Bleacher Report - Articles by Charlie Turner

How To Fix NASCAR: 5. Field-Filler Frenzy

Charlie Turner — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 17:36:38 -0500

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Not that, you know, we need more of them - it’s just what’s been happening lately.

With the formation of an as-yet-to-be-named team by Larry Gunselman, the car count at Daytona is going to be in the high 50s. It’s going to be higher than in 2007, when we had 49 fully-funded teams competing for st- I mean, 14 fully-funded teams attempting to steal points from 35 other fully-funded teams with guaranteed starting spots. (Cough.)

Either way, new teams involved in the sport is a good thing, right? They provide employment to a lot of guys who have been/may be getting displaced, such as Dave Blaney, Todd Bodine, Geoff Bodine, Joe Nemechek, Jeremy Mayfield, Mike Skinner, Kirk Shelmerdine, Kelly Bires, and Derrike Cope. Don’t forget crew chiefs like Phillippe Lopez and Doug Richert, as well as (assumedly) a lot of those displaced in this offseason’s merger mania. That can only help the sport, right?

Wrong.

Gunselman put it best when he told NASCAR.com, “Right now we’re looking at running for purse money while we try to come up with sponsorship dollars. The more sponsor dollars you get, the harder you can run. I tell people all the time, if you don’t have money, you’ve got to race smart, and you can race hard if you do have money.”

These guys - most likely every single one of them - will be utilizing Gunselman’s strategy. (Sorry, Phil Parsons, I don’t believe you for one second when you say that No. 66 is going to run legitimately at Daytona.) They’re field fillers, and they make their living by showing up, qualifying, and running twenty laps before parking the car and lying to NASCAR officials about why the car “broke.”

Not only are they playing a game to try and pocket purse money, they’re potential safety hazards on the track. Remember the 2004 Darlington race where Jeff Gordon and Andy Hillenburg wrecked pretty early on? There were eight field-fillers in the race that day. It’s a wonder that cars citing brake issues at Darlington didn’t cause more problems.

I’ve heard theories that NASCAR promises the TV networks 43-car fields every race. If that’s true, why? What makes 43 cars so special? Champ Car had some awesome races with between 15 and 20. It’s not necessary to set car counts so high that field fillers are required to fulfill the television contract. Someone needs to go in and rewrite those contracts if that’s the case. Quantity doesn’t necessarily mean quality.

Of course, I do have sympathy for these guys. Todd Bodine was a Truck Series champion in 2006. Mayfield made two consecutive Chases in 2004 and 2005 before his team was pulled out from under him. Nemechek and Skinner still have plenty left in the tank, and Bires is an up-and-coming talent. All of them are certainly deserving of rides in some series. It’s a messy situation, especially for those teams whose employees have no other sources of income to fall back on. (Parsons? Eeeeigh. No sympathy, especially when you deny having any part in the team.)

So here’s the best solution I can come up with: Any car that exits the race for good within the first 25% of the scheduled distance has a NASCAR official in their pit stall/garage to verify that the reason for pulling the car from the race is legitimate. The teams that are running legitimately will just regard it as standard protocol, and have no problems. Those who are “racing smart” (cough) lose all accumulated points and get their walking papers from the next race, entry blank filled in or not.

As in, don’t even bother showing up. We’re not going to let you in.

Starting and parking for 36 races may be attractive to some guys. But starting and parking for 18 or less? This doesn’t cater to those “smart” owners at all. They’re not going to run the car beyond its means on one set of tires, as that risks totaling it and coming out with a loss.

I’d say the teams have to forfeit the prize money as well, but those crew members - as many or as few of them the team employs - need to make a living too, like I said.

There’s no perfect solution to the field-filler problem. There likely never will be. But at least by severely limiting the amount of races a field filler can enter, it discourages those owners from trying to form that sort of operation, and only running the races (if any) they can afford to run properly.

It’s a start.

NASCAR’s Version of Homer Simpson

Charlie Turner — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 16:09:41 -0500

Mindy would like to say that Jimmie Johnson sliced his way through traffic at the Rolex 24 in Daytona last weekend. But she just isn’t that kind.

The newest Monday Morning Crew Chief is a bit more critical of the three time Sprint Cup champ than that. Although there was some slicing involved.

She also has some advice for Joey “Sliced Bread” Logano.

Watch the latest from Mindy right here, right now.

NASCAR's Most Improved Driver: Casey Mears?

Charlie Turner — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 16:10:12 -0500

NASCAR’s 2009 Sprint Cup Series is revving up all the usual suspects picked by someone to grab the France Family jewels. But who is your version of the Phoenix, the legendary bird that rises from the ashes?

Bram, that sage Scottish Racer of Backstretch Motorsports acclaim, asked just that over at the BenchRacers forum . Who has the chance to be most improved? Here’s a bit of Bram’s answer to his own question…

“no one stands a better chance at brass-covered tin-ring than Casey Mears.. he’s fully funded and from all outward signs, has a much stronger support system behind him at the Welcome, NC shops as opposed to the ‘and we must mention…’ status he got at Hendrick.. and this is his last chance…”

Is this Casey Mears’ last chance in Cup? It’s hard to argue that logic. Mears has had what seemed at the time, to be very good rides.

The second car at Chip Ganassi with Felix Sabates Racing and then the No. 5 car at Hendrick Motorsports. But the results of the Ganassi team show that they have been annually overrated and Hendrick has never gotten the fourth car up to the level of the No. 24 or 48.

Mears seems the perfect fit for Richard Childress Racing. He reminds me of Jeff Burton, in fact. I’ve had to opportunity to interview Mears and it would be tough to come away from that experience with anything but hope for his success.

It would seem that all is in place for Casey to have that “Most Improved Driver” kind of season. The caveat is that RCR has never run four cars for a full season. It can be argued that only Jack Roush has done so successfully. I like Casey’s chances, though.

Photo credit: BethAnne Heisler - ON PIT ROW

Opportunities Ripe for Change Throughout NASCAR

Charlie Turner — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 21:33:17 -0500

Things are starting to come together for all the teams trying to make the Daytona 500.

The big four have been set for a while. Rick Hendrick Motorsports has his four cars all set with Mark Martin coming on board to run the full season. Jack Roush has had his five teams ready since getting the UPS sponsorship lined up at the end of the 2008 season. Richard Childress Racing has expanded his group to include a fourth car with Clint Bowyer moving over from the #07 to the new #33 car with General Mills sponsorship. Joe Gibbs Racing has the kiddie corp of Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin and ROTY contender Joey Logano ready to hit the track.

After those four owners has been where all the craziness of the off season has revolved. It has been well documented the strife a mergers that have surrounded Chip Ganassi, Dale Earnhardt, Inc, Gillet-Evernham and Petty Enterprises. For better or worse success or failure will follow the mergered teams depending on their ability to adapt to their new surroundings, management teams and driving team mates.

With the loss of teams like Bill Davis Racing and part time seasons from Furnature Row and The Wood Brothers, the bottom feeders saw much of the change revolve around them. There has been an odd resurgence of single car–privateer teams spearheaded by Tommy Baldwin’s new entry in the Sprint Cup. While many if not most of these new teams may not even make it past Daytona; it would seem to make the fields easier for the big boys to become bigger.

Less competition outside the top four teams could make it easier for a first time winner in both the 500 and the championship. Which leads us to this week’s BUZZ ON PIT ROW:

Will 2009 be the magical season that Mark Martin wins the Daytona 500 and/or the Sprint Cup championship?

Let us know what you think and your comments could be used on this week’s ON PIT ROW radio show. Listen live at www.onpitrow.com from 5 to 7pm ET.

photo credit: Icon Sports Media

How Long Will Brian France Run NASCAR?

Charlie Turner — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 17:05:09 -0500

I just read something disturbing from my friend the Diecast Dude. It’s raining in California.

Well make it stop! There’s a race out there tonight in at Irwindale Speedway and I need it to run as scheduled.

