NASCAR Nationwide Series, formerly Busch Series

Yesterday I mentioned more on the Nationwide Series. So, here’s my take on the new Series. This second tier of NASCAR has been around for twenty-six years, all of those years, Sponsored by Busch beer. Next year Busch will no longer Sponsor the Series. It wasn’t really clear (at least to me) why they were bowing out. But the highlight of the Season was finding a new Sponsor.

Subway Restaurants was the front runner most of the year. But there was the “exclusivity clause” that got into the way. See, the Sponsor of the Series is supposed to have exclusive rights to any and all advertising. That means Subway would be the only fast food chain that could have logos on the cars in the Series. And there were too many fast food chains already on cars in the Series. So to make Subway exclusive, all the other fast food chains would have to go. But Nationwide Insurance came along to Sponsor the Series. And there was only one other car out there Sponsoring an insurance car. That being the 7 car of Mike Wallace. Whose car is Sponsored by GEICO. The 7 car can have Geico as a Sponsor only next year. And then they will have to find another Sponsor.

So, the Busch Series is still alive with Nationwide as the Sponsor. I’m glad that’s all taken care of. But in my opinion NASCAR needs to take another look at this series. It used to be a Series where newcomers learned how to drive these big stock cars. There were Series regulars racing every week. And there were up and coming drivers headed for Cup racing. Until last year, a Series regular always won the Championship. If something isn’t done, no Series regular will ever again win the Championship. Making Martin Truex, Jr. the last of the Series Champs in 2005.

Last year there were seven Cup regulars who ran both Series all year. And, of course, a Cup driver won the Championship. Kevin Harvick won last year. This year Carl Edwards, a Cup regular, ran away with the Championship. I say no duh! A Cup driver and crew will always do better than a Busch driver and crew. But this will be the new Nationwide Series in 2008. I say if you want your car to win the Championship, get yourself a Nationwide Series driver. Drivers shouldn’t be allowed to go for both Championships.

The Nationwide series is supposed to be the second tier of NASCAR racing. And Cup drivers should be allowed to compete in some races. It’s good for the tracks and fans. Cup drivers draw fans to the track. Nationwide drivers get to compete with the Big Guys. Cup drivers get to go out and have fun trying to win the few races they enter into. But putting a Cup driver into a Nationwide car for every race defeats the purpose of the Series. In no other Sport do players go back to the Minors and compete in all the games.

So now NASCAR wants to not give points to drivers in the top 35 in Cup points. And I agree with that. Tony Stewart maintains he should be allowed to race in any Series of his choosing. And while that may be valid, I have to wonder if maybe he’s getting a little rusty and needs to maybe prove to himself that he can still win. That is what the Minors are for. To make you better so you can compete in the Majors. Right?

I’d like to take this whole thing a little further. Teams have Nationwide drivers in all their Nationwide cars. No Cup driver should be allowed to win the Nationwide Championship. Cup drivers can compete in select races, but not every race of the season. And in those races they decide to compete in, I say they should all start from the rear. They should qualify on time to get in and to get a good pit stall. But they should all have to start from the rear according to where they qualified. I say that would be a great race. Watching these Cup veterans race their way to the front.

So there’s my take on the new Nationwide Series. I hope it goes back to be a learning place and a Series with regulars competing every week. More like the Craftsman Truck series. Cup drivers compete every now and then, but it’s mostly Truck drivers competing in Truck races. And a Truck driver winning the Truck Championship.

Brought to you by Sheila Hawley.

Visit my website. http://www.ilovemynascar.com

End of NASCAR for 2007

    Well, racing fans the NASCAR Season (both of them) is over for 2007. And I must say, I sure am saddened by it. No more coming home after work to see who qualified for the race. (more on that in a minute) No more NASCAR Now. No more Busch Series practice, qualifying and racing. Next year it will be the Nationwide Series. I’ll write more about that tomorrow. No more Craftsman Trucks on Speed. And especially, no more Cup races this year.

