Bowyer’s Appeal Up In Smoke…

The three person appeal panel Richard Childress recently spoke highly of has confirmed NASCAR’s ruling and penalties levied on Richard’s 33 team. So much for sweet talk…

Now it appears Childress is going to take his appeal to the Supreme Court of NASCAR appeals, the chief appellate officer John Middlebrook. I understand that the ruling quotient in favor of the appealer in NASCAR runs right at 1 out of 3. I haven’t heard what the success rate is for those that lose the initial appeal and then turn to the higher arbiter but I’d be willing to bet it’s a lot worse than 1 out of 3.

Up In Smoke...

Like it or not, Bowyer is toast. Too bad what he and his team did or didn't do had to taint what was a very exciting and enjoyable race. A race won by the unlikeliest driver in the Chase. A race that seemingly was going to set the tone for a different outcome than the past four seasons have yielded. But no…

Now we’re all stuck in the doldrums. Jimmie’s knockin’ on the door once again, three tracks that he enjoys running on are in front of us and we’re all going to get to witness déjà vu all over again.

Let me just say this…

There he is! Take your best shot!

Ready to Rumble?

Now it appears the appealed illegal activities carried out by Richard Childress' Clint Bowyer number 33 Chevrolet team has drawn several comments from JGR's Denny Hamlin who finished second to Bowyer last weekend in New Hampshire. One comment from Denny led to others from Richard Childress and his drivers. As you can imagine, the NASCAR media has been all over it.

Is it simply a war of words or will the displeasure of Hamlin's remarks carry over to tomorrow's Sprint Cup Chase race at Dover...

During practice for the Dover race Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick started bumping and heading off each other followed by a heated exchange in the garage where, ironically, Hamlin's 11 team and Harvick's 29 team found themselves parked right next to each other.

I'm runnin' out of fingers to count up all the vendettas that these guys are carrying around... Will all hell break loose in Dover?

Are We Ready to Rumble?

Sponsors Make The World Go Around

If sponsors are what makes the world go around in NASCAR then there may be some big changes in store as the sport enters 2011.

Recognize any of the following names?

Ryan Newman
Tony Stewart
Kyle Busch
Jeff Gordon
Mark Martin
Brad Keselowski
Sam Hornish Jr.
Justin Allgaier

What do they have in common?

Lack of adequate sponsorship for the 2011 season.

Newman's number 39 needs a sponsor to partner up with the U.S. Army.

Tony is looking for a replacement for Old Spice on the number 14…
Kyle Busch is the owner of a Camping World Truck Series rig and without a commitment real soon he says he’ll shut the operation completely down.

We’ve all heard of the talks between Hendrick Motorsports and Walmart that fell apart a couple of weeks ago. That leaves Jeff Gordon’s number 24 in dire straits with DuPont backing way off on their sponsorship deal.

It’s said that Mark Martin’s number 5 will be painted up with hendrickcars.com (the owner putting his own business on the line)…

I guess Martin’s situation is better than Brad Keselowski being faced with driving a car without any sponsor this week.

Roger Penske is evidently up against it to the point that he’s told Sam Hornish Jr. and Justin Allgaier they’re going to have to hook up with other owners next year.

2010 Chase drivers, potentially the Truck Series Owner of the Year, a two time and a four time Cup Champion, the dean of current NASCAR drivers and refreshing new names and faces on NASCAR circuits... Apparently no one is immune.

This news is coming out in September and it involves some of the biggest names in the sport. What more bad news will come down as 2010 grinds to completion?

According to Mike Verlander, the director of business development, “As a sport we’ve got to sober up. We may have to learn to get along on $12 million to $15 million instead of $20 million to $25 million (per competitive Sprint Cup teams annually). The sport is not imploding. If Walmart has a couple of bad quarters, aren’t they still the No. 1 retailer in the world? I grew up in Jacksonville. When they say attendance is off at a race and there’s still 100,000 people in the stands, wouldn’t the Jaguars love to have 100,000? It’s all relative."

It looks like this economy is going to not only change the faces in NASCAR, it’s going to change the face of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing itself…



Resource:
http://jacksonville.com/sports/racing/2010-09-21/story/nascars-economic-engine-still-sputtering

Who's Bringin' Home The Bacon?

