SOS! College Football's Toughest 2010 Schedules

The 2010 College Football Season Is Upon Us!

Here's a listing of the twenty-five schools entering the season with the toughest schedules in front of them based upon collegefootballpoll.com's preseason rankings on all 120 Division I schools and sportsnetwork.com's FCS Division preseason rankings.

NOTE: The FCS poll is needed since several of the big schools find it necessary to play schools from the lesser division in their big home stadiums. Never forget, college football is all about the money.

Now remember, the number given under SOS is the average rank of each opponent these schools have on their 2010 schedules.

So... Here are the schools playing the toughest schedules:

-Conference-Division—School-------Rank----SOS
1- SEC --------West------Alabama--------4-----40.08
2- Big XII----South-----Oklahoma-------7-----41.17
3- PAC TEN--------------UCLA---------48-----45.00
4- PAC TEN--------------Oregon St. ---17-----45.08
5- PAC TEN--------------Washington---53-----45.08
6- ACC--------Coastal---N. Carolina---13-----47.00
7- Big XII-----North-----Iowa State--- 70-----47.33
8- Big XII-----South-----Texas------------2-----47.92
9- Big XII-----South-----Texas Tech----19-----49.08
10 SEC---------East-------Florida----------5-----49.42
10 SEC---------West------LSU-----------24-----49.42
12 SEC---------East-------Vanderbilt—108----49.75
13 SEC---------East-------S. Carolina—29-----51.42
14 Big XII-----South-----Ok. State----43------51.83
15 ACC-------Coastal----Ga. Tech-----12------52.17
16 ACC-------Coastal----Miami (FL)—23-----52.33
16 IND.---------------------No. Dame---57------52.33
18 Big XII-----North-----Colorado-----69------53.00
19 ACC-------Atlantic----Florida St.—46-----53.17
20 ACC-------Coastal-----Va. Tech-----8------53.67
21 Mtn. West---------------BYU--------16------53.83
22 SEC----------East------Tennessee---73------54.42
23 Mtn. West--------------UNLV--------83-----54.75
24 Big Ten-----------------Penn State—11-----55.33
25 SEC----------West-----Miss. State—56-----55.38

That breaks down to 7 SEC schools, 6 Big XII schools, 5 ACC schools, 3 PAC TEN schools, 2 Mountain West schools, 1 Big Ten school and the independent Notre Dame.

Here are the Top 25 schools according to collegefootballpoll.com’s preseason Major College Football Poll with their SOS rating to the right:

-Conference-Division—School-------Rank----SOS
1- WAC------------------Boise State----1-------64.58
2- Big XII-----South---Texas -----------2-------47.92
3- Mtn. West------------TCU-------------3------73.75
4- SEC--------West-----Alabama--------4------40.08
5- SEC--------East------Florida----------5-------49.42
6- Big Ten---------------Ohio State ----6--------63.64
7- Big XII-----South---Oklahoma -----7--------41.17
8- ACC-------Coastal--Va. Tech--------8-------53.67
9- Big XII-----North---Nebraska-------9--------63.42
10- PAC TEN-----------Oregon -------10-------70.83
11- Big Ten--------------Penn State ---11-------55.33
12- ACC------Coastal--Ga. Tech -----12-------52.17
13- ACC------Coastal--N. Car.---------13------47.00
14- SEC-------West----Arkansas ------14------60.75
15- Big Ten-------------Iowa------------15------64.33
16- Mtn. West---------BYU-------------16------53.83
17- PAC TEN---------Oregon St.------17------45.08
18- Mtn. West---------Utah--------------18------59.42
19- Big XII----South-Texas Tech------19-------49.08
20- Big East-----------Cincinnati--------20-------61.83
21- Big East-----------Pittsburgh--------21-------57.45
22- Big Ten------------Wisconsin-------22-------80.73
23- ACC -----Coastal-Miami (FL)-----23-------52.33
24- SEC-------West----LSU-------------24-------49.42
25- Big East------------W. Virginia----25--------63.45



The current bowl seeding polls amount to popularity contests. Too many times schools from dense population areas with a lot of inherent media attention receive preferential treatment in the polls. This is just as true as ever in the media driven preseason polls this year. These early polls are simply eye catchers that the pollsters claim are based upon last season’s performance. But if you think about it, many of the highly rated teams in last year’s poll got there on the same problem I’m attempting to point out here, their 2009 Strength of Schedule left a lot to be desired then too.

Take a hard look at the poll up above and you’ll notice the consensus number one college football team this year (Alabama is first in the AP and USA Today polls) comes in fourth in the collegefootballpoll.com poll. This is a direct function of Alabama’s SOS rating being considered here. With an SOS of 40.08 it will be very difficult for Alabama to go undefeated. If they wade through the season and come out on the other side with just one loss, do you think the Crimson Tide would be deserving of a berth in the National Championship Game as the SEC Champion? Sure, it depends on who they lose to and when and where, but given the strength of their competition I believe a one loss Alabama should receive much greater consideration to play for the National Title than a team like Ohio State that most likely will go undefeated with their weak schedule and especially when you consider that eight of the Buckeye’s 12 game schedule will be played in the friendly confines of the Buckeye's home Horseshoe…

Based on the Strength of Schedule, the following Top 25 schools should have no problem staying at the top of the polls as the 2010 FBS season progresses:

-School-----Rank------SOS
Wisconsin---22--------80.73
TCU ---------3--------73.75
Oregon ------10--------70.83
Boise State----1--------64.58
Iowa---------15--------64.33
Ohio State-----6--------63.64
W. Virginia---25--------63.45
Nebraska------9---------63.42
Cincinnati----20---------61.83
Arkansas ---- 14---------60.75

