Latest Headlines

Comments

Sections

Vickers’ Michigan Win a Long Time Coming

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.

August 17, 2009 12:23 pm CDT No Comments

If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to our RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

Congratulations to Team Red Bull driver Brian Vickers, who won yesterday’s Carfax 400 at Michigan. It was Vickers’ second Sprint Cup victory and the first points victory for TRB. It was also the first victory for Toyota at Michigan, the home track for NASCAR’s American manufacturers.

The win, Vickers’ first since Talladega in 2006, came on a weekend that he dominated from start to finish. He won the pole for the Sprint Cup race on Friday, qualified first for the Nationwide race on Saturday, and led the most laps in that race, finishing second.

Vickers was engaged in a heated battle with Kyle Busch in the closing laps of the Nationwide race, leading to a heated confrontation in the pits. In a post-race interview, Vickers apologized for ruining “the Kyle Busch show,” one of the sharpest and funniest comments a driver has made all season.

A fired-up Vickers then came to the track on Sunday hungry to make up for failing to win on Saturday. He only led 12 laps of the Cup race, but they were the laps that counted; Vickers watched race leader Jimmie Johnson run out of fuel for the second time in two Michigan races this year. Both times Johnson had led the most laps, but saw fuel mileage cost him the victory.

The loop data shows just how strong Vickers was on Sunday. His average running position through the race was 5th; he was in the top 15 99 percent of the time, tops among all drivers; and his driver rating of 126.8 was tops among the field. He also had the best driver rating in the Nationwide race, an absurdly high 145.0.

This win, Vickers’ first with the Red Bull organization, has been a long time coming. It’s been apparent for a long time just how talented Vickers is - his 2003 Nationwide Series championship at age 20 is a testament to that. He was just starting to get his Sprint Cup legs in 2006, finishing 15th in points with the fourth Hendrick car, when he signed with Red Bull.

Jumping to a fledgling Toyota team with no owners points in 2007 may have been a miserable short-term career move (13 DNQ’s), but it began paying off last year, when he jumped to 19th in points. The Red Bull team is even better this season, especially as of late, with each of Vickers’ past six finishes 11th or better. Vickers’ six poles also lead the Sprint Cup Series.

Picking up a talent like Vickers has paid off for Red Bull, both on the track and off. Vickers is a marketable face willing to take part in almost any Red Bull promotions, from skydiving to a pit stop in the middle of New York City. An avid social networker, Vickers engages with fans much in the way that the energy drink company does.

On the track, Vickers provides TRB with a lead driver that can compete for wins and a Chase berth over the course of a full season. He also serves as a mentor for Scott Speed, the ex-Formula One driver/loose cannon, who, like A.J. Allmendinger before him, still needs a bit of seasoning to make his transition from open-wheel racing successful.

It’s impossible to deny that after all the work Vickers and TRB have done over the past three years, they were due for their first win. Now sitting 13th in points, they’re also peaking at the right time to potentially steal a Chase spot from another worthy driver.

Photo credit: BethAnne Heisler, OnPitRow.com

Filed under: NASCAR

Tagged with: Brian Vickers, Michigan International Speedway, Red Bull Racing, Toyota

Digg This | Save to del.icio.us

Is Mark Martin Going to Be Derailed by Changes to Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s Team?

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

I'm the writer of The Catfish Show NASCAR Blog, which you can access through the links on the right. Follow me on Twitter: @mattmercer

May 28, 2009 7:12 pm CDT 8 Comments

As I was reading a story this afternoon on what new Dale Earnhardt Jr. crew chief Lance McGrew plans for the #88 team, I started worrying about the chances of Mark Martin’s title run this year. McGrew says that among the first items to be evaluated is the #88 team’s relationship with that of their shop-mate, the #5 team. McGrew says that they aren’t a unified outfit because they were two entities brought together, unlike the #24 and #48 teams. Correct me if I’m wrong, but the #5 and #25 teams were together since what, 2002 when Hendrick added a 4th car? The teams have been there, with mixed success, since the days of Terry Labonte/Kyle Busch in the #5 and Joe Nemechek/Brian Vickers/Casey Mears in the #25. McGrew was even a big part of that #25 team, serving as crew chief for Vickers in that time. I have to wonder why McGrew seems to fault the new combination of Martin and crew chief Alan Gustafson in the #5 for being successful. Maybe I’m reading the story wrong, but that’s how it looks.

