Daily NASCAR

I’ve been following the Carl Edwards/Brad Keselowski reaction all week, because I was curious how everyone would respond to the incident.  Between Twitter, forums, blog comments, and the writers, I’ve read a lot.  Journo weighed in on the topic here on Monday.  Some folks have made some really great points, and I can understand most sides of the controversy.  What I don’t understand, is those that think this decision by NASCAR is going to somehow turn the drivers into wreck ‘em derby maniacs who now won’t fear the consequences.

This idea that somehow some horrible precedent has now been set in terms of how NASCAR will govern the on track action just isn’t true.  The sport’s leadership handles these special situations on a case-by-case basis, and will dole out penalties accordingly.  They actually handled this specific incident very similarly to how they’ve handled other recent retaliation situations.

In this country, many courts of law decide cases by precedent.  Past decisions do affect how future cases are decided.  But guess what?  NASCAR isn’t a court of law.  They don’t need to take past decisions into account when they are trying to figure out penalties for a special situation.  Why?  Because absolute consistency isn’t necessarily needed.  When Denny Hamlin wrecked Keselowski at Homestead, a one lap penalty was sufficient because Hamlin did what he came to do and NASCAR couldn’t let him get away with it.  At Atlanta, Edwards was obviously furious, and he needed to be parked for his own good. 

I understand that before the season started, they basically told the drivers to “have at it.”  And while this may have played a role in their decision making, they actually went harder on Edwards then they did on Hamlin and Juan Pablo Montoya at Homestead last season; and those wrecks happened before they changed their stance.  So trying to say that NASCAR went easy on Edwards because of this new philosophy just doesn’t hold water.

When issues like this arise, it always seems like we hear somebody say that NASCAR needs to lay out a penalty schedule so that every infraction is dealt the same penalty.  Well guess what?  Just like every other sport, NASCAR penalizes the regular infractions the same all the time.  Unapproved adjustments, engine changes, pit road speeding, and a ton of other infractions are dealt with the same way.

But in special situations, like the one we saw in Atlanta, NASCAR must decide penalties on a case-by-case basis.  Why?  Because there are too many factors that go into what went down, and there is no way for the sanctioning body to be prepared for every possible dust-up.  We’ve seen NFL commissioner Roger Goodell handle many different player incidents all separately, and I don’t see anyone calling for his job.

Moving forward, you aren’t going to see drivers wrecking each other and going crazy because Carl Edwards wasn’t suspended for life.  There will be no “vigilante justice,” as one writer suggested.  Drivers know NASCAR is in charge and that they will rule on events as they see fit.  The powers that be have shown plenty of times in the past that if they feel a situation has become out of control, they will step in with harsh penalties to send a message.

As I’ve said before, if Keselowski spins harmlessly through the tri-oval grass, we are never having these discussions.  There would be talk about how Keselowski got what was coming to him, and how Edwards overreacted to a racing incident.  Endless discussions of precedents and rules and governance would have never entered anyone’s minds.

Go to the original story

Juan Pablo Montoya, driver of the No. 42 Target Chevrolet, stands in the garage during practice at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Montoya starts today’s race in third place. (Photo: Getty Images)

HAMPTON, Ga. - The tension between Earnhardt Ganassi teammates Juan Montoya and Jamie McMurray has abated but not entirely been brushed off the table, or at least that’s the impression one could draw from Montoya’s remarks.

Montoya and McMurray crashed early in the Feb. 28 race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and Montoya excoriated McMurray afterwards.

According to Montoya, it’s time to move on, but he didn’t seem all that forgiving.

"He sent me a text saying ‘la-la-la-la-la,’ and he was sorry about the whole thing," said Montoya of McMurray, "and I said ‘don’t worry about it.’ He asked if I wanted him to call me, and I said ‘don’t worry about it.’ It happens. It’s racing. Move on.

"Really, I was really (ticked off) at the time because we had a DNF (’did not finish’) the week before with an engine problem. And (the next) week, being taken out by your teammate is something that you don’t really expect, but it happens. It’s part of racing and move on."

