Chasing NASCAR's Chase Leader

It’s like facing a 3-2 count in the bottom of the ninth, down three games to none in the World Series. It’s almost like being down a touchdown with three seconds to go and you have the ball 99 yards away from the endzone. It’s like needing to hit a half court shot with less than a second left on the clock to win game four of the NBA Finals, with your team facing elimination.

Pretty dire, right? Well, welcome to NASCAR’s final three races for those trying to dethrone Jimmie Johnson. After Sunday’s race at Talladega, Jimmie Johnson’s only competition is himself. Only he or his crew can stand between themselves and the record breaking fourth consecutive Cup title.

He left Talladega with an improbable 6th place finish, and got help from a last lap crash that took out teammates Mark Martin and Jeff Gordon, his two closest competitors in the Chase. He now leads Martin by 184 points and Gordon by 192. The maximum amount of points that can be made up in one race is 161 points.

It’s not over yet, but it’s getting there. Mark Martin’s crew chief Alan Gustafson said, “We have a pulse, albeit a faint one.” Johnson was glad to escape Talladega unscathed. “Yes, I do feel better than a race win with today's finish,” he commented to reporters.

Jeff Gordon voiced his displeasure with the finish as well, stating sarcastically, “I'm kind of glad we ran out [of gas] when we did because we were at least able to get back out there and destroy our car.”

Martin was less than happy as well, saying that he saw, “Nothing,” when asked about his first ever flip.

So on runs Johnson, and while it’s tough for most to credit him, it’s been interesting to see him dominate. Even if it is partially through luck. Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good.

Ask the Iowa Hawkeyes.

Yet the fans have raged on about this weekend’s show, or lack thereof. And even some have gone so far as to suggest that the drivers actually sent a message to NASCAR about the sudden last second rule change that the supreme being threw on them at the last second.

Ed Hinton of ESPN.com wrote this, and I feel that it’s a good place to start: “And NASCAR had better yield on the Car of Tomorrow, bring back springs instead of bump stops, bring back spoilers instead of wings, bring back air dams instead of splitters. Then the drivers can race, if only just a little.”

As the character named Mr. Applegate (the devil) said in Damn Yankees, “Those were the good old days…”

And even the Fab Four would sing, “How I long for yesterday…”

After Sunday, I think I do. The only question is, do you?

Smoke, Rowdy make mess on final lap of Coke Zero 400

With rain steadily falling in Cincinnati the fireworks were tough to see—if not impossible. So, when the weather doesn’t cooperate I know the TV will. And, although the steady stream of fireworks watchers at the place we were kept giving those of us watching the race that all so familiar look, (NASCAR fans, you know what I’m talking about) we kept watching.

But, as it turns out, I only needed to watch about ten minutes of the race to find out all I needed to see. More on the first caution flag of the night a bit further down though. Daytona is a race of chance, a race where big wrecks often mar the race, and oftentimes a last lap pass for the win provides all the drama needed for TNT’s “Wide Open” coverage.

And, although the opinion pieces on restrictor plates are going to pop up once again, I’m just glad Kyle Busch was able to walk away from his car. I listened to the closing laps on MRN, but once I got home the VCR was whirring and I saw the lick Kyle took. Twice. Kasey Kahne may have to count himself (or his-self if you prefer Larry Mac’s version) lucky as well. The hit he put on the green #18 car was just as violent.

As Carl Edwards said just over two months ago, “I guess we’ll keep doing this until someone gets killed.” For more on the Firecracker 400 (aka the Coke Zero 400) please read on. More on the Brickyard 400 will come tomorrow.

1. “Smoke gets in your eyes”-Stewart’s second win signifies he’s the favorite to win the Cup this year
If I haven’t officially said it, I’ll say it now; Tony Stewart is going to win the Brickyard 400, and right now, it looks like no one will even come close to touching him in the points. Until the field is reset after Richmond, that is. Stewart’s second win of the year comes at the time when in 2005 he was just getting heated up on his way to a second Cup title.

The only man to win a Cup title under the old points system and under the new “Chase” system is also the last guy not named Jimmie Johnson to hoist the Cup in Homestead. As NASCAR fans we’ve seen this from “Smoke” before, and I think we’re all getting ready to watch the part-owner, all-driver take another stab at the title.