My main concern here is that Martin’s team has been very successful with fast cars nearly ever week of the year while Earnhardt Jr. and his team haven’t adjusted their equipment to meet the demands of 2009 yet. It’s no guarantee the change will work the first time around. Is McGrew implying that he wants to change the way Gustafson is running the #5 team? This quote scares me:

“Basically, the crew chiefs have to steer the ship. If you want [the 5/88] building to perform and function with the 24/48 shop does, it has to be managed like the 24/48 shop is. The crew chiefs steer the ship there. I feel like you have to do that in unison, because the idea is to have two teams in one building that operate as one. Those [24 and 48] teams do that. Right now that’s not happening [in the 5 and 88 shop].”

Right. Because it’s the #5 team’s responsibility for the #88 not using the notes and setups the #5, #24, and #48 do. McGrew is right about this part: ideally, both teams in the shop should operate as one. It seems that the #88 team led by Tony Eury Jr. was willing to break away from that and do things their own way.

All I’m saying is, this could easily drag down Martin during the rest of the 2009 season. If McGrew wants to change the #5 team’s method (which is clearly working) it could derail Martin’s title hopes this season. I do not want that to happen and I suspect that even Dale Jr. himself wouldn’t want that to happen. Hendrick needs to be careful he isn’t tearing down the strong to build up the weak.

Photo credit: Sports Illustrated

Filed under: Brian Vickers, Casey Mears, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Hendrick Motorsports, Joe Nemechek, Mark Martin, NASCAR

Tagged with: Alan Gustafson, Brian Vickers, Casey Mears, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Hendrick Motorsports, Joe Nemechek, Kyle Busch, Lance McGrew, Mark Martin, NASCAR, Sprint Cup, Sprint Cup Series, Terry Labonte, Tony Eury Jr

Digg This | Save to del.icio.us

Junior Gives Preview of Homer later on Fox

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.

February 18, 2009 10:42 am CST No Comments

Dale Earnhardt Jr was not having a good day before he was involved in “The Big One” on Sunday at Daytona.

Two pit road mistakes put Junior behind the eight ball early on in the rain shortened Daytona 500. Perhaps the frustration that ensued after those two problems helped trigger the late race incident that took out nearly one fourth of the field.

Junior totally missed his pit stall when he didn’t recognize his pit sign early on. Then he compounded the problem later when he stopped past the pit box end line. This mistake put him a lap down and put him in position behind Brian Vickers where during the restart the two got together. As expected, each driver blamed the other for the cause of the incident.

Vickers never denied that he was blocking Junior. The difference of opinion seems to come down to Junior’s options after he was blocked. His version includes being forced “almost into the grass” and having no option but to get back up on the racing surface. Vickers believed he was wrecked on purpose and didn’t have many kind words for Junior.

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

Jason Leffler got a five lap penalty on Saturday for a similar incident to Junior’s on Sunday. Was this a different deal or is NASCAR using “Junior Rules”?

Let us know what you think and we may use your answers on an upcoming ON PIT ROW. Listen live to ON PIT ROW from 5-7pm ET at onpitrow.com

Photo credit: Icon Sports Media

Filed under: Brian Vickers, Dale Earnhardt Jr., NASCAR, NASCAR & the Media, NASCAR Bidness, NASCAR officials

Tagged with: Brian Vickers, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jason Leffler

Digg This | Save to del.icio.us

Denny Hamlin: NASCAR Fantasy Racing Stud at Pocono Raceway

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 2, 2008 9:40 am CDT 1 Comment

Joe Gibbs Racing star Denny Hamlin sports Jimmy Johnson-like Loop Data stats for this week’s Pennsylvania 500 at Pocono Raceway.

Whether that means he’ll win again is debatable, but the numbers are compelling. A NASCAR Loop Driver Rating of 100 or above is very strong. Three guys have numbers above 100 for Pocono this week. But Hamlin, with 130.4 is far and away the leader in that stat category.

In fact, Denny leads in seven of the Loop’s 16 Box Score stats. The others are Ave Mid Race Position - 2.6, Ave Position - 5.6, Ave Finish - 2.8, 75.9 percent Quality Passes, 92.6 percent of Laps in the Top 15 and 33. percent of all Laps Led.

In five career races at the Long Pond, PA track Hamlin has two wins, four top fives, five top tens and two poles. Spell Denny’s dominance with capital “D”s.

