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The track at Texas is fast… really fast. It is also tricky when it comes to entering the turns, especially when the bumps show up entering into turns one and two. So what does that mean for tonight’s race at TMS? Well… from this fan’s view, it means the one that can consistently run the fastest lap times, deal with the bumps and not have problems in the pits will probably end up in Victory Lane. Oh yeah… and it could turn out to be a fuel mileage and tire management race, too, and that could prove to make it a very interesting night for sure.

Martin Truex Jr will sit on the pole for tonight’s race but this fan wonders whether or not that will actually translate into a victory for Michael Waltrip Racing (or even whether it will translate into a victory for Martin Truex Jr.) As was obvious in qualifying, one fast lap does not (and will not) a race make.

What do I mean by that? Well… many of the cars ran fast on their first qualifying lap but none that I noticed ran as fast, or faster, on their second lap. That makes it fairly obvious that the drop-off in speed with the tires is pretty quick and that should make it interesting when it comes down to the longer green flag runs. That could mean a big difference in which cars start out up front and the ones that actually finish up front.

Of course, one of the big questions is whether or not tonight’s race will mean Rick Hendrick and Hendrick MotorSports gets that 200th Cup win. Once again Kasey Kahne is starting in the top five, but with the way his year has been going, not too many are putting much stock in his chances for a win tonight. That’s not a statement against Kasey’s abilities, it’s just that he hasn’t had the best of finishes even though he has had fast cars every weekend this season.

He and Jeff Gordon are pretty much in the same boat when it comes to their racing luck this year and there are two ways this fan looks at that. Either they are getting all of their bad luck out of the way long before the Chase and are going to finish strong then, or, they just won’t be factors at the end of the year.

I’m sure there are some of you that disagree with me and that’s okay. I’m just as sure there are others of you that figure they are already out of the running and won’t even make the Chase.

Personally, I think it is a little early to start talking about which drivers will and won’t make the Chase. We’re only about one quarter of the way into qualifying for the Chase and there is still a lot of time for others to run into some disappointments before we get there and it may be some of the present front runners, too. I’m not saying that will happen, but I am saying “racing luck” is a finicky beast and can affect anyone at anytime and, unfortunately for some, for extended periods of time.

As far as the other Hendrick teams of Johnson and Earnhardt Jr, well… they are starting in good spots and their chances for ending up in Victory Lane are at least fairly good. I’m not convinced they will, but I have been surprised more than once so far this year.

A quick look at the top of the lineup for tonight is interesting in itself and I am still not convinced starting up front amounts to a hill of beans when it comes to time for the checkered flag to drop. The Roush Fords of Greg Biffle and Matt Kenseth look strong and the 1½ mile tracks seem to always be some of their strongest showings. Could that mean either one of them (or even their team-mate, Carl Edwards) takes home the trophy tonight? Yeah, it could but, it may mean nothing other than they do have pretty decent records at the Texas Motor Speedway.

When it comes right down to it, (at least from this fan’s view), there isn’t that much separation in lap times between most of the teams. It’s not how fast you go… its where you finish that makes all the difference and in tonight’s race… well… I’m thinking we’ll all be surprised at who actually wins. The big question is, will Jr Nation be happy at the end of the night… ?

See ya next time…
All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer
© April 14, 2012 – all rights reserved
Rusty Norman, Justafansview.com and Nascarfansview.com
All audio productions by www.podcastnorm.com and PodCastNorm Productions

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NASCAR Sprint Cup teams are back to short trackin’ at Martinsville today and for some, it is time for something good to happen or they just might not be in the Chase this year. Sure, I know it is very early in the season and this is only the sixth race of the year but, that means there are only twenty weeks left after this one is over. To some, that sounds like a lot of time and maybe it is, but, points add up fast in both directions whether you’re leading or losing… and some just can’t afford to keep on going the way they are.

I’m sure some are glad there will be a week off to regroup after the Goody’s Fast Relief 500, if for no other reason, than they get a chance to breathe and think about the way the season is going this year. For others, they may not want to break their momentum and would prefer to just keep on going without a break. As for this fan, I think a week off will do some good for everyone.

Once again, Kasey Kahne has shown up with a fast race car and easily took the pole for today’s race. From my view, and judging from the way the truck race went for Kevin Harvick after starting from the pole, Kasey also has an excellent chance to get his first win as a Hendrick driver and it would be the 200th for Hendrick Motorsports. That is something all of the Hendrick teams have been trying to get for their owner since last season.

Of course, with the way Kasey’s luck has been running this year, sitting on the pole and having a fast car hasn’t meant a trip to Victory Lane this year. So far, he has shown up with fast cars every weekend and is sitting 28th in points (a great disappoint to him, his team and this fans.) He just hasn’t been able to finish anywhere near the front most weekends.

