Fallout from Martinsville (Yahoo! Sports)
March 30, 2010
div.mailsubhead { font-size: 1.4em; font-weight:bold; margin-top:0.6em; margin-bottom:.5em;}hr { align:center; width: 20%; margin-top: 12px; margin-bottom: 12px; }Why was NASCAR so quick to wave the yellow flag when Kyle Busch spun with just over a lap to go at Martinsville? They weren’t every other time someone spun. Just wondering.
Now, let’s get to the mailbag …
Second-place is first loser
Jay, Once again, a great finish to a race at Martinsville. I loved Jeff Gordon’s comments afterwards about Kenseth: “He drove into the back of me so hard … I made sure he wasn’t going to win the race after that.”
More From Jay Hart Luck helps out Hamlin in end Mar 29, 2010 Storylines: Damage-control mode for Hamlin Mar 27, 2010
He would have never said that last year. He might have done it, but afterwards he would have said something like, “it was a racin’ deal” or “I don’t really remember what happened.” For him to just come out and say it like that, this is great stuff!!!
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This is what will get fans excited about watching races. Edwards took care of his problem with Keselowski (right or wrong), Gordon took care of Kenseth.
I’m glad NASCAR is letting the drivers police themselves. It makes the sport real and genuine, and puts personality back into what was devolving into a sterile affair. Boogity boogity boogity!!!!
Bill CarswellHuntsville, Ala.
Like you, I was relieved to hear Gordon not mince any words. If there’s anything to read into his reaction, it’s that he’s still fired up to win races, especially in an era when he’s having to watch his teammate bask in the glory that was once his.
Jay, I don’t know what to think of this comment from Matt Kenseth: “It was a dumb move on my part,” Kenseth said. “I should have just finished third and collected some points and got one of our best finishes at Martinsville – but I figured I’d go for the win, which, I guess in hindsight, was probably a mistake.”
Are you kidding me? Really? A mistake to go for the win? Why race if you are not going to win?
I don’t get why people are content with a “good” run and not wins. I guess you are correct in the small emphasis on winning in respect to the points. They figure 15 points is not that bad when you think about it, but that’s just sad.
Mistake to go for the win? Give me a break. Something needs to change so winning is the ultimate and second is for “losers”. We need someone like Ricky Bobby, “If you are not first, you are last.”
JonathanFolsom, Calif.
Let me ask you all this: what is the more important record – career wins or career championships? Whichever you choose, that’s the one that you’re going to put more emphasis on, and right now drivers rank championships ahead of wins.
The odd part about this is whenever I’m looking back at the record book for some sort of historical reference, I always look at wins first and rarely, if ever, consider championships. This is partly because some of the sport’s greatest drivers, namely David Pearson and Cale Yarborough, didn’t always run full seasons. But it’s also because, as fans, I think we want that moment of glory when our driver wins the day.
There’s an inherent conflict there which, as I’ve said before, is why I can’t figure out the ambivalence surrounding Jimmie Johnson. Dude not only wins championships, but he wins the most races, too. He’s the best of both worlds – like if a quarter-pounder with cheese were actually healthy.
Better lucky than good
Great article Jay. It actually is one reason that I watch the races less because I figure that what is happening in the beginning and middle of the races does not make that much difference – other than things like crashes or major mechanical problems. But if a car is doing OK and can stay on the lead lap, all that is needed is a late caution to bunch everyone up and it seems like almost anyone can win or lose, almost no matter how they did in the rest of the race.
Sure, it makes for exciting finishes, but does not particularly reward a driver/crew that has performed well the whole race.
TomMichigan
Part of the reason luck plays in to the results is just that caution flags bunch the field. In road racing or point to point racing (off-road and rallies) you get to keep any interval you gain on your competitors. In circle track, you lose your advantage and have to earn it again. It’s a spectator sport, not pure racing by any means. NASCAR needs more races that end like Martinsville where anything can happen.
David AndersonEugene, Ore.
You bring up a great point about NASCAR being a spectator sport. However, the point of my story wasn’t to say NASCAR’s got it wrong. The vast majority of the sport’s entertainment factor is because of NASCAR’s hands-on approach.
That said, I think most of us watch the sport for the skill and the competition, and lately those two areas haven’t necessarily been the deciding factors in who wins and who loses. For this reason, I would like to see NASCAR find a middle ground, one where crew chiefs have a little more wriggle room, debris cautions are kept at a minimum and consistency (which there wasn’t with the swiftness with which that final caution at Martinsville was thrown) is king.
