Denny Hamlin's knee injury may have been the highlight story of the week, but we've reached the weekend, so that means the final race of the 2015 Sprint Cup regular season is upon us from Richmond.
And from the "what else is new" department, the Joe Gibbs cars are well up toward the front of the field for the Federated Auto Parts 400 after qualifying Friday (the link to the full field is highlighted). Matt Kenseth joins pole winner Joey Logano on the front row, while Kyle Busch and Brad Keselowski start behind them in Row 2.
Carl Edwards goes off seventh, but Hamlin didn't fare nearly as well, failing to get out of the first round of qualifying. He starts his No. 11 FedEx Express Toyota from 25th.
That got the brain cells going for me. Among past Richmond race winners, we didn't have to go back very far to find that one of Hamlin's teammates could give him a good scouting report on how to get to the front at the end from deep in the field.
Two years ago at the same fall race, Edwards won at RIR after he qualified 26th. Heck, Clint Bowyer starts from there tonight and he's got two Richmond wins himself, including one from 31st in the spring race of 2008.
It can happen. Just don't bet on it -- unless you're a serious fan of the guy in the 19 car.
And don't get too comfortable with any race-watching plans right away. Rain is in the forecast for tonight at Richmond, and a lot of it. Early reports are saying up to an inch of the wet stuff can be expected.
I'm not a meteorologist -- don't even claim to play one on the radio -- but that doesn't instill confidence racing is likely to happen tonight.
A one-day postponement isn't cause for major concern, but the TV folks aren't going to be too thrilled mainly because Sunday is the first full day of the National Football League season.
Many more eyes will likely gravitate toward the opening week of the NFL season instead of the final race to the Chase. There's a reason the fall Richmond race has been run on Saturday nights, and big, bad Momma Nature is showing us why.
Saturday, September 12, 2015
Wednesday, September 9, 2015
Hamlin in world of hurt heading to Chase
In my daily check of interesting news items on the NASCAR wire, there was a story that was a serious jaw-dropper, mainly for the timing and the questionable judgment involved.
Denny Hamlin, solidly among the Chase contenders for the 2015 Sprint Cup title, put himself in a world of hurt when he tore the ACL in playing a game of pickup basketball Tuesday night.
The need for a work-life balance is always a delicate issue, even for regular working folk, but that balance sits on a razor-thin thread for athletes like NASCAR drivers.
All work and no play may make Denny a dull boy (allegedly), but Hamlin's hoops adventure doesn't inspire much confidence. He has a history of the injury, having torn the same ligament in his right knee playing basketball before the start of the 2010 season.
When it happened the first time, Hamlin initially elected to postpone the surgery until after that season. That approach lasted until the sixth race of the year, which was a win at Martinsville, the first of eight victories that season.
Hamlin was in contention all the way to Homestead, but lost the title to Jimmie Johnson. He's been medically cleared to run the last 11 races of 2015, but has a more daunting task this time around, mainly because he's 34 years old instead of 29. Injuries don't heal as fast, but it's all in the attitude.
Medical science has done wonders in allowing athletes to heal much quicker -- Tommy John surgery ring any bells? -- but what happens once Hamlin gets involved in a wreck? Does he play it too safe?
The Joe Gibbs Racing driver has three straight top-5 runs -- fifth at Michigan, third at Bristol and Darlington -- and he reached the final round at Homestead last year, coming home in third place.
Hamlin already has the hard part out of the way by making the Chase. The hard work -- made harder by his creaky knees -- has only just begun.
Followers and comments welcome on Twitter @Tomzsports.
Denny Hamlin, solidly among the Chase contenders for the 2015 Sprint Cup title, put himself in a world of hurt when he tore the ACL in playing a game of pickup basketball Tuesday night.
The need for a work-life balance is always a delicate issue, even for regular working folk, but that balance sits on a razor-thin thread for athletes like NASCAR drivers.
All work and no play may make Denny a dull boy (allegedly), but Hamlin's hoops adventure doesn't inspire much confidence. He has a history of the injury, having torn the same ligament in his right knee playing basketball before the start of the 2010 season.
