2010 Sprint Cup Season on New Points System

Here's how last season would have turned out using the new points system...

Chase Qualifiers:
-------Name-----------Points-------Wins
1 Kevin Harvick ------911------------3
2 Jeff Gordon --------852----------- 0
3 Kyle Busch ----------841 -----------2
4 Jimmie Johnson ---804 ----------5
5 Tony Stewart -------830-----------1
6 Jeff Burton ---------834 -----------0
7 Carl Edwards ------848 -----------0
8 Matt Kenseth ------830 -----------0
9 Denny Hamlin -----781 ----------6
10 Kurt Busch --------791 ----------2
11 Jamie McMurray -710 -----------2
12 Greg Biffle ---------760 ----------1

Going into the final race (Richmond) before the start of the 2010 Chase there were 3 drivers beside Greg Biffle with one win each during the regular season (David Reutimann, Juan Pablo Montoya and Ryan Newman) any one of which with a win in the 26th cup race of the season could have won their way into the Chase. Without that happening Greg Biffle would make the Chase on the strength of his one win plus the 760 regular season points he had accumlated. Unfortunately we didn't have this type of intrigue last season under the old points system.

Chase Seeding:
-------Name------------Win
--------------------------Points
1 Denny Hamlin -------18
2 Jimmie Johnson ----15
3 Kevin Harvick --------9
4 Kyle Busch ------------6
5 Kurt Busch ------------6
6 Tony Stewart ---------3
7 Jeff Gordon -----------0
8 Jeff Burton ------------0
9 Carl Edwards ---------0
10 Matt Kenseth --------0
11 Jamie McMurray ----0
12 Greg Biffle ------------0

Just as the new rules specify, the final two Chase qualifiers did not get to use their race victory points in the Chase seeding accounting.

Chase Points Plus Seeding Points to Final Standings
-----Name------Chase Points (includes Laps Led, Most Laps Led & Win Points)
1 Jimmie Johnson --------------------------------------------------------------403
2 Denny Hamlin ----------------------------------------------------------------398
3 Kevin Harvick ------------------------------------------------------------------396
4 Carl Edwards ------------------------------------------------------------------340
5 Jamie McMurray --------------------------------------------------------------315
6 Matt Kenseth ------------------------------------------------------------------314
7 Greg Biffle ----------------------------------------------------------------------293
8 Tony Stewart -------------------------------------------------------------------290
9 Jeff Gordon ---------------------------------------------------------------------279
10 Kyle Busch ---------------------------------------------------------------------273
11 Kurt Busch ---------------------------------------------------------------------271
12 Jeff Burton --------------------------------------------------------------------232

Yessireee! Good old (robot) Jimmie Johnson still comes out on top...

Kind of boring isn't it...

BTW, here's how last season would have turned out based strictly on the money won racing...

1 Jimmie Johnson ------$6,975,473
2 Jamie McMurray ----$6,737,408
3 Kevin Harvick --------$6,506,567
4 Kyle Busch ------------$6,088,551
5 Denny Hamlin --------$5,624,770
6 Kurt Busch ------------$5,593,972
7 Carl Edwards ----------$5,546,540
8 Jeff Gordon ------------$5,526,570
9 Matt Kenseth ---------$5,494,548
10 Tony Stewart --------$5,491,897
11 Kasey Kahne -----------$5,106,227*
12 Jeff Burton -----------$5,060,142

*Kahne's earnings were across all 36 races even though he drove for RPM and then Red Bull...

Yeah, yeah, yeah...
Just about every way you cut it with a Chase involved, Jimmie Johnson just keeps coming up on top...

I don't like to wish ill on anyone, and I've found that it doesn't work on JJ anyway...

Pit Wars!

A long time ago, at a race far, far away... Pit Wars!

