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NASCAR at ChicagoLand: Teams Wanting to Make the Chase Have to Perform Here and Now

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Rusty NormanThe NASCAR teams wanting to make the Chase in 2010 have to perform well this weekend here at ChicagoLand and they have to do it… now! I hate to state the obvious, but, teams that are just in or just outside the top twelve must begin to perform consistently for the next 8 races or they can kiss their chances goodbye. In particular, those in 9th to 15th in the points are running out of time and the odds are beginning to turn against them unless they do.

As I stated a couple of weeks ago, it is definitely “crunch time” for all of the top teams and they cannot afford the luxury of taking it easy. Oh sure, there are teams that have a good cushion of points, but if they have three bad race weeks in a row, they could just as easily be on the outside looking in. Kevin Harvick is the one sitting with the largest cushion and for him to move from first place to outside the top twelve would take at least three race weekends, (not to mention he would probably have to finish last all three of those weeks.)

There is a strong bunch of drivers starting at the front of the lineup tonight. Once again Jamie McMurray sits on the pole and Jimmie Johnson is right next to him. Tony Stewart and Greg Biffle make up row two followed by Sam Hornish Jr and Jeff Gordon in row three.

It is this fan’s opinion that anyone in the top ten starting positions have a very good chance of taking the checkered flag for tonight’s race. That’s not to rule out anyone else, but barring the unforeseen this is a track that definitely favors the faster qualifiers if for no other reason than track position. It is also my opinion they must maintain their positions and not fall too far back or it could spell disaster for their hopes of finishing up front.

One thing about ChicagoLand that hardly changes is the fact it is a fast track that has a habit of making it hard for the teams to figure it out. So far, it has proved out hardly any  one driver or team dominates here. As the night progresses, it will be very important for the crew chiefs to keep up with the track conditions from the drop of the green flag to the possibilities of green-white-checkered finishes.

You may ask, why do they have to be “on it” from the drop of the green flag? I will just point out, first practice was in the heat of the day as was the second. Qualifying took place late afternoon and early evening and there was a noticeable increase in speed. The race tonight will start even later than qualifying finished. The crew chiefs first have to get their cars right for the start and they have to make absolutely sure they have a good plan for adjustments that take them to the end.

Sam Hornish Jr seems to be completely comfortable with both the ChicagoLand track  and his Penske Dodge. After all, he performed well at this track in open wheel racing and appears to be attacking it with confidence. Will that transfer into a visit to Victory Lane in a NASCAR stock car by the end of the night? I don’t know, but the possibility does have to be considered.

This could also be the week the Fords actually have good finishes and possibly even win. Greg Biffle, Kasey Kahne and Carl Edwards all seemed happy with their cars during practice in race trim. That could prove to be a good thing and could put one of them in Victory Lane at the end of the Lifelock.com 400. That is “if” they can keep up with the  Chevys.

See ya next time… Rusty

All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer

© July 10, 2010 – all rights reserved

Rusty Norman and NascarFansView.com

(All audio productions by www.podcastnorm.com and PCNProductions.com)

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NASCAR at Daytona After Thoughts: Rain, Wrecks and Plenty of Fireworks at the Coke Zero 400

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The Coke Zero 400 start was delayed by rain, had lots of wrecks and plenty of fireworks during and after the race and ended up with a major shift in points for those trying to stay in (or get in) the top twelve for the Chase.

Kevin Harvick powered his way to victory at the Coke Zero 400 and proved he is a force to be reckoned with when it comes Chase time. All of the Childers’ teams once again looked strong Saturday night and continue to impress with their performances at almost every track NASCAR visits. Harvick is just plain consistent and almost always near the front at the end of a race and now has two victories on the year.

Just about any NASCAR fan will tell you consistently finishing in the top five and top ten is what it takes to win a Sprint Cup Championship and, so far, Kevin Harvick is proving that is at least what it takes to stay in first place in the point standings leading up to the Chase.

The Jeff Burton and Clint Bowyer RCR teams aren’t fairing quite as well as Harvick when it comes to finishes, but both are showing up almost every week with cars that could end up in victory lane. Jeff Burton has had his share of bad luck almost every race this year and in particular when it looks like he may have one of the cars to beat. It is a shame that his consistency seems to be finding his way into trouble, whether it is his fault or not, and although he is in the top twelve with no wins, he could have won at least a couple had things gone just slightly different during several races this season.

Listening to the buzz from the drivers during and after the race, I heard a lot of frustration being vented toward a few other drivers and the track being a lot more slippery than usual. More than one said they liked the character of the track and they were going to miss it, but this fan got the impression they were looking forward to the new surface they will see in February. I can’t blame them but I do know racing at Daytona won’t be the same as it has been for the last several years. I have the feeling it will be more like Talladega in many ways now that they will have a newer, smoother surface to race on. I’m not saying they will be the same… I’m just sayin’… the two will be similar, (at least for a while.)

