(photo courtesy Leon Hammack)

JPM, aka Juan Pablo Montoya, grabbed another pole at Louden, N.H. this afternoon for Lennox Tools 301. JPM proved that you don’t have to perfect to be on the pole.  Coming out of turn #3 Montoya had to catch thebackend of his EGR #42 Target Chevy as  the . . . → Read More: Montoya Racks Up Another Pole]]>

(photo courtesy Leon Hammack)

JPM, aka Juan Pablo Montoya, grabbed another pole at Louden, N.H. this afternoon for Lennox Tools 301. JPM proved that you don’t have to perfect to be on the pole.  Coming out of turn #3 Montoya had to catch thebackend of his EGR #42 Target Chevy as  the backend started to step out and get sideways!

Despite the loose condition of his Chevy he posted the fast time and a speed of  132.337 mph.  Montoya is currently in 20th place in the standings and 161 points out of the coveted 12th position in the Chase for the Cup.  Right now JPM is a long shot to make the Chase, unless his teams really kicks it up several notches.

Rounding out the top five starting  positions are Kasey Kahne, Kurt Busch, Mark Martin, and Ryan Newman.

Check out the remaining starting line up of Sunday’s Lennox Tools 301.

TIL NEXT TIME, I AM STILL WORKING ON MY REDNECK!

NASCAR has just had a rare weekend off in its grinding 36 race schedule.  For several teams it should have been a relaxing weekend to their grueling schedule.  However, for some race teams this off week was spent stewing over their lack of performance over the first . . . → Read More: It’s Time To Go!]]>

(photo courtesy Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)

NASCAR has just had a rare weekend off in its grinding 36 race schedule.  For several teams it should have been a relaxing weekend to their grueling schedule.  However, for some race teams this off week was spent stewing over their lack of performance over the first 6 races!

Among those not doing so well in the early part of this season is Juan Pablo Montoya, who made the Chase last year and fully expects to do the same in 2010.  Thanks to some ill fortune, Montoya sits in 25th place in the 2010 standings.

Of course, there’s still plenty of time to move up, and Montoya can always look at what Mark Martin, one of his racing idols, did last season. Martin was 27th after the first six races, but went on a run, including four victories, that carried him to the Chase.  Martin began his comeback with a win at Phoenix, which just happens to be the next race on this year’s Cup schedule as well.

But Montoya’s record on the one-mile Phoenix oval doesn’t foster great optimism about a quick turnaround. The former Indy car and Formula One star hadn’t finished better than 16th at Phoenix until he came in eighth last fall, his sixth race at the Arizona track.

And this season hasn’t done much for his spirits, either.

JPM is not alone in his struggles this season.  Of the 12 drivers that made the Chase in 2009, 6  of those drivers are outside the top 12 now!  So for those outside the top 12, they need to “grab a gear” and “get up on the wheel”!  This week it is the first evening event of the year, The Subway Fresh Fit 600 at Phoenix International Raceway.

SO IT’S TIME TO GO!

TIL THE NEXT TIME, I AM STILL WORKING ON MY REDNECK!

(photo courtesy Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)

One might wonder just how much venom would have spewed Sunday after the Las Vegas Shelby American 400, had not Juan Pablo Montoya and Jamie McMurray been teammates?  As it was there was plenty spewing out  to go around!

The two team mates collided with each other . . . → Read More: Montoya Has A Chapped Buttocks!]]>

(photo courtesy Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)

One might wonder just how much venom would have spewed Sunday after the Las Vegas Shelby American 400, had not Juan Pablo Montoya and Jamie McMurray been teammates?  As it was there was plenty spewing out  to go around!

The two team mates collided with each other in turn #3 early on in the race at Las Vegas Sunday.  Afterwards, JPM was anything but delicate with his angry remarks about  his new teammate, who won the season opener, the Daytona 500.

“He( McMurray) ran straight into my ass”, Montoya, who appeared to have had at least a top five car for the Las Vegas race, finished 37th as a results of that wreck, said.  “He nearly ran me into the fence (in turn# 2)  as well.  I don’t know.  He is not doing himself any favors.”

“Just Jamie, plain and simple just wrecked us,” the former F1 driver said.  “Every time I am around him, he wants to run the s**t out of me!  I don’t know if I can say that, but I just did!  On the restart, I was inside of him, I think he got tight and never lifted, I didn’t hit the fence because….it was just a miracle.  I then arched it into turn 3 and he plain and simple just wrecked us.  I am sure on the radio it was, ‘Ah, I didn’t mean that.’  He is trying to prove to people that he can drive a race car and I guess he isn’t doing too many favors on this team.”

McMurray waived off his teammate’s criticisms!

So it this reporter’s opinion that the “honeymoon” is over for the Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing teammates!!  Stay tuned for the rest of the serial adventures of, “The Juan and Jamie Show”!

TIL NEXT TIME, I AM STILL WORKING ON MY REDNECK!

(photo courtesy of racintoday.com)

Twelve drivers, ten races, one championship.  That is the cast of characters, the venues, and the grand prize  in what is known as The Chase to the Sprint Cup!