Hi Jay, I’d like to start by saying that I’m not a sunny day fan. I am not one of those spectators who seem to get as much enjoyment from bashing NASCAR as from watching it. In fact, to the chagrin of many, I like nearly every change NASCAR has implemented in recent years.
I have been a huge proponent of the COT, regardless of the often stale racing it has at times promoted, if for no other reason, than it has improved the safety of our drivers. I like the change from wing to spoiler. I’m enjoying the benefits of the “wave around” rule. I’m all for the “have at it” policy and “double file” restarts. And I LOVE the “Chase Format” as opposed to its predecessors. All in all, I cherish our sport and embrace it.
However, with that said, I’ve got one huge complaint that I’m finding harder and harder to stomach, and that’s the new green-white-checkered rule. I know why it’s in place, which is to provide the fans an end result under green, and ultimately, more exciting finishes. But a mere six races in and it’s blatantly obvious that it is an awful experiment gone awry. What it does in actuality is artificially alter the outcome of a race. After six races and it’s affected the outcome of, what – three races? Am I wrong? Am I the only one who recognizes this?
Harvick was the clear winner at Daytona. Gordon should have won at Martinsville. And Johnson probably had no business winning at LVMS. The new rule stole victories from the clutches of those who worked long hard to be in a position to win on the final laps, and conversely, handed that opportunity to another, who by mere luck, was in a position to excel for a single lap or two.
It is not making the endings more exciting, but rather, it is making the sport itself nearly unwatchable. I am getting tired of investing four plus hours on a Sunday to see an outcome dictated by a ridiculous rule to give those fans-on-the-fence a “YIPPEE” of an ending. It’s a sham.
Wake up folks! Every lap counts, not just the final lap! Give me an old boring finish under caution any day … just let the winner be the true winner.
Len BoccassiniHarrisburg, Pa.
I predict this is just the beginning of this discussion.
Weather or not
Jay, why is it that NASCAR just can’t figure out this rain thing? Can’t they move the races around so that the tracks statistically that don’t get much rain in March and April are ran then? I could see moving Phoenix up in March.
Another thing, for those that lose a day of work to a postponed race, why can’t they race on Saturday and leave Sunday for makeup in case they need it? Personally I like the Saturday races since you get that next day to recoop before working on Monday.
AaronPhoenix
Let’s cut to the chase – rain sucks for everyone, including NASCAR, but especially fans who’ve travelled to the race but can’t stick around for another day. For them, it really, really sucks.
But what can NASCAR do? TV prefers Sunday races because the ratings are better than on Saturday nights. Rain tires don’t work on ovals. And while gerrymandering the schedule might seem like a swell idea, we’re talking about Mother Freaking Nature. Talladega is more predictable than her.
There’s no good solution other than to build a dome over the track, which I’d be willing to bet Bruton Smith has actually contemplated.
Oh, and when can I come to your house to watch a race. Sounds like a hell of a time if you need a whole day to “recoop” after sitting on your butt for four hours.
Party pooper
Hi Jay, I laugh when I read all the complaints about Jimmie Johnson. Do NASCAR fans watch (or even know of) other types of racing?
Let’s see: Schumi won five F1 championships in a row, Tom Kristensen won six 24 Hours of Le Mans in a row, Valentino Rossi won six of the last eight MotoGP championships, Jeremy McGrath and Ricky Carmichael combined won 12 of 14 Supercross championships … you get the idea.
The phenomenon of a racer dominating a series is not even a new one: Fangio won four F1 championships in a row in the 1950s. Giacomo Agostini COMPLETELY DOMINATED GP from 1966-73 – thirteen championships while racing two classes, sweeping both five times in a row! Heck Dale Sr. won six of eight Winston Cup championships. (Were people complaining back then?)
This is why they are considered legends. Drivers who dominate should be lauded, not scorned. The suggestion that another driver/rider should have taken one of these guys out along the way isabsurd.
CraigSacramento, Calif.
This is how it’s done – you come in, state your opinion, then back it up with actual facts. Great email, Craig. You’re welcome in the Happy Hour Lounge anytime.
Last call …
Who is that on the top of the standings? It’s a bird, it’s a plane, no its Jimmie Johnson!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
WilliamParts unknown
Jay Hart is the NASCAR editor for Yahoo! Sports. Send Jay a question or comment for potential use in a future column or webcast.
Jumping through hoops: Competition spurs Burton (NASCAR.com)
March 30, 2010
Jeff Burton with wife, Kim, and daughter, Pagie, before a race in Atlanta.
His favorite college basketball team is poised to complete a run at a national championship.
