Ok NASCAR Bloggers and GGW Racing SPONSORS...without further ado--here is the decal that will be on Corey Tucker's five USAC Midget Chili Bowl entries this January!!
(Double click on the image to enlarge...)
A huge THANK YOU must go out to FORENSIC2 for designing the super cool decal for us, I think he did an amazing job! And of course THANK YOU to all of the sponsors as well...
The decal will be approximately 4" by 8" and will be on all five of the cars Corey is fielding. For more information on the Chili Bowl and Corey's drivers see my previous blog. Corey and his teams are stoked to have us aboard and are planning on getting us into Victory Lane!
Corey promised to send pictures of the decal on the cars that I will post to the blog. Those of you who "ordered" decals, they will be sent to you directly from Corey sometime in mid-to-late January. We will all have to tune in to the 2009 Chili Bowl to see how our teams do!
Here is your chance to be a sponsor! Corey Tucker, the Car Chief on the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge, is fielding five cars for the upcoming Midget Nationals Chili Bowl held Jan. 13th-17th, 2009 and he is willing to put our names on his cars!
Corey entered his first car into the Chili Bowl in 2007 driven by Randy Hannigan and by 2008, Corey had three cars in the event. Corey recently teamed up with the young, talened driver, Bryan Clauson, who is returning to dirt track Midget racing after breaking his neck in the 2008 season. Corey and Bryan already have one win under their belts at Kokomo, Indiana and are considered a favorite for the Chili Bowl 2009.
Corey is fielding five cars-- the No. 14 for Jason Meyers, the No. 47 for Bryan Clauson, the No. 97 for Jerry Higbie, Jr., the No. 39 for Billy Wilburn, and the No. 39 (driver TBD)--so we have five times the chance of getting our decal into Victory Lane! Corey says a couple of his drivers are going to suprise people and the team is very excited to show their stuff!
Here are the details:
Our very own Forensic2 is designing the decal that will look something like this (it will be rectangular not square) :
To get your name on the decal you must send a MINIMUM of $25.00 but any amount is welcome. Please send a check made out to COREY TUCKER to: Kristen Valus, 582 Market Street, Suite 418, San Francisco, CA 94104. Tell me what name you want on the sticker (real or your avatar). I will make sure you name gets on the decal and send Corey the money all at once. I must have your sponsorship dollars by Monday Dec. 22nd so I can get the money and the decal to Corey in time for the race. Any questions, ask below!
**If you would like a decal (and you have contributed to the cause) please also send an additional $5.00 and a self addressed stamped envelope big enough and Corey will send one to you**
I will make sure everyone who contributes gets a picture of our decal on the car, hopefully in Victory Lane!
It is my honor to announce the inaugural winner of NASCAR.COM Community's Blogger of the Year....
FRVER3FAN!!!!!!
Here is our winner holding up the Maltese Lug Nut off Tony Stewart's hotrod in California...
3fan was nominated as one of the Top 3 Bloggers over on NASCAR.com and then competed against the other two nominations for the title for two weeks as the NASCAR.com community voted. Here is the official announcement on NASCAR.com: http://community.nascar.com/crews/FansVoiceAward s
Did anyone watch the Awards Show on Friday night? Rumor had it 3fan's win was announced in the ballroom as well. VERY COOL!
Congratulations are in order and I hope my fellow Foxsports bloggers will join me in giving you, 3fan, a standing ovation for all of your outstanding blogging throughout the year. Here are just a few examples of some of 3fan's best stuff if you are not familiar with his work...
After a lovely, relaxing vacation in the Cook Islands over Thanksgiving…
(yes, that is our beach footsteps from the cabana and no, no one was ever on it!)
I bring you a shocking NASCAR story buried in the headlines of layoffs, the bailout of the Big 3, Champions week, and the crack dealer who worked at Whiskey River that has changed my perceptions of “The Great Pumpkin” (aka Tony Stewart) once and for all!
Is it true I might actually now *like* Smoke? Or did I get hit in the head with a coconut? Courtesy of Jayski, here is what finally swung my opinion:
“Stewart's Foundation Awards $20,000 To Indiana Racehorse Charity The charitable organization of Tony Stewart has awarded a $20,000 grant to Indianapolis-based Friends of Ferdinand, Inc. (FFI), a not-for-profit volunteer organization that works with owners and trainers at the state's two horse tracks to identify and obtain thoroughbreds that are nearing the end of their racing careers. Funds provided by the Tony Stewart Foundationwill help FFI evaluate and retrain the horses, and find new, forever homes with devoted, caring owners. More than 200 horses have been transitioned from the track into new careers as show horses, dressage competitors, pleasure and trail riders, equine therapeutic program partners, pasture mates and beloved companions. Several thoroughbreds, the first horses to be christened "Tony's Ex-Racers," were brought into the FFI program Nov. 17 during the annual end-of-season paddock sale at Hoosier Park Racing & Casino in Anderson, Ind. Representatives of both Friends of Ferdinand and the Tony Stewart Foundation were on hand to take a look at available horses and select those destined to become "Tony's Ex-Racers." A total of 10 horses will be brought into the program as "Tony's Ex-Racers" - those obtained from the Hoosier Park paddock sale, and two or three others already in line to come off the track and into FFI's care.”
