NASCAR Notebook: New Hampshire
Barry F. Hess
June 29, 2007
Clam Chowder and Racing
With 10 races remaining before the Chase for the Nextel Cup field is set you can bet crew chiefs will be feverously writing in their notebooks this weekend in Loudon, New Hampshire, recording as much data as possible before returning in the fall for race one of NASCAR’s version of the playoffs.
On a track considered to be Martinsville on steroids expect to see several of the same faces that enjoyed success on the short track in the spring.
Kyle Busch, a former New Hampshire winner, has seemingly not lost a step since the announcement came of his future departure from Hendrick Motor Sports.
Busch has scored three top 10 finishes in a row, nine overall, and currently sits in the 10th position in the point standings.
Don’t expect to see Busch challenge for the pole but a solid starting spot inside the top 20 should be more than enough to keep him in the mix as the laps count down.
If he can keep a lid on his aggressive driving style on the small, thin track and avoid any major confrontations there is no reason to believe Busch can’t score a second career win at Loudon.
While Busch has yet to lose a step after the Dale Junior announcement, Junior himself has struggled somewhat.
With just one top five in his last four races Junior, currently the 12th and final Chase qualifier, has suffered an inconsistent-type season similar to his 2005 bid that ended without a Chase appearance.
Oddly enough however, Junior’s qualifying has improved in 2007 from years past.
With three starting positions inside the top 5 in the last six races look for Junior to continue his strong qualifying runs this weekend in Loudon.
While its obvious Junior’s teammate and new face of DEI, Martin Truex Jr., is getting the company’s great equipment Junior is still a great driver and can get the most out of an average car.
Look for a solid run from the No. 8 Budweiser Chevy team before making a late run toward the front and his possible first checkered flag of 2007.
If there was one driver that was the face of flat track racing in 2006 it was Kevin Harvick.
The driver of the No. 29 Pennzoil Chevy earned four flat track wins last season, including the fall race at Loudon.
While Harvick has struggled somewhat on flat tracks in 07 look for him and his Daytona 500 winning team to hit the set-up once again in New Hampshire.
A strong candidate for the pole Harvick could also walk out of Loudon with the most laps led award as well as the checkered flag.
Though his season hasn’t been as strong as last year in general, despite the 500 win, Harvick has yet to fall from the top 10 all season and may begin a climb toward the top of the mountain with a strong run on Sunday.
Like many race tracks on the circuit, Jeff Gordon and Loudon go hand in hand.
Gordon has scored three victories in New Hampshire as well as seven additional top five finishes, the most of any driver.
Look for Gordon to make a run at his seventh pole of the year as he attempts to rebuild his points lead (if its possible to rebuild a lead already 171-points strong)after suffering a 100-point penalty due to the infractions from last week’s pre-race inspection at Infineon.
Just like Martinsville, few can navigate the tight, sweeping turns at Loudon better than Gordon and with extra motivation coming from his newborn daughter an already dominant Gordon could become nearly unstoppable as he goes for his fifth career Nextel Cup championship.
Prediction: While Gordon certainly knows his way around Loudon it’s another Jeff that has proven to be the king of New England racing.
Jeff Burton has four wins at Loudon, including a dominating performance in September of 2000 where he became the first driver in track history to lead every lap of the race.
In addition, Burton also holds the track record for speed at 117.134 miles per hour.
Look for Burton to qualify inside the top 10 before challenging his Richard Childress teammate, Harvick, for the most laps led award.
Currently fourth in the point standings look for Burton to take home his second checkered flag of the year and possibly break back into the top three as well.
NASCAR Takes Action on 24 & 48
After keeping the racing world on egg shells for nearly two days NASCAR officials laid down the hammer on both the No. 24 and 48 teams after both failed pre-race inspections last weekend in Sonoma.
Though both cars fit the car templates NASCAR was unhappy about a change to the front end splitter that was made on both cars.
The result: both Steve Letarte and Chad Knaus were fined $100,000 as well as suspended for the next six races.
In addition Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson each received 100-point deductions in the point standings.
The penalties, the very same the No. 8 team received after failing the pre-race inspection at Darlington, don’t seem to worry anyone at Hendrick Motor Sports.
It's been a great season so far and we have a really strong, championship caliber team in place,” said Letarte earlier this week. “The penalties are unfortunate and severe, but we'll put the situation behind us and focus on winning a fifth championship for the No. 24 team.”
Knauss doesn’t feel much different.
It's definitely disappointing, but we have a very capable and committed team,” Knaus said. “For whatever reason, we seem to thrive on adversity. We've overcome challenges in the past, and I know we'll get through this as well.”
