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Fantasy Pick’Em: 2010 Food City 500

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

If OnPitRow.com was a NASCAR team, I’d be the development driver of the bunch. In the same way that young hotshots like Joey Logano have been driving since they were in grade school, I’ve been following and writing about all forms of motorsports since I was barely old enough to talk.

March 17, 2010 3:20 pm CDT No Comments

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With four races in the books, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series will head to Bristol Motor Speedway for this weekend’s Food City 500. Kurt Busch will attempt to follow up his win at Atlanta two weeks ago by winning this race for the fifth time.

Hope everybody’s all rested up after the off weekend, but it’s high time that we get into the swing of things and kick this season into full gear. This will be the last race that 2009 owner’s points determine the cars locked into the starting field for this season, so expect some backmarkers to try and push towards the front.

My pick for the weekend stays in the Busch family – I’m picking Kyle to win. Easy, I know. But in his last three Bristol starts, he has accumulated an average finish of 1.3 while leading 861 of a possible 1503 laps. That’s over 57% of his past three Bristol starts. Also keep in mind that Rowdy has led a lap in every Bristol race dating back to the spring of 2006, and has led in double digits in five of those eight events.

My dark horse for the week has to be Marcos Ambrose. Still looking for his first top-10 of the season, mired at 28th in points due to DNFs at Daytona and California, Ambrose has finishes of 10th and 3rd at Bristol in Cup cars. Bristol is known as a track of heavy beating and banging, as are the V8 Supercars that Ambrose drove in Australia before coming stateside.

Three more, as per tradition:

Kurt Busch. I’ve discovered over the years that a solid projection of a driver’s skill at any once track is the amount of top-10s he accumulates. If, over a career of decent length, he finishes in the top 10 about half the time, he is usually judged as a star at that given track. That would be Busch at Bristol… oh, and the five career wins there help too.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. has been decent at Bristol since joining Hendrick Motorsports, though it was mostly his work with Dale Earnhardt Inc. that currently gives him the sixth best average finish at Bristol of all active drivers. He’s also been fast for much of the year, with an average start of 8.5. Qualifying up front at such a small track gives drivers an inherent advantage, not only because leaders can catch lapped traffic quickly, but also because of their better pit selection – though that mattered more when Bristol separated its backstretch pits from its frontstretch ones.

Finally, let’s not forget that Kevin Harvick has a strong Bristol record. While he only has one win, the current series points leader has 11 top-10s in 18 career starts. Happy’s also in the best equipment he’s had in years, and there’s no reason to expect things to drop off now.

Filed under: Bristol Motor Speedway, Kyle Busch, One and Done NASCAR Fantasy Racing 

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NASCAR History: Car Number 39 and Friday Hassler

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by James Jones, Special To NASCAR commentary,NASCAR video,NASCAR pictures, Bench Racing With Steve and Charlie

Sundays of my youth consisted of NASCAR racing and cold bottles of Mountain Dew. Thirty years later not much has changed for me. However, nearly everything has changed in NASCAR.

January 6, 2010 6:35 pm CST 2 Comments

Friday Hassler car number 39Over the next several weeks we’ll be featuring car numbers in NASCAR history. We started with #50 and are working our way down the line. With each car number we’ll take a brief look at a couple stats related to the featured car number, but we’ll primarily spotlight either a driver, sponsor, car owner, manufacturer or other significant subject closely tied to the car number of the day.

Today’s spotlight on the #39 brings again to my mind the question, “Who should get the credit for a win, the driver who starts the race or the driver who crosses the finish line first?”
NASCAR driver Raymond Friday Hassler

Stats for all cars running the #39:

  • Number of Races: 279
  • Number of Wins: 0
  • Number of Top 5s: 21
  • Number of Top 10s: 73
  • Number of Poles: 5

Check out current NASCAR race statistics here at On Pit Row!

Spotlight Subject: Driver Friday Hassler

 
A career 135 races logged between 1960 to 1972 netted Raymond “Friday” Hassler a career best points finish of 16th. He scored 48 top tens, 12 top fives, and 0 wins*. He led only 139 career laps with an average finish 17.9. Despite not being a factory supported driver, and fielding Chevrolets (which were basically not present in racing) he was still competitive and well liked by his competitors.

