Happy Hump Day. Today In Nascar History September 3, 1979: Subbing for Dale Earnhardt, who had been injured four races earlier at Pocono, David Pearson wins the Southern 500, his only victory for Rod Osterlund. It is the 104th victory of Pearson's career and his first in a Chevrolet. His final victory, in the 1980 spring race at Darlington, also is in a Chevrolet. Earnhardt will not miss another Cup race in his career. Number of the Day
3: Drivers who have raced their way into the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup with their performance in the final race of the regular season. The drivers: Jeremy Mayfield (2004), Ryan Newman (2005) and Kasey Kahne (2006). Mayfield is the only one to clinch a spot in the Chase with a win in the final race, the Chevy Rock & Roll 400 at Richmond. This year's race is Saturday night.
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Quote of the Year "NASCAR ain't doing nothing I like right now." "I don't like the rules they are doing...you can bump somebody and they want to fine you for it." Pearson saw the look on Carl Edwards face and made sure to say he knew that Edwards could not speak-up or he would get fined. --David Pearson In one weekend, Kyle supplanted Ulysses S. Grant as "the most-hated person in the history of Richmond." --Mark Aumann In his Power Rankings comments Quote of the Day “It is amazing. To have the fan base that I do here and fans of this sport that we do here means the world to me. Being in my home state the [Jimmie Johnson] Foundation on the side of the car, this is an awesome race. To do it with style like that and have the dominant car all night long; the longest it took me to do anything tonight was to get out of the car and I apologize for that.” --Jimmie Johnson Comments from the Peanut Gallery
From Lou Hi Momma, Your explanation to Chip's question was quite accurate, but, in answer to what Chip calls rear stagger, I believe he means rear offset and not stagger. Stagger is done by changing the diameter of the tires. This is why air pressure is so critical. The rear offset has been built into race cars for many years, just not as exaggerated as it has become on the cars that race in NASCAR now. It makes the race cars handle better. As for the adjustability, this is a relatively new thing, and is necessary because the higher center of gravity makes the COT's handle a lot differently on various tracks, particularly the flat tracks as opposed to the different banking on other tracks. As an aside this rear offset is also called crabbing or dogging. The Old Man of NASCAR, Lou Elliott Bits and Pieces Statement from RIR's Prez Doug Fritz about impact of storm: “Given the projected path of Tropical Storm Hanna, we are working closely with NASCAR, as well as state and local government officials to monitor the path and potential impact of the storm. As always, the safety of our fans, competitors and the local community is of the utmost importance to Richmond International Raceway. This weekend’s events are currently scheduled to run as planned but we will provide updates at www.rir.com and 877-251-7223, as to their status at least twice daily, or as needed. Fans who have purchased ticket insurance and have questions specific to the insurance can call World Access at 800-628-6188.”(RIR PR) More testing at Milwaukee: Three Sprint Cup Series teams are testing, Tuesday, September 2 at The Milwaukee Mile. On track until 5pm are Penske Racing with driver David Stremme, Hendrick Motorsports with Casey Mears and Ganassi Racing with Juan Pablo Montoya. Grandstands are open, free to public until 5:00 p.m. Enter Grandstand Gate 8, near center grandstand.(The Milwaukee Mile) Franchitti back to the IRL in 2009: Target Chip Ganassi Racing announced they will be adding former IndyCar Series and Indy 500 champion Dario Franchitti as a teammate of the 2008 Indy 500 winner and current points leader Scott Dixon, as the driver of the #10 Target Honda. In addition, Chip Ganassi Racing and Target announced the details of their joint plans to take their partnership into its 20th season and beyond. Chip Ganassi, Team Owner: “It is going to be very exciting to have Dario in one of our IndyCars next year. I have always admired his competitive spirit when he raced against us and have really grown to see more of what he is about this season while he raced in NASCAR. When there was a possibility of an opening on our IndyCar team, the only person I
thought about was Dario. This is going to be a great move for Dario and for our team. There is little in my racing career that I am more proud of than my team’s partnership with Target. We will be entering our 20th year with Target in 2009 and we could not be happier." Gregg Steinhafel, CEO, Target:“We are excited about our relationship with Ganassi in both their IndyCar and along with Felix Sabates in their NASCAR operations, and we look forward to celebrating our 20th year with the team in 2009. This program has had tremendous success over the years, and we look forward to even more success in the years to come.” Richmond Int'l Raceway Offers to Host Busch/Edwards Demolition Derby RICHMOND, Va. -- On the heels of Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards’ on-track incident at Bristol, Richmond International Raceway president Doug Fritz is offering to host a Busch/Edwards Demolition Derby prior to the Chevy Rock & Roll 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. “The cars are ready to go, all we need are the drivers,” explained Fritz. “We want to help these drivers ease their frustrations. What better way than to beat and bang in a Demolition Derby?” Edwards cited an incident that took place in the Lipton Tea 250 NASCAR Nationwide Series race in May at Richmond International Raceway for the reason he used the bump-and-run maneuver last weekend. "Earlier in the year we had a Nationwide race [at Richmond, Va.] and Kyle was a lot faster than me,” explained Edwards. “He went ahead and got to my back bumper, and just smoked the back bumper of my car, sent me up the racetrack.” The Demolition Derby invitation is also being extended to Dale