Naughty and Nice of 2010 Racing: NASCAR Nationwide Series

Photo Credit: Autostock

First, please accept my apologies for the belated arrival of the 2010 Naughty and Nice List Relating to the NASCAR Nationwide Series. Profiling this season for the 2010 Nationwide Series reveals a dominate year for Sprint Cup Series regulars will continue to pay repeated visits to this one-time ladder series. 

Nice: Earnhardt and #3 Chevrolet in Victory Lane at Daytona

Announced as a one-off effort for the race at Daytona International Speedway, Dale Earnhardt Jr paired with Richard Childress Racing to win at the July NASCAR Nationwide Series race. Having previously succeeded at Daytona in 2002, Earnhardt Jr has been working through a difficult 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup season when he announced plans to drive a #3 Wrangler-sponsored Chevrolet during the Fourth of July weekend event. Leading the most laps as he held off efforts of Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski, the consolidation of powers resulted in Dale Earnhardt Jr's Daytona win. Earnhardt Jr's 23rd Nationwide Series victory, the #3 Wrangler Chevrolet Impala was also the first winning car under the series' new COT rules.

Photo Credit: John Harrelson/ Getty Images

Naughty: Ambrose Suffers Another Montreal Heartbreak
Rising through the ranks to become a major star of the Australian V-8 Supercar series, Tazmania's Marcus Ambrose makes a lasting impression in NASCAR racing. While his oval racing creditably is building, Ambrose's true instincts show on the road courses of the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series events. Winning three years running at Watkins Glen, victory the Canadian road course of Circuit Gilles Villeneuve has been painfully elusive despite his often race dominating efforts.
Despite earning pole for the second-straight time at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve NAPA Auto Parts 200, Ambrose's 25 laps out front early was all for not as electrical failure and later a suspension issue. Forcing him to park his #47 Toyota 27 laps ahead of the checkered flag, Marcos Ambrose finished 33rd for the 2010 NAPA Auto Parts 200. Thrilled to be racing an exciting race with Jacques Villeneuve and Carl Edwards, Ambrose replied on his website in post race “We're trying everything to get that victory here in Canada, but we can't seem to seal the deal”.


Nice: Brad Keselowski's 2010 Championship Run

After two seasons of focus on the NASCAR Nationwide Series season with JR Motorsports, Brad Keselowski has played the part of the best non-Sprint Cup series driver on the division. Winning the 2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series championship by 445 points, Keselowski drove his Penske Racing #22 Dodge to a clinch after the Texas Motor Speedway race.
With Kevin Harvick presiding as 2006 champions, Carl Edwards finding the series points victory in 2007, Clint Bowyer in 2008 and Kyle Busch earning the 2009 NASCAR Nationwide Series championship, Keselowski became the 5 Sprint Cup regular in a row to complete this goal. For 2011, NASCAR has effectively put the end to drivers of the Sprint Cup series hunting championship honours in the Nationwide or Camping World truck series by requiring a driver to declare just one series in which they can claim points.

Photo Credit: Jonathan Ferrey/ Getty Images for NASCAR

Naughty: The Continuing Transformation of NASCAR Nationwide to a Sprint Cup-Lite Series

For as long as the NASCAR Nationwide Series (known as the Busch Series prior up to 1983) existed, it has been a common theme that drivers of the longer Cup series races would occasionally join the fun of what has been a key tour for developing and showcasing new racing talent. While major races at Daytona as well as Charlotte were places where names like Dale Earnhardt and later Mark Martin would school often less experienced drivers, the presence of Cup series competitors making more notable appearances in the tour is apparent. For 2010, only 2 winners of 35 total NASCAR Nationwide Series races did not belong to a full-time Sprint Cup operation (Justin Allgaier at Bristol and Boris Said at Montreal).

Nice: Road Racing Madness

Some in NASCAR believe that stock cars have no place on road courses. Purests for the oval racing environment, the increased variables of turning left and right can confuse some of the best NASCAR drivers as well as crew chiefs. Supplying 3 road races for 2010, the NASCAR Nationwide Series trio of events provided some of the most refreshing excitement on the schedule. Added to the 2010 schedule in place of a canceled annual event at the Milwaukee Mile, Road America joined the series bringing NASCAR back to the 4-mile circuit for the first time since the 1950s. Captured by Carl Edwards, the first Road America race for the Nationwide Series served up the first helping of what would be physical and unpredictable road course racing. Despite the win of Edwards and the maturing of road racing skills of by all NASCAR drivers, so-called road race ringers took the final two races at Watkins Glen and Montreal. Marcos Ambrose took Watkins Glen in fine style while the winner of the Montreal NAPA Auto Parts 200 at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve was settled in a more aggressive fashion. A battle between Max Papis and Boris Said, a side-by-side finish result in favour of Said.

Photo Credit: Jason Smith/ Getty Images

Naughty: Lack of 2010 Title Contenders
Only 13 drivers in the 2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series run the full 35-race schedule. While the NASCAR Nationwide Series has been the site of high driver turn-over, this past season's points is a show for the lack of contention. In the top-10 for the 2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series, 3 drivers (Sprint Cup regulars) drove fewer than 29 races.

Nice: Rave Reviews for Series' Car of Tomorrow (Today)

Unlike the launch of the NASCAR Sprint Cup (COT) Car of Tomorrow in 2007, the introduction of the NASCAR Nationwide Series for the summer Daytona race has debuted with raved reviews. While the new race car for the Sprint Cup series received criticism for being less competitive than the previous car, NASCAR clearly applied their lessons learned for the Sprint Cup COT to the Nationwide Series race machine specifications. As an added plus for the fans, the new Nationwide Series COT cars introduced the unique track presence of the Dodge Challenger and Ford Mustang back to NASCAR competition.


Naughty and Nice: Joe Gibbs Stinks Up Nationwide Shows

Combining for 16 wins and 11 poles, the Joe Gibbs Racing NASCAR Nationwide Series team was an often unstoppable juggernaut at intermediate-sized tracks between 1 to 2 miles. Clearly lending their NASCAR Sprint Cup expertise as well as the lineup Kyle Busch and Joey Logano to races within the 2010 Nationwide Series schedule, two drivers might have had a chance at the tour championship if they had not chosen to sit down certain races. Still finishing 3rd in the NASCAR Nationwide points even while running just 29 of the 35 races, Kyle Busch's #18 Toyota won 13 times in 2010 following up 9 wins a year prior and 10 in 2008.

For anti-Joe Gibbs Racing fans, a silver lining for 2011 in light of the dominance of 2010 could be that the team did not win one of four races run with the new COT race machine. However, with drivers Busch and Logano behind the wheel of the team's Toyota Camry stock cars, it is unsafe to wager against another strong Joe Gibbs Racing showing in 2011.

Naughty and Nice for 2010 Racing: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series



Photo Credit: Chris Trotman/Getty Images

Kicking off the XSL Speed Reporter annual race season review, teh 2010 Naughy and Nice list starts with the 25 races, 2010 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.  


Nice: Young blood Austin Dillon's rookie season

In only a rookie year, Austin Dillon made the most of his grandfather's resources. Participating in a reactivated #3 Richard Childress Racing team, Austin Dillon arrived at Daytona with the guarantee the 19 year old would receive the best equipment possible. As in the case with any driver, the pressure was on for Dillon to prove he was deserving of the dedication. Gaining a pole in the first race of the season at Daytona, the die was casted for an interesting rookie campaign by Dillon and the #3 Chevrolet. Dillon would go on to clinch 4 additional poles over the course of the 25-race 2010 Camping World Truck Series season proving he was indeed a fast driver. However, at the Iowa Speedway's truck race in July, Austin Dillon took home his first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series victory. Winning that time on a short track, Dillon would take a speedway event as well in September. Both times, Austin Dillon's #3 Chevrolet wins came after qualifying efforts resulting from pole. Following the 2010 run, Dillon finished 5th in the final standing certifying this driver as a potential threat to the 2011 truck and maybe a NASCAR Sprint Cup series contender in the near future.

 Naughty and Nice: Daytona demolition

 The Nextera Energy Resources 250 compiled an anxious 36-truck field for the 2010 kick-off to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season. A race promising great action, competitors were eager to take on the 2.5 mile superspeedway with Austin Dillon's #3 Chevrolet leading them through what would be a short race for many prime contenders. A lap 2 caution resulted with a range of twisted and bent sheet metal as 10 trucks were part of a early big wreck. Very shortly after the race restarted another 10-truck crash saw the field slowly getting stripped down as more than half the field sustained major damage over the 250 mile race distance.