Remember these teams at the end of the season…

Do you think any of them will deserve to be in the National Championship if they go undefeated given the quality of their opponents? I know, I know, it’s not their fault. Far too many times I’ve heard all the arguments why these college football “Powerhouses” shouldn’t be judged based upon their opponent’s strength. Then in the same breath I hear the defenders of the faith point out that teams like TCU and Boise State don’t deserve consideration for the very same reason. “They haven’t played anyone! Why do they deserve to be in a BCS Bowl?” It goes round and round. My answer to the problem? Take non-conference scheduling out of the hands of each school’s athletic administrators. Put the power to schedule non-conference games within the NCAA’s realm of decision making. An equitable scheduling system exclusively among the 120 Division I schools and I’m thinking all the arguments about Strength of Schedule or the lack of it would disappear. The so-called powerhouses might have to face each other at the beginning of the year rather than politicking to make it so at the end…

Finally, here’s how the various conferences stack up on their average Strength of Schedules:

--Conference --------- SOS
1 - Big XII-------------56.63
2 - SEC ---------------56.99
3 - PAC TEN ---------58.11
4 - ACC --------------60.19
5 - Mountain West ----63.97
6 - Big East -----------64.68
7 - Big Ten ------------67.68
8 - INDEPENDENTS-71.25
9 - CONUSA ---------71.92
10 - WAC ------------75.68
11 - MAC-------------81.88
12 - Sun Belt----------84.32

What's up with the Big Ten? Oh, yeah, I forgot... This is how they do business. I'm sure either Ohio State or Penn State will be undefeated. You can count on hearing how great they are late in the season and how much they deserve to be in the National Championship game... They certainly know how to work the system!

Resources:

http://www.collegefootballpoll.com/current_congrove_rankings.html
http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=sportsnetwork&page=cfoot2/misc/tsn-div-1aa-poll.htm

Around the Racing World

NASCAR

A well-known NASCAR fixture over the past twenty years speaks up on Kyle Busch, Brad Keselowski, Jeff Gordon and Kevin Harvick. Check out this very insightful Q and A between Jeff Gordon’s former crew chief Ray Evernham and SceneDaily’s Bob Pockrass…

http://www.scenedaily.com/news/articles/sprintcupseries/Ray_Evernham_weighs_in_on_Kyle_Busch_Brad_Keselowski_Jeff_Gordon_and_Kevin_Harvick.html

Holly Cain’s article for AOL’s Fanhouse entitled “NASCAR's 'Dirty Dozen' Take 'Boys, Have at It' to Heart” includes the following 12 drivers that she calls the ‘Dirty Dozen’ when it comes to their driving tactics… I’ll list them as she did, in alphabetical order (Kristen you're driver's on top!):


Kurt Busch
Kyle Busch
Carl Edwards
Jeff Gordon
Robby Gordon
Kevin Harvick
Denny Hamlin
Brad Keselowski
Joey Logano
Juan Pablo Montoya
Ryan Newman
Tony Stewart

(Looks like most of our favorite drivers are on Cain's list. She must be a Jimmie Johnson fan…)

With the exception of Robby, Joey and Juan these drivers are all front runners. What’s that say?

Here’s the link to the Cain article and the poll that appears just below it:
http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2010/08/24/nascars-dirty-dozen-take-boys-have-at-it-to-heart/

Poll Results
Who do you think is NASCAR's dirtiest driver?
Kyle Busch ------------ 31%--------1,224
Carl Edwards --------- 28%--------1,077
Brad Keselowski ----- 25%----------957
Juan Pablo Montoya -15%----------581
Denny Hamlin -------- 1%----------- 47
Total Votes -----------------------3,886

Oh yeah... One other thing-

Way to go Kyle! Four in a row!

Formula One

Want to take a spin? Here’s the track in virtual reality our own tez rates as possibly the best road course in the world. Belgium's SPA…

Indycars

I see that due to expanded entry lists over the final four races of the 2010 Indycar Series they’ve changed how the drivers shall qualify. Normally they average the speed of 4 timed laps to set the field. To save time these final races will use only 2 timed laps to determine average speed.

Here’s Danica Patrick on Indycar qualifying (as Gene would say, “Making excuses”) at Chicagoland…

Being from the west I have to say the last week here in Central Florida has been WET! We're over 10 inches of rain this month with a few days yet to go. Heck, that's a whole year's worth where I'm from! All while the daily temperature's been hovering around 90 degrees... I feel like a mold farmer!

I hope you're all having a good weekend!

Are You Pollish?

No... Not that kind of Polish, not from Eastern Europe. You know, Poll-ish...

Here are a few polls plucked from around the NASCAR media.

From - On Pit Row
http://onpitrow.com/

The Question???
Who is the best bet to stop Jimmie Johnson's Cup Run?


1. Jeff Gordon - The real drive for 5 (18%, 52 Votes)

2. Somebody. Anybody! (18%, 51 Votes)

3. Forget it. Just give him the trophy already (16%, 47 Votes)

4. Tony Stewart (14%, 41 Votes)

5. Mark - never too old - Martin (11%, 33 Votes)

6. Denny Hamlin - Who needs 2 knees anyway? (11%, 32 Votes)

7. The Rowdy One - Kyle Busch (8%, 24 Votes)

8. Cousin Carl Edwards (2%, 7 Votes)

Total Votes: 287
(Note: This must be a pretty old poll having Mark Martin included...)


