2011 NASCAR Memories

With the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at an end I thought I would start the off-season by looking back at highlights of this tightly fought Championship...

After five consecutive Jimmie Johnson titles was 2011 going to become number 6?



The season got off to a great start with a new name, Trevor Bayne, winning the years biggest race. Not only that, but he also put one of NASCARs oldest teams, Wood Brothers Racing, back in Victory Lane!

The Daytona 500 signalled the start of an up and down year for restrictor plate racing in NASCAR with "tandem drafting" one of the stories of the year. Two cars have always been faster than one, but this year things got physical with drivers literally pushing each other all the way round the two 'plate tracks. Sounds exciting but was not always, until...



The finish was close but many fans were not convinced by this style of racing, me included. The downside of this style of racing was that the drivers teamed up before the race and decided who was going to do the pushing and who was going to be pushed. It all got a little too planned for my liking. I do not want a return to the old "pack" races where drivers could not overtake, but it would be nice if a driver could race for themselves... then again...



Clint Bowyer proved that even in the era of the "tandem", the slingshot is alive and kicking!!

That wasn't the only close finish of the year...



2011 brought a renewed emphasis on winning and several drivers took their first Sprint Cup win this year...





Which brings me on to another story of the year, Kyle Busch... for all the wrong reasons...



"Boys Have At It" has always had an imaginary line that drivers should not cross, trouble is NASCAR decided that he did! NASCAR told Kyle he wasn't racing any more that weekend, put him on probation to the end of the year and issued him with a fine! He also got in trouble with his team and his sponsors. What effects that incident will have on him for next year only time will tell.

"Retaliation" and "payback" were two of the years watch words...




Which brings me to what will be the long standing story of the year, not a sixth title for the 48 car but the battle between Carl Edwards and Tony Stewart. After such a dominating run by one driver it was great to see that run broken by one of the tightest battles in NASCAR history.



One of the greatest NASCAR Championship battles ever?

Certainly!

Do NASCAR have to work on the product a bit... I think so, but that's for another day...

And That's How You Do It!!

WHAT A RACE!

WHAT A CHASE!

A few weeks ago I may have commented on the particularly disjointed nature of the pre-Chase regular season. No one driver looking strong enough to dominate, but many in with a shot.

I might have been wrong...

Tony Stewart and his crew dominated their way to the title. They did not have it easy, nor did they make it easy for themselves but in the end Stewarts take-no-prisoners driving at Homestead earned them the title.

It may also go down as one of the greatest drives ever.

With the level of competition that high, and with the cars evenly matched, the 14 car literally took on all-comers and walked away the winner.

He overtook 118 cars...

Two, three, and four wide passes...

Had to win the race...

Race won...

Championship won!

First owner/driver Champion since Alan Kulwicki.

The great thing about this years Chase was that it came down to two drivers, one-on-one for the race win. Not a maths equasion of "if he finishes here then I can be there" but a straight battle to the chequered flag. That alone is good, that it was also for the title made it great.

Carl Edwards did more than keep Steward honest, it was his title until the last race, but ultimately he could not stop the unstoppable and unthinkable.

Congratulations to Tony Stewart and Stewart Haas Racing...

2012 NASCAR SPRINT CUP CHAMPIONS!

I said you would only need the edge of your seat...

First 2012 Daytona Prototype Unveiled

2012 Corvette Daytona Prototype

Looking Good!!!

3... 2... 1...

3... points.

2... drivers.

1... race.

Ford vs. Chevy.

Stewart vs. Edwards.

Win the race, win the title.

Nothing else will do.

They both need to win!

Homestead Miami...

Sunday...

Get the beer and dips in...

Don't worry about a complete seat...

You will only need the edge...

Bring It On!

To Finish First... First You Must... Start

To Finish First...

Another Chase race and another good one.

At one of NASCARs fastest tracks the top two in points went head to head, Carl Edwards vs. Tony Stewart... And Smoke came out on top. Que cheesy headlines, "Stewart Smokes 'Em", etc.

Stewart did what he had to do, win, while at the same time Edwards did what he had to, shadow Stewart.

At Texas that was enough but it will not be enough from now on. At Phoenix, with only three points seperating them, they will be all out for the win, again.

Just how a Championship should be decided then!

... First You Must Start!

Was I supposed to be surprised by the actions of Kyle Busch in last weeks Truck race? Oh good, 'cos I wasn't.

Was I supposed to be surprised that Mike Helton threw the NASCAR rulebook at Kyle? Good, 'cos I wasn't.

Was I supposed to be surprised that the majority of fans think Kyle should loose his job as a result of what he did? Good, oh you get the idea.

Kyle Busch is NASCARs marmite, you either love him or hate him, or you love to hate him. Regardless of what fans thought of this one incident, if you ask the question a lot of fans will want Kyle out of the way.

The problem with Kyle, as has been well documented, is, to paraphrase Forrest Gump, "Rowdy is as Rowdy does".

Drivers lose their cool from time to time. However Kyle seems to loose his, not so cool, more often than most and when he does he also looses any sense of what to about it.

Have NASCAR been a bit heavy with the penalties? I think not. They have always said they would encorage "boys have at it" but there is a line in the sand and cross it at your peril. No one can debate that what Kyle did crossed that, until know, unseen line. As I said after Martinsville, retaliation on a short track is one thing, at a fast mile-and-a-half, something else. And lets face it this incident is the latest in a long line.

Whether Kyle will be out of a ride in a couple of weeks time, I would have thought is down to how patient Coach Gibbs and his sponsors are. I am not a Kyle Busch fan but I will openly admit that he has some of the best car control in the sport... And the sport is better off with contraversial drivers like him around...

If only he could reign in his ego he could win Championships... But then so could I if I only had his talent... And thats not going to happen... If only...

NASCAR Draws The Line

Wham Bam Thank You Men

Martinsville.

Action...

Wrecks...

Contact...

Retaliation...

All the top drivers having a go...

A late caution...

A late pass for the lead and a close finish...

What was not to like?

The little paperclip delivered just what the Sprint Cup needed, a good old fashioned short track bust up, and in the process injected some much needed on track action into the Chase.

We watched the sports best, from Gibbs, Roush, Childress, Hendrick Stewart Haas and others battle it out, no holes barred.

Finally they all got it together at the same time, and the result was great to watch.

The late pass by Tony Stewart on the outside of Jimmie Johnson showed class from both drivers. From Smoke a classy move, squeezing the 48 down low and getting the win. The lack of contact once the lead was lost showed a level of respect from the reigning Sprint Cup champion towards his fellow driver. Would I be blaming or holding it against the 48 car if the bumper had been used, no, thats short track racing, but it did show respect and a level of class from Jimmie Johnson.

For the opposite style of racing look at Earnhardt Jr among others. Again, nothing wrong with a bit of contact, nothing wrong with a bit more either.

Should NASCAR be worried about the retaliation? Not in my book. The rules at Martinsville may be different to those at Texas but I am still all for "have at it boys".

NASCAR has always been a contact sport and there have always been rivalries. It may be a bit "primal", a bit "wrestling" but hard hitting short track racing is as much a part of the sport as drafting at Daytona... And long may it continue!