It's the period of NASCAR’s Chase. Rebel drivers

(Kevin Harvick and Denny Hamlin), striking from a hidden base,

have won their first victories against the evil Galactic Empire of Hendrick

Motorsports. During the most recent races, Rebel spies managed to devise a

plan to intimidate the Empire's ultimate weapon, the DEATH STAR mani-

pulator, Chad Knaus, an unadulterated crew chief with enough power to

destroy an opponent’s entire racing season. Pursued by the Empire's

sinister agent, Darth Johnson, Prince Luke Hamlin and Prince Hans

Harvick race home aboard their Toyota and Chevrolet starships,

custodians of the plans that can save their people and

restore freedom to NASCAR...

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It all started during the Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in mid-October. Kevin Harvick was on the radio chastising his pit crew after losing track position over and over again. In response, Richard Childress moved Clint Bowyer's over-the-wall crew to Harvick's pit. Two races later Harvick was second to Bowyer at Talladega...

Next it was Denny Hamlin's crew chief Mike Ford who apparently made a great call when it came time to choose which pit stall to use at Texas. Thinking if Chase leader Jimmie Johnson couldn't be corrupted, maybe Chad Knaus and the 48's crew could be thrown off somehow. Ford opted to park his team right in front of the four time Sprint Cup champion's pit. Several subpar pit stops cost the Hendrick Motorsports' Chevrolet to the point that when the opportunity came up, Chad switched to Jeff Gordon's over-the-wall crew of tire changers and fuelers. This while Hamlin's crew performed flawlessly allowing him to hold on for the victory that gave him the point leadership over Jimmie Johnson.

Then came the Kobalt Tools 500 at Phoenix International last Sunday. Prior to the race and amid an almost constant buzz about Ford's different twist to pit strategy, these strategic occurances prompted some prodding from NASCAR's media that in turn influenced Hamlin's crew chief to open up a little more. The next thing we hear is Mike Ford actually talking smack about Hendrick Motorsports.

In defense of his crew switch in mid-race, Knaus stated, "I don't think people understand it's not an easy decision," the crew chief said Tuesday (November 8th), "There are emotions involved. We love our guys. We eat, sleep, drink with them. We win with them and we lose with them. But ultimately it is bigger than seven guys. We are 520-people strong here (at Hendrick Motorsports)."

Now… Check out this Knaus statement from the same interview: "I hate to say this as bluntly as it is, but it's like changing a spring or changing a shock," he said. "You have to put the best components together to try to win the championship. Unfortunately, we're not in the situation where (Gordon) can win the championship right now from this building, and that's what it's about — this building."

(Sidelight - Ya know… If it’s simply a question of plugging the right components in, then why isn’t Knaus opting for Dale Earnhardt’s 88 pit crew? Aren’t they rated the number one pit crew by NASCAR’s very knowledgeable fans?)

So here we are late in the Kobalt Tools 500 at Phoenix International last Sunday and a stream of cars heads into the pits for tires and fuel. Kevin Harvick hurriedly left minus one dropped lug nut. By the time he repitted and got back out on the track that lug nut had cost him 14 places from 5th to 19th with the remaining race laps dwindling down. Once again a pit crew mistake looked like it would undo the 29 car. Harvick was quoted after the race, "I wasn't really mad. I was just disappointed because I thought that it all had come out from underneath us. But in the end, our mistake is the thing that gained us ground today." Do you buy that?

Then the last caution of the race put the 29 back in the pits for a splash of gas. This seemingly terrible set of circumstances actually worked to Harvick's favor. Suddenly he had enough fuel and was driving on good tires. So Knaus has Johnson driving to conserve fuel, Harvick is furiously making up track position and all the while Hamlin's up on the wheel racing with Carl Edwards. It's a long green flag run heading for the checkered flag when Denny Hamlin, looking like a winner out in front of Carl Edwards, is suddenly very conscious of the one question remaining to be answered; Who does and who doesn't have enough fuel to finish out the run without pitting? It soon becomes obvious that Denny's not going to make it. While he used up his fuel racing with Edwards, Denny's two closest Chase competitors, one as a result of good advice from his crew chief and the other as the result of a set of circumstances, positioned themselves to take advantage. After all the smack talk out of Ford, it turned out to be his lack of good communication with his driver that cost the 11 team several points and the 2010 Sprint Cup is still up for grabs.

Pit Wars!

On to Homestead...

