Danica Patrick Shows off her new Sprint Cup Car at Stewart-Haas racing press conference.
Danica Patrick in Front of her Sprint Cup car
Today’s press confrence by Stewart-Hass racing unvieled the new Sprint Cup car that will be driven by Danica Patrick. The #10 GoDaddy car will be making limited starts with Danica driving as she will drive in the NASCAR Sprint Cup in 2012.
There was some fun banter between her and Tony Stewart and Tony mentioned how he understands the language Danica will bring over to the team because he came from Indy cup racing also.
Some tracks she mentioned were Bristol, Darlington, Atlanta, Chicago, and Daytona but she wasn’t exactly sure what races she will drive in as her main focus was the full time Nationwide series schedule.
Danica Patrick Unviels Her New Sprint Cup Car is a post from: Awesome Race Fans
Awesome Race Fans
Did you know since the start of the season only one non-Cup regular has won a national series event? The driver? Trevor Bayne.
Who would have thought by this point in the season, 11 races in (counting all the races in all three series), the Daytona 500 winner would be the only non-Cup regular to win a race? Crazy. This leads me to wonder what effect the points changes have had on who is racing where. Though I’ve been moderately supportive of the changes, the obvious answer is not much.
Kyle Busch, or a Kyle Busch owned team has won five of 11 races – four of which have come in a non-Cup Series event. We’ve seen NASCAR veterans Mark Martin and Michael Waltrip win, and Kasey Kahne continue his perfect Truck Series streak. We’ve had a lot of compelling storylines; the regulars in the Truck and Nationwide Series just haven’t been part of it.
As a result the points leaders in the two lowers series who have no wins and just one top-five finish between the two of them. In the Nationwide Series it’s Jason Leffler who leads the points with no top-fives and three top-tens. He’s averaging an 8.5 place finish. Series veteran Matt Crafton leads the truck points with one top-five and three top-10s. He’s averaging a seventh place finish.
Your second place driver in the Truck Series? That’s 19-year-old Cole Whitt with just two top-ten finishes to his name.
Ironically, for all the early seasion talk from NASCAR about how the points changes would put a little more emphasis on wins, the Cup Series points leader, Kurt Busch, also has no wins, just one one top-five, and four top-tens. Is consistency still the king? It sure is looking that way.
While I was definitely an advocate of some kind of a points move, I’m sorry to see what they’ve done hasn’t really changed anything. Certainly we don’t expect Kyle Busch et al to run the full season in the Truck and Nationwide Series, but their presence thus far has been overwhelming – and in most cases stifling. There is still a lot of season to go, but from what we’ve seen so far, I don’t expect too many changes.
So three – or four – races in what do you think about the points changes? Was it what you expected? Give us your points opinion so far!
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With all the hype leading into this final race we certainly had an exciting finish. Who wasn’t on edge after Denny Hamlin spun, Jimmie Johnson’s crew (continually) screwed up, and Kevin Harvick got caught speeding on pit road? I was on the edge of my seat until the final laps.
And so after 36 races and thousands of miles we have our 2010 champion – the same champion we had in 2009, 2008, 2007 and 2006. This is an accomplishment Jimmie Johnson and his crew should be proud of and something we all should be celebrating. But I suspect most of us aren’t.
The fact is, despite the hype, that end was kind of deflating.
I struggled after the race to find a way to think about this positively. It really is an extraordinary thing. But the truth is, I wasn’t really all that excited about it. The only thing I could think was, “NASCAR and ESPN thought the ratings were bad this season.”
I can’t tell you, over the past two and half years, how many people have e-mailed or commented at their waning interest in the sport over the #48′s dominance. I fear this will only make that worse. And I can’t really blame people – I’m getting bored. I say this too feeling bad for thinking Jimmie’s success is hurting the sport, but I honestly believe it is.
While they would never admit it, I think the folks at NASCAR see it too. The changes to the points that they’re considering have got to be, to some extent, as a result of what he’s been able to do – and even with today, we had a different path, but the exact same result.
