Bleacher Report - Articles by Matt Mercer

Michael Jordan Needs To Buy the Charlotte Bobcats

Matt Mercer — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 11:20:19 -0400

Bob Johnson has made his desire to sell the Charlotte Bobcats quite clear.

Michael Jordan has also said he was interested in buying the Charlotte Bobcats.

If that's the case, this needs to get done for the sake of the franchise, the city of Charlotte, and, most importantly, the fans of the team that pay the bills, buy the tickets, and buy the merchandise.

The city of Charlotte has had tense relationships with both of their NBA franchises. The Charlotte Hornets left for New Orleans in a dispute that became very bitter on both sides. As a result, a new franchise was awarded to the city. After all, the Hornets led the NBA in attendance for years in the late '80s and '90s—this can be an NBA town.

Enter Bob Johnson.

Bob's tenure got off to a rocky start, beginning with the construction of a taxpayer-funded arena that left a bad taste in many mouths. The old Charlotte Coliseum was imploded, and the new Bobcats Arena opened in 2005.

Fast forward to the troubles Johnson has had and the money losses that have added up—not to mention Johnson's abrasive personality—and he wants out. As far as I'm concerned, he can go.

Yet he won't sell (at least not yet) at a loss and it's quite foolish to think anyone would buy this team right now for the $330 million he paid. My belief is that Johnson would give MJ a bit of a discount, or even stay on as a minority owner, if MJ became the majority owner.

The problem with this dance is that the team isn't getting any better with questions of ownership and it's looking quite possible that Raymond Felton could sign an offer sheet with another team.

I was dismayed at reports this week that the team and Felton's agent were "far apart" on contract talks. Add to that the mandate from Johnson that the team can't go over the luxury tax, and I'm worried about what protracted ownership uncertainty would do to this team.

If Felton signs with another team, will the Bobcats match the offer? Will the team be able to afford the backup power forward they desperately need? These questions need to be answered.

Again, it all starts at the top of the organization. Michael, please, step up.

Bob Johnson Looks to Sell the Charlotte Bobcats

Matt Mercer — Sun, 24 May 2009 13:35:19 -0400

Well, I don't think anyone's surprised by this.

Bob Johnson, the founder and principal owner of the Charlotte Bobcats, is looking to sell the team ASAP. Johnson hired an investment banker to help facilitate a sale of the team. According to sources in the NBA and the Charlotte Observer, Johnson wants his initial investment back of some $330 million for the team.

The big question, of course, is whether Michael Jordan will put together a deal to take over the team, a goal he seems to have had since he purchased a stake in the team a few years ago.

As a resident of Charlotte since 2005, I've not been impressed with the way Johnson has dealt with the city and business leaders in Charlotte.

Johnson was able to get a taxpayer-funded arena built, but only sold naming rights last year after taking millions in losses on both the arena and the team. Forbes Magazine recently valued the team at $284 million and that's not the number Johnson wants to sell.

Johnson has complained that the Charlotte-area business community hasn't supported him and the team enough. I think this was the wrong way to build relationships.

Charlotte can enthusiastically support an NBA team. The Hornets led the NBA in attendance for several years in the old Charlotte Coliseum but were undone by a crook of an owner, George Shinn. That left a very bad taste in the mouths of fans.

On top of that, the arena deal was met with controversy, so fans have been slow to support an expansion team.

If it takes a new owner with more patience to support the team and nurture relationships, so be it. We don't need an NBA version of what is going on with the Phoenix Coyotes right now.

It doesn't matter if Jordan steps up or another prominent businessman yearning to play ball at this level steps up (come on, Bruton Smith, as suggested on a radio show Friday). They'll be an improvement over Bob Johnson.

Charlotte Bobcats Just a Few Moves from the Playoffs

Matt Mercer — Thu, 14 May 2009 21:48:23 -0400

The Charlotte Bobcats showed a lot of promise in the 2008-09 season.

After a season that saw them use more players than any other in the NBA—as a result of Larry Brown’s tinkering—they’re now standing on the edge of a playoff berth.

Brown made the magic happen yet again in the Queen City, as he turned a team that was in the cellar since its inception into a legitimate threat to the rest of the league.

This summer, the Bobcats can make the final moves to solidify their status.

The biggest question for the Bobcats is what to do with point guard Raymond Felton. Since his rookie year, Felton has been the streakiest of players. He can be great on one night and awful the next.

That was even true this season, as Felton was faced with real competition in the form of rookie D.J. Augustin. Yet Felton played with a purpose for most of the season, and seemed to be happy with his place.

Felton is a restricted free agent, which gives the Bobcats the right to match any offer given to him. But my sense is that it won’t come to that, and I think the Bobcats will give him a long-term deal to keep him in Charlotte and in the starting lineup for years to come.

The Bobcats have two positions to shore up in their rotation: shooting guard and power forward.

Raja Bell and Boris Diaw came to the team last year from Phoenix, and brought experience, toughness, and a new attitude. The addition of Bell and Diaw made the rest of the team grow up. Their spots in the rotation are obviously safe.

Behind them, however, is a real lack of depth. At SG, Augustin was most often used in relief of Bell. Felton and Augustin played well together in the backcourt and will likely do the same next season. Bell needs a backup and a successor and I think that player will likely come from the draft.

