Bleacher Report - Articles by Mitchell Hall

The Real Way to Level NASCAR's Playing Field and Save Money

Mitchell Hall — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 09:31:53 -0500

In an effort to cut expenses and level the playing field, NASCAR implemented the "Car of Tomorrow" tin 2007. In 2009, they will further attempt to control cost for the teams by banning all testing at sanctioned tracks.

With this in mind, and since we all know it is so easy to criticize, I thought I would make yet another far fetched recommendation to the powers that be at NASCAR.

My suggestion: Buy Chrysler and Dodge. They are bankrupt and on their last leg, hoping to merge with Chevrolet. Swoop in and purchase them out from under Chevrolet.

You might be asking yourself why? Why would I suggest this? Let us ponder the possibilities.

You could mandate all cars be of the NASCAR Brand. The "Car of Tomorrow" could be the first production model. Make the doors function, apply decals, and sell driver specific versions of their racecars. Think about the streets cluttered with racecar decaled COT’s. Perfect!

One day a week, I would suggest Wednesday, you shift the plant closest to that week's track. Each team buys its cars, identical from the assembly line, at the track. This would take a lot of pressure off the teams, and loosen the choke hold on testing and development funds.

It would lessen the strain on the drivers, because you could install a stock air conditioner!

The cars would also already have headlights for night racing, and windshield wipers for rain on road courses.

Want to stop bump drafting? Well, you'd get penalized for a headlight being out! Should that happen, the team would be forced to come in and change it; I bet it would take one cracked headlight and you would be able to see the daylight between cars a little better.

In order to maintain a need for individual teams, shift the emphasis once placed on manufacturer back to the teams.

Let Hendrick Motorsports develop their own engines and sell to other teams. The same would go for Roush, Childress, and GEM/Ernie Elliot. Let the engine builders create their engines within your rules, then sell or lease as theirs.

That would allow some teams to recoup their lost income from manufacturer support by selling the new technology back to the manufacturer of their choice. If they choose to work along with manufacturers in a sponsorship capacity, trading R&D, then so be it.

NASCAR could reserve the right to confiscate engines at any time, like they do now, for the purpose of taking it back to the NASCAR R&D Center to study it. They could, in turn, use a combination of the technologies to create the NASCAR engine, which would then be mass produced and sold to the public in the NASCAR Cars.

On top of that, each sponsor for each car would owe either more money to the teams or loyalties to NASCAR, because each car sold to the public would have the sponsor's name!

In order to accommodate all of the needs of the consumer, the following should be done.

1. Shift the Nationwide Series car from a knock off Sprint Cup Car, to an Economy Sized Car. Mass produce them too, then let the teams provide a smaller engine, and borrow the technology for the engine to go in it, just like for the COT.

2. Shift the Camping World Trucks from a variety of low riders, to one that mimics the Chevrolet Model from the 1990’s. The model would have a standard bed cover and standard two-wheel-drive. Mass produce both two-wheel and four-wheel-drive versions, the latter with a raised version and larger tires.

What would this do for the fans?

It would relieve the financial stress on all of the automakers involved in NASCAR. Each of their current deals would shift from being a stock engine provider (yeah right) to a full sponsor for each team.

As such, they could move freely between teams at any time, and wouldn’t have to be concerned about throwing off a balance. An auto maker sponsoring a car would make a lot of sense after all! After this bit of financial pressure is relieved on the big three, they could possibly survive without a $25 billion bailout from us lowly taxpayers.

We could all drive our favorite driver's car to work every day.

You like Dale Jr.? Buy his car, then drive it to buy an Amp Energy Drink!

Why would this make NASCAR better?

They could legitimately sell the whole stock car angle again. All cars are the same, teams wouldn't need to spend millions on testing and R&D for cars and solely focus on engines. An auto maker could turn a small investment into a multibillion dollar business selling your cars to your fans.

I write this partially joking; I had the whim and went with it.

But, wouldn’t it be cool if this happened? I really think it could work if handled correctly. It would also give Brian France something else to do...and make him a lot of money too!

I could have a lot of fun racing down the interstate in a car that looks like the No. 18 M&M’s Car, or even the No. 51 Miccosukee Truck.

Tell me what you think about this. Spread the word and let’s notify the France’s. Just remember, I thought of it first.

Open Letter To The New NASCAR Execs, Brian France and His Cronies

Mitchell Hall — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 08:25:22 -0500

After so many years, and even at times this season, being unable to pull myself away from a NASCAR Race just to get some chores done, there I was last night trying to force myself to watch it to the end.

This problem is not the result of my driver not finishing well, or the racing being any worse than it has been in the last few years, and certainly not because I necessarily wanted to do make such a large dent in my “honey-do” list. No this time it was just because I was tired to watching it.

My declining interest closely parallels so many others who once held strong interest in this sport. Most notably my younger brother, who just as I had for many years, tried to live and breath the sport of auto racing for 52 weeks a year, regardless of how many weeks they actually raced.

Enter Brian France. Rest in peace Bill France, Jr., your presence kept this sport going.

Last night as the laps wound down, I thought back to the excitement of Friday and Saturday night.

Johnny Benson and Ron Hornaday entered the race Friday night three points apart. They didn’t need the Chase, they didn’t need to balance out the top 12 in points with 10 races to go.

With nine laps to go, Hornaday chose to pit under caution, which ended up costing him the Championship. Johnny Benson stayed out under said caution, and wound up winning the Championship by finishing two positions ahead of Hornaday on the track.

My wife sat alongside me watching this, she rarely gets excited about anything outside of Kevin Harvick’s level of success, but this night she mentioned how fast her heart was beating while she wondered if Ron could pull it off.

Excellent Championship Battle without a ‘Playoff’!

Move ahead to Saturday night. Carl Edwards trailed Clint Bowyer by a mere 56 points going into the final race of the season. Clint had a good car, but Carl’s car was dominant and won the race. The final points tally gave Clint the Championship by a meager 21 points. Had Clint Bowyer failed to finish in the top 11 for this race, and Edwards still managed to win, we would have seen Edwards hoist the cup following the race.

Again, Excellent Championship Battle without a ‘Playoff’!

Move ahead to Sunday night. Johnson needs to finish 36th or better to wrap up the Championship. After 36 races, 26 regular season races and a 10 playoff races, he only needs to finish 36th or better.

The 10 race playoff which was implemented by Brian France provided additional excitement for the first couple of years, but it is time for it to go now.

Have any of you checked the old point’s systems final standings?? The initial response from most when asked garners the response that Kyle Busch would have walked away with it…but if you look you will see Busch’s late season misfortune dropped him to third in the old points.

The interesting stat to look at, in the old point’s format, is that Carl Edwards would have won the Championship by 16, yes 16 points. In other words, we would have had a scenario similar to the Trucks for the Sprint Cup.

Jimmie Johnson would have had to fight tooth and nail for two or three more positions to secure another Championship.

That sounds quite familiar though. I seem to remember a few other Championships that would have been very close in the years past without the Chase, and would have produced a different victor when the curtains were closed.

I want to say that I feel NASCAR is broken. The season is too long, the points system that made the title so special has been taken away. The people and tracks that made it famous have been shunned for larger markets that struggle once the new wears off. The desire for a France/ISC bound dollar has replaced the desire for good racing on the track.

Even the Bud Shootout will become a joke after February 2009, as the field is set by the manufacturers standings, I can’t wait until Dodge merges with Chevy, then we have a 18 car field for the shootout!

My suggestions for Brian France…

1. Sell NASCAR to Bruton Smith. In all of his endeavors, Bruton appears to make his holdings better. He is a racer at heart, and he has the right people in the right places to make NASCAR what it needs to be to step into the future.

2. Visit a local dirt track from time to time. The racing that occurs there is where this ship you are steering was born from. You can’t run this like an ordinary business, because it is anything but an ordinary business.

You want to see a good example of this in action? Look at Dale Earnhardt Incorporated. Teresa thought she could run it like a business, hired a record executive to help her run her ‘business’, now she is struggling mightily. NASCAR looks to hold the same eventual fate, if you don’t change something soon.

3. Shorten the season to 32 races. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. made a great point when he spoke about the season being too long, it absolutely is. To make it easier I will suggest tracks to shuffle and improve the season: Pocono, California, Michigan, Atlanta, Phoenix and Texas each lose one race. Give one to Kentucky and give one back to Rockingham. Which contributes to No.4.

4. Don’t use test cuts as a cost saving measure when teams have to pull cars from North Carolina to the west half of the country 6 times a year. They have to pay for hotel rooms from Thursday night to Saturday night for a race schedule painfully spread over most of a week. Which contributes to #5.