I write this with no ill will toward Jimmie Johnson. I think Jimmie is a great guy and I think he and the #48 team are to be commended for all of their success. But this isn’t good for this sport. That said, I’m just not sure there is anything NASCAR or Jimmie’s fellow competitors can do about it.
With that, we’ll be off for the next week taking a little vacation (we’ll be moderating comments though). Check back next Monday for a new TNI post and our off-season schedule. We hope you all have safe and happy Thanksgiving!
If anyone thought Jimmie Johnson was out of the Chase for the Sprint Cup they were brought back to reality last weekend at the Dover International Speedway. Johnson won the AAA 400 in convincing fashion over second place Jeff Gordon and third place youngster Joey Logano. The win vaulted Johnson to second place in the Sprint Cup standings. Looking to secure his fifth consecutive Sprint Cup title, Johnson is now only 35 points behind leader Denny Hamlin (who finished in 9th). Johnson was relieved to get his first victory since the Lennox Industrial Tools 301 on June 27th. Next week NASCAR descends upon the Kansas Speedway for the Price Chopper 400. Johnson last won the race in in 2008 and finished in 9th in 2009. History shows that no one should count Johnson out until the final race of the Sprint Cup. We shall see on Saturday in Kansas City, Kansas if Hamlin can withstand Johnson’s pressure on the race track.
Is the Chase not good enough for the Nationwide and Truck Series, or are the Nationwide and Truck Series not good enough for the Chase?
As NASCAR tries to fix what probably doesn’t need to be fixed, I’ve got wonder how long it’s going to take them to start applying the points changes (that is the six year old changes) to their two other series.
I know, for many of you, the Chase is a sore subject – and you would just as soon see them get rid of it than see it expanded. No matter your feelings though, doesn’t having two different systems to determine champions throughout the sport undermine the legitimacy of the most contested points system?
I won’t get into NASCAR making changes to the Chase (for the record I think it’s a bad idea – and feel free to discuss it), but I do believe there needs to be uniformity across the series in how a champion is crowned.
In one breath NASCAR is saying the Chase is a great way to determine a champion (though apparently not great enough), and then in the other (though not directly) acknowledging the strength of the old system by allowing it to continue in two of its three national series. Hence the undermining.
I get we’re supposed to have three distinct and unique series. Despite those differences though, and the individual strengths of each of the series, I firmly believe NASCAR needs to administer all three as similarly as possible. If one has a Chase, they should all have a Chase.
On top of that, I think it serves its purpose well enough. We get better fights at the end of the season – and more often than not the best driver does win. So why can’t this work in the Truck and Nationwide Series?
I know it’s not a big thing, but I want a sport that functions like a cohesive unit – not like three stand alone bodies. It may, or may not bother you that NASCAR doesn’t use a uniform system across all three of its series, but it kind of bothers me.
What do you think? Is uniformity in the points necessary across all three series? Would you like to see the Chase be the points system across the sport?
Here is our latest podcast which we have renamed into the “Wreckage Report”. Since we talk about the crashes in NASCAR it only seems fitting that we have that name change.
We talk about speed week and all the races down in Daytona leading up to the Daytona 500. The arrival of Danica Mania and all the rest of the news that is happening in NASCAR.
Our predictions are
Debbie : Dale Earnhardt JR
Vinny: Tony Stewart
Lets see who comes closest to the actual winner.
The Wreckage Report Daytona Speed Week : AwesomeWreckage.com ~ Nascar Fan Forum
Since its inception in 2004 the Chase has been one of the more contentious issues among fans. I know many of you don’t like it. So I think it’s interesting every year to look at the standings as if we were still under the old points system.
