Bench Racing with Steve and Charlie

Will Junior get the first 2008 Hendrick win at Atlanta?

Only the most blindly rabid Dale Earnhardt Jr fan would have predicted that Junior would be the Hendrick Motorsports driver with the most series points after three races. Finishing strongly in two of the three 2008 events has been a mark of consistency that Earnhardt’s teammates at the House of Hendrick have not been able to match. 

Two time defending Sprint Cup Champ Jimmy Johnson bracketed his second place finish at

California

with a wreck in the Daytona 500 and a very so-so run to 29^th place at

Las Vegas

. 

Jeff Gordon has two DNF’s to go with a third place run and Casey Mears sits 34^th in points, only 19 points ahead of missing the top 35 cutoff - with only two races left for him to live on his 2007 owner’s points.

Earnhardt Jr won the Budweiser Shootout and one of the Gatorade 150’s at Daytona in February but it’s been awhile since he’s won a regular Cup race. Atlanta Motor Speedway is a place where his winless streak could end. He has one career win and seven top five finishes at AMS and Loop Data Driver Rating of 100.2 which is fifth best. He also has 410 Green Flag Passes, second most and a series-high 210 Quality Passes, which are passes of cars in the top fifteen, under green flag conditions.

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NASCAR is already full of surprises

We are barely started in the 2008 season and who can believe what has happened?

One year after “fuelgate” Michael Waltrip has put his NAPA Camry on the front row for next week’s Daytona 500.  Oh yeah and the not so surprising part; joining him on the front row–Jimmy Johnson. Johnson hasn’t missed a beat from 2007, by putting his Lowes Chevrolet on the pole.

Here are this week’s Fast lap questions:

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This Budweiser Shootout was pert’ near perfect

“I want a billion dollars and a monkey.”  I got what we all hope is just a bite-sized sample of the kind of race the 50th Daytona 500 will be a week from now.

That was one hell of a race, that there Bud Shootout.  And it was won by one hell of a driver too - the best restrictor plate racer there ever was, according to second place Tony Stewart.

Smoke said that Dale Jr is probably better at this plate racin’ stuff than his daddy, Dale Earnhardt the Legend.  All Senior did was win more times in Florida than the Marlins.

I don’t know about all of that. I do know that I had a big smile on my face at the end of that race. I mean even Tony Stewart seemed happy.

And NASCAR has a real race car in this Car of Today. To a man - announcers, ex-drivers, former crew chiefs - all praised the Car formerly known as the Ugly Little Freakin’ Toad.

Dale Earnhardt Jr, in mid-whoop as he ran his first victory lap in a couple years yelled “We got us a race car boys. Maybe a 500 winner!”.....

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What does NASCAR testing mean?

With one week of testing in the books and the second week under way--what have we learned?  Anyone--anyone--anyone?

We have seen that the cars from Hendrick Motorsports are fast.  Is it learning if you already know the answer?   The Toyotas have been fast in all test sessions.  But, perhaps they have the most to prove and are just not part of the sandbag parade that has been so prevalent in years past.

It hasn't really been much of a secret that many teams would come to Daytona testing without much to prove and would, therefore, go through the testing sessions without their best cars or intentions.

There have been exceptions to the rule.  Years past would see new car owners, new manufacturers or new drivers with a message to send and Daytona in January was a great place to send that message.

Could that be what Toyota is using the 2008 test for?

This week the Fast Lap asks:

1) With Morgan-McClure being the latest team to close their doors due to lack of sponsorship dollars, who might be next?

2) Are the speeds being turned by the Toyotas at testing, indicative of their 2008 performance?

3) Would Teresa have allowed Junior to open a nightclub in Charlotte and risk distraction?

4) Darrell Waltrip ran a poll to see if he should boogity-boogity-boogity, or not.  How do you vote?

Let us know how you feel about these questions, or anything else that happened since last February in Daytona.  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 ET on Tuesdays.