Wondering which of the owners is raking in the most winnings this season? If you just look at the total 2010 race earnings per owner the two four car teams rise to the top, but we all know that’s not the way to do it. Okay… In an earlier post I used the average earning per team and that yields a pretty good assessment of which owner is doing well, but ultimately the best method of comparison is determining how many starts each owner’s cars have made and come up with an average return per start. The results found are displayed below:

--------------------# of--------------------------2010------------Average/-------Average/ -----36 Race
---Team--------Teams--------Starts------Earnings-----------Team------------Start --------Proj./Team
1----EGR ------------2 -------------53--------$9,409,058------$4,704,529----$177,529 ----$6,391,058
2----JGR ------------3 -------------80-------$12,736,461-----$4,245,487----$159,206 ----$5,731,407
3----RCR ------------3 -------------81-------$12,576,185-----$4,192,062----$155,262 ----$5,589,416
4----HMS ------------4 ------------108------$16,524,972-----$4,131,243----$153,009 ----$5,508,324
5--Stewart-Hass-----2 -------------53--------$7,954,987-----$3,977,494----$150,094 ----$5,403,387
6----RFR ------------4 ------------108------$14,557,391-----$3,639,348----$134,791 ----$4,852,464
7—Penske----------- 3 -------------81-------$10,357,414-----$3,452,471----$127,869 ----$4,603,295
8----RPM ------------3 -------------81-------$10,237,075-----$3,412,358----$126,384 ----$4,549,811
9—Daugherty--------1 -------------27--------$3,287,884------$3,287,884----$121,773 ----$4,383,845
10--Red Bull----------2 -------------54--------$6,312,003------$3,156,002----$116,889 ----$4,208,002
11---MWR-------------3 -------------77--------$8,852,286------$2,950,762----$114,965 ----$4,138,731
12--Wood Br.--------1 --------------9-----------$990,245---------$990,245----$110,027 ----$3,960,980
13---RGM ------------1 -------------26--------$2,718,473------$2,718,473-----$104,557 ----$3,764,040
14—Latitude----------1 ------------19--------$1,907,320------$1,907,320-----$100,385 ----$3,613,869
15--Furn. Row--------1 ------------27--------$2,629,530------$2,629,530------$97,390 ----$3,506,040
16--Front Row--------3 ------------79--------$7,646,569------$2,548,856------$96,792 ----$3,484,512
17-Gunselman--------1 -------------7-----------$641,345--------$641,345------$91,621 ----$3,298,346
18—Germain----------1 -----------18--------$1,600,484------$1,600,484------$88,916 ----$3,200,968
19—Phoenix-----------1 -----------31--------$2,698,101------$2,698,101------$87,036 ----$3,133,279
20---TRG -------------2 ------------24--------$2,085,150------$1,042,575------$86,881 ----$3,127,725
21—NEMCO----------1 ------------26--------$2,077,204------$2,077,204------$79,892 ----$2,876,129
22—Baldwin-----------2 -----------30---------$2,379,668-----$1,189,834-------$79,322 ----$2,855,602
23--Prism -------------1 ------------20---------$1,577,731-----$1,577,731------$78,887 ----$2,839,916
24--Keyed-Up---------1 -------------2------------$157,460-------$157,460------$78,730 ----$2,834,280
25—Whitney----------1 ------------10------------$746,395-------$746,395------$74,640 ----$2,687,022

By taking that average return per start and multiplying by 36 potential starts the season’s projection is determined and seen in the far right hand column.

________________________________________________________________

Analysis

Kudos remain in order for Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing. Even though the two EGR drivers didn’t qualify for the Sprint Cup Chase, the racing organization continues to win when it comes to 2010 earnings. Looking at the average earnings per start, EGR is almost $20,000 per race ahead of the second place Joe Gibbs Racing organization.

Of the top racing teams Rouse-Fenway, Penske and Richard Petty Motorsports are projected to fall below the magic $5 million annual income breakeven figure per team. Here’s hoping these owners have good money managers making their actual breakeven figures less than what’s given as the industry standard for top racing teams.

We all know there are a few team owners who bring a car out, get it qualified and then pull off the track only a few laps into the race. I guess there must be enough money to pay the expenses for these start and parkers or they wouldn’t be doing it…

We all know Joe Nemechek since coming back on the circuit last season has been famous for this start and park practice. To date his NEMCO team has earned a little in excess of $2 million. With 26 starts that works out to $79,892 per start. I have to wonder what it costs the guy to prepare and haul his cars, people and equipment around the country each week. It would be interesting to see those books…

In a recent article Joe wrote, "We’re stretched pretty thin at NEMCO Motorsports but we all enjoy what we’re doing and are here because we love racing." In his 17th season driving in NASCAR Cup Racing "Front Row Joe" is one of the last independent owner/drivers on the circuit.

