BumpDrafter

Dale Jr. Lone Hendrick Horse In First Gatorade Duel

2012-02-19T22:58:00.000-05:00

Of and on, during the Budweiser Shootout Saturday night and during Daytona 500 qualifying, you could hear announcers and commentators talk about how the racing for this years 500 will be different: a combination of pack and tandem racing. Many have suggested that the change could benefit some of the more traditional restrictor plate racers, such as Dale Earnhardt Jr. who had much early career success at restrictor plate tracks.

Junior may be glad to see the change for Sunday's race, but he is likely to be relieved with the change going into Thursday's duel qualifying. Out of the four Hendrick Motorsports cars preparing for the Daytona 500, Earnhardt Jr. is the only one that will be in the early qualifying race. As the duel lineups are set by qualifying, odds in the early race and evens in the late race, Earnhardt entered the early lineup with a 3rd place qualifying effort. The other Hendrick cars, Gordon 6th, Johnson 12th, and Hendrick newcomer Kahne 24th, will all be in the later duel.

One other plus this year is that Junior qualified so well. Although Earnhardt Jr has qualified well for the Daytona 500 before (he has one pole), the stout showing by the teams with Ford engines had most people feeling as though the Fords had the pole locked up. Apparently, the changing winds that had been pushing the cars around all afternoon worked somewhat to Earnhardt's advantage, because coming through turn 3 and 4 he began to pick up steam and rose from 5th to almost 2nd on the speed tracker. Also I am sure Earnhardts knowledge and experience at the track helped him find a little speed.

Whether Earnhardt Jr wins the Daytona 500 or another more traditional pack racer like Gordon, it is safe to say that after the showing on Saturday night that the product of NASCAR's changes will be a wild finish. No doubt there will be pack racing, and like it or leave it there will be small bursts of tandem racing. I guess its a little of each and a whole lot of speed. If you don't love Daytona, you don't love racing.

Which Way To Daytona??

2012-02-12T20:39:00.000-05:00

Do you remember a certain Daytona 500 moment as your favorite? Many people point towards such legendary moments as the fight in the grass, Dale Earnhardt's win in '98, and Darrell Waltrip's 500 win as some of their most memorable moments in the sport. My personal Daytona 500 memory that spurred me from just a fan to a fanatic was the 1997 Daytona 500 finish. No, not because of the 1-2-3 Hendrick Motorsports finish with Jeff Gordon winning. At that time I couldn't stand the 24. I loved that ending because after the big wreck that took Dale Earnhardt out of contention, sending him down the racetrack on his hood, he still had the grit to get back in the car and drive it to the finish line.

The Daytona 500 is a true roller coaster of emotions for everyone from fan to tire changer to driver. You look forward to the race for weeks, have the build up of speedweeks, and by the time the race is over you have either dug your nails into the La-Z-Boy, yelled at the television, or totally ran your spouse out of the room. It is a drug that we cannot do without but so long, and I need a fix.

The 2012 Daytona 500 is even more anticipated due to several reasons. For one, we have just come off the closest points finish in NASCAR history which ended a crazy 2011 Chase to the Cup. We are all eager to see who comes out fast, who sputters, and who downright flops. Second, with the late Superbowl date this year, the beginning of the NASCAR season is a week late. I know, most of you did not know we had any two sport stars driving this year, but apparently NASCAR drivers are among the few in the United States that can still afford an NFL ticket, so their presence, and money, was needed elsewhere.

For blogger, opinion-givers, Monday morning crew chiefs, and the rest, there is only so much prognosticating one can do for 3 months. I have heard enough, and written enough (read for yourself), about Kurt Busch changing teams, all the crew chief swaps, and whether or not Dale Jr will win this year. Lets see some green flags already! Now don't get me wrong! I am a NASCAR fan and as such love to make my opinion known, and will probably not slow down in doing so. But I am more than eager to be glued to the television or standing in my seat at a racetrack.

So as you prepare for the coming week or so of speeding cars, NASCAR rule changes, grumbling about restrictor plates and the rest, just think back over the past two months and be glad that finally, yes finally, it is time for some racing!

Is Dale Earnhardt Jr. Getting Too Old To Compete?

2012-02-02T00:32:00.000-05:00

Ok, it is just over 3 weeks to Daytona. The NASCAR season is about to begin. The front stretch of Daytona International Speedway is cooling down from the 24 hours of racing last weekend at the Rolex 24. It will not be long until Speedweeks arrives, Dale Earnhardt Jr. does well in either Daytona 500 qualifying, the Gatorade qualifying races or both and Junior haters will begin saying he is overrated, incapable, in over his head or any number of other detractions.

I never have understood why people so fervently hate Dale Earnhardt Jr. I know he has a ton of fans that can, admittedly, become obnoxious at times. I know he has had a ton of coverage and will continue to do so. But just what is it that makes their blood boil?

I am sure a large part of the anger is the TV, print, and internet coverage he gets. Let’s admit it: programs get more views, articles get more reads, and blogs get more clicks when the name Dale Earnhardt Jr. comes into play. But do the Jr. haters think their driver deserves more attention? Perhaps! However, when asked, most of them will not tell you who their favorite driver is. Odd.

One of the main things Jr. haters throw out is that Dale Earnhardt Jr. isn’t getting any younger. I have even seen this little thought grace the lines on ESPN, NASCAR.com, and many other blogs. So just how hold is he and is he past his prime, which the Jr. hater would say never came?

Dale Earnhardt Jr. was born October 10, 1974. Entering the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup season he will be a ripe old 37. He has no Sprint Cup Championships and 18 Sprint Cup wins to show for 12 years of full time Sprint Cup racing. Will he amass a huge sum of wins? Can he win a championship or more than one? Or is he just a few years away from climbing from the car, grabbing hold to his walker, and hobbling off into the sunset?

Well, let’s compare Dale Jr. to some great racers from the past. I know most people, especially Jr. haters, will compare him to his father. Comparing someone to the best is interesting, but not always sensible. Let’s see how Dale Earnhardt Jr. compares to some other drivers, such as Dale Jarrett and Cale Yarborough.

I know that many fans would not consider Jarrett one of the greatest, but he is a past champion and had 32 Cup wins. Earnhardt Jr. is entering his 13^th year in Cup and has 18 wins and 0 championships. Entering his 13^th season, Jarrett also had 18 wins and 0 championships. No, Dale Jarrett was not 37. Indeed, he was 42.

So just how did Jarrett fare in the 5 years after? Well, he had 13 wins and 1 championship, with an average season finish of 9^th.

Cale Yarborough is widely thought of as one of the toughest NASCAR drivers ever. It is often said that he could manhandle any car in any situation. It is no shock then that he was able to have success in his later years. Yarborough raced in 284 races winning 31 times over a 18 year period before winning his first championship at the age of 37. Yarborough went on to win 40 times, 3 consecutive championships, and had an average points finish of 2^nd over the next 5 years.

No, don’t blast me yet. I am not saying that Earnhardt Jr. is on the edge of a run like Yarborough had. Nor do I think he is as tough. But the simple fact is that 37 is not entirely that old in NASCAR.

Yes, there have been huge gains by young drivers over the past 15 years or so. But handfuls of wins aside, Sprint Cup Championships don’t tend to be won by the “Young Guns”. For example, there has not been a Champion younger than 25 since Jeff Gordon did it at 23 in 1995. On top of that, it has only been done that one time since Bill Rexford did it at 23 in NASCAR’s second year, 1950 (which was, by the way, more impressive since he did not race in 2 of the 19 races.) There have only been 11 champions under the age of 30 since NASCAR’s inception 63 seasons ago, most recently Kurt Busch in 2004.

One other number: the average age of the Sprint Cup Champion over the last 10 years is 32.

