An off weekend means, not only was I bored, but I have a chance to review the first five races of the season.
I have been very pleased with the racing, so far. I think this new car, respectfully the Car of Today (no longer should it be called the Car of Tomorrow), is worth the aggravation it brought last year. The racing has improved, maybe that isn’t just due to the new car, but nonetheless it has been enjoyable to watch.
The race finishes, most of them, have been spectacular. The Daytona 500, for instance, was amazing, much like the year before, with Ryan Newman winning the 500.
Wow! I think my view of him, as a driver, has changed some. I, personally, thought he wouldn’t win again in the series for a long time, if at all. So, to see him cross the finish line, with five other Dodges behind him, beating out his teammate, Kurt Busch and Tony Stewart, that was amazing and enjoyable to watch.
Carl Edwards winning two in a row, but getting one of the wins taken away; the points for that race won’t count if he makes the Chase for the Sprint Cup. He was dominant throughout those two races and the race that followed. I was very close to thinking he might win three in a row. Now that would have been something.
Despite, not being a huge fan of Edwards, I was sort of hoping that he would win Atlanta, so that he’d have justice — so to speak.
I was, also happy and surprised that Jack Roush, the owner of Edwards’ No. 99 Ford, chose not to appeal the penalties. That was a big decision.
Toyota — finally — got its first Sprint Cup win. A good thing, but I think most people, myself included, were hoping and waiting for it to be Tony Stewart.
Who, besides the true Kyle Busch fans, thought it would Busch? Who thought Busch would be just as strong, if not stronger, with Joe Gibbs Racing and Toyota?
I am not afraid to admit that I wasn’t one of the Kyle Busch hopefuls. I do not worship him, in fact, I prefer Kurt. I do, however, see the change he has made on and off of the track. As much as it pains me to say, I am enjoying seeing him more on television (in chipper spirits, no less) and out front. He’s racing clean and he’s racing well.
Currently, there is no one team, driver or manufacturer dominating the races. Every manufacturer has won at least one race, with Ford having two. That’s great. It is nice to see various drivers atop the charts (and point standings). This time last year, Chevrolet had won four of the first five races; three from two of the drivers from Hendrick Motorsports (Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Busch), and Ford had the only other win.
I think this is a sign that the all CoTs are very similar to one another, making ever car equal. This, I think, makes the racing good, because now I know that this car is just as good as that car. That this driver can win over that driver — the driver who always wins. This opens up the option that ANY driver can win, for the most part.
I like how I’m not sitting, watching the race in disappointment or disbelief because I knew who was going to win even before the race begun. I no longer feel that I should say, “Of course, Johnson (or Gordon) is going to win,” because now anyone can win!
My driver even has a good chance of returning to the winner’s circle. He’s one of the few to have four top ten finishes. That is something he hasn’t done for a long time. And it is something I hope continues to happen. I hope, as I’ve said before, that he continues to be consistently good and not consistently inconsistent.
So, how is the guessing coming along? Have you figured out who I root for persistently weekend after weekend? Or, have I confused you more each week? I suppose when he wins this year, it will be hard to keep my joy and excitement to myself. But, I know one day I’ll have to let it out and inform you-all as to who he is. I feel that it is easier to not name him. It helps and keeps me from being biased toward him and his team each week by not naming him.
You are all free to voice your opinion, your suspicions, your comments each week. If you feel you need to or want to, you can do so by emailing me at pitreportonline@gmail.com
Don’t miss:
From Martinsville
- Sprint Cup qualifying, Saturday 3:30 p.m. on SPEED
- Kroger 250 (Craftsman truck race), Saturday at 3 p.m. on FOX
- Goody’s Cool Orange 500 (Sprint Cup race), Sunday at 1:30 p.m. on FOX
Loading ...
