NASCAR's Manufactured Finishes

After watching the long Southern 500, I noticed something that caught my eye. It wasn't the throwback paint schemes, announcers, or TV graphics but the finish. While there was great racing through the race, the finish was a let down. So, let me explain.

With roughly about 15 laps to go, Brad Keselowski was holding off Edwards and Harvick on worn out tires on a green flag run. But, Jeb Burton spins out only the have the caution thrown out after he gets going, even when he was off the track where no other cars were and was off course. So in comes the leaders and Edwards wins race off pit road and race. On the last restart, there wasn't much of a nail biting finish like all the fans expected out of the rules package. The real kicker is NASCAR wanted to throw out the caution to create a show for fans, considering this is the first Darlington race on Labor Day weekend since 2003.

I suspect this was an attempt to create a show like many other NASCAR races over the last 5-7. For instance, " debris" caution coming late into a race or a relatively minor spin that wouldn't throw out a caution. An example from this year was the Brickyard 400, where a "debris" caution was thrown out to please fans and advertisers to put on a show for fans. This year's Southern 500 will be another episode on how NASCAR showcases itself of being rigged.

Martinsville Preview

Following yet another fantastic Fontana finish and the West Coast Swing, NASCAR returns to its short track roots in southern Virginia. NASCAR heads to the "Paperclip" or Martinsville for some side-by-side, bump-and-run style of short tracks. Here are some drivers to keep your eye on at the paperclip.
1. Jeff Gordon
It's hard not to talk about Martinsville without mentioning Gordon's incredible statistics at this track. He has lead 3,723 laps, or about the distance of 7 Martinsville races. He also has 8 wins, 28 top 5's and 35 top 10's. It's not hard to rule out Gordon at this track.
2. Jimmie Johnson
Right behind Gordon, Johnson has also been extraordinary at this track. He also has 8 wins, 18 top 5's, and 22 top 10's. He finished 2nd last year and led the most laps behind Kurt Busch. In fact, he's led 2,748 laps, 2nd to Gordon.
3. Joey Logano
A bit of an underdog at this track, he had two stellar outings last year at this track. He finished 4th and 5th respectively. In both races total, he led 99 laps. He could also extened his streak of 23 lead lap finishes, breaking Earnhardt and Gordon's record of 21 consecutive lead lap finishes last week.
4. Denny Hamlin
Hamlin is always a factor at this track, with 4 wins, 3 poles, 9 top 5's and 14 top 10's. However, he has not won here in Cup since in the fall of 2010. He also hopes to give Toyota their first Cup win, since last year's spring Talladega race. This could also jump start his Championship run, much like in 2010.

Fontana Preview

This week, NASCAR will complete it acclaimed "West-Coast Swing" at Auto Club Speedway in southern California. This track, known for 4 and 5 wide racing, worn out surface, and last lap finishes has made this a favorite among fans for racing. Here are some drivers to watch out for.
1. Kevin Harivck
Fresh of back-to-back wins at Vegas and Phoenix, Harvick returns to his home track where he won a nailbiter finish in 2011. But his last two finishes have been 13th and 36th, which could be a challenge if he wants to sweep the West Coast Swing.
2. Joey Logano
Always a contender at the 2-mile tracks, Logano is fresh of his 21st consecutive lead lap finish, tying Gordon and Earnhardt. He finished 3rd in 2013, in that famous battle between he and Hamlin. He's also had huge success at the sister track, Michigan where he's won and had several top 5's. Could this be the weekend he stop the Hendrick engine winning streak of 2015?
3. Kyle Larson
Larson shook the NASCAR world, when he won his first XFINITY race last year (then Nationwide) , holding off Harvick and Kyle Busch. Then in the Cup race, he was runner up to Kyle Busch in that great battle for the checkered flag. Will he be able to get the elusive first win at Auto Club Speedway this weekend?

Las Vegas Reactions

Following the first race of NASCAR's West Coast Swing, Las Vegas produced some interesting storylines following the race.
1. Kevin Harvick
Picking up right were he left off at Atlanta, Harvick dominated his way to his first win at Las Vegas, following last year's 42nd place run. He is on the best 6 race strech of his career, fnishing 2nd,1st,1st,2nd,2nd and 1st. He also 2 for 3 in his last 1.5 mile starts.
2. Loose cars
They say loose is fast, but sometimes loose can be counterproductive. Nearly everyone from Carl Edwards to Brad Keselowski was complaining of loose cars in the center and entry of the corners.
3. Furniture Row/Truex. Jr
After a dismal 2014 season, Truex. Jr is starting off the year on a high note, with 2 top tens and an inpressive 2nd place run behind race winner Harvick It's not hard to see why he's better, as Furniture Row is using RCR's engines that have produced good results for other satelite teams like Germain Racing and JTG Daugherty Racing.