I’m not sure my rather shaky well-being can take a weather delay in THE FIRST RACE OF THE YEAR! Let it rain in Florida tomorrow, or all weekend. Those sporty car guys will drive in anything, and I kind of like watching road racing in the rain.

But that’s just me.

The best thing I’ve read this week about the state of the Kingdom of France was Fox Sports’ Lee Spencer’s piece about the five questions that NASCAR fans deserve to have answered by the sports’ royalty. Here’s a favorite part…

“With chairman Brian France up top, the person steering the ship should have every bit as much passion for running the sport as the people who spend their hard-earned money to sit in the stands every weekend.

Unlike his father and grandfather, Brian France just doesn’t fit that bill. No time was it more evident than when he stated last December that he “will not have a 30-year run like my father for a variety of reasons.”

“Somebody has got to stand up and take charge, somebody who can rally the troops and infuse enthusiasm to fans. That person is currently not in charge of NASCAR.”

The Catfish Show has a piece on the driver he thinks will be Nationwide Series Rookie of the Year. I like Matt’s choice, but I’ll take Justin Allgaier, who just got full season sponsorship for his Penske ride.

Steve has been talking (or is it squawking) a lot about the potential for a resurgence of the start-and-parkers of some years back. The NASCAR Insiders have a great article on that too…

And the high priestess of Church of the Great Oval has begun her annual astrological projections of NASCAR’s best, starting with Jeff Gordon and Jimmy Johnson.

Now stop the rain. I wanna watch a real race tonight.

Bobby Labonte Searches for Wins with Ask.com

Charlie Turner — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 19:11:52 -0500

Bobby Labonte driving a Ford? OK. I’m a Labonte fan. At least he’s driving something in the Sprint Cup Series.

Driving a Fusion for Hall of Fame Racing? That doesn’t inspire me much. I am, after all, a JJ Yeley fan, too, and Hall of Shame didn’t do anything for JJ ’s career.

But the car will be supported through a hybrid, satellite deal where Hall of Fame’s No. 96 will be powered and pitted by Doug Yates’ Racing team, which also seems to mean support from Jack Roush and Roush-Fenway’s Ford factory team.

So given some of the scenarios I’d heard and read about concerning Texas Bobby, driving a car with solid support from one of the best organizations in the sport, is about as good as it could get I guess.

And that car will have full season sponsorship from NASCAR’s new “official seach engine," Ask.com. Spiffy paint scheme, too: flames and everything.

He’ll get to debut the Ask.com No. 96 Fusion in the Budweiser Shootout at Daytona International Speedway next month.

Maybe Labonte will relax a bit too, now that he isn’t “The Great Petty Blue Hope.”

Bobby Labonte Searches for Wins with Ask.com

Charlie Turner — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 19:11:52 -0500

Bobby Labonte driving a Ford? OK. I’m a Labonte fan. At least he’s driving something in the Sprint Cup Series.

Driving a Fusion for Hall of Fame Racing? That doesn’t inspire me much. I am, after all, a J J Yeley fan too and Hall of Shame didn’t do anything for J J ’s career.

And that car will have full season sponsorship from NASCAR’s new “official search engine," Ask.com. Spiffy paint scheme too: flames and everything. He’ll get to debut the Ask.com No. 96 Fusion in the Budweiser Shootout at Daytona International Speedway next month.

Maybe Labonte will relax a bit too, now that he isn’t “the Great Petty Blue Hope.”

Four to Six Inches of Snow and Fast Laps in the Forecast

Charlie Turner — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 23:44:52 -0500

At least Robby Gordon got to race in a resurrected Dakar Rally this past week. Made a hell of a showing too.

The rest of those of us with a racin’ jones, at least of the NASCAR variety, had to endure more Petty drama and Ganassi gnews. I’m tired of this stuff. We need to get back on the track, ya know?

Steve’s doing his best. Ferreting out stuff for him, me and hopefully some of you all to argue about. That’s what this Fast Lap thing is all about. NASCAR debate.

It gets pretty lively ON PIT ROW sometimes. Try these four fast ones. Leave your comments here or call us for free on Tuesday at 5 PM ET for free at 877-502-8255.

1: Should NASCAR be okay with letting Robby Gordon run a Dodge in the Shootout?

2: Who will be the odd man out at Yates Racing now that Bobby Labonte is in the fold with the HOF Racing satellite ride?

3: Should NASCAR follow Michael Waltrip’s advice and ban on track testing permanently?

4: Two no-brainer selections for the first Hall of Fame class.

Personally, I think the “no brainer” question is unfair. Steve, after all, has an advantage on those. But what the hey. Give it a shot. It’s the Fast Lap at OnPitRow.com.

Smarter than the Average NASCAR Bear

Charlie Turner — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 22:26:50 -0500

NASCAR teams may well be the smartest group of individuals assembled of any major sport.

The stick and ball sports are ripe with the stories of dumb athletes; who in spite of their own stupidity can excel in their chosen profession. You don’t have to look too far back into history to see some of America’s most revered athletes doing something that defies reason. The NFL alone has the likes of “Pacman” Jones, Michael Vick, and Ricky Williams; who not only have done some stupid things, but illegal as well.

Compare that to the hundreds of NASCAR drivers, owners and team members that are rarely involved in these stupid acts. Could it be that NASCAR team mates just need to use their brains to solve the challenges of this sport, more than raw physical ability? NASCAR teams have engineers in all facets of the sport including the likes of drivers Ryan Newman and the late Alan Kulwicki.

Getting a 3500 pound race car to do what is necessary to make consistant fast laps falls onto the shoulders of the teams to out think the car. Maybe the days of Cale or the Allisons or Pearson muscling a car for 500 miles are long gone because race teams have found ways to work smarter and not harder.

And if the teams are smarter than most then it stands to reason that the fans are smarter than those of other sports.

This leads us to this week’s BUZZ ON PIT ROW:

If you had the power to change one thing, and one thing only, about NASCAR, what would it be?

Let us know what you think and we may use your comment on this weeks ON PIT ROW radio show. Listen live at 5pm ET on Tuesdays at www.onpitrow.com

Image credits: Hanna Barbara, findagrave.com

The Differnce Between Sure Things and WAGs

Charlie Turner — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 00:29:15 -0500

I was actually going to take this space to recap my picks during the recent 2008 Chase for the Sprint Cup. The idea came from a sense of obligation, a need to fess up and face my results. But to rehash those predictions after the fact would be...boring. I did get a few right—Greg Biffle at Dover, Jimmy Johnson at Kansas, and Carl Edwards at Homestead.

But I missed on seven. As I’ve said before, follow the advice you find here at your own risk. If you are thinking of doing any actual NASCAR betting you may be better served by finding actual NASCAR odds at a service that is involved in online wagering or something. We, most assuredly, are not.

The sure things at OnPitRow.com are the terrific writing by a staff of dedicated NASCAR observers and some of the easiest contests to win anywhere. In the last month, we’ve given out thirtysomething Kevin Harvick bobbleheads, courtesy of Shell gasolines, dozens of hats and diecasts, and, as of Friday, five copies of A&E Home Video’s new DALE EARNHARDT 10 GREATEST WINS.

My fantasy picks are more than wild guesses. I spend way too much time trying to make the right choices. But if you’re looking for a “lead-pipe cinch,” bet that OnPitRow.com and ON PIT ROW—“the fastest two hours on radio” will have a bunch of new features and more cool stuff to give away as we get closer to Speedweeks.

Wrapped Up, but Not Wiped Out

Charlie Turner — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 19:00:56 -0500

OK, so we’re one episode away from conclusion of the 2008 Jimmie Johnson show. All the Hendrick gear in my possession aside, even I’m bored with this. Nothing against JJ, Chad or crew, but even my 16-year-old Baby Ruth T-shirt is fresher than this act.

And it doesn’t even fit any more. While their accomplishments the past three seasons are nothing short of miraculous, and like it or not deserve all the press and praise, there’s one thing that comes to mind that a wide old man once told me.

“Luke, you just can’t eat a steak every night for life and not expect it to get old and lose it’s luster. Sometimes you just need a good chicken dinner to liven it up.”

