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by Geoffrey Miller

Filed under: Jeff Gordon, Sprint Cup, Hendrick Motorsports

10 years ago Saturday -- Sept. 26, 1999 -- was the end of an era for Jeff Gordon.

For as long as Gordon had been a NASCAR Sprint Cup driver, Ray Evernham had been his crew chief. The run produced three championships and 47 wins but came to end when Evernham decided to start his own venture into Sprint Cup ownership. The questions came quickly.

Would Jeff Gordon have the same success? Or would the loss of Evernham spell the end of Gordon's reign in NASCAR?

10 years later, Gordon's success has proved that Gordon could go it alone just fine, but also leaves the question of what could have been.

10 Years After Evernham's Hendrick Exit, Jeff Gordon Still a Force in NASCAR originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sat, 26 Sep 2009 21:59:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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With the Chase for the Sprint Cup in full swing headed to Dover, teams must bring their “A” game to the track every weekend to have a chance at the championship.  The smallest mistake by a mechanic, or a slight misstep by a pit crew could cost their team everything.  I was curious though just how good a team had to be over the final ten races to secure the championship, so I did a little research to find out (Racing-Reference.info is great).

A big story this week was Kasey Kahne’s blown engine at Loudon.  Some suspected sabotage, but a broken crankshaft proved to be the culprit.  Many have said this mechanical failure probably ended Kahne’s chances at the championship.  But before you write him off, remember that Jimmie Johnson started off the 2006 Chase with a 39th at Loudon.  But Johnson was able to win the Cup with a final six race stretch that included a win, four second place finishes, and a ninth at Homestead.  Kahne and Co. are certainly capable of such a run, but with the inconsistency they’ve shown this year, fans have plenty of reason to worry.

The only other driver to have a finish outside the top 25 in the Chase and still win the championship was Kurt Busch in 2004.  He finished 42nd at Atlanta, but powered to the Cup with eight top six finishes (including a win).  In 2005, eventual winner Tony Stewart’s worst finish was 25th, while Johnson’s worst finishes in ‘07 and ‘08 were a 14th and a 15th respectively.

Since the Chase was introduced, the highest average finish for the champion came in that 2006 season with Johnson.  He averaged a 10.8 over the final ten races.  But Johnson needed an average finish of fifth in 2007, and an average of 5.7 in 2008 to win those titles.

Just by looking briefly over the statistics, it would appear that the competition for the Cup gets more difficult every year.    While a team may be allowed one mulligan finish, odds are that one bad weekend could ruin their shot.  Johnson’s worst finish last year was a 15th as I said above, and even with an average finish of 5.7, his margin over second place was a scant 69 points.  Over ten races, that means earning 6.9 points more per race then the next guy, or finishing about two positions better on track.

How’s that for pressure?

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by Geoffrey Miller

Filed under: Juan Pablo Montoya, NASCAR Videos, Sprint Cup

If you believe a certain Sacramento sportscaster, Juan Pablo Montoya might be hearing some harsh words in a few weeks from California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger when the Sprint Cup Series visits California.

KTXL-TV's Jim Crandell -- the "Scoopmeister," if you ask the Sacramento Bee -- was scheduled to interview Montoya prior to last weekend's race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway via satellite. Montoya, however, ducked out on the interview just prior to recording the segment with Crandell.

Crandell, obviously peeved at Montoya, later took the footage of Montoya walking out to craft a segment slamming NASCAR for declining popularity and drivers that Crandell thinks are a little too full of themselves. Catch the video below.

Juan Pablo Montoya Skips Interview, Draws Ire of Sacramento Sportscaster originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Thu, 24 Sep 2009 20:47:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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by Geoffrey Miller

Filed under: A.J. Allmendinger, Denny Hamlin, Juan Pablo Montoya, Mark Martin

A.J. Allmendinger's car sat quiet across the frontstretch of New Hampshire Motor Speedway with the white flag waving as he flipped the car's starter, trying to crank the engine.

Meanwhile, leaders Mark Martin, Denny Hamlin and Juan Pablo Montoya scrambled for position on the final lap through turns 3 and 4 as the flagman prepared to wave the checkered flag. In a flash, it looked like the finish of the first race of the Chase was going to end in a crushing fashion as Allmendinger sat helplessly in peril.

