Kenseth Suspension Doesn't Quite Send the Right Message

Matt Kenseth has been suspended from NASCAR competition until
Homestead weekend (Google Images)

On Tuesday night, NASCAR dug itself into a pretty big hole and it doesn't appear many fans are keen to throw them a rope and help them get out.

Following Sunday's antics in Martinsville, capped off by an emotional victory for Jeff Gordon, the sanctioning body elected to suspend driver Matt Kenseth for the next two Sprint Cup Series events at Texas and Phoenix. Kenseth and Joe Gibbs Racing appealed the severity of the penalty, but lost both hearings. Now, Kenseth has been benched through the season finale at Homestead while truck and Xfinity Series standout Erik Jones fills in in the No. 20 Camry.

Many industry insiders and media members will make this out to be a black eye for the sport, but for many fans this was a self-inflicted injury for the sport of stock car racing. NASCAR has a long history of over-policing its drivers and, to paraphrase Kyle Busch, an even greater history of being "consistently inconsistent" when making judgment calls. Busch, Kenseth's teammate at JGR, proclaimed in his post race press conference at Martinsville that Brian France and other NASCAR heads have a nasty habit of playing favorites.

"Did [Matt] do anything wrong? I don't know. Did he do anything right? I don't know," Busch told reporters. "I think it all depends on whose name's above the door on whether or not you're allowed to do it." He told reporters it only matters which drivers are involved and who does what to who. "You got to be consistent. I definitely feel NASCAR is very consistent in being inconsistent on calls." Fans and drivers alike have bemoaned NASCAR for not enforcing it's rules and the sanctioning body has been accused of making rules as they go because of it. Everything from restart rules to debris cautions to pit road speed has been questioned this season and there is a severe amount of distrust between the fans and the sanctioning body.



The moment that might net Matt Kenseth (20) the Most Popular Driver
award this year (Google Images)

Busch has never been one to mince words and he went on to say what many fans are probably thinking about the Kenseth call.  "I think it's 'BS,'" he told reporters.  "[NASCAR] better - I say 'They better', but they don't have to listen to me for squat. Really doesn't matter what I say." He was also asked if he felt he'd be racing in Texas if he had done what Kenseth did. Busch simply replied, "Nope."

Busch has felt the wrath of NASCAR before following an altercation with Ron Hornaday in the fall 2011 truck race at Texas. But Busch also has more of a history of losing his cool inside the car, while Kenseth has always been known as a David Pearson-esque driver. He tends to just ride and stay out of trouble, then strike at the end of the race.

The Kansas incident was spark that ignited this firestorm, Logano's big mouth after the fact was what turned it into a five alarm blaze. Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr both said that had Logano kept his mouth shut in victory lane, this could have been a smaller incident. But instead, Kenseth gave this response to NBC's Mike Massaro and we got the sense this might not be over. Then Logano cut Kenseth off getting onto pit road and Kenseth warned the Penske driver to go "hide behind his daddy," a jab at the fact that Logano's father, Tom, usually attends races and tries to fight his son's battles for him. Then Brad Keselowski wrecked Kenseth at Martinsville. The team claimed it was a broken tie rod, but it was likely to protect Logano from any kind of payback.

You can watch the entire Martinsville incident here. Driver reactions start at around the 6-minute mark. Don't e surprised if Kenseth garners an Oscar nomination for his performance.

Three weeks in a row, three run-ins with Team Penske, two potential wins taken away and one chance at a title ruined. Nobody can blame Kenseth for losing his cool and trying to even the score. According to NASCAR, Kenseth was suspended because he "altered the outcome" of the championship fight by taking out Logano. But didn't Logano end Kenseth's title hopes by dumping him at Kansas? What about getting dumped by the No. 2 at Martinsville?




One fan took his love for Matt Kenseth to another level with this
custom-made diecast (Google Images)

France deemed Logano's actions at Kansas "quintessential NASCAR." But drivers have been wrecking each other since the beginning of time and that's become a part of the fabric of the sport. Even Dale Jarrett was pushed to his limit at the Bristol night race in 2005 when he punted Ryan Newman as retaliation for an earlier spin. And with the win at all costs style of the new Chase format, it allows for scenarios like this to play out. Kenseth saw his shot at a title go away in one corner of one race and he did the same thing to Logano, plain and simple.

NASCAR needs to take a look at the Chase format and stop looking at scenarios like this on a case by case basis and analyzing which drivers are involved and where they are in the points. They need to stop playing favorites and, like Busch said, simply enforce the rules. If they want to have a "boys have at it" mentality, then let the drivers police themselves. If they want to be in  control of every facet of the sport and rule with an iron fist, then the next time someone tries to retaliate we should expect them to be on the bench for a few races. It's that easy.

Judging from the amount of cheers Kenseth got at Homestead during driver intros, it would appear that a rather large majority of the NASCAR community probably shares this opinion.

Buddy Baker, NASCAR's Gentle Giant, Passes Away

NASCAR legend Buddy Baker (Google Images)

The NASCAR community was saddened Monday morning when it was learned that Buddy Baker, the "Gentle Giant" of the Cup Series garage passed away after a battle with lung cancer. Baker, the champion of the 1980 Daytona 500, was 74.

Standing a lofty 6-feet 6-inches tall, Elzie Wylie "Buddy" Baker was one of the tallest racers on the circuit.  A 19-time Cup Series winner, Baker was also one of the most successful and most daring drivers as well. He made his first NASCAR start in 1959, following in the footsteps of his famous father, two-time NASCAR champion and hall of famer Buck Baker. In addition to winning a Harley J. Earl Trophy in 1980, Baker also won the prestigious Southern 500 in 1970 and the World 600 (now the Coca-Cola 600) three times in 1968, '72 and '73. Both he and his father were also named to the list of NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers and, like his father, Baker no doubt has a space waiting for him in the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

Baker was known in his later years for his broadcasting work. He was a broadcaster for both TNN and CBS. Then, in 2007, SiriusXM started a NASCAR channel and Baker was tabbed to co-host a few talk shows. He began his radio career as on "The Driver's Seat" with John Kernan. Then in 2011, Baker moved over to work on both "The Late Shift," with Brad Gillie and "Tradin' Paint," with Jim Noble. It was on the July 7th installment of "The Late Shift" that Baker announced that doctors had found a "huge tumor" in his lung last December. Because the tumor was inoperable, he also announced he was retiring immediately.

"There comes a time when you talk to the doctor and say what are my chances and there's a dead silence," Baker said. "I [asked the doctor] 'how long.' [He said], 'Well, we don't own the hotel, we don't know when we check out. It's something that we cannot fix.'" However, Baker told listeners that this wasn't goodbye. "Do not shed a tear. Give a smile when you say my name. I'm not saying goodbye. Just talk to you later."



Baker poses with his record-setting time at Talladega in 1970 (Google Images)

We will always smile when we think of Buddy Baker. But given how immensely  popular he was and how much fans loved him, it will be hard not to shed a tear or two for the driver who was also known as "Leadfoot."

Baker was best when he could run his car wide open; foot to the floor and not giving an inch. In fact, he only won at Martinsville once, a race that he told Tom Higgins of the Charlotte Observer he drove like "a bull in a China shop." But it was Daytona and Talladega where Baker showed his true racing skills. Ten years earlier in March 1970, Baker would become the first man to drive faster than 200 mph. He was on a test run at Alabama International Motor Speedway (now Talladega Superspeedway), when Baker got his blue and white No. 88 Dodge Charger Daytona to go around the 2.66 mile track at a staggering 200.447 mph. But it wasn't just 'Dega where he found success.

