Bench Racing with Steve and Charlie

Is Tony Stewart headed for Cup team ownership?

How much more interesting would the Sprint Cup Series be if Tony Stewart were to become a team owner?

According to Fox Sports’ Lee Spencer that possibility was the hot rumor around the Phoenix International Raceway garage on Friday.  It seems that Tony may be talking with Haas CNC Racing and Chevrolet about a partnership that would return Stewart to the Bow-tie fold as a driver-owner.  And where there is Smoke - there is news.

Lately a few of us had speculated that that Stewart might be a candidate for the #33 seat and General Mills sponsorship at Richard Childress Racing.  Others, like my buddy Steve, think that Stewart’s relationships with Joe Gibbs Racing and various pals will stop any potential defection.  I wonder if Chevrolet felt that way about their JGR connections before the Coach and the kid said sayonara?

to read the rest of this post go to the new home of the Bench Racing blog.

We've moved the home of Bench Racing with Steve and Charlie to the new OnPitRow.com site.  We'll continue to post over here for awhile, but please check out the new site and change your bookmarks. Thanks.

Head to Head driver challenge: Dodge vs Ford

We've moved the home of Bench Racing with Steve and Charlie to the new OnPitRow.com site.  We'll continue to post over here for awhile, but please check out the new site and change your bookmarks. Thanks

So Robby Gordon is switching from Ford to Dodge - who cares you say?

Ford fans ought to.  At the end of the 2007 Nextel Cup season, the Blue Oval brigade looked to be a solid number two in the manufacturer’s championship race going into 2008’s innaugural Sprint Cup Series season.  The thinking was Roush-Fenway Racing had slipped up and fallen behind the CoT and general testing  programs of the big Chevy outfits.  The Ford faithful assumed that Jack Roush would straighten out the problems and restore Ford to at least competitive equality with the dominant Hendrick-Gibbs-Childress troika.

Observers of preseason testing are telling us otherwise.  The Joe Gibbs Racing move to Toyota has boosted that brand’s prospects.  Many experts think that Toyota may well jump to number two status.   Boris Said told us on last week’s ON PIT ROW that the speed and sheer numbers of the Toyotas will make it very tough for his Ford team to qualify for non-road course races.

Ford vs Dodge

The real question is;  can Ford keep from falling to fourth, behind Dodge in the Cup Series?  Look at the rosters of the two makes and compare.

Ford teams will field eight fulltime teams in 2008, led by Roush-Fenway’s fivesome.  Dodge enters 2008 with a lucky thirteen.   Seven of Ford’s eight have top 35 owner’s points while Dodge gets twelve of it’s thirteen in each of the first five races.  So far it looks like, advantage Dodge, if quantity counts.  If you’re one of those quality folks - here’s my personal Power Ranking of the Ford vs Dodge NASCAR battle.

1. #17 Ford -Matt Kenseth - past champ, two time 2007 race winner and Chaser
2. #2   Dodge - Kurt Busch -  see above
3. #99 Ford - Carl Edwards - three time race winner in 2007 and Chaser
4. #12 Dodge - Ryan Newman - 12 career wins, no Chase but a solid 2007
5. #9   Dodge - Kasey Kahne - Bad 2007 but won 6 in 2006 - just a hunch
6. #16 Ford - Greg Biffle - Missed the Chase but got a win
7. #26 Ford - Jamie McMurray - see Biffle
8. #42 Dodge - Juan Pablo Montoya - 2007 Rookie of the Year won a race too
9. #43 Dodge - Bobby Labonte - past champ finished ahead of Kahne and Montoya
10. #41 Dodge - Reed Sorenson - his 2007 points put him here
11. #6   Ford - David Ragan - ditto
12. #19 Dodge - Elliott Sadler - very tempted to rate higher
13. #7   Dodge - Robby Gordon - ditto
14. #38 Ford - David Gilliland - The Yates team is Ford’s wild card, they hope
15. #40 Dodge - Dario Franchitti - I think the 2008 ROY will drive a Dodge
16. #28 Ford - Travis Kvapil - see Gilliland
17. #21 Ford - Bill Elliott et al - Awesome Bill’s provisionals will payoff later with starts
18. #45 Dodge - Kyle Petty - Must stay in the top 35
19. #77 Dodge - Sam Hornish Jr - My pick for ROY, but I’m hedging that bet
20. #10 Dodge - Patrick Carpentier - Going to have a tough time qualifying to race

I give the nod to Dodge.  Kurt Busch and Kenseth are a push.  Maybe the Ford boys get a slight edge in slots 3 through 8 but Newman and Kahne have championship capability in them - it’s close. The Dodge advantage is in depth and the fact that it’s major teams are all agressive and growing.  I like the look of Gillette-Everham, Penske, Ganassi-Sabates and even Petty Enterprises over Roush Fenway and the struggling Yates and Wood Brothers.

