BrickYard After Thoughts from A NASCAR Fans View

Posted on August 3, 2011 by Rusty Norman

Paul Menard held off Jeff Gordon at the Brickyard 400 and won his first NASCAR Cup race at a place his family has been trying to win at for a long time. He drove his Richard Childress Chevy to victory over the Hendrick Chevy of Jeff Gordon at the place some now consider to be the second most prestigious place to win in NASCAR Cup. (The most prestigious, of course, is the still Daytona 500.)

Yeah… I know what you’re thinking… it definitely turned out to be another Chevy day Sunday at Indy, although it did surprise me that the Chevys finished better than I expected and the Fords didn’t finish like I thought they would. This time, however, it wasn’t just a Hendrick Chevy day, it was just generally a Chevy day and the finishing order spoke loudly about that and other things.

I’ll get to the other things shortly, but it doesn’t take a very hard look at the finishing order to see what I mean. Six out of the top eight were Chevys and the other two were Roush Fords finishing fifth and seventh – (as I said), not quite what I expected after the way practice and qualifying went. I honestly thought the Fords would finish a little bit stronger, but as is often the case when cautions don’t fly in the latter part of a 400 mile race, fuel mileage can often rule over horsepower and that is exactly what happened because the Roush Fords, in particular, seemed to have plenty of horses under the hood, just not enough fuel at the right time.

In all honesty, Indy is one of those tracks that NASCAR visits that often comes down to pit strategy, tire management and stretching fuel to the max. But like I said in my article before the race, those are the things that are almost a certainty – especially these days in NASCAR Cup.

There are those that lament the fact that Stock Car racing is more than just having a strong car, (and some of them are drivers), but it really is nothing new; and it is nothing new for a driver to complain about fuel mileage when his car uses more than the ones that beat him on fuel mileage. Much to the disappointment of many, it is all about the whole package in NASCAR these days and that is why some complain about the racing being too technical and not necessarily enough about the driver and having the strongest car.

To win in NASCAR Cup (and just about every other motor sport), it takes horsepower and handling, (which is being able to hookup up that horsepower to the track.) It also takes a driver that can take what he has to work with and get the most out of it. Along with all of that, it takes tire strategy, fuel strategy and not making mistakes coming in or exiting the pits and at times, just a bit of luck doesn’t hurt either. To the casual observer it may seem it’s just about cars going fast around a track, but to those that have been around it longer and are maybe a bit more knowledgeable about it, they know it is a thinking man’s game and during a race the driver is only one of several people doing the thinking.

One thing that stands out to this fan, was how good Jeff Gordon’s car was from the drop of the green flag. He started moving forward at the start of the race and, even though he did end up in the middle of the pack on a restart or two, he was always able to move back to the front. I can’t help but wonder what might have happened had a yellow come out with a couple to go, or if he had caught up to Menard a lap or two sooner. Even after thinking of all the shoulda – woulda – couldas, one thing is plain to this fan; Jeff Gordon and his team are letting it be known they are one of the ones to watch when the Chase starts.

Even though Kasey Kahne had a strong Toyota, he and his team had a problem on pit road early that cost them track position and then dodged an accident later on, filling his grill with grass, making him have to pit a little off sequence. He just never seemed to be able to recover from that or the earlier pit problem and drive back up through the traffic.

Once again, the Brickyard was historic. It just seems to be one of the places where history is made often. Although not every lap kept you on the edge of your seat, the race was interesting right down to the checkered flag and for the fourth time this year, a driver won his first NASCAR cup race. If that doesn’t say something about the competition in NASCAR Cup being closer than it has been in the past, I don’t know what does and it is great for NASCAR and for the fan’s.

Okay, it’s true, I’ve been a NASCAR fan for a long time and I have seen a lot of the changes that have made people both happy and mad with them and made the competition exactly what it is today. Sunday’s race was “as good as any and better than many,” (to quote a small sign on a friend of mine’s dashboard of his stock car.) With just six races to go until the start of the Chase, I expect the racing to be the same as it was at Indy, or even better, and the overall intensity to increase, especially in those top twenty to twenty five positions trying to make it into those two wildcard spots…

See ya next time…
All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer
© August 3, 2011 – all rights reserved
Rusty Norman and Nascarfansview.com
All audio productions by www.podcastnorm.com and PodCastNorm Productions

NASCAR at the Brickyard from A Fans View

Posted on July 30, 2011 by Rusty Norman

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091218 iPhoneCamPixes 060 003A 150x150 NASCAR at the Brickyard from A Fans View

If you listen to all of the talk about where NASCAR Cup teams are racing this weekend, you hear a lot about the track in Indianapolis. There is no doubt the Brickyard is a historic track and has been around for many years. There is also no doubt it is a place that has an aura about it and, in my view, that aura is deserved.

For those of you that may not be familiar with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, it was built in 1909. With a history spanning over 100 years, it would be easy to go off on a tangent and get distracted from the NASCAR events in the area this weekend so I won’t do that, but if you want to know more about its history, there’s plenty to be found on Wikipedia and other places.

The speedway became know as ‘the Brickyard’ for a very simple reason; it was paved with bricks (although that was not the case originally.) Over the years with the change of technology and the general advancement of the engineering of the vehicles that race at the place, it is now paved in a way more conventional to today’s technology. When they did repave it the last time, they chose to keep the historic “Yard of Bricks” at the finish line and that is why the winning NASCAR team can still “Kiss the Bricks” which is a recent tradition instigated by 1996 Brickyard 400 winner, Dale Jarret and crew chief Todd Parrot. The completely spontaneous action quickly became a tradition for the winners of the Brickyard 400.