While a beat offbeat, it rings true for many situations. Including this one. As remarkable of an accomplishment as this will be, barring something to knock Jimmie to a 37th or worse finish, fans are looking to the menu for some chicken.

They have shown it with empty seats at places which tend to sell out, or close to it. They have shown it through television ratings, as well as related purchases. While the current economic times play a part, those didn’t really enter the picture until mid to late summer where it would have a huge impact.

Many curse the Chase, although Johnson would still be leading by 56 points. That aside, he would only be heading to Championship No. 1, not No. 3.

I read an interesting article yesterday, with some interesting concepts on how bad it is and how it could be fixed. Problem being: “One must recognize, and accept, there is a problem before work can begin to fix it.” — Luke

A few decent ideas thrown around, for sure.

So while we witnessed the last to final episode of the 2008 season of the Jimmie and Chad show, it wasn’t all about the Chasers.

Jamie McMurray continued his romp and stomp with another Top-five and third-place finish. Kurt Busch, hanging it all out, finished second, with David Ragan closing out the Top-10. 30 percent of your Top-10 were not in the Chase. Surprise, surprise.

With fond memories (thank you Truck Series) from Phoenix in our rearview mirrors, we’re pulling into Homestead with one thing on everyone’s mind. Vacation. Yes, you read that right. Time off. No tracks, no press, no worries. At least for a few days anyway, as work for 2009 has already begun.

Think I’m kidding? Kurt Busch and company tested this past Tuesday at the new half-mile “Little Rock”, at Rockingham, getting ready for 2009. No joke.

Homestead is, well, it’s a track. Much like many others composing the meat of the current schedule. It’s a 1.5 mile “cookie-cutter”, and it’s owned by ISC. There you have it. In an effort to improve racing they put in graduated banking, seeing action for the first time in 2003.

Las Vegas did the same thing just two years ago, in fact. While the show improved, it’s about like watching Johnson hoist the Cup this Sunday.

The cookie track that tried, tried, and tried again has been the “House of Roush” for years. In fact, Greg Biffle is three for four in the past four years here, only losing out to Matt Kenseth in the 2007 showdown when he beat Kurt Busch to the line by .852 seconds. Biffle wound up 13th.

If one had to put some non-Chasers in the Top-10, you can’t help but pick Jamie McMurray and David Ragan. With momentum and history coming into play, they’re odds on favorites to crack the Top-10.

Kurt Busch again? I’m not so sure. Top-20, maybe, but he’s pulling an average just inside the Top-30 for tracks of this nature this year. Needless to say, when they’re on, they’re on. When they’re off, they’re really off. There hasn’t really been an in between at this type of track for the No. 2 Dodge.

Looking for that ever elusive third possibility, I’ll throw you two and you can take your pick. It’s not out of the question that it could be Kasey Kahne or Travis Kvapil. Yes, I said Travis Kvapil.

Come back next week for the final wrapup on what was the non-Chase 2008.

NASCAR: Fast Laps by a Slow Writer

Charlie Turner — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 18:50:35 -0500

The fact that I’m more than a little late in posting this week's Fast Lap questions allowed me two things. One, a chance to sleep and two, the opportunity to showcase Dale Earnhardt Inc.’s most famous car, one last time.

The old No. 8 just won’t be the same (even less of the “same” than it’s been this year) when the company that fields it is called Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates. Or whatever it’s going to be called now that it’s not going to be DEI.

Teresa Earnhardt and Chip Ganassi (with Felix Sabates) must have read the same writing on the same wall and decided that a good IRL team and a great museum could make a fair Sprint Cup team. At least they hope so. I’m not as sure.

1: Brian France said NASCAR’s primary focus is controlling costs. Where should they start?

2: Has the No. 48 team redefined the term “points racing”?

3: Can NASCAR ever be taken seriously if its late TV coverage has to be moved to a cable network?

4: Jimmy or Cale?

There’s some pretty good discussion (read: argument) material in those four, tight little corners this week. Steve and I about wore each other out, especially on the TV deal, ON PIT ROW Tuesday night. I want to hear, or I guess read, what you have to say. Let ‘er rip in the comment section. We will too, I promise.

Homestead Fantasy Picks: Throw Away the Loop Stats

Charlie Turner — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 13:52:02 -0500

Use your heads NASCAR fans. With only three races in the NASCAR Loop stat database for Homestead-Miami Speedway, you will need to look at more trends than the Loop Data give you. In fact, make it easy on your self and just pick a Roush-Fenway Racing driver.

I’ll admit that after last week when Jimmy Johnson again put a stompin’ on the field at Phoenix International Raceway, I am shell shocked. Johnson and Chad Knaus have shown no signs of stroking it and running for points at all. Will this week, with only a 36th place finish needed to clinch a third straight Sprint Cup Series championship change anything?

Jimmy’s average finish in the last three Homestead-Miami finales is only 18.7. He was, in two of those races, leading the championship going into the event. That may show a trend toward being conservative. Actually, it may not matter.

The Roush-Fenway drivers have been very good at Homestead. Greg Biffle once won here in three consecutive years. Greg is tops in Fastest Laps Run (80) and Laps in the Top 15 - 688 - in the last three races too.

Matt Kenseth has an average finish of 3.3 and has led the most laps—214 for 26.7 percent—in the three Loop Data races. And Kenseth is one of only three of the 2008 Chase qualifiers to have won at Homestead. Biffle and two-time winner Tony Stewart are the others.

But Carl Edwards is my pick this time. Carl has shown that he and crew chief Bob Osborne have no quit in them. They are the only team with any mathematical chance to upset the Lowes No. 48 apple cart. They have to win the race. They can win the race. Carl has an average finish of 5.7—only third best among the Roush drivers—and the fourth best Driver Rating at 107.2.

So Carl is my pick. And Jeff Gordon is my “I can’t believe I’m calling him an upset,” upset special. Gordon has never won at Homestead-Miami—there are only two of those tracks left on his to-do list. It’s just a hunch that Gordon may get the job done here, this time around.

Photo credit: Icon Sports Media, Inc.

Truck Series Gang Mentality

Charlie Turner — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 02:10:03 -0500

Sometimes, I can’t tell if the Ford 200 is a race or a fight. An active tradition for the last several years in the Trucks has been for championship teams to double their efforts. The trend has had some high points and very low points, and it looks to continue Friday night as the razor-thin margin between Ron Hornaday and Johnny Benson will make for some intense racing.

Three years really set the trend for this action: 2002, 2003, and 2007.

In 2002, Mike Bliss ended up winning the championship over Rick Crawford and Ted Musgrave by 46 and 51 points respectively. In that race, it was Ron Hornaday driving a second IWX truck and taking the win, thus taking possible points away from Crawford and Musgrave. Bliss finished a comfortable 5th and won the title.

2003 set the bar from gang mentality, as each championship team (with the exception of Dennis Setzer and Morgan-Dollar) entered at least one extra truck in the race, with Jim Smith and Ultra Motorsports throwing five—count ‘em, five—trucks in the race, and sure enough one of them played a huge part in the outcome of the championship battle.

Smith had entered his two full-time trucks with Ted Musgrave and Andy Houston behind the wheel, along with hired guns Marty Houston (Andy’s brother), Tracy Hines, and P.J. Jones. Marty took out championship leader Brendan Gaughan in the race, creating championship chaos that allowed Travis Kvapil to win the 2003 title over Setzer and Musgrave.

Last year, Bill Davis and Kevin Harvick participated in the fight, and what Harvick lacked in trucks he made up for by piloting the second truck himself. Davis entered his championship contender Skinner, Johnny Benson, Jacques Villeneuve, and Cup driver Dave Blaney in the field. Skinner of course finished 35th and allowed Hornaday to secure the title.

Adding the trucks in the finale could prove to be a smart decision, like it was in 2002. It could take out a championship contender by hiring a crappy driver, like 2003. Or, it could be a non-factor, like it was last season. Harvick is driving the No. 2 truck again this weekend and Davis has entered ’09 driver Taylor Malsam in an extra truck to go along Skinner, Brian Scott, and Scott Speed to flank Benson.