Another that is looking for something good to happen would also be a member of Hendrick Motorsports. I’m sure everyone knows that would be Jeff Gordon and he hasn’t had the kind of year anyone expected him to have. It’s not that he hasn’t had fast equipment and hasn’t been performing well, it’s just that he has had a problem with that beast called “racing luck” too.

One thing about Jeff Gordon though… he won’t throw in the towel until there is no hope left. Even then, he won’t go down without putting up a valiant fight. There is nothing that would be better for him and his team than to finish in the top five today or, better yet, get that 200th win for his boss Rick Hendrick. From my view, that would be a great way for the #24 team to go into the week off and possibly gain some momentum for Texas. No matter how you look at it, this is a week Jeff Gordon needs a good finish.

Unfortunately, there are a lot of good drivers and cars that intend to make it very difficult for either Kahne or Gordon to get that 200th win for Hendrick Motorsports. Just to mention a few of them would be names like Harvick, Hamlin, Bowyer, Newman, Vickers and Keselowski. All of them can win at Martinsville and none of them intend to pull over and let those other two just drive by them. If either Gordon or Kahne do end up in Victory Lane today, it won’t be because they didn’t work for it.

Another wrinkle for the #5 and #24 teams would be their teammates of Johnson and Earnhardt Jr. Both of them want to be the ones that deliver that 200th win to Mr Hendrick and I expect both of them to be right in there fighting for the win when it comes down to the final laps.

From this fan’s view, the most obvious thing I’ve noticed about the Cup teams is that most of them are fast this year and there is very little speed difference between them. That means this short track experience today could be very interesting. No one can afford to lose track position in the pits and I expect that could mean there might be a few short tempers displayed, especially near the end of the day. (You know I’m not just talking about tempers flaring between drivers, crews and crew chiefs, don’t you?)

However it goes, the emotions will be running high today and, without actually picking a winner, I do expect to see a Hendrick team in Victory Lane when the checkered flag falls after 500 laps. Of course, I could be surprised, but then, probably not…

See ya next time…
All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer
© March 31, 2012 – all rights reserved
Rusty Norman and Nascarfansview.com
All audio productions by www.podcastnorm.com and PodCastNorm Productions

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The Auto Club Speedway at Fontana is fast… That’s true but, it can also be a bit treacherous if a driver hits the sealer in the seams between the different lanes of asphalt at the wrong time. The wrong time would be in the turns on a warm day with the sun shining and every driver will try their best to avoid or straddle those seams during the race this afternoon and that would definitely be the best thing they can do.

If they hit them wrong while racing in a pack it could mean a major accident that claims a bunch of cars. If it happens when they are relatively alone, it could mean a trip into the wall or through the infield. What ever the case, the seams are not the racers friend.

One of the big questions from this fan’s view is which lane most of the drivers will choose to run in today. It doesn’t appear there is that much difference in whether they run high or low, but it is my opinion the fastest way around will be on the high side. That’s where I expect most of them to spend much of their time until the race comes down to the last 40 laps or so. No, that doesn’t mean I think they’re going to run around single file and play follow the leader but there is a thing called momentum on the high side and I think many are going to take advantage of it as often as they can.

From my view, it is hard to tell which brand has the advantage because both the Toyotas and the Chevys look very strong in practice and qualifying. Of course, there is the obvious fact that the Toyotas are starting from the first three spots and two of those are from the Joe Gibbs camp. Uh, and I guess you noticed that a Joe Gibbs Toyota won the Nationwide Series race on Saturday. That just might mean something come lap 199 this afternoon and it could be Denny Hamlin or Kyle Bush being interviewed in Victory Lane.
Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying one of those two are going to win, but I am saying the JGR Toyotas are looking very good for doing well in today’s race.

And then there’s that “old guy” Mark Martin starting third out of the Michael Waltrip Racing camp and he can’t really be counted out of the realm of possible winners for today’s race. In fact, I would go so far as to say it is possible this could be a weekend the winner could be one of the the MWR cars. They have been running good all year and this fan wouldn’t put it past them with the way they’ve looked in practice and qualifying over the last few weeks. Clint Bowyer went last in qualifying which means he has a very fast car, he just didn’t have a good qualifying run.

A quick look at the top ten qualifiers shows five Chevys, four Toyotas and the lone Ford of Greg Biffle. However the race turns out, this fan doesn’t see an advantage to one over the other simply because the qualifying and practice lap times are so close together. In fact, that is one of the major complaints mentioned by the drivers; they could pass if it weren’t for the fact that so many of the cars are running so close in lap times.

There are several drivers and teams looking for a turn around in their racing luck this weekend at Fontana. In particular, that would be Kasey Kahne, Jeff Gordon and Carl Edwards. Of the three, Carl Edwards is doing the best but isn’t at all where he wants to be in performance or points. After the way the season ended last year, this fan expected him to pick up where he left off and be at, or near, the top of the list in points.

