Race Journal Online

2012 Predictions - Kyle Busch, Dale Jr, and Bubba Barrichello?

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:00:00

We all can think back to that one big story of the 2011 NASCAR season, and that one big moment may be different for each of us. But as we head into the final days before Daytona Speedweeks and the kick off of the 2012 Season, it's time to put on my magic propeller beanie and make some predictions as to what I think the biggest stories of 2012 will be:

A.J. will sweep everything at Daytona. He already got the 24 Hours of Daytona. I predict that he will win the pole, the Shootout, his qualifier, the truck race, the Nationwide race, the 500, and even the race between he and Brad K to see who will slip up first and accidentally call Mr. Penske "Roger."

Side note: Do you think anyone has ever said "Roger, Roger." when Mr. Penske has given instructions over the radio?

1992 Hooters 500 - The Mark of a Champion

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 00:00:00

CHEERS to Terry Labonte inheriting the lead when Bill Elliott needed fuel. I wonder why people only recently started complaining about fuel-mileage races. Haven't they always been fuel-mileage races?

CHEERS to the top five with just 12 laps to go: Alan Kulwicki, Bill Elliott, Geoff Bodine, Rusty Wallace, and Jimmy Spencer.

CHEERS to the final race of the year being at Atlanta, where it should be. There was just something right about that. Sure, Daytona would make sense to be the first and last, and we guess Homestead is at least a nice substitute so we start and end in Florida, but even so, the last race belongs in Atlanta.

Old Fish and Houseguests - Where Is Mark Martin on the Spectrum of Stink?

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 00:00:00

Fish and houseguests - they both stink after three days. But what about racecar drivers? When do they start to stink, and how do they know when to say goodbye? Sometimes (maybe rarely) it's just the right time. I think Rusty Wallace is a good example of good retirement timing. He hung up his helmet 25 years after his first Cup start, and in his last year he had eight top-five finishes and 17 top-10s. He finished eighth in points. While he didn't win in his final year, he had a win in the season just prior. In his last year of racing, he led 259 laps (a number that proves he was competitive, and not just a lapped car staying out on a caution), and had an average finish up five spots from his average start. He was still racing with the best of them when he walked away.

Then there are drivers who have overstayed. Some may argue that the King was in the car long past the time when he was competitive. The last eight years of his career he was winless. He managed just two top-10 finishes in the last four years of racing, and led only 31 laps in his last five years behind the wheel. By 1992, though still NASCAR royalty, he may have been the three-day-old fish.

Kyle Busch Has a Roommate in the Dog House - Miscommunication or Mutiny at Joe Gibbs Racing?

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 00:00:00

Well, well, well. Now a little more of the story comes out, and it's not a pretty picture over at Joe Gibbs Racing. Surprisingly, though, it seems it's not just Kyle Busch that's in the dog house, either.

On the heels of the announcement that Kyle would be driving some Nationwide races, Joe Gibbs spoke at the Media Tour and what he had to say was that he wasn't in the meeting that resulted in Busch being allowed to race Nationwide, and if he HAD been in that meeting, "we would not be doing this." He said of his son J.D. Gibbs and Kyle Busch, "These two got together and now somehow, we are racing against him."

Two striking themes in what Coach had to say...

It's an All-Cheers Edition! NASCAR's Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 00:00:00

Photo: Matt Ruff / Courtesy Van Colley

CHEERS to the notion that a 30-lap rental-car shootout may happen in the parking lot with some old racers who've not lost a bit of their competitive nature.

CHEERS to Mike Joy starting the evening with such emotion that we knew we'd be in for a treat. And alongside that,...

CHEERS to NASCAR and SPEED and whoever else is in the mix that chooses hosts for shows such as this. We weren't entirely impressed with the banquet in December, but using Mike Joy and Krista Voda as our hosts for this kind of event is exactly what it should be.

CHEERS to introducing so many greats in the audience. They've all aged so gracefully!

Double-Dose of Busch - We've Been Duped Again!

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 00:00:00

Okay, WHAT?? Kurt and Kyle Busch will "share driving duties" in the Monster Energy Nationwide car? Weren't we rid of him already in that series? Didn't we have that confirmed??

And now we're hearing that Carl Edwards said that if he finds he's just "a nervous ball of energy on Saturdays," that he may go Nationwide racing again. We've all been duped; you know that, right?

Does any team owner have a better way of announcing things than Jack Roush? I say not. Other teams, despite the worst-kept secrets, will schedule press conferences, or otherwise sit on the information until a time when they can announce with great fanfare. Jack, on the other hand, says that Ricky Stenhouse has a full ride in the NNS series, and follows it with, "I think that was announced. If it hasn't been, I'll have someone yelling at me..." That's the same way we found out about Carl's deal with ESPN, too.

1989 DieHard 500 - Talladega Old School

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 00:00:00

CHEERS to seeing Robert Yates, in his Texaco uniform, and remembering the dynasty that he was.

CHEERS to that initial view from Davey Allison's car, because off the top of my head, I didn't know where the 1989 DieHard 500 had been run until I saw that glorious banking out his window.

NASCAR Nationwide Series Saved from Extinction...by Kyle Busch?

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 00:00:00

You may have read the speculative news about Carl Edwards. Jack Roush spilled the beans that Edwards won't be racing the Nationwide Series this year because he's headed to ESPN. And while we may or may not know the real reason behind his decision not to race, this seems a smart move.

Of course nobody can deny his natural TV talent. Whether it's a pre- or post-race interview, rain-delay filler, chatting to the booth on his in-car camera, or stopping by to visit the broadcast team, he is at ease. He, as a driver and untrained broadcaster, is already a class above some that ESPN have had as lead broadcasters, and if Edwards ends up shoulder to shoulder with Marty Reid in the NNS booth, sadly the limits of the anchor's ability will be even more apparent. Nothing is confirmed (yet) by ESPN about what seat the driver will fill, but we can expect at least one from the 2011 team won't be returning.

New Sponsors, New Spotters, and Young Mr. Penske

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 00:00:00

TAG Heuer Eyewear will sponsor Kurt Busch, and I wonder if he isn't thankful to have a good excuse to hide his puffy eyes from the TV cameras. Welcome to "humbled", Mr. Busch.

And in other Kurt Busch news, his spotter is going to be Phoenix Racing's general manager, Steve Barkdoll. Normally I'd think, wow... the GM is your spotter? Guess you won't be mouthing off to HIM, huh? But then I think... he called Roger Penske "Dude." I wonder if anyone else EVER has called Roger Penske dude. I picture him in a button-down shirt in first grade and even the teacher calling him Mr. Penske.

Bobby Hamilton, Jr. has filed for bankruptcy, and one of the debts I read about was nearly $200,000 owed to the IRS. Can you use bankruptcy to not pay taxes?

1988 Checker 500: Kulwicki Wins His First!

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 00:00:00

CHEERS to NASCAR actually pre-empting something else. Ironically, this race is at Phoenix, where 20 years later, ESPN would dump the race coverage with 34 laps to go. But on THIS day, ESPN chose NASCAR.

JEERS to reports that leader Ricky Rudd's car is overheating.