Bleacher Report - Articles by Michael Voyer

Jeff Gordon Shows His A-Game

Michael Voyer — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 21:47:21 -0400

It seemed like forever since Jeff Gordon had won a race. The four-time cup champ's last win came at Lowe's in 2007, 47 races ago.

It was an old fashion Texas showdown and, much like last year, Carl Edwards was the man to beat. Anything the leaders seemed to do, Edwards would do, and within a minute he would top it.

Not to mention last week's winner Jimmie Johnson. Johnson has had some great runs in Texas, but none that seemed to be going to a win as much as this one.

Johnson had Martinsville like a slice of pie and if a caution had waved in the last 10 laps, it would have been the greatest showdown between teammates Gordon and Johnson.

Now, our pole-sitter David Reutimann was most impressive. At the start of the race he held off a very hungry Gordon to lead the first seven laps.

It was great racing that you would usually see toward the end of a race, yet points are so hard to come across. And you have to hand it to Reutimann, not many drivers can hold off Gordon the way he did.

Of course he wasn't able to do it for long, yet he still managed for a while.

To be honest, the most impressive was the No. 39 U.S. Army Chevy of Ryan Newman. He started 21st and finished 15th.

Between Newman's continuous great efforts and Stewart's incredible finishes, this team will win an owners championship within the next few years.

Jimmie Johnson's Title Hopes Rise

Michael Voyer — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 10:36:10 -0500

If you haven't heard the news then your living under a rock, Jimmie Johnson and the 48 team have won their third straight championship, defeating Carl Edwards and what seemed to be a Kyle Busch season. Kyle won eight races before the first four races in the "Race For The Chase" ruined any shot he had to take the championship.

The two stars who rose to the occasion were the champion Jimmie Johnson and runner up and winner of Homestead Carl Edwards. Jimmie who won seven races all season topped the winnest driver this year Edwards with nine wins.

Jimmie has made a tie between him and Cale Yarborough who did his championships 1976-1978. But honestly can we compare the two men, I personally think not, if you look at it when Cale won NASCAR had a different points system and different cars not to metion different drivers.

And now with Jimmie whose a great driver, but honestly I don't think Jimmie would have won this years title with out the race for the chase. I personally believe that even though Kyle messed up he still built a good enough lead to win the title, the last real champion; Matt Kenseth in 2003, and I'm a Robby Gordon fan so I'm not being bitter here.

Now Jimmie has the three titles that raises the question can he make it a fourth, obviously the answer is yes but the question should be will he, he's already made it this far it would hurt everybody to see him go down as a man who tied and not defeated.

Lowe's Belongs To Jeff Burton

Michael Voyer — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 09:49:06 -0400

Lowe's is a great track to watch a reace on and the driver to watch early on was Jeff Gordon, not because he was having a great run but cause he kept hitting the wall on laps one and six. On lap 10 Jeff chose to pit to pull out his fender and change the tires.

The man to beat early on was of course Jimmie Johnson, his car was so fast and it looked like no body but Carl Edwards even had a shot at getting to him, But around lap 20 Jimmie had such a huge lead even Carl seemed to fade. By lap 25 Jimmie had lapped long time teammate Jeff Gordon and the top five was Johnson, Edwards, Stewart, Biffle, and Junior.

On lap 33 the driver that took the lead from Johnson was Stewart. Junior had problems early on in the race which he told his crew chief "it feels looser than it should be" talking about the wheels on the car.

The first caution came out when Joe Nemicheck had a tire go down and slammed into the wall. All the leaders made there pit stops and the out come of the pit stops was Johnson, Edwards, Burton, Stewart, Biffle, Junior, Bowyer, Kyle Busch, Hamlin, and Martin. Stewart losing the most positions going from the lead to four position.

When the restart happened Carl Edwards and Jimmie Johnson pulled away from the field...quickly. On lap 52 Carl had to pit for a loose wheel which caused him give up the second spot to Tony Stewart.

but on lap 53 AJ Allmendinger crashed hard into the wall after trying to go three wide with Regan Smith. Though the caution came out Carl wasn't able to make up his lap that he went down for pitting, instead four time cup champion Jeff Gordon was the first car lap down. Allmendinger said "it's all my fault."

