Happy Tuesday. 

Today In Nascar History

March 3, 1996: In his 96th Cup start, Jeff Gordon wins his 10th race, finishing .56 seconds ahead of Dale Jarrett in the Pontiac Excitement 400 at Richmond.

Quote of the Day 

"To come here to Las Vegas and see that kind of crowd and see a Las Vegas kid win this thing, they got their money's worth and I appreciate them all coming out."
-- Jeff Gordon, on the impressive crowd at Las Vegas

Bits and Pieces

“Sacre Bleu”! NASCAR extends deal with Montreal

by Greg Engle, NDN Editor, NASCAR Examiner

NASCAR will continue its northern trek, for at least three more years.

International Speedway Corporation (ISC) announced Monday it has signed a three-year lease with the Parc Jean-Drapeau in Montreal to host events at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

The announcement was a big boost to the facility’s and the areas morale following the loss of the Formula One Canadian Grand Prix.
“We are thrilled with today’s announcement and our team looks forward to hosting this unique motorsports event for years to come,” said Francois Dumontier of Stock-Car Montreal.

“With the experience we’ve gained over the last two years, the on-track performances of Canadian drivers such as Ron Fellows and Patrick Carpentier and the growing popularity of NASCAR in our province, we are confident this third edition will be a resounding success,” he added.

Normand Legault, who was a major promoter at the facility, sold his part of the event to ISC to allow it to continue this year. Legault pulled out from his previous role in October.

“This is the best thing that could happen for Montreal’s racing future,” Legault said. ” I’ve promoted races with ISC for a few years - they have an excellent reputation and sincerely wish to develop a long lasting relationship with Montreal and its thousands of race fans.”

Last year the event was the first ever NASCAR race held in the rain, which was won by Canadian Ron Fellows.

This year’s Nationwide Series weekend is scheduled for August 29 and 30.

Special scheme for Dale Jr at Richmond: #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. is scheduled to drive a special scheme at Richmond in May, the National Guard "Drive the Guard" Scheme.

Newman Looks to Speed Into AMS Record Book: Having won the pole at Atlanta Motor Speedway seven times previously, #39-Ryan Newman will attempt to make history on Friday, March 6 during Georgia Power Qualifying Night when he looks to become the all-time leader in pole wins at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Accustomed to leading the field to the green flag in Atlanta, Newman, known as the “Rocket Man” for his qualifying prowess, will not only be chasing history, but also his mentor with whom he is tied in pole wins, Buddy Baker. "Atlanta has always been a place where I like to qualify, and it would be an honor to get the all-time pole record there,” said Newman.  It would be an honor to beat Buddy Baker in all-time poles at Atlanta Motor Speedway," Newman continued. "Atlanta is a place where I enjoy qualifying and I have a great record there. I am really looking forward to trying to claim the all-time qualifying record." Newman owes much of his qualifying success in Atlanta to Baker. "Buddy and I always drove the tracks backwards because it gives you a different perspective of entry and exit points," Newman said. "It lets you know how to approach those points when you are going the right way. It’s something we did at Atlanta when he was teaching me about the track and I have always qualified well there.”(AMS PR)

Las Vegas Overnight TV Ratings: NASCAR on Fox earned a 5.5/10 yesterday evening for racing from Las Vegas. Sunday's 5.5/10 is the top sports rating of the weekend by a wide margin, +45% better than ABC's 3.8/8 for Lakers-Suns yesterday afternoon. Compared to last year's overnight rating; FOX's 5.5/10 is down -11% versus a 6.2/12. However, note that in each of FOX's NASCAR races this season the rating has compared better to last year in the nationals than in the overnights.

Joey Logano pleased with performance at Las Vegas Motor Speedway

Scenedaily Staff

LAS VEGAS – Joey Logano’s 13th-place finish in Sunday’s Shelby 427 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway included a couple of firsts: It was the first time he finished on the lead lap and the first time he had led a lap in his six-race Cup career.
The 18-year-old driver entered the Cup series with a lot of expectations, but in his first five races, Logano had struggled. But at the 1.5-mile Vegas track, he ran well in the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, stayed out of trouble and survived an otherwise tumultuous race.
“Yeah, that was really good,” Logano said. “We just kept our nose clean the whole day, kept it out of the wrecks, just kind of stayed with the main plan, and that was finish.
“We were able to make adjustments during the race. We were good the first run and seemed like we went one way and [went] back the other way, and we finally got it right with a couple of pit stops left. I was like, ‘Don’t touch it anymore.’ We got it close, so I said, ‘Nah, I’ll try to figure it out from here.’
“Everyone did a great job. The whole team did great all day, and you can’t ask for anything better than that.” 
Logano struggled in the first five races of his young career, finishing 32nd or worse in his three races last year and 43rd and 26th in his first two races of 2009.
But in Las Vegas, Logano flashed some of the skill that helped convince JGR to bring him in full time this season.
“From Daytona, I wasn’t that good at all, and I feel like I’m getting better and I’m learning every weekend so much, and it’s helping me so much,” Logano said. “I think it’s kind of what’s kind of going on right now. Hopefully, we keep this going. Right now, the last two races, California and here, we were good by the end of the race. We’ve got to kind of work on getting good earlier.” 
And as Logano gets more time in Cup cars, he says he gets more comfortable.
“It just takes time,” he said. “It’s part of it. By no means are we there yet, but we’re getting closer.”   

