Kyle Busch is NASCAR’s MVP

This is going to be an unpopular column when it comes to NASCAR fans.

Let’s be clear I am a NASCAR fan first before I even write this blog, and it’s the main reason I even take the time to write in this space.

I’ve never been a real fan of Kyle Busch, although I do know some people who are. But it is hard to deny his racing talent. He won a championship two years ago, which was way before I thought he would have the composure, maturity, and focus to do so in the Cup Series. He proved me, and a lot of other people who follow racing closely, wrong. I have no shame in admitting that. Kyle Busch is a great race car driver and has the potential to win many more titles. Let’s not forget his championship came just eight months after breaking his leg in a huge crash at Daytona in 2015.

Busch may have been a little out of line to storm after Joey Logano and punch him in the face after the Kobalt 400 in Las Vegas. I’m not going to write about who was right and who was wrong in the incident. Busch walked right into a hornets nest and he clearly got the worst of the confrontation after being punched by Logano’s crew members.

I am here to say that I think Kyle Busch is NASCAR’s MVP. Or maybe it’s MVD, most valuable driver. And before you freak out, let me explain.

First, Busch going after Logano and then getting beat up by the Penske Racing crew members was to be expected from The Kyle Busch. At 31 years of age he may have a wife and a son and a championship now, but it is hard to leave that passion and fire for winning at home. Busch wants to win in everything he does, every single day. But it’s how we all accept losing that defines us. Busch does not handle it well, but that is NASCAR’s problem and also its benefit. He’s like a spoiled child, and there’s nothing wrong with that.

The Busch-Logano rumble in Vegas is the talk of NASCAR, and that is actually refreshing to me after two weeks of talk about rules, stages, and pit road speeding penalties. The fight even took the focus away from a dominant win by Martin Truex Jr., who was able to pass Brad Keselowski with two laps to go. Keselowski was close to winning his second straight Monster Energy Cup Series race after taking the checkered flag in Atlanta. It was all everyone could talk about leading up to Ryan Newman’s surprise win in Phoenix this past weekend.

NASCAR should not be this complicated. It should be about who wins, who wrecks, and what drivers you like and don’t like. The last few weeks I’ve heard way too much about downforce, how fast the drivers can go on different segments of the pit road, what the digital dashboards look like, and on and on. I really like Larry McReynolds on the Fox broadcast, but usually when he comes in to explain how things work I head to the refrigerator or the bathroom. Love you Larry, but no one sitting at home on their couch is ever going to be a NASCAR crew chief.

Now back to the fight.

Hearing someone say, “Did you see Kyle Busch get his ass kicked?” gets your attention way more than, “Can you believe there were 13 speeding penalties on pit road?”

I got several texts on Sunday from people I never would have thought to be watching the NASCAR race in Vegas, especially with a plethora of college basketball going on.

Every story needs a villain, and Busch is the NASCAR villain. Dale Jr. is the sport’s most popular driver, but Busch is its most important driver. Brad Keselowski could be the hated one, but he does not truly embrace the role. Keselowski also is more of an ambassador who speaks out on the issues.

Who would the fans boo if not for Kyle Busch? Who would get a better cheer when he crashes or blows an engine than Kyle Busch?

Sometimes people take NASCAR so seriously that they can’t realize that 40 drivers are actually putting on a show for your entertainment. Sure they get paid pretty well to do so, but they wouldn’t if no one was there to see it. Busch is part of the reason you pay for tickets, and it’s hard to say where NASCAR would be without him.

When I was growing up I watched a lot of IndyCar racing with my father. Back then it was CART or the PPG Indy Car Series. In the midwest we loved open-wheel racing. My favorite drivers were Danny Sullivan and Bobby Rahal. I met both of them at the Cleveland Grand Prix growing up. But man did I dislike Emerson Fittipaldi. I couldn’t stand him. Every week I hoped Rahal or Sullivan would come home with the win, but at the same time I always paid attention to where Fittipalid was. And most of the time my boos for him were stronger than my cheers for my favorite drivers.

That’s the Kyle Busch affect in NASCAR. You may hate him, but you’re always paying attention to where he’s running in the race.

I’m not telling anyone who has a disdain for Busch to change at all. I’m just simply pointing out how good he is at playing the ultimate NASCAR heel, to coin a term from professional wrestling.

The two drivers met face-to-face this week with NASCAR. Logano brought his laptop to show Busch data that made his points and he accepted responsibility for the accident. Both these drivers are very smart, and are a major part of the future of the sport. They know what they’re talking about, and they also know how to win. Busch will win another championship or two, Logano will win his first and then a lot more after that. We surely have not seen the last of these two and their intense desire to win. Let’s not forget Matt Kenseth intentionally wrecked Logano in the Chase of 2015. No one likes the guy who wins a lot and who is up front every week.

I agree with NASCAR’s decision not to suspend Busch this week. What would that accomplish? Do you think that would change Busch and the way he approaches each and every race? Absolutely not. What you see is what you get from Kyle Busch, and that is why he is NASCAR’s MVP.

(Above Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images)

 

Busch Claims Always Dramatic Daytona 500

It was a monster debut for Monster Energy in NASCAR.

Kurt Busch, who carries the Monster Energy livery on his Stewart-Haas Racing Ford, won the 59th running of the Daytona 500 in dramatic fashion passing Kyle Larson on the last lap when Larson ran out of fuel. The Great American Race was the first points-paying race with Monster Energy as the new entitlement sponsor for the stock car series. There are just the third company to be the title sponsor of the series following Winston and Sprint.