From February to November you can find me in front of the television all weekend long. What will I do with myself on weekends now? Now I’ll have to catch up on things! Oh, my! I think that will last until about December. And then I will be in NASCAR withdrawal. And I will have to dig up some races I have on tape. This year hasn’t been very good for me tape-wise. I have Direct TV. And while I’m not paying Time Warner any more, I’m not able to get the major channels. I have to rely on the Local Channels to see the races. But I can’t tape them from the Local channels. I have the Busch Series shown on ESPN2 and the Craftsman Trucks shown on SPEED. But I was only able to tape the Cup races shown on TNT and ESPN2. And the majority of them were on ABC. NASCAR may have made a great television deal, but I don’t care for the deal.

So there are some things that I don’t like about NASCAR any more. Ever since Brian France took over. One of them is having races starting so late. I find myself having to stay up all night watching TV. Not that I mind, but I’d rather be watching races on Sunday at noon. And qualifying is not at a good time for me. When it starts at 3:00, I’m still at work. SPEED used to show qualifying at 8:00 for people like me. But that didn’t happen much this year. And I hate not knowing who got in and who didn’t.

I keep a notebook on NASCAR. I start the weekend with qualifying. All the cars (or trucks) that are entered in order. With comments on new paint schemes, or who is in a new car this week. And it makes me very unhappy when I can’t see what is going on. I’d like NASCAR to take a look at what the fans are doing. What we’re watching, and when we’re watching. The ratings are going down, but NASCAR isn’t worried about that. Maybe they should be. In my opinion, they are going after the football fans at the expense of the fans they already have. The football fans watch awhile, but go away.  I personally don’t watch football. I’m a NASCAR fan.

Tomorrow I’ll talk about the new Nationwide Series. Some thoughts from a die hard  racing fan. And maybe after that I’ll give my opinion about the state of NASCAR.

Visit my site. http://www.ilovemynascar.com/

Race Review

Race Review

Ford 400

Homestead-Miami, FL.

