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Tony Stewart Vampire Slayer

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 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: Charlotte Motor 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.

October 15, 2011 12:30 pm CDT No Comments

Jimmie Johnson pit lane New Hampshire

The meat and potatoes of the Chase for the Sprint Cup has always consisted of 1.5-mile tri-ovals, of which Charlotte Motor Speedway has always been the standard. The host of the Coca-Cola 600 on Memorial Day weekend, its 500-mile race in October has always been an important part of the Chase. This year, it will mark the halfway point in the playoffs.

The track used to be called Lowe’s Motor Speedway, and while that was due to a contract between the hardware store and the track, it might as well have been the case because Lowe’s driver Jimmie Johnson owned it in the early years of the Chase. Johnson won the first two Chase races at Charlotte, in 2004 and 2005, and used a win there in 2009 to pull away from Mark Martin in that year’s title hunt.

But Johnson isn’t the only Hendrick Motorsports driver to put on a show at Charlotte. Jeff Gordon scored his first career win in the 1994 Coca-Cola 600, but it was in 2007 when Gordon took a Chase victory after inheriting the lead from Ryan Newman, who crashed in the race’s final laps. Gordon must be cursing the format, though; while he still led the Chase points by 68 over Johnson after that race, he would’ve had almost a 500 point lead under the old system.

Last year’s winner wasn’t a Chase driver, but his ability to win directly influenced the structure of the Chase this year. By taking last year’s Bank of America 500, Jamie McMurray scored wins at the three most prominent tracks on the NASCAR schedule - Daytona, Indianapolis, and Charlotte. It was in response to this that NASCAR set aside the final two Chase spots for “wild card” drivers - the two drivers with the most wins between 11th and 20th in points. (McMurray was 14th after Richmond and would have made it in under this system.)

Filed under: Chase for the Cup, Jamie McMurray, Jeff Gordon, Lowes Motor Speedway, jimmie johnson

Tagged with: Bank of America 500, Charlotte Motor Speedway, Chase for the Cup, Jamie McMurray, Jeff Gordon, jimmie johnson

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Chase History: Kansas Speedway

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

October 8, 2011 12:00 pm CDT No Comments

#14 Tony Stewart turn 2 Michigan International Speedway heisler sum 11

Can Tony Stewart reclaim the Sprint Cup points lead by taking his third career Kansas win? (Photo: Beth Heisler)

2011 marks the first season that Kansas Speedway has ever hosted two races at NASCAR’s highest level, but its fall race has been a part of the Chase for the Sprint Cup since the format’s inception. All but twice, its winner has been a Chase driver; in one of the exceptions, the winner, Tony Stewart, was the top non-Chase driver on the season.

Stewart, in fact, is one of only three drivers to score two wins at the track, tied for the all-time lead. His victories came in 2006, the season where he just missed the Chase, and 2009, his fourth win in his first season driving for his own team. With eight top-10s in his 11 starts, he has an average finish of 11.9 that’s good for fifth among active drivers.

But the two other drivers to win multiple races have done a bit better. He isn’t in this year’s Chase, but Greg Biffle is the defending race winner (as well as the 2007 winner, under controversial circumstances) and will start from the pole on Sunday. In five of his 10 Kansas starts, he’s led 37 laps or more; in seven of 10, he’s come home with at least a top five finish.

The gold standard, however, is Jeff Gordon, who has nine top-10s in 11 Kansas starts and lays down a consistent run every time he shows up. Gordon won the first two Kansas races, in 2001 and 2002, the first coming on the way to his fourth career championship. In each of his past five starts, he’s finished fifth or better, giving Stewart a run for his money in the 2009 race. Another strong Kansas run could be just what he needs to pull back into the Chase hunt after the first three races have left him ninth in points.

