Rough and Rowdy at Atlanta“0 Comments”

SamanthaM | 9:23 am | March 10, 2008 | NASCAR

We almost saw history this weekend. If not for a late race pass in Saturday’s Nationwide race by Matt Kenseth, Kyle Busch would have swept all three races at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

(Side note: I’d like to say that I was on the Rowdy Bus last year and what really cemented me as a KyBu fan was his win at Bristol’s spring race, which you may recall was the debut of the then-Car of Tomorrow.)

In Friday’s Craftsman Truck race, Busch went four wide as he passed, using the apron as his passing lane. No, that’s not illegal, unless you’re at Daytona or Talladega. It’s little wonder that Darrell Waltrip calls Busch the only guy he knows who can be three wide all by himself. And by the way, if you are one of those people who doesn’t like Cup drivers in other series, consider this: Kyle Busch is not paid by Billy Ballew to drive the truck, nor does Kyle take any percentage of the winnings. He does it for free. Ballew’s Truck team stays afloat in large part because of this.

Saturday brought some mechanical problems plagued Busch and Kenseth was able to pass him for the win. In fact, a LOT of cars passed Busch, who placed 24th for the day, but did earn 10 bonus points for leading the most laps.

On Sunday, Busch met his match in Carl Edwards, who paced the field and lapped the field like crazy. At one point, only 17 drivers were on the lead lap. Busch wasn’t able to gain the upper hand until Edwards’ engine failed. I think most drivers agreed that Edwards was the class of the field.

Busch gained yet another first, Toyota’s first win. He won in a race filled with last week’s controversy (Lid-gate, as one reporter put it) and the ongoing controversy (Goodyear is having a bad year in NASCAR). Busch hoisted the unique silver wrench trophy as his prize for winning the Kobalt Tools 500.

Elsewhere, Busch’s teammate Tony Stewart, the second place finisher, unleashed a tirade of epic proportions at Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company. Stewart said, in part, that there was a reason Goodyear had been “run out” of other major racing series, and it was because they continued to provide an inferior product. In Stewart’s words, he said Goodyear should be “ashamed” at the tire they brought to Atlanta. Interestingly enough, it was not the same tire used in the Atlanta tire test, so teams had little to no data to reference with the different tires. Stewart called for other tire companies like Hoosier and Bridgestone/Firestone to provide competition in NASCAR. Obviously, it isn’t that easy for other companies to gain entry into stock car racing’s highest level, but it does provide some serious food for thought.

Goodyear responded that they had erred on the side of safety when preparing the tire compound, and pointed out that no tires blew this week due to wear. A Goodyear representative stated that the company was happy with the wear patterns they observed at Atlanta.

I can see how Goodyear is backed into a corner. And I can also understand that they are trying to err on the side of safety. But auto racing in all its forms is inherently dangerous, and to make it completely safe, if such a thing existed, would be to take everything out of racing that makes it exciting.

Goodyear will have to launch a crisis public relations plan, in my opinion, because in addition to Stewart Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. were vocal critics of the tires used this week. Even if all the other drivers were complaint-free, these three drivers are some of the men who make NASCAR sit up and listen. Notice I said NASCAR and not the public or the media. NASCAR itself can be slow to react to some issues but I expect they will act a little more quickly this time. The public and the media already buys into Stewart, Gordon and Earnhardt, Jr. Same thing goes for Jeff Burton and Mark Martin.

As we leave Atlanta we return to Thunder Valley. That’s Bristol for you new fans. Bristol is consistently one of the hardest tickets to come by, and with the on-top-of-the-action racing, I can see why. This tiny track has been the site of many skirmishes, arguments and all-out fights. A couple of helmets have been thrown here. It can also be great racing.

I know I will be setting my TiVo to capture all of NASCAR’s weekend programming. I suggest you set your VCR or DVR to do the same, as it is generally can’t-miss television.

