I don’t know how you feel about it, but from this fan’s view, the more things change, the more they stay the same when it comes to NASCAR. This fan thinks that NASCAR 2012 is gonna be a lot like last year even though there will be some very big differences. What with the driver changes, the loss of some sponsorship dollars and some drivers and teams determined more than ever to win their first or another Cup Championship, I don’t see how there could not be change. But even though there will be a lot of differences in the coming year, I think a lot of things are going to stay the same. I believe the drivers and the teams are likely to be just as competitive, if not more so than last year, and I expect to see some real excitement all throughout the first 26 races and the last 10 races when we get to the Chase.

But wait a minute… I may be getting way ahead of myself.

It may sound strange to make this statement at this time, but even though there has been a major change to the power plants under the hoods of the cars, I still expect the competition to be as close, or even closer than it was last year. Of course, everyone knows the major change in the power plant is fuel injection and it still remains to be seen how it will affect the individual Cup teams over the long haul. I expect there will be some challenges along the way, but I also think the engine builders and engineers will have it all figured out in very short order (if they haven’t already done that.)

Personally, I am glad they had the testing sessions in January at Daytona and can’t wait to see how the teams and NASCAR put it all together for speed weeks at Daytona this February. (In reality, I don’t expect there to be much of a change in performance (which was pretty much proved out at the test sessions), but with some of the changes NASCAR is making to try and break up the now expected and continuous two-car-drafting at the Super Speedways, it could prove to be a very interesting Daytona 500. What effect that may have on the other tracks will remain to be seen, but at Daytona and Talladega, fans could see at least a partial return to pack racing and less tandem drafting.

I really don’t think we as fans will know until they get down to the actual racing and, if I know anything about the Cup teams, they will find the fastest way around the Super Speedways, even with any changes NASCAR may make to the rules. Believe me when I tell you, that is NOT a statement against NASCAR. Over the years, they have proven they want what is best for the fans, the teams and the competition amongst those teams. (And just as a side note, they do seem to learn from and correct their mistakes, but maybe not as fast as some fans think they should…)

Yes, it’s true, 2012 could prove to be a very, very different year even while the level of competition remains quite the same. All of us are going to have to learn to associate different driver names with different car numbers and team owners (and let’s not forget, Danica Patrick is going to be full time in NASCAR, too.) Even though she was involved part time in the Nationwide series last year, this year will see her focusing on the NASCAR Nationwide and Cup series instead of the Indy cars and all of us expect a lot of attention to be focused on her, at least early in the season.

I’ve been listening to all the speculation from many sources about the 2012 season over the last month and a half or two and I agree with some and disagree with others, but overall, I’m ready for the season to begin and can’t wait to see how things pan out… How about you??

See ya next time…
All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer
© January 30, 2012 – all rights reserved
Rusty Norman, Just A Fan’s View and Nascarfansview.com
All audio productions by www.podcastnorm.com and PodCastNorm Productions

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This is old news I know, but Tony Stewart is the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion and he did the old fashioned way… he and his team worked for it. When the Chase started, many thought they were probably the least likely to win and they may have been right. That didn’t detour the now three time champion or his team and all they needed were a few things to go their way and they would build on the momentum and race their way to ownership of the most treasured title in NASCAR.

I don’t think anyone will deny that the #14 Team made gutsy calls, pressed the competitive envelope and NASCAR fans everywhere were treated to a hard charging driver that refused to let circumstances get him down and, even when things weren’t going well during a race or a weekend, he lifted himself and his team above the problems and ended up winning five of the ten Chase races, something no one really expected to happen. Every race saw Tony Stewart pressing to win and being aggressive from the start of every race, especially the last five in the Chase.

At no time in the Chase was he willing to accept just running a careful points race and several times during the last few races, he took what many called unnecessary chances. In the end, it all came down to him passing one more car, Jeff Burton, to gain one more point on the last turn of the last lap of the race at Phoenix and that kept him within 3 points of Carl Edwards going into the last weekend at Homestead. Had it not been for his determination to get every point out of every race in the Chase, he would have probably finished second in the Championship. (Well… we all know how that turned out, don’t we?)

Carl Edwards had a great season and even though it turns out he tied Stewart for the Championship, he finished second because of his lack of trips to Victory Lane. Don’t misunderstand what I am saying here. Carl Edwards had a great year and is a great driver. One can only think he learned from this loss and will be an even more formidable competitor for the Championships in the future. Just a quick glance at his stats for this year shows he was the most consistent finisher with 26 top tens and that says something about the year he had. I just don’t see him laying down and being less competitive in the future. In fact, this fan expects to see him coming on strong again next season.

Probably the two most disappointed drivers, (at least from this fan’s view), would be the Bush brothers. Kyle had another disappointing Chase and I am sure he wonders why when they get to the Chase he seems to go backward for one reason or another. Of course, he can only blame himself for part of his twelfth place finish in this one. His actions at Texas definitely put him in a hole and his twenty-third place finish at Homestead didn’t help a bit. It wasn’t that he wasn’t trying, but it did appear to this fan he was just trying to get through this race and looking to a fresh start in the 2012 season. From my view, he is maturing and will be a force to be reckoned with in the future.