The story about Busch is one of redemption and probably one you have read over and over at this point.

The more fascinating part of this Daytona 500 that got me thinking on Monday morning was the incredible amount of drama that the race induces each and every year. How many times does the race actually not live up to the hype and buildup? Remember one time a car even hit a jet dryer!

This year it was about new stage racing and the countless accidents that took out major contenders and the leaders running out of gas when it was all on the line.

“I’m still blown away by the amount of effort that it takes to win one of these races, let alone the Daytona 500,” said Busch. “This is very special.”

Special indeed. Even more special because rarely do you see a driver dominate the 500. It is nearly impossible. Chase Elliott looked like the winner. The 2nd-year Cup Series son of a legend was the leader in the final 100 miles and had the lead with three laps to go, only to run out of gas. Almost as if the racing gods are putting him through so many near-wins so that he can cherish the first one that much more.

That’s what happened to Dale Earnhardt in the Daytona 500. It took Earnhardt 19 tries before he finally won the biggest stock car race in the world. That was after winning just about every other race that was held at “The World Center of Speed.”

But back to Busch. He’s been through a lot these past few years. That includes being suspended for the 2015 Daytona 500 for an alleged domestic violence issue with his former girlfriend Patricia Driscoll. This claim turned out to be false and the latest of the saga had Driscoll being charged with stealing from a military charity she led in September of last year. Busch was reinstated after missing the first three races of the 2015 season.

Think of everything Busch went through and then what he went through in the crazy 500 on Sunday. He was involved in one of the big wrecks, but Tony Gibson and his crew were able to repair it before the new five minute clock ran out. He lost his rearview mirror with 30 laps to go. He benefited from nearly everyone in front of him running out of Sunoco fuel. Then he partied with Gronk in victory lane. Once again, it’s never easy or
drama-free in Daytona.

DAYTONA BEACH, FL – FEBRUARY 26: Kurt Busch, driver of the #41 Haas Automation/Monster Energy Ford, celebrates in Victory Lane with New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski after winning the 59th Annual DAYTONA 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 26, 2017 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

“Daytona’s always about survival.  As I gave Tony Gibson a high five before we started the race, I said, It’s 90% protect the car, 10% go for aggression, race hard, and execute at the end. I’m thankful enough we didn’t have too much damage.  The nose was clean and the tail was clean.  Yeah, the sides were a bit wrinkled up.  You just kind of let the rough edges drag and you go for it.  There’s things that everybody has to go through to win this race.  Usually there’s not a perfect car anymore.”

No driver could have said it better, especially those watching the end because their cars were too beat up to continue. (Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jimmie Johnson, Brad Keselowski, Kyle Busch and Matt Kenseth just to name a few)

Just incredible stories all around with the Busch victory. There was his crew chief Tony Gibson who grew up in Daytona. What a fairy tale win for him.

“It doesn’t get any better than this,” said Gibson.  “

“In today’s times to win, it’s so competitive, so hard to win.  Each time you win, it means more because it’s harder and harder to win each time. You’re only as good as your last win.  So this means more to me than anything I’ve done.  I won the championship in 1992 with Alan Kulwicki, but this here is huge.”

Did I mention that Busch races for Tony Stewart, who in his first year strictly as a car owner won the 500 with his new manufacturer Ford.

“If I knew all I had to do was retire to get it done, I would have retired a long time ago (smiling).”

Despite winning the Cup championship three times and the Brickyard 400 twice in his home state of Indiana, Smoke never won the Daytona 500 as a driver.

“I mean, when you’ve grown up all your life as a racecar driver you want to win it as a driver.  For every driver, there’s a point where you step out of the car and you do something different.  To have an opportunity to come back this year as an owner and still have the opportunity to be where we’re at right now, I mean, that’s a pretty exciting feeling.”

And let’s not forget Monster. The brand that stirred up controversy by putting scantily clad women in Victory Lane which was the talk of Daytona all week leading up to the race.

“It’s incredible to have such a powerful brand share the car with Gene Haas.  When you share a car like we do and when you’re in wrecks and they’re doing a super slow-mo of your car going through the grass, that’s what my bride, Ashley, has turned me into such a positive thinker.  She’s like, That’s such great exposure for Monster.”

But nothing tops the exposure they will get for being on the winning Daytona 500 car.

Welcome to NASCAR Monster Energy and welcome to the Daytona 500 champions club Kurt Busch.

Getting Up To Speed in Daytona

Before we really get into the meat of the Daytona Speedweeks events with the Can-Am Duels on Thursday night, let’s look back at the start of the racing season to this point with a few other events that have taken place at Daytona International Speedway.

Every year the Rolex 24 at Daytona gets more and more competitive and this year again featured an incredible run to the finish.

A caution with 28 minutes remaining in the race tightened up the contenders in the Prototype class and helped the #10 Konica Minolta Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac Team with Ricky and Jordan Taylor, Max Angelelli, and Jeff Gordon take the lead and the overall win.

Ricky Taylor battled Filipe Albuquerque and even made contact attempting to pass him with 16 minutes left. With seven minutes remaining, Taylor ducked inside going into turn one and spun the #5 Mustang Sampling Racing Cadillac of Albuquerque. The incident was reviewed by IMSA, but Taylor kept the lead and claimed the win. Twenty-three hours, fifty-three minutes, and 659 laps and the difference between getting a Rolex and not comes down to contact in turn one. It was racing incident, but a case could’ve made for each driver to be in the wrong.

