By Luke, Thunder Lounge
Friday February 8, 2008
8:51pm EST
Published on Thunder Lounge.
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Carl Edwards
-
2007 Stats
- Organization: Roush Fenway Racing
- Car Number: 99
- Crew Chief: Bob Osbourne
- Sponsor: Office Depot
- Points: 9th :: 6222 :: -501
- Starts: 36
- Poles: 1
- Wins: 3
- Top 5’s: 11
- Top 10’s: 15
- Winnings: $4,611,970
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2008 Preview
- Organization: Roush Fenway Racing
- Car Number: 99
- Crew Chief: Bob Osbourne
- Sponsor: Office Depot
Welcome back Bob Osbourne. Three wins, 11 Top-5’s and 15 Top-10’s later, Cousin Carl found himself getting back into the thick of it. Much to the sighs of relief from his fans across the nation, including my own mother, Carl Edwards was getting back to his pre-Wally performance level. Edwards flipped for joy, naturally, as I’m sure Jack did as well.
In 2007 Carl had his ups and downs, as did everybody. One such down was the little scuffle with Matt Kenseth last fall, where Edwards was roasted in the media for what honestly wasn’t that. Do you want these guys to have emotions or not? Please make up your mind. While Edwards is normally all goody-goody, it happens to everyone at some point in time. At least he didn’t get all “Cole Trickle” on Kenseth, as he did the year before with a certain Most Popular Driver in NASCAR. Oops!
Carl also took home his first title from NASCAR’s top divisions, winning the last Busch Series Championship by the time August was upon us. OK, not literally, but it was that big of a snoozer in the Drivers Championship. Too bad Roush lost out on the Owners Championship, but hey, you can’t win them all. With this happening on the heels of Kevin Harvick doing the same thing in 2006, it has caused an even further cry for action about Bushwhacking, for which we’ve yet to figure out better term. Nationwide-whacking sounds like a plot line from Natural Born Killers (or worse, for you pervs out there), but I’m sure we’ll come up with something.
2008 hold high hopes for the Office Depot team. Continuing to build on the successful return of Bob Osbourne, a new deal to be signed with Roush, and another run at the Cup Title all come into play. At least Carl has one distinct advantage over his competitiors. While he’s riding around and playing chess in a little over a week, he has a fine collection of artists to listen to from his own Back40 Records.
Note: information is accurate as of date published. Check Thunder Lounge for additional updates and information.
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Filed Under: Carl Edwards, Drivers, Nascar, Nextel Cup, Roush Racing #99, Sprint Cup, Teams
Tagged As: Cousin Carl
Trackback URL for: Daytona 500: 9 Days and Counting
By Luke, Thunder Lounge
Saturday February 9, 2008
11:04pm EST
Published on Thunder Lounge.
That would be the Junior Nation.
The same Nation that folks wondered about, and were skeptical whether or not it would remain strong. Dale’s first pass for the lead shot that question straight into the hand basket, and on a one-way trip.
The 2008 Bud Shootout was interesting on several fronts. First being the debut of the car at Daytona in competition. I thought it went rather well. Not perfection or racing bliss by any means, but the guys could get out there and pass, and they ran 2-by-2 most of the night with occasional mixing of wider runs at times. A note that even surprised the broadcast team was that the pack never really strung out as it had in the past. However, we still haven’t seen it in a race of any real distance yet. We’ll know more in a week.
It wasn’t as squirrelly of a race as we might have expected after last nights final practice session. Tony and Kurt ended up around each other several times, but as NASCAR warned they gave each other plenty of room.
While there were a few accidents, it wasn’t anything that was really bad. What was interesting were the saves. As the broadcast team pointed out, and I’ll have to agree, the wing on the back of the car is really looking like it has the side effect of helping knock a car back straight when the back end steps out a bit. With the larger hole knocked in the air by the car, leading to less air on the car behind (and therefore less down force), we saw several examples this evening of the car being saved where in the past the car most likely would have went around. Whether this was an intended factor by NASCAR or not, I can’t say, but the results are interesting just the same.
