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NASCAR Pictures: Camping World Trucks at Homestead-Miami

by Charlie Turner

Thanks for stopping by OnPitRow.com and the Bench Racing with Steve and Charlie blog. The best NASCAR and IndyCar news and opinion, exclusive pictures and video. I'm Charlie Turner. Follow me on Twitter @onpitrow

November 20, 2011 9:18 pm CST No Comments

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Exclusive NASCAR photos from the Ford 200 at Homestead-Miami Speedway

Great NASCAR race action caught at the final Camping World Truck Series event, the Ford 200, Friday night at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

: Austin Dillon Nascar Camping World Truck Homestead fall 11 k cable

: #2 Kevin Harvick Nascar Camping World Truck Homestead fall 11 k cable

: #18 Denny Hamlin Nascar Camping World Truck Homestead fall 11 k cable

: #33 Ron Hornaday Nascar Camping World Truck Homestead fall 11 k cable

: Austin Dillon #3 Nascar Camping World Truck Champion Homestead fall 11 k cable

: Austin Dillon crew chief Danny Stockman Nascar Camping World Truck Homestead fall 11 k cable

: Austin Dillon crew chief Danny Stockman 2 Nascar Camping World Truck Homestead fall 11 k cable

: Start Nascar Camping World Truck Homestead fall 11 k cable

: Front straight Nascar Camping World Truck Homestead fall 11 k cable

: Austin Dillon pit stop 2 Nascar Camping World Truck pit stop Homestead fall 11 k cable

: Austin Dillon Nascar Camping World Truck pit stop Homestead fall 11 k cable

: Austin Dillon pit crew Nascar Camping World Truck pit stop Homestead fall 11 k cable

: Ron Hornaday Nascar Camping World Truck Homestead fall 11 k cable

: Denny Hamlin Nascar Camping World Trucks Homestead k cable fall 11

: Kevin Harvick Nascar Camping World Truck Homestead fall 11 k cable

: Mike Helton Nascar Camping World Truck Homestead fall 11 k cable

: Austin Dillon Nascar Camping World Truck Champion Homestead fall 11 k cable

: Austin Dillon Nascar Camping World Truck Champion fall 11 k cable

: Austin Dillon Nascar Camping World Truck Champion 3 fall 11 k cable

: Austin Dillon Nascar Camping World Truck Champion 2 fall 11 k cable

: Austin Dillon Richard Childress Mike Helton Nascar Camping World Truck Homestead fall 11 k cable

: Austin Dillon Richard Childress Nascar Camping World Truck Homestead fall 11 k cable

: Mike Helton Kevin and Delana Harvick Nascar Camping World Truck Homestead fall 11 k cable

: Austin Dillon Delana Harvick Nascar Camping World Truck Homestead fall 11 k cable

Photo credit: Kevin Cable for OnPitRow.com

Filed under: ARCA Remax Series, Craftsman Truck Series, NASCAR, NASCAR photos, Nextel Cup Series

Tagged with: Camping World Truck Series, Ford 200, NASCAR championship week, NASCAR pictures

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Chase History: Homestead-Miami Speedway

by Chris Leone, Special To NASCAR commentary and driver pictures, 2011 NASCAR schedule, video, Bench Racing With Steve and Charlie

I do weekly Fantasy Pick'Em columns here at OPR, as well as the occasional opinion and analysis piece. I also provide the IZOD IndyCar Series coverage. For more on that, head to my site, OpenWheelAmerica.com. My Twitter handle is @christopherlion.

November 18, 2011 11:38 am CST No Comments

I hate to borrow from another sport’s marketing campaign to explain this weekend’s Chase for the Sprint Cup finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, but I feel like the NHL’s playoff slogan says it all: History will be made.

We have a two-way battle for the championship between Carl Edwards and Tony Stewart, and if either of them win the race, they win the title. It’s as simple as that. Both drivers are on top of their game, unlike last year, when Jimmie Johnson was able to psyche out Denny Hamlin relatively easily. Stewart’s been engaging Edwards pretty heavily in the media, but Edwards doesn’t seem too worried about it.

Perhaps it’s because neither of Stewart’s two Homestead wins came on this track layout. While Smoke dominated the early years of its Cup history, winning the inaugural race in 1999 and again in 2000, track ownership altered its shape and banking in 2003. Since then, Roush Fenway Racing has basically owned the track, winning six of the last seven races there. The last two of those wins, in 2008 and 2010, went to Edwards.

Or perhaps it’s because Edwards is just better at Homestead. Stewart’s got a good track record, with two wins and six top-10s in 12 starts and an average finish of 12.4. But Edwards has two wins and six top-10s of his own in only seven races run. His average finish is 5.7. That’s off the wall. That’s the kind of average finish that will give you 1:2 odds in Vegas.

And yet, Stewart’s won a title under the Chase format before. Edwards hasn’t. Stewart has the advantage of having been in Edwards’ position in 2005 and knowing what throws a leader’s mindset off. He’s got all the confidence in the world - he just needs to execute.

Ignore the change in points formatting before this season. This championship could, theoretically, end in a tie (which would go to Stewart on the strength of more wins). It could be separated by only one or two points, which, under the old system, would still be a narrower margin of victory than Kurt Busch’s eight point win in 2004. Either way, it’s a very slim chance that Sunday becomes a gimme for either driver.