The good parts about the 2010 season opening race for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series at Daytona were many to count but is highlighted simply by the final lap. Timothy Peters aced a last-lap scramble for a slim 0.068 second lead over Todd Bodine. Peters, driving the #17 Red horse Racing Toyota, would go on to put together a successful year with the help of his team placing 6th overall in Camping World Truck Series points.

Nice: Todd Bodine and Germain Racing's Rise to the 2010 Championship

When earlier this season the prospect of seeing the #30 Germain Racing Toyota going the full season looked doubtful, Todd Bodine and team parlayed a 2nd place finish at Daytona into a solid 2010 campaign which would go on through the entire season. Taking the lead for the first time briefly after the Atlanta Motor Speedway race, Bodine assumed definite command of the Camping World Truck Series points lead following the Charlotte Motor Speedway's North Carolina Education Lottery 200. Thanks to a season which equated to 20 top-10 finishes and 4 wins, Bodine clinched his second NASCAR Truck Series title at Phoenix. Following the Ford 200 race at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Todd Bodine left with a 207-point lead over Aric Almirola.



Rusty Jarrett/ Getty Images for NASCAR

Naughty: Defending Truck Series Champion's title defense

As the 2009 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series closed, Ron Hornaday Jr and the #33 Kevin Harvick Incorporated were celebrated a championship after a 6 win season. 2010 proved to be a stark difference for the #33 Chevrolet team. While Ron Hornaday Jr's 2010 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series ended with wins at O'Reilly Raceway Park and Martinsville Speedway to add up his tour-leading total of 47 victories, 9 race finishes of 24th or worse resulted in a his worse average finishing result. Defining his season, Hornaday had two sensational big wrecks at Atlanta and Talladega races where he was lucky to escape both times without injury. Hornaday's season ended with a 7th place in the final points standings 627 points away from the lead.



Nice: Johnny Sauter and Ron Hornaday dueling for Kansas Speedway win

The 5th race of the 2010 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series tour, the O'Reilly Auto Parts 250 at Kansas Speedway provided one of the more thrilling lead battles between Ron Hornaday's #33 Kevin Harvick Incorporated Chevrolet and the #13 Thorsport Racing Chevy truck of Johnny Sauter. Both drivers were fighting for their first victory in 2010 season which has proved a harsh start. As Sauter's truck led with 21 laps to go, Hornaday surged on the #13 Chevy sizing up the Thorsport Racing driver for the valuable lead. As Ron Hornaday was able to get alongside Johnny Sauter into turn 3, impact resulted between the two truck. As consequence, both truck went into a sideways drift through the turn 3-4 complex. Amazingly, both Chevrolet trucks of Sauter and Hornaday were able to regain traction. Initially coming out the winner on the near wreck, Ron Hornaday's #33 truck lead across the line for lap 147. However, fatigue on the #33 Chevy through the incident apparently set on as Johnny Sauter was able to blast by Hornaday through the very next lap. With an over 5 second lead over the 2nd place Ron Hornaday, Johnny went on the win the Kansas event.

Naughty: Poor, Broke Busch Story

As much I respect Kyle Busch and the fact he should be considered one of the top driver in overall auto racing (not just NASCAR), his first venture into team ownership in NASCAR has not gone without some excitement. While Kyle Busch himself went on to win a season-leading 8 races and the #18 team were crowned the 2010 team champions in the series (points scored by the #18 team's result with any driver in the truck), issues off the track regarded the team's race shop with a contractor placing a lien on the building and the discontinuation of second truck driver Tayler Malsam's effort when his sponsor pulled out of the team.

I'm sorry to say I can not completely sympathize with a multi-million NASCAR Sprint Cup star crying poverty in running a race team. However, the situation points out a phenomenon almost every professional team owner accomplishes by not spending their own money to go racing. After all, auto racing teams are businesses before pleasure

Nice: Aric Almirola delivers a solid runner-up driver's points performance

The past few year have been a roller-coaster for Aric Almirola who once presided in a NASCAR Sprint Cup ride. Finding a chance to regroup in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, Almirola immediately performed as a potentially forgotten talent. Collecting the most top-10 finishes of any driver on the 2010 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, Almirola's full schedule with the #15 Toyota of Billy Ballew Motorsports resulted in 2 wins and a runner-up position in the series points standing. Aric Almirola is moving up to the NASCAR Nationwide Series for 2011 with the JR Motorsports' #88 Chevrolets.





Photo Credit: Jason Smith/ Getty Images for NASCAR



Naughty: Toyota's near uncontested manufacturer crown

The one problem in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series is the absence of a firm manufacturer's championship battle. For the past several years, Toyota (who went on to win the series' manufacturer championship again in 2010) has optimize the possession of leading teams to win handsomely without any sizable opposition. In the final race at Homestead-Miami Speedway, for example, 12 of 36 trucks competing were Toyota Tundra race trucks. While economic troubles have led Chevrolet and Ford to scale back their support to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, the American three auto makers have have largely neglected the tour for many years. Chevrolet had a reasonable contingent led by KHI and Thorsport, Ford only had a limited effort the Dodge/RAM truck stable involved mainly one team (the #23 truck driven by Jason White). However, even Dodge's presence with the #23 team was not exclusive as the team experimented with other truck brand bodies throughout the year.

Nice: Elliott Sadler winning inaugural Pocono truck race

Fighting to assert himself in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with as much bad luck as poor performances within the embattled Richard Petty Motorsports team, Kevin Harvick had been offered Elliott Sadler the chance to drive selected races in the 2010 Camping World Truck Series. Debuting at the Daytona with a strong run up until getting caught in a crash, Sadler and the #2 KHI team were able to piece together an outstanding performance at the first truck race held at the 2.5 mile Pocono Raceway. Leading 31 of the race's 55 total laps, Sadler found himself in a NASCAR winner's circle for the first time since winning the 2004 Pop Secret 500 at California Speedway.

While Elliott Sadler lost his Sprint Cup Series ride, the restored confidence and apparent chemistry with KHI his earned a multi-year pairing in the NASCAR Nationwide Series for 2011.

Photo Credit: Drew Hallowell/Getty Images for NASCAR

NASCAR Sprint Cup Fans Vote Dale Earnhardt Jr Most Popular Driver

Photo Credit: Jason Smith/ Getty Images for NASCAR

It appears that streaks are becoming common place within the Hendrick Motorsports stable. First with the #48 Lowes Chevrolet driver Jimmie Johnson storming to a 5th straight NASCAR Sprint Cup championship, the #88 Chevrolet team has reason to leave 2010 with some sense of fulfilment. At the annual National Motorsports Press Association’s (NMPA) Myers Brothers Luncheon held prior to the NASCAR Awards Banquet, Dale Earnhardt Jr was named the 2010 winner of the Hamburger Helper Most Popular Driver Award.

Though the #88 driver finished the season in 21st in the overall standings with only 8 top-10 finishes to show for efforts of the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup season, Dale Earnhardt Jr along with the team of the #88 AMP Energy and National Guard Chevrolet did persevere through a difficult 36-race stretch to finish each and every race. Though some have doubted Earnhardt Jr's future in Hendrick Motorsports and even the sport in general, a majority of fans have demonstrated the third-generation driver is still their favourite competitor in the premier stock car tour in North America.  “I’ve enjoyed winning it – my fan base has stayed strong. It’s become an important honor each year for me. I’m glad that fans still feel their support for me. I appreciate their dedication and loyalty.” Earnhardt Jr commented accepting the award Thursday afternoon.

With more than 1.5 million fans voting in this year's Hamburger Helper Most Popular Driver Award, Earnhardt Jr beat out the likes of Kyle Busch, Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon and Carl Edwards for the 2010 honour. One honourable mention making it into the top-10 of Most Popular Driver voting was the 2000 NASCAR Cup Series champion Bobby Labonte.

Scoring his 8th Most Popular Driver Award in a row, Dale Earnhardt Jr is only two shy of a benchmark set by two-time Daytona 500 winner and 1988 NASCAR Cup Series champion Bill Elliott. Enjoying a steady and dedicated fanbase just like Earnhardt Jr's, Elliott was voted most popular 10 times in a row concluding with 16 overall honours.

Hendrick Hubbub: Reorganization in Major Cup Team Sees High-Profile Personnel Change

Photo Credit: Hendrick Motorsports

The Hendrick Motorsports #48 Lowes Chevrolet was again piloted to the NASCAR Sprint Cup highest honours by now 5-time consecutive champion Jimmie Johnson. Picking up 6 wins through the process of the 2010 season, it appears on the surface that Hendrick Motorsports has a reason to celebrate.