Baker's most famous win, the 1980 Daytona 500 came at NASCAR's other Superspeedway. Baker also won the pole for the race in Harry Rainer's No. 28 Oldsmobile Cutlass that would become known simply as the "Gray Ghost." The name came from the car's black and grey color scheme that blended in with the asphalt. As Baker sped around Daytona's high banks, it made the car nearly impossible to see coming. The Olds also showcased a number that had a reflective chrome look to it, which only aided in camouflaging the Cutlass. This is part of the reason why teams are not allowed to run reflective numbers today. The paint scheme was so popular that Dale Earnhardt Jr ran it on his No. 88 car in the 2008 All-Star Race. Junior also posted a YouTube link to a video of the entire 1980 Daytona 500 Monday afternoon. If you have a couple of hours to kill, why not take a trip down memory lane or, like me, watch the race for the first time in it's entirety. Baker's dominance really is something to see.

This race still holds up today as the fastest Daytona 500 in history. Baker's pace in the event was 177.602 mph has been the record pace for the last 35 years. He won the race in his eighteenth try, the longest stretch until Dale Earnhardt would win the 1998 installment of the 500 in his twentieth attempt.

Baker races the Gray Ghost around Daytona (Google Images)

But Baker also had a heart as big as the shoes he used to hold the gas pedal down on his way to Daytona's victory lane.

Baker raced hard and drove to win and he lived his life with the same energy and enthusiasm that propelled him to such great success behind the wheel. He quickly became a fan favorite behind the microphone too, with his distinctly high voice and soft-spoken manner making him an unforgettable broadcaster. Before he rescinded his post at SiriusXM, Baker said the thing he would miss the most was talking with the fans he loved so much. "The toughest part for me is not being able to talk to some of our regulars that are almost like family," he said of those fans who would call in frequently to discuss and debate the latest news around the NASCAR garage.

Baker might have been a gentle giant, but that doesn't mean he wasn't tough as well. His "leave-it-all-on-the-track" mentality proved he was as fearless as a racer can come. Not surprisingly, Baker faced his illness with that same courage. Baker told Higgins, "I'm right with The Man Upstairs. If I feared death, I never would have driven a race car." He also mentioned that he hoped to hear from more of his friends in the racing community before he passed.

"This sport's been great to me and given me a wonderful life," he said to Higgins. "And the friends I've made! Lots have either called or come by. I hope to hear from others. I want to tell all of them goodbye for now and see you later."

Rest in peace, Buddy Baker. You will be sorely missed and all of your friends and fans can't wait to catch up with you later and talk racing with you again.

Furniture Row and MWR to Swap Brands? Vickers Out of a Ride?

MWR could be headed for Team Chevy at the end of the season (Google Images)

After what has seemed like a fairly calm silly season, there have been rumblings in the garage all summer that a few teams are looking for different manufacturers. Thursday morning, those rumors just got a lot more interesting.

Furniture Row Racing has been enjoying their best season in the ten years they've been a part of the NASCAR circuit. They won the June race at Pocono with Martin Truex Jr, they have rarely finished outside the top ten and even led the point standings for a good portion of the season. FRR has also been under the General Motors/Chevrolet banner since they debuted in 2005 and formed a technical alliance with Chevy powerhouse Richard Childress Racing a few years ago. This alliance has helped lead to a few bright spots for the Denver, Colorado-based race team. They won the 2011 Southern 500 with driver Regan Smith and making the 2013 Chase for the Cup with Kurt Busch. But Truex and rookie crew chief Cole Pearn have taken this team to another level this year.

So why mess with a good thing?

Well while FRR has an alliance with RCR that allows them to receive engines and chassis, the team receives minimal factory support from Chevy. This is the main reason team owner Barney Visser is looking at changing manufacturers next year. The lead candidate is Toyota, who since last season has been offering all kinds of incentives to the single car team to switch nameplates. And with the success Truex and his No. 78 team have already had in the first part of this season, it stands to reason that the pot will only get sweeter for Visser and his team to switch over from the Bowtie Brigade.

Toyota has stated that it's all about quality, not quantity and that they need to add more quality teams to the fold in addition to Joe Gibbs Racing. With only two mediocre Michael Waltrip Racing cars and the three field filler BK Racing cars running under the Toyota banner full-time in Cup, the addition of Furniture Row would bring a serious championship contender to the team.

Martin Truex Jr scored his third career win and his first win
for Furniture Row Racing back at Pocono (Google Images)

But rather than just add the No. 78 team to the mix, the rumor in the garage is that MWR co-owner and current team principal Rob Kauffman will be taking the organization to Chevrolet next year. This would be a big shock, as MWR was one of the three teams to bring Toyota into the Cup level in 2007, and the only one of those three original teams still operating today (Bill Davis Racing and Team Red Bull have since closed down). MWR has won seven times in their eight years at NASCAR's top level. But while they have won races and qualified for the Chase a few times, but they have yet to prove that they can do these things on a consistent basis and win a championship.

Unlike Furniture Row, Michael Waltrip Racing has been on a downslide the past few years. Clint Bowyer has seven top tens this season, but he sits fifteenth in points and barely qualified for a Chase berth. The road for the No. 55 car in 2015 has been much rougher. Brian Vickers was slated to run the car full-time, but has been sidelined blood clots after only two starts at Las Vegas and Phoenix. These clots have been a constant issue for Vickers since 2010 and have caused some serious concerns about his health and his career. David Ragan has been filling in for Vickers since Kansas and he will finish out the year in the Aaron's Dream Machine. This season has been especially tumultuous for MWR, but they haven't won a race since Clint Bowyer won at Richmond in 2013. After a year and a half of failing to reach victory lane, you can't really blame Toyota for shopping around for a second competitive team.

Should MWR move to Chevy, it would be a homecoming of sorts for Waltrip. He has been Mr. Toyota since the brand allowed him to start his own team eight years ago, but he ran Chevrolet Monte Carlos for Mattei Motorsports in 1999 and 2000 and more famously for Dale Earnhardt Inc. from 2001 until 2005. He also ran an XFINITY Series team out of a shop behind his house and that car too was a Monte Carlo from 2000 until he switched to Dodge Chargers in 2006.

Switching brands would not only be surprising because of Waltrip's affinity for Camrys, but also because they have a shop that allows them to build their own chassis and bodies in-house. The speculation around any potential move would involve a "partnership" with a current Chevrolet team. According to Motorsport, should Kauffman make move his team to GM, he would either align himself with Chip Ganassi Racing or Richard Childress Racing and sources have told the racing site that Ganassi is the leading candidate should a switch take place. It is unclear if this would be a merger or if the teams would simply share information and resources.

Any and all moves by MWR are contingent on Aaron's re-signing at the end of the year. Their two-year contract runs out at the end of the season and they are the only backer of the No. 55 car. Kauffman has shown before he has the money to run cars out of his own pocket, but the question is if Aaron's were to leave would he want to fund a car for, potentially, the entire 2016 season. Aaron's has been with Michael Waltrip since 2000. But they have recently come under new management and given MWR's nosedive in the performance department and the lack of stability when it comes to finding a full-time driver, it would be hard to blame them if they left for a more competitive team.

It appears that MWR has also come under new management recently. Kauffman has been more active in the day-to-day operations of the team since last year's cheating scandal in Richmond instead of just being a casual investor sinking his money into a team that's gone from pretender to contender and back again. So with Kauffman at the helm, he will no doubt try to work out a new deal with Aaron's. And the best way to do that is keeping David Ragan.