2. The “Big One” (or two) made a few changes to points
My favorite video game, NASCAR Thunder 2003 for the PS2, had a challenge mode where you had to complete various real life simulations. One was the “Big One” at Talladega from 2002. The MRN radio call that day involved the turn reporter saying, “Oh, here we go, here we go, cars spinning and crashing all over the place.”

A gaggle of sheet metal and smoke normally takes place once or twice a race at restrictor plate tracks like Daytona

It’s the nature of a restrictor plate track. The “Big One”—a large wreck so familiar at plate tracks that the name should be trademarked—was bound to take out a few good cars on Saturday evening. On lap 77, a 13 car incident, which started when Kasey Kahne got together with the #00 car of David Reutimann really could have affected the points tally.

All it did was move Reutimann further back in the amount of points he has to make up to get into 13th, from 12 points to 74 points. Clint Bowyer lost a spot in the standings to RCR teammate Jeff Burton, and Kahne actually moved up a spot because…

3. Mark Martin falls outside the Chase
…Mark Martin wrecked early in the race. It took all of 13 laps for the #5 car to fid the inside wall on the “Superstretch.” Martin took the blame for the incident. “Matt ran the top side there and got a run up off the corner, and I was trying to keep it down and leave us room and I just pinched him,” Martin said. “My front wheels were cut and it just didn't turn quite enough. It's really slick out there. It's my fault.”

Martin's car nearly escaped hitting anything, but seconds after this shot, his car touched the inside wall, crumpling the front hood and ending any shot Mark had at a good finish

Martin now sits 65 points behind Kahne in the standings, but there is very little to worry about if you’re a Mark Martin fan. At the next 8 tracks—races which will decide the final 12 drivers in the Chase for the Cup—Mark has an excellent record, and has run well at the tracks NASCAR is re-visiting. More on that later in the week or later this month.

4. Sadler and Smith have strong finishes at Daytona
Regan Smith has yet to not finish a race in his 51 race NASCAR Sprint Cup Series career. Elliot Sadler wishes every race the Cup Series ran was at Daytona. Sadler came home in 10th while Smith finished 12th.

These two gentlemen rarely run up front, and it’s been awhile since Sadler has visited Victory Lane. Regan Smith, if you’ll recall, had won the fall race at Talladega last season, but had the win revoked because of NASCAR’s ever so sketchy yellow line rule. Both ran well last night, kept their noses clean, and came out of Daytona with a shot of confidence.

Sadler (in the #19) has had an extremely good two races at Daytona this season

Also of note, Marcos Ambrose finished 6th, which means he did a great job of avoiding wrecks. He’s really made a name for himself this year in the Cup Series. At the halfway point in the season Ambrose has three top fives, five top tens and sits 18th in Cup points. He’s known for being a road course king, but two of those three top fives came at the last two restrictor plate events. Maybe Ambrose should become a restrictor plate track “ringer.”
---------------------------------------------------
Well, I hope my incessant ramblings have shed some light on the race from yesterday evening. Tomorrow I’ll continue the countdown to Indy. Today is the three-week mark.

In just 21 days I hope to be on the track or in the garage area at Indianapolis, covering the second greatest race on the Cup schedule. I’m sure I’ll shed more light on why I believe this is so in the next three weeks. As always, thanks for reading, don’t forget to check back tomorrow, and enjoy your day!

Coke Zero 400 sure to bring fireworks on Independence Day

First off, I’d be remiss if I didn’t wish my mother a very happy birthday on July 4th. And, as with most year’s my mom’s birthday is accompanied by a NASCAR race. It almost couldn’t get any better, could it? (Well, there is a race on my birthday this year too, so I guess it can!)

The fireworks display may get started early on July 4th in Daytona at the Coke Zero 400. The race, formerly known as the Firecracker 400, marks the official halfway point of the Sprint Cup season.

In the first seventeen races, eleven drivers have visited victory circle, including three first-timers. Every age bracket has been represented too it seems. Last week a 19-year old—Joey Logano—took home his first checkered flag in the Cup Series, and 50-year old Mark Martin has won three times in 2009. But, neither has won at the 2.5 mile track in Florida.