When it happened the first time, Hamlin initially elected to postpone the surgery until after that season. That approach lasted until the sixth race of the year, which was a win at Martinsville, the first of eight victories that season.
Hamlin was in contention all the way to Homestead, but lost the title to Jimmie Johnson. He's been medically cleared to run the last 11 races of 2015, but has a more daunting task this time around, mainly because he's 34 years old instead of 29. Injuries don't heal as fast, but it's all in the attitude.
Medical science has done wonders in allowing athletes to heal much quicker -- Tommy John surgery ring any bells? -- but what happens once Hamlin gets involved in a wreck? Does he play it too safe?
The Joe Gibbs Racing driver has three straight top-5 runs -- fifth at Michigan, third at Bristol and Darlington -- and he reached the final round at Homestead last year, coming home in third place.
Hamlin already has the hard part out of the way by making the Chase. The hard work -- made harder by his creaky knees -- has only just begun.
Followers and comments welcome on Twitter @Tomzsports.
Monday, September 7, 2015
Squier brings the throwback magic
As the Southern 500 unfolded Sunday night at Darlington Raceway, I was doing my best to head to my favorite establishment and settle in to watch the race.
It was all about retro, throwback, 1970s time machine, and embracing NASCAR's history at one of its original race tracks. This was a race that needed to be seen on TV more than heard -- no offense intended to the radio guys and gals at Motor Racing Network (and PRN), who already do a tremendous job bringing them to our ears.
There were retro paint schemes and crew guys who even dressed the part, but even more important was the presence of a broadcasting legend who returned to the NBC booth, even it was only for a limited time.
For about 40 minutes or so Sunday night in an edited package, race fans got a perfect trip in the NASCAR time capsule as Ken Squier, Hall of Famer Ned Jarrett and son Dale stepped up to the microphones -- minus any 1970s fashion statements -- to call the action.
From the restart after the second caution at lap 51, we got more than 35 minutes of simple, understated magic. No extra hype, just sharing details on what was going on. When surprises happened -- and there were plenty of them -- there was appropriate reaction.
Tosses to pit reporters Mike Massaro, Marty Snider, Dave Burns and Kelli Stavast were top-notch and solid.
When Rutledge Wood was summoned, the "special report" was pretty special, a story of how the fans transitioned from standing on top of station wagons and trucks to get a glimpse of the race to watching on large TV monitors in the infield area.
As Squier spoke, the description of what it's like to be at the track came through like it did in his heyday when he called races for CBS.
At one point, Squier called Darlington "the kingdom" and added "if you're going to see a NASCAR race, this is one you must find."
Squier spoke further to the race's rural location when he said "you may want to get some help, some local folks to find your way in. Get yourself some counseling, a couple of GPS's, or ask any of the neighbors, and they'll tell you about Harold Brasington's peanut patch."
It's exactly where the race track is located in a town that has a population of around 7,000 people.
Further racing was described with emphasis on how Darlington can drive drivers crazy over a 500-mile race. One example was discussed nicely as Squier brought in Massaro to describe issues Jamie McMurray's crew was having with the radio. A great split screen was used so fans didn't lose track of any battles for position.
About the only slip-up I heard from Squier came when he said as Denny Hamlin moved into the lead at lap 87 and said he was from Enumclaw, Washington. That's Kasey Kahne's hometown, but I'm sure Hamlin's been to the Northwest a time or two.
Let's cut a true legend a little slack here. Squier turned 80 in April. Mistakes will happen, no matter how old you are. My mom will be turning 80 in December herself.
The energy was there when Hamlin duked it out with Brad Keselowski for the lead at lap 118, losing it briefly then pulling off the crossover move to regain control.
Squier's time on the air with the Jarretts came to an end after the race's fifth caution at lap 121, so race fans got a 70-lap glimpse of how much history exists in NASCAR at Darlington and everywhere else. Special times called for special voices, and Squier enhanced NBC's broadcast of the Southern 500 in beautiful fashion Sunday night.