5. Single day shows worked great for the Nationwide Series this year. Let the Sprint Cup teams qualify and race all on the same day. Since they don’t have testing next year, let them test the day before as much as the competing races allows, then let them run on Sunday. You would cut down a lot of the personnel expenses right away.

6. The Chase sucks, let it go; chalk it up to experience. A points system that works fine for over 25 years doesn’t need to change just because Matt Kenseth wins a Championship using consistency. See comments above, Carl would have won this year by 16 points, rather than losing by 69.

7. Lower the ticket prices for every track! Mandate lower ticket prices for all NASCAR sanctioned tracks. Sprint is forking over mega bucks. Every aspect of a race, from the rubber that hits the track, to the shirts that some commentators wear is all sponsored.

When we fans go to a track we are bombarded with sponsor booths and opportunities to see new products. In turn we have always gone out and purchased the goods from NASCAR sponsors. Many times I have picked over a competing brand for a Budweiser due to their former heavier involvement with NASCAR. I have Hellman’s mayonnaise for my sandwiches, Ragu for my spaghetti… the instances are too numerous to get into here.

My point is, you provide us an alternative to the stick and ball sports, and we reward you with our support in our purchases at the store. Resulting in more sponsors for you; more sponsors for the race teams racing for you.

It would sure be refreshing if we, your fans, could go to a race for less that $50 a ticket. For a good seat to some races, it is well over $100.

Give us a break. If you want to sell tracks out like in the old days, lower ticket prices to where demand supports it.

Simple economics…which is better 25,000 seats at $100, or 100,000 at $50?? Do the math!

8. Finally, and most importantly, remember us old school diehard fans. We made NASCAR famous before the tragic events of February 2001. We made you famous before the major US markets became targets for new race tracks. We made you famous when nobody had ever heard of NASCAR, or thought watching 43 cars going in circles was cool. We did this for you.

As hard as it might be for you to believe, we are the core fan base that have kept this sport going this long, and we will be the reason it goes a few more years.

That being said, our feelings have been hurt. We have been pushed aside for what looked like greener pastures elsewhere. You took out the Rock, you took away our prized Labor Day trip to Darlington. You took our beloved sport and struck a series of mighty uppercuts with new sponsors and new cars and rules and rulings against emotion and rough driving. Your greed and blind ambition has managed to push us away for too many years now.

How long will we let you do it before we say enough is enough? Do you at NASCAR really want to find out?? Keep pushing.

After so many years of being a NASCAR fan, I can see my interest dwindle earlier and earlier every year. This year I lost interest early in the season for the Sprint Cup, but the Nationwide and Truck Series’ kept me watching to the end.

I fear my growing distaste for the new NASCAR will further impair my affection for their top series.

How long before NASCAR falls along the same lines of its failed predecessors?

I will quit typing now, with hopes someone who reads this will talk to me.

Help me cope with my concerns…let’s talk about what it was, and what we would like it to be.

DEI-Petty Enterprises Merger: Say It Ain't So!

Mitchell Hall — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 03:22:43 -0400

Somebody make it stop.

This is the second crazy rumor in three weeks about Teresa Earnhardt's business. Please, someone out there, anyone, go help her!

The latest rumor relates to merger talks between DEI and Petty Enterprises. This has a strange resemblance to some of the last brilliant business moves made by the new heads of DEI.

First, it shows they are willing to consume an organization, like they did in Ginn Racing, just for the hope that more of a bad thing will hopefully make a good.

Second, it shows they are prone to stupid moves, much like allowing the prized Dale Jr. and Budweiser dollars to walk out the door.

What does this mean? It means another rung down the ladder for DEI. Let's analyze what this move would give them...

From the DEI stable we would have:

#01-no sponsor-rookie driver

#1 - Bass Pro for one more year, martin Truex Jr. for one more year

#8 - no sponsor, rookie driver

#15 - no sponsor, no driver

From the Petty stable we would have:

#43, no sponsor, Bobby Labonte

#45, no sponsor, no driver

I think I see a pattern forming there. If they do merge, they can revolutionize the sport and let their unsponsored cars sponsor each other. This would probably fit inside of the realm of possibilities for the heads of DEI.

At least they would have a massive, and I do mean massive, room full of old trophies!

The hint that Rusty was coming back proved false; I can only hope this one is false as well!

Tell me what you think.

Go Kyle Busch and Jeff Burton!

Note: This message typed over an AT&T internet connection, the writer is sitting back sipping a NOS with a bag of M&M's looking at a magazine of Caterpillar products powered by Interstate Batteries! There, I got the sponsor mentions.

Riding on Eggshells; Watching From the Edge of Your Seat, Burton vs. Johnson

Mitchell Hall — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 06:02:57 -0400

In light of the Chase domination we have seen over the last two years, I wasn’t overly surprised to see so many people trying to hand the 2008 Sprint Cup Championship over to Jimmie Johnson, even with six races left until the Champion is crowned.

The embers from Johnson’s past success were only blown harder with the recent struggles of what once appeared to be his most likely challengers: Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards, and Kyle Busch.

Lurking in the shadows were the other eight drivers who seemed to have been forgotten. The best of those eight was a familiar name, with the second most experience of any other Chase driver, second only to Jeff Gordon. That man is Jeff Burton.

They call him “The Mayor” in the garage. He was personally selected by Dale Earnhardt, Sr., as a possible replacement in the No. 3 car upon his retirement. He is quite possible the most underrated driver on the track at any given stop on the schedule.

Back in 2006, Burton’s second year at Richard Childress Racing, he won his first Chase berth. For a few weeks early in the Chase that year, he led in the points. The reaction from the media and fans was much as it has been since his win Saturday night at Lowe’s… what is he doing up there?

At the October race at Lowes in 2006, Burton finished third to Johnson’s second. The following week at Martinsville, Burton lost an engine; Johnson went on to win. The rest is history. Johnson was propelled to his first championship; Jeff Burton settled for seventh in the final standings.

This year, Jeff Burton has silently made his way back towards the top of the standings, and not sits poised to show his hand and give the pre-anointed Johnson a run for his money.

After a surprising late race freefall to sixth, while watching Jeff Burton drive away into the sunset, Jimmie Johnson was noticeable distraught. Showing his discontent, Johnson stated, “…Right now I'm pissed about [Saturday]," Johnson said. "But, you know, tomorrow, Tuesday whatever it is, I think we'll be real good over there. [Martinsville] has been a great track to us.”

In response to a question about his strategy, Burton said, "We're just having fun…We're paying attention to us. We're not going to get caught up in the point thing.” Some view this and some of Burton’s other comments as an attempt at mind games with Jimmie Johnson, I think we can only gauge that by the comments that come in the next few weeks.

One thing is for sure, this week we saw Jeff Burton hold the lead after a gas only pit stop, against a hard charging Jimmie Johnson with four fresh tires. I watched Saturday night intently, I saw the Burton of old come out and gut check Jimmie Johnson, saying with his actions that this thing is not over yet. I saw Burton land a direct hit to Jimmie Johnson. The question is, will he be able to deliver the knockout blow?

Since 1994 Burton only has 21 wins, and no championships. But he could arguably be seen as the second most deserving of a Cup, behind only Mark Martin.

I know Jimmie Johnson is not going to roll over and give up. I know The Biffle and Edwards will still make some noise. I know at least one of the lower eight, preferable Kyle Busch, will make a strong run.

But, Jeff Burton is my new favorite to win the Championship. This comes with the deep hope that he can avoid parts failures, erroneous accidents, and the feared Sprint Cup official with crosshairs on the tires of the AT&T Chevrolet going into turn three.

Tell me what you think!

I enjoy responding to comments better than writing the story…let's debate!

Go Kyle, Regan, and Jeff Burton!

Funny How Fans Are Made: Regan Smith Gets ROBBED by NASCAR

Mitchell Hall — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 13:08:32 -0400

Today, I watched NASCAR make a change in the rules on the spur of the moment to take a win from Regan Smith, and hand it to Tony Stewart.

Anyone who watched the Truck Race on Saturday saw and heard them talking about it on the last lap.

On the last lap, you can cross the yellow line.

Jayski has a excerpt from a AP story from 2007 covering a truck race, that says "if you can see the checkered flag, anything goes."

Tony Stewart knows this. He should have never accepted that win.

I hope something is changed with the results. Regan Smith doesn't deserve to be dropped to 18th, he deserved the win.

More to come this week on this; tell me what you think.

Until later, Go Regan, Go Kyle... (baby steps back to the front)

The Prolonged End of DEI; Out with the New, In with the Old

Mitchell Hall — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 04:18:18 -0400

Dateline September 30, 2008: We are rapidly approaching the end of yet another NASCAR Season. The points Chase is in full swing, with Jimmie Johnson swinging to the top again... surprise surprise. The news of my night last night though was a jayski article about Rusty Wallace coming out of retirement to drive for DEI.

