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.
About 5 minutes later, the race was red-flagged for the first "big one" and the team had to stop working on the car. At this time, Kurt's PR guy had to leave so he asked me to wait by Kurt with his cold drinks, a wet towel and his hat in case Kurt got out of the car. Thankfully, Kurt didn't get out, I really didn't want to be his PR rep at that moment! LOL
Soon the wreckage started heading into the garage...
I was going to run into the garage to see the teams work on the cars but at this point the race was back on and Kurt was back out on track. They thought it was a broken rocker arm but it turned out to be a bad valve. The Brew Crew fixed it up and amazingly the engine lasted the rest of the race on 7 cylinders and Kurt ended up with a 21st place finish. Kurt said on the radio that he thought the engine might have been over-revv'ed when Vickers was pushing him because Vickers had so much more horsepower than we did. I dunno if that can happen but that is what Kurt diagnosed.
Course it didn't take long for the drivers out on the track to mix it up again, this time Carl Edwards triggered another "big one" and the race was red-flagged again...
This is the only "good" shot I have of the cars out on the track because they aren't moving!! LOL The crew took full advantage of this break and grabbed some "dinner"--some horrible things called "Tasty Cakes" and chips.
The race ended with much excitement and controversy. Smith's team was out on pit road celebrating about 8 stalls down from us and then you heard over the radio "No 20 to Victory Lane".
I ran over to Victory Lane but couldn't get close enough to get a good picture so then I ran back down pit road to try to steal Lori a #20 lug. Unfortunately, the cars picked for post race inspection were lined up right in front of Tony's pit box and security was tight. I leaned over before getting to Tony's pit to see if there were even any lugs left and I spotted ONE lug in the corner. I tried to get it but security stopped me, I tried to use my media credential to get over there but she said "TV only." I wasn't going to let that stop me, so I "dropped" (aka threw) my sunglasses over the wall and said "Oh no, I dropped my sunglasses!" She let me lean over and get them so of course I swiped the last 20 lug!
Then I took off for the media center and changed my shirt in the bathroom so no one would know me as that crazy Miller Lite girl. I saw the interviews of Paul Menard, Jimmie Johnson, David Ragan, and then the winning team of JD Gibbs, Joe Gibbs and Zippy. I managed to ask Zippy a question about what was so special about that primary car he saved after the wreck in practice that won tonight but he didn't give us anything good (I was hoping he would say they removed the magnets right in time! LOL). The screaming outside began and then there was Smoke!
Close enough to sweat on me...eeewwweee! I listened to Tony's interview and found it hilarious that he noticed the ESPN TV crew and reporters were all late coming in and said "Nice to see the rats have finally arrived..." I called HotFootLori to see if she had any questions for him but I couldn't get a hold of her and I couldn't think of anything appropriate to ask! LOL (I had prepped for Jr questions not Tony ones!) As Tony left he walked out back by me and ESPN tried to catch him for an exclusive post race TV interview and he gave them his famous smirk and said "F-You, I am done" and walked out the door...CLASSIC TONY!
It was a long ride back to the hotel in traffic but man was it a great race to see in person. This morning I had to check carefully for that SpeedBeagle, Katie to make sure she wasn't around when I passed off that magical winning lugnut to Lori outside my hotel on her lunch! LOL
Hope you all enjoyed the updates from the garage...only one race left for me this year at Phoenix. Look for the Miller Lite Racing articles up on the Miller Lite Map every Thursday! http://msn.foxsports.com/millerlitemap .
And of course, look for a blog from HotFootLori soon to pay me back...great meeting you girl! I am off to the aiport for the long flight home. Thanks for reading everyone!
Today when I rolled into the garage around 9a, the Miller Lite team was pushing the No. 2 car through the final inspection site. Apparently, they were here at 6a! I followed them out to their qualifying spot on pit road and then headed back to the hauler with them.
On the way back through the garages, I noticed Zippy and our very own Hollywood Hammond talking about the big wreck in practice yesterday.
I have to resind what I wrote yesterday, NASCAR did approve the No. 20 to go to a back up but Zippy decided to fix the primary car. Today, I overheard Zippy asking about the TV camera angles they had on the No. 20 car as it was wrecked. I wonder if he is being creative trying to diagnose potential problems with the front suspension?
I had a great opportunity to check out Jr's uber-cool paint scheme, because the No. 88 was parked in front of the Miller Lite hauler for about 20 min as they waited to go through inspection. Here is a shot of the car from a normal distance...
and here is a shot of a 3x close up of the names!
You can see those 72,000 names are REALLY TINY! If you look closely in this picture, in between the shadows in the middle you will find the name of one of our Presidental hopefuls! You might be surprised at which one...