This is something I did last year (here and here) and honestly we weren’t too surprised by the results. Jimmie ended the season just behind Carl Edwards (16 points behind). I know what you’re saying, Jimmie’s a false champion, but remember the #48 team sandbagged at Homestead (I would have stayed out of the fight too). Anyway, thankfully this season I don’t have to figure out the points (I know I’m lazy), because NASCAR has already done it for me. Here they are…
1. #48 Jimmie Johnson, 4996 2. #14 Tony Stewart, 4983, -13 3. #24 Jeff Gordon, 4940, -56 4. #5 Mark Martin, 4635, -361 5. #11 Denny Hamlin, 4611, -385 6. #2 Kurt Busch, 4593, -403 7. #42 Juan Pablo Montoya, 4454, -542 8. #16 Greg Biffle, 4420, -576 9. #39 Ryan Newman, 4353, -643 10. #18 Kyle Busch, 4310, -686 11. #9 Kasey Kahne, 4276, -720 12. #17 Matt Kenseth, 4265, -731 13. #99 Carl Edwards, 4252, -744 14. #33 Clint Bowyer, 4224, -772 15. #00 David Reutimann, 4103, -893 16. #83 Brian Vickers, 4024, -972
I can’t personally say I’m surprised Jimmie is leading, however small that lead is. I suppose what surprises me the most is how close the champion race would have been between Johnson, Stewart and Gordon. This would have made for quite a showdown at Homestead. And so much for Mark Martin, he’s not even a factor without the Chase.
Obviously Stewart (currently 5th) and Gordon (currently 3rd) are hurt by the Chase. Interestingly though, so is Denny Hamlin (he’s currently 8th) and Kyle Busch, who missed the cut-off for the Chase and is sitting in 13th.
Being helped most by the Chase are Brian Vickers (currently 12th), Kurt Busch (currently in 4th) and Mark Martin (currently 2nd).
Outside of those guys just about everyone else is within a position or two of where they stand with the Chase. After looking at the points over the last several years, that really isn’t too surprising.
Going into Homestead, Jimmie Johnson is looking like a pretty good bet. It’s possible if they have another Texas-sized problem he could lose the Championship (that’s assuming Mark can put together a solid finish), but let’s face it the #48 is consistently consistent (and good).
My point with this, as it was last year, is to show that even though the Chase has changed the system, the end result really isn’t that much different. The Chase has brought some interest and intrigue to the late season, but at the end of the day the cream will rise to the top. Call Jimmie Johnson a false champion if you like, but you and I both know that’s not true.
Oh and I’ll update you on the final results for Monday’s post.
As we near the end of the season, and what some are already predicting could be a fourth straight championship for Jimmie Johnson, it seems the negative feelings toward driver 48 are growing. Some have even hinted that Johnson’s dominance is to blame for the decline in ratings and attendance recently. The argument is that when one team dominates, it makes the races less interesting to watch. But instead of blaming Johnson and his team for being too good, why aren’t you blaming your favorite driver and team for not being good enough?
I agree that it can suck when one team seems to win everything. But when my favorite college football team isn’t doing well while another is, that doesn’t make me watch less football. The same can be said about my other favorite teams. I’m still going to tune in each week, go to games when I can, and support my team. I don’t understand why the same can’t be said about racing.
We’ve been asked before by fans what exactly the 48 team does differently then everyone else. I think we may even have at least one of those for tomorrow’s “Ask The Insiders Wednesday.” The answer is, that I have no idea. If I did, I’d probably be a rich man. Whatever it is though, it’s working, and you can’t blame Chad Knaus and his guys for doing it right. And instead of getting angry and calling Knaus a cheater, why can’t we take a step back and realize how amazing this run has been? What if Johnson really is that good?
And while we are on the subject of Chad Knaus, how come we hear so often that people want NASCAR to give the teams more freedom in being creative with the cars, yet you get angry when somebody like Knaus pushes the envelope? It is the responsiblity of these teams to push the tolerances to the limit, because that is what it’s going to take to be successful in this age of NASCAR. Like they saying goes, don’t hate the player, hate the game.