NASCAR's Preseason Thunder on the horizon

Winter officially ends for me when the pitchers and catchers of Major League Baseball report to spring training in Florida and Arizona, sometime in late February.  My wife thinks I'm crazy - no surprise there.  After all, we live in Northwest Ohio and it does stay chilly for awhile after February 20th - sometimes for a long while.  No matter, spring is here when spring training begins.

While explaining this fact of life to another non-believer on New Years Day I was asked why - since I am already delusional - winter doesn't end for me when NASCAR re-fires it's engines at Daytona in earlier February?

Patiently, I told my friend that, unlike NASCAR, Major League - and by that I really mean Detroit Freakin' Tiger -Baseball has an off-season when the teams actually take some time off.  I am not counting arguments about Barry Bonds' suitability for either enshrinement or indictment.  Baseball goes away after the World Series in October and doesn't come back until spring, around February 20.

NASCAR is a different animal.  Here it is, January 2nd and Jr lovers and Hendricks haters alike are anxiously anticipating NASCAR's Preseason Thunder at Daytona International Speedway next week.

Ready or not, the whole racin' deal is starting up again.  But that doesn't mean that winter is over.  Winter doesn't end until February 20.

 

Picture credit: John Locher -  Reviewjournal.com

The Cruel Sport

As outside observers of the NASCAR racing scene, we guess a lot. We watch and read and mostly put our own spin on what we have watched and read.  But we don't know what's going on for the most part.  You can get closer to the truth by talking and listening to others who are nearer to the action but rarely will you get the real, whole truth.

Scene Daily has this headline on one of it's posts today:

Junior not sure how he'll fit in with teammates

It's another attempt by those that cover the sport to find the "Kumbaya" moments in the story of a racecar driver.  Here's the lead in;

Dale Earnhardt Jr. doesn't expect too many big bonding sessions between him and his new Hendrick Motorsports teammates, Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon and Casey Mears.

                         

My favorite racing film is the John Frankenheimer directed Grand Prix that came out in 1966.  The movie is based upon the Robert Daley book, The Cruel Sport.  The sub-title of the book is Grand Prix racing 1959-1957 and it is Daley's chronicle in words and pictures of those seasons from a very up close perspective.  It is a fascinating read and I don't feel qualified to write a proper review.  If you have any interest in auto racing and the people who drive the cars, read it.

One of Daley's many profiles is of  America's first World Champion, Phil Hill.  Hill is portrayed as "a gentle man in a profession devoid of gentleness."  But when asked why he was not very friendly with other drivers he says: 

"How can you be friends with a racing driver?  You try to beat them all day on the circuit, and then at night you're supposed to forget all that?  I think all racing drivers secretly hate each other anyway."

I believe that attitude is probably closer to reality than any  notion of real closeness among teammates.   People seemed shocked that, during his last seasons with Penske, Rusty Wallace couldn't seem to get along with Ryan Newman.  Rusty was a guest ON PIT ROW last week.  I wish I had asked him the same question that Daley asked Hill.

Hendrick sets Gordon and Johnson apart

It is reported that Rick Hendrick has offered Jimmy Johnson and lifetime contract with his Hendrick Motorsports organization.

Not a bad gig there Jimmy.  Merry Christmas.  You earned it but the following quote found on Scene Daily makes it sound like it's not a done deal. Jimmy reportedly said.....

"This is home to me. Hendrick Motorsports is home to me. I don't need a lifetime contract to say that. I know where my home is. I know where I want to drive and who I want to work for. I have a contract through 2010. And after that we'll figure out what is in store for us for the future. But this is home for me. It's family, it's great."

Does that sound like "Hell yes! Sign me up!" to you?

Whatever - that's not the point that I want to make.  What I'm looking at is Dale Earnhardt Jr.

If Johnson signs his lifetime deal - that would put both Jeff Gordon and Jimmy under the same contractual umbrella and that's fine.  Good for everybody involved.  Junior is a different deal.

For one thing, Jr just joined the team and hasn't run a race for HMS.  Success on the track is expected -  how much is yet to be seen.  Wins and championships on pace with the #24 and #48 teams will be awfully tough to  achieve though.

