The 2013 season has concluded and the champions are identified.
Congratulations to Jimmie Johnson, who has won his sixth Sprint Cup Championship title in impressive fashion. Matt Kenseth and Kevin Harvick could not overcome the lead Johnson came in with. The #48 Lowes Chevrolet team of Rick Hendrick, with Johnson piloting and Chad Knaus as crew chief, has no doubt established themselves as one of the best teams in the history of the sport.
Jimmie Johnson #48 Chevrolet
Glynn is the 2013 Conway NACSAR League champion, his second title. Glynn won in convincing fashion over 88 AMPS. The top ten racers are as follows:
Glynn
88AMPS
Team Taser
BMF Lugnuts
Pamela's Pistons
GBR88
Man In Blck Racing
Ricky Racer
Mama's Boy
WTC Racing
Team Taser won the last segment, with Team Hot Stuff and Glynn second and third.
For the race, Stroker Ace, The Big Lebowski and Kingpin tied for first. Team Taser and Team Hot Stuff rounded out the top five.
Big movers on the day were few. D&D Racing, MMSH and Punch all blew an engine, while Blue 7 was riding the high wall with authority.
It was another great season and we hope everyone enjoyed it.
Our championship party will be held in conjunction with 2014 signups sometime in January, which has been the case for the last several seasons. A later post will identify all the winners; race, segment and final positions.
Congratulations to Glynn and Jimmie Johnson for their 2013 Championships!
Kevin Harvick adhered to the asphalt in Avondale and won the AdvoCare 500(k) Sprint Cup Series race. Jimmie Johnson finished third, twenty spots ahead of Matt Kenseth, who had a miserable afternoon. Both Kenseth, and now Kevin Harvick, remain mathematically alive for the championship, but Johnson would have to just about DNF to give them a realistic chance.
Glynn continues to run up front, no doubt hearing all kinds of new noises from under the hood. But, as I was trying to figure out how he might lose this thing, my calculator blew up. 88AMPS runs a strong second, followed by Team Taser, Man In Black Racing and BMF Lugnuts.
So, it looks like the tandem of Jimmie Johnson and Glynn for 2013.
Ratatack Racing won the week, followed by Punch, CosmoD, Smoke on the Horizon and Slim Shady Racing. Smoke and Shady have been on fire of late.
Kingpin and Slim Shady Racing wee the only racers with notable gains, while no doubt going for broke, Blind Squirrel Racing would up in the garage area with chassis issues.
It is Sprint Cut Championship weekend at Homestead Miami Speedway as we run the FORD EcoBoost 400.
The Grand Marshal, and giving the command to start engines, will be singer-songwriter and proud OU Sooner Toby Keith.
There are some battles afoot for the last couple spots in the top ten of the league, so we are sure to see some shuffling.
Jimmie Johnson dominated the AAA 500 at Texas Motor Speedway, and with Jeff Gordon having major issues, the Chase is now down to Jimmie Johnson and Matt Kenseth.
Three racers tied atop the Conway NASCAR League for the week, Stroker Ace, The Big Lebowski and Kingpin Racing. Team Hot Stuff was fourth with Me Racing, Slim Shady Racing , Glynn, Team Taser and BMF Lugnuts in a tie for fifth.
The Big Lebowski, Team Wolf and Kingpin moved up in the standings, while Smoke's Fury, Punch, Double Four Racing and Lisa Las Vegas found themselves in the garage area.
It ain't aver till it is over, but Glynn would have to have some real issues to lose hold of the lead at this point, but we are sure 88AMPS has the floorboard mashed in high speed pursuit. Team Taser, up two spots, Pamela's Pistons and Man In Black Racing round out the top five.
There are two races to go, with the race today at Phoenix and the finale in Homestead.
The race out in Phoenix at Phoenix International Raceway is always a fan favorite, and when we put em under green this afternoon for the AdvoCare 500(k) it will be no different. As hard as it is to imagine, Jimmie Johnson is our polesitter.
Clint Bowyer, followed by Jeff Gordon, was fastest in Happy Hour. Recall last season Bowyer and Gordon got into it here in Phoenix.
Should be a lot of fun, and with the woeful Bucs and Dolphins saving their ineptitude for Monday Night, you can place your full attention to the goings on in Avondale, AZ at PIR.
Jeff Gordon won at Martinsville Speedway last, pushing up to third place in the Chase for the Championship. Gordon, with each of his four prior championships under the pre-Chase points system, would love to have one under the new and present format. JG is now third, behind Matt Kenseth and ole five time Jimmie Johnson, who are tied for first.
You may have thought we were still in Talladega the way the Conway racers came across the finish line. O Racing edged an moving car lot to win the week, with eleven racers tied for second. That list included The Gas Man, Luckydog Racing, SPC Racing, Team Taser, GBR88, BMF Lugnuts, Chief Racing, Mama's Boy, Mountain Boy, Lil Boy and Bug Boy. Wow!
Moving up four or more positions were The Gas Man, Luckydog Racing, Blind Squirrel Racing, BAHL and SPC Racing.
Damaged by fender banging and dropping four or more were The Blue Deuce, Eagles Nest, MMSH, Little Circle Burner, D& D Racing and Smoke on the Horizon.
Glynn continues to lead and is just about locked to win his second championship. In high speed pursuit of him are 88 AMPS, who looks like our Rookie of the Year, Man In Black Racing, Pamela's Piston and Team Taser.
This week we are running the high speeds at Texas Motor Speedway. The AAA Texas 500 is scheduled to go green at 3:16PM. Carl Edwards in the #99 Ford Fusion is our polesitter. Brad Keselowski was fastest in Happy Hour practice.
It was quite an uneventful afternoon, considering we were running door handle to door handle on The White Knuckle Highway at Talladega Superspeedway. Jamie McMuuray won the race, with Dale Earnhardt, Jr. finishing runner up.
Miss Make Shit Happen, MMSH, won the week, followed by CosmoD, Tean Taser, Eagles Nest and WTC Racing.
MMSH led the positive movers, gaining 10 spots!. Team Hot Stuff, Boris Head Racing and Double Four also gained at least five. Slim Shady Racing, DWL Racing Little Circle Burner and Chief Racing all lost at least five.
Glynn remains on point, followed by 88 AMPS. However, Pamela's Pistons mounted a charge in the high groove and jumped into third, followed by Man In Black and Smoke's Fury.
This week we hit our final short track of the year, racing Goody's Headache Relief Shot 500 at Martinsville Speedway on Sunday afternoon. The green flag is scheduled to drop at 1:43PM.
Brad Keselowski took the checkers at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Saturday night as we continue to roll in the Chase.
The top five remained the same. Glynn is on point with 88AMPS, Man In Black Racing, Smokes Fury and Pamela's Pistons in pursuit.
Steve O took the win the Conway NASCAR League, followed by The Blue Deuce and Team Hot Stuff. Kingpin, Material Handlers, Blind Squirrel Racing, Glynn, Team Taser, Stroker Ace and The Big Lowski were in a logjam for fourth.
Nobody moved up or down more than three spots. That will likely not be the case this weekend as we roll into Talladega Superspeedway, where we await the big one.
Rain eliminated qualifying, but recall this is now based off practice speeds and not points. Aric Amirola, therefore, is our polesitter.
It is always a crap shoot at The White Knuckle Highway.The green flag is set to drop at 2:20PM.
It was an interesting afternoon at Kansas Speedway with polesitter Kevin Harvick picking up the win.