Despite all of the success of the #48 team, the other three teams in the popular Chevrolet-powered organization endured a very tough 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup season. The Hendrick Motorsports drivers Jeff Gordon, Mark Martin and Dale Earnhardt Jr left this year winless on the Sprint Cup schedule finding solace in much smaller non- victory victories. In a radical move to turn the #5, #24 and the #88 teams around, Hendrick Motorsports is prompted just two day after the end of the 2010 Sprint Cup season to swap crew chiefs for 2011.

For the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup season, the following team complexion will disturb every team with exception to the championship-winning #48 team:

• #5 Team: driver Mark Martin is partnered with former #88 crew chief Lance McGrew
• #24 Team: driver Jeff Gordon will be working with Mark Martin's crew chief of 2009 and 2010 Alan Gustafson
• #88 Team: Dale Earnhardt Jr will be partnered with the #24 car's crew chief Steve Letarte

Photo Credit: Hendrick Motorsports

Matching crew chiefs with new teams, Hendrick Motorsports is also repositioning the team's amongst the two race shops. Moving, the #88 cars will join the #48 team while the #24 team will now be positioned with the #5 crew. Team Owner Rick Hendrick commented on the personnel change saying "This will improve us as an organization, across the board,".

Concluding the year, the #5, #24 and #88 Hendrick Motorsports teams experienced mixed results. In 2010, Jeff Gordon was able in the Chase for the Sprint Cup hunt thanks to 10 top-5 finishes after the first 26 races. Maintaining 3rd prior to the Chase points realignment, Gordon was dropped to 8th starting the 10-race championship playoff. Through the 2010 Chase for the Sprint Cup, the #24 Chevrolet compiled only a single top-5 finish. Two additional DNFs in the final ten races left Jeff Gordon in 9th in the Chase after the Homestead-Miami finale.

Photo Credit: Hendrick Motrsports

Winning 4 times in 2009 with his first season at Hendrick Motorsports, Mark Martin extended the time period between his planned retirement through this year and into the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup tour. Starting the season strong with his #5 Chevrolet by winning the pole for the Daytona 500, Martin and team were sent through a feast and famine campaign for 2010 resulting in 7 top-5s but suffered 12 finishes outside of the top-20. After only a slight chance of making the 2010 Chase, Martin missed the top-12 in points field but held on to 13th place in NASCAR Sprint Cup overall points.  

As for the #88 Chevrolet team of Hendrick Motorsports, the trouble plaguing the team and driver Dale Earnhardt Jr was evident. With a 2010 season which resulted in 21st in the overall points, this year adds to the frustration felt within the #88 team as well as among Earnhardt Jr's considerable fan base. Well-documented, the only win Dale Earnhardt Jr has achieved with the Hendrick Motorsports #88 car was at Michigan in June of 2008. Rounding off the season in 27th at Homestead-Miami Speedway, the writing was on the wall for Lance McGrew's departure after 16 finishes of 22nd or worse in the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup season. Another rough year for Earnhardt Jr, some positive Sprint Cup moments this season involved a front row start and 2nd place finish at the Daytona 500 as well as leading 90 laps most recently during the Martinsville event. The #88 Chevrolet also left the 2010 season without a single DNF. Dale Earnhardt Jr has most recently been complementary to McGrew for advances made with the #88 team but knew a change was approaching.

Edwards Takes Ford 400 at Homestead, Johnson Claims 5th Sprint Cup Championship

Photo Credit: Todd Warshaw/ Getty Images for NASCAR

Shaping up the final race for the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, the Ford 400 plays host to what has been a season where we have seen some pleasant surprises. The major success is the tight Chase for the Sprint Cup which has placed Denny Hamlin, Jimmie Johnson and Kevin Harvick within 46 points. By the end of 400 miles at the Florida 1.5 mile oval, the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion would be celebrated by one driver.

For all competitor making the 43 car field for the Ford 400, there were personal as well as team honours at stake. Concluding at the Homestead-Miami Speedway, the achievements of 35 earlier races have yet some drivers hungry for more success or thirty to revive a season sporting misfortune.
Involved in a fair amount of bad experiences in 2010, Kasey Kahne's future has been the biggest story than his current season. In reaction to Kahne's 2011 and 2012 plans, 2010 was impacted when he departed his #9 Ford early for the Red Bull #83 Toyota. For the Ford 400, Kasey Kahne was able to place his Toyota on pole for what will be the last NASCAR Sprint Cup pole for almost three months.
Kasey Kahne led the first 4 laps of the Ford 400 until the Phoenix race winner Carl Edwards driving his Roush-Fenway Racing-owned #99 Ford muscled past the #83 Toyota for the lap 5 lead. Losing the lap just briefly during a lap 20 pit stop under the race's first caution for Devid Reutimann's wall impact on turn 4, Edwards would retake the lead in time for the restart back to green flag conditions.
As the field began to race again on lap 23, a second caution came swiftly. A critical incident for the 2010 Chase for the Sprint cup the #16 Ford of Greg Biffle made contact with title leader Denny Hamlin. Hamlin's #11 Toyota was forced into the in-field grass in order to regain control. Both cars were able to continue in contention but the Joe Gibbs Racing crew spent several pit stops to repair the mingled front end of the #11 machine.
Showing part of Ford's late season resurgence in NASCAR Sprint Cup racing for 2010, a challenger did present himself in the Ford 400. The #56 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota piloted by Martin Truex Jr posted a significant appearance in the final race of 2010. Taking the lead on the first time on lap 73, Truex Jr initial time ahead of the field lasted for 26 circuit. As the #99 Ford of Edwards emerged as a dominant car early, Martin Truex Jr's #56 Toyota provided the fiercest fight through the first half of the Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami.
On lap 88, Jeff Gordon's #24 Chevrolet began slowing as the four-time Cup champion reported an engine misfire. Down on power, the #24 car of Gordon fell to 24th place just 3 laps later. Hendrick Motorsports crew were optimistic the problem was limited to a disconnected spark plug. Unfortunately for the #24 crew, a pit stop during the third caution would leave the team in a more somber mood as the engine's lack of power appears to be a more terminal issue.
The problems of Denny Hamlin early left the Chase for the Sprint Cup interesting through this finale By lap 120, Kevin Harvick was leading the Cup contenders on track in 5th place. Jimmie Johnson was close behind in 8th while Denny Hamlin was recovering nicely from the lap 25 incident. The #11 Toyota crept up to 20th on the race track.
Caution flew just past of the mid-way point of the Ford 400 as the #47 Toyota of Marcus Ambrose impacted the wall on turn 4. After pit stops, the Michael Waltrip Racing #56 Toyota preserved the lead but Carl Edward sailed back to the lead as the drivers continued a see-saw battle.
Juan Pablo Montoya and Joey Logano were parties involved with a three-wide scenario which quickly results in the #42 of Montoya touching the #20 Toyota. The contact triggered the #20 of Logano into the wall to suffer massive front end damage. Joey Logano's race season ended with a crushed Toyota and an emotionally-crushed Joe Gibbs Racing Home Depot crew leaving competition before the checkered flag. Juan Pablo Montoya and Bill Elliott also sustained damage but continued to race the duration of the Ford 400 event.
With 100 laps to go, only 7 points separated the top-3 drivers in the Sprint Cup championship fight as the Ford 400 was led make to green by Carl Edwards. Denny Hamlin, one position behind Jimmie Johnson on the Homestead-Miami race track following pit stops, achieved a marvelous restart passing Johnson quickly as the Joe Gibbs Racing driver charged his way forward. Five laps later, the #11 Toyota of Hamlin has launched himself into the top-ten runners.
Kevin Harvick made a dramatic surge to lead the field back on to the Homestead-Miami race track. Regrettably, Harvick and the Richard Childress Racing crew had a short-lived triumph as NASCAR deemed speeding on pit road.
An 8th caution with 73 laps to go slowed the field as the #38 Ford of Dave Blaney hit hard between turn 3 and 4 striking the retaining wall. At the restart, the #56 Toyota slowed developing a flat tire. The driver held on to the #56 Michael Waltrip Racing but the deflated tire ruined the day for Martin Truex Jr. Little more than a lap following Martin Truex Jr's tribulations, caution came out for oil on the race track. Jeff Gordon's #24 Chevrolet wounded run ended as the Hendrick Motorsports engine gave up.
Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick pitted on lap 239 for fuel as well as tires under green bracing for the final run to the finish ahead of Jimmie Johnson. After the leaders pitted, caution came out just a few laps later spoiling their title charge effort. The race's 10th yellow flag on lap 243 flew for a scary incident involving the #18 Toyota of Kyle Busch. Racing with Kevin Harvick for track position, the #29 Chevrolet connected with the #18 of Busch. Smashing the wall hard with his Camry's front end, Busch found smoke and flames building up in and around his #18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. Kyle Busch was thankfully unhurt but was left disappointed he was unable to sweep the final race weekend. Busch had won the Camping World Truck Series and the Nationwide Series finales for the Ford Championship Weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway.




