It’s a very lonely strip of concrete that lies between the garage area and the front straightaway, unless of course it’s a short track, and then it wraps itself around the entire track like some mighty python waiting for its next victim. However you choose to view this small piece of real estate, it has just as much significance as the asphalt that surrounds its outer edges that the drivers race on at very high speeds. At any given moment, this concrete area becomes a race within the race, which can have just as much and at times even more action then what is going on outside of its perimeters.

This is the only strip of land on the entire track, where the drivers can get the attention that their cars need during a race, without having to go beyond the wall into the garage area. The crew members, or as they are called “The over the wall gang,” are a highly trained group of men that take exceptional pride in the 14 or so seconds that it takes them to gas up, and get 4 fresh tires installed while working in a stall that is no bigger then the car itself. Denny Hamlin’s crew took top honors in the Tissot Pit Road Precision Award during Saturday night’s (July 11) Sprint Cup race at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Ill.

Hamlin’s No. 11 crew became the 13th Tissot winner in the 19 Cup races contested in 2009. The pit crew win was the result of Hamlin’s FedEx Toyota Camry spending the least amount of time on pit road – 194.055 seconds. The quick work helped Hamlin and the Joe Gibbs Racing team to a fifth-place finish in the 267-lap, 400-mile race. “The No. 11 FedEx team was awesome on Saturday night,” said Hamlin. “I think we gained or held positions each time I was on pit road and as competitive as this sport is that makes a huge difference. We need to keep improving during this summer stretch so everyone is at their best for the Chase. I see how hard they are working to improve and it paid off on Saturday.”

Hamlin’s over-the-wall crew consists of: Jonathan Sherman (front-tire changer), Brandon Pegram (front-tire carrier), Mike Hicks (rear-tire changer), Heath Cherry (rear-tire carrier), Nate Bolling (jackman), Scott Wood (gasman), John Eicher (catch can) and Bobby “Spike” Christenson (windshield). The team’s crew chief is Mike Ford and the pit crew coach is Paul Alepa. The athletic director for Joe Gibbs Racing is Michael Lepp. The No. 11 team will collect $5,000 for the pit road win. The team with the most Tissot Pit Road Precision Award wins at the completion of the 36-race Sprint Cup schedule will receive a $100,000 bonus plus Tissot watches for the crew and driver.

Congratulations to not only Hamlin’s crew, but to all the pit crews who put their lives on the line each and every race weekend. The over all the wall gang deserves just as much as recognition as the drivers themselves. It’s because of their very well timed actions, and the precision in which they carry out their specific duties. That puts our drivers in the best position to hopefully bring home a win. So far here are the standings after the first 19 races. Good luck to all the teams, as we get ready to head down the final stretch that will take us into the chase for the Sprint cup championship.

2009 Tissot Pit Road Precision Award Standings
Pos – Team No. – Pit Crew For – Wins
T1 – 24 – Jeff Gordon – 3
T1 – 16 – Greg Biffle – 3
T3 – 48 – Jimmie Johnson – 2
T3 – 14 – Tony Stewart – 2
T5 – 43 – Reed Sorenson – 1
T5 – 33 – Clint Bowyer – 1
T5 – 39- Ryan Newman – 1
T5 – 88 – Dale Earnhardt Jr.- 1
T5 – 1 – Martin Truex Jr. – 1
T5 – 00 – David Reutimann – 1
T5 – 99 – Carl Edwards – 1
T5 – 42 – Juan Pablo Montoya – 1
T5 – 11 – Denny Hamlin – 1

Emotions were running very high for the #29 team on that 11th day of March, 2001. Just three weeks before, Kevin Michael Harvick had no idea just how much of an impact this one race would have on this day, as well as the rest of his career. Happy as he is known around the racing world, was still racing in the Busch series that same year, which was also going to include running seven races in the Winston cup series in preparation to take over the #3 car once Dale Sr. decided it was time to retire. So how would this 25 year old driver from Bakersfield California, prepare himself to take over one the most famous race cars that this series has ever seen? Kevin started his racing career as most of our top stars did, at a very young age.