Our Daily Meditation

Please my friends, activate the video...

Now as we sit back, relax and let our everyday menial mind clear…

Let the power of unity guide us as we fervently appeal to a higher deity…

When you have freed yourself, please imagine a blue and white Chevrolet…

A car emblazoned with strange figures, clearly marked with yellow 48’s…

Now carefully envision this car as it slowly spins through traffic…

Smoke billowing as it whirls aimlessly onward, out of control…

Almost as if in slow motion, it smashes into the safer barrier…

On this day never to return to a racetrack surrounded by desert…

Peace be with you brothers and sisters…

Off the Wall Racing News

NASCAR

Denny's got good reason to shoot 'em up!

Sobering fact for everyone other than Denny Hamlin and his fans: Since the NASCAR Chase for the Championship format began in 2004, the driver leading in points after eight of the 10 Chase races has gone on to win the Championship.

Yep, records are made to be broken…

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How about Mike Ford (crew chief on JGR’s number 11 team) choosing to pit right next to Jimmie and Chad’s pit. Great strategy! If Johnson is so unshakeable then why not go after his pit crew. Obviously intimidated watching the 11 crew out work them and then seeing Jeff Gordon’s rig go down hard and leave the race, Chad Knaus effectively fired the 48 crew after four substandard time and position losing pit stops when he pulled the over-the-wall portion of the 48 team (tire changers and fuelers) out of the pits in favor of the suddenly idle 24 crew. Hendrick Motorsports then announced on Monday the changes made in Texas will stay in place through the next two races.

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It appears Phoenix, in terms of the three Chase contenders’ history of success here, can be won by any one of 'em. Other Chasers who’ve done well on this track? None other than last week’s news makers, Jeff Gordon and Kyle Busch (Kyle earned himself a $25,000 fine besides the laps penalty for his HANDy work).

Phoenix International is a relatively flat one mile “D” oval with 11 degree banking in turns 1 and 2 and 9 degrees of banking in turns 3 and 4. Check out this info from Racing-Reference (http://racing-reference.info/factsheets/statfacts_2010-35.htm):
From 2005-2010 a typical Phoenix race had 12.9 lead changes, 8.0 cautions for 41.6 laps, and an average green-flag run of 30.7 laps.

31 laps per green flag run? Sounds like rock-em sock-em NASCAR to me!
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New driver at JGR


JGR signs Brian Scott for full-time driving in the Nationwide series next season. I wouldn’t normally put this up, but it certainly flies in the face of Joe Gibbs’ past high-profile driver selections. Scott has driven in 97 NASCAR events with only one win (0-40 in NWS and 1-57 in CWTS) driving for his family-owned racing team. No hype, no muss, no fuss…

Joe certainly seems to have an eye for talent… Good Luck Brian!
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Formula 1

F1 Brazilian Grand Prix… The state of Brazil


Jenson Button and a group including his father John Button, his trainer Mike Collier and his manager Richard Goddard were being driven in an armored vehicle with an off-duty policeman at the wheel in Sao Paulo when a group of bandits brandishing weapons unsuccessfully attempted to hold them up. The driver, trained in danger avoidance techniques, was able to bang his way through several vehicles in a traffic jam and leave the congested area where the attack took place. No one was injured. Later it’s been speculated this may not have been a hold-up after all but rather an attempted kidnapping.

Jenson Button in Brazil

Both Button and his Vodafone McLaren Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton had been provided with bullet-proof vehicles driven by police drivers in anticipation of such an event (The proverbial ounce of prevention).

In a second F1 incident with Brazilian thugs, three Sauber Motorsport engineers were robbed after leaving the Interlago race track Saturday evening. Five men, one reportedly carrying an automatic weapon, stopped the van they were in. No one was hurt but a couple of backpacks with cameras were stolen. Guess those engineers don’t get the same kind of protection as the drivers… It’s either that or they’re simply easy marks… Ha!