This is the thirty-sixth and final race of the season. And the tenth and final race of the Chase. A Champion will be crowned after the race. It can go to one of two Drivers. Those being Jimmy Johnson who won the last four races and is going for five straight wins, and Jeff Gordon Jimmy’s part Owner. Homestead-Miami is a 1.5 mile track with graduated banking so that there are multiple grooves to race on. 267 laps will be 400.5 miles. 48 Jimmy Johnson is on the Pole having posted a speed of 176.788. 12 Ryan Newman will start beside Jimmy.
Today 09 is Sterling Marlin. 36 is BDR Truck Driver Johnny Benson. He won the Truck race here on Friday. 44 Dale Jarrett made the final race of the season on speed. Go Dale! 10 today is Patrick Carpentier. 06 is Sam Hornish, Jr. 21 is Bill Elliott, who took a past Champion provisional to get into the race. Those failing to qualify are 55 Michael Waltrip, 84 A. J. Allmendinger, 4 Todd Bodine, (see, it’s the car, not the Driver, regularly Ward Burton) 78 Joe Nemechek, 34 Kevin Lepage, and 49 John Andretti. This is Robby Reiser’s last race as Crew Chief to 17 Matt Kenseth. Robby got promoted.
So, here we go! 48 leads from the pole. 12 takes the lead shortly after. 17 moves to second, and then into the Lead. 31 Jeff Burton gets loose and into the wall, and is slow on the track. 2 Kurt Busch gets by 48. 31 has a tire rubbing from contact with the wall and pits. 20 Tony Stewart gets loose. 2 gets by 12 for second. 1 Martin Truex, Jr. gets by 48. 12 and 1 battle for third. 24 Jeff Gordon and 20 battle. 20 gets by 24. 24 gets by 48. 5 Kyle Busch and 8 Dale Earnhardt Jr. battle. 8 gets by. Green Flag Pitting begins on lap 48.
The first caution comes out when 8 gets sideways on pit Rd. 5 got into 8 to spin him entering Pit Rd. 8 straightens it out and goes back on the track, as does 29 Kevin Harvick. They both get commitment cone violations. 10 was also involved. At this track, you have to use an access road to get into the pits. The accident happened as they were leaving the access road into the pits. 12, 20, 42 Juan Pablo Montoya, 41 Reed Sorenson, 25 Casey Mears, 00 David Reutimann, 07 Clint Bowyer, 11 Denny Hamlin and 44 hadn’t yet pitted. 41 leaves before the jack comes down, sending the jack into the pits! Luckily no one is hurt. Because so many cars pitted before the caution, they stay out and leader, 17 is way behind.
The second caution comes out at the restart. 31 Jeff Burton spins 8. All those ahead of the Leader will go around behind the leaders, staying on the lead lap. The sun is in everyone’s eyes so they are having trouble seeing the track and getting to their pits. Why they start these races so late that the sun is such a factor is beyond me. The Green Flag comes back out on lap 62. 10 is having problems. 2 takes the lead. 19 Elliott Sadler gets into the wall and pits. 8 gets Black flagged for a rear panel that is flapping around and has to pit to pull it off before he causes a caution.
The third caution comes out during the commercial. 15 Paul Menard got loose on the top of the track and got into the wall. 11 is leading when the Green comes out. 1 and 24 battle. 11 and 17 battle for the lead. 17 takes the lead. 31 is ahead of the Leader barely on the lead lap. 17 gets by 31 to put him back down a lap. 42 and 20 with four tires get by 24 who took only two tires. 99 Carl Edwards gets by 25. 2 pits with a vibration. Green Flag Pitting begins again and 25 is leading. After all the pitting is complete, 17 is back into the lead. 12 gets by 20 for fourth.
The fourth caution comes out when 12 spins out in front of 20 and 24. They both get by. It’s 17, 07 Clint Bowyer, 11, 1, 24 and 22 Dave Blaney out of the pits. The fifth caution involves 70 Johnny Sauter, 83 Brian Vickers and 10. 70 spins across the track into the inside wall. 10 can’t slow down and gets into 83, who spins into the inside wall beside 70. The Green Flag comes out on lap 163. 11 takes the lead. 38 David Gilliland brushes the wall and pits. 17 catches 11 and takes the lead from 11. 1 and 24 battle. 1 takes the spot.
The sixth caution comes out when 06 Sam Hornish, Jr. gets into the wall. Personally, I don’t understand why the yellow comes out for 06, when it didn’t for 38 and 19. 17, 1, 2, 24, 11, 48, 22, 99, 01 Mark Martin and 6 David Ragan are the top 10. 24 makes it three-wide. 5 makes it three-wide. 1 and 24 battle for second. 1 keeps the spot. 2 gets by 24. 1 and 2 battle. 2 gets by 1 for second. 11 and 24 battle. 11 gets the spot. 1 and 11 battle for third. 48 gets by 24. Green Flag Pitting begins again. 26 Jamie McMurray leads, then pits. 1 and 17 battle for the Lead. 17 takes the lead.
The seventh caution comes out with 14 to go. 20 spins into the wall. The car wasn’t right and Tony is not a Happy Camper. The Green Flag comes out with 10 to go, so it’s a single file restart. 17, the Leader has concerns about a flat tire. But it’s only debris on the tire and goes away. 11, 1 and 24 battle. 20 comes back out and is limping around. 1 and 48 battle for sixth.
17 Matt Kenseth wins the race. And 48 Jimmy Johnson wins the Championship. Personally, I liked the Green Flag pitting and only seven cautions. Matt Kenseth finished strong and jumps up to fourth in the points. The final top 12 are 48, 24, 07, 17, 5, 20, 2, 31, 99, 29, 1 and 11. Only the top ten will go to the stage at the Banquet. Thirteenth through twenty are 12, 16 Greg Biffle, 25, 8, 26, 43 Bobby Labonte, 9 Kasey Kahne and 42.

Brought to you by Sheila Hawley
http://www.ilovemynascar.com

In my opinion-NASCAR

I’d like to talk about the new Busch Series. In 2008 it will be the Nationwide Series. In my opinion Busch was a proper name for it. It was the bush league, after all. Although lately it has been where the Cup guys could go and beat up on the Minor Leagues. Last year and this year a Cup Driver ran away with the Championship. And no wonder. They are regular Cup drivers. Of course they do better. It was supposed to be a place to learn how to drive the big stock cars.

