Chase Race Five After Thoughts from a NASCAR Fan’s View

Posted on October 20, 2011 by Rusty Norman

Chase race number five was definitely a night some would like to forget. It was a night of surprises and disappointments for several Chasers and an overall good night for others. Had it not been for an accident later in the race, Jimmie Johnson would still be sitting comfortably in the top five just a few points back. Instead, he and his #48 team have their work cut out for them over the next few weeks, just to stay in contention.

Yes, it was an eventful night for the Chasers and there was quite a bit of points position swapping, but that’s what makes this year’s Chase as interesting as it is. From this fan’s view, it just goes to show, when NASCAR makes a change it’s usually good for the sport, no matter what people thought of it when they did it. (In case you’re wondering, yes, I am talking about the changes made to the points system this year. It has probably been the biggest contributor to the excitement level, not only for the Chase itself, but all year long as well.)
Just for a moment, let’s take a look at the bottom four spots in the top twelve…

Unfortunately for Denny Hamlin, I think it is all over but the shouting for him to be in contention for the Cup. He is basically three full races behind the front runners and for him to have any kind of shot at all would mean he has to finish first while the top four or five all finish as close to last as possible at the same time. (Does that sound as impossible to you as it does to me? Yeah… that’s what it thought you’d say.)

Even though it is true Denny Hamlin has been in the last spot for the Chase all along, Jeff Gordon has been doing his level best to take that twelfth spot away from him. I have to admit, I didn’t expect him to be mired this close to finishing last in the top twelve for the Chase, but their luck (or something else) changed when they hit the Chase races and the #24 team just hasn’t been competitive so far.

Ryan Newman hasn’t been that much better and he is another one that has been running consistently in the middle to the back of the pack and just can’t seem to catch a break. It isn’t that his cars haven’t been fast, they just haven’t been fast enough and he hasn’t been able to be there at the end of the races.

Dale Jr is actually moving up in the points, (or maybe I should say the other three I just mentioned are falling back faster than he is,) and, though it is good to see him in the Chase, it would be better to see him be more competitive. Over all, he has had a fairly big turn-around this year, but from my view, he just isn’t strong competitively yet. In fact, I’ll say this, none of the Hendrick cars are looking all that consistent when it comes to being competitive in the Chase and that is unusual. From my view, it looks like the competition has caught up to them along with the fact all of the NASCAR Cup teams are running within tenths of a second of each other from the fastest to the slowest and that makes it hard for anyone to dominate. It only takes being a little off for a weekend and it usually means finishing way back in the pack.

From this fan’s view, for Gordon, Newman and Earnhardt to have any kind of chance at all for winning the Cup, or even coming close, there just about has to be a total reversal of the way they’ve been finishing and the way the top runners have. With five races to go, it is an overwhelming task but not completely out of the realm of possibilities. With Talladega and Martinsville next on the schedule, anything is possible, but, unless something really extraordinary happens over the next two weeks, I’m not getting too excited for them.

Jimmie Johnson is the interesting story for this week. He has a car that could have possibly won and was running… well… okay, at the time of his duel with the wall, (and the wall won , by the way), but a pit road decision for four tires by Chad Knaus seemed to dig them a bit of a hole they never quite dug out of. It seemed to this fan track position was more important than tires and being in dirty air seemed to have more negative consequences than usual for more than just the #48 team. If they hadn’t been in the position they were in, he may have never had his confrontation with the wall. (I know, that sounds rather cliché, but it is true…)

Jimmie Johnson’s hard contact with the wall was a testament to the safety measures NASCAR has put into effect for driver safety over the last ten years, in particular, since Dale Sr’s fatal accident and it was another one that a NASCAR driver walked away from.

Our hearts and prayers go out to the family and friends of Dan Wheldon. The racing world lost a great one in the accident at Las Vegas. Although it is a tragedy, it is also a time for all race fans to pull together and support the Wheldon family as best we can. It is also a time for finding out how to make the Indy cars and all race cars safer than they already are. Racing is a dangerous sport and those that are close to it are very familiar with the risks involved. No one should take for granted the safety features built into race cars and we all need to remember and appreciate just how dangerous a sport auto racing is.

See ya next time…
All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer
© October 19, 2011 – all rights reserved
Rusty Norman and Nascarfansview.com
All audio productions by www.podcastnorm.com and PodCastNorm Productions

The Monster Leaves Its Mark on the Chase – from a NASCAR Fan’s View

Posted on October 5, 2011 by Rusty Norman

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091218 iPhoneCamPixes 060 003A 150x150 The Monster Leaves Its Mark on the Chase from a NASCAR Fans View

The Monster Mile at Dover left its mark on the top twelve contenders in the Chase for the 2011 Sprint Cup Championship. Shaking up the points a bit was only part of the story as the day was a struggle for some but there’s one thing it wasn’t… it wasn’t a fuel mileage race. Even though several of the teams did experience problems, mistakes on pit road and often changing track conditions (mostly due to the differences of rubber in the racing groove), the points race tightened up, at least in the top nine spots.

The biggest losers on the day (as far the Chasers) were Tony Stewart, Dale Earnhardt Jr, Ryan Newman and Brad Keselowski. All of them finished twentieth or worse and that was not what any of them wanted or needed. With these four finishing where they did, it helped tighten up the points, (at least somewhat), and makes the coming weekend in Kansas all the more interesting.

From this fan’s view, Jimmie Johnson appeared to be about the only Hendrick or Hendrick associated team that had any kind of handle on the concrete Monster and he finished second to Kurt Bush. Things may have turned out a bit different if it hadn’t been for two cautions close to each other near the end of the race and he did lead the most laps. Compared to him, the rest of the Hendrick teams struggled all weekend and Sunday afternoon was no different.

In my opinion, it appears the Hendrick engineers have a little work to do on their concrete surface setups. The problem with that statement is that Jimmie Johnson ran well. I’m guessing the rest of the teams are wondering why he was hooked up so well and they weren’t. I’m also guessing there will be some figuring going on amongst the engineers and the crew chiefs in the days ahead.

Although the finishing order for the race was part of the puzzle, the biggest shift took place in the points of the top twelve. Even though Jeff Gordon dropped four places in the points, he still closed the gap slightly points-wise bringing him to within nineteen points of leaders, Kevin Harvick and Carl Edwards. Brad Keselowski had a few problems during the race and he dropped three places to sixth. Tony Stewart dropped two places to third, Kyle Bush dropped two places to eighth and Dale Jr dropped two places to tenth. The biggest gains were made by both Kurt Bush and Jimmie Johnson. They both gained five spots each putting them fourth and fifth in the points battle.

