“Smoke” takes Daytona and Allmendinger Takes Drugs??

By Sherri Breaton

 Tony Stewart picked up his 47^th win in 482 starts following a wild night at the Coca Zero 400 at the Daytona International Speedway July 8, 2012. It was his fourth Sprint Cup victory at the track yet the “big prize” – the Daytona 500 has continued to elude him.

Crew chief Steve Addington gets ready to soak Tony Stewart
with champagne in Victory Lane
Photo courtesy of NASCAR.com



"I don't know, but I'll trade 'em all in for just one Daytona 500," Stewart said of his four summertime wins. "This is 18 wins at Daytona -- we just haven't got the right one yet. But all of 'em are special, and it's cool to do this."

As per usual in Daytona, just as Tony was crossing the finish line, total mayhem was occurring in his rear view mirror. A previous wreck caused by Denny Hamlin had already taken out quite a few in the field. Two out of three of Michael Waltrip’s cars were out, as was all of Joe Gibbs’ Racing Team. On the restart, Matt Kenseth and Greg Biffle were side by side by and somehow Tony Stewart side-drafted the two of them and pulled ahead for the victory.

Carnage outside of Turn 4
Photo courtesy of NASCAR.com

Jeff Burton came second followed by Matt Kenseth, Joey Logano, Stewart’s team mate Ryan Newman, Carl Edwards, Kasey Kahne, Brad Kesolowski, Michael Waltrip and one of my favourite drivers, Bobby Labonte rounded out the top ten.

On a side note, Joey Logano’s Nationwide car failed inspection following the Subway Jalapeno 250 Friday night. Penalties are expected to be levied on Tuesday.

I am not really a fan of watching restrictor plate racing on TV. Having not yet experienced it in person at a track, I can’t speak to what it’s like to watch live. If you are not normally a NASCAR viewer and/or are one of those people with the skewed ideal that “all they do is drive around in a circle”, you should probably not watch restrictor plate tracks. Yes it is exciting to see the cars quite literally stuck to each other’s bumpers at ridiculously high speeds, but unless there is a wreck, that’s all you are going to see.

Can you just scootch over a bit please?
Photo courtesy of NASCAR.com

The sideshow of the Allmendinger drama made for some interesting moments off and on track. A.J. Allmendinger, the driver of the #22 car for Penske, had been informed only two and a half hours prior to the green flag start that he failed his random drug test performed last week in Kentucky.

NASCAR announced that he was temporarily suspended for failing to pass his “A” sample which included a banned substance. Allmendinger as the option to ask for his “B” sample to be tested within 24 hours.

If his “B” sample comes back positive, he will be indefinitely suspended and will not be allowed to drive until he completes a recovery program prescribed by NASCAR. He would be evaluated by a substance abuse professional and subsequently be required to enter a rehabilitation program would be tailored specifically for him. He is only the second Sprint Cup driver to be suspended since NASCAR began random testing in 2009.  Jeremy Mayfield shared the honour in 2009.

Sam Hornish Jr., literally turned into a superhero and bolted into action to take over driving duties for Penske. Kenny Wallace was on standby (poor guy was on standby for Kevin Harvick too in case his wife Delana went into labour...sigh..I love Kenny!), just in case Hornish could not get to the track in time. He was literally doing a live, in-studio race interview for Speed in Charlotte, NC when his phone went off in his pocket. He ignored the call but checked soon after the taping and sprung into action.

Penske arranged for him to hop a flight to Daytona and once he landed there was a caravan of police cars waiting to escort him to the track. "It's kind of a weird thing when you land in an airplane and you see cop lights that are out there for you," he said.

Sam Hornish Jr. gets a quick pre-race talking to with
fellow Penske driver Brad Kesolowski
Photo courtesy of NASCAR.com

He arrived at 7:30 pm just as the invocation had begun. I swear Robin Meade (yes THAT Robin Meade from the CNN Morning Express show! Who knew she could sing??), really milked that national anthem to give them time to get Hornish into the car! He managed a 33^rd place finish for Penske.

It should be noted that NASCAR senior vice president of racing operations Steve O’Donnell, who announced the suspension but did not field any questions and did not elaborate on what drug was found in Allmendinger’s system. It could be something as simple as an over the counter medication or something as severe as a narcotic. We will have to wait and see what unfolds.

Next week we head over to Louden in New Hampshire for the LENOX Industrial Tools 301.

Agree? Disagree?

