(WOMR file photo)

“The action track”, Richmond International Raceway, as it is affectionately known amongst the NASCAR community lived up to its moniker.  As the race was concluded last night, there was the usual “NASCAR officials/drivers conferences” that occur after a traditional short track “confrontation”!  However, it was not because there was . . . → Read More: Richmond Produces Bruised Egos And Hurt Feelings!]]>

(WOMR file photo)

“The action track”, Richmond International Raceway, as it is affectionately known amongst the NASCAR community lived up to its moniker.  As the race was concluded last night, there was the usual “NASCAR officials/drivers conferences” that occur after a traditional short track “confrontation”!  However, it was not because there was a lot of beatin’ and bangin’ during Saturday night’s Capital City 400, it was, instead, the results of two NASCAR judgement calls.

There were two drivers that were most affected, and thus two very upset people, for two very different reasons!  Both drivers left Richmond feeling that they got “the big screw job” from the NASCAR officials!

Bruised egos and hurt feelings

The first incident involved Carl Edwards.  He was involved in a somewhat confusing and questionable restart incident.

When the race restarted with 82 laps to, Edwards said he was told he had the lead back. But on the restart, NASCAR ruled that Stewart was leader and that Edwards jumped early and because of that, was penalized.

That penalty took him out of contention.

Edwards was having a very hard time accepting the penalty and its explanation after the race.

Carl’s explanation

“I am trying to not be too frustrated and say something stupid,” he said. “So right before that start my spotter Jason Hedleskey was told by NASCAR officials that the 99 was the leader, the 99 is the leader. Jason told me and I had a split second to decide what I was going to do. I thought, okay, NASCAR made a mistake and they lined us up wrong.

“I was at a disadvantage being on the outside so I thought I was getting the best start I could get. It looked like Tony waited or spun his tires so they black flagged me. I still don’t understand why they black flagged me. They said we were the leader and I restarted the best I could given the disadvantaged position I was in. The problem is I don’t know if NASCAR is going to take the stance that I jumped the start. If they are saying that I jumped the start then that would be real frustrating.

“I was on the outside and thought Tony Stewart was the leader on the inside. NASCAR told my spotter about three seconds before the restart that the 99 was the leader. They put us on the scoreboard as the leader and I realized I was at a disadvantaged position on the outside land and NASCAR made a little mistake. I got the best start I could and Tony didn’t start or spun his tires and NASCAR black flagged us. I don’t know why they black flagged me. I don’t think it is right and I don’t agree with it. Before I say something stupid because I am real frustrated I would like to go talk to them.”

Tony’s beef

Tony Stewart’s complaint was the water bottle that was the “culprit” for the debris yellow flag thrown with just 14 laps to go in the race was out of the groove, and had been lying there for eight laps!

The alleged presence of the bottle on the track brought out a caution flag. Busch beat the field out of the pits during that caution, kept the lead on the restart and easily held the lead to the checkered flag.

“It was a gift,” Busch said of the caution. “Man, I just don’t know where it came from or what it was or anything, but it doesn’t matter.”

Stewart said it mattered to him.

“That’s what it looked like to me,” he said when asked if the backstretch debris was a water bottle. “I mean, it was out of the groove. It had been sitting there for eight laps.”

The water bottle, however, had accomplices in deciding the outcome; the pit crews of the Busch and Stewart cars for starters. They sent Busch out first and Stewart out second.

“We came down pit road,” Busch said, “and Dave Rogers (crew chief) and these guys went to work and gave me a great pit stop – got me out front. Gave me the lead so I could restart the race how I wanted to. That was the win right there.”

Stewart flashed a different tone toward his crew.

Asked about being upset at his crew, he said, “No different than anybody else that has a scenario that happens tonight. You go back and try to work on it and try to remedy the problem and try to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

Note to Tony and Carl

As I have oft-repeated over the past few years in my blog, when racing at the short tracks anywhere in this nation, you must first leave your egos, your feelings, and your weapons at the pit gate!  If you do this, you will not get your egos and your feelings hurt by the actions of your competitors, as well as, the sanctioning body of the race.  Likewise, it is also extremely important to leave all weapons at the pit gate, as well.  Thereby eliminating any possible homicides that would otherwise occur after the race, as the results of the beatin’, the bangin’, and the elevated tempers that naturally occur during the race!