Earnhardt, Jr., who also had an on-track incident with Busch in May. While leading the Crown Royal Presents The Dan Lowry 400 late in the race, Busch and Earnhardt made contact, ending both of their chances at a win. Fritz, a feature runner up in the 2006 State Fair of Virginia Demolition Derby, will serve as the flagman for the event. The proposed Derby would take place at America’s Premiere Short Track, prior to any on-track activity for the weekend. Robby to visit military base, run special scheme at RIR UPDATE: Robby Gordon will visit soldiers assigned to the Warrior in Transition Unit (WTU) at Fort Lee, VA on behalf of Operation Homefront Thursday, September 4. The visit coincides with Jim Beam's efforts to help increase awareness of Operation Homefront, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing emergency assistance and morale to U.S. troops and their families. Additionally, the #7 Jim Beam Dodge will sport a special red, white and blue paint scheme featuring Operation Homefront under the lights at Richmond International Raceway. Jim Beam formed an association with Operation Homefront earlier this year when it recognized the organization had the same commitment and values as the Jim Beam brand - true
character, integrity and doing the right thing. Gordon will arrive at Fort Lee, Thursday, September 4 at 1:15pm and will begin signing autographs at 1:30pm. The visit to the Warriors in Transition Unit will take place at 2:30pm.(Jim Beam Racing PR) UPDATE: #7-Robby Gordon, will visit soldiers assigned to the Warrior in Transition Unit (WTU) at Fort Lee, Va. on Thursday [Sept 4], on behalf of Operation Homefront, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing emergency assistance and morale to U.S. troops and their families. Gordon will also make a brief stop at the PX to sign autographs. Rusty Wallace, former NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion and host of the nationally syndicated television program NASCAR Angels, will join Gordon on-site to salute U.S. Army SPC Joshua Grant of Chesapeake, Virginia with a car make-over. SPC Grant was wounded while serving his country in Iraq and is receiving treatment at Fort Lee while continuing his military
duties. In its third season, NASCAR Angels focuses on how the racing and automotive care communities can help deserving individuals in need of a transportation fix.(NASCAR PR)(9-3-2008) #07 injured list: After undergoing back surgery three weeks ago, Barry Sheppard, transporter driver for RCR’s #07 Jack Daniel’s team of Clint Bowyer, is recovering at home in Stuart, Va. Sheppard is hoping to be back to work when the Sprint Cup Series visits Kansas Speedway at the end of the month. Clint “Ratto” Almquist is on the injured reserve list after suffering ligament damage to his right shoulder in a mountain bike accident last week. Almquist, a mechanic and catch can man for the #07 team, won’t be at the track this weekend. Chad Haney, Bowyer’s car chief and catch can man in the Nationwide Series, will fill Almquist’s role on pit road.(RCR PR) Humpy to be honored: H.A. "Humpy" Wheeler will be honored at Carolina Speedway on Friday Night September 5th as the inaugural inductee into the Carolina Speedway hall of fame. The Belmont, NC native will be the guest of honor during the inaugural 'Hall of Fame 50' event.. The 50 lap Carolina Clash Super Late Model feature will pay $5,000 to win. "I promoted there in 1963 with R.P. Harrison Jr, who built it," said Humpy Wheeler. "I had to do just about everything, write press releases, prepare the track, get the change, deal with drivers and fans, park cars, whatever it took.I would give nothing for all that." The event will be the third round of the Carolina Clash 'Countdown to the Cup Championship Series'. This will be the first of an annual Hall of Fame race that
will induct one individual each season. A special garden is being constructed in front of the main grandstand entrance to honor the select few. "I am elated at being the inaugural inductee, said Wheeler. "It is a great honor and privilege for me." The gates will be open at 5:00pm/et with racing at 8:00pm/et. To learn more about Carolina Speedway and the inaugural 'Hall of Fame 50' visit www.carolinaspeedway.net. Kurt Busch visits NHRA race: #2-Kurt Busch made his first visit to an NHRA event, the US Nationals in Indianapolis, the day after competing in the Pepsi 500 at California Speedway. Attending as a guest of Don Prudhomme, Busch quickly realized how monumental the moment was in his life. “I was walking with (Don) and I said 'stop for a second. This reminds me of the time that I walked with Roger (Penske) on the grid for the Indianapolis 500.' He laughed. He giggled at that.” Operating on four hours of sleep, Busch was wide awake to the sights and sounds of an NHRA event. “It's just a whole different world. I love it. I knew it would be about like this but, I had no idea the sound and intensity and thrill that goes through your body on
the start finish line.”(competitionplus.com)
Stremme named 2009 #12 Driver: Penske Racing today announced that David Stremme, 31, will pilot the #12 Alltel Dodge for the 2009 Cup Series season. Stremme is currently ranked 12th in the 2008 Nationwide Series driver points standings after starting 24 of 27 races. Driving for Penske Racing alumnus Rusty Wallace, Stremme has posted five top-five and 13 top-10 finishes. In April 2008, Stremme was announced as an official Penske Racing test driver and has accelerated the understanding of the new Cup Series Dodge that made its full-season debut in 2008. “We’re pleased to have David join Penske Racing as the driver of the #12 Alltel Dodge,” said Roger Penske. “His past accomplishments and current experience as our NASCAR test driver, as well as his character and
desire for success, make him a good fit into our culture.” Alltel has been a longtime partner of Penske Racing, and the near-decade association between the two organizations has produced impressive results with 23 victories and 55 pole positions in Cup, Nationwide and ARCA. Stremme is only the second driver in Penske Racing history to wear the Alltel blue-and-white. “Alltel is proud to welcome David into our ‘Circle’ and have him behind the wheel of the #12 Alltel Dodge in 2009,” said Frank O’Mara, chief marketing officer, Alltel Wireless. “We look forward to having him serve as an ambassador for Alltel both on and off the track.” Thompson In Turn 5