Drop me line at In Play! Magazine on Facebook

You Did Your Daddy Proud Dale! Jr. Ends the Drought on Father’s Day in Michigan

By Sherri Breaton

It's been 4 yrs since Jr. Nation witnessed a burnout in Victory Lane.
Four years, same place.
Michigan International Speedway
Photo Courtesy of Nascar.com

 Well it goes without saying that the fans of Junior Nation are celebrating loud and proud tonight. And rightly so! It has been four years ago and 143 races since, at this very same track, Jr. fans celebrated in Victory Lane. How fitting for this to happen on Father’s Day yet again. Today, June 17^th, 2012, Dale Earnhardt Jr. took home the rain delayed checkered flag at the Quicken Loans 400 at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn Michigan.  

Jr. crosses the finish line at the 2012 Quicken Loans 400 at MIS
Photo courtesy of Nascar.com

Leave it to NASCAR’s current reigning champion and resident mouthpiece to chime in: "Dale had the fastest car all day. It's not a national holiday, guys. This morning they were celebrating his fourth anniversary of his last win, so I guess we're all in a state of mourning now, because he's broke that string now, so I don't know what we're all supposed to think."

Dale Earnhardt Jr. leads the charge to the finish line
Photo courtesy of Nascar.com

Tony....come on, suck it up buttercup. So you didn’t win this one. You had a beyond respectable second place finish. Even if you had, Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s hauler STILL would have outsold yours in merchandise!

How can you not get caught up in the royalty and the loyalty that surrounds Dale Earnhardt Jr?  Following the death of his father Dale Sr. at the Daytona 500 in 2001, I had to pick a new driver to follow. I chose Jimmie Johnson. He was new, he was young and most of all, like Dale Sr., he was fearless and could drive the crap out anything he got behind the wheel of. However, like every other fan in NASCAR, no matter whom you threw your support and loyalty behind, you still your heart, hoped for Jr. to win.

After his ordeal with his Step-Monster Teresa Earnhardt and subsequent departure for DEI,  I could not have been more thrilled to see him hop on board the Hendrick’s Motor Sports Team. Like everyone else I expected great things to happen for him, but they just never seemed to pan out. Dale Jr. to this day, regardless if he were to ever win another race, would still be ranked as NASCAR’s most popular driver. He is the Crown Prince. He can do no wrong. You have to be at a race, live, whenever Jr. takes the lead. The thunderous roar and eruption of cheering is mind blowing in the least, deafing at best. Remember, these are people sporting numbers of every other driver as well as Jr. fans. It’s NASCAR, its family.

Team Earnhardt and the Diet Mountain Dew/National Guard #88 Chevrolet celebrate.
Dale Jr.'s girlfriend Amy Reimann pictured above.
Photo courtesy of Nascar.com 

When he makes mistakes and cause wrecks, it’s okay, “it’s just Dale”. You have to love a sport and a fan base that still supports and cheers on a driver that has not won in four years. He sells more merchandise than any other driver – ever-except for his Dad. We have all known that he has the talent, the God given gift of driving. It was nice to finally see him shake those demons and bring it home for his long suffering team, sponsors, owners but more importantly, his FANS.

Champagne toast for Jr.!
Photo courtesy of Nascar.com 

Top ten results are as follows:

Jr. followed by Tony Stewart, Matt Kenseth, Greg Biffle, Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Clint Bowyer, Juan Montoya, Marcos Ambrose and Kevin Harvick.

Jr. Nation is celebrating tonight!
Photo courtesy of Nascar.com

Overall Sprint Cup current standings are found here:

http://www.nascar.com/races/cup/2012/data/standings_unofficial.html

 Next week is the road course at Infineon where the likes of Marcos Ambrose and Tony Stewart always shine. However this is also a place where Jimmie Johnson has conquered. Who is it gonna be?

Agree? Disagree?

Drop me line at In Play! Magazine on Facebook

What a Great Week to be a Jimmie Johnson/Hendrick Motorsports Fan!!

By Sherri Breaton

For all of you Jimmie Johnson haters, I will give you fair warning, this week is about bragging rights.

Within a one week period Jimmie Johnson handed team owner Rick Hendrick his 200^th Nascar Sprint cup victory, then won over a million dollars at the Sprint All Star Race this past Saturday May 19^th, 2012.

The week prior, May 12^th, Jimmie took the checkered flag in the Bojangles’ Southern 500 at Darlington ending a 16 week drought for the driver. It was also his 56^th career win putting him just ahead of Rusty Wallace in eighth place in the overall all time driver record.