In 2009 Tonio Liuzzi had to run down a Brazilian race Steward who made off with his steering wheel after Tonio was wrecked out of the Grand Prix. Evidently the Steward thought it would be a collectors’ item or something. I understand an F1 steering wheel costs somewhere around $45,000 (!). Kinda sounds like those very expensive US Air Force toilet seats we’ve all heard about… Now can anyone tell me why a steering wheel is so expensive?

In 2008 Lewis Hamilton’s luggage was stolen while he was vacationing in Brazil.

The first paragraph of the U.S. State Department’s crime warning to Americans considering travel to Brazil:

Crime throughout Brazil has reached very high levels. The Brazilian police and the Brazilian press report that the rate of crime continues to rise, especially in the major urban centers – though it is also spreading in rural areas. Brazil’s murder rate is more than four times higher than that of the U.S. Rates for other crimes are similarly high. The majority of crimes are not solved. There were rapes reported by American citizens in 2008.

For the complete warning, refer to: http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1072.html#crime

Sounds like a great place to go racing (sarcasm)… or go do anything else for that matter.
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F1 moves from Brazil to the United Arab Emirates’ capital of Abu Dhabi for the final showdown. This is the first sentence in the U.S. State Department’s Travel Information on crime for the UAE: Most travelers to the UAE are not impacted by crime. F1 passes from one end of the spectrum to the opposite concerning personal safety, all in one week’s time.

Speaking of Abu Dhabi’s final showdown in F1’s 2010 season, Team Red Bull official
Christian Horner speaking to the fact that both Red Bull drivers, Sebastian Vettle and Mark Webber have a chance to win the driver’s championship, announced there will be no team orders. “The drivers know that they need each other. It would have been wrong for us this weekend to remove one of the drivers from the World Championship effectively. If they’re in that situation I’ve every confidence that they will do the best thing for the company, which is to ensure that we achieve the best result. Still a few racing laps before we get there.

“Both drivers can win this World Championship. We’ve backed them all year, and we’ll do it again next weekend. They’ve both got a chance. Some of it will depend on what Fernando (Alonso) does, but we’re going there with an objective to try and win the championship, and I’m sure that they’ll do the best they can to ensure that we lift the trophy.”
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The question that came to mind about the F1 steering wheel sent me off on a search... The results:

This is the Mercedes version... I knew it had to be high tech. Kinda looks like a gamer's control.

1/ MSG OK
Confirms settings dialled in with multi-function dial and menu settings.

2/ Menu scroll buttons
Steps through menus of settings chosen using the master switch (14).

3/ Differential adjustment
Can be shifted to suit track conditions and tyre wear, for instance to increase traction, grip, braking stability and turn-in.

4/ Neutral switch
Engages neutral/reverse.

5/ Front wing switch
Adjusts angle of front flaps to increase downforce.

6/ Radio LED
Illuminates in blue to inform the driver that the pit-to-car radio is active.

7/ Pit-to-car radio
On/off toggle.

8/ Fuel mix adjustment
Adjusts the fuel mix and revs either to preserve the engine or increase performance, as required.

9/ Throttle map override
Adjusts throttle and power characteristics to suit track conditions.

10/ Overtake button
Momentarily increases the engine revs to its 18,000rpm maximum. Helps with overtaking and scaring off pigeons.

11/ Pitlane speed limiter
On/off toggle.

12/ Engine braking level
Particularly useful in the wet for increasing rear-end stability.

13/ Tyre configuration
Optimises car settings for slick, intermediate or wet tyres. Also activates the rear rain light.

14/ Master multifunction switch
Allows the driver to access a number of system settings including engine maps, front wing controls and an aero-mapping function that monitors and maximizes car airflow.
I REALLY like that overtake button...
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IndyCar

Take a look at Honda’s short film, Failure: The Secret To Success (Caution Gene… Danica Patrick is featured here along with other IndyCar racing people and Honda America management). Interesting film if you haven’t seen it…