As I expected, this race was full of some minor skirmishes that added up to a small “Big One” and one big, “Big One” near the end that took out almost half of the remaining field. The positions according to points had some important changes and this fan wonders if some of the teams affected the most will recover. Jeff Gordon moved into second place by doing something he hasn’t done in a while—avoid being caught up in that big “Big One.” He and Dale Jr. both missed it by just inches and it turned into a plus for both of them.

Probably one of the most disappointed driver’s Saturday night was Clint Bowyer. If the race had ended before the green-white-checker, he would have likely been sitting in 11th place in points. As it turned out, he is in 14th place.

Well, I don’t know about you, but I’m looking forward to the race this coming weekend at Chicagoland. I can’t wait to see if the race in Daytona was a turnaround for a couple of teams and they are now going to ride a wave of momentum or if we get back to what we experienced in the month of May with the Bush brothers and the JGR teams playing a more dominant role than in the last several weeks.

Any way it goes, NASCAR Sprint Cup teams get a weekend off before heading to Indianapolis and I know they will welcome the minimal lack of pressure for at least that one weekend; (notice I didn’t say they get a week off.)

There is enough to keep them busy just getting ready for the next seven weeks leading up to the Chase after Chicagoland…

See ya next time… Rusty

All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer

© July 7, 2010 – all rights reserved

Rusty Norman and NascarFansView.com

(All audio productions by www.podcastnorm.com and PCNProductions.com)

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NASCAR at Daytona: Handling, Larger Restrictor Plates and Fireworks at the Coke Zero 400

Rusty NormanSeveral things are definite when the NASCAR Cup teams hit the track at Daytona this weekend; their cars will have to handle while the larger restrictor plates control the added horsepower before the fireworks go off. One thing isn’t so definite and that would be whether the fireworks will only be after the race… or during it.

Generally a restrictor plate super speedway is not a place where someone would take an opportunity to give a little payback, but this year… who knows. With the media constantly stirring the pot and giving multiple opportunities for the airing of frustrations and emotions, it is possible we could see a really big “big one” if someone decides to press the envelope of sensibility in the two and three wide tight packs associated with these type races. All it will take is someone not willing to give that extra inch which could make the difference between racing and wrecking.

In reality, I don’t really expect anything out of the ordinary to happen but, from this fan’s view, with the economy what it is, the competition as close as it has ever been and the teams trying their level bests to be in the Chase this year (or at the very least, show their sponsors they are worthy of their support), I’m not sure.

After watching the practice sessions though, it didn’t take this fan long to come to the conclusion that the additional horsepower from the larger restrictor plate openings was going to take a little getting used to from the drivers. The increased closing rate that has resulted from it has made more than one driver take notice, even if a little too late.

Now, with the rainout of qualifying, a new dimension is added to the mix. The field will line up according to points and, from what was evident from the cars that actually got to qualify, there are going to be some fast cars back in the pack at the beginning of the race. Usually that doesn’t matter in a restrictor plate race and I never put much stock in qualifying, but it does make me wonder.

I mean, in restrictor plate races, we often see some of the better cars applying the strategy of running in the back of the pack until the last hundred miles or so. Since they usually qualified in the middle or back of the pack anyway, it wasn’t unusual to see them trying to avoid trouble by running that way. That raises two questions:

  • First, will those that may have qualified up front be content to run in the back or will they try to muscle their way to the front early and try stay there?
  • Second, will it change the strategy of those that may have been planning to run in the back anyway and are now out front?

From this fan’s view, it should prove to be interesting and I don’t have the answers. I guess it will be just one more reason to watch the race from beginning to end.

I know I’m not the only one that’s noticed, but the speeds listed on the scoring pylon hardly ever tell the story about how the race is going to go. The idea that someone having one or two fast laps in practice gives us any insight as to who might win is slim indeed. From my view, restrictor plate races aren’t about running one or two fast laps, (unless it is with two or three to go.) It is more about being in position to use what ever slight advantage one may have at the right moment. Kevin Harvick proved that at Talladega earlier this year. (Yeah, I know Daytona isn’t Talladega and the two tracks are totally different but still, the point holds true; at either place a driver has to be in position to use what he has at the right moment.)

This Coke Zero 400 will be a different race at Daytona no matter how we look at it. The track is in its worst shape ever (and we all know they’re going to repave it after this weekend is over and before February). It has no grip and is rougher than many remember it ever being.

The additional horsepower from the larger restrictor plate, (most estimate as much as an added 40 hp over the last trip here), has caused all of the drivers to take notice. They love the response they get from their gas pedals, but so far, it has been more difficult for them to judge the closing rates and it has caused a few “situations”.