The entire Hendrick stable of drivers, crews and family celebrating their 200th Cup win
Photo courtesy of  Nascar.com

It was an exciting final restart where defending champion Tony Stewart raced Johnson hard in an attempt to delay that 200^th win. Unfortunately his lost fuel pressure and was passed by Denny Hamlin for the number two spot. Stewart, co-owner of Stewart-Haas Racing gets his chassis, engines and tech support from Hendrick Motorsports had nothing but praise for Mr. Hendrick and his organization following the race.

“I think it's phenomenal, especially with the competition over here getting tougher and tougher. It's getting harder and harder to win these races”

"Especially for it to happen in the Southern 500 -- it's such a historic race. It's a pretty cool milestone”, said Stewart.



Rick Hendrick, Jimmie Johnson and Chad Knaus celebrate the 200th win
for Hendrick Motorsports at the 2012 Southern 500
Photo courtesy of Nascar.com

One week later Jimmie Johnson would earn a record tying third All-Star race after leading the entire final ten lap shootout in Charlotte, NC.

Johnson and his crew chief Chad Knaus had one heck of a strategy and it paid off in a one million dollar cheque. It might have seemed strange to see Johnson intentionally cruising slowly at the back of the field, which he did for about 60 laps. He drove the car hard for the first and last segments and just poked along for the three in between. That strategy placed him in the ranks of the late great Dale Earnhardt Sr and fellow Hendrick team mate Jeff Gordon as the only three time winners of the All-Star Race.

Of course credit must also be given for this win to Johnson’s Pit Crew. The 48 team won the Pit Crew Challenge earlier in the week, handing their boss the prime first pit position which definitely played to his advantage

Jimmie Johnson celebrates with a cheque for one million bucks
Photo courtesy of Nascar.com

After the race fans witnessed something completely out of the ordinary for victory lane celebration. Rick Hendrick actually climbed into the window and went for a ride hanging out of the #48 on the straightaway.

He said, ‘Come pick me up,’ said Johnson, “But once I got there, he didn’t want the ride anymore. I told him, ‘No, you’ve got to get on.’



Jimmie Johnson picks up a hitchhiker (Rick Hendrick) on the straightaway
Photo courtesy of Nascar.com 

Rick Hendrick is not exactly a young man and as memorable of a moment of celebration that it was, he did not look very comfortable or very safe for that matter. Johnson later said he had a hold of his leg from inside the car and he could feel the wind sucking him out of the window. Later at a press conference Mr. Hendrick reflected on his shenanigans.

"That was the dumbest thing I've ever done in racing," Hendrick said. "I thought I was going to be a busted watermelon."

Well thankfully he made it to victory lane in one piece and into the hearts of every fan out there with that little celebratory display.

Also of note, for any of you “Bachelorette” fans out there, this season’s bachelorette is none other than Emily Maynard, mother of Mr. Hendrick’s grandbaby Ricki Anne. Emily was engaged to Ricky Hendrick, race car driver and only son of Rick Hendrick, who was tragically killed in a plane crash along with nine others in 2004. One week after his death Emily learned that she was pregnant with his daughter.

This week the field remains in Charlotte for the Coca Cola 600.

.

Agree? Disagree?

Drop me line at In Play! Magazine on Facebook

Brad Keselowski Gets By With a Little Help From a Friend

By Sherri Breaton

Brad Kesolowski wins the 2012 Aaron's 400
at Talladega Super Speedway
Photo courtesy of Nascar.com

Everybody knows that the guy usually running second at Talladega Super Speedway normally wins. It’s rare for the leader on the last lap to take the checkered flag. However, Brad Keselowski once again proved that he is an unpredictable force to be reckoned with at the Aaron’s 400 yesterday. He could not have envisioned that ending any better had he not already had a dream about it. Hmmmmm calling Brad on the psychic hotline tomorrow.....

"I had this whole plan if I ever got in that situation where I was leading; I thought about it and thought about it, dreamed about what to do, and sure enough, going into (turn) three, it was just me and Kyle," Keselowski said. "I knew the move I wanted to pull. It worked because the guy running second should have the advantage, but I had this move all worked up in my mind."

The Super Speedway at Talladega
Photo courtesy of Nascar.com

 That little move gave him his second career win at Talladega as well as his second win of the 2012 Cup race season. Had it not been for the unlikely drafting partner of Kyle Busch, Matt Kenseth was set to win. Kyle gave a huge push to Keselowski enabling the victory and leaving the Daytona 500 winner to watch from behind. Following the race Busch had nothing but praise for the winner’s driving ability.

