Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/nofenders/zbjv/~3/sBA4O8iggcM/alms-and-grand-am-merge-finally.html
Michele Alboreto Jean Alesi Jaime Alguersuari Philippe Alliot
Saturday
Tony Stewart flings his helmet at Matt Kenseth in the best NASCAR video of the year
-Follow Jay Busbee on Twitter at @JayBusbee.-
Short-track racing makes a man a mite feisty. Tony Stewart and Matt Kenseth were battling for the lead when both turned downward and hit the wall, effectively ending both their chances at a win. Stewart's car was the more damaged, and as Kenseth passed him on pit road, Stewart fired a low strike right at Kenseth's hood. Hop-step, two hands ... that was Olympic-quality helmet tossing, friends.
Interviewed as his car was under repair, Stewart made no attempt to hide his disgust with Kenseth. "I'm going to run over him every chance I get for the rest of the year," he said of Kenseth. And when informed that he'd get his helmet back, he shot back, "I don't give a crap. Hell with the helmet."
NASCAR has a fine tradition of drivers throwing helmets: Robby Gordon slung one at Michael Waltrip in New Hampshire in 2005. Elliott Sadler fired his helmet at Ryan Newman at Charlotte in 2002. And Dale Jarrett lobbed his helmet right at Bobby Hillin Jr. at Bristol back in 1993.
NASCAR, baby. NASCAR.
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Based on recent results at Chase tracks, your 2012 winner will be ?
The Chase begins this weekend at Chicagoland, and that's one of only two tracks (Homestead is the other) out of the 10-race Chase which is a one-time visit for the NASCAR Sprint Cup series. That gives us a statistical basis, if not necessarily a representative sample size, to make some guesses as to which driver is in the best position to make a run at the Cup.
Here are the average finishing positions of each of the 12 Chasers at the eight Chase tracks at which the Sprint Cup series has already run this season. We start with the worst average finish and move upward. No fair peeking at No. 1 ...
12. Tony�Stewart (average finish: 19.0)
11. Clint Bowyer (15.00)
10. Jeff Gordon (13.25)
9. Kasey Kahne (12.75)
8. Brad Keselowski (10.5)
7. Kevin Harvick (9.875)
6. Martin Truex Jr. (9.75)
5. Jimmie Johnson (9.375)
4. Denny Hamlin (8.125)
3. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (7.125)
2. Matt Kensenth (6.875)
1. Greg Biffle (6.375)
So this tracks fairly well with what we've expected. It's important to note that even a single finish in the 30's can torpedo your average ranking, and Stewart did himself no favors by not having any of his wins come at a Chase track. (Apologies to those of you who saw an earlier, less accurate version of this.)
Obviously this is by no means definitive ? there are two tracks unaccounted for, for starters ? but this is an interesting look at past history and consistency. And it's another way to keep Biffle Nation watching, am I right?
Honda Confirms the Civic Type R for 2015 and Shooting for Fastest FWD on the Ring
 |
The Honda Civic Type R is one of those cars that import tuners ? regardless of their make preference ? would give just about anything to get their hands on. We knew that Honda was working on an all-new Civic type R, thanks to a few savvy spy photographers, but the details were still rather sketchy on when and where it would be released.
Well, with a news release that Honda sent out today, we have found out that the Civic Type R is a certainty and that this beast will hit the market in 2015. Unfortunately, this model will remain a fabled unicorn for the U.S. market, as Honda also announced that the Type R will be developed specifically for the European market ? what a bummer.
According to Honda, the Civic Type R will apply technologies developed while preparing for the World Touring Car Championship (WTCC). Given its WTCC roots, Honda has huge expectations of its 2015 or 2016 Civic Type R, as it also announced that it is aiming to make the Civic Type R the fastest front-wheel-drive car to ever lap the mighty N�rburgring.
That 2-year-old record is currently held by the Renault Megane RS Trophy and the time to beat would be 8:07.97, which is about 54 seconds slower than the Porsche 918 Spyder popped off the other day. Rather lofty goals indeed, Honda, as the Megane RS Trophy is no slouch, pumping out 256 horsepower, 360 Nm (265 pound-feet) of torque.
Reports are showing that the Civic Type R will arrive with between 220 and 230 horsepower, putting it far short of the Renault. Plus, if Honda is planning to use its aging i-VTEC technology, there is simply no way the Civic Type R can produce the torque required to navigate the `Ring fast enough to beat the Renault?s time. The only way that Honda can expect to pull off this feat is to add a little boost to its VTEC engine to pump up the bottom-end torque and top-end horsepower, or simply create the most ridiculous power-to-weight ratio by deleting half of the body panels?
We?ll keep an eye out for more.
Honda Confirms the Civic Type R for 2015 and Shooting for Fastest FWD on the Ring originally appeared on topspeed.com on Friday, 21 September 2012 16:00 EST.
Skip Barber Paolo Barilla Rubens Barrichello Michael Bartels
Happy Hour: Will we see a rookie revolution in 2013?
Welcome to the latest Happy Hour mailbag! You know how these work: You write us with your best rant/ joke/one-liner at happyhournascar@yahoogroups.com or on Twitter at @jaybusbee, we respond to your messages, everyone goes away with a smile on their face.
