NASCAR Chase Numbers to Watch for at New Hampshire

Photo Credit: Nick Laham/Getty Images

One race down, nine to go. The 10-race 2014 NASCAR Chase for the Sprint Cup is entering its second event this weekend with Brad Keselowski claiming a crucial victory. Securing himself a spot from the Challenger to the Contender round in the 2014 Chase, Keselowski's win is quite an impressive score for the Penske Racing driver. For the three years that Chicagoland has played host to the opening round of the NASCAR Chase, the winner has gone on to win the championship twice. Of course, with a new Chase system in place, it's hard to determine how much of an advantage an early Chase victory would be for winding up in contention for the trophy at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

One more important note leftover from the Chicagoland race is that the average finish for championship winners at the track was 2.33. For Brad Keselowski and Jeff Gordon, the historical calculations could bode well to their championship chances for 2014.

Here is a review of last week's race at Chicagoland comparing the 16 NASCAR Sprint Cup Chase contenders run to historical data. Despite the all-new ladder Chase system, I still believe maintaining the highest possible result throughout the 10 races is key. For many driver's, improving on their 2013 and career average finish was paramount at the MyAFibStory.com 400 at Chicagoland Speedway. After the 2014 race Denny Hamlin, Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr as well as Joey Logano rose to the Chase occasion by bettering both their 2013 result and average finish in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at the track. Aric Almirola's mechanical misfortunes at Chicagoland resulted in the driver of the #43 Ford Fusion furthest negative decline based on historic criteria.

Driver		Chicagoland 2013	Career	Finish	2014 vs 2013	2014 vs Career
Jeff Gordon		6	11.6	2	4	9.6
Jimmie Johnson		5	8.9	12	-7	-3.1
Dale Earnhardt Jr.		35	15.8	11	24	4.8
Brad Keselowski		7	12.6	1	6	11.6
Kasey Kahne		12	18.3	13	-1	5.3
Joey Logano		37	19.4	4	33	15.4
Carl Edwards		11	16	20	-9	-4
AJ Allmendinger		21	17.6	22	-1	-4.4
Ryan Newman		10	14.5	15	-5	-0.5
Kevin Harvick		3	9.9	5	-2	4.9
Kyle Busch		2	12.4	7	-5	5.4
Denny Hamlin		33	20.5	6	27	14.5
Aric Almirola		13	15	41	-28	-26
Matt Kenseth		1	11.8	10	-9	1.8
Greg Biffle		16	18	23	-7	-5
Kurt Busch		4	17.2	8	-4	9.2

For the second race 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Chase event, the Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway has been part of the 10-race play-off style championship since its inception in 2004. This year's championship contender Matt Kenseth is seeking to defend his 2013 win. Comparing Career average finishes at New Hampshire, Kenseth's Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin holds the advantage. The driver of the #11 Toyota race car has placed in an average spot of 8.9 since joining the Sprint Cup series in 2006. Hamlin will start fourth on Sunday for the Sylvania 300.

The average finish for past championship winners at New Hampshire Motor Speedway has been ninth place. The worst finish at the track for a driver during a successful title run occurred in 2006 when Jimmie Johnson crossed the line in 39th place. In fact, two of Johnson's championships resulted in New Hampshire being his worst track in the Chase. The race in New England was also won twice by the year's champion with Kurt Busch in 2004 and Tony Stewart in 2011.

The 16 Chase contender along with 27 additional cars will race for 300 miles around the 1.058-mile oval track. As the final important number to state, start time for Sunday's event is 2:15 PM Eastern time.

Predicting the 2014 NASCAR Chase Future Through Past Finishes

For ten years, NASCAR has been operating the Chase in the Sprint Cup series as a playoff for major league stock car racing. For 2014 though, the Chase has received a substantial makeover. Up to 16 drivers in contention, three rounds involving drivers getting knocked out and Homestead-Miami Speedway becoming a guaranteed showdown for four finalists is new traits found in the 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Chasse. The only lingering leftover from the last chase format is the 10 races used to decide the championship’s outcome.

Attempting to predict the 2014 Chase for the Sprint Cup, I have considered the prospect computing race results of the 16 drivers participating in this year’s hunt. Using the historical finishes or average finishes, I came up with three interesting outcomes. Keep note that I am not taking into consideration the bonus points for victory in calculations. Using the Challenger, Contender and Eliminator rounds, I compiled the average finishes of each driver. With this information, I have extracted some entertaining accounts of where the 16 Chase drivers could end up in the 2014 championship fight. While I tried to make this a decent math lesson for myself, please do not put money on this information (I most certainly would not put my money on the line).

The following scenarios is work compiled as merely an entertaining exercise to see if the NASCAR Sprint Cup Chase champion could be arrived to even before the first race at Chicagoland Speedway has received a green flag:

Potential Chase Outcome Scenario #1: Based on 2013 Finishes

Let’s say if for some miraculous reason drivers somehow finish races in identical or similar positions as 2013, the conclusion will be highly favourable for three of the four Hendrick Motorsports cars heading into homestead. In this study, in addition to average finishes, I have taken into account 2013 wins by some drivers as automatic entry into the next Chase round. This allowed Brad Keselowski to advance through the Contender round and given Jeff Gordon a chance to compete for the NASCAR Sprint Cup in this possible Chase.

Since AJ Allmendinger did not run in all 10 races in 2013, I substituted 2014 results at the tracks where he did not run last fall.

Finalists	Dale Earnhardt Jr.
	Jimmie Johnson
	Kevin Harvick
	Jeff Gordon
Eliminated in Eliminator Round	Brad Keselowski
	Carl Edwards
	Matt Kenseth
	Kurt Busch
Eliminated in Contender Round	Joey Logano
	Ryan Newman
	Kyle Busch
	Greg Biffle
Eliminated in Challenger Round	Kasey Kahne
	AJ Allmendinger
	Denny Hamlin
	Aric Almirola

　

Potential Chase Outcome Scenario #2: Last Race Run by Driver at Track

In this one, I used data from the last time drivers completed at a specific track on the Chase schedule. Eight of those race tracks have already held 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup races. In the case of Chicagoland Speedway and Homestead-Miami Speedway, I used the 2013 races for both ovals.

