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

Joey Logano is a young and hungry NASCAR racer with winning on his mind

After rolling eight times across the track of Dover in front of thousands of fans, it’s easy to get noticed the next time you head out onto a race track and when he takes his car out onto the track Friday, he’ll be someone to keep your eye on. If this crash scared Logano, you’d never know it by his calm and controlled demeanour. This isn’t the first time he has crashed and it’s something any professional racer is going to experience during their career, unless they’re really lucky. His crash in the Budweiser Shootout earlier in the season was a harder crash than his crash at Dover, but a spectacular eight spin crash is always going to get more attention than a less spectacular crash.

Joey isn’t the only NASCAR driver to find himself in a situation that makes the adrenalin flow, Edward’s crash at Talladega, McDowell’s crash at Texas and Gordon’s crash at Las Vegas were all spectacular crashes that left the racers with no major injuries, which is a testament to the safety features of NASCAR.

Joey only experienced a little bit of stiffness after the crash, but thanks to the safety devices that NASCAR has built into their current Sprint Cup Series car, he can walk around and smile about the crash. He’ll have to quickly forget about his crash if he’s going to be effective on the track in the future and knowing the safety features that protect you work, will make forgetting about the crash and concentrating on driving easier.

Keep an eye out for Logano on the track if you’re watching a Sprint Cup Series race in the future, he’s definitely a young racer with a bright future in NASCAR, and one who will be winning his share of races in the future.

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Joey Logano Gets Noticed

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

Tony Stewart's win keeps him in front of Jimmie Johnson in the Cup Series standings

This win at Watkins Glen International is a record fifth in Stewart’s NASCAR career, his third victory of the 2009 season and the 36^th victory of his Sprint Cup career. Tony Stewart must like road courses, as this is also his seventh win on a road course in his racing career, which puts him second in the record books to Jeff Gordon’s record nine road-course victories. This victory improves Stewart’s lead over the pole-sitter for this race, Jimmie Johnson, who managed to finish 12^th after going off the course in Turn 1 in the later laps of the competition.

Carl Edwards finished third in the Heluva Good! at The Glen after a fast and tactical run from 33^rd position. Kyle Busch decreased the points he needs to catch the driver in 12^th position in the competition to make the Chase with a fourth place finish. Busch is just 58 points behind Matt Kenseth in the race for the Chase, who finished 14^th in this race.

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Tony Stewart Wins Heluva Good! at The Glen

Tony Stewart drives his race car into the garage

The standings shifted a bit with this race, Montoya moved up two spots and sits eighth in the standings after this strong showing and he has a 169-point cushion between him and the racer in thirteenth position, Kyle Busch. He’s now poised just eleven points behind seventh place racer Kasey Kahne who has been steady all year and has finished in the top ten in five of his last six starts since his victory in Sonoma. Montoya actually looked to be in position at one point during the race to overtake the eventual winner Denny Hamlin, but in the end he seemed to pull-back a bit and might have decided to go for the points rather than taking a chance at losing it all. Making the Chase isn’t all about victories as Kyle Busch and his three victories will tell you. Busch is currently 150 points short of making the Chase despite his wins and if you asked him he might even trade a win or two for a position in the Chase. Making the Chase is also about running consistently, racing and driving within the limits of your ability and car, and understanding the track and traffic around you.

If you fail to make the Chase only thing they’ll remember about the number of victories you achieve during the year will be that you didn’t actually make the Chase. It’s vitally important for a racer to make it to the Chase and it’s one of the main goals of the year, other than winning the championship.

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The Chase is Just Around the Corner

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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

NASCAR has reached its half way point for the 2009 season

The biggest disappointment of the year for many will be the disappointing year of Dale Earnhardt Jr. Expectations were high for Dale but he has had a hard time getting his car up to speed all year, but hopefully these are just growing pains and he’ll find his wheels next year.

The drivers at Roush have had a less than stellar year, with Carl Edwards yet to win and David Ragan with only one top ten finish so far this year, after it was predicted he would be in the Chase this year.

Tony Stewart and Stewart-Haas Racing have had an excellent year and get an A on their mid-term report card. Mark Martin stalled a bit coming off the line but in recent races he has been running fast and hot, and currently has four wins on the series, the best of all the drivers competing this year.

Kevin Harvick is likely going to miss the Chase by a country mile after making it three years in a row, while Jeff Burton has been plagued with accidents week after week. Clint Bowyer started the year real strong, but has tailed off lately, and hasn’t been able to get his speed back. Casey Mears has been one of the slower drivers all year. Harvick’s winless streak is currently up to 89, his last win was actually the Daytona 500, so there has been a trend developing.

Kyle Busch would certainly tell you his year has been somewhat of a disappointment for him, this is despite having three wins, and definitely making the Chase. A large percentage of drivers would be happy with three wins and making the Chase, but then Busch is aware of the potential of the people he works with and the car he drives week to week. Busch is a real competitor and lately he has been pushing his team to improve his car. Apparently even he isn’t aware of how well he has been doing and the speed of his car, but then maybe the car isn’t as good as we think and he’s a better driver than we realize. Either way, Busch’s desire to win every week has been noticeable lately.

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NASCAR 2009 Mid-Term Report Card

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

LifeLock.com 400 this Saturday

The history of NASCAR at this track isn’t as long and noteworthy as many of the tracks that have been raced on by NASCAR competitors over the years, but the LifeLock.com 400 in years to come should become one of the iconic races in NASCAR. Last year’s race saw Kyle Busch win the pole and lead for 165 of 267 laps in the LifeLock.com 400. This year we might see more of the same, but Kyle has gotten a little smarter lately, and come to realize he doesn’t have to win every lap, just the last one. Expect Tony Stewart and Kyle Busch to once again duel it out Saturday night for the victory in the LifeLock.com 400. Throw in a few wild cards like Jimmie Johnson and Carl Edwards into the mix and the possibilities for an entertaining race increase geometrically.

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NASCAR Pulls Into Chicagoland Speedway