Filed under: Chase for the Cup, Greg Biffle, Jeff Gordon, Kansas Speedway, Tony Stewart

Tagged with: Chase for the Cup, Greg Biffle, Jeff Gordon, Kansas Speedway, Tony Stewart

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NASCAR Pictures: Friday Qualifying for the Sylvania 300

by Charlie Turner

September 24, 2011 9:33 pm CDT No Comments

Exclusive NASCAR photos from New Hampshire Motor Speedway

Our intrepid photog Glenn Bure was there and firing on all cylinders for the Friday Sprint Cup practice and qualifying action at The Magic Mile in Loudon. Nice work Glenn.

Photo credit: Glenn Bure - OnPitRow.com

Filed under: Brad Kesolowski, Carl Edwards, Chase for the Cup, Clint Boyer, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Denny Hamlin, Jamie McMurray, Jeff Burton, Jeff Gordon, Joey Logano, Kasey Kahne, Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch, Mark Martin, Matt Kenseth, NASCAR, NASCAR photos, New Hampshire International Speedway, NewHampshire Motor Speedway, Red Bull Racing, Ryan Newman, Stewart Haas Racing, The Busch Bros, Tony Stewart

Tagged with: Loudon, Magic Mile, NASCAR pictures, sylvania 300

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NASCAR Pictures: Sunday Action at Pocono Raceway

by Charlie Turner

September 22, 2011 7:14 pm CDT No Comments

Exclusive Pocono 500 NASCAR race action and Driver photos

On Pit Row photographer Glenn Bure will be at New Hampshire Motor Speedway this weekend capturing all three days Nationwide Series and Chase to the Sprint Cup action on the track and in the garage. we thought we’d give you a little taste of what to expect with some bonus images from the last Pocono weekend. Enjoy and leave Glenn some comments about his work.

Photo credit: Glenn Bure - OnPitRow.com

Filed under: A J Allmendinger, Brad Kesolowski, Brian Vickers, Carl Edwards, Clint Boyer, Dale Earnhardt Jr., David Ragan, David Reutimann, Denny Hamlin, Greg Biffle, Jamie McMurray, Jeff Burton, Jeff Gordon, Joe Nemechek, Juan Pablo Montoya, Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr., Matt Kenseth, NASCAR, NASCAR photos, NewHampshire Motor Speedway, Paul Menard, Pocono Raceway, Robby Gordon, Ryan Newman, The Busch Bros, Tony Stewart, jimmie johnson

Tagged with: Glenn Bure, NASCAR pictures, Pennsylvania 500, sylvania 300

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Can Tony Stewart Unseat Jimmie Johnson?

by Charlie Turner

September 20, 2011 10:57 am CDT No Comments

Tony Stewart won his first Sprint Cup Series race of 2011 at the perfect time. If you’re going to beat someone, beat them when they’re down. It just has a more lasting effect.

Stewart shoved his Stewart-Haas Racing Chevy to the front of the Chase while three - at least - of the favorites may have cashed in their chips.

Historically, to win the NASCAR playoffs, you have to win races and avoid big mistakes. Stewart is the only contender, so-far, to do both. Matt Kenseth, Jeff Gordon and Kyle Busch cannot say that. All three ran out of gas at the end and are anywhere from 18-25 points behind points leader Kevin Harvick.

Denny Hamlin, who last year was on fire coming into the Chase, had problems all day and is now 41 points back. the good news for Hamlin is there is no pressure, and nothing to lose. Hope it helps.

And Jimmie Johnson? He ran out of fuel too. Bad thing. But instead of finishing twenty-somethingish, Johnson came in tenth. I guess this qualifies as a mistake, but the penalty was minimal. The #48 was fast all day.

So, to answer the title question; yeah I think Smoke could win another Chase Cup. With nine races to go, his competition is fading fast.

This is the First Turn question for today’s Fast Lap segment On Pit Row. We have a $50 Shell Gasolines gift card for the commenter with the best answer. Leave your comments here, or tweet them to @onpitrow or go to our On Pit Row Facebook page, like us, and leaving your comments.

Photo credit: BethAnne Heisler - OnPitRow.com

Filed under: Chase for the Cup, Chicagoland Speedway, Denny Hamlin, Fast Lap Posts, Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, NASCAR, Sprint Cup Series, Stewart Haas Racing, Tony Stewart, jimmie johnson