SCOOP ALERT! So speaking of Dale Jr...I have a reliable but unnamed source who reported there is a rumor in the garage that when the No. 88 team changed engines yesterday, the underneath mechanic did not re-hook up the exhaust and that is why the back end blew out so violently and it was the exhaust system that cut down the tire. You heard it here first!
Some of you might remember an article I did for Miller Lite Racing after Pocono highlighting the bar where the Brew Crew gets their favorite Sweet and Sweaty Chicken Wings. If not, here it is... http://msn.foxsports.com/nascar/story/8418828
Well, the bar owner and food distributor are guests of the Miller Lite Race team this weekend and brought with them their famous wings! Here I am with Steve sampling the ORIGINAL Sweet and Sweaty wings hot off the grill (and its only 10:30 am!) YUMMY!!
After scarfin' down the wings, the crew invited me to come along with them as they pushed the car down pit road for qualifying. It is pretty amazing to be out there among the teams and drivers as if you belong, but I still snap pictures like a dorky fan...Here is one driver who is looking for some of those wings I bet! LOL
And here is Jr admiring his cool paint job...can you believe there is no-one else in this shot?! Still can't seem to capture his "front side" though! LOL
So about 5 spots before you qualify, the teams are given a 1" wicker bill by NASCAR (I was told that thin sheet of metal costs $125 each) that slides onto the back edge of the wing and is locked in in front of a NASCAR official. Then they measure the wings with a template and set the angle of the wing in front of that official and lock it into place. Here is Corey Tucker, the car chief completing the adjustments on the No.2 car.
Here is one of my favorite shots...we are lined up and ready to qualify, nothing but open track in front of Kurt. So COOL to be standing right there!
Qualifying did take forever and ultimately the Chasers all ended up in the back and we have the engine powerhouses of Yates and DEI up front. Any bets on how long that will last tomorrow?
So, look who I ran into outside the track...
Our very own HOTFOOTLORI in her Joey Logano t-shirt courtesy of 3fan who wore it in a picture with me at the CA race and then sent it to Lori. We had a great time dishing and hopefully we will meet up again on Sunday as well. After all, I might have to pass off some stolen lugs!
Believe it or not, Lori had a prediction for who was going to win this weekend...What do you make of this?!?!
(Ok, I am going to pay BIG TIME for that one...and I know how too. LOL)
I am off to bed for a very early start tomorrow, hitting the road at 6a! Look for the final garage report from Dega tomorrow night! Enjoy the race everyone!
Oh my! What a day in the garage at Talladega today! But more on that in a minute...
My travels from California to Birmingham, AL went off without a hitch and I am pretty sure American Idol Taylor Hicks was on my flight. I got to the track around 10a this morning and felt like a celebrity myself. As soon as I got out of the car at credentials, I was getting honked at by Kurt's motorcoach driver!
I got an even better surprise at credentials though...I knew I had used up NASCAR's allotted 4 Hot pass rule per team so it was a bit unclear the type of passes I would be getting....well, Kurt's PR guy hooked me up! Not only did he get me an infield parking pass (godsend for the feet!), I was holding in my hot little hands not only a Hot Pass but also a Media Credential! whoohoo! Lucky for me I did bring a neutral shirt so I plan on trying to interview some of the drivers in the media center on Sunday!! Of course, I was sky high heading into the garage with hopes of interviewing Jr dancing in my head...LOL Slim chance of that now!
Talladega is impressive. The sheer size of the track alone is almost unbelievable and then you get the cars practicing in packs and it sounds just like a high speed train rumbling towards you at 200 mph. FUN!
I wandered around getting the lay of the land and ran into Kyle just after he qualified the truck. You can see he is thrilled to be signing an autograph for a fan of his brother!
I also had to check out the media center and got in just as Jimmie was finishing his press conference in there.
I managed to grab the interview schedule from the media center and was able to stalk several drivers to get autographs including Biffle, Edwards, and Kenseth as they were getting ready to get in their cars for practice. You know I always have to get a funny picture of "Cupcake" (aka Jamie Mac) so here it is...
He is modeling his new uniform for his new sponsor! LOL
So we all know what happened during the first practice...and I was stealthy and snuck in for this shot of Jr's "new" engine!
And in keeping with the picture angle theme...here is Jr walking away in a bit of disgust!
Of course, Jr's troubles didn't end there...after his crew worked their "butts off" getting that engine in 9 laps into the second practice Jr's car came back on the wrecker...
Jr of course took out several other cars in the process...like the No. 9
the No. 44
And not to be left out...here is Clint Bowyer's engine out and about!
