NASCAR at Talladega After Thoughts

Posted on April 21, 2011 by Rusty Norman

I have to be honest, not every moment was exciting but I do think the ends justified the means for those fans that sat through some of the the duller moments of the NASCAR race Sunday afternoon. The “push draft” was definitely in full force and even though there was some switching around, for the most part, everyone had a drafting partner… (They had to have one or they would have never been able to keep up with the rest.)

This was one of the most interesting finishes ever at the Talladega track in Alabama, (at least from this fan’s view), and tied the record for closest finishes in NASCAR history. There was very little anyone could hope to have been different, other than possibly who won and in case you missed the race, well… I guess all I can say is you missed it.

Yes, Jimmie Johnson ended up winning, but not without being pushed by his drafting partner, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and he only won by 0.002 of a second over Clint Boyer. Although there was great anticipation and the possibility of chaos on the final dash from turn four to the checkered flag, they were four wide crossing the finish line. It was all Hendrick Chevys and Roush Fords as eight cars crossed the line less than a quarter of a second (or more likely less than a tenth of a second) apart for those first eight spots. Who could ask for more?!?

Well, I already know the answer to that question. This was Talladega and the one thing that would have made many fans happier would have been Jimmie Johnson pushing Dale Jr across the line ahead of everyone else. Looking at the finishing order, even though all eight of these guys finished nose-to-tail with their chosen drafting partners, Jr didn’t even finish third, that was Jeff Gordon. He did finish fourth though, but that was just a fraction ahead of Kevin Harvick, Carl Edwards, Greg Biffle and Mark Martin. Yep, you got it… that gives you an idea of how close the finish was?

Yeah, that was exciting and the race was a good race, but there was a bit of time where there wasn’t much going on other than “push drafting.” If you watched the race you saw many of the contenders just running around in the back, and the front, for much of the race until the last twenty five or so laps. It was mostly for the reason of trying to be sure they would be around at the end of the race so they would have a chance at possibly winning. It was definite that’s what was going on in the Hendrick camp and it worked out very well for them.

In actuality, is was kinda like a couple of years back when most of the competitors fell into single file, follow-the-leader and just turn laps mode until it came time to put the hammer down. As a fan, and being realistic about restrictor plate racing, there is the inherent problem of 188 laps around a little over a two and a half mile oval called a super speedway and trying to make every lap interesting. If you ask the drivers, and especially since the two car draft, they are more interested in just staying in contention and staying out of trouble until it is time to go for it. Lately, that is somewhere around 15 to 25 laps from the end.

If you ask the fans, they will tell you the reason they watch most every lap is they don’t want to miss the “big one” just in case it happens. (Oh, and they like to watch their favorite driver take the lead.) Of course, they do want to be around for the end because they know there is always the possibility of some real action for those final laps, (and possible double file restarts along with multiple green-white-checkers.)

There are many thoughts floating around with the intention of improving on the restrictor plate racing in NASCAR. Although many are well intentioned, I think much of it is misguided. As a fan, I love restrictor plate racing for what it is and I have seen a lot a great restrictor plate races over the years. Does that mean I have enjoyed every lap? Not necessarily but I have always enjoyed the races.

What restrictor plate races may lack in lap after lap excitement they make up for in the possible outbreak of what some would call “mayhem” at any moment. Last year, I wrote in an article about how some of the best memories I have from my own short track racing days were those races where the racing was door handle to door handle and nose to tail for many laps. There is always something exciting to me about close racing; I think many would agree with me about that, although I know there are also some who think racing should have their adrenaline pumping every second or it’s just not worth it.

Restrictor plate racing is more a mental race as well as an endurance race. It also takes more than just a driver to win one… it takes a team. It is my hope, they don’t make any changes to restrictor plate racing (especially just for “the Show”) and that we continue to follow the directive from NASCAR that says, “Boys, have at it!”

See ya next time…

All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer

Rusty Norman and Nascarfansview.com

All audio productions by www.podcastnorm.com and PodCastNorm Productions

NASCAR “Push-Drafting” at Talladega from Just A Fans View

Posted on April 16, 2011 by Rusty Norman

Drafting… NASCAR fan’s have heard it talked about and known about it for a long time. If you’ve been a fan of NASCAR for any length of time, you probably remember when it was just called drafting? It seems the more they race at restrictor plate tracks that require the drivers to use it to be competitive, the more they come up with new ways of doing it and new names to describe it. (Uh, and they also go faster when they use the techniques, too.)

Early on, it was described as riding along in the draft, soon adapted to a term called freight-training and then the term “slingshot” began to be used to describe how a driver would use the draft to pass. Later on, to better describe the way the drivers raced each other to gain an advantage on the restrictor plate tracks in particular, terms were added to describe other facets of this thing called, “drafting.”

In case you’re new to NASCAR or just not familiar with some of the terms I’m talking about at the moment, let me mention a few. (I’m sure you’ve heard them mentioned at one time or another.) Bump-drafting, side-drafting and the newest addition would be, “push-drafting.” All of them describe a way the drivers have discovered to gain speed while racing on restrictor plate tracks, (or, at least where drafting comes into play), and they have proven time and again, it is almost impossible to win without using drafting to their advantage in one way or another.

When this new thing called “push-drafting” was first shown to work by Denny Hamlin and another driver a while back, many wondered what in the world they were doing. Since that time, it has proven to be one of the most important things to be used by the competitors at the restrictor plate tracks of Daytona and Talladega. The interesting thing about it is it only works in groups of two. Anything else makes the cars go slower.