Maybe before the race, as a part of the pre-race festivities, in addition to the invocation and the national anthem, the drivers and the pit crewmen should all hold hands and sing “Michael Row Your Boat Ashore”!  That surely would have a nice calming effect on all the competitors!  I am just sayin’…………………

What do you think?

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

(WOMR file photo)

The reigning NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion, Tony Stewart, reluctantly donned his boxing-inspired red velvet “Smoke” robe one last time Thursday night at Texas Motor Speedway.  Stewart was honored as the track’s Racer of the Year for 2011.

And on . . . → Read More: Stewart: A Picture Of Inconsistency]]>

(WOMR file photo)

What is up with the reigning Sprint Cup champion?

The reigning NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion, Tony Stewart, reluctantly donned his boxing-inspired red velvet “Smoke” robe one last time Thursday night at Texas Motor Speedway.  Stewart was honored as the track’s Racer of the Year for 2011.

And on Friday afternoon, Stewart donned a dunce cap after scraping the wall during final practice for the Samsung Mobile 500.  Stewart’s backup car for Saturday evening’s race was the same Chevy that dominated here in the fall, when he led 173 of 334 laps. Stewart also won in the car at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, a sister 1.5-mile track to TMS, last month.

“I just got loose and didn’t have enough racetrack to get it gathered-up. So, driver error,” said Stewart, prior to qualifying his backup No. 14 Mobil 1/Office Depot Chevrolet Impala 29th (186.944 mph) after a late-afternoon engine swap. Because he changed cars before the qualifying session, Stewart will not have to drop to the rear of the 43-car field for Saturday night’s scheduled 334-lapper.

Stewart actually joked about his struggles Thursday night during the annual Texas Motorsports Hall of Fame induction ceremony at The Speedway Club, noting that he hit “everything but the fence” during the day’s lone practice session around the 1.5-mile quadoval. Stewart admittedly was puzzled, as his Stewart-Haas Racing team had tire-tested for Goodyear earlier this spring.

Stewart made a major move toward his third championship on Nov. 6 when he won the AAA Texas 500, Race No. 8 of the 10-race Chase for the Sprint Cup. Stewart’s win by 1.092-seconds over Carl Edwards was one of five “Smoke” scored during NASCAR’s postseason. The outcome basically set the stage for Stewart’s showdown with Ford Racing star Edwards, of Roush-Fenway Racing, for the 2011 championship.

Eddie Gossage, TMS’ president, fanned the flames of that rivalry by staging a boxing-style promotion in the infield media center complete with lockers featuring robes, boxing gloves, headgear and mouthpieces. Stewart donned the robe during his Victory Lane celebration and hammed-it-up with a clenched-fist pose. Neither Stewart nor Edwards finished worse than third during the season’s final three races and ended up tied in points at Homestead-Miami Speedway after 36 events. Stewart won via the most-wins tiebreaker.

A model of inconsistency

Never mind the fact that Stewart already has amassed 2 victories in just seven races, look at the finishes that were not victories. Stewart started off the year with a 16th place finish at Daytona.  The next week at Phoenix he slips even further grabbing a 22nd place finish.  However, the following week at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Tony Stewart dominates the field and pulls off his victory of the season.

The next week at Bristol, Stewart was never in the hunt for the victory.  The best that Stewart could muster was a 14th place finish at The Colosseum of Crash!  The following week at “The Hotel California”, Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, “Smoke” garnered his second win of the short season.  The following week at “The Paper Clip”, Martinsville, the best that Stewart could do was a lousy 24th place.