Overall it was decent racing, a welcomed and needed finish, and on top of it all it cured the withdrawal symptoms that have plagued me since Thanksgiving.
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Filed Under: Dale Earnhardt Junior, Daytona, Drivers, Hendrick Motorsports #88, Nascar, Sprint Cup, Teams, Tracks
Trackback URL for: The Roar Of A Nation
By Luke, Thunder Lounge
Saturday February 9, 2008
11:20pm EST
Published on Thunder Lounge.
Jeff Burton
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2007 Stats
- Organization: Richard Childress Racing
- Car Number: 31
- Crew Chief: Scott Miller
- Sponsor: AT&T
- Points: 8th :: 6231 :: -491
- Starts: 36
- Poles: 0
- Wins: 1
- Top 5’s: 9
- Top 10’s: 18
- Winnings: $6,015,670
-
2008 Preview
- Organization: Richard Childress Racing
- Car Number: 31
- Crew Chief: Scott Miller
- Sponsor: AT&T
Well, it’s about time the guy who grew up on (we assume) the north side of the house got into the thick of things. Luck was rolling well for Jeff Burton in the Chase, and he looked to be a serious contender for a while. Then of course, lady luck knocks on the door looking for a handout. Which is something we thought inevitible for Chase contenders until last season, more on that in a week, as they all raced their way through to Homestead.
The 2007 season was one which will be remembered for its controversy instead of Burtons incredible 18 Top-10 finishes. With AT&T buying out Cingular and then later on rebranding their wireless service as AT&T, it would seem natural that the logo be changed. Pretty simple, right? Oh no. Hello Sprint, Mr. Shyster, and the rest of the process in raising “the flag”. Yes, you know which “flag” I’m referring to. We’ll skip all the basics, and leave this with the outcome. Sprint finally agreed to allow AT&T back on the car at Richmond (which was surprising to watch transform and see a blank car in practice roll out fully dressed), and would allow them to remain through 2008. Wow, how nice. I’ll cut it there, as I’m not exactly a happy Sprint customer at the moment.
Moving on to 2008, performance is expected to be high again this season. Without many changes to the team, nothing real big anyway, it looks to be another opportunity to finally grab that elusive title for Jeff Burton. Something missing from the Roush days, but definitely not out of the question at RCR.
Note: information is accurate as of date published. Check Thunder Lounge for additional updates and information.
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Filed Under: Drivers, Jeff Burton, Nascar, Nextel Cup, Richard Childress Racing #31, Sprint Cup, Teams
Trackback URL for: Daytona 500: 8 Days and Counting
By Luke, Thunder Lounge
Saturday February 9, 2008
11:38pm EST
Published on Thunder Lounge.
The #5 Kellogg’s Chevrolet was found to be a little low in post-race inspection after Saturday nights Bud Shootout.
According to Jim Hunter, NASCAR Vice President, it was possible the car was damaged during the race and that they would know more Sunday.
Guess we’ll know a little more tomorrow, so we’ll be sure to follow up with the latest.
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Filed Under: Casey Mears, Daytona, Drivers, Hendrick Motorsports #5, Nascar, Sprint Cup, Teams, Tracks
Tagged As: Failed Inspection, Post-Race Inspection
Trackback URL for: Uh-Oh, Casey
By Luke, Thunder Lounge
Sunday February 10, 2008
11:47pm EST
Published on Thunder Lounge.
