Race Re-Cap: A Tennessee Traffic Jam
(A Special Weekly edition of bump-drafts.com)
Now how’s that for a race? Old schoolers looking for the NASCAR they fell in love have got be happy with all the paint tradin’ we saw today. I’m really beginning to love short track racing. I can’t wait ’til Martinsville.
I’m getting a little humble pie from Richard Childress Racing- I really wasn’t impressed with their 2007 finish and predicted that RCR would have a rough ‘08. I couldn’t have been more wrong. The whole dang team goes 1-2-3, after it looked like we might have a 1-2-3 Joe Gibbs’ finish.
Congratulations to NASCAR’s respected ambassador Jeff Burton. You have to enjoy seeing one of NASCAR’s class acts win one. The fact his teammates Happy Harvick and Clint Bowyer finishing second and third respectively makes it all the sweeter.
Tony Stewart sure looked good early. Kyle Busch rallied quickly from the back, and Denny Hamlin looked like a winner today. In all, The JGR trio led an incredible 372 of 500 laps. The disappointment has to be palpable.
Let’s be sure we understand the Harvick-Stewart crash was a race incident. Stewart and Harvick are buds, and Smoke has even run for Harvick in the Nationwide, so there was no malice intended there. Harvick showed class by taking responsibility. Stewart showed world class restraint, by not going off during his post-race interview. Harvick just crawled up the track. That’s all.
Hamlin said something about the JGR cars not taking fuel well. Toyota’s still a work in progress, but they’re by no means a laughingstock.
OK, so Shrub shows he’s still mortal. There’s no truth to the rumor Busch took the first flight out. Between today’s loss of steering and yesterday’s mishap in the Nationwide, this weekend was a cluster for Rowdy.
While the RCR crew chiefs made great calls at the end, Tony Eury blew it for Junior. I will give Lil “E” credit for his class in the post-race interview. In a twist of irony, Junior said it was Eury’s fault for getting him a good enough car to run up front, so that we can even speculate what Earnhardt would have done at the end with fresh tires.
Props have to go out to Aric Almirola. In his 7th Cup start, on a hellacious track, Mark Martin’s back-up pulled out a top 10 for DEI. David Gilliland ran a heck of a race as well.
The Rocky Balboa Award for the Fighter of the Week has to go to Hamlin. #11 overcame a number of adversities to be in a position to win at the end.
We saw today why I LIKE the Car of Tomorrow. Look at all the cars we had out there at the end- including the #84 of Mike Skinner AFTER HIS CAR CAUGHT ON FIRE. These cars look like those old cracker tins, but man, they are tanks!
Other random thought include:
What was with Paul Menard today? That whole bit with crashing Franchitti was very uncool. I also blog at Fanboom, and in a post yesterday where I had a top 10 overrated drivers list, Menard made it. I swear if it weren’t for the fact that Menard’s is a major DEI sponsor, I don’t think he’d be here. I’m not to keen on this guy right now.
The Dodge Boys have sure fallen back. After promising starts, Ryan Newman, Kurt Busch, and Elliott Sadler have fallen off the radar. Kasey Kahne’s still looking good. I’ll maintain Bobby Labonte was a victim of bad luck.
The Top 35 will sure look different next time out. We’ll have to sort through that soon. I really question how effective the points swap for Kurt Busch and Sam Hornish was. I hate to see Dave Blaney fall below NASCAR’s “Mendoza Line.”
Dale Jarrett rides off into the sunset with a respectable finish See ya in the broadcast booth, my friend. Thanks or the memories. Papa Ned must be proud.
Good race today. Keep it up boys!
March 16th, 2008 at 6:23 pm
Very astute as usual, Jim. If you recall, I was also pretty keen on the COT, but until today, I never realized just how bullet-proof they really are. As promised, they made for some really good door-handle-to-door-handle racing.
To reiterate, we’re all going to miss DJ on the track, and in the UPS ads, but there’s comfort in knowing that not only will he be in the booth later on this season, he’s replacing Rusty, whom I’m certain few will miss.
Seeing as Reutimann used to work for UPS in his college days, it may be interesting to see what his new sponsor may have in store for him…but I digress.
March 16th, 2008 at 6:28 pm
WEll said, Schiz. I used to think DW was crazy for loving the car, but I like how it’s keeping drivers on the track.
I don’t think the were too many cars that got through unscathed today.