Kentucky Speedway offering reduced-price tickets for Nationwide and Truck races

Scenedaily Staff

Kentucky Speedway has announced fan-friendly “Big Deals” designed to help guests save money on event tickets this season.

The packages include reduced-price tickets for the June 13 Nationwide Series Meijer 300 and the July 18 Camping World Truck Series Built Ford Tough 225.

Both race days will include a prerace concert with an artist to be announced.

The following packages are available:

Affordable Fun Pack: Four race tickets, four hot dogs and four fountain drinks at $125, $135 and $145 for the Nationwide Series race and $100, $110 and $120 for Truck series race. Seats are located in all sections of grandstand 5 and subject to availability.

Be a “Front Row Joe”: Guests can save up $25 per ticket from rows 1-5 of grandstand 5. Fans can reserve as many as 10 tickets priced at $25 for the Nationwide race and $20 each for the Truck series race.

Infield Invaders: Guests can have “cold” access to the pits and victory lane before the race. Advance passes are $40 for the Nationwide and Truck races.

Own a Race Lap For $150: Fans can have their name or a corporation name on an official Nationwide Series or Truck series race lap. The lap package includes a personalized race lap certificate, two cold pit passes, recognition in the speedway official souvenir race program and a public address announcement. Lap sponsorship deadlines are May 29 for the Nationwide race and June 29 for the Truck race.

Buy Two Tickets, Own a Race Lap for Half Price: Kentucky Speedway season ticket plans are on sale for $165 to $255, meaning fans can have reserved seating for each of the track’s six 2009 events for $27.50. Some plans also include VIP parking for each event or general campground admission for a savings of $30, one cold pit pass for each race day with each ticket purchased and the opportunity to purchase additional race tickets at a discount.

Bowles Eye View

Reutimann Proving Old Guys And Big Dreams Can Still Come Together In Cup

Thomas Bowles · Frontstretch.com

Three races in, the NASCAR Sprint Cup point standings read like a who’s who of stock car racing. Four-time champ Jeff Gordon leads the pack, followed by reigning Nationwide King Clint Bowyer, Daytona 500 winner Matt Kenseth, fellow Roush Fenway superstar Greg Biffle, and …

David Reutimann?

Nope, that’s not a misprint, folks. The man known by hardcore fans as “Beak” is sticking his nose on the doorstep of contention, flying straight on the radar as one of the sport’s rising stars after a fourth place finish at Vegas launched him into the spotlight. It’s actually rather appropriate that Reutimann’s best career run is tied to the town where gambling is king – especially once you consider the odds he’d ever get this far in NASCAR’s highest level of competition.

To be honest, people are still scratching their heads as to how Reutimann even got to the finish line this Sunday. A top 5 qualifying run on Friday showcased potential of a car that could contend for the win; but by Saturday morning, an engine issue with the camshaft of all the Toyotas left his dream of a second row start on the table of a craps bet gone wrong. Instead, a start from the rear would be Reutimann’s lonely consolation prize, “won” amidst fears all the TRD engines would blow once more.

That type of setback was tough enough to endure; but once the race began, the obstacles would only increase. Charging hard from his 40th starting spot, Reutimann was up to 18th by Lap 60 before getting pushed back a second time. Losing oil pressure quickly, a pit stop under caution gave the team a lucky break – a leaky oil tank was discovered which had them on the verge of bad parts and pieces for a second time. But while the find saved the day, the fix it left the No. 00 car at the tail end of the lead lap, forced to wade its way through traffic … again.

Good thing the guy behind the wheel didn’t mind.

“We kind of ran back up through there just one at a time,” said Reutimann of his mindset for the rest of the 427-miler going forward, expressing a calmness that’s in tune with a more mature driving style. Indeed, patience mixed with pit strategy led to the No. 00’s push towards the front of the pack over the final 180 laps of the race. While Reutimann deftly avoided the wreckfest on the track – nearly wiping out when Aric Almirola wrecked in front of him — new crew chief Rodney Childers got busy putting the No. 00 on the right pit sequence to move up through the pack. Catching the right cautions to make their sequence the right one, he went with a two-tire pit strategy late that capped off Reutimann’s second surge from as far back as 27th. Putting the No. 00 squarely in the top 5, it was the Aaron’s Toyota and not the M&M’s one with the fastest car in the race’s final laps, stopped short from making a bid for the win on either fuel mileage or pure speed only after wrecks slowed the late race pace.