This tidbit caused me to drop my mouth wide open as a slight chill tingled through my body.

In other news from DEI, Paul Menard is taking one of DEI's two sponsors and heading to Yates Racing.

Therefore, DEI is left with four cars, three drivers, one sponsor, and one bozo calling the shots.

Ragan Smith is in the unsponsored No. 01 car: 29th in the standings.

Aric Almirola is in the unsponsored No. 8 car: 15th in the standings (thanks to Mark Martin).

Martin Truex Jr. in the Bass Pro Shops No. 1 car: 17th in the standings.

Then, there is the No. 15 car with no driver and no sponsor.

That gives Teresa Earnhardt, in all her brilliance, basically a one car team with two test teams. One driver will be in his first full season in 2009.

DEI officially came into being around 1980, but it took them until the mid 1990's to field full time teams. Their first full time drivers were Ron Hornaday in the Truck Series, and Jeff Green in the Busch Series. These drivers were rookies, and anxious to make their mark on the sport. Hornaday found early success, winning championships in 1996 and 1998.

Then came Steve Park, who took over the Busch series ride in 1997. Park quickly jumped to Winston Cup in 1998 with the No. 1 Pennzoil car. Dale Jr. stepped into the empty Busch series seat, then proceeded to Cup starting in 2000.

This slight history was given to make you see the quick rise and fall of this great organization. The factor you need to note is the presence of Dale Earnhardt Sr. in everything mentioned. Dale, Sr. knew what he needed to do to make his company successful, and he did it.

The climax to the story comes in Daytona in July 2001. Dale Sr. lost his life at Daytona in February that year, then Dale Jr. came back to win it. Starting that day, Dale Jr. figured out that he could do it on his own. Around that same day, Teresa figured out she could do it on her own. Unfortunately only one was half right, the other was completely wrong.

The relationship between Dale Jr. and Teresa worsened, leading to Dale Jr finally breaking away from his fathers company to try racing under the Hendrick banner. Though improvements have been made, you can still see Jr. struggling with himself.

With the marked improvement, I say Dale Jr. was half right. It remains to be seen if Rick can make him a champion like he has done with so many others.

On the other hand is Teresa Earnhardt. She figured out early she had underestimated her capabilities. She brought on Max Siegel, a music industry suit, with no knowledge of racing (brilliant!!).

And her driver and sponsor lineup had been suffering even before Siegel came in.

Micheal Waltrip who took her second biggest face (can't call him a driver so much) to his own company, taking with him her second biggest and longest standing sponsor, NAPA, with him.

Then she watched as her biggest driver, Dale Jr. left, taking her biggest sponsor, Budweiser, at the same time.

In a time when it seemed like a smart thing to do, she agreed to purchase Ginn Racing, helping her immensly with new sponsorship, like the Army and Ginn Resorts.

Bobby Ginn took Ginn Resorts sponsorship with him upon his departure. This year, The Army looks to leave to go to Ryan Newman at Stewart Haas. Now, Paul Menard is leaving and taking one of her last two big sponsors with him.

The remaining is a underperforming No. 1 car, with Martin Truex who wanted to leave earlier this year, driving the Bass Pro Shops car. I personally wouldn't be surprised to see Bass Pro go to Stewart Haas after the 2009 season. Bass Pro and Stewart have strong ties within other racing series.

Now to why I am writing to begin with...

Rusty Wallace... Rusty Wallace???

Your company is dwindling and looks to be failing around you, and you look to Rusty Wallace?

706 starts... 1 Championships... 55 wins... 202 top fives

Rusty retired after the 2005 season. He provided Penske with their glory years through the 80's and 90's and early 00's. But why now should he be considered for a ride at DEI?

Maybe Teresa's new philosophy will be... out with new, in with the old.

If she can't get results from the rookies, maybe she will start putting retirees in her cars.

Rusty to the No. 15... maybe she will put some other golden oldies in the other cars...

Cale Yarbrough in the 01... which would be awesome!

DW in the 8... anything to get him out the TV Booth.

Richard Petty? Dale Jarrett? Ricky Rudd? Terry Labonte? Geoff Bodine? Harry Gant?

Why can't she look at some established drivers who are without rides in Cup?

Sterling Marlin, Johnny Benson, etc.?

Maybe some that never really got the right chance?

Scott Riggs, AJ Allmendinger?

I know Rusty won some, but he was beginning his descent into a DW type presence at the track. I just hope him coming back doesn't start a new fad, causing other owners to make a push to bring all retirees back, like happened with the open wheel driver push.

My question for you readers is how much longer before DEI is nothing more than a tourist attraction in North Carolina?

I give it two more years. Bass Pro leaves after next year. Rusty provides temporary help, then fizzles out. Truex is out at the time his contract is up.

DEI folds, but they will still sell all the stuff at the garage-ma-hal, and have tours. Teresa will be a tour guide!

Points Changes and Their Impacts on the Record Books in NASCAR

Mitchell Hall — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 09:02:57 -0400

The results of a change in the points system seem to favor certain drivers over others, leading to history repeating itself. This can be supported by the results of the last two significant points system changes within NASCAR’s premier series in 1975 and 2004.

We have all heard the story of the NASCAR pioneers who created the “classic” points system on the back of a paper bag, adding needed structure to what was to become a powerhouse sport. This change was implemented in 1975, a year which is sometimes referred to as the start of the Modern Era of NASCAR.

A fiery driver named Cale Yarborough had been associated with NASCAR for a few years prior to the points change, but figured out quickly that he was capable of points racing. The first year under the new points system, Cale landed ninth in the standings behind eventual champion Richard Petty.

Cale was one of four drivers to finish within the top 10 in points that year who didn’t start all 30 races that made up the season. The following year, Cale managed to start all 30 races on the schedule, and walked away with his first Cup Championship. He followed up with two more Championships in the following two years.

Cale remains the only driver to ever achieve three Cup Championships in consecutive years. However, those three were the only three he ever won. Over a 16 year career in NASCAR, Cale Yarbrough started 303 races, garnering three Cups, 55 wins, and 159 top fives.

Within five years of introducing a new points system in 1975, one driver managed to win three championships in a row.

After nearly three decades of success in racing, NASCAR chose in 2004 to introduce yet another new points system.

Like Yarborough, Jimmie Johnson raced in NASCAR for a few years preceding the most recent points change, and following its introduction, he found similar success.

2004 was the first year of the new points system, affectionately referred to as “The Chase,” Jimmie Johnson missed winning his first Championship by just eight points, finishing second behind Kurt Busch. 2005 also eluded Jimmie, as he finished fifth behind eventual Champion Tony Stewart.

When 2006 rolled around, Johnson was not to be denied again, as he managed to win his first Championship. 2007 provided the same result, as Johnson won his second championship in as many years. Now in 2008, with nine races left in the season, Johnson sits in the lead of the points, tied with Carl Edwards.

Jimmie Johnson is looking to be the first driver since Cale Yarborough to win three consecutive Cup Championships. Over his short career, Johnson has started only 246 races, with two Cups, 37 wins, and 96 top fives.

Now again, within five years of introducing a new points system, one driver is attempting to win three championships in a row.

What we know is that these drivers are managing to do things that others before them have been unable to do. Jimmie Johnson turned what the NASCAR world thought were Jeff Gordon-equipment-driven results into being a perennial challenger to Gordon, even taking at least one Cup from the grasp of Gordon as a result of the new points system.

In 1976, when Yarborough started his three in a row tear, Richard Petty sat in what we known now as late in his prime. Petty won Championships in 1971, 1972, 1974, and 1975. Had Yarborough not been present to slow down the Cup accumulation of Richard Petty, he might have won as many as 10 Championships.

Dale Earnhardt, Sr. would have had a much harder time achieving 10 Championships to tie the King's record, than he had with seven.

On the other side of the coin, we have Dale Earnhardt, Sr. Dale managed to win seven Championships over his career. In the late prime of his career, we were introduced to Jeff Gordon, who managed to come out strong to win four Championships.

Had it not been for Jeff Gordon coming along and slowing the accumulation of cups by Dale Sr., he might have accumulated more than the King, and more than anyone else would have ever matched.

Now in what might one day reveal itself as Jeff Gordon’s late prime, we get another points change, and the emergence of Jimmie Johnson. We know that Gordon has missed two additional Championships since the introduction of the Chase format, and I think we can all agree Jeff won’t keep racing long enough to match the seven Cup threshold set by the King and Earnhardt, Sr.

Perhaps the reason these drivers find success in the infancy of these points systems and early in their career is their advanced understanding of a points system. Perhaps their owners understand or have understood when to bring out the best equipment to ensure top results when they are most needed. Perhaps they are just lucky.