Will it be a factor? We’ll find out Friday. Let’s just say I wouldn’t be surprised if the Phoenix race turned out to be the PG version of the battle.

Photo credit: Icon Sports Media

Quick Hits: Homestead-Miami Speedway

Charlie Turner — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 23:28:29 -0500

I think this is the first time in quite a while that, heading into the final race of the Sprint Cup season at the Homestead-Miami Speedway, we have no idea who the 40-plus full-time drivers for the 2009 season will be. Granted, back in the days before Jayski, when “silly season” wasn’t as prevalent as it is now, a lot of contracts were signed in NASCAR’s offseason. Yep, we used to have an offseason. Who knew?

30-plus teams have already set their drivers and schedules for next season. Most of these teams, and a few others, have secured sponsorship. However, a lot of teams face uncertain futures, and as I detailed last week, a good amount of cars may not be around next year.

That being said, plenty of companies are still interested in sponsoring Sprint Cup teams. It’s just a matter of matching up the right driver, team, and sponsor with one another. There are plenty of quality drivers out there waiting for a call from teams, and there are plenty of teams fishing for enough sponsorship to be competitive next year.

Allow me to do all the work for you, drivers, teams, and prospective sponsors. This week’s Quick Hits are five teams that would certainly make sense to appear on track next year:

5. No. 41 A.J. Allmendinger—Target Chevrolet, Earnhardt Ganassi Racing

This one’s not too much of a stretch, which is why it ranks fifth. Allmendinger is the best driver available, and the No. 41 is the best car available. Chip Ganassi likes taking risks on open wheel drivers (because, obviously, that’s where he does his best), and Target would certainly appreciate a young driver who’s shown promise as of late.

Allmendinger’s done well in the No. 10 at Gillett Evernham Motorsports the past few weeks, with three top-20 finishes. He’s only failed to complete four laps out of a possible 1476, showing that he can keep the car on the track. EGR (sounds unnatural, doesn’t it?) may be in a take-whatever-we-can-get mindset, but adding Allmendinger to its stable could prove a savvy move by the end of the season if he breaks out.

4. No. 28 Travis Kvapil—US Air Force/Hitachi Power Tools/K&N Filters Ford, Yates Racing

There have been rumors as of late that the Air Force is going to head to Yates after a long association with the Wood Brothers. If so, there’s no doubt in my mind that the sponsorship would go to Kvapil.

Not only has Kvapil outperformed David Gilliland this year, his sponsorship status is far less certain—Gilliland has relationships with FreeCreditReport.com and CitiFinancial that should carry him through at least part of next season, financial crisis notwithstanding.

Yates wants to expand to three cars next year, the other belonging to Paul Menard, who brings his Menards family sponsorship to the table. They basically have Menard’s and Gilliland’s rides covered. It wouldn’t be surprising if Hitachi stuck around for next year, or if some of the team’s other one-race sponsors made more of a commitment next year.

3. No. 00 David Reutimann—Aaron’s Rent/Champion Mortgage/Dow Chemical Toyota, Michael Waltrip Racing

Reutimann’s earned his keep these past few weeks. He had a chance at winning his first race in Texas two weeks ago and qualified fourth last week at Phoenix. Aaron’s has already announced that they will be on the car for half the season, but that still leaves an 18-race hole to fill.

This year, Champion Mortgage sponsored the No. 00 for 12 races with Michael McDowell, two with Mike Skinner, one with Mike Bliss, and one with Allmendinger. Even if they don’t return, rumors have been floating that Dow Chemical will upgrade their associate sponsorship with the team.

It’s unlikely that Champion would want to commit to 16 races again in this economic climate, but anything that they don’t pick up, Dow would probably fill. Reutimann’s going to be a star in Sprint Cup one day, and whoever can snap up space on his car would be smart to act now.

2. No. 21 Kyle Petty/Bill Elliott/Jon Wood/Patrick Carpentier—Wells Fargo/Motorcraft Ford, Wood Brothers Racing

So the Air Force might go to Yates. Big deal. If the team brings on Kyle Petty and his 12-race Wells Fargo sponsorship, that more than fills the commitment the Air Force made this season. The Woods claim that their sponsorship contracts are set for next season, with Ford and Motorcraft, but given the automaker’s plight, a backup plan would certainly help.

The question is more about who will drive the car than who will finance it, as has been for the past couple of years. Bill Elliott is open to running a few early-season races, but nothing more. Jon Wood’s been waiting in the wings for a while.

However, the Woods are also high on Patrick Carpentier, who was unceremoniously dumped by GEM after an incident at Talladega with team director Mike Shiplett. A few decent performances with the Woods could be the necessary jump-start to make Carpentier’s NASCAR career as successful as his career in CART.

1. No. 22 Scott Riggs—State Water Heaters/Hunt Brothers Pizza/Bad Boy Mowers Toyota, Bill Davis Racing

Despite the past couple years, people need to remember that Riggs is a capable driver. He finished 20th in points in 2006 despite missing the Daytona 500. His poor 2007 was the result of completely wrong data at GEM, and the Haas CNC cars currently aren’t high-quality competitors. (Just you wait ‘till next year, though.)

Counting both starts and DNQ’s, the three aforementioned sponsors have combined for roughly 36 races this season over four cars—the Nos. 22 and 27 at BDR, and the Nos. 66 and 70 at Haas CNC. State and Hunt Bros. have both affirmed their desires to stay in the sport in 2009, after combining for just over 30 races in total this year.

Both sponsors appear pleased with what Riggs has done this season, qualifying for almost every race. Bad Boy Mowers has adorned Davis Toyotas four times this season and could certainly fill out the schedule.

Finally, congratulations to Phoenix’s winners: Jimmie Johnson in Sprint Cup, Carl Edwards in Nationwide, and Kevin Harvick in the Truck Series.

Photo Credit: Icon Sports Media

Homestead-Miami Speedway: Anyone But Jimmie Johnson

Charlie Turner — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 10:24:26 -0500

I think the NASCAR scoring loops must be broken at Homestead-Miami Speedway. How else can you explain the fact that Jimmie Johnson has only the 12th best Loop Driver Rating for the progressively banked mile-and-a-half track? Maybe it’s a typo.

Or maybe Johnson can’t win them all. He hasn’t won at Homestead. Maybe it’s because he usually has a championship to clinch and has better, bigger things to worry about. I think that could play into the results this week.

Running for points didn’t seem a consideration for Johnson at Phoenix last Sunday. He just drove away from everyone else pretty much all day. It was a performance that defined the term “having the field covered.”

But not this week. On paper the final race of the Chase to the 2008 Sprint Cup looks to be a Roush benefit. I agree with Matt on that.

I would look to Tony Stewart to play spoiler for the Cat-in-the-hat’s party, but I think that Smoke is counting down to the end of this season. Time to go Chevy racing again - with his own team. In fact, none of the Joe Gibbs racers look like winners this week. Neither does Dale Earnhardt Jr, Clint Bowyer or Jeff Burton.

No Jimmy Johnson win this week. I hope.

Photo credit: Icon Sports Media, Inc.

Hey NASCAR, ”Can Ya Spare a Dime?”

Charlie Turner — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 00:14:20 -0500

NASCAR wants to talk about Jimmy Johnson and and his third straight championship.

Unfortunately, much of the talk of the fans and participants revolves around the state of the series. Merger talks have been running rampant for months.

Many of the small- to medium-sized teams are looking for partners to help economize and give them the advantages that the mega-teams enjoy.

The common denominator in most of these talks is the lack of sponsorship for all the cars and drivers involved. The lists of rumored pairings is too long to list; but many have revolved around Chip Ganassi, Bill Davis, Petty Enterprises, DEI and Gillett-Evernham.

Looking at these individual teams, they are all looking at two or three car teams with less than 50-percent sponsorship deals.

It’s no wonder that “the garage” is speaking of less than full fields and start and park tactics for 2009. Its been over half a decade since the start and park shenanigans were prevalent in NASCAR.

