Soooo Close...

Nearly...

Progress A Fresh Fit At Phoenix

A progressively banked Phoenix gave us a NASCAR Sprint Cup race that got progressively better as it progressed.

Phoenix was a race as much of failures as successes. A brake failure for Casey Mears brought out one of seven cautions. An electronic failure of sorts for a fuel saving Tony Stewart ended his day, while a fuel strategy failure for Kevin Harvick denied him the chance to really go for it at the end. These were offset by some good racing and the early season success of new partners driver Denny Hamlin and crew chief Darian Grubb, the partnership proving to be a "fresh fit"!

Another success of the Subway Fresh Fit 500 was the 312 mile race length. Strange I know, but the race was held over 500 kilometres, therefore 312 miles and laps. Quite what a distinctly European kilometre has to with a distinctly American race series is beyond me, but I have long been an advocate of shortening certain Cup Series races so the principle worked for me. Now use the same thinking at other tracks, Pocono perhaps, but call the race the "Whatever 312" next time and make a feature of the shorter race distance.

The most exciting moments of the race came when Mr Twitter, Brad Keselowski in the, still a Penske Dodge, 2 car battled with the 48 Chevy of, a determined to earn some points this week, Jimmie Johnson and, the always aggressive, Kyle Busch in the 18 Toyota, and when the Rowdy vs Harvick feud reared it's head. These battles proved the still new progressive banking can produce good side by side racing once the grip comes in. I am still not sure about the "short cut" though! The other exciting moments were the closing stages, the "will they make it, won't they make it" laps.

The most bizarre moment of the race came not on the track but in the garage, with the news that to investigate what went wrong with the 14 car, Tony Stewarts crew would have to "plug the car in".

Welcome to the modern world NASCAR. Computers in stock car racing...

That's what they call progress!

Bud "Shootout" Indeed!!

So last night, or this morning, 3.30am UK time this morning in fact, I sat up to watch the 2012 NASCAR Bud Shootout...

Was it worth it??

Hell yeah!!

If you listed every element the perfect pre-season event should have the list would include lots of lead changes, close racing, wrecks, and a nail biting finish.

This years race had all those elements packed into an 82 lap action packed sprint!

Surely the racing was exactly what NASCAR fans wanted, a return to pack racing... or was it? The racing was definately more "pack" than "tandem" but a "return"? This was not "old school" pack racing where drivers sat two or three wide, lap after lap, unable to race for themselves. This was "new school" pack racing where drivers could draft or bump draft to overtake... and it was good!

There were wrecks, several wrecks, but what do you expect when you put that many drivers, that close together, for that few laps. The only real sticking point and the cause of the wrecks, was the effect of bump drafting in the corners, especially when the pushing car is lower on the track than the car being pushed.

FoxSports.com are already running a poll asking fans, "Should NASCAR make changes after the Shootout?" Richard Childress is not happy. Should NASCAR change the rules package? Should NASCAR ban bump drafting in the turns? Should NASCAR do this, should NASCAR do that?   

“NASCAR asked the teams and the drivers what we could do to make it better,” said Tony Stewart, the defending Cup Champion. “My point is, this is better than having to sit there and stare at the back of a spoiler for 500 miles and not be able to see where you're going half the race. We had control of what lane we got to run in. We got to move whenever we wanted. You didn't have to not move because you had a guy behind you that you had to rely on making your decision on what he had to do also. We had more control as drivers today.”

The answer according to Dale Earnhardt Jr - "You just hold your damn car where it needs to be and not drive around like an idiot."

Quite! The rules package worked perfectly. I do not believe the drivers will bump draft to the extreme we saw in the Shootout for the whole 500 miles next Sunday. The 500 is a different kettle of fish, a long race to survive, not a sprint. We might see more of the same in the last 100 miles but that has always been the way, hasn't it? The drivers have the Gatorade Duels next, more time to get the hang of the "new school" pack racing.    

The other story from the Bud Shootout was Kyle Busch and his “stab and steer — and some braking" saves and his last corner slingshot for the win on Tony Stewart. Love Kyle or hate him, that boy sure can drive a race car.

So what have we learnt so far?

"Pack" racing is back, don't bump draft the left side of another car in the turns, Kyle Busch sure can save a race car...

Don't lead the last lap...

Now that's very old school after all!!

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...

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!

Performance Parity - NASCAR

Over the last few weeks we have had some fuel mileage racing, some pit strategy racing, some “boys have at it” racing, some good racing, some not so good racing...

The best thing about the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series? To take a phrase from BTCC driver Jason Plato, “Performance Parity”!

The Hendrick cars are up there, but not dominating. Sure Jimmie Johnson is high up in the points and Jeff Gordon has ended his winless streak. Dale Jr is looking good, has come close to ending his winless streak and is also high up in points... but none are dominating!