“We had a great car ever since we unloaded,” he added after a chance to reflect on his accomplishments. “It was a blessing today to be able to drive that car.”

Indeed. The weekend was a actually perfect dissection of Reutimann’s career, once you consider the litany of “blessings” which have kept him in Cup despite a series of financial missteps that’s kept his career – unfair as it might be — hanging on life support until the last few weeks.

“It’s not as easy as it looks,” he admitted after exiting his car, still flying a tad under the radar aside from the pomp and circumstance of Kyle Busch’s hometown win. “For some of these guys… [Kyle] makes it look like he can just walk out there and finish in the top-five.”

“We just kind of hung in there.”

Of course, “hanging in there” has been Reutimann’s mantra for years. Turning 39 today, Reutimann is far from the “young gun” image most sponsors have catered towards this decade, leaving him the perpetual underdog working through the ranks. Age has been nothing but a curse; for even as his talent and potential endure slow but steady growth, Reutimann’s still had to dodge the pink slip almost every step of the way en route to the top.

Consider that in the last two years, he’s shown nothing but steady improvement from February through November – and lost his sponsors both times. The second loss was especially painful, with Reutimann replacing Dale Jarrett with big-money backer UPS in March of 2008 amidst both loads of hype and hope for a long-term deal. But not even six months later, the company jumped ship to 23-year-old David Ragan before Reutimann even had time to get his butt warm in the seat.

Despite that uncertain future, Reutimann closed the year with a pole and four top 10 finishes, including a ninth at Richmond in which he led over 100 laps. Still, it wasn’t enough to produce a full-time sponsor this offseason at Michael Waltrip Racing; until, that is, longtime Nationwide Series backer Aaron’s decided to double their commitment in what turned out to be a last-second decision to save the team.

“I was talking to (Ken) Butler, the CEO [of Aaron’s],” Michael Waltrip said this month about the decision that, in hindsight, may have catapulted his team to the next level. “And I said, ‘Reutimann’s going to win. You watch. And if he wins in somebody else’s car, that’s going to really get on my nerves, because you guys have put us here. We want him to win in your car.’”

After listening to the owner talk, the sponsor ponied up with the paycheck – and Reutimann’s wasted no time making it worth their money. Three top 15 finishes to start the year leave him the role model for an entire organization suddenly showing signs of life in year three.

“For a young organization, I’m really proud of what we’ve done,” he said Sunday. “It feels good to be where we are. You run around here for a couple of years trying to get close to winning one of these things — and we’re a little closer than what we were. The only way you can repay a sponsor like Aaron’s is to get them some good runs, and I think we’re trying to pay back a little bit for what they’ve done to us.”

“If we just keep doing this, knocking on the door, we’ll get ourselves in the right position [to win].”

Somewhere, somehow, somebody’s got to tell Reutimann to give himself some credit behind the wheel, too. After all, what other 39-year-olds out there in stock cars do you know who not only kept themselves in the game for two plus years without a top 5 finish, but have the sponsorship and the future potential to make their breakthrough season just shy of the age of 40?

Over in the distance, UPS must be more than a little awestruck after their split second decision to split from Reutimann before the getting got good. Surely, they’ll have their day in the sun with Ragan, too; it’s not a matter of if their man will win, but when.

It’s just that before he does, they might have to see Reutimann score one for the old guys first. And who would have expected that?

Rewind | Commentary, key moments

By David Poole/charlotteobserver.com

But who's counting?

NASCAR once again Sunday showed the inconsistency that drives fans nuts.

When Paul Menard wrecked on Lap 270 in a 285-lap race, Kyle Busch was leading but there were several drivers who wanted to try to make a run at him or to improve their positions.

NASCAR had to do a lot of cleanup from Menard's mess, but officials let the laps click away until only eight remained. In the past, in similar situations, NASCAR has stopped races to preserve as many laps as possible. Why not here?

It almost certainly made no difference - Busch was in command. But do it the same way every time.

Engine trouble makes you wonder

It will be interesting to see what is said this week about the motor and other problems that plagued Cup and Nationwide teams here this weekend.

Was it something fluky about this track? Are teams pushing the envelope too far without having tested to verify their development ideas? Could teams not have as many people double-checking things as they had last year because they've had to trim payrolls?

It certainly seems that something is going on.

PIT STOPS

Win one to say Grace over

As Kyle Busch completed his pass of Clint Bowyer for the lead on Lap 267 of Sunday's Shelby 427 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Fox Sports aired audio from Busch's team radio with someone saying "Good night, Gracie."

Most assumed Busch had said it, but it actually was his spotter, Jeff Dickerson, who made the remark.

Busch is only 23 and had no idea the reference was to George Burns' wife, Gracie Allen, from their historic comedy act from radio and early television.

