Thursday, October 31, 2013

With Three To Go, Who Has The Edge?

With three races to go, NASCAR is calling the race for the championship the closest race in NASCAR history. That's a little unfair considering that pre-new-points era, the points structure was so different that it's like comparing how fast light is, versus how fast a car is.

For example, in their "One race to go" chart, they have Darrell Waltrip 2 points over Richard Petty as the closest points margin. This was back in 1979.

The next closest is 3 points with Carl Edwards and Tony Stewart.

But Carl and Tony's gap is three positions apart by today's standards, while the Waltrip/Petty gap was less then one position.

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			W	t5	t10
Matt Kenseth	2294		7	10	18
Jimmie Johnson	2294		5	14	21
Jeff Gordon	2267	-27	1	8	17
Kevin Harvick	2266	-28	3	8	18
Kyle Busch	2258	-36	4	16	20
Clint Bowyer	2239	-55	0	9	17
Dale Earnhardt Jr	2238	-56	0	7	19
Greg Biffle	2236	-58	1	4	13
Kurt Busch	2219	-75	0	10	15
Carl Edwards	2218	-76	2	9	16
Joey Logano	2209	-85	1	10	16
Ryan Newman	2188	-106	1	6	16
Kasey Kahne	2170	-124	2	9	12

But be it as it may, if tied is close, so be it. It's a great tension builder, that's for sure. And mathematically, everyone is still in it. But realistically, I'm looking at everyone who is one-race's worth of points within the lead. And that narrows it down to the top-5 drivers.

But both point leaders, Matt Kenseth and Jimmie Johnson are 27 points ahead of the next guy, Jeff Gordon, so the focus is on these guys.

But even though Jimmie and Matt are tied, with the tie-breaker going to Matt, Jimmie has caught Matt because four races ago, he was 9 points out of first. And Jeff Gordon was 39 points out of first.

If you do the math, Jeff is coming on strong and Jimmie is overtaking Kenseth.

But these next three tracks can make or break these guys.

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So how did my predictions from earlier in the chase do?

I was looking at Johnson, Harvick and Kyle Busch as contending for the championship. Well at least my selected drivers are in the top half of the field.

And Johnson is leaning on Kenseth, keeping him honest or more conservative. Depending on how you look at it. Either way, it should be interesting when Homestead comes around.

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Penalties Handed Out for Flying Wrench Debacle at Martinsville

Remember that flying wrench last weekend at Martinsville, when the truth about how Kevin Harvick and Richard Childress feel about each other came out?

Well, it ain't cool to throw wrenches at people folks. Yes, I know. Common sense dictates such things, but in the heat of the moment in sporting events, you need your opinion expressed in the most vocal of fashions. And in this case, the point was being made with what was at hand... a very large wrench.

NASCAR apparently did not take lightly to the pit stall equipment flight pattern and has dealt out some penalties in association with the flying metal:

via press release

{

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (October 31, 2013) – Penalties have been issued to the No. 3 team in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series following last weekend’s race at Martinsville Speedway.

The team has been penalized for violating Sections 12-1 (Actions detrimental to stock car racing; throwing an object at a competitor’s race truck) and 9-4A: (The Crew Chief assumes responsibility for the actions of his/her Driver, Truck Owner and team members). The infractions occurred during the race on Saturday, October 26.

As a result of these violations, crew chief Paul (Marcus) Richmond has been fined $10,000 and crew member Adam Brown has been indefinitely suspended from NASCAR.

}
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Monday, October 28, 2013

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Official Race Results - from Martinsville

{NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES OFFICIAL RACE REPORT No. 33
65TH ANNUAL GOODY'S HEADACHE RELIEF SHOT "500" POWERED BY KROGER
MARTINSVILLE SPEEDWAY

Ridgeway, VA - October 27, 2013
.526-Mile Oval
500 Laps - 263 Miles Purse: $5,013,097 }

Jeff Gordon won the Goody's Headache Relief Shot 500 Powered by Kroger at Martinsville Speedway. This was his 88th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory. Prior to the green flag, no cars dropped to the rear of the field.

