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Texas was big for the Chasers and, unless something really goes wrong for the top two drivers in points in the coming two weeks, this fan thinks we are down to a two man race. Tony Stewart did exactly what he needed to do and he now trails Carl Edwards by only three points as the NASCAR teams head for Phoenix this coming weekend.

Okay, okay… I admit it is still just a tad early to be counting out anyone in the top six of the Chase standings, but if the only thing you’re hoping for is mathematical elimination to make being out a reality, then you’re obviously an optimist. I’m sure there are some that still hold on to the hope that Brad Keselowski or Jimmie Johnson can still be a force in the final race at Homestead, but the likelihood of them picking up the amount of points they need over the next two races would mean the four ahead of them would have to have absolute disasters and finish in the last spots for both weeks.

You say, “Well, it could happen…” and I say, “Ain’t likely… and your a bigger dreamer than anyone I know.”

Now you may not know this if you do feel those two do have a chance, but the chances of the top four finishing as far back as possible and spots five and six finishing at the front two weeks in a row are astronomical. I still say emphatically, “It ain’t gonna happen!!” and there are more than just a few that agree with me.

So what are the chances of Matt Kenseth and Kevin Harvick pulling ahead of Carl Edwards and Tony Stewart? Well, better than the other two but still, it would mean Carl and Tony would have to have extremely bad races in Phoenix and Homestead. That is about the only chance I see for Harvick and Kenseth but they only have to make up 33 and 38 points to pass the leaders over the next two races. That’s not impossible but it isn’t easy either.

Of the two top Chaser’s, this fan thinks if anyone is due for a bad week it is Carl Edwards, but not both him and Stewart on the same weekends. As it stands right now, this Chase is Carl Edwards to lose and this fan thinks Tony Stewart is going to do everything he can to take advantage of any mistakes the #99 team makes and, also from my view, Stewart is the hot shoe at the present.

Kasey Kahne had the best finish of the non-Chasers and has had an exceptional Chase (even though he isn’t in it.) The Red Bull team is making a strong showing even though they’re losing the driver and probably won’t be involved next season. It is a good thing for Kasey and for his team though, because even with the adversities they’re facing, they have shown what they are made of and it could be a plus for all involved no matter what happens for them next year.

I know I mentioned in the pre-race article that I had noticed kind of a trend that dealt with most multiple win drivers appearing to be three and done. Because of that trend, I didn’t think “Smoke” would win at Texas (or possibly any place else this year.) Well, I reckon I might have to adjust that statement a bit and, to be honest, I’m not sure that he won’t win at least one of the two final races. He has that old glint in his eye that says to this fan and his competitors, “Look out, you may have thought I didn’t have a chance, but I intend to win this Championship and it’s up to you to stop me.”

Honestly, from this fan’s view, it is good to see the fire back in Stewart’s eyes even if it was only missing for a few weeks before the Chase started.

A quick look at the Texas finishing order tells an interesting story about the possibilities for the race coming up in Phoenix. Of the top twelve finishers at Texas, six were non-Chasers and it could be the same happens this week. I’m not saying I really expect Edwards or Stewart to have bad finishes, but I am saying they may have to race a non-Chaser for the lead this coming weekend.

One thing the Texas race showed us was Tony Stewart is quite capable of doing exactly what needs to be done in his quest to win his third Cup Championship. Tony not only won the race but got all the points he could get in one race. Another thing is he looks as confident as I have seen him look in several years and that could spell trouble for Edwards and his team. Carl has readily admitted they have been lucky in more than one race in the Chase and, personally, I think he hopes they don’t have to be lucky again this year. It is my opinion the #99 team would rather have at least one dominating performance out of the next two and have a comfortable lead over Stewart and his team.

Will that happen? Well, only time will tell and ‘by the time they get to Phoenix’, the picture may be a bit clearer but I wouldn’t count on it. Now after they leave Phoenix, well…. that’s a whole different story…

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

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The Martinsville race went just I and several others expected it would and I have to say it even surpassed the level of intensity I thought might be prevalent from at least the Chasers. Instead of just being intense, it was like many of the drivers were running for the championship and trying to win it as if they were all within a few points of the leader. Of course we all know only a handful actually were (and are) but that’s not what it looked like, from this fan’s view. What it looked like was a local Saturday night short track shootout for big bucks (and, of course, we all know that wasn’t the case either.)

Martinsville showed once again what fans like about short track racing, especially when the NASCAR teams show up. There was the complete package with fast cars, tight racing and an all-out attitude evident from almost every driver in the forty-three car field including those in the Chase and out of the Chase. There was the typical assortment of beating and banging, pushing and shoving and a lot of high emotion resulting in some not-so-nice paybacks along with some displays of frustration more visible on the short tracks than at other locations. Whatever the case, from this fan’s view, it looked like the fans’ got their money’s worth. ( I know I did.)