The race was plagued by rain for most of the overnight hours and even run under caution for over an hour at a time. Despite the weather, three of the four classes had tremendously close finishes that came down to the final minutes. The sun even peaked out during the closing laps on Sunday.

It was the first class win in the Rolex 24 for Gordon, in his 2nd career start, adding one more accomplishment to his legendary racing career.

“This is very surreal to me, this whole experience and moment, to have this on my résumé,” Gordon said. “It’s a very elite group that’s won the Daytona 500 and the Rolex 24 together. That’s something I’m very, very proud of. But I think more than anything is this experience for me of – not to take anything away from 2007 with Max and Jan and Wayne –what amazing race car drivers both Ricky and Jordan are and how difficult this race is.”

Even a month later as Gordon prepares to call the Daytona 500 for FOX, he is still talking about the race and the time piece he got for winning.

“Of course, everybody wants to see the Rolex watch,” Gordon told RACER. “I went out and got it sized right away as soon as I got back to Charlotte. It was a fun experience walking in with that watch into a Rolex store. Obviously, it gets a lot of attention …”

Max Angelelli also claimed his second Rolex win in his final race.

Chip Ganassi took home another Rolex win in the GTLM class with one of his four Ford GTs. The winning car was driven by Dirk Mueller, Joey Hand, and Sebastien Bourdais.

This past Saturday Austin Theriault won the Lucas Oil 200 in the ARCA Racing Series’ annual Daytona event. Theriault held off Terry Jones and Shane Lee as the race was red-flagged and eventually called due to damage to the Safer barrier. The damage was caused by a big crash in which Justin Fontaine ended up on his roof.

DAYTONA, FL – FEBRUARY 18: ARCA driver Justin Fontaine and Codie Rohrbaugh crash during the ARCA Lucas Oil 200 on February 18, 2017, at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona, FL. . (Photo by Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

The ARCA race almost always features a lot of crashes, mainly because most of the drivers are racing on the super speedway for the first time.

Hinckley, Ohio native Matt Tifft, who has overcome brain surgery to remove a tumor last year, finished 12th in his NOS Toyota. Tifft will race a full schedule in the Xfinity Series this year for Joe Gibbs Racing. You will hear more about him in this space as the season builds.

Observations From Daytona: Take 1

NASCAR is back at Daytona in its fresh new wrapping paper called the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.

Speedweeks, the best racing week of the year kicked off over this past weekend with the renamed Clash (postponed by rain and moved to Sunday afternoon), a lengthy practice shakedown session on Saturday, and single-car qualifying on Sunday. And even though there is a new entitlement sponsor two things remained the same: the Penske and Gibbs cars are very fast and very good and should have a say in who goes to victory lane.

Joey Logano picked up the win in the Advance Auto Parts Clash at Daytona after final-lap contact took out his teammate Brad Keselowski and Denny Hamlin.

Feelings weren’t hurt that bad because the race is purely an exhibition, but because of the move to the afternoon the race did simulate weather and track conditions for this Sunday’s 59th Great American Race. Those conditions pointed to five strong cars and potential winners of the 500:

Defending champion Denny Hamlin
Logano
Keselowski
Kyle Busch
Matt Kenseth

And you can also throw in rookie Daniel Suarez, the defending Xfinity Series champion who is driving the JGR Toyota vacated by Carl Edwards’ retirement. Suarez looked fast in the Clash and the weekend practices and did not seem overwhelmed by restrictor plate racing.

Logano, the 2015 Daytona 500 winner, won the 75-lap Clash by sneaking by Keselowski and Hamlin on the high side when Hamlin attempted to cut off Brad coming off
turn one.

“He (Brad Keselowski) had help from the 22 (Team Penske teammate Logano). I was in a bad spot there,” said Hamlin.

“He was just coming so much faster than what I was. There’s not much that I could have done to defend.”

DAYTONA BEACH, FL – FEBRUARY 19: Chase Elliott, driver of the #24 NAPA Chevrolet, stands on the grid during qualifying for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series 59th Annual DAYTONA 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 19, 2017 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

Elliott won his second straight 500 pole and was more than disappointed with his effort last year when he crashed on lap 19 of 200. He is another driver determined to get a better result and back up the huge expectations that rest on his shoulders being the son of a former Cup champion.

“It was my first stab at a full-time Cup effort and it seemed like there was a lot going on,” Elliott said after finishing 37th last year. “Going through the motions with all the folks that are here, whether they’re sponsors or people that NASCAR invited. Working through all those obligations, there’s a lot that goes with it.

“But then the race comes around and you get in the car. Then you flip on the switch and get out on the track.”

The cars are back on the track Thursday night for the Can-Am Duel Qualifying Races. Stay tuned throughout the week for more coverage.

Edwards Chooses To Retire

Carl Edwards is doing what we all wish we could. He is retiring at the age of 37 with financial stability to spend time with his wife and two kids. He can choose to do nothing at all, or he can travel to wherever he wants. He can also still pick up his kids and remember what they want for Christmas.

But yet in today’s sporting world we are shocked when these announcements take place, like the one Edwards made on January 10th that he was walking away from NASCAR after nearly winning this year’s Cup championship. He did not use the word “retirement,” but instead chose to say he was stepping away, leaving the door open for a return someday.

Edwards said he came to the decision before Christmas and went to owner Joe Gibbs to tell him personally. He said he was satisfied with his accomplishments, wanted to spend more time with his family, and quit while he was still healthy.