Kyle Busch had a miserable day, an weekend for that matter, in Jayhawk country. Busch held nothing back in speaking with MRN Radio, noting as reported by FOX News, the following:
"The race track is the worst race track I've ever driven on," Busch said. "The tire are the worst tires I've ever driven on and track position is everything. You can't do anything unless you're out front. You get back in traffic - Kevin Harvick (race winner) couldn't pass me - he led the first 80 laps of the race, so I'd say it's pretty pathetic."
Crumpled #18 Toyota of Kyle Busch/Photo FOX Sports
Busch had a point, especially about Harvick, who when back in traffic had an ordinary car. Track position was huge, and many drivers had issues hanging on, including Brian Vickers, who had a big hit coming up out of turn 2.
Lisa Las Vegas won the week, followed by Pit Row legend Hog Smoke Racing, Team Cuda, WTC Racing and Pamela's Pistons.
There were very few big moves in the standings, as it is hard to climb. Lisa Las Vegas and Team Cuda did get four positions (all I have been able to climb with a 7th and 8th place finish respectively the last two weeks) and GBR88 and Lucky Penny each dropping five spots.
The top four remain the same, with former champion Glynn showing the way. 88AMPs, Man In Black Racing and Smokes Fury remain single file behind the leader, with Pamela's Pistons overtaking Ricky Racer for fifth.
PLEASE NOTE THE BOXES HAVE CHANGED FOR CHARLOTTE!!!!!!!!!
Boris Head Racing, who has been some kind of dialed in, won the segment, followed by Glynn and Ratatack Racing!
For the final box set, we can certainly expect some drama. Can Glenn hold on? Will Boy Racing Inc mount a charge? Will the running of the mouth come back to hurt the Chief? After crashing hard in Kansas, can GBR88 get back into contention? Should be fun!
We will run the Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Saturday night, the only remaining night race on the 2013 schedule. The race will be on ABC, without Brent Musburger on call, with the green flag dropping at 7:46PM.
Jimmie Johnson owns Dover, passing Richard Petty and Bobby Allison in career wins at the track with half the starts. With Matt Kenseth off to such a fast start in the Chase, Johnson really needed the win.
I would say the Chase is between Johnson, Kenseth and Kyle Busch, although I have a feeling Jeff Gordon may have the drive and hunger to win it.
Team Wolf won the week, followed by No Ones Beatch, Ratatack Racing, Pamela's Pistons and CF Canes, who has been hotter than UM tailback Duke Johnson in recent weeks.
Not many big movers this week. Team Wolf gained a whopping nine spots, and CF Canes Boris Head Racing and Lucky Penny did well.
In a seemingly shocking development, LuckyDog and The Gas Man had rougher weeks than their beloved Wildcats did hosting the Gators, dropping five spots. They were the only racers to drop five or more.
Glynn remains on point, with 88 AMPS, strong right out of the gate in 2013, Man In Black, Smoke's Fury and Ricky Racer in high speed pursuit.
Posted an item about FOX Racing's Steve Byrnes on our Facebook page, who has taken a leave of absence to battle cancer. We wish him all the best, and you can send well wishes to him on Twitter @SteveByrnes12.
This weekend we are in Kansas City, KA at Kansas Speedway, just west of metro KC, about the same distance west as The Harry S. Truman Sports Complex, housing the Chiefs Arrowhead and the Royals Kaufman Stadiums, are east.
Ole Five Time was fastest in practice today at Kansas, and the race will go green at 2:16PM on Sunday.
Matt Kenseth has begun the Chase on a tear, winning again at New Hamsphire International Raceway, capturing The Sylvania 300.
L&M Racing won the week in the Conway NASCAR League, with Smoke's Fury, Team Hot Stuff, CF Canes and Double Four Racing.
Glynn continues to show the way with 88AMPS, Smoke's Fury, Man In Black Racing and Ricky Racer rounding out the top five.
Drivers shooting up the standings this week were CF Canes, Little Circle Burner, Team Hot Stuff, KDog Racing and Boris Head Racing.
Crumpled up in the garage area with Bobby Labonte were Mountain Boy, DWL Racing, Kingpin Racing and Lisa Las Vegas.
The races are winding down and the chances to get a top ten finish are dwindling. This week we return to Dover International Speedway for the running of the AAA 400.
After a wild night in Richmond, the Chase began in Chicagoland with the running of the GEICO 400. The race was rain delayed, twice, finally getting going at 10PM EST on Sunday evening. This was painful for those of us who were due in our offices early Monday morning. Additional lack of sleep hit those of us who watched a Wisconsin get robbed at Arizona State in Tempe at @2AM EST Sunday morning.
Matt Kenseth was our victor, and appears the favorite to win the Sprint Cup Championship. Dale Jr blew up late into the evening, likely ending his Chase chances.
Glynn won the week and is running point in the standings, ahead of 88AMPS, Man In Black Racing, Ricky Racer and GBR88, who is set to hire soon to be available Bo Pelini in the public relations department.
Finishing behind Glynn for the week were The Blue Deuce, BMF Lugnuts, SPC Racing and 88AMPS.
There were limited big movers, with BMF Lugnuts, O Racing and The Blue Deuce moving up and Little Circle Burner, No Ones Beatch and Smoke on the Horizon.
Chief Racing has been running his mouth on our Facebook page, but in the spirit of Deion Sanders, with whom he shares a birth date, he is backing it up, moving into the top ten.
This week we head to New Hampshire for the running of the Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, NH. David Swindell jumps in the #30 Chevrolet, while Bobby Labonte returns to the #47 JTG Toyota. The green flag drops @2:15.
Be sure to check our Facebook page, where we are attempting to keep you up to speed on the goings on in NASCAR.
Richmond was an exciting place last Saturday night, and not just because of the door handle to door handle racing. It seems we had a handful of teams pulling some shenanigans in effort to adjust the finishing order to benefit their drivers, while others may have been paid to help an existing team or driver.
NASCAR was far from pleased.
Reportedly, NASCAR dropped the hammer on Micheal Waltrip Racing, fining them $300,000 with one of their drivers, Martin Truex, Jr., who had inched into the Chase, having been removed from Chase competition. Other team members were docked points.
The Labor Day weekend night race at Atlanta some tempers flare and some big time contenders have trouble, and in the end it was Kyle Busch victorious. Joey Logano and Jeff Gordon had a real good runs, while Clint Bowyer, Denny Hamlin and Brad Keselowski did not.
Lisa Las Vegas and Boris Head Racing tied for the win this week. Congratulations!
Hog Smoke Racing, D&D Racing and Punch rounded out the top five.
No Ones Beatch, Punch, D&D Racing, Hog Smoke and Lisa Las Vegas all moved up at least five spots. Fitz Racing was the only racer to drop five or more, with BAHL, Team Taser, Team Hot Stuff and Chevy Intimidators each falling four.
Man In Black Racing continues to show the way, with 88AMPS tucked in off the rear spoiler. Glynn, Ricky Racer and Mama's Boy round out the top five.
It is getting a little late in the going for Boy Racing, Inc to get all their teams tied in score as usual, but we are watching.
Many, several, teams rolled picks after this box change. This was designed to be a courtesy to our racers, but it is a pain to go fix scores and it took the Chief and I quite bit of time we don't have to fix them all. Not such a big deal during each segment, but a mess after a box change. Help us out next time. Of course, rolling at that time is not a good idea if you are seeking a good score.
For all you comedians out there, no, I did not roll my picks. I get my pitiful scores after exhaustive study and scoreboard manipulation.
