I’m experimenting with a new future here- a notebook of sorts containing observations from practice and qualifying. Most weeks, it will be Friday. It will be Thursdays on those weeks where Saturday races. If it flies, we’ll stay with it. If not, we’ll just do something else.
Hey, check this out- it’s an all-EGR front row for Sunday’s race at Fontana. As Sam Drucker used to say: “Who’da thunk it?”
Jamie Mc Murray and Juan Pablo Montoya were grinning like a pair of Cheshire cats after their qualifying runs; that follows a first practice session where JPM was third on the charts and J-Mac was sixth.
“It’s all about those ECR engines,” both will tell you. Montoya dang near put in the wall on his qualifying lap, but he worked the gas just right to save it and salvage the lap time. Mc Murray was on it all the way through.
Yeah, sure- they’ll need to get it done on Sunday. On the other hand, it has to be a good feeling when everything you’re doing turns out right, and it’s good to see someone in something other than an HMS, RFR or JGR ride kicking butt.
The “C” in ECR stands for “Childress.” All three RCR cars ran
top ten in practice and all three qualified in the top fifteen. Yep- you heard me; even Jeff Burton is further up on the starting grid than we’re accustomed to seeing. Remember that Richard Childress revival I’ve been talking about? I’m beginning to think there may be something to it.
What’s up with the Roush cars? Ordinarily Auto Club is dominated by Hendrick and Roush cars. Carl Edwards fought his car through qualifying, Greg Biffle- ordinarily a beast at Fontana- was off his game, three-time Auto Club winner Matt Kenseth was unspectacular, while David Ragan was just alright. Something’s screwy with this picture.
It was good to see “Mad Max” Papis get in. His enthusiasm is infectious. I can think of a few more famous drivers who could stand a dose of his attitude. It’s also nice to see Michael Mc Dowell in the race, and what about Dave Blaney? If you’re a “go or go home” team, and you just HAVE to get in, no one to me gets more speed out of what he has than Dave Blaney.
You know, this upcoming silly season is going to get extra silly if the two big prizes- Kevin Harvick and Kasey Kahne- keep going like they are now. It’s a win-win no matter how it goes. If they stay up owners and drivers win. If they leave, owners and drivers still win, because the drivers score big paydays in their new digs and the owners have a pair of attractive rides available.
PHOTO CREDITS- Jamie Mc Murray by Rusty Jarrett/ Getty Images for NASCAR. Jeff Burton by Jeremy T. Sellers of Jerm’s Joint Racing Pub.
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Jim, you have to wonder what engines the Fords are running. The FR-9 or the old one. Plus the latest changes to the body that were mentioned during the media tour, are they helping or hurting the teams? The bigger shark fin is causing the cars to be a lot looser in the rear and more susceptible to getting sucked around when they’re passed on the outside. I noticed during qualifying that several cars were slipping and sliding around and not just the Fords. It was happening when it was cloudy and when the sun was out.
Win-Win:Kahne goes to JGR,Harvick goes to Harvick? Who will fill those seats?Here,try this,Gilliland,Blaney,Mears,Ward Burton,Raines,Nemechek,Riggs,Papis,Kyle Petty,Speed,for the Kahne vacancy,you pickem’ there. Now the Harvick chair will be filled by who can bring dollars in sponsorship to the Childress camp.I see Kevin with a couple of wins and a 5 spot in the chase…Staying at RCR for maybe two years…whatta ya’ think?
Questions? By the Way,will Honda ever,ever,come to Nascar?Would Rick Hendrick leave GM to race Hondas? Would J.J. or Jeff Gordon backdoor a Honda effort for Rick? Would Brian Vickers become a Hendrick Honda driver? How about Bill Davis returning with a Honda deal and have Harvick and Jeff Burton in the seats?The list could go on and on….we shall see how far downhill the oil runs,time will tell.Pure speculation!
Leonard, Honda was issue truck templates about 4 years ago, built a prototype, tested it, and that was it. They haven’t done anything since. They don’t seem to be interested in running in NASCAR. Right now, they’ve got a monopoly with the IRL so why tempt the fates? Especially after Toyota cut back it’s F1 involvement, including track sponsorship.
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