The Gibbs cars are competitive, are leading laps and getting in the wars, but are not dominating!

Kevin Harvick, the “finisher” and dictionary definition of “boys have at it” has won races and looks like he badly wants the end of season trophy, but none of the Childress cars are dominating!

The Roush Fords are back in the hunt this year after a quiet season last year, but are not dominating!

Holding up the honour for Dodge are the Penske cars, good at times, but not dominating!

This is Tony Stewarts time of year to shine... the Red Bull cars of Kasey Kahne and Brian Vickers have looked good... the Earnhardt Ganassi Racing cars... the Richard Petty Motorsport cars have all been running well... at times very well... however no one is dominating!

But here’s the thing...

Carl Edwards is currently leading the points, just ahead of... the 48! You remember him don’t you; he’s done quite well over the past few years... Somehow the 48 car always seems to find a fifth gear once the Chase begins!

In my opinion the drivers most likely to keep up with Johnson once the Chase starts are Edwards, Harvick, and if he can get it together, Kyle Busch.

I am glad Dale Jr has been running well. He finally looks like he can drive a race car and is third in points right now but does he quiet have enough? Only time will tell.

But again, the question is... Who has what in reserve for the Chase?

Performace parity... that's BTCC talk, in NASCAR it's called good hard racing!

"Latest GP NOT a Turkey" and "Hand Bags At Dawn"

Overtaking, wheel-to-wheel, cross-over, round the outside, three-a-breast, and pit lane battles are all terms we would usually associate with a NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Darlington, but Formula 1 from Turkey?

Erm... YES!!

Hold the Front page... “Latest Grand Prix, NOT A Turkey!”

I have just watched the Turkish Grand Prix. I did not watch it live, I recorded the race so I could forward speedily through the dull bits. However, I watched this all of this race... full length... every lap... the whole lot... start to finish...

And it was good...

Regular readers will know that I am not the worlds greatest F1 fan.

Regular readers will know that when it comes to F1 I can come across a little on the cinical side.

It would be wrong of me, as someone who will readily critisie F1 for boring races and who will openly accuse the drivers of not being able to “race”, and as someone who has done just that, to not acknowledge that the Turkish Grand Prix was none of those things.

While I think the DRS thingy is a bit contrived and false, combined with the KERS, it made for a very good race.

With the exception of Mr M. Schumacher the drivers have remembered how to race and not just drive. They are giving each other room and driving round each other, not just into each other.

Button round the outside of the last corner, the McLarens all over each other, the drag race in the pit lane... the list goes on... all good stuff!

I might even be looking forward to the next race, but don’t tell anybody...


“Hand Bags at Dawn” or “Racing Rivalries”


At Richmond it was Montoya Vs. Newman. At Darlington it was Harvick Vs. Kyle Busch.

The winner in each case?

NASCAR!!

Sure JPM and Newman beat up two perfectly good race cars and wrecked their own chances of a good finish, let alone each others, but it WAS a short track race and this IS NASCAR!

Was Busch loose coming off turn 4? Was he ever in control of that car? Could he have done more to avoid taking Harvick out?

Yes... no... maybe... I don’t care!



The fact is that both sets of incidents made for great TV. Long may drivers get passionate about their chosen sport, and show that passion!!


After all we all know that drivers who lack passion or emotion, and are more interested in strategy than racing don’t race in NASCAR they race in Fomula 1...

Then again...

Close... But Not Quite

eWe all know that Dale Earnhardt Jr is NASCARs most popular driver. After Martinsville Kevin Harvick must be the most un-popular driver...

However, for the second week in a row Kevin Harvick has driven his way to the front in the closing stages... and what a closer, and what finishes!!

We also all know that Dale Earnhardt Jr has a 98, now 99, race long winless streak that he would love to break. The good thing for Junior Nation is that their driver is now in contention, now up front!

However at Martinsville I hoped for more. Not because he didn’t win, but in the way in which he raced for the lead. I hoped for a battle... I expected a fight... I was looking forward to a struggle... I wanted some good ol’ fashioned short track rubbin’ for the win... What I got were the top drivers not wanting to be the “bad guy”. Before you turn on me, I understand that Junior got loose and Harvick had the quicker car. Not much was going to stop the 29 but I loved it when the 88 moved the 18 with about 20 to go, and wished for more at the end...

The 88 wasn’t the only car looking good. Jeff Gordon, Denny Hamlin as always, Kyle Busch, Ryan Newman, Clint Bowyer were always up there. One drive who raced well and finished well was JPM. The driver who used to have a distinct lack of patience on the short tracks looked pretty good on one!

We did get to see a very good short track race! Some very good tight racing, some good bump’n’runs, some good wrecks... and a very good finish.

