Denny Does It Again in KC

By Sherri Breaton


In a race that was full of engine problems, gas consumption issues and whining about the track’s service, Denny Hamelin led by crew chief Darian Grubb managed to stay alive and take home his second win in less than a month, his 19th of his career. Mother Nature was none too cooperative for the STP 400 held at the Kansas City Speedway. Sunday was cloudy, windy and unseasonably cold. 

Denny Hamelin wins the STP 400 in Kansas City
Photo courtesy of Nascar.com

 Kansas City is a fast track at the best of times and Sunday was no different even with the weather wreaking havoc on the engines of many. The average speed for Denny Hamelin was 144.122 mph, breaking the track record of 138.077 mph set by Greg Biffle in 2010. The cold conditions "likely played a factor," added Scott Maxim, director of track support for Hendrick Motorsports' engine program. "The average lap time was fast, so that's a contributing factor. It would be too early right now to speculate on the reason and the cause, but they're possibilities."



Kansas City Speedway
Photo Courtesy Nascar.com

I felt bad for Martin Truex Jr. When the race concluded he radioed to his crew "Sorry I let that one get away," after leading the race for 173 laps he wound up second. No wonder Sunday's result hurt so badly. At one point in the race he led by as many as 9 seconds. Jimmie Johnson gave him a run for his money but he still managed to stay in first when cars made their final round of pit stops under green. His final pit stop was a clean but it became evident that something wasn't right when he got back out on the track. He was radioing into his Crew chief Chad Johnston, who had made no adjustments on the car that he “couldn’t do anything”. That’s when Hamlin jumped out in front. Truex in his Michael Waltrip Racing Team Toyota did try a few daring moves to challenge Denny for the win but it wasn’t enough. Just as the sun began to shine, so did Denny Hamelin. Hamlin, joins defending Sprint Cup champion Tony Stewart as the only drivers with two wins this season.

Final restart of the STP 400
Photo courtesy of Nascar.com

Jimmie Johnson failed to post a win yet again in 14 starts this season. Mr Hendrick is still dragging his box of hats around eagerly awaiting that 200^th win. “I was just watching from the third spot, hoping those guys would give me an opportunity," Johnson said. "I just wish I was closer to those guys to race for it”. The drought for Hendrick Motorsports is the longest since going 15 races without a win during the 2002 and 2003.

Matt Kenseth finished fourth and Greg Biffle, who holds the top stop on the leader board followed up his victory last week with a fifth-place run. Kevin Harvick was sixth, followed by Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kasey Kahne, giving Hendrick Motorsports at least three cars in the top-10 for the second straight week. Jeff Gordon had engine trouble late in the race and finished 21st. Carl Edwards and Kyle Busch rounded out the top ten finishers.

Worth mentioning is that for the second year in a row, Forbes magazine has ranked five-time Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson the Most Influential Athlete in America.

Forbes determined its annual rankings by polling 1,100 adults about dozens of well-known athletes to measure the athletes' overall likeability as well as their appeal to marketers. Johnson was joined on the 2012 list by fellow Cup driver and Hendrick Motorsports teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr. and a third Hendrick driver, Jeff Gordon disappeared from the list altogether.

Jimmie Johnson
Photo credit Getty Images 2012

"It's just a huge honor," Johnson said. "Not only is it very good for me in my career and for what I do in my race car, but I think it's very good for NASCAR as well. Of all the athletes in America, to be ranked most influential, I'm very proud of the award and happy to receive it."

I am probably going to take some heat for saying this but am I the only who is ready to mute their televisions so I do not have to endure another moment of listening to Michael Waltrip? I don’t mind his brother at all. He get can a little boisterous here and there and does yammer on quite a bit but putting the two of them in the booth was a dumb idea. Personally I don’t think they should allow and driver/owner in the booth for commentary let alone this wind bag. To me this is the most blatant form of BIAS.

For the life of me I do not understand the logic in why Nascar is allowing a cup owner who operates 3 Toyota cars to be calling any cup race. It’s bad enough that we are subjected to his endless babbling, but wait let’s cut to a commercial that has Michael Waltrip in it!  How fortunate for Toyota or any of his sponsors to have him cheering their products and his drivers from the broadcast booth for the entire race. It’s like a 3 hour Michael Waltrip Infommercial. For the love of NASCAR, Fox Sports would you please put Jeff Hammond back in his seat at the Hollywood Hotel???

Next week we are off to Richmond Virginia for the Capital City 400.



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The Biff Brings it Home In Texas!

Greg Biffle wins the Samsung Mobile 500
at Texas Motor Speedway Saturday night.
Photo Courtesy of Nascar.com

 Greg Biffle robbed Rick Hendrick once again of his 200^th   career Cup win at Texas Motor Speedway Saturday night to end a winless streak of 49 races as he drove past Jimmie Johnson (who only lead 156 of 334 laps), with 30 laps remaining to capture the checkered flag at the Samsung Mobile 500. Poor Rick. That box of "200th victory hats" still awaits, yet second place is nothing to sneeze at and Jimmie and the rest of the Hendrick stable are holding their own so far this season! While as a die hard Hendrick Fan, it's hard to feel bitter about Greg Biffle winning the race. He is the younger generation of Nascar's Mark Martin. Plain and simple, he is a nice guy. He loves puppies. He puts out an annual calendar of Nascar drivers and their respective dogs; many of them rescues. He is an avid animal lover and he and his wife Nicole are huge supporters of local shelters and the need to find homes for strays. How can you not love them?