This week, I'm on the golf beat, covering Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and the rest at the FedExCup. (Don't know what the FedExCup -- yes, all one word -- is? Read my preview here. Trust me, you'll enjoy it.) Anyway, this gives me the opportunity to run one of my favorite Onion articles ever: "Confused NASCAR driver runs over 30 golfers in attempt to win the FedExCup." No bueno, Denny.
One more programming note: if you enjoy this silliness, tune in every Monday for my new all-sports column Case Of The Mondays. We treat every sport there with the same reverence we treat NASCAR here.
All right, enough with the previews. Let's get to your letters.
I'm not sure when Jeff Burton's contract runs out, but I have to think CAT is not happy with the Senator, much the same way Home Depot forced JGR's hand. Given that Harvick and Menard are solid in the RCR camp, do you think it's likely Austin or both of the Dillon boys makes the leap next year? Both have shown pretty good skills in the Nationwide series.
Next year may bring a pretty good rookie crop for a change.
? Jeff "The Real Slim Sarge" Smith
Wherabouts Classified
Agreed. Between Stenhouse, the Dillon boys and ol' whatsername, we've got some interesting new blood coming into the Sprint Cup series in coming months. I don't want to begin to speculate on sponsor-driver relations, but I will say that Burton is an absolute sponsor's dream for the demographic CAT wants to hit, and he's signed through 2013. Much better fit than, say, Zest and Matt Kenseth or Bass Pro Shops and Jamie McMurray. Those two should've switched, you ask me.
To answer your question directly: I can't see either Dillon making a big splash next year, but they'll get the equivalent of a September callup, much the same way Stenhouse is getting this year. Come 2016, we're going to have a whole new bunch of cats in the Chase...hopefully.
____________________
If the rumors are true, and Kurt Busch joins RCR, how will that work out with two alpha-males on the same team? Harvick is the predominant personality on that team, with a history of confrontation, being short- tempered, and some (minor) violence. Kurt has the same (more extreme) history. Can the two actually work together on the same team, or will there be drama between the two as they fight to be the top dog of their team?
?�Dayna B.
California
We make it our policy not to comment on rumoHA HA WHO ARE WE KIDDING? Look, I flat-out love this rumor. LOVE it. I love it so much I don't even want to bother with verifying that it's made up out of spare tires and bullcrap, because I just want it to live on forever. Kurt Busch and Kevin Harvick on the same team? Are you kidding me? I'd love to see that happen, mainly because I think Kurt is a better driver than Kevin and Happy would go insane if he got upstaged in his own team. (RCR has shot this one down, alas. Too bad.)
That said, I don't know what becomes of Kurt. He's simmered down quite a bit in the last few weeks, and while he's had a few radio blowups, he's apparently kept the support of his team around him. Will talent win out over temper? We'll find out soon enough.
____________________
So what becomes of AJ Allmendinger and his 'indefinite ban' of what, 60 days?? Lost his ride and I'm sure lots of dough along with a question mark over his lack of sense. But, he took a pretty big hit for this to be expunged in less than 60 days?
Sam Hornish should get the ride to do the Nationwide race and Indy 500 next year since Penske bailed on him in favor of Joey. And now AJ too!
?�Old School
There's this assumption that "indefinite" should have meant "forever and a day," but "indefinite" (which has to be one of NASCAR's favorite words, along with "debris in Turn Two") can mean four years or four minutes. The impression I get is that Allmendinger made a phenomenally stupid move, did everything he could to get right with NASCAR as soon as he could, and they held up their end of the bargain. You're right, it does seem like he paid a heavy price for such a short term, but I think he set himself up well for the future: he's proven (hopefully) that he's gotten scared straight, and that he can live up to his word when he's screwed up.
Dinger doesn't have that many options, and he's got some heavy competition for the seats that may open. I wonder if he'll give open-wheel a shot. Regardless, you've got to hope for the best for a guy who seems to have straightened things out.
___________________
This can't possibly be what the guys in charge of NASCAR want as far as promoting their sport and growing the audience. This race was so boring that, I a die hard NASCAR fan changed channels to watch the Browns-Bengals game! Mile-and-a-half cookie cutter tracks made sense in the '90s when the speeds and RPMs were not so high. The cars are so well made now that the top teams don't have engine failures like they did twenty or thirty years ago. My idea: expand restrictor plates to the mile and halfs. Bunch the field up and have actual side-by-side racing, see some passing on the track instead of wins just because one pit crew is a few tenths of a second faster than another team.
?�Francis
Restrictor plates at mile-and-a-halfs? Good heavens, Francis, you'll have people coming to your door with torches and pitchforks. You have hit on a point, though: technology has outstripped the tracks' capacity to contain it. It's no longer a question of if you'll make it to the end of the race. Which is why I have an audacious proposal. Instead of shortening races, let's lengthen 'em! Who wouldn't watch the Daytona 5000? Why not run 10,000 laps around Bristol? You could watch the start of the race, go to college, get married, have a couple kids, and take them to the finish!