It appears Tony Stewart waited until the Chase to start his usual latter part of the summer higher performance level and has now won three of the Chase races. He now sits in second spot, with only three to go to in the Chase. Although he has won three of the Chase races, it remains to be seen how these next three weeks go and whether or not he will finish consistently in them or if he will have the up-and-down results the #14 team has experienced a lot this year.

If I could, I would just like to interject an observations from this fan’s view and believe me, I’m not trying to jinx the efforts of the #14 Stewart/Haas team. It is just something I have noticed over the extent of the season so far. Except for Kevin Harvick and Kyle Bush, it seems there has been a three wins and they’re done syndrome. If you look at the multiple winners for this season, you find an interesting statistic glaring at you at least a little bit.

It has to do with those that were running good and then they got those three wins over the course of the first thirty-three races this year. For most of them, their racing luck turned sour after their third victory and for those other two, Kevin Harvick has been only fairly consistent and Kyle Bush has had nothing but struggles, especially since the Chase began. Does that have an ominous sound to it as the NASCAR teams visit the Texas track or is it just a statistic that appears obvious to me but has absolutely nothing to do with anything?

I’m not sure how you feel about it, but there is something to be said for that thing called, “racing luck” and it does have to figure in somewhere along the route to the championship. If it weren’t for racing luck, Carl Edwards would not be in first place for the Chase. If you don’t believe me, ask him, (or at least, listen to his interviews) and look at how he has fared in the Chase races so far. From my view, Carl Edwards is riding a wave of consistency through the Chase, but he really hasn’t looked like the front runner that he is at the moment. Of course I do realize his plight could also be considered as something called “in the cards”, but, that also sounds like racing luck to me.

I know there are those of you that think he is just running conservatively and that is why he has not looked that good in the Chase so far and you may be right. Consider this, though. Carl Edwards knows as well as anyone, he has been lucky and that they haven’t been running as dominate as their position seems to show. He also knows (along with a whole lot of the rest of us) had it not been for “racing luck”, Matt Kenseth would probably be leading the points right now and he might have been as far back as third or further.

After the way the race went at Martinsville, this fan thinks it is still a pretty wide open race for the Chase to the Cup, but I do think it is all over but the shouting for those in the seventh to twelfth spots. Sure, they can still race to better each other for those lower spots, but I think it is obviously over for them to take the Chase. Does that mean there may not be a complete surprise? No, but it sure would take miraculous intervention for it to really happen, (at least that’s my opinion of the situation.)

After Martinsville, I agree with those that think it is still a five man Chase, possibly even a six, even though it is going to take some big reversals for it to be that way. The one that is really a big question mark is Jimmie Johnson. Yes, he is in sixth place and many have already ruled out him winning his sixth Championship, but he has been ruled out before and still managed to win five Cup Championships in a row. After the race in Texas, the picture should be a lot clearer, but if the unexpected does happen, it could be a lot foggier.

As it stands right now, and especially after the way Martinsville went, Carl Edwards is going to have to deal with Tony Stewart breathing down his neck carrying a lot of momentum into the coming race along with several others not yet willing to call it quits either. One thing this fan knows for sure; Carl Edwards and the #99 team cannot continue to count on just being lucky. They are going to have to perform better than they have and they are going to have to contend with more than just Tony Stewart. There are several more that are just waiting for Carl to have a bad race or two instead of just being lucky…

See ya next time…
All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer
© November 04, 2011 – all rights reserved
Rusty Norman and Nascarfansview.com
All audio productions by www.podcastnorm.com and PodCastNorm Productions

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The Chicagoland Speedway is this years starting point for the Chase and many are happy with the choice and yet there are those that are somewhat wary. For some, the mile-and-a-half-tracks are a place where they perform well and can show their strengths while for others it may be their biggest weakness. Add to that the fact that almost half of the tracks visited in the Chase are mile-and-a-half, there is a reason why some are happy and others are… well… not so happy.

If you happened to catch the qualifying session Saturday afternoon, you probably noticed the difference in the qualifying times compared to the first practice session times. The biggest standout to me was the times were slower and the cars mostly seemed to be tail-happy. In fact, to this fan it looked a bit like watching them run at Atlanta. I don’t expect the appearances to continue on in their similarity but I do think the Chicagoland track is going to prove to be the challenge it has been. I also think starting at this track should prove to make this first race in the Chase all the more interesting than it might have been.

From my observations of the practice and qualifying sessions, it appears the Fords are fast once again, but, the question still remains in my mind if their speed will hold up over the expected long green flag runs. As I have often said, practice and qualifying may not tell us very much about race-day but the consistency of the lap-times and what happens on the longer runs along with what happens in the pits will make all the difference. As I am sure you have noticed, I’m not a big fan of building expectations on how a driver qualifies.

From this fans view, there is something else that causes me to think the qualifying times aren’t much of a measuring stick of how the race will go on Sunday afternoon. Yeah, it’s true the Fords and Dodges looked very fast in practice and they qualified well. My problem is, I’m just not sure the mind games haven’t already begun.