There are several things to remember when thinking about the race this weekend and some of them are just how important this race is to all of the competitors and how prestigious a race it is to win. Three races stand above the rest in NASCAR competition and winning them carries a certain amount of prestige for the drivers that do. Those three are, the Daytona 500, the Charlotte 600 and the Brickyard 400 in no particular order (other than Daytona.)

Another thing to remember is the race to the Chase is winding down with only seven races left to decide which of the teams will be competing for the coveted Sprint Cup Championship. That makes this race even more important, and for those trying to earn a spot in the Chase, having a good finish is a must and winning at the Brickyard wouldn’t hurt at all either.

When the teams show up at this historic track, they don’t bring junk to compete with, they try to bring their best cars, best engine packages and all associated equipment along with the hope the crews are in top form both mentally and physically. The pits will prove to be a very important place this weekend and, once again, spots gained there, will be some of the easiest passes made all afternoon. The racing groove is very narrow, (I’ve even heard some say it is only a half a groove wide), and that should prove to make the whole race very interesting, (uh, that is as long as someone hasn’t shown up with the entire field covered, as has happened in recent weeks.)

From this fan’s view, qualifying showed that no one came expecting to squeak by. It was all out and though some felt they were conservative and could have done slightly better than they did, most of them didn’t leave anything on the track. From listening to the drivers, it is obvious they know how hard it is going to be to pass and they wanted to qualify as good as they could to hopefully have a better spot in the pits.

The biggest surprise, (from my view, of course), was how well most of the Hendrick teams qualified after watching their practice sessions. Jimmie Johnson sat on the pole after his qualifying run until David Ragan took the spot from him late in the session. Kasey Kahne put a cap on his good weekend so far by qualifying second and moving Johnson to third. Jeff Gordon qualified eighth and Mark Martin twelfth. Unfortunately, Dale Jr once again only qualified twenty second, but as I said, the qualifying was very competitive. It does mean he will have a ways to go if he hopes to end up at the front, which he needs to do, (also my opinion.)

The Roush Fords haven’t usually done well at the Brickyard, but this year could be different. In fact, all of the Fords looked pretty tough from the time the teams started unloading off the trucks, in particular, the Roush Fords.

Do I think it is going to be a Ford weekend like I thought is would be a Chevy weekend two weeks ago. That is a tough call at a tough track like Indy. I do think Matt Kenseth, Greg Biffle and Carl Edwards all look like they will do well and their other teammate, David Ragan, is sitting on the pole.

Will that translate into a victory for them this Sunday afternoon? From this fan’s view that is a very good possibility, but although Indy hardly ever has unexpected winners, this is a place that is a bit unpredictable when it comes to picking winners based only on practice and qualifying. In my opinion, they have a very good chance, but so does the Toyota of Kasey Kahne. He has looked every bit as strong as the Fords and this could also be a Red Bull weekend if Kasey has anything to say about it.

A few things are certain… the race will come down to pit strategy, fuel mileage and track position. With all of the turbulence these cars cause, if someone isn’t near the front, they may not have much of a chance passing enough cars to get there. It is also certain teams have brought their best to the Brickyard… the question is, will their best be good enough???

See ya next time…
All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer
© July 30, 2011 – all rights reserved
Rusty Norman and Nascarfansview.com
All audio productions by www.podcastnorm.com and PodCastNorm Productions

NASCAR at Loudon After Thoughts from A Fans View

Posted on July 21, 2011 by Rusty Norman

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20100220RSNTest001 120x150 NASCAR at Loudon After Thoughts from A Fans View

You know, it isn’t often I start off with statements like I am about to make about a race, but, I think the race this last weekend in Loudon was one of the best overall races I have seen in a while. Whether it had something to do with the fact it was much like a normal weekend short track race and only 301 laps long, or because it went kinda like I figured it would, I don’ know. All I know is that it held my interest throughout all the 301 laps and, although it looked like we all knew how it was going to end, there was just enough doubt and drama as to who might win to make it interesting all the way to the drop of the checkered flag.

It is interesting how the luck of the two Stewart/Haas teams turned toward the positive and they finished the race exactly the way they started it. As we all know, Ryan Newman who sat on pole and Tony Stewart started with him on the front row and they finished first and second after the 301 laps. With the way their luck has been running over the first and middle part of the season, this fan thinks they were probably wondering what might go wrong in the closing laps but, all went well, neither of them ran out of gas and they crossed the finish line without any major disasters of any kind.

Jeff Gordon had a very fast car and constantly moved toward the front. That is, except when he had problems with the alternator not charging the batteries properly causing him to fall back and, at one time, he was a lap down. Even though he had those problems, he had moved back up into fourth place by the last lap. His troubles weren’t over even then though. On that last lap he had a flat tire that caused him to finish in eleventh as he crawled across the finish line.

From this fan’s view, he has to have mixed emotions about the day. Finishing eleventh had to be a major letdown with as strong as his car was and with how his crew kept him in the hunt even with the problems. He should be encouraged by the fact that his car was so strong and that could possibly mean he may have an even better race when the NASCAR Cup teams return to Loudon in the second week of the Chase. Naturally, all that is dependent on how he does over the next seven races and how he stands in the points when the Chase actually begins.

It was no surprise to me how the Fords finished. Marcos Ambrose was highest finishing Ford in ninth place and the next highest finisher was AJ Allmendinger from the Richard Petty camp. There were those that said they could have finished better but they were in fuel conservation mode. That may have been the case and we will have to take them at their word, but from my view, they just didn’t look like they had enough speed all during the race weekend to do much better than they did.

The Toyotas had a very strong weekend also, but Kyle Bush had a very rough weekend. It was obvious with all that was happening to him during the first part of the race, he was frustrated by the day. Still yet, we have been seeing a much more composed Kyle Bush this season and it has been an amazing transformation. He has been much less out of control, (although not anywhere near docile yet), and it is obvious he is maturing and working his way even closer to becoming a Cup Champion. Personally, I have enjoyed watching the process. From my view, he is much more likeable overall and yet he still lives up to one of his nicknames, “Wild Thing.”

