The weather gods had the final word on tomorrow night’s Coke Zero 400 starting order unable to get the track dried quickly enough to squeeze in Sprint Cup qualifying without screwing up the start of the Nationwide series race, once again, the field will line up by owners’ points.
Mike Wallace and Max Papis failed to make the field, but here’s where the real screw comes in where the “start and park” phenomenon comes into play. Suppose the formula ruled against Brad Kesolowski and knocked his ride out of the starting field. Surely his spot in this race should create substantial interest considering this is the team that won the earlier restrictor plate race at Talladega in April. Here’s a team that clearly intends to run for the win. Meanwhile, can the same be said of the efforts of #71, David Gilliland; #87, Joe Nemechek; #78 Regan Smith; #66, David Blaney; #36, Tony Raines; or #43, Tony Raines?
Since there is no question teams are making the starting field with no intention to compete, NASCAR must make some adjustment for these slackers who simply occupy space when the green flag drops and are long gone before the first tire change. Surely when there are teams that are just showing up, teams that are toward the bottom of the heap who intend to contend deserve consideration over the clutter. Such things as wins and top 10 finishes should be taken into account. There should be consequences for obvious forfeiture.
The first half of the season will be concluded when the winner takes the checkered flag after this weekend’s race. Several issues compete for the year’s top story, but thankfully the biggest story is the competition. The competition is tight between 5th and 16th place where any driver is a sure chance of making the top twelve Chase contenders, but likewise any driver up to 5th place could just as easily fall out. With such a strong field of competition, the action on the track surely benefits. Dale Earnhardt Jr. sits in 19th and seems to be gaining ground since the crew chief change but he stands almost 300 points out of the chase. Making up 300 points in nine races looks insurmountable.
Joey Logano continues to grow as a legitimate competitor being forced to the top series perhaps a year ahead of time given Tony Stewart’s departure to form Stewart-Haas racing. Critics can say what they will of his win in rain-shortened competition, it will forever stand as a victory just as Matt Kenseth’s win at Daytona counts and Kurt Busch’s win at the same event last year. Fortunately, for Legano, it gets that first win monkey off his back allowing him to grow as a driver without all the “when will it happen” speculation. He’s a work in progress, but two or three years from now, he could be a champ contender. What an interesting dichotomy he presents within the context of Joe Gibbs racing vis-à-vis his teammate, Kyle Busch, the kid everybody loves to love versus the punk everybody loves to hate. So where does that leave Denny Hamlin?
Going into the second half, hopefully, the Dale Earnhardt Jr. soap opera is over. It’s all about results, Junior. No matter how close he comes to the chase and what transpires after the field is selected, his reputation as a top tier driver is on the line. While it’s too soon to say the #88 team is positioning for being better next year, this summer is time to suck it in and work. The dumb mistakes must go.
The Roush stable and Childress garage are not living up to expectations this year. For Roush, Carl Edwards has not won a single cup race this year nor have any of his teammates other than Matt Kenseth winner of the first two events. The summer schedule generally provides good fortune for the Ford camp, but while Edwards, Biffle, and Kenseth are likely Chase participants, seeing one of these guys in the battle for series champ is harder to envision. Jamie McMurray struggles to reach the top 20 only cracking the top 10 three times. David Ragan’s season, so far, can be nothing less than a total disaster. With the hopes of big things snatching up UPS sponsorship, one of the most recognizable sponsors in the field, the #6 team has not delivered. Mired in 30th spot, the challenge now seems to be more one of staying in the top 35 in owner’s points when last year looked so promising.
2009 has been hell for Richard Childress Racing where even Mr. Consistency himself, Jeff Burton, has been caught up in bad situations in recent weeks now in 16th place right behind Clint Bowyer who is nowhere close to his mark of the last two seasons. Casey Mears just joined the top 20 after New Hampshire’s action but has not been a factor in any race so far with no top 5’s and only two top 10’s. Kevin Harvick, perhaps once the team’s most legitimate star continues to tumble dropping two more places to 27th.