"Is that from 'Miss Congeniality' or something?" Busch wanted to know, referring to a movie of more recent vintage in which Sandra Bullock's character had that first name.

With a snowstorm blanketing their North Carolina home base, most teams with their own planes were waiting until Monday to try to get home. That meant Busch and his Joe Gibbs Racing compatriots had a chance for an impromptu victory party here.

"Where's the party?" Busch asked team owner J.D. Gibbs. "You're chipping in half."

It might have been the only mistake Busch made all day.

"Half?" Gibbs said. "I was going to pay for the whole thing."

Labonte gets a top-five finish

Former champion Bobby Labonte made a major move forward when he changed two tires on a pit stop just past halfway in Sunday's race and he kept the No. 96 Ford toward the front the rest of the way en route to a fifth-place finish.

"We really had a good car in clean air," Labonte said. "I am really excited about it. These guys have done a great job. ...The confidence this gives me and gives all of the guys is just great. ...We dug all day and we did all we could do."

KEY MOMENTS

Lap 3

Matt Kenseth's quest for a third straight victory to start the season was doomed from the start. He pitted under an early caution with something amiss in his motor. He finished 43rd and his transporter was on the way east before the race reached its halfway point.

Lap 220

As green-flag stops begin, Jeff Gordon misses pit entry and blows a right-front tire as he tries to go around. Greg Biffle, Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr. had already stopped, putting them out of position to contend for the win.

Lap 234

Kyle Busch makes a smart move in letting Johnson go as Johnson tries to get his lap back under green. Johnson wasn't the guy Busch was racing for the win, and he realized that. "It wasn't time in the race for us to be messing with him," Busch said. He's learning.

Lap 259

A caution for debris erases any thoughts of fuel mileage determining the outcome of this race. Busch gets two tires and gets back on the track behind only Clint Bowyer, who stayed out, and Jeff Burton and Gordon, who took fuel only.

Lap 269

Busch makes the pass for the lead, driving past Clint Bowyer to take command of the race at a track he watched being built as he was growing up in Las Vegas. There were cautions and restarts to come, but from that moment on Busch was in charge.

NEXT RACE

Kobalt Tools 500

Where: Atlanta Motor Speedway, Hampton, Ga.

When: 2 p.m. Sunday.

TV: Fox Sports.

Radio: Performance Racing Network.

Last year's winner: Kyle Busch.

Gordon comes away with points lead

By David Poole/charlotteobserver.com

Jeff Gordon leads the Sprint Cup standings three races into the season after finishing sixth despite making a big mistake as he tried to come to pit road on Lap 220.

"It was an eventful day, that's for sure," Gordon said.

Gordon said he saw guys coming behind him onto pit road and locked up his left-front wheel getting off the apron and missed the entrance. As he tried to go around, the left-front tire blew.

The debris brought out a caution that trapped several cars a lap down, but actually provided a big break for Gordon.

"It has been a great start to the season and I am really proud of this team," Gordon said. "Three weeks in a row I've felt like we have the car that can win, and that's quite a change from last year."

Bobby Labonte’s fifth-place finish is ‘pretty freaking awesome’

Scenedaily.com

LAS VEGAS – How excited was Hall of Fame Racing driver Bobby Labonte over his fifth-place finish in Sunday’s Shelby 427 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway?

“I think I said the work ‘freaking’ in a press conference in late January, and it’s pretty freaking awesome,” Labonte said of his first top-five finish since Martinsville in October 2006. “I can’t wait to get back in it and go. We’re taking it one race at a time, so I’m excited.” 
Labonte was with Petty Enterprises at the time of his last top-five, but after the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season, the team and driver parted ways when sponsorship couldn’t be found. Petty Enterprises eventually merged with Gillett Evernham Motorsports, and Labonte landed at Hall of Fame.
Hall of Fame reached a deal with Yates Racing, which fields the No. 96 Ford. Todd Parrott was installed as Labonte’s crew chief, and off the team went.
Sunday’s finish was no fluke, as Labonte ran well most of the race.
“I’m really excited about it,” Labonte said. “These guys have done a great job. We’ve got so many great people there working for us, and I just feel like we’ve got all this confidence on our side right now. I’m excited we got us a top-five and we’re looking forward to each and every weekend. It’s going to be a builder for me.” 
Still, the racer in Labonte wanted more. He passed Jeff Gordon and Jamie McMurray in the closing laps and “had the 00 of [David Reutimann] in my sights” for fourth place but came up short.
“We had one more position we probably could have got in one more lap on the 00, but my car was really good," Labonte said. "I just feel like I did all I could do, but I know there’s more for me to prove in these race cars and I can’t wait to do it.”