Anyway, I get your pain. But until someone steps up and constructs a new short track and gets it on the schedule, we're stuck with the cookie-cutters. And they're crappy cookies, too, like those peanut-butter ones with fork crisscrosses. Those suck.
____________________
Here is an idea: take the last-place Chase guy and throw him out each week, and see which three are left at the end for the Homestead race. Then compare that to what the real results are and you might wonder just how much WINS count for against the mulligan factor. So keep a week by week tally and take it from there. I myself like wins, but those come-from-behind performances are really great.
?�Steve T.
GO # 88
I think we did this last year, and Carl Edwards ended up winning. Smoke got eliminated early on. So let's give it a go. Mr. Gordon, please exit the stage and collect your prize. We need a name for this particular competition. "Last Man Driving"? Come up with something better. Of course, in reality it wouldn't go anywhere because of sponsor concerns, but we don't live in reality here.
Finally, we got a great letter that just begs to be run in its entirety. Editing would only destroy the flow of this beauty:
___________________
WOW! here I am living in Pittsburgh, actually born here lived here for most of my life except for 2 years in Oklahoma(army) and 8 years in southwest Florida. I became a slight fan of NASCAR in the mid 80's and dabled a bit until the KIDD came about started watching it when i could get it in PGH then i went to the first Brickyard and WOW i was hooked and jumped on rooting for Jeff! But i was still a die hard Steelers fan and watched them like religion until!!!! one sunday in septtember while living in San Carlos Park on the west coast of florida I decied to goto the local watering hole The San Carlos Lounge to watch the steelers cause they were finally on tv and i didnt have to watch a Miami or a Tampa game so as i make my way to the bar I notice all 8 TVs on the nascar race I belive it was Talledega, so i ask the bartender quietly hey can you put the Steeler game on!!!!!!ooppps!!! it was like i broke every glass in the place it got eiriely quiet almost deafening was the silence (and i use this term with no offence to anyone)this toothless old redneck with a Dale sr hat n Shirt on turns and in a voice as loud as thunder he states Listen here Yankee there aint no G*& damned football on these here TV's until the 3rd week of November and you can walk your yankee ass right outta here with that black and gold bumblbee looking get upo you have on!!!! Wow i was floored but i satyed and watched for a while!! Now living inFla i never missed a daytona 500 or a pepsi 400 at Daytona and made every Miami race while i was there and i goto Richmond evry year for both races! But what kills me is living in Pittsburgh I am again on the wrong side of the fence i cant get NASCAR on any public tv during football season and belive me these yankees up here have no concept of what NASCAR is I am fighting a loseing battle with all the fantasy football people too i play NASCAR fantasy and they just have a good laugh at me and constantly hearing how hard is it to go fast and turn left???? GRRRRR well just to say that this is not the easiest city to be a NASCAR fan !!!!!!
?�Sean T Byrnes
Awesome letter, Sean. Anybody else want to give us a rant about where you're from and how little they like NASCAR there? Come on, step up! Tell us how you get your race fix in Europe or Asia or the Indian Ocean or Massachusetts or whatever strange land you live in. Have at it!
And on that note, we're out. Thanks to all our writers this week. You want in? Fire up the computer and hit us with whatever's on your mind, NASCAR-wise, at happyhournascar@yahoogroups.com. You can find Yahoo! Sports' NASCAR coverage on Facebook right here, and you can follow me on Twitter at @jaybusbee and on Facebook here. Make sure to tell us where you're from. We'll make you famous!
NASCAR video from Yahoo! Sports:
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Friday
Join us for the latest Yahoo! Sports NASCAR chat, Tuesday at 1 p.m. ET
Time again for another Yahoo! Sports NASCAR chat! Come talk to us about the Chase, Chicago and whatever else is on your mind. See you here!
Thursday
Wednesday
The Wild Card race: An unexpected driver could take a spot
With two races to go before the Chase for the Sprint Cup begins, the most important figure in the fight for the Chase's two Wild Card spots could be Tony Stewart, the defending series champion. Yes, that's the same Tony Stewart who has been a virtual lock for the Chase since he left Daytona with his third win of the season and in sixth place in the points standings.
While Stewart is still in the top 10, he's 10th, 16 points ahead of Kasey Kahne in 11th thanks to finishes of 18th, 32nd and 27th over his last three races. Late in the running of Saturday night's race at Bristol ? after Stewart had been taken out of contention thanks to his run-in with Matt Kenseth ? the driver that stood the most to gain was winless Carl Edwards, who could have closed to within 15 points of Stewart for the final automatic Chase berth.
However, Edwards, who was trying to stretch his fuel to the end, ran out of gas with five laps to go and finished 22nd.
10. Tony Stewart, +16 from 11th (3 wins): Stewart is still in the Chase, either via the top 10 or thanks to those three wins even if he hasn't officially clinched yet. However, if Stewart gets in via the Wild Card, he starts the Chase tied for last without the virtue of his bonus points for those three wins. If he stays in the top 10, he could start first.
[Related: Tony Stewart flings helmet at Matt Kenseth]
11. Kasey Kahne, -16 from 10th (2 wins): All Kahne has to do right now is hold serve. If he can get around Stewart and into the top 10, he could start the Chase three points off the lead. The disastrous scenario for him is if Edwards sneaks into the top 10 while Stewart falls out and a driver with one win wins the next two races. Not likely.
