Gordon Outweighs Edwards On Penalty Wednesday

By Luke, Thunder Lounge
Published on Thunder Lounge.

NASCAR handed out, or handed back if you prefer, points a plenty this afternoon.

In an unprecedented move, NASCAR not only swiped the recent standard of 100 driver/owner points, 6 week vacation and $100,000 fine for the crew chief (Bob Osbourne) for the #99 Office Depot team, but they also took back the 10 bonus points Carl Edwards had obtained for the seeding of the Chase.

Roush Fenway Racing President Geoff Smith commented from Vail, Colorado that RFR would be getting their ducks in a row over the next week to decide whether or not to appeal the penalty.

Read more of this »

2 comments. Add your 2 cents!.

Filed Under: Carl Edwards, Daytona, Drivers, Las Vegas, Nascar, Robby Gordon, Robby Gordon Motorsports #7, Roush Racing #99, Sprint Cup, Teams, Tracks

Tagged As: Carl Edwards, Cousin Carl, NASCAR Penalties, Robby Gordon



Trackback URL for: Gordon Outweighs Edwards On Penalty Wednesday

By Luke, Thunder Lounge
Tuesday February 19, 2008
12:30am CST
Published on Thunder Lounge.

It’s OK. Throw me under the bus. The 50th Anniversary of the Daytona 500 was good. Actually, it was damn good. However, it wasn’t the best ever. It was worthy of being the 50th anniversary though.

The season opener had it all. Drama, strategy, surprises, and [gasp] racing.

The internet trolls will tell you it sucked. Consider the source of that opinion. To them, everything sucks. They long for “the good old days”, yet their memory is clouded with nostalgia. This very well was one of the most competitive 500’s in recent memory. Ignore the fact that the results will tell you that 6 of the top 10 spots were taken by a Dodge. Don’t ask where they came from, we don’t know either. Yet there they are, taking home 1st, 2nd, 5th-7th, and 9th. Round out 2 Toyota’s, a Chevy and a Ford, and call it your top 10.

The lone Chevy? Dale Jr. Ford? Greg Biffle. Add in Smoke and Shrub in 3rd and 4th, and there you have it.

I can only imagine the hearts of the Toyota boys as they came down the backstretch on the final lap. Up to that point, you would be hard pressed to convince a new fan that Toyota wasn’t worth the paper in the Mens Room last season. Kyle Busch was making a scene, as was Tony Stewart. If you take any lessons from this, it better be that Toyota is coming.

However, as with every tale there has to be some drama. As Tony Stewart moved down to pick up his teammate Kyle Busch, Ryan Newman made the charge with his teammate Kurt Busch stuck to his bumper with Gorilla Glue.

The dreams of The Captain, and we don’t mean Morgan, then came true. After all these years, all the trials and tribulations, Roger Penske finally ended up in Victory Lane for the Daytona 500.

It was a typical plate race, chess-like maneuvers and precision positioning for a while, but that’s just the nature of the game. You have to make it to the end to have a chance to win. But the closer you get, the riskier your moves, and if you play your cards right, you win.

Last season, Dodge wasn’t impressive. Pre-season Thunder, still no love. Reed Sorenson showed some promise in the Shootout and Duels, but for most of the 500 Dodge was relatively quiet. They were there at the end though, and Penske has a nice $1,000,000 bonus from Dodge to prove it.

Share your thoughts!.

Filed Under: Chip Ganassi Racing #41, Dale Earnhardt Junior, Daytona, Drivers, Elliot Sadler, Evernham Motorsports #19, Evernham Motorsports #9, Greg Biffle, Hendrick Motorsports #88, Joe Gibbs Racing #18, Joe Gibbs Racing #20, Kasey Kahne, Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, Nascar, Penske Racing #12, Penske Racing #2, Reed Sorenson, Robby Gordon, Robby Gordon Motorsports #7, Roush Racing #16, Ryan Newman, Sprint Cup, Teams, Tony Stewart, Tracks

Tagged As: Dale Earnhardt Jr, Daytona 500, Elliot Sadler, Greg Biffle, Kasey Kahne, Kurt Busch, Reed Sorenson, Robby Gordon, Ryan Newman, Tony Stewart



Trackback URL for: Daytona 500 had it all, but not the greatest ever

By Luke, Thunder Lounge
Sunday February 17, 2008
11:45am CST
Published on Thunder Lounge.