As Rick Allen said when he returned to the air, it was an absolute honor -- for all of us -- to listen to Squier call a race once more, even if it was only for a little while.
Thanks for the memories. Let's go make some more.
Followers and comments welcome on Twitter @Tomzsports.
It was all about retro, throwback, 1970s time machine, and embracing NASCAR's history at one of its original race tracks. This was a race that needed to be seen on TV more than heard -- no offense intended to the radio guys and gals at Motor Racing Network (and PRN), who already do a tremendous job bringing them to our ears.
There were retro paint schemes and crew guys who even dressed the part, but even more important was the presence of a broadcasting legend who returned to the NBC booth, even it was only for a limited time.
For about 40 minutes or so Sunday night in an edited package, race fans got a perfect trip in the NASCAR time capsule as Ken Squier, Hall of Famer Ned Jarrett and son Dale stepped up to the microphones -- minus any 1970s fashion statements -- to call the action.
From the restart after the second caution at lap 51, we got more than 35 minutes of simple, understated magic. No extra hype, just sharing details on what was going on. When surprises happened -- and there were plenty of them -- there was appropriate reaction.
Tosses to pit reporters Mike Massaro, Marty Snider, Dave Burns and Kelli Stavast were top-notch and solid.
When Rutledge Wood was summoned, the "special report" was pretty special, a story of how the fans transitioned from standing on top of station wagons and trucks to get a glimpse of the race to watching on large TV monitors in the infield area.
As Squier spoke, the description of what it's like to be at the track came through like it did in his heyday when he called races for CBS.
At one point, Squier called Darlington "the kingdom" and added "if you're going to see a NASCAR race, this is one you must find."
Squier spoke further to the race's rural location when he said "you may want to get some help, some local folks to find your way in. Get yourself some counseling, a couple of GPS's, or ask any of the neighbors, and they'll tell you about Harold Brasington's peanut patch."
It's exactly where the race track is located in a town that has a population of around 7,000 people.
Further racing was described with emphasis on how Darlington can drive drivers crazy over a 500-mile race. One example was discussed nicely as Squier brought in Massaro to describe issues Jamie McMurray's crew was having with the radio. A great split screen was used so fans didn't lose track of any battles for position.
About the only slip-up I heard from Squier came when he said as Denny Hamlin moved into the lead at lap 87 and said he was from Enumclaw, Washington. That's Kasey Kahne's hometown, but I'm sure Hamlin's been to the Northwest a time or two.
Let's cut a true legend a little slack here. Squier turned 80 in April. Mistakes will happen, no matter how old you are. My mom will be turning 80 in December herself.
The energy was there when Hamlin duked it out with Brad Keselowski for the lead at lap 118, losing it briefly then pulling off the crossover move to regain control.
Squier's time on the air with the Jarretts came to an end after the race's fifth caution at lap 121, so race fans got a 70-lap glimpse of how much history exists in NASCAR at Darlington and everywhere else. Special times called for special voices, and Squier enhanced NBC's broadcast of the Southern 500 in beautiful fashion Sunday night.
As Rick Allen said when he returned to the air, it was an absolute honor -- for all of us -- to listen to Squier call a race once more, even if it was only for a little while.
Thanks for the memories. Let's go make some more.
Followers and comments welcome on Twitter @Tomzsports.
Sunday, September 6, 2015
Darlington becomes Carlington at Southern 500
The Southern 500 returned to its Labor Day weekend roots Sunday night at Darlington Raceway. Everything about the race had a retro/throwback/time warp feel to it. All but a handful of the 43 cars had old-time paint schemes. The NBC crew donned sport coats that would have made Starsky and Hutch turn flush with envy, and the old peacock made a return appearance.
NASCAR broadcasting legends Ken Squier and Ned Jarrett joined in the fun, calling the race for about 35 minutes. The link of the segment is out there on the NASCAR on NBC Facebook page, and it’s definitely worth sharing.