Finalists	Kevin Harvick
	Jeff Gordon
	Jimmie Johnson
	Matt Kenseth
Eliminated in Eliminator Round	Greg Biffle
	Carl Edwards
	Kyle Busch
	Brad Keselowski
Eliminated in Contender Round	Dale Earnhardt Jr.
	Joey Logano
	Ryan Newman
	Denny Hamlin
Eliminated in Challenger Round	Kasey Kahne
	Kurt Busch
	AJ Allmendinger
	Aric Almirola

　

Potential Chase Outcome Scenario #3: Average Career Finishes Mixed with Last Race Finishes

Since I thought that average career finishes might not have been entirely accurate, I decided to weigh their recent results on a driver’s average. In the case of Denny Hamlin, the result was no change. For Kyle Busch, Matt Kenseth and Aric Almirola, the computation of measuring career finishes against recent finishes showed a around five-position overall improvement for the final 10 Chase race tracks. Jimmie Johnson and Kurt Busch have shown the largest negative change with their recent finishes measuring poorly to their career averages.

Finalists	Carl Edwards
	Jeff Gordon
	Jimmie Johnson
	Kyle Busch
Eliminated in Eliminator Round	Kevin Harvick
	Kasey Kahne
	Denny Hamlin
	Aric Almirola
Eliminated in Contender Round	Brad Keselowski
	Ryan Newman
	Kurt Busch
	Matt Kenseth
Eliminated in Challenger Round	Dale Earnhardt Jr.
	AJ Allmendinger
	Greg Biffle
	Joey Logano

　

These three possible NASCAR Sprint Cup Chase outcomes are largely based on what has happened. One thing to know about the future is that it doesn’t always take advice from the past. There are so many variables beyond previous finishes to consider. The 2014 Chase has three drivers competing with their first full season with a different organization than in previous years. Also, Carl Edwards and long-time team Roush Fenway Racing are parting company at the end of this season potentially influencing the #99 Ford in a strongly positive or negative way. Tracks like Talladega Superspeedway and even Martinsville Speedway have to potential to radically shift the points balance.

With Chicagoland Speedway readying to host the first race of the 2014 Chase, all 16 drivers will be trying to register the right numbers to compete for the Sprint Cup at Homestead-Miami.

Information and photo source: NASCAR, Richmond International Raceway

Keselowski Kicks Cup Competitors for Bristol Win

Photo Credit: Brian Czobat/Autostock

The first NASCAR Sprint Cup race of the 2012 season held on a track under a mile in length, the 0.533-mile Bristol Motor Speedway served as the stage of 43 cars competing for the Food City 500.

 

A Sunday event offering a scheduled course of 500 laps, the Food City 500 in Bristol, Tennessee started with race’s pole sitter Roush Fenway Racing #16 Ford driver Greg Biffle taking the outside line for the start. A decision occasionally exercised by the pole sitter or race leader on coming to a green flag, Greg Biffle’s choice for the outside line was very much allowed in the NASCAR Sprint Cup rulebook. Since a dramatic resurfacing of the Bristol short track was performed in 2007, variable banking meant that competitors could chose various fast lines around the oval. For Biffle, taking the green flag on the outside lane for the start of the Food City 500 worked flawlessly in establishing the #16 Ford Fusion as the early favourite at Bristol. Leading the first 41 laps, the Food City 500 pace early was important to Greg Biffle’s presence at the top of the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Driver’s standings.

 

With rain washing off the Bristol Motor Speedway surface the night before the afternoon event, NASCAR was prepared to throw a competition caution in order to help teams adjust to the altered racing conditions. Set for lap 50, there would be no need for the scheduled yellow flag. Initialized with contact between the #5 Farmers Insurance Chevrolet of Kasey Kahne and the #78 Furniture Row Chevrolet through the track‘s frontstretch, the resulting pile-up swept up some front-running mainstays early in the Food City 500. The #99 Ford of Carl Edwards, Kyle Busch’s #18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, the #9 Ford of Marcos Ambrose and Kevin Harvick’s #29 Chevrolet all sustained some form of noticeable damage from a multi-car tangle in turn 1.

Photo Credit: John Harrelson/Getty Images for NASCAR

 

Under the yellow flag for 22 laps, there was a considerable time during the Food City 500 for all cars to adjust and repair their stock car. Despite the early carnage, NASCAR Sprint Cup team members thrashed away at the damage race vehicles eventually returning every car involved in the lap 24 crash. While cars like the #29 Richard Childress Racing-owned #29 Chevrolet of Kevin Harvick were serviced on pit road, the race vehicles of Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards required extensive work behind the wall that would trap both drivers down multiple laps for the event.

 

During the pit stop cycle where the NASCAR Sprint Cup competitors, the Penske Racing #22 Dodge piloted by AJ Allmendinger stayed on the race track becoming the new leader of the Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway. Despite being challenged by cars with better tires, Allmendinger held on to the race’s top spot for an impressive 54 laps. However, after Allmendinger was passed by a Michael Waltrip Racing-owned #55 Toyota, the #22 Shell/Pennzoil Dodge Charger would become more of a handful for the driver over the course of the short track event. Never regaining the lead, AJ Allmendinger’s struggle into the later stages of the race ended with a 17th place finish two laps down.

 

Photo Credit: Russell LaBounty

 

 

 

Taking the lead on lap 118, the #55 Toyota Camry (driven by Mark Martin during the first three races as part of his limited schedule on the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup schedule), Brian Vickers was wheeling the Michael Waltrip Racing stock car. Left without a ride after the 2011 when Team Red Bull Racing exited the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Vickers’ 2012 debut at Bristol was a one chance to showcase his driving talent during the young tour. Leading three times for a total of 125 laps, Brian Vickers definitely sent a clear message that the two-time Sprint Cup Series race winning driver was determined and talented enough for more events.