You are going to have to find a second TV for Notre Dame and Michigan, because we are racing Saturday night at Richmond. RIR will not be the same without Smoke.
Speaking of Smoke, every substitute driver, including Mark Martin, has failed to get a quality run out of the car, which is top notch to be sure.
The Federated Auto Parts 400 will be on ABC and the field will be put under green at 7:44PM.
As usual, another rough evening at Bristol Motor Speedway. Several contenders got taken out.
Lil Boy with Keselowski's Ford Fusion
It looked like Kurt Busch had the best car, but he rarely finishes and this was not exception. Heck, Bobby Labonte got taken out running fourth, when Travis Kvapil spun leader Clint Bowyer, who rested in the middle of the track, where upon slowing, Jeff Gordon plowed Labonte into Bowyer. Carl Edwards then looked like the best car, but behind the wall he went with engine trouble.
Did I mention I picked all these guys? Yep, posted it in the comment section on our FB page, so people could find out early who would be wrecking. Never got a track update from Boy Racing Inc. Those guys were having too much fun at the fastest half mile. So, without on site consult from the track, I made those wrecking picks all by myself. Dice this week!
Big Boy with Tervor Bayne's Ford Fusion
When all the dust settled, Matt Kenseth held off Kasey Kahne to win the Irwin Tools Bristol Night Race.
Jim's Juggs won the week, a week which saw some serious shuffling in the standings. Chief Racing, WTC Racing, Man In Blac Racing and Team Taser rounded out the top five.
Moving up several spots were Pamela's Pistons, Team Taser, Cosmo, Chief Racing, WTC and Jim's Juggs. Behind the wall were ME Racing, Little Circle Burner and No One's Beatch.
Man In Black Racing took the lead, with 88AMPS, Ricky Racer, Glynn and Smoke's Fury rounding out the top five.
Unofficially, it looks like Ricky Racer won the segment, with Man In Black in second and CF Canes 7 in third. Lucky Dog and Smoke on the Horizon, who are back in the pack, tore up the segment also and are moving up.
THE BOXES HAVE CHANGED as we head to Atlanta Motor Speedway for the AdvoCare 500 on Sunday Night of this upcoming Labor Day Weekend. The race is scheduled to go green at 7:46PM. Have a great weekend.
The Pure Michigan 400, usually a very boring race even though the speeds are very high, was actually a decent race this go around, and ole Mark Martin almost got a win but was short on fuel.
Many, including me, thought Dale Jr might fight it out for the win, but after leading a bunch of laps, he hit wall. So did Five Time.
Joey Logano, in the #22 Pennzoil Ford, won from the pole position, giving him a shot at the chance.
Luckydog won the week, followed by Ricky Racer, Little Cricle Burner, Eagles Nest and MMSH.
Among those moving up were Little Circle Burner, MMSH and Steve O Racing, while BMF Lugnuts, Team Wolf and Chevy Intimidators ran too much camber and tasted the wall.
88AMPS is our leader, followed by Glynn, Man In Black Racing, Mama's Boy Racing and Ricky Racer, who is getting into the thick of it.
Silly season has begun, and we expect some big changes. Newman is out of the #39, and JP Montoya is out of the #42. Montoya may go back to Indy Car. Vickers is in the #55, and Mark Martin will finish the season for Tony Stewart in the #14. Kurt Busch has several offers, which will open up the #78.
This week we go Saturday night racing, as we run The Irwin Tools Night Race at Bristol. Big Boy and Lil Boy will be representing the Conway NASCAR League live, and hopefully they will post a photo or two over on our facebook page.
The race is scheduled to go green at 7:43PM on Saturday Night. Keep your cool, and go get em!
Kyle Busch scored a big win at Watkins Glen International Speedway on the final road course of the season. As usual, there were a handful of wrecks, including a somewhat bizarre one that took out Jeff Gordon. Some stellar cars did not see the finish, including Brian Vickers, Marcose Ambrose and Kasey Kahne, who remains steamed.
Ratatack won the week, followed by Man In Black Racing, GBR88 and Pamela's Pistons. Five drivers, Stroker Ace Racing, The Big Lebowski, Cosmo, Fitz Racing and Kingpin Racing.
Among those moving up were SPC Racing of Tampa, FL, Smoke on the Horizon and Ratatack Racing. In the garage area were Budah, Captain Schwab, The Blue Deuce, Lisa Las Vegas, Slim Shady Racing and DWL Racing.
Man In Black Racing has taken the lead, with 88 AMPS, Glynn, Mama's Boy and Mountain Boy rounding out the top five. It is becoming time to mash the gas.
Many thanks to those racers who joined us over at The Belle Isle Bayou for out Midseason Party. Andre and the staff over there took real good care of us with some tasty treats, wings and plenty of ice cold beer. D&D Racing, Chief Racing, Team Cuda, The Gas Man, Luckydog, Burke, Punch, MMSH, Blind Squirrel Racing, ME Racing, Cosmo, O Racing and Double Four Racing were among those who attended.
During the week, Humpy Wheeler spoke on his "hot topic" on what is wrong with NASCAR. Maybe not much, but maybe plenty. As Burke said at the party, when Bud at the Glen is the best race, you get an indication of what is wrong at all the other tracks that used to be great, particularly Bristol, Dover and Richmond.
This week we return to Michigan International Speedway for the running of The Pure Michigan 400. The cars are running real fast, and Joey Logano set a track record in winning the pole position. 25 drivers qualified at over 200MPH.
Jimmie Johnson was fastest in Happy Hour practice; however, Johnson wrecked late in practice and had to go to a backup car and will go to the back of the field. Jamie McMurray, who blew an engine, will go the back also.
The green flag is scheduled to drop at 1:16PM. Stand on it!
A return trip to Pocono did not go as planned for many racers, with tire wear and old fashioned luck derailing many drivers. In our last trip to Pocono, Kasey Kahne had one of the fastest cars but engaged the wall and finished poorly.
Not on Sunday, as Kahne got by Jimmie Johnson on a restart and won going away for his second win of the season.
CF Canes won the week, followed by Dr. Jerry Punch, Team BC, Lucky Penny and Team Wolf.
There were not a lot of moves within the top fifteen, but plenty everywhere else. However, the moves were not big. Punch, CF Canes and D&D Racing move up the most, while only The Blue Deuce and Team Taser fell more than three positions.
Glynn continues on point, with 88 AMPS, Man In Black Racing, Mama's Boy and Mountain Boy rounding out the top five.
Big news this week as Tony Stewart broke his leg in a Sprint Car crash, which will sideline him for approximately one month and remove him from Chase contention. That opens up another spot for those seek entrance. Max Papis will pilot the #14 Chevrolet SS at Watkins Glen. No word on who might substitute moving forward.
Please join us for our MIDSEASON PARTY at The Belle Isle Bayou on Sunday as we cut them loose at Watkins Glen International Speedway, our final road course event of the season. We will gather beginning at noon and go until the gas runs out. Belle Isle Bayou is located on the northwest corner of Conway Road and Hoffner Avenue.
We do have a very small number of racers who I have not caught up with yet regarding entry fees. Please come prepared to pay at the party, for as you appreciate, those who don't settle up will be on their own tab.
See you at The Belle Isle Bayou for Bud at The Glen!
Recently let go from Stewart Haas Racing, Ryan Newman scored a huge victory by winning the 20th Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Newman had a big week, finishing third in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race on the dirt at Eldora Speedway.
Lil Boy and Big Boy tied for the win in the Conway NASCAR League, with four racers, 88 AMPS, GBR88, WTC Racing and Blue 7 Racing tying for third.
