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.

Keselowski Upsets Busch's Drive for Perfect Weekend

Kurt Busch came within a lap of a perfect weekend (Google Images)

On Friday and Saturday at Auto Club Speedway, Kurt Busch led in every possible statistical category. He won the pole for Sunday's race, was the fastest in every practice session and was the fastest car in the best ten lap average category as well. As Busch said Sunday, all that was left was for him to do his job; put together a solid 400 miles and get his No. 41 Chevy to victory lane for the first time since Martinsville last spring. This being Busch's second race back from his indefinite suspension for a domestic violence charge that was never proven, a win would also go a long way towards putting that behind him as well.

But on a restart with two laps to go, Brad Keselowski passed Busch off turn two on the final lap of the race. Busch then overdrove his car off turn four, brushed the wall and allowed teammate Kevin Harvick to pass him for second. Busch's Chevrolet that had dominated the weekend was relegated to a third place finish.

It was a Stewart-Haas Racing front row, with Busch on the pole and Harvick starting second. While Busch was going for his first win of the year, Harvick was going for his third in a row and a sweep of NASCAR's west coast swing. While many drivers were able to contend with the duo, it appeared that either Harvick or Busch was going to see their die cast cars being towed on a trailer behind the woody wagon that sits atop the winner's trophy.

The first caution came out oddly enough on lap 24 for an incident involving Jeff Gordon and David Ragan. The two drivers had been racing hard and, apparently Gordon thought Ragan raced him a little bit too hard because he got close to Ragan's left rear and took the air off his spoiler, sending him spinning off turn four. Fortunately, Ragan didn't hit anything so he was able to keep moving.

Brad Keselowski celebrates his first Fontana win (Google Images)

This first caution might've been for a little on track disagreement, but the third one was for a bonehead move by Sam Hornish Jr's spotter, former race car driver Tony Raines. FOX played the audio and Raines cleared the No. 9 Ford to slide up on front of the No. 6 car of Trevor Bayne on lap 99. Only problem was that Bayne was still up to Hornish's right side door when he tried to clear the No. 6 car off turn two. Hornish said it best on his radio after the wreck, yelling at his spotter, "All clear, two back to the [No.] 38? Are you kidding me?" Apparently Raines is just as effective with a pair of binoculars as he was with a steering wheel.

The next few cautions were all for debris and, until the last few restarts, it looked as if Stewart-Haas or Joe Gibbs Racing was going to win. We've established how strong Busch and Harvick were, leading 65 and 34 laps respectively on the day, but JGR drivers Denny Hamlin and Matt Kenseth were just as effective. Both drivers have always been dominant at Fontana and this Sunday was no different. Hamlin led 56 laps in his No. 11 Camry and Kenseth led 43 laps in his DeWalt Toyota. But unfortunately, both of their days would soon go south in a hurry. Hamlin made contact with the wall that took a lot of the speed and the handle away from his car, making it almost impossible for him to hold the lead with Busch and Harvick on his heels.

Kenseth's issues, however, were much more terminal. On a late pit stop, as he left his box after his crew dropped the jack, Kenseth broke a right rear axle. California has an asphalt pit road with concrete pit boxes. This means two different grip levels and going from one to the other can lead to things like broken axels or U-joints. But Kenseth was still in his box at the time his axle decided to quit, so as his jack man let the car down and Kenseth hit the gas, the timing was probably just right that the rear tires hit the ground spinning and overworked just caused the axle to snap. Kenseth was forced to limp down pit road and back to his box so his crew could replace the broken part, which relegated him to a 31st place finish. However, the 2003 champ did manage to stay on the lead lap. Hamlin finished 28th on the day, beating his teammate by a few positions.

But it was the final two restarts that caused the most controversy. NASCAR threw a caution with less than two laps to go for "debris" between turns three and four. This led Busch to radio to his crew, "WWE," likening NASCAR to the wrestling league, which is famous for staging the results of their fights. This set up a green white checker restart and, once the field took the green, close racing off turn two caused Kyle Larson's taillight panel to fly off his car. This led to another debris caution (good thing we could see the debris this time), and another green white checker restart. Busch had held his own on the final two restarts, but FOX's cameras cut to his crew chief, Tony Gibson and it looked like he was about to put his fist through his laptop.



Kevin Harvick had a very good weekend in Fontana (Google Images)

This set up one final restart. Just as he'd done all day, Busch got out to a decent lead coming to the white flag. But while Harvick was behind him in second, Keselowski snuck around the four car and coming off turn two on the last lap, Keselowski's No. 2 had slipped past the No. 41. Keselowski led just one lap all day, but it was the one that paid the most to lead. FOX panned over to Gibson one final time and the look of disappointment and sheer disbelief made you feel a little bit bad. I know it's Kurt Busch, but it's hard to see such a dominant car finish third. You can hear Busch talk to FOX Sports reporter Matt Yocum after the race here.

But it wasn't such a bad one for SHR. Beating his teammate for second by a bumper led Harvick to a pretty staggering statistic. It was Harvick's eight consecutive finish of either first or second place. For a driver who only won his first title last season, Harvick has been putting up numbers not seen since Jimmie Johnson won five consecutive titles. from 2006 to 2010. The No. 4 team with Harvick at the wheel and Rodney Childers on the box has been absolutely unstoppable since joining forces last season. They could well be the new Jimmie Johnson and Chad Knaus of the sport. Harvick's weekend was made all the more impressive by winning Saturday's XFINITY Series race in the No. 88 TaxSlayer.com Camaro for JR Motorsports.

NASCAR's west coast swing is done and now, the tour will head back east to race at the Martinsville Speedway on Sunday. This is normally a very entertaining and exciting race, made all the more interesting because it's Chase Elliott's Sprint Cup Series debut for Hendrick Motorsports. This will also be the first race broadcast live on FOX Sports 1 (which is a topic for a rant for another post). If you get FOX Sports 1 or you know someone who does, you can catch Chase's debut, and all of the tight, bumper banging, fender crunching action from Martinsville live at 1 pm/et on Sunday.