Smoke's car had some front end damage but NASCAR didnt let them pull out their back up car. Zippy wasn't happy and I have yet to see Smoke in the garages.
About 10 cars didn't even bother to go out for the 2nd practice which looked like a mighty smart move. Kurt and the Brew Crew have a good package in the car and Newman owes us so everyone is hoping for a good finish on Sunday. Avoiding the wreck today was the first good thing to happen for the No. 2 team. Keep those fingers crossed for me!
'Dega is an impound race so qualifying is the only thing the Cup cars are doing tomorrow. Will give you the full inside scoop Saturday night which you won't want to miss because I am all set to meet up with HotFootLori!
1. Jimmie Johnson- JJ inherited the pole, led the most laps, and had stellar pit stops from his Lowe’s pit crew on his way to win number five at Kansas on Sunday. It should be a surprise to no-one that the No. 48 team is leading Chase and is now the team to beat as Johnson logged another all-around perfect performance.
2. Carl Edwards- Cousin Carl was a “hit” on Sunday, especially on pit road where he got nailed twice. Edwards saved his best hit for last when he drove his No. 99 Ford hard into the wall trying to pass race winner Jimmie Johnson on the last lap with a super aggressive slide job. He finished second and fell to second in the points but he gets an “A” for effort for that exciting finish.
3. The Chasers- There were 10 Chasers in the top 13 finishing positions at Kansas, many overcoming adversity to stay in the hunt for the title. Greg Biffle fought an ill-handling car to finish third while Jeff Gordon was just plain ill but made it home fourth. Matt Kenseth went for a power-slide but salvaged a top five finish. Jeff Burton went from last to seventh and teammate Clint Bowyer was penalized twice but fought back to 12th. Kevin Harvick, Denny Hamlin & Dale Earnhardt, Jr. also had respectable finishes and it goes to show the cream always rises to the top.
4. Elliott Sadler- ESad started in fourth and fell out of the top 12 for just a handful of laps on Sunday at Kansas. His 10th-place finish gave Dodge their highest finish of the race, as Sadler used his Garmin to stay on track and out of trouble. A small but welcome boost in another difficult year for this fan favorite.
5. AJ Allmendinger- Red Bull announced this week that Allmendinger would not be returning to the No. 84 team next year, so the ‘Dinger did the only thing he could do—Earn his best career finish ever (ninth). Nice audition AJ—mark my words…Red Bull will regret this decision.
NOT
1. Tony Stewart- Smoke got smoked in qualifying, got penalized again for speeding on pit road and then took out Brian Vicker’s pit crew. Soon after, Stewart mowed the infield with his No. 20 Home Depot Toyota after hitting Vickers on the track. The Home Depot crew had to fix the splitter under green, relegating Stewart to a 40th-place finish which dropped him four positions in the Chase --ending his hopes for a final championship with Gibbs. Maybe he can salvage his season with a win.
2.Martin Truex, Jr.- DEI was looking sporty at the beginning of the race with Truex, Jr. leading the way early. He was running in the top five until a bad set of tires sent him reeling. Truex’s crew chief told him to “shut up and drive” his loose No. 1 Chevrolet and he did his best until he missing a shift on a restart and breaking his shifter. Despite leading 27 laps, he ended up with a DNF.
3. Kyle Busch- In an almost unbelievable turn of events, the No. 18 M&M’s Toyota is three for three for mechanical problems in the Chase races. Intermittent fuel pressure problems left Rowdy with nothing to drive as he struggled to finish 28th. Heads should roll at the Gibbs shop until they can give Busch a car he can actually race.
4. Joey Logano- “Sliced Bread” made his second start in the Cup Series on Sunday in the No. 96 DLP Toyota to prep for his full time ride in the No. 20 next year. So far he has been practicing racing a lap down, bringing out the caution, and kissing the wall. Time to show us something more impressive Mr. Logano because finishing 39th isn’t going to cut it.
5. Joe Nemechek- What was Front Row Joe thinking during the final laps on Sunday racing the leaders when he was four laps down? Carl Edwards would have good cause to be angry with Nemechek, he may have cost him the win. Nemechek must have figured it was the only way to get some airtime for the No. 78 Furniture Row Chevrolet. There, I gave you some press, now stop interfering with the leaders! Check out the Hot or Not photo gallery here: http://msn.foxsports.com/nascar/pgStory?co ntentId=8623610#sport=NASCAR&photo=8623104
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. Roush-Fenway Racing- The Roushkateers were racing 1-2-3 amongst themselves while putting on a clinic at the Monster Mile. Greg Biffle went from “I can’t drive it” to take the checkers for back to back wins in the Chase. Matt Kenseth was dominant mid-race and the Killer Bees were stout to earn a runner-up finish. Carl Edwards had another bad fast car late and finished third, keeping his lead in the Chase. Jack is one happy cat.