While this is the first time in his short stint as crew chief of the No. 24 that Letarte has received any kind of penalty it is not the first time around the block for Knaus.
In fact, this is the second time in two years Knaus has been suspended by NASCAR for breaking the rules, last year he was suspended for the first four races of the year after failing a pre-race inspection at the Daytona 500.
Johnson earned two wins and three top 10 finishes during that suspension, including the 500 itself.
So the question now becomes, should there be stiffer penalties for repeat offenders?
The answer is a resounding yes.
While NASCAR would only be shooting themselves in the foot if they begin suspending drivers, they’re the ones fans pay money to see, long term suspensions for crew chiefs and major deductions of owner points would definitely get the message across.
In the case of Knaus, who has been reprimanded, one way or another, nearly 10 different times since becoming a crew chief, a year long suspension followed by a year of probation should do the trick, maybe throw in a 200 or 300 owner point deduction, yea that sounds about right.
In the technological age we live in NASCAR has successful managed to create a stronger resistance to cheating throughout the garage than in the days of Junior Johnson and Darrell Waltrip.
And as NASCAR creates fewer and fewer avenues for cheating to take place the penalties should continue to get stiffer.
In the interest of fairness, however, it would behoove NASCAR to come up with a strong anti-cheating program and set it in place for all to see.
Do this and this happens, that and that happens, etc.
Give the crews the opportunity to police themselves before slamming the hammer.
Deterrence is a strong tool NASCAR. Up to this point, has failed to use and it’s probably why more and more crew chiefs are risking what they are.
Only imagine what the Kanus’ and Letarte’s of the world haven’t gotten caught with yet.
Random Thought
After being asked to get out of the car he qualified on pole and led 20 laps with last week at Milwaukee I would be furious as well if my name was Aric Amirolla. The complete lack of respect he was shown was a disgrace and quite frankly shocking coming from an organization like Joe Gibbs Racing.
Robby Gordon’s statement that Juan Montoya’s win last week in Sonoma was nothing but luck was utterly unprofessional and incredibly immature. The next time Robby Gordon wins a race…that’s luck. Starting 32nd on a road course and storming your way to the front while managing your fuel mileage to perfection( something Gordon himself failed to do)…that’s what I call talent not luck!
Kyle Petty’s in car reporting last week on the TNT broadcast of the race was very intriguing. I especially enjoyed the part where he went from joining his crew in prayer on the last warm up lap to dropping the F-Bomb on national television in the middle of a lap one crash.
With 10 races remaining before the Chase for the Nextel Cup field is set you can bet crew chiefs will be feverously writing in their notebooks this weekend in Loudon, New Hampshire, recording as much data as possible before returning in the fall for race one of NASCAR’s version of the playoffs.
On a track considered to be Martinsville on steroids expect to see several of the same faces that enjoyed success on the short track in the spring.
Kyle Busch, a former New Hampshire winner, has seemingly not lost a step since the announcement came of his future departure from Hendrick Motor Sports.
Busch has scored three top 10 finishes in a row, nine overall, and currently sits in the 10th position in the point standings.
Don’t expect to see Busch challenge for the pole but a solid starting spot inside the top 20 should be more than enough to keep him in the mix as the laps count down.
If he can keep a lid on his aggressive driving style on the small, thin track and avoid any major confrontations there is no reason to believe Busch can’t score a second career win at Loudon.
While Busch has yet to lose a step after the Dale Junior announcement, Junior himself has struggled somewhat.
With just one top five in his last four races Junior, currently the 12th and final Chase qualifier, has suffered an inconsistent-type season similar to his 2005 bid that ended without a Chase appearance.
Oddly enough however, Junior’s qualifying has improved in 2007 from years past.
With three starting positions inside the top 5 in the last six races look for Junior to continue his strong qualifying runs this weekend in Loudon.
While its obvious Junior’s teammate and new face of DEI, Martin Truex Jr., is getting the company’s great equipment Junior is still a great driver and can get the most out of an average car.
Look for a solid run from the No. 8 Budweiser Chevy team before making a late run toward the front and his possible first checkered flag of 2007.
If there was one driver that was the face of flat track racing in 2006 it was Kevin Harvick.
The driver of the No. 29 Pennzoil Chevy earned four flat track wins last season, including the fall race at Loudon.
While Harvick has struggled somewhat on flat tracks in 07 look for him and his Daytona 500 winning team to hit the set-up once again in New Hampshire.
A strong candidate for the pole Harvick could also walk out of Loudon with the most laps led award as well as the checkered flag.
Though his season hasn’t been as strong as last year in general, despite the 500 win, Harvick has yet to fall from the top 10 all season and may begin a climb toward the top of the mountain with a strong run on Sunday.