This week’s podcast will be held on Wednesday at 8:00 pm. Please note the new time as we’re trying to accomodate more listeners in different time zones, plus give people a chance to get home and take care of life before they relax with the CrucialSports NASCAR podcast.

I hope you have a great week and will join us for the live podcast. If you can’t listen live, you can always download the cast directly as an mp3 by going to CrucialMedia.

NASCAR Podcast and other updates!“0 Comments”

SamanthaM | 10:02 am | March 5, 2008 | NASCAR

Morning, people.

Tonight at 6 pm Eastern CrucialSports will hold its second podcast. We should be running most shows at this time (unless something major happens in my life, or our webmaster’s life) throughout the season.

I ’spose that means I need to come up with some talking points, huh? Definitely I will be talking about what penalty, if any, is assessed to the 99 crew and Carl Edwards for that loose oil cap. I read in another article that the loose oil cap could potentially create an aerodynamic advantage, thus the possibility for a severe penalty. It has to do with how air flows over the cap. I’ll take the author’s word for it; again, I am no Mechanical Mistress. But one thing I do know is that NASCAR will be right up the tailpipe of anyone who is trying to create an aerodynamic advantage.

If any other fines and penalties have been assessed, I’ll report on those too, including any pertinent reversals (Rusty Wallace Incorporated had its Nationwide Daytona oil cap penalty reversed). We may also hear more on the Robby Gordon/Dodge nose debacle. I believe the appeal will be heard soon, if not today.

We’ll certainly do a little preview of Hotlanta, where Bobby Labonte is king. It’s a quick track, one that drivers seem to love. Carl Edwards is also a devotee of Atlanta. Can he make it three wins in a row? It is definitely within the realm of possibility for the former winner. I know one driver who headed down to Atlanta early, and that’s Elliott Sadler.

Mistah Sadlah is a slave to Fogo de Chao, a Brazilian steakhouse chain with some pretty exclusive locations (including Atlanta). Let me say that I am très excited to say that Indianapolis appears to be getting its own Fogo de Chao in Spring 2008! Does this mean we’ll see the Ram Man in Indy a little earlier than usual for the Brickyard? Man, I sure hope so!

I might also discuss a little bit about SAFER barriers and perhaps the Hendrick team’s inability to get started this year. I hate to say it, but my Jeffy isn’t so hot right about now. Apparently, the top twelve coming out of Bristol (spring race) historically mirrors the top twelve at the beginning of the Chase. Interesting stat, hmm.

I hope to see you over on our podcast. You can find out more at CrucialMedia, linked at the top of the page. Have a great day, and thanks for reading.

I’ll avoid the obvious “double down” headline…“0 Comments”

SamanthaM | 7:45 am | March 4, 2008 | NASCAR

Well, suffice to say that the weekend in Las Vegas started with a bang. Crashes were the order of the day. Crashes in practice, crashes in the Nationwide race, crashes in the Cup race. High winds, Calamity Corner, backup cars, blown tires.

Las Vegas is a fast track. Many people may not realize that speeds in the corners of LVMS rival those of Daytona. We saw Tony Stewart hit the wall so hard he later reported that his body from the waist down was slightly tingling, even a little bit numb. If you saw him get out of the car, he had to stand to catch his breath. He looked dazed. And that was hitting the SAFER barrier. I am happy to report that I saw this morning that the odd feelings in his legs seem to have diminished and the biggest injury was another hard hit to a foot he bruised in the Nationwide race.

Kurt Busch took the same ride when he flew into the wall thanks to a blown tire. He too appeared in a slight haze after his hard hit. Jeff Gordon, who made contact with Matt Kenseth and started hurtling toward an infield wall (which had an opening in it for vehicles to pass through, and no SAFER barrier), hit squarely on the car’s nose and obliterated the radiator. Threw it halfway across the track like a Frisbee. He too was safe, and admonished NASCAR to install SAFER barriers on all walls. He said it was one of the hardest hits he had ever taken. I remember when he hit the wall at Pocono in 2006. I didn’t know if he was going to get out of the car.