The Bobcats will draft around 12th or 13th and that spot looks attractive for a wing player. I think Bobcats will have three solid options at that spot: Chase Budinger, Wayne Ellington, and Gerald Henderson.

I think the best fit for the Bobcats would be Henderson, provided his name is still on the board. Brown is a stickler for defense, and I think Henderson is the best defender in that group. He also has a nice mid-range jumper, which makes him compare favorably to a former Brown player in Richard “Rip” Hamilton.

If Henderson’s gone, I think Budinger and Ellington both have the height to play SG and take a year or two to learn the game from Brown, Bell, and the rest of team.

I’m hopeful the team stays away from Stephen Curry of Davidson. Sure, Curry would sell some tickets as he would be the hometown kid, but he doesn’t fit with this team and has a strong possibility of being another Adam Morrison.

At the power-forward spot, Diaw is the starter and one of the most important members of the team. The Bobcats used veteran Juwan Howard as the backup last season—with surprisingly good results. Howard signed a one-year deal with the team and may retire this offseason. But I’m planning for him to not sign with the team again.

The other PF on the roster is Sean May. I’m not a fan of May at all—and Brown wasn’t one either, benching him for most the year and only using him for short stretches once the team was out of the playoff hunt in the final week of the season.

I strongly hope the team cuts the cord with May. He is a restricted free agent, but I don’t see a team interested in him at this moment. He could very well retain a roster spot—at least into training camp.

If the team drafts a wing with its first-round draft pick, I would look for the midlevel exception to be used to bring a veteran PF to Charlotte. A popular name being mentioned by fans and media is Antonio McDyess of the Pistons.

McDyess is a few years younger than Howard and is available this offseason. He has spoken strongly of Brown, and did briefly consider signing with the team after his “release” from Denver in the Chauncey Billups trade during the season (he eventually signed with Detroit).

If McDyess is interested in playing for Brown again, he would be warmly welcomed by the Bobcats. A frontline rotation of Emeka Okafor, Diaw, and McDyess would be tough for a lot of teams to handle. Add in an improving Gana Diop, and they go four-deep in the power spots.

It’s almost a travesty that I’ve gotten this far in a story about the Bobcats’ future and haven’t mentioned the captain and soul of the team, Gerald Wallace. An original Bobcat, Wallace has been a starter since day one and has overcome numerous injuries on his way to becoming an elite player in the NBA.

Wallace grew tremendously since the addition of Brown and despite missing a number of games after suffering a partially collapsed lung, he averaged 16.6 points per game, 7.8 rebounds, and 1.7 steals. For the Bobcats to make their entry into the playoffs next year, they’ll need Wallace to be The Man. Expect to see “Crash” become an All-Star next year.

Departing the team for sure will be combo guard Sean Singletary, who was mainly a throw-in in the Bell/Diaw trade. It’s less certain if SF Cartier Martin will be retained by the team.

Martin played pretty well after signing a contract for the rest of the season and isn’t a bad option at the end of the bench. I think the odds that Martin returns are 50-50. The team also signed a PG from the D-League, Dontell Jefferson.

One player that will be difficult to trade or release is Nazr Mohammed. The Bobcats acquired Mohammed as a backup at center behind Okafor, but didn’t (and still doesn’t) fit well and was used sparingly by Brown.

The trade for Diop and the presence of Alexis Ajinca has made Mohammed very disposable, but his mammoth contract keeps him on the roster. Hopefully the team finds a way to move Mohammed and his contract off the books.

The Bobcats have quickly gone from a team with plenty of cap room to spare to one that will now need to find a way to reduce cap space. The rash of trades the team made, dating back to the draft-day swap of Brandan Wright to Golden State for Jason Richardsonm have eaten into the cap quicker than most wanted. Add long-term deals for Emeka Okafor and contracts for players that don’t fit into Brown’s plans (Matt Carroll, Adam Morrison) and the team is on the hook for a lot of money.

Should Felton get a long-term deal to stay, as is most likely to happen, that would add to the cap. The team will need to use its midlevel exception wisely and the rest of the cap to sign a lottery pick and another veteran to fill out the roster. The team may look to another former Brown player in Kevin Ollie, who played under Brown in Philadelphia.

In this writer’s view, the Bobcats can become one of the top six or seven teams with just a few additions this offseason. The nucleus is in place and the once the rotation gets a few more worthy players, the Bobcats will be for real.

Want To Watch Dale Earnhardt's 10 Greatest Wins Whenever You Want?

Matt Mercer — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 18:08:00 -0500

Then do I have an offer for you!

The folks at A&E Home Video have done it again, this time collecting 10 races to watch and experience the joy all over again. These races include the 1995 races at Sonoma and the Brickyard, his first wins at both a road course and on the history Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

It has his triumph in the 1998 Daytona 500 as well his final win in what I consider to be one of the greatest races in history, the 2000 Winston 500 at Talladega. The list price for this five-disc set is $39.95 but I have been given an extra set—and I'm giving it away to a TCS reader.

To win, we're going to play some trivia. Tell me, either in a comment or in an email, how many years did Dale Earnhardt run a special paint scheme in The Winston. Bonus points if you can name every scheme. If we're still tied after that, I have one more question in the bag. The winner will be notified on Nov. 19, so have your entries in by Nov. 18 at 11:59 PM.