Kurt Busch
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2007 Stats
- Organization: Penske Racing South
- Car Number: 2
- Crew Chief: Pat Tryson
- Sponsor: Miller Lite
- Points: 7th :: 6231 :: -491
- Starts: 36
- Poles: 1
- Wins: 2
- Top 5’s: 6
- Top 10’s: 14
- Winnings: $5,287,850
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2008 Preview
- Organization: Penske Racing South
- Car Number: 2
- Crew Chief: Pat Tryson
- Sponsor: Miller Lite
In 2007 Kurt saw 3 different crew chief. Starting with Roy McCauley, who understandably needed some time at home, Troy Raker took the reins until Pat Tryson took the helm at Michigan in June. Tryson stays atop the pit box for 2008, as they work to build on the success they found early on with the pairing.
Of course we’re talking about Kurt Busch here, so we can’t get out of it without some sort of controversy. Starting at Daytona when he and Tony Stewart tangled, it was all downhill from there. Words with Harvick would boil later that spring, culminating in a clash on pit road at Dover last summer with Tony Stewart. 100 points, $100,000, parking for the remainder of the event, and a probationary period later, things settled down a bit.
Welcome to 2008, where practice for the Bud Shootout took a turn for the worse. Tony gets into Kurt, Kurt hits wall, Kurt aggressively doughnuts Stewart on the access road coming to the pits. During practice. A trip to the Oval Office ensued, supposedly Kurt accidentally looked at Stewarts fist a little too close (while in the trailer, although NASCAR is pleading “Vegas” on it), another trip to the trailer the following morning, and all is just peachy now. It isn’t believed that much more will come of this, although if so a potential fine could be laid out this week. Personally, I think it’s over. It wasn’t as bad as some people would have you believe.
Looking past this weeks action, Kurt and Pat look to build on their early success last season and carry that momentum into 2008. Having to rely on his “past champion” provisional for the first 5 races, since Roger Penske transferred his 2007 points to the #77 so that rookie Sam Hornish could make the first 5 races, qualifying day will be interesting for the #2 team for a while. However, it doesn’t seem it will be too big of an issue.
Note: information is accurate as of date published. Check Thunder Lounge for additional updates and information.
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Filed Under: Daytona, Drivers, Kurt Busch, Nascar, Nextel Cup, Penske Racing #2, Sprint Cup, Teams, Tracks
Trackback URL for: Daytona 500: 7 Days and Counting
By Luke, Thunder Lounge
Monday February 11, 2008
10:50pm EST
Published on Thunder Lounge.
Tony Stewart
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2007 Stats
- Organization: Joe Gibbs Racing
- Car Number: 20
- Crew Chief: Greg Zipadelli
- Sponsor: Home Depot
- Points: 6th :: 6242 :: -481
- Starts: 36
- Poles: 0
- Wins: 3
- Top 5’s: 11
- Top 10’s: 23
- Winnings: $6,396,750
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2008 Preview
- Organization: Joe Gibbs Racing
- Car Number: 20
- Crew Chief: Greg Zipadelli
- Sponsor: Home Depot
One race to spoil them all. That’s the summary of Stewarts season. All the hard work lost, the Championship gone all for a strange sequence of decisions by NASCAR.
Wrong. Unfortunately for Tony and Friends that just isn’t the case. While at the time the points would have shaken out quite differently, it wouldn’t be enough to give Tony the Title had things went the other way. Ending the season in the hole 481 points, last I checked the max point difference between 1st and 43rd was almost 500 points.
That is not a discredit to the season ran by the #20 team. They had a really good season, racking up 3 wins, 11 Top-5’s and 23 Top-10’s. That’s damn good in anybody’s book.
Moving into 2008, he was the opposing side in the Kurt Busch Bash during final practice for the Bud Shootout. Moving past that, 2008 is going to be challenging. OK, after the way Tony ran in the shootout, there shouldn’t be a doubt that Toyota will get some wins this season. Combined with Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, and dare I say, “How ’bout them MWR Boys?” If only one thing has been learned thus far from Speedweeks, it’s that Toyota isn’t screwing around.
Note: information is accurate as of date published. Check Thunder Lounge for additional updates and information.