2. Richard Childress Racing –Jeff Burton, Kevin Harvick and Clint Bowyer were not flashy on Sunday at Dover, but they all put together good solid runs and at times were the fastest cars on the track. Everyone finished inside the top 10 as they launched themselves in the Chase standings up to fourth, fifth and sixth respectively. Don’t take your eyes off these guys…
3. Michael Waltrip- Holy cow! Mikey stayed out of trouble and raced inside the top 20 all day long at Dover. His No. 55 NAPA machine was the highest finishing Toyota in the race as he crossed the finish line in 10th. Had his teammate not made a stupid mistake there would have been two MWR cars in the top 10 and pigs would have been flying!
4. Half of Hendrick Motorsports - Jimmie Johnson had a self-proclaimed “bad day” at Dover as he finished fifth after getting ganged up on by the Roushkateers in the late stages of the race. His “bad” finish was good enough to maintain his second-place spot in the Chase. Teammate Jeff Gordon won the pole and led early but had to adjust on his No. 24 Dupont Chevrolet to get his seventh-place finish, moving him up to eighth in the Chase. Look out when these two have good days…
5. Mark Martin- The sentimental favorite started on the outside pole and kept his No. 8 Army Chevy in the top five all day. “Like a pit bull with a pork chop,” Martin gave it his all for the win, but had to settle for “best of the rest” honors in fourth. With runs like this, Martin will be a contender in the Chase next year.
NOT
1. Kyle Busch- With three little words (“I smell oil”) Rowdy and the No. 18 team checked into The Heartbreak Hotel as they endured a second parts failure in two weeks. The Toyota engine let go early on Sunday and Busch’s championship hopes went right along with it. He finished last and fell back to 12th in the Chase standings, a shocking 210 points behind the leader, Carl Edwards.
2.Denny Hamlin- The FedEx team was weeping right along with the rear end of their No. 11 Toyota as it sprung an oil leak. Later they had a right rear go down as Hamlin limped his way to the garage with no power under the hood. After replacing both axles and the drive shaft, Hamlin came back out to finish 38th falling five spots to 11th in the Chase standings.
3. David Reutimann- Another surprisingly good run for the No. 44 UPS team as Reutimann was racing inside top 10 but his third great run in recent weeks was ruined by a rookie mistake--pitting outside his pit box on the last stop. NASCAR held him for the one lap penalty and ultimately Reutimann finished 17th. No excuse for his crew chief to not to catch that costly mistake.
4. Race Wreckers- David Gilliland drove his No. 28 Ford too hard into the corner on lap two and clipped Kurt Busch, sending him backward into the wall and ruining a chance for the No. 2 to back up their solid run last week. Robby Gordon was a stinker to pass on the track despite being a lap down and then he got out of shape and rode Jamie McMurray right into the wall ending the great race the No. 26 was having. These two were lucky those weren’t Chasers they took out.
5. Dale Earnhardt Jr.- Oh how the mighty struggled at Dover—The No. 88 team missed the set up badly and Junebug fell through the field like a rock until he was lapped. Soon after, his right rear tire let go. Junior saved it, but he was never a contender, finishing three laps down in 24th. He lost five spots and now sits ninth in the Chase standings. What happened?
Also check out my latest FOXSports.com article for Miller Lite Racing explaining some of the mechanical problems the No. 2 car has suffered this year here: http://msn.foxsports.com/nascar/story/8595666
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.
I will be out of town next weekend at a wedding so there will be no Hot or Not for Loudon…
HOT
1. Jimmie Johnson- The champ picked up his fourth win of the season as the No. 48 team served notice that they are ready to Chase. JJ’s win at Richmond was calculated as they fell back to adjust on the car before he made his move late in the race. They can dominate, come from behind, and win with pit strategy—can you say three-peat?
2. Tony Stewart- Surly Smoke was clearly unhappy his Home Depot crew cost him the lead coming off pit road on the final stop. Stewart raced the Lowe’s Chevrolet hard to the checkers but came up short and he had to settle for second. He heads into the Chase winless for his final 10 races with Joe Gibbs Racing. A nod must go to teammate Denny Hamlin who came home third on his home track and is also locked into the Chase.
3. Dale Earnhardt Jr- Brought back the dominant No. 88 Chevrolet from May and was up front rim-riding and dancing on his splitter. The highlight of the race for many was when Junebug “accidentally” spun Kyle Busch fighting for the lead-deja-vu? Unfortunately, Jr. lost forward bite and couldn’t challenge his teammate for the win, but his top-five finish gave his team some “Big ‘Mo” heading into the Chase.