Thanks for reading, and good luck!

A.J. Allmendinger Continues Strong Runs

Matt Mercer — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 11:26:00 -0500

I don't know how A.J. Allmendinger is still without a ride in the Sprint Cup Series. A.J. has turned in solid performance after solid performance since taking the wheel of the No. 10 GEM Dodge and yet there is still no word of what he will be doing for 2009. Look at his finishes in the four races in the No. 10:

Martinsville—15th
Atlanta—14th
Texas—26th (but ran in the top 15)
Phoenix—16th

Not only that, but he also drove the No. 9 GEM Nationwide car to a top 12 finish at Phoenix, as well. Allmendinger has proved that given the equipment, he can compete with anyone.

Look at the situation, how does GEM not keep him in the car for the future? They've already signed Reed Sorenson but honestly, do you think Reed would be doing what Allmendinger is right now in the car? Allmendinger's outdriving Kasey Kahne and Elliott Sadler every race. Come on, Gillett, keep Allmendinger in the car. You'll be glad you did.

Clint Bowyer: How Long Until He Snaps?

Matt Mercer — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 13:05:00 -0400

I can see it now: reporters have flocked to Welcome, NC to watch a hostage negotiation. Police yell at Clint Bowyer through a megaphone, telling him it'll be OK—just come on out. Really, you'll be fine.

If I'm Bowyer, I'm not so sure. He has to be close to snapping by now, after making the Chase for the second year in a row he gets rewarded with the following.

1. Being moved to the brand new No. 33 team
2. Having the No. 07 team and Gil Martin taken from him
3. Potentially needing to qualify on speed the first 5 races of 2009
4. Working with a new crew chief whose previous Cup experience was with Brendan Gaughan

Seriously, Richard Childress Racing is moving heaven and earth to make sure Casey Mears is dropped into the best situation possible. He gets a Chase-caliber team, a top 12 points position, and a cooler sponsor (Jack Daniels is cooler than General Mills).

In return, Bowyer gets to work with a completely new team, or one that is moving up from the Nationwide Series.

Where's the negotiator?

Bob Margolis Annoys Me

Matt Mercer — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 23:15:00 -0400

I honestly don't know why I read his columns, other than for the same reasons I watch the Boston Red Sox (go back to Bahston, losers!) or Bill O'Reilly (not a real conservative, but I have another blog for those sorts of things). His latest observations column from Martinsville. I was at the race, and feel the need to correct some of his "observations" from the race (my thoughts in italics):

Watching Elliott ride around the rear of the field for most of the race in the woeful Wood Brothers entry was an embarrassment to both Elliott and the sport in general. Due to attrition and his veteran's instincts, Elliott still managed a top-20 finish.

Actually, Bill was pretty competitive most of the day. I want to say he got the lucky dog early, but he stayed close and passed cars. Sure, Bill isn't what he was even a few years ago, but come on—Wood Brothers equipment can only do so much, and the so much has been very little at almost every track.

I'm convinced that the only reason AJ Allmendinger did so well in the GEM Dodge—he wound up 15th—is that when he learned how to drive a stock car at Red Bull, it was a really bad stock car and that's all he knows. Not to take anything away from Allmendinger, but Patrick Carpentier (hey, remember him?) did a pretty darn good job in a car that was far less than competitive.

Umm, what? I'm a fan of both drivers, but this paragraph makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. Allmendinger's simply further along in his progression and ran better than Elliott Sadler and Kasey Kahne yesterday in his first race with a team at a track exceptionally tough on inexperienced drivers.

Kudos to rookie Chad McCumbee (finished 25th) for one heck of a job in the Petty Dodge. Let's hope that the reported Boston Ventures/Petty-DEI deal comes together (I hear it's likely) and that this kid gets to drive a Cup car next season.

I'm sorry, but McCumbee was a backmarker. I think he mistook the finishes of Bill and McCumbee, because Bill is the one that was surprisingly solid and McCumbee rode around the back and waited for everyone else to crash out. I honestly don't know if Chad has Cup-level talent. We'll find out next season.

I guess that finishes up my rant. I read it and had to respond, maybe someone will see it. The race yesterday marked the end of three races in nine days for your esteemed blogger. Here's a view from my seats in turn two yesterday to finish up.

Nationwide COT Leaves Me Cautiously Optimistic

Matt Mercer — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 13:48:00 -0400

For years now, the Nationwide Series (dating back to the Busch days) has been in need of a new identity. The new car looks to possibly, finally accomplish that goal.

Their new car unfortunately incorporates many aspects of the Cup COT, but with a few key differences. The splitter looks different and it maintains the rear spoiler instead of a wing. Those subtle differences will play a big difference in the handling of the cars.

The Dodge car actually looked sweet; shame it won't be around to see the track. Other models considered are the Chevy Malibu, Ford Taurus (huh, didn't they just get replaced?) and Toyota Camry (though obviously different from the Cup Camry).

Most importantly, I think, is that the Sprint Cup guys got to deal with the headaches of the new car, running two different cars at the same time,. It should be expected to be a smoother process the second time around. A transition to the new car should start in 2010 without the unnecessary step of running different cars every week of the season.