A quick look at the finishing order did show there are more than just Chasers running well and Kasey Kahne finally had a finish that matched his overall performance in the race and he finished fourth on the day. Teammates AJ Allmendinger and Marcos Ambrose both finished in the top ten along with Clint Bowyer.

Denny Hamlin is continuing his struggle for the 2011 season. He didn’t have a stellar day but nothing really major happened and he did finish eighteenth. That means he didn’t loose a lot of ground on those ahead of him in the Chase, but from this fan’s view, he is pretty much relegated to finishing twelfth in the Chase. He is only sixty-eight points behind, but with the different points system this year, that is a lot of ground to make up. I kinda feel for his fans, but sometimes in racing you just go through a bad stretch. It looks like the 2011 season is one of those for him and his fans can only hope his luck either turns around quickly or, at the very least, it doesn’t carry over into next year. Some would call this a character building time and it remains to be seen how he and the #11 team come away from this.

I have to agree with the assessment of many and the the way they said this year’s Chase would go. More than one said early on this Chase would go right down to the last race in Homestead before the Championship was decided. I’m not going to go that far just yet, but I will say depending on how things shape up over the next two to three weeks, they could be absolutely right.

The Chase this year has been an interesting one indeed and I don’t expect much to change over the next week or two. It is possible, someone, (in fact anyone), could hit a hot streak, rack up a lot of points and put all of this speculation in the rear view mirror. From this fan’s view though, I don’t expect that to happen for many reasons but the biggest are because the competition is just too tight and there are a few unknowns still out there.

The next couple of races are good tracks for more than one or two drivers and I expect the unexpected for them. A little later in the Chase, there is still that new surface and renovation of the Phoenix track. If there is a game changer in the mix of the final races for the Chase, it could very well be that one…

See ya next time…
All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer
© October 5, 2011 – all rights reserved
Rusty Norman and Nascarfansview.com
All audio productions by www.podcastnorm.com and PodCastNorm Productions

Chase Race Three at the Monster From A NASCAR Fans View

Posted on October 2, 2011 by Rusty Norman

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091218 iPhoneCamPixes 060 003A 150x150 Chase Race Three at the Monster From A NASCAR Fans View

Last week it was the Magic, this week it’s the Monster and some drivers have to have monstrous success in Chase Race three on Sunday afternoon. If the trend continues for some, they may have to just contend for the Championship next year and take what they get for this year. That’s not to say it is all over for most (other than maybe Denny Hamlin) but with every passing weekend they drop further back in the points, the harder it is for them to move back up. When one of them has a bad weekend, there is no guarantee those ahead of them will have a bad one to help them get back into contention. That’s what makes the Chase format, as it stands now, so interesting (on a week to week basis, that is.)

The Chasers are already somewhat separated when it comes right down to it and no one is eliminated yet, but there is a big difference between being less than fifteen points behind the top spot and being twenty three or more points behind. In case anyone doesn’t get what I’m getting at, let me make it as plain as I can. That means even Jeff Gordon has to be considered as an also ran if he has another week or two finishing outside the top ten. Yes, I know he moved up six places after last weeks race in Loudon, but, if he doesn’t continue to finish in the top ten, (better yet, the top five), then this could turn out to be just another year he was in contention but didn’t take home the big prize.

Okay, I admit it, maybe I am jumping the gun a little early in talking about drivers either being in or out of the Sprint Cup Championship hunt, but time is getting short and someone is going to step up to the plate and take it to the rest of them. It could be Tony Stewart (who has already won the first two races) or it could be Brad Keselowski who has already had an outstanding nine weeks and was considered by many to not even be able to make the Chase. Yet he sits in third spot in the points and hasn’t faultered at all. It is certainly obvious, he has the most momentum of all the drivers in the Chase for the Sprint Cup, (unless we consider Tony Stewart because of his two latest wins.)

I don’t know about you, but from this fan’s view, this Chase is definitely shaping up quite a bit different than I expected. I have to admit, in my mind I thought the drivers that would have jumped on the first two races and been at the top of the points had different names than the ones that are. I really thought Kyle Bush, Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson would have been the early leaders. I honestly expected Tony Stewart to still be struggling a bit and would have expected Brad Keselowski to have faded. As it is, they both have impressed me as being the ones to beat and Kevin Harvick and Carl Edwards are right there with them.

Today at the Monster Mile could be one of the races won by someone outside the twelve Chasers. I think everybody expects the Bush brothers and Carl Edwards to be atop the leader board when all is said and done, but there are others that did show some good speed in the practice sessions and look who is sitting on the pole. This fan didn’t expect to see the name Martin Truex Jr in that position but it definitely is. Take a look at some of the others in the top fifteen. Some of them are names not mentioned much, at least not for being possible winners or top ten finishers.

Paul Menard qualified third and could win this race. I’m not saying he will but I am saying by qualifying third he has some speed and that could be the thing that propels him to the victory. AJ Allmendinger, Bobby Labonte, Kasey Kahne and Greg Biffle all qualified in the top ten and although it is a long shot, any one of them could pull off a victory if things go well for them and not like usual.

The Monster is a very fast and tricky one mile track. Simply because some one qualified in the back of the field doesn’t mean they will stay back there all day any more than someone who qualified at or near the top will stay there either. From this fan’s view, this is going to be a race that won’t decided until the last thirty or so laps and it is going to depend on whether there is a late race caution or two. The closer they come to the end, the harder it will be to call the winner and if the last fifty or so laps are run under green, well, it’s going to be all about track position, consistently fast lap times and how that last pit stop goes.

Personally, this fan thinks this is going to be another week the points situation is shaken up again. I’m not so sure Danny Hamlin is going to make a big jump, even though he did qualify eleventh. The biggest change could come in the top four since they are the tightest in points at the moment, but that’s not to say there won’t be some surprises. Yeah, I think it is possible there could be an unexpected winner, but I’m not ruling out Mark Martin or Jeff Gordon either. Wait a minute, looking at where they qualified, they would probably be unexpected winners, too, wouldn’t they?…

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

Sprint Cup at Chicago After Thoughts from A NASCAR Fans View

Posted on September 22, 2011 by Rusty Norman

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20100220RSNTest001 120x150 Sprint Cup at Chicago After Thoughts from A NASCAR Fans View

The first Chase race at Chicagoland Speedway did two things… it gave Tony Stewart his first victory for the 2011 season and, as is usually the case, shook up the standings for the top twelve contenders in the Chase. Not unexpectedly, it turned into a fuel mileage race and several of the top names ran out of gas in the final laps which mixed up the standings even more and caused a little confusion as the checkered flag dropped. Matt Kenseth benefited from an illegal push on the last lap which cost him his eighth place finishing position and he was penalized by being placed as the first car a lap down. When all was said and done, the teams packed it up and immediately had to get ready to head for Loudon.