The cast of viable characters has now dwindled, venues have now shrunk to six, but there is still only . . . → Read More: Welcome To The Hotel California!]]>

(photo courtesy of racintoday.com)

Twelve drivers, ten races, one championship.  That is the cast of characters, the venues, and the grand prize  in what is known as The Chase to the Sprint Cup!

The cast of viable characters has now dwindled, venues have now shrunk to six, but there is still only one champion to be crowned.  NASCAR just finished their pilgrimage to the West Coast with the culmination of the race at Auto Club Speedway( the former California Speedway).  At the end of the race, the cast of characters that have a realistic chance has shrunk to most probably just six.

It is about this time in the Chase for The Cup, at least for the past three years anyway, that the Hendrick Motorsports #48 Lowe’s Chevy revels their “killer instincts” for all to see!  Sunday was witness to this fact!  With Sunday’s victory,the #48 Lowe’s Chevy has now won 2 out the 4 races ran in The Chase in 2009.  They have now won 16 race out of the 54 races in this new format.  Does that make them a dynasty?   Do the math, that is a winning record of 29%, think about it!

My point is that, as much as I have said that the #48 Lowe’s team can’t win four championships in a row, it sure has the familiar smell to it!  ( Oh by the way, does anyone know where I can order up a Crow Dinner?)  The other five teams that still have a legitimate shot at capturing the Championship need to REALLY step up their game, because the three time champion has just “let the dogs out of the yard”!

By virtue of the victory at Auto Club Speedway Sunday,  Jimmie Johnson moved into the points lead over the HMS #5  Kelloggs/Carquest Chevy, driven by Mark Martin, by a mere 18 points.  The Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing #42 Target Chevy, driven by JPM (Juan Pablo Montoya), is still holding onto third place, back 58 points from the leader. Next in the pecking order is the Stewart-Haas Racing #14 Office Depot/Old Spice Chevy, driven by Tony Stewart, currently in fourth place- down 85 points from Johnson.  Meanwhile, the HMS #24 Dupont Chevy of Jeff Gordon is holding down fifth, 105 points behind the leader.  And lastly, the Penske Racing #2 Miller Lite Dodge, driven by the crew chief impaired Kurt Busch, mired down in sixth place back 121 points from the leader.

The positions 7 thru 12 are more than one race worth of points behind the leader and, therefore, virtually they no chance of catching the leader!

FOOD FOR THOUGHT:

In comparison, if Richard Petty would have won 29% of all his 1200+ races he would have won in excess of 348 races!  As it was, the King won a remarkable 200 races, while second place David Pearson has a very distant total of 104!

I will leave you with the lyrics to, what I believe is the world’s greatest rock and roll song!  Addtionally, it contains the greatest rock and roll guitar solo! Long live Don Henley, Glen Frey, Joe Walsh, and Don Felder!

WELCOME TO THE HOTEL CALIFORNIA!!!

“On a dark desert highway, cool wind in my hair.

Warm smell of colitas rising up thru the air.

Up ahead in the distance, I saw a shimmering light.

My head grew heavy, and my sight grew dim, I had to stop for the night”

(The Eagles)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ea0CDieb4yM

TIL NEXT TIME, I AM STILL WORKING ON MY REDNECK!

(photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

The rain postponed the Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500 at  Pocono Raceway until Monday.  The clouds parted and the sun shined on the #11 FedEx JGR Toyota driven by Denny Hamlin.  Hamlin bumped his way into the lead with ten laps to go when he “nudged” Bowyer . . . → Read More: Hamlin Wins at Pocono]]>

(photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

The rain postponed the Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500 at  Pocono Raceway until Monday.  The clouds parted and the sun shined on the #11 FedEx JGR Toyota driven by Denny Hamlin.  Hamlin bumped his way into the lead with ten laps to go when he “nudged” Bowyer and drove past him.  The victory was the first for Hamlin in 50 races, which jumped him into 5th place in the Chase standings.  His last victory was the 2008 spring race in Martinsville.

Since taking over the #11 FedEx Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, Hamlin has scored 5 victories, three of them have come at Pocono Raceway!  This race took on a very personal meaning for Denny and his family this week.  Earlier in the week Denny Hamlin’s grandmother, Thelma Clark passed away.  Obviously this was a very emotional victory for both Denny and the #11 FedEx team.

Juan Pablo Montoya (JPM) hung on to finish second at Pocono.  This fortifies the #42 EGR Target Chevy team’s dominating run last week at Indianapolis.  Last week JPM was the dominating race car but was penalized with a stop and go through of the pits, after he was issued a  speeding ticket at Indianapolis last week.  Nonetheless, another fine performance for JPM.  With his second place finish, Montoya moved from 10th to 8th in the standings.

After this race the Chase standings got a little tighter.  Some of those outside the top 12 “leap frogged” either closer to, or into the top 12!  Time is running out on those that are either outside of the top 12, or who are beginning to slump in their performance!

This is the time that if you got anything for the leaders, “you got to get up on the wheel and let the big dog eat”!!

TIL NEXT TIME, I AM STILL WORKING ON MY REDNECK!