Even the music selections used to lead race viewers in and out of commercials grabbed hold of the 1970s theme, which made for a Southern 500 that was awesome as much as it was long – nearly four and a half hours with a record-setting 18 caution flags.
Carl Edwards came through in the end and turned Darlington into “Carlington” for his first win at the legendary track dubbed “Too Tough to Tame” and second of 2015. It continued the dominance of the Toyotas in the Joe Gibbs Racing camp as the team has won seven of the last 10 races. Four came from Kyle Busch, two by Matt Kenseth, and Edwards joined in the fun.
As for the “Carlington” idea, it came when a crew member from his No. 19 Arris Toyota stuck just enough white tape – at least that’s what it looked like from the TV pictures – to turn the “D” on a portion of an infield wall into a “C.”
Darlington to Carlington, get it? All kidding aside, that was a great touch from a great broadcast of a darn good race in spite of the time length.
Thank goodness most of us didn’t have to work on Labor Day.
With Edwards’ victory secured, that means there are still five spots for non-winning drivers with one race remaining in the “regular season” on the way to the Chase. Jamie McMurray, Ryan Newman, Paul Menard, Jeff Gordon and Clint Bowyer are just about locked in for NASCAR’s version of postseason play, but anyone else behind them within the top 30 has one last shot to get in with a victory at Richmond on Saturday night.
McMurray and Newman have their spots for the Chase in lockdown mode. Gordon is basically in unless he has enough of a bad finish to allow Bowyer and Menard to pass him along with someone from outside the top 16 winning Saturday’s race.
Bowyer is the only one with the most to lose in the final race of the regular season. Unless he surpasses Menard in the points – Bowyer trails by 10 – he’ll be the one forced into 2016 testing mode if someone like Aric Almirola or Kasey Kahne wins at Richmond.
Those outside the top 16 aren’t exactly instilling fear among the five non-winners who would be in the Chase, though. At the Southern 500, Kyle Larson was the highest finisher among the group, coming home 10th.
Heading to Richmond, Bowyer has a 29-point lead on Almirola and 31 over Kahne. Almirola was 11th on Sunday, Kahne came in 12th, and Bowyer finished 17th. It’s clearly all-or-nothing time now for those with dreams of winning the 2015 Sprint Cup title.
The likelihood of any serious drama may be low for the fans come Saturday night, but any driver worth his salt doesn’t need to worry about details or opinions
Get in, sit down, tighten the belts, and hold on. Hope can lurk around any corner.
NASCAR broadcasting legends Ken Squier and Ned Jarrett joined in the fun, calling the race for about 35 minutes. The link of the segment is out there on the NASCAR on NBC Facebook page, and it’s definitely worth sharing.
Even the music selections used to lead race viewers in and out of commercials grabbed hold of the 1970s theme, which made for a Southern 500 that was awesome as much as it was long – nearly four and a half hours with a record-setting 18 caution flags.
Carl Edwards came through in the end and turned Darlington into “Carlington” for his first win at the legendary track dubbed “Too Tough to Tame” and second of 2015. It continued the dominance of the Toyotas in the Joe Gibbs Racing camp as the team has won seven of the last 10 races. Four came from Kyle Busch, two by Matt Kenseth, and Edwards joined in the fun.
As for the “Carlington” idea, it came when a crew member from his No. 19 Arris Toyota stuck just enough white tape – at least that’s what it looked like from the TV pictures – to turn the “D” on a portion of an infield wall into a “C.”
Darlington to Carlington, get it? All kidding aside, that was a great touch from a great broadcast of a darn good race in spite of the time length.
Thank goodness most of us didn’t have to work on Labor Day.
With Edwards’ victory secured, that means there are still five spots for non-winning drivers with one race remaining in the “regular season” on the way to the Chase. Jamie McMurray, Ryan Newman, Paul Menard, Jeff Gordon and Clint Bowyer are just about locked in for NASCAR’s version of postseason play, but anyone else behind them within the top 30 has one last shot to get in with a victory at Richmond on Saturday night.