"He's no dummy, that's for sure," said Busch, for the second time in as many days ended up the ugly stepsister. Kyle was the leader on the last lap of Saturday's Nationwide Series race, and was schooled by the kid Logano, who beat him to the finish line.

Matt Kenseth was more involved in his self imposed pity party after literally handing the win to Keselowski.

"I think we had the winning car, really just didn't have the winning driver," Kenseth said and continued, "I wasn't too fast. I was just too stupid I guess at the end to keep a win." Poor guy.

Kasey Kahne finished fourth and was followed by Biffle, Clint Bowyer and David Ragan. Trevor Bayne was eighth, Dale Earnhardt Jr. ninth and Jeff Burton rounded out the top 10.

I am really starting to think this cloud of “200^th win” is hanging heavy over the Hendrick’s teams. Not that two top ten finishers is anything to scoff at but I just wish ONE of them would get Mr. Hendrick the win and get on with it.  The other two Hendrick drivers had a dismal weekend once again. Jeff Gordon got caught up on a wreck and Jimmie Johnson had engine failure this week.

Bump drafting at its finest
Photo courtesy of Tyler Barrick Getty Images 

Bump drafting and tandem racing is always nerve racking to watch. To see these drivers practically hooked onto each others bumpers in a chain like a locomotive going around the track at speeds up to 200 MPH is restrictor plate mayhem at it’s finest.

For those fans who love to see them wreck the Aaron’s 400 ended a three race drought of multi- car wrecks. The last multi-car wreck was in Martinsville when Clint Bowyer took out Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson in the final ten laps. For the record I am not one of them. It is potentially life threatening for any one of these drivers involved in a wreck as witnessed in Saturday’s Nationwide race. Fans watched in horror as driver Eric McClure was airlifted unresponsive to a local hospital for treatment following a hard hit to the “soft wall” that sent the wall flying back three feet. He has since been listed in stable condition.

With 45 laps to go Aric Almirola ran out of gas and the cars following close behind were not able to clear in time. The chain-reaction crash involved Jeff Gordon, Carlo Edwards, Martin Truex Jr., Joey Logano, J.P. Montoya, Terry Labonte, Landon Cassill and Dave Blaney. This was only the first of four multi-car wrecks in the final laps, including another nine-car crash that involved Tony Stewart, Greg Biffle, Kevin Harvick, Logano (Again), Paul Menard, Michael Waltrip, A.J. Allmendinger, Robert Richardson Jr. and Denny Hamelin. 


You have to hand it to defending champion Tony Stewart for his commentary on the recently clean races and those fans who crave “more action”. Tony had this to say following the race.

"Honestly, I think if we haven't crashed at least 50 percent of the field by the end of the race, we need to extend the race until we crash at least 50 percent of the cars. It's not fair to these fans to see any more wrecks than that, any more torn-up cars. I mean, we still had over half the cars running at the end, and it shouldn't be that way. I'm upset that we didn't crash more cars. That's what we're here for. I feel bad if I don't spend at least $150,000 in torn-up race cars going back to the shop. We've definitely got to do a better job at that." He finished 24^th following a wreck.

Ouch!
Photo courtesy of Getty Images 

Love him or hate him, there is no “grey area” with Tony. Mr. Stewart, please do not ever change.

Greg Biffle still sits on top of the overall leader board followed by Matt Kenseth and OH WOW Dale Earnhardt Jr. in third place!


Next week we are onto Darlington for a Mother’s Day showdown.

Agree? Disagree?

Drop me line at In Play! Magazine on Facebook

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

Agree? Disagree?

Drop me line at In Play! Magazine on Facebook

The Smoke Show in Vegas

By Sherri Breaton

Tony Stewart wins the Kobalt Tools 400 at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Photo courtesy of Nascar.com 

Tony Stewart was able to hold off Jimmie Johnson twice on a restart to win the Kobalt Tools 400 at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. With only four laps left, Tony maintained the lead and captured the checkered flag .461 seconds ahead of Johnson. Greg Biffle, Ryan Newman and Carl Edwards came home third through fifth, respectively. Clint Bowyer, Paul Menard, Jamie McMurray, Trevor Bayne and Dale Earnhardt Jr. completed the top 10.  While last week was considered a sweet revenge for former crew chief Dariun Grubb with his win in Phoenix with Denny Hamelin, this week was even sweeter for Smoke as this is the first time he has been able to clinch a victory in the city of lights in the desert.