Disappointment was fairly obvious throughout the top teams and, in particular for those that ran out of fuel before the end of the race. Matt Kenseth’s situation was probably the most obvious since he sat on the pole and led almost fifty laps on the day. As it was, with the penalty and the empty fuel tank, he finished twenty-first instead of eighth because of being pushed (whether or not they wanted to be pushed or not, by the way) and ended up tenth in the standings after this first race.

Jeff Gordon and Kyle Bush both struggled all day with different problems, but Gordon probably was one of the most disappointed of all. After having a fairly stellar six plus weeks leading up to the first Chase race, this day was a complete struggle and only at the end did he and his crew get the car moving toward the front. As we all know, he ran out of fuel while running twelfth, ending any hope he had of finishing any where near the top ten, or, being able to take advantage of any of the others misfortunes of running out of fuel.

From this fan’s view, there was no doubt the intensity of the race was high and often it was the crew chiefs that bore the brunt of the abuse. I have to say, I don’t know how much crew chiefs get paid, but these days, they earn every penny. Not only do they have to have the proper strategy for all aspects of a race, but they have to handle the attitude of the crews and particularly the driver. From my view, it appears they often deserve more pay than anyone, including the driver. I’m fairly sure that is not the case, but many of the drivers would never make it to where they do without them.

Look, I know the drivers are the “glory boys” and get most, if not all, of the accolades simply because they are the ones the fans come to see and follow. But, think about it for a moment… Could you take some of the garbage the crew chiefs have to put up with and still be the leader of the crews and still keep the driver in the hunt and focused all the while maintaining and attitude of calm. Yeah… I hear ya and that’s kinda how I feel about it, too.

Although I know I mentioned this earlier, the races this season have seemed quite intense even from the drop of every green flag. As a fan, I find it interesting and haven’t quite figured out which rule change NASCAR made for this year that had the most effect on the drivers and their teams. In my opinion, whether it was the way they hand out the points for every race or the way teams were able to qualify for the Chase with those two wildcard slots, I just don’t know. From this fan’s view, something changed and it has been one highly competitive race after another all season. Now, I do admit, had it not been for the fuel situation, the Chicagoland race may not have had quite the intensity it did, but it was a nail-biter for many right down the the finish line.

In reality, I think it has been a combination of several things over the last couple of years that has caused the elevated intensity level. In my opinion, some of it was the additions of the wildcard spots and the way they now count points this year, but, I do think last year’s “boys have at it” attitude and the closeness of the competition also have to be considered. Were it not for all of these changes, this fan wonders if the competition would have been like it’s been or if it would have been a little less intense.

A couple of other things that probably should be considered would be performance issues of some teams and the economic impact on the sponsors. It is a well known fact this has been a tight year for everyone as far as finances go and the impact on every team is obvious. Sponsors are having to re-evaluate their overall financial involvement. The desire of those that are being backed by those sponsors to perform and show they are a valuable asset to those sponsors just adds more to the competition. When it comes to sponsorship of a team, it is expensive and not many can justify spending the amount it costs if the team is not competitive. To this fan, that translates to some of the increase in the intensity on every track the Cup Teams visit and the rest… well… that’s just racing…

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

And So The Chase Begins – From A NASCAR Fans View

Posted on September 18, 2011 by Rusty Norman

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091218 iPhoneCamPixes 060 003A 150x150 And So The Chase Begins From A NASCAR Fans View

The Chicagoland Speedway is this years starting point for the Chase and many are happy with the choice and yet there are those that are somewhat wary. For some, the mile-and-a-half-tracks are a place where they perform well and can show their strengths while for others it may be their biggest weakness. Add to that the fact that almost half of the tracks visited in the Chase are mile-and-a-half, there is a reason why some are happy and others are… well… not so happy.

If you happened to catch the qualifying session Saturday afternoon, you probably noticed the difference in the qualifying times compared to the first practice session times. The biggest standout to me was the times were slower and the cars mostly seemed to be tail-happy. In fact, to this fan it looked a bit like watching them run at Atlanta. I don’t expect the appearances to continue on in their similarity but I do think the Chicagoland track is going to prove to be the challenge it has been. I also think starting at this track should prove to make this first race in the Chase all the more interesting than it might have been.

From my observations of the practice and qualifying sessions, it appears the Fords are fast once again, but, the question still remains in my mind if their speed will hold up over the expected long green flag runs. As I have often said, practice and qualifying may not tell us very much about race-day but the consistency of the lap-times and what happens on the longer runs along with what happens in the pits will make all the difference. As I am sure you have noticed, I’m not a big fan of building expectations on how a driver qualifies.

From this fans view, there is something else that causes me to think the qualifying times aren’t much of a measuring stick of how the race will go on Sunday afternoon. Yeah, it’s true the Fords and Dodges looked very fast in practice and they qualified well. My problem is, I’m just not sure the mind games haven’t already begun.

What do I mean by that? It’s quite simple really… I’m just not sure everybody is showing what they have, yet. I know this may sound a bit ridiculous, but honestly, I just don’t think the Toyotas and Chevys were showing what they have yet. I could be wrong, but judging from the way things have gone in the last several weeks, both have seemed to perform much better on race-day and have shown unexpected strength when it came right down to it.

Now you might ask, “Well, isn’t that kind of a crazy thing to do knowing what is at stake for them?” Yes, you’re probably right but, not if they have a good grip on the capabilities of their equipment. Now, I’m not saying any of this is based on fact, or even rumor. I’m just saying the mind games start early when it comes to the Chase and this could be exactly that – a way for the Fords and Dodges to become a bit complacent leading up to Sunday afternoon and the Chevys and Toyotas to jump on their over confidence and take advantage of them in the first week. Of course, it is always dangerous to play this game because it can set you back in a hurry if it is a strategy and it fails. But, whose gonna know, because if they are doing it, they would never admit it anyway – (uh, can anyone say, Paul Menard? Oops, there I go launching those Black Helicopters again…)

Another possibility that has to be considered for Sunday afternoon’s race is there are basically two different races going on. One is just to win the race no matter where you are in the points and the other is to establish momentum entering into the next races. To clarify, I’m saying it might not be a Chase contender that ends up in Victory Lane Sunday afternoon.