Kurt Bush’s blown transmission put a cap on a disappointing Chase for him. It seems to me, his rants and raves on the radio this year didn’t do a thing to stop unexpected part failures or improve his position in this Chase. He dropped three positions to eleventh, just sixteen points ahead of his brother in twelfth. I understand he is high strung and gets pumped when in race mode, but eventually there has to be more than complaints coming from the driver’s seat over the radio. It may be only my opinion but it would have to get old if I were a crew chief or crew member on his team. I’m not taking anything away from his talent as a driver because I know he is a very good one. I’m just saying working on developing a few people skills might help the entire team do better in the end.

Of all the Hendrick teams, Jeff Gordon may have had the most satisfying Homestead race of them all with his fifth place finish. He had a car that could run up front but they did lose the handle on it just slightly as they transitioned into the darkness. I would think he and his crew will take their top five performance into the new season and take another stab at winning Jeff’s fifth Championship.

Richard Childress Racing had three cars in the top ten but one of them, Clint Bowyer, will be moving to Michael Waltrip Racing and taking his hopes and momentum with him. I don’t see him looking back, though. I am sure he is looking forward to a fresh start in 2012 with MWR.

From this fan’s view, 2011 was a stellar year for NASCAR. The Cup series saw as good a racing as any year in the recent past. It seems every decision NASCAR made from the points system to the front end of the cars was the right move for the sport. I’m not saying there isn’t still some controversy about some of the decisions they made during the season, but overall, they proved why NASCAR is still at the top of the list in the racing world.

This past year was one of the best I can remember and the finale at Homestead couldn’t have been more dramatic. It went exactly as I hoped it would and the championship was in doubt until the checkered flag dropped, ending the season and seeing both Tony Stewart and Carl Edwards tied in points and the one with the most victories named the 2011 Cup Champion.

Unfortunately, from this fan’s view, NASCAR has a very difficult task ahead of them in 2012. Can next season top this one…?

See ya next time…
All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer
© November 22, 2011 – all rights reserved
Rusty Norman and Nascarfansview.com
All audio productions by www.podcastnorm.com and PodCastNorm Productions

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And so it comes down to this… the 2011 NASCAR Cup Championship is all about winning, or at least, three points. Tony Stewart needs to win at Homestead or at least finish four points ahead of Carl Edwards by the end of the race Sunday afternoon and he will be the Cup Champion. Carl Edwards needs to win or finish just behind or just ahead of Stewart and he will be the Cup Champ. Either way, there is truly no way of knowing until the race is over, (or one or both of them drop out because of and accident or major failure) which one it will be.

From this fan’s view, this is exactly what NASCAR hoped for when they started the Chase format for the Championship and there couldn’t be a better way to end the year. (Well, there are those that think it would be better if the points were closer throughout the top twelve and more than two could win it.) This is not the first time the points battle has been close, but it is the first time it has been this close with the new points system and with the competition throughout the cup teams being as close as it has ever been.

I probably don’t have to remind you again, but this fan doesn’t generally put much stock in qualifying. Everybody knows it’s not how fast you can go for one or two laps but how fast you can consistently go over many laps. Preferably, it is important for a driver to be able to gain places on the track, maintain a faster speed than his competitors and have his pit crew pick up even more time for him in the pits and maintain track position.

It is important to notice where Tony Stewart and Carl Edwards qualified however, if for no other reason than who is going to be in clean air first (and possibly most often.) Carl Edwards qualified on the pole for today’s Championship race while Tony Stewart qualified fifteenth. I’m not so sure that was exactly how Tony wanted to start the race but he did seemed to be more pleased with his race trim than qualifying trim.

That’s where the importance of those consistently fast lap times I mentioned earlier come in. It was obvious Tony and crew chief Darian Grubb were working on the race trim during their practice times much more than qualifying. One of the biggest problems I see with where he is starting is how many possibilities for getting caught up in something not of his own making. In other words, it is possible his chances for moving forward or winning could be hurt by someone else’s mistake.

By starting on the pole, Carl Edwards has a definite advantage. From my view, his first worry is whether his crew chief, Bob Osborn’s setup is good for the beginning of the race and he pulls away from the field out into clean air. There is always the possibility the setup could be missed by just enough to cause him to fall back into the field, as has happened in the recent past, and open up the possibilities for problems (much like Tony Stewart could face from the start), and I hate to put a damper on the whole day, but neither one of them may even be close to the front for the whole race.

Now you may ask, “Do I really think that’s what going to happen?” Well… no… but, I won’t rule out the possibility either. NASCAR is way to competitive right now to think that everyone is going to move over and let the top two just work it out between themselves. I do have to admit, I don’t think Homestead is the place there are going to be a lot of paybacks for something, but I do know the competitive spirit will be very evident throughout the race.

Let’s not forget that NASCAR is all about winning and, although I know there only two that can win the Championship, there are more than two that want to finish the year with a trip to victory lane. In fact, Kasey Kahne, Kurt Bush and Brad Keselowski would like nothing better than to finish ahead of both Carl Edwards and Tony Stewart and won’t think twice about putting them behind them or making it hard for them to pass them.

If you’re wondering why I feel this way about it, it’s all because of a thing called adrenaline. No matter what attitude a person may have before the race starts, when the green flag drops, the “bull-hockey” stops and the adrenaline kicks in. If recent weeks tell us anything, not everyone of the drivers will make good decisions about how they’re treated by their fellow competitors or handle every situation with cool, calm deliberation. No, several will react without considering the consequences of their actions and how they might affect even the most innocent of bystanders. (It wouldn’t be the first time that someone reacted and took out someone other than they intended, especially this year.)