No fluke: David Reutimann scores best career finish for Michael Waltrip Racing

Scenedaily.com

LAS VEGAS – David Reutimann has been trying to prove his worth for Michael Waltrip Racing and the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series for more than two years now.
After Sunday’s career-best fourth-place finish moved him to fifth in the points standings, perhaps now Reutimann has shown he belongs.
“You are just kind of relieved if anything,” Reutimann said. “You run around here for a couple of years and try to get close to winning one of these things. We’re a little closer than what we were. It feels good to be where we are.
“Having Aaron’s on board for a full year – the only way you can repay a sponsor like Aaron’s is to get them some good runs, and I think we’re trying to pay back a little bit for what they’ve done to us. It’s been great. I love my team. My crew chief [Rodney Childers] is doing a great job. The organization is doing great and the cars are exceptional. If we just keep doing this, knocking on the door, we’ll get ourselves in the right position.”
Reutimann was in the wrong position at the start of the race, because after an engine change he was moved to the rear of the field. Still, the No. 00 Toyota was strong, and Reutimann gradually worked his way into the top 10.
That’s when an oil leak appeared in the engine of Reutimann’s car, forcing him backwards again. But he wouldn’t be denied, skillfully driving through the pack again.
“People say, ‘Well, it’s a fluke,’ or ‘They’ve lucked out,’” Reutimann said. “But we started about last and we came up through there up into the top 10 and had an oil leak and went back to about 25th or so and drove up through there and ended up getting a top-five finish.
“At the end of the day, I’m proud of my guys, they did a great job, and it doesn’t get any better than that.”
Reutimann has finished 14th or better in each of the first three races of 2009. His previous best finish was ninth, which he did twice last year.
“It’s such a team effort all the way around,” Reutimann said. “I had great pit stops and everything we needed today to run up front, and when you have those pieces in place you can actually do that on occasion. It’s not as easy as it looks for some of these guys – Kyle Busch makes it look like he can just walk out there and finish in the top five. For a young organization, I’m really proud of what we’ve done.”

Kyle Busch could go down as the greatest of all time

Jeff Gluck/scenedaily.com

LAS VEGAS – Kyle Busch was in the middle of it all, soaking in every moment and spare drop of champagne.

Victory Lane – in the midst of Las Vegas Motor Speedway's sparkling Neon Garage fan zone – was surrounded by Busch supporters.

Busch supporters? At this time last year, who even knew there was such a thing?

Now the public address announcer was asking for all the "Rowdy" fans to make noise for their favorite driver.

And they did, letting out a hearty roar – the kind of cheers not typically heard for Busch.

A woman in M&Ms apparel standing on the upper deck of the fan zone clapped and raised her hands to the sky.

"This is sweeeeeeet!" she said.

Face it, Busch-haters: This is Kyle Busch's world; the rest of us just live in it. And if you're wise, you might as well jump on the bandwagon while you still can.

Busch is 23 years old, but 24 going on 40-something – 24 wins in the past two seasons, that is, headed for probably 40-plus by the time this year is over.

The dude is going to be around for a while. Is it really going to be worth your energy to hate him for the next 15 years?

Busch said his win at Vegas, the track he saw rise from the dirt as a hometown kid, was "the feeling of a lifetime."

In victory lane, he was embraced by his older brother, Kurt, and then his emotional mother, Gaye.

All of this after he crossed the finish line to thousands of popping flashbulbs, did a Vegas-effect-style smoky burnout and emerged with his hands raised in triumph, ready to bow yet again.

He kissed the finish line and patted the ground gently. This was his turf.

Pretty soon, all of NASCAR might be.

Is there any driver more exciting in the sport today? Busch isn't always the nicest guy, but he is perhaps the most talented – maybe ever.

If he keeps this up, he could go down as the greatest driver in history.

Let that soak in for a minute. Yeah. It's that serious.

So a word of advice to those who still won't accept Rowdy as a guy they can support: If your favorite driver can't beat him, you might as well join him.

Wild swings give hope to Cup laggards

By Reid Spencer, Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service

LAS VEGAS–When it comes to volatility, Wall Street doesn’t have a corner on the market.

The 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup season has had some wild swings of its own, and it’s precisely this volatility that can offer hope to those who have yet to get their groove back.

On the strength of a 10th-place finish in Sunday’s Shelby 427 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Dale Earnhardt Jr. moved from 35th to 29th in the points standings. The 29th position is significant, because no driver has come from that far back after three races to qualify for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

In fact, only three drivers have made the Chase from positions lower than 25th after three races–Jeremy Mayfield from 26th in 2005, Martin Truex Jr. from 27th in 2007 and Matt Kenseth from 28th in 2005.

No matter what the stats say, Earnhardt was cautiously optimistic, despite a pit road speeding penalty that likely cost him a better result.

“We really, really needed it,” he said of Sunday’s top-10 finish. “We know that we need to put together about six or seven good weeks to give ourselves a shot at getting back into the battle for the Chase. We’ve got some good tracks in a row here where we can do that. “We’ve just got to keep our heads on straight. The problem with speeding on pit road is just trying too hard, and that can hurt you just as bad as not trying enough. We’ve just got to be smart.”

