DG Best Buy At Bristol

Matt Kenseth, driving the Dollar General number 20 Toyota, was able to hold off Kasey Kahne in the closing laps to win the Irwin Tools Night Race at Bristol. Kahne did everything he could to pass him, short of knocking him out of the way, but to no avail. It was Kenseth's series leading fifth victory of the 2013 NASCAR season.

It was a pretty good race to watch on T.V. Hamlin's and Harvick's tempers flared a bit after the race.

 

Apparently Harvick was not happy with Hamlin and after the finish of the race, Harvick parked his car in Hamlin's pit stall. Kevin just wanted to have a little talk about the race. Hamlin didn't take this too lightly. He simply used his car to push the 29 out of the way. After a bit of shouting and pushing with the pit crew, Harvick made his way to window of the 11. I thought "oh here we go" but the drivers seemd to work it out and none was the worse for wear. It's a good thing. Harvick is a skinny little shit and Hamlin would have killed him. The only problem I had with the race is that the timing of the ABC coverage seemed to be a bit off. Every time that there was a commercial during a caution, ABC missed the beginning of the restarts. Hopefully they will fix that problem or find a new director.

This week's race moves to Hotlanta on Sunday night. This is a 1.54 mile quad oval, boring kind of track. This track proves that bigger is not always better. Now the Fords are usually good at Michigan but not so in Atlanta. In last year's race, Greg Biffle was the only Ford to finish in the top 15. The tracks at Charlotte and Texas are damn near identical to Atlanta and in the races held there this season, the 99 of Carl Edwards and the 22 of Joey Logano were the only two Fords that showed anything. This race was expanded from 400 to 500 miles this year and the engine manufacturers will be sweating bullets. This track was already hard on the engines, and the extended length and hot weather will take a toll. The 48 lost an engine at Michigan a couple of weeks ago and the Toyotas have had troubles off and on all year. So your guess as to who will win is good as mine.

Coors Light Qualifying is Friday evening and I will need your picks by 5:30 P.M. on Friday. There are two races left in the third segment.

I am sure these two Coors Light girls could give any man a pole.

Here are the race results and current standings.

Week-Jim 194, Toby 170, PT 156, Dennis 156, Freddy 150, Joe 136, Neil 136, Chuck 134, Terry 131, Michael 124, Norb 116, Brent 111

Segment-PT 1065, Freddy 1063, Chuck 1021, Toby 990, Joe 976, Dennis 960, Jim 956, Brent 954, Norb 942, Terry 907, Neil 905, Michael 900

Overall-Chuck 4082, PT 4052, Freddy 4020, Michael 3992, Dennis 3918, Joe 3885, Brent 3806, Neil 3772, Jim 3755, Toby 3740, Terry 3600, Norb 3530

As you know, Juan Pablo Montoya finished third at Bristol on Saturday, and I am sure you are aware that Montoya will be released from his contract with Earnhardt/Ganassi racing following the end of the season. So hear is a tribute to one crazy Columbian, Juan Pablo Montoya. Did you know that "Montoya" is Spanish for crash and burn?

Hamlin's High Hopes

Denny Hamlin finally has something else to celebrate this year besides the birth of his first child.



Hamlin turned the fast lap to wins the Coors Light Pole award at Bristol. It is his first pole this year.



 



 





Everybody better beware of Kyle Busch. He will be on a mission. He is going for the weekend sweep at Bristol, but after a problem in qualifying, he is starting last. He got out of the groove and spun.

 

Hey do any of you remember this Jeff Gordon? You know, the young guy who won all the biggest races and championships.

 

 

I can't believe I am gonna say this but I believe the time has come for Jeff Gordon to think about retiring. He was the reason I got into NASCAR and he was the driving force behind the increased popularity of NASCAR. He has not won a race this year and it will be nearly impossible for him to make The Chase. Gordon used to be the king of the short tracks but hasn't won a short track race in years. He seems to have lost that competitive edge. Maybe it is the smoking hot wife or adorable kids. I don't know but in the words of Dandy Don Meridith. "Turn out the lights. The party's over."

 Here are the qualifying results:

 

Michael-48, 24, 11, 78=32

Norb-99, 2, 11, 15=32

Toby-16, 2, 11, 20=30

Brent-29, 2, 11, 18=20

Chuck-48, 24, 55, 2=19

Joe-18, 2, 11, 24=19

Neil-18, 24, 11, 2=19

Jim-5, 24, 42, 22=19

Terry-18, 2, 55, 29=17

PT-18, 2, 55, 24=16

Freddy-18, 2, 55, 15=16

Dennis-18, 24, 55, 2=16

 

The top 15 in qualifying were-11, 78, 99, 55, 20, 22, 5, 39, 56, 43, 14, 2, 48, 9, 29

 



Sliced Bread Cuts Up The Field

Joey Logano led the most laps and went on to win the Pure Michigan 400 on Sunday at MIS.