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Filed Under: Drivers, Joe Gibbs Racing #20, Nascar, Nextel Cup, Sprint Cup, Teams, Tony Stewart
Trackback URL for: Daytona 500: 6 Days and Counting
By Luke, Thunder Lounge
Tuesday February 12, 2008
10:39pm EST
Published on Thunder Lounge.
Kyle Busch
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2007 Stats
- Organization: Hendrick Motorsports
- Car Number: 5
- Crew Chief: Alan Gustafson
- Sponsor: Kellogg’s
- Points: 5th :: 6293 :: -430
- Starts: 36
- Poles: 0
- Wins: 1
- Top 5’s: 11
- Top 10’s: 20
- Winnings: $4,685,520
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2008 Preview
- Organization: Joe Gibbs Racing
- Car Number: 18
- Crew Chief: Steve Addington
- Sponsor: M&M’s
Wow. Short end of the stick in 2007 or what? Hi, thanks for driving, but you’re getting the boot in favor of NASCAR’s most popular driver.
While many say it’s strictly attitude that cost Kyle Busch his ride at Hendrick, which I don’t deny had a factor in it, what still rolls though my mind with this young talent is whether or not he would still be in that seat this season had Dale Jr. not been on the market. In all honesty, and I may be wrong, I believe he would still be driving for Rick Hendrick.
That aside, when Kyle was good in 2007, he was damn good. What kicked him in the butt finally was that he is his own worst enemy and it starts right below his nose. It’s not really blatant mouth-butter, it stems more from still being young and in that “invinceable” mode. While some people his age are more mature/self aware, some are less. It’s just a part of being young and full of it. He still has some growing up to do, but he’ll get there, settle down, and learn along the way. Such is life when you finish growing up infront of the media.
Looking into 2008, Kyle Busch is rolling right along at his new home with the Gibbs Boys. Smoke leading the way, and an already good friend in Denny Hamlin, the youngest driver in JD’s camp also is the driver that fared best on the track overall in 2007. Kyle seems to be a better fit in that particular crowd than in past years, although the company his former teammates keep would be difficult for just about any driver out there to keep up and fit in with.
Note: information is accurate as of date published. Check Thunder Lounge for additional updates and information.
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Filed Under: Drivers, Hendrick Motorsports #5, Joe Gibbs Racing #18, Kyle Busch, Nascar, Nextel Cup, Sprint Cup, Teams
Tagged As: Denny Hamlin, Tony Stewart
Trackback URL for: Daytona 500: 5 Days and Counting
By Luke, Thunder Lounge
Wednesday February 13, 2008
10:34am EST
Published on Thunder Lounge.
So penalties were handed out yesterday for Kurt Busch and Tony Stewart in regards to their little disagreement last Friday during (and after) final practice for the Bud Shootout.
The penalties themselves were surprising on two fronts.
First, it was honestly surprising that there really was a penalty at all. No, I’m not off my rocker. I’ve looked at the replays on the net a hundred times, maybe more, and I stick to my original thoughts that the bumps coming down the access road before they hit the pits was nothing more severe than a congratulatory doughnut. I’ve seen worse “congratulations” after a race. The difference here though is the intentions and premises those bumps were made under. However it still somewhat baffles me that they didn’t call it all square after the “rumors” of an altercation in the Oval Office after practice where Busch apparently took a little too close of a look at Stewart’s fist.
Second surprise in this announcement was the severity, or lack of, in the penalties. NASCAR handed down a 6 race probationary period for both Busch and Stewart. What the heck did Tony do? Ahhh, could those rumors be getting warm? More on that in a second, but I’ll leave the reasoning for penalties at coming down to the intent and not the actual severity of the contact.
Last night, On Pit Row had none other than Jim Hunter, NASCAR Vice President for Corporate Communications, on to kick off the show.