12. Carl Edwards, -34 (0 wins): You have to admire the gumption of Edwards in going for the win while trying to stretch it on fuel mileage as it looked like Edwards' best shot to get into Chase contention. His bed already made, pitting from the race lead with less than 60 laps to go to ensure that the car would make it to the end wasn't the right move at the time, but it may have saved 10 points ? hindsight being 20/20 and all that. Wins at Atlanta and Richmond likely get Edwards in. Can he do it?
13. Kyle Busch, -39 (1 win): Busch is still in the Chase right now, but he's living on a dangerous edge. Simply outpointing Jeff Gordon, Ryan Newman, Marcos Ambrose and Joey Logano seems simple enough, but if one of those four drivers wins and Busch doesn't, he's toast. Busch's stats at Richmond are insane, however. In 15 career races he's got four wins and 12 top fives. He still may be the best bet of the one win drivers to make it in.
14. Jeff Gordon, -55 (1 win): Gordon's third place finish Saturday night pushed him ahead of Ryan Newman and within striking distance of Busch. Plus, Gordon won last year's race at Atlanta. Repeating Sunday night puts the pressure squarely on Busch at Richmond.
15. Ryan Newman, -58 (1 win): Newman's chances took a huge hit when he made contact with nemesis Juan Pablo Montoya and slammed into the inside wall. His record at Atlanta and and Richmond is lesser than that of Busch and Gordon, and instead of being ahead of both of them with two races to go, he's now behind them.
[Related: Denny Hamlin wins at Bristol, his third victory this season]
16. Marcos Ambrose, -67 (1 win): If there were a few more races before the Chase, Ambrose could surpass all three of the one-win drivers ahead of him as he's recorded back-to-back fifth place finishes since winning at Watkins Glen. He showed some speed earlier in the season at Texas, the most similar track to Atlanta. If you believe in momentum, Ambrose is your guy. But it may be too little, too late.
18. Joey Logano, -108 (1 win): It's strictly win or go home time for Logano who bounced back with an eighth-place finish at Bristol after three finishes outside the top 30 in the past four races. In 12 combined Richmond and Atlanta starts, he's got just one top 10. But hey, his only top 10 at Pocono was his win there earlier this season. Never say never, but Logano's on a one-way street right now.
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Name That Supercar
| |
Name That Supercar originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 18 September 2012 15:45 EST.
Source: http://www.topspeed.com/car-games/car-games/name-that-supercar-ar127089.html
Why The Dodge Deal Isn?t Done Yet
One of the biggest Silly Season moves that we are waiting to hear a resolution for is �just where Dodge will end up. Since it was announced that Penske would be moving to Ford for the 2013 season, there have been a ton of rumors and speculation, but no real solid information. And the reason [...] 
TheNASCARInsiders.com
Follow the Insiders on Twitter or be a fan on Facebook!
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheNascarInsiders/~3/cdqsQ8K1aJs/
Tuesday
Volkswagen Golf 2013 Best In History
You have started the countdown for the seventh generation Volkswagen Golf makes its appearance at the Paris Motor Show 2012. But before their public appearance Bavarian firm has unveiled the new chapter of this model in Berlin, Germany. As a 2013 model, the Golf has dimensions of 4.255 mm long, 2.637 mm wide y1, 452 [...]
Source: http://www.autocarblog.co.uk/330-volkswagen-golf-2013-best-in-history.html
Here?s Jeff Gordon with a mustache
Jeff Gordon has kept his promise.
Gordon said earlier this year that he would grow a mustache like the one he spored as a young driver in the early 1990s if his team made the Chase. He made the Chase Saturday night at Richmond thanks to a second place finish and Kyle Busch's misfortune.
During Chase media days on Wednesday, Gordon had sported a full facial stubble look, saying that yes, everything but the mustache would be clean shaven before race festivities kicked off at Chicagoland Speedway. And there it is.
With only a week's worth of growth, it's not as awesome as, say, this picture. But hopefully Gordon keeps the stache long enough to rival not only the look from 20 years ago, but Junior's beard's status as the most famous facial hair in modern-day NASCAR.
Follow Nick Bromberg on Twitter.
Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nascar-from-the-marbles/jeff-gordon-mustache-020223530--nascar.html
Sebastien Bourdais Thierry Boutsen Johnny Boyd David Brabham
As Chase begins, Tony Stewart has his hands full with Harvick ? Delana Harvick
Just before the first race of the 10-race 2012 Chase for the Cup began, Tony Stewart was busy sizing up the competition:
That's none other than Delana Harvick, wife of fellow Chase driver Kevin Harvick. "And for the record," she later tweeted, "if uncle tony wins today it's not my fault!!! #sneakyassgraber"
Could be worse, Delana. He could've thrown a helmet at you.
Happy Hour: What?s in a name, Greg Biffle?
Welcome to the latest Happy Hour mailbag! You know how these work: You write us with your best rant/ joke/one-liner at happyhournascar@yahoogroups.com or on Twitter at @jaybusbee, we respond to your messages, everyone goes away with a smile on their face.