Photo Credit: Chris Graythen/Getty Images


From the resumption of the race after the final caution, Carl Edwards held onto the led while Jimmie Johnson took a firm grip of an important 2nd place position. With Kevin Harvick following Johnson in 3rd and Denny Hamlin buried deep outside of the top-10 through the final laps, the #48 Lowes Chevrolet was in the ideal spot to take an unprecedented 5th straight Sprint Cup title.

Crossing the finish line, Carl Edwards' #99 Ford maintained an 1.609 second lead over Johnson's #48 Chevrolet. After winning in Phoenix, Edwards capped a nearly two-year long winless streak which dated back to victory at Homestead-Miami Speedway in 2008. Carl Edwards waited only one week to gain a second victory to round out the 2010 season. Another outstanding performance for Ford, Edwards led 190 of the races 267 laps.

As Jimmie Johnson finished second, he became the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion. Coming into the NASCAR Sprint cup finale, Johnson was unaccustomed to being on the outside of the championship lead from his experiences for the first four titles.

Photo Credit: Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR

Coming up short on the year, Kevin Harvick finished 3rd in the Ford 400 and 3nd overall (41 points off of Johnson) in the Sprint Cup Chase standings. Due to NASCAR Sprint Cup's Chase format, Harvick gave up a healthy points margin in exchange for this points payoff. Having entered the season with few questions on Kevin Harvick's driving ability, questions surrounded whether his time was best spent at Richard Childress Racing. With 3 wins and 26 top-10 finishes (the most of any driver in 2010), the Californian driver returns in 2011 as a bona fide Sprint Cup contender.

NASCAR Sprint Cup points runner-up in 2010 Denny Hamlin season ended with a 14th place run at Homestead, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver's Chase points totaled to a 39 marker deficit to Jimmie Johnson.

With Ford prevailing in the race bearing their corporate name, Richard Petty Motorsports (RPM) cars round out the top-5 behind Harvick. A career-high finish for Aric Almirola of 4th place was accomplished by the young, part-time driver of the #9 Ford while RPM's potentially brightest star for 2011 AJ Allmendinger brought the #43 Ford home 5th.

With all 36 races in the books for 2010, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series will next celebrate the season that was leading up to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Banquet. For another year, Jimmie Johnson will be the guest of honour. Congratulations!
 


2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup
Ford 400
Homestead-Miami Speedway
Race Results

Pos #  | Car #  | Driver  | Sponsor/ Car Make

1. 99 Carl Edwards Aflac Ford
2. 48 Jimmie Johnson Lowe's Chevrolet
3. 29 Kevin Harvick Shell / Pennzoil Chevrolet
4. 9 Aric Almirola Budweiser Ford
5. 43 A J Allmendinger Insignia HDTV Ford
6. 83 Kasey Kahne Red Bull Toyota
7. 39 Ryan Newman U.S.Army Chevrolet
8. 14 Tony Stewart Office Depot / Old Spice Chevrolet
9. 17 Matt Kenseth Crown Royal Ford
10. 16 Greg Biffle 3M Ford
11. 56 Martin Truex Jr. NAPA Auto Parts Toyota
12. 33 Clint Bowyer Cheerios / Hamburger Helper Chevrolet
13. 12 Brad Keselowski No. 12 Penske Dodge
14. 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Express Toyota
15. 21 Bill Elliott Motorcraft / Quick Lane Ford
16. 5 Mark Martin GoDaddy.com Chevrolet
17. 78 Regan Smith Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet
18. 2 Kurt Busch Miller Lite Dodge
19. 98 Paul Menard Mastercraft / Menards Ford
20. 6 David Ragan UPS Ford
21. 1 Jamie McMurray Bass Pro Shops / Tracker Boats Chevrolet
22. 09 Bobby Labonte C & J Energy Chevrolet
23. 82 Scott Speed Red Bull Toyota
24. 77 Sam Hornish Jr. Mobil 1 Dodge
25. 37 David Gilliland Taco Bell Ford
26. Marcos Ambrose Clorox / Kleenex Toyota
27. 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. National Guard / AMP Energy Chevrolet
28. 19 Elliott Sadler Stanley Ford
29. 71 Andy Lally Anderson's Maple Syrup Chevrolet
30. 7 Kevin Conway  ExtenZe Toyota
31. 31 Jeff Burton Caterpillar Chevrolet
32. 18 Kyle Busch M&M's Toyota
33. 13 Casey Mears GEICO Toyota
34. 34 Travis Kvapil Long John Silver's Ford
35. 42 Juan Pablo Montoya Target Chevrolet
36. 38 Dave Blaney A&W All American Food Ford 
37. 24 Jeff Gordon Dupont Chevrolet
38. 00 David Reutimann Aaron's Dream Machine Toyota
39. 20 Joey Logano The Home Depot Toyota
40. 64 Landon Cassill Empire Steel Buildings Toyota
41. 87 Joe Nemechek Young Eagles / HeatRedefined.com Toyota
42. 36 J J Yeley Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet
43. 66 Mike Bliss PRISM Motorsports Toyota

Kyle Busch Nets 13th NASCAR Nationwide Win of 2010

Photo Credit: Todd Warshaw/ Getty Images for NASCAR

By Reid Spencer

Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service

 

(November 20, 2010)

 

HOMESTEAD, Fla.—Kyle Busch pulled away from Kevin Harvick during a 23-lap run to the finish to win Saturday’s Ford 300 Nationwide Series season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

 

Harvick ran second, followed by 2010 series champion Brad Keselowski, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Trevor Bayne.

 

With his 13th victory in 29 starts this season, Busch extended his single-season win record. The victory was his 43rd in the Nationwide Series, leaving him five behind all-time leader Mark Martin.

 

Danica Patrick qualified fifth, pitted early and led four laps—her first of the season—by staying out while others pitted under caution on Lap 24. Soon after a restart on Lap 28, however, she dropped back to 21st in the running order. She finished a career-best 19th in her 13th start in the series.

 

After winning the owners championship in his own No. 18 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series on Friday night, Busch secured the Nationwide owners’ title for Joe Gibbs Racing on Saturday. Stenhouse clinched Raybestos rookie of the year honors.

 

Notes: Keselowski scored his 26th top-five finish of the year, a single-season record. … The victory was Gibbs’ 49th in the past three seasons. Busch has 31 of those. ... Busch led 153 of 200 laps.

 

 

NASCAR Nationwide Series

Ford 300

Homestead-Miami Speedway

Race Results 

 

Pos #  |  Car #  | Driver | Sponsor/Car Make

1. 18 Kyle Busch Z-Line Designs Toyota
2. 33 Kevin Harvick Jimmy John's Chevrolet
3. 22 Brad Keselowski Discount Tire Dodge
4. 6 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. # CitiFinancial Ford
5. 17 Trevor Bayne Roush Fenway Ford
6. 60 Carl Edwards Copart.com Ford
7. 20 Joey Logano GameStop / MASTIFF Toyota
8. 62 Brendan Gaughan Aspen Dental Toyota
9. 98 Paul Menard Richmond / Menards Ford 200
10. 10 Jason Leffler ABF U-Pack Moving Toyota
11. 12 Justin Allgaier Verizon Wireless Dodge
12. 99 Martin Truex Jr. Out! Pet Care Toyota
13. 42 Parker Kligerman GetMoreVacations.com / Bandit Chippers Dodge
14. 32 Reed Sorenson Dollar General Toyota
15. 66 Steve Wallace 5-hour Energy Toyota
16. 11 David Reutimann Rexall / Dollar General Toyota
17. 84 Cole Whitt Red Bull Toyota
18. 09 Brian Scott Shore Lodge Toyota
19. 7 Danica Patrick GoDaddy.com Chevrolet
20. 23 Robert Richardson Jr. R3 Motorsports Chevrolet
21. 26 Sam Hornish Jr. Alliance Parts Dodge
22. 05 David Starr Cash America Chevrolet
23. 34 Tony Raines BeaStockCarDriver.com Chevrolet
24. 15 Michael Annett Germain.com Toyota
25. 49 Mark Green Anderson's Maple Syrup Chevrolet 
26. 21 Morgan Shepherd Victory In Jesus Racing Chevrolet
27. 35 Jason Keller TriStar Motorsports Chevrolet
28. 28 Kenny Wallace Federated Auto Parts Chevrolet
29. 16 Colin Braun Con-way Freight Ford
30. 01 Mike Wallace Suncore Industries Chevrolet
31. 40 Mike Bliss Westerman Companies Chevrolet
32. 88 Aric Almirola GT Vodka Chevrolet
33. 27 Chase Mattioli CollegeComplete.com / GreenTreeProfit.com Ford
34. 92 Brian Keselowski K-Automotive Motorsports Dodge
35. 87 Joe Nemechek Gator.com Chevrolet
36. 70 Shelby Howard BlackFlyDay.com Chevrolet
37. 24 Eric McClure Hefty Odor Block Ford
38. 38 Kasey Kahne Great Clips Chevrolet 
39. 04 Jeremy Clements Boudreaux's Butt Paste Chevrolet
40. 91 David Gilliland D'Hondt-Humphrey Motorsports Chevrolet
41. 56 Kevin Lepage Sunshine Plumbing/MitchellSwabackCharities Toyota
42. 96 Dennis Setzer K-Automotive Motorsports Dodge
43. 36 Jeff Green TriStar Motorsports Chevrolet