Maybe NASCAR has a hand in it all, guiding the sport and only allowing those to win who they see fit at any given time.

Who will emerge as Jimmie Johnson’s road block to breaking all the old records?

I would bet his name is Kyle Busch.

Regardless, we all have to give props to Jimmie Johnson. He is certainly not my favorite driver, but I do appreciate his efforts to protect the stats of our original NASCAR heroes, even if it comes at the expense of his teammate and team owner.

I look forward to seeing Jimmie’s impact on the sport for years to come. Then I hope to be around to see a new driver showing up to prevent Jimmie from breaking all the records. I also look forward to talking about it on here with all of you.

To get back to my old habits and bring back Kyle’s luck, I suggest this weekend you…

Sit back with a cold NOS and a cool bag of M&M’s or Snickers Bar, run your TV off of an Interstate Battery, and cheer on Kyle Busch as he crosses the finish line first, sweeping the races at Dover for 2008!!

Go Kyle!

Qualifying Rained Out Again, Time For a Change

Mitchell Hall — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 09:55:10 -0400

This just in: rain has canceled qualifying for the second week in a row.

This got me thinking about the flawed portions of the rule book when it comes to starting position after rain.

Don't get me wrong, Kyle Busch is my driver, and I like nothing better than him starting on the pole. But, I wonder if NASCAR could do it differently and increase drama for the Chase.

On many dirt tracks that I used to visit, they would invert the field for the main event, making the eventual winner work for it. I know it would be impossible for NASCAR to implement such a move on the entire field, but why not use it on the Top 12.

In other words, let all drivers draw for starting spots. But, the top 12 in points automatically get the first 12 picks for pit spots. The top 12 drivers then start shotgun on the field.

This would place the best at the back. Plus, rather than being handed the advantage of clean air, they would have to fight to get to the front. If it would make more people support the notion, I would even be willing to let Dale Jr. pass cars before the start finish line.

This would allow the drivers to show their skills and prove they are championship material. Plus, drivers not in the Chase would have a chance to shine for a while. All drivers not in the top 12 could have a chance to sell their sponsors an alternative to the Chase.

The top 12 would have the advantage of the best pit stalls, and would be forced to use strategy to get to the front.

No matter how you slice race distances (500 laps or 500 miles), the races are long, giving teams and drivers adequate time to get to the front. This could even help out NASCAR's ratings against football for the last 10!

This is obviously just a rant, because I know it will never happen, but I feel pretty sure it would ignite some excitement for the last 10 races. I would bet we will see a lot more rain canceled qualifying sessions in the last 10, giving the top 12 their easy ride. This would contribute more to the lack of wins by non-chase drivers.

Tell me what you think about it!

2008 Chase for the Cup—By The Numbers

Mitchell Hall — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 05:27:28 -0400

I addressed an Open Mic request yesterday that allowed me to project my picks for the 2008 Chase for the Sprint Cup. After thinking about the fact that each of us that makes picks on these opinion forums usually are biased in some way, and end up placing our favorites at the top, regardless of actual stats.

In light of this, I set out this morning on a mission to crunch the numbers from the last year, to support my claims from yesterday, and subtract the variable of personal bias from my picks.

During the “Regular Season” portion of the Cup Schedule, they visit eight out of the 10 tracks that are inside of the Chase, or “Playoff” portion of the Cup Schedule. The only two that aren’t on the schedule twice are Homestead and Kansas. Interestingly enough, one of these two races impacted my crunching of the numbers drastically.

As you will see later in this article, six of the 12 Chase drivers finished 28th or lower in the race at Kansas last year. Most notably, Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards each scored less than 52 points for that race. Those missed points, in my number crunching, ended up costing Kyle the Cup, and sent Carl into a tailspin that ended up in him finishing eight in the final points.

To prove to you that I was completely unbiased in my numbers analysis, you can look at the eventual champion, Jimmie Johnson. If I had to choose a driver that I would not mind seeing as Champion as opposed to JJ, it would be either of the 11.

Again, I used the current standings that each driver will start the Chase with, and took their most recent finish from each track occurring in the Chase, and projected the final standings.

I don’t want to clutter the server with all the numbers I compiled, so I will hit the high notes, and try to illustrate my findings as best I know how. I will use a “elevator” format, and tell you the big gainers and losers…(no pun intended to you Jr. fans out there)

Chase Race #1 – New Hampshire

With a strong finish and some slight troubles for other Chase drivers, Jimmie Johnson surges to the lead of the points, gaining one spot. Denny, Jeff Burton and Tony Stewart each gain two spots, for fourth through sixth. Gordon, Harvick, and Kenseth gain three spots each to seventh through ninth. Kyle and Carl each fall one spot to second and third respectively. Clint Bowyer falls five spots to tenth. Dale Jr. tumbles seven spots to eleventh. The Biffle drops three spots to twelfth.

Chase Race #2 – Dover

Kyle Busch gets first place points and surges to the lead of the points, moving up one spot. Carl Edwards also gains one spot to second. Jeff Gordon gains three spots to fourth. Biffle jumps six spots to sixth. Kenseth gains two to seventh. Dale Jr. maintains his position in eleventh. Jimmie Johnson loses two spots to third. Hamlin drops four spots to eighth. Harvick slips one to ninth. Tony Stewart starts his descent to the basement, dropping four spots to tenth. Bowyer drops two spots to twelfth.

Chase Race #3 – Kansas

As previously stated, Kansas proved itself as the variable that changed the face of the Chase in my numbers. Highlights include Kyle missing enough points to impact him for the rest of the Chase, and Greg Biffle makes a big jump with a win.

To the numbers, Greg Biffle gets first place points and jumps six spots to lead the Chase. Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon each gain one spot to second and third respectively. Kenseth jumps one to sixth. Bowyer tries to dig out of his hole, jumping four spots to eighth. Finally, Jr. jumps one spot to tenth. Kevin Harvick maintains ninth position. Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards each drop three spots to fourth and fifth respectively.

You might have noticed these two have been shifting together thus far… that ends with this race. Jeff Burton drops two spots to seventh. Hamlin drops three to eleventh. Stewart concludes his descent, dropping two spots to twelfth.

Chase Race #4 – Talladega

Jimmie Johnson regains the top spot this race, gaining one spot. Kyle Busch also gains one, taking third. Jeff Burton, Clint Bowyer, and Dale Jr. each gain two spots to fifth, sixth, and eighth respectively. Denny Hamlin gains one spot to tenth.

Kevin Harvick and Tony Stewart each hold steady this week, Harvick in ninth, Stewart in twelfth. The Biffle and Jeff Gordon each drop one spot, to second and fourth respectively. Edwards drops two spots to seventh. Kenseth drops five spots to eleventh.

Chase Race #5 – Lowe’s

The Biffle gains one spot with a top three finish to regain the top spot in the standings. Kyle Busch and Jeff Gordon each gain one spot to second and third respectively. Dale Jr. and Kenseth each gain two spots to sixth and ninth respectively.

Reflecting the stability of the standings as the races progress, Jeff Burton, Carl Edwards, and Tony Stewart each hold their positions in fifth, seventh, and twelfth. Jimmie Johnson drops three spots to fourth. Bowyer drops two to eighth. Harvick and Hamlin each drop one spot tenth and eleventh.

Chase Race #6 – Martinsville

Jeff Gordon rides top five points to the top of the standings, gaining two spots. Jimmie Johnson gains one spot to third. Hamlin jumps three spots to eighth. Holding steady this week are Burtonin fifth, Dale Jr. in sixth, Edwards in seventh, Harvick in tenth, and Stewart in twelfth.

The Biffle drops one spot to second. Kyle Busch drops two spots to fourth. Bowyer drops one to ninth. Kenseth drops two spots to eleventh.

Chase Race #7 – Atlanta

Kyle Busch jumps one spot to third. Dale Jr. climbs one to fifth. Bowyer gains two for seventh. Harvick and Kenseth each gain one spot to ninth and tenth respectively.

Gordon maintains the lead with a top 10 finish. Others holding steady are the Biffle at second, Burtonin sixth, Hamlin in eighth, and Stewart in twelfth. Dropping one is Jimmie Johnson to fourth. Edwards drops four to eleventh.

Race #8 – Texas

Kyle Busch uses top five points to retake the top spot, gaining two spots. Jimmie Johnson also jumps two spots to second. Burtongains one to fifth. Edwards gains two to ninth. No change for Bowyer in seventh, Hamlin in eighth, and Stewart in twelfth.

Both Jeff Gordon and the Biffle lose two spots to third and fourth respectively. Dale Jr. loses one spot to sixth. Harvick and Kenseth each lose one spot to tenth and eleventh respectively.