From - Vegas Insider Poll
http://www.vegasinsider.com/auto-racing/

The Question???
Which driver has the best chance to stop Jimmie Johnson's championship run?


31% Jeff Gordon

20% Kurt Busch

7% Tony Stewart

7% Greg Biffle

35% Other

********************************************************************

Here are some quotes on the latest dust-up…

NASCAR Vice President of Competition Robin Pemberton concerning no penalties being levied on Kyle Busch or Brad Keselowski following their dust up last Friday night in Bristol’s Nation Wide race:
“Hard racing,” Pemberton said. “When you look at it, he pushed him around the corner and he said he did that. He didn’t hook him in the rear quarter panel. Those guys had been giving and taking all night long and all of that stuff came into play in a lap.
“You evaluate what real estate it was in and all that stuff. But at the end of the day, it was two guys racing hard. They were bumping and running and they were not giving each other any space if they didn’t have to in the closing laps of the race. Nobody else was involved.”
“We don’t expect to [talk with Busch],” Pemberton said. “If those guys develop some sort of history, we’ll look at it later on. But right now, those guys are racing pretty darn hard.”

So what’s Brad say he plans to do? “I’m going to go to work and work on beating his ass,” he said of Busch.

Kyle’s take on tangling with Brad?

“… that’s part of racing … short-track racing at Bristol. I worked on the guy for 12 or 15 laps to try to pass him, passed him clean, moved up in front of him in order to block his run or do a slide job, whatever you want to call it, cause my spotter said I was clear. He hits me in the back end, puts me in the wall and I thought to myself, ‘What would Dale Sr. do? What would Tony Stewart do? And who is the guy who just did it to me?’ So, those three questions were answered getting into Turn 3 and I had my mind made up and did what I did in order to try to win the thing.”

This leads up to the last two polls…
From - SceneDaily
http://www.scenedaily.com/news/polls/101387684.html?oid=2&mr=100&cid=8500492&pid=101387684

The Question???
Whose side are you on in the Brad Keselowski-Kyle Busch feud?

Busch. Keselowski had it coming for bumping Busch and aggressive tactics. 78% (904)

Keselowski. He was right to be mad and to call Busch “an ass.” 16% (190)

Neither. It was just a racing incident. 6% (68)

From - The Frontstretch
http://www.frontstretch.com/nbromberg/30940/

The Question???
Do you have sympathy towards Brad Keselowski after his latest wreck at Bristol?

No. Kyle Busch may have been out of line but he got what he deserved. 52% (46)

Yes. That was uncalled for. 48% (42)

There ya have it!

Ran across this photo and thought about you, Kristen...

Kids say the funniest things...

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

I guess Brad Keselowski's "Kyle Busch is an ass" statement before Saturday night's Bristol 500 drew the loudest crowd response ever registered in the big bowl, 104.2 decibels... Then he raced hard with Rowdy... Just before Kyle lapped 'em...

Like ol Dandy Don used to say...

"It ain't braggin' if you can do it!"

Now, take your best shots!

Out of the Box

Last week there was an article on NASCAR.COM by regular contributor Dave Rodman that caught my eye. I think this guy likes to think out of the box but I believe this idea has merit…

He suggests NASCAR should consider a 69 race Cup season instead of the current 36. How is this possible? Well… On all but three Sprint Cup events he proposes splitting the races in two. The sacred ground to be left undisturbed would be the Daytona 500, the Coca Cola 600 at CMS and the Brickyard 400. Races like the Pocono 500 or the 400 mile Michigan run would become 250 or 200 mile races respectively. The race we just witnessed at Bristol would go from 500 laps to 250. Rodman proposes having Saturday and then Sunday, same weekend races at each track and awarding full points for each race.

What gave Rodman this idea? He’d just witnessed this season’s 50 lap first time
truck race at Pocono. Rodman described it as, “a wham-bam action-packed format” that produced “the best Saturday crowd a number of veteran Pocono observers had seen in years”. The quick race pushes the drivers to a much higher level of competition. Now think about it, don’t you find yourself sitting on the edge of your seat watching these truck races? The end of the race is near, the drivers are right up on the wheel and the action can change the racing order at any time. They’re running three and four wide, bumpin’ and grindin’ all the way. The crowds love it… Just ask Gene Haddock how he felt coming away from the Too Tough To Tame 200 a couple of weeks ago at Darlington.

Check out the article. In it Rodman gives his thoughts on how practice and qualifying could be handled, the importance of having the race distance long enough to insure two pit stops allowing a higher degree of strategy and such things as television slotting and adding first place points to the final 15 races of the season. Rodman also has his ideas about what to do with this wonderful Chase format.

The fact of the matter is these drivers and their teams need to get back that
feeling of urgency. It’s like the will to win has been removed from these guys. The way it stands now we’ve got a bunch of top drivers that have the system (current point distribution and Chase) figured out. They’re doing just enough to make the field of twelve and what do the fans get? Lackadaisical single file performances.

Here’s the link to Dave Rodman’s ramblings:
http://www.nascar.com/2010/news/opinion/08/19/road.ramblings.drodman.schedule/index.html

* * * * * * *

Okay, something Gene brought up recently…

What would the current Cup standings look like if NASCAR’s point system was the same as Formula 1’s? (Awards 20 points for first place, 19 for second and so on down to 1 point for finishing 20th).


