By Joe Dunn
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads to Kansas Speedway this week for the third of ten races for the Championship. Ordinarily the points after 3 races out of 10 races might not be such a big concern, but there are now 8 drivers more than 100 points behind the leader, and that could spell concern for some of them.
Tony Stewart sits 5th right now, 106 points out of first, and that would not be a concern for a driver of Stewarts caliber, but the last few weeks have not been kind to the driver who led the points for most of the regular season. Still, Tony has been a constant threat and even through equipment problems, he has managed to battle back for respectable finishes. Not time to count out the No 14 Chevy team, I look for at least one more win for him.
Denny Hamlin had a horrible finish at Dover, but even that 22nd place didn’t hurt him too badly. Like Stewart, Denny has the ability and the team behind him to get the No 11 Toyota back up front and cut into that 108 point deficit.
Ryan Newman, even though he has been winless this season has been a consistent driver. The team continues to struggle to get and keep the setup needed for the No 39 Chevy to run up front, but Ryan is as persistent as any driver in the series. Being 110 points back makes a run for first difficult, but look for him to continue to be up front for the next 8 races.
Jeff Gordon sits 8th in the points, 122 behind teammate Mark Martin. Jeff has had an off year, with a single win at this point. Many observers point to his ever present back pains. Most other drivers this far back would be considered doubtful to challenge for the number one spot, but don’t count out Gordon just yet, there is still time for a driver with his skill and patience to rebound. A bad finish at Kansas however would signal a real problem for the No 24 Chevy.
Greg Biffle heads to Kansas 138 points out. Another winless driver with a rather erratic season Greg needs a top 3 finish at Kansas to bring the No 16 Ford back to life and contend for a top 5 points finish.
Brian Vickers is the real wild card in the Chase. His time behind the wheel of the No 83 Red Bull Toyota was all over the place last year. It was only really in the latter half of this season that he and his team have come to life. On a wing and a prayer the No 83 team managed to make the chase. But at 151 points back, this team will be fighting hard just to make it onto the stage at Las Vegas.
Carl Edwards is one of the most twisted stories so far this year. The driver of the No 99 Ford has been a hot foot for Roush Fenway Racing since he took over for Jeff Burton in 2004. So to see the year he has experienced, winless so far has to be a hard reality to accept. But like Jeff Gordon, even at 153 points back, Carl still has the ability to turn this Chase around. Remember folks, this is the guy who pulled that Bonsai move on the last lap at Kansas last year. Granted, he hit the wall and finished second, but it is finish that you will all see a lot of replays of this week. A top 3 finish here could propel Carl back up front, a bad finish will probably have him thinking about next year.
At 12 place, 189 points back, Casey Kahne will be forced to settle for making the stage , at Las Vegas. His DNF at New Hampshire, combined with an 8th place at Dover has left him heading to Kansas with a full race deficit. Barring DNF’s by the top 3 teams, the No 9 Dodge will be fighting for positions other than Champion.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Pressure gets to Dale Jr.
By Joe Dunn
On Sunday, a dejected Dale Earnhardt Jr displayed a side of himself that NASCAR fans are not used to. After his front running car was destroyed in a late race crash involving David Reutimann Junior lashed out at David, using the term “out of talent” to describe the driver of the 00 Toyota.
I have been around this sport for a long time and I’m accustomed to drivers shooting off after a wreck, but Junior is a lot like Mark Martin, you rarely ever hear him bad mouthing someone. Even in the lead up to his departure from DEI, junior left the bad mouthing to others. Junior Nation, his fans were loud and clear with their displeasure with Teresa Earnhardt and DEI, but Junior was always the Class Act, choosing not to make it personal.
