If Friday’s performances are any indicator, those that doubt the early season successes of drivers like Joey Logano and Paul Menard, have been given something to think about. The second year Cup driver presently leading the charge at Joe Gibbs Racing earned his first career pole in Cup competition. That comes on the heels of topping the speed charts in practice. Now the real test will be to see if he can overcome a history of rough races around the half-miler.
Even if Atlanta’s 35th place run marked the beginning of a return to Earth for the youngster, the confidence needed to make it is evident. You can also see that same confidence in Menard, who qualified 12th. Who’d ever thought Menard would be sitting 9th in points at any point of the season? I’ll admit I wouldn’t. The “third year success” theory was bandied around in the broadcast booth during qualifying. Menard seems to making a good case for it.
Slip Slidin’ Away. They were spinnin’ more hits out there than Kasey Kasem out there in first practice. 2000 champion Bobby Labonte smacked up his ride bad enough to require a back-up and current titlist Jimmie Johnson caught a break by spinning his car out and hitting…nothing. It seems nothing ever goes wrong for this guy.
It will be interesting to see how the track feels by Sunday. Thickening the plot is an increasing chance of rain throughout the day, working its way up from a 30% chance of the liquid sunshine.
Tired of Edwards vs. Keselowski? How about Edwards vs. Harvick? To hear Carl Edwards tell it, the Keselowski feud is one without much in the way of legs to it, something that will blow over as time goes by.
Not so with Harvick. Happy, never one to mince words, and quick with a quote on Twitter, first inserted himself into the post-Atlanta controversy with his remarks about Edwards’ punishment (or lack of) when the probation was announced. Then, Harvick proceeded to say Edwards as a “fake” with his sunny on-camera demeanor during a radio show earlier this week. Cousin Carl retorted bad calling Harvick a “bad person,” demonstrating time has to healed bad feelings generated from the Fall, 2008 Talladega race.
Given the current state of affairs, I’d speculate Edwards and Keselowski are done with their little dust-up. As for Edwards and Harvick? That would be a fight I’d pay to see. Edwards has parlayed his physique into marketing opportunity, while Harvick is an old high school wrestler, complete with a spunky attitude. Safe to say, Carl will be more focused on staying out of the principal’s office for now and trying to turn his moribund fortunes around- not to mention rehabilitate his dinged up image. Harvick is no doubt focused on keeping himself out in front. On the other hand, things could get quite interesting should the “29” and the “99” find themselves charging hard in close proximity. Close proximity is all Bristol is.
Besides Logano, there’s a number of other racers off to good starts that are starting out well at Bristol. AMS winner Kurt Busch is up on the front row outside Logano on a track where he owns five victories. Matt Kenseth is top ten on the starting grid, was second in Friday practice, and throughout the young season has looked a lot like how Tony Stewart did at the outset of 2009. Kenseth hasn’t missed the top ten yet, and was runner-up in Atlanta. Of course, Jimmie Johnson has been solid throughout the day so far. Would you believe Johnson’s never won at Bristol? Believe it, it’s true.
Car “18”, where are you? Speaking of the unbelievable, can you believe what’s up with Kyle Busch? This guy swept Bristol last year, won NASCAR’s first CoT race at Bristol, and darn near won the night race in ‘08. So what’s up with the 38th place practice performances on the speed chart and starting grid? It sure goes to show you how quickly fortunes change for the better or worse.
It’s good to be racin’ again. One can only speculate, ruminate, and bloviate for so long before you just need someone to go out there and be the action, rather than just talking about it.
Let the games begin.
In 2009, a well-respected driver found himself in a real hole after four races and the break before Bristol. After a respectable top 20 finish at Daytona, disaster struck with consecutive 40th place finishes at Fontana and Las Vegas, compounded by a 31st place run at AMS. All of that to say, the veteran driver found himself in the gut-wrenching realm of the “go or go home” neighborhood.
It seemed like a shame. After all this top-caliber driver was in the twilight, recently signed with a new team, leaving his fans thinking he might have a shot at an elusive championship. The script wasn;t playing out.
The driver? Mark Martin. Fortunately, he got hot after a win at Phoenix and he pulled off a second-place run in the standings that found him eager to come back for more this year. Likewise, 2009 rookie Joey Logano also got off to a tenuous start, before his growth, combined with the talents of his team and the resources of Joe Gibbs Racing vaulted him in to a 20th place finish for the season.
So, out of the drivers hanging out around NASCAR’s “Mendoza Line”- 35th place- are most likely to pull out of it? Which ones are in real danger of missing races?
Let us take a look….
No Serious Worries
Thanks largely to skill, 2000 champion Bobby Labonte (30th) should largely be able to manhandle his TRG ride out of the mire and muck. The same could be said of JTG Daugherty/ MWR’s Marcos Ambrose (28th). Thanks to skill AND equipment, the force is with Ryan Newman (29th).