Can Kurt Busch or Tony Stewart Shake Off Early Struggles?

Second and third best in the Loop are Kurt Busch with 113.4 and Tony Stewart at 102.2 Driver Ratings. Kurt is the top Ave Points per Race gainer at 1094 in seven races. He also leads in Fastest Laps - 208, Laps in the Top 15 - 1074 and Laps Led with 343. He’s a two time winner with seven top fives and eight top tens.

Tony Stewart has one win, five top fives and 13 top tens at Pocono Raceway. He sports a series high 300 Quality Passes and a second best 1032 (78.8 percent) Laps in the Top 15.

Pocono could be the place for either of these guys to start a 2009 run. But I’m not confident. I think Stewart is too distracted. Kurt’s team, though they have a 2009 win, has not looked good most weeks this year.

There are three drivers with DR’s of 97 or better. Ryan Newman - 98.7, Brian Vickers - 97.9 and, who else, Jimmie Johnson - 97.3. Johnson, with two wins, four top fives and eight top tens looks strong again, especially coming off the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard win on the similar Indy track.

Newman has won at Pocono too and has five top fives and six top tens. But the winless Vickers. with four top fives is the Cup driver most likely to get his first ever win soon. Pocono Raceway is the perfect track for him and his Red Bull Toyota.

Mark Martin, Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick, Jeff Burton and Carl Edwards all have 90 plus Loop Driver Ratings. Gordon is a four time Pocono winner. Martin has 19 top fives and 30 top tens. Edwards is a past winner and Kasey Kahne won here in June.

If this were an IQ test, you might flunk it if you didn’t pick Hamlin. My pick is Vickers. And my dark-horse is his Red Bull Racing Teammate, A J Allmendinger.

Photo credit: BethAnne Heisler - ON PIT ROW

Filed under: A J Allmendinger, Brian Vickers, Denny Hamlin, Jeff Gordon, Jimmy Johnson, Kasey Kahne, Kurt Busch, NASCAR Fantasy Gaming, Pocono Raceway, Ryan Newman, Sprint Cup Series, Tony Stewart

Tagged with: Brian Vickers, Denny Hamlin, fantasy racing picks, Kurt Busch, NASCAR fantasy racing, Pocono Raceway, Sprint Cup Series, Tony Stewart

Digg This | Save to del.icio.us

Attack of the Two-Headed Loose in Turn 3

by Charlie Turner

July 25, 2008 10:55 am CDT 3 Comments

It’s Brickyard 400 weekend so put your hype hats on. Be prepared to be blasted with the history of Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Having been there a few times, I will say that Indy has a different feel than most race tracks. And no place looks quite like Indy.

But if you wrote an unbiased history of what the NASCAR racing has been like at the famous track, it would be more like the story of Millard Filmore than that of Abe Lincoln. Not real compelling.

But we’ll be watching. And someone is bound to get Loose in Turn 3, and slide up into the short shute wall.

This week, veteran Looser, Bruce of NASCAR Bits, is on assignment. TZ of Do You NASCAR? has recruited, or kidnapped, loyal reader Roc to fill in for Bruce. Here is my query.

Tony Stewart, currently tenth in Sprint Cup points, is 49 markers ahead of 13th place Clint Bowyer. Four drivers, icluding Denny Hamlin and Kasey Kahne, within 49 points of each other with only three spots up for grabs. Who doesn’t make it to the Chase?

Charlie: Everyone talks about this being Stewart’s time of the year. In the past, it has been. It didn’t happen for him at Chicagoland, but
betting against Smoke is tough. Kasey Kahne is the only two-time 2008 winner in the bunch, so I can’t take him out. Too many good Kahne tracks left on the schedule. Hamlin and Bowyer must be drawing confidence from their Nationwide Series years. The unsettledness of Stewart’s year is the deciding influence. I say that Tony will miss the Chase.

TZ: Great timing for this question, because I just talked about this on my site a few days ago, and without a race taking place between then and now, I can’t really backtrack on my answer. Charlie, you talk about how there’s plenty of Kahne tracks left on the schedule, but the funny thing is that Stewart’s actually won a Cup race at every track left except for Talladega, and there he has one of the top driver averages. With the weight of controversy off his shoulders, Stewart’s in by a long
shot and even competes for the championship. Kahne, on the other hand, has proven to me that he’s a very streaky driver, and he’s lost a lot of steam the past couple of weeks. I also haven’t been too impressed with Hamlin as of late, who to me still lacks a lot of discipline behind the wheel. I say Kahne and Hamlin are both out of the Chase, Clint Bowyer and Brian Vickers are in.