Like many race tracks on the circuit, Jeff Gordon and Loudon go hand in hand.
Gordon has scored three victories in New Hampshire as well as seven additional top five finishes, the most of any driver.
Look for Gordon to make a run at his seventh pole of the year as he attempts to rebuild his points lead (if its possible to rebuild a lead already 171-points strong)after suffering a 100-point penalty due to the infractions from last week’s pre-race inspection at Infineon.
Just like Martinsville, few can navigate the tight, sweeping turns at Loudon better than Gordon and with extra motivation coming from his newborn daughter an already dominant Gordon could become nearly unstoppable as he goes for his fifth career Nextel Cup championship.
Prediction: While Gordon certainly knows his way around Loudon it’s another Jeff that has proven to be the king of New England racing.
Jeff Burton has four wins at Loudon, including a dominating performance in September of 2000 where he became the first driver in track history to lead every lap of the race.
In addition, Burton also holds the track record for speed at 117.134 miles per hour.
Look for Burton to qualify inside the top 10 before challenging his Richard Childress teammate, Harvick, for the most laps led award.
Currently fourth in the point standings look for Burton to take home his second checkered flag of the year and possibly break back into the top three as well.
NASCAR Takes Action on 24 & 48
After keeping the racing world on egg shells for nearly two days NASCAR officials laid down the hammer on both the No. 24 and 48 teams after both failed pre-race inspections last weekend in Sonoma.
Though both cars fit the car templates NASCAR was unhappy about a change to the front end splitter that was made on both cars.
The result: both Steve Letarte and Chad Knaus were fined $100,000 as well as suspended for the next six races.
In addition Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson each received 100-point deductions in the point standings.
The penalties, the very same the No. 8 team received after failing the pre-race inspection at Darlington, don’t seem to worry anyone at Hendrick Motor Sports.
It's been a great season so far and we have a really strong, championship caliber team in place,” said Letarte earlier this week. “The penalties are unfortunate and severe, but we'll put the situation behind us and focus on winning a fifth championship for the No. 24 team.”
Knauss doesn’t feel much different.
It's definitely disappointing, but we have a very capable and committed team,” Knaus said. “For whatever reason, we seem to thrive on adversity. We've overcome challenges in the past, and I know we'll get through this as well.”
While this is the first time in his short stint as crew chief of the No. 24 that Letarte has received any kind of penalty it is not the first time around the block for Knaus.
In fact, this is the second time in two years Knaus has been suspended by NASCAR for breaking the rules, last year he was suspended for the first four races of the year after failing a pre-race inspection at the Daytona 500.
Johnson earned two wins and three top 10 finishes during that suspension, including the 500 itself.
So the question now becomes, should there be stiffer penalties for repeat offenders?
The answer is a resounding yes.
While NASCAR would only be shooting themselves in the foot if they begin suspending drivers, they’re the ones fans pay money to see, long term suspensions for crew chiefs and major deductions of owner points would definitely get the message across.
In the case of Knaus, who has been reprimanded, one way or another, nearly 10 different times since becoming a crew chief, a year long suspension followed by a year of probation should do the trick, maybe throw in a 200 or 300 owner point deduction, yea that sounds about right.
In the technological age we live in NASCAR has successful managed to create a stronger resistance to cheating throughout the garage than in the days of Junior Johnson and Darrell Waltrip.
And as NASCAR creates fewer and fewer avenues for cheating to take place the penalties should continue to get stiffer.
In the interest of fairness, however, it would behoove NASCAR to come up with a strong anti-cheating program and set it in place for all to see.
Do this and this happens, that and that happens, etc.
Give the crews the opportunity to police themselves before slamming the hammer.
Deterrence is a strong tool NASCAR. Up to this point, has failed to use and it’s probably why more and more crew chiefs are risking what they are.
Only imagine what the Kanus’ and Letarte’s of the world haven’t gotten caught with yet.
Random Thought
After being asked to get out of the car he qualified on pole and led 20 laps with last week at Milwaukee I would be furious as well if my name was Aric Amirolla. The complete lack of respect he was shown was a disgrace and quite frankly shocking coming from an organization like Joe Gibbs Racing.
Robby Gordon’s statement that Juan Montoya’s win last week in Sonoma was nothing but luck was utterly unprofessional and incredibly immature. The next time Robby Gordon wins a race…that’s luck. Starting 32nd on a road course and storming your way to the front while managing your fuel mileage to perfection( something Gordon himself failed to do)…that’s what I call talent not luck!
Kyle Petty’s in car reporting last week on the TNT broadcast of the race was very intriguing. I especially enjoyed the part where he went from joining his crew in prayer on the last warm up lap to dropping the F-Bomb on national television in the middle of a lap one crash.
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