There’s something else that might give Earnhardt some wiggle room when it comes to making the Chase, namely that it’s taking longer than usual for NASCAR’s blue-chip teams to assert their dominance. No driver has put three solid runs together. The most glaring example is Kenseth, who won the first two races and finished dead last Sunday because of a blown engine.

With no driver able to post a top 10 in all three races, a good finish means a meteoric move in the standings. Kyle Busch won the Shelby 427 and jumped 12 places to sixth. Fifth-place finisher Bobby Labonte also gained a dozen positions, to 10th. A modest 11th-place result vaulted Kasey Kahne 10 spots to 13th. Jeff Burton climbed 13 spots, from 31st to 18th by running third.

On the other hand, a blown engine and resulting 42nd-place finish dropped David Ragan from eighth to 24th in the standings.

One good week, and you’re back in the game; one bad week, and you’re wondering what hit you.

What accounts for the volatility? For one thing, the embargo on testing at NASCAR tracks cost drivers the seat time they typically get during organized preseason sessions at Daytona, California and Las Vegas, the first three venues on the schedule.

As a consequence, both drivers and crews are showing evidence of offseason rust. Mistakes in the pits have multiplied, and even polished units such as Cup champion Jimmie Johnson’s No. 48 crew haven’t been immune to pit road panic.

With little room to work with the aerodynamics and front ends of NASCAR’s new racecar, teams have been testing the limits of their engines, and failures have been rampant.

Jack Roush, who owns Ragan’s and Kenseth’s cars, thinks the faster tire combination Goodyear provided for Sunday’s race might have exacerbated the engine issues.

“I think we misjudged how fast this tire was going to be, and the engine turned more (RPM),” Roush said. “It’s the same spec on the engine that we had all of last year. It wasn’t something new or experimental. I had great confidence in it.

“We had it the last third of last year, but we saw more RPM with it in qualifying than we ever had and we saw more RPM in the race than we ever had. The tire didn’t fall off as much as we expected it to, so the tire did a real nice job, but we just over-revved the engine.”

The bottom line is that unpredictable variables–be they engines, tires or lack of customary preparation–have played havoc with the status quo in the early stages of the 2009 season.

For those still mired deep in the drivers’ standings, havoc means hope.

Engine woes steal the show in Vegas

by Jeff Hammond/foxsports.com

Since we just left Las Vegas, let's continue to use gambling analogies for a little bit longer.

On Sunday we saw a couple of hot streaks, but we also witnessed several guys come up snake eyes.

One example was the hometown boys, Kyle and Kurt Busch. They start the weekend on a roll by claiming the front row, then from that extreme high of sitting on the pole, Kyle is forced to start in the rear because of motor issues.

You also had a wide variety of emotions like Jeremy Mayfield and Scott Riggs riding a super high from Daytona, but then both fail to make the race. On the flip side, you have a guy like Max Papis who qualified for the race and if you didn't know any better, you would have thought he just won the Daytona 500.

So much emotion and it was only our third race of the year, if this is a good indication of what the year is going to be like ... boy I can't wait. With all the ebb and flow that's going on right now, there's no reason for race fans not to be pumped up about what's going on here.

Going back to folks like Mayfield and Riggs, I really do feel bad for them. Single-car teams like theirs are basically living hand to mouth, so they can't afford to miss a race. Everything for them is dependent on one paycheck carrying them to the next one. So when a team misses a race, they don't get any money. That's money teams had already budgeted for to pay bills, race entry fees, buy tires, hotels, plane tickets and most important, the employees. All that comes into play and for those guys who were close to getting ahead, well they now find themselves behind.

Obviously it's a big expense for these teams to come out West for two weeks of racing. So now emotionally and financially, these guys can't come to Atlanta and not make that race. They really have to come back East and do some soul-searching about what they did wrong at Las Vegas. Where did they miss it at?

What's up with those engines?

There were a lot of engine issues this past weekend.

Depending on who you talk to, you can get a wide array of excuses. I really don't think you will find out the absolute truth as to what's going on. I think everyone is playing things pretty close to the vest. But it may be something as simple as what looked good on the chassis or engine dynos simply isn't holding up in race conditions.

This might also be a byproduct of the no testing rule. Things you might have tried and experimented with during a test session may now be rearing its ugly head on a race weekend. If you look at Toyota as an example, they were able to figure out what their problems were and addressed it. If you look at Sunday's race, they must have made the right changes because you didn't have a lot of Toyota engines have issues.

For the Roush Fenway Racing situation, word on the street was that it was a piston issue. They had three cars that broke Sunday. They obviously will know more when they get back to North Carolina. How they adjust between now and this weekend in Atlanta is the story.

A week ago in California, we had a lot of Hendrick issues. Well guess what, there was only one on Sunday in Las Vegas. So again, it just kind of tells me that guys had some things that looked good earlier, but with no testing, once under race conditions, things changed.

