Daily NASCAR

The Cup teams get their final off weekend of the season, but there won’t be a shortage of racing action this week.  The Truck Series is off to Chicagoland Speedway, and the Nationwide teams head north of the border to tackle the Circuit de Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal.   If you don’t know what this post is, we answer any and all reader questions every Wednesday, right here.  So if you’ve got one, click on the ”Ask the Insiders” tab at the top of the page and send one to us.  On to the questions…

1. From Justin:

Thanks for a great site. Have you heard anything about why Scott Wimmer cannot get a decent ride in the Nationwide series? He has a lot of success in the past. What is the knock against him if any?

Thanks Justin! I think Wimmer’s problem is not so unsimilar to a large number of racecar drivers. He’s getting older, his performance was never spectacular and he doesn’t have funding. Don’t get me wrong, he’s not bad, you certainly know what you’re getting with Wimmer, but he’s not necessarily the kind of driver big teams are going to be willing to take a risk on at this point. – Journo

2. From Dave:

Does the first start and park team still face the rigorous “just
because” tear down process that some cars went through at the start of the season?

Yes, NASCAR continues to tear down start and park teams like they were doing earlier in the year.  This week, the #55 of Michael McDowell was the first car out of the race and NASCAR took their engine back to the R&D center. – T.C.

3. From Jamie:

You guys tweeted free beer at RCR. So do one or both of you work for RCR?

You caught us… Just kidding. I’m not sure where you saw that tweet, but it wasn’t on our twitter feed. Because of the nature of the site we’ll never disclose where we work, and we certainly wouldn’t be that obvious. – Journo

4. From Dan:

Hey Guys, According to the results of the Saturday night Bristol race the #48 car was listed as running at the end of the race with 415 laps completed. Why would Johnson stay on track after he couldn’t gain any more points? Hamlin who finished one position ahead had 58 more laps completed. Johnson was well ahead of Conway, who finished behind him, with only 212 laps completed and no threat to Johnson losing a position. Seemed odd considering it was Bristol, since a lot of chaos can go on there nearing the end of the race.

Well first, you never retire from a race if you can help it, because you never know what may happen.  Johnson was involved in the wreck around lap 260 or 265, which means there was still half the race in which something could go wrong for somebody else and he could gain more points.  Second, even once you mathematically cannot gain any more spots, you keep running for pride (for lack of a better word).  You don’t want that dreaded DNF on your record and you never give up, even when you know it’s over.  And finally, sponsors are paying your team to get exposure for them, and that can’t be done with a car loaded on the hauler.  I personally commend them for running until the finish. – T.C.

5. From brotherflounder:

What do you think of Kyle Busch winning the triple?

I thought it was a cool moment, certainly something historic. Is Kyle winning in the Nationwide and Truck Series much of a feat? Not really. But still, to be able to do all that in one weekend is nothing to sneeze at – which is why no one has done it before. – Journo

And that brings yet another “Ask The Insiders Wednesday” to a close.  Thanks to everyone who sent in questions.  And remember, if you’d like to be a part of next week, click on the ”Ask the Insiders” tab at the top of the page and send your question in!

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We are off to the Circle City this week.  Friday and Saturday night shows at ORP for the Trucks and NNS cars lead up to Sunday’s Brickyard 400.  While we work through another hump day, here’s the 84th version of Ask The Insiders.  If you don’t know what this post is, we answer any and all reader questions every Wednesday, right here.  So if you’ve got one, click on the ”Ask the Insiders” tab at the top of the page and send one to us.  On to the questions…

1. From Zach:

During practice sessions, why are some cars allowed to skip past the line of cars that are waiting on pit road to get onto the track? While at Chicagoland I noticed several cars bypass the line and head straight to the track from the garage.

The higher a driver is in the points, the earlier they get to go out in practice.  So I’m guessing that what you probably saw was these drivers getting to blow past those who are lower in the points. – T.C.

2. From Dan:

Do you know what’s going on with Ray Evernham? Is he attached to RPM and if so in what capacity? What happened to the connection with Dodge? Just haven’t heard much about him lately. Seems to me with the talent he had shown as a crew chief years ago he would still be at the forefront of the sport or maybe he just wanted out. I do remember him doing some work for one of the networks at one time.

The last I heard he and RPM were working with lawyers to end his relationship with the team. He hadn’t had any real role with the team for quite some time. Not sure if that’s been resolved. Other than that he is working as an analyst for ESPN, he owns East Lincoln Speedway in Stanley, N.C., and he’s working with wife Erin on her Sprint car career. There has been some rumbling that he may be interested in getting back involved in NASCAR in some capacity, but I think otherwise he’s pretty happy where he’s at. – Journo

3. From Cinde:

During qualifying, why do the drivers go down on the apron and then back up on the track as they come across the start/ finish line? Thanks for your writing! Facebook, twitter, email!! You keep me informed.

Remember that the fastest way around a track is the inside line.  Some drivers think that by dropping down on the apron, they are actually cutting down the distance to the start finish line, which will result in a faster lap time.  Does it actually work?  Maybe a little. – T.C.