* * *

FOR NAUGHT- Greg Biffle, who had been impressive in the day’s first Cup practice session, crashed in the latter and will have to forfeit the 13th starting position by going to his backup car.

"I just got a little bit loose running the top," said Biffle. "The back end touched the wall and sucked the nose over right where they stopped the SAFER barrier. I hit right in the worst spot, where the wall was kinked out. I touched and it turned the car into where I hit the part of the wall that was jutting out. and it just killed the car."

* * *

HE’S QUIRKY– Ryan Newman has a fine sense of humor, but it’s a beat apart from the norm.

That’s why a NASCAR teleconference ended the way it did last Tuesday. After Newman answered the final question, according to the transcript, the final questioner said, "Thanks a million."

Newman’s reply? "You’re welcome, times a billion."

* * *

STRAIGHT-LINE REASONING– Kurt Busch, a longtime drag-racing fan, is taking his 1970 Dodge Challenger to the Gatornationals next week. With the Sprint Cup Series taking a week off, Busch has entered his Challenger, which he purchased in 2008 and has been restoring since, in the Super Gas class, one of seven being contested at Gainesville (Fla.) Raceway.

Go to the original story

Hmm, and Jimmie Johnson’s Chevy is carrying what paint scheme, exactly? Kobalt Tools 500.

Where it’s a tad chilly, but, thank goodness, the skies are clear: Atlanta Motor Speedway, Hampton, Ga.

Big guns: Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Mark Martin, Juan Pablo Montoya, Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon, Kyle Busch, Kurt Busch, Carl Edwards, Kevin Harvick, Greg Biffle, Matt Kenseth and Kasey Kahne.

Long shots: Denny Hamlin, Clint Bowyer, Joey Logano, Jeff Burton, Ryan Newman, Martin Truex Jr., Brian Vickers, Elliott Sadler, David Reutimann, Jamie McMurray, Scott Speed, David Ragan, Brad Keselowski, Marcos Ambrose and A.J. Allmendinger.

The hunch here: Kyle Busch.

Just the facts, please

- Though this track was reshaped and reversed (the front straight) in 1997, its distance changed only slightly: from 1.522 to 1.54 miles. Originally named Atlanta International Raceway, the name was changed to Atlanta Motor Speedway in 1990.

- The track opened in 1960. Fireball Roberts both won and started on the pole in the first race.

- The all-time leading winner is Dale Earnhardt, who won here nine times. Cale Yarborough won seven. Richard Petty and Bobby Labonte are tied with six career victories.

-The most recent driver to win here after starting on the pole was Kasey Kahne in 2006.

- Though Geoff Bodine’s track record still stands (197.478 mph, Nov. 15, 1997), Earnhardt Jr.’s pole speed (192.761) was significantly higher than last year’s (Mark Martin, 187.045). It was the fastest qualifying speed at any track since the generic car was implemented.

- Bill Elliott has won more Cup races (44) than any other driver from Georgia. Five of the wins were here.

Snappy quotes

"This has been a really, really slick race track for a long time." - Jeff Burton.

"Forty is the new 30, anyway. That’s what I’m going with." - David Reutimann, who turned 40 on March 2.

"If I thought we’re softening up the competition in some way, shape, or form, it would be foolish on our part." - Jimmie Johnson.

"We might be in the top 10, but we’re not running as well as we need to be running." - Carl Edwards.

Go to the original story

Juan Pablo Montoya, driver of the #42 Target Chevrolet, and Jamie McMurray, driver of the #1 McDonald’s Chevrolet, spin out of control after an incident on track that eliminated each other during the Shelby American at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on February 28. (Photo: Getty Images for NASCAR)

Juan Pablo Montoya vs. Jamie McMurray: The Earnhardt Ganassi Racing teammates eliminated each other in a Vegas crash, and Montoya took direct aim at the Daytona 500 winner afterwards. "He’s not doing himself any favors," said Montoya of McMurray. "I’m sure (McMurray) is going to say, ‘Oh, I didn’t mean that.’ … He is just trying to prove to people he can drive a race car, and I guess he isn’t doing too many favors on this team." McMurray, taken aback, suggested that Montoya’s remarks were made in part because, in the heat of the moment, he was frustrated.

