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5 Drivers to Watch in Montreal

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

I'm the former blogger of The Catfish Show NASCAR Blog and a contributor to On Pit Row. Follow me on Twitter: @mattmercer

July 31, 2008 2:12 pm CDT 4 Comments

When the Nationwide Series makes its second stop to Montreal this Saturday, the star power from last year’s race will be missing. Defending winner Robby Gordon won’t be there, and neither will the driver that got the trophy and the points, Kevin Harvick. Still, the second visit promises to have no shortages of contenders and storylines. In particular I’m focusing on three Canadians, an Australian, and a Kansas boy I profiled last week.

Patrick Carpentier – PC, my favorite Sprint Cup rookie this season, is skipping the race in Pocono this weekend in order to try and win the race in Montreal. Carpentier is from Quebec, and was thisclose last year in his first NASCAR race at any level. I think he has a great shot to win, and would love to see him do so. In his first run with the #9 team in Mexico City this year he finished 5th.

Ron Fellows – Fellows is the ageless wonder of NASCAR road racing but his game appears as good as ever. He owns multiple wins at Watkins Glen, where the series will be next week, and has a strong car under him this week as he wheels the #5 JR Motorsports Chevy. Fellows ran competitively last year driving for KHI, and will most likely do so again Saturday.

Jacques Villeneuve – Villeneuve is one of the wildcards in the field this weekend. He didn’t compete last year as he was focused on Sprint Cup. Villeneuve’s car this weekend – the #32 Braun Toyota – is no slouch, as it currently sits 15th in the owners standings and has been driven by Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin, among others. Even more personal, the Montreal track is named after his father, the late Gilles Villeneuve. Jacques didn’t win here in F1, but would no doubt love to do so this weekend.

Marcos Ambrose – “Kangaroo Meat” has received the bulk of attention with the series returning to Montreal. Ambrose dominated the race last year and most likely would have won, if he hadn’t spun Robby Gordon out under caution and received his payback on the restart. Ambrose hasn’t run as well as he did last year, but this race could very well turn that around. Yes, I’m faulting Ambrose for his own actions in regards to Gordon last year.

Clint Bowyer – A year ago, it was his RCR teammates Kevin Harvick and Jeff Burton making the journey to Montreal to compete in this race while Bowyer staying in Pocono. This season the roles are reversed and it could present an interesting challenge to the Emporia, Kansas native in his quest to win the Nationwide Series championship. He will be a rookie at this track and perhaps even more risky, will turn his first laps on the track when he receives the green flag. If he escapes with a top 15, he should feel very, very lucky.

Photo credit: Icon Sports Media

Filed under: Busch Series, Clint Boyer, Formula One, Jacques Villeneuve, Marcos Ambrose, NASCAR, Nationwide Series, Pocono Raceway, Robby Gordon

Tagged with: Clint Bowyer, gilles villeneuve, Jacques Villeneuve, Marcos Ambrose, mexico city, NASCAR, Nationwide Series, patrick carpentier, Pocono, racing, Robby Gordon, ron fellows

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Allstate 400 Tire Fiasco - What Would Mindy Say?

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

July 31, 2008 10:49 am CDT 1 Comment

The latest Monday Morning Crew Chief video is up and you can watch it right here.

Mindy has a take on the whole tire deal at Indy. She talks a bit about the cancellation of the Mexico City race by Nationwide Series, and what they ought to do about it. And she has Scott Speed news too.

Check it out and let us know what you think about those topics and the MMCC vids in general.

After you watch the show, take the time to join Bench Racers, our community site for ON PIT ROW Crewbies, Nascaholics and Arcaholics. We think some of the best racing discussions anywhere are taking place in Bench Racers forums. We need your voice too.

Filed under: Bench Racing TV, Car of Tomorrow, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Inside ARCA, Monday Morning Crew Chief, NASCAR & the Media, NASCAR Rumors, NASCAR Tech, Nationwide Series, Red Bull Racing, Scott Speed, Sprint Cup Series

Tagged with: Allstate 400, ARCA, Bickyard, blog, Goodyear, Indy, Monday Morning Crew Chief, motorsports, NASCAR, NASCAR video, Nationwide, Red Bull, Scott Speed, Series, Sprint Cup

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Scott Speed Will Be Sprint Cup Racing Soon

by Charlie Turner

July 30, 2008 7:18 pm CDT 6 Comments

Red Bull Racing development driver Scott Speed was our featured guest INSIDE ARCA Tuesday night. Scott is heading to Pocono Raceway this Saturday in his Eddie Sharp Racing Toyota Camry, with a two race ARCA RE/MAX Series win streak and a real shot to make it three in a row.

Speed is the first ARCA driver to win three races in 2008, having won early in the season at Kansas Speedway in addition to the last two at Kentucky Speedway and Berlin Raceway. The Red Bull driver is part of a very strong 2008 rookie contingent in ARCA’s top touring series. That group includes series point leader and Roush-Fenway Racing driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

We’ve talked with Scott several times now. I really like the guy. He’s brash, confident and always seems to be enjoying himself. He does not embody the corporate NASCAR image. Very refreshing. But it’s obvious, in discussion, that he takes his racing career very seriously.