Kasey Kahne has had fast cars every week but hasn’t had the finishes to go with it. In fact, he sits 32nd in points and has to start finishing in the top ten on a regular basis to get anywhere close to where he wants to be. Soon, without a change in his luck, he just might have to wait until next year.

Jeff Gordon is kind of in the same place as Kahne. He has had cars capable of winning but hasn’t been able to capitalize on having competitive equipment because of an engine failure earlier in the year and a trip into the wall last weekend. At the moment he sits 23rd in points, not at all where he hoped he would be. The only thing other than better finishes that can get him and the other two into the Chase is winning a couple of races and a chance for a wildcard slot. Yeah, I know we’re only looking at starting the fifth race of the year, but none of these three can continue having the finishes they’ve been having if they want to get into the the top ten in points.

If the weather holds, this afternoon’s race winner will be the one who maintains track position and that, in my opinion, will once again put pressure on the pit crews to perform fast and flawlessly, especially late in the race. I’m thinking there may be a rain delay or even a rain shortened race depending on when the rains fall. However the race goes it should be a good one and I’m looking forward to it.

Uh, did I mention I’m expecting an unexpected winner…?

See ya next time…
All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer
© March 25, 2012 – all rights reserved
Rusty Norman and Nascarfansview.com
All audio productions by www.podcastnorm.com and PodCastNorm Productions

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**********************************************************************************Bristol lived up to its name as a Short Track but turned out to be a relatively tame track as far as some fans were concerned. One complaint I heard repeated more than once was that the newest configuration of the track makes for a lot less beatin’ and bangin’ and a lot more long green flag runs and side by side racing. What I take from the comments are that the fans want to see more typical Short Track action (and to me, that means they like the beating and the banging, the cars showing the scars of the battle and the emotional buildup that leads to use of the “Chrome Horn” to move people out of the way.)

However, it does appear the drivers like the way Bristol has become a more side by side, lap after lap track for extended periods in recent visits. It seems it is a lot less carnage and more driving to be competitive than it used to be. It has always been hard to pass at Bristol and track position has never been more important than it is now, but since they can all run fast side by side, there is more racing and less wrecking and the drivers don’t mind that at all (especially if they’re running up front.)

With the long green flag runs and the lack of cautions, Bristol became more of a fuel mileage race and, at least from my view, that is what the fans really don’t like. Fuel mileage races become survival races and it limits the amount of action the fans want, and are used to seeing, especially at a short track like Bristol.

Of course everyone knows Brad Keselowski won the Food City 500 and that is long been in the rear view mirror. Hardly anyone can forget the accident that happened on lap 23 that took out several of the ones expected to be real contenders at the end of the race. Even Dale Jr and Jeff Gordon’s close racing resulted in Gordon’s left rear being cut down and him sliding backward into the wall with his possibilities ruined for the day. But hardly anyone talks much about that either – it’s old history now.

So what is the big buzz everyone is talking about after Bristol?

Well… that one’s easy. It is the decision to undo all of the penalties levied against the #48 Team at Daytona by Chief Appellate Officer, John Middlebrook, except the $100,000 fine. Since that decision was made, there has been no lack of discussions and opinions about it. The overall reaction was “Shock and Awe” that such a decision could have been made and some even considered it “Historic.”

From this fan’s view, some seemed to think there was some sort of favoritism being displayed by the Chief Appellate Officer for various reasons while others seemed to think, given Chad Knaus’ history with pressing the envelopes set forth in the rule book, it was a slam dunk against the #48 Hendrick racing team. When that didn’t happen some really believed there was a fix in the works – a view this fan does not agree with at all.

As I said in an earlier article, I believe the rules are written intentionally broad in coverage, but that’s always leaving a little gray area in interpretation for the crew chiefs and others to test. Its not that they intentionally try to write them that way, it’s just that they didn’t interpret it the same way the crew chiefs did.

Here are my final thoughts on the matter for now. As I said in that earlier article, this was a car that had not been on the track at Daytona before the “C” posts were questioned and the actual area in question fit the template because it was not a measured area. (At least that is my understanding after all the talk after the fact.) Since the car never set tires on the track before it was actually found to be “illegal” and was corrected to meet specifications before any competition began, I didn’t think there should have been any penalties levied to begin with. Of course, it is obvious NASCAR didn’t see it the way I did and took the actions they thought necessary.

Now, in this fan’s opinion, it is up to NASCAR to change the inspection process to measure the area in question so there is no room for interpretation by anyone, including the crew chiefs.