No, Earnhardt Jr is not too old to win. No, he is not too old to win the championship. Debate his skills. Hate the attention he gets. Say he is the worst driver in the garage (stretching it quite a bit). But he is not too old. Let me know when he starts growing the beard solely to produce hair plugs, or his prostate will only allow him to run 200 mile races. Then we can talk.

NASCAR: State Of The Vvrroomin

2012-01-26T23:02:00.001-05:00

After watching the State Of The Union address last night on TV, I began to wonder just how the state of NASCAR was. No, I am not going to wax political and tell you all of my personal political beliefs, although, yes, I do have them. But I just want to take a look at just how well NASCAR is doing, especially in comparison with the past few years.

Unlike in Washington where goal posts move one way or the other depending on which party is in power, lets have some clear issues that we are comparing. First, how is NASCAR doing in popularity and following. Second, how is NASCAR fairing in competition and in having a level playing field. And third, how is NASCAR preparing for future seasons.

As many sports and sports venues have experienced the recession after 2008, attendance had been seriously slowed. Part of this has been combated by the lowering of ticket prices at some of NASCAR's tracks, and attendance has somewhat recovered do to that along with a slow recovery in the economy. NASCAR's TV ratings have also slowly been rising over the past few years, a trend that should continue over the next year after such a close points battle in 2011.

One area to look at to see if NASCAR's popularity is strong is advertising, both TV spots and sponsorship money. Over the past few years we have seen cars with empty spaces on them indicating just how deeply the recession has affected NASCAR's ability to round up sponsorship money. Gladly, although sponsorship is still tough to get, I believe we may have seen a "bottom". EGR, fresh off a thoroughly disappointing season, just reported they have no primary sponsorship opportunities available for 2012. For a second tier team that just underperformed the heck out of 2012, that is solid. Yes, there are teams looking for sponsorship, but there always will be, however, the loud stampede of sponsors running away from teams due to tight budgets has definitely quieted.

Parity is one area where there was a definite gain for NASCAR in the 2011 season. The Sprint Cup Series had 17 winners in 2011, four more than in 2010. There were also 5 first time winners. Another snapshot is how many wins came from teams with only one or two cars, this gives you an idea how level the playing field really is. In 2011, 14 of 36 races were one by teams with only one or two teams. Also, mostly due to NASCAR's revision of who can compete for the Nationwide Championship, there were 15 different winners in the Nationwide Series, including 5 drivers that were not Cup Series competitors.

On top of the season-long statistics being compared to prior years, one simply has to look at the 2011 points battle that came down to the last lap of the last race. Not only were the top two battling within a couple points of each other for most of the race, but they came to the finish in the top two positions. Ending the 2011 season with a Champion being congratulated after a tie-breaker rule was implemented is the largest reason that the 2012 season could be the most watched, most anticipated, and hardest fought season in recent years.

Finally, NASCAR's future was something that was somewhat in question several years ago. I doubt anyone thought that NASCAR would dwindle away, but many doubted that they would continue to rise in market share and battle with the NFL for the most watched sport in the USA. Although many of us have not liked all of the changes that NASCAR and Brian France have made over the past 10 years, not to mention those of you stuck in the '80's, we have to admit that even though most hated the look of the COT, didn't understand the Chase any better than its points system predecessor, and we absolutely dreaded a 6th Johnson championship in a row, all NASCAR fans must admit that the points system changes for 2012 and the new rule on racing in multiple series were great changes for 2012. No, they are not perfect! But they did produce a great season.

Changes NASCAR has on the horizon could make things very interesting. The new car changes for the 2013 season may even make the traditionalists happy. The ability NASCAR has given the auto makers to build car designs that more closely mimic their street cars may actually bring NASCAR closer to "stock car auto racing." Now lets not get to excited: the shape will be about the only thing that resembles a street car. I seriously doubt that NASCAR will make owners install airbags, reach a certain fuel economy, or even make every driver have a wife in the passenger seat berating them for their poor driving. That would be stock car. But any change that more closely marries the sport to its history cannot be a bad thing. I mean, short of moonshine...

Prediction Time In NASCAR Country

2012-01-18T23:42:00.000-05:00

Every year NASCAR fans have a quick change of mood. It happens shortly after the final lap of the Homestead race. They may be walking from the track to find their car or they may be getting up from watching the race to eat a Sunday supper. Either way, NASCAR fans quickly move their thoughts from the great racing they have just seen to the long, cold offseason that is squarely in front of them.

Sure they can watch some NFL, get ready for NCAA bowl season, or try to remember for whom they have to buy Christmas presents. Not good enough. At least not for me, was it for you?

So here we are. We have made it through just over half of the offseason. The cars have now been back to the track and our appetites have been stirred by the speeds over 200 mph and the pack racing, flying around Daytona International Speedway. Its time to ponder over who will win this year, both the Daytona 500 and the Sprint Cup Championship.

First, this years Daytona 500 will definitely be a wild one. With NASCAR doing everything in their power to bring back pack racing, their will be huge packs running up until the final laps. Remember, these drivers have not raced in a large pack in the past several plate races. Be prepared to see some carnage. However, most drivers predict that the final laps of this years race will still be decided by tandem racing, linked up to sprint across the finish line.

With that said, a wise prediction to win this years 500 would be a driver that has done well with tandem racing and is also good at pack racing. To further decide, you have to assume that without having raced in packs in a bit, the give and take leading up to the final laps will be mostly take. Therefore, I would think that the winner would need to be someone who likes to stay up front in the pack, not lay back.

The first few names that come to mind that fit this description are Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, and Ryan Newman. Now, I should include that it is never wise to write off a Hendrick or Roush driver, but given the situation, I think these guys are well suited for the 2012 Daytona 500. Which would I choose? I think due to RCR's plate program and Harvick's ability on plate tracks he is one to watch, but I'll call it for Denny Hamlin. Hamlin has shown a great ability to hook up and quickly pull away in a two car draft, which is what will be needed with a lap or so to go.

So, with the Daytona 500 decided (tongue in cheek) lets turn our attention to the Sprint Cup Championship. I will go ahead and write off Stewart, Johnson, and of course Kurt Busch. Sorry guys. I cannot, however, overlook Jeff Gordon, Carl Edwards, Kevin Harvick, Brad Keselowski, and Matt Kenseth. Each of these drivers showed promise in 2011 in one way or the other.

Harvick and Edwards have competed vigorously the past few years for the Cup, both coming up short. Edwards had 5 finished in the top 3 in the 2011 Chase. Had he converted just one of those to a win, no tie breaker would have been needed. Harvick, on the other hand, has been a threat to win the Championship for the past few years, but he has not won a Chase race since 2006. Will either of these drivers win the Cup? I don't think so, not this year.

Keselowski, after coming on strong to start the 2011 Chase, will be working with a new teammate and although he will win several races, I don't believe he will reproduce last years Chase for Roger Penske. That judgement is less a negative one for Keselowski than one for Penske's ability to give the 2 car what it needs to win the Championship.

Although I do like Kenseth's chances heading into the new season after a strong showing in 2011, I don't believe he is likely to put together the 10 races he will need for the Chase. In the 2011 Chase it seemed that coming to the end he had more trouble as his team tried harder to propel him higher in the standings.

Yes, I am picking Jeff Gordon to match 5 time with 5 Sprint Cup Championships. After his first year with crew chief Alan Gustafson resulting in 3 wins, all of which at intermediate sized tracks (two flat), be prepared to see Gordon rediscover his strength at short tracks and plate tracks. I don't anticipate another 10 win season for Gordon, but his working relationship with Gustafson could well be his final driver/crew chief pairing, and it will be a good one.

So there are my two stabs in the dark while waiting on the 2012 season to begin. What are your predictions?