There are thirty-one other drivers and and teams on the track other than the twelve Chasers and most any of them wouldn’t hesitate to take the trophy away from any of those in the top twelve given the opportunity. In fact, I should say that is what they would rather do. Just because there are twelve great drivers actually in the Chase doesn’t mean they are the only ones that can win a race. Wouldn’t it be interesting if this was the year that none of the twelve in the Chase won any of the final ten races and all of them were won by some of those vying for thirteenth place? (Hey, I know that sounds a bit absurd too, but it is not an impossibility. There may not actually be thirty-one teams that can really win one, but there are at least twenty teams that could and about eight that wouldn’t surprise anyone if they did.)

So… you’re probably wondering which of them I think is going to win on Sunday, aren’t you? Yeah, I have to admit, I’m kind of wondering who it might be also. Personally, I think it is going to be a Chevy. Will it be a Hendrick or Childress Chevy? Yeah… could be… (you know what they say about the cream rising to the top, don’t you?)

From this fan’s view, I think it will be a Hendrick Chevy but I’m still not convinced it will be one of the ones in the top twelve even though Jimmie Johnson looked confident on Saturday afternoon. One problem I have with the Chevys winning is a Ford driver named Matt Kenseth… he just might pull off the upset, (from my view, that is.)

All I can say is, you might as well sit back, relax and enjoy the racing because this fan thinks it is going to be some of the best racing and closest competition in a Chase for the Championship we’ve ever had the privilege as fans of watching, especially since the Chase format was instituted in the Cup series…

See ya next time…
All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer
© September 17, 2011 – all rights reserved
Rusty Norman and Nascarfansview.com
All audio productions by www.podcastnorm.com and PodCastNorm Productions

NASCAR Sprint Cup at Richmond After Thoughts from A Fans View

Posted on September 13, 2011 by Rusty Norman

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20100220RSNTest001 120x150 NASCAR Sprint Cup at Richmond After Thoughts from A Fans View

The race for the 2011 Chase is done and the field is set. Even though the night was not without controversy, intrigue or drama, the top twelve pretty much remained the same and the ones that were in at the beginning of the night ended up being in at the end of it.

So… does that mean it was a ho-hum Saturday night of racing and the stands full of fans spent the night yawning in boredom? Not at all. From the minute the green flag dropped there was action on the track and though Kevin Harvick led the most laps for the race, his trip to Victory Lane was by no means definite until the last laps were done. Not only did Carl Edwards (who finished second) try his best to be the first to the checkered flag and almost was, but Jeff Gordon was leading when the final yellow flag came out inside of twenty laps to go and was looking to win his eighty-sixth career race in the Cup series. He finished third, but I’ll talk a little bit more about that later.

It appeared to this fan, (and many others), the ones that had any kind of chance at making the Chase were doing everything they could to miss out on making it. Clint Bowyer really mixed things up for the whole night when he spun himself out on lap nine while under David Reutimann. His backing into the wall caused a major pile up putting some of the ones whose futures were only somewhat in doubt, further in doubt as the accident collected Dale Jr and Denny Hamlin.

Both of their teams had their nights work cut out for them if either one was still going to make the Chase. Both Steve Letarte, Mike Ford and their crews came through and the two of them finished far enough up in in the field at the end of the night to make the Chase with Earnhardt in tenth and Hamlin in twelfth. I think the only thing fortunate about the incident was the timing. Had it happened later in the race it would have probably sounded the death knell for both of them for 2011. As it was, both had the opportunity to make multiple stops and adjustments to continue on with Hamlin finishing ninth and Earnhardt finishing sixteenth.

From this fan’s view, one thing I think is destined to carry over into the last ten races is the continuing feud between Kurt Bush and Jimmie Johnson. Although from watching the race it is hard to tell the intention of Kurt Bush sliding into Johnson’s left rear spinning him and putting the #48 into the wall, there is no doubt the two of them have had issues in the past. From my view, it appears Kurt Bush tries his level best to convince us (and Jimmie Johnson) his actions are always taken by “Five Time” in the wrong way and that it was just a racing incident.

No matter what he says, I personally don’t see it that way. If he weren’t playing games, he wouldn’t always try to make the point he is inside Johnson’s head and the driver of the #48 only sees it the way he does because Bush is getting to him. From my view, he has done this to more drivers than just Johnson and, eventually, his actions will prove themselves out. I do find it fascinating how NASCAR’s statement of “boys have at it” has changed the amount of time that passes from when a driver thinks he has been wronged and the time he decides to “handle it.” It does appear the adrenaline of the moment rules over most everything else. It does tend to make it exciting though, especially on a short track where tempers are a little less in control and on a Saturday night under the lights.

This is where I insert a little bit of a “black helicopter” observation about the last caution flag. I haven’t heard anyone mention it (at least not yet) and I have to admit, I am just a little bit surprised. From this fan’s view, it appeared Paul Menard spun into the infield at just the right moment. It was just far enough from the end of the race to maybe not draw obvious attention to the spin or the reason for it.

You see, I’m thinking he spun on purpose because he had nothing to lose by then. It was fairly obvious Jeff Gordon was going to win if the race continued on without a caution and Menard wasn’t going to make the Chase anyway. I don’t think there were team orders but I do think he made a conscious decision to make something happen and give Kevin Harvick and his team a fighting chance and see what would happen in the pits. Harvick’s team did allow him to beat Gordon out of the pits. Harvick’s car was much better on short runs than Gordon’s as was Carl Edward’s.