 

Along with Vickers’, the Michael Waltrip Racing team surrounding the part-time driver also showed off some fantastic talent through the Bristol Motor Speedway race. The team’s #56 NAPA Toyota driven by Martin Truex Jr did not lead a lap at in the Food City 500 by hung around the front pack throughout the event to finish third at Bristol. Behind Truex Jr, Clint Bowyer would finish the Food City 500 a strong 4th after several hiccups in the 2012 season to date. Leading so many laps through the mid-stage of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event, Brian Vickers ended the 500-lap race in 5th place.

 

With only five cautions breaking up an otherwise rather tame Bristol short track event, only the lap 24 caution resulted in several cars being victimized by a single mishap on-track. Other notable caution in the Food City 500 came on lap 361 through the interaction between two Hendrick Motorsports teammates. Running side-by-side down the backstretch, the #88 of Dale Earnhardt Jr and Jeff Gordon’s #24 Chevrolet touched each other gently on the side panels. Looking like innocent contact for an instant, the impact would cut-down Gordon’s left rear tire causing the #24 Chevrolet to veer into the turn 3 wall. Is it believed that the exhaust pipe area of the #88 car sliced the Goodyear tire of Jeff Gordon’s car to cause the incident.

Photo Credit: Rainier Ehrhardt/Getty Images for NASCAR

 

As an infuriated Gordon would finish 105 laps down at Bristol netting a 35th place finish, his teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr would see his top-5 effort go down the tubes due to a late-race speeding penalty. The #88 Chevrolet would limp around the Bristol Motor Speedway for a 15th place result.

 

A race controlled early by Penske Racing’s #22 car, the #2 Miller Lite Dodge of Brad Keselowski would emerge to the front on lap 217. Narrowly averting involvement in the lap 24 accident, Keselowski was seeking an opportunity to win repeat Bristol races following his summer 2011 victory at the short track.

Challenged by Matt Kenseth’s #17 Ford Fusion, the #2 Dodge survived a late race caution to triumph at the short track. Leading 232 laps of the Food City 500 (including the final 111 laps), Keselowski wins his first event in the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup season. With Dodge entering the winner’s circle for this fourth NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race of the season, every auto company involved in the tour his won an event.

 

Behind Brad Keselowski, the top-5 for the Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway featured Matt Kenseth, Martin Truex Jr, Clint Bowyer and Brian Vickers.

 

 

2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Food City 500
Bristol Motor Speedway
Race Results

 

1. 2 Brad Keselowski Miller Lite Dodge
2. 17 Matt Kenseth Best Buy Ford
3. 56 Martin Truex Jr. NAPA Auto Parts Toyota
4. 15 Clint Bowyer 5-hour Energy Toyota
5. 55 Brian Vickers Aaron's Toyota
6. 31 Jeff Burton BB&T Chevrolet
7. 1 Jamie McMurray McDonald's Chevrolet
8. 42 Juan Pablo Montoya Target Chevrolet
9. 48 Jimmie Johnson Lowe's / Kobalt Tools Chevrolet
10. 27 Paul Menard Menards / MOEN Chevrolet
11. 29 Kevin Harvick Budweiser Chevrolet
12. 39 Ryan Newman Quicken Loans Chevrolet
13. 16 Greg Biffle 811 / 3M Ford
14. 14 Tony Stewart Office Depot / Mobil 1 Chevrolet
15. 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. National Guard / Diet Mountain Dew Chevrolet
16. 20 Joey Logano The Home Depot Toyota
17. 22 AJ Allmendinger Shell Pennzoil Dodge
18. 51 Kurt Busch Hendrickcars.com Chevrolet
19. 43 Aric Almirola Charter Communications Ford
20. 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Ground Toyota
21. 10 David Reutimann TRADEBANK Chevrolet
22. 33 Brendan Gaughan South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet
23. 34 David Ragan Long John Silver's Ford
24. 78 Regan Smith Furniture Row Racing / CSX Play It Safe Chevrolet
25. 13 Casey Mears GEICO Ford
26. 38 David Gilliland Taco Bell Ford
27. 93 Travis Kvapil Burger King / Dr. Pepper Toyota
28. 47 Bobby Labonte Clorox / Scott Products Toyota
29. 83 Landon Cassill Burger King / Dr. Pepper Toyota
30. 49 JJ Yeley JPO Absorbents Toyota
31. 98 Michael McDowell K LOVE - Let It Start With Me Ford
32. 18 Kyle Busch Wrigley Doublemint Toyota
33. 32 Ken Schrader We Drive Sales - TMone.com Ford
34. 36 Dave Blaney Seal Wrap / Widow Wax Chevrolet
35. 24 Jeff Gordon Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet
36. 9 Marcos Ambrose MAC Tools Ford
37. 5 Kasey Kahne Farmers Insurance Chevrolet
38. 30 David Stremme Food Country USA / Inception Motorsports Toyota
39. 99 Carl Edwards Kellogg's / Cheez-It Ford
40. 87 Joe Nemechek AM/FM Energy Wood & Pellet Stoves Toyota
41. 23 Scott Riggs North Texas Pipe Chevrolet
42. 74 Reed Sorenson Carnegie Hotel / Turn One Racing Chevrolet
43. 26 Josh Wise Morristown Drivers Service Ford

Wizard of the Chase Johnson Wins Kansas Cup Race

Photo Credit: Tom Whitmore/Getty Images for NASCAR

 

Kansas Speedway is the second of four 1.5 mile tri-oval track locales in the 2011 Chase for the Sprint Cup. At the first so-called "cookie-cutter track", Tony Stewart become an early championship favourite when he won the Chicagoland Speedway event on fuel mileage. With 43 NASCAR Sprint Cup series drivers entered for the Hollywood Casino 400, the 12 Chase drivers continue to be under a microscope as some contenders are attempting to assert themselves in this fourth event in the 10-race championship fight.