So, from this fan’s view, the hope is the race will come down to Carl Edwards and Tony Stewart battling for the win on the final laps and one of them coming away with the win and the Championship.

Will it be a race that Carl Edwards dominates and Tony Stewart struggles all day or, possibly, the other way around? That’s a good question and one that will only be answered as the race progresses.

Is it possible that both, Tony Stewart and Carl Edwards fall back and it is just a points battle between them while someone else dominates the race? I don’t know, but it is a possibility. In fact, with only three points separating the top two drivers, anything can and probably will happen. The only thing I really hope is that it isn’t a complete blowout by one of them and the whole race becomes a ho-hum experience. I really would like to see the race to come down to the final lap and some doubt as to who might win until they cross the finish line.

So… will it be Tony Stewart or Carl Edwards that wins the 2011 Cup Championship? Yep, it will…

See ya next time…
All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer
© November 19, 2011 – all rights reserved
Rusty Norman and Nascarfansview.com
All audio productions by www.podcastnorm.com and PodCastNorm Productions

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Chase race number five was definitely a night some would like to forget. It was a night of surprises and disappointments for several Chasers and an overall good night for others. Had it not been for an accident later in the race, Jimmie Johnson would still be sitting comfortably in the top five just a few points back. Instead, he and his #48 team have their work cut out for them over the next few weeks, just to stay in contention.

Yes, it was an eventful night for the Chasers and there was quite a bit of points position swapping, but that’s what makes this year’s Chase as interesting as it is. From this fan’s view, it just goes to show, when NASCAR makes a change it’s usually good for the sport, no matter what people thought of it when they did it. (In case you’re wondering, yes, I am talking about the changes made to the points system this year. It has probably been the biggest contributor to the excitement level, not only for the Chase itself, but all year long as well.)
Just for a moment, let’s take a look at the bottom four spots in the top twelve…

Unfortunately for Denny Hamlin, I think it is all over but the shouting for him to be in contention for the Cup. He is basically three full races behind the front runners and for him to have any kind of shot at all would mean he has to finish first while the top four or five all finish as close to last as possible at the same time. (Does that sound as impossible to you as it does to me? Yeah… that’s what it thought you’d say.)

Even though it is true Denny Hamlin has been in the last spot for the Chase all along, Jeff Gordon has been doing his level best to take that twelfth spot away from him. I have to admit, I didn’t expect him to be mired this close to finishing last in the top twelve for the Chase, but their luck (or something else) changed when they hit the Chase races and the #24 team just hasn’t been competitive so far.

Ryan Newman hasn’t been that much better and he is another one that has been running consistently in the middle to the back of the pack and just can’t seem to catch a break. It isn’t that his cars haven’t been fast, they just haven’t been fast enough and he hasn’t been able to be there at the end of the races.

Dale Jr is actually moving up in the points, (or maybe I should say the other three I just mentioned are falling back faster than he is,) and, though it is good to see him in the Chase, it would be better to see him be more competitive. Over all, he has had a fairly big turn-around this year, but from my view, he just isn’t strong competitively yet. In fact, I’ll say this, none of the Hendrick cars are looking all that consistent when it comes to being competitive in the Chase and that is unusual. From my view, it looks like the competition has caught up to them along with the fact all of the NASCAR Cup teams are running within tenths of a second of each other from the fastest to the slowest and that makes it hard for anyone to dominate. It only takes being a little off for a weekend and it usually means finishing way back in the pack.

From this fan’s view, for Gordon, Newman and Earnhardt to have any kind of chance at all for winning the Cup, or even coming close, there just about has to be a total reversal of the way they’ve been finishing and the way the top runners have. With five races to go, it is an overwhelming task but not completely out of the realm of possibilities. With Talladega and Martinsville next on the schedule, anything is possible, but, unless something really extraordinary happens over the next two weeks, I’m not getting too excited for them.

Jimmie Johnson is the interesting story for this week. He has a car that could have possibly won and was running… well… okay, at the time of his duel with the wall, (and the wall won , by the way), but a pit road decision for four tires by Chad Knaus seemed to dig them a bit of a hole they never quite dug out of. It seemed to this fan track position was more important than tires and being in dirty air seemed to have more negative consequences than usual for more than just the #48 team. If they hadn’t been in the position they were in, he may have never had his confrontation with the wall. (I know, that sounds rather cliché, but it is true…)

Jimmie Johnson’s hard contact with the wall was a testament to the safety measures NASCAR has put into effect for driver safety over the last ten years, in particular, since Dale Sr’s fatal accident and it was another one that a NASCAR driver walked away from.

Our hearts and prayers go out to the family and friends of Dan Wheldon. The racing world lost a great one in the accident at Las Vegas. Although it is a tragedy, it is also a time for all race fans to pull together and support the Wheldon family as best we can. It is also a time for finding out how to make the Indy cars and all race cars safer than they already are. Racing is a dangerous sport and those that are close to it are very familiar with the risks involved. No one should take for granted the safety features built into race cars and we all need to remember and appreciate just how dangerous a sport auto racing is.