Now look, before you get all bent out of shape, I’m not saying this is what really happened, but I am saying this is what may have happened. After all, there was quite a full moon in the sky over the track, and everybody that loves racing knows what can happen on a night like that…

Oh well, that doesn’t really matter much now. Richmond is over and the twelve teams are set for the 2011 Chase. Does this mean all of the drama is over? No, it means the second wave of drama is just beginning and this Chase just might be the most exciting one yet…

See ya next time…
All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer
© September 12, 2011 – all rights reserved
Rusty Norman and Nascarfansview.com
All audio productions by www.podcastnorm.com and PodCastNorm Productions

Sprint Cup at Richmond from a NASCAR Fan’s View

Posted on September 10, 2011 by Rusty Norman

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091218 iPhoneCamPixes 060 003A 150x150 Sprint Cup at Richmond from a NASCAR Fans View

First, there was Atlanta. Now there is Richmond and there are basically only three spots left to claim to make the Chase. Oh, I know when you look at the standings it may look like there are four, but, there is one that is definitely in, it is just a matter of whether he stays in one of the wildcard spots or moves into the top ten and is able to take full advantage of his three wins on the season. Of course, I know you all know that “one” I’m talking about is, Brad Keselowski.

What happens tonight at RIR will determine who will be in the Chase for 2011 and I don’t remember there ever being such mystery and drama coming into the last race before we know which teams will actually be involved. Oh sure, we all know eight (actually nine) are locked in but there are a lot of possibilities depending on where Tony Stewart and Dale Jr finish in tonight’s competition. If the two of them finish twentieth or better only one spot remains to be filled. If disaster strikes either one or both of them, it opens up a whole new set of options and the whole thing won’t be determined until the checkered flag drops at the end of the race tonight.

Personally, I don’t think NASCAR ever dreamed this would be the case, even though I know it was what they hoped for when they made the changes to the points system this year.

Now, before I move on to tonight’s race completely, I have to mention a few things about the Atlanta race. I don’t have to tell you who won because Jeff Gordon winning his eighty-fifth career race has been talked about all week since the checkered flag dropped Tuesday afternoon. I don’t even have to mention who finished second because there has been no end to references to the number of wins and championships represented by the ones that finished first and second, also known as, “Four-time” and “Five time”, (but just in case you’ve been completely out of touch, that would be Jimmie Johnson.)

One thing I do find interesting is that another multi time Cup Champion finished third, but was hardly ever mentioned in the comparisons of number of wins and championships and that would be Tony Stewart. Considering how many spots he moved forward at the end of the race, I would have thought he would have at least be included in the conversations as an honorable mention for his two championships and thirty-nine wins. (Hm-m-m, maybe it was just because he wasn’t mixing it up at the end with the other two…) One thing is certain in looking back to Atlanta last week though. Things did change as far as the Chase was concerned.

Tonight at Richmond will be a night of hard racing, bumping and banging and quite possibly hot tempers. One can only hope that someone with no chance of making the Chase doesn’t ruin someone else’s chance of making it by either doing something really stupid or by reacting to a situation ruled by temperament. However, this is a very fast short rack and emotions will play a great role simply because of all the adrenaline the drivers will be pumping through their systems.

There is a lot riding on tonight for some drivers and teams and for others, well… let’s just say some have nothing to lose. That makes for an interesting mix and could mean we could see an unexpected winner tonight. Some are obvious choices for possible winners and others, well… let’s just say… from this fan’s view, they don’t have snowball’s chance in the Arizona desert of winning. Of those unexpected ones, I would have to say AJ Allmendinger has an outside chance along with his teammate Marcos Ambrose. Both have been performing better but their consistency just isn’t there yet. (Honestly, from my view, if either one of them wins I would be quite surprised.)

Others I consider as having outside chances of winning would be names like David Ragan, Martin Truex Jr, Regan Smith, David Reutimann and even Casey Mears. David Ragan needs to win if he has any chance at all of making the Chase, but in my opinion, both possibilities are very long shots for him for tonight’s race. David Reutimann is more likely to win if for no other reason than he is a great short track racer. I have to say in complete honesty though, the reason I say any of these have outside chances of winning is because I really don’t expect it and I really don’t think it is going to happen.

When it comes right down to it, I think the winner tonight will come from the top fifteen in points and more likely the top ten. There are some obvious choices amongst them also, but there are some that just might have a better chance than the others. One thing I won’t do is make my choice based on the qualifying times for tonight’s race. Although qualifying was interesting, the most important thing to consider is consistent lap times (as long as they’re faster lap times than the rest) and what happens during pit stops.

There are those that think Denny Hamlin or Kyle Bush will win tonight. I see their point considering how they’ve done over the last several trips to RIR, but I just don’t think it’s going to happen for them tonight. Personally, I ‘m looking for a Ford or Chevy to be in Victory Lane tonight.

Jimmie Johnson looked particularly strong in practice and qualifying and could take the trophy tonight. Even though he didn’t qualify all that well, Jeff Gordon once again had the fastest car in the practice sessions and was also best over multiple laps. Carl Edwards and the #99 team seemed to hit on something late in the second practice session and I do think he has a great shot tonight, too.

At Richmond, a lot can wrong in a hurry so it makes it hard to confidently pick a possible winner for tonight’s race, but considering his performance lately, I’m still still picking Jeff Gordon to win his eighty-sixth. If he doesn’t, neither he nor I will be that disappointed but it sure would make for interesting conversation in the week ahead, wouldn’t it. Does anyone think it will be a repeat of the performance at the end of the Atlanta race? Well… I reckon we’ll see…

See ya next time…
All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer
© September 10, 2011 – all rights reserved
Rusty Norman and Nascarfansview.com
All audio productions by www.podcastnorm.com and PodCastNorm Productions

Sprint Cup at Bristol After Thoughts from a NASCAR Fans View

Posted on September 2, 2011 by Rusty Norman

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091218 iPhoneCamPixes 060 003A 150x150 Sprint Cup at Bristol After Thoughts from a NASCAR Fans View

It’s two to go to make the show and there are more than ten drivers that still have a chance to make the Chase, depending of course on how well they perform this coming weekend at Atlanta and how poorly some of the others perform. Yes, it is true, some of them are extreme long shots and it would almost require divine intervention, yet the possibilities are there. But that’s getting just a bit ahead of what went on in Bristol last Saturday night under the lights.

There is no way you can’t know that Brad Keselowski has had a stellar four weeks since his accident during a test session at Road Atlanta, but there is no denying he has been out-performing almost everyone in the Cup series. Since this is NASCAR (and you can never tell when a streak is going to start, or end) he may or may not have another outstanding performance this coming weekend, but he has definitely taken advantage of what looked to be a bad situation. As just about everyone must know, he now has three victories, is in eleventh place in the points race to get in the Chase and looks to be one of the top contenders for the Championship when the Chase actually gets started.