Here are all 68 drivers that have strapped in during the 2010 Cup Season. This is where they would rank under the F1 system with their rank under NASCAR’s current point scoring system to the right:

-----Formula 1 Points System----NASCAR
Place Driver -----------Points ----Cup Place
1 Kevin Harvick ---------319 ---------1
2 Jeff Gordon -----------249 ---------2
3 Carl Edwards ----------248 --------4
4 Kurt Busch ------------233 --------10
5 Kyle Busch ------------230 ---------3
6 Jimmie Johnson -------225 ---------9
7 Jeff Burton ------------220 ---------7
8 Matt Kenseth ---------218 ----------8
9 Tony Stewart ---------217 ----------6
10 Denny Hamlin -------216 ----------5
11 Greg Biffle -----------211 ---------11
12 Clint Bowyer --------205 ---------12
13 Juan Montoya -------184 ---------19
14 Jamie McMurray ----175 ---------13
15 Ryan Newman ------168 ----------15
16 Kasey Kahne --------167 ----------16
17 Mark Martin --------163 ----------14
18 David Reutimann ---160 -----------17
19 Dale Earnhardt Jr. --149 -----------18
20 Joey Logano --------145 -----------21
21 Martin Truex Jr. ----140 -----------20
22 A J Allmendinger ----126 -----------22
23 Marcos Ambrose ----107 -----------26
24 Paul Menard ---------93 -----------23
25 David Ragan ---------68 ------------24
26 Brian Vickers --------62 ------------36
27 Brad Keselowski -----58 ------------25
28 Sam Hornish Jr. -----49 ------------28
28 Scott Speed ---------49 ------------27
30 Robby Gordon ------36 ------------34
31 Elliott Sadler --------24 ------------29
32 Mike Bliss -----------23 -----------40
33 Reed Sorenson ------19 ------------41
33 Regan Smith --------19 ------------30
35 Boris Said -----------13 ------------47
36 Jan Magnussen ------9 ------------60
37 Bill Elliott ------------8 ------------42
37 Steve Park ----------8 -------------59
39 Kevin Conway -------7 -------------35
40 Bobby Labonte ------5 -------------31
41 David Gilliland-------4 -------------33
42 Andy Lally ----------3 -------------56
42 Michael Waltrip -----3 -------------51
42 Travis Kvapil -------3 --------------32
45 J.J. Yeley -----------2 -------------46
46 Aric Almirola -------0 --------------57
47 Casey Mears -------0 --------------43
48 Chad McCumbee ---0 --------------68
49 Dave Blaney -------0 --------------44
50 David Stremme ---0 --------------39
51 Geoff Bodine -------0 --------------67
52 Jacques Villeneuve -0 -------------64
53 Jeff Green ---------0 --------------63
54 Joe Nemechek -----0 --------------37
55 John Andretti ------0 --------------65
56 Johnny Sauter -----0 --------------58
57 Landon Cassill -----0 ---------------49
58 Mattias Ekstrom --0 ---------------62
59 Max Papis --------0 ---------------38
60 Michael McDowell 0 ---------------45
61 P.J. Jones ---------0 ---------------52
62 Patrick Carpentier 0 ---------------54
63 Rob Richardson Jr. 0 ---------------50
64 Ron Fellows -------0 ---------------66
65 Scott Riggs --------0 ---------------61
66 Terry Cook -------0 ----------------55
67 Todd Bodine ------0 ----------------48
68 Tony Raines ------0 ----------------53

The top positions are much the same as the current point accounting system… I guess they’re doing something right.

On to Atlanta!

This just came to my attention... It's not a joke. The city of Philadelphia is forcing it's citizens who have reported income from internet based business transactions (including being paid by advertisers) to obtain a business license. The cost is $300 per year. Nice, huh?

Is this where the government is going now?

In case you're interested, here's the link to the newspaper article:

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/beltway-confidential/philly-requiring-bloggers-to-pay-300-for-a-business-license-101264664.html

Remember to vote...

Bristol!

BRISTOL!

Thunder Valley

Did you know that the fans at Bristol a couple of years back made the Guinness World Record Book?

In August of 2008 the crowd made the biggest stadium wave in history… I’m not really a big fan of the wave (old fuddy-dutty as my daughter would say), but this is BIG… WOW!!! lol

Then, one year later they did made the world record book again when the whole crowd sang Garth Brooks’ “Friends in Low Places”. The first time 168,000 people all sang together… Man, I tried to find a video of this but YouTube struck out.

So, listen up to the genuine article while following along…

Tucked into the beautiful, quiet hills of northeast Tennessee you’ll find an oval racetrack. Two weekends of the year the sleepy town of Bristol Tennessee (population 40,000 people) where this track is located swells to become larger than Tennessee’s third largest city!

This is Bristol Motor Speedway…

.533 miles around a graduated slope banked concrete track completely surrounded by 168,000 screaming fans, the roar of the engines is almost drowned out by the crowd. Forty-three drivers running at over 100 miles per hour with one thing in mind… Win!

What makes Bristol unique, beyond the stadium seating and capacity, is the graduated banking and the need to have two pit roads.

The banking on the infield side of the track starts off around 6 degrees and graduates up to almost 30 degrees at the top of the turns. This keeps fast cars on the high line forcing anyone wanting to pass on a slower low line fighting centrifugal forces that act to push the car back up the track. This certainly makes for interesting situations when drivers go two or three wide pushing the speed envelope while trying to pass.

The two pit roads made a special rule necessary for fairness so we’ll see all cars headed to the pits under cautions have to enter on turn two, make a complete circumference on pit lane and then pull into their pit. Upon leaving, everyone exits on turn one. Pay attention to how this works…

One consideration the fans don't really think about is the volume level inside this big bowl as it concerns the racing teams. They actually have to resort to using hand signals to communicate among themselves. They just can't hear! Watch for any trackside announcers as they try to speak over the noise...

