NASCAR Notebook: Bristol
Barry F. Hess
March 24, 2006
First Comes Rain Then Comes Shine?.Hopefully
If the theme of last week?s Golden Corral 500 was rain then this week?s theme at Bristol has to be desperation.
After Kasey Kahne earned Dodge its first win in 2006 in the rain delayed race on Monday the point standings looked to be up side down when it was all said and done.
Drivers like Kahne, second in points, Casey Mears, fifth in points, and Clint Bowyer, tenth in points, are all driving well in the early going while many Race for the Chase contenders and participants from last year like Carl Edwards, Kurt Busch and Jeremy Mayfield are struggling at the bottom of the pack.
Of course it?s only four races in what amounts to be a 36 race season but it?s starting to get to the point where a driver?s position in the points means something.
Having said that, look for Sunday?s race at Bristol to be even more unpredictable than the norm as several drivers look to get back in the swing of things.
After a poor outing on Monday Kevin Harvick has to get something going or the only championship he will be in contention for is in the Busch Series.
Despite racing in 94 percent of the possible laps thus far Harvick has failed to finish inside the top ten all year and is coming off a dreadful 39th place finish in Atlanta.
After taking the pole and winning this race last year look for Harvick to have similar success this weekend as he attempts to dig himself out of an early season hole.
Week after week it?s hard not to watch the way Matt Kenseth and the No. 17 Dewalt team races and not pick him to have another good weekend.
After winning the fall race at Bristol last year Kenseth will look to make it two in a row after two cut tires and a 13th place finish dropped him from second to third in the points.
For Kenseth? and his crew chief, Robbie Reiser, the pressure to put a great car together for each race isn?t quite as strenuous as last year but still no walk in the park.
It?s really two seasons you are working for,? said Reiser. ?You have to look at the first part and you have to think about getting yourself into the Chase, that's what it's all about. If you don't get into the Chase, you've got trouble.?
After last year?s disappointing start forced Kenseth to come on strong late and qualify for the Chase in Richmond, the last possible race a driver can qualify, this season is remarkably different with his worst finish a 15th at Daytona.
Kenseth has led at least one lap in every race thus far and has had a car capable of winning each of those races as well.
Another driver on the move for the first time in a long time is Dale Earnhardt Jr. and the No. 8 Budweiser team.
After a season-best third place finish in Atlanta Earnhardt appears to be back in the groove after reuniting with crew chief Tony Eury Jr. this season.
Look for junior to qualify and race well inside the friendly confines of Bristol Motor Speedway.
Prediction: If anyone needs a strong finish this Sunday in Bristol it?s 2004 Nextel Cup Champion Kurt Busch.
After leading several laps in Atlanta Busch ran into trouble on a restart with Kevin Harvick and never recovered.
It?s been nothing but bad luck for the elder of the Busch brothers in 2006 and it has showed in the points.
Currently 27th in the points Busch and his new team are on the outside looking in right now.
As a former Bristol winner, look for Busch and the No. 2 Miller Light Dodge to once again have a strong set up this weekend and even more importantly, to stay out of trouble and win the Food City 500.
My Crew Chief is Back and I?m Better Than Ever!
After serving his four race suspension after his car failed to meet the post qualifying inspection requirements in Daytona crew chief Chad Knaus will be back in pit road this weekend with the rest of the No. 48 Lowes team.
Most writers and analysts think things will continue to go well for Jimmie Johnson, currently first in the points, but don?t be surprised if the No. 48 Chevrolet falters for the first time all year this weekend at Bristol.
Sure Johnson?s season thus far has been incredible but let?s not forget Knaus had nothing to do with most of it.
It has been rumored that the No. 48 pit crew and Knaus stayed in constant contact with each other via phone during each race but that just isn?t the same.
Could the real brains behind the No. 48 team be sitting next to Knaus this weekend?
All Darien Grub did as back up crew chief was win two races and finish second and sixth in the other two.
Johnson is having success unlike any other he has experienced and it?s no coincidence that the maniacal and always cheating Knaus was no where to be found during it all.
Sure, Johnson will most likely continue to have a strong year but watch closely for any mishaps and communication lapses during the next several races, not to mention any more inspection failures.
Knaus is a talented crew chief but he loses focus in the race at times and cares more about trying to get any possible edge on the other 42 drivers any way he can, legal or not.
