• Home
• Blog
• Podcast
• Forum
• Speed Shop
• Archives
• About Us

Subscribe

• Channels:
• Formula 1
• IRL
• NASCAR
• Motorcycles
• NHRA

Is Brad Keselowski on Tap to Replace Mark Martin in 2011

Countdown to Daytona: Owner Point Style No. 35

NASCAR fans rejoice, we are 35 days away from seeing our favorite drivers take to Daytona International Speedway in the Budweiser Shootout. Well some of us will see our favorite drivers, others will have to wait a few more days for qualifying and the Duals.

Anyway, this is part one of 35. I know that sounds crazy, 35 parts to a story, but my plan is to spend some time each day and preview another team inside the top-35 and guaranteed a spot in the Daytona 500 

Today’s preview is the car in the 35^th place: No. 10 Dodge

Owner: Gillett Evernham [could be under Petty name in 2009?]

Driver: originally said to be Reed Sorenson, but not sure now.

Sponsors: U.S. Air Force (four races); no current sponsor listed for other races.

Driver 2008 Stats: If in fact it is Sorenson, he finished 2008 ranked 32^nd in points. He managed two top-10s, one top-5 and led 15 laps. Sorenson brought home $4.2 million and averaged a 26^th place finish.

News: This one is up in the air. After the announcement that Petty would be merging with this team, Sorenson has been rumored to the No. 43 car. This team also benefited greatly by the closure of two DEI teams, the No. 15 and No. 01. At the closure of 2008, this team ranked 37^th in points, but moved up two spots when DEI merged with Ganassi.  AJ Allmendinger finished the last five races in this car and fared pretty well. During that stretch he finished no worse than 26th and averaged 16th. 

Up tomorrow: No. 47 driven by Marcos Ambrose.

B-Blog

Top-10 New Years Resolution for a NASCAR fan

Top-10 New Years Resolutions for the NASCAR fan!

1. I will not punch my friend when he cheers after my favorite driver wrecks — OK, so we’ve all been in this situation before right?? No?? Well maybe my friends and I watch the races a little different than you all, but nothing aggravates a fan more than coming back from a commercial break and seeing the yellow-flag out because their favorite driver took a chunk out of the wall in turn two. So this year, pledge to hold in that anger and instead of punching your friend, simply begin to cheer that their driver hits a piece of debris from your driver, cuts a tire and joins him in the garage. This holds especially true for Jeff Gordon fans. Face it guys, you all like the most loved — and hated — NASCAR driver in the sport and almost every one will cheer when Gordon goes out of a race.

2. I will not cry when Jimmie Johnson wins his fourth championship in 2009 — You can almost bet that Johnson and crew chief Chad Knaus will be vying for a fourth consecutive championship in 2009. The team is just awesome, well the team, the driver, the crew chief, the owner, everything about the #48 team is nearly unbeatable. Just when fans thought someone else would bring home the trophy in 2008, the Lowe’s team stepped it up and did just enough to hold off charging Carl Edwards for the championship.

3. I will be as fit as my favorite driver — So this one may be tougher for Edwards fans versus say Tony Stewart fans — no offense ‘Smoke’ — but it’s an interesting resolution to go along with the fan favorite of losing weight. There was a commercial during the 2008 season that was hilarious in which a fan asked NASCAR drivers what to do about a girl-friend who complained that he did nothing but sit on the couch during races. Johnson, Elliot Sadler and Kevin Harvick are the three drivers that give answers. Sadler suggests the caller skip the nachos to ‘reduce his drag’ while Johnson offers advice that the caller take a few ‘trips’ around the living room every time the drivers pit. Harvick outshines them all and suggest the caller ‘try a different girlfriend.’ Johnson’s idea here is interesting and is one way a fan can try and stay in shape, but instead of doing it during the pit-stops [one of the most fun parts to watch] try it out during the 50 commercial breaks.

4. I will try and make it to at least one race during 2009 — Come on NASCAR fans, it’s time to step back up and start going to the races again. I know the economy is down and people don’t have a lot of money to spend, but one sure fire way to get the economy back going is to spend the little bit of money you do have. Now I’m not suggesting you take money that is going to feed your family for a month and visit a race track, but if you can’t afford one of the larger venues such as the Sprint Cup Series, then try out a Nationwide or Camping World Truck Series race — heck if that’s too much, visit your local dirt and short-tracks and support the sport you love. Local tracks are everywhere and most offer racing every Saturday night for $5 to $10. That’s one less Big Mac meal during the week. NASCAR is struggling and the fans need to step up and get behind the sport they love.