Kyle Busch Takes Camping World Truck Finale; KBM Takes Owner's Championship

Photo Credit: Sam Greenwood/Getty Images 

By Reid Spencer
Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service
(November 19, 2010)


HOMESTEAD, Fla.—

Kyle Busch ran away from Ron Hornaday Jr. after a restart with four laps left in Friday night’s Ford 200 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Homestead-Miami Speedway and won the race by .577 seconds over last year’s series champion.

In winning for the eighth time in 16 starts this season and the 24th time in his career, Busch locked up the owners’ championship for his No. 18 Toyota in his first year as an owner in the series.

"This is so cool, to come out here and win in our last race the way we did," said Busch, who is still looking for sponsorship to sustain his truck team next year. "(Crew chief) Eric Phillips made some great calls and got my head back in the race."

Johnny Sauter ran third, followed by 2010 truck series champion Todd Bodine and Aric Almirola, second in the standings this year.

Busch was running in the top five when Sauter’s No. 13 Toyota pinched him into the outside wall on Lap 102 of the 134-lap race. The right front tire on Busch’s Toyota blew shortly thereafter, causing the fourth caution of the race. That turned out to be a minor hurdle between Busch and the victory.

Busch stayed on the lead lap and restarted 21st on Lap 111. By the time John Jackson’s wild slide into the sand barrels protecting the entrance to pit road brought out caution No. 5 on that same lap, Busch was running 14th. NASCAR red-flagged the race while the barrels were replaced.

Hornaday took the lead after a restart on Lap 115 and held it until Elliott Sadler’s spin off Turn 4 caused the sixth and final caution and set up the decisive four-lap run to the finish.

Kevin Harvick, Hornaday’s owner, urged his driver to take the outside on the final restart. Hornaday tried to hold Busch down to the inside, but to no avail. Hornaday said it wouldn’t have mattered which lane he picked.

"No, it didn’t matter—we were just too tight up through the middle, and his truck was free enough where he kept the momentum going," Hornaday said. "I just wish Johnny had hit him a little harder when he squeezed him against the fence over there, so he didn’t have such a good truck to come back and beat me."

Kasey Kahne Clobbers Cup Field for Homestead Pole

Photo Credit: Jason Smith/ Getty Images for NASCAR

 

Homestead is the home stretch for the 36-race NASCAR Sprint Cup series of 2010. A 1.5 mile true oval track, the Homestead-Miami Speedway plays host to one of the closest three-way points battles since the Chase for the Sprint Cup format was innovated by NASCAR in 2004. With Hamlin, Johnson and Harvick separated by only 46 points entering the final race, the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup appears have the potential of needing all of the event's 267 laps.


Breaking a two-race pole streak Ford Motor Company products in the NASCAR Sprint Cup season, Kasey Kahne stormed to the Ford 400 pole his #83 Red Bull Toyota. Rounding the 1.5 mile in a time of 30.525 to take the final pole of 2010, Kahne and the Team Red Bull narrowly nicked Phoenix race winner Carl Edwards by a margin of just 0.031 seconds on the track. As qualifying concluded and the grid was set for the Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, less than 7/10th of a second separates Kasey Kahne's lead time with the slowest race entry speed posted by 40th place Juan Pablo-Montoya.

Kahne's 4th pole of this season, this is the driver's first top time since making an early entrance into Team Red Bull Racing. Having parted ways with has long-time Sprint Cup team (the #9 car existing within Richard Petty Motorsports) after the fall Charlotte event, Kasey Kahne is spending some early seat time inside the #83 Toyota preparing for a full season for 2011. 

The Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing #1 Chevrolet of Jamie McMurray starts 3rd in this final event in afairy tale season for a driver many motorsport insiders wrote off prior to his victory at this year's Daytona 500. Bill Elliott is another continuing to make notable appearances in the NASCAR Sprint Cup series. The Dawsonville, Georgia 1988 NASCAR Cup champion positioned the #21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford in 4th. The #43 Richard Petty Motorsports (RPM) Ford driven by AJ Allmendinger allowed 3 of the top-5 vehicles starting at the front of the Ford 400 to display a Blue Oval badge. A solid top-5 for Allmendinger within the uncertainty of RPM's 2011 operation, a bright spot for the embattled Ford team is qualifying where at least one team car started in the top-10 for 8 of the final 10 races.

In regards to the much anticipated final showdown Sunday for the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup, second place in the points Jimmie Johnson starts in the best spot. Qualifying his #48 Lowes Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports 6th for the Ford 400, Johnson's so-called "drive for five" championships has the driver favoured (at least for the beginning of the event) to repeat the title victory which he's achieved the past four seasons.

Buried in 37th, current Chase for the Sprint Cup points leader Denny Hamlin #11 FedEx Toyota will be need to pick up considerable ground over the 400 mile distance to complete the eagerly-awaited spoiling of Jimmie Johnson's Sprint Cup series dominance. A difficult job, breaking through the field of the Homestead-Miami Speedway NASCAR Sprint Cup race is a custom for Hamlin having never started better than 25th in previous qualifying attempts at the 1.5 mile oval. Last year, the #11 Toyota of Denny Hamlin won the season's final event starting 38th on that day.  

Third 2010 Sprint Cup contender Kevin Harvick will also be required to make up some race distance after a lackluster time trial run. Starting better than Denny Hamlin in 28th place, Harvick's #29 Chevrolet will attempt to regain the series point lead honours which were stripped from the Richard Childress Racing pilot due to the Chase reformatting after Richmond. 

With engine set to roar at 1 P.M. Eastern for the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup series finale Ford 400, expectations are to see a competitive event amongst the 43 who all have something to prove prior to the checkered flag.    



2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup
Ford 400
Homestead-Miami Speedway
Starting Lineup


# Pos  | Car #  | Driver| Sponsor/ Car Make

1. 83 Kasey Kahne Red Bull Toyota
2. 99 Carl Edwards Aflac Ford
3. 1 Jamie McMurray Bass Pro Shops / Tracker Boats Chevrolet
4. 21 Bill Elliott Motorcraft / Quick Lane Ford
5. 43 A J Allmendinger Insignia HDTV Ford
6. 48 Jimmie Johnson Lowe's Chevrolet
7. 00 David Reutimann Aaron's Dream Machine Toyota
8. 5 Mark Martin GoDaddy.com Chevrolet
9. 6 David Ragan UPS Ford
10. 78 Regan Smith Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet
11. 24 Jeff Gordon Dupont Chevrolet
12. 19 Elliott Sadler Stanley Ford
13. 17 Matt Kenseth Crown Royal Ford
14. 31 Jeff Burton Caterpillar Chevrolet
15. 2 Kurt Busch Miller Lite Dodge
16. 98 Paul Menard Mastercraft / Menards Ford
17. 33 Clint Bowyer Cheerios / Hamburger Helper Chevrolet
18. 12 Brad Keselowski No. 12 Penske Dodge
19. 20 Joey Logano The Home Depot Toyota
20. 47 Marcos Ambrose Clorox / Kleenex Toyota
21. 36 J J Yeley Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet
22. 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. National Guard / AMP Energy Chevrolet
23. 39 Ryan Newman U.S.Army Chevrolet 
24. 9 Aric Almirola Budweiser Ford
25. 56 Martin Truex Jr. NAPA Auto Parts Toyota
26. 77 Sam Hornish Jr. Mobil 1 Dodge
27. 16 Greg Biffle 3M Ford
28. 29 Kevin Harvick Shell / Pennzoil Chevrolet
29. 87 Joe Nemechek Young Eagles / HeatRedefined.com Toyota
30. 66 Mike Bliss PRISM Motorsports Toyota
31. 14 Tony Stewart Office Depot / Old Spice Chevrolet 
32.  09 Bobby Labonte C & J Energy Chevrolet
33. 18 Kyle Busch M&M's Toyota 
34. 13 Casey Mears GEICO Toyota
35. 71 Andy Lally Anderson's Maple Syrup Chevrolet
36. 38 Dave Blaney A&W All American Food Ford
37. 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Express Toyota
38. 37 David Gilliland Taco Bell Ford
39. 34 Travis Kvapil Long John Silver's Ford
40. 42 Juan Pablo Montoya Target Chevrolet 
41. 82 Scott Speed Red Bull Toyota
42. 7 Kevin Conway ExtenZe Toyota
43. 64 Landon Cassill  Empire Steel Buildings Toyota

