he spun himself.  With a 34th place finish, it pains me to watch him continue to race with no hope of going out in style. 

Check out the Hot or Not photo gallery here: http://msn.foxsports.com/nascar/pgStory?contentId
=7975186

My weekly picks are dedicated to the memory of Cindi Redding who was respected and loved by all who knew her, especially her friends in the FOXSports.com community.

HOT

1.  Richard Childress Racing – Enjoyed their first ever 1-2-3 finish with Jeff Burton in Victory Lane, followed closely by a racy Kevin Harvick and stealthy Clint Bowyer on Sunday at Bristol.   The trio were in the top five most of the day and benefited from a gutsy call to get new tires with 10 laps to go.  I’ll say it again, they are the best all-around Chevy team on the track.

2.  Joe Gibbs Racing- Tony Stewart, Denny Hamlin, and Kyle Busch combined to lead over 300 laps at Bristol but just couldn’t seal the deal.   Busch was bit by a power steering problem relegating him to a 17th place finish but he retained the points lead.  Stewart led the most laps until he was taken out by Kevin Harvick with 2 laps to go.  He ended up 14th and got his back waxed by Harvick on Monday for charity…double ouch!  Hamlin was headed for the win when he had a fuel pick up problem on the final restart and finished 6th.   Despite the unsatisfying finish, the Gibbs Toyotas were dominant most of the race.

3.  Greg Biffle- Yet another Roush driver vying for the spotlight.  The Biff has quietly worked his way up to 2nd in the standings, only 30 points out of the lead, with his 4th place finish at Bristol.   Even better, he did it all without breakin’ a single rule.

4.  Aric Almirola – If you weren’t paying attention you might have assumed the #8 Army Chevy that finished eighth at Bristol was driven by veteran Mark Martin.  Nope!  The rookie drove like a veteran and stayed on lead lap all day for his best career finish…so far.

5.  Dale Jarrett – Much loved 1999 Cup Champion retired with a disappointing race at Bristol but goes out with grace and a love tap from Jimmie Johnson.  Congratulations on a successful racing career, thanks for the memories, and can’t wait for your insights from the broadcasting booth.   Signed, sealed and delivered.

NOT

1.   Jamie McMurray- His completely luckless season continued as McMurray’s last place finish caused him to fall out of the Top 35 in owner points and now he has to qualify his way in at least for Martinsville.  He could be saved by Roush Fenway Racing exploiting NASCAR’s rules with a teammate point swap, or they could just hire a witch doctor to remove the curse once and for all.   

2.   Dario Franchitti – Got the royal rookie treatment at Bristol and caused the only “big one.”    With a left rear tire going down, Franchitti got punted into the wall by Paul Menard to finish off a bad day in 36th.  Welcome to short track racing Dario! 

3.  Petty Enterprises- Kyle Petty was the first car to be lapped at Bristol and he ended up 5 laps down.  Petty is now well out of the Top 35 in 40th.   Bobby LaBonte had an early pit road violation that put him at the back of the pack, and then he ran into Franchitti’s mess ending up 38th.  Bristol was not-so-Cheerio for these guys. 

 

4.  Casey Mears- Slowly faded throughout the race until he was given a Bristol smack by Denny Hamlin.   Mears was on and off pit road and in the garage to fix the damage only to come back out to finish 42nd.  Mears is only inside the Top 35 by 16 points, 16!  

 

5.  Ryan Newman-  An engine change forced Newman to start at the back and then he too failed to ‘dodge’ Franchitti’s wreck.   Newman’s day also included a black flag, almost hitting the race leader, and having a tire go down.  The Daytona 500 winner finished 33rd and dropped four spots in the standings to eighth.   I hope this isn’t a sign his season has gone to the dogs.   

 

Check out the Hot or Not photo gallery here:
http://msn.foxsports.com/nascar/pgStory?contentI
d=7928960#sport=Nascar Power Rankings&photo=7929250&tten=1  

 

My weekly picks are dedicated to the memory of Cindi Redding who was respected and loved by all who knew her, especially her friends in the FOXSports.com community. 

HOT

1.   Kyle Busch – The hottest driver in NASCAR finally wins a Sprint Cup race for Toyota.  He led 173 laps and kept himself solidly in front of his old team on his way to Victory Lane.   Rowdy can clearly drive a loose race car and just like his Snickers sponsor, he is also satisfyingly nutty.

2.  Dale Earnhardt Jr.-  Had the dominant car for the first 60 laps as he went ‘rim-riding’  and put twenty drivers a lap down.   After losing the handling, Earnhardt and the 88 team rallied back for a 3rd place finish.  Junebug is still the only HMS driver in the Top 12 in points. Did anyone else notice the goatee is coming back?

3.  The Walking Wounded – Apparently, Tony Stewart can mash the gas with his injured foot, run his mouth, and still not miss a beat.  He secured a 1-2 finish for Toyota but used his TV time to complain about Goodyear instead of congratulating his teammate and his own team.  Insert injured foot in mouth. After the wicked hit Jeff Gordon took last week in Las Vegas, the last thing he needed was to wrestle a loose race car all day long.  But he did and brought it home an impressive 5th.  Big Daddy is going to be sore another week.

4. Richard Childress Racing – Clint Bowyer led the race and led the way with a 6th place finish looking like the Chase contender he was for the first time this year.   Kevin Harvick finished right behind with a stout 7th and Jeff Burton’s consistent run (10th) kept all the RCR cars in the Top 10.   So far, RCR is the best all around Chevy team on the track.