 

Non-Chase driver Greg Biffle in the #16 Ford took the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series pole Friday outrunning his Roush Fenway Racing teammate and Chase points leader Carl Edwards. One of the 29 other cars and teams caught in the delicate spot of racing for wins without performing any costly moves against Chase contenders, Biffle was undaunted from racing to win. However, the #16 driver himself would realize having raced within the NASCAR Sprint Cup championship format in previous years.

 

Starting in 19th place, the Hendrick Motorsports #48 Lowes Chevrolet was led to the front quickly by the skillful Jimmie Johnson. Up to 9th place after only the first 15 laps, Johnson took the lead for the first time in the Hollywood Casino 400 at lap 24. Competitors and race fans would soon realize as the Kansas Speedway Sprint Cup event endured the force of the #48 team was in full force. After a rather dormant existence in the 2011 Chase for the Sprint Cup, Jimmie Johnson resided at the front for 197 laps over the 267-lap race distance. At one point in the race, Johnson pulled out a 12-second lead on the second-place running vehicle.

 

Other than Jimmie Johnson, the Roush Fenway Ford Fusions of Matt Kenseth and Kansas race pole winner Greg Biffle recorded the only significant collection of laps at the end of the Hollywood Casino 400. With Biffle leading most of his 23 total laps early in the #16 Ford, Matt Kenseth led for 26 laps in the #17 Crown Royal Ford. Between lap 64 and lap 66, Kenseth and Biffle battled to stay at front prior to pit stops. Important for the 2011 NASCAR Chase standings, Kyle Busch in the #18 Toyota, Kurt Busch and Jeff Gordon would lead laps during the Kansas Speedway event netting a single championship point a piece.

Photo Credit: Tyler Barrick Autostock USA

 

While Johnson enjoyed a glorious time at the front of the Kansas Speedway event, the rest of the Hendrick Motorsport team participated in a relatively quiet scheduled 400.5-mile event. Previous Kansas track winner Mark Martin came home 10th in the #5 Chevrolet while Dale Earnhardt Jr soldiered through a rather uneventful race in the #88 car. Concluding without a tire issue, the 14th place finish was improved over the previous two NASCAR Sprint Cup races.

 

The final Hendrick Motorsport car, the #24 Chevrolet of Jeff Gordon, had a dramatic end to his day. Chancing older tires against the force of new tires, Gordon and the #24 Dupont stayed on track improving his track position. Restarting on lap 211, Gordon and the #14 Chevy of Tony Stewart made slight contact causing the #24 car to lose pace, falling out of the top-10 quickly. As the end of the car neared, Jeff Gordon's day turned worse when mechanical problems caused the Hendrick Motorsports engine to break spectacularly with only on lap 265. Dropping to 34th place at the end, the timing of this caution inadvertently threatened what was an almost guaranteed sprint to victory by teammate Jimmie Johnson. 

Photo Credit: Tom Pennington/Getty Images

 

In the late stage of the Hollywood Casino 400, the #4 Red Bull Toyota piloted by Kasey Kahne. Starting 5th and demonstrating strong race pace with the Toyota Camry stock car, Kahne lost considerable ground early at Kansas Speedway on a pit stop under the race's first caution on lap 21. Combined with a broken jack, Kahne's entrance out of pit road was blocked by the #48 car of Jimmie Johnson.

 

Bypassing the #2 Dodge of Brad Keselowski in late laps at Kansas, Kasey Kahne was the closest contender showing any ability of defeating the Lowes-sponsored Chevy. On a green-white-checker restart resulting from the blown engine of the #24 Chevrolet, Jimmie Johnson obtained a major jump that allowed a safe distance ahead of Kahne through the final 2 laps of the race. Winning his 55th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event, the Kansas victory was Johnson's first since the Talladega spring 2011 race.

 

Behind second place Kasey Kahne in the finishing order of the Hollywood Casino 400 was Brad Keselowski, Matt Kenseth and Carl Edwards. Besides non-Chase driver Kahne, four other drivers outside of the 12-driver end of season points fight for 2011 were in the Kansas race's top-10. From 7th to 10th were the cars of Clint Bowyer, Greg Biffle, Marcos Ambrose and Mark Martin.

 

The Hollywood Casino 400 top-4 consisted of a Chevrolet ahead of a Toyota with a Dodge and a Ford resulting in some close manufacturer parity. However, Chevrolet clinches the Sprint Cup Series manufacturer's championship thanks to the #48 Impala's Kansas win.

 

Elevated in the points with the win, Jimmie Johnson is in 3rd place in the Chase points standing. Driver of the #99 Ford Carl Edwards obtains a one-point gap over Kevin Harvick who came home in 6th place. Edwards and Harvick entered the Kansas race tied with the difference of a single position breaking the draw.

 

A 500-mile night race at Charlotte Motor Speedway is next for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Jamie McMurray won the Charlotte event in 2010 over Kyle Busch.

  

2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup
Hollywood Casino 400
Kansas Speedway
Race Results