Second Straight Nationwide Victory for Edwards at Phoenix

Photo Credit: Jason Smith/ Getty Images for NASCAR

With Brad Keselowski settling the 2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series title last weekend at Texas Motor Speedway, the main focus through the final two races of this middle-level stock car tour was the racing action. The one-mile oval of Phoenix International Raceway supplies a quaint-essential mix of large track speed and short track competition.

Setting up 200 laps of Saturday afternoon action on the desert, Joey Logano secured the WYPALL 200 pole in morning qualifying. Breaking out to a lead through the first 24 race laps, Logano relinquished the first place position during pit stops made during the event's earliest caution for fluid originating from the #70 Chevrolet of Mark Green.

As several top vehicles pitted for fresh tires and fuel at this point of the NASCAR Nationwide Series race, the #35 Chevrolet of Tony Raines remained on track to lead when the WYPALL 200 resumed on lap 30. At a clear disadvantage on older tires, Raines was no match for the cars behind him on the restart. Aric Almirola was the first car to pass the #35 Chevrolet elevating the JR Motorsports #88 car to the front at Phoenix International Raceway.

Lasting for just 8 laps, Almirola's run with JR Motorsports (in preparation for a full campaign in the #88 Chevrolet in 2011) went far better than the drive of teammate Danica Patrick. Still learning the finer points of racing a stock car through her off time from the IZOD IndyCar Series, Patrick spent much of the race hovering in the low to mid-20s on track in the #7 Godaddy.com Chevy. While running respectively, an incident between the #7 Chevrolet and the #27 Ford of Alex Kennedy got into a shoving match on-track. While Kennedy got into the car of Patrick on lap 133, the IndyCar star demonstrated her knowledge of the fine art of payback on the following lap. While mostly harmless to both vehicles, Danica Patrick's contact with the wall 24 laps later. The #7 Chevrolet would finish 7 laps down in 32rd place.

On several occasions, Carl Edwards held a lead of multiple seconds over second place runners.
With Edwards' Roush-Fenway Racing #60 Ford in a class of his own throughout the WYPALL 200, Kyle Bucsh was holding down the runner-up place for much of the race distance. While able to lure the lead of the Phoenix event for 10 laps total on the day, this Saturday afternoon race would not be Busch's 13th victory on the 2010 NASCAR Nationwide calender.

Fighting for best of the rest for the event, Busch's hopes for a good run was deflated (literally) by a softening tire on his #18 Toyota. Three laps after radioing the problem, Busch pitted on lap 163 to receive four fresh tires from his Joe Gibbs Racing crew. The #18 crew returned the driver quickly but Busch would drop one lap down to the leader. Some additional concern surrounded the #18 Toyota in the late laps as light smoke was pluming from the Joe Gibbs Racing vehicle. Fortunately, the smoke dissipated through the final circuits of the WYPALL 200 and would not present any problems as Busch used the advantage of new tire to hard charge back up to the lead lap for 16th place.

Coming across the line 5.12 seconds ahead of Kevin Harvick, Carl Edwards easy ride in Phoenix ends with his 4th win of the 2010 NASCAR Nationwide season. Out front for 153 of this race's 200 laps, the impressive performance of the #60 Ford even surprised the driver.

Rounding out the top-5 for the WYPALL 200 at Phoenix International Raceway, 2nd place Kevin Harvick was followed by Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski and Reed Sorenson. In 6th place, Aric Almirola ended the NASCAR Nationwide Series backing up the 5th place finishing result after Friday's Camping World Truck Series event.

Almirola's effort in the #88 car did result in one critic, the driver of the #12 Dodge Justin Allgaier. While the #12 Penske Racing Dodge appeared destined to a strong top-5 effort running second early in the WYPALL 200, Allgaier realized his race car's performance faded in the last 50 laps. Dropping down the field but fighting to retain a top-10 result, the #88 Chevrolet of Almirola rushed the Penske Racing car of Allgaier in lap 193 into turn one. Sizing up the #12 Dodge on the inside, the #88 Chevrolet leaned on Allgaier while making the pass. Unhappy with the pass, contact after the checkered flag resulted with the #12 and #88 cars. Justin Allgaier did not appear outspokenly mad at Almirola but he was disappointed the driver of the #88 Chevy could not race him clean.

Next week, the NASCAR Nationwide Series tour will combat for the last time in 2010 at the Homestead-Miami Speedway. The Ford 300 is set for late Saturday afternoon.     


NASCAR Nationwide Series
November 13, 2010
WYPALL 200
Phoenix International Raceway
Race Results

1. 60 Carl Edwards Copart Ford
2. 33 Kevin Harvick Rheem Solar Water Heaters Chevrolet
3. 20 Joey Logano GameStop/Afterglow Toyota
4. 22 Brad Keselowski Discount Tire Dodge
5. 32 Reed Sorenson Dollar General Toyota
6. 88 Aric Almirola GT Vodka Chevrolet
7. 16 Colin Braun # Con-way Ford
8. 12 Justin Allgaier Verizon Wireless Dodge 
9. 6 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. # Blackwell Angus Beef Ford
10. 66 Steve Wallace 5-hour Energy Toyota
11. 09 Brian Scott # Shore Lodge Toyota
12. 40 Mike Bliss Westerman Companies Chevrolet
13. 98 Paul Menard Richmond/Menards Ford
14. 17 Trevor Bayne Roush Fenway Ford
15. 84 Cole Whitt Red Bull Toyota
16. 18 Kyle Busch NOS Toyota
17. 23 Coleman Pressley R3 Motorsports Chevrolet
18. 15 Michael Annett Pilot Flying J Coffee Toyota
19. 35 Tony Raines BeAStockCarDriver.com Chevrolet 
20. 28 Kenny Wallace Iron Horse Jeans Chevrolet
21. 10 Ricky Carmichael Monster Energy Toyota
22. 11 James Buescher # Great Clips Toyota
23. 99 Ryan Truex Aaron's Dream Machine Toyota
24. 27 Alex Kennedy LawMemorial.org/Sacred Power Ford
25. 05 David Starr Super Pawn Chevrolet
26. 81 Michael McDowell Red Line Oil/Drive Reply Dodge
27. 62 Brendan Gaughan Alliance Parts Toyota
28. 87 Joe Nemechek Gator.com Chevrolet
29. 01 Mike Wallace Suncore Industries Chevrolet
30. 83 John Borneman III Nicky Rottens/Borneman Plastering Ford
31. 21 Morgan Shepherd Victory In Jesus Chevrolet
32. 7 Danica Patrick GoDaddy.com Chevrolet
33. 38 Jason Leffler Great Clips Toyota
34. 00 Martin Truex Jr. Travis Pastrana Toyota
35. 79 Tim Andrews 2nd Chance Race Parts Ford
36. 49 David Green Jay Robinson Racing Chevrolet
37. 90 Danny O'Quinn Jr. D'Hondt Humphrey Racing Chevrolet
38. 70 Mark Green Iron Horse Jeans Chevrolet
39. 91 David Gilliland D'Hondt Humphrey Racing Chevrolet
40. 34 Charles Lewandoski Tri-Star Motorsports Chevrolet
41. 26 Brian Keselowski K-Automotive Motorsports Dodge
42. 92 Dennis Setzer K-Automotive Motorsports Dodge
43. 36 Jeff Green Tri-Star Motorsports Chevrolet

Carl Edwards Captures Phoenix Sprint Cup Race Pole

Photo Credit: Rusty Jarrett/ Getty Images for NASCAR

The second to last race in the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup season, the Kobalt Tools 500 at Phoenix International Raceway will be highlighted by a tight three-driver points battle for the championship. After 8 races in the NASCAR Chase for the Sprint Cup, Denny Hamlin holds a 33-point advantage on reigning champion Jimmie Johnson. Only 59 points out of the lead, Kevin Harvick (who led the points for much of the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup season leading up to the Chase) is still well within striking range of the Sprint Cup championship.