I remember NASCAR offering incentives for teams to make the trek to Pheonix or California to fill the fields.

Somehow many of these fillers always had mysterious debilitating maladies that caused them to run less than a handful of laps. Those days may not be too far off once again.

And that leads us to this week’s BUZZ ON PIT ROW:

How much should NASCAR help financially strapped teams?

Let us know what you think and we could use your comment on this week's show. Or give us a call at 1-877-502-8255 during the live broadcast from 5-7pm ET on Tuesday and you could become “The Shell gunk free call of the day” and receive a Kevin Harvick bobblehead. Listen live at onpitrow.com

The Sun Sets on the 2008 NASCAR Season

Charlie Turner — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 22:16:17 -0500

From Daytona to Miami–NASCAR begins and ends its season in the Sunshine State.

After Hurricane Andrew left its trail of destruction in 1992, longtime Miami motor sports promoter Ralph Sanchez negotiates a deal with the city of Homestead to build a facility that will revitalize the city.

Groundbreaking took place for the new 434-acre facility known as Homestead-Miami Speedway one year later. Businessman and sports team owner H. Wayne Huizenga becomes a partner in the project prior to completion.

Grand opening ceremonies for the Speedway are held in November 1995 and NASCAR debuts in front of a sold-out crowd. Executives and dignitaries are given the honor of cutting the ribbon, and Dale Jarrett wins the Nov. 5 Jiffy Lube Miami 300 Nationwide race.

In November 1999, the Speedway hosts NASCAR’s premier division, the Winston Cup Series, and Tony Stewart wins the Pennzoil 400. Prior to the event, Homestead-Miami Speedway nearly doubled its seating capacity and added a massive expansion in Turn 1 under the direction of new track President Curtis Gray.

In 2002, Homestead-Miami Speedway reached another milestone when it was awarded Ford Championship Weekend. For the first time, each of NASCAR’s premier series—the Winston, Busch, and Craftsman Truck Series—concluded its season and crowned its champions on the same weekend at the same track.

The following Spring, the speedway underwent the most technologically advanced track-reconfiguration project in the history of motor sports: a $12 million re-banking project that transformed the track from a flat 6-degrees to a computer-designed 18-to-20-degree variable banking system in the turns.

That fall, the Ford Championship Weekend took place on the new banking, drawing rave reviews from fans.

2004 saw the first Chase for the NEXTEL Cup finale at the Speedway, as Kurt Busch secures his first NEXTEL Cup Series championship. One year later, Championship Weekend takes place under the lights for the very first time. Tony Stewart wins the Cup Series Championship and Greg Biffle wins his second consecutive Ford 400.

Jimmie Johnson wins the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Championship in 2006, and Greg Biffle wins his third consecutive Ford 400. One year later, Johnson wins his second consecutive NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Championship, and Matt Kenseth takes the checkered flag in the Ford 400.

Johnson only has to finish 38th or better to secure his third consecutive Sprint Cup Championship. Carl Edwards is the only other Chaser to have a shot at Johnson. As Carl said after the race at Phoenix; he still has a chance for the championship, but it isn’t very likely. Keep in mind though–Roush-Fenway Racing Fords have won over half of the races at Miami.

Carl Edwards Trying to Get Ford Back to Winning at Phoenix

Charlie Turner — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 23:59:42 -0500

Seven of the last eight races at Pheonix International Raceway have seen Chevrolet drivers head to victory lane.

Dale Earnhardt, Jr. started the turn of events in 2003 when he won the first of back to back wins. Only in 2005 was the recent Chevy dominance interrupted by Kurt Busch in a Roush Ford. It has been all Chevy power ever since. Kyle Bush, Kevin Harvick and Jeff Gordon have preceded defending race champ Jimmy Johnson as the most recent GM winners.

Phoenix hasn’t always been so Chevrolet biased. The early Cup years saw Ford win eleven of the first fifteen races held on the unique mile oval. Alan Kulwicki, Bill Elliott and Davey Allison all won races in the first few years of the journey out to the Valley of the Sun.

Carl Edwards is hot and a man on a mission while Jimmy Johnson is looking to hang on to win a record tying third straight championship.

This could be the year that Ford begins to re-assert itself as a dominate player at Phoeniz.

photo credit: Icon Sports Media

Handicapping the Chase Drivers: Phoenix International Raceway

Charlie Turner — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 23:50:28 -0500

Sorry, guys. For some reason, I thought I posted my column last week, but when I looked for it here on the site, it was mysteriously not there. I picked the winner correctly, I called everybody but Jimmie Johnson irrelevant (oh, how wrong I was), and I even made reference to Tommy Tutone when I wrote about Denny Hamlin.

So, of course, my best work goes for naught when I don’t actually end up putting it up for the world to see. (Then again, now I can recycle my “Denny, Denny, who can I turn to” next year.)

In other words, it looks like I had a massive brain fart. Or, as Jack Roush would suggest, I’ve had my “mulligan” for the Chase. Just read the best nine columns out of ten, right?

Here’s what to expect from each of the 12 Chase drivers this week at Phoenix:

1. Jimmie Johnson: Best average finish of every driver at Phoenix, incredible Chase, last guy to win here, blah, blah, blah. Johnson’s run last week, while not catastrophic, left the door open for Edwards. Then again, don’t be surprised if Jimmie comes through in the clutch. That’s what Team 48 does.

2. Carl Edwards: Carl’s average finish of 14.5 is negatively affected by the 42nd place he had at this race last year, when his engine let go in the first half of the race. That can’t happen again.

Carl’s got a lot of momentum from the past two weeks, and he has a chance at winning four in a row and mimicking Johnson’s huge run at the end of last year. Given his record at Phoenix when things go right (5 top-10s), it’s definitely possible.

3. Greg Biffle: Da Biff is painfully average overall at Phoenix, with an average finish of 16.4, but the finishes themselves are often polarized. Biffle has two 2nd place finishes at the track, as well as two finished of 34th place or lower.

The question is simply whether the team will have one of the former or the latter come race day. With the way the team’s been since the debacle at Talladega, look for the former.

4. Jeff Burton: Betcha didn’t know that JB’s got two wins here. It’s true; he won this race in 2000 and 2001. Betcha also had no idea that Burton’s worst finish at Phoenix in the past decade is 15th in fall 2005. His 11.1 average finish here is in the top five of all active drivers. There’s no reason he can’t pull off another decent finish.

5. Jeff Gordon: Gordon’s only win at Phoenix was here in 2007, but he still has an average finish of 8.5. Here’s to hoping he wins this weekend, if only because winning at least once every year since 1994 is a huge accomplishment. His average finish of 8.5 is second only to Johnson.

6. Clint Bowyer: Bowyer made his Cup debut at Phoenix, finishing 22nd in the spring of 2005. Since then, he’s only failed to complete eight laps at the track, and has two top-5s, including a 2nd place this spring.

The team is a far cry from where they were at this time last year, but a 4th at Texas last week proves that they’re still capable of top finishes.

7. Kevin Harvick: Happy hasn’t won at Phoenix since sweeping in 2006, but he’s also been a solid contender for the past few years. Since the spring of 2006, his average finish is an astounding 7.6 with four top-10s. Then again, Harvick’s only spent 23 laps at the front of the field all Chase, so don’t count on a momentum-based win.

8. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth’s average finish of 18.8 is due to an extreme polarization of finishes. When he’s good (a win in 2002, six top-10s), he’s good. When he’s bad (five finishes of 32nd or worse), he’s bad.

Case in point: Kenseth led 93 laps to finish 3rd in this race last year, but finished 38th here this year in the spring. He’s a high-risk, high-reward pick, but given his last three finishes (average: 7.0), the reward may be there for the taking.

9. Tony Stewart: Stewart has been running at the finish all 13 times he’s started a Phoenix race. His average finish of 9.8 is tops among Toyota drivers, and he’s only finished worse than 18th once.

Smoke wants to go out at Joe Gibbs Racing with a bang, and building on that impressive Phoenix resume would sure help. An interesting note: Stewart’s eight top-10s are as many as his teammates, Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch, have combined for in the same amount of starts between them.