I have also heard more than one complaint of the cars being “twitchy” which means they are a bit unpredictable lap after lap. From a fan’s view, that means there could be more excitement than usual and possibly more than one bad move that ruins the night for a bunch of drivers (or in other words, a bunch of little ones that can add up to the same effect as “the Big One”.) Of course there is always the possibility of “The Big One” happening all at once and taking out half the field. (Geez, I hope not.)

So, who will win the Coke Zero 400? I’m not sure, but I do expect to see familiar faces running at the front. From where I sit, I expect the winner to come from the RCR teams, the EGR teams or the Hendrick or Hendrick associated teams. I could be totally surprised, but I’m just not seeing the winner coming from JGR or Roush.

As to which one of the drivers from those teams might actually win I’m not sure. Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart and Jeff Burton are all usually running strong near the end of restrictor plate races and Kurt Bush, Jeff Gordon, Juan Pablo Montoya and Jamie McMurray are all capable and eager to win this year. Any one could come away with the win tonight at Daytona.

Hey, judging from his performance in the Nationwide race last night, I’m not even ruling out Dale Jr…

See ya next time… Rusty

All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer

© July 2, 2010 – all rights reserved

Rusty Norman and NascarFansView.com

(All audio productions by www.podcastnorm.com and PCNProductions.com)

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NASCAR at Loudon After Thoughts: After All the Hype, the Magic Mile Was Relatively Tame

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The race at Loudon had a lot of hype coming into it, but when all was said and done, racing at the “Magic Mile” turned out to be relatively tame. One would have thought, (if they listened to all the media hype), there was a great possibility of major paybacks coming at the hands of those that had their day ruined at Sonoma the weekend before.

From this fan’s view, the race went pretty much as I expected and much of the “talk” was just that. I guess we should also keep in mind, just because it didn’t happen this weekend, doesn’t mean payback isn’t coming at a more important (or costly) time in the future. It just means an extended time of certain drivers having to look over their shoulders or passing those they’ve upset quickly and not spending a lot of time around them. In other words, the idea is to not give them any more opportunity to pay you back than you have to. Eventually everyone will move on to other problems and situations… hey, that’s just racing.

Now, just because certain things didn’t happen doesn’t mean there wasn’t any action at all at NHMS. Although it wasn’t a race that kept you on the edge of your seat until the end, there was still enough going on to make it interesting. The possibility of some of that payback coming to pass was a small part of it, but there were a few other happenings to add to the action. (I’m still trying to figure out what went on with Denny Hamlin and David Reutimann at the end of the race. Apparently they had some type of altercation that caused the two of them to end the day relatively “hot tempered” and upset with each other.)

One of the things that probably took a little bit of the excitement away was the long green flag runs and the strong runs of Kasey Kahne and Jeff Burton after the first pit stop. Kasey looked awfully strong and, had he not had engine problems, he quite possibly could have been the winner. True to the way his luck has gone this year, his engine did go south on him and eventually finished itself off near the end and after he had dropped back several places. It was unfortunate for him and Richard Petty Motorsports because it looked like RPM was positioned to have a strong team day as AJ Allmendinger and his #43 RPM team finished tenth, also.

The surprising thing to me has been the poor performance of the Joe Gibbs teams over the last two weekends. Denny Hamlin and Kyle Bush were definitely struggling early (in particular Hamlin) even though at the end of the race Kyle was in position to challenge for the win. That came to and end when Jeff Burton’s team decided not to pit at the caution with about fifteen to go and had to try and stay ahead of everyone else on old tires. The two of them got together and Kyle went around taking him out of the mix for the run to the checkers.

After that bit of excitement, the door was open for a showdown of sorts between Jimmy Johnson and Kurt Bush over the last nine laps. What followed was typical short track style racing with a couple of bump and runs traded between the two of them. It took most of those nine laps for Jimmie to run Kurt back down but he did do it with a couple to go. Tony Stewart joined in the tight racing at the finish and moved Kurt out of the way to finish second.

I have to agree with what many of the drivers are saying about “payback” lately. The word is definitely being over-used by the media and not everything that happens is because of, nor deserving of, payback. What we are witnessing as fans is what we like to see in racing whether it be NASCAR or at our local short tracks. This is just good hard racing with cars that are so evenly matched that it is hard to stay apart, let alone win. From this fan’s view, the old adage is true, “rubbin’ is racing” and that my friends, is what it is all about…

See ya next time… Rusty

All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer

© June 29, 2010 – all rights reserved

Rusty Norman and NascarFansView.com

(All audio productions by www.podcastnorm.com and PCNProductions.com)

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NASCAR at Loudon: Cup Teams Feeling the Pressure of “Crunch Time” at NHMS

Rusty NormanWith nine weeks left to qualify for The Chase in 2010, a lot of Cup teams are feeling the pressure to improve their positions and it’s definitely “Crunch Time” for them, especially at NHMS this weekend. Of course, one does have to wonder if there won’t be another type of “Crunch” going on this weekend after several drivers left Sonoma last weekend feeling they had been the victims of overly aggressive driving from some of their fellow competitors. Taking all of this into account could make for a very interesting time on this fast flat track they call the “Magic Mile.”