Vickers celebrating his most recent win at Loudon in 2012
(Google Images)

Both Kauffman and Bowyer are very big on Ragan's ability and he has won two races at the Cup level already. With Aaron's expected to make a decision on it's involvement with the team in the next six to eight weeks, being able to say that they have a driver who can race the full schedule and run at a competitive level in the right equipment might be the difference as to whether or not MWR stays a fully funded, two car team. Unfortunately, this would leave Vickers on the outside looking in.

"The most important thing right now is his health. I haven't really had a conversation with him regarding coming back to racing and the like. It's a big medical issue that I haven't been involved with up until now.," Kauffman told Motorsport. "He loves racing, so I'm sure he does (want to return), but I think it would be a challenge to try and figure something out--but I would never say never." This sounds an awful lot like when a kid begs their parents for something they want and all they get is, "we'll see." There might be a glimmer of hope, but you know deep down they pretty much just told you "no."

Like Aaron's, Vickers' contract is also up at the end of the season, so MWR could make a clean break without too many hurt feelings. It would be nice if the team who was so high on Vickers' talent just three years ago offered the three-time winner a part-time ride, should he prove able to return to competition. But after Waltrip kicked David Reutimann to the curb after 2011 after he helped build MWR into what it is today, seeing the team drop Vickers like a hot potato is no real surprise either.

There might not be a lot of drivers switching teams this silly season, but it will be interesting to see what happens with this recent Furniture Row and Michael Waltrip Racing news. The landscape of the Sprint Cup Series could look very different in 2016 if these moves become reality.

UPDATE (7/30): It appears that the Kauffman/MWR/Chevy picture just got a lot clearer. Sports Business Daily is reporting that Kauffman (MWR's majority owner and founder of Fortress Investment Group) is very close to purchasing Felix Sabates' stake in Chip Ganassi Racing. This would give the Indy 500 and Daytona 500 winning car owner an invaluable financial partner, as well as bring his stable back up to three cars (Ganassi ran the No. 40, No. 41 and No. 42 Dodges until 2008). In addition to fielding the No. 1 McDonald's/ Cessna Chevy for Jamie McMurray and the No. 42 Target Chevy for Kyle Larson, Kauffman is expected to bring current MWR driver Clint Bowyer and team with him to CGR. This move is because MWR's No. 55 car is in limbo due to Aaron's not announcing whether or not they will return next season. Bowyer's sponsors, 5 Hour Energy, AAA and Maxwell House, have yet to announce their next moves as well, but it wouldn't be shocking for 5 Hour to follow Bower to Ganassi after they enabled him to move from RCR to MWR in 2012.



Rob Kaufmann (R) appears ready to take his business, and
Clint Bowyer (C) to Chip Ganassi Racing (Google Images)

Should Waltrip lose Kauffman, it could spell disaster for the rest of the organization. Waltrip's Raceworld USA shop is capable of fielding multiple cars, with room to build chassis, hang bodies and produce parts all in-house. But without sponsors and proper funding, the building will be about as useless as the abandoned movie theater it used to be before Mikey converted it into a race shop eight years ago. It is unclear what will happen to the No. 55 team; if they will form an alliance with another team, merge into a different organization, or fold all together. It would be heartbreaking to see so many talented people lose their jobs, but it wouldn't be shocking to see that last hypothetical become a very cold reality.

Kauffman is the only reason MWR made it past its 2007 debut. The team was in financial ruin until Waltrip's now ex-wife Buffy brought her friend Kauffman  in to help keep the sinking ship afloat. Since then they have established themselves as a competitive organization, but have failed to reach the next level and still cannot compete with Hendrick and Gibbs for championships. It also hasn't helped business that the team has been plagued by scandal.

MWR debuted at Speedweeks '07 with a cheating scandal that resulted in the largest fine in NASCAR history to date and a rash of suspensions after a fuel additive was found in the intake manifold of Waltrip's car. The team managed to survive and thrive with Kauffman's help. Last season saw the team cheating again. Bowyer spun his car late in the Richmond race that would set the Chase field in order to help then-teammate Martin Truex Jr make the Chase. After NASCAR dropped the proverbial hammer on MWR and the team lost their biggest sponsor, NAPA Auto Parts, Kauffman suddenly began taking a larger role in how the team operates and Waltrip became nothing more than a talking head for the TV cameras who is more famous for appearing on Dancing with the Stars than being a winning race car owner.

The writing appeared to be on the wall after the Richmond incident, but many have since forgotten "Spingate" and forgiven those involved. But clearly losing NAPA's money and the current downslide in team performance has taken a toll. Now, with the impending loss of Kauffman's support, it appears that that same writing is back in big, bold letters. It will be very interesting to watch this all play out and see if Michael Waltrip, a driver who has a reputation for being a survivor, can help his team survive their biggest challenge yet. If not, it could well be their last.

Busch Wins Second of the Year; Hope Springs Eternal for Gen-6 Race Cars

Rowdy pulls into victory lane for the second time this year (Google Images)

Ever since NASCAR rolled out the Car of Tomorrow, fans and drivers alike have hated it. From it's shape, to it's handling, to the stupid wing that used to be on the back, there was never much good to say about it. Kyle Busch won the first race with the new style car at Bristol in 2007 and emerged in victory lane, only to say, "I'm still not a very big fan of these [cars]. I can't stand to drive 'em. They suck."

Well after a few design tweaks in 2011 and the release of the Gen-6 car (short for the sixth generation NASCAR body style) that we have seen on track the last three seasons, the look of the cars have greatly improved. They no longer look like something Lego would use if they ever came out with a NASCAR video game. They look like race cars. Perhaps more importantly, they also look like their Ford, Chevy and Toyota counterparts that fans can buy in the showroom. Win on Sunday, sell on Monday might not be dead quite yet. The racing has also improved over the last few years, especially with this past weekend's race at Kentucky. NASCAR hit one out of the park with the new aero package they unveiled and the racing was absolutely incredible.

Drivers never got to test the new package or qualify their cars because of the steady rains that plagued the Bluegrass State all week. But once Saturday night came, it was Busch again who pulled into victory lane. This is Rowdy's second win of the year and his second win since breaking his leg in a XFINITY Series wreck at Daytona this past February. Kentucky has been something of a playground for Busch since the Sprint Cup Series began racing there in 2011. He edged David Reutimann for the win in that inaugural race and has never finished worse than tenth in the four subsequent events there.

With qualifying rained out, Busch started ninth, while Kyle Larson started from the pole flanked by Brad Keselowski, the other dominant force at Kentucky Speedway. He won two races at the mile and a half speedway going into this event and only has one finish outside the top ten (33rd in 2013). Aside from Busch's Joe Gibbs Racing teammates, Keselowski would prove to be his biggest challenger for the win. That is, if they could keep their No. 2 Ford up front for a few laps.

Carl Edwards poses with some of his pint-sized pit crew members
(Google Images)

Keselowski jumped out to an early lead, but a rash of slow pit stops and issues with his crew, the No. 2 couldn't hold the lead for very long. Instead it was the Joe Gibbs Racing trio of Busch, Denny Hamlin and Carl Edwards who dominated the Quaker State 400. Busch missed the first part of this season, many wrote him off as a Chase contender. But with the solid runs he's been posting lately and with winning two of the last three events, he could very well do it. Busch needs to break into the top 30 in points to qualify for the Chase and he's currently 35th, 87 points behind Cole Whitt. Many of the cars around where Busch is in the standings don't run as well as him on a weekly basis, so when you couple that with the fact that the No. 18 team has really caught fire lately, Busch and his Adam Stevens-led team might just be able to make a run for the championship after all.