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Following Bumpdrafter On Facebook And Twitter?

2012-01-09T20:33:00.000-05:00

While you are getting ready for the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Season, be sure to like the Bumpdrafter page on Facebook and follow the_Bumpdrafter on Twitter to recieve preseason news and news and opinion throughout the year!

Can Kyle Busch Focus?

2011-12-28T23:00:00.000-05:00

Over the last 10 years, no drivers have been compared to the late Dale Earnhardt more than Kyle Busch with exception of Dale Jr. and possibly Tony Stewart. Kyle Busch has been known for his smirky grins, his dented front bumper, and his ability to let his temper both push him to win and at times push him to be called on the carpet by NASCAR. There is probably no closer copy of Dale Earnhardt's early years in NASCAR.

Long before the black #3 had millions of fans and won 6 championships in 9 years, Dale Earnhardt drove a pink #2 followed by the yellow #3 Wrangler car. Those cars and Earnhardt's long hair and bushy mustache were synonymous with on-track beating and banging. Yes Earnhardt won the championship in 1980, his second year, but he did not produce consistent domination until he developed his ability for long term focus.

There is no worker in the garage, fan in the stands, or commentator on Sunday afternoons that doubts Kyle Busch's ability for short term focus. Every driver in NASCAR knows exactly how far Busch will go if he ends up on their rear bumper with 10 to go. But what Kyle Busch has lacked is the ability turn winning races into winning Sprint Cups.

Part of what has been in Kyle's way of winning Cups is the fact that the season is long. Thirty years ago when Dale Earnhardt was wrecking Waltrip and Labonte the season was 29 or 30 races long. Today Busch is driving in 36 Sprint Cup races per season. That is, when he can control himself. Sure that is only 6 more races, you may say, but that is a month and a half more of a season. Multiply on top of that the fact that Busch has been racing Nationwide races and truck series races and managing his own truck series team. No wonder that by mid October he may not remember exactly where NASCAR's line is. I'm sure they are more than happy to point it out for him when needed.

Some of that packed schedule may be thinned for the 2012 season. Word out this week is that Busch will possibly run a small Nationwide schedule with little to no truck series races. Although Busch would rather be behind the wheel than anywhere else, perhaps given some time to sit and watch could do him good, especially as the season progresses.

In the past 4 years Kyle Busch has had one of the best winning totals in NASCAR, 19 wins, just two behind Jimmie Johnson. However, in those years when he should have contended and possibly won championships, Busch had zero wins in the final 12 races of the year. Actually, Kyle Busch has only one Chase win in his career and that was in 2005. Also, in 2008 when Busch dominated victory lane with 8 wins, he had no wins in the final 14 races. All of the 8 wins came in the first 22 races. Yes, 8 out of 22 is domination, but 0 for 14 allows championships to slip away, especially in the Chase format.

Will a thinning of his itinerary and a tight grip on the reigns by Joe and J.D. Gibbs propel Busch to contend and perhaps win the championship in 2012 or beyond? Time will tell, but I don't foresee him wrecking any cars under caution or spinning any unmanned cars on pit road during the 2012 season. That, of course, doesn't mean he can't "rattle their cage" every now and then...

The Best New Driver/Crew Chief Pairing In 2012?

2011-12-26T22:21:00.002-05:00

The 2011 Silly Season has been quite a busy one. Usually there are drivers sliding from this team to that so fast you can hardly keep up. While that has not quite been the case this year, there have been a multitude of crew chief changes for drivers that struggled in 2011, and in a couple cases for drivers that did not struggle.

In 2011 there were several new driver/crew chief combinations, most of them were in the Hendrick Motorsports garage. It was definitely interesting to watch which new combination would win and how each of them would deal with problems that arose. Although the Gordon/Gustafson combination would top most lists, the Earnhardt/Letarte duo definitely did better than most assumed they would.

In 2012 there will be no less than 11 new driver/crew chief combinations starting in February at the Daytona 500. There will be at least 3 or 4 of these new combos that will visit victory lane, and no doubt 3 or 4 of them will make the Chase. Will there be any surprises? Will any of the new teams gel quickly and become the next Jimmie and Chad or Jeff and Ray? Well that may be a long shot, but below I have listed the best three of these new combinations along with how they will impress in 2012.

1. Hamlin / Grubb- The #11 FedEx Toyota will begin the year with a driver that faded last year after his dominant run in 2010, and a crew chief with something to prove after being let go a couple weeks after winning the Sprint Cup Championship. Will Hamlin/Grubb win a race? Without a doubt. Grubb has never had a season without a win, and Hamlin has never had a full season without a win. Make the Chase? Of course. Hamlin has never finished outside the top 12 in a full season and Grubb has never finished outside the top 15. Given Hamlin's ability to put a great Chase run together as he did in 2010, combined with Grubb's recent success at Chase race domination, be prepared for a strong charge in the final races of 2012 by Denny Hamlin.

2. Harvick / Wilson- After the 2011 season, Shane Wilson has been moved over from the #33, formerly driven by Clint Bowyer. Although Harvick and last year's crew chief, Todd Berrier, had some great success, including becoming the "Closer" and having a great run in the 2010 Chase to challenge for the Sprint Cup Championship, RCR has elected to move Wilson to the #29 for 2012. Wilson will be working with many of the same people, so all that will change from last year will be the driver, and moving from Bowyer to Harvick is a step up. Shane Wilson only has 2 Sprint Cup wins, but he does have 14 Nationwide wins, 13 of which were driven by, you guessed it, Kevin Harvick. With the same crew, same garage, and having already won together, it won't take long for these two to develop the chemistry needed to compete. Oh, and 7 of those Nationwide wins the two had were at Chase tracks.

3. Stewart / Addington- After almost every championship win, the winning team changes a little. Very few championship teams have been able to field the exact same team in February. However, that particular type of change has not happened to a championship team since owner Billy Hagan replaced Dale Inman, arguably the greatest crew chief ever, with Steve Hmiel for driver Terry Labonte after winning the 1984 championship. I could not find the details about how Inman left the position open, someone older than I will have to answer that one. What I do know is that Labonte did not repeat his success of 1984. Don't get me wrong, Hmiel was no slouch, but changing the crew chief is no small change. With that said, Stewart has proven he has plenty of drive left, and after coming up short with Kyle Busch and Kurt Busch, Addington is sure to have something to prove. Addington has a knack for pulling a rabbit out of his hat and Stewart has more determination that most drivers, so look for these two to get at least a couple of wins and a Chase appearance.

With all of these changes, and more changes to come, February will be a busy time in both North Carolina and Daytona. Will any of the new duos become the next super team? Who knows. Either way 2012 is coming soon, and all of these teams are definitely working to make this season a wild one.

A Relaxed 2012 For Earnhardt Jr.?

2011-12-12T23:01:00.000-05:00

After finishing a season inside the top 10 in points for the first time at Hendrick Motorsports, and the first time since 2006, Dale Earnhardt Jr. could be poised for a much more relaxed start to the Sprint Cup season. He did not win in 2011, nor did he blow any doors off, but he did finish better more consistently than he has in a while, and his cohesion with crew chief Steve Letarte seems to be getting stronger going into the off-season.

It has been quite a while since Earnhardt Jr. entered a season without a ton of questions surrounding him or his team. Since he joined Hendrick Motorsports in 2008, he has entered Daytona either with a new crew chief, a new team, or lingering issues from the previous season. In his last 3 season openers while at DEI, Junior either had a new crew chief or a looming showdown with his stepmother over his contract to look forward to.

The last year Dale Jr. flew down to Daytona with a clear mind and a relaxed right foot was 2004. He had crew chief, and uncle, Tony Eury Sr. and had little question about his ability to win. In that season he went on to win 6 times and contended for the championship until late in the Chase.