It is true, the race at Sonoma last weekend was filled with hard charging aggressive driving that resulted in some not doing as well as they’d hoped. Among those feeling the most pain (at least vocally) were Martin Truex Jr and Elliot Sadler. Although there were others, because of their run-ins with a more aggressive than usual Jeff Gordon, they were the ones that took the biggest hits in points compared to where they were going to finish and the points they would have come away from Sonoma with.

It is interesting to me that so much has been made of these situations this year, because situations like this surface every year at the road courses and not so much is made of it, (well, at least from this fan’s view.)

In my opinion, it is more dramatic this year for several reasons and one of the biggest is the changed economy. Performance has become even more important because sponsors are spending a lot of money and want better results rather than just visibility in NASCAR. They want to be up front and on camera and not just getting honorable mentions for running in the top twenty or so.

In reality, no one can blame them (and no one really does) but it has made it tougher on every team competing in NASCAR simply because, in this economy, the sponsors have to even more closely account for, and justify, their expenditures to their stockholders. In fact, not even the front runners are guaranteed they can keep their sponsors either and all of this pressure carries right on down to the teams’ performances on track.

This weekend at NHMS in Loudon could be the week of the unexpected winner. I really do think those that have performed well in the past will perform well again this time, but this time there seems to be more incentive for those that have just been trying to scrape through and make it into The Chase to be more aggressive.

In listening to Martin Truex, Elliot Sadler and several others, it appears to this fan they have decided it is now or never if they’re going to have any chance at getting into The Chase and they are going to have to be not only aggressive but smart. They are going to have to pull out all of the stops and take chances they may not have taken in the recent past and that may mean not being such a nice guy when it comes to those running around them.

I believe (or maybe I should say it is my opinion) several of the drivers have tried to be too cautious and that is what has put them in the position they are in this season. In listening to Juan Pablo Montoya in interviews earlier this year, it seems they tried to be cautious and points race like they did to get into The Chase last year. Last year, that strategy worked for them. Unfortunately, it is pretty obvious where that strategy has gotten him and the #42 team this year.

Even though competitively you’re trying to be cautious, you never know when an extra position or two in a race could have changed your whole year in the standings. I’m not saying Montoya’s luck would have been any different and that he wouldn’t have to be fighting so hard to get into the top twelve, but I am saying there is the possibility had he not been carefully points racing, trying to stay near the front and ease into The Chase, things could have been totally different for him right now. As it is, he is struggling right now even though he is sitting on the pole for tomorrow’s Lennox Industrial Tools 301.

So far, this year has been one of the most competitive seasons NASCAR has had (at least from this fan’s view), and I think it is for several reasons. NASCAR has made several rule changes that have added more to the competition on a weekly basis than even they  hoped they would. The double-file restarts would be at the top of my list for being the biggest game changer. Add to that up to three tries at a green-white-checkered finish and you have two of the things that have made the greatest impact in who finishes where in a race this year. It has totally changed race strategy at the end of the race.

Will either one of those have something to do with who wins at Loudon on Sunday? Yeah, probably so, but this weekend at the Magic Mile has a lot more going on than just another race with double-file restarts and green-white-checkered finishes. This weekend several more drivers and teams have even more to prove, not only to their sponsors and competitors, but to themselves. This is “Crunch Time” for many and their performance over the next few weeks will tell whether they have what it takes to run for first place and the Cup Championship, or just thirteenth…

See ya next time… Rusty

All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer

© June 26, 2010 – all rights reserved

Rusty Norman and NascarFansView.com

(All audio productions by www.podcastnorm.com and PCNProductions.com)

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Danica Returns to the NASCAR Nationwide Series this Weekend at Loudon

Rusty NormanDanica Patrick returns to the Nascar Nationwide series this weekend and there is definitely an increased buzz about it everywhere. There is no doubt her presence increases the visibility of the series in many ways, but this time, there doesn’t appear to be the high expectations for her performance like there was earlier in the year.

It is this fan’s opinion reality has set in along with the understanding that it isn’t easy to make the jump between Indy Cars and the heavier cars NASCAR runs. She isn’t the only one to try and make the transition between the two series and, at least for me, the results of her performance are no more surprising than those of Juan Pablo Montoya or Sam Hornish Jr and others that have tried. The difference between the two series is just that big.