But the biggest aspect of this race was the fact that the new aero package NASCAR unveiled worked! After toying with track-specific aero packages for certain venues, NASCAR debuted their latest idea to improve racing in the Bluegrass State. And it was a resounding success.

Keselowski and his crew kept losing the lead, but they still managed to come back to finish sixth because Keselowski was able to pass cars on his way to the front. The race also saw a track record 22 green flag lead changes, the last of which came with 23 circuits to go when Busch edged eventual runner- up Joey Logano. The cars were slower than they have been before, they drove worse and the racing was better than we've ever seen with this new car. Clean air was still an advantage for the leader, but the second place car was able to drive under the left rear of the first place car without stalling out or sliding into him. It was the kind of close racing we saw in the pre-CoT era and it was beautiful to watch.

"All the drivers were kind of striving for this," Busch said. "I felt like it was a positive thing when I was chasing Joey down. Right when I got to him, he moved up and tried to block my lane. With the old package, you'd get stalled out, and get stuck behind the guy. I just moved down and went a little bit lower and got my Camry to stick and was able to power through and get back by him.


"We swapped the lead back and forth a couple times. I thought it was pretty good racing. You don't want to spend too much time racing around and putting on too good of a show for the fans to take yourself out of a win. I thought that was a really good race, at least it wasn't a guy who checked out on the last run and you didn't see a pass for the lead coming down the final stretch."

Brad Keselowski's pit crew did him no favors Saturday night
(Google Images)

Edwards has long been a proponent of making these cars harder to drive and he also had nothing but good things to say after the race.

"This package, we need to keep going in this direction," Edwards said. "We could race closer together -- I was steering right. We were using the whole car. We just need to keep taking downforce away. It was an awesome show. Just an awesome, fun day and I'm glad Kyle got the win."

Joe Gibbs Racing edged Team Penske for the win with Busch beating Logano, but Busch's JGR teammates, Hamlin, Edwards and Matt Kenseth rounded out the top five. Keselowski, Penske's other driver, was dominant early, but his pit road problems relegated him to sixth place. The rest of the top ten was made up of Hendrick-powered Chevys. Jeff Gordon finished seventh, Kevin Harvick eighth, Jimmie Johnson ninth and Kurt Busch tenth.

Next week, Kyle Busch will look to make it two in a row in Loudon, New Hampshire. The week after that, NASCAR will use another low downforce package when the Sprint Cup tour rolls into the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. There's a lot to look forward to leading up to the Chase for the Sprint Cup and it will be very interesting to see how all of these different changes and variables play into who gets in and who doesn't.

Fans Livid Over XFINITY Series TV Debacle

XFINITY took over as title sponsor for NASCAR's second-tier
series this season (Google Images)

NASCAR's new television contract looked good on paper. It included the return of NBC on Fourth of July weekend, as well as the departure of the much maligned TNT broadcast crew. Instead of the annoyingly opinionated Wally Dallenbach and Kyle Petty, NBC will feature commentary from respected former driver Jeff Burton and last year's Daytona 500 winning crew chief Steve Letarte. It also included an expansion of the FOX schedule through the June 28th weekend at Sonoma Raceway.

However, amidst all these changes and additions, one thing fans weren't counting on is this new deal actually limiting their ability to watch the sport they love.

This Saturday's XFINITY Series race from Chicagoland Speedway was postponed due to a torrential rain storm that moved in following Ryan Reed's win in the ARCA Series race. No big deal right? Just pull the cars in and roll them back out on Sunday afternoon once the track is dry. Fans with tickets will no doubt be accommodated and allowed back in to watch the race live tomorrow at noon. But fans watching from their couches? That's another story.

The race will air tomorrow on FOX Sports 2, a channel that very few fans get. Also, in a very cruel twist, fans with Comcast/XFINITY as their cable provider can't even get this channel period. Yep, you heard right. The XFINITY Series race will be carried on a channel that XFINITY doesn't offer. So, fans of the XFINITY Series who have XFINITY can't watch. Great move there, Comcast. That's a great way to use your new title sponsorship to advertise your brand.

FOX carrying Sprint Cup and XFINITY races on FOX Sports 1 (formerly SPEED Channel) was bad enough, but this is the manifestation of what many fans feared as the worst case scenario. Nobody can control the weather. But the weather is only a small fraction of the issue. Fans used to be able to watch races on regular broadcast networks. Now they need to upgrade their cable packages and pay more money to get more channels just so they can watch racing every weekend.

Women's soccer will be replacing this side by side action on FOX Sports 1
tomorrow afternoon (Google Images)

Fan Josh Gardner left a comment on NASCAR's Facebook post that the race was postponed that pretty much says everything. "I use to could watch a NASCAR race on a 7 station package.. now I need a 700 station package." By the way, that NASCAR post was simply titled, "Well, shoot." Clearly they care a great deal about this issue and want the fans who keep them employed to watch this race. I'm glad they're so concerned.
The angry comments didn't stop with Gardner. PsychedAlex Kerner said, "I live in Chicago and I cant watch the race tomorrow....that's how much NASCAR and FOX cares about us." Tina Spooner also offer her opinion. "I know what I won't be watching tomorrow. You got your head screwed on backwards NASCAR.!! Xfinity race is on and Comcast/Xfinity doesn't have FS2...obviously your not want a big fan base watching..." The angry, confused, disappointed comments go on and on.

Regan Smith, XFINITY Series driver for JR Motorsports even posted on Facebook to offer solace to disgruntled fans. "Hate seeing all the messages about not being able to get #FOXSports2 for tomorrow's race... Wish I had a good answer for that." He also suggested fans try the FOX Sports 2 mobile app, but unfortunately, fans need the channel to be able to use the app. NASCAR and FOX had better thank their lucky stars this didn't happen with a Sprint Cup Series race.

But why can't they just move some shows around and show the race on a regular broadcast network?
I live in New Jersey and at 12 pm tomorrow, FOX 5 out of New York will be carrying some infomercial about remodeling your home and FOX 29 out of Philadelphia is airing some reruns of Bones. You can't expect them to preempt a few reruns and infomercials for a live sporting event that a few hundred thousand people or so would tune in to see. Learning to redo your kitchen on a budget is much more important.

And what's on FOX Sports 1 that's more important than NASCAR racing? Women's World Cup Soccer. Yep, Football's weird European cousin is more important than NASCAR. I'd bet money there are far more NASCAR fans than soccer fans in the United States, and I'd also bet many of those same soccer fans can afford to upgrade to FOX Sports 2 to watch some girls kick a ball back and forth for an hour and a half. As a matter of fact, any one of these shows could easily be preempted or moved to another channel to accommodate NASCAR due to the rain out tonight. Our sport used to be built around working class heroes like Dale Earnhardt, Richard Petty and Bill Elliott among others. As a result, many fans are working class people who might not be able to afford to upgrade their cable packages. And asking them to do so for one channel that they will only watch once a week is completely asinine.

Speaking of working class heroes, there might not be many around today, but there are still good guys (like Regan Smith) and good stories in the sport. Take Chicagoland tomorrow. Not only are Kyle Busch and Joey Logano not racing (thank the Lord!), but there is an awesome story that has the chance to unfold that could possibly make the career of a very talented, up and coming driver. 