On lap 65 Mike Skinner and Ken Schrader both made contact after Michael Waltrip got into Skinner ever so slightly. The man who gave up a lot during caution pit stops was Denny Hamlin when he pitted and gave up the eighth position to change tires. And if that wasn't enough Carl Edwards had engine troubles before the leaders took the green flag.

On about lap 95 Kyle Busch made his car come to life, he was pushing the car as hard as he could to get to the lead. And by lap 98 he was in third just behind teammate Tony Stewart and points leader Jimmie Johnson.

On lap 103 Dale Junior blew a tire and got into the wall, a tough break for one of the three drivers I was pulling for to win this championship (the others are Burton and Johnson). Junior had been driving his car high all day long yet it ddin't seem like that's how his day would have ended.

On lap 122 Mike Wallace crashed his Dodge after he got lose right next to Jeff Gordon. Mike had gotten a flat tire right after he spun the car. He got the caution so he was able to pit without losing another lap.

Around lap 129 Ryan Newman this year's Daytona 500 winner was leading points leader Jimmie Johnson, but it didn't last for too long on lap 134 Johnson and Vickers past Newman for the lead and the second spot. Not too long after Vickers challenged Johnson for the lead. On lap 136 Vickers got the lead and kept it until 180 when he gave up the lead to make his green flag pit stop.

Caution for the sixth time on lap 187 when debris hit the track and that hurt Vickers but gave Kasey Kahne the lucky dog award. And that was lucky for him since his car seemed to be super strong on the longer runs.

On lap 195 another caution was waved for Paul Menard getting into Bill Elliott who bumped into Tony Raines and the domino effect occured collecting Kvapil and Kenseth. and all the hits in the crash were hard licks. Kenset's car was seriously damaged, another car in that wreck was the 45 car Chad.

Once the green flag flew Martin Truex Junior was the leader and he wasted as little time to get as possible to get away from the lead pack which didn't work out too well for him.

On lap 206 another caution was out this time Waltrip, Labonte and others were involved. When the replayed showed the first thing to see was Jimmie Johnson got loose and almost spun out yet he saved it then behind him Waltrip got into the back of Labonte and spun out himself and to aviod either driver Casey Mears took the high road and went through the grass.

With 73 laps to go drivers were making their pit stops and it was a sight to see everyone were locking up there wheels to make the pit road speed, look as if an accident was happening right before the commit line.

With 70 laps to go Robby Gordon flat spotted his tire and blew it to shreds, debris fell everywhere and they had no choice but to wave the caution. The free pass was given to David Ragan.

With about 42 laps to go Juan Pablo and Kurt Busch made contact with David Ragan near by, David got away unharmed but with 37 laps to go Juan blew a tire due to the contact with Busch. This contact lead to the pit stops of the leaders and Burton taking only fuel left him out in the lead and Johnson took right sides plus fuel and Jeff Gordon took all four and fuel which he said "makes my car run better on longer runs."

Once the green flag dropped Burton fought off Johnson like there was no tommrrow, I don't think I've seen any driver race that hard on the out side with 30 laps to go and he still managed to hold off Johnson who is one of the best at the Lowe's Motor Speedway.

Jeff Burton won the race holding off what looked like the fastest car toward the end of Kasey Kahne, followed by Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, Jamie McMurray, Jimmie Johnson, Greg Biffle, Jeff Gordon, Mark Martin, and David Ragan.

Burton gained two spots in the points now he's in second to Johnson only 69 points back.

Hermie Sadler to Race in Martinsville

Michael Voyer — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 01:34:24 -0400

Hermie Sadler, Elliot Sadler's older brother, has posted on his web page that he will in fact be racing in the 2008 truck race in Martinsville, Virginia.

I don't know about you, but I've gotten used to the "TNA announcer" Hermie, and seeing him behind the wheel again will be a delight.

He is a very underrated driver. We know he wrecks and makes mistakes, but everybody does. Just ask Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart, and Kyle Busch.

Hermie has just had some bad luck. I personally would love to see Hermie win the truck race to make the media go into shock. They put all the "go or go homers" on this bubble and make them so they're not even drivers, but only fillers.

It's about time one of those "seat fillers" showed the media who a real seat fitter is and Hermie Sadler just might be the person to do that.

