If you read or hear any media member say this week that Jimmie Johnson is on his way to a sixth title, or that Danica Patrick is a contender, or that the Gen 6 car needs to be tweaked, know one thing: they don’t have a clue. Did Jimmie win the 500? Yes. Did Danica [...]
Archive for the ‘Racing Observations’ Category
Track Position Could Be Key At Daytona
February 20th, 2013 
T.C. While you are taking a breather from the non-stop Danica coverage, consider this: this year’s Sprint Unlimited had 17 less lead changes than last year’s Bud Shootout. Granted the 2012 Shootout was seven laps longer, but it also wasn’t broken up into segments which kept the field together. Combine the number of lead changes with [...]
Continued Performance, Not One Win, Will Save Logano
June 11th, 2012 T.C. Before Pocono, all the talk about Joey Logano was that he may be on his way out of a Cup ride at Joe Gibbs Racing. Following a win from the pole on Sunday, the discussion about Logano is now about how the win saved his ride. But I’m not convinced that is the case. 2012 [...]
Posted in Racing Observations 
Tags: Home Depot, Joe Gibbs Racing, Joey Logano, Pocono, sliced bread 
9 Comments »We Lost A Big Hat on Sunday
June 3rd, 2012 Journo Jimmie Johnson won the race on Sunday and edged a little closer to the points lead, but I think the bigger story was something that happened off the track. After 30 years on pit road, reporter Dr. Dick Berggren retired, making Dover his last race. Berggren, like so many broadcasting greats who came before him [...]
Posted in NASCAR News, Racing Observations Tags: broadcast, Dick Berggren, Dover, ESPN, Fox, NASCAR 7 Comments »Furniture Row Continues To Progress
May 29th, 2012 T.C. Since coming to the Cup Series in 2005, Furniture Row Racing has grown into its current form gradually. Over the first several years of their existence, poor finishes and DNQs were the norm. But owner Barney Visser stayed the course, and with Regan Smith at the wheel, the team has gained respectability. Their first taste [...]
Posted in Racing Observations Tags: barney visser, denver, Furniture Row Racing, Kurt Busch, Mark McArdle, Regan Smith 6 Comments »New All-Star Format Fell Short
May 21st, 2012 Journo Sandbagging (verb): To hold back; what happened Saturday night at the Sprint All-Star race. The collective oxygen this morning is being taken up with discussion about what happened Saturday night. A new format and $1 million on the line led the winner of the race to sandbag his way to the end. NASCAR in its [...]
The Physics of Carl’s Restart Penalty
April 30th, 2012 Journo A late race penalty on a restart for what some think was a questionable caution at Richmond set into motion circumstances that likely shifted the outcome of the race Saturday night. Once again, NASCAR’s restart rules claimed a victim – this time, Carl Edwards. Angry after the race, Edwards said NASCAR had repeatedly told his [...]
Posted in Racing Observations Tags: Building Speed, Carl Edwards, NASCAR, penalty, Richmond, Robin Pemberton 9 Comments »Bristol, Bruton and The Changes Coming Our Way
April 25th, 2012 Journo Before I begin, let me just say how much I enjoy Bruton Smith. He’s a non-stop source of unforgettable quotes and over the top bluster – oh and we can’t forget the Liz Taylor sunglasses. I seldom get more excited than when there’s going to be a Bruton press conference. “I have built more speedways [...]
Posted in Racing Observations, The Business of NASCAR Tags: bristol, Bruton Smith, NASCAR, progressive banking, racing groove 9 Comments »Hey Kenny, Tone It Down A Bit
April 19th, 2012 Journo We first reported this week that Travis Pastrana would be making his NASCAR Nationwide Series debut with RAB Racing (or the team’s points at least). The deal was an obvious one for Pastrana 199 Racing to secure a guaranteed starting spot for the rookie driver. This, and other deals, leave Kenny Wallace out of a ride, [...]
Kyle Busch Motorsports Sputtering Out Of The Gate
April 5th, 2012 T.C. Five races into the 2012 Nationwide Series schedule, Kyle Busch is experiencing just how difficult it can be to own a team in the upper tier of NASCAR. A combination of mistakes, bad luck, and slow race cars has added up to an average finish of 17.4 and just two lead lap finishes. His team’s [...]
Posted in Racing Observations Tags: Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, Kyle Busch Motorsports, Mike Beam, Nationwide Series 13 Comments »