I find it interesting, that now, they have quickly adapted new ways of using this “push-drafting” process. They now have multiple channels on their radios so they can communicate with more than just their crew and teammates. Some have many channels to be able to communicate with many other drivers and some have a limited number so they won’t have to spend a lot of time finding different partners. (I guess you could say they don’t want to be distracted.) One thing I have noticed in listening to the drivers talking about the process, the responsibilities of the “pusher” and the “pushee” are different; Unless they both do their job, the result can be disastrous.

Just one more thing about the “push-draft.” It does require a lot trust between the two drivers that are hooked up together. The one in the front has to make sure he keeps the two cars together and he has to be the eyes. The one in back has to trust that the one in front makes all the right decisions, (that is, until they go for the checkered flag at the end of the race.) Most of the reason for that is they can’t see. All they can see is the spoiler in front of them.

As a fan, I noticed an interesting thing during qualifying. I know it was more of an optical illusion than anything else, but it just looked like like the cars were going so slow. Even at 170 plus miles per hour, when there is only one car on the track at a time, there is nothing to show how fast they are actually going and it is for certain there isn’t much action. Of course, all of us know that keeping the movement of the car down to a minimum so they don’t scrub off a lot of speed. The less movement the faster the qualifying time.

As I have said many times here on Just A Fan’s View, qualifying is more for pit selection than anything else at a restrictor plate race and, honestly, qualifying today at Talladega will tell us almost nothing about how the race will go on Sunday afternoon. More than anything else it will be decided by who hooks up with whom and how fast they go around the track together.

As a NASCAR fan, you know a restrictor plate race is one of the hardest to pick a winner in and this one will be no different. From this fans view, I know this will be one of the most stressful races the drivers have to face and with the “push-draft” it will be even more stressful than normal. They have more to think about and more possible distractions than they normally do in one of these type races. With the possible extra radio work there is always the chance the driver will have a good excuse because he causedS the “big one” even if they weren’t talking on the radio anyway…

See ya next time…

All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer

Rusty Norman and Nascarfansview.com

All audio productions by www.podcastnorm.com and PodCastNorm Productions

NASCAR at Texas After Thoughts from Just a Fans View

Posted on April 12, 2011 by Rusty Norman

I hate to be one that says I told you so, but… I did tell you so. I did say in the last article the Fords looked tough and it was very evident they were on Saturday night at Texas, too. I know you already know this, but the Roush Fords held four of the top seven spots at the end of the race. Not only that, but Carl Edwards moved into the top spot in the points standings ahead of Kyle Bush. Matt Kenseth became the sixth winner out of seven races for 2011 and broke a drought of 76 races without a win.

Of course, some will say it is no surprise to see the Roush cars running good at a 1 ½ mile track, but with a quick glance back to last year, we see the Roush Fords just didn’t have stellar performances until late in the year when Carl Edwards won the last two races of the season. I’m also not forgetting who was in the Chase at the end of the year (uh, from Roush Racing), so they actually weren’t running all that bad.

While I’m talking about Roush Racing dominance on Saturday night, for a while I was thinking they may finish in the first four spots. Of course that was before Tony Stewart took over the lead and looked like he was going to be in the catbird seat for the checkered flag… (Um, we’ll talk a little more about Stewart later.)

David Ragan qualified on the pole, finished seventh and Carl Edwards qualified second and finished third. Matt Kenseth started fourth and finished first while Greg Biffle started ninth and finished fourth. That’s a pretty strong showing for the Roush teams and, if we include the RPM Ford of Marcos Ambrose finishing sixth, that makes five Fords in the top seven finishing spots along with two Chevys from Childress Racing.

No matter how we look at it, the Chevys weren’t really all that impressive for most of the night, even though there were some bright spots between the Childress and Hendrick camps along with Stewart. Clint Bowyer turned out to be the brightest spot by finishing second. Paul Menard showed that Bowyer’s performance wasn’t a fluke by finishing fifth and then there was Jeff Burton finishing eleventh on the night. As for the Hendrick teams, Jimmie Johnson managed to squeeze out an eighth place finish one place ahead of Dale Earnhardt Jr’s ninth spot.

Jr. and crew chief, Steve Letarte, continue to encourage their fan base with their consistency so far this year, and I have to admit, it is good to see them doing as well as they are. It is also good to see some of the camera shots with Dale Jr smiling more and frowning less this year. Personally, I think he will get back in the win column this year, and if the #88 team continues to perform the way they have so far, he looks very good for making the Chase for 2011, too.

From this fan’s view, Tony Stewart looks to be trying to copy the results of Jeff Gordon from early in the season last year. Last year Jeff could have had several wins and this year it has been Stewart in the “coulda-woulda-shoulda” mode. If things had gone just slightly different in several races, Tony just might have several wins this year. As it is, he doesn’t and he isn’t very happy about it either. From this fan’s view, there appears to be enough blame to go around between the driver, the crew chief and the crew, but since he is also the owner, one has to wonder if he might not want to make a change somewhere along the way (and probably soon.) Now, he may not, but, it still begs the question…

Of course, we all know he didn’t have a very good start to the year, (like in Australia, even before the NASCAR season opened), and he isn’t one to try and smile in front of the cameras and answer what some would call “dumb questions” when everybody already knows how unhappy he is.

I don’t personally think he will make any changes any time soon because, when he actually looks at where he is, he isn’t doing all that bad. Even with the situations he’s had this year, he is still tenth in points and with the way they’ve been performing, he could very well win a race or two and put all the other “almosts” behind him, making the “not-so-great” finishes a thing far off in the rear view mirror.