With two races left, the leader has opened up a 340 point lead on Tony Stewart in twelfth. Referencing my piece yesterday, I think Tony will be done with the 20 car at this point.

Three drivers are still within 100 points of the lead. Second place Jimmie Johnson is 55 points back.

Chase Race #9 – Phoenix

This week doesn’t produce much movement in the standings. Two drivers switch places, Johnson up one to first with a win, Kyle Busch down one to second. All other drivers maintain their positions in the standings.

The drivers prepare for the final race of the season. Four drivers within 100 points of the lead, second place Kyle Busch down by only six points.

Chase Race #10 – Homestead

Johnson maintains first with a strong run, getting his third cup title in as many years.

Kyle Busch maintains second place in the points, falling 49 points short of his first cup. Jeff Gordon takes third in the points, 77 points back. Jeff Burton moves up one spot to fourth, 106 points back. The Biffle loses one spot to fifth, 114 points back. Hamlin moves up two to sixth, 173 points back. Edwards up one to eighth, 207 points back. Bowyer down two to ninth, 283 points back. Kenseth gains one spot to tenth, 322 points back. Harvick loses one to eleventh, 328 points back. Stewart gets twelfth, 437 points back.

So many new variables exist today than were present when many of these races were run last. Hendricks hasn’t been as strong as a whole as they were last year. Kyle Busch now drives for JGR with a very effective crew chief in Steve Addington. Kyle Busch has a big target on his back, he was spun out by two different drivers last week without even trying to.

At least six other drivers of the twelve in the Chase have had less than par years, and will all be looking to break out with wins and great finishes. A few drivers in the Chase have flirted with doing great things for the last few years, could they have an impact on the final standings?

In ten short races over ten short weeks, we will see the 2008 Cup Champion crowned.

The numbers don’t support my opinions, as it probably doesn’t support yours, but more often than not the numbers seem to hold true.

Will all twelve drivers finish the same way as they did in the previous race? Absolutely impossible! But now when you wonder what would happen if they did, you will know.

New Format for the Budweiser Shootout Puts Manufacturers Ahead of Stars

Mitchell Hall — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 09:27:50 -0400

Budweiser announced today that they will introduce a new format for the Budweiser Shootout in 2009. The race will be extended from 70 to 75 laps, and will feature the top six cars from each manufacturer, meaning the top six Chevys vs the top six Fords, etc.

What this means is everyone can rest easy without obtaining a Coors Light Pole Award. But it also means some of the big stars of our sport, like Tony Stewart and Ryan Newman, will miss it due to a manufacturer change.

As of today, the field would look like this:

Chevy

1. Dale Jr
2. Jimmie Johnson
3. Jeff Burton
4. Kevin Harvick
5. Jeff Gordon
6. Clint Bowyer

Ford

1. Carl Edwards
2. Greg Biffle
3. Matt Kenseth
4. David Ragan
5. Jamie McMurray
6. Travis Kvapil

Dodge

1. Kasey Kahne
2. No. 12 Car (Stremme?)
3. Kurt Busch
4. Elliot Sadler
5. Juan Pablo Montoya
6. Bobby Labonte

Toyota

1. Kyle Busch
2. Joey Logano
3. Denny Hamlin
4. Brian Vickers
5. David Reutimann
6. Micheal Waltrip

I don't know how the rest of you see it, but I see a lot of big names and even bigger sponsors missing off of the list. Therefore, I don't like it!

Budweiser is showing us their true colors lately. They are selling out, went with the quiet Kasey Kahne (I like Kasey fine, he just isn't quite Budweiser), they dropped the pole award, and now they are screwing up the shootout!

They should at least make it possible to race your way in, like a Shootout Open or something.

Let's all discuss what this means for the early season chances at Daytona. Top teams get an extra 75 lap test session in draft conditions, while so many are left to watch. For a team like Stewart Haas Racing, who will be starting off with a past champion and a current-year pole winner, it could be detrimental to their performance. Especially since Newman will be starting off outside of the top-35.

Others watching will be Martin Truex Jr., Mark Martin, Robby Gordon, Paul Menard (who won a pole this year also), and many others who could use the race to better their cars.

Kyle Busch – The New Favorite Driver to Hate in NASCAR

Mitchell Hall — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 07:49:24 -0400

I was enthused to attend the Sharpie 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway this past Saturday night. Kyle Busch dominated the race, leading over 400 laps through the middle portions of the race.

Between laps 344 and 462, NASCAR chose to throw four different cautions for debris. This was done blatantly to erase Kyle’s lead in each case, along with NASCAR trying to give Dale Jr. his lap back. There was only one of the four that they actually showed the debris on the track, and it wasn’t even in the racing groove.

After the third debris caution, Carl Edwards was noticeably stronger early in the run, challenging Kyle more than anyone else had all night, fueling NASCAR’s desire to drop another debris caution to effectively produce the desired outcome for the race.

Soon after the final restart, “Cousin Carl”, the new golden child of NASCAR due to him challenging the dominant team, was allowed to bump and run Kyle Busch, amid cheers from thousands in the crowd. Kyle was able to get back to Carl, even pull alongside at one point, but didn’t bump him in the corner, or spin him out, or anything of the sort. Kyle settled for the second place finish he was dealt.

As most of you already know… Kyle expressed his displeasure with Carl with his car. He bumped into Carl on the cool down lap; Carl in turn spun him on the back stretch. Further, NASCAR summoned Kyle to the principal’s office and many speculate a penalty will be issued on Tuesday.

Can someone tell me when Kyle Busch has wrecked all these people to win races this year? Carl said “he knows why I did it, he did it to me”…???? When has Kyle moved Carl to win??? Kyle got credit for moving JR at Richmond even though they were obviously both at fault, but he has not been on a tear like he is getting credit for…Back to the race…

After processing the full race over the last 36 hours or so, I think I have prepared myself to write about it.

Early in the race, Tony Stewart grew impatient with Jeff Gordon blocking, and roughed him up on track in order to complete the pass. This drew scorn from NASCAR, who promptly warned the 20 team to settle down. The result was Zippy cursing at Tony to leave Gordon alone; thus showing NASCAR's ability to pick and choose when aggressive driving can be tolerated.

NASCAR defending Gordon caused me to reflect on another day in NASCAR, when I took it upon myself to boo and heckle Jeff Gordon while attending races. I was not alone in this seemingly noble act, as thousands of others would join with me and enjoy expressing displeasure with Gordon because of his winning ways. Why? Because in winning all those races, he was always beating Dale Earnhardt, Sr.

Fast forward to Saturday in Bristol, TN. Kyle Busch methodically proceeded to the front while Dale Jr. jumped the start, passed 5 or 6 cars before the start finish line. I attended the race with two die-hard, only Dale Jr. fans. I saw the distress in their faces as Dale lost a lap early. Almost immediately they converted from strictly Dale Jr. fans, to fans of anyone but Kyle Busch.

Just as I had done so many years prior, my friends (along with so many others Saturday night) heckled a man because he was winning. Then my friends (along with so many others) cheered as Carl Edwards took the lead from Kyle and continued to win.

While reflecting on this, I noted my current understanding of Jeff Gordon. He is an excellent driver, an excellent representative of NASCAR, and a proud father and husband outside of that racecar. He doesn’t win every other week anymore and fewer people boo him as a result.

The big realization comes when you realize that even if that top driver rolls over and doesn’t win every week that still won’t let your favorite win. In Dale Jr.’s case, if the top five or 10 all roll over, Dale Jr. still won’t win.

Therefore, if you as a fan choose to support Jr., support him, just don’t hate on any other particular person because he finds success. Ask yourself why you support only Jr. He is riding his daddy’s coattails. If you all want to cheer for Carl when he takes out Kyle, go buy a No. 99 T-shirt and sport it for the whole race.

In hindsight, these are my conclusions:

I am figuring out that the average NASCAR fan might not be as smart as I would like to think they are. In fact, in order to be a full blown Dale Earnhardt, Jr. fan, you have to have your head up your rear end a little ways.
Carl Edwards is reaping the benefits of Kyle Busch’s success. Everyone has forgotten the No. 99's early season cheating, along with the fact that he too is kicking Jr.’s butt this season, simply because he has beaten Kyle a few times.
If I drove a car in NASCAR for a living, I would be very similar to Kyle Busch. I would have done the same thing to Carl Edwards, probably worse.
Dale Jr. will never win a championship! He was all over the place Saturday night. If NASCAR hadn’t helped him out he would have never finished as well as he did.
Kyle Busch will win a championship very soon, probably this year!
They messed up the wreck fest at Bristol with the new car and new paving, but that was the cleanest track I have ever been to. Large bathrooms kept the wait time down there, we were able to sit below the grandstands before the race started and were never once concerned with the filth you encounter at some other tracks. The staff was pleasant. The foot long corndogs were awesome! Even though I didn't like the outcome—the overall race experience was excellent! A+ to Bristol Motor Speedway.

