In My Opinion

Hello race FANS! Today I’d like to talk about the NASCAR Nationwide Series. In my opinion, NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers are taking over. Five of them are running for the Championship in the Series. That never used to be the case. The Series (formerly Busch) used to be a training ground for new talent. Drivers raced in the Series, hopefully earned a Championship, and moved on to NASCAR Sprint (formerly Nextel, formerly Winston) Cup. Names like Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Matt Kenseth (although he didn’t win a Championship, he started in the Series and moved up to Cup), Brian Vickers, Greg Biffle (In my opinion he did it exactly right. He won a Championship in NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, won a Championship in NASCAR Busch Series, and then went on to Cup.), Kevin Harvick (who took over Dale Earnhardt’s ride in cup when he died in 2001, while winning the Busch Title) and finally, Martin Truex, Jr. After Truex, Jr. won his Championship, Cup drivers decided to run for the Series Championship. Kevin Harvick won it again in 2006, and Carl Edwards did it in 2007. In my opinion, that’s just not right.

My favorite races are those where Cup is at one track in one state and the Nationwide Series is at a track in another state. The regular Nationwide drivers call these races “opportunity” races. These races give a regular Nationwide driver an opportunity to win a race because not too many Cup drivers are there to take away their glory. And, let’s face it, I watch the NASCAR Nationwide Series to see Nationwide drivers, not to see Cup regulars race. I see them on Sunday.

Last week in Nashville was the perfect “opportunity”. Cup was in Pocono, Pa. And as it turned out, my favorite Nationwide driver won the race: Brad Keselowski. Now I admit, I have this thing for the number 88. My favorite driver, Dale Jarrett, drove the number 88 in Cup when I first started watching NASCAR. I also like Matt Crafton in the number 88 in the Craftsman Truck Series. JR Motorsports gave Brad a chance in the Nationwide series and he won his first race in Nashville this past weekend. He beat all the Cup drivers to do it. Granted, there were only seven of them, instead of twelve, like when they are both at the same track. He was able to take the opportunity and capitalize on it.

This week Cup will be in Michigan, and Nationwide will be in Kentucky. I will get to see a Nationwide race with mostly Nationwide drivers. Hopefully, a Nationwide driver can take the opportunity and win the race. Scott Wimmer did it earlier this year when he was in the 29 instead of Jeff Burton, who was in a different state in a Cup car. I love NASCAR and I love racing. And I love a Nationwide driver winning a Nationwide race. In my opinion, a Nationwide driver should be able to win a Nationwide Championship. Let’s hear it for Nationwide drivers in Nationwide races. Go Nationwide drivers!

Brought to you by Sheila Hawley

Visit my site:

http://www.ilovemynascar.com

Race Review

Pocono 500

Long Pond, Pa.