Most of you know I am an avid equestrian and I have ridden my share of ex-racehorses. (avid meaning I ride a lot, not necessarily well as Photo can attest I have hit the turf more than once in recent years!).
While I have always known Smoke has a soft spot in his heart for all critters, I can finally “get behind him” (LOL Lori) knowing he is taking care of my four-legged friends. I still won’t root for him on the track but I promise to like him more now!
Onto other news…Corey Tucker, the car chief for the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge has 5 entries ready to race in the 2009 Chili Bowl which is coming up in January.
I told Corey I would ask if any of the FOXSports Bloggers would be interested in sponsoring his cars. He has several of the top drivers driving for him this year including the No. 14 with Jason Meyers driving, the No. 47 for Bryan Clauson, the No. 97 for Jerry Higbie, Jr., the No. 39 for Billy Wilburn and the No. 39 (driver TBD). So we might get ourselves into Victory Lane! Well our sticker anyway! Forensic2 will be designing our decal. Corey is open to ANY amount from us but I am hoping we can scrape together enough for a set of tires or fuel for the race. I will be posting an entire blog on how and when to send money and get your name on the decal as soon as I get more details.
And finally…My second annual Irreverent Awards are out today on the main NASCAR page here on FOXSports…
I have decided that this will be my final Hot or Not for FOXSports.com and want to thank FOXSports.com and Jorge Mondaca for this amazing opportunity! I also want to thank everyone who has taken the time to read or comment on my Hot or Not blogs all season long. It has been an honor keeping up the tradition that Cindi Redding started.
HOT
1. Jimmie Johnson- Congratulations to the 2008 Sprint Cup Champion and his No. 48 Lowe’s team as they raced their way to an easy 15th-place finish at Homestead, which was good enough for their third consecutive title. Nothing left to say about this team’s performance except—dynasty. A nod must go to teammate and team owner Jeff Gordon who brought his No. 24 home fourth.
2.Carl Edwards- Cousin Carl did everything he could possibly do to win the Championship by leading the most laps and winning his ninth race this season. Still, he fell 69 points short. I wonder how often Edwards is haunted by the wreck he caused at Talladega or the points penalty for the unsecured oil pan at California. This No. 99 Ford team will be the one to watch in 2009.
3.The Rest of Roush Racing- The rest of the Roushkateers were typically stout at Homestead with Jamie McMurray finishing up strong in third, Matt Kenseth looking to win until he ran out of fuel, Greg Biffle finishing third in the Chase standings and David Ragan demonstrating why Tony Stewart picked him as Driver of the Year by racing in the top 5 all day until running out of fuel at the end. I don’t envy the decision the Cat in the Hat will have to make by the end of next year to let one of these top notch drivers go.
4.Kevin Harvick- Happy was one of the favorites to win on Sunday and almost pulled it off when he and the No. 29 Shell crew made all the right adjustments on the car and gambled on fuel. Harvick cruised home second, beat by the master of fuel mileage racing this year. This was the smart performance the team was lacking earlier in the Chase.
5. Tony Stewart- In his final race for Joe Gibbs Racing, Smoke seemed choked up and uncharacteristically unsure how to express his feelings. With his famous “here kitty kitty”, Smoke pounced and got the lead but had to pit for fuel in the end. Stewart finished ninth but gave his final No. 20 Home Depot ride a good run at Homestead as he finished his career at JGR with 33 wins and 2 Championships. Let’s hope for Smoke’s sanity, he can get his new team on the Hot list early in 2009.
NOT
1. Dale Earnhardt Jr – Junebug got as high as 10th on Sunday running his patented super high line but that was the high point of his race. Junior stalled the No. 88 in the pits because he wasn’t ready for a two-tire stop and then with 18 laps to go the right front brake caliper broke ending their night for their second DNF of the season. Earnhardt Jr’s 41st-place finish dropped him all the way to 12th in the Chase and off the stage in NYC.
2. Penske Racing -Kurt Busch was lapped early, slammed the wall twice and got every penalty possible on pit road before the Miller Lite Racing team retired the No. 2 car and finished dead last. Ryan Newman was also lapped early and never factor in his final race for Penske and Sam Hornish, Jr didn’t even make race. This was an ugly finish to an ugly season for this Dodge team.
3.MarcosAmbrose- The driver from Down Under slammed the wall in Turn 4 in his No. 47 Little Debbies Toyota after clipping Reed Sorenson bringing out the caution and ending his hopes for a good finish. Ambrose ended up some 40+ laps down in 42nd and more importantly fell out of the Top 35 in the owners points standings and will really have to hustle it next year to make the field.
4. Jeff Burton- The wily veteran wasn’t wily enough at Homestead as the No. 31 A####mp;T Chevrolet got punted through the grass by Joe Nemechek, putting Burton eight laps down in 40th. Everyone would love to see “the Mayor of NASCAR” vie for a championship, but he’ll need more fire in the belly to compete with the likes of Johnson and Edwards.
5.Petty Enterprises- Bobby Labonte finished 33rd in the famed No. 43 while teammate Chad McCumbee finished 39th and is well outside the Top 35 in the owners points standings in the No. 45. Petty Enterprises continues to struggle on and off the track as the King tries to salvage the empire he built.
Head to http://www.millerliteracing.com/ to keep track of my exploits with the Miller Lite Racing team with garage reports and video blogs.
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.