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

1. 48 Jimmie Johnson Lowe's Chevrolet
2. 4 Kasey Kahne Red Bull Toyota
3. 2 Brad Keselowski Miller Lite Dodge
4. 17 Matt Kenseth Crown Royal Ford
5. 99 Carl Edwards Aflac Ford
6. 29 Kevin Harvick Budweiser Chevrolet
7. 33 Clint Bowyer Cheerios / Hamburger Helper Chevrolet
8. 16 Greg Biffle Sherwin-Williams Ford
9. 9 Marcos Ambrose DeWalt Ford
10. 5 Mark Martin CARQUEST / GoDaddy.com Chevrolet
11. 18 Kyle Busch M&M's Toyota
12. 27 Paul Menard Schrock / Menards Chevrolet
13. 22 Kurt Busch Shell Pennzoil Dodge
14. 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. National Guard / AMP Energy Chevrolet
15. 14 Tony Stewart Office Depot / Mobil 1 Chevrolet
16. 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Freight Toyota
17. 51 Landon Cassill Security Benefits / Thank A Teacher Today Chevrolet
18. 39 Ryan Newman HAAS Automation Chevrolet
19. 83 Brian Vickers Red Bull Toyota
20. 6 David Ragan UPS Ford
21. 31 Jeff Burton Caterpillar Chevrolet
22. 1 Jamie McMurray Bass Pro Shops / Arctic Cat Chevrolet
23. 42 Juan Pablo Montoya Target Chevrolet
24. 78 Regan Smith Furniture Row Racing / Farm American Chevrolet
25. 43 A J Allmendinger Best Buy Ford
26. 98 Austin Dillon President Ronald Reagan Centennial Chevrolet
27. 38 Travis Kvapil Long John Silver's Ford
28. 32 Mike Bliss Street King Ford
29. 20 Joey Logano The Home Depot Toyota
30. 47 Bobby Labonte Bush's Beans / Kingsford Toyota
31. 36 Dave Blaney Big Red Chevrolet
32. 34 David Gilliland A&W All American Food Ford
33. 46 Scott Speed ordergreenstuff.com Ford
34. 24 Jeff Gordon DuPont Chevrolet
35. 0 David Reutimann Aaron's Dream Machine Toyota
36. 56 Martin Truex Jr. NAPA Auto Parts Toyota
37. 71 Andy Lally # Interstate Moving Services Ford
38. 7 Reed Sorenson SPEED Energy / MAPEI / Menards Dodge
39. 66 Michael McDowell Victory Junction Toyota
40. 30 David Stremme Inception Motorsports Chevrolet
41. 87 Joe Nemechek AM FM Energy Toyota
42. 13 Casey Mears GEICO Toyota
43. 55 J J Yeley Front Row Motorsports Ford

Keselowski powers to Nationwide win at Kansas

Photo Credit: Tom Whitmore/Getty Images for NASCAR

By Reid Spencer
Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service

(October 8, 2011)

KANSAS CITY, Kan.—Driving a No. 22 Dodge that felt as if it were on rails, Brad Keselowski dominated Saturday's Kansas Lottery 300 at Kansas Speedway to win his fourth Nationwide Series race of the year and the 16th of his career.

The reigning series champion passed runner-up Carl Edwards with just over 13 laps left and pulled away to win by 2.795 seconds. Elliott Sadler ran third, followed by Paul Menard and Nationwide points leader Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

Keselowski had a 10-second lead over Menard when the engine in Josh Wise's
Chevrolet exploded on Lap 142. The No. 22 Dodge hit pit road for tires and fuel and quickly stretched out his lead.

But when Angela Cope spun and hit the Turn 2 wall on Lap 173, Edwards was able to grab the lead to the inside after a restart on Lap 179. His advantage didn't last. Keselowski moved past Edwards to the inside on Lap 187 and pulled away for the win.

From Keselowski's perspective, the winning pass was anything but a foregone conclusion.

"The first few laps that I was behind him, I was pushing so bad in his air that I had some serious doubts," Keselowski said. "I go back to last week at Dover in the (Sprint) Cup car. In the last segment, we restarted 21st or something like that, drove through the lapped cars, and I ran down the lead pack from a straightaway behind in about four laps—I was three or four tenths (of a second) a lap faster.

"Then I caught the back half of the field and slowed down three or fourth tenths of a second in the dirty air. I was thinking about that the whole time I was behind Carl there, and I was like, 'Oh, my God, this is going to be another one of those days.' But I was able to move my line around and find clean air."

Keselowski may have had his doubts. Edwards—not so much.

"Brad's car was so fast," Edwards said. "I knew after about 30 laps that, unless something happened, we were going to be racing pretty hard for second place. Fortunately, there at the end, I did get a chance to race with him a little bit."

As it turned out, not for long.

Keselowski was the clear class of the field in the first half of the race. On successive green-flag runs, he opened leads of seven, five and four seconds before cautions bunched the field. Keselowski led Sadler by 3.785 seconds when NASCAR called the fourth caution of the race on Lap 86 for Timmy Hill's blown engine.

Keselowski, who had stayed out under the previous yellow, came to pit road for fuel and four tires on Lap 88 but stalled his car in his pit box because of a miscommunication between driver and crew on when to leave the stall.

"My fault," Keselowski radioed after the mistake. "I wasn't ready when you dropped the jack."

Keselowski restarted 14th on Lap 96. Six laps later, he was back in the lead, blowing past Aric Almirola for the top spot on Lap 101.

Notes: Stenhouse leads Sadler by 20 points in the series standings with four races left in the season. … Reed Sorenson, driving the Randy MacDonald's No. 82 Dodge after his sudden ouster from the No. 32 Turner Motorsports Chevy earlier in the week, ran 26th, two laps down. He remains third in points but fell from 49 to 70 behind Stenhouse. … With his runner-up finish in the No. 60 Ford, Edwards trimmed the lead of the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota to seven points in the owners' standings. … Danica Patrick finished 15th, her best result since finishing 10th at Daytona in July.

Ambrose Ambushes Field at the Glen for First Cup Win

Photo Credit: Tyler Barrick Autostock USA

The second of only two road course races on the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule, the Heluva Good! Sour Cream at the Glen runs accommodates the heavy stock cars for a 25th consecutive year. Regular drivers routinely face-off with specialists of the twist and turns of Watkins Glen International. The 2011 event was no exception as Ron Fellows, Boris Said, as well as road racing proficient Cup regulars Marcos Ambrose and Juan Pablo Montoya will be presenting an opportunity to dominate. Strong opponents against the primarily oval-based drivers, the competitive gap between Sprint Cup regular and Road Race Ringers have long been narrowing making 90-laps at the Watkins Glen course an eagerly awaited affair.