TIME OF RACE: 3 hours, 44 minutes, 21 seconds AVERAGE SPEED: 70.337 mph MARGIN OF VICTORY: 0.605 second(s)

COORS LIGHT POLE AWARD: Denny Hamlin (99.595 mph. 19.013 secs.)

3M LAP LEADER: Matt Kenseth (202 Laps)

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Fin	Car			Series	Bonus		Laps
Pos	No	Driver	Laps	Points	Points	Status	Led
1	24	Jeff Gordon	500	47	4	Running	78
2	20	Matt Kenseth	500	44	2	Running	202
3	15	Clint Bowyer	500	42	1	Running	60
4	2	Brad Keselowski	500	40	0	Running
5	48	Jimmie Johnson	500	40	1	Running	123
6	29	Kevin Harvick	500	38	0	Running
7	11	Denny Hamlin	500	38	1	Running	14
8	88	Dale Earnhardt Jr	500	36	0	Running
9	16	Greg Biffle	500	35	0	Running
10	1	Jamie McMurray	500	34	0	Running
11	31	Jeff Burton	500	34	1	Running	5
12	99	Carl Edwards	500	32	0	Running
13	42	Juan Pablo Montoya	500	31	0	Running
14	22	Joey Logano	500	30	0	Running
15	18	Kyle Busch	500	30	1	Running	12
16	56	Martin Truex Jr	500	28	0	Running
17	10	Danica Patrick #	499	27	0	Running
18	78	Kurt Busch	499	26	0	Running
19	9	Marcos Ambrose	499	25	0	Running
20	43	Aric Almirola	499	24	0	Running
21	13	Casey Mears	499	23	0	Running
22	27	Paul Menard	499	22	0	Running
23	38	David Gilliland	499	21	0	Running
24	93	Travis Kvapil	499	20	0	Running
25	55	Elliott Sadler	499	0	0	Running	6
26	98	Michael McDowell	498	18	0	Running
27	5	Kasey Kahne	497	17	0	Running
28	32	Ken Schrader	496	16	0	Running
29	40	Landon Cassill	495	0	0	Running
30	36	J.J. Yeley	495	14	0	Running
31	17	Ricky Stenhouse Jr #	495	13	0	Running
32	47	Bobby Labonte	494	12	0	Running
33	87	Joe Nemechek	493	0	0	Running
34	35	Josh Wise	490	0	0	Running
35	30	Cole Whitt	459	0	0	Running
36	14	Mark Martin	455	8	0	Running
37	83	David Reutimann	451	7	0	Rear Gear
38	39	Ryan Newman	432	6	0	Running
39	7	Dave Blaney	357	5	0	Accident
40	95	Reed Sorenson	275	0	0	Rear Gear
41	33	Tony Raines	220	0	0	Brakes
42	51	Kyle Larson	160	0	0	Engine
43	34	David Ragan	109	1	0	Engine

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Caution Flags: 17 cautions for 111 laps. [Beneficiary in Brackets]
8-19 (Car #31 Spinout (Turn 4) [None]);
89-94 (Car #93 Spinout (Turn 4) [27]);
141-146 (Car #83 Spinout (Turn 4) [27]);
167-180 (Car #51 Fluid On Track (Backstretch) [55]);
183-191 (Car #5, 11, 32, 41, 56 Accident (Turn 1) [83]);
205-209 (Car #1, 14, 78 Accident (Turn 4) [13]);
219-222 (Car #93 Spinout (Turn 4) [10]);
230-234 (Car #83 Spinout (Turn 4) [38]);
285-290 (Car #95 Stopped (Turn 4) [13]);
299-303 (Debris (Turn 1) [99]);
310-314 (Car #5, 40 Accident (Turn 3) [42]);
319-324 (Car #39 Accident (Turn 1) [98]);
328-332 (Car #56 Spinout (Turn 1) [98]);
338-341 (Debris (Frontstretch) [98]);
366-372 (Car #30 Accident (Turn 4) [93]);
381-385 (Car #36 Spinout (Turn 3) [93]);
417-423 (Debris (Turn 1) [98]).