Agree or disagree, you have to give them credit for being in a series like this. I would kill to take a Craftsman Truck Series truck for a qualifying lap.

The Monster: Greg Biffle Wins Second Straight Chase Race

Michael Voyer — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 10:56:52 -0400

Early on it seemed as though a great race to be predicted, Kurt Busch spun out with contact from David Gilliland, then Patrick Carpentier spun out right in front of Jimmie Johnson and tapped Carl Edwards. Joe Nemicheck was the typical wreck, tire troubles which led to pit stops, and going in Jamie McMurray was the leader and coming out Matt Kenseth.

The race was the second of the ten races for the chase and problems aimed at Dale, Jr. when he blew his tire out and caused him to spin out and messed up his fender and did a great job of not hitting the wall.

Red Bull Racing has had such a tough time since last year when they started the team with Brian and A.J. but like the usual for that team A.J. made contact with Kasey Kahne and had a tire rub. Which if you saw the caution being waved Jarrett had announced it as a blown engine.

Robby Gordon and Jamie McMurray had some contact when Robby tried to cut Jamie to the wall and spun out causing both drivers to wreck. Jamie making post caution contact by taking his car and sliding across the front of Robby's car.

Then not much later in the race Sam Hornish got pinched up into the wall by the start/ finish line, on the turn he slid slightly and hit the wall bringing out another caution and a great prediction of a great race.

The last greatest of all the things to happen was Kyle Busch, winner of the Dover Nationwide Series Race blew his engine up, a little less than half way through the race Kyle had smoke coming from his pipes and then less than 100 laps later Kyle blew the engine up while under caution from Sam Hornish's crash. Kyle Finished 43.

The eighth caution of the day came when Sam Hornish made a back to back crash and wrecked again. This caution there were 24 cars on the lead lap.

All together with 100 laps to go Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards and Jimmie Johnson went three wide and Greg took the lead, Carl second and Jimmie third and it was a close three wide run.

Juan Pablo had a tire go down and wow if you could see the right side of the car, it was amazing, not saying that it was good, it was a bad thing for such a great driver.

The winner of the race: Greg Biffle for the second straight week.

Richmond Revenge? Dale Jr. wrecked Kyle Busch, but intentionally?

Michael Voyer — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 12:27:11 -0400

It seemed Dale, Jr. had gotten revenge on Kyle Busch for the last Richmond race. On lap 211, Dale Jr. bumped leader Kyle Busch, sending him into a spin.

However, if you watched the replay, it was Kyle who took himself out. He went to block the No. 88 car and it back fired in his face, causing the points leader to record a 15th place finish instead of recording his ninth win of the season.

During the post-race interview, Dale said it was just racing and he hated it to happen, but that's how things go in this sport.

When Kyle was interviewed, he stated that he had not seen the video and wasn't going to comment on what had happen, but it stunk for the 18 team.

The real battle of the day was between Jimmie Johson and Tony Stewart. They battled it out like cats and dogs for the last five laps.

I'm going to give Tony a lot of credit; he worked his best and kept comming for Jimmie and Jimmie just wouldn't give up. Congrats to Tony for his runner up; he did his best and he deserves to win.

The upset with points was Kasey Kahne. He is now 13th in points, gaining one position, after his 19th.

Now the chase contenders are:

Kyle Busch

Carl Edwards

Jimmie Johson

Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

Clint Bowyer

Denny Hamlin

Jeff Burton

Tony Stewart

Greg Biffle

Jeff Gordon

Kevin Harvick

Matt Kenseth.

Bumping at Bristol: Carl Edwards Wins Crazy Race

Michael Voyer — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 16:34:33 -0400

Carl Edwards topped off the night with a pole, running as fast as he could to make sure he would get in the race for the chase.

Early on in the race, Sterling Marlin and Jimmie Johnson made contact, Johnson got loose, and Dale Jr. got caught passing before he crossed the start/finish line.

It seemed as though Juan Pablo Montoya, when he went a lap down, became racy—he almost got in an accident with Carl Edwards early on, and could have taken the entire top three out just with one spin.

But the first crash came on lap 98 when A.J. Allmendinger and Martin Truex, Jr. made contact and they both crashed. The accident gave race leader Kyle Busch the chance to get his car fixed and the opportunity to make his car better. During pit stops Elliot Sadler had problems getting into pit stall, turning in sideways.