“I always think about things going forward.  And in my mind, I’d considered next year (2017) being my final year, but I hadn’t put really a lot of thought into it.  And after Homestead, I had some time to sit, think and reflect about all of this, and for those three reasons that I gave you, I thought, man, it just — I can’t come up with a good reason why now isn’t a good time. And so I presented that to Coach.  I didn’t know what he would say, and like I said, he and the sponsors — I mean, everyone, accommodated me in a way I just didn’t expect, and that means a lot.”

Edwards is arguably the most athletic driver in NASCAR. Clearly his thoughts about health have less to do with his conditioning and more to do with concussions and other dangers that exist in racing. This is even more true after watching the struggles that Dale Earnhardt Jr. had this past season. And despite his comeback attempt at Daytona, who knows if Junior will ever be able to compete at the highest level again.

“I’m 100 percent healthy.  But I am aware that there’s — this is a risky sport, put on a helmet and firesuit to go race.  And I am aware of the current consensus that, like any — let me say it this way:  Like anybody in a contact sport, I realize that there might be long-term consequences to that stuff, and that’s a piece of the puzzle.  That’s a part of the factor.  But there are multiple parts to it.”

I re-watched the Kansas Chase race from October in the days after Edwards’ announcement. He had the best car all day in that race, yet Kevin Harvick came up with the win. The same could be said about the final race at Homestead. Edwards was in position to win the championship. Then on a restart with 10 laps to go, Edwards tried to block Joey Logano and crashed. Edwards did not show immediate anger or frustration, in fact he went to Logano’s Penske pit box and wished crew chief Todd Gordon and the team luck and apologized for getting in their way. Edwards took a hard hit in that accident. Perhaps he knew in that instant he was done.

He may not have a championship on his resume, but Edwards was a championship contender several times. His decision to leave Roush Fenway Racing for Joe Gibbs Racing was a great one. He was as competitive as ever in the past two years, but I can’t help but think that this last crushing blow may have played a factor in his decision to walk away.

“There are times — the people close to me know that I follow my gut, and as an analytical as I am and as much as I wear people out about the details, Coach can attest to that, I do, I follow my gut, and sometimes I just — I just gather what’s around me, and I say, look, if all signs point to this, then that’s what I need to do.  That’s what got me here in the first place. The way everybody looked at me when I announced I’m doing this is the same way people looked at me 20 years ago when I said, Hey, I’m going to drive a race car for a living, like you’re crazy.  Literally people laughed at me.”

As for his future in motorsports, television could be a possibility. Edwards was a guest analyst on several Xfinity Series telecasts on Fox Sports 1 in 2016. But he was definitive in leaving his helmet behind when coming to a race weekend at least in the near future.

“I don’t have any intention of going back to full-time racing.  I don’t have a plan to drive a race car right now. But I know enough about — I just know how things work, and if it comes up and the right opportunity is there and at that moment, it’s the right thing, then for sure I’d entertain it.  But like I said, the first person I’d talk to is Coach (Gibbs).”

2016 Xfinity Series Champion Daniel Suarez will take Edwards’ place in the #19 Toyota.

NASCAR CEO and Chairman Brian France released this statement on Edwards’ retirement.

“Carl Edwards has made an indelible mark on NASCAR. His hard-charging driving style has led to memorable moments that will live forever in the history of our sport. Carl’s passion and personality will greatly be missed – as will the signature backflips that NASCAR fans have come to expect following his victories. We wish Carl nothing but the best as he enters this next phase in life.”

The next phase for Carl is one we all envy. But I have a feeling we will see him behind the wheel again at some point.

 

 

Looking Back Not Closing the Door on 2016

The racing world won’t be the same after some record-breaking performances and two notable retirements in 2016.

It gets tougher and tougher every year to watch and keep up with all the different forms of auto racing, especially because I seem to change up what I watch depending on the best storylines in each series.

This year I struggled to watch IndyCar at times (aside from the Indy 500), but found a renewed interest in Formula One and NHRA. NASCAR will always be my main area of knowledge and coverage, but the other series’ have really stepped up their competition and whether people are watching or not, television broadcasts continue to evolve with the ever-changing motorsports landscape.

NBC Sports Network has become a destination for motorsports fans and I think their NASCAR and F1 coverage is exceedingly better than ESPN’s last foray with the Chase. It still baffles me how ESPN/ABC has bowed out of the racing business with the small exception of the Indy 500 and a few select IndyCar races. I get the 500 is the crown jewel of the year, but not being involved with NASCAR at all is something that the bosses in Bristol are missing out on. But of course that isn’t the only thing they seem to whiff on these days.

Clearly the biggest story of 2016 was Jimmie Johnson winning his seventh NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship, joining Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt as the only other drivers to win seven titles. The accomplishment shocked even one of the biggest fans of the #48 Lowe’s team…. Me.

When I was at Michigan in August, I watched Johnson and Chase Elliott dominate the race, only to lose out to Kyle Larson in the end. His summer stretch of races was disastrous. It was hard to imagine then that Johnson had enough to stop the Gibbs and Penske cars in the Chase. But he and Chad Knaus proved everyone wrong once again, using the repetitive Chase schedule to their advantage.

Johnson and his longtime crew chief seemed to relish the underdog role. Their biggest win came at Charlotte in October. That win allowed the team to advance to the next round and not face the pressure of having to survive the Talladega crash fest the next week. Johnson got his biggest break of the season when Carl Edwards and Joey Logano got together with 10 laps to go at the finale in Homestead. When Johnson came through with the best restart of his career shortly after, the celebration was on.