I'm filing this column while on the plane to Richmond. A plane! BEAT THAT, SHAKESPEARE. We'll have plenty of info for you on the regular-season finale in the next couple days, but for now, your letters.
I've lived in NASCAR country all my life, but have never gotten deeply involved in the bowels of the sport, so to speak. I tried. I picked a random driver to follow one season, but in an effort to avoid all the pre-made contractual obligations of who-you-gotta-love, who-you-gotta-hate, I picked a relative newcomer. He didn't last in NASCAR, and that was that. More recently, I've considered Biffle. He'll be around for a while, he's getting great results, but as far as I can tell, nobody loves him and nobody hates him. He's NASCAR's invisible man. Perfect, except for one thing. I can't bring myself to cheer for a guy named Biffle. In fact, I would go so far as to say that it is his name that's been holding him back from NASCAR stardom. He's taken the Biffle name and turned it into a personality.
Do you think he would consider changing it? "Biff" would have been good if it weren't for the Back To the Future Series. Bifflehauser maybe? A good German name will never elicit neutral sentiment. Biffinator? Or better yet, legally change his name to Vader. That would get a reaction.
Chip
China (formerly Mississippi and Virginia)
Look, I've got the name "Busbee," which sounds like a cartoon character, so I'm not exactly the guy to be busting on someone else's name. But there could be something to what you're saying. "Fireball Roberts": that's a NASCAR name. "Dale Earnhardt": that's a NASCAR name. "Buckshot Jones": that's such a NASCAR name that it may have been created in a lab. But "Greg Biffle"? Sounds like the sound you'd hear in a particularly nasty pillow fight. And we haven't exactly helped him by giving him the nickname "Fiffle" in our weekly race chat. (It was a TYPO. Sorry, Gerg. I mean, Greg.)
Ah, but what's in a name? (Second Shakespeare reference this column. A new record.) Would Biffle drive that much better if his name was Bubba Bucksnort? Billy Ray Gutburn? Could be, could be. Worth a shot, anyway.
________________
A lot of people talk about what NASCAR is going to be like when drivers like Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart retire. That doesn't seem like such a big problem compared to the owners retiring. Look at Roush (70), Childress (66), Hendrick (63) and Gibbs (72). Only Gibbs has a true successor (that I know of) in JD. I think NASCAR will be in far more trouble when these owners decide to call it a day rather than the current star drivers.
Ciao from Switzerland,
Bill
First China, now Switzerland? We're worldwide, baby! Anyway, I imagine that all teams have lines of succession, with vice presidents whose names you've never heard (they're the guys wearing the golf shirts with the team name in the garage, looking all official) angling for that top job. The thing you've got to worry about is whether somebody's getting promoted on name alone. All indications are that JD Gibbs knows what he's doing ?�heck, he got Matt Kenseth in the stable ? but the worst thing that can happen is for someone to build an empire and then hand it off to their moron offspring, who proceed to run it like a fantasy team and crater it within a decade.
________________
I noticed Jimmie Johnson has the most DNFs of anyone in the Top 25. How should fans see this: a sign of weakness that he's had so many DNFs, or a sign of strength that he's still in 4th place despite those performances?
David J.
I double-checked David J., and sure enough, Vader has five DNFs. (No. 2 in the top 25? Denny Hamlin with 4.) I'd go with the latter explanation: Johnson is so darn good that he can hamstring himself with a few DNFs just to let the crowd stick with him. Shoot, he might just sit out a race in the Chase, just to mess with people.
________________
So here we are. We have a sport that is in transition. A fan favorite that can't seem to find victory lane anymore. And to make matters worse. There's some hot shot west coast driver that everyone hates, racking up win after win and title on top of title. No, this isn't a gripe about the current state of NASCAR. This is a look back at the time between 1996 and the end of the decade ... and here's why I'm bringing it up.
I keep hearing people say "NASCAR can't succeed when Junior is struggling". I don't buy this. After Dale Earnhardt's insane crash at Talladega in 1996 until he finally Slew the beast that was Daytona in 1998, it appeared that the Intimidator had lost his aura and as time went on. It seemed that it was never coming back. During this same time period, a young buck by the name of Jeff Gordon was winning just about every race he entered and had Petty's/Earnhardt's title mark directly in his crosshairs.
I don't remember anyone saying that the sport was any worse off than when Earnhardt was in his prime. And his fans, much like Junior's fans today, would show up in numbers at every race, whether he finished 31st or 1st the previous week. I just can't buy into the theory that one driver, regardless of his popularity, can be the single rivet that holds the ship together.
(And speaking of a young Jeff Gordon. If 1997 Jeff Gordon could travel 15 years into the future, he would slap his older self for not running over Denny Hamlin to get that 2nd win!)
Darrell "Furiousd" Watts
Wishing I was from anywhere but Charlotte this week
Well said. Can't argue with any point there. NASCAR is circular, and those dire predictions of doom and gloom never quite seem to materialize. We'll be fine, even if we're not quite as Southern as we once were.
Also from Darrell: This video of a race from Zandvoort that shows just how tricky pit stops can be, particularly when you don't clear hoses out of the way ...