Welcome, race fans. This is the fourteenth race of the season. At the triangular shaped 2.5 mile track in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania. The only car that didn’t make it into the race was #96 J. J. Yeley. Why 44 cars couldn’t start on this big of a track, is beyond me. But I don’t make the rules. Dario Franchitti is back in the 40. 70 today is Jason Leffler from the Nationwide Series. He also competed in that Series race at Nashville this weekend. 18 Kyle Busch crashed his car in practice, as did 77 Sam Hornish, Jr. Both will start from the rear. 29 Kevin Harvick left his ignition switch on all night, and it drained his battery. He had to get a new battery to start the car, and will also start from the rear. 21 is Bill Elliott, who made it in on speed. 45 is Terry Labonte, in for Newscaster this week and all TNT televised races, Kyle Petty. He got in with a past Champion provisional. 9 Kasey Kahne is on the pole.
48 Jimmy Johnson leads the first lap. 99 Carl Edwards is moving up on the bottom of the track. 84 A. J. Allmendinger, 01 Regan Smith and 20 Tony Stewart are three-wide. 84 kept the car off 20 and looses the spot. 9 and 48 battle for the lead. 9 takes the lead. 18 gets by29 for thirty-fifth. 11 Denny Hamlin gets by 2 Kurt Busch for ninth. And here, race fans, our electricity went out with a severe thunder storm. So I missed the first two cautions. 2 went spinning, but stayed on the lead lap. The lights come back on after the second caution, with cars exiting pit road. Forty-two laps are complete. 1 Martin Truex, Jr. stays out to lead. 48 takes the lead and 11 gets by 1.
The third caution involves 18. He wasn’t clear of 26 Jamie McMurray when he tried to slide in front of him, and 26 doesn’t let off. 18 goes to the garage. 88 Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and 24 Jeff Gordon battle. 88 gets by. 11 gets by 8 Mark Martin for third. When 11 was getting out of the pits, he hit another car with his right front. And there is some damage. 9 gets by 99 for fifth. The fourth caution comes out when 10 Patrick Carpentier and 77 spin together. 9 has to come back into the pits. They were going to take four tires, but decided on only two after they had lug nuts off. So they have to pit again to get those tires changed. 83 Brian Vickers stays out to lead. 6 David Ragan got into 31 Jeff Burton trying to miss the cone on the way out of the pits. Forty-two cars are on the lead lap.
48 quickly takes the lead. 11 pushes 99 past 16 Greg Biffle. The fifth caution comes out for 77 and 20 spinning together again. They collect 38 David Gilliland. 45 makes it past all that spinning. There is rain on the track, and we go to a Red Flag with the pace car leading everyone into the pits to dry the track. They dry the track, and the restart is on lap seventy-four. 48 is leading. 84 gets by 16 for seventh. The sixth caution comes out for 07 Clint Bowyer spinning in the pits. 42 of Juan Pablo Montoya is on fire. 07 started spinning out of control and 42 got into him while he was spinning. Montoya drives to the fire trucks to get out of the car. And they take their time putting the fire out.
Six cars stay out. 48 is first out of the pits. So, at the restart, it’s 19 Elliott Sadler, 43 Bobby Labonte, 22 Dave Blaney, 1, 11, 45, 48, 16, 99 and 20 in the top ten. 1 pushes 8 to gain position. 11 catches 19. 11 and 19 battle for the lead. 11 takes the lead. 8 and 43 battle. 48 and 99 get by 19 for second and third. 2 soars by 17 Matt Kenseth and 20. 12 Ryan Newman and 31 battle. 31 hangs on. 9 is up to seventh from thirty-third after the lug nut issue. 19, 43, 20 and 1 pit.
The seventh caution comes out for 55 Michael Waltrip who got into the wall. 45 Terry Labonte is the Lucky Dog. Out of the pits, it’s 88, 16, 9, 99, 11, 17, 48. 19, 20, 43 and 1 had just pitted before the caution and stay out. 20 takes the lead. 9 and 11 battle. 11 gets by 88 for sixth. 99 gets by 88 for seventh. 16 gets by 19 for second. The eighth caution comes out when 38 and 40 get together and 40 gets into the wall. 70 also has damage. 16 takes two tires and heads out before a crew member is clear. And then gets hit by 26 who is already going out of pit road. 48 and 24 stay out, with 9 out of the pits first. 9 gets by 24. 20 gets by 24. 16 gets by 24. 11 gets by 24. 9 catches 48 for the lead. 17 and 99 get by 24. 2 gets by 24. 31 pushes 1 and himself past 24. 9 takes the lead. 16 pushes 20 by 48.
The ninth caution comes out again for 77 and 40. 42 Juan Pablo Montoya is the Lucky Dog. He gets one of forty-two laps back. 18 is back in the race, eighty laps behind. 16 gets by 20 for second. 11 and 99 battle. 99 gets by. 99 and 11 get by 48. 48 pits using backward pitting strategy of a road course. 8 pits. 20 goes low and 99 gets by. 16 leads, then pits. 99 leads, then pits. 83 leading. 22 is fast entering pits, and 10 is fast exiting. Both will have to go down pit road. 16 is too fast exiting and will come back in. 9 is back in the lead. Twenty-eight cars are on the lead lap. 99 and 11 battle. 99 takes second from 11. 9 and 11 pit. 20 pits and is too fast exiting.
The tenth caution comes out when 18 spins. 99 was about to pit when the caution came out and stayed on the track, as pit road had closed as he was about to enter. 17 took the lead when 99 went to pit. 10 Patrick Carpentier is the Lucky Dog. 83 is leading at the restart with nineteen to go. 88 and 83 battle for the lead. 83 stays in the lead. 20, a lap down, gets out of the way so 9 can get by.11 gets by 88 for third. 9 takes the lead. 31 gets by 48 for fifth. 43 gets into the wall.17 doesn’t hit him, and we stay green. 31 and 88 battle. 31 gets by 88. 88 goes low to get back by 31 for fourth.
And 9 Kasey Kahne wins the race from the pole position.

Brought to you by Sheila Hawley

Visit my website:

http://www.ilovemynascar.com

Race Review

Dover, DE. Weekend

NASCAR Racing

Welcome Race Fans to Dover, De. Normally, I would be reviewing the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. This week’s review will also be an “in my opinion” kind of thing. The Cup race in my opinion was quite boring. So this week I’m going to talk about the whole weekend. We go to Dover every year for the June 1 weekend. Several years ago, I purchased tickets from a coworker. And liked the track so much, we’ve been coming back every year.
My Dover adventures are something I’d like to share with you sometime, but today I’d just like to tell you about the weekend. We get there in our RV on Wed. We have reserve RV parking in Lot 2, but there are also many other lots. Some fans come the weekend before the race weekend. I guess as a vacation. But we have the same spot every year. So it won’t matter when we get there. We still get the same spot.
The weekend starts when the Gates open on Thursday. The Grandstand Gate opens at 2:00, and Craftsman Truck practice is at 2:30. Final Truck practice is at 4:15. That’s pretty much it for Thursday. Most people don’t arrive until Friday. On Friday the Grandstand Gates open at 9:00 am, and Nationwide practice begins at that time. At 10:10 am Pole qualifying starts for the AAA Insurance 200 for the Craftsman Trucks. There were 36 Trucks entered, so they all got to race. Team mates 5 Mike Skinner and 23 Johnny Benson start first and second.
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice came next at 11:30, with Nationwide Final Practice at 1:15. Pole qualifying for NSCS started at 3:10 p.m. 16 Greg Biffle and 2 Kurt Busch will start on Sunday on the front row. And the AAA Insurance 200 starts at 5:00.  51 Kyle Busch leads the first lap, but is the fourth caution when his truck blows up. He fixes the transmission and comes back onto the track, but is not a factor in the race. 22 Scott Speed, a Rookie wins the race. This is the third week in a row that a Truck driver wins for the first time. Two weeks ago, it was Matt Crafton in the 88, his 178th start. Last week it was Rookie Donnie Lia in the 71. He is a Rookie this year and it was his first win.
On Saturday the Gates open again at 9:00. We went to register for the NASCAR Foundation Walk that takes place after the Nationwide race. We got our wrist band and our t-shirt. Pole qualifying for the Nationwide Heluva Good! 200 is at 10:35. The front row is 60 Carl Edwards and 18 Denny Hamlin. Joey Logano makes his debut and will start 9th. There was a dedication for Bobby Allyson, followed by an autograph session with him. You older NASCAR fans know who he is. Final Cup practice was shortened by rain. And the Nationwide Heluva Good! 200 started three hours late.
18 and 32 Kyle Busch take off, leaving pole sitter 60 behind. The first caution comes out when 5 Landon Cassill gets into the wall. The second caution comes out when 24 Larry McClure gets into the wall. The third caution comes out when 27 Brad Coleman gets into the wall. The fourth caution comes out when 59 Marcos Ambrose gets into the wall. The fifth caution comes out when 11 Jason Keller and 6 David Ragan get together. The sixth caution comes out when 48 Jason Leffler gets into 32, and they both get into the wall. 18 Denny Hamlin wins the race.
The NASCAR Foundation Walk is a great thing. Several Drivers walk for their favorite Charities. Each person walking gets into one of these groups. And everyone walking can collect all of the signatures. I personally got the signatures of Michael Waltrip, Aric Almirola, Regan Smith, Ryan Newman and reporter, Wendy Venturini. I got J P Montoya last year, so I didn’t get his this year. It costs $30 to walk. It’s fun. And for a good cause. They gave us each a plastic bag with NASCAR popcorn and a bottle of water as we were leaving.
Now comes the race on Sunday. Best Buy Autism Speaks 400. 40 is Jeremy Mayfield. 21 is Bill Elliott. 70 this week was Jason Leffler from the Nationwide Series, but failed to qualify. As did Chad McCumbee in the 45 (Kyle Petty was at his daughter’s wedding). For some reason they didn’t say, Matt Crafton, fron the Trucks qualified the 7 for Robby Gordon. But Robby ran the race. 16 leads from the pole. 96 J.J. Yeley gets into the wall between turns one and two. 44 David Reutimann gets into the wall. The first caution involves twelve cars. 38 david Gilliland gets into 19 Elliott Sadler to spin him. Everyone is coming off turn two and straight into 19. 20 Tony Stewart rams into 19 and everyone gets into everyone else. 9 Kasey Kahne isn’t fast enough to escape as 11 Denny Hamlin slams into him as he is trying to get between 88 Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and 19. Also involved were 21, 43 Bobby Labonte, 15 Paul Menard, 07 Clint Bowyer, 29 Kevin Harvick, and 66 Scott Riggs. This happens on lap 20. 00 Michael McDowell leads a lap and then pits with everyone else.
The second caution comes out on lap 65 when 34 Tony Raines missed pitting and gets stuck on the top of the track. He is penalized for causing the caution. 19 and 11 are both out. 20, 29,66 and 88 come out after many laps in the garage. 9, 15, 21,07, 43  loose laps making repairs. 9 Kasey Kahne is the Lucky Dog. The third caution comes out on lap 75 when 78 Joe Nemechek gets into the wall. 96 J J Yeley is the Lucky Dog. There is Green Flag Pitting. 18 Kyle Busch leads when leader 99 Carl Edwards pits. 48 Jimmy Johnson leads when 18 pits.
The fourth caution comes out when 84 A J Allmendinger comes out of the pits and gets stuck on the apron. A wrecker has to push him around. 48 got caught for speeding on pit road. 42 Juan Pablo Montoya is the Lucky Dog. Then it gets really boring, with another round of Green Flag Pitting. 24 Jeff Gordon led. The fifth caution comes out on lap 243 for debris. 42 is again the Lucky Dog. 17 Matt Kenseth leads during another round of Green Flag Pitting. The race is very confusing. There are so many cars between lead lap cars. It’s hard to keep track of everyone. 26 Jamie McMurray led a lap, as did 12 Ryan Newman. at the end of the race, there were seven cars on the lead lap.
I won’t go into who passed who, because it was confusing as to who was on the lead lap and who got by someone on the lead lap. Boring is my word for it, and I was there! And Dover is never boring. But 18 Kyle Busch won the race. Enough said. The rest of the weekend was good. I’m still glad I came to Dover. And will be back next year. I just hope it’s a little more exciting.
Brought to you by Sheila Hawley

Visit my website:

http://www.ilovemynascar.com