McMurray and Newman have their spots for the Chase in lockdown mode. Gordon is basically in unless he has enough of a bad finish to allow Bowyer and Menard to pass him along with someone from outside the top 16 winning Saturday’s race.
Bowyer is the only one with the most to lose in the final race of the regular season. Unless he surpasses Menard in the points – Bowyer trails by 10 – he’ll be the one forced into 2016 testing mode if someone like Aric Almirola or Kasey Kahne wins at Richmond.
Those outside the top 16 aren’t exactly instilling fear among the five non-winners who would be in the Chase, though. At the Southern 500, Kyle Larson was the highest finisher among the group, coming home 10th.
Heading to Richmond, Bowyer has a 29-point lead on Almirola and 31 over Kahne. Almirola was 11th on Sunday, Kahne came in 12th, and Bowyer finished 17th. It’s clearly all-or-nothing time now for those with dreams of winning the 2015 Sprint Cup title.
The likelihood of any serious drama may be low for the fans come Saturday night, but any driver worth his salt doesn’t need to worry about details or opinions
Get in, sit down, tighten the belts, and hold on. Hope can lurk around any corner.
Followers and comments are welcome on Twitter @Tomzsports.
NEXT WEEK'S RACES
Richmond International Raceway (.75-mile short track oval), Richmond, Virginia
SPRINT CUP: Federated Auto Parts 400, Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT, NBC Sports Network. Radio: SiriusXM Channel 90 or your local MRN Radio affiliate.
Race distance; 400 laps, 300 miles.
2014 champion: Brad Keselowski
XFINITY SERIES: Virginia 529 College Savings 250, Friday, 7:30 p.m, ET/4:30 p.m. PT, NBC Sports Network. Radio: SiriusXM Channel 90 or your local MRN Radio affiliate.
Race distance: 250 laps, 187.5 miles.
2014 champion: Kyle Busch
CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES: Off until Sept. 18 for the American Ethanol E15 225 at Chicagoland Speedway.
Southern 500 race lineup and other goodness
Not sure what's going on at my local paper, but it seems to every so often forget to publish the Sprint Cup race lineup so race fans -- and there are plenty of them in my little corner of the world -- can see where their favorite driver will be starting for races like tonight's Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway.
Have no fear, my friends. Your intrepid gearhead/Gear Box blogger is on the case. There are just under nine hours -- as of the time of writing this sentence on the screen -- until the green flag drops on a race that will be awesome to watch. Retro paint schemes, retro wardrobe for the broadcasters, and legends of the booth (read: Ken Squier, Ned Jarrett) will bring even more excitement once their microphones are turned on and they go to work describing the action of 367 laps of racing.
The low-downforce package used at Kentucky has been tweaked to fit for Darlington. The racing was great in June, and it could be sensational tonight.
Or awesome, spectacular, marvelous. Hey, I'm not picky. Whichever superlative works for you, go for it.
And if you have a favorite food you'll be enjoying on race day tonight, feel free to share it. I'm part of the NASCAR Happy Hour and NASCAR History - 2003 to Present groups on Facebook and it'll make for interesting conversation. I could always use a few good ideas for cooking, but that's a longer story for another time.
In the meantime, here's your link to the race lineup for the Bojangles Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway: https://www.nascarmedia.com/news/stat_packages.aspx?LinkId=121981
Followers and comments welcome on Twitter @Tomzsports.
Have no fear, my friends. Your intrepid gearhead/Gear Box blogger is on the case. There are just under nine hours -- as of the time of writing this sentence on the screen -- until the green flag drops on a race that will be awesome to watch. Retro paint schemes, retro wardrobe for the broadcasters, and legends of the booth (read: Ken Squier, Ned Jarrett) will bring even more excitement once their microphones are turned on and they go to work describing the action of 367 laps of racing.
The low-downforce package used at Kentucky has been tweaked to fit for Darlington. The racing was great in June, and it could be sensational tonight.