Here are the track records the drivers are interested in:
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Records
(As of 7/1/10)
Most Wins----------12-----Darrell Waltrip
Most Top 5s-------- 26-----Darrell Waltrip, Richard Petty
Most Top 10s------ 37-----Richard Petty
Starts ----------------60-----Richard Petty
Poles -----------------9-----Mark Martin, Cale Yarborough
Most Lps Cmpltd-25036-Terry Labonte
Most Laps Led----4305---Cale Yarborough
Avg. Start*---------3.2-----Fred Lorenzen
Avg. Finish---------8.6-----Benny Parsons

So… Are you ready for some racin’? Remember this one?


Finally, (For the fun of it!)… It’s Thunder Valley and The Thunder Rolls…

New NASCAR Track for Colorado

A $200,000,000 racing complex located east of Denver Colorado on a 1,100 acre site is set for ground breaking late next spring with racing events scheduled beginning in 2013.

Plans call for a one mile banked oval, a road course, a drag racing facility, indoor and outdoor karting tracks and a concert pavilion. Seating capacity will be 90,000.

Developer Bill Schuck claims it will be the largest sports facility ever built in Colorado. He was quoted last May saying, "This economy is very, very difficult. Fortunately, we're working on a concept that's very unique. This is not just another real estate deal. We have spoken with NASCAR team owners. We have spoken with drivers. We have spoken with numerous investors, all of whom have expressed an interest in becoming part of this facility. Colorado needs a motor sports facility."

I’ve got to say this is a very positive development. It reinforces the stability of NASCAR and the other forms of racing when people are willing to invest so heavily in it.

Just like in other sports, I wonder how the mile high atmosphere will effect NASCAR's racing engines. Will the thin air change aerodynamics? I guess if everything works out we'll soon see!

Here’s an artist’s rendition of the completed facilities:

Finally, here’s a tongue in cheek look at the current status of racing in the Centennial State:

With racing and fans like this, NASCAR’s gotta jump in and save these people from themselves!

Something I ran across Thursday AM...
Check out this wreck in Leon Spain last weekend...

The driver was the only person hurt, thank goodness, and he was just shaken up!

The 2010 Sprint Cup... What’s Goin’ On Here?

Thought I’d race the averages on the balance of the 2010 Sprint Cup season and see who comes out on top.

Looking at the final three races (Bristol, Atlanta and Richmond) of the 26 that act to determine who will make the shootout for the Cup I needed to determine the career average points per race generated on each of these final tracks for each of the drivers contending for the final slot (11. Biffle @ 378; 12. Boyer @ 369; 13. Martin @ 382 & 14. Newman @ 362). Then I added the average numbers to the actual point totals each driver has to date. After tallying the numbers, and barring any unfortunate accidents, I found that there shouldn’t be any changes in the top twelve lineup.

Next I moved on to the final ten races that determine the Cup Champion. Using the last five seasons’ average points generated by each of the twelve drivers on each of the ten tracks, I determined who should be the 2010 Sprint Cup Champion…

Without laying out all the numbers, just consider that I used the latest five seasons to determine the average points. It was the only fair way to do it. Of course I ran right into the fantastic numbers posted by four time in a row reigning Cup Champion Jimmie Johnson. He has simply dominated NASCAR’s highest echelon of racing.

Here’s how the numbers foresee the final 2010 Cup standings:

1 Jimmie Johnson 6559
2 Jeff Gordon 6375
3 Carl Edwards 6366
4 Denny Hamlin 6349
5 Matt Kenseth 6310
6 Jeff Burton 6266
7 Kevin Harvick 6259
8 Tony Stewart 6249
9 Greg Biffle 6245
10 Kyle Busch 6236
11 Clint Bowyer 6161
12 Kurt Busch 6157

JJ took the lead after the second Cup race held at Dover and never relinquished it. In NASCAR’s points system, a driver winning a race receives 185 points. That driver will get another 5 points for leading a lap and then there’s an additional reward of another 5 points for leading the most laps during the race. Therefore, the most points a driver can garnish is 195 in any one race. With that in mind, here are the past five seasons’ average points Jimmie Johnson has generated by championship track:

- Jimmie Johnson –
Track (Starts)---Ave. Pts.
Loudon (9)---------146
Dover (9)------------149
Kansas (5)----------159
Fontana (9)---------174
Charlotte (9)--------135
Martinsville (9)----178
Talladega (9)-------134
Texas (8)-------------133
Phoenix (9)---------177
Homestead (5)----124
TOTAL>>>>>> 1,509

That's averaging a 6th place finish across the biggest races of the year!

To better illustrate just how dominant Jimmie Johnson has been over the 2005-2010 seasons, here are the top averages of the other eleven drivers that should be in the 2010 Cup Championship competition, track by track:

Driver--------Track (Starts)---Top Ave. Pts.
Jeff Gordon - Loudon (9)------------149
Greg Biffle - Dover (9)----------------160
Greg Biffle - Kansas (5)--------------167
Matt Kenseth - Fontana (9)---------162
Kyle Busch - Charlotte (9)----------140
Jeff Gordon - Martinsville (9)------168
Kurt Busch - Talladega (9)---------130
Matt Kenseth - Texas (8)-------------154
Hamlin/Stewart - Phoenix (9)-------135
Kevin Harvick - Homestead (5)----151
TOTAL>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 1,516!!!

Yes, taking the top 5 year averages of Jimmie’s best competitors in 2010 and the difference across the 10 races that will determine this year’s champion is only seven (7) points! That’s consistency on Jimmie’s part… That’s Johnson’s dominance…




You Lug Nuts are into NASCAR racing to a much higher degree than I am… Has there ever been another driver that put together a run like this???