And make no mistake, driver Jeff Burton is a passionate fan of Duke basketball. But that’s not all that consumes him in his life away from the race. During a break between raindrops at Martinsville Speedway, Burton discussed not only Duke’s Final Four chances and which of the other three remaining teams in the NCAA Tournament concern him the most, but also his passion for being a father to 14-year-old daughter, Paige, and 9-year-old son, Harrison.
Q: Your Blue Devils should win the NCAA Tournament now, shouldn’t they?
Burton: There are a bunch of teams that should have won it all when it started who aren’t going to. What’s cool about the tournament is that there is no second chance. If you win, you’re in; if you lose, you’re out. … The teams are really evenly matched, no matter what people want to say about one being a No. 1 seed or another being a No. 10 seed. When you get to this point in the tournament, it’s usually going to be two top-20 teams playing each other. In college basketball, 14 points usually is considered a blowout. That’s seven made baskets, and that’s pretty close. That’s why I like college basketball so much. You never know what’s going to happen.
Q: What other teams left in the Final Four worry you the most?
Burton: Well, in my pool I had West Virginia going to the final. From watching them, I thought West Virginia was really good. I had West Virginia and Kansas in the final, if that tells you anything.
Q: What do you like so much about West Virginia?
Burton: I don’t want to say they play dirty, but they’re real aggressive. They’re in your face all the time—and that causes other teams problems.
Q: Well, doesn’t it seem like their coach, Bob Huggins, has them sort of playing with a chip on their shoulder?
Burton: He has a chip on his shoulder, doesn’t he? But they’re good.
Q: Transitioning to another subject, with a 14-year-old daughter and 9-year-old son, are you going to be giving fatherly advice to any of these drivers currently participating in NASCAR’s baby boom?
Burton: There used to be a lot of kids around the garage amongst drivers, and then, just because there was a shift in how old the drivers were, suddenly there were none. It’s nice to see it come back around. It’s good to see.
For my daughter, there were a lot more kids her age growing up in the garage vs. the way it is now. It’s good to see it coming back—because it’s part of life, part of growing up. Having a family is pretty rewarding. I think it provides balance in your life. I don’t know if I have any advice to offer, but I really enjoy being a father. It’s fun; it’s challenging; it’s hard. But it’s very rewarding.
Q: Both of your children are active in different sports, aren’t they?
Burton: My daughter, she competes in the jumpers—so she’s racing, too, but with horses. She just kind of stepped up and started competing against more people in the national arena. Competition is pretty tough, but it’s more fun for me. When they’re judges out there, it’s hard for me to know what’s going on. But when they do it with a stopwatch, I can figure that out.
So it’s been a lot of fun for me. She’s jumping really high stuff at high rates of speed, so it looks dangerous to me. But she loves doing it and she works hard at it, which is what I really care about. That’s a lesson in life right there. You can’t have success if you don’t work at it—unless you’re so good you can get by with it, and most people aren’t. So she puts a lot into it every day, and that’s a quality I respect.
Q: How often are you able to see her compete?
Burton: Once we start racing, I hardly see her at all. During the winter, she competes in Florida. My son races in the winter, as well. I know more about the racing, so I end up going with my son and my wife [Kim] knows more about the horses, so she ends up going with my daughter and we split it up like that in the winter on the weekends. I don’t really like that a whole lot, but there is no way around it. This winter I went to three of her events. But in the summer, I don’t get to go to any of ‘em.
Q: You weren’t sitting in the stands with your own stopwatch, were you?
Burton: No, you can see all of it [on a scoreboard]. But this winter I started walking the course with her, because I can relate to that. You’ve got one jump and then you’ve got to turn and get ready for the next one. That’s my world. I can relate to that—not that I tell her what to do, because I don’t. It’s pretty competitive. It’s cool.
Q: And your son, he races?
Burton: Mostly he races quarter-midgets. He raced some Bandoleros this winter, and we might do that some this spring.
Q: And how is he doing?
Burton: Good. He was in the upper end of his age bracket last year, so he had an advantage. This year he’s on the lower end of his age bracket, so he’s at a disadvantage. He’s racing against 14-year-olds, and that’s a big step.
But it’s fun. You meet a lot of people from all over the country, and that’s cool. It’s really good, hard racing. But the kids, they race hard and then get out of the car and play football, or X-box. It’s fun to be a part of it.
Q: You’ve got to remember they’re kids, right?
Burton: Listen, man. I don’t care if you’re playing football, riding horses, playing soccer or racing, there are always a group of people who become very committed to it and put a lot of effort into it. You see that in everything. And sometimes we take it too far.