What do I mean by that? It’s quite simple really… I’m just not sure everybody is showing what they have, yet. I know this may sound a bit ridiculous, but honestly, I just don’t think the Toyotas and Chevys were showing what they have yet. I could be wrong, but judging from the way things have gone in the last several weeks, both have seemed to perform much better on race-day and have shown unexpected strength when it came right down to it.

Now you might ask, “Well, isn’t that kind of a crazy thing to do knowing what is at stake for them?” Yes, you’re probably right but, not if they have a good grip on the capabilities of their equipment. Now, I’m not saying any of this is based on fact, or even rumor. I’m just saying the mind games start early when it comes to the Chase and this could be exactly that – a way for the Fords and Dodges to become a bit complacent leading up to Sunday afternoon and the Chevys and Toyotas to jump on their over confidence and take advantage of them in the first week. Of course, it is always dangerous to play this game because it can set you back in a hurry if it is a strategy and it fails. But, whose gonna know, because if they are doing it, they would never admit it anyway – (uh, can anyone say, Paul Menard? Oops, there I go launching those Black Helicopters again…)

Another possibility that has to be considered for Sunday afternoon’s race is there are basically two different races going on. One is just to win the race no matter where you are in the points and the other is to establish momentum entering into the next races. To clarify, I’m saying it might not be a Chase contender that ends up in Victory Lane Sunday afternoon.

There are thirty-one other drivers and and teams on the track other than the twelve Chasers and most any of them wouldn’t hesitate to take the trophy away from any of those in the top twelve given the opportunity. In fact, I should say that is what they would rather do. Just because there are twelve great drivers actually in the Chase doesn’t mean they are the only ones that can win a race. Wouldn’t it be interesting if this was the year that none of the twelve in the Chase won any of the final ten races and all of them were won by some of those vying for thirteenth place? (Hey, I know that sounds a bit absurd too, but it is not an impossibility. There may not actually be thirty-one teams that can really win one, but there are at least twenty teams that could and about eight that wouldn’t surprise anyone if they did.)

So… you’re probably wondering which of them I think is going to win on Sunday, aren’t you? Yeah, I have to admit, I’m kind of wondering who it might be also. Personally, I think it is going to be a Chevy. Will it be a Hendrick or Childress Chevy? Yeah… could be… (you know what they say about the cream rising to the top, don’t you?)

From this fan’s view, I think it will be a Hendrick Chevy but I’m still not convinced it will be one of the ones in the top twelve even though Jimmie Johnson looked confident on Saturday afternoon. One problem I have with the Chevys winning is a Ford driver named Matt Kenseth… he just might pull off the upset, (from my view, that is.)

All I can say is, you might as well sit back, relax and enjoy the racing because this fan thinks it is going to be some of the best racing and closest competition in a Chase for the Championship we’ve ever had the privilege as fans of watching, especially since the Chase format was instituted in the Cup series…

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

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The race for the 2011 Chase is done and the field is set. Even though the night was not without controversy, intrigue or drama, the top twelve pretty much remained the same and the ones that were in at the beginning of the night ended up being in at the end of it.

So… does that mean it was a ho-hum Saturday night of racing and the stands full of fans spent the night yawning in boredom? Not at all. From the minute the green flag dropped there was action on the track and though Kevin Harvick led the most laps for the race, his trip to Victory Lane was by no means definite until the last laps were done. Not only did Carl Edwards (who finished second) try his best to be the first to the checkered flag and almost was, but Jeff Gordon was leading when the final yellow flag came out inside of twenty laps to go and was looking to win his eighty-sixth career race in the Cup series. He finished third, but I’ll talk a little bit more about that later.

It appeared to this fan, (and many others), the ones that had any kind of chance at making the Chase were doing everything they could to miss out on making it. Clint Bowyer really mixed things up for the whole night when he spun himself out on lap nine while under David Reutimann. His backing into the wall caused a major pile up putting some of the ones whose futures were only somewhat in doubt, further in doubt as the accident collected Dale Jr and Denny Hamlin.

Both of their teams had their nights work cut out for them if either one was still going to make the Chase. Both Steve Letarte, Mike Ford and their crews came through and the two of them finished far enough up in in the field at the end of the night to make the Chase with Earnhardt in tenth and Hamlin in twelfth. I think the only thing fortunate about the incident was the timing. Had it happened later in the race it would have probably sounded the death knell for both of them for 2011. As it was, both had the opportunity to make multiple stops and adjustments to continue on with Hamlin finishing ninth and Earnhardt finishing sixteenth.

From this fan’s view, one thing I think is destined to carry over into the last ten races is the continuing feud between Kurt Bush and Jimmie Johnson. Although from watching the race it is hard to tell the intention of Kurt Bush sliding into Johnson’s left rear spinning him and putting the #48 into the wall, there is no doubt the two of them have had issues in the past. From my view, it appears Kurt Bush tries his level best to convince us (and Jimmie Johnson) his actions are always taken by “Five Time” in the wrong way and that it was just a racing incident.