The other thing I see is the conflict that exists between DEJI - that is Dale Earnhardt Junior Inc. (not to be confused with TEI) - and the Hendrick marketing machine.  As big as Johnson is with his two straight Cup titles, his popularity still pales compared to Gordon's.  And even Jeffy isn't in Junior's ballpark.  Dale Earnhardt Junior is Jeff Gordon without the Haters, when it comes to selling stuff.

So if, down the road, Junior piles up wins and Sprint Cup Championships to an extent that Mr. Hendrick might feel tempted to offer up the same lifetime deal, I wonder how it would go.  With Junior - DEJI - it would be more of an offer of merger - and a totally different reality.  I don't see it working.  Mostly, I don't see the Earnhardt's advantage there.

Even with all of the mutual respect and admiration expressed by Mr. H and Jr, their relationship within HMS may always be different  than that between Hendrick, Gordon and Johnson.  There's nothing wrong with that.  But will it affect long term performance on the track?

Picture credit: Sandy Macys - AP

Johnson and Kenseth are class of Miami

Matt Kenseth wins the battle at Homestead while JJ hangs out in the top ten all day to win back to back championships.

Kenseth wasn't challenged most of the day in one of the most lackluster season finales of all time.  Johnson rode around close enough to Jeff Gordon all day to ensure his second consecutive championship.

The season of great changes comes to an end and the end of the lopsided stock car ends as well.  It may not be a popular position, but I really look forward to 2008 and the return of one style of car.  The 2008 car isn't the "true stock" car that I've advocated for the last three years, but I'll take it over the cockeyed version of the last few years.

Bring on 2008.  Its going to be a great year in NASCAR and ARCA.  Trust me on this one.

The Buzz ON PIT ROW is:

Regardless of the outcome; was the season finale at Homestead what you had hoped for?

The Fast Lap this week asks:

1)  Did you like the duel burnout of Johnson and Kenseth after the race?

2) Was the Kasey Kahne incident at Homestead the beginning of the new tougher Budman image?

3) How will Matt Kenseth do in 2008 without Robbie Reiser as his crew chief?

4) Will Jimmie Johnson three-peat?

Let us know how you feel about these questions, or anything else that happened at the finale in the swamp.  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: Marc Serota/Getty Images/NASCAR

Quit complaining - at least there's a race this week

I understand that you are depressed.  If you hate Jimmy Johnson you probably hate Jeff Gordon too. If you're not a fan, watching Johnson the last four weeks could deflate Al Gore at a PETA convention.  It’s over.

But the season isn't over - yet.  One race to go before we lapse into two and a half months of testing news and silly season reports.  And the banquet.  And no races.  At all.

So enjoy this week.  Bitch about Jimmy and Jeffy to you heart's content.  Or cheer them on if you're one of those NASCAR fans.

Do yourself a favor though.  Watch the race this time.  It's gonna be a while before the next one.

Picture credit: Butlermotorspeedway.com

Earnhardt Jr gets a break and a test session with the A-team

Man, I would have loved to be at Atlanta Motor Speedway for the CoT tests on Monday.  Of all the places that I could have been this year, that's the one I pick. Dale Earnhardt Jr's first real day with the Hendrick Motorsports team.

Driver's number one and one "A" weren't there. Jeff Gordon and Jimmy Johnson were elsewhere for the test.  The actual testing for HMS was being handled by team CoT test pilot David Green, Cup driver Casey Mears and the new guy.  The new guy being - excuse my assumption - driver one "Aa", Dale Earnhardt Jr.

I have seen the following quote a couple places.  This is lifted from Lee Spencer's column.

"It's been wild how all this has worked out, how much attention this got, how hard some of it was and how much fun some of it was," Earnhardt said. "As excited as it was, I don't ever want to do it again. Hopefully, we'll have a great time at Rick's and he'll keep me as long as I want to drive."

I'm betting that the great time started in earnest yesterday at AMS.  Still sore from the latest weirdness in the (I'll bet he won't miss it much) #8 car, Sunday - Earnhardt's recent memories of life at DEI might have faded for a few hours.

Only three more to go Junior.  They'll keep the seat warm for you.

Picture credit: Rusty Jarrett - Getty Images