5. I promise not to throw beer cans at the track when Gordon wins a race — I am by no means a Gordon fan, but come on people, throwing beer cans — and anything else for that matter — at the track is just wrong. Gordon may be one of the most disliked drivers in the series, but he deserves the respect that he is often not given. The man has won four championships and did so during a time when winning actually meant being able to drive a race car and not simply driving for one of the top teams. Gordon also won his championships while racing along side perhaps the greatest racer ever, Dale Earnhardt. If anyone thinks they can strap in a car at 200+ m.p.h. and race door-to-door with NASCAR’s greatest drivers, I’d like to see them try!

6. I will not wear my retired drivers gear to the race track — Face it ladies and gentlemen… Rusty Wallace, Richard Petty, Bill Elliot [for the most part] and so many other great drivers have RETIRED! That means they are done, and no longer race, so quit showing up to the race tracks wearing your 1989 championship shirt for Wallace, all the while slamming down Miller Lite’s because that was the sponsor on Wallace’s car before he retired. It’s all good to hold true to your #1 driver, but once they go on and retire, find you a new driver to follow. There are all kinds of drivers out there needing some love. See A.J. Allmendinger, Brian Vickers and Juan Pablo Montoya, all three of which would love to have you as a new-found fan!

7. I will not jump on the band wagon of the driver leading the points — This is a big one, and may even deserve to be higher then seventh place, but nonetheless, if you have a favorite driver, stick with that driver throughout the season. Nothing irritates me more than when one week you talk to a guy at the office and he says, ‘my man Carl Edwards is leading the points this week…’ and then the next week, Edwards wrecks and finishes last and Kyle Busch takes over the lead. On Monday, that same guy comes into work and goes, ‘did you see my man Kyle Busch take over the points lead  yesterday?’ You want to smack them right then in the face and be like, ‘you ain’t a true fan…’ The bottom line to being a fan is you have to hang on through the tough times [which seems to happen more so than not] and the good times. There will be races that your driver finishes in the top-5 or may even pull off a win, but there will be just as many, if not more, days that your driver finishes in the bottom-10 or dead last, it’s part of being a fan,  you have got to stick with your driver.

8. I will not complain when the same five drivers rise to the top — You know it’s going to happen… I know it’s going to happen… The same drivers year in and year out are going to rise to the top of the field, that’s why they are considered the best drivers in the series. Granted, there may be one or two changes among the top-5, but I can almost guarantee that the 12 that made the chase this past season, will be the 12 that make it this season, with minor changes. The teams have it figured out and know their way around the race tracks, that’s why they finish there every year. It’s tough if your driver isn’t one of those top-5 or even top-12, but that’s the name of the game. Hang in there Sparky, Michael Waltrip may one day return to prominence.

9. I will not turn off the race [or leave] if my driver is eliminated — Sure, who likes to stick around and watch a race when their driver is taken out going into turn one of the first lap? But, the real deal is that NASCAR needs it’s fans to stick around and continue watching the race. Sponsors want to see fans in the seats and ratings sky-high on television. Trust me, one day that may come back to bite you whenever the top sponsors pull out of the sport because nobody is watching anymore and the sport fizzles away [I know that's unlikely to happen, but it could!] First off, if you paid for a ticket to get into the race, you might as well stay and watch it. Find someone else to root for during that race and make things interesting. Start a poll with your buddies on who will lead the most laps and/or how many leaders there will be. There is a lot more to do while watching a race then just watching your driver go in circles for five hours!

10. I will not get plastered while at a race — Let’s get this straight fellers… NOBODY wants to bring their little child to a race only to have some 250 pound drunk guy with his belly hanging out cuss at Gordon for five hours. OK, nobody in general wants to see and/or hear that. It’s not amusing to watch someone get so drunk that they don’t even remember where or who they are anymore. Also, being someone who has never done it before, how do you even enjoy the race when you are so out of it that you probably don’t even remember who led the first lap? Anyway, it’s not fun to watch and doesn’t seem like it would be fun to go through, seriously, you pay $125 for a ticket, only to get drunk and miss the whole thing?

That’s my top-10 New Years Resolutions for the NASCAR fan in 2009. Some are funny, some are serious, but it’s all in fun and of course these are just my opinions.

Have a suggestion on what should be included, feel free to comment below and let me know what you think.

B-Blog

Sadler replaced by Allmendinger

It looks like the merger between Gillett Evernham Motorsports and Petty Enterprises is going to cost one driver his job — Elliot Sadler.

Sadler piloted the #19 Dodge in 2008, but according to ESPN.com multiple sources close to the organization have confirmed the change…

Allmendinger has limited experience at the cup level, but really stepped it up after being taken out of his #84 Toyota for multiple races during the past season.

In 2008, Allmendinger made 29 starts with 2 top-10s, including a career best of 9th at Kansas in September. He also won the Sprint Showdown in Charlotte to make the Allstar Race…

Sadler on the other hand finished 24th in the driver points and had 8 top-10s and 2 top-5s in 2008, including a 4th place showing at The Brickyard in July.