See ya next time…
All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer
© October 19, 2011 – all rights reserved
Rusty Norman and Nascarfansview.com
All audio productions by www.podcastnorm.com and PodCastNorm Productions

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Chase Race five in Charlotte tonight will draw the line for some that would like to be in contention for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship for 2011. Those at the bottom of the top twelve in points absolutely have to have a good finish tonight and hope that those above them in points have really bad finishes. Of course, just between you and me, the chances of that happening are about slim and none.

I can’t help but mention, (again), unless things really change for Denny Hamlin over the next six races, he is definitely out of contention from my view, (and many others, too.) The odds of him winning several of the remaining races and ALL of the others having extreme reverses in their fortunes are completely astronomical. (Uh, in case you’re wondering, that’s a nice way of me saying, “It ain’t gonna happen!”)

The way I see it, his only hope is that some continue to do worse and he can move up out of the twelfth position. If you listen to interviews with him, it appears they are trying to deal with the rest of this season and focusing on their hopes to be major contenders next season.

Ryan Newman is almost in the same boat as Denny. Being fifty-four points out and considering the drivers that are ahead of him, he would almost have to have miraculous intervention to move anywhere close to the first spot. Now, don’t get me wrong, he isn’t 100% out of the picture and I know he is starting sixth in the lineup tonight, but unless he consistently finishes the next six races in the top five with some wins, he is clearly on my “also-ran” list for the 2011 Sprint Cup Championship.

Where it really begins to get interesting, and one of the things that makes tonight’s race so important at Charlotte, is where Dale Jr and Jeff Gordon are in the points standings. They are in ninth and tenth and forty-three and forty-seven points out of first respectively. They are definitely not out of contention but they do have a lot of work to do and neither one of them can afford to finish out side the top ten again. Even if they do finish in the top ten for the next six races, their future depends on how the ones now in the top eight places finish over that same time. From this fan’s view, unless they start finishing in the top part of the top five from here on out, they both need to start thinking about next year.

Next on my list would be Kyle Bush. Kyle has quietly been running fairly consistently, but if he wants to win his first Sprint Cup Championship, he’s going to have to turn up the wick a bit. I have heard rumors they’ve just been working their way through some of their not-so-favorite-tracks and some performance issues at JGR, but many are beginning to wonder if the Chase is just a bit out of his reach yet.

We all know he can drive, and win, but from this fan’s view, I expected more from him in this Chase just like I expected more from Jeff Gordon. With Kyle’s improved attitude this year and his ever increasing maturity and mellowing-out level, I truly expected him to be in the top four or five by now. Sure, I know twenty points isn’t that far out, but it doesn’t leave much room for error over the next few weeks either.

Tony Stewart sits on the pole for tonight’s race but it’s going to take a top five performance from him to make me see the #14 team has a chance at taking the Championship. Yes, his two wins were impressive but his performance has been a bit lacking most of the last half of the year. I’m thinking the Stewart/Haas teams are both a little concerned about their performance so far.

A quick look at the lineup shows seven Fords, four Chevys and one Toyota in the top twelve starters. I know you already know what I think about using qualifying spots to give an idea of who might win the race, but even I have to admit, the Fords are looking very strong for tonight.

Not only is it just Fords, but the Roush Fords of Kenseth, Edwards and Biffle have all qualified in the top five. Taking that in to account and considering how the Roush teams usually perform at the Charlotte Motor Speedway, they do have to be highly favored for a possible trip to Victory Lane tonight. Am I picking one of them to win? Nope, but I will keep an eye on them to see if they can maintain their speeds for more than a lap or two.

The race tonight is once again one that could see a non-Chaser in Victory Lane. Kasey Kahne has been running very strong during the Chase races and looks like a strong contender for tonight’s race as well. I can’t really rule out several others either. AJ Allmendinger, Marcos Ambrose and Paul Menard could pull off the victory tonight and it wouldn’t be that big of a surprise. Look, it wouldn’t even surprise me if someone like Trevor Bayne ended up pulling into Victory Lane at the end of 500 miles, but, that’s not really what I’m expecting. I’m expecting to see names like Jimmie Johnson, Carl Edwards, Matt Kenseth and a couple of others at the top of the scoring pylon by the end of the night; but then again, this is NASCAR and I do expect the unexpected, too…

See ya next time…
All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer
© October 15, 2011 – all rights reserved
Rusty Norman and Nascarfansview.com
All audio productions by www.podcastnorm.com and PodCastNorm Productions

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As it turned out, Kansas was unpredictable for the Cup teams, but that one word can’t describe it for all involved. Some were expected to have good finishes and others hoped to have good finishes, but as the race progressed, things did not go as it appeared they would before the first lap was run. By the end, the points race had changed and there is now a little bit of separation between contenders and what appears to be some “also-rans.” From this fan’s view, I would say there are at least three, and possibly four, words that describe how the Chasers felt about their day. In my opinion those words would be, frustrating, relieved, disappointed and elated.

I know you’re wondering why I think this way about the weekend in Kansas and even I have to admit it was a weekend I didn’t expect. It wasn’t that I didn’t expect some of those outside the twelve Chasers to run upfront, because I did. What I didn’t expect was how some of the top contenders for the Sprint Cup would struggle. As fans, we all knew the Kansas track was a challenging track, but I don’t think even the crew chiefs expected it would be as challenging as it was.