No matter what he says, I personally don’t see it that way. If he weren’t playing games, he wouldn’t always try to make the point he is inside Johnson’s head and the driver of the #48 only sees it the way he does because Bush is getting to him. From my view, he has done this to more drivers than just Johnson and, eventually, his actions will prove themselves out. I do find it fascinating how NASCAR’s statement of “boys have at it” has changed the amount of time that passes from when a driver thinks he has been wronged and the time he decides to “handle it.” It does appear the adrenaline of the moment rules over most everything else. It does tend to make it exciting though, especially on a short track where tempers are a little less in control and on a Saturday night under the lights.

This is where I insert a little bit of a “black helicopter” observation about the last caution flag. I haven’t heard anyone mention it (at least not yet) and I have to admit, I am just a little bit surprised. From this fan’s view, it appeared Paul Menard spun into the infield at just the right moment. It was just far enough from the end of the race to maybe not draw obvious attention to the spin or the reason for it.

You see, I’m thinking he spun on purpose because he had nothing to lose by then. It was fairly obvious Jeff Gordon was going to win if the race continued on without a caution and Menard wasn’t going to make the Chase anyway. I don’t think there were team orders but I do think he made a conscious decision to make something happen and give Kevin Harvick and his team a fighting chance and see what would happen in the pits. Harvick’s team did allow him to beat Gordon out of the pits. Harvick’s car was much better on short runs than Gordon’s as was Carl Edward’s.

Now look, before you get all bent out of shape, I’m not saying this is what really happened, but I am saying this is what may have happened. After all, there was quite a full moon in the sky over the track, and everybody that loves racing knows what can happen on a night like that…

Oh well, that doesn’t really matter much now. Richmond is over and the twelve teams are set for the 2011 Chase. Does this mean all of the drama is over? No, it means the second wave of drama is just beginning and this Chase just might be the most exciting one yet…

See ya next time…
All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer
© September 12, 2011 – all rights reserved
Rusty Norman and Nascarfansview.com
All audio productions by www.podcastnorm.com and PodCastNorm Productions

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Go ahead, ask any driver and they will tell you they love short track racing because it is more like what they grew up doing and are used to. Not only is it a Saturday night race but there’s beating and banging and leaning on each other to make a move past someone.

One thing they won’t tell you is how short their temper might be when someone leans a little harder on them than they think they should or when someone sends them up the track to move them out of the way to pass them. That’s just one of the things many fans like about the short tracks NASCAR visits and a big reason why Bristol is one of the fan favorites of the entire season. It is why there will be one hundred and sixty thousand people in the seats surrounding the track at a place they call “the world’s fastest half-mile.”

This fan finds the closeness of the qualifying times for tonight’s race lineup very interesting. There is only around four tenths of a second separating the first starting position from the fortieth and if that won’t make it hard to pass, I don’t know what will. Sure, I know those are only one lap speeds and consistent lap times over the course of the race are what really counts, but still, that is a a powerful statement of the tightness of the competition in Sprint Cup these days. No matter how you look at it, it tends to point toward a very competitive race in Thunder Valley tonight.

I know the statistics say a driver has a better chance of winning if he starts near the front and I don’t totally disagree with that. From this fan’s view, starting out front is important but getting there and staying there are just as important and that can depend on a lot of things as the night progresses.

In tonight’s race, there is going to be an extreme amount of pressure on the pit crews to be mistake free the whole night. The drivers will have extra pressure on them to not speed in the pits and to protect their tires and cars and yet be aggressive and advance as far as they can toward the front. The crew chiefs will “only” have to have the perfect strategy all night long and make the perfect adjustments all during the race to keep their driver as happy and stress free as possible. (Now that doesn’t sound as if the crew chiefs have it difficult at all, does it…?)

From this fan’s view, even though a Chevy qualified for the pole and a Ford is on the outside pole, with the competition as close as it is, it is going to be another hard one to pick the winner of before the race starts. I know it doesn’t matter much what I think, but I still like to give my opinion of which ones to watch for taking the checkered flag at the end of the night. The Chevys and Fords looked very fast in practice and qualifying, but I still can’t discount the Toyotas or the Dodges. This is one of those races anyone can win from anywhere in the field in any brand.

Ryan Newman and Carl Edwards have a great shot at winning tonight simply because they start on the front row but so do about thirty others even though they don’t start on the front row. Even though I think some may choose to run the night cautiously, I still think some are almost in the desperation mode and will be trying just about anything they can to advance themselves in the points or get a win. Because of that, I’m thinking tonight could see just about any of the top thirty five starters could end up in Victory Lane tonight. Yes, I know some have a much better chance than others, but this is Saturday night short track racing and just about anything can (and usually does) happen.