Tony Stewart leads Jimmie Johnson on a restart at the
Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Photo courtesy of Nascar.com 

It’s also equally ironic that Stewart is running Hendrick’s engines and was able to beat the 5 time champ to the finish line. Jimmie was rough on the restarts after countless cautions.

Said Johnson on the restarts:

"They were awfully strong, (the Stewart team), the last two restarts ... second to the last restart, I just blew it. He got away from me. The next to the last start, I felt like I got a good one. He still cruised away.” Ya, you blew it.

Besides the obvious disappointment in missing the win by “that much” the fact that the #48 Lowe’s Chevy was able to rebound from having to start from the rear due to having to utilize the back up car as a result of a wreck in practice, to a solid second place finish is nothing to be ashamed of.

The #48 team is still embroiled in the appeals process as a result of the car they were planning on using in the Daytona 500, (keys words...”planning”...the car never made it to the racetrack and as karma would have it, Jimmie crashed and burned on lap two and was out of the race for the night) was deemed illegal.

Rick Hendrick was denied Tuesday, setting up one last-ditch plea to prevent crew chief Chad Knaus from having to sit out six races along with car chief Ron Malec, and driver Jimmie Johnson from losing 25 points.

I have to agree with Kyle Petty on this so called “committee” that oversees the appeals process at NASCAR. This panel is made up of a bunch of “old farts” as Kyle says, retired drivers, owners, crew chiefs, mechanics, officials etc, that decide the outcome of these infarctions. As Kyle said on air during the pre-race show, “you would be hard pressed to find two people on that panel who have actually attended a race in the past two years if not more”. They really need to change this process and have a committee consisting of recent retires and/or people who are current with today’s racing standards and what is considering “cheating” and what is considered “pushing the limitations of technology and trying to beat your competitors at the same game”.  Hendrick said he will now make one final appeal to John Middlebrook, a former General Motors executive who serves as chief appellate officer on the National Stock Car Racing Appeals Panel. No date has been established yet for the final appeal. For now we will wait and Chad will remain on the box until such time.

Next week, we are on to Bristol Motor Speedway, and the always fan favourite “driver introductions”. Bristol is the only track that allows the drivers to choose the song in which they will be introduced to. Some of them in the past have been both funny and ironic. I will provide the full list along with the race recap next week post race. 

Agree? Disagree?

Drop me line at In Play! Magazine on Facebook

Victory for Hamelin in Phoenix

Denny Hamelin wins the 2012 Subway Fresh Fit 500
Photo courtesy of Nascar.com

Phoenix International Speedway
Photo courtesy Nascar.com

"It feels so good to be competitive again!"


Those were the words shouted out over the radio by Denny Hamelin to his crew chief. Denny finally redeemed himself with his 18^th career victory  at Sunday's Subway Fresh Fit 500 at Phoenix International Raceway. In his second race with 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup championship crew chief Darian Grubb calling the shots from his pit box, Hamlin managed to hold off Kevin Harvick in a 53-lap green-flag race to finish the 312-lap race at the one-mile track. The win allowed Hamlin to take over the series points lead for the first time since giving it up in the final race of 2010 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. As an at-home spectator, it wasn't exactly a nail biter of a race. Quite frankly it was somewhat anti-climactic after last week's Daytona 500. I was waiting to hear that Juan Pablo Montoya took out a hot dog vendor's cart. I am quite sure, however, it was sweet justice for Darian Grubb, who was fired from Stewart-Haas Racing after last season even though he helped Tony Stewart win the Cup championship. It must feel good to beat Tony Stewart to victory lane.


Kevin Harvick lost fuel pressure with less than two laps left but still managed an impressive second place followed by Greg Biffle in third, then by Jimmie Johnson, Brad Keselowski, Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr., and Jeff Gordon. Pole-sitter Mark Martin and Joey Logano rounded out the top 10.

Other drivers encountered their fair share of trouble:

Clint Bowyer (30th) blew two right front tires in the first 25 laps. Kasey Kahne (34th) hit the wall early in the race. And Stewart (22nd) fell two laps down after being unable to restart his Chevrolet after turning it off in an attempt to save fuel under caution.