My hat’s off to you Jimmie Johnson. Even though I’m not a fan of yours, I’ve got to give you your due…

For you with inquiring minds, here’s each driver’s 5 year average tally across the 10 NASCAR Championship tracks, top to bottom:

Jimmie Johnson 1,509
Jeff Gordon 1,375
Carl Edwards 1,366
Matt Kenseth 1,310
Denny Hamlin 1,299
Jeff Burton 1,266
Tony Stewart 1,249
Greg Biffle 1,245
Kevin Harvick 1,229
Kyle Busch 1,216
Clint Bowyer 1,161
Kurt Busch 1,137

Now for the disclaimer…

As former NFL head football coach Herman Edwards once said, “That’s why we play the games.” (To determine the winner).

We all know that anything can happen when a group of drivers rub fenders at 190 MPH. We’re all also aware that the other racing teams have seemingly caught up with Hendrick Motor Sports in 2010. So maybe this is the year when JJ falters… Then again, HMS could have been playin’ possum too…

Is this the 2011 Sprint Cup Schedule?

There's been a lot of speculation the last few weeks about the NASCAR Sprint Cup 2011 schedule. Now, as several track managers have begun announcing their 2011 racing dates, here's an educated guess at an unofficial schedule...

--------Unofficial 2011 NASCAR Schedule---------
-------Race---------------------------- Date------
1 Daytona 500 Great American Race Feb. 20, 2011
2 Phoenix SUBWAY Fresh Fit 500 ---Feb. 27, 2011
3 Las Vegas Motor Speedway ---------Mar. 6, 2011
4 OFF???
5 Bristol Food City 500 --------------Mar. 20, 2011
6 Fontana Auto Club 500 ------------Mar. 27, 2011
7 Martinsville -------------------------April 3, 2011
8 Texas Motor Speedway -------------April 9, 2011
9 Talladega ---------------------------April 17, 2011
10 OFF for Easter
11 Richmond ------------------------April 30, 2011
12 Darlington -------------------------May 7, 2011
13 Dover ----------------------------May 15, 2011
14 CMS All-Stars --------------------May 21, 2011
15 Charlotte 600 --------------------May 29, 2011
16 Kansas Motor Speedway ----------June 5, 2011
17 Pocono -------------------------- June 12, 2011
18 Michigan ------------------------ June 19, 2011
19 Infineon Toyota/Save Mart 350 -June 26, 2011
20 Daytona Coke Zero 400 -----------July 2, 2011
21 Kentucky 400 ---------------------July 9, 2011
22 New Hampshire Lenox 301 -------July 17, 2011
23 OFF???
24 Indianapolis Brickyard 400 ------July 31, 2011
25 Pocono ----------------------------Aug. 7, 2011
26 Watkins Glen --------------------Aug. 14, 2011
27 Michigan -------------------------Aug. 21, 2011
28 Bristol Motor Speedway ----------Aug. 27, 2011
29 Atlanta Motor Speedway ---------Sept. 4, 2011
30 Richmond ----------------------Sept. 10, 2011

31 Chicagoland --------------------Sept. 18, 2011
32 New Hampshire Sylvania 300 ---Sept. 25, 2011
33 Dover -----------------------------Oct. 2, 2011
34 Kansas Motor Speedway ----------Oct. 9, 2011
35 Charlotte ------------------------Oct. 15, 2011
36 Talladega -----------------------Oct. 23, 2011
37 Martinsville ---------------------Oct. 30, 2011
38 Texas Motor Speedway -----------Nov. 6, 2011
39 Phoenix Kobalt Tools 500 -------Nov. 13, 2011
40 Homestead ---------------------Nov. 20, 2011
So, if this is what's coming, here are the types of Chase tracks as they will appear start to finish:

Chicagoland - 1.5 Mi. Asphalt Tri-Oval
New Hampshire - 1.05 Mi. Asphalt Oval
Dover - 1 Mi. Concrete Oval
Kansas - 1.55 Mi. Asphalt Tri-Oval
Charlotte - 1.5 Mi. Asphalt Quad-Oval
Talladega - 2.66 Mi. Asphalt Tri-Oval
Martinsville - .526 Mi. Asphalt/Concrete Oval
Texas - 1.5 Mi. Asphalt Quad-Oval
Phoenix - 1 Mi. Asphalt Oval
Homestead - 1.5 Mi. Asphalt Oval

That's four short tracks, five tracks around 1.5 miles in length and one long track...

Another way of looking at it concerns the travel... Mid-West to Northeast to Mid-Atlantic to Mid-West to Southeast to South to Southeast to Southwest to West to South-Southeast... In other words, they're going to be criss-crossin'!

Finally, why Chicago in the Chase? Yeah, it's the third largest population center in the country... But do these marketing people really believe NASCAR's strong enough up there to out-compete the Bears, the Cubs, the White Sox, the Fighting Illini, Northwestern's Wildcats, the Fighting Irish, and on and on for the fan's sports dollar in September? I'm going to say no but I guess we'll see. (I'm not sure, but knowing how long the NBA and NHL seasons run, the Bulls and Blackhawks could be in the mix too.)

It doesn't make much sense to me...

NASCAR better do some heavy duty advestising in Chicagoland...

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Championships!

If I’m correctly reading what the Indycar Series people are doing, they’re now going to award three championships per racing season based on the tracks they race on. There will be a road course champion, an oval track champion and (I’m speculating here, but it makes sense) there will be an overall champion.