It was his first victory of the year and his first win since the June 2012 race at Pocono. The win puts Logano into the conversation when talking about The Chase. He currently sits 13th in points and 3rd in the wildcard race.

I told you all that the Fords typically run well at Michigan. It was the 34th victory at Michigan International Speedway for Ford. Hendrick Motor Sports, on the other hand, didn't fair to well. Johnson blew an engine and Dale Jr. blew a fan...I mean a tire.

This week NASCAR moves from one of the larger tracks to the smallest track, Bristol Motor Speedway. It is the Irwin Tools Night Race at Bristol on Saturday, August 24. The Toyota's seem to run particularly well at Bristol. This race will se its share of bumping and bruising as well as tempers flaring. To win this race a driver needs to remain calm and cool. So you will probaby want to stay away from Juan Pablo Montoya. I will need your picks by 4:30 P.M. on Friday. There are three races left in this segment; Bristol, Atlanta and Richmond.

Here are the results from the Michigan race and the updated standings.
Week-Neil 192, PT 189, Dennis 166, Brent 159, Toby 158, Chuck 148, Freddy 143, Terry 143, Norb 132, Joe 128, Jim 121, Michael 115

Segment-Freddy 913, PT 909, Chuck 887, Brent 843, Joe 840, Norb 826, Toby 820, Dennis 804, Michael 776, Terry 776, Neil 769, Jim 762

Overall-Chuck 3948, PT 3896, Freddy 3870, Michael 3868, Dennis 3762, Joe 3749, Brent 3695, Neil 3636, Toby 3570, Jim 3561, Terry 3469, Norb 3414

Joey Logano wrote and recorded a new song to celebrate his victory.

Congrats to A.J. Allmendinger for winning the inauguarel event at Mid Ohio Race Way. I thought you all might enjoy some pics of Allmendinger's wife, Lynne. I know you will enjoy.

 

 

 

Logano Logs Leading Lap

Joey Logano turned the fast lap in qualifying for Sunday's Pure Michigan 400.

The usually strong Rousch Fords, sucked in qualifying. Biffle and Edwards were two of the last drivers to go out in qualifying. That should have been a big advantage for them but they somehow managed to screw it up. I picked Carl Edwards as one of my drivers this weekend. I do not know why I continue to pick that wooden dick, Howdy Doody look alike. I think that maybe Jack Rousch has had his hand up the puppets ass for far too long. On the bright side, the 48 hit the wall during practice and had to go to a backup car. That means he will have to start from the back. Here are the qualifying results.

Chuck-15, 2, 55, 48=37
Michael-48, 24, 11, 88=33
Freddy-48, 2, 11, 16=28
Joe-48, 24, 55, 99=28
PT-99, 22, 55, 16=27
Neil-5, 22, 55, 16=27
Dennis-15, 2, 55, 16=24
Terry-88, 2, 11, 16=24
Toby-20, 2, 11, 16=19
Jim-99, 1, 55, 18=18
Norb-20, 2, 21, 18=17
Brent-16, 2, 11, 99=15

The top 15 in qualifying were the 22, 78, 48, 55, 31, 42, 88, 11, 2, 18, 15, 20, 24, 43,

Kyle Busch Gains Ground at the Glen

Kyle Busch was able to hold off Brad Keselowski on the final lap to win at the Glen on Sunday. The victory virtually locks up a spot in The Chase for the 18 team. I don't care for Kyle Busch but he did do a cool burnout to celebrate his win. He was hanging out the window while doing the burnout. But for some strange reason, I can't get it to download. It must be copywritten and not in the public domain. Sorry about that.

This season's race wasn't nearly exciting as last year's but it was still some pretty good racing. Ambrose had the dominant car of the day but got suffled back to 12th place when he had to pit under caution, while 11 other cars pitted right before the caution. His car would not handle in the dirty air and he ended up crashing and settling for a 31st place finish. He was going for his 3rd straight Cup victory at the track and his 4th overall, including a win in the Nationwide Series.