Last night at Texas, after going to back up car because he stuck his primary car in the wall during practice, the 2011 Sprint Cup champ was relegated to a back marker.  As the checkered flag fell on the field, “Smoke” got smoked.  Stewart was 2 laps down holding his own in 24th place!

If Tony Stewart hopes to make a run at the Sprint Cup championship, thus making him a four-time champ, as well  as a back-to-back champ, his team must smooth out all those hills and valleys.  The SHR #14 Mobil 1/Office Depot Chevy needs to start reeling off those top 5′s and top 10′s each and every week!

Consistency is the way that championships are created!

What are your views on Stewart’s lack of consistent finishes?

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

(WOMR file photo)

As forecasted by all the LA television stations, the skies opened up and rain came down in Fontana, CA, specifically at the Auto Club Speedway Sunday.  Therefore, the race was rain-shortened, completing only 129 laps of the scheduled 200 laps.

The Auto Club 40o was accident-free, meaning yellow flag . . . → Read More: Smoke On The Water!]]>

(WOMR file photo)

As forecasted by all the LA television stations, the skies opened up and rain came down in Fontana, CA, specifically at the Auto Club Speedway Sunday.  Therefore, the race was rain-shortened, completing only 129 laps of the scheduled 200 laps.

The Auto Club 40o was accident-free, meaning yellow flag free for the entire duration, that was- until the rain fell on lap 124!

Nevertheless, Stewart made all the right moves, had a very strong piece, was out front when the skies darkened, and the clouds released all the rain upon the race track.  The winning of the Auto Club 400 was the second victory in five races for the 2011 Sprint Cup champion.  It was “Smoke’s” 46 career victory in 464 races, tying him with Buck Baker for 14th on the career win list.  Looking back on the last fifteen races, dating back to the beginning of the 2011 Chase, Tony Stewart has won seven of them!

Something is in the air at Stewart-Haas Racing this year.  Never before in Stewart’s Sprint Cup career has he won races this early in the season.  Usually Stewart does not come alive until the weather gets hot, the tracks get really hot, greasy, and slick.  Is the change in Stewart’s winning track record due to the addition of Steve Addington on top of the pit box, or now having his old crew chief, Greg Zipadelli, as the competition director at SHR?

My final thoughts:

Watching Stewart lead the field down pit road as the red flag waved, and seeing the rain intensified, made me relive an old seventies tune by Deep Purple- “Smoke On The Water”!!

Check out the unofficial results of the Auto Club 400.

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

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mCK05dgwgU

(WOMR file photo)

In the first two races of the year Tony Stewart did not even remotely look like the defending 2011 Sprint Cup champion.  However, both Tony Stewart and new crew chief, Steve Addingtion, showed the other 42 drivers that they are still hungry for more victories in the 2012 . . . → Read More: Stewart Dominates The Kobalt Tools 400]]>

(WOMR file photo)

In the first two races of the year Tony Stewart did not even remotely look like the defending 2011 Sprint Cup champion.  However, both Tony Stewart and new crew chief, Steve Addingtion, showed the other 42 drivers that they are still hungry for more victories in the 2012 race season.

The Stewart-Haas Racing #14 Office Depot Chevy dominated the race for most of the last half of the 267 lap race, and thereby giving Smoke his very first victory at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway.  By doing so, Stewart went on to win his first race of the 2012 race season.  That victory Sunday took some of the pressure off of brand new crew chief, Steve Addington.  Addington came over to SHR after Stewart and terminated crew chief, Darian Grubb, won 5 of the 1o Chase faces to close out the season and secure the 2011 Sprint cup championship.  That level of domination in the Chase had never been accomplished in Chase history.

In the first half of the race it appeared that the Kobalt Tools 400 was Dale Earnhardt,Jr.’s  to win.  He folk the lead on the first lap and racked up more than 50 laps in the front of the other 42 drivers.  However, a very unusual pit stop call, taking 4 tires when the entire field took only 2 tires, resulted in Dale Jr. losing about 20 spots coming out of the pits.  From that pit stop forward, Earnhardt was mired back in the pack, where passing was at a premium.  Nevertheless, by race end Earnhardt slithered through the pack, thereby rallying to secure a 10th place finish!