Dale Jr. had some problems after lap 152 he said to his crew chief, "the right rear tire seems like it's gonna blow."

And a caution on lap 888 from Tony Stewart getting into Sterling Marlin, causing Marlin to spin out. Then Chase contender Jeff Burton, with nowhere to go, got into Marlin and took him out of the race. In the interview Burton did after the race, he said the crash was "a typical Bristol wreck."

On lap 217, Sam Hornish, Robby Gordon, Kasey Kahne, Casey Mears, and others' huge wreck, caused when Mears and Michael Watlrip made contact, caused the red flag to be shown for a little while. When the red flag was withdrawn and the caution flag was put out, the leaders chose not to pit.

Another caution came out on lap 282 when Dave Blaney, for the second week in a row, wrecked—this time it was a chain reaction to Travis and Regan Smith, then Regan got into Blaney. Dave just barley hit Paul Menard after spinning and nearly hit race and points leader Kyle Busch.

The next caution came on lap 344 when David Rutaimen's car left a piece of debris on the track, which gave Kyle Busch and Jeff Gordon a great opertunity to make adjustments, and a terrific chance for Ryan Newman to get the handling back on his Dodge.

The next caution came on lap 365 when debris hit the track.

Kyle Busch re-started leading the race—however, with great effort and a great pass on the outside, and a little rubbin from Kyle Busch to Edwards, yet thankfully Carl put Kyle back in his place by spinning him out right before his famous flip. GO CARL!

Carl Edwards Is the New Beast

Michael Voyer — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 13:32:38 -0400

Carl Edwards made a pit stop before the red flag flew for rain. It turned out to be the right call.

While Kasey Kahne and Mark Martin had no choice but to make a final pit stop with five laps to go, Carl ran the race to finish with the win. It seems as though Kyle may have a challenger for that title after all.

And speaking of the points leader, guess what—he had to pit with two laps to go and that put him one lap down.

It was a very disappointing day for the points leader, but a day up for his teammate Tony Stewart who was the runner-up. A great job and a team effort by the No. 20 Home Depot team.

As for Daytona 500 champion Ryan Newman's 14th place finish, it's great to see him in the top 15. There are more of those to come.

Should NASCAR Be Racing in Mexico?

Michael Voyer — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 10:33:11 -0400

If you were to ask Kyle Busch he would say "Why not?" But there are people who are having some difficulty understanding NASCAR's new diverse program.

You see, NASCAR wants to spread its viewers to African Americans, Hispanics and anyone that basically isn't white, to make it short and simple.

I'm not saying that this sport is just looking for dark skinned people, however, they already have the "Americans" so now they want to expand. I've been hearing that Mexico doesn't deserve a race; I think not in the Sprint Cup Series.

I don't care about the Nationwide Series, I can't follow how much the lower class drivers complain at the old school drivers. I'm the same guy who doesn't like Toyota in the sport, since it's not an American-made car.

So yes, I do like the race at Mexico, yet I disapprove of it in the Sprint Cup Series.

Can Drivers Wives Be a Factor In How They Race?

Michael Voyer — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 06:59:41 -0400

I understand that drivers do their best week in and week out, however it did dawn on me that maybe the drivers wife has an effect on the drivers performance.

Take for example Brooke and Jeff Gordon, when they were married he did awesome, better than anyone except maybe Earnhardt. After the divorce he did like crap for a while. Last year he had a kid and got married again, and did great last year. Not so much this year.

It's not a proven fact nor is it a fact at all, keep in mind this is just an 18 year old thinking here. I may not be an expert but motivation from a wife can be more motivation from your owner or crew chief.

Let's take the time to name some famous drivers that are married: Jeff Gordon, Kurt Busch, and Jimmie Johnson.

They all have done so well since they have been married, granted Kurt did better when he wasn't but I think that was because he was with Roush Racing instead of with Rodger, whose equipment sucks compared to such an elite force in the sport.

The People Have Spoken

Michael Voyer — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 05:07:48 -0400

Most people have said that they would like to see David Stremme behind the wheel of the number 12 car next year. We all know that Newman is leaving, yet Rodger has not told the media what driver he will replace Newman with.