Among the gainers were Team Wolf, WTC Racing, The Big Lebowski and Stoker Ace. Falling behind were The Blue Deuce, Chevy Intimidators, Budah, Ron Dog Racing, Captain Schwab and Cosmo.
Glynn remains on point, with 88AMPS, Mama's Boy, Man in Black Racing and Mountain Boy rounding out the top five.
This week we return to Pocono for the GoBowling.com 400 with Jimmie Johnson and his Lowe's Chevrolet on the pole. The green flag is scheduled to drop at 1:19PM.
Our MIDSEASON PARTY will be held on Sunday, August 11 at NOON at The Belle Isle Bayou located on the corner of Conway Road and Hoffner Avenue in beautiful downtown Conway. The Cup Series will be up at Watkins Glen for our final road course race of the season.
In a very feel good moment for NASCAR, Brian Vickers drove his Micheal Waltrip Racing Toyota to victory lane at New Hampshire Motor Speedway winning the Camping World 400.
Vickers, who drives the car part time with Mark Martin and Michael Waltrip, has been out of a full time ride since becoming ill with blood clots some years ago. Brian has worked very hard to make his way back, and the win on Sunday signaled he has made it. Brian is a real good guy and we join everyone else in offering our most sincere congratulations. @BrianLVickers.
ME Racing won the week with a strong performance. L&M Racing was second, followed by Team Hot Stuff, Little Cicle Burner and BMF Lugnuts.
Moving up this week were Team Hot Stuff, Team Cuda, Team Taser, Budah and Ratatack Racing. Those collected in the latest Ryan Newman crash were Steve O Racing, Captain Schwab and The Blue Deuce.
Glynn is on point, with 88AMPS, Man In Black Racing, BMF Lugnuts and Mama's Boy tucked up in the draft.
We take the week off and return on July 28 for the running of Crown Royal Presents the Samuel Deeds 400, otherwise known as the Brickyard 400. This is the 20th running of the Brickyard, won in the inaugural year by Jeff Gordon. Seven previous winners are on the entry list, including Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart, Bobby Labonte, Kevin Harvick, Jamie McMurray and Paul Menard. Chevrolet has won 10 straight and 14 overall, with Ford having won 3 and Dodge and Pontiac 1 each.
The green flag is scheduled to drop at 1:20PM.
Our promotional department is hard at work planning the mid season party, which will be in a few short weeks. Stay tuned to our media outlets, which are the blog, Facebook and the message board for details.
Brad Keselowski was pumped to get his season back on track at The World Center of Racing with the running of the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway. Brad was not alone, as many drivers, including Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart, were hoping for better luck as the second half of the season kicks off.
But after 400 miles and a handful of dustups, it was the same old story; Jimmie Johnson in victory lane. Johnson dominated the Coke Zero 400, leading the most laps with a car that unlike the greater majority of the field, could use the entire track.
Boogity Boys Racing won the week, closely followed by Team Hot Stuff and GBR88. These three racers scored significantly more than the next racers, with Lisa Las Vegas and ME Racing.
As is usually the case in plate races, there was quite a bit of turmoil in the standings.
GBR88, ME Racing, Team Cuda, Jimms Juggs, Team Hot Stuff, K Dog and Boogity Boys all gained big, while CE Racing, D&D Racing, Chevy Intimidators, Team Wolf and The Gas Man all were in the garage area. Team Taser dropped a eye popping 16 positions.
Glynn remains on point, but Mama's Boy has moved into second. 88AMPS, Man In Black and Smoke's Fury round out the top five.
The third segment has concluded. Unofficially, Boogity Boys won the segment followed by ME Racing and K Dog Racing.
With the segment concluded, it is important to take note that THE BOXES HAVE CHANGED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This week we are up in New Hampshire at New Hampshire Motor Speedway for the running of the Camping World RV 301. This race is scheduled to go green @1:15PM on Sunday. Please get your picks in on time.
The new boxes provide those in the back to get back involved, so grab four tires and some SUNOCO fuel and mash the gas!
Matt Kenseth, really on fire since moving over to Joe Gibbs Racing this season, got another win on Saturday at Kentucky Speedway. The race was strange, with Kurt Busch causing a big crash which took out Brad Keselowski and Greg Biffle.
Off in the Georgia mountains white water rafting, somehow Burke was able to win the week. Perhaps he got a chance to consult on some picks with Bo Darville and Cledus Snow at a choke and puke up there.
Burke was followed by Glynn, ME Racing, O Racing and Team Wolf to round out the top five.
Those gaining spots included Stroker Ace, Blind Squirrel Racing, The Big Lebowski, ME Racing, CEA Special and Chief Racing, who has been on the move of late.
Steve O, CF Canes and WTC Racing had rough afternoons.
Glynn has retaken the lead, followed by Man In Black Racing, Mama's Boy, Smokes Fury and 88AMPS.
Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway
This week we return to The World Center of Racing at Daytona International Speedway for the Coke Zero 400 on Saturday night.
NSCS practices today from 4PM to 5:20PM, with Happy Hour practice from 6:35PM to 8PM. These practices will be live on SPEED TV.
The race is scheduled to go green on the high banks at 7:49PM. Perhaps we will see some of you at the track, but if you cannot make it, you are covered with live coverage on TNT.
From the moment they crawl up into the turn one banking, it will be exciting. Stand on it!
It was a banner day for the Fords of Boy Racing Inc this weekend at Sonoma and a big day for Martin Truex, Jr. who won for the first time since 2007, capturing his second win,
Boy Racing Inc swept the top four positions followed by BMF Lugnuts.
Among those gaining several spots were Lil Boy, Big Boy, Boogity Boys, Hot Stuff Racing and Blind Squirrel and Chief, who each gained 10 spots.
Losing ground were RonDog Racing, O Racing, The Big Lebowski, Team Cuda and Punch.
AJ Allmendinger will drive the #47 Toyota in place of Bobby Labonte this week as JTG Daugherty Racing seeks to find answers to their poor performance. They hope Allmendinger can give an "outside" opinion. With Labonte out, his string of consecutive starts comes to an end. Considering the crew could not get the car off pit road to start the race at Sonoma, I will conclude the issues are not driver oriented. AJ will roll off 17th tonight.
The Quaker State 400 drops the green flag at 7:45PM Saturday Night.
With Jimmie Johnson into the outside retaining wall and Dale Jr. in the garage after blowing up while leading, Greg Biffle in his Ford Fusion claimed another victory at Michigan.
Michigan is usually very boring, but this race had some excitement.
In what can only be considered a very strange leaderboard, O Racing won the week, followed by L&M Racing, SPC Racing and Lucky Penny, with The Gas Man and Luckydog tying for fifth.
Major shakeups occurred in the standings.
Those with significant advances were K Dog Racing, O Racing, DWL Racing, The Blue Deuce, The Gas Man and SPC, back on track after some time in the garage area.
With engine trouble in the garage were Team Cuda, OSteen Racing, Team Hot Stuff, GBR88, WTC Racing, Stroker Ace Racing, The Big Lebowski and MMSH.
Smokes Fury is out on point, followed by Man In Black Racing, Glynn, 88 AMPS and Mama's Boy.
We are now in the dog days of summer (waiting for college football to start) and typically the racing heats up. As usual, Tony Stewart seems to have gotten his groove back.
This week we head out to Sonoma for our first road course event of the season, which is usually great fun. As usual, road course races bring out some ringers and we have some of them entered in the race this week.
The Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Speedway will drop the green flag at approximately 3:19PM. The Grand Marshal for the race will be NASCAR Legend Darrell Waltrip, who will also give the command to start engines. American Idol star James Durbin, who I am unfamiliar with, will present the National Anthem.
The road course races can offer big opportunities for advancement in the standings, so stand on it and stay on course.
NASCAR driver Jason Lefler was killed last evening in a sprint car crash at Bridgeport Speedway in New Jersey. Lefler, who finished 43rd in the Party in the Poconos Spring Cup race last weekend in his only 2013 Sprint Cup start, was a single Dad and leaves a young five year old son behind. Please keep Jason and his family in your prayers, particularly on this Fathers Day weekend.
Jimmie Johnson had the field covered for the Party in the Poconos 400 at Pocono Raceway. Smarting from the penalty for jumping the restart last week, Johnson drove away from everyone at Pocono.
Material Handlers won the week, followed by Jimm's Juggs, 88 AMPS, Fitz Racing, Lisa Las Vegas and The Blue Deuce.
Not many major changes in the standings this week. GBR88 is the only racer to gain over 5 spots, while BAHL led the way on the downside tumbling 8, with Lucky Penny, Ron Dog and No Ones Beatch also falling over 5.
Man In Black Racing continues to lead the way, with Glynn and Smoke's Fury remaining second and third. 88 AMPs and Eagles Nest round out the top five.
It is with a heavy heart we report that Jason Lefler has died following a accident dirt track racing last evening. Jason was a wheel guy and will be sorely missed.
Silly season is already at play as Bobby Labonte and AJ Allmendinger switch rides this weekend.
This week week we are at Michigan International Speedway for the running of the Quicken Loans 400. This the first race at Michigan for the GEN6 car, so it should be interesting. It is Fathers Day on Sunday, and the green flag is scheduled to drop at 1:16PM.
The Autism Speaks 400 at Dover did not disappoint. Tony Stewart, off to a horrendous start in 2013, came from nowhere to win the race. Engine issues took out pair of top challengers, Jimmie Johnson was penalized for jumping the restart and Juan Pablo Montoya lost a late lead to finish second.
Punch won the week, followed by Slim Shady Racing, Captain Schwab, K Dog Racing and The Blue Deuce.
Among the drivers moving up wee Eagles Nest, Punch, The Gas Man, Stroker Ace, The Blue Deuce, Slim Shady and K Dog. Costly engine failures which took out Matt Kenseth and Martin Truex, Jr. helped cause the following driver to lose many positions: OSteen Racing, SPC, Hog Smoke Racing, Boris Head Racing, Team Hot Stuff, MMSH, Blind Squirrel Racing and BAHL.
Man In Black Racing has taken the lead, with Glynn in second, followed by Smoke's Fury, 88 AMPS and Eagles Nest.
This week we are in Pocono Raceway for the Party in the Poconos 400. Qualifying was rained out, so Jimmie Johnson will start on the pole. Kurt Busch was fastest in happy hour practice.
Kyle Busch seemed to get the worst of the ordeal, along with Marcose Ambrose.
Smoke's Fury won the week, followed by D&D Racing, WTC Racing, The Blue Deuce and Steve O Racing.
Among those who gained big were Steve O Racing, Budah, Pup N Suds, D&D Racing, Big Boy and WTC Racing. Losing grip up in the corner were Fitzx Racing, Team Wolf, SWL Racing and CosmoD, whose light never fired in reference to the loss of The Doors keyboard player last week.
Glynn continues to lead Man In Black Racing, followed by Smoke's Fury, 88 AMPS and BMF Lugnuts.
Smoke's Fury won the segment, with D&D Racing in second and WTC Racing in third.
We attempted to have a race party for the 600 at Belle Isle Bayou, but due to private parties and beachgoers, we had to scale it back. We had a few join us seeking air conditioning, good food and some cold beer, so all was not lost. Thanks to Andre for hosting us, and w will try again sometime.
PLEASE NOTE THE BOXES HAVE CHANGED as we enter segment three.
We are off to Dover this weekend for the FedEx / Autism Speaks 400 as Dover International Speedway. This is the last race for FOX, with the green flag waving at approximately 1:16PM. Make your picks early so you do not get locked out.
Matt Kenseth, even after being checked by NASCAR, continues to torch the circuit, grabbing his third win this year at Darlington, a track not historically kind to Kenseth.
Glynn won the week yet again, and continues to run point in the standings and may be on his way to another championship. However, several other racers tied Glynn, including BMF Lugnuts, Team Taser, The Big Lebowski, Stroker Ace, Double Four Racing and Kingpin Racing. Three additional racers finished one point behind.
It was a condensed leader board, as Team Taser was the only racer to gain over five spots.
Blue Deuce, BAHL and Team Hot Stuff lost over five spots, but Ron Dog Racing and 4D Racing lost over 10 spots.
Out front behind our championship point leader Glynn, remains Man In Black and 88 AMPs. BMF Lugnuts jumped Team Cuda as they run fourth and fifth.
The All Star Race at Charlotte is this Saturday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway. This is a NON POINTS race, and will not count in our standings, so enjoy the night.
The Conway NASCAR League will pick things up again on Sunday night May 26 as we run The Coca Cola 600. The green flag is scheduled to drop a 6:16PM, so make sure your picks are in.
Stay tuned to our Facebook page, the blog and the Racescore message board for any changes or updates that may arise. Speaking of the Facebook page, this page may be followed by folks who are not members of our league. It is a great place for NASCAR and racing related stories. Blind Squirrel Racing is having a great time over there, which is cool.
Have a great Memorial Day Weekend, and please keep in mind the reason for the holiday, which is a chance to give remembrance to those lost Veterans who helped pave our way to the freedoms we so cherish. May God Bless them all!
When you race at the Superspeedway tracks, particularly at Talladega, any car on the starting grid can win the race. On Sunday, David Ragan, followed by David Gilliland, brought home a one two finish for underfunded Front Row Motorsports.
Many found the Davids upsetting Goliath at the White Knuckle Highway most refreshing. Ragan, a good guy, had previously won a Coke Zero 400 in Jack Roush's #6 UPS Ford.
For our racers who had Ragan or Gilliland, or even Stremme for that matter, did very well. Those who were on the outside of these selections, positioned themselves to have a rough scoring afternoon.
Tempers flared, as Kurt Busch went upside down, and Ryan Newman had yet another car land in his windshield. Newman was incensed about the second big wreck, which took out several contenders, inclusive of Danica Patrick. She was all sorts of angry, failing to recognize it was her newfound boyfriend Ricky Stenhouse caused the wreck by attempting to create a fourth lane on landscape JJ Yeley was traveling. It must have been a noce evening for Partick and Stenhouse.
Ricky Racer took the CNL checkers, followed by Glynn, Smokes Fury, Chevy Intimidators and Team Cuda. Each had David Ragan.
Several drivers, most on the back of Ragan's finish, moved up several spots. The list included Smokes Fury, Ricky Racer, Chevy Intimidators, BAHL, Eagles Nest, Little Circle Burner, Punch, Chief Racing and Osteen Racing.
Among those with crumpled sheet metal were Team Taser, Team Wolf, Blind Squirrel Racing, ME Racing, Kingpin, Pup N Suds and Offshore Gamester.
Glynn has retaken the lead, followed by Man In Black Racing, 88AMPs, Team Cuda, and BMF Lugnuts.
