Kevin Harvick Rises as Jimmie Johnson Falls - SCI September 18th Issue
Written By Trevor A. Winchell Dover is the next stop on the NASCAR Schedule
The teams have met their first challenge in the Race for the Chase at New Hampshire International Speedway. The next stop is the Dover International Speedway. Not only will the NASCAR drivers have to take on the Monster Mile, they will have to do it while staring down all of Hulkamania! That's right, Hulk Hogan is serving as grand marshal next weekend in what promises to be the most electrifying "Gentleman, Start your engines" you have ever heard.
While I'm pumped up over the combination of my two favorite sports, wrestling and NASCAR, I'm sure the drivers will be focused on the challenges the Monster Mile pose. Of all the drivers in the Chase for the Championship, only Kyle Busch has a top ten average finish at Dover.
Think the current championship standings are crazy? I can only imagine what they'll be like after next Sunday's Dover 400.
Expect both Kyle Busch and Jimmie Johnson to take advantage of their successful record at Dover as they try to rebound from their poor finishes at New Hampshire. Also expect the following drivers to do well next week:
Tony Stewart - Average Finish 8th Ryan Newman - Average Finish 8th Denny Hamlin - Average Finish 11th Jeff Gordon - Average Finish 13th
Next Week's Schedule:
NASCAR Nextel Cup: @ Dover International Speedway 9/22/06 - 03:10pm NASCAR Nextel Cup Dover 400 Qualifying 9/23/06 - 10:35am NASCAR Nextel Cup Dover 400 Practice 9/24/06 - 01:10pm NASCAR Nextel Cup Dover 400
NASCAR Busch Series: @ Dover International Speedway 9/22/06 - 11:40am NASCAR Busch Series Dover 200 Qualifying 9/22/06 - 01:20pm NASCAR Busch Series Dover 200 Practice 9/23/06 - 03:05pm NASCAR Busch Series Dover 200
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series: @ Las Vegas Motor Speedway 9/23/06 - 10:30am NASCAR Busch Series Smith's Las Vegas 350 Practice 9/23/06 - 03:10pm NASCAR Busch Series Smith's Las Vegas 350 Qualifying 9/23/06 - 03:05pm NASCAR Busch Series Smith's Las Vegas 350
Kevin Harvick Dominates New Hampshire!
Kevin Harvick is smoking hot and burning everyone in his wake. The #29 Reese's car was a ball of flame barreling around New Hampshire, and was too hot for anyone to touch!
Kevin's hot streak didn't start at New Hampshire. Instead it has been growing over the past 11 races. During that time his average finish has been 5th. On top of that, Kevin has won 3 of the last 6 races, and has won the last two consecutive races.
What we saw Sunday in the SYLVANIA 300 at New Hampshire International Speedway was a driver on a mission. Early on in the race, Harvick pressed two other championship contenders, Jeff Burton and Denny Hamlin, into a 3 wide situation going through turns 1 & 2 on lap 37 for the lead. The gutsy move could have had a disastrous outcome for all 3 drivers. However, after a little beating and banging reminiscent of the man who formally drove Harvick's car, Harvick came out in front with the lead.
When asked about the early incident, Harvick responded, 'At this point, it's all about the championship and going for it and throwing caution to the wind'...'if you look back on it, I probably wouldn't do that again.'
I seriously doubt in the remaining 9 races to decide the championship that Kevin Harvick will tone down his aggressive driving. Throwing caution to the wind is what fans love most about Kevin Harvick!
Singing the Jimmie Johnson Blues
Have you ever heard of the term "seasonal affected disorder", or SAD for short? SAD refers to people who go into a form of depression with the onset of winter. It's a disorder that affects nearly 20% of the population. My grandmother suffered from SAD and it seems to be ailing Jimmie Johnson as well.
Jimmie's variety seems to come about early on in the final 10 races of the season, however. It's the only obvious explanation I can give to Jimmie's all but guaranteed collapse come every September.
Since Jimmie Johnson has come to NASCAR, he has always been a championship contender. Typically, Jimmie lays the foundation for a strong season early on in the year and maintains it through the middle stretch. However, starting in September, the rock solid Lowe's #48 team will start to falter.
Let's rewind and look at Jimmie's 2006 season. Johnson started off with one of the strongest starts in NASCAR history by winning two of the first 3 races. His average finish over the first 10 races was 7th. He maintained his lead in the points by averaging a 9th place finish over the next 10 races. That average began to fall at Watkins Glen where since, he has posted an average finish of 19th.
Jimmie Johnson's 39th place finish yesterday in the Sylvania 300 has all but killed his hopes of winning a championship; a championship that would have capped off a near perfect season. Or I should say a near perfect 2/3 season. Shop for Jimmie Johnson merchandise.
Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire International Speedway Recap
Kevin Harvick left his mark on New Hampshire International Speedway in yesterday's Slyvania 300. Harvick started in the pole position and led 196 of 300 laps at the 1-mile low-banked track.
Harvick was on a clear-cut mission to win a race in which he had one of the top, but not necessarily the most dominant cars in the field. Nobody bothered to tell him that though. On just lap 37, Harvick barreled his way between championship contenders Jeff Burton and Denny Hamlin. The move nearly cost all three drivers a severe setback in the chase for the championship. However, miraculously Harvick emerged with the lead.
Other championship contenders fared as follows:
2. (-35 points) Denny Hamlin had a strong car for much of the day, and even led the race at one point. He finished in 4th place.
3. (-41 points) Matt Kenseth and the #17 DeWalt team started their weekend off on a bad note with the culprit being bad brakes. However, a team known for its resiliency came through. They finished in 10th place and led the race to capture 5 bonus points.
4. (-50 points) Jeff Gordon had one of the top cars all weekend. He finished in 4th place and led the race to capture 5 bonus points. Time will tell if the #24 Dupont team can maintain championship form and help Jeff capture a record 5th championship.
5. (-64 points) Jeff Burton's hopes for a championship were nearly dashed early with a risky 3-wide pass by teammate Harvick. The driver who is credited with revamping Richard Childress Racing is sitting pretty after a 7th place finish in the Sylvania 300.
6. (-75 points) Mark Martin stayed out of the spotlight, as usual, for much of the day. The seasoned driver posted a solid 11th place finish to lock him in 6th place for the championship.
7. (-81 points) Dale Earnhardt Jr was visibly disappointed with his 13th place finish in the Sylvania 300. Jr, who feels people perceive him as a carefree driver living a celebrity lifestyle, wants people to understand that he only has eyes for the championship.
8. (-110 points) Kasey Kahne gained two spots in the points on the misfortune of championship contenders Kyle Busch and Jimmie Johnson. Kasey's 16th place finish wasn't great, but it sure beats a 39th place finish.
9. (-139 points) Jimmie Johnson is pulling, what's become known in the NASCAR world, a Johnson. His late season collapse started yesterday with a 39th place finish. The finish dropped him 7 positions in points.
10. (-146 points) NASCAR's sexiest bachelor, Kyle Busch, uglied up his place in the championship with a 38th place finish.
Well folks, the NASCAR version of the playoffs is here. We are gearing up for a 10-week showdown that features a star-studded cast of drivers (unless your fans of Tony Stewart), and promises to be one of the greatest finales to a NASCAR season in its rich history.
The first stop on the playoff rotation is New Hampshire International Speedway. NHIS is a challenging, flat 1.058 mile oval track. Four drivers in the Chase, Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth, Mark Martin, and Jeff Gordon average a top 13 finish at the track. Of all current drivers with 2 or more career starts at New Hampshire International Speedway, Ryan Newman has had the most success. In 8 starts, Ryan has an average finish of 8th.
Also expect the following drivers to do well next week:
Jimmie Johnson - Average Finish 9th Matt Kenseth - Average Finish 11th Mark Martin - Average Finish 12th Jeff Gordon - Average Finish 13th
Next Week's Schedule:
Nextel Cup: @ New Hampshire International Speedway 9/15/06 - 03:10pm NASCAR Nextel Cup SYLVANIA 300 Qualifying 9/16/06 - 11:05am NASCAR Nextel Cup SYLVANIA 300 Practice 9/17/06 - 01:30pm NASCAR Nextel Cup SYLVANIA 300
Busch Series off until September 23rd at Dover International Speedway
Craftsman Truck Series: @ New Hampshire International Speedway 9/15/06 - 02:00pm NASCAR Nextel Cup New Hampshire 200 Practice 9/16/06 - 09:30pm NASCAR Nextel Cup New Hampshire 200 Qualifying 9/16/06 - 02:15pm NASCAR Nextel Cup New Hampshire 200
Who's Hot?
Kevin Harvick's toothy grin was the focus of everyone's attention after winning the Chevy Rock & Roll 400 Saturday night. Before Saturday, what people haven't noticed is Harvick's consistent pursuit over the last 10 weeks that secured his place in the Chase for the Nextel Cup Championship.
Over the past 10 races, Harvick has turned up the heat. His average finish over that stretch is 6th with his worst finish being 15th at California. No driver (including Mr. Consistency himself, Matt Kenseth) has performed at such a high level. A lot of people are wondering if this is the year that Jimmie Johnson finally breaks through to win his first championship. After last night, I think we should all be wondering if this is the year that Kevin Harvick will bring Richard Childress Racing it's first championship since the days of Dale Earnhardt.