Of course that’s easy for me to say from where I sit, but I really don’t think he is that unhappy with his crew and crew chief at the moment, but he is showing that, “I’d rather not talk about it”, side from the Tony Stewart we all remember so well. (Hey look, I’m not passing judgment on him, I’m just remembering how it was before. I don’t blame him either; He is very competitive by nature and losing when it looks like you were going to win just isn’t part of that nature, at least not in my opinion.) Just let him win one or two and I assure you, we’ll see the smile come back to that competitive face once again.

I’m guessin’ you noticed I haven’t said that much about the Toyotas and how they did at the Texas track and there’s a good reason for that…

To put it simply, there just wasn’t, and isn’t, anything to talk about…

See ya next time…

All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer

Rusty Norman and Nascarfansview.com

All audio productions by www.podcastnorm.com and PodCastNorm Productions

NASCAR at Texas from Just A Fans View

Posted on April 9, 2011 by Rusty Norman

Ah-h-h-h, Texas… Not only is it a big state but it is a big race, at least for some that need to have a good finish and it is a Saturday night race, which in this fan’s opinion, just might make it even better. The first thing many think of when they think of Texas Motor Speedway is how fast the cars enter the turns (probably over 200 mph) and how poor the grip is once they get into them. I’ve heard over and over again how the crew chiefs tell the drivers this week, “Trust me, it will stick when you throw it in there…”

Every track has it’s own character and the Texas track definitely shows it has one of its own. The surface is showing its age which is obvious by how the teams are struggling to find grip for the back tires of their cars and, with the closeness of the competition in this 2011 season, they’re going to need all they can find.

It is fairly obvious to this fan (and many others, I’m sure), the Fords looked mighty tough in the final practice and it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see the possibility David Ragan has along with his team-mate, Carl Edwards. In fact one could even include Matt Kenseth with them. The two have qualified one-two on the front row for the Cup race tonight and Edwards won the Nationwide race last night. Even though it appears the Fords have an advantage, the other manufacturers will definitely make a statement after the sun sets tonight and the race winds down to its final laps. (At least, the Chevys did last week…)

So that brings us to what could really happen this evening at the Texas track. From this fan’s view, I think it’s going to be either a walkaway for someone, or a first win for someone like a David Ragan or even Marcos Ambrose. Does that mean I expect it, not necessarily, but it does mean it is a strong possibility and it could happen. But I thought the Chevys were going to struggle last weekend the way qualifying and practice went for them and I was dead wrong.

Of course, one has to wonder how the JGR camp will do tonight. If anyone has anything to prove and also needs a good finish, it would be them. Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano definitely are frustrated with their performance so far this year and, though they have run strong at times during past races, they just haven’t been around at the end. Kyle Bush has led the most laps over the last two weekends and has not been able to finish off his competitors when it came time to take the checkered flag. Interestingly enough, though, he has taken the losses quite in stride and is #1 in points at the moment.

From my view, the Hendrick Chevys were struggling to find balance and speed on the Texas track and only Jimmie Johnson qualified in the top ten. Thinking back to Martinsville last week though, they were struggling up to race day also and then made a strong showing for most of the afternoon.

It was basically similar in the RCR camp, too. Clint Bowyer looked strong at Martinsville but faded in the final laps. This week, he looks strong and qualified third, but one has to wonder if he will fade at the end again and whether Kevin Harvick will just lead the last couple of laps as he has the past couple of weeks.

Texas is a tough track and the practices were not at all near the time and temperature conditions they will be racing against tonight.

From this fan’s view, I think this is one of the most unpredictable races of the year. If qualifying says anything to me about this weekend, it says the cars were faster when the track was cooler, but also, the ones that were fast when the track was warmer, were faster when it cooled down. It’s all about balance and getting all the grip you can get and the one that finds the most could walk away with the win. It doesn’t look the tires will be an issue tonight, but the track will definitely be changing throughout the night. And then there’s pit stops and track position.

And then… there’s that thing called fuel mileage.

See ya next time…

All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer

Rusty Norman and Nascarfansview.com

All audio productions by www.podcastnorm.com and PodCastNorm Productions

All music by Mike Stewart – “TwoBuckThemes” unless otherwise stated

Martinsville After Thoughts from Just A Fans View

Posted on April 5, 2011 by Rusty Norman

I don’t know, there’s just something about short track races. This last weekend at Martinsville was just about one of the most interesting NASCAR short track races I’ve watched in a long time. There was really never much of a let down in the action anywhere on the track and the racing was very good throughout the field. I don’t remember a Martinsville race keeping my attention for almost every lap as this one did; at least not recently.

In typical short track fashion, there were hurt feelings, high emotions and disappointments that carried over to the post-race interviews. Probably two of the most disappointed were the two drivers that have accounted for nine of the most recent victories at Martinsville, that is up until Sunday’s race, Denny Hamlin and Jimmie Johnson. Both of them let their emotions show in their interviews with the press following the race.

Now, if you’re a Denny Hamlin fan please don’t don’t be offended, but in this fan’s opinion, Denny Hamlin has started his whining again. (Aw, never mind, it’s okay if you’re offended ’cause I’m gonna say what I’m gonna say anyway.)

He hasn’t had the greatest start to the year and it is obvious it bothers him. I don’t see anything wrong with him being disappointed, but I am bothered when a driver throws his crew chief and pit crew under the bus, which is what he appears to have done, (perhaps unintentionally.) This is not the first time he has has been more willing to look at his crew than at himself. Not everything is foreseeable and looking at the way his teammates are running, I don’t see a whole lot any of them are doing wrong. Yes, they’ve had some engine problems at JGR but I think at least some of that can possibly be attributed to the fuel change this year. From this fan’s view, it would do him well to deal with the problems better himself and let them be ironed out by the engineers and the engine builders and encourage his crew instead.