With 46 cars vying for the 43 positions during Coors Light Pole qualifying at Phoenix International Raceway, Carl Edwards emerged in the late proportion of the time trial session to obtain his 3rd 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup pole. Piloting his #99 Roush-Fenway Racing-backed Ford Fusion, the effort of Edwards defeated fellow Ford camp occupant AJ Allmindinger's #43 car. Lapping the one-mile desert oval in a record time of 26.395 seconds, Carl Edwards' margin of pole victory over the #43 Ford was just 0.027 of a second. 

As Allmendinger shot around the one-mile oval, he provided the second straight week for where a Richard Petty Motorsports (RPM) Ford will start on the front row of the NASCAR Sprint Cup main event. Leading off with Elliott Sadler's pole at the last race in Texas, this late season performance is for sure offering a much-needed morale boost for the troubled race organization. The entire week leading up to Phoenix has been consumed with innuendo and rhetoric on the state of RPM believing the team is week-to-week. While plans for the 2011 season is still a big question mark for what form RPM will take in NASCAR Sprint Cup, the team has assured NASCAR fans their four-car stable will be present for the finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. In a press release, AJ Allmendinger bid strong kudos to the team behind his #43 Ford. “No matter what happens I’m just proud of everybody at Richard Petty Motorsports. There’s no secret of what we’re going through right now and it’s a tough time. All the crew guys here and all the guys at the shop listening and watching, they’re amazing people because it could easily tear this team apart." Allmendinger said.

Coming close to victory at Texas Motor Speedway last week, the Roush-Fenway Racing's #16 car driver Greg Biffle placed 4th fastest on the day to present three Fords in the top-4. Breaking a sweep was Kurt Busch and his #2 Dodge Charger. While Ford again shows some serious speed in qualifying, all four manufacturers were reasonably well represented with Jamie McMarray starting 5th on Sunday in an Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing Chevrolet and a #00 Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota piloted by David Reutimann 6th.

A one-mile track, Phoenix International Raceway's flat-banking and configuration lends itself in comparison to many smaller tracks which Sprint Cup drivers would cut their racing teeth on as they progressed through the ranks. A few surprise qualifying runs came from some less familiar stars of NASCAR. Starting 8th, Regan Smith and the #78 Furniture Row Chevrolet flew around the Phoenix race track. One position below Smith, Aric Almirola took 9th place in the #9 Ford after only a handful of starts with the Richard Petty Motorsports team. In post race, Almirola commented "I was actually surprised at how fast it went for how bad it drove, to be honest."

As for the three drivers entering the Kobalt Tools 500 under the Chase points microscope, the best effort was posted by top-ranked Denny Hamlin in the qualifying session. Placing 17th in the #11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota for a less than impressive time, Hamlin is starting at least four positions ahead his point rivals. In 21st place, Jimmie Johnson starts in the #48 Chevrolet and the #29 car of Kevin Harvick is seated in 29th place leading up to the flag Sunday. 


2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup
Phoenix International Raceway
Kobalt Tools 500
Starting Lineup

1. 99 Carl Edwards Aflac Ford
2. 43 A J Allmendinger Insignia HDTV Ford
3. 2 Kurt Busch Miller Lite Dodge
4. 16 Greg Biffle 3M Scotch Ford
5. 1 Jamie McMurray McDonald's Chevrolet
6. 00 David Reutimann TUMS Toyota
7. 18 Kyle Busch M&M's Toyota
8. 78 Regan Smith Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet
9. 9 Aric Almirola Budweiser Ford
10. 20 Joey Logano Home Depot Toyota
11. 56 Martin Truex Jr. NAPA Toyota
12. 6 David Ragan UPS Ford
13. 47 Marcos Ambrose Little Debbie/Safeway Toyota
14. 33 Clint Bowyer Cheerios/Hamburger Helper Chevrolet
15. 17 Matt Kenseth Valvoline Ford
16. 77 Sam Hornish Jr. Mobil 1 Dodge
17. 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Ground Toyota
18. 39 Ryan Newman U.S. ARMY Chevrolet
19. 98 Paul Menard Peak/Menards Ford
20. 14 Tony Stewart Old Spice/Old Spice Chevrolet
21. 48 Jimmie Johnson Lowe's/KOBALT Tools Chevrolet
22. 24 Jeff Gordon DuPont Chevrolet
23. 19 Elliott Sadler Paralyzed Veterans Of America Ford
24. 13 Casey Mears GEICO Toyota
25. 83 Kasey Kahne Red Bull Toyota
26. 09 Bobby Labonte C & J Energy Chevrolet
27. 82 Scott Speed Red Bull Toyota
28. 5 Mark Martin GoDaddy.com Chevrolet
29. 29 Kevin Harvick Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet
30. 12 Brad Keselowski No. 12 Penske Dodge Dodge
31. 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Diet Mntn Dew Paint 88/Natl Guard Chevrolet
32. 36 Dave Blaney Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet
33. 26 JJ Yeley Air Guard Ford
34. 7 Robby Gordon Polaris Toyota
35. 42 Juan Pablo Montoya Target Chevrolet
36. 55 Mike Bliss PRISM Motorsports Toyota
37. 37 David Gilliland Taco Bell Ford
38. 38 Travis Kvapil Long John Silver's Ford
39. 64 Landon Cassill Empire Steel Toyota 
40. 31 Jeff Burton Caterpillar Chevrolet
41. 71 Brendan Gaughan South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet
42. 34 Tony Raines A&W All American Food Ford
43. 81 Terry Labonte Red Line Oil Dodge

Weekend Racing Weather Forecast: Nov 12th to 14th, 2010

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
Yas Marina Circuit
2010 Formula 1

Friday: Forecasts call for no precipitation during Formula 1 practice at Yas Marina Circuit. Daily high temperatures will shoot for 29 degrees Celsius (84 degrees Fahrenheit). Though absolutely sunny, gusty winds of 10-20 miles per hour will sweep through from west-northwest.
Saturday: Ideal qualifying conditions, Yas Marina circuit will be under weather mirroring the Friday sessions. 29 degrees Celsius (85 degrees Fahrenheit) will be the daily high temperature.
Sunday: Weather will heat up just as the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the 2010 Formula 1 finale, is set to run the deciding race for the driver's title. While the grand prix is starting late in the afternoon for lower temperatures, the scorching hot track with a 32 degree high (90 degrees Fahrenheit) temperature, is likely to still effect the start. The full sun beams on the track surface guaranteed to try drivers for grip and their engines for durability.

Avondale, Arizona
Phoenix International Raceway
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series/ Nationwide Series/ Sprint Cup Series

Friday: A full place of action from NASCAR's top-three series is ready to be served up at the one-mile oval on the outskirts of Phoenix. Like Texas, temperatures will swing drastically from daytime highs to nightly lows. The mercury will top-out at 23 degrees Celsius (73 degrees Fahrenheit) while the lows will head down to just 6 degrees (43 degrees Fahrenheit). Typical Arizona skies, sun will be plentiful Friday and for entire race weekend at Phoenix. NASCAR Sprint Cup qualifying is set for the warmer noon time period while the Camping World Truck Series event will start past 8 P.M. Eastern time where temps should fall into the mid-teens after the green flag drops. The second to last race of the season, Todd Bodine can officially lock up the 2010 Camping World Truck Series championship.
Saturday: As sun reigns over the track, high temperatures will reside at 24 degrees Celsius (75 degrees Fahrenheit) but will fall to 7 degrees (45 degrees Fahrenheit) once sun sets. The NASCAR Sprint Cup series have two practices during the morning as well as one during noon time. The NASCAR Nationwide Series will qualify in the morning hours between the Sprint Cup series track sessions and will race at 4 P.M. Eastern time
Sunday: Repeating weather from Saturday, temperatures will once again climb to 24 degrees Celsius (75 degrees Fahrenheit) as the major race for the NASCAR Sprint Cup series rolls.