I think it has clearly shown the weakness that has forced these teams to react to it.

Going back to the Toyota situation, the fix they implemented ended up costing them something like five horsepower, according to Toyota Racing Development boss Lee White. We talk a lot that sometimes you have to give up a little bit to make sure you can make it to the end. With a guy like Kyle Busch, I think you could take 20 horsepower away from him and he would still make it up. Where he would make it up is through the corners.

The point is, everyone wants as much horsepower as they can get, but if it is risking your ability to finish the race, is it worth it? I would rather have them back it off a bit and know that the engine could make it to the end.

Here's the points

And speaking of points, people look at it differently than I do. I am a points racer. I want to start and finish all the events. Some folks only care about winning and so they are willing to take the chance.

Bobby Labonte has to feel like he hit the jackpot Sunday. He had a huge points jump and now is in the Top 12. Another guy who has to feel the same way is Clint Bowyer. I really thought they were going to struggle this year, but early on, that hasn't been the case. Clint and his team have shown me that the combination they have is paying dividends for Richard Childress Racing. They are showing some great chemistry right now early on.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. has to be breathing a sigh of relief after Sunday's race. He didn't move that much in the points, but at least it was a move in the right direction. He got a top-10 finish, which was the first of the year and finally has some positive momentum going in his favor.

Objective or not, Busch's talent not up for a debate

By Joe Menzer, NASCAR.COM

A long time ago, so long ago that newspapers were thriving even though their demise already was being predicted in a pre-Internet world, a journalism professor once insisted that if you were going to get into the writing business and gear your subject matter toward the masses, you should strive to write on a sixth-grade level.

I never believed it. I always aimed higher -- like to write on a seventh- or eighth-grade level.

That seemed to work pretty well until I took this job and started writing about the likes of Kyle Busch and Dale Earnhardt Jr. Now I know there are plenty of those out there who do get it, but they usually aren't the ones who write in with absurd complaints -- so for those folks, I now have only one question.

Are you smarter than a fifth-grader?

Because some of you just aren't getting it. Any story about Busch, who again drove magnificently in winning the Shelby 427 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday, is sure to generate lots of excitement. Not as much as Earnhardt, of course, but that is another story -- one that has been and will continue to be told over and over and over again no matter how many races Junior does or doesn't win.

This is more about Busch, younger brother of the once-better-known and still more accomplished (but possibly not for much longer) Kurt.

Getting it straight

Just because some of us write that Busch appears to be the next great driver on the horizon -- a misnomer in itself, because he's already driven over the horizon and is leaving much of the rest of the field in his wake -- doesn't mean we're Toyota lovers or M&M's lovers (although I do so enjoy the peanut ones). It doesn't mean we pull for Kyle Busch to win every week over Junior or anyone else, because, as writers, we strive to be objective and don't really root for anything other than no rain, a quick race with good storylines and decent food in the media center.

It doesn't mean we've overlooked the fact that he has yet to win a championship, because we know he hasn't. It doesn't mean that we fail to realize the win Sunday was only the 13th of his Cup career, which is 187 shy of the record 200 owned by the legendary Richard Petty. We can read the record books as well as the next guy, better even than most fifth-graders.

It doesn't mean we think he's necessarily better at this stage of his career over the course of a season than Jimmie Johnson, who has three consecutive championships to back up his claim to being the best. Nor does it mean that we're dismissing other talented drivers like Carl Edwards, another up-and-comer who likely will be young Kyle's greatest competition as they move into their 30s -- if Johnson ever proves to be human. (Of course it's worth noting that Edwards, young as he seems, will turn 30 this Aug. 15 while Busch won't hit that mark until May 2015).

It just means we think this kid is one heck of a driver, poised to do great things. In fact, he's already doing them. As he once said, just because you may not like him, don't hate on his talent.

Because the fact is, he's got it. He's got as much of it or more as anyone currently driving. Just ask four-time Cup champion Jeff Gordon, who told television interviewers as much during a pre-race chat Sunday.

Remind you of anyone?

Asked by reporters if he was going to get any sleep following Sunday night's race in his glittering hometown, Busch replied: "I doubt it. We're partying it up big."

He deserves it. But no doubt someone will look at that comment and think it was too brash.

That's the other thing about Busch. Sometimes he's misunderstood. Sometimes folks hate on him just because, well, he's not their vision of loveable or even likeable. Other times he's a jerk and simply doesn't like being called on it.

But it's all part of the package. For along with his driving talent, there is an edge to his personality -- a confidence not just bordering on cockiness but overrunning it to an entirely new level -- that helps make him as good as he is.

Crew chief Steve Addington said it is that fighting spirit that helped get Busch to Victory Lane in Vegas, where their No. 18 Toyota was not the best car on the 1.5-mile track for at least most of the 285-lap race.