OK, Barring the Unforeseen
The following drivers SHOULD be o.k., that is, unless bad fortune or finances renders them stuck in the garage. Penske teammates Sam Hornish, Jr. (31st) and Brad Keselowski (33rd) had best hope no one named Jimmie Johnson or Denny Hamlin feels the need to settle old scores. They have the skill- Hornish being a former IRL champ, and Keselowski has certainly shown no fear of running with the big dogs. On the other hand, a payback or one false could really set them back.
Travis Kvapil (32nd) and Mike Bliss (34th) are NASCAR survivors. There’s some questions concerning equipment, and yo always have to wonder if there’s enough finances to weather the storm, but no question, both have done great jobs in the past of being able to wheel a clean car home.
David Gilliland (37th) and Max Papis (38th) seem to always to get their cars in the show somehow. Rookie Kevin Conway (40th) has managed not to embarrass himself, other than the fact his sponsor gets him a few snickers.
Looks Like Trouble
Robby Gordon’s (36th) 43rd place finish at AMS couldn’t have come at a worse time. The racing jack of all trades has managed to cobble together a good enough car to survive these past several seasons with spit wads and and duct tape, but a fan can’t help but be a bit concerned that the times have caught up with him.
Road racing ace Boris Said (35th) may represent Gordon’s best shot at a return to the top 35. Like “Flash,” you know the skill is there, but the “26” car has been consistently among the slowest all season long.
by Patrick Reynolds on March 16, 2010 · 3 comments
The past four years in the late winter and early spring Memory Lane Museum in Mooresville, NC has hosted the Legends Helping Legends Fundraiser. Proceed from the day go to help someone in need that has made an impact on the world of motorsports. The stories traded on the day help keep the sport’s history alive and paint a colorful picture of the characters that laid the stock car foundation.
Announcer Bill Connell, Nationwide star Sam Ard, and famed crew chief “Suitcase” Jake Elder have benefited from the previous three events. This year Rex White lent his name to the program. White was the 1960 champion of what is now NASCAR Cup racing and was named to the 50 greatest drivers’ list in 1998.
A difference to this year’s benefit is that White is in good shape both in health and finances. The Hall honored him and the day was used to contribute to a community fund assisting past racers and not just one individual.
Among the drivers meeting fans were Bobby Allison, Carl Long, Travis Kvapil, Ronnie Thomas, and Cecil Gordon. Mechanics included Lou LaRosa, Waddell Wilson, Billy Nacewicz, and Travis Carter.
But it was from a section of journalists who gathered and donated their time that I enjoyed some tremendous racing tales. Steve Waid and Tom Higgins sat next to each other along with Ervin Brooks, whose dad Earl was a former Grand National driver.
Waid shared the fact that he and Ken Squier had recently filmed a documentary in Daytona about Bill France Jr. I asked a little further about Squier and how he is passing his time. I used to hear his voice on racing broadcasts often as I grew up.
Squier spends a lot of time in Vermont, with the Daytona SPEED programming being one of his few television appearances each year. And as with the Squier subject, inevitably the 1979 Daytona 500 comes up. Squier held the CBS anchor position for that historic racing telecast.
Higgins recalled his view of the race’s finish. He was in the press box, which was even with the top row of the grandstands. As the famous Donnie Allison and Cale Yarborough crash unfolded, the crowd stood up and blocked the media’s view.
Most couldn’t see but were yelling “Richard’s (Petty) going to win it.” Higgins explained that a TV monitor had been installed in the press box for the first time. He said, “I’m waiting for the fight.” No sooner had he uttered the words than came Squier’s famous CBS quote “And there’s a fight!”
That story led to another great one from Brooks, the type of tail that is woven into the lore that is NASCAR.
Yarborough was driving for Junior Johnson when he made the final-lap passing attempt on Allison. Hoss Ellington owned the car that Allison drove. Both sets of owners and drivers lost the Daytona 500 and a pair of racecars. There were hard feelings.
Following the race however a promise was kept. Ellington drove north from Florida to his home in South Carolina. And he gave a ride to none other then Cale Yarborough, the man who tangled and crashed with Ellington’s car.
Ellington had promised the lift to Cale and his wife Betty Jo before the race began. After the race, the drive home was a very quiet and tension filled. Yarborough even asked if he could drive the car. To which Ellington turned around with gritting teeth and repeated the question angrily and rhetorically.
But Ellington was a man of his word and the Yarboroughs had their ride.
Days like this serve a purpose. Racers gather to raise money for fellow racers in need. But if I can catch some living history that isn’t written about in the record books, I am a fortunate beneficiary also.
(Patrick Reynolds is a former racing mechanic who is the co-host of the One and Done auto racing radio talk show Tuesdays at 11am ET on www.wsicweb.com)
