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Tonight’s race at Darlington – the track too tough to tame – is another race that is going to either add to some drivers and teams dilemma for the season or possibly help them start a turn around in it. Not very many expect the latter to happen and some have already resigned themselves to dealing with the standings pretty much the way they are. I, however, am not one of those. Since we are only 10 races into the season, I am one of those that thinks the season is only 10 races old and from this week on, a team can do exactly what they haven’t been able to do – win and finish consistently in the top five or ten, (preferably in the top five.)

How can I say this you may ask?? Well, I just look at last year and what happened to Brad Keselowski before and after his accident at a practice track. Before the accident, no one thought he had a chance of even being close to the top ten in points and after the accident, he almost made the Chase on points alone. He didn’t but, he did make it with the victories he got after it happened.

Greg Biffle has been riding a wave of consistency (along with showing up to the tracks week after week with fast race cars) and sits on top of the points. Does that mean he is a definite threat to be the Cup Champion by the end of this years Chase? Not at all… in fact, the very same adversity that has been affecting others this year, could begin for him tonight and go on for the next 10 – 16 races and he could be struggling to make the Chase when the time arrives.

Carl Edwards is another good example of what I’m talking about from last year. He was number one in points for much of the season last year but that didn’t matter when it came to the Chase. He ran consistently upfront, scored points regularly and still finished second (although tied for first with Tony Stewart, a story we all know too well.)

What I am saying, is there are still 16 races left to make it into the top ten in points or score a few victories and claim a wildcard slot. Just because it looks like there is no way some can make it doesn’t mean there is no way they will. I know the competition is closer than ever in the Cup series and there is a lot to be said for momentum in this sport but, NASCAR has not always been predictable and “racing luck” can turn for the worse for anyone. No one is guaranteed to be able to continue on through the whole season with the same results they start with and carry for only ten races of 26 to qualify for the final ten races of the Chase.

Sure, I do admit for some things do look mighty bleak but I have seen more than one of them go on a tear and win several races and totally turn around their season over the final sixteen races to qualify for the Chase (and contend for the Championship.) I have also seen some go an a tear toward the negative and completely miss the Chase and not be contenders at all for the rest of the season.

It doesn’t really matter that much for tonight’s race either. Darlington is a challenge for all that sit in the driver’s seat tonight and just because someone qualified near the front doesn’t mean they won’t have problems and end up several laps down or with a DNF. Unfortunately with the way things can change, the ones finishing in the back tonight could be the ones highest in points and it just could be the beginning of a slide into oblivion for the next 15 races.

Greg Biffle still looks strong since he is starting on the pole for tonight’s race but I still look at qualifying as a very poor way of judging how a race will end. Even though he is enjoying very consistent season, tonight could be the beginning of someone else enjoying the same level of consistency and passing him in the points in the near future.

Names like Brad Keselowski, Dale Earnhardt Jr, Ryan Newman, Kevin Harvick, Denny Hamlin and Jimmie Johnson come to mind just as quickly as possible winners for tonight’s race. Heck, I’m not even ruling out a possible turn-around for Jeff Gordon beginning tonight but, it is going to have to be a turn-around that lasts more than one race and some others are going to have to start having his luck from this first part of the season for much to happen quickly for him (although a win would certainly help a lot in many ways.)

It seems the more people talk about the possibility of #200 happening for Rick Hendrick, the more things go wrong for all four of his teams (even when it looks like the win is inevitable.) Yeah, this could be the night and all four teams have a good chance at winning it for Hendrick MotorSports, that is at least until the green flag drops…

See ya next time…
All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer
© May 12, 2012 – all rights reserved
Rusty Norman, Nascarfansview.com and Justafansview.com
All audio productions by www.podcastnorm.com and PodCastNorm Productions

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It was a hot day in Alabama. Brad Keselowski and Roger Penske weren’t disappointed with the heat or the Talladega race but they were in the minority and it was likely because they were sitting in Victory Lane. As expected, there was a lot of drama from the drop of the green flag but not a lot of it was because of the racing in the large pack. Most of the drama was coming from the concern the drivers had for the water and oil temps and how closely they needed to watch their gauges. Unfortunately, fans and drivers alike thought it was more about water and oil temperatures and lot less about actual racing.