OUCH.
__________________
So, why didn't NASCAR fine Jeff Gordon for swearing on the radio during a race? Nothing was ever said about this. Junior got fined and all he said was 'Hell' AFTER a race. JG dropped the foxing F-bomb several times, loud and clear. Favoritism? He should have lost�points too.
Mrs. R. Stark
Glendale, Ariz.
Didn't Junior use the s-bomb? And radio communications are off-limits to the restrictions on language, theory being if you listen in on that, you know what you're getting into. Which is lovely, particularly if Kurt Busch or Juan Pablo Montoya is having a bad day.
________________
Does anyone think it's ironic that now Joey will be wearing a firesuit much like DeLana was when he called her out? And if Smoke waits to retaliate until next year, he can wreck his old self.
Thomas
Dallas
________________
"CRY BABY- BAD ATTITUDE STEWART" WANT A FRIEND- GET A DOG!!!! I USED TO THINK KYLE WAS THE WORST, BUT YOU HAVE HIM BEAT BY A MILE. YOU GET WHAT YOU DESERVE AND I HOPE EVERY WEEK SOMEONE "TAKES YOU OUT" OF THE RACE. YOU TREAT FELLOW DRIVERS WITH NO RESPECT , BUT YOU THINK THEY SHOULD BOW DOWN TO YOU. YOU THINK IT'S OK IF YOU PUT ANOTHER DRIVER IN THE WALL BUT WHEN IT HAPPENS TO YOU - YOU DON'T LIKE IT A BIT. NASCAR NEEDS TO "GROW SOME" AND START DOING SOMETHING ABOUT DRIVERS LIKE YOU BEFORE YOU END UP KILLING SOMEONE BECAUSE OF YOUR BAD ATTITUDE.
-No Name Given
________________
Hello,
Please assist me to receive and invest this US$20,000,000,00 Million. I will give you details as soon as I hear from you.
Regard,
Mrs. Susan Van.
$20,000,000 million? I'm gonna invest it in a Sprint Cup team! Somebody get Brian Vickers and Sam Hornish Jr. on the phone!
And on that note, we're out. Thanks to all our writers this week. You want in? Fire up the computer and hit us with whatever's on your mind, NASCAR-wise, at happyhournascar@yahoogroups.com. You can find Yahoo! Sports' NASCAR coverage on Facebook right here, and you can follow me on Twitter at @jaybusbee and on Facebook here. Make sure to tell us where you're from. We'll make you famous!
Monday
What do Kyle Busch and Jeff Gordon have to do? Here?s the Wild Card math
We know that two of NASCAR's biggest names won't be part of the 12 man Chase for the Sprint Cup Series field, and we'll find out which two Saturday night at Richmond.
Eight drivers are mathematically alive for the two Wild Card spots, but the most realistic opportunities belong to Kyle Busch, Jeff Gordon and Kasey Kahne. How realistic? Well, here are the clinching scenarios for each driver. (Note: Tony Stewart in 10th is guaranteed a place in the Chase, either via the top 10 or a Wild Card berth. His performance on Saturday could impact the Wild Card race significantly.
Kasey Kahne (11th, -18 points behind 10th, 2 wins): As the only driver outside the top 10 with two wins, Kahne's got the easiest path to the Chase. No matter what, if another of the seven drivers eligible for the Wild Card doesn't win, he's in the Chase. If he gains 19 points on Stewart, he's in the top 10 and in the Chase. If Busch gets into the top 10 (knocking Stewart into a Wild Card spot) and Gordon wins -- the ultimate worst case scenario for Kahne -- he needs to finish 13th with no laps led to stay ahead of Gordon.
Kyle Busch (12th, -23 points, 1 win): Win and Busch is in. If he doesn't, he's got a 12 point cushion on Gordon and a 40 point cushion on Ambrose. If neither of those two (and the other five drivers) win and Busch maintains those leads, he's in. And he's also in if he gets past both Kahne and Stewart into the top 10. As Jay pointed out on Sunday night, Busch's Richmond stats are damn good.
Jeff Gordon (13th, -35 points, 1 win): Win and Gordon is in. But here's where things start to get tricky if none of the one-win drivers win.. Assuming Busch doesn't get in the top 10, Gordon needs to make up those 12 points on Busch while keeping his 28 point margin on Ambrose and his 37 point lead on Newman. If Busch does get into the top 10, part of that worst case scenario for Kahne above, Gordon has to win and overcome his 17 point deficit to Kahne.
Carl Edwards (14th, -49 points, o wins): Carl's chances of sneaking into the top 10 went up in smoke with his engine on Sunday night, and it's a dastardly situation for Edwards. If he wins, Busch can finish no better than 24th with no laps led while Gordon finishes no better than 12th with no laps led. Yikes.
Paul Menard (15th, -59 points, 0 wins): This may sting for all the Menard-dogs out there, but the only reason he's in this column is because he's technically still mathematically alive for a Chase spot. And while we can never say never, that math is kind of like Calculus II. If Menard wins, Busch has to finish 34th or worse with no laps led while Gordon finishes 22nd or worse with no laps led. If Menard pulls this off, it'll replace the Channel 2 incident as his most memorable Richmond moment.