Next year NASCAR is talking about not giving regular Cup drivers in the top 35 any points in the Nationwide Series. That way another Cup driver wouldn’t be able to win another Championship. After all, the Cup Drivers all claim they race in the Busch Series just to have fun and win. And I don’t have a problem with that. A Cup driver racing in the Nationwide Series would bring fans to watch the race. In my opinion Drivers should decide which Series they want a Championship in. I don’t think they should be allowed to go for the Championship in both.

In my opinion, if an Owner wants to have a Nationwide Series team, they should hire themselves a Nationwide Series driver. I also think that all Cup drivers should have to qualify on speed. Whether or not they are in the top 30 in Car Owner points. And, as long as I’m giving my opinion, I think they all should start from the rear. Now that would be a great race, in my opinion. Watching the big guys race to the front.

I liked the Busch Series back when Matt Kenseth and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. were racing each other. I still like them, but I now have different favorite Busch drivers. And I want them to win. I watch Matt and Dale, Jr. on Sunday, not on Saturday. A Busch Driver used to win Championships. At least Dale, Jr. and Martin Truex, Jr. did. That was before Cup drivers went for Busch Championships. In my opinion, it’s not right.

I watch several Series out there. And I like watching the up and coming race each other. I even have favorites in each of the Series. I watch   ARCA/REMAX, Hooters Pro Series, Busch East (formerly North), NASCAR (formerly Winston)West, The Craftsman Trucks, and even CASCAR. I love watching racing. When I go to a track, I go for the weekend. So I can see everything that’s on the track for the whole weekend. ASA was a great Series. What ever happened to it?

Anyway, in my opinion, all Nationwide Owners should get himself a Nationwide driver. Some say it’s the car, not the driver. Of course, the others say it’s the driver, not the car. If a Cup driver can win in your car, Mr. Owner, why can’t someone else? Or is the Nationwide car only good if a Cup driver is driving it? Attention Owners. There are excellent drivers out there. Find one to drive your Nationwide car. Just think what that would mean. All these Owners have Nationwide drivers in their Nationwide car! Then it would be a “Busch” race again. Not a shorter version of the Sunday race. Let the Cup guys race on Saturday, a handful at a time, but don’t let them take over.

In my opinion-NASCAR was brought to you by Sheila Hawley. I have many opinions. I hope you find this opinion makes you want more of my opinions.

Visit my website http://www.ilovemynascar.com/

Phoenix Race Review

Race Review

Checker Auto Parts 500

Phoenix International Raceway Avondale, AZ.