I missed the big party Saturday night, but we had a handfull of drivers scrambling to get picks in after the lockout. As we have mentioned dozens of times, make your selections early in the week and then come back on raceday for adjustments. That way, if something happens, you have your picks already made. No, we cannot and will not allow picks to be made after the green flag waves.
It is Mothers Day weekend, so there will be no racing on Sunday. But, we will race with The Lady in Black at Darlington Raceway on Saturday night as when the green flag drops on the Bojangles' Southern 500. Darlington is the oldest track on the circuit, and a favorite among many.
They will get going a bit early, with the green flag set to fly at 7PM.
Racing at Richmond is always fun, but full of frustration for many drivers.
Kevin Harvick came out blazing on a re-start and jumped from seventh to the checkers to win at Richmond International Raceway. Left in frustration, among many, was Tony Stewart. Tony, who got his first victory at Richmond, was having a good run until he got bumped out of the way by Kurt Busch, who angered more than a few drivers.
Mark Martin, Brad Keselowski, Marcose Ambrose, Brian Vickers and Greg Biffle are among the race favorites who finished in frustrating fashion.
Eagles Nest Racing won the week, followed by Pup N Suds Racing, Punch (who survived a day of golf and beer on the Seminole Golf Tour at Shingle Creek), GBR88, Chevy Intimidators and Team Cuda.
Only two drivers gained at least 10 spots, and those were Eagles Nest Racing and GBR88.
A few former champions were among those who dropped 10 or more spots, including Big Boy, Lil Boy, Luckydog, Blue 7 Racing, Little Circle Burner, Captain Schwab and Budah. Many were close to being included on this list, including your balding commissioner BAHL.
88AMPS has taken the point, followed by Man In Black Racing, Glynn, Blind Squirrel Racing and Team Wolf. The overall standing are still fairly tight, and opportunities exist to move up.
Just in time, we head over to the grand crap shoot of Talladega. Talladega was built on an old Indian burial ground, and all sorts of weird and tragic things have happened there over the years.
The Aarons 499 at Talladega Superspeedway is set to go green at 1:10PM on Sunday as the drivers seek to avoid trouble on The White Knuckle Highway.
Robin Meade/Photo Zimbio
HLN TV anchor babe Robin Meade, a big NASCAR fan, has the National Anthem, and freshly retired Atlanta Braves slugger and Jacksonville Bolles grad Chipper Jones is our Grand Marshal.
The extra progressive banking, coupled with the new Gen6 car, provided much more entertaining racing than we have seen in previous trips to Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, KN. Matt Kenseth had the field covered from the moment they unloaded the truck and won the race.
However, word was just came down as we are going to print here that Matt Kenseth's #20 Toyota Camry failed post race inspection with engine issues. NASCAR also took the #5 Chevrolet of Kasey Kahne and the #47 Toyota of Bobby Labonte, but both cars passed post race inspection.
NASCAR lowered the boom on the #20 car, form owner to driver, assessing very heavy sanctions. Penalties assessed Matt Kenseth will not be assessed in The Conway NASCAR League. We have never done it, and now with utilizing race score, an adjustment would require a high degree of time and difficulty, which will not take place. The results are what they are.
Team Hot Stuff won the week, holding off the Ford Racing posse of Boy Racing, Inc. Pamela's Pistons and BMF Lugnuts were right behind. Making significant headway in the standings were Mountain Boy, Big Boy, Lil Boy, BMF Lugnuts, Team Hot Stuff, Pamela's Pistons, O Racing and Punch.
Among those who lost positions were The Blue Deuce, Eagles Nest, Ricky Racer, Little Circle Burner, Captain Schwab, No Ones Beatch and Budah, who put all his chips with Jimmie Johnson.
Glynn is running point, followed by Man in Black Racing, 88 AMPs, Blind Squirrel Racing and CF Canes.
NASCAR returns to Saturday Night racing this week as we run the Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond International Raceway. The green flag is scheduled to drop at 7:44PM. In the aftermath of the recent terrorist acts in Boston, NASCAR will have increased security at Richmond.
Enjoy your weekend. The Kansas City Chiefs are on the clock!
Kyle Bucsh won in dominating fashion all weekend at Texas, collecting the Nationwide Series race and The NRA 500 at Texas Motor Speedway. It was our first Saturday night race of the season, with Sara Evans singing The National Anthem.
Eagles Nest won the week, followed by 88 AMPS, Budah, No Ones Beatch, CF Canes and The Blue Deuce.
Moving up this week were Eagles Nest, The Blue Deuce and Budah, while Mountain Boy, 4D Racing, Slim Shady Racing and Chief Racing were in the garage area.
The boxes changed, but we still had a few characters that forgot to make adjustments. We warned everyone we could on all our outlets, but as TShea (Blind Squirrel Racing) appropriately noted, approximately 10% of the folks will roll their picks no matter.
Please join us over on our Facebook page as we are having some fun over there.
As we noted on Facebook, the Penske Racing teams got hammered by NASCAR for penalties found in pre-race inspection at Texas.
In the aftermath of the despicable tragedy in Boston, several NASCAR teams, including Michael Waltrip Racing and Roush Fenway Racing, will show support for Boston. Certainly, we want to keep those affected in Boston and out in central Texas in our prayers. It has been a very tough week indeed.
This week we head out to Kansas Speedway, about 20 minutes west of greater Kansas City just north of I-70 in Kansas, opposite of the Harry S. Truman Sports Complex which houses Kauffman Stadium (KC Royals) and Arrowhead Stadium (KC Chiefs) just south of I-70 in Missouri.
The STP 400 goes green at 1:16PM Sunday afternoon. Elliott Sadler win return to the cup series running the #81 Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing. Glad to see Sadler back.
Martinsville, Virginia is one the favorite stops on the circuit these days, and last weekends STP Gas Booster 500 did not disappoint. For the most part, the actions of another driver did not cause the distribution of any Goodys Headache Powder.
Kurt Busch did have a fiery crash, although his car was char coaled, he was OK. Jimmie Johnson got his eighth victory at Martinsville, trailing only HOF drivers Richard Petty and Darrell Waltrip.
Former Conway NASCAR League champion Glynn has won Segment 1, leading the pack after six races. Man In Black Racing and 88 AMP's were second and third respectively.
With those cats up front, Captain Schwab and Team Wolf round out the top five.
Smoke's Fury won the week, followed by 88 AMP's, The Gas Man, Mountain Boy and Big Boy.
We had some big gainers this week, including Little Circle Burner, The Gas Man, Smoke's Fury, OSteen Racing and former champion Big Boy. Then, there were those who slapped the wall hard, which included Material Handlers, Chief Racing, Chevy Imtimidators, Slim Shady Racing, Team Cuda and Fullers Fast Track.
We did notice SPC Racing emerging from the back of the pack as well.
THE BOXES HAVE CHANGED
As we enter a new segment, this provides opportunities for those who may be already on the verge of being lapped and losing ground on our championship. The top three placers in each segment are prize winners, along with weekly race winners.
We are Texas Motor Speedway this Saturday night, so it is important you make your picks accordingly. We will post the box change on every outlet we have, which is the blog you are reading, on the Racescore message board and on our Facebook page, where Team Taser went on a tangent regarding a story on Denny Hamlin.
It was awesome, so check it our and firebomb him if you are in disagreement with his commentary of just want to wish him well at TMS. Your comments are encouraged!
The NRA 500 at Texas Motor Speedway is scheduled to green at 7:46PM EST on Saturday Night.