I am glad the 88 car is up finally racing up front, and it was good to see him drive well throughout the race, and the emotion he showed after the race shows how much he cares. In the off-season I said that for the 88 to win races, first he must be in contention, so it's all good so far this year.

Another great race... however... Next time, don’t be afraid to be the “bad guy” and be the poster boy NASCAR needs...

"Racing"

The first round of the 2011 Formula 1 season has been and gone.

The Australian GP was dominated by Sebastian Vettel, with Lewis Hamilton in second. This was the order coming out of the first corner on the first lap and stayed that way to the end. 

The surprise of the race was Vitaly Petrov finishing in third!

The unsurprises of the race were the success of the KERS, the DRS and the racing in general. The KERS, (the Kinda E-relvant, but the racing so dull we need to, Recover it System) meant so much the race winner did not even have it... the DRS "overtaking" system (Drivers can't Race on their own System), meant so much, pardon, the DRS "what" system... and the amazing standard of what little racing there actually was... Barrichello got it totally wrong in a "that's never going to work" move, well at least he's still young and not one of the most experienced drivers in the field... but at least Jenson Button had the balls to attempt to go round the outside of another car only to find he was never going to make it, had to cut across the next corner and got a penalty for his "efforts". Oh dear!

In the world of NASCAR, a 400 mile race at California threw up some surprises and some not-so-surprises of its' own. What started an average race, the not-so-surprising part, ended a stunner, the surprising bit! Kyle Busch, who led most of the race, was trying to hold on while Jimmie Johnson did everything he could to take it. at the same time Kevin Harvick got physical saying "I don't think so" and beat them both... and all that in the last two laps! A great ending!!

Pity they didn't have KERS or DRS movable rear wings though...

That would have made all the difference...

What Happens In Vegas, Stays In Vegas??

If you are were a Chevy driver on Sunday, you’ll be hoping this is the case. Tony Stewart had the best car in the race, and with one bad pit stop threw the race away. The Hendick drivers had an average day with the previous weeks winner Gordon in the wall, the 48 not really a front runner, while Earnhardt put together a top 10 run... or to put it another way, Earnhardt Jr ran well all day and finished in the top 10! To be fair JPM’s 42 Impala had a very good day too with a third place finish...

Toyota had also better hope that what happens’, stays’... The top Camry driver was “Rowdy” Busch and his day ended early. The top finishing Toyota was Martin Truex in sixth.

Ford however had better hope that what happens in Vegas’ stays around all season long. While the Ford Fusion of Carl Edwards won the race, the RPM Motorsport car of Marcos Ambrose also ran well finishing fourth!

Las Vegas wasn’t the greatest race ever, but it does show that anything can happen, and probably will!

Oh, another person who will want to carry the momentum gained in Las Vegas forward, after a fourth place finish is Danica... Good Job!! 

Next up, an off week, then Bristol... mmm Bristol!!

2011 BUDWEISER SHOOTOUT RACE DAY!!

Lineup -

1.	Dale Earnhardt Jr.		7.	Clint Bowyer		13.	Juan Montoya		19.	Matt Kenseth
2.	Tony Stewart		8.	Ryan Newman		14.	Jamie McMurray		20.	Mark Martin
3.	Carl Edwards		9.	Derrike Cope		15.	Jeff Burton		21.	Kyle Busch
4.	Denny Hamlin		10.	Michael Waltrip		16.	Kevin Conway		22.	Joey Logano
5.	Kasey Kahne		11.	Greg Biffle		17.	Kurt Busch		23.	Jimmie Johnson
6.	Bobby Labonte		12.	Jeff Gordon		18.	Kevin Harvick		24.	Regan Smith

The season starts here...


GREEN GREEN GREEN!!

Coming Soon - NASCAR 2011!!

The 2011 NASCAR season starts this weekend with the Shootout!!

So what are my hopes for the new season?

Let's start at the end with a close points race resulting in a new Sprint Cup Champion! Not that I have anything against Jimmie Johnson, I would just like somebody else to end the year on top. A good points battle would create interest in the Chase, and a new champ would create lots of "Can JJ Regain His Crown?" articles for the following year!

A one-on-one battle from the white flag to end the Daytona 500! With the new surface, and the better looking cars, THE 500 should be a cracker! The last few years has shown that these cars draft better than NASCAR has seen in a long time and a one-on-one slingshot for the win is exactly what NASCAR needs to start the year!

"Boys have at it"... again! Give the drivers the space to race, again! Give the drivers room to express themselves, to get annoyed and do something about it, again! Keep the reigns loose and let the personalities breathe some more, again!