Picture credit: Todd Warshaw/Getty Images

Live Blog - NASCAR Awards Show

Watching NASCAR's year end awards banquet and show from the Waldorf in New York City is, to me, a painful experience.  But doing what I do, I feel compelled to watch it. That's kind of funny actually because I don't always feel compelled to watch the races.  Anyway, since I have to do this, I was hoping that some of you would join me in my pain. 

Steve and our producer/photographer Beth Anne have promised - under threat of me making their email addresses public on MySpace - to show up at some point and I have dropped pleading hints around the NASCAR blogosphere as well. 

So with the help of this great Cover it Live software we'll try our best to resurrect Joel, Tom Servo, Betsy and Crow of Mystery Science Theatre 3000 fame and totally de-construct NASCAR's most ludicrous night.

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

Joe Gibbs Racing's Logano shines again

It won't be long before the talk about who will drive Joe Gibbs Racing's fourth Toyota in the Sprint Cup Series. 

JGR development driver and child prodigy Joey Logano won the NASCAR Toyota All Star Showdown at Irwindale Speedway Saturday night.  There isn't much left for Logano to prove in the feeder series.  After winning the Busch East title this year, he only needs to wait for his 18th birthday in may of 2008 before jumping Gibb's Nationwide Series program.  The fourth Sprint Cup Series Camry will be warm and ready, not long after that.

Michelle Theriault didn't fair as well in the All Star Showdown.  She wrecked out and finished at the back of the field.  When last we saw Michelle, she was driving the wheels off her No. 37 GLOCK Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS at Toledo Speedway in the ARCA ReMax season finale.  We will ask her about both as she joins us ON PIT ROW this Tuesday.  If you can't listen live go to RaceTalkRadio.com on Thursday and catch Michelle's interview and visits with Jeff Hammond and another surprise guest.

As they say in the race promotion biz...BE THERE!

Picture credit: Michelle Theriault.com

Round 2 of the Chase to the Nextel Cup, ding ding

Jimmy Johnson is on the pole.  Denny Hamlin won Saturday's Busch race.  Juan Pablo Montoya is on the front row.  Clint Bowyer, Matt Kenseth and Carl Edwards were fast in practice.  Oh, and Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart are entered too.

Take your pick NASCAR fans.  According to the Channel 12 weather  forecast at  the Ryan Newman Fan, it should be a perfect day.  Who do you like to win this one and kick off the Chase talk for the week?  I think it is tough to go against Martin Truex Jr.  In the second race of the season at any given track, I look at the winner of the first race - Truex this time.  Then I look at the Busch race winner, if the Buschies are at the same venue - a sick Denny Hamlin yesterday.  Hamlin may have been used up by Joe Gibbs Racing and Rockwell Automation, if he is as ill as reported.

Hey, maybe Gibbs will start Hamlin and then sub the driver sure to be in the fourth JGR Toyota before too, long - NASCAR Busch East Series champ Joey Logano.  Won't happen, of course, but what a story that would be.  Maybe we should start a rumor or something?

Enjoy the race and the rest of your Sunday.

Picture credit: Logano - Getty Images for NASCAR - Ring Girl - I don't know, does it really matter?

Ford seems to be circling it's wagons around Roush-Fenway Racing

Final practice for the Dodge Dealers 400 at Dover International Speedway had Denny Hamlin's Joe Gibbs Racing Chevrolet fastest in the rain shortened session.  Most of the rest of the fast guys were Chevys too.  Pole sitter Jimmy Johnson and last week's winner Clint Boyer were 4th and 5th.

The two Roush Fenway Racing Fords of Chasers Matt Kenseth and Carl Edwards were 2nd and 3rd - and Ford Motor Company must audibly sigh and thank the late Henry Ford that someone driving a Fusion may have a chance Sunday.

The late week revelation that Yates Racing may be losing the lead sponsor for the #38 car -  M&M's - to Joe Gibbs Racing  seems potentially devastating.   Yates was the one Ford  organization that seemed it might be able to compete side by side along with Roush Fenway in the NASCAR wars. Things look bleak from here for the team.  Yates is only one year removed from losing the UPS backing on their second car.  Now, the company that has sponsored both entries in 2007 may be heading elsewhere.