No. Calm down. I am not saying Earnhardt Jr. will win 6 races in 2012, but I do think he will win one or two. If Letarte spends as much time reviewing notes and preparing setups as I think he will in the off-season, the 88 team could be in for a definite improvement on 2011.

The question for Junior, as it has been in most of his seasons, comes in the summer races. Earnhardt seems to always get bogged down from Sonoma to Richmond. In the past that has led to missing the Chase or entering the Chase with absolutely no momentum whatsoever. If the 88 team is going to be in a position to contend in the Chase, they must enter the Chase with a head full of steam.

A definite stepping stone for “team Earntarte” going into 2012 is his improvement at tracks like Pocono, Kansas, and Martinsville. At the 6 races at those tracks in 2011 he had an average finish of 6.7. Granted, Earnhardt’s average finish at Martinsville is 13^th, but he definitely improved at Kansas and Pocono where his averages are 17.2 and 17.0, respectively.

Steady foot, clear head, budding driver/crew chief combination… How many more weeks??

Drivers, Crew Chiefs And Job Applications, Oh My!!

2011-12-07T23:13:00.001-05:00

Although there is generally a drop-off in the amount of NASCAR drama to comment on once the season has ended, the 2011-2012 off-season is proving to provide a wealth of material. Yes, the off-season is known as the end of "silly season" for a reason, but usually the drivers that are looking to secure a ride in November and December are coming from mid to lower tier teams.

This year the available driver pool is packed with 2 drivers from top tier teams, Kurt Busch from Penske and David Ragan from Roush Fenway, and 2 drivers from mid tier teams, Brian Vickers from Red Bull and David Reutimann from Michael Waltrip Racing. While each of these drivers carry there own issues, they all have won at the highest level of stock car racing and one of them is a former Sprint Cup Champion.

Not only has their been a heavy load of drivers coming on the "market" this fall, there are also a couple of winning crew chiefs available. After winning 5 of 10 Chase races and the 2011 Spring Cup Championship, Darian Grubb apparently was not quite achieving the level of success Tony Stewart was looking for, so he is now looking for a job. Also, after an up and down year, mostly down, Mike Ford, crew chief for Denny Hamlin, is now out of his seat at Joe Gibbs Racing.

Although a couple of the above have just exited their positions, two of them are rumored to be close to nailing down their next gig. David Ragan been supposedly putting on a full court press to land in the seat of the #22 Penske Racing Dodge vacated by Kurt Busch. Ragan had been under contract with Roush Fenway Racing through 2012, even though his #6 Ford was without sponsorship next season and was unlikely to run a full schedule. Ragan has now been released from his contract by RFR, but nothing concrete has been commented on by Penske Racing.

Darian Grubb, defending crew chief champion, has been said to be the leading candidate for the crew chief slot for the #11 FedEx Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing. Although he has less career wins than former crew chief Mike Ford, Grubb is coming off of his championship run with Tony Stewart, so if he and Hamlin can get up to speed quickly, they could be contenders come Chase time in 2012.

One unanswered question as of yet is, with three winning drivers left available, will any top tiered teams or mid tier teams add a car to their stable? It is not altogether likely that Vickers, Reutimann, or even Busch in his current state, could land a sponsor big enough to start a new car with a top team like JGR, RFR, Stewart Haas or RCR, but Vickers and especially Busch could definitely land a sponsor large enough for a car with Richard Petty Racing who had flirted with adding a car earlier in the year when all of the Danica craze was going on. Either way, there will be some new looking cars on the track come January at the Daytona test prior to speedweeks.

Where Will Busch Go?

2011-12-06T23:21:00.000-05:00

With all of the season ending craziness coming to an end, and after some time to hear from sponsors, Kurt Busch and Roger Penske decided to part ways. Kurt Busch will not drive a Penske Dodge next year, leaving the #22 Penzoil Dodge open for David Ragan or another driver looking for a ride.

But just where will Busch go?

Its not as if we didn't expect to be asking that question this off-season, except most of you probably expected it would be Kyle Busch looking for a job. However, after Kurt's tirade at the season ending race at Homestead, he will be looking for his third Sprint Cup ride.

Busch entered the Sprint Cup Series for 7 races in 2000 in the #97 Roush Ford. After winning a Sprint Cup Championship in 2004, Busch's relationships at Roush Fenway Racing became strained. He then exited after 2005 to drive for Roger Penske, taking over the driving responsibilities for the blue #2 from retiring driver, Rusty Wallace.

After 10 wins and many ups and downs, the aggravation felt by Busch finally came to a head in a tirade focust at Dr. Jerry Punch, TV racing commentator/analyst, simply for having to wait for the live feed for his interview.

Now that he is without a ride, Busch may find it difficult to find a job with a top tier team. All of the seats at Hendrick are currently filled. Although there is a seat open at Roush Fenway Racing, they are without a sponsor, and due to old issues that move would be highly unlikely. RCR has an open seat, but it is only open for part of the year, with Childress running his grandson, Austin Dillon, for a small schedule. That leaves JGR, SHR, and EGR.

Joe Gibbs has his hands full with the refitting of his three teams that did not have a good 2011, so they would be unlikely to add another possible headache. Stewart Haas is has a full time slot and a part time slot, but without a solid sponsor would likely shy away from starting a fourth team while they are preparing to run a limited schedule with Danica Patrick in 2012. And EGR, coming off one of their worst seasons as an organization, would have trouble getting another large sponsor without some recent success.

Start his own team or buy into a small organization? Race into obscurity with a "go or go home" team? I have no idea on this one. I can definitely guarantee one thing is certain: Kurt Busch could really use a Miller Lite about now.

Which Was The Best, And Worst, Owner In 2011?

2011-11-28T23:21:00.000-05:00

As the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season has drawn to a close, many people are focusing on which driver was best, or which team made the most improvements, but how do the owners, garages and operations as a whole rank?

1. Stewart Haas Racing- It should be a surprise to nobody that SHR was the best organization in 2011. At least not now that the season is over. SHR won the Championship, had 6 wins, had both drivers in the top 10 in points, and owner/driver dominated the victory lanes of the Chase races, winning 5 of 10. Of course, resting on your laurels gets you nowhere, so Tony Stewart has removed his crew chief Darian Grubb and has added Steve Addington, former crew chief of Kyle Busch and most recently Kurt Busch. Time will tell if Stewart has made a logical or an emotional choice with this change.

2. Roush Fenway Racing- Ahh, I'm sure owner Jack Roush and driver Carl Edwards are tired of seeing their name by the number 2, but so be it. RFR had 5 wins, 2 cars in the top 5 in points, finished runner up for the Championship, and their average points finish was 11th. Had Edwards grabbed a win from Stewart during the Chase, their offseason would have been much sweeter.

3. Hendrick Motorsports- I cannot remember back far enough to tell you how long it has been since Hendrick was not the top organization in NASCAR. Don't get me wrong, with both a 5 time and a 4 time Champ, HMS is not weak by any measurement. In 2011, HMS had 5 wins, 3 cars inside the top 10 in points, and averaged a points finish of just over 10th. One has to wonder just what changes are in store at HMS this offseason after the wholesale changes after the 2010 season.

4. Richard Childres Racing- Many people though that this organization would capture another Cup title in 2011 after Kevin Harvicks performance last year, backed up by his late-race charging wins this year. However, after Harvick stumbled a little early in the Chase and Bowyer, Menard and Burton missed the Chase, this group is looking to improve in 2012. RCR had 6 wins, 1 team in the top 5 in points, and had an average points finish of 13th.

5. Penske Racing- It seemed as though Penske may have regained some strenth in 2011. Although he proved inconsistent throughout the season, Kurt Busch had some dominating races early in the season, and teammate Brad Keselowski caught on fire, figuratively, of course, during the summer to surge into the Chase. Penske finished with 5 wins, both drivers inside the top 12, and an average finish of 8th in the points.