FINALLY! Here is my garage report from Phoenix, sorry it is so late! Most of you know I stayed with my family so I had very little time to get online--but as they say better late than never! So, on with the inside scoop...
I was super lucky again this time to have both the Hot pass and the Media Creds and this time I was ready! I brought an extra shirt and changed into while doing my interviews and then changed back when with the team so I am pretty sure people think I have a twin! LOL
One of the first things I did in the garages on Friday was get the Chaser's interview schedule and lo and behold who was up first! Smoke...shirt off, shirt on...He was looking like a big banana in his yellow Fiesta Bowl jacket as they announced he would be the grand marshall this year. He will be driving the #20 car in the parade and lets hope he doesn't decide to bump and run the float in front of him.
Tony seemed bummed he wasn't going to be in the Shootout this Feb. and said he had not seen any effect from GM and the economy on his new race team yet. He did liken his talent search to a buffet--how shocking that he would use a food metaphor--and hoped to announce a crew chief and spotter by Homestead. Finally, he strongly supported Logano and said once he gets with Zippy he will improve because the guys on the #02 team never work together, so expect big improvements from Sliced Bread next year according to Smoke.
And the moment you have all been waiting for--WIth my neutral black shirt on, I staked out the only exit to the garage from the media center with Sharpie in hand and a picture of Tony that I had taken at Sonoma (he is giving me his angry look) I FINALLY got his autograph--but not without getting a big ole stink eye because I am sure he recognized my hair...LOL
The day only got better as I rushed over to Jr's hauler for his media time and beat most of them over there. I got myself a front row spot. You can't get closer than this! For once I got a clear shot and wasn't shaking like a leaf in his presence!
Jr. insisted that Brian France is not the problem for NASCAR, which was very odd. He said JJ should be placed along side his father, Gordon and Petty for his accomplishments and thinks JJ will surpass Gordon soon. He also said his pick for Daytona was Edwards.
I changed back into my No. 2 gear and headed out and got this shot for HotFootLori. I yelled over to Morgan that he had a lot of fans on Foxsports.com and he smiled and said, "thanks!"
Back at the No 2 hauler, Kurt was visited by our favorite TV announcer!
Rusty had a camera crew in tow and had asked Kurt to tape an episode of NASCAR Angels with him. Kurt and Rusty were funny as they re-did takes of the intro and were cracking each other up but after only a few tries, they got the shot they wanted. Rusty was actually pretty darn funny and nice in person so maybe I will have to rethink my strong negative opinion of him.
By now the Brew Crew were already half way through inspection when I caught up with them...and when I got to the height sticks and scales inspection site I noticed we had a new crew member! A small blow up turtle was taped to our hood with a sign that read "Fear the Turtle"...
At first, I figured the inspectors were suggesting that the Miller Lite Dodge was a bit pokey but then when we arrived at the final inspection site, I met the real Turtle...
NASCAR Inspector Jon Wright was the target of their joke...still plenty of people saw that turtle on the hood of the No. 2 car and that was a bit embarrassing! Must have brought us some speed though, as you know Kurt was on the pole for a good bit of qualifying and ended up starting 3rd.
Saturday was all about practice. In between the first practice and Happy Hour, Kurt took another celebrity for hot laps in the pace car. Those of you around last year might remember it was Sammy Hagar last Fall at Phoenix. Well this year it was Arizona Diamondback's Cy Young award winning pitcher, Brandon Webb.
I'll make all of you baseball fans jealous by telling you I got an autographed baseball from him! Love the perks of this "job!"
I was pretty excited for Sunday because Brew Crew was really happy with the car and this was my last chance to get into Victory Lane. I had a great spot to watch the race from:
As you can see, I am pretty much on the pit wall and only had to back up when they came in for pit stops. Of course, the rain delay was the first big story of the race--and we were in the lead when the red flag came out. Kurt was under our pit tent pow-wowing with the team on strategy for a good 20 minutes. This *may* be where some of you think you saw me on TV.
While Kurt, Brian, Jeffery and Pat were strategizing, my buddy Larry (rear tire carrier) was out in the pit box trying to dry it off with teeny tiny blowers...
We all know how the race went down...I was so hoping Kurt could get close enough to JJ to make him *think* he might punt him for the win but alas, the 48 was just too stout. Nonetheless, I had a great time up on the wall cheering with the team the final 3 laps. I also got to join Kurt on pit road afterwards during all of his interviews...
I couldn't catch "Cupcake" doing anything funny this weekend so here is my honorary JMac shot for the weekend, also out on pit road getting interviewed for his 3rd place finish. He is talking with Eva, Kurt's wife.
I will be downloading some video I took this weekend soon and have an excellent video of the cars heading out for Happy Hour where it looks like they are going to run me over...A short clip of Rusty and Kurt doing their TV thang and the final lap of the race. So look for that coming soon.
Well, Corey will be fielding *5* cars for the Chili Bowl and is looking for sponsors...I told him I would throw out the idea of getting FOXSports.com NASCAR Bloggers on one of his cars (BTW, he has several TOP cars in the field and has a good shot at winning...) or even GGW Racing. Let me know if anyone is interested and we can figure out if we can do it.
Hope you've enjoyed this trip through the garage at Phoenix! Sorry its so late. I have lots more to add and will do so in the off season to keep us entertained...
