Double Clutchin’-The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly From New Hampshire
September 17, 2008
Wow, if Kyle Busch had fallen any farther back to Earth, he would have incinerated upon re-entry. Brutal race for Kurt’s little brother as he watched all of his hard work this season vaporized in the first race of the Chase.
I’m sure that just breaks every one’s hearts, doesn’t it?
On to the G, B, and U from the Granite State:
The Good:
Good job by Greg Biffle. He’s been on the cusp of a victory all year and he finally pulled one off at Loudon. More importantly, he moved up six spots in the Chase standings into third place. Biff is a good enough driver to be a fly in the ointment during this Chase and this win should give him and his team the confidence that they can compete with the favorites.
Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good and the man that made the most out of Kyle Busch’s troubles was Cousin Carl Edwards, who took the lead in the points with a strong third place finish.
Jimmie Johnson is still hotter than a trailer in the summertime. He sits at second in the points and had a great race Sunday, running right there with Biffle until the end. If I had to bet the truck on anyone right now it would probably be on Johnson. He’s the New England Patriots in the playoffs; he might not be the favorite, but I’ll believe he’s out of it when I see him lose.
The Bad:
I’ve harped on Jeff Gordon for awhile, and Rich also mentioned it in his post here. Gordon looks bored, but more than that he just appears to be completely unsure of what his car can do, and I believe that may be making him question his own abilities. A fourteenth place finish isn’t bad…if you’re Bobby Labonte, but Gordon is supposed to be one of the guys racing at the front. He can’t use the COT argument anymore, not with DE88 and JJ in the top five. If Gordon can’t get his act together soon, its going to be too late.
The Ugly:
Kyle Busch, Kyle Busch, Kyle Busch.
Did I mention Kyle Busch?
A “broken” sway bar cause Busch some problems early. (I heard Dr. Punch say that it was nearly impossible to break a sway bar and that he suspected that some one in Kyle’s pit had actually not put it on correctly.) If that speculation is correct, that’s the kind of mistake that you can’t have by a crew for a car that’s sitting as the favorite to win the Chase. Busch had about as bad a day as you can without a DNF. There’s no reason to panic after one race, but Busch better get his bad races out of the way early or he’s going to have people whispering that he’s going to choke the title away.
Whisper, whisper, whisper.
Rocky Kitts can be reached at wwwthreestrikesandout@yahoo.com and he can assure you that his sway bar is working like it’s supposed to.
Charlotte Drag Results
September 14, 2008
CONCORD, N.C. – The Inaugural Carolinas Nationals at zMAX Dragway at Concord ended a few hours ago, with a thundering pass by “Sarge” Tony Schumacher to surpass Joe Amato as the Top Fuel driver with more wins than anyone. Read more
A new winner shakes up the chase!
September 14, 2008
Qualifying was rained out yet again, so the top 12 starting spots on the grid were filled with Cup chasers. Unlike last week, Gibbs racings’ new star Joey Logano did get to take part, as he drove the Hall of Fame #96 Toyota.
The majority of the race the Chasers made up the top five spots, and usually ten of the top 12 spots. Clint Bowyer had the quickest practice times, but he never made it to the front of the field. Kyle Busch grabbed the early lead, until Carl Edwards got past him. Busch Read more
Shock And Awe From Monza: Vettel And Toro Rosso Win!
September 14, 2008
In yet another wet race ( two in two weeks) Toro Rosso’s Sebastien Vettel converted his pole position into a convincing win, leading Heikki Kovalainen and Robert Kubica to the podium. Read more
Field is set in inaugural Concord race
September 14, 2008
Just think….all during this weekend, track records are being set, “firsts” are being inscribed in record books and drag racing history is being written at the sold-out inaugural NHRA Carolinas Nationals.
In Top Fuel, Larry Dixon held onto the provisional pole from Friday’s run.
“We came here to get qualified and then try and win the event,” said Dixon. “If we can win this race, we’ll make up ground in the points, but we’ve got a long way to go for that to happen.
“Today we were able to run at the back of pack, and that helped us because we could watch the cars that ran before us. We worked on race day set up. [Crew chiefs] Donnie Bender and Todd Smith changed our chassis around before Indy, and the car seems to be working a little better during the daytime. Of course, this track is so nice; it’s all concrete, so it is more forgiving for crew chiefs to be able to stand on the gas. It should make for great racing tomorrow.”
There was plenty of drama in Funny Car as John Force failed to qualify for the second race in a row (first time since 1982.) Drag racing school owner and teacher Frank Hawley sits at the top of the field. Read more
NHRA Comes to Charlotte-History in the Making
September 13, 2008
WOW!
For those out there who have never been to a drag race, this is the one you’ve been waiting for. If you’re within driving distance of the new zMax Dragway @ Concord and can get away from whatever other sports you follow, this is the one for you! Some estimates had the Standing Room-Only crowd on Saturday at 50,000 with Sunday’s crowd expected to enjoy even more exciting racing. This is a rare opportunity to experience history in the making. Read more
First impressions of the Carolina drag racing palace
September 13, 2008
Here are some initial impressions out on the Web about the NHRA’s incursion into the heart of NASCAR country – the zMAX Dragway at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.
- zMAX fever hits Concord, according to the Cabarrus County visitor’s bureau blog (which ironically is named “Welcome to NASCAR Country.”)
- Local residents said they didn’t notice that much noise, since special sound barriers were included during construction.
- Owner Bruton Smith “wishes he’d built more seats.”
- John Force was so thrilled, he said he’d lay a big smooch on Smith after admiring the biggest facility on the POWERade circuit. Read more
NHRA Carolinas Nationals and the city of Charlotte
September 12, 2008
The first event in this season’s Countdown to 1 is a brand-new race this weekend near Charlotte, North Carolina — the NHRA Carolinas Nationals at the Bruton Smith-owned zMAX Dragway @ Concord.
If you’re in Charlotte and Concord for the races, make time to check out these local sights:
- The US National Whitewater Center is just outside of town; the US Canoe and Kayak teams train there. It’s the largest and only man-made recirculating whitewater venue of its kind in the world; 12 million gallons of water flow through it. They offer guided rides in everything from two hours of flat river paddling (all ages, on the Catawba River) to rock climbing (age 4+) to whitewater rafting (ages 12+) to mountain biking on 11 miles of trails (no age specified, “technically challenging.”) You can rent everything you need or bring your own gear. Read more
The Chase is on!
September 10, 2008
We had to wait for all 26 early races to be run on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Schedule. Now, with 10 races to go, the Chase officially starts. We finally get to decide the 2008 Sprint Cup Championship. And while only twelve drivers are still in the running to be named the champ, there is still Read more
FastMachines.com Radio Episode #10
September 9, 2008
This week’s show is all about the big Hamilton penalty in Belgium. Oh yeah….and Dixon clinched a championship and the Chase is locked in Sprint cup. Show notes below the fold…
Let us know what you think by commenting on this posting, or shoot Chris and I an email by sending to radio@fastmachines.com.
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Michelin - Race to Learn, Race to Win
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- The US National Whitewater Center is just outside of town; the US Canoe and Kayak teams train there. It’s the largest and only man-made recirculating whitewater venue of its kind in the world; 12 million gallons of water flow through it. They offer guided rides in everything from two hours of flat river paddling (all ages, on the Catawba River) to rock climbing (age 4+) to whitewater rafting (ages 12+) to mountain biking on 11 miles of trails (no age specified, “technically challenging.”) You can rent everything you need or bring your own gear. Read more