But it’s taken very seriously. It’s easy to forget you’re dealing with an 8-year-old, or 9-year-old or 10-year-old. You’ve got to always keep that in mind. [Saturday]night he raced [in Salisbury, N.C.] and didn’t have the result he wanted and I had to step back and tell him, ‘Hey, if we’re not going to have fun, we need to go do something else.’ It needs to be fun. It needs to be taken seriously, but at the same time you’ve got to keep it in perspective.
Q: How much of a challenge is it for you, as a competitor, to do that?
Burton: It’s hard as a professional to step back and do that. I’m used to attention to detail by the world’s finest racers—with access to technology and access to a lot of stuff. That’s the world I live in.
Then I step back into going racing with my son. I have to step back a little bit and keep perspective. This [Sprint Cup garage] has become normal to me—and it’s anything but normal. When you walk through that shop on Monday, there are hundreds of people working to make that race car go faster. We think that’s normal. But it’s not.
‘TV Guide Magazine’ offers NASCAR collector’s issue (NASCAR.com)
March 30, 2010
TV Guide Magazine has partnered with NASCAR to create the TV Guide Magazine: NASCAR Special Collector’s Issue, the ultimate must-have collector’s guide for every NASCAR fan. The 88-page, special-interest publication will be sold online and on newsstands for two months beginning March 30.
Capitalizing on the magazine’s unrivaled 50-plus years of television content, the TV Guide Magazine: NASCAR Special Collector’s Issue will feature unique content from NASCAR journalists, insider access, unparalleled insight, and the latest up-to-the-minute information and news features on NASCAR.
Fans can purchase the issue at stores nationwide for $6.99. The guide also is available now on NASCAR.COM’s Superstore for $7.99 or free with a $50.00 purchase.
Superstore
“We are pleased to produce this special issue in association with NASCAR,” said David J. Fishman, TV Guide Magazine. “NASCAR is a strong brand with a loyal and vast community of fans that make the sport the second-highest rated regular-season sport on television. TV Guide Magazine’s latest special-interest publication ensures that all NASCAR enthusiasts are tuned in to the most up-to-date and insider news available.”
“Our sport works hard to deliver the very best television programming, production, world-class broadcast partners and resources to best serve our fans, sponsors and continued growth,” said Paul Brooks, NASCAR senior vice president and president of NASCAR Media Group. “As fans ourselves, we know this is all about capturing the amazing racing that NASCAR drivers deliver every week for our fans. This TV Guide Magazine NASCAR issue is a terrific resource for our fans to further enjoy great racing every week, as well as unprecedented hours of programming now available every day of the year. We are proud of our partnership with TV Guide Magazine, who remains a welcome friend and American institution.”
TV Guide Magazine: NASCAR Special Collector’s Issue offers fans the latest on the 62nd season, including:
• It’s Showtime!—The first behind-the-scenes look at Showtime’s eye-opening new series, Inside NASCAR. The new weekly series delivers fast-paced, inside-the-cockpit commentary from the sleekest set yet. Take a look at what’s in store and meet the all-star talent set for center stage. → Inside NASCAR:
• Get with the program—Season predictions from FOX, ESPN, TNT, SPEED, and BET’s on-air experts.
• Catching up with the past—The NASCAR Hall of Fame salutes 60 years of legends, history and spectacular success on a road well-traveled. Get the first detailed look at the soon-to-open NASCAR Hall of Fame. → Hall of Fame: |
• Leaders of the track—Who are the top-25 best Cup Series racers?
• Rush to judgment—Get the latest road map to success in the 2010 Chase for the Sprint Cup. A graphic and statistical overview of each of the top-25 drivers in the Sprint Cup Series.
• On tracks—Take a look at the venues that power the Cup Series. An overview of each of the NASCAR track venues, with insider map information.
• Junior’s season on the brink—Dale Earnhardt Jr. is driving to win again, and putting last year’s struggles in the rearview mirror. An in-depth look at what Dale Jr. and his fans expect this season.
• Switching gears—A special look at the debut of Danica Patrick on the stock-car scene. Can the Indy sensation generate the same heat in NASCAR?
• Complete racing schedules—Details on all NASCAR television coverage.
And much, much more!
This collector’s issue is the fourth in a series of comprehensive and definitive single-topic, special-interest publications that TV Guide Magazine creates for fans of era-defining TV shows and events, high-profile actors and actresses, and pop-culture icons. Previous special-interest issues included publications devoted to Michael Jackson, Law & Order, and SpongeBob SquarePants.
Luck helps out Hamlin in end (Yahoo! Sports)
March 29, 2010
Denny Hamlin deserved to win the Goody’s 500, but ultimately he needed good fortune to do it. More and more, this is how NASCAR races are being decided – with good luck trumping solid performance.