From a competitive standpoint, Tony Stewart’s effort to build a successful two car operation with Stewart-Haas Racing is the story of the first half. Stewart leads the points standings and is in great shape to win his third championship fighting Jimmie Johnson, current champ going for his fourth consecutive title and four time champ, Jeff Gordon nipping at his heels with another champ, his teammate’s former teammate, Kurt Busch reviving his status as a top competitor in 4th. After tough luck early in the season, Ryan Newman rose as high as 4th before getting caught up in some bad situations in the most recent races dropping him back to 7th but he looks like a Chase competitor who will solidify his case with some top 5’s and a win or two.
Kyle Busch remains the painful pimple on Sprint Cup’s posterior. Almost always a factor to win each week, late race difficulties and getting caught up in metal twisting track episodes has the punk plastered in 8th but with three wins, he is tied with Mark Martin for the most wins this year. While fans cheer for a storybook season for the wily old veteran, Martin, when things go bad, they really explode into disaster in his tough weeks, but Martin should make the chase but dreams of his elusive championship are still a long shot.
Sponsorship and factory support continue to be the dark clouds surrounding the race tracks as the 2009 season moves forward. Two familiar numbers have been sidelined, #8 for Earnhardt-Ganassi and #28 for Yates racing. Richard Petty racing cut positions and salaries not getting its payments from Chrysler. How factory support plays out while GM and Chrysler attempt to restructure and Ford labors to stay out of the mess their two domestic competitors are in casts a dark cloud of doubt but the races continue.
NASCAR is tasked with working with the teams, networks, sponsors, and drivers to maintain the highest level of competition. The “Start and Park” phenomenon is getting uglier even more so in the Nationwide series. The Camping World Truck series has more serious problems pulling together competitive fields for each race as just getting a full field regardless of competitive capacity is difficult.
One has to wonder what the Nationwide and Camping World divisions will look like in 2010.
Meanwhile, we celebrate a successful first half of 2009. The action on the track has been exceptional. When the worst of the series’ fortunes for what makes for good race viewing involves the weather, something very good is happening on the tracks. We look forward to a hot second half with that night of reckoning in Richmond drawing closer each week.
Mike Wallace and Max Papis failed to make the field, but here’s where the real screw comes in where the “start and park” phenomenon comes into play. Suppose the formula ruled against Brad Kesolowski and knocked his ride out of the starting field. Surely his spot in this race should create substantial interest considering this is the team that won the earlier restrictor plate race at Talladega in April. Here’s a team that clearly intends to run for the win. Meanwhile, can the same be said of the efforts of #71, David Gilliland; #87, Joe Nemechek; #78 Regan Smith; #66, David Blaney; #36, Tony Raines; or #43, Tony Raines?
Since there is no question teams are making the starting field with no intention to compete, NASCAR must make some adjustment for these slackers who simply occupy space when the green flag drops and are long gone before the first tire change. Surely when there are teams that are just showing up, teams that are toward the bottom of the heap who intend to contend deserve consideration over the clutter. Such things as wins and top 10 finishes should be taken into account. There should be consequences for obvious forfeiture.
The first half of the season will be concluded when the winner takes the checkered flag after this weekend’s race. Several issues compete for the year’s top story, but thankfully the biggest story is the competition. The competition is tight between 5th and 16th place where any driver is a sure chance of making the top twelve Chase contenders, but likewise any driver up to 5th place could just as easily fall out. With such a strong field of competition, the action on the track surely benefits. Dale Earnhardt Jr. sits in 19th and seems to be gaining ground since the crew chief change but he stands almost 300 points out of the chase. Making up 300 points in nine races looks insurmountable.
Joey Logano continues to grow as a legitimate competitor being forced to the top series perhaps a year ahead of time given Tony Stewart’s departure to form Stewart-Haas racing. Critics can say what they will of his win in rain-shortened competition, it will forever stand as a victory just as Matt Kenseth’s win at Daytona counts and Kurt Busch’s win at the same event last year. Fortunately, for Legano, it gets that first win monkey off his back allowing him to grow as a driver without all the “when will it happen” speculation. He’s a work in progress, but two or three years from now, he could be a champ contender. What an interesting dichotomy he presents within the context of Joe Gibbs racing vis-à-vis his teammate, Kyle Busch, the kid everybody loves to love versus the punk everybody loves to hate. So where does that leave Denny Hamlin?