Richmond: A “Must-See” Event Tommy Thompson · Frontstretch.com NASCAR’s long schedule has always become tedious for race fans who, as the season wears on, invariably suffer from stockcar “burnout” to one degree or another. Expecting fans to sit through all 36 scheduled point races and the two exhibition races in a 52-week year is asking way too much and generally won’t happen. Unlike journalists, whose editors expect them to sit up and pay attention for every lap of every race, the average fan at some point will exercise their right to take a breather from NASCAR’s action and drama. Maybe spend some time matching names to faces of their family members or propping up the porch with some new 4×4’s before it collapses. However, this coming Saturday evening is not the time to mend family relationships or be concerned with the fact that the house is
close to being condemned by the city. Fans’ full attention should be on the Chevy Rock & Roll 400 at Richmond International Raceway. The Daytona 500 is always a cinch to capture the large majority of stock car racing fans’ interest simply because it is such an extravaganza and brings in a new race season that fans welcome enthusiastically, having had time during the winter to reenergize their interest for the sport and forget the drudgery of the previous season’s schedule. However, the second race at Richmond, the last race before the Chase for the Sprint Cup, is the “must see” event of the year for fans that continually cry out to see real, honest-to-goodness racing without drivers content to coast to protect their point positions or reluctant to swap some paint with their competitors to gain track position. Unless the 10-race shootout for the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup becomes a real barnburner of a battle leading into the final race of the season at Homestead, this weekend’s event will be as good as it will get for stock car racing fans. No other race on the schedule will match this race for drama and excitement like the hard-nosed, race-to-win competition that fans will witness Saturday night. All the ingredients are in place for one great show, starting with the correct venue. The ¾-mile Richmond International Raceway will provide, perhaps better than any other track on the Sprint Cup circuit, a site that will give teams struggling to maintain their Top 12 Chase eligible point positions and the two drivers needing to unseat them the best opportunity to achieve their goals the old fashioned way…by earning it. Kasey Kahne finds himself and his No. 9 Gillett Evernham Budweiser Dodge a mere 48 points outside of the Top 12 Chase-eligible slots. Roush Fenway driver David Ragan, driving the No. 6 Ford made famous by Mark Martin, is surprisingly even better situated to unseat one of the drivers still on the bubble ahead of him, trailing Clint Bowyer by only 17 points for the 12th and final Chase-qualifying position. At Richmond the two hopeful drivers will be given perhaps the best opportunity they could ask for as they attempt to race themselves into contention for the Sprint Cup championship. Kahne and Ragan, along with other drivers still very much in danger of falling out of the Top 12, will settle the issue very much on their own terms. They will be required to muster up all the driving skill they can, to win the event if at all possible. Good “old school” racing on one of NASCAR’s most storied tracks, Richmond will allow the drivers to just race and not be concerned about fuel mileage, drafting partners or next week’s race. Instead, drivers can just root and gouge their way as close to the front as they possibly can, hoping and praying that they did enough. The gloves are off for drivers 9-14 in the point standings. Matt Kenseth, Jeff Gordon, Denny Hamlin, Bowyer, Ragan and Kahne have but one goal – to outrun each other by as many precious point-paying positions as possible. Running out front is the place where each of the contenders knows they need to be, far away from the middle of the pack and the inherent risk of being caught up in a melee. Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards, Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., and Jeff Burton are already locked into the Chase field. Greg Biffle, Kevin Harvick and Tony Stewart are shoo-ins to qualify for the championship run. Add eight drivers to the mix that have only one goal going into Richmond…gaining the 10 bonus points awarded at the start of the Chase for winning. Ten valuable points that all are aware could be the difference between being crowned the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion…or first loser. And of course there are drivers like short track ace Kurt Busch, Jamie McMurray, Ryan Newman or upstarts such as David Reutimann, A.J. Allmendinger and Brian Vickers— all in the midst of mediocre seasons, each have shown flashes of competitiveness and the ability to run up front— that have little to lose at this stage of the schedule by throwing caution to the wind and going for a finish amongst the leaders. Sure, the Chase to the Sprint Cup points format may be contrived and designed to artificially spice up a very long race schedule that wears on even the most ardent of fans. Be that as it may, there has not been any better reason to watch a Cup race since the Daytona 500 than the Chevy Rock & Roll 400 under the lights on Saturday night at Richmond. That is unless good, rough-and-tumble short track racing, with a lot riding on a good finish by many of NASCAR’s top drivers isn’t reason enough. Maybe you could get those relatives that you have been neglecting in favor of NASCAR to fix the porch this weekend. That way, you can spend more time with them in the off-season. And…That’s my view from Turn 5. R.I.P. POLE POSITION
Pole Position used to matter. No longer.