Welcome Race Fans to the 35th race of the Season and the ninth race of the Chase. Today’s line up has a few newcomers. Patrick Carpentier will drive the 10 car, having qualified on speed. Sam Hornish, Jr. finally made it into a race and will be driving the 06 car. 27 also finally making a race, is Jacques Villeneuve. 01 today is Aric Almirola. Veteran Sterling Marlin is in the 09 car. Bill Davis Truck driver Johnny Benson is driving BDR entry #36. Bill Elliott takes a past Champion Provisional in the 21 car. Those not making the race are: 44 Dale Jarrett, 55 Michael Waltrip, 00 David Reutimann, 4 Ward Burton, 84 A. J. Allmendinger, 34 Kevin Lepage and 49 John Andretti. 99 Carl Edwards is on the Pole, with 1 Martin Truex, Jr. beside him.
Phoenix International Raceway is a one mile almost flat track. There will be 312 laps for 500k, or 312 miles. Carl Edwards is the 18th different Pole Sitter this year. There are 7 former Champions in this race. Jeff Gordon, Jimmy Johnson, Bobby Labonte, Matt Kenseth, Kurt Busch, Bill Elliott and Tony Stewart.
So, here we go. 99 Carl Edwards leads from the Pole. 9 Kasey Kahne battle for position. 48 Jimmy Johnson gets by 18 J. J. Yeley for 4th. 20 Tony Stewart gets by 17 Matt Kenseth. 48 battles 24 Jeff Gordon and gets by. The first caution comes out on lap 25.66 Jeremy Mayfield comes down onto 38 David Gilliland and spins him. Out of the pits it’s 99, 12 Ryan Newman, 1 Martin Truex, Jr.. 07 Clint Bowyer, 48, 25 Casey Mears, 29 Kevin Harvick, 18, 2 Kurt Busch and 31 Jeff Burton. 7 Robby Gordon had a tire issue in the pits and will go to the end of the longest line.
The Green Flag comes out on lap 28. 12 and 1 battle for second. 48 gets by 07. 1 gets by 12. 12 and 48 battle. 48 takes the spot. 24 and 07 battle. 24 takes the spot. 42 Juan Pablo Montoya gets into 8 Dale Earnhardt to get by. 40 David Stremme today is in a yellow Juicy Fruit car. 8 gets by 25. The second caution comes out on lap 86 for debris. 45 Kyle Petty is the Lucky Dog and gets to drive by the Pace car to get his lap back. The Green Flag comes out on lap 90.
The third caution comes out when 20 Tony Stewart taps 78 Joe Nemechek and 78 spins. Joe doesn’t hit anything. 01 Aric Almirola is the Lucky Dog. 6 David Ragan got into the grass in the corner and got lifted up, loosing part of the splitter when it hits a ground camera. 1 and 99 battle.1 keeps the lead. 99 is blowing up and pits, then goes to the garage. The fourth caution comes out on lap 107 for debris. 7 is the Lucky Dog. Twenty-nine cars are on the lead lap. 2, 24 and 07 battle for position.
The fifth caution comes out when 8 goes up into the wall, gets sideways and down into the inside wall. 24, 31, 16 Greg Biffle, 11 Denny Hamlin, 40 pit. 1 and 48 stay out. The top eighteen are 1, 48, 12, 2, 5 Kyle Busch, 07, 18, 20, 17, 29, 15 Paul Menard, 26 Jaime McMurray, 70 Johnny Sauter, 25, 31, 42, 40 and 24. 42 gets into 24 way back in traffic. The sixth caution comes out during the commercial. 27 Jacques Villeneuve and 9 get together and 27 spins. The leaders pit. Out of the pits, it’s 1, 48, 12, 2, 07, 29, 5, 20, 18 , 26. 17 is leading 40, 31, 24, 16, 42, 41 Reed Sorenson and 7 who stay out.
The seventh caution comes out when 9 gets into the wall. 9 and 96 Tony Raines got together. 88 Ricky Rudd, 2, 07, 5 and 20 battle. 88 falls back. 24 gets by 40 for second. 99 is back on the track, thirty-eight laps behind. 48 catches 24 in second place. 24 and 48 battle and 48 gets by. 12 and 16 battle for position. 12 gets by 16. 1 gets by 24. 17 in the lead has to pit. 48 is now leading. 40 and 31 battle. 07 and 31 battle. 16 is pitting, along with 31, 40 and 24. There better not be a caution until all the leaders pit! 24 and 16 battle. 5, 2, 29 pit. 48, 7, 20 pitting. 1 leads, then pits. 41 leads, then pits. After the Green Flag pitting is over, 17 is back in the lead.
The eighth caution comes out on lap 233 during the commercial for spinning 22 Dave Blaney. 12 gets fuel only to lead. 42 comes back into the pits. 17 and 12 battle for the lead. 17 takes the lead. 20 gets by 12. The ninth caution comes out when 78 spins out. He got loose and got into the wall. The Green Flag comes out with sixty-five to go. 6 David Ragan, 18 and 5 are three wide. 1 thinks he has a flat, but stays out. 29 and 24 battle. 29 and 24 get together. 5 races 29 and 24. 24 has a tire rub from contact with 29. 24 is saved by the tenth caution for debris. 17 and 48 battle with the lapped car of 01 in the way, racing for the Lucky dog position. 01 and 17 get together.
48 takes the lead from 17. 17 and 1 battle for second. 16 who is fastest on the track gets by 20. 16 gets by 1. 20 and 1 battle. 20 gets by 1. 16 catches 17 in second. 16 gets by 17 for second. 16 can’t catch 48, and 48 wins his fourth race in a row! This is the first time since 1998 that anyone has one four in a row. Jeff Gordon did it in 1998, and went on to win his second Championship in a row. Will Jimmy Johnson go on next week to do just that? We’ll see. He’s 86 points ahead of second place, Jeff Gordon.

Brought to you by Sheila Hawley
http://www.ilovemynascar.com