From this fan’s view, Jeff Gordon and his #24 team would have to the most “disappointed” ones of the whole weekend that actually qualified to run the race. Those that didn’t qualify probably were more disappointed, but I don’t think it quite measures up the same way. Unless things go quite a bit differently for them, the #24 team is just about doomed to being an “also ran” in this 2011 Chase. For someone that ran most of the day in the top five, finishing thirty-fourth had to be a devastating disappointment. Sure I know there are six races to go before the season ends, but I do think the lines are being draw for those that can contend and those that can’t and many fans (including myself) are beginning to wonder if Jeff can bounce back.

Denny Hamlin and his #11 JGR team are probably going to finish in twelfth spot for the Chase. I realize there are a few that can still “battle” him for the twelfth spot, (I say that in humor for those that have forgotten how to laugh). So far, I just don’t see his luck changing, at least not any time soon. Of all the Chasers, he is one I think doesn’t fit any of the four words I picked to describe this weekend. It seems he has accepted this year for what it is and is just trying to deal with it.

Now, no one can deny he has had an extremely bad year even though many thought at the beginning of this season he was going to be the one to press Jimmie Johnson for the Cup Championship. Now that we’re winding down to the final six weekends of the season, it is pretty obvious he will be hard pressed to do better than the twelfth spot he now sits in. If nothing else, I guess one could say it has been a humbling year for him. To use a phrase from some motivational folks, “A year like this can either make you better or bitter… You (he) will have to decide which it will be.

Carl Edwards would have to be one of the “elated” ones when it comes to how they ran all day and how they finished. In my pre-race article, I mentioned how unlikely I thought it would be that a Roush Ford would fall like rock through the field, but the #99 Ford of Carl Edwards did exactly that. In fact, at one time it looked like he was going to finish more than one lap down. Crew chief, Bob Osborn was up to the challenge and they did manage to finish in fifth place, although it was more than a struggle to do so.

On the other hand, I’m not sure whether Kevin Harvick fits the “elated” or just simply “relieved” part of this fan’s view, but I do know he was happy to finish sixth and even more happy to be leaving Kansas after the weekend he had.

The two of them could have been much further back in the points but because of where they finished they managed to stay right at the top with one point separating them.

Five time champ, Jimmie Johnson now sits in third place, four points out of first and three out of second. His win was hardly ever in doubt as he led 190 some laps, dominated the afternoon and easily pulled away from everyone, (uh, except Kasey Kahne in the closing laps.) Kasey almost became the spoiler and finished a very strong second when the checkered flag fell on that last lap. I would say both of these teams were a couple more of the “elated” ones when the race was over.

When it comes to the “frustrated” ones, there were several and not all of them were in the Chasers category. Martin Truex Jr would definitely qualify as one of the frustrated. He was running very well when he broke an axle on a pit stop ending his hope for a decent finish. As it was, he finished thirty-sixth, two spots behind Jeff Gordon, but then he isn’t in the Chase. In my opinion, he only qualifies for one of the “frustrated” ones on the day.

The last two I will mention would be Kurt Bush and Dale Earnhardt Jr. Both had high expectations going into the race and both came away “frustrated” with lack luster finishes.

From this fan’s view, the next six races can go one of two ways. The ones that have seemed to be able to finish well even though running bad could begin to see their luck change and the reverse happen which would just tighten up the points and put two or three of the teams back in the thick of the battle.

Or, things could just continue on as they have and the separation in points will continue. I don’t know, but it could get exciting… don’t you think?

See ya next time…
All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer
© October 11, 2011 – all rights reserved
Rusty Norman and Nascarfansview.com
All audio productions by www.podcastnorm.com and PodCastNorm Productions

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Unpredictable… that’s what I would call the race that will take place on Sunday afternoon at Kansas Speedway. Well, maybe that is a little strong, but I do know the pressure is on all of the Chasers, (especially those that need a good finish), and Kansas is a very challenging track. It isn’t the kind of place any of the Chasers that are struggling a bit want to have problems at and even though they put on good face, you can tell all of them are feeling the pressure to perform.

And then you have all of those that aren’t in the Chase. They only feel the heat of wanting to win and that makes for very interesting circumstances for all involved in this race. For starters, the starting lineup has five Chasers and five non-Chasers. Greg Biffle isn’t in the Chase but is sitting on the pole and he is the defending winner from this time last year.

Of course, right along with Greg B iffle are a couple of his teammates from Roush Racing. Carl Edwards and Matt Kenseth are just as capable of taking the win Sunday afternoon and they start second and fourth and are in the Chase for the Sprint Cup Championship.

From my view, this is definitely one of the Chase races of 2011 that I think is likely to be won by a non-Chaser. (Yeah, I know I’ve said that more than once, but I really do think there is a greater likelihood of it happening this weekend than any so far.) Let me repeat myself one more time… Kansas Speedway is unpredictable (and for more than one reason.)

So, what are some of those reasons? Well, I’m glad you asked and I am more than willing to give my opinion (as you already know.)

Kansas is a different one-and-a-half mile track than most any other the NASCAR teams face. It is basically a flat track but it is a fast track. The two ends of it are different enough that the drivers have to handle them differently. The biggest concern I hear voiced by the drivers is the exit of turn four. After that, the next biggest concern is the seams in the asphalt. Both of them together seem to make the racing grooves a challenge for the drivers, especially when they are racing two or three wide in the turns and elsewhere on the track and can’t choose their favorite line.