Las Vegas Preview

NASCAR this week starts its west-coast tour, going to Las Vegas, Phoenix and Auto Club. Las Vegas is also the second 1.5 miler, and the first of many "cookie-cutter" tracks on the circuit. So, with NASCAR going to one of the more popular tracks, here are some predictions for this weekend.

1. Fuel Mileage

Almost every time we go to Vegas, fuel mileage is always talked about. It can win or lose you a race, just like Keselowski last year, making Junior run out of fuel.

2. Engine

Though the horsepower may be reduced, the possibility for engine failures still exists. With Las Vegas's high speed and RPM's, expect at least 1 or two engine failures.

3. Drivers

1. Brad Keselowski

Last year, Keselowski lead the most laps, en route to his first Vegas win. He also was a stong contender on 1.5 milers, with 3 wins, 5 top-5's and 490 laps lead. He also finished 3rd back in 2013. Don't rule him out as a contender this weekend.

2. Matt Kenseth

Coming off a dissapointing 2014, Kenseth returns to a place where he has 3 wins, 6 top-5's, 515 laps led and a pole back in 2011. He finished 10th last year. Could a win here be what he needs to start his 2015 campaign for a championship?

3. Jimmie Johnson

Fresh of his 21st 1.5 miler win at Atlanta, Johnosn returns to Vegas, where he has 4 wins, but none in the last 4 years. He also has 5 top-5's and led 455 laps. If he wins this weekend, he'll lead Vegas with most wins all time at this track.

So with this in mind, we will be in for a fast-paced, fight to the finish in Sin City.

Atlanta Reactions

Yesterday's running of the QuickTrip Folds Of Honor 500, proved to be a challenge for every team, but in the end it was Johnson taking home his 71st career win at 4th at Atlanta. So, here were some things I noticed in this race
1. Changing weather conditions
Unlike the other days NASCAR was at Atlanta, Sunday was chilly and rainy. This made for some interesting racing in the first 100 laps, as drivers tried to move the groove of the track upward. Also, the track started to cool down in the last 50 laps of the race, making for more side-by-side racing.
2. Bottom groove
Another thing that happened in the race was, more drivers were using the bottom than the top. This was unusual, since Atlanta is known for passing on the high side for wins and racing in general. On all of the restarts, the leader took the bottom, giving him the advantage, as the car on the outside would spin their tires.
3. Tires
Atlanta is known for a worn-out surface, causing tires to wear out quickly. Yesterday was no exception, as within 4-5 laps drivers would've run their fastest laps and torn were already worn. Even 9 laps after a caution, drivers would pit because of the tire fall-off at Atlanta.
4. Harvick domination
Much like a repeat from last year, Harvick lead the most laps, not only in Cup, but won his 3rd in a row Xfinity race in Atlanta. Once again, he had led the most laps, but couldn't seal the deal on a late race restart, giving the win to Johnson.

Atlanta Preview

It's that time of the year again, NASCAR racing at the fast, slick, bumpy track called Atlanta Motor Speedway. Known for its fast speeds, worn-out surface, fantastic finishes, and rich NASCAR history, it's not hard to see why this track is a favorite among fans. But what can we expect this year, following the biggest race of the year? Here are a few things to expect.
1. New 2015 rules package
For the first time this year, the Cup series will use its reduced horsepower and shorter spoiler package, in an effort to create more equal and exciting racing in the series. Perhaps this year, we will have a side-by-side finish that Atlanta is accustomed to.
2. Rain chances
With rumored chances of rain on Sunday, the race may not even be raced on Sunday, possibly pushed back to late at night or into Monday. This isn't the first time Atlanta has had rain delays. In 2011, Hurricane Lee postponed the race to Tuesday, which won won by Jeff Gordon to get his 85th career win.
3. Drivers to watch for
1. Kasey Kahne
When it comes to Atlanta, Kahne is always a factor at this track with 3 wins and 7 top-5 finishes. He is the defending winner of this race, and the last polesitter to win at Atlanta.
2. Jeff Gordon
As mentioned earlier, Gordon got his 85th career win here in 2011. He's a five time winner at this track and boasting an incredible amount of laps lead, and finishing in the top 10.
3. Carl Edwards
Edwards returns to the scene of his first career Cup win 10 years ago. This time, he's with the team that's won 2 of the last 3 Atlanta races. He has won at this track 3 times
4. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
For a good dark horse pick, Stenhouse is your driver. He has two top-5's and a win in the Xfinity series. He scored a pole here in 2013. Though one may easily write off Stenhouse, he'll be one to watch with RFR's new package on 1.5 milers.