by Ryan McGee/espnthemagazine Ladies and gentleman, we have gathered here today to say goodbye to an old friend whose time here on earth has passed. Farewell to you, Mr. Pole Position. What can I say about Pole? He was the guy who once put a thrill into every Friday afternoon of a NASCAR Cup Series weekend. Back in his heyday, he was the subject of entire test sessions and specialized teams of mechanics and engine builders. He could put the entire garage on edge as everyone anticipated the moment when he would finally pick his Chosen One for the week. When that moment came, the winning team would watch the top of the pylon, see their number pop up, and then leap into the air in celebration in the same way they would for a Sunday victory. Mr. Pole managed to draw big television numbers during the broadcasting black hole of Friday afternoon and grab big headlines in the Saturday papers. He used to pack tens of thousands of fans into the racetrack two full days before the actual race, all hoping to see their favorite stars add another trophy to their case. When a driver posed with the Bud Pole Award, collected his check for ten large and pointed to his winning time on NASCAR's big marker board, it had all the pomp and circumstance of Sunday afternoon's Victory Lane celebration, with a double-digit number of photographers on hand to capture the moment. But as he grew older, Pole's health began to fade. We should have recognized the signs earlier—the shrinking irrelevance of the check, the one engine per weekend rule—but by the time we realized he was ill, it was too late to save him. The first big hiccup on his EKG came in 2005 when NASCAR announced that the top 35 in car owner points would be guaranteed a starting spot each week. Almost overnight, the sport's biggest teams began to mail it in on Friday afternoons. Gone were the days of specifically setting up one's car for qualifying, at least for the biggest names in the sport, all of whom wisely chose to concentrate on Sunday's race set-up. If Jeff Gordon or Jimmie Johnson won a pole, that was great, but their once joyous celebrations were now tempered at best. Taking their cue from the superstars, even the youngsters that captured their first career number one starting spots looked less than excited when it happened. Not so long ago, such a moment would turn them into a blubbering mass of tears. Now they look irritated while having their picture taken. Poor Mr. Pole. NASCAR tried to ease his pain by selling fans on the excitement of watching the seven or eight lower level teams fight it out for the "go or go home" spots. The TV networks went to great lengths to explain how valuable it was to qualify well and earn the right to pick the best stall position on the pit lane. But fans weren't buying it, and soon TV ratings and ticket sales sagged along with their enthusiasm. Our old, dear friend had never needed to be so oversold. The last remaining reward worth fighting for was a byproduct of winning a pole. Starting up front for one race earned a driver a starting spot in the high-profile pre-Daytona 500 all-star race known as the Budweiser Shootout, an event carried live in prime time on FOX. But last week NASCAR pulled the plug on that reward, and as a result pulled the plug on our dear friend. No longer will the Shootout belong to Friday's fastest. Now it will be filled by a convoluted system designed to return relevance to another of our old, endangered buddies, the auto manufacturers. Pole's cash bonus has been reduced to chump change. He no longer means the difference between making the race and not. He no longer has his own set of engine tuners and mechanics. Few people cheer when he is won and even fewer fans and media show up to see him awarded. And now he is no longer a free ticket to Daytona's all-star event. All that's left is a nice spot on pit road. Yawn. Just last week, I saw a 2008 Coors Pole Award trophy being used at a race shop to prop open a restroom door. For a once grand and crucial part of what racers do every week, that's a depressing reality to have to live with…and quite frankly, not enough to live for. God Speed, Mr. Pole Position. Until we meet again, on that great banzai lap in the sky. Did You Notice? Ragan's Rise Equals Kenseth's Fall? A Chase Race To Safety, And Stewart's Success Thomas Bowles · Frontstretch.com Did You Notice? … How different things look now for David Ragan now than at this point a year ago? Let’s take a look at the stats through 25 races of his rookie season: 0 Wins, 1 Top 5 (Daytona 500 in February), 1 Top 10 (that same Daytona), 2 DNFs, 22nd in driver points, and getting walloped by Montoya in the Rookie of the Year race. How disappointing a performance was that for the freshman? Consider that Mark Martin – the longtime driver of Roush’s flagship No. 6 car – was sitting 24th in the standings, just 46 points behind the rookie while manning a No. 01 car part-time that had changed owners just one month earlier. To make matters worse, Martin accomplished his total with eight fewer starts under his belt, outshining Ragan in every way imaginable in making even the casual observer wonder why there wasn’t a bigger push to keep the veteran in the AAA Ford part-time. Nearly one year to the day after Tony Stewart called him a “dart without feathers,” Ragan looked like a dart going nowhere – even with the veteran guidance of Jimmy Fennig by his side. But everyone stayed patient, and 12 months later – while Martin’s career continues to chug along – it’s Ragan who’s been vaulted into the spotlight. Just one spot away from an improbable Chase bid, totals of