NASCAR allows the start and park process to happen as the practice fills out each race at 43 participants, but that’s the only good reason I can come up with. Sure I guess it's nice to support a few of the owners, but is this good for the sport? Here are the five biggest offenders in 2010:

-------------------------------------------------------------------Average
--Driver---------------------Team--------Starts----Laps-----per Start
Todd Bodine-----------Gunselman--------6--------294----------49
Michael McDowell------MWR----------18------1004----------56
Joe Nemechek----------NEMCO--------26------1706-----------66
Johnny Sauter-----------Baldwin----------4-------310-----------78
Dave Blaney--------------Prism----------20------1924-----------96

I’d like to see NASCAR continue to limit the number of qualifying entrants to 43 but unless a car is wrecked, the payout sould be based upon laps completed forcing these guys to actually stay on the track. That idea might be a double edged sword though as the races could end up with a lot more traffic for the fast cars and drivers to contend with. What are your thoughts?

How important is it to have a full field of cars?

How much of a problem do the start and parkers present?

Here's the link to Nemechek's article:
http://nascar.speedtv.com/article/joe-nemechek-breaking-the-week-down-nascar-sprint-cup-series/

Who Said That?

Twelve drivers, twelve teams... One trophy...

Here are twelve quotes, each made this week by one of the twelve drivers in the 2010 NASCAR Chase. Can you pick what your favorite driver said?

1. I think it's the most competitive that we have ever been as far as speed and the things that you need to race for wins.

2. Tiger Woods is vulnerable; the Lakers are vulnerable; the Yankees are vulnerable; everybody is.

3. I really do believe going into Homestead, you are going to have three to six cars in a legit shot for the championship.

4. They are all tough. Every race is tough.

5. I can pick about three race tracks every driver is really, really good at.

6. It looks like advantages are smaller and they last a shorter period of time.

7. Man, it is a really close Chase, probably the closest.

8. You hate to sound like an idiot by saying you've just got to be better than the other 11 guys, but that's what it's going to come down to.

9. I don't see anybody running away with this Chase.

10. I always believed that the Chase is about consistency, not make any mistakes and most importantly, be competitive.

11. Yeah, maybe there's no clear-cut favorite right now, the way the past 26 races have gone.

12. I don't know how to handicap it or who to fear the most because everyone has it in them.

Here are the twelve who said such things: Clint Bowyer, Denny Hamlin, Greg Biffle, Jeff Burton, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch, Matt Kenseth, Tony Stewart, Kyle Busch, and Carl Edwards.





Not an easy task. Good luck if you dare...

Are you pulling for the right driver?

A lot of people pooh pooh the importance of Astrology and the Zodiac in their lives, but many others place a lot of faith concerning what their birthdate and the time of day they were born have to do with determining the outcome of the decisions they make in their lives.

A very important part of this concerns one person’s compatibility toward another. If you take a look at some of the people in your life that you truly get along well with, I’m going to say that the odds are very high the Zodiac points out this should be the case, just as the Zodiac will show you who to steer clear of…

With this in mind, here are some of the most popular NASCAR Cup drivers (presented in alphabetical order), where they hale from and their birthdates along with the corresponding Zodiac sign and information.

Marcos Ambrose -
Hometown – Launceston, Tasmania
Born – September 1, 1976
Zodiac Sign – Virgo
Birthdates – August 23 – September 22
Element – Earth
Ruling Planet – Mercury
Symbol – The Virgin
Positive Qualities - Clarity of thought, discrimination, courtesy, service to others, practicality and self-honesty.
Negative Qualities - Criticism, crankiness, timidity, pessimism, inferiority and hair-splitting.
Secret Desire: To love and be loved in return…

Greg Biffle –
Hometown – Vancouver, Washington
Born – December 23, 1969
Zodiac Sign – Capricorn
Birthdates – December 22 – January 19
Element – Earth
Ruling Planet – Saturn
Symbol – The Goat
Positive Qualities - Determination, stability, wisdom, dependability, sureness and tranquility.
Negative Qualities - Selfishness, narrowness, ruthless ambition, rigidity, snobbery, depression and loneliness.
Secret Desire: To be admired by family, friends and the world at large…

Clint Bowyer –
Hometown - Emporia, Kansas
Born - May 30, 1979
Zodiac Sign – Gemini
Birthdates – May 21 – June 20
Element – Air
Ruling Planet – Mercury
Symbol – The Twins
Positive Qualities - Versatility, mental alertness, quickness of perception, deductive reasoning and flexibility.
Negative Qualities - Restlessness, glibness, shallowness, double-talk, unreliability and self-deception.
Secret Desire: To be ahead of the crowd…