Now don’t misunderstand, I’m not saying the track is precarious but I am saying it is unpredictable and there is a difference. Precarious means dangerous, risky or perilous. I don’t think Kansas is that. I do think it is unpredictable and for me, that means there is no guarantee that the line a driver used the last time around that the car is going to respond the same way the next time around, depending of course on the circumstances.

I guess the next question is which make is going to end up with the win Sunday afternoon. From this fan’s view, that is the question that is going to be the hardest to answer until the race is about half way over. We all know that a Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota sat on the pole last weekend and fell like a rock through the field for the whole race. Will the same thing happen to Greg Biffle and his Roush/Fenway Ford Sunday afternoon? That is a very good question and it is one of those things I was referring to earlier when I said we won’t know until the race is about half over. I don’t expect any of the Roush Fords to fall like rocks through the field, but since we are talking about NASCAR Cup and possibly basing performance on qualifying times, I guess it could happen. From this fan’s view, I just don’t think it is likely and I do expect them to be in contention at the end of the race.

Overall, the Hendrick Chevys seem to be struggling just a bit, but I expect them to be in the hunt on Sunday afternoon. Of course when we mention the Hendrick Chevys, we are talking about those guys from Stewart/Haas also. Both Tony Stewart and Ryan Newman need to have good finishes as do Jeff Gordon and Dale Jr. (Need I even mention, Jimmie Johnson?)

The Penske Dodges and the Gibbs’ Toyotas not only need good finishes but are quite capable of running up front, too. Whether or not they will just remains to be seen and don’t forget who won back in June… Yeah, that’s right, Brad Keselowski and there is always the question if his late season surge is going to continue.

This is a weekend that could be a real turning point for the twelve Chasers. If some of the front runners have bad finishes, it could totally shake up the points standings since there are only nineteen points separating the top nine spots. It is also possible some of them could dig themselves deeper holes by having bad finishes and it could be hard for them to recover from a disastrous finish. In fact, it could be that the top nine spots could be totally different after the Kansas Race is in the books than they are right now. (It’s not expected, but from this fan’s view it could happen… depending.)

Hey, I know I’m not alone in thinking this, but this fan does hope this race is not a fuel mileage race, (although it very well could be again, just as it was in June.) There is the likelihood there will be long green flag runs and that the strategies coming from the crew chiefs will play a major role on Sunday afternoon. Track position will be just as important as fuel mileage all day long and, like I said earlier, this race could very well be won by someone other than one of the Chasers. I will stick my neck way out and say this, though… if it is, they had to beat the Chasers to do it…

See ya next time…
All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer
© October 8, 2011 – all rights reserved
Rusty Norman and Nascarfansview.com
All audio productions by www.podcastnorm.com and PodCastNorm Productions

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Chase race number two for the NASCAR Sprint Cup series didn’t really go as I expected except for one thing and that was that it was a fuel mileage race right down to the wire (which I did say it would be in my pre-race article.) Now, let me remind you, I’m not bragging but it does feel good to be right more often than it does to be wrong.

I don’t have to point this out (but I will) and that is the fact, Tony Stewart waited all year to win a race and now he has won the first two Chase races. A few weeks ago he was lamenting how poorly they were running and they weren’t likely to do well in the Chase (even if they made it) and now he sits atop the standings in the run for the 2011 Cup Championship and even though his lead is slim in points, he is one that absolutely has to be considered as one of the major contenders for the Championship.

I am somewhat surprised at how many people are complaining about the number of fuel mileage races there have been this year. Another surprising complaint is how those that complain, in particular, seem to think NASCAR should do something about it and that the race should not be decided on fuel strategy. (It strikes this fan as peculiar when all the rest of the time these same folks complain that NASCAR tries to alter the outcome of a race by throwing debris cautions and now it sounds as if they want them to throw a caution so the race won’t be decided by strategy.)

Let me just say, I do understand what they are saying, but, I do think the strategy for fuel and tires is just part of the overall picture when it comes to racing in NASCAR these days. Yeah, I understand what they’re saying, (especially when the driver I would rather see win loses because of a late race caution which alters his track position by erasing a large lead or some other advantage he may have acquired because of an extended green flag run.) But I also understand that fuel mileage is not a result of some miraculous or hidden agenda, or because one make has an advantage over the others (although there is that possibility even though NASCAR tries its level best to keep things as even as possible). It is a calculated item and the engine builders and crew chiefs figure what they need to accomplish with the amount of fuel they have and yet perform well and then they put it in the hands of the drivers to “save” all they can and still be at the front with fuel still in the tank when the checkered flag falls.

I guess I just don’t see what is wrong with fuel mileage deciding the result of a race. From my view, it makes the end of the race just as dramatic and just as much a mystery until all of them drive across the finish line. I mean, over the last two races we have witnessed a large difference in the finishing order over what it might have been just a lap or two earlier. If you don’t think it is dramatic, just ask those that have run out of fuel and lost a bunch of spots and points on those last two laps.

(Uh… can anyone say, Denny Hamlin?) He has to be one of the most disappointed drivers actually in the Chase with the kind of things he has suffered in the 2011 season. I’m sure he and his team are looking over their shoulders to see what lurks there. If it can go wrong, it has gone wrong for them this year, (and unless something big happens, I just don’t see them anywhere in the mix for the Championship at all.)