five Top 5 and nine Top 10 finishes underscore the consistency he’s developed in a sophomore season that’s been nothing like a slump. When you think of the pressure this kid went through – he finished last year 23rd in points, the lowest the No. 6 car ran in the 20-year history it’s been on the Cup tour – it’s an amazing story of perseverance that Ragan’s pulled himself from Roush’s No. 5 driver to No. 2. Yep, that’s right folks; Matt Kenseth, stand aside. What Ragan’s solid performance has earned him is the reward of top-notch sponsorship in UPS. The deal – expected to be announced this month – will mirror Edwards’ AFLAC totals of $26 million per season, establishing Ragan as a long-term investment at Roush for years to come. Remember, this is a sponsor that wasn’t going to settle for anything short of a rock star. Yeah, I admit their choices were limited, but this company must be convinced to a certain degree it’s Ragan who’s going to be handed the keys to the Roush castle along with Carl Edwards. After several years of struggle under Dale Jarrett and David Reutimann, it’s very clear they want their investment to be rewarded with
a driver that’s capable of title contention. So what does this all mean for Kenseth? It’ll be interesting to wait and see. Remember, the 2003 champ will be a free agent after 2009 at age 37, and while good friend Greg Biffle resigned on the dotted line with RFR, that doesn’t necessarily mean Kenseth will do the same. He’s now seen Roush make two big commitments to who he believes will be the future stars of the program. Where does that leave him, the most consistent driver at RFR over the last seven seasons? Kenseth is someone who’s two years removed from nearly scoring his second title over Jimmie Johnson, and still believes he’s “A” quality material. But is there room for three “A” quality guys on that squad? Here’s an interesting, far-fetched theory I came up with that makes sense. Keep in mind Kenseth’s friend Mark Martin now drives for Hendrick Motorsports – but he’s only doing it for one year. Kenseth also has a good friend in Dale Earnhardt, Jr. over at HMS, and sat there and watched the organization take at least one title out of his grasp. Could it be a case of “If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em” next year if he has another winless season in which the No. 17 winds up ninth or tenth in the points? It sounds a little crazy, but I think that after this UPS announcement, a move for Kenseth is certainly possible. What a crazy transition: it tells one of the series’ most surprising new stars that he’s finally made the big time, and it tells one of the series’ most dependable players he may not have what he wants at RFR over the long-term. The circumstances may have been different, but remember this. Jeff Burton was 36 when he left Roush after a decade of service. And – you guessed it — Kenseth will have a decade of Cup service under his belt for RFR next year. Did You Notice? … All the huff and puff from Dario Franchitti about “wanting to make a go of it in NASCAR” snuffed out the minute Chip Ganassi simply manned up and offered him a slot on a championship-quality ride in the IRL? It’s really a shame, because I thought the Scotsman was showing great progress once he stepped back to the Nationwide Series – where he should have been all along. An outside pole and an 11th place finish at Bristol of all places was a sign there might have been potential for his move to stock cars. Too bad we’ll never get to see it … you’d have to think that either Franchitti was being completely dishonest, or that
sponsorship never materialized to the level that he thought the team could be competitive in NASCAR next year. Now, the big, longshot question is would Montoya make the move if sponsorship doesn’t materialize on the NASCAR side? Boy, would that be a Ganassi lineup that’d put some fear into the rest of the open-wheel teams out there … and be a troubling trend that NASCAR’s suddenly being out-publicized again by a series that’s shown small but steady growth numbers this season. Did You Notice? … Tony Stewart isn’t screwing around? Garage buzz all year has centered around the outstanding job Jay Frye has done in whipping Team Red Bull into shape. If there’s an Executive of the Year, he’s it. Pretty much every influential member of that team will stand up and applaud the guy who’s the key to putting Brian Vickers’ team from DNQs to the verge of the Chase. So, what does Stewart do now that he’s in need of quality manpower? Offer Frye an A-quality job to do the exact same thing with SHR. And since Frye’s a Chevrolet guy – remember, he worked for MB2 Motorsports for years – it’d be
surprising not to see him take the bait. In the meantime, Stewart needs a crew chief he can respect, but who also knows the ins and outs of the CoT while having past success on his track record. Well, who better to understand Hendrick chassis than one of their top men – Darian Grubb – someone who comes doused with a resume’s worth of success as a crew chief. Not only did Grubb win the Daytona 500 with Jimmie Johnson (done while Chad Knaus served a four-race suspension), but he’s the only one credited with getting the underperforming Casey Mears a victory. Both Grubb and Alan Gustafson are very good crew chiefs, but it is notable that Grubb and Mears meshed much better than the Gustafson-Mears combo ever did. Can he do the same with a more “mood swingy” Stewart? We’ll have to wait and see … but there’s no question the