Grubb just sat back and let his driver, a great one, do all the work these past four weeks and as the whole world saw that wasn?t such a bad idea. Maybe Knaus will learn from his young assistant and give more of the reigns to Johnson and less for himself.
Early Surprises and Disappointments
With the 2006 season finally starting to heat up every week means we are another race closer to the 10 race Chase for the Nextel Cup. Thus far we have seen several surprising drivers remain atop the point standings and several that just can?t seem to get out from the bottom.
Surprises: After winning just one race and finishing 23rd in points lasts season Kasey Kahne has emerged as the lone Dodge driver this season worth writing home about.
With three consecutive top five finishes, his best three race span in his career in Cup racing, Kahne is currently second in points and looking like he did two years ago when he won Rookie of the Year.
Kahne attributes is early season success to the all important ?Mighty Moe?.
We had momentum and it helped us win the race,? said Kahne after Monday afternoon?s win in Atlanta. ?We've had momentum all weekend long. Everything that's gone on has been a plus for us. The Chargers they've built for us at Evernham Motorsports and the engines, everything is running really well. It just took us a little time to get it right.?
Time is something Jeff Burton has had plenty of in recent years.
The driver of the No. 31 Cingular Chevy is finally back in the hunt for a title after four great races to open 2006.
After taking the pole at the Daytona 500 Burton finished inside the 32nd but it was sooth sailing from there.
Since February Burton has raced in 99.8 percent of the possible laps and earned two top 10 finishes and is currently 11th in points.
The season that appears to be the return of Richard Childress Racing is finally upon us and it will be interesting to see if the early success can be maintained all season.
You're never guaranteed to be in Victory Lane and you have to appreciate it every time? Burton said. ``I'm proud of myself for continuing to fight and give 100 percent throughout all of it. I never once didn't come to the race track and try, and I believe that'll pay off for me.?
Another drivers whose patience paid off during a difficult 2005 is Kyle Busch.
Sure he is not exactly the most well-liked driver on the circuit but that doesn?t matter.
What does matter is his current eighth place standing in the points and his finishing inside the top 15 three races in a row for the first time in his young career.
Busch has already shown he has the moxy and a confidence of a seasoned veteran driver in just his second full year.
At just 20 years old look for the driver of the No. 5 Kellogg?s Chevy and the defending Rookie of the Year to do all he can to make the Chase this season.
Of all the great surprises of 2006 Denny Hamlin takes the cake.
Young enough to be more concerned about who he?s taking to his high school prom let alone making the Race for the Chase Hamlin has shown very early he belongs with NASCAR?s big boys.
After winning the season opening Budweiser Shootout Hamlin has put together great runs week after week without falter.
Currently 20th in the standing Hamlin has run 99.8 percent of the possible laps, raced to two top 15 finishes and his the lead driver for the Rookie of the Year.
With a Busch Series win to his credit already Hamlin will be in contention for a win or two in the Cup Series as well and if he?s not careful he might even find himself in the Chase for the Nextel Cup.
Of all the disappointments in 2006 the two that stand out the most are Jamie McMurray and Ryan Newman.
After making the switch to Roush Racing McMurray put himself in the best possible position to not only win some races but perhaps even a title.
Thus far he has been less than stellar.
Currently 16th in points McMurray has just one top five finish thus far and just one additional top 15 finish.
Surrounded by the best minds and drivers NASCAR has to offer it?s all up to McMurray to get the job done at this point.
After he was given the same car Carl Edwards won both Atlanta races with last year crew chief Jimmy Fenig and the rest of the No. 26 Crown Royal team were forced to make drastic altercations because McMurray couldn?t handle the set up.
There are no more excuses for McMurray and if he wants to become as good a driver as the rest of his Roush teammates he has to start stepping up and making things happen on the track.
Ryan Newman is in a similar situation.
After earning nine poles last season and winning the first Chase race in New Hampshire Newman has done nothing but fall backwards each week.
Currently 17th in points ?The Rocket?s? best finish was a third in Daytona and it?s been down hill from there.
20th, 43rd and 18th is how the last three races have gone for the driver of the No. 12 Alltel Dodge and if things don?t turn around quickly he will not be making the Chase this year.
Sure it?s only four races into the season but with finishes near the bottom each week it?s obvious the No. 12 team needs to focus on their set up before they can even think about winning races.