HOMESTEAD, FL – NOVEMBER 20: Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe’s Chevrolet, races during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 20, 2016 in Homestead, Florida. (Photo by Jerry Markland/Getty Images)

Everyone has tried to put the record in perspective and debate whether Johnson belongs in the “best-ever” category with The King and The Intimidator. There is no question he belongs. In fact in a year or two it’s possible we could be calling the best of all-time.

Comparing newer successes with the old is a waste of time in racing, just like it is with just about every other sport. Just ask Carl Edwards how tough it is to win just one championship in the Chase era as he lost out to Johnson once again. Johnson has won seven. Seven championships. That’s not easy no matter what the era, no matter what the sport.

Johnson, now at age 41, is surely the best NASCAR driver I have seen in person and one of the best I’ve seen in my life. I was lucky enough to remember a lot of classic Earnhardt moments including his lone win in the Daytona 500 and I still think he is best ever although I never saw him race in person.

I think Johnson’s quest for #8 will make an amazing season-long story in NASCAR this year. Just like the return of Dale Earnhardt Jr. at Daytona and the new beginning of the series with Monster Energy at the title sponsor. Can everyone say, “The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series?”

2016 was Tony Stewart’s last as a NASCAR driver. Instead of looking back on his final season, I am more curious about what Tony’s legacy will be in the sport. Will he be remembered as a 3-time champion, a championship owner, or one of the best drivers to ever grab a steering wheel no matter what kind of car it was. That all remains to be seen and I think Stewart’s future as a car owner is very bright. Clint Bowyer will take over for him in 2017.

The Daytona 500 was great. The Indianapolis 500 was even better. Alexander Rossi winning not only as a rookie, but coasting around the track as he tried to save fuel while others ran out was tremendous drama; everything the 500 was and continues to need. The F1 battle between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosburg went to Rosburg. Then Rosburg announced his retirement, leaving everyone to wonder, who can possibly stop Hamilton in the season to come?

One of my favorite moments of the year was the Truck race in Canada when Cole Custer went after and tackled John Hunter Nemechek after a controversial finish. On the final lap of the road course race in Bowmanville, Ontario, Nemechek tapped Custer and both cars careened into the wall on the final turn. But they didn’t stop. They kept racing all the way down the straightaway in the grass on the way to the checkered flag. After a short delay to sort out timing and scoring, NASCAR declared the young Nemechek the winner. But not before JHN celebrated. and was tackled by Custer who was attempting to the make the Truck Series Chase with a win. Nemechek had already qualified via a win in Atlanta earlier in the season.

Wrestling was a trend in the Truck Series this year as you also can’t forget John Wes Townley and Spencer Gallagher rolling down the track at Gateway after wrecking each other.

I also can’t leave out the great moment when Daniel Suarez won the NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship. NASCAR needs all the fans they can get right now and having their first non-American born champion in Suarez will only grow the sport’s popularity in Mexico. Suarez is well on his way to a big career in the Cup Series.

Finally, I have to thank two of the best racing facilities in the country that just happen to be in my backyard. Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Michigan and Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio. MIS continued to bring amazing hospitality and first-class racing event management as I took one of my best friends to his first NASCAR race. He was so impressed he wanted to get season tickets for next year’s events. And the Bader family also excelled once again in putting on one of the best NHRA weekends on the schedule. My dad is now a multi-year season ticket holder and we are already planning our weekend this year when the Summit Racing Nationals return to the Buckeye state on June 22-25, 2017.

Perhaps the best part of the 2016 racing year is the doors that remain open and the continuation to the stories we have already seen and heard. Everyone wants a final stamp at the end of each and every year, and I don’t think we can put one on this racing year. There is so much development and potential in each and every series. Here’s to much more frequent blogs and coverage of all of them in 2017.

A Long Interesting Season Comes To An End

Today is the final NASCAR Sprint Cup race of the year. It is the end of a 10-month, 36-race marathon. If you’ve watched every lap of every race this year, you should be commended and you have accomplished a lot more than me. (My goal every year is to watch every lap, but having a kid has complicated that this season).

Much like every season, there have been some incredible finishes and some unwatchable races. When the season starts in February and ends in November, you’re going to get a few duds here and there. But after watching a good share of the action this season there are three storylines that really stand out to me as we head into championship weekend in Miami.

1. The Chase for 7

It’s still incredible to me that Jimmie Johnson has won six championships. That alone makes him one of racing’s greatest drivers with no arguments or debates. Today he can join the two greatest drivers in stock car history with a seventh title. That is remarkable considering how competitive the Sprint Cup Series is today. In no way am I discrediting Richard Petty or Dale Earnhardt, but there is a lot of money in the sport now. Money that can be spent to beat a driver who is very dominant, and it’s not like Johnson has been the only driver winning in the last ten years, he’s just found a way to win at the right times. The format changes to the Chase has prompted some old-timers to say the championships are not the same, but he’s still won SIX of them!

And to think that this season would bring an opportunity to win #7 at Homestead is another surprise. Johnson was terrible during the summer. Even he would admit that. Johnson was not winning and he didn’t have the speed to compete. But with the help of Chad Knaus, still arguably the best crew chief in the game, Johnson has controlled the Chase by winning at Charlotte and Martinsville, enabling his team to roll pressure-free and work towards the final race while others fought to stay alive.