6. Joe Gibbs Racing- With Hamlin, "Shrub", and "Sliced Bread", many think this team is the most underproducing organization in NASCAR. They definitely have the talent, but with the 20 team of Logano growing cold, Hamlin struggling, and Busch holding it together only to come apart at the seams, JGR has much offseason work to do. JGR finished with 5 wins, 2 drivers in the top 12 in points, and average a points finish of 15th.

7. Richard Petty Racing- Many would have laughed if they had been told that RPM would have finished as well as they have in 2011. Although they are not dominating, Allmendinger finished strong in many races and Ambrose claimed RPM a win. The two averaged a finishing points position of 17th, and have much to build upon for next year. It is unlikely, however, that these two drivers can make it into the Chase without more consistent good finishes.

8. Team Red Bull- Although their existence is in doubt for the 2012 season, they were not the worst team in 2011, largely due to the performance of exiting driver Kasey Kahne. Had they only had Brian Vickers on track to hit as many cars as he could, they would not have had their 1 win and a car finishing inside the top 15 in points. The two teams averaged a final points position of 20th.

9. Michael Waltrip Racing- Already making big changes for 2012 by adding Clint Bowyer, removing Reutimann, and making other staff changes, MWR is need of improvement for next season. Not only did they not win any races, but had they not had some strong finished in the Chase they would have been mostly invisible for the season. MWR had one driver in the top 20 and averaged a final points position of 23rd.

10. Earnhardt Ganassi Racing- After last years performance at the premier races of Daytona and Indianapolis, few would have thought that EGR would have had such a dissapointing year in 2011. Both of the drivers are coming back next year, so look for changes to take place both in the pit box and in the garage if EGR hopes to improve in 2012. EGR had no drivers in the top 20 in points, and they averaged a final points position of 24th.

The obvious honorable mentions for this list would have to be for both Wood Brothers Racing and Furniture Row Racing. Trevor Bayne and Regan Smith snagged huge wins for these two small operations.

NASCAR's Christmas List

2011-11-24T22:49:00.001-05:00

As I am writing this post, millions of people are either getting their list ready for the most hectic day of shopping for the Christmas season, or sleeping in a tent on a sidewalk outside their favorite retailer. Each year people ready their buying lists to take care of family and friends to make the Holidays the best time of the year. But what would be on a list for NASCAR?

Well, here is the top 5 list of what I believe NASCAR needs to pick up at the stores this offseason to make 2012 a more "Jolly" occasion.

5. Some New Lanscaping- Probably the most embarrasing thing that happened this season for the sport was the ontrack revenge and later suspension of Kyle Busch. The driver of the Interstate Batteries/M&M's Toyota sat out a race, finished last in the Chase, and became the driver of the M&M free #18. Many people were actually thinking that Kyle Busch could have even lost his job, which he may if we don't see some "new" Busch's next year.

"Shrub" was not the only Busch to have problems in 2011. Older brother, and driver of the #22 Penske Dodge, Kurt Busch had radio tirades throughout the season and even had to appologize for a profanity packed rant at commentator Dr. Jerry Punch for having to wait for the live feed for an interview. All in all, NASCAR does have history of, and needs a fair amount of coarse personalities to keep the sport edgy, but embarrasment does nobody any good, including NASCAR.

4. A Big Screen TV- 2011 was a great year for competition and closeness in the points standings. It was not, however, a great year for viewership. Yes, the ratings were up for most of the races, but there were plenty of fans in the stands that were apparently dressed up like empty seats. For the first time in years there were large offerings of available seats for the August Bristol race. That never happens! Many of the tracks have figured out that they need to offer some low price/package deals to both help people be able to afford to visit the track and to draw them to some lower series races.

3. A DVR- Could we get a replay please?! The tightness of competition, plentiful storylines, and crazy on-track action in 2011 was amazing. Could NASCAR forsee that they would have the tightest championship ever when they came out with their new points system in January? Of course not! Are they pleased at how it came out? Please!! Brian France is in his office right now coming up with a fine for someone who may complain about the point system in the offseason.

2. A Car Splitter- Litterally... Something to split cars... Two cars actually. After completing their aero test at Daytona last week and coming up with some promising aero packages for next year's plate tracks, NASCAR needs something to work and break the two car tandems apart. Do some people like the Two Car Tango? Yes. But I fully believe they are limited to the two or three that only like it because they think it hurts Dale Earnhardt Jr. Just Kidding!

1. Some Bumper Sticker- Or better yet, how about they get a few full car wraps! NASCAR has lost sponsorship money each of the last few seasons. Of course this is understandable given the national and global economic settings, but NASCAR must keep sponsorship interest in order to keep competing for market share with the NFL and other sports markets.

Now I, of course, have a few NASCAR items on my own wish list, but those will come with another post. Happy Thanksgiving and may you be blessed with either patience or wisdom on Black Friday...

Was "Team Earntarte" A Success In 2011?

2011-11-23T00:17:00.001-05:00

Well, its the offseason now, no more getting ready for this weeks race or wondering what drama will come from last weeks race. Its the cold, lonely time between Homestead and Daytona. About the only things we can talk about regarding NASCAR is who did well this year and then who we think will do well next year. Its time for reflections and predictions.

With that in mind, I have to reflect on the 2011 season for one of the most talked about new driver/crew chief pairings made in the 2010 offseason, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Steve Letarte. As everyone remember, Steve Letarte was moved from the #24 team of Jeff Gordon to help refocus the quickly derailing Cup career of most popular driver, Dale Earnhardt Jr.

While the two began the season with much expected by some and little predicted by others, just how did the 2011 season stack up for Dale Earnhardt Jr.? Well, overall, there is much to be happy about. Junior seemed more capable, more communicative, and less unravelling for pretty much the whole season. His overall willingness to apply continued focus and work through problems helped the team have only 2 DNF's and finish 7th in the Chase, his best Chase finish since 2006, despite having no wins and only 4 top 5 finishes.

Another positive for the 2011 season is that on average, Junior had better finishes. His total average finishing position was 14.5, slightly better than his 16.8 career average. The total average for the season was weakend, however, by his turbulent late summer stretch and a decent Chase performance. In the first 15 races of the season he finished better than his average at 12 and had an average finish of 10.7.

Some of the negatives for this past season have to include the fact that he only led 2 laps during the Chase. In fact, Earnhardt Jr. led less laps this year than any season since he joined the series full time in 2001: just 52. "Team Earntarte" will definitely have to focus on this stat in the offseason to improve on the win column (still 0 for the duo despite two runner up finishes). Although the 88 car did seem a bit more racy this year and spent much more time inside the top 10 than last year, they have to lead more laps in order to have more opportunities to lead last laps.

Part of what I, all-knowing as I am, believe was one of the teams issues this year is that they did not often unload very fast, meaning they had to make many adjustments to get the car fast. In the early season this often did not finalize until late in the race, allowing Junior to push forward to snag a good finish. This is most evident in the fact that Junior had an average starting position this season of 19.6. Although Earnhardt Jr. has never been known for posting top 5 qualifying runs week after week, if the team can improve on this number by being better prepared prior to arriving at the track, the overall outcome for the weekend should get better.

I should say that I do not believe this is a particular downfall of Earnhardt Jr. or Letarte, but that it is a product of a newer driver/crew chief combination that needs time for the maturation of communication and knowledge of the driver's handling preference. This is somewhat shown in the difference in qualifying during the first half and second half of the season. In the first half, the 88 team average a starting spot of 21st and had bettered that average by 3 to 18th for the second half of the season.