Jeff Burton –
Hometown - South Boston, Virginia
Born - June 29, 1967
Zodiac Sign – Cancer
Birthdates – June 21 – July 22
Element – Water
Ruling Planet – The Moon
Symbol – The Crab
Positive Qualities - Imagination, tenacity, tenderness, sensitivity, care and caution.
Negative Qualities - Stinginess, irritability, melancholy, clinging and cowardise, possessiveness and moodiness.
Secret Desire: To Feel Safe (emotionally, spiritually, romantically and
financially)

Kurt Busch –
Hometown – Las Vegas, Nevada
Born – August 4, 1978
Zodiac Sign – Leo
Birthdates – July 23 – August 22
Element – Fire
Ruling Planet – The Sun
Symbol – The Lion
Positive Qualities - Warmth, generosity, nobility, strength, loyality, leadership and a soothing, gentle tenderness.
Negative Qualities - Arrogance, false pride, vanity, tyranny, haughtiness and romantic promiscuity.
Secret Desire: To be a star…

Kyle Busch –
Hometown – Las Vegas, Nevada
Born – May 2, 1985
Zodiac Sign – Taurus
Birthdates – April 20 – May 20
Element – Earth
Ruling Planet – Venus
Symbol – The Bull
Positive Qualities - Strength of purpose, patience, steadfastness and conviction.
Negative Qualities - Obstinant, blind prejudice and lack of reason.
Secret Desire: To have a secure, happy and wealthy life/marriage…

Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Hometown – Kannapolis, North Carolina
Born – October 10, 1974
Zodiac Sign – Libra
Birthdates – September 23 – October 22
Element – Air
Ruling Planet – Venus
Symbol – The Scales
Positive Qualities - Justice, intelligence, charm, gentleness and emotional balance.
Negative Qualities - Laziness, procrastination, indecision, argumentativeness, pleasure-seeking and temperament.
Secret Desire – To live an easy, uncomplicated life…

Carl Edwards –
Hometown – Columbia, Missouri
Born – August 15, 1979
Zodiac Sign – Leo
Birthdates – July 23 – August 22
Element – Fire
Ruling Planet – The Sun
Symbol – The Lion
Positive Qualities - Warmth, generosity, nobility, strength, loyality, leadership and a soothing, gentle tenderness.
Negative Qualities - Arrogance, false pride, vanity, tyranny, haughtiness and romantic promiscuity.
Secret Desire: To be a star…

Jeff Gordon –
Hometown – Vallejo, California
Born – August 4, 1971
Zodiac Sign – Leo
Birthdates – July 23 – August 22
Element – Fire
Ruling Planet – The Sun
Symbol – The Lion
Positive Qualities - Warmth, generosity, nobility, strength, loyality, leadership and a soothing, gentle tenderness.
Negative Qualities - Arrogance, false pride, vanity, tyranny, haughtiness and romantic promiscuity.
Secret Desire: To be a star…

Denny Hamlin –
Hometown – Chesterfield, Virginia
Born – November 18, 1980
Zodiac Sign – Scorpio
Birthdates – October 23 – November 21
Element – Water
Ruling Planet – Pluto
Symbol – The Scorpion
Positive Qualities - Loyalty, will power, magnetism, gentleness, insight and amazing self-control.
Negative Qualities - Ruthlessness, fanaticism, revenge, sadism, suspicion and self-hatred.
Secret Desire: To triumph…

Kevin Harvick –
Hometown – Bakersfield, California
Born – December 8, 1975
Zodiac Sign – Sagittarius
Birthdates – November 22 – December 21
Element – Fire
Ruling Planet – Jupiter
Symbol – The Archer
Positive Qualities - Optimism, candor, cheerfulness, logic, honesty, daring and enthusiasm.
Negative Qualities - Reckless, emotional confusion, carelessness, lack of tact, rudeness and fickleness.
Secret Desire: To make a difference in the world…

Jimmie Johnson –
Hometown – El Cajon, California
Born – September 17, 1975
Zodiac Sign – Virgo
Birthdates – August 23 – September 22
Element – Earth
Ruling Planet – Mercury
Symbol – The Virgin
Positive Qualities - Clarity of thought, discrimination, courtesy, service to others, practicality and self-honesty.
Negative Qualities - Criticism, crankiness, timidity, pessimism, inferiority and hair-splitting.
Secret Desire: To love and be loved in return…

Kasey Kahne -
Hometown – Enumclaw, Washington
Born – April 10, 1980
Zodiac Sign – Aries
Birthdates – March 21 – April 19
Element – Fire
Ruling Planet – Mars
Symbol – The Ram
Positive Qualities - Innocence, wonder, blind faith and raw courage.
Negative Qualities - Selfish, thoughtless, agressive and impulsive.
Secret Desire: To lead the way for others…