Today, Chevrolet tops the all-time manufacturer win list list with the most NASCAR Sprint Cup wins (651 vs. 2nd place Ford’s 595). But Friday was running Chevy at a time in NASCAR history where the field was primarily made up of Plymouths, Dodges, and Fords. That was about to change though when Friday took the checkered flag in 1971– the first win for Chevrolet since 1967.

“I thought you said he had 0 wins?” you ask? I did say that, and it’s true he is not scored as having any wins. However, this is due to the fact that Friday didn’t start the car that day in 1971 and NASCAR credits the driver who starts the race as the driver of record for the finish. The race occurred at Bristol Motor Speedway and to this day holds a record that will likely never be repeated. The race went caution free for the entire 500 lap event! This despite the fact that it was a blistering hot day for 500 laps, 30 cars, multiple driver changes, and an average race speed of 101.074 miles per hour.

So, that explains the asterisked “0 wins” above. Friday acted as a relief driver for the recorded race winner Charlie Glotzbach. Charlie started the race on the outside pole. Approximately half way through the 500 lap event Friday took over driving his car in order to offer Charlie some relief from the summer heat. Charlie and NASCAR legend Bobby Allison would battle for the lead until eventually Friday took full command of the race and took the checkers with a margin of victory of 3 laps over Allison. Tom Higgins’ Scuffs has a nice article on this event posted as Miracle in Thunder Valley. The article quotes historian Greg Fielden as describing the musical driver seats for the race:
“Glotzbach was relieved by Hassler; Allison was relieved by James Hylton; Petty was relieved by Buddy Baker; Hylton was relieved by G.C. Spencer; Frank Warren was relieved by Charlie Roberts; and Bill Dennis was relieved by Marv Action.”

What a day, and what an extraordinary day for Friday Hassler! As difficult as the racing was that day, it’s really a shame that Hassler wasn’t credited with the victory. The final race results were positive for Hassler. His win column may read “0″, but it should certainly have an asterisk with it in my opinion.

NASCAR driver Raymond Friday Hassler car number 39Historic accomplishments in NASCAR history, such as Hassler’s, serve as a reminder to us. While not all drivers are the big stars, have the most wins, or race for the dominant teams or manufacturers, they can certainly make their mark in history and have the respect of their competitors. Friday’s career was just starting to take off in 1971, thanks in part to his “win” at Bristol. Unfortunately the sport didn’t get to see how high his star would fly. The very next year his life would come to an end in a multi-car wreck during the qualifying race for the Daytona 500.

Filed under: Bristol Motor Speedway, James Jones, NASCAR, NASCAR History 

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NASCAR History: Car Number 44 and Terry Labonte

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by James Jones, Special To NASCAR commentary,NASCAR video,NASCAR pictures, Bench Racing With Steve and Charlie

Sundays of my youth consisted of NASCAR racing and cold bottles of Mountain Dew. Thirty years later not much has changed for me. However, nearly everything has changed in NASCAR.

January 1, 2010 9:24 am CST No Comments

Over the next several weeks we’ll be featuring car numbers in NASCAR history. We started with #50 and are working our way down the line. With each car number we’ll take a brief look at a couple stats related to the featured car number, but we’ll primarily spotlight either a driver, sponsor, car owner, manufacturer or other significant subject closely tied to the car number of the day.

NASCAR car number 44 Terry Labonte and Piedmont Airlines sponsorToday’s number is one that I looked forward to spotlighting in the car number countdown to the Daytona 500. This is because car #44 was one of my favorites back in the mid ’80s. I have childhood memories of getting a large plastic toy car for Christmas with the #44 and Piedmont Airlines logo stickers all over it. I remember getting the diecast Piedmont Airlines airplane each time my parents would stick me on a plane flying out of Cincinnati, OH to Orlando, FL. It was there that I would spend my summer break from school with my grandparents and my uncle Terry. And it is my uncle Terry who I give credit for my love of NASCAR. Most all of my fondest memories from childhood revolve around my uncle, and many of those include the simple things such as playing checkers or UNO and drinking a Mountain Dew (out of a glass bottle!) while watching a NASCAR race on TV. Yeah, spotlighting the #44 is going to be cool for me.