There is one thing about the rule books I remember from when I raced at our local tracks and was meant to be a “coverall statement” for car inspections at the track. It was one I never liked simply because it left some things open to the inspectors opinion rather than an actual measurable item. Paraphrased, it said something like this… “Just because the rules don’t say you can’t do it, doesn’t mean you can… ”

See ya next time…
All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer
© March 23, 2012 – all rights reserved
Rusty Norman and Nascarfansview.com
All audio productions by www.podcastnorm.com and PodCastNorm Productions

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There were several surprises at Phoenix International Raceway last Sunday afternoon and not all of them were associated with the winner of the race. Yes, it’s true Denny Hamlin did end up in Victory Lane with the help of his new crew chief, Darian Grubb. As everyone knows, Darian Grubb was crew chief for Tony Stewart last year and has continued his winning ways with the number 11 Joe Gibbs Racing team. It should come as no surprise and now, statistically speaking, Grubb has won six out of the last 12 races in NASCAR as a crew chief. No matter how you look at it, or what you think about him, that’s a very interesting statistic.

It almost makes this fan wonder what Tony Stewart is thinking about his decision to release Darian Grubb and take on a new crew chief. (Notice I said , almost…) From this fan’s view, it is way too early for someone to start second guessing himself and I am sure Tony isn’t doing that. It is just interesting how the momentum generated during last years Chase seems to be following Grubb, at least for the moment. I guess time will tell if that continues or fades as the season progresses. Could it be that the expectations everyone had for Denny Hamlin last year is going to be something that happens this year? Well… as far as that goes, time will tell about that, too.

The other most obvious surprise of the weekend had to do with the EFI system. It appears all the bugs are not yet worked out and, even though we know this is part of the learning curve, there are still a few problems the teams are going to have to learn how to contend with. It’s just an observation from my view, but not only are the crew chiefs going to have to figure it out, but the drivers, too. It doesn’t appear to be associated with any one car or team, but the differing minor problems are spread out over several teams and hardly ever is it the same problem for the same team.

One possible reason there were problems at Phoenix could be because it did become a fuel mileage race as it has often been in the past. I was thinking with the introduction of EFI that it might not be that, but I was proved wrong and I guess I should have expected it. From my view, I do think EFI will eventually make a bigger difference in fuel mileage than it did in Phoenix. It does appear that the fuel pickups and some of the things drivers used to do to save fuel may have to be altered somewhat but, we all know these are just minor setbacks and challenges the engineers are more than willing to take on.

Now, I understand that EFI is new to everyone and that problems and situations should be expected, so I’m not too worried about the ability of the different teams to figure it out. I do think, as we witnessed at Phoenix, that there may be some frustrated drivers and even some frustrated crews and crew chiefs until that happens but, I don’t expect those problems to be long-lived. It is this fan’s best guess that it is only a matter of time until things like this happening will be in the rear view mirror.

Jimmie Johnson did exactly what he needed to do by finishing fourth to start digging himself out of the hole they were in after Speed Weeks in Daytona, with his trip into the wall early in lap two causing him to finish 43rd along with the penalties NASCAR imposed on them after the failed inspection. Although the jury is still out on the penalties for the crew chief and car chief, it does appear the team is already on the road to recovery.

Just as a quick side note to that situation; I just have to put in my two cents about the whole thing. I often hear how Chad Knaus has been caught “cheating” and either fined or suspended (or both). First of all, I think the word “cheating” is over used and prefer to call what he and the other crew chiefs do, “finding the limits” or “stretching the envelope.”

I know some, or maybe even many, will disagree with me, but rules, especially in racing are often purposely written a bit vaguely. That usually means it leaves room for a thing called “discovery” and what I mean by that is what many crew chiefs call, “testing the gray areas.” They all do it and sometimes, like at Daytona and the #48 team, NASCAR decides to draw a new line that shouldn’t be crossed. When that happens, it is no longer a gray area.

Personally, I have to agree with many that have expressed their opinion on the penalties being a little harsh that were proposed by NASCAR. Remember, this was a car that never made it to the track before the legality was questioned. It was repaired before it ever set tires on the track. As for the comments about Chad Knaus “cheating”, I’ll stick with my original comment. He was finding “a measurable limit” to something that, before Daytona, “fit the template…”

See ya next time…
All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer
© March 8, 2012 – all rights reserved
Rusty Norman and Nascarfansview.com
All audio productions by www.podcastnorm.com and PodCastNorm Productions

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When the Cup cars take to the track this afternoon at Phoenix, one thing is relatively sure… it is supposed to be a short race. The Subway Fresh Fit 500 is only scheduled to run 312 laps and hopefully it won’t turn into the endurance race Daytona did. Judging from how the Nationwide race went, I’d say the chances are very good those laps will pass quickly for the Cup teams that want to run up front and have a chance to take the checkered flag ahead of the rest.