10. Kyle Busch: Cheers to Shrub regaining the final position at NASCAR’s end-of-season awards banquet, for now. Securing that seat, however, will require him to build on his somewhat stellar record at Phoenix.

Busch has five top-10s in seven starts here, with the only exceptions coming in 2006. He’s led laps at the track before, and he’s been stellar in most of the past few races. There’s a chance that he might snag one more Cup win before the year is out.

11. Dale Earnhardt Jr.: One point behind Busch for the final banquet spot, Junebug goes to a track where he has two wins, four top-5s, and six top-10s. He led 87 laps at Phoenix in the spring on the way to a 7th place finish. It’ll take another performance like that to bring him back into the top 10.

12. Denny Hamlin: I predict Hamlin will finish 3rd this weekend. Hey, when it’s happened three times in six starts at the track, it seems like a safe enough bet. For the record, his other finishes are 13th, 34th, and a 16th at this time last year.

So who would I pick to win this weekend? I’m going to go out on a limb and say Jeff Gordon’s due. Hendrick ought to do his best to give Gordon the best car on the track this weekend and keep that 14-year winning streak alive, even if it means making Johnson a bit more vulnerable for Homestead.

Let’s make the title fight a real fight, boys.

Win a Great New DVD: Dale Earnhardt’s 10 Greatest Wins

Charlie Turner — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 00:24:30 -0500

A&E Home Video has another of its terrific NASCAR DVD collections out and we have five sets to give away to worthy OnPitRow.com readers. Dale Earnhardt Sr. fans especially need to jump on this one. Here’s what A&E has to say about their latest masterpiece.

He was called "The Intimidator," "The Man in Black," and "Mr. Restrictor Plate." He was a champion, a mentor, a hero, and a true American icon who was perhaps the greatest driver of all time—Dale Earnhardt—and the mention of his name provokes powerful emotions in race fans around the world.

On Oct. 28, A&E Home Video and NASCAR® Media Group unveiled DALE EARNHARDT 10 GREATEST WINS, a commemorative souvenir that provides both a tribute to the icon’s competitive fire and a showcase that displays the essence of a hard-driving, world-class champion. Featuring the most memorable wins of the driver that defined NASCAR and etched his place in history, this unprecedented five-disc collector’s set is a must-have for any racing fan.

Across 10 classic races, celebrate the man in the bucket seat, from his first very first checkered flag behind the wheel of his legendary black No. 3 Chevrolet, through his final victory—with some historic, mind-bending, memory-making, heart-pounding races in between! Buckle up and let 'em rip!

The 10 featured races in this collection include:

1984 Talladega 500, Talladega Superspeedway

First win driving No. 3.

1987 The Winston, Charlotte Motor Speedway

Fearless? Innovative? The Pass in the Grass.

1989 Southern 500, Darlington Raceway

Victory over Darrell Waltrip; Ralph Earnhardt was inducted into the Darlington Hall of Fame the Thursday before the race.

1993 Coca-Cola 600, Charlotte Motor Speedway

First race to finish under the lights; two penalties, lap down, victory over Jeff Gordon.

1995 Busch Clash, Daytona International Speedway

Sixth and final Clash victory for Dale Earnhardt.

1995 Brickyard 400, Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Earnhardt enters the victory lane of this world-renowned track.

1995 Save Mart Supermarkets 300, Sears Point Raceway

First and only road course win.

1998 Daytona 500, Daytona International Speedway

Finally! After 20 years on the legendary track, Dale takes the flag and his first Daytona.

2000 Cracker Barrel 500, Atlanta Motor Speedway

Guts and Glory—a photo-finish victory over Bobby Labonte.

2000 Winston 500, Talladega Superspeedway

Driving hard, he moved from 18th to first over the final three laps to capture his final victory.

When No. 3 took to the track, fans stood, cheered and watched his every move. This definitive piece of memorabilia, from arguably one of racing’s greatest and most beloved champions, will help keep Earnhardt’s memory alive for future generations of racing fans.

Bonus feature

Exclusive footage of Dale and his father Ralph’s induction into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame.

So, how do I enter, you ask? Here’s how. In the comment section of this post, tell us your most memorable Earnhardt moment. You don’t have to be a fan of Senior. It could be your own favorite Earnhardt win or maybe the thing he did that so ticked you off, that you hated him from that moment on. Just tell us a story.

And here’s how you win. The folks at A&E Home Videos have provided us with five copies of the DALE EARNHARDT 10 GREATEST WINS DVD set. We’ll use our random drawing method to determine the five winners from the comments submitted. We will stop taking entries at 11:59 pm CST on Friday, Nov. 28, 2008. Good luck!

Do What It Takes To Get By In Phoenix

Charlie Turner — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 19:37:10 -0500

First of all, my apologies for stretching the deadline here longer than Carl Edwards did at Texas. With two races left we may have a title race on our hands again, but it will be no picnic—Jimmie Johnson has won here and usually runs better than Edwards at this track. Then again, Johnson was the defending winner at Atlanta and Texas, so there you go. Jimmie won here in the spring as well, but had far from the best car, instead playing the fuel mileage game as the dominant car of Mark Martin played it safe.

Last year at this race Jimmie solidified his advantage over teammate Jeff Gordon and in the process winning an incredible four-race win streak.

The Chevys have been the car to beat at Phoenix in this race as each of the four winners since the inception of the Chase has piloted a Chevy to victory lane. Thus far in the Chase, some of the “rules” have been broken but some have remained the same. When the checkered falls Sunday evening, we’ll see if this one holds.

The winners:
2007 – Jimmie Johnson
2006 – Kevin Harvick
2005 – Kyle Busch
2004 – Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Champs finish:
2007 – Jimmie Johnson – 1st
2006 – Jimmie Johnson – 2nd
2005 – Tony Stewart – 4th
2004 – Kurt Busch – 10th

Admittedly, this is not one of my favorite tracks to watch a race. For fantasy purposes, here is a list of 5 drivers to choose from. I’m taking Carl for the championship hunt, but feel free to choose one of the others—the winner will likely come from this list.

1. Carl Edwards
2. Jimmie Johnson
3. Jeff Gordon
4. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
5. Kyle Busch

Jamie McMurray has been on a roll lately, and he should fare well at Phoenix too. I really like David Reutimann and A.J. Allmendinger this week. Reutimann ran great at Richmond, a track similar in many respects to Phoenix, and Allmendinger has been top 15 since he stepped into the No. 10 car.

The song this week comes from the Foo Fighters, their hit from one year ago “The Pretender.”

Photo credit: Icon Sports Media

Phoenix Fast Laps: The Chase Heats Up

Charlie Turner — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 13:53:29 -0500

Is it coincidence that the Sprint Cup Chase heads to the hottest place in NASCAR just when the suits in Daytona would like you to think that the playoff pressure is heating up for Jimmy Johnson and Carl Edwards? I think not.

You gotta give Edwards and crew chief Bob Osborne credit. They aren’t holding anything back in their attempt to make a game out of this Chase thing. Between banzai passes and high-stakes fuel strategies, the Office Depot Racing team is hangin’ it out.

The 2008 Chase has become—perhaps always was—a classic Chevy vs Ford battle. Dodge never showed and Toyota, strangely, never contended.

Last night’s live radio version of the Fast Lap was a classic battle too. Steve put up a good fight, only to be over-matched by his more experienced, and intelligent, opposition—me. At least that’s what I think. We’ll put our opinions up here later but in the meantime, we’d like to see yours. Here you go. Batter up!

1: NASCAR is backing off its 24 practice dates in 2009 strategy. What is the right number?

2: What was Greg Biffle REALLY asking after the race by wondering how the #99 team got eight more laps to a tank of fuel than his #16 team?

3: Dale Earnhardt Jr. said the season is too long. If it is, what is the right number?

4: Should there be any concern in the Joe Gibbs Racing organization over Joey Logano’s lack of performance in their cars?