Personally, I’m glad the Cup Series has a weekend off to catch their breath. It has been hectic and hard weeks since the last breather. One thing I notice when they have a break is there is generally a slight shift in momentum. I’m anxious to see how these last seven weeks go before the Chase begins and how the points shake out over the next few weeks. I really don’t see much happening with the top five or six, but there can still be ‘a whole lot of shakin’ going on’ in the rest of the top twelve. It also remains to be seen how those with wins in the top twenty figure into the final two wild card spots. It could get really interesting over the next few weeks in particular.

Overall, Loudon was a great race (and from this fan’s view, of course), it wasn’t that much of a surprise either. Going in everybody knew it was going to be a race where track position, fuel mileage and pit and tire strategy would all figure into the end results… and by the way; did anyone notice that it was a Chevy kind of day. Not only that but it was a Hendrick associated and Hendrick kind of day at that. (Hm-m-m… I wonder where I heard that?)

See ya next time…
All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer
© July 21, 2011 – all rights reserved
Rusty Norman and Nascarfansview.com
All audio productions by www.podcastnorm.com and PodCastNorm Productions

NASCAR at Loudon from A Fans View

Posted on July 16, 2011 by Rusty Norman

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091218 iPhoneCamPixes 060 003A 150x150 NASCAR at Loudon from A Fans View

There is one thing about Loudon that won’t change this weekend no matter what else happens – there are those that need to have a very good finish if they want to stay in contention for being or getting into the Chase and there are a few that could help their chances even more if they could win on Sunday afternoon. The reason winning would help them is because they are already close to being in by points but don’t have a win and there are others that have a win even though they are lower in the points standings. According to the way the Chase format is set up, the two wildcard slots are only available to those in the top twenty that have the wins and the points.

As it stands right now, Tony Stewart is eleventh according to points but David Ragan would be in by virtue of his one win. If that doesn’t add interest to the next eight races, I don’t know what does.

Just for grins, let’s take a quick look at some of those in eleventh to twenty-second in points. Now, we’ve already talked about Tony Stewart’s situation and right after him comes Clint Bowyer. Even though Bowyer is only thirteen points behind Stewart, he would still be behind Ragan if the Chase started today because he doesn’t have a win. In fact, Ragan would jump over all four of those ahead of him in points which includes Juan Montoya and Greg Biffle, too.

Brad Keselowski is in twenty first place, but he also has one win. If he could break into the top twenty, he would also jump over all of those ahead of him and would be in the Chase with Ragan and the two of them would be in the eleventh and twelfth place, leaving all of the others out in the cold. Of course you know, that is if the Chase started today, (which it won’t, but after all, it is only about eight races away.)

Well, that’s enough conjecture for now, but it does give us several things to think about and watch over the next several weeks.

From this fan’s view, this should not only be an interesting race but a pivotal one as well. With Ryan Newman and Tony Stewart both starting on the front row that tells me they know what they both need to do and I am sure they hope to take those positions right on down to the end of the race. Tony needs the win (and the good finish) and Ryan is in the top ten but needs a win and a good points day to feel more secure about his position. This is an opportunity for both of them to make a statement as we get closer to the twenty sixth race when they will either be in or out of the Chase.

Since Loudon is a flat track, it’ll be pretty obvious who has the best chance to take the trip to Victory Lane. It is this fan’s opinion the one who can get into the turn and rotate through the center of it and still hook up all of their horses to make the drag race down the straights on a consistent basis will be running at or near the front. The one that does it consistently better than the rest (especially at the end of the race) will be the one being interviewed as the winner.

Now, that presents us with figuring out who that possible winner will be. Because of the type track NHMS is, it isn’t necessarily an easy task to pick a winner. Because of the closeness of the competition in Cup racing these days it makes it even more difficult, at least from my view. You see, I think several things are going to figure into who wins and from my view, it could any one of several teams.

Momentum is going to be one big factor and several drivers and teams are coming in with renewed confidence. A couple of those are David Reutimann and Joey Logano. Martin Truex Jr would also have to get a nod from me simply because Michael Waltrip Racing has shown some very positive improvement recently. He and Reutimann are both good short trackers and I expect they will be at least visible in the top ten or fifteen. As for Logano, he seems to be trying to get a win and make it into the mix for the Chase.

When it comes right down to it, it is another one of those weeks that track position is going to play a big role (uh, like it doesn’t every week?) and there will be no room for errors on the pit stops. Like other tracks of this type, the best place to pass at NHMS is in the pits and unfortunately, it is the easiest place to be passed, too.

From observing the practice and qualifying sessions, it is hard to completely rule out the Dodges or the Toyotas. I expect to hear both of the Bush brothers names mentioned but I’m not so sure it will be for them winning. I guess I can’t completely rule out Denny Hamlin either, but he has had a run of bad luck this year.

In truth, this fan hasn’t see that much to impress him about the Fords for this weekend either. Oh sure, I know they can totally surprise me, but I really think this is going to be a Chevy weekend and I really do think it is going to be a Hendrick or Hendrick associated Chevy at that. As for which one, well… I just haven’t decided yet, but when you see one of them in victory Lane when it’s over, just remember I told you so…

See ya next time…
All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer
© July 16, 2011 – all rights reserved
Rusty Norman and Nascarfansview.com
All audio productions by www.podcastnorm.com and PodCastNorm Productions

NASCAR at Kentucky After Thoughts from A Fans View

Posted on July 13, 2011 by Rusty Norman

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20100220RSNTest001 120x150 NASCAR at Kentucky After Thoughts from A Fans View

Well, Kyle Bush won the inaugural Sprint Cup Race at the Kentucky Speedway and he did it just the way I didn’t think he would. Yeah, that’s right, you got it, (and I know you already knew it)… He may not have led every lap but he did dominate the race. Although there were moments in the race that his winning might be in question, he had the fastest car throughout the night and once out front with two laps to go, from this fan’s view, there was no doubt he was going to win.