Now we have to see how much NASCAR will penalize Kyle for showing emotion. Probably severely, since they are as anti-Kyle Busch as the rest of the haters.

Logano to the 20 next year.

Mears to the 07.

Bowyer to the 33 with no points! Whew!

Sorenson looks to be going to the 10 car.

GO KYLE!

GO DAWGS!

This week is UGA vs. GSU… Georgia rivalry and a whooping for the kids from Statesboro.

Y’all have a good one.

NASCAR Fans Ask Bleacher Report, Why Hath Thou Forsaken Us?

Mitchell Hall — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 03:44:34 -0400

Just as the articles were taking off and improving with writers from around the country surfacing to provide outstanding editorials and feedback for NASCAR, we get taken back and thrown into the mix with other forms of motorsports.

I ask, simply, why?

I can't get my ads to post to a NASCAR forum at all. I have to wade through F1 and Indy car articles to hope to find a post relating to NASCAR.

All I know to say is thanks, thanks for nothing!

Please, Bleacher Report admins, give us back our NASCAR only page, and let us live happily ever after.

Goodyear Needs to Standardize NASCAR Tires

Mitchell Hall — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 04:56:21 -0400

Sunday's Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis turned into a showcase for the pit crews and crew chief strategery. Goodyear managed to bring a tire so soft that it couldn't last 35 miles at speed. I am sure by now we have all seen the pictures of cords showing through on the tires.

I don't know how many of you have purchased tires in recent months, but they now come with a speed rating. With possible applications on sports cars, they are usually rated well above 100 mph. Goodyear tires with a speed rating of "Z" are good for speeds above 186 mph.

Wouldn't it be cool if Goodyear had a truckload of domestic tires on standby to remedy such failures as they had Sunday? So what if there are grooves on the tires? Who cares if they haven't been specifically tested for that track?

Goodyear sells those tires to the public everyday, guarantees them for thousands of miles, at speeds up to and exceeding 186 mph.

NASCAR slows the cars down at the other "Superspeedways" on the schedule. If Goodyear would prefer the tires not exceed 170, 160, or even 140, restrict the cars and let them race.

The drivers have mandated suits and helmets...

The car bodies are exactly the same across the board, the decals only differ...

The tires must have Goodyear on the sidewall to be used in NASCAR...

That being the case, why can't Goodyear make one tire for NASCAR? It should hold up under any conditions, just like the tires they sell off the shelves. It might wear out faster at some places, it might last all night at some places, but the teams and drivers would know what to expect when they unloaded the car.

It would have to be cheaper too—you could make a set 35,000 of the same tire each season, and be done with it.

You are wrapping a piece of rubber around a piece of metal, bolting it on a car and running it on pavement, just like has been done for the last 110 years. There is no need to spend all these millions of dollars on new research to make the tires different and wonder what result you will get.

But until NASCAR decides to standardize the tire—which will probably never happen—Goodyear, bring some domestic tires along with you on your trips to the track.

If the designated race tire fails even half as bad as last Sunday, give them what you give us. Show us that even though your race tires are 50 pounds of worthless weight, your street tires can stand up to any condition, even race conditions.

That would cause me to buy some Goodyears for my car. After watching the state-of-the-art race tire you made fail after 30 miles on a race track that has been raced on for almost as long as you have been making tires, I think I will stick with B.F. Goodrich.

My only hope is that NASCAR give y'all some competition in the tire business. I can remember way too many races in the last three or four years where you dropped the ball and in turn dictated the quality of the racing and the outcome.

The only time we should hear about tire failures is when someone runs over something on the track. If your street tires failed as bad as your NASCAR tires, you would all be out of jobs by now!

Start 21 Might Tell the Tale, and Foreshadow How Kyle Busch's Season Will End

Mitchell Hall — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 04:27:20 -0400

After the great show we all endured at Indy, we now get to look forward to an even longer, and probably more boring race, at Pocono. Yes Pocono, and yes I know we were just there a few short weeks ago.

If you remember this year's first race at Pocono, it was Kyle Busch's worst finish of the year; he finished 43rd. That was also the weekend he tried the triple for the first time. As a result, neither of his three races that weekend were all that great.

That weekend and the next were significant for one other reason. Pocono and the following race at Michigan is the only time all season that Kyle has failed to get a top 10 finish for more than one week. In that case he managed a 13th to follow up his 43rd at Pocono.

Thus I believe this weekend might be the gauge to tell us all how Kyle will fare in his pursuit of championship number one. Coming off a weekend at Indy where he managed to lead a few laps through pit strategy only to finish 15th, he will be thrown back into Pocono, the home of his most dismal finish of the year. One of two scenarios will emerge, and tell us what to expect.

If he fails to greatly improve on his last place finish from his most recent trip there, he might be telling us that this championship can be taken from him by the likes of Jimmie Johnson and the rest of his former teammates at Hendrick's.

Yet, if he shows us his ability to pull it together and improve his performance, that ability that he has made so familiar this year, he might just be telling us that he can't be stopped.

Perhaps the bigger test will come as the Chase starts at New Hampshire, where Kyle suffered another of his worst finishes of the year, finishing 25th.

A few things are for sure...This year is flying by. Kyle is still having a banner year. Goodyear needs some competition in NASCAR. At least we won't have to listen to all the complaining if Jimmie Johnson starts winning every week. Thank God racing at IRP/ORP is so good! If you missed the two races there this weekend, you really didn't see any racing at all.

Open Mic: Retirement for NASCAR Stars and Other Athletes

Mitchell Hall — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 09:17:50 -0400

Contracts come and go, careers begin and end, but the competitive spirit that comes with the athlete never dies. For as long as sports have been played, and competition has been waged, those competing have struggled with the concept of playing their last game.

Being primarily a NASCAR fan, along with the fact that NASCAR stars in the twilight of their careers seemingly wrote the book on returning after retirement, this article will reference primarily NASCAR athletes. However, the concepts discussed and items explored can almost always cross the boundaries of NASCAR and be applied to stick and ball sports as well.

The options for retirement I will discuss are: retiring at the top of your game, waiting until you are forced out due to lack of performance, death, or one last quest for that elusive championship.

Ned Jarrett

a.k.a. “Gentleman Ned Jarrett”, a.k.a. Dale Jarrett’s father

Ned came along during the early years of NASCAR, therefore there were substantially more races being run, and substantially more races being won by those folks named Petty.

Regardless, Ned started his first Sportsman race in 1952, against the wishes of his parents. Despite his parents concerns, Ned continued his involvement with racing as an owner/pit crew member. Within a few years Ned found himself back behind the wheel, achieving success almost immediately.

Ned wound up with 50 race wins and two championships at NASCAR’s top level. In an unprecedented move which will most likely never be matched, Ned Jarrett pulled the plug on his racing career while celebrating his second championship.

Impacted heavily by Ford’s decision to pull out of NASCAR, and his family, Ned became the only driver ever to retire as the Cup champion. This assured Ned’s presence in the record books, always leaving analysts to wonder, what might have been.

Darrell Waltrip

a.k.a. Boogity Boogity Boogity guy, a.k.a. that annoying television announcer, a.k.a. Michael Waltrip’s brother

Darrell came along a few years before the brash young Dale Earnhardt, Sr. He can perhaps be best remembered for his on-track antics against Earnhardt, despite their eventual friendship and Darrell’s time in the No. 1 car while subbing for the injured Steve Park.

Between 1975 and 1992 Darrell Waltrip amassed 84 wins and three championships, the last championship coming in 1985. His 84 wins lands him atop the modern era race winners list.

After 1992 Waltrip held on until 2000, when sponsorship woes and lack of results finally forced him to call it quits. Fortunately—or unfortunately—Darrell landed in the booth with Fox for the introduction of the new TV arrangements in 2001.

More to the point of this article, Darrell can be viewed as a pioneer of the group that can’t figure out when to quit. Darrell had signs pointing to the end of his career as early as 1995, when he slipped out of the top 10 in standings, finishing 19th. The years that followed brought points finishes of 29th, 37th, and finally a 36th occurring in 2000.

Finally Darrell hung up his helmet, and handed over his steering wheel to the next generation. By staying a few years too long in the seat and jumping straight into the TV booth, Darrell has made it increasingly difficult to find anyone who actually knows he once drove a car, unless they heard him say it on TV.

More recent takers of Darrell’s path include other past champions like Rusty Wallace and Dale Jarrett. They are all guilty of the same mistake—staying too long, not knowing when to quit—yet they all seem successful in the TV booth.

Others in this category without the TV time include Terry Labonte (who is currently back in the 45 car), Ricky Rudd, Ken Schrader, and a few others. You know all these guys are still racing their shopping carts through the grocery store, only to get beat by the little old lady in the Hoveround!