Who's Not?
The world of NASCAR is so competitive and dynamic that last year's top 3 finishers in the Chase for the Championship (Tony Stewart, Greg Biffle, and Carl Edwards) did not even qualify for this year's Chase. While I could dedicate this week's Who's Hot section to all 3 drivers, I'd prefer to focus on only one.
Heading into the Chevy Rock & Roll 400, there was very little talk of Tony Stewart not making the Chase. Tony was locked in the 8th position, and only needed a 16th place finish to secure his spot in this year's Chase. No problem for a 2 time defending champion, right? Oh how we were wrong!
Tony's weekend was in danger from the start. "Smoke" wrecked his car in the practice session, and had to move to an older back up car. The costly mistake meant Tony had to start at the rear of the field. In the world of short track racing, the rear of the field is the last place you want to start from.
Tony struggled for most of the night, and made it as high as 14th place before going a lap down to finish 18th. The dismal finish left a usually outspoken Stewart sullen, and left only to ponder what may be in 2007.
Change the Chase! Please!!
The Chase for the Championship is upon us, and I can't wait! The last several weeks of racing have proven to be some of the most boring I've ever seen. While the new Chase format is sure to make the final 10 races of the season exciting, it's qualifying format leading up to the final 10 races forces teams to make conservative decisions that virtually erase the passion that has made NASCAR one of America's top sports.
We NASCAR fans are conservative by nature. The last thing we want to see is our favorite driver being a courteous Boy Scout out on the track. We want to see him hang it out there, and drive on the brink of disaster. We want to see them, in the words of the great Charlie Daniels, "drive it like their hair's on fire and their asses a' catchin!"
In the good 'ole days, drivers drove to win races, not championships. To keep the competition level high, and the excitement unparalled, NASCAR needs to look at adding big incentives for winning races. The current format for the Chase is a step in the right direction at creating the season-ending drama that is present in every other major sport. However, some much needed tweaks are required to give the fans a reason to tune in to races leading to the Chase.
Written By Trevor A. Winchell Or in the case of Brian Vickers, stupid season! I can’t believe what I’m hearing, Brian Vickers has asked and been granted permission to seek a ride outside of the Hendrick organization. Surely Brian has friends and family that care for him enough to give him a slap up-side the head. Somebody, give that boy a shake and bring him back to reality, what is he thinking?
So stop me when I mention anything un-true: The Hendrick organization has to be one of the classiest in NASCAR racing today, the equipment they provide is top notch, was Vickers not personally hand picked by Ricky Hendrick to take over his ride, didn't Vickers recently sign a contract extension that would have seen him with Hendrick through 2009? Wouldn’t any driver kill for a seat in a Hendrick car? Has Brian lost his marbles?
Rumor has it, Brian is looking at replacing Dale Jarrett in the 88 car when Dale goes to work for Michael Waltrip in a Toyota next season. Now I know Vickers is nuts, doesn’t he know they drive Ford’s over at Robert Yates Racing! When was the last time a Yates car won a race or a championship? The two Yates cars currently sit in 17th and 20th in the Nextel points standings, does Vickers think he can do better in a Ford. Brian’s own teammates are in 1st, 9th and 10th. Aren’t his odds better staying where he is?
What ever happened to loyalty? Vickers has been treated like one of Rick Hendricks own; he even lived with them for a while. They have done so much for his career provided him with a vehicle to capture a Busch Series Championship and a sweet ride in Nextel Cup. Now after a little more than two years, he’s ready to throw in the towel. I don’t get it! Vickers has the support of a great team owner, a long term deal, the best equipment and sponsors, why give it up?
The other part of this equation is also baffling. A potential replacement for Vickers is rumored to be Casey Mears. Here we have another young guy with a pretty good multy car team and he’s looking around. Mears is currently in 12th place and having a great season so far, at any time he could win a race and I predict he’ll make the chase too. So why leave? At least in Mears’ case I understand why he’s looking; it’s Hendricks Motorsports baby! Not that Chip Ganassi is not a good place to be, again, they’ve been pretty good to Mears.
I don’t really mean to get down on Vickers, I like him and would rather see him stay with Hendrick. He’s a talented young driver whom I feel (strongly) would do better by sticking it out with his current team for a few more years. As for Dale Jarrett, he should do the Toyota thing for one or two years and then retire. Dale has had some great years, but I think it’s time to hang up the helmet and pick up a microphone (just like Rusty Wallace). Besides I may actually start liking him when he’s not driving a Ford and he’ll probably finish better next season. Finally, Casey Mears; I guess if Vickers was to leave to be just another Ford driver, I wouldn’t object to much. Mears is also a great young driver and maybe with better equipment he’ll win a few races and possibly a championship. The key is to stick around long enough to see how things work out.