Once again, Mark Martin proved he’s not too old to run with the young guns as he took the pole position for his new team with Michael Waltrip Racing. He just did squeak out the pole over Tony Stewart and Stewart will start outside of him on the front row. It seems no matter how many times people want to count Martin out, he always raises his game up a notch and this weekend appears to be no different.

From this fan’s view, it looks like today’s race is going to be another exciting one to add to the many others we have witnessed lately as NASCAR fans. With the way the track has been reconfigured and repaved, it is no longer a slam dunk for any one of the drivers. Even though this is the second time for the teams to visit the reconfigured track in the last six months, the character of the track is still changing and still going to be a challenge.

According to the weather people, today’s race is going to be a hot one and that means the track will be a bit slippery. That won’t bother some but it could be bad news for others. The temperature will be at least 20 degrees above what they practiced at and that should make it interesting for the crew chiefs. They will have two challenges ahead of them. First, they need to make the right decisions for starting the race and second, they have less than 312 laps to make changes to give their driver an advantage over the rest. Believe me, that just isn’t much time if the set up is off just a bit, especially at PIR.

From my view, the ones that already have a slight advantage are starting nearer to the front. The ones further back have to move forward quickly if they expect to have much of a chance at winning. The hotter, slicker track expected for today could make passing difficult and it remains to be seen how the drivers handle the restarts and the grey area just outside the racing groove which has been treacherous at best.

That in itself could spell trouble for the Hendrick teams of Jeff Gordon and Dale Jr. The two of them qualified 29th and 30th. Personally, I was a bit surprised that they qualified so far back. They will have their work cut out for themselves from the drop of the green.

The two of them won’t be alone as they try to move up through the pack as Carl Edwards, Martin Truex Jr, Matt Kenseth and Brad Keselowski are in mid-pack, also starting at 24th, 25th, 26th and 28th respectively. To this fan, that says there are at least six drivers that are going to have to press hard to make up the distance through traffic and a tight racing groove. They will have to be patient while still trying to catch those starting up front as fast as they can.

In my opinion, the pit stops are going to be critical for all and some of those starting in the back will need to make up as many spots as possible in the pits as they can. That won’t allow much room for error for the pit crews and the pressure will be on them every time the teams hit pit road.

With this years addition of EFI, it remains to be seen whether or not this will become a fuel mileage race as it usually does. This fan thinks this will be more of a test of just how much fuel injection could change the strategy for fuel consumption. I, for one will be interested in seeing how that pans out throughout the afternoon.

The top ten starting spots are full of strong cars and anyone of them could end up in Victory Lane this afternoon. In fact, I would have to say the top sixteen, in particular, are very strong. That will make it even harder for those other names I mentioned to move in to contention as the race progresses and, because of that, I’m expecting to see several cautions just because patience will wear a bit thin for those faster cars that had trouble on their qualifying laps. Depending on how those fall will tell just how much of a fuel mileage race this will be and how close the racing will be throughout the 312 laps.

This is just my opinion, but I’m thinking the ones starting up front are going to move away from the rest as quickly as they can. That is… unless they totally missed the race setup…

See ya next time…
All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer
© March 4, 2012 – all rights reserved
Rusty Norman and Nascarfansview.com
All audio productions by www.podcastnorm.com and PodCastNorm Productions

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*********************************************************************************There has never been a Daytona like there was this year. When the checkered flag fell early on Tuesday morning, it ended an endurance race for the fans and the NASCAR cup teams. From the first ever postponement of the 500 to a burning Jet dryer, this Daytona 500 was one to remember for everyone, (at that’s not even to mention, Dale Jr finished second and very well could have won.)

From this fan’s view it does look like NASCAR has managed to make the two car draft a lot less effective than it has been in recent Super Speedway races. The biggest problem seemed to be over heating in short order if they did try the two car draft and, at times, even when they were drafting in the pack. This fan wonders what kind of a problem that will be when the teams visit other tracks and Super Speedways and experience warmer temperatures than they had at Daytona.

As for the EFI addition, the jury is still out but, it did appear there were very few problems with it. One noticeable problem was fluctuating fuel pressures and it did affect more than one car. It does appear the problem is somewhat related to the fuel pickups in the fuel cells but more input is needed from different tracks before it should be considered a major issue, at least from my view.

As expected the Fords were fast and Matt Kenseth put his racing prowess and the horsepower under the hood to use to take the victory over Dale Jr and Greg Biffle out of the final turn. It does appear, at least for the time being, that one car is as fast (or maybe a little faster) than two when it comes to those final dashes for the flag. Side drafting works again and timing is everything in the last 1000 feet or so to the finish line. That was one thing that was evident, at least to this fan, in all of the Cup races this last weekend.