Good luck to Doug Yates.  Working closely with Jack Roush may help bolster the team.  Right now it sure doesn't look good.

Picture credit: Beth Anne Heisler - ON PIT ROW

NASCAR discussion ala the Fast Lap blog

Steve and I are always looking for ways to make ON PIT ROW more interesting - for ourselves as well as our listeners.  For about seven years the show has featured a segment called the Fast Lap.

Our Fast Lap format is a familiar one to sports talk listeners.  We are asked four questions - for the four corners on most NASCAR tracks - and are limited to 30 seconds of response time.  The arguments that ensue make the time limit a bit arbitrary.  We have fun with it.

This year we started posting our Fast Lap questions on Mondays here and at our Fast Lap blog at the Thunder Lounge site.  We take comments that we get before our live broadcast - Tuesdays 5-7 pm edt - and use them as discussion points during most shows.

The Fast Lap discussion doesn't end there though.  The Fast Lap blog is intended to be a comment blog.  We hope to keep the debate over the four questions going throughout the week.  See, your initial answers are limited, supposedly,  to 100 words or less - like the time limit on the radio show.  There is no word count limit on what I call counter commenting, or debating the merits of your fellow responders.

This week's debate has been pretty lame.  Just way too much agreement.  The following is an example:

4 Responses to “Life in the Fast Lap lane is good for Jimmy Johnson”

1. 1…
   Richmond has always been a good show. Bristol this past August was too. OK, there weren’t a ton of wrecks, but there was a ton of door-to-door action all over the place.

   But, I think what a lot of people feel makes Bristol so “special” is the tempers flaring, and the drivers getting into that “super” beating and banging mode. Guys getting knocked out of the way, and occasionally ending up in the fence or taking a little ride on the “loop”. This past race, the chrome horn wasn’t needed as you could just go around in another groove.

   Richmond was plum crazy. There wasn’t a lap go by where someone wasn’t pushing it 3-wide in the corners. It was incredible, and that new surface (OK, it’s 5 years old now but still) is really coming into its own.

   It’s no doubt one hell of a show, and no wonder they just had their 32nd sellout in a row.

   2…
   I’m going to have to go with Hornish on this one, mainly because he’s been through the motions a few times before.

   As long as both can keep their fenders clean, and roll through, I think they will be fine though.

   Franchitti should at least have one thing on his side in the back of his mind… “If I wreck, I’m in a much safer vehicle”.

   3…
   This is a toss up, really. And I’ll quote The King directly when he flat out said that indeed they would need to look for someone with better business access. In his words, “they” [PE] know “racing” folks, and there are a lot of people out there that know many more “business” folks. He went on to say that [PE] needed better access to potential sponsors, and that was just the nature of the business.

   What that means specifically to a PE-GEM merger or partnership is anyones guess.

   As for signing Patrick Carpentier, who knows. He did run well up north last month, but can that translate to an oval? Maybe, but who knows.

   4…
   Heck, I’ll spot you the 5, and just take Gordon and Johnson. And from there, I might just spot you Johnson too.

   Even with Jimmie having a “20″ point spread at the moment, I still think that this whole deal is Gordon’s to lose. He hasn’t been points racing for the better part of a month or more, and once he “goes back” to his other approach, he’s going to tear it up. That approach would be the one that put him atop the standings by over 300 points.

   Richmond was the beginning of this transition back into “the points groove”, as he could have pushed it a little harder, but kept it pointed in the right direction (no thanks to Junior) and brought it home in 4th. Two weeks prior he very well may have pushed it harder, but it’s time to get back into it, and go for #5.

   That being the case, Johnson will be strong as well, but can he keep it together for 10 races, as that pressure mounts to repeat his performance of 2006, and successfully defend his title?

   Hamlin’s my dark horse pick, he’s been flying under the radar, but between him, Flip-Flop, and some shady Holliday Inn meetings, I don’t know if they’ll have that finite extra “push” that they would have had.

   Luke said this on September 11th, 2007 at 11:13 am

2. Kumbaya my boys, kumbaya. I sense too much agreement among the throng after last night’s ON PIT ROW and reading Luke’s comments here. But right is right.

   1. The Richmond races are always among the “prettiest” on the Cup schedule. Add to the look the ultra competitive nature of the track and the surface and RIR is maybe my favorite track. I like Bristol because it is unique and the night race a true sport spectacle. That said, the racing this year - at least for the lead - couldn’t hold a candle to Richmond.