My problems still persist though: First, I want NASCAR to step up to the plate and aid the teams financially with the switch to these cars, especially the smaller teams. That would earn a lot of respect on my part.

Secondly, the schedule needs to include more stand-alone events away from Sprint Cup in order to really be a second/developmental series. I could see a reduction in Truck Series races and, if that happens, this series should take over some of those surrendered truck races.

Danny O'Quinn Will Drive No. 35 at Lowe's

Matt Mercer — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 14:17:00 -0400

Kudos to the Rensi team for putting Danny O'Quinn in the #35 this week at Lowes Motor Speedway.

I found out that O'Quinn has been spotting for Jon Wood in the Truck Series, as this story indicates. He also made one Nationwide start this season, finishing 24th at Richmond last month.

He can still wheel a car; he beat John Andretti for Rookie of the Year in this series in 2006, despite missing two races, I'm dumbfounded as to why he can't get anything lined up.

But, I'm still a fan, and I'm still hoping.

Show Danny some love on his website.

Regan Smith Wins AMP Energy 500* (Cough Cough)

Matt Mercer — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 10:32:00 -0400

Regan Smith won yesterday, right?

I mean, he crossed the line first, right?

On the last lap anything goes, right?

So why did NASCAR rob him of a win? Because they're a bunch of meanies?

It wasn't politics, Bob Margolis.

So what was it?

It was NASCAR clumsily doing the right thing.

I'm not one to defend NASCAR on everything they do, but this was the right call. Jayski ran up and posted a quote from one of the puppets in regards to the Truck Race back in 2007. The puppets named were wrong. If you're going to have the rule that there's no passing below the yellow line, it makes no sense to not have it apply to every lap of the race. If you want them to pass below the line, then lift the ban. Maybe we'll see Jeff Gordon do this again at Daytona.

Point is, the right call was made yesterday. Smoke defended his spot, Smith could have made a move to the high side (which is where most passes for the lead were made yesterday) or rode behind him content to get a career finish. He didn't, and he suffered the consequences. As it stands, Stewart finally snaps his winless streak, Paul Menard gets a career-best Cup finish as he moves to Yates, and David Ragan nets another top 5 finish at 'Dega.

Other points from the race

Remember what happened at Dover when Carl Edwards, Greg Biffle, and Matt Kenseth battled for the lead and I threatened to jump off the roof of my apartment complex if they all wrecked? Well, needless to say I hit the bottle after yesterday's crash. Carl hit Greg in the absolute worst spot he could, on the quarterpanel in the middle of the turn. I saw it happen in slow motion. That sucked. Jimmie Johnson leads the points, but I don't think the Chase is over by any means. This race will be important coming up at Lowes.

Denny Hamlin was kept overnight in the hospital following his hard crash, and he may have a concussion as a result. Could we see Joey Logano in the #11 this week?

That's all for now. The next 2 races are in my backyard. I'm going to be broke in 2 weeks.

Pre-Talladega Linkage

Matt Mercer — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 00:28:00 -0400

This is one of my favorite weekends of the year. Gratuitous links, courtesy of someone too busy to write a real post today:

A must-read on the legend of Talladega, it's old but for the old school fans of the sport it's always good to see someone that remembers the curse.

Paul Menard takes his sideburns and dad's $$$ to Yates Racing for next season. The slide of DEI continues and Yates needs the cash. A win-win, in my eyes.

Story about the struggles of open-wheel drivers in NASCAR this season. You mean those same ones ESPN called "The best rookie class in NASCAR history" back in February? Yeah, about that...

Updating yesterday's story about Rusty's possible comeback, he shoots it down. I'm not convinced, not yet anyway.

Nice little story about the process of UPS moving their dollars to David Ragan and Roush Fenway for 2009.

Joey Logano will pull double duty in the ARCA Series as well as the Truck Series, where he'll drive the No. 59 that Ted Musgrave threw a hissy over and quit back at Vegas. Thankfully, he has been pulled out of the shitbox that is the DLP car.

JTG Daugherty racing has formed an alliance with Michael Waltrip Racing for next season. This sounds more like the pretty new girlfriend moving into the guy's house after a tough divorce. Will they get married? We'll see, we'll see.

The entry lists for the weekend. Bram delivers the pure stats.

Who's getting up at 7 AM to see the unveiling of Jeffy's new car?

Not me.

Ever Wanted to Go for a Ride with Dale Earnhardt Jr.?

Matt Mercer — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 21:27:00 -0400

All you need is an Ebay account:

Bidding Starts Today in 10-Day Charity Auction for a Ride with Dale Jr.

Wrangler^® and NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver Team up to Raise Money for Children’s Camp

Greensboro, N.C. (Sept. 23, 2008) – Three laps, four and a half miles, three and a half minutes, 170 mph…. No matter how you look at it, a breakneck ride shotgun next to Dale Earnhardt Jr. is a thrill of a lifetime!

Thanks to an online charity auction from the Wrangler^® brand, one lucky fan will get the chance to climb in the passenger side of the No. 88 AMP Energy/National Guard Chevrolet for a thrilling ride around Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Charlotte.

Bidding opens today at 7:00 p.m. EDT on eBay and will continue through Friday, Oct. 3. Following the final bid, Wrangler^® will donate 100 percent of auction proceeds to the Victory Junction Gang Camp, a NASCAR-themed medically sound camp that enriches the lives of children with chronic medical conditions or serious illnesses.