So get your popcorn ready, folks. We’re about to witness history.

Filed under: Carl Edwards, Chase for the Cup, Homestead-Miami Speedway, Tony Stewart

Tagged with: Carl Edwards, Chase for the Cup, Homestead-Miami Speedway, Tony Stewart

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At Last NASCAR Victory for the Son of Sam

by Charlie Turner

November 12, 2011 10:07 pm CST No Comments

Sam Hornish Jr won the 2011 WypAll 200 NASCAR Nationwide Series race Saturday at Phoenix International Raceway. Finally triumph for the Penske Racing driver whose first NASCAR start came at the same track in a Nationwide Series race in 2006.

One win in almost six seasons of NASCAR.

But Hornish won 19 races in eight seasons of IndyCar (CART and IRL) including three championships. He won the 2006 Indianapolis 500. He’s a helluva good driver.

Watching Hornish hold off his teammate Brad Keselowski over the last 25 laps, I was on the edge of my seat. I can’t remember wanting a driver to hold on more than I did Saturday. It wasn’t a big race in relative terms and the result had little to do with history making. It didn’t save a career, or validate anything. But it felt good to me.

Congratulations Sam Hornish Jr and Penske Racing. Now go get some more.

Photo credit: Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images for NASCAR

Filed under: Brad Kesolowski, Indy Cars, NASCAR, Nationwide Series, Phoenix International Raceway, Sam Hornish Jr

Tagged with: WypAll 200 presented by Kimberly-Clark

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Tony Stewart Vampire Slayer

by Charlie Turner

November 7, 2011 12:22 pm CST No Comments

With his win in the 2011 AAA Texas 500 Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway, Tony Stewart cut Carl Edward’s Chase to the Sprint Cup lead to 3 just points.

Smoke has won four of the eight 2011 Chase races, including the last two. And even though Edwards leads in the standings, it is the Stewart wins at Martinsville and Texas that have driven a spike through the heart of Jimmie Johnson’s six year reign of NASCAR terror.

Put the garlic away NASCAR Nation - Count Johnson is dead - metaphorically. Even Jeff Gordon will be able to sleep at night again - actually.

What? You think I’m over reacting? With 30 laps to go at TMS whom do you think Stewart and Jack Roush were watching closer - Kevin Harvick and The Kez, or Count Five Time?

But it’s over. The people of Transylvania and Dixie can open their windows at night and turn on the Speed Channel again. No more Sunday nightmares. California Dreamin’ will be sung by the Beach Boys again, not Chad and Jimmie.

But seriously, Johnson and the #48 team had an unbelievable run, there’s nothing supernatural about it. Just a great team, and a magic time. I just have one question.

Has anybody ever seen Johnson’s reflection in a mirror?

Photo credit: Round girl Cyndi by BethAnne Heisler for OnPitRow.com

Filed under: Brad Kesolowski, Carl Edwards, Chase for the Cup, Hendrick Motorsports, Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick, NASCAR, Roush Racing, Sprint Cup Series, Stewart Haas Racing, Tony Stewart, jimmie johnson

Tagged with: AAA Texas 500

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Chase History: Texas Motor Speedway

by Chris Leone, Special To NASCAR commentary and driver pictures, 2011 NASCAR schedule, video, Bench Racing With Steve and Charlie

November 6, 2011 12:15 pm CST No Comments

Texas Motor Speedway promoter extraordinaire Eddie Gossage loves a good head-to-head battle, especially in the Chase for the Sprint Cup. That’s what he hopes for between Carl Edwards and Tony Stewart, the top two remaining championship contenders, in today’s Texas race.

Ideally, Gossage would love to see the points lead change hands today. It’ll make the race one of the most interesting ones in the Chase, but mostly it’ll help him sell even more tickets to this race in the future. And, if it happens again, it’ll firmly entrench Texas as perhaps the most pivotal race in the Chase.

Remember what happened last season. Denny Hamlin took the win in this race after leading 31 laps, inheriting the points lead in a 47-point swing from Jimmie Johnson, who finished ninth. That’s roughly an 11-point swing under this year’s point system, which would be good enough to give Stewart the lead if he did the same thing.

Then again, perhaps that wouldn’t be such a good omen. The only driver to take the title after winning at Texas was Johnson in 2007 since this race was established in 2005. Edwards took the checkers in 2008, only to finish second in points; Hamlin did the same thing last year. Edwards was too far back in the Chase to catch Johnson, though he would have won the championship under a non-Chase format. Meanwhile, Hamlin blew it the next week at Phoenix and gave the point lead right back.

Whoever wins today, though, Gossage probably hopes they’re leaving with the points lead. Stewart could do it easily; Kevin Harvick, Brad Keselowski, and even spring Texas race winner Matt Kenseth could do it with a bit of luck. Today should be a Texas-sized shootout, and Gossage is loving every second of it.

Filed under: Carl Edwards, Chase for the Cup, Denny Hamlin, Texas Motor Speedway, Tony Stewart, jimmie johnson

Tagged with: Carl Edwards, Chase for the Cup, Denny Hamlin, jimmie johnson, Texas Motor Speedway, Tony Stewart

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