In my humble opinion, NASCAR needs to add a road race to The Chase. It is the truest test of a driver skills and abilities. Perhaps they could take the Chase race away from Kansas and move it to a road course. Of course, this will never happen. NASCAR is now more about selling tickets and increasing TV ratings then it is about determining who is the best driver and team.

This weeks race is at Michigan International Speedway on Sunday afternoon. This track was designed by Roger Penske and is a sister track to Fontana. While the racing on these tracks are similar, the track in Southern California obviously doesnt have to withstand the harsh winters that the Michigan track does. Historically, the Fords have had the most success at Michigan with 33 victories, while Chevy runs a distant 2nd, with 20 wins at the track. This race is important for the manufacturers because of its proximity to Detroit which is the headquarters for both Ford and Chevrolet. And you can see what that has done for the city of Detroit. Crime, decay, poverty, urban decay, high dropout rate, teen pregnancy, poor leadership, poor planning, and now bankruptcy. God Bless America.

I will need your picks in by 2:30 P.M. on Friday afternoon. Remember this is a short segment and there are only 4 races left in Segment 3. Just a quick note, Austin Dillon will be driving the #14 Chevrolet for Tony Stewart this weekend. Here are the results and standings.

Week-Freddy 210, PT 210, Joe 210, Chuck 205, Dennis 205, Brent 177, Toby 172, Norb 161, Michael 153, Jim 147, Terry 140, Neil 89

Segment-Freddy 770, Chuck 739, PT 720, Joe 712, Norb 694, Brent 684, Toby 662, Michael 661, Jim 641, Dennis 638, Terry 633, Neil 577

Overall-Chuck 3800, Michael 3753, Freddy 3727, PT 3707, Joe 3621, Dennis 3596, Brent 3536, Neil 3444, Jim 3440, Toby 3412, Terry 3326, Norb 3282

I hope you enjoy my musical tribute for the week.

G-day Mates

Marcos Ambrose turned the fastest lap at Watkins Glen International Raceway to win the Coors Light Pole Award. Ambrose is going for the 4-peat as he has one the last three races at The Glen. However this will be the first time that he will start from the pole. Here are the qualifying results.

Freddy-18, 9, 47, 2=46
PT-18, 2, 47, 9=46
Joe-18, 2, 47, 9=46
Chuck-18, 9, 47, 42=43
Dennis-18, 9, 47, 42=43
Brent-18, 2, 55, 9=35
Toby-18, 42, 55, 9=32
Terry-99, 24, 47, 9=27
Norb-78, 42, 13, 9=23
Neil-5, 9, 11, 24=15
Jim-99, 9, 11, 48=15
Michael-48, 2, 55, 78=12

Cute Kasey Kahne Cruises

Kasey Kahne re-took the lead from Jeff Gordon on the next to last lap a pulled away to win the Go Bowling 400 at Pocono. It was Kahne's second win of the year and virtually locks up a spot in the chase.

Gordon had used a quick pit stop to gain track position with the laps running down. On the restart he was able to power past the 5 car of Kasey Kahne and pull away for what appeared to be his first victory of the 2013 season. Not so fast. The caution flag waved for debris on the track with four laps remaining in the race. On the restart, Kahne was able to wrestle the lead back fron Gordon and pull away for the victory. A clearly disappointed Gordon, had to settle for second. In the post race interview Gordon simply stated that Kahne out drove him.

The races at Pocono are usually rather uneventful. Not so with this race. The cars were able to do some passing and there were many instances of side by side racing. After the track was re-paved a couple of years ago, tire wear was not much of an issue. Apparently the harsh Pennsylvania winters have taken a toll on the re-pave because tire wear was an issue this past weekend. Points leader Jimmie Johson cut a tire and hit the wall in turn 2. Even though he was one of my picks for the race, it warmed my heart to see the 48 car have some trouble for a change. Still, he managed a 13th place finish. David Stremme and David Gilliland were among the other drivers also bitten by the blown tire bug. For all you Denny Hamlin fans out there, it was another disappointing race. Hamlin spun out in turn 2 and smacked the wall to put him out of the race. He finished dead last. He is just having one of those years. In the words of Chicago Cubs fans, "wait til next year."

This week NASCAR moves to the road course at Watkins Glen. In breaking news, Tony Stewart will not be in the 14 car for the race. Tony suffered a broken tibia and fibula in his lower leg after a crash in a sprint car race at Iowa Speedway on Monday night. He had surgery immediately after arriving at the hospital and will have to have another surgery once the swelling goes down. He is expected to miss six to eight weeks. So Stewart will have to wait until next year to try for a 4th Sprint Cup title. Max Papis will be in the 14 car for the road course race. No word yet on who might pilot the 14 car after Watkins Glen.