While you enjoy the 50th running of the Daytona 500, to mix in some additional entertainment our friends from On Pit Row are having a little Live Blog Party during the race.

Their last live blog during the NASCAR Awards Banquet was a real treat, and this one should be a great time as well.

Be sure to check it out.

Share your thoughts!.

Filed Under: Daytona, Nascar, Sprint Cup, Tracks

Tagged As: Live Blog, On Pit Row



Trackback URL for: For your entertainment pleasure: Live Daytona 500 Blogging

By Luke, Thunder Lounge
Friday February 15, 2008
8:40pm CST
Published on Thunder Lounge.

One day. One sponsor. One ride.

That’s the scenario for Jacques Villeneuve as per Mike Brown, the general manager at Bill Davis Racing.

So now that Jacques out on his heels, what’s next?

Well, the costly mistake at Daytona put them in a hole. One that will be tough to climb out of. According to Brown, Mike Skinner is going to get the nod to attempt to right the ship and get the #27 in at California.

An interesting note, and one being heard more frequently is that if Villeneuve can bring a sponsor along then he can return to the seat. This is not the first time this has been uttered in the garage, mainly amongst the fringe teams. Bring a sponsor, get a ride. This is a trend that hopefully doesn’t overtake the series. The end result is a place we don’t want to go.

While all of this is fair game, we don’t know if Jacques has been notified yet. If the conditions were not made clear until later in the day, the letter may not make it to his mailbox tomorrow. In which case it may be Monday or even Tuesday. Times may be changing, however, and it is unknown at this time if BDR has taken to using email instead of standard post to conduct their firings.

The moral of this story? You tell me. It could be one of a number of things.

One thing for sure though, is that the Skinner fans are going to at least have a little something to root for on Sunday. For how long is anyone’s guess.

Share your thoughts!.

Filed Under: Daytona, Nascar, Sprint Cup, Tracks

Tagged As: Bill Davis Racing #27, Jacques Villeneuve, Mike Skinner



Trackback URL for: Open wheel, open door

By Luke, Thunder Lounge
Wednesday February 13, 2008
3:35pm CST
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.

3 comments. Add your 2 cents!.

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

By Luke, Thunder Lounge
Wednesday February 13, 2008
10:34am CST
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.

Join the discussion.

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
Sunday February 10, 2008
11:47pm CST
Published on Thunder Lounge.

Kurt Busch

• 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

• 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.

Read more of this article »

Share your thoughts!.

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
Saturday February 9, 2008
11:38pm CST
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.

Share your thoughts!.

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
Saturday February 9, 2008
11:04pm CST
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.

Share your thoughts!.

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
Wednesday January 2, 2008
12:12pm CST
Published on Thunder Lounge.

NASCAR recently released the 2008 Sprint Cup testing schedule, so here it is. Those taking notes will immediately notice some interesting tidbits coming up that differs significantly from previous years.

For the folks at home that may not keep up with the testing procedures and policies, these are the “official” tests hosted by NASCAR at Sprint Cup sanctioned tracks.

We already know about the first obligatory session. If not, it’s time to crawl out from under that rock. (That’s a joke, or an attempt at one, so feel free to laugh and at least make me feel better.)

January 7-9: Daytona Preseason Thunder (Jan 10th saved as a rain date.)
Teams finishing in odd numbered points positions in the 2007 Nextel Cup Series.

January 14-16: Daytona Preseason Thunder (Jan 17th for rain.)
Teams finishing in even numbered points positions in the 2007 Nextel Cup Series, plus new entries.

January 28-29: Las Vegas Motor Speedway

January 31- February 1: California Speedway

March 3-4: Phoenix International Raceway

May 27-28: Pocono Raceway

September 23-24: Lowe’s Motor Speedway

There you have it folks. That’s the “sanctioned” tests. Notable are the moving of Lowe’s to September, and the addition of Pocono in May. Last year it was Dover instead of Pocono, which was canceled due to weather.

Welcome to 2008, folks. It’s going to be a great year all around.

Share your thoughts!.

Filed Under: California, Charlotte/Lowe's, Daytona, Las Vegas, Nascar, Nextel Cup, Phoenix, Pocono, Tracks





Trackback URL for: 2008 Sprint Cup Testing Schedule