Matt Kenseth –
Hometown - Cambridge, Wisconsin
Born - March 10, 1972
Zodiac Sign – Pisces
Birthdates – February 19 – March 20
Element – Water
Ruling Planet – Neptune
Symbol – The Fish
Positive Qualities - Humility, compassion, sensitivity, spiratual awareness, psychic comprehension, philosophic insight and healing potential.
Negative Qualities - Timidity, apprehension, masochism, idleness, lying and weakness of will.
Secret Desire: To live your dreams and turn fantasies into realities…

Brad Keselowski -
Hometown – Rochester Hills, Michigan
Born – February 12, 1984
Zodiac Sign – Aquarius
Birthdates – January 20 – February 18
Element – Air
Ruling Planet – Uranus
Symbol – The Water Bearer
Positive Qualities - Vision, individuality, tolerance, friendliness, inventiveness, originality and genius.
Negative Qualities - Eccentricity, neurosis, detachment, absentmindedness and refusal to cooperate.
Secret Desire: To be unique and original…

Joey Logano -
Hometown – Middletown, Connecticut
Born – May 24, 1990
Zodiac Sign – Gemini
Birthdates – May 21 – June 20
Element – Air
Ruling Planet – Mercury
Symbol – The Twins
Positive Qualities - Versatility, mental alertness, quickness of perception, deductive reasoning and flexibility.
Negative Qualities - Restlessness, glibness, shallowness, double-talk, unreliability and self-deception.
Secret Desire: To be ahead of the crowd…

Jamie McMurray -
Hometown – Joplin, Missouri
Born – June 3, 1976
Zodiac Sign – Gemini
Birthdates – May 21 – June 20
Element – Air
Ruling Planet – Mercury
Symbol – The Twins
Positive Qualities - Versatility, mental alertness, quickness of perception, deductive reasoning and flexibility.
Negative Qualities - Restlessness, glibness, shallowness, double-talk, unreliability and self-deception.
Secret Desire: To be ahead of the crowd…

Juan Pablo Montoya -
Hometown – Bogota, Columbia
Born – September 20, 1975
Zodiac Sign – Virgo
Birthdates – August 23 – September 22
Element – Earth
Ruling Planet – Mercury
Symbol – The Virgin
Positive Qualities - Clarity of thought, discrimination, courtesy, service to others, practicality and self-honesty.
Negative Qualities - Criticism, crankiness, timidity, pessimism, inferiority and hair-splitting.
Secret Desire: To love and be loved in return…

Ryan Newman -
Hometown – South Bend, Indiana
Born – December 8, 1977
Zodiac Sign – Sagittarius
Birthdates – November 22 – December 21
Element – Fire
Ruling Planet – Jupiter
Symbol – The Archer
Positive Qualities - Optimism, candor, cheerfulness, logic, honesty, daring and enthusiasm.
Negative Qualities - Reckless, emotional confusion, carelessness, lack of tact, rudeness and fickleness.
Secret Desire: To make a difference in the world…

David Reutimann -
Hometown – Zephyrhills, Florida
Born – March 2, 1970
Zodiac Sign – Pisces
Birthdates – February 19 – March 20
Element – Water
Ruling Planet – Neptune
Symbol – The Fish
Positive Qualities - Humility, compassion, sensitivity, spiratual awareness, psychic comprehension, philosophic insight and healing potential.
Negative Qualities - Timidity, apprehension, masochism, idleness, lying and weakness of will.
Secret Desire: To live your dreams and turn fantasies into realities…

Tony Stewart –
Hometown – Rushville, Indiana
Born – May 20 1971
Zodiac Sign – Taurus
Birthdates – April 20 – May 20
Element – Earth
Ruling Planet – Venus
Symbol – The Bull
Positive Qualities - Strength of purpose, patience, steadfastness and conviction.
Negative Qualities - Obstinant, blind prejudice and lack of reason.
Secret Desire: To have a secure, happy and wealthy life/marriage.

So, how do we know if our favorite driver is right for us according to the Zodiac signs?

The first tip-off concerns your sign's Element. Compare yours to that of the person you're interested in. Personally, I'm an Aries and as such Fire is my Element. Obviously, I'm going to have trouble with people born under the signs of Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces (the signs associated with the Element Water). I wish I'd have known this prior to getting married... My EX-spouse is a Scorpio. (Yeah, I know)... So look at it initially in these terms. Does your element mix well with the person's you're considering? Fire signs like me are most compatible with other Fire sign people and Air Element sign people, fanning the flames so to speak.