Once again, Kyle Bush has dominated a weekend and not just in the Cup series, but made a very strong statement in the Nationwide race by coming from the rear of the field and finishing third and won the Campingworld Truck race, too. To top it all off, he moved into first place in points for the Cup series ahead of Carl Edwards and looks to be a very real contender for the Cup Championship this year. Sure, I know it is way too early to start making predictions for the end results of the Sprint Cup Championship, but he is looking awfully strong at the moment.

Of course you and I both know looking strong with nine races to go until the Chase starts and ten races in the Chase itself doesn’t mean a Championship is definite. At best at this point, it is a definite maybe that Kyle will be in position to dethrone five-time consecutive Sprint Cup champ, Jimmie Johnson. In fact, there are several drivers I am sure won’t be sitting back and waiting for him to ease into the top spot during the Chase and, obviously, Jimmie Johnson is one of those.

From this fan’s view, it is probably fortunate that the Kentucky Speedway had some diverse problems with getting people into the track Saturday night for the capacity crowd. In fact, I would go so far as to say those problems have overshadowed the overall event. Now, I’m not trying to be critical here, but I would like to offer my “observations” on the night… Now please remember, these are just my observations of the overall inaugural Cup race on Saturday night.

The Kentucky track is known to be a track where the lap speeds are fast and there is usually a lot of racing room even though the track is rough and bumpy. Saturday was no different and the laps times were fast, but the racing was often single file and many found it was hard to pass. It is nothing new that the track changed between the time the race started and the time it ended (and it is expected that should happen when a race starts in the daylight and goes into the night.) More than one team had problems with one or the other of the racing conditions and some managed to get better while others just fell back.

During the night, there were several cars that looked strong but the #18 JGR car of Kyle Bush always seemed to have the field covered whether or not they were out front or not. In my opinion, he just wasn’t always pushing the envelope and was waiting for the race to come to him. I don’t think Kyle ever doubted he could win, but I do think he knew it all depended on how and when the cautions came out and how his team performed in the pits. (They were pretty much flawless all night from my view.)

It did seem that once a car was out front in the “clean air” it was easier for them to stay there for a period of time. I realize there is nothing new about that and it has been a normal situation for some time in NASCAR, it is just the nature of the beast these days. I think most fans expected this race to be a fuel mileage race and it very well could have been had it not been for the cautions near the end. In fact it is my opinion, had it not been for the cautions near the end of the race, the race would have been somewhat of a letdown when it came to excitement.

Fortunately for all concerned, the cautions did fly, the field was tightened back up and the end of the race was exciting and some of the drivers, (like Ryan Newman, Carl Edwards, Jimmie Johnson and David Reutimann) made it more exciting than it might have been. Ryan Newman drove down on the apron on the final restart, followed by Carl Edwards and both made it the first turn and advanced their positions, while Jimmie Johnson pressured Kyle Bush for the lead. David Reutimann passed Jimmie Johnson on the last lap and finished second, his best finish this year. It makes this fan wonder what the opinion of the race would have been had there not been those late race cautions.

When all was said and done most of the talk since the race has been about the logistics problems and people that were turned away. Yes, it was a sellout crowd but most agree the traffic problems have to be solved and the people turned away after sitting in a major traffic jam for hours have to be dealt with in a satisfactory way. There is no doubt the addition of NASCAR Sprint Cup racing at Kentucky Speedway is a great addition and the fans showed their appreciation by the turnout for all of the events this last weekend. I know NASCAR fans are loyal but I also know no one likes to feel as though they’ve been taken advantage of and these fans are no different when it comes down to it.

Oh and one more thing, I am sure NASCAR and SMI will remedy and solve the problems they had at Kentucky and hardly anyone will remember the inconveniences next year. That is, unless they are repeated…

See ya next time…
All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer
© July 11, 2011 – all rights reserved
Rusty Norman and Nascarfansview.com
All audio productions by www.podcastnorm.com and PodCastNorm Productions

NASCAR at Kentucky from A Fans View

Posted on July 9, 2011 by Rusty Norman

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091218 iPhoneCamPixes 060 003A 150x150 NASCAR at Kentucky from A Fans View

This is the first visit for the NASCAR Cup teams to visit the Kentucky track, but really, it’s not. Many of the drivers and teams have gone there to test and they could do that up to about two years ago because it wasn’t a track that had Cup racing on it. So, it is the first time the Cup teams do go to Kentucky for a race on their schedule, but many of them are familiar with the track even though it sounds like it is brand new to them.

Even if it was the first time for some of them to be on the Kentucky track, NASCAR allowed a test session over several hours on Thursday, before they actually took to the track for practice or qualifying for the weekend on Friday and the race Saturday night. Of course, the rain out of the first test session did throw a little wrench into to works and then rain causing qualifying to not be completed has given us the starting lineup for tonight based on the second practice session, (Wow! That sure sounded confusing, didn’t it?)

So, tonight’s race becomes even more of an uncertainty (as to who might win) with the way they are lining up. Some of the faster cars didn’t even get to qualify, so lining up according to the practice session times doesn’t tell us the whole story. I do like this new way of qualifying NASCAR has been tweaking here and there this year, but it is unfortunate for those who might have actually qualified on time before the rain came. That means drivers like, Michael Waltrip don’t get to race tonight (and he would have made it in according to his qualifying time before qualifying was called). In particular, he would have really liked to have run in this inaugural Cup race at what he and his brother Darrell would call their home track. Unfortunately, because of the that last rain shower, that won’t happen this time.