In regards to the “discussion” in the Oval Office last Friday night, Jim still towed the “Vegas” line with, “What happens in the trailer, stays in the trailer”, but he did say the following:
“It was a kind of meeting our fans would relate to. Really emotional. Something our fans fell in love with. It was a really emotional, no-holds-barred discussion.” — Jim Hunter
So we somewhat have an admission without having an admission. Whether that means a punch was actually thrown, you be the judge. Any Mary Kay or Avon reps in the area get an interesting ordr last Friday night or Saturday morning?
Moving along, I’m constantly reminded of Brian Frances new, improved, back to the roots, NASCAR. Previously, Brian would have been the Judge, jury and executioner as he ruled his NASCAR Kingdom with an iron fist.
This is what surprised me, honestly. I took the statements from NASCAR on Saturday to mean it was done and over with, and not just between Stewart and Busch. I had it in the back of my mind that if penalties were assessed that they would include a stiff hit to the wallet and a decent portion of the season under the watchful eyes of NASCAR. With the penalties only coming out with a mere 6 weeks of probation and nothing more is what surprised me here.
As I mulled over the penalties yesterday, it was tough to just not throw up a post about it and carry on about my day. I’m glad I took the time to reflect, something which isn’t always afforded to the mainstream media folks who need to get it out the door as soon as possible to get into the mix.
This being the case, in my reflections I keep coming back to something I mentioned on Charlie’s blog.
NASCAR needs to take a lesson from Texas (the state, not the speedway) and get a little more creative with their penalties, just as many Judges not only in Texas but across the Nation have done. Penalties are at NASCAR’s discretion, and therefore they have the leeway to think outside the box.
Before I lose you, here’s where I’m headed with this. Alternative penalties to get the message across, that not only fit the situation but the person or persons involved.
In this case you not only have Tony Stewart and Kurt Busch involved, but because of the torn up sheet metal you also have the unsung hero’s of both teams with an extra load on their schedule to fix it all.
He is my opinion of a more creative penalty that not only would get the message across but maybe, just maybe, make these guys think a little bit.
I would have forced Kurt Busch and Tony Stewart to pick a date within two weeks of the penalty being announced and take their crews to dinner. Not some fast-food type deal, I’m talking something really nice like Ruth’s Chris, where the attire is business casual, and the plate-per-person is at least $50, easily reaching $100 per-person with a few drinks and appetizers. Besides, I love that place.
The deal would be they all go together, no NASCAR chaperon, but it would be confirmed that they not only entered together, but also dined and left together. Kurt would foot the bill for Tony and his crew, and vice-versa.
This is not about money, although something along the lines of $1500 coming out of each pocket wouldn’t be out of the question. We’re talking about everyone involved here that has to fix that car.
What does this do? It forces them together, somewhere they can’t outright brawl, with the intentions of just maybe providing a little bit of comradery and insight into each others worlds. I’m not suggesting everyone would come out the best of friends, however the intention is to get both these drivers to think. Maybe next time they will remember the faces at the table, and who actually has to fix the results of their actions.
On top of this, a little probation (such as served this week) would also be imposed.
Oh, if you screw it up, you’re parked for a race. Not the driver, but the car. So there will be no substitutions. That puts the pressure on them to act accordingly and professional.
If NASCAR is serious about their getting back to their roots, they can’t balk every time someone gets upset. While I don’t feel they did here, they could have easily flirted with it a little bit. They didn’t, so that’s a step in the right direction.
I do not approve of a car being used as a weapon, like Cousin Carl’s little shenanigan, or last summer’s conflict with Stewart and Busch. This wasn’t near the scale of that, in terms of severity, but the intentions were the same and that’s what kicked Busch in the butt. Something obviously kicked Stewart in the butt, although what we don’t exactly know. Had to come from the trailer, as anything on the track which caused the accident wasn’t really justifiable. If the buzz is wrong, and there was no altercation in the hauler, than it may simply be a case to keep both in check at the same time and prevent possible antagonizing of the one under probation.
Who knows for sure, it is what it is. One thing can be sure though. At least thus far, NASCAR seems to be sticking to their call to get back to their roots on these issues, and to let the drivers be themselves.