Ryan, this years Daytona 500 champion, has seemed to let that win overshadow a lot of other things he has done since joining Penske.

I'm not saying Newman is a bad driver by any means, Ryan is a terrific driver and he deserves to do better than he has been. However he seems to be unable to live up to expectation.

We are all aware of the fact that Ryan had a dry spell earlier in his career. For example, he blames his crew for not giving the results needed. Personally, I would have to say "Ryan your behind the wheel, not them so their doing there best you do yours and stop complaining"

As for the new driver of the number 12 car I personally believe it will be an RWI driver and sadly, Steven sucks. My personal pick for the replacement driver is David Stremme.

Go David!

Kyle Busch And The Final Ten Races

Michael Voyer — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 15:51:43 -0400

Kyle (Rowdy) Busch, it seems like only yesterday he was a hero in the Busch Series (Now the Nationwide Series). Now he is the points leader holding the most wins and top five's of any driver in the series this season. With all the fingers pointed at Kyle for all his rough driving, we have yet to think about what can happen to him. New Hampshire for example, he got spun out.

I know that the likelihood of Kyle getting spun out the final ten races is almost impossible, but if Earnhardt Jr. or Burton can capitalize on a bad Kyle day then it will be easy riding from there on out.

It does seem like Kyle will win the championship, and I'm voting for Kyle since he is most likely to, yet we are all forgetting that after Richmond the points get crunched, so Kyle will only have a five point lead on who ever is second.

That means if Kyle has a bad day next week at New Hampshire, he will lose the point lead. Lets try to remember the big picture here and not forget that Kasey Kahne had the most wins last year but the points champion was Jimmie Johnson, just saying.

Racing Sex Appeal

Michael Voyer — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 05:40:00 -0400

We all know what women think "all guys want is sex." Not true—it's what we think about sometimes. We're more concerned nowadays with gas prices, racing ticket prices, and car insurance.

Danica Patrick is a great racer no doubt, and I love to see her do well—not to mention she won her first race this year. However, this is a professional business—you don't see Jimmie Johnson on the cover of Play Girl, and you don't see Dale Earnhardt Jr. in a wild "'One Night In Paris" video.

Patrick needs to stop worrying about her guy fans and start worrying about her career. I know money is money, but being in FMH is out of control for a racecar driver. She is supposed to be a professional, not some trash you see on the street and think of her as "just a piece of a**."

Seriously speaking, it was nice to see her like this, but it was uncalled for and inapproprate for the racing business.

Is Retirement for Real?

Michael Voyer — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 14:11:00 -0400

The big word today is retirement. Mark Martin said he would do it in 2005. Bill Elliot said he would do it. Ricky Rudd said he would do it. Terry Labonte said he would do it.

All of which have come back for at least one race. Everyone realizes that they want to get behind the wheel because that's what they were born to do.

It's more or less the fact that unless you really know that you can't do another season just tell the media you’re going to take a few seasons off to make a choice and see where your head is at.

Mark Martin made a huge campaign with Rusty Wallace. Rusty's was "Rusty's Last Call," and Mark's was "Salute to You.”

Rusty left and never came back though Mark did. It's nice to see him behind the wheel, but buddy, do what you said you were going to do.

How Well Is RWI Doing?

Michael Voyer — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 10:07:01 -0400

Rusty Wallace Inc. hasn't done that bad of a job this year. With Steven Wallace behind the wheel, you're pretty much promised an accident or two, but he's still kind of new. His last win came in the Re-Max Series at Michigan, I believe, in 2004—he was driving one of his father's sponsors, Kodak.

David Stremme, on the other hand, has been taking steps backwards, going from driving the No. 40 car in the Sprint Cup Series to now driving in the Nationwide Series only. NOT GOOD!

His performance in the Nationwide Series has been nothing but short, yet he's doing his best to keep up with everyone else, he made an impressive run at Daytona, finishing eighth after starting 25th.

Really, if Rusty Wallace wants to up his team to try to get Ryan Newman in the No. 64 car, RWI will succeed.

Are NASCAR Officals Jobs More Dangerous Than Drivers?

