Bench Racing with Steve and Charlie

Talladega Championship wildcard with a twist

The UAW Ford 500 at Talladega Superspeedway fulfilled it's wild-card status.  There was the expected Big One crash that took out ten cars - including three Chasers.  When the day was done, several championship contenders were effectively eliminated.  Just what most predicted would happen.

Three or perhaps four drivers remain in contention for the 2007 Nextel Cup championship.  Jeff Gordon, with his 80th Cup race win, and Jimmy Johnson are separated by 9 points at the top. Clint Bowyer is seventy some behind and Tony Stewart - at 154 back - hangs on by the most optimistic of threads.

The rest are done.  Some by virtue of the Big One and most of the others by a surprising spate of DEI/RCR engine failures.  I didn't see that engine deal coming.  Jeff Burton, Martin Truex Jr. and Kevin Harvick saw Chase chances go up in smoke (Harvick's was a matter of time).  Dale Earnhardt Jr. smoked his DEI  power plant again too in perhaps a fitting last race at DEI with Tony Eury Jr. as his crew chief.

The race didn't live up to the what was anticipated.   The early laps were a single file parade - far from the three and four wide racing pictured by many - including me.  It got more racy with about fifty laps to go, but never really excited.

At the end, the Hendricks drivers who had cagily stayed back for three quarters of the contest, were the cars to beat.  Again.

Picture credit: Butch Dill/Associated Press

Brian France the sixth most powerful person in sports

Did you notice this week that Business Week, in collaboration with ESPN the Magazine tackled the problem of ranking the sport's world's top 100 most influential individuals, in what they modestly termed "a mammoth and challenging project".

No doubt it was.

While listening to the mainstream sports media noodle this story over the past few days, I found the same anti-NASCAR bias blathered as is always the case when the stick and ball boobs are forced to act like they know what NASCAR is - and that real people, with full sets of teeth actually pay attention to it.  I know it bothers many of you as well.

Brian France, NASCAR chairman and CEO, is listed as the sixth most influential or powerful figure in the mega billion dollar sports business game.  Here is the top ten, in case you missed it.

1. Roger Goodell	Commissioner, NFL
2. Tiger Woods	Golfer
3. David Stern	Commissioner, NBA
4. George Bodenheimer	President, ESPN, ABC Sports; co-chairman, Disney Media Networks
5. Bud Selig	Commissioner, MLB
6. Brian France	Chairman, CEO NASCAR
7. Dick Ebersol	Chairman, NBC Universal Sports & Olympics
8. Phil Knight	Chairman, Nike
9. Sean McManus	President, CBS News and Sports
10. Rupert Murdoch	Chairman, CEO, News Corp

Not bad company there, Brian.  Other notable representatives of the so-called major leagues follow.

23. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. 27. Gary Bettman Commissioner, NHL 30. Roger Federer Tennis player 57. Bernie Ecclestone Head of Formula 1 Fear not, fellow red necks.  There appears to be hope for us after all. Let's go racin' Y'all.

Kasey's new Budweiser Dodge looks awesome

That new #9 Budweiser Dodge of Kasy Kahne for 2008 looks good!  If you have not seen pictures of Kasey's new ride, check these out.

That number nine on there will help me - at least - forget the Budweiser #8 a little quicker.  The swooshes on the passenger side of the car need to be on the other side of the number though.  Unless Evernham Motorsports plans to run in reverse as much in 2008 as they have this season.

I still have a little trouble buying beer from Kasey - but I'm sure he'll help Anhueser Busch sell plenty of it before that sponsorship moves on again.

Is it just me or does the Car of Tomorrow have less quarter panel space for decals than the current car?  On both the Budweiser #9 Dodge and Dale Earnhardt Jr's #88 Amp Energy Drink/Mountain Dew/National Guard Chevys the size of the fender graphic seems a bit small.

Now Kahne and Earnhardt Jr can focus on winning

Just win baby.  That is the famous saying of Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis.  It's been awhile for old Al and Raider Nation.  It has been too long for two of NASCAR's most popular and talented stars, as well.