Perhaps some may be offended by The NRA sponsorship, but NASCAR is not politically correct and does not care. It is noted NASCAR team owner Richard Childress of Richard Childress Racing (#29, #31, #27 & #33) is among the NRA Board of Directors.
Richard Childress Racing haulers arrive at TMS this morning.
Texas will be fast, so buckle up as always and as Punch is fond of saying, "Keep the shiny side up!"
Here in Orlando, some very bad weather ran through just prior to the green flag out at the AutoClub Speedway in Fontana, California.
The weather did a bunch of damage, including out at Bay Hill for the final round of The Arnold Palmer Invitational, which ultimately was postponed until Monday. Many of us were without power, and those that had power and cable had to suffer through local news affiliates playing with all their radar toys well after the storm was in the Atlantic Ocean. Yes, the weatherman were hard at work, evidenced by their sleeves having been rolled up. Just love that touch!
No big deal though, for if you were going to miss television coverage of a race, Californian should top your list. Sadly, although speeds are high, the racing has been a real snoozer.
Until Sunday.
Perhaps it was the new Gen6 car, but the race Sunday was by far the best race at AutoClub Speedway
we have seen, complete with a multitude of story lines as Kyle Busch swept the weekend.
Most thought, due to the high speeds, Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin would push the pause button on their feud until the next race, but in the final laps, they tangled and crashed, with Denny Hamlin ending up spending the night in the hospital. Perhaps you saw if differently, but I had no problem with the driving I saw from Logano.
Meanwhile from YouTube, 95gtscort had a great spot in the stands of the wreck!
It was interesting, as Michael Waltrip found Logano could have exercised better judgement while Kyle Petty did not see it that way.
Meanwhile, Tony Stewart was some kind of torqued at Logano, who blocked him on a restart in the final laps. Stewart stopped his car by Logano's crashed machine after the race and went after him. Smoke remained livid in post race interviews.
For full disclosure, while my favorite driver is Bobby Labonte as many of you know, Tony Stewart is my favorite among the contenders. This goes back to those guys running the Pontiac's from Joe Gibbs and with me having filmed a Sea Doo commercial in 2001 with those guys.
However, I was very disappointed with Tony on Sunday. I have turned zero laps on the cup circuit, but I would not pull over to let someone, anyone, pass with a pair of laps to go. Logano should not have; didn't, and Stewart would not either, and didn't back at Talladega last year as Kyle Petty appropriately pointed out. I am usually in line with Smoke on these altercations, but not this time.
Then again, Kasey Kahne tweeted he was in line with Stewart.
How did you see it? We would love to hear your thoughts either here in the comment section of the blog or over at our Facebook site.
Roger Penske, legendary team owner and owner of Logano's race team, has issued a statement that he is behind Logano 100%. The Captain, a former board of director at International Speedway Corporation, carries substantial weight in the garage and with the sanctioning body.
Clearly, Logano is not a favorite among the other drivers. Then again, I have never met a fan of Denny Hamlin, who seems to think he is the second coming of Richard Petty.
Certainly, we do not wish to see any of the driver to be injured and hope for speedy recovery for Denny. Sadly, the injury appears a bit more serious than first thought, so keep Hamlin in your thoughts and prayers.
Slim Shady Racing won the week, followed closely by Ricky Racer, Fullers Fast Track, No Ones Beatch and O Racing.
Although relaxed from a week ago, we still had many driver sling shot one way or another in the standings.
Ricky Racer, No Ones Beatch, Big Boy, Lil Boy, Blue 7 Racing, Fuller Fast Track and Slim Shady Racing all moved up 10 or more.
MMSH, Little Circle Burner, The Gas Man, Off Shore Gamester, Smoke's Fury, D&D Racing, Double Four Racing all fell 10 or more with Chief Racing and Budah really having tough afternoons.
The top three held firm, Glynn, Captain Schwab and Team Taser. Man In Black is fourth and Ron Dog is fifth.
We take the week off for Easter before returning the following week for short track racing at Martinsville Speedway. Hamlin owns that place but reports indicate he may not be able to make the start, so we may have a replacement driver.
For those of you who have failed to get your entry fee in, please do so before we go racing in Martinsville. We would hate to see you parked at tech inspection, but we won't be relaxed come green flag on April 7. Be advised.
Enjoy Easter and we will see you under the grandfather clock at Martinsville.
It was a wild ride at Bristol this past weekend to be sure.
Kasey Kahne brought home the checkered flag, and Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin nearly came to blows on pit road. By the way, things have not cooled down.
Captain Schwab won the week in the Conway NASCAR League, followed closely by Smoke's Fury, RonDog Racing, Ratatack Racing and 88 AMPS.
In the history of this league, now well into our second decade, I cannot remember such tumult in the standings, which were shook up like ping pong balls in the lottery bubble.
Seems like half the field gained over 10 positions, including MMSH, KingPin, Team Cuda, The Gas Man, Offshore Gamester, Team Taser, Ricky Racer, ME Racing, WTC Racing Blue 7 Racing BAHL, Team Hot Stuff and Ratatack Racing. In fact, Fullers Fast Track, Smoke's Fury, DWL Racing and CosmoD all gained over 20 spots.
That must mean we had some folks crumpled up in the garage area.
Burke, Oiler, Material Handlers, Lucky Penny, Fitz Racing, Lisa Las Vegas, Slim Shady Racing and No Ones Beatch all fell over ten spots. Smoke on the Horizon, Jims Juggs, Pamela's Pistons, Double Four Racing, Budah and Burke all fell over 20 spots, with Osteen Racing, our week 1 winner, fell a mind boggling 48 spots.
Wow!
Glynn, a former league champion, continues to show the way, followed by Captain Schwab, Team Wolf, RonDog Racing and Man In Black Racing.
Due to a poor start this year, the clan from Kentucky has made some personnel changes, hiring a pit crew consultant specializing in gas can and jack stand management and utilization. Flanking the new consultant, Shaquille O"Neal is The Gas Man and Luckydog. Improvement on pit road is a tall order, but it looks like the Kentucky clan has found their man!
This weekend we are out in Fontana for the AutoClub 500 at California Motor Speedway. Although the speeds are high, this traditionally is not one of the more exciting races as the racing is generally not close.
Logano and Hamlin may have to wait unitl next week for any on track shenanigans. Speaking of Hamlin, he won the Coors Light Pole yesterday and will lead the field to green on Sunday. #16-Biffle and #2-Keselowski will have to start the race on Sunday at the rear of the field due to changing engines.
The green flag is scheduled to drop at 3:16PM EST. Good Luck!
The new GEN6 car is throwing some teams a curve ball, and many do not like it, most notably Denny Hamlin. With that being said, the race at Las Vegas proved interesting as some team jumped out early and started putting cars down a lap.
Matt Kenseth, on his birthday, found victory lane winning the race over Jimmie Johnson and Brad K. This was the first win for Kenseth over at Joe Gibbs Racing, and that immediately brings into question the value of Joey Logano.
Mountain Boy won the week, followed by Mama's Boy, Pamela's Pistons, Tean Taser and 88AMPS. In the garage area were L&M Racing, O Racing and three who jumped out front early, O'Steen Racing, Chief Racing and Lucky Penny.
Former league champion Glynn is showing the way now, closely pursued by Team Wolf, Budah, Man In Black Racing and Blind Squirrel Racing, who I saw gathering snacks at a local pit stop hours before the command to fire engines.
It is that time of year as we get things settled out, but a whole slew of teams made moves one way or the other.