He says he looked at what he could do to make himself better after losing the Championship last year and, if he thinks he has made himself that much better since the end of last year, and they’re doing so bad, maybe he needs to consider going somewhere else instead of being at JGR. Kyle Bush has been able to deal with the problems they’ve faced and he isn’t looking too bad after the first six races. The same goes for Joey Logano; he hasn’t had that great of a start either but I haven’t heard him whining, at least not in public.

Jimmie Johnson wasn’t happy about being found speeding on pit road near the end of the race and appeared to think NASCAR didn’t want him to win and they called the penalty because they didn’t like the way his entry into his pit stall looked. Aw, come on champ… you may have won five Championships in a row but in this fan’s opinion, you’re still not perfect and I seriously doubt your brain is better than the electronics that timed you and found you speeding. No matter though, you’re still number three in the 2011 point standings even though you haven’t won in fourteen or so races. (Yes, it appears you’re right, NASCAR is definitely out to get you… )

Oh well, on to more important things than those typical after-a-short-track-race emotional outbursts and frustrations…

Once again, Kevin Harvick managed to take the win even after struggling most of the afternoon. Was it because he just got lucky? Did he cheat? Did he spin out those in front of him so he could win? No… he just passed all of the ones in front of him because he was faster at the end of the race than those he put behind him. In my opinion, just like last week, he had more horses hooked up to the track at the end. It was just good hard racing and a lot of hard work from the beginning of the race to the end by the driver and his crew. Did he throw his crew under the bus? No, but he did complain about the car at the beginning. I guess since he won, Harvick thought his crew redeemed themselves and he could put up with them one more week and not think they were the problem instead of the answer… (Hm-m-m, did that almost sound like a bit of sarcasm directed at someone else, possibly someone at JGR??? Oops, sorry… it was.)

Oh well, I can’t leave without saying something about the way Dale Jr has been running. It has been good to see how he’s done so far this year. It is this fan’s opinion, Rick Hendrick making Steve Letarte his crew chief has been good for Jr so far. He is looking better every week and I really do think Junior Nation is going to be happy when he ends up in Victory Lane very soon now. (In fact, it could be this coming Saturday night in Texas.) It is obvious how badly he wants to win simply by observing how disappointed he was to finish second at Martinsville.

Honestly, (and of course this is my opinion), he needs to lighten up on himself just a little bit. No, I don’t think he needs to become less competitive and we all know how much winning means. He was leading and finished second thanks to some good strategy and some good driving. It is my opinion, he should take the second at Martinsville and enjoy it as much as second can be enjoyed and move on to Texas and go for the win. Sometimes, we can all be our own worst enemy. There is nothing wrong with finishing second if you weren’t as fast as the competition. Sometimes you just have to take that second and build on it in the coming weeks until you end up in Victory Lane… (well, at least it sounds good from where I’m sitting… )

See ya next time…

All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer

Rusty Norman and Nascarfansview.com

All audio productions by www.podcastnorm.com and PodCastNorm Productions

Just A Fans View of NASCAR at Martinsville

Posted on April 3, 2011 by Rusty Norman

If you ask some of the drivers about racing at Martinsville this weekend, they will probably tell you there is at least one good thing about it. Yeah, that’s right, the one good thing is they actually go according this years points instead of last years. That generally means a couple of the “go or go homers” don’t have to qualify on time but will be locked into the top thirty five. At least when more than 43 trying to qualify, they are guaranteed to start the race no matter how they qualify. Of course, whether or not it helps any of them is one question, but won’t be a factor this weekend because of the fact that by the time qualifying actually came around there were only 43 cars entered in the field because one wrecked out and the other one withdrew. That means everybody gets to race this weekend.

One of those that would have enjoyed that benefit is Kenny Schrader. Although he would rather be running fast enough to not have to worry about it at all, at least this weekend he won’t have that pressure on him and he can at least have a little more fun this weekend. Schrader is a long time competitor in NASCAR and would still like to be running up front. Who knows, he’s not in the best equipment, but he is definitely still capable of winning if circumstances fall his way.

Martinsville is a historic short track with a tendency towards short tempers, (especially during five hundred laps.) It is narrow and tight, (in more places than just on the racing surface), and is one place emotions show up as fast as you can blink three times. It is also a place where a payback can be from something that happens the same day or happened a while ago. Short tracks just seem to go that way, especially Martinsville.

I am always amazed at how much some drivers put up with from their competitors for most of a day and then it seems they turn on a dime and payback is the order of the day. We’ve all seen it happen before and I am sure this weekend will be no different. The surprising thing is the drivers usually react adversely after an incident that seems so insignificant. Most would say it was just the last straw that caused the reaction but I’m not so sure. I think they just reach a point with the intensity and the closeness of the racing where any little thing sets them off. One thing to look for on Sunday; the person that can control his emotions and his temper will probably fair much better than those that can’t.

If the Truck race gives us any insight as to how the Cup race may go, this fan looks for a race with more than one person to come away upset. More than likely we will see a lot of bent up sheet metal and more than one interview during the race with a driver that will be talking about how “what goes around, comes around.” That’s usually driver speak for payback is coming someday, (and usually sooner than later.)

From this fan’s view, I think tire strategy is going to be one of the biggest factors in the race on Sunday afternoon. The Toyotas looked strong in the practice sessions and a Chevy took the pole. Jamie McMurray will start on the pole and it may be another long day for some of the other Chevys.

It’s going to be hard to pass on the outside and lot of what happens is going to happen on the bottom. At the end of the race I expect more than one caution and, as is usually the case on a short track, cautions will breed more cautions.