4. Richard Childress Racing - Clint Bowyer tip-toed his way through the Rock & Roll 400 and his 12th-place finish was good enough to hold onto the final spot in the Chase. Jeff Burton was happy to be able to ride around without pressure and came home sixth. Kevin Harvick was officially locked into the Chase at the green flag and was bad fast to start keeping his No. 29 up front to finish seventh. These three guys might have what it takes to challenge for the Cup.
5. David Reutimann- The No. 44 UPS team used pit strategy to get the lead on Sunday and then Reutimann went on to haul the mail—leading the most laps en route to a ninth-place finish. In case you’re counting at home, that’s two consecutive impressive runs for Reutimann.
NOT
1. Dodge Motorsports- Kurt Busch was the highest finishing Dodge on Sunday with a 10th –place finish while the rest of the Mopar posse struggled mightily. Kasey Kahne finished 20th and failed to make the Chase while his teammate, Elliott Sadler brought out the caution twice with flat right front tires. Juan Pablo Montoya spent some quality time with the wall, and Sam Hornish, Jr. lost his wheel. It is looking U.G.L.Y. for this manufacturer.
2. Matt Kenseth- Started Sunday needing to lock himself into the Chase and he barely made it. Kenseth sustained a lot of damage on his No. 17 Ford after contact with teammate David Ragan, then he went two laps down after he was black-flagged for the crush panel falling off his car. He ended a frustrating day in 39th.
3. David Ragan- Tried his heart out to race his way into the Chase, but on lap 122, the No. 6 AAA Ford got loose in a corner and slid up into the wall. To make matters worse, his teammate Matt Kenseth then broad-sided him. During his eventful day, Ragan was a lap down, back in the Chase, then out of the Chase and bounced around finally finishing 32nd. It was a great run while it lasted.
4. Team RedBull- Brian Vickers blew a tire and was then black-flagged for not maintaining speed when NASCAR thought he could have on Sunday. The penalty put Vickers two laps down in 36th. His teammate, AJ Allmendinger, lost a cylinder at the start of the race and was never a factor, finishing 65 laps down in dead last.
5. Kyle Busch- Rowdy said he had nothing to lose and was going for the trophy, but his competitors had something to say about that. Busch went for two spins on Sunday, one courtesy of Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and the other thanks to Elliott Sadler. The No. 18 M&M’s Toyota finished 15th and had seen better days--only time will tell if this team can recapture their glory now that the Chase has begun.
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- The No. 48 Lowes team dominated at Johnson’s home track in Southern California, from qualifying to the checkered flag, putting on a perfect performance unlike any other we have seen with the new car. Looks like JJ and Knaus have figured out the flat tracks—if they can keep up the consistency a three-peat may be in their future.
2. David Reutimann- The Michael Waltrip Racing driver qualified well and took advantage of his good starting spot on Sunday night. Reutimann kept himself up front and out of trouble, and even led a lap on his way to a top-10 finish. The No. 44 UPS Camry is starting to deliver!
3. Roush-Fenway Racing- Greg Biffle watched Jimmie Johnson’s bumper all night long and had stellar pit stops, but could do no better than second. Matt Kenseth and Carl Edwards were both predictably solid as they finished fifth and sixth in the Pepsi 500. David Ragan needed a good run to stay in Chase contention and his 13th -place finish kept him within 17 points of 12th in the standings with one race left to make the Chase. That all adds up to a pretty solid team effort.
4. Denny Hamlin- Hamlin needed to haul the mail in an effort to get away from the “edge” of the Chase cutoff at California, and he did more than that. Hamlin was the class of Joe Gibbs racing as he kept his Toyota in the top five for most of Sunday afternoon and came home in third. Are you happy now Denny?
5. Bubble Boys- Kasey Kahne and Clint Bowyer both needed good runs to keep their Chase hopes alive and both accomplished their goals. Kahne’s eighth-place finish keeps him within spitting distance of 12th place where Bowyer resides after he brought home his No. 07 in 10th. It looks like a three-man race for the final spot in the Chase as Kahne is battling to keep Dodge from being locked out.
NOT
1. The Race- TV made this race look better than it was in person—that’s Hollywood for you. Uber-BORING single-file racing made the Auto Club Speedway two for two in awful races this year. Factor in the fact that two of the cautions were due to parts of the track falling off (the caution lights!) and the grandstands were half-empty, tell me again how this track got a Chase race in 2009?