This edition of Hot or Not is coming to you LIVE for the final time this season. A big THANKS!! to the Miller Lite Racing team for hosting me in the garages this year.
HOT
1. Kurt Busch- The Miller Lite Racing team was in fine form at Phoenix, qualifying up front and staying there on Sunday. Kurt Busch led 60 laps and never fell out of the top five as the Brew Crew ripped off some super fast pit stops. He had nothing for Jimmie Johnson (but admiration), but his stout second-place finish might signal a turning point for this Penske team. Bring on 2009!
2. Jimmie Johnson- Superman didn’t get the lead until lap 81, but once he got it, he rarely looked back. Johnson didn’t need a rainout to get the pole this weekend as he served notice to the competition he wasn’t points racing. Another race, another win—Johnson and the No. 48 team are marching steadily towards history.
3. Jamie McMurray- “Cupcake” had an eventful week—he got engaged, put his No. 26 Irwin Ford on the outside pole, grabbed the lead from Johnson at the start and raced without incident to finish third on Sunday. Given that McMurray had his pit crew pilfered, I’d say they did pretty darn well. Hard to believe the Cat in the Hat is going to switch his crew chief next year.
4. Carl Edwards- It took Edwards nearly a hundred laps to race his way up into the top 10 at Phoenix after starting 15th. He was then mired in the top 10 until his Office Depot pit crew grabbed him three spots on pit road with a stellar stop and Cousin Carl took it from there to bring the No. 99 home fourth. He remains the only other eligible driver in the Chase to catch Jimmie Johnson but Cousin Carl is going to have to win and win big at Homestead to #### the Cup.
5. Kyle Petty- Yes, I know finishing 39th isn’t usually considered a “hot” performance, but homage must be paid to Kyle Petty in what may very well have been the final Sprint Cup race of his career in a Petty Dodge. Thank you Kyle for all that you do on and especially off the track. Let’s hope the No. 45 retires with you.
NOT
1. Matt Kenseth- The normally unflappable Kenseth had a rough day in the desert after getting a flat tire while stopped under the red flag. He went a lap down and was bouncing back when AJ Allmendinger accidentally rained on his parade, wrecking the No. 17 and No. 20 late in the race on Sunday. Kenseth waited until the checkers flew to take out Allmendinger and half the field with him on the frontstretch. Wonder if he will be getting the bill for all those torn up race cars?
2. Jeff Gordon- Gordon was running in the top five until half-way through the race he reported problems with the No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet’s engine and dropped back in the pack. He managed to limp around for another 100 laps before the engine finally let go. The worst part-- Big Daddy has to keep answering questions about when he will get his first win of the season for one more week.
3. Martin Truex, Jr.- The No. 1 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet was rumored to be one to watch on Sunday but Truex Jr. couldn’t outrun that small plastic bag stuck to the front grill. He was in the garage and out of the race by lap 30 with an overheated engine--not the kind of hot you want to be.
4. The Rest of Penske- Sam Hornish, Jr. brought out the first caution by going for a spin and ended up four laps down to finish33rd, right where he started. Worse yet it put a damper on his chances for Rookie of the Year and to get the No. 77 into the top 35 in owners points. Teammate Ryan Newman finished right behind Hornish in 34th, 11 laps down after having tire troubles and getting a pass-through penalty. Newman does deserve kudos for being a good teammate though—he helped Kurt Busch get trash off his grill and push-started 2009 boss Tony Stewart.
5. ABC- America’s Funniest Home Videos—are you KIDDING me ABC? You couldn’t wait 40 more laps so NASCAR fans in the East and Central time zones could actually see the end of the race on a non-cable channel? It is clear the Chase just doesn’t rate and ABC isn’t giving it any respect. This stunt was yet another black eye for the NASCAR brass.
Finally, I stayed with family in Phoenix, so I wasn't able to get online to post daily garage reports. Not to worry! I’ve got all the inside scoop coming your way—will post on Wednesday!
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.
1. Carl Edwards- Cousin Carl is trying to make it a Chase race by getting up on the wheel early and setting a torrid pace, but Edwards had to rely on fuel strategy to get the win. A gutsy call by crew chief Bob Osborne to nurse the No. 99 Office Depot Ford 103.5 miles to the checkers on one tank of fuel might just be nutty enough to make points leader Jimmie Johnson sweat. Edwards pulled within 106 points of the lead heading into the desert.
2. The Rest of Roush-Fenway Racing- The rest of the Roushkateers did not do too shabby either, all finishing in the top 12. Jamie McMurray’s No. 26 team appears to finally be hitting on all cylinders as he looked stout leading and finished third. Greg Biffle’s No. 16 pit crew bumbled a stop but ‘Da Biff was able to salvage a top 5 finish and remain within spitting distance of the points lead. Matt Kenseth’s No. 17 Dewalt Ford was “less crappy” coming home ninth. Finally, David Ragan shadowed Kenseth much of the race and finished just a few spots back in 11th.
3.Jeff Gordon- Big Daddy started on the pole first time ever at Texas but the No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet was not very sporty in race trim. Gordon used pit strategy and babied his throttle to steal a second-place finish on Sunday. This team is still not racing like the Champs they are but should be happy with this performance.