Do I think Kyle Bush is going to win? Well, he sure has a great chance to, but then so does Matt Kenseth, Jeff Gordon, Jamie McMurray, Jimmie Johnson and Kurt Bush also. Could this be a night where someone totally unexpected walks away with the trophy? Hey, I’m not going to rule that out either. It could be Marcos Ambrose or “the Dinger,” but honestly, I don’t think it is going to be Robby Gordon, although stranger things have been known to happen on a Saturday night at Bristol.

This night race is one of the more colorful night races in the sense that it has all of that beating and banging adding up to those short tempers and paybacks which makes the whole race eventful, especially at the end. With the extra intensity of qualifying for the Chase included in the night, this fan expects and even more eventful night of racing than usual. There is just too much on the line for too many drivers trying to seal the deal for getting into the Chase for it not to be a little different Bristol race tonight…

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

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There’s definitely one advantage to an extended rain-delay when it comes to TV; When the thing is drawn out until they just have to move it to the next day, you find out a lot of things about the drivers they wouldn’t normally have time to tell you about. I just happened to be able to watch most of what went on for the three plus hours before they called it and moved it to the Monday morning time slot and it was fun to listen to them in a more laid back atmosphere.

Oh I know drivers get interviewed before every race, sometimes to ad-nauseum, but for some reason on Sunday afternoon, it just felt different. It seemed the drivers were more candid and less corporate; in other words, from this fan’s view it seemed we got a better feel for who they really are as opposed to when they put on the game face. It was a nice change of pace. (Who knows, maybe it was because it was at a road course.)

Monday morning may have been gray and overcast but it was not at all dull on the track and the intensity started right at the beginning of the race and didn’t let up until the very last official lap they ran. From this fan’s view, there was something going on just about everywhere in the field at one time or another and the race strategies for each team changed on a regular basis. That is, for at least thirty-five of the forty-three starters while the others just hoped to survive the weekend.

As it turned out there were more than eight or ten that needed to do more than just finish. Of course there was more than one that needed the race to go just slightly different than it did. too. One of those would be Tony Stewart, while Paul Menard and David Ragan would be a couple of more. Menard and Ragan looked as if they were going to come away from The Glen by closing the gap a bit on Denny Hamlin. Because of late race incidents, neither of them was able to do much at all. Menard cut down a tire which put him in the wall and Ragan was involved in a spectacular accident involving him, David Reutimann and several others. Needless to say, Ragan’s day was not at all what he needed to him to take advantage of the one victory he has this season.

Since I mentioned Denny Hamlin, this was another weekend he couldn’t buy a break if his career depended on it. It has been proven more than once over the years, that when you have a bad year, you have a bad year and it seems there is nothing you can do about it. Hamlin is in one of those years that comes along every now and then in a drivers career and to say things have gone unexpectedly wrong for him and his team this year is about as obvious as sunshine during the daytime. He is definitely having a bad year.

Unfortunately, it just doesn’t seem to get any better for the guy many thought was going to be the one to stop Jimmie Johnson from winning his sixth straight Cup Championship this year. Unless things change in a hurry for him and the #11 FedEx team, it looks like it is going to be up to someone else to take care of that (but I’m going to wait on talking about that until we get a few more weeks of racing done. After all, with the way things are going, things can change several times around those ninth through twelfth points spots before we actually get to the Chase.)
The end of the race was enhanced, at least competition-wise, by the blown tire of Paul Menard. Had it not been for that, the race would have likely finished under green and it would have still been a shootout. Of course we’ll never know, but, I still think it was going to be won by Marcos Ambrose, although it was going to be close. It was great to see him finally win his first NASCAR Sprint Cup race and makes the next few weeks all the more interesting.

I know everyone has talked about it, but still, Brad Keselowski has really stepped up to the plate since his accident while practicing at Road Atlanta. This fan has noticed two things about him since that accident. First, he is a bit more humble and appears to appreciate life more than before it happened. Second, he has proven he is as tough as they come when it comes to dealing with adversity. I think many have gained much more respect for him after observing his performance over the last two weeks and seeing how determined he is. If he makes it into the Chase, which is a good possibility, this fan looks for him to make even more of a statement than he has in the last two weeks.

From this fan’s view, this was one of the more exciting and eventful races I’ve ever seen at The Glen and it wasn’t unexpected. The new points system and the fact the Chase is winding down to its conclusion has brought a whole new intensity to this time of the year, and it is showing in the attitudes of the drivers and teams, (whether they are in contention or not), and it has definitely added a lot of excitement and unknowns to the year. Don’t look for things to settle down over the next few weeks either, because they’re just not going to…

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

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If you listen to all of the talk about where NASCAR Cup teams are racing this weekend, you hear a lot about the track in Indianapolis. There is no doubt the Brickyard is a historic track and has been around for many years. There is also no doubt it is a place that has an aura about it and, in my view, that aura is deserved.