There was a lot of talk during the week about how the drivers that had raced in the Nationwide series might have an advantage, but from this fan’s view, I just don’t think that will be the case. It is my opinion any advantage those drivers may have had is pretty much eliminated by that six hours of testing the teams had on Thursday. I could be wrong but there is a reason why they often call the NASCAR Cup drivers the best in the business and I think they and their teams learn very quickly. Being able to spend that much time on the track on the same weekend they race on it has to be an advantage for all concerned.

Now that I’ve said that, it is this fan’s opinion tonight’s race should be a very interesting one. Kentucky Speedway is a track that is rough and that makes it a little bit harder for these Cup cars to be set up and keep their splitters from rubbing the ground. I’m not saying that’s the only thing that will make it interesting but I am saying it will contribute to what will make it interesting.

Since they didn’t make it but about half way through the field before qualifying was rained out, (and so they would have time to get the track ready for the Nationwide race), this fan thinks this is a race that is going to be hard to pick a winner. Like any other weekend, you can’t tell a whole lot from the way they qualified, (and particularly from this weekend’s lineup being set up from the afternoon qualifying session), but there are some people that have run well here in the Nationwide series. Whether or not that will transfer over to the Cup race tonight is anybody’s guess, but from my view, it is a definite possibility and could affect the results of the race.

I expect tonight’s race could be a fuel mileage race and, as always seems to be the case these days, it will be a strategy race. The ones that can make the most of a tank of fuel and get out front and maintain track position will likely be the ones we see cross the finish line first. Pit stops will be critical and anyone that has problems in the pits will likely have a hard time keeping up with the front runners.

Kyle Bush is sure to be a threat to take the trip to Victory Lane tonight. His pole starting position and having the #1 pit stall just might mean trouble for the rest of the field. Kyle is often a threat to win and I don’t expect tonight to be that much different. Does that mean I’m ruling out all the others and declaring him as the victor? Nope, not at all. I don’t think he just going to walk away and dominate tonight, although it is possible. Personally, I think he’s going to have to work for it if he is going to win, but, he could be be first to take home the checkers from this inaugural NASCAR Cup race at Kentucky Speedway tonight.

See ya next time…
All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer
© July 8, 2011 – all rights reserved
Rusty Norman and Nascarfansview.com
All audio productions by www.podcastnorm.com and PodCastNorm Productions

NASCAR at Daytona After Thoughts from A Fans View

Posted on July 4, 2011 by Rusty Norman

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20100220RSNTest001 120x150 NASCAR at Daytona After Thoughts from A Fans View

There was plenty of fireworks Saturday night at Daytona, both during the race and after, and like I said before the race, the end of the race proved to be one of the most exciting in recent times. The two car draft was the only way to get around the track fast and everyone used it to their advantage (and some to their disadvantage) the whole night. Not only did they team up on the track, but they also teamed up as best they could on the pit stops. It is proving to be a whole new way of racing the restrictor plate tracks and, honestly, it is constantly changing the way they do everything at them.

The drivers historically don’t like the restrictor plates because it restricts their ability to break away from the others, but they do like the super speedways. Although they don’t particularly like the two car draft, they can’t argue with the increased speed it offers. So what do they do? They find more and better ways to use it to the fullest extent.

The evolving of the process of this type of racing has changed quite a bit over the last couple of years and, now, they almost have to include their drafting partner in every aspect of the race or risk losing their partner and any chance of winning. I find it interesting that just about everything they do, including having to return to the pits in case of a miscue by one of them, means they both have to come back in or one or the other of them has to find a new drafting partner. The strategy involved has reached new heights and has opened up a whole new can of worms for some and whole new possibilities for others.

Racing in the two car draft has its hazards and it depends on which car they’re driving in the draft what effect it has. The car in the front generally has the visibility and the one in the back is often driving blind. The car in the back has a very limited view of the track ahead and that can often lead to problems. If you noticed Saturday night, the first one to experience the the effect of the limited view was Carl Edwards. His drafting partner, Greg Biffle couldn’t see all that Carl could see and kept pushing when he possibly should have been slowing up a bit.

Was it Biffle’s fault? In a sense, yes, but it was a matter of the circumstances they faced and those circumstances happened faster than they could be communicated. From this fan’s view, this is the biggest drawback to the two car draft and it is most evident when timing is critical. If both drivers have time to react, things usually work out. If not, one, or both of them pays a price. Sometimes that price is very high in the sense that it usually puts one of them out of contention for the rest of the night. The other usually has to look for a new drafting partner and then they have to figure out how they can best work together with that other person.

David Ragan and his partner, Matt Kenseth, definitely had things work out in their favor and the late race cautions didn’t hurt them either. When it came down to it, David and Matt decided they were going to hook up and go until they finished or were passed. If they had tried to split up, (or split up so one or the other could win in the last several hundred feet), the result may have been completely different. Taking the white flag and then having another caution come out didn’t hurt them at all. It was pretty obvious to this fan, Kyle Bush and Jeff Gordon were coming with quite a head of steam back in fifth and sixth when the caution did come out.

There was plenty going on in the last part of that last lap and this fan thinks it was going to be a big pile up anyway. It’s my opinion it was going to happen right at the finish line instead of where it did, but as it was, it just moved the finish line closer to where they were.