The 88 mans up and starts competing! Junior Nation may hope this is the year Dale wins races and the Championship, but for me just having him look competitive week in, week out, is good enough. If Dale could finally show that he deserves to be there I reckon a lot of fans would go along for the ride with him! Put in that postition he may win, he may not, but to have a shot at winning you have to be competitive in the first place!

RCR keeps its momentum! Childress lead the points last year with Kevin Harvick until the Chase kicked in and were in the hunt to the end, but could not quiet deliver the Championship. I hope they start this year as they ended the last! NASCAR needs a team other than the Hendrick 48 team in the headlines. 

Kyle, stop talking, start driving! I don't want to hear anything from Kyle Busch this year. I want his driving, his performance on track, his wins, to do the talking. I am not much of a Rowdy fan, but the sport would be much better off if he just "shut up and drive!" We all know he can pedal, we all know he can be controversial, don't change anything Kyle, just deliver, on track, this year!

Ford back in the game. Two years ago the Ford of Carl Edwards was winning races. Last year, nothing. This year NASCAR needs a FORD back in the game! NASCAR has always been about Ford vs. Chevy. Recently Dodge and Toyota have joined in but the basis should always be the Blue Oval against the Bowtie!

Richard Petty and the 43 become relevant again, Stewart Haas raises its game and becomes competitive all year and not just late on, Jeff Gordon breaks his winless streak, JPM finally wins an oval race preferably Brickyard, Ambrose finally wins the Nationwide road race that keeps escaping him...

As long as the racing's good, I'm happy!!

 NOT LONG TO WAIT NOW!!

"Dominate by Kyle Busch" (no its not a perfume)

"DOMINATE"

dom·i·natev. dom·i·nat·ed, dom·i·nat·ing, dom·i·nates

v.tr.

1. To control, govern, or rule by superior authority or power: Successful leaders dominate events rather than react to them.

2. To exert a supreme, guiding influence on or over: Ambition dominated their lives.

3. To enjoy a commanding, controlling position in: a drug company that dominates the tranquilizer market.

4. To overlook from a height: a view from the cliffside chalet that dominates the valley.

v.intr.

1. To have or exert strong authority or mastery.

2. To be situated in or occupy a position that is more elevated or decidedly superior to others.

3. Ref. Kyle Busch, Bristol Motor Speedway, August 2010.

Over the past eight Cup races there have been eight different winners... not a bad run.

The last three races have been on a road course, a mile-and-a-half speedway, and a half-mile short track, and each has produced some pretty good racing. Not necessarily really close finishes, but some good racing thru the field.

Kevin Harvick won in Michigan; a race full of 2 and 3 wide racing, with the smooth wide oval giving the drivers various grooves to choose from. While I am not the biggest D-shaped mile-and-a-half fan, I do enjoy watching the drivers go into a corner 2 wide, using the different grooves in the turns with one on the white line and the other an inch from the wall, and coming out of the turn side by side again.

It was good to see the 29 team prove they are capable of not only being consistent, but also of winning races. 

On the whole a good race!!

Then came Bristol... 

In the aftermath of the three-way Kyle Busch walkover, a lot of fans, commentators and journalists will be saying the same thing... say what you will about the mouth, attitude, opinions, choice of haircut blah, blah, blah... but he can drive!!

It is one thing to say you beat the whole Craftsman truck field in your own truck... another to say you beat all the young upstarts in the Nationwide series, and something else to say you dominated a Cup race at Bristol, but to do all three... over the same weekend... that’s something... and remember this is coming from a self confessed 18 non-fan (hater is too strong a word)!!

Other than the Kyle Busch show, Bristol also had some good racing. Once again the variable banking in the turns gave the drivers two good grooves to work with. The Nationwide race also showed, courtesy of the aforementioned Mr Busch, that the bump-and-run is still possible on the Bristol banking. Like it or not and like him or not but Busch had a point when he said “He does it to everybody else. Why can’t I do it to him?” of Brad Keselowski. You've also gotta love that Kyle just came out and said "I dumped him"!!

JJ's drive for 5 is not going as well as planned. He keeps putting himself in a position where he has to race harder than he would probably want, and gets himself in trouble. He should have given Montoya a bit more room, as in my opinion he was half a car width higher than the others drivers who were 2 wide behind him. Still a way to go though and JJ always seems to find extra pace once the chase starts, so don't write him off yet.

Off track, I am glad Marcos Ambrose has got a drive for 2011 with Richard Petty Motorsport; maybe not the greatest team on pit lane right now, but capable of being in the mix as Kasey Kahne has shown. 

On a different note, I was glad to see Keselowski win the second Nationwide "new car" race in a  Dodge Challenger... gives me a reason to include a picture of his pretty car!!

So an off week for the Cup teams and then 2 races before the Chase in Atlanta and Richmond, but for now the moment rightly belongs to Kyle Busch... the first driver to win all three national series races in the same weekend!!