Matt Kenseth (L) will watch his son Ross (R) make his XFINITY debut
tomorrow... from the pit box. Because he probably doesn't get
FOX Sports 2 either (Google Images)

Matt Kenseth's son Ross will be making his XFINITY Series debut in Sunday's 300 miler. After spinning in practice, the younger Kenseth bounced back in qualifying to miss out on the pole by .002 seconds. As a result, he'll start a very impressive second to 2013 series champ Austin Dillon. Kenseth won in his ARCA debut one week ago in Kenny Schrader's No. 52 Federated Auto Parts Chevrolet and he's behind the wheel of a Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota this weekend. It's safe to say Ross stands a chance to win in his first ever start, on Father's Day, with his dad at the track. How incredibly special and cool would that be?

But unfortunately because NASCAR and the networks care more about the millions they make than they do about the fans shelling out those millions of dollars every year to watch what has honestly become a mediocre product, a great many fans might be forced to watch a potentially great story condensed into a 90 second highlight reel. And there is no excuse for any of it. Most fans get FOX Sports 1, so why not move the Women's World Cup to FOX Sports 2 or just put the race on regular old FOX?

NASCAR has been shooting blanks so far with all of the rules changes aimed at improving the on track product in recent years. This is evidenced by the fact that even more changes are in store come Kentucky in two weeks. Now, follow that up with the fact that tracks are removing seating, the rising overall cost of a race weekend  and NASCAR putting races on obscure channels that only a handful of fans get and one of their title sponsors doesn't even carry and you've got a recipe for disaster. Fan support is what made this sport as popular as it is and it can break it just as easily. Watching single file racing is one thing, but putting that single file racing on a channel where nobody can even see it is another. There are a lot of angry fans out there demanding answers. So NASCAR, XFINITY and FOX better come up with some. Fast.

NASCAR Meets with Drivers Prior to Dover Cup Race

NASCAR held a much-publicized meeting with a handful of drivers
in Dover last weekend (Google Images)

Last weekend in Dover, Jimmie Johnson scored his tenth win at the Monster Mile. Chris Buescher won the XFINITY Series event after bumping teammate Darrell Wallace Jr and Tyler Reddick won the Camping World Truck Series race. Obviously, the on track action was the highlight of the weekend at one of NASCAR's most exciting tracks.

But off the track last Saturday night, at the Dover Downs Casino located just behind turn three at the Dover International Speedway, NASCAR officials and a group of several drivers met to discuss the sport, where it is and the direction it's going. As of late, NASCAR has been famous for speaking with a fan council to try and determine what those who watch the sport want. They have also said that there is an open dialogue between the sanctioning body and the drivers, team owners and those in the garage area.

In attendance were drivers Denny Hamlin, Dale Earnhardt Jr, Kevin Harvick, Greg Biffle and Tony Stewart, among others. However, Johnson was not invited to attend. When asked about why this might be in the media center following his win Sunday, Johnson said he was on a bike ride and he "didn't get the memo." He said he "hasn't won enough races and championships" to be able to have any valuable input. Clearly somebody's ego was bruised a bit.

While Johnson was not an integral part of this gathering, a lot of different subjects were still discussed and, according to the drivers who were there in Johnson's stead, a lot of progress was made towards improving the sport for both teams and fans alike.



Jimmie Johnson won the Fed Ex 400, but wasn't invited to a landmark
meeting held in Dover the previous evening (Google Images)

"We’ve been trying to get all of our drivers together for about a year now, trying to get all of our ideas in one room together," Hamlin told USA Today. "NASCAR knew we were trying to form a line of communication, so they helped us start a driver council which gives us that forum to allow us to talk about things we want to talk about."

Stewart echoed Hamlin's sentiment, saying it was the first time in his 17 year NASCAR career that this type of informal meeting had occurred.

"I think it's just everyone staying on the same page which is good," Stewart said. "It was a good thing, it was positive and makes me feel good about our sport that they want to keep everyone staying on the same page. I'd call it very, very positive."

One of the biggest issues this year has been safety. After Kyle Busch broke his leg in the XFINITY Series race at Daytona back in February, tracks across the country began adding more SAFER barrier around their facilities ahead of their impending NASCAR race dates. The sanctioning body also announced that this weekend at Pocono it will begin to implement new rules for pit crew members. They must now wear flame retardant underwear and head socks that are to be worn under helmets that are more closed face and similar to what drivers wear.

The group also discussed competition and ways to make the on track product better for the fans. New rules changes this year, such as a reduction in horsepower and running tapered spacers at every track, have led to the same racing we have seen the last few years. Clean air still remains king, as the All-Star Race and Coke 600 pointed out very clearly, and if a driver can get out front it is almost impossible to pass him. Fresh tires don't play as big of a role as they used to in this aero-sensitive day and age and that is something that needs to be addressed. We're close to the side by side, competitive racing that fans want, but there is still work to be done. It won't happen overnight, but if you ask the drivers involved in Saturday night's meeting, they now have a direction and a common ground they can work towards.

"The meeting was good," said Hamlin. "We talked about a lot of things that hopefully is going to make our sport better, our cars better, make a better show for the fans. I think all that being said ... it's a process, it'll take some time and hopefully we get this deal better."

Home Sweet Home Alabama: Junior Dominates, Scores Emotional Talladega Victory

Dale Jr visits Talladega victory lane for the first time since 2004 (Google Images)

Dale Earnhardt was undoubtedly one of the best racers stock car racing will ever see. He would've turned 64 years old this past Wednesday, April 29th and at that age it's hard to imagine the Intimidator would still be behind the wheel (at least on a full-time basis anyway). Had his life and career not ended so suddenly in February 2001, who knows how many more races and championships he could have added to his already impressive totals of 76 victories and seven Winston Cup titles.

Earnhardt was successful everywhere he drove, but he was especially good at the restrictor plate tracks of Daytona and Talladega. He scored 21 victories at Daytona, from qualifying races to the 40th installment of the Great American Race in 1998. He also won ten events at Talladega, including his final career victory on October 15, 2000 in the Winston 500.

To this day, Talladega is still known as Earnhardt Country, with fans turning out in droves to see the heir apparent, Dale Earnhardt Jr compete for victories like his father did. Legend has it that the elder Earnhardt was so unbeatable at 'Dega and Daytona because he could see the air coming off the car in front of him. While that may or may not be true, it appears that his son inherited that same gift because he has five wins and eight wins at these tracks respectively. But while Junior won his second Daytona 500 last season and his Daytona 500 qualifying race this year, success at Talladega has eluded him lately. Going into Sunday's race, his last win at the Alabama track came in October 2004 and he only had 11 top 20 finishes in the 20  races since then. Not a bad average, but for someone who won every race Cup race at Talladega Superspeedway from October 2001 to April 2003, finished second in the next two events and scored a fifth win in the next race, you'd expect a little more consistency from the driver once known as the Pied Piper.

Junior maintained he had the fastest car during Speedweeks this year and with a third place finish in the Daytona 500 after winning his Duel 150 qualifying race, there was little reason t doubt him. But would that success transfer over to Talladega? Could Junior score a win on the weekend of his father's birthday?



Fueling issues start a fire in Ryan Newman's pit box (Google Images)

It was an all Hendrick front row with Jeff Gordon scoring the pole (surprise!) flanked by teammate Kasey Kahne. Ryan Blaney started third in the famous Wood Brothers No. 21 car and next to him was Junior's No. 88. The race started smoothly, but it didn't take long for things to get hectic.