From a personal standpoint, the weather for the race at LVMS was ideal.  There was a thin layer of cirrus clouds keeping the track temperatures very mild. There was  a very slight wind steady wind that came from turn four heading to turn one, and finally the ambient temperature hovered around the low 70′s.  All in all, some very ideal race conditions in Las Vegas this past weekend!

Check out the unofficial results for the Kobalt Tools 400.

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

(photo courtesy Brian Lawdemilk)

Today actually launched the beginning of the race to get into the race.  That is, in fact, what the Gatorade Duels are.  Even though the drivers qualified last Sunday, there was only two drivers that received guaranteed slots for Sunday’s Daytona 500.  Those two drivers were Carl Edwards . . . → Read More: The Gatorade Duels]]>

(photo courtesy Brian Lawdemilk)

Today actually launched the beginning of the race to get into the race.  That is, in fact, what the Gatorade Duels are.  Even though the drivers qualified last Sunday, there was only two drivers that received guaranteed slots for Sunday’s Daytona 500.  Those two drivers were Carl Edwards and Greg Biffle, the two fastest qualifiers from Sunday.  The rest of the qualifiers basically had to race their way into the 2012 Daytona 500 via the Gatorade Duels today.

Duel race number one was for the cars that qualified in the odd numbers positions, 1, 3, 5, 7, etc,.

With all the rule changes that have been put into place in the off-season, the first race was very exciting with a combination of two car tangos, and the pack racing of old.

Thursday’s victory was Stewart’s first with crew chief Steve Addington, who joined Stewart-Haas Racing during the offseason. On Sunday, they’ll attempt to claim the one prize that has eluded the three-time Cup champion — a victory in the Great American Race.

“Obviously the fact that we’ve won 17 times here and not won on the right day is proof it’s good momentum, but it’s no guarantee,” Stewart said after the race. “It’s nice to come here, especially for Steve and I, being our first race together, to be able to come out and have two really good strong and solid races back-to-back [including a second-place run in last Saturday's Budweiser Shootout].

“It’s good momentum for the crew, everybody at Stewart-Haas Racing, to carry that momentum from last year. It gives you confidence going into Sunday — It’s a long race on Sunday, and a lot can happen.

“I think we showed the rest of the field that we have a car that has good speed. That’s a really strong point, just like Trevor Bayne showed last year he had a strong car, so people wanted to go with him. Hopefully that will work for us on Sunday, too.”

The caution flew after Stewart had led the field to the white flag, with race runner-up Dale Earnhardt Jr. in hot pursuit. Contact from Aric Almirola’s Ford launched Patrick’s Chevrolet toward the inside SAFER barrier on the backstretch, and impact with the wall was hard enough to lift all four wheels of Patrick’s car off the pavement.  Danica will race in the Daytona 500 via some back-room dealings to purchase the 2011 points from the Tommy Baldwin Racing #36 team.  However, due her wreck on the last lap of the #1 Duel, Patrick will start at the back of the starting field.

Kenseth got a huge push from Jimmie Johnson in the outside lane, as the duo approached the start/finish line to take the white flag in the second Duel. Biffle, who held the lead at that point, moved up the track to block Kenseth, but Kenseth and Johnson dived to the inside and used their momentum to clear Biffle.

“With that push, it would never have gotten done,” Kenseth said. “Greg lost his drafting partner. We were able to separate him and the No. 78 [Smith], and we had such a huge run that Greg was kind of a sitting duck. I was going so fast with Jimmie’s push that we were able to make it past.”

So race fans, today at the track the weather was hot, and the racing was hotter!  Tomorrow the Camping World Trucks get their 2012 season underway with the NextEra Energy Resources 250 Friday night at Daytona.  That race is at night, and always provides some of the best racing during Daytona Speedweeks.