March 16th, 2008 at 6:32 pm
I love it! I guess I’ll just copy and paste this message here and at LetsGoRacingFans! LOL
It was a great race and very much the nail biting race we’ve all grown to love about Bristol! And like you the short tracks are growing on me some.
Like I said at LGRF about the whole #88 last caution mishap: I really don’t think he could have done any better had he pitted. I was only upset over thier indecisiveness. So lucky break for the #88 team and we’ll take top 5!! I am in no way discrediting the driving capabilites of 2 past champions but, I think it’s awesome that right now Jr is the top dog at HMS!
Thanks again for the great blog and we’re blessed to also have you as our in house reporter for LGRF!!! Love ya big guy!
March 16th, 2008 at 6:36 pm
LOL Maybe Russell should have mentioned the post race interviews between Harvick and Stewert in his SMOTRA! LOLOLOL
March 16th, 2008 at 6:49 pm
Yeah, Becca. That’s our Jim: The Bard of LGRF.
Anyway, they’re off next week, then off to Martinsville (or, as I like to call it, “Jeff Gordon Motor Speedway”).
March 16th, 2008 at 6:50 pm
“Share and Enjoy”? Isn’t that the motto of the customer service division of the Sirius Cybernetics Corp.?
March 16th, 2008 at 6:53 pm
Bravo Jim! I have to concur with the others, excellent blog entry.
This was by far the best race as of yet in my opinion, and plenty more where that came from! =D
Hopefully the HMS boys get things together, seems so odd having the #24 and #48 out of the top ten…give ‘em time
LGRF RULES!!
March 16th, 2008 at 6:54 pm
LMAO “Jeff Gordon Speedway”
Look buddy you just get yourself back to FCRL and get our points tallied up!! I wanna know if our Jimmy Mac moved up! And if I moved anywhere!
Jim I heard about your $3 Million boo boo, mine was to the tune of $2.7 million! LOLOLOLOLOL
March 16th, 2008 at 7:04 pm
Hell, I spent almost ALL of my money & STILL got hosed. Go figure.
March 16th, 2008 at 8:05 pm
Kids, Kids…..am I gonna have send you to your room?
March 16th, 2008 at 8:19 pm
LOL Sorry dad!!
~~Shorty runs back to her room at LGRF~~
March 16th, 2008 at 8:50 pm
But Dad, she started it…….
March 17th, 2008 at 3:39 pm
Menard and crew had a couple of run-ins with Stewart last year too. Not sure where it’s coming from since he hasn’t really done anything at the Cup level yet.
March 18th, 2008 at 7:27 am
Oh c’mon.
The Dodge Boys have sure fallen back. After promising starts, Ryan Newman, Kurt Busch, and Elliott Sadler have fallen off the radar. Kasey Kahne’s still looking good. I’ll maintain Bobby Labonte was a victim of bad luck.
Don’t even infer that Ryan Newman wasn’t a victim of bad luck. First, starting at the back of the field, working his way up, only to get tangled in a wreck that he had nothing to do with. Then a cut tire and having to pit on green. I’d say that was some bad luck!
March 18th, 2008 at 9:26 am
Very good and astute post. I don’t have one issue with what you wrote, it was as always eloquent and factual. Good Job, Honorable mention I think to the Biff for getting a great finish and creeping up on Rowdy…
March 18th, 2008 at 9:28 am
Tell those two kids to go to their rooms! LOL…you know the LGRF group can be a tad childish when they want to…ROFLMAO
March 18th, 2008 at 1:49 pm
Wow after reading the comment left about the Dodge boys, I had to go back up to read the post to see what the hulabaloo was about. I didn’t see anything that Jim wrote that implied Newman didn’t have bad luck. The message was simply they’ve fallen off the radar. Which they have. It doesn’t suggest anything malevolent. If one of them wins or pulls a good finish, barra-bing they’re back on the radar.
Hmmmm that one left me stumped.
March 19th, 2008 at 4:16 am
Great post Jim, and very good overview. I think that Bristol will remain unique, even though they do have real racing there rather than the caution filled wreckfest it is notorious for.
March 19th, 2008 at 1:56 pm
Nice tip!! Thanks a lot.
March 25th, 2008 at 7:18 pm
As ~usual~ You’re right on !! Very interesting reading… informative..
an enjoyable …Jim ..you ROCK !!