5. The Endurance Champs– Matt Kenseth (8th), Kurt Busch (11th), and Jimmie Johnson (13th ) all showed their stellar abilities in tolerating hardship and persevered as they truly earned their Top 15 spots on Sunday.  Kenseth started 43rd and was lapped early, Busch also went a lap down early and took all race to get it back and Johnson’s car was not drive-able.  This is the reason these guys are all NASCAR Champions.

NOT

1.  Gillette Evernham Motorsports – Kasey Kahne was picked as a favorite but was way too loose, spun, ran over Digger, and ended up 3 laps down in 26th.   Elliott Sadler single handedly brought out the caution three times as his Garmin GPS system went wild trying to keep him off the wall.  Garmin says, “Proceed straight to the garage!”   

2.   Jamie McMurray – An early pit road speeding penalty coupled with being caught off sequence by a debris caution helped McMurray be put several laps down early to limp home 41st.  His bad luck continues and he is making Jack’s decision pretty easy for who to drop in 2009.

3.  Dale Earnhardt Inc.- When Paul Menard is your highest finishing team member (19th) you know it has been a tough day.  Martin Truex, Jr. was in the Top 10 until a loose lug nut sent him two laps down.  Mark Martin was never a factor and quite frankly looked uncomfortable driving a loose race car. Predictably, Regan Smith with his rookie stripe brought up the rear in 36th.   On the bright side, at least there were no blown engines.

4.  Carl Edwards - Started the week losing 100 driver/owner points plus his 10 bonus points if he makes the Chase, his crew chief for six weeks and a lot of cash.  Then Cousin Carl had to suffer with being called “Matt” most of the race and finally, the heartbreak of being 50 laps from his third win in a row before his transmission blew.  Bummer.

5.  Goodyear –Over reacted to tire problems in Las Vegas by changing the tires in Atlanta to a harder compound on the right sides.  The drivers complained about the lack of information and the cars were sliding around and were just plain junk.   Tony Stewart spoke his mind saying the tires were the “most pathetic racing tire I have ever been on” and that is saying something.

Go here to see Hot or Not picture gallery on the NASCAR page: http://msn.foxsports.com/nascar/pgStory?contentI
d=7902492#sport=NASCAR&p
hoto=7902178&tten=0

My weekly picks are dedicated to the memory of Cindi Redding who was respected and loved by all who knew her, especially her friends in the FOXSports.com community.

 

HOT 

1.  Carl Edwards – Delivered the knockout punch to his teammate on lap 238 and went on to win the championship belt.  That’s two back flips in six days and it’s also two victories with “creative alterations” on the car.  The 99 team is proving that pushing the envelope pays…so far. 

2.  Dale Earnhardt Jr.- Finally figures out Vegas after years of bad finishes here.  Jr. was clearly disappointed with his 2nd place finish and it was good to see him hungry for the checkered flag. He is the only Hendrick Motorsports driver in the top 10 in the Sprint Cup Standings.  Who would have bet that?  

3.  Roush Fenway Racing – The most dominating team on Sunday.  Edwards wins, Greg Biffle comes in 3rd, David Ragan finishes 6th and Matt Kenseth had a dominating car all day right up until Gordon nicked him and sent him spinning.  Jack-pot!

4.  Travis Kvapil- Ran a solid, smart race and his crew improved upon the unsponsored #28 Yates machine throughout to grab an 8th place finish.  Can there really be anything left in NASCAR that is unsponsored?   Especially a car in the top 35!?  

5.  Kasey Kahne- Fighting the flu, Kahne was undoubtedly “hot” with a fever but he battled back from being a lap down and brought home his Budweiser Dodge 7th.   He hasn’t finished outside of the top 10 yet this year and so far has covered the spread each race in the Palms Casino Resort’s “Battle of the Beers” betting line.   

NOT 

1.  The Wall – Tony Stewart wrecked twice this weekend seriously bruising his foot but at least he kept his pelvis in one piece.   Kurt Busch’s tire exploded and he also took a hard lick into the outside wall.  Finally, Jeff Gordon took a wicked hit near an opening on the inside wall and the front end of his car disintegrated.  They were all shaken up, but thankfully okay.   

2.  Jimmie Johnson – Chad Knaus uttered three words over the team radio that described Johnson’s Vegas race perfectly: “pit stop practice.”   The Champ is left hoping what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.

3.  Michael Waltrip Racing – 31, 37, and 39 were not lucky gambling numbers for the 55, 00, and 44 teams, it was their respective finishing positions.   While the other Toyota teams have shown improvements, MWR is still struggling.  

4.  The Rookies (AGAIN!) – This time it was Dario Franchitti that finished highest among the rookies in 33rd followed by Regan Smith (34th), Patrick Carpentier (40th), and Sam Hornish, Jr. wrecked again (41st ).   Déjà vu!

5.   Pit Road – Many drivers were caught speeding on to or off of pit road or pitting too soon.  There were incidents with too many crewmen over the wall, crewmen hitting the pavement, and a cameraman interfering with Edwards’ front tire catcher.  It was like “The Strip” on a Saturday night.

My weekly picks are dedicated to the memory of Cindi Redding who was respected and loved by all who knew her, especially her friends in the FOXSports.com community.