Or awesome, spectacular, marvelous. Hey, I'm not picky. Whichever superlative works for you, go for it.
And if you have a favorite food you'll be enjoying on race day tonight, feel free to share it. I'm part of the NASCAR Happy Hour and NASCAR History - 2003 to Present groups on Facebook and it'll make for interesting conversation. I could always use a few good ideas for cooking, but that's a longer story for another time.
In the meantime, here's your link to the race lineup for the Bojangles Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway: https://www.nascarmedia.com/news/stat_packages.aspx?LinkId=121981
Followers and comments welcome on Twitter @Tomzsports.
Wednesday, September 2, 2015
NASCAR goes "That 70s Show" for Darlington
There's a bit of celebration going on as the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series gets ready to start the final two-race run to the Chase. First up is something pretty darn special for the purists of the sport.
NASCAR officially returns to a Labor Day weekend tradition for the first time since 2003 on Sunday night when the Southern 500 brings back its name for a prime-time retro showcase.
Here's a news flash: You can see it on your local NBC station. No cable required. Same goes for the XFINITY race Saturday, the VFW Sport Clips Help a Hero 200.
But more importantly, Sunday will be a night where NASCAR goes back in time. Maybe not quite like the old Fox sitcom that propelled Ashton Kutcher to stardom -- if you got the reference in the headline, give yourself 1,000 bonus points, just because -- but you get the idea.
Some cars will have paint schemes from the 1970s, like the 43 of Aric Almirola. Some will come from the 1980s, such as Brad Keselowski's tribute in the No. 22 to Bobby Allison's 1983 championship run.
Others will be from the 1990s, like Trevor Bayne's salute to Mark Martin and his seven race wins from the 1998 season. Even the 2000s will be saluted by Josh Wise in the No. 32 with Ricky Craven's paint scheme from the 2003 spring race at Darlington, which was only 400 miles, but had the closest finish in history.
Remember that one? Craven banged doors with Kurt Busch and beat him to the line by an insanely thin margin of about six inches.
And on the broadcast side, none other than Ken Squier and Ned Jarrett will call a portion of the race on NBC. I cannot wait to see and hear it.
Only downer: There's no official word on when they'll come on the air or for how long. With that going along with the retro paint schemes and the low-drag aero package, there's absolutely no reason to miss this race.
If what happened at Kentucky Speedway in June was any indication, the tradition of Darlington on Labor Day weekend for race fans should be something to look forward to for many years to come.
Followers and comments welcome on Twitter @Tomzsports.
Sunday, August 30, 2015
Chase push resumes, stress returns
It's been a few days since I've posted anything here, but there's no time like now to get caught up.
The first order of business is to congratulate this weekend's race winners, who all did their thing on road courses. In the XFINITY race Saturday at Road America, Paul Menard won the fuel-mileage gamble, holding off everyone in a final four-lap shootout to win the Road America 180. Four laps may not seem like a huge deal, but the fuel had to last for more than 16 total miles across 14 turns.
Somehow, Menard made it work and won in his home state. Who needs an off weekend when you can sleep in your own bed in addition to doing what you love? A win-win all the way around.
One downer: Park City's Michael Self was the leader at the race's final restart, but faded to 11th. Still his best run in only his fourth XFINITY start.
On Sunday, the Camping World Truck Series headed north of the border to Bowmanville, Ontario and Erik Jones won the Chevy Silverado 250, beating Matt Crafton by 1.665 seconds and claiming the points lead by three over the two-time defending series champion.
Tyler Reddick, who was the points leader at the start of the day, finished 19th and fell to third.
And despite their heavy hearts after last week's death of Justin Wilson, the IndyCar Series had one heck of a great race at Sonoma Raceway as Scott Dixon won the GoPro Grand Prix of Sonoma to claim the championship.
Dixon basically stole the title from Juan Pablo Montoya, who ran into difficulty early when he hit Penske Racing teammate Will Power and couldn't recover in time.