I fully believe this team will be successful and will win and that success will come in the 2012 season. Surely "Team Earntarte" will not be satisfied with just 7th in the points when they left so much on the table this season. Knowing they finished better than Gordon and only 14 points behind Johnson should only push them to see just how much more success they can have in the coming season. I know all the "Jr Haters" will undoubtedly give me much grief for this post, but that is fine, I am sure there is plenty of server space at Blogger to accommodate all of your loving comments, just please keep it clean!

First Move For Stewart? A New Crew Chief.

2011-11-22T01:12:00.001-05:00

For NASCAR, the short offseason of mid-November to mid-February contains small bursts of relaxation separated by long hours of preparation for the coming season. Often there are changes to be made to improve a team's performance for the next year; sometimes they may be in organization, and sometimes in personnel.

All of this is nothing new. It is precisely the reason the last part of the NASCAR season is called "silly season". However, it usually holds true that the more success a team has they experience less change in the offseason. Not so with 2011 Sprint Cup Champion Tony Stewart and his #14 Stewart Haas Racing team.

As was rumored over the last week of the season, Stewart's Crew Chief, Darian Grubb, will be working elsewhere in 2012. Grubb, who has 14 wins as a Crew Chief, 11 with Stewart. Was reportedly told entering the Chase that his contract would not be renewed. Then he helped Stewart win his third championship and his first as an owner.

Two sentiments come to mind. Respect and wonder. I thoroughly respect Grubb for not letting up. Many Crew Chiefs may have put it in cruise control and finished the Chase searching for employment, but not Grubb. And I wonder just what he did to make Stewart so dead-set on replacing him.

Can Stewart replace Grubb with a talented crew chief? No doubt. He is rumored to be attempting to get Greg Zipadelli and Steve Addington away from Joe Gibbs Racing, where he drove for two championships with Zippy as his crew chief.

Even if he gets those two as a director of competition / crew chief combo, the kind of consistency and team cohesion a team needs to win a championship doesn't happen overnight. Will be win? Yes. Will he repeat? I highly doubt it.

Tony's Tiebreaker

2011-11-20T20:47:00.000-05:00

The close of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Season comes to an end with a bang. I for one have never been a big fan of Homestead Miami Speedway, but the 2001 season finale left nothing to be desired. The points battle entering the race was a mere 3 points and the top two drivers in the standings finish 1-2. To make it more amazing, the points standing actually ended tied, with a tiebreaker giving the 2011 Sprint Cup Championship to Tony Stewart based on the most wins in the season (Stewart had 5 wins and Edwards 1).

But even more amazing than how tight the season actually finished are the many stories included in how they reached the final laps of the Ford 400. Stewart entered the Chase as an unlikely contender who had struggled throughout the summer and had no wins. Edwards entered as the points leader who had one win and was not dominant, but highly consistent with top 5 finishes.

Although Edwards had no wins in the Chase, in fact, he had no wins since March at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, he seemed flawless with an average finish of 4.9 for the Chase races, even finishing with three straight runner-up finishes. However, Stewart proved to much, overcoming his own Chase average finish of 6.3 with 5 wins, 3 of which came in the last 4 races, to win his 3rd NASCAR Sprint Cup Champtionship.

The last race itself was full of drama, seemingly start to finish, with Stewart having to restart 40th just a few laps in, as he sustained some early damage to his car. He made his way to the front quickly, however, often threading the needle and even going 4 wide at times to make up the positions on his competitor, Edwards. In the end, with all of the fuel mileage out the window, Edwards simply could not catch Stewart and became the closest second place Cup finisher in NASCAR history.

With the new points system put into place this year focused on both tightening the standings and placing more emphasis on winning, NASCAR has to feel the 2011 season has been a success. The 3 point gap heading into Homestead is not mind blowing of when you extrapolate that that would be equal to about 10-11 points in the old system, but NASCAR has never had to rely on the tiebreaker to settle the series championship.

Congratulations to NASCAR, Tony Stewart, and even Carl Edwards. Anyone know how many days until the Daytona 500??

NASCAR Goes Back To The Drawing Board

2011-11-18T08:37:00.000-05:00

Earlier this week, NASCAR conducted an aerodynamic test at Daytona International Speedway to attempt to overcome the "Two Car Tango" that has made itself so prevalent at the two restrictor plate tracks of Daytona and Talladega. NASCAR's appetite for the two car drafting style finally ran out when the style produces one of the most boring races in recent restrictor plate history.

Prior to the Talladega race, NASCAR came out with changes to the allowed pressure on the cooling system and a small increase to the restrictor plate. Those changes produced... well... nothing different. The cars were still able to stay linked together into two car drafts and the increase in plate size did not produce any real increase in single-car speed. After their small changes did nothing to change the drafting dynamic at Talladega, NASCAR planned the aero test with a hand full of Cup Series teams.

NASCAR fielded the test with Cup drivers Dale Earnhardt Jr., Aric Almirola, David Ragan, Marcos Ambrose, Joey Logano, Martin Truex Jr., and Joe Nemechek. The test included using various packages of larger restrictor plates and smaller rear spoilers in the attempt to make both a higher individual speed and a less rear downforce to make the two car drafting less needed and less comfortable for the driver.

The speeds during the test have reached well over 200 mph, which is nothing new for the two car draft, but these speeds were reached by individual cars. In the past, NASCAR has been adamant that cars would be kept below 200 mph in the interest of safety, so apparently they are considering relaxing that standard. A change would make more sense now since NASCAR has plenty of empirical evidence over the past 10 years that the changes to walls, head restraints, and car design have produced less injury to drivers in severe wrecks.

Some of the drivers in the test seemed more impressed that NASCAR has taken this step in improving the restrictor plate competition than the results that the test produced. NASCAR has made many changes to plate sizes, rear spoiler size, and other aspects of the car over the years, but rarely have they asked for driver imput, especially in trying out different packages to make sure that the end product is desireable.

Whether the two car tandems will be gone at the January test or just uncomfortable enough to last for a half lap, NASCAR has finally showed that they have no more desire to see the team racing of the past year's plate races. I am sure the "team orders" and laying back have helped them in their decision, but either way, I for one am glad to see NASCAR ushering the racing style off the track.

NASCAR's Burning Busch...

2011-11-09T23:01:00.001-05:00

As everyone who follows NASCAR knows, this past weekend NASCAR "benched" Kyle Busch, driver of the Joe Gibbs Racing number 18 M&M's Toyota, not only for the Nationwide Series race on Saturday, but also for the Sprint Cup Series race on Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway. After spinning Truck Series driver and championship contender Ron Hornaday during a caution flag lap, Busch was called onto the carpet by NASCAR for what may be the worst penalty of his career. May be...

I say that because NASCAR has made it clear to great drivers in the past and no doubt has made it clear to Mr. Busch now that NASCAR races will continue whether he is in a car or not. Past greats such as Rusty Wallace and Darrell Waltrip have made comments in the past that they have been cut down to size by NASCAR as well, so the sentiment is not new, but one has to wonder just how Kyle Busch will receive it. Will Busch continue to burn out of control or will the fire be put out? Hopefully for Kyle Busch and JGR it will be somewhere in the middle.

This season supposedly brought out the "new and improved" Kyle Busch after JGR had to reassure sponsors last year that Busch would play by rules and be a good face for their brands. The new calmer and less "Rowdy" Busch, who most of the year looked as though he had gained a few pounds after his off-season marriage, won less races during the 2011 season but seemed poised to make a serious run for the Sprint Cup as he entered the Chase. No doubt the let down of another Cup slipping away from his grasp fanned the flame in his Toyota Tundra last Friday night.

Another question is what assurance can Joe and JD Gibbs give their #18 sponsors heading into the 2012 season that this will not occur again? Will any of their sponsors look elsewhere to spend their money? Only time will tell. I am sure that if Busch begins to stack up wins again that the sponsors will be happy to ride along, no matter how bumpy the road.