Since Tony Eury Sr stepped down as his crew chief, Junior’s performance on the track has been inconsistent. He struggled through a handful of crew chiefs before settling in with Tony Jr, but that spot light to the championship continued to flicker. As his on track problems continued, he remained the ‘cool cat’, always showing respect and composure. With his move to HMS, hopes were high for that big change, but it did not come. When his fans began blaming Tony Jr. Dale stood up and defended his cousin/crew chief. It was finally Rick Hendrick’s decision to split them up. Still Dale kept his composure. He has spent the last few months learning to work with Lance McGrew, and it is paying off. Sunday was an example of that improvement.
So what happened Sunday? There are a lot of opinions out there about who was at fault and to what extent. Reutimann took the blame for the wreck, but was it as blatant as Junior called it? Trying to watch the replays, from nearly every angle, this wreck was just outside the frame. The only camera shot that really tells the story was from the 88 in car camera. You could see the 00 car along side the 88 all the way down the straightaway, heading for the turn Reutimann actually nosed ahead of Earnhardt. But as they started the approach to the turn, both cars moved down the track. You could see the smoke coming from the 11 car, and then Reutimann moved down just a bit and then moved up hitting the 88. It was not a hit in the rear as some people called it, it was a hit near the front, but because David was on the brakes, Dale moved past him and he started sliding up the track. This was unfortunately a racing incident.
Junior’s comments that “ the 00 can’t hold his line … went down in the bottom of the corner an lost it, hit me in the side and spun me out…David just run out of talent.” was a bit of an exaggeration at best. The 00 never went to the bottom, the replays show that Montoya was down there. As I said earlier, this was simply a racing incident. I feel bad for Junior, this looked like a real strong turning point for the 88 team, and to end the day like that is disheartening. These are two very talented drivers that are also very genuine Gentlemen.
This is not a slam at Junior for his reaction, simply my observation that the stress that is on him at this point in his career is so much, that he reacted in a manner that is so contrary to his character. I am sure that these two will talk this over, and not make it something that it is not. I wish junior all the luck and success that he and the team can muster for these last 9 races. This season cannot end soon enough for him, and I hope that the off season allows him to ‘chill out’ and get back to being the Junior the fans all know and love. With a fresh start in 2010, I anticipate a return to the front for Dale Jr and the 88 team. But until then, it’s off to the Monster Mile at Dover.
On Sunday, a dejected Dale Earnhardt Jr displayed a side of himself that NASCAR fans are not used to. After his front running car was destroyed in a late race crash involving David Reutimann Junior lashed out at David, using the term “out of talent” to describe the driver of the 00 Toyota.
I have been around this sport for a long time and I’m accustomed to drivers shooting off after a wreck, but Junior is a lot like Mark Martin, you rarely ever hear him bad mouthing someone. Even in the lead up to his departure from DEI, junior left the bad mouthing to others. Junior Nation, his fans were loud and clear with their displeasure with Teresa Earnhardt and DEI, but Junior was always the Class Act, choosing not to make it personal.
Since Tony Eury Sr stepped down as his crew chief, Junior’s performance on the track has been inconsistent. He struggled through a handful of crew chiefs before settling in with Tony Jr, but that spot light to the championship continued to flicker. As his on track problems continued, he remained the ‘cool cat’, always showing respect and composure. With his move to HMS, hopes were high for that big change, but it did not come. When his fans began blaming Tony Jr. Dale stood up and defended his cousin/crew chief. It was finally Rick Hendrick’s decision to split them up. Still Dale kept his composure. He has spent the last few months learning to work with Lance McGrew, and it is paying off. Sunday was an example of that improvement.
So what happened Sunday? There are a lot of opinions out there about who was at fault and to what extent. Reutimann took the blame for the wreck, but was it as blatant as Junior called it? Trying to watch the replays, from nearly every angle, this wreck was just outside the frame. The only camera shot that really tells the story was from the 88 in car camera. You could see the 00 car along side the 88 all the way down the straightaway, heading for the turn Reutimann actually nosed ahead of Earnhardt. But as they started the approach to the turn, both cars moved down the track. You could see the smoke coming from the 11 car, and then Reutimann moved down just a bit and then moved up hitting the 88. It was not a hit in the rear as some people called it, it was a hit near the front, but because David was on the brakes, Dale moved past him and he started sliding up the track. This was unfortunately a racing incident.