If the theme of last week?s Golden Corral 500 was rain then this week?s theme at Bristol has to be desperation.
After Kasey Kahne earned Dodge its first win in 2006 in the rain delayed race on Monday the point standings looked to be up side down when it was all said and done.
Drivers like Kahne, second in points, Casey Mears, fifth in points, and Clint Bowyer, tenth in points, are all driving well in the early going while many Race for the Chase contenders and participants from last year like Carl Edwards, Kurt Busch and Jeremy Mayfield are struggling at the bottom of the pack.
Of course it?s only four races in what amounts to be a 36 race season but it?s starting to get to the point where a driver?s position in the points means something.
Having said that, look for Sunday?s race at Bristol to be even more unpredictable than the norm as several drivers look to get back in the swing of things.
After a poor outing on Monday Kevin Harvick has to get something going or the only championship he will be in contention for is in the Busch Series.
Despite racing in 94 percent of the possible laps thus far Harvick has failed to finish inside the top ten all year and is coming off a dreadful 39th place finish in Atlanta.
After taking the pole and winning this race last year look for Harvick to have similar success this weekend as he attempts to dig himself out of an early season hole.
Week after week it?s hard not to watch the way Matt Kenseth and the No. 17 Dewalt team races and not pick him to have another good weekend.
After winning the fall race at Bristol last year Kenseth will look to make it two in a row after two cut tires and a 13th place finish dropped him from second to third in the points.
For Kenseth? and his crew chief, Robbie Reiser, the pressure to put a great car together for each race isn?t quite as strenuous as last year but still no walk in the park.
It?s really two seasons you are working for,? said Reiser. ?You have to look at the first part and you have to think about getting yourself into the Chase, that's what it's all about. If you don't get into the Chase, you've got trouble.?
After last year?s disappointing start forced Kenseth to come on strong late and qualify for the Chase in Richmond, the last possible race a driver can qualify, this season is remarkably different with his worst finish a 15th at Daytona.
Kenseth has led at least one lap in every race thus far and has had a car capable of winning each of those races as well.
Another driver on the move for the first time in a long time is Dale Earnhardt Jr. and the No. 8 Budweiser team.
After a season-best third place finish in Atlanta Earnhardt appears to be back in the groove after reuniting with crew chief Tony Eury Jr. this season.
Look for junior to qualify and race well inside the friendly confines of Bristol Motor Speedway.
Prediction: If anyone needs a strong finish this Sunday in Bristol it?s 2004 Nextel Cup Champion Kurt Busch.
After leading several laps in Atlanta Busch ran into trouble on a restart with Kevin Harvick and never recovered.
It?s been nothing but bad luck for the elder of the Busch brothers in 2006 and it has showed in the points.
Currently 27th in the points Busch and his new team are on the outside looking in right now.
As a former Bristol winner, look for Busch and the No. 2 Miller Light Dodge to once again have a strong set up this weekend and even more importantly, to stay out of trouble and win the Food City 500.
My Crew Chief is Back and I?m Better Than Ever!
After serving his four race suspension after his car failed to meet the post qualifying inspection requirements in Daytona crew chief Chad Knaus will be back in pit road this weekend with the rest of the No. 48 Lowes team.
Most writers and analysts think things will continue to go well for Jimmie Johnson, currently first in the points, but don?t be surprised if the No. 48 Chevrolet falters for the first time all year this weekend at Bristol.
Sure Johnson?s season thus far has been incredible but let?s not forget Knaus had nothing to do with most of it.
It has been rumored that the No. 48 pit crew and Knaus stayed in constant contact with each other via phone during each race but that just isn?t the same.
Could the real brains behind the No. 48 team be sitting next to Knaus this weekend?
All Darien Grub did as back up crew chief was win two races and finish second and sixth in the other two.
Johnson is having success unlike any other he has experienced and it?s no coincidence that the maniacal and always cheating Knaus was no where to be found during it all.
Sure, Johnson will most likely continue to have a strong year but watch closely for any mishaps and communication lapses during the next several races, not to mention any more inspection failures.
Knaus is a talented crew chief but he loses focus in the race at times and cares more about trying to get any possible edge on the other 42 drivers any way he can, legal or not.