When it comes down to it, I really do think many people set the bar way to high in their expectations for her. They mistakenly put her confident and, at times, somewhat abrasive racing personality from the Indy series ahead of what should be expected of her. Some think she has too high an opinion of herself and her abilities and that turned them against her from the start. So, does that mean they will never warm up to her should she decide to make NASCAR a more permanent home?

I don’t think so. We know there are many drivers that haven’t necessarily started off with a lot of fans rooting for them. A few names that immediately come to mind would be names like Darryl Waltrip, Jeff Gordon and Kyle Bush. None of them came into the series with a bunch of appreciative fans, but eventually fans came to appreciate there personalities and style. That doesn’t mean everyone loved, (or loves), them but it does mean they did win fans over to them and they did that by the way they performed over time.

It is just my opinion, but if Danica decides to make NASCAR her home and spends the time it takes to understand the series and go fast in NASCAR, she will definitely be accepted by many. Right now, she has a few things that go both for her and against her. Some doubt her commitment to stock car racing and think she is just in it for the money. Those same people think she will be just a flash in the pan for a short while and then will disappear from the NASCAR scene and, unfortunately, they could be right.

Personally, I’m glad she is a part of NASCAR, but if she wants to be competitive and a viable part of NASCAR, in is this fan’s opinion she will have to make a choice to be more a part of the NASCAR Cup series rather than just an attention grabber for the NASCAR Nationwide series. Until she proves herself to the doubters by finishing at or near the front on a regular basis in the Nationwide series and being a more regular and visible face in NASCAR Cup, I think she has a pretty long road ahead of her and eventually the novelty will wear off.

Who knows, she may be the first woman to win the NASCAR Cup Championship if she decides to make NASCAR that more permanent home, but then, I think there are several women racers that would like to compete with her to claim that title and just may have a better chance at it than her… either way, I’m all for them… that is unless they beat out my favorite driver to do it…

See ya next time… Rusty

All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer

© June 25, 2010 – all rights reserved

Rusty Norman and NascarFansView.com

(All audio productions by www.podcastnorm.com and PCNProductions.com)

Danicka Patrick returns to the Nascar Nationwide series this weekend and there is definitely an increased buzz about it everywhere. There is no doubt her presence increases the visibility of the series in many ways, but this time, there doesn’t appear to be the high expectations for her performance like there was earlier in the year.

It is this fan’s opinion reality has set in along with the understanding that it isn’t easy to make the jump between Indy Cars and the heavier cars NASCAR runs. She isn’t the only one to try and make the transition between the two series and, at least for me, the results of her performance are no more surprising than those of Juan Pablo Montoya or Sam Hornish Jr and others that have tried. The difference between the two series is just that big.

When it comes down to it, I really do think many people set the bar way to high in their expectations for her. They mistakenly put her confident and, at times, somewhat abrasive racing personality from the Indy series ahead of what should be expected of her. Some think she has too high an opinion of herself and her abilities and that turned them against her from the start. So, does that mean they will never warm up to her should she decide to make NASCAR a more permanent home?

I don’t think so. We know there are many drivers that haven’t necessarily started off with a lot of fans rooting for them. A few names that immediately come to mind would be names like Darryl Waltrip, Jeff Gordon and Kyle Bush. None of them came into the series with a bunch of appreciative fans, but eventually fans came to appreciate there personalities and style. That doesn’t mean everyone loved, (or loves), them but it does mean they did win fans over to them and they did that by the way they performed over time.

It is just my opinion, but if Danicka decides to make NASCAR her home and spends the time it takes to understand the series and go fast in NASCAR, she will definitely be accepted by many. Right now, she has a few things that go both for her and against her. Some doubt her commitment to stock car racing and think she is just in it for the money. Those same people think she will be just a flash in the pan for a short while and then will disappear from the NASCAR scene and, unfortunately, they could be right.

Personally, I’m glad she is a part of NASCAR, but if she wants to be competitive and a viable part of NASCAR, in is this fan’s opinion she will have to make a choice to be more a part of the NASCAR Cup series rather than just an attention grabber for the NASCAR Nationwide series. Until she proves herself to the doubters by finishing at or near the front on a regular basis in the Nationwide series and being a more regular and visible face in NASCAR Cup, I think she has a pretty long road ahead of her and eventually the novelty will wear off.