For most of Monday’s race at Martinsville Speedway, Hamlin had the field covered. He led 172 of the 500 laps, and in the waning moments his only real challenger, Jeff Burton, was fading because of a flat tire.
But when Burton’s tire finally gave way bringing out a caution with just nine laps to go, Hamlin and his crew were forced to make a decision – pit or stay out. No matter what they chose, they knew the rest of the field would do the opposite, which is exactly what happened. Hamlin decided to pit and only teammate Kyle Busch joined him.
More From Jay Hart Storylines: Damage-control mode for Hamlin Mar 27, 2010 Kyle Busch: His side of the story Mar 26, 2010
When the race restarted five laps later, Jeff Gordon held the lead, with Hamlin stuck back in ninth – way too far back to rally in such a short amount of time. Three laps minus 100 feet later, Gordon still held the lead when Busch spun into the wall, bringing out another caution.
Had the yellow flag been displayed a few seconds later (after Gordon had crossed the start/finish line making it one to go) the race would have been over, with Gordon lucking into the win. But it didn’t, and so per NASCAR’s green-white-checkered rule, the field lined up for a two-lap sprint to the finish.
Put another way, it was a reprieve for Hamlin, who restarted fourth and needed less than a single half-mile lap to bully his way past Gordon and Matt Kenseth (both skating on old tires) and into the lead.
So to recap, on Lap 490, Hamlin had the win in his hands. On Lap 491, Hamlin’s chances at victory were somewhere between slim and none. On Lap 492, Jeff Gordon became the clear favorite and remained so until Lap 498¾ … at which point Hamlin was reinserted into the conversation.
There’s really not a question as to why this is. NASCAR has done such an amazing job at leveling the playing field that the difference between winning and losing is measured by 10ths of seconds. The trade off is that by governing the sport so tightly that a good chunk of the field sticks around right to the end, the odds are increased that luck and/or good fortune will play into the outcome.
We saw this same thing happen just last week at Bristol, only in reverse, when a late caution ended up costing Kurt Busch (who led 278 laps) the victory. Late cautions and/or late pit strategy had a hand in two other races this season, meaning that four of the six races run this season have been decided, in some form, by chance.
“If I had to put a percentage on it, no matter what we do at the end of this race, whether we pit or don’t pit, it was going to be about a 20 percent chance we win this race,” Hamlin said afterward. “Things were going to have to happen. Not only that 20 percent, everything had to happen the way they did with us taking tires.”
As they say in the biz, “That’s racin’.”
But is this really what comes to mind when considering what competition is about – that the more deserving player/team has a 20 percent chance of winning?
This certainly isn’t always the case in NASCAR. If it were, Jimmie Johnson wouldn’t be a four-time defending champ. But there’s no denying that chance is becoming a more frequent determiner of who wins and who loses.
Monday, the right driver won, but he essentially needed to win the lottery to do so, and somehow that just doesn’t seem right.
Jay Hart is the NASCAR editor for Yahoo! Sports. Send Jay a question or comment for potential use in a future column or webcast.
Scheduled knee surgery turns into a celebration (NASCAR.com)
March 29, 2010
On Lap 506, Denny Hamlin was fourth. On Lap 508, he was heading to Victory Lane.
Denny Hamlin had hoped to spend the latter part of Monday beginning the first stages of his recovery from surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.
Instead, spending it celebrating in Victory Lane at Martinsville Speedway worked for him quite a bit better. In a wild one reminiscent of other memorable finishes at the storied half-mile track, Hamlin stormed from fourth to first in the final green-white-checkered melee—winning for the first time this season on an afternoon when it seemed at first glance as if wily crew chief Mike Ford had given it away.
Hamlin, who led a race-high 172 laps, was setting the pace for the field when Jeff Burton, who had battled him up front most of the day, had a right-front tire go down and hit the outside wall to bring out the caution flag on Lap 493 of the scheduled 500-lap event. That left Ford with a difficult decision. Should he bring the leader in for fresh tires with less than 10 laps remaining, or let him stay out and maintain the most precious track position a driver can possess?
Knowing Hamlin was operating on old, slick tires that had 65 laps on them, Ford opted to have Hamlin come in and get four fresh ones. Kyle Busch, his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate who was running second at the time, followed Hamlin’s No. 11 Toyota to the pits … and none of the other top cars did.
“Those are the worst calls ever. That’s the situation you hate the most,” Ford said. “The thing during the day that you want to do is put a lot of cars down [a lap], so it makes that decision easy. And there were still 18 cars on the lead lap at the end of the day, which is quite a few for here. You know some of those are going to stay out—because that is their shot to win. You know some of them are going to come if a few guys come in front of them.