4.Clint Bowyer- Bowyer had his Jack Daniels No. 07 Chevrolet clicking this weekend as he qualified well and was leading early on Sunday. The team used aggressive pit strategy to get Bowyer his best finish in the Chase this year. The fourth-place finish moved him up one spot in the standings to sixth—the highest of the Richard Childress Racing teammates.
5. Kyle Busch- Rowdy started 29th at Texas Motor Speedway and looked to be the Kyle of old as he raced his way quickly into the top 10. For once in the Chase, the team had to make only minor adjustments on the No. 18 M&M’s Toyota to grab a sixth-place finish and moving him one point into 10th-place in the standings—the last driver to get on the stage in NYC.
NOT
1. David Gilliland –Gilliland blatantly took out Juan Pablo Montoya sending him 190 mph into the wall. Gilly was parked by NASCAR for reckless driving and he and his crew chief said hello to the big yellow hauler after the race. Gilliland tried to defend himself by saying JPM jacked him up several laps earlier but there is simply no excuse for dangerous stupidity.
2. Gillett-Evernham Motorsports- First, Elliott Sadler was black-flagged for a loose tire on pit road and then he was involved in wreck. Kasey Kahne thought he was pretty cheeky getting a huge advantage on a restart but NASCAR wasn’t amused and sat him a lap. AJ Allmendinger was the best of the bunch until he took out the commitment cone on pit road on his final pit stop resulting in a drive through penalty. With Ray out of the mix, this team has lost it.
3.Dale Earnhardt, Jr.- Junebug started his day with a loose wheel on the No. 88 AMP Chevrolet which sent him back from his fifth-place starting spot. He languished at the tail end of the lead lap until Tony Eury, Jr. used a two-tire stop to get him into the top 5—and then Junior promptly ran out of fuel with six laps to go. Junior’s 20th-place finish drops him one point out of 10th in the standings and off the stage in NYC. Is it me or does this team seem to care less where they finish in the Chase now that they are not vying for the Championship?
4. Kurt Busch- The No. 2 Miller Lite team anticipated a strong finish at Texas after strong performances in practice but Busch struggled from the drop of the green and none of the adjustments the Brew Crew made seemed to make a difference. Late in the race, the new Penske Dodge engine dropped two cylinders sending the Blue Deuce to the garage for another dismal finish.
5.Jimmie Johnson- “Magic” Johnson finally struggled for an entire race as the Lowe’s team could not get a grip on the No. 48 Chevrolet and JJ fell back as far as 29th, one lap down. Super-genius Chad Knaus was clearly feeling the pressure in the pit box as he tried to adjust on the car. Johnson drove with poise but could do no better than 15th. He retains a substantial point lead in the Chase but these days we expect greatness day in and day out from this team.
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.
1. Jimmie Johnson- Unbelievable. Just when the competition thought they had Johnson, aka Superman, on the ropes after a speeding penalty put him a lap down, JJ and the Lowe’s team responded with their patented persistence to get him back in the top10 in Atlanta. But why settle for a top 10? Chad Knaus put four fresh tires on the No. 48 and Superman blew past the field to finish second—gaining 34 more points to pad his Chase lead. I swear the only way to beat this guy is to wreck him.
2. Carl Edwards- Cousin Carl was up on the wheel driving his No. 99 Office Depot Ford hard to try to lead laps and catch Jimmie Johnson. His pit crew was a little slow on pit stops and Edwards was absolutely skating through the turns, but the team stayed focused. Edwards drove to the lead after a great restart at the end and got the “double” this weekend by winning at Atlanta and Memphis. He is up to second in the point standings but will have to win out and get help to beat Johnson.
3. The Rest of Roush Fenway Racing- Matt Kenseth led the most laps on Sunday and his Killer Bee pit crew was sharp but they were too loose to win it and settled for fourth. David Ragan was at his hometown track, and came back from being lapped to finish seventh. Jamie McMurray finally had a trouble free race with a solid eighth-place run and Greg Biffle thought he had the winning car but didn’t. He managed to finish 10th but fell to third in the point standings behind his teammate. Another impressive race by the Roushkateers.
4. Denny Hamlin- Hamlin was quietly racing in the top 5, staying out of trouble and biding his time. The FedEx crew won him a few battles off pit road to get Hamlin the lead, but he had to settle for third when his No. 11 Toyota didn’t like cycling the tires during the end of the race restarts. A nod must also go to his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate, Kyle Busch who struggled early but kept at it and brought his No. 18 M&M’s machine home fifth. Too bad these two didn’t have these runs at the beginning of the Chase.
5. Kurt Busch- Busch was the first non-Chaser to break into the top 10 in Atlanta and he kept his Miller Lite Dodge up front the entire race. The Brew Crew was just as fast on pit road as they launched the No. 2 car into the lead mid-race. The Pat Tryson led crew made major adjustments to keep up with the changing track and they were all rewarded with a sixth-place finish. Way to “get ‘er done.”
NOT
1. Qualifying- For the third week in a row, and for the 10th time this year, qualifying has been rained out effectively handing points leader Jimmie Johnson 5 extra bonus points and the best pit stall each time. NASCAR should be darn happy JJ is leading the Chase so convincingly, because if he were to win by say—only 15 points—NASCAR would have yet another black eye. Hey Brian France! Time to have a back-up time for qualifying on Saturdays, especially during the Chase.