Who are you most compatible with?

Here's a Compatibility Table that reduces this difficult comparison (considering all the possibilities) into a quick reference...

Here's the color explanation:

Okay... Let's take a look at this now.

Considering I'm an Aries, I should be pulling for one or more of the following Air Element people: Clint Bowyer, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano, Jamie McMurray; and/or the following Fire Element people: Kurt Busch, Carl Edwards, Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick, Kasey Kahne, Ryan Newman. Man! There's a bunch! It leads to another look at all this.

How many fire signs are represented among the 21 drivers listed above? 6 or 29% are Aries, Leo or Sagittarius. Check out the Secret Desires Fire people have... To be a star? To turn your dreams into reality? To lead the way ? Is it any wonder Fire Element people are driving race cars?

How many Air Element people that mix well with Fire Element people are there in the group of 21? 5 or 24% are Gemini, Aquarius and Libra. These people have Secret Desires like "To be ahead of the crowd" or "To be unique and original"...

Some interesting things here... Dale Earnhardt Jr's secret desire as a Libra Air Element? To live an easy, uncomplicated life… Man! Isn't that what we've been discussing all along?

Kyle Busch's negative qualities include obstinance, blind prejudice and lack of reason. I think we've seen this in some of his post-race comments.

Jeff Burton's secret desire is to feel safe? Maybe that's why he hangs back in the pack!

Kevin Harvick's negative qualities include recklessness, carelessness, lack of tact, rudeness and fickleness? Hmmm.

Finally, klvalus, your sign better be a Fire or Air Element considering what Dale Jr. and Kurt are. The same for you Athens, jon and CR considering Jamie and Joey are Air Elements while Kevin and Ryan are Fire Elements. Ms. Speed Beagle should be a Water Element sign (Cancer, Scorpio or Pisces) or one of the Earth Element signs (Taurus, Capricorn or Virgo) with Tony Stewart. tez, Gene, those same Earth and Water Element signs work for you with Marcos Ambrose and Kyle Busch... Am I forgeting anyone?

Looks like I'm rooting for the wrong guy... Sniff... Oh well, I guess I could switch to his older brother! HA!

My kinda guy!

Racing By The Numbers

Who Will Win?

The Track Championship Standings

Well we’re 26 races in… There have been 9 long track races (2 mile or longer tracks), 8 short track races (1 mile or shorter tracks), 7 intermediate track races (between 1 and 2 mile long tracks) and 2 road course races.

August 8th we found that Juan Pablo Montoya earned NASCAR’s 2010 Road Course Championship followed closely by tez’s favorite, Marcos Ambrose.

So… We’ve still got 3 Track Championships to award…

Here’s a look at how each Championship shapes up plus where the 12 Chase participants are ranked in each one:

----------------------------------- After 9 Long Track Races ---------------------------------------
Over- --Chase
All -----Driver ----------------------Average-----Total------Total-----------Average
Rank---Rank------Driver------------Finish------Points----Earnings---------Points
1-----------1-----Kevin Harvick-------4.56------1,512---$2,344,550-------168.00
2-----------2-----Denny Hamlin-----10.89------1,302----$1,500,145-------145.67
3-----------3-----Carl Edwards -------8.44------1,282----$1,548,323-------142.44
4-----------4-----Greg Biffle---------10.56------1,271----$1,900,120-------141.22
5-----------5-----Tony Stewart------10.33-------1,253----$1,629,748------139.22
6-----------6-----Clint Bowyer------11.00-------1,217----$1,590,670------135.22
7-----------7-----Jeff Burton---------11.56-------1,208----$1,539,801------134.22
8-----------8-----Matt Kenseth------13.78-------1,119----$1,501,775------124.33
9-----------9-----Kurt Busch---------15.11-------1,118---$1,548,473-------124.22
10----------------Mark Martin-------15.56-------1,092----$1,275,195------121.33
11--------10-----Jimmie Johnson---17.00-------1,086----$1,720,037------121.67
12--------11-----Kyle Busch--------16.44-------1,066----$1,568,270------118.44
17--------12-----Jeff Gordon--------18.11-------1,028----$1,510,750------114.22

With only 2 of the Chase races on long tracks (Fontana and Talladega) it appears Kevin Harvick may have a lock on the Long Track Championship!