Taking a page from the IZOD Indycar Series (stealing their idea!), I’ve cooked the books down to yield four different NASCAR Sprint Cup Championships. Here are the categories:

The Short Track Championship (tracks one mile or less in length)

The Road Course Championship (Infineon and Watkins Glen)

The Intermediate Track Championship (tracks between one and two miles in length)

And The Long Track Championship (tracks two miles in length or longer)

At this point in the season, with 22 races completed, we have just found our first champion of the season…

Our 2010 Road Course Champion is Juan Pablo Montoya driving the Earnhardt-Ganassi red number 42 Target Chevrolet!

Here are the top 20 Road Warriors of 2010:

---Road Course Championship Final Standings---

-------------------------Average-Total --Total

--Driver -----------------Finish -Points -Earnings
1 Juan Pablo Montoya -----5.50 --329 --$374,087
2 Marcos Ambrose --------4.50 --325 --$302,121
3 Kevin Harvick -----------7.00 --295 --$304,602
4 Jeff Gordon --------------7.50 --289 --$271,027
5 Tony Stewart ------------8.00 --289 --$246,371
6 A J Allmendinger --------8.50 ---284 -$268,852
7 Jimmie Johnson --------14.50 ---274 -$443,431
8 Jamie McMurray -------10.50 ---273 -$243,408
9 Kasey Kahne -----------10.50 ---272 -$284,805
10 Ryan Newman --------14.00 ---247 -$223,633
11 Greg Biffle ------------15.50 ---237 -$182,625
12 Kurt Busch -----------17.00 ---237 -$304,576
13 Mark Martin ---------16.50 ---232 -$185,475
14 Carl Edwards --------17.00 ---231 -$248,496
15 Robby Gordon -------19.00 ---225 -$291,646
16 Jeff Burton ----------18.00 ---220 -$226,055
17 Dale Earnhardt Jr. ---18.50 ---215 -$169,850
18 Paul Menard --------19.00 --212 -$164,900
19 Matt Kenseth -------21.50 --197 --$237,277
20 David Reutimann ---21.50 --197 --$209,637

Congratulations to Juan and Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing!

So how are the drivers doing with the other three championships?

With half (6) of the short track races in the books entering mid-August here are the top twenty:

--------Short Track Championship Standings--------
--------------------------Average -Total ---Total
--Driver ------------------Finish --Points --Earnings
1 Jimmie Johnson ----------6.67 ---952 --$1,057,758
2 Jeff Gordon --------------6.00 ---931 --$979,354
3 Kyle Busch ---------------8.67 ---907 --$1,116,909
4 Ryan Newman -----------8.00 ---891 --$865,922
5 Carl Edwards ------------9.83 ---828 --$775,211
6 Matt Kenseth ----------10.33 ----825 --$871,479
7 Jeff Burton -------------12.17 ----807 --$849,738
8 Kevin Harvick ----------12.33 ---788 --$823,579
9 Denny Hamlin ----------13.17 ---785 --$711,800
10 Joey Logano ----------12.33 ---778 --$766,263
11 Martin Truex Jr. ------12.50 ---774 --$523,825
12 Tony Stewart ---------14.17 ----771 --$834,636
13 Greg Biffle ------------13.33 ----758 --$589,050
14 Kurt Busch -----------16.83 ----722 --$818,411
15 Clint Bowyer ---------15.33 ----712 --$571,225
16 Brad Keselowski -----16.50 ----686 --$651,008
17 Dale Earnhardt Jr. ---17.33 ----673 --$537,400
18 A J Allmendinger ----18.50 ----651 --$715,354
19 Marcos Ambrose ----18.83 ----641 --$638,598
20 Mark Martin --------20.17 ----629 --$611,585

Jimmie Johnson

Looks like the usual suspects on this list. Four of the six remaining short track races are Chase races…

There have been 6 intermediate track races (out of 11) so far this year. Here’s how the leaderboard stands at this time:

-----Intermediate Track Championship Standing-----
--------------------------Average -Total -----Total
--Driver ------------------Finish --Points ---Earnings
1 Jeff Gordon --------------10.83 ---859 --$1,076,931
2 Kurt Busch --------------11.67 ----858 --$1,265,588
3 Denny Hamlin -----------11.33 ----847 --$1,229,475
4 Kasey Kahne -------------9.33 ----843 ---$919,615
5 Matt Kenseth -----------10.50 ----820 ---$937,381
6 Kyle Busch --------------11.67 ----814 --$1,071,986
7 Kevin Harvick -----------11.50 ---805 --$1,010,261
8 Mark Martin ------------13.00 ---767 ---$807,600
9 Jeff Burton --------------13.83 ---751 ---$812,390
10 Ryan Newman ---------14.33 ---729 ---$828,849
11 Jamie McMurray -------17.00 --725 --$1,081,599
12 Tony Stewart ----------16.50 ---707 ---$818,788
13 David Reutimann ------17.83 ---704 ---$968,721
14 Jimmie Johnson -------18.83 ---702 --$1,298,543
15 Dale Earnhardt Jr. ----17.00 ---685 ---$632,625
16 Clint Bowyer ----------18.33 ---684 --$660,025
17 Paul Menard ----------17.50 ---679 ---$614,225
18 Martin Truex Jr. ------18.17 ---658 ---$589,750
19 A J Allmendinger ------18.17 ---656 ---$784,681
20 Carl Edwards ---------19.50 ---645 ---$868,788

Jeff Gordon

Here again, four of the remaining five intermediate track races are part of the Chase. Notice the same names at the top of these standings…

