Denny Hamlin is expecting to have a better year in 2010

Every body is feeling sorry for Mark Martin, but they should be praising him for being able to keep his mental focus and not to take the second place finishes in the Sprint Cup Series as a personal thing. He finished his first full year in the Sprint Cup Series a shade behind one of the greatest Sprint Cup racers ever to slip behind the wheel and he has lots to be proud of. He finished the year with five wins and seven pole position starts, which in itself is an amazing feat when you think about the level of competition on the track.

Is it possible to finish third in the Sprint Cup Series and still feel like you left lots on the track and didn’t meet your own and team expectations for the season. This is probably how Jeff Gordon feels after a less than stellar year that has left him wondering what could have been. Jeff was expected to win more than once in 2009 and 2010 is going to be a watershed year for him and he needs to rise to the occasion and give Jimmie another challenger to the title. Jeff Gordon will also be seeking his fifth Sprint Cup Series title in 2010 and he’s probably tired on running second to Jimmie, which is going to make the 2010 Sprint Cup season a real barn burner.

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2009 Sprint Cup: The Bottom Line

Kurt Busch grabs an extra reward for a hard fought race

The racers did a bit of manoeuvring in Fort Worth, Texas on Sunday on the pavement of Texas Motor Speedway. Mark Martin had the best result of the top three on the day and pulled to within 73 points of Jimmie Johnson with a fourth place finish in the Dickies 500. Jimmie Johnson was involved in an accident early on, which took him out of contention as he and the team had to see if they could repair his car and get back out on the track. They did a great job of putting a car that wasn’t totalled, but it wasn’t looking very pretty, back into running condition and back into the race for a 38^th place finish. Kurt Busch was the winner of the Dickies 500, a great result for him and one that puts tremendous pressure on Mark Martin and Jeff Gordon in front of him in the Sprint Cup Series championship. Jeff Gordon finished 13^th in the Dickies 500 and he must feel that he let an opportunity get past him. He could have really pulled closer to Jimmie Johnson with a better result and he must be a little disappointed. To his credit his car didn’t look the fastest and appeared to be having trouble coming in and out of the corners and he did manage to stay out of trouble several times. Very little went well for Jeff on this day and yet he still managed to stay in the race and give it his best try.

The result in the Dickies 500 really turns the heat up in the race for the Chase and if anybody is thinking that Jimmie Johnson had this thing in the bag, they should have their head examined. In fact, we are just getting down to the part of the season with the highest level of anticipation and entertaining for the fans. The last few races are going to be the best events of the year and if you love racing and NASCAR, there’s no greater thrill than watching your hero go past you at 200 mph.

You can experience the thrill if you can make it to the Phoenix International Raceway by 2:30 pm on Sunday, November 15th as Jimmie Johnson and the boys will be out on the track for the Phoenix Checker O’Reilly Auto Parts 500. Look for the crazy guy who never sits down and it might be me!

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The Chase is Getting Up to Speed

Jimmie Johnson is still out front, but for how long

Jimmie Johnson is still the front runner, despite his precarious position at the center of every driver’s target, and he still has the best chance of winning. He needs to continue to believe and race fast and consistent in the next two races and he has a good chance of winning.

Mark Martin might be in the best position of all the racers, just behind the leader with only two races remaining and all the attention on the leader. He has played it pretty cool up till now, but don’t be fooled by his exterior, he wants this as bad as anybody. Mark has been racing for years and never achieved the ultimate goal for a NASCAR racer and he’ll probably never be this close again. He has nothing to loose and everybody probably considers him second best, which is great for him, because he’s as good as any on the track and he has the experience. Mark is my sleeper, who I expect to win, if Jimmie isn’t able to pull it off.

Jeff Gordon is 112 points behind Jimmie, with 398 points still available in the two remaining races, in a perfect NASCAR world he still has a good chance to win in the last two races. He needs to take command in the next two races and hope that the two racers in front of him don’t have their best days to win, but anything is possible on a Sprint Cup track.

Kurt Busch is 171 points behind Jimmie and looking forward at a challenge that’s going to be tough to achieve, but it’s still possible. Lady Luck is going to have to give him a hand for him to win and everything is going to have to roll perfect, but don’t count him out just yet.

Tony Stewart sits 178 points behind Jimmie Johnson, but still within reach of the Sprint Cup Series championship. Tony is a dark horse in this affair but still someone to watch in the last two races.

Juan Montoya is 236 points behind, just ahead of Greg Biffle by 11 points. They are still both within reach and can’t really be excluded just yet, maybe after the next race.