Last year's race at The Glen featured one of the most exciting finishes of the entire season. There was oil on the track, and for some reason NASCAR chose not to throw a caution. Instead, they let the drivers slip and slide through the last lap. Kyle Busch and Marcos Ambrose traded the lead back and forth a couple of times before Ambrose was able to slide across the finish line for the victory.

The 9 car of Ambrose, the 18 car of Kyle Busch, and the 2 car of Keselowski have been particularly strong at this track over the past three years. Other drivers who have success at the Glen include the 56, 99, 29, 20, 39, 48, 42, and 24. Kurt Busch has always been good on the road courses as has Allmendinger. Kasey Kahne has also won on the road course at Sonoma. There will be a few road course specialists in the race including Boris Said and Ron Fellows. A road course specialist has never won a Sprint Cup race but they usually qualify well and generally run in the top 20.

I will need your picks by 10:30 A.M. on Saturday.

Here are the race results and standings:
Week-Brent 177, Chuck 175, Neil 167, Michael 164, Freddy164, Norb 160, PT 158, Jim 157, Toby 155, Joe 150, Dennis 150, Terry 137

Segment-Freddy 560, Chuck 534, Norb 533, PT 510, Michael 508, Brent 507, Joe 502, Jim 494, Terry 493, Toby 490, Neil 488, Dennis 433

Overall-Michael 3600, Chuck 3595, Freddy 3517, PT 3497, Joe 3411, Dennis 3391, Brent 3359, Neil 3355, Jim 3293, Toby 3240, Terry 3186, Norb 3121

Well, Dale Jr. is at it again. This song is his tribute to his teammate, Kasey Kahne. You will have to forgive the vocals. As you already know, I don't have much of a range and this song really pushed it.

Pocono Qualifying Results

Chuck-48, 39, 11, 18=48
Brent-48, 39, 11, 78=45
Jim-48, 9, 11, 99=43
Freddy-48, 24, 11, 18=36
Norb-99, 24, 11, 48=35
Michael-48, 39, 11, 88=34
PT-48, 22, 11, 88=32
Terry-20, 9, 11, 18=29
Joe-48, 24, 11, 14=22
Dennis-48, 24, 11, 14=22
Neil-48, 24, 11, 5=22
Toby-15, 24, 11, 5=7

Here is an update of your wildcard uses so you can update your own records.

PT-2-2, 5-2, 9-1, 15-1, 16-1, 18-2, 20-1, 22-1, 24-1, 27-1, 29-1, 48-1, 56-2, 88-3, 99-1
Dennis-2-1, 5-1, 11-1, 14-2, 15-2, 16-1, 18-1, 20-1, 22-1, 24-1, 29-1, 39-1, 48-1, 55-1, 78-1, 88-2, 99-2
Toby-2-2, 5-2, 9-1, 11-2, 14-3, 15-1, 16-2, 18-1, 20-1, 24-3, 29-1, 78-1, 88-1
Jim-2-1, 5-3, 14-2, 15-1, 20-3, 24-2, 29-2, 48-2, 88-1, 99-3
Chuck-2-2, 5-2, 14-2, 15-3, 16-1, 18-2, 20-3, 24-1, 48-1, 78-1, 88-2, 99-1
Neil-5-2, 11-1, 15-2, 16-2, 18-1, 20-2, 24-2, 29-2, 48-2, 56-1, 78-2, 88-1, 99-1
Norb-2-1, 5-2, 11-1, 14-2, 15-1, 16-2, 18-1, 20-2, 24-1, 29-2, 42-1, 48-2, 56-1, 88-1, 99-1
Freddy-2-1, 5-2, 11-1, 14-2, 15-1, 16-2, 18-2, 20-2, 24-1, 29-3, 48-1, 88-1, 99-2
Brent-2-1, 5-2, 9-1, 14-1, 15-2, 16-2, 18-1, 22-1, 29-2, 31-1, 48-1, 56-1, 78-3, 88-1, 99-1
Terry-2-1, 5-2, 14-3, 16-2, 18-1, 20-1, 24-2, 29-1, 47-1, 48-1, 55-1, 88-3, 99-2
Michael-5-2, 9-1, 14-2, 15-3, 18-2, 27-1, 29-3, 48-2, 56-1, 78-1, 88-2, 99-1
Joe-2-3, 5-3, 11-1, 14-2, 15-2, 16-1, 18-2, 29-3, 42-1, 48-1, 88-1, 99-1