The starting line-up at Phoenix
Photo courtesy of Nascar.com 

The often used tactic of shutting down the engines to save fuel then quickly restarting them bit Tony right in the butt late in the race. He lost a lap during a caution when he couldn’t re-fire his car and had to get a push from the wrecker to make it back to the pits. He finished 22nd.

“I just shut the car off like we did at Daytona and turned it back on, and it never re-fired,” Stewart said. “That’s all I can tell you. I don’t know why it didn’t re-fire. I honestly don’t know. It’s not really my department. I just turned the switch back on, and it never re-fired. I don’t know why that was, but it definitely cost us a good day.” Judging by his demeanour in that post race interview with Tony, I would hate to be the electronics guy on his team once Tony gets back to the hauler. Crew chief Steve Addington said a faulty circuit breaker apparently was the problem.

Could a new rivalry be brewing??? Keep and eye on Ryan Newman and Carl Edwards in future races.  While Ryan Newman conceded Carl Edwards likely didn't wreck him intentionally on lap 256 of Sunday's NASCAR race at Phoenix International Raceway he wasn’t happy about it. Newman, who was on the outside of Edwards heading into Turn 3, ended up being hit broadside by the 99 car, sending him hard into the wall. "I don't consider that a deliberate move by any means. (But) we know plenty of times in this sport, what comes around goes around." Have at it boys!

Once again my team, the #48 Lowe’s Chevrolet in caught up in a so-called “cheating controversy” *cough*.  On Feb. 17, NASCAR ruled the car had illegally modified sheet metal between the roof and the side windows, an area known as the C-posts. Chad Knaus was fined $100,000 and suspended six races. His car chief Ron Malec was also levied a six week suspension. Jimmie Johnson was docked 25 points as a driver and Jeff Gordon lost 25 points as an owner.  An appeal date has not yet been set, and Knaus can work until the appeal hearing. Knaus said he looked forward to the appeals process, insisting the car that failed the visual inspection in Daytona was the same one that passed repeated inspections in four previous restrictor-plate races at Daytona and Talladega last season. This is nothing new for this team as Knaus has been suspended four previous times, one coming when Johnson won the 2006 Daytona 500 and Darian Grubb filled in. Knaus also had a two-race ban in 2005 overturned on appeal. Chad Knaus and Jimmie live by the motto "if you ain't cheating, you ain't trying”. But people are completely naive if they think that the Lowe’s team is the only team bending the rules, or the metal per se. I understand the accusations and what is at stake. I mean if Chad is going to “cheat” at any given race and is consistently and frequently penalized for technical violations and found guilty of trying to gain an illegal advantage wouldn’t he cheat with a championship on the line (or five)? Did he and maybe he just never was caught?  Could that explain why Jimmie has such an incredible record in previous Chases?

Crew Chief Chad Knaus & Car Chief Ron Malec for the #48
Photo courtesy of Hendrick Motorsports

I am sure that what a lot of fans think-a lot of non-Jimmie Johnson fans for sure. I personally find it hard to believe Johnson and Knaus won those champions and 55 Cup races all while cheating.  Jimmie is far too talented of a driver and Chad is an extremely brilliant crew chief. They do not have to cheat to win. Chad is only doing what a good crew chief should do – look for loopholes in the rules and try to find an edge in a sport that has long applauded and encouraged mechanical resourcefulness. However when you’re the sport’s most successful crew chief, and it’s most penalized, that only raises the cloud of suspicion and tarnishes your reputation even more. Chad doesn’t seem too fazed by any of it. He was quoted this weekend as saying “As far as my reputation goes, I’m not too concerned about that. What we want to do is go out there and do the best thing we can for Hendrick Motorsports and the best things for Lowe’s and try to win races and championships.”

We will await the appeal and see what the outcome is. Like most other professional sports teams, the Lowe's Chevy is a well oiled machine. They have over 500 people working at the Hendrick garages in Charlotte, NC. If they do end up losing Chad for some races, I do not foresee it being detrimental to the team as a whole. After all, Jimmie IS in the driver's seat.....

Next week...It's Vegas baby!!!! 

Denny Hamelin doing his victory burnout
Photo courtesy of Nascar.com

Incidentally, did anyone catch the commercial for Tide? Boy did I call that one right last week hahaha ... in case you missed it...
http://www.sbnation.com/nascar/2012/3/4/2843959/tide-nascar-commercial-daytona-500-jet-dryer-explosion-2012


By Sherri Breaton

Agree? Disagree?

Drop me line at In Play! Magazine on Facebook