It may well be a good idea for JGR to seek sponsorship money for the #18 from UFC, WWE, or perhaps having him do some public awareness ads showing him teaching police officers how to properly spin cars out with the PIT maneuver. Give him a black paint job, buy the #13 for him, and embrace the image. Or better yet, buy him the #2 and paint the car pink. To much, Earnhardt fans? Don't tar and feather me, I am one of you.

The simple fact is that a "Rowdy" Busch is good for NASCAR. Does NASCAR need Kyle Busch, no more than they need in-car cameras or double-file restarts. But they sure make the races more interesting.

The Musical Chairs Of NASCAR

2011-11-01T23:16:00.000-04:00

Every year, as the NASCAR season winds down, the Sprint Cup "silly season" begins to heat up again. Most of the larger named drivers and teams try to have moves and plans nailed down by late summer at the latest, but most of the smaller teams have to make quick adjustments for the coming season late in the year.

This year is, of course, no different. Most of us followed the signings of Carl Edwards and Danica Patrick as the larger ships to fall this year, but many questions are unanswered for several drivers heading into the offseason.

With the anticipated closing or reconfiguration at Red Bull Racing, Brian Vickers is currently awaiting come concrete plans for next year. As Vickers' teammate, Kasey Kahne, is moving to the 5 car at Hendrick Motorsports, much curiousity has been given to what plans would Mark Martin have for 2012. Now, with sources saying that Martin will be driving part time in the 00 for Michael Waltrip Racing, everyone is scrambling to see where David Reutimann will be driving.

The two current big question marks are Reutimann and David Ragan. Roush Fenway Racing is currently saying that they are anticipating running 3 teams next year with the #6 running a partial schedule. With that change, Reutimann and Ragan, both race winners, could be a great grab for some of the smaller NASCAR Teams.

As interesting as it is to see who is up for grabs, the possibilities of what seats may or may not come to fruition is astounding. There with full time rides dropping at RFR, MWR, and probably at RCR with Bowyer leaving, some of the mid-tier two car teams may decide to add a seat to take advantage of a possible opening in the top 35.

Richard Petty Motorsports has already voiced interest in the possibility of adding a 3rd team to their stable of Allmendinger and Ambrose. Of course, they were toying with the possibility of an available Danica Patrick or Mark Martin at the time. Also, Chip Ganassi may see an advantage to adding a car to his EGR stable as may Roger Penske with Penske Racing.

The fact is, there is a probability that going into the 2012 Sprint Cup season there will only be one 4 car team: Hendrick Motorsports. The key reason for this is, of course, the lack of large sponsorship dollars needed to pay for a top tier team. Will fields drop below 43, I doubt it, but there may well be a couple more start and park teams.

Dale Jr. A Villain? Yes, Please!

2011-10-30T20:51:00.003-04:00

During Sunday's Sprint Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway, Dale Earnhardt Jr. did all he could to win friends and influence people. He rubbed a lot of elbows...well, fenders. Yet several racers, like Carl Edwards and Denny Hamlin, had sour words to say about him on their in-car radios.

Of course I am being sarcastic. Junior ruffled many feathers, but at least he did so with a smile!

For a few years now, well, at least since he has been at Hendrick Motorsports, he has been more "prim and proper." Rarely looking scruffy, cleaning up his off-track persona, and being more even-handed on the track became a way of life with his new team. I was not a fan of Dale Jr.'s changes initially, but Hendrick Motorsports has grown on this NASCAR fan that began as a #3 fanatic.

Many of Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s fans have screamed for years that he needed to be more aggressive, and less polished. Although Dale Jr. has never been huge on using his front bumper and has always wanted to win "the right way," he has definitely been sure to repay any rough driving with swift retribution.

On Sunday, Dale Jr. said on the radio that he would like it if NASCAR had more short track races but that if they did he might become a "villain." He added "I'm getting kind of a reputation." Well, I am sure JR Nation would be glad to see it. Most of his reputation on Sunday came from not only his use of his fenders but also for his aggressive entrance to the corners on the outside. He made some drivers a bit edgy, as Hamlin said on his radio that "the 88 is all over the place."

Hmm, made drivers edgy. Used his front bumper. Drove aggressively. Who does that remind you of....?

For the most part, Junior's driving at Martinsville was due to the fact that he had a very fast car and knew it. Although many people would add that he may have had a better finish if he had been more conservative early, few could argue that driver 88 didn't enjoy driving this Sunday.

The question is how can Letarte and Hendrick get Dale Jr. to be that aggressive every week. He has had fast cars at other tracks, but it's the knowing part that comes up short. He has not had as much confidence in the setups and chassis since his slide this summer. If he and Letarte can continue with their confidence building the next three races, the 88 crew could start off 2012 with a head of steam.

Returning To Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s Strength, Not Plate Tracks, Short Tracks!

2011-10-27T11:23:00.002-04:00

With last weeks disappointing 25th finish at Talladega, many Dale Jr. fans were left with not much hope for the end of the season. They began their work week grumbling about NASCAR, Team Orders, Tandem (Two Car) racing, and dadgum "laying back." Well, maybe I'm speaking mostly for myself, but from the replies I received from my last post I don't think I am alone.

Most Dale Earnhardt Jr. fans, and other NASCAR fans in general, don't like to see their driver falling to the back to simply ride around till the finish. We want to see white knuckle racing, passing on the outside, and threading of needles. We have a dry, bitter taste in our mouth that is the residue of two-car racing and we are hoping for something to wash that flavor away.

Well, help may be here. This week NASCAR returns to Martinsville Speedway and although many people equate Dale Earnhardt Jr. with the restrictor plate tracks of Daytona and Talladega, where he has 7 wins, his real strength is on a much shorter circuit. Yes, although he only has 4 wins at the sport's 3 short tracks, they are 3 of his 5 best tracks for average finish; and the other two are the intermediate tracks of Atlanta and Texas.

Dale Earnhardt's top 5 tracks (in average finish) are 1 - Bristol (11.7), 2 - Atlanta (12.8), 3 - Martinsville (13.3), 4 - Richmond (14.4), and 5 - Texas (14.5). His average finish at both Talladega and Daytona is 15.0. Of course this is mainly due to the unpredictable nature of the plate tracks, but Dale Jr. has definitely shown an ability in the past to keep his car clean until the end of the race and apply front bumper when needed: two traits that are paramount to good finishes at short tracks.

Martinsville is a strong suit in general for Hendrick Motorsports and is also where Dale Jr. was passed late in the spring to finish runner-up to Kevin Harvick. I'm sure if Junior can make it to 2nd with 10 laps or so to go this weekend that his fans will forget about last week, especially if he is chasing down the 29. I am also certain that if given the chance to chase a car down for the lead late this weekend that Dale Jr. will definitely let out some aggression from his late race frustration from last week.

The Most Boring Talladega Race Ever?

2011-10-25T10:38:00.001-04:00

Yes, I said it. I doubt I am the only one. I am sure there will be plenty of reporters and comentators saying how great the two car racing is and how much the NASCAR fans love it. My reply to them is best summed up by two words: Empty Seats.

Sure, some of you will say I am testy simply because Dale Jr. was relegated to another disappointing Talladega finish. Perhaps you are correct, but let me finish.

I believe that NASCAR's premier series is best when they have 43 (or as close to 43 as they can get) competitive cars all racing to get their best finish. No "team orders." No need for a "partner."

Yet this past Sunday we had about 20 teams competing. We had drivers told not to help other makes (Ford, Chevy, Etc) so that drivers with their own make that are in the Chase would benefit. (No, I am not just speaking of the Roush/Bayne situation, because I am sure it happened with other teams as well.) We saw about half the field content with laying back until about 20 laps to go. They were simply happy to just ride for about 170 laps to compete in the last 18.