Marcos Ambrose (16th, -63 points, 1 win): If Ambrose doesn't win and automatically clinch, the probabilities aren't in his favor, as he's got to beat Busch by 41 points and 29 ahead of Gordon. So that's a second place finish for Ambrose, a last place finish for Busch and a 31st place finish for Gordon. If Menard's was Calc II, this is Quantum Physics.
Ryan Newman (17th, -72 points, 1 win) and Joey Logano (18th, -105 points, 1 win): This math is simple; Newman and Logano are in with a win. Otherwise, they're out.
So, who you got? Will we see a scenario like Jeremy Mayfield in 2004? Or will the standings look like they do right now?
The Wild Card race: An unexpected driver could take a spot
With two races to go before the Chase for the Sprint Cup begins, the most important figure in the fight for the Chase's two Wild Card spots could be Tony Stewart, the defending series champion. Yes, that's the same Tony Stewart who has been a virtual lock for the Chase since he left Daytona with his third win of the season and in sixth place in the points standings.
While Stewart is still in the top 10, he's 10th, 16 points ahead of Kasey Kahne in 11th thanks to finishes of 18th, 32nd and 27th over his last three races. Late in the running of Saturday night's race at Bristol ? after Stewart had been taken out of contention thanks to his run-in with Matt Kenseth ? the driver that stood the most to gain was winless Carl Edwards, who could have closed to within 15 points of Stewart for the final automatic Chase berth.
However, Edwards, who was trying to stretch his fuel to the end, ran out of gas with five laps to go and finished 22nd.
10. Tony Stewart, +16 from 11th (3 wins): Stewart is still in the Chase, either via the top 10 or thanks to those three wins even if he hasn't officially clinched yet. However, if Stewart gets in via the Wild Card, he starts the Chase tied for last without the virtue of his bonus points for those three wins. If he stays in the top 10, he could start first.
[Related: Tony Stewart flings helmet at Matt Kenseth]
11. Kasey Kahne, -16 from 10th (2 wins): All Kahne has to do right now is hold serve. If he can get around Stewart and into the top 10, he could start the Chase three points off the lead. The disastrous scenario for him is if Edwards sneaks into the top 10 while Stewart falls out and a driver with one win wins the next two races. Not likely.
12. Carl Edwards, -34 (0 wins): You have to admire the gumption of Edwards in going for the win while trying to stretch it on fuel mileage as it looked like Edwards' best shot to get into Chase contention. His bed already made, pitting from the race lead with less than 60 laps to go to ensure that the car would make it to the end wasn't the right move at the time, but it may have saved 10 points ? hindsight being 20/20 and all that. Wins at Atlanta and Richmond likely get Edwards in. Can he do it?
13. Kyle Busch, -39 (1 win): Busch is still in the Chase right now, but he's living on a dangerous edge. Simply outpointing Jeff Gordon, Ryan Newman, Marcos Ambrose and Joey Logano seems simple enough, but if one of those four drivers wins and Busch doesn't, he's toast. Busch's stats at Richmond are insane, however. In 15 career races he's got four wins and 12 top fives. He still may be the best bet of the one win drivers to make it in.
14. Jeff Gordon, -55 (1 win): Gordon's third place finish Saturday night pushed him ahead of Ryan Newman and within striking distance of Busch. Plus, Gordon won last year's race at Atlanta. Repeating Sunday night puts the pressure squarely on Busch at Richmond.
15. Ryan Newman, -58 (1 win): Newman's chances took a huge hit when he made contact with nemesis Juan Pablo Montoya and slammed into the inside wall. His record at Atlanta and and Richmond is lesser than that of Busch and Gordon, and instead of being ahead of both of them with two races to go, he's now behind them.
[Related: Denny Hamlin wins at Bristol, his third victory this season]
16. Marcos Ambrose, -67 (1 win): If there were a few more races before the Chase, Ambrose could surpass all three of the one-win drivers ahead of him as he's recorded back-to-back fifth place finishes since winning at Watkins Glen. He showed some speed earlier in the season at Texas, the most similar track to Atlanta. If you believe in momentum, Ambrose is your guy. But it may be too little, too late.
18. Joey Logano, -108 (1 win): It's strictly win or go home time for Logano who bounced back with an eighth-place finish at Bristol after three finishes outside the top 30 in the past four races. In 12 combined Richmond and Atlanta starts, he's got just one top 10. But hey, his only top 10 at Pocono was his win there earlier this season. Never say never, but Logano's on a one-way street right now.
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VIDEO: Jimmie Johnson and Ryan Newman taken out in crash on the backstretch
Jimmie Johnson, Ryan Newman and Sam Hornish Jr. were collected in a crash while racing for position with 56 laps to go in Sunday's Sprint Cup race at Atlanta.
Contact between Johnson's right rear and Hornish's left front fender triggered the crash and Newman, who was between Hornish and the wall, had nowhere to go.
Hornish, who had run in the top 10 for most of the evening, bounced back to finish 11th, while the crash was a blow to Newman's Chase hopes. One of the drivers contending for the Wild Card to get into the Chase, Newman now faces a win to get in scenario at Richmond.