Danica Patrick had a rough start to her Speed Weeks and entry into the NASCAR circuit full time. Some said she was in over her head and others said she shouldn’t be there. I, however, disagree with the negativity she may have endured during Speed Weeks. From this fan’s view, her accidents had very little (or absolutely nothing) to do with her actions on the track. Her accidents were caused by others she was racing with and she suffered the crashes much as Jimmie Johnson did with a little help from Elliott Sadler in the first two laps of the 500 Monday night. There was nothing he could do and there was nothing she could do after the contact. Both of them were, “along for the ride,” and Danica more than once over the last weekend.

In this fan’s opinion, Danica is a good racer and a grand addition to both the Nationwide and Cup series and just a good addition to the overall picture of NASCAR. How she will do remains to be seen but it is this fan’s opinion she will do well. The more seat time she gets, the better she will do and let’s not forget, when it came to finishing the Daytona 500, hardly anyone believed she would finish ahead of four time Champion, Jeff Gordon or five time Champion, Jimmie Johnson, but she did. Yeah, I know Jeff’s engine blew near the halfway point of the race and Jimmie’s car was pretty much destroyed in the accident that took him out on lap two, but Danica was also caught up in Johnson’s accident. After her team put her car back in race-able shape, she ran well the rest of the night in “the pack” and finished 38th.

Well, as I said in the earlier article for Daytona, it was unpredictable. I don’t think anyone expected the postponement for rain and I know no one expected one of the Jet Dryers to be caught up in a collision with one of the Cup cars, burst into flames and delay the running of the last forty laps for two hours. All in all, Daytona didn’t disappoint this fan and, from the looks of the fan-filled stands on Monday evening, Daytona will always be Daytona.

As we look forward to this coming weekend in Phoenix, two things I’ll be looking forward to finding out. First – Will the EFI have any different effect on the competition than it did in Daytona? Second – Will the new racing surface have aged enough to cause any drastic difference in what the teams experienced on their last visit there?

See ya next time…
All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer
© March 01, 2012 – all rights reserved
Rusty Norman and Nascarfansview.com
All audio productions by www.podcastnorm.com and PodCastNorm Productions

If there is one thing that is evident to this fan, it is that this Daytona 500 is going to be about as unpredictable as any in recent history. Oh sure, there will be those that will tell you they’ve all been unpredictable, especially since the changes NASCAR made over the years like restrictor plates and then the COT cars, but though highly criticized, most everything they’ve done has made the race safer and more interesting.

With the introduction of Electronic Fuel Injection to the Cup cars, many didn’t know what to expect but it really didn’t change much. Yes, there a re still some unknowns as to how it will change the strategies and competition for the 500, but from this fan’s view, fans are going to see a great race. The EFI change will mostly be noticed by the engine builders and not from the stands.

Whether it was the Duels on Thursday afternoon, the Camping World Truck race on Friday night or the Nationwide Series race Saturday afternoon, racing this weekend at Daytona has been different, and yet, has remained the same. There has been plenty of action and drama along with a lot of torn up race cars.

Probably the most noticeable change this year was the return of “pack racing.” That in itself has brought back a dimension to the Daytona Super Speedway this fan has missed for a couple of years. Once the drivers discovered the two car tandem allowed them to go faster, the racing was interesting and good for a while but quickly became less exciting over the whole race. (Well, even I have to admit, the restarts were much more exciting while everyone tried to hook up with their chosen drafting partners.)

The two Duels revealed at least two possibilities for this afternoon’s race. The first showed how the changes made by NASCAR to the cooling systems and the aerodynamics made the cars a bit more unstable and did accomplish minimizing the two cars tandems. There was a lot of two and three wide pack racing, also two car tandems and again, a lot of torn up race cars.

The second showed how things can get a bit strung out at times and saw a bit more separation than the first but there weren’t as many torn up cars. It also showed how the changes to the cooling system might have an effect on the whole race this afternoon. Because the air temperature at race time for the second Duel was a bit higher than during practices, many drivers noticed their engines were running hotter than expected. They quickly found they (maybe I should say the Chevys in particular) couldn’t run the two car draft without highly elevated water temperatures. This caused some to lay back and lose ground to the front runners making sure they ran cool to the end. In the end it was a two car draft at the front in both Duels and that may be the only predictable thing about the 500.

As I said at the beginning of this article, this afternoon’s Daytona 500 will be unpredictable and I am standing by that. There are just too many variables. I expect to see at least one “Big One” but it will more likely be nearer the end. When that does happen, (and I’m sure it will) it could quickly lead to another one on the next restart. I do expect to see the Ford’s running strong all day and contrary to some, I expect most of the Hendrick camp to be right there in the mix at the end.