4. From Garry:

Sorry if this is a dupe question, but during the Chicago race ( I actually wrote several question that night but did not want to flood you) …..anyway.. I noticed on some cars on later pit stops that THE FREEKIN BRAKE PAD WAS ON FIRE!!! (I think it was the brake pad ) …anyway…something was on fire..and la-de-da…the badass tireman changed the wheel as if nothing was happening except… THE FREEKIN THING WAS ON FIRE!!! ….HOLYCOW TireMan!!!… Do you ever fire extinguish that thing? It seems the new tire rubber could catch if they dont haulass out of there… looked scary, but not even the commentators mentioned it.. WHAT IS THE DEAL?

A little flame from the brakes is certainly not uncommon.  During race conditions, brake pads, calipers, and rotors can reach 1,200 degrees or more.  And all it takes is a little rubber build up over the course of a run to give all that heat something to burn.  Unless there is actually brake fluid coming out that is causing the fire, you won’t see the flame extinguished.  Once the car is rolling again, and the rubber is burned off, the flame will go away.  That’s why tire changers wear gloves… - T.C.

5. From Marcus:

What is your guy’s opinion on the Carl Edwards vs. Brad Keselowski deal? As an Edwards fan I am definitely with him but I am just wondering what you guys think. You don’t need to pick a side I am just wondering what you guy’s think about it. Thanks!

Honestly, I see both sides of the argument.  Carl probably didn’t need to right-rear BK down the straightaway, but BK started it.  If he would have raced Edwards clean, he probably wouldn’t have gotten wrecked coming to the checkered.  Keselowski has shown that he isn’t against laying the bumper to somebody, and sooner or later it was going to catch up to him.  Does Carl deserve some sort of penalty?  Who knows?  I’d be really surprised if we saw something significant however, with NASCAR’s new stance.  A meeting with John Darby and Mike Helton is probably inevitable for both drivers though. – T.C.

6. From Steve:

In the Nationwide race, Ryan Truex, a MWR driver, ended up in a Gibbs car. It looked like Truex’s 99 car could have gotten back on track after his brush with the wall Did Gibbs borrow/buy/rent Truex from Waltrip, presumably to turn in laps and score some points? Has this been done before, where a driver has left a drivable car and started driving another owner’s car?

The #00 was not driveable (Trevor Bayne was in the #99). Even if it could have been repaired there was no point in putting him back out there – they aren’t running for points, just seat time. I can’t say with 100% certainty he didn’t get paid, but he didn’t get paid. He was available, and I’m sure very willing to jump in a car for Joe Gibbs. Dale Jr. did this a couple of years ago. Kyle Busch wrecked a car while he was still at Hendrick and was so angry he got out of his car and left the track. The team got the car repaired and Dale Jr. (who was also out of the race) jumped in it and finished the race. – Journo

7. From Kevin:

How much longer do you think NASCAR will continue to stick their head in the sand with ol’ Horse Face? Need I remind everyone that Kevin Harvick was once parked in a Cup race for actions in a lower series. But I would bet a pretty penny NASCAR’s golden boy from Missouri wont face the same punishment. But it has nothing to do with Jack Roush’s boy handing out the punishment, nothing to see here, move along…. Really it doesn’t matter anyway though b/c the 99 car is so far from being a championship contender he could miss 4 races and we wouldn’t notice him being one, other than Brad actually being able to finish a race and all.

I’m assuming by ‘ol’ Horse Face’ you mean Carl Edwards. Remember NASCAR instituted this new ‘boys, have at it’ policy this season that has loosened up their enforcement of things like on-track retaliation. It has nothing to do with the driver in question – it isn’t just Carl that’s gotten away with stuff this season. Remember Clint Bowyer during the Nationwide race at Dover, leaving pit road and wrecking Denny Hamlin under caution? He was only placed on probation. NASCAR has a different doctrine in place (I think for the better), then it did back when. Now whether Carl gets penalized because he is a repeat offender is yet to be seen. Expect news on that tomorrow. – Journo

8. From Denny:

I noticed on the Cup-Lite pre-race, last Saturday evening, right before the starting of the engines, they showed a close-up of the #99 and there was one guy with a Triad Racing pit suit, standing right behind, maybe the car-chief, who was giving Trevor instructions before the car moved down pit road. I think the 99 runs a Prism engine. Is this an engine tuner? BTW, I attended an ARCA race in Springfield IL, last season, and I also saw a couple of Triad Racing pit-suits around the Eddie Sharp Racing cars, as they pitted directly across the track from where I was sitting.

Triad Racing Technologies is the main engine supplier for Toyota.  So, except for the Gibbs cars, whenever you see a team with Toyota power, a Triad employee is not far away.  Part of the engine program for most builders includes the builder sending a tuner to the race track.  So you will see guys in Triad firesuits in every series from ARCA to Cup supporting the Toyota teams.  And Prism doesn’t build engines, they actually use Triad power as well. – T.C.

9. From Dave:

I think Carl Long just ran the truck race at Gateway. Does that mean that he paid that huge fine to NASCAR?