To say this fan has been surprised by his performance in the last four weeks could just be added to the growing list of understatements I’ve made over the last couple of months, but, let me ask you this question; “Did you think he was going to make the Chase after YOU heard about that testing accident ?” (Uh, huh… that’s what I thought…)

I’m thinking you thought, much as I did, he should forget about the Chase, focus on next year and just turn the rest of the season into R&D, at least until he healed up a bit. Man, you talk about adversity turning a season around… this has to be one for the books and Brad Keselowski has sure stepped up to the plate, driven through pain, a sore back and a broken ankle and delivered some stunning blows to several NASCAR drivers that still hold on to slivers of hope, as far as the Chase is concerned. The only thing he has to do over the next two weeks is stay in the top twenty in points and he will definitely be in the Chase. In fact, from my view, unless he cools off a bit performance-wise, he is going to be one of the ones to watch as the top twelve contend for the Championship (and could very well end up being the top dog when it’s all over for this year.

Now, don’t get your underwear in a wad… I only said “he could” do these things. It is no where near definite and it is nowhere near time to start calling him the 2011 Champ yet. Still, it is amazing what he has done in this latter part of the season.

There was another situation that surprised this fan just about as much as seeing Keselowski take the checkered flag last Saturday night and that was how strong of a car, Jeff Gordon had and how close he came to winning. As it was, we all know he finished third, after battling Martin Truex Jr for second place over the last several laps and all but locked up his spot in the top ten for the Chase. He and Kevin Harvick are tied at the moment for fifth place and both only need to be forty-nine points ahead of eleventh place to be locked into the top ten no matter what else happens. Say what you will about the four time Champ but he is definitely running strong (and honestly, I don’t think he’s peaked just yet…). I’m not really making a statement one way or the other here at the moment, but Jeff Gordon has been running strong over several weeks now.

I’m sure you noticed that Kyle Bush and Jimmie Johnson are already locked in and tied for first while Matt Kenseth and Carl Edwards are also locked in to the Chase. Matt Kenseth has been quietly running consistently good enough to be in third place for much of the season and Carl Edwards has appeared to be struggling over the last several races. They say they’re not, but perception is reality and they are perceived to be struggling (and not just from my view either.).

The race at Bristol this last weekend was one of the more interesting Bristol races and yet it was essentially the same. One thing that appeared to be missing, at least from this fan’s view, was an over abundance of hot tempers at the end of the night. I just didn’t see that much tension between different teams (although David Reutimann may disagree with me about that.)

With just two more races to go until the Chase starts, there has to be concern in the Richard Childress Racing camp. They didn’t just have a bad night, they had a terrible night and that is worth taking notice of as the Cup teams head for Atlanta. I’m sure if you ask them, there is no time like the present to start showing some muscle and gaining a little momentum…

See ya next time…
All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer
© August 02, 2011 – all rights reserved
Rusty Norman and Nascarfansview.com
All audio productions by www.podcastnorm.com and PodCastNorm Productions

Sprint Cup at Bristol from a NASCAR Fans View

Posted on August 27, 2011 by Rusty Norman

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Go ahead, ask any driver and they will tell you they love short track racing because it is more like what they grew up doing and are used to. Not only is it a Saturday night race but there’s beating and banging and leaning on each other to make a move past someone.

One thing they won’t tell you is how short their temper might be when someone leans a little harder on them than they think they should or when someone sends them up the track to move them out of the way to pass them. That’s just one of the things many fans like about the short tracks NASCAR visits and a big reason why Bristol is one of the fan favorites of the entire season. It is why there will be one hundred and sixty thousand people in the seats surrounding the track at a place they call “the world’s fastest half-mile.”

This fan finds the closeness of the qualifying times for tonight’s race lineup very interesting. There is only around four tenths of a second separating the first starting position from the fortieth and if that won’t make it hard to pass, I don’t know what will. Sure, I know those are only one lap speeds and consistent lap times over the course of the race are what really counts, but still, that is a a powerful statement of the tightness of the competition in Sprint Cup these days. No matter how you look at it, it tends to point toward a very competitive race in Thunder Valley tonight.

I know the statistics say a driver has a better chance of winning if he starts near the front and I don’t totally disagree with that. From this fan’s view, starting out front is important but getting there and staying there are just as important and that can depend on a lot of things as the night progresses.

In tonight’s race, there is going to be an extreme amount of pressure on the pit crews to be mistake free the whole night. The drivers will have extra pressure on them to not speed in the pits and to protect their tires and cars and yet be aggressive and advance as far as they can toward the front. The crew chiefs will “only” have to have the perfect strategy all night long and make the perfect adjustments all during the race to keep their driver as happy and stress free as possible. (Now that doesn’t sound as if the crew chiefs have it difficult at all, does it…?)

From this fan’s view, even though a Chevy qualified for the pole and a Ford is on the outside pole, with the competition as close as it is, it is going to be another hard one to pick the winner of before the race starts. I know it doesn’t matter much what I think, but I still like to give my opinion of which ones to watch for taking the checkered flag at the end of the night. The Chevys and Fords looked very fast in practice and qualifying, but I still can’t discount the Toyotas or the Dodges. This is one of those races anyone can win from anywhere in the field in any brand.

Ryan Newman and Carl Edwards have a great shot at winning tonight simply because they start on the front row but so do about thirty others even though they don’t start on the front row. Even though I think some may choose to run the night cautiously, I still think some are almost in the desperation mode and will be trying just about anything they can to advance themselves in the points or get a win. Because of that, I’m thinking tonight could see just about any of the top thirty five starters could end up in Victory Lane tonight. Yes, I know some have a much better chance than others, but this is Saturday night short track racing and just about anything can (and usually does) happen.

Do I think Kyle Bush is going to win? Well, he sure has a great chance to, but then so does Matt Kenseth, Jeff Gordon, Jamie McMurray, Jimmie Johnson and Kurt Bush also. Could this be a night where someone totally unexpected walks away with the trophy? Hey, I’m not going to rule that out either. It could be Marcos Ambrose or “the Dinger,” but honestly, I don’t think it is going to be Robby Gordon, although stranger things have been known to happen on a Saturday night at Bristol.