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Two Races Left in Sprint Cup Series Season

Jimmie Johnson looked very fast, smooth and professional as he won and moved into the lead in the standings

It looked like Johnson might have an average day until the sun came out on Lap 66 and stayed, after that his car picked up pace and looked ready to challenge. He had to be patient through a series of restarts in order to keep his car in one piece and put himself into position to win and he did it like a real professional. Jimmie has really shown what it means to be a Sprint Cup Series Champion this year. His patience and skill has put him in the exact position he needed to be in to allow him to pull into the lead and now he just has to bring the curtain down on this affair. There are still six races left and lots of racing left to go, but things are starting to get tense and heated.

Jimmie Johnson needs to stay focused on being consistent and trying to finish as best as he can during each race while staying out of trouble. His car looks like it might be the fastest and certainly is one of the fastest on the track and his skill is second to none. Unless something happens in the next few races, like lightning striking his car or lady-luck being unkind to Johnson, it could be difficult to unseat him.

Jeff Gordon finished second in the Pepsi 500, Juan Montoya third, Mark Martin fourth, Tony Stewart fifth, and Carl Edwards sixth. David Ragan finished seventh, just ahead of Kurt Busch in eighth, Clint Bowyer in ninth and Kevin Harvick in tenth.

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Jimmie Johnson Moves into Position

Jeff Gordon hasn’t won since winning the Sprint Cup Series Championship in 2001. He has had a good year and currently sits eighth in the Sprint Cup Series standings with just the last eight races left in the Chase. He still has a chance to win the 2009 Sprint Cup Series Championship, but he needs to really put the pedal to the medal in the last few races of the 2009 Sprint Cup season, if he wants to take his second Sprint Cup Series Championship of the decade.

Tony Stewart won two Sprint Cup Series Championships in the decade, in 2002 and 2005, but currently sits fifth in the Chase standings and has a little work to do if he wants to win in 2009. He has had a fast car all year, despite a few problems staying consistent and I expect the last eight races to bring out the best in him. He’s the only Sprint Cup Series competitor during the decade that’s even close to catching Johnson and he’s two championships away from matching Jimmie in the decade.

The only other Sprint Cup Series racer that has won during the decade is Matt Kenseth in 2003. Matt didn’t make it to the Chase this year and is watching as twelve racers he had hoped to beat this year are racing for the ultimate prize in NASCAR. This should fuel his fire for next year and give Matt a reason to come out and let it all hang loose on the track. He’s a long shot to be considered for the Sprint Cup Series racer of the decade but will certainly get a few votes.

Every Joe out there has their opinion about this subject and opinions will be flying around the paddock as always about who should be considered the best Sprint Cup Series racer of the decade. Let me know what you think?

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Sprint Cup Series Champion of the Decade

Tony Stewart has clinched a position in the Chase

Kyle Busch on the other hand is watching the sand fall in the hour glass and with only three races remaining before the showdown. He’s starting to realize that he has to make a move if he wants to make the Chase and avoid the embarrassment of not making the Chase. He’ll have to deal with a hard charging and confident Brian Vickers, who sees a position in the Chase within his reach. Juan Montoya only needs to coast to make it to the Chase, so he’ll probably just stay out of the way of any trouble. Mark Martin has been hanging on the last few races and he probably just needs to have an average race and keep his car out of trouble to make it to the Chase.

The jostling for position has definitely started, we can expect a little energy and excitement in the three remaining races as the drivers who need to make up ground push the pedal to the floor. The Chase is doing what it was designed to do and adding energy and excitement to the end of the year. The Chase has been a good thing for NASCAR but even good things can be better. Without the Chase, Tony Stewart would be 284 points in front of his nearest competitor and you wouldn’t be hearing the sound of screaming engines when you walk in the room, just the sound of the channel being changed.

The owners and operators of Bristol can smile at full stands of NASCAR fans anticipating a battle for the Chase and Atlanta in two weeks can hope for the same. Add to this the fact that the television ratings for last week’s Michigan race were increased over last year’s numbers and the Chase is a good thing.

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The Race for the Chase is Heating up

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Marking the second time in as many events that qualifying for an event has been canceled due to inclement weather and the fifth time this year a qualifying round for a Sprint Cup race has been canceled due to rain. This is important in that Tony Stewart is driving the car that leads the Cup standings and will therefore for the second straight race inherit the pole and first choice of lanes thanks to the arrival of rain. The top 35 teams in the Cup standings fill out the top 35 positions of a Sprint Cup race is qualifying is unable to be completed or run due to weather. Currently Tony Stewart leads Jimmie Johnson by 192 points in the Cup standings with just six competitions to go before the Chase on Sept 12 at Richmond.

This rule and the arrival of rain will also mean that Jimmie Johnson, who is second in the Cup standings, will start beside Tony Stewart on the outside of the front row. Jeff Gordon will start on the second row, next to Kyle Busch, while Carl Edwards, Denny Hamlin, Ryan Newman, Kasey Kahne, Mark Martin and Juan Montoya will fill out fourth through tenth on the Sunday’s grid for the Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500.