Who knows, she may be the first woman to win the NASCAR Cup Championship if she decides to make NASCAR that more permanent home, but then, I think there are several women racers that would like to compete with her to claim that title and just may have a better chance at it than her… either way, I’m all for them… that is unless they beat out my favorite driver to do it…

See ya next time… Rusty

All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer

© June 25, 2010 – all rights reserved

Rusty Norman and NascarFansView.com

(All audio productions by www.podcastnorm.com and PCNProductions.com)

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NASCAR at Sonoma After Thoughts: Jimmie Johnson Dominates and Wins (But I Can’t Wait for Loudon)

Jimmie Johnson dominated the Toyota/Save Mart 350, at the end was gifted the race by Marcos Ambrose’s mistake and took home the win for the #48 Hendrick team at Sonoma. Even though Ambrose seemed to have the race in control during the last laps, his shutting off his engine to conserve fuel for the possibility of green white checkers at the final caution cost him the race. He simply couldn’t get it started going up hill and came to a stop dropping him to starting seventh on the re-start.

It was a shock to all who watched but also shows just how much the possibility of green-white-checkers has entered into every decision during late race cautions. To this fan, it was a real shame to have that happen to the guy that would’ve definitely won, especially with the way it appeared the race was going to finish. Unfortunately, He couldn’t blend in until Kasey Kahne in the #9 went by and that put him out of contention for the final laps even though he did finish 6th.

As I stated in the earlier special edition this week, the Sonoma road course on this day was a lot like a short track race and it was inevitable in my opinion that tempers were going to become inflamed by the end. The aggressive driving started early and although it did wane a bit in the middle, at the end there was a whole lotta bumpin’ goin’ on.

In the final quarter of the race one of the most aggressive drivers was (maybe not so surprisingly) Jeff Gordon. His apparent frustration with his finishes this year seemed to surface as he made it onto what I like to call the “return-the-favor” list of several drivers. We don’t know for sure that something will happen at Loudon this coming weekend between all of the possibilities, but unfortunately for Jeff (again in this fan’s opinion), he is going to have to be looking over his shoulder for a while, (that is unless he can sooth some of the feathers he’s ruffled at Sonoma.)

I know it sounds funny talking about Jeff Gordon being so aggressive as to look like he was a little out of control, but the facts speak for themselves – he was. He admitted after the race he wasn’t proud of some of the things he did during the race and although he was going to try and sooth things over, he didn’t expect Martin Truex Jr to be very receptive. He went on to say he expected (and deserved) some payback from him somewhere along the way in the near future. He will also be looking out for a little payback from more than Truex. From this fan’s observations of the end of the race, Elliot Sadler, Clint Bowyer and Kurt Bush are going to be looking for an opportunity to upset one or more of his days in the near future, too.

Jeff Gordon wasn’t the only one making waves on the track. Some names that come to mind quickly would be AJ Allmendinger and Juan Pablo Montoya (even though I know there were others.) Allmendinger caused the first mix-up early in the race, involving himself, Jamie McMurray and Kyle Bush. He and Jamie managed to finish 13th and 15th respectively but Kyle finished 34 laps down in 39th position. Montoya was aggressive on the day also and took Joey Logano out of a possible top 15 finish and put him back in 33rd. He was as aggressive as anyone at the end and finished a somewhat disappointing 10th (at least for him on a road course).

One of the drivers that stands out in my mind over the last several weeks would be Denny Hamlin. He has won an impressive five races this year and has done hardly anything but whine since Martinsville. He’s whined about his teammate (and endured a little in return), complained about NASCAR and how they throw cautions for debris and other things to tighten the race at the end. I just don’t know, it makes this fan wonder if he is whining while things are looking pretty good for him, what will it be like if his luck changes and things go against him a little bit? Oh, I know he’ll suck it up and move on, but I can’t help but think we’ll have endure even more whining along the way. I will say one thing, though… he needs to work harder on his road course program.

Oh well, with all of the adrenaline that was flowing at the end of the race at Sonoma, I just can’t wait to get to racing on the flat track at Loudon. I guess we’ll find out just how much was just talk when we get there…

See ya next time… Rusty

All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer

© June 23, 2010 – all rights reserved

Rusty Norman and NascarFansView.com

(All audio productions by www.podcastnorm.com and PCNProductions.com)

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Quick Thoughts On Nascar At Sonoma: Nascar Fan’s View Special Edition

With the intense racing at the end of the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma today, I just couldn’t help but let out a little of my own emotions, too. The racing was a bit over the edge, in particular over the last 30 laps and there was more than one person that got his feelings hurt in the road racing that looked more like short track bumpin’ and bangin’.

Actually, at least from my view, the aggressive driving started early and then eased up for a while. It appeared to this fan that many of the drivers put up with some of the shenanigans for a period of time and then a lot of emotion along with the inevitable beatin’ and bangin’ began to spill out. Some of the drivers were able to keep their emotions in check while others let it all hang out.