Finally, here are the long track standings with 8 races in the books and 3 remaining (2 of which will be included in the Chase):

---------Long Track Championship Standings-----------
---------------------------Average --Total ----Total
--Driver -------------------Finish ---Points ---Earnings
1 Kevin Harvick -------------5.00 ---1,322 --$2,132,649
2 Denny Hamlin ------------12.00 ---1,127 --$1,355,820
3 Carl Edwards --------------9.13 ---1,117 --$1,401,325
4 Jeff Burton ---------------10.00 ---1,117 --$1,428,236
5 Greg Biffle ----------------11.38 ---1,106 --$1,787,545
6 Tony Stewart ------------10.88 ---1,098 --$1,498,525
7 Clint Bowyer -------------10.75 ---1,093 --$1,500,695
8 Kurt Busch --------------12.00 ---1,075 --$1,431,575
9 Mark Martin ------------14.00 ---1,013 --$1,182,770
10 Matt Kenseth ----------14.88 -----964 --$1,367,424
11 Jamie McMurray ------17.75 ------961 --$2,773,823
12 Kyle Busch ------------16.25 ------957 --$1,445,264
13 Jimmie Johnson -------17.63 ------954 --$1,581,934
14 Dale Earnhardt Jr. ----16.38 ------947 --$1,836,245
15 David Reutimann -----15.38 ------947 --$1,408,889
16 Jeff Gordon -----------17.00 -----946 --$1,390,824
17 Juan Pablo Montoya --18.25 ------916 --$1,342,739
18 Kasey Kahne ---------18.50 ------901 --$1,417,446
19 Joey Logano ----------18.38 ------883 --$1,273,297
20 Paul Menard ----------17.75 ------883 --$1,004,920

All Right! Kevin Harvick!

Based on these results, I really have to wonder what Jeff Gordon’s honest feelings are concerning NASCAR’s Chase format.

Jeff Gordon will make the Chase again this season and with 8 of the 10 Chase races on short and intermediate length tracks, Gordon might not be a bad bet to win it all, but will he in his last season being known as the Rainbow Warrior?

Remember Now

I received this yesterday and felt compelled to pass it on to you all...

Most of us go through our day to day routines worried about getting to work on time, getting our bills paid, taking care of kids and getting everyone fed without a second thought for what is going on in the Middle East and elsewhere. I know I'm guilty of this. Then I have to stop and think...

1/2 boy 1/2 man

The average age of the military man is 19 years. He is a short haired, tight-muscled kid who, under normal circumstances is considered by Society as half man, half boy. Not yet dry behind the ears, not old enough to buy a beer, but old enough to die for his country. He never really cared much for work and he would rather wax his own car than wash his father's, but he has never collected unemployment either.



He's a recent High School graduate; he was probably an average student, pursued some form of sport activities, drives a ten year old jalopy, and has a steady girlfriend that either broke up with him when he left, or swears to be waiting when he returns from half a world away. He listens to rock and roll or hip-hop or rap or jazz or swing and a 155mm howitzer.

He is 10 or 15 pounds lighter now than when he was at home because he is working or fighting from before dawn to well after dusk. He has trouble spelling, thus letter writing is a pain for him, but he can field strip a rifle in 30 seconds and reassemble it in less time in the dark. He can recite to you the nomenclature of a machine gun or grenade launcher and use either one effectively if he must.

He digs foxholes and latrines and can apply first aid like a professional.

He can march until he is told to stop, or stop until he is told to march.

He obeys orders instantly and without hesitation, but he is not without spirit or individual dignity.
He is self-sufficient.

He has two sets of fatigues: he washes one and wears the other. He keeps his canteens full and his feet dry.

He sometimes forgets to brush his teeth, but never to clean his rifle. He can cook his own meals, mend his own clothes, and fix his own hurts.

If you're thirsty, he'll share his water with you; if you are hungry, his food. He'll even split his ammunition with you in the midst of battle when you run low.

He has learned to use his hands like weapons and weapons like they were his hands.

He can save your life - or take it, because that is his job.

He will often do twice the work of a civilian, draw half the pay, and still find ironic humor in it all.

He has seen more suffering and death than he should have in his short lifetime.

He has wept in public and in private, for friends who have fallen in combat and is unashamed.

He feels every note of the National Anthem vibrate through his body while at rigid attention, while tempering the burning desire to 'square-away ' those around him who haven't bothered to stand, remove their hat, or even stop talking. In an odd twist, day in and day out, far from home, he defends their right to be disrespectful.

Just as his Father, Grandfather, and Great-grandfather, he is paying the price for our freedom. Beardless or not, he is not a boy. He is the American Fighting Man that has kept this country free for over 200 years.

He has asked nothing in return, except our friendship and understanding.

Remember him, always, for he has earned our respect and admiration with his blood.

And now we even have women over there in danger, doing their part in this tradition of going to War when our nation calls us to do so.

As you go to bed tonight, remember this shot…

A short lull, a little shade and a picture of loved ones in their helmets.

Prayer wheel for our military... Please don't break it. Please send this on after a short prayer.

Prayer Wheel

'Lord, hold our troops in your loving hands.
Protect them as they protect us.
Bless them and their families for the selfless acts they perform for us in our time of need. Amen.'

When you receive this, please stop for a moment and say a prayer for our ground troops in Afghanistan, sailors on ships, and airmen in the air, and for those in Iraq, and all foreign countries.

This can be very powerful…

Of all the gifts you could give a US Soldier, Sailor, Coastguardsman, Marine, or Airman, prayer is the very best one.

I can't break this one, sorry. Pass it on to everyone and pray.