Heading to the front were Pamela's Pistons, RonDog, Captain Schwab, 88AMPS, Mama's Boy, Mountain Boy, Team Taser and D&D Racing. Rolling the dice the wrong way were Lucky Penny, Lisa Las Vegas, MMSH, Fullers Fast Track, Pup N Suds and O Racing. All these race teams were double digit movers.
We are off to Bristol Motor Speedway on St. Patricks Day for The Food City 500. Multi-platinum, Grammy-winning artist Charlie Daniels will lead the Pledge of Allegiance. Newly hired University of Tennessee head football coach Butch Jones is the grand marshal, fitting as we gather in good ole Rocky Top.
NSCS Pole Qualifying is at 3:40Pm on Friday. The green flag is scheduled to drop at 1:13PM. Good Luck!
Phoenix is usually a real fun race, but with the new Gen 6 car and a new tire compound from Goodyear, the race was steady as she goes with cars who were set up properly. Some were fast early, and others were fast late. Those turning consistent laps under all weather conditions were among the leaders at the end, led by ole five time and Carl Edwards, who really needed a win after a long winless streak and tearing up every race car the 99 Ford team brought to Daytona.
I was watching, but I never saw Ricky Racer down in the garage area; therefore, it seems likely he was amongst the craziness in the infield.
Team Wolf won the week in The Conway NASCAR League, followed by Little Circle Burner, Glynn, Mama's Boy and Lucky Penny.
As is customary in early weeks, we had major shifts in the standings.
Budah is showing the way, followed by Team Wolf, Chief Racing, Glynn and O'Steen Racing.
Several drivers had big gains, including Lucky Penny, Little Circle Burner, Jims Juggs, Team Cuda, Mama's Boy, Team Hot Stuff and Burke.
In the garage area with issues were L&M Racing, FFP, D&d Racing, MMSH, CosmoD, Boris Head and BAHL (not sure if a drone strike got Ryan Newman or what, but remind me not to take him going forward).
We note that Glynn and Team Wolf have started off the season with consecutive top ten finishes, which usually enhances the chances of finishing in the top ten.
This weekend we are off to Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the running of the Kobalt Tools 400. The green flag is scheduled to wave at 3:16PM, with FOX having the coverage. Matt Kenseth was the fastest in the first practice session on Thursday. As we posted the blog, Mark Martin was pacing practice sessions two.
Sprint Cup qualifying is at 3:40PM PST on Friday, the Nationwide Series runs the Sams Town 300 on Saturday.
Time to go to the front, as falling behind early does not bode well. So study up, stand on it and Good Luck!
Speedweeks 2013 is now in the rear view mirror and what an eventful week it was.
The new Gen6 cars were unleashed and they look fabulous. Our first look at them on the track was during the Sprint Unlimited, won by Kevin Harvick in his Budweiser Chevrolet.
Then came history. Danica Patrick, driving the Go Daddy Chevrolet for Stewart Haas Racing, won the pole for the 55th running of The Great American Race. It was a great accomplishment; Cheers to Danica and her team!
On Thursday, Kevin Harvick won the first Budweiser Duel and Kyle Busch won the second, although I continue to call them the Twins. Below are a few photos from the race.
Danica Patrick and Trevor Bayne roll off pit road.
Tony Stewart and Dale Earnhardt Jr roll off pit road.
The Nationwide Series race, as usual, did not disappoint. While a calamity unfolded on the front straightaway of the final lap, Tony Stewart won the race. But Kyle Larson's car got tangled up in the catch fence, and in the wrecking process a Goodyear Racing Eagle flew over the fence and struck a fan in Campbell Box. While the entire engine and a front tire were snared in the fencing on the walkway concourse, other engine parts flew into the stands.
Thankfully, no race fans lost their lives and only two were injured significantly. Most of us have been over there and recognize that these types of things are possible. It could have happened to me on Thursday at the Twins or Punch and Miss Make Shit Happen on Sunday. In fact, I recall Punch and I ducking the Texaco Havoline hood of Ernie Irvan over out of turn two on The Daytona SuperStretch some years back. It is racing.
Jimmie Johnson won the Great American Race on Sunday, holding off Junior for his second 500 win. Danica Patrick led laps, becoming the first woman to lead Sprint Cup under green. The television ratings were very high and the weather held off for a great race.
A big shout out to Budah, who hosted a Daytona 500 watch party at his affectionately titled home Budahville. There was a big turnout, with many of our league members taking part. Certainly, we appreciate the hospitality and thank Budah very much. Kudos to Burke for making sure the keg did not run dry.
Rookie league participant OSteen Racing won the first week of the Conway NASCAR League, with Budah, Chief Racing, Miss Make Shit Happen (MMSH Racing) and No Ones Beatch in high speed pursuit. No movers and shakers in the standings just yet as we just got started. A very shaky start for some usually sound race teams, no doubt crumpled sheet metal up on the high banks.
Want to give a shout out to The Chief, who helped get us going from a computer standpoint. He ain't playin around, and is already mouthing off about his top five finish.
We have 70 racers this year. We extend a warm welcome to our rookie racers and look forward to fun season.
For those who are not aware, we do have a FACEBOOK page! Friend us to keep up with items we don't have time to mention on the blog.
Our next race is this Sunday out at Phoenix International Raceway as we run the Subway Fresh Fit 500(k). The green flag drops at 3:14PM EST on FOX. Remember, the picks need to be in one hour before FOX TV Coverage. May we recommend picking on Friday or earlier in the week and then making adjustments later. That way, you will always have a lineup.
Phoenix is usually a fun track. Not withstanding the antics of Ricky Racer in the infield or the feuds similar to the Clint Boywer-Jeff Gordon altercation a year age, the racing is usually good.
With the running of the Sprint Unlimited on a cold and windy evening on the high banks, Speedweeks is officially underway. Kevin Harvick won what was the old Bud Shootout.
It was pole day at Daytona this afternoon and Danica Patrick, driving the #10 Stewart Haas God Daddy Chevrolet, won the pole position for the 55th running of The Great American Race.
Danica Partick wins Daytona 500 pole!
Placing three cars in the top five, it was a banner day for car owner Tony Stewart. Jeff Gordon will start outside pole in his Drive For Hunger #24 Chevrolet.
If you cannot make the Daytona 500, join the Conway NASCAR League for our kickoff party at Budahville, the same location we held our Championship party. A map to this location can be found below at our previous post championship party post.
And if you have yet to signup, time is running out! We will have limited ability the day of the race, as our scoring site Racescore locks out one hour prior to race coverage. In the meantime, you can send us an email at BAHL1@aol.com to get signed up.
The Conway NASCAR League Championship party will be held Saturday night, January 26, 2013 beginning at 7PM.
One of our league members, Budah, has graciously allowed us to hold the event at his home, affectionately known as Budahville. Many of you have already had the opportunity to experience Budahville during one of the may UCF game viewing parties. Budah has quite the set up and this will allow us to have our winners offer commentary as they accept their awards.
We will have wings and beer, so get ready to party!
In addition to recognizing our winners, we will be signing everyone up for the 2013 season. At this time, we will present any and all changes to our current system, most notably moving from six to five drivers per box, and answer any questions any of you may have.
Budahville is located a 3407 Trentwood Blvd just on the southern tip of Lake Conway just north of McCoy Road in Orlando. For those familiar with the Fish on Fire Restaurant, Budahville is within a blistered 4 iron.
Please see the map below for assistance.
Budahville
We look forward to seeing you all at this special event as we recognize our 2012 winners and get ready for the 2013 season, which is just around the corner.