Steve asked him about his 2009 plans which, Scott said, look to include a full Craftsman Truck Series campaign and several Sprint Cup races. So I asked about the balance of this 2008 racing season.

Although he didn’t give any details, Scott did say that he is getting a lot of seat time in the Cup cars and that he was pretty sure he would get a few races in Sprint Cup before the 2008 season ends.

Don’t let the antics fool you. He’s going to be good at this. I can’t wait.

Photo credit: Bob Costanzo - ARCA

Filed under: A J Allmendinger, ARCA Remax Series, Brian Vickers, Car of Tomorrow, Craftsman Truck Series, Dover International Speedway, Eddie Sharp Racing, Inside ARCA, NASCAR Rumors, Red Bull Racing, Scott Speed, Sprint Cup Series

Tagged with: ARCA Remax Series, Pocono, Red Bull, Red Bull Racing, ricky stenhouse jr., Roush-Fenway Racing, Scott Speed

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Rubber, Rubber everywhere–and not a Bit Sticking to the Track

by Steve Wronkowicz

I am co-host of the syndicated radio show: ON PIT ROW. Over ten years on the air and three on the net; see what can happen when I don't let the facts get in the way of my opinions.

July 29, 2008 5:26 am CDT 6 Comments

How many times Sunday did you hear that “The track didn’t rubber up”?

Many casual fans may have had to be schooled in the phrase “rubbering up a race track”. They got quite the quick education on Sunday at Indianapolis. Fans have put up with bad racetrack tire combinations before. Charlotte’s Lowes Motor Speedway and the Goodyear boys have been at odds several times in the last few years.

Indy itself had one of the most catastrophic tire scenarios in modern times when the Formula 1 gents visited in 2006. That resulted in Michelen pulling their tires out of competition for the race weekend, leaving only six cars to start the US Grand Prix. That could have been avoided with a little flexibility of their rules.

NASCAR found out that the track wasn’t taking rubber on Friday. And it didn’t take rubber on Saturday like it had in the past. In previous years the complaining about poor tire wear usually disappeared about race time on Sunday when the laps that the cars had turned in practice and qualifying had left a significant amount of rubber imbedded in the abrasive asphalt of Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

But this time around, the new heavier car with more side pressure on the tires was turning the tires into dust that couldn’t adhere to the track, making for racing that was not what NASCAR, drivers , teams and especially fans wanted to see. It was interesting how Rick Hendrick, Richard Childress, Ray Evernham and Joe Gibbs all went public with their support of NASCAR and Goodyear.

Jimmy Johnson had this to say about the race in his post race news conference:

“I commend NASCAR in handling today like they did. I’m sure it was long and boring today, but NASCAR called a great race. They kept us from tearing up racecars for no reason. We had a couple of guys blow tires out. But I think as an entire sport, we did everything we could today. We’ve learned a lot. We’ll take our lumps, I’m sure, and come back next year and put on a better show.”

And that leads us to this weeks BUZZ ON PIT ROW:

What else could NASCAR have done to solve their tire/ race problem?

Let us know your thoughts and we may use them on this weeks ON PIT ROW radio show. Listen live at www.onpitrow.com from 5-7pm ET and then for more racing talk INSIDE ARCA takes the stage from 7-8:30pm ET at www.arcaracing.com.

photo credit: Icon Sports Media

Filed under: Car of Tomorrow, Hendrick Motorsports, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Inside ARCA, Jimmy Johnson, NASCAR, NASCAR & the Media, NASCAR Bidness

Tagged with: Formula 1, Goodyear, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Inside ARCA, Jimmy Johnson, Joe Gibbs, NASCAR, ON PIT ROW, Ray Evernham, Richard Childress, Rick Hendrick

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Could Juan Pablo Montoya Win the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard?

by Charlie Turner

July 27, 2008 11:34 am CDT 2 Comments

Get this. Juan Pablo Montoya has an average start, mid-race position and finish of second at the Brickyard. At least he does in his lone NASCAR race there. Of course he’s won the Indy 500, in a former, open-wheeled life. So maybe we should give his single season NASCAR stats more credit they would seem to deserve.

Indy should be a good track for Montoya. Besides his history of success there, the track is flat and fast, traits that play into JPM’s fantastic car control. He could win this race, if the car and the team are up to it. And that, I doubt.

Tony Stewart, 2007’s Indy winner has the best Loop Stats for Indy. The Loop Data cover the last three Allstate 400s, only. Smoke has the top Driver Rating at 121.4 and has led 109 laps and has a stat best 76 Fastest Laps. But going back, beyond the three Loop stat years, Tony has two wins and four top fives, six top tens and a pole. His average finish is 7.6. He drives for Joe Gibbs Racing, which fields, maybe the best cars in Cup this year. He looks like a favorite.

Friday at Indy, Stewart-Haas Racing showed off the #14 Office Depot/Old Spice Chevrolet that Stewart himself will drive in 2009. Tony was excited. He also talked about all the things that the team has yet to do in preparation for Daytona in February. As good as he is, I just think that the distractions of his new venture cancel many of his apparent pluses for any race this year. I can’t pick Stewart to win.