On lap 20, Brian Scott's No. 33 Chevy lost a motor exiting the tri oval, heading towards turn one. Scott was running at the back of the field, so none of the leaders were collected. However, Michael Waltrip wasn't so lucky. He hit the snail trail of oil left by Scott's car and couldn't slow down enough, sending his No. 55 Camry head on into Scott's Chevy and ending any chance the 2003 Talladega winner had of winning second race there.

The race was dominated by Hendrick powered cars, which meant it was smooth sailing for the four Hendrick Motorsports drivers and Stewart-Haas Racing drivers. However, the Chevrolets in the Richard Childress Racing camp had a much rougher go of it.

After a huge fire engulfed Brendan Gaughan's pit box and sent two of his crew members to the hospital after last week's XFINITY Series race in Richmond, a fire in Ryan Newman's box provided a scary sequel and highlighted a problem that RCR is clearly having with either the nozzles of their fuel cans or the fuel intakes on their race cars. It is imperative that the head of the gas cans form a tight seal against the fuel intakes on each car because if they don't it can cause a fuel leak. And if that fuel comes into contact with one of the hot lug nuts that come off those old tires during a pit stop, it can lead to a gigantic fireball and a very dangerous situation for any pit crew within spitting distance.

RCR's misfortunes would continue when on lap 159 Austin Dillon would lose a motor in a big way. He was just past the start finish line when his engine imploded and the No. 3 Chevy caught fire. Spotter Andy Houston made a heads up call and told his driver to stop by the entrance gate where the fire truck and track safety crews could get to Dillon as quickly as possible. It might have been the weekend after Dale Earnhardt's birthday, but the car that bears his famous No. 3 would not have the same luck he had at Talladega.

But meanwhile, at the front of the field, his son was having a field day. Junior was putting on a clinic, leading a race high 67 laps. His HMS teammates Jimmie Johnson and Gordon led a total of 50 and 47 laps respectively. Many people thought Earnhardt Jr's past success at plate tracks was because of his former team's dominance on superspeedways. Dale Earnhardt Incorporated was the team to beat at Daytona an Talladega in the early 2000's. However, DEI's last plate win was also Junior's last plate win in a DEI car; that Talladega victory in 2004. Since moving to Hendrick Motor

Dale Jr salutes the fans and his father by holding up three fingers after
his win Sunday (Google Images)

sports in 2008, Junior has won a couple Bud Shootouts, a couple of Budweiser Duel races, last year's Daytona 500 and a big time victory in a retro Wrangler No. 3 car in the July XFINITY race at Daytona in 2010. Clearly it wasn't just the equipment that led him to victory lane, but the consistency he had in the No. 8 wasn't there in the No. 88.

This was one of Jr's best shots to win at 'Dega in a while and it wasn't going to be easy. The big one that started with Trevor Bayne's small wiggle on lap 48 made sure that the action. The wreck collected some good cars; his Roush teammates Greg Biffle and Ricky Stenhouse Jr, as well as Danica Patrick, Joey Logano, David Ragan and Kevin Harvick among others.

But through all the carnage, mechanical issues, and trash on his grille, Junior led the pack around the track that was once his personal playground for the final 27 circuits and claimed the win in Sunday's Geico 500. His motor was hot because the garbage on the nose of his car caused his water and oil temperatures to skyrocket so he didn't do burnouts. Instead, NASCAR's most popular driver did what he did when he won the 500 last year. Instead, he performed what former driver Alan Kulwicki dubbed as the "Polish Victory Lap." Junior turned his car around to face the fans, drove backwards down the frontstretch, waved out the window and saluted the fans and his father by holding up three fingers. It was clear to see that this win meant a great deal and he was overcome with emotion in victory lane. It's always refreshing to see Dale Jr win for just that reason; he's always excited and appreciative of each and every win, especially his victories the last few seasons.

This weekend, it's time for the Sprint Cup Series drivers to drop on the deck and flop like a fish as they hit Kansas Speedway for the SpongeBob Squarepants 400. The race will kick off Mother's Day weekend on Saturday May 9th at 7:30 pm/et on Fox Sports 1. Will Junior be able to win back to back races or would he be better off taking a class at Mrs. Puff's Boating School? Tune in Saturday night to find out.

Steve Byrnes Went the Distance

Steve Byrnes' courageous battle with cancer ended on Tuesday (Google Images) 

This past Sunday's race at Bristol Motor Speedway was renamed the Food City 500 in Support of Steve Byrnes and Stand up to Cancer. The race had several rain delays, took nearly eight hours and ended late Sunday night. But it was filled with beautiful tributes and memories of Byrnes, arguably the most respected reporter in the NASCAR garage who's battle with head and neck cancer over the last year has been well documented. The race was won by an emotional Matt Kenseth, who emerged from his car in victory lane and proclaimed with a grin that he was Byrnes' favorite driver.

Several drivers had Byrnes' name over the windows on their cars, every team ran a decal with Byrnes' initials and Bristol's jet black outside wall featured one bright blue section with #ByrnesStrong painted in big white letters. It was almost fitting that this blue strip be placed against a black wall in a race dedicated to a man who, for so many years had been a bright spot in the NASCAR garage.

Unfortunately, that bright spot dimmed on April 21st as Steve Byrnes' courageous battle with cancer came to an end. He was only 56. It was fitting that the last race Byrnes saw was dedicated to him and so many others who battle this horrible disease. During the pace laps, as Mike Joy so eloquently put it, "every man on every crew" stood along pit wall with signs reading "I stand up for Steve." Fans in the stands did the same. Joy's voice began to crack and, in this poignant moment, it was clear what Byrnes meant to everyone from the garage, to the broadcast booth, to the grandstands. FOX also put together a touching pre-race intro that paid tribute to their ailing colleague and fans chanted his name during a segment dedicated to him on the NASCAR Race Day pre-race show.

The end came so much sooner than anyone had expected. We had all hoped that Byrnes would pull through, don that yellow headset and return to pit road. I know I did. But cancer doesn't discriminate and it was not to be. Life can be brutally unfair at times.




Fans and crew members held up these signs at Bristol on Sunday.
We all stood with Steve through his fight (Google Images)

Byrnes had a long career not only in NASCAR but all sports. After graduating from the University of Maryland in 1981, he covered sports teams like the Washington Redskins, the Baltimore Orioles, the Washington Bullets, the University of Maryland, and Georgetown. He got his break in stock car racing when Sunbelt Video hired him to host Inside Winston Cup with Ned Jarrett in 1985. Byrnes also began pit reporter duties for World Sports Enterprises and later worked for networks like TBS, TNN, and CBS.


But fans most likely know Byrnes best for his work with NASCAR on FOX. He began as a pit reporter with the network during their flagship broadcast of the 2001 Daytona 500 and since then he has been a mainstay with the network, hosting practice and qualifying sessions and pre and post race shows in the Hollywood Hotel. A major highlight of Byrnes' career came in 2006 when FOX tabbed him to be the play-by-play announcer during a Carolina Panthers game. Through all of his success and all he accomplished in his life, Byrnes was a professional and, while he had fun doing what he job, he took it very seriously and had a meticulous attention to detail.

But while he loved his job, his Terrapins, his Redskins and his Nationals, it was his son Bryson that was clearly the center of his universe. Whenever Byrnes mentioned him during a television broadcast, his smile got a little bigger and his eyes lit up. He loved his son and his wife, Karen and was worried about taking care of them until the end.