pick is a high-quality selection. Which means so far – gulp – you’ve got to give Stewart nothing but top-notch grades as he pursues his new ownership venture. Did You Notice? … We’ve been waiting – and waiting – and waiting for Richmond to finally figure out who’s going to be in the Top 12. And for the first time since ’06, there actually is some drama as to who’s going to make it and who doesn’t. But at this point, it’s hard to imagine anyone other than Clint Bowyer getting knocked out. Consider that if David Ragan matches his career best finish of third (which is possible, seeing as it came in this very race last Fall) the following scenarios occur regardless of what Kasey Kahne
does: Tony Stewart (8th) clinches his spot in the Chase. Of course, Ragan could really put the pressure on those guys with a win, but considering he doesn’t have one yet at the Cup level, anything better than third seems like a stretch. So, that means for the four guys I just mentioned, all they need to do is play it safe at the ¾ mile track, which means – caution, bad news coming – they’ll race just hard enough without putting yourself in harm’s way. So, let’s summarize: three cars racing their guts out (Bowyer, Ragan, Kahne) and four guys playing it safe (Stewart, Kenseth, Gordon, Hamlin). The other seven guys in the Top 12 are already guaranteed their spots … hmm. That’s not terrible, but it’s not exactly the pre-Chase excitement we thought we’d get about three weeks ago. Did You Notice? … I didn’t talk at all about California this week? That’s because I took my yearly vacation during that weekend – the one time I’m completely away from the track and don’t even catch any NASCAR on TV. Let’s put it this way: spending four days covering the races in 110 degree weather last year was the most fun I’ll never have again. Labor Day in California, we hardly knew ye … nor did we want to. And frankly, it looks like I didn’t miss much. I just don't get it Darrell Waltrip/foxsports.com Well, folks, it was a long and enjoyable Labor Day Weekend. I hope you all were safe and enjoyed yours. I had the honor on Saturday to fly down to Darlington and be part of the Darlington Raceway's first Historic Racing Festival. It really touched my heart. There were old cars and drivers. Oh, and I should say old drivers, too. It was so reminiscent of the Goodwood Festival I attended in England back in 2002. To drive into Darlington and see all the people was just a thrill. The highway patrol estimated the crowd at 20,000 there on Saturday. It was a two-day event. I was fortunate to be there on Saturday with Junior Johnson, Ned Jarrett, Charlie Glotzbach, Waddell Wilson and a host of others. We did a question-and-answer session with the fans, then we had an autograph session for awhile, then ol' DW got to hit the track with my Mountain Dew car. There were call kinds of old cars there. There were old stock cars, old modified cars and old Indy cars. It was just a treat to be there. It's just a shame to have such a historical track like Darlington and for it to have the place in our sport that it has and for us not to be racing there on Labor Day weekend. That's why I titled this column the way I did. For the life of me, I just don't get it. To take a race with the significance of the Southern 500 away from Darlington, to me would be like taking away the Daytona 500 from Daytona or the Indy 500 away from Indy. I just have never understood the method to the madness as to why they did that. Darlington is a place of great historical value in NASCAR. It exemplifies what stock car racing is all about. It represents our sport from the past. It bridges our sport into the future. Think about the Who's Who of drivers who have raced and won at Darlington. The Southern 500 was one of the most prominent events on our calendar. That race was one of our crown jewels. Back in the day we had our version of the Triple Crown. That was the Daytona 500, the Coca Cola 600 in Charlotte and the Southern 500 in Darlington. For anyone that could win all three in one year was the biggest accomplishment you could have in our sport as a driver. I had a shot at it once back in 1989 but wasn't able to pull it off. Even though I have won five times at Darlington, I wasn't able to finally win the Southern 500 until 1992. The Lady in Black is a place that needs to be preserved and enhanced, not just allowed to exist. On Saturday I told track president Chris Browning and his entire crew down there that I deeply appreciated the hard work they have put into the facility the last couple of years. It's cool to now have a nice big new tunnel to drive into. They have made a lot of improvements to the infield and the surrounding property. Now don't get me wrong, the Mother's Day weekend in Darlington has turned out to be a very special weekend in its own right on our schedule. Darlington under the lights on a Saturday night in May has really allowed the race track to be showcased. On the heels of that, it was announced a week or so ago that the name Southern 500 will be returning to Darlington for the May race. It's better that at least the name is there in May than being at some other track, but it still is not the same. I speak as a driver when I say it was a big mistake to take the heart out of Darlington and try to put it somewhere else. You know what it is? I call it identity theft. They need to call that LifeLock bunch and stop Darlington's identity theft. I will always be an advocate of putting the Southern 500 back at Darlington on Labor Day weekend. I think it is decisions like that that have alienated some of the fans who have supported our sport for the 60 years it has been around. I don't want to be negative about Darlington because it has a great future. It has a Sprint Cup date and like I mentioned earlier, Chris Browning and his group continue to make the facility better. But what a huge thrill it was for me to get out there in my '81 Mountain Dew Buick and run some laps. I just didn't want to quit. Barney Hall was the moderator for the question-and-answer session with Junior that I mentioned earlier. It was like a flashback to all the Victory Lane interviews that Junior and I did for those six years and three championships together. So it was a very emotional weekend for me and I was truly honored that Chris and the track invited me to be a part of it. If they would ever put it to a vote, I would be the first one in line to vote to put the Southern 500 back in Darlington over the Labor Day weekend. Oh By The Way