Running one day late to due a significant downpour flooding the Watkins Glen race track on the scheduled Sunday date, the 43 NASCAR Sprint Cup stock cars raced early Monday morning at the former Formula 1 US Grand Prix circuit. The Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at the Glen started with Richard Petty Motorsports Ford getting the better of the pole-winning Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota piloted by Kyle Busch. Taking the lead by the first lap, the #43 of AJ Allmendinger advantage was gained through his front row starting position. Formerly an open wheel racing star, Allmendinger spent the early stages in the first place position until his teammate Marcos Ambrose snatched the lead away on lap 9 at Watkins Glen. Winning the NASCAR Nationwide Series event at Watkins Glen three year in a row, Tasmanian native Ambrose time in the stock car racing series has seen the road racing specialist grow as an oval racer. However, driving the #9 Stanley Tools Ford Fusion, Marcos Ambrose's talent racing tracks like Watkins Glen makes him a real favourite for a first victory.

While Kyle Busch was bested by the Richard Petty Motorsports cars early in the run, the M&Ms Toyota roared back to the lead for lap 17 getting around the #9 of Ambrose who had pitted early.   Most competitors in the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at the Glen race chose to make the 90-lap distance on just two pit stops. In essence running 30 laps per every full tank of fuel, the plan proved too  Sticking to a plan to run the race with a three-stop strategy, the #9 Richard Petty Motorsports Ford Fusion could focus on setting fastest lap times on the Watkins Glen circuit.

As the Fords of Richard Petty Motorsports devoted themselves to a safer fuel strategy, the Roush/Fenway Racing Ford Fusions are along many who pushed for lap 30 to make their first fuel stop. For the team's #16 car of Greg Biffle, the fuel cell on his stock car ran dry after 28 laps. Slowing and eventually stopping on track, the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at the Glen first caution was deployed.

While the Roush/Fenway Racing car of Greg Biffle received a push back to the pits on a fellow Ford, the timing of the caution was a benefit to some drivers including Marcos Ambrose and Dale Earnhardt Jr who had made pit stops during the green flag. For a second time, Ambrose led at Watkins Glen before turning the position over to Juan Pablo Montoya's #42 Chevrolet. Taking the lead on lap 37, Montoya stayed out front for 3 laps. After Juan Pablo Montoya's time at the front, fellow Chevrolet driver Jeff Gordon took over until the #18 Toyota of Kyle Busch swept back into the top spot on the 45th lap.

Slowed first by a stopped vehicle on track, the next series of cautions during the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at the Glen involved dramatic collisions. As Kyle Busch was putting a driving clinic at the front of the field on lap 48, the #22 Shell/Pennzoil Dodge piloted by brother Kurt Busch plowed hard into the turn 5 tire barrier. Ending in a retirement for the Sprint Cup chase hopeful, Kurt Busch was not the only member of the NASCAR Sprint Cup's top-12 in points to meet the Watkins Glen retaining barriers. On lap 67, Denny Hamlin went for a frightening ride when his Joe Gibbs Racing #11 Toyota sailed straight in turn 1. A product of a stuck throttle, Hamlin was unable to slow down the stock car from over 100 mile per hour. Only the turn 1 tire barrier and wall could stop the speeding FedEx #11 Toyota. Enduring a hard hit, Denny Hamlin (like Kurt Busch in the previous crash) left the vehicle thankfully unhurt.

After the Hamlin crash, green flag was shown with 20 laps to go for the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at the Glen NASCAR Sprint Cup event with Kyle Busch taking the race lead back from Jeff Gordon. Building up a sizable lead on second place Marcos Ambrose, Kyle Busch's advantage was erased on lap 87 by the backstretch crash of Paul Menard's #27 Chevrolet.

The Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at the Glen race came down to a final showdown between the two most superior race cars of the day. In the lead, Kyle Busch faced off with the #9 Ford of Marcos Ambrose for what would be the race's green-white-checker finish. Side-by-side, Busch and Ambrose launched with near identical restarts. Into the corner, the #2 Dodge of Brad Keselowski entered into the battle for the Watkins Glen lead. Kyle Busch bobbled slightly as Keselowski pointed his car perfectly into the first corner taking the top position. While Busch quickly settled his vehicle, the #18 Joe Gibbs Racing driver was effectively out of contention for the NASCAR Sprint Cup victory. Marcos Ambrose remained close to the new leader Brad KeselowskiHeluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at the Glen. In second place, Marcos Ambrose found considerable speed through the back straight portion of the track in the #9 Ford to pass the #2 Dodge through the Watkins Glen's inner loop section.

As Marcos Ambrose crossed the start/finish line with a commanding lead at this vital time, the Tasmanian should only need to worry about the competition for about half of the final lap. Bringing out the race solidifying caution, a violent wreck involving three cars provided a dramatic conclusion. The major incident started in turn 1 as the #6 Ford of David Ragan was sent wide into a wall in turn one. Striking the wall hard with an uneven front impact, the Ragan's Ford bounced back into the race track and slammed the #00 Toyota of David Reutimann. Impact on Reutimann's car sent the Michael Watrip Racing Toyota for the wildest impacts first into the inner wall. Hitting the steel barrier, the force of the #00 car's impact sent the vehicle onto its side and later roof as it slid into the outside wall. The #36 Chevrolet of Ron Fellows was also clipped in the incident ending what was a difficult day for the Canadian road racer. Thankfully ending the race on a positive note, Fellows, Ragan and Reutimann walked out of their cars without serious injury.  

Photo Credit: Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images for NASCAR

Due to the last lap caution, the #9 Ford crossed the finish line under the yellow flag to win the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at the Glen. Rewarding the relatively sizable NASCAR race crowd returning to the rescheduled Monday morning event at the 2.45-mile road course, Marcos Ambrose lit up his tires in celebration of his first NASCAR Sprint Cup victory. The victory for Richard Petty Motorsports #9 car of Ambrose comes almost two years since their last win with Kasey Kahne at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The Richard Petty Motorsports win at Watkins Glen is also the first with a Ford product in NASCAR Sprint Cup competition. The term 'first time winner' has become a refreshingly more common on the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with Marcos Ambrose's name joining Trevor Bayne, Regan Smith, David Ragan and recent Brickyard 400 winner Paul Menard.