The salvation for the engines today just might be the cooler weather that’s expected. If it is cooler, it means we could see racing a lot like the Nationwide Series went Saturday afternoon. With cooler air temperatures we just may see a lot more of the mixture of the two and three wide pack racing along with more of the two car draft. However it goes, I expect the end of the race may not be pretty and there could be a major “Big One” coming at the flag stand.

Yeah, I know the Fords have looked strong all weekend and it is possible we could hear the name Carl Edwards a lot this afternoon. Although I expect her to make a good showing, I don’t think Danica will end up in Victory Lane this afternoon. This is anybody’s to win and everybody’s to lose.

Because I really do believe anybody can win this one, I don’t want to pick a winner, but it is very possible Jr Nation could come away from today very happy…

See ya next time…
All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer
© February 26, 2012 – all rights reserved
Rusty Norman and Nascarfansview.com
All audio productions by www.podcastnorm.com and PodCastNorm Productions

Speed Weeks at Daytona really picks up steam from now through Sunday afternoon and evening. Starting on Thursday afternoon with the Duels, there will be no lack of action over the next four days. Friday night will be the Camping World Truck Race and Saturday afternoon will see the Nationwide cars hit the track and then Sunday afternoon the Cup teams hit the track again for the Daytona 500.

Yeah, we all know there is a lot going on at Daytona right now and along with all of the action there are still a few unknowns. It still remains to be seen how the cars will handle in the packs and how the drivers will utilize the Two Car Tandem.

I think you would be hard-pressed to find someone that hasn’t taken some sort of interest in how Danica will do now that she’s full-time in NASCAR and shouldn’t have very many distractions other than making the laps. Personally, I am willing to give her time to learn as much as she can about these cars and racing stock cars at this level on a regular basis. I expect she will surprise a few and disappoint others but overall, I think she’s going to be a marvelous addition to 2012 NASCAR season.

As I wrote a few articles ago, the more NASCAR changes the more it stays the same. Even though this is going to be a year of many changes I expect the racing to be as good or better than it has ever been. With EF I (electronic fuel injection) now on the Cup cars and other changes and improvements that have been made over the last three months, I don’t see how it could be anything but better. Sure I know there will be those that disagree with me but, I think that the racing that we witness over the next 26 weeks in particular, will be very interesting and probably some of the closest competition we’ve seen yet.

Honestly folks, there’s a lot going on at Daytona and Daytona is only the first race track the NASCAR teams face. There are still a lot of unknowns ahead at the tracks they visit in the future. It is the hope of many that the Shootout wasn’t a fluke and that the competition and racing for the Duels and the 500 will see a lot of pack racing and of course, some of that Two Car Tandem stuff.

Once again, at the risk of sounding repetitive, I think the changes that NASCAR has made to break up the Two Car Tandem and return Super Speedway racing more to that two and three wide pack racing is one of the best things they’ve done in two years. I know that maybe a little bit of an overstatement because they have done a lot of things over the last couple of years that have been very good for the sport. I don’t know how you feel about it, but there is something to be said for “pack racing” over the “Two Car Tandem” and it will make the race more exciting as long as they don’t run a lot of single file laps.

Personally, I can’t wait for the drop of the green flag and see where the rest of the season takes us. I’m looking forward to the Duels if for no other reason than to see what Sunday’s race might be like. I’m relatively sure the drivers will be a tad bit more cautious during the Duels than they were during the Shootout, but from what I can tell from listening to them, they’re gonna go out and be competitive and some are going to press the envelope more than others. Does that mean we might see a Big One in each of the duels Thursday afternoon? Well, that is a very real possibility and along with that possibility there could be some teams that tear up some more cars.

Each one of the Duels is 60 laps of differing agendas. Some will be trying to race their way into the 500 while others are just racing and putting in the laps hoping to learn something that will help them on Sunday afternoon. The ones that are trying to get into the race will probably take more chances than the others and could very possibly cause something to happen that may take out someone’s favorite car for the 500 and cause them to have to go to a backup. Of course you know, this is all pure speculation from this fan’s view and there is the possibility that there could be 120 laps of racing take place without a Big One happening. From what we’ve witnessed in the practice sessions and the Shootout on Saturday night, I think there’s more of a chance there is going to be more wrecked cars than there is a chance of them all coming away unscathed.

There is no doubt that everyone is going to have to make at least one pit stop for fuel and probably tires. I think most will take four tires but, I imagine there will be a few that take two. As to who might win in each of the Duels, I don’t even want to venture a guess – there are just too many variables.