2. Richard Childress Racing- Jeff Burton was way too loose most of the race, sped on pit road, got lapped, hit the No. 96 on pit road creating a tire rub and then hit the No. 22 in the “big wreck”. He was lucky to finish 18th. Clint Bowyer was the worst Chaser on the track for much of the day as he spent most of it a lap down driving sideways. He was lucky to finish 20th. Kevin Harvick’s lucky red shoes didn’t seem to help. The highest RCR finisher was up to fourth at one point but lost the handling on the No. 29 Chevrolet to finish 13th. What the heck happened to this team?
3.Michael Waltrip- Mikey was looking racy early during the Pep Boys Auto 500 but then the nightmare began. Waltrip was responsible for no less than four cautions on Sunday as he hit the wall time after time with his destroyed No. 55 Napa Toyota. He also effectively ruined any kind of fuel strategy games the leaders could play. Give Waltrip credit though, he is still a marketing genius--with all the parts flying off that car during the race, I am sure NAPA was happy with all the advertising.
4. Juan Pablo Montoya- The fiery Colombian was racing in the top 10 on Sunday with a new generation chassis built in-house by Chip Ganassi Racing. Unfortunately, his day took a turn for the worse late in the race when Clint Bowyer hit him on pit road ripping the front bumper off the No. 42 Havoline Dodge. Just a few laps later, Montoya got the rest front end pushed in after getting caught up in the big wreck. The 40th-place finish certainly did nothing for this struggling team’s morale.
5. Kasey Kahne- The No. 9 Dodge was completely out of control from the drop of the green flag, it was so bad that Kasey Kahne even tried to move out of the way of the other lapped cars on a restart. Later, Kahne got sideways and just couldn’t save it as he spun himself out and blew all four of tires. Was I the only one who heard the relief in Ray Evernham’s voice that he was in the booth and not in the garage on Sunday?
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.
1. Jimmie Johnson- Early in Sunday’s race, Johnson radioed his crew that the No. 48 “didn’t have the magic.” Crew Chief Chad Knaus said JJ must have found it in the glove box as the Lowe’s team dominated Martinsville. Johnson led seven times for an amazing 339 laps for his fifth career win at Martinsville and his sixth win in 2008. Trophy inscribers get ready…
2. The Rest of Hendrick Motorsports- Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and his No. 88 team finally put together an entire race and looked like the Championship contenders they were at the beginning of the year, coming from behind to finish second for his career best finish at Martinsville. Jeff Gordon was his usual sporty self at Martinsville, battling teammate Jimmie Johnson for the lead and never falling out of the top five for his fourth-place finish. Casey Mears had another solid run to finish sixth. Impressive.
3. Denny Hamlin- The only JGR Toyota to not blow a tire or have any problems all race long, Hamlin brought the No. 11 FedEx machine home fifth. Hamlin raced in the top 10 all day and displayed some skillful, aggressive driving when he and Johnson took it three wide to gain some spots. Good to see Hamlin back up on the wheel after his hard hit at Talladega.
4. Most of Richard Childress Racing- Kevin Harvick quietly had a solid run on Sunday after starting sixth and finishing seventh. The No. 29 crew had to unhook track bar to keep Happy happy, but it worked. Teammate Clint Bowyer brought his best short track car in his stable to try to make up ground in the Chase. Bowyer had it up to second but had to settle for 10th on Sunday. These RCR teammates will need bad things to happen to the Chase leaders to vie for the Championship.
5. The Roush-Fenway Chasers- Carl Edwards was rolling to his career best day at Martinsville managing to finish third after a couple of horrible weeks on and off the track. Matt Kenseth had big problems early but drove his wrecked No. 17 Ford patiently and stole an eighth-place finish. Greg Biffle got bit by pit strategy and was caught a lap down most of the race until getting the lucky dog on the final caution. He finished 12th, good enough to climb to second in the Chase standings. The Roushkateers are ready to pounce if Johnson falters down the stretch.
NOT
1. Right-Side Tires- What do Tony Raines (x2), Paul Menard, David Reutimann, Regan Smith, Sam Hornish Jr. (x2), both Busch brothers (x5), Ryan Newman, and Tony Stewart (x2) all have in common? You guessed it…blown right-side tires on Sunday. NASCAR had better do something about the way the COT abuses tires and help these teams race in 2009.
2. The Rest of Joe Gibbs Racing- Tony Stewart dragged his splitter around Martinsville, racing as high as third before two blown tires put him five laps down in 26th place. Smoke fell to eighth in the Chase standings and has no hope of winning the Championship this year. Teammate Kyle Busch blew a right front and according to NASCAR, “intentionally” brought out the caution. They penalized him two laps, he blew a few more tires and ended up eight laps down in 29th. This is not how Rowdy is going to get 25 wins this season.
3.Jeff Burton- Racing at his hometown track, Burton struggled with a very loose race car. He made a ton of great saves and stayed on the lead lap en route to a top-10 finish until he was blocked out of his pit stall by Jeff Gordon coming in—an example of incredibly bad timing---and then the No. 31 pit crew serviced the car outside the pit box. That automatic one lap penalty courtesy of NASCAR dropped Burton to a 17th-place finish and snuffed his challenge for the points lead. Bummer.
4. Kurt Busch- The Elder Busch had early brake problems and a trip to the garage put him 24 laps down. He then spun himself out after getting back out on track, had a little fun battling the leader before getting knocked out of the way, and then blew his right front tire two more times before the end of the race. The worst part? Busch asking his boss if he could park the car with more than 100 laps to go. I know its been a tough year but suck it up for the team, man.