2. Kurt Busch- Unfortunately, Sunday was just another typical race week for Kurt Busch and his crew. The Miller Lite Dodge snapped loose and body-slammed Martin Truex, Jr. coming out of a turn, cutting down the left side tires. The left rear came off hitting the No. 12, and Kurt went for another spin. Busch was never in the right place at the right time for a lucky dog and California was another long test session for the No. 2 team.
3. Jamie McMurray- On lap 4, the No. 26 Crown Royal car was already in trouble with a cut tire and a broken splitter, putting them one lap down to start. McMurray did his best to battle back and finished a respectable 24th given their troubles--but when the rest of your teammates are running up front you are making Jack’s decision on who to cut next year too easy.
4. Red Bull Racing’s Pit Crews- Team Red Bull was racing up front and had stout cars… but their pit crews just couldn’t hang much to the dismay of both BrianVickers and AJAllmendinger. The 83 team had a penalty for a loose tire and the 84 team was slow on every stop making their top five cars into top 15 cars. But kudos must go to Allmendinger who qualified on the outside pole and then strutted his stuff for the first time in a Cup car at California.
5. Tony Stewart- Smoke’s “Subway Fit” ride (anyone else find that sponsor ironic?) was slow, slow, slow all weekend long and Zippy just couldn’t find the zip. Stewart’s lackluster 22nd-place finish begs the question: Have all the parties on the No. 20 team already turned their attention to next year? Check out the Hot or Not photo gallery here: http://msn.foxsports.com/nascar/pgStory?content Id=8513888
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.
I won't bore you recapping the race on Sunday! LOL Pictures tell a better story anyway. Suffice to say domination isn't that exciting but kudos to the 48 team.
Unfortunately for me and the Miller Lite guys, our race went up in cut tires...
The tire smoking is actually the left front, the left rear is in shreds in the corner. Not good. I had a great time in the garages with the guys as usual though. They really are a fun bunch. I have some answers to questions, more "guess the car parts" and some scoop that I will post on the MLR More 2 It blog later. It really was just a long hot day with not much to do once the car went thru inspection. I did go to the drivers meeting and got these shots..."Sliced Bread" is walking in in the black shirt/jeans.
Everyone's favorite bad boy...
and in the next shot you see that tweedle dee and tweedle dum were in the house! OOPS! Did I type that!! LOL
I always have to get a shot of Jamie Mac doing something funny...you may recall the porta potty shot from Sonoma. Well, this week he is loading up on pasta off the grill. Did you know that the other teams call him "Cupcake". TOO FUNNY!
And last but certainly not least! As promised...our very own 3fan in his Logano t-shirt just for HotFootLori holding up the Stewart lug I stole for him. Thanks for everything Sal!
Yes, I am still stealin' lugs...
The "real" race report will be up on the Miller Lite Map later this week. Have a great Labor Day everyone!
Greetings from the Auto Club Speedway garages in Fontana, CA! Unfortunately, I had to work my “real” paid job this Friday so I missed qualifying day yesterday but flew in first thing this morning and spent the entire long, hot day at the track.
My morning started off with a tailgate with our very own Frevr3Fan and his friends and family. We hung out for several hours and ate Carne Asada on tortillas off the grill as I waited for the garages to open at 2pm this afternoon. I don’t have a picture to post of 3fan because I told him I was waiting for him to wear his Joey Logano t-shirt for us! LOL Hopefully that will be the case on Sunday…
Once the garage opened I made the long trek into the garages. The infield at CA is huge and once again the garages are all smashed in much like Michigan and the garage stalls are even smaller. It is also strange that only 4 cars are in the first garage row, and the rest of it is used for NASCAR inspection sites. It really rewards those 4 teams because the garage area isn’t as crowded. Most of the haulers line up with their garage stalls but there is one notable…Tony Stewart’s hauler is on the first row of garages but his garage stall is on the second so I might have a chance at an autograph if I can figure out his path. He did give me the stink eye twice already though, so my cover is blown!
When I got to the Miller Lite Hauler, Kurt was meeting with the President of Gatorz, which is the maker of Kurt’s “precision-tuned eyewear” (aka sunglasses). It was a big photo-op and I bet we see some ads with Kurt in them soon. The Miller Lite team was hard at work setting the car up for practice. They were pleased with their qualifying run but were working on adjusting the car for the race.
As you know, they can usually get one good run out of the No. 2 car before it gets terribly tight and unmanageable of late. The car started off practice loose but adjustments tightened it up in the corners and then the car became too tight again. With the changing track conditions from first practice to Happy Hour mimicking the changes the track will make tomorrow during the race, I think the team got good feedback and can adjust on the car as needed on Sunday.
