(photo courtesy Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

When there has been some talk on NASCAR’s part to shorten some of the races, the exact opposite has occurred at Phoenix this weekend.  The Subway Fresh Fit 500 has been increased 100 kilometers to The Subway Fresh Fit 600.  Phoenix likes to measure their races in kilometers!  It makes is sound . . . → Read More: Phoenix Increases Distance Of Race]]>

(photo courtesy Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

When there has been some talk on NASCAR’s part to shorten some of the races, the exact opposite has occurred at Phoenix this weekend.  The Subway Fresh Fit 500 has been increased 100 kilometers to The Subway Fresh Fit 600.  Phoenix likes to measure their races in kilometers!  It makes is sound like a longer race, when 600 kilometers is really only 375 laps/miles.  That is an increase of 64 laps for the race.

That means that the race will take about 30 -45 minutes longer to run than the previous races.  Since NASCAR standardized all the race times, that new policy moved the Phoenix race time one hour earlier than in previous years.  In keeping with the notion that this is the first night race of the season, the Phoenix promoters asked NASCAR for permission to lengthen the race to 600 kilometers so that it would, in fact, end under the lights.

Will the adjusted start time and/or the increased distance make a significant difference?  That all depends on who you talk to in the garage area.  The opinions  are equally divided among crew chiefs and drivers alike.

The one thing that is for sure, the racing will be fast, furious, and aggressive.  Guaranteed there are going to be some hurt feelings, tempers lost, blown fuses, and a some of “HELMET FIRES” with a driver or two!

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

(photo courtesy Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

The HMS #48 Lowe’s Chevy driven by Jimmie Johnson rebounded in the ultimate fashion Sunday at Phoenix International Raceway’s Checkers O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 in Avondale, AZ!  In what has come to be traditional #48 Lowe’s Chevy Chase productivity, the team responded after a horrible previous race at Texas with a dominating . . . → Read More: Turn Out The Lights…..!]]>

(photo courtesy Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

The HMS #48 Lowe’s Chevy driven by Jimmie Johnson rebounded in the ultimate fashion Sunday at Phoenix International Raceway’s Checkers O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 in Avondale, AZ!  In what has come to be traditional #48 Lowe’s Chevy Chase productivity, the team responded after a horrible previous race at Texas with a dominating win at Phoenix!  The win Sunday has all but put an exclamation point on what most definitely will be that team’s fourth consecutive championship!

That’s right folks, you can tear down the tents, wipe the grease paint off of the clowns faces, the “fat lady” is tuning up and going to sing her Auria!  Turn out the lights, the part is over!  What we have witnessed has been truly amazing.  Not only have we witnessed “Tornado Jimmie”, but also we have witnessed one of the greatest disappearing acts by nine of the competitors in recent NASCAR history!

Ten weeks ago we were touting this group of 12 drivers as the best of the best.  Now nine of those drivers have faded like a pair of Levi jeans!  Jeff Gordon in the HMS #24 Dupont Chevy is in third place, back a distant 169 points.  His chances fade immediately to black as soon as Jimmie Johnson fires up that 800hp HMS #48 Lowe’s Chevy on Sunday.  That will leave only Mark Martin in the HMS #5 Kellogg’s/Carquest Chevy as the only driver to have the remotest of chances in catching “Tornado Jimmie”!  Martin is 108 points behind Johnson with just the lone race at Homestead to run.

So what started out as twelve drivers, ten races, one championship is now one driver, one race, and one champion…… Jimmie Johnson!

The Hendrick Motorsports #48 Lowe’s Chevy rewrites the NASCAR history books at Homestead this Sunday!

(Can anyone direct me to a good restaurant that serves crow on their menu?)

Congratulations to the whole Hendrick Motorsports organization!  It appears that they will have a 1,2,3 finish in the Chase points in 2009.  That is also another first for NASCAR history.

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