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Drivers react to new rules changes dictating rear steering
This week, NASCAR issued new rules (or, if you prefer, "clarifications") regarding bushings in the rear suspension that gave drivers the ability to manipulate the rear handling of their cars. Both the reasons behind, and the potential effects of, the rule change were a topic of conversation at Richmond International Raceway on Friday.
In easy terms: NASCAR has decreed that the tiny sleeves that allow the car's rear arms to move may now be no longer than a quarter of an inch. Hendrick teams had been making the sleeves of softer material, giving the driver more control over the car's movements. Brad Keselowski, among others, has criticized the engineering maneuver, but until now, it was perfectly within bounds.
The timing is curious (and, for Hendrick conspiracy theorists, problematic): making a change in the first race of the Chase is a recipe for controversy, at the least. Still, there's doubt as to how much of an effect the change will have.
[What to watch for: Federated Auto Parts 400]
"It probably won't change a lot," Matt Kenseth said on Friday. "Everybody was kind of on to what they were doing anyway. For me, it might make it better because it didn't seem like we had it quite nailed down like the other guys did."
Jimmie Johnson, as expected, had a slightly different view: "I think NASCAR made it known that they are just putting parameters on what is going on," he said. "There is no change ... The field migrates quickly in certain directions, and I think NASCAR is just making sure that people understand the parameters so they can regulate in post-race and find ways to make sure no one is going above and beyond."
And Jeff Gordon? The man whose interests depend on getting that extra edge noted that he is, indeed, trying to get that extra edge: "When you watch on TV and see the cars skewed, running sideways down the straightaways, it's pretty obvious what everybody is trying to do," he said. "Everybody is trying to get as much downforce in the car as possible. And every time NASCAR comes up with a rule, you go, OK, how do we get around the rule? I feel like that's what everybody is doing, and our guys have done a lot of work in that area to gain that advantage and I give them all the credit in the world."
However, Gordon was quick to point out that this wasn't anything done without NASCAR's knowledge: "When we presented it to NASCAR for approval, they didn't act like it was something they had never seen before," he said. "I don't even think we were the first ones to do it."
And, naturally, where one team goes, others will follow. "We all started working on it once we saw what they were doing," said Kyle Busch. "It's follow the leader. You really don't have many secrets here in the garage area very long. We started going to work on those kind of things, too, and trying to manipulate some of the same things they were doing."
The effects of the change will depend on exactly how reliant each team was on the bushings' benefits. Like everything else in the Chase, it'll be a wait-and-see situation.
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Sunday
Matt Kenseth officially joins Joe Gibbs Racing
Marking an end to the worst-kept secret in NASCAR this season, on Tuesday Joe Gibbs Racing officially announced that former Sprint Cup champion Matt Kenseth will be joining the team as the driver of the No. 20 Home Depot Toyota.
Kenseth had made known his intention to leave Roush Fenway Racing for several weeks, and while he indicated at the time that he already had a deal in place, that deal was kept quiet. The likely reason involved Joey Logano, who is reported to be on the move to Penske for next season. While Gibbs has, in the past, aired the possibility of fielding a fourth team in addition to Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin, the caveat was what it always is: sponsorship. Apparently the sponsorship deals were not sufficient to warrant keeping Logano.
Kenseth himself has been the subject of sponsor difficulties despite the fact that he's a past champion and one of the most reliable drivers on the circuit. He was one of the first to clinch a berth in this year's Chase, and while his performance has slowed somewhat in recent weeks, he remains a threat to unseat Tony Stewart as champion simply because of Kenseth's ongoing consistency.
At Gibbs, Kenseth will join a team in transition, one actively trying to return to the championship ranks while holding off charging competitors like Michael Waltrip Racing and Penske Racing. Gibbs only has one driver, Hamlin, locked into the Chase, with Kyle Busch a strong possibility to make the jump this weekend. He'll also bring a higher profile to the No. 20, which had faded to the middle of the pack under Logano after being dominant for most of the 2000s under Stewart.
Your thoughts: a good move? The right move? The floor is yours.
Ryan Newman officially re-ups with Stewart-Haas Racing
Ryan Newman is returning to Stewart-Haas Racing.
The driver of the No. 39 was scheduled to be a free agent at the end of 2012, but will be back on a one-year deal for 2013. Over the summer, both Newman and team owner/driver Tony Stewart said a priority was Newman's contract renewal.
SHR will field three full-time cars in 2013; for Stewart, Newman and Danica Patrick. However, Patrick is the only one of the three that has full-season sponsorship announced. Newman has operated with a variety of different sponsors while at SHR, and the team's biggest sponsor, the U.S. Army, announced earlier in the year that it wouldn't be returning to the team in 2013. On Sunday at Atlanta, Office Depot, Stewart's largest sponsor, announced that it wouldn't be returning to the hood of Stewart's car next year either.
With a win Saturday night at Richmond, Newman, currently 17th in the Sprint Cup points standings, would qualify for the Chase for the Sprint Cup. During his four-season tenure at Stewart-Haas Racing, Newman has qualified for the Chase twice.
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