Now, had all of the first eight finishers been able to continue under full power to the finish line instead of the caution coming out, I wonder how things would have looked as they all took the checkers. I think it is possible we could have seen an even closer finish than the one at Talladega. As it was, we saw a great finish anyway, (and I know David Ragan isn’t complaining at all about the finish…)

See ya next time…
All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer
© July 4, 2011 – all rights reserved
Rusty Norman and Nascarfansview.com
All audio productions by www.podcastnorm.com and PodCastNorm Productions

NASCAR at Daytona from A Fans View

Posted on July 2, 2011 by Rusty Norman

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091218 iPhoneCamPixes 060 003A 150x150 NASCAR at Daytona from A Fans View

The big question has already been answered about the Coke Zero 400 in Daytona this weekend. That question was how the different drivers were going to handle the “Two Car Draft”, (some call it “the Two Car Tango”), but it was answered before they got to Daytona this week. Many had already started planning their strategy a couple of weeks ago and most had already chosen their partners for drafting before unloading their cars off the haulers. It still remains to be seen how that strategy plays out simply because “stuff” happens in restrictor plate racing that can’t be forseen and this fan doesn’t see this night race at the super speedway being any different.

The next big question was wondering who would actually sit on the pole and that was answered Friday in the late afternoon and early evening. Mark Martin was fastest and took his fiftieth career pole in NASCAR Cup. He and the Daytona 500 winner for 2011, Trevor Bayne, will make up the front row. Yeah, I know many, (including myself), downplay the importance of qualifying on a regular basis but I do find it interesting that a fifty two year old and a twenty year old make up the front row. (Some have even said it is the old and new of it.)

From this fan’s view, after observing the practice session and qualifying (even though qualifying doesn’t tell us anything about the way the race will go), I don’t see this race being that much different than the race in February. The track is still smooth and still has a lot of grip according to the drivers. And it is very obvious it will be two-by-two unless someone discovers how to go faster in groups of three or four.

I look forward to this race with mixed emotions and it is my opinion the two car draft has changed restrictor plate racing completely. Now, when I say mixed emotions, I’m not saying they are negative emotions, I’m just saying restrictor plate racing is different than it was. In some ways, I kinda miss the big packs and watching them swap positions lap after lap. It seemed there was little to distract those watching because, at any moment, someone in that large pack of cars could get just a little squirrely and suddenly there would be mayhem and a bunch of spinning and sliding cars often changing the possible outcome of the race.

The “big one” usually affected more than just those close to the action, it affected anyone that couldn’t get out of the way. In those big packs, it could have been a contender, or someone with no chance of winning, that was taken completely out of contention and it didn’t matter which number was on the side of the car or who was driving.

With the two car draft, there is still a lot of action and they still run in packs. The difference is, (at least from my view), there is a bit of separation and when one of the twosomes get a run, they seem to blow by everyone and then they hit a wall. Of course you know I’m not talking about a literal wall (at least, most of the time) but a wall of air that seems to slow their progress and let’s someone else take over until they hit that same momentum killer.

In this case, momentum is key and that is what makes the end of the race so interesting. The teams have to time their move just right if they want to win. A great example of this was the race at Talladega in the spring. With eight of the contenders finishing four abreast and only thousandths of a second apart at the finish line, to me that says the finish at Daytona tonight could be one of the most exciting in recent history, including the race in February and the one at Talladega.

So that begs what I call the final question… Which of the groups of two will be crossing the line first to take the checkers? (Wow, I have to admit, you do ask hard questions.)

I have listened to several during the week talk about who should win because statistics say they should. Personally, I’m a little weary of listening to statistics because this is restrictor plate racing, plain and simple, and anything can and usually does happen.

Just because someone has done well in the past and has won or finished in the top five over the last several trips to a restrictor plate track doesn’t really mean that much to this observer. There are simply too many variables when it comes to this type of racing. That is why you see someone like a Trevor Bayne win the 2011 Daytona 500 in only his second start in a Cup car and only a day or two after his twentieth birthday.

So does that mean I’m discounting the possibility of someone like Mark Martin, Kevin Harvick, Clint Bowyer, Carl Edwards, Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon or Dale Jr winning simply because they usually run well at restrictor plate tracks? Of course not; what I’m saying is, just because they usually run well, or because the statistics say they should run well, doesn’t mean they will. When it comes down to the end of the race tonight, we could see a first time winner on a restrictor plate track, or we could see someone that has won before… uh, statistically speaking that is…

See ya next time…
All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer
© July 2, 2011 – all rights reserved
Rusty Norman and Nascarfansview.com
All audio productions by www.podcastnorm.com and PodCastNorm Productions

NASCAR at Sonoma from A Fans View

Posted on June 25, 2011 by Rusty Norman

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091218 iPhoneCamPixes 060 003A 150x150 NASCAR at Sonoma from A Fans View

I guess I’m a little different than some NASCAR fans. I like it when they hit the road courses and I like road racing, especially when it is done with 3400 lb stock cars. There’s just something about watching those heavy Toyotas, Fords, Dodges and Chevys lumber through the many turns, (both left and right), see who can traverse them consistently fast and move toward the front no matter where they start. (I have to admit, it is also fun to see how quickly the patience and tempers grow short and the bumping, banging and complaining start. In recent years, the road courses have become much more like the short tracks when it comes down to that.)

It is interesting to me to see how the drivers have adapted to the road courses in recent years and how much better many of them have become at them. Not that many years ago, many of them just showed up and suffered through them or had some “road course ringer” take their place. Often the “ringer” didn’t fair all that well, (which many attributed to the fact they didn’t get to spend much time with the crews and get their cars feeling right for them) and the regular Cup drivers that worked on their road course abilities ended up winning. These days many more have worked on their road racing skills and even though they may not be good enough to win, they are much more competitive than they used to be.

I am one of those that thinks NASCAR should eliminate one of the ovals during The Chase and add a road course to it. I really think it would make for an even more interesting Chase and add even more drama to an already outstanding format. It’s not because I think what they do for the Chase right now isn’t good, I just think it would add another dimension to the Chase format. I realize there are logistic and weather situations that may be different that late in the season, but I do think it would be an interesting addition to the races for the Championship.