The only thing I hope doesn’t happen is that the cars all line up in single file and play follow the leader for most of the 60 laps in each of the races. I don’t think it’s going to happen that way simply because everyone seems to be feeling really good about their cars and how competitive they’re going to be. When it comes down to it, I really think we’re going to see a fair amount of what we witnessed during the Shootout and that would be two and three wide pack racing and maybe a couple of breakaways at times but, no matter what, I intend to be watching to see what does happen…

See ya next time…
All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer
© February 22, 2012 – all rights reserved
Rusty Norman and Nascarfansview.com
All audio productions by www.podcastnorm.com and PodCastNorm Productions

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After the Phoenix race it is down to the two top contenders, Carl Edwards and Tony Stewart, as the NASCAR Cup teams make their way this coming weekend to the finale in Homestead. They came into the weekend at Phoenix separated by three points and they left separated by three points and that should make the race this coming weekend very interesting. Tony has to finish at least three points ahead of Carl to tie and then I think it becomes all about the wins, (and we all know how many Carl Edwards has.)

I have to admit, the track came in much quicker than I thought it would and all of us were treated to a great race Sunday afternoon. It appears to this fan, Goodyear definitely brought the right tire, the teams either had a grip on the track or they didn’t and the racing, well, it was very good. Once again, fuel mileage had something to do with the finish, even though it wasn’t the total determining factor for winning. Kasey Kahne ran good all day and had the others covered at the end of the day taking his first victory in a long time.

For the #4 Red Bull Racing team, it was a welcome relief to take the victory especially with the uncertainties Red Bull Racing faces for the coming year. For Kasey Kahne and his crew chief, Kenny Francis, it could be the shape of things to come as they head off after the season’s end to Hendrick Racing. I reckon we’ll find how that transition goes, but for now, Kasey’s Red Bull team has been one of the strongest in the Chase, (other than Tony Stewart, that is) and they haven’t even been in the Chase. Even though they will be switching to their new home at Hendrick, in my opinion, they will making the move with confidence.

As I mentioned earlier, some of the teams just never got a hold of the new track surface at Phoenix and struggled all day. Of particular interest to this fan was the plight of the Hendrick teams. All of them seemed to struggle most, if not all of the weekend. In fact, I would go so far as to say, they just haven’t performed with their usual consistency for the whole Chase. From my view, the year was not a good one for them and it appears they have a little regrouping to do for the coming 2012 season.

Both Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon have performed with complete inconsistency during this Chase and had to be a let down for them. Jeff Gordon looked very strong coming into the Chase, but when he got there, it was as if the wheels came off and he was dropping like a rock most of the Chase. From this fan’s view, he could very well be fighting Kyle Bush for the twelfth spot this weekend.

If Homestead is anything like his weekend in Phoenix, it could be a very long winter for Jeff. I’m not expecting much, but I’m sure he would be very pleased to have at least a top five this coming weekend and it would be very interesting to see the Hendrick teams in general do more than their usual struggling at Homestead.

Now speaking of Kyle Bush, it seems to this fan, when the wheels came off at Texas, they really came off for him and the end of his season. Two engine failures in one weekend don’t give a driver much to go forward with after being set on the sidelines for a weekend. From this fans view it appears to this fan he is having one of those character building moments many seem to face in life and, even though he has come a long way with his attitude this year, it is pretty obvious tho this fan, he still has a ways to go. I’m thinking this has been good for him and I expect he will bounce back from all of it next year.

I’m not so sure how he and his team will do this weekend though. He may do well or there could be more of those character building moments ahead for him this weekend, but I am sure he is glad to have the Texas and Phoenix tracks behind him. If nothing else, owner, Joe Gibbs, needs to have a less eventful weekend at least as far as the negatives go. No matter how you look at it, it has been a tough year so far for Joe Gibbs Racing,

With one race to go to name the 2011 Cup Champion and Phoenix in the rear view mirror, this fan has to admit facing the coming weekend with mixed emotions. On the one hand, I am looking forward to some time off and spending the holidays with family and friends but I will miss the weekends of racing we have been witness to this year. Contrary to what many believed when we started this year with the new points system and a few other tweaks to the sport we love, it has been a very good year for the NASCAR Sprint Cup series.

There has never been a lack of drama for the whole year whether it was the fuel mileage races or the tandem drafting at both Daytona and Talladega. I really can’t say I expected the competition to be this close or this exciting. So far, emotions and competitiveness have been quite evident all year and there has been no letting up on anyone’s part.

It looks as if the naysayers were wrong when they said there was going to be a lack of competition and a lot of laying back until the end of the races. Often, at least from my view, it was all out from the drop of the green flag to the waving of the checkers in most every race. From this fan’s view, with only three points separating the two that can actually win the Championship this coming weekend, I look for more of the same and I expect to see Carl Edwards and Tony Stewart trying to get every point they can in the weekend ahead. As for the rest of the racers and Chasers, well, it may sound funny, but I expect them to be doing the same thing, too…

See ya next time…
All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer
© November 17, 2011 – all rights reserved
Rusty Norman and Nascarfansview.com
All audio productions by www.podcastnorm.com and PodCastNorm Productions