He was only 5 years old when his parents bought him his first go-kart as a kindergarten graduation present. Kevin was born a natural talent, as he began to move up the ranks through the Elite division of the Southwest series which races Late Models around his hometown where he grew up. Kevin captured the 1998 Winston West championship, a year before he would eventually make his Craftsmen Truck series debut at his home track Mesa Marin, which is in Bakersfield California. In 2000, Kevin would move into the Busch series full time finishing the year with 3 wins, eight top five finishes and sixteen top ten finishes. Kevin would reap the rewards of all his hard work, by winning the Busch Series Rookie-of-the year award that same year.

So as the 2001 racing season was about to begin, and all of Kevin’s dreams of becoming a big time NASCAR driver were about to come true. Childress planned to develop Harvick into the Winston Cup Series (now Sprint Cup Series) with up to seven races in an America Online sponsored third car, number 30. He planned to race Harvick for a full schedule in 2002, but the racing gods decided otherwise, this would be a day that the entire racing world would come to a standstill. Early retirement would come a lot sooner for the man who had one of the most famous nicknames in the sport, and Childress’s plans would change dramatically when,” The Intimidator” was killed during the final lap of the 2001 Daytona 500 . Harvick would not only be thrown into the snake pit a lot earlier then expected, but he would also have some really big shoes to fill.

Kevin would find out that even though the car would run a reverse white and black scheme (what was black became white, and what was white became black), and change the number from 3 to 29, that the fans would still acknowledge who drove that car to 76 race wins, and 7 Winston cup championships. The mountain that was set before him would not be an easy one to climb, but instead he would have to approach it one step at a time, while trying to erase the pain knowing that the memory of NASCAR’s biggest star was still fresh in the minds of his loyal fans. Kevin knew that with each race, there would also be a whole different set circumstance that could come his way. Some would be unbearable, and some he would be able to take an approach that could have an outcome that just might be up to what the fans, as well as his team were expecting from their young driver.

Kevin would enter his third cup start of the 2001 season having no idea what to expect. He had just come off of a 14th place finish at, “The Rock”, followed by a very impressive 8th place finish at Las Vegas just a week later. It was kind of ironic that it was the third race for Harvick, in the #3 car as it was known before the death of Earnhardt. The race would also produce the third closest finish in NASCAR history, and against of all drivers Jeff Gordon who was tabbed as the next up-and-coming superstar. What’s even more ironic is that Kevin would come back that same year, and finish third on November 18 at the same track.

All of these numbers fell right into place, as if Earnhardt himself were looking down from the heavens having planned it this way. There are still many race fans that believe to this day that Earnhardt not only watches from the heavens, but also at times he sends his special little signs to let the racing world know that he is still very much in tune with what’s going on in today’s racing world. Even Kevin himself still looks back at just how surreal that moment was on that day. “To win your first race is something that’s pretty cool. To do it in our third start, with everything that was going on, you can really look back on it now and reflect on those types of things. At that particular moment, I don’t remember a whole lot from that particular day. There are just so many emotions that were running through your mind – good emotions, bad emotions, everything that was happening. It was a little bit confusing, to be honest with you”.

So now what happens when one of NASCAR’s most popular drivers, decides he wants out of an organization that has backed him since the beginning of his career? Harvick, who still has a year remaining on his current contract that would take him through the 2010 season, is reported to have asked team owner Richard Childress if he could leave after the 2009 season. Knowing that the Harvick’s Shell sponsorship is up at the end of the season, Harvick is hoping that he and Shell could move over to Stewart/Haas Racing next season, especially with the sudden rise in success that SHR has been experiencing. It’s also no big secret that Harvick and Stewart also have a very good relationship on and off the track, especially since Stewart drove Harvick’s Nationwide car in a race on April 4 at Texas Speedway. Im Out

NASCAR has waited over 60 long years to finally join the rest of the sporting world to begin enshrining the drivers who have achieved greatness, while racing around some of Americas most historical racing venues. Not only has each driver made NASCAR their occupation, but also a way of life for their family, friends, and the fans as well. When we begin to think about the significance that NASCAR’s newest addition to the family will mean, all you have to do is take a good long deep look into the third word (fame), and that alone speaks just what an honor it is to even be mentioned next to it.