So now, I guess you’re going to ask me if I have a favorite driver when it comes to the road races. Well, of course I do… don’t you? I do have to admit, as I have grown older along with the sport and in particular since I started writing about it, I have become much more appreciative of all of the drivers. I still have ones I like to see win but I also like to see others win. (Of course there are still a few I just don’t pull for at all.)

Although there are many good road course drivers in NASCAR, I think some of the Cup regulars that stand out a little more than the others are Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Kasey Kahne, Marcos Ambrose, Jamie McMurray, Jimmie Johnson and Juan Montoya (and believe me, that’s isn’t in any particular order.) It remains to be seen how others like AJ Allmendinger, Martin Truex Jr, Joey Logano, Carl Edwards and the Bush brothers do. All of them are very capable road coursers and it wouldn’t surprise this fan at all if any one of them ends up taking the checkers Sunday afternoon. In fact, it is very possible just abgout anyone in the field could take a trip to Victory Lane this weekend; it is just that competitive in Sprint Cup at road courses these days.

I think the only thing I hope doesn’t happen this weekend is that the race in some ways becomes more of a time for paybacks and less of a time for showing just how good a road racer a driver can be. That’s not to say there shouldn’t be a little pushin’ and shovin’ or beatin’ and bangin’; (we all know the cars can take it). From this fan’s view, the thing that makes road racing interesting is watching the drivers set up for the passes, out brake (or out fox) the other driver, take away his line and drive right on by. I have absolutely nothing against being aggressive, but I would much rather see real racing as I would bumper cars any day, (that’s what makes racing, well, racing in my book.)

Like so many others, I like Boris Said and over the the years I have always liked Boris Said. Am I a “Said Head” and do I wear a wig on the days he races? No, but I do have an enormous amount of respect for him and what he brings to NASCAR. Not discounting his abilities at all, but more than anything, I just really like his attitude. He is a racer through and through and it shows. Listening to him be interviewed is one of the most positive times a fan can experience. He is truly thankful for any and all opportunities he gets and, to be honest, he is one, (although not the only one) I would really like to see win this coming Sunday afternoon…

See ya next time…
All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer
© June 25, 2011 – all rights reserved
Rusty Norman and Nascarfansview.com
All audio productions by www.podcastnorm.com and PodCastNorm Productions

NASCAR at Michigan After Thoughts from A Fans View

Posted on June 22, 2011 by Rusty Norman

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Joe Gibbs Racing came away from Michigan with another victory for the 2011 season, but it wasn’t Kyle Bush leaving with the trophy… It was Denny Hamlin and he finally managed to win a race without some of the late lap difficulties he has experienced over recent weeks.

As expected, the race was coming down to fuel mileage when the late caution flag came out and removed the possibility of running out of fuel from the equation. After that it was all about who came out of the pits first, maintaining track position and being fast for the last six laps. (From this fan’s view, the one that got out front first was likely to stay there once they got up to speed.)

Because of a great pit stop for two tires and fuel by the #11 FedEx JGR team, Denny Hamlin came out first and got out front in the clean air on the restart after Matt Kenseth spun his tires coming to the green. Hamlin never reliquished the lead after that although Kenseth did do everything he could to try and win right down to coming out of the last turn sideways.

Now it’s just my opinion, but I have two things in particular to say about the end of the race and either way it went, it was going to be interesting. Whether it came down to fuel mileage, or down to what happened (that late race caution), there was no way of knowing how the race was going to end. We would suppose it would come down to fuel mileage at this track because Michigan seems to always have long green flag runs usually to the end of the race. With the late race caution coming out when it did and changing the strategy all round, the double file restart came into play and track position became the deciding factor. Had the caution not come out so late in the race, I personally think the ending would have been less dramatic, although I do think Matt Kenseth would have finished ahead of Denny Hamlin.

Hendrick Motorsports had another disappointing weekend with Jimmie Johnson finishing twenty seventh, Dale Jr finished twenty first (after being forced into the wall by team-mate Mark Martin.) Jeff Gordon finished seventeenth even though he was running in the top ten when the final caution came out and the pit stops started. Mark Martin was the only Hendrick team to finish in the top ten and he was ninth. Dale Jr was visibly upset with Martin running him up the track into the wall and said so in post race interviews. (From this fan’s view, he had every right to be, but I am sure they will work it out before the next race.)

It appears Kurt Bush has got the qualifying down after starting on the pole for the third week in a row, but he hasn’t been able to turn those qualifying efforts in to wins as yet. He finished eleventh and had moments it looked like he was going to finish much further back. In fact, both of the Penske Dodges had bad days and both were probably happy to get away from the Michigan track after their disappointing runs.

The Fords of Matt Kenseth and Carl Edwards both finished in the top ten with Kenseth in second and Edwards in fifth. Greg Biffle and David Ragan finished fifteenth and twentieth and both were hoping to finish much better.

By the way, Kyle Bush finished third for JGR and just never seemed to be able to get out front when it counted. The Stewart Haas teams finsihed sixth and seventh and the the only strong finishers for RCR were Paul Menard and Clint Boyer who finished fourth and eighth respectively. Not bad, but still not what they were hoping for either.

Just speaking as a fan, Michigan is not one of my favorite tracks although I do like it. Oh sure, it has speed and more than one groove to race in, but it is hard to pass on. From my view, it is only interesting at the start, when they restart after cautions and when the laps are winding down and all of us wonder who will be able to make it on fuel. Well, that is unless a caution comes out late and takes away the drama of the fuel situations like it did this last weekend. Hey, I’m not complaining… I’m just saying…

See ya next time…
All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer
© June 22, 2011 – all rights reserved
Rusty Norman and Nascarfansview.com
All audio productions by www.podcastnorm.com and PodCastNorm Productions

NASCAR at Michigan from A Fans View

Posted on June 19, 2011 by Rusty Norman

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It may not seem like it but Michigan is a track that all the drivers love, yet at the same time, they get frustrated with how the racing goes there. There can be a lot frustration from the way they think they are running and then finding someone is running better in a different groove. Now, that’s not to say the other person is going to outrun them but it sure can be aggravating to think you’re running well and find you’re going to have to work much harder than you thought, just to be able to keep up.