Four Fast Laps but you only get a hundred words or less to respond to the questions. After that, the gloves are off and you can defend your position just like David Gilliland or Scott Speed. And nobody will sanction you even a little bit. Come on, we want to argue with you.

Photo credit: Icon Sports Media, Inc.

Quick Hits: Texas Motor Speedway

Charlie Turner — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 21:04:29 -0400

This weekend, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads to Texas Motor Speedway for the third to last race in this year’s Chase for the Cup. By this point, everyone except the 12 Chase teams are preparing for 2009, experimenting with new setups and personnel.

Many drivers with limited Sprint Cup experience, including Joey Logano, Bryan Clauson, and Brad Keselowski, are attempting to make starts this weekend in preparation for next year.

However, one of the most intriguing driver-team combinations attempting to make the race this weekend is Max Papis with Germain Racing.

Papis, a former CART competitor who made two starts for Haas CNC Racing earlier this year, will drive the No. 13 GEICO Toyota for Germain in 18 Sprint Cup races next year, and possibly attempt up to 25 depending upon sponsorship. Papis will also attempt to qualify at Homestead, regardless of whether he makes the race this weekend or not.

This is the next natural step in Germain’s progression from the Truck Series up to NASCAR’s top level. Formed in late 2004, the No. 30 team has consistently been one of the series’ best, winning the championship in 2006 with Todd Bodine. The team added a second truck in 2005 and a Nationwide Series team in 2007, experiencing success with both.

Currently, Mike Wallace has the No. 7 Nationwide team eighth in the points. In the Truck Series, Bodine has the No. 30 third in the standing, and Justin Marks has impressed in the No. 9, winning a pole at Texas and finishing eighth at Daytona.

Bodine also made one Nationwide start (at Darlington) for the team in a second car this year, finishing fourth. In other words, the brothers Germain—Bob, Stephen, and Richard—have managed to make all of their cars competitive, regardless of who’s in them or how often they compete.

With its expansion into Cup racing with Papis, Germain has picked the optimum time to move up the ladder. With many teams pressed for sponsorship in a difficult economic climate, the Sprint Cup field should be shrinking next year.

It should be much easier for a team that doesn’t plan on attempting all 36 races to make the most of its limited schedule.

Germain also has never expanded beyond its means to be competitive. While the 2005 season was a trying one for the second truck, much of that was based on Shige Hattori’s lack of stock-car experience. While Ted Musgrave only won one race in the No. 9 truck in 2006 and 2007, he also had 28 top-10s in 49 starts for the team and two top-10 finishes in points.

The team only moved up to the Nationwide Series after establishing a strong foundation with Bodine. In the five races they ran in 2007, the team had an average finish of 17.8 (negatively affected by a crash at Homestead that led to a 37th place finish) and led 15 laps at Gateway.

They also waited to move up until they found the right driver (Wallace) and sponsor (GEICO)]. The team has carved its niche in the series, despite many wins and top finishes going to Cup “claim jumpers” running in both series.

Even with the recent trend of open-wheel flameouts, don’t expect Papis to disappear in the first year of his four-year contract with the team. Papis, unlike some of the other open-wheel drivers, has been successful in many different forms of motorsport. He won a handful of CART races in the late 1990's with Team Rahal and has driven for Corvette Racing at Le Mans. He also won the 2002 Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona.

Papis has also had his share of remarkable and memorable drives in other series. He nearly won the 1996 24 Hours of Daytona in a car that had been damaged by collisions. After unlapping himself in the final stint of the race, Papis pushed his car to the limit, only losing by 64 seconds at a track in which fast laps can take nearly 2 minutes.

In other words, though we’ve all heard this before, Papis has the talent to succeed in a limited schedule with Germain. And unlike Jacques Villeneuve, Patrick Carpentier, Sam Hornish, and A.J. Allmendinger, he has the team behind him to do it.

Before the green flag drops on this weekend’s festivities, here are this week’s Quick Hits.

5. There are a few interesting notes from Motorsports Authentics’ sell sheets for 2009 die-cast.

At Stewart Haas Racing, Burger King is featured on the B-pillar of Tony Stewart’s No. 14 Chevrolet. Also, DirecTV is featured on the B-pillar of Ryan Newman’s No. 39 Chevrolet. It is no longer on the No. 07 Chevrolet of Casey Mears.

At Gillett Evernham Motorsports, McDonald’s has vacated its post on the lower quarter panel of Elliott Sadler’s No. 19 Dodge. Allstate is also gone from the lower quarter panel of Kasey Kahne’s No. 9 Dodge.

Finally, Scott Speed will run a No. 82 Red Bull Toyota next year, as opposed to a No. 84. No word on why the change occurred.

4. A recent rumor suggests that Wood Brothers Racing is looking around the garage for a new partner after JTG Daugherty Racing’s defection to Toyota for 2009. That partnership could come in the form of a deal with Hall of Fame Racing, which currently fields Toyotas for former Wood Brothers' driver Ken Schrader.

Hall of Fame would also bring a top-flight sponsorship, in the form of Texas Instruments, and a young talent in Brad Coleman to the partnership. Hall of Fame’s current deal with Joe Gibbs Racing expires after Homestead.

3. No Raybestos Rookie of the Year contender has finished in the top 10 all season. Sam Hornish Jr.’s 13th in the Coca Cola 600 is the best finish for any contender. Aric Almirola’s eighth at Bristol does not apply, as he is not registered for the award. Regan Smith’s win at Talladega, had it been upheld, would have been the only top 10.

2. While Kyle Petty has been unable to lay down any serious Sprint Cup plans for next year, he may have a full time Rolex Sports Car Series deal in place for 2009. Petty will run the No. 45 Orbit Racing BMW Prototype at next year’s 24 Hours of Daytona, and potentially beyond.

No word yet on if the Wells Fargo sponsorship currently tied to Petty in Sprint Cup would transfer with him, remain in NASCAR, or both.

1. Kodak is leaving the sport after a successful sponsorship campaign that spanned over two decades and produced three Daytona 500 wins. Drivers like Ernie Irvan, Sterling Marlin, Bobby Hamilton, and most recently Ryan Newman have piloted the gold cars for Morgan-McClure Motorsports and Penske Racing from the late 1980s to this year.

Kodak will also abandon its sponsorship programs in all other forms of motorsports, including those in the Rolex Sports Car Series and Indy Racing League.

Finally, congratulations to Newman for winning last weekend’s Truck Series race at Atlanta, and Carl Edwards for winning the Nationwide race in Memphis and Atlanta’s Sprint Cup event.

Thunderous Fast Laps in the Shadow of the Thunder Lounge

Charlie Turner — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 11:54:09 -0400

Let’s not kid each other, OK? Jimmie Johnson has this thing as locked up as a chastity belt on prom night.

Johnson’s going to win the Sprint Cup—his third straight—unless aliens come down from the Planet Roush and take Jimmie and Chad Knaus away to some world that’s never heard of bump-stops, restrictor plates or the difference between loose and tight.

But, that doesn’t mean that there’s nothing to argue about. This Fast Lap blog doesn't fall short on topics that will make Steve raise the idiot quotient. Here are four fast, high-banked doozies that follow that will be discussed.

1: The truck series saw Ryan Newman pass teammate Ron Hornaday to win, but cost Hornaday 10 points in his championship battle. Should there have been team orders?

2: How can Carl Edwards be happy with the tire at Atlanta while most other drivers were complaining about no grip?

3: With A.J. Allmendinger being the best finishing Gillett Evernham driver again, is he in better equipment than he was while with Red Bull?

4: Because David Reutiman could have won the Nationwide race if he had “moved” Carl Edwards out of the way on the final lap, but didn’t, is he a good sport or a fool?

Let your opinions fly, but be prepared to defend yourself because there are no limits to Steve’s confidence in his positions...or my disdain for the same. The Fast Lap is a NASCAR debate. You can hear it live at OnPitRow.com every Tuesday at 5 PM ET or do the digital version right here any day of the week.