Going into the second half, hopefully, the Dale Earnhardt Jr. soap opera is over. It’s all about results, Junior. No matter how close he comes to the chase and what transpires after the field is selected, his reputation as a top tier driver is on the line. While it’s too soon to say the #88 team is positioning for being better next year, this summer is time to suck it in and work. The dumb mistakes must go.
The Roush stable and Childress garage are not living up to expectations this year. For Roush, Carl Edwards has not won a single cup race this year nor have any of his teammates other than Matt Kenseth winner of the first two events. The summer schedule generally provides good fortune for the Ford camp, but while Edwards, Biffle, and Kenseth are likely Chase participants, seeing one of these guys in the battle for series champ is harder to envision. Jamie McMurray struggles to reach the top 20 only cracking the top 10 three times. David Ragan’s season, so far, can be nothing less than a total disaster. With the hopes of big things snatching up UPS sponsorship, one of the most recognizable sponsors in the field, the #6 team has not delivered. Mired in 30th spot, the challenge now seems to be more one of staying in the top 35 in owner’s points when last year looked so promising.
2009 has been hell for Richard Childress Racing where even Mr. Consistency himself, Jeff Burton, has been caught up in bad situations in recent weeks now in 16th place right behind Clint Bowyer who is nowhere close to his mark of the last two seasons. Casey Mears just joined the top 20 after New Hampshire’s action but has not been a factor in any race so far with no top 5’s and only two top 10’s. Kevin Harvick, perhaps once the team’s most legitimate star continues to tumble dropping two more places to 27th.
From a competitive standpoint, Tony Stewart’s effort to build a successful two car operation with Stewart-Haas Racing is the story of the first half. Stewart leads the points standings and is in great shape to win his third championship fighting Jimmie Johnson, current champ going for his fourth consecutive title and four time champ, Jeff Gordon nipping at his heels with another champ, his teammate’s former teammate, Kurt Busch reviving his status as a top competitor in 4th. After tough luck early in the season, Ryan Newman rose as high as 4th before getting caught up in some bad situations in the most recent races dropping him back to 7th but he looks like a Chase competitor who will solidify his case with some top 5’s and a win or two.
Kyle Busch remains the painful pimple on Sprint Cup’s posterior. Almost always a factor to win each week, late race difficulties and getting caught up in metal twisting track episodes has the punk plastered in 8th but with three wins, he is tied with Mark Martin for the most wins this year. While fans cheer for a storybook season for the wily old veteran, Martin, when things go bad, they really explode into disaster in his tough weeks, but Martin should make the chase but dreams of his elusive championship are still a long shot.
Sponsorship and factory support continue to be the dark clouds surrounding the race tracks as the 2009 season moves forward. Two familiar numbers have been sidelined, #8 for Earnhardt-Ganassi and #28 for Yates racing. Richard Petty racing cut positions and salaries not getting its payments from Chrysler. How factory support plays out while GM and Chrysler attempt to restructure and Ford labors to stay out of the mess their two domestic competitors are in casts a dark cloud of doubt but the races continue.
NASCAR is tasked with working with the teams, networks, sponsors, and drivers to maintain the highest level of competition. The “Start and Park” phenomenon is getting uglier even more so in the Nationwide series. The Camping World Truck series has more serious problems pulling together competitive fields for each race as just getting a full field regardless of competitive capacity is difficult.
One has to wonder what the Nationwide and Camping World divisions will look like in 2010.
Meanwhile, we celebrate a successful first half of 2009. The action on the track has been exceptional. When the worst of the series’ fortunes for what makes for good race viewing involves the weather, something very good is happening on the tracks. We look forward to a hot second half with that night of reckoning in Richmond drawing closer each week.
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