"Sometimes you have to scratch and claw and kick, spit and fight for a win," Addington told reporters afterward. "That's what this whole race team did, along with Kyle."

Busch was ticked at himself after wrecking what he thought was an excellent car in the Nationwide Series a day earlier. Then, after winning the pole, he had to start from the rear of the 43-car Cup field because of an engine change.

"I told myself, 'You better man-up and drive this thing or else we're not going to go anywhere,'" Busch said.

The end result was Busch's first Cup victory since last August, when he seemed on top of the world and no one could have envisioned what would be a rapid fall even before the 10-race Chase for the Sprint Cup championship began. Busch said the poor finish to 2008 taught him to "probably take the bad days a little easier. But I still hate bad days."

His driving style and demeanor is reminiscent of another pretty good former driver who once came into the sport and drew the ire of most fans and many fellow competitors, only to eventually gain their grudging acceptance and, eventually, their deep admiration. His name is Darrell Waltrip.

It's still early in Busch's career, and this comparison undoubtedly will send the fifth-graders scurrying to their computer keyboards to voice their outrage, but that's the kind of skill and determination and deep-seated confidence Kyle Busch is displaying these days.

And you know what's really scary? He's not even 24 years old yet.

You know how many races Waltrip had won by age 24? Zero. He didn't even break into Cup racing until he was 25, and didn't win his first race until he was 28. Eventually he went on to win a total of 84 and three championships.

So look out, folks. And brush up on that fifth-grade math. Like it or not Kyle Busch is coming, and coming hard, with what may just be an assault on the record books.

The opinions expressed are solely those of the writer. 

Corporate sponsorships still a concern for NASCAR in slumping economy

Bob Pockrass/scenedaily.com

LAS VEGAS – If what’s happening in a sport where sponsorship plays a major role is a harbinger of things to come, the sponsorship slope in NASCAR could get even slipperier.

Wells Fargo last week decided not to put its name on a golf tournament sponsorship that it acquired with the purchase of Wachovia, and Northern Trust Corp. found itself roundly criticized by politicians for the activation of another golf tournament sponsorship while also taking government money.
Companies that take aid or loans from the government are going to be more scrutinized in their marketing programs, and other companies also could curtail activities to avoid bad publicity.
It’s a situation that has some in NASCAR worried.
“There’s no doubt that [potential sponsors] have factored in, first and foremost, ‘If I do this, what will Congress say?’ as opposed to, ‘Is this good, sound business practice?’” Texas Motor Speedway President Eddie Gossage said. “That’s just human nature. They’ve got to be doing that.
“So I maintain that if Congress really wants them to do well and Congress really wants the economy to return or rebound, they need to stop holding these companies up for ridicule because it’s causing everybody to be gun shy. … [Potential sponsors] are more worried about the perception of some elected official or newspaper columnist.”
Lowe’s Motor Speedway President Marcus Smith said he is hopeful that Bank of America’s sponsorship of his October race doesn’t become a political lightning rod. Bank of America, which also is an official NASCAR sponsor, has backed off the possibility of being a sponsor at the new Yankee Stadium after a 14-year relationship with the New York team.
“I don’t spend one second thinking about it,” Smith said. “But if it happened, it would be a horrible thing. … It’s a very sad day when our government would ever try to tell some of the best businesses in the world how they ought to run the business.”
Roush Fenway Racing President Geoff Smith said he hopes that politicians recognize the importance of marketing and the impact of sports marketing specifically.
“These statements about that naming rights and sponsorship rights are a waste of money demonstrates to me, without hesitation, the complete ignorance of how business works,” Smith said. “These naming rights investments, sponsorship investments are important to marketing.
“Those companies, whether they’ve got some government help or not, still have to go out and compete for customers, and they’ve got to convince [them that] their products and services are better than the others. And that takes marketing.”
Obviously, General Motors and Chrysler are among those getting government aid. Ford also could receive aid in the future.

“I could be irritated because my taxpayer dollars are going over to pay Jeff Gordon’s salary,” Geoff Smith said. “Did you ever think of that? At one level, look at all that GM money that Rick Hendrick got.
“That’s my taxpayer money keeping that program afloat. That’s the kind of ridiculous [political] ideology that we get when we get into these things. General Motors still has to market. So I’m not going to lose any sleep over the fact that Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon get a little bit of my paycheck every day.”
How about Gossage?
“If [those companies] don’t market, they can’t grow,” Gossage said. “[It's] way better to [be] paying Jimmie Johnson or Jeff Gordon than some of the people we’re paying otherwise.”

NASCAR ON TV THIS WEEK

All times Eastern

Well, that's all for today.  Until the next time, I remain,

Your Nascar Momma

Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, wine in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WOO HOO what a ride!"

his list is authored by:

Sandra Monacelli
221 W. 57th Street 18B
Loveland, CO  80538
970/663-6967