   2. Sam hasn’t shown much so far in his Busch Series starts but I give him the nod here for slightly more experience and better equipment/team support from Penske. But I have doubts.

   3. Toss up. I’ll go with the Carpentier rumor because I did on the show(I think) but I am not really sold on the idea. The Pettys almost certainly will merge with someone. Too bad the Diamondback’s group went with H O F. The marketing contacts that those guys have are exactly what PE needs. But a strong driver to team up with Labonte would help as well.

   4. I took the field on the show. Can I change my mind? Actually, Tony Stewart, Kurt Busch look good to me. Throw in the RCR cars and Hamlin and the field has a chance. Pucher’s chance at least. I’m not putting any money on though without big-time odds.

   charlie said this on September 12th, 2007 at 11:05 am

3. You know, the funniest thing Richard Petty said?

   Oh, Kyle’s all right. He runs about as well as he feels that day.

   That killed me. It was quite funny. Although, to be honest, that’s probably about right. I can’t imagine being in Kyle Petty’s shoes.

   Luke said this on September 12th, 2007 at 11:22 am

4. 1- The Bristol night race was a dud. At least for one trip around the sun, a night in Virginia was by far more entertaining than the one up on the border with Tennesee. Most of that had to do with getting fans aclimated to seeing a new way of racing with the CoT. It’ll return to form by this time next year.

   2– Hornish would seem to be the logical choice. But who ever accused me of using logic? All defectors will have a hard time making races. Just getting into these fields is a monumental task. Visiting the truck series may be the best bet any have in getting some seat time for next year. But to answer the question–Hornish.

   3– I can see the Petty-GEM deal getting done. It seems that Kyle and Ray have some mutual respect. I could see Kyle taking a managment role in a new partnership and leaving the driving to Carpentier.

   4– If I had a million bucks lying around–which I don’t–I’d throw it down on the Hendrick boys in a NY minute. Sure “the field” includes the Gibbs cars and the RCR cars; but my money, as much as it pains me, would go with Hendrick. That really does cause me pain.

   Steve said this on September 16th, 2007 at 6:54 am

You can find the questions here.  We invite you to join the conversation.

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

Toyota's 2007 NASCAR ripples become a Tsunami

That rumble you here in the background of all the NASCAR comment and rhetoric is the the inevitable wave of the Toyota juggernaut rolling towards Sprint Cup Championships in the not distant future. 

With the official aknowlegement of the worst kept secret in the NASCAR garage, Joe Gibbs Racing has made the kind of move dynasties are made of.

The Gibbs crews go from one of four Chevrolet teams - and unarguably not the clear #1 - to being the spearhead of Toyota's effort to capture the Sprint Cup Championship.

Toyota not only gains a championship winning organization.  They now have in their stable of drivers, three who are consistent winners and Chase to the Cup qualifiers - and importantly, guaranteed starters in next February's Daytona 500.  Add Gibbs satellite, Hall of Fame Racing and it's new driver J J Yeley to the line up and the NASCAR landscape has changed in a big way.

I have heard many comments that this move by Joe Gibbs Racing at this time will ruin any chance that Tony Stewart and Denny Hamlin have of winning the Cup in 2007.  The theory being that Chevrolet will now withhold any top secret -Nextel Cup winning - technology from the traitors at JGR.  Sorry, I don't buy it.  The Bow-tie boys would give Henry Ford help if Hank drove a Monte Carlo...or Impala.

And of course the backlash of NASCAR fans has begun, as this comment on the Daly Planet blog shows.

They talked about wanting to be on the cutting edge and being leaders, but going from 2nd best to being the best of the worst is a step backwards. This will turn off a lot of fans, including me. I think I'll start rooting for Tony's rival Jimmie Johnson now, to spite him.
Kevin in SoCal

I wonder if Kevin in SoCal knows that Tony Stewart Racing has been running Toyota powered sprints and midgets for some time now?  Doubt it.

And how long can it be before Jack Roush re-declares NASCAR War on Toyota?  Maybe The Cat in the Hat will be relieved to have one fewer Chevy team to deal with. 

Toyota has made steady progress in 2007.  The past weekend's results by the two Red Bull Toyotas is a small indicator.  Make no mistake though.  That rumbling roar in the background noise surrounding the Race to the Chase finale this week is the Toyota Tsunami, relentlessly building towards Cup Series championships.