I want to congratulate Jimmie Johnson and his crew chief Chad Knaus on their win Sunday at California. That track lends itself to dominance. I think we saw that on Saturday night with Kyle Busch and then we saw it again on Sunday with the No. 48 car. Being a little bit better than everyone else shows up a lot at that race track because of the low banking, big sweeping turns and long straightaways. That team is going to be one to give Carl Edwards and Kyle Busch a run for their championship money. Chad told me a couple years ago that when they were up for their first championship run, they were burned out and out of gas. They've learned to budget their assets better. They work the schedule so that folks have time off throughout the season and so when it comes time for the Chase here after next week, they are fresh and ready to attack. So Chad has a good strategy to win the championship and it's also good to have another player. If it ends up being Jimmie, Carl and Kyle vying for the championship it will be fun to watch. Also think about this: If it is those three leading the way, you have a Chevrolet, Ford and Toyota but unfortunately it doesn't look like Dodge is going to have a dog in this fight. Oh By The Way II
Kudos to my buddy Bruton Smith for buying Kentucky Speedway. He had told me from Day 1 his intentions were to buy the track and turn it into a showplace. It won't take much because that is a pretty nice place already. Bruton has big plans for the track. He hopes to see a race there one of these days and I do, too. That was a dream of mine from the first day we stuck a shovel in the earth over there. Hopefully I will be able to see that dream come true. It is a great facility with a great market. Hopefully Jerry Carroll and his folks can get this lawsuit resolved soon. It probably would make this transition easier for everybody. They feel justified in what they are doing. Remember, this is not a fight about not getting a Cup date. This is a fight to create a process to allow you to qualify for a Cup date. Hopefully this will be resolved soon and we can get to some first class racing at a beautiful facility. Voices From The Heartland Best part of the Chase is the night that creates it RIR fall race up there with Daytona, Brickyard, Coke 600
By David Caraviello, NASCAR.COM Apologies to Daytona, the sport's biggest race, which now ends after dark even though it should conclude in bright Florida sunshine. Apologies to Darlington, which was reborn under the lights. Apologies to Bristol, the annual carnival of chaos played out beneath an August moon. Apologies to Homestead, where a champion is crowned under the stars. They're all great events. But the single best night of racing on the Sprint Cup calendar comes every September at Richmond International Raceway, when the looming Chase creates the 400 most pressure-packed laps of the season. The best part about NASCAR's year-end playoff isn't the playoff at all, which can seem anticlimactic when compared to the one evening that spawns it. No, the best thing about the Chase is that race at Richmond, when throats get dry, knuckles get white, and an entire season of work and preparation comes down to one night. While the level of drama has varied in the now five years since the Chase was implemented, Richmond is never short on subplots. In 2004, Jeremy Mayfield needed to win at Richmond to get into the Chase, and did just that. The next year, wrecks and misfortune left Jamie McMurray, Elliott Sadler, and Jeff Gordon on the outside, while Jack Roush put all five of his cars in. In 2006 it was Tony Stewart coming up short, last season it was Dale Earnhardt Jr. Saturday night Clint Bowyer, David Ragan and Kasey Kahne go to Richmond with 48 points separating them, and only one of them likely to get in. The Chase has its share of detractors, from people who don't like how the points are reset to those who see wiping out a lead after the first 26 races as inherently unfair. But Saturday night at Richmond almost makes it all seem worthwhile, because without the Chase the sport would be denied an evening that brims with drama and theatre. For those handful of teams still vying for those handful of spots, the pressures can be suffocating, and the memories painful. Just ask Sadler, who still remembers every detail of his 2005 bid, which ended when he spun with 115 laps to go. "I remember that 2005 season like it happened yesterday, and that ought to tell you how much a driver thinks about it and a team thinks about it," he said. "Coming in for your last chance, the got to hit a grand slam in the bottom of the ninth mentality that you've got to have. My teammate [Kahne] is going through it right now, being over 40 points out going into Richmond. He's not only racing just one guy, but kind of racing against two guys. Not