Logano's Daytona

After a thrilling win in the 57th running in the Daytona 500, Logano is feeling good about the 2015 season. But what is the scope of the 24 year old's impressive win? First of all, it's his first win on a plate track in Cup, and giving Team Penske it's second 500 win;(other one was 2008 with Newman). Secondly, Logano established himself as an early favorite in the championship much like last year, starting the season with wins and top-5 finishes. Thirdly, Logano's 500 win will stick with him as being a champion of NASCAR's vesion of the Super Bowl, giving him more noteriety and respect among his competitors and fans. Lastly, Logano gave Ford Motor Company their second weekend sweep in less than a year; other one being the August Bristol races, proving Ford as a competitive manufacturer on the plate tracks.

Sprint Unlimited Reactions

The Sprint Unlimited is NASCAR's kick-off to the season, and it wasn't short on action. So with further ado, here are a few things I spotted.

1.Hard wrecks

During the race, drivers were working hard to manage the car's grip, causing them sometimes to spin and cause big crashes. For instance, McMurray got loose and slid up into Menard,Johnson,Hamlin,Kahne, Stenhouse, Harvick and Patrick to name a few. Towards the end, Biffle and Kurt Busch suffered hard hits into the SAFER barrier on the backstretch, after Stewart got loose, sliding into Biffle, and thus causing a wreck.

2. New factors

There was always someone different up front during the race, notably Truex. Jr. He finished 2nd to Kenseth, following a dismal 2014 campaign. Toward the end, both Edwards and Kenseth helped each other on the restarts. Edwards held up the field, letting Kenseth get a healthy lead on the competiton, thus causing him to win the race. Logano was a factor as well, pushing guys to the front and accidentally cutting a tire down on Harvick's car.

3. Tempers flare

Seemingly like a deja-vu from 2010 at Pocono, Harvick was mad at Logano for racing him hard at the end. Words were exchanged, but no physical fighting occurred. One thing to keep in mind is that Harvick is the champion, so it's possible he has a certain sense of entitlement with his championship, feeling that others should race him a certain way.

With a thriller like the Unlimited, who knows what'll happen in the rest of Speedweeks.

Teams,teams,teams

Looking at all of the announcements of drivers enterting in this years 500, you might be overwhelmed of all the drivers entering in this years race. So to help you, here's a list of known smaller teams planning to race in the 500.
1. BK Racing
#23-Dr.Pepper/Maxim Toyota driven by J.J. Yeley
#26-LiveDeals Toyota driven by Jeb Burton
#83-Dustless Blasting Toyota driven by Johnny Sauter
2. HScott Motorsports
#46-Pilot/Flying J Chevy driven by Michael Annett
#51-Brandt Chevy driven by Justin Allgaier
3. Front Row Motorsports
#34-KFC Ford driven by David Ragan
#35-SpeedStick Gear Ford driven by Cole Whitt
#38-Love's Travel Stops Ford driven by David Gilliland
4. RAB Racing
#29-American Born Moonshine Toyota driven by Justin Marks
5. TMG Team
#30-Smokey Mountain Herbal Snuff Chevy driven by Ron Hornaday. Jr
6. Tommy Baldwin Racing
#7-Nikko Chevy driven by Alex Bowman
7. Xxxtreme Motorsports
#44-Golden Corral Chevy driven by Reed Sorenson
8. Premium Motorsports
#66-Crazy Vapors Toyota driven by Mike Wallace

It will be fun to watch these guys try to get in the field for the 57th running of the Daytona 500, during the Budweiser Duels on Thursday the 19th.

Sprint Unlimited Preview

 It's that time of the year again, Speedweeks at Daytona International Speedway. NASCAR starts off Speedweeks with the Sprint Unlimited, a race consisting of 2014 pole winners, and Chase contenders. It's hard to make a prediction at the Unlimited, let alone any plate track in NASCAR, but here a a few drivers to keep your eye on in this race.
1. Brad Keselowski
After finishing 2nd in last year's race, 3rd place in the 500, and an a win a Talladega in October, Keselowski is always a factor in any plate track he's gone too in the last year. But also in 2014, he finished 18th and 38th in the other 2 plate races, after being involved in wrecks. But given how much he wants to win at Daytona, he'll be one to watch when the green flag drops.
2. Matt Kenseth
Kenseth, like Keselowski is always a factor at plate tracks, but with more success during Speedweeks. He's won the Budweiser duels and the 500 twice, but has never won the Unlimited. In his last two starts in the Unlimited, he's finish 5th and 10th respectively. If he can simply avoid crashing out like last year, he could finally win an elusive Sprint Unlimited race.
3. Kevin Harvick
Fresh of his monumental championship run of 2014, he comes into the Unlimited with 4 wins in this event, including finishing 5th in last year's event. Though he may not be the best car in the beginning, he's notorious for showing up in the latter stages of races like these. Look for him to make a charge in the race, if he can avoid the wrecks.
4. Greg Biffle
One may not think Biffle as a favorite in the Unlimited, but he's shown his plate prowess in the last few years. He won his first career Cup race (then Winston) at Daytona in 2003. He also finished 8th in the 500 and a 3rd place finish at Talladega last year. Back in 2012, he almost won the Unlimited (then Shootout), Duels and the 500 in the same year. If RFR's performance is back up to standards, he could be a good pick for the Unlimited, and Speedweeks.