Now I’m not trying to make any kind of statement, but when all is said and done, we could see the sixth different winner in this sixth race of the 2011 season. And as has been proven more than once at a race track like Martinsville, it definitely won’t be over until the checkered flag drops. (It just depends on who gets to drive under it first…

See ya next time…

All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer

Rusty Norman and Nascarfansview.com

All audio productions by www.podcastnorm.com and PodCastNorm Productions

NASCAR at Fontana After Thoughts – A Fan’s View

Posted on April 1, 2011 by Rusty Norman

There were those that thought the race at Fontana was a real snoozer… that is until the last few laps of the race. One reason was the dominance of Kyle Bush at the 2 mile oval track in California. Not only did he win the Nationwide race on Saturday, but he led the most laps and looked like he was going to walk away with the Cup victory right up until the end. That’s when Jimmie Johnson and Kevin Harvick decided to make it a race when the yellow came out after Bobby Labonte blew a right front tire and hit the wall.

Kyle Bush and six others decided to stay out on the track rather than come in and take tires on that last yellow flag. Thanks to NASCAR’s double file restart rule from last year, what could have been a predictable end to the 400 miles, became an exciting finish on a Sunday afternoon in California. Before the final yellow, Stewart had been catching Kyle Bush. At that last restart with nine laps to go, Tony Stewart unexpectedly dropped back from the front and was not a factor even though he looked like he might take the win a little bit earlier.

For the first few laps after the restart, it still looked as though Kyle was going to take the win but Jimmie Johnson finally caught up to him and passed him with three to go and it looked like Johnson was going to squeak out the win. Kevin Harvick had other plans though. He had more horses hooked up to the track and pulled ahead coming out of the last turn to take the win. In this fan’s opinion, it was one of the best finishes at the California track ever.

I heard the remarks of the guys on Tv and they stated Kevin Harvick had intimidated Johnson by pushing him part way down the backstretch and I don’t totally disagree with them. But in this fan’s opinion, it was very obvious Harvick had more horse power working for him than Johnson and not just intimidation and that’s what helped him win. Yeah, it’s also true he made an excellent move at the last turn, but it’s still my opinion he quite simply had a few more horses than Jimmie Johnson.

Well, that makes five different winners in the first five races in 2011. If things continue on as they have so far, I’m thinking we may have 36 different winners this year.

Well, maybe not, but I’m still gonna be watching every week to see what really does happen…

See ya next time…

All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer

Rusty Norman and Nascarfansview.com

All audio productions by www.podcastnorm.com and PodCastNorm Productions

NASCAR at Fontana from Just A Fan’s View

Posted on March 26, 2011 by Rusty Norman

If you only looked at the qualifying times and the way the cars will line up on Sunday afternoon at Fontana, you would see some different names at the top of the order and a lot of well known big names in the middle to the back of the field. Now as surprising as this will sound, this is one of the times the qualifying will be totally useless except for having a better pit stall than someone else. The reason, as this fan sees it, is because of the rains that fell in California on Friday, before the practice and qualifying sessions.

You can tell by the looks of the lineup some teams hit it and some didn’t. That’s not to say the ones that qualified faster than the better known names don’t deserve to be where they are, I just raise the question of whether or not it will make a great deal of difference on Sunday.

Just look at where two of the top three finishers from last week’s race qualified. Carl Edwards finished second last weekend and qualified eighteenth this weekend. Jimmie Johnson finished third last weekend and qualified sixteenth for Fontana. Of course last week’s winner, Kyle Bush, qualified eighth but he would say qualifying is just something they have to do and not to pay much attention to it, (and you already know what I think of qualifying.)

Looking at the speeds after the final practice session on Saturday it should be a little easier to tell a little more about how the competition will fair on Sunday, but the way the season has been going, I’m not so sure that will be the case.

While we’re talking about qualifying, I guess now is a good time to mention how NASCAR’s change to how qualifying order is established. From this fan’s view, the new way of setting that order and it does make the teams try to get better established times during practice. Usually qualifying later in the session is the best time to try and get a faster time. Although that isn’t always the case, it has proven to be one of the better rule or procedural changes and makes qualifying much more interesting. I wasn’t sure about it when they first mentioned it but now, I like it. Say what you will, but NASCAR has been making a lot of good decisions over the last couple of years and it has been a definite plus for the competitive side.

Since this is the fifth week of racing for 2011, that means that next week the field will be set a bit differently than it is during these first five weeks. For those that end up no longer in the top 35 after this weekend, they will have to qualify on time for the most part. For some, that will something they haven’t had to do in a while. There is no one in jeopardy of having to do that right at the moment, but all it takes is one more bad race and some of those on the edge will be in that predicament. Some that are close to the edge are, Jeff Burton and Joey Logano who are 29^th and 30^th in the points.

As I have observed the different drivers and teams this weekend, it does appear several are struggling with their setups and although it doesn’t appear they will do well, they will very likely find a way to get up towards the front. Although I don’t know who might win, it is definitely another one of those weekends where one or more of the teams may hit on the right combination and just have to tweak on the car slightly to keep up with the changing track condition. From this fan’s view, I really think the winner will come from the top fifteen from the final practice; (Wow, I’m really sticking my neck out there, huh?) If you want me to be a bit more specific, this could actually be the week we see someone in Victory Lane that has never actually been there before in Cup.

Even though I don’t really want to outright pick a possible winner, I do have a few choices as to who might win. I wouldn’t count out Dale Jr although he was only about 18^th in the late practice. Carl Edwards, Jeff Gordon, Mark Martin and Kyle Bush were all fast in that practice also, but, there was a lot of slippin’ and slidin’ goin’ on and a lot of drivers unhappy with their cars after practice was over.