Twenty-five years ago, “The King”, Richard Petty, won his 200th race at Daytona. NASCAR celebrates that and the day that our nation declared itself free from British rule back in 1776 by letting 43 of its best duke it out for 160 laps at high speeds on the high banks near Daytona Beach. Here’s some storylines to keep your eyes on this weekend as the Coke Zero 400 unfolds on Saturday evening.

1. Can Mark Martin win his first race at Daytona?
Although he lives only a few miles from the speedway, he has yet to register a points paying Cup win there. Sure, he’s been close, including the ever so heartbreaking 2007 Daytona 500, (which if you ask the author, he should have won…Thanks NASCAR) but Mark Martin has never finished first at Daytona in a Cup event.

However, Mark feels the 400 is a much more relaxed and fun race. “The 400, in my opinion, is better than the 500, although the 500 is the one you want to win so badly,” he said. “This race really comes down to the actual racing. There’s not as much pressure, and you can actually have fun and enjoy it.”

Mark smiles after qualifying in February. He started 2nd in the Daytona 500

Is 2009 the year Mark Martin wins his first race at Daytona? He’s won a Bud Shootout, a truck race and a few IROC events, but never in his 48 Cup Series starts has he got to taste the champagne in victory lane. He sat on the outside pole in February, and led a few laps before the rains came and handed Matt Kenseth the victory.

Rick Hendrick’s cars have had superior success at Daytona, so there’s no better time for the 50-year old to snatch his first win at Daytona.

2. The “Big One” will have serious point implications
The Sprint Cup Series has nine more races to decide the field for the Chase for the Sprint Cup. Only the top twelve make it and positions eight through fourteen are currently separated by only 71 points.

At Daytona in February a multi-car accident on lap 124 took out numerous contenders including Kyle Busch who had led 88 laps to that point. Currently Kyle sits in eighth in points. A wreck like the one at the 500 would certainly put him in an even more precarious situation than he already is in the series point standings.

Busch had to sit out the final 30 laps of the rain-shortened 500 because he got caught up in a wreck--a big wreck

But, it’s not just Busch that has to watch out for trouble this weekend. Mark Martin (mentioned above) also has to make sure he avoids the wrecks that normally contain him at restrictor plate tracks. At Talladega in April he finished last after getting caught up in a wreck between teammate Jeff Gordon and former teammate Matt Kenseth on lap seven.

Like I said in April, it’s not if, it’s a matter of when the “Big One” rears its ugly head, and now it’s also a matter of who gets caught up in it.

3. Will Brad Keselowski back up his win at Talladega with a strong performance at Daytona, or will his win at Talladega (still) be considered a ‘lucky’ win?
Everyone remembers the wild finish at Talladega which sent Carl Edwards flipping into the catch-fence, seven folks to the hospital and a twenty-five year old brazen child to victory lane. But, will Brad Keselowski be able to back up his win at Talladega with continued success at restrictor plate tracks, and win at Daytona?

Chances are slim given the odds, but if Keselowski can perform well on Saturday evening and keep his nose out of trouble, then maybe fans can finally give him some credit for his first career victory a few months back. He’s back in the #09 car owned by James Finch, so anything is possible. And, given the nature of Daytona, his chances are as good as anyone’s to bring home the checkers on Saturday evening. That is, of course, if qualifying isn’t wiped out by rain.

4. TNT alters coverage and Kyle Petty gives the command to fire engines
On the 25th anniversary of his father’s 200th victory, Kyle Petty will give the command to fire engines. Often referred to as the “most famous words in motorsports” or, as I like to call them, “the last four words of the national anthem,” the command, “Gentlemen Start Your Engines” is the one phrase that signals the start of each NASCAR event. And who better to give that command than a former driver himself?

"The King"-Richard Petty-looks on at last year's Coke Zero 400

Also, TNT has announced that play-by-play announcer Bill Weber is out for the final two races of the TNT “Summer Series.” He will be replaced by Ralph Sheheen, who stood in for Weber on Sunday at Loudon. TNT has not discussed why Weber won’t be returning to the booth, but has stated that, “As this is a private issue, it’s the policy of the company not to discuss personal matters involving our employees.”

Fair enough. A lot of people have commented on how they loved Sheheen and have hated Weber. I guess I’ll just live with being in the minority. I liked the way Weber gave you the action on the track. His flawless transitions into commercials and explanations of why TNT had to cut away gave him great credibility in my mind.