Kyle Busch's Expensive Bird: NASCAR Penalizes Driver for Obscenity

Photo Credit: Chris Trotman/Getty Images

Finishing 32nd place in the AAA Texas 500, it is evident the Kyle Busch and the #18 Joe Gibbs Racing did not experience a noteworthy third-last race of the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup season. However, actions conducted by the #18 Toyota team's driver would not allow this poor finish to be forgotten. Tuesday following the event, Kyle Busch was assessed a monetary penalty of $25,000. Along with probation for the final two races, an incident deemed by NASCAR Rule Book as a violation of section 12-1 called actions detrimental to stock car racing comes as a result of an obscene gesture.

On the 159th lap of the 500 mile race, the #18 Toyota of Kyle Busch was spun on track. Without suffering any damage but requiring pit road service, Busch attempted to beat the pace car who was coming up to lap the M&Ms Toyota. Racing off pace car for what originally appeared to be a small victory for the Joe Gibbs Racing team, NASCAR determined the #18 car was speeding out of pit road. Unhappy, Kyle Busch and Co. was called back to the pit stall to receive a 1-lap penalty. It was in serving this penalty  In actions many saw as brazen show of disrespect, Kyle Busch flipped off a NASCAR official while serving a pit road penalty during Sunday's AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motors Speedway. Unimpressed, NASCAR handed the driver a 2-lap penalty within the race. Without the concept of double jeopardy, NASCAR proceeded to reprimand Busch two days later with this recent fine.

Known by the nickname of "Rowdy" after mirroring the firey, fictional character in Days of Thunder years ago racing a #51 truck at Charlotte, Kyle Busch's 'play-to-win' persona has brought art to life. Such a driven racer, the younger Busch has shown at times lacking patience with other competitors and on occasion being discourteous particularly to media. However as of late, the 27-year old Joe Gibbs Racing was showing a more mature side up until the Sunday afternoon incident.

On Kyle Busch's Facebook page, the #18 Joe Gibbs Racing driver issued a statement calling himself out for his actions.

“I accept NASCAR’s penalty and realize what I did during Sunday’s race at Texas was inappropriate.



“Even in my relatively short time here in NASCAR, it’s pretty obvious to everyone that I wear my emotions on my sleeve. Sometimes that passion has allowed me to find that little something extra I needed to win, and other times it’s made me cross the line. Sunday at Texas was one of those days.


“I lost my cool, plain and simple. It’s not acceptable, and I know that. I apologize to NASCAR, its fans, all the partners who support Joe Gibbs Racing, and all the people who work so hard to give me a racecar that’s capable of winning races every week. All of those people deserve better from me, and I owe it to them to keep my emotions in check.”


While the driver has sufficiently spoken on his conduct, the Joe Gibbs Racing website neglected to share any details of the actual incident. Kyle Busch's race team's post race report for Texas merely called the incident "Subsequent penalties imposed by NASCAR..".

As NASCAR has encouraged drivers to maintain their personalities, incidents such as the one present with Kyle Busch's public and profane display are not going unwatched by the stock car sanctioning body. In fact, it has been rumoured that multiple NASCAR drivers were secretly fined for their conduct on and off the track. Even comments made on social networking site like Facebook and Twitter are under NASCAR scrutiny.

All monetary intake from NASCAR fines are directed to the NASCAR Foundation charity.

Montoya Targets Talladega Pole for AMP Energy 500

Jason Smith/ Getty images for NASCAR

Drawing an early run through afternoon time trials, Juan Pablo Montoya placed the #42 Target-sponsored Chevrolet on pole for Sunday's AMP Energy 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. Only the 6th car set to take the track, Montoya's Earnhardt-Childress Racing (ECR) Engine benefited with the earlier, cooler conditions to circulate around the 2.66 mile tri-oval in 51.863 seconds or 184.640 miles per hour. Undefeated in competition on NASCAR Sprint Cup restrictor plate races this season, the ECR engine program has yet another reason to celebrate as Montoya and Richard Childress Racing's #33 Chevrolet of Clint Bowyer occupy the front row.

Kurt Busch provided a strong run for the 3rd fastast run in qualifying with his Penske Racing #2 Dodge while Joe Nemecheck provides a minor surprise by rushing his #87 Toyota into 4th place. Saying it's a minor surprise, it is typical on restrictor plate tracks that smaller, underfunded teams like Nemechek's independent effort will take measures to add horsepower which is inadvisable but worthwhile in gaining a higher field presence in the race. Several other cars including the #36 Chevrolet of Tommy Baldwin Racing, the #13 Germain Racing Toyota, a second Nemechek #97 Toyota and the #46 Chevy owned by Dusty Whitney are shaped within the top-15 of the AMP Energy 500.

In relations to the ever-more important Chase for the Sprint Cup as only 3 races remain after Talladega, the top-two drivers in points have taken conservative runs through superspeedway qualifying. Denny Hamlin qualified 17th while Jimmie Johnson is 19th. For the #11 Toyota of Hamlin, his starting spot is the highest for the Joe Gibbs Racing team with Joey Logano placing 25th and Kyle Busch buried early in 32rd spot. In the Hendrick Motorsports stable, Jeff Gordon as well as Mark Martin will start just ahead of Kyle Busch's #18 Toyota in 30th and 31st positions. From the drop of the green flag, revered but embattled superspeedway driver Dale Earnhardt Jr #88 Chevy team leads the Hendrick drivers with a 6th place result after qualifying.



While speeds have been contained under the 185-mile per hour range for single-car qualifying, practice speeds in multiple-vehicle drafting conditions have seen NASCAR Sprint Cup cars flying more than 12 miles per hour faster.

Talladega Superspeedway, the 2.66 mile tri-oval is immediately going allow drivers to gain considerable ground within a span of a single lap. Conversely, the track also presents NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers an invitation to make a smallest mistake which will either cost positions or even their race car. The 'Big Wreck' is always a high probability at Talladega and been known to change everything. Drivers in tight points battles inside and outside of the NASCAR Chase for the Sprint Cup will be on edge for 188 laps Sunday.


2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup
AMP Energy 500
Talladega Superspeedway
October 30, 2010

Starting Lineup:

1. 42 Juan Pablo Montoya Target Chevrolet
2. 33 Clint Bowyer BB&T Chevrolet
3. 2 Kurt Busch Operation Home Front/Miller Lite Dodge
4. 87 Joe Nemechek Gator.com Toyota
5. 31 Jeff Burton Cat Financial Chevrolet
6. 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. LgndofHllwdegaAMPEnrgyJuice/NtnlGrd Chev
7. 36 Dave Blaney Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet
8. 39 Ryan Newman U.S. ARMY Chevrolet
9. 13 Casey Mears GEICO Toyota 
10. 77 Sam Hornish Jr. Mobil 1 Dodge
11. 12 Brad Keselowski No. 12 Penske Dodge
12. 1 Jamie McMurray Bass Pro Shops Tribute Chevrolet
13. 97 Jeff Fuller HeatRedefined.com Toyota 
14. 29 Kevin Harvick Realtree/Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet
15. 46 Michael McDowell Whitney's Collision Centers Chevrolet 
16. 83 Kasey Kahne Red Bull Toyota
17. 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Freight Toyota 
18. 56 Martin Truex Jr. NAPA Toyota
19. 48 Jimmie Johnson Lowe's Chevrolet
20. 55 Michael Waltrip Aaron's 55th Anniversary Toyota 
21. 00 David Reutimann Aaron's Dream Machine Toyota
22. 71 Chad McCumbee TRG Motorsports/ModSpace Chevrolet 
23. 99 Carl Edwards Subway Ford
24. 09 Bobby Labonte Komatsu/TEC Chevrolet 
25. 20 Joey Logano Home Depot Toyota
26. 14 Tony Stewart Office Depot/Old Spice Chevrolet
27. 17 Matt Kenseth Crown Royal Black Ford
28. 6 David Ragan UPS Ford
29. 82 Scott Speed Red Bull Toyota
30. 5 Mark Martin GoDaddy.com Chevrolet
31. 24 Jeff Gordon DuPont/National Guard Chevrolet
32. 18 Kyle Busch M&M's Toyota
33. 19 Elliott Sadler Hunt Brothers Pizza Ford
34. 16 Greg Biffle 3M Ford
35. 47 Marcos Ambrose Kleenex/Clorox Toyota
36. 43 A J Allmendinger Valvoline Ford 
37.  9 Aric Almirola Budweiser Ford
38. 98 Paul Menard Serta/Menards Ford
39. 78 Regan Smith Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet
40. 37 David Gilliland Taco Bell Ford
41. 34 Robert Richardson Jr. A&W All American Food Ford 
42.  7 Robby Gordon Speed Energy Toyota
43. 26 Bill Elliott Air Guard Ford