(WOMR file photo)

I have been suffering from “lack-of-NASCAR-racing” for about the last 96 days!  To help my withdrawals, I have had to supplement my NASCAR fix with some really good modified and late model dirt track racing from, both my home track of Cocopah . . . → Read More: Can You Hear The Engines?]]>

(WOMR file photo)

It has been a long, cold winter.

I have been suffering from “lack-of-NASCAR-racing” for about the last 96 days!  To help my withdrawals, I have had to supplement my NASCAR fix with some really good modified and late model dirt track racing from, both my home track of Cocopah Speedway in Yuma, as well as the dirt track in Tucson.

Well, Friday marked the beginning of the Daytona Speedweeks. The Bud Shootout competitors were the first drivers to gain access to the race track.

Rule Changes

With all the rule changes for the 2012 season, a smaller radiator capacity, now just two gallons, lower water pressure regulator pop-off valve, relocating the intake to the radiator into the front bumper area, decreasing the size of the rear spoiler, and increasing the size of the rear bumper, 2″ closer to the ground, to restrict air underneath it, the teams are dealing with many new variables.  For most of the first half of the first practice period, the drivers were feeling out their cars and the new handling characteristics.

Bud Shootout Practice

It appeared that the first practice session was going to be kind of mundane, and mild-mannered.  However, as the session matured, the driving became more aggressive.  It didn’t take too long before a driver made a mistake.  The 2011 Sprint Cup champion,  Tony Stewart, got into the back of Kurt Busch, turning Busch around in turn #3.  Busch then collected Stewart, A.J. Allmendinger, Brad Keselowki, and also caused a little bit of damage to Jeff Gordon’s left front fender.  So it didn’t take long for the carnage to begin!

Once that litter, and the  crumpled sheet metal was cleaned up and pulled up on the rollback (aka tow truck), the Bud Shootout practice resumed.  However, shortly after resuming the Bud Shootout practice, the Florida rain began to fall, ending the practice session for the day.

Nevertheless, it was good for the soul to see the Sprint Cup cars out on the Daytona International Speedway Friday afternoon. Even though this was only the cars that qualified for the Bud Shootout, total of cars numbering 25, it signaled what is to come in the next few days at “The World Center of Speed”, Daytona International Speedway!

A bunch of angry bees

As I was watching the Bud Shootout practice this thought was running through my, somewhat demented brain; the sight of the Cup cars running around the speedway like of bunch of angry bees gives more credence that spring in on the way than listening to Punxsutawney Phil‘s prognostication just 14 days ago!

Can you hear those 800 horses singing in perfect eight cylinder harmony?  Can you hear Kurt Busch swearing and attacking his crew on his radio frequency?  Can you hear Ky Busch’s crew chief begging Busch not to wreck Hornaday at Texas?  Can you hear the sounds of Mike Joy, Larry Mac, and ol DW behind the microphone saying, “Boogity, Boogity, Let’s go racin’, boys?

Can you hear the engines?

Well folks, I sure can!

It is just 4 days til I jump on a plane for my annual trek back to “The World Center of Speed” to get my dose of the Duels, the Trucks, the Nationwide, and the running of the 54th Daytona 500!

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

(WOMR file photo)

The last person not named Johnson to win the Sprint Cup championship won the championship again, as well as The Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway Sunday.  Ten weeks ago Tony Stewart was not even considered a favorite to win a single Chase race, let alone the 2011 Sprint Cup . . . → Read More: Stewart “Smokes” ‘Em For The Championship]]>

(WOMR file photo)

The last person not named Johnson to win the Sprint Cup championship won the championship again, as well as The Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway Sunday.  Ten weeks ago Tony Stewart was not even considered a favorite to win a single Chase race, let alone the 2011 Sprint Cup championship.  However, what his team was able to accomplish has never been done before since the Chase was established.

The Stewart-Haas Racing Office Depot/Mobil 1/Burger King #14 Chevy won 5 out of the 10 Chase races, including the very last race of the season at Homestead-Miami Speedway.  In winning the last race, Stewart rallied to accumulate enough point to tie the Carl Edwards, who came into this race the points leader.  The tie breaker for this ties went to Tony Stewart, since he had won more races during the season than had Edwards.

