Wednesday, October 8th, 2008
Talladega proved to be just as exciting as it has always been. There was the “big one,” times two, a first time winner and of course some beating and banging.
The “big one” was multiplied times two Sunday and each was equally damaging to the two sets of drivers.
The first “big one” happened on lap 63 with Brian Vickers, the leader of the middle row of cars, who was battling for the lead with all the other cars on the frontstretch when his right front tire exploded. The explosion sent his No. 83 Toyota into the left side of Martin Truex Jr.’s No. 1 Chevrolet and many cars and drivers searching for clarity. (more…)
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Wednesday, June 18th, 2008
Rain — always a factor — played havoc on Friday’s race track activities, this time at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Mich.
Sprint Cup qualifying was canceled moments after the rain came down. Ten cars had qualified with Greg Biffle’s No. 16 sitting on top. However, it would be Kyle Busch’s No. 18 Toyota who would “claim” the pole position, thanks to the current owner’s points standings.
The rain didn’t seem to be a problem Saturday. The Cup drivers were able to have their final two practice sessions. Greg Biffle’s No. 16 (still very fast) and Jimmie Johnson’s No. 48 Chevrolet were the fastest. (Other track activities were able to resume as well, including an ARCA Remax race and a Craftsman Truck race.)
The LifeLock 400 started Sunday despite the possibility of rain with Busch pulling away from the pack until the first caution flag flew three laps in. (more…)
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Thursday, May 29th, 2008
Memorial Day weekend is a big racing weekend for the race fans and the drivers. There are always several races going on during the weekend, particularly on Sunday. Two of the biggest and best known races are the Indianapolis 500 in Indianapolis, Ind. and the Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte, N.C.
The Coke 600 is also the longest race of the year. It starts in the day with the sun blaring down upon you and ends under the lights as the cool air breaths down your neck.
I know this well; I was there this weekend.
It is typically a very interesting race; anything and everything can and probably will happen. It just takes a little longer for most things to do so. This year’s race was no exception. (more…)
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Wednesday, May 21st, 2008
Who would have thought there would be an All-Star main event without a single caution for debris or a wreck? Instead, there were three, the only cautions scheduled to break the race into four segments.
The Sprint Showdown (formerly the Open), the qualifying race directly before the All-Star race (officially called All-Star Race XXIV), was a different story. The 40-lap race had one scheduled pit stop after the first of two segments, but quickly the one definite pit stop turned to three additional pit stops.
Patrick Carpentier, the driver who promised to run naked if he was voted in, was the first to bring out a caution when his No. 10 Dodge got loose and spun hitting the wall. He was done and was also disqualified from the Fan Vote because his car was no longer race-ready.
When the segment restarted Carpentier’s teammate, Elliott Sadler, in his No. 19 Dodge, was the second car to bring out a caution (more…)
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Wednesday, April 30th, 2008
The weekend that was Talladega, known for it’s “big one,” was not only enjoyable to watch but also full of victories, could-have-been wins and chances blown away.
Talladega was the first impound race of the season. That meant, after the final practice session Friday, they’d have to qualify Saturday. If they didn’t have it figured out yet, they’d have to wait until the race. Usually, when the race isn’t an impound race (i.e. Daytona, Talladega, or Richmond) the teams set their cars up for qualifying during the first practice session and with the next practice session(s) they set it up for the race.
With impound races, most of the teams, who were already in on owner points, set their cars up for the race and weren’t betting on the best starting position. And those teams that were on the “outside looking in” focused mainly on getting their cars in and not on race setup. The top five cars and drivers for the starting lineup gave evidence of that. (more…)
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Wednesday, April 23rd, 2008
I know it may be a little early for this, but I thought I’d share my predictions for the rest of the season. Maybe in doing so, I can give you a little more insight as to who my favorite driver is — or maybe not.
He may have it in him, but I don’t think Jimmie Johnson will actually win a third championship in a row. I don’t think he’ll drop out of the Top 12 in points, either. He’s high enough up and he’s got very “Jimmie Johnson friendly” tracks up ahead.
I’m sure he’s going to win a few more races. What would the season be if Johnson didn’t win a handful of races and wasn’t a threat to win? (more…)
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Wednesday, April 16th, 2008
The weekend started a day, or rather night, earlier than usual, with a Cup practice session, both Nationwide practice sessions and Cup qualifying.
During qualifying, Ryan “Rocketman” Newman was able to put his No. 12 Alltel Dodge on the pole and starting second, beside him, was Elliott Sadler in the No. 19 Best Buy Dodge. Sadler and his Gillett Evernham Motorsports (GEM) teammate, Kasey Kahne, No. 9 Budweiser Dodge, teams brought brand new cars to the track. A fact that was evident, with Kahne sitting fifth in the lineup.
Carl Edwards, No. 99 Aflac Ford, and Mark Martin, No. 8 U.S. Army Chevrolet, rounded out the top five. However, the three Dodges wouldn’t fair very well in Saturday’s race. (more…)
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Wednesday, April 9th, 2008
The Samsung 500 at the Great American Speedway — apparently the new name for Texas Motor Speedway — wasn’t the best race, so far, this season. Not much happened during the race.
That wasn’t the same for Sprint Cup qualifying two days before.
Michael McDowell, driver of the No. 00 Aaron’s Toyota, began his first lap in his qualifying attempt. As he turned into the corner, it appeared the car got loose and he over-corrected it by “hooking to the right,” said McDowell on The Today Show Monday. In doing so, he went straight into the wall.
Due to the tremendous amount of speed, once the car initially hit the wall, it flew up and barrel-rolled several times. “I counted seven,” (more…)
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Wednesday, April 2nd, 2008
Wasn’t the first day of spring a good week before the race? Yes, I believe it was! It wasn’t very apparent if you were watching the race coverage throughout the weekend. Once again, this thing called indecisive weather, played games with the drivers (and us).
The weekend appeared to be better than before — no rain in sight — at least for the first half of the weekend.
During Friday’s qualifying, all the teams were on their a-game. The drivers seated below the top 35 in owner points were sitting on edge and stepping up. The starting lineup was evident of that. (more…)
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Wednesday, March 19th, 2008
Short track racing typically equals disappointment. Disappointment for the drivers, not the fans, and Bristol was no exception.
Once again, like several times this season, the expected winner or dominant driver didn’t cross the finish line first.
For the second time this season with only five races under the belt, Cup qualifying was cancelled due to rain (or weather). Once again, the starting order was set by the owner points.
Nationwide qualifying was also cancelled (for the third time), because the drivers had not practiced on the track. (The rain had cancelled Nationwide practices earlier.)
Saturday called for both series to have one long final practice each with Clint Bowyer’s No. 2 BB&T Chevrolet being the fastest Nationwide car. Kasey Kahne’s No. 9 Budweiser Dodge was the fastest Cup car. Both names would continue to play a part in Saturday’s Nationwide race. (more…)
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