Lap Leaders: 15 lead changes among 8 drivers.
Hamlin 1-2, Johnson 3-24, Ky. Busch 25-36, Kenseth 37-110, Johnson 111-174, Burton 175-179, Johnson 180-216, Kenseth 217-237, Bowyer 238-281, J. Gordon 282-338, Hamlin 339-350, Bowyer 351-366, Kenseth 367, Sadler 368-373, Kenseth 374-479, J. Gordon 480-500.

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2014 NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES SCHEDULE

Of all the notes here, the most important is that the Truck Series is headed back to Eldora!

via press release:

Date Site

Feb. 21 Daytona International Speedway

March 29 Martinsville Speedway

May 9 Kansas Speedway

May 16 Charlotte Motor Speedway

May 30 Dover International Speedway

June 6 Texas Motor Speedway

June 14 Gateway Motorsports Park

June 26 Kentucky Speedway

July 12 Iowa Speedway

July 23 Eldora Speedway

Aug. 2 Pocono Raceway

Aug.16 Michigan International Speedway

Aug. 20 Bristol Motor Speedway

Aug. 31 Canadian Tire Motorsport Park

Sept. 12 Chicagoland Speedway

Sept. 20 New Hampshire Motor Speedway

Sept. 27 Las Vegas Motor Speedway

Oct. 18 Talladega Superspeedway

Oct. 25 Martinsville Speedway

Oct. 31 Texas Motor Speedway

Nov. 7 Phoenix International Raceway

Nov. 14 Homestead-Miami Speedway

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2014 NASCAR Nationwide Series Schedule

Below is the

2014 NASCAR Nationwide Series Schedule

via press release:

"

Changes to next season’s schedule include three date shifts from the 2013 edition: Darlington Raceway will hold its race a month earlier (April 11), while the first Iowa Speedway event is now slated for May 18 (it had previously been held in June). Texas Motor Speedway’s date moved one week earlier in the calendar to April 4; the Texas and Darlington date changes coincide with the 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule released earlier this week. Chicagoland Speedway’s standalone event on July 19 will return to a night race for the first time since hometown driver Justin Allgaier won there in 2011.

Daytona International Speedway hosts the season opener on Feb. 22 while the series finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway is set for Nov. 15. Six “standalone” dates are also included on the 2014 schedule. These races have been a major part of the series’ identity throughout its history, putting the spotlight squarely on series regulars vying for the championship. Iowa Speedway will host two standalones (May 18 and Aug. 2), along with Chicagoland, Kentucky Speedway (Sept. 20), Road America and Mid-Ohio.

"

Old news? Sure... but I'm putting out because it was in my list of thing to do! -B

2/22                  Daytona International Speedway

3/1                    Phoenix International Raceway

3/8                    Las Vegas Motor Speedway

3/15                  Bristol Motor Speedway

3/22                  Auto Club Speedway

4/4                    Texas Motor Speedway

4/11                  Darlington Raceway

4/25                  Richmond International Raceway

5/3                    Talladega Superspeedway

5/18                  Iowa Speedway

5/24                  Charlotte Motor Speedway

5/31                  Dover International Speedway

6/14                  Michigan International Speedway

6/21                  Road America

6/27                  Kentucky Speedway

7/4                    Daytona International Speedway

7/12                  New Hampshire Motor Speedway

7/19                  Chicagoland Speedway

7/26                  Indianapolis Motor Speedway

8/2                    Iowa Speedway

8/9                    Watkins Glen International

8/16                  Mid-Ohio

8/22                  Bristol Motor Speedway

8/30                  Atlanta Motor Speedway

9/5                    Richmond International Raceway

9/13                  Chicagoland Speedway

9/20                  Kentucky Speedway

9/27                  Dover International Speedway

10/4                  Kansas Speedway

10/10                Charlotte Motor Speedway

11/1                  Texas Motor Speedway

11/8                  Phoenix International Raceway

11/15                Homestead-Miami Speedway

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Harvick Vs. Dillon Vs. Childress, A Not So Pleasant Parting?