Michael Voyer — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 08:11:36 -0400

NASCAR is so focused from what we can see on the drivers (as well as most of it should be) however NASCAR officials have a very dangerous job as well and i've seen some videos of officials who have been hurt and killed while working on the job. The picture above is of NASCAR official/inspector Brienne Davis who was killed earlier this year in a car accident (nothing to do with NASCAR) however I did happen to search this up and found that she was 28 years of age when she died.

Honestly if you take a look at it, many drivers do get injured like when Tony Stewart hurt himself at Lowe's last year, and some do get killed like the late Dale Sr. but the focus has always been on the drivers NASCAR on Fox or TNT needs to show what NASCAR has done to make this sport safer for people other than the driver.

The last real safety check they have made is the Speed Limit down pit road and they have enforced it and accidents do happen, drivers may go too fast by mistake, at least give the officials somewhere decent to stand while their watching the car, it's not that difficult to do.

Who Takes Over the 12?

Michael Voyer — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 13:56:26 -0400

All this has made me wondering, Ryan Newman is leaving the 12, and Tony Stewart is leaving the 20, and Casey Mears is leaving the 5.

Mark Martin is leaving the eight and going to the five, whose going to take over the 12?

My dad thinks it will be Casey Mears, and that wouldn't be such a bad idea if it were not for the fact that Casey and Kurt Busch have yet to show any knowledge of each others existence.

Has Kyle Busch Gone Too Far?

Michael Voyer — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 13:34:04 -0400

Kevin Harvick and Juan Pablo, Jeff Gordon and Matt Kenseth, all have had decent rivalries. Steven Wallace and Mike Wallace, Robby Gordon and Michael Waltrip, and I'm just getting started. Did it ever occur to you that this is getting a tad out of hand? 42 teams have to hate Kyle.

I personally love to see a good fight, but Kyle Busch really kills the fun in that. I mean, he makes contact with almost every driver he passes and when Juan Pablo does it, he gets fined, so why doesn't Kyle? Is it cause he is the new pretty boy of this sport? SUSPEND KYLE!

Ryan Newman Leaves Penske Racing

Michael Voyer — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 12:24:21 -0400

Ryan Newman, projected as a possible teammate for Tony Stewart on the two-time NASCAR champion's new team, will leave Penske Racing at the end of the 2008 season.

Newman's impending departure was announced today in a release from the Penske team.

"We want to thank Ryan for his hard work and contributions to Penske Racing over the past nine years," team owner Roger Penske said in a statement. "We wish Ryan all the best for the future and we'll continue to focus our efforts on making the Chase with Ryan and the Alltel Dodge team this season."

Newman expressed his appreciation to Penske and to the team in a statement, but gave no indication where he will be racing in 2009.

Newman has been with the Penske team since making his Sprint Cup debut in 2000. He got a full-time Cup ride in 2002 and has notched 13 victories, including this year's Daytona 500.

The 30-year-old Newman, known as one of the best qualifiers in NASCAR history, won 11 of his 43 career poles and eight races in 2003, and finished no worse than seventh in the season points from 2002 through 2005.

Are Burnouts For "Kids"?

Michael Voyer — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 10:34:06 -0400

Rusty Wallace used to say that burn outs are for kids.

Some people like them, and they truly are cool to see when you're at the track.

When Rusty won his 54th career win at California, Darrell Waltrip said, "lets see Rusty do those burnouts." But in honor of Dale Sr., Rusty grabbed a Dale Sr. flag and paced around the track one more time. On Rusty's last win at Martinsville, DW said, "Rusty said earlier this year burnouts are for kids."

Jeff Gordon's Wait for a Win

Michael Voyer — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 13:19:27 -0400

Jeff Gordon has been waiting for a win, yet it seems as though only Jimmie Johnson and Junior have found the way to beat the Toyotas in the Sprint Cup Series.

Although Jeff is one of the top drivers and in the middle of most loved and most hated (according to last year), we all know Gordon is just a few steps away from his first win of the season. If he can figure out how to pass Kyle Busch, Jeff will certainly win a race.

I've also noticed how Gordon's attitude has changed since becoming a father, though it was expected. So to all Gordon fans, it may suck that you have to wait but his win will come sooner than you think.