I’d give Johnson a 40% chance to win the historic championship on Sunday. Logano, Edwards and Kyle Busch are very good. Anything can happen, but I like the experience of the #48 team and they have been very good in the pits during the Chase. We’ve had titles won and lost on pit road at Homestead, which means Johnson cannot afford a pit road penalty like the one he got in Phoenix. In order for Johnson to win the trophy he may have to do the very thing he has yet to do in his career. Win a race at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

2. The Absence of Dale Jr.

Much like the sun came up the day after the Election, stock car racing did go on without Dale Earnhardt Jr. this year.

Junior had a rough year at what many perceive is a good time in his personal life. Just when it seemed like he was going to compete for a title after a strong 2015, another concussion greatly affected not just his ability to drive a racecar, but his daily way of life. Some serious issues cropped up which made driving a car traveling over 200 miles per hour unthinkable. He would post videos on social media during his time off that made shooting hoops in the gym a major accomplishment.

Clearly his health is the number one priority, but NASCAR had to face a life without the most popular name in the sport, and may have to look at a future without him as well. Dale Jr.’s comeback at Daytona in February is going to make for a tremendous day, but the grind of the season will once again take its toll. I believe that better days are ahead for Dale, but I really question whether this issue will ever allow him to be as good as he has been behind the wheel, and it really seems trivial to discuss at this point. The only thing everyone in racing is hoping for is a healthy and happy Dale Earnhardt Jr.

With the amount of young drivers that have had success in 2016, the series is in good hands. Dale has been missed, but a competitive season with some interesting stories has unfolded without him. The emergence of Chase Elliott may even provide the legion of Earnhardt Jr. fans a possible replacment for the most popular son of a former NASCAR champion. Can I picture NASCAR racing without Dale Jr. in it? No. That’s why I think the offseason is critical for him and the #88 team.

3. The Unraveling of Martin Truex’s Season

After winning two of the first three Chase races in September, many people thought Truex was not only emerging as a serious contender for the championship, but in fact was the favorite.

But he lost an engine at Talladega and just like that was eliminated. The Chase gives and the Chase takes away, all in a blink of an eye. Truex had some dominant wins in the Coca-Cola 600 and the Southern 500. He took an average one-car team in Furniture Row Racing and made it a legit threat to the super teams. They even will add a car with Erik Jones next season, effectively making them even stronger.

Despite the disappointment, Truex has emerged as a legitimate top ten driver in NASCAR. And he is paired with one of the top five crew chiefs in Cole Pearn. With proven results, this team is only going to come back stronger and more motivated to win in 2017.

(Above Photo by Robert Laberge/Getty Images)

NASCAR Watkins Glen Blog

By Josh Sabo

The blog is back in a slightly more abbreviated format..More on that in the weeks to come as I get ready to head to Michigan for the Sprint Cup weekend.

Sprint Cup What To Know: Denny Hamlin won the Cheez-It 355 at the Glen in a race that actually was enjoyable to watch. That is more than I can say about the majority of races this summer including the snoozer of a Brickyard 400. More on this later.

As we stand with just four races until the Chase, I find it hard to see how anyone beats the Gibbs or Penske drivers for the championship. Hamlin got his 2^nd win of the season to go along with teammate Kyle Busch’s four victories and Carl Edwards’ two. So that’s eight total wins for Joe Gibbs Racing and five for Penske (Brad Keselowski 4, Joey Logano 1).

Credit: Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 FedEx Freight Toyota, celebrates with a burnout after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Cheez-It 355 at Watkins Glen International on August 7, 2016 in Watkins Glen, New York.

There was the annual big crash at The Glen on lap 53 when Ricky Stenhouse Jr. got loose, bounced off the guardrail and got drilled by Jimmie Johnson. Greg Biffle and Austin Dillon were also collected in the accident that brought out the red flag with Joey Logano leading. This race had just about everything including multiple pit penalties for contenders, Martin Truex going after Brad Keselowski after Brad spun him out on the final corner, and even Danica Patrick leading the race!

Credit: Chris Trotman/Getty Images Damage is seen on the #88 Axalta Chevrolet, driven by Jeff Gordon, during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Cheez-It 355 at Watkins Glen International on August 7, 2016 in Watkins Glen, New York.

Jeff Gordon had another rough day filling in for Dale Earnhardt Jr. when he crushed the right front end of his Chevrolet hitting Austin Dillon in the opening laps of the race. The Hendrick team tried to fix the damage, but it really affected the handling on the car and Jeff placed 14^th. Hendrick has got some issues to figure out. The only one of their cars that looks remotely fast right now is that of rookie Chase Elliott, but even he is not in the Chase for sure just yet.

Credit: Chris Trotman/Getty Images Martin Truex Jr., driver of the #78 Furniture Row Toyota, leads Kyle Larson, driver of the #42 Target Chevrolet, during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Cheez-It 355 at Watkins Glen International on August 7, 2016 in Watkins Glen, New York.

Quick Thought: There are no shortages of great road courses in the United States. I think NASCAR should add another one to their schedule since both the races at Sonoma and Watkins Glen are usually very interesting and competitive. The races also look great on television and provide a fine backdrop for the multiple camera angles and the comprehensive coverage that is provided (Yes even by your NBC…at times). I’ve been saying for years that the Chase needs a road course race to act as a second wild card, but Brian France is just too stubborn to change anything in the Sprint Cup’s final ten playoff races and that is why the series disapears behind football after September. The Xfinity Series has races at Road America and Mid-Ohio and the giant track in Austin, Texas is also a world-class venue that could easily host a Cup race. More and more it seems every NASCAR series is willing to step outside the box and offer us something unique and exciting except the Sprint Cup. That needs to change for the sport to come back from the rough spot it’s in right now.