(September 2, 2006) - Kasey Kahne won the Ameriquest 300 which turned out to be a fuel mileage race with Paul Menard in the end. "It was a great battle," Kahne ex-plained after the race in Gatorade Victory Lane. "We were both saving fuel, both trying to make it to the end. He's showing up fourth. I think he did run out of fuel. We were just trying hard to save fuel and race each other and do what we can do. It was a lot of fun racing Paul."
Kahne and Menard exchanged the top spot four times over the closing laps until the final lap when the fuel ran out for Menard and he coasted across the finish line in the fourth position. "We knew we were going to be really close, really close," Menard said. "With one more lap of caution I think maybe we would have ran out maybe 3/4 through that last lap. You know, all in all I'm really happy. Kasey could go when he needed to and I could go when I needed to. We were both kind of lagging around drafting each other, trying to save fuel. You know, if we had one more lap...I don't know if we could have got him or not but it would have been close."
Kevin Harvick who was battling a loose condition also gambled on fuel mileage which netted him the runner-up spot. "We stole this one," Harvick said after the race. "Our U.S. Coast Guard Chevrolet got really, really loose there in the middle part of the race. It was good in the beginning and then at the end it came back pretty good. Shane and all those guys did a great job adjusting on it. I was screaming on the radio that I couldn't hold on to the thing but did what we needed to do in the end."
Mark Martin dominated most of the event leading (88) of the (150) laps and took four tires and fuel on the last pit stop under green. Time just ran out for Martin as he could not run down the cars who stretched the fuel mileage to the end. "I really want to thank my truck team," Martin offered. "They did an awesome job here in the pits and on the race track. It was one of the nicest cars I've ever driven. This is one of those nights where things could have worked in our favor but they didn't."
Clint Bowyer won the pole and led the field to green for the start of the race and still had the top spot on lap (6) when the first caution flag was displayed. The field was slowed when the motor let go on the No. 4 car of Auggie Vidovich and oiled down the race track. None of the leaders went to pit road under caution and Bowyer led the restart followed by Kyle Busch, Harvick, Stewart, and Kahne.
Kyle Busch took the lead from Bowyer after the restart on lap (10) and Harvick followed him to take second place. Harvick was three wide with Busch and Kahne for the lead and won out for the top spot on lap (18) and Kahne followed through for second.
The third place car of Busch broke loosed on lap (29) and slid sideways on the race track to bring out the second caution of the night. Busch avoided contact with anything and the leaders would take the opportinity to pit for service. Harvick led off pit road followed by Biffle, Martin, Kahne, and Stewart.
Paul Tracy had a scare on lap (43) when his car broke loose and went for a slide on the track prompting the third caution. Tracy avoided contact with the wall and refired the car to continue on. Harvick stopped under this caution thinking he had a tire going down but the cars of Martin, Kahne, Biffle, Gordon, and Kenseth stayed out.
The field would be slowed again on lap (75) for Kertus Davis when he was limping around the track with a flat right front tire. Everyone stopped for service and Kahne led off pit road followed by Martin, Kenseth, Busch, and Stewart.
This run would be short lived when Jerry Robertson lost control of his car on lap (82) and slid off the track through the grass and then back on track. Harvick, Kahne, Menard and others pit. The leaders did not pit and Martin led the restart followed by Kenseth, Busch, Kahne, and Stewart.
Disaster struck for JJ Yeley when he had a tire go down and lost the tread causing the No. 18 car to break loose on lap (93) and hit the outside wall hard. There were two other cars were also involved in the incident when David Ragan and Paul Tracy both spun and received damage. The leaders stay out and Martin led them back to green followed by Busch, Kenseth, and Biffle.
Green flag stops began with Kenseth running second being the first to stop four tires and fuel on lap (129). Kyle Busch would exit a lap later for service then the leader Martin made his stop on lap (131) for tires and fuel. Stewart and Bowyer were in for service taking only two right side tires and fuel with (18) laps remaining. Greg Biffle another front runner made his stop but a tire got away from the crew on pit road and Biffle had to return and serve a drive thru penalty.
Kahne enherited the lead after the leaders pitted and Menard followed in second place. They traded the top spot four times over the final laps then Menard ran out of fuel on the last lap but coasted coasted home in fourth place. Harvick who like Kahne stretched the fuel to the end finished in second and Martin made his way back to third but ran out of laps to run down the leaders.