Two days of press conferences, sponsor and number talk are over.  Dale Earnhardt Jr and Kasey Kahne have announced their liveries for 2008.  A summer of rumors and tumult can now settle in to an autumn of racing, at last.

The blogatorials will redirect focus on the Chase to the Nextel Cup Championship, the crowning of Carl Edwards as the last Busch Series champ and tight and interesting Craftsman Truck Series and ARCA ReMax Series stretch runs.

I wonder if either Earnhardt or Kahne can get it together enough to win a race this year. 

Kahne was a six time winner in 2006.  His Evernham Motorsports team  fell behind the curve early in 2007.  Recent strong qualifying runs and a near dominating performance at Bristol in the night race -  if it wasn't for that #99 car -  have had Kasey close.

Dale Junior drove desperately in the closing races of the Race to the Chase for the Cup.  He seemed always to be running in the top five, only to be taken out by engine problems or a dominant drive by someone else.

With the pressures of the business end of NASCAR reduced a bit, I look for both of these guys to get a win in somewhere in the final nine races.  How about Kasey at Charlotte and Martinsville for Junior?

Picture credit: Beth Anne Heisler - ON PIT ROW

Dale Junior's new rides are lookin' good

I found these pictures of Dale Earnhardt Junior's new Amp Energy Drink and National Guard paint schemes for the 2008 Sprint Cup season. 

The Mountain Dew presence is a bit more subdued than I expected but I like the look of both cars.

That National Guard car has a very patriotic look to it.  It's going to take a little while for that #88 to sink in though.  Probably about 100 laps at Daytona.

88 it is for junior

My favorite writer, Lee Spenser of Fox Sports should be boarding the Hendrick Motorsports jet about now.  Lee was our guest ON PIT ROW last Tuesday night and we had to ask her feelings on the Dale Earnhardt Jr press conference, scheduled for early Wednesday afternoon.

She unequivically told us that the number will be 88 - with the fonts styled to match Junior's old #8.  Heads up tatooists.

As for sponsors - it's Mountain Dew and the National Guard with Pepsi's Amp Energy Drink as associate sponsor on both paint schemes.  For those paint schemes, Junior will sport a predominantly white and green car with Mountain Dew as primary sponsor on one ride.  The other car -  be white up front with blue. aft and National Guard as primary   The #88 will be red on both.

There was more to the interview than Junior.  I'm going to try to get a transcript up in the next day or so.  You can hear the whole thing on the re-broadcast of ON PIT ROW Thursday at 7:00 pm edt at RaceTalkRadio.com.

The picture of Lee and Reid Spencer with Steve and me at Indy this year was taken by Beth Anne Heisler for  ON PIT ROW.

NASCAR press conference logic

First came word of Hendrick Motorsport's Wednesday press conference set to finally let us all know Dale Earnhardt Jr's new number and sponsors.  That was followed within minutes, it seemed, by Evernham Motorsports announcement of their own presser for Tuesday. 

It's probably a good thing that Monday is the rain date for the New Hampshire Chase kick-off.  Otherwise these guys might have been upstaged by Doug Yates debuting the #28 Candy Bar Car for Travis Kvapil's 2008 campaign.

Junior's deal will be held in Dallas - the coincidental home of PepsiCo's annual meeting - so some combo of Amp Energy Drink and Mountain Dew along with The National Guard seems a lock.  Steve was at least one of the first to call Mountain Dew for Junior way back.  But no body predicted the National Guard back then.  I'm real interested in what the cars will look like.

The new speculation is that the car may wear the #88 - the number run by J R Motorsports Busch Series entry and by Yates Racing in Cup.  What number could possibly be better?

The Tuesday meet-up is a bit more shrouded in intrigue.  Diligent reportage by The Daily Bugle staff - which is me, Steve wants no part in this - has come up with a more secluded, laid back location for the Kasey Kahne revelations, as pictured here. 

So much for the come back of the Coors Light #9.

As always, your comments to The Daily Bugle are welcome.  So are tips.