The denim giant is also hosting two additional auctions of autographed memorabilia to further help raise funds for Victory Junction. Up for grabs are a pair of signed Wrangler^® jeans worn by Dale in a photo shoot for the brand’s current ad campaign, and a door panel from the No. 88 AMP Energy/National Guard Chevrolet Dale drove during this year’s Auto Club 500 at California Speedway.

Dale was unfortunately involved in a crash during the February race, resulting in the blue paint streaks still marring the front of the panel.

“Whether it’s signing a pair of jeans, giving away the door from one of my cars or driving a generous fan around the track, I’m more than happy to do my part in contributing to Victory Junction,” said Earnhardt. “Wrangler has continued to go above and beyond in helping this great charity and I’m honored to be a part of it.”

Founded by NASCAR driver Kyle Petty and his wife Pattie in honor of their late son Adam, Victory Junction operates solely on the generous donations of others to provide camping experiences to chronically ill children at no cost to their families.

Wrangler^® invites fans interested in making a personal donation to Victory Junction to visit the auction Web site at www.ebay.com/wranglerjeans. Donations can be placed in any monetary value via PayPal and will be processed directly to the camp.

Since 2005, Wrangler^® has helped raise nearly $160,000 for charity by working in conjunction with Dale Jr. and corporate partners to auction similar ridealong experiences.

Wrangler^® is proud to be the longest running sponsor of Dale Jr. and continues to reign as the official jean of Dale Jr., the No. 88 race team and the entire Hendrick Motorsports organization.

About the Auctions

All three Wrangler^®-Dale Jr. online charity auctions will be listed on eBay with eBay Giving Works, which empowers people to buy and sell for a cause. Bidding begins today, Tuesday, Sept. 23 at 7:00 p.m. EDT and closes next Friday, Oct. 3 at 7:00 p.m. EDT. Fans can get more information or place bids by visiting www.wrangler.com or www.ebay.com/wranglerjeans.

The ridealong with Dale Jr. will take place Oct. 29 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. The winning bidder of this ride will also receive (see rules for complete details):

Roundtrip air travel to Charlotte, N.C., ground transportation and hotel accommodations for one night (winning bidder and guest)
Footage from the in-car camera during the ride with Dale Jr. (winning bidder only)
Racing lessons with the Richard Petty Driving Experience: get behind the wheel while professionals teach you to drive a NASCAR-style racecar (winning bidder and guest)
Autographs and photographs with Dale Jr. (winning bidder and guest)
Wrangler^® clothing (winning bidder and guest)

About Victory Junction Gang Camp
Victory Junction Gang Camp is a year-round camping environment for children, ages 7 to 15, with chronic medical conditions or serious illnesses. Founded by Kyle and Pattie Petty in honor of their son Adam and located in Randleman, N.C., the Camp offers programs for 24 disease groups and maintains strong relationships with 22 partner hospitals.

Victory Junction’s mission is to provide life-changing camping experiences that are exciting, fun and empowering, in a safe and medically sound environment. As a non-profit organization, Victory Junction operates solely through the support of generous donors to provide this experience free of charge to children and families.

For more information, visit www.victoryjunction.org.

Greg Biffle Goes Back-To-Back, Wins @ Dover

Matt Mercer — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 19:33:00 -0400

I hope you didn't listen to me after Loudon last week.

Today's race was incredible. Specifically, watching three teammates, Greg Biffle, Matt Kenseth, and Carl Edwards, battle and trade the lead multiple times in the final two runs of the race was special to watch.

To start, after some brazen pit strategy, Jimmie Johnson ended up leading Edwards and Biffle. Soon, though, Edwards was looking inside when Biffle shot to the outside and passed them both. It wouldn't be long before Edwards would re-take the lead, with Kenseth and Mark Martin lurking.

Biffle had thought he had a flat tire, but it turned out that he had burned it up racing so hard so early. Consider this a lesson to be learned. Sure enough caution came out, and the debate was two tires or four tires. Edwards wanted four, he got two. Everyone else got four.

On the restart, Edwards would hold off Kenseth for a while, but it got really, really exciting after that. Kenseth closed in along with Biffle and the three cars battled until Kenseth took the lead with Biffle on his tail in second. Edwards would fade to third.

Biffle stayed right on Kenseth in the ensuing laps, looking under him and sending an occasional tap to his rear bumper. As they escalated their racing, Edwards came back out of nowhere, briefly passing Biffle and looking at Kenseth's inside. That turned out to be a blessing for Biffle, who took the high lane and retook Edwards, then also made the pass on Kenseth and pulled away.

Game over. Biffle raced to his second win of the year, a back-to-back effort in the first two Chase races.

Biffle's peaking exactly when he needs to do so. This run reminds me of Kurt Busch's 2004 Chase. Busch didn't make the most noise in the first 26 races of 2004, but was the best when it mattered. Biffle could be on a similar path.

Roush Truck Program Back On Track

Matt Mercer — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 11:52:00 -0400

I got a chance to see the truck race last night at Las Vegas and I saw something I haven't seen enough of in years...both Roush trucks running competitively all night. Erik Darnell and Colin Braun were good all night.