It is a testament to the safety innovations of the Car of Today and the SAFER barriers that more and worse injuries didn’t occur. I do hope that all tracks on the circuit get SAFER barriers on all walls that surround the racing surface.

In actual green flag racing, the Roushkateers put on one heck of a show. Carl Edwards, clearly the class of the field for the second week in a row, smoked his competitors. Greg Biffle finished third. A surprise sixth place finish for Roush-Fenway’s David Ragan. Dale Earnhardt, Jr., whose spinning tires caused Gordon and Matt Kenseth to set off their race-ending wreck, finished second and was visibly disappointed when interviewed post-race.

Speaking of post-race, an issue was found with Edwards’ car during inspection. The cap to the oil well was found dislodged. According to Jayski, this was an infraction found on several Nationwide cars in Daytona. Those teams were penalized. Edwards will likely face a points penalty and a fine.

I don’t know if this is a case of a faulty oil cap or if there is an actual advantage to having the cap off the tank. I am not very knowledgeable about some of the cars’ mechanics, so please tell me if you know why it might be an advantage. Is it easier to cool the oil? That is the only thing I can think of.

Next week we travel to Hotlanta, better known as Atlanta. Atlanta Motor Speedway is a fan favorite and a driver favorite too. More about Atlanta later in the week.

We finally got the NASCAR podcast on track Saturday night since a few snafus on Friday. The podcast’s new home will be Wednesday nights at 6 pm. I hope you’ll visit us at TalkShoe and listen in, or perhaps ask a few questions!

CrucialTaunt’s NASCAR podcast - today!“0 Comments”

SamanthaM | 9:38 am | February 29, 2008 | NASCAR

Today at 4:00 pm Eastern, CrucialTaunt will host its first podcast. Held on TalkShoe, we hope to make it a public show with call-ins and online questions. Mark and I have done this before, but we’re going to need a bit of practice with our new site so bear with us.

The first show will be unique because I will be on the road, driving on lovely Interstate 74 to see my grandparents this evening. I’ll try to refrain from road rage and hope my Bluetooth headset doesn’t give out.

Today we’ll talk a little more about my column about Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Las Vegas Motor Speedway, my picks for the race and some dark horses. If we have time, I’d like to talk a little bit about how sponsorship is changing in the Cup series, and how it may never be the same again.

We’ll try to get the podcast posted as soon as possible, but again, please bear with us as we work out the kinks in our new site.

One last thing, about comments — currently they are moderated and I have to approve them, so if you leave a comment, don’t worry if it doesn’t show up right away. I am going to try and remedy that.

Thanks again, and happy reading!

The Real Start to Junior’s Year - Put Up, or Shut up!“0 Comments”

SamanthaM | 9:37 am | February 28, 2008 | NASCAR

I’ve looked at Dale Earnhardt, Jr. as a bit of an underdog in the last three years.

Yes, underdog. But why?

We all know that Junior was the star driver in his father’s racing stable. And especially after Dale Earnhardt’s death, Junior stepped up to the plate (literally, as he was a dominant restrictor plate racer during that time) and really performed. You couldn’t have asked for a better show out of the young man who had the sport’s biggest legacy sitting on his shoulders.

Then, performance began to falter. Communications broke down. Junior missed the Chase. Junior’s stepmother, Teresa Earnhardt, threw down a gauntlet in the form of a quote to the Wall Street Journal that said, in part, that Junior needed to decide if he was going to be a race car driver or an entertainer.

All of us followed the Earnhardt family saga and saw how it ravaged Junior. Maybe it ravaged Teresa too, but the public will likely never know because she is quite reclusive.

Junior found a home at Hendrick Motorsports after months of tension and debate. It is impossible to miss how happy he is driving for arguably the sport’s premier team and a friendly, hands-on owner.

But now he has to perform. As I call it, 2008 is Junior’s year to put up or shut up.