Photo credit: Icon Sports Media, Inc

Thunderous Fast Laps in the Shadow of the Thunder Lounge

Charlie Turner — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 11:54:09 -0400

Let’s not kid each other, OK? Jimmy Johnson has this thing about as locked up as a chastity belt on prom night or the next Detroit Lions opponent. Johnson’s going to win the Sprint Cup—his third straight—unless aliens come down from the Planet Roush and take Jimmy and Chad Knaus away to some world that’s never heard of bump-stops, restrictor plates or the difference between loose and tight.

But that doesn’t mean that there’s nothing to argue about. This here Fast Lap blog will never run out of topics that Steve can raise the idiot quotient on. Like the four fast, high-banked doozies that follow.

1: The truck series saw Ryan Newman pass teammate Ron Hornaday to win, but cost Hornaday 10 points in his championship battle. Should there have been team orders?

2: How can Carl Edwards be happy with the tire at Atlanta while most other drivers were complaining about no grip?

3: Does AJ Allmendinger being the best finishing Gillett-Evernham car again show that he’s better than the equipment he had been driving?

4: Because David Reuttiman could have won the Nationwide race if he had “moved” Carl Edwards out of the way on the final lap, but didn’t; is he a good sport or a fool?

Let fly with your opinions but be prepared to defend yourself. Because there are no limits to Steve’s confidense in his positions. Or my disdain for the same. The Fast Lap is NASCAR debate. You can hear it live at OnPitRow.com every Tuesday at 5 PM ET or do the digital version right here any day of the week.

Photo credit: Icon Sports Media, Inc

Texas Follows Atlanta in More Ways than One

Charlie Turner — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 13:22:23 -0400

Texas Motor Speedway has made the Chase more predictable. Immediately following Atlanta, just two races removed from Lowe's, and with only Phoenix sandwiched in between it and Homestead, Texas serves as the place where the best remain on top.

All you need to do is ask the last three winners of the fall Atlanta race, as they’re in victory lane the very next week at Texas. For Carl Edwards, Tony Stewart, and Jimmie Johnson, they haven’t minded a bit.

It’s downright scary how similar these two tracks have been, and look at the finishing order in the top five for each of these races:

2005
Atlanta-Texas
1. Edwards-Edwards
2. Gordon-Martin
3. Martin-Kenseth
4. Earnhardt Jr.-Mears
5. Kenseth-Johnson

2006
Atlanta-Texas
1. Stewart-Stewart
2. Johnson-Johnson
3. Earnhardt Jr.-Harvick
4. Kenseth-Ky. Busch
5. Biffle-Bowyer

2007
Atlanta-Texas
1. Johnson-Johnson
2. Edwards-Kenseth
3. Sorenson-Truex
4. Kenseth-Ky. Busch
5. Burton-Newman

The margins seem to be decreasing, but the winners have an uncanny knack for doubling up. Personally, I’d prefer the 2004 schedule to return in some way. Darlington took the penultimate spot in the Chase and Phoenix was third from the end. That’s my editorial soapbox. Let’s see where our champs finished in each Texas race since it's been in the Chase.

Champs finish:
2007: Jimmie Johnson-1st
2006: Jimmie Johnson–2nd
2005: Tony Stewart–6th

I went with Jimmie at Atlanta, and the end result was good for my fantasy team. But, for the Chase, it was a bummer. Edwards did as much as he could to cut into the lead, slinging a car around the track and making the money move when it mattered.

However, I’m torn this week as I’d love to see the tradition continue for his sake, but I have a feeling it could be broken. Look for Carl and Jimmie to be strong again, but Denny Hamlin made an impressive run that could have easily landed him in the win column.

I also expect to see Matt Kenseth, Greg Biffle, and Jeff Burton to be near the front. This has been a Ford/Chevy battleground, and I see no reason for that to change.

Jamie McMurray could win here Sunday. In the last few weeks, the No. 26 has been on fire, only to succumb to misfortune, whether it be parts failure or getting caught in a mess. He was fast at Lowe's and ended strong at Atlanta; he would be a smart sleeper pick.

Another smart sleeper will be Juan Pablo Montoya. He had a strong piece at Atlanta as well. My third option would be A.J. Allmendinger, unquestionably the best driver in the series without a full-time ride for 2009.

We’re going to delve down country music row for Texas. My pick this week is a perfect complement to the Texas moniker The Great American Speedway. It’s the Brooks & Dunn song “Only In America.”

Photo credit: Icon Sports Media

Texas Owes its Life to Two Fallen Heroes

Charlie Turner — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 20:32:46 -0400

What do Texas Motor Speedway, North Wilksboro Speedway and North Carolina Speedway at Rockingham all have in common?

Texas Motor Speedway uses Sprint Cup dates originally owned by the latter two. Bruton Smith, who's Speedway Motorsports Inc. owns Texas, acquired The Rock and North Wilksboro for the sole purpose of stealing their race dates to redistribute them to Texas.

The racing on Smith's quad-oval has been good and fast. The title of fastest unrestricted track has bounced between Texas and Atlanta.

Since the race track opened to the Cup Series in 1997, there have only been two repeat winners. The No. 99 car has won this race three times: twice with Carl Edwards behind the wheel and once with Jeff Burton. Burton then won again in the Richard Childress Racing #31 in the Spring of 2007.

Brian Vickers holds the qualifying track record at 196.235mph set in the Dickies 500 in 2006. Bobby Labonte and Ryan Newman each have two poles and Tony Stewart has led more laps than anyone, with 453.

Texas Motor Speedway’s construction began in 1995. The original configuration called for an unusual dual banking system that had 24 degrees of banking for stock cars and 8 degrees for open-wheel cars. In 1998, Turn four was reshaped to ease the transition from the turns to the front straight.

That April, a second renovation started and was completed in less than two months. The project eliminated the dual banking and gave the track its current configuration.

photo credit: Icon Sports Media

Dodge Leaving Nascar: Say It Ain’t So

Charlie Turner — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 20:44:06 -0400

Four races to go and driving a Chevy is as important at Atlanta as it has been everywhere else on the Chase circuit.

The strength of the Hendrick Motorsports and Richard Childress Racing is their tenure with the GM brand; it is one of the reasons why those teams seem to among the ones to beat.

The question behind their success has been this: "Is it the car or does Chevrolet just have the best drivers and teams?" It’s hard to argue that the three teams listed above, along with Dale Earnhardt Inc., haven’t been the best equipped over the past ten to fifteen years.

It is difficult to go too far back and gain any perspective on how brands do at particular tracks since everything has been changed by the “New Car." The car makes and models are literally just shells of what they once were. It has been since the mid to late Eighties that definite car makes made a difference in their ability to affect the outcome of a race.

There was a time when car owners would change brands or models to gain an advantage over the competition. Going back to the 1960's, the Mercury Cyclones were the car of choice over the Ford Torino because its shape was more aerodynamic.

The Monte Carlo Aero Coupe was the answer to the teams that found slipperier makes from Oldsmobile, Buick, or Pontiac in the 90's.

But, of course, the days of having all those makes of car are long gone. Granted, several that I mentioned fell under the GM branding, but having a long list of models made for more interesting chatter on Mondays.

It has only been a few short years since Dodge returned to the Cup series. Now, with the talk of mergers on and off the race track, the future of Chrysler in racing is in doubt.

No matter what, losing a brand is a negative. Dodge came back into the sport with high hopes and eventually re-introduced one of its most popular models, the Charger, because of it.

The new car has stripped away all branding. It would seem that such little difference in the cars would result in more models, even if in name only. However, that is not the case.

Asking for more brands may be a pipe dream on my part, but I also wished for a factory roof, hood, deck and glass. So why not wish for or more brands? I can dream, can’t I?

photo credit: Icon Sports Media

NASCAR Trash Talkin’ Video

Charlie Turner — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 10:24:56 -0400

Mindy can trash talk with the best. So can NASCAR legend, Cale Yarborough. That’s just one of the topics this week on Bench Racing TV.

We have tire problems, secret merger talks, and rampant cheating all up for discussion. It almost sounds like an episode of Desperate Housewives, but it’s not. It’s the newest Monday Morning Crew Chief and you can watch it right here.