At the last possible second, NASCAR threw the caution to avoid the collision but also provoked a new topic of discussion for the coming week: when exactly is the best -- and safest -- time to put out the yellow flag on a race's final lap?

NASCAR Makes Risky Late Caution Call originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sun, 20 Sep 2009 23:36:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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by Geoffrey Miller

Filed under: Brian Vickers, Scott Speed, Red Bull Racing

Veteran Brian Vickers couldn't have been less of a Red Bull Racing team player during Saturday afternoon's Nationwide Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, while his teammate Scott Speed handled a dicey situation beautifully.

The two Sprint Cup Series teammates tangled while battling Mike Bliss for fourth on the last lap, sending Vickers into the wall. On the cool-down lap, Vickers bumped Speed numerous times in retaliation.

What Vickers said, though, likely will have some lasting repercussions on the team.

After Crash, Vickers Slams Teammate originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sat, 27 Jun 2009 17:24:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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by Geoffrey Miller

Filed under: Kasey Kahne, Kyle Busch, Sprint Cup

Notes & Quotes comes flying at you this week from the sandy shores of the Gulf of Mexico. I hope you'll pardon my tardniness.

Infineon Win a Baby Step for Kasey Kahne at RPM

If you got a chance to read Holly Cain's piece on Kasey Kahne this week, you saw how excited the Washington driver was to be finally finding good equipment at Richard Petty Motorsports. According to Kahne, everything from bodies to engines are coming together at the right time for the team.

That's good news for Kahne fans, but it's even better for the folks running the show at RPM.

Sprint Cup N's & Q's: Infineon originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Wed, 24 Jun 2009 15:59:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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by Geoffrey Miller

Filed under: Sprint Cup

Where: Infineon Raceway, Sonoma, Calif.
Time: Sunday 5:00pm/EDT
TV/Radio: TNT, MRN Radio
Twitter: At-track updates at FanHouseRacing
Forecast: 78 degrees, Mostly Sunny
Distance: 110 laps (218.9 miles)
Pole Winner: Brian Vickers
2008 Winner: Kyle Busch
NASCAR's annual trip to wine country is a highlight of the Sprint Cup season because its one of two trips the series takes to a track that turns right. And as FH's Holly Cain argued earlier in the week, they 'oughta be doing this more.

FanHouse Warmup: Toyota SaveMart 350 originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sun, 21 Jun 2009 09:03:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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by Geoffrey Miller

Filed under: David Gilliland, Jimmie Johnson, Sprint Cup

Perhaps, you could say, Saturday's practice sessions had more twists and turns than the 10-turn road course they happened on.

An favorite, an underdog and a three-time champion were all involved in incidents that should have a good bit of effect on Sunday's 110-lapper at Infineon Raceway, and a rookie even got punted in the support race to accentuate a wild day.

All in a day's work, one would suppose.

Saturday Practice Wild at Infineon originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sat, 20 Jun 2009 21:12:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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by Geoffrey Miller

Filed under: Juan Pablo Montoya, Sprint Cup, Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing

Juan Pablo Montoya made a scary analysis about the condition of his Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing's team cars Friday at Infineon Raceway.

It was scary for the rest of the field, of course, because the Colombian is returning to the twisty road course in Northern California where he saw his first career Sprint Cup Series win two years ago with a race car that he thinks is better prepared.

"I think our cars have come a long way -- even when we won here, our cars are a little more competitive now," said Montoya on Friday afternoon prior to qualifying.

Montoya Talking Big Picture at Infineon originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sat, 20 Jun 2009 06:31:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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by Geoffrey Miller

Filed under: Michael Waltrip, Sprint Cup, Richard Childress Racing

Somewhat coherent Notes & Quotes to wrap up NASCAR's first trip to Michigan in 2009:

What will NASCAR learn from Pardo's brutal crash and tragic death?

The death of NASCAR Mexico driver and champion Carlos Pardo in a horrific crash during the final laps of a race on Sunday is certainly tragic. However, the fact that his car was able to make such violent contact with the end of a temporary wall is just as shocking.

Let's hope NASCAR makes sure such an angle of impact can never happen again.

Sprint Cup N's & Q's: LifeLock 400 originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Tue, 16 Jun 2009 01:02:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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