Starting in front is always an advantage in any race that I have witness and being in front will certainly give the front runners in this race an advantage, but you can win without starting on the pole. NASCAR events are a shoot-out that often goes to the driver with the best combination of timing, driving skill and help from the racing-gods. This fact along means Sunday’s Sprint Cup competition on the Pocono Raceway will be a dice roll and that’s the way it should be.

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Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania Pole Position

50 year old Mark Martin is like a fine wine this year as he won his 2009 series best fourth Sprint Cup competition of the year and the 39^th of his long and illustrious racing career Saturday night at Chicago’s 1.5 mile Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois. The last man standing on a night of body-slamming and bump-drafting that included seven cautions, the last one with only two laps left in the race due to oil on the track from Kyle Busch’s blown engine. Mark Martin pulled away after a double-file restart after the seventh caution of the night and managed to cross the finish line of the LifeLock.com 400 a mere 0.415 seconds in front of his Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jeff Gordon. The victory pulls Martin two positions closer to the top position and he now sits in 11^th position in the standings. He will gain an additional 40 bonus points for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup after the next seven races are completed, if he manages to finish in the top twelve.

Mark Martin wins the LifeLock.com 400

Mark Martin had one of the fastest cars all night, but a double-file restart is a dice throw at the best of times for the racers. The victory often goes to the racer that chooses the correct lane for the restart and not the fastest car. Mark Martin decided to restart on the outside lane with Jeff Gordon beside him to the inside, which turned out to be the correct choice as Martin was able to get better traction and got the jump on Gordon to the race to the line over the last two laps.

Kasey Kahne had a strong race and finished third, Sprint Cup point’s leader Tony Stewart survived several scares to take fourth, while Denny Hamlin finished fifth. Ryan Newman spent most of the race trying to figure out his car and how to get it to run fast, but still managed to finish sixth. Brian Vickers had a safe race and was rewarded with a seventh place finish, Jimmie Johnson had his problems but still managed to finish eighth, Clint Bowyer finished ninth, while Juan Montoya rounded out the top ten positions.

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Martin Wins the LifeLock.com 400

Mark Martin looks as stunned at his victory as the other drivers

Fuel conservation again played a pivotal role in the final standings in the race as race leaders Jimmie Johnson and Greg Biffle misjudged the amount of fuel they had used during their battle and ran out of fuel in the final two miles of the scheduled 400 miles. Mark Martin on the other hand had been in fuel-conservation mode for a large part of the race, which included turning off cooling fans and units in order to save fuel, and resulted in his car having enough fuel to complete the last 44 laps. He crossed the line just 2.992 seconds ahead of Jeff Gordon, who also had enough gas to complete the race due to fuel conservation.

This victory was Mark Martin’s 38^th career win and moved him through the pack from 13^th to 8^th position in the series standings, just 321 points behind series leader Tony Stewart, who managed to finish seventh on Sunday. This is the third victory of the 2009 Sprint Cup season for Mark Martin’s No. 5 V Chevrolet tying him with Kyle Busch for the Cup Series lead.

Jimmie Johnson, who managed to lead the race for 146 laps and twice built up leads of more then seven seconds, managed to coast into the pit. After refueling, he drove around Martin’s car and crossed the finish line in 22^nd position.

Denny Hamlin finished third, just ahead of Carl Edwards in fourth, and Greg Biffle who grabbed fifth position, despite running out of fuel on the backstretch of the final lap. Juan Montoya finished sixth, Tony Stewart took seventh, Kurt Busch managed eighth, Brian Vickers survived to finish ninth, and the top ten was filled out by Clint Bowyer.

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Mark Martin Wins the LifeLock 400

This problem once again reared its ugly head on Saturday night at Phoenix, this time taking a chunk out of Jeff Gordon, as the current points leader fell behind two laps due to a lug nut that just wasn’t where it was suppose to be. Unfortunately, this is just the most recent problem in the pit for drivers in NASCAR and one that has industry professionals and fans asking a few questions about the reasons for all the pit errors occurring during the races. A NASCAR race is often won or lost in the blink of an eye and this makes split seconds in the pit, one of the most critical factors to winning or losing, and sparks the question of whether or not pit stops are too much of a factor in determining the losers and winners in a NASCAR event.

In a sport that has always featured the driving skill of the athletes as the key to success, has the importance of the pit overtaken the importance of the drivers’ skill in determining the winners and losers?

Problems in the pit are making drivers and officials ask questions

Just why are all these mistakes occurring in the pit in a regular pattern? Are all the pit problems due to the human factor? Or, is there a problem occurring due to adjustments on a car that has produced the current problems?

NASCAR had made changes to the rules on the length of studs, could this be change in pit road that has caused tire changers to have problems getting lug nuts to stay tight? NASCAR officials and race teams have probably been asking themselves this question every time this problem pops-up, but only additional races and study of the problem will answer this question.

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Post from: EveryJoe

NASCAR Pit Problems