The one incident that will probably get the most attention this week and at Loudon will be the one between Jeff Gordon and Martin Truex Jr. Jeff did get into Martin and did spin him in turn #11. That incident put Truex in a bad starting position for the following caution and restart and he ended up on the trailer for the rest of the race. In the heat of the moment, Martin vowed to make it up to Jeff this coming weekend at Loudon.

One thing is obvious about Jeff Gordon and his desire to win races and possibly take his fifth Cup Championship, he has been driving very aggressively this season and, at Sonoma, obviously upset more than just Martin Truex Jr (in particular, Kurt Bush quickly comes to mind.) For someone many say is over the hill and on his way out, I’d say they may want to reconsider their opinion. To this fan, it looks like he is ready to put it all on the line and if some think he is overly aggressive or not, seems to me I remember they used to say someone else was overly aggressive – almost intimidating…

At Sonoma it was easy to see some tempers were short, especially near the end of the day, but we’ll talk more about at length in the mid-week article, “Nascar at Sonoma After Thoughts”…

See ya next time… Rusty

All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer

© June 20, 2010 – all rights reserved

Rusty Norman and NascarFansView.com

(All audio productions by www.podcastnorm.com and PCNProductions.com)

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NASCAR at Sonoma: Road Racing NASCAR Style

Rusty NormanNASCAR hits the Sonoma road course this weekend and for the drivers and teams, it will be a love/hate/tolerate relationship. Some will love it, some will hate it and others will, quite simply, tolerate it. As for the haters (and I know this may sound a bit harsh), most of them won’t even be in their cars this weekend – someone else will be driving for them – and we won’t have to endure their sob stories about why NASCAR even visits road racing courses, anyway.

It has been said NASCAR drivers are the best in the world and more than one will prove that statement to be true this weekend. Even more importantly, performance on road courses has become an integral part of the overall performance of the drivers and teams and most of them realize they no longer should look at them as “throw-away” races. Many of the better teams and drivers have worked on their road racing programs and it has become very competitive in the last few years. (I, for one, am glad of that.)

Why do I think NASCAR drivers are the best in the world? (Well, I’m sure glad you asked that question because I definitely have my own opinion and I’m not the least bit hesitant to express it.)

You see, I know there are a lot of great drivers in the world and some of them perform well on road courses. Unfortunately, they only perform well on road courses and not too many other venues.

That is not a cut, (even though it sounds like one); I believe it is simply a fact.

There is a big difference between handling the intricacies of a road course in a car that is made for such racing but it is a completely different thing to man-handle a 3400 pound Cup car around the same type tracks and perform at the same level. Sure I know the Cup cars are set up differently to run the road courses but essentially they are the same as they are every week… heavy.

The same can be said about Indy cars and Formula one. Not many have the ability to perform at a high level in Indy cars or in Formula one and also just jump right into a NASCAR Cup car and perform at that same high level. (JP Montoya, Sam Hornish and others (including Danicka) have shown that to be true over the last several years. Even the Cup drivers know they would have trouble getting into one of those type cars these days simply because of the technical sophistication of the Indy and Formula one cars. (This is just another reason I like NASCAR racing; the drivers still get to show their driving prowess and not so much their ability to push the right buttons at the right time to make the car perform.) But, I digress…

As for qualifying order, I tend to look at road courses a little differently than I do oval tracks even though I still contend one lap does not tell the whole story of race possibilities. Qualifying near the top at a road course definitely has its advantages and most of them are recognized at the beginning of the race. Although many things can happen to change the outcome of a race on a road course, (like wheel hop, missing a shift, or overdriving a corner), starting out front gets a driver out of the fray earlier and lets him (or her) establish their rhythm and gives them a better chance at staying out front (or maybe better said, up front.)

I really like the looks of the top ten starters for the Toyota/Save Mart 350 and it should make for an interesting race from beginning to end. Just looking at the top eight offers eight possible winners although not necessarily in the order they start.

Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon and Marcos Ambrose are all strong road racers. The three of them could quite possibly be fighting it out for the checkers at the end of the day. Still, from this fan’s view, Jimmy Johnson, Kurt Bush, Kasey Kahne and Kevin Harvick simply can’t be ruled out either. Now, I’m not saying no-one else has a chance, I’m just saying the top eight to ten qualifiers are quite capable of staying out front all day if need be to take home the trophy and the check.

Of course, no conversation for possible winners would be complete without mentioning a few dark horses. Some names like Juan Pablo Montoya, Boris Said, Jamie McMurray

Kyle Bush and Denny Hamlin stand out, also. Any of them could end up in Victory Lane although, in my opinion, their chances are not as high as the others I mentioned.