Darnell especially has been impressive since June or so, solidifying his status for next year I believe. He almost recorded his second win of the year last night and moved up to fourth in the series standings. Braun ran in the top five most of the night and would have finished third if not for a last-lap wreck. That's happened to win too often this year. Usually one truck has done well while the others struggles a bit.

Mark Martin and Travis Kvapil won multiple races in the No. 6, but Darnell has hit-or-miss. The consistency has been lacking. Maybe after last night, it's coming back. If so, 2009 should be good.

While I'm on the trucks, it never ceases to amaze me how their points battles always go down to the wire. They're on the same path this year, as Benson and Hornaday sit one point apart with a handful of races left. In keeping with tradition it'll go to Homestead, where you can count on at leat one team to pull a Jim Smith and flood the field.

The Silly Season Parlor Game

Matt Mercer — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 12:01:00 -0400

The news today comes fast and furious in regards to what happens next season. Two stories could solidify what happens with Bill Davis, Gillett Evernham, Chip Ganassi, and Michael Waltrip for 2009. The way it looks now if everything holds looks like this...*

Gillett Evernham
No. 9: Kasey Kahne
No. 10: Reed Sorenson/Patrick Carpentier
No. 19: Elliott Sadler
No. 22: Sorenson/Carpentier
Or Chase Miller, of course...

CGMWR
No. 00: David Reutimann
No. 41: Michael McDowell? Dave Blaney?
No. 42: Juan Pablo Montoya
No. 55: Michael Waltrip (sigh)

The result is that Dodge loses the Ganassi team to Toyota, and Toyota loses Bill Davis' Cup operation. It solidifies GEM as the biggest Dodge team for 2009, and at least on paper, the combined resources of Ganassi and Waltrip could make some noise.

It didn't make sense for Ganassi and Evernham to merge, with Sorenson and Ganassi hating each other now.

Bill Davis Racing has a top-tier Truck team, and if he adds Michael Annett to the Nationwide Series, it could start to look the same there. He could become the Toyota talent incubator.

*of course, everything I've just wrote could not happen at all. Whatever.

Midweek NASCAR Linkage

Matt Mercer — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 11:45:00 -0400

The Chase is set and if you're not in it, you're not going to get talked about. Welcome to the Chase for the Cup: Year Five. Linkage below:

—Jimmie Johnson goes back-to-back, wins Richmond.

—Helio Castroneves wins Chicagoland IRL finale, Scott Dixon claims second IRL title.

—Also in IRL news, Dario Franchitti runs back to the series to replace Dan Wheldon at Ganassi. Wheldon moves to Panther Racing, displacing Vitor Meira.

—Robin Miller's mailbag is always fun.

—The Nationwide Series gets its own COT. Target date is 2010.

—In what may be the most useless work by a researcher at ESPN I've seen in a while, they're doing "ancient chaseology"—what would have happened if the Chase were around back in the 1970s.

—Jason Keller is getting the shaft once again. Hey the guy only finishes in the top-15 every week in a series overrun with Cup drivers.

—Speaking of getting the shaft, Mansfield Truck winner Donny Lia gets released and promptly turns around and gets the chance to drive the No. 81 Randy Moss Chevy.

—Dodge is throwing in the towel in the Truck Series.

—Had to wait a week, but Joey Logano will make his Cup debut in the No. 02 at Loudon.

NASCAR at Auto Club Speedway: Snore...Bore...Please, No More

Matt Mercer — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 12:28:00 -0400

Ok, seriously, does it get much worse than the weekend races at California?

Good lord, I think I'd be more excited watching C-SPAN for four hours!

Kyle Busch leads 144 laps in the Nationwide race. Jimmie Johnson comes in and leads 228 laps in the Cup race.

Very little action to speak of; cars barely hanging on because there was so little grip.

I wonder how many fans (the ones who came to begin with) left the race before it was over?

After the race in Februrary, it was said something needed to be done to this track.

After last night, I think that'll become a unanimous opinion.

Turn it into a west coast Talladega, turn it into a bullring, turn it into a landfill.

All three of those options are preferable to another race like we were subjected to last night.

Joey Logano Offically A Sprint Cup Driver

Matt Mercer — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 23:45:00 -0400

It's been a whirlwind season for young Joey Logano.

The Middletown, CT native is a talent that rarely comes along.

Regular readers know how highly I think about him. This is a guy that won the East Series title at the age of 17. He followed that up by dominating the ARCA race at Rockingham this May in preparation for his Nationwide Series debut, which came at Dover in May.

He would go on to capture poles at Nashville and Kentucky, and won in Kentucky after just three series starts.

Logano followed up with consecutive runner-up finishes at Milwaukee and Gateway and top-10 runs at O'Reilly Raceway Park, Watkins Glen, and Michigan.

The kid's ready to contend at any level you put him in.

For Gibbs, this meant not going outside of the organization to find a replacement for Tony Stewart in the No. 20 Home Depot Camry.

Why go through that process and deal with possible chemistry issues when the best choice is already there?

Logano's been a teammate to both returning drivers, Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch. Hamlin in particular has taken an active role in Logano's development, which will only accelerate the learning curve.

Logano may actually be on the same level as most drivers in the COT, since he has been the primary test driver for the cars since their inception.