Tony Stewart knew there was only one way he could assure himself of a third career Sprint Cup championship in the days heading up to Sunday’s season-ending Ford 400 Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway, and that was to win the race.  That is just exactly what he did!

Stewart is the first owner/driver to win the championship since Alan Kulwicki accomplished the feat back in 1992.

Recapping, to win the race Stewart had to overcome two lengthy pit stops to repair the hole in the grill that resulted from some debris that was kicked up and ran over by Stewart early in the race.  All total, Stewart passed 76 cars on his marches from 40th and 38th place, respectively, en route to the lead!

Even though Edwards had a very fast race car on Sunday, it was Stewart who had THE faster, and more dominating, pony to ride at Homestead-Miami Speedway!

Check out the 2011 Sprint Cup Chase Championship points results.

(WOMR file photo)

So far two of the three championships have been determined at Homestead-Miami Speedway.  However, the one that has everyone buzzing is yet to be determined.  The Sprint Cup championship is the culmination of thirty-six weeks of racing throughout the USA.  Therefore after thirty-five . . . → Read More: It’s Edwards’ Championsip To Loose?]]>

(WOMR file photo)

This is Championship Weekend in NASCAR.

So far two of the three championships have been determined at Homestead-Miami Speedway.  However, the one that has everyone buzzing is yet to be determined.  The Sprint Cup championship is the culmination of thirty-six weeks of racing throughout the USA.  Therefore after thirty-five weeks, the championship is down to one race, two drivers, and just the tiniest of margins, 3 points, in determining who will be the reigning 2011 Sprint Cup champion!

The two drivers who have survived the Chase format for the 2011 season is, two-time champion Tony Stewart, and the consistently performing Carl Edwards.

In the head-to-head comparisons, it appears to be a dead-heat.  That is, both drivers have two wins at the Homestead-Miami Speedway.  On closer scrutiny, Stewart’s two wins came on the older flat configuration, Edwards’ two wins, however, have come on the newer progressively banked configuration!

Nevertheless, Tony Stewart has won many championships during his racing career, and most likely can deal with the pressure.  Stewart may have a better understanding of what to expect, what it takes to win a championship, but is that enough to make a difference?

Sometimes being new to the pressures of a championship hunt, can work in your favor.  Could it be that, what Carl Edwards doesn’t know what he doesn’t know, be a benefit to his quest for the championship?

Who will stake their claim on the Sprint Cup championship?  For most who are in the know, it is a dead heat.  However, I will stick my neck out with a bold prediction.  Just twelve weeks ago Tony Stewart made a bold statement that his team didn’t deserve to be in the Chase, with the way that they performed in the races leading up to the Chase.  His team was extremely inconsistent during “the regular season”!  That comment obviously lit a fire within the organization!

It is my opinion that the most consistent driver during this season will win the championship.  That driver is Carl Edwards, because………………………….

Winning is an attitude!

Who do you think will exhibit that winning attitude today at Homestead-Miami Speedway?

One race, two drivers, one championship, who will be the last man standing?

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

(WOMR file photo)

This weekend the spotlight was on the two car race for the 2011 Sprint Cup championship, as well as the newly reconfigured, and newly resurfaced racing facility.

I can tell you from my view in my seat in the Allison Tower, from walking through the pits, as well as . . . → Read More: Kasey Kahne Wins One For Red Bull]]>

(WOMR file photo)

This weekend the spotlight was on the two car race for the 2011 Sprint Cup championship, as well as the newly reconfigured, and newly resurfaced racing facility.

I can tell you from my view in my seat in the Allison Tower, from walking through the pits, as well as strolling up and pit road, this new configuration is fantastic.  Even though the racing groove started out very thin, with just one lane of racing through practice on Thursday and Friday, however, by the start of the Nationwide race on Saturday afternoon, the racing groove had widened out allowing some side-by-side racing in the Nationwide race.