For those of you that may not be familiar with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, it was built in 1909. With a history spanning over 100 years, it would be easy to go off on a tangent and get distracted from the NASCAR events in the area this weekend so I won’t do that, but if you want to know more about its history, there’s plenty to be found on Wikipedia and other places.

The speedway became know as ‘the Brickyard’ for a very simple reason; it was paved with bricks (although that was not the case originally.) Over the years with the change of technology and the general advancement of the engineering of the vehicles that race at the place, it is now paved in a way more conventional to today’s technology. When they did repave it the last time, they chose to keep the historic “Yard of Bricks” at the finish line and that is why the winning NASCAR team can still “Kiss the Bricks” which is a recent tradition instigated by 1996 Brickyard 400 winner, Dale Jarret and crew chief Todd Parrot. The completely spontaneous action quickly became a tradition for the winners of the Brickyard 400.

There are several things to remember when thinking about the race this weekend and some of them are just how important this race is to all of the competitors and how prestigious a race it is to win. Three races stand above the rest in NASCAR competition and winning them carries a certain amount of prestige for the drivers that do. Those three are, the Daytona 500, the Charlotte 600 and the Brickyard 400 in no particular order (other than Daytona.)

Another thing to remember is the race to the Chase is winding down with only seven races left to decide which of the teams will be competing for the coveted Sprint Cup Championship. That makes this race even more important, and for those trying to earn a spot in the Chase, having a good finish is a must and winning at the Brickyard wouldn’t hurt at all either.

When the teams show up at this historic track, they don’t bring junk to compete with, they try to bring their best cars, best engine packages and all associated equipment along with the hope the crews are in top form both mentally and physically. The pits will prove to be a very important place this weekend and, once again, spots gained there, will be some of the easiest passes made all afternoon. The racing groove is very narrow, (I’ve even heard some say it is only a half a groove wide), and that should prove to make the whole race very interesting, (uh, that is as long as someone hasn’t shown up with the entire field covered, as has happened in recent weeks.)

From this fan’s view, qualifying showed that no one came expecting to squeak by. It was all out and though some felt they were conservative and could have done slightly better than they did, most of them didn’t leave anything on the track. From listening to the drivers, it is obvious they know how hard it is going to be to pass and they wanted to qualify as good as they could to hopefully have a better spot in the pits.

The biggest surprise, (from my view, of course), was how well most of the Hendrick teams qualified after watching their practice sessions. Jimmie Johnson sat on the pole after his qualifying run until David Ragan took the spot from him late in the session. Kasey Kahne put a cap on his good weekend so far by qualifying second and moving Johnson to third. Jeff Gordon qualified eighth and Mark Martin twelfth. Unfortunately, Dale Jr once again only qualified twenty second, but as I said, the qualifying was very competitive. It does mean he will have a ways to go if he hopes to end up at the front, which he needs to do, (also my opinion.)

The Roush Fords haven’t usually done well at the Brickyard, but this year could be different. In fact, all of the Fords looked pretty tough from the time the teams started unloading off the trucks, in particular, the Roush Fords.

Do I think it is going to be a Ford weekend like I thought is would be a Chevy weekend two weeks ago. That is a tough call at a tough track like Indy. I do think Matt Kenseth, Greg Biffle and Carl Edwards all look like they will do well and their other teammate, David Ragan, is sitting on the pole.

Will that translate into a victory for them this Sunday afternoon? From this fan’s view that is a very good possibility, but although Indy hardly ever has unexpected winners, this is a place that is a bit unpredictable when it comes to picking winners based only on practice and qualifying. In my opinion, they have a very good chance, but so does the Toyota of Kasey Kahne. He has looked every bit as strong as the Fords and this could also be a Red Bull weekend if Kasey has anything to say about it.

A few things are certain… the race will come down to pit strategy, fuel mileage and track position. With all of the turbulence these cars cause, if someone isn’t near the front, they may not have much of a chance passing enough cars to get there. It is also certain teams have brought their best to the Brickyard… the question is, will their best be good enough???

See ya next time…
All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer
© July 30, 2011 – all rights reserved
Rusty Norman and Nascarfansview.com
All audio productions by www.podcastnorm.com and PodCastNorm Productions

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You know, it isn’t often I start off with statements like I am about to make about a race, but, I think the race this last weekend in Loudon was one of the best overall races I have seen in a while. Whether it had something to do with the fact it was much like a normal weekend short track race and only 301 laps long, or because it went kinda like I figured it would, I don’ know. All I know is that it held my interest throughout all the 301 laps and, although it looked like we all knew how it was going to end, there was just enough doubt and drama as to who might win to make it interesting all the way to the drop of the checkered flag.

It is interesting how the luck of the two Stewart/Haas teams turned toward the positive and they finished the race exactly the way they started it. As we all know, Ryan Newman who sat on pole and Tony Stewart started with him on the front row and they finished first and second after the 301 laps. With the way their luck has been running over the first and middle part of the season, this fan thinks they were probably wondering what might go wrong in the closing laps but, all went well, neither of them ran out of gas and they crossed the finish line without any major disasters of any kind.