5. Jamie McMurray- The No. 26 Ford was running third when Dale Earnhardt Jr. spun McMurray early in the race. That didn’t phase Jamie Mac, as “Cupcake” drove it right back to the lead. He was running fourth when something broke in the rear gear and ended their day. McMurray has to be sick of the heartbreaks as he finished 38th and is looking forward to his fresh start next year with a new crew chief.
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.
1. Jeff Burton- The “mayor” of NASCAR said he had to win races to vie for the championship, so he did. Burton ran near the front all race long and his No. 31 A####mp;T pit crew had stellar stops, gaining spots on pit road every single time. Burton’s win on Saturday night moved him up to the second spot in the Chase standings, only 69 points out of the lead and becomes the sentimental favorite for the championship.
2. Kasey Kahne- Usually the in-race reporter is jinxed, but Kahne brought his No. 9 Dodge from as far back as 26th to a second-place finish at Lowe’s Motor Speedway on Saturday night. A late track bar adjustment got the car to come alive as Kahne raced his way to the front and once again showed he is the one to beat at Lowe’s Motor Speedway of late.
3. Jimmie Johnson- Led early and often at “his house” and was always in the hunt. Johnson made a huge save mid-race as his No. 48 Chevrolet was sideways and was racing Burton side-by-side for the lead with 30 laps to go. Johnson got too loose to keep up the charge, ending up with a sixth-place finish--but he retains his lead in the Chase standings
4. Jeff Gordon- Big Daddy hit the wall twice before lap 5 Saturday night and had to pit--going one lap down early. Gordon came from the back all the way up to lead the race before settling for eighth. Time and again, this No. 24 DuPont team has shown amazing persistence despite troubles on the track as they have the best racing ethic in NASCAR.
5. The Busch Brothers- Kurt Busch changed up his setup and had the new Dodge R6 motor under his hood as he ran in the top 10 all race long. He didn’t take any #### from the No. 42 and laid a cool bump and run on Jimmie Johnson on his way to a third-place finish. His brother, Kyle, led early in his super hot-pink No. 18 Toyota until a late pit road speeding penalty sent him backwards. He finished fourth—his best finish in the Chase.
NOT
1. Carl Edwards- Cousin Carl had a horrific race on Saturday night when his pit crew left a lug nut off his right front causing a vibration. Later, he couldn’t get the car to fire because of an electrical problem in the ignition system. Edwards ended up 17 laps down in 33rd, losing two spots in the Chase. With mechanical problems, pit road mistakes, and a hot-headed driver, this team might implode before the end of the Chase.
2.Dale Earnhardt Jr- Junebug was running his patented super-high line until lap 104, one lap before he was to pit, his No. 88 AMP Chevrolet’s right front tire blew. The wall took a beating and so did Junior Nation as it became crystal clear Junior’s 36th-place finish ends their championship hopes. Junior had best get up on the wheel though as he is in real danger of missing the stage in NYC now.
3. Matt Kenseth- The No. 17 Ford was off from the drop of the green flag, putting Kenseth in the wrong place at the wrong time when he got caught up in a wreck on lap 194. He was nailed from behind by Travis Kvapil and turned hard into the outside wall. After taking his second big hit in two weeks, his championship run is over.
4. AJ Allmendinger- Allmendinger brought out the second caution in the Bank of America 500 after he wasn’t patient enough and got too racy going three-wide. He got tagged by the No. 01 car sending Allmendinger hard into the wall, destroying his one-time MWR ride in the No. 00 Toyota. Allmendinger said he felt like an “####” because he had no patience and that is not what they pay him to do but really, I think he was just taking cues from his boss.
5. Michael Waltrip- Miley was busy causing wrecks on Saturday night. First, Mikey took his No. 55 Napa Toyota three-wide into the grass taking out Mike Skinner and Ken Schrader. Later in the race, he got loose under Bobby Labonte and wrecked him too. Patience was not one of Mikey’s virtues over the weekend.
Be sure to check out my weekly insider reports with No. 2 team here on FOXSports.com: (link coming soon!)
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.
1. Tony Stewart- The heavens smiled down upon Smoke as he finally got that winless #### off his back at Talladega. Zippy and the No. 20 crew worked hard to save their primary car after a wreck in practice on Friday and Stewart made the most of it on Sunday. One of the few Chasers to avoid the wrecks, Stewart gained four spots in the standings but might need a little more divine intervention to catch the Chase leaders.
2. Dale Earnhardt, Inc.- DEI started with all four drivers in the top 10 on Sunday and all were running well until Martin Truex, Jr. got caught up in the first big one. “Team Inexperience”--Regan Smith, Paul Menard, and Aric Almirola-- were lined up behind Stewart for the G-W-C finish and Smith wowed the crowd when he blew by Stewart under the yellow line at the checkers. NASCAR penalized him and placed him 18th but it sure was a gutsy move and many believed he should have won.