I'm going on record right now and saying that Logano wins in 2009 and qualifies for the Chase. I'm that confident in his ability, not to mention the Joe Gibbs Racing camp and the quality of the team he will inherit.

As for the rest of 2008, Logano is looking at running six Sprint Cup races in the No. 02: Richmond, New Hampshire, Kansas, Lowes, Atlanta, Texas.

He'll also race in nine Nationwide races in the No. 20, as well as an ARCA race at Talladega in order to garner some plate experience before the Daytona 500 this fall.

Here is his ride for 2009, courtesy of Home Depot Racing:

Back To School: What Have I Missed?

Matt Mercer — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 17:50:00 -0400

Yes, it's that time of year again. I think I need to catch my thoughts up on all the news of the last week or so, not to mention the latest incarnation of "can these guys be rivals?"

—NASCAR brought the hammer down on the Joe Gibbs Nationwide teams, suspending seven team members and stripping both teams of 150 owner and driver points.

The driver points are meh; they're not running the full year.

But, this does bring the No. 20 back to earth a bit on the owner side. How long are the indefinite suspensions? I wonder how many of them will be back with the team? Someone could use their "free time" and recruit some Toyota talent.

—Kyle Busch wins the Bristol Craftsman Truck race, and Brad Keselowski wins the Nationwide race.

You know, Keselowski has been exceptional this year, his first full year with the No. 88 team.

If JR Motorsports, of all teams, can't get a sponsor, that would be surprising. He could win the championship this year—and certainly would be a favorite in 2009. Here is some audio from Keselowski himself, courtesy of Nationwide.

—Casey Mears moves to Richard Childress Racing with Jack Daniel's in the No. 07. Clint Bowyer moves to the General Mills No. 33.

Bowyer is obviously unhappy; anyone who watched the press conference or saw the pictures could see that.

I mean really, moving from the badass Jack Daniel's car to Cheerios and Hamburger Helper? I'd be upset too. Not to mention the possibility he won't be in the top 35 next season, unless this happens.

—Carl Edwards used the classic bump-and-run on Kyle Busch to win his second straight Sharpie 500. The win made for some interesting fireworks after the race as we're two races away from the Chase, and Edwards now has six wins to put up against Busch's eight. More on this in a bit...

—Two items of note from today.

The long-awaited announcement of Joey Logano as the driver for the No. 20 Camry next season with Home Depot returning as sponsor. I'll have much more on that later this week.

Also, NASCAR is working out the kinks in regard to the 2009 testing policy. So far I like it, which is obviously a minority opinion when it comes to things NASCAR has done in the last several years.

—Kyle Busch vs. Carl Edwards

As opposed to manufactured feuds, this one could be the real deal... maybe.

NASCAR and the media tried to make Jeff Gordon/Dale Jr. a rivalry several years ago. It failed, of course, because there wasn't a compelling backstory. So it fizzled out quickly.

Greg Biffle and Kevin Harvick had a good rivalry back in the Busch Series, as they had numerous run-ins, culminating in the postrace collar-grabbing at Bristol back in 2002.

The last great NASCAR Sprint Cup rivalry was Kurt Busch/Jimmy Spencer, one that was years in the making.

Kyle is a natural adversary, much like his brother.

For a while, the other piece might have been Dale Jr., but he couldn't keep up.

That left Edwards, the other dominating driver this year, to make something happen...and he did.

The move he put on Busch was true short-track racing.

Busch's reaction was childish, and Edwards didn't put up with it, as he spun Busch around on the cool-down lap. It will be interesting to see if this can be a legitimate feud that has staying power, not just a flash in the pan as so many have been before.

Ryan Newman Announcement Friday; Joey Logano Going Cup Racing

Matt Mercer — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 15:21:00 -0400

The puzzle pieces are fitting together quite nicely now.

The first announcement will be Ryan Newman's on Friday, when he'll officially join up with Stewart-Haas Racing for 2009. ESPN mentions Burger King, the Army, and UPS as potential sponsors. My Spidey Sense tells me it'll be one of the first two.

The second one features a report that Joey Logano will enter the Cup race at Richmond, like I said a few months ago. Gibbs has entered an extra car at Richmond in the past, so it makes sense.

Logano was also added to the Nationwide race at Michigan this weekend in the No. 18, a race he wasn't originally scheduled to run. That's what happens when you're going Cup racing full-time in 2009.

Reports Of Kyle Busch's Pre-Chase Demise Greatly Exaggerated

Matt Mercer — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 18:35:00 -0400

The NASCAR media's toughness with Kyle Busch knows no bounds. After his seventh win in Chicagoland, Jimmie Johnson and Carl Edwards responded with wins at Indy and Pocono. All of a sudden, it's like Busch hadn't been the dominant driver of the 2008 season.

Experimental setups and unfortunate strategy breaks aside, Busch runs as well as anyone at any track, at any time.

This proved true again Sunday at Watkins Glen, where Busch led over half the race to sweep the Sprint Cup road courses for the year and also set a NASCAR record, winning on three different road courses in the same year.

With the disappearance of Mexico City from the Nationwide schedule, it likely won't happen again for a while, if ever.