By the end of the Nationwide race the groove widened just in time for the K&N West Series to take the track and widen out the groove even more!  Both the Nationwide and the K&N races were action packed, and very exciting preliminary races that promised to lead up to a very good Sprint Cup race Sunday!

Early on in the race Tony Stewart took control.  For the first half of the race it appeared that he was cruising to his 5th win in the first nine races of the Chase!  But as the day proceeded on, Kasey Kahne stole the spotlight.  Kahne may not be in the Chase, however, for one day at least, he was the talk of NASCAR when he won the Kobalt Tools 500 Sprint Cup race at Phoenix International Raceway.

This was Kahne’s first win for Red Bull Racing, his 11th career victory, and his first victory in 81 races.

“It feels so good,” Kahne said. “It’s been a long time coming. This whole Red Bull team has done an unbelievable job to keep working hard. Kenny Francis (crew chief) keeps on it – everybody at Red Bull, the car, the Toyota engine. It was a great run today. The guys did an awesome job. We fell back a little bit early and then came back and just kept getting it better. These guys haven’t given up in the last three months. It’s been really cool. It was really, really cool. It was slippery early, but as the tires built heat and got rubber on the track, the Goodyear tires came in pretty good. It ended up being a great race. I’m really excited.”

So the two-horse race for the championship leaves The Valley of The Sun heading for South Florida with exactly the same point spread that existed when they both drove through the tunnel Friday at Phoenix.  Edwards leads Stewart by the slimmest of margins, just 3 points.

The drama is building for quite a spectacular championship weekend at Homestead!  Stay tuned to see which one will unseat Mr. five Time, Jimmie Johnson!

Check out the unofficial results from the Kobalt Tools 500 at Phoenix.

With one race to go for the Sprint Cup championship here is the standings.

Twelve drivers, now one race, on championship, who will be the last man standing?

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

(WOMR file photo)

Sunday in Ft. Worth, TX, Tony Stewart backed up his “trash talk” to Carl Edwards by winning the AAA Texas 500.

Without a race win in “the regular season”, this victory was Stewart’s fourth win in the first eight races in the Chase, as well as his 43rd career . . . → Read More: A Texas “Smoke Screen”!]]>

(WOMR file photo)

Sunday in Ft. Worth, TX, Tony Stewart backed up his “trash talk” to Carl Edwards by winning the AAA Texas 500.

Without a race win in “the regular season”, this victory was Stewart’s fourth win in the first eight races in the Chase, as well as his 43rd career victory!  Stewart won this race in a very dominating fashion leading 173 of the 334 laps of the race.

Is this starting to sound like the past five years when Jimmie Johnson would dominate in the Chase races?  It would appear that the Chase has been whittled down to a two car race, Stewart and Edwards.  Which of these two drivers will be the one who wrestles the Sprint Cup championship from the grasp of “Mr Five Time”, Jimmie Johnson?

This victory was not enough to give Stewart the Chase points lead.  However, this victory did eat into the points spread that Edwards had prior to the start of the race.  Stewart cut into the previous eight point lead, now trailing Edwards by just 3 points with two races left in the season.

The Sprint Cup drivers now head back out West to a newly paved, and reconfigured Phoenix International Raceway.  With new pavement and a slight configuration change, all the race teams have had to throw away their notebooks on PIR, and start fresh in their approach to this race track.  Phoenix is going to be challenging for all teams exactly for the above mentioned reasons.

Therefore, Phoenix may be looked at by all race teams in the same fashion that the race teams viewed Talladega two weeks ago.  There is the new unknown regarding PIR.  Who will master the reconfigured facility?  There is no doubt that, in light of this very tight championship race, Phoenix is going to play a very integral part of crowning the Sprint Cup champion!

Check out the unofficial results from the AAA Texas 500.

Here is the Chase standings after the finish of the AAA Texas 500.

Twelve drivers, now two races, one championship, who will be the last man standing?

See you next weekend from the Phoenix International Raceway!

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