First, let’s look at some of the obvious reasons Michigan is such a likeable track for the drivers. It is a wide track, made for speed and has multiple grooves for racing. Each one of the drivers can find a place on the track that is comfortable for them to run consistently fast for as many laps as they can. It is a track made for racing with plenty of room to pass and there aren’t generally a lot of cautions so strategy and fuel mileage come into play, which also puts a little more of the end result in the driver’s hands. If they can milk enough miles out of a gallon of gas, there is a good possibility they can take the trophy even if they aren’t the fastest car on the track.

If qualifying consistently on the pole says anything about winning then Kurt Bush should be a strong candidate for ending up in Victory Lane Sunday afternoon since he took his third straight pole this weekend. Yeah, I know one fast lap doesn’t a whole race make, but even at that, it would appear he has been running consistenly fast at the end of the last several races, even though he hasn’t taken the win in a while. Say what you will, but eventually the law of averages has to come into play somewhere along the way. Unless something drastic happens to him or his car on Sunday afternoon, I think he is a strong candidate for taking home the trophy this weekend.

Now that I’ve said that, I have to remember the Fords seem to always run well at Michigan and I think the Roush Fords in particular are going to be mixing it up in the final laps of the race Sunday. I am sure Carl Edwards wants to show last weekend was just a fluke part failure and not a trend for the future for the #99 team. Matt Kenseth and Greg Biffle should be considered as contenders for this one too.

The Hendrick teams seem to be suffering from a little lack of speed again this weekend. I’m not saying they won’t race well, but I am saying they didn’t show much in the qualifying session. Dale Jr was the fastest Hendrick entry but that was only fifteenth. No matter how positive I try to make it sound, they all have a long way to go this weekend. (But it wouldn’t be the first time I was surprised by their raceday performance over qualifying either.)

Do I dare leave without mentioning the Toyota teams of Michael Waltrip or Joe Gibbs Racing? No, but I do think it is possible any of them could win although I’m just not sure how much of a long shot that would really be. If one of them could pull it off this weekend, it could prove to be interesting in the weeks to come.

When it comes to the RCR cars, I feel the same way about them as I do the Hendrick Chevys. They didn’t qualify well, (other than Paul Menard), and I am at a loss as to how they will fair on Sunday afternoon. It could be the Chevy teams were actually hurting for speed, or maybe, they just didn’t want to show all they had; (you be the judge on that one.)

400 miles at Michigan goes fast, but not necessarily according to plan. I’m looking for the biggest factor to be fuel mileage unless there is a caution near the end of the race. If that happens and fuel mileage doesn’t actually prove to be the deciding factor, then I reckon it will just come down to who has the fastest car on a consistent basis all day…

See ya next time…
All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer
© June 18, 2011 – all rights reserved
Rusty Norman and Nascarfansview.com
All audio productions by www.podcastnorm.com and PodCastNorm Productions

NASCAR at Pocono After Thoughts from A Fans View

Posted on June 16, 2011 by Rusty Norman

Once again, Denny Hamlin had the car to beat at Pocono. He led a lot of laps, it seemed he could move to the front anytime he wanted and it looked like it was going to be another dominating performance and Pocono victory for him. Unfortunately, the continuation of his 2011 racing luck, (or lack thereof), was more than evident Sunday afternoon and he finished nineteenth.

Carl Edwards was another that had high hopes of finishing up front at Pocono and possibly improving his points lead. He dropped a cylinder, went to the garage for repairs and finished thirty-seventh 141 laps down. He went into Pocono with around a forty point lead and came out with a six point lead over Jimmie Johnson (which really makes the points race in the top five or six very interesting.)

The Hendrick teams faired very well at the “Tricky Triangle” and three of them finished in the top ten. Dale Jr finished sixth, Jimmie Johnson finished fourth and, yes, Jeff Gordon won his second race of the 2011 season. That’s a pretty good showing for teams that were showing a severe lack of speed just a few weeks ago. It seems they are beginning to turn the corner a bit and becoming much more competitive than they were earlier in the season.
Kurt Bush finished second after starting on the pole and after Hamlin had his problems, he and Jeff Gordon were the ones to beat for the rest of the race.

Juan Pablo Montoya finished seventh and lead a lot of laps. He had a good run, but with the way strategy was playing out, this fan never did think he was going to win. It was a very good run for him, though, and he is one that could show up in Victory Lane very soon. Looking ahead just abit, this fan expects the Ganassi teams to do well at the Brickyard at the end of July.

Kyle Bush finished third even with having to put up some harrassment from the RCR teams of Jeff Burton and Kevin Harvick, (in particular, Kevin Harvick.) Now, if you think it came about because of the “misunderstanding” between Richard Childress and Kyle Bush at Kansas, you’d probably be right. No, I don’t think Richard handed down team orders to harrass the #18 but it was very obvious there was some definite hard feelings still lingering from previous weekends of racing, at least between the drivers if no one else.

It appears Kyle and Kevin are going to be mentally sparring for some time yet. From this fan’s view, it is possible the two could be the draw for fans in the races ahead. That’s not to say the fans aren’t coming to see the races, but it does mean they are also coming to see what will happen between the two…

See ya next time…
All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer
© June 16, 2011 – all rights reserved
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: opinion

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