I can’t wait to hear from him next June. Until then, I guess we’ll all deal with Sheheen (who doesn’t do a bad job, he just isn’t quite Bill Weber—who, by the way, learned from Benny Parsons, one of the best ever).
---------------------------------------------------
Well, rain seems to dominate the weekend weather report in Daytona, but it is Florida in the summertime, so there’s about a 110% chance that rain will fall sometime during the day. Hopefully fans at the track (including at least two fellow Markaholics) and at home will get their money worth—a full 400 miles.

Happy 4th, and don’t forget to enjoy the holiday by watching TNT tomorrow evening. It’s the best case scenario for a holiday—racing and fireworks!

**23 days until the green flag drops at Indianapolis. I'm currently in a holding pattern on the media passes. If I get media passes they will be for the TV station I'm interning at--WCPO Ch 9 in Cincinnati. I'll be up there shooting some video and possibly getting interviews with drivers on (for now) Saturday and possibly Sunday. I'll be sure to let everyone know what the final plans are within the next three weeks. Until then, enjoy your weekend, and enjoy your NASCAR!

Top storylines of 2009: Brad Keselowski wins first Cup race, wrecks Edwards to do so

Talladega was the sight of one of the scariest scenes of the NASCAR Sprint Cup season to date. On the final lap of the Aaron’s 499 Carl Edwards led youngster Brad Keselowski to the finish. What happened next was unexpected, breathtaking and nearly deadly. If you’re a NASCAR fan, and most likely even if you’re not, you’ve heard about the wild and wacky chase to the checkers where Edwards’s car flew through the sky and ripped apart the catch fence, injuring a few fans.

The next week as the Cup Series moved on to Richmond, all the talk focused on the finish at Talladega. What should NASCAR do? Who was to blame? Should NASCAR eliminate plate racing? Are the drivers too aggressive? Was Edwards right? Will NASCAR keep doing this until someone pays the ultimate price, whether that be a driver or a fan?

I still have yet to render a verdict on that last lap incident. I think Carl Edwards was at fault for blocking. I think Brad Keselowski was at fault for blatantly wrecking him to win. It’s tough to put blame on the people who made that fence though. It miraculously held the 3,500 pound hunk of metal that lunged at it.

Kenny Wallace said on “Raceday” the next weekend that NASCAR should remove seats from the first ten rows to ensure fan safety. Right. Because they did that after Bobby Allison flew into the same catch fence in the late 1980s. In fact, I bet they added seats since then.

I checked a ticket for the Brickyard 400, and Indianapolis Motor Speedway, often times referred to as “The Racing Capital of the World” has this disclaimer on the back of each ticket: “Notice: Speedway management regrets that its efforts as to spectator safety do not eliminate risk of injury to spectators. Your participation in this racing event as a spectator is at your own risk.”

At your own risk. It’s too bad most people don’t read the small print before they want money to pay for a lawsuit. And, although I don’t know if any claims have been filed yet against Talladega Superspeedway, I bet that a clause like the one above was on the back of each ticket, so there’s little chance that a fan would win a suit.

Most people who don’t follow NASCAR will tell you that the only way they’d tune in is for all the wrecks. Those people who are casual followers—at best—would have loved Talladega. Two big wrecks took out many contenders, including series points leader Jeff Gordon, who was wiped out when he wrecked—and brought along some friends—on lap seven.

Even though Talladega will be remembered for the finish, one kid will remember it as the day he won his first Cup race. Brad Keselowski, driving a Hendrick powered car for James Finch, won his first Cup event in five tries. Many people—yours truly included—blew this win off as luck, at best.

But now, Keselowski feels he’s entitled to a full-time Sprint Cup ride next season. Guess he should file a lawsuit and wait in line behind the former owners of Kentucky Speedway (more on that later this week). Keselowski is brash, ego driven and very outspoken (in a bad way, think Kyle Busch).

There’s no doubt he deserves a shot, but until he can show the world that his great finish at Darlington was more than a one-shot deal, he doesn’t deserve a full-time ride. Ever heard of Joey Logano? He’s still struggling in his rookie season. We all know that Brad Keselowski’s ego couldn’t take being like Joey Logano. Maybe he should bide his time and wait a year or two. Then he might be ready to take on a full-time ride.