Credit: Josh Hedges/Getty Images Erik Jones (R), Martin Truex Jr. (C), driver of the #78 Furniture Row Toyota, and team owner Barney Visser(2L) pose with the #77 5-hour Energy Toyota that Jones will drive in 2017 for Furniture Row Racing, prior to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Cheez-It 355 at Watkins Glen International on August 7, 2016 in Watkins Glen, New York.

Newsworthy: Defending Truck Series champion Erik Jones is on his way to the Sprint Cup Series. Next season, Jones will drive a second Toyota fielded by Furniture Row Motorsports and sponsored by 5-hour Energy. Martin Truex Jr. previously announced a two-year extension with this small team from Denver, Colorado which has become increasingly competitive each and every week. You might remember Truex put on an absolute clinic at the Coke 600 in Charlotte back in May. Jones has won three times this year in the Xfinity Series.

Next Race: Bristol Night Race, Saturday Night, August 20^th

Competitive Start To The Sprint Cup Season

We are now into the month of March and so far we’ve seen the closest finish in Daytona 500 history, a huge strategy call in a blistering fast race at Atlanta, and a sandstorm in Las Vegas.

The NASCAR season is underway and there is a lot to cover.

DAYTONA BEACH, FL – FEBRUARY 21: Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 FedEx Express Toyota, takes the checkered flag ahead of Martin Truex Jr., driver of the #78 Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats Toyota, to win the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series DAYTONA 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 21, 2016 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)

Denny Hamlin’s last lap move at Daytona was incredible. Even more incredible was the reaction that it received from racing fans and sports fans in general. That is exactly why NASCAR holds its biggest race of the season in February. They want the attention of the nation and they got it. The race would not have garnered nearly that much media attention if it was held anytime during the football season, even with such an exciting finish.

I loved how FOX and NASCAR built up “Daytona Day,” as a day to get together with friends and throw a party to watch the race. For the 7^th straight year, I attended our NASCAR group’s 500 party at Slim-N-Chubbys on W. 150^th in Cleveland. Serious NASCAR fans join those who may just have an interest in the Daytona 500 for the day. This year more than any other everyone in the place had a driver they were rooting at the end. This includes the Matt Kenseth fan near me who was looking for 500 win #3. She was convinced that Kenseth had it locked up. I just kept saying there’s still a long way to go. Even on the last lap I knew Kenseth was a sitting duck.

The most shocking part of the 500 to me was not that Hamlin took the win, but how Dale Earnhardt Jr. crashed out. Junior had the car to beat for two weeks, but got caught up in the slippery track that heated up as the race went on. His teammate rookie Chase Elliott also fell victim at the same part of the track coming off turn four. Winning and losing the 500 can really be a lot about luck, but Hamlin’s move proved it is also a lot about the driver and how good your car is. Hamlin’s FedEx Toyota was strong the entire month and everyone knew it. We will see how Denny builds off this win and what kind of momentum he can take into the Chase in September.

Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe’s Chevrolet, takes the checkered and yellow flags to win the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 under caution at Atlanta Motor Speedway on February 28, 2016 in Hampton, Georgia. (Photo by Matt Sullivan/NASCAR via Getty Images).

In Atlanta, Jimmie Johnson claimed his 76^th Sprint Cup win to tie Dale Earnhardt Sr. for seventh on the all-time NASCAR wins list. Crew chief Chad Knaus chose to pit the #48 six laps before anyone else, and nine laps before lead Kevin Harvick. It worked brilliantly as 90% of Knaus calls do. Johnson’s win not only made a statement that the 6-time champion is not fading away anytime soon, but it also gave Knaus a chance to say he is still one of the dominant crew chiefs in the sport.

76 wins in Sprint Cup is a lot. Richard Petty’s 200 will likely never be broken. David Pearson is next with 105 and then its Jeff Gordon with 93. Johnson is 40 years old. Gordon retired last year at the age of 44. No one knows how long Johnson will continue to race, but it would be safe to say he’s got at least four more years in him. Can he win 17 races in that time to tie Gordon? We shall see, but the remarkable thing about Johnson is not only the amount of wins he has garnered in his now 15 seasons in the sport, but also that now he is the active leader in wins by 28 over Tony Stewart. The next active driver is Matt Kenseth with 36 wins. The point is, Johnson and Knaus still make it look easy to win in a sport that it surely is not.

The weather changed everything in Las Vegas this past Sunday. Leading up to the start of the Kobalt 400, high winds caused some issues as the teams and drivers made their way to the starting grid. The winds even forced NASCAR to delay the start by 25 minutes and with about 90 laps to go, a huge sandstorm crept into the Las Vegas Motor Speedway making it hard to see the cars.

“Visibility, maybe, is the only thing you get a little nervous about when the sandstorm come through, but it wasn’t too windy,” said Dale Earnhardt Jr. who finished 8^th.

“I thought it was windy before we got in the car, but I was just as intrigued as anybody to see how it would go and how the race would go with these kinds of winds. It’s definitely a factor that makes it another challenge. All the drivers want is more challenges; more hoops to jump through.”

Brad Keselowski, driver of the #2 Miller Lite Ford, races Joey Logano, driver of the #22 Shell Pennzoil Ford during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Kobalt 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 6, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Todd Warshaw/Getty Images).

 

It did not stop Brad Keselowski from blowing by Kyle Busch with five laps to go and winning his his first race since California last spring. Keselowski even overcame an early pit road speeding penalty.