“In this series, that is the hardest decision to make. Inside of 10 [laps remaining], what do you do? The leader, you can bet that his shot to win the race goes both ways, so everyone else does the opposite of what he does.”
It looked at first as if the two JGR cars had just handed Monday’s victory to Jeff Gordon, who had been running third and suddenly, unexpectedly, inherited the lead.
“I told Mike, for the record, that I never doubted him,” JGR team president J.D. Gibbs said. “Off the record, up on the pit box, I was cussing him.”
Surprise, surprise
Gordon later confessed surprise that the cars of Hamlin and Kyle Busch pitted to take on tires. Busch, who took only two right-side tires, came out of the pits ahead of Hamlin, who took the four and started in the 10th position on the restart that followed on Lap 496.
“We didn’t expect them to come in,” Gordon said.
When he saw Hamlin starting “to peel off there,” Gordon said to crew chief Steve Letarte: “They’re pitting.”
Letarte’s immediate reply was, “You stay out.”
Gordon later added: “There wasn’t even a second thought for us. If we had come in, we certainly weren’t going to win the race. The only chance we had to win the race was to stay out. I was pretty happy when I saw how many other guys stayed out. That definitely was a big plus for us.”
It certainly seemed that way when, with Hamlin and Busch trapped back in traffic and only four scheduled laps remaining, Gordon suddenly had the lead at a track where he had won seven times previously, but not since 2005. Even with Hamlin driving up through the field like a mad dog, Gordon proceeded to hold everyone off until he was within 100 feet of completing Lap 499 and taking the white flag that would have assured him victory.
Then all heck broke loose. Busch, running three-wide, got squeezed into the outside wall and turned around—ruining his day when he had carefully raced and stayed out of trouble for nearly four hours. The often-emotional Busch was none too pleased.
“We could have won the race if we had stayed out!” he screamed on the radio, following that with an emphatic expletive to further stress the point.
Instead, the dynamics of the finish were instantly altered in a way no one could have predicted. The subsequent caution period that began on what was supposed to be the final lap of the day meant there would be at least one attempt at a green-white-checkered finish.
“Wild and crazy”
Hamlin was up to fourth and knew he would start on the outside of Row 2, behind Gordon and Ryan Newman on the front row. Hamlin thought he knew what to expect—sort of. Gordon said he knew it “was going to be wild and crazy.”
And it was. This time Gordon was in a more vulnerable position.
“When you’re the leader, it’s bad in a lot of different ways on a short track because you’re at the mercy of the guy behind you,” Hamlin said.
He explained how it is beating on each other for nearly four hours at a short track like Martinsville.
“We’re 43 cars on a half-mile race track,” Hamlin said. “Then you put the checkered flag right in front of us, with some guys on old tires on top of that, and guys are not going to be able to control their cars as good as what they had all day.
“That was the one thing that I thought was going to be good for us on that last restart. Those guys were on older tires, and their tires take a while to come in. When they go cold, it’s like running on ice out there on the restarts.”
So he said he wasn’t surprised when Kenseth bumped Gordon, and then rode Gordon’s No. 24 Chevrolet up the race track. Nor was he shocked when Gordon darted back to the inside and gave Kenseth a little tap in return, sending Kenseth up the track and out of contention for the race win (although replays showed Kenseth overdrove his No. 17 Ford into the corner and was himself at least partially to blame for his demise).
While all that was going on, Hamlin gave Newman a little tap and got by him, and then drove past the dueling cars of Gordon and Kenseth all the way to Victory Lane.
The race was supposed to have been run on Sunday, but was postponed one day because of a torrential rainstorm. Hamlin, who tore the ACL in his left knee playing pickup basketball in January, had hoped to have surgery Monday morning to begin his recuperation as quickly as possible, with a rare off week looming for the Cup Series.
Now he’ll have to wait until Wednesday for the surgery. But he now has the right to celebrate so hard as Monday turns into Tuesday that he’ll be feeling no pain. Surgery can wait.
“This is definitely a good alternative,” a grinning Hamlin admitted.
Sprint Cup Series Standings Pos.+/-DriverPointsBehind 1.+2Jimmie Johnson898Leader2.+2Greg Biffle884-143.-1Matt Kenseth882-164.-3Kevin Harvick837-615.+2Jeff Burton785-113
Hamlin knee surgery set for Wednesday
March 29, 2010
MARTINSVILLE, Va. (AP)—Denny Hamlin originally planned to have surgery to repair the torn ACL in his left knee on Monday, but instead did some slicing and dicing on the track.