His teammate, Kyle Bush, didn’t have a great day either, but he did manage to pick a few spots back up from last week’s terrible performance. It seems to this fan, history repeats itself as he is struggling in the openers for the Chase. I don’t expect him to continue struggling every week, but id nothing else, it does make the conversation interesting when it comes to his chances for winning his first Cup Championship.

Jeff Gordon and the #24 team did exactly what they needed to do to get back in the hunt and, if it hadn’t been for running out of gas at the time for their last pit stop, had an excellent chance to win Chase Race two. As it was, he could only pull off a fourth place finish, but a top five made up for last weeks poor finish and moved them up six places in the standings. He is another one that has to be considered as one of the major contenders along with Tony Stewart and Kevin Harvick, in particular, to unseat Jimmie Johnson from his dominance of the last five years at Chase time.

Here’s another fact I know I don’t need to mention, but, Brad Keselowski had another top five finish to add to his illustrious last two months. To this fan, he has to be the biggest surprise for, first, making the Chase and second, for where he is in the points right now. When summer started, it didn’t look as if he was going to even make the Chase and now, he sits in the third spot, just waiting for someone above him to stumble for a week or two. If that happens, don’t be surprised to see him as one of the drivers to beat when it comes close to Homestead in November for the final race for the coveted Sprint Cup. If things continue on as they have lately for him, he just might be on top by a few points…

See ya next time…
All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer
© September 27, 2011 – all rights reserved
Rusty Norman and Nascarfansview.com
All audio productions by www.podcastnorm.com and PodCastNorm Productions

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*********************************************************************************************First, there was Atlanta. Now there is Richmond and there are basically only three spots left to claim to make the Chase. Oh, I know when you look at the standings it may look like there are four, but, there is one that is definitely in, it is just a matter of whether he stays in one of the wildcard spots or moves into the top ten and is able to take full advantage of his three wins on the season. Of course, I know you all know that “one” I’m talking about is, Brad Keselowski.

What happens tonight at RIR will determine who will be in the Chase for 2011 and I don’t remember there ever being such mystery and drama coming into the last race before we know which teams will actually be involved. Oh sure, we all know eight (actually nine) are locked in but there are a lot of possibilities depending on where Tony Stewart and Dale Jr finish in tonight’s competition. If the two of them finish twentieth or better only one spot remains to be filled. If disaster strikes either one or both of them, it opens up a whole new set of options and the whole thing won’t be determined until the checkered flag drops at the end of the race tonight.

Personally, I don’t think NASCAR ever dreamed this would be the case, even though I know it was what they hoped for when they made the changes to the points system this year.

Now, before I move on to tonight’s race completely, I have to mention a few things about the Atlanta race. I don’t have to tell you who won because Jeff Gordon winning his eighty-fifth career race has been talked about all week since the checkered flag dropped Tuesday afternoon. I don’t even have to mention who finished second because there has been no end to references to the number of wins and championships represented by the ones that finished first and second, also known as, “Four-time” and “Five time”, (but just in case you’ve been completely out of touch, that would be Jimmie Johnson.)

One thing I do find interesting is that another multi time Cup Champion finished third, but was hardly ever mentioned in the comparisons of number of wins and championships and that would be Tony Stewart. Considering how many spots he moved forward at the end of the race, I would have thought he would have at least be included in the conversations as an honorable mention for his two championships and thirty-nine wins. (Hm-m-m, maybe it was just because he wasn’t mixing it up at the end with the other two…) One thing is certain in looking back to Atlanta last week though. Things did change as far as the Chase was concerned.

Tonight at Richmond will be a night of hard racing, bumping and banging and quite possibly hot tempers. One can only hope that someone with no chance of making the Chase doesn’t ruin someone else’s chance of making it by either doing something really stupid or by reacting to a situation ruled by temperament. However, this is a very fast short rack and emotions will play a great role simply because of all the adrenaline the drivers will be pumping through their systems.

There is a lot riding on tonight for some drivers and teams and for others, well… let’s just say some have nothing to lose. That makes for an interesting mix and could mean we could see an unexpected winner tonight. Some are obvious choices for possible winners and others, well… let’s just say… from this fan’s view, they don’t have snowball’s chance in the Arizona desert of winning. Of those unexpected ones, I would have to say AJ Allmendinger has an outside chance along with his teammate Marcos Ambrose. Both have been performing better but their consistency just isn’t there yet. (Honestly, from my view, if either one of them wins I would be quite surprised.)

Others I consider as having outside chances of winning would be names like David Ragan, Martin Truex Jr, Regan Smith, David Reutimann and even Casey Mears. David Ragan needs to win if he has any chance at all of making the Chase, but in my opinion, both possibilities are very long shots for him for tonight’s race. David Reutimann is more likely to win if for no other reason than he is a great short track racer. I have to say in complete honesty though, the reason I say any of these have outside chances of winning is because I really don’t expect it and I really don’t think it is going to happen.

When it comes right down to it, I think the winner tonight will come from the top fifteen in points and more likely the top ten. There are some obvious choices amongst them also, but there are some that just might have a better chance than the others. One thing I won’t do is make my choice based on the qualifying times for tonight’s race. Although qualifying was interesting, the most important thing to consider is consistent lap times (as long as they’re faster lap times than the rest) and what happens during pit stops.