NASCAR's second twelve has winners too

Fourteen different drivers have won races in the 2007 Nextel Cup Series.  Three of those winners failed to make the Chase to the Nextel Cup.

Jamie McMurray, Casey Mears and Juan Pablo Montoya each captured a win this season.  Despite the hype that smothers the twelve Chase qualifiers - including the winless Clint Bowyer - I like the chances for upsets from the ranks of the non-champ contenders. 

Does anyone think that Ryan Newman, Dale Earnhardt Jr and Mark Martin are incapable of pulling out a win in the next ten races?  What about Kasey Kahne, Greg Biffle or even Petty Enterprises' Bobby Labonte.

I believe that this year's champ will come from the trio of Gordon, Johnson and Stewart.  It wouldn't surprise me though, if three or four non-Chasers manage to grab the checkered flag  before we're all done.

Picture credit: allposters.com

And the Chase is on...Finally!

The playoffs are here.  The long regular season has ended and as has been evident for a long lime, the Hendrick cars, or at least the Chevys, are the "pick of the litter".

Jimmy Johnson ran away with the Chevy Rock 'n Roll 500 at Richmond.  Teammates Jeff Gordon and Kyle Busch are in The Chase.  Chevy teams represent nine of the 12 spots.  Only Roush/Fenway drivers Matt Kenseth and Carl Edwards hold the Ford banner and Kurt Busch drives the lone Dodge to make the field.

Interestingly half of the field has incurred some form of points penalty this season.  The teams of Jimmy Johnson, Jeff Gordon and Kurt Busch have all been hit with 100 point penalties.  Matt Kenseth had been docked 50 points, while Kyle Busch and Tony Stewart have lost 25 points each. 

I guess Grandma Christine was wrong--"cheaters ARE beaters" after all.

The Buzz ON PIT ROW:

Given the long shot chance Dale Earnhardt Jr. had at making The Chase--did ABC/ESPN over play that story?

The Fast Lap this week asks:

1) Did Richmond replace Bristol as the best short track night race?

2) Which open-wheel defector will be more successful through the final 10 Cup races--Sam Hornish or Dario Franchitti?

3) Which rumor is more plausible; Gilett-Evernham Motorsports signing Patrick Carpentier or GEM merging with Petty Enterprises?

4) Would you take the 3 Hendrick cars or "the rest of the Chase field", if you were betting on the 2007 Champion?

Let us know how you feel about these questions, or anything else that happened during the week in Richmond.  If we like your comments, whether we agree or not, we may use them on the air during Tuesday's ON PIT ROW.  Leave us a comment on the blog or call the show--toll free at 1-877-502-8255 between 5-7pm edt on Tuesdays.

photo: Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images

NASCAR's magnificent twelve is set

With a final puff of smoke Dale Earnhardt Jr exited the Chevy Rock and Roll 400 at Richmond International Raceway and the 2007 Chase for the Nextel Cup.

Jimmy Johnson won the race and the coveted ten bonus points for the Chase to the Nextel Cup.  Tony Stewart ended in second place - after racing with the Budweiser Chevy hard before the DEI/RCR motor let go.  300 pond gorilla Jeff Gordon finished a bonus-pointless fourth.

It seems somehow appropriate that Dale Junior went out with a blown motor.  It was the fifth such for the famous #8 Bud Chevy team this year.  With better engine reliability who knows what might have happened for these guys.

In post race interviews, Earnhardt was complementary of his team.  He expressed his and the crew's determination to finish strong and strive for wins that have, so far in 2007, eluded them.  But bitterness was there.  I got a sense of lingering doubt as to why his motors were the ones that broke.  No one will ever know.

In the post race group grope that the cameras caught between the two Juniors - Earnhardt and Eury - I thought I saw relief too.  It might be my imagination.  But the pressure of 2007 is, I would think, now off.  These are racers and there are ten races left.  Races now that they, maybe, can enjoy in a lighter way as they prepare for a brand new adventure with Hendick Motorsports in 2008.

Picture credit: Rusty Jarett - Getty Images