You are going to call me a NASCAR homer for saying this, but I don’t care, I’m going to say it anyway. NASCAR is not playing favorites with the 48. As many are starting to get turned off by it, it doesn’t suit NASCAR’s interests to give them some sort of advantage over everyone else. They would be better suited to give Mark Martin or Juan Pablo Montoya the edge, because those would be bigger stories. The black helicopters have been winterized and stored away for the season.
I will agree that some of the debris cautions can be very suspicious, but if NASCAR is really throwing them to affect the race, they are trying to close the fields up for better racing; not to benefit one driver or another. Even Johnson has been the victim of these cautions.
With the Cup Series headed to Martinsville this weekend (one of Johnson’s best tracks) it would appear that his hold on the points lead could grow even further. But as quickly as Johnson has moved to the top, he could just as easily fall. I would caution you in writing off guys like Mark Martin, Tony Stewart, and maybe even a resurgence from JPM. The season is far from over, and if a points lead after five races meant you’d win the championship, the year would be over. But it’s not. We’ve still got five more races to go. Anything can happen. Don’t forget that races are played out on the track, not in statistics or on paper. And ease up off the venom for Jimmie.
Now it’s your turn. Are you becoming turned off by Johnson’ dominance? How come? Do you think one team dominating hurts the sport? Would you feel the same way if it was your favorite driver who was kicking ass? What if it were somebody like Kyle Busch dominating? The floor belongs to you, don’t forget to play nice!
Long before Juan Montoya was perfecting points racing, Jimmie Johnson was an expert at it. That expertise has won him the last three championships and if you surfed around the internet yesterday, you might assume he’d won his fourth.
I promise you though the Chase is far from over. While there is certainly a spread between first and twelfth (189 points if you’re counting), there are still eight, yes eight, races left. That’s a ton of time to screw up, or to win a whole bunch of races and take the points lead.
I know Jimmie Johnson and the #48 team have been solid come Chase time the last three years. They know better than anyone how to shine at the right time. And this year might not be any different.
For those of you who follow us on Twitter you saw our best and worst of the weekend tweet. Some responded the Joey Logano event, both good and bad, but several others responded Jimmie Johnson winning was the worst thing of the weekend. I don’t know if I personally agree with that, but I think there are a lot of other people out there who feel this way.
Is four in a row good for the sport? It’s certainly good for Jimmie Johnson, Chad Knaus and Hendrick Motorsports. You tell me.
Getting back to the fact that we have eight races left though consider the teams and drivers that have emerged this season.
After struggling the last two seasons Juan Pablo Montoya and (Earnhardt) Ganassi Racing have shown some solid consistency. While Montoya hasn’t won a race, he has four top-fives, 14 top-tens, two poles and an average finish of 13.1. They are peaking and competing for wins at the right time. He’s third in the points, only 65 back. I think they’re going to have to win at least one to have a shot at the Championship, but with the way they’ve been running that’s not a far off goal.
Or how about Kurt Busch. After being left out of the Chase last season he’s won one, has eight top-fives, 16 top-10s and an average finish of 13.4. Six of the last eight weeks Busch has finished inside the top-10 and might have run better the other two races if he hadn’t gotten caught up in wrecks.
And don’t forget Mark Martin. He is showing this season that there is life in this sport after 50. This is a guy who looked to be at the end of his career not long ago. He’s now rejuvenated and stronger than ever. After finishing second in the points race four times throughout his career, I guarantee he doesn’t want to make it a solid five.
The above drivers aren’t alone. While Jimmie may very well be on his way, don’t count anybody out. There are a lot of races left and a lot of time for anyone to make a run at this thing.
So now it’s prediction time. Who’s going to win it? Who’s your black horse? Will Jimmie go four in a row? Or can Mark Martin finally quit being a bridesmaid?
Filed under: Jimmie Johnson, Mark Martin, Chase for the Sprint Cup, Sprint Cup
Johnson Serves Title Notice at Dover originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sun, 27 Sep 2009 20:02:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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