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Is Chevrolet planning to reenter the IZOD IndyCar series with their racing engines? That’s the rumor circulating for 2012, but GM (Government Motors) hasn’t confirmed as yet. Hopefully they’ll repay America’s tax payers before challenging Honda’s IndyCar dominance… Ya know… I can remember a time when Japan’s automakers were passed off as a joke by the “Big Three” American automakers. That was way back before government mandated safety and emission standards were enacted. The Japanese addressed those problems and kept infiltrating the American market while our auto builders cheapened their products (GM was the worst) in order to meet the regulations and keep profits up. Damned short sighted if you ask me.
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The Edmonton Deal…
Edmonton is off the 2011 IndyCar schedule due to the City of Edmonton wanting to reconfigure the race course around the municipal airport in order to keep a runway open during the event. The city was unwilling to foot the bill for the change while the race promoter, Octane Management, couldn’t afford the changes on their own. Octane’s only option was to shut down the race.
IndyCar Series commercial division president Terry Angstadt commented, “It is tremendously disappointing, particularly after the fanfare of welcoming Octane to the fold and having the press conference with the mayor," Angstadt told the Edmonton Journal. "Just in terms of the way it has happened, it doesn't make you feel terribly welcome. We always say that we need places that want us to be there. We thought we had that in Edmonton. To have this come down and not receive a call is a little shocking."

Currently there’s no make-up race in the offing for the suddenly open July 24th date…
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Hold on tight! It oughta be a great weekend of racing coming up out on two deserts half a world away from each other!

I'm Feelin' Kind of Pollish Again...

I found a good article entitled:

“Dialing It In: Where Does ESPN Go From Here? Why Fans Are So Mad…
by Jay Pennell

Link: http://www.frontstretch.com/jpennell/31695/

This poll is included with the above article:

What does ESPN need to do the most to make things better?

1. Less commercials
2. Different talent in the broadcast booth
3. Focus on all 43 cars
4. More wide shots to see more action
5. All of the above
6. None of the above

The author went back twelve years and compared two NASCAR broadcasts on ESPN from the 1998 season (when NASCAR hit it's high water mark in television ratings) to two similar broadcasts from 2010. What he found might interest you.

By the way… Did you hear about ESPN’s top NASCAR producer (Neil Goldberg with 30 years of televised racing experience) who just got busted in Farmington Connecticut for public indecency, simple trespass, disorderly conduct and breach of peace? In other words… PEEPING TOM!

ESPN hasn’t made a public statement other than to announce Mr. Goldberg will not be with their broadcast team in Fontana this weekend…
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Ya know, last weekend wasn't a good one for Kyle Busch…

First, during the final restart of the Kansas Nationwide race, Busch, running second with teammate Joe Logano first, got sacked by Bad Brad Keselowski who, once the racing went green, shoved Logano past Busch catapulting the 20 car to victory. Busch got snookered on his normally dominating restarts by none other than the guy he mixed it up with at Bristol (yes... the guy that called Busch an ass in front of the Bristol crowd)… Both Logano and Keselowski stated later they had helped each other before and that it was Logano’s turn for the assist.

Do you truly think Brad would have helped Joe if the second place driver was anyone other than Kyle Busch?

To top that off, Kyle got into David Reutimann’s bumper in the Kansas Sprint Cup Chase Race the following day and (IMHO) unintentionally spun the 00 car. Back on the track later in the race Reutimann, without a snowball’s chance in the race by this time, went headhunting. At the urging of his crew chief Rodney Childers, Reutimann paid Kyle back resulting in the 18 sustaining damage to the rear of its drive train causing Busch to ultimately place 21st on the day.

This "payback" severely damaged Kyle’s chances in the Chase.


With all that in mind, tell me what you think:

Do you agree that Kyle:

1. Had it coming on both counts
2. Deserved the Nationwide outcome but not the Cup retaliation
3. Deserved the Cup Outcome but not the Nationwide assist
4. Kyle needs to tone it all down and become an also ran like so many others… You know, so the fans will like him more
5. It was all “That’s Racin”. Let it go
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Finally, the Chase moves way out West to Southern California this weekend…


Who’s the most likely to win in Fontana?

1. Jimmie Johnson
2. Denny Hamlin
3. Kevin Harvick
4. Carl Edwards
5. Jeff Gordon

So you don't think any of these chasers will win? Okay give your gut feeling on who will…

Come on, you can do it!