NASCAR, that is not competition.

After the race, Richard Childress made the point that the drivers are not on the track to simply ride around. I am sure that his former driver of the #3 would totally agree. Previously, Dale Jr. would have as well. Although he and Johnson have laid back in the past 2 or 3 plate races, earlier in his career Junior prefered to be ahead of the "big one" rather than dodging it from the back of the pack. Hopefully the Hendrick teams can see that laying back with this two car tandem racing may be easy to overcome with 100 laps to go, but not so easy when everyone else at the back is also trying to wake up and start racing in the final laps.

Don't get me wrong. Although I do prefer the pack racing to this ridiculous two-car stuff, much of what I am complaining about would still occur. Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr. would probably still have "hidden out" in the back. Trevor Bayne would still have been scolded for helping Jeff Gordon.

Should NASCAR fix this non-racing and make Talladega competitive again or should they simply tell the drivers that Talladega will only be 30 laps next year so they can conserve fuel and quit wasting tires simply to make time for commercials. How many fans actually watched all 188 laps anyway? I did. But I will admit that the last 30 were the only laps where all the cars were actually competing.

Again... NASCAR, that is not competition.

How can NASCAR fix the restrictor plate races. Can they remove the restrictor plates? This is what many NASCAR purists would love. "Let 'em loose," they would say. But with safety being so paramount these days, NASCAR will not let the cars maintain a speed above 200 mph. Although that would do away with pack racing and tandem racing, if NASCAR says its not going to happen, it is not going to happen.

There are other possible solutions. Changing the shape of the front and/or rear bumpers so that "linking up" is much more difficult is a possibility. Opening the Restrictor plate up much more so that the car's ability to produce horsepower by itself makes running in a pack less necessary. Mandate that the air intakes on the front bumper be only in the center of the bumper, that would really screw up the two car tandems. I am sure there are others, but NASCAR should know after this weekend that 1/64th of an inch more opening in the restrictor plate and lowering the pressure allowed on the cooling system by a few pounds makes absolutely no difference whatsoever.

Perhaps NASCAR should conduct a test with one car from each team and experiment with several packages on track. Obviously the wind patterns on the "drawing board" don't react the same way they do at Talladega and Daytona.

Hendrick Motorsports Pushing The Envelope

2011-09-22T15:11:00.003-04:00

For several years, the Hendrick organization, especially the 48 team, has been known for preparing for the Chase and then excelling during the final 10 races of the year. Often the Lowe’s team has sacrificed domination earlier in the year in order to have dominant cars prepared for the Chase.

This weekend at the New Hampshire International Speedway, Hendrick Motorsports will be pushing the envelope. Often teams will debut new chassis throughout the year, but this week at least 3 of the 4 Hendrick teams will be sporting a new ride. Johnson, Earnhardt Jr., and Martin are all listed as bringing a new chassis to the “Magic Mile”, and both the 88 and the 5 are listed as untested new chassis. The 24 may or may not be new, but they do not generally post their chassis selection prior to the race weekend.

One would have to wonder if the Hendrick teams have found something in particular or if it is merely coincidence that they are bringing 3 new chassis to the track this week. Although it is quite possible that they are all non-related, it looks like they possibly have found something in their engineering that they feel comfortable will produce results, especially since they are relying mostly on their 7 post shaker and computer models, etc. for their information on the untested chassis.

Someone more experienced and knowledgeable about the engineering and fabrication that go into the chassis development could probably give more insight about how much testing is needed these days prior to the track, but from someone on the outside looking in, this seems to be an aggressive move. Of course, Hendrick has made some aggressive moves in recent months… After moving three of your drivers to different teams within the Hendrick stable at the end of last year, sending three new cars to the track on one weekend does seem mild.

Last weekend Hendrick drivers moved around quite a bit. Johnson moved down 2 spots and lost 7 points, Gordon moved down 8 spots and lost 22 points, Earnhardt Jr. gained 5 spots and lost 1 point, and Martin gained 14 points on 13^th place, the consolation spot at the end of the year. If Hendrick has found something in its chassis engineering, the teams could definitely be dominant this weekend. Three of the four drivers have won before at Loudon: Gordon twice, Johnson three times, and Martin once.

Time has seemed to look favorably on Hendrick’s last aggressive move, and time will tell on this move as well. (Two and a half days to be exact…)

Earnhardt Jr. And Letarte Return To Early Season Results

2011-09-19T23:07:00.004-04:00

Beginning the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup season as a new driver/crew chief duo, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Steve Letarte were unsure how soon success would come, but were resolved to reach it. Within a few weeks, the 88 team was finishing near the front week after week. What was exciting to watch was not that they were dominating. They weren’t.

For several years Earnhardt had been experiencing an occasional good run coupled with weeks of disappointing finishes. In most of those races Earnhardt would race near the front until something went wrong with the handling of the car. Soon after losing the handle on the car he would drift toward the back of the pack.

Many people supposed that Earnhardt had lost his nerve. They thought that his inability to wrestle with ill-handling cars showed a lack of desire and hunger. Often fans and commentators alike said that Earnhardt was done.

Others thought Dale Jr. was just distracted. They said he was so focused on trying to appease his fans’ expectations for him to be as good as his late father that he was overwhelmed. Or they would suppose that his bar-opening, late-sleeping, and fun loving life was not disciplined enough for him to ever meet his true potential.

All the while, Rick Hendrick, Earnhardt’s boss and owner of Hendrick Motorsports, was trying to figure out just who Earnhardt needed behind him to help him compete. He originally tried Tony Eury Jr., Earnhardt’s cousin, with whom he had some success at DEI. After that combo fell apart, Hendrick matched Earnhardt up with Lance McGrew, a previous winning crew chief in the Nationwide Series with multiple driver and a technical thinker who had headed up Hendrick’s R&D team.

After limited successes, disappointing progress, and too much radio traffic of short tempers, Hendrick decided to make changes at the end of the 2010 season. Hendrick decided to pair Earnhardt up with Letarte, the crew chief of the 24 car and Jeff Gordon. Gordon and Letarte had cooled from some earlier successes and were in need of a new spark.

With Letarte we were told Earnhardt was getting a cheerleader. We was to be the eternal optimist that could handle Junior’s tirades and redirect his energy into the race. For the most part, in the first half of the season that is what happened. Along with getting better communication and seemingly more dedication from Earnhardt, Letarte was able to make good changes to the car throughout the race and keep Junior focused on pulling out a good finish.

Monday that is what happened again. After a summer long run of poor finishes, conservative setups, and worrying over a fleeting possibility of a Chase berth, Earnhardt and Letarte finished a race off similar to their spring finishes. Earnhardt had a mediocre car most of the afternoon, staying in the mid teens and rarely making waves. However, after adjusting time after time, Earnhardt looked strong in the final run of the race. He made several passes, getting into the top 10 for the first time of the race, and then with help from cars with poor fuel mileage, Earnhardt rose to 3^rd by the checkered flag.

With their first top 5 finish since Kansas in early June, Earnhardt and Letarte also have scored his best first race finish of the Chase since he finished 3^rd at Loudon in 2004. In 2004 Junior began the Chase with 5 wins and a favorite to win his first championship. Although he won at Talladega, he then fizzled out after wrecks in both race 6 and 7 of the ’04 Chase.

This year Earnhardt and Letarte are the underdog’s in the Chase, merely happy and relieved to have made the cut. Perhaps their relief coupled with a change in luck from the summer could help the duo do well and end their first season with hints of a great year next year. Or perhaps they could make this year a great year. Either way, I guarantee Earnhardt will finish higher than 13th.