Sadler has 3 career wins in 10 seasons, but has not visited victory lane since 2004.

According to the article on ESPN: “GEM CEO Tom Reddin told team employees and sponsors the news just before Christmas, causing some sponsors to consider leaving, according to team sources.”

The article continues to say, “Sources also said Ray Evernham, who founded the team and sold majority ownership to George Gillett, cleared out all personal possessions from the team’s shop, including the 2002 Brickyard 400 trophy he won as owner of Bill Elliott’s No. 9 Dodge.”

With Allmendinger’s addition to the driving stable, GEM will field at least three cars — #9 Kasey Kahne, #43 Reed Sorenson [who was originally set to drive the #10] and the #19 for Allemendinger. No mention was made of who — if anyone — would drive the #10.

According to Fox Sports, Sadler is rumored to the #41 Chevrolet at Earnhardt-Ganassi or the #77 Dodge at Penske Racing. The site says Sam Hornish Jr. may be headed back to the Indy Racing League after current driver Helio Castroneves faces trial and possible jail time over IRS charges…

The same article on Fox Sports said that former DEI driver and reigning Rookie of the Year Regan Smith, will drive the #78 for Furniture Row Racing in 2009…

B-Blog

Congrtat’s to Jimmie Johnson on his thre-peat.

Jimmie Johnson did enough during the Chase to end up on top. Carl Edwards ran out of events to win… leaving him in second place. The presumptive Chase winner, Kyle Busch, never did overcome his early Chase problems. Let me proclaim it here first, Jimmie Johnson will not win four straight Sprint Cup Championships. However, I do predict Read more

Double Clutchin’-The Year In Silly Driver Awards

Well, Jimmie Johnson won his third-straight championship by doing what he had to do at Homestead: not crashing. Carl Edwards won another race by having just a touch more fuel than everyone else did and he did his part to at least made the first part of the race interesting. Now, with the final race of the season out of the way and the end of the NASCAR season upon us, it is now the time to give out the awards for this season. These were thought out over a great deal of time (about 30 seconds) and it is my sincere wish that all of the drivers honored will be deeply touched by these awards.

Plastic imaginary trophies can be found at finer K-Mart establishments nationwide:

The Cale Yarborough Award For Racing Excellence: Jimmie Johnson

The “Is This Guy A Racer Or A Pro Wrestler?” Award: Carl Edwards

The Bill Belichick Award For Coaching Ethics: Chad Knaus

The Michelle Wie “Not Ready For Prime Time” Award: Joey Logano

The Alex Rodriguez Award For Outstanding Playoff Performance: Kyle Busch

The Phil Hellmuth Biggest Brat Award: Kyle Busch

The Tampa Bay Rays Surprise Of The Season Award: Clint Bowyer

The Best Driver That No One Has Ever Heard Of Award: Greg Biff…What’s his name again? Biffle? Okay, yeah, Greg Biffle, that’s it.

The Phil Fulmer Award For Coaching Excellence: Tony Eury, Jr.

The “My God, If I Have To Watch Those One More Time, I’m Going To Stab Out My Retinas” Award: The Kasey Kahne All-State commercials

The “If My Wife Looked Like His, My Racing Would Fall Off As Well” Award: Jeff Gordon

The Hank Williams, Jr. “Pretty Good, Never Gonna Be His Dad, And That’s Okay” Award: Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

The “These Guys Caused More Crashes Than Michael Waltrip” Award: Goodyear Tires

The Jan Brady “I Hate My Sibling” Award: Kurt Busch

The “What Do You Mean I Didn’t Win” Award: Carl Edwards for winning two more races, having four more top fives, and five more top tens than Jimmie Johnson, but ending up in second place in the points.

The “I Thought That All I Needed Was A Hot Wife To Run NASCAR” Award: Dario Franchitti

The Willie Mays “Please Retire, Because I Can’t Stand To See You This Way” Award: Bill Elliott

and finally…

The Casey Mears Award For Being An Average Performer On A Great Team:

Goes to…Rocky Kitts and Double Clutchin’. Seriously, a big thank you to Josh and the team here at Fast Machines for giving me the license to blog a little NASCAR this season and to be as serious or as silly as I wanted to be. I know that my style isn’t entertaining to all, but hey, you can’t be all things to all people. I’ve had a great time here this season and hope that you readers have as well. There have been better NASCAR seasons, that’s for sure, but this season still gave us some great moments to remember and hopefully next season will once again find us all talking about the end of another tremendous NASCAR season.

Last person out out of the garage make sure that all the tools are turned off, unplugged, and placed in their proper spots.

Thank you and God Bless to all. Even you Kasey.

NASCAR - Who Would Have Won?

Lunch one Thursday in 2003 was interesting. We met, as usual almost every week, at the local Lions’ Club for their cheap hot dogs. This gathering has included at times, Chris Economaki, drivers, crew, retired drivers and owners, journalists, etc. The weather and home crises cut into attendance that week but it was still an interesting group. Read more

At least they’re making it interesting!