The theme of the last two races has been how the new downforce package will improve the racing for the drivers and the fans. So far the drivers have been extremely pleased. Junior was thrilled after the Atlanta race and Brad echoed those thoughts after his win.

“I thought it was a really good balance.  The challenge is for NASCAR that we’ve got all these race teams spending millions of dollars to develop the aerodynamics on the cars because there’s such a competitive advantage to finding more downforce, finding more side force, reducing the drag on the cars.  It will only take us about half a year to a year’s time to where we remove all the benefits that this package has given the racing to showcase a day like we saw today with a lot of passing for the lead.”

“As far as the downforce package is concerned, we have to continue to stay ahead of that as a sport to continue to have great finishes to races like we saw today and quite a few passes for the lead.  That’s what we’ve all come to expect of this mile-and-a-half racing, and I think that’s what we saw, which is something to be proud of.”

Love him or hate him, Keselowski is one of the most knowledgable drivers in the garage about what will make the sport competitive and successful. NASCAR listens to him, as they should, because he is a former champion. It remains to be seen if the racing will improve as we go to tracks like Michigan, Kentucky, and Charlotte, all places that have notoriously been single file parades the past few seasons. But it certainly seems like they are heading in the right direction and must continue to evolve like all professional leagues to continue to keep the fans interested.

Can Anyone Beat Dale Jr.?

It was a familiar looking Earnhardt win at Daytona.

With a dominating win in the first Can-Am Duel on Thursday night, Dale Earnhardt Jr. made a statement that he has the car to beat in this Sunday’s Daytona 500.

Junior won his 5^th career Duel qualifying race and will start third behind his Hendrick Motorsports teammate Chase Elliott. He will be looking for his third 500 win.

But this is Daytona and that means anything can and will happen over the course of 200 laps. Junior is not unbeatable and here are a few of the contenders that have what it takes to challenge him on Sunday in the Great American Race.

Photo courtesy of motorsport.com

Denny Hamlin: The only other car as good as the #88 is the #11 FedEx Toyota. Junior seemed to toy with Hamlin in the final laps of the first Duel before putting a trademark Earnhardt drafting move on him to take the lead with six laps to go. Hamlin won the Sprint Unlimited and likes his new crew chief Mike Wheeler quite a bit. His team is searching for more speed in the final practices and has the ability to get him off pit road fast like they did on Thursday.

Kevin Harvick: Despite failing inspection after pole qualifying, Harvick claims this is one of the best restrictor plate cars he’s had in years. He started at the back on Thursday night, but rocketed through the field in a hurry to finish fourth. He is the closer so look for him to be there at the end.

Photo courtesy of Getty Images

Penske Racing: Brad Keselowski is still looking for his first 500 win, and Joey Logano is the defending champion. Both cars have been very fast in the draft all week. Logano joked that Junior is just so good on the superspeedways, but he was able to hold him off in last year’s Daytona 500 and at Talladega in the fall. Keselowski only won once in 2015, and has made it known he wants to add Daytona to his list of wins and racing fans know his penchant for doing whatever it takes to get to victory lane.

Matt Kenseth: He’s a two-time Daytona 500 winner and always seems to find himself in the right place when the trophy is on the line. Darrell Waltrip likes to call him crafty. It didn’t take long with Kenseth to link up with Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards in the second duel race so look for them to try and do it again to counter Earnhardt’s horsepower. But after the big crash at the end of the race, Kenseth will be forced to a backup car and start from the back, ruining what would have been his first front row start at Daytona. It shouldn’t take long for him to get to the front though.

Carl Edwards: Another driver who has never won the 500, but had his chances. In his second year with Joe Gibb Racing, Carl seems confident and has a fast Arris Toyota.

Jimmie Johnson: It’s not unusual to watch Johnson drive around by himself in Daytona practice, but he stood out during Thursday’s early practice when he was faster than a group of drafting cars. Then while battling for the win in the second Duel, Jamie McMurray decided not to give Johnson any room, leading to a huge pile up. He will also start a backup car at the back on Sunday. Chad Knaus will get the #48 a good raceday setup, Jimmie just has to stay out of the big one, which has been a problem in recent plate races.

Photo courtesy of nascar.nbcsports.com

Kyle Busch: If you didn’t learn last season not to count Busch out, then you didn’t watch close enough. He brought Gibbs a long-awaited Sprint Cup title in 2015, and now he wants to bring him his first Daytona 500 win in 23 years. He won the second Duel after getting a good pit stop that put him in front of Kenseth and Johnson and out of harms way when they crashed.

Martin Truex Jr.: He has put the roof flap controversy in qualifying behind him and is looking forward to his first race driving a Toyota for Furniture Row Racing. That means he will be looking to team up with the Gibbs cars and has already run well with them in practice. Truex was also caught up in the late wreck in the Duel, just like he was in the Unlimited, so he will be going to a backup car. Truex has had no luck at all since unloading the trailer, which means Sunday might be the time.

Paul Menard: An upset special, but he does have Childress power and a solid track record on plate tracks. Menard is a solid longshot pick.

Photo courtesy of tbo.com

Chase Elliott & Ryan Blaney: Two of the strongest rookies we’ve seen in the sport in quite some time. Elliott qualified on the pole and protected his car during the qualifying race so that he would preserve that starting spot. As I wrote almost two years ago now, Elliott is very talented and he is going to win races in 2016.

Blaney has worked well with Logano and Keselowski who are pretty much his Ford teammates despite driving for the Wood brothers. He had a great third place finish in the Duels and will roll off seventh on Sunday. Both could be there at the end in the 500, or both could have some huge learning experiences.