This night race is one of the more colorful night races in the sense that it has all of that beating and banging adding up to those short tempers and paybacks which makes the whole race eventful, especially at the end. With the extra intensity of qualifying for the Chase included in the night, this fan expects and even more eventful night of racing than usual. There is just too much on the line for too many drivers trying to seal the deal for getting into the Chase for it not to be a little different Bristol race tonight…

See ya next time…
All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer
© August 27, 2011 – all rights reserved
Rusty Norman and Nascarfansview.com
All audio productions by www.podcastnorm.com and PodCastNorm Productions

Sprint Cup at Michigan from a NASCAR Fans View

Posted on August 21, 2011 by Rusty Norman

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Everybody already knows one thing about Michigan International Speedway and that would be how fast a track it is. Another things is how wide the racing groove is and how much of it will be used by the drivers on Sunday afternoon. One thing that can’t be measured by speed and room alone is how each one of the drivers will handle the rising stress levels of the competition as the race for the Chase winds down to its conclusion over the next four weeks. I won’t say some are reaching the point of desperation, but I will say some know it is now or never for them if they want to make the Chase for 2011.

There is nothing quite like stating the obvious, is there? I mean, we as NASCAR fans are well aware there are several drivers on the edge that either need a win or two over the next few weeks or have to continue to finish at or near the front to maintain, or improve, their positions in the point race. Some are in the top ten and some are in eleventh to twenty-fifth, but it is coming down to the wire for all of them. It is pretty obvious they are well aware of it, too.

Tony Stewart doesn’t look worried in his interviews, but from this fan’s view, it sure seems like he would like to pick up at least one win in the next couple of weeks. If nothing else it would solidify his standing in the top ten. I just can’t believe he is very happy with his eighteenth starting position, but then, he is in pretty good company. Jimmie Johnson is starting nineteenth right beside him and Marcos Ambrose and Kyle Bush are starting right ahead of him. At Michigan, it is much better to start nearer to the front, (but then, by now I’m sure you know how I feel about qualifying times. I put a lot more stock in how well they run in the last practice than in qualifying.) Unfortunately, Stewart didn’t fare that much better in the last practice either; he only moved up to fifteenth fastest.

I don’t know about you, but Michigan is a hard race track for me to pick a winner at early. It is not only fast, but it is somewhat of an endurance track, too. As the race progresses, it becomes more and more obvious which ones have the best chance to win, but all of the teams are susceptible to a thing called fuel mileage and whether or not their engines hold together. If it is like usual on Sunday afternoon, it is very likely if one car gets out front in clean air they could open up a bit of a distance between themselves and the rest of the field. Also, (if it is sort of like usual), there will probably be long green flag runs and the only hope some may have to close the gaps will be caution flags flying.

If we only look at the first practice and qualifying, there is no doubt the Roush Fords looked very fast. History at the Michigan track tells us it is definitely a track where the Fords win often. They always show up strong and generally end up taking home the trophy.

I’m not so sure it will be the case this week though. If you remember, back in June, Denny Hamlin won and he is one of those drivers that is outside the top ten, but has a win. Everyone knows, if it can go wrong, it has gone wrong for him and his #11 FedEx Toyota this year. Now, I know you’re thinking I’m going to pick him for the win, but I don’t think that’s quite the way it’s going to pan out. In fact, even though his teammate, Kyle Bush was second fastest in the final practice, I’m not really picking a Toyota to win either, but I think I’m getting just slightly ahead of myself.

You see, I think the Chevys just may surprise everyone this weekend. Do I think it will be a Childress Chevy or one of the Hendrick or Stewart/Haas teams. Well, you see, now you’ve made it difficult. I haven’t really completely decided yet, but I will say this. The way they improved, in particular the Hendrick guys speed-wise in the second practice, I think the Chevys have a good chance at upsetting the Ford guys in Sunday’s race.

Sure, I know the Fords are fast, but the Chevy teams are determined to make things happen and that is precisely why I think they can, and likely will, win the Pure Michigan 400. Do I really think it will happen? Yeah, but that doesn’t make it definite nor mean it will. It just means I think it can.

The only things I can think of that will definitely happen are that the race will come down to strategy and fuel mileage. The ones that have the best of both will do the best in this one…

See ya next time…
All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer
© August 20, 2011 – all rights reserved
Rusty Norman and Nascarfansview.com
All audio productions by www.podcastnorm.com and PodCastNorm Productions

Pocono After Thoughts from a NASCAR Fans View

Posted on August 12, 2011 by Rusty Norman

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The race at Pocono Sunday afternoon went much as I expected, even with the rain delay. What I didn’t expect was Brad Keselowski to overcome the injuries suffered in an accident while testing earlier in the week at road Atlanta and hold on to win the Good Sam RV Insurance 500. Even the least of his fans (and those that don’t like him at all) would have to admit, he sucked it up, stuck it out and worked for the win at Pocono and proved he was as tough as his words. I don’t think anyone can deny he showed the kind of stuff most NASCAR drivers are made of (or, at least, used to be).

Brad Keselowski may have been the best “feel good” story of the weekend, but he wasn’t the only one. In fact, there were several stories from the weekend that made some feel good and others feel “not-so-good.”

One of the “feel good” stories had to do with Tony Stewart. He had a good car but just couldn’t get it handle the way he needed it to. During the race, his pit crew had a problem changing the left front tire and it looked like he was going to be doomed the running at least one lap down when it went flat. Well, in all honesty, he did go a lap down but because of the tire problem, his crew chief, Darian Grubb, was able to make changes to the car he hadn’t the time for in a normal situation and Tony drove back through the field and finished eleventh. Not bad considering how it could have turned out, (and believe me, at this point in the season, he needs every point he can get.)

One of the “not-so-good” stories was Denny Hamlin. It is this fan’s opinion he can’t really buy a good break this year, no matter how much he might be willing to spend. Sunday afternoon saw him with a reasonably fast car, leading a fair amount of laps early in the race, but problems in the pits took their toll and saw his possible top five finish turn into a fifteenth place and didn’t do a thing to help the confidence of the team. From this fan’s view, as for his year so far, “if it weren’t for bad luck, he’d have no luck at all.” If he makes it into the Chase, it makes this fan wonder if his luck may not take a complete 180 and everything just go right; (and wouldn’t that be interesting.)

Another “feel good” story would have to be the plight of Jeff Gordon. Even though he won the first race at Pocono this summer, to say this last weekend was a struggle just might be a bit of an understatement. Even though he showed up with a fast car, he bounced it off the wall in qualifying. Before he bounced it off the wall, it looked like he was going to be the possible pole sitter. As it turned out, he ended up damaging the car and only qualifying thirty-first. To add to the problems, he fell back several spots when the green flag dropped, but with great pit stops from the crew and good calls for adjustments from his crew chief, he was in the top five when the rain delay came. I can’t speak for him, but from this fans view he had to be happy with sixth considering how the weekend started, even though he had a car capable of possibly winning.