The list of drivers I like at Indy is short. There is, I think, a reason that all but two of the winners of this race have been NASCAR Cup Series champs at some point in their careers. It takes a special driver to win the Brickyard. You don’t get the big, three wide packs of the plate tracks - and no “big one” wrecks that thin the field of quality contenders. You sometimes get flukey seeming winners at Daytona and Talladega. Not at Indy. Long green flag runs also separate the quality.

Kevin Harvick is one of only two Brickyard winners to have never been a Cup champ. His Ave Finish is 7.7. He’s run 432 Loop laps in the top fifteen - 90% and a stat best. Three top fives and five top tens go with a second best Ave Running Position of 8.1. Happy is the third best Driver Rated at 108.7. Harvick could win again.

Matt Kenseth could win his first. The #17 team has been coming on of late. Matt has the fourth best DR of 102.9 He’s good at Indy, with four top fives and five top tens. He runs up front as his Ave Running Position of 8.5 and 404 Laps in the top fifteen show.

Mark Martin has been telling anyone with a pen or microphone that he WILL win this weekend at the Brickyard. And he has a history at the track that shows he could pull it off. He suffers from the same weakness as Montoya though. Can his team measure up? If it can, Mark’s five top fives, nine top tens and fifth best Driver Rating of 102.9 says he has the stuff.

Beyond the Loop top five, the Hendrick threesome of Jimmy Johnson, Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr are contenders. So are 2008’s strongmen, Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards. Greg Biffle, Jeff Burton and Brian Vickers could do it too.

But Matt Kenseth is my choice. He’s paid the dues and has the pedigree, to join the exclusive company of Brickyard 400 winners. If you have to go outside of the establishment, take Carl Edwards.

Photo credit: BethAnne Heisler - ON PIT ROW

Filed under: Brian Vickers, Carl Edwards, Clint Boyer, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Greg Biffle, Hendrick Motorsports, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Jeff Burton, Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, Mark Martin, Matt Kenseth, NASCAR Fantasy Gaming, Sprint Cup Series, Stewart Haas Racing, Tony Stewart

Tagged with: blog, Brickyard, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Fantasy racing, Indy, Juan Pablo Montoya, Kyle Busch, Matt Kenseth, motorsports, NASCAR, NASCAR Fantasy picks, Sprint Cup Series, Tony Stewart

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Mark Martin: Poised to Win at Indianapolis

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.

July 26, 2008 10:42 pm CDT 3 Comments

When Mark Martin first guaranteed that he would taste victory in the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard this weekend, most of the Sprint Cup garage was taken aback. Had NASCAR’s most identifiable pessimist changed his ways? Was he that confident in a Dale Earnhardt Inc. team left for dead by many in the garage? Did he just want to get back into the sport’s spotlight, after running virtually under the radar since his near-win at Phoenix this April?

“I plan on winning the Brickyard in the 8 car,” the 49-year-old Martin announced, after a 10th-place finish at Pocono last month. Having fallen out of the top 20 in points (he was 12th after the Pocono race in 2007, still in the Chase for the Cup by 22 points), the most identifiable part-time driver in NASCAR’s top series had only five top-10s when he made his prediction. Compare that to a 2007 season in which Martin’s worst finish up to that point was 17th.

Keep in mind that Martin has a history of being a pessimist in the garage area. He has plenty of reason to be. If not for a 46-point deduction early in the 1990 season, he’d have won the series championship. He also finished 2nd in 1994, 1998 (despite winning 7 races that year), and 2002. He lost the 2007 Daytona 500 in a drag race to Kevin Harvick as the field wrecked behind them. Anything that could possibly go wrong with a racecar has gone wrong for the driver from Batesville, Arkansas.

Has the No. 8 team found something that the rest of the Sprint Cup Series is unaware of?

Regardless of the audacity of his prediction, Martin certainly showed the strength of his car in qualifying. Placing second, behind future Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jimmie Johnson, Martin turned a lap one-tenth of a second slower than the 2006 race winner.

Of the 43 starters competing in the race, Martin has the ninth-best average finish at Indianapolis, 14.4 in 14 career starts. His best finish in the race was 2nd in 1998, when Jeff Gordon won the race under caution. In the past three years Martin has finished 7th, 5th, and 6th, respectively, while driving for Jack Roush in 2005 and 2006 and DEI last year. This race actually marks Martin’s 1st anniversary with the team founded by the late Intimidator, as it merged with Ginn Racing this time last year.

Martin’s teammates at DEI, Martin Truex Jr., Paul Menard, and Regan Smith, qualified 25th, 37th, and 42nd, respectively, with Smith one of two drivers to rely on owners’ points to make it into the race. No DEI driver, past or present, has ever won at Indianapolis; however, if any of the team’s stable could become the first, Martin would be it.

(Image courtesy Icon Sports Media

Filed under: Dale Earnhardt, Inc., Hendrick Motorsports, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Mark Martin, NASCAR, Sprint Cup Series

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