When it comes down to the last laps, this fan thinks it is going to be a race between four drivers and possibly five; Kasey Kahne, Jeff Gordon, Marcos Ambrose, Tony Stewart and Jimmy Johnson. Any one of them could win and probably will. My top three choices in no particular order are Kasey Kahne, Jeff Gordon and Marcos Ambrose. Any of the three have proven their ability by strong performances on road courses and, I have to admit, it is awfully hard to leave Tony Stewart and Jimmie Johnson out of the mix.

If I’ve said it is hard to pick a winner this year before this week, I believe it is even harder at Sonoma (and especially this year.) My personal choice is Jeff Gordon, but there are about eight others that are going to be right there, banging gears and trying to out-brake him (at turn eleven in particular.)

Now that I think about it, I haven’t even considered the possibility of late cautions, double-file restarts and up to three green-white-checkered finishes. Wow… figure those into the mix at the end and this could absolutely be the most exciting finish to a road race at Sonoma ever… but, then again… maybe not…

See ya next time… Rusty

All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer

© June 19, 2010 – all rights reserved

Rusty Norman and NascarFansView.com

(All audio productions by www.podcastnorm.com and PCNProductions.com)

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NASCAR At Michigan After Thoughts: Hamlin Takes His Second Win In A Row

Denny Hamlin continues to show strength and gain momentum in NASCAR Sprint Cup by taking his second victory in a row and his first at Michigan International Speedway. That makes his fifth victory on the season and places him third in the points for the Chase. Some are already saying he is the one to beat for the Cup Championship in 2010 and they may be right.

I say, however, let’s not rush into things. I do admit it is hard to argue with the performance of the #11 FedEx Toyota from JGR and it does appear they have hit on something that gives them an advantage over the rest at the moment. I also know this is NASCAR and that fortunes can just as quickly turn in someone else’s direction and it can happen this coming week at Sonoma. Don’t misunderstand, I’m not saying it will, but I am saying it could.

One thing about racing, if you think you’ve got everyone one covered, you just think you’ve got everyone covered. There’s only thing you can rest assured of if you are leading a lot like the JGR and Penske teams are at the moment and that is there are a bunch of people gunning for them and just as determined to be the ones putting it to the rest just like those teams are at the moment.

There is a lot to be said however about the “Big Mo” (momentum) and even though I know that Joe Gibbs racing is not sitting back resting on their laurels, no one else is either. The Richard Childress, Roger Penske and Earnhardt/Ganassi Teams are just as determined to get “Big Mo” on their side as soon as possible. Let’s not forget the Hendrick teams either. They may not be showing a lot of strength at the moment, but we all know they can start stringing things together at any time.

At the moment, I have mixed feelings about the Roush teams along with Richard Petty Motorsports. Although this last weekend proved the new Ford FR9 engine does give them back some of the power they’ve been lacking recently, it was fairly obvious the Ford teams have two problems to work out, and soon. They need to be able to keep the engines cool and they need to get more of that added horsepower hooked up to the track. Once that happens, the only ones that won’t be competitive in NASCAR Sprint Cup will be the “start and parks.”

As a NASCAR fan, I have to say one thing about Michigan. To me it is one of the least exciting races on the NASCAR circuit and it is through no fault of anyone except that the track has several racing grooves and it is an extremely fast track. If one car has a tenth or so extra speed on all the rest, it doesn’t take long for that car to pull away and give the race an air of boredom. Even though the speeds are up, the on-track excitement is a little low on the adrenaline meter. When someone has a car like Kurt Bush, Kasey Kahne and Denny Hamlin all had on Sunday afternoon there was very little doubt that one of them was going to win and it was just a matter of who got out front in the clean air and could stay there. After that it was all over but the possibilities of mistakes during pit stops; (well, that and some team-mates trying to wreck each other way back in the pack.) At Michigan, there generally aren’t that many cautions or unscheduled pit stops anyway. The yellows fell just right this year to make the possibility of fuel being important to it becoming a non-issue, unlike last year.

It’s just my opinion, but it seems to me that Denny Hamlin thinks NASCAR still throws debris cautions just to try and make the fans leave a little more excited about the end of the race than they might have had there not been one near the end. I gathered that in listening to his post race interview. I have to disagree with his thoughts on the subject simply because, even with it, he completely dominated the field for at least the final quarter of the race and there was very little doubt, unless something really out of the ordinary happened, he was going to win. (So what else is new?)

As it stands after this weekend, he and his #11 FedEx JGR team have five victories on the year so far and if the Chase started next week he would be in the number one point position with those 50 bonus points. So far, it looks like they are on a roll.

I wonder… if he wins a couple of more races, will he get blamed for the lack of interest in NASCAR racing instead of Jimmie Johnson and Chad Knaus? Nah… probably not…

See ya next time… Rusty

All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer

© June 14, 2010 – all rights reserved

Rusty Norman and NascarFansView.com

(All audio productions by www.podcastnorm.com and PCNProductions.com)