The doctors will get their chance on Wednesday.
“I was actually going to try to do it after the race, but now we have Victory Lane celebrations, so I can’t do it,” Hamlin said. “It’s a good thing for us.”
Hamlin, who injured his knee playing basketball in January, originally intended to wait until after the season to have the surgery, but said the knee had become bothersome.
He said rehabilitation will begin two days after the surgery, and it is his hope that he will be ready to get back in the car for the next race at Phoenix on April 10.
NASCAR’s premier series is taking its traditional week off for Easter.
The team also plans to have Casey Mears on hand at Phoenix and for a few races after that as a relief driver, and Hamlin said he could also practice and qualify the car if needed.
“Trust me, when I come back, I’m going to come back strong,” he said.
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MAN IN THE MIDDLE: Carl Edwards and Clint Bowyer were just behind the wild finish of Monday’s race, and in all the beating and banging, Edwards wound up pushing Bowyer.
After the race, he made certain Bowyer knew it wasn’t his doing.
“I just wanted him to know that I was the meat in the sandwich there,” Edwards said. It’s good, though, and he was cool with it. We had a good laugh about the whole thing.”
Edwards was far more than an innocent bystander earlier this season at Atlanta, when he had an early confrontation with Brad Keselowski, and later deliberately wrecked Keselowski, sending his rival’s car airborne. NASCAR parked Edwards for the remainder of that race.
He also was placed on probation for three races, a stint that ends after Phoenix.
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OLD TIMERS’ DAY: Former NASCAR stars Buddy Baker, Harry Gant and Ned Jarrett returned to Martinsville Speedway this weekend as guests of track president Clay Campbell.
Gant, a three-time winner on NASCAR’s oldest, shortest circuit, said he hadn’t been to the track since 1994 and was surprised by all the changes in and around the 0.526-mile oval.
“The track has changed so much I couldn’t hardly find my way in the gate to figure out where I was going,” Gant said Sunday in the media center, which he surmised was probably three times larger than any media center in the sport during his long racing career.
With rain falling and drivers wearing knit caps and winter coats for driver introductions, the old timers were asked to recall their coldest days in racing.
“Just after Daytona when we used to go to Rockingham,” Baker said of the track in Rockingham, N.C., which stopped hosting races in NASCAR’s premier series in 2004.
“I can remember going back home after the first day of practice and I woke up and it was snowing, and I said, ‘Well, there’s no need in hurrying back to Rockingham,”’ Baker said.
His leisurely day was interrupted when his team called to say the race was still on.
“Lucky I had my uniform with me,” he said, adding that he drove to the track, parked his car and hopped in his race car just in time to hear, “Gentleman, start your engines.”
“That’s how close I was to missing it,” he said.
Baker’s one win at Martinsville came in 1979.
“I can remember just one little grandstand over here and down the back straightaway, and if you were beating Richard Petty, the people would stick their hands through the fence and let you know what they thought of you as you went by,” he said. “I do remember that.”
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PIT STOPS: Pole-sitter Kevin Harvick became the first one to lead the first lap since Mark Martin did it in the season-opening Daytona 500. … The Toyotas of Max Papis, Michael McDowell and Dave Blaney were all off the track before the first caution flag on lap 43.
Force powers to win at NHRA Four-Wide Nationals (PA SportsTicker)
March 29, 2010
CONCORD, N.C.(AP) —John Force raced to victory in Funny Car on Monday at the rain-delayed finals of the inaugural NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at zMAX Dragway
Force’s second victory of the season came in the first four-lane – instead of the traditional two – event in NHRA history.
He powered his Ford Mustang to a 4.036 second run at a top speed of 316.23 mph to finish ahead of his daughter, Ashley Force Hood, Ron Capps and Matt Hagan. It was Force’s 128th career victory.
Cory McClenathan (Top Fuel), Mike Edwards (Pro Stock) and Matt Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also were winners in an event that was postponed Sunday because of rain.
The 60-year-old Force, who had one of the worst seasons of his career in 2009, leads the points race by 89.
“This was special, like beating the dragsters at Bristol,” Force said. “I’m proud of Ashley. She’s learned the game.”
McClenathan finished in front of runner-up Doug Kalitta and semifinalists Antron Brown and Doug Herbert. McClenathan, who regained the series points lead with the effort, finished in 3.820 at 319.60 to earn his 33rd career victory and second of the season.
Edwards raced to his third victory of the season and 23rd overall in Pro Stock, holding off Jason Line, Greg Stanfield and Bob Yonke. Edwards finished in 6.596 at 210.05 in a Pontiac GXP.