So will Harvick's Closing Weeks At RCR Not Be So Pleasant?

We know Kevin Harvick is leaving RCR for Stewart Haas Racing. I never suspected anything but the best for the move. But over the years, rumors have swirled around the Harvick/RCR relationship. I always thought it was just noise.

Then this last weekend, the Truck Series race seems to have brought out some interesting commentary from Harvick about TY Dillon and RCR. And though it was surprising, it did not shock me to hear what Kevin Harvick had to say.

And this, in my mind, was not Kevin's best move, as far as leaving parting shots like this when exiting a team. But then again, he does spat out what's on his mind.

In a nutshell, Harvick and Dillon tangled fenders racing for the second spot in the Truck race on Saturday. They took each other out of contention. Then Ty repeatedly showed his frustration by bumping Harvick's truck.

What was interesting was the radio chatter from Richard Childress himself, telling Ty to “turn (Harvick’s) ass over."

Harvick also had a sledge hammer tossed at his truck by an RCR crew member. (OK, THAT was stupid.)

But then the "Harvick sound off" came after that in subsequent interviews... which amounted to him calling out a few points about RCR

He called both Dillon brothers rich, "punk-ass kids" and finished up most of the noise with this being the reason he's leaving RCR.

“You've got those kids coming up, and they've got no respect for what they do in this sport. They've had everything fed to them with a spoon."

I guess he forgot who trusted him with the No. 29 (prioviously No. 3) car in those fateful, sad days?

Dang.

And of course, the next day Kevin apologized for his words.

Childress said he'll say what he has to say, to his face and not to the media. And further added that despite familial help, drivers have to make it work, no matter what's handed to them.

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It was a surprise but then again, we've seen Harvick (and Childress) go off on folks. But Harvick took it to the more personal level, as far as Childress is concerned. Though if you look at most driver spats, don't they always get personal in some derogatory way?

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Sunday, October 27, 2013

Kyle Larson: Karma, Luck or Inexperience?

Kyle Larson has had two Sprint Cup Series starts, both ending prematurely.

At Charlotte, his motor gave up, at Martinsville, his back end gave up the ghost.

It got this question in my mind... if these premature race endings come from karma, bad luck or inexperience in a Cup Series car?

Karma?:

My first exposure to Kyle was when we won three races in one weekend at one track. All pretty much in what I call, "Carl Edwards fashion," wrecking someone to catch the checkers. That was my first exposure to the kid.

Inexperience?:

I'm not saying he's inexperienced, in the realm of racing. But these failures are also failures you see inexperienced drivers do. If they're all pedal, and all go/no-go, sometimes that trashes engines and components. And not quite knowing how to master the techniques of a Cup car, maybe that was a factor.

Luck?:

More than likely, it's just bad, bad luck for his two Cup starts.

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He's got some great raw talent and we'll be seeing him in the Sprint Cup field behind the wheel of an EGR car in 2014.

Too bad. I don't have the most faith in any EGR team, but who knows, right chemistry, timing, it could happen for both EGR and Kyle Larson.

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Wednesday, October 16, 2013

2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Season Schedule

NASCAR released their 2014 season schedule and as you'll see, it opens with the 56th running of the Daytona 500.

Four tracks had their dates moves around a bit: Texas, Darlington, Kansas and Martinsville.

Fox has 17 broadcast dates, TNT, 6; ABC/ESPN: 17 dates (Mostly ESPN, with exception of the more popular tracks of Bristol, Richmond, and Charlotte.)