Jeff Gordon had a very fast car and constantly moved toward the front. That is, except when he had problems with the alternator not charging the batteries properly causing him to fall back and, at one time, he was a lap down. Even though he had those problems, he had moved back up into fourth place by the last lap. His troubles weren’t over even then though. On that last lap he had a flat tire that caused him to finish in eleventh as he crawled across the finish line.

From this fan’s view, he has to have mixed emotions about the day. Finishing eleventh had to be a major letdown with as strong as his car was and with how his crew kept him in the hunt even with the problems. He should be encouraged by the fact that his car was so strong and that could possibly mean he may have an even better race when the NASCAR Cup teams return to Loudon in the second week of the Chase. Naturally, all that is dependent on how he does over the next seven races and how he stands in the points when the Chase actually begins.

It was no surprise to me how the Fords finished. Marcos Ambrose was highest finishing Ford in ninth place and the next highest finisher was AJ Allmendinger from the Richard Petty camp. There were those that said they could have finished better but they were in fuel conservation mode. That may have been the case and we will have to take them at their word, but from my view, they just didn’t look like they had enough speed all during the race weekend to do much better than they did.

The Toyotas had a very strong weekend also, but Kyle Bush had a very rough weekend. It was obvious with all that was happening to him during the first part of the race, he was frustrated by the day. Still yet, we have been seeing a much more composed Kyle Bush this season and it has been an amazing transformation. He has been much less out of control, (although not anywhere near docile yet), and it is obvious he is maturing and working his way even closer to becoming a Cup Champion. Personally, I have enjoyed watching the process. From my view, he is much more likeable overall and yet he still lives up to one of his nicknames, “Wild Thing.”

Personally, I’m glad the Cup Series has a weekend off to catch their breath. It has been hectic and hard weeks since the last breather. One thing I notice when they have a break is there is generally a slight shift in momentum. I’m anxious to see how these last seven weeks go before the Chase begins and how the points shake out over the next few weeks. I really don’t see much happening with the top five or six, but there can still be ‘a whole lot of shakin’ going on’ in the rest of the top twelve. It also remains to be seen how those with wins in the top twenty figure into the final two wild card spots. It could get really interesting over the next few weeks in particular.

Overall, Loudon was a great race (and from this fan’s view, of course), it wasn’t that much of a surprise either. Going in everybody knew it was going to be a race where track position, fuel mileage and pit and tire strategy would all figure into the end results… and by the way; did anyone notice that it was a Chevy kind of day. Not only that but it was a Hendrick associated and Hendrick kind of day at that. (Hm-m-m… I wonder where I heard that?)

See ya next time…
All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer
© July 21, 2011 – all rights reserved
Rusty Norman and Nascarfansview.com
All audio productions by www.podcastnorm.com and PodCastNorm Productions

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There was plenty of fireworks Saturday night at Daytona, both during the race and after, and like I said before the race, the end of the race proved to be one of the most exciting in recent times. The two car draft was the only way to get around the track fast and everyone used it to their advantage (and some to their disadvantage) the whole night. Not only did they team up on the track, but they also teamed up as best they could on the pit stops. It is proving to be a whole new way of racing the restrictor plate tracks and, honestly, it is constantly changing the way they do everything at them.

The drivers historically don’t like the restrictor plates because it restricts their ability to break away from the others, but they do like the super speedways. Although they don’t particularly like the two car draft, they can’t argue with the increased speed it offers. So what do they do? They find more and better ways to use it to the fullest extent.

The evolving of the process of this type of racing has changed quite a bit over the last couple of years and, now, they almost have to include their drafting partner in every aspect of the race or risk losing their partner and any chance of winning. I find it interesting that just about everything they do, including having to return to the pits in case of a miscue by one of them, means they both have to come back in or one or the other of them has to find a new drafting partner. The strategy involved has reached new heights and has opened up a whole new can of worms for some and whole new possibilities for others.

Racing in the two car draft has its hazards and it depends on which car they’re driving in the draft what effect it has. The car in the front generally has the visibility and the one in the back is often driving blind. The car in the back has a very limited view of the track ahead and that can often lead to problems. If you noticed Saturday night, the first one to experience the the effect of the limited view was Carl Edwards. His drafting partner, Greg Biffle couldn’t see all that Carl could see and kept pushing when he possibly should have been slowing up a bit.

Was it Biffle’s fault? In a sense, yes, but it was a matter of the circumstances they faced and those circumstances happened faster than they could be communicated. From this fan’s view, this is the biggest drawback to the two car draft and it is most evident when timing is critical. If both drivers have time to react, things usually work out. If not, one, or both of them pays a price. Sometimes that price is very high in the sense that it usually puts one of them out of contention for the rest of the night. The other usually has to look for a new drafting partner and then they have to figure out how they can best work together with that other person.