I spent the better part of practice in my own battle with my radio. I had to stand in a certain way in order to get Kurt’s channel so Stump, the transport hauler driver, told me to go over to the Racing Radio NASCAR hauler and get it fixed. Sure enough you go into a hauler full of radios, every imaginable radio part and two guys fixing everything. I told them Stump sent me and they diagnosed my problem in about 3 minutes and out I came with a new antennae. No charge! Except Stump said with a laugh that they would make him pay “somehow”…again without these “services” at the track, NASCAR wouldn’t be able to function.
In between practice and Happy Hour, I ran around trying to get autographs and I ended up waiting around the No. 11 hauler. I asked one of Denny’s crew how they deal with being “thrown under the bus” by their driver (remember Denny had some foul things to say about his team after Michigan) and he just laughed and said, “you just have to ignore it and keep going.” I assured him that even though his driver might not appreciate them, the fans know they work their butts off!
During Happy Hour, I alternated between watching in the garage, watching from pit road and talking with the NASCAR Editor here on Foxsports.com. After Happy Hour ended, and the crew got to work tearing down the car and going over their checklists, I filled them in on how good you all were doing on “Guess the Car Part” (on the More-2-It Debate Blog). I told them some of your answers and they got a good laugh out of the “low jack” and cup holder responses. I have a few more parts to quiz you on now and I was able to get even more up close and personal with the car.
In fact, Stretch (one of the mechanics) was showing me something to take pictures of near the fuel cell as the day was turning into night and the flash went off and from across the aisle, Corey, the car chief came over and said that it looked like I was welding back there! I also crawled completely under the car to get a picture under the expert supervision of Steve, the underneath mechanic. I couldn’t believe the underbelly of the car was still so hot several hours after practice.
I followed Luke over to the shock inspection station and then spent some time interviewing Brian, the team engineer for a later article. The crew invited me to join them at their hotel where Mobil 1 takes care of all three Penske teams the entire weekend with catered breakfasts and dinners each day. They also had racing simulators, video games and a pool table. I was great to hang out with the team “outside” of their work and see how close knit the entire Penske organization is. Everyone clearly enjoyed being pampered by Mobil 1.
I am heading off to bed and looking forward to race day tomorrow! Stay tuned…
1. Carl Edwards- “Concrete Carl” used the ole’ bump-and-run on Kyle Busch to take the lead and the victory in Thunder Valley on Saturday night. The No. 99 team has racked up six wins this year and is the only one putting any heat on Busch for the championship. A nod must go to his teammate, David Ragan whostarted dead last in a back-up car and finished 10th climbing to within 12 points of a spot in the Chase.
2. Joe Gibbs Racing- Turned their attention back to racing and all three teams finished in the top 10. Kyle Busch dominated the race and showed uncharacteristic patience out on the track --until he took out Edwards on his victory lap. Denny Hamlin had a solid performance and finished third after his angry tirade last week. Tony Stewart started 28th, got in trouble for rough driving, and finished eighth--Pretty much a typical day in the office for him.
3. Kevin Harvick- Harvick needed a good run at Bristol and he delievered. Happy was loose, fast and lucky as he barely avoided the “Big One.” He brought home his No. 29 Chevrolet fourth and can breathe a little easier now that he is more securely in the Chase.
4. Jeff Gordon- Gordon led a lap early and got those precious five bonus points. He then kept it in the top five the rest of the night en route to a fifth-place finish. His night was not without controversy, though, as the No. 20 messed with him for a second week in a row. Gordon is not likely to forget that and neither are his fans.
5. Clint Bowyer- It was official at Bristol that he would be changing his car and crew next year, a distraction for sure. Mix that in with his biggest problem of the weekend, which was when Bowyer got serious front end damage, and it could have equaled a disappointing result. However, Bowyer did a terrific job driving himself back into the Chase with a seventh-place finish.
NOT
1. Kasey Kahne- Kahne lost three spots in the standings last week at Michigan and was running 12th at Bristol when he got caught up in the “Big One.” He was on fire in a bad way and said “it’s the way it goes here” as the No. 9 Budweiser team was done for the night. Kahne finished 40th and fell 56 points out of 12th place with two races to go before the Chase begins.
2. Dale Earnhardt Jr.- Junior was black-flagged for passing cars before the start-finish line and got a pass-through penalty putting him one lap down at the start of the Sharpie 500. That bone-headed mistake cost Junebug big because he could never get the lucky dog despite trying all night long. The No. 88 was lapped two more times before the checkered flag fell and Junior finished 18th. You can’t win championships with mistakes like that.
3. Jimmie Johnson- On lap 27, Johnson cut a tire and smacked the wall, knocking himself right out of contention early for the second race in a row. The No. 48 finished 17 laps down in 33rd and it looks like bad racing luck has found a home with this team.