With that said, here's the 2014 Sprint Cup Schedule:
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Date	Site	Network
15-Feb	Daytona International Speedway (Sprint Unlimited)	FOX Sports 1, MRN, SiriusXM	Saturday
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16-Feb	Daytona International Speedway (Daytona 500 qualifying)	FOX, MRN, SiriusXM	Sunday
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20-Feb	Daytona International Speedway (Duels)	FOX Sports 1, MRN, SiriusXM	Thursday
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23-Feb	Daytona International Speedway (Daytona 500)	FOX, MRN, SiriusXM	Sunday
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2-Mar	Phoenix International Raceway	FOX, MRN, SiriusXM	Sunday
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9-Mar	Las Vegas Motor Speedway	FOX, PRN, SiriusXM	Sunday
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16-Mar	Bristol Motor Speedway	FOX, PRN, SiriusXM	Sunday
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23-Mar	Auto Club Speedway	FOX, MRN, SiriusXM	Sunday
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30-Mar	Martinsville Speedway	FOX, MRN, SiriusXM	Sunday
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6-Apr	Texas Motor Speedway	FOX, PRN, SiriusXM	Sunday
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12-Apr	Darlington Raceway	FOX, MRN, SiriusXM	Saturday
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26-Apr	Richmond International Raceway	FOX, MRN, SiriusXM	Saturday
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4-May	Talladega Superspeedway	FOX, MRN, SiriusXM	Sunday
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10-May	Kansas Speedway	FOX, MRN, SiriusXM	Saturday
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17-May	Charlotte Motor Speedway (NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race)	FOX Sports 1, MRN, SiriusXM	Saturday
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25-May	Charlotte Motor Speedway	FOX, PRN, SiriusXM	Sunday
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1-Jun	Dover International Speedway	FOX, MRN, SiriusXM	Sunday
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8-Jun	Pocono Raceway	TNT, MRN, SiriusXM	Sunday
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15-Jun	Michigan International Speedway	TNT, MRN, SiriusXM	Sunday
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22-Jun	Sonoma Raceway	TNT, PRN, SiriusXM	Sunday
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28-Jun	Kentucky Speedway	TNT, PRN, SiriusXM	Saturday
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5-Jul	Daytona International Speedway	TNT, MRN, SiriusXM	Saturday
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13-Jul	New Hampshire Motor Speedway	TNT, PRN, SiriusXM	Sunday
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27-Jul	Indianapolis Motor Speedway	ESPN, IMS, SiriusXM	Sunday
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3-Aug	Pocono Raceway	ESPN, MRN, SiriusXM	Sunday
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10-Aug	Watkins Glen International	ESPN, MRN, SiriusXM	Sunday
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17-Aug	Michigan International Speedway	ESPN, MRN, SiriusXM	Sunday
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23-Aug	Bristol Motor Speedway	ABC, PRN, SiriusXM	Saturday
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31-Aug	Atlanta Motor Speedway	ESPN, PRN, SiriusXM	Sunday
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Sept. 6	Richmond International Raceway	ABC, MRN, SiriusXM	Saturday
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Sept. 14	Chicagoland Speedway	ESPN, MRN, SiriusXM	Sunday
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Sept. 21	New Hampshire Motor Speedway	ESPN, PRN, SiriusXM	Sunday
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Sept. 28	Dover International Speedway	ESPN, MRN, SiriusXM	Sunday
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Oct. 5	Kansas Speedway	ESPN, MRN, SiriusXM	Sunday
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Oct. 11	Charlotte Motor Speedway	ABC, PRN, SiriusXM	Saturday
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Oct. 19	Talladega Superspeedway	ESPN, MRN, SiriusXM	Sunday
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Oct. 26	Martinsville Speedway	ESPN, MRN, SiriusXM	Sunday
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Nov. 2	Texas Motor Speedway	ESPN, PRN, SiriusXM	Sunday
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Nov. 9	Phoenix International Raceway	ESPN, MRN, SiriusXM	Sunday
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Nov. 16	Homestead-Miami Speedway	ESPN, MRN, SiriusXM	Sunday
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