Local-favorite Smith of nearby King, N.C., raced to his first Pro Stock Motorcycle victory of the season and 11th of his career. He rode his Buell to a 6.973 at 189.84 to finish in front of defending champ Hector Arana, past Charlotte winner Steve Johnson and Michael Phillips.
Showtime to serve as title sponsor of Darlington race (NASCAR.com)
March 29, 2010
One of NASCAR’s oldest superspeedways finally has another sponsor for its iconic race.
Showtime Networks Inc., the home of popular cable series like Dexter and Weeds, agreed to a multi-year deal to become the title sponsor for Darlington Raceway’s Southern 500.
“I think they bring a lot to the table,” track president Chris Browning told The Associated Press, ahead of an official announcement expected later Monday.
This is a first for Showtime, which launched its Inside NASCAR program in February. Ken Hershman, executive vice president and general manager of Showtime Sports, said the sponsorship is the next step in linking the network with one of the country’s most popular sports.
“We’re excited about it,” Hershman said.
The May 8 race will be known as the Showtime Southern 500.
Like many sporting events, has struggled to find corporate backing in a floundering economy. Showtime will be Darlington’s third title sponsor in the past three races, after a five-year deal with the Carolina Dodge Dealers ended in 2008. Last year, Browning signed GoDaddy.com to underwrite the event about a month before the green flag dropped.
Browning said he had interest from several companies eager to back Darlington. Some, he said, did not want to keep the historic Southern 500 name, but that was something track officials did not want to surrender.
The first Southern 500 was run in 1950 and won by Johnny Mantz. Mark Martin took last year’s event at the track considered “Too Tough To Tame.”
Showtime approached NASCAR officials about expanding its presence in the sport and was pointed in Darlington’s direction. A group of Showtime executives visited the site and were instantly hooked by Darlington’s authenticity and NASCAR history.
“It was very important to us that we maintain that,” Hershman said.
It was not long after that both sides reached an agreement, Browning said.
Inside NASCAR is a weekly highlights and analysis show along the lines of its Inside the NFL series. The NASCAR show is hosted by Chris Myers, Randy Pemberton, former NBA star Brad Daugherty and driver Michael Waltrip.
Getting more than a one-year commitment from Showtime means both the network and the track can take full advantage of each other’s resources leading up to the 2011 race.
“They’ll get their feet wet in this one,” Browning said. “Then they’ll have 12 months to know what they want to do.”
One wrinkle is a contest where a viewer can win a VIP experience to Darlington’s race on Mother’s Day weekend. Showtime spokesman Chris DeBlasio said along with an up-close look at the Sprint Cup race, the winner will show up in Victory Lane and be presented a replica of the trophy that will go to the race champion.
The network also expects to have a hospitality tent for fans on Darlington grounds, with perhaps some celebrities from its cable shows popping by.
It wasn’t that long ago that NASCAR had tagged Darlington Raceway as an under-performing track in danger of being shut down. Since that warning, Darlington has added lights, re-paved its surface and sold out four of its five races since moving from Labor Day weekend to the Saturday before Mother’s Day.
The Showtime deal “is a great indicator of the strength of Darlington,” Browning said.
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Hamlin surges to victory at Martinsville (PA SportsTicker)
March 29, 2010
By HANK KURZ Jr. AP Sports Writer
MARTINSVILLE, Va.(AP)—Denny Hamlin has won the rain-delayed NASCAR race at Martinsville Speedway, surging to the front in a wild finish after a blunder.
This was Hamlin’s second straight victory and it came on the shortest, oldest track in the Sprint Cup Series.
Hamlin gave up the lead with less than 10 laps left Monday when he headed to pit road for tires. He then rallied from ninth place to the lead in a span of just four laps.
The finish was a two-lap sprint in which he started fourth. He pushed Ryan Newman out of this way, then slipped inside Matt Kenseth and leader Jeff Gordon for the victory.
The race originally was scheduled for Sunday but was postponed a day because of rain.
Driver Moraes to undergo head surgery in Brazil (PA SportsTicker)
March 29, 2010
SAO PAULO(AP) —Brazilian IndyCar driver Mario Moares will undergo head surgery this week in Sao Paulo to have a cyst removed from an area near his ear canal.
Moraes says the cyst was discovered after he underwent a battery of exams in the United States ahead of Monday’s race in St. Petersburg.
Moraes finished 21st in the race, which was postponed from Sunday because of rain. He was caught up in a crash with English driver Dan Wheldon, who apparently had a mechanical problem and crashed into Moraes.
The Brazilian driver said in his Twitter feed that “it was very hard to concentrate” on the race after finding out of his health problem.