Busch won Sunday in much the same way he did at Infineon, using strategy to work his way near the front, and once he took the lead he didn't give it back. Gibbs teammate Tony Stewart ran behind him the last third of the race, but couldn't touch him, and neither could anyone else.

A red flag for a massive crash in turn 11 and other cautions couldn't stop Busch from reaching victory lane for the eighth time this year, and the 12th in his young career.

The rest of the year shapes up favorably as well—Busch has won at many of the tracks coming later in the year and it's not of the question to see him get close to or break the 13-race win record shared by Richard Petty and Jeff Gordon.

Ron Fellows, Carl Edwards Take Weekend Wins

Matt Mercer — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 14:57:00 -0400

In Montreal, Canadian Ron Fellows won in what was certainly a first in NASCAR racing. It was a rain-soaked event in which those with the experience rose to the top.

Patrick Carpentier finished as runnerup for the second year in a row, and Marcos Ambrose won the bronze. Fellows' victory interview can be found here, courtesy of Nationwide.

On the Cup side, Carl Edwards finally won again—his fourth win of the year.

I'll admit to being bored by Pocono, and I fell asleep before the rain delay...I blame a big lunch.

All I know is that I hoped we would see clear skies and the green flag would come out again. Kasey Kahne winning three times a year is three times too much.

Thankfully it did and he didn't, as Edwards probably had the fastest car throughout the day and had enough gas to make it to the line first.

Kudos to David Ragan on a fifth place run. He continues to stay right around that 12th spot to sneak into the Chase.

Finally, a nice lady from NBC alerted me to an upcoming special on General Motors to air on CNBC, titled Saving General Motors. It takes an unprecedented look into the company as it fights for survival. For NASCAR fans, Dale Jr. will be appearing in the new 2010 Camaro.

I look forward to watching and seeing how they explain the problems—and how they're going about fixing them.

Penske and Ganassi Teams Win Everything—Except a NASCAR Race

Matt Mercer — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 22:25:00 -0400

While their Sprint Cup teams are firmly second- and third-tier, the IRL and sports car teams fielded by Penske and Ganassi continue to dominate.

In the IRL race Sunday, Ryan Briscoe and Helio Castroneves recorded a one-two finish for Penske, while points leader Scott Dixon took third in his Ganassi Honda.

Between the two teams, they have four of the top five drivers in the IRL standings. In the GrandAm series, the Ganassi team led by Scott Pruett is having a dominant year, having won six of the nine races contested.

Of coure, the NASCAR teams are a different story. Penske has two wins, neither of them particularly deserving, and the Ganassi team shut down the No. 40 a few weeks ago and is more or less wasting the talents of Reed Sorenson and Juan Pablo Montoya.

Since Ganassi entered NASCAR, only Sterling Marlin, Jamie McMurray, and Montoya have won for the team, McMurray's coming in 2002 and Montoya's last year at Sonoma.

Penske has considerably more upside than Ganassi, as the No. 2 and 12 teams have proven they can win if the puzzle pieces fit.

I agree with the popular rumor going around in the last few weeks having Ganssi merging with Michael Waltrip Racing and moving to Toyotas. Ganassi has little loyalty to manufacturers anyway, and he's worked with Toyota before. In the end, however, I like seeing these two teams get beat up in NASCAR. There's no question where the top talent in racing resides, and they're on the track 38 weeks a year.

NASCAR and Business: A Lesson In Protectionism

Matt Mercer — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 16:54:00 -0400

The news that Anheuser-Busch was selling to InBev is a blockbuster in the brewing world, as two companies that can benefit from each other agreed to merge. However, if you live in the US during an election year, it can get downright...pathetic. Budweiser's being bought by foreigners! I'm never drinking Bud again if some European buys them! Slow down, Billy Bob. Odds are you've been drinking beer produced in America and owned by foreigners for some time now. Miller Brewing Co., which makes the Miller family of beers (Miller Lite, MGD, Miller High Life, etc.) is owned by... SABMiller, which is based in South Africa. Oh noes~! Coors Light is made by MolsonCoors, which merged in 2005. Canadians run Coors? It's not a one-room brewery in Colorado? Who knew? In fact, Miller and Coors are marketed by the same people in the US! Isn't capitalism grand? Still, with Budweiser, it's bigger, because A-B has the largest market share of the US. Yet this just follows a trend in the beer and spirits market, in which companies try to shore up their markets in other countries.

Hell, Diageo lays claim to Guinness, Red Stripe, Johnnie Walker, Crown Royal, and Captain Morgan, just to name a few. It would have stupid of A-B not to listen to InBev, because their shareholders are getting a great deal. It's a win-win for both sides.

This is no different than Toyota outrage in 2004 through 2007, as people kept talking about "American cars" only competed in NASCAR when Toyota was building more cars in the US than Chevy or Ford. The tip of the iceberg was saying those things about foreigners when German company Daimler-Benz owned Chrysler.

Last I checked, Miller Lite still sponsored the No. 2, and Coors Light made a big-time deal with NASCAR to sponsor the pole award and get its sticker on every car competing. In closing, I'm a lot less opposed to this deal because it's part of a pattern. It's a good business deal, and it will only add to the beer portfolio in the grocery store. Finally, I'm a lot less opposed because free trade benefits everyone, despite what election-year news cycles try to tell you.