There were only two cautions for 10 slowed-down laps, both for debris, and the race finished with a record 234 consecutive laps of green-flag racing.

At the end of the race Biffle said his hands were hurting from fighting the wheel through the wind. He expressed that there were no major incidents because every driver was dealing with the same conditions and maybe more cautious because of the.

The aforementioned Mark Martin finished third in a Michael Waltrip-owned Toyota, followed by Jeff Gordon, then Roush driver Matt Kenseth. Polesitter Martin Truex Jr., another Waltrip car, was sixth after leading 69 . Kasey Kahne, the first-year Hendrick driver, finished seventh ahead of another Roush driver, Carl Edwards. Harvick and Earnhardt rounded out the top 10.

Kasey Kahne winner of the Camping World Truck Series Race
At Rockingham
photo courtesy of Nascar.com

Incidentally, Kasey Kahne had an even more impressive weekend aside from his finish at Texas last night. Kasey climbed through the field after starting in the back to win Sunday's Camping World Truck Series race at Rockingham Speedway, the first NASCAR race at the track since 2004. I feel very confident that Kasey will continue to shine once again on the track. He has had a rough few years but change is about to come for the young gun! My friend Patti lights candles every Sunday I swear!

Next week, Kansas Motor Speedway! Another track on my bucket list!

By Sherri Breaton

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Smoke Rains on Kyle Busch's Parade....

Tony Stewart, winner of the Auto Club 400 by default due to rain.
Photo courtesy of Nascar.com

Well sort of... it was more like Mother Nature who did it but nonetheless Tony Stewart was deemed the victor in the rain shortened Auto Club 400 from Fontana, California. Stewart was in the lead when cars were parked due to the rain. Since showers were forecasted for the rest of the day and the halfway mark had come and gone, the defending Sprint Cup Champion earned the victory with only 129 of 200 laps run. Although Kyle Busch, led the most laps at the California track, he failed to become the first driver for Joe Gibbs Racing to win here.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. had another impressive finish coming in third followed by Kevin Harvick, Carl Edwards,  Greg Biffle, Ryan Newman (Tony’s team mate), Martin Truex Jr., Kurt Busch and Jimmie Johnson rounded out the top ten respectively.  

I was quite happy to hear that NASCAR has reduced the sentence to car/team owner Rick Hendrick for the “incident” at this year’s Daytona 500 involving the car not passing inspection and violating some body frame rules. Crew chief, Chad Knaus and car chief, Ron Malec, were both released of their suspensions and allowed to resume command on the pit box (although nothing every truly changed as they were allowed to remain there during the appeal process). The 25 driver points that were previously deducted were reinstated, however, the $100,000 fine remained intact.

As it stands this week in the overall points, fellow dog lover Greg Biffle is sitting in first place followed by expectant father Kevin Harvick (do you think this new baby will make him smile more? LOL), then Dale Earnhardt Jr. (can you believe I am saying this??), then Tony Stewart and Matt Kenseth round out the top five.

Dale...the elves in the trees are waiting to make cookies... PLEASE SHAVE!
Photo courtesy of Nascar.com

I kid about Dale Jr., but I really do root for this guy to have a good season. Years past rumours swelled that his lack of finishing in victory lane were directly attributed to his discord with his step-monster Teresa Earnhardt. Everyone expected great things from Jr., once he started driving for Hendrick’s in 2008.  While “great things” clearly have not happened, I do feel in my heart that they will. Dale is a talented driver, with the brains, experience and funds backing him from Hendrick’s that should enable this. I think he is still somewhat “gun shy” since his second degree burns in 2004. That was a pretty serious accident and I am sure beyond painful and I wonder how much this plays with his mind when driving still.  He just hasn’t seemed the same ever since. I think this might just be the year that Jr. finally shines through. I just really wish he would find a razor. Didn't he used to be one of Gillette's Young Guns?? UGHHHH it just does nothing for him...he looks like a cross between the Lucky Charms Leprechaun and a Keebler cookie elf. Come on Dale...I realize you can look like Sasquatch and the fans will still vote you number one favourite but can't you just clean it up a little for the female fans in the audience?!?!

This week NASCAR returns to it's southern roots as we head to Martinsville Speedway for the Goody's Fast Relief 500. Founded in 1947 by the late H. Clay Earles, Martinsville Speedway is only track which has hosted NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races every year since the division’s inception in 1949.  At .526 miles in length, Martinsville Speedway is the shortest track on the Sprint Cup circuit. But because of its size and shape – described most often as the shape of a paperclip – Martinsville offers some of the most exciting and close racing in the sport.  Also because of its size, fans are closer to the action than any other track. The cars are never more than a few hundred yards away and sometimes they seem close enough to reach out and touch. This track is on my "bucket list" of tracks to watch a race!!!


By Sherri Breaton

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