Grubb just sat back and let his driver, a great one, do all the work these past four weeks and as the whole world saw that wasn?t such a bad idea. Maybe Knaus will learn from his young assistant and give more of the reigns to Johnson and less for himself.
Early Surprises and Disappointments
With the 2006 season finally starting to heat up every week means we are another race closer to the 10 race Chase for the Nextel Cup. Thus far we have seen several surprising drivers remain atop the point standings and several that just can?t seem to get out from the bottom.
Surprises: After winning just one race and finishing 23rd in points lasts season Kasey Kahne has emerged as the lone Dodge driver this season worth writing home about.
With three consecutive top five finishes, his best three race span in his career in Cup racing, Kahne is currently second in points and looking like he did two years ago when he won Rookie of the Year.
Kahne attributes is early season success to the all important ?Mighty Moe?.
We had momentum and it helped us win the race,? said Kahne after Monday afternoon?s win in Atlanta. ?We've had momentum all weekend long. Everything that's gone on has been a plus for us. The Chargers they've built for us at Evernham Motorsports and the engines, everything is running really well. It just took us a little time to get it right.?
Time is something Jeff Burton has had plenty of in recent years.
The driver of the No. 31 Cingular Chevy is finally back in the hunt for a title after four great races to open 2006.
After taking the pole at the Daytona 500 Burton finished inside the 32nd but it was sooth sailing from there.
Since February Burton has raced in 99.8 percent of the possible laps and earned two top 10 finishes and is currently 11th in points.
The season that appears to be the return of Richard Childress Racing is finally upon us and it will be interesting to see if the early success can be maintained all season.
You're never guaranteed to be in Victory Lane and you have to appreciate it every time? Burton said. ``I'm proud of myself for continuing to fight and give 100 percent throughout all of it. I never once didn't come to the race track and try, and I believe that'll pay off for me.?
Another drivers whose patience paid off during a difficult 2005 is Kyle Busch.
Sure he is not exactly the most well-liked driver on the circuit but that doesn?t matter.
What does matter is his current eighth place standing in the points and his finishing inside the top 15 three races in a row for the first time in his young career.
Busch has already shown he has the moxy and a confidence of a seasoned veteran driver in just his second full year.
At just 20 years old look for the driver of the No. 5 Kellogg?s Chevy and the defending Rookie of the Year to do all he can to make the Chase this season.
Of all the great surprises of 2006 Denny Hamlin takes the cake.
Young enough to be more concerned about who he?s taking to his high school prom let alone making the Race for the Chase Hamlin has shown very early he belongs with NASCAR?s big boys.
After winning the season opening Budweiser Shootout Hamlin has put together great runs week after week without falter.
Currently 20th in the standing Hamlin has run 99.8 percent of the possible laps, raced to two top 15 finishes and his the lead driver for the Rookie of the Year.
With a Busch Series win to his credit already Hamlin will be in contention for a win or two in the Cup Series as well and if he?s not careful he might even find himself in the Chase for the Nextel Cup.
Of all the disappointments in 2006 the two that stand out the most are Jamie McMurray and Ryan Newman.
After making the switch to Roush Racing McMurray put himself in the best possible position to not only win some races but perhaps even a title.
Thus far he has been less than stellar.
Currently 16th in points McMurray has just one top five finish thus far and just one additional top 15 finish.
Surrounded by the best minds and drivers NASCAR has to offer it?s all up to McMurray to get the job done at this point.
After he was given the same car Carl Edwards won both Atlanta races with last year crew chief Jimmy Fenig and the rest of the No. 26 Crown Royal team were forced to make drastic altercations because McMurray couldn?t handle the set up.
There are no more excuses for McMurray and if he wants to become as good a driver as the rest of his Roush teammates he has to start stepping up and making things happen on the track.
Ryan Newman is in a similar situation.
After earning nine poles last season and winning the first Chase race in New Hampshire Newman has done nothing but fall backwards each week.
Currently 17th in points ?The Rocket?s? best finish was a third in Daytona and it?s been down hill from there.
20th, 43rd and 18th is how the last three races have gone for the driver of the No. 12 Alltel Dodge and if things don?t turn around quickly he will not be making the Chase this year.
Sure it?s only four races into the season but with finishes near the bottom each week it?s obvious the No. 12 team needs to focus on their set up before they can even think about winning races.
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