only are you worried about what you're doing all night and the things you're trying to take care of, but also the guys that you're racing against. I remember how tough it was." Sadler, a Virginia native, was battling Ryan Newman and McMurray for that final spot, which ultimately went to Newman. "It's a gut-wrenching week in terms of nerves and thoughts, so I understand what these drivers are going through," he said. "There's nothing fun about coming to Richmond on the outside looking in, or either on the bubble knowing you have to have a mistake-free race to make your way into the Chase. But I think that's what's great about the Chase and the reason I like so much, making guys race hard each and every week." Indeed, it's the pressure, and the way the competitors handle that pressure, that make the Richmond race so enthralling. Granted, drivers and teams have figured the Chase out a little bit, discovering that being conservative and holding position is often the ticket in -- because once in, theoretically, anyone can win it. We may never see a repeat of Mayfield's win-to-get-in strategy, which in retrospect seems ludicrously risky. Likewise, we've gone from a time when seven or eight drivers came to Richmond with their positions still undecided, to the current handful today. Last year, it was mathematically possible for all the Chase drivers to have clinched their berths before they even got to Richmond, something that
may well happen one day. Yet compared to what's usually on offer in the series finale at Homestead, where one or two drivers harbor mathematical but unrealistic chances of catching the leader, Richmond drips with suspense. Somebody's going to have their heart broken, and 112,000 people get to watch. The winners are whoever clinches that last Chase berth, and the racetrack, which because of the Chase's proximity has seen its fall event vaulted into an elite group of the sport's most important races, alongside the three crown jewels -- the Daytona 500, the Brickyard, and the 600-miler at Charlotte -- and the endgame in South Florida. "From Richmond's standpoint, this definitely has increased the significance of our race, there's no doubt about it," track president Doug Fritz said. "It really raises Richmond's profile. It has more of a national feel to it than it might have had before that. Last year we credentialed about 700 media, which is up about 100 from the year before. It continues to grow and get more stature. You go into Daytona the week of the 500, and drivers are talking about the Daytona 500 and Richmond and Homestead. It's really top of mind the whole year as they prepare their schedules and try to peak at the right times." To be fair, the Chase didn't make Richmond; the track was one of the most successful on the Sprint Cup circuit long before the new playoff format was even conceived. Its current sellout streak of 33 races dates back to March of 1992. The facility's most recent grandstand expansion, the addition of the 7,800-seat, high-rise Commonwealth Tower, might have gone up even if the Chase field were determined somewhere else. But there's no question that this old fairgrounds track, which was revitalized by the addition of lights in 1991, has taken on a more prominent role in NASCAR simply because of its position on the schedule. "We haven't sold more tickets because of the Chase," Fritz said, "but it's really just increased the significance of the race." And that significance will be on display Saturday night, when the moon comes out, fingernails get chewed, crew chiefs shift nervously in their seats, and the best night of racing on the Sprint Cup schedule begins to unfold. The opinions expressed are solely those of the writer Top Ten
Things Auto Club Speedway Could Do To Fill the Stands Jeff Meyer · Frontstretch.com 10. Remove about 30,000 seats. 9. Offer the O. J. Simpson Police Chase Driving Experience, complete with a free pair of driving gloves. (They fail to fit, by the way…) 8. Plant lettuce and other forms of produce in the infield and tape an application for harvesters on every seat. (Applications printed only in Spanish.) 7. Replace all ISC owned concessions and Wolfgang Puck’s restaurant with In & Out Burger stands. 6. Make all tickets available to only Darlington area fans with the promise that Brian France will personally greet each fan as they enter the speedway. 5. Move the race back to Darlington, but re-name it “California Speedway” for the weekend, show ‘em what a sell out is. 4. Offer a free race day experience to all ‘washed up’, ‘over-rated’, ‘self-inflated’ and ‘childhood’ stars, actors and entertainers. 3. Offer free citizenship and all rights pertaining thereto with each ticket. 2. Schedule a NFL pre-season game to be played in the infield during the Cup race. 1. Name Barack Obama as President of the track. Sort of a test, you see. If he can turn THAT place around, well just maybe he IS qualified for bigger and better things. Feud of the Week Kahne, Ragan Chase shot; Shootout; Dixon vs. Helio CBSSports.com's Brian De Los Santos and Pete Pistone provide analysis on three weekly racing topics. We welcome your question submissions. If you have a question or a hot auto racing topic you'd like to see discussed, post it here.
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"Don't come here and grumble about going too fast. Get the hell out of the race car if you've got feathers on your legs or butt. Put a kerosene rag around your ankles so the ants won't climb up there and eat that candy ass." -Dale Earnhardt - 1998 | ||||||||||||
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