Adding to all of the uneasiness, there is an interesting side note to overnight weather possibly dumping a half inch of rain or more and washing away all of the rubber from the track for the start of the race tomorrow. One thing is for certain; this has been a very interesting weekend for the teams and it looks as though the challenges aren’t going to let up until the end of the race.

See ya next time…

All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer

Rusty Norman and Nascarfansview.com

All audio productions by www.podcastnorm.com and PodCastNorm Productions

Bristol After Thoughts from Just A Fans View

Posted on March 25, 2011 by Rusty Norman

This will be short and to the point because there is really no reason to drag it out, although I do have a few questions about Bristol Motor Speedway and Kyle Bush. As expected, Kyle was the one to beat on Sunday afternoon, (at least at the end of the race), and he completed another sweep at the high-banked short track in Thunder Valley.

As many seasoned fans and veterans will tell you, there are times that a driver and his team hit on something at Bristol and it makes them hard to beat. It is obvious that Kyle loves the track and he is not the least bit intimidated by it. It seems more often than not, he can do no wrong and it is beginning to be a habit.

Let’s not forget, Kyle Bush isn’t the first one to win a lot at Bristol. In their day, Rusty Wallace and Darryl Waltrip also won a lot of races at the fast short track and more recently, so have Kurt Bush and Jeff Gordon (just to mention two.) I do believe once a team hits on that confidence level of performance at a particular track, they are hard to beat for an extended period of time. That’s not to say they will win every time they go there, but it does mean they will be the one (or one of the ones) everyone considers the team to beat every time they show up to race there, no matter which series it is.

Why it happens is a mystery to some, but it is this fan’s opinion that once they hit on that special confidence about a track, no matter what happens to them, they are confident they can handle what ever situation may be thrown at them. For some reason, unknown to the teams that haven’t performed well at a particular track (like Bristol or others), it is easier for them to overcome adversity that tries to test their dominance at that particular track.

What is so different about Kyle Bush this year and why re so many talking about him in a different way. If you check back to last years articles here at “Just A Fan’s View”, I mentioned how I noticed Kyle Bush was maturing and changing. He has continued that “maturing process” into this year and it has been interesting to watch. As a fan, I have a theory about all of this and some of what I noticed is evident in others, also.

So, what are these magical “things” I’ve noticed all about? (Well… I am so glad someone finally asked me about that.)

There appears to be something about becoming a team owner that changes how drivers, especially high strung drivers, (uh, I mean, some would call them “highly competitive” drivers), look at their job when they have to answer directly to their sponsors. Just look at the obvious changes in Kevin Harvick, Tony Stewart and yes, Kyle Bush, too. There has been noticeable change in all three and much of that process started to become really obvious after they became team owners. (Well actually, in Tony Stewart’s case, I noticed a big change in his attitude when he bought Eldora Speedway and started his influence over it.)

In all three of these cases, a noticeable change in their maturity level became more obvious AFTER this change in their lives. Have I gathered statistics and can I prove it? Nope, but I do think from observing them closely in the times afterwards, it was a definite turning point in their maturity level. Is it coincidental? Maybe, but in any case, they have changed and, it is my personal opinion, becoming an owner of a team made a large difference. I am glad to see it and would also like to say I don’t see where it has made them any less competitive, but possibly even more so and even more likeable than they were when they were younger and, (if I may say it without offending them), less mature. (Oh, and by the way, I don’t think Kyle getting married in January hurt anything either. He is more confident, more in control of his emotions and generally, less out-of-control than in previous years.)

So what has this got to do with Kyle Bush winning Sunday afternoon at Bristol and sweeping the weekend again? Not a whole lot but it is my observation as a fan and made over a period of time and watching how these guys have changed in particular. Does that mean they have all of the sudden become perfect? No, but it definitely means they are even more of a force to be reckoned with at every race track and for those hard-to-come-by Sprint Cup Championships.

While we’re talking about marriage (and having kids) having an effect on drivers in the Cup series, has anyone noticed a change in Carl Edwards’ performance this year? I know you’re probably thinking, “So, big deal! It’s just a coincidence.” Well… you may be right, but what a coincidence…

See ya next time…

All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer

Rusty Norman and Nascarfansview.com

All audio productions by www.podcastnorm.com and PodCastNorm Productions

NASCAR Short Trackin’ at Bristol

Posted on March 20, 2011 by Rusty Norman

It’s high-banked, a little over a half mile around and gets more emotions going than a cross-town rivalry. Oh, and one other thing — it’s fast! But, you already knew that about Bristol. In fact, I don’t think there’s anything NASCAR fans don’t know about the “World’s Fastest Half-Mile” but there are a lot of unknowns about the race that will take place on Sunday afternoon.

The most important thing to remember about qualifying is the way the faster teams get to choose their pit stalls. Of course the way the track and pits are configured, pit stall choice is one of the more important details the teams will face if they expect to have a chance at having a good day on Sunday afternoon for 500 laps on the tough short track at Thunder Valley.

Of course, the way the trips to the pits during the race take place will make a big difference, too. If a stop takes place during green flag laps, it could mean finishing one or more laps down. During yellow is much more preferable, but the way the teams perform the stops will still make a big difference in how the teams maintain track position, (and track position is much more important at Bristol than some would lead you to believe.)

If you listen to the drivers talking to the crews and they are gaining spots on the track and losing them in the pits, you can bet the pit crews are going to be getting an ear-full, if for no other reason than the driver is frustrated, (and driver frustration is going to be noticeable all day no matter what at Bristol (it’s just the nature of the beast.)