Gordon's last full-time year

An announcement from 4-time Cup champion Jeff Gordon today, said this year would be his last full-time in the Cup series. He hasn't said he would officially "retire" from NASCAR entirely, but it is possible he could run part-time the next few years. This comes as a surprise, considering he had 4 wins, 14 top-fives, 23 top-tens and 3 poles last year, and was in contention for the championship. But also at the same time, it should not come as a surprise.
Chase Elliott, who has been long rumored to take over Kahne or Gordon's spot, Hendrick is considering running Elliott full-time by year 2016, with the possibility of running part-time this year. Another possible factor into Gordon's last full-time year this year is his back. Gordon has taken some hard hits in the last 9 years, such as the 2006 June Pocono race, 2008 Las Vegas race, 2009 Watkins Glen race, and the 2011 April Richmond race. He has long said his back has been hurting him. Though it hasn't hurt him as much lately, it's still been a liability for him inside the car.

So what does this mean for the future of NASCAR? There is much debate about if the storied 24 car number should be retired, or if Elliott will drive it in 2016 full-time. Will Gordon officially retire after this year? How will Gordon perform, knowing this is his last full-time season in Cup? One thing is for sure; many fans will pay attention to how he does this season and hoping for their driver to win more race and possibly a championship.

2015 Preview

After a thriller of a season 2014 produced, it might be hard to top it this year. Wether it was great finishes, post-race fights, new qualifying and a new chase, 2014 seemed to have it all. But what can we expect in this year? Here's 3 things we can expect.
1. Less horsepower and downforce.
This was a rule change made last year to equalize teams with different horsepower ranges, that might them an advantage. They also reduced downforce as another way to equalize the competition.The horsepower will be similar to that of the Xfinity series cars. With these changes, we might see more lead changes and more multi-grove racing as there's less downforce on the cars. Drivers would be more able to run different lines, thus making for possibly more exciting racing. Following a tire test at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Brad Keselowski noted that the cars had more speed in corners, rather than the starightaways.
2. New rides
1, Carl Edwards. He will be in a 4th JGR car numbered 19, with sponsorship from Arris,Subway,Sports Clips and Stanley tools. Could this be the chance he needs to get his first championship, or will he have disappointment like in years past at RFR.
2. Trevor Bayne. This was a long time coming for the 2011 Daytona 500 champion. He has full season sponsorship from AdvoCare in the iconic number 6 Ford of Roush Fenway Racing. Could he get RFR back into race and championship winning mode, following a disappointing 2013 and 2014 for RFR.
3. Sam Hornish Jr. Being in various Xfinity (then Nationwide) rides, it seemed like a chance for him to get a full time Cup ride was nowhere to be found, until Ambrose at RPM left the 9 car to run V-8 Super cars in his native Australia. So, Hornish seemed to be a good fit for the rising RPM team, with his years in Cup and Xfinity as experience. His sponsorship will be with Twisted Tea, and looking for more as Stanley/DeWalt left for JGR.
4. Ryan Blaney. Driving the fabled Wood Brothers Ford, Blaney will drive part-time for the team, including this year's Daytona 500, with the team that won it 4 years ago. This adds another up-and-comer to the 500, as last year he won an Xfinity race at Bristol, and a thrilling win at Mosport in the trucks.
5. Ty Dillon. Fresh of his rookie year in the Xfinity series, he follows his older brother Austin, into starting the 500 with Circle Sport Racing. The team will field the number 33 Chevy with Cherrios as his sponsor. Supposedly, he will run part-time with this team.
3. Merchandise tents
In an effort to consolidate all the merchandise being sold at races, NASCAR will make tents for all of the drivers' gear and other items. This has not been without controversy, as fans cited that there would be long lines at the tents, thus making them feel it wouldn't be worth their time waiting in line to get their favorite driver's gear.
With these changes in mind, 2015 should be once again another very entertaining season for NASCAR.