4. Jeff Burton- Running sixth, Burton got caught up in a wreck on lap 195 that caused heavy damage to the No. 31 Chevrolet knocking him out of the race Saturday night. Another Chaser-to-be with problems, Burton finished 42nd-- his second DNF this year and yet another sign this team seems to be losing steam.
5. Elliot Sadler- Sadler slid his No. 19 Stanley Dodge into his pit stall at a 45 degree angle and his crew couldn’t get the left side tires on without him backing up. Several laps later Sadler was back in the pits to fix a loose seat belt. As if that wasn’t enough—NASCAR nailed him for speeding off pit road. Sadler finished 10 laps down in 32nd and cannot get any kind of momentum this season.
The Miller Lite Racing website had been updated (www.millerliteracing.com)! Look for videos of the hauler with Cindy, pit preparation on race day with Larry and everything you wanted to know about tires with Mule.
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- Starting from 27th on Sunday, Edwards was up front by lap 60 and he never looked back as he went on to lead the most laps in a dominating performance at Michigan. He gave himself a birthday to remember by sweeping the weekend’s races and now has 40 bonus points--and counting--heading into the Chase.
2. Roush-Fenway Racing- The rest of Roush-Fenway racing didn’t do too shabby either. David Ragan was threatening to win his first Cup race and his third-place finish launched him into a tie for 13th in the standings only 26 points out of the Chase. Teammates Greg Biffle and Matt Kenseth were right behind in fourth and fifth and Jamie McMurray rounded out the amazing day for the Roushkateers by finishing 10th. The two-mile track is definitely the “House that Jack Built.”
3. Kevin Harvick- The No. 29 team has strung together two top-10 efforts in two weeks with his eighth-place finish on Sunday. As a result, they have been duly rewarded with a three-spot jump in the point standings. Happy and crew might be peaking at just the right time to make things interesting.
4. Brian Vickers- Not only did Vickers grab Team Red Bull’s first ever pole, he also kept his No. 83 in the top 10 all race long and finished an impressive seventh. He showed tremendous sportsmanship helping both Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Greg Biffle remove debris from their grills, eliminating their overheating problems. Vickers is still making a play for a spot in the Chase and even more importantly, he is gaining respect and friends on the track.
5. Kyle Busch- The points leader showed tremendous improvement in performance since his last visit to Michigan, so much so Busch was in contention for the win but had to settle for second. Look for the No. 18 team to go for broke before the Chase begins using trick setups and testing as they go for bonus points.
NOT
1. Denny Hamlin- With six laps remaining at Michigan, the No. 11 FedEx engine let go. Hamlin was clearly frustrated with his 39th-place finish that dropped him three spots in the point standings only 26 points inside the Chase. Hamlin said his team “didn’t deserve to be in the Chase” and with a bad attitude like that he might just get his wish.
2. Hendrick Motorsports- Rarely do we witness greatness implode like we did at Michigan on Sunday. HMS started the day running first, second, and fourth. But then Jeff Gordon’s crew couldn’t hold onto their lugs and Jimmie Johnson was “cranky” according to his crew chief and fell like a rock--until that fateful lap 91, when Johnson was forced into Gordon and they both suffered cut tires. Let’s not forget Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s b.a.n.g up job on the wall with 17 laps to go ending his bid for a top-10 finish. JJ and Junebug remain safely in the Chase but Gordon’s 42nd-place finish puts him only 82 points ahead of 13th place in the Cup standings.
3. Kasey Kahne- The No. 9 Budweiser machine started sputtering and blew up resulting in yet another Chaser with a surprisingly bad finish (40th). Kahne also lost three spots in the standings falling to 11th just 47 points ahead of 13th. However, at least Kahne had a positive outlook and praise for his team despite the disappointing finish and I bet it will create some good karma for him.
4.Clint Bowyer- The Jack Daniels’ team has been struggling, and this weekend was no different. Bowyer had a horrible qualifying effort (41st ) and struggled home to finish 20th. Not bad, but when you are sitting outside the Chase by 26 points, you have to capitalize in the races when others falter--and Bowyer missed his chance on Sunday.
5.Kurt Busch- The Miller Lite team had a top-10 car for half of the race, but then bad luck struck yet again. The No. 96 got into the No. 2 on a late restart and cut the left rear tire down and Busch couldn’t get to pit road without a spin through the grass. They ended up three laps down in 36th and are looking to work out their frustrations with a win at a short track—like Bristol.
Check out the Miller Lite Racing website for new videos from Michigan! (www.millerliteracing.com) Also be sure to check out my weekly insider reports with No. 2 team here on FOXSports.com every Thursday at http://msn.foxsports.com/millerlitemap. 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.