Pay attention to the average points on the far right of each race format table…

-------------------------------- After 7 Intermediate Track Races-------------------------------
Over- --Chase
All -----Driver---------------------Average-----Total-------Total--------Average
Rank---Rank-----Driver-----------Finish------Points-----Earnings------Points
1-----------1-----Kurt Busch--------10.86------1,013----$1,426,411----144.71
2-----------2-----Jeff Gordon-------11.14---------983----$1,219,932----140.43
3-----------3-----Kyle Busch-------10.71---------969----$1,239,442----138.43
4-----------4-----Matt Kenseth-----10.57---------950----$1,082,007----135.71
5------------------Kasey Kahne-----12.57---------915----$1,045,005----130.71
6-----------5-----Jeff Burton--------12.43---------911------$990,680----130.14
7-----------6-----Tony Stewart-----14.29---------897----$1,175,986----128.14
8-----------7-----Denny Hamlin----15.86---------886----$1,347,985----126.57
9------------------Ryan Newman---13.43---------876------$970,128----125.14
10---------8------Jimmie Johnson--16.57--------872-----$1,511,621----124.57
11---------9------Kevin Harvick----14.57--------869-----$1,131,287----124.14
14--------10-----Clint Bowyer------16.71--------830-------$778,525----118.57
15--------11-----Carl Edwards -----17.00--------820-----$1,108,111----117.14
25--------12-----Greg Biffle--------21.86---------697------$701,850------99.57

With four intermediate track races coming up during the Chase (Kansas, Charlotte, Texas and Homestead-Miami) and with less than 100 points separating five drivers, the Intermediate Track Championship is still up for grabs! Can that dude drivin’ the blue number 2 give the Brew Crew something to cheer about?


------------------------------------After 8 Short Track Races------------------------------------
Over- --Chase
All -----Driver ----------------------Average-----Total-------Total------Average
Rank---Rank-----Driver-------------Finish------Points----Earnings-----Points
1-----------1-----Kyle Busch---------6.88--------1,267--$1,651,896-----158.38
2-----------2-----Jeff Gordon---------7.38-------1,193---$1,244,231----149.13
3-----------3-----Jimmie Johnson----9.75-------1,185---$1,389,399----148.13
4-----------------Ryan Newman------8.13-------1,171---$1,123,855----146.38
5-----------4-----Carl Edwards -----10.13-------1,094---$1,044,432----136.75
6-----------5-----Matt Kenseth------10.75-------1,080---$1,144,181----135.00
7-----------6-----Jeff Burton---------12.75-------1,051---$1,095,393----131.38
8-----------------Joey Logano--------12.00------1,047---$1,046,068----130.88
9-----------7-----Kevin Harvick-----12.13-------1,047--$1,084,206----130.88
10---------8-----Denny Hamlin-----14.25-------1,041---$1,039,460----130.13
11---------9-----Clint Bowyer------12.75-------1,032------$829,900----129.00
13--------10-----Tony Stewart-----16.00----------973----$1,072,362----121.63
14--------11-----Kurt Busch--------16.00---------969----$1,080,857----121.13
15--------12-----Greg Biffle--------15.00---------967------$782,125----120.88

There are four short track races in the Chase (New Hampshire, Dover, Martinsville and Phoenix) and with less than 100 points separating the top four drivers this championship remains in question! Can Kyle hang on with the HMS top guns breathing down his neck? I have to think it would make him very happy to rub Hendrick’s nose in it!

So far this season 70 different drivers have run in the Cup Series. Other than the 12 Chase drivers, and with the exception of the two road course races, only four other drivers have cracked the Top Ten in any of these race venue categories… Mark Martin (10th) on the long track races, Kasey Kahne (5th) and Ryan Newman (9th) on the intermediate length track races and Newman (4th) and Joey Logano (8th) on the short track race venues. That speaks to the constant consistency these top drivers and their teams have to put together…

Who Will Win?

NASCAR’s Chase

One thing that doesn’t seem right about the current Chase format… There are five drivers that qualified for the Chase without a single win.

Considering we all want to see arguably the top automobile racing drivers up on their steering wheels, hard driving with each other for the win, I’d like to see one simple change enacted in future Chase qualifications… The top twelve drivers based upon the current point system who have also won a race should be qualified for the Chase…

If this easy to determine feature was included, here would be the 2010 NASCAR Chase field of drivers (In order of points earned plus Cup Series wins):

Rank-----Driver------------------Points—Wins---Chase Points
1--------Denny Hamlin----------3342------6-----------5060
2--------Jimmie Johnson--------3417------5-----------5050
3--------Kevin Harvick----------3723------3-----------5030
4--------Kyle Busch--------------3495------3-----------5030
5--------Kurt Busch---------------3337-----2-----------5020
6--------Jamie McMurray--------3050-----2-----------5020
7--------Tony Stewart------------3417------1-----------5010
8--------Greg Biffle---------------3177-----1-----------5010
9--------Ryan Newman-----------3079-----1-----------5010
10------Juan Pablo Montoya----3017-----1-----------5010
11------David Reutimann--------2986-----1-----------5010
12------Jeff Gordon---------------3493-----0-----------5000

Under these circumstances Jeff Gordon makes it into the Chase since there were only 11 drivers with wins in the 26 qualifying races and Gordon had the most accumulated points without a win.