Newman Condsiders Joining Tony Stewart

Michael Voyer — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 18:21:05 -0400

Ryan Newman has been talked about for a while, He has stated that he has five options.

He can join Stewart/Haas Racing, or stay with Penske. The other three have yet to be discussed.

I do have respect for Newman, yet I can't see him driving for another team.

I'm an old-fashioned guy; I say, stay with the team that gave you your start.

NASCAR: Kyle Busch Wins Lucky No. 7

Michael Voyer — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 18:07:06 -0400

Kyle Busch took his seventh win this season in his M&M's Toyota, outrunning Jimmie Johnson in the Lowe's Chevy.

I did predict Busch as the winner of this race for a reason, and I was right; however, my surprise winner finished 21st: Jamie McMurray.

Tony Stewart kept his good fortune at this speedway by finishing fifth.

The No. 11 car of Denny Hamlin finished 40th, being the oddball of the Gibbs Racing family.

The Ultimate Surprise Winner of the Life Lock 400

Michael Voyer — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 11:29:42 -0400

Earlier this week, I was asked who would be the ultimate surprise winner for the Life Lock 400. Well, there are a lot of drivers I think that would surprise me—Paul Menard, Dave Blaney, Brian Vickers, Juan Pablo, Patrick Carpentier—but the ultimate surprise to me would have to be Jamie McMurray.

No doubt the kid has talent. I mean look at last year's Pepsi 400. That was the best Pepsi 400 i have ever watched. I truly think Jamie may have something if anybody is to pull a surprise victory or top five this weekend and my top 10 that i think will capture the top 10 this weekend are:

1) Kyle Busch

2) Dale, Jr.

3) Tony Stewart

4) Mark Martin

5) David Regan

6) Elliot Sadler

7) Kasey Kahne

8) Greg Biffle

9) Jeff Burton/ Kevin Harvick

10) Kurt Busch

Let The Fans Decide

Michael Voyer — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 04:36:41 -0400

I have been wondering for a while now and I get mixed answers from mixed people every time I ask the question, will Mark Martin do well at Hendricks?

Honestly speaking I don't think he will. No offense to Martin fans, but after the 2007 Daytona 500 his career is basically over. He should have retired with Rusty Wallace. The question to me is will Mark Martin do well, and by well I mean consistent top 5's and top 10's with Hendrick Motor Sports.

Write a comment explaining your opinion.

Tony Stewart: Move Away From Gibbs is Official

Michael Voyer — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 14:39:34 -0400

It's official: Tony Stewart will leave Gibbs Racing.

I wrote an article five minutes before I published this one. I have a source that told me that Tony will leave Gibbs and go to Haas/Stewart Racing in 2009.

GO TONY!!

Tony Stewart to Better His Luck in Another Car?

Michael Voyer — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 14:26:19 -0400

Tony Stewart has had a rough year with no wins and all. That's something Tony hasn't done in a while.

In the mix of everything he has been saying for a long time now and to be honest I'm questioning if he really is serious about leaving Gibbs.

I mean, I understand about Kyle Busch being the team's icon this year with his six impressive wins. But Tony has the teams' two championships. That should matter to Gibbs when contract signing comes up. I mean, money shouldn't matter—Tony should.

To be honest I never personally liked Tony, but I wish him the best and I want him to go somewhere he will be successful.

Casey Mears Leaving Hendrick Motorsports

Michael Voyer — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 05:59:07 -0400

Casey Mears, driver of the No. 5 car, will be leaving Hendrick Motor Sports after the 2008 season.

The team Mears will be driving for has yet to be announced and the replacing driver has yet to be announced as well. The rumor has it that there is a possibility that Ryan Newman may take over; however, neither Ryan nor his team has commented on the subject as of yet.

Tony Wins!

Michael Voyer — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 10:35:46 -0400

Tony Stewart and his father have both talked about the New Hampshire speedway, but to actually win there is a step up, an impressive take from his Sprint Cup Series wrecks and misfortune.

I'm personally not a fan of Stewart, but I was happy to see Tony come across the line first and get the win, he has done so well in the Nation Wide Series but has struggled, like I said, in the Sprint Cup Series.

Tony's first win this season in the NSCS is soon to come, it's just a matter of getting the team on the same page, I'll give Tony untill Watkins Glen to win a race.