You saw correctly. He was suspended, but he wasn’t fined. The fine was imposed against his crew chief Charles Swing – I believe if he wasn’t able to pay it, it then it fell to Long’s wife as she was the car owner (it was never Carl’s responsibility). As far as I know the fine was never paid. – Journo

10. From riterchick:

How do crew members view rivalries? Do they want their driver to go for blood, or is it more a “don’t wreck the car, nitwit!” feeling. I should think it’s hard to see all your work destroyed just because of a testosterone surge on the race track.

Well that depends.  If your car is already wrecked anyway, a little revenge certainly wouldn’t make it worse.  I am personally of the mind that confrontations should stay on the race track and crew guys don’t need to get involved unless absolutely necessary.  Fixing a ton of wrecked race cars will definitely wear on the guys at the shop though. - T.C.

And that brings yet another “Ask The Insiders Wednesday” to a close.  Thanks to everyone who sent in questions.  And remember, if you’d like to be a part of next week, click on the ”Ask the Insiders” tab at the top of the page and send your question in!

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by Holly Cain

Filed under: Dale Earnhardt Jr., Danica Patrick, NASCAR

Consider this an interruption to the quick judgments, harsh opinions and commentary overload about Danica Patrick’s NASCAR debut.

As IndyCar’s most famous face prepares to make her fifth NASCAR start this weekend at Chicagoland Speedway — near her hometown of Roscoe, Ill. — it’s time to step back from all the emotion and hype.

Forget her $1,000 gold-stilettos, police escorts and the unapologetic adulation of NASCAR executives and track promoters. Let’s look at her statistics driving a NASCAR race car.

Patrick’s four-race average of a 33rd place finish in the Nationwide Series may be an easy target for those told-you-so doubters, but it’s absolutely respectable compared to other recent open-wheel NASCAR converts. And even some NASCAR champions.

Her NASCAR Nationwide Series team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr., for example, either crashed or had mechanical problems in three of his first four Nationwide races during the 1996-97 seasons, including a string of 39th, 39th and 38th place showings after his 14th place debut. That’s an average finish of 32.5, or less than one position better than Patrick.

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And by “she,” I mean Danica Patrick.

This post serves as your official 10 day hype warning.  You’d better enjoy the nice, quiet, normal Nationwide Series coverage this weekend on ESPN, because it will be the calm before the storm.  Danica returns to the JR Motorsports #7 on June 26th at New Hampshire.

Through the first three Nationwide Series races of the season, you may not have even realized there were 42 other drivers in the field.  Or really, you may have thought Danica was the only NASCAR driver there was.  Danica Mania hit NASCAR hard, with constant coverage of her during the races, and plenty of stories about her to read about online.  Since her last race at Las Vegas in February however, the hype has died down.

The hype is about to get shocked back to life.

While she’s been away from NASCAR, Danica has been busy working on a very mediocre Indy Car season.  Through seven races this season she has one top five and three top ten finishes.  She currently sits 11th in the points standings, and her average finish is the worst she’s had since her rookie year in 2005.  Some have gone so far as to suggest that her foray into NASCAR has taken something away from her open wheel skills this year.

The Danica haters have been quieted a little in recent weeks, as she finished sixth at Indianapolis, and then followed that up with a second at Texas on June 5th.  Jumping back into a Nationwide Series car right when it appears she has the open wheel ship righted might not bode well for her, however.  Couple that with the fact that her summer NNS starts are coming at New Hampshire, Chicagoland, Michigan, and Dover, and it might be a tough summer for Ms. Patrick.

After her Loudon start, Hurricane Danica will reappear in NASCAR once a month through September, and then starting October 9th at Auto Club Speedway, Danica will run the final six NNS races.

So now that you’ve been warned, you have plenty of time to go buy canned goods, flashlights, batteries, and other necessities.  Also, don’t forget to board up your windows and batten down the hatches.  Looks like Hurricane Danica could be a CAT 5.

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A tempest in a D-cup-shaped track: Succes on the intermediate tracks determine who makes the Chase.

Any driver who develops a superiority on intermediate tracks …

Oops, some explanation is in order. We’re talking about tracks from 1.5 to 2.0 miles, moderately banked (14-24 degrees) and mostly D-shaped.

They are the steel girders that support the Sprint Cup championship: Fontana, Vegas, Atlanta, Texas, Charlotte, Michigan, Chicagoland, Kansas and Homestead.

It’s too early in the season to get bent out of shape about anything, but for those hoping someone other than Jimmie Johnson wins this year’s championship, his victory in the first intermediate race is, well, disconcerting.

Johnson’s Chevrolet didn’t dominate - a lucky break helped him win - but it was fast.

The next two races, Las Vegas on Sunday and Atlanta on March 7, could provide a pattern. Every driver who finishes in the top 10 in all three races, beginning with the Auto Club 500 already completed, is probably going to make the Chase. He definitely will if he maintains the pattern.

Winning the championship may be greatly aided by proficiency at unique tracks like Talladega and Martinsville, but the contenders are going to come mainly from those who produce consistent finishes in the Great Intermediate Desert of NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series.

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