From this fan’s view, even though there was the large pack of cars running nose to tail, two and three wide, there wasn’t a lot of racing for position going on. It appeared the drivers were trying to keep a reasonable distance between each others bumpers to maintain a lower water temperature, (which, of course, would lead to a lower oil temperature), so they might at least still be running when it came down to the final laps. Yes, it was obvious they wanted to maintain a certain position on the track and not fall too far behind, but it was also obvious that there was more concern about maintaining the temperatures than anything else.

Even with all of the efforts to maintain what was considered to be safer operating engine temperatures, there were still a lot of engine failures although admittedly it was hard to tell if some of them were normal part failures or temperature related. In fact, from this fan’s view, I don’t think any of the failures were related to overheating, but that does not mean that it didn’t affect the racing as a whole.

It is my opinion, and I am usually on NASCAR’s side and do respect what they do but, this time I think they blew it. I have to agree with the words of several drivers that insinuated there has to be a better way to control the tandem drafting than with temperatures. Surely they can come up with “something” other than that.

It is also my opinion that this is what happens when a sanctioning body tries to run things by audience poll. I’m not saying they shouldn’t listen to input from the fan base and it has been my experience over the years they don’t usually make “knee-jerk” decisions but, I think they tried a quick fix that may have worked for one track and one type of condition. All tracks have a different character and it is a definite given that air temperatures change pretty much daily in any location. Maybe the best way to solve the problems of today’s high-tech racing is to use some of the old technology, (as Michael Waltrip has said several times in the last several years when asked his opinion.)

Look, I’m not a real fan of the tandem drafting but it does have an advantage for passing in today’s restrictor plate racing. In fact, I really do like the large pack racing we used to see in the plate races. Now it appears, at least from my view, we have the large pack again but very little racing going on. It is mostly follow the leader and watch the gauges until there are only a few laps remaining. Surely NASCAR, with the state of the technology they have available and have allowed and introduced, can come up with a way to keep the two-car drafting from being so advantageous and still make it an interesting and drama-filled race. (I have to admit that personally, I was not on the edge of my seat at all during this plate race…)

I don’t know, maybe it is next to impossible to undo what’s been done. (But then this is NASCAR and I don’t really believe that either, do you… ?)

See ya next time…
All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer
© May 10, 2012 – all rights reserved
Rusty Norman, Nascarfansview.com and Justafansview.com
All audio productions by www.podcastnorm.com and PodCastNorm Productions

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After Martinsville many of the NASCAR Sprint Cup teams welcomed the week off and hoped to re-group or get a fresh start when things pick back up in Texas this weekend. The short track in Virginia claimed a few victims and some that were expected to do well, didn’t. Even though he started out strong, Kevin Harvick struggled for most of the day and his team-mates didn’t fair much better. To say the RCR teams underperformed may be a little dramatic but it is true and the week off was hopefully beneficial to them.

Martinsville turned out to be a rough day for most of the Hendrick teams, too and they didn’t come away with number 200 for their boss, Rick Hendrick. Jeff Gordon dominated the day but he didn’t end up in Victory Lane. Jimmie Johnson came from the middle of the pack and worked his way near the front, was clocked speeding on pit lane and put at the end of the longest line. He proceeded to move back to the front and was leading on lap #496, but he didn’t go to Victory Lane either. As for pole-sitter, Kasey Kahne well… it was just another typical day for him in the year 2012 and he didn’t even finish the race. Now, Dale Jr… well he had a pretty decent finish and is now second in the points.

To say Martinsville had a surprise ending would be more than a little bit of an understatement…

From this fan’s view (and looking at the race with six laps to go) it looked as if there was going to be a real shootout between Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson and no matter how it turned out between the two, Hendrick Motorsports was going to come away with its 200th victory in Cup. All of that went out the window with the throwing of the yellow flag with about three laps to go. The caution was exactly what Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson did not need, or want, to see.

I know it has been analyzed and talked about and analyzed again, but I just have to put in my two cents from this fan’s view. It is very obvious that the yellow flag could have been avoided and probably was a bad decision by David Reutimann and his team to try and continue but it is just one of the beasts that has reared its ugly head because of the top 35 rule. Reutimann admitted the only reason he was still on the track was because he was trying to stay in the top thirty five in points. We all know how it affected the outcome of the race and we all know how badly Reutimann felt about having changed the outcome of the race. What doesn’t seem to be very clear (at least to this fan) is how that situation can be completely avoided in the future.

Had it not been for the top thirty five qualifying rule, he wouldn’t have had to make that decision at all. As it is, it is a decision that affects how all of the teams struggling to stay in the top thirty five think about how to get as many points as they can. As anyone will tell you, especially in NASCAR Cup, it is a whole lot easier to get and keep sponsors interested in you if you are guaranteed to be in the race.