Brad Keselowski finished 2nd at the Watkins Glen road course still enduring pain suffered in a Road Atlanta crash weeks before. Bringing the #2 Miller Lite Dodge of Penske Racing home in the runner-up position served as come much-needed medicine as Keselowski attempts to gain a spot in the 2011 Chase for the Sprint Cup.

Though Kyle Busch missed out on the race victory, his third place finish locked the Joe Gibbs Racing driver into the top spot in the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup driver points. Toyotas of Martin Truex Jr and Joey Logano rounded out the top-five for the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at the Glen.

The next stop for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series is a second visit to the 2-mile Michigan International Speedway Sunday.

2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup
Watkins Glen International
Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at the Glen
Race Results

1. 9 Marcos Ambrose Stanley Ford
2. 2 Brad Keselowski Miller Lite Dodge
3. 18 Kyle Busch M&M's Toyota
4. 56 Martin Truex Jr. NAPA Auto Parts Toyota
5. 20 Joey Logano Home Depot Toyota
6. 29 Kevin Harvick Budweiser Chevrolet
7. 42 Juan Pablo Montoya Target Chevrolet
8. 43 A J Allmendinger Best Buy Ford
9. 31 Jeff Burton Caterpillar Chevrolet
10. 48 Jimmie Johnson Lowe's Chevrolet
11. 33 Clint Bowyer Cheerios/Hamburger Helper Chevrolet
12. 99 Carl Edwards Ortho Home Defense Max Ford
13. 24 Jeff Gordon DuPont Chevrolet
14. 17 Matt Kenseth Crown Royal Ford
15. 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. National Guard/AMP Energy Chevrolet
16. 39 Ryan Newman U.S. ARMY Chevrolet
17. 1 Jamie McMurray McDonald's Chevrolet
18. 83 Brian Vickers Red Bull Toyota
19. 47 Bobby Labonte CapitalDPO Toyota
20. 13 Casey Mears GEICO Toyota
21. 71 Andy Lally Interstate Moving Services Ford
22. 51 Boris Said PhoenixConstruction/ThankATeacherToday Chevrolet
23. 78 Regan Smith Furniture Row Chevrolet
24. 7 Robby Gordon SPEED Energy Dodge
25. 5 Mark Martin GoDaddy.com Chevrolet
26. 4 Kasey Kahne Red Bull Toyota
27. 14 Tony Stewart Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevrolet
28. 6 David Ragan UPS Ford
29. 0 David Reutimann Aaron's Dream Machine Toyota
30. 36 Ron Fellows Golden Corral Chevrolet
31. 16 Greg Biffle Valvoline Ford
32. 27 Paul Menard Pittsburgh Paints/Menards Chevrolet
33. 34 David Gilliland Front Row Motorsports Ford
34. 38 Terry Labonte Long John Silver's Ford
35. 32 Andrew Ranger Bully Hill Vineyards Ford
36. 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Ground Toyota
37. 50 T J Bell Green Smoke Chevrolet
38. 22 Kurt Busch Shell/Pennzoil Dodge
39. 37 Scott Speed Green Stuff Absorbent Ford
40. 87 Joe Nemechek NEMCO Motorsports Toyota
41. 66 Michael McDowell HP Racing, LLC Toyota
42. 55 JJ Yeley Front Row Motorsports Ford
43. 60 Mike Skinner Big Red Toyota

Kyle Busch, Ambrose Top NASCAR Sprint Cup Practice at the Glen

Photo Credit: Todd Warshaw/Getty Images

A highlight weekend for American road racing, the Watkins Glen track comes alive with the competition of the Grand Am Rolex Sports Car Series as well as the NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series for 2011. A busy weekend at the 2.46-mile Watkins Glen road course in lower New York state, the track time for the top-level NASCAR Sprint Cup Series gave the teams only two practices for Sunday's Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at the Glen. Both occurring on Friday, 46 NASCAR Sprint Cup machines are set to compete for 43 spots in Saturday qualifying.

Despite the rich contingent of road racers making limited series starts, Kyle Busch conquered the lead position in practice session 1 at Watkins Glen. Piloting his Joe Gibbs Racing #18 Toyota Camry, Kyle Busch flew to a 1 minute, 1.24 second top time. Recently resigning with to drive the 2012 season in the #42 Chevrolet for Earnhardt/Ganassi Racing, Juan Pablo Montoya grabbed second fastest time. Montoya returns to the Watkins Glen race as the reigning NASCAR Sprint Cup race winner of the 2010 event. 

Third through fifth in the initial NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice at the Watkins Glen track were stock cars driven by AJ Allmendinger, Ryan Newman and Brad Keselowski. Honourable mentions for fast times in the session also goes to Jeff Gordon who's 7th fastest, Dale Earnhardt Jr capturing the 11th quickest time and Andy Lally who drove his #71 TRG Motorsports Ford to a 15th fastest time.  

In the second practice session, Tasmania's Marcos Ambrose reached for the top of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series time charts. The #9 Richard Petty Motorsports Ford Fusion was guided around the 2.46-mile Watkins Glen track in 1 minute, 9.67 seconds. Winning Saturday's NASCAR Nationwide Series event for the past 3 years, Ambrose is still hunting for his first Sprint Cup Series victory. In 3 previous Sprint Cup Series races at the Watkins Glen road course, Marcos Ambrose owns 3 top-five finishes.  

Following Ambrose's fastest time in the second and final practice for Sunday's Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at the Glen, Kurt Busch, Carl Edwards, Brad Keselowski and Martin Truex Jr collected top-5 speeds. Committed to drive the #2 Miller Lite Dodge for the NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Watkins Glen, Brad Keselowski is still nursing a angle injury suffered two weeks ago testing at Road Atlanta. Likely to go the distance in the 90-lap Sunday event, Keselowski is giving up his #22 Dodge in the NASCAR Nationwide Series to Penske Racing teammate Kurt Busch.  