So, does that mean anything at all about who will take the checkered flag? You can bet on it. Short track racing is high emotion and tense racing and a driver can only take so much of both simply because of the adrenaline flowing through his veins. And then there’s the closeness of the racing and the tendency they all have to lean on each other, which sometimes results in “paybacks.”

The first right side tire Goodyear brought for this race just didn’t work out the way they hoped and even though the teams did have a chance to put on the second choice in the second practice on Saturday, the jury is still out on how it will affect the final results when the checkered flag falls. Since the teams only had one set of tires to figure out how to make the second choice right side tire work, this fan isn’t so sure they will know a whole lot how it may do over the course of the whole race until they actually log the laps on Sunday.

In fact, (also in this fan’s opinion), I think this will prove to even up the field slightly and some that were running slower and further back in lap times will be more competitive. I know these are teams that have a lot of engineering input; but, I am of the opinion this is going to prove a challenge to them all. In other words, some will hit it and some won’t when it comes to changing the setup. From this fan’s view, my greatest concern from observing the last practice session, Saturday, is that we could see some problems with the right fronts on Sunday. I’m sure that may be a little bit of an over-reaction, but if it does come to pass, just remember I mentioned it.

It is firmly this fan’s opinion, this could prove to be one of the most interesting races at Bristol in a while. It is possible that everything will just go along as it would have originally, but I think it is going to be more of a challenge for all of the teams especially at a track where things happen in a hurry and it only takes an extended wiggle to go a lap down and have a good day turn into a bad one. (And then there’s that threat of rain to add intensity to the strategy for the race.)

Even though the Fords looked to be the fastest during the first part of the weekend, it remains to be seen if they make the transition to the different tire and remain as fast as they were up through qualifying. Carl Edwards has definitely been hot in the first part of the year just picking up from where he was at the end of last season. It is possible he could continue doing the same, but it is also possible he will struggle a bit, starting this weekend. I’m not trying to jinx him but he wouldn’t be the first one to have three good races at the beginning of the season and then struggle for several races during the spring.

With the change of the right side tire happening as it did, I can’t say who might win this weekend. It could be someone totally unexpected or it could be someone that hasn’t won in a while. Several names come to mind as possible winners for Sunday’s race. I’m not sure, but I think the Chevy’s are going to be much more competitive than they might have appeared before the tire change. Montoya looked strong and so did Mark Martin.

From this fan’s view, it looks as though Sunday’s race is anybody’s guess. In the last practice, the Fords weren’t even shown in the top ten for speed, but one has to wonder, were the higher speeds run on the old tire, or the replacement. It did look like Matt Kenseth was one of the better Fords in the late practice, but I’m not sure, he and the rest of the Fords just may show up at the front during Sunday’s race and all of this conjecture will be wasted.

Personally, I like the fact that we enter into race-day with all those unknowns I mentioned at the beginning. It just seems to set the stage for a great afternoon of racing and the drama that goes along with the unknown. I do expect the cream to rise to the top by the end of the afternoon and that means those that have proven they can overcome adversity with regularity will be running in the top five when the checkered flag falls. So hold on and get ready for the possibility of some whining to start, if… (and that’s a big if)… Jimmie Johnson ends up in Victory Lane. I’m sure NASCAR will be blamed for having Goodyear change the tire so he could win and move that much closer to going for number six in a row… (well… maybe not; the way people are talking, the winner will probably be Kyle Bush.)

See ya next time…

All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer

Rusty Norman and Nascarfansview.com

All audio productions by www.podcastnorm.com and PodCastNorm Productions

Vegas 2011 After Thoughts from Just A Fan’s View

Posted on March 11, 2011 by Rusty Norman

I’m not sure how you saw it but it looked like it was going to be another one of those days where the least likely make would end up taking the checkered flag, (and show us all just how little we know about how races are going to end.) I mean, if you look at the way the practices went before the actual race on Sunday, you would have never thought a Chevy would have lead the most laps. In fact, I would venture to say, you would have never thought they would lead any laps after the way they performed during the practice and qualifying sessions.

Instead… it looks like the Fords finally made it to the end of a race and ended up in Victory Lane on the same day (at least since Trevor Bayne and the Daytona 500). It really wasn’t a surprise to anyone as all the commentators, pundits and just about everyone, (including me), analyzed how the race would go judging from the practice and qualifying sessions before Sunday. I know I was swayed by how strong the Fords appeared and how the other teams seemed to be struggling, but Sunday proved to be different and Tony Stewart threw a wrench in the works until a late race mistake on pit road and a pit strategy to make up for that mistake that turned against him afterwards.

Even though Tony Stewart led the most laps, that hooked air hose and the decision to take two tires on the next to last last pit stop, cost him the victory and left him with a disappointing second place, even though he appeared to have the car to beat much of the afternoon. Needless to say, he was not at all happy after the race but did manage a pained interview immediately after the race and in the press center also.

Matt Kenseth on the other hand was fast in all the practice sessions and qualified on pole, (but as we mentioned in our article on Saturday before the race, Sunday doesn’t always go like the rest of the weekend), and he had a tire go down early in the race and ended up spending the most of the afternoon trying to get back onto the lead lap. He did manage to get back on the lead lap when Jeff Gordon’s right front went down and ended up with an eleventh place finish on the day.

Jeff smacked the wall hard, ending his day and leaving him on the trailer with a thirty-sixth place finish and very few points to go with it, kind of canceling out what he accomplished in Phoenix.