That is what the top thirty five rule does and this is not the first time it has been brought up in the last several years. As this fan remembers, the last time it was really questioned was when teams were making the races even though there were cars that had faster qualifying times but weren’t in the top thirty five so the slower cars made the race. Now, I’m not saying there is anything wrong with the rule, but I am saying it does affect the racing week in and week out and as it stands, everyone knows about and has to deal with the top thirty five rule whether good or bad.

From what I can tell, the time it becomes most important to anyone is when it affects them in a negative way. (In other words, as long as it doesn’t affect anyone other than those outside the top thirty five, it isn’t even on the radar of the others. When it does affect the others… well… you know…

See ya next time…
All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer
© April 11, 2012 – all rights reserved
Rusty Norman and Nascarfansview.com
All audio productions by www.podcastnorm.com and PodCastNorm Productions

Las Vegas is in the rear view mirror but Tony Stewart isn’t looking back at last year any longer. After a dominating performance last year that didn’t end with him celebrating in Victory Lane he was determined to make it there this year and he did. He even did it with a new crew chief. I can’t say it was unexpected for him to run well there again this year, but sometimes and especially with a new crew chief, things don’t always work out. The pressure was on both Stewart and Addington since former crew chief Darian Grubb had won with his new team in Phoenix.

Just one more quick statement about Vegas before we move on to Bristol. The Vegas track was fast and so were the cars and it proved to be very hard to get back to the front if a driver (and his crew) lost spots going to the pits. More often than not (and as I expected) track position was critical to getting, or staying, up front.

To say this year is going as I expected it might so far this year would definitely be a stretch, but it is going well for Greg Biffle. Much like his teammate, Carl Edwards did most of last year, Biffle is running strong and consistently finishing near the front and he now leads in points and has a hope of staying there for a while. He is even sitting on the pole for the race this weekend at Bristol.

Another one that is looking pretty tough this season is Kevin Harvick. He is second in points at present and, from this fan’s view, looks much more relaxed than he has in the last couple of years. I’m sure it has much more to do with him giving up his race team and focusing on one thing for now. (Of course you know that one thing is he wants to win a Cup Championship.) He is looking at a life changing event this year other than a Cup Championship and of course that would be becoming a father. All things considered, I find this to be an interesting year for him and Delana.

I’m sure many have noticed that Dale Jr is in fourth place in points and he has been running strong every weekend. The only thing he and crew chief Steve Letarte need to do is put the end of a race together with great qualifying and first parts of a race and he will be in Victory Lane. I don’t know about you, but this fan really thinks he will end up there sooner than later this year and this weekend could be the sooner. Of course, this is Bristol and anything can happen just as quickly to dampen his success this weekend, too.

From this fan’s view, I don’t see any one team really dominating the rest of the field this season. What I mean is every brand has been well represented so far this season. There are some that are struggling slightly, but it is my opinion it is more because everyone is running so fast that ll they have to be is a few thousandths off on lap times and it looks like they are falling through the field like rocks. This is one year that might reveal the parity NASCAR has been striving for is finally going to happen. I just hope the races don’t become like the old I-Roc series.

For those that may not remember it, the cars were supposed to be set up exactly the same and the racing was much like restrictor plate racing. There was hardly any advantage to any other than the ability of the drivers. It is just my opinion, but I have to say there is a good possibility of the Cup series becoming a lot like that is the competition gets any closer. Fortunately, these races are not quite the same as the I-Roc series and a lot more depends on the pit stops and track position which could mean my fears are pointless. (Hey, I’m just sayin’… I’ll leave the rest to your imaginations.)

The most important things for this weekend for the Food City 500 at Bristol will be keeping a cool head and maintaining track position. That means a lot of pressure will be on the drivers to stay cool and the crews to not give up anything in the pits. I expect the Fords will be fast but I’m not saying a Ford will end up in Victory Lane. I’m leaning more towards it being a Chevy and it just might be someone that didn’t show that much in the last couple of weeks.

A lot will depend on how the yellows fall as to whether or not it totally becomes a fuel mileage race. Just remember, Bristol is well know for long green flag runs but it is also a short track known for the unexpected happening. By unexpected, I mean it could be someone just loses their temper long enough to mess up theirs’, or someone else’s, day and opens the door for the unexpected winner… And then, there’s always that driver named Kyle Bush…

See ya next time…
All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer
© March 18, 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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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