After setting top time in the first Watkins Glen practice, Kyle Busch's #18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota was found in 16th place. Other drivers who showed a larger drop-off on the practice standings sheet between the two sessions were Kevin Harvick, Dale Earnhardt Jr and Matt Kenseth. It should be alluded stock cars dialing in race setups rather than for top qualifying speed.  

Qualifying for the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at the Glen race will start at 11:40 am Saturday. 

Practice 1

1. 18 Kyle Busch M&M's Toyota
2. 42 Juan Pablo Montoya Target Chevrolet
3. 43 A J Allmendinger Best Buy Ford
4. 39 Ryan Newman U.S. ARMY Chevrolet
5. 2 Brad Keselowski Miller Lite Dodge
6. 16 Greg Biffle Valvoline Ford
7. 24 Jeff Gordon DuPont Chevrolet
8. 5 Mark Martin GoDaddy.com Chevrolet
9. 29 Kevin Harvick Budweiser Chevrolet
10. 1 Jamie McMurray McDonald's Chevrolet
11. 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. National Guard/AMP Energy Chevrolet
12. 17 Matt Kenseth Crown Royal Ford
13. 9 Marcos Ambrose Stanley Ford
14. 4 Kasey Kahne Red Bull Toyota
15. 71 Andy Lally Interstate Moving Services Ford
16. 99 Carl Edwards Ortho Home Defense Max Ford
17. 22 Kurt Busch Shell/Pennzoil Dodge
18. 14 Tony Stewart Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevrolet
19. 56 Martin Truex Jr. NAPA Auto Parts Toyota
20. 33 Clint Bowyer Cheerios/Hamburger Helper Chevrolet
21. 27 Paul Menard Pittsburgh Paints/Menards Chevrolet
22. 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Ground Toyota
23. 48 Jimmie Johnson Lowe's Chevrolet
24. 6 David Ragan UPS Ford
25. 83 Brian Vickers Red Bull Toyota
26. 20 Joey Logano Home Depot Toyota
27. 31 Jeff Burton Caterpillar Chevrolet
28. 51 Boris Said PhoenixConstruction/ThankATeacher Chevrolet
29. 78 Regan Smith Furniture Row Chevrolet
30. 47 Bobby Labonte CapitalDPO Toyota
31. 34 David Gilliland Front Row Motorsports Ford
32. 32 Andrew Ranger Bully Hill Vineyards Ford
33. 0 David Reutimann Aaron's Dream Machine Toyota
34. 36 Ron Fellows Golden Corral Chevrolet
35. 87 Joe Nemechek NEMCO Motorsports Toyota
36. 46 Brian Simo Fisher Nuts Ford
37. 55 JJ Yeley Front Row Motorsports Ford
38. 7 Robby Gordon SPEED Energy Dodge
39. 13 Casey Mears GEICO Toyota
40. 38 Terry Labonte Long John Silver's Ford
41. 35 Dave Blaney Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet
42. 77 PJ Jones GNC/SPEED Energy Dodge
43. 66 Michael McDowell HP Racing, LLC Toyota
44. 50 T J Bell Green Smoke Chevrolet
45. 37 Scott Speed Green Stuff Absorbent Ford
46. 60 Mike Skinner Big Red Toyota

Final Practice

1. 9 Marcos Ambrose Stanley Ford
2. 22 Kurt Busch Shell/Pennzoil Dodge
3. 99 Carl Edwards Ortho Home Defense Max Ford
4. 2 Brad Keselowski Miller Lite Dodge
5. 56 Martin Truex Jr. NAPA Auto Parts Toyota
6. 20 Joey Logano Home Depot Toyota
7. 33 Clint Bowyer Cheerios/Hamburger Helper Chevrolet
8. 48 Jimmie Johnson Lowe's Chevrolet
9. 31 Jeff Burton Caterpillar Chevrolet
10. 13 Casey Mears GEICO Toyota
11. 71 Andy Lally Interstate Moving Services Ford
12. 43 A J Allmendinger Best Buy Ford
13. 27 Paul Menard Pittsburgh Paints/Menards Chevrolet
14. 37 Scott Speed Green Stuff Absorbent Ford
15. 42 Juan Pablo Montoya Target Chevrolet
16. 18 Kyle Busch M&M's Toyota
17. 47 Bobby Labonte CapitalDPO Toyota
18. 7 Robby Gordon SPEED Energy Dodge
19. 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Ground Toyota
20. 16 Greg Biffle Valvoline Ford
21. 34 David Gilliland Front Row Motorsports Ford
22. 55 JJ Yeley Front Row Motorsports Ford
23. 24 Jeff Gordon DuPont Chevrolet
24. 4 Kasey Kahne Red Bull Toyota
25. 0 David Reutimann Aaron's Dream Machine Toyota
26. 1 Jamie McMurray McDonald's Chevrolet
27. 66 Michael McDowell HP Racing, LLC Toyota
28. 29 Kevin Harvick Budweiser Chevrolet
29. 51 Boris Said Phoenix Construction/Thank A Teacher
30. 83 Brian Vickers Red Bull Toyota
31. 39 Ryan Newman U.S. ARMY Chevrolet
32. 14 Tony Stewart Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevrolet
33. 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. National Guard/AMP Energy Chevrolet
34. 78 Regan Smith Furniture Row Chevrolet
35. 35 Dave Blaney Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet
36. 77 PJ Jones GNC/SPEED Energy Dodge
37. 6 David Ragan UPS Ford
38. 87 Joe Nemechek NEMCO Motorsports Toyota
39. 17 Matt Kenseth Crown Royal Ford
40. 36 Ron Fellows Golden Corral Chevrolet
41. 5 Mark Martin GoDaddy.com Chevrolet
42. 46 Brian Simo Fisher Nuts Ford
43. 50 T J Bell Green Smoke Chevrolet
44. 38 Terry Labonte Long John Silver's Ford
45. 32 Andrew Ranger Bully Hill Vineyards Ford
46. 60 Mike Skinner Big Red Toyota

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.