Junior Nation will undoubtedly point out that he won the Bud Shootout and his Gatorade Duel race at Daytona. That’s great. I was very happy to see him win. But it was Daytona, a track at which he has a proven record. California was an unfortunate turn of events that robbed us from seeing Junior’s full potential on a non-plate track.

Tomorrow the Cup Series blasts into Las Vegas. It’s an intermediate track, meaning it is a 1.5 mile course. These make up the meat and potatoes of the circuit, and doing well here will bode well for the first part of the season. It is now that Earnhardt will have to put up or shut up.

He is in superior equipment. He has superior support, both technical and moral, so to speak. He has a wonderful attitude and is full of smiles. He’s walking on air. There is nothing that can stop him from having a great season but himself.

Junior is a good driver. I wouldn’t call him a great driver. I think he has a lot of talent, but maybe it was just underused and misused at a company that couldn’t seem to get its head on straight for the past two seasons.

Many people believe that Junior will go on to win multiple championships like his father. I don’t believe that is true. I could see him winning a championship during his time with Hendrick, but after year three. It is going to take a year of adjustment and another year of increased cohesiveness before I think he will be championship material.

Consistency is key. Better communication with his crew chief and cousin Tony Eury, Jr. is crucial (as we saw at Daytona).

I predict we will see Junior win two or three races this year. He is always a threat at a plate track and he enjoys Atlanta, which is coming up, and Richmond is a favorite with drivers and fans. It is also the site of his last points-paying race win.

This weekend is the start of Junior’s season. It is the beginning of his future.

I’m proud to say…“0 Comments”

SamanthaM | 7:44 am | February 27, 2008 | NASCAR

A response I submitted to a Yahoo! Sports story was selected and included. To find it, please click here: http://sports.yahoo.com/nascar/news?slug=ys-ificould022608

Say goodbye to California and hello to bigger and better things“1 Comment”

SamanthaM | 7:37 am | | NASCAR

This past weekend at the former California Speedway in Southern California was nothing more than a joke. A dangerous joke, what with water seeping onto the track and all. If you’d like more confirmation, I suggest you try to talk to Denny Hamlin or Casey Mears. Especially Mears. You know, the one who ultimately ended up on his side trying to escape his car while Sam Hornish, Jr.’s car was erupting in flames next to him?

I’m glad it is over. The racing, when it finally got underway, was okay. Not hugely entertaining. I didn’t fall asleep, though, which I think is a good thing. This morning when I woke up to update my blog I read a post on Jayski which said that the now-Auto Club Speedway is thinking about transforming itself into a high-banked restrictor plate track. Interesting idea. Maybe I wouldn’t hate the place so much if it was interesting.

It is no secret that fans in general like watching plate racing. Daytona was a shining example of why it is so wild, woolly and entertaining. When Kyle Busch didn’t come across the line first and instead was preceded by Ryan Newman, it was a surprise to everyone, including Newman. The whole race was great!

The Auto Club Speedway has been reviled for taking away historic dates from North and South Carolina. It’s also been reviled for the poor attendance and NASCAR’s desperation to get stock car racing accepted in one of the country’s largest media outlets. The seats are never filled, and even for Sunday/Monday’s race, tickets were given away free in Stater Bros. grocery stores, as long as the buyer purchased $50 of items. I don’t mean the Nationwide race. I mean the Cup race. I sure didn’t see mostly full stands, allowing a little for the poor weather.

But I digress. Reconfiguring Fontana might be the best thing it could do to overcome all the points against it. The article I read posted costs up to $10 million. That doesn’t seem so outrageous to me. In fact, it sounds almost cheap. The ISC (the NASCAR-affiliated International Speedway Corporation is helmed by Lesa France Kennedy, daughter of Bill France, Jr.) could certainly afford such a price tag. Methinks they might want to invest, and invest NOW.

But this week we have Las Vegas Motor Speedway to look forward to. Owned by the flashy Bruton Smith’s Speedway Motorsports, the Neon Garage and all its trappings are a happy respite for tired teams and bored drivers. By all accounts, LVMS is a great facility and we know it is well-attended.