Montoya needed to finish fifth to clinch. He ended up sixth. Dixon won the title by having three race wins on the year to Montoya's two.
Meanwhile, the Sprint Cup Series drivers scattered everywhere and enjoyed the final off week of the 2015 season. As the series heads to Darlington for the first of the two remaining races before the Chase field is set, five drivers are still sitting on the proverbial bubble.
As the standings sit at this point, the bubble is slowly becoming a solid rock for Jamie McMurray, Ryan Newman, Menard, Jeff Gordon and Clint Bowyer. The separation Bowyer enjoys, as discussed in a previous post, is 35 points over Aric Almirola and 37 over Kasey Kahne.
With only the Bojangles Southern 500 and the Federated Auto Parts 400 left to run, the drivers on the outside of the Chase field may need to go after one thing.
A win, and only a win, may be what matters. Points racing is a non-existent phrase in the vocabulary.
After Almirola and Kahne, the rest are so far behind, they may need a road map to find Victory Lane.
Here are the front five drivers not in the Chase and just how much hope they really have of making the playoff: Points behind are in relation to Bowyer:
-Almirola (-35): Hasn't won since the rain-delayed affair at Daytona last July and has exactly one top-5 finish since then, a fifth at Dover in May. It's win or else for the 43, I'm afraid.
-Kahne (-37): Won at Atlanta last year to make the Chase. Sorry to say, but that race was replaced by Darlington, where his average finish in 12 career starts is 16th.
Kahne's best finish of the year was fourth at both Phoenix and Dover. Since an eighth-place finish at Sonoma eight races ago, his best run has been 15th. Like Almirola, it's win or get to testing for 2016.
The remaining drivers in this group are clearly in win-or-else mode.
-Greg Biffle (-83): The Biff hasn't won since Michigan in June of 2013. Over the last 80 races, he's been as high as a runner-up just twice. Not good, and not optimistic he'll snap out of the funk.
-Austin Dillon (-91): Love him or hate him, Dillon is in only his second full-time year in Cup. He put a scare into everyone at Michigan two weeks ago as he led 19 laps -- most in his career to date -- before finishing fourth.
-Kyle Larson (-104): The Northern California native impressed in his rookie season, with eight top-5 finishes, but has only one in his sophomore year, a third at Dover in May. Over the last 10 races, his highest finish was 9th at Indianapolis.
Time to collect the parting gifts and get ready for 2016.
But for the rest of us, it's easy to nitpick on our favorite driver's chances, but winning will absolutely change everything.
Followers and comments are more than welcome on Twitter @Tomzsports.
NEXT WEEK'S RACES
Darlington Raceway (1.366-mile egg-shaped oval), Darlington, S.C.
-SPRINT CUP: Bojangles Southern 500, Sunday, 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT, NBC. Radio: SiriusXM Channel 90 or your local MRN Radio affiliate.
Race distance: 501.3 miles, 367 laps.
2014 champion: Kevin Harvick
-XFINITY SERIES: VFW Sport Clips Help a Hero 200, Saturday, 3:30 p.m ET/12:30 p.m. PT, NBC. Radio: SiriusXM Channel 90 or your local MRN Radio affiliate.
Race distance: 200.8 miles, 147 laps.
2014 champion: Chase Elliott
-CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES: Off until Sept. 18 for the American Ethanol E15 225 at Chicagoland Speedway.
The first order of business is to congratulate this weekend's race winners, who all did their thing on road courses. In the XFINITY race Saturday at Road America, Paul Menard won the fuel-mileage gamble, holding off everyone in a final four-lap shootout to win the Road America 180. Four laps may not seem like a huge deal, but the fuel had to last for more than 16 total miles across 14 turns.
Somehow, Menard made it work and won in his home state. Who needs an off weekend when you can sleep in your own bed in addition to doing what you love? A win-win all the way around.
One downer: Park City's Michael Self was the leader at the race's final restart, but faded to 11th. Still his best run in only his fourth XFINITY start.