NASCAR Cup champion Terry Labonte

Stats for cars running the #44:

  • Number of Races: 884
  • Number of Wins: 13
  • Number of Top 5s: 155
  • Number of Top 10s: 314
  • Number of Poles: 27
  • Number of Drivers: 89

Check out current NASCAR race statistics here at On Pit Row!

Spotlight Subject: Driver Terry Labonte

Now sure, most people are going to associate Terry Labonte with the #5. After all, the #5 is the car number he closed out his full time career in. Also, he ran 368 races in the #5 versus 259 races in the #44 earlier in his career. But his average finish was slightly better in the #44 car with a 14.4 average versus 17.4. One thing is for sure though, and that is that Terry’s thirty year career has been an impressive one making him one of the most respected and liked drivers in the Cup garage and with the fans.

Terry came into the Cup series on fire starting only five races in the 1978 Cup season for car owner Billy Hagan (whom he would drive for from 1978 through 1986). He would have 1 top five, 2 top tens in his first three starts. The final two races were DNFs due to mechanical failure and a wreck. He didn’t slow down in 1979 either when he ran his first full season competing for Rookie of the Year honors. Coming up short for the Rookie title, he did manage to finish in the top ten in points for the season. The following year Terry would take his first win in Winston Cup competition at Darlington Raceway. Twenty-three years and twenty victories between, Terry would score his 22nd and final victory in Cup competition again at Darlington.

NASCAR Cup champion Terry LabonteTerry, known for his calmness under pressure on the track, had the nickname of “The IceMan.” He always just seemed to show up there at the end of the race in the right position and with opportunity to take a win. In 1984 and 1996, The IceMan took top honors by bringing home the Championship trophy to his car owners Hagan and Hendrick, respectively. He has finished in the top 10 season standings an outstanding seventeen times! Other honors include the 1993 and 1989 IROC Championships, the 1988 and 1999 The Winston Champion (now the All Star Challenge), and in 1998 being named one of NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers. In 2004 Terry announced the season would be his last full time season. Over the last few years he’s driven part time rides for teams such as Hendrick Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing, Michael Waltrip Racing, and Hall of Fame Racing.

With a career spanning 30 years (and counting) it’s interesting to note that Terry almost exclusively ran General Motors cars other than 3 races in a Toyota (2007 fill in for Michael Watlrip Racing) and the 1989 season in which he ran a Ford for Junior Johnson. Out of those 851 races and 22 wins, it’s hard not to look at his 1995 win at Bristol as one of the most exciting. Four years later, Terry would show Earnhardt how to make a last-lap clean-pass for a win only to once again be given the knock spinning Terry out.

1995 Goody’s 500 victory while wrecking

Filed under: Bristol Motor Speedway, Dale Earnhardt, James Jones, NASCAR, NASCAR History, Terry Labonte 

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Kyle Busch, Mark Martin and Mindy Monday: Different M and M Flavors

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by Charlie Turner

I'm Charlie Turner co-host of the syndicated, mostly NASCAR radio show On Pit Row. Thanks for stopping by OnPitRow.com and the Bench Racing with Steve and Charlie blog. Oh yeah, Steve is an idiot. Follow me on Twitter @onpitrow

August 27, 2009 12:11 pm CDT 2 Comments
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Mindy Monday got a little impatient with Mark Martin and his non-pass of Kyle Busch in the Sharpie 500 at Bristol on Saturday night. She knows what she would have done. And she might just practice the move by racing motorized barstools.

Hey, I just report what I see. And it’s all here in the latest Monday Morning Crew Chief. Watch it now. Then watch a bunch of the reruns here.

Filed under: Bristol Motor Speedway, Kyle Busch, Mark Martin, Monday Morning Crew Chief, NASCAR video 

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Bristol is Back Baby!