Wunderkind Kyle Busch will be the talk of the town again. I know some people are tired of this punk, but I have to say, I think I’m in love with his style. He is the first driver to have the chance to lead the standings in all three of NASCAR’s touring divisions. This has never happened before in the history of NASCAR. He’s leading two of three right now, and let me also point out he is a former winner in Las Vegas, his hometown.

In the spring race, Jimmie Johnson is going for his fourth win. Matt Kenseth has won here twice, as has Jeff Burton. Kasey Kahne, Bobby Labonte and Dale Jarrett have each taken the pole here twice. With the Dodge and Toyota performance improving, don’t be surprised to see one of these three in P1. Ryan Newman can’t be counted out, and Jeff Gordon has won a spring race here as well.

This is a race that appears better won from the middle of the pack, as no spring race has been won by its polesitter. In fact, since 1998 six winners have come from 17th or worse to win, and only three times in the spring race’s history has the winner come from inside the top ten.

The Chevys will need to pick up their pace this weekend if they want to keep up with the Toyotas. I think we’ll see some hard-fought battles this week in Sin City. Don’t forget that the race is still on Pacific time so for us folks in the Eastern time zone, it’s gonna be another late, late start for us.

I hope you have a great week and enjoy the jewel of the desert as the Cup Series travels to Nevada.

Welcome to CrucialMaynard“0 Comments”

SamanthaM | 7:07 pm | February 8, 2008 | NASCAR

Hello, and welcome to CrucialMaynard. I am your NASCAR hostess, Samantha Maynard. Some of you may remember me from SportsBlurb, then SportsGrumblings. When Mark Allen Haverty mentioned his new site, I asked if I could join him, as long as I didn’t have to write a weekly column. Blogging, in this case, will be more my style.

I’ll generally talk NASCAR, my thoughts, feelings and opinions on the same. I try to be as fair as I can, but it is only fair to you, CrucialReader, to let you know a few things about me.

I like Jeff Gordon. In fact, I like pretty much all of Hendrick Motorsports. Kyle Busch is the new Candyman and I find myself liking his punk ass in a suit I thought could only be filled by Elliott Sadler. Speaking of the Ram Man, he finished sixth at Daytona. Just sayin’.

I hate the top 35 rule. I love the fastest 43 cars in the field. I don’t like points swapping and I don’t like manufactured cautions. I don’t suck up to Junior Nation, but I like the guy. He’s a real dude. Tony Stewart flips back and forth from my good to my bad side. He gives a lot of money to sick kids. Don’t ever forget that.

I like exciting races, and I hate taking naps between laps 75 - 175. I like FOX and SPEED and everybody else should be taking notes. I don’t like Darrell Waltrip that much. I read Jayski even though he’s ESPN’s pawn now, and you should read The Daly Planet.

I think we need more personality in racing. I don’t think we need fisticuffs in the hauler. I think we need to remember the drivers who made the sport what it is and I think Fontana only deserves one date. If you have to ask which date they get, you should leave this blog right now.

I want to see ~~Busch~~ Nationwide races at Rockingham and North Wilkesboro. I want Andy Hillenburg to succeed.

What are my qualifications for being a swivel-chair crew chief cum commentator? No better or worse than anyone else’s. I am born and bred in Indiana with racing in my heart. My dad used to sponsor a midget car. When I was four years old, I wanted to be on Richard Petty’s pit crew. I remember when Jeff Gordon had that unfortunate mustache. I saw Dale Earnhardt win Daytona in 1998.

That’s me.

I hope to fill these pages with some insightful and intelligent commentary. Since it isn’t a column and more of a blog, I may find myself going a bit awry once in a while. I’ll do the best I can to stay on target.

Thanks for coming to CrucialMaynard. I hope you’ll find it must-read material.

CrucialMaynard

Recent Posts

Categories

Blogroll

Meta