Doesn’t that field of winners just feel better than the one we’ve got?

Here’s the sorry bunch that wouldn’t qualify since they couldn’t get out front and win any of the 26 qualifying races… Don’t we want winners here?

Unqualified Drivers In 2010 Chase if a win was necessary to make it in…
-------------------------Points---Wins
Carl Edwards--------3427-------0
Jeff Burton-----------3390-------0
Matt Kenseth--------3346-------0
Clint Bowyer--------3221-------0

Okay, who’s gonna win the 2010 Chase? Good Lord can you count all the variables involved? If we just look at the most likely driver to win based upon their 2010 season’s work to date, here are a couple of scenarios:

Using each of the 2010 Chase qualifiers’ average points by type of race venue (seen up above in the various championship standings) and plugging them into the short, intermediate and long track races coming up along with each driver’s Chase points, here’s how it shakes out:

-----------------------Chase----------Sht---X4----Int---X4---Long---X2
Rnk----Driver--------Points--Total—Ave----------Ave--------Ave---------
1-----Kyle Busch------5030--6450—158---632---138---552--118---236
2-----Kevin Harvick---5030--6386—131---524---124---496--168---336
3-----Jimmie Johnson-5050--6384--148---592---125---500--121---242
4-----Jeff Gordon------5000--6384--149--596---140---560---114---228
5-----Denny Hamlin---5060--6378---130--520---127---508---145---290
6-----Kurt Busch------5020--6332---121--484---145---580---124---248
7-----Matt Kenseth----5000--6332--135--540---136---544---124---248
8-----Jeff Burton------5000--6312---131--524---130---520---134---268
9-----Carl Edwards----5000--6300--137--548---117---468----142---284
10---Tony Stewart-----5010--6288--122--488---128---512----139---278
11---Clint Bowyer------5000--6262--129--516---119---476----135---270
12---Greg Biffle--------5010--6176---21---484---100---400---141---282

I know what you’re sayin’… Dwindy’s a Kyle Busch fan… Hey! That’s how it worked out!

Okay, okay… Let’s look at it this way… 8 of the final 10 race tracks have already hosted Cup Series races this year. Only Kansas and Homestead-Miami haven’t had a race yet. So… I’ll plug in each of the Chase drivers’ points earned in those 8 earlier races and use the intermediate track average on the other two races. Here’s how that angle works out:

------------------------------------Bns---Chase
Rnk----Driver----------Wins---Pts----Total----NH—Dvr—Kan—Fon—Chr--M'vl—Dega—Tex—Phx—Hsd--TOTAL
1-----Kyle Busch--------3------30-----5030----135---190---138---126---170-----97---143-----165---152---138----6484
2-----Jimmie Johnson—5-----50------5050---190---125---125---195----57----138----75-----175----175---125----6430
3-----Denny Hamlin----6------60------5060---121---160---127----81---114---195---165-----190-----73----127----6413
4-----Kurt Busch--------2------20------5020---170---111---145---155---195----99----147-----165-----58---145----6410
5-----Kevin Harvick----3------30------5030---155---146---124---175---130----63----190-----146----124—124----6407
6-----Jeff Gordon-------0-------0------5000---160---130---140---108---155---170----102------80----175—140----6360
7-----Matt Kenseth-----0-------0------5000---112---170---136---146---139---109----84------103----155—136----6290
8-----Clint Bowyer-----0-------0------5000---146---112---119---147---151---146---146-------55----138—119----6279
9-----Jeff Burton-------0-------0------5000----132---175---130---170----88---108-----77-----132------88—130----6230
10---Tony Stewart-----1------10------5010---175---138---128---138---123----85----120-------72------99—128----6216
11---Carl Edwards-----0-------0------5000-----88---142---117---124---115----142---130------64----146—117----6185
12---Greg Biffle--------1------10------5010---115---150---100---134----67----134---117-----139------97—100----6163

Who knows how it will actually turn out… Greg Biffle could get a burr under his saddle and go on a win streak. Clint Bowyer might set his hair on fire! Or... It could be your worst nightmare!

Let’s see how it goes.