Junior’s comments that “ the 00 can’t hold his line … went down in the bottom of the corner an lost it, hit me in the side and spun me out…David just run out of talent.” was a bit of an exaggeration at best. The 00 never went to the bottom, the replays show that Montoya was down there. As I said earlier, this was simply a racing incident. I feel bad for Junior, this looked like a real strong turning point for the 88 team, and to end the day like that is disheartening. These are two very talented drivers that are also very genuine Gentlemen.
This is not a slam at Junior for his reaction, simply my observation that the stress that is on him at this point in his career is so much, that he reacted in a manner that is so contrary to his character. I am sure that these two will talk this over, and not make it something that it is not. I wish junior all the luck and success that he and the team can muster for these last 9 races. This season cannot end soon enough for him, and I hope that the off season allows him to ‘chill out’ and get back to being the Junior the fans all know and love. With a fresh start in 2010, I anticipate a return to the front for Dale Jr and the 88 team. But until then, it’s off to the Monster Mile at Dover.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Successful Week….
By Trevor Bayne
Last week was my first race with CJM Racing at Richmond International Raceway. The car was good from the time they unloaded it! Crew chief Paul Wolfe was able to make changes that really fit my driving style. I started the race in the top-10 and never fell out of that throughout the entire run. The RideMakerz Toyota was hooked up and was really fun to drive, and I wound up finishing 7th, tying my Nationwide career best! I really want to thank the guys at CJM for giving me the opportunity; it was great to have the seat time, and fun to turn laps around RIR in a great machine!
When I was in Richmond I went to visit a VA hospital in the area. It was a really eye opening experience to see all these wounded heroes and veterans that have sacrificed so much to defend our country and fight for our freedom. I know I wouldn’t have the freedom to do the things I love to do if it weren’t for men and women like them. It was a really moving experience.
This week has been crazy trying to get myself ready for the wakeboarding competition this Saturday on Lake Norman. I hope the weather cooperates, although it’s not looking so good. My mom and some other family from Knoxville will be coming to town to watch me so I’m really excited about that!
As of right now, my next race isn’t until Texas, which has me out of the seat for a while. I’m not really looking forward to that much time out of the car, especially with “lake season” coming to an end! I’m hoping MWR can work out a deal to get me behind the wheel at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.
I’m hoping to have my plans for 2010 locked down in the next couple of weeks. Just like everyone involved in this sport, the sponsorship dollars are hard to come by and are making deals tough to finalize. As always, I’m remaining optimistic that all things happen for a reason and there’s a plan for everything so I know it will all work out.
Check out my blog next week and I’ll let you guys know how I finished in my first wakeboarding competition! And reminder to everyone in the Charlotte area, that’s this Saturday at 8 am at Vinny’s on the Lake!
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Driver Blog: Busy But Good
By Trevor Bayne
Sorry I didn’t get a blog to you guys last week but I have been super busy lately. It has been a good busy but this is something I am going to have to get use to.
Well Bristol didn’t go exactly as I had hoped. I mean I had a wonderful time seeing a bunch of family and friends but wrecking and finishing 24th wasn’t what I was looking for.
However, there were some highlights from that weekend. First I got to go to Cherokee Elementary School in Johnson City, Tenn. and talk to a bunch of kids about the importance of reading. I think the kids enjoyed the Aaron’s Lucky Dog more than they enjoyed seeing me.
After that I went and signed autographs at the Annual Food City Family Race Night. It was really cool to see a bunch of old fans that have been following me since I was racing in the Allison Legacy Series.
I think the highlight of the weekend was being on Trackside Live. I really enjoyed talking to all of the guys about racing, my future and I especially enjoyed cracking on Larry McReynolds about being an Alabama fan.
Last week, I wakeboarded most of the week. I am trying to get myself prepared for my first wakeboarding competition which is September 19th on Lake Norman.