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by Steve Wronkowicz

I am co-host of the syndicated radio show: ON PIT ROW. Charlie likes to call me an "idiot". I'm not an "idiot"; I just prefer not to let the facts get in the way of my opinions.

August 23, 2009 8:16 am CDT No Comments

All the complaints about Bristol Motor Speedway not being the Bristol of old can be forgotten.

The beating and banging that fans came to love about Bristol resurfaced on Saturday night. And a close finish that saw Mark Martin and Kyle Busch battle for the win, brought the sellout crowd to their feet.  Worries about the size of a perennially sold out Bristol crowd were unfounded as NASCAR fans filled the half mile speedway.

But what fans have been complaining about at the track recently seemed to be rectified as the close, bumper to bumper–rubbing is racing–form  of short track racing was back with a vengeance.  The only thing missing was someone other than Martin in the second spot on the last restart.  If there had been just about anyone else in his position, most likely there would have been a good old fashioned “bump and run” to secure a win.

Martin has long been considered a gentleman racer, someone who would rather be thought of as a nice guy than a champion.  Martin may still make The Chase, but he will not sour his nice guy image to get it done.

This all leads us to this week’s BUZZ ON PIT ROW:

Should Mark Martin have moved Rowdy out of the way to win at Bristol?

Martin could have easily wrecked The Shrub and gone on to the victory, but chose not to.  How will Martin be remembered if he ever does retire?  Will his good-guy reputation get him into the Hall of Fame if he doesn’t put together a championship season?

Let us know what you think and we could use your comments on this week’s ON PIT ROW radio show.  You can listen live from 5-7pm ET Tuesdays at www.onpitrow.com. Call into the show at 1-800-645-2946 and you could be the Shell Nitrogen Enriched Call of the Day and win a Kevin Harvick bobblehead.

Filed under: Bristol Motor Speedway, Kyle Busch, Mark Martin, NASCAR, On Pit Row The Fastest Two Hours on Radio, The Busch Bros 

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Nationwide Series at Bristol: Developing Development Series Finally?

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by Charlie Turner

I'm Charlie Turner co-host of the syndicated, mostly NASCAR radio show On Pit Row. Thanks for stopping by OnPitRow.com and the Bench Racing with Steve and Charlie blog. Oh yeah, Steve is an idiot. Follow me on Twitter @onpitrow

August 21, 2009 9:49 pm CDT No Comments

Watching tonight’s Food City 250 NASCAR Nationwide Series race.

Maybe this old Grand National Series is returning to what a whole bunch of NASCAR fans seem to at least think that they remember. A driver development series.

We spoke with NNWS Director Joe Balash On Pit Row a few weeks back and Joe indicated that was a goal of his.

And even though Carl Edwards is battling David Ragan with a green, white checkered finish about to happen, the days of fields full of Bushwackers seem past.

The GWC finish got short circuited when several cars got together back in the pack, giving Ragan his second Nationwide win. Edwards came second and Brad Keselowski got by Kevin Harvick for third.

That still sounds like the Buschwackin’ days, but the race didn’t seem so.

For one thing, Ragan and Keselowski ARE still developing drivers. Early on, the Kez got into Penske young gun, Justin Allgaier, cutting the no. 12’s tire and ruining what might have been Justin’s first win. He had the car. He has the talent too.

There are still plenty of Cup drivers competing in the junior series. But talented Michael Annett was top ten, and fast. Michael McDowell was 10th. Matt Carter, son of long time NASCAR team owner Travis Carter, finished 12th, on the lead lap, in a one-off start that I hope leads to more. Matt was ARCA RE/Max Rookie of the Year in 2008 and needs a break.

The presence of the Sprint Cup guys make it a tough place to win. But developing talent should rise to the top. That’s what happened with Keselowski. His talent earned him a big break with J R Motorsports in 2008, which led to more opportunities with Hendrick Motorsports. Today he signed a contract with Penske Racing to drive full time in Cup.

But he honed his chops in the Nationwide Series the last two years, competing with the big boys.

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

Filed under: Brad Kesolowski, Bristol Motor Speedway, David Ragan, Justin Allgaier, NASCAR, Nationwide Series, Penske Racing 

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