Mark Martin

While many drivers have announced semi-retirement or full retirement only to return to full-time competition, Mark Martin has decided to try to make a career out of it.

Oddly enough he appears to be the only one that can find success with the limited schedules and lack of seat time. Mark has managed 35 race wins since his career started in Cup in 1981. This total lands him 10th on the modern era race winners list, yet he has never managed to win a single championship.

Mark first announced his retirement in 2005 along with the aforementioned Rusty Wallace. They would each end their careers after 2006.

That announcement forced the entire racing community to prepare to say goodbye to Mark. Then in 2006, Mark's services were purchased by one time superstar car owner Bobby Ginn, and Mark announced he would run part time for Ginn Racing in 2007.

2007 led to a similar schedule for his final year in 2008. The racing again prepared for the absence of Mark Martin.

Fast forward to July 2008. Mark Martin announces he will return to full-time competition in 2009, and then back to part-time in 2010. As strange as it is, Mark has managed to continue to post consistent results race after race, year after year. Next year he will again pursue that elusive first championship.

His results might set the standard for all future NASCAR retirees, and dictate just how long their last ride becomes. Five to 10 year retirement tours might become the standard for all drivers.

Dale Earnhardt, Sr.

Perhaps the least attractive method for retirement is death, but it above all others suits that certain group of drivers that we as fans can’t imagine going out any other way. This list is a short one, including only one name: Dale Earnhardt, Sr.

Dale started his Cup racing career in 1975, and achieved 76 wins and seven championships before his death in the 2001 Daytona 500. He managed to live the rags to riches story everyone in rags dreams of.

With limited support and a lot of hard life lessons, Dale had built his empire, and seemed destined to step out of the famed No. 3 car for a Richard Petty-like retirement, to manage race teams and guide Jr. to success. This, however, never quite fit with the kind of driver Earnhardt had been since coming to NASCAR.

Looking back now it seems all too clear that Dale could never really have retired from racing.

His departure while in a racecar in the biggest race of them all, while running third behind two cars he owned, running directly behind a son who shared his name…was the only way he could go. As a result, Dale will live on in the hearts of his fans forever.

In the words of Forrest Gump, “…that’s all I care to say about that.”

Brett Favre

Looking at sports as a whole, we can see the trend set by NASCAR drivers bleeding over into other areas. Most notable is Brett Favre who, at the conclusion of last season, chose to retire from the NFL.

While many NFL stars retire and choose to own racecars, Favre obviously noticed the route taken by Mark Martin, who drove the No. 6 Ford for Roush Racing for so many years, only to make an exit by means of a retirement announcement.

This, however, hasn’t worked quite as well for Favre as it did for Martin. In my opinion, the difference is most clear in Favre’s inability to share the spotlight (while Martin accepted part-time rides).

Each occurrence of fighting off retirement, be it in NASCAR or any other sport, can be traced back to each person’s competitive spirit. What insures these will not be the last athletes to avoid retirement is the lighter conditions in which they compete.

Pre-Modern era NASCAR drivers didn’t have in-car Gatorade systems, or cooling systems, or carbon monoxide filters. When they drove for 500 miles in the heat breathing exhaust fumes with only a sip of refreshment during sporadic pit stops, there was no way they could jump out of the car doing back flips or climbing fences at the race's conclusion.

After competing for 10-15 years their bodies were worn out and in need of a long break.

In other sports, such as football, look back at pictures of the players wearing thin leather helmets and no pads. At the end of each game they left battered and bruised. Just like their racing counterparts, after 10 years they were ready to rest.

In addition to body conditions, compensation was far less than it is for them today, forcing some to retire to make more money off the field or track.

And today’s athletes are much better protected and preserved than the pioneers of the sport. Race cars are constantly being tweaked and changed to improve protection for the drivers. Richard Petty wouldn’t even be able to get his signature wet towel into his mouth through the now mandated closed face helmets.

Similar improvements have been made in the NFL. New technology through pads and helmets and suits now allows players to play much longer than players of past generations.

As conditions for each sport continue to improve, we can expect to see many more players extending their careers and returning from retirements. Careers for players will eventually stretch to 20-25 years or more.

Will the trends of players playing longer lead to a better or poorer game? Will it reverse itself and make way for the younger players to take over more easily? Time will tell!

Today I am the Orange M&M, and I don’t really know why. I am looking forward to a big race week and weekend with the Brickyard 400 this Sunday, along with what are sure to be great races at O-Reilly Raceway Park.

As always I will close with, GO Kyle! Y'all kick back this weekend and enjoy a NOS and some M&M’s…if you get really bored, pull out the Interstate Batteries and try some shock therapy—it will surely extend your career a few years.

Top Five NASCAR Drivers This Summer and Where They Will Finish

Mitchell Hall — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 11:14:24 -0400

For the last few weeks, many have focused solely on the No. 18 car of Kyle Busch and his ability to score three wins in the last four races. For the purpose of this article, I will expand that to three wins in the last six races and look at the top five points scoring drivers in the Sprint Cup Series.

This one statistic seems to project the top performers for the immediate future, and at this point in the season, you are only as good as your next seven races.

The driver who has outscored all others over the last six races is Matt Kenseth (two top 5’s, five top 10’s). His 888 points for the last six races surpasses all others, and has catapulted him into eighth place in the standings.

With Kenseth finding his stride with his new crew chief, I look for him to surprise a lot of us in the coming weeks with a couple of wins. He should make a strong run at the championship once we get to the Chase.

Second on the list for the last six races is Brian Vickers (two top 5’s, three top 10’s). He has scored 861 points, rising to a respectable 14^th place in the rankings.

This stat for Vickers might be the most impressive of all, considering his dismal 37^th-place points finish in 2007. With the reality that Red Bull Racing is figuring this NASCAR thing out, I look for Brian to complete his charge into the top 12.

I don’t see him challenging for the championship this year, but they will be ecstatic for such a strong finish. Look out in 2009, because this Red Bull team is starting to grow wings.

Third on the list is Jimmie Johnson (one top 5, four top 10’s). He has scored 850 points over the last six races. While I don’t particularly care for Johnson, you have to respect him for his ability to gather points when it counts.

He could easily go on another tear like he did in 2007 and rack up a lot of wins in a hurry, but I think the mojo once held by Jimmie and Chad has faded. Jimmie got beaten head-to-head for the first time in a long time last weekend.

That will play with his head for the next several races. He is a lock for the Chase, but I don’t see him getting higher than third in the finishing order.

Fourth is Dale Earnhardt Jr. (one win, two top 5’s, three top 10’s). Jr. has scored 840 points over the last six races, including a win.

Dale Jr. has drastically improved his consistency early this year. Despite having so many good finishes, it is hard to tell if Jr. can make things happen when the time comes. He is safely in the Chase at this point, yet it appears he is still points racing on a weekly basis.

With the vast resources of Hendrick Motorsports pushing him along, it wouldn’t surprise me to see Jr. break out and win a few more races. Even then, I think it will be hard for Jr. to step up and win his first championship this year.

If he remembers how to step up and win like his good old days in the Busch Series, he can have it all several times over. Until then, which at the earliest will be in 2009, Jr. will fall into the finishing order only in the top 5.

Fifth on the top 5 of the last six is none other than Kyle Busch (three wins, three top 5’s, three top 10’s). He has managed 831 points over the last six races. Nobody has seen this Kyle Busch before in any of the NASCAR series.

We have never seen him win this often; more importantly, we have never seen him race for a championship. Between now and the Chase, Kyle will be covered solely on his chance to win 13 races this season. That, however, is not as important as his performance during the Chase. Can he do it?

If Steve Addington and Kyle Busch can continue their current tear throughout the Chase, the King's record will fall. Standing in his way will be the other drivers mentioned here, as well as 38 others who each want to steal the limelight for a week.

Also in his way are so many Kyle Busch haters, who converted from Jeff Gordon haters because he now has a wife and a kid, and because Jr. is his teammate. They will put increased pressure on every other driver to spin Kyle out each week. The only thing is…they won’t!

Personally I would bet it all on the No. 18. I think the Chase will end something like this:

1. Kyle Busch

2. Carl Edwards

3. Jeff Gordon

4. Jimmie Johnson

5. Dale Earnhardt Jr.

6. Matt Kenseth

7. Jeff Burton

8. Greg Biffle

9. Brian Vickers

10. Kevin Harvick

11. Tony Stewart

12. Denny Hamlin

Only time will tell. The sure bet is I will catch it all behind either a NOS or a Coors Light (since I don’t like foreign beers like BUD), and I will probably be chewing on a bag of M&M’s.