A quick look at the finishing order shows the times the teams spent on the track leading up to the race were just a bit deceptive. Just look at the difference between the way teams qualified and the way they finished; (to simplify things, I’ll just look at the top twelve qualifiers. I’m sure you know where to find them and the rest.) And remember, Fords filled up the first two rows…

Yes, it’s true… Fords did fill up the front two rows and Toyotas filled up the third row. In the next three rows there was one more Ford, one Toyota and four Chevys. Adding them all up tells us there were five Fords starting up front, four Chevys and three Toyotas. It makes it pretty obvious why many thought the Fords were going to do well on Sunday. As we found out, a Ford did actually win but the Chevys and Toyotas did much better than expected.

Honestly, I don’t feel bad about being wrong abut the strength of the Fords at Vegas and I hate to say it, but, it did look like a Chevy was going to take the win, possibly even finish one-two and have several more in the top twelve. It just goes to show what this fan has said many times; you can’t tell a whole lot from practice and qualifying, especially these days when NASCAR doesn’t have testing at the tracks they race at. That could mean some teams are spending some of their time at the tracks testing for the race and for the future.

NASCAR’s decision to change the points system has made the first three races of the 2011 season very interesting. If things continue to go as they have, we could see a whole new drama emerging from the way qualifying figures into future races. We just have two more races until the top thirty-five are no longer locked in from last year. Now, I know many of the teams are saying they’re not in panic mode yet, but some of the better known names from the past couple of years may have to actually qualify on time unless their luck gets better soon.

It appears to this fan, it is harder to make up the points lost in those bad finishes than it was in the past, even though early in the season points do shuffle around much faster than they do later in the season. I’m not really trying to make a mountain out of a mole hill, but, it should really prove to be interesting in the coming weeks for all of those that have been having some really bad races. Hey… I’m just sayin’, if some of them don’t start finishing more consistently toward the front, it could prove to be a very tense time for them.

See ya next time… Rusty

All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer

Rusty Norman and Nascarfansview.com

All audio productions by www.podcastnorm.com and PodCastNorm Productions

NASCAR at Vegas from Just Fan’s View

Posted on March 5, 2011 by Rusty Norman

This weekend in Las Vegas is going to be interesting to say the least; that is, if practice and qualifying reflect anything at all about how the race will go. The Fords are looking just as strong as they did last weekend in Phoenix and, from this fan’s view, I reckon it remains to be seen if they perform at the level they practiced and qualified at, (unlike what happened at Phoenix.)

It’s not that just the Roush Fords look strong, but, all of the Fords look like they have a few more horses hooked up to the track and could make the day miserable for the Chevys and Toyotas, (and, of course, those Penske Dodges, too.)

Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not willing to put all of my cards on the table yet, but I do agree with many others, the Fords are going to be hard to beat unless something unexpected happens to them along the way. But wait a minute, didn’t many think exactly that way last week and isn’t this still NASCAR? Oh and an additional thought about that NASCAR thing; haven’t we been conditioned to expect the unexpected? (Yeah, that’s what I thought you’d say.)

How about Marcos Ambrose qualifying outside pole next to Matt Kenseth? Has anyone wondered about the Richard Petty Motorsports teams besides me? They are looking better every weekend and I still think either Marcos or AJ will end up in Victory Lane sometime this season (or maybe both will and just maybe, more than once.)

The new points system has definitely put an interesting slant on the way things are shaking out so far after the first two races. Just look at where some of the Chasers from last season are right now. Some are definitely having a hard time adjusting to the smaller points allotments and the time it takes to move back up after a bad week. It is still to soon to tell how it will affect the overall way things wring out simply because things usually do get mixed up fairly regularly during the first few races of the season. One thing to keep in mind though, if people like Kevin Harvick and Jeff Burton continue having bad weeks, they may just have to qualify on time after the first five weeks are over. That being said, it adds a bit of pressure to them, but it doesn’t mean they will be considered one of the “go or go homers.” Although, should something happen during qualifying runs after the first five races, it may make things very interesting. (Can anyone say David Ragan?)

Kyle Bush is at the number one position in points followed by his brother, Kurt, in the second position. AJ Almendinger is in fourth place, which not bad for RPM or AJ either. With Marcos also qualifying well and running well this weekend, I guess we’ll see how things go for them.

Personally, it wouldn’t bother me at all if Marcos Ambrose pulls off the unexpected and ends the day in Victory Lane. Not only would it be a good thing for him but also for Richard Petty Motorsports and I think they both would feel good about taking a trophy home. You can call me an old softy if you want but, I would like to see them have a good year. After what Richard Petty had to endure at the end of last year, it would definitely be another “Feel Good” moment on the 2011 season, (at least for me, and a few others I know.)

As far as the track at Vegas, it’s just not predictable. Just because somebody runs well on Friday and Saturday doesn’t mean they will have the same results on Sunday. The track just changes over the weekend and sometimes those changes are completely unexpected and have nothing obvious to do with weather or temperature. More than one team has gone into a Sunday race at Vegas with high hopes and come away disappointed just because they thought they had it figured out from practice and qualifying.

This weekend at Vegas is going to be another great weekend of racing in NASCAR Cup. I don’t know how you feel about it, but from this fan’s view, I expect to see a lot of action on the track and in the pits and I’ll be watching what happens on every one of those double file restarts throughout the day.

If they run the way they did in qualifying and practice, I just hope the Fords don’t make the race to boring… (that just doesn’t sound like Vegas to me… does it to you?)

See ya next time… Rusty

All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer

Rusty Norman and Nascarfansview.com

All audio productions by www.podcastnorm.com and PodCastNorm Productions

Just A Fan's View of Nascar Racing

Just a fan's view of Nascar Sprint Cup Racing

Category Archives: Nascar

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