Over the weekend I went home to spend some time with my family. It has been awhile since I got to spend some quality time with my mom. I really enjoyed myself but I was excited to get back to North Carolina on Monday and starting getting myself prepared for Atlanta this weekend.
Last night, I went to my first Michael Waltrip partnership summit. I really enjoyed hanging out with all the wonderful sponsors that support MWR. They have an awesome group of sponsors, and it was really cool to hear where MWR is today and where they are heading in the future.
Well, I head to Atlanta Friday morning but I don’t get to make my first laps on the race track until Saturday morning. This is going to be another one day show for the Nationwide teams.
I really appreciate all the fans that follow me on this blog and I hope to have some exciting news to tell you guys in the next few weeks about my future plans at MWR.
Thanks again for everyone’s support over the past couple of months. Remember to visit me on Facebook to get daily updates on my wonderful life.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
ESPN race coverage …no surprise, act 2
By Joe Dunn
Three weeks ago, ESPN tried a new ‘Experiment’ in covering the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Michigan International Speedway, they called it ‘Backseat Drivers’, I did a story about that idea when it was first announced (Back seat drivers, August 11) and expressed my hope that the telecast would in fact ‘Surprise’ me.
Well, the truth is that the telecast did not surprise me, or thousands of serious race fans across the country. ESPN billed the event as a one time deal, and after the race many sighed in relief that this horrendous programming error would never be repeated. I was not surprised, because given the ability to actually call a race that the fans could understand and enjoy is far beyond the crew selected. Of the four guys in the booth that day, only Dale Jarrett has the makings of a decent racing announcer. DJ is a very good ‘color man’ in the booth, and with more experience I have no doubt that he will someday be able to fill his father’s shoes in the booth. But DJ was simply not up to the task, that he tried so hard to accomplish, namely reigning in the other three to make the experiment enjoyable for the fans.
I was not surprised, that Rusty would go off on his I …, I …, I … story telling deals, that added nothing to the telecast other than the ability to hear himself speak. Rusty was a great driver, in his days, and the media loved to talk to Rusty because he was always good for quotes. He enjoyed being the center of attention, and that was just what he was supposed to be. He was a great representative for his team owner and especially for his sponsors. But when he retired from racing and moved to the other side of the microphone and camera, his job also changed. That is the part that seems to have eluded him as he still feels that he needs to be the center of attention. He proved that again at MIS as he attempted to hog the broadcast with his stories that did nothing to help the fans see or understand the actual race.
Ray Evernham was truly one of the most talented crew chiefs in NASCAR when he guided Jeff Gordon to multiple championships. His stint as a team owner started off with a bang, but dwindled, I think mostly because Dodge never was able to bring the winning equipment to the race. His move to the TV booth still awaits a final review as he searches for that comfort zone. He is definitely not ready for prime time as a NASCAR announcer, but we all need to give him time to acclimate himself to the job.
Andy Petree has come a long way in his time in the booth with his ability to explain some of the technical decisions that the teams make. But he still seems to have trouble finding his ‘cue’ to chime in at the right time. His flow has yet to be developed and he is constantly over run by the Rusty machine. I personally think that Andy’s best spot on the show would be to replace Tim Brewer. Brewer was an exceptional crew chief, and he is extremely knowledgeable, but his ability to communicate that information in an entertaining manner for the race fans is seriously lacking.
At MIS, Alan Bestwick did his best to take the broadcast to the infield pit studio and actually provide the viewers with information about the race that was going on at the track. He basically, with the help of the pit reporters, filled in the delayed ‘play by play’ that the fans needed to follow the race. The broadcast director seemed to be at a complete loss as to what camera shots to show, as the four guys in the booth seemed clueless to the word coordination. Without the saving grace of Bestwick and his crew, the broadcast would have been a total washout. It is this writer’s opinion, that the ‘Back seat drivers’ experiment was an all time low in NASCAR race telecast. Having been around NASCAR longer than TV coverage has, I rate this as the worst ever broadcast.