Even in his final days, Byrnes handled everything with class and dignity. He enjoyed what he did and knew so much about the sports he covered. That is what made him such a well-respected personality among the drivers and crewmen he interviewed. A classic example of this, one that I think we'll always remember is this interview with Tony Stewart after Smoke's scuffle with Joey Logano at Fontana. Nobody but Byrnesie could have gotten a thank you from a driver after a tirade like that. Especially one with Stewart's disdain for anyone who covers auto racing.

But that's the kind of man Steve Byrnes was. He took his job seriously, he commanded respect, and he treated everyone he met with that same level of respect. You can watch quite a few members of the NASCAR community sharing their favorite memories of their friend and colleague here and you can also watch the touching tribute to Byrnes narrated by Ken Squire here.

Steve and Bryson Byrnes at the race track (Google Images)

If you have the time, both of these clips came from a special episode of Race Hub that paid tribute to Byrnes and aired on  FOX Sports 1 the night of his passing. You can watch this touching and well-done episode here. It's definitely worth watching and does an excellent job of celebrating the life of one of the best reporters our sport has ever seen.


I never had the privilege of meeting Steve Byrnes. Like most fans, I was only familiar with his television work with FOX over the past fifteen seasons. But as fans, we are introduced to different pit reporters and different broadcasters all the time when networks change or when people retire. But with all the different faces across FOX, ESPN, and NBC, there was always something about Steve Byrnes; something that made him different.
Whether he was hosting Trackside or covering pit stops during a race, Byrnes always had the same bright, infectious smile that made him a fan favorite. It was plain to see that he loved what he did and he enjoyed every minute of it. He wasn't just a suit with a microphone asking questions to the driver who won the race. He was a genuine, compassionate human being that cared about the teams and drivers he interviewed. He was a friend to everyone in the garage, he offered a fair and unbiased view in his reports and he was loved by fans and drivers alike. There will never be another Steve Byrnes. Ever.

Over this last year, Byrnes took on a new role. He became a hero. Not only to his son Bryson but to others inside and outside NASCAR who were fighting cancer alongside him. Byrnes fought valiantly and courageously right up until the end. He was up front with everyone about his battle and often updated us through his Twitter account. In the selfies he posted, it was clear he'd lost weight and his hair was thinning. But the same bright, warm smile and kind eyes that had always been present during his television work were still there. Even with all he was going through, Byrnes was clearly positive and upbeat and believed he could beat his disease.

Dale Earnhardt Jr sent a nice tweet following Byrnes' passing. He said, "My hope is Steve was able to see how much he was loved & appreciated by so many. Rest easy friend. Prayers to his family. #ByrnesStrong."

Steve Byrrnes was a fighter, right up to the end
(Google Images)

I believe Junior's wish was realized because, as Byrnes watched Sunday's race from his hospital bed, Bryson by his side, he tweeted his thanks and picked Carl Edwards to win the race. Following the event, Byrnes tweeted, "Thanks to all for a remarkable day, my teammates @NASCARONFOX. Miss you all. Thanks for your love."

Two days later, just a week after his 56th birthday, Steve Byrnes left us. His final tweet simply read, "I went the distance." A profound statement that, honestly, leaves me speechless. With everything Byrnes had been through, with all he had accomplished in his life, he truly went the distance. Those four words say so much about a man who worked so hard during his career to make sure everything he did was perfect, who fought so hard to beat cancer and get back to the job that he loved and who was never seen without a smile on his face, enjoying life to the fullest.

Byrnes said that his cancer made him to appreciate every moment more and to live each day like it's a birthday. That's something he tried to impart to the rest of us and I know I'm going to try harder to live by Steve's example. If we can take one thing away from all of this sadness, it's that Steve Byrnes taught us to appreciative every moment we have with our loved ones and to be courageous in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. We should all hope to be half as brave as he was in his fight.

In the coming days, please keep Steve and his family and friends in your thoughts and prayers. Both Bryson and Karen Byrnes have been just as brave as Steve through this entire ordeal and we should all be thankful that they shared Steve with us. He touched and inspired so many people.

The best thing about NASCAR is that it's like a big family. When one of us is hurting, we all go through the experience with them. I can only speak for myself, but while I never met Steve Byrnes, I have never been so heartbroken over losing someone I have never met. Because after seeing him on FOX for the last decade and a half, it feels as though I've lost a friend; a familiar face I had grown accustomed to seeing that I assumed would always be there and someone I aspire to be like, both as a journalist and as a person.

Godspeed Steve Byrnes. You truly did go the distance and you will be sorely missed. Rest in peace, my friend.

Johnson Bests Harvick in Texas-Style Shootuot

Jimmie Johnson (C) is "happy, happy, happy" in Texas victory lane,
posing with track president, Eddie Gossage (L) and  Duck Dynasty star
and owner of Duck Commander, Willie Robertson (R) (Google Images)

After an uncharacteristically bad finish at Martinsville two weeks ago, Jimmie Johnson was looking to turn things around at Texas Motor Speedway. Apparently the Easter break made a huge difference because after finishing 35th at Martinsville, 36 laps off the pace with steering problems, Johnson led nine times for 128 laps and cruised to victory in the Duck Commander 500.

But just because Johnson dominated the race, that didn't mean the rest of the field didn't put up a fight. Last year's champion Kevin Harvick has been on a roll all season. The No.4 team already has two wins and, until the race at Auto Club Speedway, they had a streak of eight consecutive top two finishes. Clearly Harvick and his team are going to be tough to beat in their fight for a second straight title. They were also tough to beat at Texas on Sunday, leading nine times for a total of 96 laps, second most in the night.

Just like at Fontana, Kurt Busch started on the pole flanked by his teammate Harvick. The Stewart-Haas Racing duo traded the lead back and forth for the first 100 laps until Johnson grabbed the top spot on lap 109. Harvick was able to run with Johnson, but Busch faded as the track cooled and Tony Gibson had trouble keeping up with adjustments as the track cooled and the sun went down. Most of the other teams had this same problem and had to resort to strategy to try and stay in front of the No. 48 car.

Midway through the event, Jamie McMurray and crew chief Matt McCall decided to put two right side tires on the No. 1 car while every other car took four tires. FOX commentators Larry McReynolds and Darrell Waltrip, in their infinite wisdom, proceeded to question the move. Neither believed that McMurray would be able to hold his own up front on two tires and that he would get passed by the rest of the field. However, he was able to maintain a spot in the top ten and show that, while Johnson and Harvick might not be beaten on speed, it might be possible later in the race to beat them with a pit call like that.


Jimmie Johnson (48), Kevin Harvick (4) and Joey Logano (22) were the three
best cars all night long (Google Images)

Pit strategy also provided an interesting element to a race that saw several debris cautions and the HScott Motorsports cars of Justin Allgaier and Michael Annett get wrecked. It also meant that we could stop talking about how Michael Waltrip spilled a taco on Denny Hamlin's car. Just when you thought you'd seen NASCAR's resident buffoon do just about everything, he spills a few shreds of lettuce on the No. 11 car and it turns into a running joke that never should've broken into a brisk walk to begin with.

But on the last pit stop of the night, the story switched from spilled Mexican food and a dominant Lowe's Chevrolet to a battle for the win that had fans on their feet cheering for someone to take down that same Lowe's Chevy.