The word “fame” in this instance is used as a noun to describe widespread reputation, or a favorable character which can easily be used to describe a number of our drivers, or other members that are involved with the sport. NASCAR has been very privileged throughout the years, to have its share of respectable members involved in the sport no matter what capacity they may have served at. Whether we think about a crew chief, driver, owner, or even a person that has given much to the sport, it’s not hard to point out the achievements that each individual has graciously given to a sport, that has graciously given back just as much as it has taken.

Now looking at the list of the 25 drivers that have been nominated, it’s no wonder that it has taken NASCAR this long to finally build a “Hall Of Fame” of their own. The hall will be a special place where NASCAR can showcase not only the history of the sport, but also the accomplishments of those that have been, or are still involved in the sport. The significance that goes along with having each participants name enshrined in this state of the art building will most definitely go unmatched, to any award or trophy that has ever been given out during their glory years.

When you think about the great drivers such as the Earnhardt’s, the Petty’s, the Allison’s, Junior Johnson, David Pearson, and the founder of the sport Bill France Sr. How can any fan not get excited knowing that the modern era of the sport has finally reached its pinnacle, once the doors open for all the world to see. The Hall of Fame will be NASCAR’s own private temple to those members that have earned their way in because of the impact they had on the sport, both on and off the track, and not solely because they were popular with the fans. The 21 person committee has put all their personal differences aside to make sure that each nominee was chosen because they have excelled, and made an impact in the sport with not only their numbers but their contributions as well.

Now while looking up and down the list of nominee’s is this really the cream of the crop, since one of the main criteria for nomination and induction is accomplishments and contributions to the sport? It’s very easy to see that the list of nominee’s is full of some of the sports most popular drivers, as well as the ones who have met the criteria that NASCAR has put forth. But it doesn’t say anything about a driver or a member having to be retired to get nominated, especially when Richard Childress and Rick Hendrick are very active in the sport today. So how complete was the voting, when you look at the list of nominees and Jeff Gordon is missing?

Whether you love him or hate him, Jeff Gordon is one of the best drivers that have graced our tracks since the late Dale Earnhardt Sr, made his full time NASCAR debut back in 1979. With Earnhardt gone, Gordon is now the winningest active driver with 82 race wins, and there are only 5 drivers that have more wins then him who are on the list of nominee’s. Gordon is also sitting on 4 Winston Cup Championships, with only 2 drivers that have more championships who have been nominated. When the fans begin talking about the most important race of the season, the Daytona 500 is by far the most significant race, and Gordon can boast of his 3 Daytona wins with only 2 nominees’s having more then him.

Gordon’s list of important race wins doesn’t stop there, because with his 4 Brickyard 400 wins not 1 driver who was nominated can ever catch him. Gordon was also the series rookie of the year back in 1993, as well as the Busch series rookie of the year in 1991. Gordon who is still an active driver has already made NASCAR’s top 50 drivers list, in only his 17th season while racing in the cup series. Gordon has accumulated all of his accomplishments racing against some of the sports most controversial, as well as some of the best drivers that NASCAR had to offer during that time period. Gordon has overcome all the adversity that the fans could throw at him, while also being tabbed as the black sheep of the sport back when he first came into the series. And even today he is still a driver who is greatly respected not only by his fellow competitors, but by the media and the fans as well.

Contributions to the sport, as well as accomplishments on and off the track are what have made Gordon who he is today. Now because NASCAR’s ruling states that a former drivers must have competed 10 years in NASCAR, and be retired from racing for a minimum of three years. But yet the reason that Hendrick and Childress are eligible is because the criterion for non-drivers is they must have worked at least 10 years in the industry. Now wouldn’t it only be fair if they allow the non-drivers to be voted in at ten years, and yet they can still be active, to also allow the drivers the same criteria and do away with the three year waiting period since they are the heart and soul of the sport. Because if there was ever a driver who belongs on that list, it’s not that hard to see that Jeffery Michael Gordon is that driver. Im Out