Kyle Bush is another one of those “feel good” stories on the day. Early in the race he spun the car all by himself putting him way back in the field. It looked like he was going to have a miserable day, but managed to recover and finished second behind the inspired driving of Brad Keselowski. I do find it interesting how much better he handles finishing “only second” this year. This is a different Kyle Bush and it has been an interesting transformation to observe this season. Sure, he still has the fire (and the ability) but from this fan’s view, he’s just more likeable this year and it’s obvious it is helping him handle the week-to-week frustrations as he heads towards the Chase as a real contender for the Cup. That’s not to say he wasn’t a contender before, but it is saying he has matured and that makes his chances even better this year.

Late in the race there was a little dust up between Kurt Bush and Jimmie Johnson. It led to a somewhat animated verbal discussion following the race about who did what. Since the two do have a history of, um… “misunderstandings”, it wasn’t anything to write home about but it does show just how the stress of competition is weighing on two Cup Champions. Neither one is extremely happy with the performance of their cars, even though both are running and finishing at or near the top almost every week and both are pretty much locked into the Chase. From my view, it is good to see the heightened competitive level and I don’t expect it to let up even after we get into the Chase in the coming weeks.

It’s pretty obvious the tension is beginning to mount as the race to the Chase winds down into its final five weeks. Between obvious frustrations between certain drivers and other drivers and drivers and their crew chiefs, it could prove to be a very interesting five weeks ahead. There even appears to be a little bit of frustration between five time champ, Jimmie Johnson and his crew chief, Chad Knaus. I don’t mean to imply there is trouble in the camp, but the closeness of the competition this year is definitely beginning to show just how “amped up” everyone is…

See ya next time…
All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer
© August 10, 2011 – all rights reserved
Rusty Norman and Nascarfansview.com
All audio productions by www.podcastnorm.com and PodCastNorm Productions

Sprint Cup at Pocono from A NASCAR Fans View

Posted on August 6, 2011 by Rusty Norman

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Late summer at Pocono is different than early summer. Just because someone finished in the top ten in June doesn’t mean the same will happen for them in August (although it could.) Coming into this weekend are several with the capability of winning on Sunday afternoon but which one will is the great question and before we actually find out, 500 miles will have to pass beneath the tires of the one who takes the checkered flag first.

One thing, in particular, stands out to this fan when it comes to this later race and that’s how many have found more speed and that alone makes this second race even more interesting and adds to the drama of the weekend.

Another thing about this race is the different agendas the teams are on when they arrive. Some have nothing to lose and can afford to experiment. Others absolutely must have a good finish to either stay in contention or move into position to be a participant in the important top twelve for the Chase. A few need a win just to help“seal the deal” for their place in those top spots, while others need to finish at or near the front just to put themselves in a place to be able to take advantage of winning a race and have a shot at those two wild card slots for the Chase.

From this fan’s view, it does seem there are some mind games going on amongst some of the teams. Already questions have been raised this week about the #11 FedEx Toyota of Denny Hamlin possibly sandbagging for an earlier qualifying draw and of course there is that possibility. If that was their plan, they absolutely needed it not to rain or they would have started way in the back anyway. So far, they are starting in a good spot.

Joey Logano turned the fastest lap during qualifying and will start on the pole (unless something happens between now and Sunday’s start to the race.) There is no doubt he drove a great lap and deserves to be on the pole. Now, the question remains, will it translate into a win for him on tomorrow?

From this fan’s view, the cloud cover did nothing but help all of the competitors and many of their qualifying speeds were well above what they ran in practice, (well, at least the first practice.) The obvious observation from that is if the sun is shining, look for the speeds to be slower.

Judging from the qualifying session, (which I really don’t like to do), shows another weekend where the Chevys didn’t show they had the fastest speeds. In fact, the Toyotas are looking very strong with four of them starting in the top six. One of them was Kasey Kahne and he had a very fast car at Indy last weekend. Although his finish didn’t show it, he was fast enough to win last weekend, had things gone a little different. I’m still mulling it over but I think he has a chance to be up front at the end of the race. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying he is going to win, I’m just saying he has looked strong both of the last two weekends.

The Hendrick Chevys just weren’t fast during qualifying. Of them, Jimmie Johnson will start closest to the front on Sunday afternoon, but that is only in eighteenth spot. Of course Dale Jr starts in nineteenth so I guess both of them have a chance to move up but they will have a lot of cars to pass.

Now this is just this fan’s view, but I still think Jeff Gordon had the fastest of the actual Hendrick team Chevys. Had he not slightly over-driven turn three and hit the wall, he was on pace to take the pole. Instead he will start thirty first and that is not at all what he wanted to do. Since he won the race in June at Pocono, this fan still thinks he has a chance at sweeping the Pocono races, but he definitely has his work cut out for himself. Say what you will, but there is no way I’m counting out Jeff Gordon as a possible winner on Sunday at Pocono, but I will admit this… if he does win, he will have to run strong for 500 miles and pass a lot of cars.

As for the Childress Chevys, they looked good and I think unless misfortune happens, they have a good opportunity to get some continuity back and possibly a win for one of them. They seemed to all be running about the same and they all have as good a chance as anyone to finish at or near the top and come away from Pocono with a little more confidence as they move into the last several races before the Chase. Of all of the Childress teams, Jeff Burton needs the biggest miracle over the next several weeks to even have a chance at getting into a Wild Card spot for the Chase. A win this weekend could sure help, but I don’t expect him to be able make the cut by the time they start the Chase.

With a little of the pressure off now with the contract negotiations of the points leader, it will be interesting to see how all of the Roush teams fare this weekend, especially Carl Edwards. Do I think he will win, it is a definite possibility, but I’m more looking to likes of Denny Hamlin (who almost always seems to run well at this track) or possibly someone that has been running well this season but hasn’t won like, Tony Stewart or Clint Bowyer.

Pocono is a place where running consistent lap times is a must and I am sure it will come down to a fuel mileage race once again. If it comes down to a green-white-checker finish, I expect it to be a very interesting ending and, as is usually the case, anything can happen…

See ya next time…
All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer
© August 6, 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

Tag Archives: Nascar Racing

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