David Ragan and his partner, Matt Kenseth, definitely had things work out in their favor and the late race cautions didn’t hurt them either. When it came down to it, David and Matt decided they were going to hook up and go until they finished or were passed. If they had tried to split up, (or split up so one or the other could win in the last several hundred feet), the result may have been completely different. Taking the white flag and then having another caution come out didn’t hurt them at all. It was pretty obvious to this fan, Kyle Bush and Jeff Gordon were coming with quite a head of steam back in fifth and sixth when the caution did come out.

There was plenty going on in the last part of that last lap and this fan thinks it was going to be a big pile up anyway. It’s my opinion it was going to happen right at the finish line instead of where it did, but as it was, it just moved the finish line closer to where they were.

Now, had all of the first eight finishers been able to continue under full power to the finish line instead of the caution coming out, I wonder how things would have looked as they all took the checkers. I think it is possible we could have seen an even closer finish than the one at Talladega. As it was, we saw a great finish anyway, (and I know David Ragan isn’t complaining at all about the finish…)

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

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The big question has already been answered about the Coke Zero 400 in Daytona this weekend. That question was how the different drivers were going to handle the “Two Car Draft”, (some call it “the Two Car Tango”), but it was answered before they got to Daytona this week. Many had already started planning their strategy a couple of weeks ago and most had already chosen their partners for drafting before unloading their cars off the haulers. It still remains to be seen how that strategy plays out simply because “stuff” happens in restrictor plate racing that can’t be forseen and this fan doesn’t see this night race at the super speedway being any different.

The next big question was wondering who would actually sit on the pole and that was answered Friday in the late afternoon and early evening. Mark Martin was fastest and took his fiftieth career pole in NASCAR Cup. He and the Daytona 500 winner for 2011, Trevor Bayne, will make up the front row. Yeah, I know many, (including myself), downplay the importance of qualifying on a regular basis but I do find it interesting that a fifty two year old and a twenty year old make up the front row. (Some have even said it is the old and new of it.)

From this fan’s view, after observing the practice session and qualifying (even though qualifying doesn’t tell us anything about the way the race will go), I don’t see this race being that much different than the race in February. The track is still smooth and still has a lot of grip according to the drivers. And it is very obvious it will be two-by-two unless someone discovers how to go faster in groups of three or four.

I look forward to this race with mixed emotions and it is my opinion the two car draft has changed restrictor plate racing completely. Now, when I say mixed emotions, I’m not saying they are negative emotions, I’m just saying restrictor plate racing is different than it was. In some ways, I kinda miss the big packs and watching them swap positions lap after lap. It seemed there was little to distract those watching because, at any moment, someone in that large pack of cars could get just a little squirrely and suddenly there would be mayhem and a bunch of spinning and sliding cars often changing the possible outcome of the race.

The “big one” usually affected more than just those close to the action, it affected anyone that couldn’t get out of the way. In those big packs, it could have been a contender, or someone with no chance of winning, that was taken completely out of contention and it didn’t matter which number was on the side of the car or who was driving.

With the two car draft, there is still a lot of action and they still run in packs. The difference is, (at least from my view), there is a bit of separation and when one of the twosomes get a run, they seem to blow by everyone and then they hit a wall. Of course you know I’m not talking about a literal wall (at least, most of the time) but a wall of air that seems to slow their progress and let’s someone else take over until they hit that same momentum killer.

In this case, momentum is key and that is what makes the end of the race so interesting. The teams have to time their move just right if they want to win. A great example of this was the race at Talladega in the spring. With eight of the contenders finishing four abreast and only thousandths of a second apart at the finish line, to me that says the finish at Daytona tonight could be one of the most exciting in recent history, including the race in February and the one at Talladega.

So that begs what I call the final question… Which of the groups of two will be crossing the line first to take the checkers? (Wow, I have to admit, you do ask hard questions.)

I have listened to several during the week talk about who should win because statistics say they should. Personally, I’m a little weary of listening to statistics because this is restrictor plate racing, plain and simple, and anything can and usually does happen.

Just because someone has done well in the past and has won or finished in the top five over the last several trips to a restrictor plate track doesn’t really mean that much to this observer. There are simply too many variables when it comes to this type of racing. That is why you see someone like a Trevor Bayne win the 2011 Daytona 500 in only his second start in a Cup car and only a day or two after his twentieth birthday.

So does that mean I’m discounting the possibility of someone like Mark Martin, Kevin Harvick, Clint Bowyer, Carl Edwards, Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon or Dale Jr winning simply because they usually run well at restrictor plate tracks? Of course not; what I’m saying is, just because they usually run well, or because the statistics say they should run well, doesn’t mean they will. When it comes down to the end of the race tonight, we could see a first time winner on a restrictor plate track, or we could see someone that has won before… uh, statistically speaking that is…

See ya next time…
All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer
© July 2, 2011 – all rights reserved
Rusty Norman and Nascarfansview.com
All audio productions by www.podcastnorm.com and PodCastNorm Productions