With Carl Edwards qualifying fourth and Jimmie Johnson starting 30th, there is a chance Jimmie could finish below 38th overall, with Edwards leading the most laps and winning the event to claim his first Sprint Cup National Title. But I really don’t see that happening. Johnsom isn’t going to be content running Read more

Double Clutchin’-The Good, The Bad, And ABC

First off, apologies to all for no posts in a while; the reasons for my absence are numerous and personal, but I’m happy to be back with you for the last bite of the NASCAR season.  I’m going to do this post in reverse today so let us get this party started:

The Ugly:

ABC.  Oh my God, are you kidding me?  With 39 laps to go in the race ABC decides to switch to ESPN2?  I know there are a few of you out there who wonder what the big deal is; I mean, every one has cable; right?

No, they don’t.  One of the things that I’ve liked about the last part of the season is the fact that the races are on ABC.  That means that I can go to visit my dad on Sundays and watch the races with him.  Cable isn’t offered in the boondocks where my folks live and a satellite really doesn’t fit into their budget, so the only races that he gets to watch are the ones on free tv.  So when the race was switched to cable, we (along with those who had tivoed it) were pretty much screwed.

Folks, I was so mad Sunday that I was throwing things.  I know that this wasn’t really NASCAR’s fault, but it really felt like it was another example of how far away from its core audience NASCAR has gotten.  Like I said, maybe that’s not fair of me, but I was more than a little irritated.  Plus, it was a definite sign that whether we want to admit it or not, NASCAR is still seen as a red-headed step-child in the sports industry.  If that had been an NFL game, there’s no way that it’s not allowed to play out.  This was the next to last race of the season, you’ve got the points leader in first and the number two guy (Carl) primed to make one last run at the lead and possibly the championship.  There was every indication that something good was about to happen, but God forbid that America’s Funniest Home Videos be knocked off the air.

I mean, who wouldn’t rather watch a guy get hit in the balls by his kid on video for the millionth time, than what could potentially be the deciding race of the season?

Bill France wasn’t happy about the decision, but he was diplomatic, saying:

“We didn’t like it, that was not what we had anticipated but we have talked to them repeatedly in the last couple days,” France said. “There were lots of circumstances that we have to consider. They have their own issues they had to manage around. Unfortunately we got the short end of that.”(Nascar.com)

No, Bill, it was a lot of your fans that got the short end of that.  Onto the bad.

The Bad:

This isn’t really bad, but I didn’t know where else to put it.  The wreck involving David Gilliland and Scott Speed was tremendous.  I can’t remember the last time that I saw a car actually stuck on top of another car.  Bad luck for both guys, but it was a great visual and luckily no one was injured.

And oh yeah, Scott Speed is as weird as he was advertised.  I’ve never seen a guy look that happy about being involved in a crash.  If this guy can learn to race the NASCAR circuit, he could really be good for the sport.  He’s got a lot of qualities that I think could make him very popular; and even more unpopular with NASCAR fans.

The Good:

Jimmie Johnson took this victory at Phoenix, and with that he has all but finished his quest for a third straight championship.  Sure, Haley’s Comet could change course, plummet to Earth and take out Johnson before the race, but it’s not bloody likely.

Carl Edwards.  Carl may not win the championship, but there’s no doubt that this season was his coming out party.  Carl will go into next season as one of the top candidates to dethrone Johnson as the champ, along with Kyle Busch and he’s become the new “it” guy of NASCAR.  Carl has brought a lot of energy to NASCAR this season and I expect him to be bringing that same kind of energy for years to come.

Great races by Jamie McMurray and J.P. Montoya (that makes it more NASCAR-ie, doesn’t it?) on Sunday.  Both of these guys have been impressive in the last few races (I guess racing for sponsorships can do that), and I wouldn’t be surprised to see either one of them be next season’s break-out driver.  Of course, in McMurray’s case, that’s been said before, but maybe this will be the time for J-Mac to fulfill his potential.

That’s it for this issue, folks.  One more race to go and we can tie a bow on the NASCAR season.  That can mean only one thing:

The first ever Double Clutchin’ Year in Review Driver Awards!  Coming soon to a blog near you.

Be afraid Michael.  Be very afraid.

Also, in case I forget to mention it later, thanks to all of you who have taken the time to read these posts and who have offered your own opinions and observations.

Get the trophy ready!

After the fall trip to the desert, the Chase is virtually over. With Jimmie Johnson leading Carl Edwards by 141 points I think it would be safe to drop the hardware off at jewelry store and have Jimmies name printed on the trophy for the third consecutive time. Only Cale Yarborough had earlier managed that feat. Cale was one heck of a great driver in his day. Read more