Remember how Jamie McMurray took two tires on a pit stop earlier in the race? Well late in the race with the win on the line, he and his team decided to try and make that gamble work for them again. Once again McMurray held his own and actually led six laps. It looked like there could be a surprise winner at Texas and that the No. 1 team might be No. 1 for the first time in 2015. But with 15 to go, coming off turn four, Harvick slid up the track trying to pass McMurray and enabled Johnson to slide under both of them and take the top spot back. Harvick and Dale Earnhardt Jr, a new contender in third place, would race hard for second. They would get within a few car lengths of the No. 48, but neither would be able to get to him and pass him. Harvick drove so hard trying to win he got into the wall off turn two with three laps to go.

It's not the entire last 15 laps, but you can click here to watch some key highlights from this Texas shootout.

The other story on the night was Joey Logano's team working on their No. 22 car to try and get more competitive as the night went on. They were up front most of the night, but as the race wound down, they were really the third best car on the track. But while he wasn't on the same level as the No. 48 car, Logano did provide the best piece of driving we'd seen all night. He threw a block on Harvick in the closing laps, Harvick bumped him and Logano shot up the track towards the turn one wall. But somehow, he managed to save it and show that, while he might be a spoiled rich kid from Connecticut, but he still has talent behind the wheel of a race car. Logano would come back to finish a very strong fourth on the night.


Kevin Harvick came close, but couldn't take down the No. 48 Chevy
 (Google Images)

A few other notes bright spots in the race results were McMurray coming home a solid sixth after a two tire gamble that took the Missouri native from zero to hero. Martin Truex Jr also continued his streak of top ten finishes. He's had one in every race this year and grabbed the ninth spot Saturday night. Carl Edwards has really underperformed in his first few races in  a Joe Gibbs Toyota. But he ran in the top ten for most of the race, even cracking the top three for a time. But he came home a respectable tenth in the Duck Commander 500.

This Sunday, the Sprint Cup Series will visit the track that is the polar opposite of Texas Motor Speedway. The tour will be stopping at "The World's Fastest Half Mile" race track; Bristol Motor Speedway. You can catch all the beating, banging, and classic shot track racing action from Thunder Valley on Sunday on FOX at 1 pm/et.

Speedy Delivery: Hamlin Returns to Martinsville Victory Lane

When your trophy "absolutely, positively has to be there overnight", it's nice
to have connections at Fed Ex to get it to your front door (Google Images)

The 2015 Sprint Cup season had been a decent one for Denny Hamlin and his Joe Gibbs Racing teammates. However, up until this weekend's race at Martinsville, Hamlin's biggest highlight of the year had been his shouting match with Danica Patrick following the Budweiser Duels at Daytona. But Martinsville Speedway has always been one of Hamlin's strongest tracks; he'd won there four times going into Sunday's STP 500. So this would be a great weekend for the Chesterfield, Va. driver to get his first win of the season.

Speaking of firsts, this weekend was also the first career Sprint Cup Series race for XFINITY Series standout Chase Elliott. Since he will assume the helm of Jeff Gordon's legendary No. 24 Chevy next season, team owner Rick Hendrick decided to run Elliott in a fifth entry for his team on a part-time basis with sponsorship from NAPA Auto Parts. With both of these drivers trying to prove something and Kevin Harvick gunning for his ninth consecutive top two finish, there were plenty of reasons to watch Sunday's race.

Joey Logano, who has been stellar in qualifying all season long, started on the pole. Flanked by Ryan Newman's No. 31 car, the field took the green in the last race before a long Easter weekend.

It didn't take long for things to get hectic, as early on Elliott's baptism by fire went south quick. On a restart, Brett Moffitt rear ended Elliott's No. 25 car, which ruined both of these young guns' days before they had even begun. The contact demolished Moffitt's front end and cause some damage to the nose of Elliott's car as well. The wreck cost Elliott his power steering and forced him behind the wall to try and rectify the issue, as well as replace the radiator, around lap 75. While the No. 25 returned to the track, Elliott finished his Cup Series debut in 38th, 73 laps down. Hopefully his next race at Richmond on April 25th goes smoother.


Martinsville was not kind to Chase Elliott (Google Images)

But it wasn't just Elliott who had a bad day at Martinsville. His Hendrick teammates Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr also had uncharacteristically bad days at a track normally dominated by HMS drivers. Johnson, who has a staggering eight Ridgeway grandfather clocks, battled a loose car from the start of the race and later on, had to stop on pit road so his crew could go under the hood to correct a steering issue. After winning at Martinsville last October, Earnhardt Jr was also looking to have a great day at the Virginia paper clip. However, a loose shifter caused him a major headache through most of the race. Junior said a bad vibration caused the shifter to break off "right at the top of the transmission." It was so bad, his crew actually handed him a screwdriver so he could try and make repairs from inside the car. But the shifter would turn out to be the least of his problems. On lap 228, Junior was collected in a wreck initiated when David Ragan spun Casey Mears. This cause the field to check up behind them and the No. 88 Chevy couldn't get slowed down quick enough.

Hendrick Motorsports was not the only team to have a bad day Sunday. Roush Fenway Racing also had an especially rough day at Martinsville. However, this is not uncharacteristic for what has long been Ford Racing's flagship team. Ricky Stenhouse Jr spun his No. 17 car twice before losing a tire on lap 207 and slamming the wall in turn one. This relegated Danica's boyfriend to a 40th place finish. Trevor Bayne also had a rough go. He spun early on lap 12 after losing a tire and was collected in a few late accidents. But Bayne and his No. 6 team were able to rebound and score an impressive 18th place finish. Roush Fenway's senior driver, Greg Biffle, had a very uneventful day. He wasn't very good, but they also weren't as bad as they have been. The No. 16 came home in 19th, but clearly all three RFR teams still have a ways to go to return to a competitive state this season.

But the best team at Martinsville was clearly Joe Gibbs Racing. Ragan, who is still filling in for the injured Kyle Busch, has been a solid replacement for one of the sport's most dominant drivers. But Martinsville was his best showing yet, as he battled through the pack from a 20th place start to finish fifth on the day. Ragan was one upped by teammate Matt Kenseth. When he drove the No.17 at Roush Fenway Racing, Kenseth never ran especially well at the Virginia short track. But Sunday, the 2003 champion started eighth and came home a solid fourth. But it was Hamlin who led 91 laps and overcame a couple of pit road penalties to win the race and show he still has what it takes to win at NASCAR's shortest track. He held off Team Penske teammates Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano for the win. They finished second and third respectively.


It was a rough day for Dale Jr (88) at Martinsville too (Google Images)

Keselowski's runner up finish also meant that after leading a staggering 154 circuits, Harvick's streak of consecutive top two finishes ended at a very impressive eight. One other note on the day involved the No. 42 car of Chip Ganassi Racing. Kyle Larson fainted towards the end of an autograph session on Saturday and was taken to the hospital. He is awake and alert and doing just fine (in fact he was released late Monday night). However, he is still awaiting medical clearance to return to the drivers seat. This meant that Regan Smith reprised his role as the go-to substitute driver for Sunday's event. After spinning on lap 286, Smith was stopped in the middle of turns three and four and managed to not get hit b y a single car. This enabled the XFINITY Series regular to come home a solid 16th place in his first start since filling in for Kurt Busch at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Danica Patrick also came home a very impressive seventh. This was her fifth career top ten, which ties her with former female driver Janet Guthrie for most top tens by a woman in NASCAR's top series.

This weekend is Easter Sunday, so there will be no NASCAR action till April 11th at Texas Motor Speedway and the Duck Commander 500. This race will be broadcast on regular old FOX (not FOX Sports 1) on Saturday night at 7:30 pm/et on April 11th.