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Filed Under: Daytona, Drivers, Joe Gibbs Racing #20, Kurt Busch, Nascar, Penske Racing #2, Sprint Cup, Teams, Tony Stewart, Tracks
Tagged As: Cousin Carl, Daytona, Fisticuffs, Kurt Busch, Penalties, Tony Stewart
Trackback URL for: Demons Be Gone!
By Luke, Thunder Lounge
Wednesday February 13, 2008
12:56pm EST
Published on Thunder Lounge.
Matt Kenseth
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2007 Stats
- Organization: Roush Fenway Racing
- Car Number: 17
- Crew Chief: Robbie Reiser
- Sponsor: DeWalt
- Points: 4th :: 6298 :: -425
- Starts: 36
- Poles: 0
- Wins: 2
- Top 5’s: 13
- Top 10’s: 22
- Winnings: $6,485,630
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2008 Preview
- Organization: Roush Fenway Racing
- Car Number: 17
- Crew Chief: Chip Bolin
- Sponsor: DeWalt
Mr. Consistency, that’s Matt Kenseth. The 2007 season was no different, and is yet another feather in the cap for the #17 team and their sheet metal pilot. Yes, they fell short of the title by 425 points. No, that’s not a failure. Especially considering two factors. The first being that Hendrick was just that good in 2007. The second being that Jack Roush wasn’t doing any additional testing at non-sanctioned tracks. That all changed in May when Jack caved into the fact that NASCAR actually wasn’t going to police testing at non-sanctioned tracks, and he immediately realized his arm was long enough to reach down in his pocket to fund a test team set-up. Improvement across the board resulted.
The 2008 season brings no new expectations for the DeWalt team. They’ve been expected to contend, and that hasn’t changed at all. What has happened in the off-season though is a new Crew Chief for Matt Kenseth. Surprisingly, at least to people outside the internal situation, was that Robbie Riser announced he would be moving up within Roush and into a Genral Manager position, while Chip Bolin would become the new frontman for the #17 Crew. With the consistency in the pipes at Roush, the job transition went well, and here we are at Daytona.
Look for Kenseth to remain a contender in 2008 with his solid, consistent performances.
Note: information is accurate as of date published. Check Thunder Lounge for additional updates and information.
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Filed Under: Drivers, Matt Kenseth, Nascar, Nextel Cup, Roush Racing #17, Sprint Cup, Teams
Trackback URL for: Daytona 500: 4 Days and Counting
By Luke, Thunder Lounge
Wednesday February 13, 2008
3:35pm EST
Published on Thunder Lounge.
Motors, they are a changin’.
Or was that “times”? Well, that wasn’t the case in Daytona this afternoon.
It would seem that teams running Hendrick engines, at least 6 (includes Nemecheck and Riggs), would be changing engines before the Duel’s tomorrow afternoon.
But wait, we’re not stopping there. Toyota is also have problems with their engines. In fact, the exact same problem. To the extent that TRD is sending new engines straight from California, post haste.
The problem, for you engine techs out there, is that the coating on the cam shaft is coming off, getting on the lifters and filtering through the engine.
Clint Bowyer is also changing an engine today, but it was unrelated to the above problem according to SPEED.
What this means is that the teams who have changed engines prior to their Duel will have to start at the back of their assigned heat. Once the Duel’s have run, all teams may freely make an engine change without penalty.
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Filed Under: Casey Mears, Clint Bowyer, Dale Earnhardt Junior, Daytona, Drivers, Furniture Row Racing #78, Haas CNC Racing #66, Hendrick Motorsports #24, Hendrick Motorsports #25, Hendrick Motorsports #48, Hendrick Motorsports #5, Hendrick Motorsports #88, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Joe Nemechek, Nascar, Scott Riggs, Sprint Cup, Teams, Tracks
Trackback URL for: R07 Woes For Chevy’s Top Dogs