With all that said, I was really glad when I looked back at my notes to see that ESPN executives had stated before the MIS fiasco that this would be a one time only deal. Now we learn this week, that the format will return this Saturday at Atlanta Motor Speedway for NASCAR Nationwide Series, the Degree V12 300. This time I won’t ask you to tell me, NASCAR or ESPN what you think of the broadcast, I will simply advise you to get your radios tuned to PRN.
Three weeks ago, ESPN tried a new ‘Experiment’ in covering the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Michigan International Speedway, they called it ‘Backseat Drivers’, I did a story about that idea when it was first announced (Back seat drivers, August 11) and expressed my hope that the telecast would in fact ‘Surprise’ me.
Well, the truth is that the telecast did not surprise me, or thousands of serious race fans across the country. ESPN billed the event as a one time deal, and after the race many sighed in relief that this horrendous programming error would never be repeated. I was not surprised, because given the ability to actually call a race that the fans could understand and enjoy is far beyond the crew selected. Of the four guys in the booth that day, only Dale Jarrett has the makings of a decent racing announcer. DJ is a very good ‘color man’ in the booth, and with more experience I have no doubt that he will someday be able to fill his father’s shoes in the booth. But DJ was simply not up to the task, that he tried so hard to accomplish, namely reigning in the other three to make the experiment enjoyable for the fans.
I was not surprised, that Rusty would go off on his I …, I …, I … story telling deals, that added nothing to the telecast other than the ability to hear himself speak. Rusty was a great driver, in his days, and the media loved to talk to Rusty because he was always good for quotes. He enjoyed being the center of attention, and that was just what he was supposed to be. He was a great representative for his team owner and especially for his sponsors. But when he retired from racing and moved to the other side of the microphone and camera, his job also changed. That is the part that seems to have eluded him as he still feels that he needs to be the center of attention. He proved that again at MIS as he attempted to hog the broadcast with his stories that did nothing to help the fans see or understand the actual race.
Ray Evernham was truly one of the most talented crew chiefs in NASCAR when he guided Jeff Gordon to multiple championships. His stint as a team owner started off with a bang, but dwindled, I think mostly because Dodge never was able to bring the winning equipment to the race. His move to the TV booth still awaits a final review as he searches for that comfort zone. He is definitely not ready for prime time as a NASCAR announcer, but we all need to give him time to acclimate himself to the job.
Andy Petree has come a long way in his time in the booth with his ability to explain some of the technical decisions that the teams make. But he still seems to have trouble finding his ‘cue’ to chime in at the right time. His flow has yet to be developed and he is constantly over run by the Rusty machine. I personally think that Andy’s best spot on the show would be to replace Tim Brewer. Brewer was an exceptional crew chief, and he is extremely knowledgeable, but his ability to communicate that information in an entertaining manner for the race fans is seriously lacking.
At MIS, Alan Bestwick did his best to take the broadcast to the infield pit studio and actually provide the viewers with information about the race that was going on at the track. He basically, with the help of the pit reporters, filled in the delayed ‘play by play’ that the fans needed to follow the race. The broadcast director seemed to be at a complete loss as to what camera shots to show, as the four guys in the booth seemed clueless to the word coordination. Without the saving grace of Bestwick and his crew, the broadcast would have been a total washout. It is this writer’s opinion, that the ‘Back seat drivers’ experiment was an all time low in NASCAR race telecast. Having been around NASCAR longer than TV coverage has, I rate this as the worst ever broadcast.
With all that said, I was really glad when I looked back at my notes to see that ESPN executives had stated before the MIS fiasco that this would be a one time only deal. Now we learn this week, that the format will return this Saturday at Atlanta Motor Speedway for NASCAR Nationwide Series, the Degree V12 300. This time I won’t ask you to tell me, NASCAR or ESPN what you think of the broadcast, I will simply advise you to get your radios tuned to PRN.
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