The only Amp’s will be from the Interstate Battery in my Chevrolet (can only take it so far). However, if GM pulls NASCAR sponsorship, I will be making a brand change in that department as well.

See y'all next time, and thanks for reading! Leave a comment!

NASCAR: My New (Extended) Family

Mitchell Hall — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 11:09:41 -0400

For several years, a group of friends and I enjoyed the Ultimate Fantasy League interactive game on NASCAR.com. Unfortunately, time pushed us in different directions.

Now we hardly talk or visit, and NASCAR.com did away with the UFL (insert derogatory comment here).

This situation is not that much unlike Teresa and Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s fall from love.

Fortunately for us, Junior pushed Kyle Busch out of Hendricks. They both now have a better fit: Busch can be a bad a$$, Earnhardt can be happy with top fives like his teammates, and shave everyday.

Fortunately for me, I have found myself a new home to be amongst the NASCAR faithful.

Every week now, I look forward to reading the opinions of fellow writers almost as much as I look forward to asking my flesh and blood brother how many races Kyle Busch has won now.

It is truly a gift to someone like me, sitting behind this computer everyday, without a single co-worker who so much as watches NASCAR, to have a great place like Bleacher Report to log on and express my NASCAR thoughts.

So far this year, I have morphed from an Earnhardt-first, several-favorite-drivers-second guy to now being a Kyle Busch fan.

I still like other drivers, even Junior, but I am not a Hendricks motor sports fan. I hope, if you have read my stuff, you can tell I favor Kyle a bit, but my favorite part is the soap opera that NASCAR is for me.

Contributing to my metamorphosis has been my chance to write about it on B/R. I can write and think about it, then write and think some more.

To conclude this article, I wanted to ask each of you that reads it for input. A few questions that won't take a lot to answer, but it will let the next reader know that we are all here together.

1) Who is your second favorite driver? You can tell me No. 1 too, but the second sometime says more about you.

2) What was your "Welcome to Bleacher Report Moment"? Mine was the first time someone accused me of using Dale Jr.'s name to get more article reads. I avoided his mention for the next few articles afterwards.

3) What color M&M are you today? I think it is a trip that the 18 crew all have different colors, right down to Kyle's having an attitude. Today I am the brown M&M—I am feeling all natural and I have to go work in the yard!

4) Would you join me in sending a big Thank You to bleacherreport.com for allowing us to share the sport we love with each other?

Until next time... remember to take two M&M's with your NOS tonight, and call me in the morning. This message is powered by Interstate batteries, and a heavy dose of Taurine and Vitamin B12.

NASCAR: To the Mat vs. To the Mat vs. To the Mat

Mitchell Hall — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 17:47:53 -0400

Let's examine the three versions of To the Mat. Two relate pretty closely to Kyle Busch; the third is obviously the rest of the field.

To the Mat No. 1: Kyle gets all up in Jimmie Johnson's back bumper with a firm push of the gas pedal. He throws all of his will and ability into a last ditch effort to pass Johnson for the win.

Drivers today just don't do this enough anymore. We saw Carl do it a few times before selling out, but for the most part they all take what they are given without the extra effort.

To the Mat No. 2: Kyle knew if he was going to win, he would have to ride it out. He pushed Jimmie to the mat with the last pass Saturday night. Commitment, my friends, and trust in his car; there is no substitute.

To the Mat No. 3: They are all crying now. Someone is winning besides Hendrick; how could it be possible? They are on the mat and tapping out. Please weaken the Toyota's or give us a little leeway to make it easier.

Tonight we saw Jimmie outrun Kyle with horsepower down the straightaway, but as I have said so many times, Kyle wanted it more. He took it, taking Jimmie to the mat.

I am really enjoying watching this man race these cars hard. Makes me think of Dale Sr. every time.

Until next time...sippin' a NOS, chewing on some M&M's. Tonight, I am the Green M&M, cause its all a go! Oh yeah—this message powered by Interstate Batteries.

Not the best weekend for Triple Crowns, horses, or horsepower

Mitchell Hall — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 04:34:35 -0400

For the majority of the last seven days two story-lines concerning triple crowns seemed to dominate the racing world: Kyle Busch and Big Brown.

Unfortunately for you horse racing fans, that is not something I am too knowledgeable about, so for this article I will look at Kyle Busch's less than stellar weekend and other items pertaining to NASCAR.

Kyle Busch's triple crown consisted of three races on three consecutive nights in three different states. Due to circumstances both within and beyond his control, he wound up starting at the rear for two out of three events.

Normally this would only be a minor hiccup for Rowdy, but this weekend it proved too much to overcome.

Texas Motor Speedway: Everything started out as could be expected on Friday, with wholesale changes being made to the Billy Ballew Motorsports #51 shortly after the green flag fell.

Kyle showed his ability as he took a truck he had never sat in through the rear half of the field twice, and to the front by the closing portions of the race. With the laps winding away Busch found himself in second behind Ron Hornady. After multiple restarts Busch was unable to find his way around Hornaday and had to settle for second place.

After the race a dejected Busch compared his truck to a piece of crap and seemed relieved to get second place. Little could we tell at the time, Kyle had damaged his momentum. After all the hype and buildup for Kyle's own triple crown, he had failed to win the first leg.

Nashville Superspeedway: Saturday's race started out at a slow pace for Kyle. After qualifying his own car and starting fifth, he took it easy and found himself within large packs of cars.

This bit him on lap 89. Joey Logano got bounced from one car to another and finally slammed into Busch behind his left front tire. A few blown tires throughout the remainder of the race and Kyle had to settle for a 20th place finish.

Pocono Raceway: In practice on Saturday, Kyle managed to wreck his primary car, meaning he would get to start from the rear on Sunday.

While working his way through the field he pulled up in front of Jamie Mac a little too quickly after passing him, at which point he found out what the wall feels like at Pocono. What seemed like a small hit put him behind the wall for over 80 laps, and stuck him 43rd in the finishing order.

Immediately after the accident you could hear Steve Addington (Crew Chief for the #18) on the radio with a distressed order to take it to the garage.

This was touted as the first time a driver had attempted three races in three nights in three different states. After the meager results turned in by Kyle I think we can see why.

At this crucial point in the season, just past halfway to the start of the Chase, it is obvious that you would not want to damage your momentum or lose your "mojo."

The next few weeks will tell how much damage has been done to Kyle's championship hopes.

Crow Salad: I will gladly offer to eat a little crow this week. Last week I talked about the #88 and the severity of his accident and why it took him so long to get back out with so little damage.

This week I will have to do the same to Kyle Busch. He nosed into the wall after slight contact with Jamie Mac. This damage should have been repaired in less than 80 laps. Hopefully Kyle wasn't catching a nap in the hauler.

I will not mention his name because I don't want to be accused of using it for attention, but kudo's to the #88 on another top 5. However #88, get you butt in the gym, it looked like Pocono kicked your tell yesterday, and it will be getting a lot hotter in the next few months.

Movers: Don't look now, but Kasey Kahne is coming, and coming in a hurry. Since the end of the All Star Open where he finished outside of the top two and failed to make the big race, allowing the fans to vote him in, and in the process light a fire under his rear end.

If you remember how this goes when Jimmie Johnson does it, he will win a few and get hot, use the bonus points to get to the top in the Chase, and show out in the Chase.

Yet another mover is A.J. Allmendinger along with Red Bull Racing as a whole. Everyone, including me, thought he was out of that car earlier this year when they put Mike Skinner in for a few races. Since A.J. got his seat back he has started turning this deal around. A.J. finished 12th yesterday while Brian Vickers pulled off a 2nd.

Another Red Bull racing standout you should check on is Scott Speed, who won the truck race last week, and got second in the ARCA race on Saturday.

Also, congratulations to Brad Keselowski, the little known "driver that could" of JR/Hendricks Motorsports Nationwide Program won his first race Saturday night at Nashville. In my opinion this can be counted as Jr's first win as an owner, since this was the car it all started in.

Congrats to Tony Eury SR who won another one Saturday night as well, the old man can still get the job done!

Shakers: Clint Bowyer and Tony Stewart have caught some bad luck as of late, and find themselves 11th and 12th in the points respectively. With any luck this is just a slip. They both like the slick tracks during the summer months better anyway, but it could be showing a problem with the big picture for Tony.

It is bitterly obvious that Tony is a Chevrolet man at heart. The cars he own still race Chevy engines, his Armor All commercial on TV shows off a shiny black Corvette, yet he is asked to strap into a Toyota Camry on race days.

The one thing that speaks the loudest is that his teammates have combined to win 5 races and 14 top-fives, and Tony has no wins with only 4 top-fives. If I was Richard Childress I would be figuring out what it would take to put Tony in that 4th car next year.

Everyone have a great week, see you after Michigan!