Roc: Well I sure wouldn’t bet against any of these drivers for the Chase but Tony will be in. Hamlin is not having the perfect year but his teammate is, so they have the cars to beat and he’ll be in there as well. My choice for the third spot is a little harder. I do like TZ dreaming of Vickers, but I think that Bowyer will also make the Chase. Kahne has had a good year but he always seems to find the bad
luck bug. Still think Stewart maybe one of the two or three drivers to beat for the championship. Tony has had a weight lifted off of his shoulders and with the Brickyard this weekend and the anouncement of his second driver maybe on friday I look for him to charge.

That’s what we think. What do you think?

And go over to TZ’s place tell us what you think about this…

NASCAR recently placed restrictions on the engines in the Nationwide Series, limiting the airflow, and therefore putting a restriction on the horesepower. Should we expect to see similar measures be implimented into the Sprint Cup Series, and if so, when?

Photo credit: BethAnne Heisler - ON PIT ROW

Filed under: Brian Vickers, Car of Tomorrow, Chase for the Cup, Clint Boyer, Denny Hamlin, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Kasey Kahne, Sprint Cup Series, Stewart Haas Racing, Tony Stewart, Turn 2 posts

Tagged with: blog, Brian Vickers, Brickyard, Chase, Clint Bowyer, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Kasey Kahne, Loose in Turn 3, motorsports, NASCAR, Sprint Cup Series, Tony Stewart

Digg This | Save to del.icio.us

Fantasy NASCAR Thoughts on the Coke Zero 400

by Charlie Turner

July 5, 2008 8:53 am CDT No Comments

Tony Stewart remains win-less so far in the 2008 Sprint Cup Series. So close, so many times, it seems inevitable that Smoke will break through soon.

Stewart has the best Driver Rating - 108.1 - for Daytona International Speedway for the last seven races run in NASCAR’s Loop data stats. In fact Smoke has led 32.2% of all the laps run in those seven events - 415 total . He’s a two time Daytona winner. Often stated and maybe, overrated is the fact that Stewart has a history of getting hot when the weather does. He had the best car and led the most laps last week at Loudon, until the rain screwed him - and most of the rest of the field - up. Maybe that was a sign. But 2008 doesn’t have the feel of a Stewart championship season. Maybe it’s karma. I’d pick him this week, but not with confidence.

It ain’t all Smoke though.

Many of the drivers who have been tough this year, score poorly in Daytona Loop data.

2008 race winners, Carl Edwards, Kasey Kahne and Denny Hamlin have Driver Ratings of 78.1, 78.4 and 72.2 respectively. Newly re-signed, Roush- Fenway pilot Greg Biffle is tied with Elliott Sadler at 78.8.

Ryan Newman is second best, no doubt helped by his Daytona 500 win in February, with a Driver Rating of 98.6, but no individual stats jump out.

Jimmy Johnson is a past winner and third in the Loop DR with a 95.5. Johnson has run the most laps in the top 15 with 985 for 76.5% and has a series best Ave Position of 9.8.

Johnson is followed by the Busch brother tandem - Kyle at 95.3 and last week’s winner Kurt with a DR of 93.00. Matt Kenseth and Jeff Gordon are next, also in the 90’s. Earnhardt Junior, the former king of the plate tracks is tenth with a 87.5 Driver Rating and a couple wins.

I have to go with Stewart, but as I said, I’m not real sold on it. Other than Smoke, I like Dale Earnhardt Jr. He was strong in February and has been the best of the Hendrick Motorsport drivers so far in 2008.

For a dark-horse - and sooner or later you won’t be able to call him that - Red Bull Racing’s Brian Vickers.

Photo credit: Icon Sports Media, Inc.

Filed under: Car of Tomorrow, Carl Edwards, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Daytona 500, Daytona International Speedway, Denny Hamlin, Greg Biffle, Hendrick Motorsports, Jeff Gordon, Jimmy Johnson, Kasey Kahne, Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, Matt Kenseth, NASCAR Fantasy Gaming, Ryan Newman, Sprint Cup Series, Tony Stewart