On Sunday, the Camping World Truck Series headed north of the border to Bowmanville, Ontario and Erik Jones won the Chevy Silverado 250, beating Matt Crafton by 1.665 seconds and claiming the points lead by three over the two-time defending series champion.
Tyler Reddick, who was the points leader at the start of the day, finished 19th and fell to third.
And despite their heavy hearts after last week's death of Justin Wilson, the IndyCar Series had one heck of a great race at Sonoma Raceway as Scott Dixon won the GoPro Grand Prix of Sonoma to claim the championship.
Dixon basically stole the title from Juan Pablo Montoya, who ran into difficulty early when he hit Penske Racing teammate Will Power and couldn't recover in time.
Montoya needed to finish fifth to clinch. He ended up sixth. Dixon won the title by having three race wins on the year to Montoya's two.
Meanwhile, the Sprint Cup Series drivers scattered everywhere and enjoyed the final off week of the 2015 season. As the series heads to Darlington for the first of the two remaining races before the Chase field is set, five drivers are still sitting on the proverbial bubble.
As the standings sit at this point, the bubble is slowly becoming a solid rock for Jamie McMurray, Ryan Newman, Menard, Jeff Gordon and Clint Bowyer. The separation Bowyer enjoys, as discussed in a previous post, is 35 points over Aric Almirola and 37 over Kasey Kahne.
With only the Bojangles Southern 500 and the Federated Auto Parts 400 left to run, the drivers on the outside of the Chase field may need to go after one thing.
A win, and only a win, may be what matters. Points racing is a non-existent phrase in the vocabulary.
After Almirola and Kahne, the rest are so far behind, they may need a road map to find Victory Lane.
Here are the front five drivers not in the Chase and just how much hope they really have of making the playoff: Points behind are in relation to Bowyer:
-Almirola (-35): Hasn't won since the rain-delayed affair at Daytona last July and has exactly one top-5 finish since then, a fifth at Dover in May. It's win or else for the 43, I'm afraid.
-Kahne (-37): Won at Atlanta last year to make the Chase. Sorry to say, but that race was replaced by Darlington, where his average finish in 12 career starts is 16th.
Kahne's best finish of the year was fourth at both Phoenix and Dover. Since an eighth-place finish at Sonoma eight races ago, his best run has been 15th. Like Almirola, it's win or get to testing for 2016.
The remaining drivers in this group are clearly in win-or-else mode.
-Greg Biffle (-83): The Biff hasn't won since Michigan in June of 2013. Over the last 80 races, he's been as high as a runner-up just twice. Not good, and not optimistic he'll snap out of the funk.
-Austin Dillon (-91): Love him or hate him, Dillon is in only his second full-time year in Cup. He put a scare into everyone at Michigan two weeks ago as he led 19 laps -- most in his career to date -- before finishing fourth.
-Kyle Larson (-104): The Northern California native impressed in his rookie season, with eight top-5 finishes, but has only one in his sophomore year, a third at Dover in May. Over the last 10 races, his highest finish was 9th at Indianapolis.
Time to collect the parting gifts and get ready for 2016.
But for the rest of us, it's easy to nitpick on our favorite driver's chances, but winning will absolutely change everything.
Followers and comments are more than welcome on Twitter @Tomzsports.
NEXT WEEK'S RACES
Darlington Raceway (1.366-mile egg-shaped oval), Darlington, S.C.
-SPRINT CUP: Bojangles Southern 500, Sunday, 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT, NBC. Radio: SiriusXM Channel 90 or your local MRN Radio affiliate.
Race distance: 501.3 miles, 367 laps.
2014 champion: Kevin Harvick
-XFINITY SERIES: VFW Sport Clips Help a Hero 200, Saturday, 3:30 p.m ET/12:30 p.m. PT, NBC. Radio: SiriusXM Channel 90 or your local MRN Radio affiliate.
Race distance: 200.8 miles, 147 laps.
2014 champion: Chase Elliott
-CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES: Off until Sept. 18 for the American Ethanol E15 225 at Chicagoland Speedway.
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