There are those that think Denny Hamlin or Kyle Bush will win tonight. I see their point considering how they’ve done over the last several trips to RIR, but I just don’t think it’s going to happen for them tonight. Personally, I ‘m looking for a Ford or Chevy to be in Victory Lane tonight.

Jimmie Johnson looked particularly strong in practice and qualifying and could take the trophy tonight. Even though he didn’t qualify all that well, Jeff Gordon once again had the fastest car in the practice sessions and was also best over multiple laps. Carl Edwards and the #99 team seemed to hit on something late in the second practice session and I do think he has a great shot tonight, too.

At Richmond, a lot can wrong in a hurry so it makes it hard to confidently pick a possible winner for tonight’s race, but considering his performance lately, I’m still still picking Jeff Gordon to win his eighty-sixth. If he doesn’t, neither he nor I will be that disappointed but it sure would make for interesting conversation in the week ahead, wouldn’t it. Does anyone think it will be a repeat of the performance at the end of the Atlanta race? Well… I reckon we’ll see…

See ya next time…
All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer
© September 10, 2011 – all rights reserved
Rusty Norman and Nascarfansview.com
All audio productions by www.podcastnorm.com and PodCastNorm Productions

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It’s two to go to make the show and NASCAR Cup teams that are in the hunt for getting into the Chase are going to be doing all they can over the next two races to make it happen. I don’t often like to repeat myself, but, I just couldn’t contain myself. It may be hard to believe, but the 2011 NASCAR season is winding down to its last two weeks for teams to make it into the Chase and for those that have even an outside chance, winning over the next two weekends becomes more important than ever.

There are only a handful of teams that have a realistic chance, but the possibilities of success or failure are many and diverse. With six teams already locked in, that leaves only six spots unclaimed and, for a couple of those spots to be given up, a major disaster would have to happen to somone. Performance is one of the keys for teams to get or keep their spots and no one, particularly those in ninth through twelfth, can afford to have a bad weekend. Winning is the other key for all that are in, or hope to be in, the Chase and that makes these two races as important as any. Add to all of that the challenges of the track at Atlanta and it appears this weekend is one that has absolutely more drama in store for drivers, their teams and fans. The tension and stress levels are high going into this weekend and I expect they won’t let up until either the field is set after Richmond next week for some or, when the race tonight in Atlanta ends and getting into the Chase is no longer a possibility for others.

Atlanta is a track that most of the Cup drivers love to race on. It is also one of the fastest, (if not the fastest track) NASCAR Sprint Cup teams see only once a year now instead of twice. For a mile-and-a-half track there is really none more challenging than this one. In listening to the commentators, crew chiefs and drivers talk about the track, many are of the opinion the track changes almost every lap. Some say it is one of the hardest tracks to anticipate what and when a change is going to take effect and it seems that whatever you think it should or might do, something totally different takes place. Many seem to like the track for this reason; simply because it is so unpredictable and challenging.

From this fans view, just the fact that the track is so fast and has multiple grooves for racing makes it a race with a great deal of unknowns and intensity. One important thing to remember is that this is one of the last two races drivers and teams have to make the Chase. It is my opinion that alone will make it more intense that it would normally be and with so much riding on this night race I expect the level of competition to be raised to the next level as well.

With all of the people that seem to have something to prove tonight, it could prove to be a night where the complete unexpected happens. Personally, I think after a checking the top ten starters tonight, anyone of them could win. In fact, I’ll go so far as to say just about anyone in the top thirty-six have a good chance, depending on how the cards fall over the course of the night. In reality, I don’t think some could win, but if certain things happen (like that divine intervention I mentioned before), it is possible someone from that far back in the lineup could win.

This is one race where I definitely pick how they ran in the second practice over how they qualified or unloaded off the truck. Although a Toyota won the pole, Kasey Kahne and Kyle Bush didn’t really look that strong in the second practice. That makes this fan wonder how they will fare over the extended green flag runs expected tonight. The Fords and Chevys definitely occupied my attention and, of course, who knows what the Dodge of Brad Keselowski will do. With the tear he’s been on over the last four weeks, I just don’t think he can be ruled out of being chosen as a possible winner.

Mother Nature is going to figure into the race as much as anything is tonight. From this fan’s view, we already know the drivers are going to have to find the consistently fastest way around the track tonight and since there is the threat of rain, it is likely the competition could be fast and furious from the drop of the green flag. Other than the weather; tires, fuel mileage and of course mistake free pitting will have the next biggest impact, (in no particular order.)

Of those that need to win, Tony Stewart and Clint Bowyer looked strong and either one could pull off exactly that. Both showed a lot of consistency over the second practice session and it goes without saying both need a win in the worst way. Of the two, I would pick Stewart to win but I’m not sure how Bowyer will do, considering how the RCR teams have been running lately. I’m sure there is a little bit of mixed emotion running through their camp at the moment.

Other than those all ready mentioned, I have to say Jeff Gordon is my real pick to win tonight. With the strength he’s shown over the last several weeks and his obvious determination, he has about as good a chance at making the trip to Victory Lane as anyone tonight, that is if the weather holds…

See ya next time…
All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer
© September 4, 2011 – all rights reserved
Rusty Norman and Nascarfansview.com
All audio productions by www.podcastnorm.com and PodCastNorm Productions