3. Jimmie Johnson- If this team isn’t Championship material, I don’t know what is. JJ went to the back of the pack to start after making post-inspection adjustments and by lap 10 he had completely lost the draft. But Johnson did is best “turtle” impression, the No. 48 was so slow he missed all the wrecks, and yet steady enough to come home ninth. JJ increased his lead in the Chase to 72 points and they race at “his house” next week. Uh-oh…
4. David Ragan- The only Roushkateer that did not get wrecked --probably because he did a little of the wrecking himself-- brought his No. 6 Ford home third on Sunday. If Ragan can eliminate those pesky “rookie” mistakes that still plague him, he might be the Cat in the Hat’s most talented driver and that is quite a compliment!
5. Jeff Burton- The wily veteran was feeling his oats this weekend as Burton was uncharacteristically racy at Talladega. His No. 31 Chevrolet was always near the front and he went toe-to-toe with Stewart for a few exciting laps. His fourth-place finish keeps him within spitting distance of the points lead and he might be crafty enough to win it all. A nod must go to his teammate, Clint Bowyer who also avoided the trouble and finished fifth.
NOT
1. Carl Edwards- Cousin Carl was worried about “idiots” racing this weekend, who knew he would be talkin’ about himself. It looked like another ill-advised video game move when Edwards pushed his teammate Greg Biffle right into a huge wreck-- taking out all of the Roush Chasers and most of the others. Certainly brings new meaning to “All for one, and one for all.”
2.NASCAR- Once again, NASCAR’s ineptitude explaining their own rules caused yet another controversial finish. Was Regan Smith forced below the yellow by Tony Stewart on the final lap? Was there a precedent set by the previous night’s truck race that anything goes as long as you could see the checkers? Did they really have to punish Smith by placing him 18th instead of second? Will they ever penalize themselves for “actions detrimental to stock car racing?
3. Denny Hamlin- Hamlin was looking sporty leading the race when the right front tire blew on his No. 11 Toyota sending him hard into the outside wall. Hamlin was clearly injured and taken to a local hospital to check his ankle and to observe him after he reported a “headache.” Let’s hope Hamlin fully recovers and is able to safely compete in the rest of the Chase because being taken out of championship contention by this sort of wreck is definitely not hot.
4. Blown Tires- There were six blown tires during the Talladega race weekend, accounting for massive carnage on the track, two red flags, and one trip to the hospital. These were not your everyday blown tires, every one of these sounded like bombs when they exploded. Goodyear seemed mystified by the problem and blamed the “tremendous contact” in the draft. Given their track record this year, they won’t get much slack.
5. Penske Racing- Sam Hornish, Jr. did not even get his No. 77 Dodge into the race, Ryan Newman was in the garage by lap 50 with an engine problem, and five laps later after being pushed to the lead, Kurt Busch dropped a cylinder and went several laps down as the Brew Crew worked to salvage the engine. Busch managed an impressive 21st-place finish on seven cylinders but this season if it weren’t for bad luck, Team Penske would have no luck at all.
Continuing reading my blog for an insiders view of what went down at Dega this weekend...
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.
Whew! I think I have finally recovered from my action-packed 'Dega weekend so let me fill you in on what happened on Sunday in the garages.
So I started the day off VERY early. I wasn't sure how bad traffic would be from Birmingham to the track which took me about 45 minutes before so I left the hotel at 6:00 AM and made it there by 7:15 and then promptly took a nap in the car because the garage didn't open until 8:30.
I headed in and said hello to the crew as they uncoved the No. 2 car and changed out the back windows (from the solid ones they use in qualifying to the vented ones they use on race day), one of the only adjustments the teams were allowed to make due to the impound. The crew pushed the Blue Deuce out on the track by 9:30 and were free the rest of the morning.
While they were relaxing in the hauler, I went out to visit my favorite pit crew. They had the pit box all set up and were cleaning the tires and entertaining the fans on pit tours. Larry, Jay and Travis were all signing autographs and making me sign some too! I kept telling fans I was a nobody but they didn't believe me! After hanging on pit road for a bit, we got in the golf cart and went out to the Turn 1 Miller Lite Party Deck. After all the flack I got from you guys last time for not getting a picture of the Miller Lite Girls...here...enjoy!!!
We headed back through the crazy infield campers to the garage and while we grabbed lunch at the hauler, I interviewed the fabricators that were on hand from the Penske shop as well as Darin, the No. 2 team engine tuner for later articles. Clearly I am bad luck for this team since anyone I spoke with had lots of extra work to do today on the 2 car! oops!
We headed out to pit road for driver introductions. This was the first race weekend I had been at where I had seen Coach Gibbs. He was very active walking between his team's pit boxes on Sunday.
The crew made me an honorary member this weekend as I lined up with them for the prayer and National Anthem. It was very cool!
I was so excited to see this race in person and watched it from the pits. HOLY COW! The beginning of the race was really exciting as I watched both Jr and Kurt pick their way from the back of the pack to the front. When Jr got to the front, it was no lie, the roar of the crowd was deafening! It also traveled along with his car so you could hear the roar coming from the turn 4 fans all the way up the front stretch into to turn 1.
Kurt was also on a roll and had Vickers pushing him to the front. He lead several laps just before the third caution came out. Kurt pitted under this caution saying he thought something was amiss with the engine. The guys checked it out on pit road but found nothing wrong so they sent him back out. About 10 laps later, Kurt again reported engine problems (this was also as Ryan Newman pulled his No. 12 into the garage with a blown engine) so he pulled just behind pit road into the garage area and the team worked on it. You can see the smoke a bit in the picture.