My take: To paraphrase the country song, who picks up the pieces every time two teammates collide?

Go to the original story

photos: Getty Images

I blogged the race as it went along, stream-of-consciousness style:

Juan Pablo Montoya takes the lead immediately and runs away early. No surprise there. I predict there will be more coverage of the front of the pack. That’s because Danica Patrick isn’t in this race.

Pole winner Jamie McMurray, on the other hand, seems to get worse and worse after the green flag falls. Short runs don’t usually come until near the end, if at all, at Fontana.

There’s Darrell Waltrip with "the vortex theory" again: (1.) It’s ridiculous, and (2.) he stole it from Mike Mulhern without attribution. Plagiarism is a positive in TV.

Well, I’ll be. Jimmie Johnson takes the lead in Fontana. I’d alert the media, but I already am the media, and it doesn’t behoove me to circulate it. Also, I’m not on Twitter (my stuff can be found at twitter.com/ovalscream, thanks to the diligence of nascar.rbma.com’s David Cohea). At the Pearly Gates, I’ll have that going for me.

Restart after race’s first caution flag: Racing’s incredible and will be for at least a handful of laps. Drivers love this track because, comparatively speaking, it’s easy. It’s the same reason lefthanded hitters love Yankee Stadium.

I know I’ve belabored this point, but since few others even both to labor it: The Daytona 500 does not a season make. The biggest race isn’t just at the beginning of the season. It has almost nothing to do with the rest of it.

It’s really fun to watch the first few laps after a restart at Auto Club, but check back 10 laps later, and the cars seem evenly spaced.

NASCAR is issuing speeding penalties on pit road like a county deputy trying to make up for a budget shortfall.

Oh, no. Not rain! Here’s where popularity comes into play. Will NASCAR red-flag the race with Scott Speed leading?

It seems as most of the upsets these days occur because of strategy and luck, not skill and speed. It strikes me that the tortoise beats the hare way too often these days, and smaller fuel tanks have a little to do with that.

About a red flag with Speed leading? Uh, no. In fairness, though, it appears to have been hardly the downpour.

Now most everyone’s pitted, and more rain is headed toward the track, so the next few laps should be crucial … uh, check that … drizzling somewhere and the yellow’s staying out. Speed had to pit, so now Jeff Burton’s in "position to win the race" if it doesn’t go the distance.

The sky certainly looks black on TV. But, at last, a green flag with 50 laps to go.

Predictably, the racing is crazy, and Denny Hamlin winds up being the only victim. Hamlin’s spin doesn’t bring out the yellow, and I’m sure Hamlin’s wild about that.

To D.W.’s credit, he stressed the RCR cars in the prerace show, and now they’re running 1, 2, 5.

Some races are exciting. Some are interesting. Some are neither. This one is interesting.

Kevin Harvick passes Mark Martin for second. It’s a long way to Burton, though. As the laps wind down, it appears as almost everyone is running a high line.

This race is going to be cited for unusually high engine-related attrition.

Caution flag for Brad Keselowski spin may determine the outcome of this race when everything shakes out. The drivers who were pitting at the time of the spin may move right to the front.

Harvick beats Burton out of the pits with 23 laps to go. But the leader is Jimmie Johnson, who was in the pits when the spin occurred.

I sort of miss hearing Jerry Punch say that Johnson is "setting sail." I’m not proud to be writing that.

Harvick has a chance until he brushes the wall at the point where he has almost reached Johnson’s bumper. As is the case in many Johnson wins, he doesn’t make mistakes when others do.

Forty-eight victories for No. 48. Harvick edges teammate Burton for second.

Go to the original story